Tasya's Buffet Dinner birthday celebration at Promenade Hotel, KK, Sabah

Okayyy..this post is way too long ago. But i gotta post it anyway.

Celebrated my sis's birthday last February at Promenade Hotel in KK, Sabah. Had a buffet dinner. The food was too good to forget. That's why I sooo.. wanted it to be posted here. So I'd remember forever. *drools imagining*

Promenade Hotel. The lobby from the outside looks like the Bird's Nest Stadium

For starters..

Those oysters were superb! Dipped in with thousand island sauce..I'm speechless. And those yummy sushi! Oh i can eat those forever. *tummy grumbles*

For the main dish, I took...

Carbonaro spaghetti, a scoop of lasagna, steamed pak choy...and of course Round 2 of those yummy oysters with thousand island sauce for the dippers. Actually, I repetitively took those oysters. After one round, I went for the second and third. Or was it four? It's too good man! 

So then, the pastries...

Since we came here to celebrate Tasya's birthday, we made it a lil' different. We didn't actually bought a cake for her. So we took various type of cakes at the pastry table and turn it into one good-looking cake shape like above. There were mini eclairs, blueberry cheese cake, pandan tart, cheese cake, black and white mousse, chocolate oreo cake, and blackforest cake. My favourite? Definitely the eclairs. 

Last but not least, the desserts...

There were various ice-cream flavours available. You can ask for one or two scoop. Or you can eat it with an ice-cream cone. There was also ABC available. By the time now, my tummy was too full to handle. So I only took a small portion of a scoop of vanilla and berry ice-cream with grass jelly, peach slice, mixed fruit and chocolate rice as toppings. Oh, don't forget the extra tasty strawberry syrup!

My sister made this 'tea' for me. However, it didn't really taste like tea cuz..well...I'm sure u can tell by the colour of it right? Anyway, it's a start. So, forgiveness accepted. 

Too bad Danial, my brother couldn't join. He was in KL at the time. What a waste. *evil laugh*

See ya next time.

Presentation and Me

Presentations are common in universities. Ranging from Certs, Diploma, Degree, Master and PhD. Students. Lecturers. Staffs.

Presentations were uncommon during my school days. (It may be common at school today cuz they have projector slides installed. During my time, it was newly planted in, and we never had the chance to use it).

It was during my Diploma in UiTM Sabah was I exposed to presentations. I guess it's the lecturer's favourite pastime to see students present. Especially those with stage fright. Like me. I gotta say. In the earlier days, I'd shiver before, during and even after presentations. I always feel I lack in so many ways. Are my clothes alright? Would my slides be readable and understood? Are my audiences gonna like my presentation? Am I presenting right? How's this? How's that? Although there were some positive feedbacks, I'd still feel I didn't reach my target benchmark. What's my target benchmark u ask? The Ellen-Degeneres-confidence benchmark. (Okay, I'm expecting wayy too high). Subjects that require active presentations?

• Business Communication: Role-play presentation. I acted as Secretary. I shivered most of the time. And I'm pretty good at hiding it.
• Public Relations: Individual presentation. Free topic. So I chose to present on my experience. Something that I need less research on. I spoke about my Mount Kinabalu Climb Experience. The lecturer said, "Nabila, you are a positive person. Keep it up. I'm sure u'll be successful one day". (This I'll never forget).
• Principles of Selling: The subject itself speaks of its point. So yes, our presentation: Selling. Bits of Marketing used. Using my personal camera collection, my group presented on cameras. The funny thing is, we provided sweets to our audiences as part of our Marketing strategy. Did we make sales? Not really. They were too overwhelmed over the sweets.
• Research Methodology: A presentation on findings of our research basically. The presentation was OK. The research wasn't. 

So by the end of my Diploma, I've eventually managed to overcome my stage fright. Not 100%. But i felt changes.

I later pursued my Bachelor studies in UiTM Terengganu. Okayyy..a lot more presentation than during Diploma. Cuz why? Cuz most of the subjects required field study, research, and report writing. And these comes with a set of presentations. No turning away. U turn. U make no marks. 

Here, I became a lot more confident. I didn't know people. I was new. So I took the opportunity to be a new person. No more stage-fright-Yong. No more shiver-Yong. 

Guess what? It worked! *serious face*. And somehow, I felt real. I didn't feel fake pretending to be someone confident, when i actually weren't.So from then on, I insisted I be the new person I was. Not faking to be another person. But to develop myself to a better person. So among the subjects that I've presented on:

• Presentation Skills: Free topic. This time, I chose to spend a lil time on research. I wanted to give out an informative presentation. So I presented on The Dead Sea. Not purely slideshow-method. I made a demo of the Sea's formation, using a chocolate bar. The second topic: Drug Trafficking in Malaysia.
• Research Methodology. Again, findings of our research. Only the difference to those in Diploma, it was a lot more detailed.
• Operations Management: We were to choose a company, and present its competitive advantage. It was in this presentation that my lecturer  said to me, "Very good! This is the type of presenter I'm looking for. You sound like a professional!" in front of the whole auditorium. *blush*
• Production Planning and Control: It was on the first day of class in the new semester that we were assigned a presentation for the upcoming class. Wayy~ quick. This time, we didn't present through PowerPoint. We used the manual way. And after our presentation, the lecturer commented. "Can you understand their presentation? (asking the class). I feel like crying!! You are a good team! Well done!".
• Job Design: We were to interview a company, and present its production activities to its productivity. 
• Supply Chain and Distribution: Free topic. Individual. I chose to speak on Just-in-Time Concept. Gratefully, I had the highest mark in class. 
• Report Writing: Another research done within the university titled "Factors Influencing Course Undertaken by Students of UiTM Terengganu". The findings were presented. Gratefully again, highest presentation mark.
• Personal Development: Free topic chosen from course syllabus. My group and I chose Communication . However, this was the only lecturer that never expose students' marks. So i never knew. But the lecturer did comment that our group was among the best. Syukran.
• Ethnic relation. The only presentation done in Malay. Since I'm so used to presenting in English, it suddenly became awkward presenting in Malay. But everything went well.

As for now, those are all my previous experiences. I'm now in my final semester. So I can't really elaborate much more. However, the idea to speak of this today is due to what happened this morning.

I had my first presentation this semester. It's only been a month. The subject: Current Issues in Operations. The topic: Productivity. We presented as usual. I have my usual group members since my first semester here: Ellie, Assila and Atikah. (Only Atikah weren't in the same class as us for this subject. Sad). Instead, she was replaced with Syikin. After babbling for half an hour, the lecturer, who was also our Rector said, "You have a very good team. Very good slide presentation". *Us blush*.

After class, we went over to the lecturer to ask a few questions. Then he told me that if he had the chance, he would want to give me an exposure to the outside world of presentation. He was a bit surprised when I answered "No" to his question: "Have you ever presented outside (out of UiTM)?" Like really, how am I suppose to have such an opportunity?

This post today is not about me being vain or arrogant. It's about seeing myself changing. I wanna take every bits and pieces of my life memorable. I wanna see the revolution of Yong/Nabila. If you feel uncomforatble reading so, I strongly apologize. 

100th post...what up?

Seriously, 100? Only? Others have many hundreds, and even thousands.

Simply because i'm not a hardcore blogger. I blog whenever i feel like blogging. Other time, i'd probably be watching TV, surfing sites, read comics, rummaging through old stuffs etc.
















Till then. Till the time i feel like blogging.
Toodles~

Scrapbook in the making

I've longed plan to make a scrapbook. And have only started in the last few months.

The trouble is, most of my photos are neatly placed in the photo albums. Wouldn't wanna take it off tho.
Why don't i scan 'em you ask? (Will do. If i've the time).

So here's a sneak peek of the progress.

School days: SMK Pandan Indah

School days: SMK Likas

The convo: SMK Likas

Mt.Kinabalu Expedition

Mt.Kinabalu first-time experience

Guess i'm gonna have to wash a lot more pictures for my scrapbook after this. ($$$ urghhh~)

The KB Getaway

After what seemed like weeks, i'm finally updating my getaway to Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
It was a mini vacation with my friends. We've been talking about going on a getaway earlier this year, and successfully managed to proceed the plan on the 22-24th of September 2011.

22 September 2011
We had lecture class that morning. Right after class, i parked my car at the NR building, and we left for the bus station by Van Kuning. Sorta like a Van Sapu. Left for KB at 4.30pm. (Blame the bus for being late).

To KB with love

6 hours later, Anne (who was already in KB, originally a KB-ian, the mastermind of our getaway) picked us up at the bus station. Not minding our bus lags and tiredness, we hit off to Wakaf Che Yeh. It's like Uptown in KL, only it operates earlier. From 6pm-5am. 

Opens: 6pm-5am

Seriously, we were all like jakun. Wanting to buy this and that. Cheap. Variety-ness. At the same time, questioning ourselves, "Should i buy this now? Or should i just go sight-seeing first?". Afraid, something else better would reveal itself. Ta-da!

 

I didn't buy anything here. Afraid i'd miss something else more offering. (Regret mood: ON).

I wanted to buy some tudungs, but i didn't. (Regret mood: Still ON). I think i'm gonna urge my parents to go there one day, and this time, i'll make sure i buy something!

So after shopping window-shopping (for me only), we headed back to Anne's home. Her house was very kampung-style. Very big. Very..my typical Parents'-Kampung-House-Taste. Ducks and chickens running around as they please. Cows and goats munching grass, birds in their comfy cages, and cats running around as if they own that place. 

23 September 2011
It was a chilly morning. Opened the window, and breathed in the hadn't-had-this-refreshing-air-for-a-long-time air. Refreshing oxygen was very absorbing. Anne's auntie prepared the wonderful breakfast, mee goreng. After breakfast, we headed to...Rantau Panjang: the shopping heaven.

Offered here are T-shirts, blouses, dresses, pyjamas, bags, tudungs, telekungs, door-gifts, teddy bears, shoes, slippers, jeans, foods, accessories, sunglasses, kains, toys and many many more.

 So here, i managed to buy two tins of  flavored nuts (Chicken and Prawn flavored), an I-<3-Kelantan t-shirt for myself, and some souvenirs for my family. Didn't really go nuts here, cuz i was, well, sorta control my budget. But if somebody were to sponsor my shopping here, i'd marry you dude! If u were a gal, i'll be your instant BFF!...(Pardon my fluctuated emotional condition).

Then, Anne brought us to PCB (Pantai Cahaya Bulan. Previously known as Pantai Cinta Berahi. What a name!). There, we ate these:

Not far from where we ate, there were a group of people clustering at the beach. Business strategy on the run. Selling traditional medicine, saying it could cure this and that. Mode of attraction: snakes. (with an 's' okay).

Not minding the crowd, we chose to enjoy ourselves instead.

After PCB, we went to Uptown. It's like a typical night market. Not so Uptown like i imagine it would be of KL Uptown like. But we did buy something to give to Anne's aunt and mom for allowing us to stay over their place. (Aren't we good girls?). Returned home at 1 am, and went straight to bed. Zzzzz..

24 September 2011

Oh no, last day! Breakfast, again prepared by Anne's aunt. I wanted to help her out in the kitchen, but she insisted i go sit down at the living room and watched TV. (Which i didn't). So since i didn't help her make breakfast, i still stayed at the kitchen to make a chit chat, whilst playing with the kittens. (Urghh...i feel like taking them back to Dungun! As if there are no kittens in Dungun). So here were the breakfast: (You may drool now).

 So then it was time for us to head back to Dungun. (Sigh).

Goodbye KB. Looking forward to meet you again.

A very big thank you to Anne, for providing us a place to stay, for taking us around KB and Rantau Panjang, and for being a mediator in negotiating for a cheaper price when shopping. *giggles*