mind matters

Pressure Release Valve ...

2011-01-25T11:45:00.004+08:00

So I got called in today for my Increment briefing by my MD and my future MD. Overall, they said that:

They are happy with my performance as a Sales Manager, no complaints and they can see that I'm managing my BFs well etc and that the BFs are also happy with me and loyal etc etc.
The Management is also happy with me and my performance.
My gross income in 2009 vs 2010 has increased and that is good (hmm.).
My increment this year is ... ... ... :X

They move on to say that as much and as hard as I am 'pressuring' my BFs and training them as well, I should give them a 'pressure relief valve' lest I face the risk of losing them. I must be less 'dictator'-like, I guess ... if someone from my team has gone to the Management about me I guess. :( But I'm going to be taking them for a brilliant time in March, so hopefully it gets better ... ;)

Old times ... good times.

2011-01-16T22:47:00.003+08:00

I came across these pictures on Facebook the other day ... and boy, did they open the floodgates of memories. I can actually remember how I used to think that the world was perfect, I had friends from all walks of life and also how mean some other kids could be. Now, 20 years later, I discover, that nothing much has changed.

Sure, we're older, taller, supposedly more mature, but now we can also make more grown up decisions. But we don't always do that ... do we? I'm happy to discover though, that I still feel a lot of hope for the possibility for a better world ... funny how seeing a picture of a younger me can bring back such deep feelings ... :)

The Lord and The Devil ...

2011-01-03T23:07:00.003+08:00

As I walked about capturing moments in time, I notice you standing stoically amongst the imposing and gargantuan buildings surrounding you on all three sides. Yet, you exude this calmness and peace and are gently secure in your surroundings. What a gem of a find! As I take your portrait in my little camera, I wonder who built you. Who placed each brick and stone and poured the concrete and cast the keystones and who carved the lovely, intricate details that are evident on your facade as well as your interior.

It's been a long, long time since I've been the House of The Lord, but that doesn't mean that I still don't love Him. I just ... have issues. ;) And I'm certain that He understands. Or at least, I hope He does ...

But, a house of worship of any religion, always soothes the soul. Kinda like a cuppa hot chocolate of a cold, rainy day. Or Devil Curry poured over steaming hot rice during winter. Oh Mama, I miss you! ;)

A family meal ...

2011-01-02T21:42:00.004+08:00

It was a meal that, if I remember correctly, was made with a lot of love and laughter. Fran was laughing at me as I was tearing up whilst peeling and chopping the red onions, and I was laughing at myself because my eyes stung so bad.

As my winamp pumps Michael Jackson's "Heal The World", I recall the subsequent happiness and laughter as we had a family dinner that was made from and with love. I wonder how we at how light hearted we were and how much fun that night was. It was truly a night to remember and enjoy.

I give thanks for the family that I have, imperfect we may be, but that's the reason we love each other.

I love each and everyone of you ... despite appearances that come once in a while ...

Sail away

2011-01-01T23:44:00.002+08:00

"I'd like to sail away with you, to places far and wide, mysterious and fun!" said I to the little red dinghy, moored in the freezing waters, surrounded by bigger and larger craft than he.

It creaked softly in reply, as if acknowledging my request, but like me at that time, was anchored by circumstance, unable to move, unless permitted.

I know how you feel, I mused as I clicked my Canon and listened to the shutter 'click', as I froze a moment in time. I feel transported back in time, to when I was 7 and was reading Enid Blyton's adventure stories ... and I was with the Secret Seven, and this was our little red dinghy that we could go to the Secret Island.

I am grateful for those fleeting moments of sweet childhood recollections.

For that, today, I give thanks and am filled with bliss.

It's been a year -

2011-01-01T22:30:00.003+08:00

Dear blog,

It's been a year. I'm sorry that I've neglected you. You were always there for me, unquestioningly and I've thrown you in the back of the bookshelf.

I'm sorry for that. I promise to make it up to you! *smile*

I promise.

But, first things first, Happy 2011.

What's been happening? I woke up. Like that movie 'Jerry Maguire' ... it's like I've had an epiphany and I noticed that a lot of it has been with me rediscovering the One being, Whom, although I am imperfect before Him, still chooses to accept me for who and what I am He made me.

For this I am grateful and remain yours Solely, always and forever, no matter how ... 'inconvenient' it might get at social occasions. ;)

The reason for my waking up is because I guess I realize that I started standing up for myself more and started taking less crap and slack from others. Less doormat-ish and more 'concrete pillar' like.

I guess you'd have to know ME in order to understand what a big deal that is for me. I guess I'm starting to see the ME that I never really acknowledged before and I like the more assertive, confident me and knowing that I can do what I set my mind to do!

Ok ... I guess that's enough philosophical mumbo-jumbo for me.

I'll catch ya tomorrow ok! ;)

February Update

2010-02-19T13:57:00.016+08:00

This month has come and is almost gone ... in a flash, no less. It's been a month of, as usual, extreme ups and downs and I think I'm going to give myself a heart attack or a nervous breakdown one of these days. I guess I'll start with Chinese New Year (I've omitted Valentine's Day, as I really, really think that it's a pointless day, and NO, it's not the cynic in me yammering away, rather it's just an over-commercialized day).

Peonies galore basking in all their glory, accompanied by a varied hue of Cherry Blossoms. I LOVE it! :)

Of course, no Chinese New Year deco would be complete without the required 'Choy San' or God of Prosperity accompanied with the lucky bamboo / prosperity bamboo. Just for your information, it's the first living thing that I've bought for my home and it's thriving, thank you very much. ;)

I reckon my Chai Sen is pretty chuffed as the lucky bamboo seems to be shooting skywards!

February is also the month of SIL and BFF's birthday! :) I'm taking BFF out to Umai-Ya tomorrow for their famed buffet lunch. He's quite snooty about Japanese fare this one. So yeah ... expensive tongue. For SIL's birthday, we made a beeline for Delicious @ Dua Annexe. Gorgeous food and loads of fun there I tell you! :) Make your way there if you haven't already. Also, there was this fancy schmancy place on the ground floor called 'Dish'. It's apparently the classier (translated = more expensive) version of Delicious and if the reviews are anything to judge them by, it's well worth the moolah you'll spend. Anyone wanna take me here for my 30th? ;)

My crab tart was yummy ... the salad though ... was tarty ;) due to the heavy splashes of red wine vinegar. Brrrr ...

So ... yeah ... It was also Freddie and Suyee's wedding at The Legend Hotel's Chinese Restaurant (which for some reason, I can't remember the name of at the moment, except that it was small, cramp, mediocre and ... blah in general). But I loved the floral arrangements as well as the entrance hall.

The grand entrance to the restaurant leading to the dining area on the LEFT (?!) of the columns. Architect should be shot. Or have his license revoked.

This chrysanthemum was absolutely GORGEOUS! I think this might be one of the few flowers to make it to ink on my skin. ;) JULIAN! Pay attention, please my dear artist! :)

Freddie also had the 'Bride Pickup' session the week before. To say that it was a FIASCO would be putting it mildly. Although the 'sisters' thought that they had us in the bag with their ... less than amusing (chewing on a dude's banana in public is a little ... hmmm), we turned the tables on them with a crap load of beer, fake and real currency (in rupiahs, rupees and the like). We ended getting the head of games sister in this sorry state:

There was BEER galore ... our little brotherly trick for the sisters ... heh heh heh ... I must say that the groom's decision was a stroke of genius!

Hah! The Head of Games 'sister' thought she could outwit, outlast and outplay us? Here she is knocked off her ass at 12:30pm after downing loads of beer! ;) Jen, you ok? ;)

The groom made the bride wait ... 2 1/2 hours. Ha ha ... it was hilarious ... and by far one of the longest sessions of 'chip san leong' EVER in my life. Nearly 2 1/2 hours. OMG. o.O

Rakuzen Japanese Restaurant

2010-01-26T11:23:00.007+08:00

I seem to be on a spree of Japanese food consumption ... and I'm certain that it's good for health ;). Lily and I stopped by this place after she had a little medical emergency in the office and we had 2 hours to while away whilst waiting for the MRI appointment.

Even the chopsticks were the expensive disposable kind. Good 1st impression. ;)

It's called Rakuzen Japanese Restaurant and it's located in those single row of shops fronting the SJMC / SDMC in Subang, SS15. I ordered the Salmon Teriyaki Bento @ RM25 & an ala-carte Chicken Teriyaki. It was ... GOOD.

The edamame was fresh, lightly salted and the peas themselves were fresh and steaming hot. Good stuff.

The bento came with 3 humongous cubes of Salmon Sashimi, which was fresh, chilled and good to the last ... er ... drop? ;) The wasabi wasn't the cheap ass Sushi King variety and was smooth and smoky. I'll let the photos do the talking next ya? ;)

The chawanmushi was light, fluffy and tasty. Very nice.

My Bento Box ... or tray in this case. Food came out fast, in 10 minutes or so, despite the place being filled with the lunch crowd. Salmon looks small in the photo, but I was stuffed by the time I had finished. And thank God it was all tooth-achingly sweet with the teriyaki sauce. It was just ... nice. ;)

The pièce de résistance: the glorious sashimi.

Details:
Rakuzen Japanese Restaurant,
No. 13, Jalan SS15/5A,
47500 Subang Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel: +603.5880.4717

Inspired!

2010-01-24T23:44:00.002+08:00

I browsed through Ms. Redd's new project after we watched Julie and Julia in Singapore at Ben's place.

I am officially inspired. Photographically speaking of course. I will start taking and posting 1 photo a day (aside from a smattering of posts of course.).

Thank you Redd for being inspired and in turn, inspiring me.

2010. Good, better, best!

2010-01-16T15:24:00.027+08:00

It's been a good 1 month, I reckon from the last post and I'm going to do my best to post at least 1 update here a month.

At least.

So what's been happening ...

I really do think that the only mall that made an effort in their Christmas Decorations has been The Curve (winner, hands down in my book) and the Pavillion. The other malls ... were rather er, tacky, lackluster, sad and down right disappointing. I don't get it, religious and spiritual reasons aside, this is the season that people go all out in Christmas shopping and spend ridiculous amounts of money (more on this later) on their loved ones. You'd think that the marketing people would spend more time and money on their Seasonal decorations. Suria KLCC was downright DISGUSTING and TACKY with their little village scene. Even the baubles on the village roof was made of volleyballs / netballs painted over and they even had them hanging down. OMG.
One thing I found amusing was that Pavillion had anatomically correct reindeer and I had to suppress a giggle when little kids kept asking their parents why Rudolph had something hanging down between his back legs. ;)

Scenes from Pavillion and me and my SIL.

It was also the time that I had to make my trip North to Penang to er ... solve some issues caused by recent activities that I had nothing to do with. So I, along with Jason had to calm some clients who were rather irate with us. Not a good thing. Hate being in that position. But once clients are calm, Jason and I moved on to Lorong Selamat for Sisters Char Kway Teow! With giant prawns to boot! Oh, if you ever need to get to Penang in 3 hours or less, call Jason. He gets the job done. ;)

The food rocked my world, as did the Company. Business Grid was fun with moments of drama, as usual. But 2010 is all about GOOD stuff. So check out the Food!!!

I mentioned previously that Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Simple reasons for it actually. Families put differences aside and come together to enjoy at least one day a year together as a family unit (well, most families at least). Petty disagreements (really, if you look at it, arguments and disagreements shouldn't last the length of time that they do) are resolved or at least temporarily forgotten as we remember all the GOOD things about each other. Of course, I will be human and say that the presents part of Christmas rocks! :)

Scenes from my home decorated for Christmas! Loved the sight of presents under the tree as the fairy lights twinkled away merrily.

Of course, this had to be year of good loot!!! Best present hands down was the poster and acknowledgment of my massive (well, for me at least) weight loss from 120kg to 107kg now from Mama and Papa Lim. Compliments are far and few from them ;). Ranking up there is my ang pow from Mama and Papa Kettler from US. Woot! American dollars are ALWAYS welcome in my book ;). Next, would be Jerry and Serene ... I think if my brother had to be a Greek God, he'd be Hermes. Bloody mischievous! The monkey put my present in a humongous Longchamp bag and wrote on it "Dear Ken, Enjoy your PS3! Love, Jerry and Serene".

Imagine my excitement right.

Fast forward to opening it ... and it's good also la, but it's NOT a PS3. I got an amazing Crumpler bag! In my fave color too! :) So, enjoy the images below oh my stash! :) Wheee!

My stash!

Of course ... no Christmas dinner would be complete without the Skelchy-side making an appearance food-wise. ;) Coming from my side for the potluck at my place: Macaroni and Cheese and Mashed Potato Pie. From Serene: Pigs In A Blanket (YUM!!!)

Food: from the bountiful harvest of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We have been blessed! Thank you Lord!

There are of course other food which was amazing: Godma's Chicken Pies, wine (I KNOW there was wine :X) and a Leica camera? ;) The company was AMAZING!!!! Love you guys! Of course it was a er, little tight in my condo with 18 people in 1,086 square feet. Imagine everyone trying to squeeze in to the kitchen to take food.

More food part 2! :)

Of course, those who know me, know that I'm ... a little freaky about cleanliness and orderly arrangement in my home. At all times, if possible. So it was a great learning for me to do my best to ignore most of my urges to pick up the stray hair, wipe the spilled food ... but really ... spilled Cola on my carpet! Sigh. So after opening a billion presents ... ;), and saying goodbye to the last of my family, I couldn't sleep until I had cleaned up ... so it was about 4:35am when I finally turned off the Christmas tree lights and turned Facebook off (yes, I was chatting with some cousins ;) )

Day after Christmas was Hazlan and Liyana's wedding in PD. It was SO packed and BUSY, this was the ONLY shot that I managed to take, but needless to say the groom was stunning and the bride was breathtaking. Truly. The food was good ... but for some reason, there was this constant drifts of moo moo poop. For real. Oh ... there was also this little panda that we caught napping! ;)

I couldn't help but to put the Little Panda in here ... she's so CUTE in this picture! ;)

New Year's Eve was an interesting affair. Gastronomically speaking of course. ;) On the menu? Something that popped in my head. Pasta? Check. Garlic? Check. Bacon? Check. Italian Hot Sausage? Check. Birds Eye Chili? Check. Result = WOW. The wine however ... now that was something else. It had matured ... a little too much for my taste. Took 1/4 glass and I was already heading to Happy Land. We toasted and feasted to our hearts content and watched amazing shows on replay on AXN. As we waited for the countdown to New Year's we chatted about the year past and what we'd learned, experienced ... it's amazing when you look back and reflect and I really appreciated even more the people whom I have surrounded myself with.

I have surrounded myself with an amazing support system and people whom I love and who love me. I deserve that much at least in life. I make efforts as best possible with my extended family and hope that they feel my love and sincerity. Oh! I also discovered a yummy concoction for leftover chicken: dill, mayo, lemon, lemon zest, shredded chicken and toast. :) Best breakfast that I've ever had in the New Year ... ;) it being the first year and all ... Oh did you see Siew Li's new hair? ;) I've been trying to get her to change her hair ... and FINALLY! She sees the potential! :) Yay! So ... that's pretty much the first update for 2010!!!
Next: My team!

Christmas @ Home ...

2009-12-15T17:11:00.015+08:00

So it's December.

My, my, how time has flown by.

It really does feel like it was just yesterday that Mom, Pops and I were in Vegas partying with the best of them in Sin City in 2008. And now ... it's Christmas 2009 and I get to play host to the LimKlan.

So, it is with great excitement that I made plans with Serene to go Christmas shopping for both decorations as well as presents. One of the stops that I made a lot in November into December this year was at Starbucks, and it was on one of those occassions that I managed to score the ridiculously priced Starbucks cup trinket for a Christmas tree. Can you imagine that something that CUTE and SMALL could cost RM32.00/- if you bought it at retail? WTF.

This is one of the very few times that I think very poorly of Starbucks. But the again, if you're drinking something at Starbucks, you're more than likely able to afford it anyway. So I guess my pissy-ness is kinda moot. :P On another note, my annual favourite, Iced Mocha Praline makes it's annual showing and I've been chugging it down like it's going out of style. ;) Go try it out y'all.

I have since wrapped the first round of presents and decorated my home ... and I'm quite chuffed with the results ... I need to take a better picture tonight, so I'll post that picture on here later ok? :) So I've got most of all the presents wrapped up and I started thinking that since Serene already KNOWS all the presents AND the presents that she's gotten (a pair of GAP jeans and a labelling machine), I figured that I need to get her a surprise gift. Jerry of course, had to SIBUK and come and see what he got for Christmas ... thank goodness he had a stomach ache and had to use the bathroom and I managed to hide his present from his grubby hands. He, ladies and gentlemen, will shake, rattle and roll a package until he guesses what it is ... and spoils MY fun of course. So I'm determined that that isn't going to be the case for Christmas 2009. :P So there.

Anyway, here's a photo from my place yesterday evening ... it's too grainy if you open up the real image, so just imagine it sharp as a knife and you get the image that I see every night. It's ... sheer magical, Christmas bliss. I decided to go with blinking lights at the core of my Christmas tree (yes, yes, I'm a Christmas geek) and to have steadies on the outer portion, which made stringing the lights in that little confined space an interesting ... exercise. I had to bend and use muscles that I only discovered in Astanga Yoga a couple of weeks back ... hmmm, everything happens for a reason yes? ;)

So, anyways, back to my story about the Gap stores in Malaysia. Or rather, KL. Serene and I traipsed into the GAP store in Gardens, Mid Valley and she immediately went for and fell in love with the distressed (here's another thing, WHY would you want a pair of pre-ripped jeans and pay retail for damaged goods?) jeans. I kinda banged on the idea of the non-ripped but distressed jeans right next to it and it was JUST as comfortable. So we got that pair for her Christmas present. At the counter, we inquired if they could alter it and they said not a problem, but it would take about 2 - 3 hours as they are short staffed. Since we were on a deadline to send Wawa to KLIA, that was out of the question. So we asked if we could do it another day at the 1U store.

Their reply: "No problem, just bring the receipt along with you."

We then asked: "How long will it take?"

"About the same time, Sir."

"Fine ... that's great. Thanks."

"No worries."

Fast forward 1 week and we're shopping again at 1U and we make a purposeful visit to the Gap store ... and mind you, this was like 10 in the morning ok. There were at most, 8 - 10 people in the store with about 7 - 8 store hands.

Us: "Excuse me, we'd like to alter this pair of jeans."

Gap: "Er ... let me check."

Us: "Um. Okaaaaaay."

Gap: "Sorry Sir / Ma'am. Can you come back on the 21st of December? Because we're NOT ALLOWED to do alterations during sales period and we're also short staffed."

Me: "How the HELL is that my problem? Your store in Gardens said that you can do alterations. There was not mention of a 'date' or any schpiel ...!!!!"

Gap: "Sorry-lor. I think got miscommunicayzion."

Me: ... storms off muttering "Ridiculous."

Lesson of the day: Don't trust GAP store sales staff. Damn liars and cheats. Now Serene has to go do alterations at some other tailor.

I may look and feel great, but don't trust the people that sell me - GAP jeans.

So now I'm debating between 2 presents for Serene, and for obvious reasons, I can't ask you for your opinions here now ... so I'll just decide and get it after this when I go get the Christmas stuff for the office. Yeah ... apparently, we're all happy to celebrate and organize all the other religions' celebrations, but when it comes to Christmas, obviously Juggernaughts ain't gonna lift her giant bazookas to do anything and everyone seemed to take the cue from her and ... decided not to volunteer to organize it. So ... it's back to me or there won't be a celebration dinner and then the MD will have a bitch fit. So ... excuse me while I get back to planning ... and I'm so excited!!! Whee!!! Will write more soon!

Xoxo,

Ken.

Fitness?

2009-11-18T12:48:00.002+08:00

I am going for my first gym outing in YONKS because I've decided that I would like to be healthier and this is one small step towards that.

Gosh. I'm excited. Yoga first, then a little cycling, then dinner. LOL.

Fitness indeed.

Host with the most.

2009-11-18T09:20:00.009+08:00

OMG.

I just found out I'm hosting this year's Christmas dinner. o.O

WITHOUT.AN.OVEN.

How am I expected to spread festive cheer and fabulousness without an oven? At Christmas, no less! I so need to channel Martha and Nigella. Help!

Christmas - Blast from the past!

2009-11-11T10:21:00.016+08:00

Found these photos as I was archiving ... this was before Jerry left for America and I had a stage performance ... I think it was called "Christmas: A Play!" ... and I was 1 of 2 guys in the play with main parts in terms of dancing, singing and catching a girl as she jumped into my arms. Whoo! ;)

This photo was taken before we headed out to Church for evening service on the 23rd, I believe. My play (one day only, sold out ... wahhh) was scheduled for later that evening. Needless to say, I was nervous as hell. ;) But looking forward to the day we had all been rehearsing for for months on end. It was a blast, but no photos unfortunately. This was before the era where every Tom, Lucy and Jack had a phone, much less a camera.

This photo is of Valerie, myself and Erin. Good friends. Wonder where they are now though! ;)

Crab - Bee.

2009-11-10T18:03:00.014+08:00

Krabi, Thailand:

This is an amazing peninsular jutting out into the gorgeous, breathtaking Andaman Ocean.

Instead of yammering away, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

This was with the tide out. Erm ... you may want to give the coast a miss when it's out. It's kinda ... gross. Muddy and all that. ;) Like seriously.

The bathroom was ... amazing to say the least. Jacuzzi ... candles ... outdoor shower ... showering under the moon, stars, sun ... ;). Although erm ... draining the jacuzzi was a little difficult and we had to call Housekeeping.

Singha was the drink of the day. Loads of fermented yeast and Lord knows what else is in there ... ;) Notice the gorgeous sunset in the background?

It was filled with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets ... and of course gorgeous people. ;)

There was this couple who actually fought at this gorgeous place ... and his partner stormed off ... leaving his partner to form this gorgeous silhouette. I thought it was rather nice.

And it all ended with this lovely garden lamp.

The Transfer

2009-11-10T13:13:00.005+08:00

So.

My MD decided that it would be a great idea to rock the boat. Right.

SO ... guess who got transferred YET again? ;)

Yeah. Me. Where to? You ask. Sales. The freakin' Sales Department.

The mover and shaker of the Company.

The Department that has been Juggernaut's stronghold. So, it was with great trepidation that I took over the helm of what was essentially the Department I was doing my darndest to get out of when the Juggernaut was at the helm.

However, as nervous and apprehensive as I was, it wasn't any more difficult than it was when I was at the helm of the Marketing Department. The team in the Sales Department, I reckon, heaved a collective sigh of relief when Juggernauts was transferred. And I guess, with great reason too. Now that I'm here, I don't believe in the Iron Fist method. I kinda like things to grow organically with certain guidelines in place. The result?

With the exception of freaky September, every month since July has seen an increase in Sales with this past October being one of the highest. Talk about the Team really starting to stretch their wings!!! :) I'm SO proud of them. ;)

Will write more soon. Need to get back to work. Oh yeah, nice ya my new template? The puppy at the top? My brother's new pup. His name? Jack Bauer, after the guy in 24. Cute, right? Should see him in real life. ;)

Chuffed ...

2009-10-17T16:14:00.004+08:00

Does the image on the right look familiar?

It shouldn't ... :P It's not me yet. ;)

Since I've started being more aware about my finances etc ... I decided that I would reward myself with only 1 reward monthly aside from reviving my 1-way account ...

What does this have to do with the photo of the buff dude?

For the longest time, I could never find a pair of Board / Surf shorts that would fit my substantial (at the time, I had a waist of 44 - 46, depending on brand / cut) waist. Since I've also been watching what I eat and making full use of my 18-storey condo stairs ... today, I walked into Canterbury with Jason ... only to find that I could fit, albeit a little snugly, into a 38-inch Board / Surf Shorts. I nearly died from happiness. I can soon officially leave the 40+" waist gang and join the 30's again!!!! So ... what I did was buy a 40 (a size I haven't used in yonks!) and now I fit it FINE with a little space too!!! O.M.G. That's my treat to myself for this month. O.M.G. A better, healthier and fitter me! :)

An iPhone a Day ...

2009-10-16T09:20:00.003+08:00

It's finally here! ;) Thanks Dad! :) Brilliant Christmas pressie!

All I'll say about the iPhone, now that I actually HAVE it is ... O.M.G. It's everything that I imagined it would be and more.

I've been shopping non-stop for my new baby, Oh, I'm naming her Jane by the way. :) I love that name. Also because Dakota Fanning is playing Jane in New Moon ... so yeah.

I've since bought Gelaskins, Paul Frank silicone cover, Marware CEO Leather case, anti- fingerprint screen protector (some amazing Jap brand).

Woo HoO!!! ;)

It's been a ride ...

2009-09-12T22:58:00.009+08:00

... there's no other way to describe the last few months. ;)

Let's start at the very beginning ... a very good place to start ... when you read, you begin with A, B, C. When you sing, you begin with Do, Re, Mi ........... *pause*

Sorry. For some strange reason, the songs from The Sound of Music have been playing in my head the whole day. It's been a long, LONG day. ;) Fun and thoroughly enjoyable, I must say. ;)

Ok, well, like I said, let's start at the very beginning of the last quarter.

The Crazy, Mad Training Sessions:
Ok, I deal with safety equipment and it's an industry that I am proud to be associated with, despite the ribbing I get from certain quarters in my circle of family and friends. Anyhoo - we decided that it was time that we focus on our subsidiary company, that deals mainly with the Government and its subsidiaries and that it was time for this company to start flapping its own wings more fervently. My colleague, Hartini has been doing a marvelous job of turning the company around and actually making it profitable. Despite the fact that it's ONE saleslady generating sales to pay salaries for SIX people. Er - ok back to the story. We went on this massive Community Service / CSR blitz thingy with Malaysia Airports Berhad, where we would train HoDs (that's Heads of Departments) with the available range of PPE (that's Personal Protective Equipment) on the market currently and explain the various uses etc as every airport whilst sharing certain similarities, also have vast different processes. :)

So ... we decided to go all out ... and was tasked with training 19 (yes, NINETEEN friggin' airports). So of course, it fell to me (my other colleague was swamped with work, so it couldn't fall to her) to make arrangement for flights, samples, bags, hotel bookings, etc etc. And very soon, it became fairly obvious that we needed to drag in more muscle from the Parent Company in to assist in this training.

Finally we had 4 teams, totaling 8 people to go out and do what we do best ... and my partner, Hazlan ... well let's just say my adventurous spirit seems to come alive when I go out with him. People who know me know that the moment I reach home and am in my PJ's ... it would take an Act of God to drag me back out of the house. I'd safely venture to say that in the 2 months of travelling non-stop from Thailand (previous posts) to the rest of Malaysia, I've actually seen MORE of Malaysia in 2 weeks than I have in my ENTIRE life.

We discovered new highways etc that took us over the picturesque Titiwangsa Mountain Range (OMG, Geography actually came in handy) and very quickly into Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the first stop for our Peninsular portion of the training session. I saw the innate beauty that Sarawak possesses as well as the cultural explosion of Kuching, where the Rainforest Music Festival is held annually. Unfortunately, we left a full week before it started, so I was a little disappointed by that. :( However, for a breakdown of what transpired, head on over to Fiona's blog, where she details her excursion to Kuching for this event. It's an entertaining read. The photo was 'borrowed' from her blog. Thanks Fi! ;)

So yeah - training took about 3 weeks to complete for my team. I missed my home terribly.

The Many First of Firsts
I have this motto that I live by: "I'll try anything once" and I chose this motto to enable and empower me to experience LIFE more fully. Yes, there have been times where my gag reflex or lack of extreme self-confidence or even just plain common sense prevented me from trying certain things, but more often than not, I tried something new. A few of my first of firsts are:

First time to Thailand. Ever. Reason? After watching the show "Brokedown Palace", I've always had this innate fear of Thailand. It seemed at the time, pretty much a cowboy town. Plus ... I still couldn't believe they let the Japanese people through without wanting to help defend us. This show, whilst definitely fiction, shows us what could really happen when you 'befriend' someone in a foreign country and place your trust in them. For some reason, this show really just put me off of Thailand. But funnily enough, a lot of it was filmed in the Philippines and apparently Claire Danes, on her high horse, managed to issue some statements that royally pissed an entire nation off. Tsk. Tsk. Tact, girl. Look it up.
First time killing a bird: We (Hazlan and I) were driving to the East Coast for the said training for MAB and on the highway, this black bird, the size of a crow (probably was anyway) decided that flying right in front of the windscreen would be a great idea. We were chatting ... and them *thump* and then silence. It was a little upsetting, I'll tell you that much. Really. Reminded me of when I drove over a monkey. (Oh shut up :P It ran in front of my car. What would you have me do?)
First time away from home for work: Seriously. Nearly 6 weeks. I've never missed my home so much before. And my bed. And my air conditioning.
First time with so much Malay food: Seriously. Overkill on the rendang, nasi lemak etc. Gimme some Char Siew!!! ;)
First time seeing Hazlan upset: with HER no less. ;) It was priceless and a treasured memory. So it's not just me that has an issue. ;)

Ok, since I've left this for so long ... I've kinda forgotten loads of stuff now :P ... but I promise to write more as I remember it ok?

xoxo,
K.

Hilarious ...

2009-09-09T22:19:00.005+08:00

I needed a pick-me-up and Nileey provided it ...

Check out these amazingly funny e-cards to send out at this site <--

I've been getting a lot of the above lately.

I almost always experience this ... LOL.

I think this is what generally happens at MOST meetings everywhere. ;)

Seriously.

Which hurts more?

2009-09-08T23:01:00.003+08:00

I've always wondered ... which would hurt more? Stabbing my heart with my kitchen knife? Jumping out the 18th floor window? Suicide Bag? But I discovered this evening, they pale in comparison with the hate and contempt that blaze in your eyes.

You say that my sensitivity has gone overboard. You accuse me of acting belligerently. You listen to all those around except the one you stare at accusingly, the one who has embarrassed you in front of your peers. You do not bother to ask me about my position, what my views are, what I have to put up with, to go through. No. My word counts for nothing. Why? Because you already made up your mind a long time ago that I was a lying, sniveling, conniving, sensitive, uncouth bastard who can't be trusted.

Well, that's OK. I've come to accept that tonight. But I wish you nothing but the best.

I thank God the day I decided to move out and put some distance between us. Maybe it'll be like him and me. We needed not only time, but space as well. So maybe I'll just stop seeing you for 8 years. Maybe that'll work.

Interim ...

2009-08-08T16:51:00.002+08:00

Gosh ... it's been an amazingly tiring, fun, exciting, blood-boiling, rage-building, murderous-feeling, exhilarating, funny, great-time-bonding, head-cracking, mind-numbing kinda 2 months.

*phew*

An it's going to culminate and FINISH by the end of next week on Friday!

And then I've got a really long post to publish.

Wish me luck ... oh ... and stay tuned for excitement! ;)

Strangers on the shore ...

2009-07-20T22:31:00.003+08:00

Am training on the East Coast for a bit ... so I'll be away with sporadic access to my emails and blog ... missing you all tons and tons! :) This is a gorgeous country ... with an amazing coastline. I did my bit for the environment today and picked up loads of trash and dangerous plastic baggies which the turtles might mistake for food ... so here's hoping I save a couple of turtles from drowning ... */hug turtle*

Took this picture and thought of you all.

xoxo - Ken.

iWant. Seriously.

2009-07-12T23:23:00.002+08:00

Seriously. Like a heart attack serious.

Seriously. Get one for me please. Seriously.

I see you.

2009-07-12T22:48:00.002+08:00

I see you.

I see the pain that you carry, day after day. I see what you try to do, but are always misunderstood.

I know and acknowledge that it is hard and this was never what you imagined it would be like. I wish the real world was as beautiful, magical and made sense, like yours does.

I know that you haven't been celebrated much, if even at all. I promise that you will have that celebration that you think about - even if you're on your own. You deserve that much.

I see you. You are not lost, not alone. I am always with you, holding your hand, going through this darkness with you.

I love you.

And that's all I can really say.

Happy, happy Birthday Baby! :)

2009-07-12T22:43:00.005+08:00

My dearest cousin - happy birthday.

As always, with much love from me to you.

With wishes that yours and Angie's life be filled with continued happiness, health, wealth, groundbreakingohmygawd kind of sex ;) and all that good stuff! ;)

xoxo - K.

Phuket (PheW.KhEt), Thailand.

2009-07-11T14:01:00.015+08:00

The week before was an inexorably one of the MOST tiring, both mentally and physically, but quite rewarding weeks in terms of creativity that I've had in a very, VERY long time. Due to the upcoming COSH '09 Safety Exhibition in August at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Center, which we are taking part in, I had to design 6 different buntings for the roll up banners. (crap, I just realized I haven't even designed the banners yet!) Anyways, it was fun learning to navigate the maze that is Photoshop CS4 (yes, FOUR), which I had finally gotten the week before. So ... anyway, it was a week of sleeping at 4am almost everyday and waking up at 7:50am to rush to work. It was a relief to pack up my bags to head to Phuket, my very first jaunt into Thailand. Yes, you read it right. First time in the land of tom yam and ladyboys. :) Oh, by the way, this was a working trip with some older folks from the company, so ... no naughtiness was involved on this trip ;) in case you were wondering.

The entrance to Laguna Beach Resort & Spa - blissfully amazing.

The flight to Thailand was the first flight out with AirAsia (on-time amazingly) went by without incident, although we had to wake up at the unGodly hour at 3:45am to get to the airport in time. Our flight left at 7:15am on the dot. Talk about efficient. But that's more or less where the Malaysian Government efficiency ended. Looking at the the Ministry of Health officials donning the 3M 8210 N95 respirators really made me sick to my stomach. Worn wrongly, worn upside - down etc and when I asked a nurse who taught her to wear it, she said the MoH doctor, who was apparently trained by 3M distributors. I would so sue them for putting these people at risk. Oi! Doctors! Wake up la! :) We do NOT train you to wear it wrongly! Anyhoo, we stayed at the magnificent Laguna Beach Resort & Spa located on the picturesque Bangtao Bay (about 1/2 hour drive from Patong Beach), it's a all-in-one complex with a shopping plaza, restaurants, shops etc.

Room #276 - room with a view. Loved it! ;)

My room ... Oh, the room. Gorgeously done with 2 erm, Thai looking pillow / mattress in 1 kinda thingies on a raised platform overlooking the huge laguna. Oh, I think I died and went to heaven. That tiny, thin little mattress thing by the way - don't let size fool you. It was dead comfortable. Well, for me at least.

Thin, comforting plateau of fabric-ed joy.

I went for what was my first ever, Thai massage. Kosher of course, but as many have asked me since - why didn't you go for the 'happy ending' one? ;) I'm just not that kinda guy. Ha ha. Ooo ... and there was row upon row of the beautifully hand-carved wooden erm ... art? I loved, loved, loved it!

The intricate hand-carved wooden art along the corridors were amazingly delicate.

I totally enjoyed taking the morning / evening strolls (yeah, our rooms were quite far away from the main activity area) partly because I got to exercise and also each corridor had different sorts of carvings. :)

Baby Dumbo hanging out with me. His little trunk was kinda wet but extremely dexterous and flexible.

Thailand has an amazing reverence for elephants. There was this 'cute as a button' Dumbo looking (and I say this as the biggest Disney cartoon fan and I LOVE Dumbo) baby pachyderm that roaming the resort grounds with his loving mahout. I was obviously thrilled that I could interact with this gentle giant without him being surrounded by a man-made jail cell. Oh yeah - one thing that I don't miss about Thailand ... ? The damned humidity. It was like stepping out into a wall of hot, wet air that made me produce copious amounts of man-made water. Not good when you're heading for a formal dinner in a nice dress shirt. Wish I could chill out in a bowl of cold water like these gorgeous flowers.

More dazzling in real-life, these flowers dotted every table in the Resort.

Did I mention that my view every morning and evening was simply ... gloriously breathtaking? ;) Take a look - I kid you not.

Coconut trees never looked so ... sigh.

Coming back to the room after a whole day of mind-numbing data input and body-aching shopping, it was ... amazing to come back to a view like this: the bed turned down with an orchid, the air conditioner turned down to cool the room, lemongrass scented beads around the room and in the bathroom. God, it's great to be pampered! ;)

Coming home to this? Yes please!

Of course, we also did the tourist-y thing going around shopping and stuff. Went apeshit on T-shirts that were so cute and well ... a little naughty ;). Ask Jerry about his "YouTube myspace and I'll Google your Yahoo!" T-shirt. Cute, right? ;) We also went to see some amazing temples - and I loved the statue in this shot.

Buddha statue in Phuket.

I'll be back in Phuket for sure, but this time, I'll be staying in Patong Beach! Woo hoo! :) I'll be writing more soon! :)

The Bunny meets the Paladin

2009-04-10T12:28:00.004+08:00

I've been best friends with The Bunny for ages. One of my oldest friends. We've had loads of ups and quite a number of downs as well ... and we've grown older and definitely more wiser.

So it was a nice surprise when she texted me regarding the business listed on this page under nails etc etc ... and we caught up after that over the phone. She's an AVID, and I mean AVID gamer and she's like a sponge the way she learns. I still remember schooling her in Starcraft ... and in 3 weeks, she out-manned, out-manuevered and out-lasted me. LOL. Not that I was / am a fantastic gamer to begin with. I'm happy just playing a game. She goes ... like ... deeper than deep. She DOTA'ed the DOTA out of DOTA and still kicked ass. And to my surprise, The Bunny is now into World of Warcraft ... Holy Moses!

Unfortunately ... it was the Alliance meeting the Horde. She's a Night Elf Resto Druid and I'm a Blood Elf Holy Paladdin. Sigh. So it's start all over for me with a new characther to be able to be on the same team as she is. And if I'm right ... she's gonna school me all over again. LOL. Looking forward to it!

i'm a fanboi ...

2009-04-07T08:57:00.006+08:00

So there was that hoopla last week about the 'leaked' and 'unfinished' version of the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Well, the folks over at Fox got the FBI and the MPAA involved and all that ... and released a statement praising fanboys all around the world who 'condemned to the highest degree' the perps who released etc and Fox is happy that loyal legions of fans are boycotting watching the 'leaked version'.

Well. Being the X-Men fan that I am (although I started collecting them a little later in life), I was astounded that my local uncle had supply of the 'leaked' version. *sigh* what's a fan to do? I caught sneak peeks at it at his place ... and I have decided to WAIT for it to premiere in cinemas locally. And this is ONE show that I will be watching in the Gold Class theaters. ;) Because GAMBIT is amazing. I've always loved Gambit in the comics and was very disappointed when he did not make an appearance in the earlier installments. But better late than never, I say and I am certain that I'm going to be happy! :)

Oh yeah ... and old annoying Wade "Deadpool" makes an appearance as does Agent Zero. ;) *yay*!

wedding bells and diamond rings ...

2009-04-03T20:32:00.006+08:00

to a wonderful couple who seem to be each other's best friend ...

your love shines for each other like a beacon on the bay,
you smile the smile of the heavens when you see each other,
you get each other's jokes and always laugh (even when it isn't that funny),
and most importantly ... you care and understand each other.

i wish you all the happiness, joy, peace and love in the world.

a tender moment for the blushing bride

photos and effects by Kenneth

2009-04-01T17:38:00.003+08:00

I saw you again.

Well, the back of you at any rate.

I called out your name, but the clamoring and increasing crescendo of the world around us drowned out my cries.

You once again passed out of my life and into your world again.

I missed you again.

... going for a holiday?

2009-04-01T16:34:00.005+08:00

Passports in hand, my well-traveled Indonesian friend/principal and I made our way through the mass of bodies, through hordes of hot, sweaty hard, firm bodies.

*ahem*

We finally got to "Departure Lounge", at least that's what the sign said. Extracting ourselves from the mass of humanoids, we found ourselves in the peaceful, almost tranquil setting of this laid-back, tastefully done up cafe.

With relatively few tables, expect some form of serenity in here. Tastefully decorated and with smiling, friendly service, we had a marvelous time here. And the menu? It was pretty interesting actually. You go up to the counter where the smiley husband / wife (I think) are, and fill up the little order cards. We were pretty famished from being in the mosh pit, so we proceeded to order "9 Things" on the menu. It was ... sufficient. :)

If you wanna chill with just some illy java, put up your feet by the faux fire and grab a travel book and feel like you really are at a departure lounge. (It reminds me a little of the St. Louis / Minneapolis airport actually). It felt ... peaceful and nice? Yeah.

Loved it here. Breakfast food all day long. I will be back.

... not quite ...

2009-04-01T15:14:00.004+08:00

So.

Right.

*blushes*

Yes, the deed's been done. It was magical, fulfilling and everything you see on TV.

I had my first official illy coffee. And yes, it was GOOD. ;)

Now get your mind out of the gutter! ;)

one moment ...

2009-03-30T22:00:00.002+08:00

a moment of peace under the nearly cloudless Perth sky

yay!

2009-03-30T21:47:00.001+08:00

I'm so excited! Yay!

oh no ...

2009-03-30T21:16:00.004+08:00

I've always been, as far as I am concerned at least, a regular pollyanna when it comes to a lot of things in life. I believe my dad called me the eternal dreamer / optimist. I guess I've always been taught to believe that people are innately good, decent human beings and that everyone strives to be the best that they can for themselves and for others.

Why then do people hurt each other? A friend, a lover, a colleague ... it doesn't matter. At some moment in time, instead of talking through it ... we, and this includes me, choose the easier path to damnation ... namely to shout, to intimidate, to threaten. I've discovered that I was actually nothing BUT a big bully a lot of times and used my intellect or age or expertise or size to get what I wanted from the 'younger / weaker' ones. Is this inbred in all of us by Nature? Survival of the strongest / fittest? Which would mean that I have been a subject of the same by others smarter / older / stronger / bigger than me?

I stopped believing in love. It's true. I just don't believe that something like love can exist in the face of such ... tyranny of our souls! I fear the bully monster in me. I've seen it in others and I would not want to subject another human being, one that I love no less, to that monster. I would not know what I would do if it ever gets out. Cowardice, I hear you say? Better a coward than an abuser yes? Yes, I have become what I never thought I would be. A cynic. A jaded, disenchanted cynic. Urgh.

*I really hope that this is just a funk I'm going through. :P

testing out Photoshop ...

2009-03-30T21:04:00.006+08:00

... was doodling on Photoshop with the previous post, I love that font. Well, at any rate, found a site that is giving me a lot of tips to work on photos (especially my now defunct wedding photobook for my brother and sister-in-law due to not having high res photos from a photoshoot *hint* *hint*)I started practising my Photoshop skillz on ... so this is just a try out on a photo of me and my friend Rangwut from Thailand. Good time in USA Rangwut! Getting drunk and manning a speedboat ... erm ... not recommended if a competent sailor isn't on board. HA HA.

This is the original image. Ok right my work? :)

... who does?

2009-03-30T20:56:00.003+08:00

Truly.

My guardian angel ...

2009-01-30T10:42:00.004+08:00

The inspiration for my first ever tattoo, my paternal grandmother was truly the only grandmother that I ever knew and loved. Well, I still love her although she's earned her angel wings now. She's the coolest grandma EVER. I have 5 grandmothers (figure it out, it's messed up heheh) so I would know. She's cool, not manipulative, calm, collected. *sigh* I miss that smile of hers and her assuring presence. I am grateful that all I have left of her are her memories, stories and loving guidance bringing me up as well.

Get it on!

2009-01-30T09:47:00.001+08:00

A sidebar for entertainment value here ... Durex has launched their "Get It On" campaign ... and I must say that this is by far the most hilarious video that they have. If you're in the office, turn DOWN the speaker volume yes? ;)

Updates start ...

2009-01-29T12:41:00.006+08:00

Hi all!!!! :) I'm back home ... been back for 2 weeks ... so I'll be updating as much as I can ... so I'll start with the more erm ... 'painful' one for right now ... I finally got my moo-moo tattooed on me by Julian and it's amazing. He's one of the artists in Black Cat Tattoo Studio in Sunway Pyramid's Asian Avenue. Took about 6 hours, but I am psyched with the level of detail that he put into it ... it's healing now ... so I'm looking forward to a few more days for it to look still completely amazing ... so feast your eyes on one of my favorite animals ya? ;) Go this his site and check out all the other amazing tattoos that he's done so far! :) It's amazing and he's a great artist ...

I also took the opportunity to organize a Cowzens gathering since we were all at my Uncle's place for Chinese New Year and we all met at Fogal's in Plaza Damas. It was fun as we caught up with each other and see how we've each grown up. I can't believe that the youngest of us is now 18 years old!!! Good Lord am I OLD or what? Sheesh. My brother, sis-in-law and little sis couldn't make the occassion. :( So this picture is a little incomplete.

'Cause I'm Leaving ...

2008-12-10T11:55:00.002+08:00

... on a Jet Plane ...

Picture by David James Clelford. Treatment by Kenneth.

Random ...

2008-09-25T09:53:00.002+08:00

Some random little tid bits ... :

1. I always decorate for Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend.

2. I don't understand why people make such a fuss over Halloween and Thanksgiving if they're not American. It doesn't have any significance other than having another reason to be cool and celebrate like an American. I don't have a thing against the lovely Americans, but I don't believe in 'posing'.

3. I love flying. Long - haul, short - haul ... it really doesn't matter. I think I'm like the dream passenger ... ha ha ... I'm polite, I don't ask for much except for loads of water and occasionally a blanket.

4. I love my little World of Warcraft toys and figurines and want to collect more, if they weren't so damned expensive.

5. I feel extremely uncomfortable wearing branded stuff i.e. watches, clothes, wallets, shoes etc. I think my family can attest to that LOL. That doesn't mean however, that I don't appreciate the value in them. :) I do, and thank you to all who have ... given me 'stuff'. :) he he.

6. Some of my fave food: Mom's cooking, dim sum, roti canai with dhall, my cooking, nigella's cooking ... :D

Yawn ...

2008-09-24T14:36:00.001+08:00

I am SO sleepy today it's not funny. I can't even type worth a crap. God, I need a break - please make December come faster. I need to sleep, rest and stop working for 5 weeks. Bliss.

zzZzZZzzzZZzZ

ssSssSnnNNnKkkkKKkkTttTT ..................

My favorite time of year ...

2008-09-23T15:45:00.003+08:00

... is coming around again soon. I don't think that there's ever been a more magical, loving, ooey-gooey, iloveeveryonearoundmeincludingyou kinda feeling like Christmas. This year I get to spend Christmas with 2 of the stars of my tattoo (for those who haven't a clue, I've got a beautiful tattoo, but there are 8 stars surrounding the tattoo, which represent VVVVVIPs in my life) and I couldn't be more psyched about it! :) :) :)

The irony of it is that I will be spending Christmas itself in Sin City i.e. Las Vegas! Ha ha ... how comical indeed. Mom's already scoping out churches to go to on Christmas morning. Hopefully service isn't ... dry and dreary like most services in Church usually are. I'm not against the Church or anything like that ok ... for you SFX people ... there hasn't been quite a replacement for an engaging Pastor ever since Pastor J left ok? And that was WAYYYYYYY back when I was an altar boy. ;) *stop laughing you*.

Anyways, it's my fave time of year, it's 3 months away and I'm excited. It's my blog and I'll talk about it if I want to! :) ha ha ha Merry Christmas all! :)

She's done it again!

2008-09-23T08:45:00.007+08:00

One of the few women who rule supreme in my heart (*ahem*) is undoubtedly the Queen of Giving and Generosity, Oprah Winfrey. She launched a reality series recently dubbed "Oprah's Big Give". Unlike other reality TV shows where the participants are vying for some sort of prize, these participants are 'duped' into believing that their ultimate prize is one of helping spread joy, making dreams come true etc ... the twist is ... the Queen will reward the last standing Good Samaritan with USD1 million.

With this in mind, that they have nothing really personal to gain i.e. monetary rewards etc, I was really touched by all the goodness that went on and how each and everyone worked hard and tirelessly to make other peoples', who are less fortunate, come true. It could be some new furniture, or a college tuition funding etc ... gosh! All this goodness is going to be great for America ... who's fast becoming a little apathetic and insensitive to a lot that goes on. However, that is a general statement, because there are loads of you who DO care ... and that's great.

I love Oprah even more for spreading this goodness and goodwill and all with her money. How amazing is that?

On last weekend's (it runs on the Hallmark Channel 792 on Astro @ 8:00pm, so set your Astro Max people!) episode, the remaining 8 people were divided in 2 groups and each was given 1 celebrity to help with the dreams of 2 different people whose dreams were not their own, but for the children that they care for. There has got to be no nobler profession than that of a teacher.

In Field of Dreams: one teacher was wanting a new children't playground for her school, because what they had was a miserable gravel patch with 2 broken basketball poles for a basketball court. It was depressing to know that 150 kids didn't have much more than a pole to play with.

The other teacher's project was titled a Forgotten Christmas as these 150 kids as well were from the hardcore poor in Houston and didn't have bubkus much less a present on Christmas day and the 4 on this team were tasked with hosting and planning a Christmas that the kids won't soon forget.

Oh ... it was brilliant. And the one person whose attitude just so needed checking at the door was Ms. Rachael Hollingsworth. Oh, this lady was all about her EGO. I could not stand this woman in the 2 episodes that I watched. I hope it gets better. It's about giving back to people Rachael! Not about showcasing yourself! You're gorgeous and talented already! We don't need you shoving it in our face. ;) We ain't blind gurl! :)

Go green!

2008-09-03T09:05:00.003+08:00

Dear all, After my almost 6-month long search, I have finally received my 'Reusable Chopsticks' from Valerie of all people! Truly! Just let people know what you want, and it comes when you least expect it! :) :) Thank you Valerie!

For those of you who read Chinese Newspapers, apparently there's this society called LOHAS and they've teamed up with this Chinese newspaper and they have a magazine and everything!!! So when you subscribe to the magazine, you get the item on the left free! And she gave it to me!!! It's a great thing to receive something that you were not expecting SO early in the morning too. Thanks Val!

My soon to be new ink ...

2008-08-28T11:50:00.002+08:00

... i wuv it.

Check it out - dance class!

2008-08-21T13:55:00.002+08:00

For all those of you who are into Dance and want to learn more and get 'groovier' (is that term still used? LOL) check out Fiona's blog for further details! I understand she's a kickazz dancer and trainer! :)

Avril Lavigne's Concert Cancelled fiasco ...

2008-08-20T09:47:00.006+08:00

For the umpteenth time, I am EMBARRASSED to be a Malaysian. My previous post not withstanding, because I'm still damned proud of Chong Wei, I am absolutely DISGUSTED with our Government, namely the Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry and the PAS-youth wing. They actually had the gall and obviously they weren't in line when God was handing out brains and taste, and have cancelled Avril Lavigne's concert here.

The reason?

From our own Government: She's "Not in the spirit of our National Day".

From PAS' (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) youth wing: "She's too sexy".

My thoughts: These people live in the stone age where women should be at home, become baby factories and subjugate themselves to their manly men and be smacked around when they don't listen or when they dare open their mouths to speak. Women cause men to lose all rationale and reason and rape everything with a skirt nearby. God, these people have set back the Equal Rights Movement about 1,000 years. Christ.

Read this from the Yahoo! website.

God, I'll be so happy when I leave this stinking country. Avril, honey - it's a good thing that you aren't coming here now ... I have never been more ashamed of our country and their ignorant, stone-age mentality.

Take it from me, one of your fans, you're better off going to Singapore. I'll spend my ringgit in Singapore and make them richer - I seriously don't mind.

Truly, it is our Government and the f*%$#^& PAS Youth who are truly the blots on our National Heritage and if anything, teach us, that after 51 years of being independent, we are not better than we were 51 years ago. Our Government is infantile (right now, both the Opposition and Ruling parties), argue about the stupidest of issues and are still mud-slinging at each other. Oh My GOD when are you all going to do SOMETHING for the country? They CLAIM to be multi-racial and multi-cultural, but mention anything against a specific dominant religion and God forbid you be thrown in jail. Sheesh.

It's a wonder that women are even allowed to walk the streets here, much less even work.

Holy Moses!

Urgh.

Lee Chong Wei

2008-08-18T07:03:00.005+08:00

I've not been one for getting all tizzy over sports.

Seriously.

But when a Malaysian makes it to the finals for the sport of Badminton, I gotta say, even the most un-nationalistic Malaysian has to feel some form of pride. I know, because I did.

And that was why, exhausted as I was, I dragged my ass over to my SIL's place to witness sporting history (at least for us Malaysians) in the making.

The possibility of a FIRST GOLD MEDAL in the Olympics.

So the match starts rather unceremoniously and Lee and Lin Dan are at it, lobbing the shuttle back and forth ... and I must say, that from the onset, the first thing SIL and I noticed (being the so-called fashionistas) that our uniform, bless the soul of the one who designed it, looked rather shitty (ahem) and downright boring. *Sponsored by Yonex no less*.

And everytime that Lee 'gave' a point to Lin Dan, I would clap my hands and say "It's ok Lee, I know you're nervous ... shake the nerves out and show him what you're capable off". I'm guessing that 'someone' out there intercepted the message because Lee was trashed by Lin Dan in 2 straight sets 21 - 12 & 21 - 8.

Admittedly, when I first saw Lin Dan (never seen him before, not being one who watches sports anyway), I was astonished ... what happened to the 'classic' badminton player look ... the thin, emaciated, druggy looking players? This guy was BUILT ... all muscle and almost no fat. *ahem* ... This dude was amazingly built and the Chinese uniforms were sponsored by Adidas *ahem*. And it looked amazing. As did the American uniforms (sponsored by Nike). The Malaysian team was decked out in some garish orange looking ensemble with some tiger stripey things ... sigh, a tribute to Maybank perhaps? :P

But in the end, I was still very proud of Lee and I was, begrudgingly so, happy for Lin Dan. Truly. :)

u n c o m f o r t a b l e . . .

2008-08-13T12:08:00.004+08:00

There's this person ... and for fun, we're going to call this person Snake.

The reason that we're calling this person Snake, is because of the underhanded tactics used by Snake to obtain certain businesses, which are high in value, but might have ... several obstacles.

So this person, not having met the erm ... (as someone once nicknamed me) Righteous Priest before, was not prepared for the Priest to shine a light on Snake's misdeeds. However, Snake has managed, with all its charms, to close several big deals in the office pool, which translates to huge commissions for Snake. Priest however, has remained steadfastly defiant against Management and the decisions relating to Snake. However, as Major and Priest have several 'business dealings' which require Snake's services, Priest is now in a quandary.

Does Priest ignore his moral principles and massive discomfort when dealing with Snake and just go ahead to maintain a good relationship with Major or does Priest stand his ground and find someone else?

Ahh ... morality ... such a wondrous thing.

Joy and Truth

2008-08-12T09:54:00.005+08:00

Despite the hiccups faced when preparing for the 'Corporate Social Responsible' program that a local investment bank decided to sponsor i.e. from late arriving door gifts / furniture / lack of manpower etc, I would say that my role as the Logistics Supervisor / Program Director went pretty well and the important fact is this - we helped to nourish and encourage the future wealth creation for 111 teenagers, who were mostly in the dark about financial matters prior to this.

Getting them to share was at first ... an experience similar to that of a wisdom tooth extraction, but the moment KitKats and Mentos sweets were popped out as gifts for answers (both right and wrong, the point here was to encourage thinking, sharing and courage to share, not to mention increasing the potential for diabetes :P) all 222 hands flew up and we even had a cute, miniscule little Indian teen jumping up and down in his seat, who, I was amazed and a little disturbed to learn was in the 8th Grade. Holy cow - they get smaller every year!

All in all ... it was a fantastic experience. *Unbah from previous post he he*

Charity

2008-08-08T16:05:00.002+08:00

Have been 'volunteered' into being the Logistics Supervisor (LS) for my godfather's Charity Seminar tomorrow by my Dad. Is it still considered charity if you do it a little begrudgingly? :P It IS Saturday tomorrow and I was planning on sleeping in. :)

The Charity is part of a local bank's Corporate Responsibility towards society as such, tomorrow morning, 150 bright eyed, bushy tailed 13 & 14 year olds are going to be descending upon this bank's training centre in downtown KL. *Bah*

Wonder ...

2008-08-08T10:06:00.007+08:00

I read this off a blog that I normally read ... and I thought that I would share it here and TAG a couple of people. I don't usually tag people and hate being tagged, because it's always some silly, child-like game. At any rate, this is a good one, it's NOT a tag originally, but I am tagging Ms. Redd, Moonie, FatBoyBakes, Nileey and whoever else who feels like doing it ok? Ok ... here it goes. Answer these 2 questions:

Three things that amazed me about adults when I was a kid:

1. They never needed to sleep.

When I was growing up, my assigned bed time was 8:45pm. I found this to be extremely unfair as all the good shows came on at 9:00pm. Needless to say, I wore out the stairs at home fairly quickly with the reluctant shuffling of my feet and occasional stomping up to my room. When I awoke the next morning, my baby-sitter and Mom would already be awake. It was as if they never needed to sleep.

Amazing.

2. Boyfriends / Girlfriends.

Coming from a broken home, my parents obviously had their share of romantic partners. Of course, my brother and I didn't quite get the concept at the time and took the 'intrusion' of these new, overly-friendly strangers who were the focus of our individual parents' attention a little too personally. Needless to say, we weren't exactly the 'best of friends' with these new strangers and some of the 'weeds' lasted a while, some withered like the dead wallflowers they were. Of course, 2 of them made it quite well, and both my parents are happily remarried now. But back then ... this concept ... of 'new parents' was something I found amazing in that 'people are replaceable'. Needless to say, I am a little 'scarred and jaded' in the 'marriage' department.

3. Cooking.

I don't think anything else will ever faze / amaze me the way cooking did when I was growing up. My mom and I would go to the market in the morning in SS2 and we'd buy all this gross looking schlops of stuff ... (I found a strange fascination for the glazed eyed fishes and wondered why the fish in my aquarium weren't all glassy-eyed ... he he. I was 7 - sue me :P) and by lunch time, there would be this .... gastronomical affair on our table. Still, in my life, no one's cooking beats my Mom's. Well, except my grandmother on occasion and even then only for a few selected Portugese / Nyonya dishes. (Yes, I'm of mixed parentage).

Three things that amaze me about kids, now that I'm an adult:

1. Love.

Kids' love you unconditionally. No questions asked. Take my little baby sister for example. She takes about 10 minutes to register your face, and then she never leaves you alone. She especially loves you if you tempt her with food. ANY kind of food. ;) My little cousins and all. When they were kids, they just adore you. Now that they're all grown up and all, they think that we're all 'too old to hang out with' because they're in college and we're all working adults. I miss the innocence of the children.

2. Color-blindedness / Religion-blindness:

Everyone is a friend (well, almost). It doesn't matter that you're black, white, yellow, brown, pink, green or purple in color. What mattered was that they have fun hanging out together and that they all enjoyed each others' company. Racism is such an alien concept to kids. They aren't taught to hate yet. That slate is as clear as driven snow. Adults obviously ruin this precept that they have with their own agendas. I hope that my sister stays innocent as driven snow for as long as possible.

3. Truth.

Everything is real to kids. From cartoons to movies. From words you use to songs that you sing. Everything is the gospel truth. When you say you hate someone, and they hear it, they really believe it. And they learn, by God, they learn. Watch what you say and do around kids. They are a rare, innocent jewel. Treasure the truth they have.

So these are the things that got me thinking. What 'bout you?

HDD Grave ...

2008-08-07T08:22:00.002+08:00

My hard disc is certifiably buriable now. It's constantly *thuck* *thuck* -ing away ... well, the spindle is at any rate. All my data ... all of it ... gone. EVERY single photo I've ever taken ... gone. Every file ever made, ever graphic ever designed ... gone. Gone with the *thuck* *thuck* of the spindle.

I've never heard a sound that sounded so ... final.
Goodbye my HDD, good bye.

By the way ... I need to slow down when I type - apparently I was explaining to my principal, 3M, that my hard disc had died, and I spelled disc as dick ... so it kinda went ... "Dear Kidd - Sorry for getting back to you so late, but my hard dick died over the holiday that I took." ... so yeah. Check your words people ... check it out. ;)

I'm back ... !

2008-08-05T14:09:00.009+08:00

Ahh ... it's been an amazing couple of months, I must say.

First off ...

The trip to Langkawi was amazing. Firstly - it's a very ... touristy island. And as most island cultures are ... everything is rather ... laid - back, kampung style. I've been there before, and the thing that I noticed that was new was the super - empty 3 - 4 lane on each side highway linking up Kuah town with the popular beachy, touristy areas. The beach, is amazing, depending on which beach resort you go to I guess. At Berjaya Langkawi, which is where we stayed - the beach was ... a little dissapointing. But it was a beach nonetheless. This picture here ... so NOT Berjaya's beach. But I loved the photo by Annie Hiew anyway. ;)

Being in Langkawi gave me the opportunity to er ... grow up a little bit more and to reflect on the whole train-wreck that was my life prior to Langkawi ... well mostly, I tend to over-dramatise things a little :P. But for the most part, I believe that what had happened happened for a reason and I wanted to get the lessons out of it, and for the most part, I did. And I found 'myself' there in a way I guess. In spite on the 'tom yam' incident with Jerry, I would say that I chose to stew for lunch, and chill by dinner and I think he did the same too.

The shopping was crap to say the least ... sure it's a tax-free haven for ALCOHOL (extremely amazingly cheap. A bottle of HoeGarden Beer is RM5/-. Here in KL, it's about ... er ... RM11.20? SIL found her Frangelico - never heard of it ... it looked like some ancient whisky bottle, but tasted kinda like Nutella. LOL. It IS a hazelnut liqueur after all. Mixed with some milk ... damn, you won't even know that you're actually drinking liqueur. That's what's so cool about it. Needless to say, there was inevitable purchase of Absolut Vodka (ok, I'm a sucker for vodka) and again, there was some drinking involved. :) I was a pretty happy camper that night. Seeing as how I get high on alcohol probably twice a year, it was a rare sight that to see me being ... less than proper :P. So it was apparently a treat for Fruits, SIL, BSG ... and to a 'cool-non-chalant' brother as well I guess. He was being anti-social and watching the TV. :)

I don't know when it happened, but at some point, whatever was plaguing me ... was bugging me ... lifted off my shoulders and I actually felt happy again ... like there was a light piercing through the darkness of my days. *ahem*. Well, that's what it felt like. I do have Fruits to thank for being a great room mate ... so thank you Fruits! :) And SIL for being ... SIL.

I guess my whole life has been about me trying to fit some mould or meet some expectation and yes, as timeless as it is cliche, I tried to meet them and failed miserably, with dire consequences to myself, most of the time. I just ... 'woke up'. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I stopped to smell the coffee (it has a better aroma than roses do ;) ). For the first time in my life - I am living it. So what if people don't agree with me? ... I start this journey with baby steps ... baby steps peeps. :)

I was out buying lunch today and was walking around and for the first time caught myself thinking ... if I bought this and put it in my house, what would people say. Ah hah! Baby steps towards further enlightenment :P ... I am stopping to care about that too. I will buy it because I love it and it'll look good in my home.

Ok ... will write more soon. Dear blog ... I'm so happy to be back. :) oh and if you're reading - thank you for taking the time and I truly appreciate it. ;) Love ya! :)

Love,
Ken.

Bon Voyage!

2008-07-23T20:13:00.003+08:00

FINALLY!!!

I'm off to enjoy my siesta in ... Langkawi!

gosh ... time to unwind ... at this place!!!

I wish ...

2008-07-04T14:13:00.003+08:00

... that I had more time.

I have so much to do yet so little time to do it in.

I think Chuck Bass put it quite well ...

"So many holes, so little time"

... ha ha ... of course, I'm not talking about that ... but since Gossip Girl is my newest favorite show ... I'll be annoying about it. Ha ha.

It's all about the Benjamins ...

2008-06-27T07:58:00.008+08:00

This is going to be one of the first of many posts about my cousins. I love each one of them to death ... so I thought that it would be nice to dedicate a little post in my blog to each of them. Throughout these posts, I will focus on each of their good points, because let's face, I'm usually a glass half full kinda guy. ;)

Yeah, so this post is all about my lovely little cousin Ben, who looking at it now, isn't so little anymore. o.O he he.

So Benjamin has always, as far back as I can remember, the boisterous, 'think he's funny but he's usually not', charming little brat. He's obviously moved from that which he was to the charming, 'think he's funny but occasionally only so', caring, loving and life of the party soul that he is now.

Ben is also one of the few people I know who can both wear his heart on his sleeve, yet keep a lot of emotions under the radar. He does not always show his displeasure, if anything, he keeps it for a later time when he can have a 1 to 1 with the target of his displeasure. Moreover than not, Ben goes out of his way a lot of times for the people he loves and who love him dearly in return.

He's also an avid collector of toys, even more so than Sailor Jerry. Since he was young, he was fascinated by the concept and thought of money and he's moved on to become one of the most successful cousins in the LimKlan. The boy spends ... and spends. o.O Man, sometimes I wish I had as much as he did. But I wouldn't really know what to do with the money. Ha ha.

Parties are more fun when Ben's around. He's uninhibited and fun and is HONEST. I wish I could be more like him and let down more of my 'self-preservation' guards.

Here's looking at YOU Benny Boy.

Random thoughts ...

2008-06-23T10:22:00.004+08:00

...

I see you smiling at me. I see your merry eyes twinkle. Your are lovingly pampering your hands with Olay's conditioning hand lotion and you laugh at the antics of the characters that you love dearly on "Zhen Ching". You smile as you watch your grandkids (all 10 of them) tumble into your room and as usual, I turn on the air-cond first, being the most sensitive to heat.

As we all take up our 'positions' around in the room, we laugh as you tell us some old story about our parents when they were little.

I wish you were still here. You, by far, understood me the most, even though I couldn't speak Chinese very well and you always made things better.

I wish I had taken MORE time, although I was working, to buy you your favorite Soya Bean Drink. Although you had called 5 other people for it and you already had 3 bottles chilling in the fridge. I knew that it was a ruse to see us, to have Company in that big, old house. But I chose to put work before you, before me, before everything.

Now you're gone.

And it's too little, too late to realize that I had put my heart into a venture that is taking me nowhere.

I wish you were here.

Ah Mah, Happy Belated Birthday ... and I miss you.

Things I'd Like Right Now ...

2008-06-18T13:16:00.007+08:00

1. The Holy Blood & The Holy Grail.
Written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh & Henry Lincoln.
ISBN: 978-0099503095.
Price at Kinokuniya: RM52.90.

2. Blizzard's World of Warcraft: Wrath of The Lich King Expansion Pack. Available for pre-order now at Amazon.
Price at Amazon: USD39.99 excluding shipping charges.

Birthday Makan @ King's Crab

2008-06-18T08:31:00.010+08:00

(cake photos courtesy of http://www.pinkcakebox.com)

So yesterday was D-Day. I turned 28. Nothing much to shout about, other than the fact I was a year older, definitely a year wiser (in most cases ... shuddup SIL :P) and I am definitely beginning to think ... "What in the world am I doing with my life and what do I have to show for it?".

Yeah.

Isn't it funny how it always seems to take a birthday or a wedding anniversary to sweat the big stuff? Or what in my vivid imagination IS the big stuff.

So this isn't exactly my cake. I didn't get a cake this year. Wabbit's not around, so we can't have our annual "sinfullyrichsilysmooth American Chocolate Cake" from the nondescript bakery in SS2. Aren't these cakes amazing? Of course, my lovely cousin and his significant other make amazing cakes - so head on over there to check out their stuff. Of course, their cakes are still beyond my budget, but that doesn't mean that their cakes are totally expensive ... just for right now, it's not something I can afford ... but trust me ... I've seen some of their cakes and I've tasted it before ... enough to know that they are truly master bakers. So enough plugging for Nigel, moving on. It is MY birthday after all. :)

The day starts with a surprise text from my cousin in Australia who NEVER remembers my birthday. So this year he did. And it was a brilliant start to the day. I say brilliant because his text awoke me at 4:35am. :) Thanks Adrian. :P Then another cousin from Australia, who also never remembers, texts me at 5:35am. I swear you Aussies ... we are 2 friggin' hours behind you wei. Then Mom and Vance calls from OK at 6:35am ... so ... there goes the sleep routine for the day LOL ... So I'm up and I'm getting ready, and I decide, since it's my birthday that I'd better clean up nicer ... so I mud up my hair and actually use my Issey Miyake, which I haven't used in YONKS and I'm careful not to overdose on it. There have been times, when even I wanna throw away my shirt after one too many spritzes of this sweet smelling stuff.

So I get to the office, I get my first Birthday greetings from my team member and we settle down for brekkie ... and then she reminds me that we have an exhibition to attend later in the morning.

Crap.

I'm dressed in my nice WoW T-Shirt. So I told her that the lot of us need to dash back to my place on the way out for me to do a quick wardrobe change and we'll be on our way. So the later in the morning turned to seriously later in the morning. And lo-behold, I have a flat tire. Apparently, today was going to be one of those days. Post-tire workshop and 4 x 1-1/2" nails later, we're on our way to Suria to park the car. Chinese idiot in the Proton Aeroback with the registration "PDS 8127" White in color decided to smash his side window all along the right hand side of my car and sped off before I could get down to talk to him. Idiot.

Anyway, the day definitely got better as we strolled through the exhibition, had lunch with SIL, firmed up plans for dinner with the family (King's Crab y'all!) and we made our journey back to the office. The team really wasn't in the mood for a meeting, so it being my birthday and all :P I decided to postpone the meeting till the next day.

So we're now at King's Crab ... and here's the menu:

Fried Rice with Anchovies - yummy and not greasy. Light on the soy sauce, which made it possible to taste even the kacang botol in it. :^) definitely a good dish.

XO Spinach Soup with Japanese Beancurd and Century Eggs.
o.O
The XO was nice and light and not overpowering. The spinach was still nice and a little crunchy - lovely.

Guiness Pork Ribs - give it a miss. Total disappointment.

(picture courtesy of Ipohwav3.wordpress.com)

Dish of the day - Butter Crabs.
o.O
Orgasmic. Especially so with Man Tou or rice. I'm so in love. My fingers were too dirty to snap a picture and by the time I could, it was all gone. Ha ha ha ...

Ended the day with a beer and nasty wine at Dad's and Kelly's place. Totally fuzzed up in my head ... lovely dinner (my present from Kelly - Dad, mana present I? :) ). Finally went to bed at 1am.

Mom called me this morning to wish me again - she said it's still my birthday in America. ;) She's so sweet isn't she? And yes, a boy likes to feel special at least once a year :)

FBB's ...

2008-06-09T07:09:00.008+08:00

... "MeltInYourMouthExplodeInYourTummy" Orange Chocolate Brownies with Decadent Frosting.

Right.

o.O

So I decided to try out the recipe with SIL over the weekend, seeing she was back from the States and all ... and so we went a-hunting for all ... well maybe not all, we did have some baking essentials leftover. So anyway, we started the process at about 12:00pm.

Sailor Jerry's camera decided to DIE on us, and we didn't have the charger, so I was left with my phone camera, which I decided NOT to use as I was low on battery (2% left la). So the mixing portion - no photos :P. But I must say ... I was using an egg whisk (don't ask why ... it's a long story and I'm still kicking my ass about it) and was trying to incorporate all the dry ingredients together and I was whisking away for all I was worth, stirring up cocoa and flour all over my WoW shirt and trying not to get freaked out that it wasn't ... meshing very well. I guess maybe the butter wasn't exactly at room temperature :P. But hey, we live we learn right?

I thought ... ah screw it! So after about 15 minutes of whisking ... I dumped in the orange juice and rind. I used TWO Sunkist oranges by the way, as I didn't get the amount needed from just one. And then miracles happened. FBB mentioned that it was supposed to look like frosting, and before the juice, it was ANYTHING but frosting lookalike. Post orange juice and more whisking - silky satin finish.

o.O

I was in love. :P

Then I added in the Hershey's (think it was) mix of Dark and Milk Chocolate Chips (yeah, Nigella way of being lazy sue me :P) and continued stirring. We were using this spatula which we got yonks ago from Ikea. Word of advice, don't buy baking utensils from Ikea. :P This spatula was ... a nightmare. It kinda had a mind of its own? Would only really function ... erm ... 1 way? Hard to explain ... so anyway, I was trying to smooth it out as smooth as possible and those little 'pimples' that you see are the chocolate chips (which are awesome by the way, post baking and munching on a brownie now) which kinda melt in your mouth, explode in your tummy in a yummylicious kinda way). I believe my girl Nigella would call it 'gloriousness'. :) Muahahaha.

So popped it into the oven at 170 degrees Celsius as directed for 25, and after a skewer test, a further 5 more minutes, and voila. Obviously this was the brownie baking and we actually sat down for the whole magical process. I must say I felt like some alchemist / warlock who had mixed up some kinda special brew and was watching the magic happen! :)

o.O

Absolutely gorgeous and divine ... it started growing, expanding, drying, cracking ... and the aromas wafting out the oven ... oh Lord ... it was kinda making the neighbors wish they knew us as opposed to just living beside us. Muahaha.

So after 30 minutes - it kinda looked ... like parched ground in Africa before the annual flooding. All cracked at the sides brown and uninteresting.

*sniff*

So I remembered that there was frosting to be poured on ... and let me tell you ... when I had zapped the dark chocolate in the microwave and poured in the cream (the measured amount was at room temperature) and started mixing it ... I was SO .... SO SO SO tempted to leave it marbled ... but, being the good student, obeyed the instructions of FBB's recipe and made it chocolate silk ... and here it was ...

Yummyliciousness!!

Oh by the way ... after a couple of hours of cooling - it kinda looks like it's been swimming in the pool for too long. All raisin-shrunken like. :(

But still yummy! :) Thanks FBB!

Holy Cow ...

2008-06-05T08:33:00.006+08:00

... o.O Petrol prices have rocketed! A startling increase from RM1.92 to RM2.70 per liter. That translates to (using 1 gallon = 3.78 liters) USD3.20 a gallon. o.O

And once again, as predicted, the Government and their lackeys are telling the People to re-adjust their lifestyles. I wonder, seriously, if they had to pay for their own gas, electricity and water bills, would they be talking as much? Sitting in air-conditioned offices, chauffeur driven limos and cars and getting to make policies that affect millions of lives, but not having to suffer the consequences of it, must be nice.

Electricity tariffs are increasing by 18% for households who use more than 200kW of electricity a month. So CHEERS for all you sad people who only use 1 fan and 1 fridge and do not watch TV the whole week. BOO for us who actually bought air conditioners and thermal pots, have ASTRO, have a TV that we actually watch almost daily. I guess we should all just sit at the mamak and drink tea and read newspapers and gossip about the Government as our forefathers did. We should also all stop visiting shopping malls, cinemas, buying CDs (you know you can use Limewire right?). Oh wait. That would require the use of a computer. And Internet. And God knows that Badawi told us to change our lifestyle. Perhaps we should regress to a 3rd World Country mentality. That would be a change of lifestyle wouldn't it?

Maybe we should all vote to slash the Government servants salaries. And no more luxuries for them. They have to pay their own electricity bills and all. They want to avoid the rich getting ricer and the poor getting poorer. Hmm ... interesting concept when now, all that happens is the petrol companies get richer, TNB - with their dismal service and BRILLIANT POST TAX PROFITS of literal millions are getting richer. Does the Government even think before they launch their programs? ARGH! The People aren't exactly getting a salary review you know? If anything, our salaries are either stagnant or slow to increase. Perhaps we should all now increase the prices of our goods that we sell and the services we offer.

Never ending circle I tell you.

Last night was traffic chaos incarnate. What was usually a 5 minute drive from the office to my home, took 25 minutes. LOL.

o.O

But I understand the reasons behind it. It's a big savings this one tank of petrol - RM30 - RM50 per family. And that's a lot in this crap economy.

I have one thing to say to batster a.k.a. Yim. Based on your text yesterday, I am happy that I have met a despicable human being such as yourself. A rich, self-centered, arrogant person and I am happy that I got to meet you because you remind me of everything that I don't want to be. If you are bloody inconvenienced by the traffic jams that were caused by the petrol hike, take a look at the people who aren't as fortunate as you, who, just like you are trying to make it in the world. I hope that ... you know what ... you are NOT worth it. No wonder you're friendless. :P

Delicous, yummy goodness ...

2008-06-04T10:32:00.009+08:00

... from Delicious Cafe in Bangsar Village II. Stopped by there yesterday afternoon for lunch. Silly me thought that it being a weekday, would be less crowded.

Whoops. o.O

It was JAM PACKED with human bodies (and some lovely eye candy to behold too ;) ).

So me and my hombres, we sat down at a table, after waiting for 10 minutes and it being my first time there, called SIL for advice, as she's been here SO many times.

So I got her input on desserts and decided to try the Shepperd's Pie, as a few blogs had mentioned it. By the way, all photos are from other blogs i.e. masak-masak's blog, klcityboyandgal etc. I didn't have a PnS with me.

Feeling that we had better be safe than sorry (not to mention feeling the PINCH on the pocket, mother ... the prices here not cheap ok), we decided to order 2 entrées, a soup and a salad and then a dessert each. We would all be sharing the entrées and salad and soup (how miserable ha ha) but would have our own desserts.

The Shepperd's Pie was ... *ahem* ok, it was like my Minced Potato Pie, but with 'Spaghetti Bolognaise' meat instead. It was ... OK la ... nothing to jump up and down about la. Portion serving was a little small, so for big eaters, you may want to actually order a Mains to go with this. However, the little salad accompanying it, had some lovely, yummylicious dressing to it. I didn't think much of the little cuppy thing it was served in though. Made it interesting to poke and liberate the salad greens. I still prefer my Minced Potato Pie over this dish.

The next item that came was the Wagyu Beef & Mushroom Pie (RM24.90 ok.) ordered because a lot of people have been talking about Wagyu Beef. Ok ... so I thought that it looked like any other pie and the piece of beef LOOKED like a regular piece of beef, but HOLY COW. Pop one into your mouth ... it's this ... tender little slice of ... well ... beef that is so ... yummy and tender and soft you'd swear you were munching on your own tongue :P. There were however several giant pieces of carrots in the way. :P Not a fan of cooked carrots. So dished them outta there. I loved that the pie pastry itself held its own as a 'bowl', which we eventually devoured anyway. Ha ha ... it was GOOD and the extra serving of gravy came in handy. Again, it came with the yummy side salad and annoyingly tiny bowl. :D

The soup and salad ... were ... erm ... YUMMY. And I don't have pictures of that ... so yeah.

MY dessert finally came and SIL's advance warning of it being really, very chocalatey was not lost on me. I however, was not prepared for the chocolate goodness that was like heaven on a plate. Check it out. It even came with a scoop of yummy vanilla ice cream (not Wall's ok). It was ... God ... OH SO GOOD! Try it out ok!

Total bill for what we ordered: RM102.95

The Delicious Group Sdn Bhd
GF-1, Upper Ground Floor,
Bangsar Village II.
Tel: +603.2287.1554

Collage

2008-06-04T10:25:00.003+08:00

... just a little collage of some good times on a day that was absolutely amazing in Minnesota. It was changing from Spring to Summer ... and the weather was crisp, without being chilly, warm without being 'Malaysian-like'. :)

2 Thais ...

2008-06-02T15:31:00.002+08:00

... and a wasted Malaysian :P.

Fun and friendly neighbors from Thailand, Rangwut and Sarin were a total blast and were happy to get drunk together.

Damn it. I think it was also because I was in America. So all that freedom is ... liberating. Muahaha. o.O

Here I thought I was a person who didn't really drink.

And here are all these pictures. There's one with a girl :P that wabbit was shocked to see, but it was all decent. Rated 'G' even. But that's for another time. Muahaah.

Total fun ...

2008-06-02T15:28:00.003+08:00

... I love the time I had in Mississippi. Can you tell I'm having fun? We learned which side of a buoy we had to be, depending on colors, WHY we had to do that (sandbanks etc) so it was totally fun and ... even though a little wasted :P, the lesson actually stuck with us. ;)

o.O

Life is fun.

Drunk ...

2008-06-02T15:13:00.003+08:00

... as a skunk on the Mississippi and totally loving every minute of it! We were on this awesome dude's boat, and it was a total dream come true to actually visit the Mississippi and all that. Being totally wasted, well, kind of anyway, and driving the boat ... dude, awesome feeling.

Yummy food ...

2008-06-02T11:51:00.003+08:00

... is not always the most expensive or those cooked by 3-star chefs. A lot of times, it's just the simple food that is cooked with love.

In the photo on the right - from left, we had steamed yam with a topping of fried garlic, dried prawns and something else. Then we had s stir-fry vegetable dish (bean sprouts, choy sam and kai lan) topped with salted fish. In front of that is my favourite all-time dish (you can tell I'm a simple person :P) is canned baked beans with scrambled eggs and slices of fried pork. I could just eat THAT with steamed rice, fried luncheon meat and sambal belacan and fresh cucumbers. (That in itself I could eat daily and never be bored, but thank God I don't have to do that :P). Now on the right of that is "chicken with ginger", another favorite dish of mine. In front of my brother is the fried fish. What fish, I can't remember. Ha ha.

Thanks to McMom for the yummy weekend dinner.

Random ...

2008-06-02T11:25:00.003+08:00

... I love this chandelier thingy hanging in McDad's country dining room.

Here's to cheaper cars ...

2008-05-30T18:41:00.003+08:00

... yeah - you in the Government ... see, we have smart people in the Rakyat too you know! ;)

I wish whatever he said would come true. Then we wouldn't have to fork out a hand and a leg for a car.

Dissapointed ...

2008-05-30T18:38:00.003+08:00

... I waited with bated breath to sink my teeth into them.

And for each that I tasted ... I was ... disappointed.

Cupcake Chic was not what I thought it would be.

Not even close.

*sniff*

I hate it when food disappoints.

Mirrors ...

2008-05-29T08:31:00.003+08:00

... I swear my sister looks more like McDad and McKelly every day!

Gosh!

She's this bundle of energy now ... she can stand on her own, crawls as fast as you can run in a confined area, SHRIEKS when she doesn't get her way ... LOL ... and she actually 'mock' answers the phone anytime ANYONE'S phone rings. It's so FUNNY it's unbelievable.

So I haven't signed up for a YouTube account, so I can't post the videos of her which are totally FUNNY beyond belief! She was watching a video of Gears of War on Sailor Jerry's iPhone and she was giggling throughout the video! A WAR video! I swear McDad and Sailor Jerry are 'tom-boying' her!

Quote of the Day ...

2008-05-28T09:43:00.002+08:00

"I'm not sick ... I'm just in the hospital."

o.O

Right.

Yummy ...

2008-05-26T16:45:00.004+08:00

... was updating the price list in the office (*yawN*) when I had a break and decided to check out what was new on Unkaleong's site.

Thank GOD he finally updated his blog (yeah, it's been a while unkaleong :P you DO have devoted readers you know *ahEm* or rather people who just love reading other people's blogs) and he was reviewing this place called Oriental Spoon @ KL Sentral, or rather next to it. Halal Dim Sum (HANAA! Halal! Dim Sum! Need I say more?)

Anyway, the POINT I was trying to make was that he made a link to FBB, so I was pretty curious who this was ... turns out to be the blog that reviews the most awesome food (a lot of it home made by the way). FBB = FatBoyBakes and his site ROCKS. Rene, we are trying his recipe for the ohsoyummymeltsinyourmouthexplodesinyourtummy Orangey Brownies. ;)

I miss ...

2008-05-26T11:18:00.004+08:00

... my sister - in - law. How ... unbecoming of me. :P

With the exception of my Mom of course, I hardly if ever miss anyone. Well, not true, I do miss my paternal grandma, tons and tons too.

Ah Mah, see, I still miss you. Lucky I have you tattooed on my arm.

Well, just texted her (my Sister - In - Law, not my Ah Mah :P) and she's in DISNEYLAND! Unfair woman! That's one of the places I want to visit before I die.

If you read this in US, Jie - I want Chip & Dale stuffed toys please. Heh heh.

Interesting start ...

2008-05-26T07:06:00.003+08:00

... to a Monday morning. I forgot to tag outta the office yesterday (my moment of brilliance I tell ya) ... so right now, I need to get into the office ... but everyone has decided to come 'on time' and not early. We have a 7:30am meeting people! Where are you guys?!?!?!?!

So this is me, blogging outside the office. I am such a dud right now.

The NEW American Idol - Season 7

2008-05-23T17:55:00.003+08:00

For 7 seasons, I have followed 99% of all episodes.

Even the most boring ones.

This season saw the departure of my beloveds Amanda "The Lioness" Overmyer (wouldn't mind her being my rockin' cool nurse though, Carly Smithson and Michael Johns.

However, when I watched the showdown between the 'Davids' on Wednesday, every, EVERY single friggin' song gave me the willies and chills up and down my spine. I really, REALLY, for the first time, did NOT care who won.

This was SO not the case when my 'wife' was contesting - Jordin Sparks (if y'all haven't bought her album, please do so).

Anyways, I was in Penang on Thursday and didn't get to watch the finals, so I tried my best not to read the news papers and turned off the radio when the news came on. I lasted till 12:45pm at lunch and had to open the papers.

David Cook, my tukang masak, WON! I was ... a little sad for 'man-boy' Archuleta, but so elated for Cook. I am so buying his kuali :P ha ha ... Well done man.

Stone Age?

2008-05-23T16:05:00.003+08:00

The National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia - who are out to declare the school uniform far too licentious for public viewing. According to Munirah Bahari - vice-president of said association, covering up according to Islamic precepts was important to fend off social ills, including rape, sexual harassment and even premarital sex - possibly leading to babies born out of wedlock and prostitution.

Without adding fuel to the already raging inferno that her verbal diarrhea has created, I am still baffled that a supposedly 'educated' woman of her stature thinks that by a SCHOOL GIRL wearing a white blouse / baju kurung top would cause males (and I'm again, deeply offended by her assumptions) to lose their restraint / self control and rape the person.

Are we to assume then that all ladies in tudungs and baju kurungs are uneducated baffoons who grovel at their husband's feet and come only when summoned? That they are all supposed to be 'holy and wholesome'? *trust me, I've met some tudung-ed ladies who are SO not that* Isn't that the 'general perception' of ladies in tudungs? Oh I'm sorry - did I touch a nerve?

How about the ladies who ARE dressed up 'Islamic'-cally and totally covered up and are still raped? How about the babies in diapers? How about the little children?

Can't these people face the fact that there are some depraved individuals (male AND female included) who just do depraved things irregardless of how another person is dressed up? It isn't about how the person is dressed - consider upbringing, moral values and beliefs, how possibly manic depressive and / or depraved a person is. Are you saying Ms. Munirah that girls and women who wear these kinds of clothings actually deserve the raping they get? Because they are temptresses?

Seriously?

Seriously!

o.O

Just as she's entitled to her opinion, I am entitled to shoot it down just as quickly as she spewed it out.

Damn woman.

Set the Women's Movement back about a century.

Check out her original posting at her blog.

A new beginning ...

2008-05-21T08:56:00.003+08:00

After editing certain posts and removing a few others, there will be a new format to posting from me, just to let you guys know. I've received a load of complaints why I locked my blog, just know that I had to do it for certain reasons and it's not opened back up due to the requests from y'all (you KNOW who you are :) )

Thanks for sticking by me, and know that I will not be posting on certain topics anymore. But everything else is my own PERSONAL blog entries etc.

Love you guys.

The making of ...

2008-05-20T15:41:00.011+08:00

... this amazingly delicious (not my review, but general comments from everyone who has tasted it). The step-by-step below is for two giant bowls (imagine the Assam Laksa bowls at Little Penang).

So you kinda start off with ... chopping up 1/2 a large red onion into tiny little morsels. You will also need about 8 pips of garlic (or if you like the quick pre-chopped version, it's available @ Cold-Storage for like 8 bucks or something) or you can use about 2 tablespoons of pre-chopped garlic. Set aside in a separate bowl.

What happens next is I used 10 fist sized (MY fist ok ... so it's about erm ... the size of one of those HUGE Sunkist Oranges) Australian Potatoes - they're easier to peel, cook faster, taste better than the Russet or local Potatoes, but to each their own? :D I then proceeded to slice them in 1/2 and set them in a bowl of water. I have a huge pot of water boiling by this time on the stove that has been salted (approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt) and is bubbling away merrily. There isn't an approximate time to cook this, but I generally take the pot off the stove and douse my potatoes in cold running FILTERED water (Puchong has some nasty water) to stop the potatoes from over-cooking when I can skewer a potato with a knife with no resistance.

The potatoes need to be mashed (I used to be very loving and hardworking and mashed with a fork, then I discovered the joys of the Potato masher or burger flattener) and for this amount of potatoes I used a whole cube of SCS Salted Butter. You need to mash this until ... well, it depends if you like it totally creamy or with some chunks in it. I like it slightly chunky, so I mash till there's like little bits that I can chew on. I added about ... 1/2 cup of fresh milk and mashed it some more. I added in salt and cracked black pepper to taste ... and YUM! :)

Next up, fry the onions and garlic till onions are translucent and garlic is aromatic and slightly golden brown. I usually get real hungry when I smell the aromas being released as this amalgamation is cooking. You need to add in the meat when the mixture is cooked and just cook till the sauce is just beginning to dry up and then add in 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer in its sauce for about 5 minutes. Then add in the corn flour / water mixture to slightly thicken up the sauce and cook for a further minute or so.

After cooking the meat, let sit and cool and allow the sauce to 'sink' to the bottom of the plate / bowl. Start the layering process with potatoes, followed by meat (drier) and then potatoes again. The highest level of meet should have sauce drizzled over it so that it begins soaking down into the lower levels ... and voila! I obviously didn't bake this as I don't have an oven YET, so no golden brown goodness.

Bored @ Lunch ...

2008-05-16T16:15:00.005+08:00

... my appetite is not what it used to be. I can't even finish 3 pieces of KFC. I guess that's a good thing since my ambition for the next 2 years is on getting a body like erm ... Chris Evans. So yeah, appetite on the fritz is a good thing I guess. Fritzy appetite and more gym sessions.

So I was at Secret Recipe waiting for friends to finish and I took this shot. I like it, seeing how it was taken with a camera phone. Amazing. A camera in a phone. *sigh* Technology still amazes me.

eXcuse Me?

2008-05-16T12:03:00.003+08:00

Got a call about 30 seconds ago ...

Me: X Company, Good afternoon. May I help you?
Caller: Salah.
Me: Err ... sorry?
Caller: Salar plis.
Me: Erm, are you looking for Sarah?
Caller: Yes.
Me: Hold on please ...

I don't understand why you can't just say:

"Hi! May I speak with Sarah please?"

Tsk. Tsk. o.O

And to think the Government wants us to revert back to the Malay language for Science and Maths. I had a crappy time wrapping my head around translating it to English in college.

Our standard of English is seriously dropping.

God help Malaysia.

Seriously? Seriously!

2008-05-16T10:21:00.002+08:00

Ok. Granted I don't have a daughter. I DO have a younger sister. And if I for one second thought that my dignity was in question or my integrity, I would do AND say something about it. Like walk off the set or insist to NOT do the shoot. Not create some hoolabaloo and skip the Disney Red Carpet because I'm showing some skin and looking miserable.

Seriously?

Seriously!

o.O

Paris, je t'aime

2008-05-16T09:35:00.003+08:00

I thought I'd score SOME form of culture by catching Paris, je t'aime with Ms.Redd after watching the amazing Speed Racer (my notes below).

It was surprisingly GOOD, although the subtitles were ... a little off (to say the least). On the whole, the entire kaleidescope of mini - stories as told by a staggering 21 (yes TWENTY ONE) directors and how each story ties to each other in the end (after 2 hours - so get your drinks and hiney massage pillows out) is truly a feast for the eyes and well ... yes, there were quite a few funny ones as well ... like Elijah Woods' CORNY vampire thing.

On the whole, a great movie, once in the cinema, the other times will be via DVD at home. :)

Oh by the way Redd, this is an OLD movie (2006). :)

Speed Racer

2008-05-15T12:52:00.004+08:00

Right.

When I first saw the trailer, I was so deadset against going to see it; with me not being a huge anime fan and all. I prefer my cartoons classic like Thundercats, or Smurfs or something like that.

But I like animation, and I LOVE Warcraft trailers.

That to me is what animation is all about.

Sorry to all anime fans out there. I just don't get making everyone look like they have full moons for eyes and heads the size of pinheads.

o.O

So anyway, went to catch this movie with Ms.Redd on our day out. It was ... actually quite good and amusing. The storyline was simple without over-complicating it or making the audience feel like we were 5 year old kids. The dialog was witty and I enjoyed Christina Ricci's performance, although the chemistry between her and Emile Hirsch felt more like a brother / sister kinda thing and I was a little grossed out by the finale kiss. (blergh).

So other than that, it was pretty good ... and taught me a little lesson in pre-judging a movie.

Wishful thinking ...

2008-05-15T12:27:00.004+08:00

I love Grey's Anatomy (GA) and I wish I was in that life ... I love the medical field. Apparently though, my brain refused to gel with Chemistry. So ... I wasn't half ass bad, and being immature at the time, hated the grief that my Biology professor gave me (yeah YOU Hamizan! o.O), so I switched out.

Anyways ... as shallow as this IS ( I know it IS SIL, so give it a rest already, but it's MY blog, so I'll rant and rave all I want to ), I wish that I had a McDreamy like ... Kat Heigl working here. Would definitely make life a lot easier. Well, I dunno how different she is from Dr. Izzie Stevens, but I would so be best friends with her. :) She's my kinda girl.

She kicks ass.

We don't even have a McSteamy, let alone a McAnything other than the giant McBombs ( ha ha ... but she IS ). So this is probably just making sense to me ... and since that's so, I will have nicknames for certain people on this blog to 'retain all private information'. So I'm not actually equating YOU with anyone in particular.

Yeah.

I'm having an off day.

o.O

new header ...

2008-05-15T11:19:00.003+08:00

... had some time whilst I was stewing about vipers, so naturally I started thinking about what makes me happy, and I thought of my fave stuffed animal, the moo moo. I found a picture of a stuffed cow, SO cute.

So I decided to make a new header. what'cha think?

Chasing cars ...

2008-05-14T10:48:00.002+08:00

I love this song, and I love the video. The series that it is featured in "Grey's Anatomy" is by far, one of my favorite serials, ranking in there with Ally McBeal. Talk about a love affair and damaged, twisty characters that are fun-loving. ;)

Random photo ...

2008-05-13T08:45:00.002+08:00

Thought I looked pretty decent here.

The cupcakes were a disaster however. SO utterly disappointed with Cupcake Chic. Nileey, bought the flavors that you usually talk about, but ... I guess they were having an off day in the baking department. Wasn't up to scratch, or maybe I'm used to my mother's baking. Ha ha.

Picture taken @ the recent Mother's Day tea celebration in Casa SS1.

4 parents, 2 kids

2008-05-13T08:39:00.003+08:00

... and then there were 3.

Ashley is officially the 3rd member of the 'Lim' side of siblings. She's usually not very fond of anyone other than Yati, Kelly or Boss carrying her, but for some reason, after the hearing yesterday, she let EVERYONE carry her and she was a happy, happy baby.

Pure and good, just like how all children should be. ;)

Welcome girl.

Orang Besi

2008-05-08T15:37:00.010+08:00

... seriously. That was the translation on the screen.

I nearly died laughing. (o.O)

Talk about literal translation. We have bad translators here in Malaysia.

Anyway, caught the show at GSC IOI, bad sound system, bad chairs, but they can't be blamed, the cinema is at least 10 years old. Hopefully they upgrade soon. They actually still use 'analog' signs to inform you that your cineplex is ready. It was gnarly, they even still use TILED floors and they were all sticky and stuff. *sniff* GSC, if you do read this, Y'all need to upgrade IOI Mall's branch!!!!!

So the show ... pretty much kicked ass all the way from start to finish. Robert Downey Jr definitely did an amazing job bringing Tony Stark to life! :)

Comic relief lies in his one liners and the usual cameo appearance by Stan Lee as none other than ... ? *Don't want to spoil it for some people la*

Cameo by director Jon Favreau as the ultimate bodyguard and driver and everything in between.

Amazing.

Gwyneth is the quintessential Pepper Potts. She's a darling, as always.

One of my favorite scenes from Ironman is when Tony finds another use for his flight stabilizers. :) I don't wanna type any spoilers in here in case anyone gets ... upset (you KNOW who you are ... you who now work in a fancy-schmancy mall) ;-).

Pretty much enough to say, this is ONE movie that I would be willing to pay RM40 to go to Gold Class to watch again.

Anyone interested?

I got pwned.

2008-05-08T15:26:00.004+08:00

The damned idiot targeting my family guild members hacked into my account and stole EVERYTHING that I had.

Bastard.

Hope you cirit for life. May you suffer from incontinence from today onwards and may you never earn enough to buy diapers.

I would so take my new Dwarven character and kick your ass.

(o.O)

I fail to understand how you can have absolutely no conscience and can steal even from my Mom? I guess you are just that ... demented. You probably suffered a hateful childhood. Right now, I feel nothing BUT pity for you, you sad, sad sorry human being and I hope that you find the Light one day.

Loopy

2008-05-08T15:01:00.002+08:00

My iTouch went all loopy when I tried to sync it with my iTunes today.

Absolutely EVERYTHING, every song was deleted from my iTouch AND my iTunes.

I am officially devastated ... (o.O) ... well, maybe not devastated, but sad, because it took a long time and a lot of money to buy those damned original CDs. Damn me and my righteousness! :P I support piracy now! :P

Well, maybe not. Just wanted to vent.

Feeling a little of both?

2008-05-08T14:51:00.001+08:00

For some season today, I'm feeling the need to just stop working on the load of work and just spend the day goofing. But the Boss' face shows up and I quickly abandon the thought.

(o.O)

I got ...

2008-05-06T10:36:00.003+08:00

... maxed out.

I was wondering how we lived before the advent of Astro. Sure we had MegaTV and all ... but really, life really took a turn for the AWESOME when Astro rolled around.

For the past 2 months, I've been living on a steady diet of regular TV (read - no $$$ for Astro). Which was basically CSI on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and the rest of my week's pretty much screwed after Tuesday. :)

Then yesterday ...
There IS a God. ;)

Weekend recap ...

2008-05-06T09:35:00.008+08:00

... if it's possible, I thought 5 hours of gym-ming was bad.

Try playing wii-sports for about a combined total of 13 hours. Seriously. My muscles ache. From my neck, to my thighs, to my arms etc.

But seriously, my favorite games in wii-sports had to be tennis and bowling. Baseball was ok. Golf was ... erm ... didn't like it in real life, don't like it in wii-life either. I still find it to be a 'pretentious-rich-man' game ... it's either that or I am not a fan of rich people. Like my dad, (which I haven't decided is a good thing or not), I find a lot of rich people to be very ... 'action', pretentious megalomaniacs.

But I digress. :P

wii-sports is an awesome packaged game for the Nintendo Wii. I like the wii-fitness feature where you are put through the motions and based on your results, some sort of biological age is determined for you. I am totally embarrassed of course that I was given an age that is 16 years above what I should be ... so Jerry and Rene, if you're reading this, I will be appearing this weekend for my weekend workout :P. Thank you for preparing loads of water etc for my effort to get healthy and trim and fit. :) ha ha ...

Of course, there were other games as well, like Wario - Smooth Moves, which ... I must say was totally fun even though I felt like an idiot :P. But then there is a requirement up front by the gamers that request for you to 'let go of your inhibitions'. So I did. As did fruity. We danced, we jigged, we did everything humanly possible that the game asked us to do.

I think the part that was really funny was the cheerleader's segment. Especially when you had to save the girl. Look at fruity in action. Ha ha ... I of course, being the only cameraman saved all my embarrassing photos for another time. :) ha ha ...

WII-ed out ...

2008-05-02T08:02:00.003+08:00

... so the Brother and The SIL got WII-ed. I hate double income people :P