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Night out with Marilyn & Bernard's Day Celebration 3

2010-07-15T12:00:00.005+08:00

Woot. More and more stuff to do that I don't really have the time to blog recently. It will be worse next week I guess. I might be missing in action again lol.

Anyways, first of all, I would like to thank Marilyn for taking me out on a separate occasion for my birthday. We went to the Eclipse premier! LOL thanks, Marilyn. And had Secret Recipe for dinner.

Photos:

Secret Recipe before the movie. Marilyn, smile!

The choco-chese cake (my fav!) she ordered:

The premier pass:

Just three nights ago, I celebrated my birthday with my old friends. Should have done it earlier, but we waited till everyone was back home from overseas. It was a warm celebration at The Apartment, and it was filled with jokes and well, you know what old pals talk to you about.

Nevertheless, we had an enjoyable meal, and thanks guys, for the presents and wishes. We all took photos but I think mine don't look very nice, probably due to the lighting. Oh well.

Photos:

The dinning table. Panorama using phone. Too bad it's a little blurry.

Candles.

The 'bathroom':

Chicken with Cous-cous. This was mine. Not bad but the portion was rather small. And messy looking.

Chicken in a bag! This is what Hsien Hooi had. Don't judge this dish by its look. It was delicious.

Lynnett's Seafood Pasta. Haha. Big juicy shrimps.

Owh, this is awesome. Shared this with Penny. Mango-Duck Salad. I'm making this at home the next round I'm cooking.

Apple Crumble Dessert! I shared this with Hsien Hooi. Oh and Penny too. She ordered one, but she didn't have enough so we ordered more. LOL.

Group photo! From left, behind me: Sook Yeen, Hsien Hooi, Penny, Simon and Lynnett. Karamdeep was LATE!

The Old Gang. Many years of friendship.

Taken from the mezzanine floor of the restaurant. Better lighting I suppose.

That's all I guess. Till the next post. Adios.

The A-Team!!

2010-07-07T17:28:00.004+08:00

Wooot! I've been so busy I didn't even have the time to edit photos, not to mention blogging. Lots of work. So terrible when work kicks in. Worse now that research work has begun and projects are waiting in line.

Anyways, Karam and Chris made a surprise comeback last week and the week before! LOL! It was really unexpected as the two said they won't be back so soon, at least not this year, but they are BACK! Haha.

We had a movie outing, too bad Sara couldn't come due to exams. LOL. Lots of jokes and laughters at the makan place.

Lol. The three before the movie.

The A-team was a great movie. I didn't believe it was one until I watched it. Seriously good. The action, effects and not forgetting humour. LOL! I'm sure many would agree with me.

Well then, back to work.

Li Jia's 22nd!

2010-07-03T15:52:00.005+08:00

Early February this year Li Jia celebrated her 22nd birthday! lol. It was a very classy celebration I would say. It was held at Zang Toi Boutique Cafe in Pavilion, on the 6th of February. I was the first to arrive so I chilled around taking photos lol. I was joined by the birthday girl shortly and we had a good chat before the dinner began.

A panorama of the place I snapped before the guests arrived.

Mirrors! Lots of them.

Classy.

The birthday girl! Li Jia looking sweet in her birthday dress.

Starters. Mushroom soup and garlic bread.

The main course, Chicken Chop.

Dessert! Ice cream and fruits topped with whipped cream.

Birthday girl cutting her cake. Say cheese!

WOOT! We had a great time chatting and making noise there! Happy 22nd, Li Jia! Miss you so much! Faster come back! U owe me a birthday present lol!

Bernard's Day Cake & Celebration continued.

2010-07-02T01:58:00.004+08:00

I don't know why blogger crashed when i tried to continue adding photos.

WOOOT! Marilyn and Natalie gave me something very very very very SEXY! OMG I love this pressie so much! Censored. lol. It's actually a wrist-rest and it can be used to wipe the computer screen. Ain't it cool? There are so many other uses for this pressie, depending on one's creativity, like.... ahaha never mind. Anyway, thanks guys!

Can I have a bigger cup size? LOL. Oh this pressie is just so HOT.

Jason and Alexis gave me this tee. So cute. So this is what happens when you drink too much. LOL!

Keshav gave me this tee! I think he knows that I like Spongebob. And this is a funny variation of Lao Fu Tze. LOL. So cute!

That's all! Thanks again to those who really made my day! =)

Bernard's Day Cake & Celebration.

2010-07-02T01:16:00.007+08:00

Haha. Some friends have been wondering what I baked for Bernard's Day this year. As promised, I will finally reveal what I baked (also what we ate just two hours ago). Before that, I just want to take this opportunity to thank Zhi, Sara, Alexis, Jason, Marilyn, Natalie, Tridib, Keshav, my sis Jennifer, and all the staff at TGIF Sunway Pyramid for such a wonderful laughter-filled celebration.

I'm celebrating Bernard's Day earlier this year as some of them would not be around after 3rd of July. Anyways, enjoy looking at the photos!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Bernard's Day cake! 100% homemade and self-designed. =) (too bad my family members didn't get the chance to see the cake. I forgot to show them! OMG.) Anyway, this cheesecake has 5 layers of goodness, which costs a bomb lol. That i won't reveal. Haha. My friends who tasted the cake now knows what they are.

Before removing it from the springform pan.

Upclose and personal. LOL.

Putting the cake into the box before leaving for the party.

Group photo at the party! (TGIF Sunway Pyramid).

Nice wall decoration they have. Taken using my phone.

A slice of Bernard's Day cake. Personally, I think this cake is a success. =)

Presents!!

Zhi and Sara gave me these! Ruffles and Iphone skin, all the way from the UK! OMG I love you guys man. Ruffles is my favourite snack. Thanks Zhi, for the sweet thought.

Continued on the next post.

Bangkok Trip, January 2010

2010-06-30T11:29:00.005+08:00

On the last day of my Port Dickson -Malacca trip, I was scheduled to fly to Thailand on the same night. I know, it was a big rush. I had to admit that I was running a little bit late and that I drove fast to get home from Port Dickson, as soon as I could. Trust me, I haven't packed my stuff and the Bahts/USDs needed. And I was going to Thailand ALONE.

Oh well, in the end I actually boarded the flight 1 hour after I got home, with just a bag pack, filled with a t-shirt, a pair of pants and my gears. It was supposed to be a backpacking trip, so my dad said I shouldn't carry too much.

Upon reaching Survanabhumi Airport, I took a cab to the nearest hotel to spend the night. The cabs were all either Toyota Altis or Mercedes. The next morning, I took a cab to Khao San Road, and lodged there. Khao San Road is the most happening place in Bangkok City. There were more tourists than locals, I think. I was super cautious, as I was alone. LOL.

There's just too much to tell here. I'll just entrust this task to the photos that I took:

Oh oh oh. I like this. Business class dinner on board. Beef stew and Salmon salad. Plus white wine and dessert. Nais.

The first tourist attraction site I visited in my first morning in the city, The Grand Palace:

Thanks to an English couple who offered to take this photo for me, on the Grand Palace grounds:

I took this myself, with much effort.

This is Pratunam area, where supposedly you can find plenty of good imitations. There was a police raid before, so I didn't find anything worth buying. Saw a few LVs, but too fake to the eye.

Wat Bechamabophit. Also called the Marble Temple. The walls, floors and ceilings are all covered with marble.

This is what we don't have here in KL. Efficient traffic system.

I also visited the giant Sleeping Buddha. Clad in gold.

This is the famous Giant Swing, built right in between two main roads, just outside Wat Suthat.

Oh, and I didn't miss Chinatown. It's not a very big place but it sure was packed with people. And they don't speak chinese. So much for the name Chinatown. However, they serve chinese food. The restaurant I went to for lunch. Super big portion. And here I learnt that they like to do shabu-shabu (steamboat).

Oh Patpong Night Market. OMG, this place was scary. I only spent 15 minutes here. There were two long rows of stalls supposedly selling fake goods, and behind the two rows of stalls are brothels. I didn't notice it till I went to the back of the stalls to avoid the sea of people bargaining. They came up to me showing me catalogs of you-know-what. They even had tables and chairs set up for your comfort while you make your choice or bargain with the pimps. Sorry, no photos on that.

I actually walked 2 kilometres for this. McDonald's. Why, you asked? For their pork burger, nothing else. I was a little disappointed the last time when I went to the McD in Shanghai, only to learn that that outlet doesn't serve it. Yums. Bon appetite.

Pork burger. Tender and Juicy.

Actually I had a lot of Thai local food and delicacies during my trip there. There were too many to be posted. Anyways, this was what I wanted to eat before leaving Bangkok. Khao Neo Ma Muang, or Mango and Sticky Rice. I had this just 2 hours before my flight home. Yums.

Personally, it's been a very good experience travelling and backpacking alone to a foreign land at my age. I have to thank my parents for such a wonderful opportunity. I hope to do this again some time soon.

Bernard's Day cake.

2010-06-29T22:21:00.002+08:00

I baked again today. And this time it is my birthday cake. I'm still keeping it as a secret till i finally reveal it on Thursday, at the dinner with friends. I'm just not in the mood today for fancy words. Well, the photo is below.

This is the actual cake, without the topping. Keep guessing, and good luck.

Cheesecake!!

2010-06-28T22:34:00.004+08:00

Baking was listed in the To-Do list posted previously. I also mentioned that I would bake my own birthday cake this year. Haha. So far it went on quite well, I mean , the plans. What I intend to do this year is that, instead of treating friends to dinner or some meal, I planned to do something more meaningful. Something that involves my heart, my effort, time and enthusiasm. Rather than to simply fling a couple of bank notes over to the cashier.

Special, don't you think?

I'll be celebrating with three different groups of people this year. And that means I'm baking three birthday cakes. LOL. I chose cheese cake to be my B-day (Bernard-Day) cake this year as I had ice-cream cake last year.

I made something nice today! It's a Blueberry Cheesecake. Hahaha. Those seeing me on the 1st of July might think that this cake is what they are going to see, but that's not true! This was just for fun (actually to familiarise myself with cheese)! There's no way I will reveal what I'm going to bake for B-day.

Photos:

The crust.

The cake!

Haha. I don't think I want to reveal the method I used to make this cake. I used a different approach, that's all I can say. =)

Cheers!

KL International Marathon 2010 part 2!

2010-06-28T14:59:00.006+08:00

Woooohoooo! Ouch. My back is aching, so are my hamstrings and calves. Just yesterday, Jason, Zhi Sheng and I, and many others that I know of had participated in the annual KL Marathon! I must say that it was a challenging thing to do, but we managed to cross the finishing line on time!

Our run was scheduled at 6.15 am (42km at 5.00 am, 10 km at 7 am, and the rest were later in the morning) and as they sounded the horn (or something like that), all the runners took their very first pace, looking forward to the finishing line. What some didn't know was that, the finishing line was still far ahead (actually it was just right behind us as the starting line was also the finishing line for all the runs).

The run took us from Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square) to Brickfields, then to the National Palace (passed by the palace) to Loke Yew, Cheras, then to Bukit Bintang (Starhill), up the Bukit Bintang road, then down to Istana Hotel, to Jalan Ampang, passing by KLCC, then towards Jalan Sultan Ismail, and turned off to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, and finally to the finishing line. Well, it may seem that we've run a very short distance from my brief description here, but trust me, you won't want to do the actual thing.

Anyhow, we all made it to the finishing line in 3 hours. That's a lot of running to us. We basically pushed our limits. It was really tiring at the end of the day, but we sure had a lot of fun. And we sure had created a stronger bond in our friendship.

Photos:

Are we ready?? LOL. This was taken at 6.10 am, just minutes before the race began.

The Cool Zone, located at Bukit Bintang to chill runners down.

My finisher's medal!

Zhi Sheng posing with his finisher's medal:

Jason with his finisher's medal:

The rest of the day was filled with hot rubs and cool patches on our bodies. Haha. But we had fun. Did you?

#Note: Someone passed away in the 10km run, it is indeed a sad thing for such an event.

KL International Marathon 2010!

2010-06-26T12:42:00.004+08:00

Wooohooo! I'll be running with Zhi Sheng and Jason Chan this Sunday (tomorrow) in one of the events in the annual KL International Marathon, sponsored by Standard Chartered, at 6.15 am! Also joining are my high school friends, Wai Loon and Loh Eu Jin.

Consider the three of us daring and crazy for choosing to run the 21 km event, as we are not runners to begin with.

What happened was that, when we filled up the form, we had four choices of run to choose from. They were 5 km fun run, 10 km, 21 km and 42 km. 42 km was definitely out of reach for us amateurs. We didn't want to do the fun run, so we were left with 10 km and 21 km. I think one of us (or may be two) said that it won't be fun if we just signed up for the 10 km run, so we promptly checked the 21 km box.

I don't know what we are getting ourselves into. But i'm sure it'll be fun as we will be running together supporting one another. Wish us luck!

The run pack (I removed certain things, like the bag):

Ipoh-Penang Trip '10!

2010-06-24T22:32:00.005+08:00

About a week before going down south with Hsien Hooi, Li Jia, Jacqueline and my sis to Malacca and Port Dickson, I actually traveled north to Ipoh and Penang with Eu-Juin, Chris, Zhi Sheng and Sara. This was another great getaway from the city. We went hunting for food and had a great time bonding. LOL.

Most of the photos were taken in Penang, but there is one photo I took in Ipoh that I feel is worthy of its appearance here. The cendol guy. We had roadside cendol which, according to Zhi Sheng is famous in the neighbourhood. He makes his own cendol from pandan leaves. It's all natural, but I didn't quite like the taste. It's really an acquired taste.

We spent one night at Zhi Sheng's house and headed to Penang the next morning with a few stops for photography. The following photos were all taken in Penang:

We went to the famous Kek Lok Si Temple:

Tortoises spending their precious time under the sun at the pond (Wishing Pond?):

At the beach. This poor starfish must have been a victim of pollution and got drifted to the shore.

We also spent time at the Penang Butterfly Farm. It was a little uncomfortable in there with live reptiles and insects on display and butterflies flying around, but it was colourful and a good place for photography. This butterfly was curious about Chris' camera and it smiled for my camera.

City view from Penang Hilltop. Different gases and dust blended together to give an interesting colour to the city atmosphere.

Malacca-Port Dickson Trip, January 2010

2010-06-24T01:14:00.008+08:00

I promised to post photos, and here they are! Earlier this year 5 of us, Hsien Hooi, Li Jia, Jacqueline, my sis and I headed south to Port Dickson for a one night stay at the Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson. En route to Port Dickson, we actually dropped by Malacca for our Nyonya lunch and some (plenty!) of desserts. Yum!

It was a nice getaway! Too bad Kristine, Penny, Karam and Chee Kien weren't able to join, but i'm sure we'll have another round soon!

Photos:

A souvenir for Li Jia, Jacq and Hsien Hooi. Haha guys, don't scratch your head, we didn't actually take this picture. I completely photoshopped it and my sis doesn't want to be in there.

(Note: Everyone in this photo are taken from different photos, including the background. So there are actually 5 photos involved. And the shadows, lol i made them.)

On our way to Malacca:

At Jonker Street, Malacca. Cendols, souvenirs and trishaws:

Li Jia was having a good laugh at something taken on her camera. That remains a secret between us. LOL. Good one, Li Jia! She was blushing like a strawberry. LOL!

I didn't know it until I saw this photo! Jacq was browsing through God knows what in my phone. She must be reading my messages. Hahaha.. bad bad girl.. LOL! Never mind 'cos she's a bestie anyway, and I have nothing to hide. See the red circle? That's my old phone, SE Xperia X1. Busybody Jacq:

And.. two panoramas taken at Legend Water Chalets. I've actually posted them on Facebook, but I post them here for the benefit of those who do not have a Facebook account and for those who did not see them on Facebook.

Legend Water Chalets:

Legend Water Homes. I hope we'll all be going to this resort the next time round. It's expensive by the way. LOL. I like the concept, and the patios!

It's finally over!

2010-06-23T13:09:00.002+08:00

Exams are finally over for Monash electrical engineering students! Freedom, finally. But now that it's over i feel that there's so much to do during the holidays and I just don't know where to begin! =P

The first hour of freedom was spent driving back home and jumping around with my dogs. They looked extremely happy today. I think they could sense that freedom for their best friend means that more time and attention will be allocated for them. lol

Anyways, the exam was so-so, not too bad and not too good. Well, I've given my best, we'll just see how it turns out to be. If you're reading this, try and guess what's on my mind. I'm thinking of watching Shrek Forever After! Hmm. I wonder whether it is still in the cinemas. And I want a karaoke session. Oh well. sighy.

I think I'll just stay home today. Exam was very energy-demanding. May be I should take a nap now. Will be posting photos soon. Stay tuned!

Last Battle! Whistle-controlled-switch in my room?

2010-06-22T08:36:00.004+08:00

There's just one more paper to go and the electrical engineering students in Monash will be free! MERDEKA! (translates to Freedom or Independence in english).

The freedom won't be long though. In another 3 weeks we'll be back in university again for the coming semester. I'm actually looking forward to that, despite the fact that there'll be a lot of stress and work. BRING IT ON! Haha. I'm just excited that we'll be designing our own stuff in one of the units called Engineering Design. It's a super cool unit I guess.

Speaking of design, I just noticed that I didn't include something in the To-Do list posted earlier. I wanted and planned to build a Whistle-Controlled-Switch in my room! Dad said yes. He's my Hero, as always.

Technically, there are plenty of things to build and precautions to take, due to the high voltage power supply coming from the wall sockets. Generally, what this switch does is, upon sensing a whistle, it turns on the lights or the fan in the room. Whistling again at a different frequency turns off all the lights or the fan. Cool eh?

Anyways, I intend to enhance this design by using micro-controllers (microchips), that's coming soon to my doorstep. Instead of using whistle, I plan to use voice command, or even better, smart voice detection that only the room owner could give the commands to turn off or on the lights. LOL. My mum's going to scream.

Looks like there's a lot to do after the exams. As for now, I want to concentrate on my last paper, scheduled tomorrow at 8.30 am! All the best to everyone!

A Soldier Without His Weapon

2010-06-21T09:22:00.003+08:00

What is a soldier without his weapon? Will he die in the battle or is there another way to keep him alive? Which would I be? LOL. I left my whole stack of Telecommunication notes at home! And i'm only armed with a laptop and a book.

Oh my. The paper starts at 1.30 pm, in roughly about 4 hours time. AAAHHH!

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

10.00 am: Dad took the notes all the way from home to Monash. Dad, you're my Hero! =P

Dear Daddy... p/s: I LOVE YOU.

2010-06-20T12:53:00.002+08:00

Exams have been more than cruel to me. It's daddy's day today! Everyone else in the country and perhaps in some corner of the world is spending quality time with their dads and granddads and I'm stuck to my chair trying to do last minute revision for my paper tomorrow. Haha.

But it didn't stop me from jumping on my dad from the back this morning, giving him his first peck of the day and wishing him 'Happy Dad's Day' and telling him what a superstar he has been all along. I really love that man. I do. LOL. (Sorry, i just can't help but to express what i feel).

I guess daddy really understands what I'm going through (don't get me wrong, it's EXAMS, and not other things that might have crossed your mind) because he is just so cool when he told me that having us around (actually me, only ME. LOL just joking.) makes everyday a Father's Day to him. Awww that's just so sweet.

And for that, I want to honour him for the role he played in my life. Here. Ever since i was born I've been a part of everything he does. He was my driver (before i got my driving license), my gourmet cook (he always makes sure that i eat, even when he's busy with work), my drink buddy (we drink a lot) , my mentor in work, my work partner, my best friend (he talks to me about girls and well, anything and everything a teen goes through in life), occasionally my shoulder to lean on when i have problems, my ATM and mobile bank (LOL), a provider; he is much more than what a Father has been created for.

Bonus points for my dad: He gives me surprises all the time, especially on special days. What else could i asked for, sometimes i question myself.

To everyone reading this and all out there,

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

p/s: Daddy, I Love You.

2 DOWN, 2 MORE TO GO!

2010-06-18T16:56:00.007+08:00

Exam fever has started hitting all Monashians (all campuses, M'sia, AUS and South Africa) students and lecturers alike, since 10th of June! Even the 'kakaks' (means sisters in English, crude translation for female general workers) who kept the campus clean felt the heat wave breezing through the edges of their orange uniforms. 10th June marked the day where students start to camp in tutorial rooms and every quiet corner they could find around the campus, with food and rough papers (lots of them!), and orange workers would have to hunt them down. Not the guys of course, but the leftovers of food and used papers. Armed with only a pair of tired legs, a broom and a mop, these orange soldiers sure have a lot to do.

Okay. Enough emphasis on the workers. The whole institution was dragged into this frenzy, this unavoidable 'zombification' period. Some read with mouths wide open, some had bubbles overflowing the oral cavity (just exaggerating) and some are just emotionless (all emotions drained by the notes right before their eyes). Even the security guards are stressed up. I think it's not due to the exams. In fact they look as though they haven't got much to do during this period. I saw new recruits. I think that's the source of their stress.

No doubts, us students and our 'beloved' (okay fine, i understand that not everyone agrees with me on this) lecturers are tied to our chairs, chained by the syllabus, head bombarded with right and wrong answers, and dread the all-of-a-sudden slow moving time. On the contrary, i know some who are not enslaved by the exams. Lol.

As for me, half the battle was fought. Two more papers to go on Monday and Wednesday and I will be ~~free~~ busy with other things. haha. I just notice that my To-Do list is as long as my Wish-list. And i want to list it down here so that i will remember to do all the things i promised I would do, and so that you guys can check if i missed out your name. LOL.

TO-DO List:

***********

1. KL Marathon

2. Movie Marathon

3. Steamboat with Marilyn, Natalie and the gang

4. Bake B-day (Birthday, also Bernard Day) cake

5. Celebrate B-day with different groups of peeps

6. Hang out with my best friend, Hsien Hooi

7. Buy B-day present

8. Hang out with Alvin Kok

9. Hang out with Marilyn and Nat

10. Fix my neighbour's internet problem

11. Fix my aunt's Garmin

12. Re-enrol (I JUST REMEMBERED, OMG)

13. Meet up with co-author and continue to pen the books

14. Research work

15. Year-end competition preparation

16. My own work

17. Buy photo frames (many of them)

18. Edit all the panoramas i have abandoned and some other shots

I think that's all. LOL. Note that there're no holiday vacations being planned ahead. Oh my. The question is, could i even do all the things listed above, within the short break period of 3 weeks?

Unwrapping HP Mini 210!

2010-06-03T17:25:00.006+08:00

The long awaited HP Mini promised by TM has finally arrived! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO! There's no need for lengthy descriptions, just... feast your eyes!

The Box:

Top View:

Closer look:

The Computer is Personal Again!

Checking out the contents:

The baby, carefully placed and protected:

Surprise! The gang:

Sleekness. YUM.

Prior to removing the keyboard protective sheet:

Keyboard, naked.

Closer look at the keys.

And powering it up!

We still haven't found a use for the netbook yet lol since all of us have our own lappies at home. Specs aren't extremely good for any specific use, but good enough for its size. The specs:

10.1 " Anti-glare widescreen display

250 GB Hard Drive

1024 MB DDR2 SDRAM

802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth

3-cell Lithium-Ion Battery

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 with shared graphics memory

5-in-1 Digital Media Reader

Intel Atom N450 Processor (1.66 GHz)

Webcam

Windows 7 (32 bit) =P

LOL. What do you think? It's totally free.

Kick-starting the New Year.

2010-01-08T13:18:00.004+08:00

"Twenty Ten". Definitely much easier to pronounce than "Two Zero Zero Nine", and i hope that it means this year would be better lived than the year before.

Well, so far the new year isn't so bad. With only just a few days passed, it sure has been happening. What a humble beginning. And what a number of beginnings around me that this new year has brought me. The beginning of a new life, new ties, new hope, new heart, new opportunities, new friends and a new attitude.

On the eve of new year, I'd decided not to go anywhere as it was still 2009. True that i should be celebrating the passing of 09' but i felt that it would be more meaningful if i celebrated 2010 when it HAS arrived.

The first day was great. The evening was spent in the warmth and comfort of a good companionship =) and late evening was filled with drinks and family chats. And nobody needs to know what happened for the rest of the day.

Haha. Up to date, there are reasonably few outings that i have gone to. With Hooi and the gang (photos posted on Facebook), old friends (Li Jia, and the rest of the form 6 gang, photos again, on Facebook), family gatherings, birthdays, special ones, and a reunion with brothers.

The dawn of new year has been a little funny and surprising too. Someone told me she had a crush on me and asked whether i felt the same. I had to tell her that i was unavailable, though i felt bad. Anyway, the funniest thing that happened so far was that i stepped outta my house, took the lift down to my car and went out to the shoplots in my boxers without knowing it. And i met so many people on the way. LOL. I thought i was wearing shorts.

Oh well, that's the updates for now. Too much fun stuff to tell here. Feeling lazy to pour.

Welcoming year 2010.

2009-12-28T23:51:00.002+08:00

A brand new year is going to be here soon. =)

I haven't thought of serious resolutions for the coming year yet (though i have decided on some, listed below), but i sure have things to say to and about the year which is about to become history, year 2009.

Year 2009 saw plenty of challenges in many aspects, from trying to keep certain things alive, while my own life was barely balancing on the edge of an elephant's tusk, working hard to keep the balls up and juggling, to witnessing an act so cruel done so deliberately at such a mercilessly strategic time to me. Oh well.

***

Year 2009 sure had a lot in store for me. But i'm ready to forget it all. Living through the year would now just be a dream for me.

I will remember how cruel people have been. And i will pray for them, for i know they will get it one day.

I will miss those who had left the world dearly. I hope that they've found a better place.

I will cherish You.

I will not fall so easily.

Irresponsible words hurled at me, thank you but I'm no longer interested. Eat your words if you want.

I will drink more.

I will spend more time for '*'.

Less calls, more face to face conversations.

Bigger heart. For people around me.

Bake and cook more, for doing these things keeps me at peace.

Keep a discreet life.

More patience.

***

And of course there'll be more from where these came from.

On top of everything, after giving a thought about it for a long time, I will be a changed person in 2010.

Till the day comes, peace to all.

Happy New Year. May 2010 bring everyone blessings. Especially to those who need it.

<3 : What's the meaning behind it?

2009-11-27T13:23:00.006+08:00

Well, it could have been coincidental, but it is definitely genuine. I have no explanation as to why these things happened, and i'm pretty curious about them. In fact, my parents had taken interest in the birthmark on my arm quite some time ago.

I was handling something in the kitchen just a few moments ago and got myself wounded. It was before i slipped in the gloves. And the wound continued to bleed till i got a heart-shaped blood stain under the rubber sheet. Kinda weird but it isn't something you see everyday.

The stain: (taken under 2 different exposures)

Regarding the birthmark on my arm, it is actually heart-shaped. Yea, i have a heart-shaped birthmark. Not a tattoo, or an old wound.

The birthmark:

(I think a better camera would give a clearer view)

Tip: View the photos below from about 2 meters away from the screen, then you will see it clearly.

In my younger days as a toddler, there was once when i wet the bed, there was a small heart-shaped stain next to the big wet stain on the bed sheet. Too bad there isn't any photo to show that.

Sometimes i wonder whether these encounters mean anything. Couldn't be too coincidental, could they? You tell me. <3

Updates!

2009-11-27T11:32:00.004+08:00

Haha. I haven't posted anything since my first free Saturday. Lots and lots of things had happened. Lol. There's going to be a surprise for everyone soon. Lol if i decide to share. Anyways, holidays seem busier than schooling days!

There's so much to catch up during the holidays. So many things on the list that i intend to do. Time is running quite short for me. I enrolled for summer classes, which takes 2 days off my week, and work about everyday (tiring but enjoyable), played, hung up with best friends, hit the gym, shopped with grandparents, celebrated special days, and the list goes on. And on, because there's still a lot on the list i haven't checked.

Speaking of special days, my parents had just celebrated three special events which fell on three consecutive days last week (in fact on the same week every year) and I was a part of it this year. Initially i intended to buy something for them and it led me to hours of unproductive walk and survey at the malls.

Then the idea of cooking a meal for them came by. The idea dawned to me pretty much last minute. It was 4.30 p.m and i was at Subang. Technically i only had 3 hours to prepare and serve the meal (dinner). Lol. I rushed home and reached at 5.00 p.m. Took 10 minutes to figure out what to cook and buy, then drove to Hartamas to collect the stuff.

Actually to be honest, i didn't know what to cook them. Honey and lemon came to my mind, and i was craving for potatoes, so i decided that probably two of the dishes should be Honey Glazed Chicken and Rosemary Beef Stew. The rest were Chinese Style Steamed Cod Fish and Salmon Sashimi. Haha. Oh yea, i made desserts too, and some Vodka and Gin cocktail.

=) Thank God i managed to serve them just before they were back at 8p.m. I actually panicked in between because i ran out of corn starch. LOL. Some credit has to go to Eu-Juin for suggesting plain flour as substitute.

Two of the dishes (prior to serving):

(the rest weren't taken because my parents were at the door already. lol!)

The Glazed Chicken

Beef Stew

First free Saturday

2009-11-14T23:58:00.003+08:00

Today's the first Saturday that i have nothing formal or important to do or deadlines to worry about. LOL. Woke up at about 10, bathe dogs and walked them and then got ready for my lunch appointment with Hsien Hooi.

Was supposed to drive him to 1-Utama but mum called up to arranged some stuff with me, so there was a change of plan. Went to Soho KL instead. Haha.. We were hoping to find some food there but ended up walking around and couldn't decide on what to eat. lol

We left Soho KL shortly and headed straight to Hartamas Shopping Complex. LOL. And we met Kristine there! And her dad, and Kellie, her sis. There's a newly opened TGIF there on the third floor, so we promptly walked in. And we ate like monsters.

The parfaits (desert) we had, greedy us:

Nothing interesting after lunch, at least not for the public to know, as they were all personal stuff. Haha. Sorry for that, i know i've always spilled everything out. I just don't feel like doing it now. LOL. Another day then, good day.

Over the last two weeks..

2009-11-13T22:07:00.010+08:00

So many things have happened over the last two weeks and i haven't been able to notify anyone anything about it. ~~My fault~~ . Exams was a more evident reason for this late post. Anyways, despite the fact that the exam fever was on, i had gone thru lotsa life-changing experiences and lol, ended up having fever towards the end of the exam period. But i've learnt well enough.

I did many things during the examination period. Of course, running thru the never-ending pages of notes and tutorials was one of them, but i'd also given myself a break (actually too many breaks) to free myself from the stress prison. I had a full body massage at Thai Odyssey (Midvalley Megamall), went shopping with grandparents, hung out with parents, drank a lil, did paperwork, had foot reflexology, ate 5 tubs of Baskin Robbins and a Strawberry Sundae everyday (poor McD delivery guy, he has to send just one sundae to my place everyday), bought a desktop, clothes and a pair of Nike, and the list goes on...

Haha. I know i shouldn't be doing all these during the most important period of the semester, that's probably why i got sick, the late-nighters and all. But there's one more contribution to my sickness, which i will never forget. Glad that i'm getting better now. But it affected two of my papers. Oh well.

Photos taken:

Thai Odyssey:

The beds:

(Remark: Thai ladies are strong creatures. Ouch.)

Lunch with parents at Din Tai Feng, Saturday:

(This really brings back the memories of me in Shanghai, remember i was at Din Tai Feng (from my previous blog)? I ordered the same thing as i ordered back then with Juin and Chris):

Xiao Loong Bao:

(And many other dishes which we had, lazy to post. LOL)

Dinner with parents at Marche, Sunday:

(Colourful Marche, I love their concept.)

Shopping with parents:

New Desktop:

Hoodie from Giordano:

I think this pair of Nike is unique:

Ranting. Something I wouldn't do unless it saves me from breakdown.

2009-11-07T02:23:00.002+08:00

Haha. It's 2.30 in the morning and i'm still wide awake. Gazing thru the window at the newly built expressway outside my house gave me a sense of serenity. There is a reason why i was, and am still awake. Just as when you see smoke, something was definitely burning. The night's stay was more than just something burning in the fire pit. Probably slightly more, but still more.

One logical reason for staying up late is of course to study for the next paper. And another is probably more personal, close to heart, but less substantial, at least from this point on. There is some strength emphasized in the previous sentence, if you noticed.

Sometimes it is disappointing to realize that a person tells you something and then something else happens. The question is, why bother telling? The answer would be : To please the ears that are listening. "WOW," was my reaction when i noticed that. What an answer. I really applaud those who did that.

Some like to keep secrets. They end up being ambiguous. They try to twist their words as though they were trying to screw the cork out of the champagne bottle. Some are professionals. They are quick and fast. And nasty. It's not pleasant to not learn the secrets from the secret bearer himself.

Some damages done cannot be undone. My dad always said that life is an art without an eraser. Which is quite true. If it doesn't work this way, there's sure to be another way that will work eventually. The bottomline is, look forward. Miss one, be ready for the next. Miss the next, get set for the one after next. "Life is a marathon" like what Eu-Juin said.

Well. Come to think of it, i shouldn't blame anyone for the things that had happened. Let's just say every thing is predestined. If stars belong to the day, God would have made the stars shine in the day.

If today i was destined to be late, I'm sure God had purposely made it that way because he has a better plans coming up for me. Well, some words are better left unvoiced. What use could the call 'TAXI!' be of, when the taxi has left the taxi stand? =)

Having read the bible I find that i could let go things more easily. So i have decided. And nothing would change that. Peace. =)

Alcoholic Saturday!

2009-10-24T22:00:00.003+08:00

Every Saturday is "Alcoholic Saturday", my very own Saturday Night Fever dedicated to drinks i love. Of course not to the extend of getting myself drunk.

This week's pick is .... Sunset Splash! My very own Vodka Cocktail recipe.

This is the first time i drink while i'm studying. LOL. Great experience though. It heightens the spirit to work harder. LOL. In a way.

Hahaha.

Good to luck everyone in Monash and everywhere else where exams are approaching!

The Crazy Last Minute Day Trip

2009-10-23T10:26:00.010+08:00

Haha. This was last Saturday. Close to dawn. In fact, an hour or two pass dawn. Everyone was wide awake and ready to leave. I was still drooling beneath my creases of my warm blanket, threatening to kill if anyone woke me up. (I stayed up late the night before). Someone pushed my blanket aside and tapped on my shoulder. It was dad with his gears. "Let's go out" he said.

"Where?"

"Good Question."

My eyes blinked in disbelief. Nevertheless i got ready and we left at 7.10 am. There was some discussion going on in the car about where to go and what to do for the day, while i travel back and forth between dream and reality. By the time i woke up, we were on our way to Genting. The plan was, 4 hours in Genting, then Strawberry Farm on our way downhill, Mushroom farm and finally shopping at one of the malls in KL.

The trip to Genting was, i would say, country-like. Birds flocked together in the skies, the surrounding was greeneries, and country music was played on the car radio. And nice breeze too.

At Genting, I had to babysit my siblings. Parents had gone dating. If you know me well enough, i'm not the type who fancies outdoor games or arcades, haha, but i had no choice. I can't ask my siblings to spend time enjoying coffee at Starbucks, can I? So I obliged, with one condition; only play indoors. Had hours of fun, at least for my brother, then a game of bowling, and well, fair enough, a venti-sized Java chip Frappucino from Starbucks, met parents at the First World hotel lobby and we were good to leave.

En route back to KL we stopped at the nearby Strawberry Farm and also the Mushroom Farm to buy souvenirs and take photos.

Next stop: One-Utama Shopping Complex.

It was dinner time when we finally got down. And it was too late for our final stops (after 1-U), IKEA and IKANO. May be another week. Had TGIF for dinner and shopped around. I was so exhausted! My gosh. Siblings bought nike and adidas shoes. Ish! So jealous. Only if i had the strength to pick one for myself.

At Genting:

There goes my money:

(Just look at how much my brother could play)

Strawberry /Mushroom Farm & Plant nursery:

Strawberries!

This is how mushroom is cultivated:

(scary though. fungi everywhere.)

Orchids:

(Phalaenopsis lindenii)

The kite shop:

(They have real big kites and kites you thought would never fly!)

And finally me, promoting BIG CUPS! :

Kissed by a sheet of glass.

2009-10-08T19:25:00.005+08:00

Kissed by a sheet of glass. How lovely. The day hadn't gotten worse than it should be. Different angles of the kiss, thanks to someone:

8 Gigabytes less!

2009-10-08T13:28:00.003+08:00

My total mobile memory (minus my brain) is now 8 gigabyte less, unless if i could retrieve it. I was on the bed when the message came buzzing on my phone. It was Zhi Sheng, asking me to bring my pen-drive to university to check some stuff. Still blur and eyes sleepy, i suddenly got a slap in the head. MY PEN-DRIVE?

Yes, the next thing that came to mind was the memory of it being plugged onto the lab computer that we've been working on the day before. I was wide awake. Made a few calls after that and started blaming myself for the negligence.

Checked with the lab staff but three out of the five said they didn't have it. I still had 40% of chance to get it back. Lol. My third year friend told me that some people actually never find their lost pen-drives back. Scary. Plus, mine's an 8 GB pen-drive, such a temptation.

Well, i guess i will have to get a new one then. Haha. Good luck to the finder! I remember putting a curse to the pen-drive. lol.

Mid-Autumn Festival a.k.a Mooncake Festival

2009-10-04T21:21:00.008+08:00

Happy happy happy belated Mid-Autumn Festival to all Chinese around the world, and to some 'sesat' (lost, in Bahasa Melayu) ones who also celebrate this event! LOL. I actually do not celebrate it to be honest. I only want to eat those yummy mooncakes every year and give myself an excuse to play with fire and lantern. Haha. The problem is, i haven't done any of them.

Yup, i haven't eaten a single slice of mooncake and i thought i was too old for lanterns, considering the sad fact that i'm 21.

There is a story behind this festival, as i was told, many many gazillion years back by someone. However, there are many different versions of it, told by the different divisions and subdivisions of the Chinese race (China's big, hence, different parts of China would have different dialects and well, beliefs).

Correct me if i'm wrong. If my memory hasn't failed me, the Chinese celebrate this festival to commemorate the goddess named Chang Er who got sent off to the moon as a punishment for dating General Tian Peng (who turned into the famous Zhu Ba Jie, the pig warrior who accompanied monk Tsang Jang on his journey to the West, in seek of Buddha).

(picture courtesy of www.technicaljones.com)

Another version came from my mum's side, where majority are Hokkiens. I think their version's more logical. According to them, it's about a war against some enemy (i forgot which enemy); it was at night, and it was full moon. Apparently, the strategy that helped them (China) win the war was this 'bright' (lol) idea of sending messages to one and another in cakes. Literally stuffing inked messages into the poor edibles. That explains why we have mooncakes on the mid-autumn festival. Full moon, winning battle/war, with the help of cakes, get it?

Whatever it is, i'm no Buddhist or Taoist, and neither do i speak much of Hokkien. I only look forward to eating the cakes and gathering for a game of cards with my cousins. Haha. This year's celebration at my mum's side was so so. Simple and quiet. Just the way i want it. We left quite early because my dad was sleepy.

Nothing much happened so i'll just let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy viewing!

Top: Part of the feast.

Bottom: Yummy cupcakes. My aunt brought them. I think i've seen them on Kristine's 21st bday party.

Taken by my sis, cousins and i:

Cute lanterns:

At Soho KL with parents!

2009-10-02T22:21:00.006+08:00

Soho KL's located just behind my place, with a mere 5 minutes drive from the guard house. Night life there is awesome! So much to see. Look and see but not touch, that is, if you know what i mean. There's a lot to eat too. Ranging from fine dining, to Japanese, to Western, i'm not too sure whether they have fast food there, to Indonesian (Ole-ole Bali), to Chinese, and well, go check them out yourselves!

There were a lot of music and noises around, people singing and chanting their alcohol filled words and phrases, and ironically, there were quiet corners for couples too. Life of many styles were scattered all over the place.

Enough of noises and tired of walking around on our 'makan' trip, we took a short break at Cold Storage, to buy groceries. We ended up buying less needs and more wants. Check the photos out!

This stall's really an irony to the night scene. LOL.

This is funny! You must be wondering why. Rooster lay eggs meh?

At Cold Storage. I wanted to buy Jack Daniels, but dad wants to try Tolon-tolon:

Tolon-tolon, milk and alcohol. Nice.

Korean Ginseng. Funny and weird looking.

Happening! Gonna crash. Hangover at its peak.

Welcome to Pages Let Loose!

2009-09-30T16:37:00.000+08:00

Hello to all readers, and welcome to my new column, Pages Let Loose, where words unsaid will be expressed, little complaints will be tossed around and where strong opinions and stands will find as their battleground (i hope).

Feel free to comment, that's most important.

I might not be able to update this column all the time, but do check from time to time for new posts. Follow this blog today to help you get updated with its contents!

Regards,

Leo