if it's my own office

looking forward to the weekends, is beginning to sound boring in itself. We look forward to the weekends and the holidays every other week too, so that is nothing new. What would be new is, looking forward to going back to the office or being sad that we will not be going back to the office for a few days.

Of couse, that will only happen if you're working in such a condusive office, which I, one fine day, hope to provide - if I ever get enough money to start on a business that I have yet to decide. How far is that..

Anyway, I envision that.. the normal working hours will be 6hrs instead of 8, which is the norm, because I'm quite adamant on not following 'norms' adopted from the west. Ok.. so, lunch hours will be 2 hours - which includes time for zohor and nap. Pillows provided. Maybe can go staggered la, if we need to. 5 day week of course. Flexible working hours with permanent hours being 11-3 - which means between 11 to 3pm, everyone must be in the office la.. full force. Work from home is an option - as long as you know you're disciplined enough to finish ur work on time and be there when needed.

If you have finished your work at the office, but need to stay in case anything else comes up, you can surf the internet or read a book - don't need to pretend to be working on nothing. (of course pornography and gambling sites will be blocked)

There will be annual leave, exam leave, sick leave, child sick leave, spouse sick leave, monthly-cramps sick leave, engagement leave, marriage leave, hajj/umrah leave, birthday half day leave (ya lah.. like what would you want to do early in the morning of ur birthday? come to work first.. who knows.. got birthday surprise at the office?)

Pay? as long as I can afford it, pay will be as per market rate, plus 13th month bonus and a profit sharing scheme.. so that the company's success becomes a part of everyone's personal endeavour. Many months bonus? insyaAllah.. kalau rezeki ada.

workers will be required, however, to keluarkan monthly donation/zakat - this is expected.

people will be employed based on capability, efficiency, eagerness to learn, honesty and sincerity and perhaps experience where required - yeap not much emphasis on paper qualification.

If a worker is found to be dishonest, or a back stabber, or one who creates discord among people at the office, he/she will be required to leave, if they don't stop and repent.

I'm serious.
IF IF IF.. i have my own office lah. insyaAllah, kalau ada rezeki.. ameen.

free

nothing much to say.
have a nice day :)

engaged to be married

i believe in marriage, pure magical marriage.

congratulations to ima!

feels like I'm on candid camera

Maybe the younger generations would not know what candid camera is. Well it's like 'Just for laughs'
But I think Candid Camera was done with the victim's dignity more intact, then the shows nowadays. Nowadays, most reality shows, would just strip the contestant's dignity to the bones - but that's another matter altogether. What I was going to say here is that, just now I felt like I was on candid camera.

I went into the pantry just now, and liza was there. As I walked towards where she was, suddenly there was a LOUD farting sound. It seem to have come from under the sink. I asked liza, 'was that YOU?' Of course I was joking. Then the sound came again.. and again, in different pitches. It's quite funny. "What IS that?" I asked Liza. And that was when I started looking around the pantry to see if there was any hidden camera.

Liza left the pantry, and the sound was still heard now and then.. (not that I suspected Liza was the one making the sounds la..). A few people came into the pantry a while later, and that sound, did not make anymore sound! Now I was really starting to think if I'm being tricked. Then the auntie came in and I asked her about the sound (by imitating it.. ceh). Then the auntie said, that sound has been coming on and off since morning. Heh.

This would have been the second time I felt like I was on Candid Camera. The very first time I felt that, was a long time ago. At that time, a boy who shared a cab with me, started panicking, as if he was going to be kidnapped - and I'm not exagerrating.
We were going to a 'Panasonic' office in Tuas. As we passed a Panasonic factory, and the cab did not stop, the boy started to panic already. He was seated beside the driver and he turned towards the driver and asked, 'Eh?! that was Panasonic right? How come you didn't stop there?' The driver said, 'No, not that one.. haven't reach yet.'

Then, just less than a minute later, we passed another Panasonic factory, and the driver did not stop. This time, the boy really panicked and exclaimed, 'Eh?! that's Panasonic also what?!?'. The driver said calmly in a fatherly way, "We haven't reach there yet.. not this one."

"But I'm going to Panasonic! Where you going?!" the boy asked the driver. Then the boy turned around towards the 3 of us ladies, seated at the back and pointed, as he asked each of us in a panicky manner, "You going to Panasonic right?! You going to Panasonic right?! You going to Panasonic right?!' I was going to grin already, but I maintained my composure, and just smiled politely instead. At that point, I actually started to look around the cab's top to check for any hidden camera, seriously looking. Didn't see any.

Since then, I've always wondered if anyone else, has ever felt 'like they are on candid camera'. It is to be in a situation, so ridiculous, like the kind that could only be made up by these trick shows.

Then I was happy and relieved to learn during an IT course, that another person HAS had that feeling too. The lecturer was explaining how ridiculously silly a guest-voice-message system was, at one of the hotels he ever stayed in. It kept repeating a question after every action required, which he felt, was so ridiculous. And the lecturer said, exactly in these words, "I felt like I was on candid camera!" At that time, he too, started to look around the room and ceiling for any hidden cameras.

I'm not alone.

Hmm.. is this a mild form of paranoia that is beginning to creep into us in this modern crazy world? Thanks to the likes of Candid Camera, Gotcha, Just for Laughs, You've been Punked and Wakenabeb?

Wa tak tau la kan.

Barack Hussein Obama's inauguration speech in full.

Barack Obama has been sworn in as the 44th US president. Here is his inauguration speech in full.

"My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

Serious challenges

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. We have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

Nation of 'risk-takers'

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

'Remaking America'

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Restoring trust

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

'Ready to lead'

As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence


Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

'Era of peace'

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

'Duties'

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

'Gift of freedom'

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. "

*source from BBC.com. Highlighted are those that moved me.*

time for patience

this morning, i felt like i didn't have time for patience. I just didn't have the time to ask slowly and gently.. i was in a hurry.. and so I was getting quite frustrated, in trying to get an answer out of Nadhrah who was crying in the back of the car. The traffic condition this morning didn't help.

She's been very reluctant to go to school. last Friday also she cried, and I brought her home, cause she said she had a headache. This morning, she was crying again. I wanted to asked her (nicely, but didn't manage) to tell me if anything happened in school, that's making her sooo reluctant to go. She was trying to answer between sobs... and we were approaching school, and the bell was going to ring, and how can I coax her and listen and comfort her in such a short time, I didn't want her to get into more trouble for coming in late.

Apparently, why she was so reluctant, is... 'ada boy suka kat nadhrah'. I asked her what he did, that she's so uncomfortable with. She said.. 'dia cakap 'bye' kat nadhrah'. Phew.. OK.

I hugged her.. and told her to buat bodoh aje the next time. Brought Eema and her, up to the school (we were in the basement carpark), then she wanted me to send her to her class row. No other parents were doing that already.. I protested, but i did.

Haih. I think I should be grateful.. that she is soo uncomfortable with that. Marlina said, probably it's quite traumatising for her at that age. She is only 7 after all. It happened before, when she was in K1 too. A boy liked her but that boy was worse.. he liked to touch her or at one point even hugged her. Itu pun, she cried and cried.. she didn't want to go to school. But for that, we managed to talk to the teacher who spoke to the boy, and probably explained to nadhrah.. and at last, nadhrah became friends with the boy.

She is so adorable. :)
I'll go back home and hug her again this evening, insyaAllah.

And I. I need to find patience in short time spans.. or maybe i forgot to remember about qada' and qadar and about being calm...I just need to be calm. Yeap. I think I'll try that tomorrow morning.

subtly dishonest

so, that first morning i had my ifon, after charging it overnight, i played with it. It was no hassle to connect to the internet, unlike some phones. The screen is satisfyingly large and comfortable enough to surf. I downloaded bbc news feed, i surfed other sites. Then I went to work.

In the office, I played with it again. i checked out the Map and Weather function. I opened Safari and surfed - i don't know.. i never thought I was connected to the GPRS, cause i didn't do any settings AT ALL. I checked wireless status, 'not connected'. I called singtel.. they told me.. since i don't have any GPRS plans.. then this is GPRS - pay as you use. Shoots. I stopped immediately.

I got the bill just now.. $58.40 for surfing just that morning. Using the weather and map function is also actually surfing.. u're just surfing to a yahoo weather and google map site directly, actually.

I think it's very unethical, that they did not INFORM the customers, that using those map and weather functions (with it's button so ready to be used up front), will actually trigger an internet connection, for which if there is no wifi.. then, GPRS will be used. I wonder how much of this kind of GPRS charges, used out of ignorance, have they earned so far.

THEN, this afternoon also, I read the Tuesday's straits time, that was left on the office pantry table. Got me exclaiming out loud 'WHAT?!' when i read.. "GOOD NEWS - [that bank] will lessen the load of home loan owners by allowing them to pay INTEREST ONLY for between 6-18 mths." Good news?!! THIS? is good news?!

This is actually TAKING ADVANTAGE of people by trying to make more money from interest collected! The term LOAN SHARKS immediately came to mind. Isn't that how loan sharks operate.. they collect only interest.. and the capital remains untouched? So you are paying 1000-2000 of ur hard-earned money each month, and your loan amount is totally not reduced?! In fact, when you start paying back your capital 6-18 mths later, u're paying back at the same interest rate OR even HIGHER.. and the 6-18 mths of paying interest ONLY is like 'donating' to the bank for nothing.

EEEISH.. If they HONESTLY WANT to help, what they shud have offered for the home loan owners, is to pay a portion of the amount that they are usually required to pay each month, but STILL deduct the same proportion for interest and the other part for capital loan repayment. At least you are reducing the debt, even if ever so slowly. THAT would be better news. Wah piang.

Actually, what ALL home-owners, who are already having a home loan with banks currently, at int rate 3% and above, have to do is to arrange for re-financing with another bank or the same bank, because right now, banks are offering home loans at only 2% int rate, now THAT would definitely help you in reducing ur monthly payments.

I HATE it when they make a FOOL out of masses like this. AAARRRHGH!

And damn the israel govt for being an arrogant heartless infantile nincompoop.

what has become of humanity?

It's hard to swallow the fact that we still have barbarians, living in this so called modern world. They have lost their minds, they have no heart. They have grown insane, from greed and power. Greed and power that is in practise their god, their religion, their life.

May Allah grant strength and perseverence to the people of Gaza. Ameen.

My heart also goes to the innocent civilians in Sri Lanka, who are caught in a war between the Tamil rebels and the government.

My heart goes to the toddlers raped and/or killed by their own flesh and blood.

My heart goes to all the innocent victims of men who spread harm and shed blood in this world.

Donation for Gaza - for Singaporeans

Singaporeans can make a donation through MUIS, for assistance to Gaza.

Donation can be made :
1) through the donation boxes marked "Special Collection For Humanitarian Relief Effort in Gaza”. placed at all 69 mosques OR;
2) by cheque payable to “MUIS” with the words “Humanitarian Relief Effort in Gaza” written on its back. Send that to MUIS Headquarters at No 1, Lorong 6, Toa Payoh, Singapore 319376
3) by cash, delivered personally to MUIS Headquarters at No 1, Lorong 6, Toa Payoh, Singapore 319376
4) or for those who deals with all payments thru internet.. you can also make online donation on MUIS website >> >click here to get there.

Make a donation, a.s.a.p.
and make lots of doas for the people of Palestine.

i wonder how much more destructions by israel before it ends

"And we made [this] known to the children of Israel through revelation: Twice, indeed, will you spread corruption on earth and will indeed become grossly overbearing!

Hence, when the prediction of the first of those two [periods of iniquity] came true, We sent against you some of Our bondmen of terrible prowess in war, and they wrought havoc throughout the land: and so the prediction was fulfilled.

And after a time We allowed you to prevail against them once again, and aided you with wealth and offspring, and made you more numerous [than ever].

[And We said:] "If you persevere in doing good, you will but be doing good to yourselves; and if you do evil, it will be [done] to yourselves." And so, when the prediction of the second [period of your iniquity] came true, [We raised new enemies against you, and allowed them] to disgrace you utterly, [9] and to enter the Temple as [their forerunners] had entered it once before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that they had conquered."

Al Quran, Al-Isra 17:4-7

Wallahu 'alam.

Eema's birthday, at the beach.

She requested to celebrate her 9th birthday, and she wants to celebrate it at the beach...

the ifon

Before that, let's pray for Gaza.
Let Allah give victory to the innocent ones, and may their sufferings end, asap. Ameen.

So.. yup, as people in Gaza are hearing war planes zooming above them, dropping bombs on their schools and mosques.. here in Singapore..

The day before yesterday, hubby who already has an ifon, bought something, which can be used by 2 ifons at once. As he was going to purchase that, he called to ask if I was considering getting an ifon. I said, yes.. I am CONSIDERING...yes.

Then, yesterday, I got a call from my hubby, he told me,if i want to get an ifon, then go get malam tu jugak. I was CONSIDERING getting an ifon AND I was going to wait till he get his yearly singtel voucher next month, so that would give me time to make due consideration.

But yesterday, he already called the telco and used his negotiation POWERS to use the voucher 1 month before time, even before we actually got the voucher, and to upgrade another family member's line instead of his. Yeah, my husband is a superhero like that.

And so, that night, we went out to get me an ifon. So far, I'm enjoying it. I think wat's good about it is the seamless internet connection, the thousands of free apps, the cool user interface.

But I've read some ifon rumours, how it's difficult to get some tasks done or how some things cannot be done, e.g. forward an sms. So, just now, when I wanted to tranfer my contacts stored in my SIM card, I was prepared for the worse. I was going round the bush (yikes..hate him!) to try and get the SIM contacts because I had the impression that it wouldn't be easy. So I googled, and they talked about downloading a software to download ANOTHER application to enable this.. but i didn't have time to proceed, because I was going out. Then outside, as I was meddling with my new love, I came across it, right there under Settings - Contacts... 'IMPORT CONTACTS FROM SIM'. Ceeeeh - I feel stupid.

Another surprise awaited me. Apparently, I have been duped by my old hp. Everytime I added a new contact to the phone, I always 'Copy to SIM card', and the phone would always acknowledged 'Copied' and if I check under "contacts from SIM Card, it's there.. but NOW that I imported all my numbers onto the new ifon, it's not there!

As such, dear friends and families, pardon me, if I should ask who you are when you send me an sms, especially if I got your number during the last one year. :)

For now, besides the ifon and Gaza, yeap roller-coaster thoughts, I don't have much other.


God save the innocent Palestinians. Ameen.

an avid photographer, I'm not

I cannot start another topic before this :
May God save the innocent ones and defeat those arrogant bullies. May the Palestinians, the Gazans be relieved of this tremendous test, may they be rewarded with the best, possibly in this life and surely in the Hereafter. Ameen.

Right. So while innocent civilians are getting bombed and killed in Gaza, and I'm here in the peaceful office....


...I received an email from Aida about some best National Geography photos.. awesome. I have a book at home from BBCNews and the pictures are also awesome, makes me speechless when I see them.. Subhanallah. I wish can I see those sights and capture those kind of beauty, myself.

Coincidentally just before i got that email, my colleague was just showing me his lenses, which he bought at USD1800 I think.. he said it's good for indoor photoshoot and portrait. He asked me if I'll buy this lens in future.. Well, of course not. I don't think I'll spend that much on a lens.

As it is, I already have another lens, which I hardly ever use. I guess I'm not a real avid photographer, cause I can't be bothered to carry or, if I DO carry, I can't be bothered to change the lens.. I just don't feel the drive to go to that extent yet.. in fact I feel limited with some of the lens...like the other one I have. I don't have time to explore.

Based on my own limited experience.. I'll just stick to my kit lens, which is good enough for me so far..the only thing I'm very frustrated about is that I cannot take macro shots with it.. even with the other lens I bought.. yup..I bought the other lens because i THOUGHT i could take macro shots with that.. but noooooooooo.. apparently.. real macro lenses are much more expensive - and I seriously can't bring myself to go buy some expensive lens that I know I will hardly use.

I don't think my love for photography is in the equipments, but of course I do want to capture those sights I see or those views I have, exactly as I see them, but sometimes you cannot capture that with your normal cameras. So that's where I hope this simple DSLR can help. But I have not been having much luck with low-light situations.

Maybe I should just get a high end point and shoot camera. They have all kinds of features now, that matches the DSLR, but without having to change lenses every now and then. Only thing is, the picture may not be as sharp. But of course, my husband will surely nag at me, if I go get yet another camera.

I should just go for a photography course, when I can squeeze out more time out of me.
Or Norza.. wud you have time to give me a pointer or two?

Stop GAZA GENOCIDE

How sickening and frustrating it is to hear, read, see innocent civilians in Gaza under attack by the mighty and heartless israeli government, who is lower than the lowest. And how even more frustrating to STILL hear that stupid idiot in the US, giving his views about the attacks. See.. whether it is the Muslims or the Christians or the Jews, or the US or isreal - nobody has the right to kill innocent civilians.

The root of these evils, must come to an end.. (God, help us, Ameen).

I know I want to help those innocent victims, but I was unsure how. I don't want to donate to just any body claiming to be helping the Palestinians and the money end up with some suicide bomber groups targeting on yet another set of innocent civilians in some unrelated places. NO, I don't want to aid another terrorist act, no matter how small.

Then I found this from the UN website. Since it is from the UN website, I'm sure it is genuine, and insyaAllah the money will be routed to the correct people who will be aiding the innocent victims in Gaza, IF they are allowed in by the stupid israeli govt. May God defeat them. Ameen.

So, c'mon, this is the least you can do to help them. We cannot go help defend them, we cannot go for demonstrations in Singapore and leave shoes at some minister's house, we can't do much, except to acknowledge, create awareness and donate money to help.

Donate to the UN, under the Gaza cause.
http://www.un.org/unrwa/emergency/donation/index.html

If you're on facebook, You can also join the causes and make a donation thru there.

1. Palestinian International Campaign - End Gaza Siege
2. Gaza Under Shelling

May God give victory to the innocent ones soon. Ameen.

somewhere between 2008 and 2009

this is what i need to do... go slow.