Dayang Noor's Blog, page 9
September 30, 2011
Almost wordless Friday
At the launch, in front of the poster
With Gina, author of Ngeri
With Fazleena, the cover girl
With Gina and Amir (tokey FIXI)
First time doing book signing.
Jerat is now available at MPH, yeay!
Book signing at an open house in Gombak. Hahaha!
Reading at Seksan, Bangsar
September 10, 2011
Jerat will be launched on 17th Sept 2011
My dear blog readers,you are cordially invited to attend the launch of my debut novel, Jerat, together with Ngeri (Buku FIXI) and Nurul Asyikin (Siluet Books) on Saturday, 17th September 2011. It will be held at Annexe Gallery, Central Market. There's also going to be Arts For Grab event happening here. So, please come for the fun and perhaps you'll find some rare books, paintings or handicrafts you've been searching for.
The official poster. Cool, kan?Well, the original plan was for me to appear on TV9's NLKO after the launch. That would be on the 23rd Sept. However, last Thursday afternoon I received a phone call from my publisher and NLKO producer that my interview had been changed to Friday morning, 9th Sept.I was actually not ready for it and haven't set my mind for the live interview yet. There were a few work related things that I had to settle by Friday but I didn't know why I said 'Yes' to the NLKO producer. Luckily, the program was aired really early in the morning. I made a rough estimation, and I thought I'd be able to make it to my appointments set during office hours. I was also not that nervous as I knew most of my friends and work colleagues won't be watching it. Only my family was informed about the TV interview.
Aziz Desa was supercool. He made me feel at ease.So, my hubby forced me to sleep by 10pm on Thursday night because he was afraid I couldn't wake up early the next morning. But it seemed like sleeping early was not a good idea after all because I was wide awake at 4.10a.m and didn't know what to do. So, I forced myself to go back to sleep.
I think I look like an ustazah. Hehehe.LDP in the morning has always been unpredictable, so I decided to take KESAS, Subang, NKVE and then took the Damansara exit. So, the journey took me only 30 minutes, I arrived at Sri Pentas 20 minutes early. After some simple touch-up, I waited in the lounge provided with my publisher and a few actors from Raya Tak Jadi the movie. They were waiting for their turn to be interviewed by MHI.
Then, when my turn came I think it went really fast. I don't remember what were Aziz Desa's questions and what my answers were. I hope I was not telling any sick joke or accidentally mentioned any politician's name.
After the interview, at about 8.40a.m I rushed to Putrajaya for a project meeting and made it just on time. Phewwww!
Then, at 1.30pm, when I returned to office, the girls on my floor were screaming like mad because a few of them actually saw me on TV that morning. So, I was getting more interviews for the rest of the day. Wow, it was really an experience.
Jerat cover and synopsis.Later that night, I saw a few tweets from tweeples who have received their copies and started reading it. I was praying hard they enjoyed it. This is my first novel (and first published work), so I have to admit that I'm very nervous about my readers' opinion.
I guess for the next few weeks I'll be googling for Jerat keywords to get readers' feedback. All kind of feedbacks are welcomed ;).
The book will be available at MPH bookstores starting next week, but if you can't find it, can always order online from fixi.com.my and get 15% discount.
The official poster. Cool, kan?Well, the original plan was for me to appear on TV9's NLKO after the launch. That would be on the 23rd Sept. However, last Thursday afternoon I received a phone call from my publisher and NLKO producer that my interview had been changed to Friday morning, 9th Sept.I was actually not ready for it and haven't set my mind for the live interview yet. There were a few work related things that I had to settle by Friday but I didn't know why I said 'Yes' to the NLKO producer. Luckily, the program was aired really early in the morning. I made a rough estimation, and I thought I'd be able to make it to my appointments set during office hours. I was also not that nervous as I knew most of my friends and work colleagues won't be watching it. Only my family was informed about the TV interview. 
Aziz Desa was supercool. He made me feel at ease.So, my hubby forced me to sleep by 10pm on Thursday night because he was afraid I couldn't wake up early the next morning. But it seemed like sleeping early was not a good idea after all because I was wide awake at 4.10a.m and didn't know what to do. So, I forced myself to go back to sleep. 
I think I look like an ustazah. Hehehe.LDP in the morning has always been unpredictable, so I decided to take KESAS, Subang, NKVE and then took the Damansara exit. So, the journey took me only 30 minutes, I arrived at Sri Pentas 20 minutes early. After some simple touch-up, I waited in the lounge provided with my publisher and a few actors from Raya Tak Jadi the movie. They were waiting for their turn to be interviewed by MHI.Then, when my turn came I think it went really fast. I don't remember what were Aziz Desa's questions and what my answers were. I hope I was not telling any sick joke or accidentally mentioned any politician's name.
After the interview, at about 8.40a.m I rushed to Putrajaya for a project meeting and made it just on time. Phewwww!
Then, at 1.30pm, when I returned to office, the girls on my floor were screaming like mad because a few of them actually saw me on TV that morning. So, I was getting more interviews for the rest of the day. Wow, it was really an experience.
Jerat cover and synopsis.Later that night, I saw a few tweets from tweeples who have received their copies and started reading it. I was praying hard they enjoyed it. This is my first novel (and first published work), so I have to admit that I'm very nervous about my readers' opinion. I guess for the next few weeks I'll be googling for Jerat keywords to get readers' feedback. All kind of feedbacks are welcomed ;).
The book will be available at MPH bookstores starting next week, but if you can't find it, can always order online from fixi.com.my and get 15% discount.
September 6, 2011
Raya story 2
"I left my heart here," said Fairul, the 24 year old university graduate in purple baju melayu.
He was munching dodol and rempeyek at once. Fusion food suit his taste buds. Sweet, creamy, salty, spicy - blending well in his mouth.
"Where? Under this tree?" asked his cousin, Malik who was 2 years older but hasn't completed his studies yet.
They were both seated on a wooden bench under an old rambutan tree near their maternal grandmother's kampung house. It was the first of Syawal.
"No, I mean here, at Uwan's house," answered Fairul with dreamy eyes.
Malik was holding a plate of dodol while Fairul had a container of rempeyek on his lap. They took them from Uwan's kitchen cabinet while everybody's busy taking family photos after the prayers.
"Oh, I think I know who. It must be Sarah, our second cousin. The pretty soon-to-be doctor," Malik teased his cousin.
Fairul continued munching rempeyek and smiled. Whenever he heard people mention Sarah's name, it brought tingling sensation inside him. He couldn't deny it anymore, he had fallen for his second cousin. The bright and chatty girl had stolen his heart when they sat at Uwan's kitchen, cutting lemang and ketupat during hari raya, 2 years ago.
"She will graduate this year. And I will ask her to marry me," Fairul proudly announced.
Malik stared at him, amazed.
"You can't just ask her to marry you. You have to tell you father to go and meet her father to discuss such things. That's how we, the Malay muslims do it," Malik reminded his cousin who had been staying abroad for a few years.
"But my father's not here now!" Fairul was frustrated.
His parents were in England. Fairul came back to Malaysia alone to celebrate hari raya with Uwan and the rest of the family.
"But, you can always tell my father about it. He can represent your father, I guess. They're brothers," Malik came up with a brilliant idea.
Fairul suddenly saw the ray of light.
"Yeah, your father can become the spokesperson while your mother can help prepare all the hantaran. How many do think we'll need? Seven trays, right?"
Fairul has already started visualizing the day he and Sarah were betrothed.
"We can borrow my brother's car to go to Sarah's family home. My brother, Khalil just bought a brand new Toyota Camry," Malik gave another idea.
He was also imagining a small feast where his mother would bring a golden ring into Sarah's room and slipped it onto her finger.
Fairul and Malik were deep in their imaginations when a small boy ran to them with an announcement.
"Abang Fairul, Kak Sarah asks for you. She's at Uwan's house. She's just arrived from Ipoh. Come! Hurry!" The small boy was almost breathless.
Fairul sprang to his feet, the rempeyek container rolled on the bench but Malik managed to get hold of it. Before Malik could say a word to his cousin, Fairul was already running towards Uwan's house. Once he reached the top of the stairs, he turned back to Malik and saw his cousin was giving two thumbs up, wishing him the best of luck.
Malik knew exactly what Fairul would do. He'd ask Sarah about her studies, then they would chat for a few minutes and after that he would pop the million dollar question. Fairul was the spontaneous type. He's impatient as well. Malik knew, before the next hour he'd be informed on the engagement date. He's so sure Sarah has fallen for Fairul too. He saw how the two of them exchange stolen glances, how Sarah purposely brushed Fairul's arms when she took the knife from him after he cut the lemang. So many things happened during that hari raya, 2 years ago.
Malik couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Fairul sauntering towards him 10 minutes later. His head down and both hands at his back. When finally he could see his face, clouds were hanging there - dark clouds. He kicked a small stone near the bench before sitting down with his eyes fixed on a row of ants heading towards the small pieces of dodol left on the plate.
"What happened?" Malik asked, half expecting his cousin was about to surprise him with some really good news.
"Well, firstly," said Fairul and then he paused, leaving Malik hanging to whatever patience he had left. "Firstly, Sarah's really pretty. She is like an angel." Fairul paused again.
"Well, that's good news. And?!!" Malik shook his cousin's arms. He needed to know all the details, quickly.
"Secondly, she has graduated last month."
Malik was already putting up his hands in the air by then. He was preparing for his ritual - the chicken dance. He'd do it whenever he heard good news. But this time, he pulled his hands down quickly when he saw Fairul's face was still cloudy. And that's when he told him.
"Thirdly, she's 5 months pregnant," Fairul dropped the bad news.
Malik's jaw dropped as he stared at his cousin in disbelief.
"What?!! How can she be pregnant?" he knew it's a stupid question to ask, but he needed to know what has happened to his cousin's dream girl.
"Well, she got married and the husband impregnated her, damn it! That's what happened."
Fairul was angry, his face was flushed. He had been suppressing his anger from the time Sarah introduced him to her husband, who was a doctor and drove a 7 Series Beemer. It got worse when he noticed Sarah's baby bump protruding underneath her loose kebarung.
"When did all that happen? Why were we not informed?" Malik still couldn't believe the news.
Fairul popped a piece of dodol into his mouth, the only peace spared by the ants. He chewed the dodol slowly.
"Apparently, Sarah married the doctor after hari raya, last year." At least that's what Uwan told him after he had a short, pretentious chat with Sarah's husband.
"Last year? Why didn't they invite us?" Now it's Malik's turn to be angry.
Fairul was quiet, he was still chewing his dodol slowly, savouring the sweetness while staring blankly at Uwan's house.
"In case you've forgotten, last year we were in Europe during summer. We didn't celebrate raya here. We were in Italy," Fairul reminded his cousin.
"Yeah, I just remembered. We were backpacking. That's why we missed Sarah's wedding."
All the things that happened last summer slowly crept into Malik's mind.
"Yeah, we were the two musafir who didn't fast last summer," said Fairul.
Malik kicked his cousins feet for the cruel reminder.
"We didn't fast, and now you're damned," said Malik.
"Yeah, I'm damned," Fairul agreed before picking up another piece of dodol - the ants' leftover.
He was munching dodol and rempeyek at once. Fusion food suit his taste buds. Sweet, creamy, salty, spicy - blending well in his mouth.
"Where? Under this tree?" asked his cousin, Malik who was 2 years older but hasn't completed his studies yet.
They were both seated on a wooden bench under an old rambutan tree near their maternal grandmother's kampung house. It was the first of Syawal.
"No, I mean here, at Uwan's house," answered Fairul with dreamy eyes.
Malik was holding a plate of dodol while Fairul had a container of rempeyek on his lap. They took them from Uwan's kitchen cabinet while everybody's busy taking family photos after the prayers.
"Oh, I think I know who. It must be Sarah, our second cousin. The pretty soon-to-be doctor," Malik teased his cousin.
Fairul continued munching rempeyek and smiled. Whenever he heard people mention Sarah's name, it brought tingling sensation inside him. He couldn't deny it anymore, he had fallen for his second cousin. The bright and chatty girl had stolen his heart when they sat at Uwan's kitchen, cutting lemang and ketupat during hari raya, 2 years ago.
"She will graduate this year. And I will ask her to marry me," Fairul proudly announced.
Malik stared at him, amazed.
"You can't just ask her to marry you. You have to tell you father to go and meet her father to discuss such things. That's how we, the Malay muslims do it," Malik reminded his cousin who had been staying abroad for a few years.
"But my father's not here now!" Fairul was frustrated.
His parents were in England. Fairul came back to Malaysia alone to celebrate hari raya with Uwan and the rest of the family.
"But, you can always tell my father about it. He can represent your father, I guess. They're brothers," Malik came up with a brilliant idea.
Fairul suddenly saw the ray of light.
"Yeah, your father can become the spokesperson while your mother can help prepare all the hantaran. How many do think we'll need? Seven trays, right?"
Fairul has already started visualizing the day he and Sarah were betrothed.
"We can borrow my brother's car to go to Sarah's family home. My brother, Khalil just bought a brand new Toyota Camry," Malik gave another idea.
He was also imagining a small feast where his mother would bring a golden ring into Sarah's room and slipped it onto her finger.
Fairul and Malik were deep in their imaginations when a small boy ran to them with an announcement.
"Abang Fairul, Kak Sarah asks for you. She's at Uwan's house. She's just arrived from Ipoh. Come! Hurry!" The small boy was almost breathless.
Fairul sprang to his feet, the rempeyek container rolled on the bench but Malik managed to get hold of it. Before Malik could say a word to his cousin, Fairul was already running towards Uwan's house. Once he reached the top of the stairs, he turned back to Malik and saw his cousin was giving two thumbs up, wishing him the best of luck.
Malik knew exactly what Fairul would do. He'd ask Sarah about her studies, then they would chat for a few minutes and after that he would pop the million dollar question. Fairul was the spontaneous type. He's impatient as well. Malik knew, before the next hour he'd be informed on the engagement date. He's so sure Sarah has fallen for Fairul too. He saw how the two of them exchange stolen glances, how Sarah purposely brushed Fairul's arms when she took the knife from him after he cut the lemang. So many things happened during that hari raya, 2 years ago.
Malik couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Fairul sauntering towards him 10 minutes later. His head down and both hands at his back. When finally he could see his face, clouds were hanging there - dark clouds. He kicked a small stone near the bench before sitting down with his eyes fixed on a row of ants heading towards the small pieces of dodol left on the plate.
"What happened?" Malik asked, half expecting his cousin was about to surprise him with some really good news.
"Well, firstly," said Fairul and then he paused, leaving Malik hanging to whatever patience he had left. "Firstly, Sarah's really pretty. She is like an angel." Fairul paused again.
"Well, that's good news. And?!!" Malik shook his cousin's arms. He needed to know all the details, quickly.
"Secondly, she has graduated last month."
Malik was already putting up his hands in the air by then. He was preparing for his ritual - the chicken dance. He'd do it whenever he heard good news. But this time, he pulled his hands down quickly when he saw Fairul's face was still cloudy. And that's when he told him.
"Thirdly, she's 5 months pregnant," Fairul dropped the bad news.
Malik's jaw dropped as he stared at his cousin in disbelief.
"What?!! How can she be pregnant?" he knew it's a stupid question to ask, but he needed to know what has happened to his cousin's dream girl.
"Well, she got married and the husband impregnated her, damn it! That's what happened."
Fairul was angry, his face was flushed. He had been suppressing his anger from the time Sarah introduced him to her husband, who was a doctor and drove a 7 Series Beemer. It got worse when he noticed Sarah's baby bump protruding underneath her loose kebarung.
"When did all that happen? Why were we not informed?" Malik still couldn't believe the news.
Fairul popped a piece of dodol into his mouth, the only peace spared by the ants. He chewed the dodol slowly.
"Apparently, Sarah married the doctor after hari raya, last year." At least that's what Uwan told him after he had a short, pretentious chat with Sarah's husband.
"Last year? Why didn't they invite us?" Now it's Malik's turn to be angry.
Fairul was quiet, he was still chewing his dodol slowly, savouring the sweetness while staring blankly at Uwan's house.
"In case you've forgotten, last year we were in Europe during summer. We didn't celebrate raya here. We were in Italy," Fairul reminded his cousin.
"Yeah, I just remembered. We were backpacking. That's why we missed Sarah's wedding."
All the things that happened last summer slowly crept into Malik's mind.
"Yeah, we were the two musafir who didn't fast last summer," said Fairul.
Malik kicked his cousins feet for the cruel reminder.
"We didn't fast, and now you're damned," said Malik.
"Yeah, I'm damned," Fairul agreed before picking up another piece of dodol - the ants' leftover.
August 25, 2011
Raya story
"Are we preparing lemang or ketupat for raya?' shouted the impatient middle aged woman to her husband who was reading the newspaper. He didn't answer and continued reading until the wife pinched his bony thigh.
"Adoi! What's the matter with you? Can't you see I'm busy?" The man put down the newspaper and looked into his wife's fiery eyes.
"I was asking what are we preparing for raya? It's the 26th day of fasting today. We should start buying ingredients, otherwise everything will be sold out at the hypermarket," with raised voice the woman couldn't emphasize more the importance of making the decision promptly.
The man suddenly realized hari raya was just a few days away and he hadn't paid zakat fitrah for him and the entire family. He got up from the comfortable armchair and hastily put his baggy jeans on. The boxer brief he was wearing inside stuck out a bit from the back. He rushed to the console table to retrieve his car keys, wallet and cell phone.
"Hey, are we going to the hypermarket now? Wait! I haven't changed yet,"the wife shouted in disbelief.
"No, I have something more important to do now. Get yourself ready, I'll be back in 20 minutes," the man told his wife while putting on his Camel outdoor sandals.
The woman hurried to her room and changed into something more decent than her batik caftan. Then she ran to the kitchen to get the list of things she prepared two nights ago. She was closing the back door when the phone rang.
"Hello," she greeted the caller softly. She's not in a bad mood anymore. Finally the husband was going to bring her to buy groceries.
"Oi, where's my money? Did you take everything from my wallet?" the husband was shouting from the other end.
"Sorry, I didn't take your money. In fact, I haven't taken a single cent from your wallet since I started my baking business." Anger seeped through her. She could hear the husband groaning in the phone.
"Arghhh.....!" The man was mad.
He arrived at the mosque just in time to catch the amil. He did the maths in his head, RM7 times 7. He needed to pay the man RM49 for his whole family. But when he retrieved his wallet from the back pocket, he realized that all his RM50 notes were gone. He just withdrew RM300 the day before.
"Hello! Are you still there?" asked the wife.
"Yes, I'm here at the mosque to pay zakat fitrah. And now I don't have RM49 to pay the amil. This is so embarrassing!" the man was scratching his head and leaned towards the mosque's wall.
"Why so much? There's only you, me and Haziq. So, you only need RM21." The wife was confused. She knew how much zakat each muslim had to pay that year. Why did the husband needed RM28 more?
"Oh. I ... err... Well... ermmm.... " The husband just realized his mistake. When he did the maths in his head, he knew he had to pay for 7 people. But when he was arguing with his wife, he totally forgot that he hadn't told her about his 3 stepchildren and his new wife. He also forgot that he had given his RM300 to the new wife, the night before. Suddenly he felt dizzy. He pressed the 'End' button on his smartphone and massaged his temple.
End of conversation. End of lies. When he returned home later, it could be the end of him too.
"Adoi! What's the matter with you? Can't you see I'm busy?" The man put down the newspaper and looked into his wife's fiery eyes.
"I was asking what are we preparing for raya? It's the 26th day of fasting today. We should start buying ingredients, otherwise everything will be sold out at the hypermarket," with raised voice the woman couldn't emphasize more the importance of making the decision promptly.
The man suddenly realized hari raya was just a few days away and he hadn't paid zakat fitrah for him and the entire family. He got up from the comfortable armchair and hastily put his baggy jeans on. The boxer brief he was wearing inside stuck out a bit from the back. He rushed to the console table to retrieve his car keys, wallet and cell phone.
"Hey, are we going to the hypermarket now? Wait! I haven't changed yet,"the wife shouted in disbelief.
"No, I have something more important to do now. Get yourself ready, I'll be back in 20 minutes," the man told his wife while putting on his Camel outdoor sandals.
The woman hurried to her room and changed into something more decent than her batik caftan. Then she ran to the kitchen to get the list of things she prepared two nights ago. She was closing the back door when the phone rang.
"Hello," she greeted the caller softly. She's not in a bad mood anymore. Finally the husband was going to bring her to buy groceries.
"Oi, where's my money? Did you take everything from my wallet?" the husband was shouting from the other end.
"Sorry, I didn't take your money. In fact, I haven't taken a single cent from your wallet since I started my baking business." Anger seeped through her. She could hear the husband groaning in the phone.
"Arghhh.....!" The man was mad.
He arrived at the mosque just in time to catch the amil. He did the maths in his head, RM7 times 7. He needed to pay the man RM49 for his whole family. But when he retrieved his wallet from the back pocket, he realized that all his RM50 notes were gone. He just withdrew RM300 the day before.
"Hello! Are you still there?" asked the wife.
"Yes, I'm here at the mosque to pay zakat fitrah. And now I don't have RM49 to pay the amil. This is so embarrassing!" the man was scratching his head and leaned towards the mosque's wall.
"Why so much? There's only you, me and Haziq. So, you only need RM21." The wife was confused. She knew how much zakat each muslim had to pay that year. Why did the husband needed RM28 more?
"Oh. I ... err... Well... ermmm.... " The husband just realized his mistake. When he did the maths in his head, he knew he had to pay for 7 people. But when he was arguing with his wife, he totally forgot that he hadn't told her about his 3 stepchildren and his new wife. He also forgot that he had given his RM300 to the new wife, the night before. Suddenly he felt dizzy. He pressed the 'End' button on his smartphone and massaged his temple.
End of conversation. End of lies. When he returned home later, it could be the end of him too.
August 16, 2011
Jerat: How it all started
Er, well I recently wrote a book and it's going to be published soon. The book will be launched on 17th September at Annexe, Central Market. If you're surprised, so am I. I never thought I'll have the perseverance to complete a book. Not too long ago I dreamed about it, but the idea was shelved because I had too many things on my plate.
The cover, you'll find this in major bookstores in a month's time.
You can read the first chapter for free at the publisher website. I hope you'll like it. For most of my blog readers the blurb might ring bells to you because I've actually published a short story with almost the same storyline in this blog in early 2007. The main characters in Jerat are based on that short story. However, Jerat is in Bahasa Melayu and I created more twists and drama so that I could come up with 60,000 words. Back in 2007 I didn't see any opportunity for such story to be published and sold in major bookstores. The local book industry was then (or even now) monopolized by love stories, political books and autobiographies. I didn't know how to fit in or create the opportunity. So, when books from Fixi (which I've bought and read all) became such a hit with the young readers in 2011, I started to reconsider my story. That was when I started downloading an Open Source novel writing software and came up with my characters, story map etc. Since I've established the storyline back in 2007, it didn't take me long to complete the manuscript. I started writing my first paragraph on 1st June and submitted the completed manuscript on 5th July, which coincidently was my 37th birthday. Well, that has got to be the best birthday present I ever gave to myself. Five weeks is a short time to write a story, considering the fact that I could only write after the kids have had dinner and prepared for bed. Sometimes, I skipped gym and went to the nearest Kopitiam and wrote at least a scene. Throughout the 5 weeks, I gained 2kg because I've been missing gym, and had a bit too much of Old Town White Coffee. However, during the writing period I was very grateful that I took all the trouble to learn touch typing. When you have so many words pouring out from your head, the fingers were having trouble keeping up with the speed demand. Alhamdulillah I didn't go crazy during this writing process.
The author, yours truly.
If you're asking me about hope, well yes I have a few. Firstly, I hope Malaysian readers will understand the story (you see, sometimes I can be a bit syok sendiri, so I didn't even think about readers acceptance when I was writing this novel). Secondly, I hope readers will enjoy it. Lastly, I hope all the IT people in this country will feel happier knowing that I wrote this book especially dedicated to us all. Yes, IT is used as the background. There might be some technical jargons and terminologies that are foreign to many. But, hey, there's always Google and Wikepedia.
Selamat berpuasa uolls!
The cover, you'll find this in major bookstores in a month's time.You can read the first chapter for free at the publisher website. I hope you'll like it. For most of my blog readers the blurb might ring bells to you because I've actually published a short story with almost the same storyline in this blog in early 2007. The main characters in Jerat are based on that short story. However, Jerat is in Bahasa Melayu and I created more twists and drama so that I could come up with 60,000 words. Back in 2007 I didn't see any opportunity for such story to be published and sold in major bookstores. The local book industry was then (or even now) monopolized by love stories, political books and autobiographies. I didn't know how to fit in or create the opportunity. So, when books from Fixi (which I've bought and read all) became such a hit with the young readers in 2011, I started to reconsider my story. That was when I started downloading an Open Source novel writing software and came up with my characters, story map etc. Since I've established the storyline back in 2007, it didn't take me long to complete the manuscript. I started writing my first paragraph on 1st June and submitted the completed manuscript on 5th July, which coincidently was my 37th birthday. Well, that has got to be the best birthday present I ever gave to myself. Five weeks is a short time to write a story, considering the fact that I could only write after the kids have had dinner and prepared for bed. Sometimes, I skipped gym and went to the nearest Kopitiam and wrote at least a scene. Throughout the 5 weeks, I gained 2kg because I've been missing gym, and had a bit too much of Old Town White Coffee. However, during the writing period I was very grateful that I took all the trouble to learn touch typing. When you have so many words pouring out from your head, the fingers were having trouble keeping up with the speed demand. Alhamdulillah I didn't go crazy during this writing process.
The author, yours truly.If you're asking me about hope, well yes I have a few. Firstly, I hope Malaysian readers will understand the story (you see, sometimes I can be a bit syok sendiri, so I didn't even think about readers acceptance when I was writing this novel). Secondly, I hope readers will enjoy it. Lastly, I hope all the IT people in this country will feel happier knowing that I wrote this book especially dedicated to us all. Yes, IT is used as the background. There might be some technical jargons and terminologies that are foreign to many. But, hey, there's always Google and Wikepedia.
Selamat berpuasa uolls!
I found this
We are having our Srikandi dinner later this year and there was an email from Madam President asking for door gift sponsorship. Frankly speaking, I've ran out of ideas for door gift for any occasion. So, I googled for gifts and giveaways and found this Amsterdam printing tradeshow giveaways which is like a one stop shop for all kinds of giveaways.
I found it cool, as there are so many choices available and they are things I'd love to receive whenever I attend events. My favorite has to be water bottles. Hey, I have 2 school going sons. They keep on losing their water bottles at school. We usually had to buy 2 or 3 water bottles for them each semester.
So, I'm going to go through every item on this website and decide on one or two that might be suitable for our next corporate event. My company is also going to celebrate our 30th anniversary soon. I hope they'll get some ideas from Amsterdamprinting.
I found it cool, as there are so many choices available and they are things I'd love to receive whenever I attend events. My favorite has to be water bottles. Hey, I have 2 school going sons. They keep on losing their water bottles at school. We usually had to buy 2 or 3 water bottles for them each semester.
So, I'm going to go through every item on this website and decide on one or two that might be suitable for our next corporate event. My company is also going to celebrate our 30th anniversary soon. I hope they'll get some ideas from Amsterdamprinting.
July 29, 2011
LFC Asia Tour 2011 - memories
Mr Hubby posted some pictures and his story to LSCM and they were published this month on Walk On. Please click on the images to enlarge them.
Above was the view from where we were seated. We sat behind the scoreboard, ok. When we arrived, we didn't know the score. After so many goals scored by both sides, we went out without knowing the final score, still. After walking more than 1.5km to our car, I logged on to Twitter to know the result. Hahaha.
Here's the story shared by Mr Hubby. Yeah, we were so excited once we learned about LFC coming to Malaysia. Although we've been to Anfield twice but we never got the chance to watch them play. Next time, we should go during winter time.
Why oh why I didn't look at the camera when Mr Hubby snapped the above photo? That's me in that black and red tudung. It was half time, I don't know why Wazif was clapping.
Some more stories. Sorry Aquilani, your face is truncated. You're not staying for another season, aren't you?
Note: All pictures screen captured from LSCM magazine, Walk On.
Above was the view from where we were seated. We sat behind the scoreboard, ok. When we arrived, we didn't know the score. After so many goals scored by both sides, we went out without knowing the final score, still. After walking more than 1.5km to our car, I logged on to Twitter to know the result. Hahaha.
Here's the story shared by Mr Hubby. Yeah, we were so excited once we learned about LFC coming to Malaysia. Although we've been to Anfield twice but we never got the chance to watch them play. Next time, we should go during winter time.
Why oh why I didn't look at the camera when Mr Hubby snapped the above photo? That's me in that black and red tudung. It was half time, I don't know why Wazif was clapping.
Some more stories. Sorry Aquilani, your face is truncated. You're not staying for another season, aren't you?
Note: All pictures screen captured from LSCM magazine, Walk On.
July 27, 2011
SAHM? WAHM? And writing?
It all started in January 2007. I remember posting about my dream to become a working at home mom. I was not really sure of what I could do at home other than driving the kids to school, fetching them in the evening, cooking, cleaning, gardening etc.
A friend suggested to start a clothing line but none of us knew how to design clothes. I could sew simple baju kurung and shirts but never taken any formal courses. Not long after we discussed this, I read in the gossip column that Victoria Bekham was planning to start her clothing line too. Hehe. Coincidence or what?
Another friend encouraged me to start baking, and I took some initiatives about a year later. I bought an oven and started baking. It was really fun trying all the new found recipes (mostly Googled), playing around with buttercream and fondant. But I couldn't spend much time baking as many IT projects started pouring in that year. So, the oven was left in a cold and lonely corner in my kitchen. Poor oven.
In early 2007 too I dreamed to become a published author. I started writing fiction and a few paid articles. I published the fiction in my blog. It was a short story. And that was it. I never had the time to write fiction soon after that because of my work load.
The only thing I managed to do consistently since then was writing. Well, actually only the blog writing part was consistent. The technical writing, fiction and paid articles only lasted for a few months.
So, the idea of becoming a WAHM was forgotten for a while.
Earlier this year, one of my new year resolutions was to start with my Masters programme in June/July timeframe. I started planning on how to adjust my work schedule and researching on the most suitable courses offered by nearby Unis. At one point, I was contemplating quitting work and focus 100% on doing the Masters Programme.
But Allah knows best. There were a few new challenges at work that I didn't even have time to enroll myself in any of the nearby Universities. The first quarter of 2011 was so busy that I didn't even took any time off during the school holidays.
Some time in April my body started to tell me that it was too much to take, my BP was high again after stabilizing for more than 3 years. It was so frustrating as I realized I've been neglecting my health again. I tried going to the gym and cooking at home more frequently but work became too demanding, sometimes I even had lunch in the car while driving to customer's place.
So, when I saw an announcement in Twitter requesting for manuscript submission, I started writing fiction again. It's a therapy, much better than shopping or going to spa. Writing fiction transformed me into another person and it brought me to another world, another dimension. It kept me occupied, but less stressed. I completed the proposal and my first 4 chapters in 6 days and submitted to the publisher.
To my surprise, the proposal was accepted and I continued with the rest of the manuscript.
Four weeks later I managed to complete the manuscript and submitted the first draft. And it was accepted!
Allah knows best and works in mysterious ways. My first novel will be launched on 17th September 2011.
A wish/dream started in early 2007 and will materialize on the 3rd quarter of 2011.
For all my readers who dare to dream, trust me, insyaallah you will succeed.
** more news on my first novel will be posted here after Raya.
A friend suggested to start a clothing line but none of us knew how to design clothes. I could sew simple baju kurung and shirts but never taken any formal courses. Not long after we discussed this, I read in the gossip column that Victoria Bekham was planning to start her clothing line too. Hehe. Coincidence or what?
Another friend encouraged me to start baking, and I took some initiatives about a year later. I bought an oven and started baking. It was really fun trying all the new found recipes (mostly Googled), playing around with buttercream and fondant. But I couldn't spend much time baking as many IT projects started pouring in that year. So, the oven was left in a cold and lonely corner in my kitchen. Poor oven.
In early 2007 too I dreamed to become a published author. I started writing fiction and a few paid articles. I published the fiction in my blog. It was a short story. And that was it. I never had the time to write fiction soon after that because of my work load.
The only thing I managed to do consistently since then was writing. Well, actually only the blog writing part was consistent. The technical writing, fiction and paid articles only lasted for a few months.
So, the idea of becoming a WAHM was forgotten for a while.
Earlier this year, one of my new year resolutions was to start with my Masters programme in June/July timeframe. I started planning on how to adjust my work schedule and researching on the most suitable courses offered by nearby Unis. At one point, I was contemplating quitting work and focus 100% on doing the Masters Programme.
But Allah knows best. There were a few new challenges at work that I didn't even have time to enroll myself in any of the nearby Universities. The first quarter of 2011 was so busy that I didn't even took any time off during the school holidays.
Some time in April my body started to tell me that it was too much to take, my BP was high again after stabilizing for more than 3 years. It was so frustrating as I realized I've been neglecting my health again. I tried going to the gym and cooking at home more frequently but work became too demanding, sometimes I even had lunch in the car while driving to customer's place.
So, when I saw an announcement in Twitter requesting for manuscript submission, I started writing fiction again. It's a therapy, much better than shopping or going to spa. Writing fiction transformed me into another person and it brought me to another world, another dimension. It kept me occupied, but less stressed. I completed the proposal and my first 4 chapters in 6 days and submitted to the publisher.
To my surprise, the proposal was accepted and I continued with the rest of the manuscript.
Four weeks later I managed to complete the manuscript and submitted the first draft. And it was accepted!
Allah knows best and works in mysterious ways. My first novel will be launched on 17th September 2011.
A wish/dream started in early 2007 and will materialize on the 3rd quarter of 2011.
For all my readers who dare to dream, trust me, insyaallah you will succeed.
** more news on my first novel will be posted here after Raya.
July 22, 2011
Good news - we're hiring!
Yeah, we're hiring. Again!
I have been interviewing System Engineers for the past 3 months, to fill up two vacancies we currently have in the team. Hiring is not an easy job, especially for these 2 posts. I think we've interviewed more than 10 candidates so far and only 2 are good enough.
The worse news is, these 2 engineers turned down our offer.
Argh.... I'm back at square one. Now I have to find more candidates. I really dread going through resumes and calling people for the first interview.
What was written in the papers a few days ago was so true. The younger generation (especially fresh graduates) are demanding for high salary and want jobs that suit their lifestyle. I've interviewed a few young engineers (who have about 2-3 years experience in the IT industry). They actually told me their likes and dislikes, dos and don'ts on their first interview. They didn't do any research on the positions offered and never visited our corporate website, instead they started dictating their expectations.
So, it's not a surprise to see the number of unemployed graduates grew each year. They'd rather stay at home, asking money from their ageing parents than start earning and building their lives.
It's true that Malaysians have been living rather lavishly in the past few decades. Our children, especially. They could always get what they wished for. Even those with struggling parents who are earning less than RM5K a month. I'm not blaming the parents but somehow, showering children with gifts, granting their every wish (especially more pocket money) is not really helping them develop into mature adults.
You can ask any teenager you find in the shopping mall, what's the value of RM1K? I bet majority of them would answer 'Not Much'. These kids are using smartphones worth more than RM2.5K. Their clothes are from brands you and I couldn't pronounce properly, and some of their shoes alone are twice the price of my 4 handbags combined.
So when these kids finish college and start hunting for jobs, they'll be looking for really high salary. Even without any experience they would still demand more than RM3K as a start. Most companies can't afford to hire unskilled worker with such basic pay. So, in the end, these kids remain unemployed, and I have to go through 30 more resumes to find the suitable candidates for these 2 vacancies. Pffffbbbtttt!
Have a great weekend, people!
I have been interviewing System Engineers for the past 3 months, to fill up two vacancies we currently have in the team. Hiring is not an easy job, especially for these 2 posts. I think we've interviewed more than 10 candidates so far and only 2 are good enough.
The worse news is, these 2 engineers turned down our offer.
Argh.... I'm back at square one. Now I have to find more candidates. I really dread going through resumes and calling people for the first interview.
What was written in the papers a few days ago was so true. The younger generation (especially fresh graduates) are demanding for high salary and want jobs that suit their lifestyle. I've interviewed a few young engineers (who have about 2-3 years experience in the IT industry). They actually told me their likes and dislikes, dos and don'ts on their first interview. They didn't do any research on the positions offered and never visited our corporate website, instead they started dictating their expectations.
So, it's not a surprise to see the number of unemployed graduates grew each year. They'd rather stay at home, asking money from their ageing parents than start earning and building their lives.
It's true that Malaysians have been living rather lavishly in the past few decades. Our children, especially. They could always get what they wished for. Even those with struggling parents who are earning less than RM5K a month. I'm not blaming the parents but somehow, showering children with gifts, granting their every wish (especially more pocket money) is not really helping them develop into mature adults.
You can ask any teenager you find in the shopping mall, what's the value of RM1K? I bet majority of them would answer 'Not Much'. These kids are using smartphones worth more than RM2.5K. Their clothes are from brands you and I couldn't pronounce properly, and some of their shoes alone are twice the price of my 4 handbags combined.
So when these kids finish college and start hunting for jobs, they'll be looking for really high salary. Even without any experience they would still demand more than RM3K as a start. Most companies can't afford to hire unskilled worker with such basic pay. So, in the end, these kids remain unemployed, and I have to go through 30 more resumes to find the suitable candidates for these 2 vacancies. Pffffbbbtttt!
Have a great weekend, people!
July 18, 2011
Caca marba
Well, that's the best description of my first half of 2011. There were so many things going on. So many things on my plate. So little time to really focus on each one. And I ended up feeling so tired. I need a long holiday, but now it's not the suitable time. In fact, I'm not taking any long holiday this year because of a few reasons.
So, I'll just take half day off now and then, depending on my schedule. Overlapping appointment is the thing I hate most. With all these calendering system, electronic meeting invitation etc, people still invited me blindly, didn't really bother to check for slot availability. When I reject their invitation, they feel offended.
I just don't get Malaysian time management. They can choose to arrive 45 late to appointments, but get offended when people reject their last minute meeting invitations. *Pbfftttttt!*
It was in the news yesterday that Malaysian women are at number 16 in the list of most depressed women in this whole world. Indian women are on top of the list, followed by our Mexican friends.
So, why are Malaysian women so depressed that we managed to beat Malaysian football team world ranking? If you are a woman like me, you'd know the answer. The stress we are experiencing are coming from all angles. There's no way we can escape, and the only choice left is to deal with them. If I escape, that would mean I'm a quitter. If I deal with them, they usually add more to the stress. If I ignore them, I'd be accused of being irresponsible. So, which one should I choose?
So far, the best option is still to deal with them - all of them.
Society's expectation of working mothers are just absurd. Most of the time, people just tend to forget that working mothers are human just like the rest.
But how often do we read in the news about stressed working moms in Malaysia who committed suicide? Any statistics available?
There was one case reported by Malaysian newspapers a few months ago, but it was claimed that the woman was mentally unstable. The daughter had to witness her mother committed suicide. Aaaah...another stress the daughter would have to live with for the rest of her life.
Sometimes, I wished I lived as a working mum in the 1970s. Or, I didn't even have to work, but stayed at home and had gossip sessions in the afternoons with my neighbours. I imagined, the kids will be at school in the morning, while I cooked, cleaned and had my morning tea breaks. In the afternoon they'd be at the religious school, while I watched soap opera on TV. But hey, there's no ASTRO back in the 70s. So, I'll be probably watching TV pendidikan while folding the clothes.
But that's just my imagination.
But sometimes, it helps to have all these imaginations. When I started reading Growing up in Trengganu, and Map of Trengganu, both books brought back old memories of the 1970s, living in a kampung and day time used to be so damn long. There are a few chapters from Map of Trengganu that I reread because I really enjoyed going back to those times (virtually - only in my mind).
What I'm trying to tell here is that, sometimes, if you really feel that you are troubled and can't escape from all these stress, just psych yourself with some good books and the next day, you're ready to face life again.
Sekian, terima kasih.
So, I'll just take half day off now and then, depending on my schedule. Overlapping appointment is the thing I hate most. With all these calendering system, electronic meeting invitation etc, people still invited me blindly, didn't really bother to check for slot availability. When I reject their invitation, they feel offended.
I just don't get Malaysian time management. They can choose to arrive 45 late to appointments, but get offended when people reject their last minute meeting invitations. *Pbfftttttt!*
It was in the news yesterday that Malaysian women are at number 16 in the list of most depressed women in this whole world. Indian women are on top of the list, followed by our Mexican friends.
So, why are Malaysian women so depressed that we managed to beat Malaysian football team world ranking? If you are a woman like me, you'd know the answer. The stress we are experiencing are coming from all angles. There's no way we can escape, and the only choice left is to deal with them. If I escape, that would mean I'm a quitter. If I deal with them, they usually add more to the stress. If I ignore them, I'd be accused of being irresponsible. So, which one should I choose?
So far, the best option is still to deal with them - all of them.
Society's expectation of working mothers are just absurd. Most of the time, people just tend to forget that working mothers are human just like the rest.
But how often do we read in the news about stressed working moms in Malaysia who committed suicide? Any statistics available?
There was one case reported by Malaysian newspapers a few months ago, but it was claimed that the woman was mentally unstable. The daughter had to witness her mother committed suicide. Aaaah...another stress the daughter would have to live with for the rest of her life.
Sometimes, I wished I lived as a working mum in the 1970s. Or, I didn't even have to work, but stayed at home and had gossip sessions in the afternoons with my neighbours. I imagined, the kids will be at school in the morning, while I cooked, cleaned and had my morning tea breaks. In the afternoon they'd be at the religious school, while I watched soap opera on TV. But hey, there's no ASTRO back in the 70s. So, I'll be probably watching TV pendidikan while folding the clothes.
But that's just my imagination.
But sometimes, it helps to have all these imaginations. When I started reading Growing up in Trengganu, and Map of Trengganu, both books brought back old memories of the 1970s, living in a kampung and day time used to be so damn long. There are a few chapters from Map of Trengganu that I reread because I really enjoyed going back to those times (virtually - only in my mind).
What I'm trying to tell here is that, sometimes, if you really feel that you are troubled and can't escape from all these stress, just psych yourself with some good books and the next day, you're ready to face life again.
Sekian, terima kasih.
