naziehah

In the midst of my crazy hectic lifestyle, somehow I manage to cram one more session of private belly dancing sessions at one of my student’s house in Ara Damansara.

4 ladies; all of them lovely, were a few of the most naturally talented students I have ever taught. They were really working very hard to digest and do the movements, it is truly inspiring. One of them have a really flexible hips she made all the percussive movements looks so easy! One was quite shy and reserved but she was a hard-worker,making sure that she got the movements right while fighting her inhibitions. It’s a joy to be able to do private classes again and I am looking forward for more sessions with them.

1. Nokotta

‘Win or lose is not yet determined’ ( direct translation from the Malay script ). I also found out that the professional referee ( gyoji ) will say ‘Nokotta,Nokotta’ during tournament which means ‘You’re still in, you’re still in’. Ex-Sumo wrestler Honda, took this phrase and turn it into a word of encouragement to everday’s life, which I think is quite clever and powerful.

2. Shiko

The warm up exercise that requires one to be able to fully balance oneself. I can imagine that it is quite a challenge if one does have too much of an excess baggage in the middle ( as in the case of most Sumo wrestlers )! But I guess through training and dedication, not too mention strict sumo discipline, Shiko is just nothing for them.

3. I love Afdlin Shauki. More.

It was no secret that I love him. And watching his new film, I fall in love head over hills even more with him. His movies have this playfulness element of a kid and a wisdom of a guru. He entertains you while also subtly and sometimes not-so-subtly nudge at your heart and mind on important issues that most people would rather not think about. I wish that he will have all the courage to face challenges and the will to keep on going. I wish him the world of love and happiness with his beautiful family and that he will have endless support always. I wish that he will keep on making delightful contributions to the society.

So, those who hasn’t watch the movie. Do so. It’s brilliant. You will be entertained and enlightened.

Do I really

need to trot with you

or be in a pack

or howl in a group

when I am perfectly happy

being alone?

One of the few things that reallybugged me about Malaysians is how we love to stare at people. On the first few months I came back from UK, I often walked around in face as sour as vinegar, muttering under my breath on why the hell are these poeple couldn’t stop staring at me? In the LRT, on the sidewalk, at the hypermarket, on the way to the cinema - stare, stare, stare.

In my opinion, excessive staring is like virtually invading one’s personal space. I mean, what if I want to slightly shift my ’senget’ bra string, or when I want to adjust the length of my skirt, or when I want to sneeze for example. How do you like doing all those personal activities in front of an audience? That is why people in reality show ( and by this I means UK Big Brothers, I do not know how real is Malaysia’s reality tv show ), find it extremely difficult and suffocating to adjust being watched all the time! If I want to feel that way, I will enter myself in Big Brother!

Of course you can look. If your argument is because your pair of eyes is located on your head. But there are more polite ways to do it. Glance, for example. Simply by shifting your eyes after one or 2 seconds. 3 seconds being most. Or use your peripheral vision, look without looking. If you can understand what I mean. That is if you insist that you really, really need to be ‘aware of your environment’. But better choice is don’t be ‘kepochi’ la. Just watch where you are going and mind your own business; the former pretty standard safety tips and the latter being a very beneficial tips to Malaysians.

However, although we love to stare at people when they do not want to be stared, when situations that demands attention and staring - for instance, while I am doing presentation, people think it is the right thing not to look at me! That is downright annoying to say the least. People talking in front, wanted to be listened. They want to be watched, to be stared. That’s why they are standing in front of you! I don’t understand why the applied the concept ‘it’s rude to stare’ in this case. Serious misconception.

Therefore, please do not stare while I am walking about and please do stare when I am talking in front of you. Simple isn’t it.

 ( this is supposed to be yesterday’s entry - duh, damn difficult to stick with this discipline )

I ate this delicous curry laksa for dinner at this wonderful place in PJ. I always liked the food there, it is prepared with more love and care than any other place.

 The first sip of its rich flavourful milky curry, my tastebud was awaken to the full. One or 2 sips later, I suddenyly feel a little bit..bothered.

I think the curry is a little bit too rich for me. I do love flavourful food, but sometimes curry makes me a too heaty. I didn’t know that I can’t really consume heaty food until recently. Through my ayurvedic prescription, I came to know that I should minimise the consumption of heaty and oily food because I have excess ‘fire’ element in my body.

That explains why I always feel like exploding if I ate too much curry. Those neverending rashes, that’s caused by the excess heat too. The Malaysian way of cooking also does not agree with my body, making it quite challenging to find suitable food. The trick is to go with my instinct and listen to my body. My body will tell me when I need to eat certain food, and what to avoid. However, that also comes with practise of higher awareness of your body.

I normally gravitated towards soupy food. Porridge, mee soup, beehoon soup. The more water content the better. I actually wanted to order my usual chicken porridge with salted egg just now, but since it’s already finished, I changed it to curry laksa. And now I have to face the consequences.

Hot, hot, hot! ( sing like the theme song in ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ )

I have this huge dream that I am an international bestselling author, whose books were read and cherished by those old and young. That when they read my book, it will change their life forever. That they will laugh and cry ( not necessarily at the same time ) and ponder upon my books ( for years and years ). That they will refer this book to everybody that they know. That they will buy my book and give it to their loved ones and friends.

But I have stopped writing for soooo long. The only thing I ever do now is this pathetic attempt of blogging, which is more suitable to be called non-blogging by the rate of the entry.

I used to enjoy writing and composing. I still love the thesaurus and looking at the abundance of words available for me to play with. ( only thing is, I seldom play with them ). I enjoyed having my composition and article reviewed and corrected by teachers. ( maybe I started looking for writing mentor! ).

 Thus, I want to make a commitment to write everyday. Anything at all. Better still, intellectual and interesting article.

The first step towards my international best-selling books! =)

Concept of delayed gratification and persevering comes a bit late in my life.

I learn about delayed gratification through the book ‘The Road Less Travelled’, which I read a few months ago. I am glad that I do get to know that principe, although I imagine my life would be less dramatic had I known the concept earlier. I am very impatient by nature, wanting everything I want to appear here and now. The book straighten out my head.

I learn about persevering also from a book titled ‘Think and Grow Rich’. I am further exposed to the concept through my sales training. It really helps me to be more calm and centred knowing that perseverance is a requirement to suceed.

Isn’t it weird why is this 2 very important concept was not taught formally in school? In fact I had a whole theory about Malay and the concept of delayed gratification. (will definitely blog about it ).

But what I am trying to say is, in time where all my lymph nodes are swelling and throbbing, in addition to the big red bump on my nose. Having to sit through another session of training on a Sunday after 3 days of full day training is something I would hem and haw my way before. Thus, I am further thankful that I got the opportunity to learn about delayed gratification and perseverance. And apply it.

On my weekend getaway in Cherating last weekend, I was fortunate to be able to witness how a turtle layed eggs. ( full story in Cherating entry )

Watching the throng of people surrounding the turtle, in the full moon of the night, I am transferred into a whole other philosophical world of mine.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off the turtle. Not because it’s so pretty or unique, although it is facing a threat of exticntion. But because the sheer spirit of the turtle. Yes, under that moonlit night in Pantai Mok Nik, I can feel the spirit of the turtle.

The story of the turtle starts when it comes up the shore to lay it eggs. It went on to start digging The Hole, just a few feet from the shore. Halfway digging, it decides to stop. Perhaps it sensed a danger lurking. Perhaps it was disturbed by somebody’s flaslight shone to it’s eyes. Halfway through digging, it stopped and moved forward.

Further up the shore, a few feet away from the first hole. It started digging again. It looks like its going to make it this time. When the hole is dig enough, it started to lay its egg. One by one its eggs were taken away by the ranger on duty. Oblivious to the whole scenario, the turtle continued its natural duty. When she’s done the turtle take a giant pause.

She raised her small head, inhaling loudly - as if summoning all the energy that left in her body and continue to sweep off the sand with her hand and feet backwards. She’s trying to close back the hole that she dug, to hide her precious eggs. Sweep, sweep, sweep. She did this a few times before she took her big pause, and inhaled her deep breath again.

And off she starts again. Sweeping off the night away, diligently, persistently, unwaveringly.

When she finished, she made her way back to the wide sea.

Slowly. Patiently. Naturally.

And I learnt millions from that 1 turtle.

As I was folding up the 3 days-old clothes of mine and hubby, I tuned in to NTV7, and there it was, the song that tugged and teased at the hearts of many women my age.

I think I was 18 or 19 when this song is popular. It was the boy-band era. When N’sync is the king and everything is about Backstreet Boys. And Boyzone. And a dozen more slow-walking, soft-voiced pretty young boys that gave us girls the illusion that it was all that we need to love happily ever after.

How simple and easy life was. It’s all about love - either budding, blossomming, wilting. That’s all we need to think about. That’s all our problems and heartache revolves around. And we always have the boy-band as our guide. Our hearts were filled with sweet hope of love they sang. The soothing coos of their promises. The flutter in our hearts caused by their deep piercing eyes-all directed by excellent video clip director who knew just the trick to make teenage girls go wild.

Wasn’t it nice if we can still have boy-bands as our guide? To keep our hearts hopeful and warm when the going get’s really tough? How come there’s no more boys to give you promises and sweet words when you are all grown up?

Or has our hearts become too cold and rigid that it can’t be thawed with any amount of boy bands’ love songs anymore?

I don’t know.

 Bundle of red

Palpitation of desire

Amidst the green