*Dinner @ Tok Aunty Jai's & Tok Uncle Yem's*

Went to Tok Jai's yesterday for dinner.. since Aunty Limah & Izzat from Los Angeles are here for holiday, few of the family members have been doing 'makan-makan' lately.. including us.. lol.. This time at Tok Jai's & Tok Yem's in Damansara..

So here r the pics from yesterday:~

And my usual photography session with the lil cousin.. Lydia Karmen @ Manja @ 'The Girl Who Watches A Lot Of ANTM"??.. lol..

And finally.. she was tired.. cute! :)

*Mamma Mia! The Musical*

It was Sunday Night.. So I Screamed.. MAMMA MIA!!!

Finally.. after like 2 and a half months of not watching any live musicals.. I finally got the dosage of my happy drug that I have long needed.. The last one I watched was "The Little Mermaid" in a theatre on Broadway, New York last August.. That was fantabulous! And so was this!!

We sat in the stalls.. 4th row.. Good seats! Loads of leg room.. and we could see the actors' expressions clearly! I always prefer stall seats compared to balcony.. the nearer the better.. some may not like it. but I certainly do as we'll get to see the orchestra playing under the stage.. Mama is beginning to like stall seats too :) My only experience of seating in the front-row was in London.. when I watched 'The Phantom of the Opera'.. and it was one of the best experiences of my life! Front-row seats to one of the best musicals in history.. and in London.. where it all started!! My God.. I am blessed.. Alhamdulillah~ :)

Well.. if you're not into the cheesy songs of ABBA.. you wont enjoy this one as the musical itself revolves around ABBA's songs.. which include: 'I Have A Dream', 'Mamma Mia!', 'Money Money Money', 'Dancing Queen', 'Honey Honey', 'The Winner Takes It All', and my personal favs.. 'Slipping Through My Fingers' (the song the mother sang to the daughter on her wedding day.. about giving her away.. and how time flies etc.. this part of the musical made me weep!) & 'Our Last Summer' (the part where the mother and one of her old flings reminiscing about their time together in the past)..

For the record.. The musical was like 5 times better than the movie which starred Meryl Streep (ok.. she was really good as no one expected that she could sing or dance and who would hv guessed at her age, she could even do the 'toe-touch' jump on the bed! Salute!), The "bimbo" girl from the movie 'Mean Girls' who's voice I think was a little bit too small for the role, and the guys.. sigh (in dissapointment).. why oh why didnt they get actors who could actually sing!.. They got Colin Firth & Pierce Brosnan to play 2 out of the 3 potential dads.. Megeewwwwddd! But to be fair.. I did like the movie.. the colourful scenes and the beauty of Greece were breath-taking.. and I love the old furnitures they have in the movie!! I wonder how they make furnitures look old and rustic.. Im gonna try that one day :D..
But all and all.. I just think that the musical was better.. casting wise.. :)

Anyhoooo.. back to the musical.. this was last Sunday.. and it was staged at Istana Budaya.. went with Mama & Shirin.. & this time they featured the company from West End London.. woo hoooo~ They had Jackie Clune to play the lead.. Donna Sheridan.. & Miria Parvin to play the daughter.. Sophie Sheridan.. And the guy who played one of Sophie's potential dads.. Sam Carmichael (ie. Pierce Brosnan's Character in the movie).. is Cameron Blakely.. When I 1st saw him on stage last Sunday.. I told myself.. he has that look & mannerism that points towards "Les Mis".. ie. I think that he's the kind of actor who would have gone for musicals like "Les Miserables".. and I was right! In the programme book.. it stated that he acted as Thenardier in 'Les Mis'.. hehe.. Im good!

I must admit.. Usually Im more into musicals which have deep & emotional story lines.. Like my all-time favourites.. "Les Miserables" (which was my 1st musical experience & it was in Melbourne Aussie).. and another fav.. which was more recent. "Jersey Boys".. (watched this one in London with Mama).. And of course.. "The Phantom"..! Ok.. so I still wont say that 'Mamma Mia!' falls into 'one-of-the-best-musicals-I've-ever-seen" category.. but I would say that it falls into one of the best "Commercial" musicals category.. When I say "Commercial".. I refer to those musicals that are based on a spin-off from popular movies, stories or even pop bands.. These kind of musicals usually don't have a deep story line.. often shallow I must say :P.. songs are a bit "pop-ish".. and they rely on the popularity of the pre-quels/movies/pop bands/famous story books etc.. Most of which do not have original story lines.. Not all.. But most..
The musicals that I think falls under this category of "Commercial" musicals (but this doesn't mean that they're not good ya..) include.. Wicked (a spin-off or prequel to The Wizard of Oz), Mamma Mia! (based on the songs of ABBA), Avenue Q (from The Muppets I think), Dirty Dancing (from the famous 80s movie starring Patrick Swayze), The Lion King (Disney cartoon flick) etc.. But I think these kind of musicals play an important role when it comes to attracting the none-theatre/musical-goers or the 1st-timers.. so yeah..

Personally.. I define a good.. incredible.. fantabulous musical as the ones that made me feel as though Im lost in the story while watching it.. the ones that made me catch my breath at the end of it and go "WOWWWWW!".. and most importantly.. the ones that made me feel so HIGH long after the show.. literally!.. This special musicals.. touched me deeply that often weeks or even months after watching the show.. I would still dream of it.. sing to the show tunes all day.. talk about it all the time.. and google/you-tube/buy the cds & dvds (if they hv any) long after.. These musicals include "Les Miserables", "Jersey Boys", "Phantom of the Opera" (which I saw in London with Mama.. and managed to get FRONT-ROW SEATS!!!! AMAZING!!) & Cats!

When I hv the time later.. I'll write a special blog post on Musicals alone.. hehe..

Meanwhile.. these are some pics from that night:~

And here's a video of my favourite scene in both the movie & the musical..

"Slipping Through My Fingers"..
enjoy :)




"So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs Im singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me"

~'Thank You For The Music' - ABBA :D

*Management Associate OR Enterprize - Wide Risk Management Executive ???*

Yesterday morning, I got a call from Petronas, offering me a job..
I went for the interview bout a month ago I think.. so meanwhile.. got the offer from CIMB Investment Bank.. and accepted it..
So I told the person on the other side that I've accepted another job offer, but he insisted that I drop by at the Petronas Twin Towers and see what they have to offer..

I have the offer letter with me now..
The post that they are offering me is as stated above.. Enterprize - Wide Risk Management Executive.. So.. alright.. Risk Management IS in line with what I studied in Uni.. Actuarial Science.. and obviously Im quite comfortable with it.. but I think I have this feeling of wanting to try something new..
Fyi.. Previously, I've done an internship period of 4 months at ING Insurance on Jln Raja Chulan KL.. and did a study on Valuation & Risks etc.. so I hv a little bit idea of what the job is like.. and of course by looking at my colleagues there as well.. that gave me a rough picture of what it is like if I ought to take that job at Petronas..

Thinking back when I was doing my internship then.. I cant help but to think that I dont want to do what my colleagues were doing at that time.. sitting in the office.. staring at the computer screen.. and evaluate risks everyday.. Well, at least not for now.. At this particular time, I dont feel like doing that.. I dont think I can just sit still.. I want to go out.. meet people.. do presentations.. doing the fast-pace job while Im still young.. I know that it may be stressful and all.. but hey.. while Im fresh out of Uni and still naive bout everything.. I think a fast-pace job will be a very good training ground..

Like I said in my previous post before.. the offer I took at the Investment Bank is Management Associate.. The company only choose a max number of 15 people per intake.. and these 15 will undergo a 2 month classroom training and 10 mth of rotations in different departments of our choice.. In their words.. the people under the programme will be groomed & trained to be the future leaders of the company etc..

Basically.. after talking to the parents, relatives and friends.. I think my path lays with the Bank.. I think the culture there suits me better.. and I've met a few of the other 14 people who will be my training mates for the next 2 months.. we met during the interview sessions.. and I think we clicked.. so Im so excited bout that.. plus.. The programme is a good one I think. well structured and is a good way for fresh grads like me to launch their career in the corporate world or more specifically, the financial industry.. by experiencing different sides of the company.. and finally at the end of 1 year.. settling in the department that Im passionate about..
Guess Passion beats everything right? ;)

The Decision Is Final:~

Elina Effendi ~ A Management Associate at an Investment Bank

PS: Papa & Mama completed their Hajj in the Holy land of Mecca and came back safely last Monday.. Alhamdulillah~
Haji Effendi & Hajjah Zawiyah !! Weeeee~

*Per Te ~ One of My Favourite Songs & Videos Ever*

Ok.. almost everyone who knows me well knows that Im head over heels over Josh Groban since high school..

Thought I should share with u guys one of my fav songs by JG and of course one of my fav videos of him as well..
This song can make me weep sometimes coz I think it's so beautifully arranged and written..

So enjoy.. :)

* * * * *

Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter. He has concentrated his career so far mostly in concert singing and recordings, although he has stated that he wishes to pursue musical theater in the future.

Classifying Groban's voice:

Various music critics have described Groban's voice in different ways, with some referring to him as a tenor and others as a baritone. In performance, Groban's music goes as low as G2 (as in the song "To Where You Are") and extends up to at least B5 flat or the B flat above middle C (As heard in "You Raise Me Up"). This places his voice lower than the tenor range on the low end, and just short of Tenor C, and therefore above the baritone range, on the high end. In a 2002 New York Times article, Groban described himself as a "tenor in training".

Influences and personal details:

Some of Groban's musical influences have been Radiohead, Paul Simon, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Björk. He says he is able to look up to anyone, musically, who has pushed the boundaries and stepped outside of the box. As for vocal influences, "anyone who told a story with their songs," including Mandy Patinkin, Klaus Nomi, George Hearn, and Luciano Pavarotti.

He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

He is single, but dated January Jones from 2003-2006, breaking up in the summer of that year. They remain friends

*Ballade Pour Adeline ~ April 2007*

Couldn't sleep.. so was just browsing through my video files, and accidentally came across this one..
Didn't even remember recording it.. lol..
This was recorded last year.. 16th April 2007 to be precise..!

Anyhoo.. I tend to get really really nervous when I play the piano in front of people and it usually shows with a couple of slip-ups here and there, and sometimes, I get so nervous that I'll get lost and stuck, and therefore couldn't continue on playing.. hahaha..
So because of this, occasionally I record myself playing to improve my confidence level.. Cause even playing to a camera makes me nervous.. lol
The perfectionist in me, tends to put too much pressure on myself that most of the time, it would result in me screwing things up.. :p

So enough of blabbering.. enjoy the video..
The title of the piano piece is 'Ballade Pour Adeline'.. made famous by Richard Clayderman..
And yes, this is definitely one of my all time favourite pieces ever!
I love it so much that I memorized the whole piece..
So here, I was actually playing without reading the notes..
Do tell me what you guys think ya.. :)
I have 2 videos down there.. they're exactly the same.. it's just that one's from youtube (juz uploaded it :p) which is bigger, and the other one I uploaded straight to the blog, which is smaller but clearer.. so choose :D

Owh.. one last note.. I missed recording a couple of bars at the end coz my digicam memory was full.. sorry!

*3 Days Down*

Happy Sunday :)
For some reason I find the picture of me on the right so funny.. haha..

Today:~
Tonight, some close relatives are coming over for buka puasa to celebrate Encik Perempuan's (grandma) and Shirin's (lil sis) birthdays.. Shirin turned 22 on the 20th and on the 19th, Encik turned 75! I can't believe that Encik is 75 already!.. how time flies..
The menu tonight will be Laksa Johor & Mee Sup.. yummm~
B4 that maybe around 3.30pm later.. I might just go to the mall for awhile to get some stuff..

Yesterday:~
Went out with Sara.. she's doing Unit Trust now.. under CIMB.. been doing so since she graduated in July.. When we were doing our Actuarial Diploma in UiTM.. we heard a lot of Unit Trust success stories from our alumnus.. including Mahadi, who came out in Utusan as the youngest Malaysian Millinaire.. and Elynn, one of the Millionaire Sisters.. Met Elynn and her sister Akma (who studied in Manchester & graduated with 1st Class) yesterday.. and they were really nice, friendly and humble indeed.. Elynn was quite excited when she knows that I was frm her Alma Mater & took the same course.. You see.. Actuarial Science in UiTM is soooo small.. there's only like 20+ students per batch.. and like her.. I also get excited whenever I meet people who were doing the same course.. lol..
Mahadi, the other success story.. is only 2 years older than me.. he was in Afif's & Atiqah's batch.. Both of them (Elynn & Mahadi).. were very inspirational when they came to my faculty back then.. around more than 3 years ago.. and mind you.. they came driving a Nissan Fairlady sports car (Elynn's).. and a Jaguar (Mahadi's).. haha..
Coming back to yesterday.. since Im not doing anything at the moment.. Sara persuaded me to come with her and meet her upline.. ao I thought.. why not.. I'll get to learn some stuff..
Well Sara's upline, Shahril.. was really nice.. he explained everything to me.. he was an accountant with Maybank b4.. and he quit his job to do Unit Trust full time..
So basically.. of course.. if you work hard.. and hv the right connections.. you can make the millionaire list.. I was kinda interested.. Dont get me wrong.. it's not like I was blinded with all the big cars and big bucks that the CIMB Wealth Advisers have.. I mean.. I am really realistic about this.. If Im really gonna sign up for this.. Im only gonna do it part time and have a full time job as well.. This will be like my side income.. I think my main purpose of wanting to join them and become a UT Consultant, is to learn.. I mean.. a lot of people invest in UT.. including my parents.. and someday.. I would want to do the same when I start working.. So being a perfectionist that I am.. I would want to know where my money are going exactly.. I want to know how the system works.. inside and out.. and ultimately.. I want to understand the investment industry better.. Being a UT Consultant can definitely teach me all that.. So there are a couple of stuff I need to d b4 I can become one.. including getting my UT Consultant license from the Securities Commission by sitting for an exam..
So.. will update yu guys more about that later kay..

The Day Before Yesterday:~
Went shopping at Sunway Pyramid with Mama & Shirin, and got a call from Shaq (a friend from Cardiff), saying that Rashdan will be performing at Sunway Pyramid that night for the live show on 8TV, Latte @ 8 with Jason Lo.. Shaq tld me he's playing my fav song.. "My Favourite Soprano".. Since the Pyramid was quite near to my place.. I said I'll be there..
So mama sent me to Pyramid that night.. around 10pm.. coz Noreen was using my car.. she was in an accident a few weeks back.. and she has been using my car while the CRV was in the workshop..
Anyhoo.. Rashdan's performance was flawless and perfect.. as expected ;)
But he didnt play "Soprano".. he played "Matahari" instead.. which was of course.. fantabulous as well! All his songs are.. you guys should definitely check him out.. If Im not mistaken.. he said the best way to hear his music is by google-ing him.. Rashdan Harith.. r yu guys could also go to this link: http://amp.channelv.com/rashdanh
Rashdan.. if you're reading this.. see.. Im such a good friend.. promoting you some more.. I boleh jadi u punya Marketing Person lar.. lol

So here are some pics from that night~

Jason Lo interviewing Rashdan~

The guy who acted in "Kami".. But personally I think he looks like Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock :P

Rock Star & Saya

So.. till next time.. Toodles~

xoxo
Elina

*What's The Story Morning Glory~*

It's 7.13am now, and Im sitting on my bed, updating this blog, while listening to The Platters on my ipod speaker..

Believe it or not, Im still jet-lagging from my trip to New York a couple of weeks ago.. I always have the worse jet-lags ever.. Like when I was studying in the UK, I'll come back quite often for winter , easter & summer breaks.. We had 1 month breaks during winter & easter, and I didnt sleep properly for the whole month! But it was easy for me to re-adjust myself when I returned to the UK :)
So it was worse when it comes to New York as the time difference is 24hours!

Anyhoo.. if you guys saw my facebook profile, you guys should know that my friend from primary school, Nurul Huda, uploaded some pretty embarrassing pictures of us when we were young..LOL!
Thanx a lot Nurul! I noticed that in most of the pics, I wasnt smiling like now.. I guess I was really self-conscious bout my teeth back then.. lol.. but thanx to 2 years of suffering with braces, and 4 teeth being pulled out.. I am now more comfortable with showing my teeth when I smile.. :D
Here are a couple of pictures that Nurul uploaded:~

• This is Berbalas Pantun Team, Im the 1st one standing from the left. We were the Zone 3 Champions and the Petaling District Champions!! This was taken after we won the finals at the District Level :) (I was soooo thin back then.. LOL)
• SK Seafield's netball team.. I was the Goal Shooter.. was still playing the same position in Uni.. :)
• With Kelvin Wong, Kelvin Lim, Chee Yim & Nurul at Nurul's Raya Open House.. haha!

I think I was very self-conscious.. even till now.. maybe in a different way.. my best friends and family know what I am self-conscious about, coz for some reason, In Malaysia.. it makes me feel a little bit like a freak.. in the UK, I felt more comfortable, coz people dont stare when you hv big cup size, but in Msia.. omg.. some of the responses I get were really humiliating.. and sometimes they do make me cry.. whenever I complain about them to my mum, she will say that it was because I was wearing tight-fitting clothes.. but the thing is.. even when I wear baju kurung, random people will still stare and give some humiliating remarks.. This is why Im always self-conscious and I never like to walk alone by myself in Msia.. coz even when I walk with my friends, they'll do the same thing..
Like yesterday, for the 1st time in 3 years (coz I was in the UK), I went to Pasar Ramadhan in SS18 with Ibrahim (a friend from school).. I was wearing jeans, a lose baby-T with cardigan..
u see.. a cardigan! who wears cardigan when they go to Pasar Ramadhan??.. I do! coz people are fasting and I dont want to be stared at.. but still.. guys were pointing.. and believe it or not.. a man, who was also staring, juz walked pass me and whispered something in my ear which I prefer not to write here.. I mean.. I was walking with Ibrahim but still these things happened.. They even do it when Im walking with my parents..
Can you guys blame me for being self-conscious??
Sometimes I even feel nervous when I want to buy food in a fast-food joint like McD or KFC..
haha.. weird but yeah..
Well, my mama said I should be thankful to Allah for everything that was given to me.. and with my whole heart Im so thankful and I am totally blessed.. no doubt! I wouldnt want to change anything about myself coz Allah made me perfect the way I am.. Even my best friends said that Im lucky.. but I guess I just wish that the mentality of some of the Malaysians (especially the malays) could be changed..
just let me be~

Gosh.. I dont know why I was talking bout that.. haha.. quite embarrassing!
Moving on~
On Wednesday my best friends and the boyfriends went out for dinner (buka puasa) at Eden Restaurant on Jalan Raja Chulan..
As usual.. everytime we get together.. it will be a fiesta on its own.. us girls talk a lot when we see each other.. not only that.. we talk a lot, loudly, and everyone talks at the same time!! hahaha.. juz imagine.. but the weird thing is that.. everyone heard each other, and at the end of it.. we were all satisfied coz we got to say what we wanted.. LOL!!!
The food was good.. and like always.. loadssss of pictures were taken.. :)
Here are some:
There you go, it took me awhile to upload these pics and I accidentally dozed off.. LOL..
again, blame it on the jet-lag..

It is now 2.48pm.. and this post will end right..... here!

xoxo
Elina