Facebook Rocks

I'm positively hooked on Facebook. Really. Don't ask me why, I have absolutely no idea. I mean, I thought Friendster was rubbish. If not for most of my old kindymates, schoolmates, unimates, colleagues (it's not enough that we already see each other every weekday; we HAVE to be friends on the Internet too) already on that social networking site, I wouldn't even go on it.

But Facebook, oh, it's actually interactive! You get to throw tripe at your friends, give 'em a noogie, give 'em a round of free beer (well, a tiny 48x48 pixeled drink, but who's keeping count?), scribble on their wall, the works. It was a tad complicated to get the hang of at first, but now, I keep it on almost constantly. At home, I mean. Can't live it on at work; top management's already complaining that Friendster's now the #1 accessed site on the Internet at work. That, and Jobstreet (tee hee!).

Too bad it's on the verge of closing down. Gonna headbutt as many people as I can before it does. Hehe :p

Be A Charitable Blogger

The weekend's almost over. Ugh. Doesn't even feel as though it began.

I'm still running a bit of a dry spell here, so do forgive the sporadic and non-substantial entries.

Anyways, just a short note for today, and a shoutout to those taking part in the Blogathon 2007. For those whom I know are doing the Blogathon (namely Kamigoroshi and Pelf), keep up the good work. It definitely ain't easy staying up 24 hours and churning posts every 30 minutes. Two big thumbs up for you two. And for the rest who are doing the Blogathon too, I'm real proud of ya. I'm sorry I couldn't pledge much; still, I hope it helps.

People, do sponsor these bloggers on their mission.

• Pelf for the Eden Handicap Service Center [Pledge]
• Edrei for the Association for International Cancer Research [Pledge]
• Serge Norguard for UNICEF [Pledge]
• Yee Pei for the Malaysian Mental Health Association [Pledge]
• Ja Mustapha for MERCY Malaysia [Pledge]
• Kelwin for MAKNA Malaysia [Pledge]

The money does not go into their pockets, but to their charitable organisation which they're doing this for. If you can do the countless memes, you can pledge. A little goes a long way. Let's do our part for the community, eh? (at the very least, one less gripe our gah-men will have against us "bloggers")

PS: On a sidenote, I'm totally hooked on Facebook. Help!

F**kmate?

I was chatting with Tim just now on web IM. Due to my lack of Internet access at home, we had to call each other on the phone for the past 2 days. Yep, it's back to the good ol' days where long-distanced relationships survive via expensive phonecalls. Ouch.

Our conversation went something like this (give or take):

Tim: Oh no, your Internet's not working? Regardless, I'll call you tonight. Bootie call :P
Me: Hehehe, f**k buddy?
Tim: Huh? No lah. You're more than that lah. You're my soul mate (awwwwwww ... )
Me: Hehehe, f**kmate?
Tim: What the??
Me: F**k buddy + soulmate = f**kmate what
Tim: ...

This is what happens when it's a Friday, and there's nothing else to talk about. Tee hee hee!

Cold Turkey From The Internet

No thanks to my dear papa who didn't think it was necessary to pay our Streamyx bill ("aiya, two months didn't pay nia, like this also kena cut"), we now do not have Internet access at home. Not just that, even AFTER we paid our bill (really, I could have easily ran that errand for him, if he'd TOLD me), something was wrong, and we still could not connect to the Internet.

My brother encountered an error when he connected the RJ45 cable to his notebook and tried to dial in - "The remote computer is not responding, blah, blah, blah". So we thought the modem's knocked out again (we switched to a new modem at the beginning of the year, no thanks to a thunderstorm back then which fried the modem). Brother bought a new modem, hooked it in, and the same error occurred!!

So now, we have two working modems, and no idea on what the heck's wrong with our Internet access. The TMNET service hotline ain't much help either. For the past couple of days, I've been very Internet-free, unless I'm at the office (called in sick yesterday, no Internet for the whole day; thanks for the email, Jem).

Oh and believe me, the withdrawal symptoms are showing. For the first day, I was irritable, constantly checking the modem, switching it on and off to see if, by some miracle, it'll work again, etc. By the second day, things got a little better. I was finally catching up on my reading, and my eyes didn't feel so strained. Oh, and the mood's getting better too.

I may or may not have Internet access during the weekend, so yeah, I reckon it's a good break. The Internet's become such a drug for me, and I really need to go cold-turkey. *break out in cold sweat*

Wish me luck, folks. And y'all have a good weekend now.

Birthday Wishes For My Monkey

To my dearest Tim, on your birthday,

How I wish I could celebrate your birthday with you, like you did with me when I was in Melbourne (which was so wonderful, by the way). My heart's so heavy to know that you're alone in ulu Shepparton on your day.

Here's to many more birthdays, and that I will be able to celebrate with you in many many years to come :)

I love you.

~Tine~

PS: Oh, and since I can't get you a cake, here's a ... err ... virtual one for now :p Make a wish!

One Dry Blogger

God I'm tired.

I have exhausted my mind of what to write for today. Ever had that feeling? When you're an almost-daily blogger, it sometimes seems like such a feat to dig deep into your brains as to what you want to write about. I've been feeling rather dry for a week now.

You wanna keep your readers, you gotta be witty. Gotta be original. Gotta be this, gotta be that. It's such an exhaustive checklist.

Methinks I've been reading too many blogs about blogging, that it's putting a whole lot of pressure on me to come up with pillar entries, solid content, etc. It has come to a point where I wake up in the morning, and one of the first thoughts in my mind is "what shall I write today?". Somehow, all these must-do lists are at the verge of driving me nuts. It really takes away the fun in writing.

I'm sure a lot of you will say "it's your blog, do what you will with it, who cares what other people think?". Or "you're not earning money with this blog, do not worry so much about your stats, ranking, etc".

See, that's the thing. It is my blog. Something which I've taken the time and effort to spruce up, to write and reach out, and to gain good readership (well, I think it's good for me anyway). A project which was initially carried out on a whim, but now has turned into something I'm proud of. I wouldn't want that to go down the drain just because I'm getting lazy.

Yet, that's what I'm feeling now. Tired. Lazy. Not motivated. Dry.

Sigh. Do you sometimes feel like this too? Or is it just me?

PS: Well whaddya know? After all the rambling above, I actually wrote something today.

A Penangite Sightseeing In Penang

Y'know, living in Penang for a good 27 years of my life, I've always taken what tourist spots we have for granted. It was always "hey, I live here, I have all the time in the world to visit these places. Might as well visit the places which I've never been to, eh?". If it's not for the odd Japanese visitors we have (we normally show them around Penang), gosh, I don't think I'd even check out these lovely spots which are right in my hometown.

So that's where I went during the weekend. My colleagues had a Japanese visitor with them for the weekend, so we thought we'd show him the sights. First stop was Kek Lok Si.

The only times I've been here were with visitors. I don't think I'd even go there on my own! Not that it's not a beautiful spot to go to; it's just that in the blazing heat, I'd pretty much rather be somewhere else. We went in the afternoon, where the sun was glaring, and I was sweating buckets.

Lookie lookie! Turtle soup! Yumm ...

It's amazing how Kek Lok Si has changed over the years (haven't been there in AGES). The buildings were newly refurbished, and new features, temples, and statues were added. Still some things never change. They were still people *ahem* "asking for a fee" all the way up to the temple (ie beggars). They're quite an eyesore, if you ask me. A friend of mine told me that apparently these "beggars" do so well, that they drive good cars and all that!!

My friend's husband, who's born and bred in Penang, has never been to the Kek Lok Si! Imagine that. I guess that made me feel a tad better for not going more often :p

Next stop was Khoo Kongsi. This is the clanhouse of the Khoos. Gosh, I haven't been there in ages, not since my research on the building for my History project in Form 3! I remembered it was free entry then; they charge an admission fee of RM5 now. In a way, it's a good thing, as they use the funds to continue restoring the building.

Next, we headed to Batu Feringghi. We wanted to visit the Butterfly Farm, but what a pity it was closed. In the end, we headed to the beach, and left just before the sun set. The beach seemed a lot busier than before; a lot of water activities were going on (para-sailing, jet-skiing, the works).

All in all, it was a great Saturday. It was good getting out of the house, soaking in the roaring heat (and sweat), and having a really good time with my friends. I shall make it a point to visit Penang's touristy spots more often in future (not just when I have to bring visitors around). Have to be a true blue Penangite mah.

So, when was the last time you checked out your local tourist spots? ;)

Tine's A Drama Queen

I'm known as a drama queen at the office. Well, I reckon it's justified as I'm pretty blunt with my words, and when I'm happy or excited about something, I really physically show it. Also somewhat dramatic, and am known to stick to a subject for a long time (thus going on and on and on about it) and not let it go. Oh, and I tend to *ahem* fling my arms around when I'm talking excitedly. No, not like a flailing monkey, but ... okay, well, close (bloody hell, can't believe I just said it out loud here).

Not very dignified, I'm afraid.

You Are a Drama Queen (or King)

And the oscar goes to... you! You're all about overreacting and just plain acting. You see the world as your stage, and give a great performance. And while you're friends may find you entertaining at times... Everyone's secretly hoping that you'll just chill a little. (But they'd never tell you - they fear your wrath!)

Are You a Drama Queen (or King)?

Yep, confirmed. Dammit. Okay, okay, gotta chill *deep breath, yoga pose*

Oh well, at least it brings life to the mundane hours at the office :p

What's your story? Quiet and introverted? Or a crazy loon like me?

Harry Potter 7 - A Plea To All

Okay, as y'all know, the final book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be out this Saturday (21 July). I've been following the series; I have all the books (made it into a neat lil' collection), and am anxiously waiting for the final book to be out so that I can know who did or did not die.

A plea to all bloggers and readers - please, please, PLEASE do NOT reveal the plot on PPS when the book's out, and when you're finally done with it. There really is no need for spoilers and rob the pleasure of those who enjoy the series.

Last night, I received a comment from an anonymous person, who wrote a brief summary of the plot, who died and all that, even stating the page number, and chapters. Thank goodness I saw it as soon as it was posted, and it was promptly deleted.

I did not believe a single word he/she wrote because it just seemed rather ridiculous. But it's so childish for him/her to actually post it as a comment on a post totally irrelevant to the subject. Grow up, will ya? And stop spamming other blogs with this (I have an inkling he/she did this to other blogs too).

Children's stories or not, when you've followed the series for 4 years, you wanna finish it properly. Not like this. I actually already have the e-book to the final book (acquired it last month, quite by accident. Can't vouch for its authenticity though), but I did not even look at it. I'd rather wait for the book.

So people, be nice. Keep the story to yourself even after you've read it. Just to be safe, till I'm done with the book, I'm staying away from PPS.

I So Rock!

Awww lookie lookie, my very first badge! Awarded by the lovely Paris, I shall pin it on and wear it with pride :p

And now, I shall also award this Rockin' Girl Blogger to my peeps because you girls rock big time:
Beetrice (yeah, I also practise nepotism. Tee hee hee!)
Truebluepenangite
Misery
Kleio
Prettybeautiful

Blogger Booze

People-people sekalian,

I'm a-pimping Gallivanter's Blogger Booze event, so for those of you who are in KL (bugger, not me), don't miss the chance to meet your blogger friends, and to get totally *ahem* hammered :p

Date: 21 July 2007
Time: 9pm
Venue: Modesto’s Hartamas Walk @ Hartamas Shopping Centre, Plaza Damas
Tel: 03-6203 9707

I reckon it's going to be fun. Again, I wouldn't know, 'cos I am in Penang!! GAH! :(

Okay, okay, all my grumbles aside, it really isn't something to be missed. So go check it out.

PS: Hey, have the next one in Penang, ya? :p

Question of the Day - Keep Or Sell?

I have an odd habit.

Everyday, after lunch, I always like to come up with questions for my colleagues, and we'd have a short discussion, just before we head back to our desks and continue with our work . I really have no idea why I like to do it. Food for tummy, and after that, for thought? Perhaps.

So, for today, instead of just asking my colleagues, I'd like to open today's question to the, er, blogger floor as well.

Today's question was - "What's your dream car? The car that you most love to own. Something that you've been wanting for a long time. It's something which you have to work hard in order to get (not something totally impossible to buy, but can only own in the next ten years or so). One day, you realised you've won the first prize in a competition; lo and behold, it's your dream car. What would you do? Would you keep the car, or would you sell it? Why?"

There's no right nor wrong answers. Just something to think about. I'll give you my answer at the end of the day ;)

I Was No Mean Girl In High School

Did any of you watch Mean Girls? You know, the one with the very hot Lindsay Lohan (okay, she's probably not so hot now, being in rehab and all, but I have to say she was H.A.W.T in that show), playing a sweet innocent girl who got "plasticised" by the most popular girls in school? Watching the movie really reminded me of how complicated high schools are in the US (well, that and the hot babes. Eh, just because I'm straight, doesn't mean I don't appreciate hot women. And hate 'em to death. Tee hee hee). And how simple it was for me.

Oh we had our popular girls, all right. We had the "jocks" (that would be the school netball players, state athletes, etc), the "geeks" (mostly in the first class, where a lot of them are kiasu beyond compare), the rich ones, poor ones, and everyone else in between. But we had never drawn that line so clearly that we snub and ignore the ones of the other "classes".

What was it like for me in secondary school? Well, I was never an under-achiever, nor an over-achiever. I guess you can say I dabbled with each side from time to time, but always falling back in the middle.

I was never a prefect, class monitor or anything of authority. Well, I was an assistant monitor once in Standard 4, but I *ahem* abused my power and almost lost my now-best buds. Hey, it was my first time. When the teacher asked you to catch those talking, you do it! I was given the silent treatment for a week. Never again, I said. I joined the herd, and never became anything more than an average student. Still, it felt good wearing the "Penolong Ketua Darjah" badge for a year.

I became a part of the IT (as in, cool, not Information Technology) group in Form 4 and Form 5. At that time, I had absolutely NO idea we were that popular, but then again, maybe it's because a certain now-celebrity was in our group :p Still, we had so much fun. We had a love-hate relationship with our teachers; they couldn't stand us because we were so noisy, yet they were drawn to our exuberance and zest for life (that's what I thought anyway). One thing's for sure - I never felt like I couldn't fit in, nor did I dread going to school. In fact, I loved it!

I joined the *ahem* kiasu group too, and became a kiasu girl myself. If not for them, I would have flunked my Form 5. For that, I really thank them for helping me out, and for giving me a chance to know that they were a really fun group too.

It's just funny, thinking of my school days, because we all played together, had fun together with people of different races and status of life. It never dawned on us that just because you're poor, you're not a part of us. Or if you were of a different race. One of my dearest friends in Form 3 was the nicest Malay girl I've ever had the honour to come across and know. Too bad we fell out of touch when she left us after Form 3. I wonder how she's doing now ...

Having said all that, I'm glad secondary school was not a battleground for me. Yeah, I struggled with some of the subjects, hated some of the teachers ... hey, it was all part and parcel of life in school. But the friendships made, with people from all different walks of life ... that is priceless.

So, what was life like in school for you? Were you a jock? A geek? Or an IT girl/boy?

They Don't Want My Blood!

So I went to the hospital today, all gung-ho to donate a pint of me blood. I was pretty jittery last night, all down to nerves, y'see. My friend came to pick me up, and there we were in the clinic, pretty nervous, but quite excited to experience something new.

There was a form we had to fill up; usual questions about your family history and all that. There was one particular question, asking if any of us has been to Europe for the past 10 years, and have stayed there for over 6 months. I ticked yes.

When they called out my name to get my blood pressure tested, they looked at my form, and then asked me how long I've been in Europe, if I was in the UK, and how long I was there for. Told them I studied in the UK for three years, but I came back in 2003, and have had a clean bill of health.

"Oh like that ah? Sorry miss, we cannot use your blood. It's our policy to not take the blood of those who have been in Europe, especially the UK, for over 6 months. Mad cow disease, y'see".

What the ... ??? CHEH, got me all worked up and excited for NOTHING!! I know that Australia has that policy (Tim can't donate blood in Australia either because of that), but I didn't know Malaysian hospitals have that policy too. Still, if I were a vegetarian, they might actually take my blood, but sorry folks, I like my steaks too much :p

Oh well, a good thing too, I guess, 'cos my friend actually passed out after donating her blood. Unfortunately, she got up a tad too early, and got too woozy (they poked her twice with the huge-ass needle (ouch!!), 'cos they couldn't find a proper vein to stick the needle in). Gave us quite a scare then, but alls well ends well.

So people, I can't give you my blood, but feel free to give me yours. Tee hee hee!

I'm A-Gonna Give Some Red Goo Tomorrow

I'll be doing something I've never done before tomorrow. It's going to be a totally new experience for me, and for that, I'm absolutely FREAKING out.

.
.
.
.

I'm going to donate blood.

.
.
.
.

Okay, okay, I know, regular blood donaters would probably scoff "Gawd, what a doozy". But really, for someone who initially freaked out on a blood test (I'm okay with it now. Gawd what a doozy :p), this time, the needle's going to be 1.5 times the size of the needle used for drawing blood for tests (that's what Tim told me anyway).

I keep having to remind myself, it's all for a good cause. A good friend's grandfather recently had surgery, and needed to have bags of blood replaced. Anyways, I'm not going alone; another friend of mine's coming along as well, and it's her first time too.

Will let y'all know how it went. For now, my mantra is: I will not be chickenshit. I will not be chickenshit *gulp*.

Fancy A Contact Form For Blogger/Blogspot?

Here's a little blogging tip for those who are on the Blogger/Blogspot platform.

Fancy a contact form for your blog? With my poor HTML/CSS skills, all I could do before today was to put my email address on my blog for people to contact me. Still, not very impressive eh?

I Googled for help yesterday, and voila! I finally found a method to create a contact form for my blog (check out the sidebar). Psyched!! :p

You can check it out on Blogosquare. The tutorial's quite comprehensive; very easy to follow. In a matter of minutes, I have a lil' contact form of my own. Whee!

Hope it helps. It certainly made my day. Well, my blogs anyway :)

Passport Renewal Morning - GAH!

So I went to renew my passport today. Took half a day off work just to get it done. Got up real early, so that I can reach the immigration department before it opens (gotta join the long queue, y'see).

After the slow morning traffic, I reached the immigration office at 7.30am, and to my delight, I saw only ONE person waiting outside the office (normally the queue would have already started by 7.15am). I happily got behind the woman, and that was when she gave me a funny look.

"Office open already"

Woah. That's early. I went in, which I thought was in quite a hurry, because the receptionist kept telling me to calm down as there were very few people waiting in line. So there I was, thinking, ohh this is getting to be a smooth-sailing procedure, and started to plan to go to the bank and post office after this.

When it was my turn, I handed the application form and photos to the officer-in-charge. After stamping some papers, writing and more stamping, he turned to me.

"Mana photocopy IC?" (where are the photocopies of your identification card?)

Oh. Damnit. I knew that there was something which I forgot to bring with me to the immigration department. I had a really bad headache the night before; hence I forgot to pack the photocopied document into my bag. Okay, fine. I asked him if there was a photocopier in the office which I could use. At that moment, it was 7.50 am.

"Ada, kat belakang. Tapi, mesen baru buka pada pukul 8" (At the back, but the office is only open at 8am).

Okay then. I waited for about 10 minutes, and headed to the back of the office.

"Maaf mem, mesen sudah rosak" (I beg your pardon, ma'am, the photocopier's not working)

What the ... ?? I went back to the person handling my documents and told him that it wasn't working.

"Oh ya, semalam rosak" (oh yes, it was not working yesterday)

Bloody hell. He didn't even tell me it wasn't working when I asked him about the photocopier! Fine. I asked him if there were other photocopiers in the office which I could use. He said that was the only one available.

WTF?? The whole department only has ONE photocopy machine??? Then I asked him if there were photocopy services nearby which I could use. He said that there were a few near the building.

"Ya, tapi hanya buka pada pukul 9" (yes, but they only open at 9)

Gah! My morning certainly had taken a turn. Rather than waiting, I drove back home (about 20 minutes drive), took the copies which I had, and drove back to the office. Thank goodness I didn't have to queue (at that moment, the number of people waiting in line was rapidly increasing); I handed the copies to the officer, paid RM300, and was told to come and collect the passport 2 hours later.

Oh well, time for me to head to the bank. Didn't get much done there either, as there were some documents which I, sadly, also left at home (see, this is what happens when you don't prepare first). Since there wasn't much I could do, I left for home.

Rested for about 45 minutes, before I headed out again, and this time, it was to the post office (I needed to get a postal order). Again, I had to take a number. Mine was 2082.

"Next - 2059!"

Bloody hell. 23 people more to go! I waited for 15 minutes, and by that time, only 7 people were served. The whole post office only had ONE person working! I couldn't wait any longer; I left for the immigration department to collect my passport. Thank God that was a short wait, because at that point, I was tired, overheated from the massive hot weather outside, and just wanted to get out as soon as possible. After driving for about 25 minutes, I reached the office really wiped out and in a bad mood.

What a morning, eh? I spent most of my morning driving up and down, to and fro. Sigh.

Lessons of the day:

• Always be prepared. A Girl Guide motto, but very useful indeed.
• When renewing your passport, remember to have all of your needed documents with you (2 passport-sized photographs, a copy of your IC, and the application form). No point going so early when you don't have all of your stuff with you.
• You can save RM1 by downloading the application form off the Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia website. Just be sure to print them on both sides of paper (I was reprimanded by printing the form on separate sheets of paper).

All I wanna do right now, is to go home and sleep. With my spanking new passport right next to me :p

Australian Visa Application

I'm currently in the midst of preparing all the relevant documents for application of spouse visa to Australia. My goodness, there sure is a LOT of paperwork involved in this. So much so I'm actually considering hiring an immigration agent to settle it for me. But I know I'd be charged an arm and a leg for their services, so I reckon I'll finally stick to doing it myself.

The relevant websites to go to for help weren't much help either. For example, I need to apply for a certificate of good conduct from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (just to show I've done no hanky panky, stole a loaf of bread, or slept with a horse. You know what I mean). The information was forwarded to me from the Australia High Commission website. Check out what I need.

23 passport-sized photos???!!

What the hell do they need so many passport-sized photos for?? Probably thinking of putting my photos on posters and stick 'em up everywhere just to check with the good people if I'm all right. Tsk tsk tsk. Anyways, thank goodness I checked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website before I went for the gusto and print me that many copies of my photo (I'm vain; just not that vain). It was a typo; they only needed two copies. Tsk tsk tsk.

It's going to be a long and expensive process. Gotta renew passport (bye bye RM300), print extra photos, purchase bank drafts, etc etc JUST to send out an application form, in which I'm not actually guaranteed the visa. Bugger.

Anyways, wish me luck, people. Oh, and if anyone of you out there knows of the process, and can give me some pointers, I'd be most grateful. Coffee's on me (for those living in Penang lah) :)

3 Reasons I Stayed On With Blogging

How quickly two years have gone by. Little did I know then that a tiny hobby (which became an addiction) of mine would become such an overwhelming experience when I delved into the world of blogging.

Y'see, the thing with me is that, whenever I start a project, I sadly do not normally finish it. When I first started blogging, I thought the fad would end in 6 months, that I would become so mighty bored of it, I'd simply throw in the towel and say "What's next?" Yet, I stuck on for 2 years, where it became a place for me to simply rant my heart out, made lovely new friends, bought myself THREE domains, and the list simply goes on. So why did I stick to this project?

1. Great way to stay in touch with friends
When you have friends in different parts of the world, emailing all of them the same stories of what you did every weekend can become pretty overwhelming. What better than to just write it in one place, and have them come over and read it? Best of all, conversations are started over comments, and everyone get to know everyone, that kinda thing. This does NOT replace the personal touch you have with your buddies, of course.

2. Great way to meet new friends
Oh, I couldn't stress this enough. I'm so glad for all the blogging pals I made, ever since I went public with this blog. It took time to build a rapport with other bloggers out there, but it was worth the effort. Oh, and the *ahem* occasional ego boost is fantastic ;) (oh come on, don't tell me you didn't like it :p)

3. Great way to learn new things
Latest information in technology, current issues, sales, promotions, etc - you can get ALL of that in blogs. My magazine-buying habit has taken a serious dip ever since I discovered blogs. I only buy the odd magazine from time to time now; I can get everything else here.

So what are you waiting for? If you've not jumped onto the blogging bandwagon, come on in. There's plenty of room for all ;)


This post was written as part of the Three Blog Project.

Rain, Rain, Please Don't Go Away

It's been raining all weekend. Even though it meant that I was stuck at home the whole time, still I was very glad for the rain, as it eased the haze for a bit. The air does not smell of smoke when I wake up.

Still, as I was on my way to dinner with my family last night, we drove past an area where some idiots were doing open burning. Initially, we thought it was dengue fogging, but after a while, we smelt heavy smoke. Okay, what gives, people?? Enough that our beloved neighbour's so in love with us, that they want us to share their utter 'joy' in inhaling smoke, you wanna join in the fun too? I thought the government banned open burning! Gah.

Whatever.

Anyways, I'm enjoying the rain while it lasts. The smell of rain against the grass is ... hmm ... heavenly. How nice to just curl up in your favourite spot, with some soft music playing in the background, enjoying a book with a nice cuppa, eh? ;)

Ten Cents Towards RM127

I read this at Zewt's blog, and thought, hey, it's Friday. I can be charitable too.

Anyhoos, for the uninformed (which I was, till about 3 minutes ago), a Malaysian blogger, Idham, has agreed to donate RM127 to the Darul Izzah Orphanage in Bangi for every blogger who does this tag. Let's all do our part for charity, eh?

The requirement is to complete at least 17 of the following 27 sentences.

1. A person is only as good as his/her word.
2. Friendship is always taken for granted
3. To love is to
4. Money makes me want more money.
5. I miss my monkey in Australia. Boo hoo! :(
6. My way of saying I care is by doing this tag?
7. I try to spread love and happiness by
8. Pick the flowers when they're just about to die, 'cos then they'll be reduced to clear.
9. To love someone is to let them go.
10. Beauty is overrated for pretty people, and underrated for the ... err ... not so pretty ones.
11. When I was thirteen, what I remember the most was having a crush on somebody who didn't even know I existed.
12. When I was twenty one, I remember that I didn't get a '21-year-old' key.
13. I am most happy when I don't have to go to work.
14. Nothing makes me happier than not having to go to work.
15. If I can change one thing, I will change my job (okay, okay, we get the point!)
16. If smiles were .... then I ....
17. Wouldn't it be nice if we could kerching kerching? *wink wink*
18. If you want to .... then you have to ....
19. Money is not everything but having no money is a very shitty thing.
20. The most touching moments I have experienced is ....
21. I smile when I think that in 9 more hours, it's the weekend!
22. When I am happy, I sing (and then it rains. Boo!)
23. If only I don't have to ...., then ....
24. The best thing I did yesterday was ....
25. If I ever write a book, I will give it this title "Rich Tine? No, Poor Tine!"
26. One thing I must do before I die is have lots and lots and lots of unadulterated and uninhibited S.E.X. Tee hee hee!
27. Doing this meme, I feel like I'm about to go to sleep, 'cos I never thought it would end.

There ya go. I reckon twenty's enough (not easy leh!). I agree with Zewt though; the phrases are rather ... err ... on the dull side. Anyhoos, I probably contributed 10 cents to the charity (since so many people did the meme too); still, I feel good :p

For those who'd like to do the tag, do drop a comment on Idham's blog.

I See You No Up!

"I see you no up"

That's quite a catchy phrase which I learned from my dad. It translated literally from Cantonese, and it means "I do not think highly of you". There are different ways to use this phrase.

It can be used in jest.

"Wah, too much lah you. Tsk tsk tsk, I see you no up", whilst laughing away.

It can be used when you're pissed.

"Oh my goodness, did you see the way those girls behaved at the office? Tsk tsk, really see them no up".

You know what really irks me? Major ass-kissers who behave appalling at the office just to try to gain favour from their bosses. Or people who try to act all cutesy and whatnots just for the opposite sex to like them. I shudder at the thought.

Call me a sourpuss if you will, but really, how do you tolerate such behaviour? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em? No thank you. I have my dignity and reputation to protect.

These are the people whom I see no up.

So, who would you say "I see you no up" to?

My Yahoo Weather Widget Manyak Terror

My Yahoo Weather widget showed me this just now.

See that brownish smudge from the sun towards the temperature? Initially I thought it was a smudge on my monitor, but then I realised, woah, it actually meant the HAZE.

Not bad eh, even Yahoo weather also know how to put the haze into the widget. Terror betui.

Lastly .... oi, Indonesia! Why do you hate us so??? Kena us some many times, still not enough, izzit? *grumble grumble*

Ten Years Ago ...

I met up with a very dear friend of mine, Dor, over the weekend. She recently came back to Penang for good after working in Sabah for a few years. It was really good seeing her again, especially now that she's expecting (by the way, four months along, and not a bump in sight??? Are you sure you're pregnant ah??).

We had such a good time reminiscing about the good 'ol times (we've known each other since Standard 4!), and how it's been ten years since we've left secondary school.

Gosh. It's been ten years since I've left secondary school. Where has the time gone?

I can still remember what life was like ten years ago. It all seemed like yesterday ...

• Going to McDonalds for a meal and to catch up with friends was a luxury.
• Being envious of friends who can drive ("wahhh you got lesen already ah? Terror man!"), and feeling so proud to be in a car of a friend who's the same age as you, and driving without an adult present.
• Wearing makeup only meant that you're going to go on stage.
• Ringing up huge telephone bills because I was up all night chatting with my girls on no particular subject (Mobile phone? Hello, what mobile phone?).
• It was cool bringing a boom-box to school on Teacher's Day, Speech Day, Whatever Day, and dancing to music with moves which will make you cringe now.
• Lasting on a RM2 per weekday allowance was no problem at all (there would still be spare cash left at the end of the week for shopping).
• Not being able to talk to boys because I get all tongue-tied, flushed, and ended up making a fool of myself most of the time.
• Getting burnt under the sun whilst marching in a Red Crescent uniform was no problem for me (I'm too vain to get all dark again like before now :p)
• Not burdened with tuition classes on every subject under the sun, and still being able to pass my SPM examinations.
• Having a group of very close friends whom you can talk and share about anything in the world with, and they'll still wanna be with you regardless.

Even though life's no longer as simple as before, I'm still thankful to God that my bestest friends are still the ones who remain with me from secondary school. Even though we live in different continents, I'm so glad that our friendship still remained.

Chin, May, Dor, you girls have been the pillars of my life for so many years now, and I'm so glad you still are. I love you.


So ... what was life like for you ten years ago?