I Got Hit

So last Friday night Cha and I joined some friends for a game of paintball. It was my first time and I was excited and also a bit nervous. I've heard stories from friends about the game, how it hurts when a bullet hits you, how the spot where you got hit will bruise for weeks and how your heart will pound when you're in the game coz it feels like you're gonna get shot with a real bullet! So let's just say, that night on the way to the battle ground, I was feeling 30% excited and 70% scared like hell! :lol:

We got suited up (in very unfashionable jumpsuits with no padding whatsoever! and I was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans!), were given our gun with 100 pallets in it and got briefed on our mission (the first round was to totally eliminate our opponents). The horn blared and the game started. Everybody ran off in different directions to find cover behind barrels, in huts, in bunkers, etc. I found myself behind a wall of bamboo covered with some mesh made of rubber. I couldn't see my husband anywhere! He left me! Dang! At that point I guess it was every man for himself. Haha.

It was quiet at first. Then the shooting started. People were running here and there and those who had got shot had to remove themselves from the game. I didn't move at all. Haha. I just stayed at my spot and shoot whichever enemy who was unfortunate enough to cross my path. My heart was pounding in my ears. I was bracing myself for the pain that would follow if a bullet were to hit me. And afraid that an enemy might sneak up from behind. My GOD! Talk about an adrenaline rush! Of fear! My mind, for a minute wondered off to the movie Saving Private Ryan. Of how it would feel to be in a real war, facing real bullets...

Ok ok ok. All that drama was just for the first round. By the second round, (the mission was to capture a flag in the middle of the battle field and take it to the enemy's camp, without getting hit) I was actually enjoying myself! This was fun! The third round was to protect one of our team members we chose to be the 'President' and lead him to the enemy's base without getting hit. And the fourth round was to 'finish whatever bullets you have left'. In other meaning, Go Crazy!

That's when I got hit, just as I fired my last bullet. It felt like someone had thrown a stone at my collarbone. Yes, it thumped on the bone itself! What was worse, the bullet didn't break, which meant the bullet was not as soft as it was supposed to be, which meant.. IT HURT LIKE HELL!!

All in all, it was a good game and I am up to play it next time! Next time, I will come prepared. I got a few pointers as i watched my friends suit up in the beginning. One of them wore a snow cap to save his head and another one actually zipped on a thick padded jacket before putting on the jumpsuit!! Well THANK YOU for not giving me the heads up guys! No wonder you were running into enemy territory fearlessly!

Still Waiting...

OH MY GOD! I am so bored I feel like puking! I am getting tired of my daily routine. I NEED A JOB! I feel like my brain is functioning slower and slower. Its starting to feel like it has no purpose. And I keep thinking about money. I need to pay off my study loans damn it! Won't someone call me and offer me a job?! (ok, offer me an interview first).

The scary thing is, I heard tons of resumes are coming in to the UAE from used-to-be well off countries like Ireland, the UK and Australia. Some of them people have even flown into the UAE to secure a job for themselves. Dang! How do I compete? It already looks like I can't win the battle. Frustration, frustration, frustration!

But I'm not giving up that easily. I'll keep on trying...

Eid in Dubai

Ramadhan came and went. Alhamdulillah I didn't miss a day of fasting this year. And no, I'm not expecting as my mom has been conveniently telling everyone that I might be. Sorry mom. Soon.. soon.

So Eid in Dubai was as expected. Boring. Apparently Arabs celebrate Eid a day earlier from Malaysia. I texted mom on Monday night asking if Malaysia had announced when they will be celebrating Hari Raya. Mom said on Wednesday, the 1st of October. So that would mean UAE would be celebrating it on Tuesday the 30th of September. Cha and I were with Johnny at that time, on our way to the airport to send John for his flight back to Malaysia (btw, John's real name is Jamil. I don't know why we call him Johnny. It's been like that since our days in UiTM). He was one of the last of our friends on their way back to celebrate Eid in Malaysia.

Anyways, we switched on the radio coz that's how Cha said he found out when Eid was last year. He'd only realised that it was Eid when people started calling in and wishing 'Eid Mubarak' on the radio! God. That's quite pathetic. John was also telling us a story of how last year, a friend of his actually called the police to ask when was Eid! Kesian. I have no idea if they have official announcements on tv like they do in Malaysia. Even if they did, it would be in Arab, so I wouldn't have understood it anyway.

So the DJ on channel 4 UAE was saying Eid might be tomorrow - 30th Sept. But he has not had official confirmation yet. He said that Abu Dhabi had announced Eid on the 30th. But the DJ said he thinks Eid will be on the 1st. What?! Abu Dhabi and Dubai are located in the same country. Surely Eid will be on the same day?! But then, this is Dubai. Where anything and everything is possible. This is a real nail biting situation. Is it the 30th or the 1st? The DJ says he will announce it on the radio once he has official confirmation. So we waited with bated breath till he announced it about an hour later, that Eid was to be on the 30th Sept. Alhamdulillah.

In Malaysia on the eve of Eid, we would have been back in Air Hitam or Johor Bharu, my parents' hometown. The house would be buzzing with kids running around playing fireworks, aunties and girl cousins in the kitchen preparing a big feast for the morning of Eid. Some would be ironing their baju kurung and baju melayu. The uncles and other guys would be sitting around drinking coffee and chatting about politics or sports. It was the time of the year. My favourite time of the year.

This year, I spent the eve of Eid with my husband, our friend Bak and one of his friends from the office having coffee, hot chocolate and shisha. Very Hari Raya. Cha and I didn't go back home for Raya this year due to his annual leaves running low and also we're financially unstable at the mo' coz we've spent all our money on our wedding. That's alright, we're looking forward for Eid in Malaysia next year. I'll start counting down the days...

Food for Raya

I made biscuits yesterday! Successfully. :D Although for the life of me, I couldn't shape the biscuits into the shape of cashews as the biscuits are made of ground cashew nuts. The recipe said to shape the dough into the shape of cashews. But I say, the cashews are already grounded. So my biscuits will be flat rounds! And they taste great. So there.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is just around the corner and I just wanted to get in the mood. Although this is our first Raya as husband and wife, sadly we won't be going back to Malaysia to celebrate with family and friends. But I guess that's ok. It's an experience, right? And I'll be cooking yummy dishes for Hari Raya just like we do in Malaysia. We're planning where to go 'jalan-jalan' for this short hols. Maybe take a trip to Abu Dhabi.

Tonight, a few friends are coming over for iftar (buka puasa). I'm cooking Nasi Ayam and lasagna. I'm starting to get really good at cooking. Considering I don't really cook much back in Malaysia. Living overseas teaches (actually, forces) you to be independant and try new things. Food was readily available everywhere in Malaysia. And at really cheap prices. Ready cooked food in Dubai is absurdly expensive, hence the home cooking I do now.

Dubai's All That

I've been in Dubai for almost 2 months now. I haven't landed a job yet. Unless you've applied and secured a position in a firm or company before actually coming to Dubai, I'm starting to think it's hard to get a job here. I'm sure a lot of women who are family focused would love to have my job right now - housewife in a glamorous city. No paperwork, no deadlines, no irritating colleagues and certainly no out-of-this-world-crazy bosses to please.

So what DO you do everyday if you're not employed at some glitzy, high-powered firm? (I'm an architect by the way). You do your everyday chores (cleaning, washing, cooking), then you have a walk in the city, visit historical spots, savor the culture and have a chat with the locals. Haha, tough luck! You won't find that here. I have to say, other than the humongous shopping malls, sleek skyscrapers and lavishly mouth-watering cars, Dubai really has nothing to offer. To me, at least.

For instance, I surfed the web looking for interesting things to see and do in this land of sand, and all I got was shopping malls and more shopping malls. Seriously, I think the most popular culture here IS shopping. And nothing else. I was hoping I'd stumble upon interesting architecture walks I could take, like the one I did while I was in Sydney. That was inspiring.

But that said, I have yet to throw myself into one of those Dubai city circle buses. Maybe, just maybe, I'd learn or see something interesting in this buzzing city. My hubby says the bus will take us to popular spots in Dubai and stop at various shopping malls. He also says I don't have to get down at the malls if I don't want to. Hell yeah, I will make sure I don't! :D

the journey continues here..

Yes, I am now in Dubai. The land where everything is hot and can't get any hotter.

This blog is a continuation from my previous one, the one I had on friendster. The one that suddenly blanked out and I couldn't access. And left me blog-less for quite some time. It's accessible now. But sorry, I've moved on to greener pastures.

If you want to check out my previous postings, click here.

My last blog there was in Sept 2007. I guess that was the last time I had any spare time. Most of my postings before was created when I was studying and living in Australia. Being far away from home, I was a family-less and money-tight student. So of course I had a lot of time to spare.

And now here I am again. Happily married and living in Dubai. Family-less (again) but not so money-tight with lots of time to spare...