happy activity

reporting live from baskin robbins, tapah rest area. wireless connection: excellent.

yes today is 31 october and it is time for the 31% discount again.

not tapauing this time but having it here.

what's our (you dun think i will go alone right?) flavours?? pomegranate swirl, rum and raisin and chocolate mousse royal.

even the outlet is celebrating halloween. happy halloween you people! although i have no idea of the origin at all. hehe.

opps...extra indulgence. i am hungry ah. just had a small portion of rice for lunch.

never mind...there is a jogging session arranged after this. so let's hope i burn them.

A shop-neighbour passed away recently. Why a shop-neighbour? Well, he was the next door neighbour when we were always outside at the family shop.
He let me and my siblings play ‘shopkeeper’ roles. We were there tagging prices, arranging shelves and even managing the cashier. It was real-life ‘masak-masak’. That was how our afternoons were spent when there was nothing on tv and there were no tuition classes to attend.
He passed away last week. He suffered from bleeding in the brain. In fact, half of his brain was submerged (dunno the proper term) as seen from the x-ray. No operation could be done. He was hospitalized for 4 days and died on the hospital bed.
He left behind his wife and a son who is in standard 1 this year.
I wanted to say that his death could be prevented, but I guess it was too late now. He suffered from high blood pressure but did not go for check-ups nor seek treatment. Let this be a reminder for us to be aware of our health and the responsibility to take care of it.
May your soul rest in peace, ah kau.

spick and span

I finally found the time to sweep and mop my room. Haha…what a lazy bum. No more stray hair and dust on the floor. It just feels so nice and refreshing to enter the room. I can swirl and twirl on my toes like in the advertisement.

clash of events

why why why??
all my plans to hit events have all met setback after setback.
and the latest is the tennis match.
mr yee now cannot make it because he is going outstation. no mr yee...i am not blaming you. i am just blaming my luck.
an eye for an eye i guess. i could not make it to BEP concert and left him babysitting 2 young gals and now... sigh, i also dunno.
have to find someone to replace that empty seat and someone to pay me that rm88 for the ticket. or, i sell both the tickets and end up reading about the match from the papers.

everyone who chooses to enter showbiz is
materialistic.
andy hui, hong kong singer and
actor.

nice necklace?

a fellow female colleague was so smitten by this bead necklace that i have. she kept reminding me how much she loved this necklace.
actually this necklace had been modified by yours truly. all those round beads are made of wood and the piece in the middle is clay. there were supposed to be 2 more clay pieces but they broke due to undue force put on them. the centre piece was supposed to be a little child wrapped in the leaf...unfortunately, it was one of the more broken piece. what a waste. so i took those broken pieces out and made this remaining piece of clay leaf the centrepiece.
where do i get this from? it is a present from my uncle from australia many years ago...like about 15 years ago if i am not wrong. gosh, am i such a good keeper? he got me another interesting handrawn bead necklace as well. not bad eh his taste...or his friend's.
unique ones are hard to find nowadays. so yeah, i do appreciate all the accessories i have...i mean, why get them in the first place if you dun like them. that is why my collection is increasing and not decreasing. i just dun throw them away unless they break beyond repair.
even the opposite sex is now keen on jewellery. brother always nicks my rugged bracelets. and a male friend is looking at higher end jewellery. whatever age, sex, and budget...there will be something for you.

happy thoughts

although i have been bogged down by meetings this weekend, i still have found my escapades. little exploration to cure this curious mind. it does lift the spirit and helps to make the meetings seemed shorter. gosh, i still have to attend another one tomorrow, sunday starting at 8.30a.m. nuts!!! yawn now!


ok...escapade one. lunch at kampar. can you believe it, this is the first time i have been to kampar town although i only stay like less than 1 hour away? can't blame me wat...usually only those kaki makan will go to kampar. and i am the type who eat to live, not live to eat.


i made sure my colleague order the famous chicken in bread dish although all of them who joined me that day had eaten it before. haha...so authoritative.

this is the shop. you can see it on the main road of the old town. this pic was taken from the car. notice the hello kitty reflection on the windscreen. hehe. i still have hello kitties in my car.
the famous chicken curry in bread dish. yummy. the bread was soft and fresh and the chicken curry was tender with enough curry to dip your bread. salivating now.
this is another dish you can only get it here according to a colleague. yam noodles in claypot. the noodles are under the rich gravy with pork and yam. i am not a big fan of yam so after one small bowl, i was back to my chicken and bread.

then today, (saturday) i went to a small town called chenderiang..again north of bidor. you need to use the trunk road to see the signboard going into this almost sleeping town. it is such a serene and quiet place for a saturday lunch hour. the majestic titiwangsa mountain range backing the town was so green and awesome. from this town, you can head to lata kinjang, the waterfall you see on the way to ipoh from south. i had been to the waterfall few years ago, it is really huge.

so this weekend is not such a bad one, minus the meetings. many firsts for me and it keeps the wandering heart light. escapades are fun every once in a while. see, i can never sit still for long. oh my oh my, what am i going to do in the long holidays?

my dell

new addition or new baby more like it since it has cost me my one month's salary.

it was delivered on thursday night at 10p.m. all the way from penang.

my new dell inspiron 530 desktop. isn't it sleek?

let us do some introduction.

Intel(R) Pentium(TM) Dual-Core Processor E2140
(1.6GHz, 800FSB, 1MB)
17" Flat Panel LCD Monitor (Analog only) - Silver color
2GB (2X1GB) NECC Dual Channel DDR2 667MHz SDRAM Memory
320GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive with Native Command Queuing
16X DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer Write Capabilities

Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Basic 32 bit (English) DVD Media Included

these are the basics lah. it is ok right? for someone who is somewhat computer illiterate, this is not a bad choice according to cousin zhong. and of course i got some online tutorial from kahlam while browsing for the best choice. thanks dudes. it helped to give me some confidence before i pressed that confirm order button.

now have to start learning how to use vista. maybe they have some vista for dummies or tutorial lesson online. meanwhile, brother will be the one using it, so let him get used to it first and then teach me.

hyeon bin revisited

waaa...my eyes got a watery not because of dust but because of hyeon bin in a millionaire's first love. yes, i am a sucker for romantic movie plus those with handsome hunks.

i first mentioned him when i watched my lovely samsoon. and today, thanks to 8tv which has taken to showing korean movies every saturday night, i have a chance to grab this movie. actually this movie was nothing to shout about. it was anything but great. just a typical korean love story. rich boy met poor girl. poor girl changed rich boy's perspective on life. poor girl had fatal illness. poor girl died, rich boy grew up and became a man. read here if you want to know the details.

but somehow the plot just fits (maybe i was just mesmerised already) and the story ended just as how everyone expected one typical love story would end.

the part which made my eyes watery was the one where the boy gave the girl her early birthday present in the form of short notes all rolled up in a bottle (messages in bottle). the girl was supposed to read one a day but she rushed to open all because she was scared she would not live to read all of them. and she did all these while she was pouring with tears. so kesian.

this part made me realised the importance of words too...sincere thoughts which ought to be relayed more often instead of bottled up. why can't i be more expressive verbally?? that is not just me eh? putting them down in words would not be a problem. if anything were to happen to me next time, i do not want to lose my ability to express myself using written words. that would be so torturing.

anyway, this also reminded me...i have also received messages in a bottle before...about 7 years ago from 4S4. i still have them intact. ooh, that was so sweet of them. hey, people out there...do something like this for your loved ones lah. girls especially will fall for this man. old trick but still so workable.

ohohoh, before i forget to blurt this out...why must the female protagonist always be weak and meek to receive love in movies? i think this is a reflection of real life right? tell me if i am wrong. they must always be soft, gentle, and with at least shoulder length hair. i am totally out of the league. :'( there goes that handsome guy dream. anyway, it is a dream... so yeah, i can still dream just make sure two feet are planted on the ground at the same time as well.

VMY

what is vmy? visit malaysia year x.
and now they have extended it to vmy2008. sooner or later they are going to make it vmy every year. i am just waiting for that time to come.
because of the success of vmy 07, they want to prolong the promotion to attract more tourists to our country.
well, vmy 07 has brought a lot of festivities into the country. no doubt about it...angkasawan, grand national day celeb, fireworks competition, and now they have live and loud kl all in the name of the country's 50th celebration.

but isn't it the job of tourism malaysia to always promote our country and make it more exciting for tourists year in and year out? isn't it in their responsibility??

why must everything be held in conjunction with...

why can't we have activities, conventions, concerts, campaigns, etc the whole year round regardless of VMY or not?

have i participated in any of them? err...so far none. but going to go for one soon...yes thanks to our country's birthday again.

malaysia independence tennis: clash of the times (federer vs sampras). i hope i am not going to jinx this outing again by posting it before it comes. look at what happen with the peas.

you must be wondering why all the fuss now...i guess it is a way to destress. have to let something out.

thief!!

this is new for me. i am stealing wi-fi connection! hahaa....i dunno whose it is from.
i have just switched on the notebook because i want to check a cd, then the pop-up message came saying that i am connected but the signal strength is low. but it is better than nothing lah.
last time i managed to detect one too but it was locked. u need a password.
it is my lucky day i guess.
but i also dunno what to do now. am chatting with 2 ppl on msn messenger.
finished checking my mail. got a comment on friendster.
oh, it has been a tiring day. had a 3 hours long meeting and the duty to do comes crashing down without time for us to breathe.
ok...better stop now. time to sleep.
night.

let's sing along

"Big Girls Don't Cry"

Da Da Da Da
The smell of your skin lingers on me now
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
To be with myself and center, clarity
Peace, Serenity

[CHORUS:]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry

The path that I'm walking
I must go alone
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they?
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay

[CHORUS]

Like the little school mate in the school yard
We'll play jacks and uno cards
I'll be your best friend and you'll be my Valentine
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
'Cause I want to hold yours too
We'll be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late, dark outside
I need to be with myself and center, clarity
Peace, Serenity

[CHORUS]

La Da Da Da Da Da

no black peas

bye bye fergie, bye bye will i.am, bye bye the rest of black eyed peas members.
i have sold my ticket and i will not be there. boo hoo hoo! why!? and auntie chen is not going as well due to some unforeseen circumstances. only uncle yee will be going with some young chicks (??).
a 3-day meeting just cropped up for this weekend and i will not have transport to go up to the highlands too.
so let's learn a lesson from this. never count the chicks before they hatch. all the exciting thoughts now mean nothing.
the above pic is taken in bangkok. i wonder if fergie can bare her abs and her legs this way. u know the dress code...you have to cover up from neck to your knee. mr yee, please show some photos ok. i really hope you will enjoy yourself. go party!!!
gosh, i so want to hear fergie sing 'big girls don't cry'. i wonder if anyone will secretly record that. ha ha ha. no matter how tight the security is, some clips are bound to show up in you tube.

and i also wonder whether there will be any congestion going to gohtong jaya these few days. uncle lim (lim goh tong) has passed away yesterday morning and his funeral will be in gohtong jaya on monday. so there will be those who want to pay their last respect. he is indeed a remarkable man. a colleague asked me if his building of the casino was actually a good thing. but to gamble or not actually depends on yourself. his empire has created a lot of job opportunities for many and i think it is something we should be thankful for. may your soul rest in peace.

sun: come!

rain, rain go away. get the wind to come and blow you all the way to australia!

he he, it has been raining for few days and the sun is only out for a few hours a day. it is quite cooling but it is not good news for the washings waiting to dry.
i had to wait 3 days before my bath towel was compeletely dry.
yesterday the sudden rain also gave me a scare. i was halfway out to the jogging track when suddenly it poured. but as sudden as it came, that was how fast it left as well. in less than 15 seconds, they were all gone. and i continued my jog. it felt good! i was in good spirit and i had a spring in every step. ok...that was hyperbole but i did feel light.

and the australia part, well, because of drought in australia, it hampers their wheat production and now there is shortage of flour everywhere. yes, we are affected as well. my staple breakfast a.k.a bread and pastry will increase in prices as in all wheat products (noodles, vermicelli, cakes).
the daily increment in oil prices is not something to look forward to as well. just wait and see how much our fuel price is increased when 1 january 08 comes.
sigh...financial burden.

AAAAHH!!!
what is wrong with the USB hub of the notebook? it can't read the mobile phone's link. i wanna upload photos taken with my mobile, but i can't! this is so frustrating. i wonder if i have deleted anything i am not supposed to delete.
any solution? reinstall driver?

asia tour 2007 ;)

show mi, hk coliseum

show mi, arena of stars, genting highlands

show mi, singapore indoor stadium

i just love all these combo photos. memories for keepsake. my stitching is not bad eh? the end of all chase. what a year and what a big burning hole in the pocket.

new age compliment: you look thin! did you go on a diet or what?
agree? will this help put a smile on your face?
no more...waaa... you put on weight ah...hou sek hou zhu (good food, good life).
that will make me go scrambling for that diet plan. hehehe.
can't blame me for that. look at all the people they put in the media. models are all thin and lean and one has to look beautiful to go on tv. proof? check out the new season of the amazing race asia edition season 2. man! it brings the 'beautiful people on tv' to a new height. the contestants are all either model or tv personalities. and you thought reality shows are using real people. shoot! how real can it get.
ok back to the topic of being thin. it feels good to be thin ya, to fit into those asian cut clothes. some designers are only making their tee shirts in small size. by doing this, they are choosing their wearers instead of the other way round. having enough money is not enough nowadays, you need to have the right body too.
after all that has been said, i still like european cut lah. they are more comfortable for someone with a big hip like me. hip hip hooray!

now everyone can fly gold coast

yeah, air asia of course. and now with air asia x, there are more destinations to choose from.
and i have just snatched my first holiday trip next year for march!
i am going to gold coast, australia. i have been planning to stop travelling asia after that last trip to cambodia. i am just getting sick of listening to foreign languages and i feel like going to an english speaking country! need to feel that familiarity for a change.
i was planning for perth, you know, it is the nearest english speaking city and should be the cheapest to go to.
luckily air asia x is promoting their new destination and one way ticket is only rm350. without hesitation i smsed people i know who could fit my travel schedule lah. none replied wor!!! except dear brother who was deciding between cambodia in december and this trip. finally he chose my trip and this will be our first trip together! ok, someone said going with brother was no fun, but hey, at least it is better than going alone lah. my housemate smsed me too late (after i had booked) so i told her to look for her own travel mate lah if she wanted to go. sorry mate. you need to be fast here.
after adding everything, my return tickets cost me rm1590. there are so many hidden charges ah. i chose a night flight for my going journey, so instead of 350, i have to pay 418. then the airport taxes. insurance is 29. meals on board- 20 for each way (vegetarian, kids, asian, or western). haha..i was thinking of choosing kids meal. but in the end we chose asian and western lah. ok, then 20 (one way) to choose a standard seat in the plane. no standing zone here. haha. those with more legroom seat, you pay 100. i think am the first one to choose my seats in that flight. super kiasu syndrome. it is a 2-4-2 seating arrangement. i chose the 2 seats on the left. then lastly, another 20 (one way) to check in luggage. that 20 is only for 1-15kg. 16kg and above you have to pay 100 already.
so it all ends up at 1590. it is the cheapest one can get to gold coast. now just hope there is no such thing as cancellation of flight.
we hope sis in australia can get some leave and meet us there too. it is going to be a siblings trip. now we have to save for our expenses and find our lodging and plan our itenary there. anyone know of any cheap place to stay?? any free couch to offer? i read there is this progamme where ppl offer their couches for free for short stay. haha...i can consider this.
a part-time job in november and december is in the card now. but where do i start looking? tell me yeah, if you know any vacancies. hehe.

my pc

mourning for the demise of a few pairs of shoes. hehehe, am i nuts?

noooo....i just love my shoes too much and i feel sad to let them go. in fact, these few pairs have been staying idle for too long on the shoe rack just because i feel too sentimental to let them go. there are 5 pairs of shoes here ah. and my favourite is that pair of black mary jane from patrick cox. i got that when i was in england in 2000 at harrods during their summer sale at 50% discount. it is well-worth the price i pay ok albeit a bit steep. i had worn that pair of shoes for 5 years before the inner sole turned too ugly to be shod in. it is my fav pair of shoes, and still is in my heart. i still cannot find a pair of mary jane like this. it is from their wannabe collection and they no longer produce this design. i still have a pair of ankle boots from pc too and from the same type of leather. but too bad the malaysian weather is not suitable for boots. i can only take it out from time to time and look look.

the rest of the shoes, confirm cannot wear liao because they are all strappy high heel sandals. where am i going to put that heel cushion if i wear them? sob sob! no sexy heels for me.

i wanna get another pair of pc if i can, but definitely not in malaysia. they dun have the brand here. so those in england, help me watch out yeah. it is an english brand after all.

p/s: another story here. threw 3 kittens out of the house too. they were resting on my shoe rack oh so comfortably. luckily i had someone to help me get them into the dustpan, and then send them all the way to the palm oil estate nearby. ok... i hope they do not find their way back to my house.

new motto in life: LIVE TO EXPERIENCE.
it used to be: live for the day. hehehe. no more short-term living. i want to look forward to each day and experience it. no regret to whatever which comes my way. be it good or bad, it is meant to be experienced and make you into a more complete person.
borrow from jerry mcguire line: the experience completes me.

dare to experience. but still no free-fall ride at theme park please. that is way too scary.