To newly wed Rahimi & Amirah

Assalamualaikum,

Hai everybody! Hari ni I nak kongsi gambar masa pergi wedding one of my best buddies dekat Wollongong dulu, Rahimi or better known as Rem. Kitorang macam one big family yang support each other through our hard times, emotionally and spiritually. So today I want to put the highlight on Rem yang baru je selamat mendirikan rumah tangga baru-baru ni. Yayy!!

Snowy Mountain Trip. Rem yang lompat paling tinggi tu.

Sydney Outing. Rem yang rambut kpop kat tengah-tengah.

Kalau orang kenal Rem ni, he is a very hardworking person walaupun kuat main game. Ada misi hidup yang sangat jelas, siap ada long term plan lepas belajar nak kerja kumpul duit, kahwin and so on. Padahal time tu final year pun belom rasanya. huhu. Senang nak mintak tolong, and very matured not quite like the other boys at his age. Sebab tu la rasanya dia boleh masuk dengan kitorang yang umur lebih daripada dia ni.

One thing I respect the most about him is how he treats all women around him, tak kira la muda ke tua ke, dia anggap kitorang macam kakak sendiri. Mintak je tolong apa-apa mesti cepat je sampai. Dah tu bagi nasihat macam kan dia yang abang. Padahal budak lagi oii time tu. hahaha.

Kitorang selalu cakap sesama sendiri, siapa yang kawen dengan Rem ni must be the luckiest girl on earth sebab baik and gentleman sangat dia tu. So one day bila dia bagitau nak kawen, I dengan Aimi excited gila and suruh dia introduce that girl to us. So when we got the chance to meet his fiancée, Amirah Fatin, we instantly approved his choice!! Alahaiiiiii baikkk and lemah lembut sangat orangnya. Sesuai sangat dengan dia. 

Bawak tunang jumpa kakak-kakak.

Well, jodoh yang Allah swt dah tetapkan tu biasanya adalah yang terbaik untuk kita kan? He knows exactly the best for us. So macam Rem ni, disebabkan dia lelaki yang baik, Allah dah aturkan perempuan yang baik jugak untuk dia. Semoga diorang dipanjangkan jodoh sampai syurga nanti. Aminnn. :)

So last Saturday we went to his wedding reception at Penang Golf Resort, Bertam. The ceremony was simple but very intimate. Jemputan tak terlampau ramai, the hall was beautifully decorated macam kat dalam taman bunga. Mewah dengan makanan, deejay yang santai, doorgift pun sangat best. Meja makan pengantin dengan pelamin simple gila tak payah pun beria-ria sangat tapi tetap nampak cantik and very classy. To me, it was very perfect!

Some of us yang ada time tu.

Finally our younger brother is off the market.

With the sweet and beautiful bride, Amirah Fatin.

So dear brother, we know that you deserve nothing but the best. Sharing in your special day brings us a great joy! May the glow of love and happiness from your wedding be with you for the rest of your life. It was indeed one of the most beautiful weddings I ever attended. Congratulations! :)

Saudades de você

Assalamualaikum,

Salam hujung minggu semua! Kepada yang ada peluang balik kampung jumpa parents masing-masing bila ada masa terluang macam hujung minggu ni, anda sungguh bertuah. Tak semua dapat peluang macam tu dalam hidup yang serba serbi busy sekarang ni tau. huhu.

Anyway, I baru lepas whatsapped dengan Kak Fish. She went back to Malaysia last night and I started to feel the absence already. Huwaaa. Takde dah orang nak tanya "Mira dah makan ke? Akak masak ni hari ni, ko nak tak?". Jawapan tak penahnye tidak. Kalau tak sempat pi makan sekalipun, nanti mesti dah siap tapau. Gila manja. haha. :p

Pastu dah takde coffee date dekat Rush lagi dah untuk sesi luahan perasaan pasal PhD yang memanjang je tertekan. Walaupun masing-masing tak penah paham dengan research masing-masing, tapi sesi luahan perasaan tu sangat crucial untuk tenangkan hati.

Well, every research is different but similar at the same time. Everybody has their own shitty time throughout the journey, but what's important is that you put yourself among the positive people that will keep you moving forward. I have so many positive people around me and one of them is Kak Fish.

So, when she's gone, I was quite taken aback. But it's okay, it won't take long before my turn to go. Focus with what I'm suppose to focus now. Knowing that I have got soo many things to do when I go back later on, I must at least complete the crucial parts while I'm still here. Positive Amirah, positive. :)

Sydney Airport, 18th January 2013. Well, it wasn't really a goodbye though.
I said "Jumpa dekat Malaysia nanti!" :')

Anyway, I started to miss the boys already, especially Adam. Sejak kebelakangan ni asyik busy memanjang, and Kak Fish pun pindah dok jauh sikit, so susah nak lepak rumah main dengan Adam and Aydin macam selalu. Hopefully they will still remember me the next time we see each other. Kalo tidak memang nak kene laaaa. haha.

Chenta hatiku. hikhik.

I miss those puppy eyes.
Tapi kalau time dia buat perangai banyak akai. Gerammmmm.
T________T

"Saudades de você" means "I miss you" in Portuguese. :)

I just want more hellos than goodbyes in my life

Assalamualaikum,

Hai everybody! 

I'm down with a really bad emotion tonight. Urghh, I hate goodbyes. 

Sending people off to the departure hall is kinda big torture for me as I find it really hard to fight back my tears. 

I ALWAYS try not to cry but I fail all the time. 

It's not that I am weak, I was just a little bit fragile, you see.

I really don't like the feeling when I had to say goodbye especially to some great people that I have known over these last few years. 

It was such a great blessing to get to know them. 

I'm not quite sure when I'm going to see them again but,

I'm positive that we will keep in touch. 

Hmm, I guess it wasn't suppose to be a "Goodbye" after all. 

"I'll see you later" sounds more appropriate.

p/s: I talked to my mum earlier today, telling her that I'm sad to see everyone leave, one after another. Ohh, tiap-tiap kali lepas hantaq orang memang I akan mengadu dengan mak pasai how sunyi Wollongong is. hehe. Lepas tu mak tanya, "Nanti Mirah balik sapa hantaq?". Err, I said "Pakcik limo, maybe?". haha. Being the last person to go is so not cool heh? :p

My shrinking Wollongong family

Assalamualaikum,

Hai everybody! Buat apa je cuti-cuti ni? I didn't do anything much today. Tengahari tadi pi office jap, lepas tu dah petang sikit I bosan then terus merayau dekat Wollongong City. haha. Sempat lagi tu. Tapi tak beli apa sangat pun. Jalan-jalan cuci mata je tengok Christmas sales yang menarik. :)

Lepas tu balik rumah I kemas-kemas barang sikit untuk hantar shipping bulan January nanti. Buat masa ni I dah siap sealed enam kotak T-chest dan satu big luggage. Tapi dalam banyak-banyak tu, barang I dua kotak je, yang lain tu semua hasil kiriman orang. hehe.

Kotak shipping I dengan Fatin yang dah naik ke bumbung macam menara. :)

Lepas dah siap mengemas, I sambung buat simulation sikit, lepas tu masuk pukul 6 petang, perut mula bunyi-bunyi tanda kebuluran. haha. Ye la, pagi tadi makan semangkuk besar koko crunch dengan fresh milk, tu yang tengahari jadi tak lapar tu. Tapi masuk petang, hambik kau lapar gila sampai rasa macam nak telan sekor ayam sekaligus. haha.

Anyway, esok I nak bangun pagi nak pi hantaq my house-mate, Fatin Ayuni balik Malaysia. She has completed her studies and it's time for her to leave this place for good. So semalam Kak Fish buat makan-makan sikit sempena farewell untuk Fatin. Hmm, our Gong family is getting smaller as the member is leaving this place one after another.

Happy faces. Gong's little family final gathering.
See you guys again in Malaysia! :) 

But it's okay, bila semua dah balik Malaysia nanti, we can always arrange for a get together event once in a while right? Though the surrounding might change, but I believe the bonding will not. Let's see what will happen to all of us in the next 5 or 10 years? Kalau umur panjang, and I masih menulis lagi kat dalam blog ni, I will definitely let you know okay? :)

Celebrating UOW's summer graduation

Assalamualaikum,

Hari ni mood orang grad sekali lagi meresap masuk kat dalam badan. huahuahua. Masuk sesi ni, dah banyak kali I tumpang celebrate orang graduate kat University of Wollongong ni. Seriously, tiap-tiap kali pun akan rasa seronok yang luar biasa. Nak-nak pulak kali ni I meraikan dua kawan baik sepanjang I belajar dekat sini. Kira hari ni macam special entry dedicated to them. :)

First of all, I want to congratulate Dr Norlaili Ahmad. Hari ni secara rasminya dia dianugerahkan gelaran Doktor Falsafah. Best kan? Muda-muda lagi dah dapat Doktor. Harap dapat ikut jejak langkah Laili secepat mungkin. huhu. She used to be my house-mate for a couple of months during my first year in Australia.

Me and Fatin with Laili.
Eh, Dr Norlaili. hehe.

Sepanjang  berkawan dengan Laili, macam-macam jugak yang I belajar. Tempat berkongsi masalah pun ye jugak terutamanya bab-bab PhD ni. Banyak nasihat dan kata-kata semangat yang I dapat dari dia. Memandangkan office kitorang dekat-dekat so selalu la turun minum sama-sama. Banyak kenangan sebenarnya dengan Laili sepanjang I dok sini.

Secondly, I want to wish my best congratulations to my brother here, Rem or Rahimi Radzi. I know how hard he has been working to let today comes true. And he deserves it! You are officially qualified to be an engineer today Rem!! Anyway, he is also from Penang, muka pun sepesen, mata sepet macam I jugak, sebab tu dah anggap macam adik beradik dah si Rem ni. haha. 

Group photo with Rem. Engineer qualified.
You made it there bro!! Congrats!!

Rem ni bagus orangnya, hormat orang tak kira la tua atau muda, sangat bertanggungjawab, hardworking in his studies, main games pun rajin jugak hehehe, very gentleman and he respects woman very highly. Kira dia ada ciri-ciri lengkap yang perlu ada pada seorang lelaki. Ehh, macam promote pulak tapi tu memang hakikatnya. Sapa nak kenai mai sini jumpa kakak dia dulu ambik testimonial. Confirm kasi up kaw-kaw punya. kehkehkeh. :p

UOW graduates, Summer 2012.
Rahimi Radzi, Dr Norlaili, Ahmad Syafik.
Tahniah korangggg!!! :)

And then petang tu pulak I jumpa Kak Yati. She is known as a very determined person, especially in her studies and the way she handled her life and her family. Sebak tadi bila tengok parents Kak Yati peluk cium dia sebagai tanda tahniah. Berkat dari doa ibu bapa, she made it today. She is my idol, Dr Norhayati Baharun. But too bad I don't have any photo with her in my camera. Semua dalam camera Abang Ariff. But it's okay, kenangan tu yang penting.

Tahniah sekali lagi buat semua rakan-rakan terdekat yang dah terima anugerah selepas berhempas pulas berusaha untuk mendapatkan sehelai kertas yang dipanggil ijazah. Tak kira la Ijazah Sarjana Muda, Ijazah Sarjana, atau Ijazah Doktor Falsafah. Semuanya adalah hasil titik peluh masing-masing dan hari ni merupakan hari untuk meraikan. When I look at them, I can't wait to end this journey fast, and InsyaAllah my turn to celebrate will come soon. Amin.

Wish comes true. I'm happy. :')

Assalamualaikum,

What a beautiful Sunday we have today! Not necessarily weather-wise but also the way I am feeling when I wake up earlier this morning. Bestnya kalau cuaca maintain macam ni je sepanjang tahun. Ada matahari yang terik tapi sejuk berangin. A kind that I will never experienced in Malaysia I suppose. When I go back later on, I bet I'm gonna miss Australia mainly because of this.

So anyway, hari ni I ada mood nak kongsi something dengan semua. It is about one of the presents that I received on my birthday last Friday. If you have been following my blog since early this year, you might have read about my wish to own a picnic basket so that I can organize an effortless-romantic-sunset-dinner for me and my other half. If you haven't, please feel free to read it HERE. :)

Guess what? I sendiri dah tak ingat pasal apa yang I tulis tu. haha. Maklumla, keinginan yang bukan-bukan ni biasanya datang sekali-sekala ikut angin dalam badan. Bila mood romantic datang, mula la berangan macam-macam. haha. And then, a few months passed by, and being a dreamer as I always am, I let my wish being kept in here, just like that.

Tetapi, I am so lucky because I have lovely friends around me yang sangat-sangat memahami. I know that they read my blog (Hi Kak Fish! Hi Fatin!) but I never expect them to take seriously about what I wrote in here. *nangesss*. Excited ada. Terharu ada. Malu pun ada. Aduii, sogan pulak den. Rupa-rupanya, apa yang kita tulis tu sebenarnya ada jugak orang yang bagi perhatian. Selama ni I tulis sesuka hati je. T__T

Soo, let's take a peek on what I've got from them!!

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TADAAAAA!!!!!

A picnic basket. Lengkap dengan dinner set untuk 4 orang.
I love the bright colour. Dari jauh dah boleh nampak.

Having that curious little cat in me, I really can't wait to put my hands on them so I opened the box excitingly. haha. Best tau tak main susun-susun pinggan dalam bilik. Rasa macam kembali berumur 7 tahun walaupun umur sebenar adalah 27 tahun. ;)

Jom pergi picnic! Barang dah lengkap.
Tinggal makanan je belom. haha. :p

To Kak Fish & family, Fatin, Rem and Kerul, I sincerely want to thank you guys for granting my wish to become true. I love every bit of my birthday having you guys around. Thank you thank you! :)

Cake from our super mommy, Kak Fish.
She never failed to impress me with her baking and decorating skills.
Alamak, gambar last tu lupa nak cover gusi. kehkehkeh, :p

Introducing my neighbours at Catherine Street

Assalamualaikum,

Apa khabar semua? Mesti seronok dapat cuti panjang kan? How I wish the long weekend is actually longer than what we had. Meanwhile, I do feel bad for not being very productive during the short break. But hey, it is Hari Raya kan? We should celebrate it! I just need to promise to work a little bit harder after this.

Anyway, our Aidil Adha celebration in Wollongong has not been really bad after all. Macam biasa, malam raya tu sibuk beramai-ramai prepare juadah untuk makan masa pagi raya. Takde la apa sangat pun. Cuma gathering kecik-kecik sesama sendiri memandangkan gathering besar-besaran untuk semua warga Malaysia ditangguh sehingga hari sabtu.


Pagi raya tu pulak, kami pergi solat dekat Stadium Hoki Unanderra. Semua masjid di kawasan sekitar Wollongong bergabung dan solat raya biasanya memang buat kat sini. Kawasan yang sangat luas, cukup untuk menampung komuniti umat Islam di sini.


Lepas balik solat, kami buat gathering kecik-kecik dekat rumah I. Cukuplah untuk menggembirakan hati sesama sendiri. Bila jauh di perantauan, sahabat handai di sini lah yang jadi saudara. Semua dah macam adik beradik sendiri. Ohh, I ni termasuk dalam golongan yang paling 'dewasa' di kalangan orang bujang dekat sini, so adik-adik semua dijemput beraya dengan kakak ye. Tahun depan 'kakak' dah takde. hahaha. :p

Kawasan kejiranan No 9, Catherine Street. Very kampung like kan? :)

Kami yang gembira di pagi Aidil Adha.

Ahli unit 1 dan unit 3. Selang sebuah rumah je.
Anyway that's my house at the back. My room is second from right. :)

Antara tetamu yang datang.
Masak lauk bahagi-bahagi. Pastu kumpul makan kat sini.

Residents of Catherine Street.
From right: Ayie, Ajib, Fatin, Usher,Ilyas, and me.
And then Kerul and Zaki bakal di recruit menjadi ahli mulai tahun hadapan. :)

Then, esoknya pulak baru gathering besar-besaran anjuran MAS UOW 2012. Time tu baru jumpa semua orang termasuk yang berkeluarga. Our community has tremendously shrunk compared to the first time I arrived in Wollongong more than three years ago. But it's okay, we still had a good time even only with the small number of people. Remember, quantity does not really matter at times, but quality always is. :)

Is life possible without a computer?

Assalamualaikum,

Wah sedar tak sedar hari ni dah cukup 3 minggu kita berpuasa kan? Time flies very quickly sometimes I wish I could pause it for a while. huhu. Tak terkejar rasanya masa yang ada sekarang ni. :( Alhamdulillah setakat hari ni I masih lagi berpuasa penuh dan dapat terus menikmati kelebihan Ramadhan musim sejuk di Australia. Alangkah indahnya kalau tak payah ponteng puasa tahun ni kan? :)

I went off to bed quite earlier than usual for the past few days. Biasanya pukul 11 or 12 macam tu baru I siap-siap nak tido, tapi ni dah masuk dua malam I masuk tido around 9-10 pm. You want to know the reason why? Sebab computer I buat hal so tak boleh nak spend masa golek-golek sambil online sebelum tido. Serve you right Amirah! Reti pulak nak tido awal kan? haha. :p

Sekarang ni asalkan I on je laptop, dalam tempoh sejam mesti dia terpadam sekurang-kurangnya dua kali. Kalau sekali sekala takpe jugak, tapi kalau hari-hari memang boleh bikin hangin satu badan tau! I know there must be something wrong with it. I rasa dia marah or merajuk la sebab I asyik sebut nak beli laptop baru. Huahuahua. Jangan la merajuk sayangggg!! Memang la teringin nak beli laptop baru but definitely not now! I still need you to be good to me until the end of my studies. At least. huhu.

Sebab dah tak tahan dengan laptop yang kejap mati kejap hidup ini, makanya terpaksa la I hantar dia pegi jumpa dokter kat sepital. Urghh, life must be so dull without my computer at home. huhu. Tak boleh nak buat kerja kat rumah dah satu hal, tak bole busybody kat facebook, tak bole tengok movie, tak bole layan youtube. Ohh nooo!! Macam mana nak skype ni??? ;O 

Hisshh, tengok la tu manusia zaman sekarang. Takde computer rasa macam hilang segala-galanya. Buruk betol perangai! Cuba duduk diam-diam baca Al-Quran banyak-banyak. Elok la tu laptop buat perangai di akhir-akhir Ramadhan ni kan? Dapat puasa mata dan telinga daripada tengok or dengar benda-benda yang tidak sepatutnya. T___T

Ohh speaking of the doctor for my computer, I nak pi hantar dekat Kerul mintak dia tolong godek-godek kan pape yang patut. Selamat ada tukang repair computer yang handal kat sini kalau tak mati aku nak kena pi hantaq kat kedai. hoho. Anyway, it is his birthday today!! So happy birthday tuan doctor! Style jugak kasi hadiah laptop masa birthday orang kan? Tapi bukan bagi terus la, mintak tolong repair jeee. hakhakhak. :p

Kerul on his birthday last year. 09/08/11
Walaupun rasa bersalah tapi nak letak gak gambo ko pakai spek gedabak ni. hahaha. :p