all the 2015 outings not blogged;

In the time I've not blogged, I've gone out with a few of my loves! I keep telling myself, "yes, I'll blog about this when I get back home and edited the photos". But, do I? No...

Well, here are the outings I've been on since I've last updated this ol'blog of mine right 'ere.

❄️ Ice, ice, baby

That's right! Yours truly went ice-skating with my favourite love birds! It was my first time, and oh my goodness, after half and hour on ice, I was whizzing away, spinning and forming figure 8s like a pro! Hahaha...yeah, I wish. I did, however, manage to ice skate on my own, and quite quickly at that. *accomplished smile* Bonus! Cute staff alert! So, there was this majorly cute guy (probably a few years older than us) skating around on the ice rink like a pro...spinning and doing (super cute) tricks with his co-workers. Every time he whizzed past me, my heart melted a little (see what I did there? huh? huh?).

So, after much fawning over this asdfghjkl member of staff, we devised a plan! Syahmi would stop him and ask him to take a photo (or several, muahaha) of us on ice. Actually, I was about to ask him to take a selfie with us, but did I? DID I?! NO. I'M SUCH A DORK OHMAIGAD.

Humpf.

I'm sure he'd be surprised – but willing to take a photo with us anyway! Since he's such a good-looking guy, I'm sure this has happened before. I mean, seriously? Killer smile, wicked moves and that charisma. Can I has your number plox?

Anyway, we skated for about one and a half hours, and oh no no, I was not satisfied. I really wanted to skate for longer! The rink closed, and a group of young schoolboys (from an international school, most likely) went in to practice ice hockey! They are SO confident on ice, and at that age too. I'm thoroughly impressed.

Afterwards, we walked around JCube for a bit before heading off to JEM to visit Daiso and pray Asar. We stopped by a smiggle store, and being the mature, grown-up, 20 year olds we are...

...we started colouring in their doodle table. Yup.

one fishy date

This lovely went out with me (again!), but, wait for it, ALONE! Without Syahmi oh my goodness, yes, I said it. WITHOUT. I finally got to go out with one of my fave girlfriends without having her boyfriend tag along (no offense, Syahmi dear. you're great and everything, but you're not one for girl talks heh).

Mama gave me a Manhattan fish 1-for-1 coupon, so we used it before the end of April. The food was really good, and although it could have had more rice, and less black pepper on the chicken, it was really satisfying. Also, I finally satisfied my craving for a milkshake!

churros, my one true love!

Okay, so I've heard of this ever-so-popular, delicious, magical, life changing, indulgent food called churros. And I've listened to my friends talk about it for about...hmm, FOUR YEARS before I finally had my hands on these much-raved-about food.

And...it was love at first bite/smell/sight.

Just look at this deliciousness! LOOK AT IT. SO BEAUTIFUL. I found my soulmate guys. Forget macdonald fries, CHURROS. Just, yes. As mentioned by my churro-loving friends, they are quite pricey. 7 pieces for four dollars? I think it's a bit much! Plus, they're not the long kinds like I've seen on tumblr and twitter. I suppose it was worth the four years of waiting, and they're not so easy for me to find! These churros were by churrosome, from their stall at the woodlands bazaar.

Also, finally upgraded my beautiful, vintage-esque watch! It's strap has been peeling away for months now, and at the bazaar, I came across a watch vendor that did strap replacements. It was quite hard for me to choose which colour to go for (since they didn't have any that was the exact shade of brown the original strap was). I decided to go for a darker and much deeper shade of brown instead of a lighter colour.

That's it for my outings! Stay tuned for the 2014 outings and my first year of uni update, coming soon.

with love (as you can clearly see from my sweater sleeve),

Nurul xx

keep moving forward.

The last part of my wonderful adventure took place at East Coast Park. We rented bicycles and I finally rode mine feeling the freedom I deserved to feel. Pushed off and pedalled like nobody was there to overshadow me. I cycled with the wind. With every breath I lost, I took in tranquility. I never looked back. I kept moving forward.

One lesson I'd learn as our journey started to end, was to trust Allah's plan. We have dreams, ambitions and goals, but at the end of the day, Allah is The Best of All Planners. We plan, but the Almighty's Plan overrides all plans.

The ebb and flow of uni life had made me lose my trust in Allah's plan. Not completely, but a significant amount. It affected me, yes, but it made me learn a great deal why I can only trust Allah in this life if I want to make it through to the next.

My mistakes do not define me. 

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.

— Henry Ford

This is a fight that I can win. Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." 

If love alone is worth the fight, then I deserve to love myself. Know that;

Allah has a purpose for your pain,
a reason for your struggles,
and a reward for your faithfulness.

"...the happiest people are those who are strongest in their love of God." (as said by Imam Ghazali r.a.)

stay kind, beautiful and loving,
Nurul xx

remindful of.

Ah, the rubber seed. Such a tiny little thing for its a massive role in my growth. Back when I was working at Singapore Art Museum, I loved being assigned to Isabelle Desjeux's exhibit, 1000 Rubber Seeds and One Mutant. I memorised my lines, I fell in love with the concept and I grew as a person. I learnt how to love failures for what they are. I loved the interactions I had, the drawings I gave and the lessons I kept.

If a word could be defined in a journey, this word would be: reminiscent.

As pensive as I am, taking a walk with two good friends certainly helped put things in perspective. Only God knows how much this has helped me. With all the sincerity in my heart, I do hope that this has helped you too.


She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails.

— Elizabeth Edwards

sincerely,
Nurul xx

where have you been?

Not on Pulau NTU, that's for sure. During recess week, I finally took the time to relax and renew myself with my beloved friends (who are in love). *laughs*

Coincidentally, I downloaded an app (candycam) from Google play store so that I could experiment and take good photographs during our excursion. It was definitely an app worth downloading! I truly enjoyed using it.

I was so excited for this trip that I managed to prepare and cook my brunch in ten minutes, and get ready in fifteen. I met up with Dhania and Syahmi, the two lovebirds, as I call them, at Woodlands Bus Interchange. I shall skip the part about taking the wrong bus after the first bus broke down because we had agreed that this is the part that we'll laugh at when we look back at it later.

During the (extended) bus trip, I narrated and reflected a lot of the lessons I've learnt about myself and university life. Thank you for listening with such patience Dhania (and Syahmi – even though you were playing games on your DS).

It's easy for me to let go when I'm with these two loves. We've seen life change, yet this strength still remains. If this friendship has taught me anything, it's this;

"When life changes to be harder, change yourself to be stronger"

much love,
Nurul xx

to my A-level friends

...your results will be released soon.

This is a letter dedicated to all of you.
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I hope that you know you are all talented, brilliant and inspirational, regardless of your results. You've made it this far in life, and I know you will all make it even further. You may be feeling the pre-results-release jitters now (I've had my fair share of them, too, having received my IB diploma grades earlier in January), but I'm sure you will feel relieved once you've gotten them.

You may not agree with what I've written. You may receive results that you weren't even expecting to get (although I'm quite certain you will go beyond what you're expecting to achieve). However, grades are just grades. What matters most is that you are all leaders in your own unique way.

I'm so honoured to know that you all have such noble aspirations. From teachers, medical practitioners, journalists to criminal psychologists, I am certain that your influence in these respective fields will benefit and contribute to the community in such significant ways.

I'm always inspired by you. Some of you have chosen to earn an income while waiting for the release of your results, while others have chosen to do an internship. Everyday, I am able to witness how you impact others through your great leadership qualities. You may not know it yet, but you are all destined for greatness. 

One day, you'll step into a classroom and see the sparks in your students' eyes as you impart your wisdom. One day you'll hold your patient's hand as you listen to his gratitude for all that you've done for him. One day, you'll see your words inspire readers from all walks of life as they read the article you've written.

With that said, I sincerely hope that your results will lead you to the path that will fulfil your ambitions and goals. You are all incredible students, outstanding leaders, and most importantly, amazing friends. May this friendship continue support one another through thick and thin, tears and laughter, and the important milestones in our lives.

Stay inspired,
Nurul xx

Forgiveness

What does it mean to forgive?
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To quote one of my best friend's brilliant younger sister, Nabilah Bahrim:

"To accept the detriments caused upon you through the wrongs of beings, and hold no further prejudice against those beings on the basis of those detriments.

In light of that, I do wish to seek forgiveness from all whom I have ever known for try as I might, I am but a highly flawed human being, prone to error and in need of all the guidance I can get."

"To err is human and to forgive is divine"
We all make mistakes from time to time.

Forgiveness can be a hard process. However, in order to live a peaceful life, you need to be willing to forgive one another. And most importantly, you need to forgive yourself.

Forgive yourself on all your mistakes. Forgive yourself for being to harsh on yourself. Forgive yourself, for accidentally saying something that you had not intended on hurting someone else.

If you are muslim, and reading this, I highly recommend that you read this:
Forgiveness In Life

Stay forgiving,
Nurul xx

The happiest I've been. (part 4.5)

Hey, we did it! The last part that everybody has been waiting for (or at least, I hope everybody has been waiting for). Here are the "outtakes", if you will, of everything that happened yesterday.

Bloopers & Outtakes
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Let's begin with the first one! I wore this customised charm bracelet (kindly made by my friend's talented cousin) after the work-out session on 11th. When I showed it to Di, she told me that the heart charm was almost identical to the necklace Syahmi gave her (insert: awwww).

Both hearts can open (because we girls are open-hearted; see what I did there? (; ). I joked that it would be impossible to fit any meaningful things in the space; but lo and behold- a little, no,  minuscule, handwritten note in Di's necklace! Oh, the power of love. Or rather, the power of really small handwriting and incredible paper folding.  

That was just before the whole bus-doors-not-opening incident from part 3.

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I bumped into another one of my close friends, SABRINA! (:
I haven't seen her in over a year, and she happened to be at Woodlands CC to receive her bursary (congratulations!) when we were all there celebrating Eunice's birthday. She looked adorable and pretty as always- and it was really nice to catch up with her.

And that's not the best part –

Her aunt, who works in a childcare centre in Sembawang, needed help! And I'm looking for an Early Childhood job! How serendipitous. (:

She's already checked with her aunt, and I'll just have to wait until their HR department can confirm a placement. (Does my tone seem calm and collected? Because, really, I'm squealing on the inside)

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Sigh, starting the conclusion is always the hardest.
Well, I can genuinely say that this week has been the best week of my life so far. I've managed to meet so many wonderful people, crafted so many beautiful things and experienced the cutest reactions. There's a quote (from the many that I collect) that appeared on my desktop when I switched it on this morning:

I think that is the most accurate statement to explain everything right now. I am ever so appreciative for what He has done...the bad, the good, because without any of it, I wouldn't have had the best days of my life so far. Everything has lead up to this, and I just know that it can only get better from here ♥.

I want to thank everybody that has helped in contributing to the celebration/reunion. I honestly want to meet every single one of you again soon. I know we're all going to be busy with part-time jobs/job hunting/uni applications/overseas travels soon, but I treasure this new-found friendship, and I can just see this blooming into something incredible and beautiful.

You know how friends sometimes compare their friendship like, "I love you like a sister/brother". I find you all to be as close as family to me. But I don't really think "love you like a sister/brother" can be applied to every relationship in this 'DENZ and our extended family', right? (;

So, I came with something else;

I love you like a denz.

I don't know why, but the abbreviation 'denz' just seemed so fitting. Its more than just friends-almost-family-but-at-the-same-time-not-lovers (you know what I mean). 'DENZ' means so much more than just Dhania, Eunice, Nurul, Zahidah now. Its our term for endearment, between friends that have lasted for up to 10 years and new friends you meet and are so enamoured of.

To many, many more years of friendship.

Stay inspired,
Nurul xx

ps: "I love you all like DENZ", sounds more grammatically sound. I mean, referring to us as a collective term. 

The happiest I've been. (part 4)

Beautiful homes lead to beautiful hearts
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When I stepped into Muhaimin's house, all I could think was, "beautiful". I absolutely love his house. It encompasses peace, calm and comfort in the most perfect ways. The decor was simple, yet it balances traditional, modern and vintage elements just right. It was spotless, I could see the sheen and sparkle of a newly-cleaned house (and of course, maintained and supervised to perfection by the wonderful Lady of the house). It was as if I stepped into a home-decor magazine ad. I could have had the worst day ever but everything would have melted away once I stepped into this house.

(If you weren't already enticed and/or enchanted by my description of Muhaimin's lovely home, you must see it for yourself. Like me, you will fall in love with it.)

Kharisma and I sat at the dining table while we waited for Muhaimin's mother to come out of the room. The boys, being boys, started playing GTA 5...oh well. It was really nice to get know Kharisma better (and also, it was nice to finally sit down in a very comfortable and well upholstered chair).

>> fast forward to dinner (finally!)

Muhaimin's mother had made spaghetti, and it was so good. I haven't had meatballs that delicious in a really long time. And it was a good change from all that kway teow I was eating for the past few days. Oh, it was also served with asparagus! I've never actually had any before, and I had never found them appealing – but oh, this asparagus was so yummy. It was the way they were cooked! Soft, delicious and garlic-y. It complemented the spaghetti so well. And don't even get me started on the sauce...

The conversations we had over dinner were rather interesting. From HIMYM, Hindi movies, villages in India, farming, worms, bean sprouts and Singapore's over-population issues, we had quite a tête-à-tête (well, I know it was between 4 people, not 2, but I really like that word. heheh).

So, I learnt:

• Kharisma has a village (i.e. her kampong) in India
• her uncle is the village chief (thus, she is a Princess (; )
• she really doesn't like worms
• Syahmi likes maggots(?) (ew)
• Muhaimin does not like garlic
• when DENZ was in primary school, Dhania came up with an idea that all of us should build a homestead-farm together and be organic farmers in New Zealand or some other country (like in Europe)
• girls don't fart (duh)
• if your friend's mum asks you how the food is, you just say: its good (which in this case, it was, really)

After we ate and cleared the dishes, I prayed Asar in Muhaimin's room (while the boys continued their game – no shocker there). When I was done, Kharisma and I watched and commented. We even tried playing together (and I 'died' like 4 times hahah)! Too bad there weren't any zombie games, we would have loved to have played them together. (Both of us agreed that zombie games were more fun than...well, whatever they were playing.)

I was ready to go, but since it was almost Maghrib, I decided to stay to pray. And we prayed together with the rest of Muhaimin's family! I felt so at peace...Muhaimin's brother recitation is incredible.

>> fast forward to us about to leave

I went over to see Muhaimin's parents' room to salam his mum.

N: Cik...! Thank you for having me, your house is so beautiful.
M's mum: Oh, thank you thank you...where are you now? Finished school?
N: Yup, I just graduated SOTA. Now I'm just waiting for the results...
M's dad: Ohh, you're the one from SOTA, eh?
N: Yup. Muhaimin went to my exhibition the other day.
M's mum: Oh, you're the one who's birthday is on the 27th, right? 
N: Uh yah. *starts to walk out of the corridor* Your spaghetti is really delicious by the way.
M's mum: Thank you. Eh, Muhaimin's really impressed by your...
N: ...present?

Okay, wow. I've never met her in person and she knows my birthday date? Oh, and the present mentioned above was this card and paper bag I made for his 15th birthday. I think I have a few pictures...ooh a blast from the past.

Why hello, 15-year old me! That was the paper bag and card I made. (I miss my old phone!)

Anyway...we all start to walk to woodlands MRT station. As we neared our last destination together, I felt pure bliss even though this amazing day was coming to an end. I said my goodbyes and hugged Kharisma, she's so sweet! (oh, I'm sorry if any glitter from my top stuck to your shirt, btw)


Well...in part 4.5, I'll conclude this crazy, extraordinary, inspirational day. Watch this space. (;

Stay inspired,
Nurul xx

--part 4.5 coming soon!--

The happiest I've been. (part 3)

Good morning, everyone! (:
I woke up feeling so refreshed and energized, even though I slept at around 1.30 am last night. I think the most accurate description of how I felt was like in "Enchanted", when Giselle woke up. (And since the birds from the bird shop downstairs were chirping away, I guess this comparison is pretty apt, no?)

Well, here's part 3!

Finding the missing 'Z'

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At 4.23 pm, Zah texts me to tell me that she is almost reaching Woodlands MRT station. Eunice and Shah had to go off already since they were meeting other friends. The rest of us started walking to the bus stop to send Dhania off since, obviously, she had a curfew. So the bus finally came, and Dhania and Nabilah (her neighbour we bumped into!) had to board the bus, but this happened:

*Bus arrives at the bus stop*
All of us: Bye Dhania! Bye Nabilah!
S: *does the usual 'bf goodbye' routine (you should know what I'm talking about)*
N: The bus driver hasn't opened the doors...
*The rest notices, and the bus doors open subsequently*
N: ...its like his thinking, "Are you guys done?"
Everybody else: *erupts into laughter*

The bus left us and we all started to walk to Causeway...but we were kind of stalled because someone found a rather large spider and was extremely fascinated (no props for guessing who -.-). Izzat, Hanisa and (okay, I still don't know your name, but Syahmi called you 'Clifford'- and that's all I can remember; sorry!) had to go off too since Hanisa was really thirsty and there was a minimart nearby, according to Izzat. After another round of goodbyes, Muhaimin, Kharisma, Syahmi and I started making our way downtown, walking fast, faces past and we're woodlands mrt station-bound. *insert piano interlude here*

AND WE MET ZAAAAHHHHH!

♡♥♡♥

Our little 'reunion hug' was really funny because I'd promised di I would hug zah for her too. So I had to re-enact it twice (wait, no, three times, because Eunice would have hugged her too!) and people around us might have thought us to be mental. Oh well.

And remember Moral of the day (so far) from the previous post? Well, apparently some people didn't really learn...because when we left Zah to go to Muhaimin's place (Zah was meeting her mum at Causeway for a movie so she couldn't come with), this conversation happened:

M: Okay Nurul, let me teach you the concept of a secret...
N: *realizes where this is going* What?! No-
M: Her reaction! I wanted to see her reactionnnnnn
N: But she asked! She probably would have figured it out before meeting us anyway.
M: *flustered* You could have told her to just guess
N: ...and she would have guessed the obvious?

And Kharisma came to the rescue by saying-

K: Its not a secret if its within your best friends.

(Yes, thank you!)

As we walked to Muhaimin's place, I finally got the chance to talk to Kharisma and Syahmi properly. I don't remember the conversations exactly, but it ranged from jobs, uni choices, and Muhaimin's house (its my first time going there!). Everything that happened at Muhaimin's place will be in part 4. (:

Stay inspired,
Nurul xx

--part 4 coming soon!--

The happiest I've been. (part 2)

Loved ones (& their loved ones)

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I was finally on the train towards Woodlands! Every single time I'm on a train that goes to Woodlands/Admiralty, I get slightly nostalgic.

When I alighted the train, the situation was:

- Muhaimin and the rest were already at Woodlands CC

- Dhania and Syahmi were probably walking towards Woodlands CC/already there

- Eunice was with Shah (!!!)

Finally met Eunice after more than a year! She's absolutely gorgeous! And the both of them look so adorable (read: perfect for each other!)

We started walking to woodlands CC after confirming with Dhania and rest shortly after. As we were walking...well. I'm sorry Di and Syahmi! -- Moral of the day (so far): If you tell me that you're in a cute, adorable, made-for-each-other relationship, there's no way I can't not tell our best friend.

Anyway, we reached the CC...and guess who else I meet? (:

Let's see...

✓ Dhania's guy

✓ Eunice's guy

(yeah, you can probably tell where this is going)

>> fast forward to the introductions...

IZZAT.

I *finally* met him. After years (no, I'm not kidding- years) of hearing about this "Izzat" I finally meet him! Its as if everybody else in the DENZ group knows him...except me.

M: Nurul, meet Izzat. Izzat, Nurul.

I: Hi. *nods and waves*

N: Hi Izzat- I heard a lot about you

I: Huh? (he looks genuinely surprised here)

N: Yeah...I've heard you from everybody else...Dhania, Eunice, Zah and Muhaimin and everybody else seems to know you. So its nice to finally meet you for real...

I: Uh-huh...

That was the most interesting introduction I've ever had. Izzat, if you're reading this, its really nice to meet you! There were a few other friends as well that I got introduced to. If we had more time, I'd definitely would have got to know them better. Maybe next time? (:

While the rest continued to play badminton, Dhania and Muhaimin had to finish writing their messages in the book! (Discreetly- well, not really since Eunice knew about the book already. Sigh, me and surprises...*smh*) So finally the surprise was ready (if by ready you mean, the surprisee practically knows everything and her muffins-disguised-as-cupcakes-but-she-knows-anyway had been eaten by somebody's siblings- not mentioning any names, but *cough* Syah *cough* mi, then yes- READY).

The (not-so) surprise!

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First...Muhaimin gave her the special notebook! (: (actually, its a sketchbook but scrapbook notebook has a nicer ring than scrapbook sketchbook, no?)

I absolutely loved her reaction...and do you see the "cupcakes" there? (;

My new extended family! (: I hope we all stay close in the years to come...

Once our photo-taking session was over, we all had to go off...and the missing Z was finally arriving at causeway! There are other things that happened at this time, but I'm going save that for, wait for it, "The happiest I've been (part 4.5/epilogue)"! *gasp* (;

Stay inspired,

Nurul xx

--part 3 coming soon!--

The happiest I've been. (part 1)

Today. 12th December 2013.
I am the happiest I have ever been. This happiness...I've never felt anything so beautiful, heart-warming and comforting from just a day alone. Words can't explain the level of thankfulness I'm experiencing. My heart feels like an overflowing elixir of bliss and delight. Yet, this happiness is coupled with the most serene peace I have ever known. If I could squeeze everything into one word to describe today, it would be:

Serendipity

Today is just, so amazing, this account will be divided into four different posts.

*breathes in deeply*

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After yesterday, I made the decision to make scrappy cards for the rest of DENZ since Eunice is already getting the notebook! I couldn't make them the night I got back because I was physically drained. So I planned the layouts in pencil and decided to make them the next morning (i.e. today). I didn't think I would take so long, though! I had a few scrapper's block and since I woke up at 6.30 am, I had roughly around 3 to 4 hours to get everything ready. Additionally, I had to touch up some of Eunice's notebook pages and add in Zah's message (because there was only a slim chance they would meet).

Eventually, I finished everything by around 1 pm...it was alright though, because I wasn't going to join the rest for badminton anyway.

DENZ + M! (If  you look closely, you can see that the 'Z' is slightly translucent...)

I was thinking of making one for myself...I mean, I would design one and get the rest to compose a message for me so we'd all have matching DENZ cards/page-in-a-notebook. But due to the lack of time...it was pretty impossible! Maybe next time guys? A card for me, yeah? Heheh (;

Stay inspired,
Nurul xx

--part 2 coming soon!--

best day ever

Well, I've just had the best day of my life so far this year. Honestly, after IB exams, I've just been moping around doing...not much. Sure, I went out for events/outings that I was invited to, but it absolutely cannot compare to today. (Prom was something else altogether- and that's a whole different blog post (; )

Anyway, Dhania invited me to work out with her. And when I received her text first, those two words were so foreign to me that I could not refuse. I haven't had a proper physical exercise session in like, forever. I was ecstatic to finally work out/run/do proper physical exercise and you know, meet that guy (read: her guy).

We were also planning Eunice's birthday surprise simultaneously- and we might all make it! All of us! DENZ! So yesterday, I worked on a scrapbook notebook (personally, I think that its the best type of hand-crafted present I've made so far! I did one for Syaza too, but that'll be another post).

Friendship is like the aroma of fresh coffee that entails admiration, trust, love & good memories.

I seriously love this quote- because I find it so true! I don't drink coffee, but I absolutely love the smell of it. I can just sit in Starbucks and not order anything because the atmosphere and aroma of coffee makes me feel so calm and happy. And the funny coincidence is, both Eunice and Muhaimin are/will be working at Coffee Bean! So, how appropriate is this quote?! Hahah.

As most scrappies/scrapbookers would know, once you start, you can't stop. Nope. I have this scrapbooking drive. Hahaha! I hate to leave a scrapbook project unfinished. (Unless it was major, like the scrap boards I did for my literature IB assessment- Individual Oral Presentation.) Anyway, I stayed up until 3.45 am to finish it. Honestly, I could have finished it about half an hour earlier, but there were several problems that came up :/ (darn you inkjet printing! now my photos have icky- but apparently unnoticeable- smudges)

So I slept until Subuh (I woke up at 6.30-ish). Actually I didn't even feel like sleeping because it was a whole "whats the point in sleeping aghjgaksfjkl" kind of situation, but since I was going to work out the next day- or later in morning, rather- I had to sleep. I slept again after I prayed, setting an alarm for 7.30 am so I could get ready. But nope, I slept in past the alarm (duh. I mean, you don't even have to know me to guess that pffsht) We were planning to meet at Woodlands MRT at 9.15 am - 9.30 am. And Dhania called me at 8.30 am! It takes at least 45 mins from AMK to there.

D: Hey Nurul...are you leaving soon?

N: *in the best I-am-indeed-awake voice* Yeah! I'm just getting ready...

D: Oh...okay. So see you at Woodlands MRT at 9.15?

N: Uh, *internal panic*, 9.15 to 9.30-ish?

D: Ok, ok. See you!

Then I ran around my house like a headless chicken because I hadn't packed before I slept! But here comes the irony...

I was the first to reach Woodlands Stadium

- Dhania and Syahmi arrived at 10.20

- And Muhaimin arrived...an hour later

*insert roll-eyes here*

Anyway, Syahmi wasted no time at all to get us started on the stretching, and subsequently drills. And ohmigoodness, he is such a motivator. Even though I was being all "I dunwanna" to some of the drills, he was so tolerant and patient towards me.

S: Okay, now inclined pull-ups!

N: Noooo, I'm terrible at that. Anything but that.

S: Come on, at least 10?

N: Noh

S: 5! Do 5!

Well, he got me to those inclined pull-ups (thanks, Dhania! You helped me to do 5! That's a record!) And he would yell/cheer(?): "COME ON, HUDA! 2 MORE! 1 MORE!"

And the thing about my name is, "Huda" is used only for family members or majorly close friends. But according to D, and I too agree- it sounded natural. And I didn't even ask him to call me "Nurul" instead like I usually do to people I've just met. (:

Oh, also I ran! Yay! Out of all the exercise sports- I love, love, love running. It felt so freeing to run properly again.

>>> Fast forward to Muhaimin finally arriving, and Dhania and I finish our drills and head for the showers

Man, oh man, did we talk then! I'm so happy for Dhania. (In conclusion: he is definitely a keeper)

And then Dhania had a little situation...hehehhehe I will forever remember it. :P

Then we all went to Al-iman for lunch! 

Photo credits: Dhania

The boys got egg prata, D got mee bandung and I got cockles fried kway teow

Everything was so delicious! I've never been a fan of mee bandung but that mee bandung made me LOVE it. The kway teow (I've been having kway teow 2 days in row, and today makes it 3!) was so delicious. But the cockles were a major let-down, though! If I would have known, I would go for my usual chicken or seafood :/

Since we were already at the complex (its like a tuition hub...idk, like civic centre kind of?), we decided that we should just shop for the cupcake/muffin and the decorating ingredients at the Fairprice there. On our way, we passed a Pets Lovers Centre and we cooed at the animals like "jakun" people. (jakun → like never seen before kind of reaction). And the funny thing is, the workers were grooming/feeding the pets so, obviously, they could hear us talking behind the glass (we were standing outside because a certain person still had their Drink! Not saying names but you know, Drink). Muhaimin even did a voice-over a guinea pig which was so accurate/funny that you would really think the guinea pig was saying it.

M: *doing voice-over*

D&N: *laughing*

M: ...do you think they can hear us?

N: Obviously!

*we all walk away laughing, embarrassed but amused*

I find that the whole situation would have made for a rather hilarious Vine!

After shopping (and much "kacau-ing" from me and Muhaimin to the other two) we found a quiet spot near a block of flats to decorate the muffins (no cupcakes, meh) and do the notebook messages. But Dhania had a curfew, so being a sweet guy that Syahmi was, walked her home. Pffsht.

Well.

Throughout the course of almost 2 hours, I learnt a lot. Of course, I can't possibly list down all the details but here's a conversation that stood out.

N: *sighs* All of you (referring to DENZ) are attached and everything, and then there's me.

M: That's because you're our most precious one! *pats my shoulder*

N: Aw, really?

M: Yeah.

In short, I feel relieved more than anything. I was kind of expecting it when he told me the "big news" anyway. But I'm so happy for all of you, DENZ! May your relationships last long and help us build our friendship stronger (as has been demonstrated by today, clearly (: )

Back to the muffin-turn-them-into-cupcakes situation, that icing tube was so not cooperating with me! Good thing we bought two white icing tubes! I still have pink food colouring on my hands as I'm typing now.

It took me much longer than I'd planned...because of the humidity, that stupid white icing tube #1 and we were short on HELPERS. But all was well.

Then Muhaimin and I had to rush to Syahmi's place to pray Zuhr. Thanks for laying out the sejadah and telokong for me Syahmi! Actually I had my own, but it was really nice of you to, because we were rushing. YOU'RE GREAT! :3 His house was so cosy that I felt so sleepy. And that was pretty obvious since Syahmi said, "You look so tired" like, 3 times. Hahah. (And we left the muffins-now-poorly-disguised-as-cupcakes at his house, too)

Anyway, today was beyond amazing. And there's still tomorrow to look forward to! Now I just have to finish the notebook and make scrappy cards for my beloved DENZ, since I'll be meeting every single of them tomorrow! *gasp* *le excites!*

Stay inspired,
Nurul xx

ps: Syahmi's cat and brother are so adorable! (:

Friends. Change. Letting go.

Today has been a good day so far. I wasn't expecting anything special after countless late nights tossing and turning on my bed thinking about my future. Despite that, my dear friends proved to me how the strength of friendship, trust and faith can overcome even the slightest challenges. To tell you the truth, ever since the incident, I never had faith in anyone, not even myself. Every single opportunity turn into doubt and I never really saw the light in anything. I was careless about my studies, fearful about my condition and unconcerned about my own emotions. I wasn't even bothered about making my own decisions, even if it were right or wrong. I let things happen the way they were, without any concern of the consequences.

I did realise my mistakes and every single time I told myself, "change!" – I would be motivated to do something about it, but it would quickly dwindle down to a hopelessness of knowing that I would never be able to get things right.

I was battling with myself, constantly debating how I could overcome my negative emotions yet, there was that nagging voice in my mind instantly putting down whatever I suggested. Every time there was a glimmer of hope for a positive outlook, that were thoughts on how I would fail no matter how hard I try.

I realised that I was fighting with myself for change. Then I realised that change is not instant. It is not immediate, and it is does not happen within a day, or even a week. During the times when I battled trying to change for the better, it did not last. I wanted my change to be obvious, to be quick, to be praised instantly. I now know why the attempts at turning over a new leaf were futile. I realised;

Change is little steps. You cannot expect everything to change at once. You need to make effort, little or big, one step at time. Change is not a miracle that happens in a matter of seconds; because you have to be your own miracle.

I know I was close to overcoming that pessimistic side of me. I have always been an optimist, since I was a child and I let that incident affect that part of me. I was tired of being unconcerned about my studies. I was tired of always over-thinking about what others may talk about behind my back. Why should I worry if people are talking about me? For all I know, I might have misinterpreted them, they might have been concerned about me...or (maybe) even noticing potential in me to be a better person.

I don't want to worry about those things anymore. I don't want to be someone who couldn't care less about where her worksheets were or whether I blatantly copied ideas off the internet.

If I wanted to change my situation, it starts with myself.


Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. had said (something along these lines)

"If you want to change the world, change yourself, reform yourself and call the people to the same process"

Change starts from within. And I knew I needed to deal with the aftermath of the incident. It was quite painful for me at first, coming to a realisation of how it was during that time. But I learned to quickly move on from the past. It is so unhealthy to dwell on past mistakes that have been long gone forgotten or forgiven. I had a habit of clinging on to sad or embarrassing moments that I know people would have forgotten by now.

I learnt, and I am still learning, of how to let go of all these past memories that I have clung on to in these past few years.

I also came to terms with my insecurity regarding myself around my friends. I know for sure, that my friends accept me for who I am, regardless my condition and now I truly know;

strength;
our bond will never tear apart. We will always stand by each other, through thick and thin. We can overcome any obstacles as long as we're together.

trust;
I shouldn't be afraid of telling you my problems. Bottling up my emotions and struggles is never healthy, and our friendship will always know that we will be there for each other. To console, support or advice; we will always be there for one another. I now know that running away from any trouble is the worst thing to do. I am ever thankful for your listening ears.

faith & fate;
our fates are up to us to determine. With the support and encouragement from friends like you, I know my future is bright. I have complete faith in our friendship, and even though next year is probably the last year we may ever see each other, our kindness, laughter and memories will forever remain in our hearts

♥

No amount of words can express the amount of gratitude I have for these wonderful people I call "friends". Please know that I love you, sincerely and from my heart.

– nurul

June Holidays '12

WHOA...blogspot has a new format/theme. Cool! Its so modern-ish. Hahaha! Anyway, I've been caught up with many activities these June Holidays. Unfortunately, NOT GPS. I hate that I couldn't go for GPS. I would have really liked to go to Cebu you know. Anyway, its time for me to fill up on the events that happened this June holidays.

1. DEN(Z) outing
Me, Dhania and Eunice finally went out! We went out on 31/05 (Thursday). Before we met, there were some complications about the outing, but in the end, everything went smoothly! (:

First, me and Dhania met at 2.30pm at Yishun MRT. She was wearing yellow, just like me! Then she ate lunch (kway teow) at the kopitiam at causeway point. I already had my lunch at home. She lent me a book to read, "The Dark Divine", while she ate. Its quite an interesting book! Then we walked around Causeway Point. I wanted to find a Neoprint machine, but the only one at Causeway Point was temporarily unavailable as it was spoilt. -.-"

We then met Eunice at Yishun MRT, and headed to the Bus Interchange to take a bus to SAFRA Yishun. While we walked, they talked about JC and their boyfriends >__<
Eunice was hungry, so she didn't play the first game. Me and Dhania got our bowling shoes and played the first game. And I WON!!! Eunice played the second game with us, and Eunice won. I was leading for a little while, but Eunice is a pro. Dhania wanted to eat so me and Eunice played the third game, and Eunice won.

Afterwards, we took the MRT to my house! It was Eunice's first time in a shophouse. We had so much fun! We took photos on my macbook, and then printed them on glossy photo paper. It was the best! Then Eunice's mom got lost trying to find her way here, so my mum, me, Dhania and Eunice went to find them. What an awesome day!

2. Shopping for clothes at Geylang
On Friday, (the very next day), Mama took me and Kak Shidah out to Geylang to shop for clothes! We had lunch first. I ordered a really spicy kway teow. I should have ordered something else, sigh. But I had bandung which was really nice to cool off my tongue. Mama ordered nasi goreng ikan bilis. Kak Shidah bought (with mama's money) a white chocolate butterscotch block from Awfully chocolate earlier, and she just ate that. The block was seriously so DELICIOUS and brings happiness when you eat it!

Anway, we finished our lunch and went to the other side of the Geylang Complex to shop for clothes. At first, I was interested in buying this purple blouse that mama said will make me look slim. But I said that I wanted to look around before I decide on buying anything. In the end, I bought a checkered blouse (yay, finally!) which is blue, brown, white and yellow and a really pretty yellow blouse which comes with a 2nd layer, a bit like a vest, which has ice-cream coloured stripes. Kak Shidah bought two of the same kind of blouse, but in light violet and light blue. It was a great and tiring shopping day. Really happy and satisfied with my purchase. (:

3. Singapore Book Fair and Movie

On Saturday, (also the next day) me and Kak Shidah went to Suntec city to go to the Singapore Book Fair. We explored everywhere! The photo on the left is when we met two people in costume. Wow!

We went to all the booths. There was a scrapbooking booth with a free 1 hour lesson. I wanted to go, but if I did, we may not be able to make to the movie on time. Plus, I still wanted to explore the rest of the fair.  The fair was really fun, and I really enjoyed myself. I only didn't like that my feet were sore from wearing cheap shoes. -.-"

Then, at 12.08pm, we left to go to the Orchard Cathay Cineplex to watch WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING. We got lost, but we eventually found our way. The trailers and ads were already starting when we got in. But it was seriously the BEST MOVIE EVER!

Then, me and Kak Shidah went to the toilet at *scape, and also took our ablution/wudhu. We found a place to pray and then we went home. I was kinda tired, but it really was a good outing.


4. Grocery Shopping with Mama
After my hospital appointment, me and Mama went shopping at the new and BIG Sheng Siong supermarket. I had fun ticking things off the list :3
Mama spent a total of $97 on groceries! Whoa, that's a lot of money.

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Well, that's about it. But there are future events that I'm looking forward to! These events are:
1. All-girls cousin sleepover
2. Universal Studio
3. Sultans of Science exhibition at Science Centre
4. and finishing up my homework :/