tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51866207605012296002024-02-18T19:46:51.922-08:00ExpressitWrite Wordplay@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-11365179425905508952020-02-07T19:53:00.009-08:002021-08-26T17:31:00.816-07:00Malay to English Translation: TERLENA by Hamka<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAvHVrkBj5sohWalKxjXwQYELKf25acbIWBtleWDcMlWpnUn9cdt-W8DiL-oa9g7GAaVgfs7jX8LqalupqEbR0_dfq3CPr0QuVqmsAZ37r6ZWGVe-6SQBysg_fzisKVfB7IEAOL9mhvI/s640/masa+lalu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAvHVrkBj5sohWalKxjXwQYELKf25acbIWBtleWDcMlWpnUn9cdt-W8DiL-oa9g7GAaVgfs7jX8LqalupqEbR0_dfq3CPr0QuVqmsAZ37r6ZWGVe-6SQBysg_fzisKVfB7IEAOL9mhvI/w400-h225/masa+lalu.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><br /></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-insideh: none; mso-border-insidev: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 231.05pt;" valign="top" width="308">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">TERLENA<br /></span></b><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />Waktu berlalu<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">begitu pantas<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">menipu kita<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">yang terlena</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Belum sempat berdzikir di
waktu pagi<br />
hari sudah menjelang siang<br />
belum sempat bersedekah pagi<br />
matahari sudah meninggi.</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Niat pukul 9.00 pagi
hendak Sholat Dhuha<br />
tiba-tiba adzan Dhuhur sudah terdengar..<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Teringin setiap pagi<br />
membaca 1 juz Al-Quran<br />
menambah hafalan satu hari satu ayat<br />
itu pun tidak dilakukan.</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif">Rancangan untuk<br />tidak
akan </span></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">melewatkan malam<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">kecuali dengan Tahajjud dan Witir<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">walau pun hanya 3 rakaat<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">semua tinggal angan-angan</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Beginikah berterusannya<br />
nasib hidup menghabiskan umur?<br />
Berseronok dengan usia?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Lalu tiba-tiba
menjelmalah usia di angka 30<br />
sebentar kemudian 40<br />
tidak lama terasa menjadi 50<br />
<br />Dan kemudian orang mula memanggil kita<br />
dengan panggilan “Tok Wan, Atok…Nek”<br />
menandakan kita sudah tua.</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif">Lalu sambil menunggu<br /></span></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">Sakaratul Maut tiba<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">diperlihatkan catatan amal<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">yang kita pernah buat</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">
Astaghfirullah,<br />
ternyata <br />tidak seberapa sedekah<br />
dan infaq cuma sekedarnya<br />
mengajarkan ilmu tidak pernah ada<br />
silaturrohim tidak pernah buat.</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Justeru, apakah roh ini
tidak akan<br />
melolong, meraung, menjerit menahan kesakitan<br />
di saat berpisah daripada tubuh ketika Sakaratul Maut?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Tambahkan usiaku ya Allah<br />
aku memerlukan waktu<br />
untuk beramal<br />
sebelum Kau akhiri ajalku.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">
Belum cukupkah<br />
kita menyia-nyiakan waktu<br />
selama 30, 40, 50 atau 60 tahun?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Perlu berapa tahun
lagikah<br />
untuk mengulang pagi, siang,<br />petang dan malam?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">Perlu berapa minggu,
bulan,<br />dan tahun lagi<br />
agar kita bersedia<br />untuk mati?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;">
Kita tidak pernah merasa kehilangan<br />
waktu dan kesempatan<br />
untuk menghasilkan pahala<br />
<br />Maka 1000 tahun pun<br />
tidak akan pernah cukup<br />
bagi orang-orang yang terlena.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt;">*HAMKA*</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #7f7f7f; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #7F7F7F; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=50000 lumo=50000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 128;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 231.05pt;" valign="top" width="308">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">HEEDLESS</span></b><span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;">Time slips past<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;">As we stay oblivious<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;">Deceiving those<br /></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;">Who remain heedless</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">We barely have time for
morning Zikr<br />
When all too soon daylight creeps in<br />
We barely have time for morning Sadaqah<br />
When all too soon the sun peeks out</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">At 9.00 we plan to pray
Dhuha prayer<br />
When suddenly, we hear the call for Zuhur<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">We've always yearned to<br />
Recite one Juz of Quran each morning<br />
Commit to memory one verse each day<br />
Still, neither wish ever gets fulfilled</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">We keep telling ourselves<br />
No more staying up late into the nights<br />
Save for Tahajjud and Witir<br />
Even if only for 3 Rakaats<br />
Yet again, they just remain a wish</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Is this how it's going to
be<br />
for the rest of our lives?<br />
Merely enjoying our time?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">When suddenly we've
turned 30<br />
Then much too soon we hit 40<br />
before we know it, we're already 50!</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Soon after, others start
to call us<br />
Grandpapa, Grandmama<br />
A sure sign that we've grown old</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Then while waiting for
death<br />
to take us away<br />
Our record of past deeds<br />
Parts open in display</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Astaghfirullah!<br />
Only then we realize<br />
Our Sadaqah is a measly sum<br />
Our Infaq barely suffice<br />
Imparting knowledge we never did<br />
Nor was Siloturrohim part of our deed</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">If so, how then will our
soul<br />
Not scream, not grief, and not wail in agony<br />
As our soul departs our body<br />
While struggling thru' Sakaratul Maut?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #595959; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">Extend my life, oh Allah!<br />
I need time <br />to do good deeds<br />
</span><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">before you end my life.</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Has it not been enough<br />
for us to idle away time<br />
for 30, 40, 50 or 60 years?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">How much more time do we
crave<br />
to repeat our mornings, our days,<br />
our evenings and our nights?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">How many more weeks,
months,<br />
and years do we need<br />
until we are prepared<br />
to face our death?</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">If we never feel the loss<br />
Of the time and the chance<br />
We have been given<br />
To seek rewards</span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">So even if we're given 1000 years<br />
It would still never be enough<br />
If we remain heedless<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #404040; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"type":104,"tn":"*N"}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/englishtranslationbyexpressitwrite?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="_5afx" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; unicode-bidi: isolate;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="color: #365899; font-family: inherit; unicode-bidi: isolate;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="font-family: inherit;">englishtranslationbyexpressitwrite</span></span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-17989312759351664202019-07-14T06:36:00.013-07:002022-03-28T23:45:57.273-07:00Hooked<br />
<br /><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDzKyzmwwd2Y4kszSa5dCUpsEQ7edF_5Hcl_P0UcmQuvsTN2VkNLkaqGyH7bnLRAohobEtE7DH9rjHW_QYuGM2OjhV5mJaH1qUoSW8o9k-Pq8ZN9_kgkGQJ9SQBy8IXZ13odyGxdfDfQ/s720/delicious+durian.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="720" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDzKyzmwwd2Y4kszSa5dCUpsEQ7edF_5Hcl_P0UcmQuvsTN2VkNLkaqGyH7bnLRAohobEtE7DH9rjHW_QYuGM2OjhV5mJaH1qUoSW8o9k-Pq8ZN9_kgkGQJ9SQBy8IXZ13odyGxdfDfQ/w400-h264/delicious+durian.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>If you were to ask me what food I love most, I would say without a single doubt durian tops the list. My love for durian probably started even before I was born. I was so addicted to the spiky fruit that I failed to understand how anyone could have it in them to hate durian. Like my Aunt Effa, for instance.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Aunt Effa, a distant cousin of my mom's, could never stand durian. All because of its offensive smell, the durian was decidedly her most loathed food. But of course, none of my family members, the avid durian lovers, could understand why. Thus, it's no surprise that when we had a durian feast we would always expect Aunt Effa to join us too. But that was the precise moment Aunt Effa chose to disappear and hide out in her room. My mom, being mom, would have none of it. She was insistent that my aunt should enjoy the 'treat' too.<br />
<br />
Every time during our durian feast she would save some just for Aunt Effa and warned us, kids, not to even think of stealing them. Yet, she would still trust us enough and would ask any one of us to take it upstairs to my aunt's room, actually expecting that my dear aunt would enjoy it in private. "How could anyone not be tempted by durian when it's right under their nose?" was her reasoning. She genuinely believed that my aunt wouldn't be able to resist if greeted by the sight and smell of the durian. If only she knew!<br />
<br />
And when it involved durian, the ever greedy me would never fail to be the eager one to volunteer her service for I knew Aunt Effa would never disappoint. Every time she was offered durian, she would flatly refuse. She would pinch her nose and scrunch up her face in utter disgust while screaming "Take that thing away from me!" — to which I would gladly oblige and immediately make the offending food disappear. Short of licking the plate clean, I would greedily shove every bit of the durian into my mouth down to the very last bite. Mmm... yummy! <i>But no, I didn't eat the seeds too.</i><br />
<br />
A perfect win-win situation, I'd say. Aunt Effa got to dispose of the unwanted durian without even laying a finger on it while I got to savor an extra amount of my favorite fruit. No doubt a side perk of being the durian <i>messenger</i>. A good thing that mom was none the wiser too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the situation. Not once, not twice, but every single time.<br />
<br />
Because of my aunt's despise for durian, it had often confounded me how or why anyone could hate durian so much when it was obvious, it is a fruit that has a taste like no other. It is creamy and custardy, and although the taste could get overwhelming and oniony sometimes, still it has all kinds of amazing tastes rolled into one: sweet, bitter, strong, and some other tastes that are beyond description.<br />
<br />
Whatever the taste may be, one thing's for sure, durian is <i>sinfully</i> delicious! Sure, half the time it may smell like garbage and dirty socks, but it is the only fruit I know that has a taste that is out of this world! If only Aunt Effa could get over the durian's repulsive smell, I was pretty sure she would be able to appreciate and enjoy it too.<br />
<br />
That was what I thought back then before some higher power decided to teach me a lesson. I was fast asleep one night after enjoying a megadose of durian earlier when I was suddenly hit by a stomach clench. Eyes still heavy with sleep, I ignored the pain and willed it away. I thought surely if I ignored it long enough, the pain would let up. But instead, the pain grew stronger. Not a minute later, I was jolted out of bed just right before the urge to purge drove me to the bathroom in a haste.<br />
<br />
Clutching my tummy, I was doubled over in pain while my whole body broke out in a cold sweat. No choice, I had to spend the rest of the night slumped over the toilet bowl emptying out the contents of my stomach. I threw up so violently that some of the vomit made it through my nose. <i>Ewww! </i><br /><br />The unmistakable stench of durian, pungent and vile, was purely disgusting, which made me gag all the more. I threw up so much that I thought I was going to be choked up by my own vomit.<br />
<br />
Even after the bouts of purging ceased, everything seemed to reek of nothing but fermented durian. It was such a disgusting and horrible smell that since that very moment I swore I would never touch durian ever again!<br />
<br />
Since then, whenever everyone else in the household was enjoying durian in the kitchen I would be quick to make my escape upstairs to hole up in my room and wait it out until their durian feast was over. If I didn't make myself scarce, I was afraid a mere whiff of the durian would cause me to break out in a cold sweat again and trigger another dreadful gagging episode.<br />
<br />
However, months later... Surprise, surprise!<br />
<br />
Blame it on my mom. She opened the door to temptation when she purposefully offered me a piece of durian from the main fruit she had just split open and was left sitting invitingly on the table. But I was still too traumatized by the durian ordeal that I immediately declined. Why would I go for a repeat of that horrid night?<br />
<br />
But mom was rather persistent. She kept on coaxing and goading me to have a taste. "Just a little taste", she said. Her next words before she was about to give up on me finally made me cave in.<br />
<br />
"If you don't try it now, you'll never know what you're missing. Come on, just give it a try. Just a little. I promise it won't hurt you."<br />
<br />
At first, I was skeptical. But to appease her, I swiped a little portion with my finger anyway and hesitantly ventured a taste. Lo and behold! I forgot how durian could taste so exquisite. The moment it touched my tastebuds, any memory of the dreadful night was entirely wiped out! One little taste was all it took for my months of resolve to crumble.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I finished the rest of the durian in a matter of seconds, and encouraged by the smile of victory on mom's face, I shamelessly helped myself to more.<br />
<br />
And just like that, I folded like a cheap deck of cards and once again, got myself hooked on the king of fruit.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVBNOr0LHE-nlyj5V1XJim9IcHAAT5jjcD4rBmcx_PDBgqQthyZX79Z7H9eiMYVxLojo8LU6XKpk9-129WDvyPtD5hi-PbC3ph5OY5dYBuamXbI0lVBwrE8fXaWTVUVoD6VfC19b5HNg/s450/durians.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVBNOr0LHE-nlyj5V1XJim9IcHAAT5jjcD4rBmcx_PDBgqQthyZX79Z7H9eiMYVxLojo8LU6XKpk9-129WDvyPtD5hi-PbC3ph5OY5dYBuamXbI0lVBwrE8fXaWTVUVoD6VfC19b5HNg/w400-h306/durians.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br />@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-19231650135564173422018-11-17T23:09:00.007-08:002021-08-26T17:31:18.188-07:00of Lose, Loss, Lost, and Loose... Oh, the misery!<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljVTXWq_bYhxb9FAZQUXHTDwxdwmFTLPhHTRb36__Fup9H8eZhyphenhyphenHoJOL7XnM8kMnEvEwxNdahFzpoKqMqtQ44SkGDr7GoZQWuQrL0CjzwMXLqEB91Yh7GcnWD1N0CfpRfFGLTFKsDbeA/s1600/loose+tunic.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="522" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljVTXWq_bYhxb9FAZQUXHTDwxdwmFTLPhHTRb36__Fup9H8eZhyphenhyphenHoJOL7XnM8kMnEvEwxNdahFzpoKqMqtQ44SkGDr7GoZQWuQrL0CjzwMXLqEB91Yh7GcnWD1N0CfpRfFGLTFKsDbeA/s400/loose+tunic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">Wearing a supposedly </span><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 115%;">loose</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #595959;">tunic top that is in reality too tight for my liking, I tried to</span> <b><span style="color: red;">lose</span></b> <span style="color: #595959;">myself in the crowd hiding from my </span><b><span style="color: red;">loser</span></b> <span style="color: #595959;">friend, Zalore. <i>She</i></span><i> <b><u><span style="color: red;">loses</span></u></b><u><b> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">her head</span></b></u></i></span><span style="color: #595959;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> every time she sees me because I am the only friend she has. </span><span face="arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">Since the</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <b><span style="color: red;">loss</span></b> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">of her cat a month ago, poor Zalore has been like a </span><b><span style="color: red;">lost</span></b> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">soul wandering about aimlessly looking for her cat that had gotten </span><b><span style="color: red;">lost</span></b> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">while chasing a small lizard down a rabbit hole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">I’m not saying that I look like her cat. Oh! no! I’m very much a human being, thank you very much. It’s just that I had <i><u><b>a way with words</b></u></i> and I managed to convince her that she will never </span><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 115%;">lose</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">me. But if only she knew.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">I hate to break it to her but being a mere mortal, I may die soon, and that she will </span><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 115%;">lose</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #595959;">me too. But until then, I don’t want to add to her misery.</span> <span style="color: #595959;">The</span> <b><span style="color: red;">loss</span></b> <span style="color: #595959;">of her cat is enough to make her</span> <b><span style="color: red;">lose</span></b><span style="color: #595959;"> her mind, albeit until I <i><u><b>came into the picture</b></u></i>. So I really think I shouldn’t make her feel that she will </span><b><span style="color: red;">lose</span></b></span><span style="color: #595959;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> me too. Well, not so soon anyway.</span><span face="arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">I know I haven’t </span><u><b><i><span style="color: red; line-height: 115%;">lost</span></i><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: #595959;">my touch</span></span></i></b></u><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;"> when I managed to <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">talk </u>Zalore<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> out of</u> getting back with her boyfriend. You see, she had been trying to</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <b><i><u><span style="color: red;">lose</span></u></i><i><u> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">herself in her sorrow</span></u></i></b><span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;"> by eating ice-cream every single day. That was until she <i><u><b>caught sight</b></u></i> of her ex-boyfriend last week. Suddenly, she had been having this crazy idea that it's time for them to <b><i><u>pick up where they had left off</u></i>. </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">She seemed to forget that her ex-boyfriend had <i><u><b>cut himself </b></u></i></span><b><i><u><span style="color: red; line-height: 115%;">loose</span></u></i></b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: #595959;">f</span></span></i><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;">rom</span><span style="color: #595959; line-height: 115%;"> her over a year ago. How many times Zalore had </span><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 115%;">lost</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">her memory about a simple thing like that, I have </span><b><span style="color: red;">lost</span></b> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">count. She’s fond of mourning her</span> <b><span style="color: red;">loss</span></b> <span style="color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #595959; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=65000 lumo=35000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 166;">by turning to the very people who had<b> <i><u>cut her</u></i></b></span><u><b> <span style="color: red; font-style: italic;">loose</span></b></u><span style="color: #595959;"><span style="color: #595959;"><u> </u>from their life. Maybe she didn't get the memo that if someone had <u><i><b>cut you </b></i></u></span><b><span style="color: red;"><u><i>loose</i></u></span></b><span style="color: #595959;">, that means they want nothing to do with you, ever.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959;">Be that as it may, I will try not to make Zalore's sense of </span><b><span style="color: red;">loss</span></b> <span style="color: #595959;">become worse. Being a good friend that I am, I will stick by her <i><u><b>through thick and thin</b></u></i> no matter what it takes, even at the expense of </span><span style="color: red;"><b><i><u>losing</u></i></b></span><span style="color: #595959;"><i><u><b> my own mind</b></u></i> (Just kidding! Of course, I won't let it reach that point. God forbid!) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959;"><br /></span></span> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #595959;">And to prevent her from suffocating herself to death in her skin-tight top, maybe I should advise her to start wearing </span><b><span style="color: red;">loose</span></b><span style="color: #595959;"> clothing. Well, that is if Zalore hasn't </span><span style="color: red;"><b>lost</b></span><span style="color: #595959;"> her sense of humor too. Don't think she's going to take too kindly to my unsolicited advice. It's worth a try, though. It's not like I have anything to </span><b><span style="color: red;">lose,</span><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></b></span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="color: #595959;">have I?</span></span></div>
@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-64209660934582504472018-10-15T23:24:00.003-07:002021-08-26T17:34:19.641-07:00The Story: a scarf, a present wrapped very poorly, a kiss V2<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Version 2</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnWsZMbIns9S1xrcR9_0ifqDVZVSpKX45bkxfZwXIsrHkZ_JDeHFGbA8LfiQ_brzuBkS67OuXdSstP8CZltFh1VID3qf9YJ6ohc4F0Yapyn9mzexgciKpMTN06uXZzdsZ9yJyQr-nWN8/s1600/newsprintwrapping.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnWsZMbIns9S1xrcR9_0ifqDVZVSpKX45bkxfZwXIsrHkZ_JDeHFGbA8LfiQ_brzuBkS67OuXdSstP8CZltFh1VID3qf9YJ6ohc4F0Yapyn9mzexgciKpMTN06uXZzdsZ9yJyQr-nWN8/s400/newsprintwrapping.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Emma, dressed to the nines in a tight black dress, sashayed through the entrance of the hotel. With a red scarf tied around her waist and red stiletto shoes adorning her feet, Emma looked simply stunning.</div>
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As she strutted down the lobby to the reception area, all heads turned her way. Even the group of men seated at the far corner of the lobby couldn't help but did a double, triple take as she passed by their lounging area. She was that gorgeous!<br />
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Feeling like a million dollars from all that attention, she almost tripped on her feet. Mentally admonishing herself, she put on an air of fake confidence as she strode to the reception area.<br />
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She wouldn't allow such train of thoughts derail her from getting her hands on the priceless diamonds. She knew one tiny mistake is all it takes to throw a wrench in her plans. And she just couldn't afford that. Not now. Not ever.<br />
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After collecting her key card from the reception, she took a tentative step before picking up her pace as she walked to the elevator. Once she rounded the corner and was out of sight, she darted to the opposite end of the staircase where a door leading to a secret room was located.<br />
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By the time she reached the door, she was a bundle of nerves that she needed a minute to catch her breath. Clammy hands wouldn't do her good in breaking and entering. After she had calmed down enough, she took out a bobby pin from her hair and started picking the door lock. Like clockwork, the door unlocked with a click.<br />
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to be continued....@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-82321308070748650072018-10-15T22:16:00.006-07:002022-02-23T20:34:38.408-08:00The Story: a scarf, a present, a kiss<div class="MsoNormal">
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Version 1<br />
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Sashaying through the entrance of the hotel in a tight black dress, Emma cut a stunning figure. A scarf in red bold print tied around her waist and a pair of matching red stiletto shoes on her feet completed her look.<br />
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All heads turned her way as she strutted across the lobby to the reception area. A group of men engaged in a discussion at the far corner of the lobby did a double take as she passed by their lounging area.<br />
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If she wasn't on a mission right now, she would have felt like a million dollars from all the attention she's getting. But before she got too carried away by her foolish thoughts she mentally kicked herself. It put paid to her vain thoughts while reminding herself that this was indeed a serious mission. It's so serious that she could not afford even one tiny mistake. One minor slip-up and 'poof!' all her dreams would vanish into thin air. <br />
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Having collected her key card from the reception, she made her way to the elevator but as she rounded the corner, she made a mad dash for the opposite end of the staircase where a door leading to a secret room was located.<br />
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Stopping to catch her breath, she tried calming down her nerves. She waited a whole minute before reaching up into her hair to retrieve a bobby pin. Having mastered the art of breaking and entering, she picked the door lock without even breaking a sweat. Not five seconds later, the door unlocked with a click.<br />
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Prying the door open and hazarding a peek, she expected the room to be in total darkness but was surprised to see a stream of light had already lit up the room. It was bright enough that she was momentarily blinded.<br />
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Walking further into the room, her gaze accidentally fell on a package that looked like a present wrapped very poorly in an old newspaper. She picked it up and was about to stash it inside her bag when she suddenly heard the door creaked open.<br />
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She quickly turned around. Before she could even move further, a man she'd never seen before was standing a few steps away from her, blocking the doorway. His eyes were trained on her as he lifted a corner of his lips in a smirk. He gave her a once over and the gleam in his eyes and the smirk that had broadened into a smile told her that he liked what he saw.<br />
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She would have been vain enough to think that he was flirting with her if not for the look on his face. He seemed smug, too smug. Just like the cat that had just eaten the canary. And just from that look, her internal alarm went off. It occurred to her that he must have also known about the secret package. Suddenly, feeling drained and numbed, all fight left her body and she was glued to the spot.<br />
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As if under a spell, she remained paralyzed and rendered speechless. Even when the man was slowly closing the distance between them, all she could do was gape at him as her jaw dropped all the way to the floor, whether in awe, shock or terror, she had no idea.<br />
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Gazing into her eyes, he unfolded her fingers one by one as he plucked the poorly wrapped package out of her clutch. Only once the package was secured in his hands, did he turn away to make his exit.<br />
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Pulling the door open, he was about to dart out the door before he stopped short and turned around once more. As he looked at her for the last time, he threw her a disarming smile and blew her a kiss. And in the blink of an eye, he was out the door, blended into the darkness and disappeared.<br />
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Even in his wake, she almost melted into a puddle, no thanks to his disarming smile still lingering in her head. But the piercing sound of an alarm reverberating in the building jolted her into action. She abandoned her shoes and bolted out the door. Rushing out through the back exit, she broke into a sprint and was never to be seen again.<br />
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@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-54476761433079731352018-07-13T06:41:00.003-07:002021-08-26T17:34:47.556-07:00The Purchase I Regret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhMViiaRE_KcooRP-GvdZAMTalqkClKQfVUW6unjtkQr26bpbtjQri1cigHElUWQ_9D8YIZOGilfNWRArzxI5aOREBRE_gMSnIOZ0jvSsBnokA1-CSUSV_G6rFS3hhcJIdFawt-Yo3xM/s1600/s-l225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhMViiaRE_KcooRP-GvdZAMTalqkClKQfVUW6unjtkQr26bpbtjQri1cigHElUWQ_9D8YIZOGilfNWRArzxI5aOREBRE_gMSnIOZ0jvSsBnokA1-CSUSV_G6rFS3hhcJIdFawt-Yo3xM/s320/s-l225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Before I launched off on a tangent again, let's talk about today's topic.<br />
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Talking about the purchase I regret, I must admit I had made many such purchases in the past. One of them was purchasing Korean silk at a time when it was all the rage back in the 1990s.<br />
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I remember spending thousands of ringgit on the fabrics alone. Even when I had not much cash on me I would go for broke and take out my savings or use my credit card just to get my hands on them. If I took into account the amount I had to fork out to get those fabrics custom made into <i>baju kurung</i> and <i>baju kebaya</i>, that would add at least another thousand ringgit to the overall cost.<br />
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Yet after spending an obscene amount of money to own them, I was frequently left disappointed when one after another of the custom made clothes didn't fit me well. The cut was either lopsided or the seams were untidy and crooked. It turned out that not every dressmaker had enough equipment nor skill in making <i>baju kebaya</i> from fabrics made of silk.<br />
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Some of the custom-made <i>baju kebaya</i> made me look downright ugly that I refused to wear them. To assuage my guilt though, I stashed them at the back of my wardrobe with the promise that I would get them altered someday and that one day they would be good enough to be wearable again.<br />
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Alas, it was just a fad and before long, nobody cared about Korean silk anymore. Soon, I too had to discard all of my Korean silk.<br />
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Thus, it goes without saying that buying Korean silk had indeed been one of the purchases that I most regretted. If I hadn't splurged on them, I could have had a sizeable saving by now.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">07.03.2018</span>@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-81926578350313432222018-01-13T18:11:00.003-08:002021-08-26T17:31:45.726-07:00Words on the LOOSE<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
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<br />The other day I wanted to put up a post about the words LOSE and LOOSE.<br /><br />As I did my research though, my mind veered off on a tangent and produced a poem instead, <br />if it could be called that. Pffttt!</div>
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Ah well, as part of wordplay I'd say it deserves to take up space here. Who knows, it might give<br />me ideas for future blog posts.<br /><div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
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Till then, enjoy reading, or not.<br /><br /><i>guess what I heard on the news<br />a guy drank too much booze<br /><br />came in with no shoes<br />for the scheduled interviews<br /><br />no one accepted his excuse<br />he had everything to lose<br /></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><i><br /> he let his tongue loose<br />lashing out words in profuse<br />at a lady with a bruise<br /><br />later leveled with an accuse<br />he is now held for abuse<br /><br />a bystander who’s a recluse<br />eyes wide shut, she’s no obtuse<br /><br />lying in wait, she stews<br />sure nice if there's some juice<br /><br />her detective skill needs no introduce<br />proof of misdeed, she will produce</i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-78288449079164485412017-12-31T05:47:00.000-08:002021-08-26T17:31:42.950-07:00The Dominating Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl1Q1hCQnLwUh6c6foAfx_1ydGanhfx1RB7e2C_qpx3hGTF4EfMI6xprNQdFKnnZuH92TzlI2kIsftR2khHaClm1WFRQK-t4ev2Y_DAglPJprpwCORD_XrcIqRiCQ-kbUS-4wJqVUYnk/s1600/expressitwrite_electric+cooker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl1Q1hCQnLwUh6c6foAfx_1ydGanhfx1RB7e2C_qpx3hGTF4EfMI6xprNQdFKnnZuH92TzlI2kIsftR2khHaClm1WFRQK-t4ev2Y_DAglPJprpwCORD_XrcIqRiCQ-kbUS-4wJqVUYnk/s400/expressitwrite_electric+cooker.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<br />
This is what entails when you let the fear of a certain small creature dominate your life:<br />
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1. Every little noise strikes fear into your heart. Even the sound of the fridge breathing makes you jump out of your skin in terror while almost giving you a heart attack.<br />
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2. You fear to venture into your own kitchen alone without anyone tagging along as your bodyguard - or in this case, a buffer whom you'd most likely push towards the offending creature (on the off chance that it comes out of hiding) as you beat a hasty retreat out of the kitchen.<br />
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3. You stopped cooking for as long as you suspect the little creature is still roaming around the kitchen. The image of the ugly furry thing climbing up your leg while you're busy cooking is enough to make you swear off being anywhere near the kitchen, let alone near the stove underneath which you suspect the tiny creature is making itself a nice, cozy home.<br />
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4. It becomes an absolute must to store all food and garbage in the fridge. Yes, that includes garbage too. Along with the good food, all to be discarded food shall also take up residence in the fridge until the next time you remember to throw them out.<br />
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5. You will never ever dare walk into the kitchen barefoot again. No knee-high boots to fend off any attacks - imagined or otherwise? No worries, walking with each leg in a knee-deep bucket will still do the trick.<br />
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6. You can't help but make weird loud noises before entering the kitchen - one you hope would scare away the creature into hiding and thus spare you from any unwanted sightings of its ugly furry self.<br />
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7. Finally, it gives you a silly excuse to buy a portable electric cooktop.<br />
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Tadaa! Cool, huh? Now you can cook wherever and whenever you want: in the tv room while watching some commercials, the dining room just before dinner time or even in your bedroom at midnight - just so long as the cooking is not done in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
And what's more? The cooktop doesn't cost a fortune as I initially thought. Nor does it consume as much energy as the conventional oven or rice cooker.<br />
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Now, that's saying a lot!@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-41572840361875482192017-12-12T00:15:00.006-08:002021-08-26T17:34:48.929-07:00What Do You Mean?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZXZPD12ea-pFit0cYil-7fUSa0xSjNSwNcDNbI_hZlWAIfDM8WjcTvp6orfc1oBatNiyHS5KbtLs-GGcRCtH2mwfG871VH6J1Zz859byDKyLUIaAGAuRYRpsTP3OXkZraq6ZjfqeNjA/s1037/meaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="1037" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZXZPD12ea-pFit0cYil-7fUSa0xSjNSwNcDNbI_hZlWAIfDM8WjcTvp6orfc1oBatNiyHS5KbtLs-GGcRCtH2mwfG871VH6J1Zz859byDKyLUIaAGAuRYRpsTP3OXkZraq6ZjfqeNjA/w320-h138/meaning.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">if it's <i>meant</i> to be<br />by any <i>means</i><br />you'll get beyond<br />a mere <i>mean</i><br /><br />yet the <i>means</i> to get there<br />is no <i>mean</i> feat<br />making the deal<br /><i>mean</i> so much<br />more <i>meaning</i>ful<br />and less <i>meaning</i>less<br /><br /></span>@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-48990958141136904492017-09-14T05:35:00.008-07:002021-11-30T17:27:14.134-08:00dear precious gems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxDXYAmp9eVlsquPAgb6OuVfBZkhyFC0C78TOQUf2h6IlSfToR9B8JFI3ys4DFrTYltrqHfDD9eWxg4M9cFX6qPYa4B-WXi35oYgWRLdsQ-RUMF9W-d_IBByD1VH-uFmDgCZe2UGE2Us/s1600/kids-and-technology.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="849" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxDXYAmp9eVlsquPAgb6OuVfBZkhyFC0C78TOQUf2h6IlSfToR9B8JFI3ys4DFrTYltrqHfDD9eWxg4M9cFX6qPYa4B-WXi35oYgWRLdsQ-RUMF9W-d_IBByD1VH-uFmDgCZe2UGE2Us/s400/kids-and-technology.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /><i>
This poem was penned down after observing that children of these days are too invested in activities that are of no value.</i><br />
<br />
my dear precious gems<br />
so you're into tunes, films and games<br />
spending hours, money and worry<br />
then and again, times too many<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
but word to the wise<br />
they aren't not a vice<br />drawing you in with lies<br />
turning men into mice<br />
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you're taken in by the unworthy<br />
paying mind to trend and beauty<br />
have you lost sight<br />
of your real fight?<br />
<br />
you commit no crime<br />
when idling away time?<br />
when awaits you is the task<br />
you have yet to unmask<br />
<br />
now you should worry<br />
and be truly sorry<br />
it's growingly clear<br />
time to fear is near<br />
<br />
worthy of grave concern<br />
though you've yet to discern<br />
high time to be awoke<br />
because it's no joke<br />
<br />
cease frittering time away<br />
with pointless play<br />
indeed life is short<br />
why is it then left to rot?<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">14.09.2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span face=""helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #8c8c8c; font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">Image Source: http://www.betterparenting.com/do-your-kids-need-rules-for-phones-and-computers/</span></span>@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-50393775893999557592017-08-19T23:55:00.002-07:002021-08-26T17:34:55.680-07:00Bore, bored or boring books?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPNEbD7heq-88XvhOohPztEfkHpc4cQvbUTUj5Dr7PDBoO9ETifKVgu66GjLLrSfmhayS6p1QPAIDig2QFxh_3H5FGE5bI3OSuP36hyUuwvkKYyBksaH0YP1PkhiRPYbWqDJ-QOh2SeQ/s1600/writing-roller-coaster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPNEbD7heq-88XvhOohPztEfkHpc4cQvbUTUj5Dr7PDBoO9ETifKVgu66GjLLrSfmhayS6p1QPAIDig2QFxh_3H5FGE5bI3OSuP36hyUuwvkKYyBksaH0YP1PkhiRPYbWqDJ-QOh2SeQ/s400/writing-roller-coaster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQemHdlKa055OyOa5dQiQQbzhfYtmKDFcQSyM9kxat8SWhFnWHQe_HRklx0VCRjtPg4ANTGy_MWoctcSTNgDe8KG52G7NM0SuVWkYbLLX9CxRRU_UdQS2Knj1RqppUPDIL-BPVgTys8XE/s1600/i+tab+vs+books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When writing, it's not limited to grammar, y'all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What if the writing makes sense, is grammatically correct down to the minutest detail but the content is blargh😝, rigid, boring stiff 😵and makes you wanna doze off 😴while not even trying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Its monotonous tone (*yawn*) carries no weight nor voice. There's no beat nor rhythm, no roller coaster ride that brings you up and down through words that thrill and shrill, or an undulating current of words that zaps you to </span>life<span style="background-color: transparent;"> and hits you like a ton of bricks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The prose remains plain and falls down flat, splat on its face. It stays night time with no chance of seeing daylight, it's prolonged winter with no summer in sight. Let alone ending winter first with spring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In short, it's B.O.R.I.N.G.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now what?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Chuck the book, stop reading it and just go to sleep already!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-16097881014835426722016-08-15T16:49:00.002-07:002021-08-26T17:31:54.195-07:00Just Write Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17Wb32-vSEQsKwX6Pi5dePnAfzD6dL-ymLEd1mexzp6Fn6JeNNCi6yLk-0wzVAA6t29cpr4PXGM5_rdU8RR_9T4My5k8MNYAZubNtOrSuglbCZFqfnXBj1YXXj-Erhpr2mwByc7QDf60/s1600/crazy+writer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17Wb32-vSEQsKwX6Pi5dePnAfzD6dL-ymLEd1mexzp6Fn6JeNNCi6yLk-0wzVAA6t29cpr4PXGM5_rdU8RR_9T4My5k8MNYAZubNtOrSuglbCZFqfnXBj1YXXj-Erhpr2mwByc7QDf60/s320/crazy+writer.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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Whatever is your motivation for writing,<br />
one of the reasons is to get your voice heard.<br />
And one of the ways to do that is by putting pen to paper.<br />
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No, you don't have to literally shout.<br />
No, you don't even have to open your mouth.<br />
Just let your fingers do the talking.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">However you want to express yourself,</span></div>
if you want to get your message across,<br />
you must express yourself correctly with impact and clarity.</div>
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There is just no other way.<br />
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So what are you waiting for?<br />
Start writing, now! <br />
Just remember to... Express yourself right, loud & clear...<br /></div>
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@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-5691586945400105572016-07-27T05:39:00.003-07:002021-11-30T17:26:26.949-08:00Not a single tear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv382tFPpQbciiugqscKfpLERE_qmfaAyGgrKzZ6jIQvnC4gWgB0D9WNJplCQvL3-131My_2ykY1bD7LGH2xdW83brIRha8VmdHF4Kswq6va6TIG86wAW7MdgaH0FZWSKhzAzofAxdLGM/s1600/5048a14f20161.image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="420" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv382tFPpQbciiugqscKfpLERE_qmfaAyGgrKzZ6jIQvnC4gWgB0D9WNJplCQvL3-131My_2ykY1bD7LGH2xdW83brIRha8VmdHF4Kswq6va6TIG86wAW7MdgaH0FZWSKhzAzofAxdLGM/s200/5048a14f20161.image.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br /><i>
Capturing heavy emotion through poetry makes more impact.<br />
<br />So this poem was produced after watching a movie about love and fidelity.</i><br />
<br />
Not a single tear<br />
You let shed for him<br />
The one you had lost<br />
At long last was unveiled<br />
Had never been yours<br />
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Words of affection<br />
Uttered in abundance<br />
But words remain words<br />
Only of sweet nothings<br />
When not from the heart<br />
And the eyes revealed otherwise<br />
<br />
When there's no affection<br />
That binds his heart to yours<br />
So easily, with no remorse<br />
So readily, with no recourse<br />
He breached the trust<br />
And broke your heart<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">27.07.2016</span><br />
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@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5186620760501229600.post-45112709968640029852016-07-17T22:26:00.000-07:002021-08-26T17:32:03.365-07:00Crazy Writer Syndrome?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-o8lNDs2_emHkYYbHcHu-GJtqvSL9LVn2tV1ZzYm7i8TjmHsEi-t8lu65WR-6MtMQCu02X_BaGUZnjFtP34BWOuxDXRmEexStAG3uWQt61REtk6U1hUJEOC9MhaxGPn5vliSYYu3gtE/s1600/insane+writer+cartoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-o8lNDs2_emHkYYbHcHu-GJtqvSL9LVn2tV1ZzYm7i8TjmHsEi-t8lu65WR-6MtMQCu02X_BaGUZnjFtP34BWOuxDXRmEexStAG3uWQt61REtk6U1hUJEOC9MhaxGPn5vliSYYu3gtE/s400/insane+writer+cartoon.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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We writers are insane. We claim to be in love with the written words. We scrutinize and analyze every single word while agonizing over the exact words to use.<br /><br />Most times, when we are about to write, we lose our ideas and tend to fall all over ourselves when we're hit by what every writer fears - the writer’s block.</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />The odd thing is though when we are doing something not related to writing like while we're vacuuming the floor while cooking, even while eating our ideas are all of a sudden on a roll. <br /><br />One idea after another bombards our mind, unbridled, giving itself free rein clamouring for attention.<br /><br />As if on a rampage and unstoppable, they deluge our minds with fleeting inspiration.<br /><br />They persistently invade our minds demanding that we give them immediate attention and will not stop until we write them down.<br /><br />But the moment we manage to find time to put our ideas on paper, or on the digital screen, the ideas somehow escape us.<br /><br />That is when we hastily rush to capture those ideas and scramble to get them all down in writing as much as we can.<br /><br />Yet after we're done and about to push the publish button, we snatch it away even before anyone else has the chance to read them. <br /><br />At the back of our minds, we have the feeling that we are still not good enough. <br /><br />We tell ourselves, maybe one day we will share our work - when our writing has become impeccable or when our writing has become perfect. <br /><br /><br />Yet we can’t help but wonder if that perfection is ever going to turn into reality. Finally, after we have withdrawn ourselves one time too many, we share them anyway.</div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">17072016</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">10.26 pm</span><o:p></o:p></div>
@expressitwritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11439524757452752201noreply@blogger.com