Friday, December 11, 2009
Riddle me this
I've been offered a job which if i accept i will have to move to london permanantly within 3 weeks. the job sounds fun but the pros and cons kinda balance out so i dnt really know wot to do, but i gotta make up my mind sharpish since it starts in abt 3 weeks.... decision time...
Sunday, November 29, 2009
wierd, the things u do abroad
i was jus thinkin about all the times i've eaten something out of politeness...
c normally i'm v fussy about what i eat, salmon is about as adventurous as ill go when it comes to seafood and as for meat nothin more than chicken or lamb well done (i'm quite a simple folk).
but when i'm abroad i find it rude to say no to food that the locals offer (if its halal), so i've eaten seafood like squids, crabs, oyster sauce (and goodness knows what else) because often ther's also a language barrier and u dnt wanna be acting out every animal to see what your eating!
so i've ended up eating wierd things like yak cheese, camel meat and most recently i was eating with my host family who were the nicest, politest people u'd ever meet and also very insistant.. they bort food to the table and it looked like medium-rare meat :s ..."its ok, i've been in this situation before and i've eaten med-rare beef and it was quite nice" i said to myself
and so i didnt want to think abt it 2 much and manage to cut a small piece and i put in my mouth, and it wasn't normal meat...it was som organ! :s i could see the pinky-ness of it, it wasnt even seasoned with anything or washed and i could see (wot i thort) was the blood on the plate and i realised that i had the rare heart of som animal in my mouth!!!
ewwww i still remember wot it tasted like, and i couldnt swallow it but i couldn't not swallow it coz that wuda been mega rude. so i jus kinds was swirling it round my mouth wen they started noticing, so i just bit a huge chunk of bread and swallowed it all without chewing it! urgh
c normally i'm v fussy about what i eat, salmon is about as adventurous as ill go when it comes to seafood and as for meat nothin more than chicken or lamb well done (i'm quite a simple folk).
but when i'm abroad i find it rude to say no to food that the locals offer (if its halal), so i've eaten seafood like squids, crabs, oyster sauce (and goodness knows what else) because often ther's also a language barrier and u dnt wanna be acting out every animal to see what your eating!
so i've ended up eating wierd things like yak cheese, camel meat and most recently i was eating with my host family who were the nicest, politest people u'd ever meet and also very insistant.. they bort food to the table and it looked like medium-rare meat :s ..."its ok, i've been in this situation before and i've eaten med-rare beef and it was quite nice" i said to myself
and so i didnt want to think abt it 2 much and manage to cut a small piece and i put in my mouth, and it wasn't normal meat...it was som organ! :s i could see the pinky-ness of it, it wasnt even seasoned with anything or washed and i could see (wot i thort) was the blood on the plate and i realised that i had the rare heart of som animal in my mouth!!!
ewwww i still remember wot it tasted like, and i couldnt swallow it but i couldn't not swallow it coz that wuda been mega rude. so i jus kinds was swirling it round my mouth wen they started noticing, so i just bit a huge chunk of bread and swallowed it all without chewing it! urgh
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Micheal McIntyre
After about 2-3 years of youtube stalking, i finally went to watch micheal mcintyre with my sister, and he was hilarious! the thing i love most about him is that he can make the most mundane and boring thing funny, he isn't one of those talentless "commedians" that you'd see in som loser club in leeds that stand there making jokes about sex, religion, politics and blonds- any1 can make those jokes, i can make thsoe jokes!
but before that we ate at a restaurant where our table was next to a man in drag (yes its the childish side of me that must blog about the man in drag!), i don't know what made him stand out more, the fact that he was dressed as a woman or that he was eating alone , well anyways it made us reminisce about when we took that wrong turning in San Fransisco and ended up in rainbow land...
but before that we ate at a restaurant where our table was next to a man in drag (yes its the childish side of me that must blog about the man in drag!), i don't know what made him stand out more, the fact that he was dressed as a woman or that he was eating alone , well anyways it made us reminisce about when we took that wrong turning in San Fransisco and ended up in rainbow land...
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Sweet child
all the food i ate in malaysia has been haunting and taunting me these past few days, the ice cold fresh sugar cane juice, the steaks, the rice, the iced chocolates, the cheesecakes...
...but it wasn't all roses. in fact, one of the most heartbreaking things i came across was when i went to a HIV home and i met two 6 year olds who were HIV+ one of their parents was in jail and the other died of aids (they weren't siblings). But they were so happy and sweet and beautiful and ever so playful, if you didn't already know, then you wouldn't ever guess their backgrounds.
A lot of people (including me) wouldn't feel comfotable being around people with HIV but in fact, you're probably more of a threat to them (especiall if you have a cold) then they are to you.
...but it wasn't all roses. in fact, one of the most heartbreaking things i came across was when i went to a HIV home and i met two 6 year olds who were HIV+ one of their parents was in jail and the other died of aids (they weren't siblings). But they were so happy and sweet and beautiful and ever so playful, if you didn't already know, then you wouldn't ever guess their backgrounds.
A lot of people (including me) wouldn't feel comfotable being around people with HIV but in fact, you're probably more of a threat to them (especiall if you have a cold) then they are to you.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
going home
well am all packed and ready to go bak to england now. it's been brilliant seeing all my friends again and spending my birthday on a tropical island... i've certainly met some very interesting people along my travels, some of whom i'm glad i'll never see again and some i would like to bump into again. i got quite used to life in KL, i even went to the gym regular, "True Fitness" in Sri Hartamas. great gym i'd reccommend it to anyone, makes the one at home look like a dump, the classes were fantastic, the staff were fiendly and because i was so keen they let me come for free.
There are a lot of things that i'll miss here but one thing that i do miss about england is breathing in that cold crisp morning air...
There are a lot of things that i'll miss here but one thing that i do miss about england is breathing in that cold crisp morning air...
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
sentul
i'm moving to the orphanage tomorrow where i shall be working for the rest of my stay now. may/may not be able to update
Friday, July 31, 2009
fish spa
today, me and nadia went to the fish spa, where they have these small fishes that nibble away at the dead skin cells on your feet for abt half an hour and then after... we ate fish, yum.
just thought i'd edit this blog since no-one got that i was jus jokin wen i said we ate the fish after...i mean that would be jus wrong, wouldnt it?
just thought i'd edit this blog since no-one got that i was jus jokin wen i said we ate the fish after...i mean that would be jus wrong, wouldnt it?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
pasar (market)
Had a nice relaxing day today, one thing i like about homestay is that u get to really see the culture. today i went with iffah's mum to the market to get some fishballs for dinner, see the local goldsmith and then went shopping with iffah's sister and in the evening i had fishball soup and noodles for dinner... then out the blue i suddenly felt guilty for having come to KL alone against my fathers will... my dads never really approved of any of my "adventures" like Uganda, Italy, etc but it never really bothrd me. suppose that's what made em more tempting... so why the guilt? ...could it be?? oh no... no,,, please don't tell me am growing up...
Monday, July 27, 2009
selamet pagi malaysia!
wow do malays like spicy food! i thought my taste buds were already well adapted for me to brave any cuisine from mexico to pakistan and beyond... guess i was wrong!
but as the days go by, i am realising more and more jus how much the british people are being scammed- from the price of houses to the price of food but i suppose we make up for it in safe driving! i swear the lane markings here are just there for decorative purposes and fizah's driving-WOW! keeps you at the edge of your seat, man she owns the road, i'm more used to slowing down when i go round a road bends but fizah sees it as a challenge and speeds right up! here, silly little things like speed limits and road markings are for losers... mind you, i've been in far worse...
but as the days go by, i am realising more and more jus how much the british people are being scammed- from the price of houses to the price of food but i suppose we make up for it in safe driving! i swear the lane markings here are just there for decorative purposes and fizah's driving-WOW! keeps you at the edge of your seat, man she owns the road, i'm more used to slowing down when i go round a road bends but fizah sees it as a challenge and speeds right up! here, silly little things like speed limits and road markings are for losers... mind you, i've been in far worse...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
dangerous
does anyone know who these wierd sikh ppl r? they sorta com up2 u and r like "u look very lucky" and they guess wot number or colour yor guessing and apparently they do magician like stuff, they've approached me a few times in Manchester and once in Wakefield but i gave them the standard snarl and an abrupt brush off for disturbing me as i shop... in other news i quit my job cos i was jus so damm bored of it and i've started a beginners course in indoor rock climbing.
and wow at micheal schumacher being the stig!
and wow at micheal schumacher being the stig!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
an interview less likely
I was surfing the net on Monday and I came across this marketing company in Leeds, they had an interesting website, but it was all about how they nurture their employees and what a great environment is, they had like 2 sentences on wot the company actually did, "above the line, direct marketing" whatever that meant... so I called them to ask what they actually did...
"Well... it's a client facing role, rather varied, sales presentations, etc kind of hard to describe"
"Hmm... well then who are your clients? What industry do you specialise in?" I asked
"All sorts really, we deal with everyone like npower, charities, and basically just anyone."
"Well, I'm still not clear on what you do, what are your typical day to day activities?"
"you know what, the owner can tell you more about that so it's probably best I book you in for a first round interview"
"...ok"
So I went for the interview on Tuesday which was just a 5 min talk on how the company is structured and how they use direct marketing tactics to flourish during a recession and how it's a niche market unsaturated in Leeds area and most companies use them to generate sales and how effective what they do is. He still didn't tell me what they actually did and when I asked he said they approach the clients directly through events like fashion shows, motor events, etc. Interesting I thought, not bad going to fashion shows etc for a job.
So I assumed they reached people by attending fashion shows and arranging events and made presentations on their tactics to win big orders with big blue chip companies. That’s what it sounded like anyways. They said they didn't use media like tv because it was cheaper and more effective to be more direct so before the interview I was afraid it was one of those companies that just wrote different types of junk mail, but it didn’t seem that way after the interview.
So I got a call later that day saying I was put through for the evaluation day.
"What’s involved?" I asked
"basically, you work shadow someone in the company for a day and we observe your personality, see if you would fit into this company, because it's company of young ppl, and we hold regular socials, etc and have a good team atmosphere and just to see if you fit the bill. Its a 12-9 day and make sure you wear flats as you will be on your feet most of the day"
"Well ok, Fridays good for me" sounds ok. Guess it must be a fast-paced job doing lots of different things and if I’m work shadowing someone I’ll finally get to know what they actually do!
So I went down on Friday, and he introduced me to the guy I would be work shadowing, and he said we had to go down to Wakefield to see the clients. Ok I thought, so I asked what they were doing and they said they were raising awareness of the WWF, (world wildlife federation). Didn’t know they had an office in Wakefield and how exactly were they going to do this? I was imagining PowerPoint presentations, organising events to reach the public… but I asked anyways and he said, “We’re targeting about 100 houses”
“… you mean like door to door?” I asked as the penny dropped on what ‘above the line direct marketing in client facing roles’ was… door to door salesmen!
“yeh, if we target 100 houses, we’ll probably score like 5-10 monthly donations”
We whipped round the 100 houses surprisingly fast, the time just flew by and most of the people weren’t in anyways. And the guy was a really good salesman, it was interesting watching his tactics and we had a good laugh, he was the sorta guy you’d wanna chill with. So anyways after we’d finished the 100 houses, I thought ‘alright, relatively painless, get back to Leeds, get some lunch…’
“So we’ve done the 100 houses, didn’t the time just fly by?” he said
“yeh it sure did, so what now?”
“now we go for a second round, target those houses where no-one was in”
“errr…ok” :s
The second round seemed longer and after we did that, he turned and said, “now we go for a third round, target those houses where no-one was in the first or second time”
I think you can see where I’m going with this but I was pretty good and stuck it out until the fourth round… it was absolutely pissing it down, I got so soaked that the water was dripping down my face (ask me about this story in person for the unedited version) and I was like, “mate, I’ll go wait in the car” it was abt 8pm by then and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast! So after he finished up, we went back to Leeds where I had a final test and interview and they ended up giving me a provisional start date, and I felt really bad saying no because, all in all we’d had a good laugh, they were good guys and I’d been pretending to be interested in sales during the day… so now they think I’m gonna be working for them :s
By the time I arrived in dews it was like 11 and I couldn’t bare the thought of walking all the way to my car so I got my dad to pick me up and drive me to where I’d parked my car. I’m sooo not working as a Saleswoman!
"Well... it's a client facing role, rather varied, sales presentations, etc kind of hard to describe"
"Hmm... well then who are your clients? What industry do you specialise in?" I asked
"All sorts really, we deal with everyone like npower, charities, and basically just anyone."
"Well, I'm still not clear on what you do, what are your typical day to day activities?"
"you know what, the owner can tell you more about that so it's probably best I book you in for a first round interview"
"...ok"
So I went for the interview on Tuesday which was just a 5 min talk on how the company is structured and how they use direct marketing tactics to flourish during a recession and how it's a niche market unsaturated in Leeds area and most companies use them to generate sales and how effective what they do is. He still didn't tell me what they actually did and when I asked he said they approach the clients directly through events like fashion shows, motor events, etc. Interesting I thought, not bad going to fashion shows etc for a job.
So I assumed they reached people by attending fashion shows and arranging events and made presentations on their tactics to win big orders with big blue chip companies. That’s what it sounded like anyways. They said they didn't use media like tv because it was cheaper and more effective to be more direct so before the interview I was afraid it was one of those companies that just wrote different types of junk mail, but it didn’t seem that way after the interview.
So I got a call later that day saying I was put through for the evaluation day.
"What’s involved?" I asked
"basically, you work shadow someone in the company for a day and we observe your personality, see if you would fit into this company, because it's company of young ppl, and we hold regular socials, etc and have a good team atmosphere and just to see if you fit the bill. Its a 12-9 day and make sure you wear flats as you will be on your feet most of the day"
"Well ok, Fridays good for me" sounds ok. Guess it must be a fast-paced job doing lots of different things and if I’m work shadowing someone I’ll finally get to know what they actually do!
So I went down on Friday, and he introduced me to the guy I would be work shadowing, and he said we had to go down to Wakefield to see the clients. Ok I thought, so I asked what they were doing and they said they were raising awareness of the WWF, (world wildlife federation). Didn’t know they had an office in Wakefield and how exactly were they going to do this? I was imagining PowerPoint presentations, organising events to reach the public… but I asked anyways and he said, “We’re targeting about 100 houses”
“… you mean like door to door?” I asked as the penny dropped on what ‘above the line direct marketing in client facing roles’ was… door to door salesmen!
“yeh, if we target 100 houses, we’ll probably score like 5-10 monthly donations”
We whipped round the 100 houses surprisingly fast, the time just flew by and most of the people weren’t in anyways. And the guy was a really good salesman, it was interesting watching his tactics and we had a good laugh, he was the sorta guy you’d wanna chill with. So anyways after we’d finished the 100 houses, I thought ‘alright, relatively painless, get back to Leeds, get some lunch…’
“So we’ve done the 100 houses, didn’t the time just fly by?” he said
“yeh it sure did, so what now?”
“now we go for a second round, target those houses where no-one was in”
“errr…ok” :s
The second round seemed longer and after we did that, he turned and said, “now we go for a third round, target those houses where no-one was in the first or second time”
I think you can see where I’m going with this but I was pretty good and stuck it out until the fourth round… it was absolutely pissing it down, I got so soaked that the water was dripping down my face (ask me about this story in person for the unedited version) and I was like, “mate, I’ll go wait in the car” it was abt 8pm by then and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast! So after he finished up, we went back to Leeds where I had a final test and interview and they ended up giving me a provisional start date, and I felt really bad saying no because, all in all we’d had a good laugh, they were good guys and I’d been pretending to be interested in sales during the day… so now they think I’m gonna be working for them :s
By the time I arrived in dews it was like 11 and I couldn’t bare the thought of walking all the way to my car so I got my dad to pick me up and drive me to where I’d parked my car. I’m sooo not working as a Saleswoman!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
swimming
my mum made me go swimming this week. i kept tellin her i can't swim, the last time i went swimming was........ well.... it was before uni, actualy i never went during my A-levels, so definately before my GCSE's. actualy, i don't think i've ever approached a pool of water with the intent of swimming in it! i mean i know how to swim, i've seen "the little mermaide", so i know how its done but i'm just not very strong.
But u know me, ill give anything a shot if only to fail at it miserably. And so, i struggled against the water, thrashing my legs wildly, panting hard and straining my neck to keep my head afloat and stop myself breathing in the chlorine water, swinging my arms continuously despite the lactic acid burns reaching one end of the pool, then the other! yes, i swam... 4 full lengths! WOOP! WOOP!
But u know me, ill give anything a shot if only to fail at it miserably. And so, i struggled against the water, thrashing my legs wildly, panting hard and straining my neck to keep my head afloat and stop myself breathing in the chlorine water, swinging my arms continuously despite the lactic acid burns reaching one end of the pool, then the other! yes, i swam... 4 full lengths! WOOP! WOOP!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
a small town girl
me and raisa went for a photoshoot on thursday (raisa scored a free photoshoot... so we thort wot the hell), which was great fun, i dresed up like a cowboy with the hat i got from tijuana (like i do at every opportunity i get), and i also took my uncomfortably high heeled ruby red shoes... the make up artist even painted me a new face!
it was almost as if she saw me and thort "my oh my this shall never do" and then painted me some new skin with a paint brush, drew me new eyes, eyebrows and lips and coloured them in. the photographer took like 100 different photo's in all sorts of poses, sat on a piano for one of them but i don't really photograph very well so i didn't feel compelled to buy many despite the pushy sales lady and confusing maths... i think she tried to set us up with like a £2000 deal with mothly installments of £60... or something equally rediculous but she musta read our facial expressions coz she pushed more for the £200 package but im just not that vain...
afterwards i found that krispie kremes have finally reached the north and that there are 3 stores in manchester well actually it wasn't really an accidental discovery, raisa had located all 3 on a detailed map with clear instructions on how to get to them from the studio and train station beforehand... oh and did i mention my weight gain?
it was almost as if she saw me and thort "my oh my this shall never do" and then painted me some new skin with a paint brush, drew me new eyes, eyebrows and lips and coloured them in. the photographer took like 100 different photo's in all sorts of poses, sat on a piano for one of them but i don't really photograph very well so i didn't feel compelled to buy many despite the pushy sales lady and confusing maths... i think she tried to set us up with like a £2000 deal with mothly installments of £60... or something equally rediculous but she musta read our facial expressions coz she pushed more for the £200 package but im just not that vain...
afterwards i found that krispie kremes have finally reached the north and that there are 3 stores in manchester well actually it wasn't really an accidental discovery, raisa had located all 3 on a detailed map with clear instructions on how to get to them from the studio and train station beforehand... oh and did i mention my weight gain?
Monday, April 06, 2009
where do we go now
when i was at high school, there used to be this boy in my class, u know the sort, skinny, glasses, a genius at every academic subject. i always imagined he'd be a brain surgeon or my boss in 15 years or just something big so i got in touch with him recently to see what he'd been upto since high school. and he told me he made a bad choice of a-levels, studied language (yes, language!) at uni, realised his mistake, dropped out after the first year and now works locally for a small business. wot a waste of a talent i thought, he could have been anything...
i guess that's why i like my job, it feels good to help these kids and develop their confidence and when you see that look on their face when the penny drops and they think "oh yeah, that's a good point."
i guess that's why i like my job, it feels good to help these kids and develop their confidence and when you see that look on their face when the penny drops and they think "oh yeah, that's a good point."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
family
never beleev wot my sister jus sed to me, she's said "yeh but u like all men in their 30's" i was like "WOT?! don't be so rediculous, kevin bacon is 50, scott weiland, brad pitt and johnny depp are all in their 40's and in fact the only guy in his 30's that i liked was a lecturer at uni" (he wasn't old and grey, he was young and fit), lol im jus messing... but i do find my family rather amusing from my crazy cousin raisa and her wild antics to my little nephew who says the days of the weeks as "Monday, wensday, spring, summer..." awww isnt tht cute.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
february's update
well it feels like i havent posted anything in a while, and i try to update at least once a month.
things aren't going well, i still don't really know what i want to do jobwise, jobhuntin for a graduate position aint going well, hardly any of the white working class boys have turned up for their mentoring and i've put on half a stone!! urgh this is everyone elses fault but mine!
things aren't going well, i still don't really know what i want to do jobwise, jobhuntin for a graduate position aint going well, hardly any of the white working class boys have turned up for their mentoring and i've put on half a stone!! urgh this is everyone elses fault but mine!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Its a small world
I went to the dentist this morning, i walk in and the dentist is like, "zaynab? from..." and he names a few the friends i used to hang around with when i was 14. but i still didnt recognise him, then as he was checking my teeth, i saw his name tag and it clicked! omg it was one of them.. a group of lads couple of years above us when i was 14/15, i used to hate him and his frends!! i remember various name calling, waterfights, etc and now he was my dentist! he asked if i rememberd yet after he finished and i was like "yeh... i used to hate you and yor frends" lol, u hate someone wen yor a kid, forget all about them, then...BAM!! 8 years later they're yor dentist!
Friday, January 09, 2009
a job? moi???
im slowly adjusting to the cold now, only a few days ago i was like "omg how did i eva liv in this country" but now that i dnt move from the heater, its all good :)
this morning i realised i need to master the art of sounding like i've been up for hours when a phone call wakes me up at 11am on a weekday, this mornign it was my employer asking if i want to work another day, "i havent even started the job yet and besides, im struggling coming to terms with the fact that ive actually committed myself to 2 days a week until june!" i thought to myself but i simply replied "no thank you"
so i start my new job next week lol actually its my first job ever. i'm working as a mentor for kids at a high school in leeds, it was meant to be for "black and minority ethnics" thats the role i applied for but they also put me down for "white working class" but am gonna b optimistic and not assume that means chavs, but i swear the guy (my employer) was almost sniggering as he sed "yeh we've er.. also put u down with white working class", still i like a challenge and am not one to judge :p
this morning i realised i need to master the art of sounding like i've been up for hours when a phone call wakes me up at 11am on a weekday, this mornign it was my employer asking if i want to work another day, "i havent even started the job yet and besides, im struggling coming to terms with the fact that ive actually committed myself to 2 days a week until june!" i thought to myself but i simply replied "no thank you"
so i start my new job next week lol actually its my first job ever. i'm working as a mentor for kids at a high school in leeds, it was meant to be for "black and minority ethnics" thats the role i applied for but they also put me down for "white working class" but am gonna b optimistic and not assume that means chavs, but i swear the guy (my employer) was almost sniggering as he sed "yeh we've er.. also put u down with white working class", still i like a challenge and am not one to judge :p
Monday, January 05, 2009
Desert frost
its hard to imagine that only last week i was in the hot desert, with only sand and rock all around, not a cloud in the sky and the midday sun beating down on me. i do feel im meant for warmer climates...
anyways going to saudi was a wonderful experience, to be in places of significance and actually doing something significant, u just don't want to be anywer else (or go bak home!).
i was talking to my mum whilst wen we were there about the throne of the queen of sheba, the kingdom of dawood and sulaiman (davin and solomon) and then my mum asked "what were the people of england doing at that time?"
"err... living in caves" i answered. because i remeber talkin to this native american boy wen i was in arizona and he said something like "these white ppl judge us for the way we live (they lived in the desert which resembled a barren wasteland) but before the romans invaded them, they were uncilivilised cavemen and were worse off than we are."
anyways going to saudi was a wonderful experience, to be in places of significance and actually doing something significant, u just don't want to be anywer else (or go bak home!).
i was talking to my mum whilst wen we were there about the throne of the queen of sheba, the kingdom of dawood and sulaiman (davin and solomon) and then my mum asked "what were the people of england doing at that time?"
"err... living in caves" i answered. because i remeber talkin to this native american boy wen i was in arizona and he said something like "these white ppl judge us for the way we live (they lived in the desert which resembled a barren wasteland) but before the romans invaded them, they were uncilivilised cavemen and were worse off than we are."
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