15 Things

To the meager readers of this humble blog, I'm truly sorry for the lack of updates these past few weeks...

I've been horribly busy with responsibilities at the lab and at home: my pending research proposal, the lack of representative bat samples, my slightly demanding (albeit sweet) undergrads, the recent scrape on the front bumper my mom's brand new Myvi, the demise of my own beloved ADK and the RM1500 worth of headache it takes to fix it, rising prices in electricity-water-rukun tetangga bills, my parents' hajj trip (and my opah's temporary move to my place because of that), and my own inevitable move to Bangi...

With all the rush, it's no surprise Kak Sofie has fallen ill. Suddenly I need to sleep with the fan off (which NEVER happens when I'm in Malaysia) and I spent the whole night wondering why it was so cold. My mom was convinced I'd caught chikugunya, and became obsessed with having my blood drawn and tested! Count Caracol, this is your chance...

But seriously, the last time I felt this bad was back in Kuantan, while I was living with five wonderful sisters in a home I wish I hadn't left.. Back then I had all the warmth and support. Ah, the nights of sleeping sprawled all over the living room floor.. Wonder when we'll get to do that again ^^ Those really were the days...

And today? Well, let's just say I ran out of sick leaves before I could recover.. I'm back in the lab, writing, researching and supervising, all the while coughing till my lungs hurt. My only comfort stems from the fact that my undergrads aren't here today, and most of the RAs are on a trip to Langkawi. It's quiet around CGAT, which allows me time to catch up on some important reading, and uploading this entry.

Postscript: I've been meaning to start on a tag, but that endeavor will have to wait.. I lack the energy and positive mindset to begin it. Trust me, an entry from a sick and very moody Kak Sofie writing 15 things about herself is not something you'd want to read... Kapish?

NEED TO WANT TO HAVE TO BE ME!

Aku dah letih dengan pemandangan lama...

Green is my favorite color, warna yang tenang dan sering membayangkan benda yang best: alam, syurga... Tapi, apa yang kita suka pun kalau dah terlampau banyak boleh memudaratkan. Sejak kebelakangan ni aku rasa rimas dengan semua benda dan perkara, so dalam usaha aku menenangkan diri, aku bleach semuanya putih... ^^

Do I feel better after that? Definitely!

Question: Do you know 15 things about me?

I've been asked to explain 15 things about myself, and I don't know where to start. Most of the time I rely on others to tell me who I am. Not that I have no faith in me, it's just that beauty (and everything else, for that matter) is always in the eyes of the beholder; not the one beheld...

So I will do this: before I start on my tag entry, I want a public survey. If you know me (or even think you do..) just leave me a comment in this particular entry, or email me (opie_shah@yahoo.com) or sms me.. Apa saja pendapatnya, aku terima. Strangers, friends or family, this is your once in a lifetime chance to raise me up, pull me down or spill my beans, uncontested...

This tag has officially evolved.. Leave me a comment, please!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

It's been a while since the last entry. Honestly, there's a lot to say, and a lot more to ponder. But I digress; this would not be the best time to immerse myself in them.. I must be happy!

So, what have I been up to in absence? Ramadhan has come and gone, and we are now in the second week of Syawal. For my Puasa research, I'd lost an unnoticeable 4 kg.. I found that rice really is my enemy, which cause me to limit consumption to once a week. Imagine being malaysian and living on pasta el dente six out of seven days...*shiver*

Also, next year fasting should start a week before ramadhan, so that my body won't get so shocked and fry my brain with distress signals! my first day of fasting this year was damn awful, my headache was to die for...

This Ramadhan also saw my first attempt at a more solid ibadah. The trials of tarawih, quran reading and kiamul lail every odd nights the last ten days in the hopes of catching that elusive 'night of a thousand nights'... I can't say I've done them all that well, but it was an improvement from last year, which incidentally was the best ramadhan I ever spent (I was in Kuantan). In any case, it was more than I could hope for.

I'd spent the first and second day of Raya in Tampin with my mum's family (my favorite side ^.^), which happened to be quite special this year. I got to visit my mum's very old kampung where she grew up. It was like visiting a completely different world... It's green, with creeks coursing through this way and that.. and paya everywhere! (I'm a nature person, so this type of scenery is highly conducive..)

I met many of my mum's old bendang friends - those who knew her since she was born - and visited their homes. Their wooden houses were so cute, you could touch the ceiling if you raised your hand! It felt like they were living in doll houses! I wanted to take pictures as proof, but that would be rude... I also found out my affinity for felines may be genetic afterall, because in each and every house I went to, there is a well loved cat. At least one... Or maybe, orang negri memang suka kucing!

Ah, this year, to commemorate my first meager gaji, I'd sponsored half of the bunga api and mercun rations used in my family's annual Raya Eve Fireworks Battle against the jiran sebelah (who lives about two acres away from us). It's childish, I know, and I probably shouldn't encourage such behavior, being the eldest... But whatthehey, no harm in indulging the nakal in you every once in a while, right? by the way, luv the fireckrackers pictured...

Raya days 3 and 4 were spent at Tanjung Malim with Opah, where we'd celebrated Pura's birthday. Back in KL on the 5th, worked on the 6th, Conference from 7th-9th... But, I will stop here for now. It's almost 3 am, and I have to drive to Kuantan for a wedding in 5 hours time. Can't wait to be back in Pahang tho... the scenery en route is simply heaven!

Next entry will talk about conferences, cinemas and everything in between... Ciao!

p/s: I've been tagged by Pojan... I sure hope that's a good thing!