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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Last day at Sri Penara

Well I guess today will be my last day at Sri Penara.......I looked around the place, took some photos of the surroundings....was thinking to myself, whether or not I will be missing this place?? The place where I've spent about almost 5 years of my life there......a lot has happened there....lot of good and bad....all experiences that has thought me to be who I am today.....I've changed so much over the years....the experiences I had there taught me so much. I suppose wherever we go in life we will pick up new experiences along the way...

I'm definitely glad I won't be staying there anymore....one of the many reasons why I wanted to leave Sri Penara so bad before August was because I wanted to avoid staying there during the fasting month. You have no idea how bad it can get during this time of the year over there......it's FIREWORK MADNESS over there!!!! I just don't know how the people there can stand it....I know they hate it as well but nothing much has been done to over come the problem. The kids there just love playing with fireworks all day and all night. I think if I live there a few more years I will probably get major hearing problems! hahahaha!

Whatever it is.....I know miss it I will not.....but I will miss KL though....and the people I love there.... :)
Last day at Sri PenaraSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Huge catfish at Pakndak's house

Maksu and I went to Pakndak's house to pay him a visit......didn't know that he has some catfish in that big pond he has at the back of his house. He told me that there were a few of them in it and were quite big in size.....in fact they were already too big to be eaten....I wanted to see how big they were and boy was I in for a surprise! hehehe.....

I was scared when I saw them as he threw in some fish food in the pond.....quickly a few catfish came to the surface and there was a big splash as they were trying to eat the food......gosh they were HUGE! They gobbled up the fish food like a vacum cleaner.....in just a few seconds all the fish food were gone! You can see from the photo above how big their mouth are hehehe...... :D

Rasanya kalau ada anak kucing terjatuh dalam kolam tu mesti dah kena telan hidup-hidup oleh ikan keli tu hehehehehe...... lol! ;) So scary laaaaaaaa.......
Huge catfish at Pakndak's houseSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Monday, July 13, 2009

In the paper again today!!! Yay!! ;)

I was in Alor Setar for a few days.....was about to leave for KL today when my aunt got a message from her friend telling her about my article in Utusan Malaysia was out today. I was surprised as I didn't expect it to come out so soon. I could see how happy my mom was today.....hehehehehe....... It's never an easy road/journey for artists like me.....it's never easy to please our parents.....only those who have gone the same journey as me would understand this. I am really looking forward for the journey I will be making soon in life and the adventures I will be experiencing at my new working place.....I know it will be wonderful and I will make sure of it!! :) Chaiyo! Chaiyo!!

Utusan Malaysia -pullout - MODE/Keluarga (Cover)


Obses kad buatan tangan




WANITA kreatif... Noor Azlina Abdul Samad yang menghasilkan kad buatan sendiri dan dijual melalui laman web.



KAD menjadi medium pengantar isi hati dan memberi lebih pengertian sama ada daripada penerima mahupun yang menerimanya.
Walau bagaimana eksklusif kad yang ada di pasaran tidak akan sama nilainya dengan kad yang dihasilkan sendiri setulus hati.
Sejak di bangku sekolah kita telah diajar menghasilkan kad sendiri untuk memberi penghargaan kepada ibu, bapa, guru dan sebagainya bagi memperingati tarikh-tarikh tertentu.
Namun apabila usia menginjak remaja, lambakan kad ucapan di pasaran menjadi pilihan untuk menyampaikan isi hati kepada orang tersayang.
Melewati paparan demi paparan di internet menemukan penulis dengan satu blog yang penuh dengan kad buatan tangan menggunakan tajuk, Lin Handmade Cards.
Secara peribadi penulis amat kagum dengan individu yang memiliki kreativiti dalam menghasilkan sesuatu kad seperti itu. Cakaplah apa saja jenis kad sama ada hari lahir, ulang tahun, ucapan tahniah, simpati, perayaan dan sebagainya semuanya boleh dizahirkan oleh wanita kreatif ini.
Noor Azlina Abdul Samad K., 34, tidak pernah membayangkan bahawa kad menjadi sumber pendapatan beliau.
Pada awalnya, wanita yang selesa membahasakan dirinya sebagai Lin ini hanya menghasilkan kad sebagai hobi.
"Daripada hobi bertukar kepada perniagaan," ujarnya pendek sebaik memperkenalkan diri kepada penulis pada satu sesi fotografi yang diadakan di pejabat Utusan Malaysia, baru-baru ini.
Wanita berkacamata ini mula serius menghasilkan kad ucapan sejak tahun 2007 selepas beliau meletakkan jawatan sebagai eksekutif pentadbiran di sebuah syarikat swasta di Kuala Lumpur.
"Kebetulan ketika itu kesihatan saya juga agak terganggu, jadi dari menyusahkan syarikat kerana selalu mengambil cuti sakit maka saya mengambil keputusan untuk berhenti kerja," katanya yang berasal dari Alor Star, Kedah.
Bermula daripada itu, Noor Azlina tercari-cari kerja yang membolehkan dia menyesuaikan masa dengan keadaan dirinya.
Kalau wanita lain memilih membuat kuih atau kraf tangan yang kemudian dipasarkan melalui laman web, berbeza pula bagi Noor Azlina.
Beliau menggunakan kreativiti yang dianugerahkan Tuhan untuk menghasilkan kad-kad ucapan menarik dan unik.
"Pada peringkat awal saya cuma menghasilkan beberapa keping saja dengan rekaan yang berbeza. Harga yang dikenakan juga murah walaupun saya sedar masa ia tidak setimpal dengan kreativiti, masa serta tenaga yang dicurahkan untuk sekeping kad.
"Namun demi memenuhi permintaan pelanggan yang mahukan sesuatu yang unik dan dibuat sendiri saya cuba penuhi selagi terdaya," jelasnya yang beroperasi dari kediaman sewanya di Apartmen Penara, Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Kuala Lumpur.
Noor Azlina turut menunjukkan kepada penulis kad-kad ucapan yang dihasilkannya, sekali pandang pasti sukar untuk percaya ia buatan tangan kerana hasil akhirnya terlalu sempurna.
"Memang saya seorang yang begitu teliti dan tidak akan puas selagi tidak menghasilkan sesuatu kad dengan sempurna.
"Tetapi bukan mudah untuk menghasilkan potongan sekecil ini ia menduga kesabaran serta ketelitian yang amat tinggi," ujar graduan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Seni Lukis dan Reka dari Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor.
Berkongsi minat dengan rakan di Internet
Menurut Noor Azlina, Malaysia masih jauh dalam penciptaan peralatan untuk menghasilkan kad buatan tangan berbanding negara seperti Amerika dan Eropah.
"Menerusi Internet saya mempunyai ramai rakan di luar negara yang berkongsi minat membuat kad. Melalui laman sembang kami bertukar idea serta teknik untuk memantapkan penghasilan sesebuah kad.
"Saya cukup terharu kerana ada di antara rakan di laman sembang yang sanggup menghantar peralatan termasuklah kertas yang tidak boleh ditemui di Malaysia.
"Lebih teruja jika kad yang saya hasilkan mendapat penghargaan daripada rakan-rakan sekali gus menjadi motivasi untuk saya menghasilkan kad yang lebih menarik," katanya yang memasarkan perniagaan kad ucapannya secara dalam talian.
Seperkara yang membuatkan Noor Azlina terharu dengan rakan-rakannya di Internet ialah mereka tidak langsung lokek berkongsi ilmu dan idea.
Sebelum mendapat kamera digital yang dihadiahkan oleh ibu saudaranya, Noor Azllina menggunakan pengimbas untuk mengingati teknik setiap kad yang dihasilkan.
"Memang payah, adakalanya kad yang dihasilkan menggunakan jemeki mencalarkan pengimbas, imbasan juga menyebabkan sukar untuk melihat bentuk kad secara dua dimensi. Kini baru saya sedar kamera digital amat penting untuk perniagaan saya ini," katanya yang cenderung memilih motif flora dalam hasil seninya.
90 kad pertunangan tugasan pertama
Lin berkata, kalau di zaman sekolah dulu dia menghasilkan kad untuk ibu, bapa serta saudara maranya sahaja, namun kini dia turut mendapat pesanan kad untuk undangan majlis pertunangan dan perkahwinan.
"Tugasan pertama saya ialah menghasilkan kad untuk majlis pertunangan, kebetulan pada masa yang sama saya juga menerima tempahan untuk kad perkahwinan.
"Bayangkan saya perlu menyiapkan sebanyak 90 kad yang setiap satunya memerlukan kerja seni yang amat teliti dalam tempoh yang singkat.
"Namun segala penat lelah saya terbalas apabila pelanggan amat teruja dan berpuas hati dengan kad yang mereka tempah," ujar Noor Azlina yang telah menghasilkan lebih daripada 100 jenis kad.
Bagi memastikan rekaannya menepati cita rasa pelanggan, dia mengambil inisiatif menghasilkan mock kad sebelum menzahirkan kad yang sebenar.
Proses mencari idea bermula dari melayari internet dan memilih bentuk motif seperti yang dimahukan pelanggan.
"Saya pernah menerima tempahan kad ulang tahun perkahwinan daripada seorang isteri. Dia mahukan kad yang apabila dibuka di dalamnya seperti mulut ingin dicium dalam bentuk yang paling seksi.
" Proses untuk mencari bentuk mulut sahaja memakan masa, selesai memilih saya akan menunjukkan motif kepada pelanggan agar motif tersebut menepati imaginasinya. Kemudian saya harus fikirkan bagaimana hendak memastikan mulut tersebut muncul dengan menggiurkan ketika dibuka penerimanya.
"Setiap kali selesai satu langkah saya akan mengambil gambar sebagai rujukan di masa akan datang. Memikirkan teknik pop up ini betul-betul mencabar minda," katanya yang dalam perancangan membuka kelas seni untuk kanak-kanak di kediaman ibunya di Alor Star, Kedah.
Kesukaran dan cabaran yang dihadapi membuatkan Noor Azlina hampir serik menghasilkan kad dengan teknik pop up lagi.
Namun pendirian itu berubah apabila bapa saudaranya memperkenalkan satu laman web yang mengajar dengan terperinci cara membuat kad pop up.
"Menghasilkan kad pop up memerlukan kita banyak berfikir dan berimaginasi. Proses menghasilkannya juga amat teliti. Memang memakan masa namun puas hati apabila melihat hasil yang sempurna," kata Noor Azlina yang berhasrat meluaskan pasaran kad ucapan kreatifnya ke luar negara.

In the paper again today!!! Yay!! ;)SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Friday, July 10, 2009

Packing still!

Been busy as a bee doing the second stage of packing.....will be heading back to Alor Setar tomorrow.....and there are a lot of boxes of my stuff that needs to be sent back there. After this trip, there will be another trip on the 4th week of July......that will be the next trip where my PC will be sent back to my mom's house....huhuhuhu....and I will be without Internet access for a while....well, even though I won't have Internet access at the comfort of my own home, but at least I can still go to the cyber cafe and check my emails and update my blog....so, no worries there. I just want to get it all over with.....can't wait for the new adventure waiting for me at the other end of the road.....I know I will have a blast there....a new beginning :)
Packing still!SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Sad and happy all at the same time.....

My eyes were swollen this morning.....watched the live telecast of MJ's memorial service from 1.00 am till 4.00 am.....was crying throughout the the whole service.....it was so beautifully done.....one of the best thing was when I could hear one of my favorite songs by MJ that was sung by Jennifer Hudson..."Will You Be There"...I simply love it....it has such a beautiful deep meaning. It's kinda sad when I think about the memorial, especially when all of his close friends were saying all those wonderful things about him....I was thinking to myself...IF ONLY they had said all those wonderful things about him when he was alive.....perhaps it would have made a difference on how people have viewed him all these years. He was a wonderful man....he was a wonderful human being...no doubt about it in my mind.....I could see he had a great soul, a beautiful heart....he was a wonderful father, son and brother to his siblings.....he was a creative genious and the list just keep going on and on......

This memorial, made me realize how important it is for us to appreciate our loved ones and tell them straight in the eye how much we love them and care about them....how they have made a difference in our lives. Life as they say surely is short these days......and is getting shorter and shorter.....so why wait??? Why wait for the so called "the right timing"??? I sometimes feel that there aren't really any right timing when it comes to showing our love for one another.......it feels right every time and at any time for that matter. Just do it.....take the chance that we have and let it just go and move freely to the ones we love.

Later in the afternoon.....I headed to Utusan Malaysia's office for the most nerve wrecking interview I ever had to do hehehe......luckily my eyes were not so swollen anymore, otherwise it will definitely show in the photo shoot! Yikes! I never expected this interview to happen now at the time when I was about to go on a new adventure....I feel so blessed indeed. I got a call from the journalist last week....she asked me if I could do this interview. At first I thought I couldn't because I didn't have a lot of card samples to show her......I packed most of my things already....and most of them have been sent back to Alor Setar. So the samples I had with me were quite limited. But since I didn't want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity I decided to do it! I felt completely comfortable during the entire interview....everyone there was so nice! It made it easier for me to chat during the interview and the photo shoot. Everything went well.....I had a blast. I thought to myself, things fell exactly into place just when I was well enough to do it. I am also extremely happy that it came to me at the time when I was feeling down....as I really needed the boost...I really needed to feel happy and this interview surely made it right for me. Thank you...thank you.....a million thanks to Noor Fazrina Kamal.....you made it happen!! You have no idea how happy you have made me today :) God bless you!!
Sad and happy all at the same time.....SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Monday, July 6, 2009

Papaya and limau kasturi

I LOVE EATING THIS!!!!! It's just super delicious! I used to love eating papayas on it's own until one day I tried having them with some squeezed citrus (limau kasturi) . It just tastes so much better! I can have a big bowl of papayas in one sitting if it has some limau kasturi on it! hehehe....

With the hot weather we are experiencing these days, having a bowl of papayas is just something I need. It also helps clean our colon....keeping it clean....flushing out all the bad stuff that's stuck in there hahahaha.....It has enzymes that can digest food better.

At the same time it gives us a whole lot of liquid that will keep us from dehydration. It's high in beta carotene content and is an excellent source of Vitamin C, E and have antioxidants that can prevent cancer.

It is also said to prevent premature aging!!! How cool is that???? hehehe.....that means I should at least be eating this bowl of papayas once a week to keep me looking young! LOL! It also said to prevents heart attacks or stroke...this is because, the antioxidants in papayas prevents cholesterol from oxidizing. In other words, there are so many benefits that we can get from eating papayas....I surely won't get bored eating this if taken only once a week.....hehehe....as long as I don't take the same thing everyday, then I'll be fine :)
Papaya and limau kasturiSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Pancakes with ice cream and bananas

Looks yummy huh??? It sure is!!! I made this when I went back to Alor Setar a couple of weeks ago. I just had to try making this recipe for once in my life since I knew I am forbidden to eat this again hehehe...... I'm not allowed to take ice creams or pancakes anymore.....huhuhuhu......

My mom is great at making pancakes.....so I asked her to make some so that I can eat it with ice cream and cooked bananas....it was really interesting! Tasted great..... :) God knows when I can have these again......lol!
Pancakes with ice cream and bananasSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Workshop Rahsia Tarikh Lahir

Attended the workshop "Rahsia Tarikh Lahir" organized by Dr Azizan Osman today with my aunt...wow......it was sooooooooooo worth it!!! I was hoping to take photos while we were there....but we were not allowed to do that :(. But it's ok hehehe.....I was happy anyways with the workshop....learned a lot about what my potentials were, my strengths and my weaknesses too. Now I can improve myself....but it would be much better if I can attend their courses. Would love to do that someday soon.

It was a one day workshop....time was limited....there were so many topics to cover within that one day period. So everything was cramped up. Obviously we can't be learning everything in just one day.....it can take months or years....but this is the first step! :)

Dr. Azizan's workshops are so much fun.....not boring at all....I was all the time alert and fascinated by the way he handled the crowd. How he delivered the presentation was excellent too. I know I would have fun if I were to attend any of his courses in future. He would definitely be a good mentor who has all the knowledge and system to make anyone successful in life! Thank you Dr. Azizan for giving us the free tickets! It was worth it!
Workshop Rahsia Tarikh LahirSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Gardenias = bunga cina :)



Gosh.....I can smell the fragrance of these white flowers now.....especially strong in the morning and evening too......I never knew that Bunga Cina and Gardenias are the same thing.....I only knew this a few weeks ago when my dear friend blogged about it. It was then that I saw a photo of the flower and realized how similar it is to the ones grown at my Mom's house! Gosh! I'm so ignorant about a lot of things! But I love reading and learning new things and this was great for me to know :)

They flower all year round and the tree can grow up to be very tall and big in size. My Mom prunes it every now and then so that it doesn't get too big to handle.....there used to be 2 of them that's big in size, but my Mom cut one down as it was occupying the space....so there is only one big one left at her compound.....there are a few more that she just planted and is already blooming with flowers. :)
Gardenias = bunga cina :)SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend