Bah Humbug!

The egg yolk is too pale in colour, the queue is js always too long, n the sky is not blue enough...etc...I've got so many whims n discontents lately - I mean, more than usual. Tat it doesn't seem quite like Christmas.
It's js me. I need a Christmas cheer. Un-Scrooge me!

And I can't find the perfect Christmas songs list #$%^&!

Lai Meng of Msia

We used to watch her in those local chinese dramas, usually as the fierce mother or MIL. Then we thought she had retired. But no. At the full age of 81, she is like the belakang parang diasah lagikan tajam. The Sg production "Money No Enough 2" starred our very own Lai Meng. She rocks. I luv her expressions, it had went from sad, to miserable, to depressing n finally to heartbreaking, despite the random shootings u'd hav in the filming. She is so good tat she sent me wailing like a baby. I had to paused the show quite a while to wipe all the tears welled up by my glasses.

Keep up the good work!

The Firm Season 2

Team Dian. With Ridzuan, Masami n Chris, tis team was ready to work for Dian n win. Masami, despite being quiet, was giving herself too. Chris was great. Of course tis being his "comfort zone", he would naturally be at his best. But he din hav to, n yet he did. I love Ridzuan! He's such a nice, helpful n committed person. Din c it b4. Overall, Team Dian was a team working together. Guess the only obvious hiccup was the missunderstanding with all the celebrities in the first point of communication. The celebrities were doing them a favour n they really weren't obliged to anything. They js want to c sincerity, good event planning n generally be comfortable w the whole situation (or for some, things tat could benefit them ie materialistically or mere publicity).

Team Ain. People in Team Ain generally giv questions i/o answers. The guys were there to sabo i/o giving their "bestest". Eventho Jenn din go the extra miles (which she really din hav to anymore) at least she had the heart not to create headaches to Ain. JL was as usual could not be seen. But YW was js too much! Yeah he was trying to flaunt his capabilities during his days of his own battle, but now tat he's supposed to be helping Ain... Frankly speaking, if Rumah Hope could only agree with giving 8 kids out for the event day, then it is not a "question" nor a problem, rite? U js accept it, deal with it n plan from there. The part abt telling ppl to breath in etc was so uncalled for. KY should giv her a break too. The thing abt letterhead, u should go n find all the facts first b4 posing a decisive question to the boss. Tat way even if she still thinks it's a measly problem n tat u could deal with it at ur end, at least u coud already decide liao with all the facts/options in hand. Calling like tat was as tho u dun want to handle it n nak cuci tangan je.
N the brand sen. assoc. person for Adeedas really had issues. Since ur company is offering to giv back to society, u should be telling wat u're ready to offer, i/o shooting ppl in broad daylite. The way she talked was as tho ppl owe her big time. Did ppl came begging her for doing charity? Ur company is providing sponsorship so the thing u could do is BE NICE, n not tarnish the image of ur company.
Despite all the obstacles, it was good tat good things happened too. Ain was good in providing entertainment n so ppl were very happy. N she knows tat when ppl r happy, they will put in more effort for her. Plus, the free transportation service tat she'd gotten.

The Firm Season 2

It was abt creating awareness n Jennifer's idea was exactly wat was needed in the task screened 4th oct. Chris was uncalled for for being, as usual, going his own pace, n also i/o providing support he complaints, eg abt the attention given for handling the media. It was not intended to be a fun fair in the first place. Moreover, a team player do not js walk off n "lepak" out of the venue n "berpeluk tubuh" no matter how disagreeable u r with the whole thing. But then again we all know he was bound to do smtg like tat. Do u ever c Boon Yew doing such a thing??
It was either Kian You or Chris. I guess egoistic plus promising non-feasible things plus not being able to "bring smtg to the table", as Ain put it, were the reasons for KY's elimination. Cjris was safe again.

Last week saw a shocking turn. Instead of 1, 2 were ousted.
We all know Jennifer had been damn focused all the while. She comes up with logic, feasible n bright ideas (her ideas will not create any ??? hovering over anybody's head), she knows wat to prioritise, how to plan, she could work, she could deliver - basically she tops them all. But the question is, why is she eliminated?
Jennifer brought the team to success whether as a team player or as the leader. She had not once put herself in any difficult situation nor did she once created any reasons to be ever doubted. Then there it comes. The ONE time tat her idea failed her (the objective was to generate as much income for 1 particular day, regardless of being creative or not, as long as the $$$ earned is the highest) was in tis task. If she is not sacked becos of tis, when will be the best time to sack her, as there is a high possibility tat there'll be no more instances like tis one.
Could it be due to the quota reason? Joel won The Firm in season 1, so it had to be someone from the different race. Tis is a strong reason to explain why Ain was invited back as the quantity need to be more. Another point to ponder would be tat Jennifer was very vocal n defensive while not humble at all when talking to Tengku (should hav at least admitted ur wrongs upfront to ur future boss, rite? I mean think of it tis way: if u're hiring, wouldn't u want to hire some1 who is humble enough to admit her fault when u tell her straight in the face?)
And we all doubt Chris times n times again. Itupun he had been given sooooo many chances to change his style n prove us tat he could be mature. One thing abt Chris is tat he does not argue back in the boardroom so none of the corporate leaders nor Tengku had any personal dislike towards him. Chris is not dumb. He is very fast in thinking n draws up conclusions instantly. But he is js not The One. And we all need ppl like tis, n a very subtle n play safe type like Dian to be in the finals. And when The Strong one is ousted, it is easier to fire the regular ones. I dunno, but i expect Ain to win now...?

Hmmm....Ain could be defensive at times n she does role her eyes in the boardroom a lot. She also throws her hand everywhere when explaining smtg. It does not reflect profesionalism. Dian, on the other hand, handles things very calmly n she does not over-defend herself until the extent of hardselling herself (think YW n KY). Both r the type who thinks in the box n not anticipative, but one comes too strong while the other is very subtle whom is manageable. And when u look at the past season, Tengku likes some1 tat he could control so in saying tat, Dian stands a chance to win too.

So there it is. The 2 dalils why Jennifer could not win, as much as how ritefully n rationally it is. Guess tis is the real world. All's fair in love n war.

VKLiew, again!

The Borneo Post today shows a pic of my fav guy VKLiew. Why, I hav no idea he is capable of smilling - let alone grinning WIDELY! Must be 1 of those days tat u wake up js not being urself. In tis case a jerkish sulky rude arrogant b*tch waking up as Uncle Jolly. The NST also printed a pathetic pic of his.
Act of courage n responsibility u say? It is the responsibility of a representative of the people to set a good example to his people. Ponder on tat. Act on tat.

P/S: Looking at the doughnut i/o the hole, Lim GE says it best ;-P

The Firm Season 2

Instead of Boon Yew, Masami should hav been ousted. Masami was the team leader n should bear the responsibility. I js could not agree with the way she lead. Instead, she was able to buy more time to stay in the show. I feel boon Yew, as a team player could not be seen rebellious all the time; moreover, he did voice n sell his opinions. Wat else could he do? Beg n cry n get all emotional js to fish for sympathy? Boon Yew is very rational n calm. I believe he will go far.
Dian was too defensive. When a person is selling his idea, naturally he will mention abt the plus points. But in saying tat, tat doesn't mean tat he means YOU r the opposite. Ifeel Dian could be more accomodative n try to hear ppl out i/o dominating a certain idea. She shuts ppl out. Yes, an idea need to be fertilised for it to grow bigger n greater. But at the same time, a team player should not close herself up from others' ideas n prospects.
Hmmm....there is a twist here since Ain has came back. I still believe Jennifer will conquest all. But I foresee a lil bit of competition from Ain..

Jane Austen

Say wat u must but nothing sucks more than an unhappy ending to a tale of romance. But i do suppose it is an exception with this one for "one could not be a wife and a writer" in those days. Should she had chosen not to be wat she had became, there would be no Becoming Jane...

Becoming Jane
Becoming a woman. Becoming a legend.

The Firm Season 2

Again, Jennifer had sailed thru her given task. Come what may, Jennifer is always very clear of the assignment (while others r still deep in the woods n hav yet to see the light eg Yuen Wai), she is very fast in reaction n coming up with alternatives, n she knows how to handle ppl with different characteristics. She has leadership qualities too.
Boon Yew on the other hand, apparently did not prove himself to be creative n "think out of the box". Yes, no doubt he could giv life to presentations n he could talk.
Masami, I feel, shares some similarities with Chris, only tat their physical reaction is very contrast. Both r pessimistic, both like to find faults in ppl n both tend to succumb to their own state of unable-to-acceptfulness. Masami gav a good start but somehow...

Jennifer, kambate!!

"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.." Gen. 2:23

"Kalau u hormat pada wanita, u takkan buat cam tu", a line quoted from the local production, Frontpage. Eventho it was js referring to some stupid teasing from a street youngster, it really reflect on the values carried by the society. Respect towards women is an issue with the society, with upbringing.
If there is respect towards women, there will not be the jerkish whistling n/or honking hooligans driving by, hidden camera nuisance, harassment, molest, rape, pedophile, domestic violence or any form of disrespect/violence cases inflicted on women /girls.

Sad to say, the punishment for a drug-related crime weigh far more than rape cases. I am not questioning on the drug-related cases, rather, I m emphasizing how mere are violence-towards-women crimes are being regarded. U hav a choice to take drugs (n u hav no one to blame in the world but urself), but do u get to decide whether u want to be subjected to the humiliation, life-traumatizing n/or brutality of rape?

The Firm Season 2

Last week in Team Equity the expected finally happened - The Hold-Myself-Fully-Responsible was terminated. In a way, the 3 people who volunteered themselves to be terminated were..."sweet", willing to bear responsibility n considerate. But at the same time in doing tat, it showed how much tat they're not there to be the winner n js did not bother.

I must say it was really exciting over in Team Asset tis week. Ernie could be cocky n blunt, at all times, but he can really analize the situation damn well. He listed all the fault in the 3 of them n weighed all the cons down to Joo Li being the most deserving to be terminated.

It was very clear tat as time goes by, Yuen Wai had stepped-up n became a great team player. But at the same time, Joo Li has became more irresponsible, pushing the blame n non-participating. N Chris pula more n more questioning while not offering any suggestions. It is good to question n challenge ideas during brainstorming sessions but as u do tat u could suggest an alternative or another way of doing things, or if u dun hav any ideas to contribute, u could explain nicely why u think tat a certain idea is not a good one. A great example is Masami in Team Equity. Eventho Dian's sugg suck (big time) for the second time, which was on the theme again, Masami actually complimented her before offering another idea. Masami's idea "Shrimply the best", I feel, was excellent. She also took the time to explain wat's wrong with Dian's idea. It does not take a genius to tell tat "A taste of courage" will be a bad theme for an f&b outlet. Their actual theme in the end was lousy, I guess "somebody", again, must hav been very defensive towards her own bad idea.

Wat's with Kian Yew anyway? He was fighting with The Client! I mean, when a client gives u a 'no', it means NO. No 2 way abt it, man.
N to Chris, the other 2 teammates left in the same boat as u r not going to plot to kick u out, rather u give too many reasons for u to be ousted. KY n YW were not dominating the work n trying to show off themselves, rather they were js being team players. Team players who want their team to win.
Again, Boon Yew, Jennifer n Masami were great. They know their priority n able to handle the actual day well (which in an event, it's wat it'is all abt), contrary to Chris n Joo Li.

At the end of tis race, I do c Jennifer, Boon Yew n Masami. Some minus points, tho, for Masami, as she did not deliver well as the TL in the previous week. She did not act according to the current situation, as the corporate leader had put it. While Jennifer had performed outstandingly as a TL previously, Boon Yew has yet to prove his leadership qualities. After all, this race is all abt finding a leader.

The Firm season 2

Alas, Ain is out! It was down to The Sissy n Ain, n since it was earlier agreed upon plus the fact tat Ain was argumentative in the board meeting again, she was finally fired. I had high hopes on Ain cos of her alertness n competitiveness....all dashed now cos of you-know-who.
The Student was another issue. Her experiment on the Spritzer mineral water being poured into a balloon, hence making our skin wrinkle-free. WTF??!! It is simply becos of the water giving volume n bloating the balloon up. Try looking at the ED's long face. He was all smiles upon reaching the plant earlier tat day. Her second mistake is the script for the video ad. Her "all the script is in my head" fooled no-one. No-one. She had no script in her head, js the gist of the scenes. She was the cause of the stress-shooting day n she did not bother to owe up, Ain had to defend her.

I luv Jennifer, Masami n Boon Yew. Keep up the good work!!

The Firm season 2

Team Asset. Watching the first episode I tot The Fitness Consultant was going to be fired, of course after The Banker. He kept on side-tracking n talked so aggressively. Guess he got his alliances, alrite. Ain was right when she said tat The Fitness Consultant's presentation was like going to a war n tat he talked girlishly (not judging any sex orientation here). He was n did. Ain was also right most of the times. It's tru tat she gives her opinions straight, cos they dun reali hav much time to come up with smtg n beating around the bush certainly will not help. One thing, at least she was not harsh (sadly, The Boss does not agree. I suppose he would hav his own reasons. And so, she will not stay long). But The Fitness Consultant was clearly rude, harsh n aggressive. The only mistake done by Ain was tat she was not the presenter. She could hav saved the team.

Ain n Terence were rite when they said tat The Banker should decide by himself wht to leave The Firm or not cos it was his own call. The Banker tot tat he was not compatible enough n so made the decision to leave. Let the man go. Let the man go with dignity. Salasiah made 2 mistakes: 1) Suggesting tat the team should talk n persuade The Banker to stay, like it was a children's game n somebody had cried 2) She agreed to leave for the betterment of the team.
Ain n Terence were the only ones participating actively n effectively. Salasiah n The Legal Assistant were always playing safe by not participating enough. The Sissy always got lost during brainstorming while The Banker is permanently lost in the woods.

The Student is another issue. She actually used the word "disgusting" to describe their client's product. We'll forgive her cos she din know better. But we could not forgive her when she gave some rude facial expressives when told by The Boss! I think she was very immature n she was on national tv. She will not stay.
Azti is well balanced - not too active. Not irritating.
The Legal Assistant said "It's ok tat they (Team Equity) rulez, cos we're going to conquer them!". He rocks.

Team Equity. I luv Jennifer n Masami. Jennifer can really prioritise, organize n manage. I won't be surprised if she wins in the end. Masami evaluates the situation n can reason well. She speaks impeccable English too. The Corporate Trainer is the issue in tis team. He over-rate himself. He volunteered himself to be the presenter n vow to be "fully responsible" if they lose, yet was rejected by his team members, politely. They were trying to save his face for him. If he's wise, he should've shutted-up. He claimed tat his team was judging him n tat he was dissapointed. He forgot tat tis is a matter of choosing the perfect person for the role n not js putting someone on the stage js becos he "thinks" he could present well n tat he is willing to hold himself fully responsible. Moreover, hekept on saying tat presenting is wat he does in his daily profession. Masami had to point out tat tis presentation is not abt giving a motivational talk, it is abt trying to sell ur ideas n selling to ur potential customers. It is definitely not the thing tat he does daily n thank God they did not trust him enough for the responsibility. There is a tie between The Sissy n The Hold-Myself-Fully-Responsible.

Anoop was....Anoop.
Boon Yew was js so lively n good.

We await the next episode. My bet is on The Sissy or The Student.

VK Liew: To treat people as people

One would hav expected a relatively new public figure like VK Liew to be approachable n generally - a PERSON. Sadly, wat he had portrayed is the opposite of his real self. A man who is proud, ill-mannered n does not worth to be regarded. As a Sabahan myself, I feel ashamed of his appointment. Perhaps he could learn a thing or 2 from Datuk TK Koh, who is even a Penangite, or Dr SL Chua.

Always, there r politicians of our beloved country who unfailingly put us in the limelight by making a fool out of themselves. U know, I believe it is still probably forgivable since these incidences might not be intended. (And sometimes, men do hav those days of the month, surprisingly. Recall the amusingly emotional interview on the riot in kl over cnn. CNN!!) I could still giv them the benefit of the doubt. But to intentionally treat/talk inhumanely in a calm n emotionless situation upfront to another being, it's a baffle.

In his blog, he emphasizes on his passion to serve the people. But he forgot the basic thing here is to firstly, treat people as people.

Tis dude here - no respect for u.

Pet-Zhi-So-Wei

Case 1: U r driving along a fairly busy road one afternoon n while the traffic is moving smoothly, suddenly all cars just come to a halt. And for the longest time u din know wat causes the halt but u do hear cars honking like crazy. Along came a girl running out of a shop to a car abt 6m in front of ur car, n the cars began flowing like b4. The said girl parked her car now beside the road, came out of it n walk stylishly across the road like she did not do anything wrong!

Case 2: I js went to tis parenting n nutrition talk tis afternoon. 1 of the speakers talked abt upbringing/parenting skills play an importan role in children's displine, lifestyle n character. Tis auntie who came with her kids nodded in dire agreement. Yeah sure, cos rite after the talk, she jumped a long queue to approach the speaker for a private session. Yup, the speaker did also mention abt setting an example.

Case 3: While moving out, an ex-hsemate of mine left behind her old smelly mattress in her room, along with a few goodies like used yogurt jars, empty bottles n newspapers spreaded everywhere. Guess who had to clean up for her?

System down for the day..

M thinking of wat to hav for dinner. Had been working since yesterday evening, thruout the nite, til tis morning, but hav yet to sleep til now. And since I've dragged sleeping til tis hour, heck, might as well hav dinner first before retiring. Actually, I wanted to make some porridge served with seaweed n white sesame, but m too tired, blur n sluggish not to mention sore feet...sigh,
wat an unproductive day.

Don't Quit

Crossroad episode over, for now. Js need to patch things up a bit. Tis is my fav piece of poetry, eversince i could remember. Got a bookmark of it too.

Don’t Quit!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor’s cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

—Anonymous

5608

Last nite was my sister's b-day. Her birthdate is very easy to remember - 5678 - 5th of June, year 1978. My lil brother's b-day on the other hand falls on the 23rd of January, and is remembered as 123. And hence we always get birthday wishes from cousins etc etc..

Since we were lil, my sister is always the 1 i look up to. Well, she's not the only one (think Eric Soon, Keanu Reeves, Michael n Victor etc), let's js say tat she's always the stronger one. She'll march on no matter wat as long as she believes. Sure there'll be tears along the years, but u know wat they say, when the going gets tough the tough gets going and tis is wat she lives by. To say tat she's stubborn, nope, tat's not the rite word. She's simply firm n full of pride.
My sister thinks maturely even when we were still in primary school. She would think things over quietly n came up with a "no". And her "no" will always be a "no". Period. Tat's tat. And when she left for Sg for good, she had every valid reasons to. It is js like the thousands of ppl who had left n never looked back.

Last nite was also the 4th line-d party/jam tat i've ever attended. It's amazing tat at 1 glance u c all the aunties, but look again. Once the music starts, the aunties transformed into dancing freaks. They could really dance. Among the crowd r some instructors from fitness centres, studios n even some smaller scale classes. One of my instructors was there too (she likes to stay low profile. m still trying to negotiate with her to upload a video clip of her dancing).
I think at a line-d party the dance list n the venue is very important. U could hav those really 60s n cowboyish songs n it's such a big turn off cos line-d nowadays has transformed. Yup, big thanks to these aunties ;-)
We did hits like Break the ice, so glamorous, ain't got no money (think it's Timbaland the way i r), wanna know why, feed the fetish (Janet Jackson's), wat goes around (Timberlake), don't stop (Rihanna's pls dun stop the music)...



Many people may know tat I think lowly of Amber Chia. Nothing personal, really, js tat I can't c anything in her. As a public figure, she could be so easily disregarded - can't speak, has a cow-like voice, she can't act, n it goes on. But the recent June issue of the Shape magazine finally gav one reason for her fame - she still is u*** but she really has the shape. The bikini tells the truth. And so, will giv her some credit for tat.

Roads n Hammers

Another juncture. Another crossroad in life. A point where u start pondering n questioning yourself again. There's a few paths u could take but when u dun see the end of the road, guess it's tough to pick one. Sure u'd weigh it out, to see the pros n cons n as a whole...but the uncertainty is there...

Some more got a line-d party tonight by one of the "si-fus". Stress lah. Practise n practise. The soles hurt, n so r the hamstrings n some of the muscles here n there. 75 songs. So far can nail 33 songs, which is only a mere 44%...must buy a bigger hammer n start nailing away ;-P

Walking lobsters

Js came back from a 2d trip to an island getaway somewhere in the Indian Ocean n feeling sluggish now. Too much sun, sand n sweat. Got away with sunburn the first day (highly recommend Banana Boat SPF 80++ with aloe vera for the body n Shiseido SPF 50++ for the face - super effective). But on the second day, I tot heck, an island getaway isn't one without some degree of sunburn so no sunblock lotion for me!
We all came back, looking like lobsters ;-)

Shouldn't it?

The police force, and education system, in any country must be free from politics....or at least it should be....

n if u r a relatively small country, wouldn't the head of the country (the 1 who is supposed to make crucial decisions n bear it all) be made aware of any huge special force activity?

My Bird-Day

While the whole world is rioting on Labour Day '08....


(1 of my 2 b'day cakes....tis is tiramisu while the other 1 is moist lemon cheese cake ;-P)

("asked" to sing the birthday song)

(house on the hill)

(yup, I hav a thing for lamp posts)

(luv the trees)

(my long straight obedient hair)

While dinner at a known Japanese restaurant was great, halfway eating a 4" long mouse ran by our table. The amazing part was tat the waitresses din seem to be concerned..

I did smtg today

Today i did smtg i haven't done in 15 years. After i did it for I think 3 times 15 years back, i always wanted to do it again, but there was a few factors eg the trend, the hassles n the consequences, n so i usually js do the temporary ones. No consequences to worry abt n yet u had fun.
I permed my hair. I finally nike-ed it.

Ev*l B*tches

Dimwits r everywhere. BMWs (big-mouth-woman) r everywhere. B*tches r everywhere. It's a norm. It's 1 of nature's rule. I do agree tat not everyday is a sunny day, but these ppl could reali break ur day.
If u dun hav anything nice to say, dun say anything. I m those ppl who r straight. I treat everybody with respect wht u're my boss or u're a nobody. If i hear gossips, which i hear everyday, I will not judge the person from wat i hear, rather I will take precaution n go from there. It's simply not fair. And if i dun like u, I will not tell u in the face, worse off I would js ignore u. I m bad with confrontations as I could not twist the truths like some wily ppl do. I dun go thru the back alley, n even if i do hav to, i'd feel not-rite. Maybe becos i was a very mischievous child during kindergarten n early primary school age, my parents became all no-nonsence for my sake. And becos of tat, I reali did believe in the morale-nilais back in high shcool (which probably was the reason i got A2 in it ;-P). Plainly I can't be a good politician.

But these irritating, low-down buggers r totally unbelievable. They js love spreading their venow n making everyone sick. I think tat's their mission in life. While ppl suffer, they somehow absord their energy tat in return bring them joy n thrill. Yet, they could be all innocent n pretend tat they so luv u rite in ur face. And u could already c the 2 horns protruding from their head with the pointy tail sticking out behind. I personally believe tat they r sent from hell cos even Satan dun want them.
When the damage is done, it's DONE. Words cut deeper than any knife. Especially when it's twisted n with add-ons. And u think tat only McD value meals have add-ons.
You'd be wondering too wht it's sincere or js another act. Scene no. 8th million.
Whoever said tat 'Forgiveness is the greatest virtue'. Yup, n cows can fly.

Meaty Vege

I used to think tat it's a big waste tat the Old Testament, or Torah for the Jews, forbids the eating of pork n sea creatures tat do not hav fins or scales. But recent readings pointed out the reasons n they're for the benefits of health. I can't really forgo all the good food, i mean think roast pork, deep-fried pork ribs, dumplings, crustacean baked with cheese, wanton, cockles... m thinking of my yummy curry meehoon yesterday at Uncle Chong's with lots of cockles...yum yum..
But seriously, prawns etc r pretty bad for health looking at their bad cholesterol n their feed. My dad used to eat lots of them even after curing from his first cancer. Plus, u hear all those pantangs abt prawns, lobsters, cockles.... they ain't called pantangs if they're baseless.

Guess the smart thing to do is to eat moderately. I try to lessen meat diet too since acidic body does invite a lot of illness to the body, which is a very hard thing to do totally. And eating good food in smaller portions, many meals a day. (I used to stuff myself silly during meal times cos js too enjoy eating. Restrain, restrain) Tho tis can only be done on non-working days, n on self-disciplined non-working days...hmmm... guess the keyword here is DISCIPLINE. Of course, gotta restain from drinking too much coffee too. Js green/black tea or lemon drink.

Surprisingly, i actually begin to enjoy vegetarian food nowadays, which btb, just found tis very nice lei-cha-fan eatery near my place. Used to think it's gross judging from it's very-green look but not anymore. Ok, gtg. Time for some organic soya drink n 2 portions of fruits. Discipline.

Good local ones

Just finished watching the last episode of Ghost, a local Malay production (thanks to the catch-up tv shows of 8tv). Gotta say, it's well written n acted. Starred Nazrudin Rahman and Cheryl Samad, the show was able to give you all the suspense and u never would hav guessed the ending. By then, everything just fell into pieces js rite. Like it when every episode gives a different turn to the story n whatever tat u've speculated is all wrong n more questions come up.
I remember another good show, Pond's Table For Two, tho i can't remember the ending...must be a good one, since it is expected to? The mains were Azizan Nin and Melissa Maureen (I love her!).
Guess the most memorable one is Kopitiam. Tat was classic. Also Ng Ping Ho.

Jamming at OUG

Just came back from a line dance jam at OUG Club. There were line dances n ballroom dances, each alternating after every 4 songs. I js realized how much i miss my cha-cha, rumba, samba n jive! Talk abt forgetting the steps. It's like u see it n u know u've done it b4 but somehow u js can't step on it. Of course i enjoy line dance but surely there's time for all...hmmm...
Boy, can those people drink - abt 17 ppl with 6 bottle of wines. We had 53 songs listed in tis casual jam but due to dividing time btw the diff types of dances, it had to be reduced to abt 40 songs. Lots of good ones - Window shopping, Lookin' for smtg (Britney Spears'), Doors of life, Just walk away (Kelly clarkson's, which was scrapped off), Wanna know why (Gabrielle's), Cry to me, Cha cha with me, Besame mucho etc... can't nail No doubt abt it by Timbaland (as well as No diggity), think somehow black hip-hop songs r hard for me. But all's good, considering the fact tat we started doing tis js more than a year ago n we r doing intermediate ones alrite. M good. All's good.

Stand-by-ing

Today has been draggy n hanging. It is always like tat when m on standby for work. Was called-up for a very short trip to Taiwan on thurs, which apparently they were campaining at the Liu-he pasar malam tat we went to. We walked right into their campaign. Obviously we were not locals. The next day flight back was good as the flight was practically empty - the polling day.

Couldn't plan anything other than wait the whole morning, going to the fitness centre in the morning, then grocery shopping. Then wait some more. Even turned down tis line dancing party tonight. Tot tat i'd be called up for work for sure cos it's a Sat so i din revise any dance at all. Wat's more, the organizing instructor of tis party is the one n so quality is expected. Look at the dance list.
Sigh. M now home alone. Made a simple early dinner of spaghetti carbonara. Hmmm... kinda hav a sudden crave for teh tarik. M going to make 1 now.
Tomorrow. Another long day of stand-bying...

While it is still home

Sri Petaling, under the Seputeh constituency (think Teresa Kok), is a relatively small n comfortable main suburb in KL. It has a population of abt 50000. Some ppl might think tat it is at Petaling Street due to it's name. It is actually located at the south of KL near Sg Besi n Bt Jalil.
Refer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Petaling.

For those who watch "Where The Heart Is", a good recent local drama, remember the eatery tat Jia Kang's parents operate? It is actually a bakery-cum-restaurant called Baker's Apprentice in Sri Petaling. There were also shots taken at the Bt Jalil stadium carpark, Carrefour n some of the streets around.

Food-wise, there r 8 bakeries, 7 bah kut teh, 8 dim sum, 6 steamboat, 6 chix rice, 3 vegetarian, 5 types of fast food (2 of them has 2 outlets each), 1 korean, 1 middle-eastern (3-storey) eateries, 2 pasar malams, abt 10 mix rice stalls n more than 10 mamak places. There r also a few restaurants tat could hse wedding banquets, as well as cafes which include local, western, fusion, hong kong n taiwan food, n more than 5 tong-sui places. The traffic here is convenient n plus the not-so-big compound, generally the eateries r all easily found. There r also 3 shops tat sell organic vegetables n products.

All the local banks r available here, which by the way, r lined up in 2 whole stretches of shoplots. We've also got 1 hotel n 1 hostel, n 2 churches. Lots of car workshops, 3 car dealer showrooms n 3 types of petrol stations. Also, a bowling alley n a karaoke lounge. 4 public schools, 1 community hall, 1 fitness centre, 1 yoga studio, 2 7-11s. Currently there r 4 condos/apartments, plus 2 more in 2 years' time.
There's also a Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, just a few floors above Carrefour.

It is a nice place to stay as it is not congested. There r greeneries around. The only thing i loathe is the gigantic rats tat r seen walking around with pride n elegance. It is downright unsightly when u r having ur dinner n u see them strolling by. But then again, I think tis rat business is nothing new in the whole KL. Wonder wht any drastic measure would be taken like a city in US tat adopted huge cats to combat their rodent crisis. Hmmm....

Salak-menyalak

The snake fruit, or buah salak as it is well-known, is roughly the size of a ripe fig (not the dried ones) tho some could be larger. I only know abt this fruit just last year. They're mostly available in Indonesia, tho i found some in d pasar malam at Sunway. Those bought in Medan is generally more juicy n big compare to those in Jakarta, sold for RM10 per 1.5kg.
To eat them, just peel at the skin, easier if u peel from the tip of the fruit. I've got a colleague who could finish a whole big bag of it just like tat, attacking the fruit 1 by 1 til it's all gone - n she's fast!

The most recent dance we did is called Sea Salt Sally. It is a 96 steps dance, 4 walls. The song is rather old but the choleography is alrite. But nothing compares to You're My Destiny. That's our fav nowadays. Nancy, one of our instructors, will be migrating to NZ soon. She's reaching her 50s, has 3 boys but she still looks stunning. She's one of those who makes heads turn n yet she's wonderfully warm. I wish her well there n tat she will find a dancing opportunity tat suits her.

A Fishy Story: The Fish Spa

Went to tis fish spa therapy in The Pavilion (where they hav the second The Loaf, owned by Dr M). It is a new trend in kl. The Garra Rufa fishes were imported from Turkey, n the fish spa concept is quite a hit in Japan. The customer soaks in water stocked with fish that nibble on their skin, removing dead cells and reportedly clearing up skin conditions, leaving ur skin glowing. The idea is to soak ur whole body into the "fish tank" so u could hav a whole body therapy, but the 1 here is just for the feet. Prob becos they're testing the market?
At first, u'd feel hesitant (js like the donuts) n when u submerge ur feet into the water, an immediate tickling sensation is felt n u'd instantly pull ur feet out of the water. But thinking tat u r paying for the treatment, so heck, js give it another darn shot. It still feels itchy n funny, having tiny fishes, which i could swear i saw 1 measuring 3.5", nibbling from ur feet. After a 30 min session, to my pleasant surprise, it did live up to its promise. Ur feet do look somewat exfoliated n clean. It is a fun n refreshing idea. After all, u js gotta come up with smtg to celebrate ur 8th anniversary together...

Somewat cruelly ironic?

I had a fren who once claimed tat he is against ppl who r rude n does not appreciate frenship n thoughfullness. I m agreeable on tat as i find it too annoying when someone is being bluntly impolite n offensive. I believe tat there is a line when it comes to ur frens n ppl tat u know or communicate with. And it is tis line tat determines the level of respect n appreciation tat is trusted to be mutual. But once tis line is crossed, the respect n frenship is breached.
It is js like u, being all warm n welcoming ppl into ur hse. Along come tis fella, insult u rite under ur roof. Tat's it, u'll be thinking. Out, he goes. Wat's more, the fella insult u twice in ur territory.
I feel tat one must be mindful when it comes to making remarks n hurting ur frens' feelings. So, if by any chance i do exactly tat, pls tell me. I certainly know how bad tat feels n dun mean to cause any unhappiness to ppl around me, unless when it's called for.

Another thing I've discovered is tat eventho u dun bother urself with entertainment news, some degree of it will still somehow get to u, especially when u hav colleagues who r in/involve/know the entertainment industry so well. We do hav a few humble local beauties, n of course we hav 1 particular 1 who appears front page in a national newspaper because of skydiving (as tho we dun hav bigger news), a drama abt an extra-marital affair etc.. Even my instructor loathe the idea of going to a fitness centre becos the bothersome posters of hers everywhere. And same goes to a local cafe here. Compare to her, the other deserving celebrities certainly keep their profile low n humble. Think the elegant Rachel Tan, gorgeous Carmen Soo, graceful Angel Yeoh n sweet Belinda Chee. But of course these r mere personal opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions becos everyone see things differently.
And if u do disagree with somebody else's say, u could always point out the other side of things abt the particular issue, n not by attacking that person. I feel tis is the rite way?

Oh, js a lil piece of info.
-a wannabe means a person who likes to imitate, or even wishes to be, another, but cannot achieve it due to physical, psychological, financial, cultural, political, religious, or mental limitations...
a line dance is a formation dance in which a group of ppl dance in 1 or more lines, executing the same movements...
-a belly dance is a Middle Eastern dance in which the dancer makes sensuous movements of the hips n abdomen.

So there's a world of difference btw a line dance n a belly dance. There's also a massive difference in being a wannabe n a student, who hasn't gotten any paper but is good in it.

Sweeping one off one's feet

Eventho mystery/thriller movies like Swordfish, Minority Report or The Sixth Sense, or dramas like Gladiator, Ru Pin Hua or Twin Peaks r good, but as good as they r, they couldn't give tis wonderful no-words-can-describe on-top-of-the-world attachment as happy ending romance movies. I dun mean movies like Butterfly Lovers, Fly Me to Polaris, Ah Lang's Story, Remains of The day, Cold Mountain or Lust, Caution. Those, on the other hand, give either an empty n miserable &/or a disturbing feeling.

I'm talking abt stories tat leave a lingering n contented feeling. He must be protective like Shin in Princess Hours, defeated like Darcy in Pride n Prejudice, blind/attentive like Michael in When A Man Loves A Woman, needed like Sam in Sleepless in Seattle, believing yet lost like Ted Mosby in HIMYM (more a sitcom, but i js love him!) n vulnerable like Howl in Howl's Moving Castle. Yes, i believe in fairy tales in movies. Great happy-ending ones. Like wat Briony said in Atonement "Why not give them the happy ending tat they deserve?"

Pesto n Pasta

Recently i hav tried this pesto recipe to go with my pasta. I combined the recipe from http://savorynotebook.blogspot.com/search/label/Pesto n from my food book:

50gm fresh basil leaves (jusco/tesco), 2 med cloves of garlic, ≤50gm pine nuts(jusco), abt 150ml olive oil, n a pinch of salt. For longer storage purpose, I added more olive oil. As for the cheese, i only add them when cooking per time n not beforehand, usually rite after turning off the heat. To make the pesto, combine all the ingredients in a food processor/mortal n pestle. Then pour into a glass jar n store in the fridge. Scope out 2 tbsp per person when u make ur meal. Dun forget the cheese.

1) This is the home-made pesto (no basil sprinkle cos ran out of them). The texture is not as fine as those u get from the stores, but i actually prefer it tat way cos u could taste more of the basil leaves.

2) This is bought-pesto. Notice tat it is less green as it is mass produced n oxidation is inevitable.

Donuts Craze

Like the Rotiboy Mexican bun obsession a few years back, the donuts craze is now in town. We've got Dunkin' Donuts, J.Co n Big Apple, the big boys in the donut business right here. We r only missing Krispy Kreme, which apparently turned down our application to start their franchise in Malaysia a few years ago. And now I would say they miss the train cos usually the first ones in the game would gain more.
Food-wise, I hav made a comparison n the list starts with my fav. To be consistent, I try to compare the plain ones first like the glazzy, original glazed, old fashion, n then extend to the rest of the flavours.

1) J.Co
Before it was born in KL, I was told abt their great donuts when I visited Jakarta. I remember thinking "it's just a doughnut" n so we went to hav our nasi padang, bakso, layer cake (Eaton's have great layer cakes, try their original n coffee flavors) etc etc n din bother abt the humble doughnut. But now tat I've savored them - I wouldn't ever say the same. Eventho they're sweet (tried the trick with the black coffee - they're still sweet) but they're so pillow-soft n before u know it, u've gobbled down 4 in a go. With their 22 varieties - this is definitely THE FAVOURITE.

2) Big Apple
I first had them in KK. I love their not-so-sweet concept. It is so to go with the local demand. In term of texture, it couldn't compete with J.Co.


3) Krispy Kreme
They hav tis Chocolate Cruller tat is somewat similar to the Windmill at D. Donuts. I had them on a winter morning n I would say yes - it's a good n filling breakfast, although I couldn't agree on the satisfaction. Prob becos of my expectation since K. Kreme is suppose to be "legendary" (m starting to use tis word quoted by Barney in HIMYM).

4) Dunkin' Donuts
Bad. As hard as rock, but they do offer the most variety. They've got 52 types with only 40 avail in msia. Tho I do think tat Munchkins is a good product. U get to save plus make a finger food out of it for convenience. Despite it being the worst, it had tapped into the msia market n had been growing steadily since 1987.


I still remember how it was during the Rotiboy era. One of their outlets was right below my workplace. And boy, think we had them almost everyday. And at busy days, we'd hav them delivered! The delivery was from another outlet. So all together, there were 3 outlets just lingering around where I use to work so u could imagine the frequency I had them.

Everyone is "cousin"

We all get confused at 1 stage or another how to address certain relatives, especially if u hav an extensive family (Note tat u dun hav any special titles for relatives thru marriage. In other words since they're not blood-related, they're not counted as relatives).

Generally, every1 knows tat
A nuclear family is made up of father, mother and one or more children living together.
A single-parent family is one where either the mother or father is caring for the children in the family.
(Both the "nuclear family" and the "single-parent family" are also called the "immediate family".)

Second families
"Step-" is used to show tat it is from another marriage. "Half-" is for anything new in the second (or third) marriage.

The sister/brother of ur grandparent is actually ur great-aunt/great-uncle, n not grand aunt/grand uncle, as in the diagram. I simply dun hav a better diagram.



Ok, here comes the "Cousin" part:

A cousin is a relative, other than an ancestor or descendant who shares a common ancestor (basically, every1 young or in the same age range like u in a family-get-together, is a counsin, u wouldn't go wrong there).

Parallel cousin r those who are in the same descent group as u and are from the parent's same-sexed sibling. A cross cousin is from the parent's opposite-sexed sibling. Simply put, a parallel cousin is a first cousin who is the child of the father's brother (paternal uncle's child) or the mother's sister (maternal aunt's child), while a cross cousin is the child of the mother's brother (maternal uncle's child) or of the father's sister (paternal aunt's child).

Double first cousins arise when two siblings reproduce with another set of siblings and the resulting children are related to each other through both parents' families (How cool is tat?).

Generally, the words cousin-sister/cousin-brother does not exist in proper English. These r the terms, tat i read somewhere, first introduced by English-speaking Indians, which just refer to female cousin/male cousin. And now these terms r widely n generally used in Malaysia n Singapore. Sad.

Today we did a little revision n 2 new dances. One of them is The Last Waltz - 1 wall 48 count. It is not a new song. Basically it's something like the basic waltz steps cos after all the turning, u wind up facing the same wall, except tat in the real waltz u stand on the exact location as u first started but in this dance - no, u ended up toward the first wall. The steps r harder than the basic waltz tho. And the hand movements. I always hated the hands.

EOC

I can understand tat certain companies hav their own rules of employment but sadly, i couldn't bring myself to agree with the way the co where i work for, work.

The contract staff r on a 5-year contract basis, n with the co tat r owned by the government (mine is a semi-gov co), it is mostly automatically renewed, if not it would be done with 'not much difficulty'.

In the co tat i work for, the employment turnover is alarmingly high n staff were naturally absorbed as permanent employees once the 5 years r up. Those who r not interested would hav gotten off the ship long before the contract ended. Recruitment then was constantly on n new faces come n go (or rather, came n went).

However in the recent years, the company tat i m working for is not doing well. Actually, it had been tortured n drained off for a long time, but it only succumbed to its injuries abt 2 years back. And becos of tis, those deserving contract staff r short-changed n r dismissed. The contract just ended without any EOC (end of contract interview) or any review at all. It was only after being pressured by the union some time back tat they hold the eoc interviews again. But even so, the co is still under trauma. It needs more time to recover. And so, the number of staff being let go r still higher than those who r absorbed. Now, the co sets beforehand the percentage tat it wants to retain n not base on individual's conduct n performance. Tis is the fate of one of my senior colleague. It's js disgusting, especially considering another fact tat the crew working on the ship now is gradually lesser tat wat's essential. Tis is becos recruitment had been freezed more than 1 year ago n the ppl resigning/let go meanwhile was still ongoing.

The more disgusting part is tat the co prefer to train new ppl (rumors has it tat they're hiring again soon) than to retain the experienced ones. In my line of duty, i truly believe tat experience count especially during crucial moments.
The co should hav a guideline to retain its staff base on their record. On whether to accept the offer to stay, it is purely up to the employee.

Xiao Long Bao

My first encounter with tis lil Shanghainese specialty was in Singapore in 2002. It was like tasting heaven. I was so captivated by it tat i use its name as my password for e-mails n work accounts. I was tat into it.
Now tat it has blossomed into an established status among the food connoisseur here, tot of doing a lil survey, eventho there is already a few avail. The list starts with my fav.

1) Din Tai Fung, The Gardens
The skin is fab. It is the only 1 tat is so soft n springy. The thickness is perfect too, tho why wouldn't it? should be nimbly made considering the fact tat it is so tiny comparing to its rivals. Prob also becos of its size, u wouldn't feel so stuffed with meat ("zhei") tat u could hav more helpings. But reali, the broth tastes delicate n the amount of flavour is wonderful. Not soupy enough tho. Served on a piece of cloth, I find it a very good idea.
Price: RM11 for 5



2) Shanghai 10 Grand, Avenue K
It was a struggle to decide btw DTF n Grand as Grand has been my fav eversince i discovered it while bringing my Japanese fren out for dinner. She tot tat d la-mian was good, which i gather is an encouragement. The xlb is very soupy n the skin was just the perfect thickness n resilient to provide enough support for the proportionate dumplings. A tad flavorful, which was the only minus point. (I must mention here tat they serve a wonderfully amazing BonFire Kailan dish)
Price: RM8 for 4


3) Dragon-i, Cititel Lobby (an impressive 6 branches so far in kl)
I hav to admit the pleatings look nicer than Grand's. But it taste too flavorful. Think DTF's mild taste. It is soupy n d shape is good. I luv d meat along with its very scarce n tiny spring onions.
Price: RM8 for 4


4) Crystal Jade, Lot 10 (none avail at the ones in mid-val n pavilion)
I find the skin rather thick, broth is slightly salty while not enough. A little plus point is tat the texture of the meat is springy - n so r all the above.
(the ones at CJ in HK taste the same, except tat the skin is thinner, which is good, but not resilient. it costs more expensive than in kl. reali good business!! had to wait for abt 30mins outside of CJ on a monday nite. there r 12 diff types of CJ outlets in hk)
Price: RM8 for 4

(thick skin)

(thin skin)

5) Tu-Long, mid-val
Eventho the skin thickness is js nice, it is not soupy, taste lil salty, which still can be tolerated but worse of all - it has fatty pork parts in the mince. I find it disturbing considering tat they pride their xlb.
Price: RM8 for 4

6) Chef Loong, SS 2
Almost a tie btw TL n Loong. I hav to blame the soy sauce for it's fall. The broth was clearly soy-colored. The skin is thin but resilient - provide enough support. Very soupy, bursting with it ;-P They offer 2 types of xlb - the drunken xlb taste the same like the normal ones.
Price: RM6 for 3


7) Chuai Heng, 231 jln bt bintang (4 branches in kl)
Tis marks the starting of bad xlb. Look at the flat xlb. Pork quite hard. It's flat. Skin is too thin n not resilient. It's flat. No flavor. It's flat. A dissapointment. It's flat. Is it becos we order them at the last flat order time? (their har kao is recomm)
Price: RM6 for 3


8) Kum Lum Tai, Sri Petaling
I could excuse them for their bad xlb as it is totally not their specialty. The surprsing plus point is tat the skin is js thin n resilient enough so picking it up was good. Not soupy, eventho the broth tastes alrite. Pork contains lots of fatty parts (still lesser than Esquire's). The shocking news is tat they use flat-leaf parsley (which i loathe) in the mince! I mean, wtf??
(hav to add tat i love their egg tart, i think better than Tong Kee, seriously)
Price: RM6 for 3


9) Nanxiang Mantou Dian, The Curve
Dun even get me started with the fact tat it was founded in Shanghai, in the year 1900 (DTF only around 1972). It was HORRIBLE. The meat was hard as stone n there was literally no taste. The only 2 plus point was tat it's huge - but somehow becomes a minus point becos u hav to endure it more; the other being tat they offer a variety of xlb, but i think tat if it's good food, lesser choices will still boost business. The skin is very thick, but of course, for it's huge chunk of meat. The ones with crab meat in its mince is actually more tolerable than the orig xlb - damn pathetic. (The infamous crab roe soup - served with a straw - is alrite)
Price: RM8 for 4


10) Esquire Kitchen (anywhere)
No further description needed.

There is tis dim sum cum steamboat place in KK called the Four Seasons, located at Asia City. I believe I was too excited only to be dissapointed upon trying their xlb. It's huge but not tasty. There's lots of fat n hard parts in it, with thin but so not resilient skin. In fact, the skin is rather poorly made. Well, at least the flavour is ok n it's soupy.. (I must recommend tis lao sa pao, thx to MC, which i think is absolutely great. It's a dull-looking cupcake-sized bun with custard-plus-egg yolk. Amazing, even when it's cooled. Was told tat tis is avail in kl too, will keep u posted once I track down the place) Price: RM7.5 for 5

If I've missed out any good xlb places, pls tell me. Tho, can't seem to find any xlb eateries in Kuching..........?