Happy Birthday BMW!

Opps..actually my dua bai is a merc..not a beemer..but big merc white mah..aiyo..identity crisis..

Despite a kiss here, a scratch there..i think my dua bai is doing well..

Wanted to put up a lovely pic of my dua bai...then i realised..eh. the only proper shots i have of it are taken exactly one year ago when i first collected it..which, in any case, are not suitable for viewing anymore..

Jia you dua bai..tmr bring u go bathe k?

Inspiration

Now that i've some free time and am in a relatively stable and contented mood(it's festive seasons afterall), i thought i'd rearrange & blog some of those thoughts tat raced through my mind in recent months..but other than the fluffy entry on cheenatown, i haven't really been tat productive..

Hmm..seems like inspiration only comes to me when i'm:

a) down & out

b) stressed

c) busy

d) broken-hearted

e) all of the above

Me & My Cheenatown

I've got lots of draft entries saved..but haven't had the will to sit down and go thru all of them..anyway it's unlikely that all will eventually surface for 'public viewing'..

I've had a busy Nov..this i think anyone who have had contact with me in the past 2 months will know..i had been complaining/lamenting/whining to well, practically anyone and everyone who have had contact with me in the past 2 months..

Of cos, 'busy' is a relative concept..what i term as 'a busy day' could very well be a slow day for someone else..but tat will come in another blog..which is currently under 'drafts'..

Wat inspired me to blog 'urgently' today were..2 things:

#1. I have been spending more time in my office lately..and as usual, when i get hungry/bored, i will go for a 'walk'..At my previous office, my fave walking venue is of cos the supermarket..Ever since i shifted, i practically shop the whole of cheenatown when i had planned to just get a quick bite..u would think that me being a cheenatown kid would be 'sian' of the area by now..

Anyway..i didn't know i was going for my teabreaks so often enough tat the stall owner recognises me already! Oh dear..no wonder my jeans feel tight these days..and the worst thing is, when i get to the area(whichever hawker it maybe), i can't resist but eat all my fave food..i end up having a 3-course tea break everytime..@.@

I wonder which is worse..walking to supermarket or walking to the hawker centre with all my fave food..

#2. I came across this scene..which i found very 'jarring' with the whole cheenatown backdrop..I saw this uncle..in a white singlet and khaki berms..exactly the kind u expect to see at the kopi tiam with one leg up the chair, drinking lao hu beer..well, wat was 'strange' was he was walking across the hawker centre holding a packet of Mac fries and eating away happily..

I dunno about you, but that was one of the last few sights i expected in a cheenatown hawker centre..

-

It's Sunday again..time to sit & think again..aka sidetracked while revising..again..

Nothing too 'inspiring' today..the fast food place i hung out at earlier on was not too conducive..

So i stared at my blog..then i decided..i shall update it..for keen/loyal readers..you would have noticed it by now..

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. ~A.A. Milne

I changed my header..not that i didn't like the previous one..just thought it's time for a change..in fact i really liked all my headers..i can still remember the one before this..'A truly happy person is one who enjoys the scenery on a detour'..i think this stayed with me for 1 or 2 years before i used the most recent one - 'The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring'

Well..we'll see how long Pooh will stay up there..haha

Sunday Mornings..

This article is penned down in actual handwriting..on foolscap paper(so long never use this word!)..in fact, by the time i finished writing, it filled up 1.5 pages..Oh, why didn't the words flow as easily when i was doing my assignment..


Date: 1 Nov
Time: 11ish am
Venue : Sandwich chain 5 mins from my house
Objective: Last min cramming for exam

The reason why i had to cram so much in at the last min is really..inconsistency. Unlike the previous module when i was reading up conscientiously on a regular basis(still very 'on' at tat time), this time was like just going for lecture(& day-dreaming half the time)..one week later, attend the next lecture..and 15 weeks later, i need to spit out a 2000 words essay based on some theories which i'm totally not familiar with and having to recall 15 weeks' worth of information for exam..

Anyway..that's not exactly what i feel like talking about..too depressing liao..

It's Sunday morning! I like Sunday mornings..Sunday mornings are like the lazy cousins to the action-packed Saturdays..& obviously, Sun mornings are more compatible with my nuah character..though I'm quite proud of the fact that i seldom sleep in on Sun..i only did that when i was a student..quite strange actually..Maybe it's due to the fact that i often have to work Sun mornings, this is a fact ever since i started working..my first job..my overseas 'job'..and now..It's not like i work every Sunday, maybe half the time? So i'm pretty ok with it..and i guess it makes me appreciate Sundays more too..There was a period of time when i play badminton every Sun am..and there was a time when i went out for brunch every Sun am..well, it's getting harder to get Sunday morning kakis these days..

Sunday morning & I'm here sitting down in the restaurant..it's about 30% occupied, with 5 out of about 15 tables taken. Table #1 is this couple in their 50s', with husband reading papers and the wife doing some writing(maybe she's got exams coming up too).. Table #2 has this middle-aged man reading papers by himself over a cup of coffee.. Table #3 is occupied with this group of 5 young ladies catching up with each other(one of them is telling the others about her day in Labrador Park..apparently the seafood there is not bad)..Table #4 belongs to a young couple, who are enjoying each other's company as much as they're enjoying their breakfast ..and lastly, Table #5 with a couple and their 2 young children in tow complete the scene..

Every 20-30 mins, a table will vacate..but the next customer who comes along does not stray far from 'the relaxed' mode..as though it's some sort of unwritten rule at the entrance..'highly-strung individuals are not allowed in'

There's a laid-back feel in the air..everybody seems relaxed..from their body language to their dressing(nobody in working attire so far) to their choice of conversation topics..and i like this kind of feeling..

Well, some people may say i can afford to do this anyday, not just Sunday, since my working hours are not exactly 9-5..but somehow, the 'feel' is different..

On a normal weekday, the tables are mostly occupied by people in smart working attire..half of them will have their laptops in front of them and most of the time, their conversation revolved around work..you can't help but feel stressed around them..in fact, u feel guilty for taking up the table for a 'not-so-productive' purpose and u feel the need to vacate once you've finished your meal(hey, isn't that the main purpose of sitting down in an eatery anyway?!)

Speaking of eating..i think studying makes me fat..i always end up having dinner twice on lesson days, and it obviously takes some(though not all) time away from my workouts, & now i have fast food for company when mugging..


That's the end of my 'inspired piece'..i was just wondering 'hmm..i feel like i'm quite free today', then i realised why..i don't have lessons today..& why is this so? Cos it's my revision week and exams are next week! Oh damn..why is it i get so productive suddenly in all areas..except the one thing that's most important now..

Damn it..

Supposed to be finishing up my paper and revision notes..but no..i ended up spending 2 full hours sitting in front of the tv(something which i dun usually do in the first place) watching a show that i've watched before..

Yesh..the show is 'Secret'..watched it on the big screen when it was first shown..think i watched it again on dvd sometime back..and now i'm 'sacrificing' my study time to watch it again..

Well, i'm not ashamed to say i like the show..sweet little story..and i like the music..it's been 2 years & i'm still using the tunes as my mobile ringtone and i still play the CD every now & then..

Okok..better get back to work..i mean study..

Psychology Notes..

Friday nite..and i'm at my desk..with a pile of notes in front of me..

Since i occasionally claim to be studying pyschology..here're some interesting nuggets i picked up(while cramming for my exams 3 days away)


Regression - (def) a movement back in psychological time when one is faced with stress


So where do we retreat when faced with stress? According to Freudian theory: To the last time in life when we felt safe and secure. Maybe that explains why these days i feel like jumping onto a plane and get 'out there'..not that out there is safer & more secure..but 'out there' is where i dun normally get stressed out..

**********************************************************************************
Sublimation - (def) the transformation of an unacceptable impulse, whether it be sex, anger, fear, etc into a socially acceptable, even productive form.


For eg, someone with powerful sexual desires may become an artist, a photographer, or a novelist. In fact, according to Freudian theory(again), all positive/creative activities were sublimations, and predominantly of the sex drive..

**********************************************************************************

Anal Stage(it's really a 'proper' stage in Freud's theory) - ...at one and one-half years, the child enters the anal stage. With the advent of toilet training comes the child's obsession with the erogenuos zone of the anus and with the retention or expulsion of the faeces..The child meets the conflict between the parent's demands and the child's desires and physical capabilities in one of two ways: Either he puts up a fight or he simply refuses to go..When a child opts to retain faeces, thereby spitiing his parents while enjoying the pleasurable pressure of the built-up faeces on his intestine; if this tactic succeeds, and the child is overindulged, he will develop into an anal retentive character - some common traits include obsessively neat and clean..

So that's why..

F...

Had a pleasant 'interruption' while slogging away on my assignment on a lazy Sunday afternoon..

On MSN:

[f] says:
so have u finished your course?
ZXL says:
no...in fact, i'm trying to do my assignment now
[f] says:
oic...last minute working on the assignment?
[f] says:
like u used to be?
ZXL says:
like always..ha
[f] says:
ok...u will get it done on time, i know that ...
ZXL says:
1 assignment and 2 exams over the next 2 weeks...i'm not superman u know..
[f] says:
especially u are growing old now.....brain not working well
ZXL says:
thanks for the reminder........
[f] says:
even mine....
[f] says:
ok...work hard then..



15 mins later, my mobile rang..'oi, it's me..'


Thanks for calling..u were always unpredictable and still are..

Kuching! - Day 4/4(first drafted 18/8, published 25/10)

Breakfast this morning was at the hotel's cafe..standard affair with a bit of local flavour thrown in..with Wei trying their Sarawak laksa and me sticking to the safe stuff..neither laksa nor nasi lemak is good for my tummy..


We had intended to go for the Cultural Village after breakfast, since that the hotel provides a shuttle service to the place. However, when the person told us the rates, our jaws dropped a little(ok, more of mine)..but to pay RM60+ for an artificial replica piece of history(purely my guess) seems a bit steep..so we dismissed the idea..


With the morning slot open, we just anyhow 'whack' and headed out to 'Little India'..Upon arriving, our initial reactions were like 'this looks more like chinatown rather than little india hor..' As we ventured further in, it began to resemble more like the 'Little India' we expected..so we concluded that Little India and Chinatown are just next to each other..


Kuching is not that big a city and it didn't take us that long to venture out to the riverside..Just as well, there was this Sunday market going on..and so we continued to saunter around somemore..


As the afternoon sun climbed, we made some attempts to go to this shopping centre(for the aircon) which we thought we had seen on our way here earlier..but we soon realised it was the wrong building and we're separated by the river..so..mission aborted..


After somemore aimless wandering, it was about time to head back to our hotel and make our way to the airport(we kept hearing the locals say some 'Ah Gongs' are here for some meetings and there might be road closures, etc). Of cos, with my 2-hr feed, i was starting to get hungry and we hunted around for some food before we settled on this little nondescript kopi tiam(which was in fact, a stone's throw from our motel for the first nite), the Kolo mee here was better than the first day's and more authentic(ie. it resembles like the one we get in Sg?!)


Back at the hotel, we did our checkout..then somehow decided we actually have more than enough time for the flight and so negotiated with a taxi driver to bring us to some shopping mall enroute to the airport. It was a big mall but we only had like 40 mins..and my focus was 'dabao-ing' some lunch to the airport(i'm on 2-hr feed rem?)


Kuching airport is no Changi airport, and we covered all the dutyfree shops in 15 mins..rest of the time, we whiled away while sitting in KFC counting money(Wei, do i still owe u money for the air tic ah?)


Well well..to round up this trip..i have had a good time..despite knowing each other for half our lives, it was our first trip together..& we didn't kill each other(didn't think we would in the first place)..i liked the fact tat i could just spend 3 days without any specific itinerary(some pple can't) and of cos, the fact that i can bring Wei round & round the same area and she wouldn't realised i've brought her in the wrong direction helped too..ha! & though it wasn't meant to be one, it turned out to be the perfect 'getaway' for me..


So yeah, Wei..let's not wait another 15 years to do this again..let me think about the Dec trip ya?

Post-BD

Thanks to all who sent their bd wishes last week..there were some who wished me every year without fail but i'm ashamed to say, i can never remember their bds..i will try to improve ok!

I'm sure i missed out replying/acknowledging some smses..cos i had been working like a cow the morning of my bd..and when i got home, i crashed out like, totally lor..trying to sleep away my flu and cough was hardly the most exciting way of spending a bd..but there i have it..sigh..

Anyway, i claimed my bd dinner from wei last nite..After being ignored by the service staff at our intended dinner place, we restaurant-hopped to another eatery where we immediately felt more welcomed(3 staff came over within minutes of us appearing at the entrance)

Of cos, this being a dinner with wei, we had our questionable moments..is this the correct dish we ordered? Got white wine meh? Is that really the chai poh..how come it didn't taste like it? or did you point at the wrong photo? (wei didn't trust herself enough to order in mandarin after mangling the dishes' name earlier on) But all in, it was a pretty good meal..at the expense of her low-carb diet somemore..appreciate it much much ya..^_^

As part of my bd 'deal', Wei had thrown in a after-dinner movie as well..We caught 'Julie & Julia' (which Wei has an 'obligation' to blog on..haha..no stress ya :Þ) Whole movie was about food & blogging..wat's there not to like?! Which had Wei reminding me 'you have not finished the blog on Kuching leh'..Oh ya hor! Actually, i had drafted an entry on the concluding 'chapter' - day 4, but i guess it sort of slipped my mind to publish it..will get down to it after this..promise..

Sunrise & Sunset

This morning(or rather yesterday morning), I saw the one of the most beautiful sunrises i've seen..

A distinct orange orb peeking out from behind the backdrop of a rainforest, casting its glow onto the water reservoir in the foreground..I had caught it 'by chance'.

It was definitely the prettiest i've ever seen in Singapore..but it was not perfect..and so i did not take a photo of it.

The very same evening, i saw a brilliant sunset too..a splendid egg yolk in the clear blue sky..again, i haven't been out searching for it..it was one of those 'happen to look up at the right place at the right time' moments.

Life's not too bad..

I heard a rumour..

About me..studying psychology..in NIE..

Well, it's a half-rumour/half-truth..since I'm not exactly studying pyschology..i only say tat cos my actual course title is very looong and i find that i usually need to follow up with some explanations before people really understand what is it about..

and i'm definitely not studying in NIE..

Studies & Exams

The bad news is i didn't top my class..i had to settle for 2nd place..


Woah..it's been a long while since i got so competitive academically..in fact, i was never competitive during school days..how to be when i was struggling just to pass..ha


But yes, it's nice to know that my hard work did pay off..i tried my best..really..


Of cos, credit must also go out to someone..the poor girl has had to help me with my revision while lying half-paralysed in the hospital..thanks! (i still have 3 other papers coming up..)


Never thought i'll ever say this but i wish i have a bit more time to study these days..i know i'm neglecting my revision and research..but like everyone else, i'm also guilty of using the universal excuse 'no time'(which is absolute rubbish)


I have added stress when someone else said this to me in her darn earnest tone 'i'm sure you'll do well, cos you were the one who chose to study' This coming from a person whom i watched her 'grow up'..


我们都长大了...

<回来> 张信哲 1999

十年前发的专辑...十年后终于明白了...

过去很熟悉 现在不懂你
想看你眼睛 你却给我背影
就像满天星 都跌进大海里
我被放逐的心 又要往哪里去

我们再也回不去了 对不对
就算曾经几乎拥有幸福的完美
你的心回不去了 对不对
你要的再也不是我能给

我们再也回不去了 对不对
眼看就要让满心遗憾为爱受罪
你的心回不去了 对不对
不能去怪谁 顶多只能掉眼泪

如果问原因 可能更承受不起
若就这样离去 我又很难平静
从你的泪滴 我找到被爱过的证据
有冲动想哭泣 只好紧紧抱你

-.-

I'm in a foul mood..

All cos i did some packing..serious packing..i'm a lousy packer and i absolutely hate packing >.< I was always fortunate enough to have people encouraging/forcing/cajoling(or most likely) ending up helping me to pack. But this time, i did it alone..well, more or less..

Wet weather..annoying clients..don't help..

Up...Bruno..

As mentioned in my previous entry..my blog is my new-found best friend..so here i am, dating my blog on a rare free Wed nite..

Suddenly got the inspiration to blog about movies..

Caught Bruno(yes, tat Bruno) the other day..it was one show that i practically had my eyebrow raised throughout the whole 90minutes..i went like 'Oh my...', 'like tat also can', 'i can't believe it' every other minute..best thing was, the only other people in the cinema(besides us) was this couple with a baby in the stroller..and this is an R(A) movie!

Compared that with the previous movie i caught the week before..it was the 'u-can't-get-anymore-family-friendly' Up..heartwarming little tale..i like..

From the wholesome end of the continuum, i dived straight into the raunchy end..the culture shock was like fwah!

So..anyone got Borat to lend??

-

I have 1835 items on my mind now..of cos, i picked the 1836th item to act on - blog.

I guess when it comes to the crunch, i just want to 'fa xie/fa lao sao' a bit..and these days, my blog has become my best fren..which explains the explosion in entries..

Managed to establish contact with long-lost frens in UK..very tempted to take off again..

Speak Ang Moh

Was at not-young town the other day, and i tossed a casual remark to the waitress 'I added in some orders'. The said waitress gave me a somewhat blur look before confirming my orders in Mandarin.

After she left, someone asked 'Why did you speak to her in English?' Well..the waitress did not exactly look like someone who didn't understand ang moh..and well, i'm in bloody Singapore and English is our official common language..

No..i'm not adding on to the debate about how a lot of service staff cannot converse in english these days..this is my blog remember? i'm not those who blog about the current affairs or comment about the latest UN policies..I'm going to blog about ME..

For those who know me, i'm definitely not a 'kantang'..right? In the first place, i'm not very conscious of whether i'm speaking ang moh or cheena to others(maybe i'm truly bilingual..hee!) But i've received enough comments/queries on how i seemed to speak angmoh more than i do cheena to wonder about it..do i really??

And if i do, is it really very surprising?

It's not like i speak in some slang..nor do i speak in the Queen's english..yes, i do converse with quite a number of friends in angmoh but i'm sure they're all comfortable with that..in fact, a lot of their ang moh is more powderful than mine..and more often that not, i speak in broken ang moh 'later go where to eat leh?'

Btw, if a person speaks in broken ang moh all the time, will the person be considered kantang??

Kuching! - Day 3/4

Supposed to depart for city after breakfast..but somehow, wei & i were 'randomly' picked to 'stay behind'..due to the fact that there weren't enough seats for all of us(12 or 13 of us, the american family, british family & the Italian couple) Wat happened was tat the Italian couple decided to leave today as well(original plan was tmr but think the guy injured his leg or something..

Somehow the driver(same one who fetched us in) turned to us and said, 'how about u stay behind for a while, i'll come back to pick you after i drop them, will give u a free lift to the cultural centre too' i think he probably felt 'friendlier' towards us since we're asians(& of cos Singaporeans too) Well..since Wei & I also didn't exactly have a lot of plans, we were like 'ok lor, anything lor'

So back into the longhouse we went..we nuah around, read our books, got a 'free tour' to the river where we nuah somemore..listening to the lifestory of our guide..we suspect the kampung is quite small..cos everyone seems to be his 'auntie, niece, brother'..even a random man who appeared at the river is his uncle..

After a reminder from our stomachs, we ambled back to the longhouse where we had more of the chicken curry for lunch(how much did they cook last nite? or do they cook chicken curry everyday?!)

The driver appeared during lunch and so we finally left the longhouse..but not before host Edward declared his liking for Wei..hahaha

Along the 1.5 hours journey, wei & i talked..talked nonstop..talked about a business oppportunity..& i rven helped her planned her life(as if my life is way better than hers..but i think i make a good counsellor..ha)..

As promised, after we checked in and dumped our bags at the hotel, the driver sent us to the Sunday market upon our request(though technically it was a Sat)..We walked for maybe 10mins before we concluded it was a little too hot and sought refuge(i realised how much Wei loves the aircon on this trip..the best part is coming up soon)at the shopping centre across the street..

There, we made some half-hearted attempts at shopping..and when the sun went down a bit, we ventured out to the market again..we sort of agreed we can skip dinner tonight so we can try a bit of everything we came across..we had fish fritters, durians, some pancake, some unknown kueh and sat down for some satay and da bao some mangosteens & chicken wings back for supper..

When we're done and wanted to head back to the hotel, we realised there're no bus service and no cabs in sight..after a few fruitless(& pointless) minutes of stretching out our hands, we approached this lady who very kindly called a cab for us..even this random lady has a relative in Singapore, as did the driver & the people in the longhouse..

Ok, the INCIDENT of the trip..

Back at the hotel, we got into the lift and Wei pressed '8'..'not 9 meh?' i wondered aloud..'i think it's 8 lah'

At the 8th floor, we walked to the room and tried to open the door with the key..the door wouldn't budge. We tried again..and again..and again..we weren't sure if it's the key is not working(cos when we came up for the first time, the chambermaid was just done with the room and we walked in straight - without using the key) or it's the wrong room..since Wei had 'dismantled' the keychain - the big tag with the room number from the actual key, and left the keytag in the power switch to keep the aircon running(told ya she loves the aircon) before we went out..

After about 10 mins of struggling with the door, i finally turned to her and said 'i think we're 9th floor lah, not 8th' 'really? u think so?' So off we went..up 1 floor to the 9th..and open sesame! Wei & i quickly got into the room and shut the door behind us..'do u think there was anyone in the 8th floor room?' 'do u think the security saw us trying to break into the wrong room???!!'

Tat's was the classic 'Wei moment' of the trip..

Wei..wat would you do without me? :Þ

Wednesday, 12th Aug 0020 hr

Someone smsed me 'Thanks for spending the worst day of my life with me..'

That's one of the weirdest thanks i've ever received *o*

Kuching! - Day 2/4

Woke up at 7ish today, someone supposed to come pick us up for the longhouse..we quickly washed up, checked out and went to the kopitiam round the corner for breakfast..

Being in Kuching obviously meant we need to try to the kolo mee..so we did..i ordered ayam kolo mee and when it came, i must say it didn't really look like the one we get back in sg..it looked more like maggi mee with chicken toppings..

With breakfast out of the way, we went to the prearranged pickup point and after a bit of waiting, the car came and we hopped on, where 2 ang mohs from Italy were waiting(more about this couple later)

It was about 1.5 hours drive to the longhouse..upon arrival, we were shown where we're going to spend the nite..which was this little house which looks suspicously like someone's livein house..complete with photos in the living room, toothbrushes in the bathroom and softtoys in the bedroom..

Put down our bags and went to the host, Edward..we were giving 2 options - Waterfall trek or hotspring. I'm not a fan of hotspring and wei din exactly bring the appropriate attire too, so it's the waterfall(which i indicated when i first made the booking anyway)

Our guide Rambo appeared and off we went..the trek was quite alright..the terrain was rather similar to bt timah, but with a lot more river crossings on those shaky make-shift bamboo bridges..

It took us nearly 2.5 hours to reach the waterfall and our guide started preparing our lunch, chopping bamboo, plucking leaves, starting fire..n both of us happily just nuah around the waterfall...and wei started singing..

哪里有彩虹告诉我 能不能把我的愿望还给我
为什么天这么安静 所有的云都跑到我这里
有没有口罩一个给我 释说了太多就成真不了
也许时间是一种解药 也是我现在正服下的毒药

看不见你的笑我要怎么睡得着 你的身影那么近我却抱不到
没有地球太阳还是会绕 没有理由我也能自己走
你要离开我知道很简单 你说依赖是我们的阻碍
就算放开能不能别没收我的爱 当作我最后才明白

This was once 'the' song for me..and now, it's 'the' song once again..

*************************************************************************************

Soon lunch was ready and boy, was the bamboo chicken good! While Wei and i stuffed ourselves to the neck, our guide didn't look as excited as us..well, i guess if u have the same lunch everyday for N years, u wouldn't be as excited too..

When we finally made it back to the longhouse, we're greeted by the topless angmoh guy wrapped in a bath towel..oh well, angmohs..

After washing up, we joined the rest of the guests for a tour around the longhouse..and after tat we just hung around the common area and joined the other 2 families for a bit of UNO while waiting for dinner..

Dinner was a simple but tasty affair of curry chicken and veg..of cos pineapples were served..too bad i'm not a fan..maybe i never will be one..

A 'cultural show' was up after dinner and the other group of angmohs volunteered for it(wei and i were invited too but of cos we politely declined)..and so they got all dressed up as the local tribe and put up a dance led by the 'genuine' tribe people..

Best of all..while we're just nuahing, Wei turned to me and said 'i'm hungry leh'..'oh, so am i!' and so, i cajoled her to ask Edward if we can have some supper, his answer? 'just help yourself to watever is in the kitchen' Tat's what i'm paying RM400 for..good hospitality..and so, we tucked in to a second round of curry chicken..at 1020pm..watever calories burnt during the trek are happily welcomed back to our waistlines..

Just as we're getting ready for bed, someone knocked on our house door..wei went to answer it - it was the 2 young girls from the other families..apparently they were looking for the italian guy..so wei went to pass the message and from my room, i saw him walking out to the door in his briefs..only his briefs..all angmohs are the same..anyway, wei & i concluded that the 2 girls had a crush on him..well, i must say they're really 'bold' as the guy is obviously attached to his female travelling companion..in fact, i wouldn't be surprised if they were on honeymoon..sigh..angmohs..

Oh darn..

Darn for Wei beating me to it..blogging about the the trip that is..

And darn for totally failing my diet plans over the long weekend..while frens politely claimed they were not hungry, only thirsty..i happily wolfed down ngoh niang, complete with beehoon and again a mee soto later at nite..i'm forming the habit of having dinner twice now! *.*

Well, wei's is the condensed version(oh but she has video of the bamboo chicken!)..while mine is the cheong hei(& incomplete version), so check out her post @ http://grouseland.blogspot.com/

Review of Diet

Mon - Dinner at 6.45pm AND dinner again at 10pm
Tues - Teochew muay for dinner (still, there's the gulou meat ordered for someone)
Wed - Dinner at 6pm AND supper at 920pm AND durians at 1030pm
Thur - Dinner at 7pm AND beer at 9.30pm AND chicken wings(in a carpark) at 1030pm
Fri - Prata Pizza(!) for dinner AND cookie & cream cake for supper

Grade: F

Kuching! - Day 1/4

830am - Was woken up by a string of smses..including one tat read 'wat time is the flight ah?' This set the tone for our super relak, super nuah, super clueless(N.B. applicable to only ONE pax) 4D3N trip..

845am - Our second proper preparation for the trip was a hurried 5 mins converation while wei was rushing to work 'i have a conference call at 9am'..at least we got some items settled..we confirmed the flight time, agreed that we'll each get our own travel insurance and decided that wei will bring along a duffel bag as checkin luggage..

130pm - On the train to airport..Wei called: i'm packing now and i can't find the duffel bag leh..what bag u using? can we check in yours instead? ZXL: I'm using a backpack which can't be locked..AND i'm already halfway to airport.. Wei: OH..ok, how about we just check in my whole bag lah? ZXL: i guess so..

155pm - A sms came in 'Wahaha..i reached the ariport faster than u'

Upon arrival in Kuching, we took a cab downtown and arrived at this budget hotels area. With no prior bookings, we basically went into a few hotels(more like motels) and asked to look at their rooms - Wei commented 'i feel like we're shopping'

Settled upon a decent looking room, struggled a bit with the reception who spoke as limited english, as we did malay..and we're ready to explore the area. The receptionist vaguely pointed out a direction to us and off we went.

Came to this shopping mall..where we went around the dept store no less than 3 times, just trying to figure our way to another level. Managed to locate an exit and went out into the streets. We were hoping to find some authentic local cuisine..With not much clue(all we had was this map torn off from a magazine), our stomachs dictated we spend no more than 15mins searching and we ending up at a safe but nondescript jap restaurant.

We had no particular plans for the evening..'maybe we can catch a movie..IF we find a cinema'..so we continued wandering around the area..And just across the street from our dinner place, we spotted this happening makan place and we turned to each other 'how did we miss this place just now' Nevertheless we went to take a look but found no way in/out other than through the carpark..'building design is not their forte' is a phrase that we found ourselves repeating N times during the trip..

We made our way back to the first mall where we found out that they do have a cinema afterall..Of course, we spent another 15 mins just trying to get out of the dept store, discovered a lift, took it and voila, the cinema is right in front of us. Harry Potter at 830pm, timecheck: 830pm, perfect! Bot the tics & we made our way into the cinema in the dark..all the while trying to find the seat number on the ticketstub..until we randomly asked someone where to see the seat number? 'Free seating lah' ohhhh...

Never the HP fan..i din quite understand the movie(nor the previous 5 installments)..but well, it was 2 hours' entertainment for RM9..no complaints :)

When the lights came on, we only had one question. No, it wasn't 'So who was the half blood prince?' but rather 'how do we get out of this place?!' Taking the lift did not seem viable as it would only lead us to the confusing dept store with no exits(and we doubt it was still be opened at 11pm)..so we did the next best thing, we followed the crowd to this staircase which led to the carpark(again!). With no better idea, we decided we would just walk our way out through the carpark..for the 2nd time in a nite..does nobody here take public transport at all??

Building design is definitely not their forte..

Love it or hate it..

Facebook that is..

Was just talking about it over dinner with the JMs and BF..FB can be great for finding long-lost friends..but annoying when every-other-person-whom-u-had-vaguely-said-hi-to starts adding you..NZ JM goes as far as to untag her names from photos posted by friends..

Finally, i had a moment when i was rather grateful for FB..at first i was still sceptical when a certain 'Marcy' added me some 3 days ago..a quick look at her friends list revealed no common links..plus the fact she's from an overseas network doesn't help much..

Today i received an email from this 'Marcy' : 'Remember Thorpe Park in 2005?' Oh my!! It's her!

People who had followed my blog religiously(tat will be you, wei and probably only you..haha) would know i had a working stint in this amusement park in UK couple of years back..and Marcy was one of my best friends in the park(only she wasn't 'Marcy' then, think it was her middle name)

If she's back in her home country of Jamaica(if i remember correctly)..i have a new holiday destination :)

Pre-trip

Feeling a bit guilty about last nite dinner calories yet again..but just a bit since my fave item(pizza) was not available - '1 less pizza to burn' as 'someone' helpfully pointed out..but still there's the $50 wine which hurts my pocket somewhat more than my waistline..i should start spending less..given that i'm not exactly the highest earner in this part of the world..

ANYWAY...

Forgot exactly when and why we started talking about going for a trip..was it cos of BF? Anyway, so wei & i just sort of, anyhow, decided we wanted to go for a trip together..somewhere..sometime..

A random search on airlines threw up some possibilities(read as: those with $0 airfares), and we agreed on Kuching(wat's there - the most common qn asked before and after the trip; till now my answer is 'nothing much but it's doesn't really matter')

So wei & i met up one fine day..with the intention of settling some details, such as air tic, etc..But with not much research done by either of us, we didn't go too far into planning the 'wat-to-do's..and ended up pretty much just talking and chatting about everything other than the trip..

And as i was sending Wei home, we realised tat's all we did..confirm dates of the flights(not even booking the air tics due to unstable connection)..we didn't even discuss about accomodation..hmm..not too fruitful for a 3 hours meetup..

A chance article in some random magazine mentioned about a certain longhouse stay in Kuching - seems like a great idea for people who're not too much into planning - a booking for 2 was made.

And this sums up our pre-trip preparation..

Oh wait, we did discuss about our check-in bags too..while i was on the way to the airport..a fact that wei realised when she heard the mrt announcement over the phone 'i can tell you're already on your way hor'..

Diet & ZXL

Came into my blog..with the intention of blogging about the trip..then i saw the word 'Diet'..so i decided to off-track a bit..

Yes, i need to diet..a weigh-in at the gym yesterday revealed that i gained a teeny weeny bit of weight..i'm usually ok with some, but not too much, weight gain..but this time i'm convinced that my weight gain is due to excessive eating(as opposed to muscle gain)

Before i even worked off those Kuching calories, i went for a $52 buffet on Tues..where seafood and desserts were like the main courses..darn..felt so guilty, walked home after tat..'someone' commented i was crazy..

And later today, i'm going to wine & dine again..after which i will 'whine & diet'..

'Someone' help me ok?

Diet Coke & Wei

Oh yes..that's what i realised after travelling with Wei for 4 days..our first trip together in 16 years..

Wei is a BIG fan of diet coke..after chugging down cans & cans of diet coke during the trip, or more specifically, at the longhouse, where the said drink is happily available 24/7, foc..

More about the trip coming up..

Life is like a box of chocolates..

Someone just asked me about the famous line..Yes, indeed..you never know what you're gonna get..

Just when i thought inside the box was sweet milk choc..it turned out to be bitter dark choc..*pui*

I'm addicted to coke..

..not..

I had my first taste of coke in N years..can't remember when was the last time i actually had a cup of coke all to myself(i might have taken a sip out of someone's coke here & there..but never a coke of 'my own')

I had managed to avoid coke all this while cos there's always a choice. Obviously, if i'm out at some eatery, i can order whatever i fancy. Even when it's a set meal, u can choose to have soft drinks or coffee/tea. Depending on the time of the day, i'd go for tea(unless of cos it's a set dinner, which means tea is a no-no..)Or sometimes i just pass up on the drinks and ask for water instead..

But just yesterday, when i kinda, sorta, really, have no other options, i got myself a coke. One sip and i know why i didn't miss it. In fact, i dunno why anyone likes it(i'm so gonna get it now..) It's just a reaffirmation why i dun like it - too gassy, too sweet, too fake..

Oh well, one man's coke another man's 'long gao zui'..

And..Cheers!

I've finally accomplished my mission - to catch Cheer live in concert..been talking about it for years(well, the last concert was almost 2 years ago, refer to blog below)

i think i'm quite a paradoxical fan..Let's see the 'quite-fan' side of me first..Well, over the years, i've attended :

• Some promo concert at 木船. The retro venue meant that it was some n years ago..when she was still a 'newbie' and trying to gain recognition(i think recognition and not publicity was what she was hoping for). At that time, i didn't know many of her songs..but think i quite enjoyed it..really closeup..just her guitar and her voice..din pay a cent though i spent some 30mins queueing up..


• The musical play 地下铁 where she was the lead actress as the blind girl. It as held at the Esplanade studio..of couse, with the high-end acoustics, her voice sounded near perfect. Forgot how much i spent on the tickets though..


• Her previous concert in Singapore 'A peice of Summer' - ok, so i din go for this one..but i was this close to attending..and i had devoted one entire blog entry on her, which coincidentally had the same title to previous blog - Reason to Cheer


• And of cos, the recent 'The Immortal' concert..despite still only knowing a handful of her songs. I'm still not sure why it's called Immortal..when the chinese name is 太阳 or sun..just like i dunno why the song with the simple chinese title of '鱼' has been translated to 'the edge'..shouldn't it be just 'fish'?

As for the so-much-for-being-a-fan side of me..the number of albums i've bought : ONE

And that album was bought from macau many moons ago for probably less than S$10..what's more it's a compilation album and i've only very recently convinced myself it's a genuine copy(& not pirated). Then again, she's only released 5 full albums over her 12 years career.

But..i did know her from her very first hit -让我想一想 so i guess i'm still quite a loyal fan..and i did seriously contemplate buying her concert CD after missing the 2007 concert in Sg..but but..

Anyway, this time round, i had 'indirectly caused' 4 other pax to go with me..and i sort of paid for 3 pax(though i'm very grateful to junior who gave me a free upgrade..haha) I guess 3 of them still managed to enjoy the concert..we even stood up for more than half of the concert(mainly due to the fans standing and thus blocked our views), though the 4th pax(who never heard of Cheer before) had quite an 'overdose' of her 'cute' voice.

Since then, i've added another of her album to my 'collection', courtesy of 0.5 and it's now on repeat mode in my van :)

Reason to Cheer

Finally..after countless blogs(actually only one lah 'Glorious Summer Night') and months of waiting(coming 20 since the last one), i'm finally attending Cheer Chen Qizhen's concert!

And the best thing is, it's held at SIS..not the ulu place-with-lousy acoustics-with even lousier seats-'XPO'..the concert is billed as the 'first solo concert by a taiwanese female singer-songwriter at SIS'..way to go!

Uh-hmm...clearing my throat now..for the sing-along tonight :D

2009-1

Woah woah..guess wat..ang moh and cheena new year had both arrived and it's now officially 2009 already!

Ever since i'd started getting more and more stingy with my blogs, i've formed the habit of reading thru my previous blogs to see where i've left off..so it was the class monitress's WD that i last talked about..Coincidentally, we(4/1 1994 - refer to photo below) met up yest for CNY..

Yes, tat's our signature on a dusty-but-undoubtedly-expensive desk..hah


The gathering was an opportunity to catch up as much as an oppprtunity for us to 'marvel' at our Maths Rep's not-so-humble abode..haha..Like i told whoever-bothered-to-listen-to-me, her paintings in her house probably cost more than my flat liao lor..haha..And the most 'admirable' thing about their house? They clean it by themselves.. with no maid..i think just cleaning the 'luo di chuang' on the ground level is enough to burn away half a box of bak kwa liao..but of cos Maths Rep is eager to add that she can manage it all with the help of 'i-robot', which is really easy and good to use! As someone mentioned, Harvey Norman should really get her as the spokesperson..i think if i were to stay in such a house, i wouldn't need curtains very soon..the dust accumulated would be enough to block out any light..ha..

Oh well..now that we've got such a nice 'alternative' for gatherings, we needn't crack our heads over where to meet every time we organise a gathering..heh..