// purplemae ponders....

yesterday i woke up and had a small revelation ---- let go.

i have no intention to delete this blog as it holds my journey ever since i left Brunei 4 yrs ago to further my study. This blog was initially written in a way of keeping in touch with my bestfriends but over the years it has reached many readers and has become my personal Birmingham blog. Not ready to let it all go, i privatised most of my old posts and leave you guys with few posts that were either informative (mostly about Birmingham and the Bibers <3) or it simply means so much to me. For the curious minds, there'll be no more personal thoughts coming from me - I have done enough sharing already, some of them were particularly transparent. ive tried. the songs. the words. the melody. my feelings, my heart, whoever it belongs to - let it be shadow.

Thank you for constantly checking up on my blog every single day. But ill stop here. (ill be back. not until i figure out where im going to be next).

I apologise wholeheartedly for any offence caused by my write.

my last share,

Live and Learn, but Faith is not enough.

We must strive to seek God's pleasure by not only believing in our hearts but by showing it with our actions. Nothing is more important than belief in the heart, yet this does not negate the importance of actions of the limbs.

Works without faith is insincere; faith without works is hypocrisy.

Salam,
NisaZ

this is the best brunei drama EVER! it's as good as it can gets, the scripts and the acting were believably real, its the good old everyday bruneian dialogues. some of us had either experience one or more scenes in the drama. The best ever, nothing can top this. For entire playlist, click -> Di Atas Lantai Di Bawah Bumbung

... and its all about good lyrics.

this song is simple and sweet, as i expected from Colbie. every song from her reminds me of one particular person =) This song is not available in mp3 form yet, not even in any of her album cos she wrote it while she's on tour

finally after 2 years i had a chance to see them live again. this time im closer because i was standing at the front row just against the barrier that separates the stage and the crowd. I was very close, their sweats fell on me while they're performing - Jacoby and Jerry directly made eye contact with me ahahahaa :p I queued early and stood out in the cold for 4hrs just to be that close to the stage.

it's the best gig so far. and probably the last gig for me. It's a great way to end it anyway because Papa Roach is my most favourite band of all time eversince their rapcore period until now.

After the opening acts (by Dear Superstars and Filters), Papa Roach came on stage bringing out the crazyness into the crowd. The opening song is enough to start the mosh pit wars among the crowd, believe it or not there's already many people being crowd surf and passed out by the end of the first song. I was lucky to get the front standing and i believe it's the safest spot to be in a rock gig - the barrier is good for support when things went out of control. anyhow, its the craziest mosh pit ever (minus the download festival i went to 2 yrs ago).

every crowd surfers were asked to read this afterwards.they performed almost everything from their mainstream songs from previous albums and their latest album, metamorphosis. They had performed the best show ive ever watch, the craziest gig ive ever went to, they rocked me to my core.

random flag made by fan which they threw at Jacoby, the lead singer, then he taped it over the speaker.Jacoby was awesome and very fan-loving; he tried to make contact with his fans as many as possible. Every crowdsurfers who tried to reach him, he reciprocated by hugging them back before the security guards pulled them back and few of them make it to the stage then he pushed them to jump on the crowd again.

random crowdsurfer went up the stage enjoying his 30seconds of fame before Jacoby pushed him back to do another crowdsurf. This was when Jacoby climbed up the speakers reaching the balcony and he went among the crowd singing till he finished the song. Their new single, Lifeline

They ended their awesome gig by their infamous song, Last Resort (unfortunately the camera batt went k.o. after they performed Scars)

legendary.

i had an awesome time at bbss bbq last wednesday.

last minute work wont result in an excellent outcome. i planned out my easter game plan for bbss bbq two days before, totally ignore it the night before because i was busy preparing popia for the bbq. then i did the final plan hours before the game started (with the help of ka yun, eena and jajan - which i just told them on the day about it). I was actually thought twice about doing it because i didnt think it would be as fun as what i did last year. but by the end of the day seeing everyone got so hyped about it and playing along, im so glad.

the weather was a bit gloomy, cloudy all day. at 7am, there were lightning and heavy thunderstorms but it stopped by midday. By afternoon, the bbq feast started. Chicken wings, prawns, sausages and chocolate fountain, we were all stuffed with foods and high in sugar.After the eating feast, it's time to announce the election result of new bbss committee 09/10. Congratulations to those who got voted, do your best for next semester. Then the party started with Limbo challenge. After few challengers, there's one who stood out - Abu the King of Limbo, the guy who chanted the limbo song by himself eheheeee.The Easter game started afterwards - i divided them into 3 groups of 6/7 people and 6 game stages. Each stage winner is given easter eggs and by the end of the game, whoever has the highest no of eggs wins.

- design a miniposter
- superlative game
- who am i charade
- balloon tag
- pentagon blind game
- write us a new song

i told them i had 7 games but i crossed out 1 game at the last minute due to time constraints. Each stage brought us laughter and craziness among the Bibers. Once again, I enjoyed being the game organizer watching their competitiveness and their own way to win the game. and i intentionally made them worked under pressure by limiting the time given. One group made it to the top when they won us all by their creative song and finally won the entire games. Congratulations Kicap song, definitely the best song ever! the videos are on my fb. thanks for the great time Bibers. I simply <3 Birmingham because of you guys and girls.

Last thursday, we went to alton towers and it was a great day out despite the rainy weather. I love going to theme park although im not a thrill seeker but i just love the idea of being in a themepark. Im weak-hearted when it comes to rides, tell me everything about how awesome it is but when i see it, it makes me wanna puke and have an instant heart attack. When we were there, i only got onto two rides and they're are for kids >.< the rest, i just watched them and went: O.M.G. I couldnt do it. lamah semangat :(

Here's the video compilation of all the rides my friends went onto,

Prague, Czech Republic is better than i had imagined. There's 12 of us, we took plane from Birmingham International Airport to Prague, personally i didnt enjoy my first plane ride with RyanAir - i had the roller coaster butterflies few minutes before the plane took off but i managed to shake it off after it stabilised at some point. Plane takes off moment always gives me the creep :s Alhamdulillah everything went on smoothly from the moment we depart till the day we went back home. From 29th March, our 3-nights stay at Prague experiences are very memorable indeed. The place, especially the town itself is very historically beautiful, everything, everywhere is very Kodak moment.

maybe its the holiday spirit, everything felt so care-free while i was in Prague despite the exhaustion from all the walks discovering the place. Upon arriving, i hadnt felt the holiday spirit yet and Prague was not that very appealing but as our taxi rides reached the city area, the excitement slowly sunk in. When we reached our apartment, we were speechless because it was too good to be true. For about less than 25pounds per person for 3 nights, we had the awesome apartment for ourselves equipped with simply everything: big kitchen, big toilet, big rooms, big living room, fully equipped kitchen, washing machine. The place is completely homey as if we were gonna stay for a long time. We rented three rooms: the guys stayed at the first floor, while the girls at the ground floor. So if you guys searching for the best place to stay in Prague, just search for emma apartment, gerenti inda nyasal.

It was raining when we arrive at Prague Airport, after we unpacked our stuffs we went out to get some foods. The Czech language was very hard to learn and the train and metro lines were complicated to read at first. Thanks to Vaclava (aka Malcolm - our apartment chaffeur) generous tips, we learnt how to use the metro lines wisely. It only cost us 18czk to buy the tram tickets and we only need to buy it once. Basically, the transport cost around Prague is free. The currency is a bit confusing at first with the exchange rate of 1pounds=28czk, but apparently the price of goods are quite cheap. When we first found Tesco, it was difficult to browse around because of the Czech price tag and label but it was way cheaper than in the UK.Our first night, as we went hunting for foods we were lost and failed to go anywhere. But we managed to learn that our apartment is blessed with nearby convenience shops and very close to metro lines stop. We finally went to Pizzeria place to buy pizzas for our dinner. First night in Prague, we learnt to read Prague maps and metrolines to plan our next day visit.First day: We covered almost everything within the old town area of Prague. From Charles Bridge to the Dancing House, everything looks so pretty and wonderful. I love the Easter Market they have at the Old Town Square, you can find everything you need about Prague there. And arah market ani ada one stall sells the best waffles ive ever taste, for 3 days i was in Prague, everyday i kept on coming to the same stall to get the waffles. We also managed to find Halal place to eat.Second day: We went to the other side of Prague crossing the bridge: Prague Castle. It's not as enjoyable as our first day, the Prague castle is undergoing some construction and the few visits around the area is not that rewarding. Making things worse, the funicular railway connecting to the top of the observation tower at Petrin Hill was closed till sometime in April. We were so looking forward to go to the tower to view the Prague skyline :( After our lunch, we planned to go to the Royal Garden but it was closed as well till spring time. To ease our disappointment, we went to the Old Town Square again to shop for souvenirs before we headed back to the apartment.Third day: since our plane back was at 4pm, we had to be at the Prague airport by 2pm. Waiting for 2pm, we took our last tram ride to the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square to spent our few remaining Koruna money buying last minute souvenirs and took a last glance at Prague Town. In just 2 days, Im already in love with Prague, its sad to say goodbye to a nice holiday.

the uno nights, the -ski words in every sentences, the pashmina craze, the waffles, the company, everything about Prague =)

helo.

i have yet to cover my Prague trip but now i want to talk about Jason Mraz gig which i just got back from.

like any other gigs, it was awesome. He's very entertaining with his unique casuality, at times he hummed random song before he performed. A very passionate musician <3 At the very start of the gig, he came on stage looking stoned, wearing a cereal box as a hat and eating asparagus (which then he threw to the audience at our direction, Mus got it. of all people. hahahaa) ps: simpan Mus, jual arah ebay hahaa asparagus bagas Jason Mraz gigit bah tu~ mahal~ :p

Opening act by Marit Larsen (one of the M2M girls) and this awesome band i just heard of - Two Spot Gobi (credits to Hudz for saving me the hassle of googgling them out). It was a great opening act. i was so lucky to get a front spot just infront of the centre of the stage. Great view indeed =) although kedgran pulang org putih belakang ku atu mengumpat pasal aku.. malas tah ku ingau bukannya aku menyasak arahnya, i have the advantage of being petite to squeeze between spaces easily. hahaha. This is the first time i attended a non-rock gig so i had less worry about the mosh pit scene. It's a different experience, i feel so jazzy tonight.

It felt like ages waiting for Jason Mraz to start his gig after the opening act but im used to it. Based on experience, I know few things about gigs udah; like how you should maintain your standing position at all cost. If u move a bit, people would take advantage of it and push you. The main singer/band would only turned up 30-45mins after the opening act finishes. after performing, the performer would leave the stage at one point and a stage gimmick will happen. dont ever stand at the middle of the crowd because a mosh pit is bound to happen (only rock gigs). buy a souvenier after the gig finishes, not before. get a cover for your head for the possibility of flying drinks out of nowhere. most importantly, if you want to be near the stage, book your queue early at least 3hrs before the gate opens unless the tix has numbered seating which is very rare for a small gig.

When Jason Mraz finally came on stage, his voices started to fill the stage. So soothing, i wouldnt mind him serenading me to sleep. Most of the songs he sang were from his latest album. Overall, mesmerizing voice. I came home feeling dreamy. hehee. Thank you Hanis for giving me the ticket as a present, i really appreciate it.

pics credits to Kash.with Marit Larsen singing Luckyawesome saxophoniststhis was taken by kash. (i was way up infront :p lols)

Papa roach next =)

easter holiday starts today! assignments abis, exams timetable menyusul :s

went to the city to meet up with Razan and Diyana to do last minute shop for our 4-day Prague trip, which will be tomorrow :) Went to money shop to buy Czech Republic korona but both shops ran out of korona currency (mesti durang ni yg ngabiskan, hahahaa :p) so last place is at M&S which has lower rate (1pound=27.5czk). After that, we continued to buy the food supplies. As we're leaving the Chinatown, me and Razan separated from Diyana and met Kimin when he insisted we went back to Day In shop because he has never been there. Our last thing in the buy list is to buy 100ml travel bottles (because of the airport liquid limit) but we were so cheapskate we didnt want to buy the one at the Boots shop. we searched at 99p shop, BodyCare and Poundland but to no avail. Last resort, Kimin bought something at Poundland and planned to throw out the content and refill it with shower gel. malas ku mention apa dibalinya :p hahaha tau tah kamu tu nanti. kes desperate tah sudah tu. Back in the train, me and Kimin stopped at university station while Razan took the next stop. Both of us went to the library to get book for Razan and do some printings (which btw is not free as Kimin suggested :p awu walaupun holiday, printing inda free bui~). As we walked home, we noticed the university area is pretty much deserted and quiet now that the holiday just started.

while we're at Day In, Kimin mentioned about the earth hour and as they share the same enthusiasm as me, we decided to do it together later. As for me personally, i genuinely support the cause and join in for the fun of it. I know by doing it, i dont change anything much but it's just for my self-satisfaction because aku paling pantang kalau org bazir karan, especially if they leave their lights on when they leave the room for hours. its just unacceptable. its financially restraint as well, but im just being me, i always been conscious with electricity use. you can say i have ocd about switching off any switch.

At 7pm, i headed to the dawls to hang out with Razan, Hanis and Kimin for the earth hour. Thanks Jajan for the foods <3 and thanks kamu~ i was having so much fun tadi :) At exactly 8.30pm, we switched off the lights, tv and the heater. We had candle light dinner, playing and posing with the glowsticks and one round of uno game. We were having so much fun we extended the 1hr to 2hrs. It was almost 11pm when we realised it's time to go home and none of us has pack our stuffs yet , and we need to wake up early tomorrow for our flight. Plus, the british summer time starts tomorrow which means our clock forward to one hour. one hour less of sleep :smore interesting pictures will be uploaded after i got back from my trip. and maybe the videos as well ;)

im so excited for Prague!gotta finish my packing. see you later peeps.