Watashi?!

Hi all, ‘hisashiburiiii’…I have decided to move out of here for a little while (Don’t know how long i will be gone). The new (old) address is here.

John Mayer is coming down to the Mornington Peninsula April 8 for the Point Nepean music festival!!! Other  acts include Missy Higgins, Ben Harper, The waifs, Ben Kweller and others…Oh how i’d love to go…Maybe Mayer would like to pop in to Wallace for a drink on the way to Portsea…*sigh*

I’ve been on holidays for a
whole month and a bit already. Yup. Yesterday was the first time in a while
where I actually went out for a real quality day out.

He picked me up, and took me to this Mongolian BBQ for lunch. Now i’ve eaten at a  Mongolian style place before and I’ve been to
a  few variations on BBQ eateries (yakiniku places, teppanyaki, Korean etc etc) but none quite like the one we went to.

It was an all you can eat place, which offered a lunch time special, which we
thought we would take advantage of at around noon yesterday (made sense to us,
as it was generally lunch time in most places of the world). If I wasn’t being
taken to this restaurant, by someone who had been there before, I would have
not noticed the second storey bleak location and might have walked right by it.

We ascended the dimly lit stairs to come upon a vast, spacious, high ceiling
dining area which was completely empty. Our arrival was announced by one of
those beepers that detects you when you pass some sensors at the door…It got
the attention of the maitre d (a thin, strict looking lady in a pleasant
summer dress, who hardly smiled the whole time we were there) who politely
motioned for us to help ourselves to choose a table (we chose the one with a
window view of the street below us and the big telecommunication company
building across the road).

The whole space of the restaurant was fashioned in the style of traditional Mongolia ,
with lots of timber and straw detailing (if I remember correctly). There
were framed prints of Khan, other Mongolian dynasty and scenery. The music that played in the background was also very retro and soft enough for us to enjoy steady converstaion…
It felt very much like one of those Asian eateries that you would find in a 70s
martial arts movie with young Jackie Chan and Asian gangsters. Hihihi…

So the process of the all-you-can-eat Mongolian bbq was very new indeed to
me…
The buffet housed raw meats, vegetables, sauces and condiments, which you put
in a bowl to your liking. Once you have your chosen ingredients, one places the
ingredient full bowl into the ‘IN’ window, ring a bell (to notify the chef).
The chef will then take your bowl, and put all your ingredients onto this huge,
round, concave, shield like surface, which is burning hot with charcoal and
embers underneath. You can see him tossing around your food with long
chopsticks through a glass window. Then, when the food is cooked he puts it all
in a bowl, and puts it in the ‘OUT’ window ready for you to collect and eat.
It’s like making your own stir fry!! How amusing and fun it was. hehehe…

The taste…well it was tasty…It had that authentic smoky taste to the stir
fry which most Asian places have and which you can hardly ever achieve at
home…It was a  …satisfying meal (well we did go up for seconds, and some of us thirds:p). hehehe

The novelty of the restaurant, the feeling of a different time era (retro, kung
fu fighting, flares and the Asian gangsters with moustaches going to start jumping
out factor) as well as the fabulous company I had at around lunch time
yesterday really made my day…
Thanks Boog for the Mongolian experience!

We went on yesterday to wander around Ikea (where we saw a ‘Young Diva’ and her ‘Idol’ sister =p), enjoy a sweet Fench crepe (served by a sweet authentic French lady who said "bon appetit" like a real french lady), and to watch The Prestige, which was a great movie (although the ending really was a little unethical and left a sour taste in my mouth for the rest of the day)…

What a holiday-like day yesterday was….

…Tonight we adopted a tiger…

Today i worked for almost six hours…It was so hard waking up this morning to get to work as i got home quite late last night…and, i wore the wrong shoes!!
I wore a dress to work today becuase it looked quite sunny from outside my window this morning…How decieveing the sunshine was…it was so chilly out!! Icy…Argh Melbourne weather…Lucky i had stockings on!
Work was quiet…We had heaps of browsers, mostly young teenagers trying on glasses that were way too big for their faces…I always get paranoid now everytime i’m left alone in the shop…especially when a group of men (in the age group of 20-28) come in ( so scared of shop lifters, coz it happened to me once before!!)…
Anyway, after i finished work, i rang papa to pick me up from Frankston…The whole fam were out gardening so when i rang the house nobody answered :p…So then i rang Agnar’s mobile and spoke to Papa…He said for me to wait outside Myer…so i did…and it was cold!! I waited tehre, watching all these passers by…ladies with shopping bags and prams, people in their work uniforms also waiting for their lifts, a guy that had a freshly engraved tatoo on his arm even walked by…The tatoo still looked red…raw…it looked ouchies for sure!…I waited outside prob for a whole 20 minutes…The girl sitting on the bench across from mine had already finished two cigarettes while i was there!! So i rang home again, Agnar answered " Ka, has papa left to pick me up yet?…"…"Na.." ehuehuehue..Papa had gone straight back to gardening and had forgotten about me :p…ehuehueheu…Papaaa, papaaaaa…so when i got into the car once Papa came, the heater felt so good and i told Papa about the guy with the ‘tat’…
When i got home i decided to have a little nap before i attempted to study…so i did…when i woke up, my family all looked dressed up like they were going out…and they were…ehuehuehe…(thanks for waking me up!! :p) So that left me home alone this Saturday night, to study…I love being home alone…but then i get scared easily too…(hmm susah :p) I studied in front of the tv, i made myself some indomie for dinner, uu and i went to Blockbuster and rented Take the Lead (at last!), Walk the line (at last), and Lindsay Lohan’s Just my Luck (just coz it was a movie deal package thingo :p) I watched Take the Lead (to sneak in a little break) and loved it :p…Antonio was so smooth (heuehue) and the dance moves so sexy, makes you want to go out and take up ballroom!!…Don’t know when i am going to have time to watch the others…but oh well :p
BTW…it’s daylight savings already…dont forget to put your clocks one hour forward…i thought it was only 1:21am, but in reality it is already 2:21…Yikes!…Lucky a friend reminded me today coz exams start this week…(wish me luck!!)…One hour less sleep tonight (great!)
Hmmm, what an unimportant posting…whatever! Night night xox

PS: I received some sad news today while at work…Innalilahi wa innalilahi rajiuun…I would just like to express my deepest condolences to two of my dear friends and their family…May your Grandmother’s good deeds be rewared in the next life…Amiin…Our doas are with you and your family…xox

You’re so sweet, you really know how to make my day…
                                    

                                           Thank you xox

1. I usually don’t study with a computer in front of me…When i write essays, yes i do my research on a computer, then i print out my findings…and then i write down what i want to write (using pen & papaer). I don’t attempt to type it up first, as i know the essay will never get done…Sites such as Friendster, msn, blogs and the likes are very easy to open at home. and for someone isenk like me, it’s a great way to spend a few half an hours…
2. I always start to feel sleepy when i study in my room…especially when, like today, my mum turns on the heater and the warm air warms my toes while i try to think…*yaaawwn*…if i study outside my room, it is too noisy…
3. I am always finding excuses to go into the kitchen, to get a drink lah, to have something to eat lah…and then i end up sitting in front of the tv for a little while, and before you know there goes another half an hour…
4. I always seem to turn on my music at home…The sweet lyrics and melodies get intertwined with the materials i need to be revising…but my room i stoo quiet without it…
5. There is always something to be done at home…little chores here and there…I could be rearranging all my clothes in the cupboard (to be colour coordinated), i could go and hlep mama in the kitchen, i could do some ironing, i could even be running little errands for mama and picking up the grocery etc…

Those are the reasons why nurul does not study at home…heuehueheue…bleh!

Every year, when the new moon at the end of the month
of Ramadan is seen, the most beautiful celebration of the year begins. Eid ul
Fitri, or Lebaran. A time where we can open a new chapter for the year, insya Allah
in a state of fitrah and purity. A time which we spend with our families and
friends and a time where we can for the first time in a month, feast while the
sun is up…hehehe…

For me,
Ramadan has always been a special time of the year that I look forward to. And
the days before Lebaran are always the most exciting.

Mama is in the kitchen baking, and cooking. The
kitchen bench is completely full with trays of cakes that have been shaped but
need to be polished and baked. My brothers, father and me polish the cakes
golden, in turn, as we cheerfully chatter about that day’s adventures. As the
trays of cake come out of the oven, the house is filled with the warm aroma of
these golden delights. Each day up till Lebaran, a different type of cake comes
out of the oven, and in turn different aromas waft through the house.

Papa and the boys are in the garden, mowing the lawns,
and trimming the colorful flowers in the garden, touching up the paint, fixing
the broken hinges, and revamping our little abode. Inside, fresh flowers
perfume every corner of the house. Our little home sparkles from top to bottom
ready to welcome a brand new Shawwal.

From malem takbiran, the Eid takbir plays throughout
the house, I can hear it from my room, playing from the living room, as I
neatly lay out my fresh new outfits for Lebaran…My brothers are in the room
next door jumping around in their still white sneakers that they consciously
chose out, at the local sports chain store. Mama is still in the kitchen,
putting the final touches on her rendang, opor, and sayur lontong, and papa is
on the phone to Indonesia telling my grandparents what time we will ring
tomorrow on Lebaran. “Allahu Akbar…Allahu Akbar…Allahu Akbar…Laa illa ha il
Allahu Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar walilah il Hamd …”…. I can’t believe how fast
Ramadan has gone. I fall asleep excited
about the next day, with the Takbir playing in my mind…

The morning of Eid ul Fitri, Mama
gently wakes us. The morning feels fresh, and however corny this may sound…
there is definitely something in the air. That feeling, that something is very,
very…special! We all get ready, excitedly putting on our Lebaran clothes. Mama
puts out the cutlery and all the food is ready for us, for when we get home
from sembayang Eid. My family then hops into the car, heading towards Monash
Clayton, for yet another Sembayang Eid. People all over the world will be
filling mosques, community centres and even fields, to pray sembayang Eid
together with their communities.

When
we get there, the Eid Takbir has already begun…The sound of the Takbir
resonates through the hall, adding to the whole atmosphere of Eid ul
Fitri…“Allahu Akbar…Allahu Akbar…Allahu Akbar…Laa illa ha il Allahu Allahu
Akbar, Allahu Akbar walilah il Hamd …” . If not yet done, people quickly put in
their zakat Fitrah, before sembayang Eid. Zakat Fitrah is compulsory among all
Muslims and can be given any time during the month of Ramadan up until
Sembayang Eid . We give zakat always remembering that everything we have is
directly Allah’s, so we are always thankful. It can also purify our acts of
ibadah and fasting during the month of Ramadan. It also helps to lighten
burdens of those less fortunate than ourselves. Any charity after the Eid ul
Fitri prayers is considered sadaqah (optional/voluntary charity).

A lot of people are already in the hall, and
already have their positions, for the sembayang Eid. Mama and I find a spot,
surrounded by familiar faces, some faces that we haven’t seen since last year’s
sembayang Eid. After a little bit of chitter and chatter with friends the
sembayang is finally about to start. The lines are straightened, the gaps are
filled, and the salat begins. After the two rakats are finished and salaams are
made, the Eid khutba begins. Just like it is wajib to give zakat fitrah, it is
also wajib to listen to the khutba after sembayang Eid. It really is the end of
Ramadan!!

After the khutba is over, it is always a challenge
finding where you put your shoes…hehehe…ah there they are, just where I left
them…woops…then we meet our parents, our tante² , our om² and
all our friends and wish them all “ Eid Mubarak”, and ask for forgiveness, for
anything wrong that we may have done, “Min alaidin wal fa aizin”… “Mohon maaf
lahir batin”…Insya Allah we can all start a fresh, in a state of purity.
Amiin**

Usually after sembayang Eid, my family and I go home,
and have family time, enjoying my mums cooking. The taste of Lebaran! Yum yum
yum… Mama and Papa give us children a little reward, for fasting in the bulan
Ramadan, as a lot of parents do in countries all over the world. After we have
eaten and gathered as a family at home, and after we have visitors we then as a family, pay our respects
to our friends, and go around to silaturrahmi. At each house we visit, another
dish is offered…hehehe…and different cakes are served…huuaaaa…by the end of the
day it feels like my tummy is going to burst…hehehe…

All around the world, these celebrations continue for
usually three days. Celebrated in many different ways Eid ul Fitri is a
celebration which marks the end of Ramadan.  It is a celebration which is full of traditions
that will be kept throughout generations and generations to come. A celebration
filled with beautiful food, family and friends. And Insya Allah Eid ul Fitri is
a time, where we can start a new chapter for the year in a state of purity and
fitrah…Amiin.

(written november 2004 at home)

EID MUBARAK TO EVERYBODY!!!

Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin

NuRuL…xox

When i ask for a trim, i mean just that (A TRIM!)…i don’t mean give me a whole new whackjob hair style that’s about ten times too short for my face…huh!

Meanwhile…i just came home from westall, where we had our Ramadan edition youth gathering (alhamdullilah all went smoothly =) )…annnndd…our last terawih for this ramadan…so saaaad…

Well am so excited for lebaran!!….Mohon maaf lahir & batin semuanyaaaa…xox

In the movie ‘The Interpreter’, Nicole Kidman sure makes interpreting look easy (well not really, as she is faced with a life threatening dillema etc etc)…anway, just in the first scene, where they are at a conference, and kidman’s character is in her interpreter’s box, live interpreting the content of the conference, with her voice being listened to through headphones…Amazing…takes some skill for sure!! How i wish someday (amiin)…
Yesterday i had my translation/interpreting subject’s final interpreting exam…it wasn’t the type of interpreting where you are interpreting simultaneously with the speaker (i wouldv’e just died probably!)…we were given a dialogue where the parties spoke japanese and english, and between each part of the converstaion there was a tiny pause (around about 1 minute - if that) where we would have to interpret what was just said. On more than one occaison during the exam, by the time i had thought of how i was going to interpret the spoken passage, the next bit of the dialogue was already playing, meaning i missed out on the first bits of information that were presented and i didn’t completely interpret the last bit of the dialogue…argh! I was so nervous throughout the whole thing (real adreanline pumping stuff :p !)…and then before i knew, it was over…just like that…(oh i hope i did alright…!!)
At the level where Nicole Kidman’s character was, in the film (interpreting UN conferences!!) there would be no excuse for little slip ups like i made!! Imagine mis-interpreting, or leaving out vital information that could effect the world…disastrous…
Apparantly if you are wanting to become an interpreter/translator in a European language, you need to be fluent in at least French, German and Spanish plus English…For interpreters/ translators of Japanese, you only need to be bilingual, and at least  be fluent in Japanese and English only.

Things that i think are vital for successful interpreting…
+ wide vocabulary…
+ excellent memory and or note taking skills
+ understanding of situations given (different language used in differing situations)
+ speed, quick reactions and quick thought process…
+ Strong morals and ethics
(just to list a few….)

I much prefer translation…as you are not put under so much pressure, to instantly come up with something…you can most of the time work at your own speed, and you can have heaps of tools with you (dictionaries, online dictionaries, internet etc etc etc)…plus, most translators work in the comfort of their own home (with literature, and material being sent to their own home! wow!).
It’s not that i ever dreamed to become an interpreter or translator..but after completing this unit…well, it has sparked some interest in me that’s all (plus i really liked Hashimoto sensei and everyone in the class!) …just another option i guess…
Well…I think we’ll leave my ever changing dreams and ambitions to another post, and leave it at that for today…Ja nee…

PS: i’m already 2 hours behind on my ambitious exam study schedule…huhuhu…will have to catch up tomorrow…