Nobody here but us servantless American cooks..

I heart films by Nora Ephron so much. Among of her hits are such as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and you’ve got mail. For a sucker of sappy romantic comedies like me, these are hands down; the best and sure winner on any of my movies nights. Her latest work is Julie & Julia starred Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Both have worked together in a movie called ‘Doubt’ but that’s totally different story altogether and lets save it for another day. But Julie & Julia is so much fun! I like how the director/writer made the scenes from 2 different women life’s seamlessly goes back and forth in telling their stories. It is as if you’re watching and following 2 different stories or characters being developed in the same movie but not being annoyed with it, because you know they are somehow bound by the same passion; French Culinaire!

Well, According to Wikipedia ;

“…The film depicts events in the life of chef Julia Child in the early years in her culinary career, contrasting her life with Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook during a single year, a challenge she described on her popular blog that would make her a published author. Ephron's screenplay is adapted from two books: My Life in France, Child's autobiography, written with Alex Prud'homme, and a memoir by Julie Powell. In August 2002, Powell started documenting online her daily experiences cooking each of the 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she later began reworking that blog, The Julie/Julia Project. Both of these books were written and published in the same time frame of 2004 to 2006. The film is the first major motion picture based on a blog…”

If you have not watch the movie, go and get the dvd.Honestly, reading the blog and watching the movie made me want to learn the French Cooking as well! Bon Appetit!

Listen: Aku bukan Untuk mu - Rossa

Blue Sky

Where is the blue sky that I miss so much?

KL is inundated with endless rain these days. And rains make life looks so gloomy (as if it's not gloomy enough!) and feels so hopeless. I got very moody without knowing the reason why. And it's ugly. I hate feeling down due to the weather. It could have been due to other things though, but blaming it on the weather seems an easy option, eh? tsk, tsk.

Listen: You & Me - Zee Avi

Are You The Real Alice?

For the most times whenever I’m at cinema last year, catching movies with friends or by myself; I’ve been so excited to see the promo posters and trailers of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Aside from the fact there is one hot man named Johnny Depp in it, this is the works of Tim Burton, man. I think his films are quirky, enigmatic and perhaps like the man himself, bit kind of eccentrics.

Anyway, if you have not watch ‘Alice’; go to the nearest cinema and oh! Get these; watching in 3D is so enjoyable & satisfying. But sometimes, you get tired of actually trying to squash the bugs away from your sight. They kind of jumped out the screen, you see. Besides, the places and the characters are brilliantly colorful and the make-believe underworld looks awesome albeit with gloomy and brooding feel. I can’t however tell you whether I like the book or the film more because I’m yet to read the book. (Hah! That’s another one to add to my must-read book list for this year) but regardless, I think I enjoyed it very much. Worth the money spent. The story itself, if you’re non-reader (not yet read the book) like me, some info from Wikipedia said;

“Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll.[1] It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures…The journey had started at Folly Bridge near Oxford and ended five miles away in the village of Godstow. To while away time the Reverend Dodgson told the girls a story that, not so coincidentally, featured a bored little girl named Alice who goes looking for an adventure….” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice

Listen : It's my Life - Bon Jovi

A New Day

So this is it. The day has finally arrived. It’s my birthday folks! Like I mentioned previously, I usually couldn’t be bothered that much, but today..Well, today is wee bit special because I am getting a god daughter this afternoon. I hope her imminent arrival to this world will mark as beautiful additional to her wonderful family. I hope she will grow up and make her parents and her god mother proud. I wish her all the best and I promise to try and be there whenever she needs me. This is the closest to being an actual mom that I can be. So help me God, I don’t intend to screw this. Yikes!

Updates (by text msgs to/fro)

@ 10.30 am – The Mummy (aka My Best Friend) has checked into the maternity ward and is waiting for the scheduled C- Section Ops.

@ 1.00 pm - Off to Operation Theatre. Gulp!

@ 3.00 pm - Yeay! the baby has been safely delivered.

Listen : Rock a baby lullaby

Random Things

These are so random, almost pointless even. But what the heck..

*A colleague recently left the company for greener pasture. Good for him! And that has triggered endless questions and discussions (and envy) among us. The most glaring and repetitive one is; what the fcuk are we still doing here??

* I watched ‘Heroes’ and finished whole season 2, 3 & 4. And I’m exhausted, man. The storyline is like..’phew! Let’s crammed all ideas we got and throw everything and anything into the series’ Seriously, WTF? But whatever..I digress. Still, Peter Petrelli is fun to drool over.

* I adore tone deaf people who are not afraid to make fun of themselves. In fact, I love the people who are not afraid to laugh at themselves once in a while. And getting up and singing in public probably not everybody’s forte, but when you take it with pinch of salt and having fun with your friends while doing it; total awesome, man. Who cares if you didn’t get the rhythm right?

* I accidentally and mistakenly had bought another copy of ‘Digital Fortress’ by Dan Brown. Where as I’m actually dying to get my hands on his latest ‘The Lost Symbol’. Damn it. Am such an idiot.

* Can’t wait for my god daughter to arrive. Yeay!

Listen : Meet me halfway - Black Eye Peas

Countdown has started?

A friend, ok scrap that. MY best friend in this whole wide world – N, is about to give birth to her second child. And for the last 3 days now, she is updating her facebook status with some sort of countdown to the exact day that she’ll be having her C- Section. Funny thing is, the date she had chosen is also will be my birthday! (not a coincidence there, Einstein!) Yep. Bar any unwanted consequences err.. like me being dead much earlier than that; I’ll be 33 freaking years old in 16 days! (Thanks to the countdown. Blergh!) Usually, I don’t really looking forward to my birthday, I mean, nothing earth-shatteringly special had happened in the past (on my birthday) but I do always appreciate and be thankful than I’m alive and still kicking! But anyway, I’m getting the BEST Birthday present this year. Another God Daughter. ( I have few godsons & god daughters, but that’s story for another time!) So, no complaints. And this is life. As it is; we get some, we lose some. I digress.

Listen : Honey Bee - Zee Avi

Perhaps

Hi y`all..

enjoy this okeh?

Changes

Why do we have to change and suddenly became someone else when we’re in love or a relationship? Is it normal? I mean, of course we have to adapt and be more considerate, now that there is another person involved. But, how much changes that we’re talking about here? I’ve heard that if you love someone, you’ll have to also deal with; not only the good things about him/her, but their warts, habits and all. I couldn’t agree more with that. Of course, it is a mutual, double lanes highway. As in, they also have to understand, be considerate and accepting our (bad) habits or styles etc etc. More importantly, the issue here is to find a common ground between two people. Yes, I’m sure that differences are inevitable. But, communication is vital. Talk things over and discuss what matters most to both of you ~ that are the best advice given to me in regard of love/relationship by a dear friend. I am so following that.

Wish me luck! :)

Listen : Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles

January

Hullo..

What a rollercoaster kind of life. What a ride. What a year (so far). And it’s only January, folks. I love every minutes of this life, oh well, after all this is only life that I know. Be it happy moments, heartache, being in love (again. Finally!) or some heart-wrenching, eye-opening and nerve-wrecking situations. Am truly soaking up this life! I want to feel positive like this forever! Even if some things did not come my way or not turn out to be as what I wish for; I would still be able to believe that things do happened for its own reason, no?

Listen: The Climb - Miley Cyrus

Happy New Year 2010!

It's already the end of year 2009.

The time went by so fast like you would not believe it. So many things had happened this year and some will be remembered and some are best to be forgotten. We live and learnt, we move forward.It's the cycle of this life.

Anyway,
I would like to wish all of you a happy new year 2010! and here's to a more wonderful, lovely, successful, happy, fantastic year to come~! Bring it on.

Listen : Speechless - The Veronicas

Some Hearts!

"Some Hearts"

I've never been the kind that you'd call lucky

Always stumbling' around in circles

But I must have stumbled into something

Look at me

Am I really alone with you

I wake up feeling like my life's worth living

Can't recall when I last felt that way

Guess it must be all this love you're giving

Never knew never knew it could be like this.. But I guess

Some hearts

They just get all the right breaks

Some hearts have the stars on their side

Some hearts,

They just have it so easy

Some hearts just get lucky sometimes

Some hearts just get lucky, lucky sometimes

Now who'd have thought someone like you could love me

You're the last thing my heart expected

Who'd have thought I'd ever find somebody

Someone who someone who makes me feel like this

Well I guess Some hearts

They just get all the right breaks

Some hearts have the stars on their side,

Some hearts,

They just have it so easy

Some hearts just get lucky sometimes

Some hearts just get lucky sometimes Ohhhhhh

Even hearts like mine

Get lucky, lucky sometimes

I'm Not The right Kind Of Monster For You

I suppose if you have not read the Twilight Saga books, you will still can make sense or get the gist of the whole human/vampire/Warewolf love story by watching the New Moon film. But it’s not the same if you have read all the books first. Read the books and went to see the movie is much more satisfying, I think. For me, the characters from the book came alive and saying exactly (and more) than what was written in the book and the emotion displayed by the actors are more believable and convincing to me, well, you know how painful the looks on Edward’s face and exactly why was he acting that way (if you read the book). And like what my friend (who, obviously had not read any of the book) commented during the movie,” why Edward looks so excruciatingly in pain all the time?” hmm..Come to think of it, yeah.. his expression is kinda annoying, but I like Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) this time! She is much more relaxed and her acting is so much better than in ‘Twilight’. Overall, I think if you are Twilight saga fan, ahem, (Like Moi) then you’ll enjoying the movie very much, thank you. But then, if you aren’t, well, it’s your money and you can say whatever you want. By the way, I am soo in Team Edward – why you asked? He got the coveted girl! Need I say more? Haha

My December

Currently, I am soo head over heels and crazily in love with Royal pains! I watched the whole season 1 DVDs in single sitting. How bout that? Really, it was that enjoyable and the 12 episodes managed to captivate my interest and made me laughed throughout the marathon session. I admitted that what really piqued me are of course the plot and the cast! Oh my, Mark Feuerstein is hot! And I always love him since I saw him in that awesome movie called ‘ In her Shoes’ with Toni Collete. He’s a sweet, sweet man & such a doll! Seriously. Watching him makes me want to pinch his cheek. I honestly don’t know why.


the story went like this..

“Hank (Mark F.) is a rising star in the New York City medical community, until he loses everything fighting for the life of a patient. With his career stalled and his personal life in shambles, Hank is in need of a new beginning. That's where his younger brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) steps in. Fed up with Hank's personal pity-party, he convinces Hank to join him on a last-minute trip to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend. When the brothers crash a party at the home of a Hamptons billionaire and a guest falls critically ill, Hank saves the day. His dramatic medical rescue draws attention from the crowd, and soon Hank's phone starts ringing off the hook with patients demanding house calls. Inadvertently, Hank has become the hot new "concierge doctor" in town. Though Hank is initially reluctant to embrace this new career, with encouragement from Evan and an ambitious young woman who volunteers to be his physician assistant name Divya, he decides to stay in town for the summer. Once again solving medical crises and helping those in need, Hank is back to doing what he does best. And now he's reinvented himself as the Hamptons' hottest new doctor-in-demand.”
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/royalpains/theshow/overview/index.html

the worst part is to wait for the second season which will only premiere next summer in 2010, like, Hello! that's pure torture, folks.

Anyway, we’re already in December now and it feels that the year is flying by so fast I can barely catches my breath. I know time waits for nobody but I do wish that some things would remain the same. I mean, if there are any changes, sure, we’ll have to adapt. But I get tired of adapting, sometimes. But then again, It’s such the nature of life and we’re pretty much can’t do anything about it. It’s either we’re adapting to changes surrounding us or get lost or left into oblivion.

Have a productive last month of the year. I know I’ll try to tying all loose ends, finishing all outstanding matters and probably try to spend some of my annual leave contemplating again and again about this thing called life. Oh! Joy.

Listen : When you look at me – Carrie Underwood

I'm not dead yet

Owh. This hurts badly.

Apparently, the one thing that I’m (currently) really wishing and hoping for will not materialize, this time around. Feel so bad and frustrated to bits. Was it because I had doubt lingered in my head all the time? Was it because I keep questioning my own capabilities? I don’t know. But I do know that things happened for its reason, which sometimes we, mere mortal could not fathom. I vow not to dwell in sadness and keep feeling down like this.

It things are not meant to be, who am I to say or do otherwise, eh? Alas, I digress.

Another day, another chance for happiness.

Listen : Play On - Carrie Underwood

Do or Die

Hello people.

Am so freaking out right now. I’m about to make a life-changing and super huge decision. Ever. It feels like standing on the edge of a cliff and about to jump off into the ocean. It is, as if I can see the millions reasons of why I shouldn’t jump in but at the same time, I know in my hearts that this is what I always want to do. The fleeting moments of doubts keep creeping up but I’m holding on to what my heart always belief in and what my head already decided on. God willing, I won’t back out and I won’t give in. So help me god, I’ve no intention to ruin someone’s life. Yikes!

p/s : sorry if this sounds ridiculous & does not make sense. Will share the details once I’m back in reality. And oh!. I’m not suicidal though. No worries.

Listen : I will be - Avril Lavigne

Hello again.

Owh! I miss updating here!

but the thing is, I'm so outta ideas what to write. Okay, I probably have tonnes of things going on for the last 3 weeks, but you know, what with the festive season-and-long holidays and neverending eating sessions, all make my mind muddy and extra laziness crept in. Hah! what an excuse!

Anyway, it's back to normal routines now. I hope. But what's routines? I was bored with routines. Routines sucks! I need some spur-of-the-moment kinda thingy and I wanna be more spontaneous! yep. To avoid this slow and painful death by boredom.

Take care all.

Listen: Dream on Hayley - Jim Morrison

The end of Ramadan, and 1st Syawal beckoning

although there are still few more days left of this Ramadan month. I would like to wish a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Happy Holidays to you all!

Take care and don't road hogging eh? or I'll kick your sorry ass haha..

Listen: Suasana Aidilfitri - Annuar & Elinna

State of Play

Hi there.

Have you watched the movie 'State Of Play' ? This is another Political Conspiracy story from The Capitol Hill, DC. The main characters are a reporter named Cal McAffey (played by overweight Russell Crowe, but still brilliant!) who is a college friend of congressman Rep. Stephen Collins (played by Ben Affleck! Not so convincing to me, but oh well, I’m probably so used to congressman being portrayed as old-almost-senile type). 2 murders and 1 near fatal shooting opened the story at the beginning and from then on, the motives and linkages unravel to a more complex conspiracy surrounding the congressman, his sex scandal and more profound reason of all the madness, money (of course). In between all that, there seems to be old wound or history in the friendships between Cal, Stephen and Stephen’s wife Annie (played by Robin Wright). As a friend, Cal seems unrelentlessly trying to protect Stephen, but at the same time he is also a true journo at heart and chasing the scoop of news and bringing out the truth is what he does best. It is also fun to see the dynamic between Cal and his sidekick, a dewy-eye cub-reporter name Della Frye. (Played by Rachel McAdams – I love her!) I feel the movie is refreshing as we are also been thrust to look at things from a newspaper/reporter’s point of view and how things work in a news room. And yeah! Helen Mirren rocks as the tough cookie Editor of the Washington Globe.

Quiz Time!

Hello y'all,
you know there are so much quizzes that you can do over at Facebook, aight? but I came across this one at Ellyn's blog sometimes ago and it was fun. Fun as in ; I'm too lazy to do my work-and-it's Friday-so can't wait for the weekend kinda fun. So yeah, try it. But am not tagging anybody tho..

rules: copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag ten people. use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. they have to be real - nothing made up! if the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. you cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

1. what i would prefer to have been my name : Shazmin
2. a four letter word : Shit
3. a boy's name : Shia Le Beouff
4. a girl's name : Shakira
5. an occupation : Stock broker
6. a color : Sparkling Red
7. something you'll wear : Salvatore Ferragamo
8. somewhere you want to go : Salamanca, Spain
(hah! i made this question up, because I dunno where the original No. 8 went to :P)
9. a food : Soup
10. something found in the bathroom : Shower foam
11. a place : Seremban
12. a reason for being late : Stuck in traffic
13. something you'd shout : Sweett!
14. a movie title : Slumdog Millionaire
15. something you drink : Sirap Limau
16. a musical group : Spice Girls
17. an animal : Seladang
18. a street name : Santa Monica Boulevard
19. a type of car : Subaru Impreza
20. the title of a song : Say my name – Destiny’s Child


And now, some flowers and green stuff for our eye's pleasure. Can't possibly put up food pictures now, being fasting month and all, rite?

Okay people, have a nice weekend ahead. I know I will, because it'll be extended til Monday. Woweee! State of Selangor is observing Nuzul Quran (17th Ramadan) so, yeah. I love days' off. Throw it my way. Anytime.

Listen : Have you Ever - Westlife version. Although I also love the original version by Brandy

Malaysia Satu

In conjunction with Independence Day celebration recently, a song-writing competition was launched to find a song that truly representing the spirit of 1 Malaysia concept. When the advertisement for the final shortlisted songs came on air, I thought this is the one with most catchy chorus & it instantly became my favourite. And yeay! to Audi Mok, Nurfatimah & Faizal Tahir coz they won the competition!

The lyric..

Ku teguh berdiri tiada lagi ragu atau gentar
Ku terus berani melangkah maju ke hadapan
Satu impian nyawaku pertaruhkan
Genggaman tanganmu, semangatku terus membara janji ku pada mu,
Harapanmu ingin ku laksanakan
kau adalah ilham pada mereka yang ingin Berjaya
Kau terus berjuang demi membawa perubahan satu impian oh berjuta harapan
Genggaman tanganmu, semangatku terus membara janji ku pada mu,
harapanmu ingin ku laksanakan
Satu Malaysia,
kita inspirasi pada dunia Nama kan dijulang,
kita menjadi kebanggaan
Satu wawasan bersama bergandingan..
Genggaman tanganmu, semangatku terus membara janji ku pada mu,
harapanmu ingin ku laksanakan

And now the song..