Facebook vs. Blog

There is another HUGE reason why I haven't been updating my Blog as frequently as I should. It's called: FACEBOOK. Somehow Facebook has won over Blogger in my case..

Facebook: Quick & Easy Status Updates
Blog: Need time to think of new Posting

Facebook: Many friends linked directly to daily updates
Blog: Friends need to type in your Blog URL

Facebook: Immediate link through Blackberry & iPhone
Blog: Need to type in your Blog URL

Facebook: You can check many friends' status daily by opening just 1 window
Blog: Must open many windows

Facebook: Easy to upload photos & albums
Blog: Not as easy as FB

Facebook: Many games directly linked
Blog: What games?

Alamak! So many reasons la!! Facebook wins!

So, please don't blame me for not updating regularly.. (^_^)

Reading Chick Lit - Part II

For me, reading is a way for me to wind down after a stressful day at work. I love to dive into the pages, to learn about people, real or fictional; to feel the love, excitement, anguish and frustration, the emotional highs and lows of each character; to learn about different places and cultures; to understand how different people react or respond to diverse situations in life. Some books are so well written that they touch your heart!

I love books that are positive and uplifting. Books that encourage you to do more in life, to appreciate your friends and family, to never take anything you have for granted. Books that make you understand yourself even better!

Reading chick lit for the past 2 months have been quite interesting for me. I feel I understand people and their reactions better! I love books by Lisa Kleypas and Nora Roberts. They are so special and real. Rachel Gibson books are so light and easy to read - they are perfect after a real hard day. You can read these books over and over again..

BUT, there are books which should have come with WARNING Labels on them. I just can't appreciate books written by Cecelia Ahern. I read 2 books by her over the last weekend and regretted reading them: If You Could See Me Now and Love, Rosie. 'If You Could See Me Now' is written in the perspective of the heroin's nephew's Imaginary Friend (can you beat how weird this is?). It is rather bizarre! 'Love, Rosie' is just so infuriating - it's about 2 people who had been best friends ever since they were 5 years old and began to realize that they love each other when they were 18 but only finally confessed to each other of their love when they were 50 at the very last page!! I hated the book mainly because the heroin kept on subotaging her own life and happiness throughout the book and wasted more than 30 years of her life denying her love and feelings!! It is so against what I believe in - people should seize every opportunity they have, and seize the day! They should be with the ones they love, and love unconditionally. I was so angry reading the book and wanted to burn it midway! It was definitely NOT uplifting and I felt depressed after reading it.

Which is why I am swearing off Chick Lit for the moment and moving on to Motivational Books for the next few weeks. I should start with ESQ which was given to me by my friend Raha early last year. Never got round to reading it.. Better start now (^_^)

PS: Ladies, any of you have any words to say about Marian Keyes books? I got 2 of her books from Borders yesterday but I'm a bit wary of reading any books which could pull me down..

From Apple to Dell

I just changed my notebook a couple of days ago. After using a Macbook for the past 2 years, the Dell is such a refreshing change! There is so much to un-learn and re-learn! The latest Microsoft Office is just wonderful. Drafting agreements have been a pleasure with easy icons accessible on a single click. I love my new Dell notebook!

PS: I'm actually really quite sad to part with my Apple.. it was AZ's valentine's day present to me 2 years ago.. sigh..

Emotional

Why are we women so emotional? Don't you just wish that you don't care so much sometimes because somehow little things mean a lot and before you know it we start feeling hurt. We cry, sulk and wait for those 2 little magic words: "I'm sorry". The problem (and the sulking) is somehow enhanced when those words are not forthcoming from our men. The thing is most of the time men are just clueless about what they did (or didn't do) to hurt their other (better) half. And sometimes I don't blame them! We women somehow feel that there is no need for explanation as we always think: "If he loves me, he will know what went wrong!" Hallloooo??? Not only do we expect our men to be loving, romantic and attentive, we also expect them to be mind-readers!! Tsk, tsk, tsk...


Well, I used to be guilty of all that too. Don't blame me, I'm a woman! So, I'm entitled to be unreasonable when it comes to matters of the heart. But you know, I've somehow changed my perception of things (mainly because I just turned 40 and it gets rather tiring to wait for my man to somehow guess when something went wrong). So, I feel it's best to just be upfront, tell him and make him understand why it hurts. And it's working so much better! Why didn't I think of this earlier and save myself all those pain & hurt? Now we understand each other even better (read: he now knows that I get stressed over little things!). Aiyoh! A little bit embarassing sometimes, but at least he knows that he should say sorry and I will feel a lot better :)


Ladies, for the sake of sanity and self-preservation, when something goes wrong (as it often does in a relationship between 2 people who are far from perfect) please just tell your man what went wrong. And when he asks: "What's wrong, dear?", don't you dare say "Nothing's wrong..." although you just cried your eyeballs out in the bathroom!


Good luck, gals (^_^)

Reading Chick-Lit

I've been seriously neglecting my Blog and my Scrabble games in FB due to the fact that I've been reading books at every possible free time. All chick-lits at that! I haven't read these much fiction since my days in secondary school! Seriously..

The problem is this: once I start reading, I just get obsessive about finishing the book & neglect everything else. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my eldest sista Kak Long has thousands of books in her library (I'm not exaggerating: she can open up a 2nd-hand bookstore) and she has been supplying books to Eda, Win & me. Before I knew it, I got sucked in :-0

I started with the 4 Twillight saga books (Eda's evil influence!) and since then, I've been reading non-stop. Just for fun, I made a list of all the books that I've read and was shocked to note that I've read a total of 23 books in the past 30 days!! Aiyoh! Must tone down la... My scrabble mates have already abandoned me for the past month (ok, ok.. my games were all neglected for weeks!). Before my friends (and family) start boycotting me and before Blogger close down this Blog due to neglect, I better phase out this new hobby! But Eda just passed me a few books by Judith McNaught and she swears that the books are good reads.. Sigh..

Anyway, I really recommend these authors to all ladies out there: Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie and Lisa Kleypas. You will cry and laugh at the same time! Enjoy reading gals (^_^)

Happy Birthday to Adlina & Papa!

Happy 11th Birthday to our precious princess Adlina & Happy 47th Birthday to my one and only AZ.. I am truly blessed by Allah for having both of you in my life <3

The Year That Was

It is unbelievable that I have left this page unwritten for nearly a month. So much has happened in the last few weeks of December 2009 that I feel it was somehow a good closure to the year. I've had a lot of time to self-reflect on the decisions that I have made in 2009 and how these decisions had affected the people around me. It seems surreal now looking back on the changes that had happened in my life in the past year.. 

For the Firm, I would consider 2009 as the turning point. The move to our new building was more than a re-location to a better venue, a better address. The move also signified the change that was inevitable for the Firm, to re-focus on its core values and principles, and translate them into the specialized services that we now know we are best at. 2009 was a time for our Team to re-new our bond and commitment in a fresh new environment. With a new spirit, new strategy and new synergy, we hope to propel the Firm to a higher level in 2010.

2009 also gave me the opportunity to give back to the community. Being involved in St David's PTA has been a very rewarding experience for me. I've been given the chance to make important and significant changes in a school which needed so much help, and these changes will benefit so many children and teachers. It's so fulfilling. I have made new acquaintances and developed new friendships. I am proud to have a team of very committed and passionate parents who are willing to sacrifice so much of their time and energy towards a good cause. We hope to continue with our efforts in 2010 and I'm so excited just thinking of what we can do and the people that we can help.

At home, the kids just grew too fast in 2009 with Adlan leading the way in growth. He is way taller than Papa & Mama at 5'9". Hakim has finished his primary school in 2009 and will now join Adlan in St David High School. Adlina has blossomed into a pretty young lady, very tall for her age and Anas is now so much more independent than before, sleeping by himself and hardly coming to our bed in the middle of night. But most importantly, our relationship with the children have strengthened as they grow. We discuss things with them, and have good conversations with them as they are big enough to form their own opinion on many things. It's just so amazing. As they grow further in 2010 and beyond, I just pray to Allah that this precious bond that we have with them will strengthen further. 

For me and AZ, there are just no words to describe. It is incredible that love can grow even more when you feel that you have loved your utmost. I feel that we now know each other even better than before. His love, understanding and support has been the strength that I needed to go through the challenges throughout the year. Thank you for always being there for me, sayang. Happy 16th Anniversary..

Ya Allah, thank you so much for everything that you have given me in such abundance.

Wishing everyone out there a Hugely Successful New Year 2010 filled with unexpected happy suprises... (^_^)