I almost thought...

...Amit was gonna go today!!

I just can't believe it Prashant just got in w/o even coming into the bottom 3! At least Emon had to come to bottom 3 (wif Chang & Amit!). Yes...Chang & Amit, the 1 who was THE BEST of the 5, was left at bottom 2! *#$%!^*

Anyways...thank GOD Amit was saved!! Phew!! Or that's the end of my watching Indian Idol this yr!

I know Chang's going broke so many hearts...but I also know this is the rule of the game.

4 more wks...

Amit Paul - MY INDIAN IDOL!

Chang started today's epi & raised the standard bar so high no one except Amit cld match. Really. Although Amit was perfect as usual, I felt he sounded like the original singer of that song (Yaad Aa Raha Hai from Disco Dancer happens 2b one of my all-time fave!). But oh well...Indian Idol he's gonna be!!!

The other 1 who impressed me was Ankita. The new look, the confidence & the guts to sing Aap Jaisa Koi from Qurbani in her own style - as the malay punks wld say (adopted from M'sian sitcom Senario): "ikut sedap tekak laki mak dia!". For that freshness...plus she's the only female left...I give her 9/10.

That leaves us with Prashant & Emon...gd in their own ways...but nothing gr8 to say abt them tonight. So looks like I'd be glad to see both at bottom 2 & Prashant (actually won't care even if it's Emon!) wld leave the show! I've had enuf of Sonu Nigam from Emon from Day 1. High time I say bye!

Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao / I See You

Yesterday & today, I watched 2 movies which was never hyped & which from the bit of trailers I saw, I concluded as CRAP...but I was really delighted that I spent my time well by watching these 2 movies coz I felt the movies were really good I wished I had watched it earlier! Well narrated, well directed, well acted, well casted. As compared to other movies which was hyped but full of shit!

Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao
Was played on Star Plus (ch 41) yesterday afternoon...as I was spending time @ Sis' place the whole afternoon, I recorded it & watched @ nite till 2am! Haha. Why I cld stay up that late to watch a hindi movie? The movie kept me glued. I like this actor Akshay Kapoor who acted in an extraordinary unconventional movie Alag. PKMHJ was his debut film. It looks like some B-grade film back then in 2004. But watching it yesterday, I fell in love with the subject - sweet love story, funny on 1 side, yet touching on the other. And I also felt Tanisha (Kajol's Sis which irritated me wif her acting in Neal 'n' Nikki) improved her acting considerable in this movie! She was a pleasure to watch, just like Kajol! Song were also catchy...nvr disappointed when it's Vishal-Shekar's music. They're a genius! As for Akshay Kapoor, the more I watch him, the more I fall in love wif him all over agn! He's brilliant!

I See You
Was played on RTM2 many Saturdays ago. Probably 2 mths ago? I asked Mom to record for me. But after that, I nvr found time to watch it. When I found time, Mom can't find the DVD! So I thought "nvm, forget it...will watch it if they show on cable." Suddenly, yesterday afternoon Mom found it...so I took it b4 it goes MIA agn! I just finished watching it earlier. HILLARIOUS! Subject is refreshing too. Casanova man (Arjun Rampal) meets a pretty ghost (soul of a woman in a coma and only the hero can see/hear her). How love blossomed between the 2. Hillarious bcoz of Chunky Pandey, one of my all time fave comedy actor apart from Govinda. He's really cartoon I tell u! His face alone will make u laugh! At least he looks btr than Johnny Lever! Oh well, the Arjun-Chunky pair is really cool! Shld be repeated. Debutant heroine Vipasha reminds me of Lara Dutta, but she's gd too anyways! Songs nothing fantastic, I just fast-fwd. I've always like Arjun Rampal, but mayb since he & his wife play producer I thought the movie's gonna be crap. I dunno, mayb I felt Arjun's gd in front of the camera, so he shld stay just there & not multi-task. Maybe these actors have earned enuf & dunno wat to do wif the $$$$$$? So they turn producer! I recommend this movie for those who needs a laugh.

Boy am I glad I watched these 2 movies. Been a while since I get to watch really gd quality movies on TV/DVD.

Now my nxt task is to watch 7 Denzel Washington movies (a compilation of his movies in 2 DVDs)...which was lent to me by a fren who bought it in M'sia. Watching Remembering the Titan halfway. Perservering to watch 1 movie a day & finish it in 1 wk & return back to my fren b4 I go to Bali.

BALI...here I come!

U have no idea how unlucky I am. I've participated in so many contests...in desperate hope of winning cash, plasma TV, cars, bollywood concert tickets...not even 1 did I win! I must've sent 50 Magnolia Win A Toyota Vios contest coupons...knowing I'd not win even 1...and true enuf...someone else muz've won! :(

Ya...1 thing I won was "be a part of the shoot of a Zee TV serial (Rabba Ishq Na Hove) @ Sentosa"...that too something I wasn't really interested/hopeful anyways...I sent it for fun!

It seems recently my workplace did a balloting for all staff to stand a chance to win a pair of free tickets to Bali/Phuket on 4 chartered Valuair/Jetstar flights (2 to Bali & 2 to Phuket...1 flight each in Sep & Oct). I didn't really pay attn to the email. I wasn't interested. I've used my vacation subsidy this yr (for a disappointing holiday to Pulau Pangkor) plus it's bz period @ work. I heard some of my colleagues won the tickets. I thought "maybe he/she wanted to go so they'd have put in their names or something". Then an email came to announce the winners of the tickets. Scroll down...and saw a familiar name...that has the last 4 digits & 1 ltr of her IC no. matched mine. Holy COW! What the hell is my name doing there?!?? I didn't participate...I didn't same my name...oh shit...how the hell did I win something I didn't participate...what am I gonna do now!!?!

I freaked out to my colleague who was just telling me abt the other colleague winning...and she cldn't pacify me (she oso another bodoh...u'll noe y later!). While I was freaking out...Roshni called me "congrats babe!"...I screamed @ her "what congrats?! I'm freaking out now...y is my name there?! I didn't participate...bla bla bla ..."

She stopped me "Babe babe ... hang on...it's automatic la...all staff was drawn". I was like? Huh!? Really? Can fwd me the email agn. I read it & screwed my bodoh colleague! "Aper la lu Kak Zah...it's auto la! All staff was entered into the lucky draw! U punnnnn!"

But guess what?! I won a ticket to Bali for 3 Oct. Macam siak je! How to go...fasting mth. So I asked HR if there's any chances of me changing the date to the 5 Sep slot. Later on, another mgr from my office emailed HR & accidentally cc-ed the whole organisation asking if she can swop with another staff going for 3 Oct if the staff is agreeable. Think she had me in mind coz my boss told her that I'm foregoing it coz I can't go on 3 Oct (my boss suggested I change the date wif others who may not be able to go on 5 Sep coz bz period for the senior bosses, but I'm too egoistic to go arnd asking/begging). So when I saw her email...I told her I asked HR the same thing & I won't mind considering a swop if allowed...that too if she hasn't found anyone yet.

HR replied that as long as both parties agreeable, let the appointed travel agent know when they contact us. Oh ya, btw, got condition one: If the travel agent unable to contact us, we'll be replaced by those drawn on waiting list. So our nxt task was to be CONTACTABLE!

I thought this was my chance to take Mom on a vacation via flight...at least once in my lifetime. If not for this, I'd nvr be able to afford 1 for her. I asked Sis if she can be excused from sch (since it's sch holidays! but u noe la...teachers still gotta go to sch even if it's sch holiday!) on the grounds of no one to take care of her child. She confirmed yes. Nxt I asked Mom if she's able to go on 5-9 Sep. That's like dep on a Wed & back on a Sun! Too long for a housewife to leave home with some unsettled personal problem lingering in S'pore. She was excited...and all game. She was telling me how my sms came so coincidentally when she's been dying to take a vacation to India but Dad's not allowing coz too expensive...and he suggested Batam or Phuket, to which she told her Dad that none of my frens will take leave to go vacation wif me. And there I was looking for co. to go Bali for a vacation (sharing a free ticket some more!).

Unfortunately, she had a change of heart when Dad didn't give a positive response to the idea. So I told her "U're 1st a wife, then a mother. I dowan u to go against Papa's wish. Let's just forget it." She felt I've nvr been lucky enuf & she badly wanted me to seize this opportunity. She suggested I try my frens "Ur fren Shazadi ke aper tak boleh ikut?" ... I told her to forget abt frens...they're either married with responsibilities (a pity Maslin got married 2 wks too early, otherwise, I'll make her accompany me!), can't get leave off work or like me, can't go vacation with frens.

The travel agent contacted me on Fri evening. My heart says I wanna go...furthermore, my boss is even willing to release me from work for Wed-Fri so I can go. But I've no one to go with & I'm not abt to go alone. I thot, maybe I'm meant not to waste the $$$. I swallowed my ego & asked 2 single galfrens I won't mind spending 5 days alone on a vacation wif (Shazadi & Nikky) if any of them avail on 5-9 Sep to join me for a trip to Bali where I won 2 tickets, just have to fork out abt $265 for land package & taxes.

I waited for hrs...no response. I thot that's pretty normal whenever I need something from someone. These ppl can't go but have no heart to say No to me...so chose to not reply. Sigh. Till another hr later, Shazadi came online & exclaimed in disbelief & asked if I'm serious & if she cld go wif me. After I confirmed her interest & gotten her word that she has budget, avail during the period & her parents doesn't mind her going wif me...I was like "Thank u Allah!!" I went out to tell Mom & she heaved a sigh of relief "Alhadulillah".

So yea...altho I wish Allah wld quickly grant me my prayers for this 1 particular thing I badly want, which means much more to me & my family, I still feel loved by Allah for He granted me another opportunity for a vacation to make up for my spoilt vacation in Jun. That too...by flight...where everything came ez for me...the tickets, the permission (from parents), the leave from boss. Shazadi is the angel Allah sent to accompany me to Bali. I'm fated for Bali afterall!! Yeehar!

We've just finalised our choices of accomodation & tour package today...we'll be staying @ White Rose Hotel (4-star). Land Package: S$180 per pax for 3 nites/twin-share, 1 land tour plus additional 1 lunch & 1 seafood dinner on top of the hotel's daily b/fast PLUS $125 per pax for airport taxes. That leaves us to just cater for 2 lunch & 2 dinner not covered by the package + a massage @ the spa + shopping! My budget-> nothing more than $500. Shazadi's budget -> nothing more than $600. Let's see if we can stick to that! Hehe.

I soooo look forward to this vacation in 2 wks time.

Before that...look forward to seeing Amsyar turn 1 yr old on 31 Aug. Will do our usual mini-celebration: cut cake, sing b'day song in 3 diff languages, snap pics & see his cute acts! God bless him & protect him from EVIL eyes...always! Amin!

Yeayyy! Like FINALLY!!! Puja's OUT!! Yeehar!

This is soooo long awaited!! I've been wanting her out since like so long! Snobbish Puja! Glad she's finally gone! Making the top 5 consist of the 4 I wanted anyone to win in the 1st place. I hope nxt 3 episodes, Chang, Prashant & Ankita will go (don't care in which order)...as I look forward to sit back & See Emon & Amit fight it out in the finals! With Amit crowned Indian Idol, of coz! Mind u!

Yesterday's epi, I enjoyed seeing Anu back on Indian Idol...and my fave performances were Amit & Emon anyways. Except I wish Emon wld stop imitating Sonu's singing style/voice! I didn't like Ankita, Puja, Chang or even Prashant (now when I see/hear Prashant, I get buzzing mosquito sound in my ears & think of Aysha!). Amit's really the dark horse of Indian Idol (and me!)...the same way Abhijeet Sawant was during the 1st Indian Idol. I was so into Rahul Vaidya...but when I heard Abhijeet sang Dil Kya Kare...I suddenly noticed him!

Am's 1st B'day Present (in advance)

Maasi bought for Am his 1st B'day present (2 wks in advance).

He's been enjoying his ride. While I'm typing this...I see his Mamu dilligently pushing him arnd the hse!! Haha...poor Mamu! Hehe...everyone's taking a break from babysitting him...so Mamu's been tasked with the job.

Time for Hajira to fulfill her promise

Due to overwhelming request (since Jan 2006) to switch to Blogger...
Due to the recent problem with Friendster blog where I kept getting feedback that people can't see my posts...
Due to Friendster's f***ing (pardon my French) response to my email asking abt the problem (they replied "we are aware of the "no content found" issue. Our engineers are working on a resolution. Unfortunately, we do not have an estimated time frame for a fix. We have submitted your feedback to the appropriate department.")...

I decided that Friendster can keep "working on the problem"...
I've deleted my Friendster blog and switched to Blogger (do I hear "yeayyyy!"?)...which kept me bz the past 1-2 wks exporting all my friendster posts!

Now it's time Hajira fulfill her promise to do a nice MD skin for me (u know how to get in touch with me to get my password)!

Oh no!!! My Deepali's OUT!??!

WTH?!?! How can Deepali be out when Ankita's clearly the one who fumbled in her performance!?! Pooja wasn't even in the bottom 3 when she was also one of the poor performer (as compared to Emon). Lousy la audience voting system. Full of injustice. When they perform poorly, they stay, when they perform well, they are out.

I must say Deepali is the strongest of all contestants, not even a drop of tear. In fact, she had to pacify her fellow contestants. Very sporting! Oh well...sad la Deepali won't be Indian Idol...now left Ankita & Pooja out of the girls...I'd rather no girl become Indian Idol then!!

Unlucky Abhishek

He made a poor performance where - for the 1st time - all judges unanimously felt he was the weakest link. And OUT he had to go in the v. next episode. How unlucky can 1 get, rite?! All these while, so many had made poor performances and had been unanimously declared the weakest & shld be out...but time & agn they got saved, at the expense of other gd ones (but when they performed well, Lady Luck decides to leave their side!).

So yeah, it was sad to see Abhishek go (but at least he won't be Indian Idol! Hehe!). He sure tried v. hard to do his parting performance...but u can just hear the sadness in his voice & see the sadness in his face while he mingled with the audience & struggled to put up a sporting performance.

He was livelier when he came out as a guest in Thursday's episode of Roobaroo. Nice to see that he's pulled through!