Loving It.

For someone who loves surfing the net, the iPad makes it very convenient for me. Having said that, yup, I admit, I’m now a proud co-owner of an iPad (Other co-owners: Hubby and Shafiq, of course) We somehow or rather managed to get hold of the last available set of the 64GB model with WiFi + 3G at VivoCity last Saturday. (a day after the official release)

An extremely happy and excited Shafiq 

outside the Apple authorized reseller in VivoCity 

with the family's new iPad.

The iPad’s are selling like “goreng pisang panas” and most iPad models have been sold out on the first day of its release here in Singapore.

As we do not want to be labeled “kiasu” like the rest of the new iPad owners in Singapore, please be assured that we were not part of the hundreds (could be thousands, not really sure though) of eager customers queuing outside the 30 Apple authorized resellers last Friday (July 23, 2010), the official launch date of the much awaited iPad here in Singapore. I have read in the papers that many resorted to playing truant and taking time off from work just so that they could get their hands on the iPad. Some even resorted to queuing up outside the Apple stores as early as 6am. Talk about “kiasu” Singaporeans.

But then again, it’s not only them Singaporeans. Besides Malaysians, there are some who flew all the way from China just for the sole purpose of buying the iPads. Apparently after taking into cost of the flight tickets, it’s much cheaper to purchase the Ipads in Singapore than the ones in China. (Furthermore there’s no official launch of the iPad yet in China, so the ones being sold there are the ones bought in the US. Just like in Malaysia and other countries where the iPads are not officially released yet)

The WiFi-only models is selling for SGD728, SGD878 and SGD1,028 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models respectively. As for the iPads with WiFi and 3G connectivity, is selling for SGD928, SGD1,078 and SGD1,228 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models respectively.

As I do not own an iPhone or any smartphone ( I do own a Nokia N97 but I hate it coz it is giving me so much of problems), the iPad is indeed a wonderful devise with a very sleek design (basically an oversized looking iPhone) plus easy to use features, does not weigh as much as a Macbook/laptop with a big enough screen to make it easy for me to surf the net, check my emails or just toy around with their fabulous applications. I have never been a fan of surfing the net using mobile phones as the screens are way to small for the likes of me. As it is also very thin and light, it fits nicely into my handbag. Plus I don't really have to worry about the iPad running out of power as it has 9-10 hours of battery life before you need to recharge.

Furthermore, when I surfed the net yesterday for some new recipes to try out, I no longer have to print out the recipes or write it down anymore. I just bring the iPad to the kitchen. Talk about convenience. 

The iPad. I sure am loving it. :D

Pics from our Gold Coast Trip (Part 2)

With the non stop smses received from a particular family member last night pertaining to my previous entry "Happy But Sad", here's my reply, "yes my dear. you're forgiven. (:p)" After all, how long can a person stay mad at a family member, right?

Anyway, as I have nothing much to say today, let me share with you more pics from our (not so recent anymore) trip to Gold Coast. :D

Getting ready for some whale watching. Shafiq & Daddy in front

of the the big "Whales in Paradise" signage.

On board the vessel that will take us to the "whales".

The view that greeted us as we cruised along the river 

before embarking into the big ocean.

 

Homes of the Rich and Famous along the Nerang River. 

Guess which is Jackie Chan's holiday home in Gold Coast? 

(Answer: the one with the boat!)

 

Spotted! The Humpback whales.

Shafiq and Hubby's happy faces after managing to spot the whales.

After whale watching. more animal watching activities.
This time around, at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

   Kangaroo feeding time.

Shafiq with his little camera. (Following Daddy's footsteps)

A trip to Australia shall not be complete without a glimpse of the koala.
(Isn't it adorable?)

Like Father like Son. Don't they look so alike?

weeeeee...... Look at me Mummy....

Outside the entrance to Sea World.

  

Sea Lion Theater at Sea World presents : "The Fish Detectives".

   

The amazing dolphins at Sea World's Dolphin Cove.

 

Shafiq & Hubby trying their luck at the games booth.

Look, Mummy! We won something.

   

The very boring live adventure show of "Pirates Unleashed".

 

 

Shafiq, Shafiq and Shafiq. :D

Shafiq with his "wanted" poster,
taken at the Pirates Photo booth.

Spectacular view of large sharks, stingrays and exotic tropical fish
through three 10 X 3 metre windows at Sea World's Shark Bay.

  

At South Bank. Brisbane.

 

With Hubby's friend, Hammer. A very nice guy. 
He's the reason we drove from Gold Coast to Brisbane.
He's been wheelchair bound for the past few years
 due to a jet ski accident.
Nevertheless, a very positive and optimistic person.
Although he was busy with doctor's appointments and 
physio sessions, he made the effort to meet us for lunch.

The car we rented to ferry us around Gold Coast and Brisbane.

There you have it folks. The last photo from our Gold Coast album. Till my next entry, have a great evening ahead.

Happy But Sad.

Is it possible to be happy about something and yet at the same time experience some feelings of sadness and disappointment?

I just received some fabulous news about somebody in the family this morning. I am so happy for that particular family member. But here's the thing. I got to know the happy news from another member of the family. Therefore the feeling of happiness is hinged with bits of sadness and some disappointment as well.

I really thought I share a close relationship with this so-called family member but apparently I was wrong. I guess I'm not worthy enough in that person's books to receive any good or happy news to come that person's way.

Well, so be it. If that's how you feel about me, who am I to say anything. It's your happy news, your life. 

Let's practice spelling.

I don’t recall having a tough time with the subject of Bahasa Melayu (BM) back when I was in Standard/Primary 1. But then again, it was nearly 30 years ago so I guess maybe it’s much more different now for the primary schools back in Malaysia.

Shafiq goes to the local mainstream school here in Singapore where English is the medium of instruction. However, it is part of the local education system that requires students to study their respective official Mother Tongue Language: Chinese, Malay or Tamil. Well, in Shafiq’s case, he has to take up Malay/Bahasa Melayu.

Blame it on Shafiq’s Dad aka Hubby who said that we should only speak English at home, and having attended an international school in Hong Kong, Shafiq’s knowledge of the Malay language is quite poor. However, after moving to Singapore, his knowledge  and understanding of the subject has improved tremendously. He has even started using some Malay words in his conversations with us. (Thanks to the mother tongue lessons at school) He does sound like some “mat saleh celup” though when he attempts to speak in Malay. :D

As of late, I think he’s beginning to hate the weekly “Bahasa Melayu” spelling test. I don’t blame him for hating it because I think the words are quite difficult for a Primary 1 student.

Allow me to share some of the words from his 3rd term “Bahasa Melayu” spelling list:

•              Kebangsaan

•              Penggera

•              Bekerjasama

•              Keselamatan

•              Lintasan zebra

•              Jabanah (I didn't even know the meaning of this word at first. It actually means “underpass”)

•              Taman permainan

•              Membahayakan

•              Kraf tangan (In Malaysia, kraf tangan is a one word spelled kraftangan)





And the list goes on…..




All I remembered from my Malay spelling during BM lessons was how to spell "baju", "buku", "kaki", etc…. basically a lot of 2 syllable words. Imagine if I had to learn Shafiq’s spelling list 30 years ago.

p/s: Check out my Standard/Primary 1 class photo. Guess which one is yours truly??? hehehe

I Ain't No Gold Digger.

A word of caution. Today’s entry may contain some “unfavourable” choice of words.

I posted photos from our recent Gold Coast trip on my facebook page recently. I was a bit hesitant actually as I thought I would just save the pics for my blog page instead but friends and family members who knew about our trip kept asking to see the pics.

I guess it’s normal that there are “some” facebook friends that think you are such a show off, that you just enjoy “flaunting” holiday trips overseas. Well to those so-called friends who have been harbouring those thoughts about me (and talking behind my back) “s*d off…. I don’t give a f**k”. If you are truly my friend, you should be happy for me.

Well, today’s entry is not about them actually but about a comment I received on one of the pics from the Gold Coast Album that I posted on facebook. A former schoolmate of mine posted the following comment:

“wah u so kaya lah, can go holiday and enjoy life. U married well”

I really take offence on the “u married well” bit. It’s like implying I was purposely on the look out to marry some rich guy so that I could “marry well”.

Let it be known to the world that when I first met my husband, he was just a junior entry executive earning RM1,800/USD560 and driving this hideous looking blue proton satria (loved the car but hated the hideous colour). My father in law is neither a Dato’ nor is he a Tan Sri. (Well, he did acquire the title of “Datuk” after Shafiq was born.)

I married him for the man he was and the man I knew he would be someday. We both worked equally hard, made some sacrifices along the way to get where we are today.  I am very proud of what my Hubby has achieved, which enables the family to live a very comfortable life, with the occasional trips abroad.

Sad to say, I personally know some people who made it a point to find somebody rich so that they could “marry well”. I have a friend who broke it off with her college sweetheart just because he came from a not so well to do background so that she could marry the son of some “Tan Sri”.  

Well, yours truly ain’t no gold digger!!!

Al Fatihah.

I lost another family member today. My Mom’s youngest sister, “Noraini Haji Shaari” whom to me is my “Mak Uteh” passed away this morning due to a car accident on her way to work. She just turned 50 recently on July 2 and leaves behind a husband and five children.

I couldn’t get much detail of what actually happened as my Mom couldn’t stop crying on the phone. I understand my Mom’s pain. (How I wish I could take the pain away from her) First, it was my late Dad, nearly three years ago and now her baby sister.

The last time I saw my late “Mak Uteh” was at my brother in law’s wedding last year. I remembered her asking me to make time to go back and visit her at her home in Kemaman, Terengganu. I promised her that I would find the time to visit her but I never did. 

Now it’s too late.

Please forgive me “Mak Uteh”.

Al Fatihah.  May Allah bless your soul.

You will always be in my prayers.

Much Ado About Blogging.

I envy those who could practically blog about anything under the sun. Yours truly, a “wannabe blogger” has a lot she wants to say/blog but somehow or rather seem to lack the drive/determination to sit in front of her Macbook and type her heart out. That is why to those of you who are kind enough to grace this page of  mine(or maybe a bit unlucky to accidentally stumble upon it) would find lots of photos to see instead of words to read.

Not many of my family members and friends are aware of the existence of this so-called blog of mine. Only those whom I feel that I could trust, i.e; those I know who will not judge me by the things that I say on this personal space of mine, have been informed. (Let it be known, that these selected few are indeed very special people. Hehehe) As to those of you, who have somehow stumbled upon this blog someway or another, I bid you all a very warm welcome.

I have so many things that I want to blog about. Sometimes, while I’m driving, all of sudden, an idea would just hit me. I’ll get so excited and start saying things out loud. (Thank Hubby, our car is heavily tinted, so nobody can see this crazy woman driver talking to herself) However, upon reaching home, the so-called idea remains an idea as I go about finishing my house chores. (Although I have a maid, I still have to attend to a lot of things at home. Basically, re-doing things the maid did! urrgggghhhh)

My Hubby recently shared with me (something that I never knew about him) that he was once an active blogger and claims that he was quite a famous one. (Whatever you say, darling! I believe you. :p) He said that he made many friends through blogging and suggests that I do the same. Here’s the thing. How do you do that?

Well, Hubby said that I should start reading loads and loads of blogs and start leaving comments. Sounds easy but the thing with me is that the blogs I read are basically blogs of people I know. Therefore, I’m very okay with leaving my “2 cents” worth of comments in their respective blogs. How do you leave comments on the pages of unknown bloggers? Call me an introvert, but I’m kind of afraid that I might say the wrong things. I guess that’s the ways of the blogging community but yours truly is a bit skeptical about it. Maybe I should start taking the plunge soon .

I am still a newbie with this whole blogging thingy. Still afraid of entering the blogging world, full force. I guess it’s now or never.

Hey to all you bloggers out there. Mrs Z is coming your way. (huh???)