Talking to Stef last night just reminded me of what an absolute geek/nerd I am. She was feeling a little guilty after lying to mum about a stomach ache so that she could ditch school. Thinking that she has food poisoning (due to some things that she lied about), mum was super nice to her.

Me ... I have never done anything like that to skip school. The only time I did was after I got to school, only a handful of us actually came for class and the teachers didn't even bother to come in anymore. This was the period approaching the final exam of secondary school, SPM. My friend and I got sick staring at the four walls of the room and left school after a few hours and went to her place.

That was the only true ditching that I did. Pretty pathetic huh?

Other attempts were school related. Inter-school cross-country at some rural school, inter-school squash competition that we managed to pester a teacher to enter us in (mainly cause most of the state players were in my school, yours truly included), choir competition and other stuff that I can't recall right now.

I wonder why a shining example like me has had absolutely no impact on the behaviours of my two younger sibs? A bit of a bore of course following rules and doing what you're suppose to when you're suppose to ... but, if you're suppose to do it. Why wouldn't I? I didn't have a life.

a depressed server. please go and console it.

thanks rednax for the adorable link.

Made my debut in the world of latin american dance competition last Friday. A pretty successful debut I must say. Didn't win but I did manage to scrape my way into the semi-finals.

I was pretty calm when the time came for us (my partner and I) to go on the dance floor. I didn't think I'd be, calm that is, cause from my experience, whenever I have something important coming up, piano exams, ballet exams, exams in general, whenever it's time for me to perform and be judged, I'd get the jitters when I'm suppose to perform. Not even during preparation would I be nervous but only at that exact moment when I'm seated on the chair or standing next to the bar, I'd suddenly blank out, cold sweat starts forming, fingers cold as ice, my mind going a million directions trying to search my brains for what I was suppose to be doing ... but not this time.

It felt like just another practise. When I was on the floor that arvo, I just did whatever I did when I was practising ... trying not to fall off the slippery floor and getting all the steps in.

I think this has a lot to do with the lack of pressure. We knew that we'd not be winning anything although if we did it would be a plus but to me, I had it in my mind that hey! it's my first time. I'm not expected to win, right? So, I guess that explains why I wasn't nervous. I didn't care too much what the result would be. Unlike exams when there's pressure to pass as well as get the venerable distinction.

I had fun and was totally awed by the competitors in the amature category, especially by couple number 12, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova. They caught my eyes during their heats and I barely looked at other couples whenever they were on the floor. I'm just so wowed! If I was fortunate enough to get half as good as them, I'd be a happy puppy.

P.S: Jason, if you're reading this, sorry I wasn't looking out for you cause I didn't know you were gonna be there. I've only just read your posting. Sorry mate. Maybe the next competition alright?

Note to self: The next time you have your form submitted although the javascript function returns a false, check whether you've passed in the correct parameter(s) for that function. Exceptions can't be caught like in java and values other than a false returned would successfully submit the form. Silly empress! Another waste of a few hours wondering what the heck happened.

I've got my license. My real license. Bye bye probation license. Bye bye 'P' sticker. I was really surprised at JPJ's efficiency though. Thought I'd take me more than an hour to get the whole application done but it only took about half an hour; including the wait for my number to pop up on the prompter. The actual processing and making of the license took only 5 minutes. Silly me wasted half a day's leave to get this done. Doh!

new record: After months and months of trying, I finally beat my old Minesweeper record. New record now is 118 seconds for the expert level. Need to shave off 19 more seconds to get into the world record!

VisualStudio Launch

Note to self: Watch "The Screen Savers" Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m (US time). Story regarding Stay-At-Home Secretary.

sun, speed and babes

A half an hour drive, a detour to purchase a $50 parking sticker and a bus ride later, I was finally at gate K2. The entrace to what hopefully would turn out to be an exciting, thrilling race.

It was only half past 10 when Stef and I got in but the place was already packed. We immediately made our way down the slope searching for a comfortable spot with a good view of the track. Good view was easy enough to find as the whole area overlooks the 2nd and 3rd corner leading to the 2nd straight stretch.

Comfort, however, was hard to come by. The slope was bumpy but we made do as best as we could.

Batik cloth spread, hats on head and sunglasses firmly on, we proceeded with the next best thing to do while waiting for the race that was scheduled to begin at 3.15pm; get a tan. So off goes my spaghetti top (I had on sports top ... of course!) and on goes the globs of sunscreen. 'Bad Girls Guide to the Open Road' in hand, I proceeded getting comfy and looking cool reading my pink vinyl covered book. Smilling intermittedly at the witty words of Miss Cameron Tuttle. Probably looking like and idiot doing that but hey! Who's watching? Concentration should be on the track right?

Several minutes later, a bunch of loud, non-stop talking quartet of thirtysomethings parked their asses next to our spot. Blocking my view of a totally cool looking guy sitting a few feet away. But that's fine. They were really funny and friendly. Had some laughs. Good fun.

Later, as I was coming up the slope back to my seat, I went closer to the fence, closer to the track to get some pictures of the driver's procession (I'm expecting the pictures to turn out badly. They were too far away and I don't have a zoom camera.), I heard someone say my name and lo! and behold! I saw my ex-schoolmates. They were putting up a shade/tent thing. (Now why didn't I think of that? I forgot even to bring an umbrella!) Said 'hi' and everything and continued back up the slope to my spot.

The atmosphere was really great. People everywhere lazing on the grass. Talking, laughing, drinking eating, sunbathing, whatever. All out having fun. Most of them decked out with their favourite teams colours, painted or worn. Large flags (mostly the reds of the Ferraris and grey Mercedes) flying and flapping. Perfect race day weather.

After a tediously long and boring traditional performance (mostly due to the fact that nobody on my hill can see it) and the lackluster air show performance by the RMAF, the race begins.

The race itself was quite boring actually. Nothing happened at this end of corner. No crashes. No swerving off the track. No smoke coming out of the back tail. Just some passing and over taking at the turns. I was cherring for our local boy Alex Yoong in the Minardi. Not for him to win, I have to be realistic, but just to at least finish the race in front of his Aussie teammate Mark Webber. There's a whole bunch of people cheering for Michael Schumacher and he has been having a nice long winning streak so I don't think he need anymore support! He did have to pit after the first lap though, he lost his front wing when he collided with Montoya's Williams in the first corner.

I guess I will say that the best part of the race was towards the end when Michael Schumacher overtook Jenson Button's Renault. The poor boy must have felt the thrill of his life thinking that he'll have his first podium finish before it was dashed at the last minute by the incredible Schumacher.

You have to give credit where credit is due. Schumacher really is amazing. To come back up all the way to a podium finish from 12th placing halfway into the race with 3 pit-stops must surely be an incredible feat. It's no wonder he's been winning so much!

Wow! A very enjoyable day. I've never been a big fan of F1 racing but I can see now how it appeals to the masses. It is rather thrilling.

Stef and I am thinking of going again next year. The next time, must remember to bring large umbrella, several litters of water, camera with zoom, binoculars with larger zoom to see the large screen display, food, ...

To go or not to go ... that is the question

The Malaysian Grand Prix 2002 will start tomorrow and I have tickets. Well, actually my dad has tickets cause he's on a project for KLIA. He gave the tickets to me though, I did ask for them. He's not interested in going. I wanted to see what it's like, the race ... live.

Except ...

I didn't want to go alone. I was hoping that they'd give him more than one ticket, so that I could at least go with my sis, and that the ticket was for the final race day not the first day practise session.

So, now, I'm not sure if I'm still going. It's a good ticket though, corporate suite. Expensive. But still, alone. I'm not sure yet.

I'm listening to Virgin Radio and they just had an experiment to prove a survey that Neil Francis found which says that only 20% of women knows how to change tyres compared to 97% of men. Well, it was close as the 6th caller managed to get it right. Would have proven the statistics right if it had been the 5th caller but one caller difference is not too bad, me thinks. Now here's the good part. The caller who got it right, she's a computer person. I couldn't really hear what exactly in computers but yeah, she's a computer person. She was spot on. Yay! Computer gals knows how to change tyres. I do as well and I was looking for a chatroom at Virgin Radio's site, before the 6th caller came through, to see if I could type in the answer but there isn't one.

Hmmm ... maybe they should do another study to find out the percentage of computer women who knows how to change tyres.

Found this from EvHead's blog. Isn't this gorgeous? Check out the review at kicksology.


Too bad they don't sell And 1 shoes here. I might just buy this. Have been looking to buy a pair of sneakers for a long time. Haven't found one that I like just yet. It's probably cause I want the shoe to look good as well as function as my general excersize shoes, not that I excersize much these days but I like to have a pair of shoes for the times that I do. Of course, I'd like it to be cheap or at least affordable. Don't want to pay mega bucks just for a pair of shoes.

Speaking of shoes, Irene from Superdances just called to say that my new gold dancing shoes are ready. Hurrah! And it only took them eight days to finish my shoe. Hope it fits. I tried on a size 6 when I was at her place but I really needed a size 6(B/wide), since I have wide forefoot. Took a chance and ordered 6(B) without trying. Have to look for a studio with unwaxed floor to try out my spanking new shoes.

So excited. New shoes. Whee!

woo hoo! I'm Storm!



Which Star-Crossed Marvel Lover Are You?

I got a tie. Talk about multiple personality disorder!

See which Greek Goddess you are.

See which Greek Goddess you are.

Read this article in the papers back in March 5th. I don't read the news in the newspapers only lifestyle, sports section, comics, movie listing and the tv guide. And usually just breeze through those as well but this article caught my eyes.

At a time where everyone is putting in mucho hours, making things happen fast, making money fast, these people come up with "Slow Cities". A spin-off from the slow food movement, the main objective 'slow cities' is to get us to enjoy life. Quality life.

The idea sounds wonderful but I do wonder if someone like me would be able to fit in a city such as that. Someone who's restless. Someone who gets bored easily. Someone who need something to do, to move, to jump and prance ... okay, maybe not jump and prance exactly. Someone who after 8 hours of work seeks other activities/classes to fill up time between after office hours and bedtime.

I mean, what would you do if you went straight home after work?

Dinner and shower? Sure. Fine. But how long do you need for that? One hour max. What next? Plop in front of the telly? Read? Good and fine as well but that's just so boring! Plus, not extremely good for your health. Lack of movement/exercise. A body needs movement.

Even if I could stand having minimal activities, you need beaucoup bucks to enjoy good food, good clothes, good homes, even good/clean air! Only thing that would be free would be good friends. People to enjoy it with.

Would be ideal if I didn't have to worry about money. Then yeah! I'd definitely live in a "slow city".

In fact, I try to have a slow city at least once a year. It's in a city called Penang. It's an Island really but it's a small island. All I do when I'm there is eat, sleep, eat, sleep, watch the telly, read, and laze on the beach or on the pool (if I'm staying at a seaside hotel).

Slow island, anyone?

A glove that allows you to touch things virtually. Not an extremely new idea. TechTV's story yesterday 'Computers Get Touchy-Feely' reminded me of Johnny Mnemonic. That futuristic movie starring Keanu 'cool breeze over the mountain' Reeves which I thought was a total flop ... so did thousands in the world. But, in that movie, I remember a part when Johnny puts on these VR goggles and glove and starts doing things like taking things, openning boxes and typing on a keyboard without those things there physically. I thought that was cool. Hopefully things will go far for "virtual touch" and more people, besides USC's Integrated Media Systems Center will look into haptics technology, the technology behind "virtual touch".

I still look forward to the day when wearable computing will be possible and I think the "virtual touch" would be a great tool for it.

To Where You Are

Who can say for certain
Maybe you're still here
I feel you all around me
Your memories so clear
Deep in the stillness
I can hear you speak
Your still an inspiration
Can it be

That you are mine
Forever love
And you are watching over me from up above
Fly me up to where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile to know your there
A breath away's not far
To where you are

Are you gently sleeping
Here inside my dream
And isn't faith believing
All power can't be seen
As my heart holds you
Just one beat away
I cherish all you gave me
Everyday

Cause you are mine
Forever love
Watching me from up above
And I believe
That angels breathe
And that love will live on and never leave

Fly me up to where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile
To know you're there

A breath away's not far
To where you are

I know you're there
A breath aways not far
To where you are

i lifted this lyric from ellen's site. the site's all in chinese, i think. all i see is weird symbols but you can see things that are written in english. i followed those and voila! i've got the lyric.

doesn't it just sound sad and beautiful? i remember the first time i heard/saw josh groban sang this song. saw it in a tiny little window in media player sitting in front of my computer at work. managed to find it from one of josh's micro site over at welovesarah.com. it was a snippet from the christmas episode in ally mcbeal; season 5 episode 7 entitled 'Nine One One' to be percise.

i remember sitting there, listening to the song and as the song goes on, my eyes started tear-ing. so sad. i think i've written about this before but i don't care. after so many time of listening to it (i have the cd now and am listening to it even as i write), it sometimes still make me a little teary.

musn't make it too much of a habit. have been turning off my phone alarm and not waking up when i should. only woke up at 8 this morning which left me with 30 minutes to shower, dress and drive to work. an impossible feat and therefore not worth rushing.

and so, i took my own sweet time. had a bowl of cereal, drove my neighbour who was going to school for her library duty and got to work at nine. only half an hour late. not too bad.

should really try going to bed earlier so as to be able to wake up when i'm suppose to. even if it was to get to work and do more testing and debugging on that bleeding trigger module which is slowly driving me insane.

somehow, some of the things i've tested a few weeks back didn't seem to work today. it's completely mystifying. received a 'value conflict occurs' error. supposedly, this error occurs if the method used is not supported by the database driver, in this case the oracle jdbc driver. if anyone has ever encountered this error, please tell me how to fix it. i don't know how. if it is the driver, then why did it work the first time i tested the function weeks ago and not today? i've asked around and everyone says that nobody's done any tweaking or updating to the database nor the driver. so, i'm puzzled as to why this error should occur now.

these are the relevant lines which triggered the error:

resultset.updateString(column, data);
resultset.updateRow();

updateString() didn't cause any error. updateRow() is the culprit here.

calling all java guru, please help empress in her dillemma.

alright, after work, got home and before i even sat down for a little rest. my dad goes on again that i should go get his serial-usb converter for him ASAP. "oh and while you're there, get a new colour catridge as well."

so after dinner, i trod (trodded?) along to pyramid's IT center to get the stuff. got my dad to give me the dough before i came. thought that the RM300 that he gave me would be more than enough for that two item but i was wrong. it wasn't more that enough. it was just enough. the converter costed RM130 (although it said RM150 on the price tag) and the catridge costed RM120 (again the price tag read RM135, if i'm not mistaken). i wondered what the point of placing the price tag there if you're not going to sell it for the price that was printed but ... hey! i'm not complaining. i got the goods at a lower price and low price is always good. why pay more?

when i got home, my dad had another job for me. installing software. i've practically installed his software on both the machines that's in our house and now he wants it on his laptop as well. hopefully once he starts uses the laptop then he'll leave my pc alone. then i can delete all his files and programs and regain disk space. then find out why i can't open a large *.jpg file without my computer saying that i don't have enough disk space. there was over 500MB of space when i tried opening that file. a colleague says that it has something to do with my swap file. ok. fine. "so, what do i have to do to my swap file to make it work?", i asked. "i don't remember." was the reply.

installed the software, made sure internet was setup for my dad and then off to bed.

hey, check this out. my picture's being used as a background of one of my uni's tour page. Ain't it cool? :)

i've got free banner free web hosting at empress.digitalrice.com

... wait! wait! wait! ... before you start clicking on to the new site, i have to tell you that there is absolutely nothing there as yet. i'm thinking of maybe using greymatter or MT for this site. are there any greymatter or MT users reading this? if so, what do you recommend?

besides that, i'm thinking that i should really come up with a theme for a design before publishing that site. i've been saying that i need to design a look for this blog forever but i've never gotten to it. so, before the new site comes, i really want to have a design up. problem is, i don't have much idea on what i want. sugesstions please?

basically this blog is a call for recommendation and suggestions ... so start blogging back! i need feedback.

how cool is this!


Which Angelina Are You?

---

not sure how cool this winona result is as i haven't seen the movie. the description sound okay i suppose. not as cool as the angelina result! ... I AM LARA CROFT! HEAR ME ROAR!!!

Which Winona Are You?

---

YELLOW You are very perceptive and smart. You are clear and to the point and have a great sense of humor. You are always learning and searching for understanding. Find out your color at Stvlive.com!

it's official

come 29th march, i'll be competing in the malaysia millennium 2002 competition.

i have three costumes to choose from. two of them are of the same style; it's a simple dress, one shouldered and short (not that short for me cause i have short legs). one's pink glittered and the other is black with gold glitters. the other costume is a two piece yellow concoction. the top has gold sequins (the top itches) and the skirt is short and tasseled.

of those three, i think i look best in the yellow costume. the other two seems to make me look really big; especially the pink costume plus that shade of pink just doesn't seem to go with my skin colour. my partner loves that costume though. keeps pressing me to wear it for the competition.

haha ... not a chance. not going to listen to his opinion on this matter. his fashion taste is simply ... how should i put this nicely? ... not good. closer to terrible if not horrendous.

it's either the black or the yellow. everyone, except my partner, seems to agree that i should wear the yellow. so, maybe i'll be wearing the yellow.

i've placed a last minute order for a new pair of dancing shoes yesterday. simple design, all gold in a material called 'madonna glitter'. i've also ordered it a half inch higher than my usual practise shoes. i hope that won't affect my dancing too much ... if it does, preferably for the better and not for the worse.

right! so, from now until friday the 29th, must squeeze in as many practises as possible. will be having practise later tonight after choir practise. hope i still have energy after a long day at work and two hours of singing to dance.

nothing much has been going on so no blog ... unless you want the usual boring blogs that i used to write about my everyday life.

anyways, new entry in the auditions page. check it out you wannabe actors.

bad news. mph has switched their wired magazine supplier. no more wired magazine at RM 24.90. they now sell at the same price as all the other newsagents, at RM31.

good news is mph will have the current issues at the same time as the newsagents. i used to have to wait till the end of the month to buy that month's issue.

"Hollywood uses a handful of clichés to denote villainy. The bad guys are Nazis, Asians, Soviets or Arabs. They wear black clothing and they speak with accents.

Now there's a new one: The baddies use Windows PCs."

club review: nuovo, kuala lumpur

situated opposite the still standing and frequently refurbished emporium club, erected in a spot where this writer have often passed and never knew was large enough for a building, stands the latest night spot to hit the hustle and bustle of the city of kuala lumpur. my first impression of the building is that it must have been quite cheap to build as it looks as though it has been built using aluminium foils. lacking further inspection, this writer was unable to verify this observation. however, the walls does look solid enough from the inside. so, it just might be something stronger than aluminium ... might.

the club's divided into two sections. r&b on the ground floor and rave/house/trance (i still haven't figured out how to tell the difference between those). at least that was how it was on the saturday that i was there. whether or not they have a varying themes on other days is something that this writer will have to find out in a future date.

with full length glass windows surrounding the section facing the main streets (it's in a corner so there are two streets) and sliding doors at the main entrance and at the side, as well as a sidewalk the width of approximately two small tables, the ground floor gave a feeling of space ... until you enter the club. an medium sized island bar, lots of tall tables and plush sofas splatter around the club and a small dance floor takes up the space of the ground floor. it was well lit, although not overly lighted, with a light reddish lighting that i think was quite appropriate for an r&b club. i can't explain why i think reddish lighting seems to fit; it just feels right.

the clientelle in this floor is a pretty good mix. mostly locals with a healthy dose of expats. equal mixture of ethnicity and a good range in age as well. not as young a crowd as, lets say bali in sunway (which rumour has is will be closing down real soon) or the r&b club or*nge on jalan kia peng. working adults mostly, i think.

okay, onward to the 1st floor.

following the counter where you pay your cover charge (around RM30-RM40, must have this confirmed as well since i got in through my friend who bought a bottle), is a spiralling staircase leading up to the second dance area. my friend like the red tinted windows that offers a street view across to the beach club on the wall in which the stairs was placed against. i on the other hand thought it might have looked better in blue. even more so after seeing the room in blue light with white furnishing after a short dimly hallway that greets the end of the staircase. this is a room for people to just sit and have a few booze, similar to a room i've seen at movement. all of the table was reserved that day. we were told to get our bottle from the bar at the dance area which adjoins this blue room so we left that room.

so, we shimmied our way to the dance area. from the entrace, you can see that it was actually a two level space. a staircase on the left of the entrance leads you to a members only section. it has more tables and chairs and a bar plus you have a great view of the dance floor. the dance floor is of a medium size and only starts filling up at around 12.30am but fill up it does way up until the club closes. again, the crowd is mixed although mostly young working adults with a smatterring of older folks about and there were also fewer expats around.

all in all, a satisfying and rather enjoyable trip. would definitely come back to nouvo the next time i need to party and booze.

am at work. finally going to catch up on work. have been slagging off the past few weeks. even the idiot's noticed. asking me why i'm so slow these few days. even told the big boss i looked tired and must have been burnt out when big boss asked him where i was the time i was sick.

didn't do much the last two days cause of the meetings i had to sit in. i felt that it didn't involve my department/company much as the project had more to do with setting up network and hardwares than softwares; which is what i do, softwares. so i've just been sitting in. contributing little if any to the meeting. what a complete waste of time.

managed to weasal my way out of the meeting at 3.30pm yesterday and got some work done. still think that the company should really implement the flexi-time practise. then i don't have to 'stay back'. if they did, i think i'd start work at 1pm and leave at 8pm. my ideal working hours.

i'm a night person.

brain doesn't work in the morning. waste of hours spent in office in the morning. never get anything done. wonder why that is.

six days without a blog. must be a record for me. but then, nobody's missed me have they? i'm still amazed there are people who comes back to this blog day in and day out. albeit, there aren't a lot of people coming and going ... but the numbers says there are some. thank you somes.

we're into the third day of the chinese new year now. twelve more days to go. doesn't feel like new years this year. don't know why. we had the reunion dinner the night before new years ... steamboat as usual. us kids received our ang pows as expected. we all gorged ourselves to the max since the reunion dinner ... as usual. everything's going about the same as it's always been for new years.

so, why was i in such a funk the whole time? i didn't feel the whole spirit of new years at all. not once. not during the reunion dinner. not the next morning, first day of new years, when we started stuffing our faces with our fave home-cooked assam laksa and popiah. nor a few hours later when we ate again during lunch. nor a few hours later during dinner.

maybe it's cause our little 'casino' didn't open this year ... we gamble a little every year during new years, blackjacks usually. no biggie, only $1 or 50 cent bets, small bets really, just for fun, but we do have lots of laughs.

maybe it's cause papa's working almost the whole time. he's on a project for KLIA. don't understand why he has to work during the holidays though. maybe the deadline's really tight or something. don't know. he seems really tired these days. all the field work required for the project must be taking it's toll. he's been sick a few times and the he's been travelling to indonesia and thailand for other projects. he might be taking in more than he can handle. maybe he should slow down.

maybe it's just me being selfish again. since my room's on the ground floor and the huge tv's in my room (temporarily), a stream of people have been coming and going pretty as they please into and out of my room. the computer which papa uses is also in my room. it's like i have no privacy! i even have to change clothes elsewhere. there's always people about. it's like living in a dorm! ... not like i would know exactly how that feels like since i've never lived in one but i suspect i'd go quite mad if i ever had to. empress the selfish bitch!

urgh! i don't know. it's probably just me being a scrooge again. well, 'tis not the season but it works the same. i can just hear myself going 'bah humbug' to all the cheery people who's enjoying the new years.

i really need to analyse myself. why do i feel so down the whole time? what is it that's causing this feeling?

problem is, i can't really pin point the answer. i just don't know.

i don't know.

je se pas.

according to my mom, that's my favourite phrase. ask me anything and i'd just shrug and say "i don't know".

okay. was back at work after two days of rest but couldn't blog cause the network was down at work. the whole day.

i got an email from the producer of the audition i attended last saturday. it was an audition for two musicals; 'something happened on the way to the forum' and 'pirates of penzance'. according to the producer, they would love to give me a part except my schedule doesn't fit into their rehearsal schedule. here's the excerpt from the mail.

Hi Callista!

It was a real pleasure meeting you on Saturday and thank you for coming to
the audition.

We would like to offer you a part in FORUM but will not be able to
accommodate your current work schedule.

Please let us know if your schedule changes. Thanks again and hope you can
come see the show!

Chae Lian
Producer

P.S. we will contact you again at the end of July when we finalise casting
for PIRATES OF PENZANCE.

so, wondering if they were just being polite and was gently rejecting me citing schedule clash, i wrote back to her, after consulting a friend, asking for their schedule to see if i can make rehearsals and this was the reply ...

Dear Callista,

We rehearse from after lunch onwards for about 5 - 6 weeks starting in
March. Once the show starts its run from April 19th - May 11th, you'll only
be needed at night so you can return to your day job.

It is a pretty heavy commitment and we know that it will be difficult for
bosses to give that much time off. One or two days a week might be OK but
probably not everyday for several weeks. Anyway, if you think this can be
worked out, let us know. We already have a shortlist of people but we can
add you on if you are available.

Chae Lian

they should have stated that people who have usual working hours need not apply. then i wouldn't have bother to go. but then i'm kinda glad i did as well cause now i know i can get a part. i must have done something right that day although i forgot my lyrics and couldn't really concentrate on acting out the song.

*sigh* i guess, childhood dream would have to wait a little while longer. always dreamed of being in a musical. all the dancing and singing. i think it's due to all the ballet classes and piano lessons i was taking and the series 'fame' on the telly. wanted to study in a school like that where you can pursue your dreams. pretty cool ... until reality kicks in and there's no such school in malaysia then. nor would my parents have allowed me to go to such a school. no security and what not in show business.

ah ... c'est la vie!

it's finally happened. i'm officially sick. after a week long of stuffed nose, the fever has finally caught on and it's also giving me a mighty headache.

it's a miracle i managed to drive myself to the clinic and back.

won't be writing for at least two days since i'm at home and the connection sucks. won't have much to write about anyway unless i write about how much time i spend in bed sick. i just had to update my auditions page.

hmmm ... haven't written about the asian x-games experience. will do so when my body and head doesn't ache so much.

ta.

ack! ... another quiz

Daria is the poster child for "teen misfit," and holds in high contempt what she sees as the shallowness and superficiality of the world around her. She is also cynical -- though she'd say she's "realistic" -- and mistrustful of authority, and doesn't hesitate to make her opinions known when she sees fit. She has a talent for writing, a sharp intellect, an even sharper tongue (her sarcasm could cut tempered steel), and a wit so dry it makes the Sahara look like a rain forest.

... and another

"You are just as interesting as your weblog!"

You have an interesting weblog and an equally interesting life. You don't need to exaggerate to make your stories sound exciting. They already are. You have a small circle of friends, both online and offline, and they all love having you around. You're an all around nice person and the best friend anyone could ever imagine having.

to apply or not to apply, that is the question...

for the past few days, the idea of applying for a PR to australia has, yet again, reared it's ugly head. it has always been at the back of my mind ever since the day i touched done back on my home soil.

the dream of going back to melbourne. ahhh ... what a dream.

of a life of independence. of the unpredictable yet lovely, at least to me, weather. of a life far away from my family and all the headaches of life in a family.

my friends have different opinions on whether i should or shouldn't go for it. one's all for the idea as she has regretted her decision or rather lack of options that disabled her from applying. another's all for it cause he's never been there but have met the people and it sounds like a great place to live (i agree! ... however, i might be biased). others were more reflective?, as in i should think carefully about the reasons i would want to live in australia. one opined that maybe i should do a little more travelling before deciding on australia as a destination.

hmmm ... a valid point that. however, travelling required money and time. two things that i do not have much in abundance at this moment. why no time? you might ask. the answer is simple, really. it is said that the chances of having the australian PR application approved is higher for those below 25 years of age. and as you know, yours truly will be that age at the end of this year. therefore, i have only about 10 more months left to decide.

so, why am i considering of applying?

i think, i need to get away from the security of my family. i think, i would like to experience again the feeling of being independant like in 1998. although that wasn't truly independant as money was still coming from my family and i did not really have to worry about it. i think, the weather was good for my skin as i had less acne while i was there. i think, it's my fascination with 'white people'.

i think. i think. i think.

i'm not entirely sure.

it's just that i remembered that i loved being there. i loved paying my own bills. cooking my own food. the walk to the laundromat to drop off the clothes and the walk to get the clothes back. wearing a sweater to keep off the cold air from direct contact with your skin. the nice walk to the park to sit on the swing or the walk to the pool thirty minutes away or to chadstone for a movie without breaking a sweat. the musicals that are shown in the city ... ah, the musicals, my love, my life.

maybe it's just the novelty of being away from home for the first time. you know? no restrictions from parents. no worrying about what others in the family is going through and having to adjust according to what they are feeling at the moment ... which can turn out to be quite taxing. no lectures from parents regarding one thing or the other. no watchfull eyes telling us we're doing this or that wrongly. nobody stopping me from trying out something even though it might prove disasterous.

i don't know. should i? or shouldn't i?

how do i decide?

is the need to feel independant reason enough to want to move to a new country?

i've been doing a lot of the test on emode lately. this is one of the result that i particularly like ... although, how accurate it is is unknown to me. it the result of the 'which executive are you?' test.

Okay, time to confess: You've always loved that Randy Newman song "It's Money That I Love," haven't you? Don't worry — that's not a problem. In fact, it actually gives you an advantage in this bottom-line-focused rat race. Not to mention that it makes you an ideal CFO. Chief financial officers are all about money, from accounts payable to petty cash. Since you're detail-oriented and a consummate perfectionist, you'd be great at making sure all the columns on the spreadsheet add up right. Minding the books is hard work, but you love a challenge. Who knows? If this works out, you could end up like Scrooge McDuck and have a giant money bin to swim in. (Mind if we come over for a dip?) No doubt about it, there's a promotion in your future. So keep up the good work!

this one's for the 'what type are you?' test:

You are a Go Getter

Ambitious, focused, dedicated — you're a true Go-Getter. Though you once may have been president of your high school class or editor of the college newspaper, these days you're likely to be found on your cell phone or making an appointment in your Palm Pilot. A short-skirted "Ally McBeal" business suit is your uniform of choice, which lots of men find quite sexy. Your sights are set on career, fame, and fortune, and you may not think you have time for a risky investment like love. Naturally, you attract guys who love a challenge — they're desperate to close the deal and show you that you're wrong. They can probably relate to your insatiable desire to succeed, but want to prove that love is just one more thing at which you can excel.

the 'who's your type? test:

Your type is the Casanova

You're on the market for a sweet-talking, smooth-moving, good-lookingCasanova. This stud knows exactly what to do and say in any situation. He'squite the charmer. Put him in a room, and everyone flocks to him. He'squick-witted, incredibly stylish, and runs with the right crowd. Does thisguy ever have to wait in line? No way. Does he look like he just stepped outof GQ magazine? Always. This super-suave guy is not only fun to be around,but he's part of the coolest scene. Whether it's a top-notch restaurant orthe hottest new club, your man is there. He's a real ladies man. Whenyou're around him, you feel like you're the center of the universe. Thiship, hot guy has got the slick moves and smart lines that keep you comingback for more!

plus several more which i'll post tomorrow. gotta get home for a bit of din-din before heading for streetvoiz practise. and then ice-creams afters ... 31% discount at baskin robbins every 31st of the month ... ie. today!

i'm psyched! my first online purchase for myself will be arriving anyday soon. just received a mail from the people at acmabooks saying that 2 of the 3 bad girls books i ordered have been shipped. yay!

:: y e s t e r d a y ::

more proof that her imperial highness never learns from her mistakes!

had planned on a day in the city loafing about and checking out the asian junior extreme games that begins yesterday. alone. that is after a little chore of dropping off the envelope for my credit card payment.

what happened was two hours of sitting behing the backseat of my brother's car going toward the city. pros - free transportation (i never drive to town if i can help it. the train is so much more convenient). cons - ... continue reading ...

as i was preparing to leave for the city, stef woke up. she looked bored and didn't seem to have anything to do that day. so, i suggested that she accompany me to the city (mistake #1). waited for her to get ready. brother was also going into the city so got a ride from him.

he stopped to pickup r, his girlfriend. she hasn't gotten ready yet when we got to her place, which was 45 minutes after he told her we were leaving for her place. seems that's typical behaviour for her.

sat at a nearby mamak shop for a drink while we waited. she got there a short while later. we were still having our drinks and bro & stef had just ordered fried chicken.

a slight commotion made me turn my head toward the front of the shop where i spied a police near my brother's illegally parked car. alerted him about it but it was already too late so he left the car there in the illegal spot. hey! since we're already gonna pay for it, why move?

off we go again going towards the city. towards citibank for my chore. towards klcc after that. ... really slowly due to the infamous kl traffic.

since it was nearing lunchtime, we all decided to have lunch together at klcc after my bro finish his chore with his insurance agent (mistake #2). i think me and stef wandered around dayabumi for around an hour or more before my brother finished. if you know dayabumi, you'd know how bored and aimless we had been. great! it's already 2pm by then.

my turn ... my chore. they waited for my while i ran into citibank to drop in the envelope.

while i was in, they were told not to wait so they had to go out into the busy streets. they called to tell me to walk to klcc on my own cause they couldn't wait. fine! tis not that far away so it's fine.

had lunch at my fave cafe chain (at the moment). bro volunteered me to pay for lunch and stef seconded it. urgh! hate stef. i'd just paid my bills and here i am running up the numbers again with this new bill. it was almost a hundred ringgit! remember? it was lunch for 4 person. okay fine. i don't do this too often. it's okay. and bro did give me a lift. hmmm ... this free ride was turning out to cost more than anything.

they didn't have much in mind to do after that, so i suggested my original plan of stopping over at the x-games for a looksee.

boy! was it packed! there was a crowd getting in. a crowd getting to the stand to the stands. a crowd everywhere. only managed to watch a dismayal performance from malaysia's team, wonder how they ever got in! missed the demo by 2 japanese brothers over at the vert cause it was on a different stand. was watching the competitors warm up, there was this really small kid in yellow who was really good and light and this other kid in red who was fast and sharp, and waiting for the games to actually begin when my bro called saying we're heading home. argh! just when it's about to begin!

then ... had to listen to them complain in the car about how everything was a waste of time. how we shouldn't have stopped at the games. how we should have just stayed at klcc and did some shopping. urgh!

i'm going to go back to the games next week. but this time, on my own. i can't seem do anything that i want when i go out with other without them grumbling about something or the other. well guys, nobody forced you to follow me to the games. you went of your own free will.

you've been hacking and coughing all day long till tears roll out from you eyes. your mouth feels dry from breathing through your mouth cause that's the only way to get oxigen into your body. and your body ... your body feels cold from the air conditioning in the office but putting on the jacket is just too warm. so, you've been putting on and taking off the jacket to stay warm or cool off intermittedly.

now, just 15 minutes to go to official after hours, it's pouring outside. your car is parked in the building across the road. you don't have an umbrella with you.

just how bad can the day get?

not much more, i hope, as there aren't too many hours left. small consolation for such a miserable day.

why didn't i just pack up and go home to my comfortable bed at home? well, maybe just cause i'm not really that sick. just that the bloody cough and stuffed nose is such a bother. had i gone to the doctors, the probably would have just given me my medication and hie my ass back to the office without and mc. so why bother?

i've taken 2 paracetamol before lunch (probably what the docs would give me anyway) and should probably take another 2 right now! in fact i think i will.

right ... just did.

saturday's come and gone. peter didn't ask me out again. so i guess he's either not interested in anything more than friendship or he's just not interested anymore. doesn't matter. i'm fine with it was just maybe gonna give it a shot should it turn out to be more than friendship.

anyway, since i was free on saturday, went out with some friends for dinner and then shimmied over to the newly reopened 'spiral'. supposedly a really hip and happening r&b club before the close down for relocation. they've relocated. reopened last week. even read a review of the club saturday morning in the papers. pretty good review so i was quite psyched about going.

bleagh ... big disappointment! huge! the place looks good enough. bar's an island sorta thing, plenty of places to sit and stuff and drinks was pretty reasonably priced. problem was, the dance floor was small. a little too small in fact, that all of us thought it was more of a bar with a little dance space than a dance club.

however, they still had problems filling that tiny dance space. seems that not many people comes to the club. it was 12.30am and there was barely anyone on the dance floor. plus, the paper's reviewed that the patrons should be slightly dressy ... meaning no t-shirt and jeans but there was this whole bunch of 30-somethings there wearing exactly that. i'm now suspecting whether the reviewer have actually been to the club and wasn't too drunk and have halucinated his whole joyous experience in the club.

we were there quite early at 11pm and the music being played was good. won't say excellent but acceptable. that was before anyone was in there and nobody, absolutely nobody was on the dance floor. then when about 5 person was on the dance floor, the started playing these retro-pop songs! c'mon! how in the world did pop song fit into and r&b club. needless to say, i didn't get up and boogie cause those are just not the songs i'd boogie to. the 30-somethings didn't seem to mind. in fact, i think they kinda enjoyed it. me, i was just sitting back and laughing at the ways some of them danced. LOL. i know. i know. shouldn't laugh at people just cause they have two left feet but it was just so hilarious i couldn't help myself.

all in all, not a very nice place to go. i wouldn't go there again. what with the lousy music and sleazy crowd. oh! forgot to mention the crowd. there was this bunch of nigerians and one of them tried to pick-up a friend of mine. he was so full of himself. saying how he's a son of a diplomat, how he likes fat women (my friend's kinda on the plump side but she's cute), how much he loves her. my friend was not impressed. not impressed at all. he even asked her if she was a lesbo cause she keeps sticking to me. newsflash guys! girls tend to stick together either when they are uncomfortable with your advances and wants you to hie your ass away from her or when they really like you and am discussing whether to give you a chance (this indicated by giggles and coy looks in your direction). so, take your cue guys and leave or proceed accordingly.

so, in conclusion, i didn't have a nice time and this outing currently hold the record for me dancing the least songs. i usually can go on for hours at end on the dance floor. if you're horny and are on the lookout for some dark meat, you could probably get some action here. otherwise, you'd do better heading somewhere like 'the beach club' or 'el nino'.

met up with peter last night. i'm not sure if you'd call that a date or not. we had coffee, a bit of chat, a bit of laugh. was that a date? i'm not sure cause i haven't been on too many of them. dates ... that is.

only one comes to mind as a actual date. it was back when i was ... 16? 17? a friend's of my brother asked me out and i thought, "sure! why not! let's give this dating thing a shot." that's the one and only time i went out with that guy though. it's not like we didn't have fun. we did. watched a movie. went to the arcade. just plain hung out. so what's the difference between that and hanging out with friends? i didn't see the difference plus it wasn't like i was into the guy so we never went out again. he's still my brother's friend and we're kinda friends as well, i guess.

then there was this french guy who picked me up from coffee bean. i had just gotten back from melbourne and was job searching. had just hand delivered a resume to a company in town and thought i'd hang for awhile. then i met him. i don't even know why i let him pick me up. he wasn't even cute! turns out he's sort of a horny guy. probably out searching for a cheap lay. only went out with him like twice i think. then it was buh-bye!

right. and in between that, i had this course mate who liked me. i knew he kinda likes me but we're mostly friends really. i don't ever think of him as boyfriend material. this is gonna sound really bad of me but ... he's fat and not even ok looking. okay all you people who wants to bash me for not liking fat ugly people do so now or forever hold your peace .... we'd hang out. go dinners. watch movies. never once did i think those were preludes to a certain something that would happen later ...

we were out in the city (melbourne at that time). don't remember what we did but i think we went to watch the 'wedding singer' ... the one with adam sandler and drew barrymore. then we had a delicious italian dinner. mmm ... yum! then we hopped on the train to head home (we students all live around the same area). it was in the train when he popped the question. NO! not THE. geez! only that he asked me whether i wanted to be his girlfriend. of course i told him no and i don't think of him as a boyfriend and that we're good friends. then he asked, "why? why don't you want to be my girlfriend? don't we have a good time when we hang out? i'm a nice guy aren't i?" i went "yes. yes. yes. but i still don't want you as a boyfriend. i don't feel anything for you but friendship." you'd think he'd leave it at that wouldn't you? but no! he had to insist that i tell him the reason i don't want to be his girlfriend. i was like, "haven't you hear a word i've said? i don't feel anything for you. that's why! plus, i don't really want a boyfriend right now. i'm happy being single."

at this point, i was wishing that i could just walk away from him but the train's moving. even worse, we'd taken an express train and it'll arrive at one station before the one i'm getting off which was his station. wish i could have jumped off or something cause he was making me feel really uncomfortable. i stayed silent till he got off. then i headed towards my friends place which i was staying over at that day. of course i told her what happened and she agreed that he shouldn't have placed me in such a spot. all i could say was "hell yeah!"

ever since that day, i've avoided meeting up with him. oh we wen't out for dinner once last year. i was hoping he'd forget the whole incident but i sort of feel that he still likes me that way cause he asked me whether i was seeing anyone at the moment. why i wasn't. as if my explanation of not wanting a boyfriend is baseless. so, yeah, haven't spoken to him since that dinner. it's kinda sad to loose a good friend you can hang out with due to all this crap!

then there's this guy, simon, whom i met at the choir agm. he's a malaysian working in singapore. when he came back for a few days he asked me if i'd like to have coffee. again i went ... yeah. sure. why not. a bit of chat. a bit of laugh. and then he asked whether i watch movies. i'm thinking, "okay. here we go!" but said "sure i do." thing is he didn't really ask me to go for a movie just whether i do watch movies or not. so i took it, the question, literally in the hopes that he gets the idea and switch topic or something.

so ... that's the extent of my dating life. pathetic isn't it? maybe. but mostly it's cause i don't really feel like having a relationship so why date at all?

people say a lot good things about relationships. about how it helps you grow. enriches you life. makes feel things and all that. even though relationship eventually goes sour at the end, you still learn from it and it makes better person. more experience with life.

probably that's what's missing in my life. i always feel like life is pointless. i'm just going through the motions. i don't matter in the whole picture. nothing would be missed if i should suddenly dissappear. it's like what eponin sang "without me, his life would go on turning" in the song 'on my own' from les miserable. in my case, it would go "without me, the world would go on turning".

i really need life experience. most thing i know i've learned from books and i feel i've been sheltered all my life. i need to experience things.

on that note, i think i'll see how things with peter goes. i might actually give the boyfriend-girlfriend-relationship thing a go. he asked what i was doing this weekend and i said i didn't know. he said he's mail me. but he didn't today. maybe sometime this week he will. maybe our meet didn't go too well. don't know.

and life goes on.

created a little site to place announcement for auditions that i come across on the internet, newspaper, ...etc. check it out at http://auditions.blogspot.com.

i've got more to add but don't have the time yet. would do it later. if you have audition information, email me the details and i'll place them there.

first practise for the new dance formation team happened yesterday morning. pretty good effort too. learned some new moves. relearned some old ones. one hour and forty five minutes later, it's over. nice having a little aerobic exercise in the morning. :) following that, had a regular set of big mac meal. mwaahaha ... all the burnt calories regained.

then, more dancing. practise the competition routine with my partner for over an hour before we stopped. me out of exhaustion and him cause he's gotta go chauffer his mom.

crashed out at prem's place for a few hours after sending my car for a wash and vacum (finally!). they were watching 'the corruptor' showing on astro. i didn't remember the movie being so utterly boring the last time i saw it. granted, i still have no idea what chow yun-fat was mumbling about throughout the whole movie. he really need to learn how to speak english before he justifies himself a hollywood actor and his big fat paycheck. just stick to hong kong movies mr.chow until you do, okay?

i brought prem the lavay smith cd i had and she made a copy of it there and then so i could take it home on the same day unlike my russell watson cd that she held hostage for over two months. also brought her the vcd of Amelie ... the french movie that's been garnering really good reviews. it's a light and cute movie. i like.

next headed over to one-utama to check out the seating for the musical 'fame'. yay! a musical finally coming to town. yes? no! not really. i'm still recovering from the shock of the ticket pricing and the seating for the prices. almost 75% of the seating has been allocated to the most expensive ticket (RM250). the cheapest tickets (RM100 - evening show; RM75 - matinee) only occupied 2 - read my lips - 2 rows at the back of the third floor! the next cheapest ticket (RM150 - eve; RM125? - matinee) isn't much better either as they occupy the next 5 - 6 rows in front of the 2 rows and also only at the third floor. the second most expensive tickets (RM200; RM175) are loosely speared out throughout the theatre space of all three floors. eveyone's reconsidering if they really will go for the show. we were all thinking of watching it at the cheapest ticket but if we're not going to see anything at the back of the third floor, we might as well head off to the rental store and get 'fame' the movie on tape! hmmm ... maybe i'll get my sisters to get tickets ... student price is only RM50 and they get a seat at the back of the ground floor ... then i'll take trish's ticket (stef wants to watch too) and watch the show ... hopefully they won't check for student identification on entering the theatre.

still reeling from the shock, prem and push dropped me at the car wash to pick up my car ... my car has never looked so clean! the interior is clean! all trace of dust, sand, grime, gone! yay! headed onwards to the studio for more practise. still tired. wasn't able to practise for too long. had about an hour practise before i called it a day. exhausted. thoroughly drained.

took a shower. plopped in front of the tv for a bit. took dinner in front of tv. started nodding off while watching 'early edition'. switched off telly and went to bed. it was 8pm then. when i woke up next, it's time to get ready for work. wow! haven't gone to bed at 8pm since ... i can't remember. never went to bed early even when i was a kid of 5. probably did when i was a toddler but i can't remember.

it amazes me that i managed to do this - practise, practise, practise for a whole day - every week for about a year when i was doing ballet during my teens. i guess there is something to this age-stamina thing. either that or just cause i haven't been as active after school years and the stamina's deteriorated. yeah. that's probably it. well, it's better that than to think that i'm getting too old for this, isn't it?

• Just checked Rach's blog. It's gone! Rach! What happened?


• The following is a snippet from a mail I received.
  

  Well, if you really have RM50 to spend and no singing teacher, I suggest we go
  out for dinner instead!
  
  let me know when you're free
  

  
  Question ... is he asking me out or am I reading too much into it?
  

My brakes doesn't seem to be working too well. It's a good thing I wasn't speeding when I found that out. Crawled like a snail this morning to get to work. Have to tell my dad about it. I'm not sure where to take the car for servicing. There's the wireman and then there's the mechanic. When do I go to a wireman and when to a mechanic? People should write stuff like this down or tell us about it during drivers ed. Driver's ed's a waste of time here. All we do is sit there for about 6 hours listening to some guy drone on and on about nothing of importance. Some people slept through the class and some started flirting with some kids - kids mainly cause someone 21 while most were only about 17. Anyway, it was a waste of time.

It's Friday today. Maybe I'll start giving all the potential voice coaches a call later. There's this one guy who seems to be teaching a lot of the members of the Selangor Phil Choir and come highly recommended by Cheryl. Although Cris says that he's all booked, Cheryl thinks that I should call him up and try and that he might take me if he thinks I am serious and have potential. Hmmm ... I'm not sure whether I have potential but I'm serious though. So, fingers crossed.

Had a discussion with some people yesterday. My dance partner's setting up a dance formation team, in which yours truly is included. He's actually come up with an agreement letter in which we'll have to sign, indicating our commitment to the team. Letter includes code of conduct and even practise wear. Geez! Practise wear. Can't we just wear anything so long as we can dance? First practise session is this Sunday at the ungodly hour of 9.15 am. Hey! It's Sunday! Nobody should get up before 11 am. ... okay fine, 10 am then.

Hope this works out. I don't mind making some money on the side. Especially now that I'm seriously thinking of taking up voice lessons. Someone suggested Eddie Chin, a well known baritone in Malaysia. However, he's gonna be expensive. According to an ex-short-span-student of his, he charges $90 per lesson. Whoa! Would really, really love to though. Will have to think long and hard about it before giving Mr Chin a call to check he's still taking in students.

Right. So this new classical crossover guy. His name's Josh Groban and he's a baritone. I'm not much for voice quality and the whole shebang about how good a person's voice is. I only know what I like and what I don't. And I like his voice. Some says he's more pop than classical and that's fine. I love mixes. I think mix can be a good thing. Anyway, this guy's been on Ally McBeal twice. Guest-ed for other classical crossovers such as Sarah Brightman (love) and Charlotte Church (dislike).

I saw two clips from Ally McBeal in which he sang (of course) from this site. At the end of the clip/song, I had tears in my eyes and a wide smile on my lips. Must have looked like an idiot but thankfully, everyone at the office has gone home. Then after watching the second clip, I could have bawled right in front of my PC ... at work! But I didn't. I'm quite controlled about this bawling thing. Unlike when I was a kid where I cried at every chance.

So now, I have a whole collection of crossover that I like; soprano (Sarah B), tenor (Russell Watson) and baritone (Josh Groban). What else am I missing in this collection?

To listen to Josh Groban's entire debut CD, goto http://www.buzztone.com/josh. Tell me what you think. Am I being pretentious again?

Fuck! I forgot I disconnected the line before I clicked post. Darn! Everything's gone.

Next time, when I'm writing at home, I'm gonna do this. I'm going to write in notepad first and then copy to blogger. That way, it won't get lost.

I was just saying that I've just finished putting my towel stand together. Yeap! I finally got myself a towel stand. Not the gorgeous, expensive $170 I was salivating over but a cheap yet nice substitute. Twas only $31.90 from the new Ace Hardware store in MidVallley Megamall. It's not completely altogether as yet. Eight of the screws they gave were too small. Will have to go the the shops to try and get them at least one size larger. BUT ... the stand is standing. The only unfinished parts are the handles.

Another good news! The window man finally came through. We thought he'd given up ... I mean we've almost given up on him. It has been more than two months since we commissioned him to make the window. The window's for the hole in the wall between my room and the kitchen. Finally the 'titanic' and 'deep impact' posters (which were serving as temporary covers) have been taken down. Thank you guys, you've served me well ... and now, it's off the the bins for you. Muahahahaha!

Such an ingrate!

Choir's restarted. Good turnout -- which not doubt start dropping off like flies as the weeks go by.

Discovered a new classical crossover guy two days ago. Will tell more tomorrow. I'm too sleepy now. Will reconnect, post this and go to bed.

Hurrah! Finally finished my part of the proposal. Hope what I did was what they asked for. I've never done proposals before.

Could have finished it much earlier I suppose but I've been delaying and post-poning it cause I don't know what to write. I'm not good at making things up. Embellishing is not my forte. Straight. Direct. Factual. That I'm better at. Which means I would have been a sucky businesswoman. Won't be to good at being a consultant either I suppose.

Let's just hope that my incompetence doesn't show too much. Praying and hoping that I'd still have a job after the proposal's been viewed. *fingers crossed*

Well, off to do programming and debugging work that I've put off for the past week and a half.

JAVA CODES! HI! I'm back. Did you miss me? *empress hugs the monitor* *smooch* *smooch*

Chinese Horoscope. Which one are you? Are we compatible? I'm a sssssssssssnake ...


The Charming RAT (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996)

The Rat person is charming and ambitious. They are alwaysbusy and seldom
able to relax fully. If not, they get bored easily or get bad tempered. They
enjoy going to parties or having a quick round of chat. Rats like to reach
their goals by fair play. They are shrewd and not easy to be fooled.

Rats are lively, sociable and easy to get along. They are ambitious and like
to see others put in an honest day's work. The Rat is a real family person
and devoted to their loved ones and family. At home, does not reveal any of
the mean personality traits. Rats make good advisers to others but not to
themselves and are generous to those they truly love even if not loved back.
Rats are also hardworking and thrifty and able to sense danger. Are honest,
meticulous, and intelligent.

On the negative side, Rats are practical but lack courage. Can be
extravagant and greedy. If the Rat is not careful, the greedy side of the
Rat could lead to all kinds of trouble. Rats are secretive, self-indulging
and self-seeking. They love to criticize and gossip. Rats should avoid being
over-work and being over-ambitious. Avoid trusting another Rat or those born
in the year of the Rabbit and Ram.

Career: Suitable in the Service Industry:
Male: Advertising, Food & Beverage, Hotel, Music, Mass Media, Research.
Female: Beauty, Fashion, Film, Hotel & Writing.
Romance: Gentle and loving. However, can get into extra-marital affairs.
Younger Monkey and Dragon make good companion for the Male Rat. Female Rat's
ideal partner is the Dragon or Ox.

Excellent Match: Rat, Dragon, Monkey
Pairing Best Avoided: Horse, Rabbit, Ram
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Ox, Tiger, Snake,
Rooster, Dog, Pig



The Hardworking Ox (1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985)

The Ox person is not happy with change and prefers conformity and
convention. Ox people love the traditional value of hardwork and a stable
family life. The Ox person enjoy material things and they are more than
prepared to work hard to acquire a lifestyle that suits them. Oxen are
generally calm and placid and rarely lose their temper. In the rare event
that they lose their temper, it would be wise to keep clear as they are
capable of fearsome rages and an Ox on a rampage is very dangerous.

The Ox person is reliable, sincere and generally cool and patient. They are
neat, modest and seek solitude. They have few friends who are however very
faithful to them. Ox loves their food and drink and likes to stay in their
luxurious home. Ox person is good listeners, is systematic and likes
convention and tradition. They are also highly principled, strong,
determined, stable, dependable and reliable. Ox person is reliable, fair and
thinks carefully before speaking his mind, loyal and seldom jealous. Are not
great conversationalists but are full of substance and interesting. Not
romantic but can be passionate. They are family oriented and faithful.

Ox person is stubborn and difficult to change views and can be carried away
with convention thus considered too rigid. Is dogmatic and lacks humor. Oxen
are not generous with money and naive about love and find that those close
to them fail to understand them. Yet they are patient and caring and makes
good friends. An Ox person tends to bear grudges for a long time.

Careers: Doctor, Lawyer, Teachers and Writers. Will accomplish much early or
when they are old.
Romance:
Male: Preferably someone younger, born in the year of the Snake.
Female: Younger Rooster

Excellent Match: Rat, Rabbit, Monkey
Pairing Best Avoided: Horse, Dragon, Ram
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Ox, Tiger, Snake,
Rooster, Dog, Pig



The Lively Tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1974, 1986, 1998)

The tiger is highly regarded in China with almost magical powers to keep
thieves and ghosts at bay. A Tiger person is "born to command and not to
obey". Tigers are charismatic and dynamic. They are courageous and respected
even from those that oppose them. Tigers are "fighters" and stand up for
what they think are right.

A Tiger person is courageous, dynamic, and independent. Are committed in
doing things and completing it. Tigers are warm, sincere, honorable and
humorous. Tiger person is also tolerant, understanding and generous and is
capable of great generosity and a good friend to have. They enjoy a good
social life and sentimental and enjoy family life.

Tiger person is capable of making impulsive decisions and this may prove
disastrous. They are generally optimistic but should they sink into a
depression, it is harder for them to recover. Tigers are rebellious and
unpredictable, always tense and in a hurry. If you are around a Tiger
person, do expect a roller coaster ride. Tigers are also ill tempered,
egoistic. Enjoys taking risks but must learn not to rush things without due
consideration. They like grand tasks but do not check detail. They usually
like to operate alone and does not like anyone to challenge them. Hates to
obey others and dislikes interference.

Career: Will achieve success early in life but will meet with obstacles, as
he is usually arrogant. Refrain from acting on impulses or it may result in
financial loss.
Romance: Both Male and Female are possessive and career minded and this may
result in tension at home.

Excellent Match: Horse, Dog, Dragon
Pairing Best Avoided: Snake, Ox, Monkey, Rabbit
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rat, Tiger, Ram,
Rooster, Pig



The Diplomatic Rabbit (1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987)

A Rabbit person is peace loving usually kind. Sweet and popular with an
well-ordered life. Rabbits are not weak; they merely avoid any fight and
have great diplomatic and negotiating skills. Their homes will have the very
best furniture and always beautiful and they derive pleasure from these and
they prefer to spent their time at home and family rather than going out for
entertainment. Rabbits are symbol of longevity and often live to a ripe old
age.

A Rabbit person is calm, gentle, discreet and reserved. They are gracious
and good mannered. Rabbits have good memory, intelligent, farsighted and
intuitive. They are methodical and also make good counselors. Rabbits also
have good business acumen and are lucky in business. A Rabbit person is very
sensitive, a little touchy and suspicious. Has regular mood swings. Rabbits
are also indecisive, not always fair.

Career: Active imagination and good at arts or customer relations.
Romance: Are ideal lovers because they are accommodating of other's
shortcoming.
Male: Not faithful in love and has an urge for sex. Gets into extra marital
affairs easily
Female: Good mothers and wives

Excellent Match: Ram, Dog, Dragon, Pig
Pairing Best Avoided: Rooster, Rat, Tiger
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Ox, Rabbit, Snake,
Horse, Monkey



The Self-Confident Dragon (1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988)

The Dragon is the symbol of ancient China. The folk tales on the Dragon is
endless. The Dragon is revered with equal status as the Chinese Emperor as
his throne is the Dragon and only he can wear the Dragon robe. The Dragon
year is popular with every Chinese parent who hopes for a Dragon child. A
Dragon person is interesting and has lots of charisma. Are highly
intelligent.

A Dragon person is lively and full of vitality. They are determined and have
lots of self-confidence. Dragons are strong fighters, follow own judgement
and can take control and deal effectively with any problems. They are also
admired but have few close friends. In love relationships, they are filial.

Dragons are dictatorial. Can put up quite a fight. Not prepared to listen to
other's advice. Very arrogant, direct, lack patience and tolerance can lead
to poor judgement. Dragons seldom agree with their elders, blunt and direct.
They are also eccentric and egoistic.

Career: Businessman, Actor, Athlete and Singer. At middle age, take care not
to be complacent or careless.
Romance: Self-centered but needs to be loved. Tend to marry late.

Excellent Match: Rat, Rooster, Monkey
Pairing Best Avoided: Tiger, Ox, Dog
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rabbit, Dragon,
Snake, Horse, Ram, Pig

The Enigmatic Snake (1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001)

Snakes are universal symbol of evil but the Chinese Horoscope; the Snake is
not the evil snake we like to commonly like to associate with.

Snakes are intelligent, talented, determined and a great organizer. They are
philosophical and good thinkers. Snakes are shrewd and thus make them very
good in business. They enjoy the pleasures of life and love to accumulate
money. Snakes are romantic and charming.

Snakes are mysterious and keep their thoughts to themselves. They have good
memories and can bear grudges for many years without ever expressing them
until the time is right for revenge. Snakes are capable of lies although
they do not do it often, if they do, they feel that they can get away with
it. A Snakes person does needs lots of security. High moral principles
applied mostly to others. And never let opportunity slips by. Stubborn hates
to listen to others and find failure totally unbearable.

Career: Politics, Entertainment, Sales and Public Relations. Success
short-lived in early life but good in later life.
Romance: Possessive and jealous. OK to misbehave but does not allow partner
to mix with opposite sex. Charming and easy going is irresistible to the
opposite sex.

Excellent Match: Rooster, Ox
Pairing Best Avoided: Tiger, Snake, Pig
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rat, Rabbit, Dragon,
Horse, Dog

The Eloquent Horse (1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990)

A Horse person is generally popular and is the heart and soul of every
party. In ancient China, the Horse symbolizes freedom and a distinguished
career.

Hardworking, adventurous, fast, cheerful, popular and confident. They are
lively, cheerful and sociable. A Horse person is elegant, independent, loves
to travel. They make friends easily, helpful and loyal. They are not petty.
Horses are clever but not exactly intelligent and good at promoting grand
ideas. They are constantly on the move and enjoy experimenting with new
things or meeting new people.

Quick tempered but heart is in the right place. Likes to take center
stage.
They are also impatient, takes little advice from others. Horses are only
concerned with their own freedom and do not consider other people's needs.
They are also have swings of moods and thus become inconsistent, talk too
much and cannot keep secrets. Horses tend to rush others but unable to keep
to their schedules, impulsive and stubborn.

Career: Generally will do well in the chosen career. Own business, Public
Relations, Tourism and Commerce.
Romance: Make good friends and lovers but because they enjoy freedom and are
strong-headed relationships will not be long lasting. Tend to marry young
and divorce young.

Excellent Match: Ram, Tiger, Dog
Pairing Best Avoided: Rat, Monkey, Ox, Horse
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rabbit, Dragon,
Snake, Rooster, Pig



The Artistic Ram (1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1991)

The ram is a symbol of social success and good career in China. Generally, a
Ram person is elegant, charming and creative. However, they are the most
moody amongst all of the Chinese Horoscope signs. Rams are very romantic,
gentle caring and endearing but a bit bossy.

A Ram person is quiet, restful, patient, artistic, adaptable and gentle.
They are easy going, make friends easily, gentle, compassionate and
affectionate. A Ram person dislikes strict discipline, fond of children and
most of all artistic, creative and fashionable. They also enjoy comfort and
love of the home and this is where they really feel safe.

A Ram person is extremely sensitive and will take comments very
personally.
They are also dreamers and on occasions are pessimistic and worry for
nothing. They can also be lazy and are indecisive. They are also poor in
business as they are disorganized but do make good craftsman, artists or
writers. Can be moody at times, fear taking the initiative and can be gloomy
at times. Like to be loved and hates to be pushed around.

Career: Dancing, Music, Writing, Hair Design, Beauty line and the arts.
Career successes slow and steady Unwilling to job hop or way of life thus is
very successful due to their perseverance.
Romance: Look for stability and commitment for family.
Male: Good Husband but tend to be chauvinistic and has high expectations of
wife.
Female: Good wives and mother but need recognition by their husband.

Excellent Match: Rabbit, Horse, Pig
Pairing Best Avoided: Rat, Ox, Dog
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Tiger, Dragon, Snake,
Ram, Monkey, Rooster



The Quick-Witted Monkey (1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968)

Monkeys are intelligent, quick-witted, and resourceful

Monkeys are fun loving, full of energy, fantasy and plans. A Monkey person
is clever, cunning, agile and lively. They are good problem solvers. Monkeys
are intelligent, adaptable, and sociable. At parties they are at the center
of attention due to their charm and humor. They don't hide their emotions;
likes jokes but are restless. Monkeys are immune to insults.

Monkeys can be unscrupulous, selfish and devious. They can be dishonest and
inconsistent. Monkeys have little respect for others, easily gets jealous
and are yields to temptation.

Career: Creative field: Advertising, Sales, Marketing and Mass Media.
Success comes early.
Romance: Immensely attractive to opposite sex. Before marriage enjoy fun and
entertainment and enjoys company of many members of opposite sex.

Excellent Match: Dragon, Rat
Pairing Best Avoided: Tiger, Horse
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Ox, Snake, Ram,
Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig



The Methodical Rooster (1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993)

Roosters have keen sense of observation and like to be noticed and
flattered. It is not easy to fool a Rooster and they make good
troubleshooters. They are conscious of their appearance and what they wear.

Funny, witty, braves, enthusiastic, efficient and honest. A Rooster person
is very intelligent, a good thinker and has an excellent memory, alert and
organized. They are intelligent, entertaining and strong willed but generous
to friends. Roosters are clever at finance, confidant and an outstanding
performer. They make great hosts and enjoy entertainment. They always keep
their promises.

Roosters are boastful, easily critical and have their strong opinions. They
are notoriously picky and easily misunderstood.

Career: Systematic and Flexible. Advertising, stage acting, human resource
management, Public Relations and Financial management.
Romance: High expectations and tend to marry late.
Female: Attractive and good at housework. Make good wives and mother.

Excellent Match: Ox, Snake, Dragon
Pairing Best Avoided: Rabbit, Dog, Rooster
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rat, Tiger, Horse,
Ram, Monkey, Pig



The Faithful Dog (1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970. 1982, 1994)

The Dog is a symbol of loyalty and wisdom for the Chinese. It is one of the
most likeable signs of the Chinese Horoscope. The Dog values honor and enjoy
helping other people.

A Dog person is loyal, honest, affectionate, and deep sense of justice and
fair play. They are willing to fight for principles. A Dog person has great
respect for tradition, moral and is very honest and straightforward. They
are warm and good active workers. A Dog person is also intelligent,
intuitive a good listener and have good judgement.

Tends to overestimate dangers, sometimes bad tempered when cornered.
Sometimes, simplistic, suspicious and obstinate. They are not happy in love
and hot headed. A Dog person is also full of anxiety.


Career: Social work, Government Servant, and Security Services. Fair better
during middle age.
Romance: Committed. Make good spouse and parents. Loyal, thus make good
partners. Usually find true love after many setbacks and heartbreaks

Excellent Match: Tiger, Rabbit, Horse
Pairing Best Avoided: Dragon, Ram, Rooster
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rat, Ox, Snake,
Monkey, Dog, Pig



The Affectionate Pig (1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995)

The Pig stands for wealth, family and prosperity, happiness and good luck.
Pigs are considered `jewels' of the Chinese Horoscope, as they are honest,
upright and thus very popular.

A Pig person is open, straight forward, and simple. They do not know how to
be devious or underhand but are frank, honest, and trustworthy. They take
initiative are diligent, calm, understanding and gallant. A Pig person is
tolerant and avoids disputes. They are peace loving, enjoy the good things
in life but are not over-indulgent.

Unfortunately, due to the trusting nature of the Pig person, they are easily
swindled. They are willful, obstinate, often make mistakes, and have poor
arguments. Materalististic but self-sacrificing.

Career: Lucky with money. Suited for most jobs and leadership position. Can
consider Architecture, Accountancy. Avoid business because can easily be
cheated.
Romance: Family-oriented. Marriage is happy and long lasting. Faithful but
not romantic. Make good husbands or wives.

Excellent Match: Rabbit, Ram
Pairing Best Avoided: Snake, Monkey
In some instances, be more understanding and tolerant: Rat, Ox, Tiger,
Dragon, Rooster, Dog, Pig

My clean traffic record's got a smudge now. Got my first ticket last night trying to scrimp on parking. Now I have a $30 ticket (considerably lower than what i thought it might be) for illegal parking courtesy of the city council. Darn it! And I was so proud of almost finishing my probation period without a ticket. Probation ends in march. That's only two months away. Hmmm ... come to think of it, I don't know where the city council office is. How am I gonna pay the ticket?

The mass birthday happened last night. Great night although much more subdued compared to the one we had for Alex. Had dinner at Chillies (turning out to be a regular haunt for the musicals group) and again karaoke afters. Rach took some pictures of the outing and it's up in her blog. I look like a spaz in that picture. Didn't know it was gonna turn out as a close-up! Was never good with close-ups. Actually never look good with non-close-ups either. I don't like being in photos. I always turn up looking fat and ugly.

Yesterday seems to be a night of many activities. The ex-uni clique restarting the thursday tennis session, the musicals clique's mass birthday, Sze Yoong's birthday (a girl from the dance studio) and Stef asked me to play tennis with her. It's like when it rains it pours ... but in a good way. I like having activities. Makes me feel like I have lots and lots of friends.

After the mass birthday, I mossied on to Sze Yoong's party at the Mutiara Rouge. If it hadn't been for her friends, the Rouge would have been almost empty. A far cry from the couple of times that I've been there. Guess the novelty's over and the crowds gone. Didn't do much salsaing. My dance partner couldn't make it plus I forgot most of my salsa moves so I couldn't teach the guys what to do. Should have gone with Rach, Alex and Grace aka Puff Mummy to where ever they were going and skipped this.

Just got a call from Azfa with an offer to go to Club Med for 3 days 2 nights for the bargain price of $420. Wow! I'd love to go. But let's not be rash. Let's think about it for a few days. Told her I'll call her back in a few at most next week with my answer. There was a plan for a family getaway to Thailand for April but that was said last year. Not sure if it's still gonna happen.

Hurrah! Holidays! I love holidays! Especially holidays by the beach. Need to get a new bikini. Woo hoo!

A friend of mine asked me if I'd like to join her for a meditation session. I, being of a person that does not do things requiring lots of concentration and persistance, told her as much and demured from the invitation. I know me. I can't meditate if my life depended on it.

Meditations requiring the clearing of one's mind; I can never do. The littlest sound distracts me. I know. I've tried it when I was about 15, I think. My mom dragged me along to the vihara/temple where they were offerring meditation classes. Try as I might, I keep hearing the sound of cars passing at a road nearby, the turning of the ceiling fan, a barking of a distant dog, the croaking of the frogs; everything except silence and the sound of my own breathing and only my breathing. That's what the instructor asked us to concentrate on. The sound of our own breathing. Out. In. Out. In.

I can't even do a simple thing like that. My brains kept going, 'Am I doing this right?', 'I should be thinking about anything, should I?', 'Shouldn't even be thinking about thinking right?'. Meditation's just not for me.

My friend however, delightedly informed me that this was not the sort of meditation we'd be doing during that session. Her type of meditation involves visualisation.

Another problem. I can only visualise given details of what I should be visualising on. Not just 'imagine a deer'. I would need at least info about the colour of the deer and it's size. How am I suppose to visualise without details. Oh sure, I'll get a general image of a deer but my mind would feel like something is missing.

Then she went, 'Oh, you must be more of an audio/sound person? or a feeling person.'

I've never really thought about what sort of person I am in this sense. Visual or audio? I think I'm more of a physical person. Movement. Touch. Using my hands and body. Using what I have. Yeah, that's it! I'm a physical person. That'll probably explain why I like dance and crafts.

In dance, you can feel it when you've done a particular step correctly. It just feels right, at least for me. When you do it wrongly, something just feels out of place. Y'know? It just doesn't flow. Doesn't move.

This probably also have something to do with me like being in control of things that I can control. One of the reasons why I'm a programmer. It's simple. For a programme, it's zero or one. True or false. Right or wrong. If a programme doesn't work, means there's something wrong with it and it can be fixed ... eventually.

Well, sort of. Doesn't work for Visual Basic though. Some events just fly from one to the other. I made an ActiveX control once, in VB, and it worked differently in different machines. Found out that in some of the machines, the event handling goes in different order. I don't know how to fix that. Doesn't make any sense to me and I didn't think it needs to be fixed as it was not due to my code (nothing's ever due to my codes ... hah!) Wonder if they're still debugging it.

I digressed didn't I?

Anyway, told her I'm not interested in meditation but she said she'll call anyway when the time comes. Just in case I've changed my mind by then.