Wishful Thinking

Sept 13, 2008

2008-03-04T00:03:00.002+08:00

Ok, just get this date mark down on your calendar. It's more or less been agreed by all involved in the wedding.

Why Sept 13?
It's a special date for both of us. No, we scraped the idea of getting the date chosen by the bazi dude. No, I don't pantang, I don't care, I, we just like Sept 13 and the dude will most probably try to be funny and assign us a date where a million other couples would have gotten as well. I want to get married, period. It's the 14th day of the 8th lunar month btw, so you may skip the need to go refer to the Chinese calendar. And it's a good day - all the moons, stars, suns, planets, zodiac, 12 animal signs are aligned and one with us on that day.

Where?
Researching. Anywhere. Anywhere. Anywhere. Why does every couple need to occupy every single available venue? Get a life peeps, don't hog for goodness sake.

Why so late?
I function better doing things last minute. I love to panic. I enjoy having sleepless nights. I just love to panic.

Well, that's that. So Sept 13 is more or less the date. If you don't hear from me by August then you probably won't. We would have eloped. Quentin Blake has agreed to marry us anyway.

somewhat around...

2008-02-13T02:07:00.000+08:00

Some of you must be wondering what happened to me lately. Well, I catapulted myself (not very literally on a huge hammock sling) into a parallel universe where 10-feet tall cockroaches rule and chickens have two heads instead of one. Two months of culture shock has forced me to return to Earth. Do blame the chickens for my random act of disappearance.

For the benefit of whoever still checks my blog :
1. Work is good and surprisingly I don't feel stressed out although there's plenty to do. I credit the fact that my current boss is great to work with.

2. The apartment is coming along fine. Progress was halted for awhile due to a leak from the unit above us. It's fixed though and we'll be moving in more furniture soon. I attempted to paint a wall few weeks back and it was a disastrous affair. Handyman Boon fixed it though and yes it's good to have a man around. I'm eagerly awaiting the day when I can start arranging my book collection in the playroom. I welcome book vouchers, second-hand books, etc.

3. Speaking of which, I'm buying more books faster than I can read them. Gluttony is good. I'm crazy over Robert Sabuda's pop-up books. Expensive editions and I've so far collected 6 titles, the latest being Chronicles of Narnia. The latest that I've read yesterday night was the graphic novel Batman: Year One by Frank Miller in 2 hours. I can't wait to read The Killing Joke by Alan Moore soon.

4. Me and Boon are definitely getting married sometime later this year. Date and plans pending. I work best under pressure.

5. And Juno! One of the quirkiest movies I've watched recently. If you like Little Miss Sunshine, don't miss Juno.

Juno MacGuff: Dad, it's not about that. I just need to know if it's possible for two people to stay happy together forever, or at least for a few years.

Mac MacGuff: In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.

Righto. Happy Valentine's.

the giving tree

2007-12-03T13:30:00.000+08:00

The season of giving is fast approaching. Do spare a thought for the less fortunate by visiting any of the 29 nearest MPH Bookstores outlet. Here's how and what you can do to contribute to society this year.

Share-a-Gift is MPH's annual charity programme that's now into its 16th year. It aims to provide less fortunate children with reading materials. This year, MPH pledges a contribution of books worth RM15,000 to participating homes in Malaysia. MPH hopes that you'll join in sending gifts in the form of books to the children too. All you need to do is

1) Pick a child's name from the Xmas tree
2) Purchase a suitable book for the child based on their age
3) Write your message down on the heart-shaped cards provided
4) MPH will get your present and note delivered to the child before Xmas

This year is my second time contributing towards this noble cause. (I made a purchase for a kid yesterday) Last year, if some of you recall - bought some coupon tickets via me for the Share-a-Gift charity event.

Thank you, happy giving and merry early Xmas!

frantic

2007-11-16T16:51:00.000+08:00

And thus, my class concludes. I call this masterpiece - sperm frantic.

back to school

2007-11-16T14:26:00.000+08:00

I'm in school. It's been 4, ok 5 years since I sat in a classroom. I can't stand it! I fidgeted most of the time and thank God it's only a 3-day course. So what short course did I take? Photoshop 101. What did I learn on day 1? see below.

Okay, I usually do better than that. But I have to pretend otherwise I might make my other 3 classmates and God forbid, my teacher look bad! (ok so I like to exaggerate)Since I could do better, why am I even here? 'cause my company sent me to learn more so that I can create more effective posters to brainwash people into buying books and more books (even horribly written and uninteresting books). Reading them is another issue.

Oh well, I did learn some new tricks. Now I can make ugly people look beautiful. The wonders of deception.

Every book begins with PAGE ONE

2007-11-09T11:10:00.000+08:00

Yep, I'm back from my Singapore trip two weekends ago... reluctantly.

I miss taking the MRT rides, I miss the brisk walking pace of Singaporeans, I miss the fast escalators at the MRT stations, I miss the not-so-humid weather that makes it really ok travelling around on my feet, I miss the ever-changing shopping haven of Orchard Road with so many things to ogle, feel, smell and savour, I miss eating toriQ which tastes yummy after a tired day of walking, I miss the clean streets and spacious sidewalks littered with shady trees and most of all I miss Page One The Bookshop at VivoCity, Harbour Front.

Their tagline : Every book begins with Page One. How cool is that? With slanting bookshelves filled with art and design books and not to mention the generous selection of other books, it felt like being in book heaven! And there was a cool selection of Quentin Blake books! (I'm sorry to say but Kinokuniya in Malaysia or Singapore is now ranked second as my favourite because they don't have well stocked Quentin Blake titles!)

A good bookstore will stock up thousands of books but a GREAT bookstore goes the extra mile to ensure that the good but sometimes obscure books are also available.

A good bookstore will expand their chain stores and reach out to the masses (and sometimes end up not properly managed) but a GREAT bookstore will tend to stay focus on giving their best with their sometimes one-and-only store. Yes, quality and not quantity matters most at the end of the day. Besides, lower operational costs will also translate to having a dedicated manpower to manage the store and possibly a bigger budget to stock up more titles.

A good bookstore doesn't discriminate books but a GREAT bookstore will promote and introduce upcoming and famous works of great authors who are mostly unknown in this part of the world.

A good bookstore understands the book industry and will do their best to cater to the market's needs but a GREAT bookstore will not hesitate to explore, embrace and most importantly love books passionately.

And finally, a good bookstore provides good after sales service but a GREAT bookstore will go the extra mile to gift wrap your book for free, even 10 minutes before closing time with great precision and skill.

Although books are generally more costly in Singapore compared to Malaysia, I couldn't help but bought a book that I've been lusting after for a month. It's nicely wrapped in Page One gift paper and since it's a gift from Boon for Christmas, I shall reveal it only then.

Next weekend, I'll be making a beeline to ...

flip-flopping to Singapore

2007-10-24T13:12:00.000+08:00

Come Friday night, I'll be snoozing all the way on my train ride down to Singapore in my spanky new green flipflops.

halloween

2007-10-23T12:47:00.000+08:00

Here are 5 book recommendations (in no particular order) that is guaranteed to creep you out and tingle your spine this Halloween season!

1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean

2. Nocturnes by John Connolly

3. Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas - The Film, The Art, The Vision by Frank Thomson

4. Miffy the Ghost by Dick Bruna

5. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
(It's not a scary book, but you sure will need some humour when the wolves come out of the walls!)

it's a magical world

2007-10-15T23:29:00.000+08:00

As I write this, a good friend is on his way to board a flight bound to Reading, UK for another dose of adventure!

I'm not sure where he gets all this boundless energy to do the things he did and is going to do. He must be a hyperactive kid, I suppose. Anyway, I wish him all the best as usual and hope he'll fly home sometime next year to attend 2008's most important event of the year!

He left me a parting gift which I think is one of the best gifts this year!

The Harry Potter stamp set was recently released in conjunction with the final book. It comes nicely packaged in a satchel design and each of the seven stamps features the Bloomsbury children book cover which I happen to be collecting. The unfolded satchel contains a brief about the author as well as the series. On a separate sheet of paper is another five stamps featuring the Hogwarts school logo as well as the four groups in the school. Neat huh? I bet it costs quite a bit and I'm not going to google to find out the price. I would like to appreciate this gift as something thoughtful from a friend who knows I'm an obsessive greedy little girl who loves all things beautiful.

Thank you, kor kor Alden. Whoever imagined a chance meeting during a trip could blossom into this. It's a magical world out there.

you've got mail

2007-09-29T00:15:00.001+08:00

Boon has been pestering me too watch this movie ever since I can remember, convincing me that I would love it but I told him no, I wasn't ready to. I know it's just a movie but sometimes the mood has got to be right or I might just miss the whole essence of a movie. So I finally watch the movie one fine windy day and ended up soaking some tissues.

It's about Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) who owns The Shop Around the Corner, a children's books specialty store meeting Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) via AOL who runs the family business chain store, Fox Books. Coincidentally a Fox Books chain arrives in the vicinity and Kathleen and Joe becomes business rivals in reality. Yes, they both fell in love with each other before the story fades into ending.

What I like about the movie is the premise of the story. Big chain bookstores with book knowledge incompetent staff threatening to end the neighbourhood-friendly bookstore with huge discounts and volume. (Sounds morbidly familiar?) Joe Fox said, 'it's just business nothing personal' when he tried to reason out with Kathleen on the opening of Fox Books. It's just sad because The Shop Around the Corner has all the charm and knowledgeable staff on hand that a bookstore should be but was put out of business because it couldn't compete in terms of discounts. I guess that's just reality and you either accept that fact and reinvent or just be stubborn and be trampled upon.

When The Shop Around the Corner finally closes its door, Kathleen walks over to Fox Books and heads to the children section. What she saw surprised her because she thought that a huge bookstore was incapable of providing the joy of reading to children. Instead she saw kids sitting around thumbing through pages, engrossed in their own little worlds. Kathleen finally realises that kids will still enjoy reading long after the memories of her bookstore fade from the minds of her loyal customers.

I really enjoyed watching this movie and was really excited when I heard a familiar passage being read by Kathleen during a storytelling session in her shop. It was from Boy by Roald Dahl (whee!). Also, there was a scene where Kathleen was moving a stack of recognisable Shel Silverstein books (yet another favourite author of mine) and you can see The Cat in the Hat standee from Dr Seuss as well as a few other popular children books in The Shop Around the Corner.

A must-watch for book lovers and a box of tissues will be handy.

p/s Although unheard of in Malaysia, it seems perfectly fine for someone with a PhD in Children's Literature to work on the shop level of a bookstore. How cool is that?

mirrormask

2007-09-25T23:38:00.000+08:00

Ah, a quirky story about a 15-year-old girl, Helena who falls into a dream world she created through her drawings and her quest of finding the MirrorMask to save the queen of the White City before the City of Light is consumed by the shadows from the Land of Shadows. The story is told in a dream-likeness where anything that can happen in dreams will happen. This unconventional book is very much like Gaiman and McKean's previous works of mix media, indulging in stills from the movie, McKean's signature penciled angular drawings and scattered text done in a readable manner. The background colour of the pages are either white or black, depicting the Light or Dark realms that Helena is in at that moment. I love that subtle effect. It's a nice story - it's like reading about someone's dream and trying to make some sense out of it. It's a fun book, a light read and something to amuse yourself when you're bored.

Then I tried watching the movie version which was directed by Dave McKean himself. The visuals are stunning but like most British films, it was a tad boring for a fantasy-themed movie. I fell asleep three-quarters into the movie. There was one part I liked though where the robots hypnotised Helena into thinking she is the princess of the Land of Shadows while singing Carpenters' Close to You in a chorus-y sort of voice.

If you're really curious about MirrorMask, I would recommend reading the book instead of watching the movie because it's just better that way.

I need to brag...

2007-09-23T17:49:00.000+08:00

I just need to. First, I think the gacha machine is one wondrous invention of a genius who understands the pleasure derived from childish anticipation of twiddling the knob to obtain what you want but not necessarily getting it. It can be delightful and nerve wrecking at the same time because every individually-packed bobble is a must-have or you might just end up getting the same bobble content after the third try. So there I was thinking how cool it would be if I have my personal gacha machine that I can twiddle whenever I wanted to. And that's exactly what I did. I got myself a gacha machine.

Gacha'ed from the gacha machine itself at Cineleisure, here is a mini version of the machine, assembled from scratch. It's Sanrio of course, the mother of all kawaii things. Of course it works, you just twiddle the knob and mini bobbles will slide out. Standing not more than 10cm in height, tell me it's not cool? And you can even fit the machines on top of one another or hook them up side-by-side, just like the real thing.

When I came across The Book of Lost Things earlier this year, the title intrigued me but I thought no further to pick it up. Then I saw it again recently and felt that I must simply read it.

The book is amazing. It's a story about 12-year-old David coping with the death of his mother at the start of WWII after succumbing to a debilitating illness. David loves books (just like I do) and he finds solace in books especially after his father remarries. His stepmother is soon pregnant and David fears that his soon-to-be-born step-sibling will snatch his remaining love - his father, away from him. And then, something mysterious happens when David is somehow whisked into a world where fairy tales are real. The only thing is, characters that we've grown up to know such as Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, etc are different in this realm. David has to find a way to escape this fantasy world as well as to elude the clutches of the crooked old man. The key lies in the hands of the King who owns... The Book of Lost Things.

Twisting and portraying fairy tales in a different take is nothing new as many authors have already trodden that path. Connolly managed to weave fear and suspense in this tale of magical realism and it was difficult to put down this book once I started reading it. I cried when I was reading the last two pages and continued sobbing into my pillow, feeling emotionally drained.

A book that affected me so much, I felt justified in getting the signed copy I found today although I already have the unsigned copy in my possession. And lucky me too because the copy I picked contained a postcard with a story excerpt slipped between the pages. I simply love the cover which is done in silhouette reminding me of Jan Pieńkowski's works. Speaking of which, the eagerly awaited new book from Pieńkowski will be made available soon and I've just emailed Kinokuniya to see if they are going to bring in this book. I really hope so because Pieńkowski's illustrations are amazingly beautiful. Here's a sneak peak on his latest book published by Puffin.

Based on the original nineteenth-century English translation by Sir Richard Burton, David Walser retells these fantastic tales with a flourish of magic. Jan Pieńkowski's exquisite silhouettes on stunning colour bring the stories vivdly to life, with silver ink printing throughout making this a truly sumptuous production of one of the oldest and best-loved story collections. My previous two Pieńkowski book collection was done on marble backgrounds and so I'm eagerly waiting to savour this new book of his which is done on digitally-produced psychedelic backgrounds. Here's a sample of how the illustrations will look like in this book (left pic) and a comparison to his previous book, Fairy Tales. It's so gorgeously breathtaking, I think I'm going to faint!

Oh yes, what's the story behind the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book? I've read the story before and since I lost my old copy I decided to get a new one. And the cover is somewhat a silhouette of vines and leaves - complements my Connolly book very well, I believe.

thank you thank you...

2007-09-22T22:14:00.000+08:00

Thank you everyone for your well wishes... well, not everyone cause I've yet to tell mostly everyone, including my sister. So lucky you, for being few of the firsts to know my little secret. The ring is back with an engraving of a message and it's snugly hugging my finger, a reminder of what I've gotten myself into!

When are wedding bells ringing? Sometime next year... we haven't set a date yet and neither have we started planning anything. In due time, I'll let you noseys know.

I've got another good news i.e. the apartment is ready for the next level of renovations. Hmm, no contractor yet, no quotes, but some ideas are still staying afloat in our heads. So yes, we'll get the place ready soon as well. (:

the day I dumped the boyfriend, part 1

2007-09-13T23:10:00.000+08:00

Today has been a whirlwind of emotions.

8.00am
Reached the office, my reporting boss was early too. Fishy. Very fishy. Well, went to the warehouse to get books, chit chat with the sales guys, selected more books for an upcoming event, ran around getting my documents ready, today was the day I set to make the rounds to see my media contacts.

12.00noon
The boss called her marketing team into her room. She simply said, "I have tendered my resignation". (Ah no wonder she was in early... to print her resignation letter!) Her three little lambs were dumbfounded, shocked, our mouths mimicked a huge O. How could that be? Who will lead the blind sheep? After much sharing and teary eyes, we went for lunch. Life still goes on, she said.

1.20pm
Lugging bags of books into the car, we're going to have a busy afternoon. Well, we made the rounds to the newspapers with books for review, chit chatted awhile before my soon-to-be-ex-boss told us that the CEO would like to talk to her. We rescheduled an evening appointment and drove all the way to Subang Parade to meet the CEO. They chatted while the three of us sat around pondering our future. 5pm came and we decided to leave, our colleague had to break fast and Boon was already waiting to pick me after work. So we said goodbye and plodded back to the office in the evening traffic jam.

5.45pm
Boon was already waiting for me at the bus stop. I broke the news to him and told him that I was mentally exhausted and let's keep tonight's date quick and simple. Today was after all, our 3rd year anniversary of being together. He smiled and said, ok.

6.30pm
Reached home, lied down on my bed mumbling incoherently while the boyfriend grinned like a fool, I really wanted to sleep with a pillow over my head. But I guess not, today is supposed to be a happy day, three years of being together warrants some sort of celebration. So I dragged my lazy butt off my bed to take a shower while the boyfriend stole some 40 winks, still grinning like an idiot.

7.15pm
We're both clean and dressed (him in a shirt and me in a skirt, he insisted!) and we're heading to Sakae for our dinner date. Got into the car, the boyfriend asked me to open the glove compartment. Hey!, it's that petite box of Hello Kitty puzzles that I wanted. How imaginative, especially after he nonchalantly asked me which design I wanted two days ago. Oh well, at least he got me something because I didn't. (I didn't know what to getla, besides we're saving up for the house!)

Somewhere along the way the boyfriend...

Dear, guess what?
What? (should I try the sukiyaki or softshell crab?)
Muaks
Mm, muaks (maybe I should try something else, dum-dum-dum)
...
Muuakk...
Mm... mua... hey! where are you heading to??

The boyfriend was already on the way heading to KL instead of The Curve.

Heehee... and you really thought I'd take you to Sakae for our anniversary dinner? Sushi isn't romantic you know.
But I wanted to eat sushi! Besides we agreed not to splurge. No wonder you muak me just now... (hmmphh stupid boyfriend!)
...
So where are we going? KLCC? Revolving restaurant? Dowanla... expensive!
Noler... you won't guess it! But I hope you'll like the place because I'm going to fly you to Paris. I take you eat tai chow! Very nice one.
(Grumble, grumble) Okla... (and tai chow is apparently romantic, cheh! Aiye, three years with this fella and this is what I'm getting, sigh better than nothing la)

After several wrong turns, we arrived at the dinner spot. The tai chow place was like any tai chow place back in PJ. I want my sushi! So he parked his car at some seedy-looking car park and we walked over puddles to reach the place.

Tadaa!
Hey! this isn't the tai chow place! I got tricked again! (Eeee... stupid boyfriend!)

And so we walked into CaféCafé, a nice romantic Parisian restaurant.

(Aiyo, now he's making me all shy and sheepish. Fine dining isn't really me. Maybe the tai chow place was better! I hope he's got nothing more surprises up his sleeve!)

So we occupied a table in a dark corner and since I was still very much shy, he ordered the food and I said I needed a glass of beer. Gulp! in case there are more surprises to come.

... to be continued...

the day I dumped the boyfriend, part 2

2007-09-13T23:00:00.000+08:00

8.15pm
I really liked the deco, very French with long mirrors decorating the gold painted walls. The ambience was romantic with French music playing in the background. The name CafeCafe reminded me of the wacky Moulin Rouge play, Spectacular Spectacular that the cast were rehearsing in the movie. Anyway, Boon suddenly remembered leaving the camera in the car and went to get it. (Yup, he is that forgetful!). I stared at the Moulin Rouge poster until I heard the tinkle of the bell and when I looked up, he was walking in holding a huge red box. Yikes! Isn't this embarrassing enough already? So he sat down next to me and gave me an envelope. I opened it...

A Mr Wonka's golden ticket means an exclusive trip to his chocolate factory! No guessing what was in the red box!

Inside was the Quentin Blake cut-out of the famous factory complete with chimneys, fire exit staircase and the story characters which you'll need to painstakingly build following the instructions given in the book. I first saw it in Kino some months back but didn't thought of buying it because I know I would give up halfway through. So thoughtful of the boyfriend to get this for me knowing that I adore Roald Dahl more than anything else. It'll definitely go well with my collection of Roald Dahl books. And yes, today so happens to be Roald Dahl's birthday. Happy Birthday Mr Dahl. I just wanted to let you know that you've been a huge inspiration to me!

Well, the boyfriend said there were no more surprises and then the buns came and we got down to business chomping away. Next came the starters, can't really remember what it's called but there were four huge prawns in cheesy sauce. Next came the seafood spaghetti and duck confit which all tasted really good. I would recommend this place but it's strictly for lovebirds and not for business chatter. And then we ordered their tiramisu which was slightly drenched in alcohol. We each took the first bite and then the boyfriend popped the question.

So you've got the golden ticket, aren't you gonna visit the factory?
Oh... yeah I should huh? (Sigh, trust him to interrupt my glorious moment with the tiramisu)

And then he open the box and I began exploring the factory. He showed me the cut-out characters and the details of the factory. And then he lifts the roof up from one of the factory and fishes out a stack of paper cards. I was already blushing by then because the message on the first card reminded me of our earlier days of our courtship. And so I flipped through each of the message cards, laughing at the silly things he wrote in them.

The last card had only one message. A question mark.

I panicked. He panicked. I wouldn't look at him. No! the boyfriend had to ruin this perfect night. That's just so stupid. I wasn't going to forgive him for this.

to be continued...

the day I dumped the boyfriend, part 3

2007-09-13T22:55:00.000+08:00

The boyfriend said there was still one more message card in his wallet but before that, he took out the camera from his pocket. Next he took out a small black box from his pocket. I blushed furiously and hope it wasn't what I think it was. And then he looked at me and open the box...

Will you marry me?
(I panicked) Uh, you asked my mom already or not?
Err, da will you marry me?
You asked my mom already or not?? (Uhm, I know that was really a stupid thing to ask him but I was really panicking and I didn't know what to say and I was really nervous, scared, shy, surprised, shocked, I dunno, my stomach was in my throat and I didn't know what to say although I really wanted to say yes)
I asked already.
Oh when?? (I didn't know what to say for goodness sake!)
Today lor. Dear, I'm asking you to marry me ah...
Ah.. ah... (Tears were already brimming in my eyes)
Dear?
(I nodded and said) Yes!

And so he slipped the ring onto my right fourth finger.

And then he took out his wallet and gave me the last card. On it was written a message saying, "Thankfully you didn't say 'I don't know' ... just like the first time I asked for you to be my girlfriend". (:

So today was the day I decided to dump the boyfriend... in exchange for an upgrade. (: I blame it all on him for making me giddy with excitement and happiness. Stupid boy... uhm I mean fiance.

And yes we're both very happy about taking our relationship to the next level. We have yet to make any further plans but wedding bells will be ringing sometime next year. So, you all can seriously start saving for our wedding fund heehee...

The end. Or the beginning of something beautiful.

growing up in the 80s

2007-09-03T14:45:00.000+08:00

Kalkitos

Remember scratching characters with a pencil onto a cardboard with background scenery? I simply loved it. I was probably less than 10-years-old. It was fun because you're in control over where to place each item to create a story page. And you have to be very careful so that when you peel back the paper, the character doesn't remove partially and spoil the picture. You also need careful thinking and planning because you can't remove the character once you've scratched it in. Unfortunately, they don't sell Kalkitos anymore. Not sure why but maybe kids these days have better things to play with.

Panini

The one and only sticker album I had was the Smurfs book. I remember going to the sundry shop near my house and standing on tiptoes to choose a sticker packet from the counter top. Because you can't see what stickers are inside each packet, it's quite frustrating when you keep getting doubles. Each packet was 60 cents and it contained 6 pieces of stickers. That's good money back in the 80s btw. I never did complete my sticker book because I couldn't seem to get all of the stickers and it was really an expensive hobby. The book is sitting somewhere on the bookshelf.

gold ribbon

2007-09-02T10:30:00.000+08:00

The annual MPH local authors meet was held recently on 25 Aug at MPH 1 Utama. Many local authors turned up for the event to meet up with friends and to make new ones. The fifth this year, the forum's discussion centered around "What is the direction of the local book industry based on current developments? Is this the direction where we want to head, or should we collectively shift the course of things to come?"

Quite a number of issues were brought up during the 2-hour session and you can read Daphne Lee's comments here or Sharon Bakar's.

Apart from a handful of local books that might attract international markets, most of them are just nothing to shout about. There is a lack of quality in terms of individuality, imagination and eccentricity. (Personally I don't think it's appropriate to term individuals who write business books as authors. They are writers, period.) That's not to say Malaysians can't write. They can. Circumstances like high costs in production impedes potential bestsellers. Children picture books unfortunately fall in this category. Or books that might only attract niche markets. I doubt the situation is going to change anytime soon unless you finance your own project or take your book to an independent publisher who appreciates your idea or if you have the right contacts to leech on to.

So while I was taking a shower this morning, I contemplated on my book idea and decided to shelf it indefinitely. I realised I need more than ideas to get published. I need courage, self-believe, patience, money and a genuine sense of sharing my story with others. And less narcissism.

The gold ribbon is a symbol of supporting local authors.

swinging bunny

2007-08-26T22:35:00.000+08:00

It was raining this morning and I thought I had a reason to chicken out and sleep in instead. Kiasuism overwrote fear and so I sat up on my bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes and prepared to face the worst of my fears - heights. Bright and breezy morning, a bunch of us headed to Taman Pertanian in Shah Alam to attempt swinging from tree to tree ala monkeys. You can check it out here.

We had a brief practice session to enable us to get a hang of what to expect. My stomach knotted just staring at the ladder leading up the practice tree which was about 15 feet from ground. When my turn came, I sucked in my breath and climbed up the ladder, walked across the planks, swing from a rope to the cobweb net, hoisted myself up a few steps and fly fox to the ground. Phew, kid's play and made it with a few yelps and screams.

And so now for the real thing, which is a variation of what I've just done only at a higher altitude.

I stood below contemplating suicide in a faraway jungle. Just looking up at some of them hanging on for their dear lives made me queasy. Sure I was born in the year of the Rooster but I ain't come this far to chicken out. And so I dragged Yen to the starting point to swing it out.

The climb up nearly killed my arms and I was approximately 3 to 4 storey above ground level. I immediately hugged the tree like it was my mom when I reached the top. After what felt like hours, I reluctantly loosen my grip and attempted the first stunt. I tightrope across or zig-zag on planks, fly fox, swing from rope to rope like an acrobat all the while screaming like a banshee to complete 23 stops.

Here's me striking a pose mid-air to prove that I was indeed sweating it out.

Well, it was exhilarating. It was indeed scary at most times. Although I'm constantly attached to the safety harness, thoughts of slipping and falling down clouded my mind at times.

And now the ultimate question. Does this mean I have overcome my fear of heights? Unfortunately no. Will I bunny swing again? Perhaps.

Photos courtesy of Han, the guy who gave me the thumbs up for completing the task and later took us to a scrumptious seafood dinner at Carey Island.

Appreciating children picture books

2007-08-12T02:33:00.000+08:00

The stunning visualizations of illustrated pictures books have a way to capture and compel the reader into believing that words are secondary in telling a story. If you notice, most picture books are 32 pages, if not 40 the most. To cram a story into that few pages requires careful planning and some cunningness to maximize the limited space. The perception that picture books are only for children is misguided. It is a form of art to be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone.

I recently discovered Raymond Briggs, a successful illustrator / author with more than 60 titles to his name. Here are three of his works that I’ve recently explored.

Father Christmas

Father Christmas or better known as Santa Claus is usually portrayed as a prosperous jolly old man with apple rosy cheeks and a booming laughter. Not so in this book. Here you get to see the human side of Father Christmas who’s grumpy and very much lonely. No Mother Christmas to make him breakfast or Christmas elves running around. The story is told in comic strip style with scattered speech bubbles containing not more than 10 words each. The colours are striking and I especially love the double spread illustrated pages that depict expansive scenes. In 1973, Briggs won the Kate Greenaway Medal for this book, awarded annually for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

The Snowman

Told in continuous panels, this picture book contains no dialogue or speech bubbles at all. In just 175 softly hued frames, a little boy makes friends with a snowman he built. The snowman comes to life and both he and the boy have a little adventure throughout the night. The next morning, the boy races outside his house only to find his new buddy's melted remains, scattered with a few forlorn lumps of coal.

The Puddleman

Illustrated in soft coloured-pencil artwork and skillful use of panels of different sizes, it tells the story of Tom and his grandfather, and the former’s discovery of the Puddleman who carries a stack of puddles on his back. Tom, determined to play in puddles, eagerly helps the man place the puddles on the road.

Negaraku

2007-08-07T21:09:00.000+08:00

Boon came over to pick me up after work and the traffic was crawling as usual. Upon reaching a row of bungalows turned wedding shops, the Jalur Gemilang perched on the flagpole was waving slightly in the breeze. I subconsciously started humming a familiar Merdeka tune by Sudirman.

Tanggal 31
Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Merdeka ! Merdeka !
Tetaplah merdeka
Ia pasti menjadi sejarah

Tanggal 31
Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Hari yang mulia
Hari bahagia
Sambut dengan jiwa yang merdeka

Mari kita seluruh warganegara
Ramai-ramai menyambut hari merdeka
Merdeka !
Tiga satu bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Hari mulia negaraku merdeka

Amused, Boon nudged me halfway and remarked on my enthusiastic show of patriotism. Giggling, I was surprised as well. Since when was I patriotic anyway. Looks like the government’s patriotic campaigns carried out since late last year was effective.

When I was much younger (read naïve), I really looked forward to Merdeka Day because it meant no school and lots of exciting TV programmes to watch. Fireworks display on the eve of Merdeka was also something that I liked although I only get to watch it via the telly. Of course there was also a sense of pride in me especially after learning about the events leading up to Independence in school history textbooks. And yes, I eagerly awake early on Merdeka morning to catch the parade on the telly and stood rigid (that is, in front of the telly) whenever the national anthem was played. I’m not sure if my actions would qualify as patriotic but back then, that was how I showed respect to the country I call home.

It’s been a long while since I actually did any of those things. Merdeka day means nothing to me today. It’s a day I look forward to – to sleep in late, take a short break from work and perhaps catch a movie or window shop. I no longer appreciate the significance of the day. I just don’t care anymore.

Then again, maybe I do. Subconsciously. There are after all a million other songs to hum to after a long day at work but I chose a Merdeka-themed song instead.

Since it’s still not too late, this year I pledge to be a better citizen of Malaysia by swearing lesser at idiotic road users, potholes, queue cutters and cockroaches.

Patriotism extends to harmonious tolerance and existential living with all idiots and normal Malaysians.

Fly the Jalur Gemilang everyone!

good and bad news

2007-07-28T08:43:00.000+08:00

Good news is, I don't have to work Saturdays for the weeks leading up to Merdeka Day anymore. Bad news is, well, it's quite apparent for some of you book lovers if you get what I mean.

Anyhow it's yippee-dee-doo for me! (:

Gedo Senki

2007-07-26T00:14:00.000+08:00

The anime was finally released on DVD recently and I had the chance to watch it. I had a tough time trying not to compare Goro Miyazaki’s directorial debut to his father’s previous works. Gedo Senki is quite bland on its own with a weak storyline. I was truly disappointed because in my humble opinion, the name Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli represents the epitome of excellent Japanese anime.

To date, my favourite Studio Ghibli anime productions are Totoro and Spirited Away, stories that speak of ordinary heroes finding courage in the face of adversity. I love Miyazaki’s (senior) interpretation of magical realism in these two animes that ties in very well with the characters and worlds he created.

Comparisons aside, Gedo Senki is somewhat amazing with room for further development in terms of character and story expansion. The Ghibli trademark of vast sceneries and beautiful music score is present here as well. I particularly love the main theme, Teru no Uta sang by Therru (voiced by Teshima Aoi) one of the main characters in the anime. When I first heard the theme song in the trailer release, I thought the vocals were somewhat hauntingly beautiful. The song never fails to evoke a strong sense of sadness in my mind whenever I try to visualize it. Sounds odd but it’s true.

Don’t skip this, it’s worth a watch.

Harry Potter 7 resurrected

2007-07-24T23:43:00.000+08:00

When representatives of the four major bookstore chains held a press conference last Friday, 4pm to announce that they will not be selling HP7 to walk-in customers, most people were unaware until the next morning. The unanimous decision was made in an apparent move to pressure local distributor, Penguin to ‘do something’ following the indiscriminately-priced HP7 by two hyper-marts advertised on the same day.

Today HP7 is back on shelves after some negotiation between the bookstores and Penguin. HP7 will be offered at a discounted rate of 20%–25% from the original retail price of RM109.90 to customers. Pre-order customers can expect to get some refunds.

It is not fair to label booksellers as childish for refusing to sell HP7 in retaliation to the lowered price by hyper-marts. Yes, competition is vital to stay relevant in any business, but healthy this isn’t. Hyper-marts are loss leaders. Why ruin the book industry market in the name of attracting customers not to buy books but other consumer products? If this plan is successful, there’s no stopping them to adopt the same tactic to other bestselling titles. I hope local book distributors are learning something out of this.

Booksellers not only represent major bookstore chains but independent bookstores as well. Major chains will always be able to find a means to cover their losses through other bulk orders, but what can independent stores fall back on? Although saddened by the dampened Harry Potter celebrations, I fully support the decision made by the four booksellers as it is a brave move to stand up against bullies who threaten to break the booksellers’ rice bowls. After all, books are the main products of a bookseller.

Although books are not controlled items, they are regulated entities. As long as books are not priced above the recommended retail price, publishers / distributors / booksellers are not doing any wrong. The hyper-marts move to price HP7 at RM69.90 gives booksellers a bad impression that they are a load of greedy profiteers. It is standard practice to mark up at least 40% and even so booksellers are not making sky-rocketing profits.

Some people remarked that books are expensive and not affordable in Malaysia. Really? Let’s take the price of a normal paperback novel which retails at about RM34.90. If you purchase one novel per month, that’s about RM1.16 spent per day. Is that not affordable say, compared to two movie tickets and popcorn on a weekend night? That’s about RM30.00 spent for a mere two-hour gratification. Hardbacks are always much costlier than paperbacks and the latter is usually released at least six months later. So what is there to complain when the more affordable version is on its way?

In the long run, books are not actually expensive. Books are knowledge pitchers, meant to be reread and passed down to future generations. I’m sorry that some people read a book and sell it away because they think they are done with it. Books are lifelong companions. Books shape your thoughts, tell you about the world outside your circle, books are worthy investments.

I don’t think pricing books cheaper will make us a reading nation, although it could be a start. In our brand conscious society, an LV bag is much more affordable than a paperback novel. But it is our ‘books are not important’ mentality that is causing us not to read. You don’t have to read a Pulitzer prize-winning book or classics to qualify as a reader. In fact I rarely touch these but instead choose contemporary titles that interest me.

Just buy a book and quit complaining.

A great time at Kinokuniya

2007-07-21T21:01:00.000+08:00

I had a good time browsing at Kino today for books that I’ve been thinking about. Of course a trip to Kino wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t buy any.

While most muggles are busy finding out what happened to Harry Potter in the final installment, I chose to immerse myself in another magical realm called ‘The World of Neil Gaiman’.

M is for Magic is Gaiman’s latest children’s book to hit bookshelves. It’s a compilation of 11 short stories, some of which are no longer in print. The first story is a whodunit murder mystery where PI (Jack) Horner investigates the death of Humpty Dumpty. It’s a twist on some crossover nursery rhyme characters infused with dark humour similar to Roald Dahl’s retelling of fairy tale stories in Rhyme Stew. I’ve not completely read the book yet but I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the magical fantasy genre. High on my recommendation list is Coraline, I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and Wolves in the Walls by Gaiman, artistically illustrated by the very talented Dave McKean.

The next book I had to get was Clown by Quentin Blake. The story tells of an unwanted toy clown trying to find a place to belong in. Told in a series of pictures like a silent movie rolling, Blake proves that a picture is truly worth a thousand words. This is a must-have in any Quentin Blake treasury collection.

Since chancing upon Oliver Jeffers, I decided to check out his previous works. Lost and Found and To Catch a Star were all brilliantly visualized in Jeffers’ minimalist drawings. In Lost and Found, a boy one day finds a penguin at his doorstep presumed to be lost. The boy begins an adventure of returning the penguin to where it belongs. To Catch a Star is about a boy who wanted a star and embarks on a quest to catch one. Both books are great for reading to kids before their bedtime.

first furniture for our new pad

2007-07-20T21:22:00.000+08:00

The boyfriend and I have been eyeing on this particular bar table from Ikea for a couple of months. Since the sale is on, we managed to get it for RM100 cheaper (original price RM279). It's gonna be 'the couple table in the snug corner near the kitchen'. Have yet to purchase the high chairs, will get them when the pad is ready. Btw, the picture above isn't our pad.

snooze is good

2007-07-19T17:19:00.000+08:00

One day, the boyfriend asked the girlfriend the ultimate question.

The boyfriend: Da, why do you sleep so much?

The girlfriend: *blink blink*

The boyfriend: You nap mid-mornings, late noons, early evenings and again at nights. Aren't you tired of sleeping so much?

The girlfriend: *blink blink* ... Well... the longer I sleep, the nicer I become.

I just think the boyfriend is jealous because I can snooze anytime, anywhere but he can't. Must be the age heh!

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

2007-07-01T00:11:00.000+08:00

Remember the times when you had to cram last minute for school exams and how you wish you could eat the book pages and somehow remember all the facts instead? This book is somewhat like that.

It’s about a boy who one day tasted a page of a book and found it yummy. And from a page, it became a book and then books. Of course, he became smarter along the way, absorbing information like a sponge. Then again, there’s no shortcut in the learning process as the boy soon found out.

This is a great book for kids as it teaches the fact that reading is good and a great way to learn about things instead of erm eating the book. The illustrations also by the author are slightly wacky with texts imprinted on the background. Yup I love it but darn, it is way too pricey for a book that I could finish reading in less than 3 minutes. So I read it at the bookstore instead.

That's All

2007-06-23T22:57:00.000+08:00

I can only give you love that lasts forever
And a promise to be near each time you call,
And the only heart I own
For you and you alone,
That's all, that's all.

I can only give you country walks in springtime
And a hand to hold when leaves begin to fall,
And a love whose burning light
Will warm the winter night,
That's all, that's all.

There are those, I am sure, that have told you
They would give you the world for a toy.
All I have are these arms to enfold you
------------------------------------
And a love time can never destroy
-------------------------------------

If you're wondering what I'm asking in return, dear,
You'll be glad to know that my demands are small.
Say it's me that you'll adore
For now and ever more,
That's all, that's all.

-Nat King Cole-

Acckkk!! I’m a grownup now - 10 sure signs to know you've reached adulthood

2007-06-22T18:43:00.000+08:00

1. Bills. Phone bills don't qualify. Home loan repayment, electricity charges, etc does.
2. Grocery shopping. Not instant noodles but healthy family food and home cleaning products.
3. Cute guys = eye candy. A cute guy would usually occupy my thoughts for days, weeks, months. Now it's one minute max.
3. Marriage plans. When to get married? What to wear? How? Why??
4. Kids. When? How many? Cost? Yikes!
5. Expenses. Budget, budget, budget!
6. Investments. How to plant more money trees?
7. Weight gain. I'm finally starting to gain weight albeit slowly. Whoopee!
8. Nag freak. I nag the boyfriend too much.
9. Complain freak. I hate today's pop culture. I hate Rihanna's latest single, Umbrella. It's so freaking irritating. I prefer my 80s cheesy music. (nuts, I'm ageing too)
10. Responsibilities. Darn, I'm liable for all my actions and words now.

the keys

2007-06-22T15:37:00.000+08:00

We collected the apartment keys this morning. Had an initial check on our unit with the developer’s guy - the defects list isn’t lengthy, so that’s pretty good news to begin with. Our unit does look tiny, but I’m sure we’ll make do. We’ll have the morning sun streaming in our balcony and two main bedrooms. From the master bedroom, we can spy the Twin Towers at a distance. Hmmm, that’s super.

I love the surrounding landscape, lots of flowers and greens, shaded walk paths with scattered Narnian-like lamp posts. There’s a 4ft deep swimming pool, wading pool, Jacuzzi and a cafe in the middle on raised ground. A children’s playground and badminton court. A huge gym room with spanking new gargantuan-sized exercise equipments. No more excuses to not run on the treadmill. Two separate gents and ladies common washroom cum sauna. A huge common room with ‘Library’ written above the door. My community project??

There’s three layers of access card entrance security - guardhouse, lobby entrance and car park elevator entrance. The lobby has a nice glass door with centralised air-con. Impressive.

I had to keep reminding myself that I’m actually looking at our new home-to-be. It felt surreal. Well at least until our actual loan payment starts - reality will definitely bite hard.

We’ve started measuring the place, thinking about the kitchen, the grills, the paint, the lights, furniture. At the moment, the boyfriend is busy putting the kitchen plans onto paper while I take care of the budget. Ah, excitement and worries. I’m truly a grownup now *beams*

Awesome, dude!

2007-06-18T23:55:00.000+08:00

When I heard there was another animation on penguins, I personally hope it would fail. Happy feet left me with a cold taste in the mouth, would Surf’s Up make me want to watch Baywatch reruns? Not that they are directly related. Unfortunately Surf’s Up didn’t fail. In fact I thought it was rather funny without lame one-liners. The storyline was simple and predictable but I like the fact it didn’t linger with empathy and the ending was straight to the point. No sappy background music or characters breaking into the occasional song and dance.

Told in docu-reality style, it’s a refreshing take on the direction of animated movies. Not recommended for the diehard Disney fans with no sense of dry humour. I need to thank the movie distributor for tonight’s preview passes otherwise I’d never knew what I missed. Working in the book industry does have its perks.

The Big Apple has landed

2007-06-17T23:21:00.000+08:00

There’s a new craze in town – designer doughnuts. First there was Dunkin Doughnuts, now it’s Big Apple. At RM2 a piece, it’s the same price as their competitor’s.

So there we were staring at all the doughnuts. We decided on a pack of six. It better be good because I’m an unforgiving food critic. How did it fare?

We started with banana chocolate. The banana cream was a bit too sweet but I thought the first mouthful was quite heavenly. Chomp chomp chomp and we moved on to peanut butter. The PB filling was adequate, not too bad. Then we had the vanilla doughnut. The first bite took me by surprise – the snowy surface was deep in 0.5cm of icing sugar. By the third bite, I was sugar overdosed. Three down, three more to go. Choreos was the next. It wasn’t sweet, should have saved the vanilla one for last. By this time, I couldn’t take another doughnut anymore. But I need to soldier on. The mango doughnut was ok. My taste buds were overworked. I crammed the next few bites of the green tea flavoured doughnut and decided I’d rather starve than eat another sugar-laden doughnut.

Lesson learned? Never ever attempt more than two doughnuts at one sitting unless you’re below 10-years-old.

Big Apple is currently at The Curve, behind Marche’s. I’m sure franchises will mushroom after breakeven. Decent doughnuts but will not attempt another one anytime soon.

Michael Rosen - Children's Laureate (2007-2009)

2007-06-17T22:34:00.000+08:00

The sun was shining brighter today when I read the news on Michael Rosen's newly appointed role as Children's Laureate - putting him in the same ranks as my favourite illustrator, Quentin Blake. I hope with this article, Malaysian bookstores will actually sit up and start expanding and promoting their current paltry selection of children books, apart from focusing on the money-generating New York bestseller hits that floods almost every shelf. Whoever said reading was a thing for the geeks and mundane has probably never chanced upon such great literary works. There are hidden treasures in bookstores should you be interested to explore the very depths of it and two particular bookstores in KL springs to mind - MPH Bookstores, Mid Valley outlet and Kinokuniya.

I find new reasons to be excited when I get to know about an interesting book or author out there. I hope more folks will start picking up a children's book and learn to appreciate not only the literary aspect but also the beautiful illustrations that comes with it.

being sad

2007-06-13T23:48:00.000+08:00

Colours are amazing. Colours in itself are visually descriptive of emotions and feelings. This is what I discovered in Michael Rosen’s Sad Book. I was at Ipoh two weekends ago for work when I stumbled upon this book at a bookstore. I’ve been looking around for this book and it sure is odd finding it in places you least expect.

A master storyteller and a gifted illustrator is all it takes to tell a great story. Here Michael Rosen talks about himself being sad after his son, Eddie passed away. Quentin Blake uses greys and vivid colours effectively to depict the various moods and settings in the story. The text is minimal and intended for young children to understand that being sad sometimes is an acceptable emotion as with being happy.

I actually love the front cover. The downcast grey tones depict the author shouldering a burden, enwrapped in his own desolate world of sadness.

I’m glad that Michael Rosen chose to share his feelings with a book. Ironically it’s a book to look at when I need some cheering up.

the letter

2007-06-12T22:21:00.000+08:00

It's been awhile since I last wrote. Loads happened actually but I just didn't have the time and energy to write. But today warrants different. Today, a registered letter arrived at my doorstep. Not just any letter, but the vacant possession LETTER. Yippee! The apartment is finally ready and we're currently making arrangements to get the keys. Erhmm, I'm finally a grown-up with grown-up issues to deal with. There are bills to take care of!

Seeing the bigger picture

2007-05-27T05:10:00.000+08:00

I woke up at 3.17am today, and a surge of thoughts started to fill my mind. Instead of lamenting, I decided to thank God for all the setbacks and difficulties I’ve been and am going through now. Tough situations build character and put our minds into perspective. I’m feeling exhausted, tensed, miffed, constipated. Like the huge pimple on my left cheek waiting to pop, my emotional state of mind will heal eventually.

Life is good. Yes it is.

green, blue or pink?

2007-05-19T18:25:00.000+08:00

happy mommy's day!

2007-05-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

life is...

2007-05-10T13:04:00.000+08:00

supposed to be like chocolate ice cream and cosy days at the beach. period.

hungry

2007-05-06T15:22:00.000+08:00

bits of slightly everything

2007-04-28T19:23:00.000+08:00

I've been on a reading streak lately. I needed to do something therapeutic.

I started with On Angel Wings by Michael Morpurgo. Beautifully illustrated by Quentin Blake, it tells the story of the birth of baby Jesus from the perspective of a shepherd boy. Based on biblical events with tinges of fiction, Blake's crayon-like illustrations shines like the host of angels singing in heaven. Makes a good gift for any occasion, for anyone, atheist or believer.

I progressed on to Coraline by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Dave McKean. Told simply with the occasional tingle of goosebumps breaking out at the back of your neck. Being my first exposure to Gaiman's works I can hardly comment on his style just yet. But I have a feeling that I'll love his stuffs. Coraline is currently in the good hands of Henry Selick to become a stop-motion feature. Selick is the man responsible for the hugely successful The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach and so I'm truly excited for it to come out in 2008.

Then I picked up a copy of Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, translated by Edith Grossman from my warehouse. I came to know about this book after a writer requested it for review. Since it was only a hundred pages or so, I took the book home and tried to complete reading it in one sitting. I almost finished it because I really wanted to know if the 90-year-old bachelor was a lecherous paedophile. A life filled with brothel visits, the narrator finally found the meaning of love on the eve of his ninetieth birthday with a 14-year-old virgin. Spoilers alert, the latter remained a virgin till the last page of the book. I blame it on senility for this poor old man's hallucinations of finally finding love. Well, better late for more than half a century than never. The tale is told tastefully though, a good read if you're always curious to find out how you'll feel if you intend to grow old and alone.

Moving on, I'm currently reading The Complete Stories of Truman Capote. I can only say this: flamboyance aside, he is a brilliant storyteller.

sally's lamentation

2007-04-21T22:54:00.000+08:00

I sense there's something in the wind
That feels like tragedy's at hand
And though I'd like to stand by him
Can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend

And does he notice my feelings for him?
And will he see how much he means to me?
I think it's not to be

What will become of my dear friend?
Where will his actions lead us then?
Although I'd like to join the crowd
In their enthusiastic cloud
Try as I may, it doesn't last

And will we ever end up together?
no, I think not, it's never to become
For I am not the one

slightly a quarter century older

2007-04-04T20:03:00.000+08:00

A friend sent me a msg at 3.37am today
Hobbit 'Birdday' 2u
Hobbit 'Birdday' 2u
Hobbit 'Birdday' 2 'Shire'-ley
Happy Birthday to you.

Heehee, thanks. It made me laugh out loud. Thanks to all my friends who never fail to remember my special day.

Irene, Yen and Kelly for the lovely Korean lunch, Bakerzin cakes and extremely chocolatey drink and dinner too last Saturday. Time spent with you gals was really fun!

Alden who called me all the way from UK. Thanks ya. Don't you just wish you're here instead of there? You've just missed the great lunch and fingers crossed our upcoming trip heh!

I got a hand delivered card from Soo Chin and Jason. Yes I love it very much and I miss you. Can't wait for you to come back for good.

sms/email wishes from everyone.

Upcoming dinner with Angeline (yay! she's finally back after 3 years) and Sin Yee and Sai Wai at Tony Romas. Soo Chin don't you wish you're back now instead of May?

And yes, a gift from a friend, Amir whom I just got to know through work. How thoughtful of him.

And Boon. Thanks da, for being there for me.

spoils from Singapore

2007-03-26T13:01:00.000+08:00

Had an impromptu trip to Singapore over the past weekend with Boon. Travelled by overnight train and stayed at Hangout Hotel @ Mt Emily for a night. Nice place with Ikea furnishings but will not consider again unless bookings is full at The Strand (Bencoolen St), the latter being more worth it in terms of location and price.

Well a trip to Singapore isn't a trip unless I check out the bookstores, collectibles shops, etc. and of course buy something back.

Got myself A Nightmare Before Christmas notepad with stickers at Kinokuniya @ Takashimaya. Different types of notepad paper designs, how to resist? Next, hopped over to Borders at Wheelock Place to buy Coraline by Neil Gaiman. (darn I just realized I took the copy with the more pricier price tag. The copy I saw was SGD8.95, bought it SGD11.95 instead). Sigh... at least I got Burton on Burton edited by Mark Salisbury for SG12.95 (RM29.79) at HMV @ The Heeren. I'm not sure why this particular music store is selling this trade paperback so cheap. Kino is selling it for SGD43.58. In fact HMV is selling most of the music/movie related books much cheaper than conventional bookstores.

And yes, the gacha haven at Suntec City is no longer around, they are mostly scattered around the area instead. BUT I managed to grab an NBX capsule at Toys'r'us @ Paragon instead. I got what I wanted on the first try - Snowman Jack with Santa's elves riding on a bear in Christmas Land.

Meals wise, we had our usual Mos Burger, Carl's Jr, ToriQ and my yummy hot pot. We also tried out Ayam Penyet Ria @ Lucky Plaza. It's an Indonesian franchise eatery and highly recommended for those who love specially concocted cili padi infused sauce. I was rendered speechless after a few light dabs on the sauce. Yes, it is extremely pedas. Attempt with caution.

We ended the trip with a long (and tiring) evening walk to see the merlion and slept the night away on the train back to KL.

2007-03-20T09:58:00.000+08:00

well I got the book yesterday night anyway hehe... I simply love it!

2007-03-18T13:14:00.000+08:00

I got this Roald Dahl's Incredible Chocolate Box book for RM6. It's an A-Z book of facts on Dahl and mostly chocolate-related stuffs. Right at the end of the book contains a missing chapter from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The chapter is written in mirror image so you'll need one to discover the secret. If you ask me, it's a whole marketing ploy which as usual I fell for.

I'm still contemplating on getting this beautifully illustrated book by Jan Pienkowski priced at RM29.90 (original RM74.95). All of the illustrations are drawn in silhouettes against brightly coloured marbled backgrounds, something different compared to other vibrantly coloured picture books. You'll be surprised at how effective silhouettes are in bringing a story to life. This book is a testament to that. '...in a Gallup poll, conducted for The Telegraph in 1992, Jan was the third most recognised contemporary children's author (after Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake)'. wow... and I didn't even know that. Read here to find out more about him. He has another silhouette book called The First Christmas and a new one coming up, a follow up to The Fairy Tales. Here are two pictures from his new book that I pulled from his website. Breathtaking isn't it?

Friends, help me to decide. Should I get the book??

2007-03-16T12:55:00.000+08:00

that would be in approximately 18 days from today.

i do have self control

2007-03-14T01:29:00.000+08:00

What, another book warehouse sale? As much as I love them, I do wish sometimes they'd give my wallet a break. This time around, The Big Bookshop at Atria is having their sale right after ours. Wasn't it just last December 2006 that they had one? I had to check it out, I really had to.

They didn't have as much books as they did the last time around. But they did have some exciting new titles which I'm baffled as to how they manage to sell at dirt cheap prices again. Take for example the Penguin Red Classics . There was almost a complete range of them selling at RM10 each. Original price about RM27.50. There were six Jane Austen titles which I'm sure some readers would gleefully buy in a set. Thankfully I'm not a fan. Anyhow I bought Perfume. I've already read the first chapter much earlier and thought it would be a shame if I didn't get it now. Apparently the movie will be out this month, I'm looking forward to it.

There were a few other children's books that I didn't mind getting but I had to really restrain myself. In the end I bought Wallace & Gromit anti-pesto journal at RM8 (original RM29.95). Colourful weekly journal entries by Wallace in his quest to rid West Wallaby town from the cute bunny pests. I did find it slightly odd that there were only 48 weeks in the journal. I thought it ties in neatly with the DVD me and boon got last year. Original, not pirated btw.

I will have to make another round of visit on the last day of sale (25 March) in case they do decide to lower their prices heh!

the day i grew whiskers

2007-03-13T15:58:00.000+08:00

This year is Dr Seuss' Cat 50th birthday and since we represent the publisher, we had to plan some children's activity to get the kids excited. Well ultimately the aim was to sell more Dr Seuss books.

Birthday bash at One Utama

One fine day, me and my big mouth decided to volunteer to be the emcee for the event. Tadaa... I was seriously nervous planning for the whole thing. I didn't really had time to prepare in fact. Thankfully everything turned out alright. I wasn't nervous, I guess I did ok. The kids didn't bawl or ran away.

We're gonna have more roadshows this May. I guess I'll wear claws this time around.

there's treasure everywhere!

2007-03-06T16:40:00.000+08:00

Time and again I've always said that I won't get anymore books, but I just can't resist!

The first thing I grabbed was the Calvin and Hobbes comic books. I knew beforehand how much they were going to be since I was pricing them earlier. At first I only took two titles and then figure I should get the other two remaining copies since they are only a fraction of the retail price. My collection is almost complete!

Then there was this Dr Seuss children's book vibrantly illustrated by none other than Quentin Blake, my favourite illustrator. I was pricing this book earlier as well and made a mental note to get it. Anyone familiar with Dr Seuss titles will realise that the illustrations are slightly dull and the colours bland. Quentin Blake really knows how to spice things up.

And then while we were unpacking the books before the sale, I saw this set of Kitty Cat fridge magnets. I did a wild dance and quickly stowed it somewhere safe away from jealous eyes. I simply love it, it's so adorable - I will adorn my future fridge with Kitty Cat magnets.

While still feeling euphoric I chanced upon this bunny-in-the-box that pops up when you pull the front flap. Oh my, it was simply too adorable to let go! There are two tiny flap books to read to your young ones. And oh the bunny has velcro on its paws and when clasped, the bunny appears as if saying a little prayer. The original price was RM69.90 but I got it for RM10 only.

Two days into the sale I saw a comic picture bible book reserved by a customer. I wanted it too but it was too pricey. Before I realise it my colleague ran to get the only two remaining copies, one for me and one for his kids and asked my boss if we could buy it at a cheaper price. He said yes and tadaa! I got it for RM20. My nephew actually has a copy and I simply love reading it, now I have my own personal copy.

On the morning of the final day of sales, I was browsing around when I saw a hardcopy of Shel Silverstein gleaming in my path beckoning me to buy it! It was RM30 (original RM79.90) and I had to get it. My first copy of Silverstein's works, wowee! Silverstein's humour contained within his poetry reminds me of Roald Dahl.

I will not play at tug o'war
I'd rather play at hug o'war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug
Where everyone kisses
And everyone grins
And everyone cuddles
And everyone wins.

I got three more books, a Toni Morrison (of The Bluest Eye) illustrated children's book with handwritten captions and two Collins classics - Mary Poppins and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. I read bits of the latter and it's a very inspiring story of the Jewish author fleeing Germany as a young girl.

You must think that I spent a bomb but I didn't. It only came to RM135, the Silverstein book being the most expensive of the lot. Woohoo such a fantastic deal! Now I just need some time to read all the books that I've been accumulating thus far.

book warehouse sale : behind the scenes

2007-03-05T16:37:00.000+08:00

back breaking - hot - tired - headache - hoarse voice - sniffles - sweat - sore arms and feet

That practically sums up my first experience being involved in a book warehouse sale. Working for a book distributor means having to help out before, during and after the warehouse sale. And so for four consecutive Saturdays before the CNY break, most of us had to work from 8am to 3pm packing and pricing books some of which were covered in dust so thick that you can't even see what the cover looks like. We were supposed to work the weekend right before the sale but I refused to because it was still CNY. The physical labour was very tiring, not to mention inhaling all the dust. The only consolation I was looking forward to is to be first in line to choose and purchase books before anyone else.

Last Monday, the actual nightmare began. We had to unpack all the books and display them on the tables and shelves in preparation of the sale at our warehouse. The 9-hour ordeal left me with a head-splitting ache from all the heat and exhaustion. Getting sick is not an option at this point of time. And so I showered, took some vitamins and slept early that night.

Next day, I was prepared to face the crowd. There were 10 counters. My task was to assist my cashier partner which involves telling her the price and packing the books into bags. It was manageable, in fact at times it got a little boring when there weren't many customers. In fact I was wishing for more customers. The crowd peaked during the weekend. It was elbow-to-elbow. People kept pouring in and it was non-stop packing books into bags while smiling and thanking customers from 9am to 7pm. Did I mention it was hot and stuffy? Thankfully no one needed first-aid.

On the last day of sale, I had to wear a surgical mask to block the dust. My nose was watery and itchy and I could hardly breathe anymore. My colleague said that some guys actually queued at my counter instead even though hers was empty. It must be the mask. Darn! I should have been a nurse. Come 7pm, we had to drive the people away and start repacking the books back into cartons. Man, I was tired and sweaty and I couldn't lift up a book anymore. At least my team got to leave at 8pm, only because we had to work this morning for a book launch.

Well after all the sweat and heat, I have two good news. (1) I managed to get most of my favourite books at dirt cheap prices and, (2) Our sales revenue exceeded my GM's expectations. Hopefully we the employees will get a fair share out of it.

As my GM mentioned, this will be a memory for all of us especially for people like me who have never done this before. Indeed it is. I got to know some of my colleagues better. The camaraderie far outweighed my exhaustion. And from now on whenever I go for any warehouse sale I will remember never ever to be rude to the staff, never ever to mess up the stuffs and leave the place when told so. We're going to have stock check sometime this month. I've been reminded it's far worse than the warehouse sale. I'm (gulp) ready.

I will brag about the books I bought tomorrow. Ah, bliss!

muse concert : 25 Feb 2007 : stadium negara, Malaysia

2007-02-26T21:39:00.000+08:00

l to r : Matt Bellamy on vocals and guitar, Dominic Howard on drums, Chris Wolstenholme on bass at stadium negara (click on pic for clearer view)

It was AWESOME! There are no other words to describe the whole experience. The crowd went wild when muse came on stage at 9pm with their opening song, Knights of Cydonia.

Check out this video clip taken with boon's Olympus C760. It's only grainy because it's a compressed file but the actual quality is great.

Rumour has it that muse played a better show here compared to Singapore hah! It was a non-stop 1 1/2 hours, 19 songs worth of energetic noise with terrific guitar display and effects and Matt Bellamy showed no signs of fatigue throughout the concert. I was simply amazed when he played the piano/keyboards a few times with those long, slender musician fingers of his.

I'm a muse fan convert! I love them!!! I simply love them! I truly love them!

p/s This week is muse week. Sidebar collage pictures taken with C760, copyright (c) boon 2007.

Crash (2004) and Babel (2006)

2007-02-22T21:47:00.000+08:00

Watching these two movies back-to-back over the past weekend was mind-numbing. Themed with human sentiments deep in realism; where some of us would not even come close to experiencing is a lesson in learning.

Crash is about racism in the paradoxically free world known as America. Racism is unavoidable whoever, wherever you are. Malaysians in general have been taught to respect and tolerate each race's culture and beliefs against a tender hairline of racial tension. Americans deal with racism using guns. At the start of the movie, you are led to hate the bigot white cop. You sympathize with the Iranian immigrant. Blacks are usually up to no good. And then the reverse happens. You no longer hate the cop. Forgiveness does spur goodness. God was in control afterall. Everyone learned a lesson - misconceptions can escalate into unnecessary hatred. I won't say that I'm less of a racist after watching Crash. I don't think anyone can stop being one. It is ingrained in our animalistic nature for superiority. But I believe we can learn to genuinely love and understand one another - if we want to.

Babel touches on misconceptions as well. An accidental shooting of an American tourist in Morocco bursts into the media as an act of terrorism. An ensuing whirlwind of interlinking events envelopes the world. This is a story about kindness shown by the people you least expect from and friends who turn their backs on you whom you thought were dependable.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are not living alone. Crash and Babel did that for me.

return of the cuckoo (2001)

2007-02-20T20:45:00.000+08:00

Ou Moon Kai, filmed mainly in Macau was one of the reasons why I visited the Portuguese-influenced city mid last year. Yes, I know it sounds silly. I cried watching the ending of this tv series - the only Cantonese tv series that affected me tremendously, the soundtrack occasionally playing in my mind till today.

Sacrificial love is a brave and noble act as shown by the male protagonist. And so as I sat on the steps some paces away, I was happy to lean against the shoulder of someone I love, whilst admiring the beauty of the ruins.

good news and not so good news

2007-02-20T15:51:00.000+08:00

My obsession is finally satisfied.
There goes my RM39.50 angpau money.

the man with the tear-away face

2007-02-19T16:39:00.000+08:00

Mask changing originated 300 years ago in China as part of the Sichuan opera performances. I remember watching a Chinese movie showcasing this ancient art. The King of Masks (1996) or Bian Lian was about an aging Chinese man who needs to find a male heir to inherit the dying art. One night after a performance, a slave trader sold a young boy to the protagonist. All is well until the latter found out that the boy was actually a girl. The old man was heartbroken for only a boy can learn the face-changing skill. There is a strong fatherly love bond between the two characters and I cried towards the ending of the movie. A must watch for the culture and heartwarming scenes.

And so when I knew there was going to be a mask-changing act happening at Ikano today, I knew I had to watch it. George, a Malaysian guy was executing the ancient Chinese art. He appears amateurish but I remain fascinated.

MPH Distributors warehouse sale 28 Feb - 4 Mar 2007

2007-02-16T09:48:00.000+08:00

See you there!!

what it means to be loved

2007-02-14T23:42:00.000+08:00

Love is ... receiving a booklet of thoughts from someone special.

darn!

2007-02-14T21:00:00.000+08:00

I was so so close to winning the PGI auction for these two 6 inch collectibles from Mcfarlane Corpse Bride series 2. The highest bid was at RM57. Because my connection was so darn slow, I only managed to bid for RM56 at the last minute before it took ages for the screen to refresh. Arghh! Original price is RM100++. I hope a computer glitch will make me the winner instead.

breakfast at tiffany's

2007-02-11T14:41:00.000+08:00

Opening scene - Tiffany & Co. at 727 5th Avenue at 57th St in New York

Holly: Don't you just love it?
Paul: Love what?
Holly: Tiffany's!

You know, I truly agree with Holly. I feel the same way too.

Holly in contemplative mood while singing Moon River

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

Closing scene - Holly and Paul kissing in the rain

If you had to choose between watching the movie or reading the book, do both. Personally I prefer Truman Capote's version; it truly captured the free spirit of Holly Golightly. The movie version has the romance and happy ending to it. It's not that I don't like happy endings but for some stories you just want to have a reason to cry. This is just one of them.

what makes me happy

2007-02-10T21:00:00.000+08:00

1. browsing at the stationery shop. so many types of paper, notebooks, pencils and etc. to feel, touch and smell.

2. jelly beans. chewy and colourful and heavenly.

3. finding a great book when you least expect it.

4. chocolate ice-cream. it ain't ice-cream if it ain't chocolate flavoured.

5. mom's tiramisu. give me a tubful and i'll be good and quiet.

Apple trees and honey bees

2007-02-03T18:57:00.000+08:00

Boon : Warren, uhh it's not funny
Adlin : Uh yeah man, it's kinda lame

At least that's what I think those two are thinking. I wasn't there la yesterday for their show. But as usual, it's Ferns so the show turned out great! Leave me some space, I want to tumpang glame heh!

Ferns' album review

2007-02-01T14:16:00.000+08:00

From Citadel : Verse 2:
I sought that penetrating gaze
A meager glance instead to
Capture your face
Capture some saving grace

In time all things will pass their way
I pondered what it meant to
Stay, to try stay
Anchored backwards

Ferns' album review in Junk's February 2007 issue. Well said especially about Citadel. What are you guys waiting for? Adorn your CD stands with Ferns' debut album!

ice kacang

2007-01-30T21:12:00.000+08:00

It's been awhile since I had ice kacang. Today it brought back some childhood memories.

A bowl of ice kacang with gula melaka

Fridays were special. It was the only day in the week where morning session school finishes an hour earlier because of Friday prayers. Mom would have the family car for the day and pick me up first and then drive over to my sisters' school. Mom would scout for a shady tree to park underneath it. I would have a fantastic time picking blood red saga seeds from the ground. I would later use the seeds as fillings for batu seremban (five stones) and keep the remainder in a jar.

Saga seeds, how you'd play batu seremban and attap seeds

Then mom would bring us to our favourite lunch spot – Sea Park morning market where the best mee yoke (prawn noodles) is served piping hot. Next to it is the ice kacang stall with the most generous portion of assorted nuts and beans and shaved ice with red and gula melaka (brown sugar) syrup served in a plastic bowl. It's heaven on a humid afternoon.

Today's serving was slightly different. The shaved ice was drenched with red, pink, green and orange coloured syrup; very much like the Paddle pop rainbow ice-cream. And sitting majestically atop the mound of ice is a scoop of strawberry ice-cream draped with corn. And right at the bottom is diced cincau (grass jelly), red beans and attap seeds. It was nothing special really but it was nice walking down memory lane.

Publicity on Ferns

2007-01-28T11:54:00.000+08:00

Ferns recently shared the stage with Ronin from Singapore at Bar Laundry for the Crossborders show. Apparently quite a number of fans turned up and cheered them till they glowed pink! Has fame affected them I wonder?

Ferns was also on 8TV Quickie tonight for the 11.30pm program with Rina Omar playing host. 10 minutes of TV fame, how envious. What's next huh?

Since you've asked, Ferns will be playing at KL Jam Asia, Desa Sri Hartamas KL this 2 February 2007, sharing the stage with other notables such as Couple, Etc. (S'pore), Furniture and Azmyl Yunor & Sigarettes. Cover charge will be at RM12. Ferns will be doing their usual thing and dishing out free fruit - while stocks last!

Roald Dahl address book

2007-01-28T00:02:00.000+08:00

I was browsing at Borders today when THIS caught my attention! I had to get it, I really had to. It's a 2006 hardcover colour edition which I didn't even know existed with the usual Quentin Blake illustrations. The book contains Dahl's famous characters from his famous works with excerpts on each new alphabet page. I didn't contemplate; I just grinned from ear-to-ear, walked to the cashier and paid RM42.90 for it. It's costly but money well spent. I'm not going to scribble anything on it just yet, it's too precious. And it was the last copy on the shelf. Lucky me!

McD's beanies

2007-01-26T20:30:00.000+08:00

Five beanies - an addition to the family courtesy from McD's happy meal. (ok, they're not really mine, I sorta borrowed them from my niece. I'll return them to her when she's uhm, nah, she'd have probably forgotten about them already!) The other two bigger beanies were from Boon's friend who didn't know what to do with them, so I decided to take them in. The blue one is a Malaysian bear called Cinta with bunga raya motifs, 2003 edition. Hmm, this bear happens to share the same birthday with cammy boy, ah coincidence!

And there's wiggles, the big sister looking over them, making sure they behave.

being pretty

2007-01-25T23:06:00.000+08:00

Between being attractive but slightly incompetent or plain Jane but highly intelligent, I'd choose the first option. I would like to wake up in the mornings staring at a pretty reflection rather than yelling eureka for yet another scientific breakthrough. After all, narcissism is good for self-esteem!

old cinemas

2007-01-24T19:05:00.000+08:00

Going to the movies with my family during my younger days was something I really looked forward to. Those old cinemas like Ruby, Paramount, State have faded away and are now replaced with cineplexes with surround sound system, comfortable cushioned chairs with ample leg room, cup holders and what-nots.

I kinda miss the old ones sometimes. Huge open halls with rows and rows of red plastic hard flap-back seats, cement floor with kacang skins littered everywhere, the odd roach or two scurrying under the seats and usherers helping you to your seats with a flash light. Alternatively if you want a better view of the screen, you can opt for the slightly expensive balcony seats.

Dad would sometimes take us out for a movie on Saturday nights if something good was playing. Dad would buy four tickets for a family of five because I was young enough to sit on mom's or dad's lap. I never liked that because I felt embarassed not having a seat of my own and so when I do get one sometimes, I'd be really happy.

Keong sii (Chinese vampire) movies were a standard affair, not to mention some English movies which I don't really remember now. 9pm is the usual starting time and we'll only get home after 11pm. Car parks were huge open spaces within the cinema's premises with usherers again to guide you around. And yes, they do charge you for parking, a dollar if I'm not mistaken.

I really loved those family outings. In fact, I love any family outings we used to have back then.

Currently old cinemas like State have been revamped into newer, 'techier' ones with a mamak restaurant on the ground level, Ruby cinema has been converted into a Christian church, Paramount has evolved into a hypermarket and the rest are either closed down due to competition from newer cineplexes or run down. It's a pity really, because anyone born before and during my time would surely have memories of going to these cinemas.

Kids these days, what do they know. Fun was when we played masak-masak and barbie dolls and not PS3 or iPod. Fun was when we go to Templer's Park and not to Sunway Lagoon. Fun was when everything was less digital, slower and less complicated. Now we're chasing neverending dreams of becoming egoistical superhumans. Oh well... life's like that; we need to evolve to adapt.

Jewel 0304

2007-01-21T15:57:00.000+08:00

The chorus line from the first track Stand

Mothers weep, children sleep
So much violence ends in silence
It's a shame there's no one 2 blame
For all the pain that life brings
If u will just take me It might just complete me
And together we can make a stand

Two thumbs up for this album. Four thumbs if I was polydactyly, knock wood!

Meng and Barbara's memorable day

2007-01-20T23:30:00.000+08:00

First a huge congratulations to Meng and Barbara on their joyous occassion! This is one of the most memorable weddings I've ever been to. As with any Chinese wedding dinner, it did start late but the camaraderie throughout the night was priceless. Not to mention the yummy food spread. And no shark fins was served!

This video sums up the whole night! Meng's best buddy Adlin giving the Chinese traditional yum seng.

Boon was the best man for the day. And he gave a wonderful speech during the dinner.

Ahh, look at those two gorgeous hunks while waiting for the bride to arrive for morning service. Better looking than Daniel Craig huh? Uhm of course I meant the guy standing on the right!

52 great books to read

2007-01-16T22:39:00.000+08:00

I know I said I'd try not to buy anymore books this year but this one isn't really a book, is it? They are pocket-sized cards featuring a compilation of 52 recommended good reads. Count them if you don't believe me. I thought this was quite an interesting idea, which was why I bought it in the first place. Of course it was cheap to begin with, RM5. Got it at a warehouse sale, not the usual one I patronise, but ANOTHER warehouse sale by ANOTHER bookstore somewhere in PJ.

On one side of the card is the book title and author with a cartoonish illustration, the flip side contains the book blurb. Each card comes in attractive colours too. kawaii ne...

I happen to see another interesting book as well today called Adult origami. 'Adult' here doesn't mean expert level but explicit. For example, did you know you could transform a plain sheet of paper into a paper condom? And well, you get the idea. The Japanese think about everything, don't they? I was contemplating getting the book which was priced at RM10 BECAUSE I've never seen such a book before in Malaysia, but hesitated. After all, I can't give out these sort of artistic origami to friends without risking being misunderstood. Anyway, I'm never good at paper folding, the only thing I can fold very well is paper hearts, which is artistic in its own way too.

Three hours and two generous chunks of mom's coffee laden cheesy tiramisu later ...

2007-01-15T02:30:00.000+08:00

I finished amending a marketing proposal which I hope will make all my effort worthwhile. Otherwise, I'll just drown myself with more tiramisu. Cringe with jealousy all of you weight watchers, muahahahaha...

Love is ...

2007-01-14T21:32:00.000+08:00

stifling tears into the pillow when thoughts of losing the person you love floods your mind

Nestle wonder cup...

2007-01-10T20:30:00.000+08:00

...contains two mouthfuls of chocolate ice-cream and a toy hidden beneath the ice-cream in a separate cup container. It's like gacha gacha; you won't know what toy you will get till you open it. When I saw the Hello Kitty combo boxed set, I fell for the marketing gimmick and bought it. RM5.99, pricey huh? For that price, I could have bought a decent tub of 700ml chocolate ice-cream. Luckily I got two plastic figurines that was worth getting. Now all I need is to 'gamble' for the remaining eight to complete the choo-choo train set, not! Sigh... I promise to have better self-control next time.

muse concert tickets

2007-01-07T17:35:00.000+08:00

After standing in queue for four hours at Sungei Wang, this is what we got!

A 30% discount on two muse concert tickets. We started queuing since 11am, waiting for the booth to open at 3pm. We got the tickets at 3.15pm, so technically we've been queuing for 15 mins! I'd queue again if Keane comes, otherwise no more... The queue behind us was really really long and I could only shout gambate! to those who didn't come early.

Oh yes, guess who we bump into but kor kor Han. Btw kor kor, it was worth the wait.

Ferns - On Botany

2007-01-03T08:40:00.000+08:00

Fern's cover CD with astroturf - suitable for sunbathing...

Ferns' debut album On Botany attracted quite a bit of rave reviews since its release early December 2006. To date, the band has been interviewed on Redfm and Traxx FM, appeared in KLue, Junk online and The Star, was voted as one of the top 25 myspace bands for 2006 by Rolling Stones (one of the two Malaysian bands to make the list), recently shared the stage with other notables like Naked Breed at Bar Laundry, had a music video made by Fairuz Sulaiman on Disaster Strikes Again in collaboration with Junk music project - Fortnight 2006 presented by Nokia Nseries using a Nokia N93 handphone. Ferns will soon be playing at Crossborders - Bar Laundry again with Singaporean band Ronin on Jan 25 and will appear in Apple Trees and Honey Bees on Feb 2 at Jam Asia.

This is one promising local indie band to look out for this year - with its light folk pop tunes that will please loyal fans and attract new listeners. My personal favourite tracks are happy-go-lucky Love in a Handful of Beans and the dreamy Citadel.

On Botany is available for RM23 at Music Magic, Mezzanine Floor, Central Market and Rock Corner, Bangsar Village. For mail order enquiries, email the band at fernfrens@gmail.com. For a sample, visit www.myspace.com/fernfrens

Ramly burgers

2007-01-02T22:30:00.000+08:00

Remember my blog entry about the possibility of peddling Ramly burgers in New York? It appears that it is becoming a reality. Zak Pelaccio, the guy who opened Fatty Crab in trendy Meatpacking District in New York City will be paying a tribute to good ol' Ramly. I wonder if he read my blog for inspiration heh heh...

clubbing

2007-01-02T17:48:00.000+08:00

I've never done clubbing in my entire life before. I don't/can't drink and the last time I did drink some beer, I ended up drunk, babbling incoherently and giggling in some foreign country. I learned my lesson and never drank in public and my friends learned a lesson too - never to offer me anything that has liquor in it.

The only clubbing I'm familiar with is the one where you hold any sort of weapon and club someone with it.

So when someone asks you out to go clubbing this weekend, does he/she mean the former or the latter sport?

the year that is 2007

2007-01-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

Oh what do you know... it's now 2007 and to think that just awhile ago I was reminiscing about last year. Well, a new year, a new look for my blog. I love pink and all things girly. Oh the fireworks is great... I think it'll go on for another 9 more minutes or so. I'm gonna enjoy it now with my head on ah boon's shoulder.

the year that was 2006

2006-12-31T23:59:00.000+08:00

Well it has been another good year; I've changed jobs, bought an apartment unit with boon, travelled to hong kong, macau and singapore, oh, finally had my hair rebonded (thanks to sara), switched from contacts to glasses, bought over rm800 worth of books but have read almost none of them (yet!), fell in love with ferns, fell in love with singapore, fell in love with breakfast at tiffany's, fell in love with the gacha machine, fell in love with boon over and over again, was less depressed with life, lost my handphone - got a new one which I hate a lot - and wishing that my handphone had legs to walk back to me.

I'm looking forward to 2007 because I can't wait to decorate our first home, fill my bookcase with more books, get pregnant (uh, I mean get married in 2008 first) and to catch the fireworks display at The Curve in 1 minute's time.

Anyway, I got another book today! Chanced upon it with Irene at some warehouse sale which I will not divulge the name and location because that's not important.

Tadaa! It's a Quentin Blake fully illustrated book about birds. How can I possibly pass up the chance of buying this book? I may never find it anywhere except on Amazon. Oh-happy-me... happy 2006!

Vacancies wanted

2006-12-03T22:42:00.000+08:00

I found these words emblazoned in a cloth banner above a shop selling lights in D. Uptown. Is this a new catch phrase? I’m not sure what it means though.

Dust(y) bunny

2006-12-01T20:33:00.000+08:00

Today my department shifted to a bigger room next door to make way for two new departments that will be joining us next week. Thankfully it was just next door and I had nothing much to shift over. But help I did to shift my colleagues’ stuffs. With a trolley loaded with whatever-nots I zipped between rooms with much zest. Yeah right. It was more of a torture really. It was dusty, reeking with new paint and tiring. (note to self: I must remember not to clutter my table in case I decide to department-hop) After the two-hour ordeal I was looking greyer than my mood, but glad that it was finally over. And it was almost time to go home.

The company directors will be joining our office as well. I hope they will collectively agree that the toilets need upgrading. And sanitary bins are essential for hygienic purposes. And issue a restriction order to warehouse boys from using the ladies. And yes, enforce a no-smoking zone within a 10 metre parameter around my department block. Those who do not comply should be given a swift kick on the butt to leave the premises immediately. Harsh? As compared to the possibility of my deteriorating health, I don’t think so. And there you go, my week ended with a sizzling bang.

The torture chair

2006-11-26T22:32:00.000+08:00

I’ve never gone gaa-gaa over a guy before, ok don’t count Jay Chou, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Mr Kenta Ando but Daniel Craig is one hunk I cannot take my eyes off! I’m never a fan of the Bond franchise because (1) the acting and dialogue is horrible, and (2) I don’t fancy egoistic, womanising, hairy-chest, gun-totting jerks.

But Daniel Craig is different; rugged, tall, muscular, gorgeous, ah! the true embodiment of a superhero secret agent. My jaws dropped to the floor in one of the Casino Royale scenes when Craig was forcefully stripped and tied to a chair with the seat ripped open for the torture scene. Those bulging, rippling muscles made me faintish and gasping for air. Ooh did I mention his lips are sooo kissable. Sigh… I’d slay cockroaches to be HIS next Bond girl.

Today, would be err, the second happiest day of my life

2006-11-24T22:27:00.000+08:00

Ok, so I got another haul of books today

Christ the Lord by Anne Rice
There was a price discrepancy for this book. Some books had a RM18 price tag and others RM10 tag. No guessing which one I took. The original price for the paperback edition is RM33.90. I've been wanting to get a copy since last year and had actually read the first two chapters of the book. It's a fictionalised account of Jesus' childhood by the Vampire chronicles author and it should be an interesting read.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper
I've been wanting to read this classic and in fact did so about 10 years ago. It was a difficult read for me then and I abandoned it after a few pages. I hope to complete reading this book again. Oh yes, I got it for RM10 (original price RM24.90)

Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl by Tracy Quan
The cover caught my attention and besides Judy Blume I've not really read any chic lits before. It's a kinky book, uhm I guess it'll sort of be an eye opener for me. Got it for RM12, original RM49.90.

Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger
From the author of The Devil Wears Prada, I figure this will be a good chic lit book to read as well. Got it for RM12 as well, original price RM35.90.

I guess I'm done shopping for books this year. In total I spent about RM122 for 9 books. Without the sales, it would cost me about RM300 if I didn't miscalculate.

Today is the happiest day of my life!

2006-11-22T22:42:00.000+08:00

I managed to snag a few books for a bargain at the warehouse sale in Atria. If I had money to spare I’d be buying more than I could ever read!

Roald Dahl Songs and Verses by Roald Dahl isbn 0-224-07038-x (RM29.90, original RM79.90)

This is a hardcover full coloured version containing memorable poems from the works of Roald Dahl. This book however was not illustrated by Quentin Blake but by a line-up of award-winning talented artists. I’ve actually flipped through this book earlier this year and thought how nice it would be to have it with my Roald Dahl Treasury (isbn 0-141-31733-7) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (isbn 0-141-31964-x) both coloured editions. I’m so proud to own this ‘trilogy’ collectible books.

Angel Pavement by Quentin Blake isbn 0-099-45154-9 (RM8.00 original £4.79 on Amazon.co.uk)

Just the other day I was browsing the net looking for Quentin Blake’s works and stumbled upon this book. The price was a setback considering this is a 32-page picture book. But at RM8.00 now, it would be a shame if I didn’t get it! Quentin Blake is one of my favourite children’s books illustrator. His trademark drawings are instantly recognisable especially if you are a Roald Dahl fan. My heart is still doing little dances from all this excitement.

The Ode Less Travelled – Unlocking the Poet Within by Stephen Fry isbn 0-09-179661-x (RM16.90, original RM72.90)

When I first read the review of this book, immediately I knew I wanted to own it. Then again, the price was much too steep. Right now I’m owning the hardcover version at a price of a set lunch meal without even having to wait for the paperback edition whoopee! Stephen Fry, the British actor whose acting credits include V for Vendetta has written this step-by-step advice to writing poetry in an enjoyable and witty manner. Just what I need to learn all about poetry writing! And now I can remove this book from my wish list.

Death of an Ordinary Man by Glen Duncan isbn 0-7432-5228-4 (RM12.00, original RM32.95)

I first stumbled upon Glen Duncan’s book, I, Lucifer a few months back and after reading the excerpt, contemplated and hesitated on buying it. But when I saw Duncan’s latest book and at such a price, I felt I have to get it. Death tells the story of a family man who died and return from the dead to attend his own funeral. Reason being, he needed to know how he died. This is one author to be reckoned with and I’m excited to explore his works.

The Various by Steve Augarde isbn 0-552-54858-8 (RM12.00, original RM27.90)

I read about this book in a review some time back and seeing it at this price, I decided to get it. It’s about a rumoured world of fairies and how a twelve-year-old child discovers the truth behind it. I hope this will be a good read.

Ah bliss!

id-ten-t

2006-11-22T17:22:00.000+08:00

If there's one thing I hate most is, living next door to idiots. And there's one idiot living right behind my house and my room is facing his.
Why is he an idiot?
1. When he first moved in, he was constantly banging on his drums and invited his friends over for a jamming session. Every single day, rain or shine, he makes music that hurts my eardrums. He finally stopped. Either someone complained or he realised he was being an irritating ass.
2. if he's not drum-banging or guitar-twanging, he's cat-yowling. People who can't carry a tune should be banned from singing... especially late at nights.
3. He doesn't sleep like normal people. His room light is switched on almost throughout the nights and the light glare is swimming into my room. Either he's afraid of the dark or he's a vampire.
4. Lately he's been playing ONE song repeatedly on his computer for hours on end. His latest playlist is a piano piece that is driving me nuts! Yes I know it's his business but because I can hear it from my room, it has become my business.
Will throwing a brick at his head solve the problem?

A year older and ... wrinkler...

2006-11-20T14:59:00.000+08:00

I just wanna wish some of the most important people in my life a very Happy Birthday for the month of November -- my pops, Soo Chin, Alden Yap, Diane Gan, Brian Kow and Eddie Ooi (if you're reading this!) All of you hold a special place in my heart;

Pops who brought me into this world with mom, raised me to be a good girl with values and paid full for my braces. For the latter, I'm utmost thankful otherwise I won't look as cute as I am today. No, I'm not kidding, self-compliment is very good for self-esteem haha

Soo Chin whom I knew since we were 14. I've never met any bubblier person with magnetic charisma. Did I mention her being thoughtful and helpful towards her friends? She's dependable, hospitable, lovable, huggable and all the other -ables. And thanks for the many lovely birthday gifts that you never failed to get for me throughout these years. I'm still keeping them safe.

Alden for being a great 'Tuesdays friend', for the conversations, makan trips, Herri and for 'opening' the opportunity to ogle at Kenta Ando during PD Triathlon in year 2004. Man, he's just so hunky dory and I'd kill a whale to have a picture taken with him.

Diane my confidante before Boon came along. I remember the long nights of girly conversations we had over the phone even though we've just seen each other at work. Of course, it's only apt to thank Digi for the free phone calls I get to make to her. The ever-patient loyal friend, she's a rare gem.

Brian the 'younger brother' whom I gossip with at the office. We'd sit at the printing room and chat to while away boredom or escape work. Like a good chi-mui (girl-friend) only haha

Eddie my godbrother who doesn't mind having anothe sister to bother him some times. A good kor-kor to look up to and depend on in times of need.

So here I raise my beer mug to drink to your health -- *kachink*

Good news, everyone!

2006-11-13T08:41:00.000+08:00

Ah finally. Ferns debut album will tentatively be ready this coming 2 Dec. To coincide with the album launch, Ferns will be playing a gig in KL on that day. I'm not too sure of the details at the moment. I heard that the album is good and I will have the privilege to have a first hand listen to the album this evening. I will post updates on the price and availability of the album once I hear some news.

Also did I happen to mention that I'm working and today would be the 9th day of my employment in my current job. I miss the flexibility of freelancing. I miss working next to my bed. I miss being able to nod off to sleep and drool over my work wherever, whenever. Now I have to stiffle all yawns and act working hard. Is it me, or most people don't enjoy their work at all? I feel so guilty but I'm already looking for other meadows to graze. I realise how important it is to involve yourself in something that you enjoy doing even though it might mean a lot of sacrifice for example financial stability. When you have the passion, you shine in whatever you're doing. But how often does that happen in reality anyway? There's always the bills to take care of. The mouths to feed. Society's expectations to live up to. Oh well. Life's like that.

Anyhow, I can't deny it but I'm very happy. Someone never fails to brighten my day and that makes every new day something to look forward to. (:

The ugly side of my fellow countrymen

2006-10-23T18:21:00.000+08:00

Courtesy is a thing of the past. Today we headed to Ikea for a quick lunch and some coffee. The festive break attracted a horde of families and thankfully we managed to find an empty table cluttered with plates amidst the incessant market-like chatter. Now Ikea’s cafeteria-styled eatery encourages their patrons to put away their plates and utensils at designated areas before they leave the place. Generally pampered, most people will break the number one rule of courtesy by not clearing the tables after they’re done. Okay no biggie really.

Then Boon went to get some coffee but returned to our table empty-handed after a couple of minutes because the coffee vending machine queue was literally longer than our national record-breaking longest ketupat. The situation didn’t help when one chap was holding a tray with a few cups to fill with coffee. Okay, so the chap was being efficient, I mean no point having so many people queuing up anyway.

Awhile later, Boon decided to queue for the coffee again while I nibble on some bread and people watch. And there standing at a corner was a domestic helper, elbows nonchalantly propped against the shopping cart. The family who brought her felt it was best that she didn’t join them at the lunch table but to stand guard over the shopping cart. Or perhaps it was the maid’s decision to stand apart from the family because she was too embarrassed to be seen in public with her thoughtless employer.

And all of a sudden a lady seated at the table behind me audibly rattled to her husband how ungrateful their child is for complaining that there’s nothing to eat at Ikea. So she’s having a tough time dealing with her pre-pubescent picky eater kid but shouldn’t family business remain as such? After much yabbering the parents abandoned their (perhaps angelically disguised bratty) kid at the table on her own and disappeared somewhere else. Maybe they went to buy her food.

Meanwhile the table on my left were seated with a family of four. One of the young kids dropped a fork and no one bothered to pick it up. Were they waiting for the fork to grow legs and walk away? Well they waited in vain because Boon picked it up when we got up to leave. And in the true spirit of our fellow countrymen, we left the cluttered table as it is. It wasn’t us mah, why should we clear?

So let’s laugh at ourselves and be socially more aware of others.

2006-10-18T14:00:00.000+08:00

I see bright lights ahead of me. I also see a pair of eyes peering down at me. 45 minutes later a revelation was revealed to me. This year’s dental visit set me back by RM425. Gasp, I reluctantly surrendered RM350 and promised to pay the remainder pronto. Can you imagine what that sort of money can buy? A nice hairdo and matching sunnies perhaps. Or maybe sitting in the bank collecting crummy savings interest. Oh well, what needs fixing should be fixed.

Why the exorbitant price? I had two upper jaw x-rays, scaling and polishing, fixed a cavity, fixed my braces wiring and of course Dr. T didn’t forget to charge me for consultation fees. So much for being a regular since aged six. Oh, this is a new chap and I’ve not seen my usual dentist for years since he became successful with the opening of another branch in some upscale community. The fees there are even more costly!

Since the mother of all my current problems (i.e. cavity, sore gums and pain) is caused by me three remaining wisdom teeth, I asked how much it would cost me to have them all extracted. Oh, about RM100+ each for the upper jaws (normal extraction) and RM600+ for the bottom left jaw. The latter will require some gum slicing and tooth sawing and crunching because it is growing sideways. Trauma aside, I don’t think I can afford this.

Sigh, I blame my bunny-sized jaws with horse-sized teeth. Since 12, I have had five permanent teeth extracted to alleviate overcrowding, endured more than four years of correctional braces and suffered speech impediment while on teeth retainers. At 19, I went through a relapse of crooked teeth, had my front teeth ‘filed’ because there was insufficient space still, went on braces for a year and finally, retainers with additional wires soldered onto the back of my front teeth for extra support.

I refuse to have the wires removed for fear of a third relapse. My front teeth are ‘for display’ only because I’ve not used them for years for eating purposes. Therefore I cannot bite a shiny apple, crack crab shells, crunch on bones, etc. So much for having teeth!

cafe cinnamon

2006-10-09T23:51:00.000+08:00

3-D cut out card from McD's. Outside and inside view, cute kan? In case you're wondering, these Sanrio characters were created in 2002. The white puppy is called Cinnamoroll and nope this isn't mine. I was merely helping my little niece to fix it up. Hmm, I wonder what other cut out cards they have in MCD's.

I'm not really obsessed with Sanrio, they just happen to remind me of my childhood. And they're so darn cute. Someone please stop me!

Silent Hill

2006-10-08T10:38:00.000+08:00

This is a 2006 movie adaptation of a popular Japanese video game. The premise of the movie is a town called Silent Hill, a world sort of in limbo between reality and hell. There are loads of creepy-looking creatures inhabiting this dimension, namely 3-feet tall, wailing children burnt black walking in stunted movements. (Personally I find twisted innocence like an evil baby, dolls with murderous thoughts and a clown with razor sharp teeth horrendously more horrifying compared to undying zombies in movies). I would recommend this knee-clutching, gut-wincing movie for horror lovers. Anyway, in the original video game, the town is covered in fog and snow. In the movie, it was replaced with smoke and ash instead caused by a coal mine fire which never stopped burning beneath the town. See movie screenshot.

And then see this shot. No worries if you’re not a horror fan because ‘Silent Hill’ has descended upon us in KL recently. (Replace creepy creatures with snatch thieves).

Since ASEAN adopts a non-interfering policy towards their neighbours and the president of the haze factory is too lackadaisically dim-witted to contain the problem, can someone please suggest a solution to this annual crisis? Well, I have a one. Let’s build a huge fan and blow the haze back to them haha.

Game & watch

2006-10-07T20:23:00.000+08:00

When I was a ciku-ling (young person la) during the 80s, I would pester my mom to buy me a Game & Watch by Nintendo. It was awesome! The one and only one I had was the Octopus game. The aim of the game is to retrieve gold as much as possible from a chest on the seabed while manoeuvring your way around the octopus’ tentacles. There are only three chances as evident by the three fish-bowl wearing men sitting in the boat. A very tricky and addictive game powered by a button-sized battery.

Fast forward to present time, kids these days would laugh at this no-brainer two-button device. Just look at the PS2 control device. Two joysticks and so many buttons. How do you manoeuvre your character with one hand while pressing different button combinations to shoot your enemies with the other? A character I played in a game not too long ago died even before I could figure out the buttons. Indeed this was tougher than my one day piano lesson when I was six. Sigh.

Mid-autumn – then

2006-10-06T12:45:00.000+08:00

When I was a kid, ‘lantern day’ was something to look forward to. There will be moon cakes, yam, ling-kok, pomelo, fizzly firecrackers and of course lanterns. The run up to the festival day was even better. There were so much of preparations to be done.

First, we’d buy moon cakes from the supermarket. Red bean paste, lotus paste with duck yolk, mixed nuts and ping pei (snow skinned). My favourite would be the plain moon cake moulded into the shape of a fish and tied up in a pink or red plastic basket. Like a Santa sock, the little baskets can be reused to hold tiny toys or sweets.

Mom would also buy the palm-sized yams, ling-kok and pomeloes from the wet market, a five-minute walk away. The yams were my favourite. Mom would wash the yams clean, put them in a bowl and submerge the bowl in a pot containing two inches of water and steam them till they are cooked. I’d fish one out from the steaming pot and peal the outer skin away and eat the yam. The taste is slightly bland and I’ll swaddle the yam with lots of raw white sugar and worry about cavities later.

Another of my favourites is the ling-kok. Hideously black in colour with two pointy ‘horns’ facing downwards, it resembles the double-arched stick drawing birds flying over the horizon we used to draw as a kid during art class. Till date, I’m not really sure what ling-koks are but it sure is fun eating them. The outer shell is hard as a walnut shell and armed with a hammer and pliers, we’d hammer and pry the shell open. The nut within is light yellow and unfortunately I can’t remember how it tastes like.

Then there was the pomelo. Cutting open a pomelo requires some skill. My sisters and I would crowd around my papa while he slices the inch thick skin with a kitchen knife. And with the first pry, the juicy aroma will fill the air with a refreshing scent. Like a huge orange, I’d eat at least two pieces. Mom would make sure that she buys some pomelo leaves and chrysanthemum flowers from the market as well and place them in the bathroom kong (water container). The next morning, we’d have scented water to bathe with.

And the highlight for me would be lantern and firecrackers shopping at the sundry shop. Displays of lanterns made of transparent colourful paper in wire frame hang in abundance. There were birds, chickens, fishes and I’d have a tough time choosing because I was usually only allowed to buy one. There were also packets of Japanese paper lanterns in an assortment of colours. Colourful candles in boxes to buy. And firecrackers. Of course, the latter are banned now. What a shame.

That night after our family dinner, the front of the house will be lit with lanterns, we’ll play with firecrackers and eat moon cakes. Laughter, teasing, running around and happiness would permeate the air. And as the night draws to an end, we’d fold the lanterns nicely and keep them in the store to be reused next year. Ah, bliss.

I am (not) crazy!

2006-10-04T10:05:00.000+08:00

On a dark and hazy night...

boon: Err, you still got kittybricks ah?
me: *already looking dejected*
counter girl: Uh huh.
me: *slightly cheered up*
boon: Err, what colours you have?
cg: Stock just arrived. Got all 12. Which one you want? Nah, see sample.
me: *eyes wide opened, gleaming with disbelief and staring at the yellow sample* Err, can buy all at one go ah?
cg: Can, RM3.90 each.
me: As in, can I buy one ice-cream to buy all 12?
cg: Yah. How? Which colour you want?
me: *heart missed a beat* Da, maybe I'll just take two, the pink one and uhm...
boon: Get all of it lar, complete set mah.
me: *calm down, don't scream* But then, expensive oh. Some more the other day you scold me for wasting money. Two enough la.
boon: Buy all lar dear. You want all, rite?
me: *giggle giggle giggle* Sure? Uhm, okie lor. You agree one ah. I want one ice-cream and all 12 lar!
cg: *smiles* Okay. Wait ah.

Pure luck! No queue and no shoving and get to buy all 12 sekaligus. Best kan? And I thought I'll have to buy each of them separately from McD. They are about 3 inches in height - affordable set of kitty cat kubrick collectibles, good in quality and not to mention the fabulous packaging. Ogle away...

The perfect job for the retired man

2006-10-01T00:54:00.000+08:00

While having dinner just now, my ingenious mind conjured the perfect job for the enterprising retired man. Uncle popiah. Neat eh? Let’s see, popiah is well loved by the average Chinese folk (non-halal mah), the ingredients are easy to obtain and make and any ordinary Malaysian wouldn’t pass by without buying one from a sweet old man. There is the attractive low cost and easy business set up at the local pasar malam as well and flexible working hours too.

Now, what about uncle popiah’s attire? Well, nothing fancy-lah after all you can’t be wearing designer togs making popiah in our humid weather. I was thinking more of white ah-pek singlet with dark coloured Bermudas, a blue apron, slightly above ankle black socks and Japanese slippers. For hygiene purposes, uncle popiah should wear a transparent shower cap and shave his bulu ketiak on a regular basis. He will be wearing gloves too. And he will have to quit smoking if he is a smoker, quit spitting and don a surgical mask if he happens to be feeling under the weather. When his behind itches, he will not reach back and scratch with his bare hands but he will use the wooden ‘hand scratcher’.

One day, uncle popiah’s popiahs popularity spreads through his patron’s word of mouth. And then he decides that it is time to look into franchising. And before you can say ‘yeah right!’ there in the middle of trendy New York is an uncle popiah franchisee stall next to the hot dog stand. Suddenly, New Yorkers love popiahs. In fact, the whole world loves it! Speak about world domination eh?

Actually, someone should consider setting up a Ramli burger stall in New York. For starters, the comfort snack will be a hit among homesick Malaysians. Hmmm...

Why do we tolerate hygienically dirty food eateries?

2006-09-30T06:48:00.000+08:00

Simply because the food is tastier, cheaper and as long as the rodents are not sitting on the chairs and feasting with us, let’s consider that tolerable. (Ahh, I remember back in primary school, the canteen is the burung gagak’s favourite haunt. Well, I think I remember seeing them in my Sekolah Menengah and oh my goodness I think in college too!)

Where can you get a steaming bowl of pork noodles for RM4 but at the kopitiam with greasy floors? Never mind that the aunty filled a plastic container with tap water and mix it into the pork noodles soup. Or where can you enjoy a RM1 roti with your favourite RM1 milo kau but at that mamak restaurant where it is a norm for rats the size of a kitten running about at the side alleys. You don’t complain much really because the restaurant is raised three steps above the side alley and rats can’t fly. Oh yes, did I mention that the alley cats are too contented and lazy to even prey on the rats? They co-exist in harmony. Of course you’ll need to watch out for the occasional flying cockroach. Then it is a sign that you should really pay and leave.

This is typical Malaysian dining. You either ‘close one eye’ or whip up your own dishes in the comforts of your own home. Middle class dining is exclusively for the middle class or the wealthy or for those who live life trying to impress their girlfriend(s). Basically, eating at Chilli’s thrice a week is impractical. In fact, I think the middle class kopitiams are slightly overpriced as well but I guess it’s because these eateries are air-conditioned and cleaner, I hope. (Not too long ago I patronised a mid-class kopitiam with greasy floors and tables).

And food courts suck. So, we’re back to square one. Sigh, what to do? Close one eye lor. No complains of diarrhoea so far anyway. Tourists, be forewarned though.

Why I hated school

2006-09-27T11:40:00.000+08:00

My primary school days were a traumatic experience. Freddy Krueger would be ashamed to know that his nightmarish antics on Elm Street were nothing compared to mine. I happen to attend a certain Sekolah Rendah at Jalan Selangor adjacent to SRK Assunta. In case you think I’m making all this up just because I was spoilt then, please allow me to reassure you that children don’t lie unless their toys are in danger of being taken away from them. And I also happen to hold a grudge against certain teachers who I thought belonged more to the mental institution than that school.

We were a good bunch of students but vulnerable. Perhaps those sadistic teachers saw fit to be cruel to prepare us to face our violence-loving world. Well thank you, because not only did we grew up sane and peace-loving you have failed miserably as a teacher propagating violence.

May I relate a few bone chilling experiences of this particular teacher of mine, and let’s call her Cik J. Her weapons include a blackboard duster (preferably filled with white chalk), metal pencil cases, the 100cm wooden ruler, a rotan. When these weapons are unavailable, no fear she still has her bare hands. She will wring your ears, pinch your tummy or arms, slap your face, pull your hair, scream ‘bodoh’ at you and any other vicious actions she can think of. All in the name of educating her students. Tell me, how does repetitious hitting enhance one’s intelligence up a notch?

I remember all of us trembling with fear every morning because Cik J also happened to be our class teacher, for two whole damn years! We had a class fund where every student will contribute some money to buy certain school supplies, to buy our teachers a gift for Hari Guru or for our end of the year tea party. Bad luck if you happen to be poor and cannot make a weekly contribution because she would pinch you till you bruised while unleashing a barrage of verbal abuse. If you think Cik J was being sadistic because she was ugly, you’re wrong. In fact, she’s a very pretty lady, dressed nicely in baju kurung/kebaya with matching 3-inch heels.

I told myself if she ever laid a finger of violence on me, she will be a goner. And she did just that one fine day. We had a mock Mathematics exam to prepare us for our UPSR exams that year. I scored a 48 out of 50. I was made to stand up and instead of receiving a pat on the back and a compliment; I received a hard thwack on my bony back with a huge thick book. I nearly peed in my panties. So just imagine what the other students received for scoring below that. Some were given the ‘powder’ treatment with the blackboard duster, some were whacked with the wooden ruler till it broke into two, some received bruised arms and I remember some classmates of mine crying piteously ‘Cikgu, sakit, jangan, jangan’. If this happened once in a blue moon, fine I can accept that. But no, we were tormented five days a week.

I squealed to my mom when I reached home that day. But I pleaded with her not to file a complain to my headmistress less we aggravate Cik J further. Mom being the protective guardian made sure the headmistress was aware of what happened. Two days later, a gempur meeting was called for by the headmistress. Cik J came back to class and demanded to know whose parent dared to humiliate her during the meeting. You’d think she will change for the better. As they say, old habits die hard. In fact, she remained a tyrant while being pregnant much later on.

During the last day of my primary school, most students went to the teacher’s room to ask for forgiveness from the teachers. I sat glued to my seat, happy to finally able to escape this madhouse. I didn’t have an ounce of forgiveness for these so called mentors and I wasn’t about to fake that.

Back then I wished I was brave enough to collect incriminating evidence against this school. Imagine what a huge scandal this might hit our national headlines. Few years after I left primary school, some parent did make sure the country knew about our failing education system. An abusive teacher from some school made it to the front news. I could only say thank God! And not long after that, more parents and students came forward with their tales of woe. The Education Ministry issued a warning statement to teachers to refrain from physical violence towards their students.

Dear teachers, I am not saying that you should spare the rotan and spoil the child. Cane us if we set your car on fire. But cane us not when we cannot answer your subject questions because we are not little Einsteins. Please do not bring your domestic unhappiness or your personal failings to school. We are least interested. I grew up fearing authority, fearing school, fearing society. Thank you for the scarred memories otherwise there would be no tale for me to tell today.