back home!!

At this very minute, im sitting on my bed(well, my bros bed) at my home bangi. Home at last. Despite traveling half the globe, my day/nite clock seems to work just fine. Got a great nite sleep last nite(which im not suppose to). Now, let me tell u abt the flight. watched goal 2, ate dinner(ayam ape ntah..x sedap), slept for god know how many hours, mkn lagi, then watched the number 23. Next thing i know, touch down!!KL!! The 1st step out of the 747's fuselage, was like stepping into a massive oven. the 10 meters long bridge connecting the door to the airport arrival lounge was blistering hot despite the weather being gloomy and supposedly windy. with my laptop and roller bag, i paved my way through countless arrival gates before i reach the connecting train to the main terminal.my parents were there waiting for me chatting to an old friend of my dad back in his office days. the local immigration check in was smooth as always. KLIA never fail to amaze me. You know how ridiculously long the q is when u check in at europe's airports, and that includes the local q as well. Here proudly to say, feels like ur a decade ahead of those in the west. Slip ur passport, wait a few seconds then press ur thumb on the finger print scanner, then off u go. no q's, no hustle and more importantly, no unnecessary questions from the immigration officers. after collecting all the bags(theres 7 of them), we went straight to the arrival exit. My brothers, sis and little hazeeq greeted us as we made our way to the carpark. n yes, its freaking hot. ok, dats about all for now. its raining outside and i mean proper rain(tropical) unlike those in uk. It feels nice to be home;) u can hear the drops gravitating its way through the forever green leaves and the smell of it, this is what i call home.

Now and back then

5 years ago: 2002

How old were you?: ~ 18

Where did you go to school?: Think i just got my spm result n bumming ard bangi

Where did you work?: ~ Told u, bummed ard

Where did you live? ~ Bangi, always and forever

Where did you hang out?: ~ I dont really hang out much back then..but if i did go out, itll be midvall or klcc.

How was your hair style?: ~ i think i had short hair as always..

Did you wear braces?: ~ nop

Did you wear glasses?: ~ no i dont

Who was your best friend?: ~ I cant really remember..good friend, yes..best...dont think so..

Who was your regular-person crush?: ~ Sadly, i dont hav any crush whatsoever.

Who was your celebrity crush?: ~ I think it was alisa milano..cant remember for wat reason.

How many tattoos did you have?: ~ 1?..haha..kidding..none

How many piercings did you have?: ~ i have enough holes on me..hahaha

What car did you drive? ~ My moms suzuki swift.

What was your favorite band/group?: ~gosh..dis is tough...its like sitting a history test. i have to pass this one..cant remember.

What was your worst fear? ~ lipas kot

Had you smoked a cigarette yet?: ~ nop..i was a clean teen

Had you driven yet?: ~ just got my license!!

Had you been arrested?: ~ ive been chased by cops 3 oclock in the morning coz of some bloody fireworks jokes that me n my mates use to play.

Had you been to a real party yet?: ~ yeah...its either new year or merdeka..cant really remember.

Had your heart broken? ~ nop....single all the way

Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: ~ single!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW : 2007

How old are you?: 23

What grade are you in?: ~ 3rd year architecture..just finnished my part 1

Where do you go to school?: ~ Dundee school of Architecture.

Where do you work?: ~ currently nowhere...looking for one though

Where do you live?: ~ Dundee, Scotland

Where do you hang out?: ~ City centre, My house, Fetty's, Rizals, and Shidi's

Do you have braces?: ~ Nop....think my teeth r alrite

How is your hair style?: ~ messy as always..just had a cut..

Do you wear glasses?: ~ I have nite driving glasses..im blind at nite.

Who is your best friend?: ~ I hav a lot of good friends...I dont like to single people out.

Still talk to any of your old friends?: ~ lately, yeah...a friend of mine is gettin married soon. So everyones talking bout it. So its kinda fun to hear from everyone after 5 years leaving highschool. Itll be exiting to meet them dis summer..hopefully.

Who is your celebrity crush?: ~ keira knightley..lot of people say she's skinny..I DONT CARE!!

How many piercings do you have: ~ I still think i have enough holes..haha

How many tattoos?: ~none

What kind of car do you have?: ~ Dont have any...I'm eyeing an Audi TT!!(I plan things 5 years in advance)

What is your favorite band/group?: ~ Foo fighters!!, Fallout boys...My chemical romance...Live..Bush..Creed

What is your biggest fear: ~ Knowing my year out place for next year is not sorted out yet.

Had you smoked a cigarette yet?: ~ yeah...once..twice..3 times...i dunno..many times..Im not addicted though..just a social smoker.

Have you been arrested since?: ~ nop....im a good citizen..or more like foreigner

Has your heart been broken?: ~ yeah...twice..once in a relationship, and another when Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the Champions league final...both are hard to get over with..haha

Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: ~ Single rowks!!!

Time flies

Finally, a new post for Mei. Have to admit, it has been a while since i last updated it. No lame excuses, just an ordinary no mood no effort kindda thing. nway, just thought about things that has happened for the past 1 month or so. Ive just finished my part one Bachelor Science of Architecture a week ago. It's been quite a battle towards the end as the project workload pretty much sucked every ounce of steam out of me. The final viva, or as we say it here as crit, was probably the best i had in this unpromising 2007. Everything did worked out as planned although there are corrections to be made. A week later, i was called again for the external reviews which consist of 2 invited architect/lecture from manchester and dublin. The crit went quite okey considering no effort nor much preparation was made beforehand. Until...the former head of Manchester uni architecture school asked me the following question...

Joe something2: So, do you have any particular reason why u chose the composite of concrete columns and steel beams?
Me: ......................................................(trust me, it was the longest pause ever).......................................................................................................................................................................................I'm not really sure. Honestly i cant remember (I knew i missed something went i went through my report project papers the nite before!!!!!!!!!)
Joe something2: Okey, next question...(with a grim smile)

There you go..what a way to end my part one. Well, i still have another two parts to redeem myself. What's important is I manage to past every module. Alhamdulillah. Could've been better, but considering a quarter of the year failed, i think a pass is good enough. There use to be a time where 100% is the main goal. And just passing is a total failure....I guess i'm not in that period nemore. Am i getting dumber or is it just the stress of the course thats keeping me down. anyway, im not gonna moan over that or anything. During the degree show on that following weekend, it suddenly hit me. Time....3 years!!! its amazing how quick time flies and we're not gettin any younger. I still remember the 1st day of Architecture, our studio is an over elongated rectangle box with a never ending corridor on the right side if ur coming from the north end. The hierarchy of year runs from north to south which consist of 1st to 3rd year. You can clearly sense the increase of maturity and complexity as u walk down from north to south. not to mention the workload. Back then, id stand facing the very far end of the studio and wonder abt the long 3 years to come. The exact feeling back in high school where u see the form 5 people running along their corridor and u just cant wait to be up there.(maybe its just me) After shit loads of work, and 3 years full of pain and joy, here i am standing at the south end looking back towards the spot where i use to stand and ponder. A half smile is more then enough to reflect the satisfaction. But that feeling suddenly stopped when i turn to my left facing the 4th and 5th years bays. owh well, i guess thats just how my life works. The anxiety on the starting grid. I guess it'll happen again when i start my 2nd and 3rd part, my career, and of coz marriage. owh, also the moment when i buy my 1st car. haha. next year's gonna be my year out. which means practical. I'm still searching for jobs here and there(mainly London), hopefully i can sort things out as soon as possible. Cant wait.

Spice up a boring afternoon with some lame jokes

Joke 1

It got crowded in heaven, so it was decided only to accept people whoever had a really bad day on the day they had died. On the first morning when the policy was employed, St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said the first man in line, "Tell me about the day you died."
The man said, "Oh it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early from work one day to catch her in the act. I searched all over the apartment and couldn't find him anywhere. So finally I went out on the balcony (we lived on the 25th floor) and found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. So I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, of course, but he landed in some bushes and lived. So I went inside, got the refrigerator, and pushed it out over the balcony and it crushed hi, The strain of the act, though, gave me a heart attack, so I died."
St Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day and that it was a crime of passion, so he let the man enter heaven.

He then asked the next man in line about the day he died.
"Well, sir, it was awful. I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment, when I slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment beneath me but then some maniac came out and started pounding my fingers! I fell, of course, but I landed in some bushes and lived! But then the guy came out and dropped a refrigerator on me!"
St. Peter chuckles a bit, lets him into heaven and decides that he could really start to enjoy this job.

"Tell me about the day you died, " he said to the third man.
"Okay, picture this. I'm naked, hiding in a refrigerator ..."


Joke 2

A surgeon, an architect an a lawyer are having a heated barroom discussion concerning which of their professions is actually the oldest profession.

The surgeon says: "Surgery IS the oldest profession. God took a rib from Adam to create Eve and you can't go back further than that."

The architect says: "Hold on! In fact, God was the first architect when he created the world out of chaos in 7 days, and you can't go back any further than THAT!"

The lawyer puffs his cigar and says: "Gentlemen, Gentlemen...who do you think created the CHAOS??!!"

joke 3

Three engineering students were discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It had to be a mechanical engineer, look at all the joints."
Another said, "No, it had to be an electrical engineer, the nervous system is just a marvel of millions of electrical connections."
The third said, "Actually, it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline right through a recreational area?"

joke 4

One morning a contractor called an architectural firm and asked to speak to an architect regarding a particular project. The receptionist, with a voice full of regret, said, "I'm sorry, sir, but the architect recently died a slow, agonizing death out on a project site." The contractor stated his condolences and hung up.About an hour later the same contractor called back and asked to speak to an architect regarding the same project. Again, the receptionist gave the contractor the bad news: "I'm sorry, sir, but the architect recently died a slow, agonizing death out on a project site." As before, the contractor mumbled his regrets and hung up. This pattern repeated itself each hour throughout the morning, until, at last, the receptionist recognized the contractor's voice, whereupon she said to him, "Sir, why do you keep calling here when you know I'm going to say the architect has recently died a slow, agonizing death out on a project site?" The contractor, exploding with long-suppressed maniacal laughter, gasped, "Because I love to hear you say it!"

Insane brief

Dear Mr Architect:

Please design and build me a house. I am not quite sure of what I need, so you should use your discretion.

My house should have between two and forty-five bedrooms. Just make sure the plans are such that the bedrooms can be easily added or deleted. When you bring the blueprints to me, I will make the final decision of what I want. Also, bring me the cost breakdown for each configuration so that I can arbitrarily pick one.

Keep in mind that the house I ultimately choose must cost less than the one I am currently living in. Make sure, however, that you correct all the deficiencies that exist in my current house (the floor of my kitchen vibrates when I walk across it, and the walls don't have nearly enough insulation in them).

As you design, also keep in mind that I want to keep yearly maintenance costs as low as possible. This should mean the incorporation of extra-cost features like aluminum, vinyl, or composite siding. (If you choose not to specify aluminum, be prepared to explain your decision in detail.)

Please take care that modern design practices and the latest materials are used in construction of the house, as I want it to be a showplace for the most up-to-date ideas and methods. Be alerted, however, that kitchen should be designed to accommodate, among other things, my 1952 Gibson refrigerator.

To insure that you are building the correct house for our entire family, make certain that you contact each of our children, and also our in-laws. My mother-in-law will have very strong feelings about how the house should be designed, since she visits us at least once a year. Make sure that you weigh all of these options carefully and come to the right decision. I, however, retain the right to overrule any choices that you make.

Please don't bother me with small details right now. Your job is to develop the overall plans for the house: get the big picture. At this time, for example, it is not appropriate to be choosing the color of the carpet. However, keep in mind that my wife likes blue.

Also, do not worry at this time about acquiring the resources to build the house itself. Your first priority is to develop detailed plans and specifications. Once I approve these plans, however, I would expect the house to be under roof within 48 hours.

While you are designing this house specifically for me, keep in mind that sooner or later I will have to sell it to someone else. It therefore should have appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers. Please make sure before you finalize the plans that there is a consensus of the population in my area that they like the features this house has.

I advise you to run up and look at my neighbor's house he constructed last year. We like it a great deal. It has many features that we would also like in our new home, particularly the 75-foot swimming pool. With careful engineering, I believe that you can design this into our new house without impacting the final cost.

Please prepare a complete set of blueprints. It is not necessary at this time to do the real design, since they will be used only for construction bids. Be advised, however, that you will be held accountable for any increase of construction costs as a result of later design changes.

You must be thrilled to be working on as an interesting project as this! To be able to use the latest techniques and materials and to be given such freedom in your designs is something that can't happen very often. Contact me as soon as possible with your complete ideas and plans.

PS: My wife has just told me that she disagrees with many of the instructions I've given you in this letter. As architect, it is your responsibility to resolve these differences. I have tried in the past and have been unable to accomplish this. If you can't handle this responsibility, I will have to find another architect.

PPS: Perhaps what I need is not a house at all, but a travel trailer. Please advise me as soon as possible if this is the case.

The truth about working as an ARCHITECT

1. You work weird (night time) -Overtime ...Just like prostitutes.

2. They pay you to make the client happy...Just like a prostitute.

3. The client pays a lot of money, but your employer keeps almost every penny...Just like a prostitute.

4. You are rewarded for fulfilling the client's dreams...Just like a prostitute.

5. Your friendships fall apart and you end up hanging out with people in the same profession as you...Just like a prostitute.

6. When you have to meet the client you always have to be perfectly groomed...Just like a prostitute.

7. But when you go back home it seems like you are coming back from hell...Just like a prostitute.

8. The client always wants to pay less but expects incredible things from you...Just like a prostitute.

9. When people ask you about your job,you have difficulties to explain it...Just like a prostitute.

10. Everyday when you wake up, you say:"I'm not going to spend the rest of my life doing this."Just like a prostitute.

..............And why am I persuing this field again?hahah

My turn to cook

As a routine, me and my housemate, nizam n mirin take turns to cook dinner for every two days. Normally it'll be some easy/express lauk ayam berkuah n rice which would cover 2 dinners. On my turn which was abt 2 weeks ago, things went rather differently. I was forced by some anonymous people to cook for abt 12 people. In Dundee, we would occasionally have a big lunch or dinner organized by certain people. But never me...until now:( heheh Thank god i just started my easter break on that Saturday and i had a pretty good week before that. So, my mood was pretty much up high and luckily for the 11 starving Dundonians, that mood catalyses the whole planned agenda. It was a briliant weekend as me,rafiz,nizam,fetty n zarif went out to catch the much talked abt movie, 300 followed by tescoing for ingredients that i need on the next morning. Owh, btw..the menu is beef and chicken lasagna with coleslaw and mash potatoes. Been craving it for quite a while. So, the cooking started rather late but fortunately i got few extra hands from my housemates plus zarif n rafiz. Things went quite well and food r served rite on time as all the guest waited/whining and chattin in MY kitchen. (sigh...its annoying..haha)So, here r some pictures to be shared.. Thanks to Nizam,mirin,zarif n rafiz for helping. And also to fetty for baking the lovely caramel pudding. To KAK lizzy for being a host catering people needs while the real host r busy eating or lepak.hehe. Kak Inda, Kai n baby Danish for coming all the way from glasgow, and also danish's nanny,Siti(heheh) Also thanks to Rizal, D, Kak Bel n Zakiah for turning up.All of us had a great time and the foods good(puji diri sendiri)haha..