You know I love horror movies and of course I must watch the sequel to Munafik!
Syamsul Yusof made a name for himself with Khurafat, a movie that in my opinion really turned around the Malaysian movie industry.
Category / Everything Else Under The Sun
In the Movies: Dukun
I was 20 years old when Dain Said’s Dukun first made its rounds in the Malaysian horror scene. The fabulous Umie Aida (now Datin Paduka), playing the role of a dukun, in a movie loosely based on the high profile murders involving Mona Fandey and politician Dato Mazlan Idris.
As a society that loves gossip and intrigue, this movie is GOLD.
Sadly, it was not released 12 years ago. It waited 12 years to stew, embroiled in censorship and sensitivity, and finally today, barutah we get to see!
I completely understand the need for the ban. The topic bears likeness to a case that gripped Malaysia, and Brunei (even though I was so young that time), by the sheer horror. I remember as a child reading the details of the gruesome murder. I don’t believe the family of all involved would be thrilled now the case is yet again the du jour sensational topic of the moment.
However, I am here to talk about: is the movie worth the 12 year hype? Spoilers ahead.
In the Movies: Joko Anwar’s Pengabdi Setan
Oh boy, I love my horror movies. In fact I pretty much only exclusively watch horror movies.
I don’t know what it is: the adrenaline rush, the suspense, the crazy makeup, or what?
Anyway, after IT this was my first foray to the cinema for a horror movie.
I LOVE IT.
But first:
If you are planning to watch the latest version of Pengabdi Setan, I recommend you watch the older version first!
Here, I’ll wait.
The 1980s version is a highly meme-able movie, with memorably corny lines and superficial storyline which is much like most horror movies in the era.
In fact, I find it iconic of the era – the non stop on screen smoking (perhaps a heavy sponsorship from Djarum?), the cars and the house, the party Rita attended (in true 70s style), Darminah’s krebo hair, the blatant disregard of Islamic values and the comically frequent closeups!
If nothing, the movie imprints our mind with the first 10 minutes showing Muslim funeral proceedings in full detail.
It’s a movie worthy of the 80s. More importantly, it sets the background for the current version.
The current version of Pengabdi Setan is not a continuation of it, but rather a reboot. What that means basically u don’t need to watch the old one to understand the new, but there are certain parts of the movie you catch where it is an homage to the old version.
I caught some noteworthy ones:
SPOILER ALERT! BANYAK SPOILER BERABIS DI DUNIA! DAN GAMBAR BARITAKUT!
Choose to be Happy
Today I found an article about choosing to be happy:
Sebenarnya, bahagia tidaklah butuh alasan. Kamu bahagia karena kamu ingin bahagia. Kamu tidak bahagia karena kamu tidak ingin bahagia. Sesederhana itu. Kamulah satu-satunya orang yang memegang kendali atas perasaanmu, jangan biarkan kebahagiaanmu terpatok pada seseorang atau sesuatu.
Roughly translated, it means,
“Happiness does not need a reason. You are happy because you want/choose to be happy. You are unhappy because you choose to be unhappy. It’s as simple as that. You are the only one driving/controlling your state of happiness, and it is not dependent on someone or something.”
I find that so beautiful and deep in its simplicity.
How to choose to be happy? By being content and grateful.
Surely if one is never grateful then, she can have a million things from her list of wants and can never be satisfied.
Alternatively if you have nothing, yet you are grateful in your nothingness- you are choosing to be happy. In some magical way, you are strangely fulfilled in your state of incompleteness.
Happiness should not be pegged to something that may or may not happen, something that have or have not happenned.
Happiness should be free from material.
It should exist from within you. It is your choice.
You are the driver of your own happiness.
5 Things They Do in a Facial
To be honest I am a new facial convert. I am not a fan of people touching my face and lying in bed for a long time hanya untuk di seksa hahaa. But I did some work for a spa last year and it included doing a deep cleansing facial.
IMMEDIATELY after the facial, I noticed my skin felt softer, much like a baby’s butt! But the best part was for a few weeks after the facial, my skin was glowing and radiant.
I WAS HOOKED! Siapa jua nda mau lawa?!!
Eversince then, facial is a regular part of my beauty routine. And I really highly recommend it to all you ladies (and gents!) yang mau lawa and kerapian macam aku.
So if you are new to the whole facial routine, here is basically what it entails:
1. DEEP CLEANING
I can tell u the aesthetician (yakni this is what u call a person who does your facial) will seriously clean you up.
Because of this, I feel it’s best to do a facial at the end of a work day, before you go home to wind down. Suruh amah saja masak atau tapau ok. Lapas facial jangantah sibuk2 kan masak. Hubby hubby bah please apa jua sebulan sekali. All women need maintenance ok!
2. SCRUBBING
Yes they will apply a scrub to exfoliate all the dead skin cells that built up from your daily activities. After the scrub, usually I can immediately see my skin looking more bright.
Why don’t the scrubs we use at home have this effect? I really dunno?!
3. EXTRACTION
At the hand of an unskilled aesthetician, this is painful!!! Basically she will extract blackheads to keep your pores clean and prevent acne so make sure u find an aesthetician with a gentle hand.
In some places, before extraction, they steam your face for a few minutes to “open up” your pores. Some aestheticians say it’s not necessary.
To some, it can get uncomfortable so if you are one of those people, do specify that you don’t want the steam.
4. MASK
Depending on the condition of your skin, there will be a mask applied. I’ve seen a mud mask, cream masks, gel masks, depending on your skin’s needs.
By the way, my aesthetician recommends to use masks at home 2x a week to preserve your post-facial glow.
5. FACE MASSAGE
Some places have machines to massage your face- they range from simply improve blood circulation, to stimulating collagen production. Some just zap away bacteria that promotes acne… some have lifting and whitening function. Some are just cool to see hahaha.
Looks like a karaoke machine hahaa…
But face massage can also be done by a skilled aesthetician with her hands, more often for a lifting effect.
While I don’t enjoy people touching my face, I’ve grown to find it very nyaman!
******
This week I actually did a hydrating facial in a new salon called The Beauty Spot and I LOVE IT! Siuk, lawa dan nyaman the place.
Check out my video below!
Treatments are varied from hydrating, deep cleansing, to lifting and whitening and they even have a machine that supposedly sculpts much like botox. 😱😱😱
It’s definitely the best time to go try out a facial cause for your first treatment, you get 50% discount!
For more info, check out their Instagram – @thebeautyspotbn.
Eggs!
No one would believe it but it happened!
A hen SAT ON MY CAR AND LAID! EGGS!
In every literal sense! Like literally laid eggs.
You get what I mean??? EGGS!!!!
AND THIS! It laid 2 eggs on my dad’s car.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!
It is confirmed I am living in a kampong.
Why would this hen even think that it’s an appropriate place to lay an egg?
Annoyingly now my car has marks on it and I am certainly not amused. I will eat her family as revenge.
Actually no, scratch that (pun), I am pretty amused hahahahahahahha!!!
BTW these hens belongs to my neighbours and everyday I have seen them pecking around our property/estate but never thought that they would actually come and decide to repay us hahaa.
Thank you hens we will keep your free range eggs.
Guess what I’ll be having for breakfast?
*photos are for illustration only hahaa… My mum reenacted the scene but those are real actual eggs from the hens!!!!!
Maurina & Hazidiee’s Wedding 3.3.13
Ok so I haven’t really blogged about only THE most important happening in my life – my wedding. So as you know, I finally got hitched with my favourite person in the world back in March. I guess I’ve blogged about some of the few things I did for the preparations. Nothing major haha.
We kept as much tradition as we could, but as I’m from Tutong, we didn’t really have a million functions or traditions to follow and GD’s family is pretty chill. So was able to keep it quite minimal.
(This post was edited because somehow the images would not appear so I replaced them with new pictures)
ENGAGEMENT 13.1.13
(Pictures unavailable for now – let me find them first 😭😭)
Ok technically this is not an engagement ceremony per se. It’s basically his family came over to my house to ask formally for my hand in marriage and also so my family can communicate to them our “demands” (highly orchestrated – since we started planning the wedding since March 2012 haha).
But it’s nice to have a party at the house and see my cousins. Essentially this is my mum’s gig – she ran the show. We prepared food, doorgifts, and I dressed up too.
Doorgifts are my Mum’s homemade manisan made with love. Hehe.
Served food, catered by my sister’s sister in law’s friend. LOL. Information given to me was quite vague. But the food was excellent and they even covered our table. Haha.
While they were preparing downstairs, I was busy camwhoring upstairs. Wore a Cotton On Chiffon Blouse with some shoulder studs and a silver skirt I made during previous hari raya. Also wore my late grandmother’s silver belt and my hair up in a bun like how she used to do.
Also, wore a pair of Pearl Studs, which GD bought for me long time ago when we both started dating. ❤
Worth mentioning that my late grandmother was a very tiny woman so sometimes when I’m sitting down I cannot breathe haha.
Believe it or not this is my ONLY full length photo.
So his family came, discussed me for 5 minutes and the demands (permintaan). The rest of the time I think they were discussing stuff like how they know each other…… I’m not really sure.
So the permintaan are as below:
SO this is why I say it’s not really an engagement per se. Cause these demands haven’t been fulfilled. Haha. So they will be delivered on my Nikah. So I was engaged for like…20 minutes. Haha.
NIKAH 1.3.13
The Nikah is what I would describe as as a flurry of activities. We did it at Masjid Al Ameerah Al Hajjah Maryam, Jerudong Park. This event is hosted by GD’s family.
Here is the to-do list.
- I had to get ready at home, do my makeup and look pretty.
- Guests go directly to the venue. Most of my family will be there as well, to welcome guests.
- My sister who is in charge of the hantarans, have to be there early, so she can arrange and coordinate.
- I’m supposed to follow my dad and wait in the car until such time I am summoned.
- Will then wait in the small room where women pray.
My sister doing assistant duties 😂
Obligatory hand bouquet shot. Made by yours truly. This is while waiting at the small prayer room.
In the mean time, the entourage outside discussed my hantarans.
Then when all is well, and accounted for, the men came in and asked Dad and me to sign documents.
Then they went out and I was summoned outside to the big hall to sit on the most uncomfortable cushion in the world.
After about 30 minutes, the wedding vows starts. Here is GD in his big shining moment. And there I was, cannot feel my legs. Or butt.
After akad nikah, yeayyyyy. We’re married! He can touch my forehead!!! Haha.
Also I can finally wear my BEAUTIFUL RINGS!!!!!!!
Then it was photo session time and then hurried home cause… I need to be scrubbed, again, by the Pengangun.
I really love the Masjid Jerudong venue plus lots of beautiful foliage outside to make beautiful photos. Plus they have chairs and tables for borrowing and no tents needed!
RECEPTION 3.3.13
Reception or my Bersanding is done at a non-conventional venue.
It’s also a super small wedding (with only 400 guests – 200 from my side and 200 from groom side). I wanted a small, intimate ceremony with my very favourite and my closest family who knows me so well (no one even questioned the venue).
Growing up in Danau, I was always surrounded by beaches and trees. So I am really crazy about beaches and the thought of doing a wedding in a big stuffy hall makes me feel suffocated.
Furthermore it’s a March wedding, the monsoon rains are gone, and we have windy mornings (boy was it windy!). I wanted to incorporate a beach, the waves and beautiful sky into the most important day in my life.
To tell u the truth, it really wasn’t that hard. Everything remains the same as a normal wedding you generally experience in a hall, but just…on a beach. So the concept really is a Malay wedding concept, bringing us back to those days when remember how we used to have weddings outside?
Parking was plenty, as my wedding was at 8am in the morning!
Yes 8am!!! I had to wake up at 430am that day to do lulur, mandi bunga and all that, and then do makeup at home, and by 7am was already at the venue, where my hairdresser was waiting to do my hair.
My eyes was so watery and very difficult to draw on my eyeliner and put on fake lashes. Haha!
[Edit 3.3.2019] FYI for all my events I did my own makeup – the beginning of a slippery slope and now I am a makeup addict.
Imagine this setting with some Bebel Gilberto Samba playing in the background. I’ve put the playlist myself so if you were there that was all my FAVOURITE love songs ever.
It was such a beautiful day!
Meanwhile I was in the main building getting ready and having laughs with friends who came to visit and have breakfast!
My dress was a konon Elie Saab lookalike.
Back at the venue, guests were already starting to trickle in. (I know cause I get to see all these photos on the Wedding Party app)
The Reception Table – is where you “sign in” & receive doorgifts but I seem to not be able to find any pics.
Then it was time for me to walk down the aisle! With Yuna’s Terukir di Bintang playing in the background.
Then I walked first and GD did Pusing Naga, Memecah Buluh and did the forehead thing again. Haha.
Then it was Majlis Berbasuh Kaki
Then people eat and then we sat and took photos?
I also had wedding singers!
And finally personally said goodbye to everyone who took the time to come. ❤
I love the photobooth – I think my guests had fun 🥰
So fun!
So from the bottom of my heart thank you so much for coming to my wedding and most importantly thank you so much for participating- whether with your roles or by dressing up in your assigned colour!
