Posts

New Spec Old Spec

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New Spec Old Spec Swiped from williamnyk . Hi people! I'm back from Bangkok (BKK), not BangCock (BCK) as some people like to put it. No such banging going on. I will write about my trip once I can find the time to compose my thoughts in a coherent manner. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves with this filler post. Hehe. Gotten my new spectacles from David's ( thanks! ) shop some weeks back. I had thought that my power had increased through a cursory check at those machines at the store-front of optical houses. However, after a thorough check by David at his shop, I had found that my power has been stable for the past 2 years. Yay! My suspicions that my power had increased was just tiredness from all the LCD-screen-staring I do all day long. Perhaps all the billberry supplements I've been taking thus far has actually done some good. Anyway, decided to get another pair as a spare and a slight change in look. Rims these days all are quite thick and in-your-face. I, howev

Parivisata

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Victory Monument @ Bangkok Swiped from SooHK in Lens . Hey guys and gals. I'll be off to BKK from Wednesday till Monday. Trying to clear some of my 51 odd days of annual leave. Hehe. So no posts till then, unless I get some kind of internet connection. Toodles!

Weirdness

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Shoes Swiped from williamnyk . Famil tagged me ages ago and I brushed it off due to the fact that I don't have quite enough weirdness in my life. Well folks, I've finally dug and dug and found enough to publish. It's quite difficult saying what we do as weird because it has become so intrinsic, so routine. Only an outsider would find it weird. Quite impossible to figure it out by ourselves. Here goes nothing: 1) I count my bath water Since years ago, I've always bathed using the gayung . No showers for me. No baththubs. As such, I always count the number of scoops I use. There's a pattern to it- (3) -> soap / cleanser / shampoo -> (6) -> scrub -> (8). So water-saving hor? 2) I don't like to splash my pee If I pee into those tandas duduk , especially in public toilets, I always make sure that my stream of piss does not hit the water directly. Quietness is the key. Don't now why... Don't want to disturb the peace? Don't want to di

Mahjong Monk

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walking with a ghost Swiped from tinkletango . Jase, my unofficial adik angkat ( every anak bongsu's wish, I think, to have a little bro ) was nice enough to teach me mahjong the other day. He and his housemate Mdm. Neo ( kakakaka ) introduced me to the world 3-person mahjong. She was obviously bored out of her skull and her hands were itching to play ( I suspect she wakes up in the middle of the night to polish the mahjong set and talks to them, lol ). I was slow to absorb the rules of the game and it does require some shrewd thinking. All the possible combinations to win. The gears in my head were really groaning, trying hard to turn... Since young, I hated all games academic in nature. Never took up chess. In the case of computer games, I frown upon strategy games, preferring instead beat-'em-ups and shoot-'em-ups. Give me instant gratification. Cheat codes? Bring 'em on! Being the mahjong virgin, I had beginner's luck, winning a couple of rounds, much to Mdm Ne

Wanted

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Wheel Of Fortune Swiped from kris247 . Note: I adapted this from a job e-mail I received from Jobstreet.com Age: 17-25 years Gender: Preferrably male with pleasant demeanour. Experience: None required. Training will be provided. However, those with deskjob exposure will be an added advantage. Job: _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Reminds me of hangman and Wheel of Fortune. Let the games begin!

Me, Tarzan

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Photo-0399 Swiped from williamnyk . Note: Back to regular programming. Thanks for the support, guys and gals. Every year or so, SK, FK and I hop onto the PLUS highway, heading due north. We get off at the Linggi, Pedas exit. From there onwards we follow a short trunk road to the sleepy town of Linggi where you can get a haircut for less then $5 and not give a damn if your front door's not locked. Only 45 minutes from Port Dickson. Specific destination-- Kg. Tarzan . Definitely not the home of Tarzan & Jane, but I'm sure there's an Ah Chan living somewhere among the fruit orchards (durians aplenty and dragon fruits even) and fishing holes. The reason we go there is because it's the hometown of a friend, CK. It seems that everytime we come, he would have an extra niece ( his sister conveniently dumps her children with her mother everytime she gets knocked up while she works in Sinapore with her husband ). Currently 2 rascals are there with 1 on the way. Pity

After the Storm

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After the Storm Swiped from Don_Gato . How often is it that we knock into someone at the mall and we instinctively say, "I'm sorry", without even making a conscious, sometimes even neglecting the slightest of eye contact. How sincere is that apology. Or is it just something that has been drummed into our putty-like minds when we were young. Perhaps just a facade, a defence mechanism we use to shut the wronged party up, to avoid persecution. But then, it might not always work. Sometimes even after delivering the sincerest of apologies, with eyes full of regret, the wronged party glares at us, signalling that "sorry" is really a sorry sight indeed. "Sorry no cure" so to speak. But in such cases, it can't be helped. We have done our part, and if they do not want to grant the absolution, we can only pray they will in the future to release that grudge. I forgive you and please forgive me. In love it is quite a different story. I have once discu

The Venice of the Heart

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San Marco Square. 4AM Swiped from Mr Luke Harby . Have you ever felt that your head is occupied by a piece of stone? Is it brain freeze? Is it writers' block? Is it the mind going blank? Is it futility? Do you get that sinking feeling in your heart at times? Is it indigestion? Is it heart congestion? Is it the blues? Is it longing? Is this post going anywhere? Truth. Pain. Lies. Pain. Either way. Betrayal.

Bent

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collageBentong Swiped from williamnyk . As promised, this is the prequel to my CGM post. During the day, I was actually gallavanting in Bentong . The Catholic commnunity there arranged a big Chap Goh Mei celebration at a school hall there. My mum, SK and I took a chartered bus there with 30 others. We arrived after an hour or so. As with Tangkak , I was most impressed with the size of the town. Many were already there, pouring out of other buses from KL and the east coast. Just as the bus stopped, most of the passangers scrambled down to use the loo. Due to the lack of signage, it was chaos. Toilets had turned unisex, with auntie's running around in them while the men eased themselves at the urinals! Pengz. Nothing much was going on in the hall, mostly people mingling, looking at some exhibiton booths and having breakfast. Some people were trying to solve "lantern riddles". Hate those IQ questions and riddles. Chinese ones are even more absurd. Others were watch

Invasion from the Land of Smiles

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NYC Subway Encounter Swiped from centaurpics . What does it mean when strangers smile at you on the LRT? 1) They want to pass on some joy into your otherwise bleak day. 2) There's a booger hanging from your nose. 3) Your fly is open. 4) Someone is wearing an "I'm with Stupid" T-shirt beside you. 5) You simply attract weirdos. Well, I'm asking because I was recently on the receiving end of some unwanted but "flattering" attention ( in a weird sorta way ) from some strangers at the Ampang Park LRT station the other day. Frankie had walked me to the station after standing in line to buy a Spicy Beef Foldover from McD ( yes folks, the perfect way to spend lunchtime with your friends ). As I walked down to the station, I noticed 2 Thai nationals there waiting as well. Obvious tourists with backpacks and floppy hats. Eary 30s perhaps. One was short ( henceforth referred as shorty ) and the other one was taller and dark ( henceforth referred as darky.

Ultra HK

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Giftcollage Swiped from williamnyk . Recently, I received an e-mail from Samsung Fun Club (SFC) stating that I had won the "Tony" Prize of their "Ultra Honour" contest. Don't jump around pulling your hair yet, I didn't win an Ultra Edition Samsung phone. The contest featured 3 of their spokespersons, and all you had to do was take an "Ultra Personality" test and write a little something at the end ( I forget ). The prizes are awarded according to the personality you matched: 1) Rizalman - A Rizalman T-Shirt. 2) Bernard Chauly - An autographed Bernard Chauly postcard ( is he famous? ). 3) Tony - Samsung Premiums ( who? ). Being the smart one as always, KH translated Samsung Premiums as "Samsung marketing freebies". I got the following: 1) A really cool Ultra Edition paper bag. 2) An aluminium CD holder. 3) A business card holder. 4) A SFC keychain. 5) A SFC handphone strap. 6) A note holder. 7) A notepad. 8) A thermos. Gifts.

Janji Joni

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Janji Joni Swiped from pohoncemara . I recently organised a small ex-coursemate gathering and of the 7 that were contacted, only 3 turned up. The rest responded very late only to disappoint. It's so very annoying. Yes is Yes. No is No. Don't leave people hanging. Sigh. I am very thankful to Egg for being the easiest to deal with: Egg: I would like to join. What time? Place? Me: Sunday. Melaka Street Restaurant, SS2. 7:00pm. Egg: OK, no problem. See you there. Here are a few examples of pengz friends: YC: Err... is the gathering still on? Me: Sunday. Melareet Restaurant, SS2. 7:00pm. YC: Har! Not in shopping mall ar..? Me: No. YC: I see la if my bf want to come along. Me: Means you can come la, but just want your bf to come along? YC: Err.. nvm. Just ignore me. Me: Can do. ( &^%$#$@ ) Another keeper: Trumpet: Err... is the gathering still on? Me: Sunday. Melaka Street Restaurant, SS2. 7:00pm. Trumpet: Who else is coming? Me: So far only me, KK and Egg has confirmed

Curtains and Cendol

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IMG_3305 Swiped from williamnyk . A little bit more of my CNY recap . It's still not Chap Goh Mei yet ( go throw bananas into Tasik Taman Jaya ), so I'm allowed. For years and years, CNY would always involve a trip to Teluk Intan. However, instead of north, we headed south this year. For winter. No. To visit my nomadic uncle in Tangkak. So early CNY2, my mum, my bro and I got up early and drove down the PLUS highway. Reached it in under 2 hours and thank God there are no trunk roads to ply. The exit is near enough the town. QUite an impressive place really. I expected just one main road, but it actually has several. Banks aplenty. 7-11s aplenty. Even has a thriving textile business. Food is bloody cheap. RM2.00 can get you a big bowl of curry noodles. And when I paid RM1.00 for a dhosa, I got RM0.40 change ( was a little stunned ). My uncle met us for breakfast and later brought us to where he crashes. He actually lives above some shoplots in a makeshift temple. He&#

Between the Lines

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IMG_3365 Swiped from williamnyk . I am who I am. Not the tacky Michael Wong song, but accepting someone for who they are- all their virtues and shortcomings. . Light of my Life. Not some buthane commercial, but shedding light into someone's soul, drawing out their innermost thoughts and feelings. Vis-a-vis. Face to face. Heart to heart. A genuine connection. . Kind. One of a kind. My kind of person. A heart overflowing with kindness, gentleness, sincerity and patience. Heaven on Earth. Make the best of what we have now. Treasure it. Our own little heaven on earth. .

Hobo

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hoboh5 Swiped from williamnyk . Not the hobo yang kusut-masai , nor the Hokkien greeting, "How are you?", but actually the name of a province in China that is quite synonymous with the Hakka poeple. The dialect kinda sounds like an inaccurate version of Cantonese in my opinion, hence I get to understand bits and pieces of conversations. But due to the same reason, I find it difficult to speak, because it just goes against my Cantonese conditioning. Don't worry, I'm not doing a linguistics post here. If you're a returning visitior to my blog, you would know by now that this is yet another FOOD post. Tada! You either love me for it or hate me for it. The restaurant this time is Restoran Ho Boh . Just opposite the road from Mee Jawa . The place serves "authentic" ( I have no way to verify this ) Hakka dishes and their specialty is the Lui Cha . For those of you who do not know, it's white rice with garnishing of dried prawns, leeks, dried tofu

Ah Steve

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AhSteve Swiped from williamnyk . What is art? I don't really know. I've watched arty-farty foreign films with weird scripts, naked men and women ( porn is art, art is porn? If that is the case, I'm practically an expert, :D ) and senseless camera angles. Some I liked, most I brushed off as crap. I've watched Cirque Du Soleil's Quidam and the explosion of sights and sounds in front me was mesmerising. And yet I left confused. I've watched tragic musicals and heard Chinese orchestra pieces, and I found the folksy stuff very close to my heart. I've been to art galleries and photography exhibitions, but I can't find myself too engrossed in anything I see. So continuing on my road of "non-discovery", I've been introduced to a piece of performing arts-- Ah Steve . A play, to be exact. After a great ( and expensive ) dinner at Xenri , Old Klang Road, KH and I headed over to The Actors Studio , Bangsar shopping Center. My car was dying o

Swiss Garden

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SwissGarden Swiped from williamnyk . Every day, our contact information are mongered by our credit card companies, banks, etc, to mailing lists and marketing databases. These days, receiving calls, e-mails and snail mail is quite a gauntlet. One is bombarded with offers of loans, insurance policies, credit cards and everything under the sun. However, the most novel one I received so far was a call from the Swiss Garden Vacation Club . Apparently, I was "selected" from a list of 100 privileged customers to receive an absolutely free 3D/2N stay at Swiss Garden Hotel KL, Swiss Garden Resort & Spa Kuantan or Swiss Court Holiday Apartment Damai Laut. The catch- listen to a 45 minute presentation. After receiving more than 4 calls to confirm my attendance, I arrived at the place on a Sunday evening ( chose that slot because got food, hehe ). Arrived there. Had my fill of the GARAM goreng mee-hoon , fried chicken, cakes and coffee. After half hour, still nobody attended

Spring

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collage Swiped from williamnyk . I remember reunion dinner to be a real big affair when I was a kid. Every, my family would travel hundreds of miles from Kuantan to Teluk Intan to congregate at my late uncle's place. My late grandmother also was also living with him at that time. At my end, it was us tiga adik-beradik , whereas I had another 5 cousins. We'd tear up the house each day. Played with thunder kings, moon travellers, red crackers and sparklers. Ah, those were the days when you could legally blow up stuff. Lion dance performances were so much livelier with red crackers. All the elders would be busy preparing food and performing religious ceremonies that were of little interest. Would stay up late to welcome the God of Fortune. Mandarin oranges and peanuts everyday until you felt like puking. Come reunion dinner, All the grown ups would sit at one table, while the kids at another. All would sit down to a big meal. As the years passed, most of my cousins got ma

Fugly

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MsSunway Swiped from williamnyk . Check out the finalists for the Ms Sunway 2007 Princess paegent-- the one's marked with a crown. If you look closely enough, you'll find that some finalists should even be in the final 10, and some who are left out should be in. But I guess watching America's Next Top Model has taught me that a photogenic person is not necessarily beautiful in person. And a beautiful person does not necessarily photograph well. It's quite a tall order to fill really. To know how to make love to the camera and at the same time have a stunning presence. Oh well, youth and beauty is fleeting, we'll have to make the best of it, and save up the thing that matters most, the beauty of the heart and the soundness of the mind. PS: I can soooo become Janice Dickinson at times...

Istana Tak Budaya

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200604 theatre sails Swiped from superciliousness . In conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Malaysia, The Japan Foundation (JFKL) and Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, in cooperation with Ministry of Culture, Art and Heritage, Istana Budaya, The Asano Foundation for Taiko Cultural Research, Japan Club Kuala Lumpur and JACTIM supported by Hotel Nikko presented a free drum concert by Hono-O-Daiko . It's a renowned Japanese group of women drummers, accompanied by music performers group, Tokyo Dageki Dan. Seeing that it was free, SK, Jack & I decided to try to get advanced tickets from the JFKL office. But since it was located at Menara Citibank, the advance tickets were quickly snapped up by those working in the vicinity. Not all hope was lost, there was still a chance to get tickets just before the concert itself. The website stated that 200 tickets were to be given out at Istana Budaya before the show. So, SK a

Kopitiam

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SingSengNam Swiped from williamnyk . A picture taken at Restoran Sin Seng Nam , Leboh Pasar Besar. A really old coffeeshop. So-so food. Stuffy. Even retained original service staff ( read: old uncles ). The picture is sooo Alex Photobook material too. Haha. I wish.

Fireflies, Cannons and Monkeys

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MonkeyCanon Swiped from williamnyk . When SK announced to me that Cho ( my junior from F6 ) had arranged an excursion to Kg. Kuantan, Kuala Selangor to see fireflies, I was quite hesitant. My hesistance stemmed from my sister's opinion that it just looks like lampu lip-lap on trees. Her perception is not wrong, it does look like lampu lip-lap on trees! But lemme get to that later. So, we went in 2 cars-- your's truly, my mum ( I'm such a good son, and a bad friend ), SK, Cho, KiamHoe ( Cho's housemate ) and Peng ( SK's housemate ). A nearly 1 hour 45 minute drive. I really hate driving on trunk roads-- the lorries, the constant need to overtake, potholes, slow-moving traffic, lawless drivers near villages, etc... But the roads are so much better now than from when I was a kid. I marvel at how my late dad used to drive up all the way from Kuantan to Hilir Perak using those roads. I remember passing the time by reading every single signboard, counting cars

Nutrition Club

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Nutri Drink Swiped from williamnyk . I'm no legal expert, but if I'm not mistaken, under the Direct Selling Act, direct sellers can't open shops to ply their wares. They must do their business directly , straight to the customer. However, it has become ironic that certain direct sellers have found a loop hole in the legislation. They open shops to indirectly sell their products. One good example is the Nutrition Club in OUG. Just barely a couple of months old. Not exactly selling direct selling products, but they sell protein shakes that are made using those poducts. Ala carte, one set costs RM15.90 (lime juice, protein shake + fruits and vegetables du jour + unlimited hibscus ocha ), but if you sign up for 10-day or 30-day courses, you get a significant discount. Business is quite brisk, since the shop is located at the bustling OUG market. Plenty of aunties and ladies of leisure who are concerned about their health. Service is personalised, where everyone know

Twin Sausages

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twin sausages Swiped from plhu . Note: This is a REALLY stale post. Fresh one's are preserved over at Robb and David's blogs respectively. Due to some last minute work on Saturday, I arrived at the gathering a fashionable 1.5 hours late. My tardiness also dragged the Godfather down since he was my responsiblity. Hungry, tired and stinky after a whole day out, I was really ravenous. The guys were so kind to have actually pre-ordered some food for us. Before you go awwwwwwwwwwwwww , read on first: Me: Food. Food. Food. I need food. Liars: Hey, eat this first. We know you'd be hungry. Me: (eyeing the suspicious looking sausage) Errrmm. This is like just off the grill, I'll eat it later. Liars: Eat la. Come on, we specially bought for you guys. Me: (with much trepidation I put my lips to the red, angry-looking sausage) Eerrr. This is SPICY! Liars: Not spicy la, it's just the heat. Me: (bite off a chunk and swallow) Yikes! (I run off to order food with tears str

Wedding Crashers

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WeddingBarf Swiped from williamnyk . Followed KH to his friend's wedding the other day at PJ Old Town and boy was it fun. We arrived not long after at the bride's place not long after the groom's entourage arrived. The bride's place had a "new village" feel to it, a wooden house nestled between large concrete bungalows. But it was apt, as a tradition that was laid out for generations of Chinese was replayed there that day. The groom was looking resplendent in white, with his beng -ish and even beng -er posse. His supporters all wore white, but with stripes. A coordinated affair it seems. By the time we arrived, the first salvo had already been fired as one of the groom's party was already heaving his guts out at the drain outside. In the picture, it may look like the other guy is givig him a golden shower, but believe me, he's just passing him a tissue. :P. By the time they managed to get into the house, another commotion ensued. The whole bun

Red

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redundies Swiped from williamnyk . CNY is just around the corner and the signs are already around us: 1) Roads jam up for no apparent reason. 2) Bank account balances dwindle for no apparent reason. 3) The aroma of bak-kwa is wafting from sidewalk grills. 4) You can grill bak-kwa on the sidewalk. 5) Shops are going dong-dong-chang . 5) Wallets are also going dong-dong-chang . 6) Souvenir shops are bursting with CNY pig-themed decorations. 7) People are already starting to eat like pigs. 8) Clothes on dislay are getting redder and redder. 9) Undies on display are getting redder and redder. Head on to your nearest department store and start girding those loins with primal red undies and prosperity couplets! PS: Thanks for all the concern. I appreciate it. :D

NPB

I know Ive been posting heavier stuff these days and some people have been concerned. Thanks for noticing that Im a bit off track these days guys and gals. Dont worry, I see that my orbit will be stabilising soon. I will retreat to my shell soon enough, my feelings have been getting too much sun lately anyway. Heh. Stay tuned kids, the regular programming will return soon enough. Keep your fingers crossed. Im fine, I really am.

Apa Nak Jadi?

Why do we say the things we say? Do the things we do? Think the thoughts we have? Why do we like some people, despise others? Why are we cynical about certain matters and more optimistic about others? Why do we belittle someone elses experience and glorify our own? Why do we make fun of others when certain situations happen, but shrug them off when it happens to us? Why does shit happen? An act of God or just some random coincidence that plagues our chaotic existence? Do you really love that person, or its just some complex mix of potent and heady hormones and chemicals fogging your mind and slapping a sloppy grin on your face? What the fuck am I rambling about? And why cant I use an apostrophe when Im posting through my phone?! Pray tell...

Sweat

Day three of the walkthrough at the Tower. My boss is talking like a madman. Simply talk, simply promise. Big drops of sweat bead my forehead. -_-".

Download Those Memories

As we get older, the things that we used to like, the food we used to crave, the tv shows we used to not miss seem to lose their lustre, lose their appeal. I remember KFC to be the most heavenly smell around. Id be happy just standing outside their kitchen exhaust fan. But now, it doesn't quite compare. Have I changed, or has KFC changed? Another example would be my ex-love affair with the night market. It used to be for me an interesting spectacle, the mingle of people and food. Now the crowds turn me off. The food on sale fail to excite. A headache ensues, my eyes water and I'm out of there. Well, I guess we all change and everything around us does too. Cherish the memory. Nothing can beat it. Do not attempt to recreate them. Leave them be. Hold them dear. Cherish the memories.

Day Two

Greetings from the Tower. Second day of requirements gathering session and it isnt pretty. Too much backtracking, going off topic, harping on irrelevant issues, talking too far ahead and plain confusion over what is needed. Im lovin it. Every minute of it. Drives me up the wall. Driver imaginary hot nails into my skull. Too many cooks spoil the soup. Too many meetings spoil the mind. And Niel and DanielH, thanks for the concern- Im not on crack. Really.

Into the Unknown

A journey that knows no destination. My feet are already on the path. I stumble along the way. I am lost. I lose myself. Given up hope on the damp earth. My fists pound the earth in futile desperation. Even my tears have lost its salt. A hand draws me up. I look up to meet the strangers gaze... No, it is a familiar face, it is a familiar face.

I Hit the LOTR

Can you guys believe it. OMG, OMG. I can't breathe. It's so unbelievable. So surreal- I actually met Arwen on the LRT! You know, Aragon's wife! I'm sure it was her. She had the Evenstar on. She may have let her body go a little but I'm sure thats just a side effect of Elronds ire- she did disobey him and marry some scruffy mortal ranger-king. Yes, Im losing my mind. But fret not, Im supposed to be getting my net access REAL soon.

Rapunzel After a Haircut

Oh my, I'm still blogging from the Tower of Solitude. sorry i can't write a long post or any of my usual fluff, so i'll just blab a bit about my day or just until my thumbs get tired from typing on the phone. the day started off bad with production problems at one site. two migrations were performed and both ended with rollbacks. if it were to fail again, they'd have my balls. so i had to make an appearance and miss a chance to have lunch with some coursemates and an "ex" cum psycho. Solved at three, but had to face the music at the Tower. problems. problems. requirements keep changing and i wonder why i'm always in the dark about it. sigh. rework. ugh. i hate that word. Thanks to all who have been visiting "religiously, but did not leave any offerings". For those who did, at least i can return the favour and "worship at your altar". am i making sense? pengz...

Deprived

A message from the Tower of Solitude. I was recently assigned to a new project site somewhere behind Central Market and the place isn't pretty. No water. No internet. So deprived- I'm blogging from my phone. Sigh. I shall let down my hair from the 25th floor and let the technician climb up to install a wireless router...

Ka-Ef-Che

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zingermaxx Swiped from williamnyk . KFC has disappointed me once again ( Niel, you may file your objection in the comments section ). After years of not eating Zinger, I tried the new and improved Zinger Maxx. Apparently it isn't new and it definitely isn't improved. 1) Fillet dah kecut . 2) Harga dah naik . 3) Added a slice of cheese. 4) Replaced the normal bun with the Kaiser "what-the-f*ck-is-so-special-about-it" bun. 5) New ho-hum sauce. With that price, just go get a snack plate. Your eyes and stomach will be more satisfied. I should've filled in that bloody money-back-guarantee form!

Is That Tang-y Enough?

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curse of the golden flower Swiped from nozomiiqel . The Banquet and Curse of the Golden Flower . Both are big budget Tang period movies. Both have a conniving Empress at its core. Both feature dysfunctional royal families. Both showcase that ancient court opulence goes hand in hand with the spilling of human blood. Both feature coups and deceits. Sex and incest. And it's all fine and dandy. Regardless of all the similarities ( I really shouldn't have watched both back to back ), there are some salient details that differentiates both movies. In general, Banquet is not so in your face, but the storyline is slower. In Curse, the story is easier to follow but the plot is really thin. Let's look at Banquet first-- Prince Wu Luan's interest in the arts really borders on the absurd. He and his "The Song of Yue" troop. Even in death, they perform their mime-marionnette act to perfection. Zhang Zi Yi's performance here as Empress Wan is surprisingly tol

Dome

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dome Swiped from williamnyk . Back during my early university days, Mel introduced me to the wonders of ice-blended coffee. But before I immersed myself in Coffee Bean and Starbucks, she firstly let me sample Dome . Being the idiot newbie, she gracefully ordered a Twister for me. A latte cup filled with coffee and mile-high whipped cream. I ploughed through half the cup before it finally hit me-- I can't take whip cream in copious amounts. I felt really sick. Mel told me my face practically looked green. I nearly threw up there and then. Luckily after a few cups of ice water, the feeling passed. I left the unfinished amount untouched. Since that fateful day, 6 years ago, I have not spent a single cent at Dome. However, I tried my luck my today. Apparently, they had revamped their menu and introduced some Espreski 's. At $14.95++ a hit, it's definitely the more expensive ice-blended on the block, but the price is quite justified. I ordered the Caramel Nut Crunch

Papparazzi

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Papparazzi Swiped from bertrandom . TTDI is a real haven for celebrity sightings. Just today at lunch, my colleagues and I caught sight of Malaysian Idol Daniel Lee walking at the shoplots. I nearly screamed...... Mak oi, putih melepak. Tak keluar rumah ke??!! At the same row of shops during the fasting month, I saw Michael Wong on the day of his Bt. Jalil concert. I thought to myself.... Apasal mamat ni pakai blazer time panas giler ni.... oh.. Kwang Liang... My female colleague was practically pointing and screaming much to the delight of his driver and aides. There must some kind of recording studio there... hmmm. Anyway, in addition to local celebs, I have also seen Eason Chan & Jordan Chan having lunch at the coffeeshops. OK la. Not the Real McCoy, but still close enough. A very good resemblance. Haha. Other than people from the entertainment business, I have seen A. Samad Said at Pasar Seni LRT station (his trademark unruly white hair and beard-- as he was on

Listless

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listerine Swiped from williamnyk . Listerine for a sore throat? But when people got out of their way to ease your pain, you give it a try. It stingssssss.... it stingsseesss usssss... nasty hobbitssesss.. Oh, that's something else. Thanks for the thoughtful gesture, Clay. PS: The title not for show, really feel kinda drained these days...

B2B

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tofu man Swiped from arimoore . Meeting new people can be fun especially if you clique well and are on the same frequency. But as fresh as it is, seeing each other too frequently can be quite step backward. Heh. It'll get much easier to hit those lulls in the conversation, since there's not much catching up to do anyway. Sometimes, there's only so much one can mengumpat dan mengutuk to keep the conversation lively ( at the expense of the victim-- sneezing fits ). Was at KTZ with new arrivals Eugene and Eric when the waitress asked me a fantastic question in Cantonese: "You don't want to eat tofu ar?" It loosely translates to taking advantage of someone sexually and I immediately guffawed. Later, when Eugene's order of Chu Cheong Fun arrived, many chopsticks were dropped on the table. Since there were many extras, I contemplated playing pick-up sticks with them. However, the same waitress came by to collect the chopsticks ( disposable ones, min

Menoxidil

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Sohon Swiped from williamnyk . While I was a wee young lad, I used to tape old "The Simpsons" episodes on VHS tapes and watch them over and over again. In one episode, I remember Homer got his hand on some Menoxidil ( Springfield hair growth tonic ) and it did wonders for him. He immediately became the office hunk and Burns even promoted him without realizing it was due to the hair. Everything was rosy, until of course he ran out of Menoxidil. This brings us to the sensitive topic of hair and balding. A subject that is close to the heart of many men (and some women as well). Hair is the symbol of youth and virility, and when you lose it, it really is quite devastating. People resort to combovers, toupes, hair plugs and of course "Menoxidil". However, reality's "Menoxidil" is not quite the silver bullet we see in Springfield, but something much less miraculous. In addition to medicine's Rogaine ( purpotedly helps grow peach fuzz rather than

Aloha

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Aloha Swiped from williamnyk . Aloha @ Jalan P. Ramlee. Seems to be new. The Buddha Bar / Pondok Gurami replacement I think. What do you think those hut roofs out front look like? a) Elogated breasts b) Condoms c) Plain 'ol hut roofs d) Fat assassins with small heads wearing the straw raincoats of old e) {YOUR THOUGHTS HERE} PS: The winning entry gets a free return ticket from Air Asia to Bangkok. Tax and fuel surcharge to be borne by the winner.

Cup Crazy

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Cups1 Swiped from williamnyk . Did you ever collect stamps as a kid? I sure did. But my collection is now stagnant and collecting dust somewhere. I hope it's worth a lot of money some day. I hope I'm not dead and buried when that day comes. In addition to stamps, I used to collect "Calvin & Hobbes", "Dilbert", "The Far Side" and "Lurie's World" comic strips. I would cut them out from the papers and paste 'em in exercise books. Come to think of it, "Lurie's World" was so political that I wonder if I actually understood it back then ( I don't think I even understand them now ). Apa lagi? Oh yeah, postcards and some other not-so-pubishable things. The intro for this post is digressing too far. The pictures are taken at the home of a very ardent collector of cups, specifically "Coca-Cola" cups and mugs. The wall space near his living room and kitchen ceiling is fitted with customized shelves t

Beard Papa

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BeardPapaBag Swiped from williamnyk . Truth be told, I'm no fan of cream puffs, but when one of my colleagues ranted about Beard Papa's World's Best Natural Cream Puffs, I had to go out and try some. I got one in original vanilla and another in chocolate. The fluffy pastry is prepared in advance. When you order, they'll remove the cream from the fridge (in a large stainless steel dispenser) and start pumping in the filling. Shove the nozel into the pastry, and give it a big press. The effect is a cream filling that threatens to burst out with every subtle physical pressure applied on the pastry. Perhaps my expectations were too high, I didn't find it at all worth the $3.30 I paid for each. The original filling is really creamy and the chocolate version tastes like milo. I prefer the latter. Riche Montana at South City Plaza serves a better cream puff, methinks. Cuter versions at $1.50 per piece. I immediately complained to my colleague, to which he repli

Charis

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Charis3 Swiped from williamnyk . For some unknown reason, I have been visiting a lot of Taman Tasik s recently. Not for skanky, behind-the-bushes sex, but for charity fairs. Earlier it was Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, this time it's Taman Tasik Permaisuri . Was passed some coupons for the Charis Food & Fun Fair . The proceeds are supposed to be for the church's new community center. I got there at 10am and boy, it was already teeming with people. Had to park far, far away and worst still beneath a tree infested with cirit-birit pigeons. Celaka . Anyway, the fair was of decent size but it was located in a mud hole. It was all muddy! Yuck. I felt like Dilbert in Elbonia. I really regretted not wearing shorts. Had to tie up my cargo pants like some apek . And the food was pricy, even for charity food fair standards. Can you imagine I paid $9 for a packed of nasi lemak ? I was desperate to quickly use up the coupons, so I just forked it out. Mostly food, some crafts, chris

Under Wraps

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BLACK DOOR URBAN LOCK AND KEY GRAFITTI Swiped from vee8 . Someone remarked that I'm uncomfortable discussing feelings and emotions, specifically my own. That person has great insight into my character. I guess it's true that I put much of my feelings under lock and key. Now and then, it leaks out, and even when it does, I don't express it fully. Sounds so repressed, doesn't it? I don't know, it's just me. Or I haven't found the key yet. I hope I don't drown under the flood waters when the gates finally open... or perhaps I'm already drowning...