Jus for Laugh

Ha ha....it's very inspirational to visit professional writer's site ocassionally:



Oct 10 Marina Mahathir wrote..



In the next 5 months, I will..

...clear out my closets and give away the clothes I haven't worn for at least the last year

......organise the books in my library into some semblance of order

......start writing down all the stories I remember before I forget them

......get fit and lose, say, 5 kg

.....learn to speak French properly

..Of course I've been saying this for the last five years or so.

But guess I'm not the only one who's berangan-angan...



(8/10 PM Abdullah says his agenda for the next 5 months will be to revamp judiciary and police force, and ramp up anti-graft fight/STAR)

Body Combat vs. Tai Chi

WK's comments on my 'Mad Driver' entry prompted me to have a quick write on this topic. At this juncture, I'm not sure how exactly I am going about this. Let me have a try...will delete if the end result is rubbish.

Well, I realised that I tend to be a more impatient these days. As WK puts it..blood seems to be boiling faster than usual. I felt so bad yesterday..for slamming the washing machine so hard all because my dad was nagging behind my back while I was doing the laundry. I AM SORRY!

I've been wondering if I've been confusing myself mentally by juggling the two activities. Tai chi is serious & slow and requires alot of calmness and concentration while Body Combat gets the adrenalin pumping and is physically demanding & loads of fun. My 'schedule' as follows:

• monday - TC
• tuesday - BC
• wednesday - REST
• thursday - BC then TC
• friday - REST (sometimes go BC if I have absolutely nothing to do)
• saturday - free n easy (can be anything - from doing nothing to badminton to eating or to the gym)
• sunday - TC then BC

I admit that I enjoy BC more than TC...after all I am still young ma. Of course, I'd prefer something that is fast and furious. As I've said many times....TC is a long term investment that I hope to see some 'returns' in 5-10 years time. Hence, it will naturally require some discipline and sacrifices along the way.

Now..did I get you all confused with all this BC and TC mentions....

So..is there any scientific write up to prove that mixing the two can affect mental 'stability' ah? If you come across any..do share with me :)

Your Age By Eating Out

Got this from an email. It's Freaky!



DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN ....
It takes less than a minute.
Work this out as you read. (You'll need a calculator)!
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat. (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1758... If you haven't, add 1757.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.







You should have a three digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number.
( I. e., How many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week.)




The next two numbers are YOUR AGE ! ------ (Oh YES, it is!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2008) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS

Mad Driver

SOURCE
Apologies..if you happened to be annoyed by a mad driver in a Kia Spectra weaving in and out of traffic along Jalan Semangat heading towards Amcorp Mall - that was ME! Almost bumped into a Proton Perdana that suddenly jammed brake and slightly 'kissed' the Toyota Vios in front of it. Phew! Minutes after that..while speeding to hit the the green light to turn towards Amcorp...another emergency screech to avoid bulldozing into a Perodua Viva W(--) 6117 that decided to STOP for dunno what reason..(to check to see if the light is really green issit?).

This is not my usual driving ler...it's just one of those occassion when I was caught in the traffic again this morning. Not only along LDP but in SS2 heading towards the Rothmans roundabout. Grrrrrrr...!!! This roundabout occasionally has unpredictable 'bottlenecks' for not visible reasons. Can someone enlighten me?

As for the LDP..what else is new? The Star reported today that.."the Government is studying a proposal for an alternative highway to the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), which has now reached full traffic capacity".

full capacity means collected enough toll lar? need more highway ka for more toll issit??

Mama..mia..

Aaggh..greetings. I am back! I had to force myself to get some 'real work' done before getting down to trash blogging again. Well, to be very honest, what I 'accomplished' today were no rocket science...somehow..took me longer than before to get a grip. Either the requirement has gotten tougher or I am really losing it. I am quite convinced it is the latter. Die!

I received this weird sms this morning:

"If u go Carrefour this weekend, pls buy 4 me frozen buffalo 900g @$7.99. 6 packets. Thanks"

Weird or not?? At 1st glance I thought it's some spam message. Then I realised it's actually from my sister. But...why would she wants to buy FROZEN BUFFALOES?? Took me a while to decipher..she actually meant frozen beef. See?? Am I losing it? Or..people around me losing it?
(Now, Mag's telling me over MSN that she nearly burnt down the kitchen because she forgot all about her boiling kettle)...crazy ppl I have around me :D

Anyway..how was your day? Yupe..it's Friday again. Weekend!

My horoscope says this today:

Though all continues to go well for you (ok....), WSL, your mood may go up and down today (true oso..).
In spite of all the great things going on in your life (thank you God for what I have), sometime during the day you might find yourself feeling a little blue (mm mm). Don't read too much into it.
It's probably just the result of low biorhythms (out of sight out of mind).
Try to distract yourself with work, and in the evening get out with some friends and have a good time (no kaki today ler).

No outing for me tonight. Can't find kaki. Will be dropping by cousin's place to pass on some books to his kids. Got myself invited for dinner naturally. Yea..home cooked food and it's free! Good oso ..been spending too much eating n drinking last few weeks :p

Oh ya...Mama Mia! I am not a musical person, never was. As a kid..I'd be frowning and sulking and yawning when my siblings and cousins crowd around the TV watching The Sound of Music. Till now..I don't find it entertaining. Ironically, my crazy F5 classmates got me into performing in the school's golden jubilee concert - SINGING through some songs from The Sound of Music (Goodness!!!..those were the worse moments of my school going life!!!).

But..I've decided to check out Mama Mia..since there is so much hype about it. I am Ready for Change remember? I need to do something different to end this monotonous 2008.

Was trying to book tickets online. There were like 6 steps to go through...and we got stuck god knows how many times in Step 2 or 3. Grr...! This error mesage kept appearing (whatever it means):

Active Server Pages error 'ASP 0113'
Script timed out
/buynow.asp
The maximum amount of time for a script to execute was exceeded. You can change this limit by specifying a new value for the property Server.ScriptTimeout or by changing the value in the IIS administration tools.

I tried numerous time..and ran out of steam. Luckily, Felicia took over and managed to get through. But still gotta wait 3 working days for confirmation. The Star reported today that the responses were overwhelming hence resulted in technical glitches in the online ticketing system.

Ok..now I am running out of steam with this post..pretty much note down what I want to say for the day.

Have a nice weekend folks!

Pondering again..

Today was a pretty quiet day for me...was in quite a somber mood pondering again ..until Mag came online and got me all entertained & tickled with her ever so exciting stories and "future plans". Now..I can't find the mood to start this :) Let me try slowly..to get back into the mood.

I can't believe we are approaching the end of 2008! I barely did anything! What a waste of time! The good thing about keeping a blog or diary is that it is easy to flasback on events and happenings over time. With blogs it is even easier..can click by month, events, etc. For the records, I started blogging in July 2005! Three long years liao! Wa lau eh!

Oh ya..discovered facebook in July 2007..still loving it. It is a great way to re-connect with old friends. May not be active all the the time...but at least the 'connections' are there Linked provided the other party logs on regularly lar. Just 2 days ago I re-connected with an old friend (Jordan) whom I met in secondary school..and found out that he has one existing mutual friend with me and 2 other which I also knew and will add on soon! What a small world.

So..back to me and my boring life. Yep..have not done much this year. Did a quick check on my past entries here....almost ZERO in 2008. Pathetic compared to previous years. Not that previous years were great but..relatively 2008 is lousy man!

TRAVEL
Only made it to Langkawi in July this year. I realised that my travelling destinations gets more pathetic as I age. Watch this:

• Y2000 @ Vancouver, Canada (cousin's wedding)
• Y2002 @ Bangkok, Thailand (brother's wedding)
• Y2003 @ Nepal
• Y2004 @ Hong Kong & Taman Negara, Malaysia
• Y2005 @ Bali, Indonesia
• Y2006 @ Taipei, Taiwan & Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia
• Y2007 @ Beijing, China & casual drive to North Peninsular Malaysia
• Y2008 @ Langkawi, Malaysia

See what I mean??

We were eyeing Egypt after Nepal ..way back then...by now..cannot afford liao. Commitments lar! Those days free n easy..no home loan..still young..supposedly well paid executive. Easily bought 80K car (2nd car some more) and branded watch without an eye blink. Now..wanna buy Nike shoe also count fingers for so long -_-

Other "Worth Mentioning' Events

• April 2005 - Nephew Danial born
• January 2007 - Endometriotic cyst surgery
• April 2007 - Lasik surgery

Other Leisure Activities

• Y2005 - Joined a gym
• Y2006 - Started learning Tai Ci
• Y2007 - Took Personal Training at gym (*eyes rolling*)
• Y2008 - Fell in love with Body Combat (*more eyes rolling*)

Only consolation is..I am STILL doing all the above activities...I mean..still gym going and tai ci - ing. Was telling Mag..If I am picked..I may even go for instructorship trainng (tai ci) in 3-4 years time (*more more eyes rolling*)

That's 3-4 years time..meanwhile what do I do to spice up my life??

Jan Lim's Cakes

This is my sister's birthday cake!

Specially custom made by her sis in law - Jan Lim.

Jan Lim's cakes creation available for view here.

Start ordering now :)

Jan Lim's email contact : janlim00@hotmail.com

Savior of the Day

Picture Source: Nestle

Was shivering hungry by 3pm just now. Found a packet of Nestle Nesvita 3 in 1 in the pantry.

MY SAVIOUR!

It is costly to stay fit..

My lunch was awful! It's supposed to be fried mee hoon..had it a few times before..it was quite good. I added something that looked like potatoes..but turn out..not potato wor. Still don't know what it is...may be pineapple. So, my lunch was potato that wasn't potato..and the rest of the food is completely tasteless. Grabbed a few bites to fill the stomach..abandoned the rest. I know..its food wastage...but it is really tasteless wor.

Ok..back to my original intention of this post. Ya ya...not working again. Quick one!

I was going to say that..it has been quite costly for me..ever since I started working out regularly. Why? Firstly..almost all my blouses are oversized now. My pants (even jeans) are falling off. Either I am shrinking due to some mysterious reasons or the work outs really so effective meh. The last time I weighed my self....I still weighed the same. And I still love food. Whatever it is..I have been spending more shopping for smaller sized clothing. Guess what..today I noticed ..one of my newer pants also becoming loose! Is it the material lossening or me?

I've also been shopping around for new / better gym wear..since I use more regularly..I need more lor. Old ones so loose..not nice oso :p So..I've been spending on track pants lar , sports bra, tops, socks....may be shoes....

ahh haa...very sunny la. Sai meng....

Horoscope for the day

You should notice a boost of energy today , WSL, (mana ada? got a bit lar..lasted half a day only..now damn sleepy) and that your self-confidence is revitalized . It should be! (huh..)

In matters of love and romance, everything is running smoothly (got meh??).
Your emotions are stable and grounded (as always..may be a bit too grounded..twelve feet under ground) love and harmony are in the air.

Take this opportunity to move toward the object of your desire with certainty and affection. Romance is in the cards for you tonight (siao..with who??)

Supination (Under-pronation) of the feet

Source : walking.about.com

Definition:
Insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing.
This places extra stress on the foot and can result in

• iliotibial band syndrome of the knee - PRESENT
• Achilles tendinitis - PRESENT
• plantar fasciitis - NOT YET

Diagnosis:
Shoes that wear on the entire outside edge (Yes yes..), with the side of the shoe becoming overstretched. Your shoes will tilt outward (Yes yes) when placed on a flat surface. High arches and tight Achilles tendons (Yes yes) contribute to supination..

Remedies (NEW SHOES!):
Wear shoes with curved lasts to allow pronation.
Lightweight trainers allow more foot motion.
Check for flexibility on the inner side of the shoe.

Supinators should do extra stretching for the calves, hamstrings, quads and iliotibial band.

Achilles Tendinitis (Source:www.mayoclinic.com)

The signs and symptoms of Achilles tendinitis often develop gradually.

They include:

• Dull ache or pain when pushing off your foot during walking or when rising on your toes
• Tenderness over your Achilles tendon
• Stiffness that lessens as your tendon warms up
• Mild swelling or a "bump" on your tendon
• A crackling or creaking sound when you touch or move your Achilles tendon - PRESENT
• You may notice that the affected tendon is sore when you get up in the morning or after you've rested, improves slightly once you start moving around, and then worsens again when you increase your activity level -PRESENT
  

A number of other factors can cause Achilles tendinitis, including:

• Improper conditioning --Achilles tendinitis is most common among athletes whose bodies aren't properly conditioned for their sport or activity. Inadequate flexibility and strength of the calf muscles can contribute to overload of the tendon. Frequent stops and starts during the activity, as well as activities that require repeated jumping — such as basketball or tennis — also can increase your risk of Achilles tendinitis.
  
• Too much, too soon (GUILTY) --Achilles tendinitis resulting from overuse can occur when you begin a new exercise regimen. If you're just beginning a new exercise program, be sure to stretch before and after exercising, and start slowly, increasing your activity over time. Don't push yourself too quickly. If you're a runner, excessive hill running can contribute to Achilles tendinitis.
  
• Flattened arch (PRESENT) -- Flattening of the arch of your foot (excessive pronation) can place you at increased risk of developing Achilles tendinitis. This is because of the extra stress placed on you Achilles tendon when walking. If you have excessive pronation, be sure to wear shoes with appropriate support to avoid further aggravating your Achilles tendon.
  
• Trauma or infection. In some cases, inflammation of the Achilles tendon is due to trauma or infection near the tendon.

While it may not be possible to prevent Achilles tendinitis, you can take measures to reduce your risk:

• Increase your activity level gradually (hmmm..cut down BC??). If you're just beginning an exercise regimen, don't feel like you have to be marathon-ready in record time. Starting slowly will help you determine your limits and follow a sensible exercise program.
  
• Take it easy (hmm...no BC??). Avoid activities that place excessive stress on your tendons, especially for prolonged periods. If you participate in a strenuous activity, warm up first by exercising at a slower pace. If you notice pain during a particular exercise, stop and rest.
  
• Choose your shoes carefully (NEW SHOES!!). The shoes you wear while exercising should provide adequate cushion for your heel and should have a firm arch support to help reduce the tension in the Achilles tendon. Replace shoes that show excessive wear. If your shoes are in good condition but don't support your feet, try arch supports in both shoes.
  
• Stretch daily. Take the time to stretch your calf muscles and Achilles tendon in the morning, before exercise and after exercise to maintain flexibility. This is especially important to avoid a recurrence of Achilles tendinitis.
  
• Strengthen your calf muscles. Performing exercises such as toe raises, especially with a slow return to the ground after each toe raise, trains the muscle-tendon unit to withstand more loading force.
  
• Cross-train. Alternate impact activities, such as running and jumping, with low-impact activities, such as cycling and swimming.

Day 5 - Last Day

Hai ya..the 'holiday is finally ending. Am trying to shake off the blue feeling :) Convincing myself that there is nothing to be blue about. It's part and parcel of life....all have work to earn a living to get on with life comfortably and of course most importantly...to have fun and to enjoy life at the same time. I was with ML and Ryan today, she actually said that she looks forward to Monday every weekend cos she finds it more tiring looking after Ryan relative to working *ha ha* (So..think twice ladies before you quit your day jobs to be a full time mother).

I would say today is a good Day 5. Just like any other Sunday..morning tai chi then off to the gym. Meeting with ML was a bonus. It has been quite some time since we last met..was it in June?? during our crazy get together when Mag was home? I'd always openly told ML that I need to be mentally 'ready' when meeting with her and Ryan. Honestly, I can't remember what we talked about today (we were together for almost 5 hours), I only remember being amused & entertained by Ryan's antics and waiting patiently while ML negotiates with Ryan about numerous requests / demands that he had. Imagine stopping to negotiate with a whining kid almost every 30 mins...so tiring lar. Well, it's the presence and company that counts. ML was kind enough to come all the way leaving the comfort of her home dragging along a 'can be difficult kid' and being quite pregnant...just to catch up with me. TQ dear.

And thank you Ryan for putting up with us boring adults. And he made my day when he interrupted one of our conversation. I was telling ML about my broken radiator hose that was making the 'ssssss' sound when Ryan suddenly interrupted by saying:

"Excuse me...that is a snake. Only snakes make that sound"

LOL!!! I was too speechless to respond while his mommy burst out laughing.

Day 4

Had a quick brunch of roti telur..


Went for a haircut..


Visited ESH, Carrefour & Jusco to check out models & prices of ceiling fans.

Decided that I will go for this. Found out that those higher end models with 5 blades that looks more contemporary (with remote control) are heavier because of the built-in motor hence there is a limitation on speed. On the other hand, this basic 3-blade model has up to 5-speed. Hence, although with only 3-blade..the breeze will not be less. Will check out a few more stores..just to be safe.

Was dead tired by the time I left Jusco. Was planning to get home and spend some time trimming the dog's hair. Upon reaching home..just when I was about to conclude that Day 4 is just like a normal Saturday since the 'holiday' is coming to an end....I heard this sound..coming from the car :

"..ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.."

Not again??? Tyre puncture? Quickly took a toilet break and rushed to the tyre shop. It wasn't the tyre after all...it's the radiator hose..sudah pecah (leaking). @#$%*&@ not again...I thought I will have to lose a couple of hundreds on this banana Kia again..luckily the mechanic says it's gonna be quite cheap (hopefully less than $50 la). Soon, it started raining cats and dogs. The mechanic was kind enough to send me home first instead of me waiting at the stuffy and wet workshop.

There you go..my day 4.

Day 3

It's not even 11 but I'm sleepy n tired liao. Crazy me left for the gym at 6.45 this morning! This is so not me. No choice lar..cos I won't be free to fit into any of the BC class in the evening. I was abit dazed (lost) after the classs. It was only 8am!..Didn't know what to do. No need to work today. Too early to leave, only meeting Felicia at noon. I actually sat in the locker room for a while re-collecting my thoughts :p then decided to work out a lil bit more since it was still early and since my muscles were still quite tensed. I even went for a swim! Not bad eh. Muscles still tensed lar...probably the iced drinks taking its toll :(

Now very tired and sleepy. Wonder how I'm gonna last for the rest of the day. Will be going down town to Central Plaza (the building where the LMVH office) to send my Tag watch for servicing. The watch has been out of batt for a few weeks liao...missed wearing it. Their service is only available on weekdays (duh..). Luckily I have Felicia to hang out with me..if not it will be so duh for me to go all the way down town just for the watch. Now..the problem is what do we do in between while waiting for the watch to be ready..and while waiting for dinner time. As Felicia will put it...we will be so sick of each other's face by dinner time. So...most likely I won't be talking to her at dinner :D


I still have not decided venue for dinner. Hey...why is the ball on my court? Why do I have to decide ah? Ya ya ya..I am the fussy pot maaaa.... -_- I am too tired to think liao...HELP!

DAY 3 - UPDATED...

Day 3 went well after all. Got my watch working again. Costs me $80 bucks wor! If I send it to a regular shop the battery will only cost me $45..hmmm.

Anyway, we enjoyed (at least I did, not sure about Felicia though) bumming aroung Pavillion for a good 5 hours! This is my 3rd time to Pavillion but first time really exploring the place. Parking fee is exorbitant though - FIFTEEN BUCKS for 6 hours!!! But I like the palce. True Fitness looks cool there. I shall try it out one day as soon as I figure out a cheaper parking alternative. Apart from the parking fees the place is pretty cool. Was getting very bored with typical places like One U and Mid Valley...here I see some new outlets. I particularly like Giordano Ladies & Parkson (surprisingly good choices of brands in there). Thank goodness I didn't spend any money unnecessary. CONTROL!!!

Dinner was at Jaya One. Nice place to chill out at night. Pretty good selection of outlets there. Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Old Town Kopitiam for coffee. Duck King seems to be the most popular eatery. There are others that serve Thai, Fusion, Italian food as well. Opposite Starbucks, there's a bar/ pub like place..don't mind having a drink there. Wendy's and Nacho's is there too if you want fast food. Other places like Jaya Noodle, Sun Wong, Killiney's located at the high street area..are more suitable for lunch.

We had half a roast goose dinner at Duck King. Service is reasonably good I think. The captain was very patient in suggesting options that we should try. I took a picture of the goose here..the captain suggested that I should capture the goose head in the picture...but it looked so ugly..I stil prefer this picture. A glimpse of the head at the bottom left corner.



Quorom of attendance : 4 out of 6. A bit disappointing but can't do much about it ler. It was a good meet up though, enjoyed the catch up, gossips, bickering, trash talking ..just like old times. We've been friends for 10 years! Chris was late though. She didn't even have the goose dinner. Accompanied her for roti canai and then coffee at Old Town which is very strategically located here too. Here's a 'view' I captured while chilling out in the open outside the outlet.

KL-Kampar-Ipoh-KL in less than 8 hours

Day 2 - I am back!

My knee's hurting and every inch of muscles tensed due to non stop driving in the last 8 hours. Left home at about 9.30am, was in Kampar by 12pm. (Was planning to leave earlier like about 7..but both myself and dad didn't wake up until 8am!)

It was just me, dad and my old faithful banana kia travelling leisurely....no fixed agenda. As usual, dad did most of the talking while I concentrate on the road enjoying the drive and listening to my favourite mp3 songs playing from a cheap FM modulator that I bought recently. You must be wondering now.."who's talking to dad?" oh..as usual..99% of the time I ignored him. Bad hor? Well...you see, I am not a person of many words mah.....plus, most of the time he talks about totally irrelevant stuff either some old stories from the past that I've heard many times before...or some other things that I'd normally can't think of anything to say in response. Once in a while, he does give me some insights on current world issues that I am not aware of though.

Either he is getting older that he can't articulate his communication skills well or I have become more impatient lately. Must find time to do some yoga....to create some inner peace. BUT....I do pay attention to him and his needs. Like when he tried to stretch his legs to ease the tension from sitting too long....and I remember things he likes to try or buy e.g. biscuits, snacks, durian, coconut drink..etc or when he preferred duck instead of chicken.

Back to the trip. Nothing much to talk about actually since this is not our first time to Kampar. Food remains as the priority. Basically..anything from the north is Nice (and Cheap). And trust me..you WON'T find the same in KL!

Here are some food we had in Medan Selera Kampar (near the market)

Delicious char kuey teow RM2.50. See the fresh cockles? Still bloody wan :p

It's so cheap! I had to clarify twice to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

Mouth watering Kampar Noodles RM3.30 where to find in KL?? Again..Tasty and Cheap!

Lastly...our favourite kopi ping (ice local coffee)..been craving for these since my last trip here. Now..that explains why my muscles are tensed and aching again. Sinseh says I can't take iced drinks!

After food, I drove around trying to locate the biscuit shop that sells fresh from the oven kaya puff. Found it! Bought six puffs and dad bought some other snacks along with it. Had one kaya puff immediately! Visited the temple for a while before leaving the town. Some homeless woman sitting by the entrance greeted us..called me AUNTY wor! @&^%$@# This is the 2nd time in 24 hours. Yesterday, the lady selling kites at the park also called me AUNTY. I refused to buy from her (Grrrr..!) Wa lau eh...do I really look so old ka!

What's next? My initial plan was to drive to Tanjung Tualang which I thought was after Kampar town. But realised I missed the exit after speaking to Connee. We headed to Ipoh instead. Reached Ipoh at about 2ish but we were still full from lunch. Didn't even have space for the famous White Coffee. Drove around aimlessly trying to locate a mall so that we can burn some calories off before our next meal...cannot find wor. By then dad got abit restless..and suggested that we head home instead..since cannot eat..and there's nothing to do. I was like..HUH..BUT WE JUST GOT HERE! At about 3 ish..stumbled upon the happening place in Ipoh where they have 2-3 shops selling taugeh chicken and herbal chicken. Dad suggested that we pack home herbal chicken instead. Sounds like a good idea. So..that's what we did..oh.we bought herbal duck instead. Old man preferred duck.

Before heading to the highway..I thought I'd better stop by for a drink to stretch my legs..and of course coffee helps me to stay awake. So..off we went to Ipoh's old town...the infamous Original White Coffee shop..Sun Yin Loong. The place is Packed! Obviously..with KL'ites. We decided to pack our drink instead..but the coffee not so good la..Kampar Kopi BETTER! Had another kaya puff before heading to the highway.

Reached home before 7pm! Here's what we brought home. Had my 3rd kaya puff while I am typing this.

While I am fooling around here..old man was busy with his normal chores (that I chosed to ignore all this while - bad daughter). He also cooked rice so that we can have rice with the duck. He's been busy..me too (blogging and surfing). He was also busy 'fighting' with the duck trying to chop it into manageable pieces..but I think it's more fun tearing it apart with our hands :D He ignored my suggestion but he is obviously very happy with the trip and the duck. Fed me a piece of duck (pre-dinner)...nice lar (the duck) and the gesture. Aww..I felt so spoilt and loved at the same time. Once again..simple things ....makes life wonderful.

That's my Day 2!

Time to go back to the gym tomorrow to re-condition those tensed muscles and of course..burn off those extra claories consumed last 2 days. Oh ya..gotta decide venue for the get together with the gals. How ah?? Where ah?? What to eat ah?? Sigh..normal questions asked each time before we meet up.

True Happiness for RM7

I 'celebrated' the holiday starting from Day 0 itself meeting up with Chris for a drink and dinner at Italiannies, The Gardens. When I need to chill out I'd usually turn to sports, my dear reliable friends, food and sometimes (very rare) ..a lil bit of alcohol. Spent a little bit more than my usual meals on pasta and a beer all because I wanted 'an environment'. Was only planning to have a light dinner (before going to the gym) but the pasta portion was HUGE eventhough we shared. After dinner, I went for my regular dose of body combat before calling the day off. I had about 45 mins before the class to let the food and alcohol settle down ...body combat after a heavy meal & under influence of alcohol - not something I'd do again. Basically, one will feel like throwing up before, during and after class :D Fortunately, I only had one beer (my usual limit). Alls well ends well.

Day 1 - I lazed in bed till almost 10 dozing on and off while thinking about what I should do for the day. Had been quite some time since I last stayed in past 9. Day started with doing some laundry and pets cleaning up in morning and then lunch with brother (& family) with dad at an old heritage chinese restaurant in Pudu - Sek Yuen.

We had Pei Pa Duck, Yam Kow Yuk, Hai Jo and Kwai Fa Chi - no idea how to translate these. The meal costs my brother 97 bucks! I think the food was quite good. My sister in law thought it's nothing great. The service sucks....old restaurant..no such thing as service probably. The lady who took our order was practically 'barking' at us to hurry up with our decisions. Will I go back??...may be not..too far away in town...and I really can't stand paying and yet being treated like idiots.

After lunch, we went to Tesco Extra in Selayang for some groceries. First visit to a Tesco Extra for me. What's the difference? They have special bulk stocks for business operators. So, if you happen to be looking to stock up on cartons of products..go to Tesco Extra.

The highlight of the day is actually THIS. A kite that only costs me only 7 bucks!

We dropped by Metropolitan Park at Kepong on our way home. This park has always been popular for kites flying but we've never really joined in the fun although we live quite nearby. Too many people on normal days.

I truly enjoyed myself! I am convinced Danial and his mom enjoyed themselves too.

Let me tell you a secret - I have never flown a kite before in my entire life. Like Danial, this is my 1st time! We know what we are doing la...it's really up there wan.....
Danial is a fast learner...look how 'pro'' he is in this video.

(oops..error when downloading video..will try again when I have a better connection)

Dinner was another RM90++. So..we contributed about RM200 just on meals in one day but it's actually the RM7 bucks that was truly worth it. Happiness indeed!

What's on Day 2? Zoom to Kampar with dad..stay tuned..

Holiday Begins...

Woo hooo..the holiday begins!
Desk is a mess...
Schedule over running...
No idea what I will be doing in the next 5 days...

But I don't care.

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND!
(Gosh...this is becoming my blog slogan..no good no good..kick the bad habit!)

Selamat Hari Raya!

aahh..the beauty of living in a multi racial country. Here in Malaysia we practically celebrate all major festivals of all races. And we have 3 main races/ religion (Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu). On top of that we also have substantial representation of Christians, Sikhs, Taoist, etc etc etc. It's holiday mood again..Muslims will be celebrating Hari Raya Puasa tomorrow and day after. Most offices will be close for 2 days....some remain close until next week. Joy!

I've been living here for 35 years...I don't really know what's the meaning of Hari Raya Puasa. Wikipedia says ....

Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also Hari Raya Puasa, literally "Celebration Day of Fasting") is the Malay term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr. Hari Raya is also known as Lebaran. Muslims in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world. The term "Hari Raya" literally means "Day of Celebration" — it is also occasionally used to refer to Eid ul-Adha in the form of "Hari Raya Aidiladha". The main greeting used by Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore is "Selamat Hari Raya" which means "Happy Eid" in Malay. Another greeting is "maaf zahir dan batin" which translates loosely to "I seek forgiveness (from you) physically and spiritually", for Hari Raya is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others.

Not very clear huh.. here's a better explanation from AllMalaysia.info:

Muslims celebrate the festival of Aidilfitri – popularly known as Hari Raya Puasa, or simply Hari Raya (Day of Celebration) in Malaysia – to mark the culmination of Ramadhan, the holy month of fasting.

It is a joyous occasion for Muslims, as it signifies a personal triumph, a victory of self-restraint and abstinence, symbolising purification and renewal.

Anyway, here's Wishing All Muslims SELAMAT HARI RAYA and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all other races who have the previlige to share this festive season.

I am in a rather good mood myself. Been 'quite busy' whole morning...more on entertaining some social matters (than work related). *grin*

Was trying to organise a get together with some friends (ex-colleagues) during the holidays. It's getting more and more difficult to get everyone together. It's only Five of us! Getting a full quorum is almost impossible. Come on people..

What else was I doing for the past 2 hours?? Can't even remember! Oh ya...Trish sent us this puzzle..which she claimed she solved within 2 minutes. I wish I can embed it here..it's animted in Excel. Pretty cool. There's this person trapped in a cave with a well and 2 bottles. 1 bottle can fit in 7 litres of water. The other fits 5 litlres. The lever to open the gate needs exactly 6 litres weight to function. Nothing more nothing less. So..how do you solve the puzzle!

It's not really about solving it...I think..it's because Trish solved it in 2 minutes! And..there I was, no clue at all, pouring water in and out of 2 bottles..getting myself killed many times cos the weight is too much on the lever...stupidity to the max!

First..I tried to get some clue from Trish...and she said this...Hehe, try doing it on paper first, think it’s easier.. U need to transfer water between that 2 bottles..

My reaction was this...wat?? on paper???i really sooo stupid..tak faham :(

I began to wonder if she really solved it in 2 minutes...or was it 20? Sour grape :)

Anyway...here's the solution:

Fill up big bottle, transfer to small so left 2L
Empty small bottle, transfer 2L to small

Fill up big bottle again, transfer to small so left 4L
Empty small bottle, transfer 4L to small

Fill up big bottle again, transfer to small so left 1L
So now there is 6L left in big bottle

Mind boggling isn't it. What a genius she is. In conclusion...I salute you my friend. Didn't know I have such an intelligent friend :D

Deleted

I've just deleted my earlier post titled - Defeated & Dejected.
Didn't want this cheery weblog to be tainted with negative thoughts.
And I don't want to be constantly reminded..


OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.
DELETED, FORGOTTEN (SOON), FORGIVEN (I HOPE)

Where's my computer?

Just got an earful from my little nephew for using 'his notebook' for too long. His father says that he missed his Barney which are all stored here.

• koo koo ah...where is my computer?
• why you take my computer?
• why you use for too long?

hmm....kids nowadays....

Connected & Hooked

I am connected! So, here I am practically glued to the internet . FYI - My little house here has wireless streamyx access but had been without a PC nor notebook ever since my brother moved out :D I didn't wanna get another machine cos' this is exactly what I don't wanna end up doing at home - hooked on the net. I have not even read the newspaper today!



(Watching Amazing Race Asia as I am typing this. I jus love this season's TARA! Allan Wu - dashingly handsome, I just noticed that his face is all over True Fitness and I'd always thought he is one of the instructors not having a slightest idea that it was Allan Wu :D)



My day was productive (before I got connected). I managed to get to the gym in the morning and attended the new quarter body combat launch (1st time for me). It was simply awesome. Will try and check around if I can get any link to some pictures of the event. (Les Mills releases new music & choreography for their licensed exercise programmes every three months).



After gym, fixed some connection problems with the TV (with my dad hovering over my back..arghh), had lunch with dad, stocked up on dog food, went to the car wash (discovered that the Shell station that I normally go to was 'missing' - under renovation), got some groceries and..picked up this notebook from my brother's house and after that...is..me and the notebook and the net. In between, I managed get my butt up to bath the dog, did some laundry and a some maintenanc work on the car (battery water & stuff). Oh...I bathed too :)



Didn't even have a proper dinner. I was occupying the dinner table...my dad probably thought I was 'working' cos' he didn't chase me away.



TARA's over. It's midnight. Think I better log off soon. Gotta wake early tomorrow for tai chi. There's a meeting too after the class. Ya...tai chi meeting wor. They wanna set up an independent branch in Kepong (out of the WP branch). I have a strong feeling I will be pull in as one of the committee members (Hmm..) will try to stay low and wriggle out of sight. If my body's up to it,,..may go to the gym again in the evening :) Re-charge for Monday -_-

Things I want to do before I am too old (die)

One last entry before I log off for the week.

The TM attack and mom's illness (followed by her passing) had probably changed my life. I never really got down to do anything crazy or wild all these years. The post effect from the events had probably left me less adventurous and more pessimistic instead. YEARS gone by and I began to realise that I have not done much in life.

I am quite convinced that my consultation with  Dr Ngiam of Nourish Tech Chinese Medical Centre had slowly changed my life. After all those years of MRI scans, tests, vitamins, massages, etc etc...finally I found something that solved my nerve problems! During one of my first few visits, he said this to me..."you will be cured. do not accept that you will have to live with these problems for life. when you are cured..you will find the passion and energy to do lots of other things in life .."

I am ready for change.

Things I would like to 'do' before I become too old (and die):

• Go up Mount KK
• Take up pet grooming
• Take up photography
• Take up diving
• oh ya..move house
• Work / Live overseas
• .....to be updated :)

No Nike Free for me :(

Some years ago, I was having knee sores even when I was strolling in a mall in a pair Nike - took me some time to note the correlation. And I wasn't even working out actively then. Since the shoes were wearing out, I started looking out for a pair of good shoes since I was gearing myself up for active gym going. A sales rep. at the New Balance outlet (One Utama) noticed that I am actually flat footed - and explained that's possibly part of the reason for my sore knees. Convinced and satisfied...I bought a pair of New Balance and still using it now.

FYI - this NB outlet in One Utama gives all time 20% to all items to all fitness club members. Just present your membership card and you are entitled to the discount. And trust me...they know their products well. If the staff are not up to it..just refer to the boss or his wife. There is another NB outlet at The Gardens. Not sure if they offer discounts to Fitness members but the owner is also very knowledgeable and helpful in offering advice and tips. And I think..he is always there.

So..before rushing to get a pair another pair of Nike..it's sensible to check out if its suitable for my clumsy feet. Why am I not surprise..that the reps at Nike stores are not very knowledgeable. Such a reputable brand. So many outlets. And yet..no proper product training for staff? I've walked into numerous stores. Most of the time.. just hung around distance away hoping that I don't mess up their product arrangement. I tried asking about the product once in a Nike Women outlet..the staff could only tell me that Nike Free is very light! And Nike Zoom is even lighter. Ya right -- great insights! I didn't even bother bringing up the flat feet issue.

How??...I turned to the Net for information lor. Well, the brand websites were not useful at all. Came across some forums...not much info. Until.... I came across this blog named Reymond's Journal - I have no idea who he is but he had an entry about his own problem with flat feet and Nike Free back in March 07. So...I dropped him a note to ask for advice. And he replied! with a dedicated post named Best Shoes for Flat Feet :)

Conclusion - no Nike Free for me lor :(

Darn. I was hoping I can have one so that I can use for both Body Combat and Tai Chi...I read somewhere that it is designed to give an almost bare footed experience...hence, some forums actually highly recommended it for Body Combat. You see..I was trying to convince myself it is 'good value for money' if I could use it for Tai Chi too..since we are suppose to have the soles closest to the floor when tai chi-ing. Hee hee..if you check out shoes of those seasoned tai chi masters...you won't see anyone wearing branded shoes la. Only simple black canvas shoes :) Currently, I am using a trendy brown/green Puma :)))

Realistic Stuff that I should spend on

Was just about to write that I have nothing substantial to blog about today. As if all my previous posts were so 'substatial' :) But anyway..here's something to show that I am still thinking straight.

Cool stuff aside..cos there realistic stuff that I really need to get my butt up and do something about them...

• Do up kitchen cabinets for the new house
• Fans for the new house
• New pair front absorber for the banana car
• New pair rear tyres for the banana car
• save save save for increasingly high living expenses

sigh...so uncool spending on all these..that's why I am dragging my feet.

Unlikely to Happen but it DID

I just changed into my track pants and sneakers. Not because I am on the way to the gym but because I had to wear something else.. 'Stained' my pants! Never thought this can still happen at middle age..thought it only happens to teenage school girls. Fortunately..I always keep some fresh gym apparels in the car. My boss says that may be a sign that I am still 'fertile'. ahh..may be i should complain that i feel nauseous now ...and take the day off 'to rest'..and then head to the gym instead..since I am dressed for it?

P/S: I had to change to sneakers too because I looked odd wearing the working boots with the track pants.

Cool Stuff that I would like to have.....

The Nike Free Everyday+

Source: shopping.com

A mini notebook (not brand specific at the moment)

Source:Dell.com

And of course..CARS...

And CARSSSSS...

Can you survive without a car?

All these trash talking about cars..brings me to another post. ya ya..i can Hear you saying..this woman..no work ka? asyik blogging aje! Got work la....but as I have subtlely mentioned here before..work has been 'crappy'...so I need distractions to keep me sane.

where was I...about cars..oh yes..the red.fm mentioned today that the number of registered vehicles in M'sia is equivalent to about 70% of the population! That's huge! And...they were discussing on air about the possibility of going about life here without a car.

No....way!

Did I mention that I had a dream recently..a nightmare to be exact. Seriously..it really felt like a nightmare! I dreamt that I do not own a car anymore :( I was so lost...wondering how to take a bus.

I really enjoy driving. Especially when I am alone...it gives me a lot space to think ...and dream :) and oh ya..blasting my favourite songs.

Soo..how can I not have a car? Worse case scenario..back to younger days....wake up in the wee hours, walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, listen to walkman (now mp3), board the bus, stuck in the jam, board another bus in town..reach destination like 3 hours later.

Nightmare isn't it?
My heart goes out to all public transport users out there especially those in M'sia. Hoping for better days ahead if it ever comes.

Car dreaming again..

Still sleepy lar. Day dreaming about beautiful sporty cars again.

As much as I have lost faith on naza/ kia related cars..can't stop myself from loving this one!

The Naza 206 Bestari - CKD version of the Peugeot 206 model.

Cheap cheap @ RM68,888 OTR for 1,.4 litre only ler.

Source: paultan.org

...dhsknsgdkns...

Am having my second cup of coffee. Sleepy lar. Working on a silly complicated quote. Thought the day started pretty well until I dwell into the complicated brief. ZzzzzzzZZZzzz....Also got a bit frustrated trying to solve some problem with the anti virus software. You can guess my mood right now by judging at the title that I decided to have for this post.

Nothing much to blog about today. Just wanna distract myself abit with some trash talking here.

Back to the docs. Trying to make some sense out of all the @&*%$.

Ciao.

Peeved with the Banana Kia

Just when I have successfully parked aside the idea of dumping this banana Kia car and change to an APPLE car THIS happens!!

Imagine driving with this damn thing dangling on top of your forehead permanently.

Peeeveed!!!!

I can't remember how many times I slapped at it annoyingly for getting into my way...be it physically or mentally..doesn't really matter. The point is..it was total Annoyance for me.

The mechanic said it can't be fixed. Either change to a new one or....

TAKE IT OUT!!

P/S: The mechanic said he had not come across any customers with such problem before. There you go..my banana Kia.

By the way, saw this car on the road just now. Cooooool lehh?

Picture Source : paultan.org

Pets Update

Taking a pause from pondering..at least not out loud. Here are some updates from my little zoo house. My home has always been like a zoo..be it the small flat or this slightly bigger medium cost corner lot. The small one room flat used to be a home to five human beings and about eight birds, some fishes, some turtles, some white mice (then guinea pigs, then hamsters), sometimes chickens....what else..I can't even remember.

Currently, me and dad share the house with two dogs, two cats and a chicken :) oh and some fishes.

These are the chicks I found outside the house in April One didn't survive.

Here is how the other one looks like now. For some reason, it doesn't look like any of those prettier pet chickens loitering around the neighbourhood. Btw..it's favourite food is Dog Food! It will go around harrassing the dogs for their food. And the dogs..are surprisingly very tolerant.

This is my dad's handsome blackie dog (cross labrador) messing around in the bushes. This is the kitty I found meowing pitifully outside the house in July.

And..look how big it has become now (2 months later)And it has become such a handful..very very notty..you won't believe how long I waited to capture this picture as in..when it's not pouncing around. Cheated actually..got my dad to pinned it down. ha ha..it's only afraid of my dad.

And finally, this is dear Phoebe. An English Cocker Spaniel I adopted about 3 years ago. Stubborn and Irritating but such an Adorable Thing. The chicken has no problem terrosising her..DUH. And for some reasons she loves to eat the kitty's poo ..EUWW! I know!


Oh ya..almost forgotten..this 'lady'. Queen of the house, no doubt. Sleeps almost 23 hours a day. Absolutely despise the kitty. Totally anti social.

Missing Piece

Picture source : flickr

There seem to be a missing piece (or pieces?) in my life. It's been missing for some time but I chose to ignore it. Lately, the feeling been getting stronger and stronger. And that means I need to make drastic changes....rather urgently. What's missing?

Love?

Fun?

Career?

Very very cloudy

It's been very cloudy these days. And it's very depressing when there is not much I can do about the clouds. Out of sight out of mind...been saying that way too often way too long. What can I do...what could i have done...

Danial @ 3 (Part 2)

This took place last night. Funny but quite touching..for me at least.
Danial suddenly decided to enquire about a picture of my late mom which has been sitting in the living room for ages.

• D: Who's that?
• Me : your mama (paternal grand mother in Cantonese)
• D: no..my mother is there? (pointing at his mother)
• Me: no...this is your grandma. Meaning your daddy's mother.
• D: no..my fren ma is at my fren house
• Me : ROFL!!!!
• Me : ok..grandma means grandmother. Like your popo in Bangkok.
• D: Yes..i have popo and Yee Ruth in Bangkok.
• Me: Yeah...your mommy's mother is popo. so..Daddy's mother is ma ma.
• D: ah.
• AFTER ABOUT HALF AN HOUR, DANIAL WAS LEAVING THE HOUSE AND BIDDING GOODBYE TO YEH YEH (GRANDPA SNOOZING ON THE COUCH)
• D: bye bye yeh yeh!
• ME: mama ler?
• D : ha? who?
• ME: that one..(Pointing at the picture of my mom)
• D : BYE BYE mama!

Awwwwww..........

Danial @ 3

Been some time since I mentioned my little nephew Danial. Actually, he is not little anymore...at 3 yrs old plus..he can be such a 'nuisance' at times. Parenting..be such a difficult job! As much as kids are nuisance at times....they can be such joy talking to (for a while..not more than an hour preferably *hee*).

Yesterday, I brought him some interesting books. He was very excited about all of them. Boys being boys..he hung on to one about war planes and kept asking us difficult questions about the planes. Example...

• D: Koo koo...koo koo (that's me)..why this aeroplane has two tail joined together?
• Me : I don't know..have to read the explanation to find out
• D: I don't know how to read wor..
• Me : Ok..let me try to read and find out...(so I read as I normally do..in my mind)
• D: I cannot hear wat you read??

DOINK!!

Officially..new hobby

ok..it's official. Body Combat is my current main hobby. Am blogging this down to keep track of how long i will stick with this new found joy. Not too long ago I declared that I enjoyed tai chi after wandering around it for 2 years. I only decided to try out body combat recently after like 3 years bumming around the gym and I got hooked almost instantly. Think I didn't dare to join any Group Exercise classes then because I wasn't fit at all then and was having numerous problems with back la, knees la, etc.

I guess, body combat gets into what I've always wanted to do since I was a kid - I wanted to take up tae kwon do when I was in primary school but my dad didn't allow. His reason was because I was already such a tom boy..take martial arts i will become worse! So now...20 yrs later..I get to do unofficial martial arts for fun! Where does tai chi come in now..well, second placing lor. Tai ci..wil be for retirement practice :)

Here are some of glamorous pictures of some true fitness instructors that I found on the blogsphere.

Beautiful Day..

Good Morning!

I would think it should be a rather beautiful day today. I even heard some rare birds singing away just now. It is very rare to hear birds chirping away so cheerfully in corporate office areas. It is even more rare to hear such beautiful melodic chirps in the city centre. Normally, we'd only hear / see those ugly looking black crow 'hawking' away in the city. Today must be my lucky day :)


While I feel quite cheerful today, I can't help but wonder how is my friend at the hospital feeling today. Well, everyone thought she looked great (physically) for a person who just came out from a surgery. Emotionally...nobody is sure how she feels. I would be devastated..seriously.
(PAUSED..) I can't even bring myself to spell out exactly..what was done in a mastectomy. Too painful to talk about.

On the other hand, it was comforting to see she has so many friends and colleagues caring for her. They took turns to bring her food, drinks,books, dvd player, books etc. This only shows what a wonderful person she has been. KT asked me what I brought for her..I said "I brought myself"

KT thinks that's awful of me :D well well..I thought hard about what to bring..but didn't have any idea. And I was rushing for time. Anyway..i still think it's the presence that counts.

Another Visit to the Hospital

I am back! Shows you how much real work I am getting done here. Think the office will ban blogging very soon. Thanks to me.

I will be visitng a friend at the hospital this evening. Can't believe that I am visiting the same hospital twice in a week. She jus did a mastectomy. Just last week I heard about the disgnosis. I was careful not to bug the family with so many questions at one go. So, I only touched base today..and found out that surgery was over and done with! Goodness.

Mastectomy is a scary word...for women especially.

Well, I've been told she is taking things very positively. That's good to know.

Hmm.. what do I say to her?

Clown

Presenting the biggest clown in town...

First, after BC class, realised that I didn't have the locker keys with me and found it at one of the machines I was using more than an hour before the class! Thank God it's still there.

Next, bought some mooncakes at the Tai Thong kiosk outside the gym, upon reaching the car, realised I didn't have the box with me! Duh! Very clumsy..when I had to handle the hand bag, shoe bag and gym bag, car keys, parking ticket and stomach in urgent need of fuel. So...I left some of the Bags in the car and went back to the kiosk at the Ground floor with the parking ticket In My Hand.

Feeling very much like an idiot....I showed my clumsy face at the kiosk...and the lady laughed at handed me the cakes. So..with the box and hand bag and parking ticket and car keys In My Hand I headed back to P3 where my car was.

Entered the car..was very relieved to dump all the Bags into the car...started the car...and DOUBLE DUH!!!

THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING---WHERE THE HECK IS THE PARKING TICKET!!!

I was so sure I had it in my hands..or pockets? Or was it the hand bag??

Searched high and low for it. Inside the bag. In the car. Outside the car. Under the seat. Inside the mooncake bag. Searched the hand bag again. Searched front pockets. Searched back pockets. NO TICKET! Defeated!

Last chance - to re-track and hopefully I will find the ticket somewhere in the elevator or somewhere anywhere along the way. Or else..have to pay penalty *CRY*


...guess what..I Found It!! Hee hee...on the floor a few steps away from the car. It must have dropped..from my hand *DUH*

There you go..biggest clown in action!

ZzzzZZZzzz..

Yes..I am back here blogging instead of working. These days I blog more about myself and own thoughts than other things..guess I am really treating this like my own little diary.

I am so 'out' right now! Totally didn't sleep well last night. Lesson learnt - never work out till too late into the night! I wonder how I will get through the rest of the day...(PAUSED)

Ok..I am slightly more awake now. My sis just called. As usual...I tend to freak out when receiving calls from family and relatives on unexpected time or days. The last time sis called me on a working day (last month) was to tell me that she was car jacked and kidnapped for 3 hours! So..I guesss it is normal for me to freak when receiving unexpected calls on unexpected time of the day. Anyway..she called to inform me that there was a murder in MY NEIGHBOURHOOD at around 4am this morning!!! By neighbourhood I practically mean a few doors or streets away from my house - yes, it's that near. No further details yet...she only heard from the security guards in ther neighbourhood (a few minutes away from my house) who were approached by the police. Suspected revenge or motive killing. As I was writing this....another friend was updating me on FB that her house was broken into last week. Sickening la!

Was going to write abit about the coming mid autumn festival..no mood now. I only know..the festival is this weekend and I don't feel the festival mood. I have not bought any mooncakes. They are so expensive nowadays..and I am so broke nowadays :( Can I buy just 2 instead of the normal 4 in a box *hint* And where is that lantern I bought for Little Danial last year??

ZzzzzZZZZzzzz..still sleepy.

Too Funny..

Was determined to take a break from bloggin today until I got this joke from WK. Too funny to delete :

A twenty-one-year- old gilr tells her Mom that she has missed her period for two months.
Very worried, the mother goes to the chemist and buys a test kit.
The test result shows that the girl is pregnant.
Shouting, cursing, crying, the mother says 'Who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know !'

The girl picks up the phone and makes a call.
Half an hour later a Ferrari stops in front of their house; a mature and distinguished man with grey hair, impeccably dressed in a very expensive suit, steps out of the car and enters the house.

He sits in the living room with the father, the mother and the girl, and tells them.
'Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the problem.
I can't marry her because of my personal family situation, but I'll provide support.
''If a girl is born. I will baqueath her two supermarket stores, a townhouse, a beach villa and a
$1,000,000 bank account. If a boy is born, my legacy will be a couples of factories and a $2,000,000 bank account. If it is twins, a factory and $1,000,000 each.

However, if there is a miscarriage, what do you suggest i do ?'
At this point, the father, who had remained silent, place a hand firmly onthe man's shoulder and tells him, 'Then you try again.'

*LAUGH*

I am bad..

Today I discovered that my LCD monitor is about to konk out on me. The contrast / brightness was so out of sync that my eyes were getting 'sick'. I thought I could to bear with it until it blacks out eventually but I tak boleh tahan lar. After finishing an urgent quotation in the afternoon...I did it! Very naughty indeed. I switched my old faulty IBM LCD monitor with my colleague's newer Dell monitor. Since he is in operations and is alwasy out in the field ..it won't make any diff to him mah... As I was telling my boss..I don't think he will notice the change anyway :p

UPDATED: arrgh...this new monitor..so bright! not good for my eyes neither :(

err..arr ..errr

A while ago..I received a call from my youngest aunt. I am so paranoid....because sudden calls from relatives may mean bad news. Fortunately, it is just a casual call. It went like this:

• Aunt : helo ..ah leng ah..
• Me : yes ah yee..
• Aunt : stil in office working ah?
• Me : yes..a while more
• Aunt : tomorrow u free or not ..go yi ma (eldest aunt) house?
• Me : ahh..errr...ahhh...eerrr....caaan la
• Aunt : have you visited sai kow foo (youngest uncle recovering from stroke) lately?
• Me : err..no..not yet ever since they moved
• Aunt : has your sis gotten back her car?
• Me : ya...jus got back yesterday
• Aunt : ok la..good ..quite fast..
• Me : no lar..so long..1 month liao
• Aunt : ok la..that's all lar..tomorrow u come ah

Actually I had something I wanted to do tomorrow..but couldn't think fast enough what it was..now I remembered..that I wanted to go to Low Yat to get some gadgets -_-

Better Brighter Day?

Yea..the sun seems brighter today. It sure feels good when I can use my cool shades instead of the screen wiper when driving to work. And its Friday again! It MUST be a good day.

Yesterday, I left office a little early to go visit SY's dad at the hospital. He looks good, think will be discharged today. I chatted for a while and left for the gym. Had a good work out at the BC class then rushed home for tai chi :) yea..two in a row..i think my body mechanic's a bit messed up by my erratic hobby changes - fast slow fast slow :D I've also started playing 'active' badminton again with Esther on Saturdays. Ouch! More harm to the poor joints. Did I mention that my shins are aching too? *rolling my eyes*

Well.. I started tai chi becos I thought my body mechanics and fitness level were too poor to do any high impact sports. And I joined TF at Jaya so that I can do some swimming which is also low impact ma. Who knows...2 years later I am doing all this harm to my poor body. Hee hee..this only proves one thing.."when there's a will, there's a way". It's natural human behaviour....when we found interest and love for something..it is so easy to commit...and it's ever so easy to create excuses to continue to commit. If only I find a someone that I have such commitment to.

oh by the way..I just heard that KT's mom was assaulted by her 'mad' tenant yesterday! What kind of day was yesterday?? And what kind of city are we living in?? Fortunately, she was not badly harm. and..as much as I am still in shock that such an awful thing can happen to a sweet old lady that I've known for 20 years...I can't help but felt entertained (but worried) by KT's reaction. These were her words...

"...he put the metal stering lock on my mother's head and made her knee dwn asked for forgiveness. Tis part I WILL NEVER FORGIVEN him.."

Good thing is she is taking this strongly..very strongly indeed. I would have just accepted and thank God that everything's over. But..KT being KT..she is not going to let this rest until she is satisfied. Becareful there my friend.

...

Gosh...I feel like I just came out of a tornado. I even think I am trembling slightly right now. Firstly, I woke up not feeling very good this morning. When the morning stretches and shower did not help...I thought some coffee will do good. Obviously that was a bad call.

And..I also thought I could settle down a bit in the office..expecting today to be a relatively quiet day - both work and personal matters. Wrong again. Almost at the same time...I had to deal with unpleasant news from all angles.

My bro updated me that Danial's baby sitter is seriously ill with multiple health problems. As if that is not bad enough, she also had to deal with hefty medical bills cos her original insurance lapsed all because she thought she had signed up with another friend who was suppose to have enrolled her new policy and DID NOT DO SO. Damn...double damn...

At the same time..SY finally found time to update that her dad has been in the hospital last few days. Although, everything's under control but it still took me a while to sink it in. Will try to pay a visit later this evening since I am nearby.


Work wise...as usual....same old issues. Issues that are beyond me but hovering around me like a huge pieces of dark clouds. I am pretty convinced that they will not ever go away, in fact I will be damn lucky if they don't get thicker and heavier and eventually fall onto me! so..what do i do! Move away from the clouds obviously. Though, there will be clouds no matter where i work...but different types of clouds. It's better to work with clouds that are within my reach ...clouds that I can clear pretty easily within my own capacity.

I think I am feeling better now..blogging helps :) I will survive. Just like any other day. May be I will go to the gym in the evening to shake off the lousy thoughts. I found a new love at the gym. Gotcha! If you are thinking I met de man I love - wrong again! Heee....heee ..it's just that I discovered that I actually like going to the Body Combat classes. Kind of tough for my aging joints...but loving every bit of it.

UPDATE: Just when I was begining to find my rhythm again..got another bad news. A friend has been diagnosed with cancer. Damn!

Second Chance

How often do we get a second chance...

Many many years ago..a dear friend called me to tell me about something horrible that happened. I told her I was sorry to hear the news and promised I will catch up with her again ONE DAY. But..it took me very very long to finally FOUND TIME to call back. I discovered that she had moved on with life happily. We chatted for a while..and I hung up feeling happy for her but embarassed at myself. What kind of friend was I! I never had the courage to call nor sms her again. Years gone by...once in a while I remembered about what an idiot friend I was..and vowed never to repeat that again..to anyone.

Recently, we are in touch again. Thanks to Facebook! We've met up twice so far and had fun catching up. Just like old times. I am sure we will stay in touch for good this time.

I am so so glad that I have this second chance...to have this friend back again.

I will be good. I will not be an idiot again. There may not be another second chance...