What waistline??

As I was scanning through some major topics highlighted in the SUN newspaper today I stumbled upon a disturbing article on heart disease and abdominal obesity. Having that “tummy” can definitely be a silent killer!! A survey was done and indicates that 47.1% and 60.2% percent of local men and women respectively suffer from abdominal obesity. Yikesss, Scary….!!

The Malaysian Shape of the Nation (MySon) uses the waist circumference (WS) instead of the normal body mass index (BMI) to determine any signs of a heart disease. Recent findings have shown that abdominal obesity is a better indicator. A higher/bigger waist circumference is linked to many diseases ie. cardiovascular disease, hypertension, lipid disorders, diabetes and the heart attack.

Survey states that men with waist circumference (WS) of more than 90cm while women more than 80cm falls under the condition of Abnormal Obesity. Oh boy, now I need to look for my measurement tape..where is it....

My colleague who was dissatisfied with the info (hehhehe!), argued and said then try explaining to me those cases where thin people also end up having heart attacks. Well, may be they were born with weak hearts eh. Being thin does not mean you have the optimum cholesterol level as well. Each and everyone of us is exposed to all these diseases/illnesses. No matter how berisi or comel you are la..:)

What ever it is, prevention is always better than cure right?! Hmm, hopefully those having that slight or massive tummy issues should be able to shed some off during the fasting month…hehehehe. I do hope it works for me, I for one need to shed loads of it …muuahahahahaha :)

The unexpected call...

Today is the third day of fasting, how are you all coping so far?? Hehehe…I am doing OK and so far will try to refrain myself from any Ramadhan buffets at the Hotels. I was looking through the price list of the buffets in most of the hotels in PJ/KL and the menu they have through out Ramdhan month. Wow, it is so damn tempting, it left me “drooling” I tell you.. :P

Yesterday, as I was busy putting things away for the day and was just about to leave the office when I received a call from a person who I have lost contact for a year and a half. The last time we spoke was back in 2004, pretty ancient don’t you think? Back then, we did chat and shared many things in common but due to our hectic schedules and so forth, the friendship just stopped at that. I was surprised that he still has my mobile no while I somehow deleted his. :P Anyway, he said he did text me to wish whenever there is a celebration ie, Aidilfitri, Aidiladha, New Year etc..but he never got any replies from me. Honestly, I didn’t know it was him (that explains why I ignored his messages) as I had already deleted his no, but NO way am I gonna confess that to him now.. muuahahaha :)

So we spoke about life, our jobs, all the normal stuff. All this while I did not know that he has moved jobs and is currently working in Bangi somewhere close to where the bank’s training center is located. Cool eh. He asked me out for berbuka puasa and I said I will get back to him. I am still thinking...!! Hmmn, it looks like I might not be able to refrain myself from the Ramadhan buffet much longer.

Who is it gonna be??

So who do you think will be the new millionaire tonight?? Is it gonna be Faizal, Suki or Aliff? You can catch the One in a Million - Grand Finale Episode tonight on 8TV at 9.30pm. Dayang was voted out last week, which was really unexpected. Her fans must be pretty dissappointed eh! Anyway, I hope Faizal wins. Lets check it out tonight and I hope that many Malaysian viewers feel the same way like I do. GO Faizal GO!!

Could it be Faizal?? He used to be a professional nasyid singer...not bad eh!
or Suki?
the only female competitoror Aliff??? a favourite amongst the teeny-bopper viewers...

I feel so crappy…………

A few of my good old friends called me early in the morning today to tell me about their good news. They were so excited and I could hear it from their voice tone. I wonder why is it happening to a few of them at one time. Hehehe! They had a change of plan, which initially involved them moving to other organizations. Reasons for this change of mind or plans are mainly due to their initial offers being matched by their current employers. They are all so happy and excited about their new salary and promotions. Some organizations are just worth working for eh! May be I should start applying when they have vacancies... :D!! I am so happy for them at least now with the extra bucks, they have no more excuses when it comes to treating me for lunches and dinners. Yeha!!

Nonetheless, after absorbing the good news, shmucks, I started to analyse myself, my career and thus, what I have achieved so far in life. This is when I get all crappy and serious. I will start analyzing what I have done and need to do to have a successful career path. Questions that was stuck in my thoughts early today,

1. Have I tried hard enough in terms of my work and improving my career path?
2. Have I been giving myself the opportunity to explore the other possibilities?
3. Is the present employer good enough for me? What about the perks? Is it sufficient?
4. Is there still a learning curve or have I reached the peak of it?
5. Is it time for a promotion?
6. Do I need to venture and try out other job scope? Be well versed in all areas and not just focus on one main area.
7. Does my salary commensurate my work and responsibilities??

(Given more time, my list could be a very long one, I tell you..)

All this serious thinking will normally make feel so crappy and mellow. This happens when I start comparing myself with the accomplishments of others. Again, many times I have always drilled myself to never compare and always believe that each and every one of us has our own “rezeki”. Comparing what you have and what you don’t have will only make life a living hell. But being human, we tend to make the same mistake all the time. Oh well, apart from the “ rezeki” we should also learn to count our blessings right? Try our best to be a better person in all ways but also learn to be patient. Life is a process where you will never know what is in store for you until you go through it with loads of patience, perseverance and determination.

Oh and not to forget, Happy Fasting!!

Singapore Madness...

We had a jolly good weekend in Singapore, the traffic was excellent, secondlink was smooth, however security was tight due to the IMF conference. The after effect of the hectic Singapore trip still lingers especially for me. My tummy decided to show the effect of my massive food binging only today..Hehe! It was more like a "balik kampung" event for all of us since all of us siblings were born in Singapore.

We managed to do a little bit of shopping at the Geylang area for some nice kurung material for Raya (I am always a sucker for last minute baju raya shopping!), which surprisingly is so much cheaper than the materials you see in KL.

We headed for the Malay Village and had the authentic lontong (the rice lontong is wrapped in a banana leave which produces such a lovely aroma), mee rebus, kacang pol, nasi lemak with ikan goreng, rojak with boiled potatoes & deep fried prawns served with hot chilli gravy (not the rojak you normally see in KL) and some other ala Singaporean food at Lau Pa Sat. Lau Pa Sat is the famous "open air" hawker food area located amongst the tall buildings in the Financial area. Hmm, somewhere near the Robinson Road.

I didn't get the chance to hang out at Orchard Road due to the lack of time. My uncle told me that Orchard Road during the IMF conference is usually decorated with beautiful flowers. It is like a garden city..unfortunately I didn't get to see or I would have taken loads of pictures.

My cousin's wedding reception was a simple event with "killer" food. The beriani was so good that we all went back with excess baggages - the big tummy of course. :D It was the first time for me to see the bride and groom as the only ones seated at the "meja pengantin or meja bersantap". Here in Malaysia, the culture is to see both families of the couple seated together with them. The table will be very long to fit in all the selected relatives. Hmmm...may be it is normal for the weddings in Singapore to only have the bride and groom seated at the"meja pengantin". Pretty uncomfortable don't you think when all eyes will only be focusing on the couple! Yiikeess....

I am definitely gonna miss the food and the Singaporean taxi drivers. :D...I just love talking to them, they are so informative, friendly and helpful. Well, it makes a difference you know when the taxi drivers are knowlegeable. They told me that it is a requirement for them to attend courses to not only enhance their communication skills but their rapport with the IMF delegates. Not bad eh!

Family Outing..

I can’t wait for this coming Saturday as the whole big family will be heading for Singapore. Yeayyy!! We have a cousin’s wedding to attend on Sunday and apart from that we are planning to spend some quality time together. It has been ages since we last went on a family trip especially with both my mom and dad around. This time round, NO shopping for me, urrrgh!! :(( since the mega sale has already ended months ago. We are planning for some massive food binging. Since Singapore will be hosting the IMF world conference this weekend, I am expecting the tourist spots and popular food areas to be very crowed. Oh well, what do you expect when there are thousands of delegates from all over the world.

As for my eldest sis who is staying back for her “team-building” trip, do have fun in Janda Baik and don’t worry so much about the night trips in the Jungle, yikkessss!! It is easy for me to say as I am not the one having the night trips. I just hope the organisation I am currently attached to has no future plans to have any team building sessions for any of its staff. I guess many of you might have gone through them and have personal experiences of your own. I have heard about creepy situations where you are left all alone in a Jungle during midnight and if you are unlucky you might find an unknown "person" sitting next to you :D Scary eh!

Till then folks, I hope it is not too early to wish all of you a swell and awesome weekend!!!!

Are you into veggies???

I can’t really say I am an ardent fan of vegetables but I do eat them and my favourite would be cauliflowers and broccoli. But never in my dreams would I ever imagine finding some slimy ugly green creature amongst the green leaves just like the one in the picture above?? A colleague of mine forwarded me an email with this picture attached to it. Looking at the snapshot just gives me the spooks. Normal scenario for me would be something like ants or small insects. Yikesssss…this would be very traumatizing don’t you think?? It would definitely be traumatizing for me if I was the "fortunate" ONE with that bag of vege!! Muaahahahaa :D

Do you agree?

Got this interesting piece from Yumsie and thought of sharing it with everyone. I didn't know that you can actually relate an object to either being a male or a female(Heeehee!) till I read the below email attachment.

FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.

PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong buttons.

TYRES: Tyres are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.

HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under them.

SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.

WEB PAGES:Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.

TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.

EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.

HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.

THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying .

My favourite would be the freezer bags and hot air balloons! Hahaha :P

True friends are RARE!!

I am sure most of you would agree that in life, our family and friends are priceless gemstones. We should always cherish and treasure them. Without them around, life can be a living hell eh!! :P However as times goes by, I learn that having a bunch of useless friends is nothing as compared to having a very small circle of friends that cares for me. I would rather hang out wit a few good friends than a whole bunch of individuals who are obnoxious, rude and selfish.

These few friends I still have close to my heart are the ones who have gone through many trying times with me. Oohh and not to forget those happy and sweet memories as well. Like they always say if you want to know a person, do go and travel with him or her. You will discover how selfless or selfish he/she can be just by spending time together. My few friends who have been around me long enough would alrady know how I am as person. Having true friends is something like funds investment or growing a tree for returns in a long run. You need to cultivate and grow the seeds in order to have a beautiful friendship. It needs loads of patience, understanding and appreciation. I believe being a true friend, one needs to be honest and truthful to the other. As for me, a true friend is someone WHO falls under the following:-

• A friend who never back stabs another friend.
• A friend who never talk about me behind my back.
• A friend who does not keep secrets from me even when those secrets could change my life or career.
• A friend who means what she says.
• A friend who stands up for me when she knows what I did was right in a particular situation.
• A friend who never ditches me in a situation.
• A friend who knows how to safe guard my secrets. Who will not spill the beans to another close friend....(this I guess is the toughest part!! )
• A friend who is in control of herself, kind hearted, warm, understanding and selfless.

May be I am asking for far too much. But I guess finding a true friend is never easy.

Well, like they always say no one in this whole wide world is perfect, one has to learn to live and accept a person. NOT for me, life is too short to be taking any crap from anyone. I darn well know who are my quality friends and I hope to live my life with the people I know I can count on. :) Cheewahhh!!

The return of the lil ONE...

Yeay!! Today I will be heading for KLIA to pick up my lil sis and her family from Japan. They are coming back for good with my lil niece. My dad is all excited as his best little buddy is back to entertain him. The lil one has been away for more than a month and now she is back to take charge of her toys and also her grandparents.

Lil one with her many faces

So here is to many, many years of laughter, hectic baby/toddler sitting schedules, fun and exciting birthday events and other playful activities, InsyaAllah.