Business Is Not My Forte

“My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people's.” ― Oscar Wilde

Let us begin with the 'flash backward'. When I was small, I lived in Kampung in Kota Bharu (yess kampung but in KB), mom rajin plant vegetables for our own consumption and sometimes sell to neighbors. I was always the sweet girl who followed mom and went around houses to sell whatever vegetables mom plucked that day. Years later, I entered Uni and the notion that business is not something easy to get yourself into and with many business failures lying around, I started to see that working with the government is the best choice one could have. Secured, stable, no failure. 

I am now an employee with a secured job, a nice little saving, able to travel once in a while, can afford doubletree by hilton with 50% discount (since I have friend No #4 who is a member) and travel by Airasia because Now Everyone Can Fly. But off late, I have been contemplating. 

Nak niago mende ni! 
(image courtesy google)

See, Islam encourages us to get involved in business activities. There are few ayah and hadith mentioned about this.  In fact, business is considered as the highest source of income.  Rasulullah SAW said in one of the hadiths, (translated in bahasa) “9/10 rezeki itu adalah datang daripada perniagaan.” (Hadith Al Tirmizi).

I am now considering going back to my roots (chewahh!). During my last trip to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, I found a lot of business opportunities there and I even bought extra stuffs for sale later to potential customers. I also met a supplier by the name Dany who brought me and my 2 friends to visit their factory or maybe I should say their rumah kedai. Masha'allah, dan dan I feel like this is what I want to do. Be a businesswoman, but hashtag a muslim kind of business person insha'allah.

However, I know I do not have the skills and the experience, and since my blogging days has restarted, lucky me I just found out about this Konvensyen Usahawan Muslim 2013. If you are like me and having the same thoughts as I am and been contemplating long enough, why don't you just get on with it. 

Here is the link www.KonvensyenUsahawanMuslim.com . Get further info from the website and make yourself drive you there. 

Register yourself here – Pendaftaran Konvensyen Usahawan Muslim

Here is the campaign ads;

All smiling faces. Sweet but meant business.

Hey, bussiness persons to-be, 

Promise me we will see each other there? If you happen to bump into a sweet sensational not-so young lady in yellow baju kurung made in Vietnam suited with a cream double tone scarf carrying a Oroton handbag, yes that is me (and yes I already know what to wear. so, sue me!)

Till we meet there!

Best Tuna Sandwich Recipe For Diet

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” ― Charles M. Schulz


WHO DOESN'T LOVE TUNA?

I am a huge fan of tuna. Don't care about the smell. Once inside, what smell smell?

During my happy days (hmm) when I was living in Kangaroo Country, I love their fresh produce. OMG foods are heaven, magnifique (cakap omputes kena ala french baru cool), unbeatable, but that does not mean I do not appreciate what I have here back home. It is just that I was happier because food is my everything. And that is also why I miss COLES, ALDI & WOOLWORTH (*like carrefour, giant and tesco la kat sini) so much. Everything is so cheap, yet so tasty & delicious. So, please do not believe the notion that cheap stuffs are of lesser quality or in my case less tasty.

Well, my friends if you happen to visit down under, please and please do not miss the chance to pay a trip to all these stores. Not only you get the experience of touring the stores (which I always do) but you could save some meal/food budgets during travel because they have a lot of amazing and fabs microwavable foodstuffs and what I love most is they have many halal labels. Crazy best, right? (translated as giler syok, kan?)

At home (where it is so aman these days..hmm), we have quite few brands for tuna like Ayam brand and TC Boy. But I prefer Ayam brand. Before, it just cost 3-4 hengget. Now already jumped to RM5+. Imagine if TPPA settles in. Weii..don't take it the wrong way, I have nothing against it, but we got to study all pros and cons and make sure we profit and benefit. Do not work in haste, nothing goes smooth in haste. I know cos I am a hasty-type of person and nothing good ever comes out of it. So, are we cool?

Melesia Mari*
(*This is obviously unpaid campaign for Ayam Brand)

Aussie Mari

INGREDIENTS

• Whole-wheat or white bread or croissants (whatever you like)
• canola or olive spread or butter (mana-mana ada dalam esbok)
• Tuna in cans (ada mayo, pedas dsbgnye)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (jika suke)
• 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise & chill sauce
• Some cheese (use whatever type you like)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (not necessary to have)
• tomatos, salad, cucumber (up to you, you like what you like)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill/oven/sandwich maker.
2. Lightly brush bread slices with spread. Add tuna in and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder.  
3. Arrange the salad on your bread, combine mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice and chilli sauce and then spread on your bread as much as you like. Then add some cheese.
4. Now, go put on your grill or sandwich maker. In a minute, it is ready to be ngapped!

Never did this style, why don't you try.

My kind of sandwich 

This looks amazing

*all pictures obtained from google images.

TIPS

See, I like to cook but I do not like preparing the ingredients. But I have a sister, who is small (cos I'm plump so I'm stating this point as FYI) and sweet and pretty and she helps me in the kitchen a lot. When she prepares, she does it like a pro, so neat and beautiful. Everything is cut nicely like you are having a contest. Sometimes it annoys me because I do not like to wait and this cutting stuffs is taking sometime to finish. However, let me tell you this, it is worth the wait. Who would have thought that sandwiches with good cutting and arrangement taste better? Thats why I tell ya when you have sandwich at your 5-Star hotels, breakfast ala Diva, it taste so d*** good!

Hey, enjoy your sandwich. Tell me how do you find the recipe.

Taman impian putra, 12.15pm

Tentang Kawan Part 1

True friendship comes when the silence between two people  is comfortable.” - David Tyson Gentry.


Sape takde kawan?

Kalau ada yang angkat tangan memang sah la makhluk paling hebat sebab boleh hidup sensorang ketawa, makan, melancong, berjimba, gi usrah/ceramah haji (auw!) semua sorang2 . Tapi konsepnye betul jugak tu sebab mati pun kekdahnye sensorang kan.

Anyhoots, I nak bagitau I suke berkawan. Kawan bagi I paling penting dalam diari kehidupan I selain dari mak ayah, adik-beradik, ipar duai, anak buah dan ketua kampung (sebab masa sekolah nak dapat biasiswa dan masa nak masuk U kena dapatkan signature dia).

Kawan-kawan kita ni ada macam-macam jenis pe'el perangai, so colorful. But honestly I adore them all. I crave for times to spend with them. I never want to lose any of them. Kadang2 tu I khayal sensorang kalaulah I kaya I nak terbangkan semua kawan2 I ke Swiss untuk sama2 menikmati percutian paling hebat dan cool. Borak sampai pagi, tidor atas padang di pergunungan Alps, hidup sebersih udaranya. Wow! Khayalan is the best.*hugs.

I nak tulis pasal kawan-kawan tanpa menyebut nama dan jika depa bacer belog yang tak berapa nak hidup ni depa tau dok tu depa.


Kawan 1

Dia ni kalau I tetiba wassap dan bercakap pasal nak lari dari Malaysia dan nak dok obersea bagai, dia tau la I ada masalah jiwe tu. Amat memahami keadaan dalaman dan jiwe karat I. Toksah la nak sembunyik2 mesti pecah punya. I had the best times so far travelling with her. Most memorable was in Madrid and Marrakesh. Seorang yang berprinsip tapi fleksibel. Tak suka menyusahkan walau kita sanggup disusahkan. Kadang tu I rasa macam I ni jenis demanding dan bermasalah pulak sebab kawan2 tak nak minta tolong. Macam tu ke I? Anyway if you are reading this, please write your comment here as anonymous.

Kawan 2 

Dia ni pemurah sangat. Seorang berjawatan tinggi dan bijak serta hebat mengendalikan Majlis. Juga hebat memandu dan tau semua jalan-jalan tak macam I yang pasti sesat kalau keluar bangi/kajang/putrajaya/serdang. Kalau kita susah dia akan usaha tolong. Bilik dia sentiasa ada stok makanan, kalau takde tu amat mustahil dan janggal sekali. Dia bukan sahaja kawan yang baik tapi seorang adik, kakak dan anak yang terlampau bertanggungjawab. I tau dia paham apa maksud I tulis ni. Cuma masalah kawan I ni dia tak suke bahase Inggeris. Ntah kenape. Susah nak kawen Mat Salleh ni.

Kawan 3

I met her not too long ago. Soft spoken and very sweet person. Her persona is beautiful, only dia je tak sedar hakikat tu. Dia ni jenis macam I jugak tak suka angka. Figures give headaches to us both. Pemurah dan out of the blue boleh bagi gifts tanpa sebab. Just because. I love the Gorgeous Mug sista. She is the kind of person yang akan belikan foods for you even if u never ask coz she cares. She also will always tanya khabar, just because. Namun begitu, we are so different in many ways. She's soft spoken while I am not. She's loveable while I am not. But we both love romance novels. Always koya2 ala heroin dalam novel. Tapi dia ni ada masa sedikit lurus dan lambat tangkap *her own words. Tapi once she got it, she got it. I pulak jauh skali dari lurus dan bab menangkap ni I champion. Tapi I jenis mudah lupa. Sebab I melayu tulen. See how different we are?

Kawan 4 

This kawan ni susah nak jumpa type dia. He is so good in what he does. Kadang2 I rasa dia ni perfectionist dalam banyak segi. Dia ni tegas dan tak pandai nak berpura-pura dalam banyak hal. Paling tak suke manusia hipokrit. Sesuatu yang unik pasal dia, tanya je pasal airlines, flight no, routes dan apa2 sewaktu dengannya, I bagi jaminan 10 tahun warranti macam kuali tefal dia akan menjawab dengan tepat. Orang dok sibuk2 beli kereta baru rumah besar, ada dia kesah? Takdenye dia nak tergugat. Tapi kalau airport tutup, dia takleh fly, train lambat, siap la dia meroyan. He is a also a loyal friend dan very considerate and understanding. Such a treasure to have in your life.


You see, people are different. Friends are people. So friends are different from you. Learn to accept your friends as they are. Because like you and me, kita semua ada kelemahan. And this kelemahanlah  yang membuatkan kita istimewa dan berbeza. So colourful and beautiful. Bukan begitu? To me, my friends are all beautiful and good people. I heart them all.

Keep following this thread for more Kawan Exposure!

BSP 10.23pm.

Benda Paling Susah Nak Buat Dalam Hidup

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” 
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

Assalamualaikum semua.

Mashaallah bersawang belog ni. Penulis hanyut dengan kehidupan yang tak glamer dan juga tak fun.

Sebelum terlambat dan memulakan perbincangan yang lebih akademik (konon*nak terkucil kakra bace) saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya kepada pembaca belog saya ni (macam ramai kan??). Kalau ada salah silap, terluka, terguris hati dan perasaan (propa tak abis!), sudilah kiranya dimaafkan. Tenkiu.

Jawapan kepada tajuk post : Mengekalkan MOMENTUM.

Saya tak tau apa masalah orang lain, tapi saya susah sangat nak dapat Momentum ni. Bila dah dapat tu, susah sangat nak steady meady. Mesti hilang. Dapat satu hari, hilang 47 hari. Anda macam mana?

Beria bercerita pasal momentum. Kang salah faham susah plak. Meh kita godek dulu definasinya sebelum kita kupas isu ini (akademik tak?)

Source: google pada dictionary.reference.com

Definasi pertama

Faham? Seriously I takleh relate maksud diberi dengan situasi I.

Definasi kedua

Aku masih hilang (google translate 'lost')

Definasi ketiga

Apa barang produk2 body mass ni weeii. Tapi no.3 tu macam memberi pencerahan sikit.

Definasi ke-ampat (remember ye '4' is my lucky no)

That's it. Now I can relate.

Dalam fizik, maksudnye 'tendency of a moving object (ambo ler tu) to continue moving'. Akhirnye fizik jugak menyelesaikan masalah ini. So adik2 dan kawan2, fizik tu penting and needs to be explored. Tau la tak suka fizik tapi tanpa fizik macam mana nak faham natural science, knowledge of nature. But now it's not the time to ramble about fizik. Lagipon bukan pandai pun kan.

See, my problem dulu dan sampai hari ini masih sama. Susah nak kekal momentum. Apa masalah orang macam ini. Let us categorise and contemplate. 

1. Kurang disiplin

2. Kurang motivasi

3. Kurang aktif

4. Kurang usaha

5. Kurang berfikir

6. Kurang asam*

*Source wikipedia: Asam secara umum merupakan senyawa kimia yang bila dilarutkan dalam air akan menghasilkan larutan dengan pH lebih kecil dari 7. Dalam definisi modern, asam adalah suatu zat yang dapat memberi proton (ion H⁺) kepada zat lain (yang disebut basa), atau dapat menerima pasangan elektron bebas dari suatu basa. Asam umumnya berasa masam, tapi cairan asam pekat sangat berbahaya dapat merusak kulit dan hati-hati mata, jika terpercik asam pekat bisa berakibat kebutaan. Jika kena asam pekat harus langsung dicuci dengan air mengalir sampai benar-benar bersih.

Jangan pandai2 nak pakai perkataan asam kalau tak tau maksud.

Diri saya suka contemplate mengapa saya begitu begini tetapi kurang mengambil tindakan untuk berubah kerana saya ada semua masalah di atas kecuali hashtag no 6. Kadang2 (most of the times selalu) hidup menjadi kelam kabut, tak organise, kurang hebat dan tak nampak cool sebab masalah nak kekalkan momentum ni. Nak moving memang senang, semua orang boleh tapi isunya adalah macam mana nak moving the right direction. Directions that lead you to success and jadi hebat dan cool. I want that. 

Apa anda buat untuk memegang momentum? Supaya dok dendiam and at least takde la lari sampai 47 hari. Myself, these are what I did and will keep doing;

1. Banyakkan berdoa. Paling penting ni. 

2. Bagi hadiah best untuk diri selepas selesai sesuatu task. (reward dengan benda hok mu suke!)

3. Cari member atau lebih tepat lagi BFF yang mengerti dirimu dan akan mengkritikmu tanpa ragu dan hadlaju.

4. Paksa dirimu menyesal dengan tindakanmu. Setiap orang caranye berbeza. Be kreatif.

Bukan senang nak berjaya dan tak pernah senang nak lebih berjaya dan jadi cool and berilmu. Anyhoots, kekalkan motivasi, tingkatkan prestasi, jaga diri, jaga kesihatan, amalkan cara hidup sehat, rajin-rajinlah taubat. Babai!

BSP 9.22 am.

Lucky No '4'

Be an angel to someone else whenever you can, as a way of thanking God for the help your angel has given you.  ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Bookby Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994


I  have four best friends. They know who they are. We have known each others for 20 over years.
Recently, I was again blessed with four new good friends. I already have four and now God is giving me another four.

From today onwards '4' is my lucky number. I owned it and I plan to keep it that way. Nothing will ever shake me!


I HAVE A STORY TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU!


But, I am in the midst of final exam week and have a lot of readings to do which I have yet to start.
But let me tell you this, my next post will be something that touches your heart. It's about friendship, it's  about angels on earth. Wait for it!

Until later.

Love ya.

10.58 BSP

All God's angels come to us disguised.  ~James Russell Lowell

From A Girlfriend To Another, Regards Rock Chicks

“We're all lost. The best chance we got is to wander this life with the people who matter.” 
― Kristen Ashley

Dear Girlfriend,

I have not been feeling well lately. I woke up this morning feeling lost. I read Qur'an and I prayed. Don't know why I am still feeling edgy, tired and restless. I might need a vacation I guess. Your words last night really touched me so deep that I have never known it existed. I feel like I am missing something in life. I can't even describe what I feel because I do not even understand me. But I do know I feel empty. 

Thank you for sharing with me something beautiful last night babe. Do share and feed me with any happy news so that I can embrace the happiness if only for a day because I just want to take a day at a time for now. 

Regards,

Indy, 8.12 am

Dear Girlfriend,

You are thinking too much. Do take consolation in the fact that everything has been written, girl. I was a better muslim before and I felt so close to God when I was younger. So when I didn't feel the blessing when I prayed and do du'a these couple of years, I wondered what happened, why my mind was just not there and I felt that I have drifted away from Him despite the fact that I'm the kind of person who pray regularly. 

I remember when the stroke guy dumped me, I was sad. I seek God but I didn't feel it despite the sadness. So when the teacher who I dated dumped me, it hit so low I literally collapsed in my living room at my previous house crying loud asking God "why Allah? Where are You Allah? Where are You". I cried hard until evening and that night I called my girlfriend and we went out. I was okay for a while but the pain was so deep and I was depressed for months. God sent me a girlfriend who was there to listen and she kept saying good riddance bad rubbish. I was sad and when there was nothing I could do anymore to ease the pain that was when I learn to ask from God everyday only for happiness and strength to go through that day. 

I never thought that one day I have to ask God everyday to give me some strength so that my sadness doesn't affect those around me especially my parents. Honestly girl, all my accidents and almost got rob cases were the final blow and they made me realise that only Allah can help me, not only to overcome my sadness but also to protect me from danger and those with bad intention. But for that, I have to seek Allah and when I seek Allah when I feel sad, I know that I have someone to turn to. Until now I have long lost hope in life. I have no ambition and all I want is to have at least more money and some ease in life so that I can take my parents for holiday sometime soon. 

You just imagine girl I'm just 31 year old and I'm not looking forward to the future. What does this fact tell about me? And all I could think of is that all the good things in life are for other people but me. But in the midst of these, I am hoping that I can hope. So I learn to search for hope. I ask God for this everyday, girlfriend and I tell Him that I am just a nobody, other people won't turn twice to see me. And as such, in terms of finding my soulmate, if He didn't bring that special someone to me and show the one that I got something good in me then no one will notice me. So I ask Him to help, but I said if there is no one for me in this big world then teach me they way to accept this, and please turn me into someone who accepts me for who I am and the way I look. 

So the same goes about job, friends and life generally. What I'm trying to say is, girl, is that you are not alone, but you have so much good things in you, and you just have to step back for a while to see it from far. You got to give a pat on your  back for all the wonderful things you did for yourself, your family and your friends. You have also to come to term with the past  girl, it has been too long and you have now to tell yourself that he was not all the man you think he was, but maybe half of it. Search for hope, girl and to do that we must seek Allah...and let us do this together!

Regards,

Ally, 12.49pm

Dear Ally,

Your are like an 'Ally' to me and I hope I can be your 'Indy'. Thank you for being you and for always asking how I am doing and for checking up on me all the times. I now realized I am blessed with so many beautiful things in life.

Thank you Allah.

Love ya, girlfriend.

(Note: The conversation was a real one between Ally and Indy, though those were not their real names !)

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” 
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free


9.22 PM, BSP

Hello, Pretty Baby! Remember This..

Dedicating this one for all my MBA babes that I adore so much.
Suhara, Lily, Faizah, Nadhrah, Yun Yun, Lenora, Hanna, Farah, Hawa, Zetty, Acea, Diyana, Izza, Azreen, Sharon & Yoka.

This is how I picture you gals & this one is for you...

Hello, Pretty Baby
How's life treating you
Why are you looking miserable
Why are you not smiling anymore
What is hurting you
What is making you sad

My Pretty Baby
Please understand life lessons
Life is simple
Yet, can be hurtful the most
Life is easy
But we could always lose our ways

Oh, Pretty Baby
Please remember this
Do not push yourself too hard
Do not blame yourself for what go wrong
It is not on your shoulder to make everyone happy
It is not your issues if they do not accept you for being you

Always, Pretty Baby
Always remember that
You love your family & friends
You adore your colleagues and even your boss
You even care for your neighbours &
You cherish new acquaintances
You go the distance to do your very best for all that matter to you
You exhaust yourself
You sacrifice more than you can afford
You bleed yourself dry for them

Now, Pretty Baby
Whats Not To Like About You, Sweet Honey?
Whats Not To Love About You, Beautiful Angel?
From today onwards, do not think less of yourself
Never put yourself in that position again

Remember This, Pretty Baby
You are so special, nothing could ever compare to you!
I'm gonna miss you all babes!


UPM 12.32PM