Just In Time

I must admit that lately I've been neglecting many things.

*not because I was all the time fishing*

Even stuff that I'm most fond of. Reading, drawing, gaming, Chou Sing Tze movies...

Admittedly everything isn't peaches and cream but eventually it will be. I'll let you know why.

Beacause I'm on a break now. A lovely, relaxing, 10 days of blissful NOTHING.

*This is how I look napping, with no make up, on a fishing trip with my family, deal with it.* ***Takes mental note to kill sister who took this picture while I was asleep.***

That's right, since I don't have the time (mostly) to do what I want, then I take the time to devote myself solely in the spoiling of, yes you guessed it, MYSELF.

Although I must say, what time I did have during the weekends are well spent with my family and the occasionally weekend work demands but the rewards are far greater with grateful work colleagues and even more importantly, my relationship with my family.

Sad to say the 6 years I spent living on my own in Bandar made me rather blind to the changes that has happened in my family. Or perhaps it is I that have changed. Perhaps I have matured enough to see.

Whatever the case maybe, I felt it was a good move for me to live back and relate again with my family despite whatever moanings and groanings you might have heard from me. My itchy scratchy relationship with my mother is as static as ever however, we've grown accustomed to it and has even evolved to a sort of comfortable, abliet slightly bitter, banter between mother and daughter.

My father is more or less the same fella, although now he's growing more like those old men you see in the movies who likes to sit around, day dream a bit with a cig in hand and a cold beer on the table. He is now doing more gradening, a new hobby he's picked up over the last couple of years which I'm happy to see. Granted fishing is fun but I feel more secure to know he's at home instead of out in some cold wet spot, exposed to bugs and snakes and God knows what else. Not that he can't take care of himself, dad is a regular trooper when it comes to the outdoors, but he's not getting any younger and I rather he be close by.

My brother has grown more annoying than I could possibly imagine. I believe it's my mother's way of compensating for the amount of intelligence I have when she gave birth to me. Somewhere in her, tiny motherly cells were telling her to hold off on the IQ department when she was suffering from the smart mouth of her 4yr old first born. Therefore she has made her next born, my brother, more brawny than brainy. Although, she does have the tendacy to over do things a little bit. (Like too much grapefruit in the cheesecake she was making the other day.) I swear to you, my brother is an entirely new species of fruit altogether. Still, he is good at heart and his morals are straight eventhough not all the lights are on upstairs. He doesn't do drugs, steal or cheat, gamble or drink excessively. That much I am thankful for.

My adorable baby sisters are now young teens before I can say 'whoopsie daisy'.

The older one is in the midst of getting ready for her graduation night which is something of a high school musical (there will be a performance which she is part of) and a prom.

For the past two weeks or so, she has been talking about the 'graduation night', wondering what to wear, how to wear it and where to get it. Why just last saturday I took the girls out to the capital and we did nothing but shop for her shoes, shawl (for when it gets cold), bag and accessories. Her shoes alone took us one whole day! It's too high, too low, too expensive, too cheap, too ugly, too stylish, too colourful, too plain, yada yada yada. We shopped from Gadong, to Bandar and finally to Tutong where we eventually found the perfect pair. By that time I was thoroughly exhausted, sitting there like a melting blob, munching on waffles from the nearby Hua Ho.

The younger one is turning out to be an airhead wannabe. She's got a brain under that hood of hers but is just too lazy to use it. She loves the material and superficial things most teens her age loves. Absolutely addicted to facebook and her mobile, of course. Really a little delicate picky princess, from doing her own hair every morning before school to picking out her own choice of clothes. Ok, perhaps I'm expecting too much from her. She's got the right to do her own thing. But you know the best thing about her? She's absolutely lovable.

And I think that's important, especially to my mother cuz I must admit, mom doesn't get a lot of love from her other kids. Oh, we love her, of course we do but we just have a difficult time showing it. I don't know why. Nature perhaps.

Aaaaanyway, to wrap this up, I'm gonna say I don't regret moving back at all. Yes, it's a small town. Yes, I do get tired of all the uncles and aunties saying, "Aiyah! Ah Fah! Your eldest ka? Wah big girl now oh? Where she is working now? Ah? There ah? Oh, I know, I know. That's good right? My girl? Oh she is now with her husband in KANADA liao lor! Ya lo!...."

*sigh*

Where was I? Oh yeah, about how happy I am that I'm back in KB. Ya me.



lol. Seriously though. I am. Although I admit I miss my friends and the life I had in the capital, but time moves on, and I feel that now I'm in the right place on exactly the right time.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS7

Most of you know I've been combing the market for a digital camera for a while now.

After reading the 37th online review and 19th comparison reviews, I've settled for either a Canon or Panasonic.

Now a few years ago I wouldn't even consider Panasonic. I'd scoff at it even.

But when I read more reviews and actually used a couple of them, I realised, hey, they are not so bad after all.

Actually the Panasonic Lumix cameras have really come up into the world of digital photography in terms of making durable yet quality point-and-shoot cameras. With the power of the internet, people now know more, expect more and honestly realised they deserve more.

With the economy being as bad as it is today, the big brands are producing smaller, more user friendly and more multi functional cameras faster than you can say, "CHEESE!" So not so surprisingly, all the sudden the prices started dropping and I don't mean a small 'plop' drop. I mean like waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay drop.

Five years ago, these babies at 6 mega pixels would cost you a whooping $800 easy. Today you can get 10 megapixels for as cheap as $200 plus. Even more pleasantly, they start giving better stuff with each sale. Camera bag, memory card, extra battery....competition is that fierce these days.

So, I've settled on either a Canon or a Panasonic. Actually I also pondered about Sony but then again, Sony is like a status symbol more than anything. Plus their touch screen feature is not so appealing. It's fun but a hassle to use and Lord only knows how long that will last in my family's hands.

I'm not looking for the Ferrari of cameras, I'm looking for the Toyota of cameras.

In the end, I bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS7.

In blue.

I'm no pro in taking pictures. I just want to take what I see.

Sometimes it's frustrating when I see something beautiful but when I take a picture of it, the end result is always something stupid. When I moaned and groaned about this to Effy, she suggested I get a semi-pro cam. It's tempting, real tempting, but honestly, I don't think I should... yet, cuz after all I want a family oriented cam where it's easy and durable for everyone to use.

So here's the results of my first day of taking pics with it.

Normal

Natural

Sepia

Vivid

Cool

These a the few of my favourites I took that day.

So now I got a camera now, expect me to be a more active blogger. ^_^ Cheers!

Unwanted Vegetarian

I don’t ask for much out of life. I’m not an ambitious woman who wants to rule the world with an army made out of mechanical lego. I’m neither picky nor fussy. I just take things as they come along and accept what I got.

Then I get less than what I normally got…

And less…

And less…

Until there’s nothing.

I’m talking about food! Especially the meaty kind. My carnivorous self is gonna start chewing on the phone if I dun do something about this soon…

See, it all started like this. My mother (yes, her again) decided that now I’m back within her realm of control, she will do the nicest thing in the world for me. She wakes up in the wee hours of the morning and packs me lunch to take to work.

Awwww….

Now really, I appreciate her like no other. No one in the world does that for me and seriously, people, if your significant other or your siblings even, gets up early in the morning just to make sure you have sustenance later, you would have showered the person with love and stars.

And I do.

Except when her clever side over comes her loving motherly side. See she’s been trying to get me on a diet for years now. I figured, “Meh, slow and steady. I’m already eating healthy at home. Significantly less calories than I use to consume because back in BSB it was daily cup noodles, nasi kator or roti telur.”

Mom decided by herself, “If I can’t get her to diet my way, then I’ll get her to diet the sly way.”

For the past two weeks or so my lunches has become from nicey nicey boxed lunches full of home goodness to so so lunches and now has degraded to ‘I must eat this or I will starve’ lunches. I still remember the 1st lunch she made was fried rice with ‘char siew’ and mixed veggies. Today’s lunch is 3 slices of bread, 2 slices of cheese, a small tomato and a bunch of salad greens.

I like greens. I love salad greens, esp when there’s lots of them and the sound of a million crunches when you bite into a sandwich stuffed with lettuce.
But I love meat more.
Now I’m not asking much. I’m not asking for steak or burger or whatever, you know? Just a bit of tuna (no mayo is fine) or a slice of ham, maybe a fried egg once in a while. (btw, mom has banned eggs from the house, unless they are used for reasons like baking or sushi. She says the family eats too many eggs which I agree.)

It wouldn’t hurt me that much, right?

I’m not asking for KF freaking C. Just a little bit of tuna flakes…

… and maybe a mini gherkin or two.

But it looks like it’s just not meant to be.

What did I do? Did I adapt like a normal human being suppose to do or did I rebel with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s finest?

I did neither. Instead I spoke to her and asked her nicely if she could not make my lunches vegetarian anymore because last I checked, I didn’t sign up to become a nun at a temple somewhere in the remote regions of China.

I tot we understood each other.

Until Monday rolled in and I peeked into the lunch bag, 3 slices of bread, a medium sliced up tomato, a bunch of lettuce and ONE slice of cheese.

One of these days I’m gonna have a truck load of cold cuts delivered to the house. Maybe she’ll get the hint then.

I Heart Bamboo Fun

Recently I became the proud owner of a brand new Wacom Bamboo Fun.



This is something that is beyond my imaginings because I've always thought a tablet is too hardcore for me. That it's something people use to actually make a living out of their art.


Haslin convinced me otherwise. She volunteered her brother's Wacom Graphire4 tablet for me to try out. At first I was really skeptical about the outcome. Sure it helps an artist to lineart and especially colour their stuff but does it really help since I'm mostly doing pencil art?


Yes it does help, people. It helps ALOT.


Think of this. For years you've been cutting grass by HAND using the traditional sickle. Then one day your friend decided to lend you his lawn mower.

BAM! Now you know you've only been fooling yourself.

This is how good it is. Work is cleaner smoother and done faster. No more fiddling with the scanner's settings or wasting loads of paper to practice on. No more buying pencils, pens, markers and copics. No more end of the world when you make a whoopsie on a piece of art.


I had to get one of my own.



For a while I've looked for one and the only ones I can find are small sized ones OR the medium but really expensive ones. Singapore was the only place that has medium sized Wacom Bamboo Fun which is the one I wanted. It has the right size and price range. I had the means but not the location. XD


It's all thanks to Haslin who volunteered to get me one when she went visiting Singapore during the chinese new year. EEEeeeee! Joy of joys!

She even got me a discount and a tablet carrier bag. (I heart you so much girl!)


What are the resulting stuff I've been able to create from the Bamboo Fun? Check it out! ^_^

Monkey Zodiac for the Year of the OX 2009

Monkey people didn't have any significant performance in 2008, the Year of the Rat. They felt that someone or something blocked their luck all the time.

In the year of 2009, there are many Lucky Stars coming to Monkey people. So they have complete new luck and they can expect good news from career, money, reputation, love or happiness area. However, some tiny Unlucky Stars hiding beside the Lucky Stars in 2009. That means Monkey people shouldn't show too complacent and too conceited, because their enemies are still around. If Monkey people make any mistake, then they might lose their reputation, power or wealth.

Career: There are three major Lucky Career Stars appearing in 2009. Those signs indicate you will have an extraordinary and outstanding achievement in your job performance or business development. It's time that you show people about your talent, wisdom, skill. Many people will accept your idea and proposal. Your plan or project will show significant progress and impressive results. You have good chance to gain more responsibilities, own higher power and even win a job promotion. When you have better performance or hold a higher position, then many people become jealous to you. Someone might try to look for your shortcoming or mistake in order to impede your working progress and to damage your reputation. Fortunately, since your keen perception and quick response, you are able to a plan to protect yourself. Also, your supporters will help your to remove the hamper.

Money: There is a Lucky Money Star showing in this year. Since you have a good career luck, your salary fixed income will be satisfactory. If you work for someone, you might earn an extra bonus. If you own your business, then the company sales will have a significant growth. However, the Money Star is not a Windfall Star. The money won't come from gambling, heritage, gift or lottery. It's required your hardworking and time to earn all your income. Another sign show that you have a chance to lose your personal property and no way to recover it. Or an unexpected accident causes your money loss. Therefore, it's safer that do show off your wealth in 2009.

Love: One very Auspicious Star and a Happy Star are gathering in love area. That is the sign of success, happiness, joyfulness, smooth or marriage. If you are single, then you have opportunity to find your dream companion and enjoy the happy love life. If you are already in love, the relationship with your lover will become much closer. If both of you are ready, then you can consider the marriage. If you are married, you and your spouse have a endless love. A new born baby might come into your family. However, if you are a male Monkey guy, you have the chance to meet opposite sex outside. If you don't give in to temptation, you will get lots of argument with your spouse.

Health: Although you have many Lucky Stars coming in your astrological cycle. There also are some Unlucky Stars around you this year. This brings up the health issue. The career will make you busy in 2009. You will feel tired very often. If you have too much nightlife and too less exercise, then you will get sick easily. As long as understanding the health might become the problem, then you should limit unnecessary social life, keep healthy eating habit, maintain good sleeping quality and exercise routinely, then you will have a healthy life in the year of Cow.

Fortune: Monkey people have excellent career luck in 2009. They will work very skillfully and proficiently on their daily job. Their wealth will increase because of good job performance. However, there still is a potential unlucky event coming. Monkey people still need to pay attention on words and deeds. If you can spend more time in helping others, then you will win the good reputation, which could bring you more money in. The feeling of wealth, power, happiness and satisfaction will all come to you.

I really got to read this over and over again. It's soooo good.

Brand New Year ~ Brand New Change! POSITIVE THINKING IS POWAH!

Many of you know that I've been working at my current job for a long time now. Really long time. Like 6 years long time.

So when I got word from my brother of a job offer based in Anduki, I gave him my CV and think nothing of it afterwards. After a couple of weeks only my brother told me his boss wanted to interview me.

I was happy.

Well, I was kinda panicking cuz you know, I haven't gone for an interview for so many donkey years now, would I make an ass of myself?

Then the positive persona in me said, "NO! You have done a lot for your current company and you've accomplished many goals in your job. Implemented many ideas and marketing strategies. Supervised and trained a staff for an international franchise of high quality repute. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF!"

And it's true. I brought out my positive person and walked into the interview, sure with tiny butterflies in my stomach, but I did very well and I thought the interview was smashing. In the end, she offered the job for me on the spot and I accepted.

WOOT!

Positive start to a positively faboo looking new year! Wonderful right?

Today when I was driving back to Bandar, I was istening to the DJ on the radio and she said, 70% of negative comments and crits actually comes from your love ones, your family. Which is very true and over the years I've slowly trained myself to turn a deaf ear to all that negativity. But I'm not perfect. Not fool proof.

It's one thing to get negativity from my elders, you know, parents, older siblings, cousins, etc, because they are older, they lived longer, they are more experienced and mature. Right? That's because I respect them at that level.

However to have one's YOUNGER siblings to start lecturing and going all negative on one is too much for one to stand for.

Seriously, I need to put up a professional front to work with my sibling in close proximity in the same company. Heck, as if we don't see enough of each other already at home.

I'm seriously considering renting my own place.

OK! Enough with the down and negative thoughts! OUT! OUT! SHOO!

Positive note again! I'm also seriously considering getting a family car for the family's use. Such as the ~


Toyota Vios! Manual of course cuz I can't stand auto. I dunno why though. I mean in jams auto is the easiet but I really like to feel in control of my own vehicle, so there ya go.

That's the colour I'm thinking of picking as well. So what do you all think?

XD

I'm so excited!

Happy New Year! 2009! WTF!

Okay, I thought that perhaps heralding in the new year means a fresh start. A beginning in the beginning. New year resolution and what not.

But noooo...

what happened to my new year?

Er, let's see, I didn't get celebrate in the 'traditional' sense because I'm sick. Yes, down and out with flu, runny nose, cough, sore throat, the whole package deal.

Then one my way home after a visit to the doctor my car broke down in the middle of the small roundabout near the petrol station in Beribi. What la!

Okay, don't panic cuz nothing good can come from panicking. I put on the emergency signals, tried to start my car again and again... it would run and then die again after a few meters... so there ya go, I basically 'crawled' my way to the new building of Baiduri Finance's parking lot and called in the tow truck.

After that I learned how to get recharge from the ATM (woah, it was freaking easy, I should do this more often, it's cool! -sakai-) and called in my parents, my friends, basically everyone who I thought would need to know that my car broke down or could send me back home.

In the end it was Del who came to the rescue. Ah, Del, man I really owe him one.

Ok!

No more bad thoughts and karma from this moment forth! Think GOOD THOUGHTS! Count thy BLESSINGS!

It's great that my family had my car fixed so fast. I hope to pick up my car soon. *sigh* You know, evertime some shit happens to my car I would thinkg, "Maybe I should get a new car." Every time. I mean it's just too temptimg sometimes yo. But then again, I would think, the insurance, the tires, the monthly payment for the next 7 years... *sigh*

Gak! NO! Good thoughts! Good THOUGHTS!

*ahem*

Well, positive side is that I get to meet Alex!!! Man, it's been so long I haven't seen the bloody fella. Alex! We gotta meet up proper next time yo! Seriously, I dunno anyone who can take things in like Alex and give you the outright no bullshit in your face opinion. Maybe Effy and I should arrange a trip to Temburong. Hee. What do you think Effy? *hint hint*

Alright, I'm off. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

How I Wish...

After a day of extra 'special' people I encounter at work, I got rather frustrated. I really wish I can print this out and display it.

Clown & Beach sketch

Just a quick update on my latest sketches.

The Clown (Pencil)




The Beach (Inked)

Back To Basics

As you know I haven't updated since God knows when. I know, I know, I was keep up on my updating for a while and after that I just seem to disappear.

A lot has been happening at work and it just keeps on coming. If not the cycle of staff quitting and staff hiring and staff training and staff quitting again, then it's something to do with the big renovation of the shop. I'm actually happy with this because I've been frustrated with the junk that's been accumulating in the shop. I dunno about the other girls, but seriously, do you think it's worth saving every cute looking paper clip and almost used up roll of string?

I even volunteered to clear the junk out a few times and yet, I was told "oh, just sabar (be patient), wait till the renovation."

That was 6 months ago.

Ok, I admit that I'm something of a pack rat as well, saving everything from old receipts to broken door knobs. But hey, at least it's my junk in my room. Not my junk in someone's way. Seriously, the new girls leave their junk everywhere and my exec and I are getting increasingly frustrated with them. (Not that her Execness doesn't have her bits of junk here and there as well.)

These new girls. *bleh* There was this one time, she used my exec slippers at work while cleaning, then when she's done and changed back to her heels, she just toss the slippers into the counter. I was shocked! Immediately I asked her, "Eh...dang, bisai jua you throw ppl's barang, ah. Next time I use your barang I also throw throw here and there, suka hati ku, ok?"

Baru dia terasa.

I mean come on la, just because you're raised with your mother and amah picking up after you doesn't give you the right to treat your work place like your home.

Then there's the issue of one of them having transport problems, so she wants to live with me in the hostel for the next 3 weeks. Yikes. I should get my room ready as soon as possible. (Translation: Clean my shit up!)

Did you know that out of 4 lights, 3 of them konked out? I should get them replaced as soon as possible. I'm tired of romantic candle light. XD

Recently without a camera or photoshop, I have no digital outlet for my artistic self, sooooo, Back to Basics! I'm back using pencil and paper again. Not that I've stopped using them, just that for a long long time I've been using Photoshop to edit my sketches to make them look finished. I really miss photoshop, all the stuff I can do, all the brushes I had downloaded. *sigh* It just doesn't seem to work right anymore on my laptop.

Good thing about going back to basics is that I've started hunting up art supplies again which is always fun. I found this shop with great inking pens ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 and they are really good, quick dry, no smudge when erasing, pens. I'm planning on getting more.

Of course, as another artistic outlet, I've been scanning and posting my art stuff online for crit and comments in a forum called Manga Tutorial Forums. There's this thread where they present a theme each week and you are challenged to make an original character according to the theme.

Pirates


Angel


Steampunk


Musician


Atlantian


At the moment I'm working on last week's theme (I suggested it and it was taken! Woot! Fun!) which was 'clowns' and this week's theme which is 'Beach'. I'm wondering what I should do for beach though, cuz everyone just submits beach babes in bikini. I want to do something else.

Oh well, I'm sure something will come up.

Its Chinese Proverbize Time!

'Have a mouth as sharp as a dagger but a heart as soft as tofu.'

Meaning, 'Extremely difficult and dangerous situation.'

You know who popped in my mind when I read this?

Someone who's mouth is as sharp as a dagger but a heart as soft as tofu, and almost always put me in an extremely difficult and dangerous situation.

My mom! XD

GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out): Part II

I just finished watching Mama’s Boy last nite. Ok…you know, sometimes when you watch a movie and you go, “OMG, that totally reminds me of so and so!” Yeah, I got that moment as I watched Mama’s Boy. I won’t mention his name but I enjoy the movie more just because how much it resembles this guy I know. Shikin knows what I mean. She and I were just wandering around the Mall and we decided to catch a movie called Grandma’s Boy. God, one of the characters reminded both of us of my ex bf so much, we just laughed all through the movie.

That’s one major way of how a person can enjoy a movie I think cuz it’s just how this is a movie that the audience can relate to, maybe its because of something they have done or they have been through or just resembling someone they know.

Another thing I’ve watched is Bambino. Bambino is a short series about this eager japanese guy who wants to be an italian chef. So he goes all out in learning the tricks of the trade or training under chef. So he thinks. Instead he just runs into one wall or another. It’s interesting and makes me hungry for pasta.

Another reason why I watched Bambino cuz it’s Matsumoto Jun’s first series he acted in and if you’ve read my previous posts, you know he’s also acted in Meteor Garden Jap ver and Gokousen. I don’t think he’s a really good actor but he’s just so damn cute when he acts all eager. Sorry to say so but when he acts angry, especially as Domyoji in Meteor Garden, I just feel like going “awwww! Cute!” Rofl! I mean its like a 6yr old kid fuming that you bumped into him and made him drop his ice cream cone. I just think he’s still too young so his acting isn’t all that mature as all the other actors and actresses in Japan.

Speaking of series, there’s this weird Stephen King written series called Kingdom Hospital I just finished watching the last episode last nite as well (I slept at 3am) and I just like to say, it’s very easy to digest. It’s not complicated. Feels like a really long movie instead of a series. Entertaining and funny at times.

Serena says it’s scary but when I watch it with Stephen King in mind, it’s not that scary. Its creepy, with all these dark atmosphere and the spiritual characters walking about but being that it’s so well written, I find myself paying more attention to what they say or how they say it. They are times when they apply a scrub like moments like bursting into song while in ER but otherwise it just emphasize the weird factor of the series which is what I think they are aiming for. There’s no stuff jumping out in mid movie, or girls scrawling out of MRI scanners or lone pale little boys staring at you via security camera. Heck, the headless man running around looking for his head was funnier than anything else. I find that Paul, the evil teen, is hawt…kinda like younger Jonny Depp as Sweeny Todd. Or Edward Scissor hands but evil.

Cool quote from that series, “I do you a solid, you do me a solid.”

GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out)

Today is a lucky day.

It’s the 8th of august 2008.

08.08.08.

Yeah… just wait for 08.08.8008 or how about 08.08.8888. Shit, imagine that. I’m sure that by then, if the world is not ruled by (quote Austin Powers) ‘damn dirty apes’, it’s sure to be ruled by some human like kind of species that’s part chinese… or quarter chinese.

Or maybe it wouldn’t be chinese, but a totally new genre, like maybe Chinafrican or Indinanese, but still with chinese blood somewhere in them, and they would also hold the date 08.08.8888 sacred and hosting parties online where they could have actual tequila shots (think Matrix), then up having virtual one night stands and waking up to an empty msn chatbox.

Shit, by then ppl would have virus protection against STD online. You know, herpes.exe or aids.dll and you’d have some protection program like ‘Doc Durex’, protection 97% against virtual STD.

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

You know lately I feel laggish. A lot of times I feel like I’m on top of the world, you know, able to be on the dot with work but at times I just feel like crap and kept dropping the ball at work. Which is not good.

Dropping the ball at work is never good. But what is good is to able to admit that I have dropped the ball and that I have apologized for dropping the ball and now I’m willing to pick up the ball and try again. Right?

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

I’ve been playing this brain game on facebook which I totally suck at it but I keep playing it. Don’t you just hate that? It just pisses me off, but then after I logged off, 10 minutes later I’m loggin on again in the pretense to ‘check my other apps’ but before I know it, I’m cursing at the game under my breath again.

In the middle of playing these games, I’m downloading these podcasts from Halfpixel. Halfpixel are made up of a group of webcomic artists, talking about cons, their work, sharing their stories and tips and it’s just fun listening to them.

Especially if you, like me, have been a fan of reading one of their comics, in my case, I’ve been reading PvP Online (there's a link to his webcomic on the sidebar of this blog) for years now without complaint. Scot Kurtz and those other guys he work with at Halfpixel are absolutely entertaining to listen to. But then again, you’d have to be interested in the stuff they do and know at least the webcomics they create. Hey, or you’re just a fan like me who gets a kick just listening to them ramble.

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

I’ve got this thing against talking about work but I can’t resist against talking about the characters that come into the shop sometimes. My mind kind of gets annoyed sometimes at some people who walk into the shop in the middle of the morning, something like 10-ish, in full office gear, you know, shirt plus tie plus dark pants and spanky shoes. Makes you wonder, do these people not work???

And this happens on Monday mornings even. It’s weird. You know it when kids are cutting school when they walk in in the mornings still in their school uniforms but its like these kids grew up, graduated from arcade shops of yore, don on their dad’s office clothes. It’s not cool to walk around like you can skimp off work cuz people know you’re skimping off work.

Then there are those people who just keep staring at the price tag and then read a bit about the products, asks a question or two, then stare a bit more at the price tag. I mean, it’s not like the numbers presenting the price of the item is gonna magically morph into something else (I assume a smaller figure) under your awesome psyhic powers. I dunno, maybe the person gets a kick out of it. He must be thinking, *Change dammit, change! I dun get it, it works when I use my amazing mind powers at the traffic light! I mean, it turns green whenever I willed it.*

Like this ‘_’ to this O_O to this o_O then to this O_o then back to O_O then finally ended with ‘_’???

Yeah, you can almost see the question marks popping up above their noggins.

Of course then you have those people who never bother to look at the price tag at all. I dunno about others but when I go shopping and I want to know the price about something, I just turn the damn thing over and *viola!* the price tag is right there. Be it panty liner, shoes, clothes or bags, 99% chance there’s likely a price tag attached on the item.

But noooooo, these customers apparently shop at those high end, high class, high fashion, 10th avenue, avant grande places cuz only those places have no price tags cuz normally people who shop there don’t bother asking for how much the item is worth, they just pick. Right?

Yeah, apparently, these people shopped there all their lives cuz every damn time they enter the shop, they would point at an item and ask me how much is that item. Not that I mind answering them but how lazy are you to not just pick it up and turn the item around kan? Seriously? Just flip it around and look, its right there. I spend a considerable amount of my time tagging each and every one of those items, so at least have the courtesy to actually turn-the-damn-thing-around.

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

Last off day I was hanging out with Rozi at her studio, something I haven’t done in a long time. She was suppose to finish off her latest rose painting but instead, we went out a got some of those air drying clay, cuz she wanted to repair this accesory stand which was wonky at the base. I ended up making a poring (creature from Ragnarok) and poring’s cloud. I know porings don’t float on clouds but this poring is now in poring heaven. I mean with the number of porings a character kills in Ragnarok, there’s got to be gazillions of them and since they aren’t aggro, they deserve heaven.

Rozi also taught me how to make ketupats out of ribbons and now I’m thinking of getting a bunch of ribbons and making a bunch to put into gift baskets or bags for Raya friends. Last year I got a case of drinks for Pat and Shikin and the year before that I got them cake. I am not exactly sure what to get them this year though, I mean, I would like to bake them something but mom’s oven is out of service.

I’m hoping my brother get his job so we can both share and buy her a new one. I didn’t even know that a gas oven could break down but apparently they can!

Okay, that’s enough rambling from me. Just a bunch of garbage dump from me, you know, garbage in, garbage out. Expect more of such posts from me because at the moment there is just so many mini things going on in my mind. Its like too mini to devote a whole post to and these multiple mini things do not relate to each other at all but then again too many to just ignore.

Oh Dear God, Why?

Sorry for not posting lately, just been so busy and everytime I sit down in front of Josey to blog, my mind just goes blank.

Instead I started watching stuff on youtube! Then I stumbled onto this!

One quote from Scott Kurtz of PvPonline comes into mind as I sat there in horror watching them...

'Oh dear God, why?'







Disclaimer : However this does not mean I disrespect cosplayers or anything that cosplayers do. Quite opposite, I admire and respect all the time and effort cosplayers put into making their costumes and perfecting their skits. I just can't appreaciate a cosplay performance such as the one demonstrated above.

However, if it is meant to make me laugh, then yes it was sucessful. I just didn't expect to be laughing and cringing at the same time, goosebumps and all.

Manga Review: Hana Yori Dango

Here I am sitting in a café trying to log into the internet but somehow I can’t, so I ended up staring at my laptop for an hour.

Today is such a rainy, easy breezy day, you know? Relaxing and quiet. I like rainy days. On rainy days, it’s cool and quiet. I like quiet.

Recently I’ve been reading a lot of manga thanks to my friends who download them and pass them on to me.

Hana Yori Dango

This manga first appeared in the weekly chinese comic magazine and of course since it was in chinese I didn’t particularly pay much attention to it back then. I stumbled upon the translated title ‘Boys Over Flowers’ which is probably wrong but I checked it out and was immediately hooked.

Unlike the usual manga about romance and love, this is about a ordinary girl, Tsukushi Makino, who goes to an elite school. There she met with F4 (I’ll explain this in a bit), a group of gorgeous boys, sons of extremely rich and powerful families. F4 stands for ‘Flower Four’ because the boys were so handsome, they were like flowers.

Ok, gag on that part, I know I did. The art work is alright and a bit outdated, so I’m guessing it was published around early 90’s.

Tsukusi was a down to earth and practical girl with a strong sense of justice and morality. When the F4 started to bully her friend, she couldn’t take it and openly challenged them, especially their leader, Domyoji. In the end, he fell in love with her instead but due to his weird twisted character and sense of pride (considering he’s one of the richest and most sought out guys), all his actions turn into screw ups.

Not only those two can’t seem to stop fighting, but they are constantly butting heads due to their pride. *sigh* But that’s why it makes for a really entertaining manga to read, instead of the usual girl likes boy, boy likes girl, they go out, then another boy like girl, try to break them up, in the end boy turns out to be the half brother of the other boy, or the long time ago childhood sweetheart. You know, the usual. XD

This manga can be sappy at times and makes me roll my eyes at out outrageous these boys are but then again their ridiculous and screwed up stories makes me laugh more than I ever had from a romance manga.

It was so popular in Japan and Taiwan, that by year 2000, Taiwan decided to make a series based on this manga. Only the series was called ‘Meteor Garden’ instead of ‘Boys Over Garden’. Hence, F4, the Taiwanese boy band, was born. The series was a hit and not long Japan had one made too.

I only watched the Japan ver but from what I read online a lot of people prefer the Japanese version because it stuck more to the storyline than the Taiwanese ver. But what I find most *ahem* appealing bit of the series was that they casted hunkster Matsumoto Jun as Domyoji. He also starred in another manga based series called, ‘Gokusen’ as ‘Shin’.

Ratings :

Comedy - 8.5
Romance - 8
Art - 5.5
Storyline - 7.5
Creativity - 6.5

Overall score - 7.2

ARGH! Alright!! Whatever! BRING IT ON!

Hey, remember last month I talked about how I had that car accident and how I dropped my laptop?

And the month before that they froze my bank account because they had doubts about my fluctuating salary?

Then before that I lost my Supa Save card?

Just two weeks ago I lost my atm card.

Now I got a new shiny one so that's not too bad...

What was it I was saying?

Oh yeah.

Remember my N80?



The pretty nice mobile I liked alot for its multiple functions and clear camera?

Last week it won't turn on and it won't charge... so I sent it to mobility care centre to check.

I called the centre up today and found out they dunno if they can fix my phone cuz they opened it up but found nothing wrong with it. They suspect that a part is KOed but even if they replace it, the guy said it's 50 - 50 chance it might work.



*sigh*



What did I do to deserve all this crap? Seriously? For fuck sakes la, what did I fucking do?!? Raped some diseased kid's cripple grandfather in my past life issit?

Fuck.

Aja! Gambatte! Jia Yew! Courage, woman, COURAGE!

Things haven't been going well for me lately.

As most of you probably know by now that I had an accident about a month ago. Don't worry, no one was hurt eventhough I rammed into another car rather badly and that car bumped into the car before it.

*depressing cloud hangs overhead*


Many thanks to Serena and her family. Because of them I've been doing well eventhough I don't have a car.


It's something in this month's air that seems to have drained most of us financially.

Mom was nagging at me about the car repairs. It's about $1400 in total, plus the previous repairs on the engine 3 months ago at about $900. So grand total is $2300.


* faints *




I already paid my parents $1000 and now it's left $1300.


*sigh* To think I just had my bank account and supa save card problems sorted out, now pops out another financial calamity.


It's been hard on my mother as well. My brother quit his job roughly the same time I had my accident and he's done nothing since. According to mom that all he does is sleep late, eat, hang around the house - annoying her endlessly - and play games till God knows what time. Rinse and repeat. He's stopped buying the house groceries and helping out with the bills.


It's all up to my mom and dad now. But these days it's difficult for my dad to find jobs. Mom works harder than ever and it's something I'm in awe about. She's really is the best something and really don't deserve such troubles.


I don't know what I can do to help other than to send in more money. Hopefully in my appraisal this coming June would improve matters somewhat. I don't expect much but every bit helps.




Sometimes listening to my mother I can't help feeling how trivial my problems are. I dropped Josey (BenQ laptop) a couple of weeks ago and now she's got a lovely crack on the left side of her. Thank God she still works the next day cuz the night before I was tears, she just wouldn't turn on that nite. Dark hours in my life.


Even before I dropped Josey though, funny things been happening to her. The left side of her screen has three vertical lines in green or sometimes they change into two green stripes and one yellow. I felt it's perhaps Josey's way of communicating me in visual morse code.


Then one day my Photoshop CS2 started to act funny. It was extremely slow and sometimes even freezes. I'm thinking now I have to re-install the program cuz my creative soul can't live without it.




*sigh* Gambatte, ne?

Bruneian Limmericks

Don't you just love limmericks sometimes? There's some innocent ones like...

'There was a man named Fisher,

Who loved fishing off a fissure,

One day a fish with a grin,

Pulled the fellow in,

And now they're fishing the fissure for Fisher!'

But then there are some not so innocent ones like that goes...

'There was a woman from Illin,

who had a perculiar feeling,

she laid on her back,

and opened her crack,

and peed all over the ceiling!'

I stole a bit from that one and with the help of some (*coughcoughserenacoughcough*) came up with a Bruneian version...

'There was a woman from Temburong,

who loved wearing baju kurong,

but she laid on her back,

and opened her crack,

and you can see her burung!'

I like that one, it was better than some others we came up with such as...

'There was a Jew from Peru,

who use to live in a zoo,

one day he was feeling funny,

and wanted a honey,

so he made out with the kangaroo!'

'There was a woman from Shanghai,

who had a pair of super strong thighs,

and every man who screw her,

never again will do her,

cuz she snapped them in half like a fly!'

If you can come up with more original limmericks, I would like to hear about them, especially if you can make up Bruneian malay ones. What a hoot that would be! ^_^

7 reasons why single women can’t meet decent guys

Courtesy of the script writers of the korean drama ‘My Lovely Samsoon’. I highly recommend this bloody funny romance comedy (think Bridget Jones).

1. Good decent men are butt ugly.
   


2. Good looking decent men have lousy personalities.
   


3. Good looking decent men with great character are married.
   


4. Good looking decent single men with good character are damn poor.
   


5. Good looking decent single rich men with good character won’t be interested in women like us.
   


6. Good looking decent single rich men with good character who are interested in us…those men are players.
   


7. Good looking, decent, single and rich men with good character who are interested in us and are not players…. are gay!

Haha! True or not dat?

Can turn to stone before meeting the man of your dreams if like that.

ROFL!

Knock, Knock, Sawadee Kha Bangkok!

It’s my first time to Bangkok, and truth be told, I expected the worst. Hey, as they say, if you expect the worst, then you will never be disappointed.

True, true, when I came to the First House Hotel, the staff were pleasant enough, and the room was alright. It was way better compared to the nightmare I had of a room back when Shikin and I stayed in KL. (Ugh, the horror of budget hotels in KL.) Although the closet was small and the bathroom tub is stained from age but the whole place was clean and cozy. There was no smell (esp from the toilet) and the beds were hard but still within the limits of comfort. Every morning there is breakfast (although it gets a little tired after seeing the same breakfast menu for the 3rd morning, blek.)

I loved Bangkok.

People keep telling me stories of either horror or happiness.

“I love the food!”
“The pick pockets there are terrible!”
“Riding tut tut is a blast!”
“Careful of what you eat, dun want to get food poisoning on your 1st day.”
“It’s a shopping haven!”
“Don’t get cheated!”

In truth the Thai people are generally friendly and very polite when it comes to handling others. Our tour guide kept saying 'excuse me' before he pointed out some interesting fact of the places we visit. They are proud for who they are and loves to joke about and laugh, generally have a good time.

My hotel is located near the Platinum Mall and the Indonesian Embassy. It’s far from any rowdy bars or sleazy clubs so at around 10pm it’s relatively quiet.

Good timing for us was that we were visiting when it was their King’s birthday. For all their political hum drum, the Thais were pretty united and respectful when it comes to the royal family. On the evening of HM’s birthday, small groups of people burned yellow candles and incense, offered flowers and candies in the streets, around temples and shopping areas where his portrait was displayed, all in prayer and respect for His Majesty. It was awesome.

First day, we arrived at the airport at 6 in the morning. So it was reasonable we crashed the afternoon, slept all the way till evening. Woke up hungry and ready to hunt around the area.

The streets and alleys were crowded with hawkers, food stalls, knick knack stalls, selling everything you can imagine. Although I was careful what I ate. I don’t want to end up eating kitten meat or something equally appalling and gross.

Food court is a good choice cuz they have the menu in both thai and english. You can buy a food court card (kinds like electronic card), order whatever you want, then hand over the card for them to swipe. I like this system cuz not only it’s faster but it’s also hygenic in a sense that those who prepare the food dun handle icky germ infested cash.

Ah, what I would do for some sticky rice and mango right about now...

Because it was the king’s birthday, all the tours were cut down 50%. So we went on two tours, one around the city visiting the palace, the sleeping Buddha and the golden Buddha, a thai massage (@#%^&$*#! Thai massage bloody hurts!), and finally ending with Calypso Cabaret show. Then the other one to the floating market, an elephant show, a crocodile show and wrapped up with a cultural show.

We saw some interesting stuff really. I mean it’s Bangkok for crying out loud. There were ang mohs with their arms around their ‘friends’ who would prolly give them happy endings after a full body thai massage. Lets see... there are thai guys who are hotter than most women.

Some are so natural looking that I can’t really tell them apart. There was one who worked at the food court. I asked how much was the duck rice and the pretty petite thing answered in his deep manly voice, “Three hundrad and fity baht.” It really shocked me for a second there.

Shopping was of course great but I hate to see those Buddha heads or hands or what ever parts of his displayed for purchase. They looked like antiques, which makes me wonder how many of them are legit. I hate to think they were robbed from temples or scared historial sites. Which is why I didn’t get any eventhough I love antiques.
If you can imagine this one. Or this spectacular one.
Being sold like this at the floating market! Unforgivable! If you knew they were taken from temples or historical sites, would you buy them?

Or many I have been watching too many indian jones movies. -_-" (But it's true! Historical sites are robbed regularly to be smuggled out and sold!)
In the Temple of the Golden Buddha, weighing at five and a half tons of solid gold. Made around the 1400s-1550s. The brochure wrote that the statue originally was covered with a thick layer of concrete to protect it from thieves. It was lost for a while (it's secret protected too well I guess) and was re-discovered in 1950's when they were doing some renovation work for a building belonging to the East India Company. Today it sits cozy in a small temple and gazes serenely at all that visits for 20 baht per entry.

One thing is for sure, got to bring my own camera next time I go Bangkok! XD