It's Just Me...

All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar

2008-12-03T16:25:00.002+08:00

All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar

(I love this song...the lyrics are just so endearing. Makes one feel warm fuzzies)

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

And the Award Goes To... Huge Ackman!!

2008-11-20T10:56:00.004+08:00

And the Award Goes To... Huge Ackman!!

Can I get a hell yeah!? Oh my kangaroos and wallabies... it's about time. Can you say "McSexy"?

Another Update

2008-11-16T15:24:00.002+08:00

Another Update

Hey all. I know it's been a while. No inspiration to write. Which is quite ironic since I have to do it for a living. Damn those spammers. My blog had become a bit slow to navigate and some posts and pics were in shambles. So had to delete some of them.. anyways, you can still see them anyway on my facebook.

Having said that, am contemplating deleting this blog of mine.. Not there's heavy reader traffic here anyway... so, yeah.

Until next time, I hope.

The Expat Mandi-Mandi @ Ulu Yam

2008-08-25T12:07:00.009+08:00

The Expat Mandi-Mandi @ Ulu Yam

Ok, I can safely say it's been a helluva long time since I had a dip in the river/mandi sungai. Try pre-pubescent. Took me back to when I was about six years old when my uncle used to take us nieces and nephews to Pertak near Kuala Kubu Baru...the good ol days. Anyway, we at the office decided to have a picnic outing last Saturday. Our IT guy Rusli suggested the idea of a barbecue so suffice to say we were gamed! We went to Ulu Yam...down in the boonies somewhere after Batu Caves. On the way there we passed this pretty lake/dam (I forgot what it's called now) and the area was just so picturesque. I was definitely pumped. Nice to escape KL for once and get back to nature.

So, we convoyed from Batu Caves and finally reached there after 10am. Although it had been chucking the day before, we were blessed with beautiful weather until we left at 3pm. I forgot how freaking cold the stream water was...being the wuss I am (sometimes) I had to gingerly dunk; limb by limb. And then I just went for it...cccccoolld! I thought it was just me but then a certain person I know gave this expression - "Mother fucker thats cold!". :-)

An Update If You Will...

2008-07-30T18:59:00.008+08:00

An Update If You Will...

Right... I haven't had any inspiration to regale all my loyal readers (all but 3 I think... ) on the joys and wonderfulness going on in my life. There were some eventful and funny incidents, I might add.
Ah, if only I could make a sitcom about the people I meet and goings on here and there, ... probably earn enough to buy a few marbles.

Anyway, here are some pictorials of events from the last time I posted some words here..

(At the Euphoria launch by Ministry of Sound @ Sunway in June)

(At a friend's wedding in Penang with Marc a.k.a. "Sarjit" Lourdes)

(At the office party/dinner shindig)

(At Berjaya Resort in Langkawi with Hilyah and Khidmah @ Nikmat.. hehhe)

Whoah...Deja Vu!

2008-06-17T23:42:00.004+08:00

Whoah...Deja Vu!

Oh dearie me...these guys are back! The New Kids On The Block just released a new single! Ok, granted they're old farts now to ever be reinjected into the Boy Band Hall of Fame, but dammit, after watching this video, it brought me back to the 90s when I remember swooning over these dudes after school, before school and during school. Shees... haha.

I'm not embarrass to admit they still have their boyish charm. Believe it or not, I still keep those cheesy button badges of them I had since when I was 12! Ya ha! Just brings back so many memories. Anyway, here's the video...haha.. and it still reeks CHEESY and CORNY! Well done, guys!

Retro Madness!

2008-06-15T21:29:00.008+08:00

Retro Madness!

Ok so my office 60s Rooftop Party at Bangsar Village II was freakin' fun on Saturday night! We co-hosted the shindig with the Bangsar Village management and all in all it was a blast...from the past!

We (mostly the girls from The Expat Group) were all dolled up in 60s attire. Yours truly managed to buy a decent dress at the last minute and also set her hair Jackie O style (a bouffaint too, yes siree!). There was one expat who came as Austin Powers...brilliant! So, yes we had an awesome time singing and dancing to the Grease soundtrack and other good oldies. Oh and by the by one of our staff got cold feet at the last minute to MC the event so guess who had to step up? Ya ha!

Tripple brownie points from the boss, thank you very much! Anyway, here are the pics.

An Afternoon of Rojak Under The Sun...

2008-06-12T20:37:00.004+08:00

An Afternoon of Rojak Under The Sun...

Ok so I obviously I have neglected to update my blog for months. Nothing interesting to say really. Anyway, it was an absolute beautiful day outside today...the sun was shining, blue skies and that my friends was a perfect reason for us (me, Hilyah and Alison) to chow down on some Rojak in SS15, Subang. (Truth be told the actual reason was because I needed to get some pics for my column but hey, can't say no to good grub, right?)

It was within those minutes of savouring the rojak that we felt how splendid it is to live in Malaysia. I mean, come on...when there are days like today you just have to take the opportunity to put on your sunnies, get in your car and go outside!

We couldn't resist pulling out our camera phones and taking some snapshots. Enjoy!

"Snap already! We're hungry!"

"Mmmm..."

"Yummeah.....!"

"Let the sun shine down on me..."

"Ok...the guy behind is gonna think we're tourists.."

"Aren't we such urbanites..."

"It taste even better when shared with friends..."

We Froze!

2008-04-13T23:10:00.002+08:00

We Froze!

I love it when my Sundays are fun! Today was one of those days when four of us (me, Hilyah, Karuna and Khidmah (Hilyah's sister) joined the KL Freeze in Unison thingy at Pavilion KL. My freezing position was quite ackward as I froze (straining my back) standing while shooting the entire 12.5 minutes! Damn that was long and apparently the longest compared to the ones in New York and London. Kudos Malaysians!

So yeah we were kind of sceptical as to whether it would all go down as planned since the people came in droves at the gathering place at Lot 10 first. Let's just say the security guards were puzzled. Anyway, the "organisers" played their game well when handing out the orange flyers on the freezing place. I even overheard a tourist say ... "What is this? Freezing?! This is insane!" Ha! It was a good business day for Pavilion I might add... Should have worn more comfortable shoes though...sigh. After unfreezing, we did some window shopping and I bought a fantabulous vest and got a free pearl in Isetan! Woo hoo... Drove home later and ended up in Bangsar and chilled at the mamak for a while... drove home... tired!

Would love to post the video I shot up here but it's taking sooooooo long and YouTube only accepts videos under 10 minutes. Pics can be viewed on my Facebook.

Ta for now!

Mamma Mia!

2008-04-04T19:43:00.006+08:00

Mamma Mia!

Right...Today I had to do a restaurant review at this fancy schmancy Italian place at KL Pavilion, aptly named Michelangelo's. I must say I loved the black and white decor which complemented the paintings on the wall. The food was good I have to say. It's been a while since I sampled tasty spaghetti marinara that's worth bragging about. It was actually spicy, which I simply loved! Not so much heat, but warmth of the spices made it tasty.

Anyway, check out the pics ... (disclaimer: food pictorials might make one salivate :-) ) One of the reasons why I love taking food pics ... honing my skills, people.

My 30th Bday Bash...

2008-02-23T19:23:00.007+08:00

y 30th Bday Bash...

Well the day finally came...I entered a new decade! Woo hoo!... I must say I had a fantabulous time ushering in the big 30 with friends and colleagues at Aaliya Restaurant in Damansara on Friday night. Couldn't have found a more perfect location (thanks to my colleague Alex who co-hosted the party with me...). Good company, delicious cake and good (albeit random, thanks Josh!) conversations made this an awesome Friday night out!

Enjoy the pics! :-)

Funny Quotes

2008-02-14T18:18:00.002+08:00

Funny Quotes

I found these quotes by Bill Cosby ... really funny and so true if you think about it. Enjoy!

- A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station. -

- A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice. -

- Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry. -

- Any man today who returns from work, sinks into a chair, and calls for his pipe is a man with an appetite for danger. -

- Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing.-

- Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.-

- Gray hair is God's graffiti. -

- Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit. -

- Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home. -

- I am certainly not an authority on love because there are no authorities on love, just those who've had luck with it and those who haven't. -

- I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. -

- I guess the real reason that my wife and I had children is the same reason that Napoleon had for invading Russia: it seemed like a good idea at the time. -

- In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. -

- Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge. -

- Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes. -

- Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet. -

- People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what's bitter and move on. -

- That married couples can live together day after day is a miracle that the Vatican has overlooked. -

- The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it. -

- The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now. -

- There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God. There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God. -

- Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it. -

- Women don't want to hear what you think. Women want to hear what they think - in a deeper voice. -

- You know the only people who are always sure about the proper way to raise children? Those who've never had any. -

Club Med Jan '08

2008-01-29T14:15:00.000+08:00

Club Med Jan '08

Right, people. I have just returned from a fantabulous weekend at Club Med Cherating! The property was the next thing outside the Garden of Eden. Really pretty! Sorry I can't be more eloquent. Got work to do! Here are some of the partying pictures with other journalists and PR people and some cute Club Med staff. More on my Facebook. :-)

Mario (Indonesia), Joleen and me

Simon (Canada), us and Jerome (France)

The crazy journalists and Edward (in green)

Ronald (Indonesia, sailing guide) and us

David and us

Happy 2008!

2007-12-31T17:56:00.000+08:00

Happy 2008!

And so another year has passed. Damn that was quick. Frightening to realise how fast time flies.

2007 was quite an eventful year for me. It was one hell of a roller-coaster ride, really. But I take it with stride. I cherish the good things that happened (meeting new people, making new friends) and accept the bad (emotional turmoils). And yes, everyday I try to accept the things I cannot change.

I wouldn't say that this year was bad. But I do hope 2008 will be better, with more good things to come. To cheer myself up, here are some things I will definitely look forward to in 2008:

1) Graduating (hellelujah!)
2) Joining The Expat full-time
3) Hopefully do a bit more travelling
4) Getting a place of my own

And no, turning 30 is not one of them. :-( I'll just remove two candles and pretend I'm 28 again.)

I gave up on drawing up resolutions because, honestly, I never fulfill them. It's overrated if you ask me. Anyway, I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year and have a good one! Cheers!

The Expat Group Gone Wild!

2007-12-20T22:47:00.001+08:00

The Expat Group Gone Wild!

Hello one and all! At the risk of sounding ... well ... obvious, my blog was in serious need of an update. This is not my end-of-the-year post, first and foremost. That's coming later. It's been a busy couple of months, really. Most importantly, The Expat Group Xmas party on Wednesday night was a blast!!! Two of my colleagues did a splendid job of organising the whole shindig at Marketplace Restaurant in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng. French fusion cuisine place actually. Apparently they had to negotiate for the tapas and free flow of booze or dinner... they chose the former and I personally should give them a medal for that!! Good on ya mates!

Anyway, we had such a great time. From the pictures you will see below it was a fancy-dress-cum-Xmas-with-a-touch-of-up-the-ying-yang-costume party! Yours truly went as a naughty school teacher, with a metal ruler and fake bookish glasses as props! Let's see, also present at the soiree was the jailbird, slutty cowgirl, slutty sailor (you see a pattern here?!... hence the title of this post) ... and among others. My boss, apparently, from the views of others, came as James Bond. Or was it Hugh Hefner? I seriously thought John Travolta in the later years. Hehheee....

Anyway, after the party a few of us adjourned to The Heritage Mansion at Asian Heritage Row for more booze. All in all, it was a fun night. Enjoy the pics. (NOTE: SOME PHOTOS ARE OF GRAPHIC NATURE. PARENTAL GUIDANCE IS ADVISED).

The Jailbird and The Teacher

Scary Movie 5 3/4

Betty Boob and Me...

Sadistic Phuah Chu Kang and me..

Slutty Cowgirl and me...two Aidas

The Teacher, The Sexy Reindeer, Diva and Betty Boob

The Teacher, The Jailbird (my editor, Rich) and Eve (Alex)

Whoah.....

The Jailbird and his ... chicks

Me and Mrs. Boss...

Me and Satan (with an identity crisis)

Santarinas and me

The Sailor, me and a Kim in a fro..

Me and Linga

Boss (middle) in a comprimising situation...

Boss with his girls... one of the perks of retiring in Malaysia, eh?

Love these guys...

Sexy Divas...

My second family... love 'em!

Live Like You Were Dying

2007-10-27T21:17:00.000+08:00

Live Like You Were Dying

It has not been a good week, to say the least. A friend's close uncle passed away a few days ago. On Friday morning, my uncle passed away, too. Although I wasn't close to him, there are some fond memories I still cherish. This uncle of mine was my late father's younger brother. I was told he fell in the bathroom and minutes later had a stroke and was comatosed for five days before he died. I'm sad and relieved, actually. Sad because he was the only one left who reminded me of my father. Relieved because if he were alive, his suffering would be unimaginable. When I saw the faces of his children, my cousins, I had flashbacks to the day when I lost my own father. I felt their pain, their loss. My uncle has four children. His only son was seen crying uncontrollably. People get like that when they lose a parent. But his tears was because of something else. He felt remorsefull that he didn't treat his father better when he was alive.

I'll be honest. I used to snap at my father too because I felt angry and frustrated that he was so ill. I was angry because he made it harder on us, his children, and my mum by not wanting to get better. What I'm saying is that, our parents won't be around for long. We should try our best to give them all the respect and love they deserve because let's face it ... they were the ones who brought us here.

Sitting on a chair at the porch of my uncle's house in Penang, I suddenly realised that the only time I can have a chance to meet the cousin-mousin, aunty-munti and uncles on my father's side is during a FUNERAL or a wedding. I mean, really, I see them on one occasion and the next their either pregnant, or married, or pregnant again or, well, ... dead.

After reciting prayers and bidding goodbyes, my sisters and I (oh yes, and the porky four-year-old tyrant) adjourned to our family house for some dinner and a shower before going on the road back to KL again. That was the shortest trip back home I ever had. Anyway, my mission was to find a particular photograph of me and my late uncle I knew I had. And I did find it! That and together with a bunch of old black-and-white photos of my parents and siblings my mum had kept in a box. So the reminiscing started. My other uncle (my mum's older brother) was also with us and I actually found HIS wedding picture. Oh yeah, there were dozens of my sister and her cam-whoring in the 80s. BAD HAIR AND ARRGGGHHH! BAD FASHION! The four-year-old couldn't believe that was her mummy sporting the ever-so-awful shiny pantsuit with the DuranDuran hairdo. Sigh....

A colleague of mine told me this last week that I should be thankful for what I have. I was in one my moods, of course, all depressed and moping that I wanted more and SOMEBODY, in my life. He told me to stop being sad and look at the bright side; I have my family, friends, work and all the little blessings that many people don't have.

It's true. Life is short. Live like you were dying. If you feel like doing something that makes you happy, just do it.
Later.

Pictures and such..

2007-10-20T20:38:00.000+08:00

Pictures and such..

As promised, here are some of the pics from our Expat Expo last month..

Today was quite a fun day... I went to The Curve with Yvonne to watch our beloved lecturer, Azmyl's, and the very famous Fahmi Fadzil's 'wayang kulit' performance of Pak Pandir. Really entertaining. There was quite a generous crowd, all of whom I think just returned from their respective 'kampungs' after Hari Raya. Fahmi and Azmyl (assisted by their other friend, Aziz) did a fantabulous job of enlightening today's children about the existence of wayang kulit. I mean, really, it was a good show. Beats sitting in front of the Play Station any day. Well done, guys! And after that was a 'dikir barat' performance by a local Selangor troup. I must say it was really nice to watch them after so freakin' long! I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a dikir barat, though. Been a while. Anyway, so yes, Fahmi was his funny self as usual. Really talented.

It sucked that it rained! I wanted some retail therapy at The Curve bazaar. After the show, all of us adjourned to Starbucks for tea... and doughnuts! Big Apple no less. Here are some pics.. from my handphone since (I could so kick myself) I forgot to take by fancy schmancy camera!

Gday!

2007-10-01T12:46:00.000+08:00

Gday!

Hey hey...

So I guess a lot of us took quite a while to update our blogs... me included obviously. What to do?.... busy, busy. A bit worn out from the eventful weekend at our inaugural Expat Expo '07 in KLCC. It was a success (woo hoo! Team Expat) despite the fact that it was our first major event ever. Will post the pictures up soon.

Last Friday night, the entire office (well, minus our boss Andy) had a "yam seng-ing" good time at Mike and Jaq's wedding (consider it a pre-calm-before-the-storm event for the busy weekend). Mike, our Canadian farmboy, was the former editor of The Expat magazine who fell madly in love with the very sweet Jaqueline. So, Chinese dinner+alcohol+one kwai-loh groom+the bride's huge family+The Expat team = a freakin' volatile combination.

Anyway, here are the pictures.

The bride & groom

Thorn among the roses

Chicos and chicas

Someone-said-something-and-Joey-decided-

to-moisten-her-eye

Charlies and Angels

Love these guys...

The bride and us

Yam Seng session 1

Yam seng session 2

... and the were more sessions after that, believe me.

Toodles, for now.

A Day At The Office

2007-08-23T12:13:00.000+08:00

A Day At The Office

It is freakin' cold today the office! Felt like I needed a pair of mittens and socks in this iglue. Anyway, blame it on the rain.

Toilet paper is apparently a hot commodity at the office. Here was a the scene today with our accounts clerk Poh Lian, me and my editor, Rich, in his room:

Poh Lian: Richard, I have something valuable for you (both her hands behind her back).
Rich: (face brimming with joy) Is it my expense cheque?!
Poh Lian: No ... (followed by showing the contents in her hands) this!..
Rich: (puzzled) Toilet paper?
Poh Lian: Hey, this is very precious here.
Me: Just imagine a world without them...
Rich: I have two rolls right here (proceeds to open his desk drawer)..
Poh Lian: (astonished with the abundance of toilet paper) Good, now I know where to go If I ever run out.
Rich: How much do you girls use anyway? (followed by gesturing rolling out metres and metres of toilet paper)
Poh Lian: Hmm, there's always using it to cover the seat...
Me: You know how it is, Rich... no tissue, no tushy.

So, yes.

Yesterday, me, Karuna, Parames and Josh went to watch Rush Hour 3. #$%^ing hilarious. Go see it! It was good to have a good ol' hearty laugh. That and the fact that Josh always cracks us up with well ... Josh. Here is another scene at Secret Recipe at Pyramid after the movie:

(This is after quite a lot of belly laughs which now I can't remember what..)

Karuna: Josh, please tell Parames your full name.
Me: (Interjected) wait, wait please let me... Joshua...
Karuna/Josh: Dei! ... (laughing like monkeys)
Me: Isn't Josh short for Joshua?!
Josh: No!
Me: Oh... (obviously embarrassed) ok so it's Josh Pulimeth George
Karuna: Eh, so is Pulimeth the name of a village in India?
Josh: Aiyo, no la, I don't think so. I think it's a...
Me: Is it a TRIBE?
Karuna: (Laughing like Karuna)
Josh: (Hidung kembang) Ya, ya... we also have our weapons and tribal dance...

Oieh.... we are a loony bunch of people. In other news, I'll be hauling my tush to Christmas Island next month .. woo hoo!! I also discovered there is a place called Hugh's Waterfall there. Jackman, come on Jackman... Should be fun and dandy, I hope.

Okie dokie. Will end here coz Shahid's assignment a-calling.

D'oh!

2007-08-03T00:48:00.001+08:00

D'oh!

I got Simpsonized! The resemblance is quite uncanny, eh?

Staff Partay....

2007-07-25T17:21:00.000+08:00

Staff Partay....

My boss, Andy, graciously hosted our annual staff dinner at his house yesterday. Good food, good conversation and cute babies. Yes, one of my colleagues brought her damn adorable baby girl. So, here are some of the pictures. Will post more soon. (Note: Man with the shock of white hair is big boss, Andy. In case you're wondering about the tiny people in the front, those are his kids. Man in blue shirt is my editor, Rich.)

A Much Needed Update

2007-07-16T14:54:00.000+08:00

A Much Needed Update

Ok ... this is long overdue. Chalk it up to being overly stressed and busy and not managing my time properly. Suffice to say that a lot has happened in the past two months. The good, the bad and ... the tragic. But I'm still here.

I think the thing that started the whole vicious cycle was my car accident in June. All that stress of not having my car, worrying about the repairs, meeting deadlines, fighting blooming traffic jams and driving around in my relative's car (which had its own issues) kind of took its toll on me. Imagine what all that surge of adrenaline and overpowering stress can do to a person. It wasn't enough that I was traumatised by the accident ... because three weeks ago I had an anxiety/panic attack.

Yes, if you must know, I really thought I was going to die. That made it my second brush with death. I actually thought my time was up when I crashed my car. Panick attacks feel like a heart attack. No kidding. My other thought was whether I could be having a stroke. I can recall the impending doom I felt wash over me ... while DRIVING no less. This is what happens when one over-worries, has poor time management and over-stresses about stuff. All me. Anyway, I managed to drive myself home in the middle of gasping for oxygen and praying that I wouldn't have another car crash. I could still remember how it felt as if someone was dimming the switch in my body ... (gonna blackout in 5, 4, 3, 2 .. 1). Got home and I thank the heavens my brother-in-law was there (despite all my home issues, really) to actually convince me it wasn't a heart attack. Palpitations, taking in too much oxygen and panicking ... not a good combination.

So, a visit to SJMC and a blood pressure, ECG and oxygen count test two hours later, I received the diagnosis. Panic attack because of stress. A prescription of Xanax and I was sent home. Crying buckets-full later actually helped in a way. Still felt like crap, not to mention tired. The doctor actually recommended I see a psychiatrist. Boy, that was new. Could just imagine lying on the leather sofa pouring my heart out to the doc holding a note pad. I call it post-traumatic stress. There, that saved me a bit of money from having to pay a shrink to come up with that conclusion, eh? Let's just say I was freaked out about traffic jams and stressed about being stressed.

I got my car back a few days after that. Something good at least. They had only spray painted the front part of my car. Now, the back part looks old and the front ... shiny and glossy! Shees..
So that was that. A bit of a morbid update, but still. Anyway, I'm better now if anyone should care. Feeling depressed was not good for me, although my trip back to Penang did me some good.

For whatever reason, this is my life. I think I deserve better, but what the hell, everyday I learn to accept the things I cannot change.

Loneliness ... A Sad Affair

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

Loneliness ... A Sad Affair

I'm so God-damned depressed! And it's not as if I'm so free ... I have a ton of assignments to finish and starting next week, I have to get cracking on the magazine's June issue contents. The assignments are staring at me, beckoning me to read or pick up a pen or something! But no, no... I'm not lifting a finger, except to type this post.

Geography 101

2007-04-15T12:44:00.000+08:00

Geography 101

I don't know if it was the after-effects of doing the Macarena or overkill of limau ais at 1am, but anyway...

- Stockholm is the capital of SWEDEN, not Scotland!
- Scotland's capital (I checked...) is actually Edinburgh, and
- Peru is so not in Brazil.

So there you have it. Will be back soon with more pressing matters to discuss on this blog of mine.

Post F1 Update ... Sort of..

2007-04-13T19:36:00.000+08:00

Post F1 Update ... Sort of..

Ok...last Sunday, I was honoured with tickets to go to the F1. Some of you (you know who you are...) have already been enlightened by the drama that went on that day with the officials, so I will spare you the recycled details.

Below are some of the pictures that were taken by yours truly (minus the first one with myself, Richard (my editor, in the middle) and his mate, Patrick. Enjoy...

I Think About You - Bryan Adams

2007-04-11T21:44:00.000+08:00

I Think About You - Bryan Adams

I oughta be workin - but I can't concentrate
I oughta be sleepin' - instead' a stayin up late
When I oughta be doing all the things I should do
I think about you
I oughta be writin' - but I can't find the song
Just sittin here driftin' - driftin' along
There's only one thing that I wanna do
And that's think about you

I think about you - I can't get no rest
I think about you - there ain't no one else
It's all I can do - I can't help myself
Yeah - I think about you

I could go cruisin' - but I've had enough
I could go drinkin' - but I can't stand too much
It just don't do me like it used to do
I'd rather think about you

I think about you - I can't get no rest
I think about you - there ain't no one else
It's all I can do - I can't help myself
Yeah - I think about you

Oieh....

2007-03-29T21:19:00.000+08:00

Oieh....

First things first ... Hilyah, I curi-ed your Fran Fine word for added effect. I always give credit where it's due. Eheeeeee...

Anyway, so today was quite an interesting day at college and work. If only I could film the antics that goes on at TCPJ (specifically Sem 1 (CCM) ... or more specifically around people named Hilyah, Liyana, Karuna, Steph, Vann, Alison ...and ... ok ME!), we'd have our own wacky show on MTV.

Scene 1 - Cafe, TCPJ

Karuna: Li, my friend said the translation for sniper is "penghendap" and NOT "pembunuh senyap."
Me: Really? I thought it meant a Peeping Tom..
I-Can't-Remember-Who-Said-This: Why do they call it Peeping Tom, ah?..
Me: How 'bout Peeping Jack... or Peeping Dick?!
(All round laughter - Vann slurping on Pan Mee Soup - playfully hits me - intended for my arm but landed on my boob - sharp nails -)
Me: (Crinkled face).... Owwwww!

Scene 2 - Work

(This conversation took place on Monday. I called this expat to schedule an interview)

Me: Hi, Lucy. This Aida from The Expat magazine.
Lucy: (noisy) oh hi... ermm.. so sorry but (sound of cars whizzing by) I'm standing on the side of the road waiting for somebody. Can I talk to you some other time this week?
Me: Sure, no problem.

(Today)

Me: Hi, Lucy. This is Aida from The Expat magazine.
Lucy: Hi, Aida. ermm.. (heavy breathing) you're not gonna believe this, but on Monday I was on the side of the road and now, I'M IN LABOUR!
Me: ..... (File 404 not found).... oh.. umm... Oh my God! ... umm... ok.
Lucy: I have to go get my baby bag from home....
Me: ... ok... umm.. why don't I send you an email to make your life a whole lot easier then...
Lucy: (Manages to laugh) .. ok. No worries. Thanks. Will call you next week.
Me: .... ok... (struggling to say something encouraging)... hope everything goes well for you!
Lucy: Thanks ... bye!

Oieh.... So that was that. Later, taking the advantage to appreciate the panoramic view of KL, I had my McD's dinner with Kim and Livian (my colleagues) outside the window ledge of our office! Mind you, we're on the 7th floor. The KL skyline was an amazing hue of orange, purple and yellow. And all three of us are afraid of heights... thrill seekers.

Tomorrow, got a restaurant review to do and a free ayurvedic massage in the afternoon. This is the first time I'm saying this ... I kinda love my job!

Later gators!

So You Know Me, eh?

2007-03-13T22:06:00.000+08:00

So You Know Me, eh?

Create your own Friend Test here

Something About Colours ...

2007-02-23T14:38:00.000+08:00

Something About Colours ...

~~~~RED~~~~
1. Closest red thing to you?= Wallet
2. Has anyone ever cheated on you in a relationship?= No. Luckily, if not would've boiled his pet.
3. Last thing that made you angry?= Can't recall
4. Are you a fan of romance?= Yes. Warm fuzzies are nice
5. Have you ever been in love?= Yes. Where is the heart stabilizer when I need one?
6. Do you have a temper?= Ya ha. Sometimes.

~~~~GREEN~~~~
1. Closest green thing to you?= Floppy disk
2. Do you care about the environment?= ok...
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now?= Samantha Brown, travel journalist on Channel 11. I want her job!
4. Are you a lucky person?= sure. ok
5. Do you always want what you can't have?= Jeez, do I ever...
6. Are you Irish?= Does rockin' to Celtic music count?

~~~~PURPLE~~~~
1. Last purple thing you saw?= Apparently, it's the colour of my brain, so says Blogthings
2. Like being treated to expensive things?= It's no big deal.
3. Do you like mysterious things?= Of course I like men!
4. Favorite type of chocolate?= Belgian
5. Ever met anyone in royalty?= I can never get an invitation!
6. Are you creative?= I can attempt to sing in Italian which makes no sense
7. Are you a lonely person?= I hate trick questions

~~~~YELLOW~~~~
1. Closest yellow thing to you?= A mug
2. The happiest time[s] of your life?= Being with family and relatives at tea time, watching Rocky movies with my father, hanging with friends.
3. Favorite holiday?= My trip to Sutera Harbour in Sabah
4. Are you a bastard?= No! YOu're a bastard!
5. Do you burn or tan?= Tan. My body resembles overbaked/slighly uncooked Kuih Kapit
6. Do you want children?= Not really.
7. What makes you feel warm and safe?= Hugs from people I love and like.

~~~~BLUE~~~~
1. Closest blue thing to you?= My cubicle
2. Are you good at calming people down?= Sure. A hard slap across the face will do the trick
3. Do you like the sea?= It's a God send
4. What was the last thing that made you cry?= When Rocky cried because he missed Adrian.
5. Are you a logical thinker?= Most of the time
6. Can you sleep easily?= No, the mysterious handsome creature keeps bothering me in my dreams!
7. Do you prefer the beach or the woods?= Beach baby!

~~~~PINK~~~~
1. Closest pink thing to you?= Mineral water bottle cap
2. Do you like sweet things?= Not often. Diabetes will kill you.
3. Like play-fighting?= I'm 29.
4. Are you sensitive?= I can be, dammit.
5. Do you like punk music?= Tasteful rock will do.
6. What is your favorite flower?= Daisies
7. Does someone have a crush on you?= Let me put on my HE-DAR goggles.... ermm.. NO.

~~~~ORANGE~~~~
1. Closest orange thing to you?= Orange juice
2. Do you like to burn things?= Sure it's fun. Makes me feel like the maitre'd in Satan's Lair
3. Do you dress up for Halloween ? = Wouldn't be called Halloween if you didn't
4. Are you usually a warm-heartedperson?= Of course. Warm fuzzies, remember.
5. Do you prefer the single life or the security of a relationship?= Se...cur..i.? of a what?!
6. What would your super power be?= Anihilate stupid people

50 Things To Do Before Turning 30

2007-02-21T22:39:00.000+08:00

50 Things To Do Before Turning 30 (Red means I've done it)

1. Have a really stupid accident which necessitates a hospital visit
2. Shoot something
3. Take a weekend break more than 1000 miles from home
4. Boot Linux on your home PC
5. Get lost in a country where you don't speak the language
6. Spend more than your monthly income on a pocket sized gadget
7. Post bail for a friend
8. Break a really large plate glass window
9. Make a parachute jump on a hangover
10. Use a whole roll of gaffa tape in one day
11. Make a pointless modification to your house
12. Neck a pint of peppermint oil
13. Pull a shemale by mistake (but realise in time...)
14. Buy a samurai sword
15. Delay paying a bill until the summons arrives
16. Destroy a speed camera
17. Refill an inkjet cartridge
18. Say something obscene on national television
19. Do a J turn in order to beat somebody to a parking space
20. Break a sledgehammer
21. Make a bomb
22. Smash a CRT
23. Require medical treatment as a consequence of kinky sex gone wrong (STDs
don't count.)
24. Tip a waiter with something other than money
25. Light a fire with petrol
26. Kidnap someone
27. Park inside a motorway service station
28. Own a convertible.
29. Live abroad.
30. Drive at more than 140mph.
31. Get something for free through a masterpiece of complaining
32. Give yourself a mains electric shock.
33. Completely dismantle an object larger than yourself
34. Write off a car
35. Fall asleep and get really hilarious sunburn
36. Get drunk on Absinthe
37. Stay up all night listening to a girl have an emotional crisis
38. Lick the terminals of a 9 volt battery
39. Take part in motorsport
40. Stay at the office for more than 24 hours
41. Set off a fire extinguisher
42. Drive at least 600 miles in a day on two lane roads
43. Hotwire a car
44. Watch all the Monty Python films In one sitting
45. Shag an ex-boyfriend by mistake
46. Dial 999
47. Commit a faux pas which means that a friend will never speak to you again
48. Make a bet you couldn't afford to lose
49. Read a 500 page book in one sitting
50. Escape a perfectly justified parking ticket.

Shit ... still so much to do! Dammit.

Beach House

2007-02-20T22:48:00.000+08:00

Beach House - James Patterson/Peter de Jonge

I can't remember the last time I finished a book in three hours flat. I could've been done in a shorter time but, this book was too good to speed read. Two words - utterly clever. Actually, I can also throw in riveting, smooth, unpretentious and skillful. This book has 113 chapters - each no longer than three pages. Genius concept by Patterson in keeping his readers hooked on the plot as it unfolds.

This is not a new book. I remember contemplating buying it ... two years ago. Hey, the cost of new books burn a hole straight into our wallets! So, I did the smart thing by getting it at the Pay Less Books sale weeks ago.

Anyway, the book tells the story of Jack Mullen who is in law school in New York City when he hears that his brother, Peter, has drowned in the ocean off East Hampton. Jack knows his brother loved the water, and that this couldn't be an accident. Someone must have wanted his brother dead.

But the police say otherwise. As Jack tries to uncover details of his brother's last night, he confronts a maddening barricade of lawyers, police, and paid protectors who separate the wealthy summer residents from local workers like Peter. Motivated by a hundred forms of grief, Jack rallies his hometown friends to help him find the truth of Peter's death-no matter how rich or corrupt the people who stand in their way. (The heartwarming part was how his friends put their necks on the lines to help Jack.)

Jack's relentless crusade puts him into a head-on collision with one of the most powerful and ruthless men in New York, a man who wipes out resistance with a snap of his fingers. As it unfolds that his brother was involved with some of the richest women and men in America -in ways Jack never imagined- his dream of justice fades. Only if he can somehow beat the rich at their own game will he be able to avenge his brother.

My jaw was gaping upon discovering the big revelation of the accomplices involved. Although some might find the plot predictable, Patterson makes it up with a masterful thriller story that will have you turning the pages till the end. I seriously loved the concept of the short chapters - for us who have short attention spans.

Just a Leaf

2007-02-20T17:24:00.000+08:00

Just a Leaf

As you can see, I changed my skin. All the previous retro colours were giving me a headache. So, simple is the current theme. Well, it is the operative word, really, since I was up till 3am choosing the perfect blog skin. Picky, picky.

An Update

2007-02-12T21:23:00.000+08:00

An Update...

This is my desk at the office ...

These are the four books I purchased which I have yet to read ...

This is me trying to work at home after work and ignoring my niece who's crying ...

and some random ramblings ...

- I have two ulcers in my mouth, a bruised knee from falling last week and a boil on my body. And feeling bloated from having period cramps. It's amazing I haven't killed anyone.

- I saw an accident on Federal earlier, four-car pile up, most likely Tokyo Drift (The Sequel) stunt wannabes.

- I've been daydreaming a lot.

- I wanna try frying an egg on the road to see if it'll cook under the current bloody scorcher of a weather

- I have an awful tan. I can be both Ebony and well... Dark Ivory

- I think Mark Derwin (for those who don't know, he plays the husband on 'Life with Bonnie' on Star World, Mon nights) is damn hot with dimples that can hold water.

- I think wives or husbands (and dating couples) who dedicate love songs to each other on the radio is sweet and thoughtful. We've become so cynical that these simple gestures of affection are deemed corny. It's just sad.

That's it for now.

Just When We Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse...

2007-01-22T18:08:00.001+08:00

Just When We Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse...

I must say I wasn't that surprised when I read the article headlined - "The Ugly Side of Malaysian Shoppers" on the NST website. Granted, most of the behaviours were utterly appalling to say the least. I, for one, am sometimes guilty for not putting back the goods in the supermarket at the correct place, you know when you change your mind about whether to purchase or not. But these following horrendous shopping decorums are something else as if to say, "What the fuck is wrong with you people?! Were you raised by animals?" Anyway, take a look:

1) A store manager of a well-known clothing retailer in Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur said some customers liked to try on the bikini bottoms, despite the "no-trying" policy."One even stained it with her vaginal discharge. She rolled up the piece and passed it to our staff before quickly leaving the store," said the store manager who only wanted to be known as Aini."The soiled bikini bottom had to be thrown away."

2) Chong, 38, who works for a giant toy store in Bangsar, said she noticed a couple with a baby entering the store and later discovered "a poo-filled diaper" after they had left.

3) Children as young as four years old have been left behind for hours in MPH’s Kidszone by parents who go off shopping."In one of our stores some time back, a small girl cried for her parents for hours until she vomited. When I saw her, she was all alone in a pool of vomit. We had to clean her up and locate her parents — who were shopping without a care in the world," said Toh.A child also once defecated at the Kidszone and a member of the staff had to clean up the place and replace the carpeting, he added.

Go to http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Sunday/National/20070121094732/Article/index_html
if you wanna read more.

It's obvious that not only is Malaysia deemed one of the rudest countries, but now we (God, it hurts to even say "we") have a chance to enter the records book for "The Country With the Most Filthy Imbeciles". Woo-freakidy-hoo! Good on ya motherfuckers! Dumbasses...

Splish Splash in PD

2007-01-17T15:49:00.000+08:00

Splish Splash in PD

Did I mention I love anything that concerns water, pools, the ocean and speedboat rides? These pictures were taken in Port Dickson last month when I had to do a resort writeup. I managed to drag Yvonne to pose as my "photographer". Needless to say we had a blast, despite that the place was a little dingy.

Woo Hoo...

2007-01-14T19:56:00.000+08:00

Woo Hoo...

First things first ... I'm in one of my crappy moods. Since the only cherry on my equally crappy new year cake was the graduation yesterday, I guess I should put up some of the pics I got so far. So here they are...

Have A Good One!

2006-12-30T10:40:00.000+08:00

Have A Good One!

Hello people! Will be heading up to Penang in a couple of hours but I couldn't leave without putting up my usual year-end post. So here goes...

OH GOODNESS! I'll be turning another year older to 2?... and then after that ?0! Dammit. (Note to self: Get a freaking grip) Anyway, 2006 was definitely an eventful year for me and for many of you too. As we all remember, the first six months was a gruelling and trying time for us when we had to carry out our CPM projects. Friendships were tested and most importantly ... our sanity! I don't know if any of you remember when I said, "We definitely saw some people's true colours." You know what? Life reared it's ugly head and many of us felt the wretched brunt of it all. Well, shit happens. Honestly, I am sad that we had to go through those unpleasant times because the sentimental schmuck that I am, I kept thinking back to when we first started in Sem 1. There are a lot of memories to choose from, I guess. For me, the trying times were not only centred in college but at home, too. Let's face it, we all have our own problems. But there's nothing else to do but move on.

A lot of things happened in the last six months too. I think most of it was during our internships and some of us who were busy applying to unis to do our degrees. Shees... that's one hell of a subject to rant about. I still haven't heard from a certain company on whether or not I am the lucky recipient for their scholarship award. It's been two weeks. I'm quite peeved. But there's nothing much I can do but wait. I've dealt with waiting and disappointments (knock wood) before, so it's fine. Things happen for a reason, I believe.

I watched the HBO movie about the Tsunami two nights ago and was intrigued by what one of the actresses conversation:

Tsunami victim: "Why did God do this to us? Isn't God supposed to look after everybody in this universe? Isn't that why He is there for?
Woman: "God is The Almighty. But to look out for everyone on each corner of the globe? ... All we can do is hope that He will bless us."

Makes you think, huh? People, I don't want to ramble on more but since some of us won't be seeing each other next year, I just have to say, I am really gonna miss:

1) Our eating and talking sessions at the college mamak stall.
2) The Thursday morning breakfasts at McD's in SS15
3) The impromptu meetings and intellectual conversations at the area opposite the Penang Cafe.
4) Bitching sessions at every corner of Leisure Commerce Square.

So, with that I end this last post for 2006 with ... Happy New Year to all of you, don't yam seng too hard and have a good one in 2007. I sincerely hope all your dreams and MINE come true.

Till next year, adios.

Freakin' Funny

2006-12-19T18:35:00.000+08:00

Freakin' Funny

Well done, kids!

Nuckin' Futs! The JibJab Year in Review | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Random Ramblings

2006-12-10T12:16:00.000+08:00

Random Ramblings

Any of you who watched Grey's Anatomy on Wednesday would know what I'm talking about. During the entire hour of the show, I thought to myself, "what would I do if I were in that woman's shoes?". This woman, a friend of the Shephards, was carrying a cancer gene she inherited from her mother, who just passed away from breast cancer. Technically, she didn't have cancer, but just had a 75% chance of getting it and a 25% chance of not. Fearing the worse, she wanted the doc (Addison) to remove her breasts, ovaries and uterus. Remember, this was a healthy woman who was excited to have a baby with her husband. Her husband couldn't understand her decision. Of course, the male doctors couldn't rationalise this woman's decision to take away her "womanhood". Their conclusion was that removing her breasts and reproductive organs wouldn't make her less of a woman. But think about this (this question was thrown by Izzy to ithat dude she's dating); "If a guy knew he had the cancer gene and had to remove his testicles, would he think of himself as less of a man?" The dude was silent.

Would we think less of him? Really, honestly. Somehow there's this double-standard in this issue. I guess it's because (this is just my view ok) you can't actually see the woman's reproductive parts, whereas for the guy, his "extension of his manhood" would be ... gone. I don't know, it's something to ponder over. I would agree with Izzy's opinion that the woman should wait and see if she actually has cancer, then fight like hell. Come on, with advanced medical technologies, we can detect cancer now at a very early stage. What if she doesn't get it?

If it were me, I'd wait. Although if this was a real situation, I'd still respect her decision. What about you, people?

Moving on, Radd, Dwi and I had a very interesting Saturday night discussion at Starbucks in SS15 yesterday. I mean, we covered quite a lot of topics from politics to entertainment to geography to the Brunei Sultan's gold toilet bowl. Yikes, it'll be damn cold to sit on! When all of us started yawning at 1am, we took it as a cue to scadaddle.

Last week, I dreamt that I was one of the cast of Ed! For those of you who watch the show, I was actually having a conversation with Carol and Ed at the Pie Shop. Damn, he's hot!

Later.

When Boredom Strikes

2006-11-24T18:40:00.000+08:00

When Boredom Strikes

1. What are your siblings MIDDLE names?::
They don't have any

2. Where is your dad right now?::
Enjoying his afterlife vacation

3. What was the last thing you said?::
I know!

4. What is something you've learned about yourself recently?::
I'm incapable of being bitchy when I'm feeling bitchy

5. What color is your watch?::
Black.

6. What do you think of when you think of Australia?::
A somewhat parallel universe that I am praying I will visit soon.

7. Where were you at midnight last night?::
Watching Casino Royale and oggling at Daniel Craig's fine ARSE

8. Are you close with your mom?::
Yeah

9. Where does your best friend work?::
Sinar FM

10. Do you have a roommate?::
Some dust bunnies.

11. What color is your bedroom flooring?::
Brown.

12. Do you have a chair in your room?::
One.

13. What time of day were you born?::
1.45am, Tuesday

14. Do you know anyone that is engaged?::
No. They're all married or still single

15. Do you know anyone named Damien?::
No.

16. What color is your mom's hair?::
Black

17. Do you have a dog?::
No.

18. Did anything bad happen to you in 1993?::
Alot of things ...

19. Does your first memory involve your dad?::
No. It's actually me successfully spelling the words Besar and Kecil

20. Do you remember singing any songs as kids?::
Lavenders Blue in kindergarten

21. When was the last time you went swimming?::
In Sabah three weeks ago

22. Has your luggage ever gotten lost?::
No

23. When was the last time you talked toone of your siblings?::
Today.

24. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?::
No...?

25. Do you play an instrument?::
Does finger drumming in my car count?

26. Have you ever thought it would be cool to smash a guitar?::
Ya ha! And then throw my sweaty t-shirt to the invisible crowd

27. Do you like fire?::
Only to light my insense sticks

28. Are you allergic to anything?::
Irritating speciments and imbeciles

29. When was the last time you cried?::
Can't remember ...

30. What shampoo do you use?::
Sunsilk

31. Did you take science all four yearsof high school?::
No. I was science-intolerrant

32. Do you like butterflies?::
Ok....

33. What's the last book you read?::
Cujo. I wanted to test my scare level

34. Do you like Coke or Pepsi more?::
Coke. Pepsi is sissy-fied

35. What is one thing you miss about your past?::
Being a kid running for my life on the school field

36. Did you ever see the school nurse?::
Yeah, so she could poke around in my mouth to check for cavities

37. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher?::
Yeah, as stated in my profile card in Standard One

38. What is one thing you've learned about life?::
That we'll all be worm food in the end

39. Are you jealous of anyone?::
Those Johnson & Johnson rich kids ... they get free toiletries!

40. Is anyone jealous of you?::
No.

41. Ever been stuck in an elevator?::
Not yet.

42. What does your dad/mom call you?::
Aida

43. What does you hair look like right now?::
Crappy

44. Has a friend ever used you?::
I think so...

45. Ever been involved in a trial?::
Yes! Dammit....

46. Has anyone recently told you that they like you?::
No... now I'm having withdrawal symptoms

47. What have you eaten today?::
Australian meat pie. crackers. thosai garing..international or what?

48. Is your hair naturally straight or curly?::
Curly.

49. Who was the last person to drive with you?::
Dwi Addin

Oh How Stupid Can One, or Two, Be? Very...

2006-11-16T21:24:00.000+08:00

Oh How Stupid Can One, or Two, Be? Very...

Satan's minions have struck again (and I don't mean Dan on One Tree Hill). And this time, the victims were really morons. Jeez ... come on! Some people are just so ... cerebrally-challenged! (Hey that book on Political Correctness has worked) Read the story below and tell me you don't feel like wringing their necks.

Two more fall victim to SMS scam

16 Nov 2006

KOTA BARU: Two more victims of the Akademi Fantasia 4 SMS scam have lodged reports that they had been cheated of more than RM2,000.

The two, a housewife and a self-employed aged 26 and 36 respectively, who received the SMS on Sunday, lodged the reports at the Pasir Putih and Tanah Merah police stations on Tuesday.

State Commercial Crime chief Superintendent Rezlan Abu Bakar said the victims received a congratulatory SMS which claimed they had won RM9,000 in the AF4 contest and were told to deposit some cash into an account before they could claim the prize money.

The duo deposited RM1,100 and RM998 respectively into an account.

Rezlan said they believed many more had fallen victims to the scam but had not come forward.

Since when must we PAY in advance to claim prize money?! And why do I get the feeling that some people will just have to rationalise that the victims were hypnotised or pukau? Maybe it's my pissy mood that's made me so God damned pissed off! While still on the subject of stupid people, one guy scared me shitless when he was crossing the road on the freaking bloody FEDERAL HIGHWAY earlier! Pss pss.. the overhead pedestrian bridges were built for a reason you know! Seriously, it's at night and the cars are coming at you at 100mph! Already we have to inch our way through the fucking traffic jam and finally the road is clear, you expect us to look out for people who are too lazy to use the bloody mother$%%&& ing bridge?! Fucking idiots! You know what?... I really hope you become road-kill!

My Sabah Adventure

2006-11-15T21:25:00.001+08:00

My Sabah Adventure

(Shooing away cyber-cobwebs).... Wooosaaaa...! Hello hello to all my loyal readers. Thousand apologies for not updating in a while. It's been a crazy month so far with write-ups and deadlines. Anyway, enough with the boring stuff. Had a very nice trip to Sabah (well to only KK specifically) last week. Would really like to see ALL of Sabah one day. I think I've regaled some of you already about the ooohs and aahhs of the Sutera Harbour Resort and who I saw there ... but for the rest of you dudes, here is the lowdown in chronological order.

Wednesday, November 8

6am - UNGODLY hour to be awake! So yeah I had to take the shuttle bus to the Air Asia terminal in Sepang for my flight to KK.

>>>>>>FAST FORWARD>>>sjfdbsjfrysjfnkjsfjfhs

12.20pm - Arrived in KK airport. Passed immigration. Nyahaha... just had to include that for no reason. Anyway, found the "resort person" holding a placard with my name on it. And hello... was being picked up in a Mercedes. Never expected that. Talk about jaga-ing the journalist.

12.45pm - Arrived at the Magellan Sutera Hotel (named after explorer Ferdinand Magellan) at the resort. That place was just so pretty. The good people there put me up on the Club Floor. By the by, my room was big enough for five people. And chocolate pralines on the table! oh wait <<<<rewind<<<>>>>>> where was I?.... oh yeah, my room had the best view... of the South China Sea! I wanna go back! My bathroom was awesome. Loved the shower. Had to freshen up quickly to meet the Mark-Comm exec for lunch.

1pm - Greeted by Sharon at the club lounge. A very pleasant Sarawakian. Took me to lunch at Al Fresco - a really nice Mediterranean outdoor restaurant at Magellan. Imagine having lunch with warm soft spray of the ocean breeze and the gorgeous view. I wanna go back! So, had fresh mushroom soup and delicious half-seafood and half-lamb pizza. Yummy!

2pm - After the nice meal, proceeded for site inspection of the SH properties. Boy we walked and walked and walked. From the Magellan, to the Pacific Sutera to the Marina Club. Checked out the different suites and marina facilities. They have eveything.

5pm - Tired as hell. Returned to my room to bathe and change for my.... SPA appointment!

5.30pm - Arrived at Mandara Spa at the next block. Loved the Balinese concept. Drank some ginger tea, had a foot bath, steam bath and a full body massage. I was floating and might as well have floated back to my room.

7pm - Back at room. Change to meet Dir of Comm (Michelle Iking a.k.a Daphne Iking's sister) and the COO for dinner at Ferdinand's (fine dining Italian restaurant). Also met the man himself, Chef Domenico, a native of Sardinia Island in Italy. A gem of a guy.

>>>>>good food, good wine, good conversation>>>>>

10.30pm - Back at room. Full and tired. Loved it!

Thursday, November 9

8.30am - Dragged myself out of bed. Breakfast at the lounge. Cute and utterly hospitable waiters. If all mornings were like this...

9am - Met Sharon. Strolled over to the Golf and Country Club. Met Affendi (the manager, who is a qualified graduate of Golf Property Management mind you... didn't know there was such a degree!) so, hopped on the buggy, and went on a tour of the bloody huge course. It's got a view of the ocean on one side and the city on the other. Put on m' golf shoes and shot a few at the driving range. I stand corrected, it is a form of exercise, contrary to my previous beliefs.

12.30pm - Made our way to the marina via the boardwalk. Took a boat to Manukan Island, about 10 minutes away. Loved the boat ride. Arrived for a tour of the shalets and had a BBQ lunch. Wanted to go snorkeling but idiot that I am, left my swimsuit at the hotel. The water was beautiful. Crystal clear that one can see the fishies from standing and looking down. Lovely.

3pm - Back at hotel. Changed to go on city tour. Nothing much in the city actually. Quite small. Made friends with an Australian couple. Saw some seedy (scary looking) characters in town.

4.45pm - Back at hotel. Pengsan for a while. Laughed my ass off watching Vegas Baby on Starmovies.

5.40pm - Took a swim on the beach followed by the pool.

7.30pm - Dinner with Sharon at Spice Island restaurant.

10.30pm - Enjoyed my last night in my pretty room... packing! Sob sob!

Friday, November 10

8.30am - Breakfast followed by a bike ride around Tanjung Aru beach. Thank God I know how to ride a bicycle coz it would've been damn yembarrasing.

10.25am - Out of breathe. Struggling to put on swimsuit while stabilising heartbeat to rush to go snorkeling.

10.35am - Missed the boat at the marina. Bummed. But oh wait.... WHO did I see? Oh about 18 hot lookin' NZ All Blacks rugby players! Forget snorkeling. I had to anyway coz the next boat was chartered by the hot guys themselves. You stupid chicken for not getting their group pictorial! Anyway, I and Sharon decided the afternoon was compensated enough by the eye candy.

11am - Swam at the marina infinity pool and wallowed that could not go snorkeling.

12.30pm - Lunch at Silk Garden Chinese restaurant with Sharon and cutie Chef Domenico. I actually interrogated the chef about Italy and his hometown and cultures. This maybe useless info to some of you, but hey it's my damn blog - The Godfather is not fiction. There actually is a Mafia cartel in Sicily (still) in the district of Corleone.

2pm - Footy massage by the beach under the blistering heat. But still, lovely.

3.30 - Checked out and said goodbye. I WILL GO BACK!

Create Your Own

So that was it. Three well-spent days I ever had. Hope this weekend in Taman Negara will be fun. Our internship will soon be over but I'll still be working coz you know ... I hate being poor! Went to the KL Fashion Week yesterday with Ida, Junie and Mei Tien. Saw models slip and fall on the runway!... hahahhhaaaaa.... tu la, catwalk sakan sampai tersungkur! Anyway it was fun.
Hope all of you guys had a fruitful internship experience. Until next time, CHIAO!

Happy Deepavali and Selamat Hari Raya

2006-10-20T16:29:00.000+08:00

Happy Deepavali and Selamat Hari Raya

Well the festive season is upon us again. I say let the merriments begin! It's Friday and I am ... working (on a break now, of course). AND also working this weekend because I hate being poor! So, since my car is up for its annual insurance renewal, work it is. Looking forward to going back to Penang to chow down on the abundance of Raya feasts (mom's cooking and other relatives'). Since most of my aunts, uncles and cousins from KL will be there as well, it should be fun!

With all that said, I wanna take this chance to wish all you guys Happy Deepavali and Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir & Batin! Have fun and take care! Oh yeah ... and remember to eat a lot! Toodles!

Hazy Schmazy!

2006-10-08T22:15:00.000+08:00

Hazy Schmazy!

Was it just me or was the sky the bluest of blue I've ever seen on Saturday (yesterday)? Despite the scorching heat I thought it was that "nice sunny day" I've seen in a while. But of course, the good things in life, or MY life at least, is always shortlived. Like today. The bloody haze practically blanketed what would have been a sunny day today too, with its smoky air and what ever the hell is it floating around us. Even had to hold my breath when I took out the trash outside my house. Be that as it may, the past two weeks were quite eventful. I am seriously considering taking the offer to work at the magazine after the internship. If all goes well, I can still do my degree here and work at the magazine, IF my other option to go to Australia is shattered to smithereens by the scholarship-deciding people. Actually, both options has its plus points. If I don't get the scholarship, I still get an income and get to study PLUS the chance to move out and stay on my own. Of course, if the angels are looking down on me and I DO get the scholarship, woo hoo to me!
Anyway, it feels really good to actually WANT to go to work everyday, inspite of the somewhat long commute. Also, we'll be moving to our new office in a week or so! Yipster! I guess what editor said was right. New office, new environment, new furniture does boost the morale up a notch. And I do thank my lucky stars that I was in the right place at the right time. Five more weeks to go. Hope all you guys are doing alright at your respective organizations. Later!

Hungry and Bored!

2006-09-26T18:14:00.000+08:00

Hungry and Bored!

DO YOU SNORE?: Sometimes
LOVER OR A FIGHTER?: A bit of both
WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?: Drowning and plunging to my death
AS A KID, WERE YOU A LEGO BUILDER?: A bit..
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF "REALITY TV"?: It's good.. some shows
DO YOU CHEW ON YOUR STRAWS?: No
WERE YOU A CUTE BABY?: Of course la... but something happened along the way.
HOW IS THE SINGLE LIFE FOR YOU?: Grrrrrreat!
WHAT COLOR IS YOUR KEYBOARD?: Black
DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER?: No
HAVE YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMPED?: No, but would wanna try
ANY SECRET TALENTS?: Not really
WHAT'S YOUR IDEAL VACATION SPOT?: Exotic islands
HAVE YOU EATEN SUSHI?: Ya ha! Love it!
HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE "DONNIE DARKO"?: No
DO YOU GIVE A DARN ABOUT THE OZONE?: No?
HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP?: Quite a few, but I'll probably bite my way through
CAN YOU SING THE ALPHABET BACKWARDS?: Not well.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON AN AIRPLANE?: Yes
ARE SPEEDO'S HOT?: They're ok
WHAT'S YOUR STAND ON HUNTING?: Neither here nor there
IS MARRIAGE IN YOUR FUTURE?: Maybe
DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?: Sometimes
WHAT ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO?: Imbeciles and morons
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAID, "I LOVE YOU": To my niece, few days ago
IS TUPAC STILL ALIVE?: No.
DO YOU CRY AT WEDDINGS?: No. But did at one particular wedding
HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?: Scrambled or eggs benedict
ARE BLONDES DUMB?: Only those who choose to be
WHERE DOES THE OTHER SOCK END UP?: Balled together
WHAT TIME IS IT?: 6.25pm
DO YOU HAVE A NICKNAME?: Aida A, A Aida
IS MCDONALD'S DISGUSTING?: No
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE IN A CAR?: Six hours ago
DO YOU PREFER BATHS OR SHOWERS?: Showers
IS SANTA CLAUSE REAL?: No!.. Sorry kids!
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?: No
WHAT ARE YOU ADDICTED TO?: The Internet and cheese
CRUNCHY OR CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER?: Crunchy
HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN IN AN AMBULANCE?: No
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BRUSHED YOUR TEETH TODAY?: Once
IS DRUG FREE THE WAY TO BE?: Yes, if you're an addict. No. if you're a pill-popping junkie like me
ARE YOU WEARING SOCKS?: Yeah
HAVE YOU EVER HITCH HIKED?: No
WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES?: Brown
WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: During a sad movie... last week?
DO YOU LIKE YOUR LIFE?: It's ok
WHOSE LIFE IS BETTER?: Nobody
ARE YOU PSYCHIC?: No, but sometimes intuitive
HAVE YOU READ "CATCHER IN THE RYE"?: No
DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS?: No, but wanna learn guitar
CAN YOU SKATEBOARD?: I think so
DO YOU LIKE CAMPING?: Looks like fun, maybe
DO U SNORT WHEN U LAUGH?: No
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?: No, they're illusions
IS A DOG A MAN'S BEST FRIEND?: Most of the time.
YOU BELIEVE IN DIVORCE?: If you can't live with each other, than yes.
CAN YOU DO THE MOONWALK?: No
DOES YOUR MOM KNOW YOU HAVE A MYSPACE?: Don't have one
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?: Lasagna
DO YOU WEAR NAILPOLISH?: Sometimes on my toes
DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE RIGHT NOW?: Nobody in particular
WHAT'S THE MOST ANNOYING TV COMMERCIAL?: Can't recall
DO YOU SHOP AT AMERICAN EAGLE?: No
FAVORITE BAND AT THE MOMENT?: Hootie & The Blowfish, Bon Jovi

One week down, seven to go...

2006-09-23T01:19:00.000+08:00

One week down, seven to go...

Well my friends, you guys did it. You managed to survive the first week of the cold and cruel dog-eat-dog world of the rat race ... in other words, work. The whole ritual of waking up before sunrise (if you work in KL of course), dragging your poor souls through the bitch of a traffic jam (or for some of you, dragging your poor souls to join the thousands of other commuters on the very efficient LRT) and arriving at the place of employment only to feel like crawling under the covers again. Oh, and not forgetting the pining for the week to end quickly so you can sleep all weekend. Yep, sounds about right. (Evil laughter).... it's just dandy ain't it? Slogging at the office well after sunset, (I have a point here, bear with me...) feeling drained and only hoping you can make it home on time before pengsan-ing. Ya ha... damn I miss it.
Ok... minus the traffic and waking up at an unGodly hour, seriously, when the adrenaline rush kicks in, you feel somewhat ... satisfied? I really can't find a correct word for it. Believe me, friends, give it a couple of months, maybe longer for some of you, you'll get that feeling. This is of course when you actually are employed. Internships don't really count. That's just the tip of the cold, cold iceberg. I, for one, somehow work better under pressure. Again, it's the adrenaline working its magic. That feeling of utter stress, the ultimate crunch time.
I guess I am a little fortunate that my work now starts in the afternoon and does not require major commuting. But bear in mind, I have felt the brunt of the cruel world. All seven years of back-stabbing, idiotic bosses, cattiness and bitchiness, the whole enchilada. That's still a small number, by the way. Still a long way to go. Oh yeah, my POINT is ... hang in there, people. We are, in one way or another, put on this earth to pay our dues.

Sidebar: I think my editor looks a little like Jane Fonda. Without the leotards.

It's Broo-skae-taa

2006-09-17T20:07:00.000+08:00

It's Broo-skae-taa

I should've been a chef. Imagine if I could run my own restaurant... well we all have dreams, don't we? I realize that there is still so much to learn about cooking. The workshop I attended today at The Curve, organized by Her World Magazine, was quite fun and informative. For one thing the executive director of the 1920 Cafe, where the workshop was held, was a good-looking Italian..so, there was eye candy too. We actually learned how to prepare a full course meal starting off with Bruschetta (those little nibbly appetizers of chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil on sliced baguettes). Oh and Andre (the Italian eye candy, who, I think looks a little like Julian McMahon.) educated us with the fact that Bruschetta is pronounced broo-skae-taa and not broo-shae-ta. Next was cooking a whole lotta thin savoury pancakes to eat with the Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese. Now that was fun because there were six of us at a table and we each had a hand in making them and honing our skills at flipping the pancakes! I need more honing. After that was the Timballo of Chicken and Seafood. Timballo is actually another version of lasagna, only that it derives from a different region in Italy and is made using pancakes instead of lasagna sheets. Sadly, another table won for making the best Timballo. Dammit.

Anyway, the best part after all the cooking was the wine appreciation. The wine expert dude actually let us sample three types of Jacob's Creek Australian wine, so it was all good. One woman from another table had a little too many if you ask me... she was all red and her eyes were blood-shot. Scary wei.

Then there was the lucky draw. I suck at them because I NEVER ever win anything. I mean there were Crabtree and Evelyn goodies, 1920 vouchers and Jacob's Creek wine hampers up for grabs and yours truly got zilch. Sigh... but we did get Crabtree door gifts so it wasn't that bad. AND I made two new friends. So with all that, it was a fruitful afternoon.

Kind of looking forward to start interning tomorrow. I should also thank my lucky stars that my work will be from 12noon to 6pm, for the first week anyway. Less traffic for me! I just wanna say ... to all you guys (all of yous la! You know who you are) good luck for your internship, have fun and stay out of the gossip train by the water cooler. Hehe...

Cometh Out Oh Deprived One!

2006-09-05T21:09:00.000+08:00

Cometh Out Oh Deprived One!

My current mission, and yes I choose to accept it, is to embark on reading as many classic novels as I can. I'm still struggling (it's an uphill battle) with Charlottle Bronte`'s Jane Eyre. There's something about British classics and the Queen's English that is just a snooze fest for me. It all started when Karuna and I were perusing through the shelves at MPH in Subang Parade last week and came across the classic section. I have been putting off (haha NEWSFLASH! Me? Procrastination?) starting the whole classic novel-reading extravaganza. That was until I discovered how deprived I was. This is sort of how the conversation went:-

Me: (flipping through the pages of Jane Eyre) I think I'll start with this.
Karuna: Maybe you should start with a lighter story (then hands me Heidi). Have you read this?
Me: Ermm ... no.
Karuna: Huckleberry Finn? Robinson Crusoe? Count of Monte Cristo? Pride and Prejudice?
Me: No ... no .. and (yembarrassed) no.
Karuna: Aiyo.. what did you read as a child?
Me: (thinking....) Enid Blyton. Sigh... I know la am quite deprived.

Went back home and started to read Jane Eyre. After five pages, I was out. Woke up to the sounds of my brother-in-law coming home. Am currently at page 40. Boy that sounds promising eh? Karuna has already finished her book by Oscar Wilde (I think) which she bought together on the same day. Sigh...

Are Ya Fucking Kiddin' Me?!

2006-09-01T18:02:00.000+08:00

Are Ya Fucking Kiddin' Me?!

Apparently the big shots from Hotlink think they are still not rich enough from raking in millions of our money from SMSes and MMSes. Hey dumbasses, do you really think some of us give a rat's ass about Siti Nurhaliza's new wedded blissful life to the extent of watching her multiple lavish shindigs on our freakin' handphones?! HELL NO! I also think many of us, who are obviously NOT her fans, are fucking sick and tired of you spamming us with SMSes about the woman's wedding. Please spare us!

For the life of me, I still can't fucking understand what is the big fucking deal! The whole freakin' country got to see the rather lavish LIVE TELECAST solemnization and reception. Now, I get an SMS that reads, "Unable to join Siti's festivities in Kuala Lipis?Watch it on your mobile phone! Only Rm3 for video alerts!" For such a big company, you should one way or another come up with a database of FANS and cram their phones with these messages, and NOT to people who don't give two fucks.

50 Things on Aida-ism

2006-08-31T21:29:00.000+08:00

50 Things on Aida-ism

Nobody tagged me, but hijacked from Vann's blog and am freakin' bored so here goes...

1. FIRST NAME? Aida
2.WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not sure ... I think my parents liked some Italian actress named Aida .. so maybe.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Can't remember
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's alright
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Smoked turkey
6. KIDS? My niece, Sarah the Tyrant, can be a handful. My own? Not sure.
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Ya ha!
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? It's my specialty.
10.DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes. And VANN... They're NOT teeth for crying out loud!
11.WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Yes
12.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cornflakes and Post cereal
13.DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No
14.DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes. Shit has happened to me. Am still here.
15.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? If not Vanilla, its Leka2 Strawberry Yoghurt
16.WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Personality
17.RED OR PINK? Red
18.WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Am short
19.WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Nobody
20.DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Not really.
21.WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? 3/4 khakis, shoeless.
22.THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Muruku
23.WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The Carpenters on the radio
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? Blue-green
25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SMELL? Fresh cut grass, rain, men's cologne.
26. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My sister.
27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON SENT THIS TO YOU? I took it. Vann's alright.
28.FAVORITE DRINK? Ginger Beer
29.FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Tennis and athletics
30.HAIR COLOR? Black
31.EYE COLOR? Brown
32.DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No
34.SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary movie
35.LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Without a Paddle. Freakin' funny!
36.WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Dark blue
37.SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter.
38.HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
39.FAVORITE DESSERT? Sister's fruit cake, cream caramel.
40.MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Don't know
41.LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Don't know
42.WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Charlotte Bronte`'s Jane Eyre
43.WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Coloured dots
44.WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST ON TV? Rockstar Supernova
46.ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? ROLLING STONES
47.THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME? Australia
49.WHEN WERE YOU BORN? 1978
50.WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Penang

Happy 49th Malaysia!

2006-08-31T14:31:00.000+08:00

Happy 49th Malaysia!

KL city was just pure madness last night, being Merdeka Eve and all. Needless to say it's been a while since I went partying on a Saturday night, so I have to thank Karuna and Shenjey for that. Let me just say there was an influx of mat and minah rempits on the road, big time! Where the hell did they come from?! Shees ... while making our way to the Rum Jungle club (somewhere near KLCC), the jam along Jalan Bangsar was enough to make you wanna strangle somebody .. or in our case, a few rempits. These devils on the road were the reason for the bumper-to-bumper crawl because apparently there was a rempit congregation near the National Mosque, and after that the roads were clear. I will never forget the question by Karuna, "Why are these people gathered here la? They gonna pray or what?!" Hahaaaaa... to which I replied, "Aiyo, no la! What time already? Unless got a new praying time I didn't know about!" AND one rempit just HAD to ram into Karuna's front side bumper. Dumbass. Luckily the bumper was not so much dented but just came out from the socket.

We made it just in time for the Merdeka countdown at Rum Jungle. The place was busting at the drunken seams. Cops stationed themselves on practically every corner. After we managed to find Karuna's sister and her friends in the swarm of people, the countdown started. With our Gin & Tonics in hand, we toasted to another year of independence while the live telecast from Putrajaya played on the TV with our PM and his subordinates doing the same. ONLY THEN we noticed we were standing under a big-ass net of baloons than came pouring down which prompted the revellers to partake in a baloon-bursting rampage.

After the drinks (my Margarita and Karuna's Flaming)triggered our party moods, we hit the dance floor. The tunes were not bad but having to boogie on the cramped dance floor with the other sweaty bodies was a little ... sweaty. AND one jackass tried to grope me. The look on my face gave him the message.. "Take a hike asshole!" Ahh.. the imbeciles! Oh and there were these group of dudes, who all probably came straight after work from the look of their attire, who were so hammered that one of them gave his friend a lap dance. Hehehee.. the things to see in a club.

Just Call Me Inspektor...

2006-08-31T13:59:00.000+08:00

Just Call Me Inspektor ....

Oh how evolution has reared its ugly head into the twisted sands of the celebrity baby-naming game. The offsprings will probably have to bear the brunt of having such unfortunate monikers ... something along the lines of being beaten to death in the school yard, by Puma maybe? No, not a puma, but a girl named Puma! Can just picture her chomping on little Diva Muffin. Better yet, try to picture this scene in a bar some years down the road...

Unfortunate chick: "Hi, what's your name?"
Dude: "Name's Romeo."
Unfortunate chick: "I'm Camera. Would you like me to flash you?"

I mean there are already various books on the shelves containing Unusual Baby Names, where some are quite nice, actually. But these big cahunas just had to scar their children for life with names like Bamboo, Saffron and Speck Wildhorse! We are well aware of the current fruit phase of baby-naming - Apple, Peach and Honeyblossom. Again with the fruit and nature! You guys beavers or something? In 1983, one celebrity named her twins Ross and Rachel. Hehe... then again how could she have known, eh? How did this one particular celeb ended up naming his child Tu Morow is beyond me.

Unfortunate chick 2: "Hi."
Dude 2: "Hi, what's your name?"
Unfortunate chick 2: "Tu Morow."
Dude 2: "You could always tell me now..."

Yikes. Let me tell you, Moxie Crimefighter and Pirate have already made their way onto birth certificates. So have Lexus, Canon and Porsche. The parents of the third kid probably didn't want to go with the conventional P-o-r-t-i-a spelling. Potato, patata! Good luck filling out a form Heavenly Hiirani Tiger Lily! Ya ha... I'm not kidding.

However, traditional and retro names have also made a comeback and some many celebs were sane enough to have a pick at them. NYPD Blue's Mark-Paul named his kid Michael Charles, comedian Jon Stewart picked Nathan and some chose James, Charlies and Mabel.

So, yeah. With all being said, I think my favourite celebrity children names are Willow (Will Smith and Jada-Pinkett's) and Iris (Jude Law's). Exotic but simple.

Who knows there might be a Espn and iPod in the near future. Aiyayai!

It's Like Kindergarten

2006-08-21T19:21:00.000+08:00

It's Like Kindergarten

My niece is apparently suffering from a mood swing... big time! She doesn't want to "friend me". I don't know what I did but she's obviously mad at me about something. Can't recall anything that I did which could be classified as a kid piss-off factor. Maybe she's traumatized after we (me, my sister and my mom) had to hold her down like a mental patient days ago in order for her to take her medicine. Come to think of it... she's mad at my mom too. Of course the little rascal can't show her tantrum to my sister too long. That's what the 'rotan' is for. Just to "gertak" her. We don't actually use it. So, yeah. Yesterday, she shouted "go away!" to me, of course, before going to sleep. This is serious. I mean I couldn't even cajole her today with the carrot cake I baked. She still doesn't wanna friend me. Sigh... it's kindergarten all over again! I remember when this bunch of girls bullied me and didn't wanna friend me and didn't let me play hopscotch with them. I don't know what I did! It's all political.

Anyway, my first attempt of baking carrot cake was so-so. It taste good but it sank a little in the tin. Hmmph.

Sand, sea and biscuits

2006-08-06T17:24:00.000+08:00

Sand, sea and biscuits

It's been a while since I had to wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. So, needless to say it was a pretty daunting task for me yesterday. But the thought of a road trip to the beach, woo hoo! kind of made up for all that. Yep... we (me, Brendon and Hai Yuan) headed out to Morib Beach (BTW, that's in Banting after Kuala Langat....far away on the other side of Selangor) with the Sem 2 Architecture students to cover a story of their Sandcastle Building project.

We were the papparazis in flip-flops (Yuanie in her orange Crocs), on assignment for the college newsletter. Yuanie warmed up the camera by taking pictures of a taxi with three huge-ass Malaysia and Selangor flags stuck on the car booth, proudly flowing in the morning wind. Way too early in the morning to jog my spirit of patriotism. Were told to meet in college at 7am.... only had to wait for the Archis to show up later which resulted in the bus leaving at 8 something.

So off we went, plying through the roads flanked by palm oil and vegetable farms in the small town of Kuala Langat. The journey there was somewhat nostalgic for me because I used to travel to Banting when I was about eight (ya ha..donkeys years ago) to my aunt's house in Telok Datok, when my Three Stooges boy cousins were in diapers. In between that were the sounds of our incessant giggles (stressing the presence of Mass Commers in the bus) after I told my story about the cat outside my house which stuck its tongue at me when I shoo-ed it away (Ripley's here I come!). AND the story of Yuanie's friend who can't differentiate the words come and cum! Yikes! Funny story, really. So, yeah we had our own laughing session behind the bus. Then suddenly one of the Archi dudes announced he had to piss so the driver made a stop at the petrol station and a bunch of them got down as well. While nature called out to them, the three of us crossed the road to buy some biscuits at the sundry shop. I ended up chomping Brendon and Yuanie's biscuits of orange wafers and peanut butter crackers coz my sesame seed ones sucked. Oh yeah, the bus almost abandoned us when we were paying for our munchies. Shees..

Morib beach was like any other, accept it is quite polluted since we spotted two ships shitting out its pollutants. It was 10am and the Archis started their building their sandcastles. The sun weather was tolerable until about 1pm when it turned vicious. Blasting down its scorching heat, the sun was slowly baking the Archis who were painstakingly designing their constructions. Let's see, one of the "sandcastles" looked like a deformed penis and another like two giant doughnuts stacked up. He he... another laughing session under the coconut tree for us.

Oh yeah, why would anyone wear low-riding jeans to the beach, when YOU KNOW you have to get down and dirty on the sand I'll never know! Butt-crack overkill! God, we were nearly blinded! Mr Leow, the lecturer, was nice enough to provide everybody, including us, with lunch of packed fried rice, mee and bee hoon. Full tummies, sweltering heat, sleepiness kicking in.. not a good combination. Didn't think about bringing a mat so we just tried to get comfy on the sand under the coconut tree. I was no doubt restless and Brendon said I looked like a tranquilized elephant! Thanks, friend. Keep up the compliments. Pbbbttthhh....

Three o' clock came and it was time for the Archis to pack up. The penis and doughnuts now looked like a small castle doomed for destruction and Saddam Hussein's fortress. The others were also somewhat ok la for Sem 2 students. So, it was 4pm and we were all in the bus once again headed back, but only to find out Mr Leow was taking us for a seafood dinner somewhere. We were awoken from our much needed slumber an hour later when the bus arrived at the seafood place in Tanjung Sepat, about 40km after Morib. The usual seafood spread with rice was alright and Yuanie was suffering from sunburns. It was nearly six when we left. To say that the small town trunk roads were bumpy is an understatement. It was like a Camel Trophy expedition and worst still, we were sitting at the back. Arrived in college close to 7.30pm. Tired (we didn't actually do anything. I blame the weather) and in desperate need of a cold shower, Brendon sent me home.

I think that was quite an enjoyable Saturday I've had in quite a while though, despite the heat. Oh yeah, Brendon and Yuanie, below is my Top 5 list. (One of our intellectually-stimulating discussions at the beach).

1) Hugh Jackman
2) John Travolta
3) Matt Dillon
4) Jon Bon Jovi
5) Tom Cavanagh (from Ed)

My Nice Sunday...

2006-07-30T22:29:00.000+08:00

My Nice Sunday...

It's been exactly two years and three days since my father's passing. So, today we had tahlil prayers at the house which saw my two aunts, uncles, cousins, cousin's children joining in the gathering. My mom cooked up a simply divine feast of chicken curry, mutton kurma, chapati and rice.... could I have salivated more? Ya ha! Coz my aunts both brought yummy chocolate cake, chicken rendang, pulut kuning and payasam (a sweet North Indian dessert).

Shot thru the heart! And you're to blame!
You give love a bad name!
I play my part and you play your game!
You give love a bad name!

Sorry. Bon Jovi got a hold on me for a while there. Son of a %^^&... that song is so good it rocks the crap out of me! Anyway... where was I?.. Right, after our stomaches were full from the good food, the boys and men retired to their seats on the sofa like pythons after a hearty meal, while the women (yes, including yours truly) occupied the dining chairs and engaged in some light after lunch conversation. You see, this is how family gatherings in my family work (and I'm sure it's kind of the same in other families too). The men will be discussing about politics, the boys ... well, knowing my cousins, will probably cover football, jamming and whatever while the women, well let's see... the latest trend in hairstyling, the scoop on celebrities, Botox and how the fatwa council has banned it for Muslims, body changes (don't ask!), child birth, ... whole lotta stuff there. The little kiddies have it good if you ask me. My niece was the ring leader for my cousin's children upstairs, didn't give a care in the world as they were anxious to watch how Marlin was going to find Nemo (don't get me started on that too!). Sigh...
I love my family gatherings. It's really just the merriment of it all. I also noticed that my niece has picked up a trait of mine when I was a child ... that is feeling that pang of sadness when it's over. I know it's silly but I remember everytime during Hari Raya in Penang, when my cousins and aunts and uncles would leave to go home, I would just cry. (I know... most people would just pray their relatives would leave sooner). Sarah was a little sad when her cousins had to leave today. She just hung on to her father and didn't wanna say goodbye to them. I guess being an only child (am positive my sister will not procreate any further) doesn't help either. Anyway she snapped out of it real quick and decided serenade me with all the nursery rhymes she knows.

So that was that. On Saturday night when I was watching the AFI's Tribute to Sean Connery on Astro, it also reminded me of my father because he loved Connery's movies, all the James Bond ones especially. I just wished I had saved his bulky collection VHS tapes of Connery's movies. Could have been a vintage decorative item.

Watched the premier of Entourage on HBO last night. Kind of a lame script and story line to boot. I mean come on, it's deemed the male equivalent of Sex and the City. Please! It is no where near SATC. The story centres around four straight guys, Vince Chase (played by Adrien Greiner from Drive Me Crazy), Eric, Turtle and Drama (played by Kevin Dillon, Matt Dillon's less attractive younger brother), who to me, look like they're experiencing some culture shock in LA after Vince's premier of his new movie with Jessica Alba. It's obvious that the three are somewhat living off Vince's fame. Partying, chicks left, right and centre, celebrity parties.. you get the picture. Vince, on the other hand, has no opinion because he relies on Eric (who is his underpaid "manager") to make all the decisions. The four go everywhere together... I guess that's how the title was born. I swear it's as if the story is saying, "Ok guys, I'm Vince Chase. I'm the star and you guys are my kuli! Comprende?"

Shees....

Unsung Rocker!

2006-07-29T02:32:00.000+08:00

Richie Sambora ... The Unsung Rocker

We know him as Bon Jovi's frontman and lead guitarist. Besides playing a mean guitar, Sambora, .. wait.. that's DR. Richie Sambora (ya ha... he was awarded a PhD from Kean University) has two solo albums. I think a lot of people are not aware of his solo albums is because ... well.. they didn't really sell in the U.S. , probably overshadowed by Bon Jovi's heydays. Still, his tunes still rock. Although I may be unqualified to say this but I think Sambora is one of the best guitarist ever. Hands down. Second is G&R's Slash. My favourite two. Anyway, I've posted his video below, which is my all time favourite. Love it.

Paris Hilton's Baby Shower

2006-07-27T16:56:00.000+08:00

Funny!!!

This is a parody of Paris Hilton hosting a baby shower for her celebrity friends. Hilarious! Check out the chick who plays Jennifer Aniston... ROTF! Don't fall off your chair now.. enjoy!

Tagged by Radd and Hilyah

2006-07-25T20:48:00.000+08:00

Tagged by Radd and Hilyah

The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points about his/her perfect lover.
have to metion the gender of his/her perfect lover.
tag eight other victims to join this game and leave a comment on their blog.
if u are tagged the second time. there is no need to do this again.
lastly, most importantly, have fun doing it

my perfect lover has to be a male (ya think?!)

he has to have these 8 qualities:-

1) very financially stable (no, that's not a fancy term for rich, but a man with security)
2) a damn good sense of humour (he can make me laugh my heart out)
3) faithful (no two-timing schmucks!)
4) kind (knows the fine line between helping people and being a door mat)
5) independent (is fine with a guys' and girls' night out)
6) smart (someone who DOESN'T have an IQ of a raisin)
7) somewhat attractive (come on... let's be honest here.)
8) he has to love me unconditionally as I would do the same. (self explanatory)

Leave The Gun... Take the Cannolly

2006-07-21T23:30:00.000+08:00

"Our ships should sale in the same direction" - The Godfather

I finally did it. It took a little time ... a lot of postponing and procrastinating (hey, it's me!) but, I am proud to say I have watched all three movies of The Godfather - The Godfather, The Godfather II and The Godfather III. I actually made it my priority to watch the great trilogy ... universally regarded as the definitive Mafia film. I'm gonna be honest. The reason I spent nine-odd hours of my life (Ya ha! Each movie is a little more than three hours!) watching the trilogy, aside from being an Al Pacino fan, was because the lines from The Godfather were quoted so widely in other movies and TV shows that I just had to see what the immense glorification was all about! There I said it. Tom Hanks quoted lines from The Godfather in You've Got Mail. Matt Le Blanc (Joey Tribbiani) quoted a line in Friends and there were others but I can't remember now. So, my curiosity got the best of me and before I knew it, I borrowed all three DVDs from a school friend of mine. It's the movie that, I think, most testoterone-driven men relate to. It's not personal, it's business. It's not personal, it's business! I can see why. It's all about power and stature. The Id.
Needless to say, Pacino was outstanding in his role as Michael Corleone, the youngest son of Vito Corleone a.k.a Don Corleone / The Godfather. This guy has received numerous awards for his kick-ass roles. One of my favourites is the baddy football coach in Any Given Sunday. He's just the coolest. Enough said. He and Robert DeNiro. Sexy Italianos I say! Uomini bei! My next mission is to watch Scarface, also one of Pacino's classic movies. I must say ol' Al looked mighty good in his hey days, and even better now. He's like fine wine ... they get better when they're aged.

My Hell...

2006-07-13T22:45:00.000+08:00

What's Hell Like For YOU?

Posers
Circle I Limbo

Spoiled brats
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind

Snatch thieves
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

George Bush
Circle IV Rolling Weights

Hypocrites
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled

River Styx

Racists
Circle VI Buried for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Some people I know
Circle VII Burning Sands

Murderers
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement

Pedophiles
Circle IX Frozen in Ice

Design your own hell

Foods, Fruits and Fats... I Beg Your Pardons?

2006-06-22T20:31:00.000+08:00

Foods, Fruits and Fats... I Beg Your Pardons?

I was supposed to blog about the recent revelation that KL city has been voted the third rudest city in the world. Had my opening paragraph and anecdotes all ready in my head when I suddenly realized that what I'm about to rant instead has me all riled up! So, I 86-ed the rude-city-dwellers commentary and here I am. As I was saying, this has been really irritating the crap out of me. Since when did we pronounce the words food, fruit (although some have argued there are two schools of thought here) and fat with an 's' at the end? It's just bloody wrong! Before putting forward my arguments, I did do my homework, really. I checked all the dictionaries I have at home and those on-line as well. There are no such words as foods, fruits and fats. It is so rampant now that even news anchors and a certain day-time TV talk show host pronounce food as foods. Let's explore shall we? We all know you can't count food, unless it is the types of food. It is not one food and two.... foods? Shees. Food, fruit and fat are nouns and are all plural.
That is also the same case for fruit and fat. I must admit I myself say it as fruits because well, it's debatable. The mighty dictionaries says otherwise evidently. Now, fat is fat and not fats. Please... it just sounds wrong like foods. Our nation capital has already been voted the third rudest city in the world, so let's not perpetuate the "people-who-can't-speak-English-well" vicious cycle shall we?

Happy Birthday Sarah Jane!

2006-06-13T14:42:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday Sarah Jane!

My niece is three years old today. Her parents gave her a present which most kids her age probably dreams of having .... her first bike! Equipped with all the colourful trimmings fit for a child. Not only that, she also got a Nemo chocolate birthday cake! Needless to say Sarah was elated. I'm sure we all remember that moment when we got our first bikes, right? Mine was a blue BMX bike my father gave me when I turned seven. It is during these special moments that I think all of us will keep in our hearts forever.
Here are few of the precious snapshots of Sarah's special moment.

The Spirit of the Game!

2006-06-10T14:12:00.000+08:00

Germany's Michael Ballack

This is the only time that I choose to partake in the testosterone-driven event of loud cheering and screams of Goooaaaaal! which gives some sort of an adrenaline rush I can't quite describe. Yes, the World Cup season is here. Mamak eateries will obviously be experiencing brisk business for the next month, what with those giant big-screen TVs showing all the matches. Clinics will also hear the soothing sounds of 'ka-ching!' since most blokes willl probably be making a beeline to get their much needed MCs, you know for their "migraines", "food-poisoning", "back-aches" and "diarhhoea" after those late-night matches leading them to their sleep-deprivation. Ya ha.
I don't consider myself a football kaki since I only watch it once every four years - the pinnacle of football matches - The World Cup. To join in the camaraderie of it all is not only fun but also makes me more intuned with the world beyond the borders of politics, crime and which celebrity is next in line to adopt a Cambodian baby. It is also a way to make myself well-rounded. There's nothing wrong with that, right? Although my brother-in-law called me a "fake football fan" because I only watch the matches to ogle at the hot-looking players (Exhibit A - picture above). Fine! So shoot me. I still pay attention to the game in its entirety and if you ask me the next day, I will still remember who scored the goals and who got a yellow card.
Anyway, the World Cup I think got off to a good start with the first game between Germany and Costa Rica. The Big Guns verses the Underdogs. A match between David and Goliath. Germany of course beat CR with 4-2. There was no way they were gonna lose the first game on their home turf. Myself, Aliff and Brendon (who came only at the second half) caught the match at Pelita Nasi Kandar in SS 15, together with a whole lot of other footy enthusiasts all hopped up on roti canai and teh tarik. There was clearly a pool going on within a small group of Taikohs, all in the name of the game.
It's gonna be a good season to see which of these bad boys - Brazil, England, Germany and Argentina - will make it to the finals. So I say, let's join in the fun!

Grease WAS NOT The Word

2006-05-20T21:04:00.000+08:00

It's as if someone brought out my worst nightmare of a bad broadway musical, (wait that's a JOHN TRAVOLTA musical no less!!!!) and then charged me RM200 to see it!!! Shit!

I am a baloon. The baloon, which was all filled up with adrenaline and helium just anxious and excited to go watch Grease the Musical at the Plenary Hall in KLCC today. A baloon, with high hopes that this would be another awesome and smashing musical like Saturday Night Fever two years ago. A baloon, which at the near end of the performance, would just burst POW! (Wambam thank you, ma'am! And that's how it's done!!!! And the crowd goes wiiiiild!!) A baloon, which could still float on home after that God-awesome performance WHICH I PAID QUITE A LOT OF MONEY to go see. But today, there was no POW! sound. All you could here from me, the baloon, was ...... sssssssssssss.....bwbwtttttttwtttwtttbbttt. By the way, that was the sound of someone letting all the air out of me, the baloon, and just left me there to shrivel up and die.
As an authority of Grease (yeah that's ME because I have watched the movie uncountable times and can memorize which scenes comes before and after!) and someone who worship's the ground John Travolta walks on, I just have to say that this Grease the Musical production was something you would expect from a Malaysian troupe, and not one from the US. When my sister (who had watched the performance last Wednesday) told me the performance was only so-so and that the guy playing Danny Zucco had not much UMMPHH, I thought to myself, "Ok... maybe what the lead actor lacked they could make up in the rest of the show," because I give these musicals the benefit of the doubt. But hells spells, at the end of it, I cursed the director (in my head, of course) left, right and centre!
Arghh COME ON!!! How can Danny Zucco NOT sing the lead in Grease Lightning?! I mean, ok, granted, I'm all for improvising and ad-libbing and adding some creativity to the show, BUT, I don't remember any "cat fights" in Grease. Fine. Some of the songs that are on the soundtrack but NOT in the movie were included in this musical. I can accept that. The big letdown was the performance by the actor who played Danny Zucco, man. It was weak. Not enough of the "John Travolta" attitude. (Ok, the greasy hair-combing was can-do lah.) But ARRRRGHHHH! The scene at the high school prom dance with Born To Hand Jive was THE scene which DEFINED the entire movie, OK! but it was so anti-climax here. I only give credit to the girl who played Rizzo and the woman who portrayed the headmistress, and MAYBE the other members of the T-Birds. The music arrangements was mediocre. Nothing that made me bop to the tunes.
Instead of Danny Zucco, who is supposed to the highlight of the show, Vince Fontaine was actually doing his best to entertain the crowd. The choreography was dull and a bit messy. I remember when watching Saturday Night Fever the Musical at Istana Budaya, I was all hyped up throughout the show and was just in awe with the set design, the dancing, the portrayal of the characters and the music. Today, after Act 1 when we stopped for intermission, I was all "Bleghhhhhh, what just happened?". The only consolation (wait,.. the other is that Danny Zucco had a damn smokin' body and cute ass) was at the start of the show when the original score of Grease was played. That got the audience in the mood, but then it kind of died down although some of them sitting behind me were still singing along to the tunes of Hopelessly Devoted To You and Summer Nights. Oh yeah, and what was with the periodical sound effects of lightning every time Kenickie said the words "Grease Lightning"? What the hell was that about? I know I'm being harsh and maybe a little mean, but still, it wasn't worth the money.
From what I know, since I have been to quite a few Broadway and musical shows, the entire hall/auditorium will burst into thunderous applause when the casts come out to bow to the audience. The lead actor will usually get the most loudest applause, with whistles and whohoo-ing to boot. When the show ended today, something in the air felt that I wasn't the only one who thought that the show was way below the audience expectations. That and the fact that Danny Zucco only received mere claps, minus the whistling and whohoo-ing.
I left the Plenary Hall feeling violated and frustrated. If that wasn't bad enough, the LRT was so full that when I stepped into the carriage that was bursting at the seams, the bloody door slammed into me and knocked my sunglasses off my head, where it was resting comfortably.
So there I was, waiting for the next train to come, thinking that if John Travolta saw the musical today, he would probably have gone on stage (after sniggering in mortification at the guy who SUPPOSED to play HIM, of course) and showed them how it's really done.
After I got in my car at the Kelana Jaya station, I turned on the Grease soundtrack on full blast just to rid myself of the irritation I felt for the amateur performance and to ease my senses with the sounds of JT and the original cast doing Summer Nights and Grease Lightning. (Needless to say my car was almost about to fly when I gunned the engine to Grease Lightning.)

Damn, that was a load off my chest. Pun intended, the show lacked grease. Grease is supposed to be the word, man. Unfortunately, it was SO NOT!

What else Aida saw today?

- A woman wearing a sheer silky dress with no bra walking at the Kelana Jaya LRT station. So obvious! For God's sake lady, buy a bra!-

- A TV airing a football game in the middle of the fruit section at Carrefour, Subang. (Husband: Ok honey, you get the fruit and I'll be watching TV.)

BAD Copy Cats!

2006-05-08T23:10:00.000+08:00

Could Malaysian television be more unoriginal? What is the whole idea of having a local version of Ashton Kucsher's Punk'd - inaptly named Wakenabeb on NTV7? It's just irritating in so many ways. From what I have read on a local online forum, the show sucks, big time! What's even worse is the "prank" is only shown during the last 15 minutes of the program. The first half is the rehersal of carrying out the prank on the unfortunate local celebrity. Why the fuck would the audience wanna see that? It just makes my blood boil that our local stations can't seem to come up with an original program, be it a reality shows, LIVE CHAT SHOWS, comedies or sitcoms that, by my definition does NOT make us want to hurl the remote towards the tv screen! Please. Why are we, the so-called next generation, being advised to be proud of our nation and culture and to not emulate the west when, in fact, they are doing the exact same thing on tv? AND poorly, for that matter. That's just sad.

2006-05-07T22:22:00.000+08:00

We are all different. Our diversity makes the world go round. If all of us possessed the same traits, it would be a very dull place. Did we ever stop to think that what we find normal in our culture and on this side of the equator would be completely ABNORMAL to some parts of the world? And in vice-versa of course.
I just finished watching a very interesting, albeit DISTURBING documentary on the Discovery Channel called Fat Fiancees. Now, they had shown this program before so bear with me. It tells the story of how the Bahima tribe in Uganda prefer robust, obese women as opposed to skinny women. On the contrary to us, they consider skinny as "unattractive" and fat as "beautiful". One of the Bahima women said that a skinny woman would not look attractive in their national costume compared to a fat one. Anyway, the story is centred on 20-year-old Moses, who is seeking to marry Sheila, a 17-year-old girl, who is unfortunately very skinny. Needless to say he likes his woman to be big, so Sheila is thrown into her grandmother's care to fatten her up. For two months, Sheila is force-fed full creamed cow's milk and butter 24-7. Her grandmother, who to me seemed a tad sadistic, will sit by Sheila's side and makes sure she finishes the entire gourd (translation: satu belanga) of milk, failing which, Sheila will receive some caning. Moses can only see Sheila a few days before the wedding, or at least until she is deemed fat enough by her parents. (Actually, Sheila is an orphan and her "parents" are her uncle and aunt.)
As time goes by, Sheila has gained about 80 pounds. Her sister-in-law said she had to go through the same thing. The sister-in-law is so fat now that she can't walk 50 metres without gasping for breath. Despite the weight that Sheila has gained, she is still required to gain more after she is married. Moses is of course delighted to see Sheila as he lifts up her veil. All fat and with stretch marks to boot. Yes, her mother made sure the stretch marks were visible before walking down the aisle. Before the official ceremony, a priest gave advice to Moses about the wedding night, stressing that Moses should not force sex upon Sheila and that he should be gentle.
After the wedding day, Sheila is still being fed cow's milk to gain more weight. When interviewed, Sheila said all she wanted to do was go to college and get an education. But unfortunately, she had no choice but to follow her parents' orders. According to her father, education is nothing. It wasn't important compared to making sure the daughter was married off and of course, fat enough to make her husband happy.
It's funny, eh? Although times have changed here, people in some parts of the world still conform to such practices of not giving choices to their offsprings. None whatsoever. It's either the parents' way or the highway. It's a scary thought.

No Inspiration

2006-05-05T19:42:00.000+08:00

..... I know I should update my blog sooner or later ...... new skin but no update .... come on brain! I know there is something to churn out ..... thinking ..... thinking ...... thinking ..... nothing. Dry as the Sahara desert. Sigh. (knock, knock! hey there. Journalists should be able to write and soon as their finger tips hit the keyboard! Shame, shame .... says my conscience)
I guess I could blame it on brain drain from writing the shit loads of stories for J2 and Feature Writing for the past months. I'm totally maxed out! Shees. I remember my days at the office on a dry day when I had to generate stories using my resources. Of course when the editor snaps his fingers, there ain't no time for thumb-twiddling. I sometimes miss that adrenaline rush. It's what kept me going on and on and on ... you know like the Energizer bunny. But actually, I MISS GETTING PAID!!! Oh well, those days will come back eventually.
Today I cooked my all time favourite sambal fried rice and rasam. For those of you who don't know what rasam is, it's an Indian spicy soup made from tamarind, tomatoes, garlic and spices. Damn, it tasted good. I know I have to update my recipe book soon. As usual, keep procrastinating. Now there's one thing for me to do during the holiday. Why didn't I just become a chef?

My New Skin

2006-04-23T20:49:00.000+08:00

Hey all. Got a new skin for my blog. It was time for a change.

What Turns YOU On?

2006-04-06T21:49:00.000+08:00

Nice hair, nice hands, good taste in shoes, fur-less and clowns. No, these are not the prerequisites for entering Americas Next Top Model. These are some of the many turn-ons that some of us, namely Ka Ling, myself, Alison and Liyana thought would be the first thing that we looked for in a guy. (YES, you read CLOWNS. It is not a typo error AND it IS arranged in a particular order. No prizes for guessing as to who likes clowns.)

It was sunny Thursday afternoon when I decided to join my friends mentioned above for lunch at the Penang Cafe for a serving of my favourite fried wantons and of course, a positively stimulating conversation - WHAT TURNS US ON? For me, I said I liked guys with nice hands. Ka Ling, meanwhile, said she would look at the type of shoes the guy wears (Nike and Adidas are her meat. NO BATA!) Nice hair was her next criteria. Alison, however, would prefer guys with little or no body hair. (Mind you, she will be equipped with sheep wool clippers and a ruler.) Liyana... oh boy... said she has a thing for clowns. Aiya yaii! And the list went on. Good body, nice eyebrows (Hai Yuan's list), tall (Hai Yuan's list again), must not wear plaid, must own a pair of jeans, yada, yaa, yada.... Sadly there were not many guys we could check out that fulfilled our likes.

So, then we decided to include the guys in to let us know their preferences. The guys here meaning the 3 Matthews and Steve Arvin. There was a quite a revelation, let me tell you. I can't seem to remember the nitty gritty stuff but all of us nearly fell off our chairs for laughing so hard. As it was a hot day and the sun was scorching, we (all of us girls with Matt Ong and Matt Ho) adjourned to McDonalds at Mentari for ice-cream and another fruitful round of stimulating conversation. They definitely put something in those sundaes because we all were a bit looney. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. And disturbing.... in a good way.

Some Survey....

2006-03-13T21:22:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine did this survey on Friendster and his answers were so funny I almost fell off my chair. So here goes mine...

-Name 3 schools you went to-

1) SRK Convent Green Lane
2) SM Convent Green Lane
3) Institut Perkim-Goon

-Name 3 things in your purse/wallet/pocket-

1) Money
2) Coins
3) IC/Driver's license

-Name 3 things you always wear-

1) Clothes
2) Watch
3) Fake smile

-Name 3 things you do when you are really stressed-

1) Sleep
2) Watch Friends or Will & Grace
3) Listen to Fuel

-Name 3 favorite songs right now-

1) Hemorrhage by Fuel
2) Fly Me to The Moon by Westlife
3) Sunburn by Fuel

-Name 3 favorite places to shop-

1) Cold Storage
2) Crabtree & Evelyn
3) Padini Authentics

-Name 3 places you go to on a daily basis-

1) Class
2) Mamak stalls at TCPJ
3) Bathroom

-Name 3 things you like to do-

1) Sing along with whatever song on my WMP
2) Laugh
3) Surveys (Newsflash!)

-Name 3 favorite fruits-

1) Mango
2) Ciku
3) Jack from Will & Grace

-Name 3 things you are addicted to-

1) My mom's sambal taukua
2) Papadams
3) Watching Will & Grace

-Name 3 favorite hobbies-

1) Dazzling people with my sarcasm
2) Cooking
3) Honing my skills in singing Fuel's Hemorrhage

-Name 3 career choices-

1) Doctor
2) Lawyer
3) Pulitzer-prize winning writer

-Name 3 goals in 2006-

1) To get 4.0 GPA for Sem 6
2) Love myself more
3) Try to wake up in the morning on weekends

-Name 3 plans for next week-

1) Finish assignments
2) Finish assignments
3) By new underwear

-Three Names You Go By-

1) Aida
2) A Aida
3) Aida Ahmad

-Three Parts of Your Heritage-

1) Good food!
2) Sarcasm (it runs in the family)
3) Prolonged youthfulness (we don't look our age)

-Three Things That Scare You-

1) Cats and dogs
2) People who sneak up on me
3) My niece! When she does her Junior Oscar-winning performance of The Exorcist

-Three of Your Everyday Essentials-

1) Coffee
2) Internet
3) Pooping

-Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now-

1) T-shirt
2) My fed-up face
3) Old pants

-Three of Your Favorite Bands or Musical Artists-

1) Fuel
2) Michael Buble`
3) Bon Jovi

-Three Things You Want in a Relationship (OTHERTHAN Love)-

1) Laughter
2) Fidelity
3) Pig-out partner

-Two Truths and a Lie (in no particular order)-

1) I once shoplifted
2) I contemplated poisoning somebody
3) I never stole money from my parents

-Three Physical Things about the Opposite Sex that Appeal to You-

1) Hands
2) Smile
3) Hair

-Three Places You Want to go on Vacation-

1) Europe
2) Tahiti
3) New York

-Three things you want to do before you die-

1) Travel to all the continents
2) Get married
3) Go to a Bon Jovi concert

Goodbye My Friends

2006-03-08T00:24:00.000+08:00

Within the past three months, three people whom I knew quite a bit passed away. Two of them were my neighbours and the other was a friend’s sister. Life is so short.

Three of these people died under different circumstances. One neighbour, Dr. Hema, while trying to overtake an army truck in Kota Bharu, couldn’t maneuver her car in time to avoid a head-on collision with a four-wheel drive. The other, Lawrence, an avid diver, drowned in the waters of Perak after his oxygen tank malfunctioned. And lastly, Julz’s sister, Ernie, succumbed to brain cancer. Sad thing was she died in late December in Kedah and I only found out today through another mutual school friend.
All of you will be truly missed. I can imagine what your families must be going through. I feel their pain of losing a loved one. May God bless your souls.

Now That's So True ... and Funny!

2006-03-07T18:20:00.000+08:00

I get excited when I come across interesting websites online. This one in particular contains quotations by famous scholars and authors. Just wanted to share it you all. The subjects ranges from health and food to forgiveness and hate. I cracked up with those from Jay Leno, whom I think is just a brilliant guy and a damn good talk show host. Enjoy.

On Food

Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.
Alice May Brock

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.
Calvin TrillinUS columnist (1935 - )

Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
Fran LebowitzUS writer and humorist (1950 - )

My favorite animal is steak.
Fran LebowitzUS writer and humorist (1950 - )

Good food ends with good talk.
Geoffrey Neighor, Northern Exposure, Duets, 1993

There is no love sincerer than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903) act 1Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

I went into a McDonald's yesterday and said, 'I'd like some fries.' The girl at the counter said, 'Would you like some fries with that?'
Jay LenoUS comedian & television host (1950 - )

I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2000 of something.
Mitch HedbergAmerican comedian (1968 - 2005)

and the best of all ...

I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks.
Totie Fields

On health

Health is not valued till sickness comes.
Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732British physician (1654 - 1734)

Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means you've met your New Year's resolution.
Jay LenoUS comedian & television host (1950 - )

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
Mark TwainUS humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

O.P.P.H

2006-03-03T21:37:00.000+08:00

Shees.... even the cobwebs in the MJ's Thriller video is no match with the "cyber" cobwebs in heeeeere! Wait..... hachoooooooooo!! Blegh..! Gesundheit to me.

Somebody really needs to get over herself. I mean, how self-absorbed can you be? I cannot believe what a bloody shmuck and dufus I was to actually give this person the benefit of the doubt. This is what I get for giving someone a chance to prove that they're actually not the person that everybody says they are. You had some fucking nerve to tell me to apologize to YOU! Well you know what? You don't fucking deserve one. I wonder if she noticed, since she's so full of shit, that I didn't give her one. Grow the fuck up! I just wished that you had offered to switch duty roles with me the other day instead of someone else, because I would have told you off and my words would have hit you so bad that your head would've spinned.

Like I said, word gets around. Tell me, are you such a fucking coward that you can't tell it to my face? In fact, you must the stupidest person to rant and rave about me to the people that actually would regurgitate what you said a minute later. If you even think that people owe you something, you are sadly mistaken. Your actions clearly showed that you are a selfish and thoughtless person because obviously you failed to realize that hardship that others also had to endure to give you your fucking grade. The way you look at people when they're talking to you, who by the way were trying to not hurt your feelings, is insulting if not repulsive.

Don't ever insult my intelligence. Please, spare me your oh-no one-understands-me melodrama. You don't even understand yourself. Quit the star-trip act. It's getting really old. Newsflash! You are not better than anybody else. If you think you are, then you are fucking dilutional and demented. I pity you. You don't even like your own skin and you pretend to be somebody else.

Redemption is your only chance. But then again, it's gonna take the life out of you. But I guess it will be no problem for you since you are so confident you can do things better than me. Don't even try to bitch about me to others, because I will know eventually. And this time, I will seriously kick your fucking face in.

2006-02-13T21:04:00.000+08:00

Prayers of the Stressed

God, help me to relax about insignificant details beginning tomorrow at 7.59am.

Help me to consider people's feelings, even if most of them are hypersensitive.

Help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they're usually not my fault.

Help me to not try to run everything.

But, if You need some help, please feel free to ask!

Help me to be more laid back and help me to do it exactly right.

Help me to take things more seriously, especially laughter, parties and dancing.

Give me patience, and I mean right NOW!

Help me not be a perfectionist. (Did I spell that correctly?)

Help me to finish everything I sta...

Help me to keep my mind on one th - Look a bird! - ing at a time.

Help me to do only what I can, and trust you for the rest. And would you mind putting that in writing?

Keep me open to others' ideas, WRONG though they may be.

Help me be less independent, but let me do it my way.

Help me follow established procedures today. On second thought, I'll settle for a few minutes.

Help me slow down and not rush through what I do.

And hurry up about it!

Amen

2006-02-13T20:48:00.000+08:00

Try me, just for fun and see what you get.

The Chronicles of Aida

2006-01-28T21:42:00.000+08:00

This looked like fun ... so I figured what the hell. Here goes.

-3 Jobs I've Had In My Life -

1) Librarian - at the Penang Sports Club
2) Waitress - at the Shangri-La Hotel, Penang
3) Journalist - at New Straits Times

-12 Movies I Could Watch Again and Again -

1) Bruce Almighty
2) Fatal Attraction
3) 10 Things I Hate About You
4) How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
5) The General's Daughter
6) You've Got Mail
7) SWAT
8) My Big Fat Greek Wedding
9) Grease
10) Phenomenon
11) Rocky (1,2,3,4 and 5!)
12) Americas Sweethearts

- 13 Favourite TV Shows-

1) FRIENDS
2) Will & Grace
3) The Apprentice
4) The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
5) Saturday Night Live
6) Desperate Housewives
7) Becker
8) American Idol
9) NYPD Blue
10) Survivor
11) Oprah Winfrey Show
12) The Cosby Show
13) Home Improvement

-4 TV Shows That Made Me Cry When It Went Off The Air-

1) FRIENDS
2) The Cosby Show
3) Home Improvement
4) Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

-3 Places I've Lived-

1) Penang
2) Kuala Kubu Baru (for a year)
3) Subang Jaya

- 6 Places I've Been On Vacation-

1) Singapore
2) Cameron Highlands
3) Fraser's Hill
4) Langkawi
5) Sarawak
6) Australia

- 2 Places I'd Rather Be-

1) New Zealand (it is ranked No. 1 as the Greenest Country in The World!)
2) Australia

- 5 Favourite Food -

1) MY cooking
2) My mother's cooking
3) Italian
4) Chinese
5) Sushi

-6 Funniest People -

1) MY niece, Sarah Jane
2) Eddie Murphy
3) Russell Peters
4) Robin Williams
5) Afdlin Shauki
6) ME

- 7 Blokes I Wanna Shag -

1) John Travolta

2) Hugh Jackman

3) Jon Bon Jovi

4) Tom Cavanagh

5) Esai Morales

6) John Cusack

7) Mark-Paul Gosselaar

- 1 Person I Would Wanna Have A Cuppa With -

SIMON COWELL

Far Away

2006-01-27T21:36:00.000+08:00

This time, this place

Misused, mistakes

Too long, too late

Who was I to make you wait

Just one chance, just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know,you know, you know

That I love you

I have loved you all along

And I miss you

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me, and you'll never go

Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask

Last chance for one last dance

'Cause with you, I'd withstand

All of hell to hold your hand

I'd give it all, I'd give for us

Give anything but I won't give up

'Cause you know,you know, you know

So far away

Been far away for far too long

So far away

Been far away for far too long

But you know, you know, you know

I wanted, I wanted you to stay

'Cause I needed, I need to hear you say

That I love you, I have loved you all along

And I forgive you

For being away for far too long

So keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me and, never let me go

The Jeans Story

2006-01-04T13:49:00.000+08:00

This is my inspiration.

It's like a silent voice speaking to me from the world inside my wardrobe.

The last time I could fit in this divine pair of Levi's was eight years ago in 1998.

After I "outwore" this pair, I had purchased two pairs of Levi's.

My mission?

To wear it.

Hope for the Best

2006-01-01T19:17:00.000+08:00

Somehow in a weird way I can feel that this year will be eventful for me. But then again, Gosh, I don't wanna jinx it. Like I said in my previous post, I HAVE to make stuff happen. Accomplish a few things that I let slip out of my hands. It just freakin' scares me that time passes by so fast. And of course, the unevitable will happen next month. I will turn 28. Oh, God, please help me accept the things I cannot change. It's ok. It's all good. Nothing but a number.

Anyway, I'm sure most of you guys and gals ushered in 2006 with a bang or at least out somewhere with a group of people. For me, it was nonetheless, quiet and different compared to the previous years. I decided that perhaps I should not be so obsessed in succumbing to consumerism of "New Year's Eve" celebrations. I mean let's be honest here. Owners of hotels, pubs, clubs, what have you ... are laughing all the way to the bank because all they hear is ... Kacchiing!! If only there weren't such a thing as traffic jams though. So, in an attempt not to increase my stress level, I left Subang at about 6-ish in the evening and headed towards my aunt's condo in Cheras. The weather was of course horrible because it was raining hippos and rhinos. I eventually arrived there about 7.15. Since my aunt's condo was on the 15th floor, it cool and breezy and the smell of the rain was soothing.

So, the night was gonna be just myself, my aunt and uncle and my boy cousins. Or so I thought. It was then that my uncle, whom I'm very close to and adore like my own father, suggested we hit Kajang town to chow down some 'Sate Kajang'! Suffice to say my stomache rumbled as if you could hear a brass band inside. Off we went and despite having to tolerate a minor jam, the food was good! THAT was a lot a' meat! The 'kuah kacang' was very tasty. It took a while for the sate to arrive since the place was packed, so I ended up finishing half my kuah as though drinking soup. With full bellies, we headed home and got comfortable, pyjamas and all, and planted ourselves in front of the TV while waiting for the countdown at KLCC park. Unfortunately, my aunt and uncle who were the party poopers, went to sleep by 11. So it was just me and the boys seizing the moment to lament how lame the concert at Dataran Merdeka was.

3...2...1... Happy New Year!!!!! We could actually see a bit of the fireworks from the balcony. It was so pretty. That was it. A new year. New things to look forward to. I don't want to sound corny or sentimental like some wuss, but I had a flashback to when my cousins were born. I look at the three boys now and I think, "Geez, has it been that long?" I remember baby-sitting them, changing their diapers (yes, siree! I started my baby-sitting skills very early) and being the victim of their pre-pubescant torment. They were so cute. And now, their guys. With GIRLFRIENDS, mind you! I love those boys. With good parents like my aunt and uncle, together with their stellar guidance, the boys turned out to be gems. The oldest boy actually brought his girlfriend and other college mates over for tea today. It was so sweet. Maybe I should show the girl his baby picture of him in just diapers and embarrass the living daylights out of him. He he. The second boy, who is studying at the International Islamic Uni, who also has his own band (I have faith that one day they will be known), was given a new handphone by his 'girlfriend' (he blushed like a tomato when his mom saw it). No need for guys to lure the chicks. Times have changed!

Life is short. It is so short it's not even funny. I hope all goes well this year for my family and friends. Let's make it a good one.

The Year That Was ...

2005-12-31T00:20:00.000+08:00

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!

Hello 2006!

2005-12-30T13:37:00.000+08:00

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.)

Let's Count the Ways We Know Aida

2005-12-20T22:50:00.000+08:00

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)

... 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)

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).

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!

Aloha!

2005-12-09T20:32:00.000+08:00

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Kalia Kalama

What's your Hawaiian Name?

2005-12-09T18:39:00.000+08:00

Your 1920's Name is:

Blossom Vivienne

What's Your 1920's Name?

Afternoon Tea I Say ...

2005-12-08T21:22:00.000+08:00

(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!

You Don't Say!.....

2005-12-06T19:26:00.000+08:00

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....

"Basically, Like, " Useless!

2005-12-03T14:54:00.000+08:00

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.

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.

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.

http://www.thescreamonline.com/essays/essays08-01/basically.html

Nasi Kandar "Jangan Bising"

2005-11-28T01:02:00.000+08:00

I just had to put this on my blog. It was just too funny to pass. I was just about to fall off my chair while chomping my nasi-kuah-campur-banjir-ayam goreng when I noticed this random sign (which was probably stolen from a library!) at a nasi kandar joint in Penang during Raya holidays recently. Just imagine the hungry patrons nicely sebat-ing their hot rice and curry in total silence ... shhhhh!!

Tootin' Fruitin' Bowl o' Loops

2005-11-27T23:04:00.000+08:00

What's your fancy? Cornflakes? Cocoa Krispies? Or my favourite, (wait a minute ... that's second favourite) Fruit Loops? There's nothing like tantalizing your taste buds with your favourite childhood indulgence after realizing you hadn't eaten it for donkey years. And did I mention I also like chowing down on cereal at night? Well I do, and it's the best! I don't know ... it's just something so gratifying about it. Kudos to the Kellogs people for inventing the fruity goodness. I remember watching some 80s movie where the kid actually ate his Fruit Loops with just chocolate syrup! (Nope, I have yet to try it). Cocoa Krispies is just so jolly good too. I get a kick out of just hearing the bubble rice pop after it soaks into the milk and you end up slurping the ever-so-yummy chocolate milk at the end. I have always been biased towards Kellogs branded cereal. It just taste better than the stuff produced by Nestle.

With all the different types breakfast cereals, wheat bars, muesli ... what have you ... , I remember buying the All Bran cereal only to discover that it resembled bird food. Hmmm...

Radioactive Kuih Bingka!

2005-10-22T16:22:00.000+08:00

The Aftermath

Today, I realised two things. One - I had no freakin' idea that there was a damn tapioca tree growing in my sister's backyard and two - my first attempt to bake "kuih bingka ubi kayu" may as well had given an archaelogist hypertension.

The day started when my mom to grate the TAPIOCA. I was all, "When did you buy this?" and my mom went, "We have a tapioca tree growing at the back!". Apparently, when she was cleaning out all the weeds in the backyard (which was just one lalang away from resembling a damn hutan belantara) she stumbled upon a big ass root thingy and pulled it out and Eureka! We have tapioca! It was like striking oil ... only .... not. My former maid had obviously put her gardening skills to good use when she planted the tree last year.

So, after grating about 10 pieces of tapioca and ending up with a measly bit, I followed my mom's instructions and put the baby in the microwave, since my sister did not have the conventional type. Within 30 minutes, pungent scents of vanilla, coconut and butter filled the air in the house. Mmmm ... smells delicious, or so I thought. After another 30 minutes, things turned ugly. The sides of the bingka in the baking dish were charred and my mom was all, "That's why I said cannot use microwave to bake this. Must use the normal oven." We both looked at each other and ended up laughing. I think I cracked her up after I said that we might need to borrow a "gerudi" from the construction worker to cut the bingka. The bloody thing did not wanna budge! Needless to say I manage to salvage a few pieces, well, crumbs actually.

Sigh ... looks like I have to go out and buy some kuih from the Ramadan bazar now cause my aunty and her family are coming over. If not, I'll be all ... "Radioactive bingka for dessert?"

No More Suffering

2005-10-22T00:17:00.000+08:00

Al-Fatihah ~~

My deepest condolences to our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the demise of his loving wife, Datin Seri Paduka Endon Mahmood (1940 - 2005)

No one could have imagined the pain she endured. More importantly, no good-hearted person deserves to feel that kind of pain. At least she is at peace now. May Allah bless her kind soul.

It is very devastating to lose a parent. I speak from experience. Although you know they are sick and that day will eventually come, the feeling of utter sadness and devastation just washes over your body. You feel numb. You think, "Oh God, I can't believe he/she is gone." How does one cope when realising you just lost the love of your life? Despite knowing this fact, the PM was the pillar of strength for his children. But we are all humans. Seeing a picture of him holding back his tears after burying his wife on the NST website couldn't have been sadder.

While the country was mourning for the loss of our First Lady, some insensitive Malaysians decided to relish on the idea that Monday might be declared a holiday. According to a former colleague (who is a senior columnist and editor at the NST), SMSes were being sent nationwide by someone saying that the former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghafar Baba had also "passed away" and that a joint funeral should be held since the PM's wife had also died. I would like to ask this person, "How can you live in your skin?" By the by, Tun Ghafar is still alive, although quite ill. What the hell kind of community do we live in, people? How some people can be so shallow and blatantly rude is beyond me.

I know it's a little pre-mature to say this (since we still have two months to go before the new year), but I think this year was by far the worst year ever! So many catastrophes, so many lives perished.

Life is short. Let's be good to ourselves and to other people.

T.R.U.S.T is a four-letter word!

2005-10-12T22:45:00.000+08:00

Never again. Yes, as the Blogger people and all of you out there reading this are my witnesses, I will never trust anyone ever again. Being screwed over left, right and centre eventually took its toll on me. The thing that hurt the most was when I found out the person who betrayed my trust was an extended family member. They say that blood is thicker than water. I say fuck it!

Needless to say I have been burned one too many times. Enough is enough. Sometimes I think I was put on this earth solely for the purpose of being screwed over by people. At this point, I can't confront this so-called family member of mine because of certain circumstances. But all I wanna say to this person is ... "Next time, just tell me to bend over!" Besides, I have a pretty strong backbone to sustain the knife of that magnitude.

Malaysian "Bold and Beautiful"?

2005-09-04T21:07:00.000+08:00

We all have our own little secrets. I, for one, have a quite a few ... about myself, my friends and even my own family members. Believe me ... I could start my own little war if I revealed those secrets. Sometimes I say to myself, "Damn, I feel powerful!" Then again, you know what they say - "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Piss me off and there is no telling whether I might just regurgitate the earth shattering facts. But being the sane and somewhat rational person that I am, all the little, and some not-so-little secrets will remain in my mental vault, despite the fact that my sanity sometimes hangs from a thread, waiting to snap.

Speaking about secrets, (I know the paragraph above looks like a narration of Mary Alice Young in Desperate Housewives) my recent trip to Melaka during the week-long break was very intriguing, albeit slightly boring, because the family I stayed with had a bag full of secrets, ala "Bold and Beautiful". Me, my mom and our close family friend, who I will refer to as Aunty G, set off on a bus ride to Melaka to stay with Aunty G's cousin, who has a bungalow on a beach (I was sold when I heard the words "bungalow" and "beach"). We took the 4pm bus from the Pudu bus station and arrived at Melaka Sentral about 6.15pm and proceeded to take a cab to the house, which was about 15 minutes away. Since the last time I set foot in Melaka was when I was nine, I couldn't recall the changes in the city. The cab driver was very courteous and friendly which made the ride all the more pleasant considering the scorching weather and that we felt as if we hadn't bathed in days.

I noticed that we were passing by some quaint villages, surrounded by a lot of lush greenery and small fishing villages when Aunty G told the cab driver to slow down as we were nearing our destination. Two things came to mind - "Heh?" and "Where the hell is the bungalow?". As we got out of the cab, I took note that there was definitely gonna be some walking to do to reach this "bungalow", so I asked Aunty G, "So where is her house?" and then she replied, "Oh, we have to walk inside a little coz it will be difficult for the cab to drive through the narrow road." Hmm ... ok. So we walked. All I saw were dilapidated and run-down wooden shacks with poor drainage systems. I thought to myself "Oh God, I hope we will soon enter a parallel universe with a "bungalow on a beach". After about two minutes of walking on the muddy dirt road, I finally saw it. The bungalow (followed by a string of Hellelujah and angel white light), an oasis nestled amidst the surrounding eye-sore of poorly maintained wooden houses, obviously a result of the lackadaisical and corrupted wakil rakyat.

We were greeted by the maid, who gave us a very warm welcome, actually. Then I finally met Aunty G's cousin, who I will call S. On the surface, S, who is married to an ex-cop-cum- fishing enthusiast and has a daughter and son who are both successful, is a very friendly, pleasant and generous lady. But on the inside, this was a woman living in hell. Within a few hours of our visit, Aunty G had revealed the dark family secrets, in the privacy of our room, of course.

Apparently when S and her husband were posted in East Malaysia about seven years ago, S had "adopted" an uneducated homeless 11-year-old girl. Being the good samaritan that she is, S offered the girl, now 18, food and shelter till today. Unfortunately, S did take into consideration the responsibilities and parenting factors it took to raise a child, who did not even know her ABCs at the age of 11. At present, the girl is now three-months pregnant, as a result of a one-night-stand with some young punk at a karaoke bar from where she had been working. Yes ... this 18-year-old girl, who has had her share of "servicing" random men in bars, has no education of any sort. She can't get married to the father of the baby because according to Syariah Law, the baby is still an illegitimate child. She would have to go to Thailand to get married, but not before being fined or jailed at the Syariah Court and the baby would have to be given up for adoption.

So, what's the big secret? Among the men that the girl was "servicing" was the man of the house! Oh, yes. Satan's minions have struck again. Talk about looking through rose-tinted glasses. Within a few minutes of talking to the couple, I thought here is a happy and stable family. Nice house on the beach, children, a Lassie-lookalike Collie dog, a grandson (oh yeah, who is this fat, spoilt brat who does nothing all day except, eat, sleep and plays PS2 (SERIOUSLY!) and is pampered to the max by his grandmother) and people who have interesting hobbies (she is into arts and crafts and he has his own boat house and fishes everyday). But, no. Like I always say, life is too cruel.

Well, it was a very interesting two-day holiday. I'm sure I will remeber it for the rest of my life.

Flavour of the Month ... Saucy!!!!

2005-08-25T17:50:00.000+08:00

I know... don't you just wanna scoop him with a spoon? Delish, eh? Believe me, I was all ready with an ice-cream scooper! Sinfully delicious! And this hottie can sing, believe you me! No doubt when I first heard his songs in my sister's (who by the way is in to foreign music) car, I thought. "Ah man ... not another crooner like Michael Bolton singing tragic love songs." But, I decided to give it a chance. The fact that he was singing in French didn't help because I did my own translation. It was a bit like this:-

You ripped out my heart

Stomped on it

Chewed it up

Spit it out

And shoved it down my throat

Then again it was his voice that captivated me. Sultry, if I may say, and very husky. Apparently, this guy has won numerous awards and is really big in France and Canada (he's Canadian-French, by the way) and his manager is Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil. One of Garou's songs in the album is a duet with Celine called "Soul De Voint" and it is awesome. My sister's influence actually made me appreciate foreign music more. And of course, the fact that he is so hot makes it better.

http://www.garouland.com

2005-08-21T00:41:00.000+08:00

If looks could kill ...