Havin a lil break....

Illustration by Clare Owen

Still busy but will be back here SOON...just havin a break for awhile ya.

Later from Mama Rock

Short and Sweet

Just a quick hello while I'm still buzzing around in the office. Been tightly busy and need to do some catching up with few urgent matters - proper handover, looking forward to my new job, organising 3 to 4 company events this month, CJ being a fussypot nowadays and yada yada etc. I really need another break...I just did once last monday/took emergency leave but end up doing painting with my CJ (wanna see?).

Anyways, I'll be back here soon for more updates but for now I wish I could live in this picture - quiet (or maybe not) and cosy.


And also enjoy this unique & oh-so cute picture taken from my fav illustrator/artist, Holly Becker's blog - decor8.


Happy Wednesday everyone!

Goodbye to MJ

It was silly of me yesterday afternoon - for being confused of the time for the actual live coverage of MJ's Memorial Service both at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood and at the LA Staples Center. Mostly live interviews and remembering his extravagant life was aired online yesterday afternoon. But I did stayed up very late from 1am - 3am this morning to watch the ceremony live on E! It was pretty touching and I was in tears as well.


Michael Jackson's brothers carried the singer's gold-trimmed casket into the Staples Center sports arena in downtown Los Angeles for the memorial, the same place where Jackson rehearsed the day before his death for a highly-anticipated comeback tour.


The Memorial Service ended with MJ's daughter, Paris Jackson giving a very short speech "Ever since I was born, daddy was the best father you could have imagine" & crying "I love him so much" - just emotionally beautiful to watch.

Read more - here.

Right now I'm lack of sleep but that's ok - since our office pantry is out of coffee, sipping tea is good enough.



Gone To Soon
Music by Larry Grossman
Lyrics by Buz Kohan ("Buzzie Wuzzie")

Like a comet
Blazing 'cross the evening sky
Gone too soon

Like a rainbow
Fading in the twinkling of an eye
Gone too soon

Shiny and sparkly
And splendidly bright
Here one day
Gone one night

Like the loss of sunlight
On a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon

Like a castle
Built upon a sandy beach
Gone too soon

Like a perfect flower
That is just beyond your reach
Gone too soon

Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day
Gone one night

Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon

This could be sort of my last tribute to MJ in here. Good bye Michael - we'll meet someday in Heaven!

Rest In Peace MJ!

MJ's Memorial Service was held today at the Los Angeles Staples Center at about 12 noon LA time & at about 1am M'sian time. But Shucks! Trying to watch it live online but the net was damned slow this afternoon - just to watch some live interviews and to remember how great MJ was. I guess millions of MJ fans are also watching the ceremony live online as well. I can't even view it through CNN & FB. Anyways, I'll watch it on E! tonight.



Macam-macam terjadilah (strange happenings) after MJ's death...such as this story which gave everyone goosebumps. Extracted out the article from the net and it's even on U-Tube already - see/read of 'MJ's Ghost' below.


"Michael Jackson loved publicity while he was alive, maybe the same is true now he’s dead.
The video shows a sequence filmed during CNN’s Inside Neverland program. The show took a look at the life of Michael Jackson, and included an interview with his brother Jermaine, as well as a tour around Neverland itself.
When the camera takes a look down one of the long corridors in Jacko’s private quarters, there’s a shot of what looks like a ghostly figure walking across it. Could it be Michael Jackson, come back as a ghost to tell us he’s OK?
Probably not. I do believe ghosts exist but it seems more likely this is just a trick of the light caught on camera. The apparition is probably nothing more than a member of the crew shooting the piece casting a shadow as they move.
However, I suppose it cannot be ruled out completely that this is Michael Jackson’s ghost. Stranger things have happened, such as prisoners dancing a Jacko tribute and the Queen of England’s guards playing a version of Thriller outside Buckingham Palace."

Michael, you are not alone now, you are in Heaven with God and Jesus while being surrounded with beautiful happy angels. Probably you'll meet Elvis Presley up there too.



"You Are Not Alone" Written and composed by R Kelly.
Another day has gone
I'm still all alone
How could this be
You're not here with me
You never said goodbye
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold
Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

But you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
But you are not alone

All alone,
'Why, oh

Just the other night
I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come
And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand
Then forever can begin

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away

Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone

Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

You are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone.

Just love this video - it keeps playing on my mind till now!



Now rest in peace Michael!

No one understand him so well...

I was in tears when I watched this video - 'Have You Seen My Childhood', wrote, composed, produced and sang by Michael Jackson (from my personal MJ Music & Video Collections) and I thought of sharing how I love this song and the lyrics is just so touching & beautiful! I can feel the pain that MJ went through during his childhood. It seems like no one can and try to understand him that well. This month, you'll see me giving/sharing lots of personal tributes to the King of Pop through his amazing music and videos - so I hope you can bear with me or simply don't care.



Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities...
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me...

People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things...
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates and adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?
People say I'm strange that way
'Cause I love such elementary things,
It's been my fate to compensate,
For the Childhood I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
The dreams I would dare, watch me fly...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I've had

Have you seen my Childhood....

In his last interview he said if his fans had any questions about him, they just need to watch and listen to this song. People/fans has overlooked Michael Jackson's dark side - interesting read here.

Although he's gone now but he will always be in the HEARTS of all his fans and the people who loved him! I'm now looking forward to watch MJ's memorial ceremony this Tuesday - which will be aired live by NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC & E! Entertainment, set for 10am, (PDT 1700 GMT)at the Los Angeles Staples Center. For M'sian time, I think it will be in the evening. I'll be watching it on E!

Wash your hands! (H1N1/Swine Flu song)

Listen to this song if you don't want to get or to prevent thyself from getting the H1N1/Swine Flu. Sounds a lil disgusting but hilariously funny as well.



My simple advise: If you have digged your poo poo, don’t take ice from my milo and don’t touch the piano!

H1N1 sucks and kills...don't play-play!

ULOS

My dad brought a few ULOS when he came home recently in June. His job in Penang made him do lots of dealing with the Indonesians who comes to Penang for health treatment (heart surgeries mostly) or frequent visits to Indonesia like Medan or Jakarta for marketing & promotion - that's where he got all the Ulos as gifts/souvenirs.

A few definitions of the Ulos:

- Ulos is the Batak word for cloth, while ragi hotang denotes the type. Batak textiles tend to be rather dark and sombre with simple geometric forms. Textiles are important in Batak gift giving, in which a hierarchical structure determines which of the 25 or so textiles produced by the Batak is appropriate to the occasion and to the age and social status of the recipient. The ragi hotang is the highest ranked textile to be given to a bride and groom.
Source: Powerhouse Museum Collection

- Ulos is a rectangular piece of traditional woven cloth, holds significant traditional values that is respected and used in various sacred ceremonies.
It siymbolizes a great many thing, physically and spiritually, therefore carries great importance and meaning to be the people of Batak. Not only is it worn, it is also used in many religious initiations such as birth, marriage, death and many other rites.
Source: Kriya Ulos

- Ceremonial Textile (Ulos Ragidup) - The most sacred textiles of the Batak people of northern Sumatra are the ragidup, whose name literally means "pattern of life." Both during and beyond an individual's life, ragidup play central roles. Perhaps the most critical occurs when a woman is pregnant with her first child. At this time, her parents typically present her with a ragidup, which becomes, as her ulos ni tondi or "soul cloth," a supernaturally powerful object that will protect her and her family throughout life. During the rites, a specialist is called upon to "read" the cloth, whose complex patterns are believed to foretell the woman's future. A ragidup is also an essential element in Batak marriage rites, where it is wrapped around the mother of the groom by the father of the bride as a ceremonial gift. In death, the ragidup enshrouds the deceased and, years later, is used to wrap his or her bones when they are disinterred for ritual reburial.
Source: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

In fact during my wedding back in 2003, an Indonesian family lady friend from Medan, gave me a pretty and expensive Ulos (see photo below) claimed to be her heirloom that cost RM10,000 (I'm not sure if I heard her correctly or she meant 10,000 Rupiah??)


Here are my Ulos collections (given by my dad to keep/use). Pretty for table runners/cloth, piano cover or wall deco. I just love the colours and artistic designs - all handmade (no wonder its pretty costly too).