Happy New Year!

I have no New Year resolutions this time.

I just feel (personally), it is better to go into 2010, the way I have been the past few years. Yes just carry on the way we are.

I believe good things come to those who are relaxed & calm (well that's me anyway).

Anyway, here are some activities that have made my 2009, that I would like to share with my friends here.

There are many other activities, but hey, I'd just save them as it would only take you away from your New Year celebrations then eh...LOL! Go, celebrate!

So here's wishing my wonderful friends

Happy New Year!

Nawem (National Association of Women Entrepreneurs) Gala Nite, 21st Dec.

I was invited to Nawem Gala Nite & had a good time, where I made lovely new friends. It is always the intellectual exchanges with interesting people that would make any function eventful for me.

Nawem Gala Nite was graced by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil, Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development.

We were entertained by the superbly talented Dato Khatijah Ibrahim & a new talent to me who has incredible voice, Rizal Ridzuan, & we were pleasantly treated to a fashion show by iKartini. The host for the night was Sarimah Ibrahim.


Seated front: Atika Sulaiman, Jaishana Logan, Mrs Logan. Standing from left: Ruby, Faridah Jabbar, Azleen Abu Bakar.

Dato Seri Shahrizat Jalil, Ruby.

Fans of Dato Seri Shahrizat Jalil (3rd from left)

Khatijah Ibrahim entertaining the audience.

A kodak moment with the other brilliant entertainer of the night, Rizal Ridzuan.


Ruby, Kartini Illias.


Global Entrepreneurship Week Launch (GEW), 16th Nov 2009.

Selena Mak, Hazel Hashim, Ruby,Dhakshinamoorthy Dash.
.

Ruby, Dato Saifuddin Abdullah, Hazel.



Coffee with Dato Dr Mazlan Othman, my senior at school, 29th Dec.

Mazlan Othman returned to Malaysia as the country's first astrophysicist, and worked to create a curriculum in astrophysics at the national university, as well as to build public awareness and understanding of astronomy and space issues.

Read more (click) here.

She's an amazing personality indeed.

Location: Gardens, Midvalley

Nasi Bukhori at Yan Ali's.

Yan was such a gracious host welcoming so many of us (CBN, TKC & Umrah network) to sample her scrumptious culinary spread especially her very special Nasi Bukhori. Yes Yan came back for a short holiday as she now resides in Mekah.

All in all, I know I will have to walk a few extra miles on the treadmill for not being able to resist all the good food & desserts.

Love the idea of making nice new friends too from her other networks.

Thanks Yan. Big Hugs.

Location: Yan's Place

Coffee with creative & innovative individuals.

I always find it inspiring to mix & mingle with creative & innovative individuals.

Recently I had coffee with three very creative & innovative individuals, Maryam Samirah (Bijou Bazaar) & Mariq Marzuki & Khairul HAkimin (both involved with Mariq Diamonds).

It is inspiring & refreshing to share life's perspectives with one another & in doing so we tend to re-smoothen our life's rough edges based on each other's aspirations & perspectives as to how we see things in general.

Thought for the day:

'In life, one should never stop learning from one another.'

Looking forward to see you guys soon.

Location: Le Cucur, KLCC

Maryam Samirah, Ruby, Mariq Marzuki.

Khairul Hakimin, Ruby, Maryam Samirah, Mariq.

Maryam, Ruby, Mariq.



Charity Concert with Sean Ghazi.





Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) Raya Open House, 23rd Nov.

My alma mater held their Raya Open House & I'm honoured to have received a personal invitation to be back at my alma mater as one the Old Girls (OGs) who have given back to the school. Thanks TKC for recognising us. It makes giving back to the school all the more worthwhile & meaningful.

I enjoyed especially mingling with the young girls reminding me of my school days. Ahh...yes, those were the days! Those days were fun indeed then.

Location: TKC, Seremban

With Puan Junita 2nd from left & the wonderful & gorgeous young TKCians.

With adik2 still at college
With the affable Mr Tan (He teaches Biology) who loves photography as a hobby. He is such a swell person, so affable. Love him tons.

Deputy Principal, En Anuar, Ruby Ahmad, Pibg President Sheikh Yahya Sheikh Mohd.

TKC Principal, Puan Che Kamaliah Endut, Ruby Ahmad, Puan Norlia (English Teacher)

Raya Open House at Intai Intai, 24th, Nov.

Syaheeda (Daa) invited her TKC buddies over for her open house at the beautiful restaurant Intai Intai overlooking a lovely lake. Great company, great food, great ambience. It was simply MAGIC!

Sometimes in life we meet new people & we get on so well, & I view that as gifts from above.

Location: Ampang

Dubai will always be one of my favourite cities in the world!

One of the most beautiful buildings in the world, Burj al Arab.

Qanat al Qasba by night.

One of the largest tea cups in the world found at a nursery at Qanat al Qasba..ha ha.

Tallest man made structure in the world, Burj Dubai.


A girl needs to do what a girl needs to do!!

Doing some vain stuff, yeah learning the art of make-up with YSL, with their make-up maestro: Patrick Havegheer
Location: Gardens

With Patrick Havegheer.

With the other eager students & Patrick Havegheer

Interview on Bernama Radio24, 5th September, 2009.

I was honoured to be invited as a guest on Radio Bernama.

Tuan Asmawi, was the radio host & we discussed issues on:

“52 years of Merdeka: Doing our bit for the Civil Society”

We discussed on:

* Educating society on noble values and civic mindedness
* Instilling values to the young – a balance of knowledge in education
* Integrity as part and parcel of life
* What do we want from our leadership and what can we give to our society?
* Integrity in a multi racial society

Location: Wisma BERNAMA, Jln Tun Razak

My brushes with '15 minutes of fame'!

In these instances with Harpers Bazaar & special thanks to my friends there Sunny & Dewi.

Friends

When we are so engrossed with our daily grind, day to day, over and over again, doing the same routine, we can just get lost in the convenient, bland sea of sameness. We simply get used to the same routines and get buried in them, as changes are inconvenient acts.

Boredom sets in!


A lot of us do not realise how important it is to have changes in life, both in the short term and the long term. We do not realise how changes can be value-added to our well-being, to our health in general, to our life's happiness.


Changes make our brain tick. Sharp.

One of the best ways to have changes, is to have many friends, as friends inspire us to do other things in life.


I have friends of varying ages (both younger and older), of varying professions and backgrounds. The association with many friends is so enriching. It opens up my world to the different perspectives of life. It makes me do new things in my life. New Changes!



I learn more today, than I ever did before, through the various friendships, I have struck along the way. It mellowed me somewhat, with sharing of both happiness and sadness, successes & failures, with our friends.



It is humbling to realise that friendship is about value and not material.

Note:

1 My wonderful friends & I, met up at The Apartment, KLCC, 12th Dec.

2 I wrote a longer version on 'friends' sometime back.

Christmas Hi-Tea

It was a 'Wear your Fancy Hat' Christmas Hi-Tea held on 3rd Dec, at one of the most prestigious venues in the country, Carcosa Seri Negara.



News has it that Carcosa Seri Negara will close it's doors for the next two years for some serious renovations.

This special Christmas Hi-Tea, organised by the International Women's Club (IWC), was to be one of the last few functions to be held there.




Proceeds of the Hi-Tea goes to MASwings, a community programme for underprivileged children, which is such a noble cause.

MASwings involvement in giving to the community is a continuous effort and is always looking ways to contribute to the communities in which it operates.

MASwings has also introduced a program ‘The Wings of Children’ for children from rural areas in need of medical attention by flying them for free to stations like Kuching and Miri where specialist treatment are available.

Meanwhile, the Sarawak Children ‘s Cancer Society has 30 children under its care and is a non-profitable voluntary organization whose mission is to provide relief and care to children with cancer and their families.

Good work MASwings.

Camel's Milk, the Wonder Milk!

Did you know some of these facts about camel's milk?

Well, I had camel's milk for the first time in my life in the UAE, when I was there some weeks back, & I love it!

Only, it has to be taken with coffee...he he.

1 Camel's milk is the closest milk to human mother's milk. Our bodies not only tolerate it well, our bodies thrive on it (Yes this is true. I felt ok each time I had the milk. My tummy tend to feel bubbly when I take cow's milk).

2 Camel's milk has triple the amount of vitamin C found in cows milk.



3 Camel's milk has TEN TIMES the amount of antibacterial and antiviral properties found in cow's milk.

4 Camel's milk contains an insulin like protein that survives the digestive tract and may benefit people with certain forms of diabetes.

Now a big question! Has anyone spotted camel's milk sold anywhere in Kuala Lumpur? Please, please, please, let me know.

Source:http://www.cameldairy.com/CAMEL_MILK.html

Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009 Launch

Pic 1: Vips & guests

The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) was Launched by YB Dato' Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, at the swanky restaurant Bijan on the 16th of November.

Pic 2: Ruby, YB Dato' Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Hazel.

Pic 3: Ruby, Dhakshinamoorthy Dash, Richard Azlan, Soraya.

Mr. Michael Levin, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship was also present at the launch.

There was a good turn out from young budding entrepreneurs to Captains of Industry.

Pic 4: Ruby, Eliza.

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a Global Campaign to promote entrepreneurship, creativity & innovation. GEW was jointly founded by Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the USA with Make Your Mark in UK.

Pic 5: Ruby, Michael Teoh Su Lim.

For one week, millions of young peple around the world will join a growing movement of entrepreneurial people to generate new ideas & to seek better ways of doing things.

Pic 6: Ruby, Shamsul Qamar.

During GEW, partner organisations worldwide wil conduct a range of simple activities - from simple speeches to comprehensive competitions - designed to inspire, connect, mentor & engage the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Pic 7: With Vivian Tian.

Countries across six continents are coming together to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, an initiative to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination & creativity. To think big. To turn ideas into reality. To make their mark.

Pic 8: With Vani Dhakshinamoorthy.

Appointed host organisations in each participating country will encourage participation by recruiting & catalysing partners throughout the country.

Warisan Global has been the host for Malaysia since 2008. Warisan Global's dynamic CEO is Dhakshinamoorthy aka Dash.

Source of information: GEW.

Pic 9: Guests of GEW.

Pic 10: Guests
Pic 11: Selena Mak, Hazel, Ruby, Dhakshinamoorthy Dash.

Pic 12: Ruby, Joanne, Hazel

Pic 13: Guests

Charity Concert with Sean Ghazi - 2

Pic 1: With Sean Ghazi

When I heard about the Charity Concert, I was excited & decided to reschedule an outstation trip that I had previously scheduled, to be able to attend the 'Unforgettable Konsert Amal DiRaja' organised by the Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia & the Patron of the Foundation is Puan Sri Wendy Ong.

Pic 2: Sean with young fans

I'm glad I made it to the concert, as it was truly an unforgettable night to be treated to some fabulous numbers by one of the best male vocalist here, none other than the talented Sean Ghazi, accompanied by the Kuala Lumpur International Festival Orchestra led by Artistic Director & Conductor, Eugene Pook.

Pic 3: With Roziya

The audience was visibly mesmerised by Sean Ghazi's lovely deep vocals. I saw the audience responded spontaneously to Sean's rendition with great pleasure for Sean certainly has a strong stage presence & of course as always, great style & class .

Pic 4: With Sean Ghazi

Furthermore, for his exposure to stage acting, film & television, he is very articulate & eloquent when engaging with his audience, that greatly adds to his dignified persona.


Pic 5: With Deborah Michael

I love the way he dance. He is pleasantly a natural. If I do meet him again at another show, I would request if he could treat us to more of his fabulous sharp dance moves on stage (I didn't get enough of it, yes, it was that good!), as I feel he sings equally as well as he dances!

Ok Sean, what else can I say, except that you are truly multi-talented!

Pic 6: Roziya, Nuri, Ruby, Aiman.

Hope you will meet with great success in Los Angeles (as he currently resides there).

Till the next time...Good Luck Sean!


News bulletin: Recently Sean had a phenomenal US debut, invited by 'Pink Martini' to perform the song 'Let's Never Stop Falling in Love' (I love this number) from his award winning album, 'Semalam', at their sold-out engagement at the Hollywood Superbowl this year in front of an appreciative audience of 17,000. Bravo Sean!

Pic 7: That night we were also treated to performances by an accomplished American violinist, Jessica Lee & our Malaysian multilingual vocalist, Estee Pook. From left Jessica, Sean, Eugene.

Pic 8: With Izlyn Ramli, who co-wrote the song 'Semalam' with Sean Ghazi.

Pic 9: Sean Ghazi with Roziya.

Pic 10: Ruby, Nuri, Aiman, Marzio.

Pic 10: With Deborah Michael.

Charity concert with Sean Ghazi - 1

One of Malaysia's favourite crooners, Sean Ghazi will be in town on the 14th to 15th November to sing for charity.

For those who would like to have an enjoyable evening hearing Sean Ghazi & at the same time supporting a good cause, head along to Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Details are as follows:

Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM) proudly presents the UNFORGETTABLE "KONSERT AMAL DIRAJA".

A Night To Remember, Starring SEAN GHAZI

14 & 15 November, 8:30 PM, Malaysian-born, New York-based conductor Eugene Pook leads 66 premier international and local musicians in a programme of sheer symphonic magic with ...light classical pieces and highlights from the exhilarating worlds of stage, silver screen, and beyond!

SEAN GHAZI will perform songs from his award winning album SEMALAM and other popular favourites like 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and Nat King Cole's 'Unforgettable'.

The Charity Concert Night on November 14th, 2009 and the Royal Charity Gala Night on November 15th, 2009 which will be graced by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor, DYMM Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al Haj will be held at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Tickets for the charity concert on Nov 14 (Saturday) are priced at RM83, RM 183, RM 283 & RM383, while those for the royal charity gala night on Nov 15 (Sunday) are priced at RM100, RM250, RM350 & RM500.

Readers of The Star are entitled to a 20% discount when they present the newspaper's masthead for issues between Nov 5 and 13 when buying the tickets at Axcess outlets For ticket enquiries and purchases, call Axcess at 03-7711 5000 or visit www.axcess.com.my.

Read more here: Sean Ghazi