Hmm, what can I say? 2007 has been a pretty eventful year, with lots of ups and downs, like any other year. What with studies and the trauma of having to sit for one of the two biggest exams in my entire lifetime, i.e the A levels, to my social life, to my emotional aspect. What a hectic year it's been. If I were to repeat another year just like this, well, I wished I wasn't around by then.

I wouldn't wanna change anything if I had to change something. Things were perfect the way they were and it was through these things and events that I learnt some of the most valuable lessons.

1. Friends come and go, really easily. I've realised that the ones who stand by me through everything are the most precious of all friends. The ones who pretended to be friends with me, well, I can't say much to them, except, "Goodbye friends." There are some who came to me because they needed help, and when help was given, they scoot after that. But there are some who willingly stayed up late at night just to keep me company. So, yeah, lesson learnt. True friends are hard to come by, and they are the most precious of all.
2. Never ever trust anyone wholeheartedly, no matter how much you think that your secret's safe with him/her. The only person that you can fully trust, is yourself. When making decision, what other people think, does not matter. What matters is what your instinct and your brain tells you. Because you know yourself best, and that others have no right to influence your decision whatsoever.

School has been a rather traumatic experience, both positively and negatively. Together with isyah, we went through lots of stomach-stiching moments, the hair-raising experiences, the arm-twisting seconds, encountered the good, the bad, the ugly, and the let's-go-to-Hub-instead-of-mugging periods. Hahahah.... Seriously, I woudn't want a better life elsewhere. :)

Since it's the new year tomorrow, although I know resolutions are meant to fall apart halfway (cos that's the reason they are there in the first place, duh), I'm gonna set myself a few nice rules that are manageable and easy to follow:

1. Be a better Muslim/person/daughter/friend. Period.
2. Treasure every single moment, including the butt-splitting moments.
3. Be nice to people cos you mighteth never know when your turn will come.
4. Honour my promises.

That said, I'm ready to usher in the new year! And no, no countdown for me this year. I've always thought that the countdown's sucha waste of time. And this year's no different.

On another note, I got a job! At a place where there's lots of fun, crazy tykes, monsters, and classrooms. Address me as Ms Shakirah, please. :) :) What better way to start the new year 2008 with games and fun with little kids in classrooms in a building called Anderson Primary, eh?

Till then, have a blessed 2008, everyone!

Lots of love,
Shakirah.

Holy piece of crap.

I have to teach P5 EM3 kids on top of all other subjects.

Oh shoots. I'm hyperventilating already.

I need some kind of inhaler.

Pronto.




Made fudge brownies and chocolate and blueberry muffins. They were so good, I couldn't even snapped a shot of them cuties. I'm gonna bake another 2 batches tomorrow, they mighteth be up and about.

Signed on for PERGAS yesterday with Raudhah. I'm just a-thinkin' how we're gonna go to Newton from home.

I can feel myself becoming stupid. Honest. I feel like I am going down rats and tails and down to the cellar. With lousy small brains. I wonder why. I guess I kinda missed studying, and that this 'enjoyment' that I am supposedly supposed to enjoy would be great, but somehow, things aren't that snazzy and grand anymore.

You know what I mean?

Exactly two months ago, I envision myself having endless fun and entertainment throughout my weeks and months of holiday. Skating, shopping, movie-marathoning, etc, you know, the 'typical' fun list. However, as I progress further into the hols, I realised that what I initially set out to do was actually rather retarded. Cos you see, it's hard to stick to these, and it seems like we are aimlessly having fun without any directions, and believe me, that suck so much, on some nights, I just cry myself to sleep and wonder endlessly why the hell am I wasting my time just like that. Especially since I'm one who's heavy on having directions no matter what. Ok, scoff y'all, and you can say that I'm a rather structured person, but hey, I hate last minute plans. I prefer details to vague stuff. Somehow, having a goal and vision drives me. Lots.

So anyways, I can also feel myself degrading spiritually. I mean, ever since madrasah ended last July, I felt so happy that I do not have to wake up at ungodly hours on Sundays and drag my dregs to madrasah, which is an hour away. But now, come to think about it, I actually feel a loss, like I am somewhat further from God. Ok, I know this may sound waayyy tooo religious for some, but really, believe like there is something out there, ie Your God, to protect you feels very heartening. And I haven't been able to feel all that. I mean, I still do what is obligatory, but somehow, the satisfaction just ain't there. It feels like it's just another obligation. There's no meaning, and I want that meaning to surface. Soon. Please.

Thirdly, I need to sign up for PERGAS lessons, but heck, I'm two weeks over the deadline. So I guess there goes my spiritual enlightenment aspect. I need to find more classes, and there's one really good class conducted by one of the best ustaz in Singapore, and hopefully, me and Raudhah will be able to squeeze ourselves into that class. I heard from my mum that if our desire to study is that strong, somehow God will help us find the way. And I believe in that. And I believe that this class may be the answer to my desire. Insya-Allah.

Lastly, I want a pet. Alas, my dad thinks that we are doing the animal a bad turn cos we are caging it when animals are supposed to be free. Then (and my dad is really good at this), he went into a dreamy mood, tryna preach, saying that, "Animals are born free. We are separating it from its parents and its family (to which I argued that WE are the animal's family once we adopted it), and Allah despises people who hina binatang. Let the animal live freely. Adopt no pet." Hahahahh..very funny, papa. And then, papa sounded very cynical, shoot me one of those slit-eyes (yes, he's good at that too) and said, "With the animal under your care, would it actually survive past its first day of birth?" Well, I said that I did take care of the hamster when I was in primary six. And that the thing actually lived.

I want a hamster. Haha. I miss the hamster we gave to Shahira, though I can't remember what the name was. Heh. :) :) :)

I know this is kinda last minute, but MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY BOXING DAY! Today, we shalt remember the victims of the tsunami in 2004.

4332W1Q



The view of Penang Island from atop Penang Hill, or what they call, Bukit Bendera

HELLO WORLD. I'M BACK FROM MY HOLIDAYS.

It's been such a great December break, with most of the time with me being out of Singapore. LIfe's great, and I'm enjoying every single minute of it. Anyways, I got back from Penang, and it's such an amazing place. Majority are Chinese, and me of my, you wouldn't believe the kind of buildings they have there. It's like driving past the luxury buildings in Singapore. Ok, one thing I learnt: Penangnites (at least I think that's how they label themselves) are a rich bunch. Their condominiums and bungalows and whathaveyous can fetch up to millions! Millions, beb! I'll gore myself to death if I had that much money. Haha. So, food's great, and I LOVE the Penang laksa. The gravy is like the asam pedas gravy, and the laksa doesn't have egg. Note, I'm not that big a fan of laksa, but this Penang laksa, beats everything down! Ok, from now on, I shall only eat Penang laksa. No other laksa, please. I stayed at Parkroyal Hotel, a really fab place to live in, amidst the mountains, in which I shall scour for that one photo later and attach it at the bottom, and it's at Batu Feringghi beach, which is the northern most part of Penang Island. Oh yes, did I mention that Penang is an island by itself, separated by the Peninsular by the 13.5km Penang bridge. Amazing. The bridge must've been Mahathir's big project. Haha. Right, I'm being mean.

And I'vve covered every state possible in Peninsular Malaysia. Really. I'm not lying. Since we went to Penang, mom and dad thought that we should pay a visit to our uncle who lives in Perlis, which is like the last state in Malaysia, technically. So we passed the rice fields of Kedah, what a magical sight, really. And northwards to Perlis, to Kangar. And we nearly went to Bukit Kayu Hitam, which marks the border into Thailand. I swear, we were so close to moving into Thailand. Wow. I'm still so fascinated now.

But the most memorable event would be the journey towards Penang Hill. We had to take the train, but the sad thing is that the train moves so slow, I swear, I run faster than that train. Hah. So they have this track up the mountain, which is like 800m above sea level, I think. I saw monkeys up the mountain, ok, hill, and lots of houses. You wouldn't believe it, but there are actually habitats on these mountains. I wonder how they get their water supply and food and all sorts of necessities. It must be a tough climb, cos the ascent was rather steep. Even I freaked out halfway, and I am on the train. So, when we reach the top 20 minutes later, the view of Pulau Pinang was breathtaking. I think there's a picture of it at the top. We can see the Penang bridge and all that, and it's really cold up there, plus, there are shops at the top, and the ones manning the shops are really hot Pulau Pinang mamats, I swear, I could have cekup-ed one of them, haha. Funny funny. Nice people. Anyway, the monkeys there, well, they are really people-oriented. Meaning, they can sit beside you and not scratch and pee on you. So cute. And I managed to snap a photo of a really cute monkey, who sempat pose for the shot, believe it or not. Hahah..amusing.

Did I mention that there's lots of pasar malam at Penang, especially near my hotel area. And oh man, there's so many Arabs there! I think they hail from Lebanon or something. And the way they speak, my iman tergugat seh. And I don't know why.

The journey back home took 12 hours. Really exhausting. But I enjoyed it all the same because there were lots of stops. Let me see if I can recall them all. First, we stopped at Ipoh, then we moved southwards to Kelana Jaya, then we stopped at Negeri Sembilan, where we stopped at Rembau, which happens to be Z's kampong, and finally, we stopped at Ayer Hitam, finally at Machap, and then we went past Skudai and finally into Woodlands checkpoint, cos Tuas was kinda busy. What a busy exhausting tiring exciting ride. And that marks the end of my holiday for this year. Really. I'm just looking forward to my trip to Iran and Jordan next year. Yee-hah!!!!

I'm too lazy to blog about prom, but one thing's for sure. I enjoyed it, but the food, omg, it tastes like warong food. But it's okay, if that's Copthorne's definition of Muslim food. Haha. And I snapped a picture with Darrel Ang! Woots! I shan't post it up here, cos I want it to remain exclusive, and revealing it to the world would mean that it would degrade in status. Haha, my theory, don't bother.

I'm still rather sad that I didn't get to see my sacrificial, ok, my parents actually, lamb. I've been a devout audience at Masjid Tentera every year, and not being able to celebrate Hari Raya Haji in Singapore was actually a sad thing. We actually spent it on the road, on the way back to Singapore. But the good thing is, the Malaysian PM, Abdullah Badawi, was actually in Kepala Batas, which is in Penang, witnessing the lambs being sacrificed. So, it's good that we're actually within the vicinity, hehe.

And I experienced lots of accidents in Penang. Down on my luck, I daresay. I smashed my little toe on the bus seat, hit my head on the van door, broke a nail when I smashed it on the bathroom door, fell from the bed when I'm sleeping, choked on a fishbone, and had a terrible migraine and fever on the second day. Ouch. But it's memorable, haha.

All in all, I would visit Penang again. Just book me a two-way ticket to Bayan Lepas International Airport. Thanks.

Can I say something?

I think 'The Noose' is a shameless parody of the News. If you were to listen hard at the weird alienised slangs that the 'presenters' used, you would realise that they are indirectly criticising and being cynical of the home affairs. I mean, these are the kind of shows that breed cynics and also those that are seeking a more simpler, albeit more sarcastic version of the news, lest they think that the actual news is actually too complicated to follow. It's a disgrace to Singapore, particularly Mediacorp. It just goes to show how much and how desperate they are in heightening viewer ratings for their shows. It's a shameless thing to do. As it is, The Noose is actually a waste of air time, where Mediacorp can show other more 'educational' or insightful programmes that can help to enlighten viewers. If there ever is a petition calling for the end of The Noose, rest assured that I'll be among the first few. It's a disgrace, shameless, idiotic show that doesn't deserve much credit and ought not to have another season, lest the producers think that it deserves that.

Hello everyone! Wow, it's been so long since I last wrote a pretty decent entry. Well, I shall try to press my brain to think right now and at least present yet another cynical post about yet another Singaporean trait. Otherwise, I shall try to be nice.

Did I mention that Arab Street is way fun? Yeah it is. You guys should totally spend an entire day there, and you'll get the chance to meet all sorts of people, even those that you'd never even have dreamt of meeting, like Nad for example. Heh. And yes, there's lots of hot mamats at Haji Lane, you just gotta see for yourself.

Anyway, the point it, I'm so freaking bored that I think I may well on the way of jumping out of my own skin. I think I've almost exhausted my to-do list, and that I think that the next best option would be to sit and home and be a good girl, not that I've been bad so far, heh. But, it sounds boring, so I guess I'm open to all sorts of suggestions except suggestions from Sayeem, because nothing good and decent comes out of that guy's mouth. In any case, I shall try to sort out my own brains later.

Oh, did I mention that I am getting insomnia. Weird, isn't it? Considering the fact that I rarely take afternoon naps, and the fact that I always feel sleepy at night, but the eyes simply refuse to close themselves. Weird weird. Maybe I should try taking sleeping pills, who knows, aye?

I swear, I am bound to sit/stand/near to someone who DIGS their FREAKING NOSE in public. It's like, I don't know, a connection or something. Ok, let's all agree on one point ya? DIGGING YOUR NOSE IS DISGUSTING. Can we agree on that? I mean, discreetly, and without anyone knowing bout it is fine, but in PUBLIC?! Like oh my gawd what the hell is your problem? It's rude, if you ask me. It's like, yuck, you're squeezing things out of your stomach and it's so bloody urgent you can't wait till you get home to settle the business. And I've noticed that it happens to men most of the time. Ok, gender issues aside, but what the heck is your problem? Everybody is bound to have manners somewhere sometime, don't tell me you totally lack manners at all? And if that's not enough, they STICK THEIR RESIDUE AT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE BOUND TO LEAN/SIT ON. OMG. Like how disgusting, how filthy that is?????!!!! Seriously, I think that even though the Singapore education system boasts of producing all-rounded leaders of tomorrow, but heck, they failed in this aspect - LACK OF MORAL EDUCATION AND CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS. Ok, we, including me, are guilty culprits of scoffing at this 'useless' subject when we were back in school, but given time, we may soon realise that this is all there is. Perhaps the textbooks can be revamped, such that on every page, in BOLD RED LETTERING, they may write this, "DO NOT DIG YOUR NOSE IN PUBLIC. And slap it across anything and everything to get the message across.

I will not, WILL NOT, act like a typical Singaporean and complain about every littlest thing, but this is surely one issue that is important, isn't it? After all, we were the 'victims' of public nose residue, ain't it? So tell me, how can whatever I've said is illegitimate?

(: Live well, people.

Haha, well, here's your muse

It's really funny, me launching my own line of cards. I know, scoff, people, scoff. So unlikely, right? But the heck who cares. People launch their own brand of apparel, I launch cards. Haha. So funny. But then again, in this nothing-is-impossible world, anything and everything can happen. I know, the next thing, Fana would be laughing her most devilish laughter when she views this profile. Truth is, I wanna share my ideas with the world, hence this account on Multiply. If not for that, I think I would most prolly live under my little umbrella, keeping my ahem marvelous ideas to myself. I'm excited as to how people would receive my ideas. Would they accept them? Or would they just shake thy heads and scoff at what they are seeing? I don't know. I guess it all boils down to a matter of perceptions. I'm really excited to see people's reactions, and hopefully, this will give me the strength to further continue my pride and joy.

Lotsa love, people. From, me.