My Obsessions over the Years

Assalamualaikum and hey there.

      I came from a generation that witnessed the rapid evolution of a handphone - from the days when we used keyboard phones, then it turned into flip phones, then slide phones, continuously changed until touchscreen smartphones were invented. (Trust me back at those days, touchscreen stuff was a big deal.) From the old days when handphones could only be used to call, text (which btw all using solid money) , then MMS and camera were available, to now, it could use to do literally, everything. Nowadays it's like a portable, small laptop.

See? Don't you miss those glorious days of Nokia? Until it was eaten away by some fruit (*cough apple *cough)

Anyway, that's not my point. The point is, I feel so old, in a bad way, watching handphones transformed from thick large rectangle, to smaller ones, to flip ones, to slide ones, and then back to those thick large rectangular forms. So, I realised, I've been through tough, crucial phases in my life, ie, childhood and teenagehood.... And I also have moved on from my past obsessions.

1) PlayStation 

Yep, that's right people. Remember PlayStation?? Aahhh, the closest thing I had to technology during my childhood.... I remember I was so obsessed with Spyro the Dragon. Hahahah. Hah. Back to those days when you actually needed to pay quite a sum of money for video games.

2) Habbo 

I know, I should've played the Sims, but I prefer free games. So, when the Internet was getting more accessible in my country, and when I actually had a shared laptop, I found out this website and it was splendid. Habbo is like a multiplayer, social, avatar, interactive game where you can have an awesome virtual life - your own house, your own job and eating at the restaurants and swimming in the pool. (kinda like the Sims) I was so addicted to this game when I was 10 that I spent plenty of my phone credits to buy Habbo credits, in order to purchase their furniture. Like, I USED REAL MONEY FOR THIS STUPID THING. URGH. See how addicted I was? Unbelievable. 

3) Facebook 

      

        Actually, the first social media that I had was Myspace, and then Facebook, when I was 11. And I swear that after I made my account, Facebook became instantly famous! (Hahahahah) I was obsessed with its games, namely Pet Society and Farmville. (Come on, don't tell me you guys never played these games at some point of your life.) I would sign in and stress over the almost 100 notifications I received, mostly from the games I played. It was stressful, just like my Whatsapp notifications. Hah. 

4) Blogging

     Yep, if I was addicted to Habbo when I was 10, obsessed with Facebook at 11 (actually until I was 13), I was obsessed with blogging too when I was 12. Most of my time on the Net, I would use to decorate my blog, write some silly entries and 'blogstrolling' (as I called it back then) to other blogs, follow them and practically force them to follow me back. Yep. And thanks to that, I got 120 followers. (Is that even a massive number?? huh)

5) Detective Conan 

And then, when I was 13, I was absurdly addicted to this fellow over here. (still am, tbh) Actually, I was a fan of this anime since I was 7, when I first saw it on TV3 every Tuesday night (I guess, how do you expect me to remember?) I just love how intelligent he is. And this anime triggers my mind, Plus, I learn some basic Japanese from it. So, it's very beneficial to me, right? RIGHT? Please say yes 'cause due to this severe addiction, I have spent a hefty amount of money to buy its DVDs of movies and episodes. Hah. 

6) Switched at Birth 

Wait, WHERE'S EMMETT??

      When I was 14, I discovered my favourite TV show. Hah. IDK why I like this show, it's just... intriguing I guess? Anyway, since I was hooked with this TV show, I learned American Sign Language (ASL), which is quite similar to Malaysian Sign Language, so at least, I gained something beneficial, right?

7) Taylor Swift 

Yes, and then I was obsessed with this fella over here. Great. Still am, actually, but at least not as bad as I used to. Actually, I started to become a swiftie when I read about her dating Harry Styles, 'cause I felt like that was too fanfiction to be real. So I cyberstalked her like crazy, and then I was like, "oh, she's kinda cool." So yeah, Harry didn't stay, but I did. :P HAHAHAHAHA. I mean, I used to be taylurking (yep I'm gonna use that word) her sooo bad as if I had an SPM Paper named 'The History of Taylor Swift'. It was that horrible.

So, yeah, I have a few obsessions, and actually I didn't get over some of them, did I? :P


 Ikhlas Daripada,
 

The Perks of Writing Diaries

Assalamualaikum and hey there. 

     I just realised that one of my hobbies is writing diaries, but I never put that down if anyone asked me what's my hobby. Probably because I wasn't sure if that's even a hobby. Well, I tell you what, if you spend a lot of time and put a huge effort on something, then it should be acknowledged as a legit hobby, right? 

      And since my diaries are basically just plain notebooks, plus that horrendous, illegible handwriting of mine, you would find them as anything BUT pretty. But that's the point, I made it hideous so that people couldn't read them, well, including the future-me 'cause my handwriting could get way too indecipherable. 

      I've been writing diaries since I was 8. And don't ask me what I wrote during that naive time of my life. I wish I could read my first diary again but I have lost it. But I bet the content most probably include 1) my sahur menu (which most of the time is Roti Canai) 2) my iftar dishes 3) entries began with "Today I...." 

      But that's not the point I want to make. I wanna tell you the benefits I gained from doing this,, um,, hobby. So, in honour of my 10th anniversary as a 'diary writer', I present to you,,,

The Perks of Writing Diaries 

okay, that was a long intro 

(First of all, please note that my diaries look nothing like this.)

1. It's a great place for you to pour your emotions out. Whether it might be sadness, or anger, or disgust (yep people, we're going Inside Out here), you can say it all in here. And you know the best part of all? It won't judge. 'Cause, admit it, sometimes your friends might be preoccupied with their own problems that they won't really listen to your rant. And sometimes, they would judge 'cause they are normal human beings. And sometimes, they would also spill your secret to others 'cause yep, they are humans and they make mistakes. So, let's go to non-living things like diaries 'cause they won't judge you and they're good at keeping secrets (well, of course unless someone reads them :P
2. 
   
3.  It's a good place for you to organise and clear your thoughts. Don't let your awesome ideas buried down in your head! Write them down! You won't regret it. ;) Also, if you have so many things to do, you might as well jot them down on a place you'd always see, like your diary, perhaps.
4. 
   
5. The first twos are more to the advantages you'd get in a short time. Now, moving on to benefits on a long run, you can treasure your memories! Photographing is a brilliant way to keep your memories, but a diary will help to give more details about the certain memory. And as a sentimental person like me, diaries really come in handy. 
6. 
   
7. You can make a reflection about yourself! 'Cause what's more interesting than writing diaries? Is READING them. Trust me, it is fun. You can see how much you've grown as a person, how much you've changed over the years and it can motivate you to be a better person in the future. You could also see your past wish(es) on your future and laugh at yourself if your past-self was being ridiculous or even amuse if your past-self was being such a psychic.
8.  
9. You can avoid yourself from badmouthing people. Yep, trust me, I know when you're furious at someone, you'd go to your friends and talk rubbish about that person. But that just means that you're badmouthing his/her and it's not right. So, I know you'd explode if you don't share it with anyone, which is why spitting it all out in a diary can be very helpful.

So, that's all I got. One thing to note is, calling writing diaries as a 'girl thing' is such a sexist statement to make. It's for all- all gender and all age. And if you are ashamed of that, it's your own loss.

Ikhlas Daripada,


p/s: sorry about that weird numbering. I just need some SPACE, you know. :P

Reachable Places in Klang Valley

Interesting places you can reach by using public transport

Assalamualaikum and hey there! 

         The very first thing I learned post-SPM was sadly NOT driving (it was sad 'cause I've been dying to drive since EVER) but it was using the public transport, which was not bad at all since I used to be shelled in a boarding school, so, I barely knew this stuff. And Alhamdulillah, I'm so glad I did have time to learn all of this 'cause, it is very useful EVEN when I have a car someday in life. 

          And plus, this helps me, FOR THE FIRST TIME, to be more in-the-know than my sister, 'cause usually, when it comes to like, 'real life skills', my sister is far advanced than me. But not this one. This time, I WIN. Bwahahaha. 

           Sorry for acting crazy. (I'm not)

            Therefore, due to the frequent use of public transport, I'd always seen this complicated map consists of labyrinths of routes, which now I totally understand why tourists would easily get lost in KL. 

             So, basically, in Lembah Klang, we have four types of 'trains' - Rapid KL (But a lot of people call it LRT) , KTM Komuter, KL Transit (or better known as ERL) and KL Monorail. To pay the fare, you can either use cash or cashless, which basically means, using a Touch 'n' Go card or MYRapid Card (which can only be used for LRT and Monorail), but the price for cashless is cheaper so yeah, that's why daily users use the card. 

             Anyway, if you think being 'carless' limits your movement, then think again. 'Cause in Klang Valley, there are a lot of places you can go by using public transport. So, let's take KL Sentral as the central point 'cause duh, hence the name, and here we go! 

1) NU Sentral

So, basically, that's KL Sentral and there is an escalator to NU Sentral, which is a shopping mall, which is very fun. I love NU Sentral because personally, I think it looks clean, shiny (haha) and convenient. I love the surau there, very spacious, Muslimah-friendly and air-conditioned. 

If you go to NU Sentral, you'd find:-

~ GSC Cinema

~Parkson

~ A lot of chain restaurants/ cafes like KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Kenny Rogers, Secret Recipe, Auntie Anne's, Subway, etc 

~Typo 

Yep, possibly, my favourite mall. Possibly, okayyy.

2) KLCC 

Yes, I know the real name for that magnificent building is actually Petronas Twin Tower, the world's tallest twin tower (yep, fun fact y'all)  and KLCC (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre) is actually a small building near it, but yeah, we call it KLCC so just accept it. Bwahaha. 

How to get there : Use LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> KLCC 

Fare: KL Sentral >> KLCC = RM 2.40 

Main Attractions:-

~Petronas Twin Tower where you can either go up there to Sky Bridge or the 88th floor if you have a lot of money (which I never did) or pose with it 'cause duh, it's the tallest twin tower in the world! :P (which I shamelessly always do) 

~ KLCC Park which is very fun for children but it used to be more exciting when I was little (#childhoodmemories) 

~ Suria KLCC which is a shopping complex full of exclusive brands and pricey items plus two food courts with wide range of delicious food (I'm not kidding, try the Cafe Milano waffle- ranked #1 in my waffle chart. Hahah) Oh, plus Kinokuniya bookstore and of course, Typo 

~Petrosains which is an edutainment, interactive, informative centre. 

~ Aquaria which is an oceanarium with a 90-metre underwater tunnel

~ KL Convention Centre, which is a place where major events are held 

~Avenue K, which is a shopping mall nearby which is just as interesting as Suria KLCC but somehow not as popular as it is - even when it has its own edutainment centre and POPULAR Bookstore and the scenic Rooftop which enables you to make KLCC as the background (which is apparently closed at the time I wrote this) 

3) Central Market 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Pasar Seni

Fare: RM 1.30

Don't worry people, it's indoor and air-conditioned. 

I suggest you buy your souvenirs here of course 'cause the price is cheap, and there's a wide variety to choose from. And please, DON'T buy your souvenirs at KLCC 'cause the price is ridiculously expensive. Please, save yourself and your money. Buy your souvenirs here. You're welcome.

4) Amcorp Mall 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Taman Jaya >> Walk a little bit >> Amcorp Mall 

Fare: RM 2.50

What's interesting here: All things music like:-

~ Victoria Music Centre (CD and DVD store)

~ Gramophones

~ Vinyl record players 

~ Guitars 

Also:-

~ POPULAR Bookstore with cheap stationeries and books

~ BookXpress Bookstore with even cheaper books 

~ Scrumptious foldover waffle

5) Ampang Park 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Ampang Park 

Fare: RM 2.70

This is like, the oldest shopping complex that still exists in KL. And.... sadly, it's going to be CLOSED. LIKE FOREVER. OMG. This is also my #chilhoodmemories and even though I don't even like this place, but it's still a shame if it's closed... 'Cause it has:-

~ Dunkin' Donut

~ McDonalds 

~Cozy Corner Restaurant 

~Pizzahut

~KFC

~Manhattan Fish Market 

Please, I'm not being sarcastic. It's sad okay, to close a historic building like this.... 

6)  Mid Valley 

How to get there: KTM Komuter >> Mid Valley 

Fare: RM 1.60 

There are reasons why we Malaysians love to go to shopping malls - it's air-conditioned, which means, smoking is prohibited (which is good for me to avoid being passive smokers) , all under one roof, easy to find parking lots and sometimes there's music. 

And in Mid Valley, there are also:-

~GSC Cinema

~ MPH Bookstore

~ SPEEDY DVD and CD Store

~ Vintage 1988 Charm Bracelet

~ MegaKidz, which is an edutainment centre for kids

and,,,, there's also a bridge to The Gardens, which is another shopping mall but it's classier which have:-

~ BORDERS Bookstore

~ Rock Corner Music

~Red Box Karaoke (!!!) 

~ Samsung Certified Repair Centre

which made me so MAD that I just KNOW about this place! 

I mean, even the toilet is like a 5-star hotel's ..... 

7) Berjaya Times Square 

How to get there: Rapid KL Monorail >> Imbi 

Fare: RM 2.50

If you want to go to a theme park in the middle of a city, this is the place you should go! 

What's interesting here:-

~ Berjaya Times Square Theme Park, which is an indoor theme park, complete with a roller coaster ride and DNA Mixer, haha, you should try. 

~ A lot of retail shops selling imitation brands which of course, are cheap and of course, are not the real brands so don't be too gullible 

~ Subway

~ Ayam Penyet 

~ Wendy's 

~ GSC Cinema (other than strolling at the mall, we love to watch movies. Hey, at least we pay for it)

I think, this mall is like, the tallest shopping mall in Malaysia, like 9 floors if I'm not mistaken. I don't really like it tho, ('cause I prefer NU Sentral everyone) 

8) KL Tower 

How to get there: Rapid KL Monorail >> Bukit Nanas >> walk through the street >> walk across the road >> walk some more >> KL Tower (or you can skip all this by just taking a free bus ride near the station)

Fare: RM 3.70

Haa,, you think you can't go to KL Tower with public transport? You're wrong. :P But it's a long way but it's not impossible, 'cause I've tried it. So, you can go visit this another amazing skyscraper of Kuala Lumpur and watch KLCC from up here. Oh, and there's a revolving restaurant up there. Oh, and also some attractions down there, for example, a mini zoo. Sadly, I never been up there even I LIVED in KL for like 8 YEARS OF MY LIFE. WHAT. 

9) KL Live 

How to get there: Rapid KL Monorail >> Bukit Nanas >> walk through the street for a few metres until you see this building

Fare: RM 3.70 

I thought only KL Convention Centre that you can reach there by public transport! Turns out you can go KL Live by yourself too! I was so jubilant when I discovered this during my journey to KL Tower. I mean like, that's new! (at least for me :P ) 

So, KL Live is basically where artists love to play their concerts at. It's a concert venue. Yeah, that's all I got.

10) PWTC 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Masjid Jamek >> LRT Rapid KL Ampang Line >> PWTC 

Fare: RM 2.20 

My family and I used to go there by train to the KL International Book Fair when I was little. So, this is a famous venue for important events ranging from political conferences to book fairs. Yep, that's it. 

11) Bukit Jalil Stadium 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Masjid Jamek >> LRT Rapid KL Ampang Line >> Bukit Jalil 

Fare: RM 4.70

This is also an important location for major events in Malaysia ranging from football matches to concerts. And guess what, it's reachable by public transport :P 

12) Batu Caves 

How to get there: KTM Komuter >> Batu Caves 

Fare: RM 2.60

      I never tried 'cause I never been there before but they said it's reachable, so you should try. This is one of the main tourist attractions in Malaysia. So yeah, go check it. 

13) KLIA 

How to get there:-

If you're in hurry : ERL KLIA Express >> KLIA 

Fare: RM 55

If you're in no rush, try this : KTM Komuter >> Bandar Tasik Selatan >> ERL KLIA Transit >> KLIA  

Fare: RM 2.40 + RM 38.40 = RM 40.80

(See how much you can save???) 

I'VE FIGURED THAT OUT FOR YOU. You could save RM 14.20! And you can use that extra money for your lunch, and dinner. :P 

That's it, Hopefully find this helpful. 

And this entry pretty much sums up what kind of person I am - BOOKS, MUSICS, WAFFLES. Hahah. 

Til then. 

Ikhlas Daripada,
 

Malaysian Slangs That You Can't Find in the Dictionary

In case you didn't know, that's my country- a very small one, yet easy to pinpoint out on the world map. :P 

Assalamualaikum and hey there.

So,  the Malay Language is full of slangs. And I love it. So, these are some that might be helpful, NOT in alphabetical order.

1) Mat Salleh/ Orang Putih 

Basically means 'Caucasians' , simply said.

2) Lah

This is like, what every Malaysian loves to add at the end of our sentences. The meaning varies depends on the sentences said. For instance, "Please lah." means "Oh, please." in disgust. While "Bolehlah..." basically means "Oh, pretty please....." in a pleading manner. But it can also mean "It was quite okay" , depends on how you pronounce it (and of course, the context of the conversation) So yeah, I told you, we're complicated people.

3) Lantak 

How it's used: "Lantak   ah kau. Malas aku nak kisah pasal kau."

Which actually a polite version of "Mampuslah kau" , which actually means "Go die/kill yourself."

You can also translate it as "I don't give a damn about you." Damn, 'cause it's not a swear word.

4) Kasi 

Basically means 'give'
Eg: Kasi kat Aria. (Give this to Aria.)

5) Taruk 

Simply means 'put'
Eg: Awak taruk apa dalam teh ni? (What did you put in this tea?)

6) Cikai 

Means 'cheap'

Eg: Takderlah, saya mampu pakai phone cikai jer.. (Nah, I can only afford a cheap phone.)

7) Poyo 

Basically means 'show off', used to describe a person, usually men.

Eg: Mamat tu poyo betullah, pergi kedai mamak pun nak tunjuk kereta Ferarri dia tu. (That guy is such a show-off person, even going to a Mamak restaurant, he wants to show off his Ferrari car.)

8) Songlap 

It means 'to take someone's stuff without his/her permission.

Eg: Asal lah kau asyik songlap duit aku jer kerjanya....? ( Why do always steal my money?)

9) Korang 

Simply means 'you guys'

Eg: Korang, jom pergi pasar malam! (Guys, let's go to the night market!)

10) Mat Rempit 

Means a person who joins in an illegal motorcycle race at night.

11) Skodeng/ Usha

Simply means 'to stalk other person'

Eg: Hah, skodeng Lina ya? (Hah, you're stalking Lina , aren't you?)

12) Selenga/Slenge/Slur-gher 

Means slow, or dumb

13) Terer/ Terror 

Means 'cool/amazing/fantastic', all the nice things.

Eg: Kau dapat 100%? Terer ah kau! (You got 100% That's so amazing!)

14) Boss 

What we call the waiter in Mamak restaurants. Yeah, we're nice sometimes, okayyy

15) Bajet

This is used with an adjective, such as comel (cute). Together, it's used to describe someone who's acting like she's cute when she's not

Eg: Tengok minah tu, suka bajet comel. Urgh.  (Look at that girl, she likes to act as if she's cute. Urgh.)

16) Kantoi

Means 'busted'

Eg: Hahah, kau yang buat ya? Kantoi! (Hahah, so you are the one who did that? You're so busted!)

17) Blah

Simply means 'go away'

18) Meh 

Basically means 'let' .

Eg: Meh aku tolong kau. (Let me help you.)

So, that's it, people. Til then.


Ikhlas Daripada,