Countdown to two dozen years of life - 5 days to go.

---

Today marks the last day of Streetvoiz's last christmas performance. I'm glad that all the christmas programs are over and done with. It's was tiring work ... now all we have to do is sit back relax, wait for the money to come in and for the Selangor Phil's christmas party the day after me birthday. There is a little thing that some of us from Streetvoiz will do on Sunday after the party. Some children's party at some place ... suppose to get together on Friday to practise some songs for that but Friday's my birthday so I told them I might not be able to attend practise ... I'll try my best. A birthday dinner just won't be a birthday dinner without the birthday girl would it?

I have no idea when the tradition of having a family dinner on someone's birthday started. It sure isn't the norm as I was growing up. I still remember the pandan sponge cake, mom brought back from visiting a friend at the hospital who just gave birth, that was passed off as my birthday cake! How pathetic was that? Anyway, the whole of this year, whenever it's someone's birthday (family member only, of course), we go out and have a family dinner ... not that I'm complaining of course, just that ... it's not the norm! When in the world did we adopt this tradition?

Back to the what I did today stuff ...

Got up so early for a Sunday and couldn't get back to sleep. So, I gathered the two videos that two very kind soul mailed to me to watch them. Thanks Elsie and Nicole. I must have received Elsie's tape like two months ago or so ... just couldn't find the time to pop it in the video to watch ... that and that the vcr's in my parent's room and I don't like watching it with them ... my mom likes to add to the script ... this morning, they were at a cousin's wedding so their room was free and all sibs were still asleep. Hence, the perfect time to indulge in my dose of Russell Watson; that was what was in Elsie's tape. She'd kindly recorded RW's concert at the Taj Mahal (in America not India).

Fabulous concert! And there were duets with Lea Salonga and Natalie Cole. Just yesterday one of the Streetvoiz guys were saying that I should sing Lea Salonga songs while we were bumming and singing while waiting for the technicians to set up the mics for our second gig. Is that freaky? Usually don't talk about Lea Salonga and then twice within half a day. Maybe it's a sign ... of what I have no idea. Hah!

After that, watched Nicole's tape. It's a scooby doo episode with the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies as guest stars! Tres cool!

Hmmm ... I'm thinking of recording the RW duets and the BBVD song onto MP3. Don't quite know how to do it yet. Will have to think about it. If anyone knows how to, email me!

Next, time to put on my toolbelt and assemble grandma's 3-drawer chest. Did that in about 2 half hours and then it was time to rush off for the gig ... that's after a quick shower, change of clothes and make-up. I think I made it in record time getting to Lot 10 - the venue of the gig. I thought I was going to be late but I was just in time. That's due to the really smooth traffic on the way to Lot 10; all thanks to the long weekend due to Hari Raya, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan.

Went to a Muslim friends house for 'Open House' after the gig. Had yummy Hari Raya food cooked by his wife - am told that she owns a restaurant at a really trendy part of town. Ate, talked, laughed and then tis time to go home.

Listening to the Royal Crown Revue that Danny burned for me on Friday. Good stuff.

Countdown to two dozen years of life - 6 days to go.

---

Hurrah! Finally installed the modem into my home computer and it works (evidence #1: this blog!). Have had the modem for two weeks now and didn't have a chance to install it till 2 days ago. After which I discovered that Windows 95 does not support USB ... the modem's USB. So, had to go get a USB supporting Windows that my system can handle. Got Windows Me. Installed that, installed the modem and voila ... Emp is blogging from home.

Yay! Placed the tinsels on the christmas tree and it looks great. Decided to end the search for perfect long dangly ornaments. Tinsels filled up the space ... although, I do think a few long dangly thing might make it nicer ... Stef says to stop placing more thing on the tree though, so ...

I'll try to stop.

If anyone knows of a comment system that I could plug into my HTML please email me. Reblogger went down and had SnorComments for all of 2 days before it went down as well. I don't have a place where PHP or cgis can be placed. My only host is blogspot. So no code/file uploads.

Countdown to two dozen years of life - 7 days to go.

---

Christmas Search Continues

Friday, Dec 14 -- The search for the perfect long dangly christmas ornaments continues. It has been reported that Emp and Stef was spotted again at a mall last night searching for the final batch of christmas ornaments to be placed on their already, fine looking, christmas tree.

However, according to reliable source, they were seen carrying packages which were not from stores offering christmas ornaments. Further investigation found that the packages contained a bandana (Emp's) and some knickers from Topshop. They were also heard arguing over who gets to purchase the fab looking pink Friday knickers from Topshop but luckily, the matter was resolved with Emp graciously opting for the thongs so that Stef could have the bikini knickers.

As to their original objective of purchasing christmas ornaments, 'We will journey on and search for those perfect ornaments tomorrow and in another mall,' says Emp.

We at Empress Times would like to wish Emp and Stef the best of luck in their search. Hopefully they would be able to find them before christmas is over.

Hey let's hop on the KPMG bashing bandwagon. Apparently they're causing a big hoo hah about a guy linking to their site without agreement. Oops! I've just linked them ... twice! I don't think I have an agreement. What will they do to me? I shudder to think. Read the whole article here. There's even a KPMG theme song. It goes something like this ...

"KPMG/We're strong as can be/A dream of power and energy/We go for the goal/Together we hold/On to our vision of global strategy..."

Oh yes, you can read the email that was sent to the guy and the fella's reply here. Classic stuff!

That was freaky! I was typing in todays blog and all of a sudden, word start disappearing. Then when I clicked post, the whole browser disappeared. Wonder what happened? Maybe I should do a proper shutdown to clear up memory. My PC hasn't had a shutdown since Monday ... but it's only been four days. Should be alright. I've gone through weeks without shutting down with no problem at all. Hmmm ...

Anyhoo ... as I was saying, Snorland's down. Another comment system having problem. Too lazy to look for a new comment system right now ... so if you want/need to comment on anything, email me instead.

On a cheerier note, the new christmas lights are up! Yay! The tree looks great but still a little bare. Am on the lookout for more christmas ornaments. Long dangly ones I think cause the ornaments on the tree now is pretty rounded - they're all christmas balls ... red and white ones. It's also got two long ribbons threaded through the tree, an angel almost at the top, two turtle doves (*and a partridge on a pear tree* ... just kidding) one each beside the angel and, of course, a star at the top! Wish I had a digicam *hint* *hint* so I could take a picture of it and show it to you. So, long dangly thing will lengthen things a bit and make the tree look nicer don't you think?

Still in the glooms.

Went out full of christmas spirit after dinner to the mall to get more ornament for the christmas tree. At the end of the trip, I was down in the dumps. All trace of christmas cheer gone!

Why?

Well, once we (my dad, Stef and I) got to the mall, we went to the bookshop to get a large envelope which we needed to mail the present we've bought for Fehn, our cousin in England. Christmas spirit, still high. Found the envelope, browsed the bookshop a little and then headed to the CD store cause my dad wanted to look for a christmas CD by Ray Conniff(?).

We separated from papa for awhile so that we could go to Living Quaters, where Stef said they were selling some nice christmas ornaments. ... It's closed. Chrsitmas spirit, lowers but still good. Went to the CD store ... Papa couldn't find Ray Conniff. So, he headed to the next CD store in the mall. We, went to Body Shop cause they've got so many lovely things on display we just had to go in for a looksee. Stef bought a couple of floating candles and then we were off to join papa.

No Ray Conniff ... but there were a whole bunch of other christmas cds available. Stef and I recommended a 3-CD compilation to my dad. It has a slew of people in it from Mariah Carey to Judy Garland! So, that a pretty good CD. I didn't notice that the first CD was a songs 'in the style of ...' thing until this morning. Meaning songs in that CD's not sung by the original artist. I think. Not sure yet. Must go home and try that CD tonight. ... Anyway, papa wasn't too sure about getting the CD. We told him it should be good and then he finally said okay. Then, my big mouth of a sister said that I would/should pay for the CD and papa seconded the suggestion stating that since he's retired, he doesn't have money. Hah! What about the new gizmos he just bought! ... But fine, okay, christmas spirit was still good, although was quickly heading south, so I paid for the CD.

Next stop, new christmas lights. Needed new lights for the christmas tree. Our old lights are red and sort of make the tree kinda gloomy. Needed something brighter. Clear or yellow lights maybe and preferable doesn't blink/run. I don't like running lights. Too distracting. Too busy. Found it at Tops. They had 3 colour options. Clear (which is sort of a yellow), orange (darker yellow) and blue. Plus, they have a button which allows you to decide whether the lights should blink, run or just light. Pretty cool I think. I picked the clear lighted one cause I wanted the tree to look brighter and I pointed to one of the tree that had the clear lights on as example for my dad. He stood there considering whether the example was actually the orange light instead of the clear. I told him it was the clear light and the salesperson attending us confirmed it.

Nevertheless, we headed to the tree to check out the multiple light options to see how it looks on the tree. I thought it looked pretty good and since our tree is a shade darker than the example, it'll look even better. At this time, Stef who was browsing elsewhere had joined us. Papa still stood there doubting the lights were clear instead of orange. I told him that it was and also told him that the salesperson had confirmed that but he was still looking at it doubtfully. ... Christmas spirit going a notch lower. ... So we stood there argue the colour of the lights for a few minutes. Then he asked the salesperson, again, whether the lights are the clear lighted ones. This time the salesperson said, 'It's orange light.' The gall of that woman!

'Oh! Wait, no no I think it's the clear light. I'm not sure. Looks quite like the orange light doesn't it', she continued.

Incredulously I replied, 'It's the clear light, I'm sure.' Of course it's not the orange lighted one! Was I the only person there who's not colour blind!

Then papa was pondering again. I went, 'Pa, it's the clear light, really. It's the clear light.'

'Why don't we try it and see.' said papa indicating the clear light box that he was holding.

I insisted that it was the clear light and we do not have to test it. Why do these people not listen to me?! Then Stef said the thing that had my christmas spirit plunging down to the negatives. 'Why don't you just shut up? Shut up and let papa try it if he wants to.'

Whatever happened to respect for your elders? How can she just tell me to shut up! Especially since I know I'm in the right! So, I just stormed off and said, 'I'm going to buy the ice-cream.'

I didn't speak to them the whole time walking to the car nor did I inform them that I was gonna stop at the bank to update my passbook. Just drove in silence. Got to the bank and fuck! the fucking passbook update machine's not in service. Argghhh!!!!!!

Got back and went straight to my room. Trish was there watching TV. Left soon after I went in. She always does. Changed to comfy clothes and sat watching whatever Trish was watching. It was some comedy festival thing filmed in canada in 1995. Pretty funny stuff. It's like the Universe is trying to cheer me up. Had a bit of a laugh and felt slightly better. Then surfed the channel a little (little cause I only have 4 stations and 1 station which depends on whatever the upstairs cable decoder's tuned to) before settling on the cable channel which was showing 'Hurricane'. Very good show. It's about how these 4 people who helped free Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter from false imprisonment after one of them read his book. Makes me feel better that such people do exist.

Went to bed feeling slightly better.

There's a new TV in my room. A 29" Sony Triniton. Great isn't it?

Well, I'm not so sure. For one, I didn't buy it. My dad did. It's only in my room cause it was previously the dining room and we've always had a TV in the dining room and so the aeriel cable is there. There are plans of moving the cables to the hall ... or maybe the soon to be AV room that is to be built (god know when). So, for the time being, it's in my room. According to my sis, Stef, this proves that I'm papa's girl. He gets a new TV and it's placed in my room.

Actually I'd rather not have the TV in my room cause then my grandma, sister or whoever's on that floor at the moment who wants to watch TV will be in my room. The whole point of me having a room for myself is just that ... so that I HAVE a room for myself. Not shared with everyone else. I can't even change in peace cause my grandma would probably be in the room and I really dislike chasing her out of the room when she's watching the TV.

Thirdly, the money used for this recent purchase would be from my dad's retirement funds. It's okay if he wants to indulge a little but a new TV on Sunday and a whole speaker system and DVD player two weeks before that is really expensive. The money will dwindle away and where would he get more? He has plans of having his own GPRS mapping company, which he has already registered for, but who's to know what business is going to like? He might profit ... which would be great ... but he might also make a loss and then where would he be with all the money gone? Of course, I'll try and give whatever I can ... I won't see my family starve ... I'm not entirely heartless ... but I'm not exactly making a whole lot. Just enough!

Why is he acting like he's as rich as Croesus when he's not? Mid life crisis?

Sometimes I think parents are just like us. They like to indulge in things that pleases them and would do it whenever the opportunity permits. Just that when they have kids to support the opportunity doesn't permit that often especially since the cost of a University education is so bleeding high now. However, I still think papa shouldn't be using all this money to purchase all these gizmos. He still has two daughters that are still in school. One of which should really, really be enrolling for University SOON! The other has one more year of high school before University. That'll be two kids in University in one go. That's a lot of money. Hopefully, they'd be able to get scholarships. They're pretty smart unlike their dumb geek of an elder sister. ;)

Still ... like us, when our parents tell us not to do things that we want to do, parents don't listen to us either. So, what we have here is a deadlock. We don't listen to them; they don't listen to us. We can only hope that the outcome is not disasterous.

I never knew singing can be so exhausting ... but then, I don't know a lot of things and that's just another thing I've found out that I know I didn't know.

Saturday's performance with the Selangor Phil Choir was pretty good ... meaning, we didn't get booed, we didn't start at the wrong time and did things as we were supposed to do ... although we did start about half an hour later than scheduled. We, the choir, blame Phillip (the conductor) for that cause he was late! ... as usual. He in turn, blamed it on the traffic; which was really very bad that day. And then he had a little spat with Cris when she complained about him changing the music arrangements, yet again. Things were okay once we started singing. It was at Starhill, a shopping complex. Not much audience audience there. People are too busy shopping.

After that was the small choir's turn. We're called 'Streetvoiz'. Things were so-so. I wouldn't say great. Okay. ... up to the last song that is. We kinda bungled up 'Feliz Navidad'. The piano started in a C. We practised in G. And we couldn't really hear the piano cause it's muffle; it's a clavi, not a real piano, so we kinda didn't know when to start. We sounded really bad for that and had to restart the song. Sounded passable after that.

A few of us went to have dinner at a place near our next performance. I had capati with curry mutton. Yum! Haven't had that for quite awhile now. It was delicious. Then headed back to the hall where we performed on Friday night to fix up the decorations before the performance starts. Apparently the decorations were kind of a joke. Was told by some that the decorations were falling down while we were singing on Friday. Wow! Must have been a rousing performance! Haha.

The audience was more responsive that day compared to the night before. They sang with us when asked and clapped more! :) We did make a mistake though in one of the song. Phillip forgot to cue us in and we were waiting, unsure as to whether we should go ahead and sing or not. Thankfully he cued us in at an appropriate time and kudos to Wen Li for improvising on the accompaniment.

Was totally drained when I got home on Saturday night.

Slept till late on Sunday and then had to get ready to go for more performance in town. Streetvoiz had two sessions and Selangor Phil had one. Everything went well. Streetvoiz got an encore on the second gig ... planted audience from the Selangor Phil choirsters. Thanks all the same guys. Thanks to the few groupies we have as well.

Exhausting work, singing. Can't wait for next week when we'll do it all over again. Next weekend only Streetvoiz will be performing at the shopping complexes while the Selangor Phil will be singing to a group of nuns at a convent. After that we will have a Christmas party a week after that.

Yay! Paaarty!

Changed my comment system to SnorComments. Didn't notice that Reblogger was down. Should pay more attention to what's going on with my blog!

I don't know what's wrong with me. I know I have a long day today. I know I have work today and I have to wake up early (for a saturday anyway). ... but when a call came in yesterday asking if I'd like to clubbing at Movement that night, I said 'YES!' ... AND that's after my choir performance ... after a full day of work. I was really tired after the performance but I changed and drove out anyway, with the hope of a night of hopping and bopping. I guess I should thank my friend's bosses that they changed their plans and spent the night at a pub instead. These were guys from BAT (British American Tobacco) so there were a lots and lots of smoking and drinking and pool. Pub scene is really not my thing. I don't smoke and I don't drink. Which is why I like going to dance clubs. At least I can dance there. Anyway, since they were just going to hang out at the pub, I made my exit early ... at about 2am! If we had gone to Movement, I do not doubt that I'd only leave at about 5am. I guess you can say that dancing kinda reenergizes me,

... but really, I'm grateful for the change of plans cause I'm still dead tired now. Alarm rang and I just slapped it off. Not like I don't do this every single day ... just that today, I really went back to sleep instead of just lying in bed for a few waking myself. Didn't get up untill half hour later and I've got bags under my eyes and the feeling of numbness in my head from lack of sleep. I think it shows cause someone said I looked 'blur' when I came into the office.

I really need to discipline myself to say no to an invite to a night of debauchery ... more so when I'm tired. Perhaps I'm trying to catch up on my late teenage years. I hardly ever go out at night when I was a teen. Not even when I was old to enter a dance club legally. In fact, I bet I can count the number of times I've been to a club on one hand. Guess I was kind of a geek then. Still a geek now. (a dumb geek ... according to my sibs) People don't really change too much do they?

Did a test and here's the result

If I were a work of art, I would be Edgar Degas' Dance Class. I appear soft and gentle, but hide a core of rigid structure and discipline. I work hard and follow orders, because I am determined to succeed, but remain attached to displays of frivolity and maintaining my appearance. Which work of art would you be? The Art Test

Well ... didn't quite finish my post yesterday. Got too busy and now I don't feel like finishing it. If I ever do feel like finishing that I'll edit it. Otherwise, just ignore it. It was only going to be some stoopid thing about how I don't feel mature yet. Don't feel any difference from when I was 15 or now ... 15 days to 2 dozen years. Just a stupid blah blog.

Ignore it. Ignore it.

So tired yesterday. Only got home at 11.30pm and didn't even manage to get dinner. Had choir practise till 10.15 (sang our throats sore ... performance is this Friday!) and then went to pay my credit card bill in town (there's only one center where I can pay it ... unless I mail a cheque ... but I don't have a chequeing? account so that's moot). Was dragging my feet when I got home. Had my dinner, shower and went straight to bed! Didn't even watch the telly. Quite a first for me ... being a TV addict and all. But I was too tired. Fell asleep with the lights on. Woke up in the middle on the night/early morning and switched it off.

Why or when do we say that someone is mature or immature? How do we define maturity?

I got the following definition off www.dictionary.com.

mature adj 1: characteristic of maturity; "mature for her age" [ant: immature] 2: fully considered and perfected; "mature plans" [syn: matured] 3: having reached full natural growth or development; "a mature cell" [ant: immature] 4: fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used; "ripe peaches"; "full-bodies mature wines" [syn: ripe] [ant: green] 5: (of birds) having developed feathers or plumage; often used in combination [syn: fledged] [ant: unfledged] v 1: develop and reach maturity; undergo maturation; "He matured fast"; "The child grew fast" [syn: maturate, grow] 2: grow old or older; "She aged gracefully" [syn: age, maturate]

oops! will be back. boss is around the vicinity. must act busy.

*snifffff* ... MMmmm .... the smell of coffee. Delicious. Just the thing to wake me up on a day like today. I'm not much of a coffee person. Sometimes it works in waking me up and sometimes it doesn't. There are some people I know who drinks coffee in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening and then at night. Basically, they drink coffee all the time. Not sure how good it is for their health though. Some researchers found that the acidity of coffee's not good for health ... but then researchers have also said that chocolates weren't good for health once but now they are. All depends on the researchers huh?

Wonder why coffee works on some people and not on others. And for me, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Really don't like a coffee high though. Especially after an all nighter. I'd be like a zombie after taking coffee after an all nighter. My head would feel like all the blood's up there over on my forehead area. So, everthing sort of concentrated there. And then I won't be able to sleep when I really need to! Eyes wide, coffee high, tired as hell and can't sleep. Terrible.

I've finished my coffee now. Nope. Doesn't work this time. I'm still real sleepy. Maybe I should have gotten a bigger cup. Took a small cup this time.

Racheal must be thinking this girl's crazy. The other day she's talking about chocolates and now coffee. Haha ...

Am doing some window shopping when I fell upon Topshop which had internet access. So I thought I'd do a bit of blogging.

So, the operetta last night was 'interesting'. The show was 'Porgy and Bess'. Porgy had a magnificent voice. Really booming. Bess had a pretty nice voice as well and so does the rest of the cast. However, I don't think that Kallang Theatre's such a good place for an opera where the singer do not use microphones. Y'see, when the singers are upstage, they sounds really good and really clear. Well, as clear as any opera singer can sound anyway, pronunciation wise that is. Anyway, when the move further inwards on stage, their voice doesn't really come out. So you can't really hear what they're singing about. Plus, I sat at the stalls, which was downstairs, the slightly pricier seats. Not a good investment, I'd say. The seats are not very well raised and they did not place the seats in such a way that the person behind a row would be able to get a clear view. I had a tall woman sitting in front of me. I'm really short. So, I had to seat a lot to my left so that I'd be able to see what's going on on stage. Does my side hurt after the show.

Well, I'd better go. It says maximum usage for this terminal is 30 minutes. I'm sure I've not exceeded it but I've got more window shopping to do. Will blog more when I go back to Malaysia.

What a great night. What a great meet. I don't believe I know when I'd laughed more. The musicals crew meets at last. More than three person this time. This time there were seven people. Seven! What a feat! Congratulations Grace ML for achieving this. We had a great time celebrating Alex's birthday tonight. Alex, tonight, was the thorn among the roses, james bond with his bond girls, a maharajah with his harem .... haha ... he was the only guy who managed to turn up. Besides being the guest of honour of course. We had a bunch of starters. Nobody ordered any meals nor did we have deserts. Weird dinner huh? Was good enough though.

So, what does a bunch of ex-musicals course people do after dinner? Sing of course! After cake, we adjourned to the karaoke on the third floor. Sang our heart out. The song changer was chronic though. Had to wait a century before they load our songs. OMG! I love Fang's voice! Wish I could sing like her! Left slightly after midnight. Rach's got a curfew. The rest had to work. Should have done this on a weekend instead but I wouldn't have been able to attend if they did.

Great night. Can't wait for the next meet. Hopefully the next time will have all these people as well rest of the crew. That is, if they can spare some time from their busy life to attend.

I've finished packing for Singapore and am watching Roswell now. Bachelor Girl's song is in this episode. Can't recall the title of the song off my head but it's cool that they are in the show. Didn't know anyone outside Australia knew them. Don't think anyone in Malaysia still knows them either after their mini concert eons ago.

Anyway, will go read Rach's blog now. She's amazing. Love the way she writes.

Just took two paracetemol. Feeling a little sicky. Think I caught the bug yesterday from Prem last night during our tennis session.

Urgh! Tennis. Played really bad last night. I mean, I don't play well on normal days but yesterday was, like, super bad. I mean, couldn't get anything in the court! Everything went mile high and my double handed backhand ... nowhere to be seen! Horrible. Horrible. Should really just stick to squash.

Hmmm ... just reread my previous paragraph. Sounded a little like my sister, Stef, talking there. With all the 'I mean's and 'like's.

Hope I don't get sick. Suppose to go down to Singapore tomorrow. Got an SMS from Prem & Push after I got home last night saying that they'll be leaving on Friday after all. Their original plan was to leave tonight after work. Thanks guys. Now I don't have to travel on bus. Yay!

Okay time to go pick Mel for lunch with this other bunch of people I hang with. We only seem to have time for lunch and only during work days. Haven't gone out with them anywhere else for a long time now.

Well, I'm off.

Ta.

Was just about to eat the chocolates I bought during lunch when I remembered that I've left it in the car. Remembered it when I got back in my cubicle and sat on my chair. Too lazy to climb that flight of stairs and cross the street back to where the car's parked. Thought I'd do it after say five or ten minutes.

That was at 1.30pm. It's now quater to four! Went to the car and got the chocolates out. It feel soft ... really soft ... all melted.Boo hoo. Can't have my chocolates now. I've placed them in the refrigerator at the office upstairs (no fridge in our pantry ... bad!) They're recovering now, I hope. Will check up on them at say half an hour's time.

:( ... I have a chocolate craving. Serves me right for my procratinating nature.

Tough empress, you'll just have to go without for awhile!

A little something I concocted for my friend the other day. I call it a good weather spell. Her wedding was on the 24th. I wrote this before that.

...
...
...

abracadabra ...

hocus pocus ...

zim zam zoom ... *poof* (smoke effect)

viv will have lovely weather
on a day like no other
when she will say 'ay'
pledging her forever and a day
to the man of her dreams
in a dress of ivory and cream.

*no guarentee the spell will work. It's just for fun. :)