money, money, money

now that i'm in the process of buying a house, i find myself literally scrutinising my payslip - the monthly income tax deduction, and all. i even had migraines after doing and redoing the budget, to fit in all the loans and payments to be made once i start paying the Government loan. it got so bad that i was even contemplating of switching from City to a Myvi. a big difference, huh?

oh yes, i sighed. and i lamented of how i'm going to miss all those lovely times when i spent money on unnecessary things. committing yourself to buying a property makes you think closely of where your money goes. i don't even know how i'm going to survive, since i'm buying a house at a later age, but then at least i should be thankful that i'm buying a house when i already have a nice comfortable car and some furniture. i should see the world as half full instead of half empty right?

but anyway, i'm excited as it is and hope that i can move in soon.

hunting for a house

now that i'm back from haj, the next on my agenda is to buy a house. unfortunately though, as anyone can tell, it's not easy to find one. and when you're living in the city, finding a house on a budget is r-e-e-eally hard, especially when really nice houses can cost a bomb.

it's my dream to stay in a nice single storey terrace house in Taman Melawati, because i love the quiet and peaceful neighbourhood and it's a plus that Shidah and As are staying there.unfortunately though, i was told by an agent last week that a single storey terrace house in Taman Melawati can cost up to 400k and is a hotseller.

i went to view 2 houses in Bandar Seri Putra and Bukit Mahkota last Sunday. the first house was a 2 storey link house, and it's cheap considering that they had extended the house. but i didn't get that feeling  of "this is the house". so i asked Abg Najib to drive to the 1 storey semi d area. there's a lovely house on sale, but the price is too steep, considering that the distance to KL is around 40km (one way). i abandoned the idea of buying a house there and decided to browse through PKNS new housing projects - which, i later found out, are located at all the ceruk ulu places like tanjung malim???? and the new Alam place at Shah Alam.

i received a call from Kak Dah on Tuesday who told me that it's cheaper to buy second hand houses from the developer. i told her that i decided not to buy property near her house as it's difficult for me to commute. so Kak Dah gave this as an advice "take it as an investment". i was thinking, if i want to buy a house, it's because i want to stay in it, not to invest in it! unfortunately though, i'm no money-maker and won't know how to invest.

i'll be viewing several houses this weekend and next week, and i hope i'll be able to buy a nice, comfortable house for myself.

the first week of school

let's just say that when new year ushered in, i wasn't out celebrating. i did that in my 20s but then the only celebration i had was talking on the phone for hours i think. anyway, i was sleeping, and could hear the dum dum sounds of the fireworks. most of my friends of my age were also in bed.what does that tell you about people in their 30s?

well anyway, i only had a week of rest after returning from hajj before the official staff meeting. i didn't really suffer from jetlag, but now i can feel the aftermath of the 40 day stay - fatigue takes control of my body and i find it an ordeal to wake up early for tahajudd. going to the gym is out of the question. 

most people will ask "what's your new year resolution?" thank god nobody asked me the question, because i think new year resolutions are overrated and so blase'. you don't have to wait until the new year to change, and besides, most people don't act on the resolutions that they made.

anyway, this year i didn't get to teach the best class in form 2 which is a shame, since i know i've the skills to help them to be better speakers, readers and writers. oh well...

there's a new canteen operator this year and the food is good, which is bad news for me (in controlling what i eat). we want to hold a potluck lunch, but we've to postpone it before some people make unsavoury comments. at this time i miss teaching in Sultan Sulaiman - where organising a potluck is an art. i like having potlucks because it's the most sincere and natural way to bond with colleagues. and also you get pahala for cooking the dishes and sharing it with other people.