anugerah pilihan pembaca 2011

It's here again! Anugerah Pilihan Pembaca 2011- Popular - Berita Harian or the English Equivalent is Reader's Choice Awards 2011 - Popular - The Star.


There are 10 nominees for each category and readers have to pick the top 3 for Fiction and Non Fiction. Since last year, I've been dilligently following this contest even to the extent of reading, renting and buying some of the nominated books. But ah...I don't really get what Malaysian readers like. Most of the books are boring to say the least. Maybe I just don't get what the majority in Malaysia reads. I guess I'm the minority...huhu.


The nominees for Malay Fiction are: (in no particular order)


1. Lafazkan Kalimah Cintamu - Siti Rosmizah
2. 2 x 5 - Areila Sahimi
3. Cinta Sufi - Ramlee Awang Murshid
4. Cinta 3 Suku - Herna Diana
5. Pergilah Air Mata - Hanni Ramsul
6. Masih Setia - Aisya Sofea
7. Coke and Sundae - Ilya Abdullah
8. Sepupuku Suamiku - Lynn Allyna
9. Saat Kau Kata Cinta - Anis Ayuni
10. Bukan Tak Sudi - Mimi Afinie

I have read book no 4 and 7. 4 is decidedly full of cliches with kampung girl meets handsome rich dude but 7 is quite ok only I think it's targeted more to teens as the language is so simple. Most of the writers here are also nominated last year which means they have quite a following. But..(sigh) Malaysian contemporary literature are too littered with romance..no?

my lil tyke

pictures of my lil tyke with his fav person; grandpa. my son is very cute...neh? huhu

5 things you do not need to know but I'm telling you anyway about my son

1. He loves Maher Zain songs..obsessed is more like it

2. He loves McD fries (damn..who wouldn't?)

3. He's afraid of the dark, loud things and thunder

4. He's very picky about food

5. He eats very slowly like his mama

- the reason I'm putting this because I really don't know what to say in my blog haha. Okay so next time I'll be reviewing books that I just read.

may the odds be ever in your favour

Have you ever read a book so good that you can actually feel a chill went up and down your spine? Goosebumps even? Yeah..that's what happen to me to quite recently when I read the Hunger Games. It's so faced past and full of action that I just cannot put it down and have to finish it in less than one day.

It's the story set in a distant future in North America where a nation called Panem controlled by the Capitol forced every district to nominate a boy and a girl every year to participate in the hunger games. This Hunger Games is sort of like Survivor with a twist, the winner is the last remaining person in the game which means all the others must be dead or killed. Wow! It's so violent that sometimes I wonder how it could pass off as a YA book in the US. Our protagonist is 16 year old Katniss Everdeen who's from District 12- the poorest district in Panem. She volunteered to take her sister's place when she was choosen to be in the game.

She's feisty and have been providing for her family since her father died by hunting wild animals in the woods outside her district. As a survivor, you have an inkling she would eventually win the game but so many twists and turns happened and even an unexpected romance that what makes me hooked.

No wonder they're turning it into a movie. It's that great! With three books in all, the series is really fantastically violent but amazing! The first book is the best, the second is okay but the third is so cringe worthy violent. Forget Twilight, this is one series that everyone should look out for!

postcards from heaven

Entry kali ni agaknya ditujukan khas buat Mak Andak yang telah membuat special request untuk melihat gambar-gambar di Kundasang. And since I don't bring my digital camera, I have to rely on my dearest sis for the pictures. So damn clear since she's using Canon EOS which is far superior than my Olympus.

On a bright sunny day, Gunung Kinabalu nampak cantik diselubungi kabus as in the picture. I've never actually climb the mountain. Partly due to my grandmother forbidding me to do so years ago during my uni days. And partly because I think I'm not fit enough to do so. Haha..seriously I have rashes if its too cold. Jusk ask Miz Wanie. During my uni years I will apparently go itchy crazy because the library and the lecture halls are too freezing cold! Whoever heard of cold allergy? I have scars to prove it.

Apparently according to my sis Kundasang agak comot sekarang. Mungkin sebab ada construction di tengah-tengah pekan nak buat kedai or R n R katanya. Pekan ke? Tak taulah nak kategorikan Kundasang ni pekan ke sebab kedainya ada sederet je. Gerai sayur je yang banyak. Oooh kepada yang tak tahu atau kurang tahu..Kundasang ni adalah tempat di Sabah di mana terletaknya Gunung Kinabalu. So..understandbly it's so cold! Lebih sejuk dari Cameron Highlands..serius!

Ini gambar my lil son Haikal with his grandma. Tengokla awan/kabus kat belakang. Memang sejuk! Tapi yang herannya si kecik macam tahan sejuk je. Stokin tak nak pakai. Apa lagi baju sejuk. Aku dah menggigil dia steady je. Eceh..bolehlah study kat overseas macam ni. Hehe..berangan. He's just so immune to the cold which is quite baffling.

Ini pulak gambar Haikal dengan Atuknya. My lil tyke is so attached to his grandpa. Probably because he's the first grand child of my parents. Manja meleleh..asyik nak mintak dukung je. Kalau marah sikit menangis.

Kecik-kecik lagi dah puas berjalan kan? Tiap tahun naik kapalterbang or belon as the Borneos called it. Tapi dalam kapalterbang tak nak pulak tidur. Asyik nak jalan sana sini. Rimas agaknya orang yang duduk sebelah. Bayar mahal-mahal duduk depan sekali tapi kena duduk dengan the my lil terror in the sky. Huhu..nasib.

Kalau hujan lebat nasib tak baik akan ada tanah runtuh on the way to Kundasang. But landslides are apparently common here. Recently 20 houses were damaged because of landslides but because it happen here and not in KL, I guess the tv people doesn't even show it in the news. I mean seriously where is Karam Singh Walia? Sedangkan kalau longkang tersumbat kat KL pun orang dah bising-bising complaint dalam tv.

My sis who's teaching in SMK Kundasang told me that the school has been deemed unsafe to occupy by JKR years ago but they are still occupying it! Maybe because there's no budget to move the school or there's just no location to build a new building. I just hope the authorities can do something about it. Janganlah sampai ada kejadian tak diingini macam di Hulu Langat lagi berlaku.

Teringat zaman dolu-dolu masa kali pertama Mak Andak and family datang holiday kat Kundasang. Tanah runtuh teruk sangat sampai berjam-jam terkandas kat tengah jalan tapi Mak Andak still boleh melawak sambil makan pisang dengan tenangnya. Huhu..

Masa tu my brother and my cousins pergi panjat gunung but sampai separuh jalan je. Sejuk sangat kut? Tapi dapat sijil jugak..hehehe..

desperate housewives part 2 of books and baking

Yikes..my original intention starting this blog was actually just to put book reviews or maybe the occasional movie reviews but I have the feeling that it was way..terpesong now. Ah..I have included so much about my life that it looks so caca marba by the way. Sekejap english sekejap cakap Melayu..hm..it's just for the benefit of my husband actually..he just don't understand why I started a blog. Since I'm probably just taking to myself..(hence the phobia that no one actually read my blog) I decided to condensed everything into one entry. Time and cost saving effort..right?

Lately all the books I've read are borrowed ones..budget cuts..huhu. But those are the sacrifices you make when you have a family..a bouncing 2 year old to be exact who needs new clothes every 3 months because he's growing so much..aghh..I'm babbling again. Ok focus mama..firstly book reviews.

A Doctor in the House by Tun Dr. Mahathir -former Malaysia Prime Minister

Firstly, I'm so not a political person but I admired Tun Dr. M for his unconventional Malay ways. And since I do bought his Malay Dilemma so it just come naturally for me to also have this one. It's thick and chockful of histories regarding Malaysia, UMNO, political stuff and nice interesting bits relating to his personal life. I mean really just bits..mostly it's about his political career and his ups and downs. He's a visionary that is undoubtly and I just hoped that my generation can produce someone as brilliant or maybe better than him. The book might be a bit expensive..it's RM100 mind you but it's worth it. Sometimes we need to read a bit of non fiction stuff, right? We can't all just read Mills and Boon all the time. Sorry Ja if you're reading this..hihi..

Other books..Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

The most recent books I've read are the Percy Jackson series..haha. Yup I know it's kids stuff but since I'm reading Harry Potter anyway..what the (toot..). Percy Jackson is a demi god, the son of Greek god Poseidon. It's a bit confusing so it's better if you research about the Greek gods while reading this. Apparently being the son of a god makes you powerful sort of like Hercules.

Suffice to say it's an American version of Harry Potter with summer camps for half bloods and a centaur being the camp supervisor.

But of course the kids went for a quest as they called it to find the lightning of Zeus which are stolen only to discover betrayal by their own friend, Luke the son of Hermes messenger of the gods. There's interesting characters like Annabeth the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and war strategy and Grovery; a satyr the supposedly junior protector of the kids. The first book has been made into a movie. A condensed but quite nice one.

The other books are way more interesting with the introduction of Thalia, long lost daughter of Zeus and Nico and Bianca children of Hades god of the underworld. Let's just hope they make it into movies as well.

Baking? You say..well with lots of time in my hand I've decided to make pancakes yesterday. Fluffy American pancakes not lempeng. My lil one seemed to like it. He gobble one instantly and bits of the second one can be found all over the living room. I think the secret to its fluffiness is the baking powder and baking soda. Very easy to make for dummies like me.

Pancake for dummies

Just 1 cup of flour to 1 cup of fresh milk.

Salt.

1 egg.

Baking powder.

Baking soda.1 teaspoon for both.

Butter or vegetable oil. Oil is better otherwise it'll be lumpy.

Sugar. I put half cup.

1. Put dry ingredients first

2. Then wet.

3. Mix together well until almost no lumps.

4. Scoop with spoon..nah those soup ladle one..half only

5. Put on nice flat pan and turn when it's all bubbly brown.

kampung oh kampung

Salah seorang kawan rapat di ofis lama bertanyakan khabar baru-baru ni. Oh..aku senyap bukan apa sebab jauh nun di kampung ibu tersayang. Bila nak dikira adalah setahun sekali je balik. Kesian mak. Anak dah besar duduk pulak jauh2. Mak aku pun malas nak jalan2. Panas katanya kat KL. Padahal dulu bertahun2 duk di Kuala Pilah lagilah semacam je bahangnya. Hehe..takpelah..sebagai anak..layan je..

Anak aku si kecik tu bukan main suka. Maklumlah rumah nenek besar puas round. Naik bukit tengok surau yang atuk dia buat. Aku pun terfikir. Sejak dari kecik, kami dah puas berpindah sana sini. Bila dah pencen, ayah dan mak tetiba nak balik kampung mak pulak. Mula-mula aku heran tapi bila dah ada anak ni baru aku faham.

Beza duk bandar dengan kampung. Kalau kat kampung boleh bercucuk tanam. Senang nak masak. Pandan, kunyit semua depan mata. Kalau kat bandar semua kena beli. Leceh kan? Budak-budak kalau kawasan luas boleh main-main. Kalau kat bandar asyik terperap je camne?
Bila tengok limau purut yang ayah tanam sebesar lemon aku pun terkejut. Mak oi..suburnya tanah kat sini kan?

Kalau duduk kat kondo tak merasa semua ni. Sayangnya sebab harga tanah yang mencarak naik sejak kebelakangan ini, harga rumah pun melambung-lambung. Kalau orang yang baru kahwin manalah mampu nak beli rumah besar-besar. Sedangkan rumah teres kat Lembah Klang pun dah cecah 400k. Adoi...

Bila dah tua seronok duduk kampung. Entahlah macam mana bila aku dah pencen nanti. Masa tu ada lagi ke kampung?Ke beraya kat rumah teres je?Beraya kat bandar ni macam takde feel. Takde orang nak datang beraya. Teringat kali pertama beraya di rumah mentua. Malam raya dah jalan2 pergi restoran mamak. Boringnya..hehe. Aku yang dah biasa berjalan pergi rumah saudara atau sibuk tolong mak layan tetamu jadi mati kutu.

Asyik tanya suamiku mana orang tak datang beraya?Itulah gayanya beraya di KL. Masa itu baru terpikir bestnye ada kampung walaupun kampung orang tuaku satu di sini satu di sana. Asalkan ada..ye tak?Walaupun aku adik beradik ni dilahirkan di PJ, tapi syukur merasa jugak duk kampung semasa ayah mengajar di KP.

Masa tu macam culture shock tengok tahi kambing dan kerbau bersepah kat jalan. Pekan dia pun takde traffic light. Aku rasa sebagai anak bongsu masa tu aku yg paling tak suka duk kampung sebab takde KFC tapi lama-lama best jugak. Dapat naik basikal. Hidup pun relax takde traffic jam ke ape.

Entahlah. Kadang-kadang kita perlu ingat yang kita semua berasal dari kampung. Betul tak?