Spitfire FR.MK.XIVe Special Edition

Tonio started his old hobby again... He completed a model tank, (above) and he just finished this Spitfire model (below)...

Don't take your life for granted...

The day will come... when we take the last final breath... the moment we close our eyes, and never wake up again... Cherish the time God has given us in this life... it's a gift...

To my Muslim readers out there, pray for all your family and friends still with us, and also those who had left us...

The Arabic text above from the Holy Quran... with transliteration and translation in English as follows:

1:1 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم

Bismillāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1:2 الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين

Al ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-'ālamīn

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds

1:3 الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيم

Ar raḥmāni r-raḥīm

The Beneficent, the Merciful.

1:4 مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين

Māliki yawmi d-dīn

Owner of the Day of Judgement

1:5 إِيَّاك نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين

Iyyāka na'budu wa iyyāka nasta'īn

Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.

1:6 اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ

Ihdinā ṣ-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm

Show us the straight path,

1:7 صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّين

Ṣirāṭ al-laḏīna an'amta 'alayhim ġayril maġḍūbi 'alayhim walāḍ ḍāllīn

The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

AMIN

For the love of food.

I made this following mum's recipe - custard pudding with strawberries. (p.s. mum - it was a bit tawar hehehe)

Tonio made this tasty pizza from scratch..

Je t'aime maman.

To the best mother one could ever have, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
I love you with all my heart, thank you so much for taking care of dad, me and the boys....
God bless you always and see you in Geneva soon!!

My gorgeous mum!!

Thoughts.

There are times at night before going to sleep that I start thinking about weird and random things.

The other day I was just thinking that i should NEVER go shopping on an empty stomach. I remember talking about this with my brother Min... it's definitely a bad, bad idea. Cos i always end up buying snacks that are unhealthy and actually very unnecessary (i only realise this once my tummy is full with food LOL).

Some days i think i'm just too nice. I let people (who are close to me) take advantage of me... just because i'm a friend and appear friendly, doesn't mean i don't get mad. eugh.. as if i don't know you're talking about me behind my back. and in some cases they forget that i'm still their senior. Can't trust anyone these days, everyone's got an agenda.

A few nights ago, i had a dream. There was this huge black snake with piercing yellow eyes. It looked at me, and I was really close to it. But i wasn't scared at all. It turned into wood on the spot and I noticed there were engravings of the name Allah on its body. I touched the engravings. I still remember how it felt against my fingers. Then the wooden snake moved to let me down gently from the trees... safe and sound on the ground... and i went back to the village. I woke up.

Yes, very random indeed are my thoughts these days.

Some friendships grow. Some friendships die.

That's a fact of life. As you grow older (and hopefully more mature hehe), you will come to a realisation that friends are important but they're not everything. The boys and girls you grew up with change over time, just like you. Some change for the better and some change for the worse.

The truth comes to light when you see them again after not seeing them for a long, long time. The distance doesn't help... it's great that good things happen to them in their lives... but one thing happens. You can't help but compare each other's success in relationships, jobs, families and friends... If they're not happy that you found a better man, the better job, the better lifestyle, then... i'm sorry to say but it's time to let go and move on. These friends are not worth your while.

Pour mon Tonio, mon cheri et mon meilleur ami..

The charmed one

never did i thought i could find
such a treasure among the living

so pure and yet so great
a love unlike any other
precious the times spent together

just when life falls apart around me
you give me hope
the light to the future beginnings

the answer to my prayers
you are the one for me
i am yours to keep forever

Je t'aime

Whack-A-Kitty

Grounded in Melbourne.

Because of the volcanic ash covering the skies of europe, Qatar airways won't let me board the plane to leave for geneva.

Announcement made at the Geneva International Airport website:
Situation at 11:00 am, April 19, 2010 - The Airport informs passengers that following a decision of the Federal Office for Civil Aviation, Swiss Airspace remains closed until April 20, 08:00 am. This closure is likely to be extended depending on the development of the volcanic ash.

Looking at the bright side, at least i'm safe and warm with my family here, instead of staying at some crummy hotel in doha, or stuck at the airport for dayss... i get to work using my Timan's computer in his old room, and i get to eat sweet n sour fish with rice made especially for me by mum. :-) it's a blessing in disguise.

Halitophobia.

In God we trust, all others must pay cash.

There are a few things one can do in order to save $$. I'm obviously no financial expert, i'm also trying to do my best to save up for a rainy day. But I thought I'd share a few tips anyway:

1) Settle your monthly bills and consolidate your debt.
Prioritise which ones need to be paid first. Pay for the bills that are important - your rent, electric, water and gas bills, and food. You should be able to predict the total amount as it should be about the same every month. Next - pay debts that have high interest rates. Then you can settle the other bills when you have the cash.

2) Keep a journal or excel sheet to monitor your spendings.
Record everything you spend on, and review it at the end of each month. My brother Timan just reminded me of how vital this is, especially when you're a student. I agree with him that this will keep you disciplined when cash is not in its abundance. Reviewing is an important follow-up step as it will teach you lessons on which areas you need to work on. If your phone bill is too high, make a mental note to talk or text less from then onwards.

3) Eat in.
It costs a lot to eat out in Geneva. Try to limit it to once or twice a week. If a friend wants to catch up, suggest to meet up for coffee instead of lunch. It would be better if you can pack your lunch early. I should wake up earlier too and pack my lunch after having my breakfast.

4) Avoid any unnecessary travelling.
Fuel costs a lot if you don't live in Brunei. It is not subsidised most of the time. Try not to travel abroad too, because although that travel deal looked like a bargain the first time you see it, you forget that there are always hidden costs. Not to mention the amount of money which you will spend on things you don't need once you get there. This is a problem especially if you're a shopaholic, like me. :p

5) Make the best of what you already have.
I paid for a year's membership to the gym, and i should really make the best out of it. Next year i should stop, and actually make the best of the gym equipment i already have at home. There are a lot of things i could do at home without actually going out to have a good time. Be grateful of what you have and don't worry about the things you don't have. Clean up your place too, you will enjoy and appreciate it more.

6) Keep your money where you can't access it as often.
This is after you have settled all the necessary bills. If you have cash in your wallet and has no strong will power to keep it there, then leave it in the account. Try not to use your credit card as much as possible, because you might not be able to keep track of how much you have already spent so far. Also another tip is try not to withdraw cash from non-associated ATMs. If it's not your chosen bank, don't withdraw from their ATMs. These charges can build up overtime.

7) Having not to spend money doesn't mean you can't hang around your friends.
You can always car pool if you're all going to the same place. And try not to shout your mates often, unless they do it a lot for you. They will be impressed only for a mere moment if you do anyway. You can also invite them over to your place, and if you want to get together for dinner, then suggest a pot luck where everyone gets to contribute, and the good news is, you don't have to slave over the kitchen for hours when they can each bring something to the table! Suggest a movie night at your place instead of going to the cinema. If you have internet at home, try to stream or download freebies instead of buying or renting DVDs. Better yet, ask your mates to bring their hard drives so you can copy and have an exchange of movies.

8) Go online and find more tips on how to save $$.
There are hundreds of sites out there. Choose one to suit your situation. Good luck!

Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experience. - P.T. Barnum

Itadakimasu! ("I gratefully receive")

Mum making some rojak

the final result (it was good, mum)

the work station for makin some sushi maki

I made a few rolls too.. and i didn't screw up any even if it's my first time making it :p

Voila! Enjoy... the view. *evil laugh*

Melbourne pics Part 2

the name of the place we call home

St Kilda Beach

Some smart ass changed the sign from 'beach' to 'bitch' area. i don't recall seeing any at the time. :-)

a building outside a building

a building inside a building

the train station at the city, waiting for one to take us home

my awesome parents

my mouth waters everytime i see this picture *drool*

Rhymes with? *smirk*

If you're too lazy to wash your butt in the shower after 'dropping the kids in the pool', use this. LOL

I want one of these in my backyard one day. At Epping Plaza.

Pipeworks Market, it's indoor and you can find all sorts of bargains and treasures.

The green-eyed monster.

Jealousy! of course, what else. I found a few interesting quotes on jealousy over the net:

"Love sees sharply, hatred sees even more sharp, but Jealousy sees the sharpest for it is love and hate at the same time"

"Jealousy is that pain which a man feels from the apprehension that he is not equally beloved by the person whom he entirely loves"

"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves"

"There is never jealousy where there is not strong regard"

"To jealousy, nothing is more frightful than laughter"

"Jealousy is the greatest of all evils, and the one which arouses the least pity in the person who causes it"

There are so many reasons why people get jealous... especially when it comes to their partner. It could boil down to abuse when he/she was a child, or perhaps their partners have cheated on them over and over again in the past. Whatever the cause and reason, jealousy is seen as a defence mechanism to protect oneself from getting hurt. But of course, in turn, it hurts the other person too in the process.

Jealousy - as bad as it can be, can actually be involuntary. It can't be helped, it just happens. It's like a bad habit no one can kick. The ones who get jealous are aware of this destructive problem, and yet are powerless to control it. Their insecurities took control. Those who have tried to hide it, end up hurting themselves eventually because the problem was never resolved.

These people are also afraid to ask protruding questions that have been clouding their minds, because their partners suddenly become angry and defensive... It then becomes a cycle. They need comfort, but the partners felt attacked.

The only key to this problem is communication. The jealous one needs to know that there is nothing to worry about. And the partner needs to be patient when asked these questions for comfort.

There is no room for jealousy when he/she feels loved.

Food is my friend, not my enemy.

I can find the same snacks and food in Brunei, here in Melbourne too. You have NO idea how excited i was!!! That diet and exercise regime will have to be on hold for now. LOL!

Chocolate biscuit, samboi, dried mangoes... oh and the long thing is not what you think! (perverts). It's dodol durian. :p

Nasi kuning and daging rendang!

(Thanks mum!)

Nasi ayam and roti canai! Plus cendol for my drink!

Home Sweet Home.

I'm so glad to be home again, with my parents and my brother Timin. Hopefully i'll see my other brothers Timan and Tiadi soon. The funny things i saw in Melbourne today:

What! I didnt know my brother timan was still in melbourne?! LOL! (Mum and Min swore this guy looks like him!) But actually, it's just some random guy eating ice-cream on the street.

Crack a smile.

Aww come on, gimme a break. am i, like, the only one who gets this?? LOL!

Happy birthday to me... :-)

Thank you for all the presents!!! Love you all!!! Bless you!!
p.s. i will upload the pic of the wii game i got too. forgot to take a pic of it. :-)

But more importantly, I want to thank you for all the love, kindness and friendship given to me over the years... I am blessed to have all of you in my life... And for my friends at the office, who kindly also gave me the lovely orchids above... I am so grateful for the 'surprise' lunch. I knew there was a 'surprise' birthday cake, in line with our tradition at the office... but I was very surprised that there was a lot of FOOD on the table. It was supposed to be only tea and coffee with the cake... :-) hehehe. i wish i could work here forever, we make a great team... Cheers

The best birthday ever.

On the eve of my birthday, tonio and our friends surprised me with a birthday dinner. I would have suspected something if it was on my birthday itself, 24th March... but it was planned (very well) on the day before, that i didnt think for a second they would make all that effort. Tonio originally asked me to go out for dinner, but then he changed his mind because an 'old school mate' from Lyon was coming to geneva that night, and was going to go for an interview the next morning. He was gunning for a job at the Human Rights Council. He proposed for all of us to meet so i could maybe give his 'friend' a few tips. Little did i know our friends were already waiting at the lobby of Intercontinental Hotel... At this point, I was already getting bitchy and started being difficult because I was getting hungry and it was almost 8 pm. The plan was to discuss about work then move to dinner later. After a long day at the council, the last thing i wanted to do, really, was brief this guy about what's been happening... nightmare! the sequel. but then... i felt bad for the guy cos i know how it feels like to desperately get a job. Tonio mentioned that this guy looks like a 'midget' cos he's awefully short for a guy. So, here I am, stupidly looking for a midget at the lobby... and lo and behold, i saw our friends there! There was a bit of a confusion at first... 'did they all go out for drinks without me?' 'is there a reception here i didnt know about?' 'what...? what...?'... was going through my mind.... until they all screamed 'Happy Birthday!!'... Only God knows how i felt at that very moment. I am so blessed to have friends like these... We then proceeded to Little India, and met the others.... It was the perfect place to eat because this was the first restaurant Tonio and I had dinner together for the first time... :-) It was a great dinner... and most importantly, i had my loved ones sitting at the table... my only family in geneva since i can't be with my parents and brothers... Love you all.

p.s. the pic above was a pic taken of the dinner table at my place that weekend... a get together for the team. tonio cooked a killer beef rendang and i... well i just cleaned up after. Thank you sweetie. xoxo