To win in marriage, learn to lose
What’s the most important thing or aspect in a relationship? I’m referring to any kind of possible relationship here; marriage; boyfriend-girlfriend, boyfriend-boyfriend, girlfriend-girlfriend, friendship, etc.
When it comes to this topic, the common answers that I get are:
LOVE. PASSION. HONESTY. CHEMISTRY. DESIRE. COMPASSION. TRUE LOVE.
But the number 1 answer would be:
TRUST.
Is it true? The most crucial aspect to make a relationship work is trust? Well I don’t know.
For the purpose of this topic, let’s have a hypothetical couple named “Laila” and “Majnun”. Okay, Laila and Majnun were both hopelessly in love. From the first time Laila laid her sexy deep eyes (saje jer aku tambah nih, nak kasi dramatik sikit) on Majnun, she just knew at the moment, Majnun is the ONE. The one man she wanna spend the rest of her life with. The one man who would hold her tight every night and tell her everything is gonna be alright. After a few years, when they both think they’re ready to take it to another level, Majnun proposed. Laila gladly accepted and they both got married in the most beautiful wedding you could ever imagine. Now they are the proud parents of 3 adorable kids. Laila trusted Majnun wholeheartedly, and vice versa. Laila trusted Majnun wouldn’t have another person in his life, and vice versa. In short, they trust each other so much that it’s almost impossible one of them gonna cheat.
Or so she thought.
But what if one of them does cheat and the spouse have no freakin’ idea about it? Majnun was working long hours in a highly reputable multinational company, therefore working late was a norm. Laila didn’t suspect anything, because she trusted him. TRUST. But little did she know that Majnun stop by at a high-class condo almost every single night (except weekends) just to be with his much younger girlfriend. Not to mention Majnun’s frequent business trips to overseas, where Majnun brought his young mistress for naughty honeymoon trips.
Years gone by and Laila still had no freaking clue about her husband’s scandals. After a decade, Majnun already had 7 different girlfriends and numerous one-night-stands. But the thing is, Majnun is the most wonderful husband you could ever have. He’s incredibly sweet, romantic, thoughtful and great with the kids. Every weekend, Majnun would spend quality time with his family in a beach resort somewhere. In the eyes of Laila, he’s the perfect husband. And in the eyes of Laila and the kids, he’s the perfect father. They’re just one perfect happy family.
Decades gone by, Laila and Majnun raised their kids to be a highly successful corporate manager, a top surgeon in the country and a renowned architect. They were blessed to have beautiful and well-behaved grandchildren. Life can’t get any better than that eh? Until her death, Laila still had no clue of her husband’s scandals. And she never will. Until her very last breath, she thought she was the luckiest person on earth to have a perfect husband like Majnun.
So is TRUST the most important thing in a relationship?
TRUE LOVE?
As mentioned by Karen (Emma Thompson) in Love Actually, “True love lasts a lifetime.”
Of course true love lasts a last time. But true love should also come from both parties, not merely from one side only. When we think about it, for Laila, ignorance is bliss. What would happen if she knew? Is honesty really the best policy? Is honesty the best thing that ever happens in a relationship? I don’t know. That’s why I think that trust is not the most important thing in a relationship. A person can trust another person so much but in the end, but how much is too much? Trust is nothing when you don’t know the truth. In the end, trust is nothin’ but just a word.
Yes I know that we should think positive in life. Without faith, without trust, how can you ever have a decent relationship right? Don’t get me wrong, I still think that trust is crucial, but not number one.
For me, the most important thing in a relationship is COMPROMISE. Or in other words, the DEGREE OF TOLERANCE.
As I mentioned earlier, “to win in marriage, learn to lose.” I came across this wise quotation in an article in Reader’s Digest a few months ago. Don’t remember which issue though.Until we’re able to truly accept and acknowledge our partner’s differences, then that will be a good time to settle down. To get married.
DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?
“How do I know if I married the right person?”
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it’s weighing on your mind.
Here’s the answer.
EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse / partner . You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies (unconventional behavior/habit).
Falling in love with your spouse wasn’t hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn’t have to DO anything. That’s why it’s called “falling” in love.. Because it’s happening TO YOU..
People in love sometimes say, “I was swept of my feet.” Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU..
Falling in love is easy . It’s a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria (excitement) of love fades. It’s the natural cycle of EVERY relationship . Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse’s idiosyncrasies , instead of being cute, drive you nuts.
The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.
At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, “Did I marry the right person?” And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown . People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.
Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.
But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.
I’m not saying that you couldn’t fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you’d feel better. But you’d be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):
THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT’S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.
SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It’ll NEVER just happen to you. You can’t “find” LASTING love.. You have to “make” it day in and day out. That’s why we have the expression “the labor of love.” Because it takes time, effort, and energy . And most importantly, it takes WISDOM . You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.
Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.
Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It’s a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable.. you can “make”love ..
Love in marriage is indeed a “decision”.. Not just a feeling.
Remember this always :
“Allah SWT determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.”
Nobody’s perfect. I’m a nobody.
Don’t TRUST this article. Hehe. Oh I don’t have any hidden agenda behind this article. And not hoping to get laid. Thank you.
Uncategorized | Comments (2)From Zero to Hero
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties and confers no rights.
And so it begins. As promised, I plan to chronicle in detail my journey through deploying System Center Configuration Manager
2007. The first several days will be filled with deploying supporting infrastructure.
A Never-ending stories — From Zero to Hero.
Introduction to SCCM 2007 (Part 1)
When
people that are new to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
2007, start playing around with the product in a test lab, they often
want to start with a simple OS deployment setup. But if you are new to
the product and wants to deploy Windows XP, getting started could be a
bit challenging. This article (not sure how many parts it will contain
yetJ), will be a guide through the basic steps, that needs to be
configured in order to successful deploy Microsoft Windows XP
Professional with Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Enterprise with
Service Pack 1.
This article is based on System Center Configuration Manager 2007
with Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM. All roles will be
installed on a single box (virtual machine). Installing everything on
the same box is not “best practice” in production.
The headlines for the first parts are:
- Part 1: Pre-Configuration Manager Installation tasks
- Part 2: Installing and Configuring Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1.
- Part 3: Preparing and Configuring Configuration Manager for OS deployment
- Part 4: Building the reference image
- Part 5: Deploying the client Operating System
Before we get started there are a few things that need to be
configured. In my test lab I’m running Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
Edition with Hyper-V, and I recommend the following settings for the
virtual machine:
- CPU: 1 core (2 core recommended)
- RAM: min. 1024 MB (2048 recommended)
- Disk: 127 GB
- Network: 1 adapter (local only)
This guide assumes that Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition x86
with Service Pack 1 is installed and configured with the following
settings:
(Installing Windows Server 2008 and Active Directory is not within the scope of this article).
- Static IPv4 address: 192.168.0.10
- Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
- Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
- Server name: SERVER1
- Active Directory Domain Service
- Domain DNS name: corp.demo.lab
- Domain NetBIOS Name: CORP
- Forest Functional Level: Windows Server 2008
- DNS Server
- DHCP Server
- Scope Name: SCCM Lab
- Starting IP Address: 192.168.0.50
- Ending IP Address: 192.168.0.99
- Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
- Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
- Subnet Type: Wired (lease duration will be 6 days)
- Activate this scope: Yes
Part 1: Pre-Configuration Manager Installation Tasks
The System Center Configuration Manager 2007 requires a few things
to be configured before installing the product. This part will guide
you through these steps.
Extending the Active Directory Schema
Extending the Active Directory schema is a forest-wide action and
must only be done once per forest. Extending the schema is an
irreversible action and must be done by a user who is a member of the
Schema Admins Group or by someone who has been delegated sufficient
permissions to modify the schema.
Four actions need to be taken in order to successfully enable
Configuration Manager Clients to query Active Directory Domain Services
to locate site resources:
- Extend the Active Directory schema.
- Create the System Management container.
- Set security permissions on the System Management container.
- Enable Active Directory publishing for the Configuration Manager site.
How to Extend the Active Directory Schema Using ExtADSch.exe
You can extend the Active Directory schema by running the ExtADSch.exe file located in the SMSSETUP\BIN\I386 folder on the Configuration Manager 2007 installation media. The ExtADSch.exe file does not display output when it runs; however, it does generate a log file in the root of the system drive called extadsch.log,
which will indicate whether the schema update completed successfully or
any problems were encountered while extending the schema.
Step by step guide
- Backup the System State on the Domain Controller that holds the Schema Master role.
- Disconnect the Schema Master Domain Controller from the network.
- Run extadsch.exe, located at \SMSSETUP\BIN\I386 on the installation media, to add the new classes and attributes to the Active Directory schema.
- Verify that the schema extension was successful by reviewing the extadsch.log located in the root of the system drive.
- If the schema extension procedure was successful, reconnect the
schema master domain controller to the network and allow it to
replicate the schema extensions to the global catalog servers
throughout the Active Directory forest. - If the schema extension procedure was unsuccessful, restore the
schema master’s previous system state from the backup created in step 1
to reverse the schema extension actions before reconnecting the schema
master domain controller to the network.
How to Create the System Management container using ADSIEdit
Configuration Manager does not automatically create the System
Management container in Active Directory Domain Services, when the
schema is extended. The container needs to be created once for each
domain that includes a Configuration Manager Site server that will
publish site information to Active Directory Domain Services. To
manually create the System Management container using ADSI Edit, do the
following steps:
- Log on as an account that has the Create All Child Objects permission on the System container in Active Directory Domain Services.
- Open the ADSIEdit MMC console, and connect to the domain in which the site server resides.
- In the console pane, expand Domain [computer fully qualified domain name], expand <distinguished name>, and right-click CN=System. On the context menu, click New and then click Object.
- In the console pane, expand Domain [computer fully qualified domain name], expand <distinguished name>, and right-click CN=System. On the context menu, click New and then click Object.
- In the Create Object dialog box, select Container and click Next.
- In the Value field, type System Management and click Next.
- Click Finish.
How to configure the security permissions on the System Management container.
After the System Management container has been created in Active
Directory Domain Services, the primary site server’s computer account
must be granted the necessary permissions to publish site information
to the container.
- Click Start, click Run, and enter adsiedit.msc to launch the ADSIEdit MMC console.
- If necessary, connect to the site server’s domain.
- In the console pane, expand the site server’s domain, expand DC=<server distinguished name>, expand CN=System, and right-click CN=System Management. On the context menu, click Properties.
- In the CN=System Management Properties dialog box, click the Security tab.
- Click Add to add the “SCCM Servers” Security Group and grant the account Full Control permissions.
- Click Advanced, select the “SCCM Servers” Security Group, and click Edit.
- In the Apply onto list, select “This object and all child objects”.
- Click OK. (3 times)
Enable Active Directory publishing for the Configuration Manager site.
Before Configuration Manager can publish site data to Active
Directory Domain Services, the Active Directory schema must be extended
to create the necessary classes and attributes, the System Management
container must be created, and the primary site server’s computer
account must be granted full control of the System Management container
and all of its child objects. Each site publishes its own site-specific
information to the System Management container within its domain
partition in the Active Directory schema.
This part cannot be completed before Configuration Manager has been installed.
Configuring Windows Server 2008 for Site System Roles
Configuration Manager requires the WebDAV component to be installed
and enabled on the management points and BITS-enabled distribution
points. The WebDAV component is not included in Windows Server 2008
operating system and must be downloaded and configured manually.
Installing and configuring WebDAV for BITS-enabled distribution points and management points
- In Server Manager, on the Features node, start the Add Features Wizard.
- On the Select Features page, select BITS Server Extensions.
- When prompted, click Add Required Role Services to add the dependent components, including the Web Server (IIS) role.
- On the Select Features page, select Remote Differential Compression, and then click Next.
- On the Web Server (IIS) page, click Next.
- On the Select Role Services page, under IIS 6 Management Compatibility, select IIS 6 WMI Compatibility.
- Under Application Development, select ASP.NET and, when prompted, click Add Required Role Services to add the dependent components.
- Under Security, select Windows Authentication, and then click Next.
- On the Confirmation page, click Install, and then complete the rest of the wizard.
- Download the x86 or x64 version of WebDAV at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=108052.
- Run either webdav_x86_golive.msi or webdav_x64_golive.msi, depending on your processor.
- Enable WebDAV and create an Authoring Rule, as follows:
- Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
- In the Connections pane, expand the Sites node in the tree, and then click SMSWEB if you are using a custom Web site or click Default Web Site if you are using the default Web site for the site system.
- In the Features View, double-click WebDAV Authoring Rules.
- When the WebDAV Authoring Rules page is displayed, in the ActionsEnable WebDAV. pane, click
- After WebDAV has been enabled, in the Actions pane, click Add Authoring Rule.
- In the Add Authoring Rule dialog box, under Allow access to, click All content.
- Under Allow access to this content to, click All users.
- Under Permissions, click Read, and then click OK.
- Change the property behavior as follows:
- In the WebDAV Authoring Rules page, in the Actions pane, click WebDAV Settings.
- In the WebDAV Settings page, under Property Behavior, set Allow anonymous property queries to True.
- Set Allow Custom Properties to False.
- Set Allow property queries with infinite depth to True.
- If this is a BITS-enabled distribution point, under WebDAV Behavior, set Allow access to hidden files to True.
- In the Action pane, click Apply.
- Close Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
Summary
This completes part 1 of this article. In the next part we’ll
install Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS)
3.0 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1.
Enjoy.
customer service? what customer service?
* lewat update. 
finally got my long-awaited stuff from the "company" last night, around 7.30 pm. thank god i received everything in fairly good condition altogether. so far nothin’ was broken, although i was excited to get that stuff back, i still couldn’t accept the level of service they provide. serious shit i wasn’t particularly impressed, especially the promises they make since last friday (6 days ago)…the chronology:
(fyi: the company’s warehouse is located in Puchong)
last sunday: i was told that i would get "my stuff" by monday.
monday: so i stayed home all day, so they wouldn’t wait for me. but they never show up, not even a phone call.i was already pissed when they told me the stuff is not there.a guy in the office promised me tomorrow. okay. tuesday then. you better mean it.
tuesday: as expected, they didn’t show up. not even a freakin’ phone call. i gave up. i said to myself, "it’s okay la, send me in a year’s time..if you’re free okay?". and i wasn’t being sarcastic. i was angry, but at the same time dissapointed with his ignorant attitude. if a delivery guy refused to deliver the stuff in any given circumstances and asked you for duit kopi, then why would he become a delivery guy in the first place?
a guy in the office promised me today.
thank god he did.
this latest event was one of the instances why i wasn’t thrilled with the level of service provided in our beloved country, malaysia. the very reason why i chose the company in the first place was to help surrounding SME entreprenuer. i wish i knew better. if i knew this is the kind of service i would get, hmmmm i wouldn’t even recommend that company to my friends. for real. my other true experience for the past few months. and no, i’m NOT making this up:
scenario number 1:
plannin’ to watch a movie at Midvalley Megamall Golden Screen Cinemas a few monthss ago. i was left dissapointed when i was told they don’t have change for my RM50 note. so i left and cool down at the adult shop. hahahahaha…come on, you’re probably the biggest cinema chain in malaysia and you don’t have change for RM50? i’ll bring coins next time.
scenario number 2:
was having dinner at a pizza hut at ampang with my family last few months i think. it was very crowded with family and a few couples, considering it’s a weekend. after dinner, i went to the cashier to pay our RM26.11-bill (i still have the receipt in my hand this very moment). i handed over a RM-50 note (again), and she was staring at the cash register for quite a while. without a doubt, i was again under the impression she didn’t have enough balance. surprisingly, suddenly she handed me the balance on a plate. i counted the balance thoroughly, and discovered i only received RM22.89 instead of RM23.89. what? do you expect me to overlook the balance and leave the restaurant? if you don’t have the balance, just told me nicely. we can work it out. don’t act like you have enough balance, gave me the right amount, and it was PURE coincidence that there was no RM1.00 left in the cash register. and wait, a very establised pizza-chain store in malaysia, pizza hut don’t have a RM1.00 change for a brother? there’s something wrong there.
i told her nicely, "kak, camner nih, tak cukup seringgit nih…". with a straight face, she replied, "oh..yeke. okay…kejap yer…". like nothin’ happened. she didn’t bother to check! she continued to entertain other customers and told me repeatedly to wait. hehe come on dawg, do somethin’. tell your manager or somethin’, that you’re out of cash, rather than let me wait like a fool. when i started to talk sarcastic, she called some waiters and asked them if they had RM1.00 on ‘em. after a while, i finally got my RM1.00 and left the place, swear not to come here again.
when something *** up like this happened, we can’t help but wonder the unbelievable level of service we’re experiencing here. there was practically NO customer service. non-existent. when we customers come to a shop (especially in shopping malls), we would be treated like we don’t actually belong there (in some cases, not all). with an annoying stare, they even have the impression we wanna rob his/her shop to their eyes, we’re just criminals, or just a lower/middle class people who couldn’t afford but to watch. if you have that kind of perception to the customers all the time, who would wanna come again?
i’m out. laters.
A Big Sincere Thank You from us
To begin with, i would like to express my gratitude to the sms-es, e-mails & comments i got in the past few weeks. i was shocked to receive such gesture,
even from people i hardly know. thank you for your kind words and i deeply appreciate your compliments.
We wish to thank everyone for coming to our big day last few weeks and
making it so very special to us. It meant a great deal to see you all there.
We are indeed blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.
Thanks to all who came and made it special.
Thanks to those who couldn’t come and sent greetings, thank you.
Special thanks to our family members / wedding committee for giving our dreams
came true, to Mr Khairul Kamal for the wonderful doa,
Sarahana, Alang, Gezzeg, KB, Rasta for taking the photos. The photos captured
will definitely reminisce good memories in years to come. It has been a great
pleasure working with you to capture all these special moment in our like and
these will be a treasured memory for both of us, Mr Faiz for acting as our MC
and to Mrs Aliza RSM for helping with the cake.
To all of you, Thank you so much for going out of your way to accommodate our
many demands, will definitely be recommending your services to those taking
the plunge soon! Keep up the fantastic work!
Thank you so much.. Zillions Thanks!
Uncategorized | Comment (1)I Believe I Can Fly
A simple statement actually – but when proclaimed in a solemn ceremony
made quite an impact on me.. Can’t exactly explain how it actually felt
as I uttered those words quietly in that "small room" but somewhere
at the back of my head,
a voice resonated: “This is it A..Z., you are REALLY into this now”
Mama.. now angah dah kahwin.. I’m building a new life..
a whole new family which branches out from our family tree.
I’ve to learn to let go.. & learn to fly.. and soar if possible.
Now, I’ve found another most important woman in my life which
I thought I could find..
Thanks to you mama..
I’m happier now..
I’ve 2 most wonderful women in my life now.. you and my wife.
Mama, Thanks for your wedding gift to us.. thanks for your patience
to tolerate our needs.. I really appreciate it..
Thank you..
Uncategorized | Comment (0)Wedding Bells around the corner
The first step en-route to the wedding is done 8 months ago.
At last, hahaha.. after our 2nd year of getting to know each other,
I finally decide that she is going to be one.
Why we have waiting this long has mostly been my fault. I have always
put my career ahead of my relationships. But to be honest, there are
too many lonely nights in that job description.
I am so proud of my darling. Her hands were not even shaky when
my mom slipped the ring on her finger. However, I thought I saw
her sweating a bit, but she denied it..
So cool..
The countdown starts..
When is the big day you say.. it can be as early as this week.
Can you believe it?! Our wedding is in 4 days! I’m so excited about having
both our families in town! This is going to be one of my favorite memories
shared with you! You’ve been my everything over the past 2 years and I feel
blessed to become your partner in life.. We’ve come such a long way, and I know
we’ve got years and years of making more memories together as a family.
Alhamdulillah - at least one matter was resolved. Still, honestly speaking,
there’s nothing like a solemn ceremony to remind one of reality.
A simple statement actually – but when proclaimed in a solemn ceremony made
quite an impact on me… Can’t exactly explain how it actually felt as I uttered
those words quietly in that small room but somewhere at the back of my head,
a voice resonated: “This is it A.Z., you are REALLY into this now…”
Strange but true - after all the preparations that I have made – it wasn’t until
that moment when I actually felt - ‘This is it…”
Pray for me ya!
Malaysians who make it big in the world
Did you guys hear about the brilliant speech by datuk seri dr mahathir mohamad at the islamic summit conference? it was held in putrajaya convention centre, malaysia long looooong time ago.
I’m not really into malaysian politics. probably the most boring and lame subject in a conversation, because i know nothing about it. but i know at this age, i should have taken more interests about this subject. and i will. people say it’s full of corruption, back-stabbing and lies but for now, i’m not gonna talk about it. too controversial. however, what i’m gonna talk about is our own datuk seri dr mahathir mohamad as an individual, not as the malaysian prime minister. i have to admit, regardless what some people might say, he is an exceptional and tremendous individual. nothing but respect for him..
Malaysians who make it big:
1. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,
born: december 20th, 1925 in alor star, kedah
education: SAHC, king edward VII college of medicine (now known as malaya university), singapore
occupation: former physician, malaysia’s fourth prime minister (asia’s longest serving head of government)
under datuk seri dr mahathir mohamad, according to gmc:
* today, malaysia is the most developed country amongst the developing countries in the world.
* malaysia is currently the world’s 17th largest trading nation and major exporter of electronic products albeit its relative smallness in size; surpassing some of the 20 fully developed countries in the world.
* malaysia is also placed on the 4th spot (2003) in term of trading competitiveness of which the top three are usa, canada & australia.
datuk seri dr mahathir mohamad is due to retire in october 31st, 2003.
other malaysians:
2. Allahyarham Tan Sri P Ramlee (teuku zakaria teuku nyak puteh)
born: march 22nd, 1929 in penang - May 29th, 1973
education: kampung jawa malay school (primary), francis light english school (primary), japanese navy school (world war II), penang free school (secondary)
occupation: actor, comedian, singer, songwriter, screenwriter and film director
accomplishments:
* 359 songs as singer, songwriter, composer and/or musician.
* 66 films as actor, screenwriter and/or film director.
* 1 stageplay as director and writer.
* 1 stage drama as director.
* 2 television dramas as actor and director.
3. Jimmy Choo,
born: november 15th, 1952
education: cordwainers college, london
occupation: footwear and handbag designer extraordinaire
accomplishments: currently one of the world leading shoe designers, becoming favorites among celebrities including the late princess diana
4. Allahyarham Sudirman Haji Arshad (the singing lawyer)
born: - (25 May 1954 - 22 February 1992)
occupation: former lawyer, once asia’s number one entertainer
5. Allahyarham Mohd. Mokhtar Dahari (supermokh)
born: nov 13th, 1953 in kampung pandan, kuala lumpur - july 11th, 1991
education: jalan kuantan primary school victoria institution
occupation: asian best striker, malaysian soccer legend, captain of the malaysian national team
accomplishments: perhaps the best soccer player malaysia ever produce. played against football legends such as diego maradona, franz beckenbauer and kevin keegan. led his team, selangor to victory in the malaysia cup matches 10 times out of 12.
6. Michelle Yeoh,
born: august 6th, 1962 in ipoh, perak
education : Main Convent, Ipoh B.A. in dance, minored in drama at the royal academy of dance in london
accomplishments: starred in hollywood movies like tomorrow never dies (1997), crouching tiger, hidden dragon (2000), the touch (2002)
7. Alexander Charles Loong Yoong,
born: july 20th, 1976
occupation: competing in the 2003 C.A.R.T. champ car world series with dale coyne racing
accomplishments: you guys can say anything you want, but he’s the only malaysian formula 1 driver in history. alex yoong competed in the 2002 formula 1 world championship with minardi. he finished 7th (australia), 13th (brazil), 10th (france), 13 (italy) and 2nd (monaco historic F1 gp).
8. Abdul Malik Mydin
born: pulau pinang
accomplishments: first malaysian and southeast asian to conquer the world’s most challenging channel, 32.8km english channel in 17 hours and 42 minutes.
9. Datuk Azhar Mansor
education: SAHC
accomplishments: the first Malaysian to sail solo around the globe? i’m not sure, cause i heard he got the Datukship altough he actually failed…
10. Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor
born: Kuala Lumpur
education: attended high school at Maktab Rendah Sains MARA in Muar. He then earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India.He was pursuing his Masters of Surgery in Orthopaedic Surgery at University Kebangsaan Malaysia when he joined the ‘Angkasawan’ program.
accomplishments: is the first Malaysian to go into space. He was launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew on October 10, 2007.Sheikh Muszaphar flew under an agreement with Russia through the Angkasawan program, and returned to Earth on October 21, 2007, aboard Soyuz TMA-10 with the Expedition 15 crew members, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, after nine days aboard the station.
11. Nur Izzati Ramli,
born: April 6th, 1983 in Kuantan Pahang
education: UiTM
occupation: full time employee
accomplishments: to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world. are you impressed yet syg?
i’m out, PEACE.
Uncategorized | Comment (1)If you wanna tie the knot, you better tie your stomach now
First of all, Selamat Pengantin baru to my sis & her husband shah. Congratulations!
For the past few days, i’ve been busy helpin’ my sister with her wedding ceremony. since this is the first for our small family, now i realize that preparing for a wedding is not like a walk in the park. it can be fun at times, but most of the times it was extremely exhausting, complicated and tedious (especially if your relatives are 6-hour drive away). personally i’ve been involved in most of the major tasks, and i would like to share my limited knowledge and experience with you guys.
i) food
perhaps the most important issue in a wedding? besides looking at the bride and the groom dressing up for the special day, people actually come with an empty stomach, dreaming about the delicious nasi minyak while driving. the expectation is inevitabily high. people come all the way to the wedding to eat, or "mentekedarah" in that sense. therefore it’s extremely crucial that the food is enough for everyone, and it wouldn’t hurt to taste good. when my relative came for a visit, he told me that this issue is the most nerve-wrecking during the event, wondering all the time, sweating, if there’s enough food for everybody. oh and there’s also another issue, whether to serve (makan hidang) or to have a buffet.
in the traditional village or kampung, makan hidang is known to be the regular and preferred choice. people who came in one batch would be immediately invited to eat together in talams (big tray complete with food), but for individiuals, they will have to wait till a certain number of people to eat. obviously the host need to apply this system to avoid wasting all the good food. extremely easy and convenient, but some might argue this is not appropriate for the guests to wait. initially, my parents decided to apply this.
but to be honest buffet is a better choice nowadays, especially when you’re having this event in a city. after greeting the guests, the hosts can immediately invite them to help themselves (perhaps they’re in a hurry or somethin’) regardless of the numbers. they can just sit anywhere they want, without having to wait for some other guests they might don’t even know. of course if you’re inviting your high school/college friends, they might wanna sit together in the same table to chat and gossip about the married couple, right? so yeah, i also agree that buffet is the best choice nowadays..
for my sister’s wedding, we’re had nasi beriani, ayam masak merah, rendang daging, dalca, acar rampai, buah-buahan & minuman sejuk for the guests while for the meja pengantin, we’re had nasi beriani, ayam golek, dalca, ikan bawal masam manis, udang bercili, acar rampai, gubahan pudding, gubahan buah-buahan and minuman sejuk. i never knew that the typical menu for a married couple is ayam golek, seems like in every catering brochure/pamphlet i’ve came across, ayam golek is listed in the menu.
ii) venue
some parents choose their own house for the wedding, not necessarily to cut costs, but easier to decorate and more comfortable to hold the function. everything is conveniently within reach, but of course there would be a limited list of invitees, depending on the size of your house.
some parents prefer to hold the event in a hall (dewan) and the cost varies on per-hour rate, sometimes per-day rate. i’m no expert, but from what i heard, it can vary from RM60 per hour to RM2,000.00 per day, sometimes RM30,000 per day (perhaps the rate for PWTC, i heard that from somewhere), lookin’ at how big & how grand. i got a close friends who had a wedding 2 years ago at dewan merak kayangan, located in jalan gurney 1, 54000, kuala lumpur. there are 3 packages offered by merak kayangan, package A with RM38.00 per head (RM380.00 per table), package B with RM40.00 per head (RM400.00 per table) and package C with RM43.00 per head (RM430.00 per table). and they took package B (RM40.00). the rental fee is already included, explaining how expensive for a single person to eat..
iii) equipment
since this is a one-day event, people just rent all this equipment, which is to my surprise, extremely expensive. seriously i never knew that it costs this much to rent for some tables and chairs. for the event, we usually need a wedding table (makan hidang) complete with skirting, scallop, royal dining, banquet chairs and flowers. we also need to rent some round tables (depending on the guests) with alas meja of course, buffet tables, banquet chairs and last but not least for the transportation.
iv) list of guests/invitees
i tell you, this is not an easy task. the main idea is, to invite everyone who would be offended if they are not invited. so far, from my experience (relatives and friends), the list of guests ranged from a mere 200 people to a staggering 2,000 people. pretty sure some rich folks would invite more than 2,000 but i never came across of them personally. my mom particularly spend a lot of time, figuring out who should we invite, and of course, not to embarass ourselves if the food is not enough for everyone. yeah, perhaps that’s the major concern. not to embarass yourselves.
v) wedding cards
again,the usual rates for wedding cards ranged from RM0.30 to RM10 per card and some would require a minimum of 300 cards. expensive eh?
vi) wedding costumes
i don’t know how my much my sister spent for her costumes, but of course there must be at least 2, i’m just guessing. not to forget we also need to buy new clothes for ourselves too, all gold color. me & my dad got a new baju melayu, complete with new songkok & songket, which we got in jalan masjid india (is that right?). my mom and younger sis also bought some new baju kurungs. damn, it’s DAMN expensive to tie the knot eh? all this for a piece of paper, surat nikah. heh..just kidding.
vii) mak andam
in some traditional kampungs, mak andams are also the mak bidan. hehe talk about being all-rounder eh? but seriously, i think we should all re-define the term "mak andam" to "pak andam", who you can’t help but wondering about their sexuality. nowadays, i came across with more pak andams than mak andams, but i’m not complaining since they are very very very good. maybe i’ll have problems if they become my mak andam..hehe..can’t really imagine the idea of another man touching your face.. damn. scary.
viii) hantaran
last but not least, hantaran is probably the most expensive in all expenses, or sometimes second after food. nowadays parents tend to put higher "tags" for this hantaran, ranging from RM3,000 to RM15,000 (malaysian standard). personally i think, the parents would feel relieved to let their daughter go to a man they hardly know, if the guy could afford such money in the first place. so guys (i mean the males only), start thinkin’ about this if you wanna get married anytime soon. if you don’t have the money, perhaps it’s better to start saving now. seriously. you need at least RM20,000 for the whole thing. for real. unless you wanna get married in siam.. waahahahaha..hmm not a bad idea after all.
trends nowadays seem to be obsessed with numbers, as they want the hantaran numbers to be memorable, no matter how impractical or how expensive. my relative chose RM6,666.66, some would choose RM7,777.77 and some would just go for RM10,000 or RM15,000. you can get a second hand virago, with that amount right? hehe but of course it’s different. oh they even want nice dates too, like 08/08/2008, 20/08/2008, or 09/09/2009 or 20/09/2009, even though they’re not practical & inconvenient..
okay, i might miss some major issues intentionally ’cause i need to go, but DAMNNN this is A LOT of work. i need to go now..gettin’ sleepy already. my sleep cycle still messed up.. later guys.
Uncategorized | Comments (4)My Birthday Girl
Happy 25th Birthday syg..
How do you say thank you to someone who has just given you
a chance to experience something so sensual? Something you
thought would never touch your heart, soul, and mind so deeply.
Words come hard to explain how thankful I am that it was you,
my love, with whom I shared these cherished moments. Thank you
seems so small in comparison to the world you’ve shown me.
Even though there were just those few stolen hours, my world is forever changed.
You will always be the one woman who took time out of her busy life to show me
how much I have missed. I will be forever grateful to you.
I think the saying is so true, "Life is not measured by the breaths that we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away." Those Cherished moments took my
breath away! I will always remember the one who took my breath away so easily.
I hope today turns out to be the day I wish it to be for you. I loved our weekend.
If I would be with you now, I would be loving your entire being. There are no
other words to express to you my feelings at this very moment. I thank God every
day for sending a love into my life that will never lose the fullness we feel at
this moment. I thank Allah every day for giving me to you so that I will always be
there for you when you need to see the light you have been looking for.
Today I wish for you, peace, special thoughts of happy times, remembrance of our
loving times and at the end of the day.
Happy birthday, my darling and have the best day of your life today.
All of my love doesn’t seem enough, but that’s all I have to offer you.
Love always & forever in my heart,
Azwan
The Photographer
It’s not that easy to get a wedding photographer less than two months before one’s wedding. Or rather, it’s not that easy to secure the service of a highly recommended photojournalist two months before one’s wedding.
One of the best wedding photojournalists around would be none other than the Principal Photographer of CandidSyndrome - Saiful Nang. This guy is in great demand and must be booked many, many months in advance.
I must also admit that I admire Ikram Ismail’s work – yes, he one of the exclusive Photographers. There’s nothing wrong with admitting my admiration although I know that I can’t afford that particular package I really like, right?
One can always consult their recently married friends for recommendations of wedding photojournalists. But if all else fails, then, there are many wedding photographers ready to offer their service who could be found around here and various photo studios. The normal charge is depends on how many event or per session we want. I peeked at some portfolios and thought that a few are quite okay even if they are not as impressive as Ikram Ismail’s or Saiful Nang’s. But hey, that’s the reason why they cost so differently, right?
It doesn’t take a pair of trained eyes to notice the difference between highly professional and semi-professional photography. When I attended one of my friend’s wedding in SA about few months ago, I have seen how the photographer cleverly guided the newly wed couple for prompted shots. The end results, I must admit look natural and professionally handled. The photos of my friends and his wife took for the sambut menantu kenduri in SA though were something else – they looked rather stiff despite all the cheery genuine smiles. “The photographer did not guide us as thoroughly as the one in SA did,” He explained as I flipped the pages of his wedding albums, remarking on how different they looked on the two separate occasions.
While most of people doesn’t believe in spending a small fortune (“Our friends and family can take our pictures for free right?”) for a wedding photographer, I’ve consulted many friends and majority of them recommended hiring a professional. “Consider it a long term investment. This is something you want to share with your kids, insya Allah, with your menantu, your cucu.. This is something you want to keep for life,” a friend advised.
Okay maybe my dearest fiancé has a valid point in pointing out that our wedding is just a one-day event to start our adventure together for the rest of our lives and if possible, it’s better to save what we can for the future. Still, I’m a sucker for beautiful photos. In fact, I’m simply a sucker for any kind photos, beautiful or otherwise. And I really, really want the essence of our big day to be nicely, naturally, professionally captured on photos.
Thus, We finally settled on hiring a photographer from fp, who was personally recommended by Alang. While I must admit that his portfolio is not as impressive as SN’s or Ikram’s – I consoled myself that at least he’s willing to listen to my wish of must-take shots and even willing to take a look at other people’s photos to get a better understanding of my wish.
After some sort of research - browsing through friends’ and colleagues’ wedding albums, browsing the net for suggestions - I’ve just compiled a list of must-take shots. Of course these are apart from the obligatory photos on the pelamin – the bride and groom together, the couple with her parents, the couple together with his parents, the couple with all parents, the couple with her entire immediate family, the couple with his entire immediate family, the couple with immediate family members from both sides, the couple with both pengapits, the couple with her extended family members, the couple with his extended family members, the couple with guests insisting on having a picture together on the pelamin and on and on and on..
Here’s my personal list of crucial moments I hope not to be missed by my photographer – please let me know if I should add more, in case I’ve left some important moments…
Majlis Akad Nikah
- The groom before the akad
- The bride before the akad
- The signing of the last few forms in front of the Kadhi
- Ayah before akad (he’s going to do the akad himself)
- Ayah as he utter the akad
- The groom as he utter the lafaz nikah
- The groom as he is about to start the solat sunat
- The groom putting on the ring
- Close up of the hands as the groom slips the ring onto the bride’s finger
- Close-up of the bride kissing the groom’s hand
- Close-up of the groom kissing the bride’s forehead
- The group family picture after the akad
The Kenduri
- Shot from outside the house, the canopy and all
- The preparation by caterer, orang dapur & other last minute touch up on this and that
- The Marhaban group in action
- The bride getting ready/made up
- Mak helping the bride out with last minute stuff like checking on the selendang
- Ayah whispering last minute advice as he kisses the bride’s forehead
- The bride checking herself out in the mirror
- Detail of clothing, shoes, the invitation card, the ring, the bridal bouquet
- Detail of the hantaran, bilik pengantin, pelamin, bunga pahar
- Some touching shot with Mak, Ayah, Abang, Adik, cousins, uncles, aunties, grandma
- The bride with her pengapit
- The groom with his pengapit
- A rear shot of the bride standing, looking down one side at the floral bouquet in her hand
- Some touching shots of the groom with his family as they wait for the kompang procession to begin.
- Close up of the groom’s adorably nervous stance before the procession begin
- Close up of the bride’s nervous posture as the procession nears her house
- The flower girls laughing and grinning among themselves
- The kompang boys as they ketuk the kompang vigorously and sang loudly
- Flower girls happily leading the procession
- The procession
- Guests whispering to each other as they watch the procession
- Wide shot of the guests from the procession’s point of view.
- Close up of the hands holding firmly as the bride and groom proceeds
- Bride and groom at the head table for makan beradat (or is it makan berhadap?)
- All guests at the head table
- Detail of special bunga telur, goblets and food item on the head table from side view
- Close up of the groom and bride feeding each other
- Detail of the wedding cake and the cake table
- Bride and groom cutting the cake
- Bride and groom feeding each other the cake
- Congrats shots – bride and groom hugging, laughing, crying, and accepting well wishes and handshakes from close friends and family.
- Bride’s and groom’s parents chatting with each other
- Kids playing and messing around with the bunga telur, the canopy, the pelamin or something
- Bride laughing or giggling with her pengapit
- Groom with his arm affectionately around his pengapit
- Bride and groom chatting up guests