About Death....

Just last Sunday, a friend of mine had a bad dream- something about himself dying. Asked if we ever have that fear of death creeping up at us. And yesterday, a good friend of mine's dad passed away. The thing about death is that my fear is not so much of myself dying...it is really the fear of my loved one dying, how I would cope and get over it. Perhaps that is why some people don't really let themselves fully love someone, or too many people. Just the thought of being heart broken time and again when someone dies is just too depressing. The thought of someone not 'being' anymore, not being able to go through phases of your lives with that someone. Perhaps that is also why I don't believe in farewells. Even when one dies, the memory still haunts, and you remember vividly certain things that you just don't want to let go. The little things. Like his/her smell. Laughter. The grip of his/her hands. I remember distinctively in Good Will Hunting :

To have the love be there for her forever. Through anything, through cancer. You wouldn't know about sleeping sitting up in a hospital room for two months holding her hand and not leaving because the doctors could see in your eyes that the term "visiting hours" didn't apply to you. And you wouldn't know about real loss, because that only occurs when you lose something you love more than yourself, and you've never dared to love anything that much...................

My wife's been dead two years, Will. And when I think about her, those are the things I think about most. Little idiosyncrasies that only I knew about. Those made her my wife. And she had the goods on me too. Little things I do out of habit. People call these things imperfections Will. It's just who we are. And we get to choose who we're going to let into out weird little worlds. You're not perfect.

Strong Enough

Hold on, be strong AIDS, earthquakes

Cause when it's on it's on

but Muggings, carjackings

Hold on, and be strong

Yeah we got problems

Cause when it's on it's on but

But believe me when I tell you

Hold on, and be strong

Things always get better

Cause when it's on it's on but

God don't like ugly

Hold on, and be strong

And God don't like no quitters

Cause when it's on it's on -Hold On Be Strong(no one says it better than 2Pac)

So you've been looked down upon and dissed at and humiliated before. So you've been laughed at. So you've been diagnosed with a disease. So you've been disrespected. So you've been disappointed by someone u care, even abandoned... If you're strong enough to have passed the test, you're left unfazed, unchallenged and ready to take on the world. Every hurdle and obstacle just propels you to a better, stronger you.

Underneath It All

There's times where I want something more

Someone more like me

Theres times when this dress rehearsal

Seems incomplete

But, you see the colors in me like no one else

And behind your dark glasses you're...

You're something else- Underneath It All (No Doubt)

This post is dedicated to an 'adik' of mine, who's caught in the web of love. As a person with such calibre, really, be fair to yourself. Underneath it all, the love is very much there. It's really up to one to take the chance and make it happen. Love does come with a price. It is best to have tried than to never at all. So you won't look back with regrets of an abandoned possibility. Should he not feel the same way, then so be it, move on. One must also learn when to let go. When it's time, it's time. Don't become a "Before Sunset" story. It's not all that glorious. Have no doubts- love is truly agony.

Gotta Appreciate

Things we tend to take for granted.....
1) your mother's cooking
2) a guy/girl who loves you more than you do....
3) a friend's time
4) coins (accumulated coins can be very worthwhile)
5) air-conditioning
6) a phone call from your parents/relatives
7) electricity -TNB
8) 24 hour mamaks- whereelse can you go for food in the middle of the night!
9) public toilet- had a funny incident yesterday, I've never appreciated the toilet more...
10) free internet service at work
11) your parents' love

12) toilet paper
What have you taken for granted lately?

Naive

Hey hey I saved the world today
Everybodys happy now
The bad things gone away
And everybodys happy now
The good things here to stay,please let it stay
- I Saved The World Today (Eurythmix)

When we were kids, we were taught that we must listen to our teacher...until you get crappy teachers who gives you " Masa Sendiri" like every period. When we were older, people tell us to respect the "system"....that is until you start paying duit kopi like it's a regular payment. When we are working, you assume your boss and your colleagues are your most trusted comrades vying for more money...until they stab you from behind coz they are vying for more than just money. When you fall in love with someone, you dream of a life together and etc(all the works)....when the guy's probably just looking for a non-committal one-two-night-stander relationship. So there, why trust so easily anyway....why be naive? It's good to trust people, but trust the right people.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Just a few weeks ago, I got tipsy and started swearing like hell. Yar, that's probably the real me. Trying to vent all the suppressed anger and rage in me. Total wrath. But then again, there's many layers in one's personality. One will choose to reveal perhaps the most appropriate and acceptable personality. Even with best friends, sometimes you cannot predict what one may do- perhaps that's their Mr. Hyde coming into surface. And have you noticed how some people change when they are in a different group of people. I think most of us are chameleons. When I'm with my family, I'm different. When I'm with friends I met in US, I'm different. And with certain friends, especially one on one, I tend to reveal more about myself.....my thoughts and rants. In a group perhaps we all try to blend in, some of us don't bother and just try to be ourselves. Knowing someone for a long time does not necessarily enable you to see the Hyde in that person. The Hyde in a person is more raw, more genuine sometimes, and more intriguing too. Some say we are all born good, no one's born evil, but I think we all carry some evil in us. How can we not? We're influenced by many things. We're touched by many things. I think it's good to bring out the Hyde in you once in a while, coz if you don't...you might just explode one day, and Hyde becomes irreversible! Having said that, some people show the Hyde in them, and suppress the Jekyll in them. They may act cool or most likely anal too, but I believe that's just them trying to suppress Jekyll. :) Whoever we are, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde, it's alright to be both. Just a matter of balance.

Ignorance is Bliss?

Some people just don't wanna know. Or maybe they just don't give a damn. Or maybe they just haven't got the space in their mind to worry about what's happening around them- perhaps engrossed in their own problems. People diss others who do not know where Zimbabwe is, or who Lenin is, or who Ernest Hemingway is...but really, it's good to know a lot of things, but it's not a crime to be ignorant. Some people just like to give others a hard time. It's more to satisfy their sick need to step on other people. To be powerful. Think about all the kids in poverty, you think they have access to lovely binded books of all sorts? Or even an old man, who's more worried about getting food on the table than how the hell Saddam looked like when he got hanged. Who are we to judge who's ignorant or not. What they lack in know-how, they might know more than u in other aspects. And a wealth of experience is worth more than a million books.

LOST

Known too many to know that most of us are LOST. Some have no direction, not knowing where they're heading to...Some are just basically going with the flow, whereever the wind takes them. Some are just totally lost in the world of loveshits. Some are just lost cause they're caught in a big big rut, that they're STILL struggling to get out from. I think first, recognize that it's not wrong to be LOST. It's OK to be LOST. It doesn't mean that it's time to start looking for a religion to belong to(strangely, some people cling on to that). And recognize that you do need to give yourself time to sort yourself out. Take a few years if you have to. And it's OK to take a TIME OUT sometimes. Go mad or crazy once in a while. So what if we're lost. Everyone's lost at one point of their lives. Why we need to conform to having a structured, 2kids-marriage-is-my-life anyways- that's not how everyone HAS to live. Just saying that it takes time to get UN-LOST.

Time....is on my side.
Yes it is.
You're searching for good times.
But just wait and see.- Time is On My Side (Rolling Stones)

Self Pity

Self pity is no pity at all. Why don't people get that? Sure you can rant (and pant for all I care), I can tolerate like one or two sessions, but seriously, get over it. Some people rant so people can give their advise or opinion or try to find a solution- well, I think that's fine...to talk it over and try to make things right. But some people just rant just so they be heard, and they don't expect your feedback, I'll be thinking what the hell I'm doing there in the first place. I would rather talk to someone in a bad rut, who really just needs a listener....not someone who self pities themselves every 5 minutes of their lives. Then there are those who pities themselves for like years...and don't do anything about it! Self-pitying gets you nowhere...it's doing something about it that MATTERs. SNAP OUT OF IT.

Changes

I still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes (Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes (Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me but I can't trace time- (DAVID BOWIE-Changes)

People who know me would tell you that I've changed like a yo-yo, up and down, with rough and smooth ends. Although the essence of my personality is still very much the same but certain perspectives in my life have certainly changed. What I use to perceive as boring and mundane, more than ever has become a hobby of mine. What I used to worry about when I was younger, perhaps now I don't really give a damn anymore. When money used to mean the world to me, is now just a number-well, to a certain extent. While some friendships I may have felt I've lost, perhaps now I perceive as a memory deeply embedded in my mind, cause friendships come and go.... Maybe it's the age catching up (*ahem*..damn), but I feel that I've finally know who I am. Even through much changes in my life, at least I know the core of me is still very much there.

My Iron Ring

This is no ordinary ring, to be precise it is actually a stainless steel ring but it's called the IRON RING- worn by Canadian engineers. Upon graduating, the engineer students go through what they call the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. We are given an obligation number- it is a hush-hush and solemn affair where the event is not to be spoken of. Legend has it that the iron ring was made from steel from the Quebec bridge that collapsed because of poor engineering (civil to be exact :)) so...the Iron Ring means much more than just a graduation ring, it is symbolic to the engineering ethics and our obligation to society. It is usually worn on the little finger. I sometimes wear it as a pendant.... But no matter how we wear it, wear it with pride :)

Sex Appeal

Some people are just oozing with it and some people just dont have it at all! And what may appeal to one might not work for another. I speak for the ladies when I say that I think men do not necessarily have to be buff and muscular to have sex appeal. Some women hate it. Sex appeal could come in the form of (for men)

1) A grin- a real nice one, the Jack Nicholson /Andy Garcia grin

2) A smile- the kind that comes with eyes that twinkle

3) Broad shoulders- there's just something about broad shoulders.......

4) Rough hands- I think women do checkout men's hands, I dont think any woman likes guys with baby-soft hands...

But well, those are just sex appeal based on appearance. I think women do find more sex appeal in a man who has confidence and knows where he's heading to. I read in some polls somewhere that women love men with English accent. But some women find any accent appealing anyways! For a while, I thought Puerto Ricans were really hot. Carefree and fun. And so, I wonder what appeals to men....feel free to jot down a few here. :)

Weird

I'm a weirdo,
What the hell I'm doing here...
I don't belong here.- Creep (Radiohead)

I've been said that I'm weird time and time again. Even yesterday, a friend of mine said I should have been born a guy. So maybe I don't show my feminine side but I looked through some of my pics when I was in US, and gawd I was feminine then with long locks and makeup and whole lot of skirt-swishing-days. And so yeah, I've been branded as weird. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Rather be weird than be branded as boring, predictable or mundane. Rather think being weird is being unique (cheywah). And weird people like me attracts funny and memorable weird experiences- that are noteworthy :). Maybe it's because being weird, we have no qualms about taking the plunge- in any aspects. Career or love. So I have certain eccentricities- like my obsession with music, movies and perfume, or my obsession with food, at least I KNOW WHAT I WANT. At least, I can say that I know myself very well. Don't need to soul-search, I have my weird obsessions and that's OK. I would say everyone has their weird side. You know it, but you're afraid to reveal it. Really, no one cares, cause everyone has their dirty little secret. So be weird and celebrate it!

Accepting Gifts

What is the most expensive gift you've ever received? But what is the best gift you've ever received in your life? May not necessarily be the same thing. Some women I know, are used to accepting expensive gifts. Doesn't matter that it came from a married man, they justify it by saying that they have loads of money. Or that it was the man's choice to get her the gift. Sure, she may have dropped a few hints- window shopping together at the jewellery store etc. It is a woman's prerogative to accept gifts, irregardless how expensive it is. But... it is also a woman's choice whether to accept the gift or not. I have a friend who's in China now, and he bought a ring card for a girl he's courting in Malaysia. The girl accepted the gift, but despite all that, tell friends that she has no interest in him, that he's too boring for him. And so, I wanna know why she's accepting the gift? Put him on the KIV list? Or is it just plain GREED? Most people would not admit that they are just that, GREEDY. Maybe people just don't find satisfaction in buying something with their own bloodsweat money anymore. But well think about it, the best gifts are not necessarily the most expensive one. It's just more exciting for them to wrench a gift from a sohai (don't think there's a better word for this.) What goes around comes around..anyways :)

Say What You Mean & Mean What You Say

These goes out especially to people who are unable to express themselves clearly and appropriately. Some people just say something to be heard. Talk cock and sing song shit is fine, but at the end of the day you don't wanna leave the impression that talk cock is all you can do. When you don't say what you mean, you also resort to ALL SORTS of things to try and get your message across. Passing the message through a friend, leaving innuendos, dropping hints, etc, I dunno why the hell people dont just come outright and say it out. All that effort when you can just say it out loud. The other type of person is the type who never mean what he/she says. He/She would say that he loves you when he/she is really just looking for a non-commital relationship. Why not just be upfront and say so? Saves a whole lotta time and money, I'm sure. Or they refrain from telling a friend that she's wrong because they don't wanna cause a scene. Why not just be honest and tell the friend off? Isn't that what friends are for? Many people feel that we should always 'jaga hati orang' but I think concealing the truth only spoils that person. That person will never learn. Give the fella the brutal honesty and let him decide what he wants to do with it. You can be straightforward without being blunt. You can be honest without being cruel. Just choose your words carefully.

EatTrip- Ipoh

Went back for a short one-nighter to actually spring-clean the house, but really, I missed Ipoh food. Ipoh food makes me realize how bad KL food is...haha. For Ipohians like me, we don't go for the much-hyped Ipoh eateries, would rather go for the roadside or the stalls tucked in the lorongs of Ipoh. And so, we hit the Ipoh kopitiams over the weekend.....

1) Asam Laksa- in some lorong in Tmn Ipoh Jaya, only cost RM2.00...been eating there when it was RM0.50, so you can imagine. Been eating there for nearly 20 years. No frills, just some tables and stools with the Ah Sou and standard leung cha shuet.

2) Dry Curry Mee- basically any dry curry mee in Ipoh is way better than the KL shit- has real charsiew and siewyuk with fat taugeh.

3) Chee Cheong Fun and Sui Gao- corner kopitiam opposite Canning Gdn Market- the uncle the other day was just counting the years I've been eating there- freaking 21 years... *gulp*, the chee cheong fun grumpy fella has people patiently waiting in line for the noodles. (self service sometimes)

So, if you want good Ipoh grub, grab an Ipohian to show you around, where the good stuff is.

Leave the Originals Alone

I think I wrote sometime ago about original version of a song vs the new /pop/ remix versions. Some remakes are wonderfully done like Marty Casey's attempt to do Creep by Radiohead. And then just recently over a karaoke session, found many English songs being re-sung by Chinese singers. I do have the utmost respect for Chinese singers, but really, they should not touch the songs at all. They should really stick to what they're good at, singing Cantonese/Mandarin songs coz that's their forte. Chinese singers have a tendency to sing the words syllable by syllable. Our stress marks on the words differ, or we don't have it at all. Our intonation is also different. Not even talking about the accent just yet. Stephanie Sun's attempt to do Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough, Hey Jude, Silent All These Years is commendable, but the originals were way better, I'm sorry. And Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough is a duet song! And Hey Jude's meant to be sung to a woman! And that pretty much sums up what is lacking - PASSION. You can't fully grasp a song if you don't mean or know what you're singing! And here's leaving you with one of my favourite song...Just When I Needed You Most: original artist~Randy VanWarmer. No remakes by any Chinese artist I hope....

You packed in the morning
I stared out the window
And I struggled for something to say
You left in the rain without closing the door
I didn't stand in your way
Now I miss you more
Than I missed you before
And now where I'll find comfort,
God knows
'Cause you left me
Just when I needed you most
Yes, You Left Me Just when I needed you most

Stir It Up (bobmarley)

Music stirs different emotions in me....somethings music just says it better than words. Especially when I'm in a bad mood, I just blast the cd player in my lil' kelisa and sing to the tunes of whoever (has been Annie Lennox' Beautiful Child lately). Really can't imagine my life without music. Just imagine clubs and discos and pubs without music. Grew up listening to Air Supply and Carpenters on those long rides from Ipoh to Teluk Intan or to Cameron Highlands on my dad's car. So yeah, I pretty much know all the fuddy-duddy songs by them. All the Jambalayas and Making Love Out Of Nothing At All and Lost In Love. :) And I probably have different songs to remind me of different things: friendships, love, a moment in time of your life. One of my fave oldies is actually Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, only because my dad sings it really well :) . And I've had a song or two that has made me cried sometimes, weird aye, but Ella Fitzgerald's These Foolish Things is quite a song, lyrics are simple but the voice is haunting. I even had songs that I used to listen to when I cleaned my uncle's apt years ago. Beatles, Eagles and Jacky Cheung. HAHA. So I didn't pass up the chance to see Eagles live in Singapore few years back. My favourite Eagles is not Hotel California though (overplayed!) but it's I Can't Tell You Why and Best of My Love. And so...thank gawd for the Neways, Redboxes, Galaxies we have here, where conversations don't apply, only music matters, and Whole Lotta Fun. :)

Slimming Pills Feast

I've never taken a slimming pill before. My colleagues are going on a slimming race taking this KINTOP. Results are noteworthy. But you know, I've never resorted to pills. It's just not me. Sure I've starved, climbed stairs, swam like crazy, gym-ing. Maybe I always believe in sweating it out to lose weight. And I love eating. My colleagues reasoned that it saves time, effort (just pop the pill in your mouth saje), and suits their ever-busy life (what with kids/parties/chores). At least they dont wake up 7am in the morning going for a jog, sweating like a pig only to binge later on a sumptuous breakfast! Why do you think people pay thousands to slimming centres? Some went for chilli therapy.... Some went for I-Magic - the light enhancing face thingy... Some took it to the limit with liposuction, botox injection, plastic surgery. Talk about going to the extemes. Can't deny that looking good does make one feel good. It's just about how far you'd go. I love my food, think I used to be more careful about what I ate, then it was heck care after that. Have enough things to control besides my weight.:) Live and let live. If your life is controlled by your calorie intake counter, you need to re-check your life priorities...seriously. And don't tell me you're one of those who doesn't eat when you're on a lunch/dinner date.... :)

Brag Somewhere Else

Women and Men all like to brag. They brag about how much they make, where they've been, where they work, how they work, whom they slept with before, who they are dating,etc.....the list goes on. You practically can brag about everything under then sky! My first encounter with a bragqueen was when I was 13. Was just a freaking kid, and a classmate told me she just came back from god-knows-where and was flashing me pics of herself having a ball. I hardly knew her. She never stopped bragging up till now. When I was in college, there was this real pretty brat who was farking rich and wanted to hold her bday party at my condo by the swimming pool. Bragged that she has a lot of money and well she said she'll pay for everything but we have to organize for her. I went off to meet another friend for drinks in Bangsar that night haha. Even relatives brag- mostly about their children. Can't comprehend why coz I don't really give a fark if that distant cousin of mine is rich as hell.

I have my own theory why people brag;

1) Low Self Esteem: They wanna appear to be better

2) Superiority: makes them feel powerful when they seemed more superior

3) Wannabe: just wanna be the IT person of the day/decade/forever

4) Attention seekers: Just constantly wanna be on the limelight

5) They have nothing to say: some people just have got no substance, nothing to say..and so they brag. Bragging is their only topic of conversation they can think of.

I dunno..I've always found the person who says and reveals the least, the most mysterious and intriguing. Empty vessels make the most noise..... :)

Deny Deny Deny

No matter what gender we are, who we are, we all suffer from denial. It's true.

1) Women will never confess that they like someone, for fear of being deemed as desperate.

2) Men would always deny their softer side- say crying at the movies (hehe, cmon admit it).

3) Bosses would always deny our request for a higher increment- who cares if you've slogged thru raya hols and cny hols...

4) Kids would never confess to a petty crime....

5) OJ Simpson have denied again and again....

6) Women would always deny to sex even though we all know women are just as sexually driven as men..

7) In truth, men who denies that they watch/like/enjoy porn are scarier than those who does :)

8) People always deny they have a problem with gays & lesbians, it's easy to accept but not easy to watch ...haha

9) Lazy people always deny that they know anything. Somehow when you 'buat bodoh' people just stop bothering you...... not such a bad idea sometimes :)

Look...it's ok.. No matter how much you deny, the truth always win.

Drama Queen

In my years of schooling in an all-girls school and years of meeting all sorts of people, I have met a major share of drama queens. Everything matters to them. Everything is a big deal to them. Everything concerns them. It's like the whole world revolves around them. Drama queens make moutains out of molehills. If you're a teenager, I probably would forgive you. But if you're in you're 20s, and you're complaining because a friend doesnt call you out to join another group's outing....then I'm gonna have to bitchslap you silly. If you think not having a party to go to during the weekends or you're gonna be spending time alone during Valentine's day is such a disaster and you're gonna go all crybaby like it's such a disaster, I'm gonna have to spank ur butt silly. Geez. People end up as drama queens because probably of too much tv (haha), selfishness, self-centeredness hence the self-absorbed creatures that they are...and perhaps lack of self esteem too. So Drama Queens, had enough of you people. Get a Life.

A Hair-Raising Experience at Pulau Ketam

It was a journey to the unknown (to some) with some strangers (a few of them) for some pure fun. No expectations. No worries. Just some tuak-ridden, tequila-wasted, stout-drained good fun in Crabby Island. Pulau Ketam. The place is crappy but the venue wasn't important. We got to know another baldy, Earl (I think it's in season hehe), another guy with really long hair, Yatz, so danielfranklingomez.com and hongkiat.com, you're not alone anymore! Other notable guests was a Loretta-Lee lookalike, Syen, Mrs Yatz, Belle, and Chelva (had a good ride on your Volvo :) ) . I think I enjoyed the ferry ride the most- ohyea, that's where we de-bulued Daniel. Some hair-raising trip. :) For more pics go to philters' website

SPRAY ME!

I got a rather amusing phonecall yesterday. I got this part time job and met up with the lady in charge last Friday. It was a brief meeting just to outline some things to me. Yesterday, she called me, and I thought she was gonna call me up for a job. Rather awkwardly, she said that she smelled a whiff of a nice fragrance when I left her office and asked if I could tell her what I was using. HAHA. Now that's shocking! Told her it was a rather obscure one- Marc Jacobs. Many people wouldn't know that I'm a perfume whore. Major perfume whore. Thanks to my 2nd sis who has a lot of hand-me-downs that she doesnt use and also endless hours spent at Sephora back when I was in US. The thing about perfume is that it's not a necessity, but I dunno, I tend to feel better when I smell better :). Don't you? In truth, we always look for things that makes us feel/look better- like guys using lip balms (nothing wrong with that), less-endowed women wearing push-up bras, guys going for facials...... And it doesn't necessarily need to be expensive or famous to be good. Marc Jacobs for e.g. I think we ought to do whatever we want to make us feel good. Why deprive ourselves of that? You wanna wait for your other half to provide u with that? ........ Right now.... the ultimate perfume on my list is the Pure Turquoise Perfume by Ralph Lauren- Simply BREATHTAKING.....

TURN OFFs

Ever been on a date and your date does something that completely turns you off? Different people are turned on and OFF by different things... Just recently a few friends were telling me about what really...really turns them off...

The Men's Take....

1) Hairy limbs- especially the hand. One friend of mine said that it's a major major turnoff.

2) Immaturity- despite what every other woman may think that act cutesy get guys, well some guys can't stand that. Some guys just like the independent, non-lemah type..

3) 38ness- hahaha... Girls who can't stop bitching and kaypohing, but this is our nature, quite hard to remove this trait, haha, young and old, the 38ness never leaves...

4) BO- I think it applies to both genders....who can (*&(&$#$ a smelly guy/gal?

The Women's Take...

1) Kedekut- Aiyaya, you can't score girls if you're stingy. It's a known fact.

2) AhBeng- having said so, AhBeng always scores the pretty Lians...

3) Soft spoken guys- WTF......

4) Guys who don't drink- WTF......

Closet Gwen Fan

She's starting to live her life

From the inside out

The sound of failure calls her name

She's decided to hear it out

So go tell Britney and go tell Gwen

She's not tryin' to go against all them

'Cause she's too scared and she can't pretend

To understand where it begins or ends

Or what it means to be dead

It's just a sound going through your head

Let them go on -

The Sound Of Failure (Flaming Lips- At War With the Mystics 2006 album)

The lyrics refers Britney to Britney Spears and Gwen to Gwen Stefani- what they call as Sound of Failure..... But really, I'm a closet Gwen Fan. A friend of mine finally got it out of me. Shucks. But well yeah..I do love Gwen Stefani's music since No Doubt days. How many of you have not danced to her music ? Or find yourself singing along to her catchy tunes? Here are some of my faves (and proud of it)

1) Hey Baby

2) Just A Girl

3) Spiderwebs

4) Underneath It All

5) Don't Speak

6) Hella Good

7) It's My Life

8) Let Me Blow Ya Mind (with Eve)

9) Long Way To Go

10) Cool

11) Hollaback Girl

9) Keep On Dancing

Cmon...how can you hate Gwen....Britney I can understand...

Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond..must be one of my favourite movies this year...but well, the year just started. The movie was a moving, disturbing and yet wonderfully scripted picture. I thought Djimon Hounsou was excellent as Solomon Vandy...Leonardo DiCaprio...was good but I think Djimon was the key person giving the movie authenticity. The movie touches on a lot of today issues, Globalisation, Child Soldiers, weapon smuggling, Opportunists.... Kinda left the cinema feeling somewhat moved and intrigued by Africa. My uncle just came back from Africa after a few years, and he was totally amazed and in awe of Africa.. because of its culture and history and he told me wonderful stories of Africa.
SO..if you dig Blood Diamonds....see similar movies
1) Sometimes In April (did a review on that back in Aug i think)
2) Hotel Rwanda
3) Constant Gardener

Stick by The Rules?

It's a hard choice I believe especially in Malaysia...to stick by the rules or not? More often than not, you have to resort having not to. And with valid reasons! I am no stickler to rules, yar indeed I'm not a STICKY, unless it was really necessary, some may take it as a principle thing, I take it as bending the rules to suit me at the appropriate time and place :).

1) Are you a traffic Sticky who never makes an illegal U-Turn even when there's a long stretch of cars up ahead? Never given any duit kopi before? Never take the emergency lane to cut lanes because some idiot jammed up the fast lane?

2) Are you a Vice Sticky, never been to a pub/disco when you were underaged? Never took drugs (of any kind) just for a try/thrill? Cmon, admit it!

3) How many of you guys are litterbugs? Throwing rubbish out of your car? Or the streets?

4) Are you a Work-Ethics Sticky who in his/her entire working life has never ever bribed (of any kind) your customers to win projects/deals?

5) Never faked an mc before for an interview? Or snake during working hours to do something really important? Like banking stuff?

6) How many of you guys place bets through the bookie?????

Hey...we all have to break the rules sometimes. Being a Sticky is noble but not practical in Malaysia. That's what we need to do to survive here. So..here's to the Non-Stickies!

For Me, It's You (Train-2006)

Haven't found a song like this for a long long time. Vocals reminds me of Billy Joel. Been hooked to it the whole week. You can almost tell that the song was really heartfelt and spun out of passion. If you know anyone who could even sing half as good as he does with similar pitch and intonation..u let me know..coz i think the vocals are superb here.......

If I ever find truth I'm gonna let you know

If I ever find faith I'm gonna sit in every bit of its afterglow

If I ever find a way to bring love here today

You better bet your life that this is what I'll say

Give it if you've got it Get it if you don't

Take my hand in the meantime

And let's walk into the sunshine

Everybody got something that they want to sing about, laugh about, cry about

It's true For me it's you

Give it away, give it away, give it away

If it's something that you got layin' round your house

Man let me tell ya if ain't a kiss It's something you'll never miss

Give it to somebody that don't have a thing layin' round

like a prayer or a sweet sound

Give it if you've got it Get it if you don't

The Rookie

One of those inspirational movies that is sure to entertain and motivate you. It's never too late to start. Some of us think that age deters us from achieving our goals. Dennis Quaid gives a believable portrayal. Go see it...you won't regret it. :)

Hot Oldies

It goes without saying that younger women do find older (i mean much much older) men attractive. Maybe it's the persona they project or the confidence and the maturity that they seem to possess. Or maybe it's because they are sure of their goals or probably have already made it even. Or maybe it's because just those extra wrinkle lines shows sign of experience. Or maybe they are just sexy in their own ways :).

1) Sean Connery (77)

2) Sean Penn (47)

3) Dennis Quaid (53)

4) Robert DeNiro (64)

5) Andy Garcia (51)

6) George Clooney (46)

7) Kevin Costner (52)

8) Kevin Kline (60)

9) Al Pacino (67)

10) Harrison Ford (65)

11) Clint Eastwood (77)

Know The Bad to Know What's Good

People always say : "Stay away from bad people, they are a bad influence." Well, here's a story I would like to share...... Years ago, I met this lady. We were working together and she was the Assistant Manager of a restaurant. She was way way older than me. She once related to me how she used to be a nightclub mamasan. The sleazy ones. She said back then, she didn't have a care and only wanted to make a lot of money. And she did. She said that she was really blinded by the material world and only then to realize the consequences much later. She got married alright, but she said her husband never gave her much respect because of her background. The man beat her up a few times. Once I even had to fetch her from home. Aside from that, her body was worn down from the business- once a beautiful young thing, now she sports short hair, with bad skin (probably from alcohol) and unshapely body -side effects from popping birth control pills. She also told me, she had to adjust and accept the fact that she had 'expired' and no longer has 'market value'. Always, she told me, not to go into prostitution even if you feel like you've got nowhere to go. It's just not worth it. So, if anything, she has been a good influence, quite contrary to what people might say. So..as I've always said, you've gotta know the bad to know what's good.

Normal (2003)

How far would you go for love? The movie unfolds the life of man going through a sex-change to become a woman. While this may be perceived as abnormal, the man is really just trying to become normal for he had always felt he was a woman trapped in a man's body ever since he was a kid. The story tells of how the wife stood by him...through his gender transition, through church's and workplace' taunts, through family objections....I guess when you love someone, love really surpasses everything. Of course nothing is ideal, the wife have lost the man she loved, but not the husband in him. The essence of the man is still very much there. The character and personality does not change. Excellent performance by Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange.

Our society today is still very much conservative to these kind of phenomena. I think most people tend to shy away from transexuals and gays/lesbians, when really, they are only trying to lead their life the way they think it ought to be. Just like we do.

What Are You Looking At? (3)

Also Taken at Babybandit's Bday Party -06/01/07

Malaysian Bloggers fight back!

I was browsing my daily google news today and came across this article Report: Malaysia's leader says bloggers can't dodge laws, hide in cyberspace. News Straits Times are suing Jeff and Rocky for defamation. The bad news is, there goes our freedom of speech ... or should I say ... eerr what freedom of speech? The good news is, the support from the Malaysian bloggers community is tremendous and quite impressive.

Marina Mahathir will be one of the trustee in a Bloggers Legal Fund that is currently being set up. Read her blog here: 'Bloggers Fight Back!' and check out these other campaigns/supporters on this issue: 'Bloggers United', 'Kickdefella' and 'Walk With Us'

Are we able to fight this battle? The outcome of this will be HUGE. Can Malaysia handle this? Will this be the tipping point for better freedom/rights or just another disappointment & reason for the cream to leave this country? .... We'll see.

The Debt Master

Financial instability is not an unusual phenomenon for most young people in KL. Just wanna share with all of you with my financial crisis recently or perhaps I can put it for 3 years since my dad went on bankruptcy. Ladies and gentlemen, it is not fun at all or definitely not a just-to-get-an-experience kinda thought when you spent money excessively or even buying stuff without proper planning. I have recently found out that my home have a lot of stuff which I don't think we will ever use now or even for more than 3 times after we bought it previously. When you can't pay housing loan, car loan or emergency payments, one word for you, you're fucked! You can't even sleep, practically not as syiok as before, and this is when all prayers will automatically rush out from your mouth and sometimes in different languages! The awful part is when you want to eat out, you will firmly try looking for the cheapest fried noodles and go for a 2 glasses of RM 0.40 chinese ice tea instead of 1 glass of 'teh o ais limau' which will cost you RM 1.30 at least. Nevertheless no cash means you're actually sort of a stay-home person and don't think credit cards can solve the cashless problems, if you have this thinking, once again you're fucked! Do not ever try to look cool or think you're old enough to buy a condo unit or a house when after the housing installment you're left with RM 300 for the whole month as your expenses. Similarly do not think the attractive BMW or Toyota Camry with the 9-year installment plan will ease your burden and make you look good in that car when you are not even sure whether you have sufficient money rolling in to pump fuel or even your road tax! So boys and girls, spend wisely and control your financial rollout and trust me, without proper financial planning and savings, one more time, you're fucked!!! -GuestWriter- KennyL

What Are You Looking At? (2)

Taken at Babybandit's Bday -06/01/07

WL4s

Last week, me and some other friends kena stoodup by this friend of ours with some lame excuse. Even though we talked about and agreed upon the date just 3-4 days back before the intended dinner appointment. She said she's got a wedding to attend to....You dont just get invited to a wedding on that day itself ok. This is like the 2nd time she's done this- also using the wedding excuse. It was most probably to accompany the boyfriend to his friend's wedding. Wtf. And everytime we arrange for a yumcha, or coffee session, or dinner, it's quite odd that these girls they always ask me if it's an all girls' night out or if they could bring their bfs. In the first place this is not even an issue, if you wanna bring ur bf/cat/dog, just bring, I dont care. They hope they could bring their bfs because they want their boyfriends to drive them there! WTF. Before they ever got hooked up, they were driving everywhere like me meeting friends and now suddenly after having a bf, they are handicapped? Gawd. The thing about ffk-ing people last minute with a bad excuse, you're actually disrespecting other people's time. Why don't they get that? I've vowed never to organize any more gatherings with people like that...A book is a better company anytime!

Mengada-ngada! (2)

Fark. I've just about had enough of my mengada-ngada secondary schoolmates. Some I have not even seen for donkey years. 3 of us started this MSN Group so that we could stay in touch. But all these girls ever do is post stuff like oh London is grey, oh NY is hot, oh this and oh that. Do not aye mate me. Don't use false accent ok. I really can't stand it. You're gone for like freaking 3 years (some even less) and you come back with a farking accent. You've lived at least the first 20 years in Malaysia and suddenly you can't speak Manglish? Fark off ok. This is your roots ok. I even had a friend who was away for 6 months and she said in an uppity manner that she craves for Malaysian food after being away for "so long". What the fark. My friend who has been away for years and she didn't put on that kind of air. Some of them would be posting about oh I am in Sydney, NY, London etc , ask to give a call blah blah, but they really NEVER MEET UP anyway. They just wanna be HEARD and be ENVIED. Fark. I don't give a fark ok. We live our own separate lives the best we could. If you really wanna keep in touch, even a short email is great. Or a quick call. Just stop all this mengada-ngada bullshit.

Liquor Liquor Liquor

It was a real interesting week last week....it was crunch time and was trying to help a friend to raise some money. Finally, someone suggested selling liquor. I didn't even know that those were that valuable- but apparently, most Chinese people keep a liquor or two for a rainy day. And well, not just any damn liquor. Found out that Martell Cordon Bleu was the most sought-after....some people called it 'lam tai' whatever that means. Sold 7 bottles of the 1-litre and a 1.5 liter bottle. From what I could gauge, XO rank first, then Cordon Bleu then VSOP. Apparently VSOP doesn't fetch a high price at all, unless it's Hennessy VSOP. The rest of the VSOPs were sold with very little revenue. Don't even talk about whisky - whisky apparently is like cockroach shit to the Chinese fellas. The 'uncle' bought the Johnny Walker Red Label for RM50, lol. The worse ordeal was actually finding the right buyers. Not just any ordinary buyer would take up so many at one time and if not because of the upcoming Chinese New Year, probably it would have taken much longer to sell the liquor off. And not every wholesaler would take up the liquor....and if they did, it is done with much precaution. One or two gave me their boss' direct line and was told to meet at the warehouse instead of the shop itself. Felt really odd but I do take it as a learning process. At least now I know what to get at the duty free shops! That explains why people like to keep liquor when I always thought why the hell they don't just drink it up!

What Are You Looking At?

Taken at Babybandit's Bday Party-06/01/07

Breaking Out of The Mould

Had a nice coffee session with my buddy of 22 years last night. She's always been the ambitious one. Well, last night she was back from US for a week or so and was happily sharing and updating each other. She was telling me that she was having problems talking to a guy that she likes. Nervous and somewhat not being herself. That later spun to a more complicated web. She said it all boils down to having low self esteem. I found that hard to believe only because she's a high achiever, with a Masters in Civil Engineering, she's pretty...cute and petite, and is working permanently in Philadelphia, and with a great personality to boot. Good thing about her is that she's trying her best to break out of that mould, building up her confidence and I guess you have to be your own motivator in this case. Having friends to boost your confidence does help, just to give a little push and a word of encouragement. Friends who do know of people with low self-esteem, please try not to 'ejek' them so much, or 'pijak' them when they are at their happiest, or give negative feedback when they wanna do something. It's the least we can do. I do think that a little bit of self-pampering does help, when you feel good, you feel good about your own self. Go for a manicure/pedicure or massage/spa once in a while. Indulge. Little by little, you can break out of that mould.

SKINNY STICK

Went off to meet some friends last night and met a few of my fren's colleagues. Some I already knew. There was one Skinny Stick though that I've never met. Said my hellos and started talking to her. Skinny Stick complains that she is fat! One of them offered her the toast and she said she gotta calorie count. Obligingly, she ate one portion of the toast. She also told me she was skipping dinner!..and I have a feeling she does that all the time. I reassured her that she was not fat at all...cmon man, waif-like macam Kate Moss...and she is really pretty too. Reassured her more my showing off my "love-handles". She said she's even tried excessive dieting and gym-ing, but I told her of coz it doesn't work because she doesnt NEED to lose weight. She told me she weighed 50KGS like it was a crime! I think I better go home and die. But no..I DIDN'T. Happily, since Skinny Stick and friend do not eat dinner, I went off with my 4 other guyfriends and whacked a wholesome meal of 5 dishes :) with rice :) without counting calories :) Having said that, I do feel that Skinny Stick probably succumbed to society's pressure to be skinny because skinny= beautiful. I don't blame her. It's just the way it is. But I think we've got to be moderate about it. If your health and sanity (you know, the constant calorie counting etc) is being compromised, well, than it's better to be fat. Skinny Stick, like I said last night, and some guys who were there agree, guys don't really dig girls who are too skinny. You are lovely as it is. Need to focus on other things besides your weight. Appearance will only get you that far.

What's the Point of Having A Meeting?

I sat through a 3 hour monthly meeting yesterday morning. 3 freaking hours. All I could think of was what the hell am I doing there. People dont respect the meeting at all. They come in late. Or they come in without any whatsoever thing prepared. When the presenters are presenting the current month's issues, people are walking in and out of the meeting room. Sad to say, even though attended by the top management staff, not all asked the RIGHT questions. Nobody bothered to get down to the gist of the matter. Nobody cared enough. But then how could they, when all they could think of was how to taichi and charkuayteow......How to push the blame to other depts...How to manipulate the situation to benefit oneself....When questioned or probed, the standard answer is always "I'll get back to you on that when I get back to my office", "Ask this this this dept, dont ask me", "I need to check on that, let you know later", hence no decision is ever made.

I once commented to a GM that he should really consult other depts for countermeasure and action plan before presenting it to the meeting. Get it all finalized and agreed upon before coming to a meeting, because you're presenting issues from the month before. And again, I commented the same thing to another person in the meeting yesterday. That's not the only thing that I see myself repeating myself over and over again. A lot of people charkuayteow and I did point out a charkueyteow gone bad....and yet, it was repeated again yesterday. Eh..come on la. Charkueyteow also need skills ok. Dont charkueyteow and kena tangkap, can or not. It really insults our intelligence ok. If I don't say anything how does it reflect on the meeting huh? You think the Internal Quality Auditors cannot detect meh. Cover all areas and ur ass when you Charkueyteow ok.

I truly believe to have an effective meeting, the chairman's gotta be strong, decisive, and agenda-focused. Don't entertain wishy-washy excuses and dilly-dallying....arghhhh... that really annoys me. Being the youngest there sometimes I can only take instructions but nowadays I have to taichi also. Or else, I damn not free coz doing other people's work! So tell me, are u having an effective meeting at work?

Women Who Act Cute Oughta be Fried

In one of my very first post Please Stop The Cute Fad back in April'06 was about the kawaii culture. Unfortunately I'm still seeing this phenomenon right now. Please just stay away from me. I really do not how to respond to whether the Hello Kitty raincoat is cute or not, or whether to buy the Doraemon toothbrush or not, to me Hello Kitty is a money making industry that has became a fad, big kudos to the creators.... Hello Kitty is like Gucci or Prada to me...just a brand name. And please refrain from talking to me in cute baby voice. First of all, it's not cute. It's not cute if you're freaking 20+ and you're trying to pass off as some cute bitch. Second of all, don't waste the effort on me, I'm not a guy, I dont give a fark. And lastly, I can't converse if I can't farking hear ur voice. And I don't care if I don't have cute jangly cute stuff on my phone. A phone's a freaking phone! Just to do calls and msgs! And I don't care if I dont have a freaking fringe like baby dolls because you Ah Lians think it's freaking cute...because it's my freaking hair! And I dont give a fark that you might think I dress frumpily because at least I'm not like some oversized giant doll trapped in a 30-year-old bitch with cellulite and wrinkles exposed in ur netted pantyhose..and you still think you're a freaking cute goddess! Just stay away from me.....far far away.

FFK-ers

I think all of us have at one point or another FFK-ed or being FFK-ed by. But why do we FFK? Or better yet, why did we commit to an appointment in the first place if we were gonna FFK anyhow? In those instances perhaps due to 'unforeseen circumstances', FFK cannot be helped. But here are some of the reasons me and Kye came up with....

1) FFK-er decided to ditch last minute because the crowd was too small. Some people are not comfortable doing a one-on-one or they prefer bigger crowds. Alamak....

2) Somebody ajak-ed FFK-er to a better outing. Maybe it was with a better crowd, more pretty/handsome fellas, free lunch/dinner....

3) FFK-er was 'detained' by the gf/bf. In another words, ' cannot get passport!!!'

4) FFK-er is just too lazy. Lazy to drive. Lazy to dress up. Lazy to 'layan'. Lazy to chat.

And here's a list of famous FFK liners...

1) Got something to do/Something came up last minute/Can't make it- either by phone or sms.

2) Tomorrow need to work, too late already. (lame-o, why did u agree to the agreed time and date in the 1st place)

3) Cannot get passport ( hahhaa..understood, this actually can't be helped...)

And etc.......But some FFK-ers have valid reasons to FFK .....but then some can be really good at 'actin', cooking up a fantastic cock&bull story, bluffing their way through.... Either way, I think FFK is inevitable, but it shouldn't jeopardize other people's schedule or plans. If you really need to FFK, please FFK 'awal-awal'. Don't ffk when the fella is already waiting for you in some cacat kopitiam... And try not to FFK with an sms....give the fella a call, have a bit of courtesy :)

Another Man's Wrath

Anger burst right out of my fucking mouth,

My stress and tension makes my adrenaline pumping north and south,

I can't wait to rip off my problems be free and this is my serious oath,

I bet you will never understand the heart of a young spoilt brat that's me like it or not!!!

Great warriors will have splendour motivation in every fights,

I adopt their enthusiasm to cheer myself up every single night,

No one could lift me up as i've fallen into the darkest hole i'm afraid i might,

Nothing in the world could compensate coz without dollars and cents i will be in freaking fright!

-Guest Writer KennyL

To That Ignorant Little Shit

Here's to that ignorant little shit I met,

Yeah you, the one who fought relentlessly that,

Knocking On Heaven's Door was written by Guns N Roses,

You fool, coz everyone knows Dylan own that song.

But then again u thought that Kenny Rogers did Lyin' Eyes!

Oh u ignorant little shit,

Feel like giving u a hard kick,

Telling me you don't even know Mr Chin Peng,

Your goddamn roots, you little shit,

For god's sake go read the farking newspapers ,

It's only RM1.20, or the Sun for some headliners.

Because it really makes me go bonkers,

When you think you're right when you're actually not!!!!! - SZER

- haha...harmless little poem for laughs...

Friendships without Boundaries

I was just telling a friend the other day that some of my friends diss me for the people I hang out with. They would always refuse to meet my certain friends for they think sorry to say that these people are not good enough to hang out with them. It could be that they didn't have a degree, they don't have a goddamn career, they don't project a certain image of prestige or coolness, etc. I think these people build too many walls around them and one day, the walls will surround them and they'll be trapped in loneliness. Who are we to judge people. Who gave us the right to say that that person is WORTHY or UNWORTHY to be our friends? I have friends from all walks of life and truly they have taught me a lot, young or old, rich or poor, english ed or chinese ed....Imagine if I had friends only from the car industry plus have to narrow down to only people with degree, I think I'll be farking bored. Having said that, I'm not saying that we have to go around start making friends with criminals and rapists...but that to make friends with an open mind. That fella with a fancy car and boasts of an MBA degree could be a lying crook or serial rapist for all you know. The thing is that you wouldn't get to know WHO that person is unless you give it a chance. Sometimes you've just gotta let your guards down and let it all go. You might just chance upon some great friendships along the way......

Controlling My Rage

It's been hell of a new year. Kena snatch thief, bonus got 'postponed', lost my office keys (had to climb out to the windows one night coz colleagues forgot I dont have keys), etc. Worse thing about losing your wallet is going through the whole ordeal of doing the goddamn documents again. Here's just some of the instances where I totally lost it...

1) License: The customer service fella, this girl, she spoke so softly that I had to tell her 3 times to speak up...Alamak, the place (JPJ in Jln Sultan) was noisy enough and I was waiting for 2 hours already for my turn. Then coz of some technicalities she sent me to the Kaunter Pertanyaan. The fella at the Kaunter Pertanyaan asked me why I was there. I told him, " you tanya saya, saya tanya siapa?". Talk about dumb farks.

2) Bank Bumiputra (CIMBBank): The lady at the counter refused to entertain me since I didn't fill up the form. I didn't know I had to get the Report Kehilangan ATM Kad form - it's not exactly a std form alright... When I eventually filled up the form, she told me that I have to bring my passbook. After waiting for 2 hours...she tells me that.. $*&(*^(*&(. I asked her if it was really freaking necessary to bring a passbook to get an ATM replacement card. Only when questioned she finally said it's not really necessary. After 30 mins of trying to process the new card, she couldnt do it. I told her to get help from her manager but she didn't 'layan' me or look at me. Finally I had it, and screw up her supervisor and told her that I shouldnt have to wait around because of her blunder. After that, the other teller processed mine in 5 minutes.

3) At the police station: Reporting my case...I went to 3 police stations- Pondok Polis Sri Petaling, the policeman was overfriendly and I had to stop him from his 'storytelling' coz I had to move on to Brickfields police station to do up the report. I carried the report and went there. Waited at Brickfield for another hour and then met the Sergeant. Sergeant asked the same questions, even asked what was the market price of my fren's hp that got stolen (WTF) and then wrote the same freaking report. Went to the Old Klang Road police station to collect the RM2 report that was the SAME as the report done at Pondok Polis Sri Petaling. ARgh... $#$#^R^%. A whole ordeal of 6 hours for the same piece of shit!

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..............................................

I Want To Break Free

I just went to Ambank. Did my last EVER car loan payment...woohoo. It's quite a feeling that I can't describe. I'm proud to say (even with the condition my car is in) that I have independently paid for the car and am now fully debt-free for the car at least. After paying for nearly 4 years, I'm finally over and done with the monthly payment. I feel slightly richer even....haha. To be debt-free again. Although for most Malaysians, we ALWAYS have some sort of payment to do. Next for me would be the housing loan of course.... what to do...need a shelter somewhere right? The excess money, well, I'm gonna be putting it in a TRAVEL FUND....what is the use of saving if you don't indulge a bit huh? And yeah, I'm not going to get a new car, or a new car stereo system, or a laptop or a brand new dress, or an iPHONE , because all that is just materials to me...I can very well do without it. Playing with a brand new laptop is not gonna give me self-enhancement or knowledge. Would rather spend the excess money on some good massage or a grand meal :) with my family or belanja my buddies on a good round of Kilkenny's. Coz what are good times without a good company? I know many of my friends are unfortunately bogged with plenty of debts.....that it seems neverending. But do not let it deter you...but instead motivate you as u settle them one by one, you are actually one step closer to being debt-free.

Art At Its Best.....

Bless the French Rugby Team....:)

Carpe Scrotum

I will not....

Let emotions control me,

Let anger and frustrations get me,

Let debts hover me,

Let credit cards overload me,

Let criticism deter me,

Let failure set me back,

Let disappointments pull me down,

Let idiots infuriate me,

Let insecurity and doubt tear me down,

Let misery hold me back,

Let my enemies have their day,

Of seeing me in dire straits,

Let negative thoughts invade my mind,

Let poor increment demotivate me,

For it is up to me,

To determine my destiny,

So Carpe Scrotum......!

Taking The Plunge

Was having a conversation with a friend just a few days back and he related to me how he saved money and struggle through to get his MBA degree. His next target is PhD and that's not surprising because he's very ambitious. But I can't help but think that his purpose was more for prestige and perhaps for a more lucrative income. He encouraged me to take it up saying that if I don't, there would probably be a considerable gap between us intellectually. And so well, I do applaud his great initiative and effort but I'm not the kind of person who would take up a degree just so that I look good or for prestige. Have we all 'terpesong sikit' from the real objective? Not having a degree/postgraduate degree does not make a person any less smarter. We cannot deny that having a degree/postgraduate degree does come into play when it comes to determining our salary and subsequently our future even....but do we not also strive for the sake of knowledge too? Self enhancement and there's gotta be some sort of passion for whatever degree you are taking? I see a vast difference between this guy and another guy I know who is really passionate about his studies, he practically eats and breathes it- and now this guy, I can truly visualize him as a Professor. So, if you wanna take the plunge and invest on some degree, great but don't do it for the sake of joining the rat race. Knowledge is power, but let's not abuse it.

Taking Matters with a Shrug

Sometimes we do take things too seriously. Sometimes we get worked up over a silly thing. Sometimes we fark someone up just because he/she made a small mistake. Sometimes we hold a grudge and months later could not even remember what the issue was in the first place. Sometimes we find it hard to just forgive and forget. Sometimes we get depressed and we enter a black hole that we can no longer be saved. Sometimes we get frustrated when our love is unreturned. Sometimes we get angry because we got robbed by a snatch thief and think what the hell is the police doing. Sometimes we get impatient at the waiting line of a long queue. Sometimes we get worked up when we got into an accident and worry over the aftermath.. I think we've all gotta sometimes sit back and shrug it off and just take it as bad luck but that things will get better. See the positive side or make the best out of it. Because...it's just MORE exhausting to worry and fret over it. Things just get settled more easily when you're NOT worked up and calm. I and some friends had a bad start for the NEW YEAR but seriously, I think that I probably wouldn't have handled it better without my family's and friends' support. Thanks guys!

The Search Is Over

(Pic of my mom and niece in slumber)..I dunno how many times I've sit through conversations of people trying to find the meaning of life....but I realize that life is not meaningful unless YOU make it meaningful. So Carpe Diem, all the time we wasted on questioning life could have been used to make our life more meaningful.

Innocent and Trouble-Free

Captured some nice shots of some kids at my niece's birthday party in Singapore. The kids were running round and round the hall but ever eager to strike a pose for me when I stopped them. While an adult's face is always masked by layers of emotion and wrinkled with experience, a child's expression is often pure and unpretentious. And some just have that blur look :)

Another Man's View- Career Woman

Career is something which everyone is chasing for regardless of man or woman in today's era. Forget about old saying that woman need to marry early, stayat home to cook or take care of children and etc.There's imacable changes over times and marvellouswork done by what we called superwoman in today'scorporate world. In fact I got this topic out when I started my new job at an Executive search company in which woman outnumbered man and things here will be different to my experience for a period of time I guess. But what have in fact choke my expectation, most woman here are professionals and they speak english fluently. The way they complete their tasks promptly and the way they speak to client is just simply marvellous. I guess it'll be much fun to be under a woman's guidance for the first time. I believe this company have somehow or rather a friendly, open environment which make my adrenaline feel warm and pumping soothingly. Hope things will get better herewith all superwoman around! Cheers!- My Guest Writer- KennyL

The Gentleman

Malaysian seems to have lost any sense of common courtesy. More often than not you find yourself being pushed around in the overcrowded bus. You may have been rudely served at the fast food joint, or ignored, or dissed at (because you wear ciplak slippers and shabby clothes). You may have once or twice expected your fellow colleague or friend to help you with files or just to open the door for you, only to have the fella rushing off quickly even before you get to the door. You may have found yourself in situations where you were 'fingered' on the road just because you were on the fast lane for a tad bit trying to overtake a Kancil. You may have even been shouted at at the general hospitals or govt offices because you didn't get the forms right (for fark's sake, it can be quite complicated). And so, any act of courtesy or indication you're a slight gentleman is greatly appreciated! Just the other day, a friend of mine actually told me to sit down while he got coffee for us (alamak, some men nowadays like to toss some money to women and ask women to order stuff while the men sit back and smoke or read newspapers). After the whole coffee session, he even walked me to the parking lot, I can almost count the number of guys who's actually done that for me- less than 10 maybe. Some would even go to great lengths to check if you've safely reached home. HAH and so, guys if you wanna score points, just practice common courtesy and be a great gentleman. It's so rare these days. Women love that immediately when they spot a gentleman :)

Of New Year Resolutions and etc...

Most people probably took Dec31st to make their resolutions this year...Me, I was doing some reflection and based on that I've decided on a few things that I probably wouldn't want to do anymore.

I will not attend another meaningless gathering of any sort anymore. I'm at that age where I've accumulated a number of friends/acquaintances/good friends/hi-bye friends/friends of friends enough to have those rather often that not meaningless gatherings that can somewhat be awkward and strange. You ever been in a room full of old buddies and yet feel like a stranger? Sometimes I feel like I'm just an observer and watching their antics. Sometimes I diss myself for sitting there and scrutinizing the way they think or what they say. Then there are those who only use you as fillers...to pass time when the person is in between appointments. Then there are those who meets u up for coffee not to SHARE or just plainly having a chillout time, but more so to boast, compare, or another self-indulgent session. This new year, I find myself in a few situations with perhaps some of the best buddies a girl could ever have and in moments of silence we were there for each other while one was in despair. There is never such a thing as uncomfortable silence with good buddies, you only feel that with so-called friends. Perhaps it's really time to re-evaluate some relationships...maybe we are all clinging on to meaningless relationships...

If you're hanging out with negative friends...then maybe you're gonna have to starting making the sessions positive, but only with worthwhile friends. If you're holding on to a dead-end relationship, then perhaps you're better off being single.... I really think it's an act of cleaning up your life. START CLEANING.....