Karen's Wedding @ Marriott Putrajaya

Okay so this was MONTHS ago, but here are the pictures!

This is Regs' sister's wedding reception at the Marriott. A very grand affair, indeed.

Me and Ms Heartbreaker
Rennie and Ms Heartbreaker
Rennie and Me
Me and Ms Heartbreaker making a claim for Larry King
Now we're fighting for Regs
Regs wondering which of us stole her boyfriend (Larry King).

We're putting on sweet, innocent faces.
Regs sued Ms Heartbreaker for theft. That's Ms Heartbreaker's lawyer on the left. Regs and I best friends again.

I don't know why, but in the end, we were all asked for mug shots. Look at Ms Heartbreaker thinking she can giggle her way out of it.
Ms Heartbreaker wondering who to set her sights on next!

Just a little note

Yikes! Okay I know I haven't written in a LONG time but I've been SO busy working and shopping it's crazy! Hehe...

Now all I need is a belt...

And, yes, I've been working too... it's been nonstop, with people asking me to do this and that job. I suppose it is good for me to get money for my travels. But I don't have time! Argh... and I'm going up to Genting this Sunday too with the family.

I still haven't watched Madagascar! But I've been quite up to date with the French Film Festival here. So far I've watched Arsène Lupin, which is quite a confusing show but charming anyway. And Les Choristes which was a really really pleasant show (the one nominated for Best Foreign Film and Best Song at the Oscars this year).

Lounge Paris: Velvet Underground is happening this Friday night. Apparently "...an evening dedicated to Parisian lifestyle and nightlife." Got this all from the FFF flyer. Well, still deciding if I should go, since I haven't been getting enough sleep.

I really really must remember to put up the pics from the parties in April! Gosh... I totally forgot about them. I'll try to remember this weekend. Till then, take care everyone!

I'm not being racist

My previous post was not racist. I was merely stating that I don't think we should back down and cower from being injured by fanatical religious activists. If we are truly faithful people, we don't have anything to fear.

Of course it's very easy for me to say this, sitting in my room in comfort. But I would really like to see more people with more faith.

The Rights of Religion and Politics

I heard a rumour - at least I hope it is a rumour - that the Three Little Pigs are about to be renamed to God knows what. Why? Because of the word 'Pigs'.

Last Christmas, London didn't celebrate it with decoration-lined streets and Santas. Why? Because they didn't want to seem overly Christian, trying to convert people.

I can't think right now of other examples, but doubtless there are several more situations of oversensitivity to the Islamic religion.

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Well - I've been asked to remove the next several paragraphs out of sensitivity issues. Just the sort of thing I was writing about. Anyway... love live truth and freedom of thought.

Thoughts on my name

This blog has had over 5500 visits in a matter of 7 months - and only 3 visitors actually come here purely for my ramblings. Haha...

You know why I have so many visits then? I just checked out some of my stats the other day and I realised that it's the BOOBS that has 'em rollin' in!! Haha!

I was thinking of changing my blog name to something of a Masochistic feel, but I realised it'd sound like those depressing blogs that aren't really depressing, but because it has a title like "The Revelation of the Philosophical Epiphanies of the Sadistic Virgins", it just puts the readers in a rather black mood and I dare say (my favourite phrase of the moment - "I dare say") that even though my blog is not depressing, it would put a whole damper on the reader's mood while reading my blog.

Did anyone understand the previous paragraph? I so totally didn't. I just know what I meant because I know what I mean, but I don't know what those words above mean.

Oh gosh. The Ramblings of a Masochistic Piggy.

Hahahaha... Oh... back to work.

Oh my... I DO sound like those sad, depressing blogs! NOOOOOO HELP ME!!!

Okay okay... well I did get a cheque today for RM1000... WOOHOO!! It can all add up to my Travelling Fund. So happy!

Joyeux Anniversaire Charly!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES!!

Sorry I forgot about your birthday, but don't worry, your present will be delivered soon!

Tu as vingt trois ans, n'est-ce pas?? I know you are! Wait for le cadeau!

OUTRAGEOUS! + some CD reviews!

I was watching TV last night when I saw a commercial for ASTROMobile advertising their new Phone Tattoos or something like that. It was just a simple, plain ad, definitely not worthy of the gazillions of ringgit Astro sucks up every minute from its subscribers who don't have any other choice of satellite TV.

At the end of the ad it says,

"It's Funky!"
"It's Outrages!"
"It's........"

Okay, I didn't notice the rest because my eyes had popped out of my head. "Outrages"?? ASTRO's 60 second advertisement not even undergoing spell check from a director? Was it not even checked before it was sent to be circulated on all the TV channels?

Surely ASTRO can afford better designers/directors/copywriters/spell checkers.

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CD Spree!

I went on a wonderful CD buying mission today. I was planning to get the Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack and Ciara's album. Unfortunately, the former was not released yet and the latter was sold out. Instead I bought the new one by Télépopmusik called Angel Milk, French Kiss (compilation), the new one by Garbage called Bleed Like Me and the CSI Soundtrack.

Here's a review so far:

Télépopmusik Angel Milk : Very nice. Much smoother and a more sophisticated and slightly different sound from the first album Genetic World. Sounds just a teeny weeny Delerium-like according to my sister. Maybe that's why I like it. The sounds are less funky electronic-y and more ambient-y.

French Kiss (from Intentcity Records) : A compilation of songs which are supposed to be Paris-y and romantic. I must agree. Maybe not romantic, but they sound very delicious. I especially love the first song, Tu Es Le Seul by LornaLee, and the last track, French Movie by Loner. A few French songs, very smooth, very chilled and pretty sensual.

Garbage Bleed Like Me : Personally I prefer Beautiful Garbage to this, but it might grow on me later. I just bought it for the loud factor before I slowly die out from all the chilled music playing in my car. I like Shirley Manson's vocals. I usually like females singing on loud rock songs.

CSI 1st season Soundtrack : I haven't finished listening to all, but I can tell you I will love it! Every time I watch CSI I fall in love with the music they play. It's a great buy, I tell you! You've got deep grooves mixed with alternative tracks, but always sound great together. On the whole, an upbeat, deep groovy sound.

I watched Kingdom of Heaven today and I really liked it. Not only was it a good movie (especially the music - brilliant!) but it was very suitable to my current state of mind and it really spoke to me.

In the beginning of the movie there was a scene of a few medieaval knights resting in the woods. And looking at them, and how they live and fight to survive, I found myself thinking again about how blessed I am to be living in this age, so comfortably. So, yet again, I thought to myself, "What does God want me to do with all the abundance of gifts he's showered upon me?"

ps. I LOVE the music and architecture in the film. Well done!

Renaissance of Catherine the Great

I just had a renaissance (ie. enlightenment) when I was driving earlier.

I saw an elderly Chinese man struggling to pull some really heavy things on a wheelbarrow at the side of the road. He was incredibly tanned and he looked like he was really struggling, poor man. I got to thinking, "I wish I could help him - but how can I help him? Thank God I have this life where I'm so blessed and comfortable and the only thing I have to worry about is getting my degree, and saving up money to go travelling around Europe..."

Then I thought about all the blessings I have - I have all my physical capabilities, I have money, I have talents, skills and knowledge... but what am I using them for? I'm using just enough of it to get by and I'm not helping anyone who's less gifted than I am. I feel useless all of a sudden. And suddenly I wish I had ambition.

Been so busy...

I know I haven't been posting recently, but I tried twice before cuz I wanted to put up pictures of some parties I attended but my Photoshop hanged while I was saving the pictures! So here's just a note saying that I've also been too bogged down with work to do anything else at the moment. However, I'll try to put up the pics during my breaks.

Happy Holidays, Charly!

Violations to environmental peace

Kelvin! I'm sure you don't drive at 50 km/h on that road. No one does. Not even the bicyclists. Plus, that bus was full of people, and a certain responsibility goes with being a bus driver: 1. A public service transportation, 2. Maximum 50 passengers on a bus, 3. A bus driver is trained to drive a big vehicle, 4. A big vehicle can cause mucho mucho damage in an accident. So there! :P And, yes, I will be careful on that road.

Anyway ANOTHER traffic incident to complain about! This time, not driving, but more of an environmental issue.

At least once a day I'll see a truck or bus with black smoke coming out of its exhaust pipe. And that really pisses me off because the city is just getting hotter and hotter and what with the HUGE fire yesterday (70 houses burned down, 500 homeless), imagine the poor ozone layer and all our oxygen.

So anyway, this cement mixer was the 3rd vehicle today in violation of our environmental peace. He had absolutely jet black smoke coming out. I really don't understand why the drivers or the maintenance people, or the boss, can't do something about it? Like clean some part of the engine or exhaust pipe??! They're so damn ignorant. I hate them! Curses on them and their own vehicles.

I got a number off this mixer : KV 5046A. I dunno if it's the number plate, but there you go. Shame on you! And if anyone comes across this post and knows why people won't take care of their engines, do tell me.

And don't give me some stupid dumb 'MONEY' reason, because our environment is more precious than any amount of money.

My gosh, how frustrating is it to know that people are visiting your blog, yet refuse to leave comments in writing?

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I encountered a really dumb, stupid bus driver today. Drivers like him are the ones who cause fatal accidents! Bloody idiot.

First of all, I want to state that his license plate number is WFW 1192 and it's a RapidKL blue-white-red bus travelling the route to Cyberjaya.

I was driving at about 100-105 km/h on the right lane of a two-lane curving road. This bus suddenly appears behind me nearly kissing my ass! There are a few cars in front of me going at the same speed I am, but he still insisted on tailing my backside! First of all, it's unnerving having a huge bus so close behind you, secondly, he's going as fast as I am, meaning that if I had braked, or gone over a huge rock and swerved, he would have run over my car, crushing me! I felt so angry at him after thinking about what he had done! And what he could have done!

When there was an opening in the left lane, he went back to the left lane - AND SPED UP! He was already going at 100+ km/h when he's only supposed to be doing 80 km/h on a non-highway. Then he overtakes me, meaning he went above 100 km/h, and then what? He stops at the side of the road a bit further up to drop passengers! I also took a look at him and he was driving with his left hand only. His right hand was comfortably rested on the door. I wish I could report him and his reckless driving! God, just imagine, I could have been crushed underneath that huge mass of a vehicle if the cars in front had emergency braked, or I'd swerved over something.

So if you see the bus, don't get on it! Or give it one hell of a punctured tyre. You might be in a bus accident next. Take care of yourselves, KL-ites.

To Hip and Happening Parisians! Pour tous les très cool Parisiens!

I've decided that this trip to Paris, I'll do more local things rather than visit touristy places again. So if any happening Parisian happens to drop by my blog, do leave a comment for me. I'd like to know :

1. Your favourite nightspot (restaurant, café, club, bar)
2. A great and cheap place to eat with lots of ambience
3. Good shopping
4. Places to sit and listen to great music (lounges/bars)
5. Best places for people-watching (Parisians!)

And anything else you might like me (and others) to know! Remember to leave addresses or nearby landmarks so I can find these places.

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My sister Elle was caught by evil Zwerklings the other day.

Here's her story...

"I was walking down the street one day, near the Eiffel Tower. It was a great day - the birds were chirping, the ground was slightly wet and slippery from a little snowfall earlier. Suddenly, I felt something pulling me off the ground! It was so freaky! I lost consciousness, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on a metal chair and there were Zwerklings all around me. They looked weird, man."

"They asked me lots of questions but I refused to talk."

"Because of lack of cooperation, they locked me in a glass prison."

"I decided to cooperate with them before they did anything further. However, they told me they were done with questions and they were fed up with me. They would go straight to tortures. I should've stayed in the glass prison. What tortures lie in store for me...?"

"They gave me a hideous bowl of curly worm-like carbohydrates to digest."

"I downed a full glass of vodka to prepare me for the disaster."

"Oh God! I'll just pretend that I'm on Fear Factor."

"Strangely enough, after I finished the torture, the Zwerklings released my sister, whom I didn't realise was on the spaceship a prisoner as well. We both celebrated our release with glasses of vodka - neat."

Fancy a pee, anyone?

Do you always feel like peeing whenever you enter a toilet? Well, of course I don't mean when you go to a toilet to pee, but maybe you've accompanied your kid sister/brother and you're just hanging around, waiting for them to finish their no.2 when you suddenly get the urge to pee as well. Ever felt like that?

How about when you brush yr teeth at night - do you do like me - I pee first, then brush my teeth. If I ever brush my teeth first, I'll feel a terrible urge to use the toilet! Therefore I was just wondering if this reaction is purely psychological or could it be the same for everyone else?

Well, it probably IS psychological - after all, whether you brush before or after, your body doesn't really know. It's your brain which is telling you that you're in a toilet and therefore you should use it! Any comments?

Recommended Webcams?

My Creative webcam is giving me problems. My image is always orange! Does anyone know how to fix it? On another level, can anyone recommend a good enough webcam for a low price that is reliable?

Went for lunch at La Gourmet House today in Ikano Power Centre. It's located on the Lower Ground floor, next to a Fish Market restaurant and Uncle Lim's Kitchen (or something like that). The décor was not too bad, just some decorative plates were crooked, and some furniture was mismatched, for example, they use the same chairs that Little Penang Cafe in Mid Valley uses. They also play extremely mismatched music, like 1990s hits (??). The lighting was nice though. Just to explain, the restaurant is supposed to have a European feel, judging by the shelves of condiments etc for sale at the back of the shop, the wooden interior and the name of the place. So why the mismatched furniture and music? Anyway, the pasta I had (Famous something... pesto with chicken and some chilli thing) was not bad, smelt funny but tasted okay. But I do warn you about their Recommended drink - the Coffee Cola. That tasted really really strange. The Segafredo coffee is good, but the mixture is horrible. So take my advice, and just buy the coffee, or the cola. Not both.

That's it for now, back to the slave galleys for me. Oh, and remember to recommend some webcams please. Speak up, people! I'm not buying it so soon, so even if you read this a week late, just post your suggestion. Thanks.

Again! It happened again!

That's it! I've had just about enough. If people don't wanna invite me to do things, then just go to hell, I say!

La Senza and some website grouses.

I'm so thrilled. I managed to catch La Senza on the last day of its sale without knowing it! Luckily my aunt suggested we go to 1U, so I suggested we visit La Senza and Yippee, I managed to get a nice set of you-know-whats. Haha. And today, I went to buy more, not La Senza unfortunately, but I'm running out of money. I think I'm a Lingerie Lover. All I need now is for a La Perla store to open in KL and I'll go broke straight away. I've been to the La Perla website and although the pictures are all nice etc, I hate it when they just show you one or two products in each collection, and the whole website looks more like a work of art than an informative one. I know the website design is très important, but Seriously, what are we going to the website for?

Some other sites that are pretty much a waste of webspace is (unfortunately) FCUK and Russell and Bromley. They have really interesting websites, but what the heck? I can't find any proper pictures of products in there.

I can't think of any really good fashion goods sites right now, but when I do, I'll try to remember to list them here, shall I?

Talking about lists, I've managed to eliminate a lot of things on my famous Wish Lists. Firstly, I've got more Calvin and Hobbes books from my birthday gifts (although I still want more - email me for a list), La Senza lingerie... the only thing I really wanted that I haven't got yet is a new toilet flush handle. Anyone care to get me that? Just leave a comment with yr name and number ;)

Also, a special thanks to both Malaysian Devil and Grandpa G. Thank you to Malaysian Devil for the wonderful birthday present. I haven't started reading it yet, because as I told you in my letter, I've only gone through about 30 pages of Le Petit Nicolas (the first book you sent)!! Haha... I've been so absurdly busy these past few weeks. And Grandpa G, thank you so much for my eBay things (my FCUK shirts etc). I'm still looking forward to getting my Indispensable Calvin & Hobbes! And my two pairs of shoes of course. Oh, and you, naturally. HEHE. I can't wait for the finale of my presents *wink wink. Ah, Paris in July... lalala...

See you, guys, keep checking back.

Burnout!

My neck's been awfully stiff for the past couple of days. What a great present for turning 22. Only this morning did it start to feel slightly better. It's made me feel really tired very quickly because of the pain. And it became one of the rare times I actually didn't want to think about work and not caring if I handed up assignments late. But, now, it's getting better and I know I better start thinking about homework again.

This weekend is Easter weekend, so Lent season is nearly over! Yippee! I can have junk food again! (I gave up junk food for Lent). I know it's done a world of good for me, but last night I seriously needed it cuz I was feeling quite down. I passed the test, though, and slept instead.

My friend Beach Babe has a new dog called Lacey, a poodle. Haven't seen it yet, but I shall post pics of her soon as Beach Babe passes me some.

March seems to be creeping slowly by, doesn't it? I feel like January and February just WHIZZED by, but March is just one big escargot of a month.

Talking about escargots, it's confirmed! I'm going back to Paris! Bring out the champagne, guys! Yes, Grandpa G has offered to bring me to Paris as a late birthday present. How very sweet and generous of him. And what a sacrifice! Hehe.

Okay, let's see if I have any new pictures for you... nope, unfortunately... haven't been uploading pics from my camera. Until next time, then. Also, a big HI to Jap Chick Crazy Dale, henceforth known as JCC Dale. Good luck with your preparations for the Big Move. I'm doing the same thing next year, so I know how it feels like!

Joyeux Anniversaire Catherine!

Hehe... I had a nice birthday. Although the 20th is my birthday, everything seemed to happen yesterday on the 19th. Sharon threw a surprise dinner party for me which was really nice of her and the guys. Unfortunately I ordered a Red Lantern cocktail and felt really sick after that. The owner asked me what I had and I told him, and he said "Oh it was YOU who drank it! I thought it was one of the guys". Apparently that mix is for guys. Sheesh... the name is so feminine I thought it was nice that's why I ordered it! Anyway, felt a bit bad the whole night till about an hour or so after I drank it.

And anyway right now I'm a bit tired from the heat and my right wrist is a bit weak and numb, no idea why. Tomorrow is supposed to be hottest day here, so drink lots of fluids and stay in the shade, Cat! Seeya, guys.

Something came right!

BSC was a total jinx for me this evening! So many things went wrong, I'm just amazed I didn't blow up like a kettle. Firstly I went to BSC this morning to get breakfast with my dad and I was wearing a bra with a detachable jewel (a huge diamond) on it, and when I came home, I discovered that the jewel had dropped! It was really sad!!

Then in the evening I went to BSC again with my sister to get some dinner. In the car park I discovered there was something wrong with the car's reverse system. It just wouldn't budge, as if I was stepping on the brake while reversing. And, no, the handbrake wasn't engaged. PLEASE! So that was really weird and a bit freaky, but I managed to park the car without anything else going wrong.

We went to Cold Storage to buy drinks and my sister bought a yogurt kiwi drink. The first one she bought had already been opened, so we exchanged for the second one - which was expired before the date stated. Then she went to get a third one - which had brown marks on the drinking part. HMM. So we asked for a refund and thankfully got it without any problems.

After that we bought food etc and we went to pay the ticket. We'd only been there 1 hour so I paid RM1.50. Then I decided to top up my prepaid card before leaving, so we went to the phone shop. Back on the escalator, I realised I'd forgotten to retrieve my ticket from the machine! Careless, I know, but imagine it happening it to you and you'll feel sorry for me :'(

We rushed back to the machine and I can't believe the dishonest people around! The ticket wasn't there anymore. It was maybe 10 mins since we left and the place wasn't even busy. Look, it was a ticket, obviously it's something the person would immediately miss because after paying, you usually go straight to your car, right? But noooooo some dishonest person had to take my ticket, already paid for! I asked the security guard who was sitting next to the machine if anyone had returned a ticket and he just asked me to go to the ticketing office downstairs. STUPID. No wonder he's a security guard. Gives a bad name to guards everywhere! Stupid stupid...

So I went down and I had to pay for a lost ticket! RM20 down the drain! I just kept saying that I couldn't believe I'd thrown away RM20 just like that!!! I'm just really thankful it wasn't RM30 like at my school. Sigh. I was really quite down and really afraid something else would go wrong. Oh, and as I exited the car park, I scraped the tyre on a curb (which I've NEVER done in BSC). So you can see why I hate BSC today.

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Talking about my school, the redeeming part of the evening was when I went to pick my photos up. I'd taken some pics of my school for a project. Here's how my school looks like :

Panoramic view in the evening.

Hey... cool imposing sort of pic, eh?

Nice lighting at the white building. Although it doesn't look white in this light.

Is it just me, or does this remind you of the Centre Georges Pompidou?

It doesn't look AS nice in real life. HEHE.

My Advanced Diploma! Woohoo!

Look what I found! Academy Awards speech generator!

Did you watch the Academy Awards? Looks like they tried to do things a little differently... just felt sorry for the... who were they, art directors or... no... those people who didn't get to go onstage. The award presented by Cate Blanchett amongst the audience. Poor people. Everyone should have the chance to get onstage.

I liked the song Beyoncé sang from Les Choristes, "Voir sur ton chemin". Too bad it didn't win. Too bad Phantom didn't win anything!

Anyway, here's what I found : An Academy Awards speech generator. Try it out :D Here's mine.

Cat's Acceptance Speech for the Stupendous Animal Costume Design Oscar:

"Thank you! Oh! Thank you! I can hardly believe this! I feel so lucky! And this statue - it's so shiny! Oh, thank you again! I just want everyone to know that even in my wildest hallucinations, I never would have fantasized that this could ever help me get laid so much. And to the other super-amazing nominees, I want each of you to know how totally mega-pumped your fake smiles makes me feel right now!

You know when they first told me I was n't blonde enough, I just had to take a minute and think about how freakish my fans have been. I guess it all just makes me feel kinda special.

You know, there are so many back-stabbing talentless success stories to thank! First off though, I want to thank the glorified prostitutes of the Academy, who looked deep within their Magic 8-Balls before giving me this fantastic award! Also, I want to thank my guru, for being such a powerful force in my contract negotiations. And to Mom, who taught me to take life by the day. And finally, to all the Producers I slept with - I couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you America, and good night!"

First week of school

This week I've embarked on my journey of my final year at art college. AAAAHHHHHHH! It's sort of welcome, and also unwelcome, if you know what I mean.

Well, it seems to be really serious this year. We've got loads of work to do and looks like there ain't gonna be no rest for us seniors. I don't mind having a lot of work to do, as long as I've got TIME to do it.

(Is anyone sick of hearing rappers speak with bad English? Like this from Eminem : "...when we was teenagers..." I'm sure he knows that's not right. But why say it? Does it sound cool? Is it good to teach the young ones bad English? I'm sick of hearing people calling it 'American' blablabla... it's English, and English it should remain.)

ANYWAY. Yes, it's true, there's a whole lot of assignments we'll be given this year, and we'll be expected to produce a dazzling portfolio at the end of it so that we can all get good jobs in good agencies etc. How stressful. I hope I can cope with it as time goes by.

3 months to Grandpa G's arrival!

Paris, Paris, Paris!

Did I mention, after much thought, I decided to give up on the Mukluks? Yep.

Anyway, my ticket to England is booked! I'm going in July, hopefully the weather's cool enough. I've also been thinking and thinking about going back to Paris and do the parts I missed out on last time (and also do some parts I did last time). Only thing is, Grandpa G, who'll probably be taking me if I go, doesn't really like France! Pfff...!

I just visited some websites for Paris hotels, and just looking at the pictures and finding rates and availability reminded me of when I was planning my last trip there and it made me want to go even more!! Thing is, I probably won't have any money at all for the trip, so I really will have to rely on Grandpa G, whom I hope will be willing to spend a bit of money just for lil me.

I'm getting so excited about seeing Paris again. I don't know what it is about the place - maybe the scenery, the buildings, the air... but I just really miss it! I know my good friend Malaysian Devil will be positively delighted to hear me say this HEHE... yes, yes, I know, Paris is a wonderful city.

I like walking down the little lanes, seeing the windy roads, cars parked inches from each other... then you get the really huge, wide roads, the Arc de Triomphe (absolutely love it) and Champs-Elysees... and of course, I have to go to Montmartre which I missed out on last time, and which I really regret not visiting. Would love to take pictures of the Tour Eiffel, which I didn't last time cuz I only visited it on the first night, and didn't feel like carrying my camera. Sigh... just thinking about it is making me so excited. If only my French were good enough for me to move there instead of England (ssh...HEHE).

And Paris is so Expensive! This time I don't think I can live more than 2 or 3 days there. My bank account is so wiped out after getting the ticket to England.

Anyone care to give me some spare Euros lying around?

I seriously need a PEDICURE!!

Going for dinner tonight with the gang... don't know really know where we're going yet, but I hope it's nearby, inexpensive and good.

I'm still wishing for the Return of the King Extended DVD! I know I can get it for myself, but I just feel like I'd rather spend my money on clothes. You know what I mean (if you're a girl).

For the past 3 days I've been so infatuated with Mukluks. You guys know what Mukluks are? They're the most ADORABLE boots with moccasin shoe base and fur from ankle to mid-boot! WOW. And for someone as boot-crazy as I am, it was really a struggle for me not to hit the "Buy It Now" button on eBay. In the end, my practical side won, and I decided to use the money I "would have spent" on the boots, to buy me the new Glamour UK (if it's out - February's seems to be missing) and other casual baby tees.

Okay, some general knowledge here. Mukluks are originally from Canada and incorporates Native Indian design in the form of embroidery or beads on the boot. They use real rabbit fur and the material is usually some animal skin, like sheep skin.

That's it for the general knowledge of the day. Don't you feel a little smarter?

And before people start screaming at me, OF COURSE the boots I was going to buy wasn't made of real rabbit fur! (Those cost more than GBP150 for the cheapest boots) But of course I wouldn't buy things made of cute rabbits' fur! I had 3 rabbits before for goodness' sake. And while I agree it's not nice to keep rabbits shut in a cage (I did let Russ out to run occassionally), better than skinning them and using them as fashion right?

Post-Chinese New Year

Technically it's still CNY, but since people have gone back to work, the holidays seem somewhat over. Today, however, is called "Yan Yat" for the Cantonese, meaning it's "everyone's birthday"!! YIPPEE!

So as you know, I went up to Penang for CNY last week, and no worries, I'm safe... no more tsunamis there.

Penang is a LOVELY place. It was part of the Straits States when we were under the British rule way back when. As a result, it has many old colonial buildings, some turned into heritage mansions, some turned into restaurants and shops, and others demolished in favour of more efficient space-saving condos in prime real estate areas. Here, I have some images of Penang for you who have never seen it.

ps. Penang is also really famous for its food.

I think this is the Assumption catholic church. Tiny, but pleasant looking.

Oh this is the famous Blue Mansion. It belonged to the famous Cheong Fatt Tze who was an incredibly rich and successful Chinese businessman for his time. Apparently his dwelling is absolutely 100% Feng Shui perfect. You can go for a tour of this house and learn more for RM10 Adults. It's really very interesting.

Some Indian shops [Bollywood Indian Fashion and a minimart] next to a Hindu temple.

The oh so famous and oh so posh E&O hotel. Very swish, very expensive, very classy, incredibly beautiful.

Some Chinese shops down a street. Kedai Ubat means medicine shop.

MC Exhibit 3 : This man is not so interesting as others I've seen in Penang, but just wanted to illustrate that Penang is the Land of the Motorcycles.

Peking Hotel, a budget hotel in a nice building. Hopefully there are no rats. Next to it is the SOHO Free House serving home cooked food. Never been there, but looks good.

I think these are Malay shops. The one with the red sign looks like a minimart with the blue ice cream box in front, and the one on the right looks like a clothes shop. Very old-fashioned and quaint, isn't it?

St George's Anglican church, I think. Doesn't it just look so British? You can really see the difference between this and Catholic churches.

My Wish List...#4? And about Chinese New Year.

So here's presenting the fourth(?) installment of My Wish List :

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King extended DVD
2. More Calvin and Hobbes
3. Less addiction to eBay
4. More (affordable) party heels and less office heels in the shops
5. A ticket to England that's less than RM2000
6. Lots of loaded 'ang paos' this CNY
7. A new flush handle for the toilet

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Chinese New Year

With CNY just round the corner (February 9 and 10), I'll be back in Daddy's hometown - Penang - Pearl of the Orient - recently hit by the tsunami. Not hit very badly, thank goodness, but affected all the same. I think it needs more dried beancurd and mandarins this Rooster year ;)

So here's a toast to lots of ang paos and a list for you on CNY symbols :

• Black moss seaweed and Egg Rolls = Wealth
• Dried Beancurd = Happiness
• Chicken = Happiness and Marriage or Family reunion (if served whole)
• Eggs = Fertility
• Fish (served whole) = Prosperity
• Lychee nuts = Close family ties
• (Longevity) Noodles - A long life (esp when lifted high above the table with chopsticks!!)
• Oranges = Prosperity
• Peanuts = Long life (again - although why eat to long life when Buddhists/Taoists believe in reincarnation?)
• Pomelo - Prosperity and Fertility
• Seeds - lotus seeds/watermelon seeds etc = Many children
• Mandarins/Tangerines = Luck

Men's Fashion - What's That??

Hehe... even with men's fashion getting more adventurous these days, sometimes men still don't see the light. They're probably the most clueless in formalwear or officewear, eg. ties. For instance, how many of you guys, or you girls' boyfriends, tie their tie knot in only one way? [FYI, did you know that most guy's tie their knot in the Windsor style? At least in my experience.]

So here, I've stumbled across a very interesting website on ties and 8 DIFFERENT WAYS to knot your tie. Girls, do your guys a favour and teach them how to knot their tie, and how to choose patterns. Guys, you have no idea how much a well-dressed and neat person is admired by girls!

Here's the website : Ben Silver Classic Style :: The Classic Tie Knots

Also, check out the meaning of different knots. Click on "All About Ties" then "History of the Tie".

Useful information for parties, eh? :P

Idiots on eBay Malaysia

I can't even BEGIN to describe how upset I am. Remember a few posts back about the eBay bidder who bid on my item a few hours before auction end, then apologised for bidding accidentally? What an idiot, right?

Well, I just received a negative feedback from that person because I left him one! Tell me, is it my fault for leaving a negative feedback when someone has caused me so much trouble with relisting the item and only selling it at half the price it was going for before he "accidentally bid" on it?

I'm truly sorry it had to be like this, but I really don't see why someone should leave me negative feedback when I was upset with that person for not being responsible. I also left that negative feedback because I'd emailed that person 2 or 3 times asking about his next action, if he really wanted to buy it... just to let me know what he wanted to do. But NO... no contact at all. What am I supposed to do then? Just sit and wait? I really don't understand Malaysian bidders on eBay. Half of them are GREAT A+++ and the other half are total asses. Typical Asians. Always have to have an eye for an eye.

And now I have this negative feedback on my score, it'll look SO bad when you don't see that "positive feedback score = 100%" on my profile. Aarghh... that's really upsetting!

And to top it off, I'm just waiting to get another negative feedback from this troublesome buyer who's so sarcastic and calls me intolerant for keeping her item for more than 2 weeks after auction end without any contact and leaving her negative feedback. Is it so damn difficult to contact someone?

Curse these monkeys' asses.

The Beginning of the Motorcycle Chronicles

Great, just great. I wrote so much and something went wrong.

Whatever.

Basically, I said that I'm amazed with some motorcyclists who manage to balance themselves on their teeny bikes without bursting their tyres. Previously some of you may have seen the fat lady from Penang on her tiny bike. Fascinating, isn't she?

To say the least, these Motorcycle Chronicles will showcase some of the most amazing bike scenes around KL. I'm sure you'll all be entertained!

First off is this graffiti. You can find it all over KL but I don't know what it means. Do you?

MC Exhibit B : I wonder what's inside. Rice for Nasi Lemak? Should have hijacked him.

Cute white guys, A**hole drivers and Bangsar!

I just saw 2 cute white guys at the post office! Very nicely golden tanned with surfer outfits. Unfortunately whenever I see such nicely tanned people I always wonder if they'll get skin cancer in the future.

"Wow they're kinda cute. What a sexy tan! Oh hmm... I wonder if they'll get skin cancer next time. Hmm... not such a good prospect for a future partner then."

Very unromantic I know.

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Reckless drivers! Don't we all know about them? I experienced one today. We were turning at a bend and he totally overtook me, he was so close I had to squeeze to the left and I couldn't honk him because I was concentrating so hard on not scraping the barrier on the left and his car on the right! What was the whole rush about, IDIOT??! His number plate was PCW 6089 or 6039. A maroon coloured old Hyundai Sonata looking car. If you see it, beware! IDIOTIC DRIVER INSIDE who doesn't care a monkey's ass about you and your tiny expendable vehicle.

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Anyway, I really feel like going out to Bangsar and having a sitdown and a drink somewhere relaxing with a nice atmosphere. Unfortunately I don't know who to call. Plus, I don't really have money to throw around. Still, if someone was willing... anyone wanna ask me for a drink?

Being optimistic

After quite an uneventful weekend, all I can say is : "Two days nearer to Grandpa G's arrival!".

Let's see, on Saturday, I went to mass to sing with the band's choir... unfortunately, I'd lost my voice and it just came back that day, so I had to push the microphone away :( After that, I stayed back to help with decoration jobs for the Life Teen party. I only came home at midnight, and boy, was I tired! Because of that, I upset poor Grandpa G by calling him dense! I'm such a mean, mean human being.

Ms Loong did say that if I'd said that to any other guy from here, they probably wouldn't be offended because they wouldn't know the meaning of 'dense'. HMM... half true, I'd say.

Sunday night was at La Bodega in Bangsar to play board games. It was sooooo quiet. And smoky. I didn't realise it till I got into my car and my car started to stink up instantly. I had to have the windows down all the way home. My poor lungs... SOB!

Anyway, does anyone like the new song playing by Delerium? I've got loads more from them so if any of you like a particular song or artist, do leave some comments or requests.

Adios, cucarachas! HEHE.

Highly recommended site!

My friend Lap Sap (sorry, man! I always use nicknames!) recently emailed me this website which he highly recommended. I do find it highly amusing and not at all nonsensical and idiotic like some other blogs other people recommend (like that xiaxue's). I'm not against her, but really, she writes about trivial, itty bitty things which is really good for a twice a year visit, but not every day.

This site is written by an American teacher in Japan and his experiences with the kids and fellow teachers. It is indeed, very entertaining.

Visit it here! NOW!

HAHAHA!!! I just continued reading after I posted the above paragraphs, and boy oh boy, this site is not AMUSING, it's HILARIOUS! I can't believe I'm laughing at my laptop screen - but I am! My favourite is "Rico Suave Meets Velma". Although I'd recommend you to read his posts in order, to get into his writing style and character. Personally, I started from the last post to the first.

PEOPLE!!

GRRR... what's this, man?? Someone just emailed me and said they didn't know they'd bid on my item. They bid accidentally??! Hello? Can anyone be that BLUR? And then they have the audacity to say sorry for ANY inconvenience. Oh yeah it's just soooo simple to retract a bid, right?

Well, here's a newsflash for you, Walter Kronkite...

IT'S NOT.

Quite frankly, it's impossible. Once you bid, you bind yourself to a legal contract with the seller! They remind you of this so many times on eBay... what did this fool do? Just simply click click CLICK on BID? Confirm BID? OMG... stupid jerk. What a waste of my time.

And what's more, that item had 11 bids on it! What does the idiot think I'm going to do just because he accidentally and unknowingly bid? Just say it's fine, let me relist it? For goodness' sake! How unfair to the other genuine bidders and ultimately unfair to MOI, if I have to lose all those bidders!

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Okay I'm still upset, but here's another thing... I've lost my voice! I woke up this morning with half a voice, a throat lump and a bullet in my head. And I'm singing in church tomorrow! And I've got a verse to sing solo! Aaaahhhh..... hopefully it comes back by tonight.

(Actually, I have to admit I did have a lot of chocolate shortbread cookies, but that was before I knew I'd be singing this week!)

IMAC MINI HERE I COME!!

Oh yeah, MUSIC!

After an excruciating amount of time, I finally found a way to add streaming audio without purchasing any software. I know it's an old code, but it isn't easy to find in this modern day of "too lazy to hard code". Plus, it's good to get an mp3 file that's small enough to stream. I hate MIDIs!

And by the way, the music I play is completely and legally bought and just ripped for the public's listening pleasure.

If anyone who reads this blog regularly has any suggestions for new music to be streamed here, do leave a comment!


HRH Prince Harry and the SWASTIKA!! HOHOHO...

I had a lot to say this morning about the Prince Harry/Swastika issue, but somehow it's all just fizzled out. I guess I just want to add my 2 cents' worth that basically, the world has better things to debate on. And that he really should have thought that just maybe photos of him would leak out, so he should still be cautious about what he wears even to a private party. But basically, can the world just move on and stop talking about what he wore?

There are some really interesting and good comments on what people think on http://www.bbc.co.uk. It's a real balance, but generally, what I found was that most Brits don't give a baboon's ass and it's basically the Americans who decide to suffer for other people. HEHE.

Baker Street

Elementary, my dear Watson!!

Yep, I did some baking last night. I attempted to reproduce my own version of the most heavenly Marks & Spencer's All Butter Chocolate Bites! Here's the chronology of events in pictorial format.

Well, it turned out a bit salty, probably cuz of the butter... but generally it tastes quite good. I added chocolate chips as well so it helps make it sweeter. Well my next batch should be better!

Shopping

I bought a book and a CD yesterday : Bergdorf Blondes and Hed Kandi Winter Chill. When I bought that album, the guy said I was outdated cuz it's from 1999! Sheesh... good music is still good right? And so far Bergdorf Blondes seems good... first 2 chapters. Will keep you guys updated on it in case you want to purchase the book hehe...

I QUIT!!

I finally quit my job! I only lasted two and a half weeks there. Oh gosh, I'm such a quitter.

However, it gives me time to do more research on bathrooms (yippee!) and other projects (ahem!) I'm working on. They're a secret for now.

I shall follow my good friend Malaysian Devil and provide some foreign vocabulary to people who might need to use it in the future. HEHE...

Useful French Words

• Shit! = Merde!
• Idiot = Idiot (m) / Idiote (f)
• Stupid = Stupide
• You are too fussy! = Vous cherchez la petite bête!
• I hate you, GRRR! = Je vous déteste, GRRR!

J'ai raison, M. Charloroco?

My Wish List #3

My birthday's coming soon and I'm sure MANY people will be wondering what I want, so I've decided to be helpful and thoughtful and put my wishes online. HEEHEE...

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Birthday Wish List

1. Calvin and Hobbes books - the big ones, not the small ones.
2. Lots of earrings, especially hoop ones. Small ones will be good so I can wear them every day.
3. Baby tees, especially from FCUK.
4. New thongs, preferably in black or white. Thongs, meaning flip-flops, meaning slippers.
5. A new boyfriend. HAHA!! I know he doesn't read this blog, so it doesn't matter.
6. Some spending money in Pound Sterling.
7. Marks & Spencer All Butter Chocolate Bites. The double sized tub, please.
8. People to stop behaving like spoilt brats and work hard towards a better life.
9. Grandpa G celebrating my birthday with me.

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Stay tuned for more updates!

Remodeling Bathrooms

I'm gonna remodel my bathroom and I have a few ideas on how to go about it. Just have to keep it way under budget so I can spread the money to other areas of the home. I'm now browsing this website http://www.abathroomguide.com which looks quite extensive and has a lot of info.

Bathroom Wish List #1

1. A pull string for the light instead of a switch.
2. A whole entirely new toilet with a half flush and full flush button.
3. A door or some sort of barrier to stop water coming out of the shower and onto the floor outside.
4. A way to keep the toilet floor dry always.
5. More mirrors?
6. A new water heater and a new powerful shower head.

This afternoon I went to a jeweller's to watch my sisters get their ears pierced. There was a lady there with really big legs, but even worse, she was wearing low quality purple stockings and I could see the ladders and runs on them. But the worst was that I could see her leg hair through it. Long and dark and clumped in areas. Terrible, eh?? What a sight.

I'm also feeling awfully and terribly upset at someone. GRRRRR... I don't want to go into further details but if drastic measures have to be taken, I WILL do it! I can't take this much longer.

Things I hate about other blogs

Wow some people really work hard at their blogs. All the coding and extra giz-giz-gizmos they use. Whew! And somehow I have a feeling these people are all under 19. Figures, doesn't it?

And they're already so "misunderstood" so "depressed about life" and "wondering if life is worth it".

PUKE PUKE. What a bunch of idiots.

I did get a really cool link from this "Kelly Osborne-esque, misunderstood, angry at my papa" blog which is http://www.iwebmusic.com. Check it out to put music on your website!

Another thing I hate about other people's blogs is when they keep putting... words... like this... in sentences... because... they just... feel so damn... misunderstood... unloved... depressed... alone in this world... and just had the most horrible January in the history of mankind.

You suck!! Get out and make your life a life!! :P I really hate it when people feel self-pity. I wish I didn't have to enter those blogs, but unfortunately... a lot of the blogs out here on blogger are like that.

Difficult to read?

Oh wow I just realised my blog is so difficult to read especially when I write loads and loads in one paragraph. Was just reading another blog with the same template and boy, did I NOT want to read it! Only if the posts are really interesting/useful... which mine are, of course... but... um... gotta cater to those with weaker eyesight, right? Right, so I'll change my template... NOW!! Hehe... yeah... won't be so cool and dark anymore, but it'll be easier to read!

YIIIIKKKKKEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My links and flooble have disappeared!! BOOOOOHOOOO.....

Everyone whose links to my blog were displayed here, please please leave your urls on my comment page so I can add you again! Thank you thank you..... also if anyone else would like to be listed on this blog, do give me your url.

My eBay! Comments please!

Yes I admit, I've been a seller on eBay for some time now and it's been going quite well. I'm just trying to sell some new things now and if you have any feedback, I greatly welcome it. Here are some pictures. If you want to bid on them, go to the link I've provided below the items.

The model is my lil sis!! It probably looks better on a nice white doll neck but hey, I'm just starting out. If these work out, I'll get a better 'model'!!

This is a combo of 1 pair of earrings with 2 necklaces, one saying 'Best', the other saying 'Friend'.

Click here to bid >>> http://www.ebay.com.my/viItem?ItemId=4959447479

This is a really nice necklace with translucent brown beads and I find it really elegant, worn with black clothes :) Unfortunately my model was busy on the phone and couldn't change clothes as was needed. HEHE.

Click here to bid >>> http://www.ebay.com.my/viItem?ItemId=5355250323

I really love this green bead necklace. I think it's really funky and goes with day or night outfits.

Click here to bid >>> http://www.ebay.com.my/viItem?ItemId=5355250707

This is a funky metal necklace in rusty gold colour. Looks a bit antique-y and it really stores tiny items inside!

Click here to bid >>> http://www.ebay.com.my/viItem?ItemId=5355249852

Luna Bar!

Let's see how nice this place really is... I'll be back with some pics!

Meet The Fockers!!

I watched Meet The Fockers today and it's so funny! I love that show. The Fockers were sooo funny without being corny or cheesy. Those actors are just naturals!

Work tomorrow! SIGH...

Anyway, just found out that the MAS Fair is on February 19 at Mines, so anyone who wants cheap airfares, head there!! But beware of the traffic! On second thoughts, don't go, okay?!! Since I'll be heading in that direction as well. Hopefully I can get a flight without waiting too long.

If you miss the MAS Fair anyway, you can wait for the MATTA Fair which should be held March 11 2005 at the usual PWTC. But I think the rates there will be less competitive than at the MAS Fair. Oops! Pretend I didn't say that.

Go to the MATTA Fair! Go to the MATTA Fair! Go to the MATTA Fair! Not MAS!

My Wish List #2

It crossed my mind to say My Wish List #1.1 but I figured it was too nerdy HEHE.

Okay, so here it is! I've managed to fulfill numbers 7 and 8 on the first one so my aspiration meter is quite full. Gold, though, not Platinum. People who play The Sims 2 will know what I'm talking about.

1. More Calvin and Hobbes!
2. Air ticket to England
3. Debt to my mom erased
4. A new branded PC
5. An Apple iBook/PowerBook or plain Apple computer (just for style)
6. Purple/Pink handbag from Cats Whiskers (can't decide which colour)
7. Another trip to Paris
8. Trip to Amsterdam/Stockholm/Venice/Prague
9. More money
10. A job for Grandpa G
11. A really good book to read

Maybe you're wondering why I haven't had any new opinions to talk about recently. In fact, I did, but by the time I reached the computer I got lazy. I'll just roughly write it down quickly now.

At church last Sunday the priest was talking about how we're so unaffected by the tsunami disaster and something about how not-good it is. So we should think about what the victims suffered and feel sorry for them blablabla.

Well, in my mind, I was thinking that if it were an open debate I'd stand up and say that I don't agree. I think that we should not focus on the bad but on the good. Which is that we're STILL ALIVE! We should be thanking God that we're all still alive and healthy (or even unhealthy but alive). Naturally we feel that the disaster was awful and tragic but we should help how we can and not dwell on it. Will that bring the victims back? Will the injured suddenly heal faster? I don't THINK so!

But the right thing to do is :

1. Pray for the souls of the dead and for those injured or lost
2. Donate as much money as we can to help the general building back of the cities (they are not rich countries affected, which makes this tragedy worse)
3. Donate money for the children
4. Donate money for the hospitals
5. Thank God we are alive!
6. Thank God for the many blessings we have and the fact that we can wake up every day and choose whether or not to eat breakfast.

Make every second enjoyable! Don't just let it pass by while we're thinking of the next minute.

Oh, which reminds me of an experience I had when I was younger.

You know how when you were in your late teens and you liked to go out till late but you weren't allowed to? So once I was out late and I felt really worried that I'd be screamed at when I got home and I was worrying and stressing the entire journey home, but once I reached the entrance of my apartment, I thought, "There's no point in being stressed before the thing happens. Just enjoy the moment of peace I have right now!" So I did.

And guess what... my dad was asleep when I got home and he never scolded me! So not only is worrying about the future pointless and tiring, it's just not worth it and there may be nothing to worry about anyway!

And, by the way, it didn't only happen once, so it wasn't a one-off. Believe it!

Yes I'm alive M. Charly

I was on my way to Penang on the 26th of December when my stepmom's friend called from there. I picked up the call and I thought I heard her wrongly... she said that there'd been a tidal wave in Penang! I didn't want to ask her to repeat it, so I just said okay...

And later we got other calls telling us about it and then we heard about tremors felt back at home. I didn't feel it because the ground was supposed to have shaken at about 9am but I was in church (thank God!) and at about 1pm when the tsunami struck Penang, I was on my way up there.

However, being in Penang wasn't much. It was rather quiet and everyone was going about their normal business. Only the area around Tanjong Tokong was quite destroyed but the authorities had cleared them all up. Didn't manage to get pictures of that. I didn't go up to Batu Ferringhi either... heard it was closed up because there was quite serious damage up there and further up at Balik Pulau. I saw the papers this evening and a bus driver who'd taken his family up to Balik Pulau for a picnic holiday had all 5 of his children killed! And another man lost his wife and 4 children. I just hope their other family members give them the support they need and help lift them out of this sad time.

And in the other countries, accumulated death toll of over 20 000! That's massive! And think of all the families, children and grandparents who've been separated...

We must pray for their souls and for their surviving family members and friends.

Anyway, my family and I were already on our way to Penang so we arrived safely and the Penang Bridge was FINE!! Contrary to some stupid SMS rumour people were spreading around saying they were expecting seismic activity around that area. This country does NOT have seismic activity! The tremors were only from the huge earthquake experienced just off Sumatera. (And by the way, I was just looking at the map and thinking that if Sumatera wasn't where it is, we'd have the same situation as Sri Lanka.)

Oh and tragedy for Phuket Island as well. 40% of their US dollar revenue was from Phuket Island. Now that it's destroyed, what are they going to do? It's all really quite terrible.

Okay okay, back to me :P

I took some pictures of the beach in front of my hotel...





Here's a cool one, showing how people are still brave enough to walk on the edge of the sea.



A study of light as Claude Monet did... the top one was taken in the afternoon, the bottom in the evening. Notice how the afternoon sun is yellower and more orange, while the evening sun is more white and grey. Just a note hehe...





The notice stuck on red and white striped tape to stop people from wandering out to the beach. However, as shown in the first picture, it don't make no difference, mate.



Me, little sis and Dad.



Penang is the Land of the Motorcycles (and most horrendous drivers, I might add). We've coined a slogan for this Pearl of the Orient : "Make your own rules." To be related to driving, riding motorcyles, hawker stalls and just about everything else.



I love taking pictures of motorcyclists. This is a smashing picture I took of this lady while I drove past her. So glad she didn't come and bash me up after glancing in my direction.

The Smell of Brownies... mmm...

The scent of the brownies I just baked are wafting up the zig zag staircase and into my room... YUM! I can't wait for dessert. Mumsy's cooking the dinner now with the help of Mr Ho who charges an outrageous amount for his meat. Talk about taking advantage of the season! This is the season of giving, n'est ce pas?? BOYCOTT MR HO!

Hehe... don't sue me.

Anyway, I feel the urge to lead a peaceful existence in merry old England. Having tea and scones at a little café blablabla... and at night maybe a trip to Leeds which supposedly has good clubs? Well that's what my friend Jap-Chick-Krazy Dale says anyway.

Listening to electronic/ambient music from online radios always makes me feel like being in Europe dancing and drinking the night away. No idea why. So not me. Right, Grandpa G? :P

Here's 2 pix from Christmas Eve do at my aunt's place:

Me and me sis being reindeer for the night. NEIGH!!!!!
Poor baby getting cameras flashed in her face. Photographer's fault. My cousin's cute little daughter. If anyone wants a facial done, contact me. She's very good! My cousin, that is.

I heard it's snowing up in North England. How nice. But apparently not enough snow to build me a Calvin-type snowman. Bah!

Les Commentaires

Sometimes I wonder if I've made a mistake by putting a Flooble chatterbox on my page. This stops people from actually leaving real comments for my posts and leaving the number of Parisians who love me to a measly zero :( Boohoo...

So if you have any comments for my individual posts, do click on the underlined number under my posts to leave a comment because the Flooble comments get deleted very often as I set the limit to display 10 only.

Thank you.

And as a token of my gratitude, here's a joke from FHM's Best of Bar Room Jokes 2 page 28:

A man comes into work on Monday with a black eye. His fellow workers ask him what happened. "I was in church yesterday," says the man, "when a young woman came in wearing a summer dress and sat in the seat in front of me. When she stood up the dress was caught between the cheeks of her bum, so I leaned forward and plucked itout. And she hit me!"

The next Monday he comes in with two black eyes. "I was in church yesterday," he explains, "and the same young woman in the same dress sat in front of me. When she stood up her dress was caught between the cheeks of her bum again, and the man beside me leaned forward and plucked it out. I knew she didn't like that, though, so I pushed it in again..."

:P

HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS!

I'm EMPLOYED!... and Merry Christmas!

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I am officially EMPLOYED.

Gonna clean toilets and stuff like that, ain't that fun?

Well, that's not the only thing I'm doing of course. In fact, I'm gonna be working in Cat's Whiskers (the place where I found the totally great bracelet) and guess when I'm starting work? NEW YEAR'S EVE! Haha... what a life. Doesn't really bother me actually. This year I don't seem to be in a festive mood, I wonder why...? Maybe because there's no one special beside me :( Boohoo...

Anyway, I'll be getting staff discount so I've a feeling I'll be quite popular with my girlfriends this coming new year.

Oh, and if I don't see you this Christmas, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

GMAIL

I've been finally awarded the supreme privilege of giving out 6 Gmail accounts. However, I feel like everyone already has one. But if any of you happen to swing by this blog, do write me a nice plea for the Gmail account and I just might give it to you, stranger!

My Wish List #1

Okay I know it's a bit late for Christmas, but here's my wish list so I'll remember what I'm aiming for : (and as you can see it's Wish List #1 meaning there's more to come in the future. No more asking what I want as gifts!!)

...in no particular order...

1. Calvin and Hobbes (post a comment if you want to know which ones I already have)
2. La Senza gift vouchers (if they had any)
3. iMac or iBook/PowerBook
4. New branded PC (sick of custom made ones)
5. Air ticket to England (or Stockholm, Amsterdam and Prague)
6. Baby doll high-heeled shoes
7. Very nice bracelet in Cat's Whiskers
8. A temporary job for January 2005

Boyfriends' mothers

I'm afraid to say, boyfriends' mothers really freak me out and scare me to pieces! You never feel that you're good enough for her son from the way she looks at you.

She probably looks at every girlfriend of her little boy and automatically judges if she's going to be as good as the mother in looking after her darling. And of course the answer will 99% of the time be 'No'. Daunting, isn't it?

This post didn't come out of any particularly recent experience of mine. I was just thinking about it one day.

Anyway, if any of you are in the mood for posting comments, can anyone give me any recommendations for books to read? I like most sort of books, like suspense and crime (Agatha Christie), preferably fiction.

Another way to live?

I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo last night and there was a couple, Emmanuel and Julie, who had planned their life out in the way I was talking about a few days ago. About happiness being more important than working your whole life for money to be happy.

Emmanuel and Julie had gotten married, then worked in their own business for about 6 years (maybe a few more... these classics use language in such a confusing way) and saved up enough money for them to live moderately in comfort and never have to work anymore. She was only 26 when they settled down.

Well, it's not always possible to be like that, maybe you'd need more time, and of course it won't work if you're the ambitious type. But if what you're looking for is happiness and an easy, simple kind of life, I'm sure there's a way.

London

More pictures from London!

Big Ben at night... so beautiful. It was amazing actually being there. I had to pinch myself 11 times.

Me and this really cool dude outside a reggae shop. He's so cool!! And he kinda looks like Bill Cosby too.

Me and Nobita in front of the London Eye, the big ferris wheel, for great views of London. Apparently one turn takes half an hour. I can think of better things to do, mate!

On Portobello Road where the famous market is. Nice looking front for the bar.

The scene from the bridge of Big Ben (no, it's not London Bridge) and the Houses of Parliament. The view is really beautiful at night of the buildings along the Thames.

Couldn't resist taking a picture at the tube station near Sherlock Holmes' dwelling!

Life and Death

It's true that one has to experience life to know about it (what Malaysian Devil said on the Flooble - by the way, he's not even Malaysian!!) but then your whole life would've passed you by before you knew what it was about, isn't that right?!

So I figure my understanding of it is useful to me so far as it sort of puts my goals and wants in perspective.

Talking about death too, I used to get really scared and upset when I thought about dying. Well I still do now sometimes, but two things give me some comfort. One is that when you're old (assuming you don't get into an accident, which I hope none of us ever do) and your body's shutting down, you just want to die and stop being reminded how you're not young anymore. So it turns out to be a blessing, huh? Secondly, I've started seeing Life as a journey and Death as a sort of 'portal' to Heaven.

I heard once that dying is a very liberating feeling. You die but at the same time your soul is released from your mortal body and you just get a tremendous feeling of freedom like everything's stretched. I don't know how that person managed to get that story, but to me it makes sense, and it also comforts me, knowing that this life is merely a journey to our freedom eventually. And that's hoping all of us make this journey worthwhile and good.

Treasure Hunt

I actually came to my blog to write that I'm going for a treasure hunt tomorrow on the monorail! Woohoo! Then I got sidelined reading the interesting flooble entries. Thanks for your participation guys!

I don't think I'll be bringing my camera tomorrow so sorry no pics from the amazing race! But just cross your fingers my team do well (I'm teaming up with Sharry Berry).

To Grandpa G

I miss you lots! You make life so much more worth discovering.

The Meaning of Life

I hope I can put it in words eloquently.

You know how when people start out as kids, they play, then they go to school and study, first primary school then secondary school and then college, uni... maybe go overseas to get that degree. After studies, of course naturally comes work. So you work every day 5 days a week, maybe more, maybe less. But generally you work. You get your salary to pay bills, eat, buy things.

This is the normal routine people follow and that's all fine and dandy. But do they know why they're doing this? Sure, you can say I work to get money to eat. But I think most people think of work as something that has to be done. As in... we breathe, we work. Do you get the meaning? This is not easy to explain. It doesn't seem to come out right in words.

Basically I think that a lot of people, especially in Asia, think of work as a need in life. It's like eating and drinking. It's a part of life just like walking and talking.

It actually isn't.

I believe that life is for us to enjoy and be happy. It doesn't mean that if you don't work, you'll be unhappy. I think a lot of people would enjoy life much more if they didn't feel obligated to work. Okay that didn't come out right again. I know people will be arguing with me saying that people should work so they don't snatch old ladies' handbags.

But work is here to serve a purpose, and that is to feed us and to make us happy. Not the other way round. We shouldn't feel fulfilled by having a job. Or a job that pays well. We should be USING work to work for us. If we want to go on a holiday, we should be using our work to give us that. And not work so hard for promotions and money and awards, thinking that that'll make us happy.

Remember ourselves as kids feeling free and happy? That's when we're free of obligations. We can still achieve that as adults when we go on holiday. Even when we work.

I also realised that many people feel that they've shut their eyes and suddenly opened them 30 years later. It's like life flew by, isn't it?

That's because many adults live life in the tomorrow. They plan what to do. They can't be satisfied if they don't know what they're gonna do tomorrow. Of course planning meetings for businesses are important but it shouldn't take up your whole week. It'll fly by before you can realise it's arrived. If it's not possible to relax during the week, at least do it during the weekends.

Don't sit at home and laze around during the weekends. It doesn't make the day longer, it shortens it. The secret is to wake up and then plan what to do for the day and do it. The less time you've planned something and the more time you spend doing things, the more time you seem to have. That's the secret little children have. Remember feeling that you were gonna be 9 forever?

Now I know this is getting boring so I won't keep going on and on trying to clarify my statements. I know what I realised and I hope that this renaissance will come to you guys soon too.

Just remember not to force yourself to do something. Life is a gift for us humans to enjoy and make the best of our senses, feelings and emotions. It shouldn't just be stress and nerves. We're capable of so much more happiness if only we'd realise what's truly important (and I don't mean only boring stuff like family (which is of course very important) but I also mean having fun, being in love). And somehow, the days will lengthen magically.

Bound for Hell

I watched two movies this past week. One was Supersize Me, the other The Polar Express. Both really broke my heart.

In Supersize Me, there was one part where a few young kids about 6-8 year old were shown portraits of famous people. The first picture was of George Washington, whom most of the kids didn't recognise but a few found his face familiar. The second portrait shown to them was totally unknown to them. All heads were shaking in ignorance. The photo was then shown to the camera and guess who? World's Most Unrecognisable Face (to young Americans today anyway) - Jesus Christ! Last portrait shown was instantly recognised and called by name - Ronald McDonald.

I don't have any objections to all kids knowing who Ronald is. What I AM really worried and disturbed by is that none of the kids even recognised a picture of Jesus! Please, anyone out there who reads this. Make sure your children (or sisters/brothers etc) know who Jesus Christ is and what Christmas is really about. Even if you don't follow Christianity, surely you know that Christmas is the day Jesus Christ was born on this earth as a baby boy, and isn't just a day we get presents from Santa Claus, or a day we stuff ourselves with food, or get drunk and stoned out clubbing and partying.

The Polar Express movie never even mentioned anything about little baby Christ. But apparently it's because they are a movie and shouldn't promote Christianity. What??! Unbelievable. People will believe what they want to believe whether you promote something or not.

On the subject of promoting Christianity, apparently Sydney has decided not to decorate itself with Christmas decorations because they don't want to "impose" Christianity on anyone. If that's really true, then - HOW DUMB!

All this subject of religion is getting so overboard nowadays. What happened to Love Thy Neighbour? You can love your neighbour regardless of his religion or race. We are all humans at the end of the day.

Some HTML help please?

By the way, can someone help me figure out why my posts appear so low down the page after my sidebar has ended? The posts should appear next to the sidebar on the left, but it's just all wonky now. Please let me know if you can help me. Thanks!