tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14209102324578000962011-07-28T21:50:05.106+08:00A Smooth Sea doesn't make a Skillful Sailor... This is my personal Voyage of NOW and THEN.Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-35751094796905658302010-09-11T23:32:00.005+08:002010-09-11T23:50:19.052+08:00

Hi there,Wow! It has been a very long time. I didn't forget my password, but it took me more than 20 trials before I realised that I forgot my email address, LOL! Sadly, the Hope I talked about in my previous entry had also become another Closure.Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslims out there. I am taking this oportunity to seek forgiveness if there is any wrong doing, if I hurt anybody's feelings,

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-37452819324380901422010-02-26T18:02:00.013+08:002010-03-13T14:10:45.570+08:00

Just a quick update, my first entry for 2010. I had a great week at the Lion City after Christmas. I even returned soon after during Chinese New Year. Fate has reunited me with someone who was introduced to me in 2006. Wonder why I wasn't into him before. He's the best combination of the 2 worlds, a dreamer with a big dream who slaves to realise his dream. I feel honoured to be able to help him

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-38849411207351316112009-12-25T04:00:00.004+08:002009-12-25T16:10:42.415+08:00

Gosh! Have not updated my blog for 2.5 months, since I started my new job:)I'm sure some would be wondering. Yeah, it started out well, very hectic and a lot of writing. But for the first time, I actually get a boss that I can get along well with. From day one, I observe her carefully, how she manages people especially. I think that is the only thing that puts her above me. In terms of expertise,

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-36311416941799583842009-10-11T13:47:00.011+08:002009-10-11T18:49:29.121+08:00

Back from a relaxing 2-week long Raya break and straight into a hectic first week at work, LOL!I utilised my break fully to re-connect – menyambung 'Silatulrahim'. The imam's ceramah after Raya prayer was inspiring. After a quiet, low-key Raya celebration, my mother and I visited 3 of our Haj roommates. One in Nakka (near Thai border) – her daughter's wedding where we ate authentic kampung dishes

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-90368115762492511332009-09-10T09:49:00.001+08:002009-09-10T12:40:35.028+08:00

It's the 20th day of Ramadan. My search is finally over. On Friday last week I got a phone call on a great job offer from a Middle Eastern company. And instead of 3 months, I'm getting out with less than 2 weeks' notice. My future employer is paying for 2 months of my notice period and I still have 10.5 days of annual leave left. Which means my last day at work is Thursday next week and I won't

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-16174547405917435612009-08-20T11:13:00.001+08:002009-08-20T12:15:15.620+08:00

Last Saturday, my editor/publisher gave his feedback on 5 of the 28 stories that I've submitted. He said mostly I need to work on my rhythm. Stories have rhythm too, just like songs. He suggested that I read the stories out loud and hear what they sound like. He also said that I'm self-censoring myself. Some stories have potential to become erotic, but I stopped it before it could go down that

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-10618691424699728552009-07-13T13:45:00.007+08:002009-07-13T14:45:45.073+08:00

After sending off my draft stories to my editor/publisher, I felt so light. So, I managed to do much more reading. I've also completed another one of my Turkey stories:)Red Water - 1st Cut(continues...)He takes her straight to the thermal pool. They step up onto a low staircase and enter through the door. The scene before their eyes startles her. It feels like a whole different world

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-53808555631019536292009-07-02T09:06:00.013+08:002009-07-03T11:43:44.164+08:00

On Tuesday evening, I finally submitted my first draft of short stories to my editor/publisher. There are 27 stories altogether. From experience, it will take around 2 months until the book is published. Only the day before, my co-author from our first book was shortlisted for an international award for her solo collection. That is great news. It gives a strong recognition to Malaysian

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-31448724953252303842009-06-16T15:22:00.005+08:002009-06-16T16:59:59.235+08:00

My low blood sugar experience on the way to work yesterday morning triggered another story. So this morning, I completed 1 more commuter tale. It's much longer than the rest though, at 1200 words.Sugar - 1st CutAs the door of the train opens, she pushes her way between two rows of passengers to reach the deeper part of the compartment. People are leaning along the walls, there is no more empty

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-30089683180530093122009-06-12T11:14:00.005+08:002009-06-12T11:37:15.270+08:00

Somehow, lately, I've started writing very short stories inspired from my daily experience of using the public transportation system. This range from LRT and monorail to commuter and transit train. I'm talking about between 350 to 800 words here, or the new term for it is flash fiction. Maybe one day, I'll have a separate collection of these. Right now, I think it's sufficient to include them in

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-27542010265696603272009-05-31T16:17:00.001+08:002009-05-31T16:18:30.319+08:00

Last week when I dropped by at my publisher's place, he asked if I would be interested to read through a collection of short stories' drafts submitted by my co-author & comment on the logic, as well as language. Yeah, he beat me to it, so it looks like I would the last to publish my solo book, among the three of us. LOL! I had to attend a dry 2-day course so I brought the drafts along. I

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-15384329948149440702009-05-11T00:07:00.001+08:002009-05-11T12:51:05.832+08:00

I've put off writing this entry for a while. April had been a really tough month for me, work wise and personally. Gosh, even in 2007, Ad 'died' in April.On 23 April, I had another episode with Mr Designer, quite a definite one. I came close to not seeing the RM3,000 that I lended him (short-term for 3 weeks only). And if that is what it cost to get over him, it might just be worth it. He claimed

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-91221776755797487442009-05-02T23:16:00.002+08:002009-05-03T14:18:20.604+08:00

I haven't had time to update on the consecutive blows that I faced during the last 3 weeks. Emotional outbursts at work where they don't belong plus the lack of emotion in my personal life where I could use some... hmm... a trying month indeed.And I had just returned from my school reunion in Perak a few hours ago. There's more to that too.In this entry, I just want to quickly share an excerpt

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-32510089554142600022009-04-11T12:14:00.003+08:002009-04-11T12:25:03.549+08:00

I have attended a few funerals but the one on 23 March was really heart-wrenching. It was the way she died... Just a week from her 40th birthday too. Her colleagues were planning a big party to celebrate. One day, I heard a relative had been missing for 5 days. The next day, police had already found her body in Malacca, floating in the swamp. It happened so fast. 36 hours had passed and the body

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-73674815331727029772009-03-21T16:24:00.009+08:002009-03-21T18:46:04.182+08:00

I initially thought of sharing the story of my frustrating stay at Homeros Pension in Selcuk, Turkey in an entry. However, when my instructor showed me a writing contest in Harper's Bazaar, UK with the theme 'mother', I knew this story will be perfect for that. I have decided to tell it from the pension owner's mother's point of view. That is challenging considering that she speaks very limited

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-64340458302505567462009-03-11T17:02:00.012+08:002009-03-12T16:04:04.904+08:00

This is my 8th entry on Turkey.Being a spa fan, I had looked forward to visiting the Hamam, or Turkish Baths, during my holiday. Before that, the closest I ever had to experiencing one was the Morrocan version of Turkish Hamam at Bangsar Village. Hmm.. that was like 5-star when compared to the popular ones in Turkey.And I managed to cover 4 hamams in 15 days. By the time I got back to KL, my skin

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-4751313163295228292009-03-05T18:40:00.009+08:002009-03-07T13:35:08.777+08:00

This is my 7th entry on TurkeyBy the time I arrived at the entrance of the Grand Bazaar, I was already sweating. I had to unzip my Winter jacket, which I wasn't comfortable of doing as it exposed my waist pouch. The place might seem complex and tricky, but fortunately, I didn't have much trouble there. I got lost slightly when the tour guide left us there during the city tour on Day 2. However,

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-57467306444683346532009-03-03T19:38:00.007+08:002009-03-04T19:50:26.263+08:00

This is my 6th entry on Turkey.As much as I enjoyed my Turkey holiday adventure, I have to admit that the first 24 hours after my arrival was something else. I took the MAS Golden Holiday package and that included airport pick-up. The driver who met me at the Ataturk International Airport was 'mute'. A frail looking man, he kept his right hand in his pocket. He did not smile and did not greet

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-6998300049449213392009-03-02T10:25:00.022+08:002009-03-02T16:19:38.098+08:00

This is my 5th entry on Turkey.Travelling in Turkey on my own was a significant achievement due to the fact that I am extremely direction-challenged. This entry is not merely about the local transportation system but rather how you have to go beneath the ‘deceiving and tricky’ surface to fully enjoy the essence of this unique country. And I did just that.Feeling ambitious, I had pre-booked a

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-50656570396645975382009-02-28T18:40:00.009+08:002009-03-01T12:49:56.998+08:00

This is my 4th entry on Turkey. Before I continue the story on the damn attractive 36 year-old bachelor carpet store owner I met on my first night in Selcuk, let me share another tourist's comment I found on a blog (see: omansusan.blogspot.com/2007/10/vol-52-day-5-selcuk.html).) She described him as tall, dark, handsome, relaxed and super-sexy. So, he sizzled, it wasn't just me, LOL! Well, she

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-35800435609359150752009-02-26T12:17:00.004+08:002009-02-28T12:09:35.589+08:00

This is my 3rd Turkey entry, and my first since I returned to KL this morning.I could never forget the first time I saw snow. On 15 February 2009, the Hasslefree travel agent to Troy and Gallipoli called me to say that my morning pick up will be delayed to 3pm. My tour guide will accompany me on the Metro public bus for the 6-hour journey to Canakkale . Reason being was because it was snowing

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-28183549331350545202009-02-22T22:30:00.007+08:002009-02-27T19:28:28.347+08:00

Thıs ıs my 2nd entry on Turkey. Yeap, I am stıll here.Turkısh people serve tea ın a tıny narrow glass on a small plate. It ıs mostly to welcome theır guests, to warm up ın wınter or just as a drınk to hang out wıth frıends. Interestıngly, by my 10th day ın thıs country, I have learned the many dıfferent meanıngs of an ınvıtatıon to tea, and how to read the hıdden motıve of the one offerıng ıt.

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-3695757169994242802009-02-18T19:39:00.005+08:002009-02-27T18:30:27.229+08:00

Merhaba! Today marks my 8th day ın Turkey and 1st day of ınternet access. It has been quıte an adventure... both good and bad. Travellıng alone as a woman ın a unıque country on a free and easy schedule ıs really enrıchıng´ though ıt ıs rısky and scary ın many ways. My 5 days ın Istanbul was smoother than I had ımagıned but full of contrastıng experıences too. My 2 days ın Canakkale was quıck but

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-84804416539736891502009-02-02T14:14:00.004+08:002009-02-02T14:36:04.243+08:00

Disclaimer: please change the channel if you don't fancy this particular topic.I’ve wanted to write about this for a while. A lot has happened ever since Mr Designer parted with his ex-partner. And I never thought that there would be a day when the former would serve as a back-up for the later. Now that I have met his ‘secret team’, it shed lights on so many matters. It showed me a completely

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-82998886234018971412009-02-01T16:01:00.008+08:002009-02-02T13:04:07.137+08:00

This morning, somehow I got the inspiration to re-look and re-approach a long overdue story. I first submitted the story to my instructor in December 2007. He rejected it, saying that it has 2 different stories within it and I need to decide which one I wanted to write. He also said it was impossible for a gay man to turn straight and years later form a relationship with his partner's ex-wife.

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-88279442273922898052009-01-25T17:42:00.015+08:002009-01-25T18:49:48.791+08:00

I look forward to my 15-day vacation in Turkey - where Europe meets Asia:) I have wanted to go there for a long, long time. Now that I have annual leaves to clear, this is the best time. I have never experienced Winter before, so I thought why not. And I consulted blogger Simah, she loves the Winter there.It is quite a tedious affair as I don't want to take a full travel-agent guided trip, just a

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-76114484778995043542009-01-17T12:13:00.010+08:002009-01-18T10:33:32.277+08:00

Was there a saying 'The best time to bury your enemy is when you are treating him/her to a big meal'? Okay, maybe there wasn't one. LOL!After being away for 2.5 days for a course, I returned to work yesterday morning. Talk about welcoming Fridays. At 9.00am, Popeye, my immediate superior, called me on the phone. He yelled his head off. He asked if it was true that I was recruiting a subsidiary

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-63405484914238012382009-01-08T12:34:00.007+08:002009-01-10T12:57:20.645+08:00

On Tuesday evening, I had a bad gastritis attack. I thought lightly of it and went home earlier to rest. To my horror, it got much worst at night. Amazingly, just after my alarm clock went off at 6.00am the next morning, it went off, almost completely. By then, I was too groggy to get up and get ready for work. I smsed my boss asking for an emergency leave. How to take medical leave if it was

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-91085641097862781072009-01-05T23:25:00.006+08:002009-01-06T00:23:47.757+08:00

The day after Christmas, I made an impulsive phone call. It was to a person whom I had only met once, and whom I last spoke to a year ago. Yeah, the psychiatrist I went out on a date with in October 2007. He opted for an early retirement last year and is now part-timing at several private hospitals. What or rather who triggered it? Hmm... who else? Mr Designer went crazy that evening that I was

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-36060125716308219902009-01-04T18:02:00.000+08:002009-01-04T18:54:37.197+08:00

My creative juice has been flowing irregularly nowadays. Sometimes, I felt so inspired but unfortunately it happened when I hardly had time to pen down the words. Frustratingly, when I did have a lot of time during the weekends, I wasn't very productive.On the last day of 2008, my co-author's first solo book was released. I quickly got a copy on Friday and up to now, have finished reading 20 out

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-30748106344411485042008-12-31T13:12:00.028+08:002008-12-31T17:51:44.099+08:00

Hey, I'm back. Okay, let me fast forward a bit to Sunday and go straight to my trip to the most unlikely place, for a Malaysian that is. LOL! I was out of ideas of where to head off to with my Adik, whom I meet like only once or twice a year. A bright straight-As Bio-Engineering student who is also a poet and a budding song writer, he makes an excellent company. He turned 20 this year. Usually,

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-17705644092076512272008-12-26T22:19:00.003+08:002008-12-26T22:50:26.577+08:00

I'm off to the Lion City. Desperately in need of a break. See you before the New Year:)

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-41959553420742905862008-12-22T21:00:00.006+08:002008-12-25T09:14:44.720+08:00

I met Mr Designer just now. Wow, the way he reacted to the blow was nothing like what his partner and I could ever imagine. The writer in me is beginning to get more and more intrigued with the complexity of this guy's character and personality. He even beat the 2 main characters whom I struggled to capture in words in 'Chestnut Chocolate Mooncake', my most well-praised short story; it depicts a

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-14688425014955523702008-12-21T01:44:00.008+08:002008-12-22T10:04:32.464+08:00

I was sitting through a business function just now, wishing non-stop that I was at home instead, when Mr Designer's partner's punchy sms came through around 9.30pm. Its' content: 'Mission accomplished with flying colours.' I had waited with baited breath for that update. It was a story that made 'Mawi's wedding' and 'a family member giving birth' paled in comparison. I immediately walked out of

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-40936732981532166382008-12-17T17:11:00.015+08:002008-12-17T23:57:09.308+08:00

My company held a stress management workshop in Bukit Tinggi from Friday to Sunday. While the content was okay, the total experience was torturous, physically I mean. My whole body felt 'stressed.'It was so bad that I had a Chinese massage on Sunday evening, reflexology on Monday evening and finally, Hamam and massage on Tuesday night. I don't recall surrendering to so much luxury over a short

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-7009202410999387552008-12-11T18:24:00.011+08:002008-12-11T23:02:38.545+08:00

During the long weekend, I also managed to start a new story, and finished it too. I've always wanted to write a story about Mr Designer. It occured to me that an interesting point of view would be from the man himself, it is kind of amusing actually. Imagine if he were to write a letter to his ex-wife...I came to work feeling really re-charged on Tuesday morning. He smsed me at 11.30am, saying

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-62957908459105272412008-12-10T08:21:00.005+08:002008-12-10T16:30:55.290+08:00

I got quite a bit of writing done over the long weekend. It felt good to finally complete 'The Lotus Twin'. I started this piece almost half a year ago. I'm happy that the plot turned out quite differently from what I initially had in mine. The heroine became someone else and got the story going in another direction too. I even freaked myself out in the end, spooky, hehe...The setting was

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-68576160998819047522008-12-08T00:40:00.009+08:002008-12-09T09:44:21.464+08:00

When my instructor challenged me 2 months ago, I had no idea what it would trigger. He asked me to write a story unlike anything I'd ever written before, something not based on reality or real life. So, I shared 'Counting Raindrops' during the forum last Saturday. To my delight, the piece had evolved far from what I'd initiated a few months back. In short, the two characters had taken over and

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-55508255012318090242008-12-06T13:27:00.003+08:002008-12-07T13:03:15.664+08:00

'When there is no hope, there is no hurt.'~Hazia~For a start, hope I hadn't hijacked some dead person's quote as above and claimed it my own. LOL! It's something I discovered yesterday. Yeah, the whole Friday morning was touchy. Thank God my staff was on leave and the office was quiet. I was practically in tears most of the time, except during the 2-hour division meeting. I initially thought

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-60633509174879679852008-12-05T08:25:00.014+08:002008-12-05T12:25:43.850+08:00

‘I think it's time that I let you go. And it's really hard for me to do because I know that there's a part of me that will be in love with you for the rest of my life.’~Dawson's Creek~I finally did it yesterday. It was like the toughest thing I've ever done in my entire life. I can feel my heart breaking. So I made an error in judgement, I forgave myself. Hey, I've made much worse mistake than

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-13653638429802418192008-12-03T17:20:00.019+08:002008-12-04T08:38:00.854+08:00

Last night, anxiety attack kept me awake till around 3am. I was crying my eyes out prior to that. And I woke up a few times afterwards too. I think the last time I had it was when Ad supposedly fell into a coma 1.5 years ago. It is rare, it normally comes when I foresee bad news in the near future, something I'd really dread. In this case, it would be the email from Mr Designer.I know it's

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-16240687732938482142008-12-02T17:45:00.012+08:002008-12-02T22:15:21.584+08:00

During the weekend, I submitted my story, 'Sunny Side Up' to Writers' Digest short short story competition. The fee was USD12.Perhaps I was inspired by that. Yesterday morning, out of the blue, I decided to google the net on writers' competition. Guess what I found? Submission for the Wallace Stegner Fellowship creative writing program at Stanford University was opened till 1 Dec 2008, 11.59pm (

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-32678146327265001542008-11-29T15:02:00.009+08:002008-11-29T16:41:38.422+08:00

Yesterday afternoon, due to the on-going manpower problem, I had to replace my staff for an international trade mission meeting. This particular one is being organised by another government agency, so our role will be much lighter than usual.I arrived too early, so I decided to hang out at the building's cafe. The first time I went there was with my ex-friend, Mr Designer's ex-boss. She brought

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-62351673230393788852008-11-25T23:57:00.003+08:002008-11-26T10:32:32.889+08:00

"I've never had a friend like you... who cares so much about me...I really appreciate it..." was among the combination of nice and nasty things that Mr Designer said to me this morning. We met at the cafe near my office. Him looking so fresh and well-groom like that is a rare sight indeed. He was dressed in a pressed, short sleeve, lilac shirt and jeans. He said he slept straight from 1am

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-74594857934060632008-11-23T12:24:00.021+08:002008-11-24T08:36:57.507+08:00

Last night from 8.30pm onwards, I sat across Mr Designer at Starbucks, Bangsar. His partner was seated at a sofa on my left and his right. Mr Designer was working on his laptop, he was more than 24 hours late on the designs to be presented to my MD on Monday morning.As I watched him in action... casually dressed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans... eyes down in full concentration... his curvy

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-54264012090657329952008-11-21T23:43:00.004+08:002008-11-23T17:29:50.148+08:00

I had looked forward to a relaxing evening with Mr Designer after work today. I'd even packed a change of clothes. But instead, I found myself being sent home by his business partner with both of us being extremely pissed with him this time. Even the iceberg couldn't get any colder than the treatment we gave him just now.On Tuesday, the 3 of us and their older business partner discussed the

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-74864851724211725632008-11-15T14:21:00.013+08:002008-11-15T20:57:58.237+08:00

Wow! It has been a week since I posted my last entry. And yes, it had been a super busy week.This morning also wasn't like my other Saturday mornings that I spent unwinding and relaxing. It was information-pack but very useful though. You see, at 9.30am, I met an old friend for breakfast in Bangsar. She suggested it, she wanted to bitch about her new boss who used to be my client, among others.

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-24594683134719613142008-11-07T23:29:00.011+08:002008-11-08T09:35:49.057+08:00

'hi hazia,found your blog today from someone's link. read bits of ur story on Ad. i hv a similar tale lol. only i think this guy, T, is real. for some unknown reasons, he simply disappeared after writing me his last email saying he wldnt be contacting me again but didnt offer any explanation. like u, i hv never met him. he never called me either. tho i hv his mobile #, we only txted, or talked on

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-89596138498666698122008-11-05T19:00:00.007+08:002008-11-05T21:57:09.698+08:00

'Idealist women tend to be very romantic. They love to give and receive tokens of affection, such as an original poem, a hand carved box, or an item which reminds them of some shared experience. Men often appreciate their compassion and empathy along with their belief in others. When dating, they hope they’ll get to know each other through deep conversation...'Like most Idealists, I used to

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-85668995510552249732008-11-01T07:56:00.015+08:002008-11-01T12:45:56.576+08:00

Yesterday, Mr Designer's business partner received a big blow, from me. He had to meet me alone as Mr Designer suddenly told us that he was spending the weekend with his parents in PD. The poor guy wasn't prepared for the bad news that I was about to deliver.As talented and resourceful as Mr Designer may be, he has a serious time management problem. There was this one tiny old project that I'd

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-4356947184957458032008-10-28T22:12:00.021+08:002008-10-29T09:33:27.528+08:00

Her point of view..."I'm waiting at the hotel lobby like an idiot. He is more than 2 hours' late for my belated birthday celebration. I rushed all the way from Putrajaya and, accommodating his usual tardiness, I even arrived an hour after the agreed time. The clock keeps ticking and... finally, I have to cancel our lunch booking as the buffet will be closed in 30 minutes. The only thing stopping

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-43298534245665678412008-10-27T17:20:00.005+08:002008-10-27T22:25:07.504+08:00

A few weekends ago, my 14 year-old close relative showed me her blog. Her entries reflect that she's intelectually advanced for her age. And she uses perfect English, mind you. I was surprised by the old-fashioned blog theme that she chose though. Did I tell her about my blog? Absolutely, not! I'm a coward who hides behind anonymous pages. LOL! LOL! LOL! In fact, I'd rather maintain my anonymity,

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-46318646009274789842008-10-26T00:54:00.009+08:002008-10-26T16:53:40.001+08:00

Tonight's the night I've waited forBecause you're not a baby anymoreYou've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seenHappy birthday sweet sixteenWhat happened to that funny faceMy little tomboy now wears satin and laceI can't believe my eyes you're just a teenage dreamHappy birthday sweet sixteenWhen you were only six I was your big brotherThen when you were ten we didn't like each otherWhen

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-24563942186559087502008-10-23T19:56:00.020+08:002008-10-24T10:26:29.199+08:00

When I grew up and fell in love,I asked my sweetheart, "What lies ahead?Will we have rainbows day after day?"Here's what my sweetheart said...Que sera, seraWhatever will be, will beThe future's not ours to seeQue sera, seraWhat will be, will beSong: Que Sera SeraSinger: Doris DayGosh, I didn't have time to update since my last entry. No, I didn't send him the letter. Nothing stops him from

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-25536340887203283082008-10-21T19:34:00.010+08:002008-10-21T22:19:31.303+08:00

I had a tough meeting with a supplier just now, supported by Mr Designer's business partner and his expert friend. It didn't help that I went in with red eyes and he said it was noticeable. He was surprised that it was because of Mr Designer. He seemed to think that it was just part of the ups and downs of a relationship. But I beg to differ. I think this is for real. The fact that I'm writing

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-2639955609283727362008-10-20T17:10:00.025+08:002008-10-21T10:00:06.227+08:00

Thanks to Mr Designer, last week, I discovered another potential career path. Something much more fun than corporate PR, and can bring in much more money than fiction writing. It started with him asking me to write the scenes' descriptions for the storyboard that he was working on. His business partner and him were pitching for a client's television commercial (TVC). That day, we got thrown out

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-47751362056583911902008-10-19T01:30:00.017+08:002008-10-20T15:16:43.068+08:00

Last Saturday, I read out my unpublished story during the monthly writers' forum organised by my instructor cum publisher. This was 'A Sweet Way to Go', yeah, the hotel King's cake story. I didn't have anything else short enough to read out, though I knew it was not one of my best. When my instructor asked the audience, they politely said they liked the story and they would definitely buy a

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-80689196134674802322008-10-16T12:29:00.012+08:002008-10-16T15:02:17.397+08:00

Remember Mr Designer's ex-boss, Ms-Mix-Business-with-Pleasure’? Well, she and her kids finally moved overseas early Syawal to follow her husband. However, the distance does not stop her from trying to separate Mr Designer and me, through email that is.At first, she tried attacking him from a professional angle, claiming that he stole her clients (ie my company) and her money (ie money he made

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-91273695755546194672008-10-11T11:48:00.011+08:002008-10-11T12:03:15.501+08:00

Okay, my third Syawal post and a short one too (I'm at the office, long story lah)... Raya this year was low profile and pretty relaxing. My parents decided to take it easy and not over strain themselves. By afternoon, we were out of our Raya clothes and dressed in our normal attires already. Since my brother and sister in law were back with my 3-year old niece, my mother took us to Gunung

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-45102509985352632482008-10-11T11:27:00.008+08:002008-10-11T11:48:24.265+08:00

Phew! It's been a week and I hope it's not too late to share my Syawal entries.Who would have thought that the General Election 2008 would have an impact on the happenings on the first day of Syawal at the palace and shake rituals up...This year, there were more visitors than usual, part of it was because of the celebrations being held at the new palace building in conjunction with the Sultan's

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-48665672918267567892008-10-06T18:07:00.002+08:002008-10-11T12:43:16.359+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya. I just got back to work today. Hmm... everybody else in office is still in the Hari Raya mood but... my staff and I have been running around like headless chickens.Too many urgent things are due and pending 'No 1' approvals, in particular the costing for an international trade mission next week. To make matters worst, both of his PAs are still on leave. I had taken a big risk

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-63086825485334005822008-09-30T12:42:00.015+08:002008-09-30T17:28:03.686+08:00

(Continued from 'Mixing Business with Pleasure, Again!')As soon as I stepped into my condo, I couldn't help texting Mr Designer on my frustration. He read my sms and called me immediately. No big deal, the 3 of us can meet up to settle our work first on Sunday noon and after that, his partner can leave earlier while both of us hang out. I didn't remember exactly what I said but it was some mushy

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-32478289694081095092008-09-30T12:23:00.010+08:002008-09-30T16:27:51.693+08:00

Last Sunday, Mr Designer and I planned to buka puasa together. Now that he has no car, we have to meet during decent hours as he would not be able to send me home. LOL! However, typical of him – always 2 hours behind – I wasn't surprised when he called at 5pm to move our outing to 9pm instead. He also changed the venue to KL Sentral, instead of Ampang, which is actually convenient for me, safer.

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-85835151018004809032008-09-28T15:00:00.006+08:002008-09-30T13:37:19.337+08:00

Alas, the continuation to my Bullet Points entry on Friday.On Friday morning, I called Mr Designer a few times to hear the story but he didn't pick up. It was already 2.30pm when he finally called me back. He said he had been in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to anybody for fear of snapping at them, hence the delayed call.Apparently, what happened on Thursday night was really bad, worse than

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-61861310372956581992008-09-27T10:42:00.012+08:002008-09-27T22:28:55.136+08:00

Recently, an old book on 'Wake Up the Creative Genius in You' just popped out at home. Glancing through it triggered my memory on why I bought it and a few other books on creativity. I was appointed the Creative Champion during one of my former employments. To inspire staffs, once we even had a guest speaker in Balada Nusantara interior design. That was fun. Yeah, who said each candle should only

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-14289147481981090862008-09-26T08:03:00.013+08:002008-09-26T12:33:24.020+08:00

Mr Designer's new business partner treated a client for buka puasa last Wednesday. He invited me to join them. Okay, this is rather interesting. That guy rans his own media buying agency. Mr Designer would manage the creative work and he thought I would make a good copywriter. So, I best complement their team. That kind of concept development and writing doesn't take much time, I could always do

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-13104808254477366562008-09-22T13:07:00.010+08:002008-09-26T12:32:55.156+08:00

The first time I wrote an entry on the above topic was on 16 Aug 2008 (in my old blog). It was the day I was introduced to Mr Designer. However, the entry was about another guy, yeah, one of the many who have gone with the wind. LOL!I used to draw a thick clear line between business and pleasure. My initial plan was to have my new staff deal with Mr Designer. I didn’t think it was wise for me to

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-55973178335768255682008-09-22T08:16:00.015+08:002008-09-22T14:28:56.251+08:00

I got like less than 5 hours of sleep last night. Yeah, that is a significant progress from Friday, except that today is only the first day of the week. LOL!That is also because Mr Designer was so busy last night. We planned to meet for buka puasa but he only made it at around 11.30pm. We both were hungry, so we went to the 24-hour A&W outlet in PJ. I have never seen him that tired before, watery

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-75496536334155102382008-09-19T10:37:00.005+08:002008-09-22T14:33:07.811+08:00

Gosh, I arrived early to work today but could hardly open my eyes. I only got like 3 hours of sleep. Yeap, I went out for coffee and then sahur with Mr Designer from 12.30am to 4.30am. Funny thing was that, when I was with him, I felt more and more refreshed. He wondered too:)Oh, BTW, my parents are in town. Though they are curious about me going out with a friend for Sahur, they didn’t try to

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-53428854293303822182008-09-17T10:16:00.010+08:002008-09-17T10:54:41.845+08:00

Yesterday, I got locked in the office, again. I didn't work that late, it wasn't even 6pm yet when I left. The 2 main switch boards are located near the 2 doors. However, I couldn't go out from the door nearest to my office as I had to go to the reception and swipe out first. The problem is I had to switch off all the lights first (at the side door), walk pass the pantry and the boardroom before

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-55618776752995375852008-09-13T18:17:00.017+08:002008-09-18T10:43:59.325+08:00

When I was quickly cutting and pasting the intro (Welcome to My Sea) onto my new blog, the phrase below in it really hit me.‘Hope this blog paints a fair picture of the person that I was and the one I have become'.Well, much has happened since I started blogging in April 2005. It was then that my career started taking a backseat while the spotlight turned to my personal life. I realised that I

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-62464008619530394542008-09-13T08:16:00.012+08:002008-09-13T11:02:39.375+08:00

I caught an amazing documentary just before midnight last night. In 'The Retreat', 4 British men and 4 British women embarked on a journey to understand the true meaning of Islam. Unfortunately, I only saw the last 15 minutes of the hour-long episode. A woman participant was expressing her uneasiness due to the vast difference between her understanding of the religion and the one discussed during

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-12218428598624185702008-09-12T08:51:00.010+08:002008-09-13T11:03:50.587+08:00

During my one week break in my hometown the first week of Ramadan, I had satisfactory progress with 3 of my stories. I mean my work has been crazy so far, and there were times when a week passed by without me writing anything. I was getting concern. At the rate I was going, there's no way I could meet the extended deadline in December this year.One of the 3 stories is 'A Sweet Way to Go'. I

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-72521676961908609132008-09-10T21:26:00.015+08:002008-09-13T04:23:24.307+08:00

So, Mr Designer picked me up from my office on Monday. When he realised that I'd to walk a bit, he reversed the car. I stepped in. It wasn't long before he asked, 'Ngapa pakai baju kurung, Iza? (Why're you wearing Baju Kurung)?' Ehm... normally, I'd changed into jeans and casual top whenever I was going out with him. It wasn't Thursday (the official Batik dress code day) but I just felt like

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-10227723664329359252008-09-08T16:56:00.009+08:002008-09-08T23:58:12.472+08:00

I spent the first week of Ramadan back in my hometown with my parents. It was relaxing... lazying around... watching TV... catching up on my writing... solat terawih at the mosque near my house.I managed to chill, though I could never really let go of the fear of returning to work. I mean so many things could go wrong. It's not the same as taking 10 days off to perform Umrah when I was with the

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-28257532362227489182008-09-07T11:03:00.014+08:002008-09-07T21:20:07.543+08:00

The week before Ramadan, a friend, who was my junior in school, and I decided to have dinner. It was more of a buka puasa actually. We confidently agreed to meet in Bangsar at 6.45pm. Little did we know that it was going to pour elephants and hippopotamus that evening. We sms each other, I was coming from KL and she was going from PJ, and both of us were going to be very late. We might not even

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-26613129036935322582008-09-06T11:15:00.023+08:002008-09-07T21:21:42.191+08:00

On Merdeka eve, I finally had my second book reading. The lady running the show had been trying to get me for months already, my work or something else always got in the way. I had look forward to it. Mr Designer was supposed to pick me up and accompany me. However, late morning, he called and said he had to baby sit his 2 kids. But he would go to the venue straight and meet me there, since I

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-5921749133084767552008-09-05T21:21:00.009+08:002008-09-07T21:22:20.552+08:00

I was about to post this entry on the eve of Ramadan when my friendster blog suddenly turned cranky. I couldn’t update it for a week. Probably God was sending me a message. Anyway, after ‘waiting in agony’ and the administrator didn’t even reply my query, I decided to start a new blog:)Remember Mr Designer’s boss aka my friend aka ‘Ms-Mix-Business-with-Pleasure’? Well, now she’s my ex-friend.

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-76279128408626860122008-09-05T19:22:00.004+08:002008-09-11T21:32:39.460+08:00

I'm picking up where I left off in my previous blog.You may want to click below before continue reading this entry:)http://haziamyperspective.blogs.friendster.com/hazias_perspective/mirage_another_art_guy/index.htmlFor the first time, I had taken a week off to spend early Ramadan with my parents. I had looked forward to go to the mosque for Terawih prayers with them. When Mr Designer offered to

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420910232457800096.post-19933595657772381822008-09-05T18:47:00.005+08:002008-09-13T13:05:37.960+08:00

"Twenty years from nowyou will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did doso throw off the bowlinessail away from the safe harborcatch the trade winds in your sailsexplore...dream...discover..."~ Mark Twain ~ Hi friends and soon-to-be-friends,I'm not new to the blogging world but I'm new to blogspot. If you want to check out my previous entries for the last

Haziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777527354266474628noreply@blogger.com0