The Heart Of The Matter

One of my fav songs right now. I keep listening to it over and over again like I've never been bored! Originally sang by Don Henley, the song was later covered by India Arie, the third piece from India Arie's third album;Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship.This song, means something to me. Something I'm trying to get, something I'm trying to find, something I'm trying to give; forgiveness. "The Heart of the Matter" charted on the UK Singles Chart on 1 June 2008, based on download sales alone, due to the release of the Sex and the City: The Movie soundtrack. :) So, do cherish the lyrics people..because i do!

I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear

But I knew that it would come

An old true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone

She said you found someone

And I thought of all the bad luck,

And all the struggles we went through

How I lost me and you lost you

What are these voices outside love's open door

Make us throw off our contentment

And beg for something more?

I've been learning to live without you now

But I miss you sometimes

The more I know, the less I understand

All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning them again

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter

But my will gets weak

And my thoughts seem to scatter

But I think it's about forgiveness

Forgiveness

Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

These times are so uncertain

There's a yearning undefined

And people filled with rage

We all need a little tenderness

How can love survive in such a graceless age

And the trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness

They're the very things we kill, I guess

Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms

And the work they put between us,

You know it doesn't keep us warm

I've been trying to live without you now

But I miss you, baby

The more I know, the less I understand

And all the things I thought I figured out, I have to learn again

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter

But my will gets weak

And my heart is so shattered

But I think it's about forgiveness

Forgiveness

Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

All the people in your life who've come and gone

They let you down, you know they hurt your pride

Better put it all behind you; cause life goes on

You keep carrin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside

I wanna be happily everafter

And my heart is so shattered

But I know it's about forgiveness

Forgiveness

Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter

Because the flesh will get weak

And the ashes will scatter

So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness

Forgiveness

Even if you don't love me anymore

Even if you don't love me anymore

About me?

What i think about me;

Emotional.Overreacted.Dramatic.Grumpy.Snubbish.Egoistic.Hot-tempered.Sacrastic.Stub-born.Manje.Mengade-ngade.Malas.Rude.Materialistic.Spoilt-brat.Freak.Dependant.Defensive.Moody.Conservative.Clumsy.Critical thinker.Obsessive.Sensitive.Annoying.PSYCHO :)

This is what i wrote in the 'about me' friendster section (owh how i HATE friendster!). And i think it's so describing me.What do u think?

p/s - I'm on my aim to turn my blog into a friendster testimonials/comments place.because i HATE friendster!Hahahaha~

Durian

Durian!Durian!Durian!

I surf thru the online dictionary on the definitions of 'durian' .. here what i get

dictionary.com

1.the edible fruit of a tree, Durio zibethinus, of the bombax family, of southeastern Asia, having a hard, prickly rind, a highly flavored, pulpy flesh, and an unpleasant odor.
2.the tree itself.

American Heritage Dictionary

1.A tree (Durio zibethinus) of southeast Asia, bearing edible fruit.
2.The fruit of this plant, having a hard, prickly rind and soft pulp with an offensive odor but a pleasant taste.

Wordnet

1. tree of southeastern Asia having edible oval fruit with a hard spiny rind
2. huge fruit native to southeastern Asia 'smelling like Hell and tasting like Heaven'; seeds are roasted and eaten like nuts.

Webster's

The fruit of the durio. It is oval or globular, and eight or ten inches long. It has a hard prickly rind, containing a soft, cream-colored pulp, of a most delicious flavor and a very offensive odor. The seeds are roasted and eaten like chestnuts.

p/s - It's the durian season here in Malaysia. I love when we went to our durian orchard and picked the fruits under their trees. I love chasing those squirrel too. I love eating pulut durian for my dinner. Heh, i just love kampung :) ayeem pro kopek durian! :P~

Baju Raya!

Oranje :D

testing 1, 2, 3

32

27

36

Guess what? ;) For the first time in my life i'll have kebaya for my baju raya! and that its gonna be the first in my wardrobe!Bandung made kebaya :D i went to the tailor today! can't wait to wear it~

p/s - haven't replace my fasting yet.. and i'm excited with my baju raya?haish~

Save the turtles?

Slurping time!

The ping-pong look alike turtle's egg :)

Turtles, turtles, turtles, they cry to be save...crying, crying, crying just like me!The cry is just the reaction of the salty water that irritates their eyes.Me, i cry because seeing some people happy irritates me!Some sort of stupid brain reaction!Hahahaha.. Save the turtles?yep yep they are endangered species but i cant help to love their eggs. I'm sorry :,( Izzit just enough to tell i'm sorry? Somebody come and saves me too!

p/s - ayeem = turtle ? slow and vulnerable...endangered too! hahaha~!

Chicken Chop

Maybe i'm in love with food. Maybe only food can makes me happy :) .. We (Mak, Achik and me) made chicken chop for lunch today... nyum2.. it's been a while.. few years after our last cooking together :)

Why So Serious?

Can you avenge evil and not become it?

Revenge, punishment, repay... If i was part of it, i was no different from HIM! If HE was an evil, then i was just the same; to hold the grudge, i am the evil myself! And the devil, laughing at me, like i was laughing at HIM! If a man wished to punish another man, it would be the least destructive as God's punishment... Ya Allah, please help me to forgive and to forget... Amin...

p/s - I loved Heath Ledger. I loved HIM. Heath Ledger is dead so does HIM..people I loved, RIP... Michelle Williams is moving on and i should too! Dark Knight sgt best! :) Dark Knight was arrested! :P~ hahaha

Cloudy Cloud

LCCT - Bandung Flight...clouds,clouds,the pack Indonesia from above,the beautiful islands,i see the plane's shadow, i love! :)

ayeem ; wandering around, trying to find a way to fly to the sky, free as a bird!

How sweet to be a cloud floating in the Blue!My little spirit, see, sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.Clouds may come, but clouds must go, and they all have a silver lining. For behind each cloud you know, the sun, or moon, is shining.The cloud never comes from the quarter of the horizon from which we watch for it.A cloud cannot cast a shadow unless the sun is shining beyond it. A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed...It feels an impulsion...this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons...Happiness is like a cloud, if you stare at it long enough, it evaporates but behind every cloud is another cloud. :)

p/s - A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain.

Like and Dislike

I talked to a guy... a friend of mine

He said to me...

"See that chair ayeem? If you liked that chair just give 80% of your like and save 20% for dislike, and if you disliked that chair just dislike it for 80% and save your 20% for like, vice versa.You'll never know what will happen later, things might had change, a turn over. And you'll might not regret everything that much...so does in everything..if you liked or disliked something or someone "

I just smile :) I hope it was not just some sweet talkings came out from his mouth...

p/s - "When one door of happiness closes, another opens: but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

Bandung Part VII : Paddy field

Saung Sawah, Ciwidey, Bandung

If you think life left you behind

think again ...

If you think even yourself abandon you

think again ...

Farmer works hard in the paddy field

Trying to help his family

It's not about surviving

It's about stand strong facing life

If you think you're done with life

think again ...

And if you think there is nothing left for you

think again ...

There are so much to do

to enjoy

to pray

and to appreciate

Do start again learning 'bout life from

that farmer on the paddy field

Bandung Part VI : Shopaholic's Heart

First Row : Seximo, Jalan Riau Shopping Outlet, nice interior design!

Second Row:Pasar Baru, kebaya heaven!

Third Row: Paris Van Java, the biggest shopping mall in Bandung!

Forth Row: Rumah Mode, the most popular factory outlet!

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply dunno where to go shopping! The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her. I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist. When a woman depressed, they eat or go shopping.Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking.If a men liked shopping, they's call it research. Shopping is better than sex;if you're not satisfied after shopping you can make an exchange for something you really like. If i like, i'll check my money, i'll buy, pure impulse shopping!

p/s - Jalan Dago, Jalan Riau, Jalan Cipaganti;Bandung Factory Outlets all explored!This is what we, women call exercise!Check out other FO if you were there; The Heritage, The Secret :)

Bandung Part V: Strawberry Kiss

I've already settled on a wish! At first I wanted a lifetime of supply of strawberries...but now I think I'm gonna go for a super-cute boyfriend!:)

p/s - I eat strawberries with chicken not with cream or choc shell, tho different i think they can suit each other....Just like us; you and me.

Bandung Part IV : Kawah Putih

Kawah Putih and me!

After tired of the hectic culinary or shopping tourism in northern Bandung, we visited the montane area in the south, and enjoyed the exotic panorama and the fresh, cold mountain air. The forests and tea plantations are more lush than those in the north, and offer an opportunity for natural adventures that will relieve our fatigue. Cellular signals are generally absent in the area, so we could rest assured that nobody will disturb our holiday. :) The southern tourist area of Ciwidey is located about 35 kilometers from downtown Bandung, and is quite accessible.

The first interesting site — and the favorite among visitors — is the Kawah Putih (White Crater), which looks like a lake surrounded by mountains. The water is warm and has a high sulfur content, and the sun’s rays frequently change the color of the water from milky white into bluish green.

The Kawah Putih is formed by the active volcano of Mount Patuha, situated 2,343 meters above sea level. This crater is more famous than Kawah Saat to the west of Patuha. Both craters were formed between the 10th to 12th centuries by the eruption of Mount Patuha.

Locals living around the crater once thought it to be haunted because of the many ancestral graves in the area, which was formerly called Gunung Sepuh (Mountain of the Elders). Patuha comes from the Sundanese word Patua, meaning “very old man”.

The beauty of the crater was brought to light by Dutchman Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn, who exposed it to the public in 1837. History also records that the Dutch built Zwavel Otgining Kawah Putih, a sulfur factory, in the area. During the Japanese occupation of 1942-45, the factory assumed its Japanese name, the Kawah Putih Kenzanka Gokoya Ciwidey.

Today, visitors to Kawah Putih can wade in the waters of Kawah Putih to cure minor dermatological diseases. It is said the water here can heal rashes, even eczema and ringworm.

To visit Kawah Putih, make sure that you get there before 10 a.m., because a mist descends in late morning, especially during the rainy season. The thick mist can obscure the beautiful panorama around the crater lake, the banks of which resembles a sandy beach. Nice one! :)

p/s- I still smelt sulfur!yucks~!

Don't,Don't,Don't!Don'ts!

Ppl I miss :)

Just a short commerical,not actually a commercial, just a pause in between of the Bandung stories. I went to KLCC yesterday.My main agenda was to exchange the Bandung's pictures with two of my friend, Fariza and Ayesha. I was the first to arrive so I went to hang out at my favourite spot,Kinokuniya for some book readings :) I sat on the floor between the book racks, after a while a salesgirl came and told me,"Please DON'T sit on the floor,if you want to read please go to the bench area." Ok, i'd tried to find an empty bench but all seemed non-evacuated. Alas, i still sat on the floor but just next to the bench.Aish!After done exchanging the pictures, I'd decided to go for a window-shopping with Ayesha.I met a few familiar faces, Aishah,Ron and also my TKC exschoolmate, Liyana Yasmin.I just thought KLCC is a perfect place for the tv show 'Jejak Kasih' as I'll meet the most non-expected person there.I had too much stupid and sickening memories of people in KLCC anyway.Back to the story. After a few shops of window-ing i met with Emma, Balqis and Zarith on my way. So, i stopped by, started to hug and kiss them.(4 years of silence..lame tuh!). And yet after a while, a security guard came and said "Please DON'T gather here, you are blocking the way."Ok, so, we went to KFC nearby for the long talk.Then, I went to perform my Asar prayer.During the make-up time in the surau my friends blurted something that made me giggle.Another security guard came to me and asked me "Please DON'T make noise.Be quite."Haha, Ok, another warning! :P~ So, I went outside to finish up my laugh.Lastly, I made up my mind to shop for a few blouse as megasale is still on. I went to TOPSHOP to have a look.Without an intention i leaned on a mannequin near me and yes, another salesgirl came and warned me "Please DON'T lean on the mannequin".Ok, that's it.Four warning for four hours outing.Owh anyway i managed to spend my RM200 at topshop that day.Great job Ayeem!I shud remind myself, DON'T spend too much moneyshopping!hahahaI just realize there a many DOs and DON'Ts in this life. A lot of them are man made.heh and I always get the DON'Ts!Maybe it's just me, the DON'T care type of person, or maybe i'm just born to be a rules braker? Haish. No, ayeem budak baek kan?Hahaha

maturity?

Bandung Part III: Tangkuban Parahu

Tangkuban Parahu

The scenery, amazing, just like a painting behind me! The weather, nice, perfect lighting for perfect camera snapping :)!So here goes, the camera whore and the non-potential-model-to-be in Tangkuban Parahu :P~

Tangkuban Perahu, or Tangkuban Parahu in local Sundanese dialect, is an active volcano 30 km north of the city of Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, Indonesia. It is a popular tourist attraction where tourists can hike or ride to the edge of the crater to view the hot water springs upclose, and buy eggs cooked on its hot surface. This stratovolcano is on the island of Java and last erupted in 1983.Its elevation is about 7,000 feets from the sea and it was a lil cold up there!

In April 2005 the Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised an alert, forbidding visitors from going up the volcano. "Sensors on the slopes of the two mountains - Anak Krakatoa on the southern tip of Sumatra Island and Tangkuban Perahu in Java - picked up an increase in volcanic activity and a build up of gases, said government volcanologist Syamsul Rizal."

There is a local legend of the Mountain.The name translates roughly to "upturning of (a) boat" or "upturned boat" in Sundanese, referring to the local legend of its creation. The story tells of "Dayang Sumbi", a beauty who lived in West Java. She cast away her son "Sangkuriang" for disobedience, and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods. After many years in exile, Sangkuriang decided to return to his home, long after the two had forgotten and failed to recognize each other. Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and planned to marry her, only for Dayang Sumbi to recognize his birthmark just as he was about to go hunting. In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to (1) build a dam on the river Citarum and (2) build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise. Sangkuriang meditated and summoned mythical ogre-like creatures -buta hejo or green giant(s)- to do his bidding. Dayang Sumbi saw that the tasks were almost completed and called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise. Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban perahu from the hull of the boat.

Tho there are many souvenir sold up there, the driver warned us to buy anything from them as most of them were cheating the tourist.Just imagine, the price for a stupid keychain is RM2!And the sellers were like forcing us to buy their things!My friends did buy belerang(sulfur) from the nearby stall as that the ony thing that we thot worth it to buy.Anyhow, we can't get such things from other places in Bandung City for much cheaper price as the belerang were taken from the deep down the dead volcano. They said that belerang is good for our skin. I dunno, i havent try it yet and i dun think i will because i hate the smell.It made me cough and that severe cough still not getting well even after few days at arriving in Malaysia.

p/s- I'm still *sick* today! And i think i'm addicted to cough syrup!help me!

Bandung Part II : Foods Crave

Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy!haha :)

What I like about Indonesia is FOOD. I am never choosy about food. I eat and try everything. On my visit i ended up finishing my money for food :) tho, it wasn't that expensive to eat there. I've tried Padang, Minang, Jogja and Sunda foods and they all were delicious!Teh Botol is Indonesian's favourite drink.Have a sip and you won't regret!

Ok, let me start crapping about the food, the first food i want to introduce is Nasi Mawut.Nasi Mawut means extraordinary rice. It's basically a fried rice, what's extraordinary about it is because there are noodle in the rice and a whole bunch of other unusual ingredients. There are fried shrimp ball (not shrimp, but shrimp ball), sawi (veggies), gizzard and heart (The rice then was fried with the special sauce.It's spicy and a bit sweet. It's served with pickled cucumber (acar), and Shrimp cracker (kerupuk).

Next one i want to introduce is Bakmi.Bakmi is literally translated to English as "meat noodles". Bakmi was brought to Indonesia by Chinese merchants, and is today a common dish especially in Indonesian Chinatowns. The dish has also been further developed to more closely align with Indonesian tastes. Bakmi is between Chinese style noodles and Japanese Udons in thickness, and there are several variants of bakmi in Indonesia.e.g Bakmi Godhok, Bakmi Nyemek and Bakmi Goreng.

One of my favourite food in Bandung is Mie Kocok Kaki Sapi Bakso. Mie Kocok is the special food in Bandung.Something the people in Bandung will talk about.The famous Mie Kocok includes veggie (tauge,sawi), yellow mee, soup and cow's leg.It is usually sold in hawker stalls along the road.It priced between Rp 7,000 to Rp 8000 (about RM2-3).

The fourth dish to introduce is Nasi Timbel. I myself have no idea what does 'Timbel' mean, anyway, nasi Timbel consists of rice (wrapped in banana leaf), lalapan/raw vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, long beans, Lemon Basil etc), sambal terasi (shrimp-paste chili sauce), tempe (made of fermented soybean), tahu (fried beancurd), ayam goreng (fried chicken) or gurame goreng (fried fish), empal (fried beef), and ikan asin (salted fish). This is one of my favorite Indonesian dishes, Indonesian love hot and spicy foods, most of them always include 'sambal' in their meals, tasty!

The belly rules the mind!

Last but not least, the Siomay Bandung.A light meal which has a similarity form like the Chinese Dim Sum, shaped like ice cream cone except the bottom is flat and made traditionally from mackerel fish meat served with peanut sauce. Sometimes the main ingredient can be made from prawn and other fish also. Siomay is eaten with a peanut paste, sweet soy sauce and a dash of lime juice. Other complements to siomay bandung are steamed cabbage, steamed potatoes, steamed bitter gourd and steamed tofu.

There are a lot more food to enlight here but i guess the above ' food tale' is more than enough. Other dishes that i think worth to try are; Nasi Remes, Nasi Uduk (kinda similiar with Nasi Lemak Malaysia), Lotek, Lontong, Nasi Soto Betawi, Surabi, Soto, Bakso, Batagor, Otak-Otak, Pepes ikan, Iga Bakar,Lomie, Nasi Gila, Kupat Tahu,Eskrim Durian and Kikil Cimandiri.

p/s- Food!Food!Food! I Love food!That's why ayeem gemoks!

Bandung Part I : Donuts

yep, yep donuts make me do-nuts :D

What I regonized about Indonesia is DONUTS.When I first arrived in Bandung, I could see donuts and coffee retailers everywhere; from Dunkin Donuts to J.CO Donuts. Even, there are also donuts sales in Pasar Baru!I was a lil envious as in Malaysia we don't have such.I do love donuts so much but in Ipoh i can only get Big Apple Donut, neither Dunkins nor J.COs. At arriving we went to Cihampelas Walk to get a taste of the donuts :) We stopped by at J.CO Donuts to have a bite :P~J.Co is the fastest growing donut & coffee chain in South-East Asia. As of May 2008, J.CO operates 38 outlets through out Southeast-Asian countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The company planned to expand its chain in the Philippines in mid 2008. I've tried J.CO Donuts earlier in Malaysia before. I've went to both of their franchise in Malaysia; in Pavillion KL and Sunway Pyramid, but to eat the J.CO Donut at its originate country was my first time experience, and it was like being in donuts heaven :)

p/s- www.jcodonuts.com/ get a peek of my fav donuts and webie :)

Three Wise Monkeys

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

I found this in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport gift shop. I dunno what to buy as the souvenir during my seven days visits to Indonesia at first, but after a while I found the three monkeys kinda interesting :) so i wasted my 100,000 rupiah (RM33) for these stuffs.“See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" is a common phrase, usually used to describe someone who doesn’t want to be involved in a situation. But where did the saying originate?Unfortunately, no one knows for sure how it evolved. Because the saying is typically associated with three monkeys one covering his eyes, one covering his ears, and the other covering his mouth it is believed that the saying may have its origin in a 17th century temple in Japan. The Nikko Toshogo Shrine, also known as the Sacred Stable, in Japan has a carving of three wise monkeys. Many scholars believe the monkeys were carved as a visual representation of the religious principle, “If we do not hear, see, or speak evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil." Others believe that the saying originated from a Japanese play on words. “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," translated into Japanese is, “mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru." The Japanese word for monkey is “saru", and sounds very similar to the verb-ending “zaru". It is easy to see how the saying may have originated from a fun play on words. The only problem with this explanation is that the three wise monkeys aren’t originally from Japan.In the eighth century A.D. a Buddhist monk from China introduced the three wise monkeys to Japan. They were associated with a fearsome blue-faced deity called Vadjra. It is believed that the monkeys’ gestures were a representation of a command of the deity to “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."Just as there is disagreement about the origin of the phrase, there are differing explanations of the meaning of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Some contend that it is a proverb reminding us not to be so snoopy, so nosy, and so gossipy. Others say that it is a warning to stay away from places where immoral acts are taking place. Whatever the origin and meaning of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," it is one of the most visual phrases in existence. It’s impossible to hear it spoken without thinking of three wise, but very cute, little monkeys :)

p/s - i wonder how these three monkeys came to Indonesia..wonder..wonder..world :)

Best Friend :)

I don't know what I'd ever do without you

From the beginning to the end

You've always been here right beside me

So I'll call you my best friend

Through the good times and the bad ones

Whether I lose or If I win

I know one thing that never changes and

That's you as my best friend

p/s - after 10 years and we are still together :)

Thanks Alin! :)

Chinta

Chinta by Monoloque

kau hadir bila tiba waktunya
tidak diundang tak jua di pinta
walau ku lari namun kau tetap datang jua
keranamu chinta tak mampu menahannya
aku terus mencuba untuk lari dari chinta
kerana perit terasa sengsara tanpa kata kerana dusta

chinta kau luhurkan hati ini membuat segalanya indah
walau sesekali menjengah tiba oh chinta
terasa bahagia
hanya menunggu saat dan tika

aku akan terus melangkah walau tak perlu oh chinta
aku yakin akan agungnya setianya ceritera yang tiada akhirnya

chinta abadi chinta
chinta padaNya
chinta satu
chinta selamanya

Happy

I'm just being happy today..for no reason..i dunno why, maybe it was just dis hormone stuffs :D I found dis quote..Sumthing for us to ponder..sumthing that helps me in my search for my happiness :) I do miss HAPPY..where are you HAPPY??Just smile and everthing will be fine!Aite?

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

~Marianne Williamson~