Are you rooted?

Still shots of Siti for a TVC

2009-11-25T10:29:00.006+08:00

I was in a verge of an emotional breakdown that evening after having to endure a 9 hour mental torture from a very difficult and fickle client. In a drained state, I flicked my Nokia phone (which had just been re-attached earlier after I smashed it several times at the wall) and speed dialed Meen to see if we could meet up for dinner (It was more like I need someone to listen to me bitch). So, there I was, stuck in late evening traffic and illegally on the handphone (no handsfree kit or equivalent).

"Hello?" Meen responded.

"Where are you? Wanna meet up for dinner in KL? I need someone to talk to." I said without any twist or turn.

"I sekarang on the way pi Shah Alam. Siti ada TVC kat Sri Pentas. Ko tau kat mana tak tempat tuh? Shah Alam I so fail!" Meen replied.

"Eh, I pon sekarang tengah stuck kat Federal di Shah Alam. I jumpa you kat Sri Pentas, boleh?" I immediately said.

"Boleh! Bawak camera sekali yer? Kita orang takde camera man amik still photos arini."
So, that was how I ended up at Sri Pentas in Shah Alam to take Siti's still photos. What can I say about her? She's professional, on time, and fuss free. One of the most efficient artist I've ever had the chance to work with.

I still managed to bitch about my grievances later during dinner. So, mission accomplished! Hahaha!

Kak Yasmin In Her Own Words

2009-11-24T17:28:00.010+08:00

Hello! Yeah, I'm back (for now)! I thought by taking a long hiatus from this blog (and other people's as well) will give me a reason to free myself to have some time to myself. If I were in a shooting competition, I'd definitely have missed my shot by miles! Well, all is still well (at least most of it). Otherwise, I've been keeping myself busy with shitload of stuff that is either character building or emotionally draining.

Of course, there's the real estate and interior design business which helps pay the bills. ;-P Things did turn out pretty well, I have to say. Out of the many projects I've done, I'm quite proud to say that for a small fry like myself, I have managed to weave myself inside some circuit board hierarchy and got the job to restore the King's furniture set at the Parliment house! I can't wait to see the end results. So far, the wood work's been polished and repainted and re-upholstery work will commence tomorrow. The entire set will be ready by next week, I hope. Pictures will be up once they are ready to rock and roll back to the Royal chamber.

By the way, I managed to attended the launch of Yasmin Ahmad's Films at Sunway University College last week. Written by Amir Muhammad, a publisher writer and film maker, he pays tribute and gave a wonderful insight to her films through his tongue in cheek fashion. Before the actual "launch" by Sharifah Amani, they showed this little film made by Ajami Hashim which I liked very much. Hope you'd enjoy it too.

Marathon De Sables

2009-03-25T00:12:00.002+08:00

Last Thursday was another eventful day. I've been called up to cover the press conference of Cikgu Adnan, a 66 retired teacher who is also a marathon runner, which rightfully, puts many of us to shame in terms of physical ability. But that's another story all together.

The press conference was held at Celebrity Fitness, One Utama and the entire atmosphere was relaxed and casual, which befits the setting of this particular gym.

This time, he'll be attempting the Marathon De Sables, which happens to be the most gruelling race on earth, running across the Sahara Desert. Of course, this is not just another self endurance challenges like the KL International Marathon. Therefore, this attempt will also be a fund raising affair, in support to the Malaysian AIDS Foundation. Well, I do wish Cikgu Adnan all the best and let's be generous to this cause, shall we?

Getting acquainted

Red ribbons for everyone

The press conference Q&A session.

Having a light hearted moment with one of the corporate donor representatives.

Speaking to the media

Well, it was a fun and enjoyable event!

Denial Ain't Gonna Solve the Problem!

2009-03-18T14:17:00.007+08:00

I came across this article from The Star this afternoon. As a practicing Catholic, I myself feel that this "no condom" issue against AIDS is so dated. Honestly, how can one actually still preach that celibacy is the ONLY way to fight against this dreadful pandemic. No doubt it is a sure way of controlling this disease, if you live in a sterile, isolated and controlled environment. But lets get real! We're talking about an entire human population here! In order to get to the root of the problem, we have to humanize the issue.

These people have feeling, needs - sexual or otherwise, and you can't deny or stop their daily activity when they don't even understand the consequences of HIV or AIDS. Essentially, education is still the core towards fighting this battle against HIV/AIDS, and the usage of condoms IS AND SHOULD be part of the education.

In the case of African Nations, where literacy levels are still relatively low, I'm sure it is very difficult to make these people understand the disease itself. I'm sure many don't even know what a virus or a bacteria is, simply because it can't be seen with the naked eye. Again, how do you educate a person who already don't fathom the meaning of a virus and what it can do to one's body, and tell that person not to have sex because he or she can get sick? Even if you show pictures of AIDS patients (I hate the use of that word victim), how do one explain that you can get sick from having sex? Before long, they will probably just brush it off as probably something to do with bad air or water and resume back to their normal activities.

This is sadly, a very real scenario, unfortunately, not just happening in the African continent, but also within South East Asia. I digress. Back to the article below, I've bold the parts and added my comments which I strongly oppose and feel that this backward mentality of which the Catholic Church needs to seriously reevaluated.

Wednesday March 18, 2009 - THE STAR

Pope in Africa reaffirms "no condoms" against AIDS

By Philip Pullella and David Lewis

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Tuesday reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS as he started a visit to Africa, where more than 25 million people have died from the disease in recent decades.

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd from his vehicle as he leaves the airport after his arrival in Yaounde March 17, 2009. (REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly)

The Pope, who arrived to a tumultuous welcome in the capital of Cameroon, also said the continent's people were suffering disproportionately due to the global challenges of food shortages, financial crises and climate change.

"It (AIDS) cannot be overcome by the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem," he said in response to a question about the Church's widely contested position against the use of condoms.

(Does that mean that the problem will be decreased if they don't use any?)

The disease has killed more than 25 million people since the early 1980s, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, and some 22.5 million Africans are living with HIV.

(This statistics itself speaks for itself, doesn't it?)

His words were some of his most explicit on the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS since his election in 2005.

The Church teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence are the best ways to stop AIDS. It does not approve condoms but some Church leaders have been calling for allowing their use in rare cases between married heterosexual couples where one partner has the disease.

"The only solution is two-fold: the first is a humanisation of sexuality, a human, spiritual renewal which brings with it a new way of behaving among people and, secondly, a true friendship, especially for those who are suffering, a willingness to make personal sacrifices," he said.

(By "humanising" sexuality, one have to understand what sexuality means. In this case, how can one (The Pope) really understand sexuality, if he himself lives in a controlled condition of celibacy, let alone preaches on this subject?)

He called for "correct behaviour regarding one's body".

(Again, refer to my earlier comment above.)

Temper

2009-03-06T17:20:00.005+08:00

The toe's almost back to normal - I guess tiger's penis does have medicinal effects. Muahahaha!

Anyway, I am experimenting on chocolate tempering, since it's been ages I've made anything that will trigger tooth decay. I hope to yield some good results for a decent photoshoot as well since it's been a while I've taken any photos with my DSLR. Wish me luck!

BTW, I am now a proud owner of a chocolate fountain! Ahhh... one can always count on senseless expenditure to feel good. Wonder how long will it take this time before I feel extremely guilty for my purchases...

Extra Ordinary

2009-03-01T23:49:00.006+08:00

It was suppose to be just another ordinary afternoon at Mom and Dad's. Lazing around, doing nothing in particular and cramming my face with copious amount of sinful goodies that Mom usually lay out on the coffee table.

They (Mom and Dad) have left town for their usual romantic weekend getaway, leaving me to dog sit Stevie Baby.

So, there I was, sitting in front of the computer, staring at the same Facebook page for the last 12 hours, since it takes that long apparently to switch screens with Streamyx broadband. I never knew watching the cursor processing in its circular motion can be hypnotically fun.

I left the TV on but wasn't particularly interested to watch anything on it. It's just the thought of having the privilege of Astro over the weekend made me turn on the TV, just to make it worthwhile.

Out of the blue, Stevie Baby scrambled up from where he was laying near my feet; his ears all perked up. His tail swished back and forth, hitting my legs like a feather duster. Without further warning, he dashed out of the house like a mad dog - barking in full force, which was soon joined by the rest of the 10,000 neighbourhood dogs.

I peeked through the curtains of the living hall to see what the fuss was all about and saw two young Indian boys distributing flyers to each household. From where I was sitting, I could see the terror on their faces, while the neighborhood dogs rushed out of each household baring their canines and some foaming at the side of their mouth. Before long, I could hear gates crashing down and the medley of canine barks, ear piercing screams and the sound of rip and tear.

Geez! This is the third time I had to get the gate fixed since Stevie Baby has crashed it down! He sure is getting very strong. The screaming eventually stopped and peace was restored among our neighbourhood again.

Stevie Baby eventually ran back into the house all flustered but happy to be part of the commotion. He nonchalantly swagger himself towards the workstation and plonked right in front of me with a prize in his mouth. It looked like the jaw of one of the flyer boys. Fresh blood was still dripping from where the flesh was ripped off.

"Nice looking teeth this boy has, doesn't he?" I though to myself as I inspect Stevie Baby's prize closely.

Stevie Baby scurried to the corner of the sofa to savour his prize. Meanwhile, looking at him gnawing at the jaw, I was reminded that I haven't had breakfast. I glanced up to the wall clock and the time was almost noon.

I stretched lazily on the computer chair and shuffled my feet to the fridge to see what I could make for lunch.

Mom has about a million magnets on the fridge that we don't even remember what colour or brand the fridge was anymore. The one closest to my eye level is a framed picture of Stevie Baby, when he was just a puppy. He was gnawing on what looked like a human femur. It must have belonged to the postman many years ago. We were quite upset with Stevie Baby for what he did then, because we had to collect our mail from the main post office for the next six months, until the postal services could find another postman to service our neighborhood.

I opened the freezer and began inspecting its contents. The cold air gushed out and fogged my glasses for a few seconds. I then began scanning the contents of each package closely. It was kind of difficult to identify what mom has in the freezer with all the frost crusting around each content. I could see the outline of a crocodile's tongue. Next to it was a shapeless, frozen mass which I suspect could have been the leftover parts of a monkey's medulla oblongata. We had that for Chinese New Year recently. Wedged snugly next to it looked like the toes of an elephant's foot.

"Sweet and sour elephant sounds delicious," I thought.

But the thought of thawing the foot for the next 6 hours made me change my mind. I then saw a bright red package deeper behind the elephant's leg.

"Breaded tiger's penis! That's something easy to prepare for lunch," I though.

I immediately reached out for the package which was lodged frozen behind the elephant's foot and impala's intestines. I yanked hard at the package and suddenly, the elephant's foot came crashing down and landed on my toe!

Before I know it, blood was gushing out from my broken toe like a burst water pipe. I sat and stared at the pool of warm, sticky blood, which was filling every inch of the kitchen floor. I did felt a little light headed when my life flashed before my eyes and I saw a sudden bright light shining at the end of a tunnel. I could almost hear celestial trumpets beckoning me to come forward too.

However, my out of body experience did not last very long. Within a snap second, it felt like a vacumm cleaner that had sucked me back to my mortal body. I soon felt a ticklish tingle around my damaged toe and saw Stevie Baby now licking at the blood oozing out from it. I smiled and patted his warm fuzzy head and let him lick up the rest of the pool of blood.

I got up and proceeded to take the bright red package out from the freezer and stuffed the elephant's foot back into it's original position. I soon forgot about the painful throb on my now purple and swollen toe, and started to read the cooking instructions on the box of breaded tiger's penis. Yummy!

Writers note: This is a genuine incident that happened this afternoon, although there were some bits and pieces that was slightly exaggerated for drama and a good read. :-) Can you tell?

Serigala jadian

2009-02-18T16:01:00.002+08:00

Seandainya, dunia kini telah berubah sungguh. Manusia sekarang lebih berwatakkan binatang dari binatang itu sendiri. Apakah yang telah mengganggu emosi aku sehingga membuahkan kata kata yang mungkin menyinggung perasaan itu? Perasaan marah berbaur benci yang sedikit ada itu timbul kerana orang yang telah dianggap sebagai kawan baik tersebut sebenarnya hanya bertopeng muka baik. Rupa rupanya, manusia yang berhati syaitan telah menyelinap masuk dalam hidupku semata mata untuk mengharapkan habuan dari hasil titik peluh kerjaya aku.

Serigala jadian! Teramat sesuai nama itu aku beri pada kamu! Manusia yang tak guna! Susah susah aku kehulu ke hilir mencari sesuap nasi, senang senang engkau duduk dalam ofis berhawa dingin sambil bergoyang kaki yang bersepatu branded palsu kamu itu nak menyergah aku mintak duit? Sedangkan kamu yang leka beromong omong Pak Pandir itu langsung tidak tau selok belok dalam bisnes aku. Tapi bila terdengar sahaja gara gara yang ada project datang pada tangan aku, kamu meroyang macam perempuan kehilangan laki. Memang engkau tak tau malu! Apakah yang kamu tahu pasal project aku, melainkan nama dan tempat tersebut? Kamu fikir kamu layak dijadikan rakan biznes aku sedangkan kamu ukur pakai pembaris pun boleh salah? Keparat sangat perangai kamu itu!!!

Sememangnya, simpulan friends come and go itu amat releven, terutamanya antara golongan penghuni KL ini yang sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk mengejar impian dunia, selain daripada berkerja keras. Sekali imbas, terasa mereka macam burung gagak yang hinggap menjamah bangkai tepi jalan pun ada. Apakah kamu lemah dengan daya tarikan jenama terkenal satu Pavillion itu sampai kamu papa kedana? Sebab itu kamu ingin mengikis dari hasil titik peluh aku kan? Kamu menyatakan yang kamu perlu langsingkan hutang kamu yang bertimbun. Itu hal engkaulah!

Bodoh dan tersangat dungu aku merasa pemikiran engkau. Masakan engkau ingatkan aku bila engkau berduit melancong satu Asia Tenggara tahun tahun yang lalu? Ada kamu fikir pasal aku masa aku susah? Satu email pun engkau tak hantar tanya khabar, ini lagilah telefon. Tetiba kamu muncul balik dalam circle aku kononnya nak berbaik baik? Aku dah dapat cium bahang najis kamu itu sejak kamu muncul dengan kerap sekali dalam setiap majlis yang aku hadir. Memang benar tanggapan aku yang kamu itu memang dasar suka kikis! Nasib baik Meen mengacukan warning dekat aku pasal apa yang kamu cuba buat dek tanah arwah bapak dia. Aku nak jadi mulut tempayan! Aku nak beritahu satu dunia betapa tamak haloba kelakuan kamu sehingga rakan taulan kamu sanggup gadaikan semata wang ringgit! Tunggulah engkau!

Shit

2009-02-11T15:39:00.002+08:00

I swear the Big Guy up there is having a ball of a time making fun of me again! This is possibly the craziest day yet in my life. I've 2 deal that went though under my nose because the seller misinformed me on a few crucial details. What bummer! Nothing stresses me out more than having the carpet pulled right under your feet and having to fall flat on your butt. More so after putting so much effort into this damn deal too!! I need to lie down. Where are those damn cigarettes when you need them???

Satu Sen For My Thoughts

2009-02-10T10:10:00.004+08:00

Last night I gaze up again towards the sky. There it was, the same bright star that I wished upon on New Years eve, albeit from a different apartment balcony and atmosphere. This time, there were no laughter, alcohol or party revellers making out in the guest room. It was just me. The silence was deafening, for I could hear my mind thinking aloud, almost shouting . My breathing and heart beat completed the ensemble like a set of percussion in a dysfunctional band. So much has happened lately and I needed time to segregate all these events in their separate folders. Oh my God! Even Microsoft has taken over my mind as well! Will there ever be a cure to this insanity?

Yes, I wished upon this same bright star on the last day of the year. I wished for many things, as usual. But I wished for one particular thing a little more than the other long list of things. Surprisingly, this was the thing that eventually came through. Now that I've got it, why am I afraid to embrace it? I lit another cigarette and watched the smoke rose and swirl in a lazy dance from the bright amber tip. An occasional crack and pop from the burning cloves in the cigarette could be heard as I took a drag from it. It's sweet taste lingered on my lips after each drag. My mind swirled for a while with the dancing smoke as I daydreamed of another perfect arrangement for my living room.

Before long, my mind arrived back to the same thought I had before. My wish. Could this be right? Could this be real? It made me happy, yet I am afraid. It made me laugh yet I had many questions that needed answers. What if I decided to embrace it and it breaks me like a glass shattering to a thousand tiny shards? Yet, only months ago, I told myself that I will not allow this feeling to overcome me. And here I am, going through the same cycle all over again. Am I falling in............. ????

A matter of choice

2009-02-06T13:54:00.004+08:00

Thanks to the wonder of Facebook, we are all some what connected in one way or another. I've recently been reacquainted with a class mate. A class mate from primary school, to be exact. We we were really close. We sat next to each other year after year, shared the same love for the arts and non conformity to society's social order. Heck, we even share the same last name! Of course, after years of living abroad, him in the UK while I was shipped to a small town in the Midwest, USA, we naturally went our separate ways. Since there was no Facebook at that time, our letter writing skills dwindled from being weekly affairs to monthly affairs. Soon enough, it trickled down to the ocassional annual Christmas card greetings.

So, yes! Facebook connected us again and I was ecstatic to have found this dear old friend again, so I thought. The day we met, I was somewhat surprised and needless to say a little disappointed with the person that was sitting in front of me. Why you may ask? I had envisioned him to still be this foul mouthed, witty, charismatic and energetic person I knew. Instead, there was this person sitting in front of me droning away, talking about how he needs to get married and how he can't disappoint his parents by needing to get married before the year ends.

He then asked me whether I was married or not? I said no. I then continued to say that I live alone now that I've bought my own place. His face showed a look of horror and said that I was such a horrid son to have abandoned my parents.

"What was going through this poor guy's head?" I thought.

I told him that I did not abandon my parents. I just grew up and needed my own space. After all, I still see them every week. If there were any consolation, I think my parents kinda felt relieved that I moved out.

He then went on to tell me how important it is to get married and have children. Basically his message to me was that I need to conform to social orders. After all, I am in my 30's, he added. Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against marriage or having children but to do all that in order for society to accept you is just plain bullshit! By now, I so wanted to reach across the table and strangle his neck while yelling, "who are you and what have you done to my friend"?

I guess there is two things I've learned from this episode. One, never expect a person to be the same as he or she has been before, especially after a long break since you last met. Second, society's need to conform is more powerful than I've thought. After all it has devoured my friend's free spirit to think that having a white picket fenced home Ala Brady Bunch is the best thing since the invention of white bread. As for me, I am extremely comfortable at where I am. The occasional living on the edge and dangerous liaisons do keep my life interesting. I did sense some jealousy in the eyes of my friend when I spoke of my annual trips and adventures. I guess its a matter of choice. I don't think I'll be attending his wedding dinner if it happens this year end. I might stick out too much like a sore thumb from everyone else, since I don't always conform to social orders. Now, we all don't want that to happen, do we? Or I might just go to Egypt, now that's another story....

Windows of Opportunity

2009-01-30T11:48:00.002+08:00

Nih kan sejak "bersara" dari dunia yang saya kenal sangat nih, rezeki bolehlah dikatakan melimpah masuk.

Memang saya rasa sangat diberkati oleh yg Maha Esa.

Akan tetapi, bukan segala yang diberi itu selalunya diberi dengan pintu yang terbuka.

Sememangnya mesti ada penghalang atau ada saja benda yang akan menjadi bahan ujian minda dalam setiap process untuk berjaya.

Biar pun ujian dari segi orang yang perlu kita bekerja sama atau pon sebaliknya.

Tapi rezeki mana mana ada di tangan Tuhan. Kami hanya merancang. Dia yang menentukannya.

So, mengharapkan lah penjual yang saya tengah kendalikan kes depa tuh tolong tolong lah bersabar. Takyah nak calling setiap 30 minit sebab aku rimas!!!!

Tung Tung Chiang!

2009-01-29T13:52:00.003+08:00

I know... I've been really bad at updating this blog to the point that most people have probably thought that I was another lost cause. Anyways, before someone actually say a pray and decided bury this blog for good, let me say that I'm well and alive!!! :-D

Oh, By the way, Happy Chinese New Year to all and like any other Chinese or part Chinese, or self proclaimed Chinese around the world, the family reunion dinner is a big part of the celebration. My family never misses the Steamboat or some people call it the Hotpot meal. I don't know how it became my family's tradition but I guess it is because of the convenience of not having to whip out a whole lot of dishes that mom decided to stick to it. We all love it of course. Here are some of the dinner pictures.

Qumquats... yummy!

Mom preparing her own "Loh Sang" salad

And getting ready to toss!!!!

Assorted fishballs for the Steamboat

Fish!!! Yes... with the head and tails :-P

Trying out some new styles to recreate vintage photo effects.

The dangerous stuff that will end the mother of all diets!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Mr President

2009-01-16T00:35:00.003+08:00

It's been work as usual, though at a different pace and level. I'm certainly a happier man lately. I know I've been guilty of not updating as much as I used to but I decided that I needed that break to explore things that I liked. I've been reading heavily and this time I'm reading a lot of work from our local writers instead of those from the West. I have to say that I've been very impressed with the work of quite a few of them. I'll post up the next one about the books that I've read and what my views are on them in the next entry.

Anyways, I got this video clip from a friend in FB and I think it is really good. Enjoy it!

Back on track

2009-01-08T11:21:00.004+08:00

New year came and went without much of a fanfare, save for a very subdued party I attended to so called usher in 2009. No drama and champagne popping like the previous years. I kinda enjoyed it. At least I made it with a clear mind knowing what to expect this year. What was more important was, I have the support from the people that mattered in my life.

So, it is full swing since new years making new contact with property owners who wants to sell/ lease and also potential tenants and buyers. I've always have the passion for real estate and extending into this market with my current ID business is only natural. Besides, I get to work from home (Double yippee!!!).

It took me a while to get used to the idea of having quite a bit of time to myself at first, but now I'm beginning to enjoy that feeling. At least I don't have the shipping shit playing at the back of my head all the time. Yep... this is my new beginning. It's not going to be a bed of roses with the current market situation but like what people say... "rezeki ada di mana mana."

What am I planning to do with my extra time? I'm planning to indulge in things that I used to enjoy doing. I'm getting back to writing my short stories, and hopefully be able to finish off the book I've started (but stopped for donkey years) and start painting again. Photography will definitely be playing a bigger role in my list of hobbies as well. So, I guess that kinda sum up my 2009. :-)

Goodbye 2008... and Hello 2009

2008-12-31T00:29:00.006+08:00

I know it's a tad bit early for this entry but I have a feeling that I won't be online when the time comes for me to make this entry tomorrow. I'd probably be somewhere stuck in traffic or something, while new year revelers are ushering the new year around KL.

I know I've been away from this blog for a long time particularly towards the end of this month. Well, I've been busy... yes, that is true. But the real truth is much more than just being busy. So much has happened lately that my world has probably turned upside down and I was floating like a lost coconut in this huge sea of opportunity. You see, I've been unhappy and been questioning my career path for the longest time. I've been running several businesses that were fairly successful but still I wasn't happy. In fact I've been so unhappy to the point of depression. Yes... I was in a state of depression for a while. It's sad...it's pathetic... and I know that if I didn't do something about it, I would be eaten up and be left a hollow shell, like a corpse without a soul.

I did what I needed to do... I had to choose. So, I've chosen. I've decided to leave the shipping industry for good. It's been a long 10 years but I guess all that experience meant nothing if I have been so miserable and continue to be miserable doing things I have absolutely no passion for. I've let go everything that I've built, along with the emotional baggage that was being lugged around for so many years. It was a scary thing to do. Letting go of something that was familiar, even though you know you hate it. After all, that was what's been paying the bills all these while, along with the little luxuries that I've been enjoying.

But I'm glad I did it. I stepped out of that comfort zone and it's not so scary after all. I am able to think straight and focus on bigger things. Things that meant something in my life. And all good things have been pouring in endlessly since. I thank God for opening my eyes and giving me the courage to finally do the right thing for myself.

In 24 hours, we will be seeing a new year. I'll be embracing it with gusto and I believe that this new change will be good for me. I don't know what new adventures I'll stumble upon along the way but what I know is I've to start loving myself a little more each day, if I want the world to love me back. So, here's to embracing a new year and a new life. I dedicate my favorite song from Dina Caroll, "The Perfect Year" from the musical Sunset Boulevard to all my dear friends.

Early Christmas Presents

2008-12-19T01:40:00.002+08:00

I've meant to put this up much much earlier but since work and a whole lot of unexpected sh*t happened lately, I've been delaying this entry for weeks. I've been really bad lately with my retail therapy and ended up buying a whole lot of stuff. This is just two of it... I've actually bought myself a new lappy, printer, shoes and a whole bunch of other stuff too. But I don't think I need to show those lah... I've also received my Christmas present from my sister as well today. It's very nice and I luv it very much. Will post it up on the next entry. Anyway, back to what I bought myself from the past few weeks ago...

A cheap Tag for my everyday use since the other one looks a little to flashy.

Love it coz I got an extremely good deal for it.

A new 320GB portable HDD which I got during the PC fair last week, together with my new lappy and printer.

It's Starting to feel like Christmas

2008-12-17T12:18:00.002+08:00

It's been a long time since I've updated anything here. Till someone said that I have pontianak here too!!! LOL! Anyway, I've been extremely busy with work and many things happened. Some good some not so good. Anyway, that's what life is all about right? I managed to get my best friends over help me decorate the tree since I wasn't exactly in the mood to put it up this year. In return, they were fed with pizzas and bufallo wings. Hehehe...

My favorite Christmas deco

Not bad for first timers..hehehe

On 5th gear again

2008-12-03T09:28:00.002+08:00

Sorry ya'll.... no pics to tantalize anyone today. Just a quick update since I've to be at my sites again soon to monitor the execution works. No 457 in K.L. took up the entire day yesterday and it was such a hassle trying to coordinate window dressing installation while the guys are trying to polish the marble flooring. Took us more than 4 hours just to get the reception hall done since these people have a fetish for 18 feet high ceilings. Can't wait to do my wrap up this coming Friday at this site.

Today, we're starting work at no. 16 K.U. Not as major as no. 457 but nevertheless demanding. My dateline is before Christmas!!!! Same with SS @ KLCC!!!! Hayoo!!!! Ciao... have to go now...

Working under pressure

2008-11-26T03:15:00.000+08:00

You have no idea what potential miracles can happen when you work under pressure. This is the first time I've ever achieved my execution work for an office suite in less than 4 days! Imagine doing up the carpeting, wiring, lighting, airconds, wall and window treatment in less than 4 days!! It's quite an achievement. Tomorrow the furniture and workstations should be in and I can collect the balance outstanding. Hehehehe...

Have to start concentrating on the home in KU, CH immediately after this.... mau pengsan dibuatnye! The owner for the condo at SS has just wired the deposit from London. So, I guess that has to start work as well. Thank God the unit at CC only needs attention when the owners are back from Lagos end of Dec. I need some breathing space.

Birthday Celebration

2008-11-24T09:45:00.003+08:00

Last week was extremely hectic with work. I guess it really shows by how often I update my blog as well. Anyway, Saturday was Fiq's birthday and we had to plan something despite all the brouhaha that was happening around our own busy schedule. The moment we got the greenlight from Meen's doctor that he could travel, we all began a frenzy search for a location (Nampak sgt last minute planning kan??) Since school holidays have started, it was extremely difficult to get a place anywhere. Finally, we managed to get a condo at Genting (Genting pon jadilah kan...) at super peak period rate (ok gak lah lepas split the bill among us, sans B'day boy).

So, the 5 of us went for the first time in donkey years as a group for a short break cum private birthday bash on my baby elephant. I'm so glad we did this because I've almost forgotten how it feels to actually have fun. That night, all diet rulings went out the door for all of us (including the patient, LOL!) and we feasted on the worst of a kind, fat laden meal, junk food and of course one of the most delicious moist chocolate cake that was wolfed down before any pics could be taken. The rest of the night went by in the comforf of the apartment telling each other silly jokes and making up our own games.

One of my best friend told me something that really caught my attention while we were having tea at one of the cafes that day. He said, "It doesn't matter how many more birthdays I will have, what's important is each one I have is memorable enough for me to last a lifetime." How true... BFF and Happy birthday!!

Christmas came early!

2008-11-18T01:48:00.003+08:00

I came back pretty late yesterday and saw this notice from the postal services stating that I've to collect a packet from the post office. Well, I went there this afternoon during lunch and received a pleasant surprise package (not packet!) all the way from Illinois, USA! I was so excited and happy to see the contents of the package when I opened it! Cathy and Mena, you both are the best! I've the perfect Christmas present on the way to your front door too. So do keep a look out. Meanwhile, check out what I received...

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ and Buffalo Wing sauces from Chicago, Tabasco Chipotle pepper sauce and Heinz Curry Ketchup (It's actually from Europe!)

This would be a hit on grilled meat!

I can't wait to try this!!!! The caption says it all, right? ;-)

Thanks again for the wonderful and thoughtful gifts! Love you girls! *Hugs!!!

Back on track

2008-11-16T14:04:00.003+08:00

After bobbing around like a lost buoy at sea for a month, I've finally found my momentum to work again. This month is going to be one hectic month since I've concluded 5 homes for ID and furnishing works. I had to decline the 6th home since I can't cope with the current load. It's the quality that matters, not the quantity. That's why I've not been extremely active online lately. ;-)

The last 2 days was spend focusing on the soft furnishing of a certain condo at an exclusive enclave within the KL city center. I've decided to play around with the camera during one of my breaks.

I had to work on the floor since the sample blocks could not fit the table anymore

One of the selected materials

Might be using this for the wardrobe doors.

Hmm... don't think this will work on the concept.

Pure Thai silk curtains anyone?

Organza sheers and more sheers!!!

Another healthy dinner

2008-11-11T23:41:00.002+08:00

Boy am I on the roll!!! Came back from the office and I decided to grill some chicken breast meat which I like having with wholemeal pita, coral salad and of course honey and garlic barbecue sauce. Walla!!! This was my extremely easy, healthy and delicious dinner!

Wolfed these babies down in less than 10 minutes. LOL!

Lamb Chops

2008-11-10T19:35:00.002+08:00

I've decided to go back on a high protein diet since going semi-vegetarian (is there such a thing? Ahaks!) somehow does not give me that extra boost and I've been loosing way too much weight doing that. Anyway, I wasn't really in the mood to work albeit all that pile of mountain on my desk that needs tending to. So, I scooted over to the gym early today and got back in time to make some lamb chops. I've not had lamb for sooooooo long!!! I almost forgot how divine they tastes like. Very simple preparation this time... just a dash of cracked pepper, paprika and barbeque seasoning before pan grilling them with a bit of olive oil. I served them with a bed of side mesclun salad drizzled with light French dressing. Gotta make sure that I pop a pill to counter act on the vinegar though. :-P

It's actually two pieces of artery choking, fat laden lamb chops!

A walk in the park

2008-11-03T09:10:00.002+08:00

Lately my schedule has been chock a block full and the impact is dawning upon me. With whatever little time I have, I made myself a date to take some time off and basically do nothing at Sentul Park.

Didn't manage to take many pictures... I'll explain why at the end of this entry.

Thought Sentul Park is beautiful and well kept, there is one big flaw in this set up. While I was trying to capture the beauty of this park, a man approached me and told me to stop taking pictures and get off the park grounds. I asked why? He said that this is PRIVATE PROPERTY. Ok yes, agreed Sentul Park was developed by YTL Corp. and it is privately owned. But correct me if I am wrong... I believe that I've read that YTL Corp. decided to create the park as a gift back to the COMMUNITY. I did not see ANY SIGNBOARDS stating that photography is not allowed and more importantly, why make a park that no one can enjoy, except for mebbe some hot shot big names for their private functions??? So stupid!!!

Red Ribbon Gala Fashion Show - Elie Saab

2008-10-28T16:53:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday has got to be the most exciting, scary, tired and new experience all rolled into one for me. I had my first major photo shoot assignment during the Red Ribbon Gala 2008 fund raising event. The highlight of the event that night, apart from the charity auction was the fashion show from Elie Saab's Fall & Winter 2008 Couture Collection. These are some of my shots during the fashion show. Still lots to learn because I believe I've the most un"canggih" camera amongst all the other full framers, ahak!

ELIE SAAB

2008-10-25T14:33:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, I was privileged enough to be invited for an exclusive press conference with Monsieur Elie Saab, who was specially flown in for an charity fund raising event. Elie Saab is an A list fashion designer, who's gowns have been worn and featured on Hollywood stars and celebrities such as Halle Barry, Beyonce, Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives), Vanessa Williams and many more. To know more about Monsieur Saab, you can check out his website here.

Meanwhile, here I am, this very raw and green amateur photographer standing side by side with the professional press photographers, trying my best to cover the event. These are some of my shots during the event.

A full house press conference

Monsieur Elie Saab

YB Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir at the press conference

Saw this your journalist busy jotting down her note pad

Can't wait for the actual event tonight!

Walk the walk or talk cock?

2008-10-20T14:22:00.002+08:00

Lately, I've been haunted again and again by a ghost from my past. In my line, I deal with many people and they basically categorize in two main group. Those who talk and DO and those who talk and HOPE. I've had enough of people who HOPE in my life. These people HOPE that one day they will strike the lottery, HOPE that wealth comes from alms instead of hardwork, and the worst, HOPE that they can leach on you forever! Why don't you HOPEFUL people get your fat ass up and start DOING instead of HOPING if you want to be successful??? It's time to wake up and smell the city smog coz life ain't as beautiful as you think it is! Everyone's gotta work their ass off to reach the top. So, stay away from my crop!

On a lighter note, I saw this interesting staircase during a photo shoot session last week.

Sometimes life is like this spiral staircase...

Hospitalised!

2008-10-18T11:15:00.002+08:00

I received a SMS message from my best friend that he has been admitted into the hospital again. So, after my brief meeting with my real estate agents, I decided to head downtown to see how Meen's doing. While on the highway, it started pouring like cats and dogs. As we all know, traffic will automatically turn to standstill the moment it starts to rain in the Klang Valley. It took me 3 hours from Jalan Duta to reach Prince Court Medical Centre instead of the normal 15-20 minutes!!!

Look at the traffic!!!!

Stagnant...

I had so much time that I could take my camera out to shoot some pictures of the Twin Towers!!!

Meen's doctor was transferred from Glen Eagles to Prince Court. So, dapat juga lah merasa 5 star diva service from the newest and most exclusive medical centre in KL. (Sib baik insurance ko cover Meen!!! :-P)

Anyway, after having to inch my way through traffic for 3 hours, I finally arrived looking like some ghost from Christmas Past and extremely famished. So, I dragged the patient out from his suite to the cafeteria for a quick meal. BTW, the food price at the cafeteria is very potong leher! We ordered and this is what we had...

My Pad Thai. Yummy jugak lah.

Can you believe this is hospital food? Price mengalah hotel 5 star occay!

Makanan pesakit yang takmo kalah... Piri Piri Chicken Chop. Sedap banget!

Pesakit yang kena remand satu minggu. Sian...

Cross roads and crazy cats

2008-10-14T23:08:00.002+08:00

Last night, I had one of my late night pow wow session with this client. For the past few weeks, I've been hitting several snags and life seems to be at a cross road at this moment. So, speaking with them kinda brought different perspective and gave me a different view on life.

But I guess after 2 packs of ciggies (which I really regretted after kicking the habit for so long), loads of caffeine, finger food and tucking in at 3am for four consecutive nights have kinda taken a toll on me this morning. I woke up feeling nauseous and everything went downhill from there. Everything that I tried to eat today just came regurgitated out. It was an awful feeling. I guess I need to tuck in early today.

Anyway, this crazy cat was attacking me the whole time during our discussion.

Satanic look before he tries to eat your face.

My New Office

2008-10-13T12:54:00.002+08:00

In view of the excellent services rendered by Streamyx lately, I've decided to upgrade from my office suite to a larger, homelier and fun place. I've been working here for the past few days... as well as chatting and discussing business proposals. So, Malim, is "meals on wheels" a good idea? :-)

I've been restricted to only one Americano a day instead of three after the depressing headache incident. Juice sarjok hari ni... huhuhuhu

If only the patrons read the captions on the napkins. I saw this lady stuffing a whole bunch in her handbag. She must have a bad tummy ache.

A "Great" day ahead

2008-10-10T12:02:00.002+08:00

Today is going to be one of those great days. I woke up with a splitting migraine no thanks to my sincere effort to spend quality time with my best friend who's not so well of late. I ended up being kidnapped and hauled into downtown till the wee hours in the morning. Sick people can be so annoying sometimes! Sigh... As I pen this down, my medula oblongata is throbbing so badly that ripping of my face from the skull would probably feel like a walk in the park.

Because of the headache, I got up later than usual and found out that my iron has decided to die on me as well. So, now I'm wearing wrinkled up mixed cotton drill flat fronts, making me look like some hobo. I'm sure my staff must have thought that I had some exciting wild sex last night to have ended up looking like this.

It took me more than an hour to inch out of the main artery in front of my house because a group of guys decided that today is a good day to have an accident because 4 cars decided to join in the fun while the rest of Malaysians using that road stopped to view and cheer on the spectacular event. Unfortunately, I missed the fun, though I saw the glitter from broken glasses and a couple of bumpers on the side that was left for us to view and continue choking up the road.

And the icing on cake must have been Streamyx's decision to kill my line for 5 consecutive days. They must have sensed that we have been overworking our staff to the brink of death. Hence, decided to pull the line to give them a rest. That was most considerate of them! So, this morning, all correspondences with my worldwide network has come to a halt. Thank you TM for your great service!!!

BTW, I've decided not to post any pictures up today because I have this tingling feeling that the camera might explode in my face if I switched it on. All these wonderful events happened before 12pm.... Now where is that crawl space that I usually hide to die when I needed it???

Folk Art

2008-10-06T10:17:00.002+08:00

I once posted an entry saying that I did a bedroom makeover for a friend in exchange for 2 paintings. Well, being the procrastinator I'm well known for, I finally had them framed and got them hung at their designated wall.

These are actually folk art from the state of Bihar, India. They are very different from the typical art work you see for India. These are painted with natural dye and the paper is hand pressed.

Dancing women and cows. I blew up the picture for the details. They are actually very small.

Elephants in green. This is my favorite piece. I had it framed with an olive green padding and light cherry frame.

I've another bigger piece which will be going to my trusted framer soon.

Pose2 Raya Pertama

2008-10-01T08:00:00.001+08:00

Walaupun tak sambut Hari Raya, saya tetap dapat merasa kemeriahannya dengan menziarahi kengkawan yang tak berkampung macam saya nih. So, dapat jugak lah merasa rendang, ketupat, serunding dll. Takde lah kempunan katanya kan? So, sempena Raya2 nih, nak jugaklah saya berbaju Melayu siap ngan kain pelikat yang dihadiahkan oleh best friend.... Ahahaha!!! *Matilaa 0ver2 walaupon tak seleberet...

Mengada kan??? :-P

A gift from the heart

2008-09-27T19:13:00.003+08:00

I received a package 2 days ago from my best friend in conjunction with the coming Eid Fitri celebration. Even though I do not celebrate Eid Fitri, it was really thoughtful of him to include me in his list. Many thanks to Fiq for the beautiful kain pelikat and have a wonderful trip to Melbourne, Australia this coming week. I'm sure Dors will be surprised to see the entire family at her doorstep to celebrate Eid Fitri with her. :-)

Linen Kain Pelikat from Indonesia

I love it!!! ;)

To all my Muslim friends and readers, selamat menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri, maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Raya Cookies

2008-09-22T09:30:00.002+08:00

This weeks assignment is by far the most challenging for me. Wahdi, Malim, Ecah, Kasih and I have decided to make cookies for this coming Aidilfitri. Though I am not celebrating, but joining in the challenge was indeed fun for me. The rules laid out was simple.

1. We have to make 2 types of cookies.

2. The cookies have to be original (either created entirely by ourselves or modified to make it our own).

3. Steps have to be documented with pictures.

4. It has to be made ENTIRELY by ourselves with no help from anyone.

5. The final product have to be photo shot with full presentation.

For this challenge, I've decided to choose one that is technically challenging which I modified to make it my own, and the second which is simple but created entirely by myself. So here are my results.

My first cookie challenge is called Pandan Macarons. Macarons are a light and elegant cookie made famous by the House of Laduree and Pierre Herme in Paris. The process of making them is very challenging and one small mistake will spell disaster.

The process

The final product

For the second cookie, I've decided to create one from scratch. I wanted something simple but interesting and different. Hence, I proudly present my creation...

Chocolate oatmeal pouch surprise

The process

The final product

Makan...makan...makan...makan...makan...

2008-09-17T21:17:00.003+08:00

During this Ramadhan month, it seems like the favorite topic among my Muslim friends and I seems to be FOOD!!!! Wei!!! You guys are suppose to be fasting lah! Not thinking about food! LOL!!! Anyway, all this food talk did stir up quite an appetite for me as well. In fact, right after Modesto's, we head over to 888 Cafe again for tea. (*nasib baik I tak posa pon takpe!!! Hahahaha!) Just totally love this place!

My sago gula melaka. Yummy!!!

Diiringi dengan kopi O peng "kau" plak yer.

A brief history of the founder on one of the wall.

The interior of the cafe

Jalan Jalan

2008-09-17T18:59:00.003+08:00

Today is a public holiday for the State of Selangor. Yay!!!! Thought that I will have a relaxing day exploring around Sri Hartamas. How wrong was I!!!! The phone rang non stop from an irritating customer from morning till evening because they didn't bother to read our holiday notice and got caught with some issues. Anyway, I tried to have a good time exploring Plaza Damas and Hartamas Mall despite the non-stop phone buzzing away. Met G for lunch at Modestos Cafe.

Nice casual setting

My slice of Diavolla pizza

G's Hawaiian chicken pizza

Sedappppp!!!! Ehehehehe!!!!!!

Ponteng

2008-09-12T18:11:00.003+08:00

Had a meeting right after lunch with someone bordering anal (you know what I mean! Blek!) yesterday. Hence, after the meeting, I've decided to reward myself with some good ol' Sturbucks.

Feeling better??? I'm not sure... coz later today it's going to be showdown.

Dinner meeting

2008-09-12T17:57:00.004+08:00

I had a dinner meeting with my biz partners @ The Curve 2 days ago. Lots to discuss and digest even after a long day at the office. I guess that's life. Anyway, we had dinner at The Little Penang Cafe. Excellent choice for local dishes.

My order for the night... Penang style curry noodles

Food was excellent! Wish I can say the same with the meeting outcome. Lots more to digest...

A ray of light

2008-09-09T20:33:00.003+08:00

Last weekend while chilling at mom and dads, the electricity suddenly died on us. In fact it died on the entire neighborhood. Apparently TNB has decided to do some upgrading work at night at our expense of course. Anyway, when we were busy lighting up candles, I decided to take some pictures.

It's a good thing that the electricity shutdown was short....

Model shot

2008-09-07T23:10:00.004+08:00

It's time to practice and explore further on the camera. This time, I've decided to shoot something alive and moving. I looked high and low for a model and finally got a reluctant but fun guy to work with. He's good looking, has a killer look and also one hairy fella. This is Steve.

I'm Steve! Aren't I a good looking fella?

Check out my famous laughing pose! Or do you prefer my serious debonaire pose?

What about a side profile shot?

Do you think I'll be good enough to take the role of Lassie?

Alright... one last sexy pose.

OK!!! I'm done modelling. Can I have my dinner now???

Busy week

2008-09-07T23:03:00.002+08:00

The Ghost Festival is over and home deco business is getting busy again. So, site visitation and plans are piling up again. I guess it's back to the same ol' same ol'...

My trusty old lappy. Looking for inspiration on You Tube (yeah right!!!)

It's getting messy again.

My office "pet"

888

2008-09-02T22:27:00.002+08:00

After choosing the plants from the nursery at Sg Buloh, the clouds rolled in and thunder roared. So, G and I decided to pack up the plants in the car and head off to Kota Damansara for tea. There were many new cafes that sprung up around that area and we've never tried any one of them. So we just popped into one with the nearest parking space. This place is called 888 Cafe. It has a pretty cosy ambiance with clean white decor and dark tables and chairs. The menu was inclined towards Peranakan cuisine but we were there for tea. So, this was what we ordered...

Kopi "O"

A banana split sundae

Banana fritters with gula melaka glazing ala mode

I wasn't sure what this is called but it was complimentary after the waiter saw me taking pictures of our food. It's some sort of mousse dessert. Not bad eh? Hehehehe

A raised platform for diners

Price wise? very affordable for what we got. Will we come again? Definitely!!!!

A day at the garden

2008-09-02T00:46:00.004+08:00

G called me up this morning and asked whether I would be free to help him chose some plants at Sg Buloh for his new condo. Since it is a holiday, I instantly said yes! I also figured that after my disastrous gelato assignment, I should go back to basics and try shooting something simpler (and does not melt in our heat!!!). While G was busy choosing his plants, I took this opportunity to try out all my camera's manual settings. Several hours later, these are the results. I'm still not totally satisfied by them but I think they are much better than the frightful gelato photos though.

Tried some macro shots on these orchid hearts

These were to test on F numbers and exposures

Playing with the ISO meter

I'm still trying. The lesson continues....

Ice Cream

2008-08-31T16:41:00.005+08:00

This weekend, Malim and Wahdi have decided to work on a new assignment, which is taking pictures of ice cream. I was thrilled when they invited me to join in the challenge. In fact, this is a double challenge as we not only need to take pictures of ice cream, but to also MAKE the ice cream. Hence, the kitchen was busy again during the weekend. Since I do not have an ice cream maker, I've decided to improvise and made gelato instead. The initial plan was to create a strawberry cheese cake gelato , but I needed the cheese for something else. So, I've decided to go classic and conservative. I made chocolate gelato instead. It was a really simple recipe which I improvised to suit our climate condition. The gelato turned out great. How I wish I can say the same about the pictures. Still learning and LOTS to learn. Sigh...

My New Toy

2008-08-29T00:27:00.002+08:00

Yep... I finally joined the band wagon. I went to collect my new toy this evening after my meeting with a client. Made that extra effort even though it meant skipping lunch and braving the traffic into downtown KL. So here to the new baby...

Lots to learn... so, let the lesson begin! Err... after I've finished charging the battery first lah.

You're sick izzit??? Anyway since we are on the line...

2008-08-25T22:32:00.004+08:00

That's the exact words my clients used yesterday when I was down with the sniffles and heavy on mind altering drugs. I strongly feels that these people will still disturb me even my death bed. *Choy!!!!!!! Anyway, rest I did not get, that was for sure. I would not call the 30 second snooze between phone calls rest. So, sebab tensyen pon dah sampai tahap cipan, kepala I start ler bergeliga cannot stop. Sempat lagi buat dinner baked fish with garlic and herb sauce with saute mushrooms. Still, it wasn't good enough to make me stop thinking of those inconsiderate assh*les.

Lepas tuh... tangan I gatal lah need to vent out the frustration sebab tak dapat rehat kan... so, inilah akibatnya...

I "terbuat" tiramisu...:-P

Enough to last me a week. *Matilaa gemuk lepas nih.

Dangerous.... I need to find a healthier way to vent.

On strike

2008-08-25T09:29:00.002+08:00

My mind and body is going on strike again! My mind's not working right today (then again, when has it ever work right, right?) and the body is just....bleaaahhh!!!! It's probably due to my nose acting up again. Sinus problems are such a pain in the ass!!! So, no pics or recipes today unless you guys are interested in looking at a picture of a dripping nose or a recipe for a cold. Cheerios and keep warm! I need to go back to bed.

Kitchen

2008-08-20T18:02:00.002+08:00

Ok...ok... the oven is switched off! Otherwise the house will be on fire. Hehehehe...

Malim, wahdi, kasih and I were chatting online one day (*matilaa confirm malas tak keja) and one of the topics we discussed were kitchen designs.

To me the most important part of a house is firstly, the kitchen and second, the bathroom. But we'll talk about bathrooms another day. A well designed kitchen has to be firstly, user friendly, practical and suited to the user's need. There is really no need to overcrowd the kitchen with the most expensive equipment if you are not going to be doing much cooking. What is important is to make sure that the kitchen is airy, bright and have adequate storage space.

As for color and design, I guess most of them favored a white sleek, minimalist kitchen. While I'd love to have a white kitchen, but in terms of practicality, my cooking style and most certainly our weather condition, I decided to go for a darker tone instead. So, here is my kitchen which was design to my needs.

The cabinets are dark walnut laminates and the accent wall units are birch laminates. I chose Indesit appliances for the hood, hob and built-in oven.

The other end of the cabinets with a tall pantry at the end.

Since the design of the kitchen is long and narrow, the fridge has to be placed across from the cabinets as a stand alone unit.

670 liters occay!!! Kiasu kan????

Firing up the oven

2008-08-17T22:02:00.003+08:00

Hi ya'll! Got back from Ipoh after the funeral and arrived back in KL somewhere late evening. I dropped mom and dad off at their house after a very early dinner and decided to go back home to freshen up.

One thing that I used to do when a lot is in my head was to fire up the oven and start baking something. It can be anything... home made pizza, bread, cupcakes...etc. I find it therapeutic and able to focus on the problem solving while my hands are working up a storm in the kitchen. Anyway, I needed this therapy today and this is what I made for tomorrow's breakfast.

What's in the oven?? Let's look closer....

English Buttermilk Scones!!! An extended (and kinda desperate) reminiscence of the not too long ago Cameron Highlands trip.

Taa daa!!! They're done!!!! 20 minutes tops.

I've decided to whip some cream to go with it and the strawberry jam bought from CH.

I can't wait to savor these baby's for breakfast tomorrow. Hehehehe...

Busy and emergency

2008-08-16T09:43:00.002+08:00

Hi boys and girls! Sorry for the hiatus... there has been some out of this world crazy issue I had to settle for this client. So, paham paham sajork la yer? Hopefully boleh settle as soon as possible. Tambahan plak, mom just called and said that we need to go to Ipoh soonest possible today because there's a funeral to attend plak. No worries, an uncle who has been ill for a while has passed on. God rest his soul. At least he is not suffering anymore. Therefore, korang layan gambar cactus nih dulu yer? I update entry yang selanjutnya lepas I balik Sunday nih.

Red corderoy

These are not cabbages!!! ;-P

Yellow corderoy

Macam batu kan?

Kalu terpeleot jatuh atas garden nih kan, rasa sakit tak???

L'escape Petit Duex

2008-08-12T17:13:00.005+08:00

We started the hike up at around 11 am from the carpark and the walk was initially pretty easy and flat. We even joked about how easy this was going to be and laughed at those "dainty" ones who took the easy way by driving up and kinda got caught when one car is coming down and the other going up. Jalan dia sempit betul!

We took a short rest at the half way mark and I went camera happy. There's actually people staying up here, by the way.

Cute and colorful Boh quarters at the halfway mark.

The view!!!! OMG, I didn't want to leave!!! Don't you just want to burst out in song? "The hills are alive......with the sound of music!!!!!!!....Laaaa...lalalalala...." LOL!!!!!

Ada kambing yer... curry anyone?

The trek became more difficult and arduous once we resume from the halfway mark. Thank God for the spectacular view that has distracted us from our labored panting and wheezing. *Matilaa sooooo unfit!!!!

This was another scenery that was taken while we took another short rest.

We saw this house cum gudang (warehouse) at the 3 km mark. I thought it was so pretty, so I took a picture of it in color and another in amber (sepia) setting for an aged look.

It's secondary jungle from here onwards...

And the scenery changes drastically....so did the temperature...

Some wild flowers and mushroom along the way...

Finally... we see the end of the road... the observatory tower and the micro station.

The sign (badly defaced) Huhuhuhu...

We decided to climb the tower...

And this is the view from the top. The clouds started closing in. So, the picture was really cloudy.

It took us a total of 4 hours to go up and down. It was tiring as hell, but heck... We made it!!!! We celebrated by chomping down copious amount of strawberries bought from the pasar malam. They were really cheap. RM10 for 1.5 kilos!!! Must be in season. :-)

L'escape Petit

2008-08-11T21:44:00.008+08:00

It's been a week since I've updated this shrine of mine. Last week was filled with activities that I'd wish I can have the convenience of a drag and pull into the trash. How I wish!!! Bloody clients are so fickle and now I've to change the entire plans because now the place has an additional floor. Like, "what the f**k?" Don't you guys finalize how the house look like before you built it??? The haze's annual visit to the Klang Valley was also not helping the sinuses either. So, just as when things were about to look like dooms day, SP called and requested that we get away before we choke ourselves to death with the haze. So, at a spur of the moment, I gassed up the baby elephant and packed a quick bag. Off we took the baby elephant to Cameron Highlands!

What a great place to get away from the stifling heat and haze!!!! Cameron Highlands has always been dear to me.

Who wouldn't love the old world charm of colorful flowers...

fresh, crisp vegetables...

highland tea and strawberries!!!

I'd wanted to stay at Bala's Holiday Chalet again but this time round, his wife picked up the phone and spoke like she hasn't been getting it for a year. So, in return for her attitude, we stayed here instead!

Sorry Bala, you may have the most fabulous gardens in CH, but your wife's got a BAADDDDD attitude! *Merasakan ko, bisnes ko mesti lingkup nye!

The lobby and chandelier. *Matilaa chandelier fetish nih.

Actually, we didn't really care much about the hotel. There were two reasons for this trip. One, to compensate on the pictures that I didn't take last year because I left it at home.

Ada periuk kera for sale yer.

And secondly, to pay homage to the most beautiful place on earth, the Sungai Palas Boh Plantation.

This is how narrow the access road into the plantation is. BTW, this is a two way road, occay!!! Imagine having to maneuver my baby elephant on this. On to the right of the photo is a 90 deg. angle drop filled with tea bushes.

But the view is to die for.

We parked at the Visitor Centre's car park and began our hike from there.

Apakah ini di car park itteww??? Hehehehehehe...

The hanging Boh Tea house.

Camera Cap Ayam nih cepat confuse bila kabus masuk. Itulah gambar nih standard masuk longkangnya type.

This time, we have decided to hike all the way up Gunung Brinchang, which is the highest point in Cameron Highlands which is within the plantation. The entire hike is actually only 10 km to the top, but since certain areas are really steep, it will take about 2-3 hours to reach it, depending on stamina. Actually, you can drive all the way up and it will take only 30 mins but that kinda defeats the purpose of mendaki gunung lah, kan??!! Besides, it will be suicidal to take the baby elephant up this steep and extremely narrow road. In fact, this is the highest point in Peninsula Malaysia that you can drive up.

So, here we go... Dapatkah kami mendaki gunung yang tinggi itteww??? Stay tuned...

Random work

2008-08-05T22:32:00.003+08:00

These are some random work I've done before. *Matilaa promo habis nih. Not exactly my best work but interesting enough. I like the lighting effects on this small project.

This is the main feature wall with a suspended console

This is a suspended shoe cabinet. The top cabinet hides the fuse box and main power switch.

Spin cycles and BOWS

2008-08-01T16:46:00.008+08:00

There goes my stomach again, doing the spin cycle. As usual, with my itchy hands and backside *oops! I went to eat roti telur for lunch yesterday. So, the entire evening was spent in the toilet sitting on the throne. So, for dinner, I have no choice but to cook and eat in. I've decided to go for dishes which I've not had for a long time. These are Peranakan dishes which are no longer in vogue and sometimes very difficult to find in restaurants. I remember mom making them so very often, once upon a time. Simple but extremely delicious! So, here's to reliving those childhood moments...

Nasi kukus ikan masin (Steamed rice with dried salted fish). Love this dish, especially with lots of dried shrimps. Yummy!!!!

Cencaru goreng kunyit sumbat sambal belacan (Fried hardtail scad with stuffed chilli and shrimp paste) I know my kitchen will smell of fish for the next two days, but what the heck??!! Sedap nye pasal, semua pon boleh!

This one is the only non-traditional dish, but one of my favorite, non the less. Stir fry green sprouts with garlic. Simple and delicious!

After dinner, to cleanse the system, I made myself some tea. Teh ape tuh???

Inilah ginseng flower tea. *Yelah... nama pon dah ginseng kan??!!! Kena lah promote ginseng sket! LOL!

Love the smell and taste of this tea.

My tea ladies...

I'm taking a break from work. Had to deal with too many BOWS (Block of woods) today. Buat sakit hati jer. Looks like there will be traveling itinerary coming my way again too. Too bad it'll be for work again. Stay tuned.

Oliver!

2008-07-30T15:07:00.003+08:00

I better get this out before it gets stale...:-P

Like most major cities, Manila is a hodge podge mixture of rich and poor. However, after seeing how the poor live in Manila, I'm have to be very thankful that we actually live pretty well in Malaysia, despite having our own struggles and issues.

As you stroll around the city (except for Makati CBD), you find many street kids wondering around looking for scraps to eat. Some of these kids will be exploited as laborers in construction site with very low income and no health and safety benefits.

Still, they find happiness from whatever little things they have.

Street kids playing at the fountain square in front of Manila Cathedral.

Boy bathing at a side street.

Kesian jugak tengok diorang. Happy sungguh diorang bila kami tapau makanan kasi diorang. And very polite! Siap ucap thank you lagi!

Jom naik!!!!

2008-07-24T17:22:00.005+08:00

Once upon a time, we used to have beca (trishaws) as cheap mode of public transport in major towns in Malaysia. Beca's are essentially full sized bicycles with an added trolley on the side which can fit 2 person comfortably. They were cheap and did it's job if one's distance isn't too far away. As times go by and public transport became faster and more comfortable (notice I didn't put in efficient??? Ehehehehe), the demand for these trishaws became less. Now, beca's exist solely as a tourist attraction and can only be found in cities like Malacca and Georgetown, Penang. Also, they are no longer cheap.

The beauty about traveling is, we get to compare notes on how people from different parts of the world work, travel and play. Since travel is the operative word here, lets see what the Philippines have to offer.

The jeepney or jeep for short, is by far the most interesting mode of transport I've seen, so far. Much more interesting that the "Tuk tuk" in Thailand. Not only because of it's extrovert decor and the family name emblazoned on every side, but also the history on how the jeepney came into the picture as a means of transport and eventually became a Philippines icon.

The jeep was created right after WWII, when the Japs were successfully rid off and the American troops came into the picture. There were a lot of abandoned military equipment and trucks left behind to rot. As the city was in the process of rebuilding, transport became an issue. So, a bunch of people actually began to cannibalize these trucks and the engines, and began joining scraps of metal together. The result was, the first original jeepney!!! I think this is the only transport that originated from recycling materials. Of course, the modern jeepneys are no longer build with scrap metals. They are now properly manufactured and sold in showrooms, like any other cars.

The passengers will sit at the back and the fares are passed along to the driver with the help of the other passengers. Very gotong-royong, kan?

They have specific routes, just like a bus but they travel within a shorter radius. The average fair is only 8.50 Pesos per person, which is 64 sen.

What is this???? This is actually called a tricycle. Almost like the beca, but much more smaller since they use BMX bikes. * Matilaa so the 80's occay! This one is more sophisticated since he can afford to use a motorbike instead of a bicycle.

Haaaa.... this is not for show okay??!!! And neither is this for tourist attraction alone. This is actually one of the regular transport available in Manila!!! A horse cart... obviously a relic from the Spanish occupation, is a very common means of transport in this city. The cart sits 2, excluding the driver/ horseman, whatever you call him lah! Like the jeepneys, they also run specific routes. Interesting, kan???

Where it all started - Intramuros

2008-07-22T22:42:00.007+08:00

OK... work problem solved. Lets get back to continuing with the journey, shall we? Although it was fun to be chauffeured from one mall to another in between meetings, this particular excursion was my favorite. No, it wasn't to another mall (Manila citizens sure love their malls!) For me, being able to experience a piece of history in a place is much more fulfilling than any shopping malls combined.

I had the chance to visit Intramuros on my last day in Manila. This is where it all started. Intramuros, which means "Within the walls" is the original Manila city, built by the Spanish 400 years ago. It was literally a walled city, where the Spanish ruled and lived, exclusively inside these walls. The locals were not allowed into the walled city then. Intramuros did not change very much throughout the 400 years until World War II, when most parts of Intramuros was massively destroyed when the Americans bombed the place flat, in order to get rid of the Japanese. However, some buildings survived while many were restored so that we would be able to catch a glimpse of how the Spanish lived during their ruling. Interesting thing is, this walled city is still very much in use today as most of Manila's City Council offices are situated in here.

The main entrance to the walled city

One of the fort bunkers

A bronze statue of Queen Katherine of Spain erected at the last gate ever built, leading into the city

A typical building facade inside Intramuros. Very Parisian, isn't it?

These are replica's of original building destroyed by the WWII bombs. The brown building used to be a Convent. It is now an art gallery cum museum.

Die!!!! Die!!!! Die!!!! Hehehehehe.... a wooden statue of Angel Gabriel banishing the devil, which was salvaged from the previous ruins.

Some artwork exhibit featuring local artists

An interesting mother of pearl curtain

A courtyard inside the building with a well right in the center.

A close up shot of the well's Fleur De Lis wrought iron crown details

One of the ornate doors of St. Augustine church. The only intact building after the WWII bombing. This building is more than 400 years old and was built with a typical Renaissance Period fashion.

Inside St. Augustine church. Notice the fresco's on the ceiling and walls. They are actually painted to look like plasterwork.

One of the newer buildings rebuilt to replicate the original ones. Cantik detailing dia.

And a grim reminder of what was destroyed.

Contrast between old and new

The dome of Manila Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Philippines. Roman Catholic is the main religion in the Philippines. Around 80% of Filipinos are Roman Catholics.

Main entrance to the Cathedral

This tower is the only original part of the Cathedral that is standing today. The rest of the Cathedral was rebuilt new after the building collapsed during a massive earthquake during the 1800's. This tower is also about 400 years old.

The Governor of Manila's office.

Busy!!!!

2008-07-21T09:31:00.003+08:00

Hayoo.... been so busy of late with some unexpected events from the shipping biz. Can't really say that it adds up to life excitement if all it ever does is raise my blood pressure. Anyway, will be continuing my posts again once I solve this issue I have in hand. Sabar yer?

Ayala Centre, Makati City

2008-07-16T10:37:00.004+08:00

This place must hold the most expensive real estate pricing in Metro Manila, if not, the entire Philippines. The entire Makati City area is actually owned by a family named Zobel de Ayala. They are one of the richest people in the world and are possibly the only family in the Philippines related to the Spanish Royal family. Imagine your family owning an entire city!!! The land are leased from the family and the developers (which are affiliated companies of the family, of course!) in return sell their property by per square feet quoted only in US Dollars. They told me that the average price stands at USD1200/ sq ft! Crazy!!! Anyway, I managed to stroll around Ayala Centre, which houses several malls conjoining each other like a long snake. These malls houses famous couture labels and high fashion houses. Out of my budget punya tempat!!! Anyway, I enjoyed snapping away with the camera on the many art work inside the this mall.

But first, makan first lah, kan??? Perut dah lapar...

This is inside Greenbelt 3, one of the many conjoining malls.

Inside the restaurant

Detail work on the restaurant staircase

The pub next door to the restaurant

The padestrian walkway along Greenbelt 3

A carabou (kerbau) inside Greenbelt

Another bronze artwork...bebudak main tarik tali

There's a church smack right in the center of the of mall.

A view of one of Makati's luxury condos

Krispy Kreme @ Greenhills

2008-07-12T13:25:00.003+08:00

In KL we already have Big Apple Donuts and JCo. Both are good (if you have a sweet tooth lah). But I've never tried Krispy Kreme before. Stumbled upon an outlet in Greenhills Mall. Since it was 3pm, apa lagi??? Harus ler hentam kau kau minum petang, betul tak???? Jom makan???!!!

Time for some sugar rush!!!

All the different types of donuts. They give every a glazed donut (free tau!) to munch on while choosing the ones you want.

The drink section

Ordered these yummies...

This is my favorite... New Yorker Cheese Cake.

Perfect with the donuts. A Long black coffee.

That was satisfying... On with the shopping!!! Muahahahaha!!!

Malate, Divisoria & Greenhills

2008-07-10T09:47:00.009+08:00

After 12 hours of non-stop traveling ala Amazing Race, I decided to tuck in early so that I will be able to wake up fresh the next day to explore the city and then later in the evening, meet up with my prospective suppliers for dinner. One thing that I've discovered about the Philippines is that food here isn't that great. Bummer! Well, at least to my tongue, it isn't. They tend to eat a lot of greasy, deep fried food. They also like their food drenched with a lot of salt or vinegar (which I'm allergic to). Pork meat and rice is also a big part of their meal. They eat A LOT of it!!! Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think most Filipino's eat 3 times more rice than an average Malaysian.

Anyway, the place where I stayed, Malate, used to be an area exclusive to the Spaniards during the Spanish rule. However, as years gone by, the place has transformed and is now known as the the watering hole and party place in Manila. Malate is also know as Little Tokyo and Little Korea, since many Japanese and Koreans have since settled around this areas to set up their businesses.

Stumbled upon this huge Chinese Temple 2 doors away from my hotel.

Close up of the fresco paintings on the roof gables

I then went off to Divisoria, which is actually a connecting section of Chinatown in Manila. This is where the wholesalers market are located. There are lots of fabric materials as well as clothing for sale here.

One of the restored buildings in Divisoria

A shop selling religious items

Santo Nino, a local patron Saint

Next, I braved the traffic towards the other end of Manila to San Juan City, where Greenhills is located. Greenhills is another wholesaler market selling everything and anything under the sun. The complex is huge and newer that the one in Divisoria.

Greenhills Promenade. Lot's of international brands here.

Lots of food too. They even have Penang food!

I was told that this place is good for home interior shopping as well as those who have bags and pearls fetish. Since I'm more of the "home boy" person, this is what I found interesting...

Nice embroidered canvass pillow cases.

With matching drapes and table runners

Love this chandelier stall!

They even sell replacement crystal pendants for the chandeliers

I love this local mahogany table and chair set. It's not a knock down unit. The whole set is solid wood.

Very good quality finishing too. The price is actually very reasonable. Only RM1200!

Another nice piece of furniture. Also solid Philippine Mahogany.

Absolutely fell in love with this candle holder. Apa lagi, terus beli untuk sendiri! Hehehehe!

I think this is the only trip where I did all my shopping in Day 1. :-P Lepas tuh, terus makan loti lor!!! Huhuhu!!!

From KL to Clark Field

2008-07-09T12:08:00.004+08:00

While everyone were still snoozing comfortably in bed, I was awake by 3.30 am to make sure that I don't miss my flight at 7.45 am to Clark Field, Manila. Hayoo.... so seksa ok???!!! Yes, I'm making my first ever trip to the land of Jeepneys, Tricycles and Lechon. Anyway, I took a cab from home to KL Sentral and boarded the 4 am bus to LCCT. What to do? Budget tight, sebab gawat kan? Anyway, the trip on board the bus was uneventful and I managed to catch 40 winks before we arrived at the LCC (Low Cost Carrier) Terminal. It was 5 am and I've not have my coffee. The Coffee Bean was closed and the only place with coffee is...

MickeyDee's!!! At this hour, I'll take any coffee to wake me up. :-P

Passport...Check! Boarding pass... Check! Custom's declaration... Check! All set to go!

The flight took off on time and the rest of the 4 hour journey was spent in La La Land. Penat okey, bangun awal awal nih???!!! We arrived at around 11.45 am at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at Clark Field. This airport used to be the United States Air Force Base.

Hujan masa sampai...huhuhuhu...

I then took a bus from Clark to Manila which took about 2 hours journey. After that long journey, we finally arrived at SM Megamall at Ortigas. From there, it would be another 2 changes of trains before I arrived at the place which I was to call home for 5 days, Malate.

This is where I stayed. It used to be a Spaniard's Mansion before it was converted into a hotel

The entire journey from home to Malate took me 12 hours!!! Gila babi!!! I'm taking MAS if I ever need to come hear again....

Lots of Jeepneys along the way

Ayam Bag!!

2008-07-08T15:35:00.005+08:00

Yes!!! I'm back!!!! Got back last evening after a long tiring journey of taxis, train rides and flight. Alas, the body decided to retaliate and I broke down with fever last night. This morning, I couldn't get out of bed since I was aching all over. So, I took the day off to recover from my vacation. *Matilaa vacation tak habis habis. Where did I go? This is where I went...

Manakah ini??? Stay tune...

Hiatus

2008-07-02T12:06:00.003+08:00

The little project for a friend has completed and she was extremely happy about it. It was only one bedroom, but nevertheless, it worked fabulously *matilaa perasan hehehe. There's only the timber borders that needed painting and probably some stencil work, which she wanted to do herself. So, in exchange for this small service, I was rewarded with not one, but TWO paintings, which I have been eyeing on for a long time. I've just sent them off to the framers and they should be ready in a week or two. I can't wait to see them in their custom frames. I'll be posting up the pictures once they are ready.

Also, I'll be leaving the country again tomorrow and will be back by next Tuesday. I needed this break. But as usual, there will be a little business matter that is thrown into the trip. Nak tau I pergi mana? Stay tune, ok?

Line up

2008-07-01T09:40:00.002+08:00

Finally!!! Streamyx is up again at home. We have some real genius working at the telephone company. At first, it is the line problem... "So, please wait for 3 days so that we can solve the technical glitch." Then after 3 days, "Sorry sir, there is nothing wrong with your line." Perhaps it is your modem. " Last, last, it's the spliter problem... RM3 punya pasal, 3 hari takde line kat rumah. Geram!!!!

A breath of fresh air

2008-06-28T10:23:00.004+08:00

Yeeeh...yeehh..... finally project VWM is done.... payment pon dah dapat. What is more important, the client is very pleased with the results. Especially the living room drapes and the string curtain effects. This is the first retro-style home I did this year. Very challenging but nevertheless, fun! Am glad I requested for the additional time extension since I was not happy at all with the living room drapes the first time it was put up. So, kena lah take down and get my staff to rework on that piece to ensure that it was perfect. Ye lah kan, people pay premium for my work, so I've to ensure that they are satisfied with the results. Happy lah sangat!!! Today, another one more small project to settle. This one's for a friend. I'm bartering my services for some paintings. Interesting combo ya?

Mushed

2008-06-27T09:39:00.003+08:00

This non-stop working thing is not doing me any good. It's starting to show this morning because my mind is not in tuned with my body movement. My mind is like 3 steps faster than the body. It feels really weird, because it's like having an out of body experience . I can't wait for this week to be over. It's just too much to bear. At least the unit in VWM is almost completed. Just one more pair of curtains that needed some slight tweaking. I'd rather be here right now.

Isn't this great?

Somber mood

2008-06-26T12:26:00.002+08:00

This week hasn't gone well at all. Today is no better. It's bad enough having to work almost 18 hours straight yesterday that I have to face another dilemma.

I guess most people know there are certain risks in doing everything, including maintaining a blog. I learned today that penning down one's thoughts aloud can sometimes unintentionally hurt or cause someone to be in trouble. In this case, it was a good friend (you know who you are). I feel bad about it and the only thing I can say is that I am sincerely sorry that it had to happen that way. Perhaps I should have been more discreet or I should have just shut my mouth for good.

I don't know if this is going to help at all, but it will definitely make me think twice before penning my thoughts. Wonder how much more screw ups I am going to make before the week ends.

Mood: Distracted, dissapointed, sad, confused. :-(

Peak and Valleys

2008-06-25T09:43:00.002+08:00

My brain is currently working like this chart. It has it's ups and it has it's down. Today is a down. In fact it may be going in tandem with the red line! WAAHHHH!!!! I think I took my stupid pills instead of the clever pills this morning. I had this feeling that I was missing something the entire morning while fixing breakfast and watering the plants. Normally it is the cell phones that I will always forget, but no. I had them tucked in my pocket. Well, I drove away and felt like something was dreadfully wrong. Halfway through, I realized what I've forgotten.....
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My Glasses!!!! **Matilaaa setengah rabun hari nih!!!

It's going to be another looooooooooong day!

Gridlock!

2008-06-24T10:13:00.002+08:00

Despite the fuel price hike of up to 63%, most commuters still do not have a choice (or luxury, these days) of access to convenient public transport from their home to work.

The jam along Jalan Kemajuan this morning

Anyone looking for a foreign worker???

The traffic is still bad despite having a traffic police manning the cross junction

Well, managed to get to the office in one piece. Back to the same ol' same ol'...

Last night

2008-06-24T09:53:00.003+08:00

Came back pretty late last night since there was some glitch on some last minute work stuff. I didn't feel like working out a storm in the kitchen since I was tired. Nevertheless, since I said that I will make dinner at home now, so, this is it lah...

Instant vegetarian noodles. Sedeh!!!!

Everything seems to be very quiet and still though, last night. Almost Zen like. I enjoyed the calmness while it lasted.

Itchy hands

2008-06-22T21:27:00.002+08:00

I have itchy hands... I've decided to change/update my blog's look to make it more umm... snazzy. Yeah right!!! Because of that, I lost like a whole bunch of stuff. Site meter oso dunno how to put back. Arrgghhhh!!! Serve me right! :-(

Chicken soup for the soul?

2008-06-21T09:31:00.003+08:00

Hayoo.... here we are talking about food again. I don't think all those serious weight watching and keeping the waistline intact and tummy flat is going to work anymore. Hehehehe... Well, as I was saying, I made some Chinese herbal chicken soup for dinner. Coupled with that, I 've decided to do something that is very foreign in my kitchen, which was to make "steamed-one-dished-rice." Literally translated from a Chinese word, meaning an all-in-one meal. Well, it may be quite a common meal to many other household, particularly the Chinese, but you see, I'm part Peranakan. So, that means I grew up with elaborate, spicy and robust tasting dishes. So, this is something new to me. Nevertheless, I tried my hands on this simple dish.

Fresh from the steamer. Steamed egg custard (chawanmushi) with dori fillet and wolfberries. Steamed rice with salted fish, ginger slices, Chinese greens and enoki mushrooms

Chinese chicken herbal soup

What's cooking inside?

After that, must have dessert lah, kan??? So, this is what's been cooking inside the crock pot all night! Bubur pulut hitam with kacang merah. I like this version better than the pure black glutinous rice.
I still remembered a friend from the States commenting that this dish looked like road kill. LOL! But, after tasting it, he changed his mind. He got hooked on to it! Hahahahaha!!! Itulah, don't judge a book by it's cover! Kan?

BTW, since Malim asked for the soup recipe, here it is.

Chinese Herbal Chicken Soup

1 whole free range chicken (ayam kampung) skinned and cut up. If free range is not available, get a mid-sized chicken and make sure that all the skin and fat is removed.
1 packet of chicken soup herbs (You can probably get this in a Chinese medicinal shop at Chinatown. Try looking for the A1 brand if you can. These are vegetarian products, so, I guess they are halal. I bought mine at Giant's regular shelves. )
20 pcs dried wolfberries (kei chee)
8-10 pitted Chinese red dates
5-6 pcs dried longan fruit

Fill up a medium sized stock pot with enough water to cover the chicken and put to boil.
Once water starts to boil, put in the chicken and let the chicken boil on high fire until all the fat starts to float. This is important to achieve a clear consistency broth. You have to start skimming off the fat from the soup at this point. Skim off as much as you can. This is one of the primary reason why a free range chicken is preferred for Oriental soups. They have very little fat. Once done, put the rest of the ingredients into the pot and simmer under low fire for at least 2 hours. Season with salt to taste and serve hot.

Good luck in trying!

Midnight slave

2008-06-20T16:33:00.002+08:00

Wookay!!!! So, the kitchen is open again. Hehehehe.. I thought that since I needed something "nutritious," I decided to make some Chinese herbal chicken soup. Nothing fancy or difficult. So, got the ingredients and decided to make it the night before, so that I don't have to wait for it to cook today. So, dengan gigih nye, I started cutting up the chicken and preparing the herbs at 10pm. At the same time, I decided that I wanted some desert as well. So, masak lah jugak bubur pulut hitam, which was my first attempt. I dumped everything into the crock pot, by the way. After honing both the soups, I took a glimpse at the clock and it was 1 AM!!!!! Hayoooo!!! Masak soup oso that long!!!

So, I cleaned everything up, but the bubur pulut hitam was not even half cooked! I was afraid to leave it overnight after hearing horror stories from my sister saying that she burnt her's pitch black because she left her crock pot on overnight. But since I was too tired to wait, I took the chance by leaving it on (it was "low," of course) and went to bed. Lucky thing this morning, it was totally cooked and it wasn't burned. :-) However, it was a real bitch waking up this morning after slaving over the stove at night. This is worse than the 18th century!!! :-(

Will post the pics here soon. I found back my camera. Blek!

Kitchen closed for the day

2008-06-19T09:34:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, I decided to take a break from the kitchen. I figured that there was just too much drama to handle, if I were to attempt another one of my slap stick tactics in the kitchen again. Besides, the day didn't go exactly very well also. Felt like the Big Boss above has either decided to test my almost non-existence patience level, or he wanted to have a little comedy, so as usual he has to pick his celestial court jester (aka moi lah!)

Anyway, by the time I dropped off the materials to my seamstresses, it was already 6pm and I've decided to treat myself at this little Japanese restaurant (can't recall the name since the brain's a little "lembek" this morning) at The Curve. I ordered their chicken Katsu set. Food's not bad (the chicken was a little hard though) on the overall and quite value for money. I would love to start taking pictures for this blog but I've to start looking for my camera. I actually can't recall where I left it. I also lost my thumb drive. Sigh!!!

After that, I went straight to Cine Leisure to catch "The Incredible Hulk, which was quite a rave among my neighbors and friend's opinion. It wasn't bad and I liked the CGI works, which was very realistic. The movie was a non-stop action packed thriller. Only part that was a bit "terpesong" was towards the ending, when "Mr Blue" suddenly became "bad." Also, how did Bruce came into contact with him since he was always on the run? Well, let's wait for the sequel,
shall we?

Another misadventure in the kitchen

2008-06-18T09:20:00.003+08:00

Yesterday was definitely not one of my greatest days. I was not in the mood for anything and my mind has just decided to stop functioning. Now I know how it feels to be stupid (if there is such a thing, lah!) Anyways, I ambled myself to Starbucks again for some Java therapy and thought that a change of scenery might do me good. Well, it did perk me up a little but I was still too lazy to do anything else. I should have been on my toes ordering the curtain materials as well as the string curtains for my seamstresses to work on it. The dateline is coming up soon. But alas, I procrastinated again. Seeing that I was not going anywhere with my "self-negotiating"tactics, I decided it was best to just go home and make dinner. I took the chicken chops which were marinated the night before and heated the oven so I can pop them chicks in. Made a side salad with home made honey dijon mustard dressing too. Everything turned out great except..... THE GRAVY!!!!! Hayoooo!!!! How can anyone screw up gravy???? Well, I guess after such a long hiatus from the kitchen, these mis-adventures are bound to happen, kan??? kan??? kan???? BTW, Knorr's Barbeque sauce sucks! Wonder when in the world are they going to replenish those yummy Heinz Barbecue sauce???

hoo hum...

2008-06-17T14:18:00.002+08:00

It's one those days again... it's not even the middle of the week and I feel like crawling into a hole and die. It was just last Saturday, I felt like I was on top of the world and today, I feel like the pits. Sigh.... I'm not sure if this is a clear sign of burn out or I am just giving myself lots of excuse because I'm plain lazy. I lose focus so easily nowadays and work don't excite me anymore. It's plain boring stuff now. Wonder how am I going to continue those projects with this attitude. It's bad...it's bad..... what am I to do?????

The kitchen is open

2008-06-14T09:59:00.003+08:00

Since the increase in fuel prices, I've decided to revisit the kitchen stove which has been long abandoned (my gas tank is more than 1 year old, ok!) for quite a while. I guess it is a good thing because my stomach has been reduced to a slime producing machine during the time when I decided to hang up the "senduk" and "kuali" for good to eat out everyday, in return for some personal time.

Anyway, after almost a year of not touching the stove, naturally, it takes a while to get used to cooking again. First attempt was really bad. Too much salt on everything. I might as well eat ikan masin and "harm choy." Second attempt was suppose to be easier, since it was Western style grilled chicken. Ended up cleaning the entire kitchen for 3 hours because I came back late and decided the frying pan was faster than the oven. So, go figure what happened to the kitchen floor after the frying pan decided to do a fireworks display. The chicken ended up kinda charred on the outside. I'll call it "Blackened Chicken." Hahahahaha!!!

Yesterday was much better. I've decided to go for Asian again. Fried a fish stuffed with sambal belacan, made some stir fry broccoli and some baked beans. Everything turned out nice. Only annoying thing is cleaning up the stove after that and the smell of fried fish lingering in the kitchen till this morning. Sigh... Whatever it is, it's much better than eating outside and then, having to pop those pills every so often when my stomach decided to do the spin cycle.

Cuti cuti Malaysia!!!

2008-06-12T12:30:00.002+08:00

I find this article in The Star Online extremely hilarious but at the same time very real to those who are familiar with people who are from BN Land. Read ahead...

Thursday June 12, 2008

Suffer the children ... of some

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM

Without exotic foreign holidays, life will no longer be the same.

The sun was setting as the Proton Perdana crunched up the gravel driveway of the bungalow on Jalan Kia Peng. The man sitting in the back seat was oblivious to the gentle glow of dusk that bathed the large well-manicured gardens.

His heart felt heavy and his stomach was knotted.

He was going to break their hearts and there was no way out.

“We are here, sir.”

The voice of the driver shook him out of his deep thoughts. With a barely audible grunt of thanks, he stepped out and with leaden feet walked towards the door.

Before he reached it, the huge oak edifices swung open. A small woman in a blue uniform retrieved his suitcase and collected his shoes as he slipped them off. He hardly noticed her, either.

From within the house, there were sounds of a loud X Box game in progress and young children shouting. The man walked into the living room. Expensive Italian furniture was arranged around a 40-inch plasma TV, its sleek modernity a stark contrast to the gaudiness of the sofas and armchairs.

A boy and a girl were transfixed by the screen, watching monsters get beheaded. A woman lounged in an armchair, her diamonds glittering.

“Listen, everybody, I must speak to you,” said the man.

“Not now, Papa, we are reaching level five,” said the boy.

“No, now,” said the man.

The sombre tone of his voice cut through the shrill screams from the video game. The children and the woman looked to the man, their normal indifference suddenly replaced by unfamiliar concern.

Seating himself, the man leaned on his elbows and stared at the floor.

In a voice quivering with barely suppressed emotion, he started to speak.

“Darling, children, I am afraid we can’t go to Orlando Disneyland this year.”

“Where are we going then?” asked the girl. “England? Europe?”

“We can only go to somewhere in Asean.”

The gasps from the family just about drowned out the crack in his voice as he finished his sentence. Then the barrage of questions started. Why? What happened? How can this be?

As the voices rose to a crescendo, the man snapped, tears running down his face as he screamed, “The oil price has gone up and we can’t go on holidays around the world any more!”

“But, darling,” said the woman, “I already told the girls I would bring back for them oranges from Florida. How can I face them in Carcosa at our high tea tomorrow?”

“Papa, you promised Disneyland. I hate you! I hate you!” shrieked the boy as he stormed out of the room.

“Wait, boy!” he called out. “You must try to understand. The whole nation is suffering. We must make sacrifices. It is for the good of the country and for the future.”

But it was too late; the boy had already disappeared into his bedroom. Soon, the sound of heavy rap played at full volume could be heard.

“Oh, darling. Think about the children. How are they going to face their friends at the international school? Where are we going to go on holiday?”

The man wiped away his tears of frustration and held his head as he thought of what to say.

Suddenly, he looked up and with a smile bordering on the maniacal, he said: “What about Singapore? Or we can even go local. Let’s go to A Famosa in Malacca. It’s fun, they have a theme park and an animal and cowboy show. Malaysia Truly Asia! Heh heh heh ...”

His laugh petered out as the girl and the woman stared at him icily, slicing through his forced jollity.

For the longest while, nothing was said. Then the rap music abruptly stopped. The three looked up as the boy walked back to them.

“I understand sacrifice, Papa. And I think I have the solution,” he said.

The family stared at him, hope shining in their eyes. “We can all go to Hong Kong Disneyland!” he exclaimed excitedly.

The man broke down again and buried his face in his hands. Between his gasping sobs, he cried,

“Oh, my son, my poor, poor boy. Don’t you know? Hong Kong is not in Asean.”

“Arrrgghhh!” the boy screamed and ran back to his room, wailing, “I hate you! I hate my life! I want to die!”

The girl, unable to bear the pain any longer, stood up. She loomed over the broken shell that was her father and said, “I know we all have to suffer because of the oil price, Papa. But why do WE have to suffer SO MUCH?” Then she too stalked away.

The man stared into the middle distance.

His pain was almost too much to endure. The only sound in the room was the clinking of his wife’s diamonds as her bosom heaved with racking sobs.

It barely smothered the sound of his shattering heart, for without their exotic foreign holidays, life would never be the same again.

Time management from Mars

2008-06-10T15:29:00.002+08:00

I really don't get it with people here... making appointments and keeping up with time doesn't seem to exists here!!! You make appointment with me in the morning and you didn't show up. Now you say, "Let's have the meeting at 4.30pm." Without the slightest regards that I've been waiting for you the entire morning??? This is really fucked up!

Minyak naik lagi

2008-06-05T10:28:00.002+08:00

The petrol filling stations were a mad frenzy all over Malaysia when news went buzzing around that the price is going to be jacked up at the stroke of midnight by 40%. You should have seen the queue!!! It was crazy!!! Anyway, to me it's a crisis that can't be helped at this point. But I'm pissed by our Mr "Lah" on how the news was delivered. Sending out the announcement at 6pm yesterday makes you look like a chicken who is is going to piss all over the ground sebab ko nih penakut! Your actions and silly remarks like "telling your rakyat to eat ubi kayu and keledek to substitute the high price of rice" also show how selfish you are. Ko ingat nih masih zaman perang Jepun ker??? Let's see what other stupid remarks you will say. Mebbe I can start a compilation of stupid remarks by Mr Lah and make it a best seller. Blek!!

2008-06-02T10:29:00.003+08:00

This is an article that was in The STAR today.

Monday June 2, 2008

Malay students affected

PETALING JAYA: Increasing the quota for non-bumiputras for Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships without increasing the actual number of scholarships has drastically affected the bumiputras, the Umno Youth Education Bureau said.

Its chairman Ahmad Ikmal Ismail said while the bureau agreed with the Government to give more scholarships to non-bumiputras, it did not agree with the way it was done.

“The quota for non-bumiputras has increased from 10% to 45% but the number of total scholarships has remained at 2,000.”

Ahmad Ikmal said this meant that scholarships were being taken from the bumiputras to be given to the non-bumiputras.

“We object to this move because it now means that 700 scholarships for bumiputra students are gone,” he said.

Ahmad Ikmal said a better way would be to use the New Economic Policy concept to increase the number of total scholarships. He said this was to ensure that the bumiputras were not affected and the non-bumiputras would get even more opportunities.

____________________________________________________________________

When will they ever learn that PSD scholarships are meant for deserving students, regardless of race and religion background???? When will this racial game ever end??? Why can't anything be done based on merit alone??? We're back to square one with morons sitting on these positions.

Rekindled

2008-05-28T13:10:00.003+08:00

I'm elated!!!!! NO!!! I'm beyond elated!!! Finally, after years of pursuing tirelessly trying to find these long lost souls from good ol' college days finally paid off. I'm finally in touch again with my close circle of friends from college. Facebook played a big part of it... but I have to admit, Google search did the rest. Words can't describe my feelings when I start receiving replies from all the inquiries I've sent out to unknown email addresses. It's not easy because most of the time they are not the person or those email accounts were outdated. Anyway, I'm a happy person today!!! Dummies, you guys are the best!

175!!!

2008-05-21T11:24:00.004+08:00

Lot 175's meeting lasted for 4 hours!!! Woohooo!!!! We started before tea and ended with dinner. All in all, I'm glad that it was fruitful. Curtain's already in hand. Looks like we got the built-in contracts too. Good news is we have been asked to go to the site for measurements. So, 175's in the bag!!! I'm happy. This week, an apartment unit at Ampang and another at Damansara Perdana. Hope the tiling and ceilings are up. Hope these two will turn out well since they are recommendations from previous clients.

What actually happened at no. 44

2008-05-15T10:09:00.003+08:00

Phew.... I'm glad no. 44 is FINALLY over!!! You see, the reason for this major screw up on this unit is due to 2 factors. "Latin" wanted to save some bucks by going all out to buy her own materials. Then, she got screwed "kau kau" by the wholesaler who told her they could sew her curtains when this blardy wholesaler knew nuts about anything remotely close to curtains except for selling the material itself. So, there it was, "Latin" got the cutains in and when I hung them up, they look like shit! They were too long, the pelmet was badly made, wrong hooks were given, not put in place... in short, everything was wrong lah! This idiot has the cheek to put the blame on my rods and tracks wor??!!! Saying I didn't put the track high enough, so the curtains are touching the floor lor!!! Hello, I was the one who GAVE the measurements including all the details to "Latin", so how can that go wrong? Ayo... no experience say no experience lah.. want to make extra pocket money oso not this way lah... Kasi susah everyone. Tak tentu pasal, have to delay everything else for more than 2 weeks to solve someone else's problem. This "Latin" oso cow brains one, screaming like a mad women without thinking how the problem started. She thinks that by screaming, she will instill fear into people and she will get what she wanted izzit? I just told her straight, you got the curtains this time from someone else who has totally no experience at all, so, make that person repair them for you lah. I can only help so much as to give you advice. Perhaps next time, you will trust me on the entire project instead of trying to cut corners and ended up spending more money. My service may not come cheap, but at least you won't have headache lor. You pay for what you get mah?? Correct or not?? Tsk...tsk...

Dowan to think about no. 44 liao....have to finalise the drawings on lot 175 for this Friday's presentation.

Ode to my dearest Mee.

2008-05-12T09:50:00.003+08:00

Ok, today I won't bitch about "Latins" from BN land, even I would like to vent it out from my system real bad. Spoke too soon on No. 44. That bitch wants to change again. Anyway, I digress.

This blog is a tribute to my dearestMom. We had a wonderful day spending time just the two of us yesterday. Since Dad's in the middle of a rain forest with Sis observing primates, I've decided to bring Mom out for some shopping and a dinner treat at 1U. Actually, I've not been really "there" for my family since I've started my business. Juggling time around two business basically took up all my time and sanity. So, if I am not in a good mood, I'd rather not be facing them because it shows on my face and I'd rather not drag everyone down into my mood swings. Anyway, yesterday was indeed great. We actually talked and managed to buy her some stuff that she needed. We decided to have dinner at Italiannies, one of her favorite places. There was a special menu for mother, which was complimentary for that special day. We enjoyed every morsels of the Marsala Linguine and Grilled Salmon.

Time passes by really fast when one's having a great time. We left the place soon after because Mom kept on insisting that I'd better go back early so that I can get ready for tomorrow. I guess she just can't help being Mom and I love every bit of of her for it. Yesterday's event taught me a valuable lesson where no money can buy. Spend as much time as you can with your parents as time stops for no one. Mom, I love you so much and I hope you had a great time too yesterday. Happy Mother's Day!

Schedule

2008-05-10T12:49:00.001+08:00

Yay!!! No. 44 is done.... now time to start discussing no. 6 and lot 175.... back to the drawing board!!!

Tired lah!!!!!

2008-05-08T16:28:00.002+08:00

I'm tired!!! I'm tired of going to BN land.... I'm tired of seeing "Latuks" and "Latins", I'm tired of looking at container boxes, I'm tired of sleepless nights trying to figure out how to juggle schedules....I'M TIRED!!!!!

Allowances

2008-05-05T15:09:00.003+08:00

Our gormen have a lot of money. High ranking officers are given a huge individual design bungalow, additional housing allowances to furnish the place every 2 years, cars, driver, maid allowance, gardener allowance, wife allowance, 2nd wife allowance, entertainment allowance, child support allowance, hardship allowance... wah... no wonder we need to increase petrol prices.

I WILL KILL YOU!!!!

2008-04-28T13:56:00.002+08:00

COWARD!!! Don't for once think that you can strike with a clear conscience without facing the consequences. NEVER forget that we are only one flight away from you. If you hurt her one more time, I swear that this will be a dual to the DEATH! We are watching you. We have laid out our plans if you so decide to strike again. You have no idea that this will eventually leak out, would you???!!!! You FOOL!!!! Soon, your entire family and community will know how TWISTED AND SICK YOU ARE!!!! YOU COWARD, FUCKING BASTARD!!!!!!! GO GET HELP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!

Sealing their fate

2008-04-25T15:13:00.002+08:00

Well, well, well... as the soothsayer of Malaysia sez.... fuel prices will go up again after the election. Isn't it the truth.

Friday April 25, 2008

Subsidy on diesel to go first, says Shahrir

By TEH ENG HOCK

KUALA LUMPUR: The restructured fuel subsidy scheme will see the removal of subsidy on diesel first.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said diesel would soon be sold at the market rate at the pumps when a mechanism to deliver subsidies directly to those entitled has been decided upon. (Gee... and I wonder who these entitled people are????)

“We are looking at diesel first, and how to ensure that subsidised diesel gets to the right groups, especially to the transport sector and (those involved in) certain economic activities which require diesel subsidy so that we can cut out leakages. (Wah!!! Better open up the grey area so that they can sapu without being noticed, ya???)

“Schoolbuses for example. We have to have a mechanism on how to deliver the diesel (subsidy) to the schoolbus drivers so that the cost of transport will not go up,” he said.

Without the subsidy, diesel will cost more than RM2 a litre. The price of diesel at the pump now is RM1.581 a litre.

Shahrir said the move to restructure the fuel subsidy was necessary to ensure the money was not wasted through various ways such as diesel smuggling. (But you can waste money through RM1000 dinner suits purchases and "table etiquette course", right?)

“We want to look at diesel first, then obviously we will have to look at petrol subsidies,” he said.

Shahrir said crude oil prices were at US$117 (RM372) per barrel, and the Government spent RM33bil on fuel subsidies last year.

He said another RM20bil of subsidy was spent on natural gas to subsidise Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s power generation.

“You are talking about RM53bil. And that does not include the subsidised amount that people pay. Our oil export in 2007 was RM77bil. (You've just spilled the beans, moron!!! Where is the rest of the RM23 billion???)

“So it is almost one-to-one what we consume and what we export,” he said.

It is scary to know that there are a bunch of uneducated, greedy morons running this country. Uneducated I can still buy, but greedy... you guys are running this country into the drain. Come on, Sabah and Sarawak MP's!!!! When are you guys jumping ship to boot out these idiots???

Back from hiatus

2008-04-21T18:05:00.004+08:00

Just got back from Singapore over the weekend. Though it was a bit short, I enjoyed the break nevertheless. Mom and Dad came along and it was like a mini family vacation. Something which we don't get to do very often together as a family. Got to spend some quality time with Dad during our early morning walk at the East Coast Parkway (though we were dead pan tired from not being able to sleep, no thanks to the faulty pump right below our condo). The highlight of the day was of course the musical We Will Rock You! at the Esplanade Theater. It was one hell of a show!!! We all enjoyed it and I was quite surprised that everyone was on their feet dancing towards the ending. If you guys have time, do make an effort to go down to Singapore to watch it. It's showing till the end of the month. It's worth every single cent! Trust me.. you wont regret it.

This is the house that BN built!

2008-04-16T18:59:00.004+08:00

Yet another day of having the displeasure of going to BN Land aka Putra Jaya to measure yet another boring mansion built with ill gotten money belonging to some hotshot "latuk." FYI, "Balinese" style is soooooo passe, "latuk!". I've nothing against rich people (after all, they are my rice bowl), but what irks me silly is the entire process of doing business with these Gomen "latuks" and their cronies. It's bad enough that I've to throw peanuts to all these tongue wagging "running dogs," but how things are done their style makes one wonder why the nation has yet to collapse in chronic bankruptcy??!!

I'll give you an example of what happens each time I've to attend to these monkeys. Once I arrived at the stipulated time, I've to call the PIC to inform him that I've arrived. After that, you've got to wait for AT LEAST 30 minutes before someone shows up on a scooter telling you this.

"Lu itu olang mau ukur lumah ka?"

After that, he will zoom off and you wait for another 30 minutes. Later, 2 cars filled with MORE monkeys will arrive and ask the same question. All of them will give you this intimidating look as if they have not eaten for days. Then one person will call the "latuk" to confirm that I'm already there. FINALLY, this person (the so called supervisor) will open the door and let me in. He will be the one following me around and trying to explain what the "latuk'' wants in the house (more like what he wants in the house, actually). While we do the walkabout, the rest of the 5 monkeys will be mulling around the empty house doing nothing. At one point when I was explaining to the supervisor what options are available, one guy actually has the cheek to lay down flat on the floor and fell asleep!!!! How's that on hiring the right people to do the job???

I actually wonder how many people are being hired by our dear Gomen to actually do nothing??? No wonder you all are losing!!! Tsk!Tsk!!

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM????

2008-04-15T09:34:00.003+08:00

I Just got a call from a fuming friend stating what happened last night when she was shopping at a mall downtown. This is a replay of the conversation...

Fren: (Accidentally brushed the arm of a woman). Opps, I'm sorry.

Woman: (Turned her tong drum body and revealed a garishly made up face with chunky jewellery all over)... OOOIII!!!! Watch where you are going lah!!! Are you BLIND???!!!

Fren: I said I was sorry, right?

Woman: (While shaking her wobbly arms and exposing her "Christmas ornaments" on her arms). Excuse me???? Do you know that I'm a DATIN????!!!!

Fren: (Fuming and beh tahan liao) SO WHAT????!!!! I DON'T FUCKING CARE IF YOU ARE DATIN OR NOT!!! EHHH, KO BERAK KUAR TAIK JUGAK TAU!!!!! PERASAN!!!!!

Woman: (Walked away red faced)

So, my dear friends, the moral of the story is.... DATINS ALSO BERAK TAIK JUGAK!!!!!!!! WAKAKKAKAKAKAKA!!!!!!!!

We Will Rock You! Queen: The musical

2008-04-14T18:19:00.004+08:00

Since I'm on the ball with this concert thingy, I might as well wear it ALLLLLL out lah. Make sure all the adrenaline and juices are squished out and then I can go back being boring ol' me.

I'll be leaving for Singapore this weekend to watch Queen: The Musical at the Esplanade Theater. Mom and Dad's tagging along on this one. Good ol' sis will be picking us up when we arrive at Kiasuland. Nope, the musical's not about Freddy Mercury but it's a tribute some sort where the entire musical revolves around the music Queen made. You can check it out here.

It was fantabulous!

2008-04-14T18:07:00.003+08:00

I have to admit, I wasn't too keen on going at first, but after much coaxing, I relented and bought
the tickets. Well, you know what??? She's REALLY GOOD!!! I've always been a sceptic, when it comes to real live performances, because I know a lot of artistes can't belt out a song to save their lives without the help of sound studio engineering.

Well, Celine Dion was not only consistent, she sang non-stop (with only very short breaks) and her voice was spectacular. No words could describe the entire hour where she sang 22 of her hits. It was a night truly to be remembered for a long, long time!

Celine's in town!

2008-04-12T13:00:00.002+08:00

After much anticipation, Celine Dion, one of the most prominent female artist in the world will be performing live at Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur tomorrow at 8pm. Malaysia will be her only stop in the South East Asia Region through out the Taking Chances World Tour Concert.

I can't wait to be at Stadium Merdeka tomorrow!!! Yay!!!

Food for thought

2008-04-08T10:56:00.003+08:00

I feel compelled to pen down my thoughts today. Last night, I was enlightened by true experiences that made me realise how blessed my life has been. I had an unexpected guest knocking on my door just as I was about to have my dinner. It turned out to be a long time friend who happened to be living in the next block. Well, since he was at my doorstep, I decided to invite him in to share my dinner while we chatted.

It was during this time that I actually had the chance to know my friend deeper. You see, he's always portrayed himself as the know all, super macho kinda guy. Makes you feel a bit meluat sometimes, you know what I mean? He was excited to tell me all about his first paint ball game he had the day before and I listened as he spoke with gusto and showed me the bruises he got from the game. In return, I also showed him some of the photos taken during my recent holiday. We continued to chat and somehow, we began to talk about our younger days. That was when his real story revealed. You see, my friend works in the clubbing business all his life and his life is, well, kinda wild. I thought that was something that he loves and that's why he chose that career path.

He later told me that he ran away from home when he was 16 because he was abused by his step mother. He came to KL with only the clothing on is back and no money. He has slept on the streets and also lived with street urchins, pooling in whatever money they have to feed their stomach. At that point, I began to understand why he was always extremely protective over his friends and was extremely proud of his belongings. Before this, I always thought of him as a bit of a show off. Everything was build with his sweat and blood. He literally begged for a job at a club at that time and was later waiting tables at the club illegally because he was underaged. All these while, his family didn't came looking for him and neither did they bother to send him any money. He eventually worked his way up and became what he is today. He was a real life Oliver Twist. I have immense respect for this guy now that I understand him more. My life achievements are so small compared to what he has gone through. My life is extremely blessed, yet I complain all the time. In every success like my friend here, I wonder how many who did not make it due to drugs and exploitation. Makes me wonder that there is so much more out there we have not experienced.