Adjusting My Life

Ok...I know that people normally do their self reflection/wishlisting/resolution-making exercise at the end of the year.

I normally do not do that. At least, maybe not consciously or as deeply as I have been doing for the whole of this January.

Yes I know, it sounds ridiculous that I only do those things in January. But well, that's Mizz Ray for you, I try to be unlike any other:)

Anyway, I've been doing lots of thinking this month (not that I never do that, in fact one friend reprimanded me for 'thinking too much') and been analysing (yes, I use Brit spelling-what can I say? I'm an editor!) and I have come to certain conclusion and been (meticulously) making some what is hopefully, life-changing, errmm...adjustments. Don't wanna call them resolutions, for I will feel burdened and pressured by that term. But well, yes they are resolutions, but let's not call it that shall we? (Sorry membebel pulak!)

Why do I call it adjustment? Well, basically for me if you use 'resolution' that means something that is totally new to you. But for me, I'm just going to make ADJUSTMENTS to some areas of my life that need to be improved and altered. For example, good habits that may have bored me and thus need to be boosted (i.e. my fitness/excercise regime). It's really comforting to know that I care about my fitness level and I try to work out as much as I can, but it seems like it's never enough. I don't feel any lighter/fitter/helathier. Thus, I know I need to alter some regime or habit in this area that suits my need, or adjustment.

Thus, although I'm freezing my January gym membership, I'll be back in February with better level of consciousness about what I do there that can actually up the ante and challenge my body more. Wake those sleeping muscles up and and get them to work for me!! No more just cardio excercise and to include more weight training, core strengthening and overall body toning. And more of something as simple as drinking plain water! It baffles me la why is it so hard for me to drink plain water and so I must always remember and try to put more aqua inside me. InsyaAllah yakin boleh kann??

I also must tell myself to be more careful about what I eat and to get those healthy food more. Less fried stuff, less makanan bersantan, more vege, more fruits, yada..yada..yada..

I'm also going to do some major adjustments in my finance area. It's a bit messy right now, but I'm educating myself right now and am making the plans towards a healthier finance.

I need to focus more and stay focused if I were to ensure my plans that involve money are executed without any problem. My house is almost ready, so I need to think about filling up that house, renovation, wiring, and as I'm into this all by myself (sedihnya...) I need to keep track of where my money is coming from and more importantly, where is it going.

I also want to travel more and farther and so some percentage should go towards that goal too. I would like to diversify my investment portfolio too and so my constant mantra now is to not shop unneccessarily. Errkk...boleh ke? InsyaAllah boleh:)...No more pointless wandering in shopping malls, no expensive dining (occassional treat can or not??) and errmm...anything that I can do to save lah!:)

So...those are the biggest areas that I need to make radical adjustments at this year. I pray that I can stay focused and stick to them, and hopefully I won't get too overwhelmed by them or worse, pressured by them that I lose focus in everything and well..that's just not good. As for other areas...I will make the adjustments as they go. Wish me luck!


**actually takut tak boleh nak ikut, that's why tanak panggil resolution hehehe...benda cenggini kena guna psycho gak kan??choice of terms and words can influence how we act tau....**

TQ Mr. Google for the photos;)

Getting to Know My Angels

It is often said that when you own a dog, you're their master for life, but when you own a cat, YOU ARE their slave for life.

After living with my own seven angels, I couldn't agree more with this. Each of them sometimes display diva-like attitude especially when I don't do what I reckon they want me to do, and when they feel like it,they'll display their affection to my heart's content or to ignore me totally when they sulk at me.

I know that once I return home from my travels, I'd have work cut out for me and win back my cats' affection because I was far from them. And each of them has their own character, even their own meow-sound that I know to whom I was talking to. Each has their own adorable quirk, and each would take specific slot of my time to gain my affection. And boy are they good at that!!

Mimi


Mimi is the mother of my other angels, and I swear she's the most manja of this lot! Mimi would meow the loudest when she demands for her food, but at the same time, she'd shamelessly shows her affection to me and just about anybody when she feels like it.

Mimi is friendly, and when I have guests over, she is the one who helps me greet the guests. Mimi never hesitates showing her affection, and when she likes someone, she'd rub herself against that person and licks the nearest part of that person's body.

There are times when I treat Mimi just like any other babies, and when I cradle her in my arms, she's contend. She loves it when I brush her fur and scratch her neck, and you can see how much she enjoys it from the way she closes her eyes and her loud purr.

But at the same time, you know how montherly Mimi is because even though her kids are all grown up, and even Abang is bigger than her, she'll still lick and groom her kids, and let them snuggle up on her whenever they sleep.





Mimi in her many poses

Abang

Abang is such a big boy that you couldn't believe he's Mimi's son. He is even bigger than Mimi. But on the other hand, sometimes I wonder if Abang is aware of his own big size.

See how big Abang is?? He's now bigger than his mum, Mimi, and about double the size of his sister Dedek

Abang has a cute way of meowing and talking to me. If I feel like chatting with him, I'll do his Abang-babble and he will surely reply! But on the other hand, he is soo....heavy! I reckon he's now about 7-8 kilogramme, so once I get a weighing scale I'll definitely weigh my kids! If I'm lying down, and if Abang wants to lie close to me or even land on my body, putting one foot is enough to make you lose your breath!

When he wants to snuggle up to me on the couch, he would do the dog thing, circle on the same spot a few times till I get him to settle and sit. He'll surely put his head on my lap, and asks me to stroke his head.

Sometimes, he'd struggle to rub against anything I happen to have in my hand, and when I have this netbook on my lap, he'd rub his cheeks against my netbook over and over again until he's satisfied. He definitely wants to ensure his possession of my items as much as he's stamping his possession of me!

Every morning when I'm about to leave the house, I would first unlock the grill and the padlock, and Abang usually ignores me, even goes on with his nap. But the moment I switch off the TV and head to the front door and put on my shoes, he would dash from wherever he happens to be at that time and race me to the door. Why? He knows I was leaving and he wants some outddor action before I leave them for the day. If I took my time and try to talk him out of following me outside the door, he would beg me with his cute babbles.

He would still insist on having a look at the outside world, and usually I let him. So he leads me out, and he'd walk right outside my apartment and does his mini exploration while reciting what he sees to me in his cute babbles. After a few minutes of 'Mummy need to go to work now and I'll see you later ok sayang' type of pujukan, he gets back inside the house and let me leave. And this happens every morning!

Abang also does funny positions when he sleeps,and always, I can never resist capturing him (and the others) in action. Love him!!





Dodo

Dodo is so beautiful I could bite her pink nose! My girl here sometimes, though, doesn't act like a girl!! She really is the only girl among Mimi's brood who is as playful as the boys! She plays with the boys, and she runs very fast. When she and her brothers start their chasing game, they'd run all over the house chasing each other, climb the furniture, dash from their playroom to the back of the couch in seconds, it can literally catch you by surprise!!Sometimes they'd even run over me and before I know it, I'd feel momentary breathlessness because to their speed and weight on my body!

Dodo knows what it takes to steal my heart. If I exit my room, she could on impulse roll heraelf over on the floor trying to catch my attention. She'd give me a sweet meow, as if saying hello to Mummy.

She if also getting friendlier with other people, and not as reserved as her other siblings-this is obviously something she takes after Mimi. However, Dodo has the bad habit of going after the little hairballs after I comb their coat. She goes after them and swallow them before I told her not to. Ishhhh!!!

She loves it when I cradle her and stroke her forehead, the spot between her eyes. She'd purr and close her eyes and enjoy it till she gets bored, and by then she'd just let herself out of my arms.





Abu

Abu is another one of my boy who has his own peculiar habit. He has a feminine sounding meow that is unlike any other and he has the manja-ness that matches this manja meow.

However, he is tough when he's required to. As male cats, there are times when they have to fight over territories,and my boys are no exception. Perhaps by this age, being siblings no longer applies in their lives. But Abu sometimes fights with Dingdong, and trust me, this is when he's manly through and through. I just thank god that when my boys have their tiffs, they don't go all out and hurt each other too much. Just enough till they lose a bit of their fur, that's all. No bloodied fights OK:)

Anyway, every morning, Abu is the one who will meow the loudest to wake me up. Really, cats have a very precise sense of timing. Every morning at around 6 they would gather outside my door, and Abu would meow in his feminine and manja way, and he is also the one who will bang my door or scratch it just to wake Mummy up.

After my my weekday morning shower, Abu reserves the exclusive rights of following me into the room so he can play in Mummy's room. While I get ready for work, he would jump on my bed and lie there, or play with anything that catches his fancy. When I need to get anything out of my purse, he would busily rub his face to my hand, or to anything that is mine. Often, I have to stop him from licking my hand as I might have touched anything that is dangerous to him. Then he would often sneak under the bed and sit quietly there cause he knows that once Mummy's done, he has to leave the room. He also likes rolling on the bed (very comfy!) ang groom himself there.





Chikedis
Chikedis is such a good girl that I rarely scold her. Chikedis is manja in her own way.

She doesn't claim my time like the other previous three, and the only distinct habit of Chikedis is that she likes getting into my bags. Especially my handbag or my laptop bag. She would make her way into those bags and sit in there quietly until Mummy notices and get her out. She's also fond of scratching them (her way of claiming possession of me-I'm their slave remember???)

Chikedis sometimes like to reach for things higher up. When she gets on the sofa, she'd try to reach for my framed Ayat Kursi on the wall. Hanging deco? I may have to forget them, cause Chikedis will be the first one to reach for it.

When I cradle her in my arms, she would meow in a mournful way that just lets you know she doesn't like to be held that way. But in some unexpected moment, she would be the one to climb on my chest and snuggle there, taking her nap;)




Dingdong
My boy Dingdong is not really manja, and he can be the terror of the house, but I love him nevertheless.

Doingdong realllly loves it when I sit down on the floor and stroke them one by one, and comb their coat. At times, when I sit cross-legged on the floor, he'd come to me and land on his two feet on my lap before sitting facing me, his own personal signal demanding that I comb him. When I stroke his neck, he purrs quietly and contentedly.

But Dongdong is naughty as he is always the one who starts the fight with the other two boys. Dingdong is pretty lean compared to Abang and Abu, and so he runs pretty fast. Poor Dingdong, when the boys have a bicker, often he's the one I'd spray with water (my special weapon in dealing with my duelling kids:D)



Dedek

Dedek is the baby of the house, and she's the smallest of my kids. Dedek, at times can be in her own world cause she is a loner at times.

At other times, Dedek can display diva-like attitude. She doesn't like to be carried, she doesn't even want me to touch her. When I pick her up, with her front paws she would fend me off and announced in her cute loud voice that she wants to be left alone.

Dedek, or at times Adik as I call her, has the shortest tail. Hers is a just 'lil cute bobtail that I like to pinch. Like I said before, Dedek has a cute loud voice and she likes to talk to me especially when I'm moving about in the house. She would follow me around, as if demanding that I pick her up. But when I do that, she runs.

When I feed the other kids, Dedek will definitely not be in the pack. She'll take her own sweet time having her meal, but she loves to drink. As she is the smallest, she tends to climb on things she's not supposed to, like the top of my tv. And always, I have to get her off the tv.

Lately, however, I have noticed that Dedek has started to be more affectionate towards me. Before this, I can barely reach for her before she runs. But now, when I sit on the floor and groom her mother or her siblings, she quietly and surely makes her way in front of me or next to me and rub herself against my hand. That is her way demanding a bit of the combing action too. She is also not ashamed of getting Mimi to groom her, so in order to get that attention, she'd rub herself to Mimi and makes sure that she's within licking length!




So glad that Dedek is trusting enough to show her affection now. Just hope that she continues being this way:)

OK this is way too long an entry. Ya la..just like any other mother, I too cannot stop talking about my kids right?...Albeit the four-legged ones hehehe..But well, I love them dearly, and they love me unconditionally!!

Tag Dari Zazabamm!!

Hehehhe...kalau sebut Zazabamm!! kena ada !! kat belakang, sebab ini minah hot!! Dalam blog dia dah tag, so kena la buat tag ni kann???

*************************************************

Instructions: Answer the Current Obsession category and then explain WHY you chose that response.

Book: Err...Magazine boleh tak??It's a toss between Personal Money and Shape..Sebab dua-dua pasal benda yang kita kena tahu. Salah satu resolution tahun ni is nak clearkan my financial mess. So kena timba ilmu bebetul. Shape plak, sebab ala-ala ganti pergi gym hehehe..(bulan January ni freezekan membership)


Sorryla..buku ni tak boleh nak pilih, sebab kat atas katil and atas bedside table ada 2-3 buah buku yang sedang dibaca. Dah boring satu, bukak plak yang lain. Patutla tak habih-habih kann...

Snack: Vitagen kira snack takk???Hehehhe...especially yang apple falvour tu, sedap banget!!

Restaurant: Tak tahu nama, dan tak pernah pergi pun. Haikkss??Pelik nya suka restoren ni tapi tak penah makan kat situ???Well, sebab selalu call for their delivery je. Restoren ni kat blok di belakang, and yang bestnya diorang ada delivery service, so kalau rasa malas nak masak (which means every working day) tu call aje la. Sangat sedap dan harga yang amat berpatutan...*Tomyam dia sedap sampai menjilat mangkuk!!*

Beverage: Milo-always has and always will.

Actor: Aaron Aziz *blush* Suka sangat kat dia because he reminds me of...he who shall not be named. Takde la muka serupa sangat, tapi kalau tengok AA ni mesti ingat orang tu. I guess because of the similar perawakan and pembawaan kot;;)


boleh tak feeling-feeling dia pakai baju Melayu ni di hari pernikahan kitorang??Hahahhaha

Actress: Errmm...none I think:)

Movie: Errmm..None also. Or maybe a toss between Avatar and Sherlock Holmes

TV show: American Idol??? *Pants on the ground! Pants on the ground! Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!!*

Hobby: Reading, BodyJamming, manjakan my angels...err..banyak nya, can I not have to pick one??

Band: Also none I think...sorry

Song: Pergi-Aizat (Ni semua pasal Juara Lagu ni. Tapi memang sebelum final tu pun dah boleh rasa lagu ni akan menang, and Yuna dapat nombor 2. Kalau bertaruh tu kayalah Mizz Ray!!). Sejuk hati dengar lagu ni la;)

Meme: Wa pu che tau meme ni lagu apa:D

Blog: Refer to the right sidebar------->>>>>>

Lover: Hmm.....Next q jugek please...;)

Friend: Wouldn't it be weird to be obsessive about your friends? I lap all my prens:)

Quote: Sorry, not really the type who live my life based on certain quotes. I live by based on a variety of quotes, none that I can remember for the time being hehehehe

Peeve (s): Lemme see...Intolerable stupidity, those who refuse to use their god-given commen sense (thus resulting in the previous answer), rude drivers, people who are cruel to animals...(ada lagi tapi Mizz Ray tanak letak, nanti korang ingat Mizz Ray tak abis-abis komplen)

Sport: Bodyjam (ehehehe.. Zazabam samala tak kire nak jugak!!)

Singer: Beyonce/Anuar Zain

Ok done!!

Consider yourselves tagged too ok!!

Travel Plan 2010

Untuk tahun ni, as far as overseas travel plan is concerned, tak sure lagi nak pergi mana. Tu pun kalau ada rezeki berjalan ke negeri orang la...

Actually my dad planned for us to have a family trip to Singapore...




He's been to Singapore yeaaaarrrrrssss ago, masa dia bujang lagi. And that means in the late 60's kot. That's why he is so keen to visit there again, so he can see the new Singapore. Mum pulak the last time she was there was in the 80's I think. I don't remember either, but I know she went there with her Persatuan friends at that time and Dad was left to babysit us at home hehehhe...

And me? Well, my trip there last July was with my brother and as it was just a day trip, of course la tak puas lagi jalan-jalan di sana kan?? This time would love to go the palces I didn't get to go last time.

But then since Dad has his gout again, I'm left with some form of uncertainty of when is the right time for us to go there. Well, I'll play it by ears then. But I reckon hopefully we can go there either end of February of sometime in March.

And certainly not in May because..I'm going to..


SIPADAN ISLAND!!!..And Mabul Island!!!

I'll be flying off to Tawau (with friends) and have a jolly good time relaxing at the beach. And hopefully do some snorkelling..and island-hopping..and tourist-watching, or rather, ang moh watching and enjoy the beauty of God-given land.

We scored the tickets to Tawau during last November's AirAsia free seat giveaways. And with the free seats, I only paid RM58 return-that covers our travel insurance, baggage and shuttle bus fare. Sweet isn't it??

But first, I reckon I gotta learn how to swim!! Or at least, lose some muffin fats around my waist if I were to (ahem) don some beachwear attire hehehhehe...;)..And mentally prepare myself for the inevitable-sun damage, a.k.a sunburn, a.k.a tan!! I don't really remember my skin tolerance to the hot sun (cause it's been such a long time since I last had a beach holiday) so we'll see how it goes and hope for the best from the skincare product I will happen to use at that time.

By the way, Sipadan and its sister island, Mabul were among the top ten best diving spots in the world!!!So I really hope I can have the courage to get into that diving action too..Hmm..Maybe I should borrow some of Marlene's basic diving equipment ehh??

More pix to excite-kan myself!!:)



Masyaallahhh...Cantik kan ciptaan Allah??

Gee.. looking at these photos-I just can't wait!!

Then I'll have a lapse of two months before my trip back home to Kuching in July. That's another free tix I scored from AA during the giveaway. This time I paid only RM38-baggage charges and airport tax. Even sweeter!! And this time, I'll be home for..

The Rainforest World Music Festival-the largest and the best, the most happening world music event EVER!!

As a Kuching native, I am proud to say that we have the best world-class music festival where everyone who share the common interest of love for music come together adn watch and learn from those who are masters in this genre in their country.

Been to this Festival a few times, especially when I was still living in Kuching, and this time I make sure that I don't miss it again. Seriously, going to the concert here, you'd feel like you're in some kind of European country punye summer concert (cause banyak ang moh kann) and everyone from different parts of the world join in the camaraderie and passion for music. And the best thing is that the audience can join in the fun and jam together with the musicians especially during their afternoon workshops and jam sessions.




Well...so far these are the details of my travel plan for the time being. Hopefully ada rezeki I will execute them and have fun along the way.

But I must tell myself that I need to save up for my (planned) European trip soon. I could go either with my sister and cousin, or maybe with friends as we have some people to visit in the Continent. Insyaallah, this will also be my motivator to work harder and earn as much as I can..(aside from the fact that my apartment construction is almost completed, which means I need more money). But well...that's another matter yeah...For the time being, let's travel and widen our horizon while we still can!