I'm actually not offended by this at all. Rather I'm quite amused. I have had a couple of friends who have said that I have a "serious" face so I'm not that surprised. But I am surprised that this remark came from I would say half of the colleagues (which btw, are 11 people in total) in my office so I guess there has to be some truth in that.

I'm currently working as an intern at Wanita UMNO (UMNO Women). I have been interning at UMNO for the past two months now from the 1st of July until the 31st of August. The reason why I decided to intern at UMNO was not merely because of political reasons contrary to popular belief but frankly I was just bored and wanted to do something that would occupy me for 2 months before I go back to the UK.

I was offered this opportunity to intern at UMNO by my comrades in the London and Warwick UMNO clubs. It was either this or attach myself at some law firm in Kuala Lumpur but I thought to myself what the hey this opportunity won't come around very often so I took the chance.

Incidentally I'm loving what I do now in the office. Sure I get the occasional look from my friends who are not inclined towards the Government and even the "What are you insane??" response from them.

But hey, although yes I am definitely not without a bit of criticism or two but this politically-aligned line of work really opens your mind to a lot of things. I've listened to opinions that I've never really thought about from experienced UMNO veterans, I read 5-6 newspapers a day and I have come to actually listen and become aware of dissenting opinions, namely the Opposition. It just makes you grow as a person really.

Back to the subject of my serious face. Yes well apparently my colleagues in Wanita think I have a serious face. My colleagues are lovely, lively, and happy-go-lucky women. A wonderful group of women representing the Wanita spirit at the UMNO office.

I told them that it's because I think too much. They told me,

"La, you muda lagi nak buat apa risau! Baru je 21!"

(La, you're still young so why worry? You're only 21!)

I laughed at their statement because it's so true! I laughed together with them and appreciated their sheer honesty in that statement. I mean, as much as I appreciate being deep in thought as my next intellectual friend, sometimes you gotta step back and think to yourself, God I'm still so young! I should just learn to let go and let it all hang out. I now truly understand what the people in the old days used to say,

"Youth is wasted on the young."

I may have lied a bit in saying that I didn't join this UMNO internship merely for political reasons. Heck, when I'm in the Wanita office that's pretty much what I think about most of the time. But with colleagues like these in the office, how can you not be happy-go lucky? :)

Bye for now.

p/s, there are men who work at Wanita UMNO too. They didn't say my face was serious.

It's a strange feeling,considering the fact that I was extremely hesitant to go there in the first place.Hey,don't get me wrong,I love being in Help!It's been a fantastic 7 months,albeit with a few tough moments here and there.

Well,if I was being perfectly honest,I wouldn't have gone to Help if not for my family members who stepped in and advised me that going to Help was a better option than rotting in KL for 9 bloody months before I start my first year in UK.

Haha,I can somewhat picture myself remaining inanimate for 9 months!I've seen Nadia do that for 3 months before she started AUSMAT at Sunway in March this year.Not a pretty sight.

In any case,my decision to continue my law degree has been one of the best decisions I have made so far.Sure,it's not easy and heck,hardly a walk in the park.But it's given me a challenge which I quite relish. (Although I really hate to admit it,I tend to get scared shitless when I face challenges).

To be honest,it's not so much the subject matter that has been hard,but it can be a task to keep up in a class full of notoriously intelligent people.Bless my friends and their exceptional mental capabilities.

The fact that I have a *slight* competitive streak doesn't help either.I recall my friends in A Levels saying "Naj,you don't have to be so competitive!It won't do you any good!".I really know it's not very healthy for me,but I can't help it!Consider it an effect of conditioning from my secondary school days.

Competitive in this sense is not that I want to be better than my classmates (which can be quite the difficult task seeing that my classmates in my Help law degree programme are pretty darn smart with a capital S-ototally!)but,I don't know.I guess I've been surrounded by so many intelligent people in my life (not that I am saying I'm the female version of Homer Simpson or anything), that I yearn to keep up with them and well,fit in,basically.

As cheesy as peer pressure stories can sound,back in high school I was never part of the "Top 10 Smart-A**es" crowd so I ended up working really hard to try to be as good as them.Well obviously being the woman (that's right,WOMEN) that I am today,I know for a fact now that the sole reason that one should work hard is for the betterment of oneself,and not to impress other people.

Thank god for maturity!

My dad has always said to me: "Naj,talents and intelligence alone will not get you anywhere in life.You have to work hard to be where you want to be.I'm not the brightest light bulb around,but damn it,working hard has gotten me where I am today."

And currently being a successful property developer and wonderful father of three,I'm pretty dang proud of my dad.I guess some of his work habits have rubbed off on me.I can't count the number of times my friends have told me that I'm like some kind of businesswomen,always busy doing work and whatnot.

You know,I have this really odd habit of going back to an old, favourite website of mine that I've not gone to in ages. Neopets is one, I'm currently obsessed with it. Hey,the games are fun kay!! XD

And of course, blogspot. I guess I never really steer away from what I like. In a way, it shows that I know who I am and I know what I like, even though it takes me some time to realise and remember. I guess it's also safe to say that I treat these websites like old friends; I may neglect them from time to time but I never forget them.

Anyways people, just to update you to whosoever is interested in reading what I have to say, if there is any.

Moving on. As I was saying, about the whole never steering away from what I actually like kinda thing, it sort of similar to my whole uni situation right now. I think if you had read some of my previous posts, you can kinda get the fact that I was supposed to go to UK soon after my A Levels finished.

Well,life doesn't work out sometimes,the way we want to. I know many people would agree with me on that. Just to clarify,I had the grades and the financial backup; my reason was more on a personal basis,but that's another story.

Basically,what I can tell you now is that my confidence in wanting to pursue my Law degree waived a little, and I went through a stage where I was really questioning myself "What do I really want to do in life?"

"What can I do that's gonna make me happy?Or what really makes me happy?Gives me a 'kick'?"

It's a bit odd. To have this rush of philosophical maturity flood over you...it's surreal. Part of growing up,I guess. Time for it finally, I suppose. (Not that I've never gone through a "maturity zone-out" process,which is about a million times. It's just that this time,it really hit me hard. I mean,it's my first degree, for god's sake).

Alright,history aside,I'm happy to say that I am happy at where I am now.Currently studying at Help U/C and doing my UK Degree Transfer Programme, seems to me that everything's back on track and working out the way it should be.

But whatever it is,I cannot predict my future.

And finally,I rejoin the blogging world after a long hiatus :) Which mind you,was filled with exams,rehearsals,GRADUATION & performances.

From the 11th May 2009-11th June 2009,I was sitting for my final A Level examinations at Sun-U,and I was really busy studying which didn't leave me much time to blog. And then throughout 11th June-14th May 2009, back to rehearsals for my upcoming graduation. I was the choreographer for cha-cha and I've been getting rave reviews from my director and his assistants that it was awesome ^^

My Graduation was divided into 2 parts: The Graduation Ceremony itself and the Ball. My cha-cha was a part of a seven-part Latin themed performance by my juniors and fellow seniors. There was Salsa,Samba and other Latin songs as well.For the Ball,I had to choreograph my own Latin solo (I was the opening act) in a span of 2 days because I didn't have enough time to do so. I was super worried it wouldn't turn out well,but in the end,I think I did a pretty decent job :D

Mr DJ was supposed to DJ for my ball,and I was really looking forward for him spinning. However,the head lecturer of the prom committee decided one someone else who came later. I did feel that it was a tad unfair cos Mr Dj came to meet Mr Kingsley way ahead of time (like 2 months) to be booked as the DJ for the night. I'm not certain of what her reasoning to change DJs was,but my guess would be pricing. But *sigh* I do feel bad for him.

Was listening to my new Tiesto CD before this though :D

Anyhoo, dropped by Nina's blog just now.She had an episode of "soap-in-my-tresses-and-not-shampoo-like-I-thought-it-was" :O Yours truly also has had her fair share of these incidents. I use my mom's hairdresser's recommended shampoo to control my wavy locks, and believe me, it stings like a b****!! >:# However, my best friend, Sam, didn't just get foam in her eyes, it was some serious amount of liquid shampoo @_@

When I go to college, I bring my shampoo and re-use an empty MAC make-up remover bottle to store my shampoo in. The shampoo bottle that the hairdresser gives me weighs a friggin 1 liter, so I just pour about *ngam-ngam* 100 ml into the MAC bottle.

Sam slept over my place on a Friday night, when I come back from Sunway on the weekends. She tried on some eyeliner just for fun, and went to the toilet to wash it off. I apparently left my MAC bottle with saturated yellow shampoo in it on my bathroom sink, and...well, read the following dialogue:

Oh btw, I was surfing through a few sites and found a few items which I wish to visually indulge in, cos I don't have the luxury to afford them :'( Couldn't resist putting them up :3 Have a looksee and feast your eyes upon them:

Roberto Cavalli ankle-strap heels

A classic and pink nature-inspired cake

How materialistic can I get?! Wahahahahaha XD

The A Levels graduation is drawing near,gosh.I can't believe it's nearly the end of the 1 & 1/2 years that I've enrolled for in the beginning. I can still remember the first day that I registered for A Levels at the Student Centre at Sun-U last year, imagine that.

I like the fact that I'm *finally* graduating, but now that my course is coming to an end, I'm feeling half & half about it. I feel sad that I won't be able to see my collegemates every day anymore; eating lunch with them, hanging out at Sunway Pyramid, goofing off, teasing each other, and basically creating college memories with them.

Yah sure,I'll probably get to see them after graduation,but not everyday anymore.Plus,we'll probably be doing our own things after graduating: Best buddy and maths tutor Jeff's likely to go off to Singapore in June or August and apply for permanent residency, so that'll give me about only 2 months or so to spend time with him :(

As for me,I'll most likely take off to UK (hopefully,if I make it to Nottingham) in mid-Sept.Without doubt, I'm going to miss my friends and family: the best babe Sam,the folks,the grandfolks,the million-and-one aunties,uncles and cousins; the byatchy sis,the devilish baby bro,the pet Angora rabbit...(Lol,I wish). But most of all,