Am 26.

I turned 26 about a month ago and this gorgeous pink eustoma is my bday gift. Don't you think flowers always make the perfect gift? Nevertheless, much like the rest of the crowd, I'm treating age as just a number. 

Uh oh, and my friend's sister said I don't look my age. Quite a compliment huh.

p/s: Just opened a tumblr account. Yet to post anything exciting. Haha 

In yellow no more

As the saying goes, life goes on! After 2.5 years of dedicating my life to working offshore as a wellsite geologist, I'd say the time has come for me to move on with my career, which can only means, be a permanent office-based staff! Nevertheless, I have no regrets for the past years cause I sure learned a lot and met so many people. I feel my networking circle grew larger by the minute! As if!

Now that I begin to stay put in one place, I wonder what will the challenges be for the next few years? And I think I begin to understand why some men prefer this offshore life. Sure you are away for 28 days straight without your family, but when you get off, that 28 days off is just priceless! Almost all the people here said the same thing. I guess I can't relate cause I go to the office the next day.

For me, it's just time to move on and try something else. I still enjoy offshore though.

Finally, here you go, a picture of me drilling in the Omani desert. It was such a great experience there! Again, met lots of great people as well and seeing this picture reminds me of my long delayed Middle East review. Yikes!

I guess, I'm no longer telling you bout my offshore stories eh? Haha. Maybe more on what 2013 will mean to me :) 

A new year, a new hope

A picture taken from TIME: Lightbox.
This picture is showing Afghan women at a refugee camp in Kabul trying to pick up
spilled flour on the snow (taken on Feb 3rd, 2012)

Let me open 2013 with this heartfelt picture I took from "TIME Picks the Most Surprising Photos of 2012". There are tons of pictures in the album, but this one steals my heart immediately. 

Hopefully, 2013 will be a better year to you, me and to all. Insya Allah. So far, 2013 looks promising and I simply cannot wait for all the exciting life-changing events/moments/experiences that are about to happen this year. That is how I much I can say. 

And in the lights of the picture above, let us all be thankful/bersyukur for all the good or bad things that happened to us thus far. I cannot ask for any other ways to make me who I am today and I am just grateful for all the things I have and the people I know and came to love. 

Cheers to 2012 and I sure hope 2013 will be better, especially to all the war-stricken nations. They deserve better. 

p/s: New Year's resolution? Nah. 

Joyride 2012

2013 is in the next few days.
And I skipped my tradition last year, but I'm not about to do the same this year! It's my so-called-exciting-poll-of-the-year! Lalalalaaaaa

90% similar template as 2010 with some deleted moments cause they are irrelevant (like Best "Whoa, he did not just say my name" moment) and some added moments.

Big teary moment:
A gold ring on my ring finger.
Ok, I didn't cry but I felt overwhelmed by the whole journey from when we got to know each other until today. After two years, we'd say it's time to think of a future together :)

Miss Taken :p 

Best besties moment:
With my girls enjoying brunch at Haven Cafe, Ampang Hilir. Oh mon dieu, we were crazy! We talked and talked non stop for 3 hours! There were just SOOO many things to gossip and share about after sooo many years being away from each other. Simply madness, in a super amazing way.

Best makan-makan moment:
HOMECOOK food. Seriously! You may think I sounded lame, but over the year, I've enjoyed my own cooking cause I got more creative and wanted to try new recipes! Many thanks to the recipe books at home courtesy of Amal and my certain someone (made him buy me one...). And when people complimented and asked for more, that's enough for me to say it's the best moment for me.

Chicken breast in balsamic and apple cider vinegar with sauteed potatoes!
Mouthful name, but taste good in the mouth as well. Haha

Ikan kembung masak kuning. My personal favourite :)

Best mommy-daughter moment:
Much like 2010, it has to be our trip to UK and Paris! Not to mention, the passing-down-recipe moments. But if you ask me to cook you my mom's famous nasi dagang, I would politely decline your request cause I'm no where near good at making them. Nasi tah kemana, gulai ikan lagi lah! Tolong kacau2 nasi dengan santan boleh :)

Best LIVE performance:
We skipped concerts and we do orchestra now! We watched The Beatles, then Peter & the Wolf and Babar the Elephant. It all felt a bit regal, but we enjoyed the experience.

Best PLAY:
Hands down, it was Aliaa's "Indicinelive!". It was hilarious, witty and full with sarcasm, in which I enjoyed thoroughly! She is such a good actress!! Hugs darling!

Best in awe moment:
I was very much in awe with the Eiffel Tower that I decided to spent some time just taking pictures and hanging out at the park with the tower in sight. I must go back! The next time? Off to Paris with my certain someone!!

Not my best self-captured post with the Eiffel Tower
LOL

Best thing I drew and crafted:
Bday present for my certain someone. I had this idea of creating a coupon book for him to redeem whenever he wants to. So, with some minor drawing talent, I put up a book for him entitled "Fit for a King" as a present.

Le coupon book for my beau

Some "coupon". Yet to redeem this. Sigh to my busy schedule!

Best new found love:
YOGA and SPA.
I once thought yoga was boring cause it is not so heart-pumping like aerokick etc. and I once thought spa is for them girls who are super manja and need to pamper herself each time. Boy was I wrong! I fell in love with yoga in the first 10 mins of trying it! And I wish to keep doing it for as long as I can. And, I was introduced to spa by Izzy. We tried a spa in Bangsar and I felt in love almost immediately. It must be the work stress that I now find it a must for me to wind down and relax in the hands of the experts!

The most expensive thing I bought:
I bought a designer handbag in London and that's after thinking for two days. At last, I said to myself what the heck, I've been working for 2 years and so I need to reward myself with something grand.

Longest days spent offshore:
24 freaking days! In which I spent Aidilfitri offshore again this year. Having spent Aidilfitri in offshore Vietnam last year, I can only say that the celebration was a bit more exciting this year.

All in the same boat. Beraya offshore sajalah.

Worst nervous like a freak moment:
Emcee-ing for the first time! Ok, I lied. I used to emcee back in high school days, but the truth is I hate hearing my voice over the microphone. However, when Harun and Mardiana offered me as the emcee at their wedding, I felt honoured and took it, regardless of the feeling "I may embarassed myself". Sure enough, I made a few mistakes and I sounded "garang" according to Amar. Sigh. Nevertheless, I wrote the script myself with lots of pantuns in it! I felt accomplished on that note!

Doa dibaca tangan ditadah,

Hati tersentuh tiada terguris,

Bismillah pembuka madah,

Selamat datang membuka majlis

 cabd

Si Puteranya segak ala laksamana,

Si Puterinya cantik tiada terbilang,

Pelamin terhias seindah singgahsana,

Meraikan raja sehari di hari gemilang

cabd

Merantau jauh di luar kariah,

Adat tertib dijaga sendiri, 

Majlis yang indah bertambah meriah,

Melihat pengantin berseri-seri

Worst eye bag moment:

Coring job. Set the coring point at 12am, spent the next day in the office, took the 9pm flight to Miri, arrived offshore via chopper very early in the morning the next day, spent the next 48 hours with coring job until I finally close my eyes. Nevertheless, it was such a good experience for me as wellsite and operation geologist. 

and last but not least, the person I miss dearly every day! (cause I'm always away! cheesy skit!)

:)

Bowling time! But I chose to just be a photographer.
Never a good bowler ever...

At Harun & Mardiana's wedding. I was the emcee, he was the one reciting the doa

US! Countdown to 2012. So fitting for this post.

Gosh! Tired faces. Except I have sunglasses to cover my eyes. 

Being away

At times I feel the need to catch up with life. I need to be living! But sacrifices are no laughing matter; thinking that with some loss there is something to gain.

Of course there is, I kept telling myself. Others would not understand! And yet I'm juggling things from afar; wishing time is not ticking too fast to catch up with me.

Nonetheless, I can steal time. Catch on all the things I missed, like reading. Simple, but believe it or not, it makes me whole again.

It goes a long way

Say I were to organize a concert at 8pm featuring some awesome artist. Because of this, many who attended it skipped Maghrib prayers and involved in maksiat, then I will be holding the sin for all who attended. Ouch.

And say you are a newbie to concerts and I invited you for the first time. If you begin to love it and go to more concerts in the future, then I will be holding the sin for you for as long as you love it. Ouch.

Of course this is just one scenario, but I can transpose this to so many other situations. The bottom line is, a small sin goes a long way. Let alone if it involves others.

Got myself some nasihat few days back. Just a reminder for myself.



p/s: I haven't been to any concerts lately. The last one was Dave Matthew's Band in 2010 and I kinda enjoyed it. Ooops. 

Eid Adha

Salam Aidiladha to all. Well, after missing Eid Fitr last time around, I'm not about to skip Eid Adha as well. My plan today was to eat a lot and so far, I did just that heee. I had lontong, nasi lemak (somehow my aunty always make nasi lemak for raya) and then, another round of lontong and nasi ayam. Happy!

Have fun all. I'm going back to KL soon and these 3 days break thing don't feel enough lah.

:)

Ambition to a job

You know, today I feel like putting up lots of pictures. 

When I first say I would like to be a geologist 10 years ago, I had in mind a job where I will be in outdoors and not bounded by four concrete walls. I thought I will an explorer and see the wonders of nature as it is. Oh boy I was wrong, at least a tiny bit. The challenge is different now and when we say we are getting you the oil, we are getting you the oil. It is not a cheap business and my eyes still go @_@ whenever I see the money we spent to find oil. So guys, please be wise when consuming fossil fuel...it is not easy to find and definitely not that easy to get it out of the Earth, too. 

Then, I dreamed of becoming a gemologist cause I like my gemstones. That's a long and different story altogether... 

Back in university days we had field school and it was great! At times, I still feel like I want to be back in school. Maybe for masters? Hehe. 

Some field camp pictures cause I miss it so bad! Why? Here you go...

At Sunday Point, Nova Scotia. I liked it when my professor
would asked us to draw the outcrop we saw.
I would put my best drawing skills on the paper! I could just
sit down forever (If I could!) just to make it very realistic.
Well, note that I'm no pro, but I am quite okay :p

At Dinosaur Park, Alberta. We got a private hike into the park. Absolutely
worth it. This is a dinosaur graveyard; their bones were everywhere!!!
Definitely a chance of a lifetime for me.
Well, I just had a dino burger here, hehe

Not to forget, super tanned skin and road side lunch break or perhaps snacks.
Somehow I miss sticking in my Swiss Army knife into that brie to spread it onto
my bread. Since we eat on sharing basis, I don't share my knife cause I don't
want to get it contaminated with some ham or pastrami etc...

Missed getting all gross out when I took a jump and simply landed my
feet on the wrong ground... 

SubhanAllah. Just gorgeous view of the Rockies

The thing is I love mountains. So, a view like this could just nail me to the
bench for as long as I can stare. This is at Waterton Lakes National Park. 

Of course, it was a field camp afterall, we are bound to see interesting
outcrop like this! 

And this! and many more...

And being a field geologist, you get to use these gadgets! Some of which, just
me and Izzy's additional items like that lip balm and lotion hehe.
I miss it so badly!!!

And now life gave me a new twist, that is to be a wellsite geologist in an Oil & Gas industry. It is a man's world out here, but shall I say, they do have space for some chicks to join in.

Well, it was not my intention to turn this walkway into a runway, but it just
did. Thanks to my green crossovers for willingly becoming my audience...

Of course, the-no-obstruction-view of the sunrise and sunset. Everyday, this
is the view to die for...fishes as well...

Well, when we want to find for oil, we don't do it on our own.
It's called teamwork. This is me with the mudlogging crew in offshore Vietnam.

And in case you are wondering what I do offshore... here's
a sneak peek. One of my main job is to look at the sample in
the tray under the microscope, see what it is made of and
check for any oil presence under the UV light! 

Sure, it was not as what I intended 10 years ago, but what matters the most is I enjoy what I do. You got to love what you do, be sincere when you do it and that itself is rewarding. 

Going into 2013, I may switch to a department where I will be in the office all the time. That's a new challenge and let's see how hard will it be. I just pray to Allah that it will be a smooth sailing for me from here onwards. Amin...

Comparing subways

I was browsing 9gag (on daily basis of course!) and saw this this picture "Toronto subway fail". It is just too funny not to post it! Even Kuala Lumpur has a more "complicated" subway/train route that this.

Somehow, despite this, I don't find it hard at all to commute in Toronto. It is much easier to walk (and save money) around downtown cause it is not as big as London, Paris or NYC. Having said that, I had been on all four cities. May I say I love NYC the most? It is the most convenient, love their cheap 4-days (or 1 or 8 days etc) pass system, it takes you everywhere and most importantly, it is not confusing. With Paris, I like their cheap day pass as well, but it is a bit tough to get around Paris as there are quite a few transit we need to make before reaching our destination. I'm not a fan of London's Oyster card system (oyster for subway, really??) cause you need to refill as you go, much like our Touch N Go; and since it is in pound sterling, my eyes goes @_@ very fast...Hmmm, for Toronto, it is quite expensive and as you can see, it doesn't take you to many places heee.

From 9GAG

Our very own LRT/commuter/monorail system, from here
(not that you didn't know yet)

Oh well, I need to find a house near an LRT station, so this is my main map hehe.

Exaggeration

Well, one thing that is no surprise is one's tendency to follow the heart, rather than the brain. It controls everything it is in your judgment that it may seem preposterous at times. Somehow, one would just go to the extreme and follow such path. It is an understood extent and shall I say we get embarrassed once we get ourselves straight again? Just laugh at yourself, I guess. Haha.

Myself included.