Wednesday, December 29, 2010
My Tefal My Dear
Friday, December 17, 2010
Pilihlah Yang Terbaik
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wisdom of New Year
Girl Power Giler
Wednesday December 8, 2010
Zeti first woman to get Tokoh Ma'al Hijrah award
PUTRAJAYA: Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz was named Tokoh Ma'al Hijrah 1432H at the national-level celebration of the Muslim New Year at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here yesterday.
Zeti, 63, is the first woman named as the recipient of the award since it was introduced 24 years ago.
The award comes with RM100,000 in cash, medal, plaque and certificate.
Interestingly, Dr Zeti's father, Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid, was the recipient 11 years ago. He was present at the event to see his daughter receive the award from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.
Speaking to reporters later, she said: "This will be an encouragement and inspiration for me to continue to work hard."
Saying he was very proud of his daughter, Ungku Aziz said her success was due to her own hard work.
He said he had never told Dr Zeti what studies or job to take up as he believed she should make her own decisions.
"I always gave her the freedom to decide. She chose what studies she wanted to pursue and the areas she wanted to carry out her doctorate in," he said.
The award recognises her work in enhancing the national economy and developing and transforming the country's financial system into one that is competitive and strong.
She also led the country out of the economic slowdown and ensured Malaysia's continued economic growth.
Her contributions have not been limited to within the country as she has also played an important role in developing financial cooperation in the region.
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Dr. Zeti said as well that this is a motivation for women to achieve greater heights and strive for excellence. I heard it over the radio this morning and she was talking inspirationally to all women out there. Why the heck the newspaper talked about the father's view point??? I bet the reporter for NST is a man.
She said that women at work must prove that we can also excel, same as our male counterpart. Just like at Bank Negara, the Timbalan is also a lady and the 2 Ketua Penolong Pengarah, guess what...are also ladies....huhu.....I wonder what she'll do with the 100k.....beli gold bar ke, beli tanah ke, beli amanah saham ke, or she'll spend it for overseas trip ka, wow....best nyer dapat rezeki terpijak like that.....this is 1 hell of a lady that deserves highest amount of respect from male and female in Malaysia. Thoughts for the day.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Hermoine the Girl
Friday, December 3, 2010
Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti?
Ramlee was poached and enticed to return to Malaysia which he did in 1964. Wrong step it seems. All promises "back home in Malaysia" were not kept by his new masters. Sounds very very familiar here.
By The Ampas Man
Question: Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti?
Answer: Not in Malaysia
Those who watched the heart wrenching P. Ramlee documentary on the History Channel on 31st October 2010 must have gone to bed with a heavy heart. It transpires that Malaysia's one and only film icon had died penniless and shunned by the public including his own colleagues. And the way it was done appears to have uncanny resemblances to what's happening today in Malaysia, almost 45 years after Ramlee returned to Malaysia.
The documentary, narrated by British actor, Timothy Watson and 12 years in the making included precious interviews by some of his friends, actors and actresses who had passed on. The underlying tone was one of profound melancholy.
Ramlee, borne out of poverty along Caunter Hall Road at an Achenese community in Penang, had to endure a brutal Japanese occupation whose schools incidentally inculcated a certain discipline in him. In his formative years then, this discipline proved crucial as a founding platform for his eventual brilliance, creativity and innovation in film and music.
He subsequently gained phenomenal success at Shaw brothers' Jalan Ampas studios in Singapore. His success at Jalan Ampas was the apparent result of the studio's incredible milieu of experienced film crew, choreographers and directors which the Shaw brothers had assembled from India, Hong Kong and Indonesia. With the load of management and finance off his shoulders, Ramlee was able to thrive and focus on his talent of creating music, acting and eventually direction, screenplay and editing.
The Shaw brothers invested and created such a conducive environment at Ampas that Singapore became the mecca for the Malay film industry for an entire genre of actors and actresses from the whole of the Malay Archipelago from Pontianak, Penang to Medan. Apart from Ramlee, Ampas provided careers for other actors and actresses like Nordin Ahmad, S. Kadarisman, Ahmad Daud, Normadiah, Saloma and Saadiah.
But this talent could not have been developed without the expertise of directors such as B. S. Rajan, L. Krishnan and Phani Majumdar. Directors such as Majumdar already had something like 15 years experience in directing films in various languages in Calcutta and Bombay before they came to Singapore. It was on this wealth of experience that the Malay film industry flourished.
Majumdar directed Ramlee in "Anakku Sazali" which won Ramlee Best Actor in 1956. And when Majumdar returned to India, he discovered another great Indian actor, Feroz Khan and directed Khan in his first big hit "Oonche Log" in 1965. Yes it was happy times then at No.8 Jalan Ampas and Boon Kheng Road. But it had to end. Or so it seems.
Things appear to have taken a turn for the worse during the confusion of the Malaysia-Singapore separation in 1963 when Lee Kuan Yew had trouble reigning a tight leash on Trade Unions involving Lim Chin Siong, and his own PAP leaders led by Che'Awang and Devan Nair. Ramlee appears to have been an inadvertent victim of the unions' unreasonable demands leading Shaw brothers to call it a day at Jalan Ampas when they couldn't keep up with unions' demands for higher pay.
Other views suggest that Ramlee was poached and enticed to return to Malaysia which he did in 1964. Wrong step it seems. All promises "back home in Malaysia" were not kept by his new masters. Sounds very very familiar here. Merdeka studios was poorly equipped and its rookie staffing meant the legend had to multitask which ended up eventually in him churning out shoddy movies. All 18 movies he directed in Malaysia flopped. Sounds like the same stories we hear from some of our Malaysians "trying" to return home from overseas.
Ramlee lost his glitter, his money and apparently so his fame. His partner and colleague, H.M. Shah, tried to form a company called PERFIMA to enable Ramlee to relaunch his career and produce his dream of colour films. But PERFIMA apparently ended up in the hands of inexperienced and connected cronies leaving the talented Ramlee then, as in now, even as a Malay, blatantly unrecognized, ignored and out in the cold.
The documentary brutally exposes how Ramlee tried in vain to set up P. Ramlee productions, but was again shut out by this country's media and entertainment industry including RTM. He had to sit in the canteen at Ankasapuri while Saloma had her own show in RTM! He could not secure any government aid, grants or "Private Financial Initiatives" despite his passion for Malay music and culture.
He tried to reinvent himself and sought a bank loan – but was rejected! With his wealth of experience and in his early 40s then, he should have easily qualified. Poor Ramlee didn't know that in Malaysia it is the "know who" that counts then the "know how". If he had known George Tan from the Carrian Group then, Ramlee may have received a few million from BMF without even having to pay back. Or he should have "nurtured" some connections like how Daim, Halim Saad, Tajuddin Ramli, Syed Mokhtar and Amin Shah did.
Ramlee by now, tragically stressed out, overweight, disheveled, completely down and out with passion and spirit broken, had to now do almost any job he could including running mahjong tables and singing at weddings and other functions to put food on the table for his family. He had to live on rice and eggs. It was truly Air Mata di Kuala Lumpur for Ramlee. A court summons a day prior to his death for being a guarantor finally tipped the balance and done him in when he suffered a massive heart attack and he died on 29th May 1973 at the age of 44 years.
On the day he died, there was no rice in his house. And Saloma had no money for his funeral. The man and legend, P. Ramlee paid a very heavy price returning to Malaysia. The country just did not have the infrastructure, manpower and expertise to accommodate his enormous talent. He would have been better off in Singapore even with the unions there. He would not have gone broke in the club and wedding scene there and perhaps Singapore TV could have given him a break as compared to our own RTM. All the belated accolades and titles were a waste of time as far as the man himself was concerned. He died hopelessly broke and broken.
The documentary is not only an eye opener but a very good case study for anyone contemplating returning home to Malaysia. Whether you are a scientist, engineer, accountant, doctor, etc beware of the conditions enticing you to return. If your kid is an aerospace engineer, a naval architect or a transplant surgeon, it's a no brainer that he /she should not return at all unless you are absolutely sure the country has the infrastructure and skilled manpower to support these fields. Don't believe in these stories that you should come home to "help" and "develop" your areas of expertise. That's not going to happen. That sought of thing will only go to the chaps who have the connections. Assess any offer carefully and do not trust anyone including this government. Make certain all agreements are enforceable in Singapore and the UK .
In retrospect P. Ramlee, with no formal education but was able to compose more than 360 songs and 66 movies, probably returned to a society that was not developed nor had the brain power and skills to match up to his vision. In short he was just surrounded with a whole lot of officials and journalists with serious hang ups who were not interested in the industry itself. There was no driving force like another Shaw brothers.
And the prevailing attitude at that time and probably even now was and still is a third class mentality. In an environment such as this, no one with creativity, innovation, skills and brains can ever hope to survive let alone thrive. Its better they stay back where they can develop and nurture their talent. If a star as bright as Ramlee could be extinguished with such impunity, the rest are nothing. Ramlee and his entire family had been wiped out financially despite his immense talent. But he remains still till this day, the Malay Archipelago's cinematic legend.
With apologies.
Hancur badan dikandung tanah
Budi baik dikenang juga
Biar alam hancur dan musnah
Jasa mu tetap dikenang juga
THE AMPAS MAN
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Lifestyle Allowance?
Tuesday November 30, 2010
No staff or allowance for PM's wife
THE Prime Minister's wife does not have regular staff or contract employees working for her.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera) in a written reply that officers from the Prime Minister's Office would occasionally assist her in carrying out her official duties.
He said the Government also did not provide an allowance or fixed annual allowance for overseas trips for the wife of the Prime Minister.
"However, under the Privileges and Special Allowances of Members of Parliament (Remuneration ) Act, it is stated that she is entitled to claim for expenses such as fees, meals, accommodation, lifestyle allowance and clothing while accompanying the Prime Minister during his official visits overseas and locally," he said.
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Wow wee....if the PM makes official visits every day, locally and internationally, does that mean the allowance will snowball everyday too? No matter whether she has programs or not, the word is "accompany".
Lifestyle allowance hey........any girls don't like it please raise your hand...
Do you know under the Cost Reduction thingy my company does, if you get meals during your outstation duties, you're not entitled for the subsistence allowance? That means if you're send for a course provided with breaks and lunch, you'll get 0 for claims on that day. No matter where it is in Malaysia. Lucky you Rosmah! Fees paid for, super duper meals served, accommodation tip top, lifestyle allowance and clothing given too?????? Good God.....see how life in this world works. Life is so full of unfairness.
Just what the heck is Lifestyle Allowance? My guess would be hair-stylist - no. 1, then comes Spa, Pedicure, Manicure, Body Massage, make-up specialist, etc etc.....and clothing too??? Does that include designer bags and jewellery??? Do you think this allowance has limits?
Somebody should write a book on this. Just like the book I read - How Malaysian Government is Spending the Money. I forgot the actual title, but it was proper revelation of how they are spending my tax money. Good God!!!!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Fat Chance for JPA
Wednesday November 24, 2010
PTPTN writes off RM59m loans to top students
TEMERLOH: The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has written off RM59mil in loans to 2,162 students who obtained Class One Honours from January to July.
Corporation chairman Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said advised students to get in touch with the corporation to cancel the contracts they had signed when they were given the loans.
"Otherwise, the contracts will be considered to be still operative and they will have to settle the loans," Ismail told reporters here.
He also said that more than 190,000 borrowers had ignored letters the corporation had sent to them concerning repayment of their loans.
"I advise them to contact us or come to our office. If they fail to do so, legal action will be taken against them," he added. — Bernama
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Jeleslah gua. Dulu gua mintak dgn JPA, dia balas, pinjaman tetap pinjaman. Walaupon nama dia Pinjaman Boleh Ubah.
Daripada take legal action, and makes the lawyers even richer, why not just deduct their salary? They can be found through EPF or Tax account. Even if they own a business, they surely pay business tax right? Dia ginilah, kena selalu ingat apa yg surat tuntut hutang JPA hantar kat gua ever month tu...."Sesiapa yg berhutang dgn niat melunaskan, Allah akan memudahkan. Sesiapa dgn niat melesapkan, maka Allah akan membinasakan orang itu".
Huhu...peringatan tetapi ada nada2 jeles gitu. Beruntunglah mereka yg dapat pelepasan tu ye. Jgn lupa bagi duit kat parents lebih sikit....
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Faktor Lain Itulah Faktor Utama
KOTA BAHRU: Jumlah penganggur di Kelantan meningkat kepada 25,733 orang bagi tempoh Januari hingga September tahun ini berbanding 24,336 orang untuk tempoh yang sama tahun lepas.
Penolong Pengarah Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Kelantan, Mohamad Yaacob, memberitahu Bernama antara penyumbang utama kepada pertambahan itu ialah kurangnya pekerjaan di negeri itu.
Beliau berkata faktor lain ialah sikap rakyat Kelantan yang memilih pekerjaan atau enggan berhijrah ke tempat lain kerana mahu bekerja di negeri itu.
Mohamad berkata jabatan itu sedang meningkatkan kesedaran dalam kalangan penganggur dan lepasan sekolah dan institusi pengajian tinggi menerusi Program Penempatan Pekerjaan (3P) Azam Kerja Peringkat Negeri 2010 yang akan diadakan di sini pada Sabtu dan Ahad ini.
Katanya melalui program itu sebanyak 2,124 peluang pekerjaan akan ditawarkan yang merangkumi dalam bidang profesional dan teknikal (107); pengurusan (398); perkeranian (20); tenaga mahir dan separuh mahir (440) serta am/buruh/operator pengeluaran (1,159).
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Where's the Priority? Goodness Gracious!!!
Never too old for good sex life
KUALA TERENGGANU: Sex is not just for the young and an inaugural workshop has been organised to rejuvenate the sex lives of elderly couples in Terengganu.
A host of health specialists and geriatricians, including renowned sex therapist Prof Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi, have been invited as facilitators in the pioneer workshop to start tomorrow in Setiu. Some 300 senior citizens are expected to take part.
The pioneer workshop, a brainchild of the Terengganu Family Development Foundation (YPK) comprises a series of courses with modules exclusively designed for elderly couples to bring back the joy of sex in their marriage.
One focus was on how the participants should maintain a high level of self-hygiene and what to wear when the couples were together.
YPK director Mohd Shafaruddin Mustafa said the workshop was aimed at correcting the perception of many that elderly couples had had enough romance after being married for decades.
"Many of them are lonely although their spouses live with them," he said in an interview.
In most cases, couples had strained relationships in their twilight years as they slept in separate bedrooms and focused on other matters, mainly the welfare of their children and grandchildren.
"This is unhealthy as elderly couples could still continue to have vibrant intimate relationships especially with all kinds of therapy and health supplements available these days," Mohd Shafaruddin said.
He also observed that senior couples easily get agitated with each other, probably due to their own aging process which could strain their union.
"All these can be prevented if they were given tips on how to make their twilight years more exciting through renewed intimacies."
Mohd Shafaruddin lamented that elderly couples also seldom communicate with each other and were very embarrassed to openly talk about their health issues like erectile dysfunction or even menopause.
"Through the workshops, we hope those with health problems could seek help from a panel of health specialists. The first session received an overwhelming response, and we believe those in other districts would be just as eager," he said.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Congrats Husna & Welcome to the Real School
Friday, October 22, 2010
Release Tensen lah
Thursday, October 7, 2010
English Design My Scare
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Kisah-kisah Raya 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Ideas Please
- Blackberry - Your Foe in Marriage!
- It's Either BB or Me - You Choose!
- How Blackberry Killed My Marriage Intimacy!
- To H*** with Blackberry!!!
- How Blackberry Ruined My Relationship!
- Icon of Communication - definitely not a Blackberry!
- I Hate Blackberry!!!!
- D*** You Blackberry!!!!!
Attention and Deviation
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Bayar Bang...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Fauziah Latiff Tears in Gaza
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Ramadhan Blues
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Different Ramadhan
That is why also there are verses in the Quran which says that humankind would ask to go back to the world to do good deeds, after their death, to which Allah says - Nay, it'll never happen. Sometimes I have to keep myself reminded that on daily basis, what if this is my last day? What would I be leaving behind? One thing for sure, settle all the debts as fast as possible. That reminds me I still owe JPA some RM18k more to go, that's like half way through only. Then you have to forgive and forget. Keep your heart clean, do not keep any intention to pose revenge on anybody, that'll only make your heart bitter and absorb your internal strengths slowly. Lastly, be good to people closest to you. Your spouse, children, parents, parents-in-law, family members, neighbours, colleagues, staff, bosses, and strangers. If you cannot touch everyone's life, at least make a difference to someone. He/she may mean nothing to you, but you maybe the world to that someone.
Yesterday I went onboard VLCC Idemitsu Maru. I vowed to enter the tank where there was an incident, but the moment I stepped one foot, I felt some kind of aura....hoho...this is not good....seram sejuk tetiba makcik....it was a 30 feet tall tank, for storage of crude on voyage. The smell was just killing me. When I saw all those people working inside the tank, my goodness, thanks to Allah we are born in Malaysia, having this great wealth and opportunity to work while improving our health and lifestyle. The tank was deep, dark, smelly, and you have to do works inside there - I just cannot imagine. That's why only foreign workers want to go there. They have to do it since they have no choice. Either struggle to make up a living in this condition, or go back home and suffer. Poor those workers. It just made me feel that English language should invent a better word for "gratitude". Alhamdulillah version in English, anyone?
Today marks Husna's first attempt to fast, she's 6 this year, it is high time already. I woke her up at 5.ooam just now, at first she was saying "Ngantuklah...", then I tried to pacify her. "Look, tomorrow you cannot eat and drink during the day, so you better eat something now". Even from last night, she kept on complaining that "kalau tak makan, nanti boleh mati". Then I told her Ayah and Mama tak mati pon....I also told her that she cannot get angry at people, and to speak less words. She still wonders how it would feel like not being able to eat and drink. Well, she did ask whether she can drink only, sorry girl....try nak uji pulakkk...yg puasa boleh minum jer tu kalau tak silap agama hindu saja. Kalau tak silap la.
Hence, for this year Ramadhan, may Allah grant His blessings to all of us. AMIN.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Mindboggling Solution to Pelajar Hamil & Kahwin Bawah Umur
Saturday, August 7, 2010
MDP-31 in Memory
Bila Tujuan Tidak Jelas..
Thursday, July 15, 2010
12 Years and Still....
But this year, it is quite special I guess. I am stuck here in Bangi for 2 weeks, attending a course which is supposed to enhance my management skills. It is also nice, since workload in the office has been really crazy. Escape as you may call it, it is heaven for me as of today. Sometimes we need that variety in life. Routine kills.
Just now at the Ice Breaking, my partner told the class that my favorite food is Keropok Lekor. Straight away the trainer said, "You must not be a Ganu person, coz Ganu people take that food as staples!". Betullah tu. That's why I am married to a Ganu man.
This morning at the new Senai Airport, I tried the kuey tiaw goreng with telur mata at their cafe right before that departure gate, coz I was really starving. It looked good from the glass. I was eating half way, then only I realized that it was "plainly tasteless". So I went to the counter girl, asking for salt or some sauce. She said,"Takdelah Kak". That's it. RM7 quality of an airport food. They say never complaint about airport's food. True enough.
Have you heard a story about a golf course which have caddies that wear no bra? Gosh...the men would be very excited...imagine after 2-3 rounds of hitting the ball, when the caddies start to sweat....huhu....but it was a joke. The caddies are indeed men, that's why no bra. That's a new joke I heard at the dinner table tonight.
This Sunday insya Allah I will be meeting with Yatie Pitt and Nikki Taylor. I last met them in year 2002, I think. Wow, how time really has passed. Suddenly we are these Gen-X people trapped in the craziness of fulfilling needs of this modern life, busy with kids and career, but one thing for sure, I want to ask Yatie how's life now by still being single. Or she has somebody but she's not telling. Biological clock is ticking, better hurry.
You know this book of Dale Carnegie, I am like obsess with the lessons which I need to apply. Actually I have to record down how I apply those lessons to my daily working. It has turned into obssession. Even though it's good, I hate it. Well, I need to provide update to HR again in December. So better start to record it down.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
ESQ Training Must Go On
Friday, June 11, 2010
Conclusion of Part 1 of DC's Book - 6 Ways to Make People Like You
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person's interest.
- Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
- When we listen to people, it implies that the person is important. That's exactly what human beings are craving - the sense of being important.
- Many people fail to make a favorable impression because they don't listen attentively.
- People who talk only of themselves think only of themselves.
- To be interesting, be interested.
- Focus on what can catch the other person's enthusiasm.
- Talk about an enlargement of his life.
- The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
- Human beings crave for appreciation as much as they crave for food.
I have to learn to say more "Thank You", and show that "You mean a lot to me". Everybody around us is as important as our family member, even if they are just the cleaners in the office, the security guard at the gate, the cashier at the counter, the officer at the bank, the attendant at the petrol kiosk, and all those people....I just have to learn to be more friendly.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Can Men Really Do Cross Stitch?
Friday, May 21, 2010
All I Want To Do is Have Some Fun
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dato' Bung Kena Jail
Sunday, May 2, 2010
I'll Be Back
My days now are full of drama. There are just so many people and so many events which have caused the days to be sooooo unpredictable. I have to clean up my inbox almost 5-6 times a day. That is like 20-30 emails in a day. This life is far more complex than the life of Marty Kane, the imaginary figure I had to be while being assessed a few months ago. That excludes knocking on the door asking for approval and people seeking for a short eye-to-eye talk with me. Phewww....meetings and more meetings...ahah... I guess this is a welcome to the world of real business.
It's a short term quick thinking while balancing the needs for long term strategy to be realized. Where on earth to find the time to do that planning and strategizing? During weekends. Forget it. Weekends are time for Tesco, Danga Bay, Taman Bunga, Facebooking, etc etc. Tak termasuk lagik kisah bibik gosok tuala mandi...uhuh...tetiba jer bibik ni dah nampak tua. Maybe masa masuk dulu dia pakai inai, so people believed when she said she was in her 40's. Aku rasa umur dia ni dah 50++ lah.
Dah tak boleh cakap lelebih pulak. Ada orang kata aku dah start cari gaduh. Kata lah apa nak...yg penting niat saya ikhlas. heh heh...aku paling tak suka bila temubual artis bercinta kata "kami sedang mengenal hati budi masing2" sedangkan satu dunia dah nampak mereka holding hands at the red carpet tu...aku sokong kata si Joyah, kahwin jer la...amende nya lagik nak kenal hati budi....tak paham aku la...bagi alasan biarlah logik sikit.
Ini kes dah mula merapu sebab otak berserabut. Kesian kawan aku. Ex-hubby kata investment yg ex bagi dulu tu kira dah cukup utk mutaah dan edah. Mana boleh kira gitu bang oiii...duit masa kawin, kira sedekah atau hadiah la kat isteri. Bila dah pisah, kena lah bayar asing. Ini ada pulak mintak balik. Itu kira buruk siku tu. Camne orang tua2 boleh kata buruk siku eh? Kenapa tak buruk kepala ke, buruk tengkok ke, apsal buruk siku? Kesian betul kawan aku yg sorang ni. Lepas tu pulak aku yg jadik ejen untuk that investment. Kira aku pun enter frame gak kat kes dia nih...inilah namanya dugaan. Sungguh hebat dugaan kawan aku nih.
Ala...aku nak tulis byk lagi nih...tapi si Huda ni merengek nak main game...padahal esok sekolah....berebut laptop dgn anak...