Saturday, December 31, 2005
The Year That Was ...
Our dear Miss Cheah
Peasants at the mall
They should include Mass Colympics in the Olympics!
Cheeeeeeeeese!
Aborigine wannabes!
Weeeeeee are the champions, my friends!
This straw is so chewy!
The mamak gang
The One With the Devil, Angel and Forest Pwincess
A scary-mary Halloween
Prized possession
I ain't in this game
People under the stairs
Lovely!
The Year That Was ...
Our dear Miss Cheah
Peasants at the mall
They should include Mass Colympics in the Olympics!
Cheeeeeeeeese!
Aborigine wannabes!
Weeeeeee are the champions, my friends!
This straw is so chewy!
The mamak gang
The One With the Devil, Angel and Forest Pwincess
A scary-mary Halloween
Prized possession
I ain't in this game
People under the stairs
Lovely!
green leaf ;
Friday, December 30, 2005
It's that time of the year again. I don't know about you guys, but I feel that the things that happened within the last 12 took place ages ago. I am also seriously considering whether I should stick to my "Make No Resolution" resolution. Oh, wait a minute ... that's STILL a resolution dumbass! Whoah. My inner voice must be PMS-ing. Be that as it may, I definitely need to make some things happen for me in the new year. Resolutions or not, I aim to make 2006 a good year.
Anyway, 2005 had its ups and downs, eh? Talk about our lives doing a 180 on us. I'm sure you all know what I mean. A lot of things changed. People, friendships (Ya ha!), our views on life and much more. I recall some of the kabaams! and kabooms! that happened in college involving some people which I shall not mention. But damn it, I missed most of them! Oh well, my Mass Comm-CNN news team will never fail to regail me with details and more.
This year was not one of the best years for me. As most of you know I am now a statistic for being a victim of snatch theft. Although I escaped unharmed, I am still scared to come home in the afternoon. I hope none of you will have to experience such an incident. I should actually consider myself lucky because other victims had even worse outcomes.
So, as part of my year-end post, I have decided to create my Top Ten chart of ... New Innovations and Useless Things Accomplished at Taylor's. Here goes: -
1) Peru had apparently been re-delianated as a STATE in BRAZIL!
2) Some people are very ambitious in changing our railway system to include a stop in Russia!
3) I hosted my first tea party! Woo hoo! More creme` brulee anyone?
4) AFTER the party, somebody backed her car into a tree outside my house! You know who you are!
5) Princess Pooi Yee made all of us dying-to-be-thin chicas turn into green-eyed mosters of jealousy as she managed to shed her pounds like nobody's business!
6) Our first Raya gathering at Hew Yeah's, all adorned in traditional costumes.
7) Move over Austin Powers! You're not the only one who has a "Number One" and Number Two". We also have a "No. 1" and "No.7"! Eat my dust!
8) Breakfast rendezvous at McDs! They should put our faces on the customers' Hall of Fame wall.
9) Peanut butter will now be pronounced as Pee-noot Boo-terr!
10) The invention of the words "You got see before meh?!" so deserves a place on my chart. No contest!
Wait! This ain't over. The most prestigious and highly-acclaimed award of all goes to me for finally mastering the art of playing Sudoku!!!!! Yes siree ... I would like to thank Vanessa Gan for giving me the Sudoku book from the SUDOKU INSTITUTE! Don't pray pray! I am now a brown-belt. Who knows, if a mugger tries to mug me again, .... I can clobber him with my Sudoku book!
So, people, needless to say we can sometimes be a bunch of crazy schmucks. But, hey, honestly, I will only be a schmuck with you guys! (And the crowd goes "Awwwww....")
Before I end this highly intellectual musings of my twisted mind, let us all hope for a better year in 2006 and more good things to come! Cheers!
Below are some of the pictorials taken in 2005. Some are just too good to miss putting them on my blog. Enjoy!
The Year That Was ...
(Bloody pictures won't upload, dammit! Will post them soon.)
green leaf ;
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The Google search engine was created for a purpose. To search. Seek and you shall find. The two blokes who created this billion-dollar company are among the top five richest businessmen in the world. Who would have thought such a simple idea could turn into a money-crapping megacorporation. We turn to Google for everything - from searching for facts about the making of peanut butter to current events - OR in my case, my own name: AIDA.
3) The Aida Sushi Bar for crying out loud! Boy would I get a discount ...
4) The Aida Dance Academy! Unfortunately I'm not so graceful.
5) Golly! There is the Aida Vineyard in Napa Valley in California.
6) Do you think I can be the GM of the Aida Resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland?
The Google search engine was created for a purpose. To search. Seek and you shall find. The two blokes who created this billion-dollar company are among the top five richest businessmen in the world. Who would have thought such a simple idea could turn into a money-crapping megacorporation. We turn to Google for everything - from searching for facts about the making of peanut butter to current events - OR in my case, my own name: AIDA.
Needless to say I got more than I bargained for. It did not occur to me that my name was so ... well-known! I knew I shared the name with the famous broadway show and opera, but the rest came as quite a shocker. Here's what turned up.
1) Apparently, there is the Aida Golf Club in Denmark. Ya ha!
2) The cast from Aida - The Musical. Set in the time of Ancient Egypt, Aida is the exciting and passionate tale of a captured Nubian princess who falls in love with her conqueror, the Egyptian captain, Radames. Aida becomes the handmaiden to the daughter of the Pharaoh, Princess Amneris, who is betrothed to Radames. Aida is a story of love, devotion and betrayal spanning lifetimes, featuring a score by two of music's most extraordinary and revered artists, composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, who won Oscar and Grammy awards for their score to The Lion King.
3) The Aida Sushi Bar for crying out loud! Boy would I get a discount ...
4) The Aida Dance Academy! Unfortunately I'm not so graceful.
5) Golly! There is the Aida Vineyard in Napa Valley in California.
6) Do you think I can be the GM of the Aida Resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland?
(Picture cannot fit) 7) Did you know that there is a famous espresso bar-cum-pastry shop called ermm ... AIDA in Vienna, Austria. Aida (sometimes spelled Aïda, with a diaeresis) is a chain of 26 espresso bar-cum-pastry shops (Café-Konditorei) in Austria. They have a devoted clientele, for whom Aida has achieved near-cult status. Business hours are from early in the morning until the early evening; the shops are open every day of the year with the exception of Christmas Day.
Ten Aida shops had been established before the Second World War, but they were all destroyed during the air raids on Vienna. After the war, Felix Prousek (1918-2003) took over the management and started rebuilding and expanding. His innovative approach to coffeehouse culture resulted in an alternative to the sheer Gemütlichkeit of the traditional Viennese café. Prousek was also one of the first to introduce Italian-style espresso machines in Austria.
However, for decades now, Aida has been resistent to change of any kind. This is first and foremost true of their interior design, very similar for all shops and reminiscent of the 1950s-1970s. Their trademark colours are pink and dark brown. Most of the furniture is made of plastic, and there is only seating without upholstery.
Aida has also been reluctant to adapt to changing tastes and to compete with new arrivals in Vienna such as Starbucks, for example by refusing to add flavoured coffee to their list of beverages. When the opening of a smoke-free Aida shop led to a sharp decline in regular customers the idea was quickly shelved again. In each shop there are a few tables near the counter where the pastries are on display where smoking is prohibited.
Felix Prousek's son Michael, who had collaborated with his father since the 1980s, is now Aida's managing director. Their headquarters and central bakery are located in Floridsdorf. (Wikipedia)
Ten Aida shops had been established before the Second World War, but they were all destroyed during the air raids on Vienna. After the war, Felix Prousek (1918-2003) took over the management and started rebuilding and expanding. His innovative approach to coffeehouse culture resulted in an alternative to the sheer Gemütlichkeit of the traditional Viennese café. Prousek was also one of the first to introduce Italian-style espresso machines in Austria.
However, for decades now, Aida has been resistent to change of any kind. This is first and foremost true of their interior design, very similar for all shops and reminiscent of the 1950s-1970s. Their trademark colours are pink and dark brown. Most of the furniture is made of plastic, and there is only seating without upholstery.
Aida has also been reluctant to adapt to changing tastes and to compete with new arrivals in Vienna such as Starbucks, for example by refusing to add flavoured coffee to their list of beverages. When the opening of a smoke-free Aida shop led to a sharp decline in regular customers the idea was quickly shelved again. In each shop there are a few tables near the counter where the pastries are on display where smoking is prohibited.
Felix Prousek's son Michael, who had collaborated with his father since the 1980s, is now Aida's managing director. Their headquarters and central bakery are located in Floridsdorf. (Wikipedia)
... AND THE BEST OF ALL ...
8) Aida the Goddess! Aida-Wedo is the Yoruban (western African) and Vodou goddess of water, snakes, and the rainbow, represented by the rainbow python, a snake whose scales are iridescent. The rainbow serpent is the symbol of integration in many parts of the world, including Africa, Australia and America, and represents that which links heaven and earth, and encircles the world to unite her disparate elements.
In the Vodou tradition, Aida-Wedo (and Her husband Damballah) belong to the Rada Lwa, or spirits who come out of the rites of the old kingdom of Dahomey (present Nigeria, Benin and Togo), generally considered to be benevolent and sweet (dous).
She represents continuity and strength, integration and wholeness, as the rainbow contains all the colors, split from white light. Integrity, whether physical (structural), or moral, is the natural result of integration--weaving together elements that are very different. Her message is one of healing and strength for the whole of the world.
Offerings to Aida-Wedo include white foods such as milk, rice, and eggs.
Alternate names: Ayida Wedo, Dan Ayido Hwedo (This is courtesy of the Thalia-Took Galery)
In the Vodou tradition, Aida-Wedo (and Her husband Damballah) belong to the Rada Lwa, or spirits who come out of the rites of the old kingdom of Dahomey (present Nigeria, Benin and Togo), generally considered to be benevolent and sweet (dous).
She represents continuity and strength, integration and wholeness, as the rainbow contains all the colors, split from white light. Integrity, whether physical (structural), or moral, is the natural result of integration--weaving together elements that are very different. Her message is one of healing and strength for the whole of the world.
Offerings to Aida-Wedo include white foods such as milk, rice, and eggs.
Alternate names: Ayida Wedo, Dan Ayido Hwedo (This is courtesy of the Thalia-Took Galery)
There's more. Aida (英田町; -cho) was a town located in Aida District, Okayama, Japan. On March 31, 2005, it merged with other municipalities to form the city of Mimasaka.
As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,625 and a density of 57.17 persons per km². The total area was 63.41 km². (Wikipedia).
As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,625 and a density of 57.17 persons per km². The total area was 63.41 km². (Wikipedia).
So there you have it. I should probably ask my mom whether it was her or my father who gave me my name. Hard to believe I used to hate my name at one point in my life and remember asking my father if I could change it. Hmm ... lucky there is a law restricting that here. It's all so fascinating of what you can come across on the Internet. They (the English word dictionary inserter people) should really consider including "Googled" as a legit word, meaning searched. Before I sign off, I urge all of you to Google on, mates!
green leaf ;
green leaf ;
green leaf ;
Thursday, December 08, 2005
(The first paragraph below should be narrated with an English accent for full effect, I say)
It was a delightful afternoon at Subang Jayashire. The aroma of freshly-brewed hazelnut coffee filled the air as I waited for my lovely guests to arrive. The savouries were layed out on the dining table comprising creme brulee, French toast, croissants, tea and nougat candies. It was rather lovely, I should say. And so, one by one they arrived. Oh, it was positively delightful. The food and the merriment could not have been better, accept for our dear friend, Ms Karuna Angeline, who could not be with us yesterday as she was under the weather. Get well soon, dear friend. We miss you an awful lot.
(Cut!)
Okay, that was how the afternoon was for the first 45 minutes. After the troops were stuffed from devouring my creme brulee (Woo hoo!) and the rest of the grub on the table, including pisang goreng which Ka Ling had brought (thanks, mate!), we plunked ourselves in front of the TV to watch Whose Line. Man, that was a good exercise for the abs AND to slightly work off the food we just ate. The entertainment continued as we then watched Friends and laaaaaughed! Since the evening had to come to an end, my mates left about 6-ish. Ahhh, that was fun! Woo hoo! I pulled off hosting my first tea party! Thanks to all who came. Good on ya mates!
green leaf ;
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Aida, your celebrity chef match is Julia Child!
Butter, anyone? She may look down upon anyone who sacrifices fat for diet, but Julia Child is the grand dame of French cooking — for butter or for worse. Like Julia, you tend to enjoy the rewards of classic cooking and traditional life.Maybe you don't whip up lobster thermidor on a nightly basis, but when you do ramp up for a special meal — entertaining friends, for example — you tend to pull out all the stops. Experience has proven that "from scratch" does tend to make a difference, so if time allows, we'd guess you like to spoil your guests with everything from fresh fish to homemade pie. That's not to say you're not up for some shortcuts in the kitchen. It's just that when it comes down to it, you like to do things right, and don't mind taking the time to make sure that happens. (www.tickle.com)
Aida, your celebrity chef match is Julia Child!
Butter, anyone? She may look down upon anyone who sacrifices fat for diet, but Julia Child is the grand dame of French cooking — for butter or for worse. Like Julia, you tend to enjoy the rewards of classic cooking and traditional life.Maybe you don't whip up lobster thermidor on a nightly basis, but when you do ramp up for a special meal — entertaining friends, for example — you tend to pull out all the stops. Experience has proven that "from scratch" does tend to make a difference, so if time allows, we'd guess you like to spoil your guests with everything from fresh fish to homemade pie. That's not to say you're not up for some shortcuts in the kitchen. It's just that when it comes down to it, you like to do things right, and don't mind taking the time to make sure that happens. (www.tickle.com)
Ok. As some of you have noticed, I have been honing my cooking skills for the past weeks. Needless to say, some were disastrous. However, as all of you are my witnesses, it's about learning through trial and error. Am I right? That's what my mother, who to me is the bestest cook in the world, said anyway. But what can I say?... I LOVE COOKING! If one day I become rich or eventually marry a rich bugger (my former colleague actually said I would make a good wife someday ... aww shucks...), my kitchen would be the best place in the house. No doubt about it. My dream kitchen will be fully equipped to the max. Yes siree! Am planning to compile all my recipes soon. (Pss, pss! Actually I would so wanna marry a professional chef!)
They are actually extremely artistic and creative people. Oh, well. If only I had discovered my passion for cooking earlier, maybe I would have been a chef at a nice fancy-mancy restaurant, eh? Sigh....
green leaf ;
Saturday, December 03, 2005
2. Like
A meaningless word used in teen-age American speech which may indicate, among other things a gap in thinking or brain functioning; a contemporary equivalent of "uh" or "um".
"He was like, about the same age as me, but like, I wasn't sure what he, like, wanted to do with me."
like
A word used mostly by preps after every other word for no reason at all - Becky- " I like, think we should, like go to, like the ..."
like
1. A word implying similarity between two things.
like
A word used as filler. It has become such a meme in the English language that I am seriously pondering smashing my pinky with a rock every time I use it. Even highly educated people use it in this manner.
"So like we can use this equation to compute like a minimum fuel"
like
Every third word used in the LA and Orange County areas of Southern California.
"Like what time is it?", "Like I have no clue.", "Like then I was like this and then I was like that and then I was like why are you looking at me like that."
like
Something people say way too much.
"Did you, like, like that book? I, like, liked it because it was, like, a lot like my life. I'd, like, like to get."
http://www.thescreamonline.com/essays/essays08-01/basically.html
I often ask myself where and how did it all start? MTV maybe? I consider it a tragic vocabulary epidemic that has ruined the way Malaysian youths converse in their daily lives. Trust me, the invention of "Manglish" isn't so bad after all. Think about the last time you heard a conversation that went something like this.
Person 1 : "So what was the book about?"
Person 2 : "Well, basically, it's like, this girl, who, basically, like, travels the world and basically, finds, like, this guy and they, basically, fall in love and like ... "
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Did the doctors drop you on the head when they sucked you out of your mother's womb which obviously resulted in your speech impediment?! Come on, people. This will not fly during a job interview, mind you. I should start my own "Big Book of Peeves" and put this among my Top 10 Things That Will Result in A Tragic Death chart. Jokes aside, I just cringe when I recall the times I used the word "like" unnecessarily. Seriously, there are 400 million words in the English language and apparently "basically" and "like" are the two words people opt to use to make a sentence. When I hear someone using the word "basically", I just want to BASICALLY grab a big-ass rope and ring their fucking necks! (Excuse my French) Trust me. I am not the only one who has rendered the word "basically" useless (pun intended, yes sireee!). According to Lynch's Guide to Good Vocabulary, which I found online, it said:
Basically.
Almost always useless. Qualifiers such as basically, essentially, totally, &c. rarely add anything to a sentence; they're the written equivalent of "Um." See Wasted Words, and read it twice.
Almost always useless. Qualifiers such as basically, essentially, totally, &c. rarely add anything to a sentence; they're the written equivalent of "Um." See Wasted Words, and read it twice.
I think you guys will find the following excerps quite hillarious. I found it on www.urbandictionary.com
1. Basically
When you suspect someone of being an idiot, count how many times they say 'basically' when talking.
So, basically, at the end of the day, when all's said and done, basically, my vocabulary is really really basic.
So, basically, at the end of the day, when all's said and done, basically, my vocabulary is really really basic.
2. Like
A meaningless word used in teen-age American speech which may indicate, among other things a gap in thinking or brain functioning; a contemporary equivalent of "uh" or "um".
"He was like, about the same age as me, but like, I wasn't sure what he, like, wanted to do with me."
like
A word used mostly by preps after every other word for no reason at all - Becky- " I like, think we should, like go to, like the ..."
like
1. A word implying similarity between two things.
2. A level of romantic interest that is not as high as love, yet not exclusive to sex.
3. An idiot teenager conversation spacer that is virtually meaningless.
1. Apples are like bananas, as they are both fruits.
2. John is in like with Dave, because they are both fruits.
3. "So, like, I was like, 'Why don't we like do something?' " Teenaged Girl with IQ 75
like
A word used as filler. It has become such a meme in the English language that I am seriously pondering smashing my pinky with a rock every time I use it. Even highly educated people use it in this manner.
"So like we can use this equation to compute like a minimum fuel"
like
Every third word used in the LA and Orange County areas of Southern California.
"Like what time is it?", "Like I have no clue.", "Like then I was like this and then I was like that and then I was like why are you looking at me like that."
like
Something people say way too much.
"Did you, like, like that book? I, like, liked it because it was, like, a lot like my life. I'd, like, like to get."
Woooosaaaaaaaaa! That was a load off my shoulders. I also remember reading an article in Cleo magazine (and should seriously remember to get that article from Ida) that interviewees were actually rejected because they couldn't speak a sentence withour using the word "like", unnecessarily, of course. Come on, if you were the CEO of a company, would you hire somebody who spoke like this? :-
CEO : "Where were you born?"
Ms Thing: "BASICALLY, I was born in ... "
CEO : "Why should I hire you for this job?"
Ms Thing: "Well, BASICALLY, I, LIKE, am a TOTALLY people person and BASICALLY can work well, LIKE, under stress and BASICALLY am a team worker which is SO LIKE, important and LIKE I could SO charm the pants off your company's LIKE international investors who are LIKE BASICALLY pouring in LIKE millions of dollars."
CEO: Unfortunately, there is no feedback as the big cahuna croaked from a chronic embolism.
I rest my case and my back. The link below is a similar feature story by a writer. Enjoy.
green leaf ;
