Self-sacrifice: n. sacrifice of oneself or one's own interests for the benefit, or the supposed benefit, of others.

I think if you truly love someone, you will do anything in your power to make them happy. Regardless of your own interests and general opinions.. You would even quit your job, your filthy habits... your future dream... in order to be with the one you love.

You put their needs first before all things, including yourself.

The fight between good and evil.

I've been a great follower of the Dexter tv series... After watching all four seasons, it made me think. Is there really such a thing as being truly a good person, or a bad person?

It's clear cut in the movies - Superman will always be the good guy, and Lex Luther will always be known to be the villian.

In life it wouldn't be. I'm neither a good person or a bad person. I balance both and try to be more of the good... especially when it comes to be a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend and a friend.

I have my weak moments though, like everyone else. The demon in me surfaces at times but sinks back into the darkness of my soul. I guess if you have people you love and love you back unconditionally, it's worth being more good than bad. That's the general idea..

Which one are you?

More random pics..

beware of crossing frogs :p

good to know :-)

Sunny Annecy...

It was a nice day at Annecy today... I'm going to bring my family and cousins here next time... to enjoy the lake view and perhaps some retail therapy...

Stalls selling knick knacks etc etc...

No its not a riot, just a bachelor's procession (the guy wearing the flintstones' outfit must be the groom-to-be). must be a french thing. :p

Le magnifique Lac d'Annecy et ses environs

I felt like i was in venice. The only things missing were the singing gondoliers. No wonder they call it the 'venice of the alps'.

We spontaneously decided to go for a boat ride! Makes me want to go fishing again... perhaps one day soon... to be continued...

Deja Vu.

Last week i started painting again... I looked through the internet for some inspiration... (I didn't know what to paint), but nothing really caught my attention. I knew though i wanted to paint something for decorating the bedroom wall above my bed. So it had to be a bit dark... nothing to draw my sleepy eyes to it in the middle of the night... setting my mind into motion of what could be lurking in the world of the unknown...

So this is what i ended up painting...

My unsigned work.

Yesterday, we went for a walk after dinner... i was curious about this path that my parents like to take on the way to Ferney market... crossing the border of two worlds. (Just kidding - actually the border between Switzerland and France). I turned to my left and i saw this breath-taking view. I couldn't help but take a photo with my phone... other than pics of family and friends, this is the most beautiful photo i took with the dang phone..

I came back home, to realise that it was what i painted a week before.

Now... that's just creepy.

Geneva vs Bienne. Result: 5-3

One of the sponsors - Volvo - showing off their drifting skills. Ok. Sliding skills. NOT drifting skills.

The winners - Geneva Hockey Team!

Enjoying the simple things in life.

Saw this doll lion laughing its ass off in some shop in Chamonix.

*almost bought him* :-)

Versoix Model Club..

Speaking of models, we bumped into this club where ppl can fly their remote control planes up in the air... Reminds me of the days in Darwin when my bro Min was into it...

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*