Monday 27 February 2012

Selamat Bersara Kak Normi


She has been with an organisation for 31 years! I salute her solid loyalty and dedication to the Bank. I hope I could follow into her foot step. Bak kata orang, tuah ayam pada tajinya, tuah manusia tiada siapa yang tahu.

Kak Normi, all the best in your future undertakings and thank you very much for the colourful friends.

Saturday 25 February 2012

Quadruple Celebration!


The Hamdan family is in the mood for celebration.

We've decided to have birthday or anniversary celebrations on a quaterly basis.

So, for first quarter of 2012, we gathered at Seri Muara Alai Ikan Bakar to thank Allah for His continuos blessings in the form of our beautiful family members - Fizul, Mira, Mak and of course the new addition to Hamdan family, Fauzi.

Moga berkat usia dan murah rezeki. Aamin...

Friday 24 February 2012

Nasi Lemak Kopi O

The whole department is watching live discussion on Bank Simpanan Nasional's Agent Banking.

Another initiative by Bank Negara Malaysia to enhance access to financial services.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Selamat Jalan Nek Chu


Dari Allah kita datang dan kepada Allah kita kembali.

Semoga Allah mengampunkan dosa-dosa Nenek dan tempatkan Nenek di kalangan orang-orang beriman. Aamin.

Terima kasih di atas kasih sayang Nenek selama ini. Hanya Allah yang mampu membalasnya.

Semoga tenang di alam sana. Al fatihah.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Dessy Fitri

Tak ramai penyanyi Indonesia yang menggamit minat aku. Selain Ruth Sahayana dan Endang Estaurina, aku amat menggemari vokal Dessy Fitri.

Aku mula mengkagumi vokal penyanyi yang bertubuh kerdil ini ketika beliau merakamkan lagu Di Akhir Garisan bersama-sama Nora, Ziana Zain dan Ning Baizura.

Aku cuma memiliki satu sahaja album beliau iaitu Mimpi Sedih. Tapi album tersebut telah hilang. Aku jenguk-jenguk di toko-toko muzik, kot ada saki baki album ini, tapi sampai sekarang tiada rezeki.

Jom nikmati dua lagu beliau, iaitu Why Do You Love Me dan Mimpi Sedih.




Sunday 12 February 2012

R.I.P, Whitney Houston

I was shocked, everyone was shocked, and the world too was shocked.

We had just lost, one of all-time great singers who mesmerised us with her great vocal and awesome singing. Unfortunately, drugs brought her down. And I'm sure Bobby Brown won't stop blaming himself for introducing substances to her.

You will be missed greatly, Whitney Houston. 

And thank you very much for all this while great music.




**************************************************************


Singer Whitney Houston dies at 48 - CNN.com
CNN.com
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston was found dead Saturday at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel, officials said. She was 48.
The entertainer, whose incredible talent was discovered at an early age, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton hotel despite resuscitation efforts, a police spokesman said.
Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent" and that the cause of her death is being investigated.
Houston's bodyguard found her body, said Courtney Barnes, publicist for hip-hop artist Ray J, who was dating the pop diva.
According to her official website, Houston sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos. But she also struggled with addiction problems over the years.
Houston, whose hits included "The Greatest Love of All," died on the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. She had performed as late as Thursday night at a pre-Grammy event in the area. A pre-Grammy party was scheduled Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton.
Whitney Houston seemed 'in good spirits'
Music producer Jimmy Jam, after conversations with those heading up to Sunday's night show, told CNN that he believes the event will change significantly -- including a tribute to the singer.
The entertainer recently returned to a movie set for "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976 hit, which was loosely based on the story of The Supremes. It is scheduled be released nationwide in August, according to Sony Pictures. It was her first movie role since 1996's "The Preacher's Wife."
News of her death elicited a flood of reaction from fans and fellow celebrities alike.
Singer Aretha Franklin said, "I just can't talk about it now. It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy (Houston's mother), her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown)."
Dolly Parton, who wrote "I Will Always Love You," said, "mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'"
Another entertainment legend, Quincy Jones, said he was "absolutely heartbroken" by the news. "She was a true original and a talent beyond compare," he said.
Houston's body of work included a string of Billboard No. 1 hits in the 1980s, including "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," "The Greatest Love of All," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)."
Billboard put her soundtrack to the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard" as one of the top 10 biggest-selling albums of all time. She also starred in the film with Kevin Costner. The soundtrack included the hit,"I Will Always Love You."
Whitney Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey.
Famed music producer Clive Davis reportedly spotted Houston 20 years later in a New York nightclub, signing her on the spot, according to her website. Davis steered Houston's career for more than 25 years, also serving as a mentor.
Just Thursday, Davis told CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" that, with Houston, "I saw a depth and a range and soul ... that rarely ranks at the top level. And that's why we've been working together ever since."
The singer's rendition of the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl, days into the first Persian Gulf War, earned raves and cemented her place in the American musical landscape.
After "The Bodyguard," Houston went on to appear in several more films in the 1990s, including "Waiting to Exhale."
In 2000, Houston earned her sixth Grammy for best female R&B performance and, a month later, she was named female artist of the decade at the "Soul Train" Music Awards.
Her career stalled, however, in subsequent years as she entered rehab for addiction problems.
Houston took a hiatus for several years before releasing her first album in seven years, "I Look to You," in 2009.
"I just took a break, which sometimes you have to," said Houston. "You have to know when to slow that train down and kind of just sit back and relax for a minute."
In May 2011, Houston got help for her much-publicized struggle with drugs and alcohol, her representative said at the time.
In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston recalled how her mother arrived one day at her doorstep at her daughter's house with sheriff's officers and a court order in a drug intervention. She talked about doing cocaine and smoking marijuana.
"(My mother) says, 'I have a court (injunction) here,'" Houston said. "Either you do it my way, or we're just not going to do this at all. We are both going to go on TV, and you're going to retire.'"
Houston had a high-profile and tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, a former "New Edition" star who has had multiple brushes with the law.
The couple appeared together in the mid-2000s on the reality show "Being Bobby Brown." They had one child together, Bobbi Kristina.
Houston was the cousin of Dionne Warwick, another acclaimed performer.
Singer Lionel Richie told CNN that Houston was one of the best.
"She had that voice that could just turn a story, a melody into magical notes," Richie said.
CNN's Denise Quan and Alan Duke contributed to this report.

Friday 10 February 2012

Ya Nabi Salam Alaika


Sekali lagi aku mewakili jabatan ke sambutan Maulidur Rasul 1433H di Putrajaya. Tema sambutan tahun ini adalah Rasulullah Ikutan Sepanjang Zaman. Dan aku rasa slogan ini relevan dan kena pada tempatnya.
Walaupun ada yang berpendapat bahawa sambutan ini adalah salah satu bidaah, tetapi pada pandangan aku ia adalah satu budaya yang molek, selagi tidak bercanggah dengan shariah. Asalkan tiada unsur-unsur pemujaan ataupun percampuran yang tiada batasan. Dan niat kita untuk menambahkan pemahaman dan kecintaan kepada rasulullah saw dan risalah-risalah Allah yang dibawa oleh baginda.

Sambutan Maulidur Rasul ini juga adalah satu aktiviti ekonomi, yang memberi peluang perniagaan buat tukang-tukang jahit, peniaga katering dan juga pengusaha bas. Bayangkan sekiranya, sambutan ini dibatalkan, apakah impaknya ke atas usahawan-usahawan kecil ini?

Pada aku, kerajaan perlu teruskan sambutan ini, cuma pengisiannya hendaklah dimantapkan lagi agar ummat Islam yang mengambil bahagian akan mendapat manfaat yang besar. Selain berarak mungkin majlis-majlis ilmu boleh dirangka di samping pertandingan seperti bercerita kisah nabi, pertandingan pidato dan peraduan mengarang puisi bertemakan Islam dan rasulullah saw boleh diadakan.

Insya-Allah, jikalau ada rezeki dan umur, aku berazam hendak turut serta lagi di tahun hadapan.

Ya Nabi Salamulaik, Ya Rasul Salamulaik.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Part-time Maid



Betul ke orang lelaki bujang tak boleh ambil pembantu rumah? Jika betul, satu-satunya alternatif ialah mengambil khidmat pembantu rumah separuh masa.

Rata-rata agensi yang aku tanya mengenakan bayaran sebanyak RM60 untuk empat jam.

Cuma satu agensi di Pandan Perdana mengenakan bayaran RM55 untuk 4 jam.

Tapi slot untuk hujung minggu telah habis ditempah. Hmmm...

Seorang kakak di pejabat cakap aku pemalas.

"Buatlah sendiri. Awak tu hidup bujang, tiada anak-anak kecil, manalah kotor sangat!"

My response to her was I'm just supporting local SMEs.

Saturday 4 February 2012

The Toughest Place To Be A Binman

Not only in Jakarta, I also witnessed similar picture in Metro Manila in my two visits to the capital city of the Philippines with a population of 16.3 million people.


The toughest place to be a binman

Jakarta and the surrounding metropolitan areas are home to 28 million people, and the Indonesian city is struggling to cope with all the rubbish it generates. What's it like for the binmen?

Each day soon after sunrise, Imam Syaffi sets off with his hand-pulled cart to collect the rubbish from some of the more desirable residences in Jakarta.

With his cheery cry of "Sampa!" (rubbish), he lets the residents in their gated homes know that he has arrived.

The spacious houses and leafy streets of Guntur, close to the financial district are a stark contrast to the cramped conditions elsewhere in Jakarta where many millions live in poverty.

In Guntur, the homes have walled courtyards or even gardens with palm trees or manicured shrubs and hedges.

If you want your rubbish collected in Jakarta, you have to pay for it. Only the well-off like those in Guntur can afford a binman.

While a few of Imam's wealthier customers bag up their rubbish, most just dump it in a hole in the garden wall. Imam clears it with his pitchfork and brush. He has to leave it clean for fear of complaints.

Almost no-one separates the recycling. Household waste, food, plastic and garden cuttings all end up in the mix and clearing it is back-breaking work in the sweltering heat.

Open drains

Imam's cart is the size of a large bath but three times as high - and it soon fills up. He has to trample it down to fit in as much as possible.

"Imam works double hard," says London dustman Wilbur Ramirez, gasping in admiration, sweat pouring from his brow.

It is Wilbur's first of 10 days, experiencing the life of a Jakartan rubbish collector. He has left his hi-tech, air-conditioned dustcart and team of fellow binmen 7,000 miles away to join Imam pounding the streets.

"It's been a bloody hard day and I don't even think I did a full day, I did two out of his three rounds and I was dying."

Most days, Imam fills the hand-cart three times, wheeling it back each time to empty it at the open tip next to the row of shacks where many of the binmen live.

Imam collects rubbish from nearly 100 homes, paid for by the local residents' association. For a six day week he earns 200,000 Indonesian rupiah ($22 or £14).

"This job is a lot more physically demanding than I had expected," says Wilbur. "This cart weighs a ton and it's usually a one-man game. Today it's me and him and I'm sweating like a pig."

It is not just rubbish that Imam deals with. The open drains outside his customer's homes often get blocked, leaving sewage and debris to build up. The only way for him to keep the drain clear is to get down into the flow and rake out the blockages.

"The man's in here in bare feet," says Wilbur, horrified. "There's glass, there's everything in there. This man's feet must be like rhino skin."

Scavenging

A job as a paid binman is valued because of the regular salary it brings and there are only 3,000 of them in the entire city.

Imam fears just one complaint could earn him the sack. "If it's not done, they phone the residents' association. There are lots of other people who need a job," he says.

"I'm afraid of what would happen if I got fired. What would my wife and child eat?"

After finishing his round, Imam still has hours more work ahead of him. The money he receives from the rubbish collection barely pays the rent on his small home so Imam and his family start their second job - recycling.

From the waste collected during the day, they pick out anything of value and sort it into separate piles which they bag up and sell. They work into the night sorting the rubbish.

Three nights of sorting makes the family 28,000 rupiah, about $3. For Imam and his family this money is the difference between eating and not eating.

Imam is far better off than some. At Jakarta's giant landfill site, Bantar Gebang, several thousand people make a living just from scavenging.

The bulk of Jakarta's waste, about 6,000 tons a day, ends up at this giant tip including the waste from Imam's round.

But much of the city's rubbish - almost 20% - is simply dumped in the rivers which cross the city. The city's sanitation department pulls rubbish out of the waterways but it cannot keep up.

Imam is resigned to his life as a binman. "Even though this is hard, I have to do it, because I don't have any other skills. I would do any job for my family."

But he and his wife Windi are hopeful of a better future, especially for their young son.

"We don't have much money, but I'm still happy because my husband works hard to take care of me and my son," says Windi.

"Although he works with rubbish, he deserves to be treated with respect. He may be a bin man but he is still a human being."

Toughest Place to be a Binman is the first of a new series of Toughest place to be... on BBC Two at 21:00 GMT on Sundays from 29 January or watch online via iPlayer (UK only) at the above link.

Friday 3 February 2012

CNY Cupcakes

Thank you Chua, May Yeow and Beverly for giving each one of us a super delicious cupcake to celebrate the arrival of water dragon year.

The butter cream cupcakes are home made by our own colleague, Zaini.

Once again, thank you ladies for your generousity. I wish you a blessed and prosperous year ahead.

Terima kasih daun keladi, boleh lah belanja lagi :)

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Now She's Posing

Presenting my niece, Damia Batrisya with her eyes wide open :)

She's 3 months old today. Well, not exactly 3 months old until 7.30 tonight.

And she's becoming more tembam and tembam by day. According to my sister, Damia is still on breast feeding. No wonder she's quickly catching up with her cousin, Danish Wafri in terms of weights. The boy has stopped breast feeding.

According to the father, she remains steadfast to her hobby, which is sleeping and not crying a lot unless when she's hungry or wets her diaper.

While Wafri is under the care of Mak, Batrisya is under the care of her paternal grandmother. Mak is too overwhelmed with Elisya and Wafri. If not, I'm she won't let go the opportunity to look after her first granddaughter.

Happy 3-months old Damia Batrisya. Please continue to be an obidient and loved daughter/niece. Muuuaaahhh!