FITS AND STARTS

This time around last year

2010-09-09T07:11:00.000+01:00

In preparation for Christmas (it's never too early to get into the holiday mood), I have decided to set myself a number of resolutions. The aim is to start working on them now and reward myself with pretty shoes if I've achieved any of them.

Well I never saw it coming,

I resolve to forgive:

1) the person who has given me grief and made my life miserable

2) the person who has been dishonest with me

3) the person who has taken me for granted and made me feel small

4) the person who has cheated me of my loyalty and goodwill

5) the person who has stripped me of expectations from empty promises

I should have started running a long, long time ago

Goodbye shoes. There's no way I'm gonna have you for Christmas.

Lord have mercy on this willful creature for wanting to hold on to these feelings of malice and resentment just a while longer.

Now I'm picking up the pieces,

spending all of these years putting my heart back together.

because i am too lazy to write a long post

2009-11-28T03:12:00.002Z

g as e says:
u look like those auntie who complains alot about buying a vegetable which has half a leaf less than usual. then gossips to the entire apartment for the next 2 weeks about it

Stepping out

2009-11-11T03:18:00.002Z

Phew~ interview period is ovahhh! On Monday and Tuesday I attended job interviews with 2 law firms (the third firm I applied to has yet to set an interview date with me so I think I will just have to let it go). They both gave me the green light and now all that's left for me to do is to make a choice. Soon it will be sayonara my student/jobless bum days... I shall miss you but we all need to grow up don't we?

I also have to think about when I want to start work. One firm is letting me start as soon as next week, but I'm wondering whether I should defer it to next month so that I can do just a little bit more work on my LLM? I am a tad worried about how work is going to affect writing my thesis, but my cute mum says I just have to be consistent and do a little everyday and before I know it that 15-20k word mark will be met. Sounds easy right? But it is not! I realise of late that I am having mucho trouble reading articles off my laptop. If I spend long hours reading off the screen, I tend to get tired faster and sleep extra long at night. I've already reduced the brightness of the screen but it hasn't made much of a difference. HOWWW LAAHH.

Later this evening I am gonna go shopping with my mum for work clothes. Whee, so exciting! I gave away alot of clothes recently cos I felt that they didn't work with my new "yuppie-to-be" image. Haha! I wonder if it's considered unprofessional in the legal world to blog about your life? I've read loads of magazine entries that tell you to be a little wary about how much you share and the things you say cos you never know when your boss might stumble upon your blog. But I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I'm just happy I get to go shopping later and not pay out of my own pocket (YET)!!!!!!!!

Joke

2009-09-25T08:23:00.001+01:00

Email from my dad. HIGHlarious!

A little humor with a good moral.

The Pastor's Ass

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and,
it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey
that he entered it in the race again,

and it won again.

The local paper read:

PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of
publicity that he ordered the
Pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day, the local paper headline read:

BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he
ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun

in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted
The following headline the next day:

NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted.

He informed the nun that she would have to
get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the paper read:

NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he
ordered the nun to buy back the
donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is . . .

Being concerned about public opinion can bring you

much grief and misery, & even shorten your Life.

So be yourself and enjoy life.

Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and
you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

Update

2009-09-24T07:22:00.003+01:00

[source: the Star online]

* * * *
Wednesday Sept 23, 2009

No intention to patent local food, Dr Ng says

by FLORENCE A. SAMY

Malaysia does not intend to patent local food but wants its citizens to know their origins, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She expressed surprise over responses on her statement on local food and Malaysia’s intention to lay claim to several dishes, which were synonymous with the country’s identity and ideal as a tourism product.

“Neither did I say that no other countries can cook such food. We are not trying to compare with other countries,” she told a press conference on Wednesday.

“Malaysians must know about the origin of their food. We want them to start thinking about their food when they eat them. We also want them to improve on their dishes and be more creative.”

Dr Ng’s recent statement that nasi lemak, laksa, bak kut teh, chilli crab and Hainanese chicken rice are Malaysian dishes had sparked off a "food fight" on the Internet, including from some unhappy Singaporeans who insisted that chilli crab and the chicken rice were theirs.

Dr Ng said a study on the origins of foods in the country would be conducted and an apology conveyed if it was wrongly claimed.

“At the end of the day, tourists will go to where the food is tastiest,” she added.

The National Heritage website, www.warisan.gov.my has 100 types of food and drinks listed under its food heritage list.

These include nasi lemak, laksa, chilli crab and Penang char kuay teow.

Citing an example, Dr Ng said bak kut teh -- which is Hokkien for meat bone tea -- originated from Klang in the 1930s by a Chinese sinseh.

“Ba kut teh can be chicken or any meat because it is meat bone,” she said.

Local dishes, she said, could be part of the Malaysian tourism product branding as many were already in the heritage food list.

* * * *

Singapore attained independence some years later than us so isn't it possible that we might have the upper hand here? And what happens if a dish was created by a (now) Singaporean who was Malaysian in 1957 but then jumped ship and took up Singaporean citizenship in 1965?

Whose food is it anyway?

2009-09-18T17:27:00.009+01:00

[source: the Star online]

* * * *
Thursday Sept 17, 2009

Laksa and nasi lemak among our pride, says Yen Yen

by TEH ENG HOCK

KUALA LUMPUR: Laksa, nasi lemak and bak kut teh — these are some of the food Malaysia will lay claim to.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said there were many dishes synonymous with Malaysia’s identity but they had been “hijacked” by other countries.

“We cannot continue to let other countries hijack our food. Chilli crab is Malaysian. Hainanese chicken rice is Malaysian. We have to lay claim to our food,” she told reporters after launching the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival yesterday.

The festival, which runs throughout October, is part of the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia campaign. November’s part of the campaign will centre around shopping mall food, while street and heritage food will be the highlight in December.

“In the three months, we will identify certain key dishes (to declare as Malaysian). We have identified laksa ... all types of laksa, nasi lemak and bak kut teh,” she said.

When asked how the ministry would go about labelling the dishes Malaysian after identifying them, Dr Ng said she would reveal her strategy at a later stage.

“That is Part Two. We cannot reveal it yet, but we will let you know soon,” she said.

* * * *

It's bad enough that the Indonesians don't like us, now the government wants to pick a fight with Singapore too? I may not love everything that is "Uniquely Singapore" but staking claims on food is downright ridiculous. We're happy to share our history with Singapee, Indon, Brunei and everyone else in the good ol' South of the E to the A for Asia (it's all about the gangsta yuuhhh!!!), so what's wrong with extending it to cuisine? You know what else, the Malay Mail asked a couple of people what they thought about Datuk Ng Yen Yen's suggestion and 80% of them were like HELL YEAH we should protect our food!!!!!!! Seriously, I just cannot see the point in giving certain dishes a Malaysian stamp of authenticity. It's not like it's going to boost tourism or improve the living standards of the community or reduce crime or extinguish political corruption. Besides, Hainanese chicken rice was brought in by the (China) Chinese so how can we call it our own? In any case the government had better not declare chicken rice to be a national dish. That would just put us to shame cos I can guaran-damn-tee you that Singapore has the best chicken rice this side of the South China Sea.

B is for Bak kut teh [image source: wikipedia]

Thank you my forefathers for bringing this humble dish to our shores. I am eternally grateful.

A prayer by Thomas Merton

2009-09-10T09:49:00.002+01:00

I first saw this in a booklet celebrating the ordination of a priest in Eugene's church. It was really beautiful. So heartfelt. It truly encompasses the feelings I hold about this great journey called life.

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always,
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

-- Thomas Merton (1915-1968), "Thoughts in Solitude"

Ambitious?

2009-09-03T18:02:00.012+01:00

Behold my most recent purchase

*beams proudly

When I showed my mum, she sniffed and gave me this scornful look like I was some pathetic twit that ought to be squashed. She said, "HAAA??? LEARNING FROM BOOKS???" and then proceeded to launch into a lecture in Mandarin, only bits of which I was able to comprehend, "... you should be learning by speaking!... yakyakyakyak... come on I can speak to you in Mandarin!... yakyakyakyak... haiyo... yakyakyakyak". Isn't it funny how haiyo is still haiyo even in a foreign language?

From Mon to Tues I was in Taiping with MF and JG. I haven't been to Taiping in ages, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that nothing's changed (save for a new hotel or two, and a Tesco). The journey there was traffic free *ahem thanks to my great idea to leave the Merdeka crowd in KL behind to eat our dust. Before reaching Taiping, we made a pitstop in Ipoh to grab lunch. Had an assortment of foodstuff, including curry mee, fuchuk+meat/fishball soup and chee cheong fun. The chee cheong fun tasted a little different from what I'm used to... it was slimier and was mixed with minced meat. It had an interesting taste, edible nonetheless.

Our accommodation of choice in Taiping was the newly opened Flemington Hotel, just overlooking the Lake Gardens. It's bright and clean, and the interior decor is simple and modern. Our room was a little small though, with no proper cupboard. There was only a tiny, as-tall-as-my-knees cabinet on the floor and you can't exactly hang clothes in there can you. Behind our hotel is the infamous Taman Elia Thamby, a hotspot for ah kua watching. The Lake Gardens is beautiful during the day, but at night it doubles as a place for maksiat activities. Hahaha! We saw so many couples out to berpaktoh when we were on our way to the Night Safari. Speaking of which, the Night Safari is not fantastic. When I was in Singapee last month, I went to the Night Safari there and it was amazing! There was a guided tour, and the tram would stop at certain locations for you to get down and walk. Sometimes the tram would drive right through a bunch of animals feeding so that if you stretched your hand out you could actually touch them (although nobody did that la, but I'm just explaining how close we were). The tour guide would also point out where the animals were in their enclosures so that everyone could get a good look. Whereas in Taiping, it was kinda like "if you see then your luck la, if you don't see then too bad." The pathways were also really dark, although maybe it's better for the animals that way? There are, however, alot of animals in the Taiping Zoo, and it looked like a generally well-planned place. I just think I'd have enjoyed it far more if I went there during the day rather than at night.

Taiping is actually a great place to retire. Good (AND BLINKING CHEAP) food, nice weather, peaceful (don't have to worry about snatch thieves) and lots of retiree-type activities eg. pa san-ing up Maxwell Hill, taking leisurely walks around the Lake Gardens, watching the sunset from Flemington Hotel. Coincidentally, the town is also filled with "mature" people. It's kinda like the Cambridge of Malaysia. All in all, it was a very relaxed and relaxing trip. We didn't have to use our brains much except for when we were hunting for food. The highlight of the trip for me was probably the thor tau th'ng, a groundnut soup dessert. Took us awhile to figure out how to get there but we made it eventually, thanks to MF and JG's friend Michelle, who is from Taiping. It's reaaaaaaalllyyyyy good!!!!!!!!! I think it's just groundnuts boiled for a long time in soyabean water... the texture is akin to red bean soup and the taste is exquisiteeee. Ugh I can't even find a nice picture of it on Google. Just thinking about it makes me salivate, but it's gonna be awhile till I get my hands on some again :(

P/S No pictures cos I didn't bring my camera with me but I think MF will prob post some on her blog.

Testing 123

2009-08-29T19:48:00.014+01:00

Whittled the afternoon away by test driving cars. Checked out some Hondas (THE CITY IS NOT ALL THAT JAZZ --> uhuhu get it?), Toyotas and a VW CrossPolo. Given that both driver (me) and sponsors (F+M) have to be happy with the eventual decision, it's probably safe to say that it's gonna be a showdown between the Vios and Altis. Parents seem to like the Altis. It's roomy, relatively quiet (engine), relatively solid (cabin) and relatively decent (performance). Why relatively? I guess when you're used to driving a continental car with a 2.0l engine, anything else below that kinda falls short buahahahaha

Ok note that I only tested out the Jazz and City, but I must say that Honda really needs to do something about their cars' interiors. Ugly. Plasticky. Big knobs sticking out here and there! The insides of the Vios and Altis are sleeker, more streamlined and much more pleasant on the eyes. I quite liked the feel and handling of the Jazz. The Honda salesman told me that their male customers tend to choose the Jazz as a second car for their wives. I can see why women would like the car though. It's cute, compact, with an ample view of the road and makes for a nippy drive despite being such a wee little thing. Although, it IS rather pricey. Which is why we turned our attention to the Altis because for that price range, you'd probably want a bigger, less toy-ish looking car right? Anyway, I have yet to make a decision and I'm kinda like 60:40 Altis:Vios at the moment. The main question is - should I opt for a high spec lower range model (Vios 1.5G), or a low spec higher range model (Altis 1.6E)? Thoughts, anyone?

Booked my flight ticket to Boston today as well. Phew. That's one entry less on my ToDo list. Man, flights from London to Boston are not cheap!!!! I thought I'd be able to get a budget flight on Ryanair or Easyjet but it turns out that neither of them do flights to the States. I'm travelling on Icelandair for GBP260. I initially checked out BA, but it was waaayayayayyayayyy more expensive... GBP500+ wei!!!!! And then I have to make my US visa as well... that's gonna cost MYR500. Sigh, money doesn't grow on trees but why does the world depend on it to turn? There's this ad that they show during trailer-time at the cinemas; it shows people doing business as usual, but getting paid with hugs and kisses or some other form of useful consideration. The ad ends with the tagline 'In an ABSOLUT world'... (O_O) No prizes for guessing what they're hawking. Frankly, I'd like to see the barter system return to this era. There's way too much junk and wastage being dumped and buried. People end up reaping in far more than they need. I'd like to say technology is to blame, but then again our greed and materialism also has a part to play. Why can't we pay with the things we already have that we don't need anymore? If A needs a pair of sport shoes and I need a badminton racket, and A has a spare badminton racket and I have a spare pair of sport shoes, why shouldn't we just trade? Sure there may be a difference in the value of our belongings, but what the heck can't we just make up the deficit with goodwill and large dollop of love? Ahhhhh perhaps one day I shall rethink my youthful and vigorous idealism...

In the meantime, I have an old study desk which is still in good condition (if you don't mind overlooking the childish stickers stuck all over). Anyone wanna trade me for a Toyota Altis or Vios? HOW ABOUT AN AUDI Q5?

Can't stand lizards

2009-08-18T17:53:00.027+01:00

They are

creepy (beady eyes that look like they're about to pop),
disgusting (vomit-coloured skin, long wiggly tail),
dirty (stain walls with their crap),
noisy (those 'tskk tskk tskk' noises they make, gah),
and plain inconsiderate (hiding in random corners like behind the dustbin so when i pop the lid open it dashes out and gives me a heart attack)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toads are gross looking too, but I'll have toads in my house any day rather than lizards. Cos toads eat flies (another annoying creature), they stay outdoors and out of sight, and they're slow moving so you don't have to worry about one jumping out at you in the dark and scaring you half to death.

Anyway, sorry about the long break from blogging. As soon as my exams were over, I had to pack up all my belongings to ship back to Msia, and then as soon as I landed in KL it was here and there with friends and family, and then Eugene + family came to KL, and then I went to Brunei + Singapore for 2 weeks... but now I'm back! And spring cleaning! I didn't actually plan to clean this much, but it so happened that I got a new desk and chair (the leather and swivel-type wahoo) from Ikea. My old desk is cluttered with books and random junk so I have to sort that out before setting up my new desk. I wanted to shift the books to the bookroom but there's no space. So I have to clean up the bookroom. My new desk is also bigger and longer than the old desk, so I have to move the cabinet next to the old desk to another location. But the cabinet is filled with clothes and random junk so I have to sort that out as well. I wanted to put the clothes in the cupboard, but again no space! So I have to clean up the cupboard. It doesn't stop there, cos my grandma has moved into the little room downstairs so I also have to help her clean the room and rearrange her stuff. As you can tell, I am having a productive holiday.

On Sunday night, I was happily munching on some bak kwa when I heard this funny clink sound on my chair, as if something had dropped on it. I didn't think much of it cos I was engrossed in a hilarious chapter of Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge. When I finished my bak kwa I looked down at the chair and this is what I saw -

[ooops i just remembered that i threw my tooth away.]

But yes, my filling (re broken front teeth from gokarting accident) dropped out! Luckily my dad managed to book me an appointment with Dr Ng the next day. I must say, going to the dentist's is quite an unpleasant experience. The bright lights, masks and funky headgear, random apparatuses stuck into your mouth, the screeeeeeeee sound of the drill... very goosebump inducing.

Went out for dinner after that with Nad, Toi, Dian, Phing and Cheah. Reunion! Ah, it's been a while since all of us were together.

"Are you sure your finger tastes good Cheah?"

"Hooo, and then what happened?"

"Tchh, no lah I don't think that's how the story goes"

Dian's having mee soto ayam if I recall correctly

*sniff sniff* Milk or santan?

Kopi Ipoh

Someone's telling another interesting story

Smileeeeeeeee

Strike a poseeeeeeeeee

Cheeeseeeeee

Phing's toink toink face

Cheah Suan Ee, long time no see

Guess who?

Nad testing out her souvenir from Vietnam

But name of the clinic not included?

One more shot of HRH Dr Fateh's MC, with the sambal

Packing blues

2009-06-23T17:41:00.004+01:00

How do you pack up 6 years of your life into a box? As the countdown begins to the end of my English sojourn, I find myself wavering. For 6 years, I've wished for this day. How much I've longed to finally throw those academic texts aside and plunge headfirst into the working world with all my youthful ideals. How much I've wanted to move on from this busy city with its polluted streets, austere buildings, and gloomy weather. Having shifted numerous times, I don't exactly have that many belongings. Every year I remind myself that I'm going home soon, so I try not to hoard too many warm clothes or random things. I ordered 5 big boxes from the shipping company. Each can carry up to 40 kg, but I think I'll probably only manage to fill up 3 or 4. As I strip the walls bare of photos and Blu-tack, I can't stop the pangs of sadness. It only took 5 minutes to put them up, but it takes half and hour to remove them? The walls suddenly look so white. Memories. Bits of them lie in every nook and cranny of this flat. And I clear them away, storing them neatly into boxes and sealing the lid on them. My room is starting to look more spacious. First-years are moving in next year. They'll have at least 3 years to fill these shelves, all these empty spaces. Was it that long ago when I first stepped into UCL? Looking out the window, I see people walking around in shorts, skirts and skimpy tops. The sun is on full blast. I've missed the warm weather. A group of people are sitting outside the pub downstairs. They're talking and laughing. It's not English. Funny, I can't help but snicker. There's something about summer that makes London come alive. I just noticed it a little too late.

For real!

2009-05-25T18:08:00.002+01:00

Have you ever wondered why poo stinks? Does it get your brain a-buzzing thinking about why it comes in a myriad of colours? What makes poo soft or hard? When is the right time to go? What is the best remedy for constipation? For the latest developments in this murky brown area where few dare to tread without holding their noses, drop by your local

HAHAHAHHAHAHHA

Nice day for a picnic

2009-05-03T17:17:00.031+01:00

So I discovered recently that some people were under the impression that my surname was Doen. Mel even thought I was part Korean. I'm not arguing with that - it's nice to be exotic, no? Apparently the confusion came about due to the way I write out my name as Doen Xian Ong, instead of Ong Doen Xian. Sorry for not having a first name like Sarah or Jane ok! There's no room in Facebook for Chinese names so it just has to come out in the typical Western 'First Name, Surname' fashion instead of what is actually printed on my IC.

Btw summer is finally here! To celebrate the luvleh weather, a bunch of us went to Hyde Park on Saturday for a picnic. There were hordes of people sunning themselves on the grass, and there were soooooo many cute doggies running around. I saw...

Westies

Staffies

Mini Schnauzers

GSDs

French bulldogs

Weimaraners

101 Dalmatians minus 100

Two very gorgeous and elegant English setters

and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever

(Images from Google)

Very fun lah! My mind was flipping non-stop through the pages of the Dog Book my parents gave me for my 6th birthday. In KL, all you see are GSDs, Labs, Golden Retrievers, Shih Tzus, Rotties & Dobermans, and Jap Spitzs. Yawn. Once, I saw this heeeeyuuugeeeee black dog outside Waitrose. It was as tall as a Great Dane, but 10 times as hairy. So pretty! I was tempted to hitch a ride on its back.

Anyway, JM, M&S and I got to the park early so we decided to take pictures while waiting for the others. A couple of snaps here and there on the picnic mat, then we decided to take some jumping shots. So up up and away we went.

Whee!

Whaa!

Wahoo!

Yeehaw!

Suddenly the thought of doing a flying leap like a prima ballerina sprung to mind. It's been eons since my ballet heydays and I wasn't very flexible to begin with, so here's my attempt at faking it, ANTM-style.

Aiyo, Tyra Banks would be disappointed

As soon as I landed on the ground I felt a sharp pull in the muscles just below my left butt cheek. As you can see from the picture below, it was quite funny at first considering how ambitious and enthusiastic I was earlier.

Not long after this picture was taken, the pain started to sink in. The cramp was so bad that I couldn't move. I was desperately trying to relax and take deep breaths to soothe myself. For a moment I thought one of the girls would have to call an ambulance. The paramedics would come rushing into the park with a stretcher. The masses who were lazing about, eating their ice-creams and having a laugh would stare at me. They'd point at me and murmur among themselves. "You see, son," a parent would say to her child, "that's what happens to naughty hyperactive boys!" And I would be crying and lolling about in the stretcher as the paramedics hoisted me back to the ambulance. Well thank God there was no need for an ambulance because 10 minutes later I could move again. I ran and jumped about like normal for the rest of the day.

BUT THE NEXT DAY WAS HORRIBLE.

I couldn't walk properly; my movements were slow and jerky. Sitting on the loo bowl was painful and very uncomfortable. Because my legs were sore from my thighs all the way down to my knees, going up and down stairs was extremely difficult. I stayed indoors for most of the day except for when I had to go to church. "I guess this is what it's like to be old," I said to Eugene.

Well, I'm fine now and my butt no longer hurts. If there's a lesson to be learned from this, it's that I must really start keeping track of my age. Seriously, whenever people ask me how old I am I blank out for abit, then I'll calculate my age in my head and tell them. I always think I'm 21, but the reality is that I'm no spring chicken anymore. Sigh. It'll soon be time to put my adult hat on and say hello to the working world.

Will there ever be days as blissful and carefree as this when I'm 30?

Temporary hiatus

2009-04-10T18:36:00.002+01:00

In preparation for my exam next week, I have banned myself from most internet-related activities. I am totally constipating in my pants over revision. 7 days left, AAAAAAHHHHHHHH.

My favourite cereal

2009-03-15T22:20:00.004Z

I like chocolate, but eating too much of it can make me feel bloated. I worry about packing on the calories as well. So chocolate cereal is the best solution - it's like eating healthy chocolate. Ha ha. Well you know what I mean lah. I used to love CocoPops and KokoKrunch! But my main gripe about CocoPops is that it becomes soggy too quickly. It's really annoying cos once I pour the milk in I have to finish the cereal asap otherwise it won't be nice and crisp anymore. As for KokoKrunch, they're sorta crescent shaped and sometimes the ends poke my gums and that's really annoying too. Plus, KokoKrunch lacks the X-Factor.

Recently, I discovered Nestle's Nesquik cereal. I had a bowl, and I was instantly hooked. They're round chocolate flavoured cereal balls, quite similar to the Milo cereal back home. They taste soooo good. The best part is, I can leave it sitting in a bowl of milk, make myself a cuppa, come back and my cereal is still crunchy.

YUMMMMMMMMMMM

Everyone should go out and buy themselves a box of Nestle Nesquik cereal like right now! Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back within 30 days (as if).

It's that time of the year again

2009-03-06T02:24:00.008Z

Hello cold, hello sore throat, and hello homesickness! :(

For some reason I get really bad bouts of homesickness during the March/April period. I guess cos it's the Easter period and it's close to exams and close to summer holidays and I just want everything to be over and be able to take the first flight out of England and into warm sunny KL where I can eat, drive and lepak to my heart's content. Cos everybody knows how I hate hate hate Londonnnn~~ hmm that sounds like a catchy jingle. Maybe I should try turning it into a song.

Tomorrow is the last day of school! At least for a few weeks until the assessments are over. Then it'll be the start of Term 3 and everyone's been reshuffled into new tutorial groups. Me and Lyd are in the same group and I can't wait to find out who else. I'm gonna miss my old tute mates though.

I had a deep craving for Nirwana the other day. I feel like it's been ages since I've been home. I see going back twice a year as my reason for staying alive. The weather, the food, my family, my home and all you lot keep me sane. Just the other day I dreamt that Nad, Phing, Toi and I drove to PD (again! how unoriginal right). Two of us were building a sandcastle on the seashore and the other two were casting nets into the ocean to catch fish/prawns. All of a sudden Dian drove up in a jetski towing along 4 other jetskis behind her! Then we all got on the jetskis and drove off into the sunset and suddenly we arrived on some funky Hawaii-ish island. Man it was so cool. It's at times like these that I wish Doreamon's Pintu ke Mana Saja wasn't fiction.

Just one step across and I could be home! :( :( :(

Highlights of my week

2009-03-01T04:28:00.024Z

Recently I've noticed that the days are getting longer. Hallelujah! Now dusk falls around 5-6 pm whereas in November it would turn dark at 3.30-4 pm. Can you imagine, you leave the house to go to school and the sky is grey; you leave school and the sky is pitch black. I know neutrals are in trend but winter is just one seasonal pattern that I cannot tahan.

Last week there were three 'parades' outside Eugene's house. I was doing my work when I first heard the chants in the distance. At first I thought it might be the Hare Krishna Society, maybe they were having some extra special celebration. But curiosity got the better of me so I looked out the window and HOLY MOLY there was a huge crowd of boys and girls singing Workers, Students, Unite and Fight and some other catchy jingles which I can't remember now. I think they were protesting against uni fees being too high or something. Puhleeze, they pay way less than us international kids so I dunno what the hell their problem is. But whatever, still quite exciting to watch!

Back of the protest line

About 100 policemen present

And around 10 police trucks (not including the PO cars and motorbikes)

After the hoohaa subsided, I got back to my work. An hour later, I heard... more chanting!

Football supporters

This time they were coming from Juventus fans (note the black n white paraphernalia). Not as many police trucks as there were earlier. My excitement had also worn off a little so only one photo here. Then another hour later... CHANTING YET AGAIN! I ran to the window to sneak a peek but they were just another batch of Juve fans so I didn't bother to take a picture hehe.

** QUESTION OF THE DAY **

How old does this face look to you?

Yeaaaa I was so pissed I took that picture right after this story that I'm about to tell you happened. Anyway clearly you all know the answer to the question so I'll just get on with my story. The other day I went to the shop downstairs to purchase *goods that shall not be mentioned and you know what, the lady refused to sell them to me! Honestly I was quite insulted cos she was obviously discriminating on the basis of my height. THAT, above, is the face I went out with. And I look much older than 18 right?!?!?! Seriously I think that if that same face walked into the shop on a 160 cm ++ body with bigger boobs the lady would have given me the stuff without asking me for ID. Oh yeah the ID thing also pissed me off lah. The lady asked me for ID right, so I showed her my driving license. No one carries their passport around for crying out loud. My IC number is at the top and I was trying to tell her that the first 6 numbers are my DOB but she raised one eyebrow and went, "yeaaaaa~~ so why are there so many other numbers after that?"

What the lady how am I supposed to know. In any case I have a driving license so shouldn't I be at least 18 or 21, whatever the driving age is in the UK? Aiyooooooo

I suppose you're wondering I'm annoyed at being mistaken for a minor. It's just that this is the fourth time something like this has happened because cashiers don't believe I am actually 5 years over the legal age. So embarrassing cos the ppl behind me in the queue will stare at me boggle-eyed. It also ticks me off cos how old do I have to be before I'm taken seriously? 26? Note to self: In future, when age is doubted again, show off your eye wrinkles. And tell them the reason why your face is so smooth and unpimply is because puberty is over!

*just in case cos you never know who's reading this blog... err hi Mum?

Don't you just hate these sort of people

2009-02-22T17:57:00.004Z

*Annoying says: hi

xianpot says: hey what's up

Annoying says: got la, very busy these days

xianpot says: oh ok. same, i got lots of schoolwork.

(silence)

xianpot says: so, what else is new with you?

Annoying says: nth much

(silence)

xianpot says: are you still working at _______?

Annoying says: yeah

(silence)

xianpot says: when do you graduate?

Annoying says: end of the year

(silence)

WAH! I dem kenot kenot kenotkentutkeretapikebab#$%^&*^%$ kenot!!! tahan people who buzz me on MSN, then don't say anything and expect me to do all the talking. Get lost la! If I wanted to have a conversation with you I would have made the move first.

*Name changed to protect the bugger.

You know you love me

2009-02-15T21:56:00.026Z

*** UPDATE on my dream job! I've decided to add make-up artist to the list. Wuhahahaha. Although I really must add a disclaimer after that that reads something like >> Nude looks only. Cos I totally lack the creativity to play around with colour, but hey, one can dream!!!

If you're wondering why food taster is not on the list, it's because I don't want to get sick of food!

(bewildered looks all around)

Ok let me explain. I like duck rice, but if I were to work in Sunrise and smell ducks roasting over the spit 24/7 and try the tester editions constantly, I would get sick of it by the time the recipe is perfected! Comprende? No? Si.

As most of you know, my Jan/Feb exams are over hooray! BUT my March exams are just around the corner T_T . K lah this post is gonna be mostly picture-based cos I have nothing particularly interesting to rant about. Behold random pictures from my mobile~~

These pictures were taken on Victoria Embankment, just outside Blackfriars station. Your Honour will see the London Eye in the distance. That's how I speak in my advocacy classes. I walk down Victoria Embankment every now and then to go to my Inn to partake of dinner and wholesome conversation (apparently). The Inns (of Court) are kinda like Houses which barristers have to belong to (think Harry Potter and the four Hogwarts Houses). There are four - Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn, Middle Temple and Inner Temple. I'm in Inner Temple. I quite like its name. Doesn't it sound like a secret sect of some sort? Anyway, apart from the practical assessments on the BVC, we students are required to undertake 12 education and training sessions organised by our Inns before being called to the Bar. These sessions can come in the form of dinners (where you get to mingle with lawyers and judges of all sorts), lectures, or even weekends away. Btw they're not free ok, not even for members!!! Must pay one. Nothing in life is free.

I covertly snapped this after dinner at the Inner Temple. Dining is quite a formal activity. We have to wear long black gowns which look like graduation robes and everyone is seated at long tables. Before eating the Master Treasurer? will say grace in Latin and end with Amen. After dinner everyone is served with coffee or tea and chocolate. The pegasus is the logo of the Inner Temple. Actually I've not been told of an express rule disallowing the use of cameras, but the Bar is quite uppity and posing to take pictures will just look out of place. One day I must try to sneak in a shot of the sugar they serve us for our coffee/tea. They're like little brown crystal-like blobs. Very cute!

This is Suan and Wei Ning. Pic taken at Gold Mine in Bayswater. Over the course of my time in the UK, you must have heard me mention their names at least once! Suan was my housemate during my A-Levels, and Wei Ning was my Chem classmate. They're both from Penang. Wei Ning is very smart, Suan is smart. HA HA. Suan if you're reading this, I kid I kid.

My graduation cert! Sigh I thought final year was the time where I worked the hardest in my life, but the BVC has made me change my mind.

[l-r] Eugene, John, Sue, Adrian. Adrian is Eugene's brother, Sue is his fiancee and John is not his fiance. Sue and John are Malaysian. We had just finished dinner at this Thai restaurant that offers a buffet menu for Chinese people only. I know, soooo exclusive right?? I guess it's quite worth it considering the buffet was only 13 quid, but then the place is in Edgware and it costs 7 pounds to go there and back! Luckily Adrian paid for our dinner heeheehee.

1st pic [l-r]: Shereen, Emmy, Lydia, Melissa.
2nd pic [l-r]: Sharon, Xian, Jyy Mei, Terence.

At the start of the year, I asked God for at least one good friend on the course. After the nightmare stemming from my being held back a year for my undergrad degree, I didn't want to have to go through the whole go-to-class-come-back-immediately routine again because I didn't know anyone there. But God didn't just give me one, he gave me many beautiful individuals whose acquaintances I am truly grateful for. These are some of the girls I hang out with in school, sans Terence cos he's Jyy Mei's boyfriend and he studies in Reading but I do see him every now and then. The ang mohs in UCL were quite snotty, but the ones I've met on the course are really nice. Jyy Mei took some pictures of my classmates the other day (cos we're in the same tutorial group) but she hasn't put them up on Facebook yet. Hmmm I must go ask her...

See, while y'all were shopping and carolling your Xmas hols away, JM, Sharon and I were in Starbucks everyday STUDYING!

And finally...

HAHAHHAHA. I love this picture!!! I think it is absolutely retarded.

xoxo

It's been awhile

2009-01-25T14:12:00.014Z

Dear Buddyboy,

G and I were just talking about our pets, and I was suddenly reminded of you. We were all created by the same Hand, so it is strange that humans can debate the merits of euthanasia to no end but put our own pets to sleep with less forceful objections. What really moved me was the way you accepted the destiny we decided for you with such willingness. You passed on in the same way you came into our lives as a scrawny pup, with a big beautiful smile on your face.

You were always so eager to make new acquaintances. I remember the day my classmates came over to practice our Rentap skit (i think). You bounded in happily through the front door, and I can imagine that if you could speak you'd have said, "Hello I'm Buddy! Let's be friends!" And when Cheah and Puteri panicked, screamed their lungs out and huddled in a corner (and broke a vase), I just didn't have the heart to tell you to "go to the back" because you looked so sad and bewildered as if you couldn't believe that they were afraid of you. You couldn't even hurt a fly!

I pray everyday that you are in a better place with lots of great friends and open spaces to run around and pee without getting scolded. You might have been a terrible guard dog, but for the amount of love and trust that you so freely gave away, I hope you are now receiving twice as much in return. When it is my turn to go, I have a feeling that the first thing I will see at those pearly gates waiting, wagging, smiling! ushering my return home, is you.

We all miss you. Daddy especially.

Love, Xian.

Buddy Ong, RIP 2007

My manners are in the toilet

2008-12-30T23:49:00.005Z

My mother used to tell me about how the quintessential Brit spoke politely with a 'stiff upper lip'. Brits are generally still courteous (however straight their faces are). It's nice having people say 'hi how are you' and 'thank you' and who will wait patiently in a queue till the train/bus doors open. I used to think Singaporeans were the rudest people on the planet but then I realised Malaysians weren't too far behind. But then I came to the UK and found out that Eastern Europeans and orang hitam are equally ill-mannered and unpleasant. Ok I am generalising. Obviously I have met some nice denizens of the aforementioned countries but the rude ones are more common than not. Actually you know what it's not just them, it's everyone. People everywhere, be they red orange yellow green blue indigo violet, are SO RUDE these days. And it's really picking at my patience. Sometimes I feel like I want to blow up at the cashier in Precious Thots Midvalley cos she's too busy chatting over to the phone to her friend in the shop upstairs while I have to wait for her to be done before I can pay for my items?!?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!!@#$%^&*(!@#$%^&*()(*&%$#$%^&

Ha let me give you more examples.

Mr and Mrs Lim, Eugene and I were in Strada having lunch. The round table was unstable because its base was lopsided. No big deal right? You get tables like these all the time in kopitiams. Just shove a folded piece of paper underneath it right? Anyway Eugene calls the waitress over and goes "hi can you do something about this table it's shaky and we can't exactly eat our food... can we switch tables or something?". Waitress looks around at the semi-busy restaurant and says "i'm sorry i can't do anything about it" (OHO SO DID YOU JUST PLACE YOUR IMAGINARY FRIENDS AT THE EMPTY TABLE NEXT TO US?). Eugene says "well we can't possibly eat our food like this" and you know what the stupid waitress says, she says "ok relax alright?!?!"

What the hell kind of reply is that!!!!!@#$%^&*#@!@#$%^&%$#@#$

Then the manager came over, but she was also from the same country as the stupid waitress and was equally stupid cos we had to tell her that if she couldn't move us to another table she could just stick a piece of paper underneath the table! Seriously, you would have thought our idea was pure genius.

Ok I have another story that I just thought of that doesn't exactly have to do with this topic but I just remembered it and it's making me soooo mad. It was during summer in KL; I was supposed to go out somewhere and I didn't have the car. So I called a cab to take me to Taman Bahagia where I could hop on my good old friend the LRT. My house is 5 mins drive from Taman Bahagia and a cab ride normally costs under RM5. The uncle stopped on the main road opposite the station and he said, RM8 please. I died on the spot. In all my years of taking taxis from my house to Taman Bahagia I have never been charged RM8 for a one-way trip. I said, "Uncle mana boleh... why sangat mahal?!" He tried to justify the fare by referring to the meter. I said, "Eh Uncle, saya dah lama tinggal di sini and saya tak pernah kena charge 8 ringgit untuk duduk dalam cab selama 5 minit" AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID "Uncle pun tinggal dekat sini... RM8 biasa tau..." I wanted to punch him but then since you never know what cabbies hide in their Protons these days I decided to err on the side of caution and give in.

There are few things that REALLY piss me off - inter alia rude people, argumentative people, Malaysian politicians and uncleanliness. The last time I lost my temper with a rude waitress was a few months ago in this Chinese restaurant opposite Eugene's house. I remember being so angry and if it wasn't for the fact that my life is governed by social niceties I would have done unthinkable things to her. If you want to feel anger, you should watch Mahathir's interview with Stephen Sackur on youtube. That feller is a bigot.

Non-Malaysians don't usually understand why anyone would want to live in Malaysia. I get laughed at you know! The discrimination is so blatant, how can anyone deny it? To have a National Economic Policy that favours Malays? Everyone knows multiracial harmony and equality is just a farce to boost tourism. The more I think about how I am treated like a second-class citizen in my own homeland, the more I think to myself, why should I go back to a country that doesn't appreciate what I have to give? Why should I be loyal to those who only use me for their gain? I wish my grandparents had jumped on the Singapore bandwagon when they seceded from Malaysia. At least I would be able to buy bags and shoes by the dozen since the Sing dollar is 2:1 to the pound.

PEEP PEEP

2008-12-12T02:13:00.011Z

Fuwaaaaaaahhh it's been awhile. The reason why I decided not to be lazy today and do some blogdating (blog+updating, am I a genius or what) is cos I have pictures! Oklah, I only have four pictures but so what better than none. Me and PF went shopping today... well SHE went shopping cos I bought nothing! Actually I would have bought something if she hadn't said hey I wanna give you a Xmas plus birthday present so pick what you want and I'll pay *TQPF!*. We ended the day with yum cha at Cha Cha Moon, this quirky little HK establishment where every dish is GBP 3.50! The downside is that they only serve noodles for main dishes and the portions are kinda small but at least their Hokkien Mee is mildly remniscent of home. SO...

As you can see from the last picture, wu tau kou and chai tau kueh have been given fancy new monikers. These Hongkies. The taro cake is not bad, although a little wet for my liking, but the mooli (funky name for radish) is sweeter than what I'm used to. In any case, when you're 10,000 miles away from home you can't exactly complain right? PF came to my house two days ago as well and cooked bak kut teh. Too bad my usual bak kut teh partner wasn't around. Miss you la MF :(

I was just thinking about my dream job the other day and I can't decide whether it is to be a matchmaker, love advice counsellor, or Marni fashion assistant with 80% employee perks! I am in love with Marni bags lah.

**I, Ong Doen Xian, solemnly swear on my first paycheck that with it, I will buy me a Marni bag**

Went to Liberty with Andrea yesterday and I saw all the beautiful Marni bags there. I am so jealous of all these rich mak datins who don't have to do anything for their money and they can buy all these lush bags. I need a very very wealthy benefactor! If only it were true that you could dig around on any patch of land in Brunei and oil will come gushing out...

The Xmas lights are up everywhere and my thoughts are constantly homeward bound. It's sad cos this is my first Xmas away from my family but with the price of airplane tickets these days, it's hard to justify spending two weeks in KL just so I can eat glorious food and spend quality time with the people I miss. I have exams in Jan as well. My first Bar assessment! I am nervous man.

Whoopee!

2008-09-30T19:57:00.013+01:00

I am surprised by how much I am enjoying the BVC. The course is highly demanding in terms of the workload, but I actually like what I'm learning. Maybe it's cos I've made some good friends, maybe it's cos I understand the course content since I'm forced to prepare before every class (which makes me wonder if I would have enjoyed my LLB more if I hadn't put off schoolwork till the 11th hour), maybe it's cos I get to sleep in cos the bulk of my classes start after noon... whatever it is, I can't put my finger on it.

The syllabus is very interesting. For the LLB, we have to learn a whole load of theory in various areas of law. But for the BVC we get to apply those theories to real situations. It's very 'hands-on', in the sense that you learn by doing and if you don't do, you die. So far I've learned how to make a bail application and present it in front of a 'magistrate' (my tutor lah) and I've also written my very first opinion! Ahh 30 years down the road when I'm adept at all this stuff I shall read over aforementioned opinion and have a good laugh.

The intake for the BVC this year is about 300-400. Since the lecture theatre isn't big enough to accommodate the lot of us, we're split into 3 cohorts and each will take their lectures at different times. There are loads of Malaysians in my cohort! Okay, to say 'loads' is relative. I think there are approximately 15 of us, and that's almost 4 times the number in my LLB graduating class. OH AND I'M OFF EVERY WEDNESDAY! It's nice to have a break in the middle of the week cos classes suck me dry of energy and it's nice to go home on Tuesday knowing that you can rest abit the following day before hitting the books again. Although, I hear that our timetables change every term so next term Wednesday might not be my free day anymore. But whatever, beggars can't be choosers and I'm happy enough that we get one day off heeheehee.

Ok my pizza is here and I'm gonna enjoy my dinner over Gossip Girl season 2 episode 4 so here are a couple of photos from my graduation... oh yeah who watches GG as well? It's sooo lame but it's totally addictive isn't it?!??

Adios UCL~~~

They're all bigots

2008-09-17T12:07:00.004+01:00

Watching the first few minutes of Ahmad Ismail's Q&A session with reporters was enough to make me hurl. If someone wants to make a Diehard V, please take a good look at our government. The way he spoke, no remorse at all. Hey everyone I just got suspended, but it's no problem at all cos noway jose I make no mistakes! I'll tell you what's more important instead, my comeback in UMNO! The people standing behind him, WHY ARE THEY CLAPPING? Your bosses have expressed their anger and regret, there is fire from all around, for the sake of a political entity that demands more than your own needs, how dare you not apologize? Why you so like that.

It is sad that Zaid Ibrahim has resigned. Six months man! The Opposition's spunk is admirable. Studying law at UCL, there was many a time when I wanted to kick out in frustration because I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know I wanted to be a lawyer, but sometimes you lose yourself along the way when the path ahead of you forks in all directions but never consolidates into a single highway. Political motives aside, perhaps some day I may be able to attain the level of courage and fortitude shown by many of these men and women on a road littered with a potholes, breaks in the tarmac, RM50 police officers and ISA arrests. Malaysia is a farce of a democracy. There will never be progress without the dissolve of racial discrimination. The Chinese, Indians and those whom you label Dan Lain-lain aren't pressing for power, we just want to be on equal footing. Is that too much to concede? Your stubborness only displays your own selfish agenda and a desperate attempt to cling on to every last illusory strand of power.

Thank you

2008-09-17T03:02:00.003+01:00

When I reflect on my spiritual life, I believe God was always by my side no matter how far I ran from Him sometimes. One of the more nagging questions I had concerned God's influence in my life. Jesus taught practical values, but so did my parents. Wouldn't I have turned out the same way even without being a Christian? But just the other day the answer flashed in front of me. To begin with, I wouldn't exist if God hadn't decided to create. And my parents - I saw in them their dedication to the church, their loyalty to each other and to their family, the way they raised us - they were the "signs" that I constantly asked God for, as proof of His existence. My parents are the biggest influences in my life, and all the things they taught me they learned from God, which explained why some of the lessons ingrained in me were reflective of His teachings. My friends, who taught me what is probably the most important rule of survival - "crappiness", because out of crap there's always happiness! It makes more sense to laugh off the sad things or forget it all with movies, food and company, instead of brooding cos miracles don't happen that easily. Real time isn't going to stop and cry with you on account of your errors. My family, my friends, even my kawaii doggies; my greatest teachers who fostered all the love in my heart. What blessings given to me! I must say I felt quite stupid upon realising that I had the answers all along; as usual lah, I was just asking for more, something more grandiose like a "Hi Xian" out of the blue or a letter ending with a mysterious golden signature or perhaps even getting saved from death. And I felt fuller, a little more complete, understanding that it was God from whom all things stemmed, and all that love that through others was poured into me, I now want to give back to Him. Because I owe it to God, you know?

HELLO I'M BACK

2008-09-16T21:51:00.008+01:00

Wahhh, summer has come and gone and even though I only ventured out of KL on two occasions, I feel like my break was well-spent (contrary to my whining about wanting to go on holidays to Bangkok, Singapore, etc). I needed this holiday. AND I REALLY NEED ANOTHER ONE RIGHT NOW!!!!

To be honest it's not all that bad. I just haven't taken my party hat off yet. Yesterday I started the BVC (Bar Vocational Course) at City Law School. The student composition is diverse - for starters, I have met 5 Malaysians (ie. myself included, that's a total of 6, and it's already twice the number of Msians in my class of '08) and I hear there are more. The Indians are a rowdy bunch. Rowdy because they were yelling out all the answers in today's Legal Research discussion. They are bright, and they read at amazing speeds. There is also a substantial number of African-Americans and Middle Easterners. During my time at UCL, the faces in my Law faculty were predominantly white with a smattering of yellow, and an even smaller number of dark ones.

My resolutions for this year are:
1) Devote more time to spiritual needs
2) Study harder
3) Be more patient with certain people
4) Read more non-law-related texts
5) Get out of The Black Hole
6) SPEND LESS MONEY

It is THAT difficult. The high street is full of wonderful things; now that the transition to fall is starting all the summer items are on sale! My mum has also said that whatever money I save will be her present to me when I start working. That's putting even more pressure on me to save! I don't want to be penniless when I finish at the Bar. Come to think of it, I'm not even spending like water. I'm already living less comfortably than most people I know, and I try to eat in every day except for the weekends. BUT. That's not the problem. The problem is shopping. The average price of a high street blouse is in the region of GBP25. Bags, skirts and pants are more expensive. Accessories, usually less than GBP10. So if I buy two tops, one bag and a couple of accessories, that can easily set me back by GBP100, and that's already a quarter of my supposed monthly allowance! If I spend GBP50 a week on groceries, that's already GBP200 for a month! Then if I eat out every weekend (one meal per day), and assuming I spend about GBP10 per meal, that's already GBP80 for the month!!! I gotta give offering in church some more!!!! HOW TO SAVE?!?!?! Kesimpulannya, I have to do away with shopping. Yes that must be the solution.

Tomorrow I have a day off. Many things to do - gotta cancel phone contract, join gym, open fixed deposit, and other grown-up stuff. Nyehnyehnyeh. Mmm I'll go sleep now and dream of beautiful Bukit Tabur.

So pretty the view right?

A contented MF prepares to fall asleep

Then wakes up later to pose for a picture

So this is what it means to have the world at your feet

With two good friends by your side

Countdown

2008-08-27T19:36:00.004+01:00

The good news is that I will be blogging again soon.

The bad news is that I am leaving in a week and a half's time.

Easter weekend

2008-05-02T21:34:00.005+01:00

Okay, outdated post. Easter this year was quite memorable. In the spirit of Good Friday, Eugene and I decided to watch The Passion of Christ. I don't remember when the tears started rolling down my cheeks, but they did and they didn't stop till after the show. The movie direction was so telling and so gruesome at the same time. It's hard to imagine a total stranger laying down his life for you, what more the Son of God. Watching Jesus do just that - it's kinda hard to comprehend. I am totally addicted to the Sims (1, 2 and all the expansion packs oh yeah) and I can spend hours meticulously crafting out my dream family and home. But the part from which I derive utmost satisfaction is taking it all to the dogs once everything's engineered into place. The perfect existence stained by quarrels, extramarital affairs, poor relationship communication, letting your newborn get picked up by social services cos you're too tired to handle their incessant wailing. Fine so maybe there's not much of a platform for comparison because the Sims isn't real and we are - but if I were God and I came up with an idea to create a world and I had every exquisite detail down to a pat, like how its inhabitants are gonna stay upright without falling off the face of the Earth and into the black hole, how plants are gonna be at the very bottom of the food chain but actually they're the smartest cos they can make their own food, this phenomenon called day and night, etc; I'd be pissed off if everyone weren't on their knees venerating me every 10 mins and calling me The Great Ong Doen Xian. And since every entity is susceptible to wear and tear, I'd give my world a good Holocausting every now and then to stop the wrongs permeating the rights and the rights from becoming over-rights. And when I'm bored, I'd snap my fingers and poof, everything I created will turn to dust. Heck I'd start again from scratch but with Martians this time.

But to think that God would actually lay down His life to redeem our errors rather than just whitewash the lot of us who are with defect - it's something that will never cease to amaze me. 6.65 billion human beings, 1 divine being. Our world is living proof of God, and its continuity evidence of His mercy. It would have been so much easier to blow us up, don't you think?

Eugene was also baptised into that weekend. I've not been to a Catholic Easter mass before so I found this one rather interesting. I was looking through some of my old blog posts and aiyo I am so verbose so here are some photos (and videos!) cos everyone loves photos ne.

Baptism of water - scroll to 2:10 for the actual dunking

Rites of confirmation

Drunk with... God's love gagagaga

Eugene attends mass at Newman House, a Catholic chaplaincy opposite UCL. The building is huge - it houses a chapel, accommodation for students, library, even a lounge/bar area downstairs! We had roast lamb, couscous and some mushroom fried rice thingy after Easter mass was over and then... PARTY TIME?!?!?! Booze was flowing, people were dancing the salsa and man I couldn't believe I was in church. It's not that Christians/Catholics aren't allowed to drink or have a good time but rather the juxtaposition of being solemn in the chapel upstairs and as soon as it's over we're downstairs whooping away and making merry.

Btw my exams have already started so I'm probably going to be off blog duty for about a month? I'll squeeze in an occasional update or two if I'm up to it. Eeeeee I can't believe I'm almost done!!!!!!!! I'm going to be a graduate wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

ARGH I HATE MY SISTER

2008-04-23T04:02:00.002+01:00

I was gonna put up a post of my juicy juicy Easter but I couldn't help myself - my sister's friends gave her a Balenciaga First Bag for her EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT?!?!?!

1) It's April, what the hell are those bastards thinking. En's birthday is in May. What are they overexcited retards or something or do they just not have time to skip over to Saks 30 days from now.
2) It's purple = lush
3) DO YOU HAVE IDEA HOW GORGEOUS THAT BAG IS?
4) DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT BAG COSTS?
5) It's the exam period and I am stressed and I have a huge pimple on my cheek that is insanely painful. Why oh why can't I just pick up a lottery ticket that entitles me to a bespoke Chanel 2.55 in cobalt blue + RM100,000 for me to spend on Prada's fairy bag, Marni's balloon bag, Oscar de la Renta clutches and !@#$%^&*(!@#$%^&*()(*&^%$#@#$%^&*()(*&^%$#@#$%^&*(*&^%$#@#$%^&*(*&^%$

speechless.
we.
are.

Long rant

2008-04-11T17:36:00.005+01:00

Hellooooooo I'm back after a long no-mood-to-blog spell. Last week I went back to Croydon to get a reference from my former tutor. The journey was significant for two reasons:

1) I met George and fell head over heels in love

George is the handsomest male specimen I've ever seen. He has milky white skin, a squished, pudgy face with such curious expressive eyes. He was on the train with me, looking bored as people got on and off. Occasionally his eyes would light up whenever he heard an interesting noise. Everyone who walked past him couldn't stop ogling. His friend Logan was quite good-looking but nowhere near the likes of Gorgeous George. The lady sitting next to George kept telling him how beautiful he was. He seemed disinterested at first (because he probably gets compliments and chicks attempting to pick him up everywhere he goes) but as soon as she started caressing him his whole face changed. He looked deep into her eyes and gave her a cheeky grin of approval.

George-lookalike

The only difference is that George had a more deep-set chest. When him and Logan stepped off the train (with their mistress la, who did you think was looking after them) they were like celebrities I tell you. They cantered through the train station, heads held high and with an aura of smugness/confidence, attracting scores and scores of admiring watchers. Wahhh. I want a white boxer!!!!!!

Okay fine Pepper and Summer are the best, the cutest, bla bla bla........

2) This is the first time I've been back to Croydon since finishing my A-Levels in 2004

It was quite an emotional trip. I realise how much I love the compactness of Croydon. The scenery is pretty and the atmosphere is relaxed and homey. It's not like London where everyone does things with a sense of urgency, the streets are never empty, the stone buildings too austere, nobody speaks English anymore and then there is the horsedung beginning with the letter W that is every Brit's favourite topic.

Anyway, I was on the train listening to my iPod and the further away we moved from London the more this ache started to burgeon in my heart. I don't really know what it was. By the time I got off at East Croydon station and I was walking up the platform to the entrance hall there was a mixture of feelings tugging at my insides. See, my 17/18-year-old years were my watershed period, although I don't think I realised it until after it was over hehe. I discovered a lot of new things about myself and other people, and forged some of my closest bonds there. The walk from the station to school was long, and it was like an emo scene out of a movie. The lead is walking through a beautiful park, yellow dandelions adorning her path. Somewhere out there someone presses the Play button on a CD player and an awesome mellow tune starts floating out the speakers. It's loud enough for everyone to hear, yet they appear oblivious to it. Some of the trees are in full bloom, others have buds that are only just creeping out to greet the spring weather. The lead has got a doozy smile on her face. The kids playing basketball in the court remind her of so much. She looks out far past the roads, fast forwarding through the map in her mind, remembering the home she lived in, the friends' homes she 'lived' in and all the noise they made. Okay okay enough. I'll say this - I am a BAAADDD writer.

I was quite nervous to meet Mr. Norman at first cos I have never really spoken to him as someone other than my teacher (so our conversations always revolve around work and law-related issues)... also I was abit paiseh la... haven't contacted him since A-Levels then suddenly one day out of the blue I'm like, hello sir I need help with some applications. Well I ended up saying some incomprehensible things here and there (ohmygoodness when you're nervous the tongue is just this blob in your mouth that won't move) but I made it through the fire wahahahha! And when he took me to meet all my former tutors I started to relax a little bit more and by the time I got to Mrs. Woods my jaws were hurting from smiling so much. Sigh. And seeing Mrs. Eyers really made my day. She was probably the teacher I felt most comfortable being chummy with, and I had so much fun in her Maths classes. I kinda wished Cahyadi was there with me though, you know, cos his mouth is bigger than mine so he'll take a bit of the heat off me.

Okay I was just reading through what I just wrote and geez, I can't believe I'm still so socially inept at 21!!! Oh hang on, I just realised that I'm actually 22. Crap I can't even remember my own age. I guess after 20, you just don't really care how old you are. Aish. Mmm yes you probably can't believe that I'm admitting to being socially awkward right? Hah. I guess it just happens every now and then when I meet someone new whom I don't automatically 'click' with and I have nothing much to say to them so I don't even bother with trying to make small talk. That's also partly due to the fact that I'm quite happy with my circle of friends at the moment and sometimes I'm just too lazy to add a new acquaintance to my list especially when I know our conversations are never going to get any deeper than so where do you study, what are your plans after this, etc etc.

On a side note, my mum went back to KL two days ago and I am sad. I HATE EXAMS!!!!!!!!!! Pictures and vids of Eugene's baptism coming soon.

UPDATE

2008-04-11T01:24:00.003+01:00

I accepted the ICSL's (Inns of Court School of Law) offer. Probably cos I DO care about an illustrious history aside from reputation, and also because their grounds are much nicer than BPP's. Also they're part of City University so I'll get access to uni facilities and uni-related schemes like the Careers Service and personal tutors and I thought that would be good for me.

Wawasan 2020

2008-03-09T23:09:00.002Z

Do friends come with expiry dates? I thought about some people whom I used to be chummy with, then somewhere down the line I realised things about them that didn't sit well with me. That's the beginning of the mould. Things that I tried initially to accept as part of their person started to tick me off to the point that an inexplicable irritation would erupt inside me whenever "that" side of them showed. Confrontations became redundant because there are things about someone that they cannot/they can but is difficult to change. What does one do at this point in time. Surely we are entitled to 'pilih kawan' but what if you know that your kawan just happens to be 'like that la'. How do you work with a wise ass or an overinflated ego? When you discover split ends in your hair, do you leave it the way it is or sever the problem with scissors? The more two friends are unwilling to compromise, the less attractive one becomes. I suppose opposites could attract, but sometimes I am dubious as to whether they last.

On a side note, it's quite cool that we're actually living in THIS point of time when our elections have made history. It's in the news everywhere!

I don't suppose I've mentioned that my final year dissertation is on the ISA? Maybe I'm abit shy to say so la, because I'm worried about any subsequent pressure that I might feel. It's a gritty topic, and I would love to make it as thorough and educational as I can - but it's so difficult you know? Writing a research essay is the shits. I try to console myself by saying that it's not like it's a Ph.D. thesis or anything, but when you write about something that hits close to home and touches on highly debatable issues, you kinda feel like you HAVE to deliver the goods.

Did I also mention that I received two offers for my Bar Course (BVC)? Yeah, the BPP's offer is a 2:1 and the ICSL's is 2:2. I'm not sure which one I want to take - I suppose if I wanted a safety net the ICSL would be it, but then is a higher offer indicative of a higher reputation? But then again, there are only 3 schools in London that offer the BVC so they must be really competitive and standards shouldn't differ very much right? Hmmm. I'm gonna visit the BPP this Thursday and take the opportunity to ask questions about their specialty courses, etc and I'll probably do the same for the ICSL when I have the time. For now, I think I need to take a nap. Research is killing meee.

One of life's mysteries

2008-02-26T23:33:00.008Z

Call it nature or nurture, but all the things we do and have learned can be attributed to the intricacies of human genetics or our surroundings. For instance, we inherit diseases and certain traits from our lineage, we wipe our asses clean after taking a dump because after our parents taught us how, we're familiar with using cutlery to eat our meals, we talk and think like a gangster because we watch too much of The Sopranos, we can speak several languages because we learned it from foreign dramas, dan lain-lain.

But what really stumps me is...

WHO TAUGHT US TO DIG OUR NOSES?

Interesting isn't it. That we don't really know how we came to pick up one of life's simplest hygienic pleasures. I don't recall my parents ever sticking their fingers into their nasal cavities and telling me, "Now look here Xian, this is pnee sai. Do this and that itch in your nose will finally go away."

Comfort food 101

2008-02-18T17:03:00.007Z

You've heard of mac n' cheese and eggs n' spam, but what do you get when you mix...

Macaroni

AND

Spam

?

Dunk it in boiling water,
add a little salt and pork stock,

and the end result is...

MAC N' SPAM

Learned flatmate told me the dish is not uncommon in Hong Kong. Other learned flatmate went as far as to say that it's popular in South East Asia and I am less inclined to believe her because the great glutton me had not heard of it until a couple of weeks ago. If you're hungry and in need of a hot comforting snack, give the above recipe a try. It makes you all warm and tingly inside, like sitting by a fire on a cold wintry day.

Food glorious food

2008-01-31T01:00:00.000Z

During the Xmas break I was talking about this chili pan mee that my friend told me about. And I found a review on it here! I was drooling over the pics and thinking about how I would probably like to have two bowls. It looks soooooo gooooood. That's gonna be my new mission for summer. I have already dropped the kuey teow soup aka pork mee on Jalan Imbi mission cos after MF said that kuey teow soup does not have meatballs and lap cheong I felt very foolish and now I must go and clarify my facts first. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. I had been talking about it for ages, then suddenly MF said what she said and I was stunned. Like oh. I never thought about it that way. And err. How come I didn't know that? It's weird cos I've eaten it before and it makes me wonder if I wasn't sure what I was shovelling into my mouth. Ugh. That, my friends, is a sign of pure gluttony.

As I was daydreaming over EU Law today I started thinking about why I feel really miserable in London sometimes. And I came to the conclusion that it's primarily because I DO NOT HAVE GOOD FOOD TO EAT (haha, I bet you thought I was gonna blame it on the weather). Screw the weather la, I stay at home most of the time anyway cos Andrea and I are busy trying to unlock all the Advanced Level circuits on Mario & Sonic Olympics for Wii.

Guaranteed a high-level indoor workout, muscle pain included

Food is like the key to my heart, stomach, mind and soul. Once I start thinking about food all my defences melt away and I am a helpless pile of slush. When I'm bored I like to look up food blogs, and pictures of steaming hot bak kut teh, sang har mee, dim sum, pork mee, etc makes me really happy. And then my stomach will growl so I'll open my fridge, expecting to see bak kut teh, sang har mee, dim sum, pork mee, etc but then I blink again and crap why are there only raw veggies and fruits in front of me. Wahhhh the feeling... it's like getting stabbed 7249 times in the bowels. My flatmates and I don't share mealtimes, plus we have VERY different dietary needs - so I usually only cook when I'm at Eugene's place. But then again my cooking skills are quite limited so I can't make bak kut teh from scratch. Arggghhhh bak kut teh. I love it too much!!!!

My current playlist is the soundtrack from Les Choristes. French sounds fantastic. They're singing things that sound like "je pa tu tu" and "epi fini d'ete" and when you try saying stuff like that your tongue gets alot of satisfaction. Sometimes I hear my French classmates speak French and it sounds so fun that I just wanna open my mouth and have all these French words flow out of me too. But I can't, so maybe one day when I am super free and have no impending assignments I will take up... the cello! Hehhehe. Okay got work, bye bye for now.

A "short" post

2008-01-25T00:19:00.000Z

Andrea, Constantinos and I were having a chat the other day and somehow the topic of height came up. Andrea is 164 cm ++ and Constantinos is 180 m, I think. Andrea said that when she was in Sixth Form apparently she was one of the shorter ones in class and then Constantinos said oh ya my mum is short, she's like 158 cm. I had an idea of where the conversation was heading next so before even waiting to be asked, I said that I was 153 cm. And my goodness they couldn't believe me. I told them about CBN, how most of us are peppered around the 152-156 cm range, that people have compared us to a flock of penguins, that I have a friend who is MY HEIGHT but thought she was 158 cm, then attempted to be realistic and settled for 156 cm instead, before finally learning the heinous truth that she is only 153 cm. I told them about how my mother is only 150 cm, my older sister is 152 cm and that shorties are no anomaly in Malaysia. Constantinos said that it's good to be short because you can bully tall people into getting things from high up shelves for you. (Andrea then proceeded to shove my instant noodles into the top most shelf of our food cabinet.)

Anyway, to put off my reading on shareholder litigation, I have compiled a list of the boons and banes of being 160 cm and under.

Advantages

1) You fall into the petite range of clothing stores, and sometimes they have things that the standard range doesn't.
2) You can buy standard/tall clothes and make the sleeves/hemlines shorter. But tallies can't buy petite clothes and make them longer.
3) You have the luxury of choosing small or big cars to drive. Tallies can only drive big cars, which also means that they have to work harder to find parking spots in warzone areas like the square opposite Ming Foong's house.
4) When in an aeroplane, it doesn't matter that you can't reach the overhead luggage compartments cos there are always taller people around to do it for you.
5) If you have a problem with being short, wear heels to give yourself a lift. But tall people who have a problem being tall have no way out... unless they like walking on their knees.

Disadvantages

1) In crowded areas you're always fighting for air.
2) If it has been your lifelong dream to be an air stewardess or catwalk model, then you can just FORGET IT.
3) It might just be me, but I think short people are harder to be heard even if you have a loud commanding voice. When tall people speak people sit up immediately and listen. When short people speak people just think you're trying to be smart.
4) On rainy days in London, expect the worst. Everyone will bump into regardless of whether you have an open umbrella, cabbies will miss you and drench you with disgusting puddle water instead, Tube rides are nauseating, etc.
5) You can't carry off haute couture.

Weighing up both ends of the spectrum, I have to say that I'd rather be short than tall. I have to bear with armpit odour wherever I go but so what. And I suppose it's a pity that I'll never ever ever ever be the next Natalia Vodianova, but models are pressured to stay thin, smoke and eat nothing so screw that I must have my bak kut teh. Oh and most guys prefer short girls over tall girls anyway ;)

Back to black

2008-01-10T13:34:00.002Z

And so another year has come and gone. I hate that my end year hols are so short. There's never enough time to do the things I want to do, see the people I want to see, and see more of the people I'm already seeing. I skipped Wednesday's lecture because I was too tired. Thank goodness for Commercial Law on Thursdays. When I got my timetable at the start of the academic year I was like WHAAATTT I HAVE A 9 AM CLASS, but then my tutor said, ok you know what we'll make it 9.30 am instead! And since then I have not stopped worshipping the ground he walks on. The early morning walks to school are frightfully cold, windy and devoid of sunlight. By the time I reach the doors of Bentham House I am bent over in one direction from carrying my super heavy textbook and laptop in one hand, my hair is stuck to my lips, my eyes are watery and my nose is red and runny. But as soon as my tutor walks into the room everything is bright and sunny again and I really cannot stress how much I enjoy Thursday mornings with Philip Rawlings. Today we were talking about debit cards and someone said something silly like, "30 years down the road cash will become obscure" and "muggers are going to start ambushing people with debit cards". And Prof. Rawlings said, "hmm but that's not going to happen in Bloomsbury because there aren't any bushes around". HAHAHAHA. EVERYONE in class laughed. So you see, I am not the only one in the world with a baaadd sense of humour.

Omgaahh

2007-12-16T03:32:00.000Z

These are my flatmates:

[l-r] Mei, Xian, Andrea

Only 2 and a half months of school have passed and I feel like I have been doing so much already. I guess that's a good sign when your hands are kept busy but when you don't have the time to appreciate your work you wonder, am I really doing work? I figured the last week of term would be easy breezy but oh no I was stressed because like a screechy gear, I could feel my body parts grinding, lagging, pleading oiiilll oiiillll but my mind was a pigging slavedriver, pushing them whipping them even during nap/play time. When I'm not doing work I feel queasy because there's a void inside that needs to be filled with more things Commercial, EU, Company and PiL. I can't even make space for my research essay because I have to think about the senior moot competition, and I can't space out without thinking about my BVC application. Yet I haven't completed my BVC applications. I still don't understand what's going on in EU and I worry about being kicked out the next class because I can't answer my tutor's questions. And now I am feeling bad about lazing around over the Xmas period because I'm supposed to be researching the Internal Security Act. So it's as if on the one hand I feel good because I'm not wasting my time but on the other, even though it's tiring I feel like it's not enough because I still have to push myself to meet deadlines. Hmmm anata comprenez-vous?

My backside is really itching to get on that plane la. Even if I have to transit in Bangkok for 10 days, as long as there's a plane that gets me to KL I will wait for the bloody thing. Happy holidays everyone. See you soon!

A reply to all the comments

2007-12-02T18:16:00.000Z

PF and MF like to use acronyms when referring to people so I think I shall try that today and see what all the fun is about. Hmmm, somewhat echoing TW on my last post, with so many people commenting how can I not reply? I know you all care la. How can you not, considering the numerous times have I threatened you with excommunication from my circle of friends?! Hahhahaha. DA, you're not an ugly monster. You're just a lovable fuzzy ewok, don't you forget that. And after SW said that I should forget about the useless friends I am invigorated. Ya, leave the useless people alone! I won't invite them to the grand opening of our Banana Cafe ;) And it can be true that every day is as fun as you make it out to be. Like in KL, even school was fun cos the teachers are approachable, and if I can't find them in the staffroom I can ask for help from one of 5U's resident smartypants like SW or KSK, or just copy YP's answers (sometimes pirated also wan). And as long as you have that in your head and have friends with similar personalities, it's easy to be positive and have a laugh about everything that gets you down. Which is probably why I don't like alot of things about my university education that much cos there are just too many things that ruffle my inner peace like the weather, the ang mohs, the 64 billion dollar answer as to why the pound is the strongest currency in the world which I will never be able to figure out, etc. So you can imagine just how bad it is because I am the most lame and ditzy person in the world who laughs at strange things.

But if London has taught me anything, it is to appreciate Malaysia even more because whenever I go back home I never want to leave. And okay la, I also like the fact that the public transportation here is nothing like the stupid LRT feeder buses and that salespeople here are much friendlier than the ones back home. Although the Europeans at Zara talk like they've got cucumbers up their bums at least they're more efficient and polite than stuck-up-for-nothing, wordless shop assistants in KL. There I finished complaining. I'm happy now :p

On a side note, KS and I signed up for belly dancing classes. Last Thursday was the first class and IT WAS HARD WORK. We did all these movements that target certain muscles and I couldn't do them and neither could I feel my muscles working! But at the end of the class my hips and abs were aching and I guess that means I was doing something right... or that I was just shaking everything and anything.

Expectations

2007-11-28T00:59:00.000Z

All the people I have come across in my 21 years are compounded in a hierarchy. The categories are titled along the lines of Family, Favourite People, Good Friends, Acquaintances, People I Only Need to be on Good Terms With, etc. I can't detail everything perfectly off the top of my head but it's all there. I built it up piece by piece over the course of time because of the need to protect myself from certain people and certain expectations that I might have of them. I wasn't always used to putting up barriers to friendship. Anyone I met was immediately my friend and before long I was baring my soul to them. But then you grow up and meet alot more people and soon realise that not everyone wants to be your friend the way you see them. For example, you treat this person like someone very important to you. And you believe the person treats you the same way too because in front of you, that's the facade you see. But gradually you become aware that you're not as special as you thought you were; you're only his friend for as long as he needs help with his homework, has no one else to hang out with, or simply because you two go a long way back. And the consequent ache that seeps in... I don't know how to describe it. A mixture of disappointment? Hurt? Anger? I am way too vulnerable to these sort of emotions. They do my head and heart in and sometimes it's pressingly difficult to move on.

But the hierarchy made things a whole lot better. The database in my head sifts through and organises my relationships, processing the qualities and personalities of each person, calculating my input versus their output to see how much time, effort and trust I need to put into the relationship. For instance, a person I meet for the first time would usually fall under Acquaintance - over time he may or may not progress into a higher category, one that entails a deeper amount of respect, care, trust and expectation, depending on whether we choose to nurture the little seed of friendship that has been sown. Conversely, it is also possible for someone to be 'demoted' to a lower category. Someone pointed out that it sounds kinda unethical to be shifting people down whenever I like but it's an exceedingly rare occurrence. I like the concept of second chances and I really would try to work at a disheartening relationship before giving it up. Furthermore, a close friendship doesn't blossom overnight and I am inclined to be more wary when moving people up the ladder.

This might all just sound eerily robotic to you but it isn't as well planned as it sounds. The policy is still very much susceptible to my emotions (although less than without it), thirdfourthfifthsixthseventheighthninthtenthetc chances, and there aren't any strict rules like 50-50 giving and taking when someone moves up or down the hierarchy. In fact it's like Spamguard; it reduces junk mail but doesn't guarantee none at all. But it helps. And in this harsh world where everyone is flawed, materialistic, and there are lots of people who are happy to trample on you to get what they want, I think we all need some form of self-protection to make it through our earthly time. The ride is constantly bumpy, but I take comfort in Big Poppa and the ones I need and who need me. If you're reading this and are curious as to where you stand in my intriguing little structure - well let's just say I wouldn't have told you about this blog if I didn't think it would matter much to you at all :)

When your knees melt and your insides turn to slush

2007-11-26T03:33:00.000Z

Sometimes we have unexplained connections with people and things. Like how you just click with the girl next door. Or the boy you met at your workplace (haha Melllll). Or how you love chicken wings. Or when you know that THIS Mulberry Bayswater bag is gonna be YOUR It bag. Just because I ended the explanation with the It bag example doesn't mean that I am gonna tell you I bought one because you know what? I can't afford the exquisite Bayswater, much less a 140 pound bag from Ted Baker that makes me dribble like a retard whenever I think about its delectable gray palette, the smooth leather as squeegy as a baby's bottom, the minimal silver hardware... sxdcfvrgbthynjumkic.

Anyway, today I found my It (or very close to It status) skirt!!!!!!! Like the Dunhill ads of the old days, it has Gaya, Mutu, Keunggulan and it's from Miss Selfridge so it cost 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 yards short of a nuclear bomb. This is it I tell you. This is my Victoria-Beckham-who-shot-to-fame-with-the-Spice-Girls-wearing- a-simple-black-dress-from-Miss-Selfridge moment. Usually I have this healthy radiant glow on my face but with the skirt on, I have Christian Louboutin Pailletes Pumps on my feet and a TVR Chimera at my command; both of which make the healthy glow look like the Black Sea which isn't even black by the way. Cruel reality check - Christian Louboutin prices are way outta my league and I drive a Hyundai borrowed from grandma. But a girl can dream can't she? And this skirt is my puffy white clouds, enchanted castle, glass slipper, and handsome prince all rolled into one silky black bouncy film of fabric. In fact it is so sacred that I must REFUSE to post pictures of it until you see the magic in the flesh. Hahhaha. Actually Pooi Funn has already seen it cos she was with me when I bought it. Guess I'll have to tell mommy not to give me an Xmas present this year cos I already got myself not one, but TWO! MUAHAHAHAHHAHA. The other thing I bought? Ahh, of no significance whatsoever compared to the skirt ;)

And sometimes English people can be so rude

2007-11-22T11:58:00.000Z

I printed out my assignment at the law faculty earlier and didn't have my stapler on me so I figured I'd pop into the faculty office and borrow one.

Xian : Hi, could I borrow a stapler just for a couplaseconds?
Lady : (looks at me like I am a small annoying bug she wants to squish) Nooo we don't have a stapler. We don't do that kind of thing. You know, I'm in the middle of something and you come in asking me for a stapler. Just go buy one. We are not a stationery shop.

WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?!?!?! Bloody abrasive bitch.

Uukikikieeee (geddit En?)

2007-11-22T02:49:00.000Z

Hi okay this week has been so busy that I have hardly had time for myself let alone be bothered to punctuate my sentences. oops i just did it. Okay, I'll start typing proper now cos that just looks weird and I am a person who must have everything straight or else the world will explode.

The teddy knows best

Anyway just when I was swathing myself in elation because I have finished my second assignment of the week, I suddenly remembered that I have an EU tutorial on Friday and my tutor, as nice as he is, is the only person I know who condemns Wikipedia and threatened to serve us to the Dean for dinner if he catches us paraphrasing from that awful website. He is also Dutch and has the most amazing name ever. It plays all these tricks with your tongue and you just end up going sphfflt sphfflt wabble wabble; suffice to say that I am resigned to calling him Sir. And tomorrow I will have to prepare rigorously for Friday's class.

Hahaha actually I shouldn't make myself sound like this mother goat who has absolutely no time on her hands except for her kids (my books) cos I do give myself alot of free hours in between work. I'll be playing games online, playing games on Andrea's PSP/DS, shopping online, watching TV shows online, and on a rare occasion such as today, filling my tum with Korean food aaaand... that's about it really. Suan, Flora and I really stuffed ourselves silly today. Mmmm I think must start looking for a Korean person to teach me how to cook Korean food.

Signs?

2007-11-07T01:03:00.000Z

Better days, in a butt-ugly photo!

Just as my relationship with Eugene has temporarily tanked (or to be politically correct, timed out), all of a sudden the blogosphere is abuzz with posts like, How Do Couples keep the Spark Alive in Their Relationship? (by kennysia and Nicolekiss) and, my favourite, this one on the significance of fighting in a relationship by Su Ann. I am not personally acquainted with Su Ann, but I stumbled upon her blog one day and I have been checking back every week for updates ever since. I don't have a knack for complimenting people (especially when they are 18 years of age) but she seems to have a natural flair for expressing her thoughts in a manner that keeps you hooked onto every word. She doesn't use big words that affect the coherence of an article like this "unassuming" writer, and as princessy as she claims to be, I like that she also appreciates issues affecting the real world eg the judiciary debacle. And that's good, because we detest bimbos. Her writing is simple and straight to the point, wishy washiness not included.

I'll quote an excerpt from her post if you can't be bothered to read it:

"so i see now that what i used to think was perfect, actually does not exist; but what do exist are relationships that are rough around the edges, yet are centered around two people who recognize the flaws in their relationship and mutually want to work at perfecting it, while loving and supporting each other all the way. it’s all about two people who will always remain excited about each other and never want to give up at what they have."

That cut right down to the bone. I think one other important reason for why Eugene and I really need this time out is because we've come to the point where our fights only serve to breed more discord and animosity. What should be happening is that we realise that we have our differences, but we put them aside because we love each other, and we want to respect the other for who they are. A fight is just a learning process. The who's right-who's wrong argument is so passé; we should really be embracing our dissimilarities, applying it to the relationship, and from thereon continue growing and be glad that we've learned something new about our partner.

I just wish I could get out of this rut because as much as I've accepted this time out (for a month apparently, but I have a feeling it will spill over into Xmas), it's still difficult for me to get used to his absence. Even our occasional conversations sound robotic - "hi what did you do today", "oh this and that blablabla". And I know this sounds so self-centred because he has problems of his own to deal with and I'm supposed to be supportive and all, but I don't feel any love radiating from him. That makes me sad, because he really is my favourite person you know?

I know not all of you know we're on a time out, and if this post has just made you more confused about what's going on, I'll probably explain it to you when I can. I don't like myself when I'm sombre and moody, so I bought a journal the other day to pen down my thoughts. Writing out how I feel really does help. I call it my R&R, for wRiting-&-Releasing. I used to type out letters to Eugene on Microsoft Word whenever I felt I was being reasonably or unreasonably annoyed with him and after I was done, I'd save it, and two days later I'd delete it to reflect that it no longer mattered, and that I was moving on. I want to save my thoughts this time around though. I miss Eugene. Last December he blogged about being "lost at sea, on a boat in the middle of the pacific ocean, completely oblivious to the outside world. But mostly because I don't know where Xian is" :( Looks like it's gonna be a tough Christmas again this year.

What could be worse than this

2007-10-22T09:57:00.000+01:00

1) I am sick - flu, sore throat, runny nose, and all the signs that come with winter
2) It's that time of the month - and I shouldn't have to elaborate on the cramps
3) There are men working in my flat all week, repainting the ceilings/walls and fixing the things that need to be fixed. The flat's now jumbled up cos we've had to move things around so that the men can access their 'worksite' hassle-free. And my usually tidy room is IN A MESS!
4) There is dust flying everywhere and it is not helping my flu

I feel like I am living in a junkyard. My home is not feeling very sanctuary-like at the moment. I can't sleep, study or shower properly and I don't even have the mood to go out cos everything is just all over the place.

MY ROOM BEFORE

AFTER
WARNING: Disturbing images ahead

Mold growing on my ledge

Andrea eating chicken and watching D. Gray Man on my couch

I am kinda annoyed that all this has to happen. It started when our washing machine leaked (YES I CAN'T EVEN WASH MY CLOTHES!!!). There was also a wiring problem with Andrea's room light, and mold on Mei's and my bedroom window ledges. So we called the landlord to have a look around and he ended up leaving with a LONGER list of improvements that needed to be done aside from the ones expected above. Eg. Repaint Andrea's room ceiling, the bathroom, toilet and kitchen, maybe put in a new bathtub, fix the toilet door and other miscellaneous things like a chair, another door, etc. I can't even escape from it all because someone needs to be in the flat as much as possible to supervise the work going on. And with Mei and Andrea being medics who have classes from 9-5 everyday, I'm the only one who can do it. Please God, give me strength to get through this week.

Save the Malaysian judiciary

2007-10-21T21:15:00.001+01:00

Lawyers (or judges or anyone to do with the legal system) are a corrupt, twisted liars.

Ish. People, you watch too much movies. Defending the guilty and no recourse for the innocent? That only sums up so little of the truth. Yet the recent scandal pertaining to the Malaysian judiciary does nothing for this stereotyping. If you don't know the story yet, read it here.

If you are on Facebook, join the Save the Malaysian judiciary group for updates, and to express your thoughts and feelings on the issue.

If you frequent Internet user, why not spend 5 minutes of your time here to find out how you can sign the petition to the YDP Agung asking for the establishment of a Royal Commission to look into the matter, and if necessary, to require the sacking of the present Chief Justice of Malaysia. MPs and commoners alike have signed it. I have signed it. Will you do the same to prevent any potential government cover-ups?

If there are any other petitions you know about, like Raja Petra Kamaruddin's, sign it too! Sign as many as possible. We need to put pressure on the government for answers.

Enough is enough la. WE NEED A NEW GOVERNMENT!

Down with phantom voters. Down with corruption. Down with bumiputra rights. Down with BN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hnnngggnnnhhh

2007-10-15T22:39:00.000+01:00

I am so bored I could cry! I feel stifled in London. Like constipated kind of feeling (hence the hnnngggnnhhh above). I can't do all the things I wanna do, and I'm not surrounded by all the ppl I wanna be surrounded by. Cooking everyday is now becoming a chore. I need a study buddy, a gym buddy, an everything buddy. I need someone to be around me 24/7. I need my mommy!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately Eugene doesn't exactly fit the bill because he likes hanging out with his guy friends too much. And as much as some of them are nice people, we don't exactly have much in common. And I would just be bored hanging out with a bunch of guys. Sigh. I dunno why I'm feeling so lost lately. Actually, I think it's because I've been studying consistently everyday since school started and I am getting sick of it. Muahahahahha. Yes that must be it. Ok hopefully this feeling will go away so I can get back to studying. ARGHHH I WANT TO DRIVE MY CAR.

Celebrating the humble flat

2007-10-13T01:34:00.000+01:00

I love shoes. No, correction. I love FLATS. Fashion mags will talk about how you should invest in a pair of killer heels. They scream instant sex appeal, leggier pins and give you instant height advantage over your enemy. And then they conveniently forget the part where high heels are the last things you wanna be seen in when ~~posing~~ walking around for longer than half an hour. And that, my friends, is why flats are a much better investment. Flat ballet shoes, flat walking shoes, flat sandals, flat boots, flat espadrilles, flat trainers, flat EVERYTHING!!!! (NB. flat boobs not included.) Forget the apples; a pair of flatties everyday keeps the doctor miles away. Besides, any heel 3 inches or higher makes me look like a stumpy stump of a tree. I think only short people will get that. Even so, I am what I am (short), and flats make me look real. Yup, I can definitely identify with flats.

Look at these pretties and tell me you're not convinced.

Ugly, impractical and massively expensive

VS.

Super comfy, has that element of laidback cool, and will not break your piggy bank!

My personal favourite - somebody plissss buy for me? :(

You're probably wondering why I'm so fired up about flats all of a sudden. 'Tis the mid season sale in London and I am going MAD over the variety of discounted flats on the high street. I can't concentrate on my work cos I keep thinking of flat shoes! If only I had all the money in the world and I could buy up every beautiful pair of flats with a *swipe* of my credit card. Mmm. Happy happy happy I would be. (I can imagine MF going, "Dream la dream.")

Meanderings

2007-09-15T08:28:00.000+01:00

It is ironic that a disproportionately large percentage of my closest kaki happens to be the friends I made in CBN. When my mum wanted to move me out of Sri Cempaka, I threw a brat fuss, locked myself in the bathroom and refused to speak to my parents. I can reminisce now and laugh at my childishness, because I am truly grateful to have met these girls. Some people maintain a cynical, somewhat aloof view on friendships, dismissing them as follies of youth and that "at the end of the day, the ones who will remain by your side are your family members." But I have so much faith and trust in the ones whom I refer to above, and I don't think I have ever been let down by them.

The sanctity of these friendships did not hit me until I left my CBN shelter, and I have had the "privilege" to get to know some ~~bastards~~ dubious characters over the past few years. I think I make acquaintances without being effectively judgmental, but that only makes any subsequent hurt and disappointment so much more acute when the selfishness and inconsideration of my so-called friends become apparent. But then again, perhaps I am too liberal with my use of the word friend...

Ok emoness off. Wahh! 9 months more and I'll have a degree to my name. My office slate will read

Ong Doen Xian, LL.B (London).

then the year after

Ong Doen Xian,
LL.B (London),
Barrister (Lincoln's Inn).

and maybe if I feel like it

Ong Doen Xian,
LL.B (London),
Barrister (Lincoln's Inn),
LL.M (Oxon).

HOHOHOHOHO. Better make good use of my time abroad.

Singapore vacation

2007-09-09T19:59:00.000+01:00

I ate out every day ok!!!!!!! Don't worry my fellow Malaysians I am still loyal to Malaysian food! Unfortunately, I must say that Pow Sing chicken rice in Serangoon Gardens is the nicest chicken rice I have ever tasted. Aiyo. I have one week to bergym and lose this excess weight before my flight back to UK. Some more winter will be coming in about 2 months time. Sure put on weight again. Die laaaaa. On top of it all, I cannot sleep. Tried calling Eugene but I assume he's sleeping already cos he's not picking up. Sheesh. I was counting on him to be awake at this ungodly hour of 3 am cos he's usually reading/surfing the Net/watching tv/doing other miscellaneous activities at this time.

I have finally bought AND read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was sooooo excited to get to the end that I couldn't help but peek and read the last two chapters while halfway through the book. I don't like surprises alright! And knowing that Harry was happily alive and fertile, the tension on my heart eased up and I leisurely continued reading from where I left off. I still don't get why Dumbledore beat Grindelwald though, if Grindelwald possessed the Elder Wand. Ok, so Dumbledore's more skillful, but the Elder Wand is not supposed to yield to any other wand in a duel right? So WHY WHY WHY did Dumbledore end up the victor?!?! I cannot get the answer!!!!!!! Which makes me wonder if there will be an 8th book devoted to a detailed relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and any other gaps in the HP series although I can't think of them now.........

I have stopped reading the newspapers for... about a month now? I know I'm supposed to be keeping up with the current affairs of my country but the newspaper is just so BORING. I hate the way the articles are written - it's as if everyone at the Star attended the same School Of Malaysian Newspaper Lexicon. Maybe that's why I like reading the Malay Mail sometimes. There's something juicy and crude about the tabloids that always grabs your attention.

Yawn. My lids are finally getting droopy. While I take my leave I shall leave you with a newly 10-kg lighter Eugene :D Sigh. If only I had been strict with my gym plan.

I'm baaaaaaaacccckkkkk

2007-07-29T10:55:00.003+01:00

I've finished my internship! I had lots of fun working in Shearn, as compared to my earlier experience at Lee Hishammuddin - btw I can never get the spelling right. Is it Hishammudin? Hishamudin? Hishamuddin? Hishammuddin? Gah. Anyhoo, after initially telling everyone my internship was only for two weeks, I finally bid goodbye to Wisma Hamzah-Kwong Hing an extra two weeks later, a pair of earphones short and a couple more names to add in my phonebook. I find myself kinda drawn towards Intellectual Property, and now I'm kicking myself for not putting IP higher on my list of 3rd year options. Perhaps I'll be super hardworking and attend IP lectures even though I haven't signed up for them.

There has been much talk about the Malaysian blogosphere lately, and some prominent bloggers have been getting reprimanded for the kind of things they post about political figures and the political scene. The government is extremely sensitive about comments made about them. But celebrities get poked fun at everyday and it's not that big a deal. So why is it that people should not be allowed so say anything about the ones sitting in power? We picked them through our right of election and that should warrant us every right to criticize what they do because if we don't like it, we're gonna pick someone else to sit in their seats. I don't see what detaining someone or arresting them under the Internal Secrets Act is gonna do for your reputation except send a negative message out to everyone that you're just a vain childish prude who must have everyone love you OR ELSE. Plus the fact that you don't tell us about what's going on makes us wonder even more if there's something you're hiding. If you were completely innocent, then please by all means adopt a transparent stand so that everyone knows that any allegation of corruption or cronyism etc against you is totally baseless and untrue.

Obviously there is a line to be drawn with regards to freedom of speech. I suppose there should be some sort of right of internal privacy with regards to your personal and private life and as to how the Parliament of the day is run (or whatever such form of a right is called). If it reaches the point where what is said can amount to libel or slander, that's clearly toeing it. But then where exactly is that line? Is it subjectively or objectively drawn? Perhaps someone who's reading this post can enlighten me on this.

I have been thinking about getting into politics for awhile now. I may not know much and I am quite keen to learn far far more. You might call it a whim, but I'll have you know my interest in law spawned from watching Ally McBeal okay. Anyway, I spoke to a chambering student at Shearn and I was telling her how I wouldn't mind taking up some sort of interning post at KeADILan so I could delve more into the work they are undertaking and stuff like that. I guess I started rambling on about how if Malaysia was to change everyone should start voting for the opposition and things like that. And then she gave me this wry smile that made me feel like I was saying something stupid so I stopped. The first thing she said was, Why KeADILan? And then I think I said something like, oh because I think that some of the changes they're pressing for are in line with my beliefs in how a country should be run, like a better recognition of rights and how something should be done about this bumiputera rights thing cos it's a potentially dangerous tool in our multiculture climate.

And then she said, Even if everyone votes for KeADILan there's no guarantee that things will be better. Personally, I think that as long as Malaysians think the way they do now, it will be another 100 years before any opposition party obtains the power to govern the country. There must be a reason why Barisan Nasional still holds the majority of votes. In fact, I think you have a better chance if you joined BN and started implementing change there. It will take a lot of work, but it it would be the same if you joined any of the opposition parties. What matters most is that you have to plant the seed of change and it doesn't matter where you do it. When Malaysians start to voice out their opinions and dissatisfactions and decide for themselves what sort of rights they want and what it is that they really want to achieve with their nation, that's when you'll start to see more of the Malaysia you hope for.

I thought that made alot of sense (see, I told you I'm still learning). The problem with Malaysians is that all we do is complain and complain to our family and friends about how we don't get enough pay, how the government is ridiculous, how there are quotas on everything, how our buses are infrequent, how our neighbour's dog pooed in our gardens; but it's all always talk and no walk. If we want something done we've got to see that it's done. Enough of the backbiting and gossiping. We've got to start talking out LOUD. If you're not happy with your boss, tell him he's a selfish pigging slavedriver. And if he fires you, so what? Get another job. When people see that you had the guts to square off with your boss, they'll do the same thing and hand in their resignations. And pretty soon your former boss will be begging for people to join his firm. That's when he'll realize that he was a pigging slavedriver after all and he'll decide to be a nicer person from then on. This is all so easy to say right. That's why I'm gonna do something about that annoying uncle who takes RM 2 from me whenever I park outside Masjid Jamek. It's all about little steps towards a a bigger future :D

P/S: No reference to you at all Dian. Although, your story was some sort of inspiration for the above example. Hahahhaha. You should be proud of yourself.

Still no mood to blog

2007-06-21T08:32:00.000+01:00

Especially when my Internet connection at home is so slow, and all I can do is leech via wireless off my benevolent (and also unaware) neighbour Yunus. In addition, my laptop is giving me problems AGAIN. It works when it wants to so these days I just can't be bothered to turn it on. Anyway, as MF has study plans, faithful driver Toi is on her way to the States, KY is somewhere in St. Petersburg/Mongolia, Dian + YP + just about everyone else is working, I have come up with some summer plans to keep me occupied.

1) Intern with a law firm - if they don't flog me within my first two days there, I am leaving.
2) Renew visa
3) Re-learn to drive
4) Look for a month long job to keep me occupied in July
5) Get back into the swimming routine
6) Play badminton as often as possible
7) Cut my hair which is currently overgrown and shapeless
8) Shop as little as possible cos my suitcase is already heavy enough
9) Take Mandarin lessons
10) Stuff my face with as much local food as possible

I suppose I can check off 1) and 3). I'll be starting at Shearn Delamore in downtown KL (where traffic is supa thick and pollution is at its worst) this Monday and will have to follow the traditional 8.30 am-5.30 pm schedule for 2 weeks. And I've already started on my driving, whee! The full license is about as retarded looking as the P license. It's just printed on crummy paper, laminated and issued on the spot. I kinda expected better since I paid RM 150 for a 5-year permit.

My trusted steed (since Parents won't let me touch theirs)

Was in Singapee last weekend to see the new baby in the fam. His name is Christian, and he's really cute. To tell you the truth, I'm not the biggest sucker for babies, except the ones who are related to me (muahahahha blatantly biased and proud of it). Babies are cute, but they're really tiring to look after. Like Gabriel. Okay, so he's funny when he starts singing or when he acts like some pigging slave driver, asking his aunts to fetch his toys and play silly games with him - but it can wear you out after an hour or two. He'll drag you everywhere. It must take a tremendous amount of patience to be a mother. Why can't we clone babies like how they clone mature plants so that they're already age 7 when they've popped out your womb?

Okay lah. It's 3.30 pm and I am close to dying of heatstroke. My dad sent his car to the workshop today so he's taken "my" car and I have none to drive! Wail. I'm gonna go get something icy cold to drink.

No mood to blog

2007-05-23T04:04:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the lack of posts. I've been cleaning house and catching up on old reruns of CSI Vegas. I can't even be bothered to watch all the new movies Eugene's downloaded because I am too hooked onto CSI. CSI Vegas is the bomb. Horatio Caine and Mac Taylor just cannot compare to Gil Grissom. And Warrick Brown is soooo cute *droooooooool*

En is in London. I think she's still jetlagged cos she sleeps super early and wakes up super early. And the piglet is taking up almost half my bed. Even my poor cow got shoved into a corner (notice the meagre bit of black-and-white under the red pillow to the far right). Note how her arms and stationery/magazines are subtly positioned so as to eat into as much space as possible. Actually, she looks like she's trying to do the YMCA moves but forgot that there was no L in the song - hence the frown.

"yLmca? ymLca? Lymca? @#$%^&*!!!!"

Anyway, I'll try to update more often since I'm supposed to have more time on my hands. But for now, I'm going to slip in a couple more CSI episodes before I go to sleep.

VIVA

2007-05-15T02:38:00.000+01:00

It is over!!!!!! Phew. It was so difficult having to concentrate all my effort on Jurisprudence yesterday, especially cos I felt like I'd been working so hard this past month and I was getting really sick of it. It didn't help that it's been raining all week and that put such a damper on my mood. After Criminal Law last Friday I just wanted to sleep the weekend through but I forced myself to start Juris on Sunday and work through it despite how much I hate reading up on the subject. I had alot of divine help too. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without Him. And you guys have been so encouraging and supportive as well *sniff*

I've returned all my library books too. It felt strange coming home to a shelf only half-full. I slept through the evening, woke up around 8 pm, lazed around and watched some TV shows. Somehow I'm not quite used to committing myself to such a laidback lifestyle anymore. I kinda miss studying. The kickstart period was the toughest bit, but after awhile it becomes part of your routine and I've gotten used to it. I think I'm a little afraid that if I stop this studying high that I'm on, I'll lose the momentum soon enough.

At least tomorrow it'll be back to a busy day. I've got so many errands to run (and that includes booking my ticket back to KL, woohoo) and I've got to clean the flat cos my younger sister is coming to London next week. On a side note, now that I don't have anything to keep me constantly glued to the books, my MSN will be up and running again ;)

Just one more month

2007-04-19T18:32:00.000+01:00

The exam heat is on. My timetable is as follows:

April 30 : Contract & Tort II
May 1 : Property Law II
May 2 : Public Law II
May 4 : Criminal Law
May 14 : Jurisprudence & Legal Theory

It's gonna be so tiring!

Don't think I'll be blogging till the exams are over. I'll leave you with a cartoon strip for now.

Unhappy about your Kelisa?

2007-04-07T03:46:00.000+01:00

Solution: Blow it up!

When my flat came equipped with a TV last year, we'd tune in to Top Gear sometimes and it was always interesting. But who would've expected to watch the ubiquitous Kelisa (in KL at least) branded as "an unimaginative junk, with no soul, no flair and no passion" by the show's host, Jeremy Clarkson, then smashed by a sledgehammer, hung from a crane with a one-tonne weight attached, AND blown to bits? So exciting right?!?!

And check out this video to see what Top Gear thought of the Kenari. Mind you, it didn't quite meet the same unfortunate outcome as the Kelisa.

Needless to say, the Malaysian Parliament was furious.

Okay la, I suppose blowing up the Kelisa was a bit too much. Teresa, your thoughts? :p

MSN nutters

2007-03-30T21:53:00.000+01:00

Sometimes a conversation via MSN can go like this:

Z : hi
X : hey! what's up?
Z : nothing much
X : oh, so what are you doing now then?
Z : nothing la

10 mins later.

Z : hey, why you not tokking?

What I don't get is, why do people bother dropping me a line when they have nothing to say? I don't like being the one asking all the questions and getting the same more or less mono-syllabic responses when I wasn't the one who initiated conversation in the first place.

You know the world is screwed up when...

2007-03-26T18:39:00.000+01:00

Picture snitched from The Purse Blog

This ludicrous effigy of a Chanel handbag costs $950.

Worthwhile to Visit Malaysia?

2007-03-26T17:03:00.000+01:00

Since its launch this year, VM has been to India, Brunei, China, and now, the UK. It started when Adrian told me that Tesco was selling Maggi Mee for 5p a packet. So I popped over about 2 hours later and there were three display racks with the "Taste of Malaysia, in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2007" labels at the top and they were stocked semi-full (cos most of the stuff were gone) of Malaysian sauces and snacks... even strange confectionary that I am usually not privy to, like chocolates with a banana center (?!), and starfruit jam.

Since all the Maggi Mee had been grabbed up already, I tried to get a better look at the sauces but was blocked by a huge Middle Eastern family who were standing in the aisle with two full trolleys, bickering about what sauces to buy. They couldn't make up their minds so they kept picking up a couple of packets and putting them in their trolleys then taking them out again and putting them back on the shelves. MAHA IRRITATING. There was another person apart from myself who was desperately trying to move closer to the shelves and this family couldn't give ten rats asses. I'm pretty sure they saw us cos one of the women looked in my direction. And their kids!!!!! Ohmygoodness. Kids are really cute when they're just blobs of gurgly matter, but once they start developing the use of their mouths and legs I cannot tell you how much I ABHOR, DETEST, DESPISE, LOATHE, HATE (!!!!!!) them. Not too long ago when roller shoes were the 'in' thing, kids used to bump into me all the time in shopping malls. $@^#£$%^!!!!!! See, tall people can be forgiven for not noticing my presence but these kids who are a good two heads shorter than me have no excuse. And they don't even know how to apologize! If I were ever given the chance to start my own country, I would ban roller shoes and kids between the ages of 5-10.

I also cannot understand why our government spends so much on promoting Malaysia as a hotspot when there is still much work to be done about the country's internal affairs (huhuhu, I wrote 'inFernal affairs' first, then deleted it). An efficient transportation system is as paramount as any support system should be in adding to the tourist appeal of a country - but ours is abominable. The LRT network lacks common sense, buses are insufferably slow, unpunctual and dirty, and cabbies charge unscrupulous fares as soon as they realise you're not Malaysian. Political Corruption is notoriously well-known, Uncleanliness is a hazard, Queueing is unheard of and Rudeness is a disease. Ironically, this is only spurring me on to study harder, empower myself with knowledge and utilise it to the fullest. I can't wait to return home and get my hands sticky with all this mud. In this case, it's gonna take too many cooks to create a great broth!

Non-Muslims required to seek redress in Syariah courts

2007-03-24T09:16:00.000Z

Letter to Malaysia-Today.net by Tricia Yeoh, Centre for Public Policy Studies

The Centre for Public Policy Studies views with concern the recent majority decision of the Court of Appeal in Subashini v Saravanan where the Courts effectively required a non-Muslim to submit to the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court to have the theological laws of Islam applied to her in order to remedy unconstitutional orders from the Syariah courts in respect of their non Muslim marriage. In this ruling, the majority of the Court of Appeal also seem to have upheld the notion that one parent could convert an infant child to Islam without obtaining the consent of the other parent, and then go to the Syariah courts to get custody orders in respect of those infant children without the participation or consent of the non-Muslim spouse.

It is the Centre's view that requiring a non-Muslim to seek remedies in the Syariah courts is unconstitutional and unfair. The Federal Constitution of Malaysia clearly states that the Syariah courts have jurisdiction only over persons professing the religion of Islam. To subject a non-Muslim to the laws of Islam would be unfair as a non-Muslim does not profess that religion so as to require the non Muslim to be governed by theological rules of that religion. The Centre is also of the view that true parental equality requires that both parents consent to any change in religion of an infant child.

It is important to note that we live in a plural society where adherents of different faiths interact freely with one another. What maintains this balance of mutual respect is a system that recognizes and ensures equal justice for all citizens alike. The Constitution as supreme law of the land has provided such a system that affirms justice for Muslims and non-Muslims respectively.

The recent ruling by the majority of the Court of Appeal sets a worrying precedent for future cases. Referring a non-Muslim to the Syariah courts for judicial reliefs is tantamount to impeding the constitutional rights of non-Muslims to profess and practise their faiths in peace and harmony. Access to justice is denied. This is contrary to the spirit and constitutional context of the system that all Malaysians have hitherto enjoyed.

If the law as it stands means the civil courts are unable to grant remedies to the non Muslim spouse (something the Centre doubts), then it is high time legislative intervention makes it clear that any court applying a religious law can only exercise jurisdiction over persons professing that religion.

* * * *

Is this what is happening in my country? First, I can't leave my house gates open for fear of my dogs getting beat up. Now, I have to be subject to the law of a religion that I don't profess to in the event that my (future) husband converts to Islam? In the UK this would make for highly litigious fodder. I can only think of the number of ECHR (or European Convention on Human Rights, which has been given statutory foundation as the Human Rights Act 1998) human rights that have been infringed -

Article 6 - the right to a fair trial
Article 13 - the right to an effective remedy
Article 14 - prohibition of discrimination

Given the impact of human rights in the West, it is not surprising that many overseas-trained lawyers cannot be arsed to return to Malaysia and encumber themselves with this bullshit.

Lately

2007-03-18T12:24:00.000Z

I think I slept so much over the past week that these few days I am sleeping in short bursts. I was feeling kinda flu/fever-ish at the time as well, and I had a horrible sore throat that felt like a large chunk of wood, complete with rough splinters and jagged edges had lodged itself in my throat. But today I feel much better, and it's all thanks to sucking on loads of strawberry flavoured Strepsils.

Not much has happened of late. Zhi Hui, Cahyadi and I were goofing around with Flora's camera the other day and we decided to leave her a surprise -

MF directed me to this link concerning foreign workers in Malaysia who beat up a little dog in December last year -

CLICK HERE

The article is overwhelming. You MUST read it. You will be struck with a profound silence, as I was. I'll leave you to your thoughts.

Missed

2007-03-05T03:40:00.000Z

Oh My Goodness. I deserve to be shot because I totally forgot Dian's birthday. I hope you are reading this post my friend. Because as much as I might have missed out on the celebrations, you are still a Very Important Person to me :D

For those of you who don't know, Dian is Someone I have known since sec school. She was one of the few people I met on my first day at school. Everyone else didn't notice I had come in 2 weeks into the academic calendar and was sitting at a rickety junk of a desk at the back of the class. Can you believe no one noticed this big mouthed shorty? Maybe they couldn't differentiate between me and June, another big mouthed shorty. Anyway. We weren't fantastically tight, although we were in the same gang from Form 1-3. It's probably cos we were too busy printing out pictures and cutting out newspaper articles of our Italian husbands, Simone Inzaghi and Alessandro Nesta. Then in Form 4 we split ways. She decided to go Artsy and I decided to go Fartsy. Huhuhu. I mean Sciency. It wasn't till I left for the UK that we starting developing a closer friendship. Strangely enough, it was her I always saw during the holidays. Fastforward to today. Dian is my mamak partner (as Ming Foong is my duck rice partner, and Teresa is my driver). She is my SMS-at-random-hours buddy. We rarely talk football these days, but instead have moved on to shopping, food, her numerous car accidents and her MAS pilot, and other random girly things. Dian seems to think she's this muddled up clumsy goon of a person with a split personality; in fact she is nothing but a fuzzy lovable old woman who is trying to find her real place in this world, just like the rest of us :) So stop thinking you're the only idiot around ok!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLDIE.

The little ewok

Who grew into a bigger ewok

And is still an ewok

Just check out that ewok in the middle

Some things just never change

P/S >> Teresa, please don't complain that I only ever do things for Dian and not you e.g. this nice long birthday dedication. I didn't miss your birthday right?!

Aye Scotland

2007-03-03T01:08:00.000Z

The highlight of our trip to Glasgow? Mich, Zuhi and I standing on the pavement
1) screaming and laughing in some sort of bewildered frenzy,
2) hanging on for dear life to our flapping upturned brollies,
3) clothes and hair flying everwhere,
4) rain and wind flying everwhere, and
5) Michelle's super loud laughter. MATCHLESS!

Our camera shy host

Junk food! Can you tell what the pakoras are made of?

We also made sure to take a day trip to Edinburgh, which everyone says is a beautiful city...

In the second picture you can see Zhi Hui standing on the steps of a bridge that connects the main station to the town centre. The view is really pretty there. At one end is the Edinburgh Castle, the government offices and the train station. At the other end is the Edinburgh Gallery and the town centre. Also, the bridge is built over the railway station so you'll be looking down onto in and outbound trains. Add lots of trees, flowers and other forms of fauna into the picture and you will not believe how awesome it feels taking in the sights as you stroll along the bridge. The view was just too overpowering for my little Nikon.

On our last night, after days of living on cheap take away dinners, we celebrated by dining at a posh eatery called The Ubiquitous Chip. The decor was chic du jour - stone walls and creeper plants, and a mezzanine level for the brasserie. The ground floor was for formal dining, and everyone was dressed to the nines except for us.

Zuhi and her vegetarian haggis

And THIS is the reason we missed our train back to London!

We caught a bus the very next day. The journey was NINE bum stiffing hours long.

Finally, here's a video that I shot in Mich's flat...

Bleak horizon

2007-02-21T04:53:00.000Z

I am unable to study. To be painfully honest, I have been incapable of studying for a long time. Every day I sit at my desk and spend the first 2 hours staring into the depths of my laptop screen, clicking away at random links. Procrastination is a common disease anyway. I hate this feeling of being weak and incapacitated. Sometimes I wish I had a genie that would grant me a sponge for a brain to soak up all this info. It's excruciating, having to slog through each day, wondering what I am to achieve out of all this text book mugging. It's because I want to graduate with a good degree and have something to distinguish me from any other average Jane or Joe right? But what do I do with my degree? Get a job and earn a living right? And then what happens after I'm done working? Retire. And hopefully live a peaceful life until I can return to my Maker's hands.

But is life actually meant to be so mapped out like that? If our world is so vast and there are many things yet to be discovered why is it that the lives of the majority can be confined to a stigmatic cycle of study and work? Who decided that the apogees of life are graduating, getting married, and one's firstborn (actually it was my mum, but I was trying to adapt it to context)? Putting aside the economic stirrups that stimulate society to function, why can't we just laze our days away soaking up sun rays and do things that don't require brain power? What is our true purpose in life really? It's a recurring question and these days it's been coming back more often than usual to bug me. I take comfort in that there is Someone much bigger than me and Someone whom I cannot comprehend who holds all the answers to these questions. But man being curious creatures, I want to know when I can get these answers. And it annoys me that I have to push through 80 years in this state of confusion. And that's not even counting the life years of each subsequent generation until Judgment Day arrives. And we think waiting 3 hours in a doctor's queue is unacceptable. When I see Eve I'm going to tell her off for eating that apple.

Stinky fruits and body talk

2007-02-06T00:39:00.000Z

Why does cherry compote taste so bad? Most preserved fruits taste good, like, you could add salt (among other condiments) to mango and make a mean mango jeruk. Even marmalade is strangely addictive. But cherry compote, or even those preserved cherries you get in cakes, tastes disgusting. I looked up some recipes for cherry compote and was surprised to find that cough syrup isn't involved. What gives it its sickly bittersweet flavour is liqueur. Some people use brandy, others use red wine. Anyway, whoever came up with the idea of preserving cherries should be shot. Cherries are best enjoyed fresh, plump and juicy. In fact, that's the only way they should be eaten!

I've realised that as I grow older, I feel more and more comfortable in my skin. This doesn't mean I don't use cosmetic products ok. I am all for the principle that cosmetic products enhances your appearance and gives you that added boost of confidence . And it's a good feeling, knowing that you can walk out your house with moisturizer, a little foundation and cream blusher on your face and think, I look BEAUTY QUEEN good. HELL YEAH! But I've really come to appreciate the way my body is built. I don't wish I was taller or thinner, had a smaller forehead or slimmer calves. I have my "fat days" at times, but I don't obsess about my weight. I eat when I'm hungry, and I watch what I put in my mouth and make sure not to overdose on the calorie count. More importantly I've mastered the art of smart shopping *beams proudly*. Clothes, like make-up, does wonders for you. People often make the mistake of believing that there is one universal Small size. THAT IS NOT TRUE. I used to think I was fat because my Goggles top was in a Medium!!! How sad it is that most local brands are made for flat chested people and don't give much breathing room for ample hips and thighs. Continental brands are more accustomed to these needs. So it's not like I'm brand conscious and only buy from MNG or Topshop but it's because I know that these brands work for me and I stick to them. At the same time, I try to steer clear of certain cuts or materials because they make me look lumpy. I used to have a lot of trouble finding jeans or pants that fit because of my large thighs, but that changed when MNG came to KL. It's no secret that I worship the brand, but they are seriously THAT admirable. Where else can you find fashion forward clothes in petite sizes at reasonable prices? Huh? HUH????

Today I was went to Kensington High Street to do some window shopping. My first stop was obviously MNG, but horror of all horrors! It had been replaced by the David Bitton boutique. I was about to walk away but the 70% off and the display rack that looked MNGish swayed me instore. And I am so glad I went in because I would not have found the greatest jeans maker ever. They hug you at the right places and perky-fies your butt. And man, are they comfy. The price of their jeans range from about £80 onwards. I bought a pair of slacks which had been discounted from £83 to £25. BARGAIN!!!!!! They also do a range called iJeans which are limited edition jeans that have been specially customised and express the needs of different individuals. Unfortunately, even after the discount the iJeans were still beyond my budget. I am going to David Bitton again to get my slacks altered and buy another pair :D

Maybe when I am much older and have the dosh to splurge on designer items I should write a style book ala Victoria Beckham. Her book is titled "That Extra Half an Inch". Mine will be "That Extra Half A Foot"!

Just for Mich

2007-01-30T03:31:00.000Z

Michelle joined Facebook and put up a retarded photo of herself. She told me to put up a retarded one too and I did until I was told that it was way too gross to be even published. So anyways, I'm gonna post it here just cos she hasn't seen it.

Here we go... THE BATTLE OF THE RETARDS!!!!!!

Which one looks like she belongs in a zoo? YOU decide!

*****
VS
*****

Oh and guess what else? Teresa has also joined Facebook. Woot!

Winter warmers

2007-01-22T23:05:00.000Z

I have a confession to make. Today, I contributed to the unlawful skinning of a protected animal.

This beautiful creature courageously sacrificed its life to give me...

Okay, is that a grammatical error there? I guess I could've said "THESE slippers" cos "THIS slippers" is obviously incorrect. But I meant to say THIS pair of slippers so I'm not wrong after all. Hah. (Please. Mine grammar are faultyless. A1.)

Also, before you get our your M21s and shoot me for my evil deed, let's clear things up first. In this Lion King-type circle of life, every creature is useful to another. A leopard is born with fur so that it can give others its fur. This is because leopards are boring to look at, so the best way for man to appreciate them is to take the skin off their backs and use it to make coats, slippers, rugs, and other miscellaneous what have yous.

This is the best part. I'm sure all of you are already vomiting blood and are honestly wishing you owned M21s so I'll stop this bs now. I WAS JUST KIDDING. Yes yes, even about the principle of being useful to one another and the circle of life rubbish. I don't subscribe to that chutzpah. It's plain cruel to kill big cats for their hides. There aren't many of them left you know.

How would you like it if there were only 3000 humans left on an Earth ruled by Oompa Loompas and every day we had to live in fear and constantly hide from them otherwise we'd be killed for our hair with which they use to make skirts?!

Heave a sigh of relief people. My slippers are made of FAUX FUR.

I bought two pairs actually, since they were on sale :)

The leopard effect...

And the cow effect!

They were 4 quid each, which is a pound cheaper than the slippers I bought from Clarks two years ago (currently the property of my mum). Aren't they cute? They're really soft and warm and they are PERFECT for padding around on the cold wood floor of my flat. Cold feet, begone!

The wonders of Facebook

2007-01-21T03:45:00.000Z

Hello all! Right, I know I said I'd put up pictures of my Christmas trip but I haven't finished drafting the post yet. It's soooooooooo long. In the meantime let me tell you about my new obsession >> FACEBOOK! Okay la, it's not an obsession per se, but I'll say this much - it's bloody addictive. I keep checking my account every couple of hours or so, and there are always *gasp* NEW UPDATES. Anyway, you can tour FB on the site but I thought I'd give you my own personalized one :D

We'll start off with the main page...................

TADAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brownie points for the effort

Upon logging in, this is what your home page looks like:

See? More organized than Friendster right? Actually it took me a while to get used to the layout. But now that I'm used to it, I like it alot more than I do Friendster's.

FB has this Newsfeed thing which tells you what your friends have been up to (i.e. their Recent Stories). It's similar to Friendster's updates section, except that it's more detailed. Andre is now going to enlighten us on how it works:

NB. Not EVERYONE is a stalker like Andre though

What's more, Friendster will only tell you "*photo here* Toi Toi has recently updated her profile, added new pictures, added a new friend" (Kay pohs will be going, "WHO WHO?!?! WHAT FRIEND?? I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY FRIEND SHE HAD"). But FB does more than that. If you've added a new friend they will even tell you who it is e.g. "Toi Toi is now friends with Ming Foong." What a marvellous device for all of us nosybodies, and especially for those who are super gung ho and want to win the war of how-many-friends-I-have vs how-many-friends-Toi-has.

More friends for them = more friends for me! Muahahahhahaha...

You know when ppl invite us out and sometimes we're a bit reluctant to go cos we don't know if anyone else we know is going too and we're too shy to ask about it? Well, GOOD NEWS. The Newsfeed not only lists the event down, but it tells you who and how many of your friends will be attending. YAY!!!!!!!!!

Obviously this only works for ppl whom we're not that close to - if it was someone like Nat I'd say, "Eh who's going for that sdfghjxcvbn party? Oh nobody I know... Then I don't want to go cos I'd have to see your face the whole day. Bleegggghhhhh..."

The Newsfeed also updates you on your friends' newly uploaded pictures...

You can tag a person in your photos by highlighting their face in the photo and typing his/her name down. If the person is on FB his/her name will be highlighted as a link to his/her page. And ooh ooh, this is one of my fave things about FB. You can poke ppl (like nudging on MSN)!!! It's such a cute gimmick.

Ya ya, I digressed from the point...

This is what my profile looks like to viewers:

Scrolling down..........

The Wall is like a bulletin board where your friends can leave you messages. So much cooler than leaving testimonials, yes? Plus, The Wall sounds way better than "testi". It's TESTIMONIAL people, not testi! Honestly, doesn't ANYONE think testi sounds gross? I shouldn't even have to hint at male genitalia.

After allllllllll that, what's the best thing about FB you say? FB is about as PRIVATE as Prince William. You can't just view anyone's profile. When you first register, you have to join a network, usually decided according to one's school. Once you've been accepted on the network you can only view the full profiles of ppl on the same network. E.g. I am on the UCL network so I can only view fellow UCL profiles. If I want to view Wei Ning from Imperial's profile, he has to be my friend first otherwise CANNOT view. FB also doesn't have that stupid irritating viewing thing like Friendster - you know, the one where you can see who's viewed your profile?

I joined FB about a week ago and I'm still learning new things about it everyday. When Suan found out I'd joined she couldn't contain her joy and sent me a congratulatory message:

Now guess who else is addicted to FB?
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EUGENE!!!!!!!

But his face quickly turned sour when he realised that James and Azim had been poking me...

So the moral of the story here is, join Facebook today so I can add you to my list and I'll have more friends! But seriously la, it's more user friendly than Friendster.

xx

'Tis the season to be jolly

2006-12-15T01:35:00.000Z

In conjunction with the Christmas spirit, everyone's sounding all musey and pensive on their blogs. I personally prefer reflecting on the year and making new vows on Christmas Day rather than New Year's. Yep, I'm a huuuugeeeeeee fan of Christmas. Not just because it marks the birth of my Lord Jesus Christ, but I love the harmony it brings to Christians and non-Christians alike. There's something so valuable about that one time of the year. Shoppers are happy because there are sales, kids are happy because they get loads of gifts, familes are happy because it's a time for reunions, and everyone else is happy because the lights, sounds and joy that Christmas brings just rubs off on you. That's how unstoppable the Christmas spirit is.

I have had time to think about things that have been bothering me. I've buried the hatchet with Suan and things are really looking up. I've finally got myself a flat. I'm still in the process of moving in but once everything's done I promise there will be pictures! I wrote down alot of things that I am thankful for the other day to remind myself not to take things for granted. I'm still working on my temper and perhaps one day, I will actually be able to lose gracefully. There are other things, but I'm still taking it one step and much prayer at a time.

This is a picture of the view in Earls Court at 3.30 pm. The little white speck in the middle is the moon. It looked bigger and absolutely beautiful that day; unfortunately camera phones don't capture all that.

And I snapped this of Eugene at Bayswater station. He looks really good so I thought I'd post it. Heeheehee.

2006-12-07T03:30:00.000Z

The world's first tranny... err supermodel, has recorded her own version of The 12 Days of Christmas starring two giant breasts, three former husbands, five naked men, etc. The video is part of the Christmas With The Dickinsons special airing on December 13th on US' Oxygen TV (how unfortunate for us).

It's quite a video. Janice actually looks female!

New look for blog

2006-11-12T23:28:00.001Z

Better yah?

Hibernation period over

2006-11-01T23:33:00.000Z

Aaaaaaaah. I'm back to blogging again! Weather update - it's now autumn in London and the clocks have moved back an hour ie. the difference between GMT and KL time is now 8 hours.

I just read about Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon's separation. It's troubling when you read about someone's marriage going to the dogs. Relationships aren't easy, but marriage is clearly a garguantan step and I believe people should think twice before they decide to entertain the whims of being in love. Like, did you bother to think about whether you REALLY want to get married? Why do you want to get married anyway? Are you sure this is the person you want to commit your life to? And etc. More importantly, isn't marriage a sacred union before God? The stories I read about people who get hitched and then divorced totally disrupts that notion - it's even worse when they have children. I can't stand the attitude of celebrities in particular. They're always citing things like "irreconcilable differences" usually due to "work and distance", and my brains will be screaming - Look dude/tte. When you settle down, you MUST decide what or who gets priority. Fact: Marriage is as important, or far more as some would say, than work. There's no way you can shove it in a corner and expect your spouse to be satisfied with hellogoodbyekisskisshoneybunchpumpkinpiebabycakes just because you're out making big bucks and building your star potential. If you find that work is interfering with your relationship, ease up on the load and don't take on more than you can handle. But if you can't let go of your work commitments and it's obvious what you're actually married to... then DON'T BOTHER GETTING MARRIED!

I gotta admit though that I'm not as staunch in my opinions when it regards marital affairs. Infidelity is not to be taken lightly, and I can't quite comment on whether divorce would be the right or wrong path in such situations.

Okay, serious mode off now. What am I up to these days, y'all ask? I spend my time looking for a flat, attending church and OCF (Overseas Christian Fellowship), doing some studying and updating my fleet of mobile phones :p I recently upgraded my contract with Vodafone and they gave me a Samsung E900 to reward my loyalty. It IS a great phone; a great LADIES' phone might I add, cos those of you with big clumsy fingers (men, who else?) will have problems manoeuvering your way around E900's touchpad. Hah. And yesterday I signed an O2 contract which is only costing me 25 quid for 1 YEAR. I got a Motorola L6 FOC with that too so yay.

Eh, it's quite fun to collect phones okay. It's a new hobby, apart from my long standing fetish for bags and wallets.............................

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STOP ROLLING THOSE EYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're Just Jealous

2006-08-04T11:34:00.000+01:00

I was out with Dian last Saturday. There's something about hanging out with your friends in a different country. It's a nice feeling.

We had ice cream at Haegen Dazs in Leicester Square first. This is one of the few times I've managed to get into Haegen Dazs without having to queue outside. Didi had some oober chocolatey creation called Chocoholic (blatant self promotion there) and I had the Melon Delight, which was melon ice cream blended with crushed ice and pineapple juice. I'm not huge on pineapple juice but I think the melon ice cream toned down the acidity a notch and made the drink quite enjoyable, especially on a hot hot day.

We walked around Covent Garden after that. Went to the necessary MNG, Nine West, Covent Garden market, David & Goliath, stuff like that. Di said she wasn't interested in buying anything. Then she changed her mind and said she was actually looking for a black leather handbag. Okay. Nine West didn't have anything so we went to Fossil. Found a black hobo with perforated embroidery to Di's liking. NOT LEATHER, but suede. She couldn't decide whether or not to get it simply because she'd already racked up a huge bill on her earlier shopping. We left the store, walked around and then came back as soon as she'd decided to buy it. Ironically enough, HER CREDIT CARD WASN'T ACCEPTED. So we left the store with me trying to console her that it probably wasn't meant to be. Had coffee in Rendezvous, talked much, then I said I wanted to go back to Covent Garden because I had to go to Urban Outfitters to buy this maha cute piggy bank to support my "Save Money" scheme. And however shallow it seems, we took that as a sign :p We skipped off to the ATM where Di happily withdrew cash (oh and also because she'd miscalculated her finances and she actually had more savings than she realised) for her bag to be.

That is the story of how the search for a black leather handbag ended with a black suede one instead, looking far from what any of us had in mind from the start.

The next day, I went to Tooting to send her and Nads off. She showed me another bag from UCB which she bought in KL. It looked similar to the Fossil one purchased just the day before, in terms of shape, size and colour. The Fossil bag which she took hours mulling over because of the possibility of an increment in her debts; pondering over whether it was worth adding to her collection. Sigh. Girls, I tell you. Huhuhuhu.

The bag from Fossil...

The UCB hobo on the right, but Di's is completely black...

So when will Dian get her black leather handbag? Perhaps on our next shopping escapade... keep tuned for updates!

Nad, Zuhi and Eugene joined us later in the evening. We went to Spaghetti House for dinner, then it was back to Rendezvous again for milkshakes, coffee and pictures :D

You can see Nad's yummy yummy strawberry milkshake in the picture with gooey chocolate sauce at the bottom of the glass. Omg which reminds me >> DIAN! I still owe you 10 pounds!

Phew. This is probably the most I've blogged in a day. I'm tired now. Eugene is sitting next to me and he's behaving like a retard. Must get something to eat...

Little dragon balls, err buns

2006-07-22T08:09:00.000+01:00

This year's summer is probably my least favourite. I've only spent two months in KL and already I have to leave. Those of you who know that I didn't fare too well in the exams will be reminded of the ominous fate that awaits me (I can just hear Teresa's cackling in the background upon revelation of the news to her). I'll be heading back to England on Thursday night. Sorry to cut short the holiday folks. I suppose it was my fault really for not doing more for my studies. But I feel a sense of contrition; I do, I do...............

Eugene was in KL for an entire week, two weeks ago. I think most of his time here was spent at foodie joints, thanks to me hee. After days of "Dim sum today, ok ah!!" we finally got round to satiating our craving for the Chinese version of tapas on Saturday. Google hits showed Shang Palace to be one of the better places that serve dim sum, so to Shang Palace we went. We ordered the requisite har kow and siu mai, two varieties of cheong fun (one with prawn and the other a mixture of mushrooms, prawns and char siu), xiao long bao, kai keok in spicy black bean sauce, porridge with slivers of pork, and wu kok. Eugene was quite adamant about ordering the xiao long bao because I told him that I hadn't tried it before. And he spent some time describing it in detail too, albeit rather animatedly........

And so our xiao long baos arrived, looking rather unimpressive with their pasty glue-coloured complexion and shrivelled exterior. But as soon as I popped one into my mouth, everything Eugene said about delicious meaty juices bursting from the middle held true and all that was swimming in my mind was "Delicious. Meaty. Juicy. Juicy. Juices." Apparently the ones in China are much nicer because the xiao long baos melt as soon as they enter your oral cavity. Well, for newbies such as myself, I'd say that first introductions to xiao long bao at the Shang Palace were tasty enough. Next, fried xiao long bao!

The others dishes were pretty good. For the siu mai, Shang Palace adds a piece of scallop meat at the top and I find this slightly alters the flavour of the siu mai. It was quite nice, although I wasn't quite used to my siu mai tasting a little, well... fishy. My favourite kai keok was not too soggy. The skin didn't cling to the bones; it was puffy enough and had just the right chewy texture that I like. The wu kok was probably my next favourite dish. Like the xiao long bao, it looked measly and pathetic in size compared to the wu kok in Kam Tong, a Chinese restaurant in London. But all you need is one bite to banish any negative notion. The crispy delicate exterior crumbles in your mouth and the yam is delectably sweet and soft. Omg just the thought of wu kok is making me salivate...

Btw I hear the Pussycat Dolls are coming to Malaysia. Anyone going to their concert?

Hangat bola

2006-07-07T05:54:00.000+01:00

Yesterday a friend sent me this SMS:

"AT LAST: A new bra size that fits all women. Highly recommended. Women should try it. Sale ends this Sunday. It's called............... the WORLD CUP :)"

Unfortunately, the finals don't interest me much because it's between France and Italy. I've said this many times, and I have no qualms in repeating that I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED WITH BRAZIL'S PERFORMANCE. It's absolutely unforgivable that they lose to France because when they play to what they are capable of, they can be terrifying. But it didn't seem like that at all in the match... WHERE WAS THE KAKA/RONALDINHO MAGIC?!?!?! WHERE WAS THE PACE?!?!?! AND THE POWER?!?!?!? Iiiiiiiiishhhhhhh!!!!!

I was in Penang last Friday with Lil, Azlan and Chun How. Stayed at Golden Sands for a day and Gurney Hotel for the next 2 nights. It was a good getaway from the city. We ate loads, swam loads, and slept loads. Even the ubiquitous and requisite deck of cards took a backseat. I got a nice, uniform tan from all the watersports too, as seen from the pics below which I took with Monkey when I went out with her, MF, Audrey and Jason on Tuesday.

I've noticed that girls (at least my bunch of girlfriends) like to stick their tongues out in photos when they're acting retarded. Why ah?

Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind if France won the World Cup anyway; that way Brazil have some consolation in that they lost to the eventual champions. May the best team win!

Sighhhh. Brazil, what were you thinking? :(

Happy birthday Monkey!

2006-06-29T03:48:00.000+01:00

She's bright, dependable, caring and funny, absolutely nuts about Jay Chou, and is one of my favourite people to have around. Her genuineness just touches you in a way I cannot describe. Here's wishing you truckloads of joy in your new age! :D :D :D

xx Baboon.

Samsonite 300 Series Funny Face

2006-06-26T12:00:00.000+01:00

Although these bags fall under the kids' range, I don't think any adventurous adult should be excluded. Personally I wouldn't be caught dead carrying one because it would only emphasise my childlike height. 'Spity though, cuz they're really cute! Buy one for your niece or nephew from your nearest Samsonite outlet today. Or check them out in detail (as well as other varieties) on Samsonite's website.

Balik kampung

2006-06-22T11:59:00.000+01:00

I haven't blogged in a while. Partly because Blogger was down earlier in the month and I got tired of attempting to log in. Partly because I have been very busy since my last few days packing and moving out of my flat in London up till today. The feeling of being home in KL is amazing. Now I am absolutely indubitably positive that I will return to reside here once my studies are finito. Here and nowhere else. The environment, the roads, my favourite shopping malls, the food, the public toilets that all smell the same are all too familiar. Singapore, Thailand or anywhere else in Asia cannot compare okay!

I found out on Monday that my exam results are out. And I thought they'd only be released in July. It was kinda strange because I hadn't checked my uni inbox for some time, but on that Monday a little voice in my head kept telling me to check it. And when I did, I saw the email titled "Exam results" and I JUST WANTED TO DIE ON THE SPOT. I've yet to ring the faculty to find out my results :p Supah nervous. Perhaps I'll do it tomorrow. But that's what I've been telling myself for the past few days.

I have a new camera! My dad bought me a Nikon Coolpix L2 to replace my trusty Ixus V3 which mysteriously disappeared last summer. The shutter speed of this Nikon is slower than most other cameras, there's a bit of problem with macro shots (although En says she's managed to figure that out), and the dull grey plastic body makes it look like a toy. I guess this is my dad's way of punishing me for losing my camera without knowing how it got lost. STICK TO A BASIC CRAP CAMERA YOUNG LADY, BECAUSE IF YOU LOSE THIS LIKE YOU DID THE LAST ONE... (fill in the spaces here).

Juno,

2006-06-21T17:27:00.000+01:00

who is currently touring Australia, is 21!!!!!!!!!!!!! One year has not made her any taller or any less of a narcissist. xx

The days passed

2006-05-28T05:04:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately, we didn't get to watch Les Miz because the available tickets were either too expensive or restricted in view. We ended up watching X Men 3: The Last Stand. It's a safe movie. Safe because there isn't anything special about it, but is neither crap enough to be missed indefinitely. There were a number of sub plots that could have been developed better. And Famke Janssen is usually gorgeous, but she looked kinda haggard in X3.

I was in Epsom on Saturday. Epsom is in Surrey, and is close by to Kent I think. It's not as eye pleasing as Croydon. But Epsom College, where Eugene did his A Levels, is lengths above CTC in terms of size. In CTC everything was under one roof: classrooms, refectory, common room, administrative offices; the exception being the new wing housing the library and the computer labs, which were built in my year. We didn't even have sporting facilities and had to rely on the public park and the sports club to host our activities. But in Epsom College there are individual buildings for each subject. They've got separate grounds for footie, cricket, tennis, rugby, etc... and a gym too! I suppose it comes with being a proper English boarding school.

We went to New Malden after Epsom to have dinner in this Korean restaurant. The food was really nice. I didn't quite take Eugene seriously when he said New Malden is pretty much Korea Town... but it is! There are many Korean shops on the high street, even a little Korean shopping plaza, and you can't miss all the Korean people strolling about the area.

I'm thinking of changing my flight to 4 June to coincide with June's. So I have a travel buddy :)

Mingo mango fandango

2006-05-28T04:56:00.000+01:00

It's funny how both your siblings are born in May and you have the odd birthday in January. HAPPY BIRTHDAY M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatta poser...

Sloooooowly getting there

2006-05-25T08:14:00.000+01:00

So just when I thought I'd be rotting away till 6 June, suddenly there a whole lot of things for me to do, places to go and people to see. Today it's the afternoon with Cahyadi, tomorrow I'll be in Epsom, on Saturday Nadia will be in London and we're going to watch Les Miz, Sunday is still rest day, on Monday it's lunch with Lip Sin et al, and then I'll be off to Bristol till Wednesday to see June. After all that, my remaining days here will be left strictly for packing... unless June follows me back to London (hint hint)...

I watched the Da Vinci code last night. Eugene thought it made a complete mockery of God. I thought he was being narrow; it's only a movie anyway. Honestly though, I don't think it's within human ability to decide which versions of the God we believe in is right or wrong. Who's to say the story hasn't been distorted through the times and that we aren't actually living through "the greatest cover up in history" as per Dan Brown? I think our view of God is partly influenced by the type of person we are. The extent of how pure and righteous He is to us will depend on how we filter out whatever values that we want or don't want to see in Him, according to our own moral principles. One of the characters said that as long as there is one God, there will continue to be blood shed. That statement kinda struck me. Each act of bloodshed is only discriminated by language; (holy) war, suicide or sacrifice. Their purposes are the same, but men constantly bicker over which act to condone and which not to. I think we only waste time with superfluous talk. Judgment Day will determine who goes to heaven and who doesn't, and we should just use whatever earthly time we have to carry out the lives He gave us and hope that what we're doing fits into His good books.

I'm listening to Prince's The Most Beautiful Girl In The World and I just realised that when he sings the line "And when the night falls before that day I will cry tears of joy" you can hear sound effects of sploshing water right after "tears of joy". And you can hear shooting stars in the background where he starts speaking about stars falling from the sky. Huhuhu. It's kinda corny, even for such a great song.

Sweet 17 too?

2006-05-22T21:14:00.000+01:00

Happy birthday E!!!!!! :D :D :D

Early bird

2006-05-13T05:16:00.000+01:00

This is the earliest I've woken up since secondary school. Even 9 am classes in college didn't require getting up till 8 am, cuz it'd only take me 15 mins to walk to school. Yesterday after Public Law ended at noon I came home immediately and crashed on the bed. Woke up at 7.30 pm, watched The Promise (the movie sucked and Cecilia Cheung is soooo ugly!) sans subtitles because I couldn't get them to work, then read my magazines and fell asleep again by midnight. At least the sun is out today. Will probably do some shopping later, heehee.

Almost very nearly quite there

2006-05-09T21:57:00.000+01:00

Am midway through the exams now. Property was alright, although I was kinda strained for time. I am terribly worried about the outcome of my Jurisprudence paper... it was shite. Only Public and Criminal are left now.

My flight home stands on 7 June at the moment. It's subject to change though. The only reason why I'm sticking around (exams finish on 16 May) is because I have to wait till Zuhi, Lil and CH are done with their exams. We're gonna rent a car for a day to move our stuff into storage. The first time we rented a car in London, the five of us (Lil, June, Eugene, CH and I) drove to Brighton (well okay, only the boys took turns at the wheel) at night. Needless to say, the place was dead so we ended up bumming around in a cafe. June and I got into a bit of a misunderstanding over my "disappearing act" when I left them in the cafe, sans mobile phones, to get a breath of fresh air by the beach front across the road. By the time we were ready to leave, everyone was tired and irritable. Eugene was stuck with the job of peacemaker and his renditions of "Part of Your World" eased the tension a little, nyeheheheh.

I took part in a £10 poker tournament last Friday. To all of yous who think all I do in London is eat, sleep, drink coffee and play poker... I'd like to say that my poker lifestyle isn't as extravagant as some of my counterparts. Besides, this was my first time in a tournament, and it's probably the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th outing for the others. Anyway, I came out 15th amongst 60 players. Azlan and Eugene were 7th and 8th respectively. At least I outlasted Lil and CH. Ho ho ho. Am patiently waiting for this week's tournament :p

E day

2006-05-01T23:45:00.000+01:00

10 hours and a bit remaining to my Contract & Tort II exam. For the next two weeks, I'm going to be putting so much effort into my studies, more than I ever did these past 10 months. I am amazingly laidback. It's like someone spiked my drink with a relaxant. The only time I remember being flustered was a few days ago, when I was rushing to complete my 6000 word Property dissertation. Joel, the faculty secretary made a note that I was "Late, 3.03 pm". The essay was due at 3 pm. Talk about being tight up the ass!

I am, however, kinda worried about Jurisprudence on Thursday. I hate answering those damn theoretical questions. By the 16th, all this will be over and I can look forward to a stress free summer... I HOPE.

Tooth update

2006-04-18T13:09:00.000+01:00

It has been fixed!!!!!!! Unfortunately, the dentist also mentioned that my gums are in really bad shape and he recommended I book an appointment with the hygienist asap.

Please excuse the face.

Easter pinks and blues

2006-04-17T09:53:00.000+01:00

At this time last year, I think we'd just got back from Amsterdam and were still enjoying the holiday buzz. This year we didn't go anywhere. Which is supposed to mean more study time right? Not really, because there's more room for procrastination :p I told myself I'd hit the books as soon as Brunei Night was over, but I guess that didn't work out because after the whole shebang the exhaustion and accumulated lack of sleep kicked in. I wasted the first two weeks bumming around, catching up on my zzzzzzzzs and just bumming, generally. Now my everyday companion is a textbook.

The past week has been filled with minor mishaps. Last Wednesday I went to get my hair cut with Fauz. Got my fringe trimmed a little too short, AGAIN. I was quite upset with the turnout so I told Fauz I was going home straight away to fix it and that I'd meet her later. Unfortunately, even after I'd showered it was still looking kinda out of place. Luckily Fauz rang to say that she was off to meet some friends and that I didn't have to pick her up at the salon. And it's almost been a week since then, and thank goodness my fringe is growing along nicely.

Then on Thursday, I was chewing an Airhead when it attached itself to my artificial tooth and pulled the bit off. Not the whole tooth, just the mended up bit. I started yelling for Chun How, who was next door, at the top of my lungs. He was on the phone and hung up when he saw my horrified expression, but the minute I told him what happened he burst into fits of laughter. I called the dentist immediately only to be told that, "All our dentists are done for the day." Friday and Monday were off days as well, thanks to Easter. So I booked myself in for the very first slot on Tuesday, at 9.30 am. The receptionist was very nice though; she even gave me the Charing Cross Hospital emergency line. I have not ventured out the house much since then. I'm just waiting for tomorrowww.........

Yah, that's what it looks like. Please excuse the face.

And finally. A few days ago, I splashed a bit of water on to my laptop. JUST A LITTLE BIT. Like, REALLY meagre. Now the hyphen/underscore key isn't functioning. And the + key is a tad sticky. The = works fine, but when I use it with Shift, it takes a while before the + pops out. Sigh.

My luck had better change tomorrow. If anything goes wrong at the dentist's, I don't know what I'll do.

Fei kei cheung

2006-04-04T22:03:00.000+01:00

Happy 21st Chi Chi!!! As usual, she hasn't replied my SMS. This is the second year in running that she's done this. See what happens when your friend gets a boyfriend?!?!

xx, Hamsup Gorilla.

Gig it

2006-03-29T13:44:00.000+01:00

ABM played their second gig at The Cartoon in Croydon last night. Lil couldn't make it because his dad was flying off, neither could Suan because her mum's in town (and will be for the next 4 weeks), nor could Chun How, who had a KCLMSS dinner to attend. Azlan said the doors would open at 7.30 pm and that ABM was second in line to play. I left the house at 7.30 pm (estimated travelling time = 1 hour), and hey whaddya know, the underground trains at Bayswater were all delayed. By the time I got to Victoria to switch to the National Rail, it was already 8.20 pm. Eugene and I boarded the train which was due to leave at 8.30 pm. Tick tick tock. 8.30 came and the train didn't move. Eugene called Azlan's phone. Lijun picked up and said the band had already started playing. I called Lip Sin (whom we were supposed to meet at East Croydon) and told her to carry on ahead. Tick tick tock. 8.45 pm came and it didn't seem like the train was going to move anytime soon. I called Lip Sin and she said the band was still playing. Their set was supposed to last 30 mins. Eugene and I "one two jus"-ed, and consequently decided against a pointless 35 min journey. So we were left with two wasted train tickets, which cost £6.50 each. We headed back to Bayswater to grab a bite. But the damn trains were still failing to run efficiently, and we had to endure a 20 min delay at High Street Kensington. Oh of all days for underground delays to occur. A video of the gig can be found on ABM's website (see right). Take note of Azlan's American accent, heh heh. He only speaks like that to non-Asians and it's quite amusing to hear.

Birthday duck

2006-03-23T10:31:00.000Z

Before the eyebrows were plucked...

After the plucking...

Happy birthday Suan! :p

Brunei Night 2006

2006-03-20T21:03:00.000Z

IT WAS FABOOLUS!!! Everyone's talking about it. We didn't receive one negative comment at all. People said it was hilarious, that they enjoyed themselves and that they're really proud of the fantastic show that we put up. Sigh. All the rehearsals, the late nights, the Brunei Hall dinners, the people - I guess they paid off :D :D :D There were a couple of hitches though, like our boring emcee, the impromptu curtain call, and the slow sound cues... omg the sound cues TOTALLY ruined our cabaret!!!!!!!!!!!!! The minute we turned around to face the audience, our arms in the air, the music got cut off. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO potong stim. And so much more embarrassing. Viana, Adli, Kel, Syikin, Eugene and our three stooges (Jus, Azmi and Azlan) pulled off flawless performances as usual. Nina and Rey sang beautifully at the end (apparently numerous members of the audience shed tears). And you could tell our dancers were genuinely enjoying themselves despite their going through the motions for the umpteenth time. Eeeeeeeeeeeeee. Brunei Night's been over for 3 days already, but I'm still squealing about it. I can't wait for next year's production! In fact, Vi wants to start planning for it in the summer. Somebody also recorded the show on video cam, and now we're trying to see if we can burn it on discs and sell them. Heeheeheeheehee. I'm supposed to be getting back to the books now that B-Night has finally ended, but I think it's going to take awhile for the hype to die down. I'm still constantly playing Ain't No Mountain High Enough and Smooth Criminal on my iTunes :p

Track listing

2006-03-16T00:04:00.000Z

I came up with a list of songs that I'd play if I were deejaying in a club:

1) Toxic - Britney Spears
2) Girl - Beck
3) That Thing (Doo Wop) - Lauryn Hill
4) September - Earth, Wind and Fire
5) Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
6) Don't Phunk With My Heart - Black Eyed Peas
7) Hey Ya - Outkast
8) What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
9) All For You - Janet Jackson
10) Senorita - Justin Timberlake
11) Beat It - Michael Jackson
12) Shake Your Tailfeather - Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee

I know Dian would include much more Earth, Wind and Fire songs... but you can't show favouritism to one artiste you know? :p

What to do when you're stumped?

2006-03-09T07:57:00.000Z

I believe that it helps when you talk about things that are weighing you down. Problems, is the layman's term for such trivial issues. Although, I think I'll steer clear away from that word because it seems to be overused in this part of the world.

It takes two hands to clap. Likewise, it takes two heads (or whoever else in involved) to solve a quandary. But what if you bring up your concerns but the other party can't come to grasps with it? Or on the flip side, what if you yourself don't want to resolve things? What if familiarity has in fact bred contempt? You've adapted to change, albeit via a rocky path; you've taken out the trash and you don't want to talk about the matter anymore; but now change wants to undo its seams. You've gotta walk back to that trash bin, find a certain bin bag you threw out a long long time ago, sift through the items and pick out what's useful or can be repaired. Sigh. So many decisions. So many choices. So many things we'd rather run from sometimes.

On a separate note, we put the finishing touches on the cabaret yesterday night. It looks good, so our spectators say. I'm very very proud of everyone, especially our lead actress Nina. She's had to cross some pretty intense hurdles just for this and I'm beyond impressed with her dedication.

I also bumped into Amily in Nahar yesterday afternoon, while I was having lunch with Eugene. She was in London for the day to return the costumes her M-Soc borrowed from the Malaysian Tourism Department for Cardiff's Malaysian Night.

Only 9 more days to Brunei Night. Even today's usual day off had to be scrapped.

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!

2006-03-01T23:57:00.000Z

THE R&B IS FINALLY COMPLETE!!!!!!!

That means we've finished the all the dances with the exception of the cabaret, which Nadeeya, Bella and I will be dancing to. We'll have pin striped suits, bow ties AND canes. Sweeeeeeeeeeet! I can just see it on stage. It'll be suave. It'll be sexy. And deeeeeefinitely glam! Fingers crossed :D

Tomorrow onwards we'll be working on the script and we have a week to perfect everything. I am so positive about this. If only all of you could be there for our big day!

17 days to go

2006-03-01T14:00:00.000Z

Brunei Night is getting closer and closer everyday. I'm not feeling the panic, although everyone else is, but I think it's because I'm Malaysian and we're all inherently last-minute. Rest assured, three days before the big day, I'll be far from cucumber-cool and collected.

Much has happened in the past week, which is perhaps why I haven't been blogging too often. Sometimes it's difficult to describe the events that happen over here because some of them are inextricably delicate, and you never know who else reads your blog. Anyhoo, getting back to Brunei Night rehearsals - the boogie is looking good (except for a few shaky bits during the jive), the R&B is almost complete (we're supposed to finish it up today), we have yet to start the traditional dance... and as for Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal... it's probably the best number by far. Me, Azlan, Eugene and Chun How are dancing to that (heehee), as well as 7 other Bruneians. It's sooooo cool! If I could get my hands on the video we recorded and post it up here, I would, but then I'm terribly inept at computer related activities. To be honest, I really miss the stage. The thrill of delivery with numerous pairs of eyes on you is still there. And despite the years, it's funny how my face still turns bright red even though I have no qualms about performing.

I've been listening to Michael Jackson tunes of late. It's like I have this MJ-shaped vaccuum in me and I'm just taking my time now filling it up because I was never really part of the hype back then. His songs are maha addictive; once you start you can't stop. The beats just keep on drumming in your head and they get you tapping your feet and moving your body and all you want to do is dance like him! I think I finally realise why Eugene and Jasmine are totally nuts about him :p

Annie are you OK, so Annie are you OK, are you OK Annie?

With songs like that to shuffle your day along, I think I'll be fine. I just don't know it yet.

The most beautiful song in the world

2006-02-26T04:42:00.000Z

Both Sides Now, by Joni Mitchell

Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons ev'rywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on ev'ryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all

Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev'ry fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living ev'ry day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Celebrating good times

2006-02-26T00:41:00.000Z

Happy birthday to Dian! Here's to many many many MANY more days of craziness, cards, Nirwana, Muthu's, Starbucks... and let's hope your new age will also mean a year of less road accidents!!!! :p Looking forward to our great Euro trip, baby!

P/S: NOW can you see the ewok in you?

<3<3<3

Things are looking up

2006-02-16T03:53:00.000Z

It's 3.53 am and I'm still awake, chatting to Dian about our great Euro trip, weddings and boys. In fact, Zuhi's just popped into the living room. She's leaving me for a two-day trip to Paris with Arisa. Sob!

I had a really long phone conversation with June two days ago. It felt good, since we haven't spoken since she left London, and on a bad note too. I guess she confirmed what I've been feeling all this while - that I'm stifled by my current set of friends. Perhaps we see each other too much too often that there's ample room for petty squabbles and negative emotions. It's hard to change your routine though, when you're so used to seeing these people on a daily basis. I'm taking little steps to expand though. This past two weeks, I've been catching up with the friends I've missed out on for a while now (Cahyadi and Joey); and I've plans to meet up with Deb, Fauz and Mei some time soon. It's good to see some new (but old) faces every now and then because at the end of the day I come home feeling happy as a lark and more appreciative of my little bunch.

I had the longest day yesterday. I woke up at 12, showered and went to school to pick Zuhi up so we could go to Tooting together to see Nadia. Tooting is like Little India - all the restaurants are Indian, all the shops are Indian and most of the people on the street are Indian. We had lunch at an Indian restaurant, bought sweeties at an Indian dessert store, then whooshed off to the house where Nad's living. She's got a lovely room up in the attic. The room has two slanted windows which are perfect for stargazing and musing over random thoughts. We left at about 6 pm and I went straight to Paddington for B-Night rehearsals. Eugene's cousin Amanda was in town that day so we went to Garfunkel's after practice for a drink. We left by about midnight and I got home and did all my online shit... up till now. I'm still doing my online shit, looking for cheap flights to Barcelona for Nad's, Zuhi's and my Easter break.

Okay you guys are going to puke on all the love I have for my nephew, but this just in: new photos, courtesy of his daddy. Heeheeheehee.

End of the week

2006-02-12T21:20:00.000Z

Look what I found on Purse Blog! :D :D :D Although I have to say my doggies wouldn't be caught dead in one of those, and it doesn't matter that it's by Gucci.