stop to smell the roses
(idiomatic) To relax; to take time out of one's busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life.
Slow down. Stop and smell the roses now and then...

given a chance,i would do just anything to stop and smell them roses. i love roses.used to have them in my garden..and the first thing i would do the moment i got out from my car was to bring my fingers to the thorny twigs and let my cheek touch the soft scarlet petals and inhaled the sweet fragrance.

that was then..every rose has its thorns..just like every night has its dawn..the roses no longer beautify my porch. they just quit growing. and i was just too lazy to repot the new batches...only the orchids and cacti survived..

who needs flower,anyway..some people say they would only make you weak..their very existence - temporary beauty,promoting false hope, weak, fragile and wilting very easily under circumstances-would simply portray a meek image..so they say...

but, it all changes when i started to notice this set of flowers,,always congregating in harmony..moving gracefully with the flow of water beneath it..standing tall despite having this delicate stalk..

they are the waterlilies, or lotus; from the Nympheaceae family.

i started noticing the beauty of waterlilies when i first moved to perlis..it grows in abundance over here. They are aquatic plants found in lakes, ponds and the edges of streams; and perlis is a state which is blessed with wonderous wetlands.

and, from my limited observation and comprehension, this flower has long been associated with hinduism and buddhism..it was said that Buddhists regard the water lily as a symbol of enlightenment because of the beautiful bloom that emerges from the mud. They also consider the water lily a symbol of purity, spontaneous generation and divine birth. and waterlilies were colourfully lit and let afloat in the lakes by thousands of wishful ladies in hope of getting a charming future husbands in the Loy Krathong Festivals..(ciwei...correct me if im wrong..)

these beautiful waterlilies caught my eyes everytime i passed the Marhum Kayang Museum on my way to school..it opens up to greet the sun every morning and i was always wishing that i would have enough time to stop and capture those beautiful waterlilies...(i was always rushing to school..no time to stop by and smell the roses..err..lilies..and by the time i returned home, they had closed their flowers, all ready to welcome the night..)

and it was that morning in december during the school holidays that i decided to just grab my camera and went straight to the Museum and capture these beautiful waterlilies...

i actually spent 1 hour (considering i was alone,nobody was around, and the museum was not yet opened,and i had to park my car by the roadside and wade through the small stream to get to the lake) to capture them lilies...

looking through these pictures, i could easily relate to the fact that it represents the purity of heart and mind..

so, take some time...to actually stop and admire those flowers..

susfu...?

S.U.S.F.U

[ situation unchanged : still F#*ked up!]

snafu...?

S.N.A.F.U

[ situation normal : all f*#ked up..]

Federal route 76

i love driving.

among my favourite routes are the batu ferringghi-tanjung bungah road, tapah -cameron highlands[on the way down] and the simpang pulai-cameron highlands'.those roads would really put your manouvering skill to test.

back in december last year, i got to try this new route -the federal route 76 :an alternate route to Ipoh; the baling - gerik - kuala kangsar highway... and i considered choosing to follow this route instead of the PLUS highway was a wise decision - the traffic was clear, not many cars,[yup..no toll to be paid whatsoever..] and what seemed to be an added bonus was the fact that it is one of the most beautiful highways in Malaysia.

i discovered that the roads that i enjoyed the most are those hilly and winding ones...the ones that present you with simply breathtaking sceneries!!

....these are a few of my favourite things...

earlier today, ive been let down, and i felt really terrible to be held captive in yet another thrash talk [my official term for meetings nowadays]..i was squirming in my seat praying for the meeting to finish early, but i could not bear the nonsense any longer, so i just fled the scene.

i found myself staring into the open sea, watching the muddy murky waves breaking the dirty shore...thinking, even this unglamorous kola beach is affected by change..[they plan to build a resort nearby]...

people change..things change..there's nothing you can do about it..change is inevitable..

i guess i just had to go with the flow...no matter how bitter it gets..

guess, the real underlying problem is actually ME...and my refusal to tolerate with things...blame me for having low bullshit tolerance..

and its making me feel so low.....

"When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad......"

as a small girl, i used to listen to the lyrics of ' my favourite things ' sung by Maria from the movie,'the sound of music'..

Maria - My Favorite Things lyrics

so, i decided to look at my favourite things...so all the bad feelings would subside.......

.....hands up...!

Whose handwriting is this?

Please raise your hand..........

holy macarons...!!!!

i was returning home from what i considered as a freakishly bad meeting which was full of thrash talking.i had to put up with such insult, while at the same time trying to keep my sanity alive by keeping my expression completely neutral which was actually hard to do..... such a lousy start for a new academic year...driving home,i tried to figure out how am i going to survive the new management..then came the phone call..owh .there should be a special package delivery. for me.upon reaching my house, i saw a lady standing at the gate. she handed something to me. i really had no idea what it was, but i got into my house and put the whole package on the kitchen table...






there was a special message attached to it which reads,
" TO : Beloved Teacher Zill (at this point, i already knew whos the sender...sikit x surprise..:P)
i would like to express my deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to you for your genuine love, concern, thoughtfulness and kindness for me throughout the year. you're irresistable and a-we-some forever.!!!
i hope that 2012 will better for you...(just what i need..)
be strong with all your heart!!!
happy new year to you and family!!!
love you, hugs and kisses !!!



let's untie the ribbon..and..





wollah.......

colorful macarons....!!!!!

these yummy macarons are made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond/peanut powder/ground and food colouring. and the sweet peanut and buttery aroma hit my nostrils the moment the case was opened.. the smell reminded me of freshly baked peanut butter cookies coming straight out of the oven ...

just look at the different fillings - my guesses would be chocolate, peanut butter, tiramisu , toffee, caramel .......

yummy yummy yummy....

stack them up, lie them down, they look just as good as they taste...

thank you very much for the wishes..so kind and thoughtful of you..i just cannot find words strong enough to thank you. and thanks for the sweet colourful macarons too!!they really brighten up my day..!!!exactly what i need after such a lousy day..!!