:)

Do you know how it feels when you look into someone's eyes and you know he's your soul mate?

Credit to Hasrul Photography

Insha'Allah..

...for better for worse,

for richer for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love and to cherish,

till death us do part... 

Iron Grip

I believe that throughout one’s life, he will continue to find himself. The search is never-ending. That’s what I believe. I don’t know about you.

We’ll come to a certain point of time, where we would think that we have everything. We would think that we are content. But being human, we will never be able to satisfy ourselves. We will keep on dreaming while trying to compete with each other and achieve our ambition in life.

The only full stop is when you leave the world behind. You leave this hedonistic world and come back to the ONE.

While we are doing all those “businesses” on earth, we often forget that we are answerable to HIM. The basic questions of what, who, when, where, why and how. Sometimes you just want to answer it later than now. That’s why we end up doing things without thinking, or specifically without questioning ourselves, the reason behind our deeds.

Sometimes you feel that things that happen to you are too good to be true. Sometimes you feel like you are playing with fire.

It’s ironic isn’t it? You need to have the skills to tell them apart. If you feel that things that happen are becoming too much for you to handle then maybe it is time for you to do some reality check and start to get a grip on your life again.

Friends are like sandwich. They fulfill you :)

The post title is quoted from my gorgeous darling, Dayana. Thanks for the caption and the pics, babe!

Very fulfilling indeed!

In 20 or 30 years time or when I'm old enough to get grandchildren, I want to look back at these photos and be able to smile as I have experienced the most amazing time with my girlfriends.

My Gorgeous Geeks!

You're only young once. Do all those silly little things while you can. Live life to the fullest. 

Because one day, you have to give some of them up.

* Credit to Azzwaa and Dayana for the photos

Someone Like You

I'm currently listening to this song by Adele. Every now and then. At home, in the car, at the office. Her voice is so powerful that you could feel the song by heart. It can give you goosebumps if you listen to the lyrics word by word. Bold yet beautiful. Other than "Rolling in the Deep", this is the only song by Adele that I'm listening to.

The story behind the lyrics may not related to some of us, but somehow I can relate to her by listening to this song. I feel like she is my best friend who is telling me her story. How devastated she was with her broken relationship. 

And this part touches me the most..

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead"

After all, love never has a happy ending. I can't imagine losing the people that I love. I tend not to dwell on it. I am not prepared. And I never will.

"Nothing compares,

No worries or cares,

Regret and mistakes,

They're memories made,

Who would have known how

bittersweet this would taste?"

For now, I just want to live the moment and enjoy every nanosecond of it.

The past and future is secondary to me.

Call me hopeless romantic, I don't mind.

Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh..

I was doing some cleaning in my iPhone; updating applications, saving new contact, deleting pictures when I realized that there are a lot of babies in my photo gallery. I couldn't recall since when I became a baby lover. As far as I remember, I didn't touch babies. I didn't know how to interact with babies. Babies can't talk.. Oh, but now I think I do know how to communicate with them.. I just love it when they laugh, even when they cry too (Yeah, wait until I have my own and see if I enjoy seeing my baby cries!). And sometimes I 'baby-talk' unconsciously..

Let's meet the Babies..................

Clockwise : Luqman Alhakim, Nur'Ain Shah, Iman Dani, Qaira, Muhammad Mikael, Raeesa Aulya, Hana Batrisya and Shayna Alaia!

To all the babies, Aunty Shifa would like to wish you Happy Eid Mubarak (banyak ke korang dapat duit raya? belanja la sikit..). Aunty Shifa minta maaf zahir dan batin kalau terganas dengan the babies.. Kalau the babies tak suke Aunty Shifa dukung ke.. Aunty Shifa bau masam ke.. Aunty Shifa pernah tergigit ke.. Sengaja gigit ke (Hana nangis kan kena gigit.. Mikael happy je..).

Kalau Aunty Shifa terkasar bahasa ke (yelah, I mana tau bahasa Baby sangat..) Nanti kalau jumpa, Aunty Shifa bagi duit raya tau..

Love you all babies!! Muaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh zillion times!!

 

Title? You tell me.

I don't have any specific title this time.

One thing that I'm very weak at.. Writing fast.. As a blogger, I have to learn this skill. Once you get an idea or inspired, you draft it in your head and put it on writing as quick as possible. How to get your story structured, the pictures or video organized and nicely edited and so on and so forth. In a short time. Yes, or else this blog will die in vain.

A lot of things happened to me during my hiatus. But I'm a lucky enough to have people around me that has became my support system. My family, boyfriend, colleague, bosses, in short, just everyone who is making my life easier.

I also venture into something recently. Just to occupy my weekend with something useful and beneficial. I don't want to see it solely on the monetary gain perspective. In general, I'm glad that now my weekends are not wasted anymore (Mind you, I sleep a lot during weekend).

Anyway, congratulations to Adham Fazuan and wife! Attended his wedding yesterday. I determined to come to the wedding amidst my pack weekend as I have missed some of my colleagues wedding before. I don't want to feel guilty anymore.

I love the blue team and his wife is so gorgeous. Err.. Adham, kau pun kacak gak. Sorry curi gambar from Facebook.

My beloved cousin now back in the office and last month she nagged at me to join the Feel Good Run NTV7. I promised her that I would register but actually I forgot my promise until yesterday. Hoho.. And till  now, I haven't registered yet. That's another story because she doesn't know that and later on after work, commencing today, we are going to start working out for the 'run'.

I'm so lazy to do the online registration. Haha.. If only she knew.. I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I'm a bit resistant to Information Technology. So doing registration online is another thing that I hate.

Okay so she has prepared this note for our 'work-out' routine this week..

Cuzzie, I'm going to ditch Friday, Saturday and Sunday for your information.

Hoho.. She's so bersemangat that I just kept quiet when she babbled about the schedule. I know she doesn't really check on my blog so she doesn't know that I'm not going to join her in the weekends.

So it's already 6.04 pm. We have changed the plan to swimming later in the evening for today. Gotta go now! Grab a piece or two of pisang goreng before I start this so-called 'intensive work-out' routine with cuzzie. 

At least I write a bit of something today. Rather than nothing, kan? Ciao!

Mighty Him, little me

Do you know that I am afraid of dreaming big?

Do you know that I am afraid of many things in life?

Do you know that I seek escapism when I am afraid?

Do you know that I am telling you, so that I can fight my feeling?

Only God knows how I feel.

'Quarter Ponder'

It has been a month since I hit the magic number.
I reached the quarter of my life (as if I'm gonna live for another 75 years!) last February.
I couldn't be thankful enough of each and every single thing that happened in my life for the last 25 years.
Alhamdulillah.

Still, I feel like I'm in limbo.
I've been pondering a lot.
I know the solutions to what I feel. Indeed, I'm determined to pursue it.
But I'm not patient. I'm in the urgency to have the 'person' that I wish to be to come out sooner.
This 'person' is inside me. This 'person' is myself.
She is the 'better' me.

Of what I am now, I won't tell you.
I am as what you see me.
Maybe I'm not to your liking.
But I am being ME. For now.

I believe this is just a phase. QLC maybe.

And for the 'better' me?

I will keep pondering...

Red & White

I've always like red and white.

And Dayana seems to know it ;)

As I was taken by surprise of the whole thing that happened that night, Arif was otherwise.

The only thing that Arif didn't know was that Dayana has brought homemade Pavlova and put them in the car that he drove. Pfft

A part of me still doesn't want to believe him.

I think the homemade Pavlova by Dayana deserves a separate entry.

A close-up of photo of the Pavlova would do its justice.

Arif & Dayana

Me & Boyfie

I'm sorry. I might have to rephrase the 'close-up' part.

Yes, the pictures look more like a close-up photo of our face right?!

But I swear this is the best ever Pavlova I've ever tried.

As it was made with love ;)

Poco-Poco by Batak

 

I am frustrated with the outcome of the birthday's video. Why can't we rotate video too?! Anyone know how to do so? Tell me if you know..

But the other video, a Poco-Poco song performed by the same band fortunately is much more better. Yes, no tilting head needed.

 Enjoy! And ignore the excitement as we danced while seated, in a CAFE, in a HOTEL.

Ultah by Batak

 

This birthday song was performed by Batak Band at Concorde's Melting Pot Cafe. 

Just a simple birthday celebration for Boyfie's 26th birthday.

If the song sounds unfamiliar to you, it's actually an Indonesian Birthday Song that goes something like this...

Panjang umurnya..

Panjang umurnya...

Panjang umurnya....

Serta mulia..

Serta mulia...

Serta mulia....

PS : I smell something fishy.. Hihi..

The Time, The Feel, The Assurance

 

I know it will come. Just believe in Him.

Diploma in Diplomacy

No, it's not a rhyme (re: title).

It has a nickname, fondly called as DiD among us.

The following are the programme content of DiD:

• Introduction to DiD and Work Ethics
• The Works of a Foreign Service Officer
• Administrative and Service Matters
• English and other Foreign Languages
• English for Diplomatic Purposes
• Diplomacy and Malaysia’s National Interests
• Diplomatic Attributes and Skills
• Contemporary Issues in the Context of Globalisation
• Strategic Thinking
• Crisis Management
• Public International Law
• International Security Issues
• International Economics and Trade
• Multilateralism
• ASEAN and Regionalism
• Public Diplomacy and Media Relations
• Negotiation Skills
• Cross-Cultural Awareness and Communication
• Malaysia’s Culture and Heritage
• Leadership
• World Religions and Philosophies
• Pre-Posting Preparations
• Attachment at a Mission
• Study Visits

What to expect : Life as a student again (assignments, presentations, staying up, deadlines, exams etc)

Which module that I am looking forward to :  Crisis Management, Cross-Cultural Awareness and Communications, Study Visits

How long : 25 weeks

Rationale of the programme :   To prepare and equip participants with multi-disciplinary skills including linguistic and management skills and acquire the right attitude to perform and excel in their professional duties as diplomats, both at home and abroad.

My expectations might be wrong for now.

I still have a long way to go. As a newbie in the service, there are still a lot that I need to learn or to improve.

Just keep the positive spirit going, be proactive, be resourceful, be resilient.

Try not to be complacent in your comfort zone.

Little things could make a whole lot of differences. Therefore, don't take things for granted.

This is a reminder to self, so that I will always remember the reason I've chosen this path in the first place.

Shifa 

26 February 2011, Malacca

The Year End Weddings

If you are close to me, you'll know that I really love going to weddings.

I will try as much as I can, not to miss all the weddings that I'd been invited to.

And sometimes I enjoy going to the weddings of my parents acquaintance too.

While some people think weddings are boring, to me it has a very personal meaning to the married couple, in their own right. They have found soul mates in each other and ultimately decided to grow old together.

For that particular reason, the people that they are close to; family, relatives and friends should join in the celebration while giving their love and supports to the commitments that this married couple is making.

Hey, they could suddenly have a second thought you know! I believe that 'cold feet' (talking to myself), could happen even after the solemnization or during the reception.

So, it has to be our job, the people in their life to make sure that they are making the right decision and everyone is happy with it!

Speaking of which, towards the end of the year 2010, most of my weekends was fully occupied with attending friends' wedding (Sorry for those who I missed!).

And without further ado, I would like to present you the wedding pictures that I went to in the next entries!!

Enjoy :D !!!!

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Anyway, on a different note, if I ever be a run**** bride (God forbid),

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I choose this...

over this.....

Because, having the 'cold feet', I'm sure I could barely 'walk' away with those heels ;p

To err is human, To forget divine

WARNING: THIS IS A BITCHY ENTRY

I feel like writing today. Maybe it will make me feel better.

Stupidity.

I need to learn how to tolerate STUPIDITY.

Okay, that's it. No matter how, some people are not born privileged.

And I have to bear in mind that people might have to tolerate me on whatever reason too.

Just like what my Mother texted me few days ago, "Be nice to everybody".

Yes Bunda, you know how I can be nasty harsh sometimes. Maybe I was trying to be DIRECT actually.

Blame it on the 'young blood' (darah muda).

To err is human, To forget divine. As that stupid thing happens almost everyday, I clearly have no chance to avoid it.

Interestingly, God knows how hard I'm dealing with it that He sends me another one.

So, I need to have DOUBLE tolerance from now on and keep that sarcastic words from blurting again.

I wish Barney could come to cheer me up.

So that I can smile like this again. As wide as I could :D

PREAMBLE: My Version

Hello hello everyone!! Shifa in da houz... Never in million years I ever thought of having a proper blog!

I don't even know why I'm creating this Blog in the first place. Well, let me see...

Oh yea, I like to blog hopping recently and came across some a lot of really really good blogs!

I enjoyed reading them, sort of a reading therapy to me in between lunch breaks and some other breaks in the office (which could've turn to bad habit and ADDICTION in long term).

It's really relaxing anyway to read different kind of people expressing their thoughts and creative sides with bright pictures, quirky fonts and design and so forth.

And sometimes it occured to me that I'm talking to myself in response of what I'm reading, while I'm reading it. It's kinda STUPID to talk loudly alone huh? And you may ask, why don't you comment on their posts and whatnot (I asked myself that question too).

Well, I'm kinda LAZY like that. To type huh? I'm more like a silent reader. Admiring some of them without admitting it. Too EGOISTIC. And hating the rest without wanting to insult them.

Then, I was like AHA! Lemme save my precious fingers' energy to write my own. The next day, I FORGOT...

...that ambitious kind intention of mine. Erk.

And, couple weeks ago someone told me this,

"You HAVE TO do a lot of READING & WRITING," (his her advice on the preparations before I have to go to a 6-freaking-months-DIPLOMATIC-course in the near future).

So, that was it. Notice the bold, caps lock words??

ADDICTION + STUPID + LAZY + EGOISTIC + AHA + FORGOT + HAVE TO + READING + WRITING + DIPLOMATIC

=

Shifa and The City

Yeah, that's the name of My BLOG. Lame? No, I think it cool appropriate fit the purpose.

Talking about addiction. SATC.