This Time Last Year

I was sitting next to mr. basboosa and thinking about work, packing, travel, packing, travel. Suddenly I remembered. “Hey, guess where I was at this time last year?” yes..a brief visit that took my mind off from all those lists in my schedule. The memory really makes my day. There is no other place I wanted to be other than there. My workload seems to be a small matter after all . So next time if im feeling a lil bit stress, I better think of the memory. Insyallah I’ll be there again.

3 More WeeKs

Last night HoneyStar reminded me “hey, do you realize that we’ll be taking a flight exactly this time on next 3 weeks?” yes..I am all excited but there are things holding me back from getting too excited... Yes...my work. It’s really hectic. 12 respondents to interview...plus the transcription...300 samples to choose, meaning I have to squeeze my eyes and look at the most suitable sample. Letters to send, phone calls to be made, instrument to be prepared….luckily my co-partner is leading and I’m eager to learn all these new stuff. My other team members are not on my sight. People are busy going here and there for few other researches... as for my own research? I haven’t received any comment from Boss and I think he has not read my proposal. Duh! How I’m supposed to present the proposal for approval to the panel before leaving. As I could conclude for the time being…my research will be on a month “vacation” an even worse, tag alone with me for the month that i'm suppose to be "free" from work. sure i'm going to miss the data analysis and poor Dr Reena with less one person to help. Wow...in 3 weeks, I’ll be taking 6 flights, approximately 35 hours in total...welcome jetlag :( Sometimes I feel like saying ….please, I don’t want to fly to the respondents but flying is better than 8 hours drive elsewhere in the peninsular. housework is better with a lovely husband like mine which doesnt mind helping me in the kitchen and around the house. all i need to do is to reward him with Basboosa from now and then. perhaps i'll go back and prepare one today. insyallah

I am one Tired Lady

Waayyy Too FickLe FriDay

It’s Friday...we have longer lunch hour. I dint know where to go and what to do. I went to the next block and did some window shopping and grabbed a fridge cover that I’ve been looking for.

Tomorrow is Saturday. Couldn’t think of anything interesting to do except some serious cleaning and scrubbing around the house. Just the same routine which I haven’t really follow lately. Of course I wanted to go out and do some sight seeing but with this kind of weather I prefer to stay indoor than burning myself under the Waayy too hot sun. My idea of relaxing is to sleep the whole day and only wake up for meals. Aahh...impossible, unless I’m dead I have tons to do and I hate doing the chores on weekdays. next week i will be doing the "hokey pekey" dance again. yes, im not going to office! going for pilot study around the district only..so i'll be back around to nag my HoneyStar :P

Life is okay...there’s sunshine but sometimes the clouds just appear out from nowhere...and gosh I hate that days. Work is so-so. The office politics really make me Waaayy too sick...then on tuesday I was really sick . Had light fever and bitten by anonymous flu bug which I end up drugged almost every night. so it's a "blue" week for me. I managed to decline n asignment out of the town this time after giving much thoughts about it. hey i got my work schedule. i did go for my asignment to Sarawak last time. so now, it's someone else's turn. she agreed to take it since last 2 weeks..suddenly she changes her mind just because her best friend was not going. how selfish could it be! yes..the best friend IS my Boss and even worse I AM new. who cares? i just going to put a straight face and say NO. couldnt be bother with the flight ticket provided..send me a private jet and i go :)Yes, I was...i mean I am pretty much pissed off with my seniors. Better keep my tongue tied and just do my work. Now since I’m illigible to apply for a post in the colleges, I’ll do that a.s.a.p. nice to be able to hop to a new environment. Of course the adapting process will be challenging. My current job is amazing, others are fighting to get this position but I guess it’s not my cup of tea at all...well..just a bit. i couldnt lie about my interest. but with these waaayyy too fickel minded people who dont practise what they preech, i started to think of other options.

Doing research is good but teaching is Waayy too great. However I couldn’t imagine myself going back to schools. Not until the whole system be “washed”. What could be worse than going to “useless” courses on weekends...okay, enough of my blabbering. From now I just take life as it is. Just imagine me giving a “sidekick” to thosewho are making my life miserable.

Next story, my weight gain is wayyyyyy unhealthy. I gained 10 kg in 6 months. I wonder where the mistake is. Okay let me list down…I was eating anything I ever want, too much of sweet stuff, lack of exercise, long hours of hibernation, double meals. Wait, I have better explanation, I could not resist from my own cook. I was cooking way to GOOD...hahaha (giving my head a knock…yeah right!) the constant travel and staying in hotels making me stuffing myself with…whatever.

homecooked meal is wonderful but eating excessive bread is plumping me. i love bread so much, more than rice or pasta. the best part is, i am destined to marry a bread-eater. too much carbs. i'm like a bun with extra dose of yeast.

So last 2 weeks...i decided, enough is enough. I have reached the heaviest moment in my life and my cholesterol level is not looking good. Still below the "dangerous" line but I rather take early precaution. So here am i...eating lightly. I avoid the oily food and sweet snacks. The calorie count is actually helping. I’m trying to consume 1200 calorie per day and 30 minutes of exercise. I better make full use of my bigest investment so far by buying the cross trainer. I’m happy with the result. Slow but there’s always progress. better make it permenent.

I tried the cabbage soup but couldn’t hold on to it. Wayyyy too little food and made me tired and I have flu since Monday. i'm sick of the cabbage soup and guess what, my favourite day is the "banana" day...other days I felt like my brain stops thinking will eat healthily and keep on watching my calorie. NO MEAL after 5. Fruits are okay. Hey, I’m not going to starve myself...i wont, never will. I just want to be healthy.

Next, I’m counting my days to take a month break! Yes, no kidding! i am Waayyy too excited. I’ll be traveling across the continent and it’s good to know that I don’t have to be annoyed with those people-who-can-never-shut up.News travels really fast. I just submitted a permission letter to travel oversea and by the next day...everybody was talking about it. Some even thought that I already gone (I was on sick leave for a day). since when they care! I say...perhaps 15 hours flight wont be bad after all.

Another 40 minutes before lunch time ends. So better stop now and browse through some recipes to cook. Yes, I’m SUCK in cooking and HoneyStar has to eat it anyway. Poor Love :P

I've Been Bitten By a "Cleaning Bug'

it's not an easy thing for me to balance between work and keeping a house squicky clean all the time. i will try my best to make everything in order. the best tip is to always keep it clean after every use so i dont have to scrub it hard every time i have spring cleaning. perhaps i dont even need any spring cleaning.last sunday was kitchen cleaning. next week i'll aim for the fridge and hall ,another week will be the bedroom, then,the middle room, then,guess room, then balcony. insyallah after a month i rotate the kitchen again.

saturday should be a day out..visiting friends, shopping or just a lunch out with Honey Startime is limited, life is hard, an organised schedule hope to make it better. i should be a better organiser since i'll be traveling frequently from now and then.

So yesterday HoneyStar was teaching me some lesson in cleaning. Yes, it’s good to be married to a “cleaning bug”. You’ll be affected too, otherwise you’ll be bitten by it :P

Kitchen Cleaning To-Do List

Every Day Kitchen Duties:

• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).

• Wipe down the stove top (one minute).

• Wipe down the counters (one minute).

• Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Every Week :

• Mop the floor (five minutes).

• Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).

• Wash the dish rack (four minutes).

• Wipe the switch plates and phone (one minute).

• Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).

Every Season:

• Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).

• Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).

• Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).

• Clean the stove-hood filter (10 minutes).

• Perform "Shiny Sink 101".

Beat the Clock

In the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee, you can get through your "every day" list.

Be Prepared

Keep extra garbage bags (or a whole roll) at the bottom of your trash can and never again have to retrieve an apple core from a bagless bin.

Let It Shine
1. Fill sink to the rim with very hot water; add one cup regular bleach. Soak for one hour.

2. Drain and rinse thoroughly.

3. Scrub with Ajax, Bon Ami, or baking soda.

4. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

5. Shine with Windex or another glass-cleaning spray.

6.Dry Thoroughly.

Things We Need

• Burner grids and knobs • Brushes and combs • Toothbrushes • Plastic utensil organizer • Refrigerator drawers • Drain catch • Sponges • Dish rack • Plastic toys (use discretion)

Cleaning Supplies to Keep in the Kitchen

• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes :for all hard, nonwood surfaces. They leave a fresh, nonchemical scent. X have

• Windex Glass and Surface Wipes :for windows and chrome. x have

•Microfiber cloths and mops, such as StarFiber or Act Natural ; euronetusa.com: green alternatives to disposable wipes, or to chemical cleaners and paper towels. For cleaning all surfaces. Especially effective for polishing stainless steel. i have microfiber cloths and mops and i love it. the mop is amazing in getting rid of hair since i have serious hairfall problem.

• Bleach. Yes..always

• Ajax ,Bon Ami or baking soda. I do have other type of floor cleanser and baking soda for baking purposes. i guess it's really handy to have it all the time

• Clorox ReadyMop : Wash the floor without a bucket. Works on most surfaces. No..but i do have a local brand :) still work wonders

• Broom, Swiffer , or handheld vacuum: for crumb busting. No vacuum.. no carpet in the house so i guess broom and swiffer is enough

Dora the Explorer NO Boots Episode

time to pack my bag and continue my exploration. yes, i probably experience things Dora did. jump on a boat, crossing a river, go through a dark cave. the only different is the monkey is not with me. well, not this time :(

DORA STRIKES BACK

SECRET no more

Hey, how are you? How’s your day? Every time I met her, she always has something to say. It seems that nothing “disables” her nothing “impaired” her. She works next door; we share same entrance, same restroom, and same lift. I bumped into her mostly in the restroom. As usual, she greets me with the most cheerful voice ever. I adore her; she was the first one to ask my name. Shame on me, I never cared to start a “friendship”. “Bulan” I said…and you? What should I call you? Ras. From that moment I registered her name as Ras in my brain. Could it be Rasidah? Rasilah? It doesn’t matter. She is a friend.


One hungry afternoon, I was about to have my lunch. I saw my staff and quickly joined her. I was alone, the cafeteria was crowded and I have no problem in sharing a table with others. It’s good to catch up. Ras was there too...so there were three of us. Sitting down, chatting, and munching the food down the throat. Ras was wearing a corporate shirt with a word “RAHSIA” embroidered neatly on the left side. “What organization is that?” silly me, I dint mean anything bad. I forgot that we normally tag our name on the left side. She started to make joke about being a secret. Yes, Rahsia means secret in Bahasa Malaysia. I stopped asking and we changed topic. The days after went like usual. She’s as bubbly as any other day.


Lately I’ve been going to her unit a lot, discussing my project with her boss since we have a new collaboration. I passed by her desk all the time. R.A.H.S.I.A. her name is Rahsia. She is Secret. People would quickly make assumption why she’s named Secret. I did the same.
Somehow, I learn things from her. It doesn’t matter how we looked like, how we sound like. It is us who make how others see us and how they hear us. We are the one who “disable” our own physical ability. We are the one who impaired our own speech. Allah create us equally, be grateful for who we are and what we have.


That’s the story of my friend, Rahsia. She is definitely a secret no more. I could hear her from a block away;)

a Year Less in LiFe

It’s been awhile since I last wrote a post. 2011 starts and I have things to plan, balancing work and family. I always wanted to be a better person both at work and home. However, I couldn’t organize my life neatly. Now, I have to be focus. ..Yes, who wouldn’t want to get the best employee award and at the same time winning a perfect wife badge. Simple house chores seem to be a big thing. It is good enough if I could squeeze in washing, ironing, cooking, mopping, cooking, and scrubbing on working days. Life could be crappy on certain days…I end up not looking after myself. Gained piles of weight and looking all scrumpy. I wish I will always look like an adorable princess for HoneyStar but unfortunately I often end up like the “red queen” in Alice in Wonderland. There were times; I’m worried about my own capability to juggle life and career. Everyone is not perfect but I dream of being a perfect person. Perhaps I need to stop all these nonsense ideas and be the best I can be. My “best” could be “worst” to others but...it’s me...my life. I want to enjoy life and be with my love ones. I love working but there’ll be time when I need to consider other possibility.


Work is ok. This year I am delighted to lead a research. I am totally eager to learn although the thoughts of completing it in 6 months bother me. I’m just scared…somehow, it’s a relief to know that my mentor has a good reputation and the best Guru in the field. My team members are all supportive and been helping me to gain information on the subject. This could be the only chance for me to challenge myself to the fullest in career. I think I’ll appreciate all these experience later even though my life could change 360 degrees.

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”

My father named me “SUCCESS” and Insyallah I will be SuccessfuLL