Sneak Preview

Alright, my time management went down the drain last week that I didn't get to update the blog but fret not, I've got my rythm this week and with the support of a new reader who's also a close friend (cough, Ayu, cough), I'm feeling optimistic.

Last weekend was spent in Nilai where Rafiee and I attended our first Chinese wedding. The groom was my coursemate in UPM so I got to meet lots of my friends again after three years.

Nothing seemed to change except that they've all been successful in their own way so we exchanged name cards and hoped that we'd see each other again. It's hard to make time due to various commitments but hey, let's try to.

As part of my personal projects, I made a spring onion & spinach quiche and though I certainly shouldn't have put too much milk, I was happy with the taste.

Notice I tried to do some artistic shape on the pie crust end but it wasn't perfect. Well I'll admit it, far from it. But it made me happy and the result looked a little bit like waves.

My book writing is progressing again (it's about time!). I just can't wait to send my draft to the reputable local publisher and see if it's worth showing in public. I'll let you read a snippet of one of my first chapters just because.

We took the plane on 1st September 2009 heading to Paris with a stopover in Sri Lanka for a night. I didn’t think much about it because, this will make me sound ignorant but at least I’m being honest (and honesty is always the best policy right?), I didn’t know much about the country. It was seldom, if ever, featured on local media and I naturally assumed it would be like a smaller version of India (not that I’ve been to India, but it was displayed more on Travel & Living channel so I knew how it was like as much as the next person).

The airport seemed like it had seen generations crying farewell and happy tears with its off-white wall and musty chairs so it came as no surprise to know that it has been standing loyally since 1944 during the Second World War. But that was nothing compared to when we stepped outside to look for our designated coach. It was like entering a portal of time travel, hundreds of steps backwards that landed us right into a war zone.

Soldiers equipped with heavy rifles were scattered and other normal-looking people looked on as if it was another ordinary day. There were two possibilities in my uninformed blank mind, 1) somebody was filming another Black Hawk Down or 2) we were on a wrong plane headed to Afghanistan. But there were no cameras and unless Colombo was also a place in Afghanistan, the likelihoods were odd. And they didn’t look like Afghans.

I was at the time, too oblivious to know that following the civil war between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the soldiers had been deployed to maintain the peace. However, a number of those that the civilians should be able to trust, sometimes were the worst enemy as reports revealed how the battlefront armies killed and raped, and even the children were not spared. The government, however, has denied any involvement with the war crimes.

“Mr. Razak and Ms. Zahidi?” a small dark man approached us while we were still in a daze.

This is really Sri Lanka, I gasped, still in denial that we were not surrounded by firearms. We got what we paid for - extra security.

“Yes?” the husband still had his senses.

“Welcome to Sri Lanka. Come with me.” It sounded so rehearsed and detached, like a deceiving invitation to be shot and buried in an unmarked hole.

There you go, the essence of the book is there - interesting anecdotes, enlightening but not too heavy that it becomes a guidebook or history book. I still can't think of a title so if you have any ideas, I'd love to know!

My reading is on schedule, thanks Better World Books for shipping the books in time for December. It's a different feeling getting a wrapped book in your mailbox than buying it off the rack. I should do this more often. I often frustrate hubs for spending too long in bookstores just like he does to me when he's in the clothing section.

Job wise, I absolutely love my new workplace! Since it's close enough to home, I usually leave at 8.15 am which gives me plenty of time to watch news, go for a run and even have my breakfast with my four kitties (which have gone missing yesterday - hopefully temporarily - after a new neighbour moved in, hmm...). Hubs leaves for work 1.5 hours earlier after preparing breakfast and a flying kiss to his smelly wife who's still in bed. Since he's in-charge of the breakfast, I make his lunch and mine the night before so at least we eat extra healthy for five days a week. I still can't help the food splurge on weekends, Malaysian food is as tempting as Angeline Jolie to Brad Pitt! Well at least we manage to squeeze in badminton almost every weekend with the family so some of the calories are sweat off; I prefer to think positive.

As of right now, our first holiday since Europe may be happening sooner than we thought - Singapore! Some may argue it's quite similar to Malaysia and it's only a short trip, but it's a start and I'm sure I can find something uniquely Singaporean. Next week will be my last full week of the first working month so I'll start sticking to my new financial plan, one more responsility on top of time management. Fuh, life as an adult is surely a serious ride.