Rome

Andrew trying his dramatic photography on me. nice shot of the coliseum...

The ever flamboyant tour guide......she said to me, 'awwww, look at those 'children'(pointing at 20something fellas), look at how disinterested they are, leaning against the railing, not even listening while my poor mate is explaining the Roman history. What a waste of time" hint hint.

Paris

Even better than Mona Lisa.....(i can't seem to shake away the smurfs..)

on a yoghurt break with a spoon we 'borrowed' from the hotel

hehehehe....

Lucerne

Why Contiki drivers are the best...

Why we love our Contiki Tour Manager...

It was a long ride......

The prison march.

Prison Break!

The hall of our prison. One of those cells is my room for the night :). Creepy..

A peep of my cell.

Venice

nothing like cheap beer....Moretti....hehe
one of those things you'll have to do in Venice...

andrew..looking sheepish. Also one of those sights you'll hv to take a pic of yourself with.

I think i look as if i genuinely liked this ride.

watch how everyone on the same gondola ride tried to move away (but failed!) from the camera.

Mona Lisa

That was how tiny Mona Lisa was.........frankly, i thought the other paintings that the Louvre had were way better, but ohwell, who am i to judge.

Up on that Tower...

Some guy in my tour asked me if Andrew proposed while we were up on that tower....duh, i told him we even forgot to kiss!!! too absorbed with the sight from way on top!!! It didnt make me go gaga like some of the other tour mates, you could hear them sighing, oohing and aahing! hehehehe...kind of rubs on you sometimes how people can be so dramatic. I can't remember myself going oohing and aahing....except well for Angkor Wat...

In Amsterdam, obviously....

Don't mind his hand!

Swarovski

Nothing related to crystal here..just thought this was a nice sight...erm, although very similar to the Seaworld in Singapore...hehehe.....or Aquaria ......

Belle

Alright belle ...stole this pic from you. A post long overdue. It was a great beginning for this dear friend of mine. Years younger than me but braver than most women my age. Can't wait to see little Blythe!

For Your Thirst...

We tarpau-ed wine here Euro1.85 for 1liter of Cabernet Savignon....Venice

made a stop here for Paulaner somewhere in Munich

HOFBRAUHAUS.....drinkers would know what this place means!!

Andrew had a few of this the whole trip

Wine tasting in Germany...

Some italian beer....

Dachau, Germany

Tags: tagname1, tagname1 tagname2

When In Rome....

Forum

This was not an intentional pose by Andrew...We were listening to our guide telling us about Roman history at the Forum....Very attentive aye.

Piazza Venezia

Probably my favourite city, Rome...this is Piazza Venezia. It was hours and hours of walking...but worthwhile....This place looks even more amazing at night...

Louvre

Duncan, our tour mate actually made us laugh here, so that's why we were grinning like mad, trying to stifle our laughter. He kept saying we don't smile in any of our photos when we pose...and kept egging us to SMILE. hehehe

Notre Dame

My photography has improved...i hope, for andrew's sake. Since we had to take shots of each other :)

Dedicated to Atami/Larn. This is one of my favourites. It looked like it's a cut and paste job...thanks to Andrew. kekeke.....

My Euro Trip

We're back finally. The dream is over. We walked the streets of Amsterdam, Innsbruck, St Goar, Florence, Munich, Rome, Paris, Venice and bits of UK, london, liverpool, stratford-upon-avon, cambridge, manchester, coventry AND now it's all over. I have mixed feelings about the coming back to reality, happy somewhat to be home, but then was missing the holiday feel....3 weeks of being a tourist!!!!

My review: I probably would want to do europe again, but the next time probably eastern europe ...My favourite was probably Rome and Venice. ... I like it that the italians dont give a damn and just liveeeeeeeeeee. I didn't really like UK, probably it's the weather, but as Imn put it, bad vibes....especially of London.. maybe it's the thought of this little dull dreary country used to rule us, i mean, wtf....they are overrated. people are snobbish. Roads are narrow, food sucks...geez. weather is dull and grey. shopping sux because everything's expensive unless u love primark shit.xmas decor is overrated. i think it's weird that i harbour such disgust because of the colonization and all...just can't help it...! We were snubbed at the customs twice. and at a restaurant by the waiter. and the lady at the counter at the airport. Their tone of voice immediately gave us a rude feel when they saw we were asians and Malaysians some more!Feel like telling them UP YOURS! Your economy is in shambles because u shits are too arrogant. I can't seem to understand why asians go there and they become pretentious and get warped into the whole thing.

I wont be posting any pics though...I'm thinking why would people be interested to see pictures of me. Sorry philters... , the trip didnt bring out the self-whoring side of me just yet......kekeke. Although i think slightly improved-lah.

Finding Your Self-Worth

Are u one of those who thinks very little of himself and does very little for himself......thus always putting others' needs before his/hers. You feel unworthy of any sort of reward, recognition or acknowledgement.

It's a borderline between selfishness and selfworth...but really we all need to be a tad selfish sometimes in this world so that we live life to the fullest. By always putting others' needs first, when would you have time to fulfill yours?

Find your self- worth. We are all worthy of something. We all deserve something. It could be something simple like a new dress, or a new pair of shoes. Do not feel guilty of some simple luxury. Do not deprive yourself because u always think that you are meant for cheap things and a mediocre life. Even a beggar has his most glorious day.

Reign Over Me

I caught this in the morning and was disappointed I couldnt finish the movie (because i had to work.darnit). It is surprisingly good and soul-searching. A tale of two ex-roommates who made each other rediscover themselves and pulling through difficult times. Nice story on friendship and CHANGE. Adam Sandler's performance was good and of course, my favourite Don Cheadle excel, doing more dramatic roles and less special effects....:)

My New Camera

Finally got a new camera. Truth is I have always SHARED a camera. I've never owned one. So i bought this Panasonic Lumix FX36 for RM1099. And I really hate shopping so, after a series of proposals from the salesperson, I just ask him, just tell me which one should I get? He couldnt answer me and just said, it really depends....it really depends....Eff, I dont really want to hear that.

Finally i did some eliminations on my own, and got this one. The one they suggested was FX38 which is more expensive, and i asked him for an alternative that is cheaper with almost similar features. So VOILA!

The salesperson in HSL (The Curve) paling best. Asked him what are the perks that comes with this camera, and he went...."errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, i dont know". I asked him for the difference in specifications between FX36 and FC38 and he went "come to my pc and see for yourself."

Of coz, i finally bought it from Harvey Norman as a reward for all the saliva they wasted explaining things to me.

Taking Care of Yourself

You can call this being selfish, but I think it's more of taking care of yourself. If you dont think for yourself, who will? You cannot expect a husband or a wife to do this for you.

Whenever you feel you're being bullied or cornered to do something you dont want to, take charge and take care of yourself.

Whenever you feel like your needs are being pushed aside, voice out and let yourself be heard.

I think it's wrong to assume that you need the other half to take care of your everything. No one can, not even Superman. The other half is supposed to compliment you, and share with you.

I think we all have an inner voice in us. And that voice always tells what the heart wants. It is just that we choose to ignore it. We want to please our family, our bfs/gfs/wives/husbands but we forget our own needs. Truth is, we can't please everyone.

It's a huge mistake to pity yourself and dwell on it. Start taking care of yourself and move forward. Nobody is crying with you because you fail to take care of your own self. Nobody will symphatize with you. It is up to you to be fair to yourself. not anybody else.

For the Holidays!

Relationships are Fragile

Too many bad instances have happened over the past 2 months. First A got ditched by the wife-to-be, then H nearly brokeup with his LOML and now N and B are canceling their wedding (I hope not). Yar, relationships are fragile, people breakup over the silliest things and the slightest things.

All those years and time spent nurturing the relationship seems worthless and frivolous now.

All those times spent saying i-love-yous seems redundant now.

You can't really pinpoint a reason for this. Sometimes it could be just pent-up feelings or it could be just a nagging feeling that it's ust not going to work out. Sometimes it could just be a hunch that's just not worth pursuing.

Or it could be that you come to a point when you just want to give up. Sometimes it just take a bit of nudging, if u have a reliable friend. Sometimes all it takes is for another party to swallow his pride and do something about it.

NEVER GIVE UP. If you could spend years together, what is one minute to say Sorry....

THe Right Travel Companion

I've had my share of bad travel companions and here are just some instances:

1) people who take too long in the shower...! u know how it is when u try to save on accommodation so you could have up to 4 people in a room sharing only 1 bathroom. Dont take your own sweet time to have your usual 1 hour-long bath coz others are already stinking from 1 whole day's worth of sweat and are dying for one too!

2) the kiasus: people who wanna do everything and see everything trying to cramp all activities within the duration and you end up not enjoying anything. It's good to maximize your money's worth but then a oliday si also a time to relax...so relaxlah..

3) the chinchais: well, sometimes chinchai is good...but if you're too chinchai and you end up not deciding where to go or what to do, now that's a wasta of time then. It's good to find chinchai people who's game for anything...

4) McScrooge: I think it's ok to be stingy, everyone is budget conscious, and those who are not should really go on a holiday with those with the same spending pattern. For example, i'm fine with staying in a budget hotel or even a backpackers' inn as opposed to some others who prefer at least a 4-star hotel. i'll rather spend on food really.

5) Those-Who-Don't-Eat: and there are those who just doesnt eat.....i like to eat...so i can't have travel companions who don't eat! i'll starve! and it's fun to taste new things when you're travelling...

When Your Other Half Stops Noticing You

My aunt had a fall last week. and has a bad visible bruise on the whole half of her face..and my uncle didnt notice. Despite living in a small apartment together. Despite having dinner together everyday. I guess this just proves that he doesn't look at her face often enough !

I got a haircut yesterday and thank gawd my bf asked how come it's not short enough.

Just for fun, i told my mom to draw a big mole on her cheek just to test n see if my dad notices it.

What happens if a couple actually decides to get married and then over the years, while fussing over money and kids, they just stop noticing each other? Coz you do know that your kids won't be there for you forever coz they've got their own families and what not...

Why do they stop noticing anyway? Bored of the same face ? or worse, SICK of the other half?

Sugary Sweet

Sugar, ah honey honey

You are my candy girl

And you've got me wanting you.

Honey, ah sugar sugar

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you- The Archies

I really try to get along with people....but then I really find it hard to stomach a sugary sweet person. I was telling my sister about this person I met who is super polite and nice, and is almost never with a temper and can be annoyingly sweet sometimes. Nice but how can anyone be that nice I wonder.

I guess we need to try to get along with these kinda people. So i dont talk about bad stuff, or say any bad words, or discuss anything un-SAINTly.. Everything's filtered and made sugary sweet.

You know when there are times when you just wanna say OH FUCK...! and i just have to refrain from saying that and go Oh NO. How sien is that....alamak.

Or when you wanna call out to a person and say "Oi!' or "WOIII" ...and u just gotta change and say "Hi, Good morning to you", "Hi how are u today."

I dunno about these people- whether they are really that nice, or maybe they just pretend to be nice. But it's fun to pretend to be nice meh? Or fun to be nice meh?

Haircut

I hate getting a haircut. I think it's the fear of
1) waiting, reading aimlessly the limited choice of magazines....
2) not being able to convey exactly how u want the haircut to be like
3) what's the outcome
4) being lured into buying products

Everytime i say that i want it in a certain way, the hairdresser says no, it's not going to be nice, the shape of your head just makes it impossible to have that hairstyle...your face is too large, your hair is too curly...etc...etc..

And i just dread those small talks. I just wanna get the haircut and get out of the chair. But the hairdresser usually would ask u this and that, buy this and that....

And i dread those hair wash...the thought of their finger nails scraping through my scalp irks me..
And when they attempt to style your hair with wax ...sometimes it can be a bit lebihhhhhh

Music and Lyrics

Ok, it's a corny movie but the acting was good and the chemistry was believable. The songs are corny but then endearing at the same time. Good when you're thinking of a bit of romance for the day :)

Ole Ole Bali

It's at Solaris Mont Kiara.....typical balinese food with great sambal at reasonable price. Try the Ole Ole Trio....

What to do when you are on a breakup

Here are some suggestions:

1) get a great new haircut

2) indulge le. now that you're only spending on yourself, you actually should splurge a bit. get a massage, pedicure, manicure apa saje...

3) meet lots and lots of friends and make new friends, at least you can kill time that would have been spent moping around

4) get a pet, and shower your love (and frustrations) on the fella

5) find new activities and hobbies, blogging ke, swimming ke, yoga ke, any form of exercise is GOOd activity

6) find solace in family time

7) write a book about your life and experiences...or blog aje

Not a good idea to get a gf/bf right now coz anyone that comes along, you're probably using him/her as a substitute. Do him/her a favour. There's no point to it coz you know it's gonna be over in 2-3 months time.

there's no way to not be upset by it, but you can try not to let it get into you so much. Know that you just need to get by this just like any other fellas who are going through a breakup. So you lost the one you loved the most, you don't necessarily CAN have a life with the one you love the most. Life's just unfair like that. Accept it and move on. Love hurts.....but love is not everything.

Kicking the Bad Out of Your Life

A friend of mine H.O. is on a bad patch now...suffering from mistrust and insecurity of the other half. This has happened so many times that well, what is the point to a relationship if you can't trust each other to have a few hours off with friends.

And yet, he chooses to stay on with her...over and over again.

It's a disease that makes men want to feel depended on. Or makes them love the drama that comes with the gf who acts like a diva and a drama queen who sometimes just yearns for drama when things just seemed too good to be true.

The normal reaction is "GET OUT." "KICK HER OUT OF YOUR LIFE". i felt it was more of a question of LETTING GO. He can't let it go because he says he loves her. But is it love or is it he's afraid of being lonely again? or maybe he loves the drama too. The drama makes the relationship more colourful perhaps. But do you realy want this for the rest of your life? TO live like you're on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL everyday?

or do you want someone who is understanding and you lead your life hee-haaing, full of laughter and no drama....

your choice, H.O.

Good Thing

The one good thing
In my life
Has gone away
I dont know why
Shes gone away
I dont know where
Somewhere I cant follow her
The one good thing didnt stay too long
Woo who who who
My back was turned and she was gone
Hey hey hey- Fine Young Cannibal

We all tend to focus on the bad only. Been trying to coax people into believing into the program that we have, but people are so resistant to change and won't even hear me out. Sigh. It's worse then trying to get a dog to learn how to sit. It's so teruk that I can't even finish my sentence...unless i insist to. Before i could blab on the benefits, people immediately form a barrier, so i can't even let a word into their heads. A lot of times I wish I could say that I don't give a damn, you're throwing a pot of gold that's being sent to your doorstep. But here i'm supposed to be the messenger...the postman..so i gotta deliver it, even if it means tearing down the door!

It sucks...but well, it's a challenge. Try to see the good in everything and life is much easier.

4 Weddings and a Funeral

Went to the 3rd wedding dinner last night. One on sunday night, another on monday night. I've got another one next week (Belle!). And went to Andrew's granduncle's (not exactly) funeral last week.

Anyone thinks this is a great movie like i do? Well, it's not great great but then that's where u see some great talents, hugh grant,andie mcdowell, kristin scott thomas, rowan atkinson. My favourite part was hugh grant and andie's long chat. I remember watching that and i thought to myself I'm gonna get a guy like that. Find a chemistry like that. Whether it's friendship or courtship, I wanna find a partner like that.

i didnt even remember rowan atkinson was there until andrew said it.

The Unfamiliar

I was joking the other day with my colleague who is in KL, that me and another fella's having identity crisis. Well, we are both at the customer site. We use their facilities and IM. And yet, we were told to cancel our conference call IDs (costs goes to customer). Our immediate boss is in Singapore. Our boss is in KL. I now have new colleagues. Well the customers are my new colleagues. I'm supposed to be as my colleague puts it FOREVER based here.

So it's finding new lunch partners and doing the whole door access and tags again. I'm actually fine with it. I get bored too easily and maybe it's good to be here and there just to kill the boredom. I'm virtually non-existent. I stay connected using SKYPE with my bosses and counterparts. It's free and dont see why we shouldn't use it. My colleagues in KL aren't even in the same company entity as me.

But it's good I guess. GOod to be versatile and adaptable to ANYTHING.

My Merdeka Day

it started with a mini celebration yesterday at andrew's friend's place. Early this morning we head off for a short walk around Asia Jaya park. Then stopped by at the temple there to buy errr Thai stuff.....then breakfast at the infamous Vishal in Brickfields. Heard a lot about that place from my new colleagues. Cheap and nice. Old school bench style. Then it was a drive to Ulu Yam for Loh Mee.

Then it was a wedding dinner of my ex-colleagues. So a reunion atlast with the old bunch. Bring back memories. It's so nice to fall back on familiar faces and to be some comfortable chatting away without a care. Of course, I met some of my ex-bosses. One in particular asked if i would consider coming back. I was rather surprised he even remembered me and actually came over to say hi to me. I was wrong about him. I've always thought he was snotty .....he even said that things have changed a lot for the better and so maybe I would want to come back.

If only i could have the ideal job with the ideal bunch. Had i stayed on, I guess i would have had a 2nd family there but with less money.

Nothing's perfect.

By the way, why weddings on Merdeka day? and...I've got another one to go to tomorrow! Sigh.

I'm 30!

I'm 30! Tomorrow..... Oh well, some good things that I'm grateful...

1) Dinner today with family and andrew....for picking up the bill...it's wonderful eating with my family + andrew, well, coz we really enjoy it. Family activity. Too bad imn and tache's family are not here.
2) signed my loan agreement for my place yesterday......saved a lot of legal fees coz of 2nd sis.....(thx!)
3) paying up for the europe trip tomorrow....definitely a milestone for me + andrew. All the money we've been saving up is going somewhere now....
4) settling in with my new job now...@the 2nd month now....in yet another location.....
5) finally got a laptop that I can ACTUALLY use outside of office.......

turning 30 actually makes me wanna move forward ...to better things ahead....

The Great Fall

it's Andrew's 1st Anniversary of his Great Fall this Friday. Most unforgettable times. hehehehe. KY and B, thanks for accompanying us to Taman Desa Hospital then to MU Hospital. KY especially for helping to 'alas' his blood that he was snorting out on the way to the hospital with me driving. hehe, couldnt have done that without you(my car would have been stained with blood). And KY and Imny for picking up his car keys middle of the night near the 'site" of the great fall. And IMny and JE for sending it to us in MU Hospital thereafter. And i think he's really regretful for all the anxiety he caused to his parents. And.....kudos to the good dentist/doctor, Dr Ha and his good nurse.

The Little Things.....

SY told me she was elated to find kangkung somewhere in US......
I was happy to be finally free to surf on my new laptop....
My friend's my new colleague...
I have a lunch partner in my new posting.....
My nephew can stand on his own little feet.....
My cactus grew little baby shoots....
I had shanghai noodle cooked by my buddy.....
I dont have to wake up at 6am anymore.....
I have a new purse....
I've got new bangles....
ANd...it's finally FRIDAY!

(the little things that makes me go yay!)

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes died yesterday at the age of 65.....

Convenient....

I had a conversation with a guy yesterday.....asking him rather flippantly about how he met the new current girlfriend. I did not intentionally want to know but asked him what he saw in her. He answered rather a-matter-of-fact-ly that she was one of the contenders and that he 'rejected' the other 2 because one was very garang and another was too 'wild' for him. This one was just 'convenient' because she stays nearby and he could 'find' her anytime he wants to.

Oh yes, girls, these men do exist.

It's My Life

K made me realize something last night. It's not always about me, myself and I, but it's not about other people's lives either. It we don't live for ourselves than what's the point of living. Of course the noble thing is to always put others needs before yours but really, how many of us are like that. I know my mother is. She takes care of us and the extended family members as well. Who has a heart like that?

I know for sure I'm much more selfish than that. I would like to say however, that has changed over the years. Giving leaves a much more satisfying feeling than receiving. Helping others do actually boost my morale up. I sometimes even wish I could do more. But ohwell, money and the energy put into those kinda things don't really permit.

If I could, I would like to say that this life is MY LIFE. But really, life is not about that at all. Our lives are enriched by the people we meet (not limited to just our other halves). MY LIFE takes a whole new meaning even further since I have a twin sister. For a while I guess we SHARED a life together growing up. And then it's your other halves etc. The essence of our being is still there just that we are LIVING in the lives of many, in many ways too.

I seem to be babbling here. So I'll stop right now. BUt ....food for thought ya!

Singapore!

I've never liked Singapore. This time round I had to be here for 1 week for work. Argh. Nevertheless I made an effort to roam a bit here. Was at City Hall, Ang Mo Kio, Chinatown, Bugis, Tao Payoh, Boon Lay of course because sis and b-i-l and the mutt are staying there. 

Caught up with my secondary friends and it's amazing how it feels like we are 13 again when we get together. 4 girls and 2 of their hubbies. We talked nonstop and I can't help feeling nostalgic about those pinafore cladded days where we used to sit bersila talking and talking. One of them was actually my friend since kindergarden, right till college. And, i've got lots of friends that came way way back then, and we go a long long way back. You know who u are. (those who are reading this). And we're friends for life and there's no buts to that.

And then, my other half (the twin half) had her Austrian friend and an Italian friend to meet up with me and bunked at KY's place. I frankly had quite a ball. It's nice to see the reaction of gwailos when they eat our local favourites. And I ordered the black sesame pudding just to see what they'll say. hehehe. We went to the Merlion today. HAHAHA. I haven' t been there since i was 12 maybe. OMG. It hasn't changed but the view is kinda tarnished by the construction site for the casino there. Got them to try tau sar piah and it was a hit, how odd. It's weird that Andi says it feels like he's talking to Imn because we sound alike, and we joke and the accent is all the same. How horrific! (hehe)

We've also concluded that the food in Malaysia is better than Singapore, and so that's why Andi is gonna come to Malaysia. To compare his sambal with the REAL sambal. Those nasi lemak eaters would have to join us. Prepare to eat!

All in all, I still love Malaysia more. Except that the MRT is great. That's the only thing that Singapore has. And please, i can't stand the jialat this and jialat that. Alamak me anytime.

Vendor Management Solution

Ok. so that's what i'm doing. I've come to a point where i just wiki it and send it to people who asked what i'm doing. IT"S NOT RECRUITING. It's really something quite interesting and looking forward to this new job that i've got. Best is that we're pioneers in our company so we've got a free hand in almost anything. Great stuff.. And a new beginning to vendor management and hiring :)

Penang....at last

I haven't been to Penang in such a long time. THe last time i was there was 2 years ago when i had a short stop at Pulau Aman for seafood on the way from Kulim. Here are my thoughts...

1) it's windy....

2) why won't they upgrade the Penang INTERNATIONAL airport...

3) there's the original Chef n Brew restaurant at Krystal Point...

4) Queensbay Mall is actually not too bad.....

5) had a great Chicken Tikka at Kapitan....

6) it's really really windy...

7) The road leading to K's place is really really ulu...reminds me of Kuala Terengganu...

I didnt make it to the hawkers' stalls though...:(

Cost Down Tactics

Well now....since the whole petrol thing happened, been thinking and practicing some cost down activities:
1) breakfast at home: i used to buy breakfast at work....be it toast or kuih-muih or nasi lemak...well, i'm resorting to just plain wholemeal gardenia bread just before i take off for work
2) less dining out: checked through that most of my expenses are on dining out...well, now we're eating more hawker food that's equally as tasty, less fuss and great all the same. As opposed to RM50 up per meal, now i'm spending maybe less than RM20.
3) less roaming : i dont go out unless necessary nowadays....
4) cents-sibility: do not underestimate the cents you have chucked aside....i've been using all those coins to pay for toll for 3-4 months now....
5) no more short trips: me n andrew used to take short trips to places but now the furthest we've been is to Ipoh....but make no mistake, we're saving up for a much awaited long trip we're gonna have in oct. sacrifice the short little trips for the one dream trip!
6) there are those some absolute expenses that you cannot avoid so spread out the expenses and always look for great bargains.

the most dramatic tactic was actually changing jobs that has given me at least a good increase on basic salary. just a tip: if ever you think of changing jobs, always ask for at least 30% more....

Shopping for Home

One too many trips to Ikea lately and hunting for cheap buys all over KL too for my new home. Well i haven't done the loan agreement yet....and haven't got the keys yet....but then, better to spread out the expenses anyways over the months before I actually move in. Plus with the inflation going on....there are really some great bargains out there....

Did you know that you can't buy everything in Ikea or else your place might just look like every other home....hahaha....and not everything there is cheaper and nicer. Rugs are actually nicer from Jusco. Erm....i got some RM10-for-5 plates in Bangsar (some bungalow-converted-to-shop along jln ara)...STONEWARE, mind you. And nowadays if u see those warehouse sales that says TODAY ONLY...well, chances are these stores would still be on sale the next month. So don't be conned into making a decision straight away.

I need a coffee table, some reliable and nice stools and a bed. And a table lamp. Maybe a few of those....got a thing for lamps...

The Kite Runner-the movie

Touching..and it was almost as good as the book, but then there are just some things better explained in words.....

it was brilliantly told though, much better than i expected. the kids were amazingly good, my favourite being little Hassan.......

Change!

Am ready for yet another challenge in my life. Finally i'm ditching the china-fied job and am embarking on another career path. Hitching a better basic salary pay now and moving on to consultancy. The money was good in the china-fied company but it didn't really gave me the job satisfaction i used to have in my previous company. Well, yar I'm a sucker for all that. Somehow K reminded me that sometimes smaller companies offer something she and I both wanted: A challenge. Life's not only about work, and work's not about just money.

Time for a change!waiting for it to happen :)

Broke

I've made 3% payment. And now, waiting for the S&P to be drawn up, and that's another 7%! On top of that the calculated stamp duty etc, that's another payment for that. And then there's the bank loan - and estimated 1K per month payment hereafter i get the keys.

My first big purchase I must say. It makes me kinda nervous and excited at the same time. I can't remember the last time i bought anything expensive except for the small kelisa i bought in 2002.

Home!

Closed the deal yesterday for my own place! at a good reasonable price considering i won't need to put in extra money to do any renovation. The place is in tip-top condition (2nd hand lahhh) and love the lush surroundings! I'm gonna be a lot poorer but well nothing beats having your own place....!

post some pics soon....

Indiana !!!!

What can i say, indiana jones 4 blew my mind!!!! Harrison Ford is irreplacable...! old but still my hero!!!!!

many funny moments, i especially like his one-liners that i won't be revealing here! GO WATCH iT!!!!

And the Hunt Continues......

Hunt for a place, that is...! Had lunch with W yesterday and was really happy that she's got her own place now, but the headache that comes with it......, sheesh, the contractors etc. And she's right about budget-ting, we don't always need to go for the ultimate glamour-expensive works, but opt for a medium range stuff in accordance to budget.

So now i'm stuck with an iffy budget for mine, and it seems like such a big responsibility yet exciting still. Will be seeing more this weekend, with the help of endroog and sis, maybe i'll finally find something i like; that i COULD afford...

W asked if i would opt to stay at home more if I've had my own place.....i said MAYBE, but really I doubt i would anyways .....!

Just The Way You Are

Dont go changing, to try and please me

You never let me down before

Dont imagine youre too familiar

And I dont see you anymoreI

wouldnt leave you in times of trouble

We never could have come this far

I took the good times,

Ill take the bad times

Ill take you just the way you are- Billy Joel

I guess we can't help but complain about our other halves, or our family members, or our siblings. Why do we sometimes find it hard to just accept someone just the way he/she is..... Maybe it's because since young or by our peers, we have set a certain requirements and standards for what we perceive as to be the best partners/family for ourselves. We can't help be influenced by sometimes superficial standards. And if we close one eye, won't we be just one of those who are tihtahpah about life? No one is perfect, but it doesnt mean we should just accept things the way it is....

I think the most important thing is that we try. We try to be better. Everyone should try to be better.

Liar Liar

City girls just seem to find out early how to open doors with just a smile.
A rich old man and she won't have to worry. She'll dress up all in lace and go in style.
Late at night a big old house gets lonely, I guess every form of refuge has its price.
And it breaks her heart to think her love is only given to a man with hands as cold as ice.
So she tells him she must go out for the evening to comfort an old friend who's feeling down.
But he knows where she's going as she's leaving, she’s headed for the cheating side of town.
You can't hide your lying eyes and your smile is a thin disguise.
I thought by now you'd realize, there ain't no way to hide your lying eyes. -LYING EYES (EAGLES)

We've all told a lie or two in our lives. We lie because we think some things are better left undone. We lie because the truth hurts. We lie because we just can't be bothered to dwell on the details. We lie because things are just easier that way. And some just lie for fun. I remember I once bluffed my best friend that my dad was working as a communist in Uzbekistan. I also bluffed my Math teacher that I won a green Kancil thru the Milo ad. I cheated in college and university papers, midterms and assignments. I had to *grin*. It's just the way the world works. I lie at work so I sometimes don't have to entertain idiots and annoying customers and colleagues. Because I had to. It's just easier that way. If you really think about it, lying is an art. How to come up with a believable and great lie. How not to get caught? How to be a good liar without ur face revealing it? Lying helps. Who's never told a lie before? Let me know.

Pissed...

I'm on a hormonal rollercoaster I think. Ever since I started working with this company I'm all flared up and pissed off all the time! with the work, the moronic people and everything.

I really gotta find my patience and try to not be so opinionated all the time, and learn to shuddup for good because it never gets me anywhere actually. Having said that, I've spoken up a bit TOO LOUD to 2 moronic bosses of mine, pointed out to a Project Director about his project managers incompetency...all in this week.

Anyone's got vacancy anywhere?

Up Where We Belong....

Am scouting for a place for myself. Yes, it's about time to move out and be on my own now. Perhaps only Imn knows how's it like to be living in and out of places, having our clothes on shelves and suitcases, and with no particular claim to any space. Me and Imn shared a room together before and were taking turns to sleep on the only bed!

Thank gawd with my sister's good foresight, we made some profit from a medium cost apartment we bought years ago, and i'll use the profit to get my place...just top up a bit saje! So, investment on properties is finally working out for me!

And so, I've seen so many condos and I guess well, not only are we limited by budget but also our likes and dislikes....dont forget that i'm gonna have to be stuck with that place for at least a good 10 years.

Anyhoo....will be just glad if i've got a place to call my own.... :)

A Day at FRIM

Got a friend from Indo , and great timing for an outing to FRIM...since i've never been there! sheesh, i really need to see more of Malaysia! And so, we head out to FRIM and made a short stop at Batu Caves.

L was just telling me about how dreadful and lonely it is over here, because she's never been out of Jakarta for so long to work, it's like a sudden transition from the familiarities at home to nothingness in KL. Well, I think we all gotta adapt and just make the best of NOW. She said that she understood how it must hv been like for me when i was in Jakarta, but it really didnt become a BIG problem for me since I was always driven by curiosity, intrigue and i think i'm easily awed anyways... :)

And so, we took her to FRIM, along with NKK and Beef, Munchoon, Henry +wife, and our supposed tour-guide, andrew :) . then took the rover track and the canopy walktrail to go up the canopy walk. wow. and it's not even the longest. (told u i'm easily awed :)) worth the little hike we took to see it.

it was then a short trail through the waterfall, before we reached the bottom. then head out to Segambut seafood noodle for lunch. A very satisfying day indeed and i hope L had a great time, at least puts her out of her misery for a day!

We're planning another trip to ulu yam this weekend :). have a great adventure!