HOT or NOT Official Rating 8.7 based on 444 votes Check out my picture! My raw votes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 How HOT are you? - www.hotornot.com

Oh yes, I almost forgot!

I'm stuck with a programming problem. Anyone who've used JavaMail with JDBC please help me. I've posted the SOS at the Sun's forum but nobody's answered my plea as yet. Read the SOS here. Thanks.

the wedding gig

Well, just got back from the wedding gig. It was actually a complete disaster but since none too many of the guests knows much about Latin dancing they thought it was great! Multiple mistakes. Chunks of routine cut off, had to improvise so as to restart rountine, forgot routine after turning - froze for a sec! Steps completely went out of my head for a moment. Again ... nobody noticed. They thought it was brilliant. Good job then, eh? :)

Told mum about me wanting to apply for the Aussie PR. Surprisingly, she's quite supporting. However, she's got this idea that I should learn the line dances from the CD she got from a friend so that I could teach people on the side when I get there. Yups! The same idea when I told her about the working visa to the UKs. Not sure how practical that would be. How do I actually get people to teach? I can't just go to a park and then just start dancing. I'd look like a mad woman. Don't you think?

Anyways, need to find more information about the application. I know about the application fee but I've heard that you also have to deposit a certain amount of money to the govenment/a bank as surety that you have enough money to live for awhile when you get there? This information wasn't available in the immigration page nor the high commission's page. Guess I'd have to email/call them one day.

Besides that, did more whining about how much I hate my job - something I've been doing a lot, a lot, a lot this past few days.

I've been a total bitch at work to my idiot colleague this past few days. It is mainly due to the fact the deadline for my project is fast approaching and nothing concrete has yet been done for the project. When I say nothing concrete, I mean no application code has been written ... NONE AT ALL!

Why haven't I written anything?

Well ... the company's project for this line of application that we're pushing is suppose to be based on a framework. The old framework written by a colleague, who have since left for his PhD studies, is too rigid and limitting. We had to hack and find work arounds to get it to do the things we need. Not a very productive appication building process. Therefore, after we've finished with that project (app based on old framework), the idiot decided to modify/redesign/recode the framework.

I had at first thought that it would be a fabulous idea and even gave him input on what I'd like to be able to do with the new framework. What I didn't expect was for him to try to write everything by himself and not informing the rest of us on what he's up to, how far along he is, what features would be in it. Since he didn't tell us anything, I thought that he would have taken my input in and built the framework with what I have requested. BUT ... that is not the case, which I had the pleasure of finding out on Monday at approximately 6.30pm.

Feeling the pressure of a deadline and not being able to do anything with no framework, I had requested a discussion with the idiot to check on his progress and whether I should still wait for the new framework. Of course, I had checked with him prior to that on his progress almost weekly but everyweek was like 'I'll have something that you can code with by Friday'. That went on for several weeks with him not giving me anything at all. No interface, no class definitions, no function definitions ... no nothing! I had told him to at least give me the class and function definition so that at least I can have something to code with even though I can't test it as yet. It would be much faster and more productive to have something coded for the application while waiting for the framework to be completed so that when the framework is completed, we could test the application codes. Now, we're just sitting there WAITING.

It's true that most of us have other tiny projects at the same time and that we're not actually sitting on our buts staring into space but this is another one of our project and most importantly, a project for an outside client with a deadline of the end of July. Which would you prioritise? Impending deadline with income project or completing minor non-income earning projects?

Anyway, back to the discussion with the idiot.

So, I found out that the new framework wouldn't do what I had expected it would do, which is also the main reason I had been waiting for the new framework instead of the old one. Had I known this, I would have modified what I had wanted to do and did the project with the old framework. Fuck him for this! When asked when he would be able to finish the framework, he-who-always-ask-me-for-a-deadline-for-finishing-a-module-he-requested, said that he doesn't know. How dare he! I almost exploded. But instead I told him that that was not acceptable and that he has to give me a timeline otherwise I would have no idea how to proceed. The idiot replied that I can't push him for a timeline cause he doesn't know. Heck! I don't fucking know when I am able to finish modules as well but you pushed me for a freaking date and then don't accept it when I said I don't know and I had to give you one anyway and then I have to try to finish it be then. Why do you fucking expect me to accept an 'I don't know now?'

So, now, I still don't know when he's gonna finish. One thing I did was push him to give me the interface so that I can have something for the rest of the team to begin with. His deadline is today. By 5.30pm this evening, I'm expecting to see the interface. If he doesn't have it, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'd put the blame on him but since I'm in charge of the project, I'm to blame as well right?

*sigh* This is why for my next job, I just want a lowly programming job. Just tell me what you want coded and I'll code it for you. No thinking. No decisions. Less responsibility.

Finally saw Minority Report last night. Still can't decide whether I liked the show or not. High cool factor but ... I don't know. Something is keeping me from coming to a decision.

ling finds me inspiring. Too bad none of my younger sisters seem to think that. I'm such a piss assed lousy sister.

Hey, ling, jason, you guys ever heard of MEETUP? I've sent in a suggestion to start a MEETUP in Malaysia yesterday so I don't know when it'll be approved or rejected. It would be lovely to meet up with you guys.

Ling, we have so much in common! I'd like to ditch the 'working' part and travel the world too. Work to me is a necessary evil!

While sending my sister off to the Equatorial earlier tonight, we had a long chat. To her it would probably have sounded more like a lecture but I was just telling her what the parental unit's fretting about.

Basically the whole conversation was about me asking her what she's planning to do, what she's up to. She's quit school and she didn't even complete a semester (I thought she had!). She says that she has approached a sportwriter for help in securing scholarships from Ivy league schools. I told her that it's kinda difficult to get scholarships from such schools as I've read on Princeton's (I think) site that they do not give out scholarships, especially sports scholarships. Then I hounded her on whether she's looking for any scholarships on her own and not just relying on the writer. I couldn't get a straight answer from her.

Conclusion was that she doesn't really know what she wants to do except that she'd like something that involves the study of the body - biology. According to her, she couldn't find any information about science courses, which is surprising cause that's usually the courses that I see when I surf University sites. I don't know what site she's been looking at.

I advised her to take a basic science based pre-university program so that at least moms and pops won't get on her case so much. She mooted the idea saying that she can't concentrate on studies if she doesn't know what she's studying for towards the end. Told her that the sort of pre-university programs that I've suggested doesn't really require her to have an exact field of study but she said that not how she works. *shrugs*

She also went on about how the family doesn't support her squash and her school achievements. It's true, my family's not big on compliments. But she knows this and I know this. All the sibs knows this so why does she have to be so sensitive about i? If they don't gush about your achievement, why get so dissappointed if the react as they always do? So, I told her not to get so worked up if they don't go ohh-ahh. I should know, after almost 25 years, I've had my share of non-compliments. All my ballet honours, my As in art have been for nought cause those are just not what they consider important. Not what will support you in your adult life. Not practical.

I told her that sometimes, you have to sacrifice things that you like to do (things that won't kill you if you don't do it) for things that your parents think you should do (that won't kill you either and that you don't really mind too much). Basically be practical. That's what I have done. If this had been an idea world, I'd have been a dancer and an artist. Since it isn't, I've given up art (something I found I don't mind just doing for fun) after Form 3 to take do the science stre am for the rest of secondary school and continued on to do computers in uni. Dance, I had a 6 years hiatus (due to financial dependence) until I couldn't stand it any longer and just had to take up some kind of dance form or I'd go mad. Latin isn't my first choice, I'd have rather gone back to ballet but cause my mom didn't like the idea, I didn't do it. Didn't want the cold war that might happen if I'd gone against her wishes. My sister says she couldn't do what I did. She can't just give up squash for she might regret it later if she had.

So, this made me think about what I have given up and whether I do regret giving up those things that I loved. I DO! I regret it a lot. What could I have done? I didn't have money to continue with classes. I was 15. Nobody hires 15 year olds. I had to give ballet up! As for art. How was I to study that if my parents won't pay for it? Malaysia does not have a scheme where you can just go to university almost free and then repay it after you've graduated and got a job. She has the luxury to continue squash cause she gets paid to play.

*SIGH*

This makes me feel ... I don't know ... like I'm conforming a lot a lot. Just doing what my parents tells me to do - almost. Sometimes I do resent my parents for not allowing my to do what I really want. But I've never told them that. I'm thinking that I have to take responsibility for it as well. I mean if I didn't want to do as they asked, they probably wouldn't have disowned me or thrown me out or anything like that. If I had taken a stand and really insisted that I really trully want to do it, the might eventually relent. I think I just did as they asked cause I could throw it back at them if I really hate what I do eventually and blame them.

*SIGH*

I would really like to, just once, do something life changing that they might oppose but I'd do it anyway. I might fail or I might succeed but at least I know it was all me. I made the decision. ALL ME.

puter's kaput

News from the homefront. Papa just called asking if I'd used the puter last night (I did) cause he can't seem to start it up today. The puter starts booting and the at percisely 27%, it hangs. He's tried it three times with the same result. Oh oh!

Must check it out soon as I get home.

post-mortem

After ballroom class last night, went through the latin routine SM for a short, really short, time. He's trying to get a gig for us for his bosses sister's something. The last gig we had was slightly after the March competition ie. early April.

It was his birthday yesterday and some people at the studio bought cake and we celebrated.

Coach came in after most of us ate the cake (thank goodness!) and while we were looking at the pictures taken on Sunday. Lots of pictures on the ballroom couples and not too many on us latin couples. I think there are about three more with me in it - all pictures of my 'lovely' back and gorgeous hair.

So, the coach, while having his cake, started disecting our moves based on the pictures. Lots on the ballroom couples cause they had more pictures.

A few comments on our pictures:
- picture not included Need to straighten my arm when we're both facing opposite sites, back-to-back but with hand hold. Required to feel position of partners' body.
- refer top picture SM looks like he's doing social dancing while I was trying to go all out.
- refer bottom picture SM too straight and need rounder arms. Me, right knees 'rest' on top part of calf just below the back of the left knee plus don't turn out supporting leg so much.
- no pictures but seen by all My stumble after my spins! They said I did that twice but I only really remembered one. Even at that time I was thinking 'Shit! What the heck happened?! Did I put too much force in my spins? Did SM pushed too hard?' I couldn't figure it out at that time and I still don't know what happened. Maybe I just lost balance. Spinning and then stopping is one of my weakest moves. Why in the world did the coach put so many of them in our routine is beyond me. Anyone with tips on how to stop really solidly after spins, feel free to email me or leave a comment.

other matters
Got a call earlier from Anne. I've been drafted again to play squash for the company. She called to inform that training will begin in August and that the company games is on Oct 26 & 27. *sigh* Haven't played any since the last company games. Oh yeah! Most likes, I won't be playing number one ladies for the team this time. They've got Carrie Yeo to join. She was one of the national players way back when I was playing juniors. Didn't even know she was with the company but then it is a really large company ... I mean, group of companies.

Have been thinking again of just packing and going off somewhere far far away for a long long time. Maybe just work as a waitress somewhere and not have to think so much. Thing is, I don't think waitressing would pay for all the lessons that I still want to take. So, still need a good paying job. Location options right now are 1) get an Aussie PR and go back to Merlbourne (yups! still dreaming of going back!) and 2) get the working-tourist visa to UK, bum around for about 2 years then come back. Problem with option 2 is that I can only work 25 hour week. How am I going to get enough money for rent and food? Option 1, what if they reject my application? That would be a few thousand down the drain.

Really should do something about it rather than talk, think and yearn about it. I figured, I need at least RM25,000 before I can seriously consider those options. That would take me a few more months? A year?

If I really, really can't stand this company anymore, I'd say 'FUCK IT' and just resign. Bleeding company requires 3 months notice! Can you believe it?

Some pictures from the competition






P.S: Jason, so, was I the fat girl that you were laughing at during the Millennium?

Oh yeah! If anyone reading this (are there people reading this???), was at the competition yesterday? There was a jive song that they played and the singer sounded a lot like Scotty Morris of the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Can anyone confirm? Just curious.

Okay so, nothing seems to be up for the next few months. Time to catch up on my movies. Dying to watch 'Minority Report'. Time travel, one of my favourite topic, and Tom Cruise ... how bad can it be? ;) Also, that French flick at the International Screen, 'The Taste of Others' I think it's called. Sounds interesting. Hope it's still playing.

semi-finals ... again

Competition yesterday was utterly tiring for me and I'm only doing two dances; cha-cha and jive. Outcome wasn't too bad. Managed to get into the semi-finals of the Novice category. I'm happy enough ... at least we didn't get kicked out in the heats! :)

So, this time around, we had to dance in the heats, the quarter finals and the semi finals. As compared to the Millennium competition back in March where we danced only twice, the heats and then the semi-finals. Must try and get into the finals the next time round.

The day was great even though I was tired before we even began, thanks to the 5 hour hair braiding that I did for my hair which ended with me finally going to bed at 3am. Then waking up at 8am. *yawn* Dance floor was much better than the one at the Istana Hotel, although a little sticky but the Ballroom was much better at the Istana, looked grander, so was the washroom. Washroom at the Wisma PGRM (venue) is not very make-up friendly, too dark, dim. It's lucky that I brought a mirror along so the girls could put on their make-up at the changing room (a hall on the opposite side on the competition hall) instead of in the washroom.

Plenty of people = plenty of people watching opportunity.

My favourite watch would be one of the adjudicators. While all of the other adjudicators would be serious, standing still or walking about looking at the competitors, this one was tapping his foot, moving to the music and even once, I caught him mouthing to the song that was playing. :) One thing I noticed, where the other adjudicatos usually take turns in judging the competition, he judged almost all the competition save a few in the afternoon. He definitely judged all the competition in the evening. Poor guy. His feet must have hurt from standing all day. Well, at least he looked good doing it. He had on a beige jacket for the afternoon session and the a quick change into a jacket with mandarin collar with some sort of cravat? or kerchief tied around the neck. Very nice. Very stylish. Mucho yummy!

Anyway, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova was back again. So, I had an eyefull of gorgeous dancing by the couple. Also had fun watching couple no. 1. I don't remember what their names were but they were really good too. I really liked their paso doble. Really strong and with brilliant dramatic expression. In my opinion, they did better in the paso than Darren and Lilia. However, I really like Darren and Lilia's samba. Boy of boy can Lilia really shake that hip of hers. Amazing.

Lastly, I do not agree with the decision of the judges on one of the finalist in the Amateur Latin section. It was an Australian couple and their dancing was not that great. Several of the other asian dancers were better than them but they got in. I don't understand it. Or rather I do but I don't agree with it. Judges here seems to like putting foreigners into finals no matter if the other asians were better. If the asians were not significantly obviously better, chances are, the foreign couple would make it to the finals.

But hey! What do I know? I'm only a Novice.

I like this. Go read it.

I think I will stop tinkling with the PHP app now. Otherwise it's never finish. I keep going ... "hey! It'll be nicer this way wouldn't it?" and "hey! Let's try it this way." and "let's add this in". Keep trying to improve upon it non-stop. Guess I'm very much an end-user huh? Always asking for more.

As theendoffree continues on reporting all the freebie sites that are converting to fee-based sites, the real world seems to be going in the opposite direction. This past week, from out of nowhere, I received two freebies.

Freebie 1 - A translucent covered cheque holder and a JUMBO pen from my bank. According to the accompanying letter, it was an early bird gift. I don't remember being an early bird when I started that account a couple of months ago but it's great. Keep the freebies coming Maybank.

Freebie 2 - This one's totally unexpected. My colleagues and I were sitting at a kopitiam (coffee shop) at Taman SEA having lunch when all of a sudden, a hoard of females promoters barged into the shop with their white t-shirt tied on the waist to show some skin and tight black miniskirts and started to hand out something encased in a thin layer of plastic to everyone in the shop. The parcel was a pair of sunshades. It's a promotion for a beer. I don't remember which. Anchor? Heinneken? Carlsberg? I don't really drink beer so I don't remember which it was. Thing is, I was just talking to Vi from the studio about sunshades on Sunday, about how she's got loads at her office and I don't have any in my car, and here I am being handed a pair on Tuesday.

Wow! Easily pleased aren't I. Heh heh. If you only knew. But freebies are always great. So keep them coming. Can't wait to see what else I'll be getting next week.

Deadline's come and gone and I'm still not done with the codes. Well, not as done as I like it to be anyway. Need to do some cleaning up and then sort of test it.

I'm not very familiar with testing programs. Not sure what to test it besides making sure everything suppose to come out right and limits tests. All the stress test and performance testing stuff; I haven't a clue. Should try and get a clue though.

'sides that, practise still going on in the dancing front. Only five more days before the competition on Sunday.

Still not satisfied with my routine. I need to learn how to stop after spins!!! And there's so many spins in my routine? I don't know what my teacher was thinking when he choreographed it. I know it's nice/flashy to have spins but what good is it if you can't do it well?

Dress rehearsal for all competitors tomorrow at the studio.

Oh yeah, if anyone's going to the competition, scream for couple number 47 ... or was it 46. I think it's 47.

I'm gonna take a break from PHP codes for awhile.

Maybe for the rest of the day.

Can't escape if for too long though, have to finish the project by Monday and I have two more modules to finish.

Just that I'm going blind looking at code.

I'm Ctrl-S ing everything after I've typed something. Even in my putty screens and the I'd freak and wonder why nothing's happening to my screen even if I'm furiously typing in it. Even after I added a link into my template just a few minutes ago.

Break time.

Empress, wipe that silly grin off your face!

:D :D :D

I can't help it. KB and the idiotic colleague is having a heated argument which sort of further instills my belief that Cambridge grads are a weird lot. Something about getting KB to draw out a complete design of the base table which KB says wouldn't help in whatever discussion that they'll be having. But idiot colleague wants it anyway for no apparent reason ... at least none that I managed to eavesdrop.

Talking to idiot colleague just makes you want to bash your own head against the wall just so that you have an excuse to excuse yourself. Bleeding head IS a good excuse ... right?

I am truly passionate.

Find your soul type at kelly.moranweb.com.

You're excited about life and in touch with yourself and nature. Tell me, do I have this straight?

Virtues: You appreciate humor like none other. Puns might even spark laughter in you (TEHY R FUNNI). You seek adventure and connection with your surroundings. You seek friends who will not only share laughs with you but actually form a deep bond of trust and empathy beneath the surface. You look for adventure and courage in people, and variation is necessary to keep you under control. You see yourself as multi-faceted, so you need people who can see you in your many lights. You're constantly trying to figure yourself out while analyzing the people around you. Silly, silly people.

Aspirations: You can't decide what you want to be yet, but you know you want it to be adventures and interesting, with constant changes. You don't know what love will do for you yet, but it's competing with adventure for a place in your heart. An internal conflict has begun: can you be a successful worker, lover, and parent all at once?

Quirks: Noise of any sort is irritating when you're in the mood. Smacking gum, loud chewing, humming- it's about as pleasing as bodily noises. You dislike emaciated people because of jealousy and just plain disgust. You're a procrastinator but a hard worker, too.

Factors: You need constant attention and support. You're high-maintnence, but a great, reliable friend. Nature needs you and you need nature; it's helped thus far, so keep in touch with the outside world.

Future: Who knows! You absolutely need constant change, so vacationing is surely in the cards. Will you settle down or not? Love will find you eventually, as it does to everyone. Will you choose the sweet home life or the rewarding busy-bee life?

Email from an audience about 'Opera di Tutti Frutti'. :)

Thank you Mr. Yanagida.

DATE: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 07:45:40
From: Masao Yanagida <xxxxx@xxxxx>
To: xxxxx@xxxxx

Dear PSS Choir Members,

My name is Masao Yanagida.
I'm a Japanese businessman staying in Kuala Lumpur.
Last night I went your concert "Tutti Fruitti".
It is first time to see your performance for me,
I spent really happy time to enjoy your performance.
And also I'm very appreciate of your effort to practice that songs.
It is very good night and very good experience for me.
So thank you very much your great performance.

Actually I'm also member of choir group which so call "KL Japan Club
Glee Club".
We are male choir group in Kuala Lumpur Japan Club where is at Taman Septeh.
Next month, we invite Japan top male choir group "Shingetsu Kai".

Today, I'm happy to inform concert of Japan top male choir group
"Shingetsu Kai"on 14 July 2002 8:30pm at DBKL.
I think it is good opportunity to you to see foreign choir group
performance.
I believe it is good experience for your group also.
So please come to see "Shingetsu Kai" concert which is FOC.

Detail information is as below (taking from brochure):

SHINGETSU KAI CHOIR CONCERT
14 July 2002 8:30 pm at DBKL Auditorium

Shingetsu-kai is one of the most prominent male choirs in Japan.
"Shingetsu" meaned a new moon and is derived from the emblem of their
alma mater Kwansei Gakuin University.
Since the establishment in 1934, they have continued creating glorious
history.
Almost every year they give concerts or participate in choir
competitions in Japan and overseas, and have been a winner over many
tirnes.
They will present twenty over songs from their vast repertories ranging
from classical and folk songs to modem popular songs of Japan and other
countries.

free admission

enquiry:
tel. 03-5638-3001 (Ms. Yamamoto)

http://www.my.emb-japan.go.jp/jfm2002.htm

Received email ultimatum deadline for PHP project from boss.

"... we must absolutely complete by this Friday, OK?"

Who the heck are we? There is no we. There is only ME.

Well, unless you count weird cambridge grad guy who set up the client's PC more than a month ago as part of the team then sure. It's a we.

Concert - done.

Post concert party - done.

Next up - latin dance competition.

Also, gonna have committee meeting on Wednesday to see what we will be doing for the next half of the year for the choir. Any suggestions?

Trying really hard to finish the PHP project. I'm so sick of it.

New items in auditions.

Cor! Freaking cool man! The Yoshi box is incredible.

Not that I'm a big gaming fan but ... shit! That is one cool box if I were!

Have been looking at some PC mod sites lately. Basically, I'm too much of a hardward idiot to try anything like mods but I'd like to be able to try it one day. Maybe just one of those casing mods to begin with, eh? Don't need to know too much about hardware for that and I love looking at nice things. Would be great to have a change from that ugly looking beige box.

I'm pretty sure that I can tell which is the casing although I'm not too sure of how to take it out completely. I have a HP Vectra and all I can do is slide the casing to the back to open it. Still trying to figure out if I can take it off completely.

One of these days.

Drained ... I am so drained.

4 hours sleep everyday for the past three days is simply not enough for me.

I simply don't have the strength right now to do any coding but I have to cause I'm suppose to finish this app by this week. Have a feeling it won't be ready by Monday though. Unless I pull an all nighter tonight and tomorrow.

Have to go over to Sally's to talk to the caterer's people who are going to set up the canopy later. Which means I might have to miss the zoo party - birthday for the grannies & meeting up with visiting gorilla from Penang. I'll try and pop in after I've finished at Sally's. Hope it won't take me too long. Really need some R&R time.

Anyways, Tutti Frutti the past two nights have gone well. Crowd turnout was quite dissappointing but not to the extent that there were more on stage than on the floor *thank god!*. Last night tonight. After this the calendar should be free-er, at least with the extra-curricular activities. Work wise is still as packed.

WHAT'S YOUR SEXUAL MO?


What's Your Sexual MO? Find out @ She's Crafty

You love to be pampered and romanced by your men and things like cuddling by a fire, having an intimate meal, or having a long, deep conversation can always put you in the mood. Sex to you is usually more about the man your with than the act itself. Not a one-night stand kind of girl, newness and disconnectedness just don't do it for you. The mature, stable men you prefer to date appreciate your loyalty and big heart, but they especially love the way you inspire their more aggressive, protective masculine side.

WHICH BUFFY GIRL ARE YOU?


Which Buffy Girl Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

WHICH HACKER'S CHARACTER ARE YOU?


Which Hacker's Character Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

Things You Would Never Know Without Indian Movies

1. A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to cleanse his wounds.

2. If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.

3. The hero cannot fall in love with the heroine(vice versa) unless they first perform a dance number in the rain.

4. Once applied, make-up is permanent, in rain or in any other situation.

5. A large group of goondoos can be shooting at the hero, but he will never be hit, unless of course he is attempting to save the heroine.

6. Enemies shooting the hero will always miss but every shot the hero takes from his small revolver will kill an opponent.

7. Two lovers can be dancing in the field and out of nowhere, 100 people will appear from god-knows-where and joins them in the dance.

8. The heroine will have time to change outfits several times in one song, however short the song will be.

9. If the hero start dancing in a field, everyone you bump into will know all the steps, and will be wearing coordinated outfits.

10. It does not matter if the hero is heavily outnumbered in a martial arts fighting - the enemies will wait patiently to attack him one by one by moving around in a threatening manner until he has knocked out his current opponent then the next one will follow up.

11. In the final scene, the hero will discover that the bad guy who he is up against is actually his brother and the maid who looked after him is his mother and the chief inspector is his father and the Judge is his uncle and so forth.

12. Key English words used in the movie (usually said out loud between sentences) are no problem! My God!, Get Out! Shut-up! Impossible!, Please forgive me!


Things You Would Never Know Without Chinese Swordsman Movies

1. Being the hero's parents will always be unlucky and will usually be killed by enemies when the hero is young, and the hero will become an orphan.

2. When a man is wounded and dying, he always manage to catch his breath and speak a few sentences to reveal the killer before dropping his head and declare dead.

3. When an old man is dying after being attacked by villains, while lying down he will ask the hero (kneeling beside him) to take care of his beautiful daughter (who will be crying).

4. When fighting with the enemy, instead of hitting each other, the villain and the hero will choose to hit each other's palm and stone there for sometime before pushing each other away..... and one of them will spill blood out of his mouth

5. Skilled people are able to fly over roof tops, up trees and across distances without any sweat. But when travelling to towns and villages, they still have to walk or ride horses.

6. When saying goodbye to other skilled fighters, they will cover their right fist with their left palm and jumping out of camera screen (assuming you know they actually fly off into the sky).

7. The heroes need not have to work for money, but will always have golds and silvers with them to pay for their dishes.

8. The inn is such an up-to-date information-centre that when having lunch at the inn, you can always overhear gossips of latest news on what's happening in the pugilistic-world. And usually the gossips come from a few goons at the next table.

9. Assassins seem to have some kind of agency for employments - they always wear the same standard uniform, black cloth all over revealing only the eyes.

10. The heroes and villains will meet each other very often no matter how big the country is and no matter where they are.

11. It's easy to immobilize someone - just touch someone with your fore finger and middle finger anywhere on his body and he will not move... but he still can curse and swear.

12. To cure an immobilization, just anyhow tap your fingers all over his body again.

13. Healing internal wounds in the body is as easy as sitting down cross-legged, palms on the knees and smoke coming out from the head.

14. People like to pass short messages on paper with flying darts to show off their darting skills.

15. When committing suicide, people are so lazy that they choose to hit the forehead with their own palm.

16. The villains have some kind of strange habit that they like to stay in a secret underground compartment just behind the walls of their room....usually opened up by turning a small statue.


17. When chasing someone, people tend to shout at the runner and order him to stop...as if he will obey.

18. Nobel's invention of explosives in 1866 is in fact useless. Highly skilled people in the pugilistic world during ancient times already know how to cause explosions with bare hands.

19. Highly skilled villains have the power to destroy rocks, but do not have the power to kill the hero.

20. Two highly skilled person are so nervous in their duel that they keep talking and criticizing each other before they actually start the fight.

21. People in the pugilistic world are so free that they don't have to work. They attend gatherings, meetings everytime and nose around other people's matter.

Finish a whole 100g bar of Tobleron milk chocolate with honey and almond nougat. On my own!

*yawn*

Sleepy after lunch. Not an unfamiliar predicament. However not advisable cause the boss is rushing me to finish the gov't HR application. *yawn* Probably shouldn't have ordered Curry Laksa for lunch just now. Some says santan (coconut milk) makes one drowsy. I say it's probably more the really full contented stomach and the time of day than anything ... but that's just me.

Christ! What the heck is going on with the main power box? Something keeps popping on and off. The pops are even affecting my speakers. I hear them intermittedly through Royal Crown Revue's Park Place playing over my Winamp. Are they repairing the air conditioning again? It seems to be off now and I'm wearing my jacket. What the heck am I wearing a jacket now? Oh yes. I was cold.

Ramblings.

Watched RSC's production of The Merchant of Venice on Sunday. It was fab! Tonnes better than that stupid production by the Actor's Studio a couple of years back. Didn't make me feel like walking off in the middle of the play. Of course, since I've never studied Shakespeare at school, I don't really understand everything that's said. Didn't get some parts but most of it was funny.

Oh yeah! We sat three rows from the stage so that's really close. We were so close we could see the actors spit when they were delivering their lines. I think it was a good call though sitting so close cause a friend told me that their friend watched it from way back and could hardly hear the actors. Not sure if they were using microphones but I kinda suspect that they didn't. Their voice projection's great but it was a large hall so I don't think their voices managed to travell all the way back.

Next stop, Cats. Just reserved tickets yesterday. Cost me RM151 per for the RM251 tickets. 40% discount for Maxis One customers. Hurrah! That's the most expensive seat. I've been told that Cats is boring. Seen it once on the telly. Seemed alright to me. *shrugs*

destination UK

There are plans current for a visit to the UKs for the Christmas holidays. Hopefully this will go through. I'd love to visit UK or any other country as a matter of fact.

Looking at the calendar, I'm hoping to fly Friday night of the 20th if they have a midnight or close to midnight flight. Don't feel like flying on the 21st for certain reasons and if I fly Friday, I'll be in UK for that eventful date! Perfect pressie for myself. ;)

Plans while in UK. Spend a few days in Aunty K's in Liverpool until Christmas, possibly going over to London for a couple days then over to Aunty Kool in Dublin. While in London, hopefully will be able to meet up with Bren; who out of nowhere is suddenly actually leaving for London for his MBA. He's been considering it for awhile but didn't really do much about it. Now he's leaving in less than two weeks. Good on ya, mate!

Well, holiday plans looks good at the moment. Will have to talk to the parental unit to check who's actually going. I had originally thought that it was just gonna be me and sis S but mom said something about her and pa going as well *bummer*. Pray to God no! Just me and sis S would be good.

Hope they come up with a decision soon. Wanna get cheap flights.

Class was cancelled yet again last night. No room available. SM tried calling me at 7.55pm (class was suppose to be at 8pm) then texted me instead when he could get me. My battery was dead. I only found that out after I've parked near the studio and was transferring stuff from my work bag to another bag. Luckily V had a Nokia charger. I managed to retrieve that text ... but I was already at the studio.

Just when I had finished reading the text, SM called. We decided to practise anyway.

Showed our routine to some people who were still at the studio after we've practised and asked for their feedback. Here's what they said:

Cha-cha routine
"... not sharp enough. Cal's too soft."
"... hip movement part need to be more defined, ie. more evident slow-slow-quick-quick-quick."

Jive
"very nice. Better than the cha-cha."

Hmmm ... which is weird cause we haven't done anything with the Jive routine or done any Jive in class since the last competition back in March.

01. What time is it? 11:44 a.m.
02. Name as it appears on your birth certificate? C a l l i s t a C h u a h H u e i L i
03. Nickname : Shorty, Piggie, Sister Maria, Cinders
04. Parents names: Pa & Mi
05. Number of candles that appeared on your last birthday cake: 24
06. Date that you regularly blow them out: 21 Dec
08. Hair color: Really Dark Brown almost black ... my bio teacher once said my hair's not healthy cause it's not completely black, which is what a 'typical' chinese 'should' have. Makes me wonder if she should really be teaching bio in the first place!
09. Tattoos: none ... yet. Too afraid to get it. Argh! The pain. Maybe one day I'll get my chinese name tatooed somewhere discreet. :)
10. How much do you love your job on a scale of 5? 1 ... I hate the disorganisation.
11. Favorite color: anything but pastels!
12. Hometown: Kuala Lumpur
13. Current Residence: Subang Jaya
14. Favorite food: Assam Laksa, Italian, fast food, cakes, ice cream ...
15. Been to Africa? Nope
16. Been toilet papering? Do not compute! Wha???
17. Loved somebody so much it made you cry? nope.
18. Been in a car accident? Bumped some cars a couple of times (at the same spot) but didn't cause any dents. Nothing major as yet. *touches wood* christ! where the heck do I find wood in an office?
19. Croutons or bacon bits? Both
20. Sprite or 7UP? Hmmm ... 7UP I think.
21: Favorite Movie: Too many to mention! Moulin Rouge, Center Stage, LOTR, Stargate ...
22. Favorite Holiday: Don't know yet! Haven't done much travelling to be able to decide. I'll get back to you on this after I get the chance to travel. At the moment, I like Melbourne. I miss Melbourne.
23. Favorite day of the week: Sunday? but I'm busy then as well so really, don't have a favourite day of the week.
24. Favorite word or phrases: "I don't know." & "Bloody hell!"
26. Favorite Toothpaste: Colgate Gel
27. Favorite Restaurant: Dome's Cafe
28. Favorite Flowers: Gorgeous full bloom red roses.
29. Favorite beverage: Always coca-cola (sing it)
30. Favorite sport to watch : figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronised swimming, dancesport ... (see a pattern here?), tennis & baseball (hardly manage to watch it but I like it)
31. Preferred type of ice cream: Baskin Robin's Jamoca Almond Fudge
32. Favorite Sesame Streetman : The Count
34. Favorite Fast Food Restaurant: Nando's
35. When was your last hospital visit: a few months back
36. What color is your bedroom carpet? deep burgundy (if I had carpeting, which I don't)
37. How many times did you fail your drivers test? once but maintain that it's cause I didn't bribe the guy!
38. Who is the last person you got email from before this? The Selangor Philharmonic Committee egroup
39. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? What ... a goody too shoe like me? Never.
40. Which single store would you choose to max out your credit card? Homelife or a computer shop
41. What do you do most often when you are bored? Watch a movie
42. Name the person that you are friends with that lives the farthest away: Tim in Taiwan (originally from Aussieland)
43. Most annoying thing people ask or tell me: "When can you finish that program?" "Give me a timeline." - People! I'll finish when I finish okay? Get off my case!
44. Bedtime: whenever I get the chance
45: Who will respond the quickest? Don't even know who I'm mailing this to yet!
46. Who is the person you sent this to that is least likely to respond? Don't know.
47. Favorite TV show? Buffy, Caroline in the City
48. Last person you went out to dinner with: All by myself (know the tune?)
49. Last Movie you saw : Burn the Floor
50: Time when you finished: 12.07pm

It's gonna be busy this week.

Spent almost the entire day at the dance studio on Sunday. First it was practise for the Shasae dance group from 9.30am till 11am then practised the cha-cha routine with my dance partner, SM, for a bit before class begins at 12pm ... except that didn't happen. Mr L's alarm didn't go off. He just woke up when SM called him at about 12.20pm, so class is cancelled and rescheduled for today.

We continued practising for a bit more and then SM went home with plans to come back and practise some more at 4pm. Feeling lazy, I stayed back at the studio and just hung out. The thought of driving back home and then rest for an hour before driving back to the studio is just too tiring. SM took out his office's Palm and I borrowed that from him to wile away the wait time. I'm hooked on bejeweled now. :) Skipped Yoga to practise cause I think we really need more practise if we are to get beyond the first round of the competition.

After getting home, had to drive mom to the night market and the bank. I was half dead by that time. No Gilmore Girls that night but that's good cause Mad About Mambo was showing on Star Movies. Haven't seen that. It's good. Couldn't stay awake after that so *plop* I went to sleep.

Monday was a whole day at work and then choir practise at night. Loooong day. Dropped off posters and postcards of the concert at TGV Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Pyramid information counter during lunch. Oh, the soloists came in today for practise and I think the soprano's really good. She sort of overpowers the tenor during the Brindisi piece. Hopefully the tenor gets more courage and try to sing louder after more practise. Tired. So tired.

So, tonight, dance class. Hopefully we don't stay back too long for practise. Want to catch Sex and the City on HBO at 10pm.

Plans for the week: Wednesday - choir practise, Thursday - Committee meeting (darn! I have to miss my regular Thursday 4 hour TV series session - Buffy, Angel, Angel and Popular|Dark Angel), Friday - check out venues for post-concert party, Saturday - nothing confirmed, National Choir performance? and the it's Sunday routine again.

Well, managed to rewire my brain circuits to take the alternate route to work this morning *grin* *pats herself on the back*. And no. I wasn't any faster. Part of that route was filled with traffic and traffic lights which made it a little slow and it being a slightly longer route, the smooth passage after the traffic didn't cut down any travelling time. So, I guess it's back to the old route. Old is gold.

Finally got back the PC from the HR Ministry. Sent that PC in for them to test the program almost 3 weeks ago! The plan was to have them test it for only a week. Anyway, I have it back now. Will have to do lots of modifications to the program (due to lack of information when building the program in the beginning! Hear that boss?).

Made a little stop at the new Tesco in Puchong on the way back. Was falling asleep at the wheel and tummy was doing a little song and dance, so I thought I'd stop over to grab a bit. Didn't have much of a lunch before that.

Tesco's not that great. The prices are pretty much the same as Carrefour or Giant. No biggie. Bought a bag of chips and a cup of cafe mocha (from San Francisco's). Spilled some coffee on the handle of my new Elle document bag. Now there's a stain. Wonder how I'm going to get that off. Should I soak it? Will the stain come off if I soak it?

Was thinking of working late tonight but once I got back in the office and hooked up the PC I brought back, didn't feel much like working anymore. Checked my mails, browsed my guestbook and browsed Moby's site; really nice site plus he has a T-shirt designing competition on right now. Only problem is, it's only open to American. Not like I was planning on entering it but that kinda limits the pool of talent a tad, don't you think?

...and now, I think I'll just go home.

Let's try another route.
Need to get to work earlier after that email from the boss.

I chanted and chanted when I woke up this morning.

Ready. Got in the car. Start the car. Reverse. Right. Left. Left. Driving. Driving.

Realization hits!

Bloody hell! Freaking went on auto pilot. Back on the slow, jam packed old route. Bugger it!

My choir's concert. Check it out. Doesn't the poster look festive?

Here's the programme order: CARMEN Georges Bizet (1838-1875) March of the Toreadors ALADDIN music: Alan Menken (b.1949) A whole new world lyrics: Howard Ashman (1951-1991) words: Tim Rice (b.1944) KERAMAT CINTA music: Adrian Lee (b.1958) & Sunetra Fernando (b.1966) Choral suite from Opera Uda dan Dara text: Usman Awang (20th century) IDOMENEO Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Go diam la pace Sidonne spondie & Placido e il mar andiamo Scenda Amor DIE ZAUBERFLOTE Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Papagena & Papageno duet FAUST Charles Gounod (1818-1893) Avant de quitter EUGENE ONEGIN Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Waltz scene LA FORZA DEL DESTINO Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Rataplan NABUCCO Giuseppe Verdi Chorus of the Hebrew slaves LA TRAVIATA Giuseppe Verdi Brindisi INTERVAL (solo item - Student Prince) THE GONDOLIERS Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) Then one of us will be a queen Once more Gondolieri WEST SIDE STORY Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) A choral selection PRINCE IGOR Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) Polovtsian Dances

Spectacular! Spectacular!

I finally saw 'Burn the Floor' last night. Have heard about it from people at the studio, the rave reviews on my random searches about it and from jason. Then my dance partner said he had a copy but it was with a friend. When he finally got it back, it took him a few weeks to pass it to me. He keeps forgetting to bring it and one time he did bring it but forgot to give it to me. So, last Sunday, he brought it and I managed to watch it last night.

Well, I actually saw a pirated DVD copy selling on the streets of Penang during my holidays last week but resisted the temptation to purchase cause I was gonna get to watch it eventually. Damn my incredible willpower! Because of you I have missed on days of not watching the incredible dancing from the 44 couples on that show.

As I was watching the show, I first picked the cha-cha, samba, rumba sequence which was dance to a very industrial sound. The dancers looked like they came out of some futuristic movie. Y'know those where everyone looks like they're in rags with googles on their head and living in the sewers with steam puffing out of vents all over. Very Mad Max. Or is it Total Recall? Anyway, it was so cool. A total change from the flashy latin costume and shoes and into a modern clothes and sneakers. If I hadn't been watching carefully, I might have just missed that they were actually dancing the cha-cha, samba and rumba. It looks like any other hip-hop, modern day dance. Great sequence!

I thought that was going to be my favourite sequence ... up until the swing number came up. I have always had a soft spot for swing dance and music. In fact, I have several swing and rockability albums in my collection. Would actually be more if I could find them in the local stores and they didn't cost above RM75 a piece! Oops! Digressed ... As I was saying, I love swing and all the dancers looked very hep. I wanna learn to swing! Oh, they added a little bit of jive into the sequence as well. They danced to 'Jump Jive an' Wail', 'Transylvania 6500' (I think) and the classic 'Swing, Swing, Swing'. There was also a piece called the 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' with three girls singing in old time bikini. So chic. :) I like the sound they made. Great voice arrangements.

So, those two sequences are currently tied as my favourite.

Fave couples from the who show would be Jason Roditis and Tonia Kosovich, which is featured on the cover of the VCD, and Matthew Cutler & Nicole Cutler.

Some pictures from Club Nite back in April 20th

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was much better than Star Wars: The Phantom Menance. The script was still pretty corny and filled with dialog trying to inject a little humour into the film but it wasn't as bad as Episode 1. Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker was just a tinge better than the little boy who played Anakin. Actually, I can't say that I like Anakin at all. It's no wonder he went bad. So, whiny. What in the world does Padme see in him? His good looks? His incredible potential of being the greatest Jedi ... ever?

Eesh! For lack of a better sentence, he sucks!

Funny parts, ... Padme running through the fields of Naboo. Looks like a scene from The Sound of Music. I can just imagine her bursting out in song. My sister couldn't stop laughing when we were watching that part and I sang (silently), 'The hills are alive, with the sound of music'. :)

Next up, after Ani found his kidnapped mother and she was lying there dying, she went 'I love ... *cough* *choke* ... I love'. Aunty Kool, sis S and I completed it with char kuey teow, chocolates and laksa, respectively. Don't know why we can't all feel sad and serious about that whole scene. Why do we find it funny? We're just plain cruel and unfeeling people. That or the scene wasn't convincing?

Throughly enjoyable film though. Wouldn't mind watching it again although I didn't like a lot of things in it. Probably the things that I did like made it bearable. Padme's wardrobe, gorgeous Naboo, Ewan McGregor ...

The drive back from Penang to Kuala Lumpur was less torturous than the drive there. Mainly cause everyone else has gone back to work on today (Tuesday) after the long weekend. Managed to have my assam laksa, my durians up in the hill, and some (all of 45 minutes) sun bathing done. Made myself sick by eating too much. Cor! What torture. I didn't know overeating can cause such pain. Felt dizzy, was sweating and even threw up a little. Felt better after the purging though. All of this plus some time for packing and cleaning up the apartment took till about 3.35pm before we left for the cemetary to place flowers on my grandfather and greatgrandparents's graves. Was feeling better by that time although I could still feel the food in my stomach.

Black sheep sister was suppose to meet up with us, she was staying with friends, but she didn't show until we were in our cars and getting ready to leave. She went with brother and company for lok-lok (raw/pre-cooked food on sticks sold from a van which provides pots with boiling water in which you cook the food) while the rest of us left straight for KL. Bought some guavas and mangoes on the way back but besides that, it was a smooth non-stop ride back. Slept most of the way. Managed to influence Aunty Cool into listening to Josh Groban. She likes. :)

On holiday

Hey, hey. I'm on holiday. In Penang. The drive there was so long. Originally, the drive up north was suppose to take only 4 hours but this beeing a long weekend, Awal Muharram on Saturday and Wesak Day on Sunday with a Monday holiday, the traffic was attrocious. At every toll on the highway, there was a massive jam. Every toll! Therefore in the end we got to Penang at 7pm. EDT was Saturday 11am.

We're staying at my dad's friend's apartment which has an incredible view of the sea. The apartment is of a good size; three bedrooms, a large hall fully equiped with television and a radio, a small kitchen with no stove, and two bathrooms. Nice. :) There's also a gymnasium downstairs (the apartment's at the 14th floor) and two swimming pools.

Didn't do much yet this trip. Basically just lazed around at the apartment watching DVDs. Saw Zoolander and Ocean's Eleven this morning and half of Lord of the Rings last night. Did a bit of swimming this evening as well ... all of 20 minutes I think. Heh heh ... not a lot. Haven't been to the beach yet, haven't done any sun bathing, haven't had my assam laksa from my favourite assam laksa stall in air hitam ... haven't done much of anything!

Did go to Gurney Plaza this evening though. Visited British India Home, it's a shop, to check if they still have the purple bedsheet that I wanted to buy but didn't about six months ago. Nope. Not there anymore. Serves me right. The rest, sister, brother, aunts and dad, bought some clothing from F.O.S. (the visiting aunts from UK's fave shopping outlet).

Staying at my Penang aunt's place now cause I need internet connection. I have an article for adequacy that I needed to send out.

Right now at this very moment, am waiting for the JDK to finish downloading. *sigh* only 11% done. 89% more to go. It's gonna be a long night.

See, I promised my colleague that I'd work on the e-mail module that he needed over my holidays (I took the whole of this week off!). So, to be able to do that, I'd need a network connection to test the module. My PC doesn't have a modem at the moment so I need to install the JDK and other modules to do my work on my dad's laptop. It has internal modem.

So, here I am now. Waiting for the thing to download. *sigh*

"Why are you going shopping have you forgotten that you're a man?"

That's the first line of a radio commercial for a local hotel cafe.

As Cher Horowitz in Clueless would say ... AS IF!

If that sentence have any semblance of truth in it, all single men would be walking around stark naked and starved to death after they've move out of momma's house. That's assuming the man's wife/girlfriend does his shopping for him and feeds him. Well, the stark naked thing might prove interesting watch for us ladies and same interest males if those men took care of their bodies. ;)

Christof Lauer & Jens Thomas: A Review

Christof Lauer - "One of the most important saxophonists on the European jazz scene and a "musician's musician"!
Jens Thomas - "The Jimi Hendrix of the piano"!

That's what's written in the flyer that was handed to me on entering the music hall of the Asian European Institute at University Malaya. Earlier that day, I had managed to scan through an article in The Star about the duo prior to dashing off for work.

Remind me to never believe anything said in print! If I read something and tell go, "Hmmm ... this sounds interesting. Wanna go?" Just give me a hard smack at the back of my head.

A more wasted evening I have never know, this one's almost as bad as the 4 Men and a Woman dance drama I saw, I think, two years ago. All this creative improvisation things just doesn't suit my palate. It's either I'm terribly dense (a huge possiblity) or the music was that bad!

The duo did their rendition of Sting tunes. Starting off with Roxanne, followed by a piece written by Mr. Thomas, Synchronicity #2, another Thomas creation, Every Breath You Take, Dar (Thomas original), Desert Rose, Synchronicity #1 and the encore 'Be With You" or was that "Be With Me". All in all totally unlistenable except for maybe Dar and the encore piece where there is a hints of melody them.

I only recognised Roxanne because while waiting for the start of the performance, I read the handout given at the door which stated that they did a CD covering Sting songs. Therefore, I was looking/listening hard to try and recognise the song. The part of the song that goes "Roxanne", for those that are familiar with the song, was the only recognisable part. The other part was a bunch of Thomas banging wooden on the interior of the baby grand and plucking at the piano strings. Oh yes. I feel asleep in the middle of the first song.

Every Breath You Take fared better in that the tune was quite recognisable, although not completely, and there was less sections where Thomas started playing with the innards again. Desert Rose was absolutely not in evidence except for maybe twenty seconds almost towards the end of the song. As for Jen Thomas originals, most of the were a bunch of banging on the piano, banging on the inside of the piano and fast finger works and excellent breathing technique by Mr. Lauer. All of which culminates to a bunch of noise.

Saving grace of the evening would be that the duo are actually excellent musicians. You can hear the incredible piano playing of Thomas which reminded me in parts to the song 'Study for Three Hands' by Ennio Morricone for the movie 'Legend of 1900'. Lauer plays a mean sax and the tremoloes? that he does sounds simply out of this world. The duo should really start writing that includes more rhythmic melodies instead of experimenting with banging which lays their talent to waste.

Anyway, it seems that there are people who actually likes this sort of music. After their last piece, as I was aching to get out the hall as soon as I can, some guy behind me cried out for an encore and the duo obliged. Shoot! Stuck for another song! Later getting out of the hall, I actually saw people buying their CDs. I was about to yell, 'You freaking pretensious freaks! A baby could make those noise. Want me to gather some kids together?!". That and I was trying had to suppress my disbelief of the people around me.

Getting into the car, switching on the radio, the familiar soothing melodious tune of 'Truly Madly Deeply' was a much needed reprieve. God bless the radio. God bless commercialism!

Hurrah! Just went to the photo shop to collect the roll of film I sent in yesterday evening. They all came out. I wasn't sure they would cause that roll has been in the camera for more than two months.

The pictures came out great. Well, not all are great. The one I took of Miguel Ayesa signing my program is though. I'm such a great photographer. Haha ... self praise. :)

Right. Now, to get my hands on a scanner then I can place some of the pictures I took of the F1 race at Sepang, me in my latin competition costume and the pictures with the cast of FAME.

Gosh! It's been a week since my last blog. This is turning out to be more of a weekly entry instead of the original daily entry.

Anyway, not much happened last week, which was probably why I didn't make any entry in here. Monday is much the same as most of my Mondays, work and then choir practise in the evening. However, prior to practise, I met up with a guy, Ram, at San Francisco? Starbucks? who's searching for people to make up a band. He's already in a band and is looking to have a sideband. I told him I could sing. Did a three liner of Letters To Cleo's I Want You To Want Me. He thinks I can sing. So, yay. I might be in a band. Haha ... so teenagerish.

As for Tuesday, the choir committee had a meeting. The tentative date for the press blitz of our Opera Di Tutti Frutti performance is Monday June 3. More talk about posters and postcards and programs. There isn't much that I'm assigned to for these issue. However, there are plans for an after show party after the performance. That would be where I come in.

The rest of the week was just work. Then on Saturday, went to watch Ram's band jam. They're pretty good. Sounded better live than on their home made CD recording.

Later that day, I went to stalk the cast of FAME to sign my program after their matinee show. Very successfull outing. I managed to get almost everyone's signature. Only one missing, Leah's. I heard she has a twisted/busted ankle so she wasn't at Istana Budaya (the venue). They're all so very nice. Especially Miguel Ayesa. Deonne Zanotto got overly excited when I asked her to sign my CHICAGO program. She was in that show as well about a year and a half ago. In fact, everyone got excited over the CHICAGO program. All of them poured over it like they've never seen it before.

That was great! Of course, I had to go back after their evening show cause I didn't manage to get them all after the matinee. Had to miss the second half of the BBC Proms being relayed live over the KLCC park to go back but I'm glad I did. Otherwise I'd have to go back into the city the next day. Don't want to do that if I don't have to.

Fab! Fab! Fab! Can't wait to get the pictures developed. Hope they all come out well. I'll have them scanned and the posted after I do.

Still slightly buzzing from watching FAME - The Musical last night. The energy. The enthusiasm. It's incredible.

Reminds me so much why I wanted to have a career in music theatre when I was young. Of course now, older and jaded, I don't believe that dream will ever, ever come true anymore. Should it ever materialise however, THAT'S the sort of musical I'd like to be in.

Back to FAME. Great voices and great dancing. Maria Mercedes's voice is just incredible. So powerful and rich. Besides her, I also like Simon Gleeson's voice. Dance wise, I like Deonne Zanotto aka Carmen Diaz. She can really dance! Wow!

I usually look among the supporting dancers in musicals such as these for that one person with that extra presence, that extra bounce that catches my eyes. Sometime I see it and sometimes I don't. This time, that person is Kane Bonke. He just seemed to have the extra bounce to his steps. My eyes were trained only at him from the moment I spotted him. Very arresting. Later, I saw him and some of the other dancers at the side exit while on my way to the car.

Darn! Where's my pen when I needed one?!

I might go back one day just to wait for them to come out so that they can sign my program. Hopefully will be able to catch Maria Mercedes and get her to sign my Chicago program. Just realised she played Mama Morton in the Chicago musical that I saw in Singapore two years ago. Oh! And Deonne Zanotto as well, she was one of the dancers in the Chicago production.

One of my friends asked me whether musicals with Malaysian cast will ever be at this standards. Pessimistically, I said no. If you'd just read the bios of the cast in the program, you'll see that these people have been dancing/acting/singing since they were practically toddles. Most performers in Malaysia seem to have cultivated an interest only when they are in their teenage years or adulthood. How can you compete with years and years of training? Dancers, maybe cause people do place their children in dance classes although they do not really encourage their children to grow up to become a dancer ... or maybe that was just my parents?

I'm currently in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer crave. Have been pouring through various Buffy sites reading spoilers and fanfics.

Spike is yummy. I think it due to his bad boy image and British accent. I've always been a sucker for accents. Aussie, British ... whatever. Found some gorgeous Spike wallpapers and WinAmp skins. Didn't download the wallpaper cause I still like the idea of a calendar for wallpaper (I have the whole set of LOTR calendar wallpapers). Might change the wallpaper for the PC at home, maybe.

This is so funny/odd. Last night, I stayed up watching a slew of Sex & the City episodes till the wee hours of this morning. I think it was about 2.30am when I finally went to sleep. Astro was having a Marathon Sex & the City thang prior to airing the new season ... or at least I hope they're gonna air the new season. Aidan is so sweet. Such a perfect boyfriend. Yum.

Anyway the weird thing is that I usually dread waking up and will postpone waking for almost an hour after my alarm rings. But this morning, I didn't mind. Felt like I had enough sleep but I actually had less. My usual sleep hour is about 12.30am. Why's that? Was yesterday's weather more condusive for deeper sleep and therefore resulting in me feeling more refreshed this morning? Or is my required hours of sleep less than the norm?

I have heard/read that each person have their own amount of hours that they require for a good sleep. Too much and you'd feel groggy and too little, ... well, sleepy.

So, should I start experimenting sleeping later and getting up earlier?

Oh, on Saturday, I shifted the furniture a little. I've moved my be so that the side of the bed is against the wall instead of the headboard. Ever since that day (which is two days ago), I haven't woken up on time. I almost missed dance practise on Saturday and work today, if it hadn't been for my mom. Maybe the change was bad feng shui. Or something cause this morning I woke up feeling sickly.

Slight throbbing in the head, achy shoulders. Felt like skipping work actually but didn't think I was sick enough. Skipped choir practice though. Spent the extra hours watching Malena. It's great. I'm convinced that any film of the Giusseppe Tornatore and Ennio Morricone collaboration is good.

Saturday: Spent the whole day in KLCC. It's the monthly credit card paying outing. Every month, I'd go pay my credit card in the city. After dropping in the fast cash deposit envelop (this takes about 5 seconds), I'd take the 10 minutes walk to KLCC. Then hang around there till about 6/7pm when it's time to go home for dinner.

This trip was pretty good. I managed to get some design work done; not much but better than nothing. Sad, isn't it? Working at a shopping mall? I meant, when you're suppose to be there to enjoy the shopping experience, not when you're hired to work in the shops. But I think it's great. Away from the distraction of the telly and internet, I managed to get things done. Plus, I don't look so stupid sitting at Dome's alone waiting for my ordersto arrive and starring at people all around. Actually, I love people watching. However, I'd like to watch from a corner, where nobody know's I'm watching. People watching is great fun.

Okay, besides working, I actually got myself a pair of heels from Vincci; a black strappy concoction of about 3 inches high. Have been looking to buy a pair of heels forever. Something with ankle holds so that I don't have to worry about my shoes flying when I go dancing. Then, forked out RM62 buck for the April and May copy of Wired.

Watched Blade 2 on VCD. What a let down! I absolutely enjoyed Blade but Blade 2 was a dissappointment. Not much of a storyline just a lot of slashing. Bleargh!

Sunday: Dance practise and class as usual in the morning. Minor change to the cha-cha routine. Changed from a Natural Top and hip twist to lots of spins. Minor stuff. Nicer I think. I never did like Natural Tops.

Watched Vatel on DVD in the afternoon. My DVD copy's kinda screwed! Lips and sound does not synchronise. Quite distracting actually. That aside, it was a pretty nice movie. Amazing what they go through just to gain the favours of the King. My favourite actor, Tim Roth, didn't get enough screen time but that's mostly cause his role is just that, small. Very much like his other villainny roles which he seems to excel at. He's deliciously bad.

Later in the afternoon, watched the Keanu Reeves film 'Hardball'. Feel good movie, sad ending and wooden acting by Mr. Cool Breeze. The kids were great though and Keanu's got a great smile when he so chooses to display it.

Gilmore Girls @ 10pm. This is the episode where Rory's dad Christopher came back for a visit. The guy playing Christopher reminds me a lot of Cameron Daddo, who I first saw as a photographer in Aaron Spelling's Model's Inc. Cute. As usual, lots of laugh in this episode, thoroughly enjoyable.

Possible Breakdown

Near miss on Tuesday; almost knocked down a motorcyclist when he was coming out of a junction. This happened when I was on my way home, just a few more meters away from my house. I stand firm that this incident is in no way my fault. I had the right of way. It was clearly my road. I was going straight. He was coming out of a junction. He didn't seem to be watching where he was going, seemed to be staring up the hill on his left. He didn't even pause at the junction!

Fortunately for him, I saw him nearing the junction. I was going 30km/per. I managed to break in time. I saw him put up his hand in apology. Had he not done this, I might have wound down my window and screamed and yelled at him like a fisherman's wife (no offence to all the fisherman's spouses, tis just a common phrase I've seen used).

Labour Day today is depressing.

Met up with Shawn for lunch. Haven't seen him for quite awhile now. Last time I talked to him, he was working in Singapore. He's back for good now. New job. Now here's the depressing part, at least for me. They are going to pay him RM5500 a month! That's almost double my salary. I've worked almost the same amount of years and I'm earning chicken feed. Is the pay for a Software Developer and a consultant so vastly different?

Plus, I just realised that I'm close to having a breakdown with regards to my work. I don't know what I'm doing, I have to develop a product, I have to lead a project as well as design and code the bloody thing and I find that I don't have time to do all this at the same time and keep up my schedule of dancing and singing.

I'm not, however, prepared to give up those leisure activities cause if I do, I think I'd go mad. I know me and if I don't do those, I'd just be sitting in front of the telly and not doing any work anyway.

I need to focus more on work I think. Put more importance on what I have to do and not just doing it for the pay. Need more passion for work.

Therein lies the problem. I just can't seem to feel passionate for it.

P&P said that I should take time to think about what I want to do. Do you want to continue in the computing line? Do you have something else you'd rather be doing? Do you have any idea what I want to do? Should you pursue your interested in dance & song?

I don't know. Nothing that I know of at this moment. No. No cause I know that I'm not extremely talented in those and those things just can't support my lifestyle.

What do I want? If I quit the computing line, I can't think of anything else that I am capable of doing.

First step - Tomorrow (or in a few hours time), I plan to lock myself in the meeting room and think up the design for the project. I hope that this will at least map out what there is to do for the project so that I can distribute parts of the development to the others. Maybe after that, I won't feel like it's such a big thing.

Then, I can see if I can make time to extend the email module that TL's been pestering me about. If I feel that I can't, I will just have to tell him that I can't at the moment but if he needs it, he can always look into Java Mail and do it himself. I wrote the bloody module a year ago so I'd probably have to relook the Java Mail APIs again anyway.

Hope this works. My plans never seem to work. Most probably cause I tend to postpone anything serious and unpleasant eg. actual work.

Right. This is for when I get home. http://www.tonos.com/app2/articles/business_of_music/jsp/foster_in_studio.jsp. Firewall at work doesn't allow most RealMedia streaming.

I would like to write a review on 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' that I watched yesterday afternoon but my friend accidentally took my programme. So, with no names to rave or critic on and no song list to guide me, I can't. I'll probably be able to get it back tonight and will write the piece when I do. In the meantime, do go watch the show. It's hilarious and highly entertaining. Plus, Chef Wan wasn't that bad in it.

Not bad but not good either.

P.S: This was the musical I auditioned for.

Just submitted my monthly article to Delusion of Adequacy. The Editor sent a mail reminding me of the dateline a few days ago. I didn't know what to write about so I think I submitted quite a useless piece. Click on Dateline--Malaysia at http://www.adequacy.net/columns.shtml. I don't think I'm cut out for this article writing thing. Just don't know what to write about. Feeling the pressure and this is only my second piece. :={

Affaire Française

The coronation was a non-event ... at least for me. Did they indeed install a new King that day? I guess they did from the front page picture on most of the newspapers around. But for me, it was just another day off. Didn't glue myself to the television watching this event happen live from Bukit Jalil. Had instead a nice family outing.

Started the day with a nice brunch at a chicken rice shop at Jalan Gasing. Yummy rice, very small amount of chicken and quite expensive as well (it's kampung chicken that's why). That was nice, would have been even better if my parents were able to answer my questions directly (about why the shop's location is) instead of trying to tell me where to go.

You see, I have been to the shop before it's just that I forget how far into Jalan Gasing the shop's located. Therefore, I need to know where to turn in from the road parallel (the one which passes Amcorp Mall) to Jalan Gasing (I can't go straight into Jalan Gasing from Federal Highway!). Why can't they just tell me if it's at the beginning or the middle or at the end of that road? They always want to tell me what to do. Shit! Just answer the question!

Oh yes, that and my grandma keep asking if her precious grandson know's that we are here and if he'll be joining us. We just saw him get all dressed up for work and walk out the door prior to departure. Gosh! Focus! Now, that's bad of me. She is quite old. I should just indulge her and tell her he has to work and being the goody too shoe that I am, told her that her precious has gone to work, albeit sarcasm was dripping like liquid honey.

Next went home and just sat for awhile before heading out to Bangsar with Stef. She wanted to get her belly pierced. It cost a heck of a lot! RM100 just for the piercing and another RM80 for a normal stud with no gem or RM90 for a stud with one gem and RM120(?) for a stud with two gems. She only brought RM150 so she didn't have enough cash then. Besides, it was expensive and I advised her to go check out the pricing in other places. So, we went down and into a clothing store just next door. Her still torturing herself thinking whether or not to just get it done cause she's been wanting to do it forever and me being absolutely non-supportive. My reason being she hasn't checked out other places. They might be cheaper! Me the el cheapo. Hah!

Anyway, she finally decided to have it done anyway and I spotted her the extra dough she needed. Her belly is well and truly maimed now. Looks alright. The stud's kinda plain though. Saw some cool looking ones at the shop which made me think if I should get my belly maimed as well then I get to use one of those fancy belly studs for my latin competitions. Would look très cool doncha think?

Then it's off to Midvalley we go. It's off to MidValley we go. Hey ho the derry oh, it's off to MidValley we go.

Got my movie tickets - Meilleur Espoir Feminin and The Count of Monte Cristo. The French flick was good. Saw a similarity between the daughter-father relationship with that of my sis and papa. Stef and I joked that we should get them to watch the movie and see if they see it as well. Better yet, make them come watch it together! That should be interesting.

Count of Monte Cristo was lavish. Good as well for someone who has not read the Alexandre Dumas classic. I had heard from someone that the movie wasn't so good but that person has read the book. Maybe the book was better? Sort of how I feel about Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone I guess. Lots of scenes chopped off from the book.

So, Thursday was good. Yesterday was boring. Work and then dance practise. *Yawn*

Argh! Christ! I knew I shouldn't have made that coffee or at least shouldn't have drunk(? - excuse me if that's the wrong tense, my tenses are quite weak but I am not going to invest anytime to improve that) it. Now my stomach's churning. Will have to get home and to the loo quick before it explodes!

Tomorrow's a holiday. Yay! Coronation for the new Agong (King).

This will give me a chance to go watch 'Meilleur Espoir Feminin'. Have been wanting to watch it since it first started showing but never had the chance. More so now that it's showing only once a day in the afternoon when I am at work. Pm's seen it and she wants to watch it again so it should be good, no? As for tonight, ballroom class and after that latin practise (SM called during lunch asking if I could practise after class). Then if I feel like it, maybe, Spiral with Az.

Eyes red and dry, I finally finished porting the app. Minor modifications made and repairation to stuff that I missed out earlier. Time to say goodbye to this project and continue with the next.

Urgh! I dread starting that other project. Don't know where to begin. To just code? Or to design first? Obvious and ideal answer would be to design right but that's such a drag. But I will have to since I have to break it apart so that I can assign it to others in the team to help me with it. Ah well, this my first project (well, first big one anyway) that I'll be heading. I just hope I don't screw it up too much.

Righto ... lets talk about what I did the past couple of days.

Club nite on Saturday was a success (my opinion anyway, others might have thought it a complete bore). Almost everyone who confirmed their attendance actually attended. The food was really good (I well and truly stuffed myself). However, my singing that night was atrocious. Atrocious doesn't even come close to describing it. I was too soft when duetting (unpractised) with Cris on 'I Know Him So Well' and started too low when I did 'On My Own'.

So embarrassing!

But it was lots of fun. Better towards the end when a few of us gathered around the piano and belted our hearts out. Then Suzan and I did 'I Still Believe'. I actually sounded quite ok. I should practise this song more often. It seems to be within my range, whatever my range is.

It was about 12am Sunday morning when I got to Avanti for Soon's little birthday gathering. Danced some but not a lot cause they closed at 1am. During one song, 2 of the waiters went on the dance floor and started dancing - they weren't any good, whoever gave them the idea that they were must have been intoxicated. One of the waiters, not the two on the dance floor, told me to join them cause, his words, ' ...[I] dance well'. Ermm ... gee thanks. Compared to those two, I probably do. Haha ... good stuff for my ego. Should visit this establishment more often. :)

The next morning, had to wake up early for dance practise at 9.30am. Bleargh! Didn't practise too hard that day cause SM was trying to figure out some steps. After that, SM and I had our lesson. First one ever after my competition debut; which was slightly more than a month ago. Wow! That's really long. We did the basic, which I have never learned, technically correct version of cha-cha and spins. I still can't seem to get the shoulder thing right. So frustrating. It feels odd. Not natural. Like I'm just doing it cause Mr. L tells me to. Need to practise more I suppose.

*Sigh* Next competition's in July. Hope I get enough practise before that.

Well, I tried to installing the app but ran into some problems.

Firstly, it seems that the PHP on windows is more sensitive to unset variables ie. just referring to $aVar without assigning it first will print out an ugly error message in your view page. Yucks! Or maybe that has to do with Apache on windows. I don't know. Either one, I will now have to go through my codes and do an isset() on places that might involve unset variables.

Secondly, my colleague who set up Apache and PHP on that machine forgot to install the mhash function. So I can't get pass the login page cause all following pages requires that. Ah well, left him a message on his mobile. Hopefully he hasn't gone back to Malacca this weekend and would be able to come in tomorrow or something to install it. I'd do it myself except I have never installed PHP before and installing that function might require some sort of compilation. I don't want to screw up whatever that's already working.

Now I must go home and collect the stuff needed for tonight's club nite and head over to Ivy's and await the caterers.

Woo hoo! Tis done. All files transferred.

On another note ... Craps! Have to come back to the office tomorrow to install my, just finished, application in the client's machine. Must have that ready by Monday. The boss wants it.

After this, it's back to Java and CRM.

Now that my home computer have speakers, I think it's about time I take all the mp3 files that I have managed to download over the office's speedy lines. There are almost 200 files there; more or less. I wanted to do this earlier on but I thought that since I don't have speakers to listen to them, what would be the point? Plus my dad didn't have his laptop then so, how was I to transfer all those files home? I don't have a zip drive nor do I have a burner at the office.

Wow! The transfer's pretty fast over the network. I hooked up the laptop to one of the network ports around. Lots of them around now since everyone's gone home.

Might take me ages to transfer it to my PC when I get home using a parallel port. No network card at home. Again. No point in having one.

Hmmm ... not done yet.

Hey! I think they've switched off the air-conditioning! Getting warmer in here.

Of friends and sushi

Yesterday while having lunch with Jen, I noticed that we don't really seem to talk to each other. We got to Genkhi Sushi and sat around the sushi belt. Ordered our green tea and then just sat and checked out the offerrings on the belt. Picked some plates and started eating.

I felt a bit weird so I tried to make conversations; I haven't seen her for a few weeks, close to a month.

"So, anything new?" I asked.

"Nah! Not really. How bout you?" came the reply.

"Nothing here either."

Then silence and more eating.

Is it normal for people who've been friends to have nothing to say to each other? Nothing to talk about? Nothing that they'd like to share when they meet? Y'know, to catch up on the week(s)/month(s). Do friends tend to have the same conversations over and over again? Questions like "Anything new?", "When will you be quitting?", "I thought you wanted to quit?", "Have you seen [movie name]?"

I don't know. It just felt weird.

My friends and I usually go out and do something - movies, pool, bowling, eat (all time favourite) - and even if we don't go out and just hang out in P's place, we'd watch a movie. All activities not requiring minimal communication skills. When we do find ourselves in situations where we actually have to speak to each other, the topic usually centers around work (boring) or if I'm talking to P, what shows/musicals would we like to go for next.

Hmmm ... I'll have to pay more attention to whether this is true for every occassion our clique meet up.

Maybe it was just yesterday. A one time thing.

Maybe it was the sushi ...