I Put the Ling in Lingerie

This Blog Is Dead. New Blog Rises from the Ashes

2009-05-03T01:25:00.003+08:00

May this blog RIP.

New blog pops out of me, screaming at the top of its lungs. Let's see. I'll name it girlmalaysia.blogspot.com

Trotting in Tokyo (Day 1)

2009-04-28T00:00:00.016+08:00

Finally I'm getting around to writing about my trip to Tokyo after bugging Navin endlessly to pass me the photos . Through daily skype messages, SMSes and verbally no less.

We purchased the flight tickets 5 months ago during the MAS promo fair at RM2300 return. We thought it was a steal until recently JAL came up with the RM1300 offer. Ah well...

I had one big luggage bag that I discovered didn't work very well (I'll illustrate in later posts) and Navin had his belongings in a bag that was placed in a bigger bag (turned out he really needed 2 bags...you'll see why later).

On 4th April 2009, 11am, we took off from KLIA to the land of Sakuras...if we had tails, we'd be wagging them.

This is probably the longest flight I've ever been on and the first time I've ever had airplane meals. It's more delicious and elaborate than I expected!

6 hours later, we start decending for Narita Airport! Japan is one hour ahead of Malaysian time, so local time was 7pm.

Once we got off, we rushed to the first toilet we could find. Not only to answer nature's call, but we couldn't wait to experience first hand the famous Japan toilets. We'd come across more interesting ones during the rest of the journey, but this struck me as...odd:

What is the man doing propping up the lady's legs while she is in a horizontal position? Only indecent thoughts come to our minds...

Navin made the first boo boo of our trip. We spotted our first machine at the train station while waiting for the Narita Express to bring us to the connecting local railways.

"Ooo! Coin exchange machine" and he eagerly feeds it with 1000 yen (RM40 approx).

Out pops a small card. What the...? A phone card.

The then miserable Navin would later discover that the phone card would come in handy after all.

We took the train to Ueno park and switched trains to get to Tawamarachi station. Our first accomodation was Ryokan Asakusa Tokaisou (about 15 mins train ride from Tokyo centre). For 9000 yen per night for 2 pax, it was decent, clean and quite cosy.

After chucking our bags in the ryokan, we set out with hungry bellies to look for FOOD!
For Malaysians who are used to the humid tropical weather, 10 degrees in the wind is so very cold! We huddled under our jackets and walked around the area for awhile before coming upon a little ricebowl shop in the corner. We had to first figure out how to choose and pay for the food at the vending machine outside the shop. Everything was in Japanese. We compared the writings on the few food pictures displayed with the tabs on the vending machine, and simply hoped for the best. After putting in the money and pressing the buttons, we collect food vouchers from the machine.

We entered the shop to be greeted by a lone old man who had the most lovely wrinkled face. We sat at the ala bar style counter and placed the vouchers on the countertop. The old man asked a question in Japanese and after we looked at each other in puzzlement, he held a strand of soba in one hand and a scoop of udon in the other.

"soba? udon?"

"aah. udon!"

We heartily tucked in while observing the old man clink-clanked around the kitchen. He was a one man show after all - cooking, cleaning, prepping all by himself. That was one of the best katsu-dons I have ever tasted.

Tummies filled, we trot back to our ryokan and spotted another form of accomodation that we neglected to consider:

Moving along, we finally came upon...

...our first sakura sighting! By a quaint little temple in the midst of the shoplots.

With that, it was the end of our first day. We don the yukatas provided and settled down for the night eagerly anticipating great new sights that await us for the next 8 days.

Opps

2009-04-25T00:48:00.001+08:00

I just realised that my blog's setting required me to approve the comments. Gosh, there were 20 comments waiting for my approval from eons ago. Opps. Sorry to my friends who commented. I didn't mean to be rude...

yummy yummy in my tummy

2009-03-17T00:40:00.003+08:00

I'm not an expert of Korean food, but I likey Han Woo Rii @ Taipan.
I stumbled onto this quiet restaurant when I tried to get to the other gaudy one with bright LED lights on the outside (I tried it later and I won't go again).

Han Woo Rii has great service, yummy bbq cows, yummy side dishes, yummy kimchi jighe (i don't even like kimchi!) and yummy dessert to cleanse the palate (a sort of red dates water with rice)

They don't have many customers though, probably because customers are DECEIVED by the blinking lights outside the other restaurant. I felt so bad for the manager, I am compeled to offer my marketing services.

SPD: Smiling at Plastic Disorder

2009-03-10T22:03:00.002+08:00

Warning! There is a new disorder that has surfaced in modern societies whereby a person starts smiling at a piece of plastic in his/her hand or sometimes at bigger chunks on the table.

This is the Smiling at a piece of Plastic Disorder or SPD.

It is observed that this disorder appeared the same time as SMSes and Instant Messaging. Sometimes, the person will also be induced to laugh at the plastic.

People who are at risk of getting SPD are those who usually communicate through SMSes and IM, rather than physical conversations with another person.

There is no actual danger from SPD, accept the people around him/her might perceive this person as not quite right 'up there'

Eavesdropping

2009-03-02T19:56:00.002+08:00

I was browsing at an accessories store. In comes a girl and her mother.

Girl : Ma, look. Look at the earrings, so nice. RM13 only. Buy for me, Ma.

Ma: You already have so earrings, girl. You don't need more.

Girl: Where got, Ma. See, I don't have purple. Purple is an 'in' colour now. Look at the necklace. Buy for me, please.

Ma: You don't need this, girl.

Girl: I can wear to work, Ma.

(now this is where I get really annoyed. Not only she was blocking me from browsing the area I wanted to, she is already working and still (1) asking her mother to buy her things and (2) it's an unnecessary item! She's pleading like there's no rice to feed her hungry belly)

Her sister comes in.

Girl: See! Look at the ring. Isn't it nice?

Sister: Yes, very nice. Very reasonable price too.

Girl: See, Ma. Buy for me.

Ma: No.

Sister: Which one you want? I buy for you.

(At this point I want to grab a necklace and choke the whole family - for spoiling and being spoiled)

Conversation with MJ

2009-02-24T22:35:00.002+08:00

through IM...

MJ: I dreamt last night that you resigned and said "I'm fed up with the corporate world!"

Me: Ohmygoodness! You're reading my mind! I HAVE been restless lately thinking what am I doing in the rat race that I never intended to join in the first place.

*theme from Twilight Zone plays*

MJ: Ya. I'm wondering what are you still doing there. Thought you would have left by now.

Me: No guts. Love money.

Excuse me for wanting to have an arse

2009-02-24T20:28:00.005+08:00

Ok, so I've gained weight. Big deal.

Okay, I moan about it sometimes, but essentially I've finally made peace with the body I have. I actually have gained a nice, grab-bable arse.

So, to those people out there who have been spitting in my face "so fat now! diet! exercise!", stop projecting your ideal image of beauty on me. You can obsessed with your own body all you want, but leave me alone. Let a girl love her body if she can for the sad fact is that few girls can withdraw from the mainstream idea of beauty to find it in herself.

Excuse me for not wanting to spend my life obsessing about how my body is less than perfect, feeling guilty whenever I eat that cookie half, or exercising like that would end poverty & famine (there are more important things, my point is).

In the renaissance era, great artists painted masterpieces of women with curves. They were the beauties of that time. I bet people went up to the slim ones and spat 'so thin! eat more! don't exercise!"

Essentially, beauty is just an illusion that varies through time, culture and beholder.

So, excuse me for thinking that my arse is beautiful. Can you say the same of your skinny one?

Regressing instead of Progressing

2009-01-28T22:33:00.011+08:00

3 years ago		NOW
Obsessed with diet & exercise		Obsessed with eating good food
107 pounds		14 pounds heavier
Think I'm fatter than what people observe		Think I'm slimmer than what people say. Curves are sexy, dammit!
Long term goal is to find a good job, start a family		Longest term goal is only 6 months ahead, that is planning my travels
Wear what is practical.		Developed thirst for fashion and nice clothes
Padini, Vincci, whatever's on 70% off		ZARA, ZARA and...more ZARA than I need.
Can't balance on heels for the life of me		3 inch heels make my legs look longer!
Must be nice to people. Don't burn bridges.		Can't be bothered with people who don't like me. Will only spend effort and energy on those who like me - sarcasm, bad habits, attitude & all.
"Friendster is for keeping in touch with friends" smiles sweetly		"Facebook is for me to kay-poh all my friends' (& enemies') photos, status, appearance, etc" snickers
Watch indie movies, documentaries, etc		Still like indies and docs, but spend most time watching E! News
Scours menu for cheapest meal		Mmm, this looks yummy. Gobble gobble. How much ah? I forgot to look at the price just now.
Once a while indulge in Starbucks		Starbucks again?

I'm regressing instead of progressing.

The problem with me is that I think I skipped the "youthful recklessness, abandonment & messed-up" phase of development and moved straight to the "matured, responsible & in control" stage. My mind is rewinding my development so that I go through all the stages of life...perhaps as it should be.

I'm a little teapot, short and stout....

2008-12-27T22:42:00.002+08:00

Dad has more teapots than I have shoes.... I need to catch up

Just a pair or two...

2008-12-06T23:23:00.004+08:00

If a woman can't have enough shoes...

...and Ee Ling is a woman,

...then, Ee Ling doesn't have enough shoes.

I have...
Lewre : 5
Primavera : 4
Charles & Keith : 1
Vincci : too many. i'm ashamed. never again.
Ciplak brand : 3

Wish list : sexy boots, Oxfords...perhaps something from Nine West next time. Time to upgrade my taste and eventually achieve a Jimmy Choo.

Sandals : 3
Ballet pumps : 1
Working shoes : 4
Dinner shoes : 4
Casual chic : 7

Total shoes out of 19 not made for walking....

...

...

12!

And the Best Shoe Award goes to:

My open toe pumps from Primavera.
Pretty, chic, comfy, can be worn for a night out or to work.

Oh, just going to a little city called Tokyo next April...

2008-11-23T23:36:00.006+08:00

HAKAKAKKA..... I know I know. Everyone is JEALOUS of me because I'm going to TOHKEEOH next April! WHEEEEEE...

From now until March, I'm gonna be a miser. I've even cut down on my shopping (a miracle!) with the exception of the ZARA sale end of this year.

Oddly enough, the thing I look forward to to seeing in Japan is their vending machines! I'm a sucker for technology (I'm a self confessed Star Trek fan).

Googling ahead to see what I can expect...

Flowers from a machine...for those who forget their wives/girlfriends' birthday and need to pick up a last minute gift on the way home

Eggs!

French fries and hot dogs?

Porn! Woo-hoo! *ahem*
They had to put up bars to protect the porn from horny Japs.

Reverse vending machine! Put in your used cans and get money. Coolness.

The new buzz 'phrase' in town

2008-09-03T00:26:00.004+08:00

"We would have been better off being ruled by the British"

The rumbles in the country is a warning sign for a major earth quake. A change is coming... I can feel it in my bones. I just hope no blood is shed in the process.

UPDATE:

Oh, this is good...

Pink?! Gosh, I wouldn't have known!

2008-07-24T22:05:00.006+08:00

Today I was browsing in a bag store and there was one of those sales assistants that tail you around the store.

"Xiao jie, ni zhao she me?" (Miss, what are you looking for?)

"I'm just looking. Any discount for this one?"

"eer...*mumble mumble*" She points at a stack of bags at 50% off.

"Okay"

I spotted a cute design and picked up one of the four colours displayed.

"Zhe ge you si ge yan se" (this one comes in four colours)

Duh.

She continued, "You hei se, bai se, lan se" (there's black, white and blue colour)

Duh. They are displayed there.

"Ni na zhe de shi fen hong se" (The one you are holding is pink)

Huh? What? HAHAHAHAHAHA... Do I have colour blind written on me somewhere ah?

Why I'm glad to be a Malaysian

2008-06-17T18:00:00.003+08:00

Recently I took on a freelance writing job which requires me to research into Malaysia's historical figures. I'm reminded again that I'm glad to be a Malaysian. Oh let me count the ways...

#1) I can have a choice of multiple cuisines anytime I want

#2) We have durians , dukus, dukongs, mangosteens and rambutans.

#3) My Indian friends gladly oblige when I asked them to supply me with murukus during Deepavali. They were so generous last Deepavali that I was bleeding muruku essence through my pores from excessive intake.

#4) My Malay roommates during Uni days did not have much, but they shared everything that they had.

#5) The different races live together in harmony, and even within the races, the different dialect groups mix together freely. Because of that, I can speak English, Cantonese and Malay, and a smattering of Hokkien and Mandarin. An American girl I once met was so jealous.

#6) We have currypuffs and teh tarik and roti bakar & telur separuh masak.

#7) We have mamaks! What would life be without this watering hole? We would wander aimlessly at 1am. Perish the thought!

#8) My Indian girlfriends happily lend me their good sarees, which aren't cheap. They'll even help tie the saree around me, because it requires skills. I tell you, sarees accentuate curves like no other outfit.

#9) I heart dry rendang curry.

#10) I like listening to Sabahan and Sarawakians speak. They have the most lovely accents. And they can really sing! Mia Palencia, I heart you too!

#11) I sat next to two Malay guys in my previous company. We always snickered and giggled over dirty jokes. I called them my Suami Nombor Satu and Suami Nombor Dua "Saya masih boleh kahwin dua lagi!" I used to tell them.

#12) I can have holidays on CNY, Hari Raya, Deepavali, Wesak, Thaipusam, Birth of Prophet Muhammad, etc...

#13) Illegal DVDs

#14) People of mixed parentage are just so darn cute and good-looking!

Ee Ling is a Banana* again...

2008-06-11T23:47:00.003+08:00

I recently dug out my audio cds that I 'created' in my Uni days (read: downloaded mp3s illegally and burnt them onto cds). They were mostly chinese pop songs because I didn't like the English music trend then and I was trying hard to learn Chinese.

I popped the cds into the player and as the likes of Sun Yan Zi, Tai Pen Ni and Liang Jing Ru sang to me, I couldn't help reminising about the time I was in Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.

When I was a student there, I often spent my afternoons copying song lyrics in CHINESE. I was pretty good, really, considering I was born and bred a Banana* and I was teaching myself from my trusty dictionary with occasional help from my coursemates.

I was desperately trying to cling on to my Chinese roots, and language is such a vital element to do so. I managed to become a what I call "half ripe banana".

But when I graduated and returned to Subang Jaya, the land of Bananas and Coconuts**, I gradually stopped watching Wah Lai Toi and TVB, and switched to Hallmark and E! News. My Cantonese became 'rusty' because I spoke English most of the time. I stopped tuning in to 98.8, and chose Rudy & JJ over Chan Fong. Sigh.

The last chinese album I bought was in 2005.

The only interest I took in the 'Chinese world' was when the pictures of Edison Chen came out.

I am a full blown Banana again.

Sad.

I think it's time to make a trip to pasar malam soon. I wonder if my favourite artistes are still making albums. Who are the hottest artistes nowadays anyway? Can someone clue me in?

*Banana: a Chinese who speaks English and not his/her mother tongue; and is Westernised
**Coconut: the Indian equivalent of the above

Men's Chocolate

2008-05-12T19:15:00.004+08:00

What? Why only men can eat this?

You Just Can't Pee When You Need To

2008-04-29T20:14:00.004+08:00

When you are told to not blink, immediately you will. When you're told to not think of Jude Law naked, immediately you will. Your body and mind just 'boh tia ua' (disobedient) sometimes.

It the same with peeing. Ever needed to give a urine sample, but when you're standing over the toilet bowl (for the girls, they adopt the riding horse stance) with the cup in position, your bladder and urethra muscles just boh tia ua?

I had to go through it last Saturday during my medical checkup at Sunway Medical Centre. I was a good 10 minutes in the bathroom before I came out. The nurse must be wondering what I was doing in there...since it's not like I needed to give them a semen sample.

I must say, the whole med check process was more pleasant than I expected. I didn't need to wait any more than 5 minutes between each tests (urine, blood, ECG and X-Ray) so I didn't get through more than a few pages of the thick novel I brought along to keep myself occupied.

It was quite interesting to see that they have a new way to draw blood now. They do not use a typical syringe now. Instead, they pierce the vein with what looks like the head of a syringe. Then they fit the mini test tube to the head, and the blood just flows in. When the tube is filled, they just change it with another then another. So the different tubes are ready to be sent for the various testing.

And they throw in a complimentary coffee and food item (below RM6.90) so that you can break fast at Starbucks at the lobby area after your tests. Not bad, ei?

Cost of the overall checkup is RM385. I'm going back in two weeks time for the report and to meet with the Doctor. Ugh. I'm afraid of what I might find out.

Executive Woes: Interview Blunders

2008-04-21T10:08:00.004+08:00

I'm sure many of us get extremely nervous during interviews, and we might have said a stupid thing or two.

But some of the stories I've heard from the interviewers are really hilarious.

These two situations REALLY happened!

Dining at C.Club

2008-04-14T13:58:00.012+08:00

My cousin-in-law works at The Carat Club @ Bangsar. She recommended that we try the C.Club's restaurant outlet at The Pavillion.

I'm a sucker for ambience, and when I saw the unique decor of the restaurant I knew I just had to try it out.

Before I visit a new restaurant, I like to ask the all-knowing Google to tell me more about the place and help me decide beforehand what to order. Unfortunately, the Carat Club website did not feature the restaurant so I could not download the menu and there were only 2 or 3 blog entries out there that mentioned the place.

Hence, I am writing my first food entry in my blog, hoping that perhaps C.Club will give me a free meal if I manage to persuade a few more people to go ;-p

The decor is really quite interesting. There's the chandelier that extends to the floor below:

Then there's the pretty sequined cushion covers. It would be extremely sexy if a bikini was made from it:

Their emblem was everywhere and so in-your-face, including on their paper table mat. Fortunately, it's actually quite pretty and classy:

I kept taking pictures (the decor, the food, of myself ) because I knew I'd be blogging about the experience and I'm just plain vain. Hungry Xearthed whom I dragged along with me patiently obliged when I was going, "Wait! Wait! Don't eat yet! Lemme take picture first!" and a good 5 minutes of clicking ensued before I said, "Ok. NOW you can eat."

The food was delicious. I'm not a seasoned food blogger, so I do not know enough adjectives to describe food, nor did I remember to take down the names and description of the dishes cause I was too busy stuffing my face. I'll do it the lazy way and just post pictures!

Mushroom Soup (RM16) that had some fancy name on the menu which I can't remember what. I say mushroom soup is mushroom soup however you call it. This one is particularly yummy (2 adjectives used. I'm running low on vocab) with just the right saltiness and chunks of mushrooms still in it. Ya, Chewy Mushroom Soup, that's what I'll call it!

Roasted Spring Chicken (RM36). I loved the mashed potatoes with bits of corn in it. The sauce was also very tasty (3 adjectives down. Oh no! What word can I use next?). The chicken was a bit dry though...roasted too long.

Duck Confit Pasta (RM36). I recommend it for those who do not like rich sauces with their pasta, since it's cooked with some light olive oil.

To be honest, I didn't know what confit was (pai seh pai seh. I'm like a kampung girl. I like to eat but I don't have to know what I'm eating all the time. Same goes with alcohol). Luckily, C.Club was wi-fi enabled and I quickly Googled it on my Dopod. Preserved duck sounded very much like the waxed duck I'd eat during Chinese New Year, so we ordered it. Turns out, confit tastes exactly like one of my mum's chicken dish left overnight and reheated the next day. Don't misunderstand, I don't mean that in a bad way, ya. Some dishes taste better the next day.

The waiter that served our table had the same manner as the waiters in mamak stalls. He wasn't rude, but was...for the lack of a better word, selamba. He didn't smile, wasn't looking out for our needs, and it was so obvious his heart wasn't in it. I expected more from C.Club. They sell diamonds, after all. Aren't they suppose to be trained to put on a fake smile and pretend to like serving the customers?

Another waitress did bring us glasses of plain water with lemon to clear our palate after our meal. And she did it without us asking. Now, THAT's what I call good service - knowing what the customers need before they know it themselves.

Finally, the receipt came in a small little white packet with their emblem emblazoned in gold. What a nice souvenir to keep after a nice meal. I can keep...er..more receipts in it. Goodness knows I have more receipts than money in my purse.

I give my C.Club experience a 6.5/10 and a "I'd go again", partially because they have Happy Hour (till 9pm) whereby you can BUY 1 FREE 1 for beer and hard liqueur. Ooo...

My First Entry on Lingerie

2008-03-25T10:40:00.007+08:00

Ok, some people have told me that my blog has nothing to do with lingerie. So here is an entry about the sexy innerwear.

Victor 'stumbled' upon this site while he was doing 'research' online (yes, we believe you, Victor). Romance Culture is a local online lingerie boutique based in KL.

Boys, now you no longer need to enter Xixili, Blush or Women's Secret sneakily. You can shop from the privacy of your own home, whether it's for your girlfriends or yourselves (whatever turns you on, ei?).

Delivery within Malaysia is FREE!

They even have a section with guidelines on how to choose lingerie, that includes teaching guys how to tell their girlfriends' cup sizes:

Bra Cup Size	Estimated Fruit Size Equivalent
A	Lemon
B	Orange
C	Grapefruit
D	Melon

Note: This is a general rough estimation. Even fruits come in different shapes and sizes...and we are talking about a Galia melon, not a water melon.

My childhood plaything...LEGOS

2008-03-21T18:54:00.009+08:00

I still have my legos from childhood. I never was blessed enough to own a proper set, but inherited bits and pieces from my older siblings...a brick here, a horse there. Perhaps it was better this way. With a chapalang mixture of legos parts and no manual to follow, I relied on my imagination to build all things from castles to swords to humans.

Yes, I have started playing legos again. Now I play with new sets that come nicely packed in various plastics and placed in proper boxes. But I find myself following instructions to the tee. Has my scope for imagination become so narrow?

When I was younger, the 30 minutes before I sleep used to be allocated for imagining my journeys in different worlds...I could be in the present, past, future...I could be a heroine, or a damsel in distress...I could be in a romantic or dramatic scene... every night I chose the script. Now, I find that often I spend that 30 minutes or more tossing and turning, worrying about this or that, having insomnia because I have "too many things in my head". Or I simply knock out the instant I rest my head on my pillow because I am too tired.

How sad that now the only creativity I have now is...well...:

Sigh.

Semi-Environmentalist: One plastic bag less per day, If you want Mother Nature to stay

2008-03-16T12:08:00.016+08:00

picture from http://www.dsc.discovery.com/

Lingy's Dictionary
Semi-Environmentalist: not a full-blown treehugger, recycling freak, organic-products-only type of environmentalist...but aware that humans are not the only inhabitants of Planet Earth, and the minority that we are are destroying the only home we have.

A semi-environmentalist makes small efforts in their daily lives to lessen the harm they are causing to the rest of the Earth-systems.

eg of Semi Environmentalist: Lingy

------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday at McDonalds...

ME	: Once set Chicken Foldover takeaway...

CASHIER	: bustle to gather together the set. Places a cup of Lite' Coke in a plastic bag

ME	: No need plastic bag...

CASHIER	: ignores or doesn't hear...goes to get the fries

ME	: removes plastic bag, folds it nicely and places on the counter to return to cashier

CASHIER	: places paper bag with fries on counter takes the folded plastic bag and returns it to where it came from (dunno where) takes a box of Chicken Foldover and reaches for a BIGGER plastic bag to put it in

ME	: quickly No need plastic bag!

CASHIER	: pauses...looks at me..not quite sure she heard right No need?

ME	: No need. hitches handbag over shoulder balances paper bag with fries on box of Chicken Foldover in one hand carries Lite' Coke in the other hand

CASHIER	: still staring at me not understanding why I don't want plastic bag

ME	: walks clumsily out of McDs, using my butt to open the door bites on paper bag, balances cup on box reaches for car keys with freed hand drives away happily, despite looked silly, cause glad that I had used two plastic bags less that day :-)

Promotion Parley

2008-03-12T09:12:00.003+08:00

Yet another comic for my Executive Woes contribution.

I must stress that my comics are not necessarily a result of my own personal experiences (in case my colleagues ever see this). I'm very busybody and often hear "stories" from all over.

So...ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies ;-)

Malaysia Election '08: What a shocker!

2008-03-10T09:33:00.019+08:00

No one saw it coming...not the Opposition, not the Ruling Coalition, not the People. Who knew we'd get to see Democracy at work in Malaysia...finally!

I was with my family in the living hall and the TV tuned to the Astro Awani channel. Reports on the ballot counting were so slow through the official channels, that my Dad was running in and out of the computer room announcing updates from Malaysiakini.com and sometimes brandishing sheets of printed papers with the latest polling results.

The first shock was when Malaysiakini reported that Koh Tsu Koon lost his seat, followed by the news that the Opposition had taken Penang. My family has its roots in Penang, so we were very taken aback by the unexpected win.

Then Malaysiakini's website went down.

Dad: Someone's sabotaging the website! They are trying to delay the actual results!

Me: Hmm...could also be that the website's overloaded?

Malaysiakini's Report today: Could be either, we're not sure!

....I lost interest then since the only other news sources were the boring panels of people on TV reiterating again and again the same points in different words, while flashing the very-delayed results at the bottom of the screen.

So I went to sleep.

I woke up the next morning to shocker after shocker in the papers.

1) BN denied the 2/3 majority
Hurrah! That's as it should be!

2) Lee Hwa Beng (BN) lost to Loh Gwo Burn (PKR)
What the...? How did that joker win?

His only credit is that he shot the Lingam video. Even his campaign poster brandishing a camera with the "I Shot The Lingam Video" quote is a joke lar.

I'd even prefer that Billi Lim win. Billi may be a bit quirky, but at least he's been around for awhile and is serious about it. Loh just kinda appeared out of nowhere and was thrown in as what seems like an afterthought.

3) Samyvellu lost!
My friend sent me an SMS saying "My friend is looking for a job. He is good in road works. His name is Samyveloo. Please help this Indian man."

HAHAHA, that's a good one.

3) Jeff Ooi goes to Parliment.
Coool. Interesting to add a blogger into their midst and see what happens.

4) Sharizat lost to Anwar's daughter

5) An activist who was in jail during the campaign (and STILL is) won a state seat.
Manoharan was jailed last December under the Internal Security Act for organising a rally against discrimation towards Indians.

His wife stepped in and led his campaign to victory.

He must love his wife more now.

5) Opposition wins Selangor, Perak and Kedah.
Walaueh!

I'm glad to see that everyone is anxious to keep the peace and avoid another May 13. Ruling and opposition parties announcements, SMSes, blogs and word-of-mouth are telling all to stay at home, not to parade, not to provoke...

It's interesting to note that the urban areas were the ones that fell into the opposition's hands, including Kuching, Melaka Town, Subang Jaya, etc.

All have been wondering why the 2008 Elections brought such dramatic changes? Opinions have been flying about...

I personally believe an important factor is the usage of the Internet that has expanded in the recent years especially in the urban areas.

Case in point, I heard about Hannah Yeoh was through emails, blogs and my friends' MSN nicks.

Malaysiakini has also increased in popularity. I first heard about it when I was studying Communications in USM, Penang about 5 years ago. Our lecturers pointed out alternative media to us like Malaysiakini, Aliran, etc.

Outside my course, no one else seemed to have heard of these alternative news source.Now Malaysiakini is (almost) a household name (in areas that have Internet). Such obvious biasness in mainstream papers have really insulted the People's intelligence. C'mon lah, who are they trying to kid?!

Political campaigns have also crossed over to the cyberworld. Hannah Yeoh and her campaign manager have their blogs. Reports on campaign efforts are publicised through the internet. My MSN Messenger and Yahoo! has BN's video popping-up featuring 'citizens' singing praises about BN (rather irritating, actually. Involuntarily, I have to hear how BN is great coming out of my speakers before I am able to locate the window from my many opened browsers to shut it up.)

So, Thank God for the Internet and that it still allows free speech (although, Malaysiakini servers have been confiscated before with lame excuses...tsk tsk tsk).

My friend Yen Kuan shares my thought, "I never thought I'd live to see the day!"

I hope I'd live to also see the day that an Opposition forms the Cabinet. It's not wishful thinking anymore!

But now people wonder whether the Opposition will be better or worse than the BN? Of course there are doubts. But I say, "If the devil you know sucks, then try the other devil. If the other devil sucks worse, then elect back the first devil." That's democracy in layman's term for you...

UPDATE: 12 March 08 - Did you know that Anwar Ibrahim has a Facebook, Friendster and MySpace account? Whoever his PR personnel is is very Internet-savvy.

I WANNA VOTE, DAMMIT!

2008-03-06T16:00:00.010+08:00

Ok, I'm really really REALLY not into politics, but...

Bloody hell... I registered as a voter in December ~~'08~~ '07 and I still am not on the voter's list. My friend who registered around the same time is already on the list.

I heard it was announced in the newspapers that those who registered before 31 December 08 will be elligible to vote. But I just checked (AGAIN) on the SPR website, and a big REKOD TIDAK DIJUMPAI is all I got.

Is it really that complicated? Someone, please enlighten me.

My brother waited 6 months after registration..that's SIX MONTHS = 24 WEEKS = 168 DAYS before his name appeared.

During the registration, our information is keyed directly into the computer. With all this technology available nowadays, why is it so difficult to 'approve' a new voter? Maybe my face looks Opposition-ish, so they....

Anyhoo, Subang Jaya has a bright chance of having an Opposition win this time around. After many years of BN dominance, now emerges a new hope in the form of Hannah Yeoh.

I saw her name all over before I even started paying attention to the elections. It was on friends' MSN nick, in blogs, in forwarded emails, in conversations...one can't help but take notice.

Doesn't hurt that she's young, attractive and speaks well (according to others' testimonials). I do not know if she is any better than the other, but it sure would be nice to try "something different" for a change.

Update: 9 Mar 08 - Hannah Yeoh made it! Now I cross my fingers that she brings good things to Subang...

Sights so horrid... I am twice traumatised.

2008-02-28T14:14:00.005+08:00

At the office...

I entered the toilet cubicle this morning to find a streak of bright red across the toilet seat.
I ran out screaming and into the next cubicle. Luckily, I had not eaten breakfast yet.

Just 10 minutes ago, I needed to go again. The cleaners had been there and I thought it would be safe. I entered the cubicle to find drops of yellow liquid on the toilet seat, and a clump of tissue stained red swimming inside. Luckily I had skipped lunch.

I shudder now as I recall the terrible sights.

If someone wants to bestow me with an X-Men-like power now, I'd wish I had the power to sense who is menstruating. I'd give her this Basic Guide to Using the Toilet:
1) wipe yourself before standing.
2) if you still get your yellow/red/brown mess on the toilet seat, use the water hose and plenty of tissues to clean it up your goo.
3) flush after usage
4) if the flush is not powerful, and your yellow/red/brown mess is still THERE, use the water hose and shoot the goo down into the depths of hell where it belongs.

UPDATE: 06/03/2008 - More yellow drops on the toilet seat. What the...

Executive Woes: Different Directions

2008-02-25T09:17:00.003+08:00

Who knew that I could draw comics? I surprised myself.

And so quickly I had already produced my second one. This one shows the importance of the top management giving a united direction to a lowly staff like me:

For more work-related comics, go to Executive Woes.

For your laughing pleasure: "Executive Woes"

2008-02-22T09:05:00.005+08:00

My good friend and fellow management trainee, Victor, started a blog on the funny stories we've heard, seen, experienced and read about. This came about over dinner at Kim Gary, S.Pyramid when *L was making us laugh our heads off with some work-related stories.

Hence, the idea for Executive Woes was formed.

This is my first contribution! Click on image:

Boycotting Michaelangelo's @ S.Pyramid

2008-02-18T10:42:00.000+08:00

Michaelangelo's: a newly-opened Italian restaurant at Sunway Pyramid

Why I'm boycotting them:

1) The ambience does not reflect the name of the place.

The only thing Michaelangelo about it is that it has his artwork on the menu (only) and it's suppose to be Italian.

The other artwork were cutsey-wutsey cartoons on the beams above the counter and some other dunno-what paintings mounted on the wall. So cha-pa-lang.

2) They are an Italian restaurant, yet they do not serve bread before the meal as other Italian restaurants do.

Italiannies serve you as much bread as you like before the meal for free, and their bread is dee-lee-cious! Ok, so Italiannies cost more, but their portions are huge that one portion can feed two hungry pigs, which bring me to my 3rd point.

3) Portions are small

4) They charge for drinking water. RM1.00 per glass.

I ordered ice water, but they gave me warm water. Then I ordered a 2nd glass (iced) and they delievered TWO glasses.

5) The food was so-so.

The three-meat-pizza was forgettable. The slab of chicken on my thai-chicken salad thingy was so miserably small. The only thing nice was the pasta (we ordered carbonara and some chicken rottisserie thing, but the chicken thigh that came with it was dry).

And now the most important reason why I'm boycotting Michaelangelo's.

6) They did not want to give me discount as a Sunway staff because...

..."We only give discount to Sunway staff from the HQ".

What the...!

Are the staff from the HQ more important than the rest of us?! Just because the head is important, doesn't mean you can neglect the heart, hands, legs, liver, colon, ar$e, etc. In fact, the HQ only makes up a portion of the whole Sunway staff. There are thousands more in the University College, Monash, Theme Park, Lagoon Club, Hotel, blah blah blah, who all go to S.Pyramid to shop and eat.

And discounts do determine which restaurant we go to!

Michaelangelo's is losing out on a lot of business this way. And from the looks of the miserable number of customers on a weekend summore, I think they'll fade away eventually.

Note: Yes, this is me writing while I'm all emo cause I was made to feel like a lesser employee than those from the HQ. No offense to those from there.

Indie Jones in the Sky

2008-01-12T01:16:00.000+08:00

When my friend asked me whether I wanted to go trekking in the sky, I thought "Cool! How exciting!"

So off we trudged to Bukit Cahaya, Shah Alam where we paid RM35 (after completing the trek) to scare ourselves.

Here I am in my harness (made in France, just like the owner of the Sky Trek Adventure), all gung ho and eager to go:

Tip to new sky-trekkers: empty your bladder before you get into this harness. You can't get your pants off after, and it really squashes your organs once you're geared-up and on the trek.

Then it begins to sink in...what have I gotten myself into?

Oh well.

UP, UP and AWAY!

The first ladder brought me 14 metres up. It doesn't look that far from the ground (gulp):

After one very simple trail that lead to another tree, and climbing up another 3 metres, I come to the first zig-zag trail (they call it Wobbly-Something). This wasn't too bad, until I crossed it to come to the first Flying Fox of the course.

Luckily, there were instructors standing on the ground below looking out for us. One shouted at me, "Miss! Miss! You got the wrong hook on your pulley!" Close call! Or I'd have been left suspended in the middle.

This is the view from where I'm standing. Cool, huh?:

Yup, I'm still standing there. Stood there for a good 5 minutes before I dared to take off. C'mon, I was 17 metres above the ground! I'm allowed to be a sissy. I remember screaming, "Bloody hell! I'm so scared!" and then took the plunge.

Too bad I don't have pictures of all the different trails. Some say that this swinging thing is the toughest obstacle. It wasn't too bad for me, except that my short legs found it a wee bit difficult for to reach from swing to swing:

Here, I was already halfway through the course. Goodness knows how I managed to smile for the camera, for I barely had much energy left.

By this time I was pretty confident and this seemed like a simple trail. So I walked on confidently and quickly, smiling at the guide standing below. Halfway across, though, the trail started swinging from side to side. It was a long trail, you see, and less stable in the middle.

I almost died from climbing this 'spider-web' net thingy. I had to swing from a platform (where the cameraman is standing) towards the net about 15 feet away, and grab the net. This is what being Tarzan feels like.

I missed it the first time, and swung backwards like a pendulum. The instructor standing below shouted, "You better grab the net the next time, or you'll be left dangling in the middle and we'll have to rescue you."

'Die die also', I had to grab the net when I swung back towards it. That was the easy part. I hit right smack in the middle of the net. Then the torture began.

I had to climb towards the platform on the upper left. I almost died. My arms were screaming for mercy. It required a lot of upper body strength which I don't have. I was so close to just letting go, and the only reason I didn't was the embarassing thought of being stranded hanging in mid-air between the net and the earlier platform. So, with a lot of pain, I 'die die also' forced myself to climb. When I finally eased my behind onto that wooden platform, the feel of my butt hitting something solid never felt so good.

This is the last Flying Fox that led me back to the ground (finally!). It's not that very high up, but it certainly is very long. One last smile for the camera and...

...off I go!

Boywhowrestledatreegotbustedwalkedawaylikenothinghappened

2007-11-07T00:10:00.001+08:00

(a continuation of the Terry Fox Run KL entry)

Terry Fox Run KL 2007

2007-09-25T22:55:00.001+08:00

If Only It Was That Easy

2007-09-24T18:07:00.000+08:00

The Jamban vs Toilet Bowl Debate: What Is Civilised and High Class?

2007-09-22T10:46:00.000+08:00

I've actually read/heard a comment somewhere before that Malaysians are not civilised because some of our toilets requires us to 'squat' to do our business.

Since when 'civilisation' is determined by the way you poop?

It reminds me of how the term 'Missionary Position' was coined. Apparently, some missionaries stumbled upon a tribal community who did it 'doggy style'. The missionaries were appalled and taught them the 'right' and 'civilised' way of humping - hence the missionary postition was named so. But..as we now realised, thank goodness...there is no 'right' way to enjoy this pleasure. There are many ways (the Kamasutra doesn't even cover it all, I'm sure), as long as it is 'right' for the person who is doing it.

What's 'civilised' anyway, except a term coined by people who think that their way is the right way? These rules were not determined by a higher being, but by Man and unfortunately accepted by the masses as the absolute truth.

In our dimension, things like the wine, opera, black tie, foie gras, classical music are considered from a class above. It is also usually associated with only small, elite groups who can enjoy these things. But there is no logical or scientific explanation why these things are 'better' than others, except that it was determined so by some pompous people some time ago and somehow accepted by society. Perhaps, in an alternate dimension, kopitiam is considered more high class than Starbucks, rock music is considered classical tunes, and beer is delicately sipped, not guzzled.

If we insist on putting man-made criteria on what is civilised and high class, there has to be a serious reconsideration of these criteria. Example, a civilised society is one that do not wage war.

Stop thinking that your way is the right/better way. There is no such thing. There's is just your way...the way that YOU want it to be. Don't impose YOUR way on others because their way is just as good as yours as long as it does not cause harm to others.

Remember, you are not God.

Lingy's "Tao"

2007-09-17T00:29:00.000+08:00

Tao (道): the Chinese character for 'way' or 'path'. Also means 'guiding principle'.

I believe most people will have a guiding principle in their lives. It helps one make decisions whether life changing or just daily minor ones. I like to call it life's "tao" - just cause it sounds wise and something that a wizened, white bearded Chinese man would say.

Usually, it's not until one reaches late adulthood till one finds out what one's "tao" is (some may of course have more than one). Battling raging, unpredictable hormones of adolescents and making bad decisions due to the impulsiveness of young adulthood helps one eventually find oneself. These then determines what is one's beliefs and values which in turn forms one's "tao".

Little did I know that I had found my "tao" some time ago. I have been implementing it without even realising it, until a friend pointed it out to me, "You are a very...balanced person."

It dawned on me that that was very...true.

Thinking about it, I realised that my actions are...more often than not...to create balance. Like how I choose to drink my coffee: If I'm having a meal with coffee, I'll take it black without sugar just to balance out the richness of the food. If I have it without any food, I'll add sugar and milk because it would be 'empty' without.

Even my career choice was subconsciously like that - a Management Trainee, which requires me to examine systems logically and learn to make rational decisions based and backed by facts and figures. Yet I am at the same time positioned in a PR Department, which requires creativity in writing, designing and photography.

If I wear a plain dress, I must have elaborate jewellry or vice-versa. If I made up my eyes, my lips must be bare; if I put on lipstick my eyes must be nude.

I'm do not aim for great fortune, but I work hard enough to afford some luxuries.

After teasing a friend mercilessly, I will spend equal time afterwards being extremely sweet to him/her.

My left eye is slightly bigger. I part my hair so that my fringe falls on the right.

Some online quiz I took before deduced that I use my left and right brain equally.

Tight top, loose skirt/pants; Loose top, tight skirt/pants.

Hmm..come to think of it, I think I'm slightly OCD.

...

What the heck. Life is eeeeeasy with direction(s).

What's YOUR "tao"?

My Sanctuary

2007-09-04T22:41:00.000+08:00

I love my room.

I can spend the whole day in it - except for the occasional visit to the bathroom and kitchen - no problem.

I have a bedside lamp that has no switch. It's base is 'touch-sensitive'. Touch once for dim, twice for bright, thrice for brightest.
	There's space enough for a reading area.
I have recently added an artsy fartsy artpiece in the middle of the room. Ok ok, it's just a pile of stones I collected from my recent hike to Sg. Chiling. But they're pretty. One looks like a potato (behind) and one looks like a wholemeal bun (far left).
	And I have a wooden giraffe that doubles as a hat stand.

Should ever a fire breaks out (choi choi choi) (ptooi), I will save from my room:

My smelly bolster

My turntable.

Frank.

And my Shrek ears

I Brought A Friend Back From Bali

2007-09-04T13:35:00.000+08:00

I met someone in Bali

He was tall, tanned and handsome. I could not help but notice him. At first sight, I knew I had to bring him home.

He's adapted well to Malaysia. Now, all he does is stay in the room with me.

Hypermarkets' Childish War

2007-09-04T13:32:00.001+08:00

Giant (left signboard) and Mydin (right signboard) at USJ are having a childish war:

8 and a half Things About Me...

2007-08-28T19:25:00.000+08:00

8 and a half things about me you might not know:

1) I like to wash cars

I'll only wash mine and the cars of my family, so don't ask me to wash yours. You won't be the first to think of that, so it's not a very original joke....and don't suddenly start to yeng chan yeng chek - act like we're related.

2) I hug the same bolster to sleep every night since I was 5-years-old.

I'm 25 this year. 25 - 5 = 20 years of drool, bacteria and skin excretions.

3) I used to cry when someone wakes me up from sleep....up till my young adulthood.

4) Quite often I would dream that I'm pregnant.

The man responsible for getting me into that condition is seldom in the picture. Could be my biological clock telling me I should have a baby and never mind if I'm not married.

5) I can smell rain.

Even if I'm sitting in my office that has no windows to the outside, I can smell it and I know whether I need to bring my umbrella when its time to leave for home. My ability is diminishing with age, though.

6) I was afraid of the dark up until I went away to university.

7) Music puts pictures in my head.

Depending on the song, I can imagine raindrops falling on leaves, dolphins swimming, wind blowing on mountain peaks.. Sometimes I see myself in these pictures from another person's perspective.

8) When I'm bored, I like to lie on bed and imagine my hand is a gun, and I'll 'shoot' at different objects in my room.

Sadly, I don't have time to be bored nowadays. I don't get to play this game anymore.

8 & 1/2) There's a certain part of my body that is very sensitive.

If touched, I get shivers down my spine and goosebumps pop up. I'm not telling where, so that's the remaining half of this point. Don't try to be funny and attempt to discover my 'weak spot', cause I will not hesitate to throw/pour/smash whatever is within my arms reach at/over you.

This entry was inspired by ChoonSeng's blog entry on 6 Weird Things About Me.

Dog vs Cat

2007-08-22T18:07:00.000+08:00

(written by Anonymous; pictures courtesy of MJ the BRILLIANT photographer)

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Diary

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Al though I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly.I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe, for now..........

Introducing My Love - Legolas

2007-08-14T18:55:00.000+08:00

Legolas came into my life 2 and a half months ago and now I cannot imagine surviving without him. I give him a bath every week, tenderly scrubbing and rubbing down his entire body each time.

...
...
...

This is Legolas:

My love is a 1.3 MyVI EZI (what were you thinking he was? sheesh). His name is Legolas because he is fair, light and quick. Also, he has to be a male because it's against my orientation to be riding a female.

Sauna Prawns: Is this animal cruelty?

2007-06-01T17:11:00.000+08:00

My parents brought me to a new restaurant last week and the house specialty was something called Sauna Prawns. Huh? Sauna Prawns? What do you mean by that?

First, the waitress brings to the table a metal wok filled with heated stones, a bowl of live, wriggling and squirming prawns, and half a cup of piss.....opps, it's not piss? Oh, it's beer.

Dad, the obliging hand model

Then, nonchalently, the waitress dumps the poor lil' prawns into the hot wok, followed by the beer.

It begins to dawn on you why they call it Sauna Prawns.

The prawns cry for mercy.

"Have mercy! Have mercy! We're in the fiery pits of hell!"

Extremely fresh prawns (duh) with a slight tinge of beer. Very tasty, but very cruel. Kinda kills your appetite knowing that your meal was alive just a few seconds ago and died in agony.

The Ultimate Comfort Food for Malaysians

2007-05-30T14:36:00.001+08:00

It's cheap. Children love it. Adults reminisce about their childhood when they see it.

More Horny Patricks

2007-05-14T19:05:00.000+08:00

Ohmigoodness! It's a Patrick orgy!

There Is No Escape

2007-05-14T18:58:00.000+08:00

Mydin is a Twilight Zone. The only EXIT sign is this one. You can enter, but you can never come out *do do do doo do do do doo* (Twilight Zone theme)

A Quarter Century Old

2007-05-14T18:43:00.000+08:00

I turned a quarter of a century old recently, and got the greatest birthday present from my family.Me and my baby

The next day I went broke buying these (and more):

I now spend my lonely nights with Frank and Nat.

Muhibbah-ness

2007-04-13T18:25:00.000+08:00

I'm Chinese but I can barely write my own name in Chinese characters. I'm so ashamed after seeing these kids:

Okay, so the last girl is Chinese. But I like the shot, so I just had to put it in.

Pretty...even though I don't know what it means.

When Your Brain Malfunctions...

2007-04-05T19:21:00.000+08:00

Ever felt that sometimes your brain just does not want to function? Yeah?

Eveyone should have a sign like this:

Anybody who wants one, just send me an email.

Orion's Belt on My Left Shoulder

2007-04-04T17:53:00.000+08:00

Some of you who enjoy cheap yet romantic dates of gazing up at the night sky might have noticed that there are three bright stars in a row always visible.Well, it's called Orion's Belt. Mintaka, the westernmost star in the belt, comes from the Arabic word for belt. Alnilam, the center star, means "a belt of pearls". And Alnitak, the eastern-most star, means the girdle.

My knowledge of Greek history is zilch, so I turned to my ever faithful friend - Google - and it churned out the following from Britannica:

Orion
In Greek mythology, a powerful hunter. He was sometimes said to be the son of Poseidon. He drove the wild beasts out of the island of Chios and fell in love with Merope, daughter of the island's king. Disapproving of Orion, the king had him blinded, but his vision was restored by the rays of the rising sun. He later went to Crete to live and hunt with Artemis. Some legends hold that he was killed by Artemis or Apollo out of jealousy; another tells that he was fatally bitten by a scorpion. After his death the gods placed him in the sky as a constellation.

Well, I think Orion dropped his belt (obscenity intended, since apparently the horny b@st@rd raped Merope) and it landed on my left shoulder, leaving marks on impact:
Can't spot them? Here....maybe this will help:

Give Me Coffee 'n' No One Gets Hurt!

2007-03-14T18:28:00.000+08:00

I have a kitchen magnet that I place in my office cubicle:

Before I headed home yesterday evening, I left it like this:

This morning, I arrived at my office to find that one of my colleagues had left me a gift on my table (how sweet) :

The smell...arousing

The taste...exquisite

Good coffee is simply...heavenly

Dogs: Take your pick

2007-03-05T22:19:00.000+08:00

One's flesh and poops all over your garden. The other's ceramic, but doesn't come running to the gate when you come home after a long day at work:

My dog looks depressed. She probably thinks we're replacing her with the other 'dog'.

Then she decides to buck up and flash her charming smile...besides, she's about to shoot green laser from her eyes and destroy that wanna-be.

Monkey's Crossing

2007-03-05T21:47:00.000+08:00

Photos taken by moi (that means me) during the 2006 Terry Fox Run at Lake Gardens, KL.

Ooh, look at them monkeys running under the monkey's crossing sign

Aww, one monkey pooped and one monkey taking a fall in the background.

Learn a Thing or 2 from Bananas

2007-03-04T23:14:00.000+08:00

"Don't judge a book by its cover" has been used one too many times. It's about time someone revamped the idioms.

"The uglier the Pisang Rastali (a type of banana), the better the taste," said Dad "Don't judge a banana by its skin."

When Brother saw the banana Dad brought home, "EEW! Why so ugly wan?"

I echoed, ""Don't judge a banana by its skin."

"Hear hear," Dad chimed.

Don't judge a banana by its skin. Deep.

To Penang, To Penang, I Go

2007-02-24T10:10:00.000+08:00

To Penang, to Penang, I go;

To stuff my face silly;

And watch my waistline grow.

My family made the annual journey back to Penang during Chinese New Year for the usual visiting of relatives, withstanding the tactless comments that you're now fatter/thinner, fairer/darker, prettier/uglier, etc, and now that I've hit my mid-20s, a new addition to the round of 20 questions from them: "Do you have a friend yet?" (as in, boyfriend, as though it's a notti word that is indecent to say in full).

Also we stuffed our faces silly with the wonderful wonderful hawkers fare.

But the usual CNY on-goings aside, I managed to capture some pretty and/or interesting pictures with my Motokzr.

Pretty clouds watched over us as we made our way up north:

Then there was the disturbing sight at my Tua Ee's (eldest aunt) house of two Patricks (stuffed toy dogs) humping :

Also the shop with the initials P.M.S:

And I re-lived my childhood obsession of watching the Apam man:

*pour batter, sprinkle sugar, removes metal plate, checks charcoal, add charcoal, replace metal plate, sprinkles crushed peanuts, adds butter, spoons corn onto layer of peanut, sprinkles more peanut, removes Apam, folds Apam into half, wraps Apam with paper, hands Apam to salivating customer*

Lingy: (staring obsessively at Apam man making her order of 3 Apam with peanut+corn and 1 Apam just peanut)
Dad: (approaches Lingy) Why are you standing there?
Lingy: (still staring)
Dad: Go sit down inside the kopitiam and eat the other food we ordered. Come and collect the Apams later lah.
Lingy: (slowly returning to earth) Huh? Oh, erm...never mind. I wanna watch.
Dad: It's so hot outside.
Lingy: (has gone back to staring) ...
Dad: (gives up and returns to table) (Thinks to himself) Must be one-too-many knocks on the head when she was small.

The hot weather took occasional drastic turns, with grey clouds that bore heavy raindrops:

The view from Penang Swimming Club was serene. I remember Dad teaching me how to fish here when I was a cute wee lass. I've always wondered what that coral-encrusted structure used to be:

Crossing the Penang Bridge back to the mainland as the visit comes to an end (Penang Hill reflected in the rear view mirror). Adieu! See you again next year!

Eat Me

2007-02-24T09:33:00.000+08:00

I wonder if these poor buggers know what is going to happen to them...

The inevitable end? Costing from RM18o-RM300 per kg, they'll end up in some rich people's stomach no doubt. Oh well, at least their sacrifice is not cheap.

Ever wondered what it would be like if humans were not on top of the food chain?

Danger! Predator in sight. RUN! .... ACK! I'm caught!....Where am I?...What's this? I can't get free. An invisible barrier keeps me within this small confine. EEK! Where are they taking me? Oooh, what's that? Bubbling water...toasty...wait...too close...it's HOT...STOP! STOP! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

Makes me consider converting to vegetarianism....considering...considering....NAH!

Vandalism for a Good Cause

2007-02-13T15:06:00.000+08:00

Who can resist a happy cone?

2 Denggi Cases & lots of newspapers

2007-02-13T09:31:00.000+08:00

Two of my colleagues got bitten by the evil Aedes mosquito and was infected - one has recovered and one was hospitalised yesterday. Another colleague is a suspected victim and pending further tests (I have yet to see her in the office this morning though...uh-oh)

Someone called the..er..foggers(?) to fog the office yesterday evening and churn those buggers out of their hiding places (DIE DIE DIE).

The following was the staff reaction to the fogging announcement:

"Think of the African children"

2007-02-12T11:02:00.000+08:00

I admit - I waste food..A LOT

I sometimes take more than I can eat. I seldom can finish the portions served. I pick and choose the stuff I like off the plate and leave the rest. I never finish every single grain of rice on my plate (yes, I'll probably have a terribly pock-marked husband in the future, but hey, my skin is not exactly baby-bottom-smooth so who am I to complain).

And the inevitable comment will ensue from my fellow diner: "Don't waste food! Think of the African children!"

Riiiiight. So by stuffing myself senseless despite being at the point of throwing up and by finishing food I don't enjoy, I will be able to save the life of an African child? You think that by filling my own tummy, the hungry child in a famine-stricken land will also feel full? I think NOT. The only thing achieved would be an unpleasant dining experience, indigestion and an expanded waistline.

The next time you want to "Think of the African children", do some charity instead and please leave me alone (Heck, I bet you never even donated a cent to them before. Hypocrite!).

I am grateful to my parents who NEVER used that line on me. On the contrary, they will say, "If cannot eat, don't eat lah. Why force yourself?"

Exactly, why force yourself? Or more accurately, force yourself if you want to but don't force me!

Elevator buttons: Ya only need to push ONCE, ya know

2007-02-09T12:01:00.000+08:00

I'm suppose to be concentrating on work right now. Colleagues who walk pass can see me typing aggresively with a slight crease between my brow. At least I have the appearance of a hard-working person.

Anyway, I am suppose to do some research on corporate blogging (I was the one who brought up the idea to my boss, and of course I'm the one who landed myself with the project...dunno why I'm so 'clever' sometimes).

So I wandered into Kenny Sia, the famous Malaysian blogger's website and I just spent the whole morning reading his entries (nope, doesn't help with my research, but he's a funny fella). Well, one of his comments made me want to blog. He wondered why people had to press the C button on the calculator multiple times when once would suffice. And it reminded me how pissed off I get when people push the elevator button multiple times too!

The story goes like this:

1) Stew-pid person reached the elevator and pushes the UP or DOWN button.

2) If the elevator doesn't open, the stewpid person pushed the button again lots and lots of time in succession as if the elevator will answer back, "okay okay, I'm coming!". That method might work with a door bell and the person in the house gets really irritated with the sound. S/he will hurry to answer the door just so they can smack you in the face for your impatience. DO NOT TREAT THE ELEVATOR BUTTON LIKE A DOORBELL.

3) Elevator doors open. Stew-pid person enters elevator and pushes CLOSE button multiple times. Oddly enough*, the doors does not whoosh shut but takes it own sweet time in case it might kepit some poor helpless soul.

4) Stew-pid person pushes the level button multiple times anxiously. I think if the elevator actually complied with the stewpid person's 'request', the elevator would up and burst through the ceiling, much like the glass elevator in Willy Wonka's factory.

Conclusion: JUST PUSH ONCE! Even if you are in a rush, there is no solution. Just blame yourself for bad time-planning. So, don't take it out on the elevator. How would YOU like it if I kept poking at you with my finger? Leave the poor elevator alone. It's just trying to do its job.

*Please note sarcasm

Now THAT's what I call Customer Service

2006-12-29T13:51:00.000+08:00

I found the best example of good customer service at the unlikeliest of places... a kopitiam right outside my workplace that bears no name.

My case in point:

1) When I order kopi O 'kau', they actually deliver kopi O 'KAU' and then asks me after I finish the delicious concoction whether it was 'kau' enough to my liking.

Similarly, they actually listen and deliver when I customise my drinks, whether 'tak mau gula' or 'kurang ais'

And contrary to stereotype, 'they' includes their foreign workers.

2) The 'drinks waiters' are quick to take your order and quick to deliver, for their staff to customer ratio is low.

They do not have to service too high a number of customer, hence they are polite and willing to listen to your needs (which contributes to attribute no. 1 above).

3) The stall owners, right from the pork mee seller to the maggi goreng mak cik, smiles at the customers and ALSO listen and take heed of their customers' needs.

The last time I ordered maggi goreng kurang pedas, she asked me whether it was 'too pedas' when she came to collect my empty plate. I replied that it was 'just nice'

Just today, as I was sitting myself down after ordering pork mee, the Char Kuay Teow fella smiled at me and nodded, even though I didn't patronise his stall.

4) And ALL the stalls' fare taste good.

5) And cheap

Conclusion: Receive 5-star treatment in a less-than-RM5.oo-per-meal kopitiam

Pending Inspiration

2006-10-10T22:42:00.000+08:00

Here's a list of things I mean to do, but have yet the inspiration (or time):

1) An article entitled "The Lonely Beefball" which concerns the connections between individuals in the Corporate society, to be co-written with N!cole.

2) A two-person stage screenplay "A Chinese, One Kadazan and Two Sarees" to be starred by moi and my 'twin', MJ.

3) My own indie production about the "Bananas & Coconuts" in Malaysian society.

By putting this up here in my blog, it is a sort of promise to myself that I will get to it....someday before I die.

Lingypedia: CC-ing

2006-10-07T00:57:00.000+08:00

The email world invented a very useful tool called CC, a virtual Carbon Copy.

The basic usage of CC is to keep a third party, one or more persons other than the recipient/s of the email, informed of the content without having to re-send the email.

It also saves your ass at times when your colleagues accuse you of wrongdoings, and the email can prove your innocence. The cc-ed person becomes your witness.

However, it has to be pointed out that when others misuse the CC, it can lead to dangerous consequences for YOU. This situation is called the 'CC-ing the Big Bosses'. This type of email will usually contain accusatory or belittling content, aimed at painting you in the worst of light in the big bosses’ eyes.

Another variation would be of the content being a request or order. In CC-ing the Big Bosses, the sender hopes to scare you into completing the task faster and better.

It is of my expert opinion that people who CC the Big Bosses have low self-esteem, and they need to rely on the power of the Big Bosses because they themselves don’t have any.

In conclusion, be very careful of the CC. It is a very powerful tool, but can be deadly in the wrong hands.

Real world vs fake world?

2006-09-08T23:19:00.000+08:00

"...to prepare the students for the real world"

I often come across the term 'real world'. I work in an educational institution after all.

But I don't get it. Prepare the students for the 'real world'? Does that mean that the world they are living in now is...a fake world?

Are they all living a Matrix-like fantasy dimension and all this while they've merely been dreaming about making friends, going to school, sitting for exams, eating, talking, laughing...and they will only wake up when the storyline of their dreams reach the stage of getting a job?

I get pissed off when others misuse the word 'real'. I also get pissed off when people mispronounce Wednesday (wenz-dei NOT weh-nes-dei). I'm just a female Professor Higgins wanna-be, that's all. My england not that best really.

Banonuts

2006-08-25T00:50:00.000+08:00

Bananas : Chinese people who can only speak English, and not their mother tongue
Coconuts: Indian people who can only speak English, and not their mother tongue

I'm declaring the emergence of a new race in Malaysia. They're called Banonuts, consisting of the Bananas and Coconuts of our society. No thanks to the British who colonised us and taught English to our parents, we are estranged from our culture which is largely passed down through language. Sadly, we do not really belong.

Henceforth, the Banonuts will conquer a portion of Malaysia and declare independence. We will give birth to a new culture. We will belong.

"A Banana, I am. Oooomm..."

Bangsa: Lain-lain

2006-08-25T00:01:00.000+08:00

I've often been mistaken for a Malay. I've been told I look like Vietnamese.

On two separate occasions recently, I've also been asked whether I was Kadazan and Japanese.

Is it a good thing to have a look which people cannot quite place, emitting an aura of 'mystery'? Or should I be sad that my face do not portray my own people? I'm still trying to decide.

I cannot speak my mother tongue (well) and I don't look 'the part'. Perhaps the next time I have to fill in a form, instead of indicating Chinese, it is more apt that I tick lain-lain.

Divide & Rule

2006-08-10T23:25:00.000+08:00

My Dad practises 'cutlery-segregation' - the forks only mix with other forks in their own holder. Same with the spoons, chopsticks, ladles, knives, etc. None of that 'menggalak interaksi antara kaum berlainan' in his kitchen.

Needless to say, the post-it note is his handiwork. 'Monk' is a TV character who has a bad case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

One day, many years ago when I was still in secondary school, my Dad came to pick me up. The schoolbell was about to ring. He stood outside the window near where I was seated and when he saw the teacher still yapping away, he mumbled one sentence and walked away.

Apparently my teacher had very sharp hearing. She stopped talking about bulatans and tangens, and exclaimed, "Your mum's giving birth?!"

All eyes turned to me. On cue, I giggled nervously.

Fact is, at that time my very-not-pregnant mum was sitting in the car waiting for me so that we can go home and eat dinner.

I inherited Dad's cheekiness, along with unruly natural curls.

Catalyst

2006-08-10T22:18:00.000+08:00

As known through History, there is usually a catalyst that evokes significant occurances in society. The Renaissance had the printing press. The 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict was triggered by the killing of three Israeli soldiers. Likewise, my blog had a catalyst - I woke up today pissed at the world. Writing saves my sanity.

I preferred to keep my thoughts in my written journal, unpublished. Despite telling myself and others, 'Neh-vah! I'd neh-vah blog!', I relented today...because I can type, but not write, as fast as I think; I can put pictures to my words here, and I'm just fickle.