Moments at the Crossroads

Facebook

2008-10-12T03:53:00.002+08:00

Facebook - the fastest growing social phenomenon. I did not ventured into this until early today, as I had vowed not to join until I've done certain things. Now that I'm in I can understand why people can get addicted to this.

I suppose one of the fun factors is the ability to do more than the average social networking site. After all, every other Friendster, Myspace has the same group, events, calendar, search for friends, etc kind of applications in them, but Facebook throws in the fun elements.

From Poking, to giving 1,000,001 virtual gifts (at least) to the various gaming, sports & dating applications, one can easily get lost in this virtual jungle. I just tried out to applications and it already sucked 1 hour of my life. One was a Car Madness racing application and the other was the Premier Leauge predictions application.

What next I wonder?

Double dose of Spicy Chicken McDeluxe

2008-07-29T23:57:00.002+08:00

Today I had two Gold Medal Meals. One during lunch, and one delivered to my office during dinner. The Gold Medal meal is from McDonalds and consists of Spicy Chicken McDeluxe, large Coke & fries plus a free Chocolate Sundae.

Fearless

2008-06-16T01:37:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine said I'm fearless. Up until now, I knew I wasn't. As of today though, I have become near fearless. I wonder what other fears could come up for me now?

Hands Down

2008-06-15T23:11:00.000+08:00

Here's a song about the best date I ever had ...

Breathe in for luck,
Breathe in so deep,
This air is blessed,
You share with me.

This night is wild,
So calm and dull,
These hearts they race,
From self control.

Your legs are smooth,
As they graze mine,
We're doing fine,
We're doing nothing at all

My hopes are so high,
That your kiss might kill me
So won't you kill me,
So I die happy
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
To break or bury,
Or wear as jewelery,
Whichever you prefer ...

The words are hushed lets not get busted,
Just lay entwined here, undiscovered,
Safe in here from all the stupid questions
"Hey did you get some?"
Man, that is so dumb,
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close they can't hear ...
So we can get some

My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me,
So won't you kill me,
So I die happy
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
To break or bury,
Or wear as jewelery,
Whichever you prefer ...

Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,
I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,
The dim of the soft lights,
The scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers,
And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late,
And this walk that we shared together
The streets were wet
And the gate was locked so I jumped it,
And I let you in,
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
And you kissed me like you meant it
And I knew that you meant it,

That you meant it,
That you meant it,
And I knew,
That you meant it,
That you meant it ...

Massages

2008-06-14T13:42:00.002+08:00

This week I had massage four times. The venues were :

Monday - Soul of Wellness (Uptown)

Tuesday - Carnauba Autospa (Glenmarie)

Wednesday - Crystalspa (Section 14)

Saturday - Urban Retreat (The Curve)

That's like around RM 300 for 4-5 hours of full body massage. Not too sure why I'm that into spas last week. Could be because my office had no power for 4 days (it was like a sauna) so I hung out most of the time working from hotels & cafes. Or could be because I was quite stress at the upcoming events. Or maybe it was so happen I was there (e.g. waiting for a seminar, or having my car washed, etc.). Come to think of it, I had actually just walked in and gotten a full body massage without thinking too much.

The best place? I think its the Autospa coz it's free for me :).

I'm An Idiot

2008-06-08T01:50:00.002+08:00

I've got to be the biggest idiot in this world.

I've done many risky things in life. I've taken huge budgetary risks that may cost me to lose my job. I've done things without a moment's hesitation. I've even risk my life a few times.

Yet I could not do one simple thing. Ok there were 2 simple things I couldn't do and I've done one of them, but now I'm stuck at the other.

I try to absolve the blame by being a perfectionist, but should I care whether it's perfect or not? Actually I know the answer to that and yet I still want it to be perfect.

I try to think that I'm shy but then again I know I'm not and most people would say the same as well. So why do I get these anxiety attacks?

I tell other people to "Just Do It" but when it comes to me, I'm probably the biggest hypocrite of all.

I need to get to the bottom of this fast, or else I'd probably not going to get over it for the rest of my life.

Feel This - Bethany Joy Galeotti

2008-05-31T03:42:00.001+08:00

It's gotta be this one,
You don't have to fake it
You know I can take it
What if I told you your tears haven't been ignored
And everything that was taken can be restored

Feel this
Can you feel this
My heart beating out of my chest
Feel this
Can you feel this
Salvation under my breath

It's gotta be disguised
Soul and script
Chord and the lyrics
What if I told you that innocence is yours
And the beauty you have now is brighter than before
Before

Feel this
Can you feel this
My heart beating out of my chest
Feel this
Can you feel this
Salvation under my breath

Let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go

Chee Boon's wedding photo

2008-01-20T22:09:00.002+08:00

Here's a photo from my Badminton Buddy's wedding - How Chee Boon (who was also my Form 6 Class mate).

Racing Like A Pro

2008-01-08T14:02:00.000+08:00

It is always a male ego thing to compete with fellow males. The form of competition could be of many types, and one of the most common type is a car race. I'm not talking about the F1 here but the streets of Klang Valley.

The urge to be ahead of your fellow driver on the road is one of the reasons why I would slam the accelerator down from time to time. That or I just shift into Sport gear where the ratios change at a much faster pace. It is just a rush when I feel the car's tachometer jumped from 2,000 rpms to 5,000 rpms in the space of seconds and the speedometer rises ever so quickly from 60 km/h to 110 km/h.

That and this blog title is also the title for Episode 2 of One Tree Hill (Season 5) which was aired back-to-back with Episode 1.

Four Years, Six Months, and Two Days

2008-01-08T13:24:00.002+08:00

One Tree Hill Season 5 is back! Despite the writer's strike that is going on in the States, One Tree Hill was still aired on the CW network (that's in the states) as they have separate agreements (or something along that lines). Either way, one of my favourite TV dramas is back on air, and I immediately caught the first episode.

The story started off more than 4 years after the Tree Hill students high school graduation. Lucas has published a book and is dating his editor. Brooke has her own successful fashion line, Clothes Over Bros. Peyton is despondent at her recording job and return to Tree Hill to start her own label. Nathan again got into trouble and is now on a wheelchair, his NBA dreams shattered. Haley is teaching in Tree Hill High besides leaving off her music royalties. She still packs a mean voice. And their son, James is probably the smartest 4 year old I've seen on TV.

The music as usual is great with a lot of indie bands contributing to the show's music repertoire. The first episode itself had my old favourite, The Freshman, by the Verve Pipe which I have not heard for a long time. It goes ...

When I was young and knew everything,
And she a punk who rarely ever took advice,
Now I'm guilt stricken,
Sobbing with my head on the floor,
Stop a baby's breath and a shoe full of rice

I can't be held responsible
Cause she was touching her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place

For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen

Heroes Season 2

2007-10-28T21:33:00.000+08:00

Heroes is back!!!

Just a few months after I went through my own Heroes marathon, Season 2 is back with a bang! It's already 5 episodes into the season in the States and I'm partially through downloading some of them. So far caught a glimpse of Episode 5 and I daresay it's as good as ever with plenty of twists and surprises.

NBC also has released Season 1 on DVD (about USD 50 = RM 150+?), and I'm very tempted to get it. Not only does it have all 23 episodes, it also as another 73-minute pilot premiere episode which was not aired. Plus all the usual extras including 50 deleted scenes, commentaries, etc.

Tim Sale (the artist behind the graphic novels) has also released a 240 page graphic novel on the series which includes all the online comics that ties in with the story. It's about USD 20 online (about RM 70+), and am thinking of picking that up as well.

Heroes website itself contains a 360 degree Heroes experience from documentaries about the Heroes, to the graphic novels, mysterious videos, letters from various characters, etc that is updated weekly. My guess that this is the standard for all future media/online marketing and interactive experience.

I think I may have caught the Heroes bug!

Blind Leading The Blind

2007-10-28T09:26:00.000+08:00

Here's the other song by Mick Jagger & Dave Stewart from the movie Alfie.

When the chips are down,
And you're blinded on your feet,
You're standing up and walking,
But you know you are dead meat.

The sky is busting,
It's near the break of day,
You're running out options,
Running out of place.

The leaves are cracking,
Withered on the trees,
Beg you darling,
Won't you say a prayer for me,
I need your benediction,
Cause I'm a soul in need,
I can't sit down much lower,
Cause I'm on my knees.

Like the blind leading the blind,
After the wine, the tears they are gushing,
Just like the blind leading the blind,
Time after time,
You won't let love in ...

Old Habits Die Hard

2007-10-28T00:25:00.001+08:00

I caught Alfie about a week or 2 ago at HBO, and I quite like the movie. It stars Jude Law as Alfie, a womanizer who sort of learn the error of his ways (I said sort of cause the movie sort of ended with a cliffhanger statement).

Information about the movie can be found at :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375173/

It's the music from the movie which I like best (plus the photo montage credits ending). There were 2 songs that I'm fond of, both my Mick Jagger & Dave Stewart. The first one Old Habits Die Hard has a good 70s beat and poignant lyrics.

I thought I shook myself free
You see I bounce back quicker than most
But i'm half delirious, Is too mysterious
You walk through my walls like a ghost
And I take everyday at a time
I'm as proud as a Lion in his Lair
Now there's no denying it, a note to crying it
Your all tangled up in my head

Old habits die hard
Old soldiers just fade away
Old habits die hard
Harder than November rain
Old habits die hard
Old soldiers just fade away
Old habits die hard
Hard enough to feel the pain

We haven't spoken in months
You see i've been counting the days
I dream of such humanities, such insanities
I'm lost like a kid and i'm late
But i've never taken your coats
Haven't no block on my phone
I act like an addict, i just got to have it
I can never just leave it alone

Finally ... got back my monitor

2007-10-27T12:12:00.000+08:00

As mentioned previously, my monitor conked out and I was not able to use my computer for almost a month. During this time, I was logging in and checking emails and IMs via my mobile phone.

Finally got my monitor back today, and was told that the assembly board went bust due to overheating. Must remind myself not to leave it on for more than 48 hours when I'm downloading stuff.

5 plates of rice a day

2007-10-25T23:15:00.000+08:00

I'm getting fat. Just today I porked out on 5 plates of rice.

First was lunch. It was at this place in Parit Buntar, Kee Hiang if I remembered correclty. All the dishes were excellent. There was bamboo clams (I love bamboo clams), steamed king-sized prawns, marmite pork & the excellent tom yam fish. I just gobbled it up while having my usual litres of chinese tea.

Next was dinner. It was at Bukit Tambun, at the Prawn Village restaurant which I have not been there for over 3 years with my previous company. I remembered the mantis shrimp deeped in steamed egg (unfortunately my colleague did not order that and I don't know how to translate it into Cantonese). While the food was not as good as the one I recalled 3 years ago due to my colleague ordering 2 plates of 4 combination, I still pigged out that night. That and had multiple glasses of 'am pa la' which is Penang's version of 'kat chai shi mui'.

After such a feast, I felt a tinge of nausea and a fleeting feeling of vomitting (signs of bullimia?). Well it did not happened, and my tummy sure felt satisfied that day.

You know what I mean?

2007-10-15T16:28:00.000+08:00

I warned them all from the beginning.
I always said something along the lines of "I must advise you, I am stamped with an invisible warning. I will not commit. I will never marry."
Despite my best efforts, I'm beginning to feel some small cracks in my faux finish.

You know, when I look back on my little life, and all the women I've known ...
I can't help but think about ... all that they've done for me ... and how little I've done for them.
How they looked after me, cared for me ... and I repaid them by never returning the favour.
Yeah.
I used to think I had the best end of the deal.

What have I got?
Really?
Some money in my pocket.
Some nice threads. Fancy car at my disposal.
And I'm single.
Unattached. Free as a bird.
I don't depend on nobody.
Nobody depends on me.
My life's my own.
But I don't have peace of mind.
And if you don't have that, you've got nothing.

So ...
So, what's the answer? That's what I keep asking myself.
What's it all about?
You know what I mean?

Conked Out Monitor

2007-10-15T13:21:00.000+08:00

My monitor's been sent to the Samsung Care Center as one day after coming back from office, it wouldn't come on. Since then, I did not touch my computer for almost 4 weeks.

Called up the Center one day and they told me they fixed it up (replacing a board or something) only to find out after fixing it, the monitor left a shadow (whatever that means). Hence, they have to replace another part and the Raya holidays came so would have to wait like another week or two.

Well my parents are away during the Raya Hols, and I hooked up my PC with dad's 19" Samsung LCD monitor. And now I manage to blog this, and then some ...

Another colleague in Putrajaya

2007-09-22T23:32:00.000+08:00

On my way to drop off my Paraguayan colleague, we detoured to Putrajaya for a while so I could show him how lit up the town was at night. The crowd seems to grow every 6 months but the light still stays as bright as ever, although I think the Supreme Court lights have dimmed somewhat.

I'm always happy when a foreigner commented how beautiful the city looks, and how impressed they are. Am always happy to oblige taking photos of them and practicing my nightshot skills. Found out one of my screws on my tripod got loose though, which means I would need to find another one later.

I'm kinda proud of our government's new administration center, Putrajaya. Sure there are rumors flying around how much is cost as well as the water leakage debacle, but it is still a nice place to go to as well as to bring foreigners.

Crispy Bacon and Scrambled Eggs

2007-09-06T14:29:00.000+08:00

During any working trip to other countries or locally where I get to stay in a hotel, I normally look forward to one thing, crispy bacon & scrambled eggs (ok, that's 2 things!).

Was in Bangkok for a week and for the 4 mornings I was there, I had crispy bacon & scrambled eggs for dinner. The hotel I stayed in was the Grand Hyatt Erawan, which was just across from Central World Plaza and a few minutes walk to either Siam Paragon or Central Chidlom (the hotel was in the middle). The bacon and eggs at this hotel was nothing short of superb. The crispiness of the bacon was just right, and I munched down about 8 sticks of those each morning. The scrambled eggs was just right too, and with a hint of salt & pepper, it went along well with the bacon and my usual cup of hot tea.

The hotel itself was quite ok. It was a huge deluxe room probably similar to the size of the platinum suite I stayed in Grand Sukhumvit earlier this year, though that hotel had 2 Samsung 32 inch LCD TVs while the one I stayed had just an ordinary 25 inch TV. It costs more as well by at least RM 100 (after exchange rates). I think it's expensive cause it really is in such a superb shopping location, while I heard the other hotel was just refurbished and my company got excellent rates from them. Nevertheless the bacon and eggs at this place was the best I ever tasted so far.

Married with Children?

2007-08-30T22:24:00.000+08:00

I was asked by my supplier today if I had any kids. She was quite impressed when we were discussing a visual and I had asked to put babies in various stages of life to create more warmth in the final outcome. Not only that I told her to look into putting the babies in various poses such as sound asleep, playing with rattles or reading an ABC book.

At first she asked how many kids I had to which I replied none and that I'm not married. Then she mentioned how lucky my girlfriend was to have me to which I again replied I had none as well. She must have been surprised and in the interest of professionalism I switched the topic back to the work at hand.

The strange thing was, her name was the same as my ex-girlfriend and she is carrying my surname as well. Or maybe I just don't look so young now ...

Another mini gathering

2007-08-26T03:22:00.000+08:00

After watching Liverpool beat Sunderland 2-0 from my home, I caught up with Jamison, Phoebe & Ellen (or is it Esther?) at Laundry. Phoebe's back from China for a few days and wanted to meet up the rest of us though just the 3 of us turned up.

Phoebe looked better this time around as she gained weight in the right places (she was quite skinny previously) while Jamison really slimmed down a lot. I guess when we were discussing this, we were comparing back to the time in university days not the past 6 months. I also looked fatter they said.

As usual we would discuss about life, and one of our topics was the state of Malaysian employees. It seems all of us are finding it difficult to find 'good' staff these days, not to mention working with one. While the lower level staff should be pretty ok since most of them are just setting foot in the working life, it's obvious that the mid-level ones (either managers or high level executives) are pretty much undependable.

Now I hate generalizing but this trend is getting worrisome especially for our country that wants to compete globally. In Europe, most graduates now come out from school with a Masters degree. The average age of senior managers in Western countries is 30 (ok I've a gut feeling is that age but my point is that they're younger compared to us). I don't even want to start about the IT industry as I have friends who worked there and I'm aware of the challenges they faced working with local IT personnel.

Anyhow, it's good to know that Phoebe is doing well in China though she keeps saying that China men are like real short (she's as tall as me). Probably they couldn't handle her intellect as well. I wonder what we'll talk about again the next round we get together.

Friday Night Bowling

2007-08-25T03:38:00.000+08:00

Went bowling with my colleagues after watching Ratatouille (good show!) at 1-Utama around 11.45 pm. The price was quite reasonable (RM 5.50 per game with a member card), and we had a blast knocking them pins down.

I got an average of 157 (over 3 games) and just lost out to my fellow colleague by 3 pins. The other 2 dudes' scores were not too good, though I did help 1 of them to improve from 60s to 120s over 3 games.

We had a great time all around and promised we'll do it again in 2 weeks time. Hopefully we could get more of our other colleagues or friends to join us next round.

Of gays and lesbians

2007-08-22T22:33:00.000+08:00

Met up with one of my best friends today at the Curve. Didn't see her for a few months since I last spent an evening with her in her apartment. Still look as adorable as ever.

She introduced me to her new girlfriend whom she met about a month ago and I think they both look "secocok". Her girlfriend was also from my university (talk about small world) though I didn't know her as she was a senior at a different faculty.

Her gay friends also came along (together with another lesbian couple as they were watching a movie), and as usual I was my usual bubbly self in such fine company. I'd probably blend in well since I was in pink :). We chatted for awhile on the usual introductory topics (e.g. how they knew each other, current jobs, etc.) and I thought it went quite well. I actually teased my friend if I could see any "action" but unfortunately there was nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe next round :).

What kind of problem do you wish to have?

2007-08-21T23:13:00.000+08:00

Lately I've been repeating this phrase to my colleagues and friends - "What kind of problem do you wish to have?". Everyday all of us are making decisions, from the mundane to those that may affect our future. Even indecision is a choice as we choose not to do anything.

So on and off I have people asking me on what should they do when faced with a choice decision. I would tell them "What kind of problem do you wish to have?". Every choice will lead to some problems. Do you want to have a rich man's problem or a poor man's problem? (I picked that up from one of the Kiyosake's books I think). Do you want to have a girlfriend problem or no girlfriends problem? Do you want to have kids problem or no kids problem?

I use the word problem as I think that by using this word, it makes us value the choices we make even more. I could have easily said what opportunity you wish to have or what challenges (to make it sound not so bad), but ultimately I feel that problems is the best word to use.

Here are some problems that I'd like to have :

1. Too much money problem (notice I did not say rich)
2. Having kids problem
3. Too many places to go problem
4. Too much time problem
5. Being ask to share my experience problem

I guess other than points 1 & 2, I have the other problems to worry about ...

Eyes - Rogue Wave

2007-08-21T08:27:00.000+08:00

Missed the last train home,
Birds pass by to tell me that I'm not alone,
Well I'm pushing myself,
To finish this part
I can handle a lot
But one thing I missed

Is in your eyes ...
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes

Have you seen this film?
It reminds me of walking down the avenue,
Well I'm washing my hands of attachments
Yeah I will land on the ground
But one thing I missed

Is in your eyes ...
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes
In your eyes

Heroes in 48 hours

2007-08-21T02:30:00.000+08:00

Just finished Heroes at approximate 2.30 am today. Great stuff especially the showdowns between the various heroes. Season 2's starting on September 24. Can't wait.

Heroes

2007-08-19T19:47:00.000+08:00

I just shoot through 6 episodes of Heroes. Never went through a series this fast before since picking up One Tree Hill until its season ended. Had caught bits and pieces on Astro sometimes but never really followed until I picked up the full set.

Really liked the Japanese dude.

There's this song from the show that keeps playing on and off in some scenes. It's by Rogue Wave and titled Eyes. Really liked that song. Can't seem to find it though as its from an Indie band and its hard to find on the Net, much less in the retail stores around here. Will put up the lyrics once I got it.

Mitsubishi Lancer or Honda Civic? (2.0 L versions)

2007-08-19T14:17:00.000+08:00

After having morning dim sum today, I popped by the EON Automart at Glenmarie to check out the latest Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to test it out as the test drive car is somewhere in Malaysia for a roadshow. The sales person did told me it will be back on Tuesday, so I have to wait until then.

The Lancer looks so good. Small headlamps (I l0ve small headlamps - my favorite car before this was the Mazda Lantiss but that's getting kinda old), 18 inch wheels, paddle shifts, and a 6-CD changer are among the highlights of the car. Though from the outside it looks kinda small but the interior is quite spacious similar to my current City. Plus it has split seats so its not too bad unlike my City where my rear seats can turn into a nice bed :).

Now I'm facing another moment. Should I aim for this car or the Civic. One of the things I love about my City is that it has CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) which in layman's terms means less jerk when I slam on the accelerator. I love this feature as I can feel the smooth speed gradation when it goes faster. Have tried the Civic and while the jerk its not obvious I can still feel it's more compared to the City. Don't know how the Lancer will turn out.

Then again maybe I'll wait for the new Altis ...

Building an ARK

2007-08-18T22:34:00.000+08:00

Watched Evan Almighty last night, and it was a very good show. While the jokes were pretty similar when Jim Carrey starred in Bruce Almighty, this time the protagonist does not have god-like powers. Instead he is task with building an Ark to prepare for the coming flood.

Here are some lessons that we should all learn from this show.

1. When we pray for patience, courage, etc, God does not give us patience. Instead he gives us the opportunity to be patient, courageous, etc.

2. To make the world a better place to live in, is to perform one act of random kindness as much as possible. Act of Random Kindness - ARK.

Being matched

2007-08-13T02:28:00.000+08:00

I'm blessed. As a bachelor that's going to hit the big 3-0, I've been regularly given advise about who should I spend my twilight years with (or at least have a go at it).

There's my colleagues (especially the HR department) who has always been trying to hook me up my other single colleagues, and giving me advice on how to approach them, treat them, etc. In fact, they even gave me a pair of movie tickets for me to choose another colleague on a movie date. Always good to be close to HR :).

There's my relatives who would speak of ladies whom they know are still single and urge me to go for it. One of them keep asking me to come to Johor so they could introduce a church friend whom they say they would love to have as their daughter (which supposedly mean she was good enough for me - wonder how she feels if she knew).

There's also my friends. Well most of them are single, and some would try to match me with other singles. Bless them for their subtle efforts :). I would be the luckiest guy on earth if I got matched to any of them.

An intellectual discourse

2007-08-12T23:39:00.000+08:00

I had a very intellectual discussion with a LSE (that's London School of Economics) graduate at SS2 Coffee Bean today. We were introduced about a month ago through a mutual friend and due to our busy schedules, was only able to meet up for drinks on this night.

Our topics ranged from Blue Ocean strategies, analysis of Gen-X and Gen-Y persons, the level of English in our country, project management topics, and the consulting field.

No wonder I'm having a slight migraine now :).

Liverpool of to a Flying Start

2007-08-12T02:45:00.000+08:00

EPL is Back!!! And Liverpool just won at Villa Park 2-1 with a magnificent free kick goal from Stevie G. Not only did it flew over the tallest player's (that's John Carew at almost 2 meters tall) head, it swung into the top corner of the net where not even the goalie's outstretched hand could reach it.

Fernando Torres made his debut as well and though he did caused the first goal to be scored, his performance was satisfactory at best. At least his work rate was high as he and Kuyt buzzed around the Villans defence more often than not.

Next Sunday, Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield. There goes my weekends ...

Job Dilemma

2007-08-10T00:18:00.000+08:00

About 6 years ago, I applied for a job in Singapore in an FMCG company. I still have that job application saved in my hard drive dated 6th March 2001 for the position of a management trainee. My girlfriend then was looking for a job in Singapore so I thought of trying out too since I was there for awhile.

Fast forward to today, and I will be turning down a position in another FMCG company in Singapore. Sure I miss the opportunity to double my income, but having thought about it for a long time (actually just these few days), I'd think I'd best stay at where I am. Maybe if it happened 6 years ago, I would have taken it up with glee which would have probably lead me down to a different path.

Signal Fire - Snow Patrol

2007-06-26T23:38:00.000+08:00

The perfect words never crossed my mind
Cuz there was nothin' in there but you
I felt every ounce of me screaming out
But the sound was trapped deep in me

All I wanted just sped right past me
While I was rooted fast to the earth
I could be stuck here for a thousand years
Without your arms to drag me out

There you are standing right in front of me
There you are standing right in front of me
All this fear falls away to leave me naked
Hold me close, cuz I need you to guide me to safety

No, I won't wait forever
No, I won't wait forever

In the confusion and the aftermath
You are my signal fire
The only resolution and the only joy
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes

Scouting for Fireflies

2007-06-19T23:25:00.000+08:00

Visited the 2nd largest firefly area after the Amazon river (according to the guide) in Kuala Selangor today. The objective was to scout the area for food and test out the firefly boat ride with my fellow colleagues (all female). The drive was about half an hour via Klang, and along the way we chat about the usual social topics (e.g. relationships and more relationships).

We ate at this riverside restaurant belonging to my ex-boss's sister-in-law. Though I don't think I got any discount, the 4 of us had prawns, crabs, fish, vegetables, pineapple rice, oysters, bean curds, and deer meat (I think) for about RM 100 only.

Then we headed of to this firefly resort which was about 10 mins away. The route there was dark as we passed through plantations and there were no street lamps. The resort itself was dark and eerie as well, which reminded me of horror movies that take place in such locations.

The boat ride which took about half an hour was along the Selangor River, and we saw plenty of fireflies (well I thought was plenty since it was my first time). We'd stopped near one of the trees and tried to grab a few of them but they were so small, that unless they were lit, you can't see them. It was a real quiet boat ride as the only sounds you can hear is the river water brushing along the boat, and the boat's low motor humming. It's a great way to be calm and serene in the dark of nature (except for the mosquitoes which bothered my colleagues a bit).

Later on my our way back, a firefly made his/her way into my car and I was hoping it would turn into Tinkerbell and whisked me away to Never Never Land. Unfortunately that did not happened else I wouldn't be blogging right now.

The restaurant serving the excellent seafood

Mutual friends

2007-06-11T23:52:00.000+08:00

I had a long conversation today over the phone with an old classmate whom I did not see like more than 10 years already. We chat about her mates, my mates (much less compared to hers), work, relationships, and other things under the sun over an hour till just before midnight.

Interestingly, prior to this we both sort of enquire about each other via mutual friends, hence we both know where we work, our relationship status, our travels, and so forth.

What surprised me was, she and another mutual friend is trying to pair me up with somebody who is another of their mutual friend.

Hmmm ... I wonder how's that gonna turn out.

Winning 'Back to Basics' CD Album

2007-06-11T20:59:00.000+08:00

I can't believe I couldn't guess a single song by Christina Aguilera over at Fly FM today. Sure I won her new CD 'Back to Basics' by being the first SMS through but I missed the opportunity for a chance to catch her concert in Singapore!!! Argh !!!

Lesson learned, don't use the loudspeaker on the handphone to guess a song. The song they played was 'Ain't No Other Man' while all I heard was her screaming and can't discern the 'Ain't'.

At least I got a CD. After 30 days, I'm gonna try again for something else.

Starbucks Summer Party

2007-06-09T19:44:00.000+08:00

Beh invited me to his wife's Starbucks Summer Party at Bangsar Village 2 today in conjunction with their launch of the Azuki Frappucino. As an avid Starbucks goer I did not hesitate to turn it down, and I brought along Hsin Yee, May Chean & Poh Chin. There were goodie bags (which has a free Starbucks mug!), food & coffee tasting, simple games, and 30% off on all Starbucks merchandise!

The event started a bit late, so we were chatting awhile before May had to leave. Just after she left, the games started and we won some vouchers & chocolates. While it was kinda interesting hearing the baristas educate us about coffee, the only thing I was keen on was getting those vouchers to get more free frappucinos! Besides, the only thing I love about Starbucks is the Caramel Venti Coffee-based Frappucino with Whipped Cream (plus the Banana Caramel version minus the Java chips which is available only for a limited time). The Azuki Frappucino tasted ok (it's red bean based), and I'd probably try it again with the free voucher. When in doubt though I'd always stick to the tried and tested :).

Can't wait till the next Starbucks party!

Pissed Off Day

2007-06-07T22:29:00.000+08:00

Had a really pissed off day today. Working life isn't always as rosy as it seems, and today was one of those days where I was very argumentative, and pissed around the office. So much so that I loss all appetite in the evening and couldn't down half a 'roti canai' for dinner. Spilling to my friend helped a little and was glad she came out even though she was yawning half the time.

There Is A Tide In The Affairs of Men

2007-06-06T23:53:00.000+08:00

"There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat.
And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures."

I think what that quote means is that life is short, and opportunities are rare, and we have to be vigilant in protecting them, and not only the opportunities to succeed but the opportunity to laugh, to see the enchantment in the world, and to live ... because life doesn't owe us anything. As a matter of fact, I think that we owe something to the world. And if we can just believe ...

A Night Out with Russians

2007-06-05T23:37:00.000+08:00

From Russia With Love as the James Bond movie goes. This time the Russians brought me a few cool t-shirts from Sim, my Vietnamese friend. Marina and her husband were in Malaysia for their 10th honeymoon (they got married at the age of 20!), and they just got back from Taman Negara today before flying off tomorrow.

I totally forgotten about the dinner plans until Marina called. So I rushed from the office to Hotel Istana, and took them out for dinner at KTZ in Jalan Imbi. Her husband didn't speak much English though I think he understood what I said. He would speak to Marina in Russian to which she would then ask me questions his keen on. It was interesting conversing with them though if they had more time I would have perhaps taken them to Melaka over the weekend.

Stay Away

2007-06-01T01:35:00.000+08:00

Are you not the slightest bit confused?
Just the truth ...
The speed at which we move blends so well
It's too soon ...

Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us
Push your way on to me, entirely ...
Stay away from me, Stay away from me now
Less you gonna see, less you gonna see me out

No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad
To a song that's far less obvious
You using me, do it slowly ...
Make it last until I have to go

Trust me when I say just a few more weeks
Don't move
Resist temptation
Or do you see fit, just choose ...

Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us
Push your way on to me, entirely ...
Stay away from me, Stay away from me now
Less you gonna see, less you gonna see me out

- The Honorary Title

Thanks For The Memories (without vowels)

2007-05-28T03:58:00.000+08:00

They say I only think in the form of crunching numbers
In hotel rooms collecting page six lovers
Get me out of my mind and get you out of those clothes
I'm a liner away from getting you in the mood, whoa ...

One night and one more time
Thanks for the memories
Even though they weren't so great
"He tastes like you only sweeter"
One night, yeah and one more time
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories
"He tastes like you only sweeter ..."

I hate having an EGO!

2007-05-26T03:58:00.000+08:00

I seriously hate having an EGO!

I hate having people telling me bout who like me, who I should go after, who that is pretty, etc. I fuckingly hate being pressured and expected to go after the opposite gender.

Ok, I'm a little drunk now writing this down, but I seriously hate having such feelings. I hate having the feeling that I should be with certain people just because everyone tells me that she's the one, and that I'm eligible, and so forth. And when I'm with the person the disappointment becomes tenfold, and somehow I can't control having a fucking ego.

Somehow trying to find a solution to not care about my feelings or ego seems to be a fruitless effort. Somehow, deflecting societal and environmental pressures seems impossible. I will always be advised, told, or encouraged to pursue so and so, and if I don't it is like a lethal blow. Up front I can be cool but deep down, it's a fucking feeling to have.

And I hate having to post this down ...

So Milan won ...

2007-05-24T04:43:00.000+08:00

So Milan won this round. 2 - 1's the scoreline and I think fairplay to them. Sometimes football can be cruel. This time around Liverpool was the better team, and this time around Milan got the lucky goal going for them. As the experts always say, you need a little bit of luck sometimes.

Again, Liverpool supporters are always the best especially when their players work their socks off. Even when they were down in the final minutes and during the presentation ceremony, songs of "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Que Gerard, Gerard", and other famous Scouse chants echoed through the stadium. Truly, as almost every sports commentators put it, Liverpool supporters are the best in the world, and have traveled the length and breadth of Europe to follow their team.

Moving on, I feel the manager should have started Crouch earlier. Sometimes he can't be the tactical genius in every match but I would have thought it would be an obvious choice. Just 10 mins being on, and Liverpool replied a goal which bounced off his head before Kuyt nodded in. If only he'd come on at half time or started earlier. Also the quality from both wings leave much to be desired. Pennant has shown his a mid-table Premiership player, and needs to really improve his awareness and crossing ability. Its no point being the top crosser in the league when it rarely gets to anyone.

I'm still curious why he'd started Zenden. Looking at the way Milan playing, someone faster, who's able to control the ball better and run at defenders such as Kewell or Gonzalez would be better than Zenden who plays more like a central midfield player than a left winger. I guess the game plan went well. Just that the front 3 needs to be overhauled. I'd still have faith in Kewell but I think Benitez needs to bring in Alves or even Joaquin (I like him, robust and able to run the channels) as well as either Torres or Eto'o. Then maybe they'd be more consistent. Passion alone can't be the rule of the day to win matches.

So fairplay to Milan. Maybe they deserve a bit of luck after what happened to them. Then again, what happened to them wasn't luck, it was pure tactical ability (putting in Hamann, shifting Gerrard, etc.).

Today, the Greek gods were smiling for the rossoneri. We'll see what happens next year.

2 Hours Before Kick Off !!!

2007-05-24T00:33:00.000+08:00

It's about 2 hours prior to kick-off time for Liverpool vs AC Milan and I'm sitting in front of my computer thinking what the scoreline will be like.

Like all Liverpool fans, I'm kinda superstitious about certain omens that point to signs of Liverpool capturing their 6th European Cup. The best one I've read was the connection with the Hillsborough disaster of April 15. It goes,

A = Athens
P = Paris
R = Rome
I = Istanbul
L = London

1 + 5 = 6 European Cups!!!

Any Liverpudlians would know that the venues above corresponds to the times when Liverpool won the European Cup (including twice in Rome!).

My own personal omen similar to the last round was that I would have experienced a break but in the case of this year, there was none. Which means I wasn't that depressed as back then where the joy of watching the greatest comebacks sort of lifted my spirits for the year. Not that I'm totally into such things but I always like to link such things (which obviously landed me in some hot soup once in a while).

Nevertheless I feel strongly about Liverpool winning this one. While 2 years ago my confidence was not that high due to the squad they possess, I truly believe that the current squad is more than capable of winning it. There would be less pressure since they'd really have nothing to lose, while Milan would feel that they should be able to win it this round.

GO FORTH THE MIGHTY REDS !!!

Test Driving an S40

2007-05-16T22:18:00.000+08:00

Took a red Volvo S40 for a spin during lunchtime today. I really liked the ferrari red on Volvo's compact sedan. It sure is a head turner on the road. "People will let you pass coz they respect a Volvo car", said the salesman. However, the interior is real turn-off.

Somehow the interior doesn't look as nice when viewing from the website. The black looks old and faded. Since its black, I bet it'll gather dust within hours which I don't really fancy either. While the 'floating console' may look cool, I feel the buttons and the LCD screen looked a bit tacky. Even the dashboard indicators can't compare to the new Civic.

Nevertheless, the car is powerful, all 2.4 Litres of it (which costs RM 800+ for the road tax!). It doesn't have CVT like the City I drive but the transmission changes was still smoother than the Sentra I tried 2 years ago. Even so, I did not manage to get beyond 80 km/h since I was driving around the Jalan 222 area.

The price? RM 180,000 - more expensive than the condo I'm staying in now.

Truth is, the reason I'm test driving the Volvo is cause I want to join the Pirates of the Caribbean Treasure Hunt.

I Don't Love You

2007-05-13T02:55:00.000+08:00

Well, when you go
Don't ever think I'll make you try to stay
And maybe when you get back
I'll be off to find another way

And after all this time that you still owe
You're still the good-for-nothing I don't know
So take your gloves and get out
Better get out
While you can

When you go
Would you even turn to say
"I don't love you
Like I did
Yesterday"

Sometimes I cry so hard from pleading
So sick and tired of all the needless beating
But baby when they knock you
Down and out
It's where you oughta stay

And after all the blood that you still owe
Another dollar's just another blow
So fix your eyes and get up
Better get up
While you can
Whoa, whooa

When you go
Would you even turn to say
"I don't love you
Like I did
Yesterday"

A tale of pantiliners

2007-05-12T22:20:00.000+08:00

These days, one of the topics of discussion I frequent in is that on feminine hygiene. Ever since I switched companies, it is part of my job to understand and dwell on feminine hygiene, more towards the usage and how women shop for it.

I just had a discussion tonight on the subject of "pantiliners" which is another area of feminine hygiene besides sanitary napkins. Now pantiliners are worn by women experiencing vaginal discharges (did I just say 'vaginal'), spotting (got this from Wikipedia), slight incontinence, or light menstrual flow. That said it also keeps the panties from getting dirty and smelly, hence probably the word pantiliner.

Of course various women have different preferences. Some prefers longer and wider ones. Some prefer the thin and less obstrusive ones. And some have no particular preference at all, and just go for the cheaper brands (or at least the ones on promotion). It's hard for women to switch brands when it comes to pantiliners with comfort playing the most important factor. Price though is also one of the key factors these days, since this is a disposable item. Why pay more for something you have to throw away some might ask.

That said, it is an enlightening experience on one of the most taboo subjects at the dinner table. Even women themselves don't speak too much about it like which are the better brands, which one feels more comfortable, etc. This is one product where word-of-mouth marketing doesn't really work in this country. Education is one way, but must be done in a subtle manner where women won't feel violated.

It Gets The Worst At Night

2007-05-09T22:39:00.000+08:00

William Blake once wrote, "There are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between there are doors."

I've gotta open some of them ...

Paintball!!!

2007-05-06T14:43:00.000+08:00

I organized my first paintball event today. Well actually my Sports Committee organized but I'm the chairperson so what the heck!

It was a wet Sunday morning and the 16 of us went to Sungai Buloh where a paintball site was located. It was managed by the Mud Trekker society and they also organize other events such as 4WD trekking, white water rafting besides the paintball events.

We played Capture the Flag, and Storm the Fortress. I had thought that all of us would be splattered with paint but to even hit someone with the paintball is difficult itself. I got shot twice in the head and one in the leg. The legshot left a round bruise but the head was ok coz it struck the mask which wasn't painful at all. I just got shocked a bit when suddenly "SPLAT!" one of the balls hit me.

It was real tiring and full of suspense as we hide for cover and take aimless shots. It was real hilarious at times as there were misses at point blank range and someone accidentally should their own team mates in the back! Friendly fire working at best, I'd say.

You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love

2007-05-02T22:33:00.000+08:00

Season 3, Episode 16 of One Tree Hill is back after a 3 month hiatus. The last episode ended when Psycho Derek appeared on Peyton's doorstep as she was going out for her last prom night. Another cliffhanger ending as all the fans were waiting to see what happens next.

Well, Brooke went to her rescue despite Peyton spray painting her prom dress "Bitch" earlier in the day, and surprise surprise they made up after that. Mouth ran off with Rachel coz he wanted to be dangerous, and Lucas ended up wandering the school hallways trying to understand Keith's killings with the help of Glenda.

As any episode endings, we found out who was the one that spotted Dan killed Keith, one Abby Brown, the student whom Jimmy Edwards let go during the hostage situation last season.

My First Lady Buyer

2007-05-02T17:15:00.000+08:00

Sold of my Creative MuVo V200 1 GB MP3 player today to a woman via Lelong.com. She was my first female buyer and she bought if off me from RM 102 (which is way cheaper than when I bought it at RM 625 more than 2 years ago). I think she'd got the better deal coz brand new ones are going around RM 200+ on the website.

This would be Item No. 18 I've sold (not including a bunch of novels and my HP Ipaq PDA which I sold on the side due to advertising in Lelong). Next? My whole desktop set.

Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 0 (Liverpool win 4-1 on penalties)

2007-05-02T05:38:00.000+08:00

Only in a football match can you find grown men cry or jump for joy.

It's 5.45 in the morning now and I've just been through a rollercoaster of emotion not felt since Liverpool's triumph in Istanbul. Sure it's only the semifinal, but what a match!

Liverpool got off to bright start when a brilliantly worked freekick when its way to Daniel Agger, the centreback with a sweet left foot. He let fly a curling shot that looked like it would go out but actually swerved in. "That's a striker's goal", said Steve McMahon.

Then it was an extremely cagey affair. My heart pounds everytime a Chelsea player has the ball in the penalty box, while I got ready to jump for joy whenever Liverpool took a shot. I was hoping the'd make it 2-0 soon coz if Chelsea scored, they would need to hit 3 to get through.

And so it went back and forth and until extratime. That's when Dirk Kuyt scored a goal off a rebound, and I leaped and yelled "Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal" before watching his celebrations cut short by the linesman. I agree with the commentators when they said he wasn't offside, and was worried that it would come back to haunt us later.

Nevertheless Kuyt had a great game having a goal disallowed and a header hitting the crossbar, but he had a chance to make amends later.

And so extratime came and go, and it goes into penalties. As one expert puts it, penalties are a lottery and my heart rate beat twice as fast during this small fraction of time that seems to stand still. Can't imagine what the players were going through in their minds.

Anyhow, Chelsea won the toss so they did not pick the Kop End where there were no Chelsea supporters. Liverpool chose to go first as normally the first team that shoots tend to put pressure on the 2nd team.

Boudewijn Zenden was the first taker. I was surprised that Rafa played him from the start as I thought he is more a squad player and I had expected him to play Riise and Arbeloa on the left. He had an efficient game I would say, and he had the guts to take the first penalty which he did magnificently tricking Cech to go the other way.

Arjen Robben would be Chelsea's first penalty taker and also kick start Chelsea's doomed. While the commentators said he took a poor penalty, I believe that Reina is one of the best penalty stoppers if not the best making this save look so routine. I guess Rafa knew that he would be going into penalties every year hence he bought him from Villareal.

Xabi Alonso stepped up next and he would get his in. Frank Lampard replied in kind for Chelsea. Then Steven Gerrard would continue the momentum which meant Liverpool is leading 3-1 on penalty count.

Geremi would be Chelsea's 3rd taker (its a wonder why Jose would pick his 2 substitutes as the takers as they'd only be on for 15 mins or less. Drogba, Essien, Cole or even Terry would be a better choice). Again Reina came up with a top save this time to his right.

So all that leaves the tie poised for the taking, and Dirk Kuyt would be the decisive taker. I actually thought he would missed and let Robbie take the final penalty (I believe his the last) before his impending retirement. Nevertheless he scored and I believed it could not have happened more for him after the game he's had.

Anfield erupted ... May 23rd ... Athens, Greece ... Liverpool vs AC Milan / Man U

I can't wait!

Labour Pains

2007-05-01T18:46:00.000+08:00

It's Labour Day today and I slept until 6 pm. Bejeweled is a damn addictive game and I played until 5 in the morning. It happened the night before as well and in spite of my relative sleepyness (I went to work the day before) I still continued hammering away those jewels.

Since tomorrow is another holiday, I'm not too worried about crashing in late again today. Which makes me ponder a bit about my life as a whole.

I'm turning 30.

I don't have a girlfriend.

I don't have 6 months worth of savings in salary.

I don't have a place of my own.

I don't have shares, unit trusts or any financial instruments of any kind other than my savings account.

I just have me, myself and I.

I'm gonna hold this thought and revisit this 1 year from now.

Yoga Lessons 101

2007-04-18T23:41:00.000+08:00

Today is my third yoga class in my company today and I stood on my head!!! Ok not exactly but I stood upside down using my arms to carry my body weight. I did have the wall and some of my colleagues helping me to balance but I was perpendicular upwards for about a few seconds.

I've been joining this class ever since I opened my big mouth last year to some of my colleagues of trying it out for fun. Didn't know that trying for fun would cost me RM 100 for 3 months so might as well go through the whole period. That and the fact then I'm only the rose among the thorns (or is it the other way around) obviously made it to the No. 1 topic on office gossip for a short period.

First time I poured buckets of sweat just by sticking in one position. Normally it would take a game of badminton or pumping some iron for me to break out a sweat but after some "warrior" or "ashtanga" positions, I would actually drop beads of sweat onto the mat.

Next time I'm gonna stop mentioning how easy it is to do any sporting activity.

EPF Gaps

2007-04-03T19:21:00.000+08:00

Went to the EPF office in the evening to nominate the persons who will get my meager savings should anything unfortunate happen to me. Service was pretty fast and the crowd was quite small at around 3 in the afternoon. Got my latest statement and found out that most of my info is not updated in the system. They didn't even had my thumbprint inside.

Turns out that since my previous employer 5 years ago (I think it's Delifrance) opened the account for me, they did so without me furnishing my thumbprint. They still refer to me from my old IC no and the only updated item they have is my new home address (probably from my newer employers).

Now I have to wait about a month or so before I could get the 'kata laluan' to check my statement online.

PTPTN Loan settled!

2007-04-03T19:18:00.000+08:00

Just paid off my PTPTN loan today. All RM 11,764.92 of it. First time carried so much cash with me from the bank to the office at KL Sentral. Was very alert of people following me around what if all the stories going around how robbers tailed their victims.

That's one monkey off my back.

A Colombian at Putrajaya

2007-02-03T23:57:00.000+08:00

Here's some pics of me and Sergio. I just love shooting night shots.

R.I.P Noka N73 Music Edition

2007-01-10T22:31:00.000+08:00

Barely a month after buying my new handphone ... I lost it.

As a karmic believer of sorts, I can't pinpoint why'd this happened to me. Can't remember wronging anybody nor could I remember breaking up with someone recently on purpose. Perhaps I was having a high-flying time at my new organization?

It happened while I was at the Sales Conference in Kuching. I had just arrived and finished my meeting with our distributor. We were supposed to go to the nearby jungle for some team building activities. Went back to my room, and changed into my tracksuit and t-shirts. Slipped my handphone in the pocket and headed back out.

Now I suppose it dropped sometime between my trip to the lobby and getting on the bus to the jungle (it was just a 5 mins ride). I was also busy organizing them into groups and coordinating the photo sessions prior to the bus ride, since I was part of the organizing committee. I realized it went missing prior to getting on the bus, but I couldn't find it. Had prayed that someone would play a prank on me but sadly no one did.

The surprising thing was I'd keep calling the phone, and it was ringing (or maybe it was vibrating coz I can't remember if I'd put in on Silent mode). And this happened the 3 days I was at Kuching. Sadly I left Sarawak without my beloved N73.

My colleagues were very supportive and helped me search the whole area for my phone. I was a little down, but not out since I still enjoyed the conference.

Somehow or rather I don't think I'm gonna learn from this coz ....

New Year's Eve BBq

2006-12-31T22:37:00.000+08:00

Brought Emily to May Li's place for New Year's Eve BBq dinner. She preferred that to a drinking session with her other friends though May Li did have several bottles of wine and I brought my fave Icewine to try out.

May Li also called a few of her other friends as well as her sis's friends and so on. There was also the usual crowd - Dede, Siew Keng, and Hsin Yee.

It was a nice quiet evening, with the usual questions thrown at Emily as well as me since its not often I mix my circle of friends together. There were also firewors which we tried to catch from May Li's balcony coming from Bandar Utama, Sunway and if memory serves, KL itself.

We ended the night playing Sei Kah Mahjong, and at 3 am (or was it 2?) on the 1st day of 2007, we left May Li's house for home.

A Christmas Turkey Dinner

2006-12-25T22:47:00.000+08:00

Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way!

I think I heard the carol singers belting this while having Christmas dinner at the Castell. It was the first time I had turkey for dinner (I think). It wasn't really a giant turkey per se as what is usually portrayed on Friends or other US TV shows. More like slivers of turkey meat on a plate. Tasted like chicken.

It was just me and her today. Sharing a Christmas meal, listening to carols, well at least part of it cause they came in about 15 mins before we were about to leave. First time we were at Castell as well. I actually saw the ad on the Star so thought it would be a nice place to take her out.

And what would Christmas be without having my favourite drink at Starbucks?

Happy Birthday To Me!

2006-12-20T23:26:00.000+08:00

I turned 29 today.

As like all my birthdays, I don't really feel that I turned a year older. I guess the feeling comes across time and I'd probably aged during my 28th year of life.

It was a Tuesday, and it was just like any other day. Went to work, had lunch, and came home early. Was thinking of just chilling out the whole evening when she called.

I was surprised at first, but she mentioned dinner to which I replied Bangsar, to which she mentioned Korean or Japanese, and to which I said Korean. Next thing I knew I was at this Korean BBQ place having a nice birthday dinner with her.

I can't really remember our conversation as it was like any other day I spent with her though I did remembered she was dressed for the occasion. I'm just glad I had such fine company on this day of days.

She also knew I'd would want to have Starbucks later for dessert so off we went to the Centrepoint branch. I ordered my usual (Caramel Coffe-based Venti Frappucino with Whipped Cream), and she got a Cinnamon Latte this round. We chatted further, talking about life, mutual friends, work, and basically anything under the sun.

Somewhere in between she handed me my present. It was a book titled "The Starbucks Experience". It comes with a tote bag and a Starbucks mug which fits nicely into my office coffee machine. I was needless to say elated to have received such gifts (it wasn't what I had expected). Perhaps it was an obvious choice since she knew I would be having my Frappucino almost every other day in December.

As happy as I was, I'm glad to be in such fine company, and just like any other day I would have also been sitting at Starbucks and having a cuppa with her.

My new handphone

2006-12-18T22:00:00.000+08:00

When I first saw the new Nokia N73 Music Edition, I was smitten. It was at Bandar Utama during the early month of December, and Nokia was selling it at RM 2249 exclusively there as it was not launch to the dealers yet (it only arrive I think during the 2nd or 3rd week of the month). Not since the Nokia 6210 (which I bought 5 years ago) was I gobsmacked by this phone.

So when I found yesterday (Sunday) at Sg Wang that the phone was out, I was very tempted to get it. The temptation only lasted a day coz today I drove to Sg Wang around 3 in the afternoon, and start scouring for the best price for the phone. As any phone buyers will tell you, there is the AP version and the official locally distributed version. Obviously the local distributors have better service, warranty, and strong network compared to the AP version where the warranty lies in the retailer that sells it. The difference is about RM 200-300 but because I'm trading in my Nokia 6680, its hard to gauge a good price for that.

I finally got the best pricing at RM 1,500 (off from RM 2,150 where I traded in my 6680) which was the best bargain I think cause the next lowest I managed to get was RM 1,600. And this was the original version by Avaxx (a local distributor). The lowest AP version was RM 1,400 so I felt it was a good buy.

Here are some of the features of my new phone :

1. 3.2 MP camera with Carl-Zeiss lens (will post some pics later as they really look good)

2. 2 GB miniSD card to hold all the songs (already used up 1 GB for songs)

3. Dedicated music access key and stereo headset

4. All-black finishing (it looks so cool, that when I showed my friend, she immediately got jealous coz she really liked it but bought the non-Music edition N73 already)

5. 262K Huge LCD screen (all my relatives commented how shart the screen is)

To find out more, you can visit :
Nokia N73 Music Edition

A Tale Of Two Weddings

2006-12-16T02:13:00.000+08:00

I attended two weddings today. Not that I'm trying to break any records or anything but I thought of making it to both cause one was a high school / university friend while the other is a distant cousin. Coincidentally both were from the same faculty in my university.

The first one I went was at Jalan Raja Chulan at this place called Gu Yue Tien. The place looks very nice and I think I will come back here again to sample the other dishes. I sat with my other Subang friends and we had a special table where our seats come with arm rests (there were just 7 of us unlike the rest where there about 9 or 10).

Both the bride and groom look cute together and I managed to sneak a photo with them before I left (after the fish but before the prawns).

By the time I reached the 2nd wedding at the Royale Bintang Hotel (which was my cousin's) it was around 10.30 pm. They were actually at their rice dish already which means the last dish before dessert in case anyone is not full yet. My mum did save some mushrooms for me (love mushrooms especially wedding ones, they're so big and juicy). I love the dessert as well which was honeydew sago (give me anything ice-cold and sweet and I'll gulped down at least 3 servings).

Met up with all my distant relatives as well who came all the way from Johor and even Singapore and Australia. As usual the topics would revolve around the next get-togethers or weddings. They later went up to their rooms and continue their chat which included my sis and parents. As for me, I went back and watch the football highlights (Liverpool won 3-0 away against Charlton, YAY!)

"Leo Ku" Impersonator

2006-12-15T02:01:00.000+08:00

I paid RM 85 to had my hair done today for my company's annual dinner, and the benefits paid off quite handsomely.

"Please come to work on Monday like this."

"If you keep your hair like this, all the girls would go after you."

"You remind me of the famous HK star ... Leo Ku!"

Just some of the comments I keep getting all night long, though I've heard the last one before but not from my current colleagues.

To maintain a hair like that, I need to wake up about 15 mins earlier, cover my hand with gel and play around with it every morning. Something that I am not accustomed to cause I usually just comb it down. Evidently I'm not that vain since I don't pretty much bother about my hair for work, but just a hairdo like that created such a strong impression on my colleagues that I'm contemplating of keeping it up. Unfortunately, come Monday, my lazy nature would take over and its my egg-shaped head again that turns up in the office.

Footnote : While I spent that amount of money on my hair, I recycled my 4-yr old shirt and jacket for the dinner.

Leo Ku and Alan Tam (sort of)

Songs To Love And Die By

2006-12-06T04:34:00.000+08:00

One Tree Hill is going to take its winter break as per last year after Episode 10. Ratings have been going on well and they just signed on for another season. In this episode, we see Lucas meeting up with his Uncle Keith in what appears to be a dream after the incidents in Episode 9. Lucas asked the question of the impact he had made in the lives of his friends, and good ol' Uncle Keith showed him the path.

Nathan meanwhile is dealing with the ramifications of his actions as his wife Haley is lying in the hospital bed. And his dad Dan is still seeing nightmares in the prison thinking that by taking his son's place would help absolved his guilt of murdering his brother. Little did he know that Lucas has just been given a divine insight. Can't wait till the season continues next year.

As usual I love the music from this show, and here's one from AFI and their album Decemberunderground titled Prelude 12/21.

This is what I brought you this you can keep
This is what I brought you may forget me
I promise you my heart just promise to sing
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep

This is what I thought
I thought you need me
This is what I thought so think me naïve
I promise you a heart you'd promise to keep
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep.

Some You Give Away

2006-11-29T04:24:00.000+08:00

I have always wondered about the things we give away, and what were the consequences of those, whether they'd be something material, or plain advice, or just a helping hand. I have given my fair share of time, words, and money to my closest friends, and to perfect strangers, and I've always wondered the impact I've had on them.

One of the common themes in any self-help book is "How do we want to be remembered?" and it would preach about the good we can bring about in our lives and in this world. Great people are remembered by the world for both the right and wrong reasons, and they appear in books, movies, and other media formats. And sometimes this reasons whether right or wrong are debatable.

How do I want to be remembered? Let me know when I'm lying in my coffin.

Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye

2006-11-22T04:12:00.000+08:00

I am never a firm believer of "Goodbyes". Usually I would say "See ya around" or "Later", even to my foreign friends whom I'll know I will not meet up again until much much later.

I guess I believe that we live in an age where the world is small enough that we are able to communicate with the 6 billion people whenever we feel like it. E-mail, phone & video calls, cheaper transport, all this has helped us get in touch to whomever we want.

The challenge now is not that we do not have the means to communicate, it's whether we want to communicate at all.

One of my university friends once drop me a note saying that she hoped our lives would not be parallel. As for me, I'd worked at criss-crossing my lives with as many as possible ... at least during my non-lazy days.

Lelong!!!

2006-11-20T23:24:00.000+08:00

Managed to sell my off my MS Desktop Pro (Wireless Keyboard and Mouse) for RM 100, and my old digicam, Canon Powershot S50 for RM 350!

Someone earlier had offered to take the digicam earlier for RM 270 while Fotokem had offered RM 300. Luckily I hold out at Lelong for 2 weeks and got it off for RM 350. Perhaps should have started at RM 400. Not only that the guy was so keen to take it off my hands that he immediately called and met up with me to pick it up.

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Next up, my PDA, handphone, and Motorola bluetooth headset. Wonder how much they will fetch.

Facial Sessions

2006-11-19T23:07:00.000+08:00

I never did facial in Malaysia. I did once in Vietnam, which was one of the more poshest facial spa I ever been to. It was real pampering of the highest order. I have to thank my Vietnamese friend for spending me that time.

The other time I did facial was recently in Bali. It was together with a Balinese massage. It was a very painful experience. The old lady was pinching my blemishes for at least half an hour. Tears were welling up under my cucumber covered eyes and my nose was acting too since the place was scented with spice. I did felt clean afterwards but it was really torturous and I was hissing in pain throughout this session.

Earlier today I went for a facial at Damansara Perdana on recommendation from my good friend. (Word of mouth is truly a powerful marketing tool). For RM 80, I got the standard treatment which includes more pinching though this time I did not scream or teared as much. Either I'm used to it or this lady was more expert at pinching. Something to do with proper steaming and pore opening according to my friend.

After that I got a diagnosis on my face. She said I had a sensitive face which is dry on the outside and oily in the inside. My face is also easily aggravated, and tends to get itchy during dusty environments. She prescribed me a set of facial 'medicine' for me to use, and at her recommendation I bought the whole set.

Here's my new daily regime :
1. Watch face with cleanser (it costs RM118! 10 times more than my Neutrogeena mild facial cleanser
2, Apply Hydro Tonic toner (dab dab with cotton pads)
3. Apply Purifying Serum (this is suppose to repair my skin)
4. Apply Soothing Gel (it feels like a layer of protection over my skin)

The whole set above costs me RM 500! Well at least according to my friend is cheaper than the Estee Lauder or other 'branded' facial saloons. I don't know how long it'll take to see any improvement but I'm gonna try to stay through this course for the next 2-3 months (that's how long the creams above will last accordingly).

Sigh ... the things people do to look good.

One Night In Bangkok

2006-11-18T19:16:00.000+08:00

Was in Bangkok for work from Tuesday to Friday. I think it's the third time I've been there (the 1st 2 were for sales conferences), and this time I stayed on Sukhumvit Road instead of Ratchada where I hang out previously.

The place that I stayed, Grand Sukhumvit by Sofitel, was one of the most poshest place I've been in for work. My company booked us the Platinum Suite and among the amenities includes microwave oven, fridge, a lot of liquor bottles both in the minibar and next to the TV, a new box of condoms (which explains a lot about health prevention), and not 1 but 2! Samsung 32 inch (or was it 40) LCD TVs. One in the bedroom and one in the living room. This hotel also featured a split glass door for the bathtub cum shower, first I've seen in any hotel I stayed.

Needless to say, I slept very comfortably every night, and even doze off in the bathtub. I love bubble baths and had one every night though I forgot my aromatherapy set thinking it was just another business hotel. Will make a note of it during my next trip.

While I hate the congestion in Bangkok, I love to buy groceries there. Some of the items are like 20% - 30% cheaper than in Malaysia. Among them Wrigley's Cool Air chewing Gum (RM1 vs RM 1.30), Listerine 750 ml (RM 12 vs RM 18), shampoos and so on. They also have a full range of Lays Chips with special flavors like Japanese Shoyu Sauce and Nori Seaweed, to which I bought back about 6 different packs.

I had also stuffed myself every night when I was there including this famous Chinatown seafood restaurant. For RM 40 each (there were 9 of us), you'd get 2 fish, 30 Large prawns, 2 plates of crabs, 1 plate of cockles, 3 omelettes, 3 plates of vegetables, 3 plates of fried rice with crab, and countless bottles of orange juice. There could be more food but I can't remember other than gaining probably another kilo or two that night.

That plus I had my regular massage treatment RM 30 for 2 hours which is slightly more expensive than Hat Yai but still way cheaper and better than in Malaysia. It was also the first time I slept through it which means I'm probably used to it already.

All These Things That I've Done

2006-11-15T19:09:00.000+08:00

The latest episode of One Tree Hill features a title from one of my favourite bands, The Killers. I think I quoted their song "All These Things That I've Done" before on one of my previous blogs so this could be my 2nd blog with the same title.

In this latest episode, Nathan was faced with a situation where he has to compromise his game for several grand of dough. His brother Lucas eventually helped him out but has told him he will not watch his back again after purposely missing a couple of free throws.

Which reminds me of when my integrity was called into question. I had received an envelope filled with more than a thousand dollars somewhere during my working life for giving business to said party. Immediately I turned it down without hesitation. I guess once you're moving up and have to make decisions, a lot of people will start to influence you to give them business in as many ways as possible. Glad to say that's one thing I haven't compromise yet.

Over and in, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
If you can hold on ...

Magical Movie Marathon

2006-11-09T04:44:00.000+08:00

The last time I watched back-to-back movies in the cinema was the Lord of The Rings trilogy at TGV KLCC (sponsored by Starbucks). It was one of those all-night slumber things where if you come in your PJs, they'd actually gave you a goodie bag filled with various premiums and stuff. It was difficult to get the tix at that time, but Fi manage to get it somehow. Even though we were sitting on the first row of the theater, it was worth the 10 hour ride (I can't remember my neck being sore after that).

So last night I had another movie marathon, and it was on a weekday. It was a spur of the moment decision between me and my mate at the new Cathay Cineleisure cineplex at the Curve. First we catch The Covenant at 9.30 pm, then followed by the Prestige at 11.50 pm. Here's my 2 cents about this two movies.

THE COVENANT
I had expected it to be a thriller highlighting rituals and pagans with a stong religious back story. What I saw was some teenagers who possess various powers to levitate, unleash balls of force (ala Ryu and Ken shooting fireballs in the arcade game Street Fighter), and some hokey story about the Sons of Ipswich. The premise looks good in the beginning, but I think Renny Harlin should delve deeper into the origins of these boy-witches. The director of Cutthroat Island (a real movie flop) could also have done better with the villain who just appear out of nowhere stating he was an offspring of another great 'witch'. Overall a pretty standard teenage superhero (or anti-hero) conflict.

THE PRESTIGE
Now this is a movie I would recommend everyone to see. Twice in fact cause the first time you may miss out on things that you would look for if you watched it the 2nd time. I don't want to spoil the ending on this enduring tale of 2 magicians trying to outdo each other. Found myself torn between who to root for as both of them has flaws and strengths. They even have some historical references which made me scour the Wikipedia just to find out more about them. One of them was Nikola Tesla who was a renowned scientist who invented Alternating-Current (AC) power and was competing with Thomas Edison and his Direct-Current (DC) theory. Command & Conquer fans would recognize him as the inventor of Tesla Coils (in the game, he was portrayed selling his inventions and theories to an alternate universe where Stalin reigns, or something like that). Again, this is a great show where the director does well to hide the final twist of the show by distracting us with an obvious twist. 'Tis truly is a magical show.

Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

2006-11-08T18:57:00.000+08:00

The difficulty in living with your parents is that you'd have to follow a certain set of rules in the house. One of them was the nagging question, "Where did you sleep last night?"

So here's some of the places I have slept in where my parents have absolutely no clue of.

1. Hotels, Motels, Inns, etc. - Ok so I sometimes just book a room during the last minute coz I'm too lazy to go home. Or for some other reasons ...

2. In My Car - And sometimes I just don't want to drive home after getting drunk or was overlooking a great view, and ended up knocking off until early morning.

3. At my girlfriends place - 'Nuff said.

4. In the bar - Some bars are way too comfortable to sleep in.

5. In AIESEC room - Definitely not because I was working late.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

2006-11-04T23:51:00.000+08:00

During TL's wedding, I heard this song played during their presentation. I really loved this song when I heard it at the ending of 50 First Dates, and would normally be entranced by the music whenever I hear it played. I'm not referring to the children's version but to the version made popular by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

A quick search over the Wikipedia, and I learnt a bit more about Israel "Bruddah Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole, a Hawaiian native who was nicknamed "The Gentle Giant" by his admirers. Born on 20 May 1959, he began playing music with his brother Skippy at the age of 11, and together released 10 albums with his band the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau.

His first solo album debuted in 1990 which won him awards from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts. His best album (perceived by many), Facing Future was released in 1993 and contains the above song toegether with a few other hits. This particular song has been featured in many TV series, commercials, and movies such as 50 First Dates, You've Got Mail, Meet Joe Black, and the Wizard of Oz.

Unfortunately, Iz passed away at the age of 38 of weight-related respiratory illness (he weighs 340 kg). On the day of his passing, the Hawaiian flag flew at half-mast, demonstrating how popular he was in his native land.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Way up high,
And the dreams that you dreamed of,
Once in a lullaby,
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow,
Blue birds fly,
And the dreams that you dreamed of,
Dreams really do come true ...

Information courtesy of Wikipedia.

Need For Speed : Carbon

2006-10-31T22:33:00.000+08:00

I just picked up Need For Speed : Carbon today. After playing 80% of Most Wanted, I thought I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition of this game (RM 40 cheaper as well!), and give it a go.

Like all NFS series since Underground, NFS : Carbon features tons of exotic cars, customizations, race events, and a cliche back story. The FMV sequences in Carbon is much more in sync and better than Most Wanted. There's also a return to Drift events though the Police events have been taken out (it doesn't matter now how many Police Cars totaled in this game - it's just an added distraction). Personally I prefer it if they have all in-game. Gives us players more types of races to play with.

I tend to get addicted to the NFS series, and had once played until 5 am in the morning (on a working day!). It's always that one more race to tackle before turning in, and it keeps going even though my body is dead tired and my fingers are numb from all the key-pressing. Need to get myself a new joypad soon else my third finger maybe paralyzed.

A Mazda RX-8 , one of the cars featured in NFS : Carbon

Right now, I got another territory to take over, and another race to finish ...

"Puberty haven't hit yet."

2006-10-28T10:28:00.000+08:00

I saw some of my old classmates from DU school during TL & LC's wedding both at the church ceremony and the dinner reception. Most of them were girls from my class (can't recall which year), and there was a guy there as well who is married to one of them. So when I spotted them, I did the usual "Hi, how've you been?" routine, or just smile at them if they were far away when we spotted each other.

One of my Subang friends later asked me,

"Hey, why you don't talk much to your old schoolmates? I thought you always hang out with girls wan." (or something to that effect).

To which I replied

"Uh, puberty haven't hit yet."

I guess some of us are just late bloomers.

Lazy girls

2006-10-27T22:41:00.000+08:00

I went out with an old friend for gym and dinner today, and she quoted to me a tagline stating that "There are no pretty or ugly girls, only lazy girls."

Well, she is from a Health and Beauty company so that could tell most of her customers that they should take time to groom themselves, but I think its true not just for girls but for guys as well.

We leave in a world where we are bombarded by visual media everyday from TVs, to magazines, to newspapers, to advertisements, and so on.

The common theme that runs across this? Handsome / Beautiful people.

So much so, that they are the standard by which all of us are judged in terms of looks. I will admit first that I'm a bit of victim of this perceptive view, and it takes hard conscious effort to try to look beyond the physical features of any person. On the opposite side, society-perceived less attractive guys / girls who try to overcome this social stigma normally would tend to be more personable, jovial, and defiant towards people's opinions on their looks. Again this takes effort and lots of courage.

So coming back to lazy girls (or guys), my guess it is just like any other real life situation. You want to look good, you need to spend time grooming yourself. You want to score As, you need to spend time studying. You want to get that great job, you need to spend time preparing for interview. And if you want to score that guy or girl, you need to spend time wooing / attracting the person.

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness

2006-10-25T03:08:00.000+08:00

As I suspected last week, this episode of OTH highlight 2 issues.

1. Stalkers - Peyton's supposedly brother is just another guy who has been observing her and trying to get pics of her (a la serial killer/rapist thriller movies type). Again Lucas comes to her rescue aided by her supposedly actual brother who just happens to be black. Can't wait to see how this storyline progress.
"I remember one of my ex being stalked before and I was around way back in my early uni years and I do admit it was a very scary thing then. The guy would trail us around shopping complexes, on the road, etc. My ex did not want to inform the authorities, so I had to deal with him face to face once. Even then, she persuaded me not to inform her parents at all so I respected her decision and leave it as that. It was not as serious as the TV show but it sure was some crazy shit at that time."

2. Teen pregnancy - So it wasn't Brooke who was pregnant but Haley. I suspected that as well. Standard TV series trick to keep us audiences glued to the suspense of the show. Her hubby Nathan was offered a scholarship to Duke university and the first part of the show actually shown him being cold and frustrated towards his wife. But it ended happily when he announced that the final decision will be a joint one between him and Haley, so it was kinda happy ending for them in this episode.
"Now being a teenager and having to deal with pregnancy is never a happy episode for both the guy and the girl unlike the TV series. Some will have an abortion, while some will get married at a very young age. Then there's the economic issues associated with this (e.g. costs, career sacrifices, etc). I've seen and spoken to enough of my friends (whom I will not reveal here or ever) about this topic, and I daresay it is never as simple as what happened in this episode. There's no right or wrong answer but whatever the choice one takes, be prepared for the consequences."

TL's Stag Night

2006-10-22T04:38:00.000+08:00

Stag Night = Bachelor's Party

Hen Night = Bachelorette's Party

Was at TL's supposedly stag night which turned out more like a "chi mui's" night for him. His getting married to his girlfriend of around 10 years (talk about the longevity). Other than myself and Tony (his UM coursemate) the whole gang was his close friends from SJ.

I won't go into so much details for this blog other than it went pretty wild (though pretty tame I believe compared to Western standards - is there a standard for stag night? i.e. as shown in TV series such as Friends, etc.). So I'll let some of the pictures below speak for themselves.

TL with his "Chi Muis"

TL with giving his thumbs up for his "Chi Muis"

With YJ as chaperones

Boogying with his "chi muis"

Striking a Pose!

Congratulations TL! May your marriage be bless with happiness & prosperity.

The Season So Far ...

2006-10-19T02:23:00.000+08:00

Ok, so One Tree Hill is already into 4 episodes as of yesterday (US time). I'm not too sure where it is headed but after 3 seasons of drama I can pretty much gauge certain storylines.

By the way, for those who haven't catch it yet and waiting for our country to screen it, you better not continue reading as there are some spoilers ahead. My guess is only next year will they screen Season 4 whether it be on Astro or NTV7 or 8TV.

Back to OTH.

Firstly, the introduction of a stalker/serial killer/rapist is a bit far fetched. Sure Peyton advertise herself on her webcam since like her teen years (or earlier), but to have someone actually stalking her and pretending to be her brother is a bit mindblowing. I can already see the next episode showing Lucas saving her from him (the trailer is out at CWTV website).

Secondly, another pregnancy storyline is going to happen. This seems to be a recurring theme and finally it actually happened. It always seems easy to get pregnant in high school in US TV dramas. Is the teen pregnancy quite high in reality? I'm sure the writers could have found more storylines then a pregnancy to throw off Nathan and Haley.

Thirdly, Deb's recurring addiction. In a way I'm getting bored of the shenanigans between Dan & Deb. Will someone kill the other and end this? And Dan moving in on Karen? Hmmm, I guess it's always difficult to get over one's ex.

Even so, I still love One Tree Hill, and have regularly downloaded the day the episode goes on air in the States. It's a nice break from the realities of daily life.

Can't Stop This Thing We Started

2006-10-18T01:59:00.000+08:00

"There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment, you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on the path? Will others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be on it by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or to simply give up."

Sometimes I sit around and wonder what life might had been if I had chose a different path.

I was having dinner with an old friend of mine today who I once told to stay away cause I do not want to be reminded of the past. How silly I was then to say that knowing that sub-consciously I was orchestrating the whole thing.

Well we had dinner, followed by coffee and we chatted past midnight about things that have happened, things that might have been, and some things about the future.

So here I am, contemplating the course I'm on. Where am I going? What labels are there over my head? Should I choose a different path? Or should I just follow where the wind blows?

Double Wedding Whammy!

2006-10-16T02:41:00.000+08:00

The past two days I attended my cousin's wedding (the same cousin!). On Saturday it was under the groom's finances at Mariott Putrajaya while on Sunday it was under the bride's finances at Marco Polo restaurant. Guess one wedding wasn't enough for both families.

Here are a few pointers which I surmised during this time :

1. Play movie trailers while waiting for the couple to arrive (or maybe music videos especially lovey dovery ones) but make sure to keep the volume to a level where it is not too loud especially for those who sit near the speakers.

2. Play presentations off a powerful laptop or computer, whether its a video or a powerpoint. Discs these days are too cranky for players and may result in technical glitches.

3. Have slideshows of wedding photos (or other family photos) during the dinner. (This I got from another wedding, not this one).

4. Have some fun during speeches, especially in both English and Chinese. It will definitely pep up the guests.

5. If you want good atmosphere and less cramped space, do it in a hotel. If you want good food, do it in a restaurant ('Nuff said).

6. Have door gifts, or lucky draws (no singing). After all, its one way to thank the guests for coming. I remember giving Twisties to another of my friend's wedding this year as part of the appetizer :).

Hmmm, maybe I'll do mine with the KL skyline as my backdrop view. Haven't been to one of those yet.

Stranger things have happened ...

2006-10-15T03:11:00.000+08:00

I just hung out with my sister's friends after my cousin's wedding in Bangsar today.

Stranger things have happened ...

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

2006-10-14T02:47:00.000+08:00

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me, and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own ...

Games, games, games ...

2006-10-13T22:25:00.000+08:00

Back in my university days, there were lots of times where I both conduct and participate in small team building competitive games. Most are pretty much AIESEC-related but there were a few from the other societies where I joined. I never thought at that time, when I was to enter the workforce, that I would be doing the same thing again.

This month's theme for my company's event - Deeparaya. It took place at a hall in one of the Mont Kiara condominiums, and I had thought it would just be another dinner to celebrate Deepavali and Hari Raya (and also the birthdays of those that fall in September & October).

I should have known better that this company always like to organize activities that involve a little bit of competition and a lot of fun. As usual we were splitted into teams (mine was blue). The first game was to wrap around 1 team member in toilet roll, followed by the same member drinking beer out of a baby's bottle, and finally sucking on a pacifier. The fastest is the winner plus some extra points for artistic ability and such.

Guess who have to step up to the plate? Yours truly. Shades of younger days come to mind. It is not easy to drink beer from a baby's bottle. The good thing is, no one would recognize it was me in the picture, and I could always deny it.

With my team mates who dressed me up

Covered in all toilet roll glory! That's not me!

Some things just never get too old ...

Good News For People Who Love Bad News

2006-10-11T22:33:00.000+08:00

"You ever looked at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you. How many moments of other people's lives have we been in? Were we a part of someone's life when their dream came true? Or were you there when their dreams died?
Did we keep trying to get in? As if we were somehow destined to be there. Or did the shot take us by surprise? Just think. You could be a big part of someone else's life. And not even know it ..."

Looking through my pics, I had a moment of nostalgia. When life was much simpler, more carefree, and worries were less. Friends come and go. Some got married, some moved overseas, and some still chilling out close by.

I perceived some to be my close friends. And some perceived me to be very tight with them. I wonder where my photo would lie in their album. Would be pasted all over the wall ala stalkers/serial killers? Or would it just lie amongst the other photos gathering dust over time?

Still ... a picture paints a thousand words. It captures the moment in all its splendor. It tells stories that are always different from what really happened. And sometimes, it is both the source of our sadness and happiness.

Losing Passport

2006-10-06T01:21:00.000+08:00

The karmic balance around the world works in mysterious ways.

I was finishing a meeting at Zon Hotel in JB, and was heading out to Singapore with my colleagues. I placed my passport on top of my car while helping my colleagues put their bags in my car's trunk in the car park of that hotel. Forgetting I left it there, I just drove off. Reaching Tuas, and looking for my passport a sudden wave of horror hit me.

It was on top of my car when I drove off!

Immediately I rang my colleagues who were just passing the Malaysian immigration. My other colleagues in my car then went over to the other car, while the Southern manager followed me back to the hotel. Time check - About an hour after I left the car park. At this time I thought, man, what did I do to deserve this.

On the way I called the hotel and they started to scour the car park and check the lost & found for my passport. No reply. Reached the hotel almost 2 hours later and immediately did my own scouting. No passport in sight. Panic has gone to thinking of the hassle I had to go through later on to get a new passport. Perhaps I was not meant to be at my director's farewell dinner in Singapore.

Made a report at the hotel to make it official. Went back to check the car park again when my colleague (bless his soul) noticed some CCTVs. Suggested to check the CCTV to ascertain the precise moment I passport dropped off and at which floor (a whole lot of CSI mumbo jumbo went on here). I had actually given up and wanted to go for dinner and called out my ex-colleagues in JB, but intrigued I called the security and asked to check the CCTV tapes.

Went to the security room and look at the monitors. Honestly, they are not as sophisticated as what we see in the movies. No zoom capabilities, black and white color, and placed at various odd angles. Didn't really go anywhere for about half an hour staring at those screens.

Lo and behold, the hotel manager called me. At that time and in that situation, I knew someone must have found it (since I already given up searching). And found it someone did. It was picked up by a cleaner who kept it as he didn't know what to do with it. Only about 3 hours later he brought it up to the security room and pass it back to me. I was very relieved and wanted to give him 50 bucks but at my colleague's advice only gave him 20.

So off we went to Singapore and made it in time for the farewell dinner. It was like the topic of discussion for awhile and I was truly grateful to my colleague for helping me out.

All's well, end's well? Not really, the next day I kissed the ass of my colleague's car on the way back. Maybe I should have not gone to Singapore.

I wonder if someone up there is trying to teach me something ...

Things I Forgot At Birth

2006-10-04T01:12:00.000+08:00

"There are moments in our lives when we found ourselves at crossroads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back."

How many crossroads does one really have? How many times have I turn around and go back? How many times have I forged ahead? Sometimes I charge through without care or whim of the world. Sometimes I cower within my own shell and the comfort of my blanket.

Or maybe sometimes, I'm not sure whether I'm standing at the crossroads at all ...

The Same Deep Water As You

2006-09-27T01:07:00.000+08:00

"My name is Lucas Scott. I'm a senior in Tree Hill High School. Tree Hill is just a place somewhere in the world. Maybe it's a lot like your world. Maybe it's nothing like it. But if you look closer, you might see someone like you. Or someone like my best friend Haley. If you're married, senior in high school, and not sure your husband's alive. Then I say your world is a lot like Haley's. Today was suppose to be the best day of her life. But it's amazing how thing's can change in a blink of an eye. Or in this case about 29 minutes ..."

And so begins Season 4 of One Tree Hill.

One Tree Hill - Season 4

2006-09-17T02:08:00.000+08:00

My favourite drama is back!

In just over 10 days, it will be screened on the new CW network (that's in US) and I can't wait for it. It'll be episode downloading time again every Thursday morning coz our regular stations will not broadcast this until at least a year from now (though 8TV is screening Season 3 while Star World is re-running Season 2).

There was a long saga in whether the show will be kept alive but seeing the fans that have been jamming the network's websites and via other fan sites, have persuaded the new network to keep the show (including Smallville and a few others). It's really the only teen/adult drama that I watched, and I love it for its poignant storylines (just watch the school shooting episode), the fabulous cast, and the music. The music itself has expended my repertoire which now includes artistes like Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eats World, Fall Out Boy (which has become super famous now), Feeder, Strays Don't Sleep, Nada Surf and many more.

Season 4 will kick off after the events in Season 3. Nathan and Haley was going for their honeymoon after renewing their vows, before Nathan had to try and save his Uncle Cooper from drowning. Poor Uncle Cooper was feeling the repercussions from seeing 17-yr old, Rachel and she drove the wedding limo off the bridge after the reception with Uncle Cooper in it. Brooke has realized she doesn't depend on guys anymore and will break up with Lucas soon (as mentioned in a spoiler). She's also gonna break off with Peyton and end their friendship that survive two dead mums, and Brooke's boyfriend. Dan meanwhile has realized that it was his wife that tried to burn him and not his brother (whom he shot during the shooting incident), and is now facing his own repercussions from it.

Already I can't wait to watch what happens next, and so does the other millions of OTH fans. I've placed a link on my blog to one of the better fansites of the drama. Go check it out!

Money Matters

2006-09-15T01:37:00.000+08:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, "Money doesn't make you happy. I had $50 million, but I was just as happy when I had $48 million."

Personally, I've never been consistent with money. I've spent like there's no tomorrow, and I've saved like there's no today. Most of my friends believed I had money, and lots of it. I daresay I've been lucky in life, and able to do things that some people may want to but can't afford it. Then again, there are things that I would like to do, but couldn't afford it either.

Either way, I've never been so hung up about money. Sure I tried to skimp a bit and go for promotions in supermarkets where I buy my daily groceries. I've also tried to have free lunches, dinners, and such. Not that I'm all for it, but I wouldn't mind having it. I rarely buy clothes but when I do, I don't really bother about the price, so long as I like it. And there are days when I simply just stayed in with my books, games, music, and videos while having bowls of instant noodles (or take outs from my mum).

So when I told my friend my bank account balance, she exclaimed, "What have you been spending on?!?!?!?" Wonder how would that sounded like if she was my wife. Personally I would love to have a higher balance, but I'm not too worried about what's left. Guess I'm not too worried about my future, cause I always feel optimistic about it. I do keep track on my expenditure though so when she made that statement, I sort of check through some of my expense reports for this year.

Lo and behold, I spent approx. RM 7,500 on Gifts/Servicing. The word "servicing" was from another good friend of mine, and she defines that as spending other people (e.g. lunches, dinners, etc.). Now just as I would have free lunches (mainly on my employer's expense), I would also give them. That's like almost RM 1,000 a month just on this particular item. This is the second biggest expenditure after paying off my car loan.

I will admit I do get caught up in buying gifts or spending my close friends at times, and have never really splurged on myself, so this year I've pampered myself a bit more. There's RM 2,000 worth of clothes (including a few pairs of shoes), computer hardware and software (4 new games, and a portable 80 GB hard drive), a brand spanking new micro hi-fi (I really love this, its a pure black and white beauty), two pairs of glasses and 6 months worth of disposable lenses, and lastly alcoholic beverages.

I wonder how's that compared to my peers' budget.

Let Me Fall

2006-09-13T02:00:00.000+08:00

It's October again
The leaves are coming down
One more year's come and gone
And nothing's changed at all

Wasn't I supposed to be someone
To face the things that I've been running from

Let me feel
I don't care if I break down
Let me fall
Even if I hit the ground
And if I cry a little, die a little
At least I know I lived
Just a little ...

Henry Louis Mencken, 12 Sept 1880

2006-09-12T02:22:00.000+08:00

Henry Louis Mencken once wrote, "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats."

An outspoken defender of freedom of conscience and civil rights, his books, while at times satirical and filled with rascist and elitist writings, he is foremost a free thinker in an era where such outspokenness is rarely heard off.

Here are some quotes from H. L. Mencken :

"Christian - One who is willing to serve Three Gods, but draws the line at One Wife."

"God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable. They find not only sanctuary in His arms, but also a kind of superiority, soothing to their macerated egos. He will set them above their betters."

"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong."

"I believe in only one thing : liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone."

H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

Goodbye My Lover

2006-09-10T01:09:00.000+08:00

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

Serial Dating

2006-09-04T01:55:00.000+08:00

A recent e-mail from one of my high school friends prompt me to write about the subject above.

That and the fact I read this article in the latest issue of Lime describing how this woman dated 5 different guys at one time.

What is "serial dating"? Is it constantly dating every other day, whether it be with the same person or not? Or is it someone who's compulsively needs to go out with someone else of the opposite sex (or same sex if that is their preference)?

Nowadays no one really says we're on a date anymore. We use terms like "Let's go have a drink" or "Wanna hang out?" or "Wanna company me shopping?". There's of course single dates and group dates, but I'll just stick to single dates as I never considered going out in a group as dating.

So I have dinner with a lot of different women quite often. Would that mean I'm serial dating? Most of the time I would pick up the tab or occasionally, she would pick up the tab, but would that mean we're dating? Sometimes we would chill at Starbucks, the mamak stores or the local pub, other times catching a movie, going shopping, or just property hunting. Would that be dating as well?

It's hard to draw a line these days (or maybe I'm just one confused dude) between what is dating and what is not? However, I guess to define a date is to mean that the objective of hanging out together is to bring two persons closer together in the hopes of leading to becoming a couple first, then marriage later on.

Or maybe it is just two person having a good time out together. If that's the case then I'm a serial dater.

Go Go Go Karting

2006-08-26T11:36:00.000+08:00

My new company organizes a get-together activity every month, and during my first month, it was Go-Karting at Sunway Xtreme Park. Needless to say I jumped at the chance of racing 20 rounds on the track for only RM 25 (subsidized).

I can never recall if I ever did ride on a Go-Kart. I remembered while I was in Genting, there was always a long queue for this ride, so I'm probably a virgin at this.

Squeezing into the kart, I donned my helmet and prepared to race against 4 colleagues of mine. The mechanics were simple. Just press the accelerator or brake and steer. No gears or other fanciful stuff. Problem is, even though I depressed the accelerator, it will not go faster than, say about 20 mph (just a guess?). The total weight of the kart and the driver will influence the speed as well. Hence, I keep coming in second to this female colleague of mine who's lighter than me. Of course good driving skills is needed, but navigating around the track not difficult (oval-shaped).

The best incidents in races like this is when 2 cars try to overtake each other. One of my more aggressive female colleagues actually collided into the wall of tires, twice, trying to cut in on another. One was even head-on at full speed. There was no danger though as the car itself is lined with rubber, so the impact is not too bad. Well she is fine afterwards so no biggie.

After a while though, I think racing in a kart will lose its novelty. Maybe I will try the one in Kepong. Heard there's a better variation there and much more speedier karts.

Next month - Pool competition (according to schedule).

Go-Kart Photos : Xtreme Park

Foot reflexology

2006-08-09T01:56:00.000+08:00

At the last minute, Emily suggested to me, "Let's go do foot massage."

We were suppose to just have desserts at the SS2 KTZ cafe but upon seeing the bright neon-lit Foot Massage store, the thought of trying out this reflexology comes to her mind.

Not being the one who chickened out on any "new" thing, I agreed, and we got our first foot massages that nite.

Its one thing to have a full body massage, its another thing when its just on the foot.

It's DAMN PAINFUL! Probably coz I'm not healthy and I was having my regular flu at that time. Even poor Emily was saying "Not too hard, not too hard" in Cantonese whenever the masseuse was applying heavier pressure.

I guess its just a matter of getting used to it, and obviously the first time was always the most painful (or ticklish as well). Anyhow after 40 mins, it was over and we continued on with our desserts.

RM 30 well spent? Not too sure coz my feet still feels the same, though slightly relieved I guess.

Pirates of the Carribean

2006-08-03T21:58:00.000+08:00

Caught PoTC last Sunday, and I find the show a bit draggy. Can't imagine why would they put Jack Sparrow as the island god as a subplot cos it has no connection with the main story. After that the movie moves along better though more info about the East India Trading Company would be better.

Overall though the movie is still good though a bit slow (2 and half hours long!), and the ending was very nice twist. A bit similar to Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift though this ending would lead into the third part which has already been filmed but probably not edited yet. Wonder when will that be released (a la Matrix 2 & 3?)