Saturday, November 15, 2008

traffic

i don't understand why or how can town planners or whoever is in charge of planning the network and size of roads, and the approval of development of housing area/ residential buildings can make the same mistakes over and over again?

i don't understand why we have to pay toll to use roads which leads us to a bottleneck and hence, horrible traffic, only closer to home?

i don't understand how anybody with some working grey matter would approve buildings which would house hundreds of people when there is only a two lane access road?

i was almost certain peas for brains was just an expression...?

i have a wonderful idea. we, the road users should be able to decide on a route. which these very brilliant road planners will have to drive along. there should be check points along this route where they need to park, and get down from their cars to scan their finger prints. and this has to be performed daily starting from 8am and 6pm. Check points must be reached within a certain time frame. And for the planners who don't reach within the stated time frame, their salary should be deducted, along with that of their superiors.

we'll have no traffic... or at least not such unreasonable ones.



i don't understand...

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

raya @ sherry's

a gathering of sorts... old friends... good friends... so nice....

sherry & arnil





teik lee, lena, allan (left to right) and pei sze (standing)





movie nite out

with my beloved friends... arcade before movies... (btw, the blur effect is intended!)


training for ski trip

aspiring drummers




Saturday, October 11, 2008

what is love?

according to kenny who watched "dog fell in love with cat" (!!), love is...



when cat like flowers, dog will pick flowers from garden for cat

when cat like to eat chicken drumstick, dog will feel sad if cat don't get to eat chicken drumstick

dog will feel sad when cat is bored and lonely





... so simple.





Wednesday, October 08, 2008

10 years later....

we were in restoran hong lim, SS15 when i asked :
"what do you think you'll be doing in 10 years' time? what would you have achieved by then?"


hy answered :
1) don't HAVE to work, but will have no money problems
2) might be doing some form of volunteer work
3) married, hopefully to a guy as devoted to his girl as wall-e is


yj :
1) would have started working
2) would have reached senior management level


ey :
1) working for fun
2) married with kids (two)
3) wake up at whatever time i want, can take my own time to talk a walk before going to do whatever i want to do
4) have time for my kids when i get back from work


mc :
1) have a very nice single storey bungalow/ semi-d with a lot of land, a corner lot single storey terrace also can
2) a dog, or two (need not be a beagle)
3) not much work, but a lot of money
4) work comprise of approving/ not approving something
5) would have backpacked for 6 months
6) would gone bald


tf
1) still playing psp
2) still playing wii
3) see the world
4) debt free


me
1) ceo of own successful company
2) able to dictate my own time
3) have a villa in bangkok
4) hopefully my very exclusive club for very-active-old-people-with-a-life will be up and running



funny how this question is answered in a more cautious manner than it if it was asked 10 years ago... and how the answers are preceeded by "i should be" or "i think" or "hopefully" instead of "i want to be" or "i am going to be"

funny how being older seem to mean we have shorter time... when we actually didn't know how much time we would have had when we were young (i mean a lot of ppl die young... especially the talented ones)...

or were the answers affected by the fact that the previous goals stated were not achieved? not realising that it is neither due to lack of opportunities nor lack of ability, but lack of courage and lack of will power/ discipline...?



Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Zahir

paul coelho writes with insights so striking......

quoted from his book - Zahir

..."I heard people speaking in the name of freedom, and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved they seemed to be... slaves to luxury, to the appearance of luxury, to the appearance of the appearance of luxury. Slaves to a life they had not chosen, but which they had decided to live because someone had managed to convince them that it was all for the best. And so their identical days and nights passed, days and nights in which adventure was just a word in a book or an image on the television that was always on, and whenever a door opened, they would say:
"I'm not interested. I'm not in a mood"

How could they possibly know if they were in the mood or not if they had never tried? But there was no point in asking.; the truth was they were afraid of any change that would upset the world they had grown used to. "....

.............

Monday, September 29, 2008

wrong incentive structure brings wrong results

doesn't take a genius to figure it out. but i think this is one of the most common and biggest mistake one can make.

received a message from my dear friend Andrew.



"Dear Friends,

Some of you may know that my brother's dog, Turbo, was brutally murdered 2 weeks ago. 2 masked men armed with parangs came over to my dad's house. One jumped over the fence, grabbed him and passed it to the 2nd armed man standing guard outside. By then, Turbo was barking very loudly and making a lot of noise. The man hit Turbo several times with the butt of his parang to shut him up. He eventually succeeded. We suspect he was beaten to death at this point.

The Malay Mail covered this story which was published on Wednesday, 24 September 2008. You can view it here ---> http://turbovong.blogspot.com

Alvin has also spoken to other reporters. We will update the blog as more newspapers cover the story. The 2 men who murdered Turbo were hired by Vet-Fine (M) Sdn. Bhd. The Sepang Council outsources the catching of stray dogs to this company and pays them RM 145 per dog. They are going around stealing legitimate dogs for the money & ransom. The SPCA has confirmed this. Also, instead of putting the stray dogs to sleep humanely, they put them in a gunny sacks, tie it to a tree and then beat the dogs to death.

As a show of arrogance, they perform this @ the cemetary next to the SPCA. When the SPCA tried to stop them, they were threatened by parang-weilding thugs.

Last financial year, Vet-Fine (M) Sdn. Bhd. declared a turnover of RM 3+ mil. in revenue. Please spread the word around; especially to dog lovers. "



which genius, i wonder, decide to pay RM145 per dog. unless, the true intention is to just get rid of all dogs? why would anybody want to do that? i am sure most of you would be able to figure out the answer to that.



Wednesday, September 24, 2008

how crooks walk free, heroes incarcerated...

isn't it funny, how we would allow crooks who steal our money, discriminate against us, play us against each other, mismanage our resources for their own benefit, lead us to a decline, lie to us... walk free?

and isn't it sick how we would just sit by and watch while these same crooks incarcerate our heroes, read the newspapers, whine about it endlessly during mamak sessions, and do little else?

isn't it sad, how we would conveniently forget about this a few weeks later when something more exciting comes up to distract us?

isn't it ironic, how a few years later, we would say to each other, we don't know how things come to this stage?.... how our family would suffer... and where we should migrate to?

Saturday, September 13, 2008

illusion of harmony

malaysia rights harmony? multiracial illusion wealth disparity real? beneficiaries policies all?? selected supporters logic isa force sensitive understand competitiveness decline long-term trend leaders? newpapers truth?? freedom drain talents unappreciated management rich resources money politics sad

Thursday, September 11, 2008

sensitive issue

a sensitive issue is an issue that one do not wish to understand and also do not wish other people to understand because of the potential change, should the issue to be discussed and resolved.

tho, it's true, sensitive issues should be discussed carefully (ie. think before one speak). it's not true that not discussing it would preserve peace and harmony. it would only preserve a situation that a party is not happy enough, but perhaps not have the courage to bring up; and a situation where one party is happy with, know it's not right or fair, and obviously, would not want to bring up! so, it becomes a "sensitive" issue.

it would be left to simmer, and one day it would boil over.... and the whole house will be burned down. sad... but true.


Wednesday, September 10, 2008

what are you doing later?

"what are you doing later?"

i have been getting this question lately... and i find myself answer "dunno... dinner with friends maybe? nothing much really"...

should i be doing something more constructive with all the time i have?

on hindsight, i'm actually quite happy to be able to give that answer. quite different from times when i had so little time i had to plan what i want to do when i am driving/ in the shower/ walking from destination A to B/ eating... a nice change from feeling like i am chasing after the seconds at every moment. and i was always late! (now, not always late... but i suppose a big improvement from before, when it seems that my time is the most precious in the whole wide world!)

also nice to be able to spend time with those who matter. and not just feel guilty about not being able to do so.

nice to not feel that doing nothing is a waste of time. because it is actually quite nice to be able to do nothing at all.

read. it is nice to have some time to read. read stuff that are not must reads.


Tuesday, September 09, 2008

worth it?

the more money we earn, the better our lives would be. we can afford a big house, maid(s), the car we want, maintain hobbies, eat well, et cetera...

is that true? i suppose to a certain extent. but when do we stop? how much is enough? it's so easy to get use to having more money. so difficult to adjust to having less. how much unhappiness do we tolerate until we say enough is enough? how far do we push ourselves?

i suppose we would wonder why how some ppl do it? earn so much, work so hard, stay so happy, stay so healthy, look so good? do we know of such ppl?

i suppose all those are a little bit difficult to quantify. only we would know if we have earned enough and feel happy enough. i suppose we are the only ones who can define the limits. everybody has a price. i suppose as long as we have not submitted the letter/ argued with our partners/ argued with our bosses/ questioned by the stakeholders/ been fired!, it would mean expectations of both parties are still being met, we are still delivering, money is still too good to be given up.

nobody should be telling you what to give up. because it is your decision to make. but make the decision before something critical is given up eg. your soul! do that, or perhaps manage stakeholder's expectations (lower it!)

what can friends do? i suppose support is essential. understand the that time to meet up would be less. understand that sometimes, work would not allow yam cha, understand that juggling work, family and friends are not easy. create no pressure from this end? that's what friends are for. (alittle bit of whining should be allowed tho! ;) )




Sunday, August 31, 2008

sen wise or foolish?

we were at a very popular kopitiam franchise in USJ, taipan... we ordered a basket of curry puffs...

it arrived...

in the basket... costing us RM2.60 (before tax), were 2 very very extremely small curry puffs which did not taste fantastic... nor looked fantastic...

why why... why would anybody order that ever again?? ... why would anybody allowed that to remain the menu. whatever happened to value for money??????

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

ho chi minh

waded through 1 feet of boogerized water, weaving through bikes and cars and buses, in the rain, covered in a plastic sheet, to get to rum and raisin ice cream...

had super yummy vietnamese fare consisting of a variety of rice cakes, pho ("fer"), vietnamese coffee, beef steaks, wan tan noodles (ok... that's chinese) with humongous wan tans, sanwiches with beefy floss, ....


checked out the hcm post office which was super huge and had telephone booths which are air conditioned! and nice looking tiled floor...

swam in ocean, ate yummy fresh sweet steamed? crab on Vung Tau beach, then ate (again) yummy food in a beautifully landscaped place overlooking the sea... called binh an ("peace")

ate yummy fresh shrimp on rice flour cake fried in lots of oil, sitting on short short stools

saw handicapped ppl made amazing looking lacquer ware with egg shells! and mother of pearl...loved the USD3300 partition.... so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!

waddled through a tiny tiny tunnel, used by guerilla during vietnam war, which resulted in achy thigh muscles for the subsequent 3 days

massage and pampered from head to toe in an amazing spa called dragon's nest, under very trained and practised hands... with rosemary scented oil...so nice...

met nice new friends sim (from hcm) and rie (from japan)

had vietnamese fare in Gold Fish with waiters who were speaking to us in japanese, and we (malaysians) replying in vietnamese and japanese, together with a pretty japanese girl who speaks to waiters in japanese and to us in english.... so globalised...


so good...

Monday, August 04, 2008

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

pls help look for dog. owner is very sad.

http://ujinyee.blogspot.com/2008/07/jd-is-missing.html

lost in Melaka. last seen taken by chinese man in blue kancil.

Friday, July 25, 2008

air so fresh

it's nice looking out from the balcony, fresh air, light drizzle, green green trees, misty faraway.... (though it might be haze!) so rare nowadays.

i remember a time when i would wake up in the morning. my mom would take us (monster and i) to the garden opposite my house. we would walk around the garden, smell the fresh air, poke at the snails and touch-me-nots, surrounded by tiny sunflowers....

all that, no more....

Saturday, July 05, 2008

what is it that women look for???

gosh... if i'm a man, i would have just retreat into a cave in the remotest lands in sarawak and meditate. that would have been easier than being a man in places where are there are women. because then, due to basic instincts, i would then fall for one, and have to figure her out!! figure out what she's looking for, what she's thinking of...

then again, a man don't really have to figure the woman out. i suppose if it's that difficult, it's not meant to happen?? afterall, most of the men out there probably have not done so! or is still in the process of trying?? or have already figured out that it is never going to happen.. ?


or are there are men out there, who would like to claim to have figured us out?? :)


Thursday, July 03, 2008

mclaren

i'm racing my virtual mini cooper... because my brain is doing it's daily debate with the rest of the organs as to whether i should go to the gym.

my virtual mini is now ranked number 8. it's climbing very painstakingly slowly... but surely! :) it's a very very boring game. not unlike those rpg games where upon a click of the mouse, little graphic martial arts person walk up to another little graphic martial arts person, slash/ kick/ punch the fella and then u wait. u wait for the other little graphic martial arts person to retaliate. and it goes on and on as u progress through the various levels.... in search of ... i dunno... a sword maybe???

does not require thinking really. no difficult hand eye coordination kinda maneuver... just clicking and waiting for pages to load...

but i want my mclaren. so i play...

self employment... means working for me... why not?

i have always wanted my own business. for as long as i can remember. i wanted to see my ideas come to live. even if sometimes it seems a little bit out of this world. (though nowadays my ideas are more grounded... i think i only get out-of-this-world kinda ideas when i'm stressed out, or when i have no time to pursue them)...

then just a couple of days ago, i met this fella who seems pretty knowledgeable. and so i ask the question that i have asked a couple of hundred ppl... "knowing what u know now, if u are brought back to x number of years, when you were still working for another person.... would you have quit corporate world, and do your own business? or would you have stayed on?"

he says he would have still made his exit. because he does not like the politics one has to face when in corporate. he would also have left because he wanted the work life balance he has, the freedom to choose how hard he work. but he says... to be rich... the certain route will be to work higher management in corporate world. then invest the money saved in properties. due to low likelihood of a business surviving nowadays...

sounds reasonable.

but i still want my own business. time to re-read blue ocean strategy...

anyways, business and investment is not mutually exclusive rite? all the wise ppl out there... what say u?


Saturday, June 28, 2008

dunno ler...

it's possible to feel void. it is not really nothing. very tangible if you ask me. is void made up of atoms? even though it is nothing? so it is particles of nothing?? but if it's particles, then it is not nothing. can void break? i suppose if it's particles, it can... sort of break. so even if you can quite see it breaking. u can possible hear it breaking? or feel it breaking. Though "it" cannot be used to describe nothing. because, nothing is not there? dunno ler...

this is a feeble attempt to appease my very dissatisfied readers, who rained me with complaints that there is no new posting in my blog. ppl, i'm having blog block. can't think of anything i want to write about. which would not result in me being then rained with endless string of questions. horror of all horrors.. *shudder*

i think i'll just wait for the blog block phase to pass. need to live the hermit part of my live as was once predicted by some silly magazine for my horoscope. escape to some mountain. do some soul searching and meditation. live simply. without wants. dunno ler...

this posting deserve a whole new category "extreme crapping'". dunno ler... tot my ability to crap peaks on saturday mornings. looks like saturday evenings must not be underestimated.




Saturday, June 14, 2008

flow away

going with the flow... i suppose by definition one is not suppose to think? it's simply doing what one feel like doing. regardless of consequences. and anyway, some consequences are self imposed. and probably would not exist if one don't let it exist. would it not be good if life it just cut up into little chapters that are not related to the others. would that not allow one to have many lives? different ones which are not connected. and therefore, should there be consequences, these are at least limited in terms of impact to one little chapter? i would say yes, it is possible. only if various factors in the little chapter is not quite connected to the other chapters. but they say the world is small. so connected we are nowadays, it is a little bit more difficult to have separate chapters. then again, life is short... too short to be pondering. till that happens, carpe diem

Monday, June 09, 2008

vista nightmare...

this is how amazing my tech support is...

my complain : i have vista phobia. i am afraid to turn my laptop on. coz it would be slow and it would hang. and nothing works. and it's asking me a lot of questions....


HsinYee Chik: hihi

Poh Chin Leong: hi hi!!!!!!!!!!!!
HsinYee Chik: where r u? starbucks?
Poh Chin Leong: home
HsinYee Chik: gotten ur laptop oredi?
Poh Chin Leong: yeap
Poh Chin Leong: the vista one
Poh Chin Leong: (nail biting emoticon)
HsinYee Chik: fixed?
HsinYee Chik: hahah..
HsinYee Chik: can u go thru these steps?
HsinYee Chik: http://www.techsupportalert.com/make-vista-run-faster.htm
Poh Chin Leong: ok
HsinYee Chik: install this.. and run this.. it wud improve in disk defrag.. (sends file over)
HsinYee Chik: runs mch faster than the windows one
(You have received 1 file from HsinYee Chik.disk-defrag-setup.exeOpen (Alt+Shift+O))
Poh Chin Leong: running defrag

Poh Chin Leong: i'm reading the steps and falling asleep
HsinYee Chik: how can?
HsinYee Chik: u sure?
HsinYee Chik: gee
HsinYee Chik: u mst put ur laptop on weekend overnight in my hse liao
HsinYee Chik: hahahah
Poh Chin Leong: sleepy
Poh Chin Leong: tears running down my face
HsinYee Chik: ok do tis
HsinYee Chik: open one browser
HsinYee Chik: click on tools-> windows update
HsinYee Chik: let it open to the windows update homepage click on search updates
HsinYee Chik: something like tat
HsinYee Chik: install the Service Pack for vista
HsinYee Chik: ok la
HsinYee Chik: maybe watch video how to improve wont make u sleep
HsinYee Chik: http://www.pcworld.com/video/id,745-page,1-bid,0/video.html
Poh Chin Leong: lol
Poh Chin Leong: (lol emoticon)
Poh Chin Leong: u are amazing
HsinYee Chik: i wish i can take the compliment
HsinYee Chik: but i cant..
HsinYee Chik: am sure ppl wud be sleepy
HsinYee Chik: hence ppl put video
HsinYee Chik: hey.. maybe youtube has similar thing


my friend.... so amazing. teng kiu hsin yee!!! *muacks*

anticipating poverty

with the recent increase of fuel price, i am anticipating poverty, so i am spending less. suppose to anyway. but as usual, things you can't do, you wanna do more! so i think i am about to go for a very damaging round of retail therapy... sigh... somemore naf naf got sale...

then when the credit card statement comes, i would not even have marni to buy ubi. so have to plant ubi. and i don't have very green fingers, as a cactus has died in my hands, though it is from overdose of tlc (don't water the cactus till it turns transparent)... then i suppose i'll have to go on involuntary diet!! where i can lose some weight. and fit into the naf nafs that i will buy during retail therapy. yay!!

as i have said, everything happens for a reason. in the end, it's gonna be alrite


Sunday, June 08, 2008

everything happens for a reason

we have to believe in that... because we can't see the whole picture yet. we just have to believe that everything happens for a reason. and that in the end, everything will be alrite.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

just leave me in a cave....

i have not cyberly whine for some time now (though my closest buddies do get regular dosage of my whining, the real thing) so here goes...

i just wanna be in a cave... and the whole world must be in the same situation. no internet. no phone lines. must have fire though coz i don't take raw food. and everybody must be in caves. because i am kiasu.

i'm sure that will slow everything down. hopefully destruction of Earth will also be slowed down. and i won't be having a laptop. which also means i can't drown my laptop. nor somehow infect it with trojans, worms and what nots... nor resort to turning on the scary vista home basic fujitsu laptop which drives my crazy...

currently i have (thanks for my hy and jc), spybot search and destroy, hijack this, bitdefender, ad-aware, ad-watch, disk-defrag... i'm ready for war!!! or not... actually... i just wanna retreat back into a cave.... with everybody... and a stove.

oh... hy just proposed a new solution. plenty of TLC for da laptop, apparently, helps!! hmmm... gotta get a second opinion.





Sunday, June 01, 2008

why lie dat?

often, we encounter people who act differently from the masses... or rather, differently from how we would have acted. and often, we wonder why. why did they turn out that way. if we have bothered to probe, there is almost always a good reason...explanation as to how it happened...!

could be parents, background, friends, financial condition, health condition,... and host of other reasons why someone might not be as you have expected. sometimes, after understanding, it doesn't seem so weird anymore... coz you might have turn out that way under such circumstances as well.

Friday, May 30, 2008

imperfections is beautiful?

"artistry is in the imperfections of the shot"

... i like that... it was an article about lomography, featured in the TheStar a couple of days back.

and i do think imperfection is beautiful. it is what makes us human. and it is these little faults which makes us who we are.

and luckily, there are those who describe faults as "endearing"!! true, i suppose. when one it too perfect, it can be pretty boring!!


Wednesday, May 28, 2008

simply beautiful




daniel and le sze got married 25 May 2008. was a beautiful wedding. two beautiful ppl with beautiful character got married in a beautiful hotel, attended by beautiful ppl, had beautiful food and beautiful music.


it is very easy to see that daniel is well loved by his friends. everybody just want to see him happy. the claps and cheers he received when he and his beautiful bride walked into the ballroom is a testimony of that.


it seems if you want to know the true character of a person, just look at how their friends treat them. it is not the quantity, it's the quality. if one have many true friends, then da fella can't be all bad. it has been proven time and again that we ought to be wary of ppl with no good friends. of course that does not mean one cannot change. it's just a good measure of one's character... i think!


danny... here's to many many more beautiful moments in your journey with le sze~

Thursday, May 22, 2008

limitations? wat's dat?

i have been told... today... and a couple of million times before... that thinking too much will cause no action to be taken. and yes, i do agree.

that's why nike says "Just do it!". which i also agree.

but sometimes, "Just do it!" has proven to be a not-so-wise idea. and sometimes, brain re-acts to fast! one just start thinking before you can just-do-it. (that's just an excuse, you say?)

then i suppose one alternative is to remove limitations which can be resolved (so they are not really limitations to begin with?)

for example, should you go into a business venture? what are the limitations? money? can find. time? you have plenty. just make time. so? just think, if time and money is not an issue will you do into it?

then you can... "Just do it!"

Sunday, May 18, 2008

do you ever fall in love with someone else?

or do you fall in love with you when you are with that person?

or do you fall in love with the you that the person sees?

or do you fall in love with who you think the person sees you as?

"chim" (deep) le?? ... LOL... most inspired on weekend mornings. a plus is tomorrow is a public holiday! yay!!

have to find a dress coz danny's wedding's dress code is "formal"!!!!! help!

Friday, May 16, 2008

baby number one...

out of thirteen.... yay!!! congratulations to selina and yean.... a very pretty ng shu lynn. arrived on 11 May 2008....


Monday, May 12, 2008

tinting

was just talking to M and she had this cute little analogy which i just have to blog about. apparently, if we were all cars, M would be the one without tinting; D would be the one with Vkool and I am suppose to be with Vkool with reflection!! (is there such a grade of Vkool??!!)

LOL

super farni my darling friends. i suppose if there is any goss i am not sharing, it would be for a very good reason?? factors to consider might include impact if any?, the smug look my darlingest friends have if they are told they are right?!, etc

anyways, a very entertaining analogy....


i wonder if sel has given birth???

Saturday, May 03, 2008

life's like a box of popcorn in the cinema

in the dark, you wouldn't know if you are getting an exciting, brown, caramelly, crunchy one... or a plain white, not even buttered, so don't mention the caramel, fluffy airy bit.

life is such. one minute boring. the next, unpredictable but interesting.i suppose it's good that there are suprises from time to time. otherwise, i would have sprout mushrooms or start rotting. maybe even sprout a rafflesia. which by the way, takes 2 months to bloom. then die in a day. and it only stinks when it's dying.

i guess i should stop whining about being bored. that would probably bore ppl to death. and friends are not obligated to entertain me. though it would be nice if they do...

so now, i'll whine about how spontaneity seems to have diminished as age catches up. so it is pretty difficult getting friends to gather for a simple dinner at a moment's notice. a friend said that happens when ppl get hooked up. there is no longer a need to hunt. so there is no longer a need to go out to the field. another friend said that it might be because ppl have been there, done that. nothing is exciting enough to entice one to go out anymore.

i say, it would be nice just to know that we are still capable of going out at a moment's notice. being spontaneous, i think requires effort. sometimes, you might not feel like going through the trouble of picking out a nice outfit, plying on the layers of shu uemura, driving there, parking, smiling, doing the hi-how-are-you-what-do-you-do conversations... but sometimes, these moments are the ones that lead to the caramelly crunchy bits in life. you'll never know when it is coming....



Monday, April 28, 2008

looking for wishes...

boredom has set in... yet again. recurring. chronic. terminal!!!! aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggghhhh can't see a pattern. nor a trigger. so meaning no hope of cure in sight...


then... friends came in the picture and have prescribed a treatment... and my boredom has been diagnosed to be, apparently, unique!!! now i have been given, what is called, a wish list. i suppose i'll just have to figure out what i want to do before i die..! and in this cute little book, there is a sticker which says..."If in doubt, follow your heart". but i think i have somehow managed to analysed everything to death, and right now seemed a little bit incapable of doing just that.

so, ppl, need your help. if i have ever said i want/ wish for something (material/ otherwise), pls refresh my memory...


p/s: i do remember i wanted a lamborghini.... and a superbike.... and very recently a silvia... lol :)

Sunday, April 27, 2008

super photogenic babe

sebastian in action... charming all the "che ches" and "ko kos"... ready to be hired for advertising jobs. understand basic english + malay such as "show us your gigi"... and "where is your nose?"






fun fun fun

HPC event... fun fun fun






Empress Orchid

a must read. describes the life of the last empress. the loneliness. how trapped she is.


everything does come with a price. firstly, are you willing to pay? and the thing is, you won't know and you can't choose the installment plan. payment might last a whole lifetime... and sometimes you can't back out...

then i suppose one should always "play hard"... might as well maximise utility of whatever it is one have decided to "pay" for...



Tuesday, April 22, 2008

fun sunday drive

warm afternoon, smell of burning rubber, sexy sounds of engines revving... we were tearing down the tracks in sepang's south circuit... or rather fabian, eric and kenny was anyways...

so got a roller coaster like ride in a modified-for-track-beemer (fabian's), subaru (eric's) and a yellow car (kenny's) - which was most interesting :) ... apparently, "raw" is the word to describe it...

didn't get to drive (*pout*) and what's more, missed alvin's lambo ride!!!!! (*cry*)



was a hpc event... wanna drive next time....


http://www.hpcevents.com/instructors.htm



Friday, April 18, 2008

Lost In Tokyo

by

Tokyo Boy


15 April 2008 : It all happened so sudden. As I was shopping in Zara at Osaka's premier shopping district, Shinsaibashi, my passport went missing. I had bought a nice short sleeve blue shirt with white collars earlier, and I may have misplaced my passport there. It was kept in a black money pouch including approximately around MYR 1,500 in various currency notes.

When I realized it went missing, approximately an hour later, I went searching around the area speaking what limited Japanese I know about lost passport but unfortunately it didn't turn up. Had left my number with Zara's sales clerks as well as my tour guide's number in case it turn up. At the back of my mind, I was wondering how to arrange my presentation to some super VVIPs on the coming Thursday since I suspect I will be stuck here awhile.

It was very strange after the initial search. Keeping calm, I contacted the following :

1. Malaysian embassy - For procedures on getting an emergency travel pass.
2. The tour guide - To inform him on my predicament and seek for advice. He had later called up the tour bus to check if I had left it in there as well as the hotel so they could check my room.
3. International SOS - To check on hotels in Tokyo (near to the embassy) for availability at reasonable rates. So far they are the best as they were willing to call up the hotel to check the availability while the rest of the numbers I called later just tell me the hotel's number. The hotel I decided was based on their recommendation.
4. American Express Global Assist - Can't help much because I'm not a Gold Card holder.
5. OCBC Platinum Hotline - Can't help much either though they gave me a list of hotel numbers. Mentioned that they are more in tune with Malaysia & Singapore at the moment.
6. Citibank Global Collect Call - Rejected the collect call. No idea why. Maybe I will cancel their card soon.
7. Parents - They both panicked a little and they gave me numbers for my foster brother as well as another friend who's working in Tokyo. I met them both later. Also they checked on my travel insurance and I could claim up till RM 5,000 for inconveniences. Was pondering how many extra days I should stay.
8. Some office colleagues - To rearrange appointments and get them to fax my passport copy over.

I'd probably spend quite a bit already on phone calls which I would claim once I'm back. After losing my passport, didn't really felt like I wanna shop anymore hence, I just hang around Starbucks till the rest of the group finished their shopping.

That night me and the guide went to one of the police box and reported the lost item. They were very friendly, patient, and efficient. Unfortunately they can't issue the report which I need for the embassy to issue me the certificate, cause all I got was a report number. I argued a bit with the guide though he insisted that this is their procedure. Back of my head, I suspected he didn't know much as because I had already asked the embassy that only Police Stations can issue the report while Police Boxes are just small outposts (macam pondok saja). However I couldn't win this argument as since the guide said everything is fine. Next time I'm gonna insist more on doing it my way. Skipped dinner because of this.

16 April 2008 : I still packed my bags and wanted to follow the group to Kansai airport. The Malaysian guide mentioned for me to stay here in the hotel to which now I insisted to follow cause at the airport I could at least have a lot of transportation facilities should I need to go to Tokyo, as well as baggage storage where I can keep my huge bag. If I hadn't went there, I would need to lug my stuff from the hotel which was very heavy unless I took a cab which would be very expensive. He did help a bit by getting me the consulate number in Osaka as well as the MAS office in both Tokyo and Osaka (which I had asked for earlier as I need to change my flight).

During this whole time, most of the calls and arrangements I did myself which made me wonder how helpful the tour guides are. I had checked the Net the night before on all the necessary procedures (as well as see if I could go to Universal Studios should I stay in Osaka). And most of the phone numbers I had already retrieved. So I was wondering if it was anybody else who was less capable, how would they feel if the guides were found wanting in situations like this.

Later I said goodbye to my colleagues at the airport who were all concerned (or not since I am able to converse a little). Some of them asked me to buy more stuff though for them. Later I would book myself a domestic flight to Tokyo which costs RM 600 for that 1 hour trip. I had wanted to consider the Shinkansen but I don't want to lug my luggage around too much hence I chose the flight.

Arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport, I bought a couple of phone cards and continue my research calls. The airlines had confirmed that they can change my ticket for a nominal fee including switching my outbound flight from Narita instead of Kansai (the fee was around RM 360) which was great. The lady over the line, Nakayama, was so helpful and efficient that I told her I wanted to meet her and thanked her personally.

I also called up a list of hotels to check on availability and all them were fully booked. This were the USD 100 range of hotels around the Shinjuku & Shibuya area (the embassy is in Shibuya). Finally I settled with the original hotel proposed by the International SOS which was Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku at around USD 235 per night (insurance claimable after all).

Then I called up the embassy again to confirm the procedure. I had already gotten most of the documents ready including the landing confirmation from the MAS office (god bless Nakayama-san again), but they insisted on a police report. To which they recommend me to go to the Shibuya Police Staion and make one. Back of my mind I knew I was right then when I argued with the guide. Also I arranged to meet up with my friend, Roy for dinner later that night as I would need him around to talk to the police again.

Finally, I took the train to Shinjuku, lugging my 30 kg luggage up the stairs, down the elevators, passed thousands of people during rush hour, and across a few kilometers before reaching the hotel.

After resting a bit, I made my way to Shibuya, and met up with Roy. We went straight to the station and explain to the cops my predicament. Again they were friendly and helpful though they found it strange why would I need to make another report. Still I got what I wanted and I was to collect it the following morning.

Roy, was my parent's friend's son and he had went to Japan 15 years ago on the same Youth Exchange Program that I went. He's now working in Tokyo having married a Japanese and had a child of 8 months. He also stays near Disneyland. He took me to one of the more famous Ramen place in Harajuku and it the food was very good. So much so we both had second helpings. We discussed a lot of interesting things and would compare Japan with the rest of the world (especially Malaysia) on the differences in culture, work environment and so forth. All in all we both shared similar thoughts.

After our dinner he went home, and I went to Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo in Roppongi to get a T-shirt for my colleague. I also bought some pins for my team since I had went there a few nights before and they weren't able to make it at all. One thing though, everywhere I passed by there's bound to be a Starbucks cafe, and I think I had at least one cup almost everyday I was in Japan.

17 April 2008 : Early morning I got up and went to the Police Station again to collect the report. Then I got my passport photo taken on the way to the embassy. At the embassy I met Kobayashi-san, the guy who I spoke over the phone. He was a great help as well, and manage to get my certificate done in the same day (I had heard it would take at least 4 working days). Then again I was very detailed in filling up the forms and he was surprised as most people just write lost passport while I give a blow-by-blow account of what happened.

While waiting for the certificate I left the embassy and went to three different areas, all via the trains & subways. They are :

1. Ginza - To pick up the RM 300 brushes for HY's dad at this place called KyuKyodo.
2. Asakusa - To visit the birthplace of Tokyo and buy 2 souvenirs for my colleagues who requested me to help find (which I knew can only be gotten in this area). Also took some pictures so I could go back and show them what they had missed :)
3. Akihabara - Actually I only wanted to spend my 3-4 hours time here as this is where all the electronics stuff are sold including Japanese animation, DVDs, and other high-tech curios. In the end I got to spend only half an hour here and bought myself a 2 GB SD card which was only RM 33! I think it should be cheaper than Malaysia (last I checked was around RM 50). Could have bought more stuff but had to rush back to the embassy later to collect my certificate.

It was raining on the way back, but finally I got my certificate to go home! I had also confirmed my flight on the following day at 1.30 pm from Narita, Tokyo (god bless Nakayama-san) and she had faxed the itinerary both to the embassy and my hotel. All in all, things went perfectly fine except that I was tired from all the walking.

That night I met up with Ryuji, my foster brother. He's a year younger, already married, and currently have his own shop business selling alcohol from all over Japan. His wife is one of his employees and only 18 years old! He took me to dinner at Shinjuku in the Red Light Area (called Kabuki-cho here), and we drank beer while having various seafood dishes including one large shrimp, catching up on old times as well as what's new in both our lives.
Later he would take me around the area to enquire about the services on offer. As explained by him, it is against the law for prostitution which meant intercourse, hence the services offered are more on petting & kissing basis, which costs around RM 500-600 for 1-2 hours (depending on duration & place). It seems there are a lot of escort services as brochures were openly displayed. Most of the ladies were of early twenties though there were some places that specializes in women of other sizes. All in all we had an interesting night.

Later I went back to Hard Rock Cafe again as I got a few SMSes to get more t-shirts & magnets. I think I spent over RM 700 there already which I'm going to get back from my colleagues later. On the way back, I had another cup of Starbucks.

18 April 2008 : I had already packed my bag the night before so I woke up at around 7 am and caught the 7.50 am airport limo bus (RM 100 for one way trip). It was a 2-hour journey so I slept most of the way as I only slept at 4 am the night before (due to all the packing).

Now I am at a Starbucks cafe typing this missive thinking if I should have stayed another day. Then again, I am already tight on the dough and should not spend any more (it's really expensive here on the basic necessities). That and I'd probably need to work over the weekend to get some stuff done.

Ja mata aimasho!



Tuesday, April 15, 2008

under the sakuras

by

poh chin (trying to see it from M's point of view)


are you my best friend? i asked my best friend. she responded "i guess so... are you mine?" ... SIGH. such is my very emotionally detached but very observant best friend. she's very different from me. so they say opposites attract. not that we are lesbians or anything. both are absolutely positively straight. she's not sensitive enough to survive as a lesbian. i am too much a romantic to be one.

anyway, her lack of emotional detachment also makes it a little bit difficult to confide in her. she'll probably analyse it and try to give me a solution (a very guy-ish side of her) and what i need is more of a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to me and someone to be on my side... to agree that things are tough... to agree that life's not fair... to let me be weak... to take care of me... (this is probably where pc will say "you need a bf" and i suppose i don't mind one, though the idea of having one which remotely resembles the men in my family freaks me out totally!!)

just got back from japan. missed the hours i spent under the sakuras... in the parks... doing absolutely nothing. only in far far away places, far away from everybody who finds it so easy to depend on me... that i will be able to rest. really rest. do nothing. think nothing. and sleep!! yes, i am finally able to sleep... early too! and alot! love the carefree feeling... love finding myself. because that is what i am. a romantic carefree being who loves the idea of love.

back home... i feel lost. why? because i am not really me. i care, but it hurts to care. so i try not to care. but it also hurts not to care. so i feel lost. somebody will have to figure this out for me. why is it so difficult to not care for somebody who does not care for oneself?? why should anybody? but i do. why is it that i have to take care of someone who is suppose to take care of me? cause i care, i suppose. so the problem is because i care?

pc says

"you should care because that is you. you might end up hurt or disappointed if you care, but you'll be happy! (sounds unlikely, but i really think so).

if you don't care, you'll be unhappy with yourself for not caring, you'll be unhappy because is so not you, you'll be unhappy because you are failing to detach yourself, and on top of that because you fail to really not care, you'll still end up hurt or disappointed."


with best friends like those, who needs enemies really. she has a weird kinda logic. but it works. so i suppose i'll just care.

somebody get me out of this melancholy mood... please... ?




Monday, April 14, 2008

change

i need a change. in what i don't know. i just know i need a change. i suppose i'll just do what i might not normally do and see what happens from there. yes to whatever i would say no to, and no to whatever i would say yes to. for a week. and see what happens. other than in work, of course. i can't say "no, i won't sell to you" (!!)... lol


why can't i just say i need to get out of comfort zone?


then again, this may be just a phase. due to withdrawal symptoms. M has not been around for 2.5 weeks. and therefore, also missing would be T and D. then again, my bestest hangout buddy is just back from japan. i might get out of this bored-shitless state and not feel like a change afterall. or i might not. or maybe this is all just from an inflated level of cholesterol due to my one week stint in sabah. cholesterol induced change... hmm... or maybe not. why bother to know? i would normally find out. so now, i won't!


i know my friends say i am a little bit rebellious at times. but rebelling against myself??? that's new.


ok. that's enough. i have always bragged that i can sleep anytime. but since i slept at 9pm. and accidentally woke up about an hour back, i don't know if i can sleep. maybe tv would be a good idea. i know M would advocate that.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

black hippo

i met the b%#$* of the year today. an obesed pea-brained she-blob of lard who totally spoiled my evening. thankfully i am able to limit her impact to a whole 1 hour. what a total waste of 1 hour.

anyway, why? well, she once again, highlighted that respect is truly earned. i suppose there is a certain amount of respect granted by default if one has a title, designation, is old, etc.

but that is easily lost. how? by talking about something without throughly understanding it, by trying to assert authority via the most ridiculously menial way possible, by not respecting other ppl, .....