Can't get these tunes outta my head...

First, that Scorpian song, You and I, which goes like this:

I lose control because of you babe
I lose control when you look at me like this
There's something in your eyes that is saying tonight
I'm not a child anymore, life has opened the door
To a new exciting life

It's all written down in your lifelines
It's written down inside your heart

You and I just have a dream
To find our love a place, where we can hide away
You and I were just made
To love each other now, forever and a day

I lose control because of you babe
I lose control don't look at me like this
There's something in your eyes that is saying tonight
I'm so curious for more just like never before
In my innocent life

It's all written down in your lifelines
It's written down inside your heart

You and I just have a dream
To find our love a place, where we can hide away
You and I were just made
To love each other now, forever and a day

Time stands still when the days of innocence
Are falling for the night
I love you girl I always will
I swear I'm there for you
Till the day I die

Yeah

You and I just have a dream
To find our love a place, where we can hide away
You and I were just made
To love each other now, forever and a day

You and I just have a dream
To find our love a place, where we can hide away
You and I were just made
To love each other now, forever and a day


and that 1990s local rap act Nico song, Gadis Idaman or something like dat... urgh...

p/s: Don't you just hate it when you lose something?

In the newspapers today

From NST, Thur, Aug 26, 2004, pg 2
"GDP growth best in almost four years"

Malaysia notched up a much higher-than-expected 8.0 per cent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the second quarter of this year, the best performance in almost four years.

The second-quarter figure, announced by Bank Negara Malaysia yesterday, came in higher than the 7.6 per cent growth rate posted in the first quarter, as private spending strengthen and export demand for the country's products remained strong.

I see... no wonder a lot of people are getting married hoh... economy good maa...

Also found on the front page of NST today: A Malaysian Airlines System ad promoting their 14-trips-each-week flights to Shanghai. Apparently "it is a common practice for Shanghainese to carry a pet cricket wherever they go. To them, the chirping offsets the city's hustle and bustle, and is considered as soothing as music. So popular is this trend that you'll find cricket shops all over Shanghai today. Not forgetting also cricket paraphernalia stores, which sell neat items like cricket carriers and feeders. If you're ever in Shanghai, to be sure to get a personal entertainer. Buy two if you want surround sound."

Wahh... see how many things you can learn from the first two pages of a newspaper? Aiyo, kantoilah - nampak sangat aku dah lama tak baca suratkhabar...

Chicken unne!

Yesterday a rumour spread, today it's 95% confirmed, and tomorrow...

... might be the farmer's last day at the chicken coop?

Hens are clucking that the farmer's been asked to leave, and a golden parachute is waiting... a six-figure parting gift has been mentioned... and we're throwing him an ayam golek and mee goreng farewell party?!

Where's the justice in this?!

But hell, I'm chipping my dedak in!

Sometimes it isn't the thought that counts

A good friend - my lunch-mate under the kemboja tree during school who taught me explicit Cantonese - called me up a couple of days back while I was in a middle of an immensely unstimulating PeeCee about some "breakthrough" software. Saved by the ringtone!

So I stepped out of the posh function room and asked her how's things, how's it going on with her new love (she met someone recently, and on top of that she just switched careers so we didn't get to see each other much) and all. She went silent for a while...

... and this sign from her I always recognize - she's holding back something. You see she was brought up in a family that's very rigid - any sign of emotion would be considered rude, weak, uncalled for, yadda yadda.. So she always "emit" silence when something upsets her.

So I said, "C'mon F, spit it out - what izzit?"

And she launched into a fit!

"Can you believe this guy - I had to go to Philippines recently for work, and on top of my very busy schedule I bought him a pendant for souvenir - OK lah, it costed me very little, like RM12 or a bit more - but I had to venture out on my own to the nearby bazaar - smelly like anything - and it was nearly dark then - to get the bloody thing! and you know what - my short trip out had costed me more - I was attacked by a bunch of people trying to sell me stuff, a kid puked on my shoes cause he was sickly - I gave the boy a bit of change and that made more of them come and try to puke some more on my shoes!"

Note that the above sentence was actually longer (I could not recall verbatim) and said in half a breath. And she continued...

"When I got home he came over - I gave him his souvenir and you know what he said?"

Before I could guess with the usual "Err..." she yelped miserably...

"He said "This small thing? You were away for five days and you only think of me this much?" - that's wot he said, can you believe it?! And you know what else he said? He said "If this is the souvenir you're giving me, I don't want it." Can you believe it?!"

I didn't have time to backhand an emphatic "Jerk!" back to her court, cause she was on a roll... (imagine squasy instead of tennis)...

"I told him "Hello?! It's the thought that counts! You don't know what I had to go through to get you this 'small thing'! If you can't appreciate this, you're not appreciating me - so don't waste my time!" Then I called him bodoh sombong jantan tak guna, kicked him out of the house - told him to go find some lonely Mak Datin if he wants expensive souvenirs!"

"So you two broke up and..?"

"I definately broke up with him - he's done things like this too many times already. He's still calling me - you guessed it right? - said the pendant was nice, and he wants it, and he wants me back in his life, he'll be sensitive to my feelings, he's so sorry - but sorrylah!"

"You mean when you threw him out of your house, he didn't take the pendant?"

"Nope, he had thrown it back to me then - hey, would you like to have it?"

"Egh, sure.."

"It's sort of a flower - chrysantimum I think - made from snake teeth! Hmm, I think you'll like it!"

"Err... snake tooth? Err... You know what, F, I have this reptilian-based allergy..."

Cluck, cluck, cluck...

The coop's still in a gloomy mood today. All hens are pecking around on the keyboard - I'd say only 50% are doing something productive.

I'm trying to do something productive as well. In my case I have to say blogging is it - me blogged about the poison pen letter against Malaysia's entertainment darling, Fz's wedding... which was a wonderful event to attend (nice food!) and a memorable roadtrip altogether...

Hey, I never said anything that associates productivity with work, did I?

Anyway being hens we all could not stop ourselves from clucking about the whole damn thing - I mean, c'mon - twenty of us applied and only one bloody application gets a nod? "Cannot be hohh...?" (That's my colleague still in denial stage.)

More were said about the whole damn thing. More speculations, more theories on why we didn't get our wings to fly - cluck, cluck, cluck!

I shall not wallow in self pity too long, I shall talk about something ceria to perk up my mood, I shall forget about the money I should've gotten... the amount I took so long to calculate... that nice 5-figure number...

But I can't! Not so easily!

Wargh.. I need a distraction! A cute guy! A dictionary! Two cute guys! A wrong number call! Three cute guys! A Kam-Kam toy! Four cute guys!

Ooh, I beginning to sound like Sesame Street's Count Dracula already - maybe I should go down and buy that famous fruit rojak. Maybe I should read that nasty email about Siti Nurhaliza again...

"Chickens aren't supposed to fly!"

I didn't get it.
I didn't get it.
I didn't get it.
I didn't get it.

Yep, I'm still trying to drum this fact into my thick head.
No guessing who's in denial stage.

The thing is, I was so geared up to fly off away from this coop. I had plans - backpacking to neighbouring countries, attending my friend's wedding in Ozzie, throwing in my money into government bond and survive by being a receptionist at a friend's office, balik kampung tanam jagung (read: kerja kat kilang Carsem) - all noble plans indeed you see...

But now it seems like I'm gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Picture a deflated baloon - that's me going bonkers and totally not in the right mind to go over all the back up plans I had lined up earlier (yeah, I did think about what to do if I don't get the bronze parachute, but never really thought I had to exercise it!).

I guess I'm not destined for bigger things after all. Sigh!

Where's the letter, where's the letter, where's the letter, where's the letter?

I took so long to update my blog cause:

1] I've been away on holiday again - this time Sabah for six days - to think I haven't even recovered Sarawak yet! Spent a bomb, so I'm broke. I don't know if I'll be able to survive the Kedah trip this weekend without touching my savings! Oh no!

2] Been worrying about my application to fly away from the coop. Today's supposed to be the day - we should've gotten results by now - but no letter of approval/disapproval from the coop yet. Geez, I haven't mentally prepared myself for a rejection...

3] I wanted to write a piece that will distract my mind off my penniless, blind-to-the-future state, but can only came up with "Ten things you can do to save money and get a great holiday:", based from my recent experience holidaying in the land below the wind.

So here's goes...

Ten things you can do to save money and get a great holiday:

1] Go Cuti-cuti Malaysia
- tis cheaper to travel to local destination maa, plus it's patriotic to do so too!

2] Travel via Air Asia
- book two months ahead of time, be prepared for a bumpy ride, and forgive those damned maggi-in-a-cup for RM7

3] Take a bus to KLIA instead of ERL or cab
- bus ride from Star LRT Chan Sow Lin station/Hentian Putra bus station to KLIA costs only RM15, start off from home about three hours or plus a half more before flight time, and you'll get to the airport on time

4] Stay at a friend's house, but don't impose
- if you don't have friends staying at exotic locations, find some, and don't forget to bring some Dunkin Donuts and pirated DVDs as a token of appreciation for hosting your stay, and tell your host's mom that you prefer to AFUNDI Mas from Linda

5] Travel with the right people
- read: travel with friends who don't mind splitting costs all across - no freeloaders - and do choose travelling partners with mutual interests, or you might find yourself paying for activities which you rather not do, like duet parasailing!

6] Don't overshop
- when you go to local destination, buy only stuff you can't find back home - still, items like belacan (from Kota Belud) and kopi (special Tenom brew) are of course exceptions

7] Ask your host to do the bargaining
- thumb rule - point which item you want off the souvenir shelf, back away and let your host do the talking.

8] Tolerate the bumpier boat / crazy bus rides
- forget cabs and tour guides, be adventurous and opt for local transport and other cheaper alternatives - you alse get to hear, feel and smell local culture this way

9] Watch out for citizens' privileges
for example the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park which consists of several islands charges visitors RM3 for local tourists, while foreigners pay RM12, wait, was it RM18? Can't remember, but more lah

10] Get someone to pick you up on your trip back
- call mom, dad, BF or any admirer and whine about how tired you are, and bait them with an exotic souvenir

And that's it ladies and gentlemen! And I'm still waiting for that damned letter!!!

RM wot?!

Say, how much would you pay for....
1] a pair of shoes?
(Me, RM79.90 is my most expensive pair)
2] a hairdo?
(RM50 at Maju Junction to see this cute, non-gay stylist called Wan - value added!)
3] a pair of pants?
(OK, OK, Levi's price - but that's only cause others don't fit me nicely)
4] an everyday baby-T
(RM29.90 from FOS)
5] something to wear on a date?
(RM50 - but I regretted it)
6] a lunchtime meal?
(RM2.40 for nasi bringin and RM1.20 for nescafe "C" ais at Yoges')
7] an outing with friends?
(Hmm, fluctuates? As I like it?)
8] a holiday?
(no limit! OK, OK the limit is whatever I have in Maybank minus the usual bills)
9] a book?
(RM10? I keep buying those second hand stuff)
10] a performance?
(RM80 is the max so far, one time for No Doubt, another for Alanis - hey these were the times when I was still studying! Thanks MARA! And thanks to my 2nd bro as well for topping RM30 during Alanis - you see Tini and I only have RM50 plus cab fare dat time hehehe)

See, I was talking with some colleagues and we were comparing lunch meal prices. Apparently this cafe located in our work building is charging people sinful amounts for a simple rice plus red/white meat lauk and veggie combos.

No wonder most people still flock the building opposite (Mutiara Bangsar) for food. There's nasi bringin - the all-time favourite lunch item, combined with drinks from Yoges' - heavenly...

Then we got talking (but of course! I was with a bunch of women! Here (specifically my coop only) men loves to lunch and gossip amongst themselves, and womenfolk flocks - reminds me of MCC sometimes.. thee hee hee) about other items like hairdo, books, holidays and such... dwelling on how much things costs nowadays.

Just yesterday I bumped into a colleague (who happens to be an old schoolmate btw) and commented that her hair looks nice. I asked, "Straightening ke rebonding?" as her curly hair's all behavin' and shiny.

She beamed with pleasure, "Rebonding lah. RM200 je instead of RM280, tak mahal kan?" Goodness! I would not know. Rebonding isn't something I do every three months!

Seeing her excitement, I put on a show (as if I'm this millenium girl who can easily tell if such price for rebonding is a steal or a miss)... I said "Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean, considering your hair's long and thick!"

"Exactly! Can you believe my husband's complaining? It's the best price in Pantai Dalam you know. I've checked."

"I know! You can't get such a price in Cheras for sure!" (And I do mean Cheras Batu 3 1/2 only, btw. I don't go around other parts of Cheras watching out for rebonding rates at salons. Who would anyway?)

"Exactly!"

"Yeah! Er.. nice hair, nice, let me tell you that again."

"Thanks - only women understand these things, right?"

Actually, I don't understand it either. In fact in other circumstances I might gang up with her hubby and tell her RM200 bucks to get rid of her locks is not an acceptable value!

Notice that in my list above I didn't put items like "lipstick", "mascara", "blusher", "concealer" and the rest of the paraphernalia... Hey that's cause I won't have any answer to put in brackets...

p/s: Yup, I don't spend money on wallets/purses either. Stop using them since I lost my fourth wallet with my third IC in it... As for the baby Ts, this is the most expensive one I have - it has a Hogwart emblem in front, and signature of all the members of Indonesian rock act Gigi on its back... priceless!

Stinkin Monday Blues

Of course I didn't go to work last Saturday - whaddaya take me for? I rested well last weekend - got all the sleep I wanted (read: wanted, not needed) and a good dosage of lazying in front of the telly.

But maybe I should've gone, cause today I'm starting to act as if the coop's ready to let me fly already - I've stop caring about deadlines, I've stop being so antsy about the four products that's not yet reviewed (actually three left, can't believe I managed to get one done last Friday!). This is not good.

Right now I'm trying to remind meself that it's my byline that gets printed next to that melepaskan-batuk-di-tangga articles (potentially three of them) that I'm right now inclined to produce. But a couple of odd colleagues are being nasty - ugh - they're not blogging about so I'm dropping this subject (though I shan't stop blaming them for my low-productivity - hey, most situation get worse due to multiple factors - and these "anal dudes" equals to "main factor").

When the Malays say biarkan Luncai terjun dengan labu-labunya, honestly, I really don't get what it means - I think I was told about it before, but it's been a while since I heard about this Luncai character - I better go watch that P. Ramlee movie again huh?

But if I understood this saying (izzit a saying ah?) correctly, I think whoever said it meant to let Luncai do whatever he fancies, even if it is stupid.

I better not be a Luncai meself! Looks like the stench of Monday Blues is stinkin majorly today, even Yoges' nescafe "C" ais also cannot help me! (BTW Miss Ariel, Yoges was asking how you're doin...)

No plans yet but somewhat...

... happy? Naah, relief is probably the concept that comes nearest.

Found two openings for receptionist job already - one at that friend's studio, and the other at the television channel that wants to be different so badly. Colleagues are already asking for my PC (because I'm the only one who gets a Pentium 4 around here).

I still have four more gadgets to review - the Nokia 7610, the Nokia 7200, the Pretec 128MB thumbrive keychain and the IRiver multifunction gadget (*sigh* it's an MP3 player, low-end digital camera, voice recorder, and removable storage). And I have less than three official working days to work on it if I go back home early today.

I think I wana go back home early today. I think I'll come on Saturday and do a bit of work - it'll be much calmer around here - no colleagues making noise about us who have applied to be let go, no Loudspeaker being noisy, no aircond (I like it hot), and the Internet connection will be faster and more stable - besides, I'll be truly doing some work as I tend to honour my waking up early in the morning.

Uh oh, my English is deteriorating as I type...

Wrote my name three times and now I'm...

... waiting for the outcome, which will be released in a fortnight's time.

Whoa! Can't believe I actually decided to go! But ya wana know what's more unbelievable: I asked a friend to photograph a photo of me dropping in the letter into the box!

That easy to complete letter that says I'm ready to go and embark on a different journey. That big, yellow box that says, "Please drop that letter you've been contemplating to submit for the past couple of weeks here."

OK, OK, I'm exaggerating - the box didn't have that written on it... but it has a paste-on, practical-sounding instruction...

I wish I can paste that photo here - tis proof of me taking charge of my life and taking a chance with destiny. I rarely do that, you know.

Two of my colleagues got their photos taken as well, using the Nokia 7610 (1 megapixel cameraphone - don't play play oh). Yup we went in a troupe of three and hummed "Attack of the Clones" soundtrack all the way to the people/skill/talent management department.

And after that we acknowledged our twisted humour and we went back quite happy. Wish me luck, guys!

p/s: Friends, let me know if anyone needs a receptionist and be willing to pay at least RM2K a month. OK, OK kidding - let me know if anyone needs a writer...

Write my name three times and i'll be...

... a "grape eater" rich enough to sustain my current lifestyle for about 11 months! That's what I found out today after consulting some mates and practising a little bit of maths.

Wow, I was thinking - it's not a bad idea to go then. Like a friend said - it'll be like getting a divorce and getting a bit of alimony out of it.

Yet during the ed. meeting we had, my boss said if I want his advice, then stay - said he has faith in all of us in the team, that we'll survive and thrive where ever we may get to be deployed to in the future. Thanks for the word of confidence, boss.

But I'm still thinking - though I don't mind staying and go with the flow, rot even - am I destined for bigger things?

Tick, tick, tick... KABOOM!

Wormy, that's how things are here. No one knows when this can of worm will explode, and who's gonna come out where once the mushroom cloud settles. The one who knows ain't talkin to us so its 'ard to decide: to stay or not to stay.

In any case, I'm still considering my options:
1] stay, and be prepared to be deployed to other desks (a prospect I'm curious enough to entertain, besides grapevine says I might get to stay where I am now... hmm.. a bit boring but at least I get to retain my unprofessionalism)
2] go, and do what?

As for "do what?", quite a number of options come to mind:
1] go back to studies (MBA? MCSE? Degree in Photography? Diploma in Mak Yong? Hua yi?)
2] take that receptionist job offer I got from Shades Studio or go to Adelaide and be my friend Helen's grandma's assistant at their family-owned kedai dobi
3] balik kampung and work at kilang Carsem (ooh, this is a tempting option!)
4] seek another journalism job (and get a shitty editor and colleagues from hell? *shiver*)
5] seek an IT-related job (and get stuck troubleshooting Y! Messenger on the first day of work, if I do get one?)6] (see picture below, heheheh)

This photo was swiftly taken using O2 Xphone, a Windows-based smartphone that I really like - great battery life (1100mAh li-ion rasanya), user-friendly, big screen, features-rich and reasonable pricetag (release price RM1,999 - now should be lower). The wagging butt in blue jeans belongs to my 2nd bro. The little monkey belongs to Bukit Merah Laketown Waterpark's walkabout zoo... I recommend a visit! Beware of a certain peacock though, one tried to eat my thumb!

No, I'm not thinking that I should quit my job and become a full-time butt-wagger at a zoo, what I'm saying is I do need a vacation. Yep, option number 6] is leave, then go on a holiday and decide what to do next only when I come back...

Sounds like a plan. Or maybe not.

Can't I just say que sara sara to all this? I guess I can, if only the hens stop clucking!