Dingbat

it's been a while

2011-07-02T10:45:00.001+08:00

Yeah ok so shoot me, skin me, it's Avril.
Aw c'mon, no one's too tough to bob heads to her syncopated rhythms.. Listen to it in private, if it bothers you that much.

Great running song - all poppy and filled with hooks. Makes me want to kick up some dust.

Watch her black moves in 0:17-0:18 and then it's all white in 1:00 - 1:03. I can only do the chinese move 2:21-2:22.

That guitar so horse. Strap me! Suddenly I miss mine.

.

Din din

2011-04-20T20:49:00.000+08:00

Had a lovely home cooked dinner :)
When friends feel like family
Food tastes so much better.

:-|

2011-04-16T14:58:00.000+08:00

Everything inside looks like

Everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I’ll take
And I'm on fire when You're near me.

Truer lyrics have hardly been written...

put the horse before the cart...

2011-04-16T13:50:00.000+08:00

Well, well, well.

So much has changed since I last posted. Mostly good things. The phrase "Be careful what you ask for, it might just come true" just became unsettlingly real.

I gave up a few things, and gained a few insights in exchange. Trying to readjust my strides to match a hectic(er) pace, without dropping the ball once too many. I've lost count anyway.

Looking forward to Phuket, boys and girls. If this isn't the perfect time for a relaxing getaway, I don't know when is.

Can't wait to pack. Can't wait to take off. Can't wait to feel the sand in between my toes. Can't wait to tap the cooling salt water. Can't wait to breathe in the ocean. Can't wait to get my 3rd sunburn - hopefully this one evens it out. Can't wait to talk nonsense - oh wait, we do that here too.. Can't wait!

till then, Adieu. xoxo.

h-a-p-p-y

2011-03-01T18:28:00.000+08:00

don't know why but am so swamped with work.
can't sit still.

got a nice To Do list...
1. fix radiator
2. buy tyres
3. open CDS account before dad nags me to death.
4. pick up my contacts
5. read all my cheapo books :) got 12 pre-loved books for rm50+.... not a bad haul at all.
6. go toilet
7. fill my empty fridge....maybe
8. watch a movie
9. mop the floor
10. breathe!

It's good to be alive.

the blue notebook

2011-02-16T20:17:00.001+08:00

Read The Blue Notebook in a day. I am not bored nor crazy nor on holidays...
The book deals with the very uncomfortable, stomach-churning topic of prostitutes in Mumbai.

Actually, using the term "prostitutes" is putting it mildly. At least they are paid wages.
The correct term is child sex-slaves.

Did you know there is a horror hole in Mumbai called Street of Cages?
Did you know families driven by extreme poverty would sell their daughters to "pimps"?
Did you know they can be as young as 5?
Did you know that orphan boys are dressed as girls and also subject to the flesh trade?
Did you know these little boys are MORE sought after than the little girls?
Did you know the boys who reach puberty are then castrated?

I did not know this... Apparently, this red light area is famous. It is called Street of Cages because these children are paraded in front of steel cages and lined up along the street. Men paid 20 - 100 rupees per session (rm 2 - rm 10. yes. W. T. FFFF?!) . They have an average of 20 sessions a day, per child and never see a single rupee. Even more if you are a cute little boy or a pretty girl in demand.

Before this, the pimps would auction off the child's virginity to the highest bidder. After that, they are hauled off to an orphanage where they are forced to have sex with just about anyone who wanted them, beaten up, often drugged and tortured. This breaks their spirit and coerces them into a mental submission. Most children, when let out, no longer have the sense to escape. Those who try are severely punished. And when I say severely, I mean having their vagina's sewn-shut-type-of-severe. Many die out of infection. Those who survive fetch a higher rate because they now "specialize" in anal sex. If caught a second time, they are circumsized and probably left for dead. Argh, just writing about this makes me so angry!

I only kept reading until the end to see if there is a sliver of hope for the main character.
(I won't reveal the ending, in case you'd want to read it for yourself.)
As a book, I'd rate it as an "OK". It's not the most well written book I've read.

Disturbing, to say the least. You're left with a horrified sense of rage, disbelief and indignance. It made me hate these men and their stupid putrid dicks. I wanted to pour acid into their eyes and hollow out their skulls with light sabres and feed them alive to blood thirsty leper wild pigs (mightily deformed diseased pigs are what I had in mind...) . Seriously.. little innocent children? How sickly depraved can you get?

Reading this book, I can roughly comprehend why God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gommorah by raining fire and brimstone on the whole city. Burning them all alive. (City of Sodom is how the term sodomy came about...so you can probably deduce what the people there were doing that pushed God's anger to the limit...If left up to me, I would create a special level of Hell for these men. For eternity, their penises would be put into a pencil sharperner- like device and slowly shredded into bits. Forever and ever. )

What have we become?

listen up

2011-02-01T20:47:00.000+08:00

Watched Black Swan over the weekend.

I liked the score more than the acting.

Natalie Portman, was good, however her pained+anguished expression irritated me halfway through. She has a feeble meekness to her character who is unable to stand up for herself, making me wish someone would just slap her already. So I guess she played her part well. I prefered her as the Black Swan. Sensual, powerful and mysterious. White Swan was naive and boring.

The score is just something else. Play Swan Lake loud (pls get the original score, not some radio mixed nonsense crap), especially the fourth movement ( i think), up the reverb (if you have it) and close your eyes. It is just mesmerizing. But that's just my biased opinion. I love Tchaikovsky. I don't remember when I started loving him. I just did.

I recall "borrowing" a "Tchaikovsky's Greatest Hits" cassette from my uncle. It was a compilation of all his famous music. I rationalized that I needed it more than uncle did. It was lying abandoned in the glove compartment, coverless. So I took it home and listened to it in secret, from side A to side B. Again and again.

His music is dramatic, so very over the top yet it's harmony is painfully beautiful. Each bar runs into the other until you hit 'fine' (Latin for "The End"). At some point, your heart just catches on and soars poignant with the swell and lows of it's notes. It wrests emotions you never thought you possessed. And at the echo of the last note, do not be surprised to see damp eyes and unsightly swanbumps on your limbs - whatever waggles your tail. I never known any other composer who can make me wipe away tears and not think I was plain nuts.

I simply put that down to the magic of music and the genius that was P.I. Tchaikovksy.

ps: he was gay...him and his burly moustache.

more FML

2011-01-19T19:45:00.000+08:00

I thought this was hilarious... Sounded like something someone I know would say...

Today, I went to the ER after a fall. Before the nurse did an X-Ray, she gave me a pregnancy test. It came back negative. I joked "No martians have crawled into my uterus, then?" She didn't get it, and I had my head scanned for brain trauma. Never crack a joke in a hospital. FML

Massass

2011-01-15T12:53:00.000+08:00

At Baliayu Spa Sanctuary in Bangsar... Has its usual intimate Balinese settings - bamboo, scented candles and water fountain gimmicks with Balinese music discreetly playing in the background.

The sound of trickling water makes me feel like I am in the middle of a rainforest. So I keep looking at my legs, as i always do in dark places, to check if they have turned into a Chinese banquet feast for mozzies. Force of habit. Am pleased to report there are no pesky bites to itch me incessantly. My legs live another day.

Now there are sounds of palm slaps and the unmistakeable sound of skin on skin, so i assume the manhandling torture of patrons has commenced.

Hopefully the 60 minute massage sessions gets good reports.
I will know in precisely 38 minutes time...

Number 2

2011-01-11T11:29:00.000+08:00

After my morning coffee, I always feel the urge to visit the ladies room for a "delicate session of motion movement". (In crude, uneducated boorish English, that means "take a dump")

Whilst I was happily making delightful deposits (In crude, mothertongue hokkien, that means "Pangsai-ing"), I wondered what part does coffee play in this bowel activity. Is it out of a habit, like Pavlov's dog experiments? Or was it really the smell of Arabica beans grounded into a hot steamy cup of Java?

So it was on to Wikipedia - the unverified Encyclopedia which has the bestowing, magical power to make any nose-picking moron with fingers and internet access a Deans List academic....

Caffeine, that lovely addictive ingredient in coffee beans, prompts the contraction of the muscles in your digestive tract. (It makes utmost sense to me, then, that the best coffee in the world is Kopi Luwak, made from coffee beans found in Civet cat shit. The poor Civet cat, unwittingly trapped in a viscious love-hate cycle of coffee and shit...)

"My poo is better than yours. bleh!"

Anyways, our caffeine laced intestine muscles are moved (pun intended!) to expel waste, causing the unsuspecting drinker the alarming urge to visit the nearest flushing porcelain toilet bowl.

This brings me to tomorrow's topic : Who invented toilet bowls? (I'm guessing he/she would've been an avid coffee drinker... but we'll see..)

sunny side up

2011-01-10T14:04:00.000+08:00

post holiday damage :

am shedding skin off my back like a snake with leprosy.

trying to be discreet about peeling skin from my back in broad daylight at work is quite the challenge.

i've never felt sexier :( happy Monday, everyone..

2010 + 1

2011-01-07T11:19:00.000+08:00

As 2010 slinked dejectedly away into the night, 2011 came and rudely kicked sand in my face. I take this to be a good omen of sorts. Perhaps. Thoroughly enjoyed my 2 week vacation. Ironic how I planned my annual leave right down to the last day only to have no concrete plans on how to spend it. So, a big thanks and a warm virtual bear hug to Jason for our very memorable 4D3N Langkawi trip. It was meant to be an impromptu, budget trip. However, it turned out more of the former than the latter. Final cost was approximately RM 650 :( Budget gone bad.

Langkawi was just so full of fun. Might I add that it is always fun when you are amongst friends, no matter what the decision nor where the destination. We managed to get economy seats on the north Senandung Malam train to Arau. Cheap for rm23, but it took all of 11 glorious hours to reach Kuala Perlis. Have never sat a long distance train ride. The seats were acceptable by my standards. The toilet seat, however was another story which I refuse to elaborate on. I'll let your imagination run wildly dirty here...("dirty" being the operative word) Does our urine and defecate drop directly on the tracks? Rather primitive.

Shanky doing the usual, camwhoring away

the head honco

Us standing in the train carriage looking out into the great nothingness...

Finally set foot on solid, soggy ground in Kuala Perlis in the rain and cabbed ourselves to the jetty. We were then conned by a certain En. Rosli. He was quite the glib salesman, so we took a room @ a seedy motel called CD Motel at rm100 and rented a car for 3 days @ rm200. (we tried to book ahead, however all decent places were packed out for the new year)

The Ferry ride was rm18 for 1.5hrs. Patience has never been listed in any of our virtues book, so the slow moving ferry tested my resolve as badly as my bottom was sore. I just wanted my clean bed and to rest and a hot shower. Little did I know that the worst was yet to come....

Unknown to us, CD Motel IS friggin' Tanjung Malie. *&@!((&)!!@)(*** Remember that super gross motel/shack? The hobo loving fest-nest is now renovated. However, still did not look at all stayable despite being, literally, right next to the waves. Memories of its windowless stench and insect filled bathroom came rushing back. Damn you En Rosli! I spit in what's left of your greasy hair!

It also still has that stupid warning sign "LELAKI DAN PERUMPUAN MUSLIM YANG TIDAK BERKAHWIN TIDAK DIBENARKAN SEBILIK" . (This sign certainly brought back warm thoughts of Anand and Kavitha. We miss you both. Wished you were all back in Tanjung Malie with me).

Malie No Star Shack. Enter At Own Risk

Yes, history had repeated itself. There was no way I would allow the same grubby Tanjung Malie snake bite me twice on the same butt cheek. The experience still leaves a bad taste on my tongue. Like biting into a rotten apple fished from the brown Senandung Malam toilet bowl. Yuks. An apple even worms would snub.

Oh wait, before that, we had to pick up Damian - our rental Iswara. Let me the pleasure of introducing you to Damian. We named him after the creepy devil-child from the OMEN. In fact, when we broke down the cost for Damian, it was rm66.66 per person. What are the odds?

Damian had holes in his 20 yr old cushions, cushions that look like they'd been trampled on by a hoard of horny seladang, a loud rattling engine (no matter that gear you are in), sand and dirt everywhere, windows that take ages to screen up/down, rust, a bonnet that refuses to open and weird creaking suspensions. No power steering meant curses from the driver when parellel parking. As a gift, its steering wheel was replaced with a smaller sports steering which looked like it was some toy car reject.

Damian and his best friend

Damian and his worst enemy.

Worst of all, Damian was stick. There are sticks and then there is Damian. I maintain that sticks only look good on a Volkswagen GTI. Stick means horrible start-stop-jerk-jerk-must I press the clutch now? journeys. His clutch and brake pedals felt like they were made for people with left legs transplanted from Samson himself. None of us qualify. None of us even want to qualify. So our days were peppered with cutesy little "You drive?" "No, YOU drive!" "NO, you drive" arguments.

You drive? He drove

Sticks and stones... whatever.

Anyways, my thanks to Jason for driving 80% of the time. I attempted to drive Damian for 20 minutes and then gave up. Of course the experience would not be complete without Damian running out of fuel and dying in the middle of the main road. We had to push him in the hot sweltering sun, after a 11 hour train ride with no rest. That's a first for all of us. It felt like the "adventure" we all yearned for came and flashed us its ugly, hairy backside in our tired faces.

Thankfully, fter hunting up and down Pantai Cenang, we managed to get AB Motel for the same price. It was decent, new and clean with lovely lovely lovely hot water. Ultimately God sent. Thank you! As an added bonus, there is housekeeping every other day. A bonus of new sheets and towels.

The rest of the days were filled with many stress free strolls, sand buried feet and wave gazing with drink in hand hours. There is something very therapeutic about zoning out to the sound of waves and thoughts of not much else. Late nights and silly conversations. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

Cheap cocktails @ the Brasserie on the beach

and even cheaper beers

How I got burnt, I dunno

Hygiene issues have always dogged her...

and then there's THAT hat.

Pantai Cenang was also 90% tourists. Aside from the beach bums, we were mainly the only locals around. It had been a long time since I had set my eyes on so many blue-eyed, dirty blond, toned, men since the beaches of Sunshine Coast. Was reminded on how an ab should look like. Tanned and toned. :) Exactly what the optometrist ordered. Ocassionally my view would be tainted by a beer bellied balding elder, but it was a small price to pay.

Cenang and it's white sands

Brooding about something or other.

Dirk in action.

We also said "hello!" to our teh tarik drinking Dirk who joined us and must've loved us too... attracted to our addictively famous Malaysian hospitality. Charming, eh?

Getting our bearings right and wrong

Lunch @ Cocomo Restaurant. This was the view.

Inevitably, I traded my t-shirt tan for a singlet tan. I cannot decide with is worse looking. :( Well, on the bright side it reminds me of the awesome time I had. On the downside, I looked like a abandoned project with a bad paint job. Half done and rusted brown. Gah!

New year's eve was a beach party at a dodgy looking reggae bar. There were fire breathers throwing flames into the air and live bands in rastas as thick as my fist. Jamaicans really know how to partayyy!

Fire breathers on NY Eve

Of course there was the usual drinks and shots. What's a party without that? My Chinese blood only took in 3 shots. Naasty stuff...

Tequila shots in coke "glasses".

At the beach countdown party, before the alcohol cause significant memory loss to some

Tequila + Me = Sleepy buzz.

Our first picture on Day 1, 2011. Fireworks in the background

Next day was relaxing. Drove to the crocodile farm and wasted rm15. All they do is bask in the sun quietly... After 5 minutes, we were already bored.

Here's Rosemary looking exactly like the Crocodile Logo.

Drove on to Pantai Pasir Tengkorak - the beach where the locals go. Hardly any tourists. Just the beach and the open sea. The islands beyond is actually Thailand.

Skull Sands Beach. Beautiful.

Saying our goodbyes

Ushering in 2011 with a beach party (another story for another day) with some of my best friends - I cannot put a price on that. I don't think any of us could.

Or ever will.

Happy New 2011

With Love

intermissions

2011-01-06T17:44:00.000+08:00

waiting for my vacation pics... in the mean time, read this on FMyLife.com. Thought it was quite nicely put :

Today, my mom duly informed me I'm the reason people have middle fingers. FML.

or this :

Today, my mom thought it would be a good idea for me to talk with a British accent during my job interview to make me sound smarter. I'm applying for a job at McDonald's. FML.

jalan - jalan cari mati...

2010-12-17T20:39:00.000+08:00

finally finally finalllyyyyyyy!!

Astro is showing The Walking Dead rerunnnnnn!!! (C'mon pack your diseased lungs with air and say it like how Oprah would bellow....The Walking Dead Rerunnnnnn....!!! *audience claps and screams hysterically and cry and group hug each other like pieces of melting butter...* The world has been Oprahfied..*grumbles*)

Time : 11:15pm
Day : Saturday
Where : Fox. Where else?- (one of the better channels around.. though I wish they would replace Cops and Eureka with better shows)
Duration : 50mins x 6 :) That means SIX episodes back to back.

Lovely.

Feist - Let it Die (Paris)

2010-12-17T10:04:00.000+08:00

This is a song worthy of a repost.

How did she lose a Grammy to Amy Winehouse *coughskankoidcough* is beyond me. Let me repeat for emphasis. Beyond.

Perhaps she's not mainstream enough.
Or not sold enough albums.
Or Canadian...
Her guitar pick alone has more talent than Cik RumahWain.

3:47 is how a cymbal-grab is done.

Love the guitar arrangement and how she ends it.
Lyrics I can only turn greenish over. Wish I wrote them. Unlike the stuff we get on radio these days. String along anything that rhymes, eh?

Beautiful. Need I repeat for emphasis?.. Nah, I think we all get the picture.

Enjoy.

"the saddest part of a broken heart, isn't the ending so much as the start....so much as the start"

all true.

1Charity

2010-12-10T13:05:00.002+08:00

Came across this blog which, I thought was pretty cool, called 1Month1Charity. No prizes for guessing what they do and when they do it.

A request for donations is sent at the start of each month, and then used for one selected charity organisation.

A snapshot of the receipt and goods bought is then photographed and posted. Just so you know it is not a scam, there is a name list of donors and the amounts donated, along with pictures of the charity/home.
(I had a quick think about it and thought you cannot be anymore transparent than that on a blog...)

This post saddened me. :( Warga Emas.

I didn't see any pictures of the person behind it, but from what I gather, it was started in remembrance of a certain Mr Lai Chin Lun.

I salute these faceless guys. Your giving warms my heart.

Ps: If you're looking to make a donation, you need to click on the Facebook link and an email will be sent out with account details.

Mayangsari - It's where you want to be.

2010-12-07T15:02:00.009+08:00

The Resort comprises of 56 units of suite apartments. On the uppermost floor lies 9 units of pent-houses (hello misused hyphen.) and VIP suites. All the rooms are tastefully furnished with Bali concept furniture (Bali? Another way of saying everything is made of kayu. and all "suites" will smell of kayu) and fittings with an additional private Jacuzzi (Where can I find a public Jacuzzi?) in the penthouses and suites. The rooms are also complemented with an expanse (Expanse? What is this? Plucked straight out of the Thesaurus to expanse your Inggeris?) view of the Straits of Malacca.
Only 45 minutes from Klang Valley, the resort is famous for its beach, recreation, and sea-sports.

Mayangsari Resorts are fully equipped with dining outlet, BBQ venue, meeting and facility room, function halls.

We cater for varieties of programs for teambuildings (so many plurals... oh wait.. it is to emphasizes on the varieties of varieties..We geddits.) , family day (your family day can only be ONE day. No plurals for you, family!) or any other gathering. Our different resorts provide different setting for effective conferencing (Yes. Conference me in effectively. Now!) . Come experience our hospitality….(no, dowannn..)

we (small "w" to mark their humility or someone forgot where the Capslock button is) are here to serve and please (as is the motto of every other hotel, unlike Hotel Decepticon who is there to Disserve and to Annoy.)

For those who want to paper yourself (no, dowann.. I want to paper other people) during your holiday, indulge yourself in our Spa line and health centre where you can unwind and treat yourself to the luxuries of life. (with paper, obviously. Do tell me more. Wait, I need to write this down.. give me more PAPER)

Each resort has different variable facilities (the last time I heard "variable" in a sentence was in Algebra 101, where the variable is either x or y... sometimes z. ) sufficient to keep each and every family member occupied (what if I don't have family. why do you make me sad? why? WHY? ). Optional fascinating tours (tour of PD? hahahaha. No.) further supplement the stay to make the holiday most memorable. (err...ok, if you say so)
I hereby rate this review : 3.5"Mehs".

Here's some useless trivia..
Homer: Kids... how would you... like to go to... Blocko Land??
Lisa/Bart: Meh.
Homer: But ... the TV gave me the impression that ...
Bart: We said "meh".
Lisa: M-e-h. Meh.

And the winner is...

2010-12-06T17:48:00.000+08:00

The mother of all phobias is :

PANPHOBIA...

A fear of everything.

If you have this, then...you're probably screwed.

Enjoy your Monday.

IWK

2010-11-29T13:33:00.002+08:00

Had the pleasure of calling in to Indah Water Consortium today. What an absolute gift on a Monday.

Due to my own carelessness, I lost their bill. To make online payments, you need the bill reference number which is NOT the account number.

So, I went to their website, to see if I could retrieve this information without encountering any morons. Especially Monday Morons.

Turns out, you can get your statement emailed (good!), BUT you need to call the 1800 number (bad!). So I had to dial and speak to the customer service professional...

Here's my conversation :

IW : Helo, selamat pagi.
Me : Indah Water?
IW: Tunggu sebentar, ya.... (furious typing sounds in background...which lasts for about 20 secs)
Me : (waiting.. why am I waiting... waiting...)
IW : Helo, selamat pagi. Boleh saya membantu?
Me : yeah, hi. I need my account reference number to make payment.
IW : err... Nombor akaun ya? Cik, boleh saya dapatkan nombor akaun, cik?
Me : Tak tau lah. Bill saya hilang.
IW : ok. ok.. Sila tunggu ya..
Me : (waiting.. why am I waiting... waiting...)
Me : (waiting.. why am I waiting... waiting...)
IW: Helo, cik. Terimakasih kerana menunggu.... Boleh saya dapatkan nama cik?
Me : ok hi. Catherine.
IW: ok. G?
Me : Tak. C-A-T-H...
IW : ok.err... G?
Me : Tak tak. C-A-T-H.... ok? E-R-I-N-E. Last name : CHERNG....
IW : Itu single name? Atau double name?
Me : huh? single name? Tak surname saya CHERNG.. Last name C-H-E-R-N-G.
IW : Oh... err.. sila tunggu sebentar ya, cik..
Me : (waiting.. why am I waiting... waiting... and WTH is a single/double name?)
IW: OK Cik. Terimakasih kerana menunggu. Tak dapatlah..
Me : (thinks: her hold techniques are really good) OK. Kalau I beri IC number?
IW : Boleh dapatkan alamat cik?
Me: A XX XX, Casa Indah 2, Pesiaran Surian...
IW : OK OK... Pesiarannnnn Duriannnn.....
Me: Tak. SURIAN!
IW: Ya, DUrian.
Me: Tak! SURIAN SURIAN!!!!
IW : Oh bukan Durian?
Me : TAK. SOOOOREEEEEYANNNNNnnnn. SU! RI! AN!
IW : Ohhh... Surian. Sorry ya, Cik.
Me : (thinks : omgggggg...feels the vein in my temple throbbing..)
IW : Ok Cik. Tak dapat lah...Surian kan? Bukan Durian?
Me : YAAAA!!! (I could already predict what she was going to say next and I was not wrong...)
IW : Oh... err.. sila tunggu sebentar ya, cik..
Me : Yeah SURREEE why not.... (Waiting.. taps fingers impatiently, surfs Indah Water website for a feedback channel)
IW : OK cik, terimakasih kerana menunggu, OK boleh ulang nama cik?
Me : (yeah whatever...) Single name? (just to test her...)
IW : Tak. Nama penuh cik Keterin.
Me : (yeah whatever... and gives her my full name)
IW : OK dah dapat!!
Me : (Oh joy. Score 1 for the Morons)
IW : Nombor akaun Cik ialah : xxxxxxxx
Me : Tak. I nak nombor BILL. Bukan nombor akaun.
IW : Ahh..... ok Cik. Tunggu sebentar ya...
Me : Ok ok tak ape.... BYE!
IW : OK Cik. Terimakasih kerana memanggil Indah Water!!
Me : (UGH!!)

Moral of the story : Never Lose Your Bills.

KK Round 2

2010-11-19T19:07:00.000+08:00

Our trip to Kota Kinabalu was really good. Had all the elements of what a trip should consist of :

- big big laughs - (thanks to everyone, including imaginary puppets)

- good good food (thanks Naziah & family! you're crazy but the best evah!!xoxo)

- breathtaking view - (Manukan and Mount KK - you giant awesome block of rock you)

- big ass room with a harbour view (thanks Shanky - you made it oh-so-affordable)

- Air Asia - (thanks for not crashing)

Here's some pics, taken in nothing less than dSLR quality...

Us waiting to board our flight. Thanks Jason for droping and picking us up!

Need I elaborate? (Dunno what she was wearing though.. looks like pyjamas. Notice the manic eyes...look away, kids!)

We had some trouble with our so called "bus" to KK Park. But nothing we couldn't handle, right Shaz? *coughnoairconcough*

We all loved Mount KK. She was very shy/sombong though and hid amongst thick clouds.

My love affair with Le Meridien continues... Room and service was awesome! Food and drinks was good - as expected. I could get used to this... sighhh...

Makan, makan and more makan. Endless calorie count for this trip. First time trying Sabah Vege.
Thanks Naziah - there's generous and then there's Crazy generous and then there's YOU!

My customary feet pic @ Manukan Island :)

It was a much needed holiday for all, worth every sen.

Next Stop!

2010-11-19T17:34:00.000+08:00

Back by popular demand!

Vacation Countdown

serious post

2010-11-01T20:23:00.000+08:00

Found this quote that puts across a point in such simple English, yet is so very true...

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much"

-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Support UNICEF Malaysia's "Stop Child Abuse" campaign.

click here to sign up and Raise your Hand.

lameness

2010-10-28T21:07:00.000+08:00

I actually laughed when I read this. Not my proudest moment ....:

Q: What is Bruce Lee's favourite drink?
A: WATARRRR!!!

have i hit rockbottom yet?

the reads

2010-10-26T23:39:00.001+08:00

very excited about my upcoming, long-salivated for, albeit very brief holiday to Kota Kinabalu.

am deciding what book accompanies me ( a crucial decision, because I usually birng just one...)

1) Amsterdam - Ian McEwan

This won the Booker Prize, although I started on the first 3 pages and I've already forgotten everything.

2) Hannibal - Thomas Harris

This would be a re-read, and a very worthy one. It's written very elegantly, which is not what you would expect in a thriller about a sicko. English never looked more enthralling in these pages.

3) Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally

Also a Booker Prize winner. Mom said this is a "serious seriously good book". I trust her. However, the print is rather tiny and the idea of reading about Nazi atrocities on a beach holiday may be slightly disturbing. Even to me.

4) Catch-22 - Joseph Keller

Don't know why I never read this one. Highly rated classic written in 1961 - older than me!, some satire about war described as funny yet serious. Hmm...don't know.

5) Under the Dome - Stephen King

Would have taken this had it not been 1074 pages thin. A pain to lug around. Same issue with Sherlock Holmes vol. 1.

Well, that all I have for now. Maybe I'll be adventerous and just bring a magazine instead.. ;)

on and on...

2010-10-11T20:30:00.000+08:00

My 3rd Stephen King book - Under the Dome .... is a hefty 1074 pages short and 4 inches thick. I've passed the halfway mark and am tempted to use it as a doorstopper instead.

It started off well... good, sizeable, creative plot. But way too many characters, I cannot keep up with who's who. Besides, holding up its massive bulk is rather tiresome and it doesn't fit into my bag :(

One thing about his stories though, no matter how long, I still have know how it ends....

Resisting the temptation to google "UnderTheDome - How the frickity-frick does it end??"

So am determined to find out the old fashioned way and read on...and on...and on....

iKEA

2010-10-08T19:42:00.000+08:00

My utmost thanks to Mr Mohd Nizam @ IKEA the Curve for returning my purse intact - All cards and ID and cash. You have no idea how much you made a good day turn great for me. Can't thank you enough for 'doing the right thing'. Maybe I'm biased, maybe it's luck, maybe it's pure coincidence but things I've lost in Damansara always get returned :)

It's the first time in 15 years that I've dropped my wallet. (The last time I dropped it - also in the great PJ state, the kind stranger actually took the trouble to return it to my college - with everything intact....) In less than 5 minutes, it was the first time I heard my full name being announced over the IKEA intercom. What can I say...You guys rock my pants off. (AND their prices have dropped too...New 2011catalog is out) AND their curry puff (still RM1 even though there's a bit of egg) and hotdogs are cheap and tasty. (Too bad the coffee machine was out, though. Wonder who makes their currypuffs?)

Bought myself a new rug - Gislev - for a steal at RM89. Just the right size and plush too, so my sisters can quit making fun of my green rug, which apparently is just not the right color (although I like it... ceh!) On the other hand, I stuck the green one in the washing machine and the color ran, so it's just now all Hulky green. yeay..although I see that provoking even more giggles from sister dearest.

looking good

Anyway, the Curve still is a nice "lepak laid back" place on weekdays. Less crowds, and a nice mix of just about everything. So on any last minute whim you may suddenly have, they've probably got the right shop for it. :)

Sometimes, He is silent...

2010-10-06T18:59:00.000+08:00

came across a quote that struck a note. thought I'd write it down so I wouldn't forget...

"I believe in the sun even though it is slow in rising.
I believe in rain though there are no clouds in the sky.
I believe in God even though He is silent. --Unknown"

Hairwhat?

2010-10-06T12:57:00.000+08:00

bought myself a 50% off haircut voucher at Hairkunst @ the Curve. final price? : rm30.
Good things must be shared, so go get yourself one at mydeal.com.my whilst the deal is still on.

while printing my voucher out, I felt like I just read some financial guru's article on "Tips to Stretching your Ringgit" and I am now heeding tip #25) Those coupons go a long way...Use them!

anyways, I hope they do a good job. I haven't been to a hairdresser since April 2009. I remember cutting my hair before my Europe trip. Wow... time does fly when you don't get hair cuts. It's now grown into a long unsightly mass of tangled locks. In the mornings, I look like an unkempt mop :(

Have never heard of Hairkunst until now, but a quick check in Google reveals a recommendation by a reputable blogger, and no, the blogger doesn't endorse them nor was paid to do a write up... Can't be that bad, I suppose. I know I've had a lot worse (namely a place called Incentive, behind my parents house in Cheras... the lady there was overly enthusiastic and layer my hair into a zillion different lengths).

Hairkunst advert also reveals a chap (or is it?) named Schwarzkopf Seah. At this point, I don't know what to write / whether to laugh or not... and I wish Naziah was here. Must. Go. See. Schwarzkopf. Or. Die. Trying.

hahaha... bye!

Ghost Writer

2010-10-05T19:51:00.000+08:00

Roman Polanski's Ghost Writer scores 2/3 (out of 3 people, 2 fell asleep...one bravely soldiered on, only to later give in and finally succumb to the almighty "OFF" button).

Thanks Boobs for the copy - Though the audio is as challenging as the picture is clear, which probably made me concentrate too hard on listening and not much else.

It's a political thriller, so needless to say, there will be a lot of talking (the #2 thing politicians need to excel in...#1 being acting, of course), so brace yourself for a long long ride.

Pierce Brosnan plays the British ex-PM - Believable. Ewan McGregor plays the writer - Believable. I'd like to meet whoever was in charge of casting because, Kim Catrall plays his personal assistant - Unbelievable. ("Personal" being the key word here, if you get my drift ;)....) Besides walking up and down wooden stairs in her 4 inch stilettos a dozen times every day, she also puts on a British accent. This completes her "I'm entirely fake" package very very well.

The Unbelievable.

Anyway, to cut an awfully long story short, it ends unexpectedly... Maybe because I was too tired after 80+ minutes of drivel to anticipate the end. Or maybe I was just no longer bothered....

It's not too bad a show, really. Critics loved it...but for some reason, I've never been so delighted to see the black screen with end credits rolling...

2010-09-30T21:51:00.000+08:00

REFOUR

2010-09-17T20:37:00.001+08:00

I still remember her famous one-liner "My name is Alice...{pause for dramatic effect}..... and I remember EVERYTHING"... bang! bang! kapow! boom! crack!! ...she back flips, air kicks and all the ugly unsightly zombies roll whatever is left of their eye balls and die in a squirming heap of decaying limbs...(btw, do zombies feel pain? I vote 'No'...).

back when Alice was cool...

That was 2004's Resident Evil : Apocalypse. So impressed was I that I have the DVD AND the original soundtrack. Alas, that Alice never did return in 2010's Resident Evil : Afterlife. (RE:4)

From someone who has avidly followed the Resident Evil franchise, RE:4 fell way below my expectations. Action scenes were overcooked with slow motion style dramatics. Apparently, it was intentional - for the fans to appreciate the great CGI and marvel at Alice's limber legs slicing through the air in 3D...but, after the fourth time seeing her take 10 minutes to throw her compadres a shotgun, it really gets old. Oh, get on with it already, Alice!

2010's Alice Snorefest.

So, if the elongated action scenes were like plain bland porridge grandma made me for lunch, then the script was the kicap she absentmindedly forgot to put into it. Sometimes I think I could've done a better job...heck, even Oprah would've written a juicier RE:4 script. I'm not looking for deep, meaningful phrases and sentences that would make the Top 10 Movie Quotes charts, just simply - a decent script... one that doesn't make me want to reach for the imaginary nonexistent FastForwardNOW NOW NOW button.

I don't know what Claire Redfield's (Ali Larter) role was...she was a forgettable sidekick. Beautiful? Sure. Athletic? Sure. Boring as starch paste? SURE! I say, bring back Jill Valentine any day.

However, the worst was the villain. That Umbrella Corp. big boss, whose name I've already forgotten.. He took acting classes from Matrix's Agent Smith, and flung the exam.

Fail! F-

The ONE thing they got right : casting Wentworth Miller and his dreamy smoky eyes. (I can see all the girls nodding their heads in agreement....) His character reminded me of Vin Diesel's Riddick - The bad boy you'd like to trust. They could have given him a larger slice of screen time and script.... but then again, with lines that bad, why bother. Even he couldn't save the movie.

I love you eye candy...Call me!

All in all, RE4 is just another forgettable movie experience and RM12.50 that I'll never get back.

So long, Alice...

Happy Hols

2010-09-09T16:12:00.002+08:00

To all my Malay kawan-kawan, Selamat Hari Raya.
To all able ketupat makers, you're amazing. The day I attempt to make one, will surely be the day I go crazy.

Ketupat Ingredients:
- beras pulut
- daun palas
- santan
- a whole lotta Patience...

...weave leaf upwards, careful to make sure left hand is holding in position AAB. tighten grip on left leaf # 6, twist until ABB is taut. Suppress desire to throw hands into hair, rend clothes and annihilate all palas leaves in a gory ritual. remember your parents raised you to be better than this...with right toe, hold position C(a). IMPORTANT: do not let go of tongue position as in step 43, part ii ....Later, when madness descends, embrace it.

Makes Aeronautics 101 look like a baby book.

here birdieeee

2010-09-06T17:08:00.003+08:00

just recovered from the ickiest of viral fever and/or food poisoning. i don't know what hit me -neither does the doctor. nothing like a good nights' worth of up-chuck to make you suspicious of ALL outside food (except mom's cooking, that is...).

horrid.

anyways, whilst watching an Oprah's Special Moments snippet, good ol' Susan Boyle, (sans ghastly unibrow), appeared in her evening gown, and started to sing the song that apparently subjected sane audiences into all sorts of throat lumps and lower lip trembling.

and then it struck me!!....doesn't anyone else think she looks like an Angry Bird?

ANYONE???

Note : like Susan, Angry Birds is also hugely popular...it's an iPhone game where you put angry birds in a lastic-like contraption and try to kill green pigs.

Angry Bird in pretty gown

Susan Boyle - after makeover, obviously...

Did you know...

2010-08-17T17:58:00.007+08:00

Did you know....How a female anglerfish mates? Read on and be stunned... God definately has a vivid imagination AND a sense of humor...

- male angler fish are born with highly adept sense of smell. that's a good thing right? NO! read on...
"Hi! Me name Tiny..I don't eat so good, but I can smell anchovy farts 6 miles away."

- they are significantly smaller (see pic above) than the female, making food finding very difficult in the deep seas. yes, size DOES matter. (whoever tells you it doesn't is, quite simply, just a fat liar. ignore them...).

- to make things worse, some males are stunted (again, like cute little tiny in pic above), making feeding impossible.

- to prevent death, Tiny needs to find a female. ASAP. that is his only mission in life. find a mate or die trying.

- so, Tiny will use his charm (in this case, their heightened sense of smell) to sniff out a big fat juicy female anglerfish.

- once he finds the lady of his dreams, he then - get this - BITES into her... with his tiny weeny angler teeth. (imagine after searching the whole deep blue oceans for your soulmate, you express your love by leaving teeth marks...so not getting it...)

- worse still, imagine biting THIS...(see pic below - a gorgeous female anglerfish).
OMG!!puthatback!!!getawayfrommeeeeee!!! Isn't that the most hideously deformed lover fish you've ever seen?! Imagine falling absolutely fin to tail in love with her...

"You will ALL LOVE ME!!!! muahaha..."

- okay, so that's not all... while giving Lady Lovelyface a lovebite, Poor Little Tiny releases an enzyme that slowly DIGESTS HIS OWN MOUTH and the skin around Lady Lovelyface's body. WTH is going on here, right? redefines kinky sex up a great many notches...

- Poor Little Tiny then kinda fuses into Lady Lovelyface. His own enzyme digests his whole body and he "merges" wonderfully into his lady love. What freeeeakks!!

- Wait. The worst is yet to come.... so Tiny dies via melting into the woman he loves (it's not as romantic as it sounds.. really...). Everything melts away... EXCEPT - he gets to keep his TESTICLES.... YES!!! HIS CUTE FISH BALLS (haha fishballs...anyway..) DON'T MELT OFF and instead they stick to the female's body.

- so now Lady Lovelyface has murdered her boyfriend whilst making out AND then retained his balls in his loving memory.

- now she happily swims away, tralalala... free to impregnate herself, as and when she likes. SICK OR NOT?!

BTW, she can have as many pairs of male testicles as she likes....ew..!!

God' creations... aren't we all one massive beautiful crazy lot?

one day one

2010-08-16T17:30:00.005+08:00

Ooo...It's been a while since my last entry - which was nonsensical. Pity you, who must be lost for good reading material, since you're desperate enough to read my blog.

Anyways...whoever coined the phrase "You learn something new everyday" was right. Today, I learnt that Neil Patrick Harris is gay. Did you? I seriously didn't know that - up till 30 minutes ago... God bless you, Yahoo Dot Com.

Yesterday, I learnt that there is such a thing as Gingerbread Cake. I am guessing it was first baked by the guy who came up with Garlic Bread, or a distant cousin, maybe... Tastes like gingerbread, but it's cake.... with ginger... (which, honestly, would be the last thing I'd put in cake, right after bell peppers..but then again, what do I know? The cullinary world brings me such weird and wonderful things sometimes. Such a mystery...)

So. Is there such a thing as Gingercake Bread?

Gingerbread Cake - it exists!!

ps : Thanks everyone for my birthday gifts and well wishes. I loved them all.

nothing else to do is it?

2010-07-15T08:30:00.006+08:00

1 - Go to "Wikipedia." Hit “Random Article”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or six words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together

hmm...
title sounds too sappy for my indie rock band outfit.
am all for mother earth and nature, but one too many flowers.
nice name though -Koza Wielka (some little village somewhere in west Poland)

O Cristo Redentor

2010-06-18T21:38:00.005+08:00

Always loved this 7th Wonder, ever since I sighted it in several movies. The latest being 2012 where it was utterly destroyed.

Like what Lady Liberty did to New York, this is the icon of of Rio de Janerio - Christ the Redeemer. The other icons being, err... Mardi Gras? Or is it drugs? Pick one.

Ironic isn't it, that a city which has fallen so far has such a magnificent and holy symbol watching over it?

Mercy covers me. And that thought just humbles me. Everyday.

A close up of it.

It's sculpted by a Frenchman in 1931. Monsieur Paul Landowski used 9 yrs of his life, chisling into soapstone and sweating over reinforced concrete. I used 9 years of my life watching my waistline expand and wondering empty thoughts like, what to eat for dinner. (Indian? Chinese? Western? Malay?) There must be a point to this story.... or a punchline somewhere...

He lives.

Surprisingly, it is not the largest statue of Jesus. Those sneaky Bolivians copied it, and of course, made a bigger, younger version (It was completed in 1994). However its site is nowhere as scenic nor awe-inspiring, i.e : it didn't make the 7th Wonder list by a far mile.

One day, I hope to look up and see it with my own eyes.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

A Response

2010-06-18T20:02:00.005+08:00

Dear Mr Cruise (you sexy fox, you),

Thank you for your suggestion.

Whilst I know you have my interests at heart (me thinks) what would I get from travelling the world?

Yes, I can finally update my "Countries I have Set Foot in" list.
Yes, I get to experience different cultures.
Yes, I get to eat gruesome food and drink awesome foreign drinks to my liver's content.
Yes, ...add more here... (too lazy to list them all out. And we KNOW what the benefits of being widely travelled are....)

However, being more of a realist, instead of a idealist, all good things come to an end.
Isn't it just an extended holiday? A mere, albeit rather awesome, short fix?
I'll be back someday. To start from scratch - and worse...I'd be older. And then what?
Who wants to hire an old lady who has travelled the world as a "Executive"?

Who will support me? I have neither looks nor couture tastes, and in fact, too much sense, to attract a sugar daddy - even if I wanted to.

Can I live off you, Mr Cruise? Surely you can spare a measly percentage out of the income from the Mission Impossible series?

All that being said... When are we going?

wee

2010-06-18T13:04:00.003+08:00

as the title suggests, this is another one of those days where I sit and go through the motions of the day and then wonder where all the years have gone.

how apt. ok, maybe not "wee". I thought of "blaa" but it's been done already. anyways...so "wee" it is. ps: no, don't worry...haven't replaced by brains for mushed peas yet.

so how's everyone doing? yes I'm talking to you. you spammers whose comments I've successfully blocked (yeay for meeee!) all your "interesting, exciting, must see to believe, raunchy, deal of a lifetime" links can SUCK IT in the Land of "CLICK HERE TO DELETE": Population 6.66 Gazillion.

Alright. Enough with the pent up annoyance and expletives. I think I just heard someone tell me to take, what teens say these days refer to, a ChillPill. Feel so old. Like I need to take time off just to clear all the wax in my ear. And that's just one ear.

Am I ranting? Yes Yes... I suppose this qualified as a rant post five sentences ago.

Tired of my little self destructive rut. Sighs... When the looming weekend offers no joy, you know it's time to do something different. hmmm...

Till next weekend then. xoxo

a letter

2010-05-20T23:01:00.004+08:00

did this out to feel juvenile....and am ashamed to say I also had a little giggle...

1. What’s the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White - I’ll join the monastery
Black - I dislike you
Green - Our horoscope doesn’t match
Grey - You’re a pervert
Yellow - I’m selling myself
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You’re a loser
Other - I’m in love with your sister

2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night
February - Last year
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on sesame seeds
May - First of May
June - When you put cuffs on me
July - When I threw up
August - When I saw the shrunken head
September - When we skinny dipped
October - When I quoted Santa
November - When your dog ran amok
December - When I changed tennis shoes

3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Pizza - In your camping car
Pasta - Outside of Chicago
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad - As you ate enchilada
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Paris Hilton
Fish - In women’s clothing
Sandwiches - At the Hare Krishna graduation
Lasagna - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a state of trance
None of the above - With George Bush and his wife

4. What’s the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit onRed - Insult
Black - IgnoreBlue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put leeches on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the toupee off
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive out

5. What’s the color of your underwear?
Black - My best friend
White - My father
Grey - Bill Clinton
Brown - My fart balloon
Purple - My mustard soufflé
Red - Donald Duck
Blue - My avocado plant
Yellow - My penpal in Ghana
Orange - My Kid Rock-collection
Pink - Manchester United’s goalkeeper
None - My John F. Kennedy-statue
Other - The crazy monk

6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs - Man
O.C. - Emotional
One Tree Hill - Open
Heroes - Frostbitten
Lost - High
House - Scared
Simpsons - Cowardly
The news - Mongolic
Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Senile
Top Model - Middle-class
None of the above - Ashamed

7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful I’ve felt
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn’t exist
Angry - That your pimples are at the last stage
Depressed - That we’re cousins
Excited - That there is no solution to this.
Nervous - The middle-east
Worried - That your Honda sucks
Apathetic - That I did a sex-change
Ashamed - That I’m allergic to your hamster
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Overjoyous - That I’m open
Other - That Extreme Home Makeover sucks

8. What’s the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your ring
Yellow - Your love letters
Red - Your Darth Vader-poster
Black - Your tame stone
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from LA
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your contact book
Grey - Our matching snoopy-bibs
Purple - Your old lottery coupons
Pink - How awful I’ve felt
Other - Your memories from the military service

9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo
C/D - The oil stocks
E/F - Your neighbour Martin
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of your blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X - David’s tricot outfits
Y/Z - Your grades from college

10. The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Always thought of
C/D - Never will forget
E/F - Always wanted to break
G/H - Never openly mocked
I/J - Always have felt dirty before
K/L - Will tell the authorities about
M/N - Told in my confession today about
O/P - Was interviewed by the Times about
Q/R - Told my psychiatrist about
S/T - Get sick when I think of
U/V - Always will try to forget
W/X - Am better off without
Y/Z - Never liked

11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship
Beer - Senility
Soft drink - A new life as a clone
Soda - The incarnation as an eskimo
Milk - The apartment building
Wine - Cocaine abuse
Cider - A passionate interest for mice
Juice - Oprah Winfrey imitations
Mineral water - Embarrassing rash
Hot chocolate - Eggplant-fetishism
Whisky - To ruin the second world war
Other - To hate the Boston Celtics

12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand - Warm regards
USA - Best regards
England - Good luck on your short-term leave from jail
Spain - Go and drown yourself
China - Disgusting regards
Germany - With ease
Japan - Go burn
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt - Fuck off now
France - In pain
Other - Greetings to your freaky family

Dear Naziah,
I don’t really know how to tell you this, but The mafia wants you. I think I realized it when I saw the shrunken head, With George Bush and his wife and I saw you Sit on My fart balloon . i'm sure you're scared enough to understand That Santa doesn’t exist. I’m returning The pictures from LA to you, but keeping The oil stocks as a memory. You should also know that I Never openly mocked our Oprah Winfrey imitations.

Fuck off now
cat

*silly giggles* i must be losing it now...

JJ

2010-04-29T22:51:00.002+08:00

I googled and I found....

....Julie Powell's blog (as in Julie & Julia). Makes interesting reading, for now.

For Sharon, who is -still -a holidayless, overworked, brain frizzled, zombie....if you can still read/squint out of your tired pandalike eyes... : The Julie Project.

We'll be praying for you :)

laugh it out

2010-04-22T14:32:00.003+08:00

Got the best laugh of the week reading the Detox Diaries.

Tracey Withers - you're good. Why is it only 2 measley pages? Like Oliver Twist, I want more!

silent monks - hillarious.

ip4

2010-04-22T13:50:00.004+08:00

lost prototype --> lotsa $ exchanges hands --> and wallah! --> leaked photos :)

thank you mass communication technology.

so here you have it. the Leaked-but-Official-Next-Gen iPhone pictures : iPhone 4.

hey there, good looking... 30GBs...
Gizmodo paid $5k to an undisclosed person(thief) who "found" the iPhone.

of course, they posted pictures and even dissected the phone before returning it to Apple.

it has a larger battery than it's predecessors, so hopefully the crappy battery life issue is resolved.

till we meet again... :)

Shutter Island Kicks Ass

2010-04-19T17:34:00.008+08:00

The weekend rushed by too fast, as is the norm. Work makes me appreciate weekends so much more.

Managed 2 movies back to back. It's been a while since I've done that. Can't remember the last time, actually. Age is catching up!

KICK-ASS

...is nothing like what you'd expect. No, not a kids show. With all the top notch swearing and violent killings, guns, bone crunching and bloodiness - definitely not for kids. The actors are mainly tweens and a little sweet 11 yr old girl. (also has Nick Kayu Cage - still don't like him! - as a Batman wannabe with speech speed defect. eww..)

It's directed by Matt Vaughn of Snatch and Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels fame. Two movies with trademark dry humor. Kick Ass does have its laughs - none of which are slapstick material (which is a very good thing). A lot of the scenes, the way it's shot and even down to the music remind me of a Tarantino flick (which is another very good thing).

The hero does not grab your attention as much as the 11 yr old girl, code named : HIT GIRL. She doesn't show up until half point, so stay awake for her. Chloe Moretz is not new to showbiz, however with this hit movie (pun not intended), I think she will be the next huge woman-slash-child actor (see Dakota Fanning : the perfect definition of "woman-slash-child")

Chloe Moretz, before Hollywood and special effects.

Chloe @ Hit Girl.... you don't want anything she delivers. trust me.

Up next was SHUTTER ISLAND...

The perfect combination of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Di Caprio has no limits. The movie is rather long, so if you have an itchy butt, scratch it before entering the theatre...and please go pee, even if there is nothing there, squeeze out a few drops!

I will be nice and not feed you any spoilers. Best advice : do not go read up on synopses or even the movie reviews and ruin it for yourself. Just sit back and within 15 minutes, you'll find yourself immersed in the storyline. I must say, it's a story very well crafted and well told, as it unravels.

Even with an ugly tie, isn't he just perfect? The right balance of broodiness and sheer blue eyed charm.

So go cough up rm12 and enjoy the ride. It's all good.

BEE KAY KAY

2010-04-16T07:22:00.015+08:00

Came back from my extremely last minute trip to Bangkok a few weeks back...

Since my inclusion was planned in less than 20 hours, it was a mad rush to the Immigration Office (btw, the sign that says "Passport 2 Jam" should read "Passport 4 Jam, Mungkin Lebih..." Please use my tax money to commission a new sign...).

Freshly minted passport in hand, I then weaved through rain and traffic to the AirAsia counter in KL Sentral (to future last minute travelers, you cannot book your very damn last minute flight online). Forked out premium price for the flight, but well, in spirit of seizing the day and "You only live once", I did what I could - with my American Express :) It felt like my very own personalized Amazing Race episode.

In a puny nutshell, Bangkok can only be enjoyed in cooler weather. Given the global warming statistics, that may never happen. So, I'm glad I went.

The heat was oppressive, to say the least. Like a long lost clingy friend, that blanket of humid, tepid air embraces you from street to street, merciless to race and creed.

Anyway, lets cut the boring details (and my whining..) and get to the pictures...

Lobby @ Le Meridien Bangkok has a very yuppie feel to it. Young, trendy, gen Y's or is it Z now... It has a larger than life picture of James Dean (I think) which we walked thorough, in and out of his chest- everyday.

Coming back to my room was the highlight of everyday. The soft bed, the chill gusts of air-conditioning, the hot shower, the TV with ENGLISH channels...

Level 15 is for smokers.
Le Room.

Complimentary welcome minties comes in form of a full cappuccino chocolate bar.
Le pay, Le get.

The room overlooks some busy street below. Can't remember the name of half of the streets/places now.
The personalized display on the telephone. As usual, they take my last name literally and get it inevitably wrong.

Rooftop pool seen from the room view.
I miss this bed :(

This shot was taken with Sharon & Justin, very much in mind and close at heart. Huge ass couch in the room which is as comfortable as it looked.

Travel mates chomping on dinner on Day 1. Nothing to shout about and rather pricey, but we didn't have much options after 12midnight...

Cam-Whore at the train station bridge after our Foot Massage.

The national dish needs no introduction. On the side is crab meat red curry. This was at Banana Leaf Restaurant (no, not the Indian version). Good food at a cheap price.

Need I write more? We all know what this is...

Shanky's pork in garlic and basil. It was juicy and tasty and its everything you want in your oink.

Lazying around in the room. Comes with 32" Sony Bravia and full cable. Was watching Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button, with squiggly sub-titles. mmm Brad....

The decor in the room. My first macro-ish looking shot.
We walked everywhere and anywhere we could. Good exercise for the feet, not so refreshing in the heat.
Waiting for our dirt cheap foot massage at King & I Spa.

Admiring the pretty decor while waiting for my feet to be totally pampered, Thai style.

Fascinated by this art work, carved from a solid block of tree trunk wood.

They love their elephants. They're everywhere.

Close up shot of the carved animals... (btw, this Sony TX1 camera is nothing short of amazing...)
Metropolitan Bangkok. Cleaner than KL.

Traffic in the city is like KL's mess of cars, except that the colorful cars are Toyota Taxis, while we still use Protons.

The effects of too much Fingerzilla + Boredom.

Makan-makan... The empty bowl on the right is Pork Stew with glass noodles. It was sooooo goooood....Food is cheap and comes with at least 5 different types of chillies on the side... (due to the spice, my bowel moved every day. I was so happy. I am so full of crap)

The Tuk-Tuk that didn't take us anywhere due to "communication failure".

Bangkok Feet! - Until my next holiday - :)

slowLEE

2010-03-12T23:33:00.003+08:00

Because it's a Friday and I'm so very bored...

Lee Dewyze Fireflies or see more Lee DeWyze Videos

1. So much better than the original.

2. The earth DOES turn slowly.

3. I want to be his acoustic. Sucha cute smile at the end.. aww..

Tunes Mom Slow Danced To

2010-02-13T14:38:00.005+08:00

Was listening to my song selections, when "Bridge Over Troubled Water" queued up. (Yes, it's one of those songs our mothers once danced to when they were deep into the hippie trend. World peace everybody!)

It's a simple song. Hardly any bells or whistles, no fancy words over 3 syllables long. Features a main piano and a backing band.

Written right after the Vietnam war, if you listen to it in the right context, it does tugs the heartstrings. Try it. Listen to it when you're low and you'll notice either :
1) a lump in your throat
2) a wee sliver of hope. Or both.

Musing over the lyrics, I realize they really do not write songs of this calibre anymore. Hardly.

Compare this (written in 1969, by Paul Simon)

Sail on silver girl, Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
If you need a friend I'm sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind.

with this (written in 2009, by Stefani Germanotta)

Ra Ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma Roma-ma
GaGa Oh la-la
Want your bad romance
I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it’s free
I want your love

Both songs are from Grammy winning albums (however the formeer also bagged Song of the Year 1970) Incredible how music has landscaped in 40 short years.

But I'll say this...In any era, whatever rocks your beat, whatever tickles your muse, music does indeed tame the savage beast. Cannot imagine a world without it nor I do not want to.
To the Paul Simons of every musical decade : You have my heartfelt gratitude.

Here's the live clip to Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel. I think it was in 2003.
(Try not to let the hair distract you. Or the funny shaped ears...Remember. He won Grammies. We didn't--- yet)

{This one's for you. Don't worry...}

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water @ Yahoo! Video

When you're weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.
I'm on your side when times get rough
And friends just can't be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down.

When you're down and out,
When you're on the street,
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part,
When darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down.

Sail on silver girl, Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
If you need a friend I'm sailing right behind.

Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind.

iPad

2010-01-28T19:52:00.011+08:00

At first, it sounded wrong to me. "Pad" being associated with "Sanitary Pads". Just triggers unpleasant graphic images and queasiness. Not good. There are already jokes in the internet about the branding. One of my favourites : Yes, the iPad is small, lightweight and slim. But can you swim with it?

But it does makes sense .."iPod, iPad..." Almost cutesy.

Steve Jobs and his larger than life iPad. It works like a giant iPhone. (* yes Shanky, Steve Jobs - CEO of Apple Inc. NOW you know. Affectionately known as iSteve and largely credited with turning Apple into a lucrative stock and famous fruit. *)

Priced between $499 to $829, depending on the storage (16GB, 32GB and 64GB - rather puny, if you ask me..maybe they should come up with the iPadMaxi...) and 3G capacity. It's an expensive toy to flash around. Just don't drop it!

It don't know if comes in it's trademark White but even the Keyboard is pretty....You feel the impulsive need to touch and press its keys somehow.

Perhaps it's the future of books. Purchase, download, and start virtually flicking its pages. Personally, I'd miss the crisp smell of a new book, although it will resolve the problem of yellowing pages and dog ears.

I want to carry one around and pretend it's my iPhone.

"HELLO?? HELLOOOO???

TALK TO ME GRANDMA!!!...

GRANDMAAAA??? HELLLLOOoooooo..."

Freeeeedom...

2010-01-28T16:44:00.021+08:00

Finally. This Saturday is C.D.T.L.A.S.I. It will be a day of total freedom, in every sense of the word and like that George Michael song. I declare 30 Jan 2010: Cat's Day of Total Lazy Ass Self -Indulgence.

Here's how C.D.T.L.A.S.I will be celebrated :

-Officiate the day bright and early, and go for a morning run. If stamina permits and if swimming costume doesn't look too obscenely scandalous, yet- go for a swim too. This will aleviate any guilt pangs felt later from being a total L.A (lazy arse). I love how I think ahead...

-Whip out the vacuum and mop, make the place all tidy and spanky clean. (Mom would be so proud.)

- Bring out drinks and junk food. Lay them all carefully on the coffee table. *note to self, buy ice too*

- Bring on the Hi-Definition, Sub-Woofing, 5.1 Channel Dolby Entertainment!!!!!!

Movies I've got lined up in impeccable logical order (yes, a lot of thought went into this arrangement, so pay attention. My logic is impeccable. Impeccable!!)

1) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I know, I know...How is it that I haven't watched this? In my lamest defence I can conjure, I can only say that I've read the book, so perhaps the suspense is no longer there. I know how it starts and ends. Anyways, I thought it'd be best to start off with Brad Pitt. Even if its an old and wrinkly version of him, what's the worst that can happen? He's no Tyler Durden anymore, but arguably the best looking old man in Hollywood.

Spot the difference : Tyler and Benjamin....

2) My Sister's Keeper

Apparently quite the sappy tear-jerker, so I was told. I have my reservations, but it should be refreshing to see Cameron Diaz in a role where she doesn't shake her tooshie as much/at all (see Charlies Angels 1 & 2)

3) ZombieLand

The highlight of my day, fingers crossed. I've only heard good things about this B-grade show. Rottentomatoes credit it with "possibly the funniest zombie movie. Overlain with a strain of ironic humor that's deliciously ridiculous" ....Sounds like something right up my aisle.

I bet half the charm comes from Woody Harrelson. This should bring my spirits right up.

**toilet break and refill snacks and stretch legs and wake up sleeping butt cheeks**

4) Doubt

Now it gets serious with Oscar winning material. I adored Phillip Seymore Hoffman in Capote. His lisp was so charming. Also highly endorsed with 'Two Thumbs Up' by Mom. Except for her disdain for Quentin Tarantino movies (whats NOT to like?!), she is hardly ever wrong.

And if time permits....though I have my reservations...

5) Julia & Julia

Meryl Streep again. Just because Jason recommended it. And I'm sure it is worth watching.

Hopefully my carefully laid out plan materializes. It's a crime to waste Saturdays in ANY country and continent. **why is it still Thursday?!....**

Up North

2010-01-20T07:25:00.012+08:00

Road trip to Penang last weekend. Here are our gory pictures...

The driver - Speedy Scruffy Gonzales. Thanks for driving :) And thanks to Ah Ne, who did a terribly good job too.

We left on Saturday late morning, so we were all bright and cheery after a good hearty banana leaf breakfast in KL.

The backseaters three. Lollipops kept us quiet...kinda...

Three hours later, we arrived in Penang. The rich(er) would turn right and be welcomed with hot towel + welcome drink + seaview @ Hard Rock Penang. The paupers would turn left into Bayu Emas Apartments. We turned left. Checked in Bayu Emas Apartments, Batu Ferringhi. It was alright, for rm197/night we got 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a view of foreign worker' squatters and wild bamboo growing by the longkangs.

The TV had no astro so we were entertained by good ol' TV2 with its variety of local dramas. The coffee was dodgy but we managed, as usual.

The luxurious kitchen. At least it doesn't have curtains, so that lays to rest niggling pre-booking queries : "Do they have matching curtains?"

Guess we're happy to be let out of the car. Simply delighted, but starving by now.

The driver gets to sleep, and sleep he did. The rooms are all fully air-conditioned. Which is a necessity because Penang is swelteringly hot.

Our hawker center dinner in Tanjong Tokong. Wan tan mee, ikan bakar, chee cheong fun, char kuay teow, rojak, jelly and coconuts. I learnt something new : If you order "Shuit Cha"(aka Chinese Tea, cold), they will bring you "Teh Peng" instead. The correct term is "ling teh" which is the equivalent to "leong cha" in KL.

Nom nom nom...slurp slurp. We were famished during dinner.

After we were done with our gluttony, it was on to the night market for DVDs and what not. We collectively spent RM370 on DVDs. It's one third cheaper than KL. Bargain! DVDs are rm4 each and you get a free disc for every 5. (in Manglish, it's "Buy 5, Free 1").

After our mini shopping spree, we went for a foot massage at Suking Massage & Fish Spa. It's right opposite the Batu Ferringhi night market. The proprietress had the gift of the gab and she converted us from by-standers to customers.

They, however, wanted to have little fishies nibble on their dead skin instead. One man's meat is another man's poison. Must've been like a gorge-fest for the fishies. Needless to say, they caused a ruckus. Judging by their sheer squeals, they got their money's worth. No fishies were killed either. So everyone was happy in the end.

I had a foot massage. By kneading various parts of my size 4 feet, my masseuse told me I had a bad right eye, bad right ear, lousy digestion, wind in my stomach, dehydration and constipation. All true.

After that, it was on to Gurney drive to see what else we can eat. It was already after midnight, so most stalls had ceased selling. We did have a very good rojak buah, though (why no picture?!) and very smooth tau foo fa.

Next it was on to Green House to try their prawn mee. Yums... Special thanks to Ray for picking up our call for directions at 1.30am.

Next day's pre-breakfast/lunch : Muar Chee. Costs rm2.50 per serving - a lucrative business indeed. It's made out of glutinous rice flour, topped with grounded sugar, toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.

Lunch was Char Kuay Teow at Kafe Heng Huat, in Lorong Selamat (thanks to Ray again, whose directions are impeccable, right down to the last meter).

The shop was packed. Do not snigger at the chef's orange pants, floppy red hat and wrap-around Bono glasses. She rocks a really mean dish of CKT. Respect!

While waiting for our orders, we snacked on rojak buah - again.

Finally we were served - CKT steaming fresh from the wok and into our stomachs. Sharon and her CKT -which came without kerang as specified, but it arrived non-spicy. It comes with 5 large juicy prawns and costs rm 8.50. That makes it officially the most expensive CKT I've ever savored. However, it's a must try dish. Mine was super spicy. The first mouthful gave me hiccups. It's every lard lover's wet dream.

Close up shot. Seriously yummy. The extra spicy ones looks the same, but just oily red with all that wonderful chilli.

Joanna with her "dare to be different" asam laksa instead. Which was also very good. The fish broth was thick and sour.

After our bellies were filled up + burps of satisfaction all round, we got ready to leave the island. Last stop : Tau Sar Peah.

My fellow road trippers at the tau sar peah HQ : Chee Hiang. Bundled a few boxes and got ready for the ride further up north.

There are no pictures from here onwards. I do not know why.

Anyways, it was a good, cheap (costed rm89each for everything) weekend away from KL. Company was hilarious, food was blog worthy, drive was excellent (mainly because I didn't have to touch the steering wheel at all, hehe).

Where to next?

top story again

2010-01-09T13:55:00.004+08:00

In light of recent current events, we've made headlines in CNN, for all the wrong reasons.
This is our "top story".

It reads "Churches firebombed in 'Allah' dispute".

As irked as I am at this unnecessary attention, what irks me even more is the notion that I live in the same vicinity as these narrow-minded, pre-historic, fungal diseased, fecal speckled brained morons.

Can you blame foreigners for believing me when I said Malaysians live in tree houses and the country is 80% thick forest? (true story, by the way... they totally believed that my parents built the tree house and that I planted bananas & dug tapioca to pay my way through school. sigh...)

Whilst we still have a long way to go before racial harmony (there's another oxymoron for my collection) is achieved, I take comfort that a large percentage of true Malaysians are plodding along in the right direction. Until that day comes... tapioca anyone?

Yankees

2009-12-16T22:36:00.006+08:00

didn't like it when it first played on hitzfm, but like pesky white hair, it slowly grew on me.
before i knew it, it's chorus has been plaguing my day.

heads up to those of you (un)lucky ones who may be in my car this weekend... YOU WILL BE LISTENING TO THIS ON REPEAT. repeat. repeat. repeat...

i've always wanted to just pack up and leave for New York. who doesn't?
walk the streets in Manhattan, run in the parks, chomp on a hotdog, understand baseball for the umpteenth time.

forget Alicia-see-my-leather-clad-butt-Keys because that Yamaha baby grand with those sleek curves stole the show. its a breathtaking work of art and i want it (the piano. not the leather nor the butt). why does she have to hang over it like a monkey? sit down woman!

anyway, what i can afford for now : this rm3.50 Statue of Liberty plectrum :)

These streets will make you feel brand new
The lights will inspire you...

Move Along

2009-12-09T18:14:00.004+08:00

Helped Justin & Sharon move into their new place last weekend.
Congratulations guys, on your new cosy home with the huge balcony. (Henry & Henrietta will have tons of fun there, shedding fur and moseying along, nibbling toes and snacking on carrots. )

Moving house has always been a shite experience.
The back breaking bags and boxes, the cleaning and the dusting and the scrubbing and the vaccuming...etc...has never been my cup of tea.

However, it turned out well. No one died, except for a few squished roaches - R.I.P.

Books will rip your paper bag apart, much like what explosive diahorrea does to your rear end.
**sorry :p **

After everything was unloaded. Looked like a very disorganized pasar malam.

Entrance to the condo, enroute to set up pasar malam stall.

Thats all the pictures I have for now.

Will post more once everything is nicely in place and homely.

Can't wait for the all important couch, were we will sit civilly, sip fine wine and have intelligent, meaningful conversations.

32

2009-11-23T18:27:00.005+08:00

It's 32 days to Christmas.

The shopping frenzy is about to start in approximately 25 days for me - the self proclaimed last minute shopper. No, I never learn...

Here's my list of last minute shopping pet peeves...

- imbeciles who find a parking spot before I do.

- squeezing the car into a parking slot (i swear they make them smaller and smaller.. except for the Curve.)

- shopping crowd freaks.

The clumps of irritants who deliberately saunter in front of you like herds of old wrinkly crippled snails and waddle like obese duck fanclub groupies with crotch disease & yack to their other fellow saunterers loudly on the phone about global life changing events like 'what that Ling Ling b*tch from office said about that non-slutty dress I wore on casual Friday.' or 'how Vincci cheated me of my RM2.16 HSBC card discount. CHEATED I TELL YOU!'. stay out of my path! go away!

- sales girls who bravely block my path and insist on spraying perfume on me or telling me I NEED their credit card NOW. Sometimes I imagine how they will react if I start bellowing the chorus of the "Alala LaLa Long" song (I forgot the title). I have a vivid non-violent imagination.

- long queues at the cashier - Self explanatory. Sometimes it's really no laughing matter. The lines can reach China and yet that's the only counter open. Can you blame shoppers for shoplifting?! In this context, they are innocent.

AND THE PEEVIEST OF ALL :

- the lembap cashier (TLC) - Good grief! You finally get your hands on the item you want. Finally! The perfect size & the perfect color.

And thennnnnn you stand in the queue en route to China. Your feet develop intricate mile high deep vein trombosis. You still persist in line because Aunt Jessica really really REALLY needs this stupid potted plant for Christmas. For entertainment (and self preservation) you resort to admiring your new veins because they are oh-so-pretty. The veins distract you from thinking about shop-lifting the bloody plant.

And thennnnnn you look at the cashier who has the "Be Patient With Me. Idiot Trainee" badge. TLC is slowly folding the 316 panties the auntie in front of you bought, and putting them in tiny bags. keying the sale into the register one by one by one, digit by digit, decimal by decimal.

And thennnnnn TLC realizes the bag is too tiny...so their beady eyes SLOWLY scan the drawers for a larger bag. Many days will pass before you reach your turn at the counter. (by then Christmas would have probably passed and it's now Valentines instead) ....

Perhaps the management should replace TLCs' badge to depict a picture of an old crippled snail with crotch disease. Yes yes, I know TLCs are also human beings who need jobs and have feelings too (some of them, at least). BUT they really need be up to speed (pun intended) by the time they put up the "SALE ON NOW" sign. NOW is the key word here.

Buck the hell up before the blood vessels in my temples burst. You may consider this a begging plea from yours truly.

Happy Shopping Everyone! (...and I sincerely mean that)

My Top 5 Treat List

2009-11-03T22:17:00.007+08:00

When I was a sweet pony tailed little girl, (and that was decades ago) treats were simple things... a hot char kuay teow supper, a stick of bubble gum, an ice cream after lunch..even getting rm 5 extra for my pocket money brought me joy equivalent to striking lottery.

However, those bubble gum days are long gone. Growing up, what I consider to be a true treat has become even more demanding - both in complexity and in monetary value.

Leaving my human limitations aside, and putting on my imagination cap on tight, here is a list of my top 5 treats, in no particular order.

5) Have tea with Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

The reason I just want tea with him is purely because I would not know how to hold an intelligent conversation with Obama. I mean, what would we talk about? The weather perhaps... So. Just tea will do, for now, thank you (which is already quite unusual in itself, since I am a coffee drinker). Little questions I've wondered about, arguably, the most powerful man on Earth.. like "When he picks up the phone, does he address himself as 'Hi, Barack here'.. or 'Hi, this is THE President' or just a simple 'Hey, hello, how are ya?' " (because someone else would have introduced him). Another niggling question is "Must his shirts ALWAYS be in white?" I've not seen any other colored shirt on him in photos. Hmm... it boggles the mind...

4) Work in Wall Street for a day.

Always had the notion that Wall Street was filled with the ups and downs of buying and selling. Trillions of dollars exchanging hands in a day. All sort of shouts and hand gestures across the floor. The floor would be a commotion of hustling remisers and stock experts reading market trends and whatnot. Sounds attractive? Well, I'd like to work there and experience the stress of a Wall Street stockbroker. OK, maybe that doesn't sound like much of a treat...but I've always worked better under pressure. My exam results prove that - all the last minute, frenzied revising two nights before D-Day. I like the adrenaline that goes with it. If I can survive a day in Wall Street, I think I can survive any job thrown my way.

3) Go island hopping in the Caribbean.

The picture speaks for itself doesn't it? Unlike the tumultuous scenes depicted in the infamous Pirates of the Caribbean, I want to experience the salty breeze, the refreshing wind in my hair, the relaxed afternoon siesta on a hammock, the soothing gushing of the waves, the peaceful silence...Every picture I take would be postcard material. Need I say more? Now THAT'S what I'd call a holiday...

2) Write a script for Quentin Tarantino

Ever since I watched From Dusk Till Dawn on VHS, (DVDs weren't in yet and VHS and Video tape rewinders were all the rage) I steadily watched all Tarantino directed/written/inspired movies. Salma Hayek as a blood lusting vampire? Really, which brilliant mind would've thought that?! Especially after that mesmerising dance with a python on her shoulders. I want to delve into my well of creativity and dish out a tasty script worthy of Tarantino standards and have it watched and downloaded by millions all over the earth, and of course, have it pirated and sold in local Pasar Malams :) Wouldn't that be the cool? As they say : Imitation is the best form of flattery.

1) Blog from my own Dell Inspiron 13

Lucky number 13. Macbooks and Vaios aside, a Dell Inspiron 13 should fit in my backpack very very nicely indeed. I want to sit in my favourite Starbucks chair, connect seamlessly with its Wifi and admire my own reflection in it's 13.3 inch screen. And perhaps if my old friend Barack can spare the time, go on a webcam conference with him too. heh.

I want to feel the cool touch of it's keyboard and hear the tapping of it's keys against my fingers. It comes with Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 too. OK, I have no idea what that even means, but I'm sure it will make Lara Croft (yes yes, at this day and age, some people still play tomb raider) look as menacing as never before.

It comes in varied colors : Obsidian Black, Alpine White and Cherry Red. All three are definite attention pullers. In the case of judging the book by its cover, I want people to judge me by my laptop instead. Simply because I know it will impress :)

Btw, if you're thinking of owning one, do mention special coupon code BZQVQF2RLZRKW3 from Dell that would allow you to purchase a Dell Inspiron 13 (S510701MY) with a RM100 Instant Cash Redemption!!. This promotion is only available online or by calling Dell at 1800-88-0301. This coupon code expires on 10th Nov 2009.

So there you go.

5 treats that would completely make my day.

Yup, my simple bubblegum days are definitely over!

Pangkor

2009-11-02T23:12:00.013+08:00

Just got back from a weekend holiday @ Pulau Pangkor yesterday.
It was a welcome change from the routine in KL city.

As usual, we were quite the last minute / impromptu planner bunch.

I had 5 people in Ah Beng. My rule for 5 pieces of clothing per person fell on deaf ears,as expected. Good thing I serviced him on that morning itself. Bad thing was he costed me rm 400.

On the way, the rear window refused to wind back up. No amount of persuasion would coax it to budge. So, we had to stop at mechanic shop. 10 minutes later, we we back en route.

Costed rm5 and several knocks to get it to obey. The car is PMSing I guess. He better watch it...

We reached the jetty. First thing's first : Hit the shops. Sharon & Shanky both bought dresses. While we waited... and waited... and waited.

Finally crossed over to Pulau Pangkor. Spoke to a hotelier hawker, who provided us accomodation for both nights. We booked a room called Hornbill Hotel, Teluk Nipah, and caught a pink cab van.

Camwhoring in the cab.

Sharon still looked quite pleased, despite us not heeding her multiple requests to stop for coconut water and rambutans.

View from the pink framed windows.

So we arrived at Hornbill.

The room was not as nice as the pictures but it's saving grace was it's 8 meters from the sea....It has Astro, however only one StarMovie channel. And the TV was tiny anyway with horrid sound. And worse of all, no remote.

All our stuff...and then there's Shanky's large white hat, which followed us everywhere. Everywhere! It was like the 6th person in the group.

After a hard day's drive... the bed.

Finally found use for my ipod player. It came in very handy.

The hat people.

Goofing around.
Our stupid room door, wouldn't open and locked us out. Drama warma. That warranted a room change. Immediately.

Still, that didn't stop the camwhoring...and the parading of the new dresses... and the 100 pictures and poses that automatically followed after.

Later that night, after a huge Chinese dinner, we played games to foster good relationships la, konon. It really was just an excuse to drink. I got re-aquainted with Mr Jose. He's such a nice fella. btw, you can see the fugly bedsheet patterns. And then we played taboo. It's a lousy game - mainly coz I lost. ceh! Mr Jose didn't help one bit...

The next morning, it was up with the early morning sun.

Nasi lemak and teh tarik with a view. Food was crappy though. The picture looks good huh?

Spotted James Bond, doing the macho thing of solo canoeing to the next island.

Flies are everywhere. So, keep an eye on your drink.

More goofing around.. and yes, that white hat.

Next we moved rooms since we were left with three people. The walls are bright pink. How relaxing...

This time, we had a little balcony. It made a lot of things convenient. :)

Took a boat ride to Giam Island. Shanky fell on the boat on the way back. One minute we were looking at her face, the next thing we saw was her flailing legs in the air.

We swum, bathed, put handfuls of sand in Shanky's swimsuit, collected shells, put dead crabs on Shanky, ate our delish Ramlee Burger (over there it's called an Island Burger), put more sand on/in Shanky. I copped a sunburn on my back. It was a good day.

Jason and his really tight ...goggles.

The swing that Shanky fell off. Twice. It was hilarious. The locals looked on in amazement while we laughed our pants off. I think she scared a few kids there. I don't know any adults who fall off swings. Especially when they're sober.

Tapauing Island burgers for Jason. I loved the jagung bakar there. Besides that, the food was just not worth half a sniff.

Having an icecream, walking with THE hat even though it's THE night. and THE sun is long set.

Dinner made a waste of the fresh fish. blechh!

Before we checked out. Satisfied tired smiles all around. It rained scarily on the drive back. But we got home safely, with restless bums.

Goodbye Pangkor.

klunga

2009-10-28T20:00:00.003+08:00

unless you are been living under a rock on Mars with frogs for brains in the past week or so, you would have heard of this little film call Paranormal Activity. it started off miniscule, by blockbuster standards - a tiny independent film project, however word of mouth helped it snowball into a money churning machine. a $62million snowball, to be exact.

a lot has been said and written about this film. so, i won't add much. not even a picture.. just two things :

1. go watch it, if things that go bump in the night do not usually scare you.

even if it's just for the sake of seeing what the hype is all about - coz it may be years after we get a good scary flick of this calibre.

(it's not showing in the local cinemas, sadly.. i think Finas will pan it as having "unsur-unsur kegelapan esktrem, causing all youths with frogs for brains to enter the demonic realm and start breeding zombies". so go get the next best thing - you know what i'm talking about...)

and

2. Micah is a cutie :)

ps: Up the volume!

2 - 0 (full time)

2009-10-26T16:57:00.003+08:00

Happy Belated Birthday wishes to Batman @ Mr ex-Hot Tamale @ Port Dickson's very own Gerrard @ Mr Liverpool Forever.

No, I didn't forget... I know you think I did.. but I didn't. didn't!

Have known you for, what.. 4 years? More?
We've been to many destinations/holidays together. More than anyone else. Strange fact, but true... Where's next?

Anyways, hope you live a long, happy and blissful life. 30 is just the beginning... after that, it's all downhill.. :p (just kidding... but really now it is..)

taken 2 yrs ago, when we were still skinny and innocent...

5 months ago @ Sweaty Betty, London. hahaha Sweaty Betty! (sorry can't find a better pic of us... dunno where my pen drive went)

Hope you had a good one & thanks for being a friend. A real good friend.
I'll shout u lunch, k. Sushi?

C.P II

2009-10-26T16:34:00.005+08:00

cutie pie 2! we finally meet.

Dearest Ameena, may you grow to be upright, bright, graceful and thoroughly beautiful inside & out (like me...:p)

Naziah, again I have to ask... "How?!"

motherhood agrees with me. no?

road trip

2009-10-19T18:49:00.005+08:00

RESIPI HARI INI - HOW TO GET LOST :
Ingredients :
3 clueless girls
1 car
1 full tank of fuel
1 touch n go or Smart tag
1 sms containing address
1 poorly printed map from Google Maps

How To :
- wake 3 clueless girls up at 6am (or some unGodly hour)
- fill with some sort of breakfast. if late, then forgo this step
- fill clueless girls with caffeine (if this step is missed, whole recipe will fail. FAIL!!)
- ensure car has a full tank of petrol (preferably Shell 95)
- put girls in car
- remove sense of direction from clueless girls - if they already have none, then don't bother
- set course for sms address
- for extra oomph, add nice road trip music and useless conversation, containing blonde jokes and ridiculous facts of life from Animal Planet.
- heat with North-bound, Perak style hot sun for 2 hours
- garnish and serve your succulent dish of lost girls

We are set to attend a wedding this Saturday in St Joseph's Chapel, Bidor, Perak. I googled the map for directions, landmarks, etc... only to find that it's practically in the middle of no where. The best landmark is Sg. Bidor, off the North-South Expressway.

I/We are bound to get lost for sure.

Some one lend me their GPS?
please?

btw, pls remind me to service Ah Beng... i don't wanna be stranded AND lost. :(

don't piss off little old ladies...

2009-10-16T17:33:00.004+08:00

finally, got me a clear copy (with accurate subtitles too) of Drag Me To Hell.

Have been wanting and waiting to watch it eversince i heard so much about it.

Its trailer, poster, the write up all point to it being a HORROR flick (queue creepy eerie music here). So you'd think it'd be a good one to watch with the lights off and cower under your security blanket. Think again...

Drag Me To Hell is a fun show. Yes. Fun. Aside from the gross parts where there is a lot of dirty yellow-green witch vomit spewed into open shrieking mouths, and old lady false teeth covered with goo falling out in places, there are plenty of HaHas. its full of what i can only describe as silliness and totally appeals to my sense of comic.

My first laugh came when the heroine, Christine, (or should I say victim) stapled the old lady's eyelid in a catfight which puts WWE wrestlers to shame.

Christine - in her best tomb raider pose.

My loudest laugh came when Christine coughed out a buzzing fly during dinner with her poshy boyfriend's parents. no one else touched the Harvest Cake that she baked after that.

i loved the ending too because i didn't expect it that way. i loved the little old lady, Mrs Ganush, despite her horrid barf, weird eyes and icky maggots. she rocks, even in her grave.

hope you have as much fun as i had watching it.

and , note to self : don't piss off little old ladies...

ipod tag

2009-10-14T18:37:00.004+08:00

this post was written on pain of death from my evil twin.

(u can thank me later for saving you from quilting your whole house, k...
it's barely been a week and you're already bored ?! why am i not surprised?)

some tag i read somewhere i don't remember anyways...

it's called the iPod Tag :
set your ipod to shuffle and let it answer these questions.
my little nano did quite well, i must say.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS ‘ARE YOU OKAY’ YOU SAY?
For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic - Paramore
i am an optimist, believe it or not.

2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
The Blower's Daughter - Damian Rice
teacher's daughter actually. my parents are not blowers.

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Another Kind of Green - John Mayer
:) spot on. "and i don't need another kind of green to know i'm on the right side with you" ok, actually i don't really know what that even means...

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Worlds Apart - Jars of Clay
welcome to my world. take a seat. put your feet up, and say hi to the alien beside you.

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
I probably won't get it back, so I'll live with today.

6. WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?
My Hero - Foo Fighters
My hero is Batman and his plastic pecs and utlity belt and Wayne Manor aka Batcave.

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Letting You - NIN
yes yes that what I always say "LET MEEEE!!!" but they never do.. :(

8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Lost Cause - Beck
haha. Hi Mom! mwax!

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Lights in the Sky - NIN
no, i'm not senile.. yet

10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Beautiful Day - U2
hey, my matematik moden is A1, obviously.

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Leaving Me Now - Level 42
*hmmmmmmmmmmmm. yes the good ones always leave.

12. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Modern Guilt - Beck
I knew it.. this tag was a bad idea today....

13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Sci-Fi Wasabi - Cibo Matto
wish I knew what that is. Obi Wan Kenobi is waiting for me, Wasabi. Cool song though.

14. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
My Happiness - Powderfinger
*smile* aww...

15. WHAT WILL/DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Your Song - Ewan McGregor
romantic but probably not. so not me.

16. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Bu Liu - Faye Wong
Translates to "Don't Leave". yeah why not. it figures.

17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Peel Me A Grape - Diana Krall
use all the innuendo you want. ALL!

18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Run - Snow Patrol
i haven't been running, and it shows *sucks stomach back in* sighhh

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Paper Planes - MIA. i have weird secrets.

20. WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Head Over Feet - Alanis Morrissette
i'm so not flexible. the only flexible part of my body is my hair.. even then, people still say it's stubborn.

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Trouble - Pink
hahahaaa really now..i'm not that bad.

it's just, a little crush

2009-09-28T20:23:00.004+08:00

watched Obama on Letterman.

i now have a mini-crush thingy going on now (with Barack, not Dave).

maybe i'm attracted to power. he is, after all, arguably the most powerful man (besides Batman..). or perhaps it's his winning smile and sense of humor - which i totally get.

he just makes so much sense when he talks. and i'm sure i'm not alone when i say this.

Common sense : a rare commodity these days. why can't more leaders be like this?

ach, get uber it

2009-09-22T22:50:00.007+08:00

watched Bruno with eyes wide shut (yes yes, borrowed from that Kidman-Cruise flop of a show)

3 minutes into it, my left brain (the analytical, logical one) was already on it's knees, begging my right brain (the emotive, artsy-fartsy side) to "Shut her eyes, shut her eyessss, DAMMIT!!! LOOK AWAYYYY!!!! *&@#^)( )(*!@@#!!"

sad to say, as horrifying as Bruno is, you just have to sit through it. it will butcher your mind with images, phrases, sounds and scenes that will mercilessly replay in your minds eye, long after the credits roll.

while i admired it for it's shock value, parts of it are genuinely disturbing to the average normal citizen of the world, like the ordinary, everyday you and me. and i don't mean just visually disturbing. it's morally degrading and borders on soft porn. oh no, wait. scratch that. some footages ARE porn.

the part i found sad was when he was interviewing parents who signed up their babies for commercials:-

Brüno: We have chosen your baby to be dressed as a Nazi Officer, pushing a wheelbarrow, with a Jewish baby, into an oven!

Mother : umm.... yeah, OK if that's what you want.

i guess it's disturbing because these are not acted out. these are REAL honest responses by REAL parents. society reeks of rot! (not all though) these are people you want to cut up and check if they have brains, a backbone and a mere ounce of dignity. and you would come up empty handed.

yet, you can't help but guffaw at it. i, for one, put up my hand and confess, i laughed more than once.... it's guilty laughter though coz deep down inside, I knew I should not be laughing at but oh, come on, it WAS funny when he asked the Pastor "So if Freddy Prince Jr. crawled in here now on all fours, are you telling me you wouldn't want to undress him?" and you just look at the poor Pastor's exasperated face, grappling to answer that question, trying desperately to stick to his "These lips were made to praise Jesus" routine.

or

at a hunting trip with three homophopic rednecks, he runs totally naked to their tent "A bear ate all my clothes except for these condoms."

or

in an interview between an Israeli and a Palestinian "Your conflict is not so bad. Jennifer-Angelina is worse."

or when he made Paula Abdul sit on Mexican furniture, which were actually men. (she fell for it, or rather, she sat on it)

like or hate him, he really put a new spin into the word "mockumentary".

Mr Cohen striketh again.
Can't help but wonder what his next project will be...but I hope Paula Abdul features again. she looked like so much fun...

'tis the season

2009-09-18T15:36:00.006+08:00

thanks to my Sekolah Kebangsaan education way way way way back then, i've always had Malay friends.

my first friend I made in Darjah 1 Hijau was Juliana Nasir - don't ask me how we became friends. i don't remember. all i remember was she was the Chief Inspector's daughter and that we shared color pencils. wonder where she is now though....

these days, i still have Malay friends. people who have brightened up my life like those Luna color pencils I used to have, in their own way(s).

and in the spirit of this special occassion, i'd like to wish you all...

SELAMAT HARI RAYA

Naziah - i'll miss you and your brand madness that keeps me sane. the laughs and topics of interest (u know, that which we should and must not speak of by those who should not be spoken of). have a safe and cherished holiday with your family. i'll see you in a bit.

Nurul - well. what else can i say? some days, it seems like you just left yesterday. hope you're doing as well as can be and improving on the 4.5 Dutch words that you know. i will send you more Ikea catalogs soon :) miss you too.

Marina - the missing Urgurl. not sure if you read this, but don't let all that rubber get into your head. and take care of that spongy brain of yours. you are also 'quiet-quiet potato got'.

Aidil - well, my trusty travel companion who endures my jokes and jibes with a smile. keep on snapping. we should meet up sometime...again.. err when, ah?

and to the rest of you, whether or not you read this... happy holidays.

ps: i love lemang...

ooo lemanggg...

we serve prawns

2009-08-31T15:29:00.007+08:00

the second the credits opened to District 9, right up to its uneasy end, i was gripped in the state of "huh?"

not the bad kind of "huh". the good kind... like when you check your bank account balance and discover an extra rm200. "huh?" or when you reach home after a hard day's work and you find it cleaned and a hot delicious dinner served. "huh?" (if you live alone, that is...and no one you know cooks)

this is not a feel good show. it's grimy and smelly and violent. at the end of it, if you lick yourself you'd probably taste stale too - and not because of the limp popcorn @ GSC. yet it's really refreshing to watch an idea so new and untried on film before.

district 9 is a simple yet smart movie. comparing it to a larger whopper of a show like, say, "Transformers 2", i found it to be the more intelligent of the two. both in script and delivery. not to mention budget too - d9 costed 30million, grossed 90million. i don't know how much transformers 2 costed, but i'll bet it was a few folds over 30m.

set in Johannesburg, this show never once mentions racism or arpetheid nor skin color, but you'd be a first class moron not to notice the obvious parellels it makes to the black-slash-white issue. it was as obvious as the alien spaceship hanging over the city.

wikus and his accent..

Wikus is the hero/victim of the whole show. after you get over his South African accent, you'll find that he's the everyday ordinary hardworking guy who is assigned the challenging task of relocating the aliens who are stranded in Johannesburg. you can't help but empathize with Wikus. he's all smiley and mild mannered, intent on getting the job done, only to have everything he had taken away, including his fingernails and teeth.

the aliens are derogatorily termed "prawns", due to their likeness to ermm... prawns!. the double meaning here is also kinda apparent.. prawns are decomposers. (google that)

the walk out of the cinema, usually filled with chatter, was rather silent.

watch it, huh?

doinked

2009-08-28T23:27:00.003+08:00

look who's pic made it to sixthseal.com (see my linked blogs)
been reading his blog since Milly recomended it to me waaaaaay back in 2004.
i read it almost every day at work. today's entry made me squeal in surprise...

so. HOLA! btw it's Jason, not Johan. but pictures speak louder than words...

Jason...what can I say. YOU AND YOUR IPOD SHUFFLE/TOUCH!!!
see you soon. enjoy Sri Lanka...

fingers

2009-08-22T18:46:00.003+08:00

watch this 12 yr old guitar prodigy with his muka selamba play like a pro+

one of my fav songs. fell for it all over again..sigh...

this one's for Nurul :) still faraway...

and how he nimbly perfects the "tremolo" effect.

fascinating stuff. cute hair.

"i hope you don't mind,

that i've put down in words

how wonderful life is now that

you're in the world"

a good read is...

2009-08-18T15:43:00.007+08:00

woke up at 9.20am this morning and finished reading The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

contrary to the popular conception that "Cat only likes morbid books and movies. MUST BE MORBID! MUST HAVE BLOOD AND GUTS SPILLING!! EVERYONE MUST DIE - esp the blondes!" - i enjoyed this love story. it's a subtle romantic tale of Henry and Clare, with a twist (of course. originality wins. everytime). i won't waste my time with a summary. read about it here.

the beginning chapters were a little slow going. took me a while to absorb myself into the book. though the last few chapters kept me riveted. i even read a few final chapters in bed, using a flashlight over my head, often on nights when i wasn't able to sleep.

henry's final letter to clare made me tear. yes. real hot tears - not the fake tears i get when i laugh too hard. very touching prose and so beautifully written, you'd think henry is actually a woman (not saying that men aren't capable of expressive writing, ok. so put your clubs down, guys.. you testosterone laden homosapiens). the way he wrote it was delicate and gently carried exactly what he wanted to express into tender folds of enthralling sentences.

most importantly, it was not written in a manner that would gross me out or reduce me into cringing goosebumps either.

the book is now a movie starring the hulky Eric Bana and former queen bee Rachel McAdams . i doubt it will be as good. most book movies aren't.

won't give you any spoilers, unless you intend to read/watch it for yourself.

am now on to my next book "My Point...And I Do Have One" by Ellen deGeneres (kisses to Naziah!) and "The Unknown Errors of Our Lives" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (i didn't pick this one.)

thanks Shanky for buying the book and then not reading it.
thanks Justin for recommending it.
thanks Milly for introducing me to Ms Niffinegger. i still have the illustrated book you gave.

.

GLesP

2009-08-14T14:51:00.004+08:00

Thank you for the music, Mr Gibson. - maker of THE guitar.

...RIP...

carless

2009-08-13T00:15:00.004+08:00

poor ah beng.. tried to brake but skidded in the rain. caused a 3 car fender bender. his fender is fine tho... his front, as u can see, is disfigured. carpet soiled with caramel machiato. will take u for a good wash after you keluar hospital, ok beng?

my guardian angels are working overtime these days. glad we are all ok. for those of you who have experienced my driving, NO, i definately wasn't speeding. reallyyyy! this is my first major accident since I got my license. my belated birthday "present" - making me appreciate my life and my worth more than ever, u know carpe diem, seize the day and all that bla bla. Shanky's too (although she had a little scrape on her dainty wrist, but I think she'll live loud and clear)

boo and gang : thanks for all the help rendered. appreciate it more than i can ever show.

jason : thanks for the support and for trying to bid me off in facebook. i will make you lots of facebook dollars and you can then afford your facelift and false pecs (i know a good doctor)

ray : thanks for the ride home (no, i don't mind a kelisa...am still in humble mode..)

drive carefully everyone.

only the 77 left on my plates...(supposed to be a lucky number :)
now that i'm looking at the pics, i wonder how is it that we're sitting here typing this with my 10 fingers and a sane mind. it could have been so much worse.

kemek habis.

get well soon, beng...miss u already.

ps: Ruth, if you're reading this don't tell lao nang... they'll want to move in with me...again.

C is for Cookie, Thats Good Enough For Me

2009-08-04T19:54:00.004+08:00

plucked this from Ziahlicious.
all answers need to start with your first name's initial.

What is your name: Cat
A four letter word: Cats (it IS a word...)
A boy’s name: Chris
A girl’s name: Charlotte
An occupation: Crash test dummy/driver
A color: Cyan
Something you’ll wear: Crystal bra. (hey cut me some slack... i thought of something much worse, but as i am a LADY, i won't post it...)
A food: Chocolate cookies dunked in cold millk.
Something found in the bathroom: Crap in the toilet bowls.
A place: Canteen
A reason for being late: Crashed the car
Something you’d shout: umm...i'll not put the first word that comes to mind... i'm on "I'm A Lady" mode... so my answer will be "Come here!"
A movie title: Con Air - the only Nick Cage movie i liked...the others are blaa.
Something you drink: Chinese tea
A musical group: Cranberries
An animal: Cat - how many times must I repeat myself?
A street name: Collins Street, Melb.
A type of car: Corolla - extinct now, tho.
The title of a song: Can't Live Without You - as featured in our (Naziah & I) Loser Compilation III ...

slang speak

2009-07-29T22:14:00.004+08:00

you know that annoyingly overplayed song "Takin' Back My Love"?

in the beginning the annoying mole-no-more-Enrique says, or rather screeches : "RedOne", like it's an English word but it's not.

ever wonder what he's trying to say? (ok ok, you probably did not. but i did... one of the several little things that i pick up and mull over as i drive)

i found out today, via Google - the search engine that makes us all look smart -
RedOne is the name of the producer of the song.

his other claims to fame : lady gaga's Just Dance doo doo daa daa, which won him a Grammy, that equally annoying Fire Burning song (which won't win him anything... yerkk) and Kat Deluna's debut album.

talking about that Fire Burning song.. have i mentioned that it's also annoying? yes? it is annoying....anyways, i also wondered what the hell "Shortie" or "Shorty" is slang for. (if one wanted to be cool, they'd spell it "shawty". but i'm not cool. so...)

i guess in context of that song, it would be "the person that's on fire". well... it's not. it means "an attractive female or girlfriend". let me examplify this in a sentence :
Jason has a shortie.

ok enough learning for the day.
=.=

losing it

2009-07-29T19:20:00.006+08:00

in the days when i had Astro (sigh...let me reminisce for a moment... hmmm...) i almost always follow The Biggest Loser reality show.

it's where selected obese people are put bunged together in a bungalow and made to work their butts off in grueling day long gym sessions. the ex-fattie who loses the most weight, wins a gazillion dollars. isn't that phat? pun intended :)

well, the biggest loser is coming to Asia. especially for the Asian fatties, auditions are being held in Fitness First @ the Curve, 1 Aug (Saturday), from 10am. am quite tempted to go have a look see at the line up. but then i hate hate hate crowds - whats more, crowds of ..how do i say it in a politically correct manner...non-small individuals. anyway, if you have a BMI (body mass index - calculate your BMI here) of 25 and above and am not shy about it.. then i'm sorry you're overweight. However CONGRATULATIONSSS!!, you qualify!!

the prize is $100,000 USD..that's about RM350,000.

hell, if i qualified, i'd so go!

tran$former$

2009-07-24T18:35:00.009+08:00

this is a long overdue movie review.

unless you live in a cave along with your cavemen friends and are second cousins to the handsome chaps from "The Hills Have Eyes", you'd have already watched it by now - which makes this post redundant...but, mehh..who cares.

so we all know the obvious : that it's another Michael Bay bay-be. promising all the booming effects of it's predecessor, a return of what were once B-list actors (yes, you read right! i'm calling Megan Fox a B-lister! so there!) and supposed jaw-dropping scenes of Optimus Prime and his mighty renegade of Autobots.

Optimus Prime - who melted a few hearts...

even the movie stills look explosively good.

my personal take? it was well worth my rm12. a tad bit too long, but nothing my flat butt could not handle.

the acting was what you'd expect of B-listers. but i didn't go to witness their supreme acting skills (actually i thought they were rather drab). the real heroes were the geeks and techies slaving behind their souped up iMacs, or whatever super computer it is they use - conjouring scene after scenes that would've been impossible without this wonderful thing called Computer Generated Imagery. i bless it's digital heart.

isn't it crazy what technology can do? if not for CGI, we'd still be stuck with these high quality type shows. example in hand : Thunderbirds...

Brains. charming isn't he? don't laugh... i actually liked Thunderbirds. down to their gramatically challenged tagline " Thunderbirds Are Go!"

... and their top of the line ship, Thunderbird 2. isn't its aerodynamic body just the hottest vehicle you've ever laid eyes upon? i think its design was inspired by the body of a very sexy frog.

and who could forget the ever classic Godzilla. him and his rubbery belly once terrified movie goers.

Godzilla vs Kong. no, they're NOT doing the waltz...

i proclaim CGI - the best thing that happened to the movie industry.

most importantly, it can gross you $400M for a 3 hour movie, in a time where we are supposedly in a global economic meltdown.

ka-chingg!

the trip that never was...

2009-07-22T14:13:00.008+08:00

it was a wonderful trip.

the beach was white and breezy.

you could taste the salt in the fresh air.

the sand so soft and warm.

the blue gurgling water, the waves so inviting.

exactly how you'd want a beach to behave.

the weather was just right. not too bright, not too cold.

of course, it would've been SO much better had i actually been there.

the people who did not miss their flights. you guys are heroes.

lets not cry over spilt milk. lesson learnt.

but... buaaWahhhhhhh...!! :`(

AirAsia : now everyone can fly (just be there on time)

time

2009-07-10T23:33:00.001+08:00

one of my few favourite verses

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

google away, you pagans.

ur plc or mine?

2009-07-09T21:32:00.004+08:00

Am proud to announce that I have officially moved to my new apartment. (apartment is American, flat is British, what's the Malaysian term? Kondo?)

The official date was the 26th June 09, because that's when I got my first electricity bill. Yes. It's only official if Tenaga Nasional confirms your residency.
I proudly collected it from my mail box and paid a grand total of RM22.10 via Maybank2u. Finally this day has come, after 32 years of living, I now have a utility bill in my own name. It was a proud moment for my parents.

Apart from Beechii (my spanking new washing machine who refuses to wash or do anything a proper washing machine should do. In fact all it did was wet my kitchen floor and leave me with a pile of soaking wet, dirty clothes. What a Beech! I'll deal with you later, Beechii...), the place is rather livable.

I like how after I struggle with opening the access doors, double locked doors, double locked grills, I am greeted with a poof of "new house smell". It's a mix of the sweet scent of concrete, new paint and stale kitchen cabinet aroma.

I like how it's a practical space, with minimal decor, ala Ikea. Nothing fancy. The living room has a lot of white space. My couch is the brightest thing in my home, siren red in color. I think it has an attention seeker type persona. When I pass it, I feel like I need to sit on it for a bit.

I like sitting on my couch in the wee hours of the morning and all I hear is my fridge give out it's low hum. Very zen-like. Don't know why, but it gives me a weird kind of satisfaction and peace. One that transcends human understanding. Did I mention it's weird? It is. A weird comfort.

I like my half empty bookshelves. My books sit there quietly minding their own business (maybe coz they're books, y'know..). They indirectly say a lot about the person that I am or am not :) Have a look at the titles. Have a read, maybe.

I like my tiny balcony with space for 2. (unless you're fat, then there's just no space. In any case, then you shouldn't be on any balcony. There's a gym downstairs, but that's another story...) It's so tiny I don't think it qualifies as a balcony at all. More like a mini-cony. I stuck a folding chair on my mini-cony, so when I'm bored, I can sit outside and watch the rich people opposite drive in and out their semi-Ds with their BMWs and modified Mercs.

Guess what I'm trying to say, in a very long-winded pace, is that I like my place.

Purely because it is mine.
And THATS what I call MySpace.

III

2009-06-22T18:47:00.002+08:00

"Three months and I still remember it
Three months and I wake up
Three months and I still am
Pick all my weeds but kept the flowers"

- k. clarkson

can't fathom how just how much...

Words of Wisdom

2009-06-19T19:21:00.001+08:00

Cath's words of wisdom for the day...

If one has a headache, one should not play Sudoku.

oh yawnnn

2009-06-16T22:31:00.007+08:00

am bored and definately feeling it these days.
if i were an object, i'd be a fence. it just sits there day in, day out, basking in the sun and rain, watching the world pass by. i think i'd make a pretty impressive fence.

it's as if the moment i tag into the office, my eyes drowse out and my shoulders inadvertantly slump no less than 2 inches. by the time i shuffle my feet to my cubicle, there is already a feeling of certain doom and my first instinct is to turn back, step into my car, and drive as far and fast as I can in the opposite direction.

Naziah somewhat counters this by knitting. a good idea. however, i think if i start knitting in the office, i will draw weird stares and comments for sure. besides, what will i knit? wooly underwear for everyone this Christmas?

i brought a book. read 3 pages. i could not concentrate. if even Murakami can't keep me, i am surely heading down that dead, dreary path of brown boredom.

so. half-heartedly listening to office chatter, half concentrating on writing this. the air-con buzz is getting to me. i am absentmindedly whittling down the minutes before i can rush out of here and breathe again.

another 74 minutes to go...

a wedding

2009-06-16T14:57:00.003+08:00

went for Kasturi's wedding last weekend.
yes, she's finally officially tied down. too bad, the guys who missed out.

my pictures were blurred because i didn't realize someone set it to "night mode".
no, it was not one of my smartest nights...

carol and shanky - and their manageable sarees. pretty but complicated. ( i mean, the sarees.) tying a saree is neither fast nor easy. much like a marriage, there is no shortcut to tying one properly. pleates and tassels and cloth everywhere. this is why God made me a simple Chinese gal.

boo - busy taking pictures with her expensive phone. ahem...

wearing cufflinks is complicated. especially when you're wearing them yourself - single-handedly. even the deftest fingers would find it challenging ;)

thats Benny in the background. we were very late, so we entertained ourselves with taking our own pictures, as opposed to pictures of the bride & groom. in fact, we didn't take any pictures with Kasturi (why?!). there was a professional photographer there. malu to take out my little camera - which was in the wrong shot mode anyway...

the tables had what I'd term as "sampah". rose petals. the place was lit up with fairy lights on the walls.

unexpected guest : Shanker. forget Keanu Reeves. he is the original devil's advocate. He looks pretty much the same, just older. and that same mouth of his. for the last time - I am NOT the devil. He is.

Jason who was later than the late, yet still managed to make his presence known.

Congratulations Kasturi. it was nice seeing that smile again :D

mushy maro

2009-06-12T17:10:00.005+08:00

meet mashimaro.

i think he's a rabbit of some sort, who needs a gym session or two....created by the Koreans to fool like minded people to part with hard earned $ to own a piece of his white, cute (arguable), fluffy creature rodent rat thing.

Wikipedia said mashimaro translates to "weird rabbit". i rest my case..

i was told i look like it.

i do not.

do i?

btw i only like the one with a toilet plunger on its head. :)

Mashimaro has a BROWN colored counterpart, called Chocomaro.

That's you, Shanky. hahahaha

i attach a picture, for YOUR viewing pleasure. he's holding a beer bottle. how appropriate.

enjoy.

the sweetest thing

2009-06-12T13:43:00.008+08:00

photographer : Aidil and his Canon.
isn't this just the sweetest picture?

i looked fat but. and if you zoom in, you can still see the annoying red splotches on my swollen face. but nevertheless....it's full of the "awww..." factor.

and i liked this too. just the girls bumming around in Amsterdam...

and again with Big Ben. so muhibbah - like our primary school textbooks with "Siti, Siew Lian dan Priya".

and finally, my Notre Dam gargoyle. he looks so cool...can i have one in my house balcony?

thanks for the memories, u guys.

secretss

2009-06-11T22:52:00.004+08:00

read my usual dose of postsecret. some entries are touching. others are hillarious. pity i can't see past entries. i'm sure i'd missed quite a few.

if i ever got round to sending my own entry, it'd be this :

a tribute to love and all that it represents.

"love never fails"

you're 21!

2009-06-05T14:50:00.002+08:00

today marks the 21st year since my evil twin was born.
(it's 21, but she's walked the earth since the beginning of time)

i've known her to be such a generous, loving, fierce, witty, crazy and fun friend.

Naziah Nawawie, it's been a joy sharing part of my life with you.
Happy Birthday.

ps: come get ur gift...

Paris

2009-06-03T20:58:00.033+08:00

finally lugged our heavy asses and all our 16 bags to the hotel. the snooty cab lady driver reading her newspapers in her merc gave us French directions (of course, because we look like so very French..) to the hotel. it was about 10 minutes walk, however, our luggage made it a lot further than it seemed.

we left our bags and decided to reward ourselves with a buffet breakfast at the hotel. i had bacon, ham, soft boiled eggs, croissants, scrambled eggs, two different types of juice, two cups of yoghurt and coffee. we were too early, so had to cat nap at the lounge before checking in at 11am.

finally... our very own room!

the hostess with the mostest. Shank. :)

the view from our room. Bonjour Paris!

my feet did the french thing.

our pretty pretty room and comfy beds. even if the sheets were hogged, there was plenty to go around, so i was warm throughout the cool nights.

the trains in Paris is called the Metro. the cool thing is they have walkalators. felt like i was power-walking.

simply loved the burgers at McDonalds... think this one's called the 280. the guy at the counter totally messed up our orders. maybe we need to brush up on our poor English.

yummy yummy...i wanttt...

First things first - took the Metro to Bir-Hakim stop. where the Eiffel Tower is.

a picture is worth a million words. Shankitha - when she first saw the Eiffel Tower, hiding amongst the bushes.

there she stands... i thought it looked really small.

...but as we approached it, she got so much bigger.

the structure is simply massive and majestic. a well constructed pile to metal, steele and fist sized bolts.

under the Eiffel's buntut.

dream come true.

ok then, stoppit! the both of you. been there, done that.

view up the Eiffel.
watched the sun set over Paris.

i like this pic too. sweet.

such a postcard material scene. that white dot in the middle is the cresent moon. pretty isn't it?

she's all lit up at night. even i was impressed.

next stop was the Lourve Museum.

the famous triangle entrance where Tom Hanks played in the Davinci Code. i never watched that movie. he had weird looking hair...

the Lourve is SO DAMN BIG. stretched for miles!

every architect's nightmare? or dream?

even the ceilings were decorated. i was kept busy walking, looking right, left, up and down.
Some were very excited by the naked men and women and their bare breasts and marble smooth asses. In the name of art...

Aidil said this sculpture is quite famous. I had no idea, but I just snapped a picture.

Shanky's favourite sculpture, wonder why.. reminded me of that KarmaSutra book illustration.

Of course, the Lourve's claim to fame is that it houses DaVinci's Monalisa. She sits about 100 meters through that door. It was so crowded with visitors. Snapping pictures and cam-whoring with her.

She's quite a small painting. I never did see why she was so famous. Now that I've seen her, I still don't know why. What mesmerising smile?! I've seen better...sorry.

The sculpture I really wanted to see was the Venus de Milo.

imho, Venus trumps Monalisa anyday, anytime, anywhere. I also want her abs.

After what seemed like a million paintings small and large, sculptures big and small and enough art viewing to last me a lifetime, we went and had lunch.

this cafe along Rue de Lourve... had the best steak I ever had. and no, I am not exaggerating.

then we navigated our way to the Notre Dame.

amazing. i felt so small... entering the cathedral, there was church music playing and gregorian chantlike hymns.

the atmosphere is very shush-shush.

so many intricate statues and carvings, i don't know where to start...

people sat and prayed, some lit candles. there was even bible study groups meeting and a confession room. i didn't go in :)

Christ on the Cross in the Notre Dame.

i lit a candle for u (and for world peace..)

it's full of stained glass windows. intricate and delicate. awesome.

the good people of the Notre Dame have spoketh "NO AMEX". ha ha.

and then it was on to Champ Elysee. the most poshy poshy street of Paris.

u know it's poshy when Mercedes Benz has a showroom,

shop assistants are dressed in tie and suit.

and they chase you away, if you sit to rest your feet outside their shops. i am not a mongrel, you oafs.

after delightful Paris sapped all our Euros, it's back to London to catch our flight....

on board the Eurostar. 250km/h, 2.15hrs from Paris to London. you can't get much better than that. possibly the coolest, most comfortable train ride i've ever experienced.

classic me. i've always looked like this :)

Packed our 23 bags of stuff and met Sham.

Sham's Volkswagen Beetle. Isn't it chic?

Comes with a Sunflower :)

the two jakuns at the back, made the car a little less cool. soft top down...

had to rush for the bus to Stansted. we almost missed it. that's a lot of bags...

AirAsia finally issues me a proper looking boarding pass, and not the usual receipt looking piece of paper..

happy to be going home where chili padi is fresh.

sad the holiday is almost over.

I'll always remember your Merlin blazer, Aidil.

Flight back was uneventful. reached home, was screened for swine flu and the rest is history.

Thanks for a memorable, much needed holiday, guys.

xoxo...

I am sterdam

2009-06-02T19:03:00.066+08:00

flew british midlands to amsterdam from heathrow airport. security was tight as expected. the customs line was a busy flurry of passengers removing belts, shoes and bagging bottles of liquids and lotions. we passed through without a hitch. although Shanky had a little bit of an issue with the metal scanner door. it kept beeping at her and blinking red - which is not good. thankfully, no special room - this time round.

Schipol Airport. Nurul looked happy to be home. or just happy she can smoke...

In our cab to the hotel. All the cabs are either Mercs or Beemers. sigh... i missed ah beng.

American Amsterdam Hotel, where we stayed.

the view outside our hotel room. thanks Nurul.

beautifully detailed stained glass in the hotel.

outside Hard Rock Amsterdam. it's chess themed.

if boo was there, we'd be playing chess in the sun.

30km/h is almost impossible. is that meant for cars or cyclists?!

the royal Palace.

breakfast by the street. my sundried tomato bagel. comes with raspberry jam, cream cheese, coffee and the best oj (with sacs, of course) i ever drank...yummm...

now THATS what I call a church.

strawberry sorbet in the afternoon. always good in any country.

Bavaria - a local brew. and Shanky - an imported brew.

Nurul still very happy despite not getting the bitterballen she ordered.

meet the locals :)
Wouter pointing out the sights. he gave us a very animated, free walking tour of the city streets.

the boys braving the alleys of Amsterdam. i like alleys. less windy :)

the Muhibbahs taking a photo op outside a canal. we did the smart thing and took a canal boat ride all around Amsterdam. sure beats walking our feet to bits.

waiting for our boat. Aidil busy with his high-end camera, as usual...

on the boat ride. Nurul trying her hand at map reading.

just outside the one of the few red light districts. if you observe closely the buildings are not standing straight - which is kinda weird although we were assured that they're foundationally sound.

huge pizzas. tasty too. beats dominos flat.

an ad for 'barang', i think. i don't know if it's an ad or a warning, like what you have on cigarrette boxes.

a 5euro pre-rolled Jamaican joint. did nothing for me but put me to sleep on the canal boat. where's the fun?!

pimp my ride, or rather, bike...

a sea of bicycles. there are so many, and so identical, if i rode one, i wouldn't know where i parked...

grooming the photographer in me. ok what...

proof that you can snap pictures all afternoon and they'd all turn out beautiful.

where we sat and just chilled out. 'twas a lovely day.

did a lot of this - goofing around.... it's a holiday afterall.

meet Belle. a tribute to the prostitution industry. possibly the crux of the economy.

interesting souvenir shop. wonder why we didn't go in...

a row of pictures of kids with down syndrome to create awareness. some of the inscriptions were rather touching.

" I am sterdam" - you'll see this signage everywhere. very smart use of the English language to promote tourism. beats Malaysia Truly Asia.

Aidil trying to navigate to the Sex Museum. hahaha...no, he was actually really well behaved. right, Aidil? and yes, the IS a Sex Museum. Only in Amsterdam...

visited Coster Diamonds for a free 5 minute tour of how diamonds are made. so very expensive...are they really worth it?

outside the vincent van gogh museum. his last name is pronounced like a mini cough. i've always like his work - i don't know why... someone said it's because his was a manic depressive person. and that i like all things of a morbid nature. lobbed off his left ear, died tragically by shooting himself in the chest twice. even then, he did not die immediately. he passed 2 days after, in his brother's arms. died not knowing he'd be this famous after his death. he was only 37.

the main attraction of the museum : Starry Night. mesmerizing.

leaving a guest note for vinny.

Shanky's fave - the Potato Eaters. don't ask...

the real thing. we're not supposed to take pics, so I had to sneak this one from upstairs...

bought a few posters and souvenirs for myself and we were outta there.

our last meal in Amsterdam. wine, beers, babi and bitterballen (yummy Dutch deep fried meatballs) :)

then it was on a horror of a bus trip from Amsterdam to Paris. 8 hours. the French driver was neurotic, or in simpler terms - what we call "Gila Kuasa". in his Euroline bus issued uniform - knee high socks and bermudas, he strictly told everyone in thick French (and by everyone, I mean EVERYONE) this :

** NGK = neurotic gila kuasa, PUP = poor unsuspecting passenger **

NGK : English? French?

PUP : um, English.

NGK : ok! make sure NO eating. NO drinking. KEEP your shoes!

PUP: ok then... (so chisin one...)
NGK : you understand, ah?

PUP : yes (no, i want this in Mandarin and possibly Checkezlovakian...)

in this new era of providing unsurpassed Customer Service, he was a beacon of light and hope. a shining example, no less.

Anyway, Amsterdam was delightful and quite an eye openner... will update next on Paris... :)

我錯了....

2009-06-02T04:46:00.002+08:00

美麗的錯誤往往最接近真實
A beautiful mistake often comes so close to the truth

ps : good to be back and around famaliar faces and places. pictures later. i got lazy...yawn.

London

2009-06-01T18:10:00.051+08:00

back safely (thanks for all the prayers) from my 12 days getaway.

my tiny feet first set foot on european soil (or rather, cobbled pavements)

it was a trip to remember & cherish.

waiting for jason to the airport, who, after 20+ wake up calls, managed to get us there. thanksss...

flew budget air asia X. feels/works just like a normal economy flight, except it's no frills. can't even get a free stationery. the airplane was a 2nd hand canadian airways plane.

flight D7 2008 didn't crash into the pacific ocean, much to the disappointment of a certain someone. in fact, we arrived in stansted, london 45 minutes ahead of schedule. thanks to perfect weather. which is just as well, coz my butt was aching. my neck was strained. i longed for a bed - any bed.

cam-whoring in the cold @ stansted airport at midnight is not easy but of course, that didn't stop us from giving frozen smiles.

took the national express bus from stansted to london. i thought it'd be a bad trip after being stuck on a plane for 12 hours. but it was ok. we had pre-booked tickets online for the 3.45am bus, but they took pity on us ringgit earning peasants and we changed to an earlier bus for free. it would usually cost 5 pounds to change tickets.

1.30ukl coke. thats rm7 for a bottle. damn pathetic currency exchange rates

the Diva checks in....
our hotel for 5 days.

our room for the next 4 nights. nice. met up with nurul the next morning. :) it was good seeing you again after so long.

taking the tube and looking every bit the Londoner (err maybe the posing for this pic gave us away...and that orange bag..)

planning her shopping attack while chewing on a sandwich ala London style. sandwiches are the staple there. the first 3 are delicious, fresh & healthy... but after that, you cannot help but want a steaming hot curry mee. or anything that doesn't come in a shrink wrap...the maggi cup noodles that we brought most likely saved our lifes. should've brought more!

nurul and her salmon sandwich. sashimi!

exclusive imported shirts @ Gap London, shipped all the way from exotic Malaysia. yes marvel at the wonders or globalization. marvel!

carnaby street - a touristy street for shoppers. it was shop after shop after shop.

our first sidewalk pub beers. and err, nurul's bubbly apple juice with foam.

talking crap on the tube. it was about 40 minutes ride from the hotel to central london. finding our way around was pretty convenient. (would've been slightly harder if not for Aidil. we suck at reading maps)

porn literature is readily available in broad daylight. if you look closely, its the first 2 rows on top. everything from Playboy to Slapper - whichever steers your boat north...

a typical London street. ornate, orderly, systematic, scenic. the symetry is beautiful.

our English breakfast. pricey but much needed. i love eggs!

the Natural History Museum. huge and impressive and free. makes for a good day trip, however we only had hours and you WILL tire from walking end to end.

dinosaur exhibition. that's the animated t-rex behind me.

rexy cuts a very menancing figure. wonder how much it costed to animate him so realistically.

devil may care.

charles darwin. founder of the evolution theory. i don't like him for obvious reasons.

pitstop for a drink or two. nurul trying her hand at navigating. serious face.

i like this pic.

staple food for 12 days from Pret-A-Manger. the franchise is almost everywhere. looks nice, but nothing compared to our char kuay teow or nasi lemak or satays or chicken wings or... you get my drift...

:)
london tower bridge, i think.

London Bridge station.

miss our sushi sessions. 5ukl gets you that box of Japanese delights. not sure if it was delightful but.

posing at the Big Ben @ the Palace of Wesminster. walked across Westminster bridge to hear him ding his ding dong at 5pm.

how i got my annoying tan. basking in the sun in the dry cold wind. in that weather, you can't help but sub-consciously walk where the sun shines.

imax London. Angels & Demons was showing.

London eye. didn't take the ride. looked so painfully slow.

train to Bicester Village for a day's worth of shopping. where's my iphone :(
lovely chicken dinner with pesto. we ate the whole red chili. i'm sure it was just a garnish but...lovely.
leaving London. packing and repacking and repacking.

in between photos, there were lots more happening. i'm sure Aidil has more interesting photos as opposed to my amateur shots.

too lazy to update but was the London leg.

thoroughly enjoyable. we loved London.

Im still alive. :)london rocks.

2009-05-21T15:17:00.000+08:00

fiercely pink

2009-05-13T23:18:00.001+08:00

if i made you feel second best
i'm sorry.
i was blind.

rant

2009-05-13T21:33:00.005+08:00

3.5 days before i get my well deserved holiday.

haven't packed anything but. not even a shoestring.

been running around busy for the past few days.

for those of you who don't know, setting up a condo is HARD WORK.

all the budgeting, negotiating, planning, walking around, driving around, setting up appointments.. some people like it. i, however, hate it with a capital H!!!!

stressful, tiring and the worst part is the mental exhaustion. all the thinking and annoying thoughts that run through my already green diseased brain (although i think that part is my own doing...but STILL... i can't help it. someone please take over my brain for me, pretty please. hypnosis? therapy? whack me with a chair?)

no wonder people are willing to hire personal planners/interior designers for this. i can honestly tell you - i will not last half a day as a personal planner. i'd want to curl up in a dark dreary corner, chew on my hair and slowly decay. or sink into my rocking chair, facing a blank wall and knit sweaters out of stray cats' whiskers while singing Celine Dion's Titanic theme (the version which has Rose and Jack voiceovers)

moreover, the timing is all wrong. ugh..like yin and yang, both events clash.

yes, yes i can hear it : the "you asked for it lah.. gatal nak beli rumah...now you know ah?" to that i say "yes i do know now :( *whinge, whinge* "

anyway, while i bemoan myself, throw fistfuls of ash on my hair and gripe over my so called "problems", some people don't even have a decent roof to stay under.

as for me. i have 2. *dimples* and I thank God for that. both roofs are warm and filled with grade A love. so. thanks. xoxo (fyi Jason, it's Kiss and then Hug, and then Kiss, and then Hug.)

ooh, btw, the times when I am forced to entertain myself on the butt numbing flight, i will whip out my ipod (to kill the self-proclaimed cute snores) and my spanking new book (to distract me from my poor-excuse-of-a-butt, sore tailbone, air turbulence, the awfully red AirAsia stewardesses, and whatever else comes my way)

it's Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. one of the many authors I enjoy. cute cover to boot.

so until i get back, take care y'all.

don't know why

2009-05-07T14:03:00.007+08:00

I don't know how it's already May 2009.

Looking back at the past few weeks - they swept past in a dreadful flurry. It's exhilarating/scary when time jets away yet everyday feels like it is shot in slow-motion.

I'll be in Europe next week. I will leave with a smile. Hopefully AirAsia doesn't wipe it off almost immediately. London will be smashing. We will troll the streets in the chill. Amsterdam - I'm scared I won't remember much of it :) So I'll take pictures instead. Want my VanGoghs....

Paris will be beautiful. Exhale all that French air and get lost in translation.

Will probably confuse myself. Will probably have to rush sluggish feet. Will probably have to rush the baths (and the bath-ers). Will probably get earfuls of questions. Will probably worry about timing. Will definately crave hot nescafe tarik. Will definately laugh myself silly. Will definately take a 1000 pictures. Will definately miss the humid warm air. Will definately miss Ah Beng. Will definately demand a massage.

I haven't packed. How I loathe packing. Loathe it.

Until then... Am counting the days (and nights)...