My Past Week

I really should be more current with my blog posts on events. By the time I've written about an event I've been to, it would already be quite forgotten by the general public.

Anyway, most notable event I attended in the past week was the Lapsap Junkyard Sale at Palate Palette. Beach Babe Bea called me to bring some of my unwanted stuff to fill up her table, so I brought some ancient CDs, even some new(ish) books and... a birdcage.

Yes, those who've been reading my blog for about a year should know about my two pet budgies, Ron and Penny. I don't think I mentioned though, that Penny died in that cage (!!), and so I let Ron back into the 'wild' because I felt sorry for her being all alone. It wasn't the cage's fault Penny died, by the way.

Anyway, my birdcage wasn't sold, but there seemed to be quite a bit of interest in it. Probably artists trying to figure out how they can deconstruct it and compose an art piece entitled, 'I Used To Be A Birdcage'.

Here are some pics from the event.









***

Last Saturday, I went to Valentine Willie to check out the first day of Art ± rm1000. Wanted to see what kind of nice and affordable art I could purchase for my living room feature wall. None, apparently.

(And there was a really annoying piece of work that featured 2 plastic bags being blown at intervals by a small electric fan on the floor. The noise of the motor starting every few seconds was so damn irritating!)

The only notable work that I would feature was called 'Blue Monday' and 'Chilli Day', but unfortunately, I can't remember who the artist is. My apologies!

Valentine Willie was showcasing another exhibition in the main room though, by Kow Leong Kiang, called 'Other People'. These are portraits of people he met when he was in Vermont on a residency programme. I really loved it! The paintings had such soft and subtle strokes of colour that I couldn't help but stare at them. Wish I could afford THOSE. One day... one day...

The exhibition is on till 1 December, so drop by the gallery (Telawi 3, I think) if you're around the area.

***

I would have had one more event to write about had I not been let down by a no-show of people ☹. I had 4 invites to the Jonathan Cheng show at the KL Convention Centre, in conjunction with Malaysia International Fashion Week (at least that's what I think M-IFW stands for, don't you?) last Thursday, but everyone who was supposed to go dropped out last minute and I couldn't think of anyone else who could make it at 4pm on a weekday.

So I missed out.

What a bummer that was. And I saw photos in the newspaper of some other shows that were going on for the same event and they looked cool! I guess there's always next year.

Which reminds me, I caught the finale of Project Runway Malaysia a few weeks ago, and I just wanted to say that the models in that show suck. They have fat legs and they can't walk at all. Not exaggerating. ALL of them. One girl was swaying her backside so much I thought she'd fall off the runway. Damn!

Newbies

Christmas is coming to town!

Mumsy Bumsy bought a new tree at Metrojaya today. She's been quite impressed with fibre optic trees for a few weeks now, so when she saw a dazzling silver one, she couldn't resist! It's really quite pretty. Foxy can't stop visiting the tree in admiration. To her, it must be like that huge Christmas tree at Times Square. I wonder what she thought of our old 6 foot tree then?




We also bought an unbelievably cute giant Santa who stands up on his own. Maxi and Foxy thought we'd got them a new friend... seriously!! They couldn't stop wagging their tails and trying to get to his butt. I haven't taken pictures of it though. Forgot.

I'm also really excited cuz I collected my new specs yesterday! It's by Freudenhaus of Germany, and it's handmade! Didn't know it was so posh till I looked at it properly. No wonder it was so expensive. I thought the market price of specs had just gone up! After all, it has been 3 years since I bought my last one.

And, yeah, Carrot, I will take your advice, bite the bullet/wallet and try Florida's Natural! If it's not worth the price, I know who to blame! :P

Revealed: Orange Juice

I'm no expert on juices, but I have tried a few in my time, so here goes. Keeping in mind that these are all carton juices and they're not gonna taste 100% fresh, this is my guide to Orange Juice.

Let me start with popular names.

Marigold. Just had some today, and contrary to what I thought before, it's not too bad. It might not have tasted all that great, but I was too busy discussing work to really take note. I did notice though, that it has a very strong (and artificial-looking) orange colour. For goodness' sake, we've all had freshly squeezed orange juice before and a juice that looks like it's been overly fake-tanned is not gonna make us drool with anticipation.

Peel Fresh. This is my least favourite among orange juice brands. It's so darn sweet that I have to wonder if the 'real orange pulp' inside really is authentic pulp, or "really orange" pulp. I don't know what else to say. This brand is just too sweet to be real orange juice, dude.

Ceres. Okay, this brand is really quite affordable even though it looks high-class. I had this quite some time ago so my memory of it has faded somewhat, but I don't remember enjoying it much. Where Peel Fresh is too sweet, I think Ceres is too sour. And I really hate orange juice that's too sour. Why not invest in some proper oranges that are friendly to the tastebuds?

Liqui-Fruit. This is my favourite brand. I only recently discovered it, and I'm lovin' it! It's from South Africa and is also quite affordable. I think it's under RM5 for a carton. Besides their orange juice, I've had other flavours and it still tastes real, authentic, juicy and just right on them good ol' tastebuds. It's also easy on the eyes. Meaning it's not too orange and not too yellow lah. I'm not sure if it's as widely stocked as the previous brands, but do look for it and try some! As far as I know, they're sold in Village Grocer @ Bangsar Village and Cold Storage @ BSC.

There are other brands I'd love to try, like Florida's Natural, but it's just too expensive (nearly RM20 for a carton, admittedly double the size of the brands above, but still!). I'm sure it tastes yummy though.

I hope this will help you save time during your next supermarket outing. Hehe.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of Revealed!

Trip to Singapore

Popped down to Singapore for a night yesterday.

Was planning not to spend any money at all to save up for my trip to see Grandpa G at the end of the year, but Singapore will be Singapore, and girls will be girls! Saw good discounts on winter coats so purchased a cool bomber jacket... just hope it keeps me warm enough in a north English winter! Bought some other clothes as well... and have sworn off shopping for the rest of the year. Fingers crossed.

My Funny Pix #1

When my dogs feel a bit peckish midday, they just look for something in the kitchen rubbish bin...

THAT'S NOT A REFRIGERATOR, KIDDOS!

Anyway, I was looking through old pictures, trying to get back some space on my iPod, and I found this really funny pic that got me giggling for a while. Check out Bin's hair!



That was taken during the production of Austeen Powers around 3 or 4 years ago. Bin was the cameraman and co-director. It was a brilliant production!

Friday night dinner party

I hosted a nice private dinner party on Friday.

It was nice to have a small gathering to catch up with friends. Beach Babe Bea cooked for us; us being Sharry Berry, Dan The Drinker, Jon L and moi.



For starters, we had nice, warm bread rolls and butter, followed by our main, Lamb Shoulder with Apricot Sauce, and dessert brought by Jon L, Bulla chocolate ice cream! Yummy. Elleh Belleh's enjoying what's left of it right now, actually. So glad he brought chocolate and not any weird flavour! As for drinks, Sharry Berry and Dan The Drinker (true to his name) brought wine.

Dinner started a little late and Sharry Berry was so hungry I had to offer her boiled carrots to curb her appetite. Poor girl. Overall, the dinner was really enjoyable. Thanks to everyone who helped clean up after!

Registering a company in Malaysia

I finally registered my company two days ago!

I was quite clueless on how to go about it so I went with Mumsy. We reached The Mall and I was looking at the directory to see where to go when this guy approached us and offered his help to register the company for us for a sum of RM150. That's double the fee to start up your own company! Which is, by the way, RM70.

All I can say is, DON'T FALL FOR THEIR RUSE! Registering your own company is so easy... not quick, but easy... and those guys who tout their services aren't actually doing anything for you except filling up your forms because they can't line up and wait for you (it's illegal).

Handy tip: Don't hang out in front of a mall directory or McDonald's because they also hang out there. You don't want them hassling you telling you that it only takes one hour blablablablablabla. The registrar (SSM) by the way is on the 2nd floor above McDonald's.

In the interests of the public, I'm listing the steps to register a sole proprietorship (and keeping your money safe in your purse!):

1. Get a form to register for a company name and fill it up. It's free. End your company name with the type of work it does eg. Design, Plumbing, Concept etc to save you the hassle of going back and forth when your name is rejected.
   
2. Queue up at the counter in the reception area to get a number. This queue moves fairly quickly.
   
3. Wait for your number to submit your form. You can either wait inside or outside, as they have the numbers displayed all around the office.
   
4. Submit your form and get a number.
   
5. Wait.
   
6. Hopefully, your name is approved. Collect the paper which approves your name and another form to register the business.
   
7. Fill up the form - it's easy and you can do it yourself. Don't bother with those touting jokers.
   
8. Pick up another number from the first counter and wait for your number to be called.
   
9. Wait.
   
10. Submit the form and pay RM70. Receive a receipt with your number.
    
11. Wait. This is the longest wait. We had to wait about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
    
12. Collect your license (3 pieces of paper) and check all details. Et voila, you've got a company!
    

I must commend the women at the counters for being helpful and friendly even though we don't expect them to be. It makes the atmosphere in the waiting room much more relaxed. Kudos to the people responsible for it!

Living in Malaysia

They're finally fixing the road in front of my condo. At last!

Does anyone else get annoyed with Astro for their crappy service? I don't even have to talk about the service being unavailable message - which, incidentally, is in exactly the same league as the damn Windows blue screen - but what annoys me these days are all the repeats Astro keeps showing.

How many times have I watched Midsomer Murders: A Tale of Two Hamlets? How many times have I seen Asha Gill in Dublin, boating on the River Liffey? How many bloody times have I seen runs and reruns on BBC Entertainment? I admit I don't know if it's Astro's fault, but I can't help thinking it is. Fine, if you want to repeat the current season because there are no new seasons, but please don't keep repeating old seasons!

Midsomer Murders on Hallmark is a fine example. The old seasons had Sergeant Troy as Inspector Barnaby's sidekick. Then the new season came and Troy was replaced by a better looking Sergeant Scott. The next month, Troy is back in the two hamlets. Three weeks later, Scott is saving Barnaby's daughter from drowning. Again.

And now I see Astro adding new channels. I wish they would fix their existing channels before adding new ones. But this is so like Malaysia.

Speaking from the viewpoint of a twenty-something living in the city, two things that matter are: Traffic and TV. As anyone else living here knows, traffic sucks.

But my real complaint is the same as with Astro's. You keep building new roads, but you don't fix your existing ones of potholes, unevenness and ruts. And public transportation hasn't improved so much as to encourage me to use it. I would honestly love to take buses, trains and taxis, but - Buses are late and unreliable, train stations are in inconvenient locations, such that you have to drive there and drive back from there, so you may as well drive all the way to your destination... and I'm just scared of taking taxis alone.

Can't we slow down on the building of new things and pass some of that money on to improving existing services? And just maybe we'll be more willing to Cuti-Cuti Malaysia - because when public toilets are clean and roads are smooth, we don't mind driving around the country to visit our awesome islands and beaches.

***

I was actually gonna end there, but when the subject of public toilets came into my head, I just couldn't stop myself from adding another thought. I know highway rest stop toilets are being cleaned regularly these days, but there's only so much they can do until it becomes the public's responsibility to use the toilet nicely and with consideration. I've seen a mother wash her little kid's backside in the sink before, and I know some people wash their feet with the hoses in the cubicles. That just makes the toilet so disgusting to be in!

I heard an announcement today on Hitz FM telling people to brush their teeth. Crossing the road safely, I understand. Strap your motorcycle helmet securely, I understand. Teaching people to brush their teeth???? In that case, can we also have commercials teaching people how to use public toilets properly?

Time for a revamp!

Thought it was time to change my blog's clothes, and what better theme to use than Christmas!

Haven't had enough time (or geek ability) to give it a complete revamp, so I've just changed minor things. They still cheer up my blog quite a bit, I think.

***

I woke up this morning with aches all over. Even my fingers felt like they were swollen. Hopefully there isn't anything wrong and it's just old age. Haha. Do you realise that the only females who can joke about being old, AREN'T old? You can probably tell what age group a female is in if she can joke about her age.

My dogs are 6 years old this year. I just checked their birth certificates. I always thought they were 5. There's a big difference! It's funny, though... it seems that the older they are, the more energetic they become. I've never seen Foxy prance and bound about as much as she's done all year. Max still seems the same. Maybe Foxy's just having doggie menopause. Opposite of human menopause?

***

I hope the wildfires in California calm down really soon. It's really distressing for the people affected.

Whoa, I'm starting to feel whoozy. I'd better get ready for bed soon. And it's not even 1am yet! I AM getting old.

Full-time straitjacket?

Am having interesting progress work-wise this week.

I haven't mentioned this before, but I was given a job offer a few weeks back, which was pretty tempting in the usual ways (monthly salary, no sourcing for clients, using someone else's more powerful Mac etc!), but pretty discouraging in other ways (being tied to someone else's office, letting them have credit for my work, facing rush hour etc). But on the whole, I was tempted to accept the offer because of the learning experience it would give me. I still have much to learn about designing in print and coming up with creative concepts - and we never ever stop learning - so on that basis, I accepted the job offer soon after it was given to me.

For the past few weeks, there have been salary negotiations - yes, it's taken a while to get to an agreement - but it has been to my advantage in the end. Having spoken to my peers who have their own companies (like me), it's made me rethink my decision about going back to employment status. Plus, talking to them has helped me come up with some sort of strategy to keep a stable monthly income for GOOODPUTTY.

So with that, I'm giving my ex-potential employer a counter-offer that I hope she'll accept, and which is in line with my new strategy :P Am meeting her this weekend, so wish me luck!

Another interesting piece of news is that I'm gonna be offered partner status in another design company I've been attached to on a freelance basis! It seems weird, I know, to be offered a partnership when I have my own company, but we'll see how discussions go pertaining to this.

So that's my work news for now. I think this has been the most open I've been about my current work situation ever. I just wanted to share this experience with others who might be in a similar situation and unsure about how to progress.

My best advice would be to take your time to think EVERY single aspect out. When I first got the job offer, I just ignored the nagging feeling inside me that I would hate being tied to a 9-6 job (in my case, probably longer), and just thought about how it would be nice not to have to look for clients anymore. But now, I know that it's worth it, not only for creative, but for working independence as well.

Another idiot KL driver + Funny Things

Grandpa G's gone back to UK now so I'm pretty bummed out, but on the bright side, I've got time to update my blog (oh joy).

Grandpa G and I took a trip to Low Yat one day. It was super jammed cuz it was just before Raya. BUT it would have been LESS jammed if it weren't for some bloody idiot driver who happily stopped his car, blocking an ENTIRE LANE in front of the BB Plaza taxi stand.

Because of him, all of us who were on that lane had to wait for a kind driver on our right to let us in, so that we could continue on our journey. Seriously! There was no space to stop on that lane, yet he chose to just stop and block us all.

Therefore, I've decided to embarrass the idiot and take a picture of his car and number plate, so that if any of you see this car, just throw some eggs at him, will ya? The driver was an Indian man in shirt and trousers.

That's not all, though. He couldn't just sit and hide in his car... oh no, he had to show off his idiot face and get out of the black car to have a smoke! I was so hoping the cars would go so near his car that he couldn't open the door, but as if that would stop him anyway.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a shot of the driver, but here's the car anyway.



On a funny note, once we reached Low Yat and parked, there were advertisements on the lift doors and we saw some really weird and un-understandable sentences that were supposed to promote the product.

Check out the descriptions under the pictures. Does anyone know what romantic movement is? Or soft lighting in touch? What about sensitive cable management? Is that when you move the cables slightly and the power goes out? Cuz I used to have a table lamp like that. Frustrated the heck out of me!

Don't fly KLM!

We're off to Phuket tomorrow!

In fact, Grandpa G is on the plane right now to KL, and 5 hours after arriving, we're flying off to Phuket! Hope he won't be too tired.

Actually, Grandpa G would've been here one day earlier, except he got delayed at Birmigham Airport because the KLM plane he was supposed to board broke down last minute and everyone had to wait for the guy from Amsterdam to come fix it. By the time he fixed it, the passengers had missed their connecting flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur!

Grandpa G's arrival has been delayed 16 hours by KLM, and all the compensation he got was a night's stay in Amsterdam (which he darn well should have without asking anyway) and 20 euro vouchers to use in the bloody airport. Plus 50 euros off the next flight on KLM... as if he will take KLM again after being delayed a whopping 16 hours! Oh and measly £5 to spend in Birmingham Airport. Totally fine if you're delayed 5 hours. But 16 hours?

Anyway, we're all looking forward to Phuket tomorrow. Hoping and praying for good weather as well. Will definitely put up pictures when we're back!

Funny Things Seen #1

Found these in TMC. Eet Sum Mor, man... tastes so good...!


Best English ever - "Stimulating the styles and making carefully! Many colours a lot, selected freely by you." What do you think THAT means??


I like this! The tin being repeated over and over again. Just plain cute.

By the way, this is not what I referred to in the last post about bringing you guys something funny. That'll come a bit later on when I'm free.

Let's go to the Car Wash

Sorry for the bad quality picture! Had to adjust the black and white levels in order to make the words legible, and therefore, had to sacrifice on realistic colours :P I took this picture at the petrol station while waiting to fill my tyres with air.

Anyway, I just HAD to display this car wash coupon after I'd read it!

Tank You & Come Again: A misspelt word, or a pun intended to give out subliminal messages to make me fill my tank at BHP? (Didn't work anyway, since after my wash I drove down to Shell)

Wash At Ur Own Risk: Very modern spelling indeed. Also, quite an ominous sentence, don't you think?

And now you have another idea of gifts for Christmas! If you look at the date this coupon is valid until, you'll see that you can purchase coupons a month in advance, and you don't have to use it there and then. So go grab a bunch of these coupons, put them in an angpau and give them away for Christmas! Everyone needs a good car wash.

By the way, stay tuned for the next post, because I'll be bringing you some GREAT testimonials I read in a flyer I picked up that got me cracking up with laughter and has brought so much joy into my life!

Do I enjoy my work?

I sometimes get asked if I enjoy my work.

My answer is usually a simple "Yeah". But really, it does take some thinking about. Do I really enjoy it? I've experienced some bad times and there are also certain aspects of it I love.

Some people don't realise how much goes into running your own studio. See, I have to be everyone rolled into one. By everyone, I mean, everyone in your typical office. Being a designer is just slightly more than half of what I have to be. I gotta service clients, manage finances going in and out, sort out office appliances and check supplies as well. Oh, and be the canteen lady too. Luckily I don't have to clean the toilets. Got someone coming in for THAT hehe.

So when people ask if I enjoy doing what I do... yeah, I enjoy designing. That's the hard part, really. Aside from finding new clients, it's bloody difficult to come up with fresh ideas to use. And I find that working in an agency or design firm tends to make you comfortable and lazy. Well it does for me, anyway. In my own studio, everything comes back to me. Credit for my design and every single sen that comes along with it. And so that pushes me to be more creative, while also making my clients happy hopefully! Win-Win.

Bad clients? Not worth thinking about. Just makes my blood boil and I'd rather think of nicer things, like when I get a completely free hand to do what I like.

I don't understand... why do people think they can advise designers on their area of expertise when they wouldn't advise a lawyer, dentist, construction worker or WHOEVER on their respective fields? If you can bloody design, why don't you be a bloody designer yourself instead of hiring me?

I'm attaching a neat comic strip sent to me by a fellow designer which illustrates one of the things we have to face in daily life.

And yes, I do enjoy my work. But I don't care if you know that. Just give me some respect for doing this all on my own.

Merdeka

So we went to Marketplace on Thursday night to usher in Merdeka.

...cut to 5 hours later...hehe...

As I don't have a lot of time to write this, long story short, there were no fireworks at the Twin Towers!! What a huge disappointment to its many fans at Marketplace! So what was left to do but to drink?

And drink we did. 'Cept for me, cuz I'm not a fan of beer, and it seems there was an unending flow of Carlsberg at our table. I did have two glasses, though, cuz I WON'T BE LEFT OUT! But still didn't enjoy it.

Anyway, that's the update for Merdeka. I think Timstone was having a good time chatting (up?) with some girls there. Hehe. Sorry no pix...

Okay, off to Bangsar now. See y'all.

The Apartment: A restaurant review!

Went to The Apartment at Curve last night with BakerJo.

I liked the place and service - until I found out that they don't sell bottles of liquor! So unless we want a Get Drunk Party on wine (which we half had on GDP I), guess we won't be going there. Besides, BakerJo commented that she thinks it's more a youngies, collegey hangout place. Which is a turn off for me!

I wonder why.

Is it because there is then no one new to meet, or maybe my group make so much noise and the youngies would just sit around sipping cocktails in their fancy, hip outfits and lend a slightly pretentious air to the place? Gah, what do I know?

Anyway, the place had nice chillout music, although I wish it was a bit deeper and funkier... but then, hey, when I was in college, I listened to Café del Mar-esque slow calm music too. The dude who served us wasn't very good in English so had to rephrase my sentences a few times to get him to understand, but it was okay. Although, at one point when we were ordering dessert, the conversation went like this:

Dude: The chocolate mousse and strawberry peach pavlova is nice.
BakerJo: Okay, I'd like to order a Strawberry Peach Pavlova please.
Dude: Yes, the strawberry peach pavlova is nice.
BakerJo: Yeah, it sounds nice.
Dude: It sounds and tastes nice!
Me: Is the chocolate pudding nice too?
Dude: Yes, also the chocolate pudding is nice.
Me: Ooookay, I'll have the chocolate pudding please.
Dude: Okay, just one? (without writing anything on his paper)
Me: Uhh.. yes!

What, there were only two of us there and he thought she was gonna have a pavlova and I was gonna have two puddings to myself? Hmmmm......

In the end, we realised. The dude had only ordered one dessert! What was all that conversation about the pavlova sounding and tasting nice? For fun? Gah... anyway, BakerJo's pavlova came 20 minutes after mine! And mine had already taken 10 minutes to make.

Besides that, the food was nice. Just right. And I surprisingly had 3 courses... we ordered Vin's Portabellas (mushrooms) for starters, which should be shared cuz it's pretty big for 2 girls. I had Jamie's Duck Pasta which was good, BakerJo had steak medium rare, which was done well and she was impressed, 'cept for them slicing the steak up into chunks. Weird. And our dessert was nice too.

Prices were typical of that sort of restaurant. Affordable occasionally for the broke 20-something that I am.

Well, that's it for now. Going out tonight to celebrate Merdeka. Will see how it goes.

Frogway, my review!

Just got back from watching Frogway at BSC.

I would say, definitely watch the show if you can afford the tickets. They're not cheap and I wouldn't have been able to afford to go (me being a broke 20-something) if the tickets hadn't been given to me by a friend. So I don't know if I found it brilliant BECAUSE I didn't have to pay?

But here's my two sen worth.

The cast is brilliant. I've to say the girls outdid the guys in their performances. A few of them absolutely became their characters - Elaine Daly (Susannah Stork) and Chelsia Ng (Shirley the Frogette) were awesome. Of the guys, right now, I am SO attracted to Ash Nair (Freddy the Toad). He looked and performed brilliantly. Vince (Eddy the Frog, the star of the show) was good and even managed to put in some of himself into a typically clichéd character, making Eddy somewhat cute and not boringly predictable.

On the whole, the cast has great voices and technique (to this common ear of mine). And now we come to, of course... Harith IskandEr (of whom I spelt as IskandAr earlier, sorry bout that, didn't know).

I don't know if I'm being prejudiced here, but I felt he was the weakest of the ensemble, when he should really have owned the stage - being the bad guy and one of the more experienced onstage. I felt that he was physically tired somehow. And he didn't own his character, especially as (poor thing) he was always acting alongside Elaine Daly, of whom I have to say, was my favourite of the show (Chelsia was wonderful as a Japanese, but Elaine really seemed to have brought her own thing to the Stork).

So, yeah, I think you should go watch it, Carrot. Especially since you can afford the best seat in the house heheheh... besides, it's for a good cause, in support of Azean Irdawaty, who's undergoing treatment for cancer. She made an appearance today... very courageous woman and a huge inspiration for sufferers and families of sufferers, I feel. Seeing her has made me feel like I could tackle something like that if it ever happened to me or a loved one. Although, of course, I wouldn't want to have to (tackle it).

And yes, I did give slitty eyes to Mr Iskander.

Slitty eyes for Frogway

Got free tickets to watch Frogway at BSC tomorrow.

Hoping it's good... even though Harith Iskandar is in it. Have pretty much disliked him since he tried cutting the queue to enter Bukit Jalil stadium for a concert. Yes, he tried to cut my car right in front of the gates to the stadium and I was bloody pissed off at the brazenness. Not even bloody embarrassed. The rest of us are paying to watch this concert as well, alright? If you come later than the car in front of you, suck it up!

(And it wasn't even like he was waiting outside for an opening to sneak in, he was actually forcing his way in front, which I consider to be even ruder)

See the perils of being famous? Do something wrong and I'll always remember you for it. Tomorrow I'll be watching the show and hoping that it's good fun - but every time Harith comes on it'll be slitty eyes from me, to him.

Holidays soon

Am so looking forward to the end of September.

Not only is it Elle's and Arran's birthday, it's also when Grandpa G comes to visit! That usually is enough to make me hop, skip and jump all the way to the airport, but there is one more reason this time... we're going to Phuket!

Sharry Berry, GT, Teng, Nain, Fatts, Nins and Choons are in the trip as well, so that's gonna be brilliant! Was surfing last night for things to do in Phuket and have now started getting really excited about it. I suppose from thinking of what to buy there.

But anyway, it's a month more, and there's work to be done before that, so I'd better start doing it!

Oh, one more thing, the I Am A Japanese School Teacher link is back on my page! Check it out on the bottom of the sidebar. It's a brilliant, funny editorial on a foreigner's life in Japan. He also updates really often - nearly every day - so don't worry about getting hooked... he'll deliver!

Damn the French!

Yes yes yes!

Yes, I tell you! The French should crawl under a rock and squirm. Or perhaps that's what I should be doing... scummy spendthift that I am.

I walked into L'Occitane today while mum was shopping for clothes and had a full tour of every single item in there by the really helpful salesgirl. Of course, after that, I couldn't help feeling obligated to buy something. BUT ONLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING THERE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!

Dammit!

All the French labels were so inviting. And all the gel tubes looked enticing. Until you see the round plastic jars. Which were so appealing... 'til you come across the round glass jars with irresistible paper labels and French names and descriptions. C'est magnifique! C'est merveilleux!

And so I ended up spending quite a bit of money on ONE item - an orange body scrub. In a round glass jar. With an irresistible paper label. And a wooden spoon to scoop up the gook. Whoa. Cool phrase there - Scoop the Gook, yo!

Oh bloody... time to stop blogging rubbish. Click my beautiful glass jar below to read about it. Though why you should want to, I don't know!

I'm a Bad Girl! *meow!*

Okay, so this post has nothing to do with the title above. That's a private joke.

My mum just said that the lead actor in Wire In The Blood is mildly attractive. I responded by saying that he looks a little like the guy in Quantum Leap. I believe his name is Scott Bakula.

Wow, how long has it been since Quantum Leap? I used to LOVE that show! Does anyone else remember it?

Goodness me, my mum just turned to me and asked, "Do you want to have a baby?". I'm sitting at the dining table nicely blogging and facebooking, and she's watching Wire In The Blood, right, and out pops that question? Uuuuhhhhhhhh........ what's even more disturbing is that she was watching the part on TV where this girl had been chopped alive and her blood was smeared all over the walls of her flat. Rrriiiiiggghhhhhtttttt...... are you saying that reminds you of giving birth to me?

Anyway, hey, to those who read this blog, I'd love it if someone would drop me a line to let me know if you remember (and liked) Quantum Leap!

The café downstairs

Such a beautiful, blustery day today.

Got up at 12.30pm today. Amazing! Of course there was some guilt there :S But I came straight to the office and the reason I'm online now is to upload a website I've just finished. So there! I've been doing work!

I also decided to try out the café downstairs instead of calling McDonald's Delivery. Figured it'd be much cheaper and more charitable. After all, I'm going to be needing them pretty often since I don't cook and Grandpa G's only here twice a year!

So I go down and peruse the menu. Cis! There ain't nothin' much here, is there? I yelled at the Indon lady. Just kidding... well at least I found out that their food, while not cheap, is still cheaper than ordering McD's. Although at McD's, for extra RM3 (which is used for delivery charge anyway) I can get a drink. Which is one item more than they give me down at the café.

I also found out that they have WiFi! Cool! I can bring my tiny laptop down and surf. 'Cept I have to buy food and drinks... I suppose they aren't as big and rich as Starbucks is. Yet. And delivery to my doorstep costs an extra RM1. What the... my doorstep is just one lift ride away! Might as well save that RM1 and buy some junk food.

Malaysian Devil has a really naughty post today. He says his girlfriend can't do long distance relationships and all that jazz, but it sounds like his body can't take it either. Haha. And no english translation please, Charly!

As promised, the new Me

Done!

I finally got my hair done today! Took absolutely ages, but I think it looks nice :) Am looking forward to seeing how it develops the more I wash it. T'was a bit difficult to take a picture of my hair that shows it as light as it really is. It's actually more copper than in the photo above. Well, some of you will see it soon... Grandpa G can take a good CLOSE look at it when he visits next month. Can't wait for that! I can't tell if he was worried I'd end up being a Ginger!

So Charly what do you think? I know you were waiting to see what would happen :P

Weirds and creepsies

There is a weird, creepy sound coming from the water treatment facility just down the road from my condo.

It sounds like rusty chains clanking against each other on a treadmill, and every few seconds at the same intervals comes a deep, bass drum sound. Yet, the area down there is so empty, dark and peaceful. It's as if some underground elves are building a city beneath us. If I was a filmmaker, I'd record this sound for future use. As it is, I'm not, and I have to suffer in my bedroom with this noise.

Well, tomorrow is D-Day... when I will find out if my Great Hair Idea works out. Okay, so it's not such a big deal, but I'm still really excited.

I just finished fixing this puzzle that Heike, my mum's German friend (who's bunking at my place cuz I have a guestroom), brought for me. It's superb! It's only a few inches wide and in a circle shape, but the puzzle pieces are really organic-shaped, and the picture is some weird, creepy, art nouveau-like tree. It's rather Cirque du Soleil-ish. Awesome! I would've taken a picture of the puzzle unfinished so you guys can appreciate how tricky it is, but I don't have a camera on me right now. So when I do get my hands on one, I'll take a pic of the finished puzzle and you can congratulate me then.

What Men Look For

What do men look for in females? And this has been researched.

According to Allan and Barbara Pease, men look for, in order: Personality, Good Looks, Brains, Humour and Good Body (I think this is for men who are looking for a proper relationship, men who aren't asses, like Spencer in The Hills).

So, anyway, this morning, in church, I had an epiphany. You know how girls always complain that guys just go for looks... and looking at that list above, seems that girls' looks are more important than brains to a guy. And I think I know why now, and why girls shouldn't complain about it.

See, more girls than guys take pride in their appearance. It's not for the guys, it's for themselves, and for other girls. Haven't I always commented that there are so many more good-looking girls than guys? This is true in KL, at least (I know in Rome, the guys are HOT. Just plain HOT!). And this is the reason guys put more priority on looks than girls! There is a higher chance of a guy's mate having a better looking missus than his, so they make sure they find a suitable contender. As for the girls, they have to put looks as a lower priority, because there simply aren't that many lookers to go round. Hehe... am I being slightly mean here? I think there is some truth in this though!

You know what would improve a guy's chances, if he ain't a looker? Be charming! Pay loads of attention to the girl! Unless, of course, you get clear signs that she thinks you're scum.

New hair, new me

I'm changing my hair colour!

I've been so depressed lately, I figure it's time to change my look. And I can't wait! (Oh gawd, the chili padi I just ate is so bloody spicy - pause while I get a cold drink)

Yeah, so I'm SO excited... wanted to go on Monday morning, but mum wants to cut her hair too, and she's only free on Tuesday, so I have to wait an extra day, but it'll be worth it! Woohoo! Pictures will be up as soon as I get it done. So that's it for now, folks!

No More Quizzes!

Okay, I promise this is the last batch of quizzes I put up! (I suspect it's cuz I'm lazy to write about stuff).

You Are a Normal Girl

You are 50% Good and 50% Bad Sure you've pulled some bad girl stunts in your past. But these days, you're (mostly) a good girl.

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

Your Inner Muse is Thalia

You are most like this playful muse of comedy. Life is all about laughter to you, and you're a natural comic. You make people laugh until their sides split. And you're always up for some play time!

What Muse Are You?

Your Lust Quotient: 44%

You are definitely a lustful person, but you do a good job of hiding it. Your friends would be surprised to know that your secretly very wild!

How Much Lust Do You Have?

More quizzes!

You Are 60% Extrovert, 40% Introvert

You are quite outgoing You are a social connector - you know a ton of people While you aren't a wild extrovert, you are a great talker A fantastic storyteller, you keep everyone laughing

Are You An Extrovert or An Introvert?

Your French Name is:

Fantine Touchet

What's Your French Name?

Your Italian Name Is...

Madonna Ferrari

What's Your Italian Name?

Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Electricity

You're highly reactive, energetic, and super charged. If the occasion calls for it, you can go from 0 to 60 in a split second. But you don't harness your energy unless you truly need to. And because of this, people are often surprised by what you are capable of. Why you would be a good superhero: You have the stamina to fight enemies for days Your biggest problem as a superhero: As with your normal life, people would continue to underestimate you

What Should Your Superpower Be?

Your Quirk Factor: 40%

You have a few little quirks, but you generally blend in well with society. Only those who know you well know how weird you can be.

How Quirky Are You?

Seduction Styles

Busy doing quizzes tonight.

Inspired by a few blogs that have included seduction quizzes... and also inspired by my moodiness lately and lack of intimacy. Here is a whole bunch of seduction quizzes I've done. Just to trick my mind into thinking I'm having a lot more dirty fun than I actually am.

Your Seduction Style: The Dandy

You're a non-traditionalist, not limited by gender roles or expectations. Your sexuality is more fluid than that - and you defy labels or categories. It's hard to pin you down, and that's what's fascinating about you. You have the psychology of both a male and a female, and you can relate to anyone.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Your Seduction Style: Prized Object

The seduction game you play is tried, true, and still effective: hard to get. You know that the best seducers turn the tables - and get their crush to seduce them. The one running has the power, and you're a challenge that is worth the chase. You are a master of enticing and pulling back. Giving a little and taking some away. You are controlled enough to know rewards come after a long seduction dance. Even though you want to call, email, or say "I love you" first - you don't! You're style is the perfect mix of hot and cold - so much so that you have many suitors. Think Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's ... or any of those creepy guys from the Bachelor. You're skilled at inspiring a chase. The real test is picking the person to slow down for.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

Another quiz says:

Low-maintenance lady

While it’s very true that you shouldn’t ever pretend to be someone you aren’t, it seems like you’re averse to showing him who you really are. Men aren’t mind readers – they depend on a number of non-visual clues to let them know they are more interesting to you than, say, watching paint dry. If you like someone, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little initiative: go over and say hello, wear a colour you know you look great in, wear the fab earrings you got in Mexico… anything to show you made an effort just for him.

---

Well that should be enough reading for a while! Nite, folks!

Which tissue?

Here's my take on tissues.

I've used 4 major brands of facial tissues - Kleenex, Scott, Premier (who hasn't?) and Royal Gold. I've also come to certain conclusions that I would like to share with anyone as discerning of tissues as I am. Or just plain bonkers.

KLEENEX
My personal favourite, and although on the pricier side of the scale, worth it for the quality. Spread out, it's big enough to cover and dry my face completely. It's also soft and just an all round joy to use. Packaging design is acceptable for generic household tastes. Kleenex is just good for everyday use. A pack of 4x170 pieces is about RM9-10.

SCOTT
Hmm... it has a nice, international-sounding name and pretty alright packaging. However, the tissues are quite small! When I spread it across my face, it barely covers everything, which means I then have to scrunge it up to dry the sides where it doesn't reach. It is soft, though, and cheaper than Kleenex, so could be a nearly acceptable alternative to it. A pack of 4x170 pieces is around RM6-7.

PREMIER
Extremely weird tagline, but it's the truth I guess. What is it again? "Everybody uses it"? Something like that. Premier is a nice size, like Kleenex, but it's not soft! Well, I've had rougher, like Plum Blossom, but compared to the previous two, Premier is decidedly rough. The packaging is quite... urgh, I guess it's alright. I use tissue box covers anyway, so the packaging doesn't bother me, except when it's in the supermarket trolley. However, the price does qualify it as an alternative to Kleenex. A pack of 4x170 pieces is around RM5-7.

ROYAL GOLD
This is both big and soft, like Kleenex, and is quite luxurious, being 3-ply, plus it has nice colours. The packaging design is quite awful compared to the other three, considering its price and high-class image. However, I did not choose Royal Gold as my favourite because 3-ply is a little too thick for everyday use. I always feel like it's such a waste when I use Royal Gold tissue to just wipe my mouth after a meal and throw it. Also, when I scrunge it up to clean my nose after blowing, it's too big to get inside my nose! I haven't checked the current price for Royal Gold, so can't put it down here.

Disclaimer: All the above are my personal opinions only and are not intended to give a bad name to any of the brands.

Shockers

I was driving in Bangsar this evening, just in front of McDonald's.

At the traffic light, I stopped next to a grey Camry, and I immediately thought, "Hey that's the same as my dad's car", and then I thought, "Gosh, could it be his?" cuz my dad does hang out in Bangsar. So I stole a look at the number plate - but it wasn't my dad's. And then it struck me. And I thought, "Oh my God, I can't believe it - I never been this far away from home..." No, I'm kidding. I thought, "Oh my God, I can't believe it - my dad actually hangs out in Bangsar more than I do..."

Gasp.

By the way, I actually quite fancy Lily Allen's version of that song.

I watched Transformers!

I watched Transformers and it's GOOD!

I'd heard it was good but I tried not to raise my expectations too much so I wouldn't be disappointed. And I wasn't! I really enjoyed the show. It was cool to hear the old phrases they used to say... but the coolest thing was the sound they make when they're transforming. Just like the cartoon!

I also liked that it wasn't unbearably clichéd. I hate it when they make the bad guys look WAY cooler than the good guys. In this case, Megatron really WAS cooler because he transforms into a jet, but at least they didn't make Optimus Prime look like a joker and his big truck. Many other things I thought was done well, but I shan't say anything else so I don't spoil it for the others who haven't seen it.

Another thing is... I'm home! I don't have to go to the office! Yahoo!! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this time to come. Sweet! Luckily I've still got work to do so there's money to survive. Just gotta get even more work and get really busy so I can actually start SAVING. Hehe... luckily I've got most things that I want anyway, so all I have to do is stay away from Sharry Berry and her compulsive spending aura, and I've got it covered.

Last day and no regrets

It's officially my last day working here at The Edge.

As a "last day" thing, I thought I'd note down some things I learnt during my time here. Firstly, I don't regret leaving this company. I don't think my time here was particularly good or bad, but it was just not what I'm looking for, plus, things were getting pretty chaotic in our department.

I only take the positive in these circumstances, and they are:

1. I've met good friends.
   
2. I've added another software skill to my repertoire!
   
3. I've seen my work published and gotten credit for it.
   
4. I finally know what working on a magazine is like and have more choices in my career.
   
5. I've widened my network of contacts.
   
6. I've gotten a bit closer to finding out what I want in my career.
   

Can't think of anything else at the moment, but to sum it up, I'm glad I worked here, and I'm glad I'm leaving now.

The "Get Drunk" Party Premiere

Yo ho ho guys, it was the premiere of our GET DRUNK PARTY last Friday!

Didn't snap any photos that night cuz it doesn't seem very cool to bring a camera to nights out. Seems a little vain, if you ask me. But considering this was our premiere, we really should have brought a cam!

I think the party was a "modest success", as Daniel P puts it. Granted, we did end up with a higher ratio of drivers to drinkers than we wanted, but at least the planners of the GDP succeeded in their mission - "liquid yawning" (as described by Andrew T) all around Bukit Bintang and as for me, hugging the pavement all the way up to my condo because SOMEONE couldn't carry me on his shoulders!

So here's to another great GDP! If anyone sees our mascot up on MSN or on this blog - you know there's one coming up REAL SOON. Here it is.

I could strangle "someone"

Words can't describe how frustrated I am here in the office.

I. AM. SO. FED. UP.

Work, eBay, and work!

Left work at 11.15pm today. That's almost 12 hours of work with only a break for lunch!

My head was starting to spin at about 9pm, and I felt the "adrenalin shakes" creeping up on me at 10pm. Ever felt that? It's like you're just barely shivering. Sometimes synonymous with "shivering with excitement".

On another subject: Have the storms in the last week disrupted any part of your lives? It certainly has mine! I can't flash my access card in and out of my own condo, for one! So I have to wait for the guards to come out with their own access cards to let me enter, while saying "Tomorrow, tomorrow". The storms have also wrecked my office electricity supply. The wiring in the building is already ancient enough, and it just took the storms last week to give us 4 blackouts a day, epileptic PCs and fears of mass electrocutions.

Anyway, hopefully that's all over with. It would be TRAGIC if it happened this week since Off The Edge is due to close (on Tuesday actually, but quel surprise! It hasn't closed yet). We're already facing hard times, what with Grace taking a convenient little holiday a few days before deadline, Nick the Sub flying off to exotic Italy to cover some motoring do, and Danny Lim, our senior writer, in Europe for some glamourous film festival.

Poor me!

And on an unrelated subject, I promise to put up pictures of my nice, relaxing holiday in the UK by the weekend.

Oh gawd, it's deadline week... and nice tea!

I'm so not looking forward to this week! Nick, why do you have to abandon us at this crucial time??!!

Okay, I'm not dwelling anymore on the awful prospect of working 18 hours straight every day this week. Instead, I'll talk about what's on TV right now. Watching [V] Countdown, which I haven't watched ever since I grew up. Haha. So funny.

I'd always rather disliked Rihanna because of her ear-piercing, nails-scratching-on-blackboard voice and super-high forehead, and when I heard the latest single "Umbrella" I was like... uh what?? Okay, the tune is pretty cool but I couldn't understand the need to have "ellaaahhh ellaahhhh eh eh eh eh eh eh blablabla". Then tonight, I just saw her music video. AND IT'S AMAZING. I really love it! Totally turned my opinion of her around. That gal can move! Nice measured movements that are not quite sexy but very (ooh!) appealing. I like it! Keep on dancing!

Other vids like "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie... my sister Elleh Belleh was pestering me to watch it to see Milo Ventimiglia looking all grown up and cool. He looked alright. That boy has a nice face. Very nice indeed. He just looks a bit petite to me. Anyone know how tall he is?

Earlier today, my place was invaded by the Sisters. Yes, Elleh, Asha and Arya dropped by to mess up the place before going swimming. Actually today was one of their better days. The little ones left Elleh and I to catch up on our Heroes while they read, coloured and basically occupied themselves. How cute!

I made some ice tea for after our swimming session.



The glasses are Guinness pint glasses from the brewery in Dublin. They're really great. I love having em and I love using em. Nice and large with enough space to stick your hand when washing up. Anyway, we had Rooibos tea, which I really like, which Grandpa G (we gotta get him a new name - any suggestions?) bought for me since it's not easy to find here. Then we had Very Very Berry and Spiced Apple (a Christmas specialty) from Whittard's. I bought them both cuz the tins are so pretty! HEHE.

Anyway, it's time to go to bed now. Groan. What a day to look forward to! If I'm lucky, I'll be back to post tomorrow. If I'm not, you'll know that I've collapsed on the sofa in a dazed stupor at 6am on Tuesday.

Supermarket failure

I'm so embarrassed by the local treatment of the big-name supermarket TESCO!

Everything about the local branch of Tesco is disgusting! They've managed to turn the biggest middle-class supermarket in the UK into something, dare I say it, worse than Giant! I say worse because, on its own, Giant is pretty well alright. It's a local hypermarket, it's meant to be cheap, we forgive it for looking cheap.

But Tesco! Tesco in England looks well done - in fact, I admit I've "hung out" at the Telford store for nearly an hour one night - and the items there are very very very buy-able indeed. I don't mean the prices, but the items themselves. They stock non-food items that people actually might look at and start drooling over. When was the last time you saw something like that in Tesco Mutiara Damansara? Dammit, why do we always ruin good things?

On another note, I watched Shrek 3 with the family today. It was pretty funny. Not "roll on the floor" level, but entertaining and amusing enough. After that was lunch at Dome, which is seriously pricey now. Daymn, a nasi lemak is only 50 sen cheaper than a pasta in there! And the white teacup they served us was so old, it had turned black. I'm sure Dome can afford to give away a handful of teacups and replace them with brand new white ones.

Not that Dome is really bad... Secret Recipe is awful!

I would say Secret Recipe is the worst successful food restaurant I've been in. They've only really gone to the dogs this year. Of the ones I've visited, I'd say the ABSOLUTE WORST in terms of service AND food quality is the Taman Desa branch. The floor staff there are, literally, incredibly stupid and uncourteous. I was going to say "next on the list is..." but I realise that the other branches don't even come close to the Taman Desa branch in terms of stupidity. But just for mention's sake, the Mid Valley branch have some pretty brainless hired help too. For example, stretching across a table full of customers to clear some plates, the waiter was told by my mom, "Why dont' you come over to this side?" so it was easier for him to clear, which was also the polite way of saying "Don't stretch across the table in front of customers, you idiot", and the guy came up with the brilliant response, "No, it's okay". Oh... wow. How... considerate...?

Anyway, I digress. Really I do. I was just gonna talk about my day.

Later at night I met up with Sharry Berry and some of the college dudes. We got to talking about our friends who are marrying or have married early. The guys are 25 years old and already getting married. I say, "That's too young, mate!" That's what I say. Yep. So Daniel comes up with the best reason: Some people just don't have wanderlust. Nice word, huh? Some people just don't have the inclination to find out more about the world, to look for something better. Not that people should look for someone better than the person they're currently with, but I'm just saying that "settling" is not always the answer. Why settle when you don't have to settle?

Tomorrow is Father's Day! I'd like to wish a huge Happy Father's Day to my dad (if he reads this blog) and to other fathers out there. Treat your daughters and sons well and they'll be happy and be forever indebted to you. Peace and Love to all mankind! Yowzaasss!!

Resignation letters and other things

I'm resigning from Off The Edge!

After 10 months I've finally given up working on this magazine for several reasons. It started with the ridiculous hours and the time mis-management of the editor. Then I started getting a little bored of the template. After that, it was because of my boss's own mis-management of people. And the last straw was when I found out that SOMEONE had been complaining about me behind my back, over something that was his own fault in the first place.

The great thing is that I've been planning this for a long time, so my business is all set up and ready to rumble! It's so exciting and I can't wait to start working on different projects and meeting new people. I still have 15 days to freedom... and hopefully that'll pass by smoothly and relatively "painlessly" (dreaded deadline is in 2 working days).

And on the 16th day I can wake up late!! Not that I'm waking up awfully early these days anyway... 10.30am sound painful to any of you out there who work in banks??!! Haha... even Beach Babe Bea starts work at 9.30am. But then she doesn't have the killer night hours I do during deadline week. So it evens out in the end. Although I am jealous that she gets to wear flip flops to work!!

So anyway, tomorrow morning the family and I are going to watch Shrek 3 at Mid Valley. Hope to catch a bit of breakfast before that. But that means waking up even earlier than I ever do on workdays. 9.15am? Outrageous! Hopefully the movie is worth it - unlike the other "3" movies out at the moment. Well, to be honest, I thought Spiderman 3 was alright. Plot was going everywhere but action was good, and frankly, after watching Pirates 3, Spiderman seems darn bloody good! Ocean's Thirteen... well, it was not as attention-grabbing as the first two, but I suppose it could pass with a 5 out of 10 for interestingness of casino goings-ons.

Hmm... I thought of something interesting yesterday... but I can't for the life of me remember it right now. Darn. Looks like you just missed out on another one of my idea gems. You can breathe a sigh of relief now. I'll close my ears.

There and back again

I'm back...

Ya I'm back... from my UK holiday, and from iloveblog. I'm kind of jetlagged and groggy now but I wanted to write something to tell people that I'm still here, I'm still alive and I'm still... still... still here.

Will put pictures up from my trip soon... if you've been following my blog, you'll know what my "soon" means.

I also wanted to mention that Danny Lim our senior writer on Off The Edge has been given honourable mention at the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards for Excellence in Feature Photography, for his "Ronggeng Revolusioner" in the November 2006 issue. Congrats! And woohoo!

What else?

Well, I'd like to say that Dublin is a strange strange place, with strange strange people. Will elaborate on that point when I put pictures up.

yikes yikes yikes!

guess what... me and my itchy fingers have resulted in...

I have a NEW BLOG!!! You can view it AND the reasons I switched over there at http://shoobaba.iloveblog.com. What are you waiting for? Go! Go!

Woohoo Gary!

Image above taken from apple.com

Gary's got a new iMac, Gary's got a new iMac!

Congratulations, Gary! You've now joined the ranks of us Mac users! Did you get any sleep at all yesterday?

What's up with me?!

I was going to say something cutting about the new MyVi "SPORT" but I don't wanna get hauled in by the ISA. You know how dangerous we bloggers are. HAHA!

So I shall talk about something else. In a happy turnout (pardon the pun) of events, my ballet teacher announced last night that she wants to start me on pointework 6 months from now! Looks like my resolutions will come true faster than I expected. I must be doing something right there... yikes, hope I don't injure myself and get ugly feet *shivers running up and down my spine*.

Just stole a glance at my MSN Messenger list and saw Jason's message - "nothing is IMPOSSIBLE". Today it seems more inspiring than before. Perhaps because I've been worrying so much about future projects and how to get the money I want to spend on things I so want. I guess this is the time to really challenge myself and get out of the Lazy Team and into perseverance mode.

Aiyoyo, I sound so serious this morning.

Uhh...

Mind's blank now, so guess I'll go makan.

Extraordinary! And a bummer do.

I'm in an extraordinarily and surprisingly good mood today. I only noticed it when I came to work and gave a goofy smile to a colleague without even making sure if she was looking at me first.

Maybe it's cuz it's the first week after closing the magazine and I know I can relax a bit more. By the way, "closing the magazine" meaning completing the issue, and not "close shop". Maybe it's cuz I'm wearing a new top and a nice flowy skirt which makes me feel like a proper ballerina :P

Talking about ballet, I've resolved to complete two major major tasks by the end of 2008 - which is 1) to go en pointe, and 2) to be able to execute satisfactory splits. You heard it here! You can hold me to it!

I just saw Nick the Sub online - in Singapore! What do you think you're doing online in Singapore?! Get out on the streets, dude! Tsk tsk!

OMG I just remembered Sharry Berry's karaoke do on Saturday night. Sorry, Shaz, but it was SO not worth the money we paid! Will definitely think twice before going back there for a nighttime do. And also will think twice before going with people who choose 50 year old songs. If I wanted that I could've gone with my dad :(

Happy Birthday Sharry Berry!

What else can I say after that title?

Happy happy 25th Sharry Berry! I shall put up pictures of your celebrations here once I've got hold of them. Which will be... at the end of the year probably! Did you enjoy Mr Bear? HEHEHEHE... hope you had a great time this afternoon.

I'll try to make sure you have a good time tonight. And are well enough to remember it too!

Okay, I'm off to get your birthday present now hehehhe....

A new business venture

Some of you may think I'm talking about THAT business venture, but that's under wraps for the moment...

No, what I'm talking about today is... I WANT TO OPEN A BEACHWEAR STORE! Ok, so it's a rather far-fetched idea but, sigh... it would be so nice! Colourful bikinis hanging in a row, sun hats and necklaces on display, flip-flops and sandals everywhere... colour everywhere!!!

If someone wants to open a beachwear store in town, you know where to look for a partner!

Aaargghhle...

POUT POUT POUT.

I want to design OTE's May cover! I LOVE the cover picture and would love to be able to design the whole thing. But but... the other designer has chomped it, licked it and marked his territory on the cover. AAARGGHHLE.

The frustrations of not being sole designer :P

On the other hand, I may not have enough time to design a really good cover that I'm satisfied with anyway, so hopefully that's a consolation.........

Malayshian so kool!

As I was listening to All Saints in my car tonight, the question suddenly popped into my head:

Why aren't there any mainstream pop girl groups in KL? Yeah, I know we used to have Elite and... yeah, but there are no girl groups singing in English, yet there are so many - too many - hip hop rnb cool rapper your funkiness and phatness groups here.

I guess we KL-ites are far too cool and phunky to produce girl groups singing pop music. That said, if anyone out there wants to form a girl group here, you know where to reach me. HEH.........

Photos: CNY2007@Penang

As promised, here are the 2007 Chinese New Year pix!!!!!!! WOW.

I'm kinda lazy to type captions for em so just enjoy the pictures lah. They're all my family and that last one down there is the reunion dinner my grandma whipped up. She's so The Man.

Nick The Sub

As I write this on Nick The Sub's computer, I have to say that he SPEAKS VERY LOUDLY indeed.

It's 20 minutes to 6pm and I'm so eager to get out of the office! Thank God today my creative block has been lifted somewhat, and I managed to do something remotely creative in the magazine. There's still much Photoshop to discover. Hmm...

I just started a MySpace page! It actually sucks pretty much. It's so bloody difficult to customise (unlike Blogger *blink blink*) and the layout of everything is really messy. If it wasn't for the huge opportunities for networking I wouldn't bother. HEEEEEEEH :P

Have you ever been in a public toilet when someone else in there has done something really embarrassing? Today seems to be the day it happens to me. I went in the morning, and shortly after, someone else enters a cubicle and starts groaning! And I'm talking MAJOR GROANS like when trying to get poo out during constipation. In between the groans was a bit of muttering and some slapping noises. I think it was Slapping of the Backside. I ran out of there in a hurry.

After lunch, I'm in the cubicle again when another person comes in and proceeds to make a Huge Whooshing Fart. A very airy one. I ran out of there in a hurry too. Might be the same culprit, who knows?

Everyone, please, just be courteous and try to hold the gross noises till you know the toilet is empty...

Grr!

Sitting, sitting, sitting here freezing is all I do all day, every day, any day.

And now a medical breakthrough: I get headaches just by sitting, sitting and sitting! Or maybe it's logic. HMM... I... oh yeah I'm supposed to google Lego and find out where it's from.

Oh, hey, remember the maid at my office who was stalking me? Well, it seems we're friends now because we just had a nice little chat in the toilet. Yeah, we bitched about how it rains every day and how it's so susah for her to go home because she has to wait for the bus. Mmm.

...yeah... it's now 3 hours later and I still dunno where Lego is from. *Some* disorganised people have just come to mess up my evening. I'm now in such a pissed mood I'll end this post here.

A year ago today

As I sit here today feeling stagnant and useless in my office, my mind goes back to a year ago today.

A year ago today, I was excited and busy preparing and packing to leave the next day for my 9 week holiday in England with Grandpa G. How long ago it seems and yet it feels like last month. When I'm with Grandpa G it feels like time goes all wonky; long seems short and short seems long and then time seems to stand still.

Now, one year after, I'm still sorting out those holiday photos to print and feeling the opposite of excited. Okay, maybe there is a little spark of excitement deep down, knowing what I have planned for the future. It's a little scary but I think it'll turn out just peachy.

Now, at this second, looking out of the full-length office windows, I see an impending storm. Sucks!