12.28.2006
There's a butterfly on my hand
Got myself fake tattoos during my recent trip to Coral Island, Pattaya. Here's one cute lil butterfly on my hand...
Desktop calendar
Received a parcel yesterday at work. It was the team's calendar I was waiting for. The desktop calendar may be small, but it has photos of all our team members! hehehe...and yours truly punya muka of course lah included in it :P
The calendar was designed by few of my colleagues, and it was truly a good effort putting everyone's photo together from different parts of the world. This is what we call "Diversity & Inclusiveness" hahaha..
Have a look at yours truly with her line manager in the month of June 07 and the team faces in the month of January 07... hehe
12.18.2006
My life: Thank you for your birthday wishes
Thank you all my friends for giving me nice birthday wishes..
to HY, my ever-goody pal since primary school - I was still slumbering when I got your sms.
to sleepyenzhi, who never missed wishing me happy bd - yup yup..thanks again!
to LaiWan, my gal-pal - thanks for remembering my bd :)
to Nickysin - whoa, really surprised to got your phonecall all the way from SG! And yes, I laughed alot on the phone because I'm happy to get your greetings. and you did remember my bd wor.. ;)
to Auntie KS - i know you don't read my blog, but thanks for wishing me every year :D
...and also...
to my dearest family who sent me a cute sms grreting from Penang because I didn't tag along last weekend,
to daddy dearest, who sms-ed me this morning to say we're having belated celebration this coming weekend somewhere in BKK,
and of course, to my sweetheart..
who gave me his time and pampered me with such a wonderful gift, again ;)
to HY, my ever-goody pal since primary school - I was still slumbering when I got your sms.
to sleepyenzhi, who never missed wishing me happy bd - yup yup..thanks again!
to LaiWan, my gal-pal - thanks for remembering my bd :)
to Nickysin - whoa, really surprised to got your phonecall all the way from SG! And yes, I laughed alot on the phone because I'm happy to get your greetings. and you did remember my bd wor.. ;)
to Auntie KS - i know you don't read my blog, but thanks for wishing me every year :D
...and also...
to my dearest family who sent me a cute sms grreting from Penang because I didn't tag along last weekend,
to daddy dearest, who sms-ed me this morning to say we're having belated celebration this coming weekend somewhere in BKK,
and of course, to my sweetheart..
who gave me his time and pampered me with such a wonderful gift, again ;)
12.16.2006
Sharing: My 2nd blog - Come As You Are
I've been taking few weeks' break off the blogging scene and the blog-bug decided to bite me again.
You are asking what've I blogged about beside this measly blog entry? I've been updating my 2nd blogsite - http://comesur.blogspot.com. Yes, some of you may came to know that the blog was supposed to be an online meeting place for ex-colleage mates. But it kinda fall out after awhile, and I thought of changing the theme to attract you blog-readers :P
I'm blogging women's stuff e.g. health, fitness, beauty, fashion, life, career and yes, sex as well ;) I thought it was good to share it with all ladies out there with what I've learnt.
Do drop by the site and leave your comments! I love comments! No promise that I will reply each and every one, but it's great seeing everyone exchanging comments :)
11.14.2006
My life: Crappy morning
Some days just start off with crappy events.
- Dad mentioned my car's front tyres looks a lil flat (*btw, how do you say that the tyres do not enough air ha?). Ok, I made a mental note to pump air on my way to work.
- Decided to skip the 1st gas station.
- Stopped at the 2nd gas station, someone was using the air pump. Thought there was another one at the other corner, wanted to drive over. Then a car and stupid motorist acted dumb and blocked my way. Nvm that, I waited and drove over. Car was in an awkward position, reversed and parked nicely. Then noticed it was not an air pump at all. It was actually a diesel pump.
(* Don't ask me why I didn't notice it, I swear it looked similar to the air pump I saw earlier)
-Decided not to waste my time, no air for the tyres, straight to work.
- A few metres before turning in to the barrier gate at the office, suddenly realised I left my tag in the laptop bag in my car's boot. #$!^& No choice but to park aside, came out of the car and retrieve the tag. Made another turn at the roundabout to drive in again.
- As usual, wanted to make my morning coffee. The sugar was out. The helper was refilling. Ok, so I waited. Then when I took my sugar, but somehow the lever turned too much, and I think I would have gotten diabetes from my coffee... Only took a few sips of the coffee, and the rest went to drain.
I don't know what went wrong. I felt everything was ok when I opened my eyes this morning. Just hope the day ends on a right note.
- Dad mentioned my car's front tyres looks a lil flat (*btw, how do you say that the tyres do not enough air ha?). Ok, I made a mental note to pump air on my way to work.
- Decided to skip the 1st gas station.
- Stopped at the 2nd gas station, someone was using the air pump. Thought there was another one at the other corner, wanted to drive over. Then a car and stupid motorist acted dumb and blocked my way. Nvm that, I waited and drove over. Car was in an awkward position, reversed and parked nicely. Then noticed it was not an air pump at all. It was actually a diesel pump.
(* Don't ask me why I didn't notice it, I swear it looked similar to the air pump I saw earlier)
-Decided not to waste my time, no air for the tyres, straight to work.
- A few metres before turning in to the barrier gate at the office, suddenly realised I left my tag in the laptop bag in my car's boot. #$!^& No choice but to park aside, came out of the car and retrieve the tag. Made another turn at the roundabout to drive in again.
- As usual, wanted to make my morning coffee. The sugar was out. The helper was refilling. Ok, so I waited. Then when I took my sugar, but somehow the lever turned too much, and I think I would have gotten diabetes from my coffee... Only took a few sips of the coffee, and the rest went to drain.
I don't know what went wrong. I felt everything was ok when I opened my eyes this morning. Just hope the day ends on a right note.
My life: Dad's birthday
This year, dad's birthday would be falling on a weekday. And weekdays are never a good day to celebrate a birthday, as everyone would be busy with work and study. So we decided to celebrate it earlier on a weekend.
Seems like there were friends who were more eager to celebrate the occassion with him. Since he received some nice gifts even before we get to shop for his gift! Ha! Never mind that, I'm dead sure that dad would still like OUR gift the best :P
Started the day together by having brunch dimsum at Taman Connaught. This shop was less crowded compared the popular corner dimsum shop. The service was quite fast, but don't know why the particular dish of "chee cheong fun" never arrived eventhough we reminded them 3 times. And lil sis found a small dead cockroach on her chopstick when she ate the "lor mai kai". Lucky she was opening her eyes when she ate that! At the end, dad told the lady boss about it, and she nonchalantly brushed it aside and took the plate to the kitchen. So yes, that plate of food was FOC.
After brunch, started to drove mom and sis around to shop for the gift. Had earlier decided to get him a small bonsai plant. So we went to 2 nurseries, and got him a nice lil bonsai without ripping my wallet. Lucky mom got a nice pot from her collection, and I transplanted the plant and added a few lil touches, and there we have our DIY bonsai plant, which looks just like what you would get from the shops. hehehe...
Oh, then dinner was a simple affair with roast drumstick, noodles, eggs and dumplings. I must say I love the roasted drumstick alot, as you could savour the aroma of the X.O wine when you bite in the flesh. :P~ Oh, of course we have a birthday cake to top it off. Hmm..come to think of it, we never had birthday cake for dad. haha.. Anyway, we all had fun and all's well ends well. :D
Seems like there were friends who were more eager to celebrate the occassion with him. Since he received some nice gifts even before we get to shop for his gift! Ha! Never mind that, I'm dead sure that dad would still like OUR gift the best :P
Started the day together by having brunch dimsum at Taman Connaught. This shop was less crowded compared the popular corner dimsum shop. The service was quite fast, but don't know why the particular dish of "chee cheong fun" never arrived eventhough we reminded them 3 times. And lil sis found a small dead cockroach on her chopstick when she ate the "lor mai kai". Lucky she was opening her eyes when she ate that! At the end, dad told the lady boss about it, and she nonchalantly brushed it aside and took the plate to the kitchen. So yes, that plate of food was FOC.
After brunch, started to drove mom and sis around to shop for the gift. Had earlier decided to get him a small bonsai plant. So we went to 2 nurseries, and got him a nice lil bonsai without ripping my wallet. Lucky mom got a nice pot from her collection, and I transplanted the plant and added a few lil touches, and there we have our DIY bonsai plant, which looks just like what you would get from the shops. hehehe...
Oh, then dinner was a simple affair with roast drumstick, noodles, eggs and dumplings. I must say I love the roasted drumstick alot, as you could savour the aroma of the X.O wine when you bite in the flesh. :P~ Oh, of course we have a birthday cake to top it off. Hmm..come to think of it, we never had birthday cake for dad. haha.. Anyway, we all had fun and all's well ends well. :D
11.06.2006
Jalan-jalan: Jonker Street, Malacca
The last few months of the year are always filled with a flurry of birthdays celebrations and many opportunities for indulging in food.
Yesterday was no exception, as I joined N's family for a satay celup (*sticks of fishballs and an assortment of other food dipped in boiling pot of satay peanut sauce) treat at Malacca. There are many of these satay celup shops around the town, but we went to one of those shops along Jalan Ong Kim Wee (if I remember the name correctly, which is near the Jonker Street). It is un-missable, as the shop signs are quite visible, and you will see many people crowding around the shops. And also there are parking spaces just opposite the shops, where you can also park in front of the furniture shops.
There were 3 shops side-by-side, and we chose the leftmost one, which sadly to say, was not as yummy as the one I tried last time (the rightmost shop). Anyway, 5 of us walloped 67 sticks. The last time we had were well over 100 sticks!
After dinner was shopping time in Jonker's Street. This street is supposedly closed to the traffic on weekend nights. There was even a big stage for old timers to have their "Jonker's Street Idol" (*Hokkien song singing competition). Many people were seen sitting there enjoying the show, saw one mat salleh video-recording the performance.
The street is totally not your typical pasar malam fare. Most stalls were selling local handicraft and local food products. There are also many cendol and ABC stalls, laksa stalls and many little snacks to tickle your tastebuds. The best would be to savour a bowl of ice-cold ABC or cendol at the end of your sight-seeing and shopping walk along the street. I bought myself 2 belts (RM15 only!), 2 rings (RM8.90, buy-1-get-1-free, left pic), pineapple tarts (RM5.90 per box) and Aik Cheong coffee powder (RM6 for 0.5kg).
Malacca has always been a nice place to visit or stayover for the weekend. It's only about 2 hours' drive from KL. And I must say the food there have always been a great attraction for me!
Yesterday was no exception, as I joined N's family for a satay celup (*sticks of fishballs and an assortment of other food dipped in boiling pot of satay peanut sauce) treat at Malacca. There are many of these satay celup shops around the town, but we went to one of those shops along Jalan Ong Kim Wee (if I remember the name correctly, which is near the Jonker Street). It is un-missable, as the shop signs are quite visible, and you will see many people crowding around the shops. And also there are parking spaces just opposite the shops, where you can also park in front of the furniture shops.
There were 3 shops side-by-side, and we chose the leftmost one, which sadly to say, was not as yummy as the one I tried last time (the rightmost shop). Anyway, 5 of us walloped 67 sticks. The last time we had were well over 100 sticks!
After dinner was shopping time in Jonker's Street. This street is supposedly closed to the traffic on weekend nights. There was even a big stage for old timers to have their "Jonker's Street Idol" (*Hokkien song singing competition). Many people were seen sitting there enjoying the show, saw one mat salleh video-recording the performance.
The street is totally not your typical pasar malam fare. Most stalls were selling local handicraft and local food products. There are also many cendol and ABC stalls, laksa stalls and many little snacks to tickle your tastebuds. The best would be to savour a bowl of ice-cold ABC or cendol at the end of your sight-seeing and shopping walk along the street. I bought myself 2 belts (RM15 only!), 2 rings (RM8.90, buy-1-get-1-free, left pic), pineapple tarts (RM5.90 per box) and Aik Cheong coffee powder (RM6 for 0.5kg).Malacca has always been a nice place to visit or stayover for the weekend. It's only about 2 hours' drive from KL. And I must say the food there have always been a great attraction for me!
10.30.2006
Sharing: Jendela IT
Got another newbie "kaki" who just joined in the bloggers' world. Check out this blog, http://jendelait.blogspot.comOh, but you gotta know how to read Malay though, because this is a blog in Malay. T.B is blogging about IT news in Malay, konon-konon nak bagi pembaca-pembaca bahasa melayu lah tu... and also wanted to explore dia punya proficiency in bahasa melayu, tak tau lah tu...but so far I've read the articles, and nasib baik tu...I can still understand lah :P
Anyway, it does bring a change to read IT news in Malay. Easier to understand gua? Judge for yourself! Oh, be kind enough to put your comments for this newbie blogger ok?
OMG, I'm starting to blabbler in rojak manglish! duh~ anyway, this will add to my list of blogs to read when i'm bored with time to spare.
OMG, I'm starting to blabbler in rojak manglish! duh~ anyway, this will add to my list of blogs to read when i'm bored with time to spare.
Sharing: Blog shares
I was idling after lunch, and just thought of googling my blog. Most results were pretty predictable, but this one caught my interest. Ha! A fantasy blog stock market site - http://blogshares.com
And I clicked on this blog's share and found out how "valuable" my site is, apparently it's valued at B$6,874.20 (*note: B$ is in blogshare currency). hahaha..what an interesting find for the day. The shares are valued based on the incoming/outgoing links and some other factors.
If your blogsite has been indexed, try to run a search on this site to see how your blogshare is trading. Got these few links for my circle of bloggers, check them out!
And I clicked on this blog's share and found out how "valuable" my site is, apparently it's valued at B$6,874.20 (*note: B$ is in blogshare currency). hahaha..what an interesting find for the day. The shares are valued based on the incoming/outgoing links and some other factors.
If your blogsite has been indexed, try to run a search on this site to see how your blogshare is trading. Got these few links for my circle of bloggers, check them out!
10.26.2006
Sharing: My little niece
I used to remember having good times with my cousins. Now there are so many young ones popping out, faces changed, and I can't seem to remember their faces and names. (*whoa.. I feel old... :P)Just when you thought you want to recall their names, now comes the next generation whether you are ready or not. (*oh my gosh! I'm an auntie now..hahaha) And this cute little girl here is my little niece (my younger cousin sis's daughter). She's nibbling on the lil piece of guava, staying close to her grandma.
Oh, pssst...she has a baby sister. I haven't go the chance to meet her yet. Anyone interested? hahaha.. :P
10.23.2006
Masak-masak: Pork and Shrimps Dumplings
This is the first time I tried my hands at making dumplings. To make things easier, I got the one packet of dumpling skins (RM1.65) from Tesco. It has about 27 sheets in a packet.Ingredients:
- a small tray of minced pork (just get one from the supermarket)
- shrimps (0.5 kg, peeled and cut in smaller pieces)
- 2 red onions (diced it finely)
- black fungus/"muk yee" (cut into fine shrips)
- 2 carrots (shredded into fine shrips)
- 3-4 teapoons of cornstarch
- 5-6 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 3-4 teaspoons of white pepper
- few dashes of sesame oil
- a few stalks of "hongkong choi sum" / or sawi (for soup)
- a handful of anchovies (for boiling the soup)
Method (the dumplings):
1. Mix in cornstarch to the minced pork.
2. Then mix in the shrimps, soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mash everything in the mixing bowl.
3. Add in the carrots, onions and black fungus into the bowl. Mix well. Add more soy sauce if necessary.
4. Scoop a spoonful of the ingredients and put in the middle of the dumpling skin. Then fold it half-moon shape. Use your fingers to pinch the edges to make it stick and close the half-moon dumpling. Wet the edges with some water or egg white if necessary.
(the soup)
1. Put in anchovies and bring a half pot of water to boil.
2. Drop the dumplings gently one-by-one into the boiling pot.
3. When the dumplings float to the top, and the skin is translucent, scoop it out into a soup bowl.
4. Add in the few stalks of vege and scoop out when cooked. Put them on top of the dumplings in the bowl.
5. Pour the remaining soup into the serving bowl.
Ready to serve!
*My dad commented it was not salty enough, so I guess more soy sauce or salt need to be added to the recipe. Of course the actual ingredients can be changed to suit your preference.
My life: My new "baby" came!
Hehehe...finally my new "baby" came. Yup, in shining silver...just like the charming prince in the fairytales. And I can finally put my bums on the seat, and place my hands on the steering wheel. Aaah~ yup, it does feel good to own this "baby". Manuevering is definitely smoother and lighter, it responds faster to my every whims and fancy. Not that I've too many though... :P
Everything's just perfect. (*ok, maybe the shot of "baby" is not that perfect lah...what to do...camera phone lah..only 1.3 MP. hehe)
10.19.2006
My life: Fiancee-to-be?
I just realised I got a new nickname this morning. Though it doesn't count as something new, it did however caught me offguarded to actually hear anyone calling me that. Haha...and I thought I was always just "N's gf". haha...silly me. But it was kinda sweet ('',)
N was picking up his colleague, the hunky American who looked like a blind mat salleh with shades and walking stick, on the way to work this morning. And when that mr mat salleh hopped into the back seat, he just blurted out, "Hey, good morning N's fiancee-to-be..."
Yah... you could guess how I looked then. Totally blur for a few secs, figuring did I heard him correctly. Then my brain sort of confirmed my suspicions, "yeah...that should be referring to me". before I regained my composure and managed to greet him with the usual "good morning". Duh~
With few friends' weddings happening around me lately.. this is getting abit nuts. I kept having to relay friends' wedding invitations to N. Shh...keep this secret k? I don't want N to have this silly idea that I'm hinting anything to him, at least not now yet. haha :P
N was picking up his colleague, the hunky American who looked like a blind mat salleh with shades and walking stick, on the way to work this morning. And when that mr mat salleh hopped into the back seat, he just blurted out, "Hey, good morning N's fiancee-to-be..."
Yah... you could guess how I looked then. Totally blur for a few secs, figuring did I heard him correctly. Then my brain sort of confirmed my suspicions, "yeah...that should be referring to me". before I regained my composure and managed to greet him with the usual "good morning". Duh~
With few friends' weddings happening around me lately.. this is getting abit nuts. I kept having to relay friends' wedding invitations to N. Shh...keep this secret k? I don't want N to have this silly idea that I'm hinting anything to him, at least not now yet. haha :P
10.18.2006
My life: My mind in a day at work
Got this D's blog. Found this cartoon cute how it resembles quite similarly to boring working days in office. haha...no meh? look again and think carefully, you will see the similarities :P Ok, here goes my version...
9am: Get my milo/ coffee/ tea fix from the coffee machine and take my brekkie.
9:30am: Read mails and news surfing
10am: Think about to do list.
11am: Think about lunch.
12am: No work please... Food only.
1pm: Think about zzz...
2pm: Still thinking about zzz..and more zzz...
3pm: Need a sugar fix, to the coffee machine again.
4pm: 2 more hours to go and I'm free!
5pm: Games/ gym/ movie/ dinner?
6pm: All systems shutdown. I'm FREE!
hahaha...now what's your version?
10.17.2006
Sharing: Personality Colour
Post lunch hours are always a bore. My eyes always start to droop, my brain suddenly switched on to its sleep mode, and everything seems to slower down their pace. So I took this little quiz to find out my personality colour...Comfort Creator
Generous and affectionate, you are never happier that when you are spoiling yourself and others. You want your home to be as welcoming as you are, a cosy and comforting space enlivened with splashes of cheerful, bright colour. Autumnal gold and roasted reds add a note of sumptuous warmth and are the perfect colours to curl up in whatever the season. Gilded picture frames and hand finished accessories like door handles can make the difference between a welcoming space and an exceptional room.
Colour zones to create your look: warm reds warm oranges warm golds
If you want to find out yours, click here : http://www.totipero.com/dulux/dulux.html
10.16.2006
My life: My new "baby" is coming!
Sigh...the frustration of waiting :(
So many phone calls, so many days, so many weeks, finally the waiting is going to be over.
My new "baby" is arriving soon! :D
Hmm..that also means my "chaffeur-driven" days are coming to an end too...
So many phone calls, so many days, so many weeks, finally the waiting is going to be over.
My new "baby" is arriving soon! :D
Hmm..that also means my "chaffeur-driven" days are coming to an end too...
10.15.2006
Makan-makan: Potato Salad
I just got this simple salad recipe from Tham Jiak's blog. The ingredients are easy to get and it's simple to prepare. (*but i've yet to try, one of these days...i'm gonna...ok, i promise I'll post the pic here when I try it :P)
Ingredients:
3-4 Boiled Potatoes
1 bunch of Spring Onions
1 Cucumber
2 Hardboiled eggs
Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper
Method:
1) Cut potatoes, cucumber and eggs into 1cm x 1cm cubes.
2) Chop the spring onions finely.
3) Put 1 and 2 into a mixing bowl and stir in mayonnaise.
4) Add few dashes of salt and pepper to taste.
Ta-da... now you have your potato salad. I think it will taste better if served cold. So probably can put in the fridge before serving.
Ingredients:
3-4 Boiled Potatoes
1 bunch of Spring Onions
1 Cucumber
2 Hardboiled eggs
Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper
Method:
1) Cut potatoes, cucumber and eggs into 1cm x 1cm cubes.
2) Chop the spring onions finely.
3) Put 1 and 2 into a mixing bowl and stir in mayonnaise.
4) Add few dashes of salt and pepper to taste.
Ta-da... now you have your potato salad. I think it will taste better if served cold. So probably can put in the fridge before serving.
10.11.2006
My life: Reading Today's Horoscope
Taking cue from sleepyenzhi, Missy Jo is showing her horoscope reading prowess by taking 2 peeks into the telling glass ball...
From www.ivillage.com >>
Be patient. You have done everything you can. Right now, the ball is in their court.
From theSun newspaper >>
When you commit to something, you do it wholeheartedly. But now, in one particular situation, it's clear that you must take things in stages, it gives you the latitude to make any changes and, should it be necessary, the freedom to walk away.
From www.ivillage.com >>
Be patient. You have done everything you can. Right now, the ball is in their court.
From theSun newspaper >>
When you commit to something, you do it wholeheartedly. But now, in one particular situation, it's clear that you must take things in stages, it gives you the latitude to make any changes and, should it be necessary, the freedom to walk away.
9.18.2006
My life: Tioman pics
to my dear readers,
sorry i didn't update this blog for few weeks. and the tioman photos, my apologies again.
since started on my new job, i've been lazy to blog. there are so many new things in my worklife, new place, new friends, new procedures, new skills, almost everything's so overwhelming. But it's good to see a few familiar faces in this company and catch up on the old times.
as promised, here are selected few of my photos taken during my trip to Tioman last month. Nothing impressive...but there's a pic of a live squid, caught just by using a pink-neon coloured plastic bait. A big biawak, looked like pregnant, swimming in the small river just in front of our chalet. Oh, also the intricate fruit carvings of a Malay man in the restaurant where we had our dinner.
long time no blog,
firethorn
sorry i didn't update this blog for few weeks. and the tioman photos, my apologies again.
since started on my new job, i've been lazy to blog. there are so many new things in my worklife, new place, new friends, new procedures, new skills, almost everything's so overwhelming. But it's good to see a few familiar faces in this company and catch up on the old times.
as promised, here are selected few of my photos taken during my trip to Tioman last month. Nothing impressive...but there's a pic of a live squid, caught just by using a pink-neon coloured plastic bait. A big biawak, looked like pregnant, swimming in the small river just in front of our chalet. Oh, also the intricate fruit carvings of a Malay man in the restaurant where we had our dinner.
long time no blog,
firethorn
8.28.2006
My life: Trip to Tioman Island
I finally had my overdue holiday. It was a tiring trip to Tioman Island over the weekend but all were worthwhile. The fishes & corals were so fascinating and far more beautiful than what I've seen on my snorkelling trips to other Malaysian islands. I must recommend Pulau Renggis to all snorkelling fans. This place is just a 5 minutes speed boat's ride from Berjaya Tioman. It's a shallow coral reef, but once you jump into the sea, you will greeted with many schools of fishes (i mean many!) and the corals are so "alive". The corals are so colourful with a myriad of colours, unlike some which look quite dead and grey on other islands. I even spotted a clown fish (neh..the Nemo fish lah) among the anemones. Fascinating!
Berjaya Tioman is a nice place to stay. But I guess I would stay Salang Village if I were to go there again. Was pissed off with the Berjaya Tioman tour operators. They had these optional snorkelling tours, but all were fully booked over the weekend by groups (I suppose they were those coming for company trips) visiting the resort. I can't believe it! How can they do that? They should have foreseen that and provide additional trips for other visitors as well. Luckily, the other operator (some persatuan xxx, who operated in Berjaya premises) had alternative trips. Even that it was not confirmed, as they operated according to numbers of participants. We had to check again later that day to confirm if the trip. I don't understand how can Berjaya monopolise the tours, and just because some big groups had booked for the weekend, they left others in the lurch! This is totally a let down.
Anyway, I managed to go on a shorter island hopping trip. And it was just as enjoyable, eventhough I didn't get to go on the round island trip. I suggest those of you who plans to go to Tioman, get a 4D3N package. You could go a day of snorkelling, and another day for jungle trekking to the Mukut Waterfalls and the Twin Peaks.
Shall be posting some of my pictures later!
Berjaya Tioman is a nice place to stay. But I guess I would stay Salang Village if I were to go there again. Was pissed off with the Berjaya Tioman tour operators. They had these optional snorkelling tours, but all were fully booked over the weekend by groups (I suppose they were those coming for company trips) visiting the resort. I can't believe it! How can they do that? They should have foreseen that and provide additional trips for other visitors as well. Luckily, the other operator (some persatuan xxx, who operated in Berjaya premises) had alternative trips. Even that it was not confirmed, as they operated according to numbers of participants. We had to check again later that day to confirm if the trip. I don't understand how can Berjaya monopolise the tours, and just because some big groups had booked for the weekend, they left others in the lurch! This is totally a let down.
Anyway, I managed to go on a shorter island hopping trip. And it was just as enjoyable, eventhough I didn't get to go on the round island trip. I suggest those of you who plans to go to Tioman, get a 4D3N package. You could go a day of snorkelling, and another day for jungle trekking to the Mukut Waterfalls and the Twin Peaks.
Shall be posting some of my pictures later!
8.23.2006
Sharing: PGL review
Whoa...so many people attended the Puteri Gunung Ledang Musical on last Thursday night. I noticed there are many Malays catching the show. Many were like rich-rich punya datuks & datins, wearing nice-nice punya baju, with eye-catching accessories matching their outfits. In essence, it felt like watching a grand show.Since MPIB was one of the co-sponsors of this show, they had a special food and refreshments served before the show and during the break as well. Ooh..I like the cendol...hahaha..and the sambal sotong.. ok, ok..get back to the show..
The show was really good, it's quite true that they said it's of the Broadway's standard. But I felt that towards the second part of the show, the grandness of it somehow started to wind down. I thought that it was supposed to be more classical, with the actors all speaking in classical malay, act and walk like old maharajas and sultans, but then somehow they injected a sense of modern humour in it, which makes it looked out of place. ie. the sultan was dancing "saturday nite fever" when he was going to propose to the princess. Of course the audience laughed hysterically, but somehow the classical feel was lost.
The stage looked a bit narrow, but since it had multiple split levels, and strectched to the back portion of the stage, it was just enough for the entire performance. They had props for the mountains, which were movable structures on wheels, to form mountains, and also palace walls, and other functions. And the scene in Malacca port was also shown in great style to portray the bustling atmosphere and how glorious it was at that century.
The nenek kebayan (witches) scene was a bit dull though, because of the dark lighting and the silly dancing and yelling of the neneks. They were ladies dressed in ugly and dark clothes, with long hairs, and spoke in a weird tone, singing witches' songs.
But of course, the story had a good ending to it. The princess (the talented Tiara Jacquelina) and Hang Tuah (acted by the handsome Stephen-Hughes Rahman) were reunited at the mountain. Credits have to given to the whole acting crew, who gave so much effort into their brilliant performance. Tiara was exceptionally good at portraying the princess' emotions through her songs and expressions.
I truly enjoyed the show. If there would be a 3rd season, I suggest you guys catch it as well. It's worth a watch, and support the local arts scene.
8.17.2006
My life: A date with the Mystical Princess
This musical, Puteri Gunung Ledang, has caught my attention since it was mentioned in the newspapers when they started the production. The mystical princess will be played by Tiara Jacquelina, a famous local actress. ooh...I can't wait to watch it tonight!8.08.2006
My life: Desperate for a holiday
I think it's a good start. I've sticked to my plan, went for morning exercise last weekend. Then went for a swim. not bad not bad...hahaha... really feels good after sweating out. But then hor...should control myself a little, not to "pig" out after swimming. :P N is such a bad influence on this. tsk tsk... tempting me with all the sinful food.
Been telling myself I need a holiday...I need a holiday...better make some plans soon. Should whack myself on the head, it took me ages to actually go find a holiday package. Finally I surfed to a few websites, trying to best deal to fit my budget, and aaah~ sort of decided the destination and package lah. The problem now is picking a date and applying for my leave. muahaha~ I do deserve a break. The last time I did was ages ago, when I went for Lang Tengah. I miss the beach and the cute fishies!
desperate for a holiday,
jo
Been telling myself I need a holiday...I need a holiday...better make some plans soon. Should whack myself on the head, it took me ages to actually go find a holiday package. Finally I surfed to a few websites, trying to best deal to fit my budget, and aaah~ sort of decided the destination and package lah. The problem now is picking a date and applying for my leave. muahaha~ I do deserve a break. The last time I did was ages ago, when I went for Lang Tengah. I miss the beach and the cute fishies!
desperate for a holiday,
jo
8.02.2006
My life: Just some thoughts
Was thinking to catch another episode of DH, then thought of checking email. (*habits are hard to die, tsk tsk...email is so much part of my life) whoa..didn't really expect the email today. But I guess it sort of answered my wonderings for the past one day. There's 50-50 chance of getting through the phone interview I had last week.
If I play it right, I might get the better offer between the two. If not, I will just have to content settling for number 2. aah~ life is always a betting game. You place your bets against the odds, and praying hard it will turn out just the way you wanted, or if you get lucky, better.
This is so contradicting..haha.. It seems so miraculous that these glimmers of hope can affect one's attitude in life. Oh...i meant work in particular. It seems not so distant ago I started here, still hesitant about my choice and partly regretting my rash move. Then I went through a series of emotional ups and downs, like an undecided child crying for the right attention. Then I sort of settled into my circle of friends, whom have started brighten up my working life, sharing work and life stories of sorts. It seems like yesterday when I first had the interview at the old office back in MK. And now, more than a year has passed since, I've grown and learnt more. Not fully grown, but definitely more than who I was a year before.
Work is forever piling up on my plate. No matter how soon you clear it, it always manage to refill itself in the shortest time. (*how i wish the same might be applied to $$ :P) Occasionally I do the usual grumblings, but still slowly eating away the pile on my plate, and forgetting the whole fuss, until the whole cycle repeats itself. Life..life...monotonous? not really, at least the work is different everyday. (*you never know when you kena marah from your client)
I'm thinking of starting a new habit in my life. more exercise...haha...this is obviously understated. N has been constantly reminding me the inconsistency and lack of it in my routine. As much as i wish to commit more into it, work is always the number one reason that make me eat my words. So I'm going to jog on the weekends (*ok, so it's just a brisk walk, who cares? as long as i do sweat out :P), swimming and gym are optional throw-ins (*provided my personal trainer is with me..haha). Objective is to work out and sweat, makes the heart pumping and feel good. Losing weight and inches? Oh...I assume those two are complimentary results once I stick to this new habit..hahaha.
Too much words for tonite,
jo
If I play it right, I might get the better offer between the two. If not, I will just have to content settling for number 2. aah~ life is always a betting game. You place your bets against the odds, and praying hard it will turn out just the way you wanted, or if you get lucky, better.
This is so contradicting..haha.. It seems so miraculous that these glimmers of hope can affect one's attitude in life. Oh...i meant work in particular. It seems not so distant ago I started here, still hesitant about my choice and partly regretting my rash move. Then I went through a series of emotional ups and downs, like an undecided child crying for the right attention. Then I sort of settled into my circle of friends, whom have started brighten up my working life, sharing work and life stories of sorts. It seems like yesterday when I first had the interview at the old office back in MK. And now, more than a year has passed since, I've grown and learnt more. Not fully grown, but definitely more than who I was a year before.
Work is forever piling up on my plate. No matter how soon you clear it, it always manage to refill itself in the shortest time. (*how i wish the same might be applied to $$ :P) Occasionally I do the usual grumblings, but still slowly eating away the pile on my plate, and forgetting the whole fuss, until the whole cycle repeats itself. Life..life...monotonous? not really, at least the work is different everyday. (*you never know when you kena marah from your client)
I'm thinking of starting a new habit in my life. more exercise...haha...this is obviously understated. N has been constantly reminding me the inconsistency and lack of it in my routine. As much as i wish to commit more into it, work is always the number one reason that make me eat my words. So I'm going to jog on the weekends (*ok, so it's just a brisk walk, who cares? as long as i do sweat out :P), swimming and gym are optional throw-ins (*provided my personal trainer is with me..haha). Objective is to work out and sweat, makes the heart pumping and feel good. Losing weight and inches? Oh...I assume those two are complimentary results once I stick to this new habit..hahaha.
Too much words for tonite,
jo
8.01.2006
My life: The after lunch call
Finally, the call came today just after my lunch... Definitely I was overjoyed. But hmm..I still want to find out how well I did for the other interview. Basically I am ok with either one. But I think I like the second better. Ooh...must remind myself can't be too greedy.
Must remember to "bai-bai" (pray in Mandarin), thanks for giving the opportunity, and giving the confidence to "bull-shit" in front of those interviewers...haha :P
Thank god...thank you for helping me to get the job offer.. :)
Must remember to "bai-bai" (pray in Mandarin), thanks for giving the opportunity, and giving the confidence to "bull-shit" in front of those interviewers...haha :P
Thank god...thank you for helping me to get the job offer.. :)
7.26.2006
My life: Hello from Amsterdam
Got another call for phone interview last thursday. Could still remember I was so excited when I got that call. Afterall, it wasn't something that I had dreamt of getting at the current moment.
This time around, I could relate more to the job descriptions. And I could guess why I was selected for the first round of screening interview. So the appointment was set at tuesday night, where I would receive the call from Amsterdam. Well, it's not that often that you get calls from some other parts of the world..haha
Since I had gathered some experience from the 1st phone interview, this 2nd time was not too tough for me. Except that I had to try to grasp the interviewers' accent. And a slight reponse delay due to the communication distance.
Personally, I think that I did okay. As usual, keep my fingers crossed. I shall be expecting the results within the next few days. Wow...I thought that's really quick. Well, they did sound like nice people over the phone, especially the hiring manager. We did manage to laugh a little over something, and it was not too tensed as the 1st phone interview I had.
Now I'm starting to think, phone interviews ain't too bad afterall. It sure saves lots of hassle and time travelling to the place. And you have the advantage of refering to your notes while you speak, and taking down notes when they speak. Of course, one thing I learnt, when the person over the phone is introducing themselves or saying something important, you gotta remember to note it down. And do utter words of response, e.g. yeah, urm, that's good, great to hear that, understand that... Why? because the other person can't see if you are thinking or listening over the phone! And that's what I call phone etiquettes.
Guys, if you do have these phone interview experiences, share with me too! ;)
This time around, I could relate more to the job descriptions. And I could guess why I was selected for the first round of screening interview. So the appointment was set at tuesday night, where I would receive the call from Amsterdam. Well, it's not that often that you get calls from some other parts of the world..haha
Since I had gathered some experience from the 1st phone interview, this 2nd time was not too tough for me. Except that I had to try to grasp the interviewers' accent. And a slight reponse delay due to the communication distance.
Personally, I think that I did okay. As usual, keep my fingers crossed. I shall be expecting the results within the next few days. Wow...I thought that's really quick. Well, they did sound like nice people over the phone, especially the hiring manager. We did manage to laugh a little over something, and it was not too tensed as the 1st phone interview I had.
Now I'm starting to think, phone interviews ain't too bad afterall. It sure saves lots of hassle and time travelling to the place. And you have the advantage of refering to your notes while you speak, and taking down notes when they speak. Of course, one thing I learnt, when the person over the phone is introducing themselves or saying something important, you gotta remember to note it down. And do utter words of response, e.g. yeah, urm, that's good, great to hear that, understand that... Why? because the other person can't see if you are thinking or listening over the phone! And that's what I call phone etiquettes.
Guys, if you do have these phone interview experiences, share with me too! ;)
7.18.2006
My life: March forward to the battlefield!
Throbbing headache...feverish...tongue fighting...phew, what a way to spend half a day...
So nice just to lepak at home today. Ok, not really lepak...since I was taking the day off to attend a job interview :P
I didn't think I did well enough in my first phone interview the other day, so this time around I make sure I was better prepared, and did some ground work first.
The appointment was at 5pm, but to beat the traffic, and also because I was afraid I couldn't find the place...anyway, in the end I reached there around 4:15pm. Fine. Since I was early, I waited for 45 mins in the lobby idling away time before they called me for the meeting at 5pm sharp. Talk about punctuality.
Didn't quite expect to have 3 interviewers for the session. Anyway, now I know that fielding questions from 3 persons is not easy. Bcause first, 3 vs 1 leh...not fair...i one mouth, they altogether 3 mouths. I have to talk alot.
Second, your eyes have to dart here and there, focusing on the right person, and directing your answers and responses to the right person, while keeping an eye if one of them is getting disinterested in you.
Third, you feel like you are being scrutinised. Somemore they made me sat at the end of the table (the chairman's seat). Yalar...of course you feel like you are the chairman of the meeting, like a pro handling questions from your subordinates/fans/reporters...but hor..you also need to think fast and make sure your words don't come out before you think.
Roughly 1 hour in the "battlefield", I managed to come out unscathed, with just a throbbing headache to remind me how much thinking I just did in the room. The last time I did so much thinking was when I did the 3-hour Prince2 foundation exam 2 years ago (i think i almost fused the brain nerves). Felt so hot and feverish after that. But I'm glad I did it, and hopefully I did well enough to impress them.
Fingers crossed...hope to hear from them again in 2 weeks' time.
7.17.2006
Makan-makan: Laksa Shack @ MidValley
What to eat: All kinds of laksa noodles, roti jala, nasi beriani, nasi kerabu, roti canai
Where: Laksa Shack @ Mid Valley Megamall (LG Floor, opposite The Chicken Rice Shop)
Food rating: 3/5 (Johor Laksa)
The Laksa Shack recently opened another branch at Mid Valley. It already had branches in 1-Utama and KLCC. It was quite awhile ago the last time I had laksa at KLCC.
This new shop interior design and ambience is just so-so, but it looks clean and bright. Although I think the table arrangement is abit haphazard, it gave me a cramp feeling.
We sampled their Laksa Sarawak and Laksa Johor this time. The Laksa Sarawak is spicy and looks a bit dark due to the spices and the pepper used. I had the Laksa Johor, it is made of fish gravy (similar to Assam Laksa Penang), but is not sourish, instead it's more curry-ish taste. Just be careful not to swallow the tiny fish bones if you are gonna have this. One tiny one got into my throat, and almost made me choke! Gosh...
One drink to note though...try the iced white coffee with cincau. Never heard of it leh...me too...kakaka... though it sounded weird, but it's quite nice acutually. Since the cincau taste plain, it goes well with the coffee. And I think the white coffee provides a little creamy texture to the drink.
Wanted to sample the roti jala, but we're so stuffed up that we gave up. :P
Where: Laksa Shack @ Mid Valley Megamall (LG Floor, opposite The Chicken Rice Shop)
Food rating: 3/5 (Johor Laksa)
The Laksa Shack recently opened another branch at Mid Valley. It already had branches in 1-Utama and KLCC. It was quite awhile ago the last time I had laksa at KLCC.This new shop interior design and ambience is just so-so, but it looks clean and bright. Although I think the table arrangement is abit haphazard, it gave me a cramp feeling.
We sampled their Laksa Sarawak and Laksa Johor this time. The Laksa Sarawak is spicy and looks a bit dark due to the spices and the pepper used. I had the Laksa Johor, it is made of fish gravy (similar to Assam Laksa Penang), but is not sourish, instead it's more curry-ish taste. Just be careful not to swallow the tiny fish bones if you are gonna have this. One tiny one got into my throat, and almost made me choke! Gosh...
One drink to note though...try the iced white coffee with cincau. Never heard of it leh...me too...kakaka... though it sounded weird, but it's quite nice acutually. Since the cincau taste plain, it goes well with the coffee. And I think the white coffee provides a little creamy texture to the drink. Wanted to sample the roti jala, but we're so stuffed up that we gave up. :P
Makan-makan: Spicy taucu spaghetti @ home
Craving for something spicy? Look no further...
Spicy taucu spaghetti
Ingredients:
- spaghetti (for 4 persons)
- a can button mushrooms (halved)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- mixed peas
- baby corns (usually come in a packet)
- 2 pieces of tauhu (diced)
- spicy taucu paste
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
Just got this Taiwan spicy taucu paste the other day from Giant. And then suddenly got this stupid craving for spicy food and spaghetti... so I decided to be a little adventurous and try some new recipe.
I ransacked the kitchen shelves and refridgerator for the ingredients...anything that taste plain and look colourful, like the mixed peas....hahaha... ok, first, I boiled the spaghetti the usual way and drained it for later use.
Then heat some oil in the wok, and stir fry the chopped garlics. Then add in the ingredients in no particular order, and put in 4-5 tablespoons of the spicy taucu paste. Don't put too much though, it can be quite spicy (trust me!). Stir fry the ingredients for about 7-8 minutes or until they are cooked. Don't need to add water, it will dilute the taste. Add a little salt if necessary.
Then scoop up the ingredients into your plate of spaghetti and ready to serve.
Dig in! Yum yum~
Oh...if you prefer non spicy version, I guess you can use the normal non spicy taucu paste instead. (But I haven't tried this, so you gotta let me know how it taste :P)
Spicy taucu spaghettiIngredients:
- spaghetti (for 4 persons)
- a can button mushrooms (halved)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- mixed peas
- baby corns (usually come in a packet)
- 2 pieces of tauhu (diced)
- spicy taucu paste
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
Just got this Taiwan spicy taucu paste the other day from Giant. And then suddenly got this stupid craving for spicy food and spaghetti... so I decided to be a little adventurous and try some new recipe.
I ransacked the kitchen shelves and refridgerator for the ingredients...anything that taste plain and look colourful, like the mixed peas....hahaha... ok, first, I boiled the spaghetti the usual way and drained it for later use.
Then heat some oil in the wok, and stir fry the chopped garlics. Then add in the ingredients in no particular order, and put in 4-5 tablespoons of the spicy taucu paste. Don't put too much though, it can be quite spicy (trust me!). Stir fry the ingredients for about 7-8 minutes or until they are cooked. Don't need to add water, it will dilute the taste. Add a little salt if necessary.
Then scoop up the ingredients into your plate of spaghetti and ready to serve.Dig in! Yum yum~
Oh...if you prefer non spicy version, I guess you can use the normal non spicy taucu paste instead. (But I haven't tried this, so you gotta let me know how it taste :P)
Makan-makan: Milo & Milk Bread Spread @ home
Ever wonder how much Malaysians L-O-V-E Milo?
We have Milo drink for breakfast, Milo-ais at mamak stalls, Milo-ping at kopitiam, neslo if you like a tinge of coffee to go with it, and of course, children's all time favourite - just eat it right out of the milo tin! hahaha...what do you mean you don't know the last one? Just take a scoop of out milo and put it in your mouth.
Milo is like one of the staple food in Malaysians' lives. And to show you one of the ways I enjoy my fav Milo, I like to spread it on my bread, and put a little condensed milk on it.... the taste is "heavenly"...hahaha...
Oh, there's another version...but this goes better if you have the bread toasted first. Then spread butter and sprinkle Milo on the toast. I read this version in the newspaper and tried it. It might sound weird, but once you tried it, it is quite tasty too!
For all Milo-lovers out there, share with me the ways you enjoy your Milo... ;-)
7.12.2006
My life: Tattoo Artist at Work
08 July, Saturday
that fine saturday night, with nothing to waste our time on, and the WC third place kick-off yet to start. we're just itching to do something. Then somehow, the topic of tattoo came alive.
Well, to me, a real tattoo will always look fab on other's skin. (but definitely not on MY skin!) I can't bear the pain and the torture of waiting hours for the completion of the "artwork". Not to mention probably a few pricks of blood! oooh...let's not get nasty here... :P
Anyway, one thing led to another, and suddenly I had became the "amateur tattoo artist"..hahaha...well, having said that an amateur was at work, the working tools used then started with only a blue ink pen to draw the outline of the tattoo. And then since the draft piece of "artwork" was "quite deceptive to the eyes"...we migrated to use a black roller ink pen to fill in the areas.
Oh, did I mention what was the tattoo design? silly me...of course not, we're feeling a little adventurous, eventhough we're first timers...hahaha...and we decided a dragon would make a good tattoo on the shoulder :D
anyway, i guess you all must be dying to see how my first piece of "artwork" looks like.. so without further a due, deng deng deng... see for yourselft...not bad leh? hahaha...so anyone out there likes to be my second "guinea pig" ? muahahaha...
that fine saturday night, with nothing to waste our time on, and the WC third place kick-off yet to start. we're just itching to do something. Then somehow, the topic of tattoo came alive.
Well, to me, a real tattoo will always look fab on other's skin. (but definitely not on MY skin!) I can't bear the pain and the torture of waiting hours for the completion of the "artwork". Not to mention probably a few pricks of blood! oooh...let's not get nasty here... :P
Anyway, one thing led to another, and suddenly I had became the "amateur tattoo artist"..hahaha...well, having said that an amateur was at work, the working tools used then started with only a blue ink pen to draw the outline of the tattoo. And then since the draft piece of "artwork" was "quite deceptive to the eyes"...we migrated to use a black roller ink pen to fill in the areas.
Oh, did I mention what was the tattoo design? silly me...of course not, we're feeling a little adventurous, eventhough we're first timers...hahaha...and we decided a dragon would make a good tattoo on the shoulder :D
anyway, i guess you all must be dying to see how my first piece of "artwork" looks like.. so without further a due, deng deng deng... see for yourselft...not bad leh? hahaha...so anyone out there likes to be my second "guinea pig" ? muahahaha...
7.05.2006
My life: Father's Day BBQ
It's been a long since we had BBQ party at home. And for this year Father's Day, we decided to pull out the old faithful BBQ stove and all our "ga-chang" (tools)..hahaha
And since sis said she's already an expert at organising BBQ during her days staying with her house mates. So I let her plan the whole thing, and I promised to go shopping with her for the food.
In the end we had chicken drumsticks, chicken wings, sweet potatoes, sausages, corns, vege salad, spaghetti "masala" (i used the sardines lah haha :P), watermelons, and oh, the delicious otak-otak from Muar sponsored by T. And extra watermelons and mangosteens from N just in case we get "overheated" from all the BBQ fun.
We had much fun from preparing to BBQ-ing and eating. Lucky it rained that afternoon, so it left the weather just cooling for the BBQ time. Well, this time around, I sure don't hear mom complains as much as she used to when we mentioned about organising a BBQ party. haha..probably that was because we did most of the work :P
And since sis said she's already an expert at organising BBQ during her days staying with her house mates. So I let her plan the whole thing, and I promised to go shopping with her for the food.
In the end we had chicken drumsticks, chicken wings, sweet potatoes, sausages, corns, vege salad, spaghetti "masala" (i used the sardines lah haha :P), watermelons, and oh, the delicious otak-otak from Muar sponsored by T. And extra watermelons and mangosteens from N just in case we get "overheated" from all the BBQ fun.
We had much fun from preparing to BBQ-ing and eating. Lucky it rained that afternoon, so it left the weather just cooling for the BBQ time. Well, this time around, I sure don't hear mom complains as much as she used to when we mentioned about organising a BBQ party. haha..probably that was because we did most of the work :P
6.25.2006
Makan-makan: Prawns Hor Fun @ Semenyih
Love this plate of kuayteow (hor-fun in Cantonese)! Tried this at an old shop in Semenyih town. The gravy was tasty with the sweetness of the prawns, and the gravy was enough for every mouthful of hor-fun. It's definitely worth the extra $$ for this plate.The picture is showing the portion for 2 persons. And it's priced at RM12/portion.
Ooh...writing this post makes me hungry...and the hor-fun definitely looks like a good chow! :P~
6.19.2006
Sharing: Beckham the new face for Motorola?
Just caught this piece of news from my CNET newsletter.Motorola signs on Beckham as global brand ambassador
14/06/2006
"Expect to see football superstar David Beckham carrying the latest Motorola phones at this year's World Cup as he signs a three-year endorsement deal with the US-based handset maker to promote its cellular products in Asia. The collaboration will kick off with Beckham participating in advertising and retail activities across the region.
According to Motorola's press release, the endorsement deal will include the use of exclusive Beckham content such as screensavers and video clips in its mobile handsets. The England soccer captain will also be involved in Motorola campaigns such as the (MOTO)RED mobile created to help fight AIDS in Africa."
Haha...Beckham fans can see his cute face soon in Motorola's ads (* i'm not a hard core fan of him, but hey, he can still be a cute face to look at, especially during the World Cup :P)
6.18.2006
Sharing: How to talk to anyone
Have always realise i lack the skills in communication. It's funny why I've never thought of getting tips from self help book in this area.Well, as I was strolling through racks of books in MPH, one book caught my eye - The How to Easily Handle Difficult People Handbook: Everything Problem-People Don't Want You to Know. I picked up the little book and browsed through the whole book in abt 15 minutes. I found myself attracted to the contents, as it tells you what we never realised when dealing with people. So I decided to see if there are any other books which talks about communication skills. There were many to choose from.
After browsing through the entire rack of books on this topic, I decided to buy this book - "How to Talk to Anyone, 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships, Leil Lowndes". The contents look interesting enough. So I guess I'll be busy studying the little tricks at the moment...
6.14.2006
My life: Grandma's birthday lunch @ Kepong
Just browsing through my old photos, and realised I haven't upload these pics. Thought I would compile a nice photo album for the occassion =)
It's grandma's birthday at cousin brother's restaurant at Kepong. Most of the cousins were around to celebrate, and of course we enjoyed the dishes served up by chef cousin....yum yum~
It's grandma's birthday at cousin brother's restaurant at Kepong. Most of the cousins were around to celebrate, and of course we enjoyed the dishes served up by chef cousin....yum yum~
Project K: Peek-a-boo at show house
photos taken from the show house - the foyer area, living room, dining area, bedroom and kitchen.
6.01.2006
Project K: Love at First Sight
On that beautiful day, we met.
As I laid my eyes on you,
I knew we were meant to be.
It was love at first sight,
a beginning of a dream,
a beginning of more $$ commitments :P
5.16.2006
My life: Travelling again
Gosh! I've noticed that I've been travelling to Brunei every month since this year. And the recent trip was done in less than a month apart. Maybe they should offer me something like regular visitor privileges or something like that...haha.Just thought of snapping a picture of my faithful orange luggage bag while waiting to be picked up at KLIA :P
4.15.2006
My thoughts: Busy and Stressed
Familiarity breeds contempt. Routine becomes boredom.
When you have almost everything, you take it for granted.
Is that how things are supposed to be? Is it the nature of things to be that way? People are forgetful. They just settle into their comfort zone, and forget things still need to be work out to keep the things going.
It's not easy to get out of our comfort zones. Sometimes it is risky and needs courage, sometimes it is just right in front of us, but we are too lazy to initiate. Usually, early warning signs appear before we realised it. Sometimes it is not too late to mend things, if you heed the signs.
Thinking out of the box, think something different, think something new. It's easier said than done.
Lately, I have let myself lost in work. "Busy" has become my excuse. I am not giving enough attention, and keep losing my promises, both to myself and others. It wasn't that I did it consciously, but my body and mind was so tired that they refuse to keep the promises. I didn't realise that work really is taking a toll on my body and mind. A tired mind loses its creativity, innovative and interest. No wonder I'm starting to lose interest in most things. Except shying myself from others, and keeping my own thoughts. Is it just me, or do others have this too?
Sometimes when I'm free and carefree, many ideas popped into my head. And all of a sudden, I get the burst of energy to try new things. And it makes me feel good. I wonder where have all these went?
Should I blame it all on work stress? Nope, I don't think I deserve to. Everyone has to endure stress too. But I guess I have to learn to manage it, to let go once in awhile, take time to "look out of the window", "smell the flowers". I need to connect back with my circle of friends. Well, I read it somewhere in the mag, and they told me that works. I guess sharing with friends, makes you feel that you are not alone, and you see things in bigger perspective, and sometimes you get new ideas from sharing with your friends.
Time to get out of the box. But where shall I start?
busy & stressed,
firethorn
When you have almost everything, you take it for granted.
Is that how things are supposed to be? Is it the nature of things to be that way? People are forgetful. They just settle into their comfort zone, and forget things still need to be work out to keep the things going.
It's not easy to get out of our comfort zones. Sometimes it is risky and needs courage, sometimes it is just right in front of us, but we are too lazy to initiate. Usually, early warning signs appear before we realised it. Sometimes it is not too late to mend things, if you heed the signs.
Thinking out of the box, think something different, think something new. It's easier said than done.
Lately, I have let myself lost in work. "Busy" has become my excuse. I am not giving enough attention, and keep losing my promises, both to myself and others. It wasn't that I did it consciously, but my body and mind was so tired that they refuse to keep the promises. I didn't realise that work really is taking a toll on my body and mind. A tired mind loses its creativity, innovative and interest. No wonder I'm starting to lose interest in most things. Except shying myself from others, and keeping my own thoughts. Is it just me, or do others have this too?
Sometimes when I'm free and carefree, many ideas popped into my head. And all of a sudden, I get the burst of energy to try new things. And it makes me feel good. I wonder where have all these went?
Should I blame it all on work stress? Nope, I don't think I deserve to. Everyone has to endure stress too. But I guess I have to learn to manage it, to let go once in awhile, take time to "look out of the window", "smell the flowers". I need to connect back with my circle of friends. Well, I read it somewhere in the mag, and they told me that works. I guess sharing with friends, makes you feel that you are not alone, and you see things in bigger perspective, and sometimes you get new ideas from sharing with your friends.
Time to get out of the box. But where shall I start?
busy & stressed,
firethorn
My life: Losing my "precious"
14.04.06
I was bracing for another new day. Thinking to settle everything quick and easy, and enjoy another friday at work. But it wasn't meant to be. For those of you who have came to known, I have lost my "precious" (*ooh, I sounded like Gollum, did I? :p) Anyway, I intend to blog this down as a memory to my "precious".
It came as a rude shock to me, I was momentarily stunned, and my mind just went blank. Lucky me, there were people who cared enough and offered sympathy. And I totally appreciated their concern. It sort of made me felt better. And to know my two close colleagues were actually the first to offered help to me when they heard the bad news. Suddenly I felt thankful to have them as my friends.
Eventhough the shock have gone away, and the sadness sort of diminishing, I can't help feeling lost sometimes. I'm just not used to it not being there. Handicapped. Dependent on others. Inconvenience. I'm so used to it providing me convenience whenever I need it, and probably took it for granted. It was my first, and losing one's "first love" is always hard. hahaha :p trust me, you never want to go through what I went through, huge loss to your $ and getting your heart broken to small pieces :'((
It was comforting to know that there's always the trusty family connection, hehehe. And so I shall await. Hmm...a little of inconvenience at the moment though, but I know I shouldn't be complaining. I'm just thinking when the replacement will arrive, and it what form shall my next love appear as? hahaha....
I'm sure some of you who haven't got the news yet, would be wondering now what the heck was my "precious". hahaha....nope, I don't think it's good to mention here. I'm a bit superstitious...let the "departed soul" rest in peace, Amen.
I was bracing for another new day. Thinking to settle everything quick and easy, and enjoy another friday at work. But it wasn't meant to be. For those of you who have came to known, I have lost my "precious" (*ooh, I sounded like Gollum, did I? :p) Anyway, I intend to blog this down as a memory to my "precious".
It came as a rude shock to me, I was momentarily stunned, and my mind just went blank. Lucky me, there were people who cared enough and offered sympathy. And I totally appreciated their concern. It sort of made me felt better. And to know my two close colleagues were actually the first to offered help to me when they heard the bad news. Suddenly I felt thankful to have them as my friends.
Eventhough the shock have gone away, and the sadness sort of diminishing, I can't help feeling lost sometimes. I'm just not used to it not being there. Handicapped. Dependent on others. Inconvenience. I'm so used to it providing me convenience whenever I need it, and probably took it for granted. It was my first, and losing one's "first love" is always hard. hahaha :p trust me, you never want to go through what I went through, huge loss to your $ and getting your heart broken to small pieces :'((
It was comforting to know that there's always the trusty family connection, hehehe. And so I shall await. Hmm...a little of inconvenience at the moment though, but I know I shouldn't be complaining. I'm just thinking when the replacement will arrive, and it what form shall my next love appear as? hahaha....
I'm sure some of you who haven't got the news yet, would be wondering now what the heck was my "precious". hahaha....nope, I don't think it's good to mention here. I'm a bit superstitious...let the "departed soul" rest in peace, Amen.
4.08.2006
Sharing: Orange Raisin Cake
baked my second orange cake last Saturday...hehehe... :P~
ok...I know the deco still needs some improvement...but the cake did taste yummy. What? You don't believe me? Ask my lil sis and bro. They almost ate up the whole cake. hahaha...
For those who want to try...get the recipe from Kuali site, search for "Orange Raisin Cake". But I used chopped dates for this one, 'cos I ran out of raisins. It's something different from your usual choc cake. Plus, orange is supposed to be good rite, got lots of Vit C mah...kakaka :P
happy baking!
4.07.2006
My life: N for New
Finally settled in to the new office. haa~ After a week of not too productive days, and getting used to the new environment, everything seems to be in place...well, sort of.
One thing for sure, the food here is expensive. Eventhough there's a coffeeshop selling the hawkers' fare, I heard the price of the drinks are quite expensive. Imagine 60 cents for a glass of chinese tea! To date, the worst meal experience I had was at the mamak's store. First, it was so pricey for a normal mamak fare (RM3.40 for a plate of plain maggi goreng and RM1.90 for a glass of iced milo!). Secondly, it was the poor service (so slow, and the waiters don't seem to notice your waving hands, and my colleague was unlucky to encounter rude service). I swear I would never go to that shop unless unavoidable!
Food aside, I find it quite convenient to work here. The parking rates are much cheaper, banks and shops are just around the block, and petrol stations are always along the way to work...hahaha... so no more complains :P
The days have been busy for me, catching up with datelines, moving office, catching up with lost time...phew! Sorry guys, for not updating my blog. Creative juices dried up when you are too tired catching on with life.
Oh, managed to catch the "V for Vendetta" show last week. Quite an interesting movie, I found myself quite engrossed in the movie. And gosh, V was definitely very dashing when he carved his "V" sign on the wall, and playing with his blades. You guys should watch it.
One thing for sure, the food here is expensive. Eventhough there's a coffeeshop selling the hawkers' fare, I heard the price of the drinks are quite expensive. Imagine 60 cents for a glass of chinese tea! To date, the worst meal experience I had was at the mamak's store. First, it was so pricey for a normal mamak fare (RM3.40 for a plate of plain maggi goreng and RM1.90 for a glass of iced milo!). Secondly, it was the poor service (so slow, and the waiters don't seem to notice your waving hands, and my colleague was unlucky to encounter rude service). I swear I would never go to that shop unless unavoidable!
Food aside, I find it quite convenient to work here. The parking rates are much cheaper, banks and shops are just around the block, and petrol stations are always along the way to work...hahaha... so no more complains :P
The days have been busy for me, catching up with datelines, moving office, catching up with lost time...phew! Sorry guys, for not updating my blog. Creative juices dried up when you are too tired catching on with life.
Oh, managed to catch the "V for Vendetta" show last week. Quite an interesting movie, I found myself quite engrossed in the movie. And gosh, V was definitely very dashing when he carved his "V" sign on the wall, and playing with his blades. You guys should watch it.
3.30.2006
My life: Time to move
This is first time I'm in a company which is moving office. Not that it's anything cool, but it seems like a new experience for me. A lot of planning go into place, from packing, informing the relevant parties, when and which to move first, parking arrangements, infrastructure set up...etc. I'm quite amazed how my senior colleague manage to rack her brains doing all these planning. We even had a template letter and email signature for notifying our clients about us moving office.
My files have been packed in a paper box sitting beside my table, nicely labelled with my desk number. All is left is my stationery and lil stuff, which should be cleared by tomorrow. *must remind myself to bring a big paper bag to put all the stuf...ooh, not forgetting my money plant.
The new place is going to further, but I hope it's a good beginning for all, and a good environment to work in :P *hmm...and nearer to all the big shopping centres in the area...muahahaha....
My files have been packed in a paper box sitting beside my table, nicely labelled with my desk number. All is left is my stationery and lil stuff, which should be cleared by tomorrow. *must remind myself to bring a big paper bag to put all the stuf...ooh, not forgetting my money plant.
The new place is going to further, but I hope it's a good beginning for all, and a good environment to work in :P *hmm...and nearer to all the big shopping centres in the area...muahahaha....
3.28.2006
Jalan-jalan: Lang Tengah Island
When: 17-19 March
Where: Lang Tengah Island, Terengganu (between P. Perhentian & P. Redang)
Accomodation: Redang Lang Resort
Joined the trip to Lang Tengah last 2 weeks ago. Was organised by someone's in N's company. Got a good deal, so I decided to join. This was a very ad-hoc thingy. Initially couldn't make it because I was away from KL, then at the last minutes, I got back in time for this trip...phew!
We gathered at Cyberjaya on Thurs night in a cramped van and off we went...(* N, that was a really bad travel experience, couldn't get a good night's rest). Reached K. Terengganu early morning, around 6:30 am i think. Had a simple breakfast around the market area. Then proceeded to the Kuala Merang jetty to board the boat to the island. All of us in the group were too tired then, and couldn't wait to check in to our rooms to lie down!
The journey to the island took about 1 hour. Had a short briefing when we reached the resort. After lunch, we had a coral conservation workshop organised by one of the divemaster. Then we had a snorkelling trip after that. Came back to the island late noon, and had a tea break, then crashed into bed. Oh, food and beverages are free flow in the resort. You can make you own tea and have light snack anytime. Dinner was BBQ buffet style. Not too much variety, but sufficient and yummy at the least. Some of us then had simple fun playing a card game called "Ken" after dinner, and ventured along the seaside after that. And that's when we found a gecko on the sand, and a hermit crab.
Early next morning half of the group went for a short jungle trekking trip. The tracking trail started from the hill behind the resort. Took about 30 - 40 minutes to reach the rock beds by the seaside, where we could enjoy the scene of the rising sun. We had packed our breakfast in the styrofoam box, so we had breakfast up there while enjoying the breeze and the beautiful scene. Also saw the tongkat ali plant on the way up there.
Went to Marine Park in the afternoon. Lucky me to see a shark from a distance away. But unfortunately, I missed out the moray eel whom the locals said has stayed at the bottom of the jetty for a long time. We weren't aware of it, so too bad lah... I guess I would have freaked out if I did see it.
We then tried introductory diving course after that. This was where you could try to have a simple 30-mins course to diving. If you do complete the whole course, you will only pay RM100, or else it's free to try. I was hesitant but decided to give it a go at the last minute. But I had problems equalising the pressure in my ears, and had to quit halfway. I had this stupid phobia of being under the deep sea, so I was trying hard to control the my fear. But I'm glad at least I tried it. haha...silly me! probably diving is just not for me. I guess it would better to stick to National Geographic mags in my comfort zone :P Had another conservation workshop again after dinner. It was informative, and it did help me know more of the corals and fishes.
We left the island early next day, and had lunch at K. Terengganu before heading back to KL. The divemaster has said they are considering organising another trip later this year. And I'm definitely looking forward to it! Plus I get to know some new friends, who have been quite enjoyable companions throughout the trip =D
Where: Lang Tengah Island, Terengganu (between P. Perhentian & P. Redang)
Accomodation: Redang Lang Resort
Joined the trip to Lang Tengah last 2 weeks ago. Was organised by someone's in N's company. Got a good deal, so I decided to join. This was a very ad-hoc thingy. Initially couldn't make it because I was away from KL, then at the last minutes, I got back in time for this trip...phew!
We gathered at Cyberjaya on Thurs night in a cramped van and off we went...(* N, that was a really bad travel experience, couldn't get a good night's rest). Reached K. Terengganu early morning, around 6:30 am i think. Had a simple breakfast around the market area. Then proceeded to the Kuala Merang jetty to board the boat to the island. All of us in the group were too tired then, and couldn't wait to check in to our rooms to lie down!
The journey to the island took about 1 hour. Had a short briefing when we reached the resort. After lunch, we had a coral conservation workshop organised by one of the divemaster. Then we had a snorkelling trip after that. Came back to the island late noon, and had a tea break, then crashed into bed. Oh, food and beverages are free flow in the resort. You can make you own tea and have light snack anytime. Dinner was BBQ buffet style. Not too much variety, but sufficient and yummy at the least. Some of us then had simple fun playing a card game called "Ken" after dinner, and ventured along the seaside after that. And that's when we found a gecko on the sand, and a hermit crab.
Early next morning half of the group went for a short jungle trekking trip. The tracking trail started from the hill behind the resort. Took about 30 - 40 minutes to reach the rock beds by the seaside, where we could enjoy the scene of the rising sun. We had packed our breakfast in the styrofoam box, so we had breakfast up there while enjoying the breeze and the beautiful scene. Also saw the tongkat ali plant on the way up there.
Went to Marine Park in the afternoon. Lucky me to see a shark from a distance away. But unfortunately, I missed out the moray eel whom the locals said has stayed at the bottom of the jetty for a long time. We weren't aware of it, so too bad lah... I guess I would have freaked out if I did see it.
We then tried introductory diving course after that. This was where you could try to have a simple 30-mins course to diving. If you do complete the whole course, you will only pay RM100, or else it's free to try. I was hesitant but decided to give it a go at the last minute. But I had problems equalising the pressure in my ears, and had to quit halfway. I had this stupid phobia of being under the deep sea, so I was trying hard to control the my fear. But I'm glad at least I tried it. haha...silly me! probably diving is just not for me. I guess it would better to stick to National Geographic mags in my comfort zone :P Had another conservation workshop again after dinner. It was informative, and it did help me know more of the corals and fishes.
We left the island early next day, and had lunch at K. Terengganu before heading back to KL. The divemaster has said they are considering organising another trip later this year. And I'm definitely looking forward to it! Plus I get to know some new friends, who have been quite enjoyable companions throughout the trip =D
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