suzi bdae

Dearest Suzi,

First and foremeost, Thousand Apologies from me for forgetting your birthday. It totally slipped my mind. Really!

Like how I've explained thru' my sms to you yesterday, I've mistaken your birthday with that of Prince William. Yes, that monarch. The 2nd in line to the British throne. Yar, yar. I know. It's not like I'm celebrating his birthday anyway... I dunno why I keep muddling yours & his birthday together.

And so I 'confidently' told you that I recalled your birthday only yesterday, which I thought to be Wills birthday. Even THAT was wrong! I googled on his b'dae and found out it falls on the 21st! It's still a mystery, why I happened to remember your birthday only yesterday-the 26th. Geez!

Oh wait, I think I know. It's gotta be the WORLD CUP! A major distraction, I tell you! Tsk!

Anyway, my dear cousin. Here's wishing you to be blessed with good health, success and happiness. Life will definitely be different without you. You and your big, bright smile.

Here's my virtual birthday present to you. I have used some pretty frames for your pics. Nice or not?

Last but not least:

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAYYYY!!!!!!!!!! <---ur fave colours, no?

best refree

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morning quote:

Wah! Best refree??
Not bad.... **Singapore refree ranked No. 1**
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Somebody spank those Dutch kids for me. How selfish can they be? Sure, they're good but darn too eager to make a name for themselves. Sheesh!
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And Deco. Deco, Deco... What's with that kiddish attitude? Both you and Cocu were "like schoolboys in the playground..." For heaven's sake, Grow Up!
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ny pizza

newyorkpizza

Was sending off my cousins (they take ferry back to Batam) at the Harbourfront Ferry/Cruise Centre when the tentalising aroma of baked cheese hit me. Sedaaapppp...!

And I saw this:



I was like, "Oh well, New York Pizza? Aiyah, cannot eat lah..."





Then my aunt pulled my arm and pointed to THIS:


Eh, ada logo Halal!



And then I realised that most of their workforce is made up of Malay teens. But then, I just came back from a wedding reception and there's no way I have space for more in my tum-tums. And the queue seemed endless.

But then again, I waited for almost an hour before my cousins finally check-in & my parents wanted to check on the sale at the BIG! Superstore above. The last straw was when my other cousin bought 3 slices of their pizza and the aroma was... too overbearing, man! And the pizzas are packed in these triangular boxes of at least 30cm in length. No points for guessing, just how big the slices are.

As luck would have it, there was nary a queue and I felt myself drawn to the counter. Must be that freshly-baked pizza smell! Ciss! And I figured out why the aroma wafted continuously. They ACTUALLY baked the pizzas ONLY when your order comes thru' and you wait by the side as they bake. They label the boxes with your name so a screw-up is possibly unavoidable.

While waiting, I saw THIS:






Looks GOOD, eh? Doesn't THAT just tempt you??








And also THIS:
Soup in a bread-bowl, green salad & CHEESE fries. Ouwwh!!!

Tell you what. Go here -->

NEW YORK PIZZA

Check out their buffalo wings.

They do HOME DELIVERIES too.

been a long time

been a long time, eh?

blame it on the world cup.

Last week, I LITERALLY got the World Cup fever. By 'literally' mean the kind when your temperatures run high and you get the chills and your nose drip like nobody's business. Not just getting-into-the-world-cup-frenzy kind of 'fever'.

Ermm.... Well, THAT included, actually.




And the best part is, my boss knows that I've been staying up to watch the matches. So I actually dragged myself to work when I should just remain in bed. My boss had told me, amidst my sniffles, that I should just go home but I chose to put on a strong front and show him I'm a good worker and I don't necessarily mix work & leisure together. My bad, I know.

Even worse, at home I had to put on yet another strong front when my mum's around. I dare not risk incurring her wrath upon knowing my being sick. Why? Wait till' I get to THAT part.

I eventually succumb to the fever on the 2nd day and slept right thru'. My dad (also my partner-in-crime) had to let the cat out the bag about me running a temperature. My mum was amused at first, thinking I contracted the flu from someone or something. She even jokingly chided me. THEN the ULTIMATE TRUTH dawned upon her....

"This is because you've been staying up to watch soccer, rite??!! You know you've gotta work and you STILL wake up so early to watch soccer?!! Why can't you just watch the repeats like everybody else? You are just being stubborn, aren't you? What did I say about staying up...?

....You brough this upon YOURSELF!"

Ouch. My goodness, I can ACTUALLY see that coming. There're more, ok. I'm just quoting SOME of her nagging. Even as she came to check on me, putting the back of her hand to my forehead to see if the fever had subsided, she went on, "See lah. Watch soccer some more.." Oww, mum!

I missed a grand total of SIX matches during my abstinence, in order to recoup back my lost sleep and rest. I learnt my lesson (the hard way) and all you out there should, too. All these staying up and NOT getting back the lost sleeping hours will take a toll on your stressed-out body. Go and drink lotsa' lotsa' water and pop those vitamins. And eat those fruits. Especially those of you who are using the lunch hours to snooze.... TAKE CARE! The finals are still a long way ahead.

family edition

family edition

Another family edition. This time in 3s. As in 3 persons per pic, la.

























I guess M.I.A mummy Resse Witherspoon is busy bringing home the bread with filming committments. So it's down to house-husband hottie-hubby Ryan Phillipe to bring the kids, Ava & Deacon out to watch the animated movie, Cars on it's opening day.

Ava's a splitting image of her mummy, isn't she? And Deacon looks like daddy. Like *duh*.

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And those wondering about Britney's soon-to-expand little family, here's something to quell your curiousity.

I wonder if it's her attempt at showing to the world that all's randy-dandy with her marriage. Esp. since many had quoted that it's been ages since both of them were last seen together.

There's something about seeing the pic that had me scratching my head at first. I pondered and pondered and realised that this is the FIRST TIME I saw the loser K-Fed carrying Sean (his son). I mean, seriously.

morning quote (world cup)

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morning quote:

I got a little inkling that I'm gonna get sick. I'm battling a cold that's eager to be a full-blown bout of flu. My bro just recovered and the fact that I've been lacking sleep sure doesn't help.

My soccer-naive boss came in, heard my nasal-twang-of-a-voice and asked, "Are u sick?" I was like, "Err.. Just a little cold."

The next line from him really made me succumb to sheer embarrassment. "Not enough sleep? Got match at 9pm, 12 am and 3am, rite?" (OMG, he assumed I watched ALL those matches EVERYDAY!)

And the wife chipped in, "Everyday got match, is it?"

I was quick to say, "NO! I mean I skip the 12am match to sleep. I watch the 3am one." That has got to be the stupidest admission EVER.

Now, I'm even more determined NOT to report sick. Or even fall asleep at my desk. Not when my boss knew that I brought this unto myself beacause of the World Cup... Sheesh!

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cawan dunia

cawan dunia .. ok ok... world cup

eh, everyone's talking bout it, la. Never one to jump on the bandwagon but I can't help reminiscing the past years....

many men from various countries congregate on the field chasing after one ball and many fans from all over the world supporting them, hoping for their favourite team to finally get to hold up THAT golden thing that DOES NOT even look like a CUP. The person who designed this cup must have been really hungry and fantasised himself munching on a drumstick when he came upon this idea. I mean..? Ok.. ok.... Yeah, look closely and you'll see the significance of the intricately carved men holding up the world.. yadaa.. yadaa.. Anyway, what I mean is that it looks more like a TROPHY and NOT a CUP. Gettit..?

Anyway, I remember back when I was old enough to know what 'football' is and how BIG the World Cup (the tournament, not the trophy) is, I gamely chose my favourite team. The one with the white jersey and some multi-colored patterns running across the chest area. Yes, West Germany (back then, Germany was divided by the Berlin Wall). My bro chose Argentina. Because of that you-know-who la. I bugged my dad for a jersey and he bought me the t-shirt instead *hmpf!*.

But that doesn't matter. Cos' during the 1990 World Cup, the finals saw (my) W.Germany & Argentina battling it out and my team won! That totally sparkled my interest in soccer and I've never looked back ever since. My 'hero' back then? Juergen Klinsmann. Yep, the current German coach. Those days, there were Lothar Mathheus (capt'n), Rudi Voller, Thomas Hassler etc. FYI, back then I totally supported Liverpool in the EPL. Because of Kenny Dalglish. Now it's Arsenal, baby!

The best part has got to be the previous World Cup, held in Japan/Korea. I had just graduated from Poly and instead of immediately hunting for a job, I chose instead to slack around. Cos' World Cup was around the corner, that's why. And since it was held in Asia, the time difference will not be THAT far, meaning most of the live matches will be telecast in the day. Tell me, won't it be insane for me to start working then (much to my mum's frustration)??

And yes. Only as soon as the tournament ended did I type out my resume (really!). Crazy huh? And this year, I have religiously planned out which live match to watch and which ones to miss (and watch the repeats later). When to sleep, when to wake up.... It's been crazy. Of all things, I forgot to subscribe to the World Cup channel. Got my brother to call Starhub last Saturday. Phew!

It's only been 3 days.. I've got the rest of the month to go. I dunno how I'll make it. All my appointments have to be planned AROUND the telecast of the matches. Sorry, frens. This happen only every 4 years, y'knoe.... Oh FYI, I no longer support Germany (despite my 'hero' coaching them). I've yet to choose my fave team(s). Gonna see how they perform in their first matches....CRAZY!

shiloh nouvelle

isn't she just keee-yuuut!





















I'm a big fan of her parents and now I going crazy just looking at her photos. Mummy's lips, definitely.



















Shiloh Nouvelle Jolie-Pitt looking all angelic/serene/sweet with her parents Angelina & Brad. Dun they just make your biological clock tick? Heh.

on a more serious note...

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on a (more) serious note:

YOU tell me, what's wrong with THIS -

"... Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003, Lt. Gen. James Mattis, then commander of the First Marine Division, realized that his men needed to take a more measured, creative approach in dealing with the Iraqi citizenry under occupation... ordered to get out into the street and interact with the locals. The Marines played soccer with kids, helped rebuild houses and schools, and—a small detail, but important—took off the sunglasses that made them look like invading aliens..."

"... And yet, Mattis sent unforgivably mixed signals to his troops... Mattis said, "Actually, it's quite fun to fight them. You know, it's a hell of a hoot ... I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them..."

"... Mattis was scolded by the top brass for his remarks, but not too harshly, for he had just been nominated by President George W. Bush to become commander of the First Marine Expeditionary Force and head of Marine Forces Central Command. The impact of Mattis's remarks on an average 19-year-old jarhead can be imagined: killing is fun, like videogames..."

"... cause enormous mental strain... NEWSWEEK interviewed some Army soldiers going home as conscientious objectors. To fight boredom and disgust... soldiers popped Benzhexol, five pills at time. Normally used to treat Parkinson's disease, the drug is a strong hallucinogenic when abused. "People were taking steroids, Valium, hooked on painkillers, drinking. They'd go on raids and patrols totally stoned. We're killing the wrong people all the time, and mostly by accident. One guy in my squadron ran over a family with his tank..."

- Probing A Bloodbath~Newsweek Int'l Edition
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thanks, bas

what a way to thank

This guy just made my day. He turned my monday blues to... erm... something more cheerful. See lah. I'm at loss for words.

Anyway, I guess it's his way of thanking me for helping him succeed in his relationship so far. Well Bas, you've thanked me enough. Now it's my turn...

THANK YOU ! ! !

*click* something sweet from my buddy *click*

anal retentive

anal retentive..? or trying to be politically correct?

"...It is not a Tamil word. Nor it is an English word. Nor it is a Greek word. Hell, it is NOT even a word. It is gibberish of the purest kind.... If there is one gibberish that is to be flushed down the toilet, this is it...

... Indian girls and ladies wear a "dot" on our forehead. The proper name is "pottu" but forget it. You are still gonna call it a dot. It is not there for infrared or bluetooth purposes.... "
- frozenqueen

tioman dive trip

diving @ tioman

A tad late but better than never, I guess..

Just a quick weekend getaway. 2D1N trip to the Salang part of Pulau Tioman. That place is like the Patong Beach of Phuket. Brimming with tourists and the prices of things there are very much fluctuated/hiked *yikes!*.









The resort I stayed in was VERY basic (no fancy-schmancy fluffy pillows or comforters kinda' thing) but at least they have a toilet attached to every rooms (and aircon!). It was darn far from the jetty, ok. Like 10-15mins walk. I remembered walking to the resort as soon as we arrived at P.Tioman after a dreadful 4hr boat ride from Mersing, at around 4 freaking AM. Felt like some hiking trip along the poorly lit paths (at some parts, even total darkness!).





Diving wise, I can say there are more varieties of marine life as compared to the Pulau Aur-Dayang area but the clarity/visibilty underwater is slightly lagging. Managed to explore the famed underwater caves. Gorgeous! The night dive was pretty boring and I got lotsa' unknown sediments coming my way *ugh!*. And the waters off the distant, lone islands has within it, some of the the most wonderful array of marine life worth exploring. Love it!

Oh ya... My collegue and I chipped in to bring along an el-cheapo underwater Kodak disposable camera (max. 15m underwater). But I think we brought it to almost 20m.. Still survived.. Heh.

Warh, I wonder how much I got paid for promoting this....

P E E K S .:Pictures .: Pics