Sakinah Abdul Aziz

I know I haven't been the best updater the whole of this December. Let's just say I've been having the slackiest, meetups-filled, food-filled, latenights-filled, phonecalls-filled, movie-filled December since the last 2 decembers have been spent doing OCIPs. And for that I'm glad that I've been doing what I've been doing for school will be starting soon. Reason why I've suddenly decided to peek into this blog is to wish all an advanced Happy New Year 2011 before I check myself into the hotel with my lovely usuals to spend our 31st and 1st together. I hope 2010 has been treating all well and let's usher the new year with a bang! Woo. See you guys next year :) XXXXXX

A Pakistani teenager hugs his goat at a livestock market for upcoming Eid al-Adha festival on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Happy Eid to Muslims once again. I feel thankful that we have 2 eids in a year, and although the former Eid renders people (predominantly Muslims in Asia) more celebrations and joy, EidulAdha has a greater significance. Although I'm many miles away, pictures of Muslims clad in white coming from all over the world, congregating on this very day, in front of Kaabah, has always given me spiritual strength and faith and hopes that someday, I'll muster my way there myself, God-willing. Hope this holiday brings well to all be it enjoying the good company of food and family, studying or relaxing :) I found this really nice quote from Yatay, and I'd like to share this: In Morocco, on one of our honeymoons, I became drawn to the word 'inshallah', meaning 'if God wills it'. I love the simplicity and beauty of this idea. In English, there ...

Happy Birthday Singapore! Although the National Day hype diminishes as I age, Singapore is too tiny a country to not feel the vibe, especially when you get those roadblocks due to the parade rehearsals in the city, fireworks on Saturdays and of course the aerial flypast. I guess partly the reason why it diminishes is because I'm no longer exposed to what we used to when we were younger. Remember back in primary and secondary school we have the sing-along sessions during assembly? And we would readily sing them? Damn, I miss those mass celebrations that succeeded in building up an atmosphere enough to make you feel you have celebrated an occasion fully. I have to give credits to the National Day songs because most of them, if not all, are really good. A few days ago, I was present at this YOG event, and they started to play several national day songs. And without fail, I can easily sing the songs without putting in effort to remember the lyrics at all. It's amazing how words to ...

Visualize a baby bottle, you know, with the pacifier and all that. Apparently I have a natural knack of being picked to do silly things. It was Sangi's awesome 21st birthday party last night at Sentosa. And one of the games during the party consists of 'quenching one's thirst' by drinking a baby bottle full of coke. The first one to finish the bottle wins. YES, I WAS CHOSEN TO DO THAT. OMG! My mouth was sore halfway through the game. I never intended to win this (against 4 other competitors), because firstly, I hate coke but since this is warm coke it was pretty alright though, and secondly, to drink from a BABY BOTTLE? Why, I must applaud Sangi's awesome sister for coming up with such creative games haha. Am really magnetic towards the whole notion of sillyness but then again, that is probably a part of me. Anyway, I feel the excitement of the youth olympics game already! Because I had my first training cum bonding session with the rest of the NOC assistants yester...

Gosh, I totally lost track of days. It's Thursday and I'm still thinking it's the earlier part of the week. It's 18th February and I'm still thinking it's the earlier bit of February! This is nuts. Probably because I've been playing more than studying. And perhaps I'm avoiding the two-one subconciously. Anyway gathering at Alvin's was a blast. I'm really glad that I've made really awesome friends from french classes. I reckon we can probably just have a meet-up just because without any specific expectations or agenda, and we can make the most out of it, mostly by laughing and talking. We did those exactly on Tuesday. Heaps of fun. And then myself, nuurun, nicholas, amey, alvin & wangjue headed to Simpang Bedok and then Arab Street just to chill (again, I know) and we had crazy fun. We played Indian Poker (AMEY hasn't heard of the game before, ironic!) and then charades. Charades was the best because Amey finds it SO hard to do actions...

Aalok just told me that the principal of Nai Disha school told him how my Class 5 kids love the pictures pasted on the notebook (with our personalized messages) we gave them. This really made me miss them so so badly. I'm really thankful that they appreciate what we did. Sigh. If I ever am an Indian national who speaks fluent Hindi, I could just help them, and hopefully they are all able to proceed up academically. If I could send messages through the air, leaves and trees, I'd send many many misses to them right now. Eva's 21st birthday party today. I hope it was a success, it was a good experience planning and executing it. Woa, can be one hair-pulling activity but I totally love planning for something that's totally worth it, yes Eva? :DDDD Love ya many many my dearest :D

Last night was another good night. It felt like it was a well-deserved night before embarking on the usual mugging towards the finals (eek). So met up with the usuals and we did numerous activities until like really really early morning. Dinner at Pizza Hut at Vivo, went to Mount Faber and Henderson Waves after that, then headed to Swensens at Holland Village for ice-cream (because zab has free coupons for free ice creams, isn't it just awesome?!), wanted to catch 1 am movie, but missed the timing, so headed to BB macs which is nearer to most of our homes, and played this card game Aiman bought last week called 'Saboteur'. T'was seriously an addictive game and one of the most amusing things to see was the lengths we could go to plead and beg to be "unblocked". Damn funny game! Anyway R (I got influenced by your anonymity in your blogspots, haha sounds like gossip girl) I feel the same way about what you said! Like I'm totally grateful for the two Js and yo...

Although this song has been awhile, I'm still hooked to it, both the video clip and the song itself. My video fantasy, haha (: Open house today was pretty hectic, but it was fun. Dad was being funny throughout the whole time and being good at entertaining guests (LOL). My dream is to cook as well as my mother. All the best to myself harhar. Thanks to those who come! (:

The seesaw totally tilts the other way because the festive spirit has lifted. On the eve of Eid, they were playing raya songs at Giant and in Westmall. I went to Geylang with ais for awhile. And of course the food that mom cooked, and the mass eid prayers in the morning really sets the mood. All I can say is we really had a fun, and laughter-filled eid! Anyway I'll let the pictures do the talking. I was unready in this picture heee. After mass prayers They were having heated discussion about the "harry potter" lookalike boy HAHA! Yum! With mom With the sisters! Ok finito. Whoever says that tertiary education is so much easier than jc are making an outright lie >.

Just got back from Faddy's birthday dinner. Happy 20th my longest best friend! (: Hope you like the dinner, our gifts and lastly the cupcakes of which some are squashed which I believe is kinda my fault in an attempt not to be seen by her and the 'escourt' while holding the box of cupcakes. So as Eva and I went down the escalators towards the dhoby ghaut platform, the eyes averted, spotted her escourt. Uh, busted. First instinct: To always run in any situation. In any case the birthday girl won't have to see the birthday planners. Reaction: Quickly turn around and CLIMB up the DESCENDING escalators while everyone else wanted to go down. Result: Failed Reason: Speed of escalator was way faster than personal speed to go against the direction This is lol-worthy yes eva? Why am I always the one doing stupid crazy things in public? And you know what's the worst thing? Faddy actually saw me running away! All this going against the intentioned direction of the moving e...