Utada Hikaru - Sakura Drops

This is a lovely song by Utada Hikaru..the best thing about this video is that it has the lyrics so u can sing your heart out...and the translation so you know what u are belting out.

i first feel in love with this song while I was in Uni...loved the video clip, loved the singer...carefully read and understand the lyrics..it is all about love..written with full of emotion, and the writer's take on love.

Love is subjective, with many interpretation...to quote Siti in Siti di Alam fantasy ..

Sentiasa hidup berkasih sayang...sepanjang hayat akan dikenang..


wise words, Siti...wise words..

Wanna Be on Top??

What is it about America's Next Top Model that appreals to me? Is it the ever gorgeous Nigel Barker, smouldering eyes...mysterious smile and to die for body??


Or is it the beautiful Tyra Banks, who embodies the exotic beauty and gives a chance to girls all over the world to chase their dreams?



Well whatever it is...i'm hooked with this show. the drama, the makeup..the creative directing...it just gets me excited.

I love Mr Jay Manuel, and I don't care what they say about his sexuality, he just rocks... he is kind and really understand how to deal with the girls.

So now i'm currently lapping up Cycle 15...with my favourte is Liz...a punch rock beauty with eyes that just bore to your soul..

My Eyes, Heart and Mind Are Open!

This is the current song playing in my car. Before we go any further, let me give you the lyrics to this awesome song..

Look around yourselves

Can't you see this wonder

Spreaded in front of you

The clouds floating by

The skies are clear and blue

Planet in its orbits

The moon and the sun

Such perfect harmony

Let's start question in ourselves

Isn't this proof enough for us

Or are we still blind

To push it all aside

No...

-Chorus-

We just have to

Open our eyes, our hearts and minds
If we just look bright to see the signs

We can't keep hiding from the truth

Let it takes us by surprise

Take us in the best way (ALLAH)

Guide us every single day (ALLAH)

Keep us close to You

Till the end of time

Look inside yourselves
Such a perfect order

Hiding in yourselves

Running in your veins

What about anger love and pain

And all the things you're feeling

Can you touch them with your hand

So are they really there

Let's start question in ourselves

Isn't this proof enough for us

Or are we so blind
To push it all aside

No..

-Chorus-

When a baby's born

So helpless and weak

And you're watching him growing

So why deny

What's in front of your eyes

The biggest miracle of life

-Chorus-

There is such intrigue in these lovely grey eyes..Blessed with boyish good looks, Maher Zain is a spiritual singer, the next Yusuf Islam. It is ironic that I also have Kat de Luna's album alongside his album, Thank You Allah. He produced Kat's album with his best buddy, RedOne who also convinced him to record his own album, and as you know, the rest is history.

He has the looks and he has the brains, having a degree in Aeronautical Engineering..Really..he can engineer me anyway he wants...hahaha

He said he had a void in his soul and it was only filled after he embraced Islam. Another thing we have in common...do i see a connection here (haha...in my dreams..) Next week, I will be busy setting my new years resolutions...some new, some are those i have yet to achieve in 2010.

So hopefully 2011 will be a better year for me...and who knows...i get to meet Maher Zain :)

We Are Green and Clean People

This blog entry is long overdue. But since i pay tribute to Taman Negara Merapoh, it is a shame if I don't tell a bit about her sister, Taman Negara Kuala Tahan.


I had the golden oppurtunity to join MOTOUR in the Tourism Boot Camp, in collaboration with AMP Radio Networks (That's where Hitz, Mix, Lite, Era come from). So from 19 till 21 November 2010, i headed to Taman Negara along with a whole bunch of people from MOTOUR and AMP.

We had to cross over to Taman Negara by boat...no excitement there...it was less than 5 minutes..

I had been here once with the JPA team, but this time we had the comforts of staying in a chalet and not in wet tents like my previous trip. But both trips are special in their own way.

This is a picture of me and my roomie, Radiah in front of our "home" for the next 3 days. As you can see, it is made with wood (my favourite building material) and i very cosy inside.


Please note we are wearing the official t-shirt, we were given two, one white and one black...yin and yang if you please..

The first night we were there...we were kind of sticking to the same crowd, no ice breaking session, but then we were too tired to mingle anyway. But not too tired to go night walking...it was raining, but we didnt let that dampen our spirits. We even got to see a couple of adult sambar deer and their young, eating from a distance.

Hoho...I failed to mention about the all-red guy that caught my eye on the first day I was there. He was one of the Mix FM winners...he wore a red thirt, red track bottom and orange back pack! I mean...if we were lost in the jungle, we won't have much of a problem of being spotted as he could be seen from outer space!! hahaha...(sorry hizal, but you were eye-catching).



The next day was more exciting..the whole crew went for the canopy walk, but i had other plans. I went to check out the canopy walk that was under repairs. Thanks to MOTOUR for giving us the money :) More please for RMK-10 ya??


So this is the completed canopy walk, and it will be open in December, so as I'm writing this blog, the canopy will have received its visitors.


The next plan, is to build tracks that are durable to withstand the elements. It will definately be a better way to walk and enjoy the forest, without worrying to accidentally kick stray roots and end up flat on your face.


In the evening, we had the chance to visit the Orang Asli settlement, from the Bateq tribe. There we learnt how they lived with minimal necessities, no electricity, no pipe water...no toilet!! I won't last a day there, that's for sure. Give me civilization anytime!


But the fun part was the boat ride, we had a load of fun. it was like a mini war field! our boats were constantly trying to splash other boats, so it was a rather fun and wet day. So you have to understand why there are no pictures...our cameras were kept in plastic to keep from getting them wet...and when I say wet...I mean we were really WET!

So this is a picture of the savage jungle warriors of Taman Negara, complete with face paint...there goes my make-up..That night, we had the barbeque, where we were entertained by PERHILITAN's band. We were dancing and having fun like there's no tomorrow...we even had the chance to dance the sewang! There was this rather interesting game named "Bertunang, Berkahwin dan Berpisah". Somehow I wasn't too happy with the game, but that will remain as Radiah's and my secret. Oh, did I mention that I was now looking forward to watching our Red Guy? Haha...I managed to get his name during our game the afternoon before.

Speaking of the games, that was when we really bonded. MOTOUR's team ganged up with the Mix team, so there is where you can see the hidden talent of Reefa as a netball player. But our team was really good! We had a good lineup, Reefa as the GA, Hizal as the GS, Royden was WA, Radiah (GK) and me as the GD. And our Centre was a whole thing already! Apart from netball, we also played volleyball and croquet.

Back to the barbeque. So I had to represent my table for the sumpit game, and guess what! I hit bulls-eye!! I was really aiming at someone..haha..another secret that i will only tell after...well that's a secret as well...sorry
So this is there picture with my winning shot! Look at the surprised faces of my fellow opponents...and they say a girl can't shoot a sumpit...




















Now this blog won't be complete without pictures of me with the radio presenters. it is sooo cool to finally see the faces behind the voices!


This is a picture of me with the lovely Natalie- Hitz.fm























The very cute gentleman with the thumbs up is Zak of Lite fm and the dashing gentleman with the peace sign is the famous Jamal Jamaluddin.
I'm taking this chance to say thank you to these wonderful individuals that have made my day, especially Zak who I listen to every weekday mornings on my way to work.

As promised, i listen to Abang Jamal's show and I have to say, his selection of songs bring me back to a younger, carefree days of my youth, where were no problems, no worries..just happy sun shiny days.






And this is our group picture with Reefa, who suddenly became camera shy all of the sudden. Haha...the Red Guy returns...I wonder how many red shirts does he own??? But if he feels good in red, go ahead brother...nobody can say its not a good colour on you...come to think of it...it is a very good colour on you...*wink*wink






















This is our farewell picture. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my counter parts in MOTOUR, Cik Norsiah, Cik Iza and Cik Radiah...you guys rock! And here's to more boot camps.

So all in all...this was a great experience for me, getting to know a whole lot of people, so I dont get stuck with meeting with the same people all over again. I made fond memories, new friends, bonded with my MOTOUR buddies, get to "rasmi" the completed canopy project.

So MOTOUR, if there are more boot camps, count me in!

Missing Merapoh

Merapoh is a fantastic place to be. We held the MyCEPA workshop there from 12 to 14 December 2010, attended by the CEPA managers from our ministry, agencies and NGOs. Overall, the workshop was a success.

But enough about work, let's concentrate on the journey..right? We started out around 10.30 pm by bus and reached merapoh by 4.00 pm, after making a few stops.. (mainly its because of my uncontrolled bladder...sorry abg din!)

Anyways...after dinner and a simple opening ceremony, we headed out on our 4by4's to go on a Night Safari. Little did we realise what was about to happen..

The ride was a rather bumby one, but I was game for anything, so it did not matter much. There was no sign of noctornal animals...then, suddenly, our vehicle was trapped in mud...

After numerous attempts, we decided that WE WERE STUCK. So yours truly, along with the co-pilot Mie, we began to push the truck..This was a last resort after we have tried every trick in the book. I suspect Farah being in the car was one of the reasons we failed to move..(hehe..sorry Farah..)

I pushed and pushed (like the wolf that huffed and puffed) and at last the truck was free. The driver had the cheek to ask whether we wanted to continue our safari, where then he heard the forceful "TAK NAK, NAK BALIK" coming from the back of his truck. Amalina and Rahmah was covered in mud, and my feet were like the swamp thing... When we got back, we were celebrated as heroes..with pics to prove our heroism.

Here we are, posing with our vehicle. Please note that Farah has no dirt on her clothes..that's to show she was in the vehicle when all of us were trying to push the vehicle...*phew* NOW I know my workouts at the gym are paying off..hehe

I went to bed that night with aches all over, but I enjoyed this new experience to the max...will i want to do this again...that remains to be seen.

The next morning, our escapades were the talk of the camp. So as you can see we had our 15 minutes of fame. But than it was back to business as we had a full day of presentations and group discussions.

This was the first panel discussion on CEPA activities. I had the chance to ask our esteemed panels a few questions.
What struck me as most interesting was the EERace. It targetted school teachers from sabah, and is another version of the Amazing Race. I was thinking, maybe we can organize one with the media. It will be much more intersting than a regular walk in the park that we were used to organizing..

I would love to work with AMP Radio Networks again..they are awesome!!

I was also very much impressed with the Sabah Environmental Education Policy (SEEP). It is a comprehensive plan on how EE is to be done in Sabah. The other parts of Malaysia should take a page from Sabah's book. They simply do it better, especially with ecotourism.

Here we are at the Taman Negara Landmark, after the discussions we decided to cool off our burnt brains with a photo shoot.. (haha...we models use this term a lot).


There were many great spots, but the best would be on the steel bridge that separates the centre and the actual Taman Negara.
This is my attempt to look like a hobbit..Ironically, we were like Frodo, Samwise. Merry and Pippin...no prizes on guessing who is Frodo...


Taman Negara Merapoh is a serene hang-out, with no frills unlike her counterpart Taman Negara Kuala Tahan. She has no canopy walkways, but there is still plenty to do, especially if you are an adventure lover like me.


Unfortunately, we did not get a close encounter with the tiger, but then we managed to see some elephant poo, a sure sign that these gentle creatures are nearby.

The next morning, we headed out to the Kelah Sanctuary to play with the Mahseer, feed them, swim with them..they were friendly lot, i guess they are used to humans by now.
The journey it self was quite a ride...like a roller coaster, only scarier...the vehicle went really fast...and we did not have any safety harness on, just strong hands clinging on dear life and nerves of steel to keep our hearts from jumping out.


I leave you with this picture of the four of us roomies, with our now clean vehicle...we nicknamed him Selut...

To all participants and the awesome people from PERHILITAN, we thank you for making the MyCEPA workshop a success. It was a pleasure to get to meet u guys, and I made afew new friends. Till we meet again...this is Ina, signing off...

A true Legend

I love John Legend. He has a way of singing that is smooth without being cheesy, heartfelt without being corny. One of his best songs is Everybody Knows. Read the lyrics below and then you will understand why I love this song so much..

It gets harder everyday but I can't seem to shake the pain

I'm trying to find the words to say, please say

It's written all over my face

I can't function the same when you're not here

I'm calling your name and no one's here

And I hope one day you'll see nobody has it easy

I still can't believe you found somebody new

But I wish the best, I guess

Cause everybody knows that nobody really knows

How to make it work or how to ease the hurt

We've heard it all before that everybody knows just how to make it right

I wish we gave it one more try, one more try, one more try

Cause everybody knows but nobody really knows

I don't care what the people say, they're probably lonely anyway

Baby don't fill up your head with he said, she said

It seems like you just don't know, don't know

The radio's on, you tuning it out

I'm trying to speak, you're turning me down

Oh I wish you'd understand

Oh, just an ordinary man

Wish that we had known

Everybody knows but nobody really knows..

Fantastic song, sung by a fantastic singer. Check out his other songs like Used to love you, Heaven and a whole lot of great, melodic songs.

And John, there's no way you are just an ordinary man... Cheers!

The Unthinkable

The unthinkable has happened... I watched a Malay movie on my own accord...this is a first for me..usually I won't spend a single ringgit to watch a Malay movie in the cinema. I mean, why bother, it will be on the raya lineup on astro ria anyway...

Ngangkung, surprisingly, is a good movie to watch. It is hilarious, especially Angah of Raja Lawak fame, he cracks me up!The story revolves the lives of three friends, who wants to have it all the easy way.. So what do they do? They engage in bomoh's to show 'em the money!

Needless to say, as the wise has claimed - Easy Come, Easy Go..money obtained not through halal ways is not berkat, so the three find out.

The ending was a let down though...hafiz and I thought it could have been better, but instead it was rather cliche and anti-climatic.

Overall, i give the movie 3 and a half stars..which is the most i've given to a malay movie..KL Menjerit and the other crap that Yusof Haslam's son directs won't get a single star from me.

So Ngangkung deserves to be in my Good Malay Movies list...right after P.Ramlee's movies, Cinta, Pisau Cukur and Layar Lara..

Till the next movie...i'm signing off...

Nature's Defence Against Tsunami

Next time you walk by or drive by mangrove swamp, say thank you to these silent guardians of our shore- the bakau trees.

More often than not, mangrove trees are not appreciated as they should have. Mangroves are important as they act as a natural shield, protecting our fair shores from the big bad waves. Mangroves are also the perfect habitat and breeding ground for marine prawns and a multitude of fishes. Migratory birds look to the mangroves as a resting place, a 4-star hotel, if you please.

And that is about living mangrove trees. Mangrove wood can be turned into charcoal and fuel, the wood can be turned into fish traps, scaffolding and other building materials.


After the devastating tsunami in 2004, the Government has realized the importance of our mangroves especially near the shoreline. NRE would lead a team of experts to further plant and cultivate mangroves and other species in order to further enhance our natural defence.


One of our more famous sites is at Sungai Haji Dorani, using alternative techniques rather that the conventional stick-it-in-the-mud method of planting.

If you have the chance to actually go there, you will be able to see for yourself, the research done by FRIM in order to overcome the obstacles faced by JPSM in planting the mangrove trees. As the RMK-9 draws ner, here's to the hope that this noble project will be able to continue in efforts to protect our shoreline.

May 26 December 2004 be a painful reminder that only nature can fight nature...let us learn from our mistakes and move on...

A Tangled Tale Indeed

After having a crappy day, I went to catch Rapunzel- A Tangled Tale with Hizal and Ben at GSC Puchong.

Rushing straight from office, i managed to reached my destination in 20 minutes...with heavy traffic to boot!

Eye candy was waiting in front of the cinema..stripped shirt...hmmm.. :)

Anyway, the story is basically like we had read about in fairy tales, but there were no radishes involved in this tale. rapunzel is portrayed as a lost princess, stolen by a very old lady (when i say old...i mean reaaaallly old). Her long flowing locks have magical properties, it can make you young (Let me have it!!) and heal (sebab la no doctors in the movie!).

Long story short, after a few mishaps, (and meeting a few hilarious characters from the local tavern), our story ends well, the guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after...really??? so not complicated...

But being disney, it has it's serious moments, downright funny ones.. (u should check out the non-human characters- they are the real stars!!). i rate this movie as 4 stars..not as good as shrek, but it has it's moments. ok, i admit, there are many moments, so i apologize to hizal cause if any of you know me, i laugh really hard, and loud too.. Sorry ya, hizal :) Im sure he's used to go catch a movie with a very quiet ben or friends that is not as high a volume as me..

In a nutshell, I loved the movie, and I loved the company I was with...they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but who needs apples when you have hizal and ben as your movie buddies :)

An Elephant's Tale (Or Trunk for That Matter)

There has always been a constant struggle between man and animals...and this includes our lovely elephants. Humans are, of course, a selfish lot, we clear forests to make way for agriculture (for food, so that's kind-of ok), industries (for jobs) and for housing (REALLY??? Do we actually need 5 houses each??)

We tend to forget or ignore that animals were here on this earth first. So seniors rule right??? WRONG! We are supposed to be the greater race, having brains and all that...we right now, all points to pure greed, and the constant need to have more.

Elephants are descendants from the great wolly mammoth (Manny if u watch Ice Age). So they demand R.E.S.P.E.C.T, or just plainly leave them alone. Contrary to popular belief, elephants are gentle souls...do you know that an elephant can walk through the forest and won't break a single branch...that is how graceful and calm these creatures are!

In case you were wondering whose trunk i was holding earlier, it belongs to my baby, Tapis. Aged one-year old, it has experienced the greatest heart ache ever... to be left alone in the forests by your parents. My heart goes out to her, and if you guys like to meet her in person (err...or in elephant-son), head on over to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.



This centre was established by PERHILITAN in 1989, which serves as a base for relocation of elephants that have been caught in the wild. Here, they are trained to adapt to human activities, and are given good treatment.



Now it hosts 21 elephants, ranging from 1 year old elephants (that's tapis) and Mala (she's 72 years old!). Upgrading works are being done in order to fascilitate their growing numbers as well as to give the extra comfort for visitors to the centre.



This centre is a mere 2 hours drive from KL (ok, 1 and a half hours if u r an F1 driver like yours truly). You can never get this chance to be up close and personal with the elephants, and the best part is- IT'S FREE!!



There are two shows daily, one starts at 10 am and the other at 2 pm. You are able to feed the elephants, touch them, ride them (only for the first 120 people) and of course, the highlight of the day, bathe with them! As a lover of all things water...this was of course what I loved the most.



Now this old soul that im holding its trunk is Mala, our longest resident, she is 72 years old, but fit as ever! One eye doesnt see so well, but apart from that, she's good and healthy.

The discolouration on her skin is result of old age..like our uban, if you will. Elephants love banana trunks, they love the inside part...its a thrill to see them squish the trunks and get the centre part with their trunks...adorable!

So who do you thank for doing all this? The team from PERHILITAN of course, especially the dedicated team in Kuala Gandah. It is an actual fact that elephants are jealous so they have to the same trainer taking care of them...i would not want to be in the way of a jealous elephant *shudder*.

To the Kuala Gandah team, keep up the good work. For those who are interested to help the centre and the elephants, kindly make donations which will be used for the upkeep of the centre and its inhabitants. No amount is too small.