Passing Showers

The Fonts have Won Me Over (Goodbye, Blogger)

2007-11-20T17:24:00.000+08:00

Starting today, I will be moving my blogging base to thefabulist.wordpress.com. Wordpress blogs have snagged my heart in the past (particularly their header fonts), and yesterday, I gave up trying to modify a Wordpress-template-for-Blogger template for The Real Thing. So please bookmark / RSS / graffiti the new site and visit often, because it already feels more homely than this one.

BERSIH / Beings

2007-11-17T21:53:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, yellow was the colour on everyone's lips. I'd forgotten about the Bersih rally until my sis called and said it was jammed everywhere; did I want a lift to church for worship practice? Then she proceeded to tell me about her colleague who was on the KTM Komuter and noticed that it was filled with makcik-makcik and pakcik-pakcik who looked like they were going for a picnic, what with

Wayang Kata / (And we thought we were poets)

2007-10-26T00:21:00.000+08:00

I'm not exactly a poetry kind of person, though I will say I was born under a corny star, inheriting that rare superpower to plague almost any earthling to submission with the most corny rhyme. Said in time. Worth a dime. How sublime.Feel the power yet? :DAnyway, yesterday I tried expanding my appreciation for poetry by attending Wayang Kata at No Black Tie. A friend was amongst six poets

Existentialism and reasons for insomnia

2007-10-15T16:21:00.000+08:00

I'm aliveIn case you were wondering if I had joined a caravan of singing beatniks or if the aliens had finally overcome the gravity pull to suck me into their space craft (in which case let it be known that I was the first Malaysian astronaut, not Dr SMS), no such luck. I'm alive, busy as usual, procrastinating like mad, and playing too many Scrabulous games on Facebook. Came back from Phuket a

KL / Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka

2007-09-26T01:57:00.000+08:00

I don't like KL. It's filthy, chaotic, and littered with shady characters acting as if they own the place. After sundown, it gets worse. The high-pitched sounds of traffic are replaced by dark desires that rumble in low decibels. The emancipated man at the bus-stop becomes a drug addict in need of fast cash; the shifty-eyed man sweeping floors becomes a sex-starved maniac whose wife is a

Buku Muka

2007-09-22T01:18:00.000+08:00

I'll tell you a secret. I'm addicted to Facebook. Since my boss (older than me by at least a decade) mentioned in a meeting that he's on Facebook, I figured I should succumb to the hype and jump on the bandwagon, y'know. Can't be seen as a non-nerd—not while I work in a tech/web company!On a slightly more noble note, I am actually interested in web culture and social trends. So Facebook fits in

Sickensore / Lab Rats

2007-09-22T00:48:00.000+08:00

Two paper cuts and one sore throat mark the end of a week cooped up in a very small, very white and very cold research facility in downtown KL. For company, I had a sick research partner, loads of A3 paper, marker pens, a videocam, ciplak Post-it Notes (not from 3M), a one-way mirror and 25 strangers who came and went out a little richer. My colleague poisoned the air with her germs and took it

Of Language and Sex

2007-09-11T23:41:00.000+08:00

I've been conducting some Top Secret Research in KL for the past two days. This week's schedule ends tomorrow, but the whole of next week is all about shaking hands and disinfecting them with unadulterated brainpower alone, while doing my best to listen attentively.Since Central Market was en route home, I decided to drop in on some KataGender arts installation thingy and a forum on 'Youth

Post No. 100 (+1)

2007-09-02T05:21:00.000+08:00

Wow! I just realised the previous post was post no. 100. I am a certified blogger now! (By my own standards.) Wheee!

Saharadja at Mont Kiara Jazz Fest

2007-09-02T04:21:00.000+08:00

I had been looking forward to the Merdeka gig at No Black Tie, which was meant to be a night of poetry and music featuring the likes of Amir Muhammad, Azmyl Yunor, Pang, Mia Palencia and Isaac Entry. However, when we got there, I realised (i) I was underdressed; (ii) we needed a reservation.Dang dang dang.So, by virtue of being booted out of NBT, a friend and I found ourselves on the road to

31 August, Merdeka

2007-08-31T18:00:00.000+08:00

Jalur Gemilang, Melaka, 2004Happy 50th Merdeka!!!A strangely silent pause.Just what's so happy about it though, I can't tell. I'm sure it's something to do with being free from colonial rule, something-something about being independent, and maybe a lot about not having to sip tea daintily all day (but hey, guess what our national drink is). Don't get me wrong, I'm no deviant, but I am somewhat

Lennie develops on the night of the lunar eclipse

2007-08-28T23:47:00.000+08:00

The blank Polaroid lay flat on the table. "Shake it! Shake it!" I said excitedly."No! That's the wrong way," said Rach. "You'll mix all the colours up." Tickled by the cleverness of the sentence in her head, Rach grinned and said, "Let's watch Lennie develop."( |o }===:::At times, the imposing nature of age—that always increasing, never decreasing number—gets the better of me. Almost. It is as

Fried Green Tomatoes

2007-08-12T21:43:00.000+08:00

Last weekend's Pay Less Books sale saw me scavenging for cheap reads. In less than an hour, I'd rounded up 7 books. The first to be devoured was Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. My verdict: I love it! It's funny, lovable and you feel an affinity for the characters. Here's one of the funniest chapters, regarding a character called Evelyn, a woman facing menopause:

Gone

2007-08-06T01:25:00.000+08:00

Today, I understood a bit of what a monkey, squirrel, bird, panda, tiger, fern, crawler experiences when it loses its hideout to men in chainsaws and tractors. You feel bare. You feel like you could run for a thousand miles with your little heart churning out blood and fear, yet still end up in the jaws of a well-camouflaged croc or at the end of a shotgun. You dart for cover, but to your

Neighbours Pt II (Wildlife edition)

2007-08-03T02:53:00.000+08:00

A fly sticking around before the rainA cat imitating a punk headbanger after the rain (click to zoom)

Rabbit vs. Grandma

2007-08-02T11:23:00.000+08:00

Rabbits are territorial, and so are grandmothers. If you lived in my house, you'd soon realise that the toilet downstairs is akin to a battlefield where a silent but tense power struggle is waged out every day between rabbit and grandma. The former loves to dash in for a quick poo if no one's looking; the latter tries to clampdown on such loose behaviour by constructing an elaborate rabbit-proof

Neighbours

2007-08-02T01:52:00.000+08:00

One rainy Saturday a few weeks ago, I decided to document my neighbours. I must admit, I've never spoken to any of them. My family used to trade New Year cookies for Raya ones with the neighbour on the right, but that tradition dissipated into a mere childhood memory when the 'datuk' from next door passed away.The neighbours on the rightAn old Chinese lady used to live on our left, but a few

Andy McKee playing 'Drifting'

2007-08-01T01:35:00.000+08:00

I stumbled into the arms of an amazing fingerstyle guitarist today. No, not Tommy Emmanuel. StumbleUpon, that nifty surfing tool, introduced me to Andy McKee playing a song he wrote called 'Drifting'. I immediately forwarded it to my guitar buddies online, and soon, an oasis of sorts (saliva, actually) had formed on our keyboards.Stuff like this inspires me to want to pick up fingerstyle guitar.

Mating season

2007-07-27T01:43:00.000+08:00

I have spotted an opportunity for baby bunnies to exist. I have seen the flashing neon sign, alternating between "Single & Available" and two hearts overlapping as one. I smell sweet love in the air.The two suitors don't know it yet, but I have *evil* plans. Recently, I found out that a colleague of mine has a rabbit, and not just a rabbit, a female rabbit! And not just a female rabbit, a FEMALE

Janice is back! But where are the housemates?

2007-07-27T00:34:00.001+08:00

"lol", 2001Janice, a good friend who used to hang with me in Canberra, is back in Singapore after spending some time in the States dancing and making coffee and going for Bible classes. Wheeeee! If you didn't know, Janice is a professionally trained psychologist who prefers working in a cafe and trying out new recipes. She's a good person to talk to, and one of the handful who can stand shopping

3a.m. in a living room on Foch Road

2007-07-23T03:05:00.000+08:00

I'm on the last leg of my Singapore trip. The guys are already asleep--William felt sick after walking in the drizzle with me and Cheok didn't have a weekend. He's been working non-stop on a pitch, and tomorrow it's yet another day at work, except that he has a shoot tomorrow, which sounds slightly more relaxed. I would say I'm so glad to be out of advertising, but I just checked my new office

Singapore Pt. II

2007-07-22T01:16:00.000+08:00

Singapore is a fine city. In both senses of the word. It's my second visit to Singapore in a year, which makes that a personal record. One day I imagine I might work here, since I know more than five people and therefore shouldn't feel completely lonely, and also because it's a fine city. If you earned the same amount as you did in that country up its border (where I currently reside), all you'd

Lump is cute, but have you seen him wet?

2007-07-18T01:28:00.000+08:00

When wet, my rabbit looks like a rat.(This is for those of you who have only seen pictures that depict him as this outrageously cute fluff ball. He IS, but he can also look pretty scrawny. Tee-hee. These were taken at least a year ago, maybe two.)

Anson & Alex do their thang

2007-07-09T22:03:00.000+08:00

More fluke shots from Ai Mei and Terence's wedding. Here we have Anson on rhythm guitar and Alex on congas. Motion is natural—my PhotoShop skills ain't that advanced. :)

Focus

2007-07-07T04:27:00.001+08:00

Experiments in crazy

2007-07-07T04:03:00.000+08:00

Yesterday's wedding rehearsal involved musicians, singers, shofar blowers and dancers. Here is Janet dancing, and me having no freaking clue what's happening with all the light. They do, however, seem intent on dancing with her.

Experiments in candlelight

2007-07-07T03:28:00.000+08:00

In the days to come, I'll probably be writing less and shooting more. My new toy has left me as poor as a church mouse, especially once I pay the credit card company for it. But for now, I'm still trying to figure out the mysteries of the camera and photography in general. I wish I were a lot more technical in this area, but all the f/x-number, aperture and whatnot is rather confusing. Still,

Made in 1910

2007-07-06T03:25:00.000+08:00

My maternal grandma is 97 years old. For someone her age, she's in pretty good shape and fiercely independent, but when you're almost a century old, your body does get worn, and her leg muscles have been grumbling incessantly in recent days.Despite having known her all my life, I haven't been very civil to her since my rebellious early teens. Now, I am past acting like James Dean but our static

Cheers, Mate

2007-06-28T01:14:00.000+08:00

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with... B!~Beer. Also known as:- belly girth enhancer- burping agent- better days aheadThis is an early celebration for the latter. (Crosses fingers in hope that it's not premature. Otherwise, darn, those calories coulda been saved for later.)Also presenting my new Nikon D40x baby. I <3 superzoom lenses.

reCAPTCHA & Other Reads

2007-06-27T01:56:00.000+08:00

You know how leaving comments on people's blogs sometimes involves having to figure out some squiggly alphabets that are hard to read? Well, I just learned that some of these are linked to reCAPTCHA, a programme that digitises old scanned texts by having humans solve these 'puzzles' around the world, all the time. It's pretty interesting and if you go to the site, you can actually help digitise

Music Binge

2007-06-16T03:47:00.000+08:00

Over the past few days, I have found myself addicted to downloading mp3s ever since I rediscovered mp3 blogs and mp3 blog aggregators like The Hype Machine. When I say addicted, I mean seriously addicted, to the point that I figure out strategies for my downloading activities, as not all of these activities take place at err... private property, and because one particular machine at this

Filed under CLASSIFIEDS: FRIENDSHIP

2007-06-16T03:22:00.000+08:00

IRRESISTIBLY HOT Angora male, two and a half years old, seeks companionship of funny, friendly rabbits or humans of any gender. If you like playing catch, stroking soft surfaces, having a warm rug of high-quality fur under your feet, or entertaining the whims and fancies of a lonely, sexually charged virgin bored, neglected bunny, please reply to this post with the validation code: 'HOT BUNS'.

Aged Dawgs

2007-06-13T23:14:00.000+08:00

Reading the news can make you laugh. Really: TOKYO - Japan will get its first nursing home for dogs with round-the-clock monitoring by doctors and a team of puppies to help aging pooches feel younger, a pet products company said Wednesday. Owners pay 98,000 yen (US$800) a month to keep their dogs at the Soladi Care Home for pets, which opens Friday, according to a joint release by Soladi Co. and

Stuff you don't want to hear at night

2007-06-13T03:32:00.000+08:00

After waiting weeks for my Spidey 2 download to finish, I sit down in a semi-comfortable chair, turn off the lights and double-click the file only to find that...IT'S IN FRENCH!!!!!:(~There are two big yellow tractors and two big dust-coloured trucks filled with dirt outside the gate. For the past few nights, they have been digging a big long hole in the road about one foot deep, covering it back

Book Bug

2007-06-10T03:03:00.000+08:00

For reasons unclear, the Boss decided to give the Workers workers an off day on Friday (and Saturday), so I started on J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, a classic published in 1951 that has courted a fair amount of controversy for "offensive language, premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution". Of course, I wasn't aware of such labels at the time, and post-enlightenment, I don't agree

In the ruins

2007-06-04T00:50:00.000+08:00

Nine years I have loved you.Nine years you have loved me.Nine years on, you lie in the ruins.Today, for clamping you the 'right' way for a song I wrote (which is upside down of how I usually clamp you), you paid a hefty price. You died in service. Faithfully, just like always.This picture is in memory of how a spanking new you looked like outta the package, and the spot where you received your

2 B R 0 2 B by Kurt Vonnegut

2007-06-03T04:23:00.000+08:00

My research into corporations and blogging for an upcoming article led to a wild romp round the Web for the past--OMG--six hours. In that time, I have discovered several interesting blogs, checked out this blog's stats on Technorati (where it's miserably ranked at 2,130,500 with an authority rating of 2), understood 1% more about Web 2.0, and discovered Project Gutenberg. (Oh, and of course,

To Pastor Tim (whom I'd call Timmeh, but for fear of incurring that swallowed-annoyance look)

2007-06-01T02:37:00.000+08:00

"Hello, Pastor."Kampung Jus, Melaka, July '05 (Whee!!! Check out my eyebrows!!)You don't need to worry if you left an impact. You did. Thank you for praying with me through dead-ends and my darkest days. Your quiet joy in God, your love for Him and the way you worship are inspiring. You don't take God as a sugar daddy as many are wont to do. You took Him as Lord, ready to follow His leading. Your

Lina Joy

2007-05-31T03:27:00.000+08:00

Triumphant shouts of "Allahu Akhbar"—meaning, God is great—greeted the landmark ruling passed today in Malaysia's highest court. Since 7.30am, 300-odd Muslim supporters from 80 different Islamic bodies had begun joining the concerned and the curious outside the courthouse. Whatever the court's decision (and there were only two possible outcomes), they must have rehearsed their reactions the night

Planets, to Scale

2007-05-20T01:00:00.000+08:00

Remember that chart in school, with the nine planets in our solar system drawn on it like one happy family? Well, that's a big bullish lie.On Friday, I read the second chapter of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything while lunching at the Departure Lounge. It was a drone of words compared to the first, but an illustration of how big the universe we live in stood out, which went

To Anybody, and Nobody

2007-05-15T02:46:00.000+08:00

I think, wistfully,of youthen of all the missed chancesstillbornin my sleep.

Teabags & Tears

2007-05-14T04:06:00.000+08:00

I am sitting with a damp, used teabag lodged between the plastic lens of my spectacles and a shut left eye. The words 'Cane's Green Tea' dangle freely from the upturned bag, rustling in the fan breeze against my static hair. I look like a pirate, a joke, or both. I have just finished reading Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, reciprocating its pleasure with my tears. Tomorrow is a

Staring into the screen, I see stars

2007-05-08T11:30:00.000+08:00

I want to elopewith your waywardwordsyour yellowed skinfingeredfranticfoundfeverishin intentof emancipating mefrom cubicle hell

A Public Appearance on a Public Holiday

2007-05-07T02:02:00.000+08:00

Meet Zara. She's a malnourished vegan who doesn't want to eat animals because "I love animals". While I don't doubt her sincerity (two years of being a vegan might have saved err... 3 cows, 2 goats and a few hundred chickens?), I do have reservations that any such love is mutual. For instance, if I dumped her in the rugged (often misconstrued as wildly romantic) African landscape with nothing

Blowing. Breathing. Brewing.

2007-05-06T05:05:00.000+08:00

Over the past week, my scent has changed. I smell of stale cigarettes and communal sweat. I smell like a million bucks stuck in a sewage line. I smell of desperation.Ambition.(confusion)Resolve.(regression)A seismic shift in the seasons.( ... )I smell very different these days.

And to put life into perspective again...

2007-04-24T23:23:00.000+08:00

An Inconvenient Truth

2007-04-24T20:02:00.000+08:00

I am two miles from the sun. Two miles from combusting. Two bloody miles from being consumed. My anger hides, but I know its colour.White.Not righteous or holy.White.The same perverted white in your spit-laced words. The same white your eyes lie with, the same white your lips conceal as they open and close, start and end, lie after lie. I have heard many white lies, sealed and delivered in a

Babies: A lazy Sunday post

2007-04-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

My niece is learning to walk and talk. I'll teach her some really cool stuff soon, like how to say, "My name is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and I work at the Kwik-E-mart" real quick and with an Indian accent, or "My Ah Yee is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".... ... ...(Okay the real reason why I'm posting is cos I like these pics. And I am waiting for Gmail to upload some files. That's all. Lazy

Battle Wounds

2007-04-20T03:31:00.000+08:00

Felix's This guy's scar is scary.For those without an imagination, that's what your arm will look like if you break it three times at the same spot. For those with an imagination, that's what your arm will look like if you break it three times at the same spot. It looks like there's a creepy alien underneath, slithering up and down, just waiting to burst out--like in Alien, of course.There's also

Sounds like SG$48,000 (or not)

2007-04-17T03:09:00.000+08:00

Three guys. One girl. Three days. One car.SaturdayLate! Jon forgot his passport and so we left late.Jam! Stupid roadworks on the North-South highway delayed us further.Rain! The conspiracy was beginning. Obviously the Government paid money to some skilled cloud seeders to stop us from crossing the border.Storm! We couldn't see beyond a few metres. Good thing Terk (the most experienced driver) was

Why God Likes Some People

2007-04-13T15:43:00.000+08:00

Let me first state that whatever follows is theoretical, not theological. A mere hypothesis based on personal experiences, expounded to a supernatural being called God. It is an observation, a feeling, a thought; nothing that should deserve more than a minute of contemplation. It is not stuff you should teach kids in Sunday School.After trying hard to find company for lunch and failing (and

Friday the 13th Pt. 2

2007-04-13T00:11:00.000+08:00

Oooh! It's the second time I'm blogging about Friday the 13th. This time, the ominous day has just started.(SFX: Cue pipe organs)My mum has just complained that my bedroom's table fan was BLACK. Black as soot, she says. The water was BLACK. BLACK BLACK BLACK! Okay, I get the point. She adds that she cleaned parts of my window too. And the water was... BLACK! She says I've been breathing in dust.

16 Hours Later...

2007-04-12T00:48:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, after a night spent battling a battalion of 'Z's' in order to finish an important PowerPoint proposal, I left my office at 4.45pm, reached home around 5pm, and went straight to bed. I reckoned I'd nap for a while and wake up for dinner or in the middle of the morning with a screwed biorhythm and some hunger cravings—nothing really major so I didn't bother removing my contacts. I

Word of the Day: Unwind

2007-04-12T00:38:00.000+08:00

un-wind - verb (used without object)1. to relax by farting, i.e. "Ahhhh, this teh halia is really helping me unwind." (SFX: Pooot...)(Thanks, Chris, for the excellent idea.)

C'mon Hijau, Fight, Fight, Fight!

2007-04-10T03:31:00.000+08:00

I am so screwed. It's L.A.T.E. and I'm not even halfway done through this PowerPoint proposal for a TV capsule due tomorrow morning. I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight.To keep awake, I have consumed in the past hour: Dozens of rotten pistachios left over from Chinese New Year (they've gone green and soft) Preserved mango from the Philippines (finished the pack) Passionfruit Boh tea

A Commemoration of an Insignificant Incident

2007-04-09T19:34:00.000+08:00

At precisely 7.31pm, Monday 9th April 2007, the pimple in my left audio cavity erupted, first leaving a trail of blood and puss, then a slight wooziness on its former tenant. Minutes later, the heat of such an explosion was sensed, like warm blood trickling into my middle ear, though I know I'm probably just being paranoid. Wooozyyyy...

Lennie Feels Deaf (Not Dumb) in Her Left Ear

2007-04-09T01:27:00.000+08:00

I need reprieve.I need a sterilised needle and a steady hand.I need a dab of alcohol; a cooling tide.I need this monsterpuncturedrupturedplacated.(The sufferer lets out a high-pitched scream only heard by musical dogs and Superman.)Pesky pimple in my ear,When will you freakin' disappear?!OI! TALKING TO YOU LAH PIMPLE!

Hmm-bop

2007-04-07T16:19:00.000+08:00

I am a phoney. I am a faker. I am a professional poser.Twice, yesterday, I caught myself trying to impress random strangers by:a) Speaking in good Englishb) Bopping my head to jazz music(Three times, if you count that pseudo-artsy look I was trying to achieve with my face.)GOSH! WHAT A LOSER!Ever since I was old smart enough to realise that certain patterns of behaviour I displayed (mainly

Happy Birthday, Pa

2007-04-04T23:45:00.000+08:00

It was my dad's birthday yesterday. His 64th, to be exact. I didn't buy him anything. Neither did we go out to celebrate.My father doesn't believe in celebrating birthdays. I suspect birthdays weren't grand affairs in his family of eight kids when he was young. Why else the wrinkled, disapproving mug when refusing my invitation to organise a rare family dinner? I don't think it's mere modesty.All

This is a Happy Bass Riff

2007-04-04T22:55:00.000+08:00

If a bass riff had the power to make humans happy and contented, it'd probably sound like the one on The Magic Numbers' 'This is a Song'. Technically, it's not very difficult at all, but it sure can make me smile. :)

A Designer's Zoo

2007-04-03T00:22:00.000+08:00

At the office dinner, someone (a guy) was gushing on about the movie 300 yet again."You simply must watch it. It's sooooo good. You know the battle of..." (Here he rattles off the film's historic background and how gobsmackingly brilliant this bunch of 300 Spartans were in defeating an army of a few hundred thousand.)"Oooh, must watch then," says a female colleague. "3000, right?""300! Not 3000!"

Broken Things Break Me

2007-04-01T03:11:00.000+08:00

A loud thump; wood on cement. D string meets D-Day. The murderer, a Higher Power whose mention here would prove bad workplace etiquette.Darkness where light should be. My camera is blind. So am I.Car woes. Second-hand car woes. I am broke.

R-evolution, Revelation

2007-03-28T00:32:00.000+08:00

Someone I know thinks we came from monkeys. I guess that's what he means when he says I am ignoring the 'scientific explanation' of one of life's profoundest mysteries: Where do we come from? My revelation today is not that I have evolved successfully from having a tail and scratching my buttock half the time (while happily sniffing my clan members' buttocks the other half), but that slowly, I

Mike Tries to Evade the Camera While Tying His Tie

2007-03-22T01:12:00.000+08:00

Joanna, 'Gift of God'

2007-03-22T00:43:00.000+08:00

Here are the first pics I'm posting of my niece Joanna. She's almost a year old in these pics (taken in January), but she's now really one year, one month and one week. Rock on, baby. (Btw, that's my sister next to her.)

Blistering Post This Is!

2007-01-20T22:34:00.000+08:00

Those whom I've been in more regular contact with in RL (real life) might know that I've been atrociously busy at work. Yes, work is stealing my precious time, energy and... youth. My eyebags are back with a vengence and a huge gawking zit is freeloading on the prime spot of my face: at the confluence of my eyes, eyebrows and nose. It is bloody annoying as I'm trying to make an impression these

Blessed Christmas

2006-12-25T20:57:00.000+08:00

Blessed Christmas, everyone. How was your Christmas? I woke up at 3.30pm. Wahaha.

2006-12-19T18:39:00.000+08:00

Extreme WhiteboardingSince I don't have time to blog, I'll just post something special I saw today. Enjoy!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

2006-12-07T22:23:00.000+08:00

My office toilet has no mirror. I noticed it the first day I used the loo. It felt awkward at first--going out without first checking on how you look, but I think I've grown somewhat used to it. But the most curious thing I've observed is this: when I look into the mirror less, I feel younger. Now isn't that interesting?

United & Mosquito Bites

2006-11-29T22:56:00.000+08:00

I apologise for not writing. Not that anyone reads what I write here anyway. Oh well, hell.So I've started a new job. It requires much multi-tasking, as it's a small company and you tend to dip your feet in this and that. Or maybe it's like swimming in a pool of Paddlepop colours. Yes, work's been taking up a lot of my time.But I did manage to catch United's concert last Friday. It was GREAT!!

Ashamed

2006-11-21T22:41:00.000+08:00

Today, for the first time in my life, I felt deeply ashamed of my country. Next year, Malaysia's first astronaut will go into space, where he will 'do what no one in space has done before': play 'batu seremban', spin traditional Malay tops ('gasing'), paint batik motifs and make 'teh tarik'. The cost of sending him to space? RM95 million, compliments of taxpayers who have no control over how

Neighbours

2006-11-14T20:59:00.000+08:00

Just on the other side of the balcony, not five metres from where I am sitting, the Nepalese neighbours are making kissy sounds. They seem to enjoy drawing attention to themselves. There must be more than twenty of them--all males--living in one four-room double-story house. They work shifts at the nearby printing factory, moving around in intimidating packs. They all wear blue, round-collar

What's a Killer to Do?

2006-10-20T02:02:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA, Friday - Ten minutes ago, the life of a promising young cockroach came to an end when it was thumped hard by a spiral notebook and presumed dead while pondering whether to go up, down, left or right of an unassuming pink wall.It fell and landed in a Canon bubblejet printer. Despite search efforts (turning the printer upside-down and shaking it—so not advisable!), its body could not

Learn Engrish with the Zuiikin Gals

2006-10-15T02:36:00.000+08:00

Too fat? Too lazy to go gym? It's time for some aerobics with the Zuiikin Gals. By the way, they teach Engrish too.

Friday the 13th

2006-10-14T03:04:00.000+08:00

Today, Friday the 13th, was a surreal day.Part OneIt started in my sleep. Still in a state of confused bio-rhythms, my afternoon dream saw me at a new job with Clara, a colleague from my old ad agency. Since she works for Integricity now, I guess I was working for Integricity too. The building we were in was like an apartment block, located on a hill. We occupied a few rooms on several

The Loveliest Ice Cube

2006-10-10T22:42:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, I chanced upon the loveliest natural ice cube; not the kind you shape with chisels and ice-picks, but the kind you take straight out of the ice box and just as you're about to dunk it in your drink, you gasp and say, whoa... cool...

The Holiest Bug

2006-10-10T22:34:00.001+08:00

Just yesterday, after talking to someone about prayer, I saw this praying mantis perched on my parents' room door. Quickly, I grabbed my camera and shooed it into another room, where I snapped its mug. Then it flew away... to the fluorescent light, to be exact. Ugh, I just realised my camera looks even sicker...Pray without ceasing... 1 Thes. 5:17

Braid Story

2006-10-10T21:54:00.000+08:00

It was my first time at William's, and the Chinese mamak owner said I reminded him of someone. "Anakin Skywalker," he said, with a grin. Right. Well William, I don't look like Anakin no more. The hair braid Wern expertly tied on my head, and which stayed there faithfully from mid July, is now gone. I took it down i.e. cut it a few weeks ago. As you can see from the pics, it was growing pretty

Blog about it

2006-10-10T21:14:00.000+08:00

Chronicles of Oz (Part 2)

2006-09-24T04:05:00.000+08:00

Brisbane(The writer apologises for not regaling you with tales of adventure and misadventure from Brisbane earlier. But it's been two months since those events took place, so she figures it's too late now anyway. So here you go... more pictures, with some brief descriptions. Hope you don't mind.)The highlights of Brisbane were:* Staying with Uncle Bill and Aunty Joni—Wern's aunt's sister—and

Girls' Day

2006-09-24T01:07:00.000+08:00

The girls reigned supreme today. The guys had futsal in the morning. Period. The girls had a muscle toning session (while polishing the floor with their butts--how multitaskingly efficient!), a manicure lesson (buff or colour?), and a juicy juicing session with celery and green apples. Grrrrls rule! Grrrr!So here are some of my favourite pictures from the event. My camera's getting a bit screwed

Bonding

2006-09-12T03:20:00.000+08:00

So. I've been jobless since... I don't remember since when. Life has taken on an other-worldly appearance, mainly illuminated by fluorescent lights and a flickering computer monitor. My days begin at 3pm and end at 6am, when the azan five houses down my road starts blasting. Plus or minus an hour, depending on whether I'm having a cool, weird dream or can't sleep because the noisy neighbours are

Poor Lump

2006-09-02T18:30:00.000+08:00

My pet went to the vet today. He didn't have a very good experience. Here's what I want to say to him, but I can't speak in Rabbit language.I'm so sorry, Lump, I couldn't afford to bring you to that posh Yeoh Vet in Taman Megah even though I wanted to. You already get quite a shitty deal being my pet. I'm sorry that I did not listen to my intuition when we approached this Sea Park vet, where you

Choke... Splutter... Cough

2006-08-21T15:12:00.000+08:00

For one week, I have been coughing my lungs out. Clearing the throat is also a tedious process, especially when you're trying to spit out/swallow/dislodge that stubborn bit of phlegm stuck somewhere along your neck. Each a-heck! a-heck! brings terrible images of carnage on your vocal cords; your voice grates and you can't even sing in peace in the bathroom. Breathing has been reduced to shallow

The Bummer

2006-08-18T18:53:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone. It was my last day at work yesterday and today, I'm officially a bummer. Watched Million Dollar Baby (on my comp) and cried. Then I continued to sit in front of the computer all day. At home. This life sucks. I need to get a job.

Chronicles of Oz (Part 1)

2006-08-05T01:50:00.000+08:00

To begin our journey, we need a map.Ta-da! We're ready to go.So I flew from KL to Singapore to Melbourne in the middle of June. I landed smack into winter.MelbourneIn Melbourne, I shopped, ate a lot of Subway, and shopped some more. We visited parks, malls, the Melbourne Zoo, Monash Clayton campus, Smith St factory outlets, St Kilda, a couple of other things and as I mentioned before, a cemetery.

Congratulations!

2006-08-05T01:43:00.000+08:00

The winner of the 'Guess what picture this is' contest is Jon Chew. Congratulations! Jon has been awarded with a Tim Tam for his effort, courtesy of Qantas Airlines. His answer wasn't completely correct, but hey, I'm on a diet.

Hungry

2006-08-05T01:09:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I've hungered after God. Activities have taken precedence; the demands of my job and the transitions I'm going through have distracted me from the real business of my life. Isn't that what most people say anyway? I'm beginning to think that busyness is really just an excuse the church has come to accept as a valid temporary reason. We hide behind this excuse when in actual

Memories of My Memory

2006-07-24T10:37:00.000+08:00

It's been one week since my return from Australia. I have been sorely missed by the heat and the haze, both of which seem intent on smothering me to death with their fiery kisses. One week is also the ideal incubation period for social readjustment, and for recent experiences to settle in.As I age, I have wisened up to the sad fact that my memory is not what it used to be. Or maybe I'm not trying

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...

2006-07-08T22:18:00.000+08:00

Today, I was attacked by a kookaburra.There I was, enjoying a wonderfully tender sausage at the Noosa Heads National Park in Queensland when suddenly, whoosh! a flash of white and grey swooped down, flapped for a microsecond in my face, then was gone. A second later, I realised that the kookaburra hanging about our picnic area had stolen the sausage from right out of my fingers! Crafty little

Art & Beer

2006-06-26T16:29:00.000+08:00

Riding the day train in Melbourne reveals a segment of restless people even more reckless with the spray can. Looking out the window, graffiti covers almost every piece of concrete that borders the train tracks from suburbia into the city. Most of it is just plain ugly, though some decorations do look decent enough at 60mph.Here are some snapshots of cheap, public art I like. The first is part of

Freeloaders

2006-06-26T13:57:00.000+08:00

I am watching a company of black ants exploring a white wall. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. There are seven black ants wandering aimlessly on a white wall. I wonder why they don't just form a bloody trail. Are they lost? Low on pheromones? Two meet, then disperse again. More stragglers examine the table's terrain.Even though the days are short, I haven't been doing much. Winter doesn't

Dead Spaces

2006-06-21T22:36:00.000+08:00

Today, Wern wanted to visit the graveyard. According to her, graveyards in Malaysia are full of lalang and mosquitoes, whereas those in Australia are well-kept and... beautiful? So we (rather, she) planned it into our journey, which eventually included Monash University, (a wrong park), (some wrong roads), Carlton Gardens, (only the foyer of) the Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Central, Don Don - a

Living Spaces

2006-06-21T21:10:00.000+08:00

This is where I'm currently staying in Melbourne. It's a townhouse near the Monash Clayton campus; quiet and pretty cold. The people are nice though. If you're bored enough, you could try to guess the architecture of the house. All-correct answer gets a Tim Tam.

I. Have. Arrived

2006-06-18T17:55:00.000+08:00

I have arrived. The journey was boring but I learnt:i) How to pull out the TV screen when there's no seat in front of you - this, not without some embarrassmentii) How to pull out the food tray on a Qantas plane when there is no seat in front of youThere were so many movies I wanted to watch but I only managed to catch two (Joyeux Noel and Transamerica). After that my ears hurt from the pariah

Scott free... almost

2006-06-17T02:52:00.000+08:00

Thirteen hours more, and I'll be off on my month-long vacation! I've calculated that I'll be on eight different planes within that duration. I hope I don't get airsick with all the hours up there. I don't have a good stomach for travel. If you believe in prayer, you can pray for me. Otherwise I might just try to consume as much alcohol as I can up there - it's free and for a good purpose, I'm

Earthquake!

2006-06-12T15:07:00.000+08:00

Since 11+am today, we've been feeling tremors in our office building. My paranoid self says it's probably another earthquake and corresponding after-shocks going on in Indonesia. My colleague says it's some construction work going on somewhere behind the office. (The nearest Caterpillar was spotted two blocks away though — too far to cause our partition glass to shake and our fats to tremble like

10 Things I Miss about Australia

2006-06-12T02:58:00.000+08:00

(In no particular order)1. Taking a walk around Lake Ginninderra, Belconnen, which is just a stone’s throw away from the residences of the University of Canberra. Although it is a manmade lake, nature has populated the surroundings with an undeniable sense of serenity and beauty. In autumn, trees shed their golden-red leaves, and as the season turns over to winter, cyclists, joggers and strollers

Knowing You

2006-06-09T17:14:00.000+08:00

There seems to be a growing derth in meaning in many contemporary praise and worship songs. Stuff like "Looking out my window / I see the trees blowing in the breeze / Looking out my window / I see the birds flying in the sky" (Planet Shakers) doesn't really do it for me. Ugh.Okay, so maybe it's wrong to assume that just because I can't relate to these lyrics, it's a bad song. But perhaps

Evacuate! I just farted*

2006-06-02T04:16:00.000+08:00

From smelling like flowers, my post-gig panties are toxic enough to knock out a two-year-old toddler. Imagine what my outer clothes smell like.Even now, the room reeks of stale cigarette smoke any clogged nose can trace to my post-gig bag. The hair’s washed and I’m relatively clean, but the olfactory offence remains. I don’t want to speculate how many minutes of my life was cut short tonight —