RAMBLINGS, RANTINGS AND SEMI-COHERENT BABBLINGS

2011-04-26T23:09:00.002+08:00

I'm soooo tired.

It's been almost one month since I've started this new job - and I don't know if holding onto it will ultimately kill me, literally.

Mandatory visits to 10 accounts per day ( yeah, you read that right - I have to see a minimum of ten clients in ONE day ) followed by a comprehensive report to be submitted on the same day ..

And of course there's the target that I have to achieve .. most of the time I feel like I'm running on auto-pilot .. my only consolation is that it should get better after some time .. I hope ...

Cats and Dogs ....

2011-03-20T17:26:00.004+08:00

Remember Jolly ?

That's my purebred dalmation, which I had wanted to give away due to work commitments ( read about that post here ) sometime back - which I didn't really get to do cause there wasn't really anyone suitable.

There was this couple who saw Jolly and really loved her but had to say NO cause they live in a condo .. and well, I guess most condominiums do not allow pets - especially dogs like Jolly.

But alls well that ends well, I guess .. cos apparently Jolly has made 'friends' with my cat .. and my cat ( I call her 'Meow' ) has also made friends with Jolly ..... they even share the same bowl and Jolly leaves some of her biscuits for the cat !!

Now who says Dogs and Cats can't get along ........

Back to Work .....

2011-03-17T21:58:00.003+08:00

Guess what ?

I've gotten a job - so that means I'm going back to work soon - next month, in fact. Hopefully my new boss is nice - she was nice during the interview .....

And I also hope my health condition doesn't act up - I've been feeling OK all this time .. dunno whether it due to me not having any stress ... but I'm getting kind fedup sitting at home ..

It should feel good to be out again .. meeting people ..

Who wants to be a MILLIONAIRE ....

2011-02-28T19:08:00.005+08:00

I received this in my email today :

From Spencer Favors
Date Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Subject Atm-22

This is to officially inform you that 6.8 Million Dollars has been credited to you. for info, contact Mr. Eric Lawal on email: atmdept01@xtra.co.nz
providing him with your Name,age,occupation,phone no,ID.No.

The information transmitted is intended only for the person or company to which it is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged material. Any review, retransmission dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by person or company other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.

This message has been scanned for malware by Websense. www.websense.com

Oh my God ... does the sender really think that people are so stupid?
My balls are still laughing .....

Hello 2011 ...

2011-02-01T15:49:00.004+08:00

Well, hello again.

It's been like .. what .. almost 8 months since my last post.
And I'm still here.

Guess all that scary stuff I've been hearing from my cardiologist about me having a weak heart .. and a faulty mitral valve .. needing open heart surgery .. could be true, maybe .. but I'm still here.

But it's been an interesting year.
My mother-in-law passed away last December .. she was .. not that old.

I'm gonna miss her .. she treated me like her own son.
Cared for me like her own son when I was sick.

I've also been jobless since I got news of this stupid health problem.
But I think I'm gonna get back to work soon .. after CNY.
It's not like I can't breathe or function like normal .. and I'm still on my medication .. I've had it sitting around the house doing nothing.

The only good thing about being jobless is that I got to do more fishing .. and made some really good friends.

Well, that's it for now.
More updates later.

And a Happy Chinese New year to you, too.
Cheers !!

Sign of the Times ...

2010-05-13T23:30:00.002+08:00

Early this year in February .. my wife came back from work as usual in the evening at about 9:00pm .. parked her car in front of the car as usual ..

.. and promptly had her handbag snatched by two assholes on a motorbike.

And of course she just HAD to hang on to her handbag (more by instinct than anything else) .. resulting in her being dragged on the tarmac for a good 50 meters or so before the two assholes gave up and sped off.

And THAT resulted in cuts and wounds and bruises and a nasty gash on her forehead.

LAST WEEK .. my 4 year old Proton Waja which I had parked in front of house was stolen.

And it was stolen on a Saturday afternoon - between 3:00pm and 6:00pm ... I know, cos the last I looked out at 3:00pm my car was still there.

And it was no longer there at 6:00pm.

We made police reports for BOTH incidents ... and you know what?

The officer taking our statements had the cheek to say :

" Biasa lah, satu hari banyak lapuran dan kes-kes macam nie ( it's normal, we receive lots of such reports everyday )"

Biasa lah ????

Doesnt that stupid guy realise that it doesnt look good on the PDRM and himself that there are so many such cases everyday ???

What in the world are the police doing ??

Why are criminals now so brazen as to snatch and steal stuff in BROAD daylight .. and IN FRONT of people's houses ????

Is it because they know that the PDRM no longer cares about the safety of the very people they are supposed to protect ????

I wonder when it's going to get better .. but methinks it's going to get a WHOLE lot worse before it even feels like it's gonna get better .....

The Day I Met Mandy ..

2010-04-21T23:30:00.000+08:00

I remember the events leading up to me meeting Mandy ...

I was sitting in a clinic with my wife .. it was somewhere in Shah Alam, if memory serves .. and I remember clearly the nurse walking by, then turning to look at us .. giving us a smile and nodding in affirmation .. and I remember turning to my wife and looking into her eyes to see the most excited and happiest smile ..

Fast forward several months .. and I was in Assunta Hospital .. 18 hours had already passed since the first contractions .. junior apparently liked it so much in her mummy that an emergency C-section had to be performed ..

And I remember first seeing her .. the amazing blackness of her thick curly hair .. her soft pink chubby cheeks .. how she would squint at the glare of the bright flourescent lights .. and the way she felt in my arms .. I understood then how you felt at the moment is beyond the understanding of non-fathers - it's difficult to put into words .. it was like meeting a witness to my life and what it was worth.

I felt fiercely protective of her .. like somehow I wanted to keep her in my arms and never let her go ....

Fast forward again 18 years .... Mandy is now a adolescent teen .. rebellious and with a mind of her own .. and im left wondering .. what has happened to my princess? what the hell did I do wrong?

Didn't I spend enough time with her?
Or was I being overly protective?
Have I neglected her in any way?

I just hope that somehow in some way .. when she finally grows outta being an adolescent .. I can have my princess back ... but somehow I doubt it ...

Say that Again ?

2010-04-02T22:20:00.003+08:00

So apparently I didn't get better the following day ... the headaches and the fever abated for like a few hours ... but came back with a vengeance that same evening ....

Unfortunately I couldn't take time off to recover cos I've just started a new job ( yes, I'm working now - been working since March ) ... so I just basically had to suck it up and bear with it ... I was kinda guessing that it would be some viral thingy and that it would run it's course in about a week ......

And guess what?

I was right ...I woke up this morning feeling much better .. a good thing too, cos it's Friday and a weekend .. I didn't wanna spend my weekend in bed trying to silence all that pounding in my head ...

So I was in Puchong just now after work - decided to have my dinner .. and I saw this :

Shouldn't that read as TIDBITS ? I wonder what would happen if someone went up to the guy and asked for a TIT ... hehehe ..

Mondays ..

2010-03-29T19:17:00.002+08:00

I thought feeling lousy and lethargic and a general sense of 'feeling sick' comes with the usual blues of a Monday.

Turns out I'm running a temperature of 102 degrees .. I just checked .. no wonder I didn't have the appetite to eat anything at all today .. guess I'll just pop a couple of Panadols and go to bed.

I just hope I'll be ok tomorrow - cos being sick really SUCKS.

Wow ...

2010-03-27T10:55:00.002+08:00

So after dropping off my daughter at school ( why do they have classes on a Saturday? ) this morning, I made my way to the mamak stall near my house - ordered a glass of hot tea and proceeded to just chill .... when I noticed this huge shadow pass over me ..

It was only then that I realised an eagle had flown right over me ( or rather us as I was sitting with the mamak stall owner ) less than 10 feet above my head !!

Living next to a secondary forest does have it benefits and the occasional visitor .. just never expected an eagle ..

Nice to know that in heavily polluted KL .. there are still sights to remind you that not everything is lost .....

You Know Who You Are ....

2010-03-26T13:35:00.000+08:00

How many POLITE ways are there to show that you are NOT interested?

If I don't pick up your call .. and I don't reply your smses .. despite you calling over and over again .. as well as not responding to any of your smses OR your SKYPE messages ..

Doesn't that give you an indication that i'm NOT interested?
Or do I have to tell you to your face to FUCK OFF ??

Jeeez .. some people really tak malu .....

Still Around ...

2010-03-01T14:24:00.001+08:00

Just a short note to say that im still here .. just been really busy lately, what with the festive season and all the other stuff that i've gotta deal with .. updates soon !!

The Angiogram

2010-01-26T23:50:00.001+08:00

So I decided to go to the hospital after all ...

Admitted myself into the Daycare Unit this morning at 0800am ( actually was supposed to be admitted yesterday .. but it seems that the hospital ran out of bed space !! So the pre-op team asked me to come back this morning ) .. and basically just waited.

At about 1100am .. the pre-ops team wheeled me ( or more precisely I walked ) into the procedure theater and the Doc gave me a local anesthesia .. apparently Doc decided that insertion of the catheter would be done from my wrist .. I felt a numbing coldness in my forearms and my hands as the anesthesia took effect .. And before I knew it .. Doc was saying 'End of Procedure' ...

Apparently he had done whatever he needed to do so quickly ( inject the dye into my heart from the wrist and take the required shots on cam ) I didn't even know he was done ! And he gave me the news on the spot : No blockages .. your weak heart is not caused by blockages.

I then walked back out into the post-ops room ( actually it was a conference room .. maybe they needed the beds? ) and waited for the required 3 hours for the incision to seal shut and I was back home by 3:30pm !!

I guess I was happy that I didn't have any further bad news ( re: blockages ) but on the other hand .. who can actually tell me what's causing me to have a weak heart? My next appointment with the cardiologist is next week .. so guess I'll know then ....

Misgivings ....

2010-01-24T23:53:00.002+08:00

It's Sunday nite.

And tomorrow morning I will be admitting myself into the hospital for an invasive medical procedure known as an angiogram. Basically, what the doctors will do is to make an incision in my upper leg .. into the main artery .. and insert a catheter into the blood vessel all the way right up into my heart.

Then a special dye is injected directly into the coronary arteries so that X-rays can be taken of the heart. This is so that the doctors can see if there are any problems ( re:blockages ) in and around the areas.

I'm NOT looking forward to this. Cos everytime I go to the hospital, I just seem to get bad and even worse news.

Perhaps I might just skip the whole procedure all together ... after all, who was it that said that Ignorance is Bliss ? After all , I seem to be getting along just fine on my meds ...

Case Closed ?

2010-01-21T14:51:00.002+08:00

Hmm.

Seems that local authorities have arrested the people responsible for the spate of attacks on several churches recently. But methinks that this is just the tip of the iceberg .. whether or not this will restore the 'faith' or ease mounting tensions .. or even if these are the actual people responsible ... well, your guess is as good as mine.

Full report HERE.

Updates ..

2010-01-09T23:46:00.003+08:00

I guess it's going to get a lot worse ( hopefully not ) before it gets better ... look at the following news :

Fourth church attacked in
Malaysia as Allah row deepens

By Niluksi Koswanage

KUALA LUMPUR - Arsonists in Malaysia struck a fourth church on Saturday as the government tried to soothe tensions arising from a row over the use of the word "Allah" to refer to the Christian God.

The unprecedented attacks risk dividing the mainly Muslim nation of 28 million people, which has significant religious minorities, and complicating Prime Minister Najib Razak's plan to win back support from the non-Muslims before the next elections by 2013.

The row, over a court ruling that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use Allah in its Malay-language editions, prompted Muslims to protest at mosques on Friday and sparked arson attacks on three churches that saw one Pentecostalist church gutted.

While Najib visited the badly damaged Pentecostalist church and offered a government grant of half a million ringgit to maintain "a harmonious society," church leaders said they wanted more concrete assurances of safety.

"We ask the government to make a strong statement to these wrongdoers so we can worship in peace on Sunday," Reverend Hermen Shastri, secretary-general to the Council of Churches Malaysia, told Reuters.

Malaysia is mainly Muslim and Malay but there are substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who mainly practise Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.

These minorities handed the government its biggest losses in 2008 state and national elections in part due to feelings of religious marginalisation and growing disillusionment with corruption.

In the latest attack on early Saturday, unidentified attackers flung a home-made petrol bomb at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in a suburb in Selangor state. The two-storey bungalow sustained minor damage, church officials said.

Police said they have stepped up security at all places of worship but faced a manpower shortage. Inspector General of Police Musa Hasan told churches across the country to hire more security guards.

ALLAH

Christians account for nine percent of the 28 million population, with a sizable number of non-English speaking Christians in Malaysia's Borneo island states of Sabah and Sarawak who have used the word "Allah" for decades.

Najib's handling of the issue will determine whether he can keep the support of the Malays and win back ethnic Chinese and Indian voters to solidify his grip on power after taking control of the government last year.

"Till today we are protecting the interests of other races besides championing those of the Malays," Najib was earlier quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.

"Don't point fingers and say UMNO is racist...when churches are burnt," he said referring to his party, the United Malays National Organisation that is the linchpin of the National Front that has ruled the country for 52 years.

But Malay-Muslims, including those in UMNO, fear the word could be used by Christians to proselytise to Muslims, which is already illegal in the Southeast Asian country.

More than 169,000 Malaysians have joined a group page on social networking site Facebook called "Protesting the use of the name Allah by non-Muslims," a fourfold increase from the start of this week that signals growing Islamic anger.

And a Happy New Year to you too ... sigh

2010-01-09T10:11:00.006+08:00

I woke up really early this morning.

That's not really typical of me these days, it being a Saturday as well but I promised my youngest daughter that I would send her to school for her extra-curricular activities ... so I found myself in the car at 0630am .. driving her to school.

After dropping her off I decided to have breakfast as sleep was already a lost cause .. so I headed to a nearby 'mamak' stall .. only to see this :

It's not even two weeks into the New Year and there are churches firebombed?

What is going to happen next?

I only hope that this wont result in something everyone will regret ... more news reports HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.

Food for Thought ...

2009-12-24T18:09:00.005+08:00

Here's something I read sometime back .. really makes you wonder ..

“HERE IS A MAN who was born in an obscure village, the Child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book… He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His Divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a Cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while he was dying- and that His Coat. When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Such was His human life – He rises from the dead. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the Centerpiece of the human race and the Leader of the column of progress. I am within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that One Solitary Life.”

- from One Solitary Life by Dr James A Francis

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !!

The Winter Solstice Festival ..

2009-12-23T02:46:00.003+08:00

It's 2 days before Christmas .. 22nd December.

And it's also a date that's very significant to the Chinese where traditionally family members gather together for dinner and also to have a very special treat - glutinous rice balls called 'Tang Yuan' meaning reunion.

Usually, family members will make the Tang Yuan together using glutinous rice powder. However with the advent of modern convenience stores, ready made Tang Yuan are available at hypermarkets or your local pasarmini - the Tang Yuan in the pic you see is made by my nieces - the Tang Yuan is then boiled in water with some brown sugar and pandan leaves before it's consumed ( tasted pretty good ! ).

I've gotta admit that I've never actually joined in family dinners where the Winter Solstice Festivals are concerned - but faced with the prospect of never actually having another bowl of Tang Yuan ..

My test results are finally in .. Doc says my mitral valve is faulty .. and it needs to be replaced .. so it's definitely open heart surgery .. now it's only a matter of whether I can have the surgery .. cos I've got a condition known as 'Global Hypokinesia' .. which means I've got a very very weak heart ( it's not pumping properly ) .. so more tests need to be done to see if im fit enough for surgery .. now im scheduled for an angiogram at the end of January 2010 cos they wanna see if there are any blockages ....

PS : To the anonymous bro who's been leaving comments and words of encouragements .. thanks for the articles dude .. but unfortunately i'm really sick otherwise i wouldn't even bother to go see the doc .. i'm just glad that the meds i'm on right now are keeping me healthy .. hopefully I can get thru this ....

Christmas Week ..

2009-12-16T04:05:00.001+08:00

It's 0400am and I still cant sleep.

It's been like this for some time actually ... since I've been home on compulsory medical leave due to this condition I have.

Without anywhere to go ( not like I can go anywhere ) and not being well enough to do anything in particular, my days are spent basically online .. watching TV .. and sleeping.

I also just realised that it's gonna be Christmas next week ... on Friday, to be exact.

They say Christmas is a time for forgiveness .. and also for miracles. Well, if there are miracles to be handed out .. let me know where I need to queue. Cos I REALLY REALLY need a miracle just right about now ....

Bad news ...

2009-12-16T00:34:00.003+08:00

It's been almost one and a half months since I've been diagnosed with a faulty valve in my heart ( well, 90 percent positively diagnosed anyways ) .. and I've been kinda trying to deal with how to tell friends and relatives ..

Most of the time people would ask as to why im at home on a working day .. and when I tell them the reason .. the reactions are not what I would have expected.

Friends whom I expected to be around or visit more often would actually 'vanish' on hearing the news ( no calls and no visits ) .. despite practically being around everyday before when I was ok .. but there are friends who on hearing the news would wanna drop by to visit even though it's out of the way ( and when I say out of the way, I do mean out of the way .. as in Johor or Ipoh ).

Anyways .. my appointment for the final test to confirm whether I need open heart surgery .. to transplant the valve in my heart is on this Thursday at 0900am. Hopefully, all I have is just something that medicine can take care of ...

Looking Ahead ...

2009-12-10T02:01:00.002+08:00

It's really difficult to imagine a future .. my future, after all this bad news I've received.

I guess my appointment was moved up from March 2010 not cos I was convincing .. but because my situation was pretty serious .. the echocardiogram test last week only confirmed the doctor's suspicions - Doc then referred me to a heart specialist ... or as they call it .. a cardiologist.

And so I found myself in Hospital Serdang yesterday for my appointment with the cardiologist .. only to receive even worse news.

Sigh.

Apparently the cardiologist says I don't have a problem with blockages .. he says all the tests show that one of the valves in my heart is malfunctioning .. requiring a valve replacement.

Which means .. open heart surgery.

How can such a thing happen? Is it because of the types of food I've been eating .. or all the alcohol that I've been downing before? Or it is caused by all those years of puffing away on cigarettes?

Doc says it's not specifically due to anything in particular .. more likely it's just so likely that the valve malfunctioned. Perhaps it's degenerative, he says.

But there are still more tests to be done before a final diagnosis can be made .. so I guess I can hold on to that final bit of hope that I won't have to consent to a major surgery.

I just have to get through this week .. and the next before my appointment for my next test. Doesn't really help that I feel really bad from the meds I've been taking .. not to mention trying to keep an optimistic look on things.

I know there is a chance for recovery ..... but at the moment, with all this bad news .. it's just not that easy to believe it.

Friends ...

2009-11-30T21:55:00.003+08:00

Anyone remember this sitcom?

The series revolved around a group of friends in New York who occasionally live together and share living expenses. Premiering on NBC in September 1994, it very quickly became the most popular sitcom of all time - winning many awards and nominated for 63 Primetime Emmy Awards.

After an amazing 10 seasons the finale in May 2004 was watched by an estimated 53 million viewers .. making it the most watched series finale in television history ( details all in Wikipedia ).

Wish we had a Central Perk Coffee Place in KL .....

DIY?

2009-11-26T23:41:00.002+08:00

An old friend dropped by for a visit today .. all the way from Johor.

Well, he didnt like make the trip JUST to see me .. but he usually makes an effort to see me for a yum cha session whenever he's in KL .. and vice versa.

I havent seen this guy for like a year or so .. so it was basically catching up .. and it was then I noticed the 'patch' on top of his car ..

Apparently his car roof has rusted out .. seems that the acidity from the incessant bird droppings in his area and his procrastination in washing the droppings off resulted in several large 'holes' in his car roof ...

And so my friend decided to take the most simple solution in keeping rain water out .... seal the holes with cellophane tape ... lots and lots of cellophane tape ... he said it works .. he hasnt had any water coming in ever since ...

I wonder what he would do if his car locks give out ... hehe ..

Follow Ups ..

2009-11-25T21:32:00.002+08:00

Was in the hospital today.

I somehow managed to move my appointment date up .... from MARCH 2010 to next week. Either I was very convincing .. or my situation was serious enough for the tests to be done very much earlier.

Anyways .. I was in the hospital today for a battery of bloodtests .. my stress and echo test is next week. And as I waiting for my turn to be 'sucked' for blood .. I noticed my fellow patients who were also there for the same problem ... and it struck me that everyone of them was very much older than I was ..

There was this chinese uncle who easily looked like he was in his 60s .. as well this other two pakcik .. compared to them I looked out of place .. more like someone who was there to accompany his dad than an actual patient himself ...

Hopefully my stress and echo tests next week will reveal some better news .. I could use some right about now ....

Unwell ..

2009-11-21T13:28:00.003+08:00

I finally found out what's wrong with me.

Was feeling very sick and frustrated last week .. so decided to go for a second opinion. For the last three months or so, on and off ive been short of breathe, unable to sleep and generally feeling very weak and tired .. and this was AFTER that stupid doc at that hospital said I was fine .. despite all the ECGs and XRAYs and bloodtests.

So I went BACK to the same hospital ( they had all my past records and test results mah ) .. but saw a different doc .. complained that despite the ALL CLEAR from the other doc .. I was still having the same problems ..

And so this particular doc looked back on the test results .. ordered a fresh new set of XRAYs .. and found that I had an enlarged heart .. and lungs filling up with fluids.

Apparently, I have progressive heart failure.

That was last week .. I've been on meds ever since .. and have made appointments to have more tests done to determine what sort of treatment can be done for me. But since im not on any healthcare scheme and have to depend on goverment hospitals .. my next appointment is in MARCH 2010.

The medicine ive been taking is helping somewhat .. I feel slightly better .. but am still a prime candidate for a stroke or a heart attack. And so since I can no longer work ive been stuck at home for the past two weeks .. just trying to take it easy.

I just hope I dont drop dead before my next appointment - or suffer from terrible depression before then .. it's been a real challenge to try and maintain an optimistic view of things when you're only 45 and you're told that you have heart failure.

Guess I'll go get some sleep .. if I can ...

Incommunicado ...

2009-11-02T20:59:00.003+08:00

Oh wow.

I just realised that I havent been posting for ... a month. Guess me not feeling well and just having a general sense of lethargy has got something to do with it ..

And the best part of it .. is that not one doctor can tell me what's wrong with me .. ive been having difficulty breathing .. sleeping .. and feeling very very weak and tired even after a few steps ... xrays and ECGs and bloodtests have all been done .. everything is 'NORMAL' as the doc says ....

So what's wrong with me?

I've turned to chinese medication ... according to the sinseh .. i'm just very weak and my so-called body's health is not 'balanced' .. so i've been downing these incredibly bitter stuffs these past few days ... maybe it's me but I don't see any difference .. feel slightly better though ... anyways ...

I just hope I get better soon ... I hate this feeling of being weak and unable to do anything ....

Saddest Looking Pug .....

2009-09-29T23:28:00.002+08:00

Found these few pics while I was surfing around .... poor fella looks so incredibly depressed .. guess his owner musta tied him to keep him from wandering off ...

If there's a competition for the saddest looking dog, I'll bet this fella would win .. hehe ..

Hmm ..

2009-09-09T19:02:00.002+08:00

I was driving towards PJ today from Serdang ... this particular sliproad is never jammed with traffic at this time of the morning ... but ..

Anyways .. saw this advertising board ... my first thought was ..... surely someone would have had to ACTUALLY proof-read it before they put it up .... right?

Ok .. maybe whoever was proof-reading it didnt realise it .. but what about the advertising agency?? Shouldnt they have pointed out that the sentence was incorrect?

Well ... guess it doesnt matter if it's a mistake .. as long as it's BIG enough for everybody to see ... hehehe ..

I'm better now ... phew ..

2009-09-06T21:01:00.005+08:00

I've been really sick.

Really.

Actually I've been having this chronic cough for some time ( hmm .. now that I think of it, almost 2 months ) and it got really really bad the other day ... bad enough for me to go and see the Doc for some medicine.

I wouldnt even have considered going to see the Doc except that I woke up the other day coughing so badly I felt as if my lungs were practically coming outta my mouth .. guess that's also one of the reasons why I quit smoking.

Anyways .. after asking some questions and giving me the once over, Doc promptly declared that I either had contracted tuberculosis ( WTF? TB?? ) or bronchitis or maybe H1N1 ( except that I didnt have a fever ) .. but to be sure Doc put me on a course of antibiotics and some other yucky stuff I had to take for 5 days ... and if my condition didnt improve, it's XRAYS and off to see a Specialist.

That was one week ago.

I'm glad to say that I can breathe so much more easily now .. my cough is almost gone .. and my chest doesnt hurt anymore. So I guess it was just a lung infection.

I practically spent the entire week in bed .. just dozing in and out of consciousness ( the antibiotics were really strong ) .. only getting up to go to the bathroom and have my medicine. I didnt even feel clear headed enough to eat anything except some soups ..

But hey, I feel so much better now .. and actually am looking forward to going back to work ! I just hope I can remember who to call and who to follow up with .... maybe I can blame it on residual effects of the antibiotics if I forget ... hehe ..

Monthly Blues?

2009-08-26T22:41:00.003+08:00

So I've been really really busy these past few months .. in fact, it's been events and shows as well as my daily duties .. come to think of it, I've been working almost on one Sunday every month without fail since I've joined this new company.

Not that im complaining, though.
It's been really interesting though I wish I could have more time to do my own stuff.

My friend from IPOH says to liken it to her monthly blues .. you get it once a month and though you may not be too comfortable during that period, it's something that's needed.

I'll remember that the next time I gotta work on a Sunday.
Heh.

2009-08-07T08:45:00.001+08:00

It's Friday !!

And guess what ... I DON'T have to work this Sunday .. seems that it's the next weekend that I've been assigned to do some stuff and NOT this weekend .. but hey, that's a WHOLE week away ..

Time to catch up ... Have a Good Weekend !!!

I hate Mondays ....

2009-08-03T23:32:00.002+08:00

Let me put it this way ... your weekend is over .. it's Monday morning .. you get stuck (again) in the infamous traffic that every Monday is famous for ..

You get into your office and hope to get through the week .. knowing that somehow it will be a Friday and the weekend again .. only to be told that you have to work this Sunday ..

I hate Mondays.
Really I do.

Bad Photos?

2009-08-01T13:30:00.000+08:00

Ever posed for a pic ... and got something totally different?
I was surfing and came across these few pics .. more of them HERE.

Have a great weekend !!

Fridays ...

2009-07-31T19:30:00.001+08:00

It's Friday ..... at long last.

** Phew **

'Nuff said.

Why can't I sleep?

2009-07-29T02:58:00.002+08:00

It's 0300am ... and I can't sleep.

Not that I'm not tired .. fact is, I'm bloody tired.

I just can't fall asleep.

I think my insomnia is back.

Dammit.

Feeling frustrated ..

2009-07-27T21:20:00.002+08:00

Why is it that whenever you seem to get in to a good thing ... there is ALWAYS someone around who is determined to make your life miserable?

Why is it that whenever you FINALLY find something you really like .. there's always some fucking control freak around that spoils everything?

Is this some unwritten law somewhere that states that you can NEVER be too happy? And that for every good thing you find ... there must always be some asshole to 'balance' it?

Why cant people just live and let live?

Perhaps I'll feel better tomorrow after a good nite's rest ...
but I doubt it.

Film Director Dies

2009-07-26T13:19:00.006+08:00

Anyone remember this movie? About the chinese VCD seller and the malay girl he fell in love with? It was called Sepet and the movie bagged several international awards .. including the prestigious Asian Film Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2005.

The movie firmly established Yasmin Ahmad as a filmaker to be contended with .. besides, her themes for most of her movies tended to deal with social issues usually not touched by other local filmakers.

Apparently Ms Ahmad collapsed during a presentation on Thursday (23/7) and had to be rushed to the hospital - she was reported to have suffered a stroke.

And last night at about 23:30 hrs she passed away - the full report by NST online here.

I guess Yasmin Ahmad was the only filmaker that made me look at Malaysian made movies in a different light - most local productions are .. well, let's just say it's not what would appeal to me personally.

But Ms Ahmad had that special way of looking at things .. at situations and somehow managing to capture it on camera .. telling a story thru her eyes. It was refreshing and unique. It made me want to see more and expect more.

She will be dearly missed in the industry.

R.I.P Yasmin ...

And once again ...

2009-07-24T22:50:00.001+08:00

I guess almost everyone would know by now about Mr Teo Beng Hock who was found dead whilst being on an 'invitation' by the MACC .. can't say im surprised .. read about what Mr Wong from Malaysian Insider has to say about this here.

I only hope that after all the hoo-ha has died down .. people won't forget that this was a guy who was actively serving the community .. and paid for it with his life.

UPDATE :

I found this tribute by Teo's fiancee Ms Sher Wei on www.youtube.com .. and what she read out during his funeral moved almost everyone present to tears. Go to the link and watch for yourself here.

I only hope that whosoever was responsible causing Teo's death .. pays dearly for it.

Random

2009-07-22T23:38:00.004+08:00

You know what?

I dont know whether it's only me ... or whether it happens to anyone else but .... it always seems to rain in the morning whenever I need to get up really, really early ( like this morning ).

And on those days when you DO get the chance to sleep in .....
you can't.

Cos on THOSE days ( re:weekends ) you ALWAYS somehow automatically wake up at 0700am.

What's worse .... after the early morning rain .. you'd be facing this :

And you get into the office with a face that looks like it has been treated with sour juice or something .... anyone have the same experience?

Random ..

2009-07-18T16:20:00.002+08:00

I was at my friend's place the other day in IPOH ... when I came across this fella.

Meet Milo.

According to my friend, he's called Milo cos he resembles the dog 'Milo' from the movie 'The Mask'. And like the movie, this Milo also has got a pretty large head .. hehe.

What do you think?

What a Nite ....

2009-07-03T23:05:00.002+08:00

So as with every other nite, after checking my mails and doing some work on my laptop .. I went to bed last nite anticipating a good night's rest as I had to be up really early today.

I distinctly remember going to bed at about midnite and just as I was dozing off .. I could have sworn I heard something breaking .. like glass being shattered. But since the noise came from outside, I just figured it was somebody running over a bottle or something ..

A few hours later, I heard people yelling ' Fire! Fire! ' .. looked out my bedroom window and saw this .....

Quickly I put something on (it was hot and besides, I like to sleep in the nude, ok?) ran outside and saw this ..

Apparently it was a car that was parked in the backlane just directly opposite my house ... and it was on fire .. by then, a huge crowd of people had already gathered .. I called the emergency numbers ( 994/999 ) and guess what?

THERE WAS NO ANSWER !!

Sheeesh .. good thing I had the number to the police station in my area .. the policewoman said that she would notify the Fire Department .. who came by pretty fast .. see the pic below .. you can just make out the fireman ..

Here's a zoomed shot .. the heat was tremendous and I couldnt get any closer .. besides, there was an explosion just a few secs before .. musta been the petrol tank ..

I later discovered thru my neighbour that the glass shattering I heard earlier was from the same car .. somebody or some people had smashed the car's windscreen .. and the later returned to burn the car .. this was later in the morning at 0700am when I took this pic below ..

No wonder it was so hot .. the flames caused a long burn marks next to the wall where it was parked ..

Dunno who this guy pissed off ... and by the way, the car was a Toyota Wish .. methinks the owner of the car either owned someone money or something ... or maybe he was holding back on his employees' salaries?

PS : The car was already gone by the time I got back home at nite .. I sure hope this dont happen again tonite ... sheesh ..

Random

2009-07-02T08:50:00.000+08:00

Woke up this morning .. looked out my bedroom window .. hmm, still dark out ... and realised that the time was correct .. it's still dark out cos it's raining ..

Just too bad I gotta get up and go to work ... dammit.

Yum ..

2009-06-29T09:37:00.002+08:00

In case you didnt notice .. it's durian season .. again ... and now i'm nursing a sore throat and a raspy voice to the over-consumption of durians last nite ..

Maybe I'll just head on over to the local herbal tea stall tonight .. methinks the Uncle is gonna be busy these days .. what with the hot weather and all those durians ....

One Step Beyond ..

2009-06-28T23:54:00.003+08:00

Ever had a day when you were somewhere like at SUNGEI WANG PLAZA and there was a certain electronic item on sale and you wish you had GOOGLE at your fingertips cos you needed to find out more about that item?

Well, that might happen sooner than you think.

Apparently some of these guys below developed a technology that uses image recognition and information access that would help the user make well informed decisions. Watch the video ...

PS : This could really be useful to the average guy when it comes to dates .. hehe ..

Fridays ..

2009-06-26T20:30:00.002+08:00

So it was another typical Friday .. got into the office, made some calls, checked my mails .. and later went for my daily appointments.

Usual stuff.

It wasnt until I stepped into one of my client's office to find them all GLUED to the television did I wonder what had happened. They were all watching CNN's breaking news ..

me : Hey, what are you guys watching? What breaking news laa ? Somebody died or what?
client : MJ has left.
me : MJ? U mean Micheal Jackson? Where did he go? Mars?
client : He died.
me : ???

I later found out that the singer suffered cardiac arrest in the early hours of the morning .. and was declared dead even before he reached UCLA Medical Center.

Say what you want about the guy .. but he did produce some of the best stuff musically this decade. And he's the only one to claim the best selling album of all time ( Thriller ) .. as well as earning a phenomenal 13 grammys making him a part of popular culture for almost 4 decades.

I guess when your time is up, there's no way to getting around it .. and as someone said .. " there's NEVER gonna be another Micheal Jackson " ....

Random ..

2009-06-23T23:30:00.000+08:00

Anybody remember these guys?

They had a sensational debut album .. topping the charts in the 1990s .. and making history as the best selling album of all time by an all female group, peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200 Charts.

Three of the singles from that album made it to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart .. even bumping Madonna's 'Vogue' out of the weekly number 1 spot ..

And below is one of the singles that reached #1 ..

PS : Seems that Wilson Phillips is going to be releasing a new album next year .. wonder how it will fare .. with all that musical heritage in the family it should be good .. ( note : the Wilsons are the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, while Phillips' parents are John and Michele Phillips of The Mamas and Papas ).

Anger

2009-06-19T23:30:00.001+08:00

Someone sent me this via email .. watching it made me very, very angry .. watch it for yourself and tell me honestly if you understand why there are cases of maids being abused.

PS : The said video was recorded using a CCTV camera - as such, i apologize for the quality. You can also look it up on YOUTUBE .. search with handle 'maids' .

I hope that little girl didnt suffer any broken bones ..

EL Nino ... Again?

2009-06-16T22:45:00.000+08:00

It's gonna be very hot in the days ahead, according to our local Metrological Department. And not only that, brace yourself for the haze .. the full report here.

So after a full day of running around and seeing my clients, I decided that something much more lighter for dinner on my digestive system would be more beneficial. As such, me and Jack found ourselves at this place .. famed for it's specialty porridge.

That's the stall you see below .. no frills but there are customers actually hanging around waiting for a place to sit ..

And that's the porridge .. yum ..

And the chicken to go with it ...

Despite the sweltering heat ( it was still very humid and hot then at 07:40pm ) people were still standing around waiting for seats and those that couldnt wait 'tau-paued' their meals ..

Both me and Jack finished our meal in record time - partly because of the people waiting around for seats but mainly due to the heat and humidity .. towards the end of our meal we were already looking like two drowned rats ( in Jack's words " berpeluh-peluh " ) - basically soaked in sweat .. I looked around and almost everyone there looked the same .. hehe ..

The meals ( 2 bowls of porridge with condiments and pork innards and a plate of chicken as well as 2 glasses of iced herbal tea ) came to RM17-00 .. not too bad .. I definitely will be back .. but next time in something more comfortable !!

The Price of Vanity ...

2009-06-10T01:13:00.004+08:00

I received this video by email today ..... guess the report speaks for itself ( caution : watch at your own discretion - disturbing images ).

When will we ever learn ?

Terminator : Salvation

2009-06-07T02:58:00.003+08:00

I just watched this. And what did I think of the movie?

It was ...... ok lah.

Maybe it was just me but ... I thought the storyline was kinda weak.

From the first Terminator ( the one where Arnold was the bad guy ) the future was shown to be really really dark and bleak .. humans having to hide underground and eat rats to survive .. people weeping in despair .. and forever hiding from the machines that are out to obliterate them.

Dunno .. maybe with all that time travel .. they finally screwed up enough that if any one side loses .. the other also loses ..

But hey, it was entertaining. Kinda.
But if I knew what I know now .. I'd rather read the book.

Heh.

I cant believe this ...

2009-06-06T00:10:00.008+08:00

Oh wow.

I just read this in one of the local dailies ... do we really need more to see how bad it has become? I, for one would think twice now before making a police report ..

Granny and mothers who complained about gangsters DETAINED – at 1 a.m. by cops

We did it at 1am to record their statements, say police
Nevash Nair
Friday, June 5th, 2009 10:22:00

A 58-YEAR-OLD grandmother and two mothers were among 18 people rounded up by police in a supposed sweep against rival gangs in a small town near Kuala Selangor.

But, the women hauled up -- and at 1 am too -- were the ones who had signed a petition to urge the police to rid their community in Taman Tennamaram of the gangsterism terror they had been enduring for purportedly more than 10 years.

Yesterday, the women and their families were outraged, claiming that they were treated like criminals instead of being seen as law-abiding citizens seeking police help.

The manner in which they were picked up has left residents of Taman Tennamaram furious. A police party had stormed grandma P. Thanggama’s house at 1am yesterday while she was asleep.

Residents alleged the raiding party had jumped over the gate before hammering on the door at that 'ungodly hour' and detained her. At the same time, K. Bathma and B. Poongavanam, both 45, were also picked up.

Their “arrests” have shocked the community who were at a loss why the women were "being treated like criminals".

Police explained later that the women were picked up to record their statements in connection with a petition and police reports that were made against gang members.

But why rope them in at 1am?

Kuala Selangor police chief Supt Ibrahim Chin said: “When we ask these people to come and give their statements they do not turn up. “When we go to their homes during the day, they are not there. Therefore, we decided to go at that hour, as that is the only time we could get hold of them.”

TGIF ?

2009-06-05T23:37:00.005+08:00

It's Friday ... and I should be doing this ..

But instead it's almost 1200am on a Friday nite and im STILL sitting at home .. looking like this ....

Seems that thru some coincidence .. everyone I know has got something planned as tomorrow besides being a Saturday .. is also a public holiday ..

And so im still at home in front of my laptop .. hence, this post ...

Aaah well .. maybe it's just as well cos im going to be away on an extended outstation assignment next week .....

Surrogate Mummy?

2009-05-28T19:00:00.000+08:00

...... So my colleague's dog had puppies. Unfortunately, the mummy doggy either didnt have enough milk for her pups or she didnt wanna nurse - which resulted in my colleague Ms E playing stand-in mummy for the pups ..

I gotta say she ( my colleage, not her dog ) did a pretty good job .. look at those sweeties ..

Too bad they're all spoken for ... just look at that doggy face .. hehe ..

No more smokes ...

2009-05-28T08:03:00.003+08:00

So ... i've been watching what I eat .. and also doing the odd run around my 'taman' .. and i've noticed one thing .. it's not gonna do much good even if I do reach my desired weight and shape but i'm still like puffing away on almost one pack a day ...

So I quit.

Yup, you heard me .. cold turkey .. just decided to stop smoking.
And I havent had a cigarette in almost 2 weeks .. actually at almost the same time since I decided to get into better shape.

In fact, the last time I decided to quit, it was a good seven months before I started up again .. mainly due to the fact that I had nothing to do while angling and waiting for the fish to bite !!

Hopefully that wont be a problem this time around .. so far so good .....

Huh ...

2009-05-15T22:01:00.002+08:00

I got this in my email today ... dammit ...
okay .. okay .. I'll start going to the gym ...

Cat .. mind if I tag along next time you go to the gym?
I promise I wont bother your personal trainer .. hehe ..

Going out this Weekend ?

2009-05-08T17:57:00.002+08:00

It's the weekend again !! Anyone planning on going clubbing ?

Actually, I was .... till I realised that I can't be dressed in black .. cos I might be forced to change my clothes ... read about it here and here.

Sheeesh ...

Counting the Costs ...

2009-05-07T23:40:00.005+08:00

You know what?
I used to love going to IPOH.

I loved the entire ambience in the state ... from the friendly locals .. the slower pace on the roads .. and did I mention that they had really really good chow ?

The land of Nga Choy Kai.

But after today, I don't know if I still wanna make my trips to IPOH .. cos apparently now it seems I can't be seen wearing BLACK .. or seen holding a candle ... or heavens forbid .. doing BOTH whilst having coffee in a coffeeshop especially while i'm in the vicinity of a certain tree !!!

I keep asking myself .... how can something like this happen ? Arent there laws set in place to prevent such things from happening ?

And in case if anyone is wondering what i'm ranting about .. read all about it here and here and here and here.

Cos if you can physically manhandle and throw out the Perak State Assembly Speaker and replace him with someone else you favour .... well, what does that say for the rest of us rakyat?

And when all of this is over ... what has been gained ?
More importantly .. what was LOST ?

If the law is perceived to be non-existent .. only to be governed and enforced by a select few, how will that translate into a peaceful and orderly country ?

Will crime increase ? ( if it hasnt already ) .. and is the people's votes actually worth anything anymore? Violence will only breed more violence .. I pray that this will not escalate into something much more dangerous .....

Random

2009-04-21T23:16:00.002+08:00

Are relationships so very fragile?

I've known people who, despite being together for years and years .. have nothing much to say to each other .. except the obligatory greetings required to keep things civil.

And I've also known people who despite the fireworks and earthquakes during the first two months .. now have resorted to only texting each other .. and that's only after six months ..

Seriously ... have you EVER known anyone who is still madly in love with each other after being together for years?

Or is it just two people trying to keep it civilised?

It seems that people fall in love .. and fall OUT of it even faster .... perhaps it would have been better not to have fallen at all in the first place ....

Wheels ....

2009-04-20T19:44:00.007+08:00

Anybody remember this guy?

I still recall staying home from school on certain afternoons ( ok-lah, so i'm THAT old .. satisfied? ) so that I wouldnt miss the sad looking tramp with the bowler hat and the funny walk on TV ...

And of course, what's Charlie without his wheels ... in those days you had to get out front and crank a lever to start the car ...

So you could just imagine my excitement on seeing this the other day when I was driving to an assignment in Port Klang .... I almost couldnt believe my eyes ....

The same car .. close up ..

Just look at those wheels ..

And how it looks like from the rear ..

Another shot from the front ...

And check out that crank !! I was half comtemplating on cranking the lever to see if it would start before I came to my senses ... hehe ...

Funny thing was ... this absolutely incredible vintage car was parked by the road side .. and there wasnt anyone around !! I wonder who it belongs to and how it got there ....

I considered hanging around till someone came for the car .. unfortunately I had work to do and I was already late ... and when I returned to the same spot much later ... it wasnt there anymore ... guess whoever owned it decided to get it ....

Too bad .. I was hoping to ask the owner if I could test drive it ... heheheh ...

Your 'Friendly' Neighbours ...

2009-04-07T00:25:00.004+08:00

Arent neighbours supposed to be nice, warm and friendly?

I guess this does not apply where I live.

I live in Ampang .. in a nice private suburban residential area with a view .. it WOULD be perfect if only I had good neighbours .. unfortunately, that is not the case here.

Let me tell you about my neighbours.

On my immediate right is a couple with two school-going kids. Apparently, the couple seem to resent me as they had originally planned to get the house i'm now residing in for their friend or relative ... but the so-called friend or relative did not put up the initial deposit for the house on time at the developer ( which worked out for me, I guess .. as I made payment and was assigned THIS particular lot ) ..

And so now that im staying here .. the so-called friend or relative drops in every now and then to visit my neighbour and parks directly in front of my house whilst he spends the night .. it wasnt until I had to tell him that I go out at ALL hours and would just HATE to have to call him to remove his car at 0300 am ..... did he get the message NOT to park directly in front of my house.

Sheeesh.

My other neighbour that stays 2 doors away is even more 'interesting'. Both of us keep pets .. in this case, I have a Dalmation ( Jolly ) and the 'aunty' keeps a mixed labrador.

Now .. I have a proper kennel with a floor drain that leads directly to the sewage - so anytime 'Jolly' does his business, all I have to do is hose it into the floor drain .. unfortunately for me, that is not the case with my 'aunty' neighbour. As I live in a corner lot and she lives in an intermediate lot .. she basically collects all the 'dumplings' her labrador makes .. and dumps it into the drain next to my house.

Her reasoning?

The drain next to my house is a much bigger drain and it will wash away much more easily than the small little drain outside her house.

Never mind if I have to put up with 'fertiliser smells' when there is NO rain ... besides, she says that I also have a pet so I should not complain.

And so it comes as no surprise that my SYABAS bill is not as low as I want it to be.

Man .. I thought people living in the cities are supposed to be civilised.

Guess not.

Comfort Room?

2009-03-27T08:35:00.000+08:00

Oh wow.

I read sometimes when im taking a dump ... but this is ridiculous. I mean ... both air-conditioned and with satellite access? And in a hut? Kinda extreme .. doncha think?

Makes you wonder what else he has in there ... hehe.

2009-03-26T22:42:00.004+08:00

Ever been in a relationship that both of you KNEW was wrong ... but neither of you could say no?

I was having dinner with someone I had met on SKYPE a few weeks back ... and she was telling me about herself ( let's just call her CY ) .. and this guy she was seeing .. seems that he was an old flame of hers back when she was just out of school and in her first job ..

It was the same stuff you watch on soppy movies .. she was new in her first ever job outta school and he happened to be there to lend a helping hand .. friendship blossomed into a deeper appreciation of each other and subsequently into them dating ... but it didnt progress into what they would have wanted as he had to accept an offer in a position overseas ..

Time passed and they kinda lost contact with each other .. until recently when he was posted BACK in Malaysia .. and they sorta 'rekindled' thier relationship ..

All well and fine .. except for the fact that she's married now ..

I asked CY whether her there was anything she was not happy about in her marriage ... and she said NO .. it's fine .. in fact, she couldnt ask for a better hubby .. he's devoted and loves her very much .. they have a daughter together .. it's just that she can't seem to say NO to her ex whenever he calls ... so they have thier 'liasons' and stolen moments whenever hubby is on an outstation trip ...

Guess the MTV by Gloria Estefan really says it all ...

Can't Stay Away From You
Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine

Time flies
When you're having fun
I heard somebody say
But if all I've been is fun
Then baby let me go
Don't wanna be in your way

And I don't wanna be your second choice
Don't wanna be just your friend
You keep telling me that you're not in love
You wanna throw it all away

But I can't stay away from you
I don't wanna let you go
And though it's killing me that's true
There's just some things I can't control

Your love is slipping through my hands
And though I've heard it all before
I know you're telling me the truth
I know it's just no use
But I can't stay away from you

Hold on to every bit of hope
that's all I ever do
Hoping you might change your mind
And call me up to say how much you need me too

And though you're leaving me no other choice
Than to turn and walk away
Look over your shoulder
I'll be there
You can count on me to stay ...

'Cause I can't stay away from you
I don't wanna let you go
And though it's killing me that's true
There's just some things I can't control

Your love slipping through my hands
And though I've heard it all before
I know you're telling me the truth
I know it's just no use
But I can't stay away from you

I just hope that this won't turn out bad .. cos someone is bound to get hurt ...

Still Standing?

2009-03-11T21:35:00.001+08:00

Apparently not all the news is depressing ... I read this in The Sun .. seems that this russian guy accepted a bet ( £3,000 ) from two of his .. err .. girlfriends that he WOULD NOT be able to satisfy them BOTH non-stop for half a day ...

And so our dude basically guzzled a bottle of Viagra .. to keep him going and going .. and going .. and guess what? He actually won the bet !!

Unfortunately for him .... right after winning the bet he dropped dead from a heart attack .... read about the news here ..

Is this a case of what we call ' Die Standing? '

This Sucks ...

2009-03-11T18:35:00.001+08:00

It just seems like yesterday when everybody was wishing everybody else a 'Happy New Year 2009' ... and before you know it .. we're almost at the first quarter of the year ..

So far .. things dont look too good .. the weather has been erratic .. rains have caused one of the worse floods in downtown KL .. I wonder who's gonna take the blame for this one .. poor drainage? Act of God?

And of course .. our PDRM took another blow to it's so-called image when news of 22 year old A. Kugan was found dead in police custody ... autopsy reports later confirmed that he was beaten to death .. apparently he was detained on SUSPICION of being a car thief ..

Arent these guys SUPPOSED to protect and serve? And what happened to the so-called policemen involved in the questioning? Why werent they arrested instead of just being re-assigned? How are we as citizens supposed to have faith in the police department?

I dont even wanna imagine how the mother feels ..

If this is how things are gonna be progressing from here on ... what with the current state of the economy and the general state of affairs .. I wouldnt be surprised if crime skyrockets .. someone once said this ..

" It's gonna get a whole lot worse before it gets better "

I just hope that things dont sink to a level where there's nothing left to salvage ....

T-Shirts ..

2009-03-08T10:33:00.000+08:00

I got this in one of my emails today .. hehe ... dunno if I would wear it if I had it though .. what with the current state of affairs our local authorities are in .... could it be considered 'too provocative' ?

I don't wanna end up keeping some ISA detainee company .......

First Impressions ...

2009-02-28T20:21:00.002+08:00

Somehow I couldn’t sleep last nite.

Perhaps it was just your average occasional insomniac attack, or perhaps I was anxious about something (hell if I knew what). But however you looked at it .. the fact remained that I couldn’t sleep.

On the bright side – not sleeping enabled me to arrive very much earlier at my office. So early, in fact – that I had to wait outside as nobody else had arrived as of yet.

So I just ambled across the road to the mamak/nasi kandar outlet and ordered a glass of hot tea. And it was then that I noticed this guy (let’s call him brown pants).

He was of an average build – with short messy looking hair and a dark rough complexion as well as an unkept mustache and several days’ old outline of a beard on his lower jaw and face. Now when George Clooney has a few days’ old of hair stubble on, it looks good – this guy only managed to look pitiful.

He also looked as if he was half asleep as his eyeballs looked as if they were trying to burst it’s way out of his half closed eyelids – which were also bloodshot, by the way.

He had a pair of dark brown pants on with a black round collared t-shirt – and he was sitting with a group of other guys who despite their more decent looking appearance, seemed to blend in together perfectly.

Now I’m sorry to say this ... but I actually detested him on sight. I know you shouldn’t judge anyone by appearance .. but this guy really looked like something that crawled out of the back lanes of Chow Kit. I was so tempted to take a pic of him but on second thought .. it would seem like an intrusion of privacy andI didn’t want to start my morning with flying teh-tarik and roti-canai – brown pants seemed fully capable of making a ruckus if he so wanted .. and he had six other guys with him !!

And then the waiter brought over a glass of ‘the-tarik’ and two half boiled eggs. Mr Brown Pants acknowledged his breakfast with a grunt and proceeded to crack open the eggs open onto an empty bowl. He then licked his fingers clean of the egg stains before looking around for the waiter and basically hollering across the place … ‘ Woii mamak .. mana kicap ? ‘

The waiter just sauntered over, pointed out the pepper and soy sauce that was placed on the table beside his eggs when it arrived .......

Well .. as I mentioned earlier .. some people are just assholes.
The question is …… why do I keep running into so many?

Lunch ..

2009-02-26T21:26:00.004+08:00

I was wondering what to have for lunch today and came across this 'restoran' ... too bad it's closed ..

But it also made me wonder .. closed at lunchtime in the middle of the week? Perhaps the place only caters to the evening crowd ....

Speechless ....

2009-02-22T23:47:00.004+08:00

I've said it before .... and I'll say it again ...

No matter what you say or do or how much you care .. Some people are just assholes.

Huh.

Dirty Politics?

2009-02-17T22:05:00.004+08:00

And here we go again.

Was reading the news just the other day and it seems that a certain assembly-woman has been caught with her pants ( or is it skirt? ) down ...

Apparently our state executive council member received news from a certain newspaper that nude photographs of her was sent in ... obviously an attempt to discredit and shame her .. read about the full report here.

She suspects it's an old ex boyfriend .. methinks that as long as this so-called 'war' is still raging between the political parties .. all elected women politicians should take their showers with their clothes on ..... or something like that.

Heh.

BACK !

2009-02-08T17:43:00.003+08:00

Wow .. it's been a really hectic month.

What with the new job and Chinese New Year ( Gong Xi Fa Cai to you too ) and 'tying up loose ends' .. i've been getting calls wondering what has happened to me. Actually, nothing happened - just been really really busy, that's all. And yes, I have logged into my PC and yes, I have been online but that was just for research and work - no time to do anything else.

Sorry, guys.

Anyways - things are kinda settling into a more stable pattern now - hence, this post! Will try and update more regularly, ok?

Cheers !!

Bosses ...

2009-01-11T23:45:00.001+08:00

I had some time to myself the other day .. and I was reminiscing on my past jobs with all the companies I've ever worked for .. and you know what most of them have in common?

Grouses about our bosses.

About how your boss is THE most penny-pinching asshole you've ever seen .. or how incredibly calculative they are in paying out your salary ( like trying to delay your salary like into the next week of the following month ) ..

Well, let me tell you about one of MY previous bosses.

I was with his company sometime back - actually to be precise, I was attached to his company for almost half a year. Now of course, following the standard modus operandi of the typical asshole boss, they are very very nice to you during the interview. And you start getting deluded into thinking .. Hey, he's a nice guy. He's so humble and understanding despite being so rich.

Yeah .. right.

It always seems to start about 2 months into the job when he starts picking on the small things .. like your punctuality, for example. Never mind that you work till almost 09:00pm daily and that you even work on Sundays AND public holidays.

To your boss being punctual is a sign that you look forward to each new day with enthusiam and eagerness .. doesnt matter even if you were drinking like a goldfish with him the previous night till 04:00am .. doesnt matter that HE comes in at 11:00am ... YOU have to be in the office at 09:00am SHARP.

And then it gets even worse.

He tells you that the company is planning to expand .. we're going to get a new office ( in his case, a new office means a new building ) and that he has to start looking at cost-saving measures.

So later when you are due for confirmation, you find that a lot of the so-called promises that was made during the initial interview are conveniently forgotten.

Like your increment, for example. And oh, what about that position he promised you? And of course, the typical penny-pinching boss would not be one if he didnt cut back on the smaller things in the office.

Like your mileage claims.

Bad enough that you are basically paid the LOWEST mileage per kilometer in MALAYSIA .. he has to lower it even further by citing that fuel prices has dropped in the last few months. Hello? You are not even paying me maintenance and you are paying me less than 30cents per km .. and now you are lowering it to less than 23 cents per km?? You think my car runs on water is it? Or that my car is totally service free? And that my tyres NEVER run bald??

I'm like away for almost 2 weeks at one time on sales calls .. even working on Sundays and public holidays .. and I have to pay for my own petrol to bring in revenue for you ???

Something is very very wrong here.

As it is my basic salary is lower than the average general worker .. and you dont pay me any meal allowances for my outstation visits .. and if I were to fall sick I don't get to claim any medical expenses .. now I have to top up for my own petrol and hotel stays??

Fuck.

Well, things being what they are .. and with the situation not likely to improve anytime soon I made the decision to leave that company. I didnt feel very good leaving .. not because of the boss or because of the peanuts they were paying me .. but because I had made friends there .. the office and sales people got along fabulously ( ever wonder why when you have a less than perfect boss, the staff seems to be great? ) ..

Now I'm with a new company .. and of course im still in the sales line .. and you know what? The boss seemed very nice during the interview.

I hope history doesnt repeat itself.

Any of you guys have the same experience ?

Nice Place ....

2009-01-08T22:35:00.000+08:00

Time really seems to pass quickly.

It only seemed like yesterday I was looking forward to Christmas and New Year's Eve ... and before I even could savor the year end holidays .. I find myself in the 2nd week of January .. listening to Chinese New Year adverts on the radio !!

And oh, btw .. I didnt make any resolutions for this year. I figured since I wasnt gonna be able to keep them ANYWAY .. so why go to all the trouble?

Anyways .... was wondering what to eat (why does everyone I know seem to have this problem? As in what to eat?) when I remembered this nice little place that I had lunch at with Fanny ..

What I liked about this place was that it had a very personal touch to it .. as Auntie Juliet herself would be flitting from table to table .. checking on the portions served and making conversations ..

I also noticed that despite not being air-conditioned the place was filling up quickly on a hot afternoon - guess the menu had something to do with it .. in fact, most of the tables you see have been reserved ...

And this was what Fanny had ..

What I had .. now I know why reservations were needed .. the dip was really good !!

And of course, it being a hot afternoon there's nothing more refreshing that your local ABC to cool things off .. the portion was huge .. so we shared the dessert ...

Wow .. this is making me hungry ... hmm ... I wonder if Fanny or Stepfannie is free for dinner tomorrow .. hehe ....

Good riddance 2008 .. Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T16:14:00.002+08:00

I don't know about you ... but 2008 really sucked big time for me.

What with the petrol prices sky-rocketing and the current economy making a nose-dive .. well, let's just say I wasnt exactly sad to see 2008 go.

On the other hand, 2009 - the year of the Ox - has been 'predicted' to be a challenging year .. I guess you could say for me it's kinda true as I'm gonna be in a new company and a new position ..

Anyways ... goodbye 2008 .. you suck .. and

Welcome 2009 !!

Christmas ...

2008-12-25T17:06:00.005+08:00

It's the 25th of December today.
It's Christmas.

I woke up really early today .. and as I've done for the all the Christmases before today .. got ready and found myself in church for Christmas service.

I guess it just won't feel like Christmas if there isnt any carols being sung .. or if I dont find myself in church .. listening to the story of that little baby being born in a manger.

Actually .. I was wondering ... what does Christmas mean to you?

More business?
A chance to shop till you drop?
Presents?

I guess for me Christmas will always be the time for me to spend time with family .. and a chance to remind myself how lucky I am to have family and people around me that would put up with my nonsense. Hehe.

Anyways .. here's me wishing you ..

Merry Christmas and a Fabulous 2009 !!

Getting Married ..... and Staying Married ..

2008-12-19T23:50:00.004+08:00

I attended a close friend's wedding last week.

December seems to be a month for weddings, it seems .. most of my colleagues and friends have been attending weddings for the entire month, mostly on weekends.

As I was sitting there sipping brandy and sharksfin soup .. as well as just looking at the proceedings, I was left wondering ... the bridegroom and his bride seemed so happy and in LOVE .. but .. how long will it last?

I mean, is LOVE the ultimate factor in bringing together two people? And is LOVE gonna be there like 20-30 years down the road? When LOVE is gone, what is there left?

Which ultimately brings me to an article I read last week.

There's this Rabbi ... Rabbi Dov Heller .. who's a 'relationship coach' who insists on these factors before choosing a life partner ...

Choosing a Life Partner - by Rabbi Dov Heller, MA.

When it comes to making the decision about choosing a life partner, no one wants to make a mistake. Yet, with a divorce rate of close to 50 percent, it appears that many are making serious mistakes in their approach to finding Mr/Ms Right!

If you ask most couples who are engaged why they’re getting married, they’ll say : “We’re in love.” It seems that this is the #1 mistake people make .... Choosing a life partner should never be based on love (alone) !!

Though this may sound not politically correct, there’s a profound truth here. Love (alone) is not the basis for getting married. Rather, love is the result of a good marriage. When the other ingredients are right, then the love will come.

Let me say it again : You CAN'T build a lifetime relationship on love alone. You need a lot more.

Here are five questions you must ask yourself if you’re serious about finding and keeping a life partner.

QUESTION #1 : Do you share a common life purpose?

Why is this so important?

Let me put it this way : If you’re married for 20 or 30 years, that’s a long time to live with someone. What do you plan to do with each other all that time?

Travel, eat and jog together? You need to share something deeper and more meaningful. You need a common life purpose.

Two things can happen in a marriage. You can grow together, or you can grow apart. Fifty percent of the people out there are growing apart. To make a marriage work, you need to know what you want out of life bottom line - and marry someone who wants the same thing.

QUESTION #2 : Do I feel safe expressing my feelings and thoughts with this person?

Feeling safe means you can communicate openly with this person. The basis of having good communication is trust i.e. trust that I won’t get “punished” or hurt for expressing my honest thoughts and feelings.

A colleague of mine defines an abusive person as someone with whom you feel afraid to express your thoughts and feelings. Be honest with yourself on this one. Make sure you feel emotionally safe withthe person you plan to marry.

QUESTION #3 : Is he/she a mensch?

A mensch is someone who is a refined and sensitive person. How can you test? Here are some suggestions :

Do they work on personal growth on a regular basis?
Are they serious about improving themselves?

A teacher of mine defines a good person as “someone who is always striving to be good and do the right thing.” So ask about your significant other : What do they do with their time? Is this person materialistic? Usually a materialistic person is not someone whose top priority is character refinement.

There are essentially two types of people in the world : People who are dedicated to personal growth and people who are dedicated to seeking comfort.

Someone whose goal in life is to be comfortable will put personal comfort ahead of doing the right thing. You need to know that before walking down the aisle.

QUESTION #4 : How does he/she treat other people?

The one most important thing that makes any relationship work is the ability to give. By giving, we mean the ability to give another person pleasure.

Ask : Is this someone who enjoys giving pleasure to others or are they wrapped up themselves and self-absorbed? To measure this, think about the following :

1) How do they treat people whom they do not have to be nice to, such as waiters, bus boy, taxi driver etc?
2) How do they treat parents and siblings?
3) Do they have gratitude and appreciation?
4) Do they show respect?

If they don’t have gratitude for the people who have given them everything, you cannot expect that they’ll have gratitude for you - who can’t do nearly as much for them!

Do they gossip and speak badly about others?
Someone who gossips cannot be someone who loves others.

You can be sure that someone who treats others poorly will eventually treat you poorly as well.

QUESTION #5 : Is there anything I’m hoping to change about this person after we’re married?

Too many people make the mistake of marrying someone with the intention of trying to “improve” them after they’re married. As a colleague of mine puts it, “You can probably expect someone to change after marriage... for the worse!”

If you cannot fully accept this person the way they are now, then you are not ready to marry them.

In conclusion, dating doesn’t have to be difficult and treacherous. The key is to try leading a little more with your head and less with your heart. It pays to be as objective as possible when you are dating, to be sure to ask questions that will help you get to the key issues. Falling in love is a great feeling but when you wake up with a ring on your finger, you don’t want to find yourself in trouble because you didn’t do your homework.

Hmm ... sounds kinda right .. doncha think?

Are you Happy?

2008-12-18T01:57:00.003+08:00

It's the 18th of December ... exactly one week till Christmas ... and exactly two weeks till a brand new year ... 2009.

In the Declaration of Independence .. principally authored by Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States -it states and I quote .. " All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. "

The pursuit of Happiness.

Why doesn't he just say Happiness? Why the PURSUIT of Happiness?
Is Happiness something that you have to pursue? Something that is forever being evasive?

I dont know.

All I do know is this ... I'm not gonna wallow in my own misery anymore. I'm not gonna be all 'this shouldnt have happened to me' and so on and so forth.

I'm gonna be happy.
I'm gonna look at life differently .. and if I do have to pursue Happiness, so be it.

I'm gonna make 2009 a year to remember.
And of course, I hope all my hopes for a better 2009 doesn't all go to hell by the 2nd week of January.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!

Bad Karma ?

2008-12-11T20:52:00.004+08:00

I was driving around in KL last week along Jalan TAR .. it was almost 1:00pm .. and as usual, Jalan TAR was absolutely jammed packed with pedestrians and traffic ..

One thing I noticed .. despite the sweltering heat and bright hot sun, that didnt seem to deter anyone from walking around .. and then, I noticed this :

It kinda looked like a bus .. except that it had an open top ... and there were people in it !! On a closer look I saw this :

There were like almost a dozen or so people in the open top bus .. what made me notice was that despite the dust and heat .. these people seemed to be chatting and dancing ( yes, you read that right .. DANCING ) around .....

Now, I dont know about you but with that kinda traffic combined with the dust and heat and smog .. I wouldnt be 'prancing' around in an open top bus !! And definitely not in a tube top and skimpy shorts !! Isn't that the fastest way to get sunburned ? I thought that it was some kinda advertorial event .. but I couldnt see any cameras ...

On a totally unrelated event ....

I was having tea with a friend in Subang 2 days back ... and when I walked back to my car I saw this on the passenger's side door ....

Apparently some bastard tried to force his/her way into my car ... but nothing was taken despite the fact that my wallet was left in the glove compartment ..

Later, after a more lengthy discussion with my mechanic .. I found out that this was pretty common - it seems that these guys are not out to take anything from your car .. they just want the LOCK so that they can duplicate the car key .. and they always target the passenger side door or the boot, hoping you won't notice ..

And so with your LOCK and your car registration number, it would be pretty easy to find out where you live .. so that they can come back late at night when you are fast asleep and just drive off with your car !!

The mechanic also told me that he was offered ( he said NO ) almost a thousand dollars for a copy of ANY car key and registration .. to be passed to a syndicate specialising in stealing cars ..

And so I had to change the ENTIRE car's locks .. so as to avoid the chance that if in the event my car IS targetted to be stolen .. it won't happen .. SHIT ... cost me a few hundred ringgit .. wonder why my car .. it's only a bloody WAJA after all ...

Brave New World ..

2008-12-05T10:58:00.003+08:00

Well .. I guess I finally did it .. stepped through that window and moved forward ...

When I handed in my resignation letter .. I was pleasantly surprised that my boss wanted me to stay .. even to the extent of offering me additional monies and a new position ..

That kinda made my decision very much more difficult as I had grown to like this place .. it's not often that you can find a place where you fit in so perfectly .. but ultimately it's about forging ahead and facing new challenges .. and so after several days of considering all angles .. I guess it's time for me to move ahead.

Anyways .. I've still got 2 months notice to serve ... and you never know what might transpire in this period of time ..

D-Day ..

2008-12-02T09:00:00.000+08:00

It's decision day .. at last. I've made the choice to step through the window. But .. I wont step all the way across .. yet.

Let's just see what's on the other side ...

How to Attend Meetings

2008-11-27T23:45:00.001+08:00

I've been working with quite a few companys ever since I got out into the workforce after school ... and I've realised one thing. To really succeed in a business or organization, it is sometimes helpful to know what your job is, and whether it involves any duties.

Ask among your coworkers. “Hi,” you should say. “I’m a new employee. What is the name of my job?” If they answer “long-range planner” or “politician” you are pretty much free to lepak around and go yum char until retirement. Most jobs, however, will require some work.

There are two major kinds of work in modern organizations:

1. Taking phone messages for people who are in meetings, and,
2. Going to meetings.

Your ultimate career strategy will be to get a job involving primarily No.2, going to meetings, as soon as possible, because that’s where the real power is. It is all very well and good to be able to take phone messages, but you are never going to get a position of power, a position where you can cost thousands of people their jobs with a single bodoh decision, unless you learn how to attend meetings.

The first meeting ever was held back in the Caveman Era. In those days, Man’s job was to hunt and kill his food and bring it home for Woman, who had to figure out how to cook it. The problem was, Man was slow and basically naked, whereas the prey had warm fur and could run like a kancil. (In fact it *was* a kancil, only nobody knew this).

At last someone said, “Maybe if we just sat down and did some brainstorming, we could come up with a better way to hunt our prey!” It went extremely well, plus it was much warmer sitting in a circle, so they agreed to meet again the next day, and the next.

But the women pointed out that the men had not produced anything, and the human race was pretty much starving. The men agreed that was serious and said they would put it right near the top of their “agenda”. At this point, the women, who were primitive but not stupid, started eating plants, and thus modern agriculture was born. It never would have happened without meetings.

The modern business meeting, however, might better be compared with a funeral, in the sense that you have a gathering of people who are wearing uncomfortable clothing and would rather be somewhere else. The major difference is that most funerals have a definite purpose. Also, nothing is really ever buried in a meeting.

An idea may look dead, but it will always reappear at another meeting later on. If you have ever seen the movie, “Night of the Living Dead,” you have a rough idea of how modern meetings operate, with projects and proposals that everyone thought were killed rising up constantly from their graves to stagger back into meetings and eat the brains of the living.

And one more thing : if somebody falls asleep in a meeting, have everyone else leave the room. Then collect a group of total strangers, right off the street, and have them sit around the sleeping person until he wakes up. Then have one of them say to him, “Joe, your plan is very, very risky. However, you’ve given us no choice but to try it. I only hope, for your sake, that you know what you’re getting yourself into.” Then they should file quietly out of the room.

* Adapted and shamelessly copied from Dave Barry's How to Attend a Meeting

The Looming Decision

2008-11-26T13:57:00.002+08:00

I posted about making a difficult choice last week .. well, it looks like i'm already taking the required steps into going thru that window ..

Decision day is next week ..

I just hope it's the right choice ... cos it still doesnt really feel right .. despite what my head tells me ...

No Parking ....

2008-11-25T17:42:00.002+08:00

Was having lunch with Jack again today .... and my mechanic , Mr Einstein ... we were chatting about Jack's unfortunate run-in with his car's bonnet and battery acids ... when my mechanic revealed that it wasnt the worse thing to happen ...

Seems that the occupants in a certain part of Subang Jaya are so territorial and protective about their parking spaces .. cars parked at their so-called 'parking places' would be smeared with human excrement to prevent further occurences.

No, you didnt read it wrong .. read it again .. human excrement .. as in SHIT.

UGH.

Makes you wonder why parking places are so incredibly precious ... that people would actually take the trouble to go to the toilet .. take a dump .. collect the 'dumplings' ... and use it to smear it all over the car and door handles !!!

Imagine what it would smell like if the owner were to discover his car in that condition in the evening after work ... and after it has been in the sun the entire day .....

I dont think I would wanna use the car again .....

Territorial Rights?

2008-11-24T23:45:00.000+08:00

I was having dinner the other day with Jack ... when he started telling me about parking problems associated with living in the city .. and specifically with living in condos or apartments.

Now, i'm not a stranger to fighting over parking space as I've lived in condos before .. but what Jack told me was really .. how shall i say it .. well, let's just say it kinda made me mad ..

This is where Jack stays .. a nice comfy apartment in KL .. and as with all apartments and condos, parking space is limited .. so it was either Jack's significant other or Jack who had to park outside ... no guesses as to who parked outside ..

And this is Jack's car ..

Now since Jack had to park outside, obviously he would park somewhere considered safe from break-ins .. hence, my friend chose a brightly lit public car park in front of a chinese restaurant. And he would ALWAYS park there AFTER the restaurant closes for business so as not to block any of the outlet's patrons.

Guess that didnt help cos the next day when he came down to get his car he saw this etched in acid on his car's bonnet ...

Wouldnt it be more simpler to leave a note on the windscreen? I suggested that Jack make a police report against the restaurant .. but knowing our local enforcement .. it would not make any difference.

Let's just say that the next time Im in the area .. im gonna be very very careful about where I park .. and where I eat !!

PS : The car's bonnet and subsequent paintjob cost my friend several hundred ringgit ..

Choices ...

2008-11-21T23:43:00.002+08:00

A window has just opened .. and the view looks great ..

Thing is this ... should I or shouldnt I ?
If I were to step thru this window, I dont think I can come back to where I am now ..

And how will this decision affect my future ?
Will I even HAVE a future after stepping thru this window?

I just hope this choice is going to be the right one .....

I'm back ...

2008-11-19T23:55:00.000+08:00

Wow .. what a week it's been.

I've been like traveling all around the state of Perak on my assignments .. and it's been hectic.

Anyways, I'm back in KL .. just.
Hence this post.

On a side note .. somebody commented that my blog is boring.
My reply is .. If you think it's boring ... DON'T READ IT LAH !!

Ok .. now that I've gotten THAT outta my system .. I wanna like say .. comparatively .. does anyone know which state in Malaysia has the worse drivers ? I mean, besides KL of course .. we ALL know that KL has some of the most aggressive drivers ... but what about the other states ?

I'm wondering cos the other day when I was in the Teluk Intan ... I saw a lady driver casually just stop in the middle of the road next to a school ( and when I say middle, I really mean RIGHT in the MIDDLE of the ROAD ) .. get out of her car .. opened up her boot and beckoned her son .. put his schoolbag in .. and ushered him into the back seat before getting back in and driving off !!

There was a LONG line of cars behind her ... and despite the honking, she didnt even give a damn !! She even had the cheek to take her own bloody sweet time !!

I wonder what would happen if she did that in the middle of Chow Kit in rush hour ....

And they say men are the road bullies ....

2008-11-12T18:00:00.000+08:00

A child is born to innocence ; a child is drawn towards good

Why then do so many among us .. go so horribly wrong?

What makes some walk the path of darkness .. while others chase the light?

Is it will? Is it destiny?
Can we ever hope to understand the Force that shapes the soul?

To fight evil .. one must know evil .. one must journey back thru time and find that fork in the road .. where heroes turn one way, and villians turn another ..

I only got one thing to say .... HEROES ROCK !!

Year's End ..

2008-11-11T23:16:00.003+08:00

It's November .. and just slightly a month or so more till a brand new year. And I already know what my New Year's resolutions are gonna be.

Stop smoking.
Stop consuming alcohol.
Stop losing my temper.

And of course, stop taking my family and friends for granted.

But knowing me ... it'll all be down the drain by the second week of January .. What are YOUR resolutions gonna be like?

Intoxication ...

2008-11-09T20:35:00.001+08:00

It's 09:00 pm .. on a Sunday evening and I've been like sleeping most of the day. Now usually I just stay in on Sundays and rest but today was like more bedtime than normal .. guess this was due to yesterday ......

It's was Saturday ... and after a round of brainstorming and tossing back and forth ideas with my colleagues .. it's time to unwind.

And so we did.

A quick bite for dinner and then it's off to this place in the Curve .. methinks the choice of location was a baaaad idea cos the place was absolutely packed ... ever heard of the term 'standing room only' ? I had to squeeze thru like several dozen people before I could get to the washroom to pee !!

Then again, besides ogling at all the very attractive women patrons who seemed to be in a contest to appear as slutty as possible ..... I have never been in a room so packed with people .. so single-mindedly obssesed with a common goal.

To get totally plastered as fast as possible.

All around me were guys and gals basically GULPING down alcohol ( and I do mean alcohol ... not beer ) like it was fruit juice ..

The ladies werent left out either .. it was looking more and more like a contest to see who could get stoned as quickly as possible .... the music didnt help either as it was blasting ... I think I was temporary deaf for like several hours after I stepped out from there ...

The few pics I managed was when things were still relatively normal .. it was pretty much mayhem later and I didnt want to risk losing my 'outdated nokia phone' to the crowd who was then not unlike raving lunatics .. hehe ..

It wasnt long till we had enough of the blasting music and the ravers ... so we left for supper somewhere nearby. I remember the supper ( actually it could be considered breakfast .. it was already like 0300am or so .. ) was pretty good .. but with the copious amounts of alcohol in our bloodstream, I could have been eating wet tissues and it still would have tasted great .. hehe.

Well, all of us got home safely without any incident. See ya next week !!

Musings ..

2008-11-06T22:45:00.000+08:00

I had a good day today.

A nice lunch .. with a very good friend.
Chatting about shared experiences and the people we've both met.

People who are, at most times interesting and a delight to talk to,
but more often than not, strange and disturbing.

My lunch-date was telling me about the time she made arrangements to meet this 'net-fren' who insisted on meeting her in the car-park ... in his car .. parked in a secluded area with the car facing a wall ( and this was the first time she was meeting this guy !! ) ..

She told him to find someone else.
I guess you don't have to be a genius to figure out what he was after.

It never fails to amaze me how some guys ( and some gals as well ) would just assume the other party is an absolute moron. But hey, stranger things have happened.

Anyways, before we even knew it, lunchtime was up and we had to go our separate ways. She gave me a lift back to my car before driving off. And I was left smiling at the one of the most pleasant conversations I've had in a long time.

Thanks for the lunch, C. We must do this again sometime. And next time, let's make sure we both dont have prior engagements !!

Who Am I ?

2008-11-05T17:42:00.004+08:00

Ever wonder if you are .. who you really are?

As someone who is always meeting people in the course of my job, I sometimes wonder which one is the real me .. the exuberant, optimistic guy, or the depressed and confused fool who needs to weigh everything before even making the simplest of decisions.

I also wonder why I sometimes entertain thoughts of mayhem and violence in my head .. is that the real me? Is my subconcious trying to tell me something?

Sometimes I pick up my pellet gun ( the el-cheapo type kids play with ) and target my cat .. or my dog. Why do I do that? Is this some residue left behind in me from the times we were living in caves and hunting dinosaurs for dinner?

Kinda makes you wonder, don't it?

I guess the only time I admit who I really am is when I'm in alone on an outstation assignment and in bed and about to fall asleep .. I feel like I'm missing out on something in this life. Oh, don't get me wrong. I enjoy my job and I love my family but I feel like I'm not doing it all ....

I hate how mundane and boring life has become ; how safe and predictable things are. I've always lived life on the edge .. andrenalin coursing thru my veins in anticipation of what's around the next corner. Now everything is so safe and conservative.

Maybe that's good cos I'm not getting any younger. But it doesnt help that my mind and body is still yearning for something .... I don't know what.

Perhaps it's just a mid-life crisis.
Dammit. I'm old.

Guess I can always depend on my pellet-gun .. if only I can remember where I put it .......

Ever been a fool ?

2008-11-03T23:42:00.009+08:00

Baby, I know the story
I've seen the picture
It's written all over your face

Tell me
What's the secret
That you've been hiding
And who's gonna take my place

I should have seen it coming
I should have read the signs
Anyway .. I guess it's over

I can't believe that I'm the fool again
I thought this love would never end
How was I to know
You never told me ..

I can't believe that I'm the fool again
And I who thought you were my friend
How was I to know
You never told me ..

Baby, you should've called me
When you were lonely
When you needed me to be there

Sadly, you never gave me
Too many chances
To show you how much I cared

Oh I should have seen it coming
I should have read the signs
Anyway .. I guess it's over

I can't believe that I'm the fool again
I thought this love would never end
How was I to know
You never told me ..

I can't believe that I'm the fool again
And I who thought you were my friend
How was I to know
You never told me ..

About the pain and the tears ..
If I could I would
Turn back the time

Ooh yeah
I should have seen it coming
I should have read the signs
Anyway .. I guess it's over ....

I can't believe that I'm the fool again
I thought this love would never end
How was I to know
You never told me

I can't believe that I'm the fool again
And I who thought you were my friend
How was I know
You never told me ..........

Men and Women

2008-11-01T09:30:00.000+08:00

I was having lunch the other day with my two of my colleagues ( both female accounts staffs ) when I noticed a very buxom lady walking past our table .. she was headed to her table just a few feet away.

Now, what I noticed wasnt her boobs ( ok-la, so I took a quick glance .. im a guy ok? ) or how she was dressed .. but what interested me was the reaction of those sitting around the other tables.

The guys would be basically ogling at her more than generous assets unabashedly and the women at those tables would be staring with daggers in their eyes.

And it got me thinking to what I read the other day in a blog entry.

I guess the entire male species must have tunnel vision, and in addition to their horny nature, be zooming in or narrowing it down to boobs or butts. Women, on the other hand, would be staring or swearing over bad hairstyles, poor make-up, out-of-proportion body shapes ( re : boobs too big, thighs too big ) or even bad dressing !!

Dont tell me that men and women are created equal.
Because that is absolutely preposterous.

Under pressure, men would drink alcohol and start comtemplating on invading the next country ( or maybe perhaps just pick a fight in a pub ). Women would eat chocolates and go shopping.

Women criticise men for being uncaring, not sensitive, not listening and wanting to have sex than making love. Men criticise women about talking too much, for their sense of direction, for their driving skills and for not initiating sex more.

Men are astounded by how a woman can't see a flashing red light on the dashboard of the car, but can see a used condom in a dark corner some 100 meters away ; Women are confounded by
men who can ALWAYS park the car in the tightest spot using only a rear-view mirror, but can NEVER find the G-spot.

But I digress.

I asked my two female colleagues as to why women react that way when they see another woman dressed that way .... and guess what? They just smiled and said 'Lunchtime's up .. let's go back to the office ' ..

Methinks the only way the two sexes will ever start to understand each other is when we can really start talking to each other .. build on our collective strengths instead of focussing on our weaknesses.

But personally I think this will never happen.

Happy Halloween !!

2008-10-31T23:26:00.004+08:00

Tonight is the 31st of October .. or sometimes referred to as 'All Hallows Eve' or just 'Halloween'. But does any really know why 'Jack-o-Lanterns' are always lit during this time? And why do kids dress up as ghouls and beasties .. trying to scare the beejeezus outta everyone?

Apparently 'All Hallows Eve' is considered by the Celts ( the people, not the American basketball team ) as one of the most important days of the year, representing a mid point in the year, Samhain or summer's end. Occuring opposite the great Spring Festival of May Day, or Beltain, this day represented the turning point of the year, the eve of the new year which begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year.

The Celts believed that the normal laws of space and time were held in abeyance during this time, allowing a special window where the spirit world could intermingle with the living. It was a night when the dead could cross the veils and return to the land of the living to celebrate with their family, or clan. As such, the great burial mounds of Ireland were lit up with torches lining the walls, so the spirits of the dead could find their way.

And out of this ancient tradition comes one of the most famous icons of the holiday: the Jack-o-lantern. Originating from Irish folkfore, the Jack-o-lantern was used as a light for the lost soul of Jack, a notorious trickster, stuck between worlds.

Jack is said to have tricked the devil into a truck of a tree and by carving an image of a cross in the tree's trunk, he trapped the devil there. His pranks denied him access to Heaven, and having angered the devil also to Hell, so Jack was a lost soul, trapped between worlds. As a consolation, the devil gave him a sole ember to light his way through the darkness between worlds.

Originally in Ireland turnips were carved out and candles placed inside as lanterns lit to help guide Jack’s lost spirit back home. Hence the term: Jack-o-lanterns. Later, when immigrants came to the new world, pumpkins were more readily available, and so the carved pumpkins carrying a lit candle served the same function.

Back home here I guess Halloween is not celebrated as a major holiday ( I could be wrong, you know .. all the nightspots could be filled .. ) but I wager that our local orang minyak and pontianak would generate a whole lot more interest than a witch on a broomstick ....

Anyways .. it's Friday nite ... and any excuse is good for going clubbing ...
Have a Nice Weekend !!!

Flash Me !!

2008-10-30T09:00:00.001+08:00

Mornings are usually pretty hectic for me.

Jump outta bed, dash into the shower, throw on a pair of pants and a shirt and it's off to try and beat the traffic. Sometimes I win, sometimes the traffic wins.

Unfortunately this morning the traffic won.
And I arrived sliiightly late.

Now usually on arrival into my office I pretty much do the same thing ... which is to put down all my stuff .. boot up my notebook .. get a cup of coffee .. and visit the toilet to pee.

And this was what I saw this morning eyeballing me as I stood there .. err .. trying to aim ..

Flash the water ?

That's new.
I wouldnt even wanna flash myself .. heheh ..

Good thing it didnt say 'Flash the Toilet' .. or I might have to wear a trenchcoat everytime I need to pee.

PS : Wikipedia's definition of To FLASH or FLASHER here.

Relationships ......

2008-10-29T18:09:00.004+08:00

I was at KFC with a couple of friends when the current discussion turned to relationships .. this friend of mine
( for purposes of anonymity let's call him Hare .. well, he looks like a hare when he grins ) was complaining about his girlfriend ..

How she is always nagging him about absolutely everything ... he was also comtemplating on moving out ...

Funny thing about it is that .. 6 months back ... she was married to another dude and basically he was the one who was the so-called home wrecker .. she even has a kid from that marriage ..

Now that she's divorced from THAT dude and is now currently with my friend ( the hare ) .. he's the one complaining about her nagging and her habits .....

Oh, what a complicated web we weave.

But that's nothing compared to this other 'relationship' ... i was told from my other friend at the table that there's this young and extremely good looking guy ( let's call him LV ) who's involved with this other dude ( who happens to be very very rich .. and yea, they're gay .. LV and Rich Dude, not my friend, hehe) ..

Rich dude only visits Kuala Lumpur like once every fortnight to see his 'girlfriend' whilst dropping off a BIG bag of money for LV .. I was told it was in the region of 15-25K ..

And so, LV is always lonely in his big semi-detached bungalow as a 'kept woman' .. usually spending in excess at Pavillion or StarHill to keep busy ..

I wonder ... would you be tempted if you were offered the same 'carrot' ?

I dont know.

But I dont think I would be.
I'd like to keep my butt the way it always has been.

Mine.

No offense to anyone. Heh.

Happy Deepavali !!

2008-10-27T23:00:00.008+08:00

Just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Deepavali .. you can read more about the Festival of Lights and what it means here.

Have a nice holiday !!

The Look ..

2008-10-25T09:00:00.003+08:00

I was at Micheal's place the other day when I saw this 'thingy' by the corner ...

And as Mike was busy attending to one of his customers, I didnt wanna look like I was wasting his time asking stupid questions .. so I spent basically almost a half hour trying to figure out what it was ...

To me, it looked like something out of ALIENS .... only thing missing is the slime ... and monster .. and woman screaming .. ( hold on a sec, there might be some of that after seeing the results .. ) Anyways .. later Micheal said it's used for a DIGITAL PERM.

A Digital Perm ?
How do you 'digitise' your hair?

Well, I should have guessed it was for something like that .. Micheal IS a hair stylist after all ...

Home at Last ..

2008-10-24T23:26:00.002+08:00

After almost two weeks of running around ..
I'm back .. at last .. in Kuala Lumpur.

Despite the traffic jams .. the smog .. the incessant stream of people .. I guess it's still home to me.

My bed never looked this good.
Of course, that's mainly due to the fact that I havent gotten a good night's sleep during these two weeks ..

Dreamland .. here I come ......

Rainy Days ..

2008-10-21T20:19:00.002+08:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything.

Not that I dont have anything to write about, that is.
On the contrary, there a lot of things I wanna write about.

Like my job.

My inept social life.

My so-called relationships and how I get along with people ( more precisely, how I always piss people off without even trying ).

But if I were to put everything down here, I know I'd make a lot of people very unhappy. Aand I dont wanna make these people unhappy cos they happen to be in a position to make me MORE unhappy if they were to find out that I'm not happy about the way things are.

Does that make any sense?
I dont know. Guess I'm just rambling.
I also noticed that it always rains whenever I feel blue.
Maybe it's a co-incidence.

I better go to bed.

RAMBLINGS, RANTINGS AND SEMI-COHERENT BABBLINGS

Cats and Dogs ....

Back to Work .....

Who wants to be a MILLIONAIRE ....

Hello 2011 ...

Sign of the Times ...

The Day I Met Mandy ..

Say that Again ?

Mondays ..

Wow ...

You Know Who You Are ....

Still Around ...

The Angiogram

Misgivings ....

Case Closed ?

Updates ..

Fourth church attacked inMalaysia as Allah row deepens

And a Happy New Year to you too ... *sigh*

Food for Thought ...

The Winter Solstice Festival ..

Christmas Week ..

Bad news ...

Looking Ahead ...

Friends ...

DIY?

Follow Ups ..

Unwell ..

Incommunicado ...

Saddest Looking Pug .....

Hmm ..

I'm better now ... phew ..

Monthly Blues?

I hate Mondays ....

Bad Photos?

Fridays ...

Why can't I sleep?

Feeling frustrated ..

Film Director Dies

And once again ...

Random

Random ..

What a Nite ....

Random

Yum ..

One Step Beyond ..

Fridays ..

Random ..

Anger

EL Nino ... Again?

The Price of Vanity ...

Terminator : Salvation

I cant believe this ...

Granny and mothers who complained about gangsters DETAINED – at 1 a.m. by cops

TGIF ?

Surrogate Mummy?

No more smokes ...

Huh ...

Going out this Weekend ?

Counting the Costs ...

Random

Wheels ....

Your 'Friendly' Neighbours ...

Comfort Room?

Still Standing?

This Sucks ...

T-Shirts ..

First Impressions ...

Lunch ..

Speechless ....

Dirty Politics?

BACK !

Bosses ...

Nice Place ....

Good riddance 2008 .. Welcome 2009

Christmas ...

Getting Married ..... and Staying Married ..

Are you Happy?

Bad Karma ?

Brave New World ..

D-Day ..

Fourth church attacked in
Malaysia as Allah row deepens

And a Happy New Year to you too ... sigh