The Crying Game

Oops... one down, two to go. Cry baby Sahran and his side-kick Howard are out of the game! Their days on The Amazing Race Asia was numbered. It was only a matter of time. I have never seen a man with so many phobias. They were lucky in Australia. Looks like luck ran out this time even though Sahran faced his fear of heights and managed to pull this one off eventually.

And here's one last time we see Sahran weeping:





"The Crying Game" was a 1992 hit by Boy George which was featured on the movie with the same title starring Miranda Richardson and Forest Whitaker among others.

Run, Baby, Run

Yup... it's The Amazing Race Asia race-day! I'm not sure if I'm able to catch it tonight (maybe the rerun after midnight...) since I'll be working late. Have an audit tomorrow and an urgent delivery the day after... the inconvenience of WORK!!!

So the following teams, I hope and pray will be eliminated in the next 3 legs in the following order:
1) The obnoxious team "Laura & Andy"... okay, I over-exagerated. Laura isn't obnoxious but Andy definitely is an S-"Whole".



2) then Team "Howard & Sahran" whom I think have either been lucky or "helped" to get this far... after all, they skipped 2 tasks but still ended up fairly well. No! They do not deserve to be in the winner's circle. May I also add, Sahran whines too much!



3) last but not least, Team "Sandy & Francesca". Of all the "caucasian" teams, I like this one the most becoz they have been ("so far seen as") honest in the game, forthcoming and NOT underhanded, sneaky or sly like Andy is. But still, they gotta go coz this is after all "Asia's Very Own", so to say.



And I am rooting for these three teams to be in the final sprint to the finish line:
1) Andrew & Syeon, who have been very well-coordinated and competitive. I would hope they were the winners of this race.



2) Mardy & Marsio; they may not be prudent and they eat too much, but time and time again, they have proven that "size does not matter!"



3) Zabrina & Joe Jer... they are my fellow Malaysians and they may have won my heart by being nice to their fellow compatriots; I hope they get to be in the Top 3 but Andrew & Syeon are still my favourite to win this race.



So, to the three "truly" Asian teams (... and I know this may be redundant since someone has already won the race): Run, Baby, Run!



"Run, Baby, Run" is the title of a hit by multiple-grammy winner Sheryl Crow from her 1993 album "Tuesday Night Music Club".

Momma's Song

I got to know someone whom I've been calling Momma... coz she's got de Momma looks (... I wasn't involved in any part for this nick-thingy tho').

Here is what's special; Momma's Momma is also having a B'day on the same day as Momma! Can you imagine that?... it is like Momma's Momma's present was lil' Momma way back when Momma's Momma gave birth to lil' Momma. Anyway, S-G and I (and the staffs of Eden @ King Chulan Street) celebrated Momma's B'day a lil earlier; but good thoughts all the same.

"Yeah! I'll be 1 (one) year younger!"

A B'Day Celebration with the Box posses and nice staff of Eden @ King Chulan Street

The Box Posses posing with the Restaurant Manager

Happy B'Day to Momma & Momma's Momma!



"Momma's Song" is a track by K-Ci & Jojo which was on their 2nd album entitled "It's Real" . The album was released in 1999.

Do You Remember?

It is Boxing Day today... a day when most other people like me would just pass off as the day after Christmas.

It was a dull day as I headed back to office gearing towards the Annual Audit that will take place in a few more days.

Then I came across a 2 part mini-series over HBO titled "tsunami: the aftermath" starring Toni Collette. However, it was just a portrayal of part of the sufferings of the people affected by the catastrophe. The film was apparently shot at locations in Thailand's Kao Lak & Phuket area that were devastated by the 2004 Asian Tsunami; a disaster that happened exactly two years ago today, 26-Dec-2004, Boxing Day.

Picture taken at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand by David Rydevik from Stockholm, Sweden and has been released into the Public Domain by its creator.

As we all know, the magnitude of the catastrophe was beyond anything we could ever comprehend with. An estimated 230,000 people of various nationalities lost their lives; while millions of survivors were displaced and left with nothing but chaos and destruction. Although the film was about the Thai-tourist regions, the hardest hit was the Indonesian province of Aceh which was the closest to the epicenter of the massive 9.3 Richter Scale quake that caused the tsunami and accounted for almost 170,000 lives that had perished.

Till today, many are still trying to rebuild their lives; coping with the loss of loved ones. There are even reports that aid have been misused and the people who need them the most do not get them at all.

So, while we enjoy our festivities... let us also reflect upon the suffering that these survivors are enduring; pray for them and hope that such catastrophe do not happen again.



"Do You Remember?" was a hit song by Phil Collins in 1990, taken from his 4th full-length solo album titled "...But Seriously".

~* Because I Got High

Trust me... This ain't no plagiarism! I was really high...

Over the X'mas weekend, I was in KL for Styrofoam-girl's X'mas party. It was for the most part, fun! However, I got myself pretty drunk... which has NOT happened in a long, long while. Apparently, I was blabbering non-stop when I was "high" and it was TMI for the most part.

Funny thing is, when I woke up the next morning, I had no recollection of what I said the night before, after I got drunk. I remember puking but what happened after that was not clear anymore. The scary thing was, the girls remembered every single detail about what I had said... that was what S-G was saying.

The girls did not fill me in about the whole shebang but whatever bits-n-pieces they dropped about what I mentioned drunk, freaked me out... To tell you the truth, sometimes, I do freak myself out... it is very scary sometimes. Even Momma looked quite shaken by it!

Apologies are in order if I had said anything I wasn't supposed to say; or did anything I wasn't supposed to do; or went anywhere I wasn't supposed to go... you get the idea! Well... I ain't gonna booze for quite awhile after this. The thought of what happened at the party is gonna haunt me for quite awhile.

With that said & done, I would also like to mention that "it was the greatest party ever!" and I'm sure Adam would share the same sentiment. Here's why:

1) The food was nothing short of edible and yet delectable. Them potatoes were good! I also liked them "balls and sausages"... ke ke ke! But my most favourite food of them all (which was pretty obvious) was the raw asparagus... it was, for lack of a better word, absolutely scrumptious.

2) The company was not dull... though at some point, the Christmas songs were. We had an UNO session which was something new to some of them party-people. We had to end that one game after quite some time since no one was winning and everybody was sabotaging everybody else... ha ha ha... and we were all like "colour-blind". That actually contributed to me getting a tad higher.


So a big TQ to S-G and her homeys for "the greatest party ever!"... and all her other posses as well for making this party such a fabulous one. Merry Christmas ev'ryone!




"Because I Got High" was a hit by Afroman from his album of the same title which was released in 2000. Incidently, blossoms_stoned used this as the main title of her blog.

No Scrubs! .....Oink! Oink!

Arrrggghh! Those scrubs... team Andy and Laura made it to the top in this leg. I like Laura tho'; it's Andy that is all filthy and crappy coz he's a Weasel... sleazy & shady (I think he is one in real life too!).

"Which came first... the chicken or the egg? You need to get the eggs 1st!" (that's Andy pretending to be nice to Francesca by telling her where to get the eggs)

Anyway, whether we like it or not, the fact is that the Amazing Race Asia already has a winner; just that we, the couch potatoes, do not know exactly who yet. It could be Andy and Laura... well! maybe not. As for me I'm still putting my weight on Andrew and Syeon who came in 2nd this time around even though they were trailing Howard & Sahran at the Detour.

I was rather surprised the remaining teams had to get to 2 countries in within 1 leg... that's quite rare too, ain't it? And even more surprised that, of so many BKK landmarks, the producers chose one that goes "Oink! Oink!"... and like Andrew commented... the landmark was quite small.

"We found the Bacon... now to the slaughter-house, I mean pit-stop"

"Oink! Oink!" goes the Bacon...

To be frank, I haven't been rooting for any all-girl group to win. None have won in any Amazing Race so far. I would be very happy to see this situation keep up... he he he! Zab & Joe Jer almost got eliminated in this leg... coz they came in last! But I guess LADY LUCK was on their side; the first all-Asian team to experience the non-elimination phenomenon. But, I guess I'm happy that they were not eliminated just yet. After all, they were nice enough to offer tips to compatriots Andrew & Syeon while they were in Wat Niwat Thamaprawat in Ayutthaya Province, Thailand.

"The Last of the all-female duo; extinction in sight! Not quite though!"

Anyway, this means that the chances of an all-girl team to win an Amazing Race grows ever slimmer that it will happen on Season 1 of The Amazing Race Asia. But between Zabrina and Joe Jer or Laura and Andy winning the coveted Top spot... I would rather Zab & Joe Jer than Laura & Andy.

Blabbers of the Numero Uno Amazing Race Junkie

I am a self-proclaimed Numero Uno Amazing Race Junkie... unfortunately, I have yet to be selected to appear in one yet. Well I did put in my application for the Amazing Race Asia. But NOOOO... the Producers probably didn't think that my team was good enough.

Styrofoam girl once told me that she thinks the Asian version is, to mildly put it, not as interesting as the American version. Although I do share her thoughts, I still watch the Asian version because if I do not support this one, then the likelihood of a 2nd season would be one wrung lower. But I am still pi**ed off at the fact that I'm not in Season 1. TARA Producers, notice how "dra-ma-tic" I can be. You have to have me in your race!

Anyway, I have been keeping mum about The Amazing Race Asia so far becoz... I'm still can't get over the fact I'm not running the race (emphasis on thick-skinned and "dra-ma-tic") . That is until now, I noticed what could be some injustice being perpetrated here. Before you go on readin, READ MY LIPS (or these words, coz u obviously cannot see my lips): I AM NOT A RACIST and this has nothing to do with being one.

First was the casting of caucasians in the Asian version... ok, for me I've already gotten over that coz there was a loophole in the entry requirements that allowed them to be eligible. Cased closed.

It was not until leg 6 that I had noticed a pattern. It was like that there was some force that was trying to keep these caucasians in the race for as long as possible. As if, the 'true' Asians are not worthy of finishing the race in top spot. I agree at the fact that Asians are way toooo nice thus mellowing the drama that would have been as exciting as TAR 10. Example, when a team gets stripped off their cash for being last in the non-elimination legs, all the other teams generously and willingly chip in a bit. I mean this is part and parcel of the race; the team without money are supposed to find their own way to raise cash... be it extortion, begging or even swindling... whatever, as long as it is their own effort. But NOOOO... because it is so-called "Asian" culture to be nice. For Godsakes, this is a race, a competition, a contest.

Anyway, back to what I was saying.

Coincidence Number 1: Sandy & Francesca arrived in last place at the pit stop of the 1st leg, which was atop the Menara Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. However, it was the 1st non-elimination leg!!! As far as I recall, NO Amazing Race has ever had a non-elimination on the 1st leg of the race. Fine!

"Last place; but you can't possibly eliminate us when the view of this beautiful country from here is absolutely majestic, can you?"

Coincidence Number 2: In leg 4, Howard and Sahran arrived at the pit stop near the Tall Bounty in Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia in last place. Furthermore, they had incurred a 4 hour time penalty for failing to complete a Roadblock. Lo and behold, this the 2nd "so-called" pre-determined non-elimination leg!!! Another caucasian spared from the axe. I'm fine with that... no problem there!

"Whoopee! We don't have to do the Roadblock coz Arniold Shwarzenegger would not be at the pit stop for this leg."

Coincidence Number 3??? (now I cry foul): In leg 6, Andy and Laura who came in 2nd place at the pit stop in Chard Farm Winery, Otago, New Zealand, had incurred a 92 minutes penalty for being caught speeding. They were penalized 2 minutes for every 1 km which they had exceeded above the speed limit. The speed limit was 100 kph and they were caught zooming at 146 kph. Then surprise! surprise! Alan announced that the time penalty would be carried out at the "pitstart". THAT IS SO UNFAIR!

"Hah! See, it pays to speed! We got booked but we're alive and still in the race!"

I mean, Sahil and Prashant had to serve their time penalty at the pit stop for breaking the rules of the game in Leg 5 as they hitched rides from private vehicles when they were in Devonport, New Zealand while searching for the girl on a swing. The were penalized a full 60 minutes; and it made all the difference because it resulted in their elimination eventhough Sharon and Melody were the last to arrive at the pit stop; the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand.

This time, Andy and Laura were penalized a full hour and a half. For all I know, that could have also made the difference. I'm no supporter of Sharon & Melody but I do not think it is justifiable to allow them to bear the brunt of such injustice. Andy & Laura should have served the time penalty at the pit stop. Is there even such a word as "pitstart" as belched by host Allan Wu?

"Victims of Injustice??? Is there a judge to preside over this?"

I hope the producers of The Amazing Race Asia can clarify on this coz I smell fish.

One more thing, I don't mean to criticize Allan Wu, but he is not suitable for the job of hosting the Amazing Race Asia. Time and time again, he has been pronouncing Kuala Lumpur incorrectly. Kuala Lumpur is four-syllabled in all, not three; it should have been pronounced "Koa-la Loom-por" not "Qua-lump-pour". The host of any Amazing Race should have the decency to get the pronounciation of every city correct. There should be no allowances for errors like these as it is a mark of respect to the city and country where the race is running through. I bet even Phil Keoghan knows better than to make such a mistake. Besides, he looks stiff and is as if he was reading his lines right smack in front of his face. Allan may be a good actor (or not, coz frankly speaking, I haven't seen any of his shows yet!) and probably has a humongous legion of fans. But allow me to reitterate this: Allan Wu is not suitable to be the host of the Amazing Race Asia.

The producers of TARA should consider replacing the current host with someone like... ME! (Oh! That's me again being thick-skinned!) I'm sure many extraordinary people out there like me can do a much better job than he. So why not? Think about it!

Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for The Amazing Race Asia Season 2 to happen. If any of the TARA producers are reading this and want to give me a "Fast Forward" into Season 2, please feel free to contact me. My eternal gratitude to you in advance.

I've said my piece. Now, I'm looking forward to TARA Race day... that's tomorrow! We'll see what happens.....

Return of the Insomniac...

The difference between feeling tired when you're travelling and feeling tired living a routine is the type of sleep you get.

Prior to my travels, I had problems getting a good night's sleep. No matter how long I slept, I always wake up feeling tired. The journey into the Sandman's realm was never one of leisure. Even if the storyline was good, the experience was always too exhausting an event to endure. The progression usually comes to an abrupt end and it usually is a cliffhanger which does not have an ending. It's like watching your favourite soap or series and suddenly the Producers decide the ratings are not worth continuing with the next episode.

When I was travelling, the journey was for the most part...for short of a better word, rather wearying. But at the end of the day, your senses just shut down; even Mr. Sandman's doors doesn't seem to want to welcome you. Imagine... suddenly the radio went silent, the TV went blank, the lights went out, the sights and sounds drowned into the darkness that almost seems surreal and eternal. And when the light of the World decides to switch on again, it feels like being a newborn again. Everything seems shiny and new and fresh. And while the journey may be physically and mentally taxing, the constant overwhelming of the senses, the sheer adrenaline-rush of uncertainties, the new faces that gets photographed into the mind, the excitement of a cultural shock... they somehow all convert into positive energy. This is the type of day, I would kill to have for the most part of my existence.

It has been more than a month since my last sabbatical and confinement in a box with 3 other extraordinary and special individuals. My current state seems have to reverted to prior my travels. And that's why I'm itching for the next.

Where would it be next? I have shortlisted a few... could it be Bhutan, the last Shangri-La on Earth; or the land Down Under, Australia; or mystical India; or even the unspoilt regions of the Kingdom of Laos.

Or maybe someone, somewhere out there has a suggestion... or even a remedy.

For now, I'll just settle for some good coffee which are very DARN EXPENSIVE here in Malaysia. In Vietnam, you could get a "Starbuck's-quality" cup of coffee for about 5,000 dongs almost everywhere... and that is about RM 1.25!!! In fact, I reckon at times, the quality even surpasses that of Starbucks! And that was why I fell in love with Vietnam...


...and the banter shall resume in another place and time! Time now, not to meet my Maker but his associate, Mr. Sandman.

My Personal Message to the Mindless Madman

I was doing a little clean-up of my inbox and found this hilarious picture. So thought I'd share with everyone:


...and as you can I see, I don't like Bush... In fact, I have labelled him George "Warmonger" Bush; till today I still despise him.

All the good that America use to stand for, all went down the gutters the moment he held office. Never in the history of the US of A, was there ever a moronic President who is in an ever constant state of denial like this one.

Here's my message to that nincompoop:

Mr. Bush, you have failed tremendously if peace is what you seek. The world is no longer a safe place, and that's all thanks to you. You no longer care about how the people of the World think about you. You don't care about poverty, hunger, misery and human rights. You only care about your big fat pockets.

Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq was prosperous albeit being ruled by a dictator. The Iraqis are no better now; worst still, they no longer have a life. They only hang by a thread made up of fear that they may not survive to see the day when the peace you promised them would materialize. You had your own agenda to pursue. And now you messed up! So stop giving excuses for your failures. Be accountable for your actions. Be a man and admit you were wrong all along. Your so-called liberation of the Iraqis was no liberation at all. With the carnage that they are witnessing now, they are better off with Saddam Hussein in power.

You believe in God, don't you? You believe in being righteous, don't you? Well, trust me, if there really is a God, you will rot in HELL for eternity for all the sufferings and misery you caused this World to endure. You are a mindless madman.

It's No Wonder Why I Don't Like to Watch Malaysian TV.....

Imagine... watching Desperate Housewives

... The episode where Gabrielle and Carlos are attending Sunday mass. The pastor suddenly announces the return of Sister Mary Bernard from her missionary work in Africa... And then... A LONG SILENCE... censored words that remove the humour from the joke. And you get frustrated trying to figure out what was funny about that!

Apparently, the scissors in Malaysia seem to be cutting all the good scenes, albeit the profanity. If u r going to cut too much... why the rating?... Might as well censor everything and give a "U" rating. The censorship board thinks that Malaysian adults do not have the mentality to watch such things.

Thank the Heavens I do not need to put up with such absurdity anymore... technology is advanced enough for me to obtain the shows I want to watch... ke ke ke.

And even better, while everyone is watching "pre-historic" seasons; I'm watching THE latest of them all.

You see, Malaysian TV is showing Season 2 of Desperate Housewives, Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy and has ended Season 2 of Boston Legal. I'm in the midst of Season 3 for all of them... hah! The only show I watch on TV is The Amazing Race; and that is becoz AXN is smart enough to air the show hours after they have aired over in America & Canada.

Oh and so u know... THE LONG SILENCE... was actually Gabrielle screaming "SON OF A BITCH" upon seeing Sister Mary Bernard... then realizing what she had done, she 'sshhh's the old lady behind her... and trust me! I fell off my chair laughing.

Recommended New Series: "Heroes" which tells a story of ordinary people who eventually wake up to new super-power abilities that will be required to prevent a catastrophe and save mankind. Starring Hayden Panettiere (as Claire Bennet; we last saw her as Ally McBeal's daughter), Masi Oka (as the lovable and charming Hiro Nakamura), Adrian Pasdar (as NY congressional candidate Nathan Petrelli), Milo Ventimiglia (as Nathan's brother, Peter Petrelli) and many more.

Oops... I forgot! Unless u r IN with the technology thingy, you'd probably have to wait a year or two before it reaches our shores and get subjected to the misdemeanour of the Malaysian Censorship Board!

TAR 10: Male Models win the million!!!

Yes... my favourite pair wins the million.

Ladies & Gentlemen:

After travelling more than 40,000 miles, 4 continents, 13 countries, 27 cities; The winners of The Amazing Race 10 are:

Tyler & James

... and coming in second are Rob & Kimberly, with Lyn & Karlyn in third place. And once again, no all-girl duo has yet to cross the Amazing Race finish line in first place!

(You get me) So Excited

Did anyone read the comment that was posted by Anonymous in my blog titled "Ironic"? If u haven't, I suggest you do so.



Apparently, there are others besides my frens who are reading my blogs. I love comments like that coz it gets me all "so excited" and armed with my bazookas... Lock & loaded! This blog is dedicated to addressing the Anonymous prick (whoever he or she may be). So worry not about trashing my party, Prick... it is still on!

First,
Kelantan may be a deeply conservative state but the wave of modern liberal thinking is sweeping through. More and more are feeling oppressed, especially the younger generation. And this is why; there's really nothing wrong with the religion. The problem lies with the Leaders that interpret them. I'm sure the Quran has 'guidelines' on what a devout should and should not do. These guidelines... are guidelines. The PAS-led government in Kelantan are turning these guidelines into laws which are an abuse of human rights and the basic fundamentals of freedom, ESPECIALLY those of women.

Second,
You are such a prick to even suggest that one day... someone might just decide to go naked; dun u dare mention my MOM or my sistas (leave them outta this). I'm sure when that day comes, that person will most definitely end up behind bars! I'm sure we already have sufficient laws to prohibit anyone from going indecently naked in public. The Kelantan government wants to fine Muslim women who do not wear a 'tudung' coupled by an attire that wraps the whole body; so what's next? So are u trying to say that a tight beautiful office attire with knee length dress is indecent? That is what the Kelantan government is saying. I have female Muslim friends who do not like to wear 'tudung' and the whole mummified attire; it's their choice! That does not make them indecent! You shallow-minded Prick!

Third,
The Kelantan people will one day realize that it was a mistake to have PAS at the helm of the state government. And yes, PAS at the helm means NO DEVELOPMENT, NO FOREIGN INVESTMENT, NO IMPROVEMENTS; they are just scarying almost everybody away with their extremist laws and deceiving the people of Kelantan... That will eventually make the Kelantan people prehistoric... that is if they choose to be the "katak di bawah tempurung" and not evolve!

I have nothing against Islam or the Muslims; I have many Muslim frens. If they want to dress up in their mummified ninja suits, I have nothing agaisnt that either. Just dun make it compulsory for those who do not want to wear them. It's about the freedom of choice and making sane decisions.

Now back to the question as to who is being prehistoric, insane and discriminatory here... ain't it obvious, Prick?

Sheeesssh!

Dig This:

Ironic

And isn't it Ironic.....

See, I was at an environmental seminar today. My company had to pay 100 buckaroos for each of us to attend it.

The door gifts included the following items:
1) an environmental friendly bag that says "Reuse Me"
2) a t-shirt
3) a designer pen from Kualiti Alam
4) a mug
5) Brochures and reports by Kualiti Alam

First of all, this seminar was supposed to focus on Scheduled Waste Management and the usage of e-consignment note. Unfortunately, the presence of Kualiti Alam once again overshadowed the event. Their MD, Azmanuddin took a big chunk of the time repeating what he has been saying about his company in previous seminars. Trust me, nobody wanted to hear him blabber and we were all feeling bored. He used up so much time that other presenters had to cut short their presentation; and they were presenting on more pressing issues.

Then there's the door gifts. For God's sake, this is supposed to be an environmental seminar. Probably except for the bag, all the other things are useless to me and people like me would probably throw them away. That's not environmental friendly, is it? well, dun blame me! This wouldn't happen if these guys used their brains enough to know that we do not need door gifts like these. If I want a pen, I would buy a 70 sen functional Kilometrico pen. If I want a mug... hmmm... I dun need a mug coz I still have many unused ones from previous seminars. The shirt is hideous and I already have enough in my wardrobe... so dun need that either. And the brochures... I thought less of this nonsense would mean less trees get fallen.

So, in a way, I can see why KA's operations are more about money generation than environmental conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ok, ok, ok!

Apart from work, I'm also appalled at the stupidity of the Kelantan Government by making an issue of women's dressing. As if they have nothing better to do than to make a humongous mountain out of this mole-hill and ignore the real issues that need attention!

This latest ruling is disrespectful and degrading. Who are these idiots to dictate what should be covered and what should not? The body is ours... we'll flaunt it if we want it coz we have it!!! I'm 100% behind everyone opposed to this insanity and sexual discrimination.

Kelantan people... it's time u do something about ur Leaders; coz if u dun... you're just gonna be a pre-historic showroom of stupidity to the World!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recommended listen: 'Eye To The Telescope' by KT Tunstall

And this is gonna be a dry December... my favourite TV series will be on a one month hiatus. Among them: Heroes (Season 1), Grey's Anatomy (Season 3), Desperate Housewives (Season 3) and Boston Legal (Season 3).

... and isn't it Ironic! (ok... that isn't really "Ironic", is it? Well, the lyrics "It's like rain on your wedding day" isn't exactly "Ironic" either.. dun u think, Alanis?)

Finally

Ok... I have been quiet for the past few weeks...

Finally... I decided to break the mold!
Finally... I was atop Batu Caves!
Finally... I actually went up to Menara KL!

Finally, I'm getting it all right up my alley... yea! It has been quite a while since I felt that way. And now everywhere I go... I can hear KT Tunstall's 'Suddenly I See' blaring thru the airwaves of In-My-Head fm.

Contrary to what many would have thot, I've actually had an exciting and wonderful time amidst all that busy schedules of work that had piled up while I was away for 3 weeks! Let me see... where do I start.

1st... there was the furniture; which reminded me of the four musketeers who braved the odds of not bathing for 7 days (tsk! tsk! not all 4 actually braved that); which in turn drove me insane reminiscing all about the unforgettable experience; which in turn made me ask these wonderful people out for coffee (... and mind u, not all came!)

Then, there was this wonderful person I met in one of my travels. Let's just call that person C. Becoz I had to show C around, I actually visited Malaysian landmarks which I believe most of us actually take for granted. I was very embarrassed to admit to C that I had not been to any of the important landmarks. Well... the point is, I have redeemed myself... at least for the time being. I can now proudly proclaim that I have been to the KL Tower, Batu Caves and Pandan Waterfalls... and if u are a Malaysian and u dun know where any of those landmarks are... then shame on u! Go figure that one out yourself!

I've decided to do two things now:
1) To revive my travelogue of Cambodia which had been 'terbengkalai'
2) To embark on documenting my recent travel to Vietnam

ooooo... and I'm all excited! Got an X'mas eve party coming up soon.... and all four of us are gonna bump into each other... let me see; there's da pimp, Momma, styrofoam girl and her lovely Chindian Crazy Carpenter.

Oh... Finally, the Blonde Barbies are out of the competition on The Amazing Race 10... They deserve it for being so very b*tchy. That also means my fav male models might just make it to the finish line. Go get the million boys!

Male Models Tyler & James; how could u not like them? Especially when they ain't as nasty as them Blonde Barbies!

Finally, before I shut my gap... or actually lay my hand to rest, I'd like to thank Dave for pointing out to me about the quote in my previous blog. Let's just say, if u know what it is all about, so be it. Otherwise, it really is a very nice piece of message. So no need to go all defensive 'bout that. Respect one, respect all!

Finally... have a nice day!

Once in a blue moon...

I was in Vietnam recently... was a great trip! But I dun wanna talk about that today. Was living in a box a fortnight ago! But I'm not exactly in the mood to tell a tale or two about that either!

Once in a blue moon... (if it ever happens), we do come across things that strike a cord in our souls. I came across a profile with the following write-up which I would like to share with anyone reading this. These are not my words... but I decided to put it here as a stark reminder to me of the very simple things that I sometimes forget and take for granted. If u happen to be "THE" author, I would very much like to compliment you on such a beautiful piece of work. Kindly note that I have left all the grammatical errors (ehem!) untouched to preserve the authenticity of this piece of art!

QUOTE:"A messege to my ex-lover
Dear Bear Bear

I am sorry; I haven't talked to you about what's having been kept deep inside my heart in so long. I feel like I have been lost, no bearings, no compass. I kept crashing into things. A little crazy. I guess, I have been lost before. You were my true north. I could always steer for home when you were my home.

Forgive me for being so angry when you left. I was thinking it was your entire fault. However, time cures all wounds. I first realized that to love is not to possess, but to let go. By letting go of you, I let go my fear of being betrayed; then, I let go my hatred from being betrayed. And I am doing better now. The separation helps me.

Most of all, you help me. On all the lonely night without you sleeping next to me on our bed, you came into my dream. With your smile, you were there caress me like no others, rub me like a child, called me BeBe, BeBe and, I used to wake up in tears. But, I am stronger now; no more tears but smile. All I remembered from the dreams is the feeling of peace and love. I try to keep it alive as long as I could, and I move on.

I am ready to go on the journey of life on my own now, and, I ready to tell you I am sorry, I lost so many things. I am sorry i didn't take better care of you, so that you never spend one minute being cold, or scared, or sicked. I am sorry I didn't try harder to find words to tell you what I was feeling and how much I loved you. I am sorry, I have fought with you." UNQUOTE

Once in a blue moon... someone somewhere will be sensible enough to see the light; but most other times, most other people don't.

Once in a blue moon... we want what we do not need, but we take what we have for granted; then realize eventually that what we really needed was what we had in the first place and not what we wanted but have no need for... only to realize it's too little, too late. Some things can never be retrieved once lost. But the trick is to MOVE ON... and maybe one day we'll see a green moon instead!

To end on a rather meaningful note, here are some of the images that was captured of me during my Vietnam adventure:

A picture of Li-Ann and me at the LCCT prior to flying to Hanoi... She was my travel buddy this time around... could you spot the wings we used to fly?

My first breakfast in Hanoi... everyone was overcharging foreigners; but she was honest to charge us the usual price for a bowl of 'pho ga'... which was approx VND 5,000 (Vietnam dongs) equiv to almost RM 1.25. We had another round the next day... and there's a story to that for some other time and place. After some travelling, we returned to Hanoi to catch our flight back to Malaysia... she wasn't there anymore for 2 consecutive mornings. I dunno where she went; but wherever she may be, I pray that she is in good health and enjoying a good life. I miss her very much and hope to see her again when I return!

The four adorable 'Black Mong' girls we met at Sapa... see the bags in their hands; those were the bread that we bought for them. Enough said!

And finally, that's me in a Vietnamese Sombrero @ Noi Bai airport, Hanoi... leaving with all the beautiful memories in my head that is obviously showing on my face!

Living In A Box...

Yup... that's right! I'm chosen to live in a cubicle with three others for 7 days! It's the MIX FM CIMB Bank's Living In A Box @ The Curve Concourse Mutiara Damansara.

Mix fm CIMB Living In A Box... starring "Mama" Thevagi, Hanson da Pimp, Shane the Styrofoam Girl and last but never the least, Mr. Crazy Carpenter Siva (more milk than coffee!!!).

Basically there's no elimination whatsoever but we're supposed to decorate our cubicle with money given to us and won thru varios challenges throughout the 7 days. No shower allowed; no brushing teeth; limited leak time... and lots of curious stares by onlookers doing their shopping.

1st day has already come and gone. Won the first cash reward challenge of an extra RM 300. For this challenge, I had to spoon out 10 marbles from a bowl of flour; then proceed to remove 10 ping pong balls floating in syrup water; and finally peel out 10 petais and swallow them down... By the end of the challenge, we were all really stinky! The funny thing was Siva tried to swallow the whole petai including the skin but ended up choking himself and came in third behind yours truly and Shane.

Now I understand how an animal in the zoo would feel on weekends. When everyone just stares...

2nd challenge of the day was a reward challenge... we had to blow balloons till they pop, the one who pops the most within 5 minutes walked away with a mattress and a lamp. I came in second together with Siva bursting a total of 6 while Shane walked away the winner with 8. Throat was dry by the time the challenge had ended.

Sleeping at night in a shopping mall, with the lights on and the sound of non-stop vacuuming... just imagine that! That's what we're going thru. CALL THE HUMAN RIGHTS' GROUP!...

The Amazing Race returns! Hallelujah to Season 10...

I couldn't be much happier than this... coz I would have a lot to blabber about. The Amazing Race returns; this is the 10th installment and the racers are much more diverse. In particular, Indian-Americans Vipul & Arti; Muslim-Americans Bilal & Sa'eed and the Chinese-looking Asian-American team Erwin & Godwin (a.k.a. Cho Brothers).

From the moment Phil mentioned that the show was gonna be a lil different, somehow I knew it would either be mid-race eliminations or inclusion of a new type of penalty / challenge. Lo and behold, it was mid-race elimination and the first victims were Bilal & Sa'eed.

Okay, summary... let's race! Started at Gasworks Park, Seattle, Washington. Then flew to Beijing, China; headed to Gold House Restaurant for Roadblock - ate fish eyes. Then headed to Meridien Gate of the Forbidden City. Last team to arrive was eliminated. Travel by side car on World War II motorbike and direct the driver to junction at 14 Hou Hai North Bank Road. Pedicab manager hands clue containing Detour; Labour or Leisure. In labour, teams travel a mile by pedicab to Run De Li market where they have to pave a part of the sidewalk using bricks according to a particular pattern. In leisure, teams travel two miles by pedicab to Bei Hai Park to correctly execute Taiji Bailong. Cheer leaders Kellie & Jamie and gays Tom & Jerry did leisure while other teams did labour. Then teams raced to the Great Wall and climbed to the pit-stop. Phew! That was a very physical 1st leg of the race.

I think this is the first time the race is running in a East to West direction... it usually moves from West to East direction.

Among the highlights were Peter & Sarah... Sarah has a prosthetic leg; and a faulty one too... yet she was able to churn up an amazing performance climbing up the wall and finishing third place. Bravo!

And then, as with every Season, there will be at least one pair of pretty boys and one pair of pretty girls. I'm rooting for pretty boys Tyler & James; I just hope they don't turn out to be jerks like Eric & Jeremy did. Anyway, Tyler and James came in 1st in this 1st leg and won an extra USD 20,000... yipee!

My current favourites: Peter & Sarah and pretty boys Tyler & James

Then there are the gay boyfriends Tom & Jerry (I wonder why that sounds familiar?)... very sissified... I would have preferred to see the likes of Reichen & Chip.

Looks like the coloured people aren't doing very well. Bilal & Sa'eed were the first to be eliminated at the Forbidden City while Vipul & Arti were the second at the Great Wall. Judging by the immature antics of the Cho Brothers, I doubt they will stay in the race for long too. I would have liked to see Bilal & Sa'eed hanging on in the race longer. Muslims have a lot of taboos and restrictions; it would have been interesting to see whether they would perform a task contrary to their beliefs (no offense... just kinda curious what they would do when faced with a such a choice). Like if they came across non-halal food which they had to consume as part of the challenge, would they? Unfortunately, that is one question that shall remain unanswered for the time being!

The first unfortunate teams to be eliminated: the Muslims & the Indians... sigh!

Looks like the next leg is gonna be fun... for us to watch... coz from what I hear, trouble is brewing in Mongolia!

Quote of the day: "This just goes to show you don't have control over anything. The Creator does." - Bilal of Team Bilal & Sa'eed

My first major backpacking travel...

... been to Cambodia and now I'm back! It was indeed my first major backpacking trip and I'm kinda proud and happy with the areas I have covered in 8 days...

Due to just 8 days in my pocket, I only managed to cram Siem Reap & Phnom Penh into my itinery. Trust me when I say you need more time to cover more area. Some of the backpackers I met along the way have been travelling for almost a year now. There's this guy from the States; I think his name was Rick... he has been travelling around the South East Asian region for almost a year! I mean I'm amazed; doesn't he have a job? Oh! That's the one question I forgot to ask him.... seriously!

Anyway, I'm writing a travelogue on another site... it still is under construction. I will definitely put up a link here once it is done... Boy! Am I excited! But here's a little teaser:

Magnificent sunrise at Angkor Wat

The Bayon within Angkor Thom

For the moment, I'm taking time off from the gym to recharge and also to do lotsa write-up (whoever said travelling was easy???) and also to recuperate... not feeling too good these days. Probably tired; and I'm tired of being tired.... anyone, mind sharing the secret of eliminating tiredness? Oh... I'm also sunburned a little bit... guess the sunblock wasn't really working huh?

Anyway, time for bed... Happy Merdeka Holidays!

LOST

...what a very apt title to start another chapter after a long hiatus. Then again, I couldn't really call it a new chapter cause it is after all concurrent events. My absence is really a result of many a turbulence converging.


Well! If any of u guys (n gals) out there has seen me recently, you'd probably see some lost in shine; sort of a lil' lacklustre. That's because I seem to have got myself in a unique situation where I've lost some drive, lost some spunk, lost some will power, lost some interest in things I used to love doing, lost some focus and most of all, lost some of myself. Truth is, this is just an understatement. I've actually LOST A LOT OF THESE MORE than I am willing to admit.

okay, okay, okay... I'm in some sort of denial again and I just dunno how to do get myself out of this quagmire... trying to work things out with myself. In the meantime, if u see me around, just pretend u haven't read this part of my blog... better still, it would be a real consolation if u mentioned that u have not read this part of my blog... I would probably feel relieved! A little bit of compassion would very much be appreciated.

The good news is... I HAVE A VACATION COMING SOON... yea baby! I'm going off to Cambodia for a week in August... talking of which; I have yet to start packing!!!

Gotta go pack!

... and it goes on and on and on...

hmmm... June 7, 2006.

How time flies. If u noticed, I haven't been posting 4 quite a bit now. I think someone did notice. Well... I have been busy with work (... some of the time). The thing is, I think I'm beginning to take twice the time to do some things compared to when I was younger... Yes! I acknowledge I am "ageing". The part about ageing is that, you begin to come to terms it is inevitable, irreversible and there's nothing you can do about it. So just sit back, relax and watch yourself rot day by day...

Well... I have been planning for the past few days to get my life straight... erm actually, I have been doing that for the past few weeks. Honestly, I have been trying for the past few years. The truth is, I have been trying all my life. That's just me... human; always trying to be better but always getting nowhere near.

The heart is still pumping; the blood is still running; we are still breathing and thinking (... obviously!). And sometimes we do lose sight of what we want and what business we still have being a part of this enormous over-populated so-called "humane" race. Sometimes, it's the temptation of wanting "sugar and spice and everything nice" for ourselves. Sometimes, it's just us being lazy and wanting an easy way out for everything. Very typical; though I doubt even you can say that you don't feel that way (if somehow, by some weird coincidence you did liberate yourself from these sins, maybe you could show me a thing or two... but I doubt it). As I was saying, there's just so many distractions nowadays... before you know it, BOOM!... you're lost in the middle of nowhere and you're back to "still trying to figure out where you are going".

After all is said and done, I think I make sense, don't I? Well believe me... I'm still CLUELESS as to what I was trying to get at... but thank you for bearing with me anyway!









Hans

Sweet Dreams!

Good night and sweet dreams... a very common phrase. When someone wishes me that, I politely decline, "No, thank you!"

Contrary to popular belief, sweet dreams do not give me a good night's sleep. Be it a nightmare or a sweet dream, it is very taxing on the mind to live in it. We are already stretching our brain tissues when we are awake with every single thing we do, every single breath we take, every single thought we make. At the end of each day, we need to rest our bodies and minds so that we can start the next day afresh. So if I dream, my mind does not get the rest it needs.

So if you were to wish me "Good night and sweet dreams", it is like you are wishing me "Good night but I hope you DO NOT get a good night's sleep!". I wish you "Good night and NO dreams!"

The Big May 2006! What a bang!

Boring day today... as usual there are tonnes of work but I'm not in the mood for work... Mel & Penny's gone home for their sister's wedding. I'll be at the luncheon tomorrow. So I'm all alone in the office...

Got a call from an old friend yesterday "Add-Ice", telling me there's gonna be a gathering of Form Six class of 92/93 (I think... I can't even remember... yikes!). I couldn't confirm with her since I was not keen, very skeptical and hesitant. I have kinda disappeared from this bunch for quite some time now; thereafter maintaining a low profile... until, as fate would have it, one of them managed to get my phone number. So I'm still deliberating and the question is ..."To go OR not to go". Well enough of my crappy moments...

May is drawing to a close... it was to me a big month for entertainment. We saw the release of a few hot, long-awaited movies; in particular X-Men III: The Last Stand, The Da Vinci Code, Poseidon and Mission: Impossible III. I was a little disappointed with the Da Vinci Code though; the book was much more pulsating to read than watching the movie itself and there were many things that were left out of the movie. I can't really blame Ron Howard for that, can I? After all, how much from one book can you squeeze into 2 and a half hours? Even so, it was a good effort and I'm glad it was adapted for the big screen.

X-Men III was spectacular... I liked the twist but sad to say this really is the Last Stand... no more sequel (sigh!) and I was beginning to anticipate more to come. If you have yet to catch it... my advise to you is go and catch it now... the must-see movie of May 2006!

As for the Poseidon and MI3, well all I can say is they will keep you on your toes in the cinema; good watch but not as good as X-Men III.

Over on the Idiot-box, The Amazing Race 9, Charmed, Desperate Housewives Season 2 and not forgetting American Idol 5 came to a big-bang close. The Amazing Race saw the Hippies BJ and Tyler triumphing over the dominant Frat boys Eric and Jeremy to win the million dollars and claim the winners' title for this season. The Frat boys looked almost certain to win this one but as fate would have it, they just did not have a good memory and more likely, just ran out of luck!

After 8 seasons, Charmed finally ended with the episode Forever Charmed shown in the US on May 21st, 2006 in which the witches were all locked in the greatest battle of all time; one which could potentially kill the embattled witches. But as we all know, what good would a series be if it is without a happy ending... so to cut the chase short; Charmed Ones & the Jenkins sisters both summon the Hollow at the same time; cataclysmic explosion destroys the Halliwell Manor and kills Phoebe, Paige and Christy; Piper and Billie find their own ways to change the past. Piper enlists Coop's help to travel into the past where she manages to get Patty and Grams to help. They "changed the past to fix the future and save the present". All's well ends well. Phoebe eventually marries Coop and have 3 girls. Paige has twin girls and a boy. And Piper gets another girl in addition to Wyatt and Chris.


American Idol 5 Finale drew a whopping 63 million votes and Ryan Seacrest claims that it is more votes than any US President has ever received... that was astounding! To read more, click on the following links:

American Idol 5: The Finale finally!

Taylor Hicks is the American Idol 2006

As for Desperate Housewives, it was shown in the US as a 2-hour season finale entitled "Remember" on May 21st, 2006. Flashbacks take us back to moving-in day on Wisteria Lane for Bree, Lynette, Susan and Gabrielle and to how Mary Alice brought them all together; in other flashbacks the Applewhites' dark past in Chicago is revealed. Back in the present, Bree gets some frightening news that Mathew is a murderer and both he and Danielle are together. Susan moves into a trailer. Lynette faces a crisis in her marriage, after finding out that Tom has another child. Gabrielle learns that Carlos had an affair with Xiao-Mei. Zach inherits large estate money from his grandfather Noah, who has passed away. I have yet to watch it but will do so in a couple of hours time once my shareware has completed its downloading.

There! May 2006... one of the more happening months this year!