kaioucat's hall of crap

Happy Chinese New Year 2012!

2012-01-23T00:52:00.006+08:00

在这里祝福大家。。。

新年快乐，万事如意，多多发财，身体健康，事业有成，心想事成，步步登高，生意兴隆，学业进步，大吉大利，花开富贵，财源广进，年年有余，竹报平安！

Google Translation:

Here is wishing everyone...

Happy New Year and good luck, lots of rich, healthy, successful career, all wishes come true, step by step climb, business is booming, academic progress, good luck, Blossoming, plenty of money, every year more than, bamboo know I was safe!

...

Bamboo know I was safe?! LoL!!! (Actually, I think there is a story behind this saying. It must have something to do with some ancient messenger method involving the use of bamboos to inform someone at home of one's safety)

What is the Meaning of Life?

2012-01-22T03:43:00.005+08:00

Yeah, like I know the answer to THAT question. But I can tell you what we have made life into. A race. Yes, we have turned it into a race.

We're all born at age zero. Then we grow up, learn, achieve, have careers, travel, get married, have kids, grow old, and die (not necessary in that particular order, except for the dying part).

We all seem to be racing to go the furthest before we die. How far we are perceived to have gone depends on many things the society uses to judge a person's worth. Wealth is an obvious gauge. Health could be the less obvious criteria, but it translates into longevity and that means more time to achieve more i.e. go further in the race. Many other things are used to judge how "successful" we are in life, like how well we marry, how many places we've traveled to, how popular we are, and how irreplaceable we are at work.

But hold it. Who set all those scales? Who decided that if we make more money, if we know more people, if we published a book, we go further in life? It's us. The society. WE made it such a way that if you get promoted at work, you go further in life.

If we're totally honest to ourselves, we'd all rather be living only for ourselves, without having to worry about what our families, friends and the society think about us. But that's not the way it works, is it? Imagine if everyone lives for themselves, the world will be a total wreck. There'd be no workers to keep the factories running, no supervisors to keep the workers working, no managers to keep the company functioning, no CEO to set up companies.

So in short, we live to contribute to the society so that the society can support us. And those lucky ones who found a way to do what they are truly passionate about, living their dreams, without any care to what the society thinks of them, are there to provide hope for the rest of us. It's like when you see the judges on American Idol keep telling all the failed contestants to never give up on their dreams. Yet, we know it's not possible for everyone of them to be successful in the entertainment industry, because part of the attraction and glamor of the industry is the very selective nature of it. The winners are there to give hope to those who are trying, and the industry needs people who are trying, or hoping, to keep it glamorous.

According to my very rough (and random) estimation, only 1% of the total population of the earth can be considered truly happy in their lives, in the eyes of everyone else. This 1% includes the wealthiest, the most popular, and the most powerful. But what is the point of being happy "in the eyes of everyone else"? So that when you die, you know you are a leader in the race. But then after that you still end up dead and none of what you've achieve would matter to you. It would to the people still living, but not to you. That's selfish thinking right there.

Malaysian Sportsmanship (or Lack Thereof)

2012-01-14T19:31:00.006+08:00

Here's my observation on Malaysian sportspeople and their fans.

When they win, they and their fans go overboard with their joys, with ad-hoc public holidays and all. Once they lose, they go downhill and hardly ever regain composure. Any match with Malaysian supporters watching live will be filled with noisy air-horns and annoying clap balloons. And who could forget the infamous laser pointers? Come on, Malaysians. We're way better than that!

If there is one thing we should learn from other established athletes and fan bases, it is the spirits of sportsmanship. Win or lose, keep cool and shake each other's hands, pat each other on the back, maybe give each other a hug, walk out of the playing field, THEN sulk or break whatever furniture you want in private.

Of course, when I say "other established fan bases", I most certainly do not mean English football fans.

House Thieves & Burglars

2012-01-08T21:29:00.005+08:00

There are many reasons we hate thieves and burglars. They are like parasites to the society. No, worse than parasites, because even when they are not committing thievery or burglary, they still cause us nuisance. We still have to set up home security alarm systems, CCTV systems, hire security guards, and construct anti-trespassing fences worthy of state prisons standards. They don't only rob us of our belongings, they also rob us of our pleasure to carry around luxurious handbags, parade in our expensive blings, and use our expensive phones peacefully in public.

No, I did not recently get mugged or anything. The topic just came to mind one day when I found my parents lazing in the living room, with the main door, main door grilles, and the gate outside all wide open. Nope, my family has no respect for thieves and burglars what so ever. None out of admiration, certainly none out of fear.

P/S: I know, it has been eons since I've been active in the blogging department. See how the year now says 2012? It is my (no-longer) unspoken resolution to start active blogging again. Regardless of the fact that blogging is so outdated now, I am going to pursue this hobby of mine again because life is too short for putting off things I enjoy doing. Erm, that...and also now I have an extra half day every week since my job now is only 5-day weeks instead of the previous 5.5. Hooray!

Happy Malaysia Day 2011!

2011-09-16T17:22:00.002+08:00

To all Malaysians!

Remember, unity is the key.

中秋节快乐！

2011-09-12T00:22:00.003+08:00

记得要早回家吃月饼哦！

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone!

Bridges

2011-08-30T22:27:00.006+08:00

It takes time to build good rapport with people around you. Some longer than others. For me, it's LONG. It's a personal thing, I don't open up to people quickly. I think it's because I'm afraid to invest my sentiments in someone until I am certain he/she will not disappoint me. Call it phobia, for I've had my share of heart-shattering (oh, the drama!) disappointments before, more than I deserve, I dare say (only because it's my blog). That, or I still have remnants of insecurities inside me. But once I start caring, it's a long-lasting relationship that I'd cherish deeply.

Recently in my life, many different people have come and go. Our encounters ranged from one week to a few months. Trust me, it's not a good thing like "Oh, I get to meet new people frequently, so it's awesome!". I NEED to have and maintain good relationships with these people. Let's just say it's crucial for my daily survival (and sanity).

So it was building bridges after bridges - some with only the foundations done, some with only the substructures up, and some with only paintings left to do. Some were completed but were never put to use. While others were only used for a while before the other end of the bridge became obsolete.

It's emotionally tiring to be building all these bridges, hopes flying high that the bridge was coming out so beautifully only to discover it will never be used, or used for long. It has become difficult to stay motivated to build new quality bridges while wondering how long before the other end decides to leave.

It started with just one, then two, then four, and now almost all the people I trust are leaving. It has come to a point where I have become the stranger in the room. With so many things in my hands, building so many new bridges at the same time is no easy feat. The disappointment from being abandoned by the trusted ones certainly is not making it any easier.

This is really a total opposite to my last one. Every bit of it.

Why Do People Love Angry Birds?

2011-06-19T14:32:00.005+08:00

It's simple. Very simple. Sort of like a break from PlayStation and Xbox.
It has bright and colourful graphics. Pure eye-candy.
It has funny and cute characters.
It has very catchy background tunes and cute sound effects.
Its aim is to kill ugly but still cute looking pigs.
We get to destroy properly constructed structures with very satisfying sound effects.
We get to fling cute little birds around, angry as they are.
It's free (for some).
It's so popular that nobody wants to be left out.

(That's all for now. See if I can think of anything else. Feel free to suggest via comments!)

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song

2011-06-11T12:46:00.004+08:00

Who else thinks this is the cheapest and yet the most hilarious music video ever? I mean, anybody with monkey masks can produce this video! But hardly anybody else can make it as entertaining as Bruno Mars, me thinks.

Bosses

2011-06-06T22:49:00.006+08:00

What some bosses say that makes them look heaven-sent:

"Don't work too hard. Work smart instead."
"We must know how to live a balanced life without overworking."
"You don't need to apply for leave for this. Just take the day off."
"You've been sick for a week. Is work giving you too much pressure?"
"Why aren't you attached yet? You are a very eligible young lady."
"You poor thing!"
"What are you still doing here? Go home have dinner with your family!"
"Switch off your computer NOW and go home!"

While some bosses are less accommodating...

"Are you working today?" (It was a Sunday)
"Do this, this, this, and this. All urgent."
"Are you going home, or are you on your way to site?" (It was past office hour)
"You're moving to a new office tomorrow. You'll need to start working weekends and in the evenings thereafter".
"I fight for your rights a lot, you just don't see it." (And we don't feel it either)
"Don't be so calculative with the company." (But we work OT almost everyday)
Calls you in the middle of a traffic jam on your way home, "Where are you now? Can you make a U-turn and come attend a company dinner (which I was not invited to earlier)?"

Looking Back

2011-06-05T02:37:00.004+08:00

As the month of June approached, I couldn't help but think what I would be preoccupied with if I were still working in Singapore. Remember last year I wrote about the Closing Dinner of Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2010, which my previous company organized? It's now that time of the year when everyone in PUB Singapore is on the tip their toes trying to make the next round of SIWW the most brilliant yet.

I visited the SIWW Facebook page and found many photos and videos of the SIWW 2010. They really make me miss being part of such a big event, albeit just a tiny part. When I think about the kind of things I did back in PUB Singapore, it makes what I am doing now feel like a grain of sand. When I think about how busy my ex-colleagues must be around this time, I can't help feeling left out. This proves that I had felt belonged in the company, like I was part of a big family. Kudos to the company for managing to form such a pleasant organisational culture (my current company could certainly learn a thing or two here).

See, this is what happens when I start to have extra time to think over things. Yesterday was a public holiday, which makes this a 2-day weekend without work, which means more idling time for me to start wandering in thoughts.

I was hoping that I would never look back and start missing life in Singapore, but I knew I would. I mean, life in Singapore wasn't all bad. Some parts of it were great, as a matter of fact. To be honest, I only felt great at work when there were distractions like the SIWW or any company event. Don't get me wrong, my last employer was a great company. I don't think I'd ever be able to work for a company as "beneficial" as it, if you get what I mean. But if I didn't leave the job, I'd never learn to appreciate it, and for as long as I don't know how to appreciate it, I will never do.

Although my current employer isn't as cool as my last one, I met some really cool colleagues, which so far is enough to cover whatever negatives that comes with this job. I wanted to experience different dimensions of work life, and experienced them I did.

Generally, I am happier now than back in Singapore. But there is still a lot of room for improvement (goes without saying). Just the other day, a colleague pointed out that I always seemed happy despite my heavy workload and I seldom complain. It reminded me of that one time when my ex-colleague said a similar remark. Truth be told, this time, I really am happy, just not too satisfied. Twisted, isn't it?

There goes my dose of blabber!

The Power of Music

2011-05-29T23:52:00.005+08:00

It's feel good moment. No, this is not an NTV7 advertisement. xD

I was feeling a wee bit down due to the approaching Monday. Then I played my long abandoned MP3 collection and picked some of the happier tunes. Guess what? It worked! Now I'm feeling all gleeful for no particular reasons. I almost forgot how music can make me feel so much better. I used to listen to my music collection almost all the time back in Singapore - in my room, walking to the bus stop, in the bus, in the train..everywhere!

Let this coming week be a good one.

My Next Splurge

2011-05-21T18:16:00.010+08:00

The splurging bug has crept up on me again. The last time I burnt a hole in my wallet for a tech gadget, I got myself the HTC Desire. That was almost exactly 1 year ago! Now I'm itching for some new gadget, in particular the PlayStation 3.

The PS3 has been in my horizon ever since Final Fantasy XIII first came out. Back then, it seemed ridiculously expensive because there was no other way but to buy original copies of the games. So I resorted to watching YouTube videos of other people playing the game to ease my itch.

But lo' and behold, the pirated versions of the PS3 games have finally become available at very affordable prices! That includes Final Fantasy XIII! Unfortunately, the game console itself is still rather expensive at RM1100-RM1500 (trying not to think how much more affordable it would be if I were still earning Singapore Dollars).

The cost is not the only reason why I didn't get one right away. I hardly have time to play nowadays. If it took the jobless me more than a month to finish Final Fantasy XII (which got me totally addicted, by the way), imagine how long it would take me to finish Final Fantasy XIII now with my crazy working hours!

Although I am still contemplating about this, I have a feeling that I will end up buying it. I know, the hype for PS3 and FFXIII is so over now, but hey, they say better late than never! Wait...maybe never is better than late in this case... Arghhh! I'm so caught in a dilemma! *Gemini Twins fighting inside*

Who am I kidding. I am so getting it.

Puzzled

2011-05-20T23:36:00.010+08:00

Remember Cherry Biscuit? I brought it back to Malaysia with me. There isn't anywhere else to hang it in my room except on the window curtain rail. My bed is right beside the window, so when I stand on my bed, I can reach the curtain rail with ease.

Now here's the strange story. Since I came back, I had twice tried to remove Cherry Biscuit from the curtain rail... in my sleep! I woke up in the middle of the night, stood up on my bed, and started trying to undo the bendy wire used to attach Cherry Biscuit to the curtain rail. I guess I was really only half-conscious, because I remember being very disoriented and uncoordinated in my attempts, even using brute force. And as I became more and more awakened, I realised how silly I must've seemed, and went back to bed. The next morning, I would recall the experience like recalling a dream, only slightly more real.

So that happened to me twice and finally, 2 nights ago on my third "attempt", Cherry Biscuit came off the curtain rail. The next morning, I saw Cherry Biscuit lying on my desk and the bendy wire still dangling off the curtain rail.

Now I'm really, really puzzled. Why does the sleepy me keep wanting to remove Cherry Biscuit from the curtain rail? It's not like it was at an obstructive or distracting location. I've slept underneath it since my Singapore days. Nothing happened then. So why now?

Any idea? Anyone? Someone with psychology knowledge, perhaps?

DIY Ang Pao for a Malay Wedding

2011-05-19T00:05:00.004+08:00

The last time I went to a wedding reception, it was a Chinese wedding and there were no doubts which colour crepe paper I should use for that DIY ang pao.

This time, it is a Malay wedding. For this DIY ang pao, I went for white and pink simply because I love the combination. It's also wedding appropriate. I guess it shouldn't be called "ang pao" because it isn't even "ang" (red). But "ang pao" seems to have become synonymous with money packets, whether or not it's red.

One thing I always felt bad about making these DIY ang paos is having to destroy the gorgeous invitation cards. Thankfully this time, I have 2 - that's 1 for each of the reception at different locations. This time around, I added layers to the frills. I think it turned out not bad, although my handicrafts could use some brushing up.

Cheng Meng 2011 - One Last Stay at the Ancestor's House

2011-05-18T22:54:00.016+08:00

This is long overdue.

Last Cheng Meng (1-3 April 2011), I was back in Bintagor, Sarawak, where my Dad grew up. I hadn't been back in 12 years, the last time being for my late Grandmother's funeral. This trip was even more significant because it would be the last time I get to see my "ancestor's home" before it gets torn down for land development. Although I hardly went back, the place still held lots of memories of my Chinese New Year balik kampung days, back when all the aunts and uncles went back for the Reunion Dinner with my late Grandmother, when my generation was still a bunch of playful kids without a spec of responsibility in this world.

So tons and tons of photos were due. You know, before it gets demolished and all....

Out first meal upon touch down - True Sarawak Kam Mua Mee and Wantan Soup!

Visit to the graveyard:

The 40+ years old "ancestor's house":

Photos of the attic where my Dad and his 10+ sibblings used to sleep while growing up:

The house cats. Yes, these are 4 different cats!
This gigantic moth appeared in the kitchen on Chinese New Year's Eve 2009. It measured about 20cm long. We think it was one of our ancestors' spirits. My eldest uncle told it to fly to the living hall, where photos of our ancestors were displayed, so we know which ancestor was it. The next morning, it was seen perched on the wall among the many framed photographs of our ancestors, although it was difficult to tell which one. It was gone by afternoon the same day.

Although I've been back to this ancestor's house for quite a number of times when I was young, this was the first time I actually feel curious about the place. Alas, just when I was beginning to feel attached to the house, I had to say goodbye to it for the last time. But I guess it'll never beat what my Dad and uncles felt. They must have such great sentiments to the house. Yeah, modernisation sucks that way.

So, goodbye dear ancestor's house!

Ijok Beggar Chicken @ Ijok

2011-03-31T18:43:00.002+08:00

Spent 1 hour driving there from home in Klang. Food wasn't that great, but I guess it was an enjoyable meal thanks to great company (colleagues and family).

^Birthday Noodle (One of us celebrated his birthday that night)

^ The Beggar Chickens

^The Beggar Chickens - Close Up

^The Sweet and Sour Crab

The were more dishes, of course, but who has time to take photos of food when the crab is so delicious? (And my hands were covered in crab gravy).

There were around 15 of us, including 2 children. We spent about RM379 in total. Quite cheap, if you ask me.

We Have a Comic Artist in the Office!

2011-03-31T18:39:00.002+08:00

^Click to enlarge.

Of all the reputation I could get in my new work place...I got the "好吃" one...

Snacking at Kim Gary Restaurant @ The Curve

2011-03-31T18:31:00.004+08:00

^Toasts slithered with peanut butter and condensed milk. Simply heaven.

^Broccoli with cheese and white sauce. This dish didn't seem to fit in with the previous one and the drink...but it was still delicious!

Ipoh Road Yong Tau Fu @ Kota Damansara

2011-03-31T18:22:00.002+08:00

Sedap!

^Assorted yong tau fu platter. My favourite? The eggplant!

^The meat dumpling (水饺) comes in clear soup

^The yong tau fu sauce

Here's a video of the eatery by someone else:

Short Story: If I Could Change One Thing

2011-02-23T20:24:00.002+08:00

If I Could Change One Thing
by kaioucat
23 Feb 2011, 1.35 a.m.

Lenny woke up that morning even before the alarm clock rang. It was the fourth consecutive morning she woke up without the help of an alarm clock, a feat in which she took great pride, especially since she started her daily exercise regime at the park and her healthily balanced diet prescribed by her doctor. After brushing her teeth and washing her face with soap and water, she wiped her face dry and smiled at the image of her freshly awakened self in the mirror. She was beaming in a healthy glow.

It was her second month of pregnancy, and also the middle of what they called the first trimester. Both her husband, Will, and herself had been trying for this baby for almost two years before striking gold. The doctor told them that pregnancy at her age could be quite risky, but Lenny was doing perfectly fine so far. As far as Lenny was concerned, she had never felt better in her entire life.

The traffic that morning seemed to be playing along with Lenny’s good mood. By the time she reached the primary school where she taught, she still had time to read a few head stories on the day’s papers and reorganize her desk. The first period of the day was the English language, but there was nothing much to prepare for the class because it was show-and-tell day with a little spice added to the activity. Last week, Lenny gave the class an assignment to prepare a three-minute show-and-tell that must relate to the topic “If I Could Change One Thing In My Life”. She was eager to hear what the young minds of the innocent children in her class had come up with.

As Lenny entered the classroom, she could see that her students had indeed done their homework. The class was particularly crowded with belongings obviously brought from home for the show-and-tell. As everyone settled down, Lenny proceeded with her plan by asking for volunteers to kick-start the activity. A couple of short, eager hands shot up almost instantly, much to Lenny’s amusement because those were the exact hands she expected to see raised up. She called their names one by one – Jacky and Sam – and they each took turns to come in front of the class and shared ever so outspokenly about their assignment.

Jacky carried with him a small cage containing one very calm-looking guinea pig, which they all later found out was named Buzz. Jacky claimed that he wanted to change the colour of its fur from brown to blue because blue was his favourite colour. The class roared in laughter as Jacky revealed the other side of Buzz showing a blue coloured spot of fur, apparently dyed by Jacky in hopes to turn it blue.

Sam came up with a scroll in her hand, but instead of showing it first, she pointed to the sky and said she wanted the stars at night to be nearer so she could catch them and keep them in her bedroom. The class “ooh-ed” and “aah-ed” as she unrolled her scroll to reveal a picture of her bedroom with silver and golden star-shaped stickers all over it. Lenny actually thought that was rather imaginative of Sam.

As the two default volunteers finished their turns, Lenny scanned the classroom to choose the next presenter. Her eyes came to a halt at Little Fred, an introverted orphan who always seemed to keep to himself. His classmates never saw him any differently from the others. They just seldom talked to Little Fred because he never seemed to like to mingle. Lenny called out his name.

Little Fred sat emotionless for a while before realizing his name was being called. Without one trace of change in his expression, he stood up and walked slowly but steadily to the front of the classroom. He was empty handed.

Little Fred started to speak slowly in his soft voice, “If I could change one thing in my life…”, before pausing for a while. At this point, Lenny began to think this could be a bad idea because Fred could say he wanted his parents to be around, and that would be quite heavy for the other children to comprehend in their young age.

“If I could change one thing in my life”, Fred repeated. “I would choose not to be born”. Lenny’s heart dropped. The other children sat in silence, some in confusion, staring at poor Little Fred, whose eyes were fixed solidly on the floor beneath his worn-out shoes. Before Lenny could decide whether to interrupt, Little Fred took out a crumpled piece of photo from his right pocket and showed it to the class before continuing with his speech, this time a little firmer than before.

“She was my mother. She died while she was giving birth to me. Dad told me he hated me because of that, so he left me with Aunt Janet. I don’t think Aunt Janet likes me much either because she gave me to a house full of other unwanted boys. If nobody likes me, it would be better if Mother did not give birth to me so she could stay alive. I am sure Dad and Aunt Janet would be happy too.”

As Little Fred finished his last words, he continued to stand still, photo clutched tightly in his right hand, eyes back on the floor. The class was equally still and silent. It took Lenny a while to realize that Little Fred’s speech was over. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she lunged at Little Fred to hug him tightly. A few other children came up and gently stroke Lenny and Little Fred on their heads, as if to console them.

As Lenny knelt there hugging Little Fred, who also began to cry, she promised herself that she would do whatever it took to help Little Fred. She also promised herself that she would never, ever, let anything remotely close to this ordeal happen to her own child. At that moment, all of her exercise regime and balanced diet seemed far too inadequate. She had to do much more to make sure that her baby came to this world in good health and be given love from both the mother and the father. It was a promise Lenny whispered then and there to her unborn child.

A Reminder of What I Love About Being Back

2011-02-21T20:17:00.011+08:00

Remember that time in Singapore when I was sick for close to 2 weeks? I most certainly do. I also remember thanking heavens for still giving me enough energy to walk to the clinic on my own, buy my own meals, and get my own glass of drink from the kitchen, because I knew there were nobody to help me.

Yesterday, it was a day in hell for me. I could not stand up for more than a few seconds without blacking out, let alone walk to the kitchen. If it weren't for my parents, I would be stuck lying in my bedroom, dehydrated, starving, and desperate for medical attention.

That other time, although it was almost 2 weeks long, I had the energy to take care of myself. I feel like somehow my body knew I had to take care of myself, and now that my parents are around, my body just let the sickness swallow me and let my parents do the care-taking.

Of course, I didn't think of all these when I was lying half-dead in bed. Now that I've gotten much better (still a little sore, though), I come to realise once again how lucky I am to be home.

Random Updates

2011-02-05T02:36:00.005+08:00

It seems like a good time for some random updates. I am in the mood for some typing, not so much on uploading photos, though. So this will be a wordy one, be warned!

It's the long Chinese New Year break from work, 5th day into it, to be exact. And that means only 2 more days to going back to work. Bleargh... I kept thinking to myself, how much worse I'd feel if I were still working in Singapore. Close friends of mine would know how much I hated the end of a long holiday where I had to leave home to return to Singapore to work. Need I say how glad I am that those days are over?

The weeks preceding the Chinese New Year holidays were pretty good. People in the office were in better moods, if only slightly. We had a few company events related to the Chinese New Year celebrations, so those were some welcomed distractions from work. I'd like to mention this one particular company dinner, because I made a little bit of an effort to look good. Probably contrary to what most people think of me, I like to dress up once in a while. I mean, I am still a normal girl, just not as girly or expressively so as many other girls. Wait a minute. Why does it feel wrong to keep referring to myself as a "girl"? I am actually more comfortable being called a "woman" these days. No, that's not a sign of growing old. It's a sign of growing UP. Big difference there, make no mistake!

Dressing up and looking fabulous is fun, no doubt. But not too much of it. I still prefer to spend my regular days in comfortable clothes that do not attract much attention. I don't mean that in a low-self-esteem kind of way. I mean, I like being the audience, not the center of attention. I like being in the supporting role. There's less pressure and more flexibility to switch to other options, you see. There's much less effort in being in the supporting role. That's sloth for you right there, guilty as charged.

The world is a stage, and we are all actors and actresses, as quoted by the world's most famous author whose name I need not even mention. Imagine what would happen if everyone wants to be in the leading role! Wait...I think that is happening right now. Everyone seems to be wanting to get rich and famous nowadays. These are the people who constantly wants to make a difference to the world, probably for the better (I hope). Honestly, sometimes I feel guilty for not having the same kind of passion. I feel like a free-loader getting a free ride in the society's advancement.

So yeah, my life is as normal as it can be. I have a regular 9-5 job, (just a figure of speech - it's most definitely more than 8 hours), I come home and watch TV about fabulous people living fabulous lives, have predictable conversations with family, and then go to sleep. It's all good, although nothing to shout about (I'd leave that to the leading characters).

I'm using a lot of TV references. That's because I've been watching a lot of TV lately. The American Idol, Glee (Finn is SO cute), and channel-surfing until I see something good. Usually, that's either E! or MTV.

Erm...that's probably enough blabbers from me for tonight.

It's 3.15am. Feels great to get to stay up late!

Practical Advices

2011-01-20T14:34:00.006+08:00

It's been almost 6 months since my return to Malaysia. Yet, I hadn't really talked about how things are going, how the verdict is about my decision to return. Truth be told, I am still not 100% sure that my decision to come back was right.

During my recent trip to Kota Kinabalu, while having after-movie supper with some old friends, one of them shared with us a tip she got from her boss in Australia. He said, "There is no such thing as the right choice of path. You just need to choose one path and figure out how to live it". That advice struck me like a bolt of lightning, because although I am content with my life so far, I have been thinking a lot about my decision to settle down in Malaysia and about my choice of career, that I often forget to make the best out of what I already have and improve them.

Just the other day, while having a drink with my colleagues after work, one of them shared with us another advice that I had known all the while, just never really given it much thought. She said, "You will never succeed in what you do if you don't put your heart into it, no matter how smart or capable you are". This was meaningful to me because I realised I have been spending way too much time figuring out whether I should be doing what I am doing, instead of actually figuring out how best to do those things.

But as another saying goes, "Talk is cheap. Deeds are precious". Agreeing with something doesn't make it that much easier to practice it. It is hard, having to balance between appreciating what you already have and not being rigid against changes that could improve it. It is hard, having to put your heart into something, without being rigid against exploring other things.

I guess the biggest problem most people have is that with just 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, there isn't enough time to think about all these while having to work for a decent living. Even that is arguable because the term "decent living" can mean different things to different people.

For now, I know what I want and what is important to me, so I will work towards it. Career is only a means to get what I want, so it doesn't really matter what I do, as long as I get, unless it gets unbearable and all initial purposes are defeated. For those who could make a career out of their passion, I truly envy them but as envy is said to one of the 7 deadliest sins, I shall try my best not to wallow in it.

There will be no conclusion to this entry, as there is no absolute solution to a happier life. But an advice or two won't hurt, will it?

Steamboat @ Water Cress Valley, Cameron Highlands

2011-01-12T21:59:00.011+08:00

Last weekend, I went to Cameron Highlands for the 2nd time in 4 months. This time I went with colleagues. Steamboat is by default the must-eat meal while visiting Cameron Highlands, so you can find loads and loads of steamboat restaurants there.

We went to this restaurant called Water Cress Valley.

The food was quite good. Well, as good as steamboat goes. The ingredients were fresh, except for the fish slices. Not surprising, it being so high up in the highlands and all. Frankly, the food wasn't that much to shout about.

But what I love most about the place was the environment. We were dining on a platform overseeing the hills. Although unfortunately we could only see darkness at night, we could feel the mountain breeze and and absolutely fresh air. The temperature dropped and dropped as the night deepened, and we froze every now and then when the wind blew. The steaming hot steamboat contrasted with the surrounding temperature very nicely. Add to all that with great company and a nice bottle of red wine, and we had a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.

Now comes the boring part - the bills. There were 7 of us, and we paid about RM300+ for the meal. That included many many varieties of dishes and cups of water cress drinks. We were totally stuffed by the end of the meal. So I say it's worth it.

Will I recommend this place to others? Yes, I will. Will I go back again? For the environment, yes I most definitely will.

Sup Gear Box

2011-01-02T15:07:00.004+08:00

I was out with my parents in a joyride at Gombak and came across a lot of these Malay restaurants selling "Sup Gear Box", alongside the more commonly found "Sup Tulang", "Sup Ekor" etc. We got really curious what "Sup Gear Box" was, so we decided to give it a try.

So what is "Sup Gear Box"?

^Cow joint, probably the femur, cooked in spicy soup.

The soup was served with a steak knife and a drinking straw. The knife is obviously used to cut the meat and tendons, and the straw is to slurp the bone marrow. Didn't feel adventurous enough to taste the bone marrow, though. The soup and meat, however, tasted VERY good, but the tendons were too hard, so that was kind of disappointing, as I LOVE cow tendons. Would be nice to try this soup some place else where it is cooked longer to soften the tendons.

This bowl of soup cost RM26. The portion was enough for 2 to 3 persons. I would order this if I see it in a menu elsewhere.

Post-Dinner: Elixir @ Changkat & Reflexology @ Bukit Bintang

2011-01-01T02:18:00.006+08:00

After our dinner at Nerotica, some of us went for drinks at Elixir. It being a Thursday night, us females got free flow of drinks! Although, we could only choose either passion fruit or lychee martini.

After we had enough free drinks, as we were on our way to our next planned activity (teh tarik), we passed by that street near Jalan Bukit Bintang with gazillions of foot reflexology shops, and decided we want to get our feet beaten up by some strangers. So we pulled aside, parked the car, and headed to the least dodgy-looking foot reflexology outlet and that's where a colleague and I lost our reflexology-virginity to 2 of these 3 totally not-pro looking masseur.

^Not-pro as they may seem, my legs and feet still hurt like mad the next day. Normal for the morning after a massage, Mom says.

Fun night, that was. And economic too. I only spent RM50 for the foot massage and RM10 for the valet parking at Elixir. The rest were all free!!! LoL...I know, I'm cheap.

Dinner at Nerotica @ Hotel Sommerset, Jalan Ceylon, KL

2011-01-01T01:37:00.014+08:00

My boss treated my colleagues and I to a sumptuous dinner at Nerotica last Thursday (30 Dec 2010), both as a farewell to our now ex-colleague and as a New Year dinner.

The atmosphere was excellent with just the right amount of illumination. The service wasn't very friendly, but it was satisfactory. The restaurant service staff just seemed so serious. It didn't take too long for the dishes to be served, though. Minus points, however, for the expensive parking space within the hotel compounds at RM10 per vehicle, and we were told only the hotel guests are allowed to park for free. So...patrons of the hotel F&B are not considered guests, I suppose. The hotel staff wasn't even happy to entertain us like he knew we would never pay that kind of money. Well, we wouldn't, but hey, manners are manners. Lucky for me, another colleague knew a place nearby where we could park for free!

^The props above our heads

Food was really good, but not great. It tasted like something I could find at just about any other Italian restaurant.

^We were a bunch of sakai people, scouring the menu to find out the price of this 500ml bottle of mineral water. It was RM10.

^Salad with smoked salmon and prawns.

^Garden salad

^The meat platter

^The pasta

^Ham and pepperoni with bean gravy and mashed potatoes

All that at the price tag of RM510 - footed by our boss, of course. That comes down to about RM73 per head. Frankly, we had a much better experience at El Cerdo.

Check out the next blog post on our post-dinner activities.

KK Trip & SFC Y2K 10th Year Anniversary Reunion

2010-12-25T09:08:00.006+08:00

What I did last weekend in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. =D

18 Dec 2010: Pre-Reunion Dinner

^Had my long awaited Ngau Chap at Loi kee, Foh Sang

^Visited an old friend's for her daughter's 1st birthday party

REUNION DINNER 2010 @ PROMENADE HOTEL
18 Feb 2010 (Saturday)

~~~~~~~

19 Dec 2010: Finally got to watch Harry Potter 7...

20 Dec 2010: Yamcha session with some friends...

21 Dec 2010: Before heading to the airport for departure.

Economy mee at Lido...

Where I used to live...

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-25T08:56:00.003+08:00

I can't help but thinking how last year at this time, I was having so much fun with my friends in KK. But that was the past and I really don't want to live in the past anymore. It may not be as Christmasy here as it was in Singapore, or as merry as it was back in KK, but I am home with my beloved family now, and that is all that matters.

Have a joyous Christmas and happy holiday!

In the spirit of sharing, here are some pictures of Christmas decoration this year.

^Christmas Cupcake

^Christmas Tree at Aeon Bukit Tinggi

^Christmas Deco at One Utama

Ferrero Rocher Moment

2010-12-07T22:38:00.005+08:00

I swear...I got these from an uncle. I don't buy chocolates for myself anymore, because I know how notorious I get when chocolate is involved! xD

I love taking pictures of chocolates!

El Cerdo @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL

2010-12-04T17:04:00.007+08:00

So I went there for dinner 2 Fridays ago...

^Sausage Platter

^Roast German Pork Knuckle

^Roast Piglet

What I did not take were pictures of the starters (salads) and desserts (mango ice-cream with whisky, and banana cake with banana ice-cream and ). I know... I'd make one lousy food blogger. For drinks, we all took bottled water (many many bottles of it) throughout the night.

The roast piglet was probably the most interesting dish we had because it came with a ritual that El Cerdo claimed to be a Spanish tradition. The ritual involved one of the diners cutting the piglet into halves using a porcelain plate, after which the plate was smashed into pieces inside a wooden bucket, but not before making a wish. It would make the wish come true, they say.

There were 6 of us that night, and we were all very full by the end of the meal. The food was really REALLY good, and the service was great, just my kind of style - not too formal, not too pretentious. Casual yet proper. I could feel the sincerity in their friendly service, unlike some over-the-top fancy restaurants. Same goes for the atmosphere. We took an outdoor table but thanks to the trees and bushes around us, it still felt cozy and not over-exposed. There was some interesting Spanish music playing in the background too.

Total damage was about RM506 (out of which, RM55 is for the bottled water!). That's about RM84 per person. Hefty, but I say it's worth it!

M&M Madness - What's Left

2010-11-17T12:51:00.002+08:00

Remember the M&M post? Here's what's left....

In less than a month's time.

*Sigh* I seriously need to control my chocolate addiction.

Maero Attack

2010-11-14T20:16:00.004+08:00

Those in their late twenties / early thirties, especially the ladies, would remember this one. Maero Attack was broadcasted in Malaysia's local TV sometime in the early 1990s.

As far as I can remember, it's a Japanese drama about this girl who aspires to be a successful volleyball player. Her name was June or something like that, and she could perform these fantastic volleyball smash hits, which I just learned are called spikes.

I remember how my classmates and I used to be so crazy over this show. Volleyball became a very popular sport in schools nationwide, thanks to this show. There were even "gangs" in my school that reenact the scenes from the latest episode each day. The most popular kid became the main character (June), while the rest became the supporting characters. I remember they REALLY went into characters, complete with the dramas, laughters, and cries. And I remember being very sad when the show ended. Oh, the naivety!

I love YouTube for bringing back these memories.

Alone Time

2010-11-04T23:30:00.006+08:00

Nowadays, getting some alone time doesn't happen much. I have been enjoying myself so much with family around that I almost forgot how it feels to be alone again.

This long weekend, my family is going to Penang. My family, minus me. Why? Because they made the decision at the last minute and I have to work on Saturday. Besides, they are going there for the food and I have recently lost my sense of taste, no thanks to a horrible bout of flu.

So that means...the entire weekend on my own. At first I was disappointed because I was looking forward to the weekend with family. Then I thought about it some more and figured...this would actually be the first time I am really alone since I came back from Singapore! I have my own car, I could go anywhere I like, anytime I like, without having to wonder what the others are doing, or if they are planning to do anything. It would be JUST like life back in Singapore, except now I have the entire house for myself, and did I mention I have a car?!

Don't get me wrong. I don't yearn for the kind of life I lived in Singapore. I just think this is a chance for me to reflect on myself, on what has been going on for the past 3 months, and maybe what direction I want to take in the future. Maybe a little bit of shopping too.

This is actually gonna be quite cool.

M&M's Madness

2010-10-24T17:22:00.004+08:00

My aunt recently came back from the US. She got us this:

^Nett Weight: 1587.6g

Price: UDS10

^Enough M&M's to last me months!

^My phone's wallpper now

Dinner at Alexis, The Gardens

2010-10-23T00:05:00.004+08:00

Tonight was supposed to be a gathering of 5 old friends, but only 2 showed up (!@#$%). Still a great catch-up session nonetheless! You know, less people means more time each to talk... LoL!

Food was really good, dessert was even better! It's one of those restaurants with not many choices in the menu, but they all sounded interesting to me. Ambiance was alright. Not too noisy and not too quiet - just nice. I like the fact that it has sufficient illumination. I don't like dimly lit restaurants....

Service could be improved, though. Nothing horrible but from such a restaurant, I expected better service. So, no tips!

Bill for the night: RM126.50. On the hefty side, but hey, those were quite some quality stuff we ate!

Bow Before I Enter My What?!

2010-10-20T20:26:00.003+08:00

^Seen in Jusco Bandar Baru Klang: Please Bow Before You Enter Your Backroom

kaioucat's Very Own Perodua MyVi

2010-10-16T19:44:00.009+08:00

I have dreamt of the day I finally have my own car, to be able to drive around as and when I like. Almost can't believe it has come true. My first car! Although, my biggest dreams are still far far away. This is just one tiny step closer.

Introducing... my humble Perodua MyVi. I know, I'm the umpteenth person to own a MyVi, but this is MINE and that makes it unique! *Desperately trying to stay in denial*

The poor thing is put to heavy use right from the start of its life. Driving in KL certainly does not permit gentle handling of a vehicle!

Kuih Dorayaki Moment

2010-10-03T12:44:00.010+08:00

Growing up reading Doraemon is one of my fondest childhood memories. Any avid Doraemon readers would know that the cat robot's favourite food was "kuih dorayaki". I have always wondered how it tastes like.

Yesterday, I came across one in Jusco. I could finally find out how kuih dorayaki tastes like. Although, I have suspicions that the real Japanese dorayaki doesn't taste like this (being made in Malaysia and all that...). Like how some scones sold here can taste so different compared to the real ones from the UK, or how they say the sushis in Japan are way different from the ones sold here.
Verdict? Tastes good, me thinks. Would be awesome if the fillings were chocolate!

Gloomy Saturday

2010-09-25T15:39:00.002+08:00

^It's everywhere!

Some interesting trivia:

The song "Gloomy Sunday", written in 1933 by Hungarians Rezso Seress and Laszlo Javor, was rumoured to be linked to a number of suicide cases in Hungary in 1936, and was allegedly banned in Hungary.

Gloomy Sunday

Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless
Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless
Little white flowers will never awaken you
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thought of ever returning to you
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
Gloomy Sunday

Gloomy is Sunday; with shadows I spend it all
My heart and I have decided to end it all
Soon there'll be candles and prayers that are sad, I know
Death is no dream, for in death I am caressing you
With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you
Gloomy Sunday

Jogging at a Nearby Park

2010-09-24T13:03:00.000+08:00

In all desperation to work out my diminishing muscles, I resolved to jogging, which is one of my most disliked work out. No thanks to the absence of swimming pools around the area.

There were no one in the park (kinda scary, I know), so I took the opportunity to snap photos!

And for my resolution to live a healthier lifestyle, I was rewarded with a horrible knee pain after the jog, which is still threatening to come back anytime. That's it. No more jogging for me.

KLCC Park, or Whatever They Call It

2010-09-23T11:41:00.000+08:00

This was actually my second visit here. The first time was in 2002, with a bunch of Pre-U mates. Good times...

Anyways. I tested out my HTC Desire's night shots. Turned out OK, I suppose.

The pics actually looked a lot sharper in my phone. Odd. Usually, they look better on the computer screen. Oh, well.

^Oi, Maxis! Get out of the way!

Cameron Highlands Trip (12 Sep 2010 - 14 Sep 2010)

2010-09-22T11:18:00.007+08:00

The first family outing since my return from Singapore. =)

We visited the Boh Tea Centre and Plantation, some strawberry farms, vegetable markets, and night markets, among other places. Dad and Big Bro also went golfing at the newly-revamped Cameron Highlands Golf Club. The typical Cameron Highlands itinerary, basically.

We stayed at one of the resort bungalows, specifically the SPM Resort Bungalow. Nope, no pics on the accommodation. It was the usual standard stuff, very homey and definitely clean, despite the showing signs of old age. Service was also excellent, where we were greeted by the very founder of the SPM company himself on the day of our check-in, complete with a guided tour around the entire bungalow, which included his own private residence. OK, I must explain that the bungalow is so big, it was divided into 4 sections. Each section has up to 4 bedrooms, and the owner actually stays in one of these sections himself, making it his private residence. The other 3 sections are rented out to customers. Despite so many customers sharing one single bungalow, we didn't have any problems with privacy at all, thanks to the design of the bungalow. Each section has its own entrance, you see. Did I mention it also has a thumpin' fast Wifi network? Even my Maxis wireless modem worked wondrously all the way high up in those altitudes. Klang, boo hoo!!!

In short, it was a very pleasant stay, save the icy cold water (water heaters for shower only) and a spider warning.

^Boh Tea Centre Entrance

^Walking down the hill among the tea plants

^^Close-ups of tea plants

^The Robinson Waterfall

^Steamboat for dinner, on BOTH nights

Pst... 中秋节快乐！

Positive SGD15 Becomes Negative RM450

2010-09-03T23:10:00.005+08:00

Today, I had my first car accident since my return to Malaysia.

What makes it harder to bear is that it was my fault. I was reversing out of a parking lot at the bank and because it was a one-way street, I failed to watch both sides before reversing. I knew I should and I usually would but today, I was tired so I got lazy, thinking I could escape with just this one time.

Turned out there was a car right behind me making a turn into the lot next to mine. As tempting it is for me to blame bad luck and timing, it all still comes down to my own carelessness, tired or not. It's true, what they say - all it takes is just that one time.

At least the other party was pretty cool about it. I think I am angrier at myself than they were at me. I can't believe I met a car accident, albeit a minor one, within just slightly more than one month since I came back! My parents? Well, they were understanding enough to spare me from any lectures. After all, I paid for the damages myself.

Repair cost paid to the other party: RM450. Probably got cut-throat, but considering the trouble I have caused them and it was my fault, I wasn't exactly in the position to bargain.

Lesson learnt: Never grow complacent when it comes to driving. No matter how tired you are. I promise myself to make the RM450 worth every sen of it by making this incident a constant reminder to be careful whilst behind the wheel.

Sigh... all that for depositing a SGD15 cheque from IRAS...

What ELSE I've Been Up To

2010-08-26T02:59:00.006+08:00

Made this box for storing of old newspapers...

Searching for a job...

Drafting resumes and cover letters....

Learning the roads and driving around...

Taking care of these two pots of "mosquito-plants"...

Playing Final Fantasy XII...

And having daily struggles with the internet connection...

That's sampah masyarakat for you right there.

What I've Been Up To Since I Returned to Malaysia

2010-08-17T21:15:00.009+08:00

Among other things...

^We celebrated Mom's birthday...

^I had my first bowl of instant noodle in almost a year...

^I home-cooked a bowl of bean noodles...

^And we took a stroll around our new housing estate....

An Old Essay

2010-08-06T01:04:00.006+08:00

While unpacking my boxes of old stuff, I came across this Malay essay I wrote for some contest back in secondary school. What's awesome about reading it was that I'd totally forgotten the plot and found myself engrossed in a story I wrote myself!

"Pengalaman Saya Bersama Seorang Cacat Penglihatan"

"Bagus sekali persembahan kamu tadi, Adilah!"

"Terima kasih," jawabku sambil tersenyum lebar. Pujian itu telah membangkitkan keyakinanku. Ya, aku begitu yakin dan pasti aku akan menang. Alangkah baiknya kalau aku menang! Bukan sahaja aku boleh menjadi popular di sekolah, malah aku mungkin berpeluang menjadi artis terkenal. Fikiranku mula diselubungi bayangan tawaran syarikat-syarikat pernerbit album seperti EMI, Sony Music, BMG, Virgin Records...

Lamunanku tiba-tiba tergendala. Aku kalap dan lantas menoleh ke arah pentas persembahan. Betapa merdunya suara gadis itu! Sedangkan aku boleh terpegun. Dengan penuh kegelisahan, aku intai riak wajah penonton. Tiada satu pun bunyi yang kedengaran atau pergerakan yang kelihatan. Suara nyanyian gadis di pentas itu sahaja yang bergemaan. Aku tidak berupaya menafikan kermerduan suaranya yang bagai buluh perindu.

"Tidak mungkin..."

Itu sahaja yang mampu aku ungkapkan. Pandanganku kini terpaku pada gadis anggun itu. Apa yang membuatkan aku memerah otak berfikir ialah gadis itu berkaca mata hitam, begitu kontras dengan baju kebayanya.

"Bukankah dia peserta yang buta itu?"

Aku terus memantau ke arah penonton yang telah memecahkan segala ketenangan itu. Kelihatan beberapa penonton lain turut memandang ke arahnya. Kata-katanya telah membeliakkan mataku meneliti gadis di atas pentas itu. Soalanku akhirnya telah terjawab. Gadis itu buta. Sebab itulah dia memakai kaca mata hitam!

Namun, sekali lagi fikiranku terganggu. Kali ini disebabkan tepukan gemuruh di kalangan penonton, menandakan tamatnya persembahan gadis buta itu. Sambutan para penonton begitu menggalakkan. Aku dapat merasakan impianku tergugat. Adakah aku masih berpotensi menjuarai Pertandingan Bintang Remaja ini? Ah, sudah tentu aku boleh menewaskan gadis buta itu! Aku tidak mempunyai sebarang kecacatan. Aku memiliki segala pancaindera yang boleh dikurniakan oleh-Nya. Bukan macam dia. Dia bukannya sempurna. Itulah kelemahannya. Dalam pandanganku, dia seperti cacing hendak menjadi naga. Atas alasan-alasan rekaan sendirilah aku bersandar dan menyokong diri daripada hanyut dalam kegelisahan.

"Perhatian kepada para hadirin."

Keadaan di dalam Dewan Besar Kota Kinabalu berubah menjadi tenang dan senyap.

"Keputusan pertandingan sudah berada di dalam tangan saya. Sebelum keputusan diumumkan, majlis dengan segala hormatnya mempersilakan Datuk Amran Hamdan untuk menyampaikan sijil penghargaan kepada para peserta pertandingan. Dipersilakan, Datuk."

Aku bagai cacing kepanasan. Hatiku semakin buncah. Setiap saat dan minit berlalu dengan begitu perlahan sekali. Setelah aku dan peserta-peserta lain menerima sijil penghargaan, tibalah saat yang dinanti-nantikan.

"Sekarang diumumkan keputusan Pertandingan Bintang Remaja '99. Tempat ketiga jatuh kepada Rajaletchume..."

Aku tidak berani lagi memandang ke arah juruacara. Aku dapat meramalkan kekecewaan. Bagaimana kalau aku tidak menjadi johan? Hancurlah harapanku untuk menjadi artis terkenal kalau aku kalah. Aku bukannya cemerlang dalam pelajaran. Tiada apa-apa lagi yang aku mahir selain menyanyi. Aku mesti menang dalam pertandingan ini.

"Naib johan ialah Adilah binti Abdullah."

Oh, Tuhan! Kenapa boleh jadi begini? Siapa? Siapa yang lebih layak daripadaku? Namun, kenyataan perlu aku hadapi. Dengan jejak kaki yang lemah, aku naik ke pentas untuk menerima hadiahku. Hadiah itu diterima dengan hati yang sungguh tidak puas! Langsung tiada rasa syukur dalam hatiku.

"Johan Pertandingan Bintang Remaja '99 ialah Noraini binti Sulaiman!"

Lantas aku meliarkan mataku mencari orang yang aku anggap telah mencuri kemenangan daripadaku. Atas segala-gala kemasyghulan dan kehambatanku, orang itu ialah... si gadis buta!

"Adilah... Adilah!"

Aku bangun dari imbauanku. Tanpa kesedaranku, aku telah termenung di dalam kelas Cikgu Cheng, guru disiplin sekolah yang ditakuti ramai. Kelihatan beberapa orang rakan tersenyum kambing.

"Apa yang awak buat tadi?" tanya Cikgu Cheng dengan nada keras.

"Saya..."

"Awak termenung, ya?" Kali ini berserta pula dengan jelingan mautnya.

"Maafkan saya, Cikgu."

"Saya mahu awak berdiri di luar kelas sehingga tamat kelas saya."

Aku tidak berani membantah. Aku sedar bahawa aku telah melakukan kesalahan dan Cikgu Cheng cuma ingin menjalankan tanggungjawabnya. Sememangnya kata-kata Aini banyak membawa makna.

"Dalam mayapada ini, sesiapa sahaja boleh mencapai kejayaan. Tidak kira ada kecacatan atau tidak, asal ada tekad dan usaha, kejayaan sudah dalam tangan. Cubalah lihat penyanyi tersohor Stevie Wonder. Beliau juga cacat penglihatan tetapi masih berjaya dalam hidupnya. Kalau beliau boleh melakukannya, mengapa saya dan orang-orang buta lain tidak boleh? Walau bagaimanapun, segala kejayaan adalah pemberian Tuhan. Tuhan telah menampal kecacatan saya dengan bakat dan minat dalam nyanyian. Natijahnya, setiap orang ada keistimewaan masing-masing. Berjaya atau tidak, hanya bergantung sama ada seseorang itu tahu mengasah kemahirannya atau tidak. Oleh itu, saya pasti saudari Adilah boleh mencapai impianmu jika berusaha bersungguh-sungguh."

Begitu panjang lebar penjelasan Aini apabila aku meluahkan rasa tidak puas hatiku kepadanya dua bulan yang lalu. Sehingga kini, aku tidak melupakan kata-katanya. Akanku jadikan kata-katanya sebagai adicitaku bagi menuju ke arah kejayaan dalam hidupku. Akanku tunaikan janjiku dan buktikan kepada Aini bahawa kata-kata akhirnya kepadaku adalah seratus peratus benar. Akanku mengingati gadis buta bernama Noraini yang telah mengubah fikiranku dan menginsafkan aku.

"Adilah! Awak termenung lagi?"

Oh, Tuhan! Bimbingilah aku. Aku tidak mahu dihukum lagi!

Hasil karya,
kaioucat
SM. Konven St. Francis, Kota Kinabalu.

No, I didn't win anything.

Home, Finally

2010-08-06T00:54:00.000+08:00

=)

I am back in Malaysia!

Still struggling to settle down and adapt to the new living arrangement.

I wish I could accurately describe my feelings right now in a brief manner, but alas, my command of the English language does not seem to be strong enough. Either that, or I am not yet in the mood to work my brain for it. Suffice to say I am not enjoying the adapting process and am eagerly looking forward to the day when everything is settled, including my job, my car, my grasp of the directions around my area and in KL... And this whole time, I gotta admit, I really really miss my life back in Singapore, where everything was in order and readily available. But I know this is only temporary, that change can be exciting but stressful at the same time, and that hopefully (and this is the biggest gamble I made on the day I decided to come back) life will be better here than in Singapore.

Hmm... not so brief after all.

To a New Chapter

2010-07-31T17:00:00.001+08:00

When the decision was first made back in March, it started off with excitement over the idea of a fresh start.

Then came the onset heavy-heartedness on leaving behind what had been built over the years.

Then came worry over possible regrets.

Then there was relief over the certainty of the reason behind the decision that leaves little room for regrets.

Now, there's nothing. Just flipping the page to a new chapter.

Goodbye, Singapore.

Goodbyes Between Will and Chuckie from Good Will Hunting

2010-07-31T02:01:00.003+08:00

To that someone who pointed out these scenes to me, if you're reading this, thank you and I get your sentiments. 心照啦.

^Chuckie: Every day I come by your house and I pick you up. And we go out. We have a few drinks, and a few laughs, and it's great. But you know what the best part of my day is? For about ten seconds, from when I pull up to the curb and when I get to your door, 'cause I think, maybe I'll get up there and I'll knock on the door and you won't be there. No goodbye. No see you later. No nothing. You just left. I don't know much, but I know that.

A Very Jaded View of Inception's Ending

2010-07-30T02:02:00.004+08:00

I just watched Inception (brilliant movie). Like many others, I found the ending utterly mind-boggling. I'm not a big fan of dubious endings but this one is so fascinating that I got too busy deciphering it to be dissatisfied with it.

So I went searching the internet for explanations of the ending. Am I more enlightened? No. If anything, I got more unsettled over what the ending really meant. So I have decided to leave it as that - the ending is open. We the audience get the choose the ending. And no, I am not happy with that but at least I can stop pondering about it now.

Anyways. In the midst of the bubbling debates about theories of Inception's ending, one very jaded guy came up with this comment:

^Click on image for source website

Totally made me LOL-ed in the middle of the night.

Got Carried Away Packing

2010-07-27T21:55:00.003+08:00

I am returning to Malaysia for good this Saturday. The plan was to pack a little bit a day starting last Friday. Well, I packed a little last Friday all right. Then I went into procrastination mode until today, when I managed to haul myself to resume packing.

But then I got carried away...

^ Two-thirds of my belongings all packed up

I ended up emptying every single drawer and compartment in my room, packing anything I can fit into a bag. Now, I can leave tonight if I have to!

Take That, Landladies from Hell! It's Karma!

2010-07-25T01:27:00.012+08:00

Remember when I posted about my ex-landlady from hell? Well, here's Part 2.

Landlady from Hell: The Sequel

I didn't blog about my 2nd ex-landlady from hell earlier because I only stayed with her for 3 months. My biggest problem with her was that she practically made me her maid by expecting me to clean her house every other week, when I barely stepped foot outside my bedroom and the bathroom. While I diligently did so to avoid conflicts, completely following all her instructions on how to clean and which detergent to use, she had the audacity to express her dissatisfaction with the results of my cleaning (which involved a few spot of stains that only vigorous scrubbing can remove)!

That was not all. There was the typical electricity issue. Our agreement was that if the bill goes beyond SGD100, I'll have to pay the excess charges. You'd think she would be satisfied considering how unfair that condition was to me. But no, she started complaining about my electricity usage even when the bills never exceeded SGD100. Once, she even switched off my air-con from the master switch outside (which I didn't even know existed) while I was in my room!

Want to hear more? Her stand-fan broke down 2 weeks into my stay, and she wanted me to replace it with a new one at my cost. How was it my fault? It just stopped working. It's not like I smashed it with a hammer. It was an electrical appliance. It had a limited lifespan. OK, from her point of view, it could be my fault, she wouldn't know, no matter how sure of that I was. So the best was to split the cost evenly, wasn't it? Again, I wanted to avoid conflict, so I gave in.

I was already feeling uneasy with her. It was only my 3rd month there and moving again wasn't cheap or easy. Plus, who was to say that things would definitely improve if I moved? I mean, things had improved since the landlady before her. Should I be so greedy as to ask for a better one? So I stayed put, hoping that she would not stretch my patience further.

Salvation came when my current housemate told me that his landlord and landlady were looking for a new tenant for the room next to his. He testified on how nice the landlord and landlady were. With that assurance, I took the leap once more and moved to where I am living happily now.

Ex-Landladies from Hell: The Aftermath

Today, I learnt from my rental agent what happened to my ex-landladies since I moved out.

Ex-Landlady #1 had some sticky problems with her new tenant that led to a police report. The new tenant, who is a Singapore PR, lost her job while waiting to move in. She had already signed the rental agreement with Ex-Landlady #1. Ex-Landlady #1 got ridiculously worried about renting to an unemployed person, so she wanted to retract the agreement. But she didn't want to pay the penalty for breach of contract, you see. So what did she resolve to? She went MIA the day the new tenant was supposed to move in, causing her to wait 3 hours outside her house before lodging a police report. Eventually, she moved in but only stayed for 2 months. My rental agent has decided to stop serving Ex-Landlady #1.

Ex-Landlady #2 found herself a new lady tenant too, whom she also made her maid. Well, the new tenant got it worse. Ex-Landlady #2 injured her backbone and made her new tenant clean the entire house every week, including her master bathroom - get this - for 2 friggin' months! The tenant eventually got tired of it and called the agent for help. As of now, she is still living there. I truly feel for her.

You know how after a horrible break-up, you feel good when you find out that your ex was not doing well since you? I am having that good feeling right now! *Evil laughter ensues*

Farewell Gifts

2010-07-22T22:53:00.006+08:00

Courtesy of my now ex-colleagues and future ex-housemate.

Not forgetting the countless meal treats, the sweet remarks and farewell messages. They have made my last days in Singapore so much more memorable. I don't know how to thank them enough!

Leaving HQ for the Last Time

2010-07-20T22:23:00.004+08:00

Today, I went back to my now ex-company headquarters to return my laptop and staff card. I was trying to avoid my department's floor because I have said my goodbyes and I didn't want to bump into everyone again in awkwardness. But fate has it that I had to go to my department to get a boss's signature.

So then I crept into my department's floor and found half of it in darkness. Perfect! I could sneak in, get my paper signed, and sneak back out without anyone (but the boss) noticing! Well, of course I bumped into some of them and saw others from afar, who appeared phantom-like. I like to think that if they appeared that way to me, I should appear that way to them too.

It turns out something was wrong with the lighting system and I saw some maintenance guys on my way out. And then I took the lift all the way down to ground floor, walked out of the building, looked back, and said my last goodbye.

So to my colleagues who saw a sneaky phantom going in and out of the office today, it was me!

Relieving Realisations

2010-07-17T20:26:00.007+08:00

For quite some time, I had been asking myself whether I will regret leaving Singapore, and what is my true reason for leaving Singapore?

I have been telling everyone, including myself, that I am leaving to return to my family in Malaysia. What I haven't told anyone, is that there were two other possible reasons.

Possible reason number one - I have given up on trying to build a social life here. Yes, social life is important for me, although for more than a year now, I have been trying to convince myself otherwise. But then irony kicked in and I was made to realise I have actually found good friends in my colleagues. I gotta admit that this realisation did worry me a little. Have I made the wrong decision of leaving Singapore after what I have managed to build over the last three years?

Possible reason number two - I am using family as an excuse to leave my job which I may or may not dislike. But then I quit and had a taste of life in Singapore sans work.

And guess what? Now that I know I have good friends here and that I do not need to go back to work, my determination to go home didn't diminish one bit.

I can now honestly say that I am leaving Singapore because I want to go back to be with my family and fellow country-people. It is purely a pull factor.

I am only glad that things have turned out well towards the end of my Singapore chapter. There is finally some memories worthy of bringing home with me.

Singapore Tourist Attractions - For One Last Time

2010-07-17T16:23:00.010+08:00

Lil' Bro was in Singapore to spend a few of his whopping 3-month university summer holidays (oh, how I miss those holidays!). I took the opportunity to visit some of Singapore's tourist attractions for one last time. All in all, we visited Sentosa Island, Night Safari, Singapore Science Centre, and Singapore Flyer. We only took pictures at Sentosa Island and Singapore Flyer because the others were either too dark or not picturesque enough.

Enough words. Pics galore!

~Sentosa Island~

~Singapore Flyer~

That's all, folks!

Smile Factor #15: I Have Never Been This Touched...

2010-07-08T19:36:00.013+08:00

Last night, a dear, dear colleague of mine asked me to help him pick a necklace & pendant for his fiance. I said, "Sure!" without the slightest suspicion. I blabbered all night about what kind of design would his fiance like, what are her accessorising habits etc...etc. We finally reached the verdict and picked this really cute butterfly pendant with a matching chain. But then my colleague said he likes to go home and sleep over it before he buys anything. Sounded very reasonable, right? I would do that if I had the discipline.

Fast forward to today, my colleagues threw a farewell lunch gathering for me, which is kind of a standard practice in my department. I saw them passing my farewell greeting card around to sign on. We laughed it off and they told me to pretend I didn't see it.

Until they announced it was time for "gift presentation ceremony", where my boss was supposed to hand me a gift while a photo is taken. I really was expecting only the farewell card. But as my boss was handing me the card, I saw that he was also holding a jewellery gift box with the name of the shop printed on it. I swear, even at that moment, I still hadn't put 2 and 2 together.

Then I really looked at the name of the jewellery shop. It was the same shop where my colleague and I picked out the butterfly pendant. Then it slowly dawned on me what was going on. I looked unbelievingly at the colleague whom I went jewellery shopping with the night before. The only words I could blurt out were, "Is this..?" and "Did you..?". He only gave me a grin.

They told me to open the gift. When I saw what was inside and confirmed my thoughts, I almost cried. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for me for a long time. I think I must have the stupidest grin on my face at the time.

Now, whenever I recall our conversations that night when we were picking the gift, I would grin stupidly at the realisation of the little hints I missed, or the parts where I must have annoyed the hell out of him when I kept on and on about what suits his fiance more. I thought I was the one doing him a favour, so I really took my time in picking! We even looked at diamond studded pendants! LOL!

And I thought my memories in Singapore could not get any better...

SIWW 2010 Closing Dinner @ Universal Studio

2010-07-03T18:22:00.007+08:00

This past week was the Singapore International Water Week 2010, for which my colleagues and I were involved in as organisers. Despite hurting feet and painful backs (from a week-long constant standing and running around), we insisted on going for the closing dinner this year because it was held at Singapore's latest theme park - Resort World Sentosa.

Most of the pictures were taken outside Universal Studio, because frankly, we were just too busy having fun inside to stop for pictures. But here are some we managed to snap. Enjoy!

Outside Universal Studios...

Inside Universal Studios...

Immediately after the above shot, we went on the fun rides and forgot all about taking pictures for the rest of the night.

What a way to end the week! Thoroughly fun times. Truly worthy of my first and last visit. After all, it was free! Muahahahaha!!!

Being involved in organising the SIWW is one of the things I'll miss after I leave the company. All made possible by my fun-loving colleagues.

Totally Addicted To This Song Right Now

2010-06-28T00:01:00.002+08:00

Higher by Erik Grönwall

Hey, I'm a believer
And gravity's letting go of me tonight
You, came out of nowhere
When everything was passing by at the speed of light

So hold my hand and never let me go
Take a leap of fate into the unknown


I am flying
My heart is taking over
The world is flashing by
Higher higher higher
I will follow wherever it might take us
Chasing through the sky
Higher higher higher


Oh I know
It can be scary
You bet it all when your heart is on the line
But oh, baby don't worry
Just hold my hand and never let me go


I am flying
My heart is taking over
The world is flashing by
Higher higher higher
I will follow wherever it might take us
Chasing through the sky
Higher higher higher


Take me higher
I hold you as we're shooting through the atmosphere
Around us everything disappears

Woah oa oa

I am flying
My heart is taking over
The world is flashing by

Chorus x3


Lyrics courtesy of Musicsonglyrics.com

Sad, but Relieved

2010-06-23T22:54:00.005+08:00

Today, as I was about to knock-off from work, I caught a glance at the A4-sized group photo my colleagues and I took last Christmas, which was magnet-tacked on my file cabinet. It suddenly saddens me greatly to think that I won't be seeing these people for long. But the sadness slowly turns into relief. No! Not relieved that I won't be seeing them again! But relieved to know that the memory of colleagues I will bring with me back to Malaysia is a very fond one, relieved because I know how rare it is to leave a job knowing you will miss it.

Desperately Homesick

2010-06-15T21:18:00.008+08:00

Sometimes, I don't realise how homesick I was. Everyday has become a routine where I am programmed to do certain things under certain situations in certain times. I tend not to feel anymore, because when I do, it's almost always negative feelings.

So it is only when something good happen to me that I let myself feel again. Last month, Big Bro came to Singapore for a work trip. I only got to know about it the very evening he arrived. Just when I was about to knock-off from work, I saw a missed call from Big Bro. I returned the call only to be pleasantly surprised when he told me he was in town and we could meet up for dinner. I was swarmed by such rush of excitement. Come to think of it...I hadn't seen any of my family members since Chinese New Year in end February. Actually, that was just three months ago. It sure felt a lot longer than that...

Anyways. So after dinner with Big Bro at Wheelock Place, I had the choice of taking Bus No. 106 from Orchard Boulevard straight home. But I didn't want to part with Big Bro so soon, so I walked with him all the way back to Trader's Hotel. And when we parted, I felt overwhelmingly sad. Only then did I realise how much homesickness and loneliness I'd been suppressing inside.

Now, Lil Bro says he wanna come visit Singapore during his summer holidays. It will be another thing for me to really look forward to. Of course, there are the HTC Desire phone casings I bought from Amazon.co.uk, which was delivered to his UK address, that I am eager to start using. And also the fact that by the time he is in Singapore, I'd be on holiday too. But that doesn't mean I'm not eager to see him. I am already planning to re-experience Singapore with him before leaving this country for good (which involves a pair of good walking shoes and a digital camera).

Sometimes, I really wanted to call home, but the truth is I didn't have anything to talk about. Not on the phone. The truth is I just wanted to hear any of their voices.

I'm really glad it's all coming to an end soon. All the years of numbing homesickness and loneliness. All of it.

Birthday Dinner @ Lawry's, Mandarin Gallery

2010-06-11T22:48:00.013+08:00

I got to spend a very fulfilling evening with two very sweet colleagues on my birthday. Here's what I had...

^My portion of the "Spinning Bowl Salad", served with chilled forks (not sure why, but my colleagues and I find this chilled forks bit a little too amusingly pretentious, lol!).

^We all ordered the same main dish - the Californian Cut. I had mine medium with a mixture of buttered peas, creamed corn, creamed spinach, and mashed potatos at the side.

^Then out came the birthday song troop with my birthday cake, courtesy of my two awesome colleagues. I know they knew I love anything chocolate, hence the chocolate hazelnut cake. Apparently I am forever 25 and beautiful. What a flattering cake! xD

By the way, there was another complimentary birthday pudding from Lawry's but it was very forgettable...meh.

^Colleagues setting the cake on fire...

^My flaming birthday cake, with exactly 25 candles on it.

^And we totally ruinned the cake. Still very delicious, though. Mmmm...

The best part? I didn't have to pay a single cent for my main course because it was my birthday month! Isn't that just the best birthday treat for the typically cheap Malaysian?

All in all, I say the quality of food and service at Lawry's was VERY good. Except for the complimentary dessert pudding, everything else was excellent. I saw the price on the menu was SGD60+ to SGD80+ for a main course. I'd say it is worth it only for special occasion. The birthday month promotion seemed very popular too because we see the staffs singing birthday songs to almost every table that night. It is really an attractive promotion, after all.

I must thank my two wonderful colleagues, whom I will miss for a week or so before being terrorized by them again when they go visit me in KL during the Singapore National Day weekend. "Be our tour guide", they said. "I will be lost in the KL roads with you," I replied.

P/S: There was a group shot taken by Lawry's staff... I should be getting it emailed to me soon.

YouTube Is Full of Distractions

2010-06-06T22:37:00.009+08:00

There is this gift I planned to wrap tonight. I was about to start wrapping when I thought, "Why not try something new?".

So I went on the ever resourceful YouTube, keyed in "gift wrapping", and hit search.

As usual, there was a long list of search results, most of which seemed really relevant to me.

I click on one of the relevant ones, watch the video, get some ideas, and start my own gift wrapping. That was how it's supposed to be, right?

But no, that was not how it went. Instead of clicking on one of the many relevant videos, I just had to click on these two pointless videos, knowing full well they will most definitely not help with my gift wrapping task.

Tell me, does this happen to everyone, or am I having a mild case of ADD?

Happy Harvest Festival 2010!

2010-05-31T00:48:00.006+08:00

To all my indigenous Sabahan friends,
Happy Harvest Festival,
Selamat Hari Menuai,
Kotobian Tadao Kaamatan!

Psst... Selamat Hari Gawai to you indigenous Sarawakians too lah.

I Totally Forgot My Own Age

2010-05-29T13:17:00.006+08:00

I was thinking about how old I'm getting... until I got stuck at how old I am this year. I know I can do a simple calculation but since when do I need to calculate my own age?!

Me: I forgot how old I am this year. How old am I?
Friend: You're 28.
Me: So old already?! Sh*t!
Friend: I'm kidding. You're 27 this year.
Me: Really? *Does a quick calculation in mind* Oh yeah, I am 27...

I actually believed my friend when I was told I am 28 this year. Not that it makes much difference...
My absent-mindedness has just gone up one level.

I Swear...Machines Have Feelings!

2010-05-15T14:03:00.008+08:00

So here's what happened.

Last year, I was seriously contemplating (read: fighting the urge) to change my notebook to a MacBook. Around the same time, my old notebook died on me, leaving me with no choice but to buy a new one immediately. Well, not immediately. I had to use my office notebook for a week or so before I could get my new MacBook during my coincidental preplanned trip back to KL.

Now that I am seriously contemplating (again, read: fighting the urge) to buy the new HTC Desire, my current Sony Ericsson W902 suddenly has battery problem last night. The oddest thing? The HTC Desire was launched last night in Singapore.

I swear... both my old notebook and current phone had never given me any hardware problems before I started thinking about replacing them.

Transformers comes to mind... "Autobots, transform!"

Tee hee... I'm such a geek.

*Update: I finally bought the HTC Desire on Sunday, 16 May 2010. I can finally stop stalking the forums and YouTube videos of HTC Desire.

The Long-Anticipated Finale

2010-05-14T20:51:00.005+08:00

For all the six years of the show, Lost has never failed to keep me glued to my TV screen (technically, my computer screen). To this day, I am just a little less confused about the plot than I was when I first started watching six years ago.

Lost is like the reigning champion of all TV shows in its time. I have watched many other TV shows along the way but none of them managed to keep me interested like Lost does.

It's hard to believe that we're only two episodes away from knowing all the answers to the mysteries that started all the way back in the first episode of the first season.

Unless ABC thinks it would be funny to leave us all hanging off a cliff even at the very end.
...
They'd better not do that!!! *panics*

Ibu by P. Ramlee

2010-05-09T11:49:00.006+08:00

To all the Moms out there. =)

Check out the jealous girlfriend's face!

Ibu, ibu (Mother, Mother)
Engkaulah ratu hatiku (You are the queen of my heart)
Bila ku berduka (When I'm sorrow)
Engkau hiburkan selalu (You always entertain me)

Ibu, ibu (Mother, Mother)
Engkaulah ratu hatiku (You are the queen of my heart)
Tempat menyatakan kasih (Where I state my love)
Wahai ibu (Oh Mother)

Betapa tidak hanya engkaulah (You are the only one)
Yang menyinari hidupku (Who shines on my life)
Sepanjang masa engkau berkorban (You sacrifice yourself all the time)
Tidak putusnya bagai air lalu (Without fail like a stream of water)

Ibu, ibu (Mother, Mother)
Engkaulah ratu hatiku (You are the queen of my heart)
Tempatku menyerahkan kasih (Where I devote my love)
Wahai ibu (Oh Mother)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

纸包不着火

2010-05-05T18:02:00.003+08:00

The news that I am leaving the company is gradually spreading despite efforts to keep it a secret. Not that I haven't expected it to be this way. It's like... once every few days, someone would come up to me and ask, "Eh, I heard that you're leaving?".

I know it is absolutely my right to wait and give the shortest notice allowable under the employment terms. But why do I feel like I'm cheating?

May Day Trip to Pulau Ubin!

2010-05-02T13:57:00.008+08:00

With a bunch of colleagues. Fun times! =)

^Bump boat ride to Pulau Ubin

^Taking a break..after just 10 minutes of cycling =.=

^Map of Chek Jawa

^The daunting stairs of Check Jawa Viewing Gallery

^At the top of Check Jawa Viewing Gallery

^Pulau Ubin Visitor Centre, where we all hoped and prayed for air-con. Alas, there was none. I know, we're such pampered city people... LoL!

^Colleagues at the Visitor Centre

^More colleagues at the Visitor Centre

^Spotted a wild boar

^This is as best a shot as I could get

^Another group shot at Balai quary

^Ubin Quary

^Danger sign vandalised by some jokers

^One last group shot before leaving Pulau Ubin

^My last sight of Pulau Ubin =(

That was probably my last time in Pulau Ubin. A total of 4 times in 7 years. Each time with different memories to bring home with. Definitely one of the places I'll miss.

Super Trio is Back!

2010-04-27T20:43:00.005+08:00

Every year, they say it's their final season. Every year, they return with a new season. But I'm not complaining! It's really great that they are back. Yipee!!!

^Season 9: Super Trio Game Master,
Every Sunday 9pm (Malaysia/Singapore/Hong Kong time) on TVB

Download the torrent files of the episodes here!

How Did I Get to Know These People?

2010-04-26T22:39:00.004+08:00

Someone on Facebook posted this on his status update:

quote of the day : when u start to believe everyone around u is evil, it is the beginning of a successful career. trust no one.

This is exactly the kind of mindset I had to put up with all those years, and eventually got sick of. Is a "successful career" really so important? What kind of a life is that - to think everyone is evil?

Nothing good is gonna come out of believing in evil, be it in yourself or in someone else.

I don't deny that I, too, sometimes have trouble seeing good in people these days. But at least I'm trying to change that instead of being proud of it.

I don't know how I got to know these people. We're just so different.

Final Fantasy Fanfare (I-XII)

2010-04-17T21:00:00.002+08:00

And some people have too much creativity and time in hand...

Final Fantasy XIII is out! I wonder if I could have the chance to play...

HTC Desire

2010-04-13T20:28:00.007+08:00

I want one NOW!

HTC Desire user blog here.

Say No to Shark's Fin Soup

2010-04-12T22:08:00.003+08:00

LOL!

In all seriousness of the above poll, I totally laughed out loud when I saw the result. Come on guys, I know shark's fin soup is yummy but eating it at the cost of extinction of a whole species (and "not caring") is a little selfish, don't you think?

We're such gluttons. xD

Video Killed the Radio Star

2010-04-11T14:22:00.009+08:00

I used to listen to the local radio station a lot before I came to Singapore. That was way back when Traxx.fm was still called Radio 4, which was about the only worthwhile English language radio station at the time with their famous Big Breakfast Show every weekday morning, US Billboard Top 40 every Saturday afternoon, and Sentimental Tunes (or was it Sentimental Melodies? Definitely Sentimental something) every Sunday night.

Those were the days when "listening to the radio" was a common hobby even among youngsters. Without the internet and CDs to download or rip music from, I had to resolve to recording my favourite songs from the radio. This involves an empty or partially empty cassette tape readily mounted in the cassette player with the radio station tuned into.
I would listen attentively to the DJs so I could catch the song name and press "Record" if it was the song I wanted. At the end of every song, I would make sure to leave the tape to run without recording for a few seconds before stopping so I get intervals between songs. Then I would write the song list on the cassette tape cover complete with my own illustrations.

That, my friends, was music piracy in its primitive days.

Today, with so much you can do on the computer with high-speed internet, listening to the radio has lost much of its attraction. Good news is, there are so many more choices of great radio stations to pick from. Sometimes as I miss home, I find that one very effective way to cure homesickness is by listening to a Malaysian radio station (made possible by online streaming). It makes me feel more connected to my fellow Malaysians in Malaysia, like I am sharing something in common with the rest of the Malaysian listeners. It makes me feel like I'm home.

Journey Back to My Old Self

2010-04-09T21:12:00.006+08:00

A colleague today surprised me with a question:

"Every time I see you, you were always cheerful. You seem to be happy all the time. What's your secret?"

I was pretty taken aback. The fact is, I don't see myself as that happy. If anything, I would think I am unhappy. You know... being stressed out at work, away from loved ones, and all that.

"I guess I'm just happy that I'm in the presence of company."

Which is true.

My friends in secondary school used to say I laugh at the smallest things like there's no tomorrow. The last time I was called "cheerful" was in 2003 by a course-mate at university - still all fresh from my innocent KK days, still oblivious of the horrible energy-sucking people I'd just met and would continue to hang out with for years to come.

Another old friend told me a week ago I now laugh a lot less. That felt like a slap in the face. It forced me to face the reality that I have changed.

So when my colleague asked me that question today, I was delighted. There is progress in my journey back to my old self. There is hope still, after all.

Finally, Some Good News

2010-04-05T21:13:00.011+08:00

BEIJING: More than 110 workers were pulled out of a Chinese coal mine Monday more than a week after being trapped by flooding, in what has been hailed as a miracle rescue in the notoriously dangerous industry.

So far, 114 workers have been brought out alive from the half-built Wangjialing mine in Shanxi province and taken to hospital for treatment, state television and the Xinhua news agency reported.

Read more.

God knows we need good news like this in the midst of all those news about bombings, riots and crimes. Triple kudos to the survivors and rescuers!

Day Trip to Melaka - 3 April 2010

2010-04-04T18:33:00.012+08:00

Yesterday, I went to Melaka with a friend for a day trip. It was my second time visiting Melaka.

We set off from home at around 6:15am. Took the MRT to Kranji station and from there, we took Bus 170 to Woodlands Immigration Checkpoint. By the time we crossed the causeway, it was 7:15am. An RM10 cab ride took us from the Malaysian immigration checkpoint to Larkin bus terminal, where we boarded the 8am bus bound for Melaka. One bus ticket to Melaka by S&S Express costs RM19.

The journey to Melaka Sentral from Larkin took exactly 3 hours. Upon arrival at Melaka Sentral, we immediately bought our bus tickets to return to Singapore that evening (Delima - RM22 per ticket). From Melaka Sentral, we took an RM15 cab ride to Jalan Hang Jebat, where we had our lunch at Hoe Kee Chicken Rice for some famous chicken rice balls (forgot to take food pics again xD).

Then we walked along Jonker Walk, where they have all these touristy shops selling souvenirs and foods, and a few Buddhist temples.

Then we headed to the famous tourist spot labeled as "the heart of historic quarters of Melaka" by Wikitravel, where we saw the Christ Church, the Stadthuys, and a clock tower, amongst other things.
Then we headed away from the touristy grounds and found a park with this real-life display of an old aircraft.
Some more walking and we found a shopping mall called Dataran Pahlawan Mega Mall, where we were happy to spend some time enjoying the air-condition until we felt our feet could not walk another inch and were desperate for some rest. Our solution? A movie at the Golden Screen Cinema. It didn't matter which movie, as long as we get to rest comfortably with something to keep us occupied at the same time. So we watched Just Another Pandora Box, which as expected, turned out to be one of the lousiest movies we have ever seen.

After the movie, we went looking for a Peranakan restaurant for dinner and was surprised that it was difficult to find one such restaurant in Melaka! Maybe we were at the wrong place but we walked all along Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Walk) and only found this Portuguese Melaka restaurant, with which we settled because we were hungry and drenched in rain water.

^Eleven - the name of the restaurant which also doubles as a bar

^Portuguese Style Sambal Chicken

^Baked Squid

^Mixed Vegetable

^Portuguese Style Sambal Prawn

After dinner (RM54), we realised to our horror that we didn't have enough cash for our cab ride back to Melaka Sentral, where we had to catch our bus to Singapore at 7:30pm (it was 6:30pm). We walked on in hopes to find an ATM and to our relief, we found a Public Bank. I withdrew some cash and we were on our way back to Melaka Sentral.

I bought a bar of Cadbury for my journey back to Singapore. Finished the whole bar on my own (!!!!), except a row or two by my friend. I turned to the back and saw that its expiry date falls on my birthday! So a picture was due...

Reached Singapore Woodlands Immigration Check Point at 11:30pm. Took a cab from there and arrived home at exactly 12am. Showered, unpacked etc...by the time I plonked myself on my bed, it was 1:30am. I think I must've fallen asleep in record timing because I don't even remember trying to fall asleep.

Conclusion? A day trip is actually a pretty good idea for Melaka. Sure, we may have missed some places of interest, but consider the fact that we spent 3 hours in the shopping mall and cinema, which I think should have been skipped, and a tad bit too long at Jonker Walk. Lesson learnt? Don't be stingy on cab fares and save your leg stamina for walks at places of interest instead of between them. The rickshaws should be quite interesting too. Unless you prefer to take it slow and willing to spend on accommodation, I'd say a day-trip is sufficient for Melaka.

So...till the next trip!

Cafe World

2010-04-02T21:57:00.004+08:00

I have been playing Cafe World on Facebook for some time now. Yesterday, I renovated my entire cafe. Before, it was a mess from purely adding and rearranging new tiles, wallpapers, and decorations after every expansion, which was done without much planning and thought.

Now, my cafe looks like this:

It has a guests' waiting area...
A mini garden...
And a TV area...

If only interior renovation in real life is as easy as this.

Feeling Oh So Wonderful

2010-03-23T21:59:00.003+08:00

Today, hope came back to me.

It all started last Friday. I woke up that day still unsure about my plans to return to Malaysia. I barely started thinking about it seriously. Firstly, I wasn't 100% sure I am leaving, and even if I was, I wasn't sure when I will be leaving. All I know is my employment bond in Singapore ends this June and there are plenty of things I need to take care of before leaving.

Then my bosses assigned me a new project worth tens of millions of dollars that spans over a few years. I was caught unprepared. I didn't know if I should tell them right away that I might be leaving. For one, I wasn't sure and furthermore, this new project is a thumpin' good career opportunity for me. I must admit it did tempt me to stay.

I had a hard time trying to concentrate the rest of the day. The sudden surge of information did not make it any easier for me to digest. But I had one clear thought in my mind - that no matter what, I should never decide something as important as my career (and life) path in such an impromptu manner.

So I decided to swallow my guilty feelings and continue to listen to my assignment briefing. That night, I met up with colleagues for a movie and then a meal...all while trying to suppress the urge to disclose my dilemma - not until I have given it much thought on my own.

I spent the whole weekend thinking about it. Well, basically it's just the Saturday. Sunday was spent trying to figure out how best to tell my boss what I decided on Saturday - that is to quit in July.

Come Monday, I told the boss. I was asked to reconsider it.

Today, I went back and told him again that I am sticking to my decision.

Today, it became official.

There's probably no turning back anymore for me now. The idea of returning to Malaysia for good has become so much more real now. I am so relieved now that THE decision has finally been made, after much procrastination.

I guess fate had its way in forcing me to make this decision. That big project was a tool to nudge me to the edge and make the jump.

Oddly, though...amidst all this excitement, I can sense an onset of heavy-heartedness. I don't doubt one bit that I will miss this place and even the job. The question is...how much?

A Childhood Memory

2010-03-22T19:52:00.003+08:00

Once there was a little girl who was attending kindergarten. She was a timid child heavily overshadowed by her more confident and extrovert peers. She was the quiet observer when popular kids were in action, when she was not the object of the actions, that is.

Like many kids from middle-class families, the school bus was her source of transport to travel between home and school everyday. These school buses had communities of their own with different niches. So, naturally, there were the popular kids and there was the timid, naïve girl, who became the favourite subject of bully among her popular bus mates. As safe as she was inside the classroom in the presence of teachers, she was totally vulnerable in the school buses. Bullies began to take place with the timid girl as the constant victim. Ironically though, her naivety actually turned out to have saved her from the psychological torment of the bullies. Not understanding the concept of bully, and having only known simple feelings of happiness and sadness, she felt no humiliation at all. She felt sad, however, for the mean things they did to her. They said cruel things about her she knew wasn't true. They took her pencil case away from her and hid it for a whole day. She became afraid, not because they might not return it to her, but because she could not complete her homework without her stationery. Despite all these, she never breathed a word to anyone, not even to her parents. She did not feel the need to. She was so naïve, she did not even feel hate towards the people that bullied her because she had not learnt the complexity of hate and humiliation then.

As the saying goes, there is always a silver lining amidst dark clouds. The little girl did not realize this at the time, but this silver lining was going to be the sweetest thing that has happened to her in her childhood. There was a boy in the popular bunch, who became close to her because they happened to be the last two to alight the bus everyday on their way home. Although he part of the popular group, he never joined in any of the bully activities. Consequently, the last fifteen minutes of their journeys home from school became play time for both of them.

It so happened that one day, the leader of the popular kids ordered everyone in her group to stand in a line facing the timid girl. The plan was to have each of them take turns to slap the timid girl in the face. The timid girl, naïve as she was, felt sad and confused. Had she done something wrong? Not knowing what to do, she resolved to doing nothing and just stood there taking the slaps, one after another.

The little boy who became friends with her was eventually forced to join in the bully. When it was his turn to slap her, he gave her a kind and apologetic look, before brushing his palm gently on her cheek and turned away. When everybody else had gotten off the bus, he apologized to her profusely for joining in the bully and said comforting words to make her feel better. What he did not know was that the girl had already put it behind her and was only happy it was play time again with nobody around to do mean things to her. The little girl did not realize this then, but those fifteen-minute play times were the happiest moments in her kindergarten years.

Shortly after, the girl’s family moved to a new neighbourhood and she had to switch to another school bus. She never found out the boy’s name or which kindergarten he attended. She lost all contact with him ever since. As a matter of fact, she never thought of him until later years, when she began to understand the more complex sides of life and reflected on her childhood memories. She had no more bully problems ever since, although she was still naïve compared to her peers. She made lots of good friends over the years and even turned out to be quite an outspoken girl herself at her late teenage years. She grew up to be the confident girl she never was in her younger days.

The most remarkable thing about this story is that a child as young as six years old could distinguish between right and wrong despite heavy peer pressure. The honest truth is that there are even adults who cannot show the same kind of compassion. There are, in fact, many things we as adults can learn from children, if only we could just stop being busy growing up for a while.

Note: This story was first posted in my old blog as Smile Factor #0.

CNY 2010: Genting Highlands

2010-03-21T15:49:00.001+08:00

First things first. There will be no casino pictures. Why?

Because of this.

^All types of hand phones / pocket PC / electronic equipment with photography devices / digital camera are prohibited from the casino.

But I did come across this advertisement by alongs (illegal money lenders) in the ladies toilet.

I roamed around the First World Plaza indoor theme park/shopping mall alone before joining my parents in the casino. I visited the Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum and the Haunted House, both for a price of RM30.

^World's Tallest Man's Shoe vs. a Regular Man's Shoe

^World's Luckiest Chair my ass. I sat on it and lost RM200 in the casino.

^Fake shark suspended from the ceiling

^World's Tallest Man's Palm vs. My Palm

^Something about enough neckties for a man each day for a lifetime.

CNY 2010

2010-03-21T12:14:00.000+08:00

One month ago today, I was on my way back to Singapore from my 2-week long-ass Chinese New Year holiday in KL.

One month later, I finally got the mood to download the photos from my camera/phone and blog about the holiday. Just a bunch of pictures to show, really.

First, there was my chatter-filled meeting with two secondary school buddies at Italiannies @ Sunway Pyramid...

^Met up with Nur and Vinut immediately after arrival from Singapore.

Then there were these food pics from Madam Kwan @ Giant, Kelana Jaya...

^Fish fried with ginger and onion

^Seaweed soup

^Black pepper beef

Then there was this bizarre car plate number that I wish I could have...

^WTF?!

Funny thing. The owner of this car actually live in the same condominium as my parents', on the same block. We tailed his car all the way back home that day.

Then there was the ferris wheel inside Sunway Pyramid...

^Ferris wheel inside Sunway Pyramid

And there was my visit to Genting Highlands, which shall be posted as a separate blog entry... errr... soon.

Skinny Pizza @ Wheelock Place

2010-03-20T13:14:00.005+08:00

Some colleagues and I went to watch Alice In Wonderland at Shaw Lido last night. The movie ended at 9pm and we walked across Orchard Road to Wheelock Place to have a light meal at this restaurant called Skinny Pizza.

By the time we sat down to order, some of their most popular picks were already sold out. Nonetheless, we managed to order two of their popular pizzas (at least as claimed by the waiter).

^Squid Ink

^English Breakfast

All their pizzas come in a standard 22 inch. When they say skinny...it's really skinny. Instead of the thick doughy pizzas we get from Pizza Hut or Dominoes or Canadian Pizza, Skinny Pizzas tasted like crackers. It felt like we were having tacos instead of pizzas. It's no wonder the waiter told us 3 persons can finish 2 pieces of 22-inch skinny pizzas.

Taste-wise, they were pretty good, especially the Squid Ink, although it didn't look that appetizing to us at first. The arugula leaves they serve with all their pizzas tasted a little bitter-sweet, but they went really well with the tasty pizzas.

Six of us, ranging from not hungry to famished (that's me), had 3 pieces of Skinny Pizzas (1 Squid Ink, 2 English Breakfast). With my kind of appetite, I was surprised to find myself full after just...maybe 5 slices and a few bites of cake.

^Strawberry Shortcake

We shared a slice of Strawberry Shortcake. It tasted a normal as-expected strawberry taste. The cake itself was not sweet, so it'll suit people who doesn't fancy eating stuff that is too sweet. For those who have a sweet tooth, the glass of syrup was there to sweeten it up. The cake was served hot (with smoke still coming out of it when we cut it!) and the syrup was cold. If this was a chocolate cake, I would have died happy.

By the time we left the place, it was already closing and we were the last customers. So how much did we pay? Truth be told, I don't know yet. xD

Well, one of my colleagues is supposed to split the bill and tell us how much to pay. But based on the menu, the price of one pizza ranges from SGD18 to SGD25. We also shared a bottle of Apple Cider which cost SGD25. I have no idea how much the cake cost.

All in all, it was worth a visit but I won't go back again because I prefer the doughy pizzas. Just a matter of preference, really.

^One group shot to end the day

WTF?!

2010-03-12T09:43:00.001+08:00

My Bahasa Melayu Officially Sucks

2010-03-11T23:00:00.012+08:00

Having been using three languages (English, Cantonese, and Malay) a lot while growing up, I got accustomed to thinking in those languages interchangeably. When I think of an English word, for example, I would often subconsciously translate it into Malay or Chinese, and vise versa.

So here's what happened. Sometime last weekend, I was reminded of papayas.

I don't remember where or how I suddenly came to think about papayas, but that's not the point. The point is... I was thinking about papayas and was about to translate it into Malay. That's where my train of thoughts got rudely disrupted.

Papaya, papaya... (picturing papayas)... buah pisang, buah kelapa, buah rambutan, buah mangga, buah b-... The first letter had got to be "B". Or was it "M"? Hmmm...

I thought to myself, "Come on, I cannot have forgotten such an easy one!".

I refused to give up.

So I started to think hard...

and think harder....

I thought about it while brushing my teeth. I thought about it on my way to work. I thought about it while going to sleep. I even thought about it while I'm using the toilet.

The stupid tembikai keep popping up eagerly in my head and I had to keep reminding myself that tembikai's watermelon, not papaya!

All while trying to fight the urge to Google it up.

Alas, I failed. I succumbed to Google today.

It's "betik".

A big smack on my forehead later, the horror finally dawned on me. My Bahasa Melayu now officially sucks BIG. TIME.

Oh well. At least I got the first letter right.

Temptations Upon Temptations

2010-03-08T21:26:00.006+08:00

First it was this...

^Nokia N97 Mini

Then it was this...

^Apple iPhone 3GS

And then it was this...

^Google Nexus One

Now it is this...

^HTC Desire

But then all I have is this piece of crap...

^Sony Ericsson W902 a.k.a. Crap

How Romantic...

2010-03-07T13:10:00.003+08:00

Saw this in the news:

=====

Housing policy changes not enough for some PRs to take up citizenship
By Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 06 March 2010 1911 hrs

".....With the changes, Singaporeans married to PRs will receive S$10,000 less in housing grants if they buy a resale flat. Alternatively, they will have to pay a S$10,000 premium if they buy a new HDB flat. However, the amount will be restored if the PR family member becomes a citizen, or if the couple has a child who is Singaporean.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan had also announced a new quota for non-Malaysian PRs in housing estates. He noted that this would help to encourage integration......" (Read more...)

=====

Yeah, and materialism too. Now, Singaporean singles are gonna think, "Is this non-citizen man/woman worth paying an extra S$10,000?". And since the question of worthiness is never certain when it comes to marriage, people go for safer, more definite choices - get the S$10,000 grant first!

The result? Singaporean citizens will tend to marry fellow citizens, and PR's will be doomed to a life of singleton and loneliness forever! MuaHahaHa!

Just kidding. =D

People have strong passion that can override materialism. We love someone for who they are (a S$10,000 cheque) and who they make us (S$10,000 richer), right??? xD

Someday, Valentine's Day cards in Singapore may look like this:

I think I'm the materialistic one here. Damn...

Revisiting MMORPGs That I've Played

2010-03-06T10:42:00.006+08:00

Like many other fellow members of Generation-Y, I was quite the avid online game player during my university days. Nowadays, I don't play much for two reasons:

Unable to maintain constant interest to play continuously,
Too much trouble having to reboot my MacBook to switch to Bootcamp.

Having said that, I still set aside some 30GB of my hard disk for Bootcamp just in case I suddenly have the itch to play, albeit just for a while. Such an itch occurred last night. So I logged on to my Windows XP on Bootcamp and started playing whatever MMORPG I haven't uninstalled. Had to do a fair bit of updating, though, which was quite a pain in the rear end.

Started off with Maple Story, which was my longest-played MMORPG. I was thoroughly amazed to see there are still old-timers in my guild (and that I am still in the guild) who log in frequently. It was very pleasant catching up with them and reminiscing old times. Unfortunately, though, my main character has been hacked into a long time ago, right before I stopped playing, rendering all my valuables stolen. Being broke (and naked), I have since started a new character to maybe one day finance my bankrupt Level 120 Arch Mage.

^My Maple Story Main Character in Her Naked Glory

Then I revisited my Cabal Online character. The guild's there but the members are gone. I even bumped into another player who remembered me (and me, him). It was a short-lived game for me, but I sure missed the great graphics, elaborate background music, and skill animations.

^My Cabal Online Character

There were a few others I wished to revisit but were not installed. Like Rappelz and Luna Online. Tried reinstalling them but they took 6 to 7 hours each, so I decided to forget about it.

Recently, an ex-Cabal guildmate recommended me to play a new MMORPG, which according to him is similar to Maple Story. First, at the thought of another 2D game, I was quite turned off. But as the itch for a new online game rose, I thought I'd give it a try.

It's called Wonderking Online.

^My Very Noob Wonderking Online Character

Will I get the itch to play again? Definitely. Will I eventually go back to vigourous online gaming again? I don't think so.

Natural Disasters

2010-02-28T00:05:00.007+08:00

It's one of those things I hear about a lot but have never encountered one myself. Thanks to the strategic (and fortunate) location of Malaysia and Singapore, we're spared from many natural disasters that our neighbours have to face all too often.

Whatever hurricane and tsunami that were coming our way are blocked by Indonesia, Phillipines, and Indochina. We fall in the Pacific Ring of Fire and yet we are spared from earthquakes and volcanos. It's a miracle, really.

Source: Wikipedia

Sometimes, we Malaysians and Singaporeans take things for granted. We really should count our blessings. Give them a break for always causing us haze and what not. They are already protecting us against much worst things. The earth is ever changing. Nobody can say for sure that we will stay safe forever.

Let us put away all religious and political differences for a while and give our hearts to the victims of the latest earthquake yet - Chile, and pray the string of disasters stops soon.

Name Fail

2010-02-27T00:40:00.008+08:00

Another case of an unfortunate name...

Kinda makes me hungry. Why? Because it reminds me of this:

Maybe she has cousins called Char Siew Bao and Chee Cheong Fun. xD

For the confused, that is a picture of Lo Mai Gai, which is a famous Chinese dish (glutinous rice steamed with ingredients like mushrooms, chicken, and Chinese sausages) especially among the Cantonese. I'm not a big fan of it but it tastes alright. A lot of people love it very much, though.

Surprisingly Pleasant

2010-02-26T00:54:00.005+08:00

Refering to the week so far. But *gasp*... I hope I didn't just jinx it.

But yeah, been a pleasant week. =D

It's a mixture of hilarious exchange of comments over nostalgic photos found on Facebook and a company event that didn't only not turn out to be as bad as I feared, but much better.

Been feeling nice all week since Monday, all despite a really bad post-holiday depression, a (still) broken modem, and an accumulated messy workload, which by the way, is still accumulating and messy.

If there is a god, he has been watching over me this week.

A Belated Gong Xi Fa Cai

2010-02-21T22:17:00.007+08:00

...to everyone...Chinese and non-Chinese alike =).

I just got back from KL this afternoon. Been a rather unpleasant day mostly because of the lack of sleep the previous night. More about that perhaps in a future proper blog post on this KL trip.

I don't even dare say how lousy I am feeling right now as the Chinese New Year holidays come to an end. You have read it so many times from me every time I return from a vacation. It has become sort of like a localised cliche to blog about post-holiday withdrawal syndromes. Localised, because I'm probably the only one who has nothing else better to blog about.

I used to have a friend like this - always complaining about having to leave his hometown and having to return to a job he hated. At that time, I didn't understand why he had to be so negative about things. Sure, I didn't love my job either. I missed my home too and I'm certain it was no less than how much he missed his home. I did whine a little but I didn't go moping around like he did to the point of being all moody even with friends like us. All that because I thought I had something to treasure in Singapore - my friendship with him and the other guys at the time. Truth be told, I did miss them a lot when I was away from Singapore.

Now that I have given up that friendship with them, I realised I am becoming like that guy who moped too much about being away from home (sorry to genuine friends who have become the unfortunate listeners to my whining!). I still love my family as much as before, so the only thing that could have changed is how much I (dis)like being back in Singapore. I realised the reason it is so much harder for me now is the fact that I no longer have anything I am affectionate for in Singapore. This in turn made me realised one thing - that guy who moped too much actually felt the way I feel now, which means he did not consider our friendship at the time to be something to appreciate, something to miss, something to look forward to. I mean I have long realised how he and the rest of the guys felt about our "friendship", but it wasn't until today I realised how bland they actually felt - just like how emotionless I feel for them now. This realisation gives me yet another level of disappointment, like so many other realisations over the past year have given me as I ponder about how the last 7 years of my life in Singapore have served me so far. No thanks to having too much time in my hands.

Don't get me wrong, though. It's not that there is absolutely nothing I would miss in Singapore. But most of those things only happened in the recent 2 years and are only beginning to blossom. They are not yet strong enough to keep me in Singapore in exchange for reuniting with my family and the higher possibility of living my choice of lifestyle. And they are certainly not enough to outweigh the 6 years of wasted time and effort I spent on something I had to constantly convince myself was worthy.

I am too emotional. I don't show it much, but I am. I wish to improve on it but the other Gemini twin is telling me that it makes me who I am, and it makes me true to people I care about.

And the bloody spoiled SingNet modem perched on my desk staring at me like a nagging aunt isn't helping the situation.

Suddenly Vaccinated Against H1N1

2010-02-03T21:39:00.003+08:00

About a month ago, I received this very short email (in my work email) telling me to go to this room on this date during this time to get myself the H1N1 vaccine.

A few questions immediately popped into my mind. Is it safe? Is it free? Is it compulsory?

As a dedicated procrastinator, I refused to address those questions immediately.

Suddenly, "this date" and "this time" arrived.

Totally clueless of what to expect, I followed my colleagues to "this room" and joined the queue.

And that was how I suddenly got vaccinated against H1N1.

Just in time for my Chinese New Year trip home.

Yesterday afternoon, I had quite a bit of a headache. Not sure if it was a side effect from the vaccine, though. Work has been a bitch, after all, so who's to say it wasn't stress-induced?

Random Updates

2010-01-29T00:37:00.004+08:00

Nothing particularly interesting is happening lately. Hence the lack of updates in the blog. Well, some things that may or may not be worthy of any mention, but here goes nothing...

I have marathoned The Office (US version) from Season 1 till the on-going Season 6 in a month's time. I am totally addicted to it right now and I dare say it is the best sitcom I have ever followed. It may not be as intriguing as Lost or as fantastic as Heroes, but it gives me this sense of not being the only one feeling so blah about work. The show presents unfortunately common lousy work situations and yet manages to somehow twist it into a happy ending, or at least an ending that you can laugh about and just move on to another day. It is like this constant reminder that no matter how bad stuff at work seems to have become, it is just another day of work and by tomorrow, new things will just displace the old.

^Cast Members of The Office

Speaking of offices. Work has been really hectic these days, especially since the year end holidays were over. I am coping just about borderline-OK and I keep having these weird dreams where I was always clinging desperately on to something. I kinda know what the meaning behind is. Not that it helps make life any easier. In fact, these dreams are making it harder for me to wake up every morning!

What's really keeping me going is my looking forward to the Chinese New Year holidays. I am going on a whopping 2 weeks off beginning next weekend and I. Cannot. Wait. No doubt, I had to thicken my face when I approached my boss for the leave request, since it is rather happening at work lately and I have just came back from a week's vacation. He said yes, reluctantly, but still a yes. I feel bad. But I'd feel worse if I didn't ask for it, so there...life is about making the best or the least damaging choices, after all.

Another work-related issue. I have been assigned a task to put together a performance for the upcoming department retreat. I don't even know where to begin on how challenging that task is for me. Just because I have participated in that ONE performance, people extrapolate to the fact that I can come up with more. Fortunately, I have some really supportive colleagues who were too kind to lend me a helping hand and even agreed to perform with me. The general idea is to sing, since it requires the least amount of preparation work, considering the fact that I will be leaving for KL in a week's time and only will be back the day before the retreat. The more I think about it, the more worried I get. I may need a miracle for this one. My strategy now is to keep my own expectations low so I won't disappoint myself too much when I can't come up with something good enough. On the other hand, I keep having this feeling that me not trying my hardest is unfair to my colleagues who are actually helping me with this. Oh wisdom, where art thou when I need you.

Well, so much for blabbering. It's 1 bloody a.m. and I should really be in bed right now. Good news? It's finally Friday and there's a site meeting tomorrow (technically, later today) that I am rather looking forward to. *wink*

I just hope (and I mean REALLY hope) nothing goes terribly wrong that ruins the day. I am fast running out of emotional buffer.

Kota Kinabalu Trip 2009 - Part 4 (END)

2010-01-17T12:22:00.015+08:00

Day 8

New Year's Eve (Thursday)

Of all the days in my trip, I would say this was the most eventful day - mainly because I managed to visit the one place I most wanted to visit - my secondary school!

The day started with my visit to the Sabah State Museum alone. On the way there, I passed by my secondary school - St. Francis Convent, and saw the gate was open! I immediately called Momok to see if she could join me for a trespassing mission into the school compound. We agreed to meet after lunch. So I proceeded with my museum plan in the morning.

For lunch, I had Beaufort Mee - something I had never tried before. Again, no food pics...sigh.

Then comes the highlight of the day - visiting my old school!

^Pretending (unsuccessfully) to be back in school

^The chemical lab cum our classroom for Secondary 4 - the best year ever!

After the trespassing mission was accomplished, we headed to Warisan Square for some recharge (read: food and drinks).
Then Momok had to go home for dinner, and I had some time to visit these other places I wanted to see before I leave KK the next day.

^Centerpoint Sabah Shopping Complex

^Palm Square @ Centerpoint Sabah

^Karamunsing Shopping Complex

Come 9:00pm, I was back at Upperstar Damai for another gathering with secondary school friends. We had drinks all night long until past countdown. Then we headed to town to meet up with some other friends outside Shenanigans, and then to Foh Sang for (a really late) supper. By the time I was back in my hotel that night (morning), it was close to 4:00am!

Day 9

New Year's Day (Friday)

It was the day for me to leave KK - again =(

My last lunch was at Kedai Kopi Chuan Hin.

Ngau Lam Kolo Mee

Momok and Tiffany sent me off at Terminal 2. The entire trip had been really wonderful. It far exceeded my expectations and I managed to do all the things I wanted to do - meet old friends, visit old and new places, visit secondary school, and eat the foods. I had the best New Year celebration for many, many years. Goes to say how old friends are still the best.

I had a serious holiday withdrawal syndrome after this trip. That's why it took me so long to actually blog about it. It was too hard to talk about the trip and look at the pictures again when I was dreading the end of the holidays and the start of work!

I am also back to being alone most of the time again here in Singapore. Don't get me wrong. I really missed having so much alone time when I was constantly surrounded by friends in KK. But hey, I am not complaining either way. I appreciate both solitary and the company of great friends.

Oh well, I should be returning to KK again end of this year for our SFC Batch of Y2K 10-Year Anniversary Reunion! So, hooray!