Intoxi'Kath'ing Whispers

Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-25T23:15:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone.... :D


Ain't I very the CUTE?

Yea... well the picture above doesn't really have a connection with CNY but every CNY I will always remember my grandma. I captured this photo with a camera. Talk about inception... A photo in a photo... hahaha. I still miss her dearly... cause we were very close I'd say.

After she passed away, Eileen and I started this tradition among the four of us sisters. To pour tea for our parents on the first day of Chinese New year. We wish them well and they, in turn give us their blessings and the angpows, of course! I'm not sure how it happened but we ended up kneeling down in front of both our parents while giving them their cup of tea.


See? Complete teapot and cup set, lol.

This only came about three years ago... Why, I am not sure. This year, like the Hari Raya style, I asked for forgiveness from my two oldies (parents). I am sure I must have caused them a lot of heartache. When Char's turn came, we ended up tearing... Hahaha. Mom, dad, Shir and I. Cause of the things said, it was touching.

I went shopping on the second day of CNY. Huh... Mom wanted to get something at IKEA. (Why were we so free? Cause we weren't allowed to visit some relatives and another side had something crop up the last minute, so....) Anyway, it's the Dragon year according to the Zodiac. Everyone's hoo-haing about Dragon babies, are they a boon or bane, competitive babies, better luck and so forth. So naturally, merchandisers cash in on this to sell their goods. But, this is too funny....


Dragon slippers.... I'm a dragon...

IKEA had this bedroom slippers for sale. Very Chinese-y right? At first glance, I thought it was a golden dragon embroidered on a red background. Upon second inspection, it's NOT even a dragon at all!!! Hahahaha. It's just some random pattern. Honestly, tell me if you see the head or tail of a dragon, none right? I'm not sure if this was meant to be a dragon. If it was, IKEA, get people with knowledge of drawings to do your designs. Lol!

Oh and I just realized why IKEA could decorate their place nicely, especially by filling up their cupboard displays with books. The books are all in Swedish (me no comprende). If it was in English, I bet you it wouldn't last long there.

That's it. Happy Chinese New Year....

The Kinabalu Letter

2012-01-15T14:13:00.002+08:00

Dear KT and Jenny,

The month of May seems so far away at the moment. And so is our Mount Kinablau expedition. The exercises we must do, the training we must endure, just can't seem to 'materialise' at the moment as our trip has yet to come.

I fear though, that I have something urgent to inform you all.

I recently came down with cough, a sore throat and a slight fever. During my recovery, I found myself wheezing and my chest actually hurt when I tried to breathe deeper. I have yet to pay a visit to the doctors as I dislike them and they in turn dislike me too as I can be a stubborn patient at times.

My fear is that I may face the same difficulty in breathing as we reach higher altitudes. This scares me as I really want to experience the hike up mount Kinabalu ~~so I can come back down to KL and show of~~f. With no experienced doctors around (We're archenemies), a tour guide, and all of us as inexperienced climbers, I may need someone to do CPR for me if I should ever crash up there.

The kiss of life. I'm laughing out loud to myself now.

Not something to be taken lightly of actually. But here I am 'laughing' at it.

But but but.... I promise, Scouts' honour, that I will take care of myself. I will drink more warm drinks, think chinese tea, green tea, herbal tea and less of the more favourite cold ones, think Coke, Guinness Malta, ChaTime etc. I will also start up my training regime soon, to increase my stamina and lung capacity. I would really love to jump back into the pool as well, (good for asthmatic people) but the lack of good facilities and swimming company makes me hesitant.

I promise I will be ready when the time comes for our battle against nature.

Ooppss... I had my fingers crossed behind my back. *sticks tongue out*

P/S: Please pull me out for training. Let's start with Gasing, something to familiarise my body with again. I'll go on my own if it need be and pray that I don't get lost in the hills. :D

Yours sincerely,
Scaredy Kath.

An F&B Letter

2012-01-15T00:39:00.001+08:00

Dear Mr. J,

I am writing this letter to you (though it's 100% you won't come across this) just to let you know that you inspired me today.

You may not know it but your attitude in serving my mom and dad puts me to shame when I think of how I behaved in certain situations.

I saw you coming in for work in the morning at about 10 something when I dropped off some keys at one of our company's outlet. Then, again at dinner time 8-ish when my parents wanted to eat at where you were working. I would assume that by that time, you would have been working for 10 hours plus.

Dealing with customers ain't easy, especially when you get my mom and dad. You asked them seats for how many pax, my dad said, "Five.", my mom said, "Four."

You got confused as only my parents were in the line, my sister and I had wandered off. You looked at my dad then at my mom. Instead of being rude or impatient like how some people are, you were actually cheeky.

You said, "Five, including me is it?" With a smile, of course.

Too bad I wasn't there when this exchange took place, I would have appreciated this a lot. My mom was definitely impressed and she can be a fussy customer at times.

So, yes, Mr. J. You have unknowingly inspired me. After a long day of work, you were still that good. Thumbs up to you, sir. Salute. Maybe one day, five, would include you too... I'm just kidding.

Yours sincerely,

Kath.

Intro to My Letter Writing

2012-01-14T23:49:00.000+08:00

Ah damn.... I wanted to try something on my blog... but it doesn't seem to work. I wanted to add pages but the current template I'm using doesn't configure with it. Oh well.

I want to experiment writing from a different perspective. My same point of view but to put it in words differently. Bloggers who have long been on the scene would know about the "Letter to my 18 year old self" tag thing, where you write a letter, based on your current situation now, advising yourself at 18 years of age. Some sort like that. I'm not very sure too... lol.

Yes, I want to do this letter writing format too but no, not to my 18 year old self. But, to other people out there. I think it would be nice, in a way... Of course, the people whom I direct the letter can't all be reading it. It'll be super weird....Then it won't be personal anymore.... Right?

Yup, let's see how long this lasts... I have two pending projects, abandoned... sad.

A Pinch of Salt

2012-01-08T01:34:00.000+08:00

Happy new year again! How has the first week of the new year been for you? :)

For me, well, I once again have a direction in my life. I think I finally do.

I have goals and resolutions (bite-sized) to work forward to.

Resolutions which are now more workable and acheivable.

Goals which are hopefully met, if not, I have to look for another goal to aim for.

Some matters which I think I now have answers to.

Others which are at the wait and see stage. Failing which, then at least I know the answers too.

The last two months kinda broke my heart. Hahah. Not heart as in love stuff though, I think the door to that department is closed and locked to me. Huh. Haha. Heart as in general stuff.

The things which were said really broke me. No, scratch that. Not things. That sentence. Only one sentence. Six words. I have stopped shedding tears or feeling upset about it. Things return to normal but when I recall those few words said to me that day, the pain and the unexpectedness of it just hurts.

I was quite numb, shocked in a way. All I felt like doing at that time, was to be as far away as possible. *insert sad smile here*

I really thank the few of you who have spent the time advising me, helping me to put a lot of things into perspective. A lot.

I finally realize my vision and that of some quarters are not the same.

Anyway, I have something to train for now. Mount Kinabalu, here I come. A toast to a tighter arse, more toned legs after THE Climb... Can't wait. Hee hee.

A Blue New Year

2012-01-01T15:31:00.000+08:00

It's a brand new year and a brand new day.

I hate this time of the year.

Honestly, I have told myself many times. It's just a day. New Year's day that's what it is, which if you think about it, it is. After a day or two, everyone goes back to their normal living routine of the year. Then as the end of another year passes, there goes another big hoo-ha.

The cycle continues. On and on and on....

Why then am I so reluctant to let go of the old year and step into the new one? Is it because I feel as if I have not fully written in the pages of my life for the year 2011? That there are still so many empty pages to fill? That I feel I am unable to give this chapter of my life a proper closure and say adios to it?

Or is it because I fear of what is to come? Since no one can predict the future accurately, we never know what is going to happen. The uncertainty... It's just a day. That's all that it is.

Why do people make resolutions for every year? Why not every month? At least you are able to chew what you bite off and not bite off more than what you can chew. People are like, "Oh, it's a new year. I must do this this this and not do that that that."

Last night as we toasted at the stroke of midnight to usher in the new and bid the old farewell, I thought to myself, "What am I toasting to??"

Peace? Justice? Better government? Love? Career? Money?

What is it? Can I just toast to myself? Hahahaha. Abetter Kathleen??? -.-'

I'm sorry if any of you are expecting a cheery New Year post from me. You ain't gonna get one yet.

I am tired of being fake cheery. I have been doing that just to keep everyone's spirits up, to pull anyone who has fallen down up, to bring a smile and laughter to anyone who has been crying.

My happy energy is being sapped....
And I am running around headless looking to charge that up.

Happy New Year.

Christmas Countdown

2011-12-20T00:32:00.000+08:00

Christmas is like.... five days away. Oh my goodness me....

Huh... The Christmas tree in my house just got set up. Seriously, you wouldn't know the people living in my house celebrated Christmas as our house looks bare!!

This Christmas itself I hear of two deaths. Death... so close, during this time of the year. It feels so wrong... Christmas should be about joy, happiness and others...not death. Yet the Grim Reaper chooses not his time.

I ran out of time to do something for Christmas. Sigh. Cause it's always about me, me, me. What I want for Christmas and stuff. Then I got slapped in the face (ok, not really but a wake up call). I have so much going for me, why was I complaining? Instead of wanting something for Christmas, why don't I do something for Christmas for other people?

Well, I tried. I joined the carolling practice sessions. Haha. Didn't make it on the day itself. Too bad we no longer sing in the shopping malls. There are other things that I am doing and am still going to do. Just hoping that I manage to before this Sunday!!!

Christmas... is it all about gifts? Or is there something more? Somehting that only certain people can experience?

All I know is and strongly stand firm in, is this: No one should ever celebrate Christmas alone.

I am just really grateful that I get to celebrate Christmas this year. :)

Light Bites 2

2011-12-11T01:25:00.000+08:00

People... never never drink and drive. It is dangerous yo!

My tolerance for alcohol has either decreased, or that glass of Sangria was made of wine that contained a more than your usual percentage of alcohol.

My head was throbbing, my vein was more visible and my heart was beating faster..!

Anyway, woke up with rashes on my body. Sad. Looks like I can't do social drinking much. Huh.

It was only one small glass....... Even less than a can of beer or a box drink. Yet, I still had breakouts. Grr...

Oh by the way, the Sangria here in Malaysia.... is pffftt... Lin2 and KT's gf LL also agreed. Once you've tasted the wine in Europe, even the cheapest, the wine in Malaysia can no longer be compared. Huh.

But I had an enjoyable time meeting up with my Uni mates: (KT, Jenny, Ash, Tee, Lin2 and Meow!!!) I haven't seen Meow for a year... and we used to be super close. Lol. We're like Kath and Meow. Hahaha. Hilarious! Still as pretty as always and so are her 'bullying' tactics. Thank you Tee for bringing her down to KL!

Christmas is almost here...! 2 weeks more. Yay! Awesome-ness.

For Catholics, we have major confession sessions throughout the country just before Christmas. I went for mine at SIC after work. An odd thing occurred. When I had mine done, I was leaving the church when this guy walked up to me. I had asked for his help earlier so I just smiled at him (ok, never smile at strangers) and walked off, until he approached.

Guy: "Hey, do you work at EGO?"

I was stunned for a while so I said, "Yea I do."

Guy: "No wonder you look familiar. I wanted to ask you just now."

I asked him where did he see me before. He said, "Subang Parade."

I'm like huh?

That was a year ago......

And this guy can actually remember or recognize me??? Wow... I'm flattered to be honest. If people remember you right, it's only two things, either you were good or you were bad. I am hoping it is the former. Hahaha.

Then, he suddenly asked me for my facebook.... Facebook!!! What kind of technological world is this?? Why FB? Well, anyway, it was odd. But I was very flattered hahaha. I must have been good. Lol.

Another thing happened two weeks back. I nearly got an asthma attack. -.-' I was quite angry about something, till the point I started hyperventilating and I couldn't breathe. I struggled to breathe even though YK was fanning me. It kinda scared me cause I have never experienced this kind of reaction (something like what you get when histamine kicks in, re:peanut allergy). So yea, this is one reason why I should not get angry..... Control....

And yes, I blog more than I FB. So I tend to get outdated on people's gossip unless people bring it up hahahahaha. FB is like what KT said, THE place to know other people's gossip. I got no gossip and I am not important, so nobody needs to know. Hahaha.

Oh, one more thing, Have you done your Christmas list? Not shopping but a list of things you want to do for Christmas. Well, get it done people. I have three more items to tick off. :D

Goodnight world.

Please... Hear What I'm Not Saying

2011-12-04T21:41:00.000+08:00

Don't be fooled by me. Don't be fooled by the mask I wear. For I wear a mask, I wear a thousand masks, masks that I'm afraid to take off, and none of them is me. Pretending is an art that is second nature with me, but don't be fooled.

...I give the impression that I'm secure, that all is sunny and unruffled with me, within as well without; that confidence is my name and coolness is my game;... But don't believe it; please don't.

...I tell you everything that's really nothing, nothing of what's crying within me... Please listen carefully and try to hear what I'm not saying...

I'd really like to be genuine, spontaneous, and me; but you have to help me... Each time you are kind and gentle and encouraging... or when you try to understand because you really care... with your sensitivity and sympathy and your power of understanding... You breathe life into me.

Who am I, you may wonder. For I am every man, every woman, every child... every human you meet.


Listen with YOUR heart...

The above excerpt was not written or composed by me, though how much I wish it was. Isn't it true? What the author said. Listening; such a powerful skill yet so often deemed as insignificant in our daily communication with others.

Sometimes, people don't take the time to listen. Time is too precious to listen to other people. Perhaps, I have also done the same. We hear but we don't listen.

Personally, I find it hard to have conversations with people when I don't look at them. Because then, they will feel as if they are not worth my time.

Or when my mind is preoccupied. Because I cannot devote my full attention to what they are really saying.

Or when they don't look at me. Because I feel as if I am very insignificant in the conversation.

Hahaha. Yes. I hope I have been a good listener to my friends and family. :)

Christmas, I am listening out for you.

Be strong, be confident and be yourself.

A Melancholy Me

2011-11-28T22:48:00.000+08:00

2011 comes to a close in 30 more days....

What has changed?

Have I changed?
If yes, for better or for worse?
If not, should I have?

I HAVE changed. For worse I feel.
I have become less confident.
My self esteem has taken a hit.
This whole year, I feel that I have been very unstable.

I used to be very sure of myself. But somehow, I feel like I have lost a bit of me.

The time I spend feeling down has increased exponentially, so fast till a point that it has started to scare me. What the heck is wrong???

I am not like this! I am not. I don't want to be like this. Pathetic! Sigh.
See? Even this post has a down and melancholic tone in it.

I am so confused that I do not know what to do. Even if I do, how to go about doing it?
Is it the right choice?
Will I regret my decision later?
Christmas, where are you? Coldness is in my heart, clenching its fist tightly as the days go by.
So cold, I fear I become like that too.
A cold person, a heartless human being. An emotion-less Kathleen.

No... wait, I think I know what I need and have to do now.

Super Random Post

2011-11-19T19:25:00.000+08:00

Was let off from work early today, unexpectedly. Yay! Just have to make sure I submit my reports and stuff on time.

Haven't been updating for a while... cause I am sort of speechless. Hahaha. Yea... even typing this is using a lot of my brain memory and heartfelt feelings.

I wouldn't say that a lot of things have been happening. It isn't reallly... but yet it has. In a way.

Some idiot used my car as a getaway... no, he/she didn't steal it but they must have jumped from a high ledge onto my car to reach the ground. Cause there's a huge dent on the roof which collects water everytime it rains. Huh!

Watched a few movies with friends. Nasi Lemak 2.0, In Time, Real Steel and Immortals. Immortals was like salivating la....hahahah. The actors, fuh! The scene where all the Gods stood/sat in the heavens looking down on earth was... *mouth hangs open* They wore gold costumes which bared their "heaven made" bodies and they looked good! Two girls beside me were busy giggling away during this scene. Hahaha. Eye candy galore for us girls!! Guys, you have two hot actresses to look at. Hehe.

Two colleagues recently mentioned that they didn't feel the Christmas spirit yet. In my opinion, It's still too early! It's only mid November... hahaha. I have no fear that I will feel it soon. Know why? Because Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart. I think I will start the Christmas spirit first then. That warm and happy feeling one experiences... :D

I have to start setting goals in my life now. I mean I do but it has always been in my head only.

I so have to write it down and paste it somewhere that I can see daily. I think that works better than having it in my head but out of sight. Hmm... Yes?

I have been shedding tears...hahaha. Usual la, girls ma. But like the song goes, after a storm comes a rainbow, I usually end up happier and more at peace after the tear works. :P Though I end up looking horrible.

It's amazing what a few words can do to you. It may not be true, but when the person says it so sincerely-like, it's like.....like... ~~a lightbulb moment~~ so uplifting. It was unexpected too..! Haha. I'm a lady huh? Thanks. KT, your words were also very encouraging. If you remember what you said.

I hope in a few days time, all will be good. :)

Now, I need a hug.

Yes, my post is in a bit of a scramble. So is my head.

Dance Videos!!

2011-11-05T00:22:00.000+08:00

Yes yes another post in the same day. I can't help it. My urge for dancing has led me to 'youtubing' songs which I enjoyed dancing to. Heheh. *shy*

Here's one. Sugar Sugar - the Archies

And another one...

And another....

Oh gosh... I sound very old don't I? Hahaha. I really love the music then. Oh well, I always had the fancy for the 1980's and before. Not everything la. I can't stop laughing as I type this. No, my dear friends. I have not gone mad. This is just another side of me I don't really show much. Cause no one shares this interest. Who will? It's embarrassing... Hahaha.

And you know what?
Right now, I am dancing the Twist to the music video above. ROFL. *tears in my eyes*

I have sing K kaki, now I need dancing kaki. :P
My mid section hurts.

Dance Dance Dance

2011-11-04T23:31:00.000+08:00

Oh my gosh... I suddenly have this urge to go dancing!!! I want to go for dancing classes.
I remember Jenny asking me to join her last time, somewhere in TTDI.
But I never found the time to, most probably because I procrastinate. Hahaha.

How how?

That urge is back!!
I want to sway my hips, twirl my body, twist my shoulders, kick my legs according to rhythm & melodies!!!

Clubbing is not dancing cause you are under the influence of alcohol. Everything seems nice when you're high. Ha. Really!

I want real dancing.
I can't start back on ballet again. I'll be in the same class as little kiddies. Grade 3... :(

I actually don't mind line dancing. Lol. Aunty dance. Hey, I like the Twist. Remember Jive Bunny? Go 'youtube' it. It's nice! Of course, I love ballet but I think I am too old for that. I got into ballet cause mom thought I was a bit too tomboy-ish, always climbing into drains and catching tadpoles. Hahahaha.

Belly dancing ain't too bad either and perhaps with a strict regime, I may see some of those sexy female abs, provided of course I diet too... Hahaha.

Ballroom dancing... is ok I suppose. Hahaha. But, it's not me. Yet.

Oh oh!!! Know what? I think Latin America dances are HOT! Oohh la la *fans self * The Samba, Salsa (not the food, foodies), Tango and Rumba!! *Now is when you roll your toungues for the Rrrrss.....* Rrrrrumba!

Ain't that exciting? :D

How how? I am feeling super enthusiastic now. I went googling dance studio websites. Argh! What is wrong with me?

Now, all I need is someone to accompany me to dance classes.When there's support, there's motivation. And when there's motivation, there are results. Hahaha. I think.

I want to dance at least one night away.

P/S: Ok, I shall stop procrastinating and really do something about it. *cross my heart ~~and hope to die~~* Wish me luck. :)

Just... One

2011-10-30T16:29:00.002+08:00

" At this moment, there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world.

Some are running scared.

Some are coming home.

Some tell lies to make it through the day.

Others are just now facing the truth.

Some are evil men, at war with good.

Some are good, struggling with evil.

6 billion people in the world, 6 billion souls.

And sometimes all you need is one. "

- Peyton Sawyer, One Tree Hill Season 3 Episode 1

Was blog hopping when I came across this little paragraph the blogger had posted. I never really watched the series but I like this 'poem'. Each sentence tells me a different story which I can relate to in my life.

Anyway, happy halloween!!! Remember, Halloween is the only time you can dress up as scantily as you want without people calling you a skank or stuff.

Just kidding.... Be good. :) (Don't do things I wouldn't do...)

In Loving Memory

2011-10-29T17:59:00.000+08:00

She woke up early today at 6 am. She had to hit snooze a few times before she finally sat up in bed, with her hair tousled and eyes that could barely open. It was hard getting out of bed. Her bed which was as warm as toast compared to the slightly chilly temperature as her feet touched the wooden parquet floor.

Groaning, she walked around her room in the dark, searching for something to tie up her hair in before heading into the darkly lit bathroom. 20 minutes later, she felt and looked slightly refreshed. Looking into her dressing mirror, she observed the darkening eye circles appearing under her eyes. Shrugging to herself, she put on her glasses and got ready to leave the house.

It was an early Saturday morning, with less cars on the roads at that time. The 30 minute drive was as enjoyable as could be as she cruised along the road without a care in the world. In her back seat was a bundle of chrysanthemum flowers, neatly wrapped and packed with newspapers dating back to a month ago. Small little tealight candles and a portable lighter were placed in an orange plastic bag, together with her handbag on the front passenger seat.

Humming to herself, she turned into the Cheras Christian Cemetery and parked her car near the entrance. At first glance, not a soul was in sight. She only observed a handful of people scattered over the cemetery after alighting from the car. The greenery was a sight for the eyes, the breeze blew by gently, rejuvenating her senses. It was quiet, calm and serene.

She gathered the things needed, slung her handbag on her right shoulder and walked to her grandparent's graves. Wearing slippers, it was a wrong decision on her part, as the early morning dew on the grass soaked into her jeans and wet her feet. Still, she trudged on avoiding some stones and patches of mud to reach their graves.

After a 100 metres walk, she reached the marble gravestones. Turning to her right, she said, "Hello, grandma." To her left, "Hello grandpa." Putting her things on the grass, she squatted down and proceeded to unbundle the flowers and arrange them in the vases that were there for this reason. "How are you doing?" She said, to nobody in particular who could answer. "I'm good." She said to herself, smiling.

   Lighting the tealight candles without much difficulty, she arranged them nicely at the the foot of their gravestones. Standing up, she brushed off some sand and dry grass from her jeans. Bowing her head in reverence with hands slightly clasped, she uttered a short prayer under her breath for their souls.

   When she was done, she walked up to her grandma's picture. She touched the finger tips of her right hand to her lips and then touched the photo of her beloved grandma. "I miss you, grandma." And with no warning at all, tears gathered at the bottom of her eyes. Blinking furiously, she turned away and held her emotions in check. In no circumstance, was she going to let her emotions get the better of her.

   After all, it has been three years since she left. Three years. Yet, the memories of the times they spent together remain steadfast in her head. Memories which were just that..... Memories.

   The morning sun had begun to come out. Its golden rays piercing through the bright blue sky and cottony white clouds. Sighing, she packed up her stuff and picked up whatever rubbish that was on ground. She looked at both their pictures again, one last time before she turned and walked away. I'll be back again, she thought. Same time next year, grandpa and grandma.

   Smiling a little, she made her way back out of the cemetery, walking into the rays of the warm yellow sun, leaving the silent graveyards behind her.

Kath's note: It's 50% fiction and 50% non-fiction. I am writing this time from a third person's point of view. She, instead of I. How?

Statement TShirts

2011-10-25T23:18:00.001+08:00

I dislike statement t shirts. Especially when it is done in an extremely bad taste and fashion.

Imagine seeing someone wearing a t shirt that says, "It's not easy being easy." -,-'

I don't think it's cute or funny. Just bad taste.

People have to bear in mind, that when they wear these kind of tops, they are indirectly sending out some sort of message to everyone who comes across them. Good or bad.

Some are worse. There's a white shirt with words going something like this, "Don't like me? Well you can go and suck on this." with a finger pointing downwards. Obviously, it is not targeted at female wearers but guys. Still! If I don't like you kan, I would already kick you down there la... Suck my foot. I mean, my foot as in "sao pei" la. I am not asking anyone to suck my foot. Eeww... If you have foot fetish, go elsewhere. Ha!

One of my sisters adores wearing these kind of shirts. Huh. There's one which I really don't approve of her wearing. It goes, "This shirt would look great on your floor." Sigh. You get my drift, the kind of message that is being sent out.

But she has other nicer ones like, "I am so hot, I contribute to global warming." Hahaha. Which I think is good on her.

By the way, any shirts describing how hot or pretty or handsome a person is, should ONLY be worn by people who are THAT. Other than that, please stay away lest you get an eye rolling face from me. :P

Ironically, I have some statement t shirts too though I don't wear it out so often. Lalalala. Later, I'll become a hypocrite. >.<

It is not that I am being too old-fashioned or "religious" or a goody two shoes (oh, believe me, you haven't seen the naughty side yet) but a person must have good judgments la. Good humour and good taste too.

I should go and find one that says, "Ms. Adorable" or "Ms. Cutie Pie" then go and tie up my hair in two pigtails with ribbons and suck on a lollipop. Hahahaha. ROFL.

No no no. *vigorously shakes image out of head* Pffttt....

The Empire Strikes Back

2011-10-23T19:27:00.000+08:00

I wanted to write about something else but I figured that it would be too morbid for some, so I decided not to. :) Anyway, yesterday was my late grandfather's first death anniversary. I won't say much cause I'll end up back on the morbid topic.

Nearly everyone knows what happened with Empire shopping gallery. The blast that made it inoperable, save for the hotel and SOHO, for a month of two. Dad blurted out this funny line, as we were commenting on the crowd in Subang parade. He was saying that when Empire reopens, they will come back with full force.

"The Empire strikes back..!!"

Imagine Empire's logo here on the poster...hahaha.

The Shopping Malls Wars Saga Continues.

(Urgh, what a mouthful...lol.)

I am hoping Empire reopens fast.

I have a few things on my mind which I am having trouble jotting it down. Thus, the lack of posts... Sigh.
I actually noticed I have been less and less expressive. I keep getting more reserved and quiet. Anyway, I am a jumble of emotions right now.

Be strong.

Shattered Glass

2011-10-12T00:55:00.000+08:00

You know, I have been stupidly naive all this while haven't I?

"Why be so trusting Kathleen?"
"Because I always think good of others."

"But that is almost never true isn't it?"
"Yea.....Sigh."

I never realized this until Chian and SY commented one fine day.
Their comment was that I will never think bad of others.
That I will always give a reason for why certain people were behaving in a certain way.
Like if so and so was being cold, they would say that the person is a snob.
I would come in and say, that the person was just having a bad day or perhaps feeling shy.

I didn't really believe it until it happened, right there and then I did exactly what they said without knowing it.

As I examined my thoughts and behaviour, yes, I admit I have been doing it.

I have been too trusting, too naive, always believing that others will never have any motives for doing what they were doing or behaving as how they were.

How stupid have I been... Huh!

I don't want to become a cynical person. Because from the bottom of my heart, I honestly believe people have reasons for how they behave or act. And I have always always defended each and every one of them.

But, I think I believe it no more.

It's just hurtful... and unfair.
I have never been a vocal person. But, I can write and the pen is mightier than the sword.

My so-called vision or belief has just been shattered into a million pieces like a mirror glass.
I can see my reflection in it no more....

Investor's Day 2011

2011-10-08T14:32:00.001+08:00

I had a slight injury the other day. Nothing too major. Fell down the stairs and hurt my butt. Reminded me of one episode in Grey's Anatomy where a cheerleader was hospitalized for "breaking her butt". Thank God I didn't fall face forward down the steps, I didn't roll down the steps like those you see in drama movies and thank God I didn't hit my backbone on the steps as well.

I shall elaborate further on that later, now, I want to talk about Investor's Day!

Went for iCapital's AGM the other day. Didn't really know what was going on. There were resolutions of who and who of what post, a seconder then a vote to put something into motion. We were given these yellow voting cards but I didn't use them as I had no idea what I was voting for. (If it's the upcoming GE, then I will know.)

After that was over, the talks began. The stock market, the Euro crisis, US, China. For the first time in my life, I learned words like gross domestic product (GDP), net asset value (NAV), double dip, volatile blue chips, low price to earning ratio 0.o. I suddenly know who Warren Buffet really is, the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch. It was all very very educational. And, I finally understand how iCapital works (silly girl, simply invest without really knowing what I am investing in.).

I know I sound like a "katak di bawah tempurung" but hey, I have never bothered about stock markets and stuff ok? So knowing about this actually helped a lot.

The participants for that day were F&N, Boustead Holdings, Padini Holdings BHD, Petronas Dagangan and others. We also had two presenters from BFM 89.9 hosting the talks and panels. I didn't manage to go for all talks as there were three venues with three talks going on simultaneously. Separated from dad to attend some talks which were of more interest to me than him. He went somewhere else. Hahaha. In the end, we met up at the same venue. Like father, like daughter. :P

The part of the talks I like the most were the Q&A sessions. It was awesome. Some questions I can relate to, some questions made me blur. I especially liked how Mr. Tan Teng Boo did his presentation. Hahaha. Oh, we were also treated to a small fashion show by Padini. Padini's Fall 2011 collection if I heard correctly. I could be wrong. I saw the brand manager of Padini too, Mr. Benjamin Yong. He looks young...! According to the event schedule, Padini was supposed to share its successful branding strategies, but I didn't hear any. :( Bluff...

The day ended in the late evening with closing talks like "Malaysian Economic Outlook" and "China's Economic Outlook." It was tiring but energy well worth invested in. Hahaha. A pun. Here are some pictures I took.

We were given this lunchbox... Funny thing ain't it?

Ta-da! We had nasi Beriyani, egg, vegetables and desserts! Mango pudding and chocolate cake. Hahaha. A bit too much though.

A contestant presenting in the finale of the budding value investor award.

Presenting... Padini's Fall 2011 collection.

They had all the various lines under Padini showcase the upcoming fashion. Vincci, Vincci+, PDI, Seed, P & Co. etc. That day, I realized 66.67% of what I was wearing was from Padini. Oh...

One of the female models. Are models not allowed to smile or show facial expressions? They all look so stoned and menacing.

One of the male models. Not smiling is fine, but don't la look arrogant. Not as if every girl is going to swoon over you ok? I meant another male model but I didn't take his pic. Haha.

The final walk around (the rose bush). Hehehe. Professional cameraman in front of me.

The finale. The model line up. Quick guys and girls, take your pick, which model do you like best? :P

And, here's Benjamin Yong (on the left), Padini's brand manager. I want to pick his brain. Hahaha.

Remember, invest wisely! Anyone up for playing with stocks now? :D

Simple Things

2011-09-29T23:50:00.000+08:00

Someone made my day today.

It was just a simple act of consideration from a total stranger which made it all the more worth sharing.

I paid my parking ticket and was coming out of a shopping mall onto one of the main roads in Subang. Got stuck as there was a long queue at the red lights.

There was this particular car that had its headlights shining directly into my line of sight. To block off the glare in order to see the road properly, I used my right hand to shield my eyes. (My eyes my eyes....*drama moment*)

I was in that position only for a minute when the glare suddenly disappeared. I turned and saw that the driver had toned down the car's headlights. I was kinda surprised and I burst out laughing in my car.

Like, "Wow!". The driver was observant enough!! I didn't have to wave like monkey or curse for the lights to be dimmed.

And... it was unexpected.

Felt slightly embarrassed, so I just waved and smiled a thanks to the shadow in that car. Cannot see ma. Hahaha. Thank you.

Sometimes, in life, it is a simple gesture that touches the hearts of people and brightens up their day.
Like bringing 'illegal' snacks to work, like calling to ask if we wanted to pack food when our only food source was closed, like dropping us off at a place nearer to our homes when we had no transport, like just calling up someone to find out how they have been doing (haven't been doing this for a while).

The thing is, the people who did the above, didn't have to. They did it and it was unexpected.

Simple things.... :) Or maybe cause I'm too simple-minded. Ha!

Light Bites

2011-09-18T00:31:00.001+08:00

I know... A bit outdated on the posts. :P Been a busy bee. So here's another one to tide you through till the next post.

A Summary of the Week I Had

Saturday (03/09)
Went for a karaoke session with Chian, SY, David and Lionel. Arrived late and left early. Sad... didn't get to really let my hair down and really catch up with them. Urgh!

Sunday

Went for another karaoke session with Yan, Chooy, Ben10 and CC. This time, in KL. Driving to KL was my biggest feat! I am a hopeless case for directions especially driving. I asked dad to draw me a map to Lot 10. Hahahaha. But hey, I reached the place without having to call ok? Albeit the missed turning.. My mom actually said she salutes me. I asked her why. She said because I dare drive into KL. See? I have to learn! My mom hates driving into KL. LOL.

Tuesday
Gym... Cardio. Cause I want to/need to/must keep fit. Been binge-ing a bit. Grr... Though people have been saying I lost weight. Hmm....

Wednesday

Last minute yum cha session in Cheras. I got there safe and sound! Hahahaha. Missed a turning again though. Heck! Met up with uni friends: Tee, Jen, KT and Lin2 who came back from the UK!!! She now has a Master's degree... 0.o During our conversations, can't remember how this came up, but the word kinky appeared, then Jen said that there was a university known as Kinki University. (I googled it later, it's in Japan!) Imagine this, instead of "I am a UTAR graduate." You'll become a "I am a Kinki graduate." The fun of languages.

Friday

I was invited by Martin to share my WYD experience with some of the college youths that evening. At first I didn't want to as I am kinda scared and shy but then I thought why not. I thank God in a way I did, because hearing what other people had to share brought back that week's wonderful memories. It was weird sharing with strangers about your personal experience, but they were very nice about it. Though some were sleepy. Ha!

Saturday (10/09)

Went to Bangsar for a drink (Alcohol...) with Chian and SY. When I told mom, she gave me a look. Hahaha. Yea, the reprimanding look. Cause, you know, alcohol and I have a rough history. Kidding. I'm allergic to it. Rashes, red splotches and swelling. I can drink but I have to control the amount which basically just equals to one glass. Two glasses, say hello to the swollen red girl...

Sunday
Hmm... went back to work. I was worried I couldn't wake up cause of the late night and early morning. I took a nap..hahah. Ended up having a nightmare of sorts... like the customer didn't want to buy our goods or something. That made me literally jump up out of the sofa... :'(

Take a chill pill. :)

WYD2011 August 16

2011-09-12T00:02:00.000+08:00

And the fun officially begins today...! :D

We spent the early part of the day in the Retiro park. The park was huge!!! Lots of greenery (finally).. You can actually get lost. There were volunteers but because of the language barrier, it was hard to get directions. "No inglais no inglais!" Direct translation, no English. *rolls my eyes a bit* How can you have volunteers for an international event who can't even speak English??

With some youths from the country of Portugal!!! Football yo...!

This was an activity where they praised God using dance movements. It was fun when they involved us as well. We just had to do some simple actions.

A view of the spectators from the other side of the so-called stage.

Nearly everyone was wearing hats as the weather could get quite hot midday and you don't wanna get sunburn!

Our East Malaysia contingent, the Sabahans! Don't mind the lady in blue. She got in my shot. :(

Citizens from Vietnam, in their traditional wear (a bit). Look at the sleeves. The girl in the shot must have been pretty happy and full of joy. Hahaha.

There they are again...You can see the little yellow hats at the left... That is definitely Vietnamese.

I can't remember what this is... But it's some kind of architecture. Hence the photo. :P

The park has a lake..! Some youths enjoying themselves rowing in the sun. One thing, the Europeans, Americans, love the sun... I mean I love it too but I am not going to row a bot in the scorching sun. It burns!

Moi. Lol. My waist looks weird. That's my travelling pouch where I put my money and passport. Underneath my shirt. Spain has a lot of professional thieves. Two guys of our group got their iphone 4 and blackberry stolen. Another lady got her credit cards and daughter's passport stolen. Kinda freaky....

With the boys from Columbia...!

With youths from Argentina and England... I think. Urgh.. I don't recognize the flags. It was fun taking photos with people from all over the world. You don't really know who's who. People just pop in and out of anyone's pictures, bearing their countries' flag. And if you are carrying one, people tend to want to take pictures with you cause of the flag... Hahaha. Good point to remember.

With the Swedes (Swedish?) and the Columbian boys again. I call them boys as I didn't see any girls in their entourage that day.

In the afternoon, we hopped onto the Metro again to head to one of the exhibition halls for a talk. Theology of the Body, initiated by the late Pope John Paul II. The crowd waiting outside was humongous and unexpected to me.

You can see some the crowd waiting in line to enter the hall.

Long long wait..........

Some girls decided to do some dance movements on the streets while waiting. Other nationalities joined in by doing their own dances. It was very cool to watch... You rarely see this in the streets of KL!

Finally in the hall... that is the ground floor you are seeing. We had to sit at the mezzanine level as it was getting full but luckily we made it in as there were many youths who were barred entry because of the over-capacity.

My late late lunch. 5pm. Later than in KL too. Hahahaha. Fries, pineapple slices (whatever for though?) and ham (salty much?).

And my plate of stewed vegetables. Looks odd but it tastes better than the ham!

After "lunch", we headed on to Plaza de Cibeles for the opening mass of WYD2011.. This was where I saw the magnitude of this event. The number of people here is uncountable.

The few of us were looking for our Malaysian group or at least any other groups of Malaysians, so we would be together to represent our country. But looking for them in this crowd, is like looking for a needle in a haystack. We abandoned our thought soon after and decided to stay where we were. It was a hopeless cause anyway.

People were shoving, and you were actually in bodily contact with the other people as you tried to squeeze your way through. Yuck! The sweat... If you are claustrophobic, stay away. I witnessed a lady crying, looking suffocated with a volunteer helping her through the crowd.

You really had to hold onto the other person's hand as you walked through this street. If not, You will definitely be left behind and get lost with all the shoving and pushing.

A small Korean contingent. You know how people were saying that Koreans all look alike because they all go to the same plastic surgeon? Well, these people here actually look all different though. Speaking of Koreans, I got mistaken for a Korean. By a Korean!!! Hahahaha. It was super hilarious to me. :D

Did I mention that this is the sky at 7pm in Madrid? The sun sets at 9pm!! I'm "photosenstitive". I can only have my dinner when the sky is dark. Eating at 8pm in Madrid is like having tea... Seriously!!

The crowd the crowd!!!

After the mass was over, we headed back to our lodgings. Almost everywhere we went, we saw WYD pilgrims (well, obviously you nuthead.). The Metro stations were crowded and packed. The buses, taxis were not allowed to enter town. Most of us lingered on the streets for the crowd to clear, which never seemed to actually! We had our dinner on the streets, sitting on the roads, chit chatting and photo taking!

One thing I found fascinating, was seeing the number of participants for WYD2011. There were so so many...! And so many countries..... It was really awesome. (I'm sorry, I can't seem to stop gushing bout this...)

Oh, and the Spanish, really take their siesta time seriously.

WYD2011 August 15

2011-08-30T22:16:00.002+08:00

August 15. The day when we prepared to head off to our respective lodgings for the WYD2011 event.

Before that, my very first mass in a Spanish church. Wah... Feast of Assumption. (Mary goes up into Heaven.) It was a bit sad lo. Have you any idea who were the majority people in the church? OLD LADIES!! All white haired and frail looking. It was something that opened up our eyes.

One version of Mother Mary.. I like this one. :)

Jesus in the middle with a child and the two saints beside Him. Thank goodness we still have churches in Malaysia with statues like this. (Btw, just to clarify it in here, Catholics do not worship statues.) It just there to remind us.

The ceiling of the church... The lighting is awesome!

How the church looks like from the outside.. Looks like some ordinary brick building huh?

I am imagining my grandpa sitting there and me, with my arms lovingly around his neck and shoulders. :)

The beautiful beautiful park...!

Greenery is rare in Madrid. That is for sure... We thought we landed in some desert place.

Some of the French youths we met. (Bad shot, lol.) They were surprised we could speak English and asked us what our mother tongue was. Well, English of course! (Or mandarin) They could not understand how come we looked so different though we were all Malaysians. See, THIS is 1Malaysia!! Not some TV or radio propaganda.

Shot taken from the bus. How Spanish condos and apartments generally look like.

Iglesia San Ireno. My group was supposed to lodge here. In the hall. But they moved the girls. Leaving the guys here with the TWO cold outside showers. Ah! I should have taken a picture of the showers. It looked like a tent. Lol.

Plaza de Cibeles! This was where the major WYD2011 events were held. The opening mass, welcoming of the Pope, Way of the Cross and others.

A slightly closer look. That was the stage where the Pope later sat/stood during the events.

A super huge banner depicting the WYD2011 logo. JMJ2011 for Spanish.

You could see these buntings on the lamp posts all over the streets of Madrid. Nice!

Jackie and I. She looked Spanish and could easily be taken as one. Hahaha.

And some of the rest of us that followed along for the same dinner.

An interesting thing:

Remember Andrea Fonseka? Well, her mom was part of our group. I only realized it that day itself because she went by her Chinese name. Lol. Ms. Josephine, Miss Malaysia Universe 1970. 0.o.

Buh bye!

Hola...!

2011-08-28T15:19:00.001+08:00

Hola!!

I'm back! Hahaha. I still haven't slept off my jetlag... I'm suffering from it! And I thought I was young. Eesh.

Well, what can I say? The last two weeks in Madrid was absolutely amazing. Words cannot be used to describe it. I am actually very blessed to have participated in this event. Recalling the earlier part of the year, I was quite close to withdrawing my participation as I felt that I could not commit to the monthly retreats, outings and fund raising activities. It would not be fair I thought. I am SO SO glad that I decided to go on with it after battling with several issues in my head. I suppose things just fell through in the end. :)

I went to WYD2011 with an open heart and mind. I really did not know what to expect. What I experienced was really superb. Imagine, 1.5 million people from across all continents, different languages, cultures gather together in the same place for one purpose and with one thing in common. For God.

I have never realized the sheer diversity the Church could have. It was like, "Wow..."

I will try to have more comprehensive posts about the event with pictures as well. If time permits. :D

Off I Go....

2011-08-11T23:09:00.004+08:00

Will be flying off tomorrow!!
Can't wait. *jumps around with excitement*
A long awaited trip...

Please do keep me in your prayers and pray for me and the rest of us who are going, for a safe trip there and of course, a safe trip back home again.

So I can see you all again ma... lol. Unless you all don't want to see me, then it's ok!
Will be missing for a while. Don't think I'm going to get access to a laptop or a computer either. I'll be too busy with all the activities planned! Yay!

Just be good, ok, people? :)

Yours sincerely,
Love, Kath.

Madrid 101: Shower facilities at WYD

2011-08-07T17:18:00.001+08:00

Was just checking up the website for WYD2011.
I knew we had to pack bathing suits because we aren't getting any luxurious shower facilities there. A million people wor...
But look-y here what I just found out....

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

The Triple H Summary

2011-08-05T23:23:00.000+08:00

A summary of the has happened, happening and going to happen. Heh.

Has happened

Participated in my first run (or walk or jog, at the rate I was going). Shape Run 2011! My colleagues and I went more for the goodie bags I think. Hahaha. We entered ourselves in the fun run category. It was... fun! We even stopped halfway to take pictures with the Putrajaya bridge... Crazy kan? Then when we saw the runners behind us dwindling in numbers, we sped up again. ROFL. Fail sial. Kiasu but still want to take pics. Pfftt... Too bad Tee couldn't make it, if not we could meet up as well. :) We saw Hunny Madu from 8TV and a guy from fly.fm too!

Went for the WYD weekend retreat in APC, KL. Thank God the date was changed. If not, we'd be caught in the Bersih rally chaos as well. I got to meet and know new people, got reacquainted with old friends and... for the first time in my life, I really felt the presence of God. This is going to be theological so I won't go too much into it. Let's just say that I felt very different after that weekend. I felt more at peace, calm and even happier. Ok, this may make me look bad but hearing how people say God spoke to them and stuff, I sort of envied them. I mean, good for them, then I wonder, why God, are you not speaking to me? He answered me, he did. Hahaha. Let's just say that the answer He gave, spoke directly to my heart. :) (And I thought God has forgotten me!)

Happening

What's happening now is, I am staring at the computer while typing this, having many things running through my mind, feeling sleepy yet still reluctant to go to bed. Siap la kau dengan dark eye circles... I should stop talking in Manglish. What happened to my Queen's English?

Going to Happen

Hahaha. Something I have not been saying much to a lot of people. My secret! *wink* In a weeks' time, I will be flying off to Spain, to take part in the WYD2011 event. It's gonna be crazy as a million participants from around the world are expected to be in Madrid for this event. I'm actually getting more scared than excited as the days come nearer. I am not prepared. I haven't got my backpack yet....huh. Have to get it this weekend. How I am going to lug that around as we walk from place to place is a question yet to be answered.

http://www.madrid11.com/

This, is going to be the highlight of my life! And year!

It's a Man Thing

2011-07-17T17:20:00.000+08:00

"It's a man thing." Matt said.
And that sparked off a debate of male ego. Lol.

Was having breakfast with my godpa and godbrothers after church, when I (the only girl present) proceeded to take the bill and pay for the meal. I just wanted to treat them but that was an unthinkable and a definite no-no action on my behalf. (I honestly didn't know.)

Immediately, my godpa literally snatched the bill out of my hand, saying, "No, Kathleen."
Matt jokingly added, "You think we cannot pay for ourselves is it?"
I said, "No, I just wanted to treat you guys since you always pay for my sister's meal."

All the guys objected, saying that it was ok. I asked why.
The answer is this post's title.

My ignorant action then started this talk about this race of people from the planet of Mars and their egos. Ooppss... And the sexist talk. Huh.

From the gist of our talk, I got this message. When a guy offers to pay or pays for something, never object, never ask to split the bill and never fight with them for the bill.

Because, if I do any of the above, I am gonna bruise their ego. 0.o
Come to think of it, now I understand the reaction of some people when we (girls) offered to split the bill for something like a badminton court.
I didn't understand it at first, now I do.

My gosh, where have I been? Planet Venus or something? I just realised it today! And the irony is I work in a company with the word ego in it too! Hahaha. Tsk tsk Kath.

I think I must have bruised some serious male ego then. I wasn't aware.

Matt then had to start this 'argument'. He said, "Girls should do what they are supposed to do and not fight with us."
I retorted back, "Yea and not invade your territory right? Like certain jobs."
Aaron shot, "Girls have evolved for a millennia, to vacuum floors, sweep floors and iron clothes."
Godpa then added, "Even the vaccum is made in a way that it is just meant for ladies. Things like clubs, hammers, axes were made for the men."

It's a losing battle... Hahaha.

Personally, it's ok if guys have their egos. It's who they are. But I seriously don't think that I will just listen and follow BLINDLY just because he tells me to.
I mean I have my own thoughts, opinions, my own brain kan?
Imagine asking me to jump off a cliff. Period. You can jolly well take the jump first, thank you.

But, if you ask me to jump off the cliff cause there's a monster behind, an intrusion of cockroaches or something, then maybe la. Hahahaha.
Provided that I'm not that gullible as well. Lol.

I'm so sorry guys. I'm such a dunderhead......

(A side note: I am mostly an obedient person but I am not a puppet.)

Half the Year has Gone...

2011-07-05T22:25:00.000+08:00

Time does indeed fly...
It's already the second half of the year 2011. In a blink of an eye, 2011 will be over and 2012 will be right in front of your very eyes.

Half the year has gone.
What have I achieved?

My new year's resolutions were this:

- Be more streetsmart, less gullible and less naive. (Does this count?)

- Be smarter and more efficient in whatever I do.

- Say less stupid stuff... I seem to say a lot of that. Sigh.

Have I been more streetsmart? I hope. Well, at least I roughly know what to do in situations, theoretically. On the practical side, one can never predict.
Have I been smarter/efficient? Not up to my expectations or my benchmark yet. I will only be satisfied when I actually do something impressive. Trying... still trying.
Have I said less stupid stuff? Nope. Still the same. Open own mouth, put foot in. All the time. Urgh...

I "inhale" at resolutions. I have 6 more months to do it. Try Kath, try.

Speaking of which, by the end of this month, July, I would have been in my current company for two years. A good record, I'd say. :) Hahaha. Something I look forward to.

I personally cannot believe that it will be two years.... Two years!! Wow..... Lol.
Proud of myself, considering the fact I had a lot of doubts at the beginning. I pulled through. I hope to pull through again, especially now.

I just have to keep a cool and calm head.
Try to be in other people's shoes, understand their points of view and I will be fine.

God, please give me a peace of mind and heart...

I need to be a person who is stoic.

Are You Perfect?

2011-07-01T16:31:00.003+08:00

Warning : Ranting up ahead.

If you answered yes to the above question, you are either self delusional or you have an extremely high opinion of yourself. Good.

Now, let me bring you back down to earth.

Nobody is perfect.
If you are perfect, then you are a God.
If you are perfect, then why are you at where you are now?
No one is.

Everyone lacks something in some areas of their life.
Some of us are good in hiding it, behind a mask, a facade.
Some of us are not so good, and it can be seen by careful observation.
Some of us, don't give a "beaver's dam" about it and gladly shares with the world.

Is everyone smart? I would say yes, for the average person.
People with special needs are different.
The average person would be me and you.

Everyone is smart in their own ways. It's just that the world is made in such a way, that you are only smart if you are good in certain aspects. Sad...

Myself? I finally realized I entered the wrong field. Studying biotechnology was a wrong step for me. Science is not my strong subject. All through uni years, I found it hard to cope. Struggling to maintain that CGPA above 3.0 was a nightmare. I would think that if I had entered into social sciences or mass communication, I would have definitely fared better. Why?

Fact one: My only A grades were from my elective subjects and not my core. Huh.
Fact two: An ex-coursemate who was doing way badly in the course, scoring Cs and Ds, switched to arts and became a distinction 4.0 student.

See? Everyone is smart in different ways. Just because they are not smart in ways that are expected doesn't that they are less smart. They haven't found their niche. They may be even more gifted than you or me. They just haven't tapped into it yet or are yet to be given the opportunity. That's all.

People only see what they want to see.

Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
Not everyone is blessed with good looks or a good physique.
Not everyone is born smart.

We struggle.

Some have that silver spoons in their mouth, but they squander it away carelessly.
Some have looks and the brains, but they are cold and think too highly of themselves.

Some people make it up with their awesome personality. They have that persona, charisma and charm which makes them very enjoyable to be with or hang out with. Because, they are more accepting and open.

I said some. Not all.
I am not perfect either.
Some reading this may feel like telling me to go take a hike.
You don't have to agree with me. I'm fine with that.

I quote Voltaire,

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. "

Thank you Voltaire. :)
I am not perfect but I am perfect in someways. That's for sure!

For the record, we can always strive to be perfect even though we aren't. Not being perfect, doesn't make a person any less perfect.

Magical Musicals

2011-06-26T23:33:00.000+08:00

   Thank you to AMBP for selecting me as one of your winners. I was utterly surprised as I submitted my entry without much thought. Thank God I remembered to check my mail... Don't wanna lose out again no more as what happened with Peter Pan The Musical. *meekly* I learned my lesson.

   I was surprised when I got these two tickets, cause I have never been good in slogan writing or essay writing contests. But hey, maybe I am improving. Hahaha. Yes!

   The irony of this post is, I never went for the show. Yes, I won the tickets. But it was more of a family affair and effort. Ei helped me to collect them from menara Star, Char and mommy watched it for me. Hahahaha.

Blue zone tickets, not too bad eh? Middle of the auditorium too.

   As I didn't attend the show, I can't really blog about it. All I know is Char enjoyed herself tremendously. And she wanted to go for more.... Mom complained the music was a bit too loud.

   Halfway through the show, mommy sent me an SMS. And it went like this : "Ha. Lots of naked torso. Pity you not here to feast your eyes on them!" Like, my goodness!!

   And guess what, Char's first sentence to me when they came home was, "Jie! You should have gone to the musical!! There were half naked men jumping around the stage."

My word!! *in an English accent tone*

If people didn't know any better, they would think that I am some horny young woman!!!
I'm just naughty la...ok?

Hmm... but I AM contemplating on going for the musical. Hahahaha. Buh-bye!!

Down and Depressed

2011-06-19T18:30:00.001+08:00

Haven't been feeling like myself lately.
I was feeling a bit down la. "Beaver's dam" it.
Cause I hate feeling like this.
I want to feel happy, cheerful and gay.
I don't want to be in a depressed or gloomy mood.
Sigh.

During my sister's wedding, I had to face some tactless comments from people, like "Oh, why is your YOUNGER sister marrying earlier than you? She potong you adi."
Personally, it doesn't matter to me. So I just say, "Oh no la, I'm just giving way to her." Then I flash them a super cheesy smile and laugh.

I got them from a few people, relatives, church people, dad's colleagues. Huh.
That was already bad enough la, when I received another comment, which my dad related to me on Tuesday. It seems that according to a colleague of his, I look too serious and fierce and that my look is going to scare any potential guys away.

She was referring to my expression at the reception table before the dinner where I was handling the guest list. Sigh...

I have never had anyone being scared of me. Even my school students and my dog bully me...
I was affected by what she said, truth be told. Cause I have never had this kind of comment thrown my way. It is not that I purposely want to look fierce or scary when I'm concentrating on something. I just happen to have THAT look.

I actually experimented on my colleague, YK. I came up the stairs and just looked at her. I didn't smile. She freaked...Oh dear. Lol.

So now, I am going to look on the floor or look elsewhere or read a book in my hand or pretend to be laughing into the phone. Anything to look distracted and not too serious.

I can smile but I want it to be sincere and warm. I could always try smiling at the computer... if that helps. Then people would comment that I look like a dork. Hahaha.

I think the comment got to me quite badly though I tried not to let it bother me too much.
But then again, she doesn't know me right?
I mean, I'm sure you people who really know me, know that underneath my so-called icy cold exterior lies a warm, fiery, enthusiastic and passionate person. Right? :)

Sigh...
I seriously need some cheering up.

And Then There Were Three...

2011-06-14T21:15:00.000+08:00

A detailed post coming up with awesome photos and lotsa lotsa smiley faces (Darlie advert?) and invisible eyes... Lol.

Stay tuned!

Lost... In a Carpark!!!

2011-06-01T14:25:00.001+08:00

Can you believe it? I got lost in a car park.

The story goes as such:
I had two hours of sleep on Sat night/Sun morning. My own doing hahaha.

Was quite "alive", energetic, ~~chirpy~~, awake on Sun morning despite the lack of sleep.

But that condition deteriorated after lunch. My head started to hurt and I was getting really drowsy.
Lunch was at Bangsar with my family after which I rushed to e@Curve to pass up some money and meet Chian there to pass her some movie tickets.

Lost my way there, dad's GPS wasn't working fast enough, got stuck in the jam outside the Curve area. Eesh.
Rushing for time, I quickly entered e@Curve 's parking lot, searched for a space, parked and went off to the cinema entrance to do what I went there to do. Lol.

After I met up with Chian and her mom, and handed her the tickets, I went to pay my parking ticket. I was really tired and I began to feel the effects of my two hour sleep.

Paid and went down to P2 to look for my car. And you know what?
I have utterly forgotten where I parked my car. My only impression was that I parked next to a wall. So remembering thus, I walked round the parking lot, following the PERIMETER of the carpark, searching for my car.

I couldn't freakingly find it! I went in the shopping area again, came down the same way I went up, entered the parking lot again, walked the whole place but I still didn't see my car.

This guy in his car saw me walking around twice. Then he stopped and ask if I was searching for my car.
I said, "Yes."
He said, "Do you want me to help you? Maybe I can drive you around to look for it. Cause I really need a parking space."
I said, "Uh, no. It's ok."
Poor guy... probably thinking I'm so mean. Don't want to give him my parking space.

Walked round again. I was already muttering silent curses under my breath. Do you know how long I was down there searching for my car?? 20 minutes..!! 20 looooong minutes! 20 minutes of my life wasted. Argh!

Then you know what? Something made me feel uneasy and stupid.

I went up to P1. I walked to one side of the parking lot and there it was. My car.

My car! My car which I had parked on P1 and not P2!! My car which I couldn't find because I was searching the wrong level!

Urgh! I felt like a total dolt! Can I have a paper bag over my head? *shy*

And, that is what two hours of sleep does to you. Ok, maybe just me. Blur and not thinking clearly. Lol.

Sleep people, sleep!

Day 6 of 30 Day BLog Journal - 20 of My Favourite Things

2011-05-22T17:13:00.001+08:00

Awesome!! The easiest yet one of the hardest topics to blog about.
Well, these are a few of my favourite things. *sung to the tune from "The Sound of Music."*

1. I love chocolates. I simply do. I especially like milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Mm-um... Melts in your mouth. The purer a chocolate is, the more bitter it is and the healthier it is. Sort of. (An excuse to indulge on them :P)

2. Earrings!! I have more than 10 pairs (Is that considered little?). I have dangly ones, studded ones, big ones, hooked ones. Personally, I prefer those which you just have to hook into your earlobe. Studded ones always get lost as they are small and if you have thick earlobes you can't wear it.

3. Holly.. Not the Christmas plant, silly. But Holly my doggy. She's a mongrel which we caught from the wild when she was a puppy. Lol. She's a lucky one, she is. Everyone in the family loves and adores her. She gets annoying sometimes though when she pushes to go into the house before we manage to. So you have us 6 humans fighting with a dog to get into the house first. Hahaha.

There she is. Being scrubbed and bathed. Hahaha. She's nothing to look at but she's a wonderful dog.

4. My car. For which I am very grateful and appreciative of. It has been my trusty noble steed that ferries me to work, malls, makan places, home. Anytime and anywhere. It is old and like all old things, it gives problems now and then. Nothing too major. If not for it, I'll be taking Bus 11 more often. OMGosh!

5. Watermelon!! The big round green fruit with juicy red/yellow flesh and black seeds. Hahahaha. A great thirst quencher on hot, hot, HOT days. And it's naturally sweet too, I hope. I'll let you in on a little secret: When I was younger, I thought watermelons grew on trees! ROFL. Forgive my ignorance.

6. My eyeliner. Cause it makes my eyes bigger and actually visible.... Especially when I laugh. Enough said.

7. Potatoes! Hahaha believe it or not. I like potatoes. I like them steamed, mashed, grilled, stewed or in the shape of fries *wink*. (like Smeagol in LOTR). Hash Browns. Jacket potatoes are awesome, especially with loads of cheese. Like the ones sold in Wendy's. Lol. Potatoes, me love, Couch potato, me not.

8. What does Popeye like to eat? Spinach! Don't ask me why, but I like spinach. Not because Popeye becomes stronger la (some gimmick people use to make children eat their veges, haha.) but I just do. And it's easy to cook them. Oil, garlic, salt, water and spinach. ~Abracadabra~ Cooked vege. It's high in Vitamin K which is only good for certain groups of people. If you have thin blood, stay away from it.

9. My Nine West bag...! Not too sure how well-known this brand is, but I really love this bag and I use it only for certain occasions. Got it from Aussie in 2008 and even making the choice to get this bag took me an hour. *rolls my own eyes* Don't want to regret ma. But I am very pleased with it. Hehe. So, good choice. :P

10. THE La Senza bra. Lol. I blogged about this before. So just read this post to understand why it made the list of my 20 favourite things. *wink* It's just a bra, don't be icky.

11. My Nokia 6700 Classic. It's thin (quite) AND heavy. Love it's matte metallic casing and the features that it has. It's not a touch screen and it doesn't have a lot of apps but I still treasure it like gold. Till now it's still in a casing compared to my other phones which I just chuck into my pocket/bag. LOL. Gonna make it last for three more years then change. Hahaha.

12. Contact lenses. It gives me the opportunity to experiment with makeup and different looks or hairstyles. And the freedom of not always having to push my spectacles up my nose! Plus I get to wear cool sunglasses..! Not that wearing glasses is bad, you can do the hot librarian or teacher look with it. Hahahaha. IF you know how and if your glasses fit.

13. In connection with item no. 12, my sunnies! It's purple and it fits my face shape pretty well if I might say so. It helps prevent excessive sunlight from blinding me while I drive and it also lets me hide behind it once in a while. :)

14. Tomatoes. Lol. The center of controversy for years!!! Is it a fruit? Or is it a vegetable? What do you think kids?! I will always see it as a vegetable. Hahaha. I don't mind eating it raw. It contains lycopene which are antioxidants and good for you! Ah.... my biotech knowledge is coming back to me.

15. Ice cream!!! I scream, you scream, we scream for Ice Cream. Who doesn't love ice cream? It's just so creamy and cold and sweet and cooling and etc etc. :D And there are so many varieties available too. Though I have to say, yam should never be made into an ice cream flavour. Yam? Why don't we make celery ice cream too then? Eewww....

16. My VJ jeans. I have a few pairs but one pair among them all is my fave!! Why? Because it fits nicely, perfectly and it shows off my butt/tush in the most flattering and attractive way. *laughs crazily* I am nuts! :P

17. Are abstract things considered as things? Dance!!! Dance is one of the most expressive form of art. You can really pour your heart, mind and soul in to it. You follow the music, close your eyes and just let your body do the magic. I enjoy dancing as you not only sweat it out but you also have fun. I did Ballet and Hip Hop before. Of the two, I prefer ballet as hip hop just doesn't cut it for me.

18. My watch. Cause it's my one and only. I use watches more for function than for fashion. It tells the time! That is as good as it gets, yes?

Birthday cum Christmas present from the "Parentals". :)

19. Another abstract thing but who's correcting? Colours! Hahah. I like blue...! Even my blog is BLUE. Blue is a very peaceful and relaxing colour. The oceans, the skies. Just right, don't you think?

20. Last but not least, my family and friends. You know who you are. *wink* Words cannot describe the feelings I have for all of you. Hahahaha. ROFL. Seriously, if you all are things, you are the greatest things ever!

Another post that took me two weeks to draft it out. What is going on??
(P/S: Thought I'd forgotten about this 30 day thingie didn't cha? Haha.)

A Wakeup Call

2011-05-18T23:59:00.003+08:00

I rarely blog about this aspect of my life. But, here it is.

First thought in my head was, "Why???"
Before you even hear the answer, deep down in your heart you already know it. And why not?
It was expected in a way, yet not expected in some. It was suspected, just not that fast.

People will normally give the reason for their leaving as such, to greener and better pastures. The grass is always greener on the other side. I won't blame them. It is their life and it is up to them to live it.

Then you think, "Instead of making other companies seem like greener pastures, how can we make it or do it in such a way that the company you are currently in NOW be THAT greener pasture?" If it can be seen as such, then people won't decide to leave. Right?

I am actually worried for the company. It's expanding with two, three (or more) outlets this year. It is not a bad thing. It is actually a good sign. The exponential rate of its expansion is fine if we have enough people to support it. What if we don't?

It is not easy to recruit good and dedicated people nowadays and the ones that we have are leaving. Why can't we be able to grasp that and keep the good people with us?

Why is it that in such a short time span, (n) people are leaving? Is there something wrong? (Maybe I'm the weirdo here).

Some people would say money is not everything, you have to have passion in what you do. It is true to a certain extent as I am never a true believer of the line, "Money can buy happiness." I've bought new stuff and promptly forgotten about it. I am truly happy with my family and friends.

But still, when I look at the world around me, everything revolves around money. You need it for basic survival. To buy food, find shelter, get clothing. You know the famous line, "No money, No talk."

However, I would feel that money is not the only factor. There are others like job satisfaction, job morale etc. These are just bits and pieces.

Though who am I to say? I would not know anything about business, how it runs and stuff, so oh well.
We'll just wait and see and hope for the best. :)

And yes, I do realize that it happens in every other company. It's normal. But I am not working there am I?

The Piano Recital (continued)

2011-05-17T23:39:00.000+08:00

A continuation from this. The Piano Room.

(contniued...)

"Don't cry. It'll be over in just a few days." He said. "You can do it. I know you can. Hey, you're not you for nothing you know." Then he hugged me tightly.

I lifted my head up to look at him. His left thumb reached up to my face and wiped away the tears that ran down my cheeks. First the left side then the right side. If I looked like a dork after crying, he either did not notice it or just pretended not to. I looked deeply into his eyes and smiled gratefully.

Standing up, he patted my right shoulder as I resumed the proper sitting position of a pianist. "I'll let you practise somemore. I'll be in the lounge if you should ever need me." He said and smiled that affectionate smile of his which I always loved. He then turned and walked out of the piano room.

Feeling renewed, focused and determined again, I poured out all my heart and soul into practice for that day.

Days passed by quickly. Practice became more intense as the day of the performance approached. I became more focused as I concentrated on performing a flawless piece on that day. All I wanted was to give my best for that occasion. Never mind that Beethoven was a great German composer and pianist, or he was deaf, Fur Elise was constantly on my mind.

Saturday could not have arrived fast enough. Throughout the whole week, the whole uni was in a frenzy getting ready for this important day. The Dewan Hang Tuah was decorated extensively, the hall seats were spruced up, the stage and hall lights were tested, the stage floor was polished and returned to its former glory after months of neglect.

Dressed in a simple yet elegant black piano recital dress, I stood by the left wing of stage, hiding behind the red and heavy tapered curtains. Suzanne was up on stage now, doing her rendition of the famous Teresa Teng's "The Moon Represents My Heart" song. I would be up next when the curtain falls to give us time to rearrange the stage as the grand piano is brought in.

Feeling nervous with butterflies in my stomach, I gripped the edge of the stage curtain with my long slender fingers. Manicured on purpose for today's event, my nails were mauve in colour and evenly shaped unlike the many other times when they were just as they were, bare. Still gripping the curtain, I kept myself hidden as I surveyed that large crowd that had come to witness our uni's musical performance. Comprising of the university's academicians and highly ranked academic officials, it was enough to send me running from the hall at the sight of them.

I was turning to head back to the dressing room for a last final touch up when I saw him. His familiar face with the familiar way his hair dropped over his forehead. I started and looked again. There he was. Sitting among other students of our university, looking slightly bemused and bored. I laughed inside of me. He was after all, a popular piano player in the university. But here he was looking slightly lost. It was one of the rare times that he was not up on stage performing.

Suzanne stopped singing and took an elegant curtsey in the middle of the stage. The crowd applauded and the curtain began to drop. I tore my eyes away from his face, my hands now clammy with my cold sweat. Ms Kim, my mentor, came up to me and gave me a hug. She gave me words of assurance as I quickly headed to the dressing room to touch up. I could hear murmurs among the crowd as they took a break. Two men were pushing the grand piano to the middle of the stage behind the fallen curtains.

Five minutes later, I was seated on the piano chair. My fingers poised above the first few starting keys of the piano piece. My sheet music was neatly placed on the stand. The curtain began to rise and bright lights began to seep through underneath them onto the stage. The audience was like a black hole in the outer space as all lights were focusing on me and the stage now. Even if I wanted to look for him, I would not be able to.

The audience was silent in anticipation. The MC announced the upcoming item on today's musical performance and I took that as my cue and prepared myself to play. Whatsoever nervousness I felt at the beginning of the event began to dissipate as I immersed myself into the music. I was tempted to close my eyes and envision myself elsewhere other than on the stage. But I had to keep my eyes on the music notes in front of me as I expertly and diligently played them out.

All the long hours of practice and hard work I put in for this performance ended in just three minutes as Beethoven's Fur Elise piano piece came to an end. A three minute piece that gave me sleepless nights now and then. A three minute piece.

I finished playing and gently rested my fingers on the keys. After a few seconds, I slowly pushed the piano chair behind and stood up. Ms. Kim who was standing in the left wing, smiled at me, visibly pleased with my performance. The audience which was as silent as the night, burst out with a thundering applause as I walked calmly to the front of the stage. I had finally done it. I could feel myself beaming with pride as I did my curtsey to the audience.

I looked up into the audience and this time, I could see him clearly. He had his eyes on me too. Our eyes connected and both of us smiled secretly at each other through that distance. I on the stage and he among the audience. He flashed me his thumbs up sign and his broad grin as the curtains began to make their way down again. This time I laughed outwardly and headed to the back of stage. Everything was just as it is. Perfect.

The End.

(It took me a year to finish this SHORT story. Lol. I hope you people like it. It's raw because it's a beginner's attempt. I appreciate comments be it bad, good, no plot, not deep enough. a bit lost, whatever. Just dish in the comments. Anonymity is accepted. Thanks!)

An Email and a Talk

2011-04-29T01:10:00.001+08:00

You know how sometimes you give people feedback through emails or reply them and you don't hear anything from them? Then you begin to wonder if anybody even looks at their emails or not. Well, my fellow ex-Utarians, wonder no more. The UTAR Alumni does read theirs. And I thought they would not even bother to reply me. Hahaha.

What happened was, the UTAR Alumni would always send out emails to the alumni informing us of any upcoming events or talks that are held in the centre.

I began to notice that the emails regarding the talks, always reaches my inbox late. It's not a big thing. I could say, I don't care, it's not my problem. But I found it weird that the emails reached me after the talk has been gone and done with. Then you ask yourself, what's the point of the emails then?

After a few times, I sent the email below to our Alumni.

And yes, I know. It's supposed to be "a computer generated email" and not as how I put it in the email. Urgh!! You can't generate a computer.... KATH!!! *embarrassed* And a typo!!! Of all the things to do wrong.... email 101. No typos!!!

Yup, so that was sent and a day later I found this in my inbox.

Lol. I felt slightly bad at first for complaining but hey, at least they know too right? Imagine if they kept at this for years...!! Then they will wonder why no one comes for the talks. Now they know too... See, I'm helping them. :) Hahaha.

Though judging from the personal reply above, it makes me wonder whether anyone else has noticed this problem too. My guess is most probably not. Oh well.

So, my dear friends, you are warmly invited for the above talk. 'Chinese Genealogy'. It's open to the public so anyone can go. You want to trace your roots, go! You want to find a long lost relative, go! Or you just want to support UTAR, go! Haha.

Oh, I'm not able to go though. Hahaha. Maybe next time.... :D

Day 5 of 30 Day Blog Journal - My Favourite Book

2011-04-24T14:35:00.000+08:00

I am actually quite an avid and voracious reader. Brought up in a household where books were mostly my companions, I have always adored books and treasured them tremendously. Yes, I am a bookworm. Hahaha. But not till the extend of cooping up at home la. I was a tomboy ok? Anyway...

I grew up on Enid Blyton, the Nancy Drew series, the Hardy Boys series (I did!), classics like Anne of Green Gables, the Little House on the Prairie, Black Beauty and so much more.

As I aged (and withered), I shifted from these to Agatha Christie, old classics like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, to the more modern ones like Stephen King. And yes, I also read R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike in high school. Hahaha. Who didn't? They were the most sought after books in the school library, forever being checked out by someone. Nonsense though they were.

I read almost all sorts of genre. Horror, mysterires, chick lit, romance, non-fiction, self help, humour and so on. One of the genres that I rarely touch is science fiction. I don't get it lo. SO hard to read and digest.

Books were constantly given to me and within my reach. Birthdays, Christmas presents... hey I'm not complaining man. I don't mind. Hahaha. Too bad books nowadays cost a fortune. Everytime I think of getting one, I have to consider a few times before grabbing it. Thank goodness for sales like the Big Bad Wolf warehouse sale where you can really get good books for really good prices.

On the train, in the bus, while waiting for someone, anytime and anywhere, if I can get my hands on a book, I will be happily thumbing through them. :D (Nerd!!!)

My favourite book would most probably be Sean Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens".

I still read this book from time to time. It's quite a good book. :D How I know it's my favourite? Cause its one of the rare books I have neatly wrapped in embossed plastic. Hahaha. Heh..

The chapters are well presented and each chapter ended with practical exercises that you could do and keep a journal about it. Sort of. This book is a page turner! I espeically liked the graphics and daily life examples included. It helped to make more sense and easily understood.

One thing I remember most of reading from this book, is this line. "Be proactive, not reactive."

Hahaha. Which is true!! And good. I have to put it into practice. Take a deep breath and be calm.

Then there is also another chapter which guides you on how to make every situation a win-win situtation. There's the lose-win situation and the win-lose situation. Basically, it just means compromise. Don't compromise until you lose yet don't compromise until the other side loses. Both sides must be able to agree on a solution that is acceptable and viable to either.

It's a good book. If you're an adult, get the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The teen version is just meant for teens. (As if I'm not an adult now. Hahaha.)

Ciao. Off to bury my nose among books again!

Karaoke Sessions!!

2011-04-16T01:11:00.000+08:00

Hehehe. *rubs hands with glee*

This post is dedicated to Yan. :P
A few of us went for a karaoke session on Thursday night. It was supposed to the five of us. But someone forgot her work schedule (Caffeine OD) and couldn't make it at the last minute. Haiya.

It was a bit disappointing cause the first time we went, the five of us had a crazy time. We missed you!! I actually didn't realize that karaoke sessions could be so much fun.

The second time I entered a KTV was with my Uni friends (KT, Jenny, Tee and others) to celebrate the June babies. Coincidentally, most of the karaoke sessions I went to was at BTS Neway. Anyway, there were about eight of us that time and it was wild!!! It was super crazy and hilarious with the guys (KT, I remember) acting out the lyrics. We were laughing, jumping around and shouting like mad. I have never had that much fun in a KTV room. Too bad I had to leave early cause I took public transport there. Huh!

The first time I went for a K session was with Chian and other girlfriends. And being all girls, it just ain't that fun. :/ Hahaha. Seriously. I wonder why... I'm the silly kind of girl but when people are quiet I clam up too.

It's more fun when there's a mixture of guys and girls. You must get people who aren't afraid or shy to NOT be prim and proper always!! Those who can let their hair down and belt it out like crazy. That's cool. Hehehe. I have since found three groups who can be like this. And they are all awesome!

Imagine a guy singing M2M's Pretty Boy complete with all the silly expressions. Yea, it may be gay to some. But hey, they were doing it for fun and they weren't afraid of appearing silly and losing their macho-ness once in a while. Girls don't mind you know.

The second group I went with was BIG. 20 over of us and guess what? We were all families. So you can imagine the songs that were chosen. From the golden oldies (like YMCA) to the more modern songs. Yet, we had a tremendous time, eating, singing and laughing of course. Hahaha.

The third group would be my colleagues. First time we went together was in January as two of us had our birthdays in that month. (Neway has birthday specials). I never knew the guys could sing their heart out and rap it like a pro. We were singing, dancing, even standing on the couch (at one point) as our songs played. We used forks and bottles as our mikes. (There were only two). It was really entertaining to watch everyone's (and mine) silly behaviour in that room. Lol. The second time was Thursday, just for the heck of it.

But, we missed you Yan. You should have seen the boys and YK and I... We sang "ju lam yok" and the other one Benny introduced. Some "char siew pao" song too. Hahahah. And, and to show you how much we missed you. I'm gonna post you a pic. Hehehe.

Kampai!!! Only 5% of alcohol... They drank your share. We forgot we booked for five people. So, an extra bottle. Mine is still in the fridge. Tsk.

And a pic of Benny and CC. Lol. I hope they don't see this.

Oh, but don't worry. The month of May is coming... And so is *ahem* someone's birthday... lalalala (if I remember correctly). Then we can have another session (with discount heh.)!! If everyone is available of course (especially you, Yan). Haha.

Till next time!

Sing your heart out baby!!!

Ooppsss...

2011-04-13T23:36:00.000+08:00

O... kay...

Dear all, I have since removed the last post which was posted on Monday. I actually drafted it out and I did not mean to post it up. Somehow, I must have clicked publish and I did not notice if not for the comments of Yan and Jenny. Thanks! (Shows you how dangerous the internet is) Anyway, it's not meant to be posted up. Not until I do amendments so that I seem cool and calm again. Haha.

But for those who have read it.... heh....now you know.

I do have a temper and I do get angry, for those who are wondering. You can go and buy your 4D number now. "Kath got angry...!!!|"

And no, my anger is not work stress related. Not sure why so many people keep telling me not to stress though. I don't think I am. Yet. :) If I am stressed, I just end up sleeping. Really!!!

What happened would be something like "The last straw that broke the camel's back."

Yea... that was what it was.

Sorry....

Of English, American and Local Pancakes

2011-04-07T23:57:00.000+08:00

Came home from work on a Saturday to this waiting for me in the refrigerator....Dessert!!! Yum-mos.... Sumptuous Desserts.. Never heard of it till that day.

Inside were two of these mouth-watering and adorable 'pancakes', especially kept for me by mom. Hahahah. One was yellow and durian flavoured whereas the bottom one is green and contains mango pieces!!

See? See? Mmm.... Delicious.... Hahahaha. Real pieces of mango fruit and cream (bleah..) Wrapped up in... something edible. One piece is not enough I tell you!! I want more... hahah. I like that it is bite-sized, not too sweet and just the right texture.

No idea why it's called pancake though. I thought pancakes were meant to be flat.... not rolled up with stuffing. But then again, you have the English pancakes and the American pancakes which are both different in its preparation and looks too. So yea..

English pancakes are rolled up and you normally take them with a bit of sprinkled sugar and lime juice.

American pancakes are the typical pancakes you see on television and is taken with butter and honey or maple syrup.

I know cause my mom makes them. Hehehe. I so have to learn how to make these too. I have tried at my hand at a few recipes. And it was great! Any wonder why I love love love desserts?? :D

Salivating yet?

Don't eat too much!!! *wink*

E's ROM Weekend

2011-03-31T00:10:00.003+08:00

ROM - Registration of Marriage
Eileen's officially and legally married!!! Yay!! Congrats my dear sis. <3
Our family headed down to Malacca for her registration which was held on Saturday...

We left on Friday evening, got stuck in some jam and finally reached at about 9pm. Waited for the whole KL gang to arrive before having our dinner cum supper... (10pm dinner *shudders*) Where we headed to? McQuek's Satay Celup. Not your normal satay cooked over a flame, McQuek's satay is where you dip sticks of raw food into a pot of hot boiling peanut sauce. It's a bit like steamboat only it's sauce and your food is on sticks.

The uncles, Timmy, Joel and Matt. Check out the pot of peanut sauce.. yummy. Throat killer though.

The happy couple!!

A collage of where we stayed in Malacca. It's a whole house rented out to anyone who needs a place to stay. RM250 per night. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms (thank goodness), can comfortably fit 8 people or more if you want to rough it out.

Saturday morning was the registration itself held at the Heng Ann Association. No photos of it as our camera died on us. Luckily we have other photographers, so we will just have to wait for it. Godpa, Nick and Shirleen... Photos..!!

Went for lunch. After that, everyone went their different ways. The aunties went shopping, the uncles gathered somewhere for chit chat over a cup of tea (sounds odd) and the rest of us went to catch a movie.

Dataran Pahlawan mall has seriously expanded since the last time I went to Malacca. There's another wing extending known as Hatta Square or some sorts. Anyway, didn't know what movie to watch, in the end we decided on Sucker Punch.

No pun intended, but Sucker Punch sucked....

Unless of course you love to see girls in knee high stockings, boots, mid-drift tops, cleavage plunging necklines, thigh high pleated skirts that twirl around when they move. Then, *in a cheesy tone* this movie is the right one for you!!! Bleah... This movie left me feeling as if I lost a million brain cells. I wasn't the only one. All of us came out wondering what ON earth happened in there.... One thing that I really don't get is, why must the girls dress as such just to fight??? For the male viewers right? Hahahaha. Exactly.

If you feel you have more intelligence than you can handle, then by all means, do go and watch this movie. You'll 'enjoy' it... I think.

Oh before I forget, let me introduce to you someone new I met in Malacca.

Ta-da!! Pepper..!!

Ain't she adorable? She's a grown dog but a miniature one. She yips a lot when we come and always wants attention. That's when we stick out our hands through the fence and play with her. Uber cute! In the future, if I do ever get two dogs of my own, I'm gonna name them Pepper and Salt. Cool eh? Ngek ngek.

And a picture of me.... posing... hahaha. Normal la... that's what all girls do. *wink* And guys too!!! Don't lie. No idea why it's called camwhore though... It sounds horrible. Poser doesn't sound that good but at least it's better than 'whore'. Might as well call it "camslut". Eesh.

Oohhh... My hair IS black.. Like charcoal.

That's all!!
P/S: Just realized I didn't blog much about Eileen's ROM at all.. Hahaha.Oh well. We'll just wait for the wedding ceremony and dinner then.

Random Thoughts on 22/03/2011

2011-03-23T00:24:00.000+08:00

是我做错了???

I know that I am not good in talking. I was never the smooth talker like how some people are. I pause, mutter some incoherent words under my breath and am at most of the times lost for words. My brain works faster than my mouth. Even my hands type faster than what I want to say. Maybe cause I try to sugarcoat my words... to make things not sound too bad as it does. In the end, what I say come out as lame and hard to understand.

Or maybe I am not too sure of myself. Maybe... I don't know.

Sometimes I wonder if I did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing. I know that I am not as smart as a lot of people. Huh. I have enough people around to remind me of that. By that, I mean I am surrounded by freaking smart people. Hahaha. Yea...

Sigh.

Day 4 of 30 Day Blog Journal - My Favourite Quote

2011-03-13T02:21:00.002+08:00

Life as it is... the grass is never greener on the other side. Most of us would have known that by now. Like yours truly, wished that she could have gone overseas for her studies. Some having studied overseas, still opting to come back to Malaysia to work. Some of us working, think that continuing our studies would be better. Those who have gotten a postgraduate degree envies those who have a stable income as they begin to embark into the working world.

Ha! Life...

Is determined by how you want it to be I suppose. Your choice 100%. The situations that occur may not be exactly what you want. But it is up to you. It is you who makes out how you want your life to be. There's a quote that says, "90% of life is decided by how you react." Lol. I have this quote written on a piece of paper and pasted on my computer. To remind myself.

In other words, I have the choice to make my life as it is. I have the choice to either think positively or negatively. It's your choice how you want to react to situations, your choice on how people affect your mood. You can choose to learn from your mistakes or harp on it. Hahaha. Simple isn't? However, it's easier said than done. (There I go again being negative. >.<)

Like during uni days, when you're rushing your thesis. You need 250 pages typed and compiled (example). You've completed 50 of it. I used to go, "Oh crap!!! I still have 200 to go..." That is true but you have also completed 50 of it which you no longer have to worry about. So then, you can concentrate on the other 200 pages. :)

I was 'arguing' with a colleague over some matters. We just have different opinions. An example will be like, you have let say a quantity of 250 of a product to sell. You have to get it out as soon as possible.

His thinking was, "We still have over 200 of these things to sell!!"

My thinking was, "Oh great!! We sold four of it today."

Meaning we have less four of the said product to be worried about.

See the difference? I don't think we're wrong. We just see from different perspectives which is good in a way. It complements each other somehow. I understand his point of view and he understands my point of view.

I know my thinking and how I see things may be a bit quirky to a lot of people. But really, it helps me.

We just have to think on the positive side of life. Believe me, it isn't easy. Many times I felt like a total moron (LOL at this word, inside joke) or an imbecile at the things I have done wrong. I got really upset with myself. Then I mentally slapped myself and said, "Hello? It's just a small thing. Get going. There are people out there with bigger problems than you!! You ain't called Kathleen for nothing." Hahahaha. Sounds weird right? Yea, but that's what runs in my head every now and then. Just don't stare at me when I do that.

So, my favourite quote, "90% of life is decided by how you react."

P/S: This post wasn't meant to be for the 30 Day thingie. I was feeling kinda lost and awkward the past few weeks. So I wrote part of this down. But yes, I'll be ok. Hahaha.(Don't we all say that?)

Road Bully

2011-03-09T23:11:00.003+08:00

*Note: I am telling my version of what happened.*
I was on my way home with two of my sisters in the car. I was coming out from one of the small roads onto the main road. So normally, you always look right/left before coming out kan? I looked right, there were no oncoming cars only one motorcyclist who was a distance away.

Based on my own judgment, that distance was safe enough for me to come out onto the main road. So I turned left onto the main road. I knew the motorcyclist would be a few meters behind, so I kept to my left as much as possible when coming out, to keep space between my car, the motorcyclist and the oncoming cars from the other direction just so that he would still be able to go through (Now, I wonder why did I even bother...).

A few SECONDS later (not immediate), I heard this insistent beeping coming from behind. I instinctively knew it was from that motorcyclist. But I didn't really bother, I looked straight cause there was a car in front of me. The beeping continued from behind to the side of me, where I could feel the guy staring at me (Never see pretty girls before is it? *sarcastic tone*). I still didn't look at him, which luckily I didn't. I think he wasn't satisfied. He sped up and came to the front of me. (See? I told you I gave him a lot of space right?)

What happened next actually frightened me. The motorcyclist had taken off his helmet and he was waving it at us. His expression showed he was extremely pissed. He behaved as if he was going to smash my windscreen right there and then. I just observed him. He then purposely moved in front of my car and slowed down his speed tremendously. If he was expecting me to react (honk him or overtake him), he got the wrong driver. The direction of the road I was heading on was one of the quieter roads. When he did that, the first thought in my head was the safety of my sisters and I. There is no way I can move away from him, it was one lane and cars from the opposite direction was jammed.

He kept in front of me for a few good minutes. All the while I just kept my distance. I didn't honk him, ~~knock him over~~ or cursed at him. I just let him think that what he did, did not affect me at all. It did scare me but I wasn't going to play his game. Thank God, he went straight later and I quickly turned off onto another road.

I was shocked. Then I thought maybe I had been a bit careless just now. But according to my sisters, they also said that he was quite a distance away and he sped up when I came out. And honestly, I never simply come out of junctions. The scary thing was (this was told to me by S), when he was at my side, he already had his helmet off and was making angry gestures at my window.

He must have been pissed because I cut in front of him. And because I ignored him. Thank God he did not smash my window..!!

S was angry on my behalf. She was cursing at him all the way. She said I was too nice as I told them that it was ok and not to be bothered by him. I was a bit shaken but still calm. C was more alert in a way that she had taken down his license plate in case anything happened to us. Huh....

Come to think of it, he was most probably angry because he did not get my attention and he gave up when I didn't give him the reaction he wanted.

All I know is, I am blessed that nothing happened to any of us.

Day 3 of 30 Day Blog Journal - My Favourite Television Series

2011-03-04T22:30:00.001+08:00

Ha! This one is easy!!!

My favourite television series. But I shall give you three. (minus marks for "tajuk yang lari")

NCIS

Criminal Minds

CSI

These three series are the only series that I will diligently follow and watch on TV. If I can, e-ve-ry episode.

Not a Heroes fan, not a Desperate Housewives fan, not the Mentalist fan and among many others. Grey's Anatomy, however, is sort of in the grey area of my grey matter... (If you get this, good. My treat. Hahaha.)

I love Criminal Minds because it solves crimes based on behavior analysis and the Subject's profile. I never realize that simple things like age factor, residential area, past history, work category can be used to identify and hunt down a suspect. I like it how they can check (hack?) into any government website and do crosschecks from the databases. In this series, there is no (maybe a little) lab science activity involved at all! And yet they are able to solve their crimes. Coolness.

NCIS? To me, is a like a mix of Criminal Minds and CSI. I prefer the original version with Gibbs as the leader. Not the new one currently on air on 8TV. Abby, their lab scientist, is one cool eccentric lady with Gothic makeup, funny hairstyle and an obsession with Slurpee (their version). Their investigation is based more on crimes involving the Navy base. So you see victims in sailor's or pilot's uniform. Oh oh, there's also the coroner known as Ducky. He likes to speak to himself and the corpse. What to do kan, in the mortuary alone with lifeless corpses for company. But have you heard, "Dead men tell no tales?".... Hahaha!

Gibbs..!!! :D

I used to watch the original CSI series, now known as CSI Vegas. Then, it was the must watch show. When spin offs like CSI:Miami and CSI:New York aired, I didn't like those versions. Partly I suppose because I am so used to the usual characters. But now I find CSI:NY acceptable. Lol. CSI:Miami has rarely been on my watch list because the timing is never right. However, I do remember the team leader's name, Horatio. Hahaha. CSI combines firepower and lab analysis to catch their criminals. One thing I like about CSI is when they use the machines to test for blood, chemical compounds etc. Terms like HPLC, GLC, oleic acid, pentyl ester come up and I tend to go, "Oh oh I know what it is..!!!" Reminds me of my study days in Uni. Should have paid more attention. Hmm.....

The Ori CSI!!!

Well, that's about it. My THREE favourite television series. :D
I should have studied forensic science. But then again, I faint at the sight of blood. So, oh well.

Driving a Manual

2011-02-26T00:43:00.000+08:00

Wah.... I am AWESOME!! Lol. Just kidding.

Feeling a bit pleased with myself today and I shall tell you why. Hahaha.

I drove my dad's manual car today.

"So?" Some may say.

First, I haven't touched a manual car ever since I got my C license. An auto car has always been my trusty companion for transport. I have lost most of the footwork involved when driving a manual car. The clutch, break, accelerator. The changing of gear from 1 to 5. A wrong combination and your car engine dies (die fire - sei fuo) or you slide down the slope. So handling a manual car actually scares me to death.

Secondly, it's not any normal car. It's an MPV and it's my dad's FAVOURITE car. You don't want to be crashing your dad's car man. That's suicide. Sort of.

My car was kind of 'sick'. And I had to meet up with some friends for a drink. One option was to ask somebody from home to send me, another was to ask friends to pick me up, the last one was to drive my parent's 'big ass' MPVs. I thought about it, in the end I opted for the last one.

I asked dad for his permission to take his car. Surprisingly, he said yes!!! Do you know how important that yes meant? To me, it meant that my dad trusted me well enough with his car.

He trusted that I would take care of myself while driving, that I wouldn't crash his car, that I had the sufficient skills to drive a manual car though I've been on auto all the while.

I was very surprised, pleased and worried at the same time. Worried because, if something happens, I won't be able to touch his car again. I think. Pleased because he entrusted his car to me and surprised because he just did. :D

So I took off albeit a bit shakily. The car engine died once. Lol. Not bad for someone who hasn't touched manual for years lo. I'm actually surprised at myself that I dared to take his car. Cause it's bigger than mine. My left leg got tired of pressing the clutch. And I think the the engine whirred (Gear too low) a bit as well. It wasn't a smooth ride especially when I changed gears. Totally forgot sial. But I slowly got the hang of it. When I reached, my hands were cold, clammy and my knees were actually trembling. I had to hold the car for support when I came out. That was how nervous I was. *Sshhh... don't tell my dad. He'll panic.* I was at gear 3 and drove at 50km/hr. Slow like some tortoise only... Thankfully nobody tailgated me. Huh.

I reached home safe and sound too. Hahahaha. Not sure if it was plain stupidity or pure courage that I took dad's car. But one thing for sure, I am pleased with myself.

Let's just hope that I didn't mess up anything in his car.

Day 2 of 30 Day Blog Journal - My Favourite Movie

2011-02-25T00:41:00.001+08:00

When I see the words "My Favourite Movie", the first name that pops into my head is ~~Harry Potter~~ Lord of the ~~Cracknuts~~ Rings!!!

Yup, I love LOTR. The whole trilogy. Well duh... it's a whole movie separated into three parts just so they can earn more money.... hmm....

Why? Well, *shrugs shoulders* I just love it!!
I love the elves who won't die unless they are shot or pierced by an arrow. They look so... clean... Fair skin, gold flaxen hair. Imagine if they stood in front of the sun. I think I would be blind. Hahaha. I adore Legolas. He has all these awesome action scenes in each of the trilogy. I only remember the second one. The fight at Helms' Deep. Legolas went down the stairs on a shield while shooting his ~~CGI imposed~~ arrows. Whoosh...

My mom likes him.... Can you believe it? Haha.

I also adore Aragorn. He has this rugged, unshaven look that only looks and works well on him. I think if other guys tried that look, people would mistake them as Hobos. Aragorn, the reluctant heir to a kingdom. And betrothed of the lovely Lady Arwen. His character is of the silent, contemplating type. He didn't shine out much as a King, but when his time came, there was no doubt who was the real heir.

Stern looking king...

Believe it or not., I didn't like the hobbits though they were sort of the main characters of the show. I didn't like Frodo and Merry especially. Hahaha. Merry annoys me with his antics, Frodo was just being... Frodo. Sam, however, was a good loyal friend. And Pippin? The cute mishap fella. Hahaha.

The four curly mopped head hobbits...

Gandalf the grey, was great!! Honestly, I think he and Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter are very similar. Two wise old men, with a long white beard, crinkly smile, long pointy (drooped rather) hat. And these two men are the ones the minors look to for advice. Hogwarts students, hobbits, elves and so on.

Ooppss.. Sorry. Gandalf the White. Naik pangkat dah.

Gollum.... Ah... who can forget this freaky looking thing that half walks and half crawls, calling out for his Precious throughout the trilogy. The only scene that had an impact on me (with Gollum inside) was the scene (I think) during LOTR 2. Gollum was struggling with his alter ego Smeagol. It was kinda fascinating watching it. Kind of like an angel and devil on your shoulder thing where Gollum and Smeagol were arguing among 'himself'. One telling the other to go away, the other trying to dissuade him.

The freaky troubled little fella... Kinda look like the flesh eating 'monsters' in the movie Descent 1 and 2. Horrible movie.

Sometimes, in our minds, we too struggle with decisions and actions. You find yourself debating in your own mind, "Should I do this of that? If I do this, this will happen. If I do that, that will happen. But this is better for me. That is not so good for me." Maybe not so much like Gollum (extreme good and bad) but I'm sure there are days when we struggle with our thoughts. I know I do. Haha.

So yea... my favourtie movie. It should be titled my favourite movie's characters instead. Yes?
But this is my interpretation. So be it.

Toodles....

P/S: As promised, before end of Feb. I am GOOD. Lol.

Toothache....

2011-02-20T15:46:00.001+08:00

I feel like crying.
I have a major toothache that appeared all of a sudden out of nowhere. Argh!!!

The pain started last night just before dinner. I could still chew my food but I started to panic and immediately after dinner, I went home, brushed my teeth (at 10 pm...!!) and gargled with oral solution for a good 5-10 minutes. Huh.... I didn't eat anything after that.

Went to bed, woke up today not feeling the pain, so I thought, "Ok, it's gone."
When I brushed my teeth, the pain told a different story.
Had a warm drink for breakfast.
Went to church but the pain was constantly there!!
The pain throbbed until I could feel it up the right side of my head!!! Please don't eat my brain...

I couldn't concentrate on anything.
And worse, I have a tendency to press that particular tooth with my tongue. All the more it hurts... (Le stupide)

Lunch was difficult for me. I couldn't chew on the right side. Any slight pressure brought a jolt of pain so bad that it made me wince. Dahla I eat so slow kan, now with one side 'gone', I can only depend on my left side of the teeth to breakdown my food!!! That would make me even slower in finishing my food..!! Argh!!!

As expected, everyone finished before me. Due to the pain, I couldn't enjoy my lunch that well, so I didn't finish it. (I almost never finish my food anyway) Brought it back home for the dog to eat. Huh!!

I so have to make that appointment with my dreaded dentist. Ok, she's actually a very nice and gentle lady but I just don't like the drilling in my mouth. The sound hits your ears and you can feel it in your head. Seriously! I actually 'ran away' from her. She asked me to come back again for another session but I didn't. *bites lips*

It has been almost 7 years since I last saw her??? Yea, I bet there will be some people shaking their heads at me, giving me a shocked look, saying "Kath... kath..." (My lecturer called me that, beats me why, and now some of my friends do it too).

I had the same pain during my SPM year. I left it at that for (guess how long?) one whole freaking month. One month!! Why? Cause I was afraid of the dentist. -.-'

Let's just hope that this time, I'll be braver and be able to confront my fears. Please... no pulling of my wisdom tooth, I'll really faint in the dentist's chair.

Wish me luck.... huh........

UPDATED

I finally took the step to make my dental appointment. She doesn't want to see me.... :'(
Her waiting list??? Early April is the next available slot. !!!! Thank goodness the pain subsided for now, if not, well, I'll be "beavers dam" ed. One more month to gather my courage. Haha.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T23:44:00.000+08:00

I actually wanted to continue with the second post of the 30 day thingie. I just don't feel like it though. Too many movies... my head cannot sift through. Pathetic.

Tomorrow's Valentine's day!!!
All the singles will be out to jingle and mingle.
And the couples out to create more trouble.
Lol. Just kidding. :)

I remember I made a dare or a bet with someone. To see who would get married first, since that person was always 'shooting' me. KT, KT. Hahaha. I made a wrong one. I should have instead made a bet that my sister would get married before him.

Yea, anyway, I think I may lose this bet to him. Huh!

All of a sudden, Valentine's day is in a bad spotlight. Certain groups of people have condemned its celebrations and have especially discouraged it among their people. According to them, Valentine's day is associated with Christianity.

First of all, Valentine's day is NOT a Christian event or celebration no matter what some people may think. Never in my 25 years of life of being a Christian have I ever heard of Valentine's day being celebrated in church. Not in the Catholic church and neither in the other denominations like Lutheran, Anglican, Methodists etc.There's nothing Christian-y about it!

Yes, if you search about it, 14th February was a feast day dedicated to a Valentine. But, this memorial has since been removed from the Roman liturgical calendar in 1969! Valentine's day is not a religious festival!!! It is just celebrated very much within the secular culture.

Like (excuse the language) *in a British accent (think Ron Weasley)* Bloody Hell...!

How can certain people simply insinuate that V-Day has "some Christian elements and sin"?

The knowledge of other religions are so shallow because all we were ever taught in school during history lessons was about one religion. Five to six chapters of it. Is it any wonder why some people do not know about the religion or cultures of other people?

I myself do not know much about Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism or even Sikhism. When I was younger, I thought that Indians were all Hindus and Chinese were all Buddhists. You see how bad it was? (Or maybe I was the only one....)

How are we to achieve 1Malaysia?

Getting out of topic. That would be another day. (I seem to postpone a lot... That "inhales"!)

On a lighter note, Happy Valentine's Day to all. It's not wrong to show love to your loved ones. Of course, not only on this day la... everyday!!!

P/S: Not a Valentine's Day post that some would have expected. Hahaha.

"The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of."

Day 1 of 30 Day Blog Journal - My Favourite Song

2011-02-08T23:00:00.003+08:00

Ok ok! This post is done purposely for you. -.-' Don't rush me! I cannot think well when rushed. Bleah!

I am starting the 30 day blog journal today!! Today will be the first post. But but, I am not going to do it consecutively. I have no time and energy.... hahaha.
My favourite song... hmm... What comes to mind?
Truth be told, I have a lot of favourite songs, so I had a hard time thinking of one. This song popped into my head just in time! Ha!

Il Divo and Celine Dion's "I Believe in You"

The powerful vocals by the four men and Celine are absolutely magnificent. Best combination ever. I get goosebumps listening to this song sometimes. The melody, rhythm and most important of all, the lyrics all join up together to produce a strong and inspiring song.

Lyrics are below:

Lonely, the path you have chosen
A restless road, no turning back
One day you will find your light again
Don't you know
Don't let go be strong

Follow your heart
Let your love lead through the darkness
Back to a place you once knew
I believe, I believe, I believe in you
Follow your dreams
Be yourself, an angel of kindness
There's nothing that you cannot do
I believe, I believe, I believe in you

Tout seul
Tu t'en iras tout seul
Cœur ouvert
A l'univers
Poursuis ta quête
Sans regarder derrière
N'attends pas
Que le jour
Se lève

Suis ton étoile
Va jusqu'où ton rêve t'emporte
Un jour tu le toucheras
Si tu crois, si tu crois, si tu crois
En toi

Suis ta lumière
N'éteins pas la flamme que tu portes
Au fonds de toi souviens-toi
Que je crois, que je crois, que je crois
En toi

Someday I'll find you
Someday you'll find me too
And when I hold you close
I know that it's true

Follow your heart
Let your love lead through the darkness

Back to a place you once knew
I believe, I believe, I believe in you
Follow your dreams
Be yourself an angel of kindness
There's nothing that you cannot do
I believe, I believe, I believe in you

I believe, I believe, I believe in you (x2)
The words in the song that made it top my list of favourite songs are: I... believe... in... you.

Honestly, aren't the words just there when you need them? We get so many negative comments in life (I am guilty of giving some too) that sometimes we just feel like giving up, throwing in the towel and walk off. Do you know how strong an effect words have on a person? So are they the other way round.

There IS nothing that you cannot do.
I believe in you.
These are two powerful phrases that anyone could have or want in life.
It gives you the courage to have faith in yourself, in your capabilities. And why not, right?

Here's a clip of the song if you'd like to listen to it. :D

Enough is Enough

2011-02-04T00:59:00.005+08:00

~Edited~
Cause I realized I sounded a bit crude (I apologize) and cause I blogged in frustration (which is never good).
I will solve this problem on my own without the need to burden you all with these stupid nonsense. :)

History...

OMG....

I have no idea why some people talk to me about those kind of things.
Look, I am seriously not interested.
Do I look like I am?
I just reply you so as not to make you feel bad and because I'm basically a polite person.
Please stop.
I really do not like it.
I don't want to hear about all these.
I have no idea how to tell you nicely.It makes me very uncomfortable.
Please...
Why can't the topics we talk about be some other things instead of that?
Everytime I ask an innocent question, the.answers you give always always go to that.
Like "How are you?" and you say "I have not been getting any." (A politer version)
Why?
And then you go deeper and deeper into the topic. THAT topic. Maybe it's my fault. I keep replying. Even when I am done. And sick.
But I reply as I don't want to be rude and offend you. I try my best to veer from it but you always lead it back to that topic.

Honestly, I don't need to know and I don't want to know...
Please....

Long story short, this person scares me and annoys me with his chat topics. I feel that he chats with me just to tell me stuff that he doesn't tell anyone. Topics that I myself don't want and don't need to know and so do other people!. Seriously! You can guess what kind of topics this person goes into by seeing our chat conversation. The last word says it all....

Notice the last word? Yea, I didn't really know what it was but I guessed as much. It was totally unnecessary!
I ignored him thereafter cause I was really tired of this crap. Few minutes later, he apologised. I said, "Yea..." Guess what, few chats later, it started again...Sigh! I totally just went appear offline and promptly blocked him.

First of all, we are not close friends. We got acquainted with each other in high school and only caught up recently last year 2010 through MSN. MSN!!! I have never seen you since we left high school!!!
Secondly, I am a girl. A freaking girl. If guys talk about this among yourselves, it's fine. But why are you talking about this with me? I don't need to know!!!

It sounds like nothing but honestly, whatever I blog about in here is just the tip of the iceberg. It has been happening a lot of times, for a year. Friends have said that I should just tell him off , ignore him. I blocked him before, he added me on another account, then when I unblocked him, the new account has never been in use. (I hope it's not because he suspects I blocked him...)

It's on the verge of verbal sexual harassment yes?
Please tell me that I am not being oversensitive... :(

Thank You

2011-01-31T23:48:00.000+08:00

     Today, I am officially a quarter of a century old. Lol. A big milestone in life I would say, even bigger than being 21. I cannot see myself being 25 this year. Mid twenties..!!! From the category of 18-24 years, I have now progressed to the 25-30 years stage. Oh my gosh!!! *starts running around like a headless chicken* I am old...!!! Well, age is just a number (So is your weight and whatnots... being self-delusional.). Who am I kidding? Heh.

Today, this post is dedicated to everyone around me, who have made my life of 25 years worth living.

     Firstly, thank you dear God for giving me 25 years of an amazing life. Thank you for all the blessings you have showered upon me. Thank you for being with me all these years, for keeping me safe and sound (cause I am a blur case). Thank you God for everything, the ups and downs because they teach me a lesson and helps me to become a better person.

     Thank you Mom and Dad for being my wonderful parents. You guys may not be perfect but you are the best parents anyone could ask for. Thank you for your advices and guidance whenever I had doubts about myself. Thank you for the encouragement and reprimands whenever it was necessary. I hope I have been a wonderful daughter as well.

     Thank you to my three sisters, Eileen, Shirleen and Charlene. You three have made my life 'hell'. Hahahaha. Thank you for being the younger supportive sisters you all have been. Thank you for sharing my joys and pain together. Thank you for just being my sisters. I am very thankful for that.

Next will be individual thanks.... :)

    Thank you Chian for your SMS. You were the first. Haha. I know it's a peak time for you with CNY around the corner too. Your late nights at work, the stress, the datelines and yet you remembered and wished me at the stroke of 12!! Thank you so much. *tears*

     Thank you Tee for your SMS, FB wish and your phone call!!! It was unexpected. But greatly appreciated nevertheless. Thank you for being a great friend, a supportive classmate. Thank you for introducing me to the joys of hiking hahaha. And your free passes to the gym long time ago!

     Thank you KT for your FB wish. It was the longest, a bit of nonsense but very meaningful as well. I hope all those can come true hahahaha. However, being bustier is something a bit unachievable. :P I am glad to have gotten to know you during uni days. You cured my fear of guys.... somehow. Wahaha.

     Thank you Jenny for your FB wish as well. Thank you for being supportive during our Uni days. Thank you for the funny present last year. It was quite hilarious especially when I watch the video again. Hahaha. Thank you for your ideas, your thoughts, suggestions cause they make me think too.

     Thank you to my colleagues (Chooy, Yan, Preetie, Cheryl, Benny, CChuan) for the presents, the cake and the awesome karaoke session. It was superbly fun and is on my list of to-dos again! Thank you for all the co-operation at work and support. Makes work fun and less mundane.

     Thank you to my Godbros (Matt, Aaron, Tim and Joel) for being there. Thank you for the free rides to the cinemas, to home. Thank you for all the silly crack jokes that make me laugh till I cry. Buns? Lol. Thank you for helping my sisters and I out whenever it was needed. Thank you to your parents too, thanks Godma and Godpa.

     Thank you to all my friends (I cannot name you all) who made the effort to send me a birthday wish either on FB or SMS. It may not seem much, what with FB giving you the birthday reminders. But it means a lot to me when you make the effort to reach for your handphone or click on my FB profile page. Seeing those wishes, however short it may be, just made my day. Thank you all very very much.

     Last but not least, thank you to all those whom I have ever met in my 25 years of life. Whether it was a short acquaintance or a long one, I am sure you all have somehow taught me something. Be it a good thing or a bad one. After all, there is a reason why we met in the first place right?

     I know that this post may never be seen by most of you and it may seem insincere (on a blog?). But my thanks is deeply from my heart and I can have a peace of mind, knowing that I have shown my appreciation to all of you.

A very big thank you! :D Hugs and God bless.

30 Day Blog Journal

2011-01-23T22:44:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, we bloggers run out of topics to talk/write about. Then we sit and stare at our computers, racking our brains, hoping something will crop up. More often than not, what pops up are silly, stupid and gives people the "What?" impression kind of posts. Hence to be more "organized" and so-called creative, I have decided to jump on the bandwagon as well and do a 30 day blog journal thingie.

I am not sure if you have to do it 30 days straight or you can take 30 days to complete, by which could take me the whole year basically... Defeats the purpose doesn't it? Hahaha. I'll try to complete it in 30 days straight, becasue who knows, halfway through, something exciting crops up right? Here's the list of what you can expect in the coming days.

Day 1 – your favorite song
Day 2 – your favorite movie
Day 3 – your favorite television program
Day 4 – your favorite book
Day 5 – your favorite quote
Day 6 – 20 of my favorite things
Day 7 – a photo that makes you happy
Day 8 – a photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9 – a photo you took
Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you
Day 11 – a photo of you recently
Day 12 – something you are OCD about
Day 13 – a fictional book
Day 14 – a non-fictional book
Day 15 – your dream house
Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
Day 18 – my wedding/future wedding/past wedding
Day 19 – a talent of yours
Day 20 – a hobby of yours
Day 21 – a recipe
Day 22 – a website
Day 23 – a youtube video
Day 24 – where I live
Day 25 – your day, in great detail
Day 26 – your week, in great detail
Day 27 – my worst habit
Day 28 – whats in my handbag/purse
Day 29 – hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 – a dream for the future

Hmm.... looking through it, days 29, 30 will be personally challenging whereas day 18 may just make me leave a blank or messy post. I'll start soon....Beginning of February perhaps? (Then I can skip day 29 and 30, lol.)

Epic Photo of 2010

2011-01-20T00:05:00.002+08:00

IF, photos taken during your trips could win you big bucks in some contests, well, I would certainly wish that mine could as well. Especially since I am "the best" at taking funny and awkward photos.

Went to Langkawi about a month ago for a holiday. And no holiday is complete without pictures to capture those once in a lifetime moments or memories right?

Well, we had a lot of pictures taken but one picture was the talk of the WHOLE trip. Huh!! Know why? Have a look below.

That's why... Lol.
Yup. That.... was.... moi.

Each of us had a picture taken with THE Langkawi eagle. And for reasons unknown to me (I was forced to and I sort of obliged), my pose was the silliest and most embarrassing of all!!! The rest were like just standing with their arms wide open as if to fly like the eagle.

Mine??? Mine was like a cow being carried away by some gigantic eagle.... -.-'
Look at the picture and tell me you don't think so too??

Bleah.

Sweet Cravings

2011-01-14T00:31:00.001+08:00

You know how everyone has different kinds of tastebuds?
Like how some people are sweet tooths (teeth?), some people like bitter stuff, some like it spicy and hot (like their life, hahaha), some go sour all the way and so on?

Well, I am sort of a sweet tooth kinda person as evident by my fat body....Too bad the fats are at the wrong places. Anyway....(getting out of topic) yes, I like sweet stuff. And I have the occasional cravings for it. I don't think it's wrong. But I bet a few people will beg to differ. Hahaha. I'll debate it out with them if I can.

Let me introduce you to my own dessert creation. *winks*

It's a potent recipe for diabetes and a major toothache though.
Top's vanilla ice cream, raisins, chocolate chips and cornflakes. *big wide grin*

Feeling that pain in your wisdom tooth yet? I did, honestly. Then I felt sick after finishing the above bowl. Hahaha. Yea yea, I had it coming. Just didn't realise how sweet it was. The chocolate chips were a bad idea. I think I would try it with chocolate rice the next time instead. The cornflakes were good in a way that it gave you an extra crunch with every bite and it wasn't sweet. I added the raisins for fibre... but.... nah.

I sweared off ice cream for a while after that. Lol. *shudders* Too much of a good thing is hazardous to your health.

Here is another dessert you could sink your teeth into.

And no, I didn't make this. Though I certainly must experiment. Forgot what it's called but basically it's a tart made up of just nuts. Macadamia, almond, walnut, pistachio, pecan, cashew, the whole works I tell you. A nut haven and a nut's heaven. You can get this at RT Pastry if I remember correctly (or is it Cake Sense). And you can get it for an amazing discounted price of.............*drumroll*........... RM 7..... "Cheap" right? Hahahah. For the price of one tart, I can buy myself a decent lunch.

I must say though that the tart was really nice and unique. Not too sweet and crunchy. It's not something you would often see in bakery shops. So, do try it if you can and drink lots of water after that!

See? Do you see all the nice things sweet tooth people enjoy?? Hahaha. Now do you know why so many people are sweet tooths and have cravings??? The happiness that comes with every bite of a piece of chocolate. *Mmmm...* Hahahaha. Right Jenny?

By the way, the first place I head to in a buffet lunch or dinner, is the dessert section! But, to have a look first la. LOL.

Oh dearie me....

The Write Way Indeed

2011-01-08T00:08:00.000+08:00

She sits at the computer.
As of habit, she logs on to Blogger even when she has nothing new to post or say.
Tab by tab she clicks on them. Posting, Comments, Settings...
Her eyes see but her brain rarely registers.
Pieces of draft remain as it is, just drafts.
Kept safely in her account.
Drafts she knows cannot be posted lest some people come upon it.
Drafts that she writes not for fun but for later reference.
If she would have it, a new post would be up everyday, detailing everything and anything that she went through.
But then that would be a bit overboard wouldn't it?

Why then do it?
She writes to clear her mind.
She writes to enable her to see from different perspectives.
She writes to express herself.
She writes to analyze situations that occur.
She writes to learn.
She writes to remember important stuff.
She writes to understand why certain actions or reactions happened.
She just writes....

Some things can never be expressed through words. Neither written nor spoken. It is only then that a person has to read between the lines.

She can hear you say, "I'm ok."
But she sees you cursing inside how terrible your day has been.

She can hear you say, "Everything's fine."
But she notices how your smile never really reaches your eyes, how your eyes have lost that shine.

That would be another story to be told on another day....
Right now, she will just continue to write and write it the right way...

Spunk-less

2011-01-02T22:59:00.001+08:00

I used to think that I was a person with a lot of spunk in her. And by spunk, I mean a quality of mind showing enthusiasm, boldness, energy, courage, determination and motivation (Wiki). Not seminal fluid as I just found out that spunk also means that....

I don't really understand why but I think I ended 2010 and started the new year with a lot of that spunk missing.

I feel that I lack soul sometimes. Emo-less and a bit distant. Robotic.
I am not sure if my thoughts or my feelings reflect on my facial expressions but I am hoping that it doesn't. I have got to master the art of a poker face. Seriously.

I wonder where all the spunkiness went to. I want that back...
I want that boldness which makes me be more confident of who I am.
I want that enthusiasm which makes me eager to do anything.
I want that energy which gives me the ultimate adrenaline rush.
I want that courage which guides me to take risks and face challenges.
I want that determination which drives me to success and fulfillment.
I want that motivation which gives me that extra push just when I need it.

I want that all..... back.

And I better get it back soon. *hugs myself*
I can do it.... :)

Goodbye 2010!

2010-12-31T01:12:00.000+08:00

"The new year is almost here. What are your new year resolutions?"

*stones a while*

I have nooo.... idea. I don't really do resolutions cause I don't keep them.
If you randomly ask anyone on the road, I bet most of them will say, "To be better."
Some will say smoke less, drink less, party less, lose weight, earn more money and vice versa. Huh!

Oh, I know! My new year's resolution is to make a new year's resolution!!! Hahaha. Smart?
I think I shall try to have some New Year's Resolutions for 2011 and keep them!!!

- Be more streetsmart, less gullible and less naive. (Does this count?)
- Be smarter and more efficient in whatever I do.
- Say less stupid stuff... I seem to say a lot of that. Sigh.

Okay. Three's the charm. Enough! Hahaha. At least these three matter more.... To me. *deep thought*

Another conclusion and a new beginning. The chance to start all over again??

Perhaps. Maybe. I actually fear the new year....
Oh, I should make another one..... Stop laughing so much. I can't help it though. It's part of me but I fear it makes me seem immature and all.... Sigh. Another story...

Here's what I wrote for 2009 . Most of it still applies....Hahah.

Happy New Year all.....! :)
Be good and don't drink too much. Lol. Hugs.

Langkawi...!

2010-12-23T00:24:00.000+08:00

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is your pilot speaking...

Welcome to the island of sun, sea, sand, booze, chocs, hunks and chicks.

Langkawi!! Otherwise known as the Eagle Mountain. (Direct translation)
My first (and last) family holiday of the year!! (10 days more to 2011)

Langkawi was cool... albeit a few annoying incidents.
I shall give a few tips and points should you intend to go there for a holiday in the future. All the better prepared... :)

Places TO VISIT.
- Wildlife park.... ***** (RM12 per entry)
The interaction with the animals was awesome and great! There was this baby goat who would climb up your lap just to get some food from you. And it's so small and adorable, you actually feel like carrying it out of the zoo (which I obviously didn't)!!! Rabbits, raccoons, ducklings and many others...!! Adorable..!

- The cable car...**** (RM 15 per entry with your MyKad. No IC, RM 30)
Langkawi's Cable car is said to be the third highest in the world. It was high. And cold!!! The view up there was amazing.... the hills, trees, islets and the ocean. Makes one wonder how great God is.

- Island Hopping tour... *** (Depends... about RM 35 per person)
Please make sure you get punctual and responsible agents should you plan to put this in your itinerary.... Most probably the places they'll take you to are the same. Beras Basah Island, Tasik Duyung Banting and the eagle feeding place. I really think that they could improve their system. It's unorganized and confusing to a lot of the tourists.

- The Duty Free Zone... **** (Free)
For duty tax free shopping!!! Especially for liquors and chocolates. Ooohhh.... Chivas Regal here is way more affordable than what you can get in KL.!! (Ok, I'm not an alcoholic. More of a chocoholic.) Hahaha. But there are some shops which sell slightly cheaper than this place though, so you have to go searching a bit.

One place I didn't enjoy.
- The Crocodile farm... (RM 15 per entry)
The only exciting thing was seeing a guy put his hand inside the mouth of a crocodile. And feeding time. That's when you see the crocs actually, jump, snap and growl at each other. Other than that, well, crocodiles are not friendly creatures, so what do you expect?

Next, what is a trip without the local gastronomical delights eh?
Speaking of places to eat, I have one place which I shall not recommend to you at all!!!

The only place for food which we all had a bad experience was at Fat Mum Seafood Restaurant. We went there as it was one of the places which received good reviews in food blogs. But honestly, I have no idea how they did a review of that place. FMSR supposedly provides good and cheap food. I object. The food is not that cheap and tastewise, only their homemade tauhu and mee on fire dish tasted great. The deep fried soft shell crab was way too oily.

It isn't only the taste and price which I am annoyed with. The owner freakingly practises double standards!!! He was very aggressive in answering our questions. We were just asking what the portion of the large dishes were like.... Was that wrong? (All restaurants provide you a decent answer right?) I have never encountered such an obnoxious person. He was like, oh I would not know how much you all eat *imagine an impolite tone here*. Nobody was asking for a 100% correct answer. He could have just suggested, you know, take the large one since there are 7 of you. But no.... He had to reply us in a very bad way. Sigh. (Hard to explain).

Why the double standards? Langkawi has a lot of foreign tourists as well right? The way he answered them and us was so different!! He was so nice to the foreigners, thanking them for coming to his restaurant but as we left, he didn't even acknowledge or thank us as well. He seriously has bad social skills I would say. I am not saying that every restaurant must thank you for your patronage, but if you want people to come back, you have to have that human touch. Most restaurants thank you too if you notice... And, from what I observed, there were no locals in that restaurant at the time we were there. Only foreigners.... so that could mean something right? (Yes, food and service are two different things, but it is also closely connected. Think about it.)

That was the only bad experience we had. Places I would recommend.
- Breakfast Bar
(Food was not too bad and price was acceptable. We had breakfast there, twice.)
- T-Jay's Pizza
(Awesome taste, price was a bit steep though, but well worth it)
- Teo Seafood Restaurant
(Prices were something like in kl and food was good too.)
- Orkid Ria Restaurant
(Food was generally good, price-wise a bit high. There's also a difference in the price between fresh and dead seafood. By dead I mean frozen and not directly from the tank cause obviously all cooked food are dead.... )
- Laman Padi Seafood Restaurant
(Ambience was quiet and calming. Food was nice. Price so-so la. Oh, don't order a refill of your chinese teapot please. They don't do that like what we have in kl where they refill your teapots with hot water without extra charge. This place charges RM 5 for every new pot of tea. They brew a new one though, that's why.)
- Lan Kwai Fong RTV cafe
(Hong Kong style with acceptable food prices and taste.)

That's about it. Hope this helps you guys out a bit in deciding your trip (if any) to Langkawi... :D

Thank you for flying with AirAsia. We hope to see you again...

Freaky Foursquare

2010-12-08T01:04:00.000+08:00

If you own a facebook account (most likely you do) or if you own a blackberry, iphone and what not kind of gadgets, you would most probably have seen OR use this application. Foursquare.

One word to describe this app (in my opinion) : FREAKY

All the while, I only knew that this app showed where a certain person was whenever he/she logs in at that particular venue.
Like, so-and-so has just checked-in @ *blah blah blah*.
Annoying, because it spams your facebook wall.
Especially when the place they logged in at has no purpose. Eg. Famous Persiaran Kewajipan Traffic Jam. Like, what's your purpose of telling people in your FB? So they will sympathize with you because you are stuck in a jam? And it happens almost ALMOST e-ve-ry-day....................
(What's my purpose of telling you about it here anyway? Hmm...)

I said it's freaky because I just realized how easily it can be used to stalk people.

Went out with a group of friends to a dessert shop somewhere in SS15.
Guys being guys started playing with their iPhones. Girls just talk and talk. Hahaha.
One of the guys (LL) uses Foursquare daily for everything. He logged on into his account. If not mistaken, this app also shows you who else is checked-in into the same place as you are at that same period of time.
LL then showed us a picture of a girl (a total stranger) on his iPhone. He said that the girl was here because she also checked into the same place as he did.
We looked around the shop and sure enough we spotted her. That freaked me out!!

I mean strangers are strangers. It's nothing. But when you are suddenly able to put a name to that face you see, it's like people start to know who you are already. Heck!!! Both SY and I got quite shocked when we saw the stalking potency of this ~~annoying~~ app.

According to LL, you can also actually use your friend's account and check in to where he is, even when you're nowhere where you 'say' you are. Huh??? (Lying app much?) You can even know where all your friends are and that's when troubles begin to brew....

"I thought you said you were in Asia Cafe?!! I didn't see you also!!" Friend A.
"I was la!!! Then I went to Tanjung Bistro, cannot meh?" Friend B.
Friend A and friend B starts arguing....

"I know you went shopping at Empire's LaSenza today right?" says guy to girl.
Girl slaps guy's face....

*The above scenarios are half true and half fiction.*

Freaky enough for you yet?
No way am I getting a Foursquare account.

What I Wish...

2010-12-01T22:35:00.002+08:00

For Christmas 2010....
24 days left till Christmas. :D

I wish that I could make a difference in people's lives. No matter how small that change could be.
I wish that I could be brave enough to take risks (calculated of course!) and face challenges that lie ahead for me in the future.
I wish that I could be more sensitive towards other people's feelings.
I wish that I could light up everyone's face with a smile and brighten up their day, no matter how bad their day or my day has been.
I wish that I didn't regret some things in life which I did not take action upon. (Sort of)
I wish that I knew where and what I am going to do. (But then... who exactly does?)
I wish that I could be a better person. (Mentally, socially, physically and spiritually.)
And, I wish that I could also find that special someone.

Finally, I wish that I could just be me. :)

I wish.

I Missed Peter Pan the Musical

2010-11-27T23:15:00.000+08:00

AAhhhhh.......!!!!!!!!

I cannot believe that I actually got two free invites to watch Peter Pan the Musical in Sunway Lagoon but I am here blogging about my not being there!!! Urgh... The irony of it!!!

I am supposed to be there... now... at this moment, watching the musical and perhaps heading on to SL Nite Park after the show.........But I am not!!!

Because I didn't know I was one of the few lucky ones to be chosen! Huh.
I was checking my email for days, inbox, spam, there was nothing. And the day (today) was getting closer. So I thought I didn't get chosen.
Then I was too busy with other stuff I sort of neglected my email checking for three days.

Till I got a call today, at dinner time, bout 8pm. And the pass collection booth closes at 730pm because the show starts at 8pm!

The guy was like, "Is this Kathleen XXX? I'm calling from All Malaysians Blogger Project."

When I heard that, my heart dropped. It meant I was one of the few lucky ones to be chosen but I was not there because I did not know anything about it. I felt like crying!

I was quite upset. I was at a dinner and I didn't go there on my own so I couldn't just up and go over to Sunway Lagoon. Huh.....................
I was quite shocked in a way as I didn't expect to be chosen. This is my first time getting free passes for an event because of blogging. My first time being lucky. And I totally totally missed the opportunity...!!
*Feels like pulling my hair out.*

Later, I sent a text message to the guy. I just mentioned that they should have followed up with a phone call. It's always a good thing to do. He replied saying that they normally do but this time they didn't because of circumstances.

Sigh.
Next time, Kath!!!

Two Sides of the Same Coin

2010-11-26T22:19:00.000+08:00

Rewards and punishments are two sides of the same coin – both are used to control people, and neither works very well.

Was actually looking up the meaning of two sides of the same coin because two sides to every story is slightly different and I didn't want to use the wrong idiom. I saw the above statement as an example of the usage and it kind of, well, strike a chord within me. (Am I being bombastic?? Ha.)

If what the above statement says is the Bible truth, then what are we to do? A coin to me is still a coin no matter which way you look at it. I can use it to buy stuff wert, no matter which way I pass the coin to the other person. :P

So rewards are rewards and punishments are punishments. Is there a somewhere in between?
Can we balance these two factors out so that both are not overused to control people and so that both work perfectly well together instead? Is there? I don't know. I am trying to figure it out too.

It's like trying to place a coin standing on its edge without it toppling over, right? Haha.

Moderation is key I suppose.
A little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Makes the world go round and that's a fact.

A Bowling Slip

2010-11-20T01:11:00.002+08:00

~Edited~

Oopppss....

I am an epic klutz. Sports (or any form of exercise) and I probably just don't agree with one another.
Why?

Firstly, of all the empty spaces in a badminton court on to which I could place my foot on, I had to go and step on the shuttlecock we were using while we were playing. I admit we don't have a pair of eyes at the back of our heads and who on earth looks on the ground while playing. But still, I HAD to step on it. Statistics-wise, I would be in a very very small percentage of those who do. :(

Secondly, I fell off a moving treadmill in a gym before. Anyone recording the incident would most probably win big bucks in AFHV... Again, I'm one of those rare ones.

Last but not the least, which happened just two days ago, I fell on a bowling lane. Oh my gosh. It was like totally uber embarrassing. And hilarious in a way. Do you know how slippery that darned bowling lane was?? The experience was like trying to walk without falling on a floor of butter or oil.

I dropped my ball too soon and my reaction was to 'save' it. Down the ball went, down my right foot went on the slippery lane and down the whole of me went. Then I couldn't get up. Sort of like an overturned tortoise you know. So, I just laid down for a few seconds to coordinate myself. Luckily YK came and help me up. If not, I will end up sleeping there.

I think I must have provided a lot of amusement to the people present there that day.

Maybe I should have followed the ball down the gutter too, then at least I would have strike-d. Hahaha.

Again, how many people do you know have these things happening to them? Rare right?
So, what does that tell you?
That yours truly is unique and one of a kind. *breaks out in laughter*
(Sure going to get it from some people... ha. Just kidding.)

~Edited~

An advice: Learn to let go. If you don't, you'll only end up hurting yourself in the process.
See, I couldn't let go of a bowling ball. Thus, I ended up hurting myself. Ha!
(Inspired after the incident)

Peter Pan the Musical

2010-11-14T22:44:00.000+08:00

"I don't want to grow up!!!"

Isn't that a statement we all must have heard or uttered sometime during our life? We all must have wished that we could be children again once in a while.

Without the need to grow up.
Without the need to be responsible for our own doings.
Without the need to worry if everything is taken care of.
A time when we could be free from the bonds of life and just think happy thoughts every single day.
Didn't you???

I did!

Well, guess what? I may not be able to bring you back to your childhood (unless I have some pixie dust with me) but Sunway Lagoon can! (In a way)

Sunway Lagoon (your all time favourite theme park, I'd say) will be, for the very first time, hosting "Peter Pan: The Musical", featuring theatrical talents from (where else?) London's very own West End theatre district!

Come and experience Neverland once again. Be thrilled as you explore the magical island together with the Darling children as they meet the Lost Boys, mermaids, pirates, indians, Tinker Bell and of course, the main lead of them all, the mischievious Peter Pan. Oh, not forgetting the notorious Captain Hook and his sidekick, the affable Mr Smee and who could forget the tick-tocking crocodile who has everyone scattering and hiding at the sound of his ticking belly.

Aren't you excited for an adventure?
Well, off we go then, to Never Neverland!!

Me: "Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts. I believe in fairies. I do I do. I do believe in fairies."

:P

Another Love Lost

2010-11-07T23:30:00.001+08:00

On the 22nd of October 2010, my beloved maternal grandfather (gong gong) decided to leave us and return home to God. :)

Personally, I was not really as close to him as I was to my paternal grandmother. Nevertheless, I still have fond memories of this quiet and gentle old man.

I remember back when we were still living in our old house, just at our sliding glass door, would be a space reserved for my late grandfather's lazy chair. The string type, you know? (I have no idea how to describe it). Those types that gives you a nostalgic and "kampung-y" kind of feel.

We kept it in the storeroom but whenever gong gong came down for a visit and stayed with us (especially druing CNYs), the chair would be out, together with a plastic stool where we would always put a cup of tea for him. He would always read his newspapers in that chair. Not too hot and enough of sunlight.

I remember he would always sleep in the bedroom I shared with Eileen, thus we would bunk in with our parents. He was a very peaceful kind of person, rarely scolding us partly because we rarely get to see him. I remember that when he smiled, his eyes would crinkle at the corners and his toothy grin would sort of appear.

Words cannot express another's feelings. But I recall clearly when my gong gong's condition deteriorated and when he was confined to a wheelchair, he was mentally quite alert. That time, he no longer stayed by himself up north. My mom and aunts brought him down and he lived with one of my aunts. During CNYs, when we go visiting, he would smile that trademark smile of his and grasp your hands with both of his and shake it up and down cheerfully.

Oh, I remember too that everytime he came down to my old house during CNY, he would always always bring pomeloes as well!! Juicy and sweet ones. Hehehe.

Dear gong gong, watch over your children and grandchildren ya. :D

This is the chair I was talking about!!! Something similar to it. And no, that is not me.

During my late grandfather's wake, I also found out an interesting piece of family history. My mom is the third generation of Lee's in the country following the ancestry of my great grandfather. He was from China, the typical males who wore their hairs in long pigtails!!! Unbelievable. He came over to Malaysia to look for better opportunities and thus began the family line.

Which also means that I have half-China chinese blood in me from my mom. (No wonder I get comments like "Are you from China?" "Why are your eyes so small?").

Hmm......

Grandpa, rest in eternal peace.

Grievances

2010-10-26T23:41:00.000+08:00

A quick update before I plonk myself into bed.

My maternal grandfather passed away last Friday.
Friends who have asked me how I was coping, said this to me, "You sound unconcerned though."

I received that comment TWICE.
I will dedicate a post to him soon, just not now as I am still recovering from the stress and heartaches.

But let me explain the above situation now, lest I sound like a bad granddaughter.

I lost someone whom I was really close to two years ago. The pain of that loss was somehow buried deep in the corners of my heart and I never want to experience it again.
Knowing my grandfather was admitted into the ICU, that knowledge brought back the memories of that death two years ago. The pain I was trying to forget, threatened to resurface. I do not want to cry again. I do not want to keep crying.

To do that, I pretended that nothing was going to happen to my grandfather. I pretended that nothing was wrong. I admit I sounded very unconcerned. But it was only my way of being defensive.

It was only a wall I put up to keep the waves of emotions I was experiencing from crashing out and flooding my entire self.

It is not because I do not care.

People have different ways of handling grieve. Being aloof, cracking jokes, sobbing, getting angry are all examples of the ways people feel or act when they are scared of that grieve they are to face. The fear of breaking down... and letting people know exactly how they are feeling.

Anyway, what you think of me is none of my concern as long as I know how I really feel.

Ooh La la, Bras!!!

2010-10-13T23:38:00.001+08:00

Warning: Do not read if you are sensitive or squeamish about the female anatomy. *big wide grin*
Shoo...!

October is breast cancer awareness month.
To 'celebrate' or to create awareness, La Senza recently had a one day sale for members!!! 50% off on all items from any range BUT only if you hit 10 items. Less than that, no 50% for you.

Well, obviously, 10 items at one go is a lot for girls. We only have a pair of boobs. We're not cows... Unless you're a female cat or dog, then you can easily get 10 items and wear three to four pairs at once. Hmmm.... odd picture forming in my head. Hahaha.

Anyway, yours truly is not a member. But Chian Li is!!! Thank you so so much! She was so wonderful to call (or msg) me to join in with her in the shopping special. I needed new bras and was in dire need of more 'support', you know? :P Needed undies too but abandoned the thought when I saw the gorgeous bras!! (La Senza has great bra designs)

I got two! Yippee... One, I especially love and am utterly excited about it. (I'm like a kid who got her candy) This bra is from the beyond cleavage series. I initially took it because it was a crossback, great for tank tops or any tops that bare your sexy shoulder blades. But when I tried it on, the transformation was totally amazing. Unbelievable!!!

Yea, it was beyond cleavage alright.... Hahahah. I actually could not believe it myself. (My mouth actually dropped open) Super push up man. The feeling..... was awesome! Checked the pricetag.... yep. I knew it! RM139. But 50% off so it would be RM 70. Which was....uh....neh....ok la.... *tried to convince myself*

I bought it in the end. Hey, 50% off ok? Hahaha. Now, I am just left wondering as to when and where and what top am I going top wear this bra with...??? That's a hard one.

THE bra...!!!

Awesome-ness....
:D

Future in the Coming

2010-10-08T00:41:00.000+08:00

Well, at least I sort of have a plan now. Work hard, just do my best.

Do time management properly, slot in part time classes for a Master's degree (pending next year I hope), improve and equip myself with knowledge, experience and useful living skills. (Being able to wolf down a Matterhorn burger is not considered one.)

The future is always hazy.

Some people rush to get out of it, often knocking into poles, boulders along the way because they could not see.
Some take it slow, taking one step at a time as much as their vision allows them to.
Some prefer to wait for the haze to clear before doing anything.

Me?

The haze has somehow cleared a bit and I can see a diversion up ahead. Hopefully I will be able to take the road that I plan to and be successful in it.

Hopefully with the experience, knowledge, skills gained throughout the few years will push me up the career ladder greatly in the far future.

Hopefully. :)

It's All About Selling

2010-10-04T23:18:00.001+08:00

Was looking up for the definition of cross selling on the internet when I came upon these two useful articles. Will post the link up here especially for my peers who are in the sales, marketing and business field.

Hope it helps push you towards success!!!

All the best and never stop believing in yourself. :)

1. 8 Ideas for Cross Selling Success

2. Get Better at Selling

Discipline and Children Nowadays

2010-09-26T22:51:00.000+08:00

Is it just me or are parents nowadays (my generation *gasps*) really more lax with their children in terms of discipline? Either that or they do not know how to handle their children. I cannot help but get annoyed at them, both the parents and the kids.

Children these days do not know how to behave, screaming shouting in church mind you. And what does the mom do? "Sshhh!!! Sshhh!!!"

-.-'

As if the child will listen. That's all she did!!! No action taken, just shushing him. I was so busy observing this spectacle take place in front of me I did not really concentrate during Mass.... Sigh. My fault. So annoying! I felt like scolding the kid right there and then. Believe me, I was really taking a lot of deep breaths to treat them as invisible things.

If I were to behave like that in church during my time (Gosh, I sound old), I won't live to see the next day man. Do you know how strict my mom was on me?

I was caned (being naughty la), ~~tortured, abused~~ made to kneel down and finish my dinner (cause I eat very slooooowwww...), grounded till my homework was done (again cause I am too slow....perfectionist my mom said), no cartoons, no candies or chocs, basically a lot of restrictions on me.

And yes, I have cried and cried and ran away and stuff. Hahaha. Oh ya, I was also a tattle tale. I told on my younger sister when she threw her vitamins behind the oven. I was 5 ok? And she was 4...hahaha. My mom still keeps the note I wrote to tell her. Heh. :P

Being the eldest of four, I think I took the brunt of all the punishments because when my mom had me, heck, she's also a new mom. My two younger sisters have it easier. Oh but they can't escape from me cause I'll definitely "bully" them back. Hahaha.

But see, I grew up into this lovely young lady (conceited much? Lol). Well-behaved, disciplined, has table manners, has respect for elders, in a summary, I have "home teachings". You3 Jia1 Jiao4. Yao kar kao. Thank you mommy!!! And daddy of course.

Discipline is lacking not only in church, I also observe it in shopping malls and in the place where I work!! Kids come running in screaming and shouting in a freaking enclosed area. Then they will start running around the shop, their shoes making noises with the wooden floors. As if that is not bad enough, these kids really know where all the good hiding places are. The changing room, the space beneath the shelves, the display area. They will be in, out, everywhere!! And then, they will start "redecorating" the whole place for you. Urgh!!!

*puts on sinister smiley face*

And what do the parents do? Nothing. The most they will do is say, "Kenneth..." to the kid. Kid stays quiet for five seconds and then the chaos starts again. Sigh. I understand you need my explanation for the products but for goodness sakes, I cannot think with a clear mind when there is so much of noise going on. Five kids at one shot. Worse, when one starts to cry. I can only keep my poker face on and smile but on the inside I feel like spanking all five kids!

If you are not going to discipline your kids, then let me do it for you eh?

Oh oh but there was one time when a family with four kids entered the shop as well. They were not Asians, most probably from ~~the land where milk and honey flows~~ countries like US or Britain, as they did not have Aussie slang or Kiwi slang. The dad was browsing our products while the mom and kids waited outside the shop. Later, the mom came in and brought all four adorable kids in as well (I like kids but I have a limit to naughty ones.). Mom came over to provide "consultation" to dad. The shop was SO quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only dad and mom discussing.

The kids were not anywhere I could see, so I sort of walked to the front of the shop to see where they were. And you know what? It was utterly adorable and unbelievable as well!!! All four kids were sitting quietly on the floor in front of the counter!!! They were so well-behaved it was incredible... Really!!!

Future parents take note. Do not hesitate to use the rotan! Words alone are not enough. Actions speak louder than words. Tell your children you mean business. Cane your children whenever necessary (not to fill your leisure time la duh). Remember the Chinese saying, "da3 shi teng2, ma4 shi ai4". Literal translation: To beat is to love, to scold is... also to love. Hahaha. However you must of course know when and how to use the rotan ok? Don't abuse your children! (Later you get thrown into jail)

Nightmares.... That would be me holding the cane.

If you're not going to cane them at all , I will do it for you. Gladly. For a fee of course.... :)

P/S: I love kids ok... Just can't stand how some of them are so spoiled.

Korean Drama Addiction

2010-09-22T23:26:00.000+08:00

Urgh....!!!
I am too addicted with these Korean dramas!
I thought it died off years ago.
But now I am back to the exhilarating rush of sitting in front of the computer (used to be the tv), chasing after every darned episode!!!
I will be hoping and praying silently for the new episode to be out every single time!!
Urgh....!!!

Don't I have any other things better to do? (I do but... addiction is addiction.)

Must really not go to that website.
But I cannot help it, there are just too many eye candies in the drama....
AAhhhhh.....!!!!!!!
*hand reaches slowly for the mouse and hovers over said website*

Someone stop me.

*in a chirpy voice*
I'll let you know later which drama I am now after... Lol.

Ok, the episode did not load successfully on my computer. Hmph. Fine. Off to bed then.

*narrows eyes*
I'll come back for you my dear drama....

Lights Off

2010-09-15T23:00:00.000+08:00

Carrefour SS16 Subang Jaya!!!

What is wrong with you?
How can you switch off your parking lots lights at 10 pm??!!

Cars are still parked there. Without the lights, your parking area becomes dark. And SCARY!!!
I could not see my car even though I knew where I parked it.

What is this? Trying to save electricity eh? This, however, is too much. Too much I tell you.
As if in the daytime your parking lots are bright enough, you think it will be brighter at night? Without lights in the daytime, it's already eerie. What more at night? Nonsense!

I thought it was only at the level which I parked at. L4. But as I went down, some parts of L3 was also in darkness. WTH?

Don't be so stingy on saving electricity that some thing else happens in your parking lots which would bring BAD attention to you.

Penny wise pound foolish.
First time I actually got scared and felt like going back into the mall. (Dahla got "so many" people around...)

Wake up Carrefour!!!

A Hole in One, Not

2010-09-11T23:45:00.001+08:00

YK came to see me at work yesterday as she was off early. She had not eaten lunch and it was almost 4pm. So we went down to where all the food shops were located so that she could have her fill.

Then still feeling a bit unsatisfied, (itchy mouth syndrome, I call it) we popped over to Big Apple Donuts to grab something to stuff our mouths with. (Yea, I know. Cream!! Sugar!! Calories!! Fat fat!!) *sticks tongue out*

While we were deciding which mouth-watering, eye-dazzling donuts were gonna be our winners, I spotted something so odd I thought my eyesight deteriorated again.

Notice anything?

I pointed it out to YK who also agreed with me. Know what it is?
A freaking piece of rubber band on top of a donut...!!! Huh. (I thought it was a strand of yee mee at first. Lol.)

A closer look. Obvious ain't it?

How could they have not spotted it??? The rubber band most probably dropped onto the donut when it snapped. But hello... QC QC. Check your goods especially of this kind when it's open-aired. Anything can drop... from coins, to dust, to flies to who-knows-what else. Hahah.

Unless Big Apple is coming up with some new creations. A fusion, East meets West: green tea, yee mee, sugar, cream and fat oily dough. I pass... Lol.

In case you are wondering, we did still get our donuts in the end, just not this flavour. ;)

Tuck in!

A Week Later

2010-09-10T12:07:00.000+08:00

A photo of how my right knee looks like, a week after my unfortunate 'meeting' with a moving treadmill.

Look at the colours of it. "Aren't they so pw-eee-tty....?" *blinks doe-like eyes*

Now I cannot wear skirts lest I scare the crap out of people... Hahahaha. Use concealer... lol.

Well, it still hurts when I accidentally kneel on it and when I use this particular knee to push doors or drawers close. I forget. The pain, reminds me.

By the way, wishing all Muslims a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!! And happy holiday....!

Enjoy yourselves..!

An Accident in the Gym

2010-09-03T12:12:00.000+08:00

You normally see these kind of accidents happening to other people, people you do not know. These kind of accdients are popular "nominees" in shows like America's Funniest Home Video (No idea why they think it is funny....). You normally watch and go "OM Gosh!!", or you take a deep breath in shock. You would never expect it to happen to you.

Now you can say that these accidents happened close to home. Too close.
It happened to me.

Any idea what kind of accident I am referring to?

Yes, I fell off a freaking MOVING treadmill. Urgh!

My bruised right knee... And this is even with my long cotton track bottoms. Imagine if I wore shorts.... I think it will be worse.

A close up. Skin peeling. The red dots are a result of a hard knock impact of skin and treadmill surface. :o

Besides my knee, I also scratched skin off my right foot and I bruised my right forearm and elbow as well. Huh.

What happened was idiotic. My fault I would say or rather my coordination was off at the time of the incident. I set the treadmill at the speed level of 6.5 (How fast it actually is, I would not know. I only know that I had to jog to keep up with the pace.). Everything was ok until I decided I wanted to take a breather. (Asthamtic base...hmph.)

Instead of decreasing the speed or pausing the the treadmill, yours truly decided to let it run continuously. Of all the stupid decisions to make...

In case, you do not know what a treadmill is. Lol. :P

Grabbing both sides of the hand support of the treadmill, I put my left foot at the side of treadmill. (Not the moving band) No idea why my body did what it did, but my right foot was placed back on to the moving band, instead of placing it together with my left foot. Next thing I knew, I was gripping onto the support for life (pun intended), lost my balance, hit the treadmill and fell back with its momentum, hitting the floor and landing on my back. And in cases of shock, people react differently. I laughed. I freaking laughed when I landed down on the floor. Only then I had the common sense (lacking nowadays) to see if I was ok.

I must have scared my three other colleagues in the gym. Sorry girls. Had to put ice on the bruises and rubbed it in. Ouch!!!

Lessons to be learnt : Do not laugh, be focused, and do not assume things like that will never happen to you.

Take heed.

Jon Schimdt and Love Game

2010-08-31T21:53:00.001+08:00

Was not intending to post anything new actually. But, what man proposes, God disposes. Hahaha. Hence, I am here. Just wanted to share a song I found in FB and a picture I found on someone's blog as I blog-hopped. (It's easy, FB profiles, googling certain words, seriously. Don't you guys ever think of locking your profiles?) Lol.

Oh oh. Before that, let me just wish all Malaysians a very Happy National Day. Selamat Hari Merdeka!! Guo2 Qing4 Ri4 Kuai4 Le!! :D May we continue to live in harmony, peace and heartfelt acceptance. (Felt like emo-ing a bit reading so many bad 'racist' news.) Sigh.

Ok, now on to the song. I would suggest you take the time to listen to it. It's very beautiful!!! Just clear your mind and listen to it with your ears and heart. I promise you won't regret it. If you do, come find me. I will make you cry. Hahahaha.

The other thing which I wanted to share is the picture below. Or rather, the words which are written in it.

It's known as a Love Game.

I wonder who thought of this. And why? Why should you lose if you are the first to fall in love? What's wrong with being the first one to fall in love??? Hmmm.... Food for thought?

From another perspective, I suppose I can understand why it says the first one to fall in love loses. Because... what if the other person does not reciprocate that love? Then you are left hanging. All by yourself. THAT's how you lose then. Lol.

But still....love knows no bound. And I would say that there are no losers, whatsoever.

Love, is a wonderful thing. Love y'all...!

Discipline Anyone???

2010-08-20T00:18:00.000+08:00

I get annoyed when people imply that I have no discipline. Excuse me.... But last I checked, we were not really close friends at all. Heck, we were just acquaintances who met each other by chance through a mutual friend.

You don't really know me. So, how can you determine through three face to face conversations and MSN chats that I have no discipline?? Ok, I am not really scolding you (in case you happen to read this, hope not). But this is what I feel and I am just speaking out my mind.

Good, since you say I have no discipline, I shall prove to you that I do HAVE discipline.
I will prove to you that I can do what I am supposed to achieve in that target amount of time.
I will prove to you that I also have determination.

I will prove you wrong. I will prove that you do not really know the real Kathleen yet.
And I will also prove to you, that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Do not underestimate me.

We will see in two months time....

Till then...

g Spot???

2010-08-13T00:27:00.000+08:00

Before you read, no, this is not that g spot you guys so look forward to finding out. Ha!

Was looking through some brochures that were left on our dining room table when I grabbed hold of Citibank's leaflet, offering exclusive dining privileges in certain places when you use their bank's credit card. (The gist of it anyway).

Flipped to the back to see what eateries had the 'privileged' to be chosen, when I saw this place.

g Cafe? No problem man. Will just order anything that I fancy.
Going down....
g Spot...*eyes quickly scan the name again*
What? g Spot???
Oh you have got to be kidding me.

How on earth did they think up of such a name?
Oh my heavens... hahahaha.
Oh I just made a pun... sort of.

Have fun!!!

Rambutan Episode

2010-08-10T00:31:00.000+08:00

Came back from work and joined my family feasting on fruits like durians (urgh), mangosteens and rambutans (red hairy balls).

Was contentedly and happily eating away when my dad told me and my mom this,

"You know, I can eat one rambutan (skinned) without using my fingers. I just use my teeth to tear off the flesh while holding the seed with my tongue."

Trying to be sarcastic, I said, "Yea dad. That skill can really get you into the book of Guinness' World record."

Dad was either not listening (too busy concentrating on his fruit) or he did not get the sarcastic tone in my voice. He replied (And I swear, in an all earnest manner), "No la. This skill a lot of people also have. A lot of people can do it also."

At which, I turned to my mom and the both of us burst out laughing.

Then only my dad got it....hahahaha.

Loves~~!

Fasting

2010-08-06T13:00:00.000+08:00

I tried fasting on Monday. Not like how the Muslims fast though during Ramadhan from sunrise to sunset. My type of fasting just means eating one less meal for the day. So instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner (let's count the amount of tidbits I eat during the day out of this for now, shall we?), I only had breakfast and dinner.

Nothing beats when you're fasting to be very very tempted to food!!! Cause lunch is suddenly like some forbidden fruit. It did not help especially when my mom left a plate of fried chicken (meant for dinner) on the table and the smell of it wafted throughout the entire house!!! And of all days, I was feeling extremely hungry. Gosh.

I was so tempted right there and then (And I just started my fast) to break my resolution and have lunch, no matter what it was. Urgh!!! It took immense willpower to stick to it. And to keep my mind off food, I did housework and went to work at 2 in the afternoon. Luckily, I was kept quite busy, hence food was forgotten until dinnertime. Muahahah. When I gorged down all the tasty morsels which my mom cooked and my sis brought over to where I work for me *heart*. (I sound like a pig)

Why was I fasting??? Not for dieting that's for sure. I normally fast during important days in the Catholic calendar, like Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. These are days of obligation when you HAVE to fast. This Monday was just an ordinary day. But I decided to fast, partly as a challenge to myself and also for prayers.

Hahaha. The feelings I struggled with, with God. The doubts, unhappiness, pride. Well, I just decided to keep believing and have faith.

Bless you! :D

Me and my Canto

2010-07-28T00:02:00.000+08:00

Argh!!! I feel like an idiot today.

I have already mentioned before (I think) that my cantonese is very very bad. My native tongue is English. Has, is and will always be. But, before you people are quick to judge, I also know Mandarin. I read, write and speak it. Of course, due to 'rare' usage or practice, it has also somehow deteriorated...hahaha. Damn.

I learned canto from my late grandma and aunties who all speak a lot of canto, and of course, Hong Kong TVB dramas! Unfortunately, canto does not come easily to me!!! I knew it during uni days, when coursemates from Ipoh all spoke fluent cantonese and there I was struggling. In the end, I always switched to Mandarin as I am still more fluent in it.

What happened today makes me hate myself. And forces me to speak more canto and watch more canto dramas!!! It was about 1 something in the afternoon after a meeting and I went to pack lunch for myself and my other colleague in the shop. I ordered chicken rice. Everything was ok until he asked me which part of the chicken I prefer. Oh God........ Know what I said, instead of saying 'kai pei' for chicken thigh/ drumstick (blur) I went and said 'dai pei' (human thigh). Then the guy looked at me and started laughing...!! Aaahhh....!!!!! Super embarrassing...I felt like sinking into a hole in the ground. I seriously felt stupid...aahhh...

Next time, I am going to order everything in Mandarin. Thank goodness I was wearing my sunglasses. But I could feel my face redden at that time. Eesh!!

And no laughing!!!!

Annoying!!

2010-07-24T23:10:00.000+08:00

Annoying how some people treat you as an invisible person.
Annoying how some people do not spare a thought for you.
Annoying how you have been there more often in front of them than the other person and yet they only find you when they know you have contact with that someone they are interested in.
Annoying how after that, they stop contacting you again.

One word - Annoying.

Why not ask her yourself? Why go through me? What do you think I am? A telecommunication device? Pay me the money I spend texting her, asking how she is, all the way in other countries. Then I will let you know how she is.

Coward.

What Happened at KD

2010-07-22T01:18:00.000+08:00

I nearly got knocked down by a car today (21/7/2010).

It was after work and we (YK, CY and I) decided to head over to Kota Damansara to have dinner at Arisu, a Korean BBQ restaurant. YK had parked her car so I went further up as there were more parking spaces available and I could park my car in peace (meaning, no other cars behind waiting for me, I hate that).

I parked and walked back to where YK and CY were standing by YK's car. It was kinda dark. I had to cross over to the other side of the road at a so-called cross-junction. I am very careful (duh). Thus, I always look out before crossing (basic road lessons we learn, look left look right look left again).

Cars (normally) signal when they want to turn right to enter the road I was crossing. You can also gauge whether the car is turning, even if he is not signaling, by observing the way they drive. This particular car did not signal and did not make any signs of turning into that road. In fact, it was driving as though it was heading straight. So, I cross.

Suddenly, without warning, the car turned right. And, I was already in the middle of the road and the car did not seem to have slow down at all. I was expecting the car to. When I saw the car coming right at me, my first thought was this, "I'm going to have a broken leg." Don't ask me why. No idea. It just popped into my head at that very moment.

My "fight or flight" hormones were not working. I was not really blur yet that moment seemed to me as if I were in a different dimension. I managed to just SAFELY cross to the other side and the car missed me by (roughly) six inches. Thing is, the driver did not see me at all!!! Oh my gosh.....

Why I say this? Because when he finally turned fully into that road, (I turned to look at the idiotic driver) his eyes just seemed to register that someone had just crossed in front of his car!!! His speed was not slow and he did not even honk at me (Msian drivers honk like crazy), meaning he did not notice me when he turned.

I was so shocked. I just kept walking without registering what really happened until I met YK and CY.

It was a blur and it still is till now.

Thank God, really, Thank you God for taking care of me.
That moment, seeing the car heading at you, with no signs of slowing down, is not a situation I want to be in ever again.

Crowded Facebook

2010-07-09T22:47:00.000+08:00

Facebook is getting a bit too crowded for me.

I am a personal kind of person. I value my privacy and treasure it like it's the last thing on earth. Being internet savvy, joining social networks, blogging, all these activities just kind of take away that security I hang on to.

It's not big a deal. Hey, I love blogging and I am too insignificant in the web world to garner any stalkers or hardcore fans. Haha. Thank God. So I can happily blog in here, (almost) everything I want to say.

Facebook, however, is becoming a different story. Ever since the mistake I did with my account in Friendster (I approved every Tom, Dick and Harry's request), I have become very selective in who I approve as my friend and of course, who I add. It is not that earth shaking, ignoring friend requests from unknown people, especially when their profile pictures are blank, pictures of animals, food stuff and inanimate objects. Like what the hell... If you want to add me, you jolly well show me your face. (Unless you're some pervert or a deranged lunatic)

Ignoring people was easy. Until, I started to get friend requests from my aunties, uncles, and respected church people. Uh-oh...

How do you ignore them???

Facebook has TMI of my life. Photos of me clubbing, drinking, eating, laughing, walking, posing, shitting are tagged and displayed to all my 300+ friends. Naughty comments, hot moments are also available to 600+ inquiring eyeballs! I say and do a lot of stuff on facebook.

Like my status. How am I going to say things like "Bloody hell!", "Crap", "What the hell" when I have aunties, uncles and church people who can read all this??? Then news will get back to my parents from so-and-so. "Oh, Marie, you know, your daughter has this come hither look in her pictures." (For real) Blah blah blah. Annoying.

Haha. Being one of the older grandchildren and an active person in church, I sort of have a role to play and stick to. It isn't really nice for them to see me being drunk, using 'foul' words, dressed inappropriately and others. I keep ignoring their requests. But for how long??

Truth be told, there is nothing that scandalous in my facebook. Nothing shocking at all.

But still, I prefer some parts of my life to be separated and not crossover from one side to the other.

Adios...

On A Break

2010-07-03T15:41:00.000+08:00

Yes, while I let my beloved blog grow some shitake mushrooms, let me take a break from blogging.

I have a lot of things to vent out actually.

The injustice, the un-professionalism, the immaturity.
But, I have too much on my hands right now to handle.

Hence I will be back in full force with wonderful posts to entertain you and trigger your idle mind. :)

Bye for now. But do check back in five days time.

Self-Esteem and Self Motivation

2010-06-20T13:08:00.000+08:00

Do you know what's the most important thing you can have for yourself and which no one can take it away from you?

Self-esteem and self-motivation.

It's certainly not easy when you are constantly being bombarded by annoying gimmicks and advertisements depicting thin women with two huge melons as being the picture perfect beauty. I mean, it's picture perfect alright but not necessarily real-life perfect. Heck, it's not even real. Being called fat or being poked fun at is definitely not helping either.

I have a healthy BMI value, I look good and yet people are saying I am fat. What the hell??!!
I am not being vain and yet I am not being self-delusional. I know I am not fat and neither am I thin.
But then again, it's also a relative judgment. Hey, if I stood next to Naomi Campbell, then for sure I am fat as hell. If I stood next to Queen Latifah, it's a different story altogether.

So? Who gives anyone the right to say who is fat or not?
Or rather who has the right to lower your self-esteem?
Just close your ears or let the words in through one ear and out through the other. (Constructive criticism is accepted though.)

Be confident of who you are and love yourself. Because if you don't, how can you expect to love others and be loved yourself?

Another thing that irks me is that I sometimes lack motivation. Truth be told, before I ever started working for real (part-time jobs and filler jobs not counted), I did not really understand the true value of being self-motivated. Until recently, that is. Job advertisements normally list requirements of potential candidates and one of the often noted ones are self-driven and self-motivated.

And yes, I finally and truly understand that. Being self-motivated in my job is increasingly important as I begin to realize. Why? Hahaha. A lot of reasons. For example, if you are expected to hit a certain amount of target sales or product sales, but there is no incentive, nothing whatsoever of its kind, even if you do, how would you react? I bet a lot of people would take it cool and slow. I did the same. Lol. (Hey, it's bad ok?)

Then I told myself, "No. I cannot work like this." Hence, came in the self-motivation thought. I now motivate myself to hit whatever target as close as I can manage, using all my willpower and mind strength. I feel happier and better when I notice that I can do it. It's just a matter of a personal challenge and mind over matter. When I manage to push a particular product that is required, I go, "Hey, that's one less product already." Yes! Nothing is impossible.

I just have to keep telling myself that. :)

Have a nice day.

WYD 2008 Theme Song

2010-06-14T23:53:00.000+08:00

I love the tune of this song!!! Sung by Guy Sebastian and Paulini.

This was the theme song for the World Youth Day 2008 which was held in Sydney. It's an event where Catholic youths from all over the world gather together to get to know each other, have fun and of course to praise and glorify God!!!

As usual, me being me, wanted to go but let something else withheld her back. Third year of studies. Sigh. Now I think of it, could I still have caught up with my studies had I left for Sydney for that two weeks??? Maybe... But it's hard to say.

Well, fret not. WYD will be held again next year!!! This time in Madrid, Spain! I plan to make it one of my goals to achieve. Work hard, save hard and play hard. I hope I can get to go this time.

Yes, I can do it. :)

A Humble Experience

2010-06-05T22:52:00.000+08:00

On Thursday, I felt humbled by a simple yet a great experience.

A customer entered our shop, looking at the variety of workout that gloves we had. His back facing towards me, I greeted him courteously and informed him that we had more variety of gloves at the other side of the shop. I was ignored. A few minutes later, he turned, smiled at me and walked to the back of the shop where my other colleague was standing. As he was looking at a particular product, my colleague informed him of the promotions we had going on for it. She was also ignored.

Being ignored the first time, I was a bit annoyed. (I was wondering why was the customer a bit rude.) But I continued to smile and put on my cheerful expression. (Haha, don't we all??). He suddenly grabbed a shaker and looked towards me.

I said, "It's 20 Ringgit, sir."

Immediately, he used hand gestures to indicate he couldn't hear. Realization dawned on me and I quickly went over to where he was. I answered him using my own intrepretation of hand gestures. But when I could not express myself, he mimed the act of writing and I got a pen and paper (Still blur heh).

Thus was our conversation in the shop as he asked about stuff. Prices, fat burners, discounts. All was exchanged over a piece of paper. When we were finally done, he joined his index finger and thumb to make a ring sign, saying okay. He then gave me a smile and left the shop.

That was my first experience in meeting a deaf and dumb customer.
My very first and an experience which I will not forget.

It taught me a few things:
1. Never judge people. You'll be surprised.
2. To be grateful for everything that I have. I am perfect. I can hear, talk, see and move around.
3. To appreciate things in life. No matter how small or big they are. And take time to. :)

Bon voyage.

My Haircut (Finally)

2010-05-29T23:36:00.000+08:00

I cut my hair, I cut my hair!! *runs a round with excitement* Hahaha.
After a year of neglecting my hair, I finally got up the courage (and time) to go for a trim. When I said trim, I meant a trim. But the hairdresser was so fascinated with my hair, she took bout three to four inches off. She layered my hair and also made it thinner. But I still look ok (I think). Only thing is, my hair will look 'big'ger than usual as it's shorter and my roots are growing out (I rebonded my hair the last time).

First comment I got when I stepped in was, "Wah, your hair is very long!"
Then they dug their fingers into my hair. And started to do their magic.
All the while they were busy commenting on my hair and discussing bout it with other clients as well.
It seems that my hair is unnaturally black (she asked if I coloured it) and as thick as the hair of three persons in the salon itself. They even commented that I would not need to fear about hair fall as I have so much hair... Hahaha.

Well, below are two pics of before my haircut and after my haircut.

BEFORE

AFTER

Not very obvious as one is taken from the front. Will try to get a rear photo of my haircut as soon as possible. :D

Cheers!

Operation Cleanup Room

2010-05-28T00:09:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was my off day..! And guess what I did yesterday? (I'm so proud of myself..) Heh.

I cleaned up after my messy life.
Well, sorta. And one part of it anyway.

I cleared up my room! Trust me, my bedroom was in dire need of cleaning. It embarrasses me to say this. Sigh.
I used to be a very, very neat person. However, during the last month or so (or earlier than that), I began to be very very unorganized. Threw my clothes on the bed, books were under my bed, and others.

At first, I have no idea what brought about that change in me. But after analyzing and talking with people, I finally found out why. Or rather I guessed 'that' was the reason. Ah well.

Even my mom commented that my room was very clean and that she wanted to dirty it up again for me. Huh. Charlene, who shares the room with me got lucky. Cause I cleaned up the entire room. Duh. You can't expect me to clear only my side of the room right? That's downright stupid. And selfish.
And yes, she was a part of the mess in our room. (I'm still the neatest among us four sisters k?)

Statred work at 350pm and ended about two hours later. Haha.
Vacuumed, dusted, pulled out things cluttered everywhere and arranged them (most of it thrown away), mopped. Soon, my room was literally sparkling fresh!! *tinkle tink*

Wahahaha. I felt so jubilant after that. Hey, it's hard work alright?
And to treat myself, I had a can of Guinness Malta. *Aahh....*

Friend Request on FB

2010-05-23T23:24:00.001+08:00

Ooohhh.... Check out who or what wants to be friends with me in Facebook. Hahaha.

Kedai Jual Ubat Kuat...

Hmmm.... yes, nice. Thank you very much. *rolls eyes and purses lips*

Why would they want to be friends with me??
Do I look very weak (like a dead fish perhaps)?
Or do they just think that I am too hot/ strong to handle and that any 'potential partner' will die and needs to be saved?? (Hence the product is actually meant for them...)

And how on earth DO they find you?!

Questions questions.... :D

HairSpray!!!

2010-05-23T00:24:00.001+08:00

Just yesterday, Friday, I managed to watch Hairspray the musical on TV3!! Thank you RTM! I have always wanted to watch this movie but I just couldn't. Didn't manage to catch it in the cinemas and never had the thought to buy the ori cds. Yea, I know!! So outdate right?? Hahaha.

But finally!! I LOVE musicals. Musicals like The Sound of Music, West Side Story, My Fair Lady and many others have always, always been a part of my life as I grew up. And hairspray is definitely beautiful. No doubt the plot is a bit predictable (underdog girl wins the prize boy, people unite together and so on) but gosh...
The songs, the dance moves, the fashion style... it's all so engaging!!!
I couldn't stop humming the songs and even copying the moves!! It was definitely fun. :D The songs especially are catchy and very cheerful. You can't help but feel as if you have no more worries when you listen to the songs.

Hence, I want to share two songs which I love from this movie here. And mind you, I only watched the movie once but I'm already in love..!

Trivia: Did you know that Hairspray features actors and actresses like Zac Efron, James Marsden *love*, Amanda Byrnes, John Travolta and even Queen Latifah? (Heh, cause I did not know.)

Hairspray rocks!!!

The Day I got Caffeine ODed

2010-05-17T22:47:00.003+08:00

I have never been tolerant with caffeine. Still am not and most probably will never be.

Took coffee once during my exam period to give me that extra boost of mental focus. I was very alert but I could not study at all. I could barely sit down and my hands were shaking like that of a person with Parkinson's. Hence, I have always been careful with drinks like coffee.

However, last Thursday I got over-dosed with caffeine. Went to gym and took a full dose of a pre-workout (containing caffeine and other stimulants), forgetting I had already taken something with caffeine at about 5pm that same day. And that made it worse.

I began to feel hot and started to sweat. My heart couldn't stop beating fast and my head was throbbing like crazy. To add to the effects I already felt ,we were doing leg workouts. Blood rushed to our legs more than to our heads. Experienced a bit of dizziness and I felt like I was walking in a dreamland. As if everything I was seeing or doing was not real. At all!

I felt high. (Heck, even higher than when I took alcohol) I couldn't stop working out. You just felt like you had to do something. Was jumping around the gym. (Yea, I know, embarrassing) Instead of concentrating on workouts for one or two body parts, I was doing almost every exercise I could do. Arms, legs, abs, cardio.

I was hyper!!!

At the same time, I also felt like vomiting. Which thank God did not happen.

Cheryl and Chooy, my colleagues felt it too. Cheryl had it worse than me whereas Chooy only began to feel the effects after our gym session. Lol. We still managed to sleep that night though Cheryl and I woke up still feeling our hearts beating at a faster pace.

Lesson to be learnt: When trying new stuff, always take them in small dosages. And, don't be forgetful!!!

Would I still try pre-workouts? Hell, yeah!! But milder ones and not the full dosage. Haha.

Random 3

2010-05-11T23:55:00.002+08:00

I should be doing a lot of other things.

Like preparing for my class.. which I have no idea when it's my turn. I haven't prepared anything... Only read a few pieces of paper. That is bad. A 'teacher' should never never do that. Scout's motto: Always be prepared... Same goes for when you meet handsome, hunky guys.. hahaha. LOL.

Buck up on my housework... My room is in a mess. My clothes are everywhere. And there are still some uni stuff which I have yet to clear!! OMG... Almost a year since I graduated. This is horrible! I just found my UTAR alumni shirt behind my room door under my sister guitar's cover. Yea... told you.

Basically just doing some housekeeping for my house. Yea. *mutters to self*

But I always end up in front of the computer, FB-ing, scamming (haha), doing everything and anything that is absolutely not necessary!!!

Huh..!

I gotta kick myself in the butt...

Let's just hope mushrooms don't grow and there is no BO on my blog. Peace. :)

How I Pluck My Armpit Hairs

2010-05-10T23:32:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone!!

As requested by a certain someone, I am here to blog about how I pluck my armpit hairs... *roll my eyes* And teach you too!

First, you must either wear a sleeveless top or wrap a towel around you or just be in your birthday suit. Heh.

Second, get your tweezers or that thingamajig and hold it in your hand. Find a mirror. Either your bathroom one, your cupboard one or a small table top one. Anything's fine as long as you can see your self in it!!

Then, guess what. Lift your arms. One at a time duh. If you lift both at the same time, how are you going to pluck the hairs???

Face the mirror. Move your eyes to your armpit area and scrutinize it for hairs that may be seen creeping around. Open your tweezers and make sure the hair shafts are in between the two flat 'blades'. Then close it.

Make sure you have a firm grip. Now, close your eyes and PUUULLLLLL!!!!!

Repeat process until you're happy or just too tired to bother. LOL.

Ciao!!

The Piano Room

2010-05-01T23:50:00.001+08:00

I hurriedly rushed to our uni's music block that day. I needed to practice a piece for the upcoming music performance, held in conjunction with the opening anniversary of the uni's music block. I headed straight for piano practice room 6. He had promised to meet me there. But upon opening the door, the room was empty, as expected.

I switched on the lights and entered the white-washed room. There, in the middle of the room, stood the Music Room Grand Model B in polished black. I walked slowly toward it and lifted the shiny cover. The red velvet cloth was neatly folded and put aside. Gently, I slid my fingers across the ivory and ebony keys. They were cool to the touch and a thrill of unexplained exhilaration passed through me. Quickly, I took out my music score and laid it on the stand. And in no time at all, my fingers were deftly running and jumping across the keys as beautiful music filled the room which I was in.

Beautiful to me that is, until the door opened and he walked in.

I stopped playing to see him watching me with that skeptic look on his face. His mouth was opened to reveal a smile. A smile which did not quite reach his eyes and a smile that hinted of condescension. He sat on a chair placed somewhere behind me and started fiddling with his phone.

I turned back on my seat, positioning my fingers on the keys as I rolled my eyes. Whatever, was the word in my head. I started playing Beethoven's Fur Elise.

But for reasons unbeknown to me, mistakes kept appearing. Notes were missed and my speed was not in tandem with the supposed rhythm. I started to get frustrated. And my frustration turned into anger when I heard him chuckling behind me.

He tsk-tsked at me and said sarcastically, "Are you sure you were chosen to play in the performance this Saturday?"

I jammed the keys down hard, their harsh sound making echoes inside that asylum-like room. I turned to face him and glared at him.

"Get out." I pointed to the door.

Who did he think he was, I thought to myself in fury. My mentor? He had not supported me when I decided to join the music club. And now he wants to judge me? Who the heck cares if he has finished eighth grade and was the most sought after piano player in the university? He had no right to judge me. No right at all.
He stood there with his arms folded, looking at me as if I had gone mad.

I turned back on my seat again, turning my face away from him. Tears were threatening to spill right at that moment. Stress and mounting pressure was all that I had been facing as the day of the music performance approached.

Gently, I took a deep breathe and positioned my delicate fingers on the first notes of the masterpiece. I would not let myself be bowed down to pressure to the extend that I would cry in front of him. No, not him. Ever. But I had just barely began on the piece, when I suddenly felt him behind me. His hands, which were bigger than mine, covered my hands as they hovered over the black and white keys. His chest touched my back lightly and I could feel his breathe as he leaned down towards my face from behind.

"I'm sorry." He said softly into my right ear.

I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I sat rigid on the chair. I hung my head, letting my hair fall over my face, and tilted slightly away from his face. I felt hurt and angry. At the same time, I felt like crying., sobbing my heart out, letting the tears flow with hope that the stress and tension would go as well.

A tear trickled from the inner corner of my eye and slowly rolled to the tip of my nose where it plopped softly down onto my pants. For a few moments, neither of us moved. We remained in that position for five minutes. I, on the piano stool and he, standing behind me.

Suddenly without warning, tears spilled and I began sob violently. So violent I could not stop shaking. I curled up on the piano chair, with my head between my knees, my arms hugging my legs and I cried. He sat beside me on the piano chair, embracing my foetus form with his arms. His right hand stroke my back as he tried to comfort my shaking body.

(Hmmm.... I am suddenly at a lost on how to continue this... I hate having writer's block!!!)

Google's Predictions

2010-04-22T14:04:00.000+08:00

I am quite a curious person by nature, which more often than not causes me to land in a lot of trouble. Sort of. Ah well, that's me. :D

Anyway, I had nothing much to do one day. Hence, out of curiosity, I decided to play with Google web...Hehe. Google's search engine has this prediction 'thingie' whereby you just have to key in the first few words and Google will show you a list of what you could possibly be searching for. Most easy example is song lyrics!

I randomly keyed in a few words, and, checkout what people all over the world are searching for!!!

This is the "I like to-s..."

I like to play games... Hmmm.... Good for you. Thanks for sharing. *sarcastically*
Why would anyone search for that???
However, the most outstanding one is....*drumrolls*

I like to fork myself!!

What the heck is forking yourself??? It sounds utterly wrong and eewww....
And besides, I don't think I want to find out what it means anyway.
Fork myself?? Huh... Not gonna eat with forks now...
Oh, and for goodness sake, is the word "Firefly" that hard to remember that one has to key in a whole line just to get the lyrics?? Hahaha.

Next, is the how to-s....

Hack facebook??? Get a life and give people their privacy ok?
Make love?? Easy. Go watch porn la... Though it is NOT advisable to!!!
Get pregnant?? Learn how to make love first la then you can get pregnant.... D-u-h.
Lose weight and fast?? Definitely not by sitting in front of your computer/notebook searching through Google. Exercise and diet my pretties!
Play guitar??? Obviously. Go for guitar playing lessons or ask Charlene my sis for help. :)
How to kiss??? Just place your mouth on any parts of somebody else's body....Simple.

Hahahahaha. See? Problems solved!!
Elementary my dear Watson.

Ciao!