Sunday, May 27, 2007

My best Friend’s wedding

Was dead busy and excited for the past few days preparing for my best friend’s Wedding. It was all over yesterday and today I just stayed at home trying to recuperate on the time I’ve lost for myself.

This was the first time I ever got myself so engaged in a Malay style wedding preparation. There was so much to be done, the bunga telurs, cakes, cup cakes, table arrangements and much more. Nadya was so stressed up that she has fallen ill 3 days before her big day. She lost her voice and had a little fever, the weather was really bad.

Her akad nikah was held on Friday and the bersanding ceremony was conducted yesterday night at Dewan Jublee Perak, Shah Alam. A total of 1,000 guests were expected and by Saturday noon the organising committee is seriously stressed up. The scheduled rehearsal was scrapped off and that leaves the MCs all confused on the flow of program. Well well, it ended well though not as well as planned. I was so hyper during both her akad nikah and bersanding ceremony that the photographer, Johan, keep shooting candid pictures of me. Most of them either fighting or plain laughing to ease the tension. I really have to filter through his collection before he hands over the pictures to the public. Darling, I need your help in this :P. We need to hunt Johan and Mary down...

Well, here are some pictures taken from my N70…

Me and my darling just after the make over. I must say she looks faboluous this day. Nadya, our wish of you not needing to put on your 'tudung' was granted at the last minute. So happyyy...Muakz






From left: CT, Wan, myself and Hana... Mas was missing in action










The bride and Groom with the 5 'pretty' bridesmaid










Me and my favourite lecturer, Pn Kamariah, such a wonderful women.










5 of us again. We were so busy taking pictures everywhere and lucky to have the photographer following us around.









Me, Kathy and Aisah with the newly weds. Lovely people I've met.










Bride and Groom with the bubbly bridesmaids.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Wreck Specialty

Voila….

Went for another diving trip again last weekend and this time we did our wreck specialty. What do I have to say? All wet fine FUN! Diving is seriously addictive and this is a diving year for me, I have been having one trip every month for the past 3 months and do hope that I can keep this record until the season closes. So diving buddies reading this, do keep me informed on any of your upcoming dive trips. I would love to tag along.

In fact the trip last weekend was planned well in advance. We booked our flight tickets early January this year, and had only decided to take up wreck specialty months later. I still have not found the time to complete my dive log yet with unfilled RDP records.

The interesting thing about this trip is that I got lost while visiting one of the best dive sites in Perhentian. Myself, Eddie and Joshua was too ignorant to listen to our instructor’s advise and bang!!! We missed Fish Heaven. However, thanked God that He did not call us back to his Heaven either * wink wink* The feeling of being separated from the group was freaky especially when we are not well verse with the dive site. Lost in the open water, what an experience. That was also the time, we felt that we really need to stay together, the other feeling that I very much treasure, we know we can’t afford to lose one another and we ascended holding onto each other. It was another form of bonding and that is why my best buddies are my diving buddies. Love them lots!!! But as usual, Yvonne loves to make fun out of any situation and I got my 2 buddies to take ‘lost’ pictures.
Above: me and Eddie.
Left: Joshua











5 of us at the Kota Bharu airport waiting for our 9.40pm flight home. It's a new airport and I'm really impressed with the condition of it.







Me and my AOWD buddy, Cath... at the airport
















For more pictures, please refer to Perhentian May'07 Album

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Blessed

I'm feeling very much blessed at the moment. If anyone of you noticed that I'm putting on weight, YES. Indeed I am, HAPPILY getting FAT. This is life, we can never have the best of everything in anything. So have to make a choice and live with it. Muahaha... but it was never a choice for me to be Happy and Fat. Must lose the extra kilos soon... but how??? Hmmm... Since it'll be quite sometime I wouldn't be having my weekly ice creams and that would take a few hundred calories a week off my belt. That would be the first step towards my long postponed goal.

Gosh… This is so not balanced, I need more exercise already if not the 'scale' would be tilted over to my side :( This cannot be. I'm NOT supposed to be the heavier one.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Children with Aids

Message: Another dedication :-)

Whether life is like smooth journey on the highway or as rough as Off-the-road journey, it's entirely up to our perceptions. We could either see the glass as half full or half empty. Anytime, we find ourselves sturggling in life, why not we try to change the 'lenses' we are using. It's much easier and more efficient than changing the situation. Look at those around you, don't you realise that someone that complains everytime will keep complaining in everything that happens around them? Think about it. I have extracted the following article so that we know that even with the problems we currently see as huge as the sky, we are very much blessed compared many many others. Count our blessings dear.

Here's the story...

When my parents were still alive, my brother Thearith, 7, and I were very happy. There were five members in my family -- my parents, my grandmother, my brother, and me. My parents took good care of us, fed us, bought us nice clothes, bathed us, and played with us.My mother was a farmer, while my father worked as a taxi driver. My brother and I spent most of our time with mother. One day in early 2004 my mother felt sick, and we brought her to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed her as being HIV-positive. Then all of us, including my father and brother, decided to have our blood tested … and we all received the same result.A few months later, my mother passed away.Since then, my brother and I followed my father everywhere in his taxi. In just a couple of months, my father’s health began to deteriorate, and he could no longer drive. He then applied for work at a local car garage as a mechanic. It was very hard work for him. His health dropped dramatically, to the point where he could no longer leave his bed. We brought him to stay and be treated in the hospital.My grandmother never came to visit us. She began to hate us, and said to me: “If your father is dying don’t ever bring him to die at my house, go die somewhere else.”

My brother and I stayed in the hospital with Father. We had no money to buy food. One day, as I walked to the food court, I met a sugar cane juice seller who felt sorry for me and gave me some juice. A few days later, the doctor told me to get some medicine for him, but when I returned he had already passed away. It was just nine months after the death of my mother. After the death of my father, we could no longer stay in the garage. So my brother and I decided to come to my mother’s older sister’s house, hoping that she would accept us and let us stay. But when we arrived, she was not pleased with our presence. She did not allow her children to play or eat with us like before. She fed us leftover food even when she knew we were hungry. At night she made us sleep outside under the tree without mosquito nets. It was dark, and my brother and I were very frightened. My brother cried often, and Auntie chased us out of her house. We were skinny, dirty, and had itches all over our bodies. We were not allowed to use Auntie's water for baths.

One day in September 2005 as my brother and I walked passed a snack shop in our village, a merchant asked me if I had any relatives who could help my brother and me. At that moment, I recalled having another auntie in Ponlei village of Kompong Chnang province. The merchant lent me her phone and dialed the number for me. As I heard my auntie's voice, I told her that my parents died due to AIDS. My brother and I had no food to eat and no place to stay. I told her that we were skinny and starving and asked her to come and pick us up. I was very weak at the time and tried to speak louder so she could hear me.

Living with my auntie, my brother and I were well cared for. There were six members in her family -- her four children, her husband, and herself. As the breadwinner in the family, Auntie works very hard. However, the money she earned from vegetable sales at the market was not enough to feed the family. Even though she was poor and had four children to raise, she took good care of us as if we were her own children. I really love her. If I could make one wish and have it come true, I would wish to have lots of money to help improve Auntie's living conditions and offer some peace in her life. Now, I am in grade three. I am the first runner-up student in my class. In the future, I want to become a pilot. In my free time, I like to read books and color pictures. I participate in children’s club activities every month.

Note: Those highligted phrases to evident that a little kindness, a small extension of a helping hand goes a long way :-)

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Dedication

A close friend of mine had gone through a difficult year for the past 12 months. God has put her faith and the strength of her heart to great test. I wish I could do more for her but realised that there is actually nothing much to be done.

She had already been told what I have to tell her, she had already prepared herself of situations what I could have told her.

Since there is nothing much left for me to do, I wish to dedicate this post and song to her.

“Dear, always remember what doesn’t break us will only make us stronger. There are lessons learned from each step we take forward into the future. Always look at what we have left and not what we have lost. The past is history, the future is mystery, today is a gift and that is why the call it the PRESENT. Love you lots and wishing you be blessed with a never ending happiness and fulfilled life ahead. Muakz”


I've survived
So many things
From broken hearts
To shattered dreams
In every wall
I've found an open door

I'd miss a step
I'd learn to dance
Come back again
With half a chance
Stronger than before

There were times
I couldn't see
Beyond the blue
Inside of me
A thousand miles away from shore
But every moment
Every day
With every stepI find my way
Stronger than before

I believe in miracles
I believe in dreams
Through the pain
I've come to know
How far the heart can reach

A spark of hope
In sorrows place
Will shine
With such amazing grace
Stronger than before

I believe in miracles
I believe in dreams
Through the pain
I've come to know
How far the heart can reach

A spark of hope
In sorrows place
Will shine
With such amazing grace

Stronger than before
Stronger than before
Stronger than before
Stronger than before

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Diving- Lang Tengah 12 April 2007

Was a little engaged last few weeks that I finally found time to update my blog on diving. Did my Advance Open Water certification last April and had great fun for that trip.

Diving is fabulous and I had found another reason to love diving more than before. Been counting my days for the coming trips and yes, as of today, I still have 15 days before my trip to Perhentian Island.

For my Advance Certification, we did 5 modules. Deep Diving, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Multilevel and Computer diving, Navigation and Night Diving.
Pic: From left. Adrian, Jim, Myself and Fred









Richard and his his OWD students for their first open water dive :) from the pic we have Wai Meng and Shen as fun divers and Siew and Yew Hong DMT for the trip.

I just love diving at night (provided that nobody reminds me of the spooky stuffs at night). At night, the sea/ocean is so tranquil that the peace in it is just amazing. Imagine that your view is only limited to the area where your torch shines on. You wouldn’t be able to even see your buddy next to you. Everything is just completely dark and there are times I really felt very alone. Creatures at night are very different from those during the day time, the common creatures are crabs, shrimps, octopus, planktons. Yes, Planktons. There was once where we hid our torches and we realised that we were surrounded by luminous blue planktons. Just felt like being among the stars in the galaxy. Wish time had stood still then J. But like law of nature has installed for everything, the best /most beautiful things in life doesn’t last long, and I’m glad I had that moment. It’ll be the reason why I would go back to the sea for another time at night.
Having our dinner before the sun sets and we are off for our night dive.





Looking at my smile, you would be able to guess how interesting night dives are :)





Posing before getting on the boat. Gosh...I have to squad with this heavy tank. Thanked God I just had dinner.




All in the Boat




Leaving off to the dark. I have to stress it again... Night diving is amazing.






The other dives were as usual fun. Practice does make things better and after every dive, I get to enjoy more as I dive more. One of the reason why this trip is made special as I had my Sister, Michelle to tag along for her Open Water Certification. Looking at the joy diving has brought her, I'm glad we are both divers now. And for those whom I've infect the diving bug with, I'm so sorry. Sorry that you would now need to spend big bucks for the hobby. Diving is more addictive than drugs.

Upside down while doing boring safety stop. Look at the bubbles.















Pre-dive briefing










Beautiful beaches and waters of Lang Tengah








Posting after our morning Deep Dive. Great dive that day. Spotted tonnes of sharks and a semi-blotted puffer fish :)


Boat ride back from Nibong Laut :)

For more pictures, please refer to Lang Tengah Album