Blood test

Had 4 tubes of blood taken from me today.

Ouch, you say?
If you think the prick of the needle is painful, try peeling the plaster from the crook of your elbow (where they drew the blood). Now, THAT's torture.

I know other peeps would prefer others to quickly peel the plaster for them in one fell swoop. Heh. Not me. I prefer peeling it little by little, looking closely at the tiny, tiny hair sticking to the elastic. I see my pores popping as the pain develop with each peel.

In case you're wondering, yes, I have a high tolerance for pain. I LIKE pain. You know like when your gums swell or when you cut your lips and you keep biting at the spot? THAT felt good.

Enuff of that.
--- --- ---
As you can see, I'm pretty unreliable when it comes to being meticulous or prompt in my updating. I may update regularly but they're often bout' things that happened in the days yonder.

Heh.
So here's what I did last weekend....
--- --- ---
23042005
Paid my cousin a visit. Apparently she had given birth a few days back.
Forgot to charge the cam so I had to rely on my handphone....


That's my new nephew, Muhammad Khairullah :: Crybaby :: His niece, Aisyah :: Aisyah on my lap

HOLD IT. If Aisyah is HIS niece.... Wouldn't that put me on the same level as her.... GRANDMOTHER???! Erk!

Although Muhd. Khairullah came as a surprise to his parents and his 6 other siblings (yes, he's no. 7), he must have been a great blessing indeed. Aside from being the 7th child, he was also born on the same day as the noble Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, on 12 Rabiulawal.

TRIVIA: My cousin knew that she was pregnant ONLY moments before giving birth. Upon labour (which she thought was some excruciating abdominal pain), her hubby brought her to the A&E and she was ACTUALLY put under observation for a scan. No one mentioned childbirth.
Only when this cool nurse came by, took one look at her and exclaim, "Aiyoh, ini mau beranak, wo!"
Her hubby was registering her when a nurse tapped his shoulder to say, "You wife's given birth to a baby boy."
Imagine the look on his face.

24042005
After a attending a wedding that Sun, I went over to Sim Lim to purchase a larger memory MMC card for my cammie. After that, we were at loss as to where to go. My mum blurted, "Esplanade."
That got my dad all excited. He wanted to see the Satay Club (currently in hibernation). So off we go.
Did I also mention that it was like, 3pm and very, very hot?


At Esplanade (taken with timer) :: At One Fullerton :: At Merlion deck :: Merlion

We sought for shelter at the semi-renovated Marina Sq. Mall. More precisely, at the new Food Loft. Their balcony dining area has a superb view of the waterfront. Next stop is the newly opened GIANT supermarket.

My mum kept mumbling about the Merlion so I spontaneously drove into One Fullerton. Satisfy my mum with the magnificent Merlion (I began to feel like some tourist already) and we hung around Clifford Pier as my parents gave me a brief history lesson as to what that area was like back in the 70s.

A note to those who wanted to park at One Fullerton. Parking charge is a whooping 5 freaking $$ per entry. As such, my cashcard had only $4++ and I actually reversed my car all the way back to the parking lot before scrambling to top up the value.

Dun say I didn't warn you.

~ More peeks *here* ~

Raihan's Beautiful Wedding

It's beautiful... Just so beautiful...

20042005

Was hounoured to be at that grand event. A romantic couple made of a beautiful bride & her handsome groom, gorgeous setting, great food .... All things good, I'd say. Plus, it's a triple whammy. The wedding + Raihan b'dae + Azim b'dae. Cool, huh?

Glad to be able to meet Raihan (finally!) and during such a splendid occasion, at that. Thanks again, Raihan - for the invite. Saw the other bloggers but I was too shy, lah. It's been real - to be able to see them in person (as if finally convinced that they REALLY exist). Hee...

Anyway, we ( together with Tini, my pal who willingly accompanied me) missed the chance of dropping by the bridal suite 32-12 but there are the pictures uploaded by other bloggers to put me in awe. That was such a nice place to hold an akad nikah! It's like having your lover proposing to you in one of those gorgeous places with breath-taking sceneries. Sigh...

What did we do after gobbling down the impressive buffet fare? Armed with a camera, we set off on a photo-taking spree.

Tini by the pool :: Me with the gorgeous water feature ::
And yes, the last bit was taken in the 'ladies' a.k.a the TOILET.

Ayy... Hotel toilets are nice, ok? Definitely nicer than my living room. And more private.

~ more peeks *here* ~

Poly pals & April babies

My, my... This is soooo overdue.
Bah.
I'll update anyway.

16042005

A day with my ol' Poly pals.

That day didn't start that well for me. Was supposed to run errands for my cousin in Simei. Somehow or rather, at Tampines en route to Simei, I made a wrong turn. For that moment, I felt proud of myself, having known my route despite my dad's absence. Well, that's until I saw CGH on the OTHER side - meaning that I was on the PIE! To think I was >>this<< close to Simei...

Well, I dun call myself, "Minah Terbabas" for nothin. Needless to say, I got out of the driver's seat when fetching Kai. The ultimatum: "Either you waste your breath directing me around or we can have a peaceful one when you drive." He chose the latter.

We fetched Fendi & family at Far East Plaza. Had to make a second round because Kai is driving and me keeping a look-out is hopeless, cos' I'm not sure if Fendi & Yani have changed-physically. Reason being that it's been 2 years since I last saw them.

They look the same. Except for this new addition:

A cute little darling by the name of Shasha.

Sorry Fendi & Yani. You gave her a name that is so complicated by my books that I total forgot what it is by the time you told us to call her 'Shasha'. However, I do recall a certain 'Felisha' on that cap she's wearing, so I can safely assume her name to be 'Felisha' something-something. Once again, I apologise for my extremely poor memory.

Anyway we had quite a spread for dinner at Tg. Pagar Railway or better known as KTM. So much food that they can't all fit on the table & we had to combine some dishes to create space. Nice seafood, highly recommended!

I do recall a hilarious incident that end up with Bas wetting the right side of his pants & Khama having an obvious brown stain on his pink thank-goodness-it's-cheap polo tee. I dun mean to cackle but I was so taken aback that my first reaction was to laugh. Count your lucky stars it ain't a MANGO top, Khamz!

Oh, by the way, should anyone recover my black Esprit & green First Choice umbrella which I left behind, do inform me. My mum's been nagging.

I hopped into Khamz's car with Bas while Kai drove my car with Fendi & family. It's pretty weird & exciting to see from the outside, your car actually being driven by someone else.

Always, it's either I'm the driver or the passenger.

We went to the long-time-haven't-been-to favourite haunt of ours, Holland V. To think we always go there every week in the Poly days. We chose to chill at Coffee Club.

Khamz & I had decided to buy a Swensen's cake to celebrate the April babies - Kai & Bas (Meng, the other baby was busy mugging out for his exams). However, since we're chilling at a place selling an assortment of cakes, we went on a dessert-ordering spree which include Fresh-Fruit Fondue. Yum!

April Babies & Fresh-Fruit Fondue

After sending Bas + Fendi & family home, us Easterners (Kai, Khamz & me) chilled awhile at East Coast. At the stroke of midnite, Khamz & I wished Kai Happy B'dae. So were we the first, Kai? He had been smiling from ear-to-ear eversince discovering Khamz & my plans for that mini b'dae celebration.

Came home late that night (meaning: early the NEXT morning). Thanks, bro for opening the door for me (we both didn't want to incur my mum's wrath should she know how late I came home).

I just need to show her Shasha's pics the next morning and all was forgotten bout' my coming home late...

So glad to be able to meet up again, guys!

Pissed Off

17042005

This is a note to the errant driver of the Red KIA Rio hatchback 1.5 that was heading for PIE(Changi Airport) on Clementi Ave 6 at around 8+pm just now.......

You, to whom I gave an early signal to filter to the right.
You, who was still far from where I was then.
You, who sped up upon seeing my signal.
You, who refused to give way.
You, who threateningly sidle up to my car after I got into the lane and posed immense danger to us.
You, whom I should have blasted my horn at but I don't because I was shocked + appalled at your audacity.
You, who cowardly sped off after that ridiculous action.
You, whom I should congratulate for successfully making me spew expletives in my parents' presence.
You, whose car registration no. I've taken note of.

Should anything had happened to us (esp. my parents) at that point of time due to your reckless, selfish and ridiculously stupid behaviour, I will not, I repeat, I WILL NOT hesitate to make a report to the police or even take legal action cos' I believe I have a strong case against YOU. You are damn lucky I braked in time and there wasn't any car behind me upon my sudden breaking or you sure will find youself in deep, deep s**t as of now.

I won't be the one doing everything. Oh yes, my father would so like to do something to obnoxious drivers like you. I don't think you are in any state of emergency upon that occurrence for anyone in a hurry won't bother to pose danger onto others or even themselves, for all that matter.

Besides, the ease at which you perform that stupendous action shows just how used you are to doing this. I bet I'm not the only one, eh?

You just watch out for I think someone else who will be in my situation shall do something to YOU! If you believe in retribution, you will have an inkling as to what I mean.

%$@#*&!!!!

MND Family Day @ Sentosa

09042005

Very 'happening' occasion, I'd say. With a brood of 24 ppl (10 adults & 14 kids) , things can be pretty exciting....

With the exception of having to wait for more than an hour for some of my cousins, things went pretty well. Smooth journey, great weather (not too sunny or hot) and most importantly, there's camaraderie amongst all of us. Family day, what.

I remembered that during the agonizing 1 hr+ of waiting, the bunch of us ended up having a mini picnic at the Harbourfront bus interchange. The 2 loaves of choco bread & 2 containers of nuggets that my family brought (meant for the ACTUAL picnic in Sentosa) were kaput within minutes of offering them. The kids were almost no different from piranhas. 1 come 1 go. 1 come 1 go. Next thing I knew, food gone.

In case you don't know, MND stands for Ministry of National Development, meaning this family day involves families from various organisations like HDB, NParks etc. That means there are over 10,000 ppl on that Siloso Beach meaning, IT WAS VERY CROWDED!

My cousin queued for almost 1/2 hr at the toilet just to pee (only to realize there are rows of empty portable toilets nearby). Meanwhile, my cousin Sue and myself wore these matching Adidas slip-in shoes (which we bought together) only to realize that the Family Day is on the beach where the humble flip-flops would be much preferred. As expected, the shoes look like it's been thru' hell at the end of the day.

It was a bonus when it comes to entertainment. The highlights were Wicked Aura (the popular percussions band) and Wendi Koh (a very talented, versatile songbird). Best thing is that both have 2 sessions! In the late afternoon & at night.

Wendi started the occasion with some joyous-sounding numbers (to suit the festive atmosphere) and later in the evening performed some serious rockin' numbers like Gun & Roses, RHCP, Maroon 5, Evanescence etc. Her back-up band, The Uninvited were superb!!!!

Wicked Aura also started the afternoon with this great number (that got the G.O.H, Mr Mah Bow Tan shaking his legs) and the evening performance was more up-tempo that encouraged some boggieing. I had so wanted to boggie down esp. since the Talentime winner sang, "Play That Funky Music." He's good, man. Problem lies with the fact that my parents were present. I believe my mum would have been cool about it. As for my dad.... Hmmm... To add to the problem, my uncle was there and he has this 'strict-father' persona. Heck, even his daughter sat still. Sheesh!


In the end, everyone from my brood remained in our seats while some of the others (even the aunties/uncles) boggie down at the front. Ada makcik joget zapin.The closest we got to boggieing is shaking our shoulders & tapping our feet which, by all means are PATHETIC. Boooriiiinnng....

Dying mousie

Been ages, isn't it since my last post???

No thanks to my dying mouse at home. Yes, I'm talking bout' that thing you attach to ur PC (not the pet!)

Maybe it's not dying. Not THE mouse. I think something's wrong with the USB cable.

I got so agitated just by surfing the net. Once the dreaded bubble appear at the bottom corner of the screen saying, "USB device not recognised...." I went into a frenzy of detaching the USB cable and reattach it to another port over & over until I detect some movement on the cursor on screen. Irritating! I have to resort to being oh-so-careful with the mouse, moving it gently around for fear that it might hang again.

Things got so bad that it became a habit. My office mouse got the gentle treatment, too. When I realized that the office mouse is 'A' ok, I start to use it brashly, a method that I will unconsciously bring home and caused the other mouse to screw up again. It's become a cycle, I tell you.

Now I can't work on Photoshop and the other what-nots and there are tons (an exeggeration here) of pics to upload- from the Sentosa Family Day & the Konsert Ribut Damai....

Erm... Any spare mouse, anyone????

Picture Montages

Due to the inevitable fact that there will be lotsa' interesting activities which may involve active photo-takings, I have finally decided (after much procrastination) to publish montages of pictures that are pretty overdue. One of which, sadly to say, is the East Coast BBQ thingy, for which I had a major mental block when it comes to reliving the memories of that eventful occasion.

In other words, I had forgotten pretty much of what I had initially wanted to say, the night when I got too tired and wrote only one part of that weekend. BIG MISTAKE, I'd say.

Tsk tsk . . .

The other 2 pics are just those moments captured on the humble 6230. One, when my family was checking out the just-renovated Bedok Corner Food Centre (the ultimate BBQ seafood haunt) and the other, of my 2 cousins & myself chomping down at Tj. Pagar Railway.

FYI, I'll be taking a freaking train to KL, end of this month. Can you believe it? Me, who can't sit still for a couple of hours will be spending almost 7 agonising hours on a train???! Even worse, I'm such a light sleeper that there's no way I will be sleeping amidst all that rickety-tat-tat-tat and ppl walking back and forth on the aisle (the sleeping compartments are expensive, ok?)
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Hmmpf! All that rantings... Here are the pics.

East Coast BBQ
26032005


Bedok Corner
03042005


Tj. Pagar Railway
05042005

Old Office..

..... And I was wondering, why is it that my entries from the last few days aren't appearing on my blog?

Finally checked and noticed the posts snugly settled in Green and labled, 'Drafts'.

Sheesh!

That means that my birthday wish for a dear friend was already kinda' overdue. But hey, it's the thought that counts, so I published it anyway.. Sorry, Shyba. I didn't forget your birthday.. Just forgot to publish, that's all....
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This post was dated 6th April, actually.
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Penny for my thoughts....
Come to think of it, should I get a penny (or 5 cents) for my every thoughts, I would have been a millionaire a few times over....

Looking out at the rainy weather, I was suddenly reminded of my old office (same company, just that we shifted location).

I remembered my first impression of it... Had brought my brother along in my search of my new office (I dun' wanna get lost on my 1st day...) After much snucking around the stretch of Joo Chiat Road, a kind apek pointed out the location to us.

"Looks like a haunted house..." my brother exclaimed.

My sentiments exactly. Another point to show that we came from the same womb. Similar way of thinking...
That building was definitely old...previously a walk-up apartment... peeling paint... creeper plants weaving up the pipes... crummy drains... overhanging trees...

And the stairs... Bless 'em. A straight flight that goes all the way up to my office on the 3rd storey.... *pants*

Here's my list of nostalgic moments there, both good and bad:
- Had the toilet to ourselves (also with the other single tenant). ALWAYS knock before attempting to turn the knob. Some people (note: my boss) sometimes forget to lock.

- A single, non-controllable air-conditoning. Switching it on every morning means squeezing behind the shelves or using a ruler to reach the switch.

- The shrivelled up lizard that died after being squashed behind the door hinge (a case of bad timing) that is STILL there when I last visit the building. Except that it's more shrivelled.

- The huge and airy pantry located in the kitchen (previously an apartment, remember?). Funnily enough, there's nothing much in there. Besides, we need to walk out of the office room to get there.

- The buildings in the area are of such close proximity to each other that whenever I overtimed and walked to the pantry in the evenings, I can actually see ppl walking half-naked after their shower in the neighbouring apartment block. You should hear them singing while in the shower. Oh, the best part is when they start hanging their underwear (of both genders) at the windows facing OUR office. Sheesh!
Voyeuristic, you say? I call that disgusting!

- And that uneventful occasion when my collegue & I came back from lunch to discover that some idiot had locked this stray dog inside the building stairwell and NO one wants to release it after that. Turns out the 'idiot' is this courier guy sending something to our office and got chased by this dog. In his panic, he locked the dog IN and in the process, locking us OUT. We were stranded outside in the hot sun for for goodness-knows-how-long because of that...

- What about the time when we came in that morning to see that the front gate which rolled open/close got stuck cos' the wheel was out of its track?
Good luck no. 1: My boss came early and took it upon himself to open the darn gate.
Good luck no. 2: My boss is a combat engineer in the army. Combat engineer or not, it was another 1/2 hour before he got the gate opened.

- Talking about the gate... It was wrought iron and VERY heavy when we rolled it.
The last person out locks it: that's US. The first person in opens it: that's US, again.

Phew! That's really fun, to recall all those moments... Well, that's just the building. I've yet to mention the neighbourhood that it's located in....

However, knowing myself, it will take me AGES before I will write a sequel. Which reminds me that I've yet to continue with the BBQ saga at East Coast... Heh.

PS: Sri, my dear collegue. I bet you must be smiling like the cheshire cat after reading this. Memorable, isn't it?!

Happy Birthday, Shyba!

Happy Birthday, Shyba!!!!

I know you're going thru' a messy phase with all those lecturers-from-hell, exam topics unknown and a school located in the almost-netherworld and all other what-nots.

It's just another challenge, another obstacle. I know I wouldn't know much, not when I'm not in this mess myself but the best I can do is to cheer you from the sidelines and urge you on.

A year older is nothing when it proved to be of no significance. Let's just cherish each day as it comes. Remember, Everything Happens For A Reason.

Best of wishes in your future endeavours. May you and your family be blessed with good health, happiness & success. May you be guided into the right path, always.

Amin.

Beautiful...So beautiful

All you mothers, mother-to-be and mother wannabes, do go here>> dooce.com and read that oh-so-beautiful entry.


Leta, Dooce's 14-month old baby girl.

I was swooning by the time I'm done. Sigh, the joy of motherhood.....

PS: I am NOT a mother. Not yet anyway.

East Coast Picnic:Camp:BBQ

East Coast Picnic:Camp:BBQ
260305 - 270625

Should have done this days back...

Well, better late than never.
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Moi cousins and myself have never really mastered the art of sitting still during long holidays. We planned here and there before settling for some overnite camping at EC. I took the initiative to book a pit, considering that my dad's side has pretty large-scale families.

It started well, despite me coming home late the nite b4, yet having to wake up in the wee hours of morning to prepare sandwiches. Dun' understand what enthusiasm came over me that day. Previously, my idea of preparing sandwiches was bringing cans of tuna w/ mayo, a bottle of chilli sauce, bread and plastic forks. You want to eat, you prepare yourself.

I know, I know. That cursed character-trait. LAZY.

And THAT same trait is kicking in my system rite now. Guess I'll just make comments alongside the pics that I'm dumping in here....


The day started well - sunny weather, fairly high tide and enough space to pitch 4 tents...
That's my 2 cousins (2/3 of the food-catering team).


Well.... That's until it started to rain. Heavily. For almost TWO hours!

Within the 1st hour, the bored kids were actually playing with water INSIDE the tent. Yeap, water was seeping thru' the not-as weatherproof-as-expected tent material...

Oh, did I mention that during that 2hrs, my tent was was the only one standing UPRIGHT throughout? Yeap, you guessed right. The other 3 ACTUALLY collapsed.

Kinda' funny, actually. One moment my cousins were sitting still, the next thing I knew, the tent took after the outline of their form.

Kids being kids, my nephews/nieces/cousins all splashed back into the sea as soon as the heavy rain ceased to be a slight drizzle.

...Soon after, I changed into what's left of my dry clothes and rushed home to fetch my parents (logistic officers) and my other cousin (remaining 1/3 of the food caterer).

Then comes the BBQ.

However due to that it's a pretty unearthly hour for me to con't blogging on a weeknight, I shall take my leave and goodness-knows-when I'll continue with what happened next.
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I would like to take this opprtunity to thank the fella' who looked like a dark Chinese man and spoke Malay like he is one and yet is actually a Eurasian (no wonder!). He, with his rain-coat and hammer, helped to re-pitch our tents-despite the heavy downpour and later, help us move ALL 4 tents to a higher & more stable ground. He even offered us the hooks at the back of his tent should we wanna go fishing.

If you wanna see him, his tent is pitched on the beach outside the toilet block at Area 'C'. He worked at the toilet block in the day & a nearby pub at night. He's lived on the beach for 7 months...

...Don't as me why....Anyway He Rocks!!!!!

I'm still not asleep yet??

Erk! I'm still not asleep yet??!

Been around (virtually) and noticed other ppl giving their a/c of them experiencing the tremors the morning before.... Better get my own a/c over & done with just so that I can just sleep...

---

...Was brushing my teeth when I thought I felt the ground shaking. Brushed it off, thinking I was just too sleepy (my bro caught me asleep with the TV watching me instead of vice versa) or that I was too 'high' (yes, I DO get a strange kinda 'high' when brushing me teeth...)

My fone was off by then. After the countless snoozes this morning, I finally switched the darn fone on, only to receive messages from my friends at ard 12+, asking if I felt 'the tremors'. Huh? I brushed that off too (maybe I'm still sleepy...)

My boss's wifey came into the office all excited, asking, "Did you feel the quake yesterday? My bed was practically shaking-with US (her & my boss) on it!"

I gave her this incredulous look, "You mean the one at ard midnight?" Duh!

"Yah!" She's excited to know someone else felt it too...

Oh, so all that swaying/shaking/vibrating while brushing my teeth WAS caused by tremors from an earthquake. Sheesh! And I tot' I was sleepy.....

---

Niwae, saw a sombre sight on CNA just now. The footage was at ground zero of the Sumatran quake zone. They showed the locals fleeing the area, hours after the quake. 2 men were on a bicycle. The pillion has a big package on his lap. I first thought it's his stuff that he brought along while fleeing. After giving a 2nd look, I realized it's an embalmed body, apparently laid on a plank to stabilise it......

With 2000+ deaths, how do you expect to feel?

Dad's B'dae Dinner (A Day later)

25th Mar '05

May sound cheapskate but it's such a waste to ignore the 15% disc. slip for a meal at Sofra Turkish Restaurant given by Singtel. Besides, my parents & I were almost hyperventilating after seeing episodes after episodes of Anthony Bourdain (A Cook's Tour) enjoying his mediterranean meals in Morroco, Tunisia...etc. That coupon can never come at a better time.

Food is nice, though my parents find it hard to adapt to the 'extra-carnivorous' fare (my family~with the exception of my bro, is into the 'go healthy' lifestyle. More vege, less meat). Not to mention the overload of sugar in the beverages & desserts. The bread, salad plate & pide is fantabulous, though. Great service, too (maybe helped by the fact that they know it's dad's b'dae).

Topped the evening off by doing some late-night shopping at Mustafa with my uncle & family. Followed by supper.

Gosh, I sure felt stuffed... I can't sleep after just eating so I ended up sleeping late. Had to wake up early the day after for the family picnic/BBQ/camp, held in conjunction with my dad's & his sis's b'dae.

Well, that-shall be told on another day. I'm dead beat. Gotta catch up on the lost sleep or I'll end up with my head on the keyboard in the office tomorrow....

---

**Bonus**

My bro tried on a wig in Mustafa. Classic. Been a veeery long time since I last seen him with hair on his head...

3rd Time Lucky...



I remember watching this show on the Indonesian Channel-SCTV, 2 years back.

Yes, all you who watch this show on Suria, this 'sinetron' was first shown 2 years back. Kinda' long ago, huh?

Everyday I rushed home after work, to catch this series. Thank goodness it was the fasting month then, so I was let off early by my boss.

I actually recorded the theme song on my handphone to keep me occupied, should I begin to feel bored in the office. The song was played in loop in my head daily.

When I found out that I won't be able to watch the last episode due to that it's already Hari Raya & my family will hardly be at home, I ....

NO, I did NOT cry. I FREAKED out. I create a ruckus. I fret. Mumble mumble. Babble babble. I actually watched this show religiously everyday (yes, it's even shown on weekends) only to realize that I won't be able to watch the last episode?!!! What the...?!

Last year they showed it again but it's on weekdays, in the afternoon. I contemplate about taking leave just to watch it. Yes, despite the fact it's been a year, I'm still bent on catching that last 'un. My mum secretly watched the ending without telling me, for fear I will waste my leave (Now, I still have 1 week leave in excess).

When I found out Suria is showing it every Thu, I fret. I watched that show EVERYDAY for a whole month and Suria is only showing it weekly? How long will it take? Little that I know, Suria showed 1 1/2 hrs of the show weekly. It wasn't long before the ending comes. Jeng jeng jeng...

Tomorrow is a holiday and I have the chance to meet up with pals and catch a movie or two but I choose to stay at home, my butt fixed in front of the tv and wait. Then it dawn upon me that I've gotta send mum to work, meaning I will miss 1/4 of the show. Shucks!

Then, you know what happened?

My mum offered to go to work by herself, meaning she will have to walk. I was taken aback, so I said, wait till the ads, I will then send her. She said it's allright. She's watched the ending so I should watch it too. I felt really really bad for favouring a tv programme over my her but my mum, having borne me & brought me up, knows me inside out. She knows how desperately I need to watch this 'un.

Hey, I waited 2 darn years for this moment!

I muttered a guilty "Thank You" when kissing her hand. Gosh, I SO LOVE MY MUM!!!! *muacks!*

Gonna treat her someday. To a spa, perhaps? Hmmm, maybe a shopping spree. Anything. Just to show how much that little sacrifice of hers means a lot to me...

2 years.. I'm finally free.

Went to Mr Brown's blog and apparently, he's gotten quite a number of ppl on this: "I'm too sexy for my blog" thingy, where ppl will publish pictures with their tounge sticking out and declaring themselves 'sexy' as they did it.

Thought of giving it a shot but my digicam's with my pal and my attempt at getting a good one with my Nokia 6230 doesn't really work. Plus, my face is already slathered with night cream (the whitening kind) so the result came out: NOT GOOD.

Sheesh. So I dug around 'My Pictures' folder and found a dated one. Tiny tounge ala guppy-the-fish but the bonus is my bro's face in the background...

Call me silly, call me ignorant, call me whatever you want.

I am very much aware of the sombre nature of my previous entry but

I Have To Get This Off My Mind!

Ahem....

Anybody seen this guy around in S'pore?

Yes, all 1.8m of him with his 6-packs (in case you see him bare-bodied). He came down here from NYC for some job stint and has been here for a month. Will be going off in mid-April, which means that I am running out of time!!! You dun' expect me to look for him in NYC, dun you? It's already hard enuff' in tiny S'pore.

Pls, pls tell me where it is possible for me to see him-in flesh.

It'll be a kinda' good relief you know, from all that stress at work. Just a smile from him to make me squeal, lift me above the ground and bring my head high up above the clouds.

Sigh....

Beat any drugs, hands down. And no, I have NOT tried ANY drugs (aside from those prescribed by the doctor, that is).

Oh, by the way, his name is Jon Jonsson.

Wipe off that drool, ladies.

Anybody watched THE CONTENDER on cable-AXN (ch 19) yesterday?

Those who watched will know how tragically that episode ended. Read HERE to know more.

Najai "The Nitro" Turpin was already dead by the time they broadcast the episode which showed him being eliminated after he lost to Sergion "The Latin Snake" Mora.

The irony was that it was Najai who volunteered himself for 'the big fight' that day. He was prepared-physically & mentally and he's the one who chose Sergio.

What actually drew me to support him is his sheer determination. He does exude some mysterious aura, though. Something about his confidence or self-esteem did intrigue me. You should see the way he refused to look at Sergio in the eye when choosing him (it sure helps, the fact that Sergio is much taller).

Another reason is his 2 yr-old daughter, Anyae. She's soooo cuuuuteee! So chubby with big, big eyes. She oozed innocence in such a way you wish you were there just so you can pick her up and hug her. The way she calls, "Dada." They way she waddled around the room, playing with her daddy. The way she slept during her daddy's match. The way she made her 'Dada' smile and laugh again despite losing the match, when he played chase with her in the locker area...

IN LOVING MEMORY
Najai Turpin
1981-2005

---Yes, peeps. He's only 23---

All day I dream about...

All . Day . I . Dream . About . Sale...err... Sports.
190305

Met my paternal cousins & nieces. The idea was to plan for our BBQ that'll take place over the Gd Fridae weekend. I think we did more than just that...
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There was an ADIDAS warehouse sale at Expo Hall 4. Not much stuff but the bargains were pretty good. Got a new pair of shoes ;)

---

Went to the Pesta Makanan Halal at hall 6.
Bought a bounty of food for our 'mini picnic' (when you brought along kids, you need to make things fun) @ the airport later on.

One of my cousin disappeared amidst all the ruckus. Turned out, she paid $5 for some facial-cum-makeover session. Kinda' pissed off when we actually ended up having to wait for her 'beauty session' to be over.

Were prepared to give some sorta' tounge lashing for all that waiting but the anger diffused immediately, upon seeing her face...

Look at that! Wouldn't you laugh?! Macam wayang pek-ji!

Oh, by the way she's only 15.

---

Ni, lah gamba orang2x jakun. Takde tempat lain ke, nak picnic?!

Airport..?! Sheesh!

---

Down @ my aunt's

200305

Paid my maternal aunt a visit, to see how she's doing after her bad fall which caused her to have a fractured wrist.

That's when I saw moi cousin. Or so I thought...
Doesn't he look somewhat familiar???
Can't figure it out? Look at the top of my blogpage...


Seen the similarity? And I wonder all this while why I'm so infatuated with The Crow. I actually had one within my midst. It kinda' run in the family, I guess...

More antics with him and his wifey... Kecoh!
---
Malaysian GP 2005
200305

Fernando Alonso/Renault won - again!!!!

Call me silly but I'm never one to jump onto the bandwagon. As much as I admire Mike Schumacher with his racing skills and Ferrari for their superb machines, I'm just sick & tired of them winning. It's like there's no one else.

I know it's too early to tell after just 2 races but I'm gunning for Team Renault!!!
---

Ok, so that's the weekend - gone. Yet another Monday...

Wait! It's gonna be a 4-day week! Woo hoo!!!!...

Your Dominant Intelligence is Spatial Intelligence

You've got a good sense of space and how the world around you looks. You can close your eyes and "see" images. You have innate artistic talent. An eye for color and shapes, you're also a natural designer. Since you think in pictures, visual aids and demonstartions help you learn best. You would make a good navigator, sculptor, visual artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, or engineer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Why do people become...Devils in the driver's seat
Write words By Philip Lee



I read this columnist article in The New Paper dated 17th Mar'05. Very interesting. Fellow drivers will unanimously agree with what was written.

Read it here: THE ELECTRIC NEW PAPER

Here are excerpts of what was written...
---
...ROAD rage seems to be, well, the rage of the week.
A rash of angry confrontations on the roads were reported in newspapers both here and in Malaysia recently. Some of the Malaysian incidents ended with the victims being beaten to death...
...Why are people's emotions so volatile the moment they are behind the wheel?
I know of gentle friends, who, when they are in the driver's seat, morph into impatient and foul-mouthed demons....
...We hardly see pedestrians becoming so vexed when they get into one another's way.
But make a gaffe on the road and the erring motorist gets horn blasts, lewd finger signs, or worse....

Why? (yeah, why? enlighten me!)

If I had to make a guess, I would say that the mood of many motorists here has long been soured by accumulated annoyance.
Just drive for a week here and any motorist would be irked by:
-A car behind trying to overtake you the moment both approach a 'merge' lane.
-A car in front suddenly making a turn into a side road, or changing lanes, without signalling.
-Cars and taxis blatantly stopping by roadsides marked either with zigzag or double yellow lines, and blocking your way.
-Cars stopping in yellow box junctions and obstructing your way when the light is in your favour.
-A car behind suddenly speeding up when you signal to change lanes.
(at this point, I was fiercely nodding my head..)

...Motoring keeps the driver tense all the time, whether he is aware of it or not.
He is strapped down to perform boring tasks such as braking, keeping in lane, being alert to traffic conditions and to lousy drivers. He is also on the lookout for speed cameras...
....Any driver remotely appearing to threaten his treasure on wheels gets him all hot and bothered...
...Then there is this mindless egomania - that of territoriality (hint-hint... all you luxury car drivers out there..)
...He is never in good cheer and the resultant bad behaviour fouls the mood of others.
So, in the end everyone gets mean

As I see it, the Singapore motorist has unwittingly become a victim of his own boorishness... (tsk..tsk.. I couldn't agree more)

I dunno if this columnist is a male chauvinist but what's with the musculine form of reference for the drivers?!
'He/His'..... Whatever happened to 'They/Them'?! Now THAT'S general.

Gonna change my blogskin soon. I think some ppl got freaked out by the 'dark' layout. Fancy devoting this blog to a dead guy. I admit it looked like a freaking tomb, actually. Ok, I will change to something more cheerful ;)
---
I must have been so damn free (not exactly, I just FELT free) till that I set up an account with MULTIPLY. Yeap, I'm officially multiplied. For someone who's hardly committed, I can actually juggle to maintain 3 email accounts, 1 friendster, 2 blogs (one in hibernation) and now a Multiply a/c. Internet savvy? Naaayyy.... I'm far from the 'geek' factor.

Anyway, the thing about Multiply is that one has to register in order to be able to communicate with another Multiply user. Sheesh! Well, the registration is free, anyway.

Here's my Multiply account: I'VE MULTIPLED !!!

The one about going to Thailand...

This weekend, I've been telling myself that I wanna blog about a certain something. However, being the procrastinator that I am, I never really get into doing it. Sigh....

After getting some transactions done on my IB, I resort to some blog-hopping. I told myself that I'm getting sleepy and will be logging of soon(it's Monday tomorrow). That was at 2230hrs. It's 0000hrs and what am I doing?

Yes. Blogging. Sheesh!
--- --- --- --- --- ---
What in the world happened?

Simple. Will tell it cave-man style....
Me blog-hop. Me read and read. Me go to Mr Brown's blog. Me read. Mr Brown in Bangkok. Mr Brown go shopping. Mr Brown talks of being sweaty. Mr Brown says he felt out of place somewhere. Mr Brown...

Ok, ok. Enuff' of Mr Brown. Now... The thing bout' feeling out-of-place...Where have I been thru' that before...? *ponders*

Duh! He said he's in Bangkok! Doofus!
---
I remember that clearly. My collegue & I (yes, just the 2 of us...) had gone to Chatuchak earlier in the day, dumped all our shopping in the hotel room and rushed out again, this time to MBK. In our pursuit to purchase a HRC tee (original), we stumbled into Siam Centre. Now, this building speaks one word. No, make that 2 words. Swanky + posh. Very Paragon.

And of all places to have a loose bladder, it had to be in this bldg. Shucks.

There we were, lining up amongst these ladies(real ones) who more these chic mules and strappy heels (I saw Gucci & Ferragamo), slinky tops(err.... some Italian/French designer stuff) and these tight, low-hung jeans(not just some Levi's but ridiculously expensive all the same). We were all flushed, hot and sweaty (kinda' dusty/grimy after walking along the roads), wearing capri, tees and Teva look-alike sandals. Oh did I mention dirty & sweaty?

Wait, I'm missing one part. Did I mention the fact that we look so much like Thais (not the tall, thin Mtv VJ type) that no vendors approached us with their wares like they did to other 'fellow' tourists?? It sure dun' help, the fact that I practiced so hard on those basic Thai that I sound like them (nasal & all).

From Bangkok to Phuket, all of them gave the same apologetic look after we said the so oft-mentioned phrase, "We're not Thai." They then said, "Oh, I tot u Thai people." After just smiling politely they said, "You look like Thai people." Ok, ok. Enuff' said. Whatever!

Then they proceed to bug us to buy their wares. Dang!

Suddenly I missed looking like a Thai. It sure helped though when we go out at night. We practically blend into the crown. No hassle. Ppl ignored us and mind their business. We try not to speak a lot. We smiled a lot (yes, Thais love smiling).
---
However, till now, I'm determined to get back to Siam Centre. This time I'll be dressed to the nines(casual-wise) and blend into the chic crowd there. Maybe I'll even stand out. Hmmpf!

Wait, there's something I missed. We look so much like 'Thai people' that we were even mistaken for 'social escorts' in Phuket. Incredulous, you say?!
---
We ordered some take-aways at this restaurant. So as not to look silly waiting inside while everyone else is dining, we waited outside(they prepared this cute bench in front). Our conversation was rudely interrupted by this middle-aged american man with this thick moustach. He was directly in front of us (goodness knows how long he's been standing there..)

You know what that perve-of-a-man said? "You one of the escort???"

Ooooooh, I betcha' my eyes were as wide as saucers then. I exclaimed with, "I'm sorry?!" (made sure my English sounded posh and un-'escortish'). I swore I could have stomped on his feet and screamed this into his face, "Do I look like a blardee, f***ing escort to ya??!"

Pardon that expletive. I was THAT angry. Luckily the restaurant fella' came out in time with the bill. I fished out my card from the purse. No, make that, FLASHED my card. Made sure he saw that I AM NOT AN ESCORT!

He looked sheepish as he walked away. In my anger, I forgot to ask after him, "What, no apologies??!"

Goodness, it's been a year and I'm still seething from anger with regards to this matter. Somehow, my collegue and myself managed to laugh the matter off soon after that. We joked about what we could have said and done in response to that lewd enquiry. Hee... What would YOU have done??

Heh. I does seem funny.

So much for responding to 'Mr Brown feeling out-of-place' in Bangkok... Sheesh!
---

In D'ma Pavilion Hotel, Bangkok~We were soooo busy shopping, we only took 4 pics in Bangkok and all were taken in the room. Pathetic!

Banthai Resort, Phuket.

Banthai Resort, Phuket~Pool

Snorkelling at Loh Samah~Koh Phi Phi

Beautiful Scenery~Maya Beach

IN :: OUT

Bayern.M :: Arsenal (:P)

Juve :: R.Madrid (:>)

Liverpool :: Leverkusen (:>)

PSV :: Monaco (:>)

Chelsea :: Barca (:P)

AC Milan :: ManU (:>)

Lyon :: Bremen (:>)

PENDING:

Inter - Porto

Take note:
~The last time I went to J.B in a car was almost a decade ago.
~I've always preferred buses. It's more fun. More people to see. More 'adventurous'.
~Even if I was with my relatives, we would have chartered a passanger van. That will put us through the same ordeal as those who took the bus. Get off, queue up at the customs, go up-go down...bla bla...

And yet....

Yesterday I actually DROVE there??! You have got to be kidding, man.
---
I remember my cousin telling me bout the 'box where you insert your cash card to pay'. He can say all he wanna but I SIMPLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
When having our passports stamped, I have the cheek to ask the customs lady this...
Me: (Tinkering with the LED lights on box) What is this box for?
Lady: For Cash Card payment.

Now, where have I heard bout this Cash Card thingy? Hmm... *ponder*

Doofus! Of course! So this is the 'box' that my cousin was talking about! Sheesh! *hurriedly look for card to pay*
---
Have you seen the way M'sians drive? It's a funny sight- when you're a passanger.
When you're behind the wheel? It's simply infuriating. All I can do is rant and rant (can't curse cos' parents are in car).
And all those horror stories I heard & read about those road bullies that simply despise S'porean drivers held me back. I would soooo love to give them a taste of their own medicine.
---
And the parking at Angsana sux to the core, man! The poor layout of all the ramps+ impatient+lazy+kiasu drivers=massive jam-within the multi-storey carpark. Silly, rite?

There was this instance where those who were coming down the ramp have to squeeze thru' this idiot who insist on inching his car up and this blatant imp who refuse to budge. The car in front of me had to reverse back 3x before barely scraping thru'. My mum was already reciting her prayers when it's my turn to do so. My car was less that 2cm from the wall when I squeezed thru. Phew! I betcha' a Merc, BMW or Jag won't be able to make it.
---
So much for my first time.
---
Trivia:
I wonder if M'sian even have this thing called, BASIC THEORY? Hmm...Break across chevrons, no signals, overtaking from the wrong side etc....

Highlight of the day:
Cheap food, cheap street-wear selections, cheap groceries, cheaper petrol and an empty highway on the way to the Tuas 2nd link. Woo-weee!!!

Amazing sight:
~Me head-to-head with a double-decker tour bus on the highway. I was going at 110kmph.
~Guys squatting on their bikes while having a race down the highway. Crazy.
---
My uncles asked if I would wanna do this again. Funny. Just before that, I asked my dad if we can drive to my relative's house in Selangor for this upcoming wedding that they invite us to.

Shiok, man!
---
PS: It's advisable to park ur car head-in with your tires turned to one side. That way, car thieves can't tow away your car.
Yes, peeps, some ppl dun bother to pick the lock. They just tow your precious car away. Sick, rite??!

hEyA peeps!

I changed my skin! Yeap, yeap, yeap.

I know that the previous skin was kinda 'pixelated' (terms used by fellas to described what we regularly called, 'blurred' image). Somehow I already lost my mood to commit to another one so bear with it.

Anyway, had supper with my bro and can't sleep. Browsed through my stored pics & noticed that I've amassed a great collection of Brandon Lee/The Crow pics. Therefore, I wanna make a 'mini-tribute' to him, also known as the son of the legendary Bruce Lee, founder of Jeet Kun Do.

It's a pity he died young. No, wait. THEY both died young. How tragic.

Did I hear someone mentioning something bout' an ol' curse?
Geez, I don't know.
You decide.

I feel like such a doofus. I so confidently wanted to process some bill payment for my dad only to realize upon logging in that I forgotten his internet banking's user id. Yeap, not the password/pin but the user id. How dumb is that?! FYI, I have full authorisation from my dad to access his internet banking, ok?

Until now, I'm still figuring out the various names I could have used for his user id. From the simplest to the stoopidest. Really, I'm at loss. I wanna get this payment over and done with for my poor memory always did me injustice and in no time at all, I'm gonna forget about this whole hoo-ha. Darn!

Maybe the fact that I have lesser oxygen getting into my brain is the cause to this problem. Cos' I caught the flu bug. After weeks of dreary, hot weather, the sky decided to pour out all the rain it held back. My physical self somehow became intolerant towards this sudden pattern of the weather. Yea, yea, poor immunity and all...

As of yesterday, my throat became all scratchy, I sweat heavily despite the chilly weather, my brain became all fuzzy & I officially breathe though a single nostril. If it's not the right, it's the left. Never both. Yeah, thus the lack of oxygen.

When I sleep, I have to resort to leaving my mouth open. Thank goodness, I slept on my side. Should I sleep face up.... Urgh, nevermind. Anyway, I have a new new addition to my entourage of sleeping companions (read: 4 big pillows, I small mashimaro pillow & 1 large mashimaro). That being a tissue box. A frilly one at that. My nose is dripping like nobody's business. A leaking tap, definitely. My nose is all bruised from all the constant abrasions caused by tissue papers. I dunno how often blow my nose throughout the night but I woke up to see this pile of soggy tissues beside me. Ugh!

What in the world am I doing? Griping? Goodness, before I start to type in some hapless crap, I'd better stop. Gosh, I feel sooo *duhhhhh...*

Ciao!

*heads for the bed*

Carling Cup Final

Carling Cup Final
Chelsea 3 - Liverpool 2
270205


Yesterday night, 2 of my most favourite captains from the English Premiership were on the same field. One turned into a villain 11mins into the last whistle and cost his dear team the Carling Cup while the other not only get to hold up that same cup, he was the Man-of-the-Match as well.
Sigh...What an unexpected diverse outcome.
---
Anyway, since the extra time from yesterday's match cost me 1/2 hour of my precious sleep, I shall not be long-winded bout' my take on yesterday's match. Here are 2 characters. One named Guy, a regular fan out there while another is Dude, a bumbling idiot.
---
Dude: Guy, that was a great header yeah, by Steven Gerrard?
Guy: Dude! He put it into the wrong net!
---
Guy: I think after the match, everyone on the Liverpool team should line up before Steven Gerrard and each of them give him a big knock on the head.
Dude: Yeah, hee. The same head that put the ball into the wrong net.
Guy: (knocks Dude's head) Just how my heads do you think that fella had??!
---
Sigh, pardon the lame attempt at a joke, there. Sleeping late before a Monday is definitely not my idea of a great start to the new week....
---
Here's waiting for the blues..... (Monday blues, I mean and NOT Chelsea)

In order to make myself feel less pathetic, I decide to commit myself to the, "Great Blog-Hopping Mission."

Gosh, that sounds even MORE pathetic.

... Anyway, I discovered some really cool blogs and I sure dun' mind sharing them. Here goes...

1> Jellyfish Online
She hailed all the way from Australia and her blog entries never failed to make me laugh. Despite the sombre note of her latest entry, I have to admit that I'm still laughing. Not that I'm laughing at someone else's misfortune, but this girl is still funny even when she's pissed. Serious.

Try this: ".... I'm there, making dinner, running the bath, and trying to over-compensate by being wacky crazy funtimes babysitter...
And so I forget to turn the taps off. And the bath overflows. And FLOODS THE MAIN BEDROOM. I'm not joking. Metres of carpet saturated. As I ran into the room, I actually saw little black spots in front of my eyes and thought I was going to pass out...."

Do scroll down to read her earlier entry: Shonky Showtunes Moments of Shame. Oooh, those pics & info are a classic! For this, I believe you'll laugh even harder when reading other bloggers submitting their OWN 'Shonkastic Moments' (as requested by Ms Jellyfish herself).

2> The Krankiboy Khronicles
Now this fella, comes from California, L.A. Check out the way he fired away at the District Administration after they got him 'pre-fired', meaning losing his job he loved so much prematurely. And it wasn't him who is the problem. It's them. So sad.

His latest entry blew me away. *snickers*
Apparently, this guy, when hearing that Kranki was a former writer, actually dashed off suddenly. He came back to pass him a screenplay. So this guy is a budding screenwriter...Hmm... He actually also gave his 'headshot'. Check that out at Kranki's entry....

*snickers again* Now this is the best part. THE screenplay is titled:

Slade Ripfire: Deadly Blood-Kick to Oblivion
You think the title is not cheesy enough? Try this, "... All over the city there are karate crimes of deadly portions.."
~Huh? 'Karate crimes'???
"... The killer revealed - It's Cho-Cho Washington the baddest black chicano karate teach in the city (Slade is all-black with no Chicano)..."
~Did I read it right? The baddie's name is 'Cho-Cho Washington'!!!? Heee... Geez! Give me 10 reasons not to laugh!

3> Query Letters I Love
Query letters are summaries of a person's idea as to what a movie should be about.

Eg: Query letter for Titanic will be, "Cheesy love story of a pair of lovers who were there when the great Titanic sank. Girl is from upper-class, boy is poor. Girl's fiance is also on board..." Of course that 'cheesy' part is something I chose to add.

This blog is regularly updated with query letters sent in from various people from all over who had ideas for upcoming movies. And yes, this blogger is based in Hollywood.

You never know what kind of quirky ideas ppl have for their take on creative thinking. Tsk tsk...

4> Greg the Boyfriend
Now this is quite a famous bloggerwho resides in New York city. I learnt of him from another blogger. Frankly speaking, I am still stuck in this blog trying to read his entries from the start. I admit, I'm hooked.

What drew me to his entries is that it was written like some sort of biography. Goodness knows, just how honestly he writes them but it sounds good to me. You may be turned off by his ultra-wacko lifestyle full of 'wham bam thank-you mams'. Pretty aimless and almost frustrating but the thing is, it seemed real. I blog-hopped to learn about other peoples' lifestyles and I sure am learning a lot from his blog. Though there were at times when he really sounded somewhat shallow.

To sum it up, you'll be reading entries from a 'pathetic lovesick drunk' and an 'almost jerk', if not one. Well, he said so himself...

The day I went for a massage...Owwww!
260205
---
My gosh! If it's a wonder why I'm at home at all, this being a Saturday night, all I can say is, "My body hurts like crazy!!!"

Ok, so I voluntarily send it for 'assault' but pain is still pain, all right? It's been ages since I last went for a massage( since the day I bow away from the ridiculously expensive spa treatments), when the day finally come today (after much coaxing from my dear parents), I now felt like some punching bag.

It started with some foot reflexology. One thing I learnt from that part of the experience:Water retention make foot massages hurt like hell.

When it comes to the back massage, gosh, I spent 1/2 the time telling myself, "If mothers giving birth use correct breathing techniques to help counter some of the pain, I can use it for this moment," So amidst the ,"Eargh! Oww! Eeek!" I tell myself, "Breathe, for goodness sake, breathe!"

One thing I learn from back massages: Sitting to long hours in the office, staring at the computer, turns your neck and shoulders into some logs. Yes, it's THAT stiff. The pain told me just that.

Needless to say, I came out of the shop somewhat exhausted. But hey! It's my first time, that's why it hurts so much (I hope that's the case).

...Anyway, I better not quit for I have forked out some $200 for another 10 or so sessions. Darn!