My Visual DNA

Morning Beamer

A nice beaming little face is all that matters sometimes..

Perfected Ways

After going halfway through, here's what I can more or less talk about the perfect sahur and fast break.

The perfect sahur, for me, is waking up 2 hours before Subuh, and having a small drink of water. Then go straight to the bathroom.

10 minutes after bathtime, I will have some snack or two, anything that I like. Things that makes me crave for more, like a nice warm biscuit or two, or more. Or some bits of chocolate. Hmmm! After the initial taste shock the mouth waters and I think it's around 10 minutes before actual mealtime.

As the stomach warms up and all the blood flows normally, then you eat. Usually this is done 1 hour before Subuh.

As the Subuh nearly arrived, I will sip some warm water. Yes, plain sipping, one or two swallows only.

Then, off to work! Yes, it's barely 6am. The road will fill up in no time nowadays.

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OK, now about the perfect fast break.

The perfect break is with water. A cup or less is good enough. Then I took my bath, and do my prayers. By the way, I prefer sugar cane juice. Or grass jelly (cincau). Very rarely, I start with the tamar.

As the stomach warms up again for the main course, I will start eating. Slowly at first. This is usually within 40 minutes after the break. I will eat the best part first. Like, the very enticing hot and spicy anchovies (sambal bilis) my wife sometimes cook, or the simple fried fish, whatever I think I should take first. Eat slowly. Steadily. While watching the news.

If any sugar cane drink this is available, I will drink more. And probably delay eating for an extra 20 minutes.

Then it's Isha. Finish whatever I can, and go pray.

I will probably sleep early during fasting months but this is not always the case. It's the nighttime things people do that renders me unable to sleep. ;)

Debut Tarawih

I hate to admit this.

But I just actually started my tarawih last night.

Yes, that bad.

I'm just lazy I think.

Hope it'll last till the last night of Ramadhan.

Lifeblood Of Evil

My colleague just told me about what happened in America.

It seems inevitable that something disastrous is about to happen.

The Lehman Brothers predicament suddenly made me realized, something must be done to my Citibank balance.

Coincidentally UOB did offer a balance transfer a week ago. Might do just that sometimes this week.

Cavitated

Muzaffar has got a big cavity in one of his tooth.

I am so worried.

It's very visible. And I think it emits blood once when I brushed his teeth.

One thing though, no complain yet about pains or whatever from him.

Only one thing lingers in my mind, that I must send him to the dentist by this week.

Wish List

Yummy wish list this one.

For Nik the D40

• Nikon SB600

• Nikkor 12-24 AF-S

• Nikkor 75-300 AF-S
  

• Nikkor 18-200 AF-S

• Nikon Remote Control

• Another body to be his brother, maybe a used D70s?

• Not to mention, a point & shoot Nikon Coolpix for dear wife.

One can never be satisfied, can't they?

Being Healthy Again

After several months without medication, the rhinitis/sinusitis came back.

So I decided to eat vitamins once again.

It's nothing much, and I don't really follow the dosage, considering the costs involved. It comprises of a 4 Nutrilite tablets, which are a multivitamin called Daily and three vitamins B, C and E.

I started about 3 weeks ago, and I think most of the symptoms are gone.

I think I don't get anymore canker sores too.

So that's it, lack of vitamins!

I sure hope this health is long-lasting.

I would recommend anybody who suffers to take vitamins instead of medications, which I am a bit phobic of, considering the chemicals that the body will undertake.

Permission To Eat Less

Like last year, we have decided that we must minimize our visits to the Pasar Ramadhan.

And I stopped breaking fast at hotels, unless invited. If I do, I will only eat the things that matters, like, crabs. I love!

I am already used to eating less when eating sahur, and even lesser come maghrib.

I think my stomach already shrunk in size for more than a year or two ago.

Besides, it's a way to save. Obviously...

Few Days Of Fasting

First day of fasting was uneventful.

Not really for second day though. Me and a colleague need to go to Penang for a site visit.

So this morning at 2am, we headed to Penang, anticipating arrival of at least by 8.30am.

But it's okay, no major works are involved. It's just a visitation to bid a tender.

One more good thing is, office hour will end at 4.30pm instead, compared to last years' 5.00pm.

Tiny Car Blog

I have decided to move away STELLAR's entries into a separate blog.

If you are interested, please visit it here.

Missing Her...

Feel so nostalgic today.

Sometimes I feel like going back to Kalamazoo.

I somehow missed those days there.

Those chills and greyish climate color in winter, those fallen leaves in fall, the university life, the friends, the classes, the MSO, the long walks, the Kalamazoo Islamic Center, the trips to Chicago, the town Kalamazoo, Meijer, Crossroads, Norman Camera, North Kendall Ave, the Dearborn Masjid, the Sears Tower at night, the CDs, the interstate flight, the Islamic Society, the bus rides, the train rides, the peaceful sleep, Hale-Bopp comet, the cameras at Norman, Waldo library...

I don't know. Sometimes I'm just like this..

Bukittinggi Trip

Yes, it's different from the Malaysian version, it's a single word.

Words cannot describe how nice the food was there. Scrumptious maybe? One thing for sure, there's an abundant amount of food.

And small plots of rice field are everywhere. And the rice are not seasonal. The farmers independently farmed their rice regardless of the time. So rice is always enough.

Lots of fishpond too. Mostly beside houses, or rice fields.

And most of our entourage feels healthier there. Probably because the food is really organic, so to speak.

The highlights are mostly

• all the Minang style houses
  
• Japan tunnel
• Pasar Atas, Linduang Bulan, Putri Minang (the shopping haven)
  
• the food, yep, most of the eating sessions anyway
  
• the quick-opening goods hawker (more shopping)
• Tracking the old and intermittent Dutch railroad track
• all the waterfalls
• Danau Maninjau and the 44 Corners
• Gunung Merapi and the views
• the abundant rice fields, with all sorts of color
  

A few downsides though, my camera passed yesterday, together with the seat I occupy on the bus. That was followed by a good bout of runny nose later that night. Must be the rain.

But that's okay. I fell in love already.



The boys at LCCT, anticipating the exciting flight to Padang



The famous Nasi Padang, on the first day. Surprisingly delicious, and organic.



One of the first stops, this particular waterfall alongside the Padang-Bukittinggi road.



The uphill rail track from the Dutch era days



Minangkabau Tourist Information Center



The multiple rice field, from all stages of progress.



Lake Maninjau



Japan Tunnel,



Almost everybody at the Jam Gadang (Clock Tower )

Me-Me

Muzaffar is an advanced kid now. Or so I think.

So now, Muzzammil is next.

Actually he can speak, sorta.

Dad: abah
Son: a-bah
Dad: mama
Son: ma-ma
Dad: abang
Son: a-bah
Dad: kakak
Son: ka-kak
Dad: atok
Son: a-tok
Dad: uwan
Son: wa-wa
Dad: adik
Son: a-wa

I think he just refuses to pronounce the word "adik". He used to shriek a longish "adik" everytime I bathe him, but that was like early this year or so. So he must know.

Dad: muzaffar
Son: pa-pa
Dad: muzzammil
Son: me-me

But I love it when I came back home, when he usually will greet me with a loving "abah". And I will be very disappointed when I came home, and he is already asleep.

Caught In The Studio

I guess I won't be doing this next Tuesday with my colleague.

I'll fly to Indonesia instead.

But that's awright, I can still air-drum!

Nervous Brake Down

I feel like a fever is coming.

It's very apparent when I reached the masjid for my Friday prayers.

It's the feeling when you first feel restless, and the body seems warmer than the usual.

Then comes the bits of nausea.

The stomach churns. You think you oughta go to the loo.

Loss of appetite.

Mouth seemingly dry, and it loves it.

Neck feels some tingling.

Does it have anything to do with the office aircond getting broken? It's getting hotter and hotter these few weeks.. Or...

Does it have anything to do with the upcoming PTD exam?

Does it have anything to do with the fact I hyper-anticipate whatever that is coming, when I drive the brake-less STELLAR this morning?

Yes he ain't got no brakes, other than the handbrake. And it takes lots of guts, and a very early morning trip. Yes, the cold wind seeping in the side glass, and the cold water I took bath with. Hmm...

I do admit that I do drive him, whatever his condition is. I just need the extra guts, extra car distance, extra numbers of downshifting gearchanges, and lots of pulling up the handbrake lever, while taking extreme care if it's wet.

Gotta do something about this fever t0-be, and also the brakes of my mate.

Next Flight

I am looking forward to going to Padang, Indonesia on the 18th of August.

Going to a vacation by plane is indeed a new experience. One they will not forget, especially the engine sound, and looking down at the clouds.

I know Muzaffar never forgets the Mar Vista Resort, or what he call his "Rumah Penang" in Batu Ferringhi.

And I know Muzzammil will love the experience too. Although I know, they will remember the playing freedom the most, and then the Penang Ferry.

And the mummy, she may never forget the shopping experience. She may prefer not to remember Mar Vista though, unlike Muzaffar. For one, the resort is a-ok, but not pretty.

Muzaffar: "Nak balik Rumah Penang"
Dad: "Rumah Penang jauh, Japa.."

Rapid Predicaments

One thing about using Touch n Go around the RapidKL line of transport is, sometimes you are not guaranteed of really logging in the system.

The "Kad Tak Sah" (Card Is Invalid) sometimes appear.

And most of the time, it happens at Pasar Seni, my favorite transit for E1 bus.

Sometimes, the readers of all three turnstiles at the Pasar Seni exit breaks down. So, there's no logging out of the Putra system.

And then, it will happen again on the bus. So I have to fork out another 3rm.

Some readers in buses, like the 301 in Wangsa Maju, are not even maintained. And yet they insist that I pay the RM1.

Sometimes I feel like shouting at this particular old man who drove the bus, to repair and familiarize himself to use the so-called unfamiliar system. "Change your ways old man!"

And then, it's the re-queueing problem. The E1 bus will stop over at KL Central too, but if I board the bus there, sometimes, I have to step down at Pasar Seni, and re-queue. So might as well I wait for the bus at Pasar Seni.

And then, there's this "time-steal" problem of the E1 bus. The supposed half-hourly duration is marred by, at times, a 45 minute duration instead.

They should have re-increased the duration. More people are using these buses now.

NGV No More

Lucky I did not install the NGV tank, especially inside the passenger compartment at the rear seat.

Coz if I do, it would be an illegal installation.

The people at Nice Network in Gombak never told me about this small fact. Only thing is, they encouraged the installation to be in the boot.

But then again, it's the people at Malaysia NGV in Balakong that informed me instead.

I know I don't need to go to Puspakom, but I 'fraid that should STELLAR went through a roadblock, the questions will be raised. So there...

So now, a Hydrofuel installation is the next alternative.

Or maybe the very expensive "Hi-Pa Electric Motor In Wheels" like the one by PML. Which should set me back at least one or two hundred thousand in Sterling Pound.

Or I should take a bus.

Or I should work nearer.

Dizzying I know...

Exam Pressure

I don't like exams. It's very stressing to me.

The stress might result in me getting multiple canker sores from the pressure.

So when I received the letter, I got stomach-sickness straight away.

It's the letter from SPA.

I was invited to attend the PTD exam on the 23rd of August.

But suffice to say, I will endure it. It's just seven hours of torture.

Might get some books from my school days, or study the Wikipedia pages about Malaysia, for the more current facts.