Serendipity in the making...

So many things, so little time…

2011-09-05T16:30:00.000+08:00

Gosh, is it already the beginning of September?? Just like that, two thirds of the year have gone by…and as usual, I’m frantically trying to catch up!

Things have been hectic, to say the least – trying to split myself multiple ways to make time for the new bf, family and friends…but that’s not to say I haven’t been enjoying myself thoroughly. It’s a far cry from the way 2011 started, and heck, it can only get better! :D

What do the Muppets, Sesame Street and Angry Birds have in common?

2011-07-10T14:24:00.000+08:00

This made me laugh so hard – quite cute, no? :P

Finally hitched! :D

2011-07-05T13:06:00.000+08:00

Haha…that was on the backdrop at Shawna’s wedding dinner last Saturday…she and Thiban have been a couple for 11 years – longer than the entire time I’ve known her! :O Well…they started going out just before I met her in college so it’s not that big a difference in actual time…but still!

But in all the years I’ve known her (and to a lesser extent Thiban), they’ve always been most entertaining couple…having met Thiban here and there over the past decade and hearing stories from Shawna, there’s no doubt in my mind these two are just meant to be. They’re both crazy about each other (okay, second only to Thiban’s love for Volkswagen, who everyone knows too!)

Oh there are memories alright – like the time I got ‘kicked out’ of the room I shared with Shawna in Perth when Thiban came over for a holiday…okay, so I willingly went over to bunk with Mel to give them some privacy, but only because she asked nicely! :P

Or the hilarious moments we had with our South African and American flatmates ‘prettifying’ the boys…wahahaha…and of course, our perfect match of quirks – FYI I used to mumble in my sleep…and funnily enough, she would answer me in her sleep! Yes, we’re weird…

I could go on and on…but I shan’t. This shall become fodder for the time we next meet up and get tipsy over some cocktails, yeah? :) Got plenty to catch up on too, especially now since we only JUST discovered we have (even) more connections in common that we'd originally thought!

So congratulations again dearie, and here’s wishing you and Thiban a loving, fun and awesome life together! (and faster, I want a mini-Shawna or mini-Thiban to spoil rotten…)

Kicking off the second half of 2011…

2011-07-01T13:27:00.000+08:00

Meet the latest addition to the extended family – Owen Chia. This little feller rang in the second half of 2011, arriving at 2.45am on 1 July and weighing in at 2.75kg. Guess his home was just too comfy, since he was due in late June but just didn’t want to come out! :D

Congrats to the proud parents Jaime and Bernard…and let the sleepless nights begin! *wink*

Who made you king of anything?

2011-06-15T12:19:00.002+08:00

If there’s one thing I hate, its people who tell you what to do ‘for your own good’. Even more when it comes from people who previously said you were great just the way you were.

You can say all you want, but actions really speak louder than words – quite simply, if you SAY you want to remain friends but don’t bother to stay in touch and still make comments like you have any control or impact over my life? I’d say please F.O.A.D.

So thanks for giving me the way out – I no longer have to listen to you telling me I look like I’ve gained weight, I don’t need your feigned concern, and I definitely don’t need you to ask me ‘how my diet’s going’ and ‘what’s my weight’. All it’s doing is chipping away at my self-esteem, and I’m better than that.

Oh, and by the way? Next time please fix your own problems before you get all righteous about fixing other people. This one’s for you.

Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table
While I look outside
So many things I’d say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by

You’ve got opinions, man
We’re all entitled to them, but I never asked
So let me thank you for your time, and try not to waste anymore of mine
And get out of here fast

I hate to break it to you babe, but I’m not drowning
There’s no one here to save

Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

You sound so innocent, all full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to jump up on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset

I’m not the one who’s lost with no direction
But you’ll never see
You’re so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps
You got the talking down, just not the listening

And who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

All my life I’ve tried to make everybody happy
While I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me it’s my turn to decide

Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

Let me hold your crown, babe.

~ Sara Bareilles, King of Anything

Start of something new…

2011-05-31T17:29:00.003+08:00

Who knew this holiday would turn out to be the start of something beautiful? Maybe the rainbow really was a sign... :)

William and Kate…fairytale ending?

2011-05-13T13:25:00.000+08:00

It’s been about two weeks since the world’s eyes were all aimed at London when Prince William (finally) married Kate Middleton. Granted, I was in Macau when the whole deal was going down, but it’s not like I could have missed it, as EVERY SINGLE CHANNEL on TV was airing something on the wedding – fashion (what she wore), beauty (her makeup), history (their journey), politics (who was/wasn’t invited), entertainment (who could miss a certain namesake princess’ headgear faux pas?)…

Anyhow, I found it most amusing that people are now likening the wedding pics to none other than Cinderella! A little bit of creative colouring with Photoshop and anything’s possible, right?

What was a so-so resemblance and unusual coincidence became a hilarious source of amusement when I saw the tweaked version below:

LOL!! The hair colours were reversed (since in this case Kate is the brunette), a quick colour change for the outfits and you can see why I’m in stitches over the finished product. The ‘evil stepsisters’ were cousins in this case, but no less ridiculous with the headgear!

All good-natured jibes of course…and congratulations to the happy couple! :D Here’s hoping you both have the fairytale ending Cinderella had…

Strong Enough…

2011-05-09T11:46:00.000+08:00

As I rest against this cold, hard wall,
Will you pass me by?
Will you criticise me as I sit and cry?
I had fought so hard and thought that all my battles had been won,
Only to find the war has just begun…

Is He not strong enough?
Is He not pure enough?
To break me, pour me out, and start again,
Is He not brave enough?
To take one chance on me,
Please can I have one chance to start again?

Will my weakness for an hour make me suffer for a lifetime,
Is there any way to be made whole again?
If I feel renewed and find forgiveness, find the strength I've never had,
Will my scars forever ruin all God's plans?

Is He not strong enough?
Is He not pure enough?
To break me, pour me out, and start again,
Is He not brave enough?
To take one chance on me,
Please can I have one chance to start again?

He took my life into his hands and it turned it all around,
In my most desperate circumstance,
It's there I finally found…

That You are strong enough,
That You are pure enough,
To break me, pour me out and start again,
That You are brave enough,
To take one chance on me,
Oh, thank you for my chance to start again…

~ Stacey Orrico, Strong Enough

It’s about being with the right people…

2011-05-05T19:29:00.000+08:00

As time goes by and I’ve had time to calm myself, reflect and look back at events that have happened, what could or might have been, and how things transpired, I’m more and more convinced that what happened was for the best.

I’m also thankful that it happened at a time where something could be done about it instead of being stuck a few years down the road and being even more miserable in the end and not having a way out.

Am I sad? Of course, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. It’s always sad when the investment of your heart into someone doesn’t work out the way you want it to especially when you’ve put in years, but then again life is unpredictable and full of surprises. Thank God for friends who’ve been there to pick up the pieces and lend a listening ear when I needed it. True enough, you find out who your real friends are when the chips are down.

Did I lose out? No – if anything, I feel I’ve gained a better insight into myself and what I’m capable of over the past two months. I had previously been trying to please other people thinking that gaining their affection and approval was worth losing my character and personality for. However, I know now I’m worth more than I was made to feel like, and I’m not going to lose sight of that again.

A new sense of freedom and discovery awaits…can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Back from Macau and HK…

2011-05-04T12:14:00.000+08:00

I survived!

LOL…yes, I’m back in one piece, and survived the 3-day 'SG-Macau-HK-Macau-SG' hops of the journey despite falling sick on the first night thanks to the drizzling rain and cold weather, accommodation glitches in Hong Kong and ah, I’ll save the long stories for another time.

For now, just a couple of photos to mark the occasion…

My time spent in HK was just far too short – not enough shopping, not enough food and not enough sightseeing! I’ll see you again someday… :)

Strangers, Again...

2011-04-27T11:10:00.002+08:00

Everyone who's ever been in a relationship should watch this..the soundtrack's pretty awesome as well! :D

Trusting yourself…

2011-04-27T09:24:00.000+08:00

In the (occasionally wise) words of the cousin ‘in-law’ – “When your mind is confused, trust your heart. When your heart is uncertain, trust your judgement.” :)

World Gourmet Summit 2011…

2011-04-26T13:16:00.000+08:00

The World Gourmet Summit 2011 is taking place from 25 April – 8 May 2011 at Marina Bay Sands, and by a stroke of luck I got to attend the launch reception with Erin. What transpired was an evening of food, fun and well, making some people hungry! :D

OMG the array of food – it was a gastronomic adventure for sure. From St Regis Singapore to The Grand Hyatt and Prime Society, we ate our way from one station to another…

Just some of the items we sampled (row by row, L-R): Lemongrass fairy floss with cheese cubes; Coddled Egg with Caviar and Toast Soldiers (served in a sea urchin shell!); Prawn, Scallop and Melon Salad; Marinated Wagyu Beef on Mash; Seared Sea Perch with Cheese and Roe; Roast Wagyu Beef with Pumpkin and Asparagus; Scallops on Blinis with Caramelised Onions; Gravad Lax, Asparagus Wafer Cone with Ham Filling; Seared Salmon on Salad Greens (I can’t remember what the burger looking thing with the dropper sticking out was called, but it was awesome!)

I hope I got most of the names right – to be honest, I was more busy trying to balance my ever-full plate, take pics AND manoeuvre through the large crowd there!

All the pics were taken with my iPhone 3GS, hence the rather blurry pics – but I loved this ‘inverted chocolate strawberry’. Instead of dipping strawberries in chocolate, they dipped chocolate into strawberry consommé instead and served it with chocolate crumbs and freshly chopped strawberries. Yum!

One for the photo album…good memories!

It’s a Good Friday... :)

2011-04-22T00:01:00.000+08:00

I know Good Friday is a day of reflection, but I can’t help but smile…it’s a public holiday in Singapore, which means......I’m back in KL for the long weekend! :)

Taking a step back in time…

2011-04-19T18:48:00.002+08:00

When I was at the Singapore Flyer last weekend, I came across this portion of the building that had been done up with plenty of vintage items to give the feel of an old-time hawker street – not unlike Penang in the 60s I reckon (no I wasn’t around then, but I’ve seen pics…hehe…)

The thing is, I actually recognised quite a few of the items from stuff my grandparents had in their old house in Seremban, and it brought back a twinge of nostalgia. Sometimes I think the "good ol' days" the senior folk always talk about really were better than the hustle and bustle of today.

Besides, you know you’re of a certain age when you’re old enough to remember the days of ‘kampung’ living! :D

Finally…

2011-04-18T11:00:00.000+08:00

Can’t believe it took me almost 14 months of living in Singapore to finally go on the Singapore Flyer! Was it worth it? It’s a resounding yes – and I want to come back for the night flight! :)

It’s time…

2011-04-11T10:16:00.000+08:00

Counting blessings…

2011-04-04T11:45:00.000+08:00

Even though the past couple of months have been seriously trying my physical, emotional and psychological limits, I really need to be reminded that the past year that I’ve stayed in Singapore have not been without its better moments. And since I haven’t exactly been updating this blog for the better part of a year, I really need to take stock of these moments just so I don’t forget…

Going for Chippendales the Friday just after I arrived with the #evurl girls for Xin’s hens night – we were pretty tame by all accounts, but still a lot of fun!

Heading back home for Xin’s wedding in May – and seeing Em’s influence of dresses playing a part in our choice of garb for the day…

Heading to Club Med Bintan in June for the company offsite…the place was simply gorgeous, and I’d really love to go back there someday…

Heading to Sandakan in East Malaysia with the family and friends in August – plenty of good food, including a 10-course lobster, crab and garoupa meal for 11 people at just a couple hundred ringgit!

Thanks to work, I also got to head to Hanoi in September – granted, I didn’t exactly do that much sight-seeing or shopping, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless, and I got to cross another ASEAN country off my ‘to visit’ list!

Just goes to show that even though we’re apart doesn’t mean you’re forgotten – had a slightly belated birthday celebration with the #evurl girls in November…

Got absolutely pampered at a Pantene tea party and ended up looking like a ‘mak datin’ (I didn’t think so but was told as such!), plus got featured in the Malay Mail AND Female magazine in November on two separate articles.

The start of 2011 was definitely a big challenge, and let’s just say the ringing in of the new year at midnight kinda sucked, but at least the rest of the day wasn’t a complete loss with a Japanese brunch with the girls…

…and still having time to catch up with old (and some new) friends at Huei’s wedding on New Year’s…

Despite running back and forth between Singapore and KL, I’ve still managed to catch up relatively regularly with my paternal grandma – 91 and still going yo! :D I don’t see her as often as I’d like, but nevertheless it’s worth the extra time just to drive to Seremban to see her.

And in the midst of it all, a mad family – they forget to tell me things, ignore me and sometimes even forget all about me, but what’s a girl gotta do?

Having a rather insane bunch of mad colleagues in Singapore has helped keep the working environment bearable so far…although I’ve been on the verge of hurling things over the cubicle walls at some point!

I got to catch Kumar’s Amazing Race at Esplanade…plus met a fellow blogger I’ve been following online for the longest time. I just can’t believe it took us nearly a year of me being in Singapore to finally meet face to face!

I caught Voyage de la Vie on Sentosa in February – although there are mixed memories about this trip, the show itself was amazing!

Meeting a bunch of fun salsa people in the past six months…and if you’re wondering about the food and wine, at least the dancing helped burn off the calories!

Feeling all glammed up at the Burberry event…and hamming it up with the laydees! (even got to put on a Burberry trench in the process…shiok or what?)

And last but not least, the mad mutt that never fails to get a smile out of me even on my crappiest day…she’s getting on in years and I’ll probably bawl my eyes out when it’s time, but for now she’s still just as entertaining as ever…*can’t wait to see her*

Right now, I’ve just moved into a room of my own – and this is pretty much the first time I’ve really stayed on my own. Previously in Australia, I always had a roommate or shared a place with friends, and for the first year here I shared a room so there was always someone to talk to. Now, the silence at night is a bit unnerving, really…wonder how long that will take to get used to.

How things have changed…

2011-04-01T11:31:00.002+08:00

A friend posted up some photos from my university days about a week back on Facebook, and I must say, it was quite a shock to see how I looked like back then. I had lost quite a bit of weight when I got back from Perth, but it wasn’t until recently that I’d noticed exactly how much I’d lost since coming over to Singapore.

This was taken back in mid-2004 with Mel at an amusement park. Best part – when my colleagues saw this, they literally fell off their chairs.

And now? Well, this photo was taken a couple of weeks back at a friend’s birthday party…

I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm quite shocked! When I think back about the total amount of weight lost, it’s probably hovering around the 30kg mark…sure, my weight’s fluctuated over the years but I guess I never really saw it until now so thought I’d Just make a note of it for posterity’s sake! :D

...and no, it's not an April Fool's joke... :p

10 lessons to learn from Japan…

2011-03-31T11:13:00.001+08:00

It has been almost 3 weeks since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, and I have been time and time again impressed by the way the Japanese have conducted themselves and gone about rebuilding their lives. The note below I got this morning just says it all…

1. THE CALM - Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY - Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY - The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE - People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER - No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE - Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS - Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING - The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA - They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE - When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly!

At this point, I cannot imagine Malaysians reacting in the same way…or many other countries for that matter. It’s something we should all strive towards, although hopefully it won’t ever need to be tested!

Finally back!! :D

2011-03-28T17:19:00.002+08:00

Gosh, I must say I haven’t been updating this blog for the better part of a year – after much tinkering, I’ve decided to shift over to the new template just to have a bit of a change…as well as make it easier to maintain.

But as a choice shot, this is the highlight of my month so far…

Before you ask, no, the baby’s not mine…the proud mama is actually on the left. Was at my colleague’s baby’s full moon party last weekend, and little Bridgette is just a cute little button!

Feels good to be back… I’ve got plenty of photos and news to catch up on, but here’s hoping the new template will get me inspired! :D So many changes have happened in the time I was gone - not all of them were good, but now that things are slowly settling down it's probably a good time to get back to this blog.

Now, did anyone miss me...? Hahahaha...

Oh my, has it really been that long?

2010-06-09T13:18:00.000+08:00

The affair started one cold winter’s night in Australia six years ago while I was online talking to some friends. Little did I know what this relationship would become...

You were there when I left Australia to come back to work in Malaysia.

You were there when I had my heart well and truly broken for the first time, and helped me pick up the pieces.

You were there as I followed my wanderlust bug to Singapore, Bangkok, LA, Madrid, London, Barcelona, Batam and even East Malaysia (such a hodgepodge list, but so much fun)

You were there when I changed jobs, and recorded the awesome time I had doing musicals.

You were there when I finally decided to go work in Singapore, and countless family events (and learnt I have a most entertaining family).

You were there through the funny, sad, good and bad times, and so many other moments.

But most importantly, even though I don’t keep in touch regularly, you’re still there as a reminder of moments that have been, the present and what could be.

I will never tire of going back through the memories to see what I was and how I felt to become what I am today.

It’s been an amazing six years, and hopefully a relationship that will continue. Who thought I’d last this long? :)

I can’t stand it...must...say...something...

2010-05-20T11:00:00.001+08:00

I had been looking forward to returning to London in 2012 for the Olympics since it’s one of my favourite places to visit. However, I’m starting to have serious doubts after seeing the mascots that were recently unveiled.

Wenlock and Mandeville (named after two small English towns) were inspired by a children’s author, but err...despite the long background to the story (you can read about it here) when I look at them, all I’m reminded of is this...

Yes, the one-eyed alien from The Simpsons show...

......I’m sorry, this is a total fail......

Putting things into perspective...

2010-05-13T12:27:00.000+08:00

Would you rather be a mermaid or a whale?

Happy 90th Birthday Granny!! :)

2010-03-03T13:29:00.000+08:00

Not bad for an old lady eh? We’re all thankful she’s still going strong – even if she does mix up all our names at one point or another (!!) Nevertheless, there’s nothing like still having a grandma around to keep you on your toes (if you’ve read my previous posts you’ll know what I mean!)

We celebrated her birthday in Genting during our recent family reunion, but it kinda sucks not being able to see her today. She’s gotten so tiny over the years that the cake we got her looks huge by comparison (the difference in the top photo was further emphasised by Kim’s photo taking skills!) but Happy Birthday Mama!

** She’ll probably never read this since she doesn’t particularly like computers or understand how they work, but it’s more for my sentiment. :) How often do people still have a living grandparent who reaches 90? (and if you do, please make the most of it!)

This – Is – Ridiculous…

2010-02-08T11:59:00.000+08:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else find the daily news getting more and more ludicrous by the day? First we had reports that female college and university students were being persuaded to go without panties on Valentine’s Day to demonstrate their ‘true love’ for their boyfriends.

And today, we have this…

Don’t take off your undies, urges anti-Valentine group

A non-governmental organisation is up in arms against Valentine’s Day and a plan to get a group of students to go without panties on that day. The Secretariat Against Social Ills Penang (Urusetia Menangani Gejala Sosial Pulau Pinang or Unggas) fears that the “no panties” promotion, now going on at higher learning institutions in Shah Alam, may soon find its way into secondary schools if not checked.

It said a random survey conducted at several Penang schools showed that some students were aware of the matter. Unggas co-ordinator Nurfitri Amir Muhammad said a few of its teacher activists were even surprised to find students openly discussing it.

“We do not have any evidence if such an event is being organised among the secondary school students here, but the fact that secondary students are aware of such a promotion requires serious attention,” he told a press conference in Bagan Lalang here yesterday.
(And what attention would that be? How are you going to be able to check whether or not the female students are wearing underwear or not? Spot-check ah?)

On Jan 29, The Star reported that female students in higher learning institutes in Shah Alam were being persuaded not to wear panties on Valentine’s Day as an expression of true love for their boyfriends.
(By the way, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday which is also Chinese New Year – hello, it’s a public holiday?? So hardworking got classes ah? Besides, if they’re going to, they’re going to...what can you do?)

The “no-panties” promotion, being held for the first time, has apparently been gaining interest among the students who are passing the news by word of mouth.
(Can someone please explain how NOT wearing underwear is an expression of true love? Are the guys going to let their goods dangle free too as an expression of THEIR ‘true love’? Any guy who plays the “If you love me you’ll do this” card deserves a swift kick to the family jewels and a “well, if YOU loved me you wouldn’t make me do this”)

Nurfitri claimed that some couples who celebrated Valentine’s Day ended up having a sex party.
(Really…and what constitutes a ‘sex party’? A couple? Threesome? Or a flat-out orgy?)

He said Unggas with the Ulama Association of Malaysia (Penang Chapter), Angkatan Pemuda Pemudi Islam and Komuniti Suara Kehidupan recently started a “Valentine’s Day Trap” (Jerat Valentine’s Day) campaign to caution the people against negative activities during Valentine’s Day.
(Ermm…don’t you all have anything better to do than to go spying on people?)

He said a team of about 500 volunteers from the organisations began distributing posters and VCDs, and would later conduct talks in night markets and other public places.
(Funny how only now they’re going all up in arms over this – if it was such an issue, shouldn’t it have been an already ongoing campaign?)

“On Valentine’s night, we will conduct a preventive operation called Operasi Sayang Remaja at Queensbay Mall in Gurney Drive and along the Butterworth Outer Ring Road stretch.
(Okay, the name of the operation sounds so WRONG – Operasi Sayang Remaja? Love Teen Operation/ Teen Love Operation? Are you kidding me?!?)

Since, we do not have enforcement powers like Jakim officers, we will concentrate on counseling and advising couples against committing adultery,” he said.
(So you’re going to ambush couples, give them a counseling session and let them go? I’m sure that’s going to be very effective…)

Nurfitri said National Registration Department statistics showed that about 257,000 births were registered without their fathers’ names between 2000 and July 2008. He said 70,430 babies were born out of wedlock between 1999 and 2003.
(I’m curious – do they have the breakdown of these births by state and race…because I have a feeling the results are going to be fascinating…)

Honestly, news like this just makes me want to cry – but I’m not sure whether it’s with laughter at the sheer lunacy of it, or over the apparent loss of common sense and rational thinking amongst some parties.

How’s this for combating the Monday blues?

2010-01-25T14:26:00.000+08:00

I don’t know anyone who’s actually done this, but just the thought of it…hey, it could be pretty interesting!! :D Anyone wanna try? LOL...

Don’t confuse me…

2010-01-21T11:48:00.000+08:00

With all the controversy surrounding the A-word (yeah, you know which one I mean!), some absolutely mind-boggling sentiments have been flying around. Honestly, if these people would just take a step back, calm down, BREATHE (so that their faces aren’t always purple from huffing and puffing into those portable megaphones) and actually think rationally about it…we’d all be so much better off.

I think the best argument came in an email I got this morning which I’ve modified slightly and pasted below…

In a nutshell that should pretty accurately reflect the sentiment of the arguments flying around, ‘nuff said. -.-

Hello 2010!!

2010-01-04T14:30:00.000+08:00

It’s the first working day of 2010, and it seems to be a case of so far so good…new stuff to use, new outlook on the year…let’s hope it stays on this tangent! I chose not to make specific resolutions this year, simply because I’d had a few too many ‘conditions’ to adhere to the past few months of 2009, and it ended with rather a huge disappointment and bad reaction so I’m instead going to try sticking to these broad themes instead.

1. RE-discover

Oh where do I start? I realized I’ve been getting into rather a rut when it comes to certain things and that certainly won’t do when there’s a whole world out there to discover! There are things that I’d almost all but forgotten I’d loved, or had to give up because of circumstance…like performing, for one. :)

So this year, I’m going to try and get back to doing some of the activities I used to do, and relook some of the things that I was a bit scared to try. Who knows, I may just find some old loves, and maybe end up discovering some new ones in the process too!

2. RE-evaluate

It’s been a while since I’ve had the time (or spent the time) to really sit down and reevaluate the various areas of my life – relationships, church, work, life…and this will be the year to do it. After all, I’ll be hitting the big 3-0 next year, so this would be a good time to finally check some items off my “things to do before I’m 30” list.

Of course, this would also extend to the material possessions…which means finances (gulp!) as well as sorting through the mountains of stuff I’ve amassed over the years. Time to streamline!! The ultimate goal is to turn my room into my own little den oasis (complete with entertainment system and supplies!) I’ve definitely got way more than what can possibly fit into the room and not enough space for what I’d really like to have in it in the first place, so let’s see what happens eh?

3. RE-juvenate

By comparison, I traveled more this year compared to last year, but closer to home (ie. up North to Bangkok, and down South to Singapore and Batam) partly due to the job change. I miss traveling overseas, and now that we don’t have the problem of worrying about having to fork out RM1,200 for a UK visa I’m game to go again! :D (it’s heaps cheaper to purchase tickets to Europe when you fly via London…I only paid about RM1,300 in 2008 for return flights and 4 night’s stay at a 4-star hotel in Barcelona – compare that to the RM4,000 I paid just for my plane ticket to London! And before you start, I was planning to go to London to begin with…you can’t imagine the shopping there!)

Traveling is my way of blowing off steam (ermm…and makes the biggest dent in my wallet!) but I’m actually aiming to rejuvenate BOTH myself and my finances this year, so let’s see how that goes! :D At the very least, Bangkok and Singapore beckon…

So that in a nutshell, are my goals for the year…with THIS underlying theme…

I’ve spent too much time worrying about what other people think, and not enough about what I think. That’s the ONE THING that I’m bent on changing!! :) What about you?

Remembering 2009...

2010-01-01T08:57:00.001+08:00

It seems that 2009 has just come and gone in the blink of an eye. Looking back at the posts throughout the year, I realized that 2009 was a mixed year for me…I definitely enjoyed parts of it, but there were also morose moments which I’m not going to go into here. Instead, I thought I’d choose to recount some of the more memorable parts…

Had a mini-reunion with some primary school mates that I really enjoyed as we pored through old photos and laughed about things old and new. They had another one recently, but I couldn’t make it since I had another event to attend.

Another one of the cousins got married. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic about it but it made for a pretty quiet CNY. Plus now my grandma is getting increasingly itchy to see the remaining ones married off! :s

Had the extreme pleasure of seeing David Archuleta perform LIVE in Kuala Lumpur…and damn if I didn’t fall hook, line and sinker for him…LOL!

Extremely thankful that both my grandmas are still alive, not to mention still quite hale and hearty *touch wood*. Both aren’t without their unique quirks which have given me quite a few laughs over the years!

I also changed jobs in 2009 – from Text 100 to a boutique agency called Sirius PR. Managed to take a two month break in between too – and spent some time in Singapore, Batam (had fun there, but there are also some memories there that I don’t really want to remember) and closer to home in Kuching too…for the Rainforest World Music Festival. Now THAT was a fun trip, and we’re gaming to go again in 2010. Anyone else want to come along for the next instalment? :)

Finally got to visit the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary over the long Raya weekend that saw us playing with the pachyderms and eat some really cheap food too…yummers!

September and October saw the house undergoing some major external renovations plus a badly-needed paint job. Dust flying everywhere, literally living from a suitcase, stuff piled everywhere (erm, still is, actually!) but the upsde was I got some lovely poses out of the mutts that never failed to provide me with some entertaining expressions – documented in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 too!

The second part of the year was also spent largely on my church’s 50th Anniversary musical – Experiencing God. That was certainly an experience in itself as we definitely could never have pulled it off on our own. Plus, we’ve discovered that many people have hidden talents – only takes the right reason to draw it out!

All that hard work had to be distressed sometime right? I actually didn't do that much travelling this year considering...so I ended up heading to Bangkok with Tine just before Christmas where we had a spot of serious shopping and relaxation. Had a super huge blast too! :D I really gotta think about doing this more often!

Gee…after looking back, I did do quite a bit huh?

Christmas is the time to share the love…and then some!

2009-12-28T15:09:00.001+08:00

Seems that every Christmas is just another excuse to eat, eat and EAT…and if we hadn’t already blamed it on having company, it even went down the road of “hey, let's try out this new place”…and although the eating started way before Christmas, the real massive festivities started with Christmas Eve…

Christmas Eve…to Christmas Day…to Boxing Day wedding dinners (culture shock for me when I saw FIVE wedding dinners being held SIMULTANEOUSLY at the Selayang Palace Restaurant…had to make sure I didn’t walk into the wrong hall!)…Japanese buffet at Munakata…and we’re not done by a long shot yet!

There’s still New Year’s Eve…New Year’s Day…a bloggie meet and post-musical production dinner…plus an early birthday dinner for my grandma who’s turning NINETY. Way to go!

Now the warning has been given – PLEASE don’t bring a scale anywhere near me for the next couple of weeks! :s

Tiger, can you please control your Woods?

2009-12-09T14:09:00.000+08:00

I just couldn’t resist putting that title on this post, simply because of the way this is playing out. In the span of a few weeks, there have already been 10 women coming forward saying they had affairs with Tiger Woods – and I have a feeling the number’s not going to stop there. No wonder there are jokes going around of “The Twelve Days of Mistress” for the holiday season.

Of course, as with all of these turn of events unfolding, there are still those that are trying to give Tiger excuses for his infidelities – claiming he may be addicted to sex (how convenient), or worse still, with a careless “he’s famous, what do you expect?”

Sure, we might have been inundated by infidelities of celebrities (think David Beckham, even Bill Clinton!) but has it really come to feigned indifference? And when the claims come that he started cheating on his wife Elin as early as 9 months into the marriage…that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Picture-perfect, no? He was said to have engaged in unprotected sex with these women too – who knows what he could have contracted and brought back to his wife, or worse, his kids. One is only two years old, while the other is only 9 months old. That makes my blood boil more than anything else – that someone could be so callous about his dalliances as to bring it back to his family.

Then of course, there is the other side to all this – Saturday Night Live did a parody of Tiger Woods on a recent episode, which came under fire for apparently making light of domestic abuse. For goodness sakes, some people can’t seem to take a joke. That’s why it’s called a PARODY? I found the clip hilarious, and personally, if Elin had taken the golf club to Tiger, I’d probably have said good for her (hypothetically of course).

For now, Tiger will just have to deal/beg/plead/work/settle all his affairs – figuratively and literally – as well as come to terms with the flack flying about on him. There have already been a couple of strong reactions in the form of Gatorade severing their sponsorship of Tiger, as well as the shutting down of the “First Church of Tiger Woods” which has interestingly been renamed “The Damnation of Tiger Woods”.

For now, the list stands as follows:
1. Holly Sampson (former porn star) – 36
2. Cori Rist (divorced mother) – 31
3. Jamiee Grubbs (cocktail waitress) – 24
4. Kalika Moquin (Las Vegas club manager) – 31
5. Jamie Jungers (model) – 26
6. Mindy Lawton (waitress from Orlando) – 33
7. Rachel Uchitel (club hostess from New York) – 34
8. Veronica Siwik-Daniels @ Joslyn James (porn star)
9. Anonymous (another cocktail waitress from Orlando) – 22
10. Anonymous (British television host)

Amusingly, all these women are claiming that they thought they were the ‘special’ one, and only came forward after hearing that they weren’t. It would seem that being considered the ‘third wheel’ in Tiger’s marriage was fine, but being just another woman in a string of conquests is unacceptable. I wonder why that is?

Will more women be added to the list before Tiger’s 34th birthday on 30th December? Who knows…but whatever the case, I’m sure it’ll be a media circus before we hear the end of it.

Experiencing God The Musical – One down, two to go…

2009-11-30T14:34:00.000+08:00

*whew*…finally had our first official run of the Experiencing God Musical yesterday morning in church, and whaddya know? We actually pulled it off! Now let’s pray we can sustain this for the upcoming two nights this weekend…

I must say I’ve been remarkably impressed by how the usually stoic choir members have gotten into the swing of things. Honestly, if you’d told me 6 months ago that they’d be prancing (okay, maybe that’s a bit much) around on stage, I’d laugh my head off at the thought. But not bad for a bunch of people ranging from their twenties to *ahem* golden years…all it took was some “Passion” and of course, it was all “For The Sake Of The Call”.

You should have seen the horror on their faces when they realized what they were in for…thankfully I was ensconced behind the piano – I merely heard the outbursts at the back of the choir where they thought the director couldn’t hear them! (see, got benefits being almost invisible!)

Trying to get people to move in tandem is NOT EASY! Not everyone was born to be Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers…so it was a matter of doing it “Step by Step”…oh heck, some of them even had to get “On My (Their) Knees” for it, but it was all taken in stride.

After nearly 6 months of note-bashing, rehearsals and endless adjustments to the movements, we ended up with pretty good results – week after week, the choir continuously managed to surprise us all (both good AND bad!) plus the men got into the spirit of growing their facial hair to fit in with the context of the musical…not to mention I think ALL of us grew sideways from all the birthday cakes/goodies from traveling choir members/nibbles from our resident singing baker…hey, good times and good things should be shared, right?

“Jesus…!!” oh, right, you are! Part of the makeup for our erm…rather robust Jesus. The funny part is, he’s also one of my musicians so having him leap out from behind stage and rush back to the musicians pit is quite a sight to see especially with his warpaint on. :D

One thing’s for sure though – “I Will Never Be The Same” after watching this come together. Just working on it has been an incredible experience, one that is very different from the other cantatas I’ve done. From the response of those that came yesterday (over 1,000 people not including the cast and crew!) it’s something different for them too, so hope to see you all this weekend! :D

PS: I’ll be behind the piano this time around. Come and say hi afterwards!
PPS: By the way, the portions in “inverted commas” are actual song titles from the musical…just thought I’d liven it up a bit…*grins*

Something for the midweek neck pain... :D

2009-11-11T12:43:00.000+08:00

Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street!! :D

2009-11-07T09:21:00.000+08:00

Besides Fraggle Rock, one of the main shows I grew up with was Sesame Street…who wouldn’t remember hearing the line “This show was brought to you by the letter ** and the number **”? :)

It’s hard to believe that Sesame Street is already 40 years old…there have been many changes to the cast of the show, but the iconic characters have always remained…I used to love Cookie Monster and Grover in particular, and I guess part of the reason I love Avenue Q so much is also because it reminds me of Sesame Street (albeit a grown-up version!)

I know those years are long gone, and there are plenty of other responsibilities now, but since my birthday’s just around the corner I’m entitled to reminisce, right?

Sunny Day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street

Come and play
Everything's A-OK
Friendly neighbours there
That's where we meet

Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street

I’m not the only one celebrating Sesame Street’s 40th birthday…Google has also come up with their own series of their logo in honour of this occasion. Cute!! :D

PS: Sesame Street’s actual birthday is on November 10th…same as yours truly! :D

Who said newspapers are boring?

2009-11-06T15:16:00.002+08:00

Did anyone catch Reggie Lee’s cartoon in The Star the other day after the incredulous announcement of the methods suggested in combating Terengganu’s high divorce rate? It had me in stitches…the only part I suppose he couldn’t cover was “appropriate sleepwear”, but nevertheless…quite apt, don’t you think?

Speaking of newspapers and hilarious news, I think I really have to get my hands on UK newspapers…they print the most entertaining stuff. Take these examples that I was sent recently…

You mean the water was THAT cold?

Must’ve been taking lessons from The Ugly Truth…LOL!

And I suppose the screams of terror didn’t raise any alarms…

Should’ve gone to the loo before the surgery, sir...you didn't think you could launch a sneak attack and get away with it now, did you?

How’s that for a few Friday laughs? :D

Miserable Mutts – part 3…

2009-10-29T18:20:00.000+08:00

Aitelyu, I swear my mutts are getting more and more creative by the day in concocting new poses for me to take pictures of…just check out the latest lot from the past couple of days – you’ll die laughing!

Presenting the invisible Nikki…who thinks a branch will shield her from being seen and told to “get down from there!”

Midnight tries to earn his keep by impersonating a walrus in his free time…

Cypher comes up with YET ANOTHER brilliant pose to look pathetic (and yes, I realise those are not the exact lyrics - they just sounded appropriate…hehe)

Just so the SPCA and Furry Friends Farm don’t come after me thinking I abuse my dogs, here’s the other side of the coin – they’re really very spoilt, loved mutts…"jin ho mia" (very lucky), as a lot of friends put it. Just a few more days poochies, hang in there! :D

(Who knows, I may just get a few more hilarious photos until then!)

AkashA Live @ Alexis Ampang…

2009-10-29T17:18:00.002+08:00

When I was at the Rainforest World Music Festival in July, one of the bands that I really thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish was AkashA, thanks to their eclectic mix of music and styles. When I realized they were performing at Alexis Ampang last weekend, I simply couldn’t resist making a trip downtown to listen to them.

True enough, they didn’t disappoint, although the group has gotten bigger since the last time I saw them – the flautist is new (as well as the sole female addition to the group!) but she was fabulous…I think her notes on the flute were sometimes faster than what I can manage on the piano! o.O

We stayed for the entire 2hr+ set – most of the songs were those I’d heard before, with some variations thrown in. They've got one of the more creative blends of music I've heard so far - Irish Joget, Bombay Bossanova, Brickfield Blues...not forgetting of course their trademark "Ipoh Hor Fun"...LOL! I love hearing Eric Li on the piano - gives me goosebumps sometimes (not unlike when I listen to Josh Groban!)

I do hope they come up with some new stuff soon though…it’d be a shame to get stuck in a rut playing the same few songs to death (even if they are really good!)

Miserable mutts – part 2…

2009-10-20T16:45:00.001+08:00

It’s now coming to Week 8 of renovations (OMG, when is this going to end?!?) and the workers are still going about their business of doing the porch. At least the inside of the house has been mostly painted (I’m finally back in my room, slowly sorting through all my junk) and the extension is just about finished, but for the “Mutt-keters”, this cannot end soon enough – they’re ready to revolt from being cooped up in the cage when the workers are around as opposed to their free reign of the entire garden. Just check out their latest round of miserable faces (doesn’t it make you want to pinch their cheeks? If they had any to pinch, that is!)

It’s ok mutts…renovations will be done real soon…they HAVE to finish by end October at most, so you’ll soon be back ruling the roost in a couple of weeks!

Oh grow up already!

2009-10-20T15:49:00.001+08:00

I’m sure by now everyone has heard of the fiasco surrounding the Malaysia’s Supermodel Search Presents Ford Supermodel of the World, and the never-ending press conferences being called by Amber Chia to make her announcements.

In a nutshell, the whole issue hit the papers when Amber called a press conference calling the Supermodel Search off due to a disagreement with the show’s creator Yap Wen-Ji (after signing a memorandum of understanding for their business partnership!). She demands to see the franchise contract the next day, during which Wen-Ji was a no-show prompting her to write to Ford Models Inc.

Amazingly, within 48 hours, Amber called yet ANOTHER press conference to announce that Ford Models Inc offered her the sole Malaysian franchisee rights to the prestigious Ford Supermodel of the World contest (err…based on what?) and to publicly ask for corporate sponsorship (!!).

Will someone please tell this woman to grow up?!? Something smells fishy with all the stories that have been reported – and here’s why:

1. Amber says the show was started based on a lot of verbal agreements as she considered Wen-Ji a friend – hmm…as someone in ‘the business’ for so long, she actually took verbal agreements and even signed a MoU? Anyone knows that nothing is official unless it’s in black and white. Come on la, that’s the first thing they teach you when you start work – COVER YOUR A** (get it in writing). Business savvy? You think? Amber dear, I think you need a new legal advisor if you were indeed advised to sign an agreement based on verbal promises.
2. All these announcements were made AFTER the show had already started – why wait until now to create a scene? Think of all the production money wasted, not to mention all the time of the contestants and crew.
3. After Wen-Ji was a no-show at the second press conference, Amber writes to Ford Models Inc – couldn’t she have written to them directly BEFORE arranging all these press conferences instead of waiting until kena FFK?
4. In less than 48 hours after writing to Ford Models Inc, they’ve offered her and her company the franchise rights to the Ford Supermodel of the World contest – I had no idea a global corporation’s franchise could be given out in such a record time to a local company. Aren’t there background checks and such that need to be conducted?
5. Since time is running out, Amber is publicly asking for corporate sponsorship from interested parties – right…and someone who considers herself Malaysia’s supermodel doesn’t have contacts? Plus the fact that she’s endorsed at least 50 brands in the past few years (serious, at my old office we kept a tally of the number of brands she endorsed just to see how many she would take)

Was it just me, or did anyone else notice that most of the pictures taken from the press conferences have Amber ‘sobbing her eyes out’?

5 October – crying…

6 October – still crying…

8 October – oh puhleez…looks more like she’s trying to hide a grin…

Errgghh…she needs a good smacking!! 28 years old and still behaving like this? The piece-de-resistance is her quote in The Star Online – “It’s always been my dream to find the next ‘Amber Chia’ for Malaysia.”

*choke* The next Amber Chia? Don’t flatter yourself darling, you’re not famous – you’re INfamous.

Better yet, today NST reported that her former business partner Yap Wen-Ji is suing Amber for defamation, seeking general damages of RM10 million, aggravated damages of RM5 million, interest, an injunction restraining Chia, Sin Chew Corporation and Pook Ah Lek (Sin Chew's Editor-in-Chief) from further publishing defamatory statements, and an order that Chia retracts her statements and apologises within five days. Should be interesting to see how this one pans out.

Want to read the stories for yourself? All the info was taken from these articles below:
Amber in contractual disagreement with reality show’s creator – The Star Online (Oct 5)
Bitter lesson for Amber as friend is ‘missing’ again – The Star Online (Oct 6)
Amber Chia offered rights to supermodel contest – The Star Online (Oct 8)
Amber spills the beans on franchising rights – Malay Mail (Oct 8)
Amber Chia sued for defamation – NST Online (Oct 20)

Miss Invisible…

2009-10-09T12:35:00.001+08:00

I’m sure everyone’s heard by now about Marie Digby and her rise as a Youtube sensation. For me, I’d never really paid much attention to her song other than falling for her acoustic rendition of ‘Umbrella’ (sorry Rihanna, she does the song so much better) and thinking that she had a bit of a resemblance to Devon Aoki at certain angles (probably attributed to the Japanese genes). While browsing through Youtube a while back, I came across one of Marie’s older songs, Miss Invisible which I thought was pretty awesome – the best songs are those that trigger memories (hopefully good ones!), but nevertheless, this brought back some memories of highschool...for better or worse.

There’s a girl
Who sits under the bleachers
Just another day eating alone
And though she smiles
There is something just hiding
And she can’t find a way to relate
She just goes unnoticed
As the crowd passes by
And she'll pretend to be busy
When inside she just wants to cry
She'll say...

Chorus:
Take a little look at the life of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little harder, I really, really want you to put yourself in her shoes
Take another look at the face of Miss Always Invisible
Look a little closer and maybe then you will see why she waits for the day
When you'll ask her…her name

The beginning, in the first weeks of class
She did everything to try and fit in
But the others they couldn’t seem to get past all the things that mismatched on the surface
And she would close her eyes when they left and she fell down the stairs
And the more that they joked
And the more that they screamed
She retreated to where she is now
And she'll sing...

Chorus

And one day just the same as the last
Just the days spent in counting the time
Came a boy that sat under the bleachers just a little bit further behind...

~ Marie Digby, Miss Invisible

Responsible, Ethical and Free Coffee, Anyone? :D

2009-10-06T15:24:00.000+08:00

Who wants a good wakeup call tomorrow? The Good Coffee Day at Starbucks is on tomorrow from 10am-12pm at all Starbucks Coffee stores in Malaysia. Details are below…

You can also surf on to www.starbucks.com/sharedplanet for more details. :)

Da Vinci in Malaysia…

2009-10-05T17:00:00.001+08:00

Until Dan Brown’s book, the first thought I’d always had when Da Vinci was mentioned was “the man that painted the Mona Lisa!” Now, it’s more of “Code?” followed by the thought mentioned previously. I wonder whether the Da Vinci Code will now mean the younger generation’s first thought of Da Vinci would be “The movie Da Vinci Code!”

If they are, hopefully their parents will be savvy enough to steer them back in the right direction. As for me, I still have fond memories of seeing the Mona Lisa up close in the Louvre during a trip to Paris back in my younger days.

Since I can’t exactly make it to the Louvre anytime soon to see Da Vinci (the exchange rate is insane!), I might as well let him come to me! :) From 1st October 2009 onwards, there will be 188 exhibits of Leonardo Da Vinci’s work at the National Science Centre (Pusat Sains Negara).

Tickets are going for RM25 (so much more affordable than buying a plane ticket!) but better still, Gallivanter is giving away 50 sets x 2 passes each for free! LOL…I want me those tickets!! *pretty please?*

For more information on the exhibition check out Gallivanter’s site here.

Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary…

2009-09-28T17:49:00.002+08:00

Over the long Raya weekend, a bunch of us headed towards Lanchang to check out the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary. Hoping that it wouldn’t be too crowded, we actually left a bit later to arrive in Lanchang just in time for lunch…and discovered the ‘town’ was so small, they didn’t even need street names, just numbers!

There was only one Chinese coffee shop open, so beggars can’t be choosers right? LOL…

The shop reminded me of the little authentic kopitiams I used to see with my grandparents in Seremban as a small child. What astounded us was the small-town prices too – 12 of us big buffaloes chowing down on four different plates of noodles as well as drinks, and the total came up to merely RM52!! Shocking rite?

We finally got to the Elephant Sanctuary about 1.00pm only to find out that rides on the elephants were limited to 120 a day and those tickets had been all sold out, so we had to be content with feeding them instead. But this sign was just too funny – who would want to wear a bikini to bathe an elephant??

There were three baby elephants in the clearing – boy, elephants’ hides are seriously tough…and these babies were just so naughty going for anyone that had food.

Really, they’ll do just about anything for food. Those who didn’t bring food for them were simply ignored, which drove some of the visitors to strip leaves from the nearby trees to tempt the baby heffalumps.

Some visitors even brought sugarcane for them, which was nice. Initially I’d thought they would be chomping on the whole piece, but they turned out to be pretty smart and deft in breaking the sugarcane into bite-sized segments.

The feeding of the elephants at 2pm is one of the sanctuary’s main events, which was preceded with some bellowing from the bigger elephants (some of us thought it sounded scarily like those dinosaur “awwarrrkkkk” sounds from Jurassic Park!) as they were led down to the river to bathe before being fed. I must say, some of them were rather enjoying themselves… :D

Considering this was the 2nd day of Raya, this was a rather huge crowd (estimated 300+ people) and included a large number of Malays too.

As usual, trying to get us to take a group shot is a problem ("are we standing in front of the right sign?" "right, there you go")…LOL…

…especially when SOMEONE decided to traipse off to take yet more pictures of an elephant he spotted by the water’s edge!! *shakes head*

Finally! Aitelyu, this bunch never fails to spark off hilarious memories of events – the most notable to date being the excursion to Gua Tempurung quite a few years back…*smiles at the memory*

We finished at the Elephant Sanctuary about 3.15pm, and since Deerland was situated nearby, we thought we’d drop by there too but it turns out that place was closed. Notice anything funny about the posters?

I wouldn’t mind making another trip back there, just to ride the elephants. Heck, I’d even get downright grubby and jump into the river with them! *starts chanting to self* don’t think about what’s in the water, don’t think about what’s in the water…*grins*

Happy Birthday pontianak79...

2009-09-28T01:27:00.002+08:00

Hey, I thought I'd give you a break from the *cough* tribute I did last year eh? :D Happy Birthday babe!! :)

Meet the new security guard…

2009-09-23T17:13:00.000+08:00

Ever since the number of burglaries in my neighbourhood increased, the local resident’s association has employed security guards to patrol the entrances and exits to my housing area, not to mention closed off all external access roads after 10pm at night leaving only one open. Couple that with car stickers issued to every resident, you’d think that would make for a pretty secure neighbourhood, right?

Well, perhaps the security guards themselves didn’t think so…last weekend when we were leaving the house, my twinkletoes dad told us about a new security guard at the guardhouse and drove past to show us – presenting…my housing area’s new security guard…

Yup, you saw right…we have a leopard guarding the estate! But before you animal activists go up in arms, it’s actually a furry toy and NOT real (apparently it looks rather realistic since some friends on Twitter thought it was! Heehee…)

Leopold the leopard comes complete with a rope leash to prevent him from running away (or conveniently going AWOL, as is quite likely with anything that isn’t welded or clamped down). You gotta hand it to the security guards…this is pretty entertaining! :D

The long weekend is over, and it’s finally done!!

2009-09-23T11:27:00.000+08:00

Gosh, where did my four-day weekend go?? Besides squeezing in the four weddings I spoke of earlier, I also managed to slip in a trip to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary (more on that in a later post) but one of the more entertaining weddings was that of an ex-Text 100 colleague, Corina.

This couple has finally made it down the aisle after a two year engagement…but left poor Toby (now Andrew Tobias Chee-Yap) in the car (!!) Absolutely hilarious stuff during the dinner, especially since I had a blast catching up with the rest of the Texties and meeting the new additions to the team.

Of course, in true tradition, some things never change…in view of her new husband, Corina did what she does best…use Lee as a prop!

Oh my word…I wonder whether that was her way of ‘thanking’ him for doing their wedding video (which apparently had the groom sweating at the beginning wondering if they’d gotten the right person to do the job!) In true Lee style, he didn’t disappoint…just check out the video below!

Guaranteed to entertain! :D I’m still in stitches over it…Lee, please please do mine too (if/when I ever get married, that is!)

PS: No need to get so worried and call child services for leaving Toby in the car...he's a teddy bear! :)

Weddings galore…

2009-09-16T12:29:00.001+08:00

I don’t know about the rest of you, but this long Raya weekend is going to be a flurry of weddings for me – I have (count em!) FOUR weddings to attend over the course of Saturday to Monday (!!) Two ex-colleagues, a highschool friend and a college mate (and yes, all on the bride’s side for some reason…LOL…) Must be a really good weekend to get married or something...

There are also plenty of activities leading up to the big days for these ladies, the most memorable to date being SH’s hens night where her younger sister ended up planning an agenda that had us in stitches and hysterics…

As always, you can’t have a ‘party’ without party supplies, right? With copious amounts of alcohol, everything also can...

Dolling up the bachelorette for the evening…fake eyelashes a must!

See what I mean? SH’s older sister SK plying her with Absolut to make sure she’s in the right frame of mind before the evening’s shenanigans started. And good thing too…the organizer hired a stripper for the evening, and OMG…what transpired was funnier than any of us could have imagined. Let’s say the stripper act was…most unexpected…in so many ways!

With SH’s sister-in-law to be, SL

Good pictures are a must, so here’s the angelic side…

…and the not-so-angelic side!

Making a heap of noise at Velvet fueled by the champagne and even more liquor…I didn’t stay too long since I had to get up early the next day, but had a blast nonetheless…congratulations again girl, will see you again in a few days! *hugz*

Miserable mutts…

2009-09-11T10:57:00.001+08:00

I cannot wait for this to be over…right now, the house looks like a bomb-hit area thanks to the renovations being done to the porch and balcony.

No more porch! All the cars have had to be parked next door, and it’s a veritable game of musical chairs each time to see who’s going in/out first.

For that matter, those of you that have been over before would have seen an extension here – that too is GONE! (to be redone along with the balcony above).

It’s been two weeks, and hoo boy, getting harder and harder to maneuver around all the bits and pieces lying around. First it was the unimaginable huge amount of fine dust being kicked up that gets into EVERYTHING, *ahh-choo* then having to weave our way through all the wooden bars holding up the balcony frame (better than Entrapment!) and navigating through the minefield of bricks, rocks, sand and…erm…doggie ‘presents’ (hey, the poor mutts still have to go to the toilet y’know!)

Speaking of mutts, the dogs are currently torn between being absolutely forlorn at being kept in a cage at the back while the workers are around, or fascinated at the new places they have to explore each time the workers leave. And yes, everything has been most thoroughly examined by these monkeys…right up to dancing on the wooden platforms covering the big holes the workers have dug.

I got this shot of Cypher a couple of days back just after they’d gone into the cage. He comes up with the most miserable looks sometimes, but looks so cute doing it. What he did was actually lean his muzzle against the bar and start sliding down. Like the rest of my dogs, he has really loose skin, so it ended up getting pulled up by the bar, and left his tongue hanging out around it…eeeks…

The one that’s been left the most miserable of the lot would have to be Patches. Thanks to all the dust and dirt outside, she has been banned from the house until renovations are over. For one, I’d be sneezing nonstop…and the whole house would be covered with a layer of white dust! Hasn’t stopped her from trying though – she’s been sitting next to the door at night, just hoping she’ll be let in to snooze on her blue doggie bed in my airconditioned room…not a bad life eh?

Here’s what she looked like when I left for work this morning…pathetic or not? She wouldn’t even look at me! Anyone want to loan her a doggie bed for the next couple of weeks while the renovations are being completed…?

The Ugly Truth…

2009-09-09T15:43:00.002+08:00

Ever wanted to know the brutal facts about what attracts men and women? If so, you simply HAVE to watch this movie…

I had the good fortune of watching The Ugly Truth yesterday (thanks Xin for the invite!) and ended up meeting a whole group of familiar and new bloggers. But that’s for another story…hehe…we are talking about the movie itself, right?

The movie synopsis itself is pretty plebian:
A romantically-challenged morning show producer (Katherine Heigl) is embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent (Gerard Butler) to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.

* Alert: ‘Sort of’ semi-spoiler ahead!

This movie is practically a laugh-a-minute with the innuendoes and propositions thrown about. I’m only miffed that as usual, our lovely censorship board did a bang-up job of censoring all the good bits of the movie (come on guys, people are not paying good money just to have scenes slashed with haphazard splicing!). However, it was quite funny to see the way the two characters Abby and Mike interacting with each other. And a random thought – why is it that the couple that’s meant to fall in love always detests each other at first?

A few thoughts I had about the movie (in no random order):

1. Women are always going to be objectified – there were no ‘normal’ women in the movie, and the only woman that looked ordinary was made fun of.
2. Guys can be led around the nose by a good looking pair of t*ts and a*se – really, I think that they’d completely go for those that had plain faces but good bodies. After all, there’s always doggy-style or as a last resort, a paper bag.
3. Men are CONFUSED – this is SO true! For all the talk of molding her into ‘what men want’, he still fell for her existing qualities (yeah, control freak and all!)…so which is it? Do they really want the ‘semi-goddess-semi-slut’ they try to get us to be, or are they going to fall for us anyway regardless?
4. Gerard Butler is HAWT! – ‘nuff said. *goes weak in the knees*
5. Katherine Heigl has a body TO DIE FOR – I tell you, the guys in the cinema must’ve been desperately trying to keep their eyes in their sockets when she bent over in that white dress!

I loved it! And for good measure, here are my two favourite scenes from the movie…

This was hilarious! Having her try to give her company executives a presentation on the upcoming commercials while ‘the bean is being flicked’ (as Mike put it) had everyone in hysterics!

If someone were to ever dance with me the way these two were going on the dance floor, I would SO be a goner by then…*sizzle*

In the end though, I guess this is true after all – the hearts are just where they should be (you bad bad men!).

And that, ladies and gentlemen…is the ugly truth! :D

Life is like a revolving door…

2009-09-09T09:09:00.000+08:00

Don’t you just feel like this sometimes...?

Bangkok here we come!!

2009-09-08T12:47:00.000+08:00

It’s been a while since my last trip to Bangkok (I think my last trip was in 2007/2008) and with so many changes in the past few months, traveling has been sort of pushed to the back of my mind. Other things had to take priority, y'know?

No matter though…it’s been settled, and I’ll be back there end of the year! :) Shopping, food, massage, girlie gossip…can’t wait! But now, what am I going to do until December comes?? o.O

How much is your dog worth to you?

2009-09-07T18:15:00.001+08:00

If you’ve passed by the LDP near Kelana Jaya recently, you would have noticed this big billboard that stood out among the others…

To me, this was pretty surprising since I hadn’t come across someone advertising for their lost dogs in this manner before (proposals and weddings, yes, but not for pets!) but whatever the case, I hope those pooches get found soon.

That said, the owner must’ve spent a small fortune having the billboard printed and on the rental since it’s been up for quite a few weeks now. I wonder though, couldn’t the money have been spent in a different way? Don’t get me wrong, what people do with their money is their own business but I can’t help but wonder how taking out a billboard would help get their dog back better/faster than say, hiring a PI for the same price?

Then again, I also wondered the same thing about the guy that spent RM40,000 on a billboard just to propose…hmm…

Why Am I So Tired?

2009-09-01T18:02:00.004+08:00

LOL...this was taken from a forwarded email to me by a friend - I thought it was quite funny (although I can see where the calculation mistakes are!)

For the past few years, I’ve been complaining of lack of sleep and too much stress, but now I know the real reason – I’m tired from overwork…want to know why? I’ll lay it down for you – don’t play play, this is for real, and not something I cooked up:

Malaysia’s current population is 23 million people.
1.7 million are retired.
That leaves 21.3 million people.

1.3 million are children under the age of 6.
That leaves 20 million people.

Out of this 20 million, 7 million are still studying (school, college, university, etc)
That leaves 13 million people who can work.

Out of these 13 million, 5 million are government servants that go to work but…
That leaves 8 million people to work.

Oh wait, I have to take off 3 million people who live in the wetlands and forests (land troops) because hey, how are you going to use email in the jungle?
So that leaves us with…5 million people…

From that figure, 2.7 million people are unemployed, not working, housewives, those on VSS, the elderly, fresh university graduates, the retrenched, etc
That leaves 2.3million people that can do the work.

From this number, as many as 1,215,512 people have been reported sick and are currently in hospitals all over Malaysia (including government and private hospitals, as well as those for the mentally unstable)
And we’re left with 1,084,488 people to work…

Now based on the latest statistics, there are 1,084,486 people in jail and detention centres across the country.
That leaves us with only two people to do the work!!

Out of these two people, YOU ARE NOW still sitting in front of the PC, playing games, surfing the Internet, reading emails and jokes, chatting and not doing any work at all! That leaves poor me to do the work all by myself in this country.

No wonder I’m so tired!! So get back to work!!

Disclaimer: This is meant to be a JOKE - I claim no responsibility for those who choose to take it seriously.

Fond memories...

2009-08-20T12:48:00.002+08:00

If I ever needed a reason to miss all the nutcases at Text 100, this would be it...

I was laughing so hard I got a bad stitch in my side...oh, and that pink feather boa is going to be a legend! LOL...miss you guys heaps, especially with all the noise and ruckus in the office... :)

Annoying texting habits to avoid…

2009-08-18T10:33:00.001+08:00

10 Annoying Text Habits to Avoid

OMG…this is hilarious! It’s actually meant to be dating advice, but if you read it, you’ll find that you could probably think of someone that fits into one of the 10 categories. My personal favourites are below:

#2. The Texting Cult (this tends to happen quite a lot, come to think about it!)
There is always at least one point in the night -- a lull in the conversation, a pause between thoughts -- when it gets really quiet, and you look around and realize that all your friends are busy texting. One person pulls out her iPhone while everyone else is looking at the dinner bill, and then someone else starts doing it, and before you know it, you're in the middle of the sacred circle of text. Resist the urge to choose some random person in your contacts to send a useless message to. Instead, pull out your phone and send a text to everyone at the table asking, "Should we order something else?" It will make everyone laugh but also point out the silliness of the situation.

#5. The Bulk Texter (I hate these!!)
An example of what a series of texts from this person might look like:
1. Hey!
2. What's up?
3. What are you doing tonight?
4. Some of us are going to Cool People Club tonight.
5. Around 10
6. It's gonna be me and Chris
7. Are you coming?
8. Let us know
9. Byeee!
10. lolz

An example of what that exchange should look like:
Text 1: Hey, Chris and I are going to Cool People Bar around 10 tonight. Let us know if you wanna come.

An example of what you could text back:
1. Please
2. never
3. text
4. me
5. this
6. way
7. again.(one minute pause)
8. For "realz."

#9. The Lingering K (an ex-boss used to LOVE sending ‘k’ in response to sms…so irritating!)
This one is especially aggravating if you're not on an unlimited texting plan. You get a message asking how your day went or if you'll be free at a certain time, so you send back a detailed and informative reply. Your phone dings again. You open the message and it says..."k." Do people not even have the decency to include the o? The offender doesn't even need to reply to the message. But if they feel the need to, could they not at least drum up something a little more personal/creative/not totally unnecessary? Respond by letting them know how much, to the cent, they owe you for superfluous texts the next time you're together. Then hold your palm out expectantly.

#10. The Needs-to-Grow-Up Texter (you know it’s bad when even their EMAILS start to look like this – and these are WORK emails mind you!)
Guys should never, ever get comfortable with using text slang and abbreviations. Whether he's a friend, date, or boyfriend, no girl wants to associate the men in their lives with tween-speak. The next time he sends you a "TTY L8ER" or "C U 2morrow," tell him that he should really consider an iPhone, BlackBerry, Sidekick, or "anything that gives you more room to text." He'll realize how outdated his text-talk is.

Have a read, and let me know which one you liked!

Vanessa Hudgens does it again…

2009-08-06T09:24:00.000+08:00

Two years ago, our jaws dropped in shock when we found out High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens had taken nude pictures of herself, supposedly to “keep the spark” in her relationship with Zac Efron (a few months together, and you already lost the spark? Time for a reality check!). Vanessa later apologized, and promised that she had learnt her lesson.

I take it most of us would have assumed that “learnt her lesson” would have meant she wouldn’t do it again, but apparently not. The latest scandal surrounding her is yet ANOTHER nude picture scandal that’s making its way around the web.

Published photos on a lot of the bigger websites such as Perez Hilton’s site have since been removed on action from Vanessa’s attorneys, but there are still plenty of sites that have published them.

Spike (censored)
Alberta Adult Board (non-censored)

*sigh*…what kind of image is she portraying? The most disturbing thing about this is that a lot of youngsters are happily taking pictures, or worse, videos of themselves in compromising positions. The High School Musical movies have got a huge tween fanbase – how many of those impressionable kids are going to see this and think “if Vanessa Hudgens can do it, why not me?” (and not in a good way!)

Sadly, even if the guys get caught on video or pictures, society impression is that they’re “studs”, but the ladies are always labeled “sl*ts” or other derogatory terms.

I’d like to believe that parents teach their kids at least the basic values of self-respect, but in today’s times…I’m just not sure. Kind of kills the desire to have kids, doesn’t it? (although at the rate the young ones are going at it nowadays, they’re probably going to more than boost the world population rate…the number of teenage pregnancies nowadays can more than attest to that!)

Rainforest World Music Festival…

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

Woohoo…just another 36 hours and I’ll be off to Kuching for this…

Five days (well, three for the festival!) of music, food and some good ol’ fun. :) Can’t wait! Anyone else going for this, gimme a holler when you get there k? The more the merrier!

Most Unique Way To Get a Job…

2009-05-28T18:53:00.000+08:00

For everyone who has ever come across hilarious resumes, this one would have to take the cake (especially for the men!)

Employer’s Response:

Dear Lotty,

It’s OK honey, we’ve got spell check.

Can you start on Monday?

And the ‘pikture’ Lotty sent?

*LMAOROFLOL*

Random Update #2...

2009-05-06T22:44:00.000+08:00

Looks like I'm being reduced to random updates hor? LOL...the past month has been pretty hectic to say the least, but it’s definitely been interesting.

One of the main highlights (apart from actually seeing David Archuleta perform live) were these events in particular…

Paddock Access to this year’s F1…LOL…

One of my clients is a sponsor of one of the F1 teams, and I ended up having to take media there on a tour. I was supposed to be ‘babysitting’ them, but hey, as a perk I got to go on the garage tour too…LOL…couldn’t take any pictures inside, but hey, I’ll settle for the outside…hahaha…

Want to take a guess whose garage this is? :D

After that perk, it was all about buckling down for my church’s Easter cantata. It was hard work, but not too bad after it was over. But at least it was all worth it. And special thanks go out to Kahani, Paris, Pinkelle and J for coming to support! :)

The entire cast – not as big as the Christmas cantata, but still pretty decent all the same.

My absolute love…flowers! LOL…I don’t get them as often as I would like to, but they’re gorgeous when I do…heh…

Only bummer about the past month is that the vertigo I had previously came back…with a vengeance. This was promptly followed by a high fever, which took quite a while to recover from. I only wish I could figure out what the heck was triggering these vertigo episodes…arrghh…the doc said it was viral, but viral what??

But on to happier things…this little baby is just coming to a week old – meet my new car!

I haven’t taken any decent photos of the car itself yet, so you’ll have to make do with this stock photo taken off the website. The colour’s called Medallion Grey, but it works out as more of a “powder grey with a tint of blue”. It drives like a DREAM I tell you, not to mention I foresee a drop in my petrol expenses, since I can run it on RON92 petrol instead of the RON97 I was running my previous car on for the same mileage, if not better. :D

Oh, and the reason I got it? Was because the license plate number and letters I wanted finally came out! Hehe…It is quite simply, the initials of my Chinese name together with my birthdate…about as close to a “personalized license plate” as you can get in Malaysia.

That’s the past month in a nutshell…but there will be some big changes coming up soon, so stay tuned…and it won’t be another month before my next update, I promise! :D

David Archuleta Live in Malaysia…

2009-05-06T13:15:00.000+08:00

Haha…ok, this post is almost a month overdue, but things have just been a bit crazy lately…guess who caught David Archuleta live last month, and with a VIP pass to boot? LOL…

To be honest, I hadn’t really paid much attention to David Archuleta prior to this, other than thinking he had a decent voice and probably didn’t win American Idol because he was seriously YOUNG (he was what, 17 at the time of the finals?)

Anyway, thanks to a client, a colleague and myself found ourselves making our way to Sunway Lagoon’s amphitheatre on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. You would not imagine the agonizing crowds that were there. So many of them were just pushing and shoving their way, desperate to get into the entrance, to the point that even the media that were there to cover the event couldn’t get in.

Better yet, once we had gotten in, somewhere along the last 50 metres to the amphitheatre, it started raining – cats, dogs, elephants…you get the idea. Not that inside the amphitheatre was any better – just check out the crowd! (times like this I was seriously thankful for the VIP section tickets!)

One of the hosts – JJ from HitzFM

There were three opening acts before David came on, and the crowd just seemed to get more and more agitated after each one…honestly, I had only heard of the last one, which was Daniel of Malaysian Idol. Even then, their performances were…meh.

The emcees were doing their best to keep the crowd controlled and passing the time by playing games – check it out, she’s David Archuleta’s “biggest” fan (don’t play play, she can sing his songs…and in tune too!)

But hey, good things come to those who wait…

I must say, his stage presence and performance are really quite remarkable for someone so young. Okay, so maybe the 12,000-strong crowd shrieking and screaming behind had something to do with it, but compared to the earlier opening acts, he was MILES better.

Trademark quote of the day from the colleague: “God, he makes me feel positively paedophilic!” (mind you, we weren’t big fans when we first walked in!)

If I wasn’t already a fan by this time, I can tell you – I totally fell hook, line and sinker when he started playing the keyboard…and he’s GOOD at it! Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” and Robbie Williams’ “Angels” never sounded so nice acoustic. Bummer that he only performed 5 songs in total though.

How not to take a picture here for memory’s sake? :D

You know the real funny thing about the weather that day? The rain was coming down in DROVES, but stopped throughout David’s show…only to return with a vengeance immediately after his showcase ended. Golden voice you reckon? A lot of kids were stuck outside the amphitheatre waiting for transport and such after the show, but there were also a large number of kids which were ferried home from the parking lot immediately outside the amphitheatre by their parents and drivers in expensive cars…sheesh.

The ones that I really could not stand were these brats at the bus stop. The show ended at about 5pm, and with the massive traffic jams and rain, we had been waiting for the bus / taxi (whatever could get us back to Pyramid) for quite a while. These kids behind us just kept on whining and whinging the entire time with sentences like “Where the HELL is my mother? I told her to be here at 5.15pm!” “Oh my God…how can my parents be this late – they said they would be here after the show!” and texting away on their mobile phones.

Apparently the boys families all knew each other, because about 6pm, a car drove past and dropped off two ladies – presumably two of the mothers of the boys. And if I had already been irritated by their whining earlier, this was even more incredulous. This was the conversation that ensued between the boy and mother:

Boy: WHY are you late?!?
Mom: Sorry, the traffic was bad, we had to wait in traffic…
Boy: (cuts mother off) I TOLD you the show was over at 5pm!
Mom: You should have told me earlier, when you called me it was already 5.15pm.
Boy: So? You left me here to wait for 45 minutes!
Mom: Sorry…

WTF?? By the way, it’s not as if we were intentionally eavesdropping – the boy really was THAT loud. What on earth is worse…the boy scolding his mother, or the mother actually APOLOGIZING to the son? Hello, the queue of cars was seriously LONG, not to mention made worse by the rain, and this boy is whining about waiting 45 minutes? He must be thinking the car will just magically fly and be waiting for His Royal (Pain in the ASS) Highness whenever he snaps his fingers. If that wasn’t worse, he was sitting down not even bothering to look at his mother while he was scolding her, all the time fiddling with his mobile phone.

If anything, I felt a bit sorry for the mother but I found it hard to sympathize with her. After all, if she had nipped his behaviour in the bud when it first started developing and whipped his butt for being so insolent, this wouldn’t have been a problem. But she didn’t, and now he’s a demanding, pushy, whiny brat.

Can you imagine, he was complaining loudly about how it was such a “waste of time” and “not worth it” for the showcase because David Archuleta only performed FIVE songs and they had to stand. Gee, it’s not as if they paid for the tickets in the first place! The tickets were given out free to those who had either purchased a DiGi pack or David’s CD. Free also want to complain? If I could, I would have just slapped that boy hard (or walk past and just conveniently run my knee into his side)…geez, these kids really need a lesson in manners!

Maybe they should take a page out of David Archuleta’s book – he was SO well-mannered throughout his three-day stay in Malaysia. All ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and not a hint of diva-ness even though he’s hot property. Still need to ask for more reasons to like David Archuleta? :)

So this is why I hate bad grammar...

2009-05-05T22:31:00.002+08:00

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct.

It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.

If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.

As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.

And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

Grandmas...you gotta love them!

2009-05-03T18:35:00.002+08:00

My maternal grandma has just returned to Johor after about a month or so in KL, and my paternal grandma is now staying with us (ie. in my room!) for the next two weeks. I’d been meaning to do this post for the longest time, but never got around to it...now’s a good a time as any! :D

They both look very unassuming hor? Don’t play play...these two ladies are very no-nonsense k! Haha...my paternal grandma (left) is 89 this year, while my maternal grandma (right) is 86 – and both are still going strong! They never fail to drive me into peals of laughter thanks to their antics...some classic memories / examples that will forever stand out:

Memory #1 – In the car with PG (paternal grandma) on family holiday
Mom: (pointing to lady walking past) Eh, that woman wearing black bra under a white top.
PG: What’s the problem? Very ‘hip’ what...
Me: Ahh? Serious or not wan? Don’t tell me if end up wearing black bra under wedding dress also ‘hip’ ah?
PG: WHY NOT? Sure can!
Me: (whispers to Tine) If this ever happens ya, we say MAMA say can ah...

Memory #2 – With MG (maternal grandma) while trying to take her across the road
Me: Grandma, you can’t just walk in front of cars!
MG: Aiyah, they can see me what...long ji oo sia ma (hit got sound what)...
Me: ......

Memory #3 – In the middle of the night (I have to share my bed with my PG, so this happens QUITE often!)
PG: Eh, you awake ah?
Me: (mumbles) mmmpgh...huh?
PG: You sleeping ah?
Me: err...I was...
PG: Ha, since you’re not sleeping ah, I wanted to ask you ah...your cousin hor, she said (goes into long story)
Me: (mumbles appropriate responses until sleep takes over) uhuh....mmhmm...*snore*

Memory #4 – With MG (usually happens at mealtimes)
MG: Eh, you eat this la, I cannot finish.
Me: Grandma ah, I very full lah, give (insert brother or dad here)
MG: No lah, you like this, you have it.
Me: Err...okay...
(after about 5 minutes)
MG: You know hor, you really should look at losing some weight...
Me: Ahh?

Memory #5 – With PG and younger brother (also happens very often since my PG speaks Cantonese and my brother is about as “banana” as they come)
PG: Brian! Lei kum neen yow hei ou zhao mou? (this year are you going to Australia or not?)
Bro: Huh? err...Che!! (calling me) What did she say ah?
Me: She asked if you’re going to Australia or not this year.
Bro: (to PG) err...ahh...not kum neen ah (not this year)...next...next...(gesticulates with hands)...err...Che ah!! (calls me) How you say next year only I’m going ah?
Me: meng neen sin jee hei ou zhao
Bro: ahh...(to PG) oh, ming nian ngor sin je hei Australia (mixture of Mandarin, Cantonese and English!)
(similar conversation continues with back and forth translation)

On rare occasions, both my grandmothers end up staying in KL at the same time...and boy, that’s when the real fun starts! You see, my MG speaks English and Hokkien, while my PG speaks Cantonese – but when the two of them get together, they speak MANDARIN. You figure that out!

Better yet, it’s like a chicken and a duck talking at each other...and yeah, you read that right – talking AT each other, not with each other. You see, their hearing systems aren’t exactly what they used to be, so they end up answering to what they THINK they heard (which is usually not quite accurate unless we speak rather loudly) with some hilarious results in between.

This would not be an uncommon exchange between the two matriarchs on an average day:
MG: Today the sky is very dark hor...you think it’s going to rain?
PG: Pain? Ya lor...this cousin of mine cannot walk because his back pain is so bad...
MG: Such a sad thing too...now we have to eat indoors.
PG: He has to eat medicine to reduce the pain...

I tell you, you can’t make stuff like this up! :D They’re just so quirky, I cannot help but shake my head and wonder what they'll come up with next. And my PG is going to be here for the next two weeks! Can’t wait, but God save my fish (what’s left of them after her last visit anyway!)...hahahaha...

If men wrote advice columns…

2009-04-28T17:45:00.000+08:00

Realistically? If a man had actually written this…

………

………

………

………

………HE’D BE DEAD! LOL…

Random update…

2009-03-16T18:41:00.000+08:00

It’s been the longest time since I’ve updated this site aei? Sigh…I’m suffering a case of writer’s block, and what I DO want to write about I can’t really put up on my blog either…ARRGHH!!

Anyway, here’s on to the random updates…

1. My Playground has been restocked – after the longest time. Since my grandma’s last visit in January (pre-CNY!), there were a sad three Serpae tetras milling around the tank. But not anymore!

There are now quite happy inhabitants in The Playground – all cheap fish, mind you…I’m not going through the heartache of flushing an expensive tank-filler thank you very much…these are all expected to be super HARDY fish. Then again, given the way they’ve been treated, it’s no surprise that two have floated belly-up since this picture was taken, but I can live with that…sorta…

2. Was in Singapore recently to settle some matters, as well as attend a wedding of two of my friends from Perth. The wedding dinner was at the Fullerton Hotel – very fancy indeed…

When I think about it, it’s been almost 5 years since I left Perth…OMG…and for some insane reason, everyone I meet from then still asks me whether I’m Singaporean…why?? Do I look Singaporean? What?

Who would’ve thought? One couple in this pic got married (WQ and Miin) and have a year-old baby boy already, another couple here is getting married in August (Beef and Auds), three are dating (other people, not each other!) and two others are single…a lot can happen in 5 years hor? Back then the split was pretty different for sure!

And what would the post be without a picture of the happy couple? I love the fact they included their dogs in the wedding album…although I’m still in shock over the fact they flew Louis Pang all the way to Perth to take their album shots…

Oh, and remember I said the Fullerton was fancy? Check this out – the gift (or bombonniere as it’s known in some circles I think) was a music box…the kind you wind by hand to play the tune. It plays the tune from the “Enchanteur” ads…can’t remember what it’s called now – help! (some French tune?)

And there you have it – just a couple of highlights from the past month or so…there are more, but some aren’t appropriate to put up, or there are just too many pictures that my head is reeling to pick just a few…hehe…all in due time.

Here’s one for Friday the 13th…

2009-03-13T18:08:00.000+08:00

Have a good weekend! :)

Happy Birthday Erna!!

2009-02-22T19:38:00.000+08:00

Today’s birthday shoutout goes to none other than Erna!!

(and it’s a loud one too!!) Happy Birthday babe…hope it’s a blast! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T11:50:00.000+08:00

Me? I’ll be spending it with the extended family on my mum’s side…celebrating my grandma’s birthday – and before you ask, no, she’s not a Valentine’s baby…LOL…this was just the time that my aunt picked to have the ‘reunion’ (has she not heard of Valentine’s Day? I’m not fussed, but I reckon some of my other cousins might be…haha…)

Really, someone ought to be SHOT for this…

2009-02-13T16:12:00.000+08:00

Check out the latest Valentine’s flyer for Tropicana City Mall this year…

(click for larger image)

Don’t see anything wrong? Take a closer look…

Oh yes…I’m sure people will be celebrating a different “Valentine” here – Kids Love Song Singing Competition?

Lemme paint a picture for you: Young kids dressed up to rival showgirls, gyrating to the likes of Britney Spears (you never know…‘I’m a Slave 4 U’ might be considered a ‘love song’)…the clincher will come when some fellow’s 6-yr old daughter is giving her best ‘look at me’ pose singing “I’ll make love to you…like you want me to…and I’ll hold you tight…baby all through the night…” *shudders*

Who’s barmy idea was this? Someone keep an eye out for the paedophiles…I’m sure they’ll be getting a thrill tomorrow!

PS: Oh, and did anyone catch the horrifically BAD grammar display they put up for Valentine’s Day the other day? It was taken down almost immediately, but geez… “celebrate Valentine Day with your LOVES one this year”??

One Word Answers (!!)

2009-02-11T17:47:00.001+08:00

This has got to be one of the silliest tags I’ve done – answering questions using only one word. And yes, it’s not as easy as you might think!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table
2. Your significant other? Non-existent
3. Your hair? Messy
4. Your favourite thing? Sleep
5. Your dream last night? Unsettling
6. Your favourite drink? Liquid
7. Your dream/goal? Attainable
8. What room you are in? Office
9. Your hobby? Blogging
10. Your fear? Loneliness
11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
12. Where were you last night? Working
13. Muffins? *Huh?*
14. Wish list item? Endless
15. Where you grew up? Everywhere
16. Last thing you did? Email
17. What are you wearing? Jeans
18. Your TV? Off
19. Your pets? Mischievous
20. Friends? Entertaining
21. Your life? Overloaded
22. Your mood? Stressed
23. Missing some one? Maybe
24. Car? Parked
25. Something you're not wearing? Skirt
26. Your favourite store? Daiso (Jo’s so going to kill me for not saying Paperdoll instead!)
27. Your favourite color? Purple
28. When is the last time you laughed? Today
29. Last time you cried? Movie
30. Who will resend this? Dunno
31. One place that I go to over and over? Home
32. One person who emails me regularly? None
33. Favourite place to eat? Home
34. Why you participated in this survey? Whatever
35. What are you doing tonight? Meeting

This tag originally came from Facebook, but ah well, I thought I’d share it with you all as well. :) Feel free to nick it for yourself too!

When it rains…

2009-02-09T11:03:00.000+08:00

Ergh…Friday was such a ‘bi-polar’ day (extreme highs and lows). A big part of the high was during the latter part of the afternoon at the office’s “open house”, but I’ll save those pix for a different post. In the meantime however, the beginning and the end were capped off rather interestingly.

First thing in the morning, I found a parking lot just behind the lifts…but this silly woman (and yes, I know it’s a woman’s car because ladies’ items were strewn all over the passenger seat, along with her “driving sleeves”). Seriously, why can’t people park properly?? Better yet, on the other side of her car was a pillar with a ONE FOOT gap of spare space in between…and she STILL managed to park over the line? *grrr…*

The night was even better…I had let Patches into the room to sleep in her dog bed. In the early hours of the morning, I woke up to find her dog bed soaked through – and the lazy mutt was still snoring away! LOL…before you ask, she’s completely house-trained, so it wasn’t her. We found out a pipe burst somewhere in the wall between my room and bathroom, and had been leaking water out.

Just imagine, when I stepped on the floor just outside my bathroom, water SEEPED out… o.O …the water seeped out from that end, as well as out the base in the middle of my cupboard (exactly where Patches’ dog bed was). First we tried shutting off the supply to the bathroom, but that didn’t help the leak…ended up having to shut off the MAINS to stop the seepage. So for the past two days, we have not had any water in the house! *arrgghh* Thank GOD the plumber came along today, and (partially) fixed the leak, so for now at least we’ve got water back in the house…

On a separate note, what is with Tropicana City Mall anyway?? When I was there the other day, the entire lift lobby was just inundated with standing banners of the tenants on EVERY SINGLE FLOOR. Gee...desperate much?

I feel loved…

2009-02-05T16:41:00.000+08:00

Nothing cheers me up quite like knowing someone’s thinking of me…

It’s so pretty, and goes with everything too! Very much appreciated babe, I love it! :)

PS: Just for the record, 'thinking of me' can be in a lot of different ways...I'm not that materialistic! *wink*

CNY 2009…pictures!!

2009-02-03T15:26:00.001+08:00

** Warning: Picture heavy post!

I figure I better get round to my CNY post before Chap Goh Mei passes me by…this year, my annual family reunion took place pre-CNY instead of post-CNY owing to Jaime’s wedding. We spent three days in ~~Genting View~~ Awana Resort (damn I always get the two places confused) getting away from the bustle (and HEAT!) of KL.

This was an absolutely lovely skyline we saw outside the window when we arrived in Genting…

First night, and we spent it being mad durian ice cream lovers…with one exception – can you spot the not?

The next day, we headed up to Genting proper (where else?) for some food and fun. This year though, not all the male cousins were able to join us – two of them were working and couldn’t take leave, so it was left to the girls to have fun. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!

Waiting for the shuttle bus to Skyway…emulating our brothers’ favourite pose…LOL…

Aww Tine, don’t freak – it’s just the cable car! :D

Thanks to Tine’s sudden regression to childhood and the rest of us following suit, we decided to go to the theme park. And with special vouchers, we had a Buy One Get One Free on tickets.

This was the first ride we had to get on…and that was the way it went for most of the day – it was fascinating letting go of being adults for part of the day. :D

In hindsight, this pose was scarier than anything we saw in the haunted house during the ride…so much for the hype and anticipation!

Tine and myself with the Energizer man!

Waiting at the docks for the bumper boat ride

Some fun shots of the bumper boat rides

Tine and Kim demonstrating the “facelift” pose…inside joke! *wink*

Some seriously gorgeous cupcakes we saw in the window of the Bakery in Genting…but they cost RM4.50 each!

On the escalator with the parents and other relatives

Before we left on the bus, we had about half an hour to kill so decided to check out the Ten Animal Kingdom place in the Skyway building itself. The entry from RM21 each was hiked down to just RM7 each thanks to this persistent rep…what a killing they must make for those that just pay full fare!

Some of the various animals we saw there…it was quite interesting to say the least…and quite worth it!

The snake was one of the biggest I’ve seen in person!!

All four cuzzikins on the way back – not quite sure why Bernard isn’t in the picture, but ah well…

On the way back from the cable car to the resort…tired, but happy all the same!

At dinner – Brian’s invention and balancing act…it took him half an hour to get it well balanced!

After dinner, we tried something new this year – karaoke!! Grandma got into the whole swing of things too…

Karaoke – go granny, go!!

Dad got more and more enthusiastic as the evening wore on…

Perhaps the backup singers-dancers had something to do with it?

Next morning…time to leave (boo!) but granny’s wide awake and perky! Time for the annual photo session!

This is what happens when you don’t bring your tripod…makeshift stand with a keropok tin!

The compulsory annual family picture my grandfather always insisted on, which has carried on after his passing…

Family matriarch with her grand- and great-grandkids…grandma looks TINY compared to us big buffaloes!

The annual immediate family photo with grandma

Grandma and her three “FAMILY” granddaughters (ie. with the family surname)…although technically Tine is already meant to be booted out of the picture…LOL…

Just because…ignore the sleepy un-made up faces…

On the way down from Genting, we stopped at Semenyih to visit my grandpa’s grave…

Eve of CNY Eve (Mum’s side)…

We had dinner with my mum’s side of the family at Pantai Seafood Restaurant, and let’s say a little bit of wine went a long way…haha…

Granny got a bit tipsy…but not sure if she actually had any wine to begin with! :O

Jo and grandma should put up a comedy act together…you can’t beat this combination! :D

Of course, what’s CNY without at least one ‘lou sang’?

CNY eve dinner (Dad’s side)…

If there’s one thing I noticed over the past couple of years, it the fact that we have had a proliferation of camera buffs on this side of the family.

See what I mean? They’re starting young too!

The new ‘import’ Bernard looking stressed – oii, it’s only been a couple of weeks…takkan so fast stress already? Hehe…actually, it’s just the way the photo turned out.

Chinese New Year!!

Ang pows ang pows…

My aunt and her granddaughter – gosh, that sounds weird to think that the next generation is already here…

This year, there’s only two girls – ie. me and Kim – left to celebrate CNY…aiyaiyai…the other two had to go back to their in-laws side!

We could SO be an ad for KFC and Dominos…usually can’t be arsed to cook on CNY day (who wants to volunteer to be stuck in the kitchen the whole time??) so we just tapau!

Ang pow time! Come get it!

Then again, if there was one underlying theme for CNY this year on my dad’s side…it would be…SLEEPING!!

Aiyor…just check out all the sleepheads!! (notice there are a few recurring culprits too?)

This pretty lil bug interrupted our mah-jong game that night…just check out those cute fuzzy feelers!!

Hope all of you had a brilliant CNY as well – any hilarious moments to share? :)

I’m back!!

2009-01-27T23:48:00.000+08:00

Ahhh…back in my nice air-conditioned room after a couple of days away. Gosh it was a warm CNY, but great to meet up with the extended family again, some of which I only get to see once a year.

Plenty of angpows, plenty of food (err...ok, more like OVERLOAD of food), some mah-jong, lots of laughter (not to mention classic moments) and fun…both sides of my family are kooky and full of their idiosyncrasies, but at least it’s never boring…LOL…

My favourite shot from this year…with the prerequisite angpows of course…hehe…

Plenty more pics to follow once I get them all sorted and uploaded…stay tuned!! Hope everyone had a lovely CNY too!!

Breaking off for CNY…

2009-01-25T07:02:00.000+08:00

Just to let you all know I’ll be travelling for the next few days…so here’s wishing all of you a very Happy Chinese New Year in advance. For those of you travelling outstation and heading back to your hometowns, stay safe and I’ll see you all soon! *hugz*

Don't kill me when you read this!!

2009-01-14T13:09:00.000+08:00

Haha...there's so much more I could talk about - like the now-famous colour "jinggu", but at the risk of personal safety I'd better leave it here! :D

Happy Birthday Jem!!

2009-01-13T14:14:00.000+08:00

Jaime & Bernard – 10.01.09…

2009-01-12T17:50:00.001+08:00

It’s finally over…another cousin has bitten the bullet and gotten married!

My photos will be up in a bit since there are a LOT and well, a lot of them aren’t fit to be shown so there’s a fair bit of sifting to do…in the meantime, the one above is from Creative Clicks. Turns out the photographer Sze was the same guy that shot my other friend Jackie’s wedding (he got a great shot of Syat lunging for the bouquet!)…brilliant pictures, but this one was right on the money shot…hehe…

If you want to see the slideshow from the wedding, head on over to Creative Clicks to see the shots – and gorgeous ones they are too!

A Pet is For Life…

2009-01-09T11:20:00.001+08:00

For animal lovers, it’s unfathomable to hear of people throwing away or neglecting their pets, but the reality is that there are many out there that just don’t take care of their pets. While surfing the other day, I remembered this ad campaign that came out a few years back which I thought was really cool.

Turns out that it was done by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) in Singapore. When I did a bit of searching, I found that they did a few campaigns from 2004-2006 focusing on various aspects of responsible pet ownership – not just for dogs, but for cats, hamsters and rabbits too (I never realised so many people kept rabbits and hamsters!). And knowing me, they were just too good not to share here.

2004 – Do Not Abandon Your Pet

2006 – Don’t Get Pets on Impulse

2005 – Sterilise Your Pets

The 2005 campaign was my absolute favourite – with the tagline “You Can’t Teach Them To ‘Play It Safe’”…it was genius! Admittedly it was borderline controversial with the condoms, but it really drives the point home don’t you think?

* and before you ask, yes, my mutt is spayed… :)

Happy Birthday Lil Bro!!

2009-01-06T12:28:00.000+08:00

Primary School Mini-Reunion…

2009-01-04T17:03:00.003+08:00

Yesterday was such a mind-blowing experience…it started when Charms made her annual trip back home and attempted to get a bunch of us to meet up for lunch. This resulted in a small bunch of us meeting at The Apartment @ The Curve for lunch…but we had so much more than just food and conversation.

For one, I hadn’t seen some of them for over 10 years, and after the initial shock of “wahliao…you look so different!!” (so cliché I know, but we couldn’t help it!) Of course, a couple of cocktails and beers didn’t hurt any in helping to get the conversation going…*ahem*

Dang…you would NOT believe the topics that came up – some was super corny, some should’ve been censored, laughing about old OLD games (who remembers Donkey and Batu Lima @ ‘Five Stone’?) not to mention it was like having your very own in-person magazine of who’s who and who’s doing what… :D

Come to think of it, I didn’t think about primary school as an exceptionally fabulous time of my life, but it’s always interesting to see how your memory adjusts its selectiveness to remember just the good times…hmmm…what’s up with that? *wink*

After a while, it was as if it had been just a short leap through time we were little hellions…but when we actually sat down and calculated the years, the astounding reality was that we’ve known each other for at least 15 years (and a few even go back further than 20 years!!)

Charms, MayLee, Sharon & myself…ain’t we just pweeettyy?? :)

(clockwise from top left) – *yours truly*, Tho, Chua, Sharon, MayLee & Charms…small group this time – let’s hope it’s a bigger group the next around!

And you would not imagine…our resident shutterbug back then (yeah, in an era where the FILM camera was the norm) Charms actually KEPT an entire stack of old photos, and brought them along!! OMG OMG OMG…we had so much fun trying to put names to faces and remembering what was happening the time those photos were taken.

(I think some of us girls wanted to burn a couple of the more unflattering shots!)

You see what I mean?? Eeeps…the things I divulge on this blog…these were some of the photos I spotted myself in (circled in red) and err…I felt like cringing in a few of them!! Then again, so did everyone else!

Thank goodness for the invention of makeup to ply the self-image with when we got older…*laughs* I had a stitch in my side from laughing so much!

Happy New Year 2009!!

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

An A-Z of Reflections…

2008-12-31T19:37:00.000+08:00

Just to do something a little different to ring in the new year, here’s a A-Z of random acts, thoughts and feelings this past 366 days… :)

In 2008, I was…

Awed by the Beijing 2008 Olympics – go China!!

Blessed with friends and family both near and far…

Celebrating plenty of weddings, including that of my own cousin Tine…

Dreaming of my London/Barcelona holiday – and oh, what a holiday it was!

Err…enigmatic in my response when I tallied up just how much (and what) I spent my $$ on this year?? :O

Fretting over the fact that 2008 marked 10 years of me being out of highschool, and man did I feel old…

Grinning like a Cheshire cat over my 15 minutes of fame in NST as a ‘beauty blogger’…

Hoping that I would find ‘The One’…but I’m no longer obsessed about when that will happen…

Inundated with work, nuff said…

Just chilling out with my misbehaving mutt, and having a ball…

Kept in stitches by the theatrics unfolding in my country…their approach to bloggers, ISA, the judicial system…will it ever end?

Literally sleep-deprived – just check out the bags under my eyes! :D

Meeting new bloggie friends!! :)

Never able to resist a bargain…oops…

Obsessed over new wrinkles and lines…but heck, they’ll pop up sooner or later so I figure I’d rather focus on getting smile lines rather than frown lines!

Procrastinating…a LOT!

Quite appalled at how the human race can be capable of inhumane treatment towards animals…these people ought to be shot!!

Rather amused by the whole election process and its outcome…

Still learning to just say ‘NO’…it’s a lot harder than it sounds!!

Trying not to overeat – succeeded at some, failed (miserably!) at others…

Under the impression that I would be satisfied with my trip to UK/Spain and Thailand…if anything, the travel bug has bitten something fierce – I’m dying to see more of the world!!

Vexed at the number of things I have yet to accomplish before my next birthday arrives…

Wrestling with some of my inner demons, which I am confident I’ve managed to conquer…

X…hmmm…Xasperated by the erratic Internet connections. And the Government is trying to push broadband?? (by the way, why don’t we have any other polite ‘X’ words in the dictionary to use??)

Yet time and time again, unbelievably at the thoughtfulness of some friends…

Zany, quirky and a little bit odd…as always!

That was quite refreshing, actually…hmm…now what shall I do about my resolutions? *grins*

I’ve been tagged yet again!

2008-12-30T14:31:00.003+08:00

Syen has tagged me on a “meme”…however, after thinking a bit I’ve decided to do it over here rather than on my review site… :)

Directions: Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a post with sixteen random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose ten people (I don’t think I’ll stick to this) to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don’t forget to leave them a comment (“you’re it!”) to read your blog. You can’t tag the person who tagged you. Since you can’t tag me, let me know when you’ve posted on your blog, so I can see your weirdness.

*Gulp* SIXTEEN things? Oh boy. Here goes!

1. I have a totally spoilt mutt that gets to go everywhere with me – and I don’t think there’s ever been a time where I didn’t have at LEAST one dog underfoot. But I would really love to have a Golden Retriever someday too…

2. I can do super-weird bendy movements with my fingers. If you really want to see what that looks like, ask me to show you the next time we meet.

LA – actually having enough snow to build a snowman, and at Universal Studios

Barcelona – next to Port Vell, trying not to fall off the Barcelona cathedral and at the Olympic stadium

3. I would love to travel more in the next few years – I had some of my best experiences in LA and Barcelona!

4. Like Syen, I’m a total daddy’s girl… :D

5. I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue – now don’t be thinking nasty thoughts k!!

6. A quarter of my life past, I still don’t have to wear glasses/ contact lenses…*touch wood*

7. I’m waiting for my desired license plate number to come out so that I can get my new car!! (It’s going to be a Myvi, btw)

8. When I get stressed, I pull out strands of my hair…literally, strand by strand. I actually had a bald patch after SPM in Form 5!!

9. I cannot stand people that send in crappy resumes for jobs. The above are actual examples of “cover letters” people have sent in asking for jobs!!

10. My most favourite city in the world is London…ahh, what memories… :)

11. If I could afford it, I would go back to Australia every year…especially Melbourne!!

12. I have a total phobia towards cockroaches…especially the flying kind!! I had one fly into my hair once late at night – and I swear, the scream could have been heard by both Thailand and Singapore!

13. My colour of obsession is purple. For some odd reason, my colour choice will always gravitate in that direction. And I look pretty good in strong purples too, if I might add…hehe…

14. My mum once told me that with my penchant for dabbling in very different areas, the most ideal profession for me was to be an UNDERTAKER (!!)

15. If you’d told me a few years back that I’d be still blogging, much less keeping three blogs as well as meeting other bloggers, I’d say you were insane. Now, I can’t imagine life without these zany people. :)

16. The best time of my life was spent in Perth while I was studying. Being a bit of a narcissist, I was totally obsessed with the street on the corner near my campus – Beatrice Avenue!! LOL…

And we’re done!! Sixteen random facts about me…I don’t think I’m going to tag anyone this time around, but hey, feel free to nick it if you want! :)

Hey hey...

2008-12-30T11:26:00.000+08:00

I’m back…not quite back at full par yet, but at the very least, very determined not to let the last couple of days in 2008 pass me by!! :) For those of you that sent me well-wishes, thank you – especially those who thought I wouldn’t see my messages and opted to text me too! *big hugs*

Gimme a while to organise my thoughts and photos (I took so many over the past few days!) k? Ahhh, it’s good to be back…

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T00:01:00.000+08:00

Starting off the holidays…

2008-12-24T15:03:00.000+08:00

Not exactly what you’d want to see with the holidays around the corner rite? Sigh…what to do…I guess the past few weeks have finally caught up with me. I was supposed to have been on a duvet day yesterday to do my Christmas shopping (and yes, I am THAT late with my shopping!)…unfortunately, a rather dramatic turn of events saw me nearly keel over in 1 Utama, giving my parents a right old scare in the process.

Needless to say, the shopping trip got scrapped and I got sent off to the doc’s instead. Am hoping it’s nothing serious, but for now, I’m going to be pumped to the gills with meds. I’m going to spend Christmas as high as a kite! LOL…

Text 100 Christmas Party 2008…

2008-12-22T16:33:00.000+08:00

My office had its annual Christmas party a couple of weeks back, and it just showed me how much the team has grown since then. For one, Text 100 Malaysia now has its first baby (ML’s) not to mention a new couple (Libs). Add that on to our interns and the already-expanded team, finding a place for us to cause our usual ruckus wasn’t easy!! Thankfully, the nice people at Café Libre (who we had previously used for a couple of events) kindly agreed to host our rowdy crowd – and even gave us the pretty crackers you see in the picture above!

One of our interns, Jinn Wei and his present – he couldn’t come with us that night, but got a present from us anyway!

As usual, being the workaholics we are, a lot of us had to wait for the others to trickle in from the office. At least there was plenty of booze (oops!) and animated conversation to keep us going till then. In hindsight, we should have gotten Shaffy to play Santa for us…

Just check out the pile of presents!

Lee as usual (this is becoming a norm!) hamming it up with his tipple

Doing what we usually do in situations like this!

Libs in her reindeer ears was just too cute not to take a pic of!

Corina, Lee, ML, Vicks and Radiance (our other intern, but she joins us as a permanent staff in Jan!)

Being the good PR practitioner, ML has her talking points all ready!

Gee…the minute they announced dinner was served, you should have seen the ‘locusts’ descend on it! You’d think we hadn’t been fed in months…then again, our Textie culture in Malaysia IS all about food, food and MORE food…*urp*

Text 100 Msia’s first baby, Joshua – Corina, getting broody yet?

Just a couple of the presents I got during the trivia round…I particularly liked the design of the wrapper on these two… :)

We also had a round of rather physical charades, where one person had to use another to demonstrate an action or person while their team members tried to guess the answer. There were plenty of hilarious moments for sure!! Remind me to show you all the videos one of these days – that is, if I don’t get whacked by my colleagues first for sharing them!

Even more presents – we reprised the ‘Secret Santa’ again this year, drawing names out of a hat. My Secret Santa turned out to be…none other than ML herself!!

No evening would be complete without a group picture…and you can see how the team has grown!! :) Of course, you’d have to minus the two guys on the left since they’re the “+1” partners, but even then…from 9 to 13 in a year is a big thing (and having 13 people for a company that’s just over 2 years old is an even bigger thing! Hehe…)

How to survive the run-up to Christmas…

2008-12-21T12:27:00.000+08:00

Every Christmas, there are so many things that need to be done that sometimes it just gets rather overwhelming. Work-wise, it was supposed to have slowed down for year-end (what with most companies doing the same) but this year it was seriously unbelievably hectic!

How hectic? Hey, if it can get bad enough to make me lose almost 6 kilos in 3 weeks, it’s BAD. Of course, there are some little perks that have kept me going…

The pitiful “come pat me” looks my mutts give me every morning and evening – aww…who wouldn’t want to come back to that??

Chocolate overload – endorphin central! The office had a Patchino overload (with its oh-so-cute wrappers) with a lovely big pack compliments of Erna…thanks babe!! (It’s all gone already in case you were wondering)

And of course, something to look forward to once the rush is over…I got a nice haul of Jusco vouchers and movie tickets from the company Christmas dinner…and it was a lot of fun! (The party, not the vouchers!) but I’ll go into the party in a different post.

On a separate bit, we had the first run of my church’s Christmas cantata last night…and a big thank you to PB and PE for coming (hehe…and J as well of course!). The final night is tonight, so do come if you can k?

Christmas is Jesus...

2008-12-15T07:57:00.000+08:00

My church will be putting up its Christmas cantata this Saturday and Sunday. And quite simply, the title “Christmas is Jesus” says it all. This year, the ‘sound’ of the music is a bit funkier and jazzed up so we’ll be having a real good time with it – and hope you will too! The program starts at 8.30pm, so there’s plenty of time for you to go have your dinner at 7.00pm and come on down then, so I expect to see you all there yea? :

(click for larger image)

Dates: 20th (Saturday) & 21st (Sunday) December 2008

Venue:
Trinity Methodist Church Petaling Jaya
6 Jalan 5/37,
46000 Petaling Jaya

Time: 8.30pm

Admission: Absolutely FREE

2008-12-11T12:11:00.002+08:00

I’ve had it.

What’s the point of telling me to ask for help if you won’t give it to me?

Are you even listening to a word I’m saying?

And at the other end of the spectrum, how do you teach someone who doesn’t want to be taught?

At some point, something’s going to give.

I don’t want to be there to see that.

But yet, I will.

Because that will be me.

Will you be satisfied then?

Thoughts on a Sunday afternoon…

2008-11-30T18:26:00.000+08:00

The start to another week is almost here, and hmm…it doesn’t feel that different, does it? Come to think of it, I’ve been finding it a bit hard to keep writing on this site. For one, I usually end up:

1. Posting heaps of event pictures
2. Ranting about some issue that irks me (which sometimes doesn’t even make it to the pages since I forget about it shortly after)
3. Writing about subjects that get deleted when I’m reminded that certain parental parties read this blog too! Not that they’re THAT controversial, but aiyah, to keep the peace…unless I get really p*ssed off about it!

However, after attending quite a few beauty-related events recently, I realised that even with all the talk about promoting healthier body images, models are still as skinny as ever – if not even MORE so. Seriously, what kind of contradicting images are they trying to push?? Take this model I saw at a recent Dior event…

Couture and beauty or not, it seriously looks disturbing. Bony arms and legs, jutting collarbone, and clothes that HANG off her emaciated frame (and don’t even get me started on the state of her feet) are not my idea of beauty. The other model that was at the event was also super slim, but at least looked within normal margins. This one just looked ill…regardless of what anyone says about slim being beautiful, going to extremes to achieve nearly-zero body fat levels has no benefits whatsoever.

For one, your skin and hair look completely sallow from lack of nutrients, not to mention your face looks hollowed out – similar to that of a walking skeleton. Nails and bones are brittle, setting you up for a host of problems in later years such as arthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatism and carpal tunnel syndrome. Sure, you may be able to fit into sample sizes and boast an angular jawline, but at the risk of what?

Besides, I may be mistaken here, but there’s nothing appealing about cuddling up to a bag of bones in bed, or anywhere else for that matter. I’d personally rather be a little over than under, and that would apply to the kind of guys I like as well…me want to hug cuddly teddy bear, not bag of Legos.

Out of the two above, who would you rather go for? Be honest now!

Congratulations Pinkelle!

2008-11-23T23:47:00.002+08:00

Just got back from Pinkelle’s wedding dinner – and this would have to be the first time I’ve ever attended a blogger pal’s wedding! (not counting Tine's of course!)

Magnetic Sculpture fun!!

2008-11-22T22:12:00.000+08:00

At the recent MPH Warehouse sale, I saw the small box kits sitting in one corner of the sale and couldn’t resist picking up one in particular to play with.

Magnet Fun!!

Hehe…I’ve got to de-stress somehow right? This kit lets me create sculptures out of naughts and crosses on a base with a strong magnetic core…and it’s just so much fun! There’s a booklet too to show me how to get started on some basic fun sculptures (one of them is a COCONUT TREE would you believe?)

Ooooo…this has been keeping me entertained for a while…any suggestions on what sculpture I should try to create? :D

Stress Reduction Kit…

2008-11-21T13:20:00.001+08:00

Saw this on the Muse’s site, and I thought it was just SO appropriate! :D

Please note that it says put on firm surface, so make use of the table ya, so don’t go whacking your heads into your computer screens!! *giggles*…the computer more expensive than the table k?

PS: I especially loved Direction #4!! *ROFL*

18 REASONS WHY ALCOHOL SHOULD BE SERVED AT WORK...

2008-11-19T20:33:00.002+08:00

It's an incentive to show up.
It reduces stress.
It leads to more honest communications.
It reduces complaints about low pay.
It cuts down on time off because you can work with a hangover.
Employees tell management what they think, not what management wants to hear.
It helps save on heating costs in the winter.
It encourages carpooling.
Increase job satisfaction because if you have a bad job, you don't care.
It eliminates vacations because people would rather come to work.
It makes fellow employees look better.
It makes the cafeteria food taste better.
Bosses are more likely to hand out raises when they are wasted.
Salary negotiations are a lot more profitable.
Suddenly, burping during a meeting isn't so embarrassing.
Employees work later since there's no longer a need to relax at the bar.
It makes everyone more open with their ideas.
Everyone agrees they work better after they've had a couple of drinks.

* No, I do not have anything to imply by this...
** But yes, my office DOES have a stock of alcohol…LOL!!

Twitter’s down…

2008-11-18T16:48:00.000+08:00

Whyyyy?!?!?! I had so much to tweet too…LOL…

30 Skills Every Woman Should Have Before Turning 30…

2008-11-17T13:55:00.001+08:00

I saw this on Tine’s site and had a pretty good laugh about the items on the list. Of course, I’m not that much further behind the big 3-0 mark than her, so I figured why not for a bit of fun?

Below is a list of skills a woman should have mastered by the time she turns 30 (although I have my reservations about a few of them!). I’ve bolded the ones that I’ve done, and my comments are in italic.

1. Hard boil an egg
2. Diplomatically tell Mom to butt-out (still working on this one…my mum does NOT take these conversations well!)
3. Ace a job interview
4. Ask a man out (I agree with Tine, it’s not as difficult as it looks)
5. Send a thoughtful thank you note
6. Listen to a friend in need
7. Ask for help (heck yeah!)
8. Effectively end an unhealthy relationship (romantic or platonic in nature) (painful, but it had to be done)
9. Beautifully wrap a gift (sometimes I wish I hadn’t though…now everyone wants something pretty too!)
10. Say “no” gracefully
11. Whip up a great dinner with the five items in her fridge (not sure if this is still applicable or not, since the last time I did this was back in 2004!!)
12. Forget pleasing him, by 30 a woman should be able to tell her man exactly how to please her (What by 30?? Geez, this should be implemented a lot earlier…although, exactly WHAT this refers to can be very subjective…*wink*)
13. Sew a button
14. Mix a kick-ass cocktail
15. Take off her bra without removing her shirt
16. Apply lip gloss in the dark (hehe…it’s not only lipgloss – I can usually apply most of my lip products in the dark without a mirror)
17. Balance her checkbook
18. Create a budget (err…this is a half and half…not quite there yet!)
19. Find the best deal (I’m Chinese…it’s in the blood!)
20. Negotiate a salary and/or pay raise (and then some!)
21. Read a map (I don’t understand why there’s such a huge fuss about this one)
22. Hail a cab
23. Say something in French just for the hell of it (apart from the phrases parroted from Moulin Rouge, I could probably get by with “Can you help me please??” and the much-needed “I don’t speak French, can you speak English?)
24. Apologize when she’s wrong (it didn’t say how many times right?heehee…)
25. Dress for her body type
26. Change a flat (or know whom to call to come change it) (mum, what’s the number of your mechanic again ah?)
27. Spot a fake (handbag, diamond, potential friend…) (mind you, there are PLENTY in my line of work…)
28. Feign interest (not very well, but enough to get by)
29. Know what to tip on a $25 dinner bill (err…what about for those in countries that DON’T tip?)
30. Hold a baby (Hey, someone you know is bound to have one sooner or later) (I LOVE carrying babies…just can’t stand them when they poop or cry. That said, please don’t use me as your standby babysitter unless I offer! LOL…)

24 out of 30…hmm…this is a bit easier than I thought! I suppose I should be able to get these done by the time I’m 30…although how I’m supposed to figure out #29 is a bit of a mystery. Can someone help? :O

Zits…

2008-11-17T00:05:00.002+08:00

I nearly keeled over laughing when I saw this comic in the papers recently…

If you’ve got typical, run-of-the-mill parents, you’ll be laughing your head off as well. This is SO true!! Actually, if you come to think of it, many people use familiar, easy-to-remember numbers or dates for their passwords. And for the not so tech-savvy parents, this is even more common.

The funny part? It’s when the kids know all about it while the parents are thinking that no one will ever be able to figure out their passwords, and both sides carry on blissfully with their knowledge, or lack of thereof.

I know my parents used to use their wedding anniversary for their ATM password when I was a LOT younger (I was about 9 or 10 I think, and yes, it has been changed multiple times since then!) and my mum’s mobile phone is probably only locked to anyone ELSE outside the family – not because she told us what the password is, but let’s just say my mum is a creature of habit.

Just think about it…any password that is either 4 or 6 digits is quite predictable – mobile pin, ATM pin, even email passwords can use the same numbers. It’s either birthdays, or house numbers, or even anniversaries. Zits just happened to put it into a humorous piece. I love it!

Any of your parents like that? :D

I want one of these!!

2008-11-13T23:41:00.001+08:00

McDonalds has come out with their latest range of premiums around the Madagascar 2 movie…and OMG, these are just SOOOOOO cute!!

My colleague got the giraffe ears the other day, and I’ll be damned if they weren’t the funniest things we’d ever seen…of course, him wearing the in the office was part of the fun, but that’s a different matter altogether lah…hehe…for me though, I’ve got my eye on the hippo ears. Dunno why, but I like to pronounce it as “yip-poe” rather than hippo – childish but what the hey! You’re only as old as you feel rite? *giggles*