Chinese New Year and auditions

Two more days left of the 15 days celebration of the Chinese New Year. I'm not feeling the festive-ness of the celebration. Have not been in a very festive mood for several months now. Must be tired.

Anyway, this week is a week of auditions. There's a sudden deluge of productions especially musical productions this year and they're all recruiting this week.

On Monday, the was suppose to be an audition for a production of 'The Merry Widow'. Suppose cause when the auditioner came in and said some sentimental mush about how he doesn't have to heart to reject anyone (we were having our regular choir rehearsal). So, the entire choir's in the chorus.

There's an audition for Tosca tonight and tomorrow. Not sure if I'm going to audition cause I don't know any arias but I'll be going there to meet some friends and if I can gather enough courage while I'm there, might audition with 'I Could Have Danced All Night'. A pseudo-classical-ish piece would fare better for this audition than if I were to sing 'On My Own' wouldn't it?

Then on Saturday and Sunday, there's the audition for 'Natra - The Musical'. Might do my default audition song for this - 'Surrender' from Sunset Boulevard. I am freaking out on the monologue part though. Never acted before. Don't know the first thing about how to do it. However, I am only going to audition for the ensemble. Hopefully for ensembles they won't put that much emphasis on the monologue.

Hope I'll get in at least one of those auditions though. The Natra one will be my preferred choice cause I've always wanted to be in a musical. Tosca, not so keen, as I'm not trained in classical and won't be surprised if I don't make it for the opera.

At least I'm definitely in The Merry Widow. :)

One Day by Sissel

Here I am, on my own again
All alone but not afraid
Here I stand, nowhere near the end
Time to go a different way

Cause another day will come to those who dare
Believe in something new

When you follow your shining star
Leave all your fears behind
You will find love no matter where you are
And all your heart will say – one day

When you’re down, and you haven’t found
Where you think you want to go
Do you search for higher ground
Deep inside you really know

Cause another day will come to those who dare
Believe in something new

When you follow your shining star
Leave all your fears behind
You will find love no matter where you are
And all your heart will say – one day

I know it’s hard to leave
The future seems so far away and,
Believe that all you need will come to you – one day

Follow your shining star
Leave all your fears behind
You will find love no matter where you are
And all your heart will say
You will find love no matter where you are
And all your heart will say – one day
***

A mass mail told me about this singer Sissel. I'd never heard of her but I was curious and followed the provided link and dutifully downloaded the sample songs that were available there. She's sounds quite nice actually. I have yet to see her albums anywhere in the local stores but then I haven't been really looking. Anyway, I really like one of her song called One Day. One fine day, I'm going to burn all my findings onto a CD so that I can listen to them over and over again in my car, at home, in the shower, ... etc.

So, mass mail can be a good thing sometimes ... but they're usually rubbish most of the time. One in a while, you find a gem.

The Pianist

Unbelieveable! I can't believe I just spent almost 2 hours on the piano. I've never practised so hard when I was learning to play that block of wood and ivories!

All this due to Nocturne No.19 which I heard on the site for Roman Polanski's new film 'The Pianist'. Heard that piece and I wanted to play it. Downloaded it from the net and brought it home to try playing it. Try!

For all that time I've put in, I only managed to play the first 6 bars with a semblance of what it should sound like. Gosh! Will probably be able to finish the whole piece in oh ... maybe six months? if I spend the same amount of time practising every single day. :) Would be cool if I could play it. :)

Nice feet

No not in the fetish manner.

Someone commented that I had 'nice feet' after a trial adult ballet class on Saturday. Yes. I'm yet again forraging(sp?) into the possibility of getting back into ballet. Anyway, back to the feet, saying that someone has 'nice feet' is really a compliment. What is a constitutes 'nice feet'? I haven't the faintest idea. I hear it often enough in ballet movies (eg. Center Stage) but I never knew what it meant. Was never told be my ballet teacher what it was. *shrugs*

Then the next trial class on Monday at another studio, the teacher said I have nice point. Now THAT I understood although I find it quite odd cause I did not have a good point when I was doing ballet. Has my point improved since? Can lack of practise actually improve a condition? Or was it just the split sole jazz shoes that I was wearing that gave her the illusion of a better point that it actually is?

Nonetheless, all very encouraging comments for me to restart my ballet passion. Now all I have to do is find a suitable class to take. Those trial classes were for beginner, as in those who've not taken ballet before. I was a little bored during those classes, maybe not the Monday one cause the teacher did so some not beginner moves and I feel sorry for the other two girls was in the class; the looked at a loss. Might try that studio's major classes but they're rehearsing for their annual concert and won't be done till May. Does that mean I'll have to wait till May? Maybe, I'll wait for their call. The teacher said she'll talk to the studio owner and then call me.So, I wait.

Quotable quotes

I've learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they
believed it

I got this off an email a friend of mine sent. Emails should have been invented when my parents had children. Then maybe they would have gotten this mail and wouldn't discourage all their kids of their 'outlandish' dreams. I did believe them and it is indeed a tragedy! I still believe them although I know I shouldn't. Maybe it's due to the fear of failure or maybe it's just me being realistic but I do not dare pursue my dreams. And they are très outlandish.

prozac nation

Just finished reading the book.

I really don't see what the big deal is. The entire book is so basic. There's really nothing much going on. Only about how the author is depressed all the time and her telling her what happened during her time of depression. I guess, if you are able to describe that whole experience in over 300 pages, one could consider it an achievement.

Maybe all this reading on depression has gotten me depressed as well.

I have not felt motivated to do anything; anything at all since I got back. Mel got a dance gig and asked me to be in it. I accepted, although I'm not jumping for joy at the opportunity. The DFP (Petronas Philharmonic) is working on something for April and needed more people in their chorale; I tagged along with some of them who've been in one of their production last year. Again ... not jumping for joy.

All I feel like doing right now is to stay at home. Lie in bed. Read a book. Watch a video.

I can no longer muster up the energy required to finish the project that I so desperately need to finish sometime really soon; at the end of this week or maybe beginning of this week. However, if I don't do any work, the project will never finish and that would probably make me feel depressed?

I'm not even sure what I'm feeling is depression, just plain laziness or simply boredom.

i hate sql

Urgh! I hate this thing! Dammit! Why won't you just give me the results the freaking way that I want them.

*sigh* Told the client I'd try and give it to them but when I say that the system can't cater for it they insisted. I did say that all I can do was try. And they did say ok. But when you finally say NO. They won't accept it.

What do I do?

Just give them the version that more or less works but is not exactly like they asked I suppose.

The perfectionist in me is not happy with that but ... tough!

presents exchange

They're still exchanging presents! The committee members are still exchanging presents. :{ I didn't get anyone any. Now I feel guilty. Now I feel like I'm obliged to get presents. Which means I'd probably be hitting the shops tomorrow to see what I can pick up for nine people. *sigh* What should I get them? Buying non-functional presents is definitely not my forte.

jetlag???

My internal clock is royally screwed! The times I keep now is so weird I'm not sure if I can attribute it to jetlag. I don't fly often enough to know if this is truly jetlag but shouldn't I be cured of it by now? It's been 5 days since I got back from London. 5 days is plenty of time to recover from jetlag isn't it?

Someone needs to explain to me what jetlag is. I'll describe my situation. I get sleep at 7pm. Wake up at 11pm. Go back to sleep at 4am and try to wake up at 7.30am to 8am cause of work.

Now, what weird timezone am I in?

Saturday, 21 Dec - We arrived, my sister and I, safely after a 13 hours flight from KLIA to Heathrow, at 5am in the morning. Thinking previously that it would be quite fabulous to be able to spend my birthday in London, I was reminded by the gentleman sitting beside my sister that today was to be the shortest day. I did know that but have quite forgotten about it.

Nevertheless, we did spend quite and enjoyable, if a little tiring, day.

Directly after checking into the hotel and leaving our luggage there, we went to Notting Hill in search of Portobello Market, I think it was called, cause someone recommended that I visit it. Neither one of my aunts have been to the market before but they did have a vague idea where it was so, we didn't really quite get lost. The market was very interesting and colourful with all sort of crafts and knick-knacks on display.

When our stomachs started complaining of hunger, we went to a little basement tea shop and had tea and scones with jam and fresh cream. They were good but I remember the scones I had during the adventure trip in Australia was much better.

Next we were off to the city to look at some shops before retiring to the hotel for a little rest before starting off again to the city to meet Robin, my little cousin Fehn's godfather, for dinner.

And after dinner, my first musical at West End. My Fair Lady at Drury Lane.

The musical was very good and so was the cast and costumes. I had never imagined, however, that the scene at Ascot would be done all in black. That was quite an oddity to me. I'd always thought people dressed exceedingly ridiculous and overly colourful for the races so this was quite a change. But it was all good.

And so ended my first day in UK.

Buskers at Covent Garden


I thought the violinist was quite adorable. ;) If you know him, tell him I said so.

Happy New Year!

Still in Liverpool. Still the same routine. Eat, drink, TV, shops. Oh yes, and still struggling to hook up the 3 PCs in my aunt's place. Managed to get 2 of them to work. Only one left. That on's been giving me lots of problems. Feel like throwing it away! Bah!

Hmmm ... still hoping to watch Joseph sometime before I leave Liverpool for London before I head home on Saturday. Maybe we'll get tickets for tonight? We're going back to London on Friday so the only day left would be tonight.

Then in London, hoping to steal in one more before I go. I'm undecided as to which musical I should watch. There's Bombay Dreams, Lion King, Mama Mia or Chicago (which I have seen before). I'm leaning more towards Bombay Dreams and Lion King at the moment.

liverpool

Have been in England for about six days now. Wow! That's almost a week and I've only one more week left.

I think I like London, but I'm not quite sure as I haven't seen enough of it to make up my mind about it. What I've seen so far however, I do like. didn't manage to catch as many shows as I would have like either. Only My Fair Lady so far. Hopefully, will be able to catch a matinee show when I get back to London before my flight home.

Currently in Liverpool now. Not doing much here. Eat, watch the telly, open presents. Nice relaxing chill out time. :)

More when I get home.

money, money, money



Whoo whee ... that's the biggest stash of RM50 notes that I have ever laid my hands on. Not even when I was working in TGV do I remember that high a stack of cash.

Sadly though, almost the entire stack has an allocated purpose ... payment for flight tickets ... payment for credit card (I forgot to sign my cheque again!) ... stack to be converted to pound sterling. Don't have much left to buy the rest of the presents. Luckily, there's only three more presents left to get. For Stef, for bro and for grandma.

candlelight carols

My submission to the Mirror Project has been approved! Yay! Check it out.

SURPRISE!!!



There is actually a whole week more before my actual birtday but since I won't be here this time next week, my friends have decided to celebrate it today. I was actually meeting up with them cause one of our ex-uni mates was coming down from Penang. The last time I saw her was months and months ago. We didn't spend much time together though. Ended up mostly preparing her for her company's dinner (the whole reason she came down) ... but it was nice to see her again. She hasn't changed one bit. Still the same ol' same ol'.

Anyways, I got the cake (a tiramisu) and a CD - Brian Setzer's Boogie Woogie Christmas. Woo hoo. Will be having a swinging Christmas. And guess what? Just in time for the choir's Christmas party tomorrow (tonight).

bitter broccoli


These are the bitter-est broccoli I've ever tasted. EWWW YUCKS! It's bad I had to trash it and I've NEVER thrown broccolies(?) away. *sigh* They are usually so yummy. Wonder what happened to these.

Hello, my name is Empress ... and I'm a shopaholic

Slowly but steadily, I'm turning into a shopaholic.

Well ... relative to my usual shopping habits that is.

I have only recently purchased a mini-hifi with DVD playback and twin deck cassette slots(?). That was less than a week? A fortnight ago? Then yesterday, I bought a new pair of shoes and a digital camera.

The shoes I can justify purchasing cause I've been looking for a pair to replace my old black pumps/court shoes that I use regularly and have absolutely worn out the heel. It's so worn out that the plastic in the inside of the heel is showing. So, a replacement was necessary. When I saw that pair of Renoma at RM70 I snapped it up. Nice gorgeous sexy shoes. I'm still surprised that I can wear a size 6. I'm usually a size 6 half or 7 depending on the cut. Renoma must make shoes for people like me. People with broad feets. Cool. Should buy more Renoma shoes now. It was quite a bargain as well cause the salesgirl said that the regular price was actually RM170+. RM70 is much cheaper than my old el cheapo Vincci shoes which was actually not that cheap in the first place. I think I bought it for about RM120.

Hurrah! New shoes!

Next, after much surveying for the digital camera, I went back to the camera shop in Bangsar, which I checked out about two weeks ago, who gave me the best price for the Olympus Camedia C-730UZ. The snobs at Sungei Wang quoted me everything between RM1750 to RM2200. Bangsar quoted RM1650.

I bought an additional 128M SM card and a battery charger along with the camera. I'm more that RM2000+ poorer now.

Wowzers! My credit card bill's gonna be sky rocketting the next time it arrives. Eeps! And the guy at the bank call this afternoon to tell me that I forgot to sign my cheque for my card payment ... again! Sheesh! Guess I'm not too good at using checques to make payments. Out of all the times which I have made payments with a cheque, I've only managed to do it properly twice! Should probably stick to cash.

So, I'll be learning how to use my camera for the next few days and hopefully by the time I'm off to the UKs, I'd be familiar enough with some of the functions to take some decent pictures.



First picture taken with my new camera. It's the mess which is my bedside table.


I'm testing the zoom with this picture. It's Joe Bear!


Joe Bear again!

Yes! Finally, finished one of the additional hacks/codes needed to get things to work with the utterly idiotic engine.

Actual use of the function is to be implemented by one of my programmers. No not the slow one, the other one. The one who finishes really fast. She's probably a better programmer than I am.

Am having a bit of a problem with the SQLs required to get the reports up. My databse guy is hating me for passing him the task of generating those SQLs. I'm thinking that if it's possible, and if they're in a rush, we'd hand over the project minus the report module ... for the time being. Then after it's finished, we load that up for them later. Hopefully the client will go for it.

Work aside, am currently contemplating if I should audition for a solo part for 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear' for the Christmas programme. Some of them had the audition on Monday. Some people think I should but I don't know cause my voice really shakes when I'm nervous. And I will be nervous when I have to sing solo in front of a bunch of people.

Another strange thing ...

I saved codes which I worked on last night (or rather early Monday morning) onto my floppy to bring to work later and when I opened the file, it wasn't what I saved. I thought it was strange cause I specifically remember doing a Save As ... before succumming to the sandman's call. Fortunately I remembered most of what I did and it didn't take me too long to reproduce it at work.

And then a few moments ago, I opened the same file, which I continued working on at work, to work on it, whatever I saved at work wasn't replicated in my floppy. Craps! What is wrong! Why isn't anything working today? Urgh!

I hope that whatever I've changed is still in the copy at work. I'll work on something for tonight and then I'll try integrating it with the codes at work ... it that is still there. Otherwise, a whole day at work has just gone to waste.

Shoots! Have a meeting at 9am. Hope that doesn't take too long. I'm never going to finish my project. I never ever want to head a project any longer. I utterly despise Project Management. Let me remain a programmer for the time being please. Project Management is pulling my mind at so many directions I don't have time to do my part of the development!

Mess ge l st in cyb rsp ce ... p ckets m ss ng

Messenger programs seems to be out to get me. There I was honestly using it for work purposes during work hours and my posts seems to get lost in transit. My colleague's screaming at me for not reply when I have. Lines of sentences which I have entered/posted seems to sporadically appear on his screen. Testing confirmed that not all my messages are going across to him.

me: 1
me: 2
me: 3
me: 4
me: 5
me: 6
me: 7
me: 8
me: 9
me: 10
him: 2 3 5 6 7 9

What gives? Where did the rest go? and it's not only Y!Messenger. Apparently my messages to someone else in MSN Messenger isn't going across either. That someone got quite cross cause he thinks that I was deliberately ignoring him which I vehemently denied ... at least this time I wasn't lying. I do sometimes ignore that person.

Must check that PC is not infected with virus tomorrow morning.
*slaps forehead*
How could I have forgotten to check on that?
What were you thinking about Empress?

The Swingle Singers were incredible. Their arrangements were superb, their harmonies and sound effect incredible. Nothing much to say about it except that it was great.

The new Esplanade by the Bay in Singapore was gorgeous, well, what little I saw of it anyway.

Prem got the timing wrong and so, we were late for the show. However, managed to get into the theatre two songs before the interval. At least we didn't miss the whole of the first half.

Fired due to SMS

This is a warning to all you people whose lives depends on SMS. The next time you bitch about someone over this media, be careful. Someone might be watching.

Cripes! Now wonder I don't see any changes! I'm not even working on the correct module. Doh!

The result of staying up watching movies up until the wee hours of the morning. Spent the night watching the Gilmore Girl episode and the first part of Annie that I taped with the last part of 10th Kingdom in between the tape and Sweet November afters.

Hmmm ... Sweet November seemed sadder the first time I saw it. Especially when Enya's song came on. A sob story ... well the first time anyway. Didn't sob any yesterday. Still sad but no sobbing in sight.

How can the King of Pop hates pop?! That's just not right. Shouldn't people only create things that they like and care about? Especially the arts?

Sunday: Remember my ranting about my partner? Well, he beat me to it. I was gonna talk to my teacher before approaching him but he approached me first.

He asked me if I was still interested in competitions.
He felt that I think that I was the better dancer.
He says that I don't practise my steps during disco practises, that I just sit and wait when the others are being corrected.
He said that I was the one who wasn't free for practise the past few months when he EXPECTED me to be free

YES I am interested in competitions. I thought that he wasn't cause he's been concentrating more on disco that latin the past few months.
NO I don't think I'm the better dancer. I know he's like a rubber band and can gyrate better than any girl can. I just correct him to be able to do my part. I'm totally selfish in that part. But whose fault is it if he doesn't correct me when he feels something doesn't feel right? I can't feel it for him. He NEEDS to tell me when something is wrong. Like I've stated before. I'm no mind reader.
YES I don't practise my steps much unless I'm not sure of the steps. If I think I know the steps and you don't correct me otherwise, what do I need to do? I do it when the music comes on.
WHAT THE FUCK! I'm not a robot for god sakes. I've got a job with a deadline which has been changed again and again, I have to practise disco 3 times a week for disco, I've got choir and ballroom once a week. It's not like I have been going out partying the whole time. I haven't seen my friends for ages! If he'd stuck with the once a week disco practise as was previously agreed, I would be available for latin practise.

Urgh!

Anyway, we talked to the teacher. He says dissatisfaction with the partnership happens all the time. Suggested we cool off competitive practise for the time being and just do social. Says that we should discuss when we have a problem and need compromise more and if we can't solve a problem then ask him.

Well, we're cooling it for the time being. Don't know for how long though. Will need to ask my partner soon. Haven't seen him since Sunday.

I've signed-up for secret santa again.

Last year I got a Lavay Smith CD which I absolutely love. Wonder what I'll get this year.

Quickie update!

Only managed semi-finals in the Malacca competition for both the categories we entered; Novice & Pre-Amature.

Update:
Well, I wasn't dissappointed that we didn't get into the finals. In fact, I'm surprised that we made it into the Pre-Amature semi-finals and relief that we did manage the semi-finals for the Novice category.

Obviously, my partner didn't feel the same. He sort of went into a pout after a couple hours of waiting and then found out that we didn't get into the finals of the Novice.

I don't know what he was expecting anyway. We didn't put much effort into practising and we missed 2 classes prior to the competition and managed to scrape in a class on the Sunday(?) before the competition.

Two reasons why we didn't practise much.

1. I was busy. So many things seems to be happening this past few months. It's tiring.
2. My partner was more interested in practising for all the disco performances that we were asked to do; only one out of the 3 or 4 performance was a paying job. He actually wanted to practise disco on that last Sunday prior to the competition when we do not have anymore performances scheduled.

*sigh* I don't know. I get the feeling that he's no longer interested in competition. But if that is so, why the sulky biz about the result?

I'm also feeling that my style of dancing and his style does not really seem to jive (pardon the pun) too well. We seem to have different ideas on which beat of the dance to emphasize on. Well, me anyway. He's style is more of the smooth flowy thing throughout. Gorgeous for modern ballroom but we're doing latin here! Just seems to me that style of dancing doesn't really suit latin.

*sigh*

I don't want to be wasting my time and just competing for the sake of competing without the possibility of being able to win but if we can't compromise on a style to take on, I don't think we'll have the chance to win.

What do I do? What should I do?

Still want to dance. To compete but what if we're really ill matched?

If we split, I would have a harder time looking for a partner than he would. A guy who can dance well is a dime a dozen compared to the number of girls who can.

*sigh*

The New Guy ... Almost

We almost got a new project manager.

*phew* About time! Most of us thought. Of course, we also went "ha ha ha, there goes the idiot's chance. Bye bye idiot, you're not getting the job although you act like you have the job."

Alas, the new guy decided to pass on the chance of working in this shit hole. Very smart of him.


oops! Not so smart after all.

Just got a call for our Business Development Exec saying that there was an error in communication. He just couldn't make the 9am meeting that was planned. Therefore the meeting has been pushed to 2pm. He's still accepting the job and we (those who have projects ... ie. all except the programmer who can't program) still have to present our projects to him.

Blergh!

What Is Your True Aura Colour?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thurs, Nov 7 - Went for dinner with Grace. Main reason was to get my Cats program back. Signed by members of the cast. You might remember that I wasn't really that taken with the cast. So, why did I want their markings on my program? I don't know? Cause I could. The Fame program was the first one that got signatures and the Chicago program had two cause two of the performers were in Fame as well. So, I want signatures on all my programs if possible. I don't think I'll be able to get signatures from the performers when I go for the shows in London. Would be great if I could but I highly doubt the possiblity.

Anyway about the dinner ... we had a great blast talking about the show (Cats), her experience working as a dresser, what she planned to do, what I wish I had the guts to do, etc... etc... So much fun talking. Mostly cause we were talking about Music Theatre. I get really excited talking about Music Theatre. Grace has signed up with a placement agency which places people with jobs in the UK. It's mostly going to be washing dishes or waiting tables at some dingy restaurant but she doesn't mind cause she'll try and source for internship or volunteer at the numerous theatres there in London (if she gets to work in London). *fingers all crossed for Gracie*

I told her how I wish I had the guts to do Music Theatre and she said that I should just go for it. She think I have the voice for it and that since I dance as well ... well, that's a plus! Thanks for the vote of confidence Grace ;) Also told her about my wish to migrate to Australia cause the chances of getting it is higher than me trying for the UK. If I ever do get an offer for a job in either place, I'd jump at the chance. Just pack up my bags and go. As it is, I'd have to stop procratinating soon and finish up that resume of mine and send that and the form that Tim's friend (he does migration stuff) passed to me back to him for processing.

We ended the night with me passing her almost all of the musical CDs that I own. In fact, I think that is all my musical CDs. Missing them much now. :(


Fri, Nov 8 - Nothing much happened. Work. Streetvoiz* practise. Shasae** practise. Sleep.

Sat, Nov 9 - Last ditch search for a nice dress or long skirt for dinner this evening. Managed to find a nice skirt. Gorgeous in fact (to me at least). It's a long flowy skirt in red with a black gauze like layer over it so it looks maroonish. There's also one in blue and black which looks purplish(sp?). However, they don't have it in my size. I think that range was made for larger size women. Although I consider myself petite, I'm not of the small size but still their smallest size was a 8(US), I think. I could probably fit in something which was one or two sizes smaller. If they only had it, I would have gladly paid the RM99 bucks for it. A huge discount from the original price of RM199. I think it would have been a worthy buy.

Sadly, I placed the skirts back on their racks and went to pay for the nail polish I picked up earlier. A Revlon Chrome polish in Silver; it's not called Silver, I'm sure it has some fancy name but I don't remember it. I don't need the polish but I just couldn't resist buying it. Then went to get more of those tiny grips for the hair.

Headed for the rehearsal before the dinner. I'm late. They've only practised once. (Thank goodness!) Pissed Sae Min off cause I told him he was out of time. It could have just been me but I really think it was him a part felt a little rushed and we were out of time after that part. He's pissed and I'm pissed. So, what else is new?

The performance went ok. The dinner was ok. Not great.

Dashed to Corus Hotel for the Choir AGM. Big surprise! (read that dripping with sarcasm) Got elected into the committee again. Sat around and went home.

Got home, remembered that I left my dress at the dressing room at Eastin (where the dinner was). Called Sae Min about it. He still there and said he'll check it for me.

Sun, Nov 10 - Picked up aunties from KLIA at 6.30am. I went to sleep at 3.30am so you can see how groggy I was when I drove. Groggy driving at high speed not a good combination people. If you ever see a red Kancil heading your way, stay clear!

Nothing much after that. Dance class and much needed nap after that.

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Robert Bruce(1274-1329); King of Scotland.

I've used that quote above so many times before but I never knew its source.

BAD SKIN AND BEAUTY CONSULTANTS

The problem with having bad skin is that people who work in the beauty industry (read: skincare sales people) like to approach you. I know cause 1) I have bad skin and 2) I've been approached by two such persons in as many days.

The first was on Wednesday. I had just ordered the nice 'Wan Tan Mee' that I'd just found in SS2 (stall 31) when I notice the girl at the table in front of me staring at me.

At first I thought I was just being egoistic. Why would she be staring at me? I wasn't wearing anything particularly extravagant nor am I such a head turner (boy! I wish I was!). So, I just ignored her thinking that she's probably looking over me and read my book and continued waiting for my food to arrive.

I was halfway into my meal when she came over. As it was raining, I couldn't hear what she was trying to tell me but she handed me a card. I'm assuming that she's suggesting that I go to her for a consultation. Since I've never had any luck in the skin improvement department, I politely told her 'No thanks!'. She insisted I keep her card.

I did. I'm using it as a bookmark for the book I was reading. :)

Then the next day (yesterday), while I was in Sonny San at One Utama, the salesgirl for Aesop approached me just as I was walking out of the store.

So, now, self esteem is at a slightly low phase(?).

QUIZ TIME

YOUR PERFECT MATCH ... cosmo quiz result - I scored a 10

7 - 14 Your perfect match - PROFESSIONAL GUY
This guy is sophisticated and knows all about the finer things in life. He knows all the hippest restaurants and bars and knows how to woo you with his quick wit and charm. If you like a guy who can clinch a major business deal and has your wants and needs sussed, professional guy is your perfect match.

RSVP Online dating has hand-chosen some guys who just may be your perfect match.

Click here to find out more about
your RSVP perfect match - Nicho.


Isn't he cute? :)


Also ... courtesy of astroGirl

Destiny number: 3

You've got an awful lot to express, so your life will involve several creative projects, either because you chase a hobby or interest that turns into your passion, or because you are lucky enough to end up in a job where you can show off your creativity. Having a Three Fate Number could turn you into an author, artist, musician or entertainer. You may find you have to make a choice between money and security, and the freedom to be yourself. It won't always be easy, but a boring job that turns you off could turn out to be your biggest life lesson. Three Name Numbers of Fate Numbers will link up to you.

The 3 Choir concert went on ok. Not fabulous but it didn't exactly tank. So that's good.

Some of us were only hoping that we'd not be singing to an empty room. I did wonder however if we would still sing if the room was indeed empty. They do say that 'the show must go on'. I'm only wondering if it would indeed go on with no one to perform to.

Prem came to watch on Friday. She bought a ticket. I offered her a complimentary ticket through an offline message in Yahoo. I guess she didn't go online prior to the show.

We went for supper after the show and I got stopped by the police on my way home. I'd forgotten to turn on my headlights and I just made an illegal U-turn. I didn't even see the group of police on the other side of the road and I U-turned right into them. Hence, I paid my first bribe. I really didn't want to actually but the policeman who stopped me was explaining something which I still can't understand what he was trying to say but in the end, he was quite obvious when he asked if you'd just like to pay here. So I did; cause I was still confused by his explanation and I couldn't be bothered trying to figure it out.

Watched Red Dragon with Mel on Saturday. I really liked it. Maybe I should go watch Hannibal. I have been avoiding Hannibal cause I didn't hear too many people who liked it. Maybe I would like it. Some critics didn't like Red Dragon but I did. Maybe I'd like Hannibal too.

Met up with Mel again on Sunday after my morning dance practise. I was free the rest of Sunday cause my partner had to work so no more practises. Yay! Although a little worrisome cause we haven't practised much for our upcoming competition. Urgh! I'm hating the lack of practise.

Anyway, had a drink with Mel at Dome before heading to my place. I offerred to show her my copy of the New York City Ballet Workout book cause she's considering buying that and the DVD.

Monday was dance practise, bithing about my dance partner during lunch and dress hunting for the dinner this Saturday. Still haven't found my dress yet. I need a dress for dinner. Could be a two piece. I'd like a bustier type top and wide long skirt but I'm not sure if I can carry that off. Haven't tried those before. Must fine a nice one to try it. Anyone know where I might find something like that? It'll be a plus if it's cheap. :) Oh! It's needs to be a little glittery as well cause the theme of the dinner is GLITTER.

Hello Kitty. The cause of low birth rate in Japan. Ridiculous or no?

Here's something for all the Jane Austen fans. Pride and Prejudice ... Bollywood style!

It's gonna be set in contemporary England and is to be directed by Gurinder Chadha who's recent film 'Bend It Like Beckham' was recently shown at GSC's International Screen. Did anyone manage to watch that? I saw it on VCD months before it came to the cinemas and I liked it.


On another note, I just found an internet radio station that plays song from musicals. Hurrah!
The last one I listened to, NetRadio, has shut down. A disadvantage of this station is that they don't give out enough information about the song currently being played. All they show is the song's title. No information of which musical it's from. No information about the singer or if it's a cast recording. If I find a song that I like and would like to know which musical it's from, how do I find out? That was what I liked about NetRadio. All the information.

Whoops! I was mistaken. There's a button on the player which does list those information. My bad.

Ever heard of the joke about testing condoms? Well, it seems that the test actually exists! This condom company has openings for condom testers. However, openings are only for Brits.

Talk about dream jobs!

Sime Darby Group Games

Well, we didn't win the games this year; I think we came in third. However, the squash team managed to retain the squash cup for the 4th year running.

Hurrah to the squash team!

Expecting a celebratory dinner sometime soon. Hope the don't forget li'l ol me when that time comes.

Me muscles are aching right now. Must be getting old. :)

I'm trying to find that blog which the blogger claims to be a vampire. In the blog, she writes about how she became a vampire and how all the other vamps are pissed at her for writing in her blog.

If any of you have seen it, please drop me a note.

Nothing much today.

Just work and reading up on XML and RSS. The latter are my own interest. Not for work.

Skipping squash practise to go for choir practise at Istana Budaya tonight. Then after that, dance formation practise or class. I'm not too sure yet. Mr Lee said that he's changing our class to Friday at 10pm and I've asked Sae Min to call him to confirm. However, up till now, he hasn't called me yet. I'll just have to make sure I'm there by 10pm. Class or practise won't make much of a difference.

*sigh* I need to take my new practise shoes back. It's too narrow. I wonder if they'll change it for me.

Yummy, yummy ... BRAINS

1st runner up

... which means we lost. Or if you're the optimistic type, we won second. For this matter, I'm gonna be the optimist so, hurrah! We won!

Of course, I'm talking about the cha-cha competition at Orange. What else could it be? What else did I have on that's a competition?

Well ... besides the company games that is coming up this weekend.

Anyway, I'm sort of relieved that they even gave us second placing cause we did a lot of mistkaes. Mistakes after mistakes. Forgotten steps, loss of balance, muscle cramps, the whole enchilada. Both of us.

Sae Min's cramps were due to the hair show he did back on Tuesday. Mine? I don't know where it came from. I don't usually get muscle cramps.

Not when I swim without warming up.
Not when I play squash without warming up.
Not when I dance without warming up ... up till today.

About ten seconds into our routine, during the solo portion of the competition, this is where we have the whole floor to ourselves, my right calf muscle started cramping. I know this cause I do a lot of spins where I land with my weight partly on the balls of my right foot; therefore flexing the right calf muscle. So, I couldn't do a full flex and this was also a cause for my loss of balance. The other reason is that I'm just not very good at stopping after spinning.

The right leg would have helped a little but without it, I'm a lost cause.

La di da ... that's over. Guess it's just more practise, practise, practise in order to remedy that.

On another note, the cute guy I've been eyeing happens to be Margaritte's son. Margaritte's got a bad throat and can't MC today so she asked her son to help out. He seems like a nice boy; helping out his mom almost every week. Well, I'm not quite sure if it is every week but for all the time that I've gone to Orange on Thurdays for the salsa class last time and the past two times for the competition, he was there. Cute and filial ... mama's boy?

I had a good time 'cuci-ing mata' tonight. There's mama's boy and then there's Estaban. I still think he looks sexy when he danced. Sexy ... mmm mmm mmm!

Also, met Jason tonight. Danced with him some. One thing though ... "Jason, you need to learn your timing for salsa. I know I'm not an expert but I think you're starting off on the wrong beat."

Plus, c'mon, honestly, tell me what you think of my dancing.

C'mon spit it out.

You don't have to be nice about it. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't like. I need to know so that I know what needs to be furthur improved on. Ok?

Right then. Time for a quick shower and then ... TO BED! TO BED!

The scrabble battle has ended.

Thanks guys. That was fun!

I keep buying chocolate bars and not eating them.
Last night, I bought a Kit Kat Chuncky.
Two days ago, a Time Out.

They're both sitting on a tray in the fridge at home now.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting to be eaten.

I wonder when I'll eat them.
I wonder if it'll still be there to be eaten when I want it.

I wonder what chocolate bar I will be getting tonight.

Update: Time Out is no more. Long live Kit Kat Chuncky

It was a restful weekend.
Didn't do much on Saturday. In fact, can't remember what I did on Saturday.
One sec, let's have a look in my planner to see if it might enlighten me a little.

Ah yes.
Watched James Dean on Astro at noon, squash training at 5pm and Billy Elliot at 10pm. See, a planner is a good thing. It reminds you what you have to do and also what you have done.
Good old planner.
Now, if I can only make my stingy self go buy one of those fancy palm top; I'd have a planner which actually gives out alarms as well. Something that would remind me that I have something to do without me having to open it up and look in it.
Yes. The ultimate lazy tool.

Then on Sunday, the usual dance practise was cancelled. Yay! More time for sleepin'.
Like a pig, slept till 12.30pm then went for bak kut teh.
Man! This is the life.
Eat.
Sleep.
TV.

Wasn't totally stationary though. Had dance class at 4pm, then practise till 7pm before rushing home to treat the family to a dinner cause I got my bonus.

Oh yes, installed a program for my dad on Saturday as well.

Found a new paper to read on Wednesday. It's called Faces: Of the night (I think). It's a fortnightly paper where they report events (read club events) which have gone on in the past fortnight and also reviews on fashion, food and places. A pretty interesting paper with lots of pictures. However, I would think that for such a paper, they would have a list of events that would be coming up so that the readers will know what's the next 'happenning' thing/place to go to.

I was actually at the magazine shop to look for the August issue of Wired. Being the el cheapo that I am, I was waiting for MPH to bring in their stack of RM24.50 Wired for that issue and didn't buy the RM31 copy that I saw. Somehow, I must have missed it cause I can't find it anymore. So now, I'm scouring the back issue magazine shops. Have to check the back issue shop at Sungai Wang then. The one in Damansara Jaya doesn't have it yet?

Also, I got my new pair of latin shoes from Superdance. It's a plain black, 3 incher with flare heels. Costed me RM118. Considerably cheap. Needed a new shoe for practise cause may old pair has a huge hole at my left little toe and it's sort of loose now therefore I'm having trouble trying to balance in it.

Hmmm ... I'm feeling a little Memento effect here cause the events stated above was in reverse chronological order.

It actually went shoe --> look for Wired --> found Faces.

My first layout change. What do you think?

Great movie deal at TGV. RM3 for movie tickets this coming Monday and Tuesday. Whoo hoo! Gotta jot that down in my planner.

Which Disney Princess are you?

Chicago ... can't wait for this movie to come out! Saw the musical almost 2 years ago and loved it. Wonder if the pirate copies are out yet. I'll have to keep my eyes open.

I got a strangely huge number of hits (for me anything > than 30 is huge) from blogger on the 11th and 12th.
Strange.

Anyway, Monday was work for a whole 13 hours.

Since I didn't manage to do any installation on Saturday (server wasn't ready) and Sunday (had to rush for the ad rehearsal), I thought I'd get in early on Monday to have it all done before official work hours began. The installation shouldn't take more than 2 hours really. The program had a setup program and after making sure the setup is correct, all I had to do is transfer my modified codes from the other server.

Simple si?

Well, it would have been if everything with the server is going fine and the codes worked perfectly. The codes were easy to fix once I found out what was wrong and searched the net for the fix. But the server ... the server we still have no idea what is wrong with it. The new server is suppose to be online so I'm suppose to be able to be able to access the application from any network. However, it works fine for one network and goes off and on on another.

Chang, one of the network guys around, thinks it might be the php configuration. Since I have no clue whatsoever about php configuration, we have to wait for the idiot to get to it.

So, we wait.

Yesterday, was a day of almost no work. Had to go to Putrajaya to check out why the Human Resource project people can't update information.
Problem easily solved.

They didn't click the save button.
They made changes, walked away from the application.
Application timed out.
Data not saved.

See, this is why I told Azreen (the business guy) I didn't want to go there. It had to be something stupid like this. Urgh! And then, Aishah, the lady who gave me the requirements for the application, got confused with two of the fields that she told me to include. Also, she requested for some changes. She's already signed the User Acceptance form. So, in truth, I've handed over the project. It's done. I told her she had to talk to Azreen about the request since I don't know if it would be a chargeable modification. I think it should be though. She has agreed that the application fulfilled the requirements so, any additional thing should be charged. Right?

During lunch, skipped over to Subang Perdana?, the area after Giant USJ, for a short preview of our cha cha sequence to a client for a Friday event. Sae Min called me later to tell me that they didn't want the cha cha sequence anyway. I had a feeling that they didn't during the preview cause they didn't look thrilled with it. I think they wanted something more acrobatic, something with lifts and stuff which is not permissable in competition hence not in our routine. Consolation is, I'll be getting Rm75 compensation for having gone there twice for previews which in total must have lasted a whole 20 minutes in total. Cool!

After getting back to the office, I had a meeting with the boss and a few other colleagues. There's a new project. I was really reluctant to go. Another project? OMG! I already have two that's in the back burner right now waiting for the WTS project to finish before I continue with them.

Thankfully, it doesn't look like I'll be doing this one. They're either going to use Mei Ling existing application which she's built for another client or create something based on the idiot's 'super' engine. Yes! So long as they don't ask me to work with the idiot, it's good.

So, one more bad news and good news before I go.

Bad news ... I didn't get in on the ad. Mel called to ask if Jacklyn called me for the dress rehearsal scheduled for today. I didn't. So, I shot off an SMS to Jacklyn to check if I'm still in cause during all the rehearsals, they haven't made up their mind?! Few minutes later, Suhaimi called; all appologetic and everything saying that he's sorry that I had gone to all the rehearsal but they're not taking me for the ad. I told them it's fine but that they should have at least called to tell me that. I mean, it's the decent thing to do. Whether I'm in or not, they should tell me.

Good news ... we're in the cha cha competition finals. Wonder how they got they result so early thought, since the second heat hasn't finished. That's scheduled for tomorrow. Ah, who cares. I'm in. I'm in.

Server installation didn't finish until about 12pm yesterday. Which gave me only 30 minutes of official working time to install my app and see if it's workable. Mind you, the server installation wasn't tested. Rosli, the guy who installed the server, have no idea if the installation MySQL and PHP will work together.

I couldn't stay back too long to finish up work cause I was suppose to go to Kampung Baru for the advertisement rehearsal. I knew something was terribly wrong when I got to the place at 2.30pm and there was only one car at the parking lot. Started making calls to Margaret, a friend (although I'd consider he more as an aquiantance than a friend) and Jacklyn to check on the venue. Nobody answered their phones, so I left messages and sat there waiting in my car for someone to call back. I've decided that I would wait till 3pm and then I'll leave if no one returns my calls.

Just as Josh was going into the chorus of 'Gira Con Me' my phone rang; which I think was quite cool cause that's my ring tone - the chorus of Gira Con Me. :)

Anyway, Jacklyn called to say that the venue has been changed to the gym at Crystal Cown? or Crystal something or another ... it's where Coffee Bean and Bravo is, near Modesto's KL.

Unlike what I was told by Marg and Mel, there were quite a number of chinese girls there. According to M & M, there was only 3 on Thursday. Where the girls popped out from they have no idea.

Rehearsal was quite fun if a little messy. Can't remember the steps sometimes. Then at about 5.30pm we stopped rehearsing and waited for the director who's suppose to have been there at 4pm. He finally arrived at 6+pm.

After about 2 runs dancing in front of the director, I told Jackly that I had to go cause I had a show at Holiday Villa later tonight and that I should have been there at 4pm. Actually, I have been trying to leave even before the director arrived cause of the show thing but she said that he was gonna arrive soon. So I stayed.

So, M & M and I left. They have had enough as well cause it seems that not everyone who was there was already casted. They're gonna do a re-casting. While we were waiting for the elevator, Jacklyn rushed out to ask us to do another run through for the director.

I was torn.

On one hand, the ShaSae people have been at Holiday Villa since 4pm and it's unfair for them that I'm not there with them. On the other, I might be in a commercial. A new experience for me. I'm already there so why not? M & M gave the nod and so we went back in the gym.

I've already taken off my slippers and was in the process of putting on my shoes when Jacklyn came back and say that we didn't have to do it. *eyes rolling in abundance*

We finally left. I dropped M & M at Brickfields and headed for Holiday Villa.

When I got there, they had only just begun rehearsal. It seems that the sound man has just arrived. So I put on my shoes and jumped into the dance.

We didn't get to practise all the dances cause there were already guest trickling in. The organiser told us to cease.

The show went on pretty okay. Again, some mishaps happened, wrong steps, forgotten steps, wrong placing etc but luckily, no revealing boobs. :)

Jacklyn SMSed to say that there will be a shorlisting at 10am today.

At 10am this morning, I was still at home.
Eating my curry flavoured maggi mee with two eggs.
I was feeling tired from last night and Mel called to say she wasn't going. Didn't feel like going so I went for my latin class instead.

So, here I am now, at the office, writing on my blog instead of working like I should be since I have to go for the ad thing again at 5pm.

Mel called to say that Jacklyn asked Margaret to beg us to come back cause the director said that the SYTs from yesterday were too young for what he had in mind.

Hmm ... I wonder if that was a compliment or an insult. They're begging us to come back but that's cause we don't look young?
Hmmm.

Starting work now. [Click]

More dancing last night. Practising for gig tonight. We practised until 1am. I got home at 2.30am. The dancing if feeling more and more like a second job now except there's no consistent pay. Slept at 3am after listening to Stef's cold war (read: argument) with mummy and trying the last remaining piece of Tim Tam that was left from the pack that I bought about a week ago. Darn it Stef! Stop finishing my food! First the ice-cream now my Tim Tams.

Working on the report module for the WTS now. I'm hoping and praying that we will be able to meet the newly revised timeline which I just mailed them yesterday. The new schedule allocates 10 more days of programming. *fingers crossed* Please, please, please let this project be finished. I'm so sick of it already! The engine sucks! I don't want to use it anymore.

Hmmm ... I wonder if my new server has been installed. Am suppose to install one of the apps I'm handling into the new server after the technical guys have finished installing the web server and PHP and MySQL.

The callista.f2o.org page seems to appear fine in IE6. Wonder why it looks weird in IE5. Odd.

Much rescheduling yesterday.

The ad rehearsal changed venue for the third time. It was somewhere in a kampung in the middle of the city. I don't know how to get there and the map that Jess faxed over isn't much help. Mel called today to say that it was indeed a difficult place to find.

As you can tell, that would mean that I didn't go for the rehearsal.

Jess confirmed that the shoot will be on next Thursday instead of Wednesday. My cha cha competition's heat was scheduled for next Thursday. Meaning I can't compete and still be in the shoot.

Luckily Sae Min called the competition organisers if we could compete in last night's heat instead. They agreed. So we had our heats last night.

We haven't practised our cha cha much this past couple of weeks so I'm kinda worried that we might forget our routine. Added to that, the first two competitors that I meant when I first got there compete in the Amature and Pre-Amature level. I'm only a Novice! Ack! Pressure.

Anyway, I think we did quite okay. Not sure if we're gonna be in the finals yet. Will have to wait until after the second heat finishes next week. *fingers crossed*

After the competition, the organisers got Esteban Cortez & Evelyn Rivera to dance a tango for the audience. They're from Uruguay and according to Margaritte, the organiser, are the premier Uruguay couple in tango. Their dancing were gorgeous. That's the kind of tango I'd like to do. Esteban Cortez was so sexy when he danced. God! Yumm. He didn't look sexy when he was just sitting around and judging or talking but when he danced ... Ma Ma Mia!

Ad rehearsal was post-poned to later today. Instead of yesterday ie. it's now on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Some of the people at the studio said that RM150 for a day shoot was a bum deal. However, if the ad requires lots of people, > 20, which is the case here, that's about the correct price. Still quite low. Don't think it even covers my salary rate for a day, which I would need to take, a day off, work to go on the shoot. But I'm going for the experience. I thought I'd find out what a shoot is like. It might be fun, it might be boring as hell but at least I'd done it before. Have you?

Since the rehearsal was cancelled, I was able to attend my ballroom class. More tango today.

After that, Sae Min and I practise our cha cha routine. We tried doing the routine at Soo Ping's wedding and we couldn't remember it. Thank goodness we're not going into the first heat of the cha cha competition that's gonna be held at Orange beginning tomorrow. That give us one more week of practise.

Thank you Mr/Ms Organiser.

Hmmm ... my page at f2o.org is not appearing correctly. I wonder what is wrong with it.

Anyway, La Femme Nikita season 3 started. Yea!

Last night, after running around the confines of the squash court chasing the little black ball and getting all sweaty and further placing more pressure on my never-gonna-heal right foot, I rushed home for a quick shower and change before heading off to the dance studio where we were suppose to meet before heading for Beach Club to meet the visiting Aussies. [Hmmm ... that was a pretty long sentence.]

Soong, Sae Min and Vivian were watching the tape of the studio's dinner and dance. They've taped the rehearsal in the morning as well as the performance at night.

I finally got to see how dangerously low that white tube top of mine fell.

It was really low.

We've decided that we're gonna all add halter straps to that costume. Lest we give another striptease performance the next time round.

Anyway, we didn't make it to the club.

The Aussies were still busy packing for their flight which, if I'm not mistaken, was suppose to have departed at 0630hrs this morning.
I don't understand why it would take them so long to pack but Sae Min said that when he saw them at Sungai Wang in the afternoon yesterday they had bags and bags of stuff with them. They must have had a brilliant time shopping in Malaysia. Everything is half price to them. Maybe that's the cause of the never ending packing.

So, basically I rushed home to get all gussied up and rushed to the studio; just to sit and watch the performance we did last Friday.

Bummer.

Kevin Mitnik's Toshiba Satellite T1960CS, 486 laptop computer seized by the FBI on February 15, 1995, in Raleigh, NC, during his arrest, was sold at eBay for USD15,200.

Just got a call from the lady at the casting agency. I went for a casting call two weeks ago.
I've been shortlisted for the deepavali ad. First rehearsal is tomorrow. It involves dancing. Hence the rehearsal.
Don't know where I'm suppose to go yet. The lady's suppose to fax me a map to the rehearsal venue.

Checked. No fax yet.

Another one bites the dust

First it was Cats, then it was Miss Saigon and now Les Miz.

Guess that means that should I ever get the chance set foot on good old Broadway, I'll never be able to watch one of my favourite musicals there.
Maybe I should catch some of those big musicals before they close in the East End as well, when I go to UK at the end of the year.
Should experience watching those shows where they are originally opened and have regular shows throughout the year.

I am of course assuming that these people would be better than the touring cast. Not to say that the touring cast are not good. I am just assuming that the non touring cast will be better.
What am I basing this assumption on?
Nothing.

*Phew* Two shows down, one more to go, plus some competitions coming up as well.

The dance studio's dinner and dance was a huge success! ShaSae, our dance group did two dance pieces as one/two of the performances that were shown that night. The Kylie piece, 'Can't get you out of my mind' was embarrassing and hilarious both at the same time. Why? You see, the girls costume were black pants and a white tube-corset like top - basically a piece of rectangular cloth with four holes at each of the two short ends, held together by a length of string. Looks kinda cool huh? Yeah but the thing is, you see, it's dangerous. Dangerous for us girls cause of the risk of exposure. During the full dress rehearsal, our tops were slowly sliding lower and lower, revealing more and more skin (is the polite word for it, tits for us less refined people) but still not so much that it was absolutely indecent. Just a slight slip down south. On Friday, for reasons unknown, maybe it was because we were putting in more ummph into the performance, maybe we didn't tie it tight enough or leave it loose enough, two of us, yours truly and Soong, almost gave the audience more than they've paid for. :D I did realise that the top was slowly sliding lowere but didn't think that I was in extreme danger of my nipples showing but looking around the dinner tables, I see familiar faces giving me indications that I should pull my top up. I wasn't too sure if they were indicating to me or my friend but I did adjust the top. Everyone must have seen me adjusting it. I know I should be fidgeting during the dance, might not be the profession way to do it but c'mon! I'm not a striptease act alright!

Anyway, the second piece (Madonna's 'Don't tell me') went off better thanks to the safer sleeveless t-shirt as costume. After that was a whole lot of dancing and bumping into people on the dance floor.

I must say that I have never, I repeat, NEVER ever been to a dinner where the dance floor was so jam packed. Can't say that I am surprised. It was a dinner and dance for a dance studio so it's easily assumed that all the people who would attend the dinner are dance nuts. And they were! Good surprise.

Soo Ping's wedding was nice. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Our performance for her (Madonna again) went well, almost without a hitch. Almost, except for the front part where Sae Min misstepped. But it was ok. That was really at the beginning of the whole thing. The rest of the dance went well. Then everyone from the dance studio dominated the dance floor. :)

And now the time has come for me to head for bed. Practise tomorrow starts at 9 am. Full dress rehearsal for the high school reunion gig on the 12th.

Oh yes! Finally bought Sarah Brightman's Time To Say Goodbye album today. Have already listened to it on my newly installed car CD player.
Thanks pa, for installing it.

Cats - the musical

The show finally came to Malaysia. Ticket response to the show has been incredible; so good that they have decided to extend the season for a further eight shows. All this on top of the Vanessa Mae performance which was held last Sunday - the opening weekened of Cats!

My, my. It seems that we Malaysians are just soaking up each and everyone of them that comes our way.

[empress raises her hands high] Yup! Me included.

I was one of the few kiasu people who booked the tickets just as soon as the online ticketing service opened the booking for the show. Being a Maxis One member (or rather, I could get hold of someone who's a member), I managed to get a 40% discount for the tickets. The seats were excellent. Not too close (like when I saw RSC's Merchant of Venice) or too far (my seats for Fame). As Miss Little Red Riding Hood would say, '... it's just nice.' *sigh*

The show was quite good. I don't think there was much of a storyline. The whole thing was about a bunch of Cats who called themselves Jellicle(sp?) cats and the ball which they have once a year where the big shot among them decides which of them gets to be reborn ... I think. It's based on a T.S.Eliot poem. Since I'm not much of a poem lover, I don't know how true to the poem it is. :)

But anyway, I watched the whole show with a smile on my face. Mainly cause it had lots of dancing. The whole show was dance dance dance. My fave type of musicals.

Now for the things which I didn't like about it. Not too much that I didn't like really. However, I do think some things could be change? Improved on?

1. Rum Tum Tugger - couldn't they have picked someone sexier? He's suppose to be the cat that all the ladies faint over. This fella didn't have that air about him and his fat tummy doesn't help much with the image either.
2. Don't like the lady singing Memory. Her delivery seems too practised. Too technical. Emotionless on such an emotional song.
3. The lady accompanying the lady singing Memory - her voice was kinda flat. How did she get casted? Do they not have anyone better?
4. The staged seems too cramped for all the felines onstage.

Things I liked ... (yes I do like some stuff sometimes!)
1. The choreography and dancing ... of course
2. The white cat and also the main cat (the one who started singing and kinda have the role of MC or something like it. easily noticeable by his proud stance)
3. Jennyanydot sequence.
4. Train cat sequence.
5. The lighting.

Yeah ... so, there you have it. Something I did last Friday which I've only posted today. Something that I think I should have recorded somewhere.

... it's recorded.

as predicted, i failed my java exam.
yes. failed.
big fat 'F'!

hmmm ... wonder if the company will pay for a resit. if yes. i'd probably do it when i have time to actually study!

this is the first time i have ever felt so totally unprepared for an exam. there have times when i felt unprepared but this time was way way way unprepared. i had 3 days to finish 13 chapters. didn't even manage a first reading of all the chapters much less understand them. this is so bad. so bad. i feel so bad.

i have never ever ever failed a programming subject! this is an absolute first. i am so pissed!

Wow! I just read the feedback about the Seven Deadly Sins performance. So cool!

I heard a rumour that the next installment of Survivor, I think that would be Survivor 6, is currently being filmed at Pulau Pangkor. Seems that a friends aunt who is a nurse at a local private hospital treated Richard Hatch, the winner of the first Survivor, recently. It is said that Mr Hatch who was participating in S6 had been voted out by the tribal council and was seeking treatment at the hospital.

Which made me think.

How did he get to play the game again?
He's played it before and in fact won a million bucks at that.
Why is he allowed to play it again?
Isn't there a rule barring previous players from playing again?

Which also made me wonder if the rumour is indeed true.

So, has anyone heard anything about Survivor and Pangkor Island?
Can someone heading that direction check if this is true?
I don't really want to know. Just a little curious.

The organisers seem to like Malaysia quite a bit if the rumour's true. First Pulau Tiga. Now Pangkor.

[ something from the email network ] WARNING

We have just been notified by Security that there have been 6
suspected terrorists working out of your office. Five of the six
have been apprehended.

Bin Sleepin, Bin Loafin, Bin Goofin, Bin Lunchin and Bin Drinkin
have been taken into custody.

Security advises that they could find no one fitting the description
of the sixth cell member, Bin Workin, at your office.

Security is confident that anyone who looks like he's Bin Workin
will be very easy to spot.

If you are reading this you are obviously not a suspect at this time.

well, now. has anyone missed me?

anyways, i guess it's about time that i blogged something about the show on sunday.
the show went well.
no mishaps ... maybe one teeny tiny one on your's truly but no biggie. still able to walk and run although jumping on the right foot might cause some minor discomfort.
we danced to a packed house.
we moved to an appreciative audience of mostly friends and family; kinda like a school recital :). but it was all good.
close to the end of the last piece, i forgot my steps (horrors!).
not too much only about 3 counts of the piece. luckily i manage to remember the rest and manage to continue instead of standing there in front of everyone looking confused while the rest of them were dancing.

so, the show was good.

i didn't realise what a toll the past few weeks have been. i guess you don't really realise exactly how tired/exhausted you are when you have to be somewhere doing something at some particular time and place.

on monday, i was tired but i made my way back to choir practise and the usual supper at kavari's after that. couldn't keep my eyes open long enough and made my way home before 11.30pm. we usually leave about midnight so that's pretty early.

then on tuesday, i was zombie-fied. went to work feeling all sickly, with a slight thobbing head and aching bones. urgh! i seriously wanted to go home. but didn't.

yesterday, i got lazy and applied for emergency leave. stayed in bed till 12pm. studied half a chapter for the upcoming exam and watch flatliners on astro. *sigh* rest at last.

[ now ] at work but still doing the recuperating thing. i have a feeling that i'm not one who can recuperate really quick. need several days more of doing nothings for complete recovery. but alas, several days of nothings is something really difficult to come by. *sigh*

back to work everyone!

This is pretty cool. Try it out and tell me how much you like your room.

My room's in the guestbook if you are interested.

at work now. rushing for presentation on monday. progress of project ... BAD!
gonna get royally screwed by the client's general manager when they see the uncompleted application on monday.

*sigh*

only have 2 hours to work on this thing.
performance at bangsar for the matinee show and the at night, seven deadly sins. then i'm done with the seven deadly sins practices.

more time for project. need time for studies!

hurrah! i got approved for an f2o.org account. it's gonna be at http://callista.f2o.org. it's got php and mysql database so i get to play around with stuff.

now all i need is time.

i was in a bad mood yesterday.
i didn't feel like going for the tech rehearsal ... but i did.
didn't feel like flocking ... but i did.
what i didn't do was puttin effort into what i was suppose to be doing and acting all happy and all that for the curtain call run through.

i was moody moody moody.

and i'm still kinda moody.
i'm thinking of all the things i need to complete, that would like it to complete, before the clients come in to look at the system on monday.
i know that there isn't a chance in hell that i'm going to see those things completed if i didn't work overtime from now until then.
but i have performance today, tomorrow, saturday and whole day sunday. so, i can't even work overtime.

*SIGH*

i'm spending too much time worrying about that (work). time that should better be spent working on it. time that i'm currently using to blog than to work.

ok. i'm going back to work.

[BUG/VIRUS ALERT] Linux/Slapper, new worm for Apache Web servers on Linux

Madrid, September 17, 2002 -- Today's Oxygen3 24h-365d report will look at a
recently discovered malicious code called "Linux/Slapper". This is a
potentially dangerous worm for Apache Web servers installed on Linux
operating systems.

Linux/Slapper spreads by exploiting a known buffer overflow vulnerability in
the OpenSSL component of Apache Web servers installed on the following Linux
distributions: Mandrake, SuSe, Slackware, RedHat and Debian.

This new worm searches for vulnerable computers over the Internet. Once
Linux/Slapper has infected a computer, it opens a backdoor in it through
port UDP 2002, which could lead to DoS (Denial of Service) attacks. The worm
then looks for new computers to infect, connecting to them through the httpd
server (port 80) and searching for Apache servers. On finding one, the worm
connects to port 443 (SSL) of the computer, in order to send itself to it.

Linux/Slapper creates two files -"BUGTRAQ.C" and "UUBUGTRAQ"- in the "\tmp:"
directory in the infected computer. The first file, which contains the
worm's infection code, is sent to remote systems and compiled locally using
gcc, creating the executable file "BUGTRAQ".

More details about the OpenSSL vulnerability in Apache Web servers and the
corresponding fix are available in the security advisory published by the
Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at:
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2002-27.html

*sigh*
marina, marina, why can't you just finish the part i asked you to do instead of moving on to something which i didn't ask you to do?
why are you doing that thing which i haven't asked you to do anyway?
how do you know to do those things?
it wasn't in my plan.
why are you doing it?
just finish the thing i asked!
it was suppose to have been completed last tuesday!

ARGHHHHH!!!!

what can i say? i was a bitch to my parents yesterday. papa asked for help with yahoo's email and saving attachments for mummy. i got really frustrated and it was evident in my voice cause i was talking as is reprimanding him for not being able show mom himself. dad's been using yahoo for the past few years. he's been saving attachments from his emails for the past few years. i cannot understand how he still hasn't grasped the concept of creating a fresh folder for mom and save it for her.

mummy said i was being an ingrate for acting the way i did. i agree. they've paid for my education. i should help them out when they ask me about thing like that but it's just so frustrating that papa can't seem to be able to use his laptop for merely placing files where ever whatever program he's using tells him to place it (ie. the default directory opened when you click 'save'). i have explained it to him again and again but he still can't seem to understand/remember(?)

and of course, mummy had to come up with a totally unrelated argument to compare capabilities when i asked papa why he wasn't able to solve the attachment saving thing for mummy. her argument was "well, you can't sew can you?"

"no! but i haven't been sewing for the past few years now have i?" I replied.

then i stood there and waited and guided her through her email retrieval and reading and deleting and finally logout. stood there cause i didn't want to climb up another flight of stairs yet again (it was the 3rd time!) just to be called in a few seconds to solve yet another 'problem' that might arise.

finally, i went back to watching the episode of sex and the city which i had on pause when the cry for help came.

friday the 13th

the day went pretty eventless.
same old frustration with the incapable programmer. frustration with my own program. being stood up once again by the client who was due in for a progress meeting.
the last one was a good thing cause there wasn't much progress going on. viewable progress anyway. some functional things were completed but nothing with an interface which the clients can go wow about. clients are all about interfaces. who cares about the functions. you show them a page and they go wow. tell them a function you've completed and they go *blank*. they are all about aesthetics.

anyway, the day was pretty eventless ... until

my windscreen cracked. then it kept cracking. and craking. more and more.
i was on my way to the 'seven deadly sins' practise when it happened. thankfully a guy in the motorbike (which i suspect was the same motorbike that passed me when the first crack happened) helped me knock out the glass so that I could the car home. nice guy.

but i didn't drive home. i went to practise instead; despite having called michael to say that i wasn't going earlier. i thought, since i have to go by that way to get home anyway, i might as well make a stop before heading home. practise was good except i still can't get my steps for one of the piece and also what michael said. He said, "... you're a beautiful dancer." then he paused. i can just hear the BUT coming soon. i don't remember his exact words but it goes something along the lines that he feels like i have something unresolved with movements. well, i know i don't have the step down pat, as yet but i know that wasn't what he meant.
he and the rest of the dancers in the group are those people who feel that there is something more to the dance/movement than just the dance. i am not. i just like it. if you've seen billy elliot, it's kinda like that. unexplainable. just simply 'electric'.
nothing deeper.
no fancy pansy explanations.
just the simple feeling of 'like'.

i like it. period.

ice-cream and pancake

i had ice-cream with pancake for breakfast today. yup. you heard me right. ice-cream with pancake not pancake with ice-cream. the pancake accompanies the ice-cream which is the main focus of the meal.
the pancake did start off as the focus of breakfast.
i was gonna just take it and eat it on the go. that was until mom asked the question which changed everything ...
"Would you like ice-cream with that?"

the ice-cream was brought out and quickly took center stage.
it made me even later for work that i already was. but it was all worth it.
ice-cream for breakfast.
mmmm ... yum.

Haven't been doing much but attending dance practise after dance practise after work so nothing interesting to talk about. Stayed up late for the past two nights watching the Sex and the City VCDs that I'd bought. I'm just completed the second season and hopefully will watch the third season when I get home later. Going to watch '3 soprano's + 1' later tonight ... complimentary tickets, courtesy of the organisers for the committees of the Sel Phil. :)

Anyway, here's a write up of the dance that I'm doing for Actor's Studio. If anyone of you are interested, do come and support and also, you'll be able to see this blogger live in the flesh and then you can tell me how badly I suck in the dance.

Michael Xavier Voon featuring Fresh Dancers
in
"SEVEN DEADLY SINS"

22 Sept only, 8:30 pm, The Actors Studio Box
MyDance Alliance and The Actors Studio present Michael Xavier Voon & Ensemble in "Seven Deadly Sins (according to Gandhi)". Be prepared to welcome all raw dancers with a sin-tillating and insightful look into the 7 Deadly Sins according to Gandhi. Featuring new and never-before-seen works of Michael on brave new movers, this should be a must-see on your 'never-2-b-missed' date. This is Michael's first full dance repertory in 6 years. The theme will play with traits Ghandi feel are most spiritually perilous versus beneficial to humanity : * Wealth without Work * Pleasure without Conscience * Science without Humanity* Knowledge without Character * Politics without Principle * Worship without Sacrifice * Commerce without Morality..........

-----------------------------

The idea for the theme came about from a class assignment Michael gave to his digital design students in college. Through the years, the topic of the 7 Cardinal Sins evolved to include the 7 Contrary Virtues (contrary to the Deadly Sins), Seven Heavenly Virtues, Seven Corporal Works of Mercy and lastly, the 7 Deadly Sins according to Gandhi:
* Wealth without Work
* Pleasure without Conscience
* Science without Humanity
* Knowledge without Character
* Politics without Principle
* Worship without Sacrifice
* Commerce without Morality

Working with Seven Deadly Sins at Actors Studio Box allows 7 pieces of dances to revolve around both positive and negative issues; thus, 14 possibilities in all. While some of the topics may be dark in nature, most of the other pieces are very much on the lighter side - with some 'tongue-in-cheek' and naughty humour thrown in.

Among the genres of styles reflected in the dance works include from ethnic to contemporary, from modern to jazz, and from soft rock to improvisation. Amongst the music artists used are Cliff Richard (pop ballad), William Ackerman (new age), John Cage (modern), Asiabeat (ethnic jazz fusion), The Proclaimers (pop rock), Tony O'Connor (world music), Handel (classical) and Kate Bush (pop cult),

The show will introduce mostly raw performers to give them an opportunity to dance. All featured dancers are fresh talents whose contributions come from their pure passion for movement. Michael also hopes to present varied dance forms that audiences can be re-exposed to - emphasising on simplicity of structure and audience accessibility.

Along with the performance, a few talented CENFAD students will display their digital art versions of the Seven Sins or Seven Virtues on the foyer.

Performers:
Anitha Abdul Hamid, Cal lista Chuah (me!), Joan Chan, Dennis Leong, Margaret Wong, Nicole Ann Thomas, Steffi Lund, Sueann Tilaka, Sara Thong, Melissa Wong & Michael Xavier Voon.

[ Note to self ] Never go to the loo between 11am to 11.15am. The cleaners are at work at your floor then. If you want to go, you'd have to go down a floor ... capish?

pop star wedding

Weird dream last night. I dreamt that an ex-classmate of mine was marrying Justin Timberlake of N' Sync. Thing is, this ex-classmate, I haven't seen her since we left high school. That's not true, I've seen her once and said hi but she totally dissed me. Anyway, in the dream, it was her wedding day, somehow or rather, I was invited. She came to me and said she needed to just hang out with a friend for a moment. I'm thinking where the heck are the rest of her friends?

So, we just sat for awhile.

Then as I was walking towards a gate, I saw the rest of the N' Sync members with their dates. They were dressed in jeans and cowboy hats, kinda like in one of their videos, I don't remember which. "Odd way to dress for a wedding", I thought to myself. As we came closer, I waved at JC - something that I probably would never ever do to a stranger, except if they were kids in a car looking out the window.

To my surprise, he game over (sans date), hugged me, greeted me as if we were friends (called me by my name and all) and flirted a little. I played along although a still little surprised. Then his date came over and he introduced us. She looked at me spitefully(?) as if I'm trying to steal her date or something.

Then as JC started leaving to join the rest of the band, she lagged behind and said "I know all about you." Me - a little confused. "I've seen you a around and at Nouvo." said she. All this in a you-stay-away-from-my-man-you-man-stealing-bitch tone. Me, in total shock yelled back, "But I don't party!" She left me standing there feeling really confused. Maybe they had mistaken me for someone else. But that why would that person have my name? Do I have a Jeckle and Hyde split personality?

I was awaken at the point by my mom's call.

What a weird, weird dream. Why would I be dreaming of an ex-classmate who dissed me and whom I haven't seen in an age? Why N' Sync?! Don't mind the JC part but the rest left me with a big fat "HUH?"

[ BUG/VIRUS ALERT ] Multiple vulnerabilities for the Cisco VPN 3000 series concentrators

Madrid, September 4, 2002 -- Cisco has reported -at http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/vpn3k-multiple-vuln-pub.shtml - the existence of 13 security problems in Cisco VPN 3000 series concentrators(*).

The vulnerabilities are diverse and some could allow unauthorized access to the network, password disclosure, or be exploited to initiate a denial of service attack. The roblems affect various functionalities of the Cisco VPN 3000 concentrators and do not affect all versions. The Cisco VPN 3000 series concentrators affected by these vulnerabilities includes models 3005, 3015, 3030, 3060, 3080 and the Cisco VPN 3002 Hardware Client.

Full details on these vulnerabilities, the products affected and the patches available can be consulted in Cisco's security advisory at: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/vpn3k-multiple-vuln-pub.shtml

(*) The Cisco VPN 3000 series concentrators are a family of purpose-built, remote access Virtual Private Network (VPN) platforms for data encryption and authentication.

- Bug/Virus alert was taken from Panda Software's mailing list

Tired. Oh so tired. I can feel a slight headache rearing it's ugly head even as I write and it's bound to escalate should I remain awake ... which I have to cause I have choir and dance practise later. Since they overlap, I'd have to decide which I'm going for soon. The census right now is to head for the dance practise cause the performance is in less than 3 weeks and I have yet to imprint the steps into memory. Plus, there's one more dance that I still have to learn.

Yesterday's photo shoot for the performance was a disaster - at least for our group. Not sure if the photographer got anything which may pass off as a dance piece from our group. I'm quite sure MXV wasn't at all prepared for the way the photographers wanted to take the pictures. In fact, the whole group didn't expect that it would be taken that way - with everyone doing their piece and the photographers clicking away on their digital cameras, all of us thought we've just pose and they click . Which is another thing that surprised me. Looks like even professional photographers are using digital now. Bye bye films, hello memory cards.

Right. So I think I'm decided. I'll go for dance practise. Which means I'll have to leave now cause practise is in 50 minutes and the federal highway is never predictable and I might need all of those 50 minutes to get there. Ciao miao.

I have been such an absolute slacker. Skipped squash training on Tuesday, didn't go for dance practise when my partner called for a practise session, skipped the Sept dance show's practise, didn't finish much at work today. Did manage to get the thing that was driving me nuts last night to work this morning though, so I did accomplish something. What else did I slack off? Hmmm ... my adequacy article which I've skipped for months and months. My blog.

Well, about the blog, there really isn't much to blog about when all you do it oh so routine. Especially when it's mostly work, work, work. Can't really just post up "Worked!" and be done can I? Rather just skip the whole posting if it was just that. Plus, I might pity myself should I read those later in life ... of how boring I was (I hope it's gonna be an 'I was' instead of a 'I still am') *fingers crossed*

Oh yes, finally talked to Brian over the phone. Brian's a guy I first chatted with back in 96, if I'm not mistaken. We're been emailing each other occasionally (occasionally cause it sometimes takes me weeks or even months before I actually replies his emails) over the past few years and he called on Monday. He sounds like a nice person. Well, even know we've 'known' each other for such a long time. I must say I still have no idea what sort of person he is. I guess, emails are just not effective enough in trying to get to know a person. Face-to-face meets are still more effective. My opinion anyways. I mean, I think my virtual persona is a tinge different from my real life's. Can't help it, the idea of the other party living far far away with an extreme chance that the two will ever meet kinda makes it somewhat easier to blurt out things that you might not have had you met them in real life. Is it just me? Maybe but that's me. *shrugs*

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

404 ERROR ... ROTL :))

o sole mio ...

Well, nobody sang that but when there was only one, a single, uno, male singer competing in the classical category, did I really expect to hear that? Of course not. And I didn't. All the songs were great. From the solos from the classical category and the contemporary category to the songs sung by the groups. Some sung very well and some ... not so well. I wouldn't say they were horrible, who am I to critise when I don't have the guts to enter it myself? :)

Have to say that I didn't agree with the end result of the competition. Especially in the classical category. I totally do not agree that Gan Lisan, the second place winner should even get a place. She wasn't bad but she just wasn't good. The song she sang, 'Art is calling for you', is so unsuitable for her. The song's character is suppose to be for a diva and she was so not diva! Hello! She looked bewildered more likely than diva looking and her movements were limitted to to palms cupped low and sometimes the left hand would separate and move towards the side. ??? Anyway, didn't think the guy who won top placing should have won first as well. He was good. I personnally would have given him the third placing and the first placing going to either Evelyn (who got third) or Janet, someone who the judges totally dismissed to be replaced with the oh-so-lacking-in-stage presense Lisan. Yes. I'm being mean again. :P

I'm quite happy with the result of the contemporary section. Kathleen who won top prize was excellent. Didn't manage to watch her second piece though cause I was busy bringing the next contestant backstage to prepare. Heard she was having lots of fun flirting with the judges. :) Good onya, Kath!

The group section was okay with two of the groups lead by a member of the phil winning 1st and 2nd. Not sure if I agree with the third placing - Fancy Poultry (what a name!). Heard their first piece entitled 'Cailin Og' which ended as soon as it started. Yes, it was that short. Plus I couldn't hear what they were singing. It sounded really odd. Their second song must have been their saving grace cause I heard that they did very well for that. So, I guess, it's okay that they got third then.

On the production and organisation side, Cris really missed out on some things. Firstly, we needed tickets so that we can identify who's paid and who hasn't. I suggested that they use the society's stamp as a substitute since we don't really have any other choice but to prevent people who've paid from going out of the hall. Of course, since I've suggested it, I had the 'honour' of stamping everyone with the society's stamp which read 'Property of the Philharmonic Society of Selangor'. Yups, everyone belonged to us for the entire 4 hours of the competition. :)

Secondly, Cris wanted the contestants to come in from backstage. Fine ... but, she didn't tell the contestants about it. Told her to announce it after the first contestant went finished but for some reason, she just doesn't want to. Not that she forgot cause I was there jumping and telling her to announce it but she just didn't want to do it. I still don't know why. So, I told her that I'll take the contestants backstage. Left the task of stamping people to Susan who was in charge of collecting entrance fee and began the escort service.

A very good turnout for a first competition, I think. Maybe we'll do it again next year and maybe in another hall cause this one was quite small and warm ... someone increased the temperature to 26 degrees celcius. That's warm for a small hall with lots of people.