What if you can equate sanity down to a science?
Yes... sanity and science. It's not a far-fetched equation really. Or at least, I have a couple of friends who could relate to this theory that I was toying with. It goes something like this:
| A. The Solid State | ||
| ||
| B. The Liquid State | ||
| ||
| C. The Gas State | ||
|
Ferrari scored a win through Michael Schumacher at Nurburgring, a week ago, and it sure looked like Ferrari is back in action after clinching two consecutive races.
Yet 3 hours ago, it appears that the Ferrari team could still work on improving the performance of their machines as Fernando Alonso of Renault scored an easy win in Barcelona, becoming the first Spaniard to win a race in his home country.
Now, if you are asking me how the Barcelona F1 result is different from the results from the Imola and Nurburgring races, I'd probably tell you that the result this time round did not boil down to a battle of pit-stop strategies. It was all about who had the better race car and tyres.
Obviously, Ferrari just didn't have a comparable package this time round - Alonso was able to continuously clock fantastic lap times regardless of whether he had a full fuel load or not; and he grabbed the checkered flag 18 seconds ahead of Schumacher.
But what about the other teams? Judging from the performance of the other teams so far, it doesn't look very convincing other than the folks working for the Ferrari and Renault garage are able to have a real stab at the Drivers' Championship and Constructor's Title.
They will just end up being the bridesmaids unless they are able to come up with some miracles to come up to par with the top two teams.
My iTunes player is currently spinning out songs from:
1. Amore ~ Andrea Bocelli
2. Love.Angel.Music.Baby ~ Gwen Stefani
3. Ancora ~ Il Divo
4. Renee Olstead ~ Reneé Olstead
5. The Dvorak Album ~ Yo-Yo Ma
I have my bookmark stuck somewhere in a copy of:
Check out the music video for Football Mad Nation by Popshuvit and Disagree - the anthem that is currently rocking Celcom's pre-World Cup advertisements... Syabas to our local boys. You have obviously created a world class stadium-friendly tune!
Alright people. Meet Min the little terror. Soon to be 2 years old... he is not a cousin, not a nephew, but my dad's friend's kid.
I don't think I mentioned this in my earlier post about my trip to Hatyai during CNY... but this is the little tyke that I was helping to look after throughout our trip and stay. He may be cute but he sure is a handful.
Like other little kids his age, he finds joy in grabbing pebbles from hotel "plant display areas" only to throw these to just anywhere else as he runs around. But that's not all.
At the coffee house, he went to pull out the power plug of the cake refrigerator from the power socket in a blink of an eye. Oh yes... not to forget - he ran into the hotel kitchen too before we could say abracadabra.
And he knows the meaning of recognition... but in his case... he just likes to blow his horn first. He will clap and cheer (and make others cheer too) even if he has not finished his little task/game.
To cap it all, Min was flipping himself over the seats to get from the middle section to the backseats and vice versa when we were on the way back home. Ahh... the joy of being a carefree lil'tot.
You think it will never happen to you. That is... until it hits you square in the face. It is probably a nice argument.
For one, I had a great-granduncle who smoked and took his share of whisky/brandy everyday of his adult life. He died of old age at 96 .
On the other hand, I have a 72-year old granduncle who had breathing difficulties and had to be admitted to the hospital so that they could clear his windpipes that were clogged from decades of smoking. He smoked since he was nine.
Two old guys with different stories. But there are others who may have suffered at an earlier age, succumbing to the ailments due to their vices.
Let me use another example. Say... the Mat Rempits who terrorize our roads. They ride and swerve dangerously - never thinking about the safety of themselves and most importantly other people who may be affected by their actions.
It's all about the thrill, the andrenalin rush, and pure silly pride for all the wrong reasons... that is until they get the shock of seeing their friend die in front of their eyes.
I'm not saying that gambling is bad simply because we have to make choices or take risks in our lives everyday. It's just that we ought to act in moderation and know our limits.
Stress
Yes. Maybe a little too much of it as the past week inched closer to Friday... at which point one of Ozzy Osbourne's quote became something I could relate to. It goes like this: "Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most."
Oh yes... I did feel like I have indeed... lost my mind.
San Marino F1 Grand Prix
Michael Schumacher wins a race after a long spell of absence of being at the top of the podium. But is Ferrari really back at their prime? In a world of IFs, there is a possibility that Renault's mistake to bring Alonso in early for his 2nd pitstop was the reason why Schumacher was handed the win on a silver platter.
But then again, it's not yet halfway into the race season. There's still a lot of room for everyone to find out how close or far the teams are from each other in terms of their car design, reliability, and technology.
What not to watch... ever!
The Hills Have Eyes is likely one of the worst movies I've watched this year. ONE: I don't see a proper storyline in it. TWO: It's all about gore. THREE: It's not even scary!
Oh well... but not like I got to choose the movie. Ash couldn't make it at the 11th hour; Mal had already bought tickets to the midnight movie; and I just happened to have willingly obliged to take Ash's place without knowing what the movie was in the first place.
Ok... so enough of this sidetracking... bottomline is... skip this movie and you save yourself probably about RM9, 2-hours of your time, and the agony of having to seat through a mediocre movie.
Half awake, I found 3 text msgs waiting for me as I grabbed my handphone to look at the time. 6:5something am. All the msgs are were about a telcon at 7am. WTF?!! That wasn't in my calendar last night.
Fine. So I dialled into the toll-free # but I can hardly make out what was being said. So I IM'ed my colleague in Singapore just to check if it was just me coming out of sleep... but it seems to be something to do with our connection with US.
Coming out of the call an hour later, I felt like it was a waste of time since I could hardly make out what was being said. But life goes on and it's high time I got myself ready to get into the office.
...and so the day passes by and it's time to go home and fuel up my car along the way. Except, my car ran out of fuel a couple of kilometers before I reached the petrol station. Major bummer.
I guess the only thing that made sense was that I needed to call a couple of friends to see who can help bail me out of this predicament and fast... it's funny how when I can't afford my phone battery to be drained out that it was way too close to doing exactly that.
But on a brighter note, my phone stayed alive long enough for me to reach my pals... my car was fueled just enough to get to the nearest petrol station... and I had a nice chat with one of the attendants at the station.
I was in awe that the attendant spoke excellent English and is pretty well versed with the manufacturing sector... definitely a rare case... and it was also nice of him to warn me about the modus operandi of snatch thieves that have been preying on customers at the station recently.
Whatever it is, I know that one day... I'll look back at on what has happened today and laugh at it. But for now, I'll just say that I'm relieved to have gotten home safely... and that I should make a better guess at when I should fuel my car (based on the average distance per tank) rather than making wild guesses based on that really weird digital fuel meter that I don't really know how to gauge with in the first place.
Moral of the story: Many a time, our worst enemies are none other but ourselves. How else is it possible that we sometimes end up scaring ourselves over something baseless? :)
Oh, btw, if you are wondering why I've put in this second comic here... actually this one here is just for kicks. Hehehe...
Yes, once again I revisit the notion that "It's a small world after all". Why? Believe it or not... Kael who had been dropping by my blog recently is actually working in the same place as I do.
Multipurpose Man makes a return at Kalamari's blog and...
to those of you who celebrate it.
I've never been so crazy as to have bought a DVD set of a drama series before last Saturday... but I just could not resist the anticipation to see how the Korean drama "My Lovely Sam Soon" progresses and ends!
It was definitely a good decision because I was getting pissed at the lacklustre level of subtitles provided by 8TV. I wouldn't have known how much dialogue was lost - along with the level of meaning and comic timing put into the drama if I didn't watch the DVDs.
But that's beside the point. The real reason I'm even writing this post is to put on record that although the story revolved around one of K-dramas' most cliché themes (specifically one that revolves around a dating/marriage contract), I find that the show was very human without being overly outrageous.
It also brings out some messages about boy-girl love relationships, like:
Last of all, I'd just like to say that at least the ending of the show was a good one. It's been a while since the Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korean dramas aired on national telly made good use of the build-up... there have just been too many of them ending either too corny, in an anticlimax, or just too soft to leave a lasting impression.
In other words - I just love this show and I'll probably be watching it again and again
p/s: I should mention also that among other things, one of the messages I read in between the lines is that you should go for your dreams and do what you feel is right
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown: If you liked the first one - you would probably like this one better. If you didn't get enough of Scrat running after the ever-evasive acorns that he loves so much - you'll be getting more laughs from this installment.
*spoiler alert*
And to cap it all... how about adding a fun-loving she-mammoth-who-thinks-she-is-a-possum-with-mischievious-possum-brothers into the equation?
In short, this is a definite must watch for comedy lovers, feel-good story afficionados, and/or just about anyone who loves animations. =)
Juggling all the things I have to do is definitely egging me onto the brink of insanity. I definitely should break out of this running on a treadmill thing.
OK. Moving on. It was great to have met up with my "ex"-colleagues Mich3ll3 T and TW for dinner on Friday + having the chance to meet a couple of people who are/were nominees to go to ISEF. It was fun =)
*mmm... I am in a good mood, aren't I? dumm-dee-dumm...*
With the completion of the F1 GP Race in Bahrain last week, there is much to look forward to.
For example, we can all look forward to what Nico Rosberg can do. Rosberg, the rookie from Williams-Cosworth appears to be the best thing that happened since Raikkonen and Alonso entered the arena as he starts from the 3rd place on the grid for the Sepang race tomorrow.
The other thing to watch out for is of course how the teams are coming along with the new rules for the year - including the standardization that engines should be not more than V8s.
At the rate things are going for now, it seems like Williams has a chance to better their position in the constructor's championship; Ferrari and Renault may be looking at a lot of tactical play; and let's see what the two Red Bull teams can come up with by the end of the season.
Edit: Ah, rats! Both Williams' had engines blowing up at Sepang yet I believe we can see more being done by their drivers (car reliability permitting). Glad that Fisichella won the race too... it might be a start to a better season for him after getting quite combination of car reliability issues and/or DNFs last season.
Not to forget - it looks like Button is having a good start in the season too by consistently getting 3rd place in the first two races of the 2006 season.
The first official word of it came during our CNY gathering. Doris is getting married. Rambo-woman mind you. Who would have thought that she would be the first in our group to go into holy matrimony?
Then the idea starts to sink in further. She messages everyone to make sure we are coming for the dinner.
Next up, Jamie starts sending out plans for Doris's Hen Night and (before you know it!) that has come and gone too. DHN was two Saturday's ago and boy did everyone's sleep pattern suffer after that.
Some of us Blame the Russian Vodka that 'Pinky' brought but not everyone drank that. It's just nicer to blame the alcohol. Yes, blame the alcohol.
Then we started to talk about what we would wear for the morning of the wedding and what challenges we would like to put Jeff through when he comes to pick Dor up prior to the tea ceremony. Some even went on to talk about what to wear for dinner. You know, it's just typical girl talk.
On the eve, we joined everyone else who mattered for a buffet dinner at Dor's place where we found time to fine tune our masterplan for Jeffry.
On the day (yesterday), my first task was to get the bananas from the market. I sure got some attention for being all dressed up while going through the wet market.
As I looked at the time, I thought I was late to arrive at Dor's place only to find out that I was the earliest of the gals. Dor was all chirpy and telling me that she woke up late and just came back from being made up. Can't blame her for oversleeping since there's so much preparation involved leading up to this day.
Anyway, I soon heard her mum asking me to help put the accessories on Dor and quickly obliged her so that she could go get herself dressed up peacefully. An aunt came in some minutes later and exclaimed "So, you are the bridesmaid!". I laughed and quickly explained that the real one is on the way.
Soon everyone started to trickle in and the house bustled with activity. Everyone was excited and happily took photos with the bride. Then it was time for everyone to get into our stations. Once Bobby (Dor's brother) opened the door of the bridal car and inviting Jeff into the house, the challenge began.
1st challenge: It's a warm up. At the gate, the groom and his entourage must finish a bunch of bananas. Now that wasn't so hard.
2nd challenge: Test of male-bonding. Groom must take 5 bodily hairs from his best man. This should include eyebrow and sideburn. After that, the best man must take 5 bodily hairs from the groom. Yes... we let the last part come out much later. We couldn't let the groom get away so easy.
3rd challenge: This one is a combo. Jeff had to say the 10 things he loved about Dor... and #10 was because she's the only one he wants to spend his whole life with. Very sweet. This was to follow with a serenade. We gave him a guitar and he came prepared with a printed songsheet with chords for "Growing Old With You".
Kudos to Jeff for being a sport although he was sweating buckets by the time we let him through into Dor's room.
Fast forward. Prior to dinner was the church ceremony in the beautiful gardens of E&O hotel. Angie (from Sabah), Siah and Ah Tin were the bridesmaid dressed in a combination of pale gold and golden brown.
With "I Do" and vows exchanged.. it's official - Doris is now Mrs. Jeffry Wong... and for the record... they do make a beautiful couple.
A little tidbit: It was said that Mare openly announced on TV that she was coming back to Penang for Dor's wedding. Omigawd! That's so crazy!!
That's how it feels like. Knowing where the finish line is but you have not one iota if you will ever get there.
With two projects running in parallel, I'm just trying my best not to get hyper-stressed or burnt-out. Reviving the entire clockwork for an internal newsletter is not my cup of tea but its something that needs my utmost attention.
Having to revamp, cleanup and revitalize the local intranet on the other hand is something I know well. I just lack the time to commit to the whole data migration thing. Yes... and that is where bosses come in.
As critical as both of these babies to be revived ASAP, it's not humanly possible for me to get them both up at the same time. There is only 40 work hours a week and it would be unfair to say that I have to work 24/7 to get them done. Besides I will also need to put some time to work on other items listed in my portfolio.
Luckily for me, boss saw my point. I just need to wait to see what happens next while I try my best to float on the surface.
About work: Ask me if I'm a "Jack of all trades and master of none" and the answer is a probable "YES". So many things to do but only that many designated work hours. I guess that is a kind of trade-of when I promised myself to be sure that I have a better work-life balance... not just to wake-up, work, eat, work some more, go home late, have a bite to eat, sleep, repeat the cycle... like how it was when I was in my previous job position.
Mental Note: No wonder so many people are saying that they have no time to meet people... work (read: modern corporate careers a.k.a. the rat race) has a bad habit of doing that to a person. Quite evident if anyone has been reading those Valentine's day social/trivial hubbub about speed dating, and other dating services, blah-blah...
About the sudden spurt of blog updates: Please thank my sudden need to output all of the things that have been playing in my head... and not just sticking to forcing myself to put up a blurb about some reality TV show, some movie(s), F1, and depressing thoughts about the workplace.
About something else altogether: Oh, I'm such an idiot! *slaps forehead* What's so hard about giving people my namecard? Hmm... maybe the job title on it sounds a bit too fancy but boss wanted mine showcased that way. But anyway, once again, I hereby confirm myself to be an idiot.
Mental Note: (1) Gotta stop being a git about it; (2) Stop making lousy excuses like, "Oops, sorry! I didn't bring it out with me today". (Pah!) Networking konon...
Getting back to work after a long break has always been a headache but I'm one of the lucky people who can detach myself from worrying about what is waiting for me inside the dreaded inbox. I truly enjoy first then face the music only when I'm actually back in the corporate environment. :)
Among the hullabaloo of things in my bag was this bit about having to be at Shangri-La for a day-long event with regard to "Youth Enterprise (YE): Train the Trainers Workshop", on Weds.
Okaaay. Hah.
The event itself was interesting enough. All the attendees were people who will later be corporate/teacher advisors coaching school students on how to run a real company that has a manufacturing line. Mental note: Networking opportunity.
We went through the same workshops that needs to be duplicated and presented to the students, inclusive of a simulation where we were put into groups competing with one another to 'manufacture' picture frames and marketing it. Overall, it looks like everyone had fun.
Besides that, I think I also had a good laugh during lunch break when I ended up following a couple of Citigroup gals from my 'workshop group' to a table where other gals and a guy from Citigroup + a couple of teachers were parked.
One of the gals noticed that their guy pal had automatically asked the waiter to get a fork for me (I was happily eating with just a spoon and knife... someone else could have taken the fork that had been set on the table way earlier)... and decided it would be a good prank to say he was checking me out and wondering if he could have my number.
I bet you can all guess that the circus came to town then when everyone began to target the guy. He seems to be quite a sport since he soon joined-in on the uptake and pulled a fast one. It was hilarious! Eventually, the little pranksters decided to leave the table while I was finishing my desert... leaving just the guy and myself at the table. Nice one girls... however let's just say that small talk ensued and that was all.
Anyway, I'm sure we'll all meet again over the course of the 9-mth YE program and meet loads of other people along the way.
p/s: For example, I'm still getting to know the other volunteers from Agilent since many of us are new to one another.
I was supposed to be on leave from 26 Jan (Thu) and go back to work on 6 Feb (Mon) but didn't find it unusual that I had to work from home on my first off-day for CNY.
Then of course mum began to nag me on when I would start my baking for CNY throughout the entire morning since I couldn't get off the computer until I'm done with the publication of the Jan toolkit.
It also seems that it has become part of a tradition for me to wrap-up my CNY baking and packing of the 'produce' right into the first hours of CNY. Btw, I only made "Coffee Shortcake" and "Jam Tarts" this time... was short on time to make a nice cheesecake.
Moving on, it appears that the weather this CNY is much more pleasant than last CNY's (it was extremely hot then). We also completed our visiting rounds within a record 3 days (normally it seems neverending to me)
And then on 1 Feb, I had a record of a Yee-Sang lunch with my family followed by 3 back-to-back evening gatherings with Chin2. The 1st was with the CGL gals I knew throughout my F1-F3 years at Starbucks (E-gate). The 2nd was with the XSC group at Mr. Ho's Fine Foods... and the last was at Bagan with my CGL F4-F5 classmates.
Bits of news from all the gatherings were: Dom who had planned from last year to get married in June this year has to pull in his plans 2 mths earlier since his fiance is now expecting. Doris is getting married in March and hen-night is at end-of Feb.
Getting home... it was time to pack for my trip to Hadyai with my parents (and some of their buddies+family) the next morning. Later, I realised I should have tried to sleep during the drive there but I got caught up with re-reading "Memoirs of A Geisha: A Novel" by Arthur Golden. I needed a refresher on the story since it's been at least 2 years since the last time I read it. Nope - haven't seen the movie yet.
Anyway, I managed to go for a foot massage that my dad deemed friendly for first timers since it wasn't one of those where you can scream out in excruciating pain. Needless to say I did quite a bit of shopping too and manage to get a nice white handbag with amber trimming, a good number of tops, and a couple of bottoms.
The selection of food that we had throughout the trip had been good but I'm quite hopeless with handling the level of spiciness there. I had to rely a lot on eating cucumbers, cold drinks, or the local cakes/deserts in resetting my tastebuds.
We got back in Penang on Saturday evening with just enough time to prepare to go for a dinner at uncle Dean's place.
And then... before I know it... it's time to get back to work... and that's another story.
It's been a busy January. So much for bumbling around while learning the ropes... my colleagues and myself are actually just running with the flow and hopefully not finding ourselves smacked hard into a giant wall. Being a totally new team, it also means we are learning about each others expectations and how we affect the dynamics of it all while trying to move towards the big cheese.
Did anyone notice that a certain number of humans may in fact be proving the fact that humans are worse than animals? I've watched quite a few nature programs but never once have I seen a gang of males targetting on a single female and doing "the deed" in successive turns. Even polygamous animals don't do it like that. Then of course I should not generalize and just say - there are people who are worse than animals.
I'm currently apparently hooked on a pretty predictable but rather entertaining Taiwan soap showing on 8TV, "Reaching for the Stars". Though the acting is rather mediocre on the overall... I won't complain about the eyecandy. Guo Yan Jun (one half of a pair of twins) who plays Liang Zheng Hao is quite a hunk... but maybe, just maybe, the makeup artist for this show is overdoing the lipstick/gloss thing on him.
Did I mention that I had a chance to go to the Gov of Pg's residence because I was the appointed photographer to capture the moment when our CEO is given his Dato'ship? S1ndhu tells me I'm a lucky pig to have the opportunity to shake hands with the Gov and be near the CM. I'm not so sure about the CM part tho' coz I've previously been a volunteer with the RC and had at times being part of a guard of honor lineup and such... probably had more than a few chances to have seen some of them politicians in person (pimples and all)... Anyway, before I forget, CM's assistant is rather cute and yes I was paying attention to what I had to be doing the whole time besides checking out the splendid decor that adorns the Gov's audience hall and I hope I don't have to wear court shoes again in the near future. I prefer sandals anytime cause I just don't like the traditional closed-toe female shoes that are not in the sports-shoe category and I do mean the kind that covers up your heels too... but perhaps I should just learn to look for one with nice comfy material that won't cut above my heel.
There ya go... and this is thus the end of my first bout of randomness in a long time. Peace and Happy Chinese New Year!
Looking back I realised that I've always managed to move into a new job role at the most challenging times. Just look at this:
This can only mean that there is plenty to do and plenty to learn. There seems to be an endless and confusing list of things to do until we manage to set into a groove of our own.
Besides, I'm looking towards getting the necessary hardware and software packages to support our multimedia needs over the span of the next 6-months. Wahey!
On a separate note, the movies I've watched recently that I find is captivating in their own right are:
This is what I decided to get for my brother... he, the big Simpsons fan. It's rather amusing really... where the Train Stations were are now "Interesting Tombstone Signs" (something like that). I particularly love the one that says "I'm with Stupid -->" where it points to the neighboring block with Homer Simpson in it. Click here if you'd like to get a peek at the game board.
Now on to what I have in my pile. Besides a T-shirt, a little bear in a paperbag, and a nice coffee pot & cups set... is this cheerful looking flower. We are having some evil fun in the office now that one of my colleagues have decided to use it as a whacking device (it has an 18" stalk).
Lastly, if I remember correctly, I'm supposed to get something from my brother too... except he forgot to send it down with my dad last week so... I'll wait and see what that is
Edit: Essentially mum and I were supposed to get a book each but I realised that, "Hey! They are by the same author and they should be read in the correct order"
The books were "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" by Emily Giffin. Although they fall into the chick flick corner, do not be surprised why they are excellent pageturners. Giffin is a good writer who engages the reader into empathizing with the characters no matter what good or bad have they been up to.
Something I forgot to mention earlier: Sounds of Joy was a really wonderful performance by our local celebrities Jaclyn Victor and Juwita Suwito. I give credit also to my old friend Daniel for being an excellent pianist although he was given a last minute notice on the afternoon of D-day that he was needed.
Before Christmas: Twas the week before Christmas... I joined my colleagues for a karaoke session in Redbox where we went crazy singing ourselves hoarse.
On Gluttony: Just a few words... "Lots of FOOD!"
Time of Reunions: Besides the previous ones mentioned
I am obviously once again GUILTY for not updating my blog frequently.
So in a nutshell, this is what happened in the past month:
Been to E&O hotel ballroom twice in December. Once for my cousin's wedding and a week later my schoolmate's wedding. No more E&O wedding dinners for now... time to change scenery although it's like one of the swankiest old hotels.
I learnt that after having not exerted myself for a long time in any sporting event... I should do stretches before actually playing a good game of badminton *ouch... stiff muscles for 2 days*
Haven't gone to the Cinema except to watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which I thought had thrown away just about too much and perhaps they should have gone ahead and done it as a double-movie instead of one... the book had more essence.
Had a sort of mini reunion with my classmates in Beguardo's, E-Gate (near Tesco). Haven't seen Chween since our last day in highschool... and all the others who I've met up with over varying degrees of time (yes... these ppl at least I saw... but Chween... see above)
Another mini-reunion with schoolmates at Fiona's wedding. 'Nuf said.
There's yet another reunion... this time with my fellow college student councillors. As you can see... tis the season for reunions. *sparkle!*
I'm getting very hooked on the Korean soaps they are showing on national telly. Not good... this is adding to time I spend with idiot box #2. (p/s: #1 is the computer... yes, I'm kinda nerdy that way.)
Anyhow... last but not least... I start on my new job next week. >:)
As of 15-Nov-2005, I have accepted the offer to take up a role in Corporate Communications... after 6 months since I clicked on that "Apply" button at the internal postings website.
Happily counting down the days I have left with the Order Management team. Abso-poso-lutely looking forward to this change. *does yet another lil' jig of joy*
By the way (going back some weeks ago) by some stroke of coincidence - my good ol'buddy Infinitium and yours truly told one another that we applied for Internal Transfer to Comms Dept. and chances are we'd probably get the job. What were you thinking I was going to say? Geesh...
Anyway, looks like the both of us have been successful in our quest to be behind the wheels for the brainwashing of corporate employees... but then of course - that's the myth of comms role... I'd say it's half-truth.
Movies watched recently: (1) Zorro2; and (2) Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Loved the part in Zorro2 where Joaquin De La Vega "spars" with his teacher in the class; as for TBCB - I don't like the songs they wrote for it much but I must say the flow of the story was pretty good (and they made the clay doll of Johnny Depp spot on... the butterfly thing at the end was pretty too).
I know I didn't really mention this before but I had been in KL on the night of 22-Sep until the morning of 26-Sep.
Key reason for being there being for some seriously needed:
Ok... CDs and books I can also get in Penang - but then again... I don't really know how to find the time to take myself to the shopping complexes on this blessed island when I'm on it. Sad but true.
I've also learnt something new for myself... TAXI FARE IN PENANG IS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH.
Yep. That's right. It was RM16 to get from Agilent to the Sungai Nibong (Pesta) Bus Exchange. That's roughly a distance of 5KM.
To further emphasize this point... my taxi fare from USJ2 to 1Utama (definitely at least 4-to-5 times a WAY longer distance than my trip to the Pesta ground)... was only RM14.80.
Point: Do not take a taxi in Penang unless you have no other choice at hand or you can claim it against expenses on a business trip.
Been a long time since I've said anything about racing... so here goes.
Belgium F1 GP race (Spa-Francochamps)
At this point, although mathematimatically possible for Kimi Raikkonen to steal the Drivers Championship from Fernando Alonso, I strongly believe that Alonso will be the victor of the 2005 championship.
That will also mean one thing: This year we will quite likely be seeing the youngest F1 World Champion being crowned. And if that's anything to go by, Flavio Briatore (Renault's teamo supremo) seems to most definitely have a nose to sniff out World Champions...
p/s: Flavio is also the dude that 'discovered' Michael Schumacher.
Anyway, it was a pity that Montoya spun out this race when he was looking comfortable to score 2nd placing. The Belgian race was just ultimately full of drama and the order of the finish was hardly something you were confident to predict.
As Forrest Gump said (spot on), "...You never know what you're gonna get".
Edit (28-Sep): The Question from Kancil Killer: Is F1 interesting?
Answer: It depends on what you look for. Each sport has it's pros and cons; It's fans and also non-fans. How about checking out the A1 race? If you are looking for higher probability of incidents for car-racing... A1 looks like a good prospect too.
On a separate note:
Hey! Whaddya know? Alonso is World Champion after finishing the Brazilian F1 GP.
SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA (Happy Independence Day) to all Malaysians - for on the strike on midnight tonight, our nation will be 48 years old.
p/s: I'll find some energy to put some updates here
pp/s: Oh... I'm so looking forward towards STOMP! 25 days more to go...
Moving on... I have "War of the Worlds" on the cards - watched this one in the cinema. Firstly, the video and audio effects are nothing short of expectation but what I find absolutely fascinating from this one is definitely the narrative and the ability for H.G.Wells to come up with such a story. I have never read any of his work before but I have to conclude that he has an excellent creative mind... the other movie based on his work that was released in 2002, "The Time Machine", was just as fascinating in the way the story was told.
However, I do feel like there is one side-effect from watching WotW. Let me admit to the entire Earth that I get the creeps each time I hear a big truck horn going off ever since I've watched this movie. Icky... Icky... feeling... I tell you. It just sends a cold chill down my spine.
"Sepet" - a movie by Yasmin Ahmad of the endearing Petronas ads - which I found rather a bit too slow and draggy. Not quite my cup of tea. Btw, what was with the ending? Was Orked (the heroine) hearing a ghost speak... or some time warp was implied there?
Besides that... I finally watched Paradise Road... the one I missed countless times when it was showing on TV3. It's amazing what some people can do to alleviate from stressful times.
Lastly... I admit to having watched Star Wars: Return of the Sith and not finding it to be more than a link between the prequels and the original ep.4, ep.5, and ep.6. And one thing that irks me... terribly corny dialogue between Anakin and Padme. Bleh!
Another long hiatus from the blogging world I have taken, yes!
This time, I'd just like to talk about movies I've seen in the past few months... either on DVD, VCD, or at the cinema (I miss going to the theatres... have barely the chance to go there lately).
Ok, let's start it off with "Les Choristes" (The Chorus) - watched this one on DVD. I find this French movie to be a really moving story with equally beautiful music throughout this wonderful movie. You can read more about this in detail from IMDB. My verdict: Music lovers shouldn't ever give this a miss. Trust me on this.
Ooh... the next one I'm going to write about I absolutely love to bits. OKAY! So I'm a sucker for animations... but "Madagascar" cracked everyone in the theater up every few minutes or so. What more can I ask for after a stressful time at work?! Yeah... something to keep you laughing is pretty good therapy. Besides - I loved the way the animators made the skeleton hand move into gestures that King Julien intended to make. And the penguins? They are nuts... absolutely bonkers!
I've said this on countless times... I need a job change - no end. I feel like I'm growing fungus, stagnating, and just not growing anymore in what I do. My brain is already feeling like mush and I do have the tendency to want to BITE people's head off if I feel they have asked me a stupid question.
Oh yes... I've become quite a grouch and sceptic in certain things in the office. Quite possibly like a Jekyll & Hyde. Just don't catch me on a bad day. *GRRRrrrr* *extends sharp claws* *evil glint in bloodshot eyes*
1-word to describe today's air quality:
SMOKY
2-words to describe today's air quality:
HORRIBLY HAZY *wheeze* *cough,cough*
Some words regarding my absence from the blogosphere:
I've suddenly lost the want or need to update my blog as frequently as I used to. Maybe it's because WORK has swallowed me whole into this hither-to unknown and scary vortex of emptiness. It's EVIL.
Many things have happened
I'll start with a few comments on the recent development of F1.
WHAT WAS THAT FARCE that happened at INDIANAPOLIS (USA) F1 Grand Prix? 6-cars running a race and no PR move from Bernie Ecclestone? That old man must be losing his marbles. He could have opened his mouth to say he would reschedule the race to another date & those who have tickets can come back FOC for the re-match immediately after it was known that the the Michelin-tyre running teams had to pull out on grounds of safety for the drivers.
F1 makes millions in returns and to give a race back to the Americans FOC on PR grounds for the race-loving folks could have saved F1 in USA. There may be a chance that F1 could be boycotted by the Americans in the coming years. Who knows?
Other than that, it looks to be a fantastic battle between Renault's wonder boy Fernando Alonso & McLaren's Iceman Kimi Raikkonen. I won't put the legendary Michael Schumacher out of the picture yet - he seems to have some tricks up his sleeves now that Ferrari's package seems to be coming along together. Looks like Ferrari's slow reaction to the new rules have cost them more than the could imagine.
Shucks. I would have preferred it if Bo Bice had won the Season 4: American Idol competition on Wednesday. As with most other people that I know - I felt that he had way more presence, confidence and flair on stage than Carrie Underwood.
Yet all the same, we know that a number of the contestants who were featured in each season of American Idol will be offered recording contracts.
Watch out. Bo Bice has entered the music arena (big time!)
Anyway, I think the most interesting theory about Carrie's win had to be what I heard on the Mix.FM Breakfast Show. A caller mentioned something like, "America is a cowboy country. It's just a natural tendency that the cowboys voted for the country girl with all her sweetness and blondeness. We don't need another LeAnn Rimes"
I had a good laugh at that one lar. What can I say? I mean that sounds like the stereotype we all know has been given to the US of A... more so with GW Bush on the helm as their Prez.
When the sun goes down and after dinner is done, the staff will pull from their sleeves an entertainment session that will begin with getting everyone to dance before moving on to the night's main entertainment.
On my first night there - it was a circus act featuring the kids of some of the guest. Part of the act included the taming of wild animals. But then of course, the wild animals were really little kiddos in tiger/lion costumes.
On the 2nd night themed "Mexican Night" - we had station games where you and your team go about different booths and take turns to earn points for the team by having pillow fights, beer drinking, singing, memory game, dart game, smell & guess the liquid, hitting the pinata, fist fight, 12 stones... and most of all... my team won and received extra tickets for the night's lucky draw. (p/s: besides my colleague Cindy and 2 of the CM staff... the rest of the team was made out of kids)
Anyway... for the first time, I managed to get something decent from a lucky draw. A cap + 20% discount off (one time use) on total purchases made at the Club Med Boutique... simply a nice name for their gift shop cum convenient store.
Edit (16-Dec): After leaving this for so long... I forgot what I wanted to add in but I just know I had loads of fun... and forget the blow-by-blow account. I think I've mentioned a bit about everything I've managed to do earlier anyway.... love the cap ;)
I finally had a much needed break. Huwahahaha!!!
The trip started with a flight from Penang to Kuantan via KL. It's so blah having to waste 1hr checking in and waiting to board each of the 2 flights since there isn't a direct flight from Pg-Kuantan
Hmm... I haven't mentioned where I had disappeared to. I had gone off for a 4D3N stay at Club Med Cherating - where blue skies, smooth sandy beaches, and blue seas seam perfectly with one another.
What's amazing about Club Med is the all-friendly staff that comprise of an international team who in total - are able to converse to guests in either English, French, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, and Malay.
Not to forget are the meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner are international buffet meals. Breakfast essentially offers you the same thing day in and day out but lunch and dinner offerings differ from day to day. You can really eat til you drop... ho-boy!
Apart from being able to indulge in some gluttony - there are plenty of activities running throughout the day. Just take your pick and join in on anything you like.
How does doing the trapeze sound? Wall/Rock-climbing? Hip-Hop/Jazz Dance Lessons? Power walk in the morning? Some archery maybe? Rollerblading? Bungee bounce? These were the daytime activities that I managed to actually participate in.
There are other stuff to do like sailing, kayakking, yoga, batik craft painting, body sculpting, combat fighting (aerobic thing), soccer, tennis, badminton, table tennis, swimming, and getting a massage at the spa. Totally spoilt for choice for what you can do in a day.
"Robots" (Fri)... loved the Nokia ad that played before the movie. The striking colours used on the robots and their environment in general can really appeal to the kids. BRIGHT!
Anyhow - I think someone could be inspired to build some kind of ride based on the absolutely thrilling mode of "public transport" that they have in the big city.
but if anyone ask mw waht is the underlying message of the story... it has to be (1) when opression hits you - fight back with all you've got (2) don't ever get into hysteria... put your mind together and go for the greater good.
"Hitch" (Sat)... another absolutely hilarious movie starring Will Smith where he's just well... Will Smith. Kevin James was equally charming in his role of the clumsy oddball who decided he needed Hitch (Smith) to help him find the love of his life. Pretty enjoyable fare.
Melbourne, Albert Park: Fresh new start to the 2005 F1 GP Race season. New rules, plenty of surprises, & less predictability (until maybe a few races later when everyone stabilises into a groove of their own).
For now - it's great to see Fisichella finally on the top podium. It's his 2nd first place win but only the first time acknowledging his top placing on the podium. Now how is that possible?
Simple. The F1 governing body didn't declare him as the rightful winner of the Brazil 2003 GP until days later. That was one eventful race alright.
Besides, Renault seems set for a great season. They kept Fernando Alonso - the guy who started in 13th but finished 3rd in the race. The talent scouts had noticed him since he first drove for Minardi in 2001... but everyone started watching out for this young fellow from the time he started menacing the tracks in a Renault in 2003.
I must say that Rubens Barricello must be giddily happy that for once - he is way ahead on the podium while his legendary partner, the great Michael Schumacher, was forced to retire from the race due to a racing incident.
Meanwhile, about David Coulthard - I must say for a guy who had a rough time trying to get a seat in the 2005 season... he's really proving all the disbelievers wrong. It's like saying, "I'll show you that I still have it in me!!". Yes, DC... you sure do. You did manage 4th under a "new" team.
Watched Constantine at 9:50pm today.... where Keanu Reeves still looks very much in Matrix-mode and carrying that same brooding expression on his handsome face. What else I love about the comicbook adaptation is Glenn Close as the angel-gone-bad. She's such a gem!
Tonight, on the 8th night of Chinese New Year, when the Hokkien community awaits to pray to "Th'i Kong" (literally translated >> God of the Heavens) at midnight - Chicken Little would have little doubt that the sky is falling. Right here in Penang.
The fireworks have been going on non-stop since about 11:30pm. You can hear them going off at every turn... and we are not talking small fry firecrackers here...
It's those industrial grade ones where the fireworks burst out into great big blooms of light up in the sky... they are EVERYWHERE!!!
So much for enforcement against illegal fireworks. A heck lot of people doesn't seem to be getting fined for playing with them... but what is Chinese New Year without a little fireworks?
Heck!! But I think having those big fireworks go off everywhere is just a bit too much... too much thundering going on... you wouldn't know real thunder from the one coming from the explosives.
p/s: The fireworks show is still going on 1 hr later... it sure is the noisiest night so far.
Started my CNY baking today. To do List: - Coffee Chocolate Chip Shortcake > Done - Jam Tarts - Rum & Raisin Cheesecake
Watched "Bridget Jones II: The Edge of Reason" - is typically good for a laugh with plenty of jokes to go around. Bridget and Mr. Darcy... ahh... how sweet
Watched "The Aviator" last night. Leo DiCaprio flick. Thought he looked too cute to be convincing as an eccentric guy who build his own empire of planes.
"Phantom of the Opera" - has much to offer with the beautiful cinematography. However, I'll only go as far as that. I believe that The Phantom in this version hardly strikes me as a tortured and sadistic freak. The broadway Phantom was way better.
As for Emma Rossum as the young Christine Daae... I think she was pretty good... the only problem is how many times they shot her with the same sad puppy-eyed looks... perhaps there could be a possibility that they thought it should fit in? I don't know...
Did anyone notice that Minnie Driver was really good as the primadonna...?? I find her very convincing as Carlotta the diva on and offstage and such great comic timing!
Oh and Raoul! I liked the bloke that played him too... at least he was OK
Today I laughed and cried til I was good and numb. I was sad at the reality of how my team will always have a much lesser probability of moving up the ranks in the department.
But at the same time, my colleagues were cracking jokes about resigning en bloc and together we open a shop. Maybe a nasi kandar shop or a cake house. We started assigning roles like "Jaga api", "person who take orders", washing dishes would be a rotation thing... and on and on.
My face just turned numb. I think my facial muscles were just confused on which way it should contort to. Ahhh... numb...
In spite of all this, I'm so glad that at a time when I am down - the whole team had been supportive (specifically I need to thank Christabel the most). I also had colleagues in Singapore who are willing listeners - Jeff who read my yahoo status & TW whom I think I have a terrible tendency to automatically dial up but never pushes me away even when I become neurotic... Thank you!!.
Not to forget the ever wonderful Lyne and Angela... my ex-colleague and ex-boss respectively. Angela's involvement was purely coincidental... while lepak-king at my old dept, Lyne had just brought her name up and speak of the devil... she called Lyne about a minute after that.
It was a nice surprise and I couldn't be more thankful for her advice and support on the fact that I wanted to jump ship. Honestly, I didn't want to get Angela to help me but it seems that somehow someone up there decided that it would be better to put her there as my guide of sorts.
Life happens sometimes... and things have a way of coming to you whether you ask for it or not. In a sense I think I'm a pretty lucky sod. Better things are coming my way now that my time at where I currently am is drawing to a close.
Happy New Year to all and may it bring to you a greater promise of a brighter future.
p/s: Kalamari-buddy, sorry I didn't feel like yahoo-ing stuff in detail when u pinged me. I'll elaborate this to you sometime soon
23-Dec (Thu): Am on half-day today. Woo hoo! Going to KL on the 5:30pm bus from Garden Inn... except... it didn't get there until 6. What's more - it's a temporary ride (with no aircon) until we reach the bus' workshop in Butterworth. Stuffy like *bleh*. SMS-ed woeful news to Michelle who's waiting at the Kampungku (Gelugor) pickup point.
After all the drama with the no aircon thing... we found out we were being put on a non-tiptop condition bus... oh it was a SLOWWWW ride... didn't reach KL until like 1am in the morning. *YAWNz*
24-Dec (Fri): Mich's friend Koon Hee was kind enough to pick us up so late into the night. He and his family were excellent host... making sure that their guest are comfortable. In the morning (after having some rest) - everyone in the house got moving to help prepare for the Christmas party.
Ooh! Btw... they have a really cute Australian Silky Terrier too. That darling ball of fur goes by the name Happy. Must remember to post up a photo of that doggy.
25-Dec (Sat): Woke up early and joined my host for their Christmas morning mass. They had a choir and a dance ensemble perform - it was really good. Besides - it was fun to hear their senior pastor speak coz he's a really entertaining speaker. Sleep-inducer? Definitely not.
In the afternoon, Koon Hee had kindly dropped me off at my dad's place in USJ 2. Ahh... it's been great so far but I could use some lunch. Hah! Since my bro had yet to have his lunch... hee hee... we can go eat... my treat lar!
Later in the evening, I went to ronda-ronda in KLCC on my own while waiting for Sze Lin and Freddie to meet up with. I must say I had a pretty fruitful shopping spree then. Anyhow, after meeting up with the happy couple - we took a train to Subang Jaya then a cab to Taipan for a mighty late dinner. From there on, I had my bro pick us back to the house for a nightcap. *yawn*
26-Dec (Sun): We met up with Ai Luen at about 1PM at KL Sentral. From there on, we had intended to take the monorail to Bkt. Bintang but heck - we found out that the long queue at the ticket counter was because they are stopping the service for 30mins. So we took a cab there instead.
Note: At about this time - people were calling up to tell us that there had been a Tsunami hitting the beachfronts along batu Ferringhi down to the Gurney area in Penang
First things first, lunch!! We went to a place called 18th Street. They have a really quite a lot of things on their menu... it took us ages to decide what to eat. All sounds quite tempting. :p''
Well eventually we did get our lunch over and done with while at the same time, we gals caught up with each others life's and all that jazz. Freddie? Well... he just listened mostly and chipped in rarely.
27-Dec (Mon): Sze Lin and Freddie got a cab to go to Sunway Pyramid after having a late breakfast (Dad had bought us all some nasi lemak before he went off to work) at my house since I didn't want to go for anymore shopping or window shopping for that matter. Just felt that it was better to rest before going to catch my 3:30 bus back to Penang.
Anyhow, prior to lunch time, I dragged my bags into the car since my brother had to pick up some of his friends. From there on, they decided that having chicken rice at Jalan Gasing would be a great idea since my brother had to drop me off at the KL KTM Station. No complains here... the food there is nice although definitely a bit more pricey.
When it was time to board my bus, I had to ask one of the attendants which bus was to Penang. To my surprise... I was pointed to the double-decker!!! Whoa-ho-ho!!! And I thought that was going to Singapore.
Anyway, luckily I did ask first. If not I'll be like that lady who boarded the double-decker thinking it was going to Singapore. Fortunately she realised that she was on the wrong bus before either of the two buses had departed from KTM.
And, oh!!! I couldn't be more delighted to be sitting right in front at the top deck. It really feels like I'm on a sight-seeing nature tour... on a VIP seat. I feel like a kid in awe really... hehehe...
Woke up without much of a voice today but dragged myself to work anyway. Talking was a chore but I somehow managed to mutter out what's necessary when it mattered.
That idiot TW didn't even notice that I was struggling to complete a conversation in the morning until at an afternoon telcon + netmeeting... the coordinator CT made a mention of it since I had warned her that I may not be able to talk much while carrying out the demo they had requested be done.
It was interesting that for once, my answer to "Are you OK?" was a flat out "NoOOoo... I'm not *cough, cough*"
You see... I just have this bad tendency to answer in the positive even if I'm feeling a wee-bit off-kilter.
Not particularly a very wise thing to do at times. :P
I realized that the last time I actually went to see the doctor was more than a year ago. No kidding!
I just happened to look at the last date stamped onto my personal copy of the company medical booklet... all because I know this time... the coughing must stop.
Had nearly coughed my throat out while driving home from work today.
[Edit: My Singapore Trip... an account in the shortest way I could write it...]
03-Dec (Fri): Woke up as early as usual but am heading to the airport to catch the 9:30 MAS direct flight to Singapore. Arrived at Changi some 1hr++ later.
Saw one of Botero's works in the Airport.... it's a big black statue of a jolly round lady. Will later find myself looking at more Botero pieces as I traipse around the island.
Mum & I checked into the Hilton and somewhat finished unpacking by noon thus leaving us some time to walk along Orchard Rd before we part ways. Didn't really need lunch since we had the airline food thing for brunch.
At Orchard MRT Station - probably did the smartest thing by buying the EZ-Link card... will be needing that in days to come. My stop - Yishun... it's about a 30mins ride.
At Yishun, I got on a bus that will pass Yishun Avenue 7 and tried to look for #1... that's where the Singapore office is. Unfortunately, I turned and walked the wrong way and found myself in Woodlands. Damn those confusing address numbering sequences. Pah!
Oh, forgot to mention that I was also caught in the sudden rain and wind with only a small little umbrella for cover prior to seeing a decent bus stop. Luckily managed to find one kind uncle who can speak Hokkien to let me borrow his handphone so that I could call my buddy TW.
He suggested that I get a cab after being shocked that I've actually walked quite a distance in the wrong direction. Interesting 1st day in Singapore so far I must say.
I arrived at the office just when the rain started to ease off. Then I called my buddy again and wahey! I finally get to see all the people that I haven't seen in a long time.
TW bullied Nancy to get me some water... he's both a naughty and nice person so I don't know how Santa Claus would ever evaluate him. Oh! And he passed me the stuff I asked him to get for me... tickets to Mamma Mia for tonight (it's the last show of this theatre run) & my local prepaid card. Yay!!! I'm no longer incommunicado.
Mamma Mia! Mum and I watched this at the Esplanade and thoroughly enjoyed the show. It's very well-planned since although the set is simple, the theatrical devices and costumes were used to enhance the flow of the script. Genious!
And of course, how could I forget the performance from the one and only Silvie Palladino who took the role of the mother-of-the-bride-to-be? She's a really great singer and theatrical actress.
04-Dec (Sat): Seeing that the day is clear, mum & I headed to go to the Jurong Bird Park. It's really well-kept and at least the birds don't seem to be balding. Our feathered friends there looks very much in the pink of health. Can't believe that we actually spent half a day there.
In the evening, we met up with my dad who arrived in the afternoon, at the hotel. For the night, we went for the Night Safari. Riding the tram was quite fun... since we were driven over a stream of water at least 4-5 inches high. The guide speculated - "Watch out for you just might see a CROCODILE"... creepy... :P
05-Dec (Sun): During the day, I decided that I wanted to check out Haw Par Villa.. and later found out that it was the only place that didn't require an entrance fee. Hurrah!!! Seeing that we had some time to spare after walking about HPV... we went to the Singapore Science Centre. Plenty of interesting exhibits to keep curious minds entertained. Seriously a great place for a "lawatan sambil belajar".
In the evening, my parents were to meet up with their friends for dinner while I had a dinner date with an old pal from college - Andrew. Nice of him to take me around Suntec City where we settled for dinner at Picken Move. How you get your food and drinks is apparently following a somewhat German Market concept. Interesting, that's something new to me.
Much later, he took me to the 70th floor of the Swiss Hotel to have a drink. The view of the night skyline of the whole city from up there was fabulous! And of course, it was really nice to catch up with Andrew since the last time I saw him was about 4 years ago. :)
06-Dec (Mon): Today was officially the day to do some serious shopping. First, mum wanted to go to Peninsula Shopping Mall to find her line dancing stuff. Then later on, we went to the City Link Mall and Suntec City to complete the round. That's a lot of walking for one day... and silly me was wearing heels... not proper walking shoes. Result? Sore feet.
Towards the evening, I headed again to Yishun since I did agree to meet TW for teabreak in the office. Yeah... the idiot can't make it for the group dinner he sorta organised. Apparently, a last minute reschedule of a class he is taking so to make up for it... he promised tea instead.
Oh well... stuff it! I'll still have Lisa, Belina, and "uncle" Bernard to keep me company for dinner. They took me to Big O in Wheelock Place. Has kinda like a Secret Recipe feel to it except that the colour scheme of the place is mainly orange. I had cod fish for my main meal... really nice.
For dessert, we all shared a chocolate cake thinghy, some durian cake dessert thinghy, and a sinful waffle served with caramel & ice cream. Yum!!
07-Dec (Tue): Today, it's time to go home. Our flight leaves at 11:30am from Changi. I'll miss the Christmas atmosphere no doubt. Adieu Singapore, and hello again Penang - Pearl of the Orient.
This had been a week of animations for me.
 | Shark Tale - 17 Nov (Wed) The graphics and colours were awesome! Other than that... the story is somewhat way too predictable. Recommendable if all you want is a good laugh. And yes... if you read the newspaper reviews - I hereby confirm to you that Oscar will remind you of Will Smith as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air |
 | The Incredibles - 20 Nov (Sat) Went for this one with Jase... and someone who doesn't speak English tried to sell us tickets to a show that started 15 mins ago. No way man!!! Don't insult a cinema-movie fan... missing even a single minute of the show is a CRIME!!! Ok... so I'm being a drama queen... but forgive me for being a really big fan of all things from Cartoonworld and Disney. |
Anyway!!! Don't you dare miss this one. Watch it a 2nd or 3rd time if you like... collect the DVD when it comes along...
You sure wouldn't want to miss out on the superb audio-visual effects. The James Bond franchise could sure take some notes from this toon.
The script is very well-written simply because you'll easily relate to the characters as they figure themselves out. Peppered with loads of witty lines - what more can you ask for??
Oh... and b4 I forget... WATCH OUT for E a.k.a. Edna Mode - eccentric costume designer for super heroes. She's absolutely hilarious. Ho-boy!!!
A retreat far from the trappings of a busy and highly technological modern citylife was something I couldn't refuse.
In simple English, I just wanted to escape from being anywhere near my TWO IDIOT BOXES.
Thus, I find myself spending 11-15 of Nov in Taiping... just tagging-along with some friends' for their church camp. (I'm not a Christian... hence the term tagging-along)
Oh yes, btw... HAPPY DEEPAVALI and SELAMAT HARI RAYA!!!
Anyway, among the things I enjoyed while I was there was
I don't quite know what else to write on this... so maybe - let's see some photos instead, OK?
This is one for "The Chronicles of the Absent-minded"
My mum discovered that our account passbooks were not in the usual place about 2 weeks back.
My dad had a theory that I could have accidentally threw them away when I threw away my superbly tattered bag. It was my loyal companion for the past 2-3 years.
I denied it all... but eventually as days past and I can't think of where else I might have placed those books...
There can only be the inevitable conclusion... the very same one I had been vehemently denying... OH NOOOOooOOOo
The number of passbooks lost = SIX. Yup... S-I-X.
And the best part... 2 of them doesn't have my name on it. So very DUuuHHHhhh-brain of me. wa wa waaaaaAaaaa...
Movie night at GSC. Was hoping to get tickets to watch "Taxi"... but the only seats available were in the front row...
Hence, the backup movie of choice was... WHITE CHICKS
It's something you'd only watch if all you want is some slapstick comedy. Don't go in expecting too much... and don't think too much about anything that didn't make logical sense to you.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show for what it was meant to be.
Hmm... received a surprising message while watching The Terminal actually. Daniel had suddenly sprung on us that Joobs is back and that there will be dinner gathering scheduled for tonight.
Okay... let me forget that I'm still feeling tired - I haven't seen that woman in like... AGES!!!
We all ended up going to the Northam Beach Cafe... where everyone had a jolly makan session.
Gawd!!! It's Saturday... but I had to go in to work :( *sigh*
Anyways, I'll be able to claim a day off later on. Am awful tired from the amount to time spent in office over the last week and a half...
I should be able to keep it together for another few days*yawnZzz*
At the start of the day, I had hoped that we could clear out whatever we needed to do by 2pm... but then of course... we ended up staying til 4pm-ish.
Got home in time to bum for about 20mins b4 having to go pick up mum & dad from the bus station in Gelugor... once that was done - it was time for a blissful nap
Later dad woke me up to say it's time to go catch a movie since I said "Drag me there if you have to!"
How could I refuse? They agreed to watch "The Terminal" before I went to take my nap ;)
SPOILER WARNING! Anyway, I kept remembering about the way Chin joked about how she should say "Where do I get the Nike shoes?" when she reaches the customs in the US (ala Viktor Navorski)
Let's see if she gets deported from US for doing that. *chuckles*
Year end closing at the office... plenty of stress... but heck! We did take some time off in the guise of celebrating Halloween. Much fun we had... yesireeeeEee!! :)
Gosh! This couldn't have been a busier weekend for me.
Chin2 was originally scheduled to leave for her 2-yr re-assignment to the USA in early Nov... but as of last Tuesday, she was told that she has to leave on next Wednesday!!
Was actually planning to stagger the farewell gatherings for 2 of our common groups of friends but looks like it has to be a jammed pack weekend
a) ex-student councillors (collegemates)... scheduled for Saturday dinner;
b) schoolmates... scheduled for Sunday lunch
With a little help from some helpful and willing souls - we got the ball rolling by emailing, SMS-ing & calling up anyone we can think of. What would we do without modern technology?!!
Fortunately, the turn out was great for both gatherings considering the last minute arrangements.
It really felt good that the effort put in ended up so fruitful... :)
Besides, I'd rather be able to shelf aside my ever-piling work to do something for my friend. I'd hate to not have been able to say bon voyage to her.
Year end closing or not... my friends definitely comes first.
In the mood for something comic-like?
A hint of corniness?
Well, it sure doesn't get any better than a dose of...
Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow
Potential Spoiler: Watch out for the running joke about Polly Perkins (Gywneth Paltrow), a true-blue journalist at heart, and her camera.
p/s: convinced my mum to come along for this since although she just came back from her China tour about 6-ish pm... her first comment to me was "I wonder what's good on TV tonight?"
My comeback to her, "If you've taped Chinese serials for 8 days, you can afford another hour to go on tape. Come on! Let's go watch a movie!"
Yes.... Happy Birthday to me :)
*YaWnZzz*
Yep... guess what? I just got back from work about 30mins ago.
Yes, I know... it's a sin to work 'til so late on my birthday - yet I didn't have much of a choice
There was a late development in the end-user testing that I was involved in and the deadline for sign-off had to be by the end of US biz-day, 14-Oct.
But anyhow, at least that is over and done with now... and I did have an enjoyable day.
After all, my favorite colleague did oblige me when I playfully told him that he should call me and sing me a song instead of typing it over on Yahoo.
Not to mention that he did manage to throw in some crazy comments, criticized himself for sounding bad, and thought I had said he was tone-deaf when in fact I said, "At least you are not tone-deaf".
Ah what a riot...!!
Oh... btw... since tmrw is the first day of puasa, we had a little birthday do for all 5 people in my team who celebrate our birthdays in Oct.
And yeah... 3 of them have to berpuasa soon... so any later and it will be no celebration at all in Oct.
Guess what!! I just got back to work today!!! Huwahahahahha
Had been off for the past 2 days to laze, and laze, and yep! You guessed it... more lazing.
It was great to not have to sit in front of the computer all day for 2 blissful days
Monday was more like errands day... getting all little but essential tasks done
Yesterday was adventures to the countryside with dad for an absolutely photo-trigger-happy time.
We drove over heading toward Pantai Merdeka in Kedah... and passed-by many brilliant green paddy fields. We even found two beautiful patches of water lotuses in full bloom (the flowers normally associated with Buddhism)
On our way back from Pantai Merdeka, we passed by a school during dismissal time... and saw this short little dude running on his short legs ever so happily home.
Quite a sight to behold since the bag on his back looked almost like a turtleshell... and just imagine that he's also wearing a slightly oversized shirt. Kawaii!!!
Dad then decided to drive down to Sungai Petani before turning back for Penang... was kinda tired when we reached home...
But it had been a fun day and we did manage to test out Dad's Nikon Coolpix 8700. The colours captured were absolutely brilliant!
Will put up some of the photos once my dad bring's back his notebook since I didn't manage to copy it before he went back to KL.
Had just gone to watch The Bourne Supremacy with my dad.
Methinks that in it's own way - this sequel is more interesting than Bourne Identity.
Maybe it's because it's not so much focussed onto the action... and more on the characters this time round.
What's to love about this show? - Watch how Jason Bourne pulls surprises on both the good and the bad guys.
Have you watched this Korean movie yet? If you like love stories, having your heartstrings pulled at, and you are game to maybe get some tears squeeze out of you... please go hunt for a cinema that is showing this right now!
It's probably the best non-fairytale-based love story I've seen within these 2 years.. maybe even a bit more than that
Anyways, if anyone is game to read an overview and maybe read some opinions about the movie... you can read this article @ Seoul Selection
Okay! Now before I sign off this posting... let me tell you about my pre-movie experience for today. I arrived at the cineplex 30mins before the show began and my-oh-MY! The queue was blardy long... first time I've seen it this long on a Wednesday night
Maybe it was because Jackie Chan's "New Police Story" just started screening coupled with the fact that it's Wednesday (RM6 for any show on Wednesdays in GSC)
Anyhow, as I was nearing the counter, someone asked me to help her collect a ticket booking to which I obliged... and guess what?! There was a computer glitch the counter attendant had to clear in order for that booking to be collected... !@$^#@
But luckily for me... I got my tickets and managed to get into the theatre just in time (THANK GOD!!! If not I'll get an earful from my mum for being a good Samaritan). Didn't miss a single minute of the movie even... *phew!!*
p/s: Do take time to go to the movie's official website if you can... it's really nice! One caution though - it loads rather slowly (beware those on dial-up... I'm complaining based on broadband usage)
Hello world! Meet my colleagues! :)
This is us at an appreciation lunch for all the blood, toil and tears that we have put in since last year... to finally hit (almost) all of our major performance measures. It was a tough road... but we made it!!!
p/s: Looking at all the food makes me hungry... *drools*
Ultimately... it's the thought that counts
