seize.the.day

When we do something impromptu

yours truly

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finally I did it! after much thought and a bit of research from wordpress blogs, as well as briefly consulting my colleague on whether it is worth it and affordable, I finally did it.

I am officially a domain!
it’s pretty!

I have been toying with the idea of having my own domain for my blog. I guess it’s a logical progression. believe it or not I have been blogging since 2004! and in May 2014, it will finally be my tenth year of blogging. this domain, is like a commemoration of that, although advanced because, well, im a bit richer in December usually. instead of buying stuff, I awarded myself with a domain of my own. 🙂

this means the name ‘livingseri’ has been a part of me for close to a decade already. and it has been the name I have been using everywhere, twitter, instagram, tumblr and blogger. of course, blogger is what brings me to well, blogging. I still love that site, still have my account there just because I do not have the heart to delete all my stories from there.

livingseri has witnessed my happiness and sadness, my struggles and achievements and even mundane daily stuffs. it just feels right to finally ‘owned’ the name in the virtual world. I have connected to this name for so long.

and I hope to do more with my blogging and this page. it has seen me grow. i have always been a diary person, but I stopped writing when I found blogging. I will continue to blog/write, perhaps more seriously now. I am not one to seek attention but if there is something that readers may gain from my blog, I would gladly share, well, its a risk to take. even if there are no readers, it will still be a page I can call my own in the midst of billions of netizens.

one thing need to do now, which may take forever, it to filter through all my posts since May 2004. there may be posts which is better left unpublic. this is all about moving forward and looking to the future with positivity and create memories and lessons learnt. perhaps, it will be a legacy for my children, from the internet generation, a page they can always look back and read through whenever they wish to remember their mummy.

like a reminder

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1. i was going to donate books to the library, i was going through hundreds of my books, and i got to like what, 10 books, which i am willing to donate?? what? seri? all that trouble?

but i really do not have the heart to throw any of my books.

2. going back to my reading habit has given me my sanity. and now, moving on to the next book

3. Oh did i mention: i had loved Francine pascal’s Fearless teen novel series, hmm, a decade and a half ago, although it was the adventure of going to different national library brances (all the way to woodlands sometimes) just to follow the series accordingly…and so while browsing KOBO recently i found out i may be able to own all of them in the form of an ebook!!! i went crrrrrazzzziiiiiee. but stopping myself and bought first three in the series….

4. i know i know…. i havent blog about bali, i havent blog about KL, i havent blog about my parents’ umrah and how emotional we are…

maybe next week. i aim to get a two days’ off in lieu..

bookless reader

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I know. i love books, madly love books. There were times when i can just sit and read a book the whole day and had difficulties doing other things because i was just so engrossed in a story.

But the era is changing and i am catching up fast. I embraced the ebook reader. I still buy books. No way can i not read a book in its book form. But i also love the ebook for the simple reason of having a couple of ‘books’ in one cool device! I especially love it that classics are available free. And i must say i have downloaded almost all the classics from kobo, my choice of ebook-shop and reader.

Ebooks is also making it easier for my thirst for the fantasy genre. Because it was too many, its the one genre which i cant afford to buy. The library had been my sanctuary for them books. But as in the case of george r martin’s games of thrones, i purchased them online as ebook collection and i got them at a much cheaper price and i can bring all 4 books wherever i go! Hwahwahwa.
Still, only the favourites though. I will still make the library relevant by visiting them now and then for my fantasy fix.

Not forgetting those emagazines! I love them too haha! Especially reader’s digest! It gives a different experience of reading that mag with videos a click away and the animations they have! Very cool! Just this month’s, when u ‘open’the e-mag, you are greeted by this celebrity featured!

Nevertheless, as all booklovers all over the world, we still want to read books in its natural way. Its the joy of reading it, admiring the cover, flipping over the page to keep on reading, slipping a bookmark(in my case, colour coordinated) with a heavy heart because you do not want to stop. And more so, in these times when you are always connected and screen eyed, you just want to look away and go easy on the eyes with some nice book, with a nice hot drink, and just indulge in another life, another world, another story.

I really really hope the luxury of holding a book is not lost in time. And yes, my children will be book lovers too. Definitely.

confessions of the sleepy beauty

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I have a confession to make. I love to sleep. I need my sleep. I cannot function without enough sleep. But the problem is, i also have difficulty waking up early. For as long as i know i had been this way.

Although i was quite amazed that during my secondary years, morning session school. Managed to wake up at 5.45 am and be ready by 6.20 to catch the feeder bus. But of course i will sleep in the bus at any opportunity, meaning i must get a seat everytime. I feel the day had already gone wrong if i didnt get my journey nap. of course, taking any chances at school to just close my eyes. erkk…

Same thing when i got a job as a kindergarten assistant teacher.

And when i went to university. I try to avoid morning classes or if there were no other choice for a specific subject, well, i make sure i dont have classes till late afternoon because i would want to go back to my mahallah as early possible to get a noon nap.

Please understand that throughout this sleeping ordeal, it means i will wake up for subuh prayer and then i will go back to sleep for sure.

That’s where the problem is. It is not good to sleep after subuh prayer and i just cant help it. And for the longest time i succumbed to it.

I tried to change. I did. Its either by sleeping in early, i tried to stay awake after subuh either by reading the quran, the ma’tsurat or reading other books. But then i cant function because my brain believed i was deprived of sleep. And these acts ceased to be habits.

And then…i stumbled on productive muslim website. I enjoyed reading the articles, their infographics, the short entertaining videos with a message and i even joined in one their web seminar. Bit by bit, i tried to put in their tips to my life. And as you might have noticed from my recent posts, i am trying to make life more productive and enjoyable.

And as fate has it, abu productive was invited to give talks in singapore and i had the chance to attend them. Out of all the points which was shared, one really struck me. They suggested sleepyti.me to check what is our sleep cycle, the right time to sleep and the right time to wake up. Its like a revelation to me! Hehe.

A person will have a unique sleep cycle, and need about 3-4 cycles per night for a good rest. You are supposed to be able to wake up refreshed with the right timing.

So now i am regularly checking my sleep cycle. Trying to understand my sleeping time. But alas, its been difficult and haywired these days because i will be sleeping say at 10.30 and my first sleep cycle will end at abt 12.30, i will really be awakened but then i will have to force myself back to sleep because i dont function with 2 hrs of sleep. No. but these nights, i will be waking up at odd hours! I will be observing my self throughout the day and see how my body and brain work with a certain amount of sleep.

I didnt know it is not that simple. Of course, to develop a new sleeping habit will take time. I am determined.

So your sleepy beauty here wants to make a change. I pray that i can stay motivated and achieved my goal of waking up earlier than subuh, get to prepare breakfast for my husband and stay awake till my night bedtime.
(but heh, a 15 min power nap if i am desperate during lunch)…

Till the next post!

pilates newbie

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First it was sewing, now its pilates. Its nice to be learning something new. Hopefully this is easy enough and motivating for someone who is ultimately laaazy to do any form of exercise with the forever excuse of pain inflicted legs.

Ow yes, cycling ongoing still. The only sport i will do.

seri the seamstress

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and so i did it! i signed up for the sewing class!! burnt a hole in my pocket a bit but i guess its worth it. i am so excited to start class next friday.  and my goal is to finish class by May perhaps and who knows i might just make my own raya dress!! weee i am so so excited!

and life seems a bit more…well, life! and heh, the name kinda rhymes, seri the seamstress..

january had been fun so far and already its february, it really is going fast nowadays. i was just discussing with my teachers yesterday that out of sudden we have so many things to achieve and do already. no more dilly dallying. and so have decided to have a meeting with teachers every thursday so we can be updated every week on our pending items. time is really precious.

i am glad i do no teaching this year…which i really hope this will stay as it is for the rest of the year!

by right i have many things to say. but to keep it short: productive muslim series in singapore was great. the guy was really awesome and inspiring. what do i know, the website i had been following, useful posters i had been using for classes, and the person behind it was here!! and having a real discussion with him and his wife. and i was even more humbled when during one of his talks with the youth, he asked for my opinion of how he as the speaker was doing. my goodness. brother, you were doing just great. its our students who are not responding. but really, im touched that he thinks my opinion matters. alhamdulillah. hope productive muslim will continue to be successful and be a great  speaker and motivator for the muslim youth.  awesome and humble guy. he should come down again and give more talks.

and i settled all my pme (performance management evaluation) with the teachers and the youth officer. and this time around i had been better in delivering it and more confident. i was a bit soft previous years and doesnt really know how to conduct an evaluation, but i think i improved a bit and it was so much better to actually be discussing it. things are more clearer and the teachers are also clearer with the expectations and they understand better why a rating was given as such.

i was invited to an fgd one of the days with the colleagues from ace centres and that was another discussion which all of us were really honest and really let out our opinion and grievances of the system. our stand was especially the recognition for our teachers in terms of salary and training. enough of paying them degree holders pittance. they must be recognised as all those recognition that even maids and cleaners are getting.  me being where i am, i really dont care how much they are paying me because really it doesnt help at all, but i care for the teachers and what they are getting is just ridiculous. its not ten years ago when you can live with that kind of pay.

sorry, this is supposed to be a light happy post. haha. but really it has been all discussions for me this week.

must be this three 0 thing.

on the playlist.. Mojo. this band might just revive my interest to msian bands again.

interval

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rest. what is rest to me?

rest is when i get to read a great engaging full of life book, with a mug of hot chocolate by the bedside table

rest is when i get to sew even though it was simply altering dresses

rest is when i get to do amateur pretty scrapbooking projects

rest is when i get to do the things above listening to some cool songs

rest is when (not yet, soon) i get to do some gardening

rest is when i get to watch a movie i loved on repeat

rest is when i get to watch awesome anime or dramas i love

rest is when i get to blog, happy stuffs. 😉

But someone said Rest is when my right feet enters Jannah. Allahumma salli alaa sayyidina Muhammad.

Lord, forgive me.

listopia

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it’s only tuesday, no?  it has been two productive days! i think some new habits im trying to develop is working. hope this stays as long as it is, although today i almost broke my promise about having ME time during lunch. but i stopped, just leave my table as it is. and had lunch and prayed, i definitely work better after that.

anyway just yesterday i was listing out things NOT TO BUY. this morning, i go and make a wishlist. haha.

nothing major, its all those materialistic things of a person who doesnt have much responsibility like having children. just a pair of dr mart boots (i miss wearing boots!!), a turqoise and a maroon coloured watches (i love watches. not too worry though coz i go by ‘the watch chooses you’, so i havent seen any that have that kind of calling) and a fujifilm instax 50s.

i will stop at that. 😉

i am going to spend more on skills and workshops.

that also i have a list:

first up to go is Sewing class, which i’m going to sign up this Friday! woohoo!! cant wait! actually no need to go also can. learn from youtube videos like that boy in the newspaper…i tried…but there are certain things i dont understand, maybe learning live under an expert would be better. well, let’s just have a try anyway.

and then breadmaking..i know it’s like any woman can make breads themselves why bother go to a class…but i dont have that cooking skills you know, so i think im going to just go for it when the opportunity comes. why not cakes? my sis in law bake awesome beautiful heavenly rich like-you-can-taste-it-just-by-describing-it cakes. i dont have that creativity with cakes. bread looks easy with a set of ‘formulas’. i mean how many shapes can a ‘bun’ look?

scrapbooking class for the fun of it! i know husband wont be supportive in that, creativity is enough to him…but anyway there’s no more Made With Love (MWL) shop at Plaza Singapura, and Paper Market dont look so interesting and as friendly as MWL…so it may take a while before i take this up, in the meantime, its all a mix and match and learning from scrapbook websites..

and archery!! i miss archery so much!! i was an archer back in Uni. and i know there is one archery class in the neighbourhood, except its on weekends, and yeah my weekends are burnt..but i hope one day both me and husband will get to do it sometimes.

and then floristry! there’s a diploma for it ok!! i want i want! laugh if you want but flowers make me happy! and i have always been amazed with people who can just do up a bouquet so easily! im going for it ok, that is, if i cant go for any Masters in Education or Diploma in HR and Training courses. haha.

and of course, any forums/workshops which is kinda trending these days locally. if i can afford it, i will take the opportunity. makes life more interesting. otherwise its work work work. bleurgh.

so im building up a utopia mind for myself. whatever that means.

 

clear mind and space

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it had been a month of headaches, dreadful coughings, runny noses and on-off fevers. this body really knows which month to choose to get sick. and really i havent really recover fully. had the most horrible coughing period after so long. and just when i thought i got better, i am now still nursing a flu and some left over cough.

Allahu yashfiini.

my dear husband is not feeling so well either. but hoping that we can fully recover by new year.

but as if my mind did not want to succumb to the illness, i did some cleaning with my wardrobe, dressing table and my books. feels so good to be able to take out clothes and scarves which i know i am not going to wear anymore out! and those books i keep on buying and left by the bedside is not arranged nicely in my book box or at the shelves. such a clear of eyesight and mind. feels like my mind is able to breathe with a bit more space also.

i love my books. definitely. and after arranging them, it actually made me more eager to start reading again. as it is, too bogged down with work, i dont even spend some time to read anymore. and NO, will not let work dominate my time. reading makes me happy, and i am going to do it. just this week, i start to train myself to stop doing work during lunchtime. for the past three years i dont really take up too much importance during lunch. like i eat when im hungry and still do work continuously sometimes the whole day. but i have one hour. and i am going to use that time wisely and for ME. 10 minutes for meal, 15 minutes for prayers, and there’s a good half and hour more, so i read or take a nap. anything that is NOT work. i realise i work better after that.

back to the cleaning. and on a roll for my workspace too. since i am determined to have some sort of life to that messy place. i bought two small indoor plants, and something nice and memorable to be placed at my table. and yes, i am so going to clear out my space. that space.. just too much stuff!! you know you just want to start the year with a clear mind and space. i am really excited to clear my workspace!

a better year insya Allah. almost like im going to start all over.