Serenity

I Have Moved

2007-03-23T11:34:00.000+08:00

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

I have moved to another website. If you would like to know the new website address, please email me at amie.lee82[at]gmail.com.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Cheers.

Just Say Hi

2007-03-22T20:12:00.000+08:00

****************
Just a random though: Anyone ever joined or thought of joining dating website?

For those of you who are wondering, the answer is no. I have not participated nor am I planning on indulging in online dating or anything along that line. If I was single and available, I might consider it. Who knows, it might turn out to be fun and I just might meet my Mr Right. After all, I met Ivan through one the strangest ways ever. So, you never know what might hit you!

Seriously though, such services can only have high success rates in Western countries and not in countries like Malaysia. If we had such dating services here, the crime rates for rape will definitely skyrocket (as if it is not bad enough at the present moment). There are too many bad guys and too little intelligent girls in this part of the world.

That said, this is one of those times that I am glad to be part of the minority crowd!

The Magic of Hoodia

2007-03-14T21:19:00.000+08:00

****************
I will give a special prize (yes I will find a way to deliver it to you no matter which continent or planet you originate from) to anyone of you who can tell me what a hoodia is… Any takers? If you do not know and are curious then by all means, read on.

A hoodia is actually a genus of thirteen species in the flowering plant family known as Apocynaceae, which is under the subfamily of Asclepiadoideae. They are actually stem succulents, described as "cactiform" due to its remarkable similarity to the unrelated cactus family.

Some surprising facts about hoodias is that they can reach up to one metre in height (almost as tall as me!) and have large flowers, often with flesh colour and strong smell. Most Hoodia species are protected plants while several species are grown in homes as garden plants.

One species known as Hoodia Gordonii, is being investigated for use as an appetite suppressant. Yes you heard me right. Appetite suppresant. It is something that I need in a large quantity and can never get enough of for as long as I live. At least, as long as there are tempting and salivacious food around.

If you are interested in giving the Hoodia Weight Loss Product a try, do check out the website.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Child Racism

2007-03-10T14:37:00.000+08:00

****************
One Saturday morning, I went to the office to finish up some work. My department secretary, who was seated nearby, was also there along with her 5 year old daughter called Amanda. Since I love kids, I played with little Amanda for a while before beginning my work.

After a while of being left alone, she got restless and asked her mother if she could go to the pantry for a snack. Her mother agreed so off she went. Coincidentally, another Indian lady (also a secretary but for another department) was also there that day with her daughter.

When I walked to the pantry to make a drink, I saw the two munchkins socialising. I did not understand a word they were communicating despite the fact that one was a Chinese and one was a Indian hence they could not possibly any other language in common besides English.

Anyway, I assumed that children say nothing out of something most of the time. I went back to my place to resume with my work as soon as I was done making my drink. 15 minutes later, Amanda returned to her mother, who asked what she had been doing for the past 30 minutes.

Amanda told her mother that she had made a new friend. After which, she added really loudly (in the still and quiet office on a Saturday morning), “My friend is black, mummy!!!” Her mother tried to hush her but the little girl kept repeating herself as if trying to prove a point.

You racist people will love Amanda.

Motorcycle Love

2007-03-07T12:39:00.000+08:00

Do you love motorcycles or perhaps sports bikes?

If you love riding them, racing them, customising them, collecting them or just talking about them, then Cycleheadab.Com is the place for you. By becoming a member of this website and creating your personal profile, you will have the privilege to upload videos, pictures and audio files to share them with the rest of the world.

Of course there are other similar websites out there where you can do similar stuff but Cycleheadad.Com have worked really hard to make their website more fun and user friendly. Their features are cutting edge hence you will not be able find them on them in other similar websites.

Cycleheadad.Com is the version of Myspace just for motorcycle and sport bikes, but of course, without all the spam that one gets on Myspace. One of the best things is that one does not have to look far to find somebody with similar interests.

Cycleheadad.Com are also dedicated to bringing the latest news regarding sport bikes and various updates on road racing schedule results and analysis. Their hope is that through the website, people will learn how to enjoy motorcycles safely while meeting others and ensuring that motorcycle love spreads across the world.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Unique or Weird?

2007-03-06T11:00:00.000+08:00

****************
I think it is pretty unfair that we do not get paid overtime in financial institutions. At least, not the one I work for currently. I only arrived home at 8.45pm yesterday because I was out entertaining one of my clients at a coffee house. Although I was busy sipping some delicious ice blended fruit drink, it was still considered work.

My client brought along the company director from Singapore (who happened to be in Kuala Lumpur for the day) to introduce to me. The moment I was introduced to him by my client, I almost burst out in laughter. I had to contain all that air and saliva inside my mouth by shutting it so tightly that I could not even say, “Hi!” Instead, I just smiled.

Fino Fijateh.

Yes, that is the company director’s name. What a name! I never did call him by his name throughout our whole conversation because I was not sure whether he liked to be call Fino or Fijateh or Fino Fijateh or Mr Fino or Mr Fijateh or Mr Fino Fijateh.

I wonder why people give their children such names. When I got home, I told Ivan about it and he looked so stunned. Somehow, this got me to think what we should name our children. I definitely want them to have English names so I will select them. As for the Chinese names, I will leave it up to my parents or my in-laws.

We are planning to have two of them little creatures. If we get a boy, I would like to name him Ethan. If we get a girl, I would probably name her Amelia (if you do not already know, it is actually a combination of my name). If we get two boys or two girls, I would have to further consult the name dictionary.

Wiley X

2007-03-05T15:14:00.000+08:00

If you are looking for a good pair of sunglasses, you ought to check out Wiley X, a motorcycle glasses, sunglasses and prescription glasses retailer. You might just find the perfect pair of sunglasses that you have been searching for all these time.

Wiley X motorcycle glasses and Wiley X sunglasses and are excellent for those who love the outdoors or travel fast speeds. Various Wiley X motorcycle sunglasses have a unique padded eye cup to protect the eyes from wind, dust as well as water.

Lenses from Wiley X are specially designed for various types of lighting conditions. Best of all, most Wiley X sunglasses are available with prescription lenses. The Wiley X "Light Adjusting" lenses are photo chromic sunglasses, which mean that it darkens in the presence of sunlight.

My personal favourite (ironically… read on to find out why) is the Wiley X Blink. It is a new Wiley X model that came out in year 2006. Wiley X Blink features double injected rubber temple tips combined with an incredibly comfortable Facial Cavity Seal. The sunglass also features multi-coated mirrored lenses; a two tone aluminium gloss frame and the Wiley X Climate Control System. Blink is great for any high speed activity.

For the record, the Lifetime Warranty option also applies to prescription Wiley X sunglasses.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

The Lizard & Bee Home [Part II]

2007-03-01T10:16:00.000+08:00

****************
As the weekend approaches, my heart rate increases.

This weekend, Ivan and I are going to our new home and meeting up with some contractors for some renovation quotes. The excitement of getting the key to our new home, engaging an interior designer or contractor for renovation works and furniture shopping is definitely too overwhelming for my minute physique to contain. I am bursting with vigour almost every second.

We had already done most of our household accessories (artificial plants, paintings, ornaments, etc.) shopping last month in Chatuchak and Suan Lum Market in Bangkok. Although we spent quite a bomb there, we enjoyed ourselves tremendously and I could say that it was worth every cent.

Seriously, I think getting a new home with the one you love and doing everything related to it is indeed one of the most beautiful experiences in life. There is nothing (for the time being) like saving up and putting every cent into a dwelling we can call our own. Although it is not easy to do so financial wise, I can safely say that that is probably one of the bigger factors that made this whole experience so worthwhile.

*thump* *thump* *thump*

Custom Hookahs

2007-02-28T23:50:00.000+08:00

****************
If you are searching for hookah tobacco or hookah, Custom Hookahs is definitely the one stop place for all your needs. Custom Hookahs is an online hookah store that supplies high quality hookah pipes and tobacco flavors.

My personal favourite (from its physical appearance) is the MYA QT Hookahs. It is also a personal favourite for enthusiasts who would like to set up a hookah that is good enough for a long smoking session, and at the same time perfect for a quick 30 minute smoke. They are very affordable and come with high quality hookah parts from a trusted manufacturer by the name of Mya.

Is anyone of you interested to get hold of a free hookah? If you are a part of a student organisation that has a website and at the same time accepts donations, you can get a free hookah. All you have to do is mention on your organisation website that Custom Hookahs has donated a hookah to you. You may contact Custom Hookahs for more information in respect to this.

Is anyone of you interested in getting a discount for your organisation members? If majority of the members in your organisation already smoke hookah, they are likely to be very keen on the offer. Custom Hookahs is offering a 10% discount for all members of a student organisation who are registered with them.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

The Dessert [Part II]

2007-02-26T10:02:00.000+08:00

***************
If you enjoyed my previous post about the dessert, you will enjoy this one even more.

To refresh your memory, Ivan and I had bought a tub of ice cream on Valentine’s Day to savour after our delivered pizza. It was no ordinary ice cream, it was a Haagen Dazs Tiramisu flavoured one. The best part of all is Ivan bought it voluntarily, without me having to exert any amount of force.

From the moment I took my first bite of the pizza until the moment I was finishing the last slice of pizza, all I thought about was the ice cream. I thought about how I was going to enjoy it and all the toppings (mainly chocolate chips) that I was having it with, I was delirious.

Having swallowed my last bite of the pizza, I dashed to the kitchen for my dessert. I opened the freezer, searching high and low for the glorious tub of calories. Not that the freezer was so big that I had to search every corner to find something so obvious, but I did so because I could not find it.

Feeling frustrated and upset, I stopped for a moment to think. Ivan was the one who brought the ice cream into the house from the car… If I was Ivan, what would I typically do? Immediately, I opened the fridge and there it (the glorious tub) is right in front of my eyes.

I quickly removed the cover and ripped off the plastic to confirm if my greatest fear came true. Indeed it did. Inside the tub was the most watery Tiramisu concoction I have ever seen in my entire 25 years of life. All thanks to Ivan who did not know better than to keep ice creams in a freezer.

One for the Druggies

2007-02-24T12:21:00.000+08:00

****************
This morning, I stumbled onto a website known as Cordblood-Drugrehab.info that I would like to recommend (if applicable). It contains extensive information relating to drug rehabilitation, addiction treatment and links to substance abuse support groups as well as detox centers.

The website features a directory of the most common drugs along with its respective symptoms and side effects. This is to enable you to identify possible drug addicts among your peers and family members as well as tips on how to stage an intervention.

I have to admit that some of the drug descriptions can be rather interesting even for people who do not have any drug problems (like myself). Examples are the history of the term 420 and its meaning to pot smokers, party drugs like Sextasy which is a combination of Viagra and Ecstasy.

Apart from that, the website also discusses the controversal topic of stem cell research and cord blood and their ground breaking medical benefits.

Tale Time

2007-02-24T10:07:00.000+08:00

****************
It is story time once again. Now, grab a comfortable chair and read on.

Once upon a time, there was this guy (let’s refer to him as World Class Loser) who is very lonely. He is a total nerd and has a weird character too. No ordinary girl could even go as close to liking him simply because he is too strange, right from the thoughts in his mind to the way he behaves.

Thing is, he is desperate for a girlfriend, for companionship. As I have mentioned, he is weird, hence due to that he has a limited number of friends too. The friends that he actually hangs out with are one or two that are not even true friends, to begin with...

What’s worse is that he has requirements for a girlfriend like some well deserving guy. Anyway, he finally found a girl (let’s refer to her as World Class Girlfriend) that is normal. She is everything he is not. In short, she is like any ordinary girl and he is a total freak.

Long story short, the relationship did not last long (as expected). He claimed that she is too playful, fooling around with guys, etc. She is a dutiful teenager socialising with her friends. Did World Class Loser expect her to be like him, staying home cooped up in his own room every single day?

She was really upset having been accused of that because she is indeed a proper girl and did not in any way cheat on him. After a while, she understood why he said those things. One cannot expect a nerd that has been locked in his room for 22 years and has never seen the world to understand an ordinary girl like her.

So World Class Girlfriend decided to let it go and move on with her life. A few years down the line, she heard from World Class Loser again. Apparently, he just got out of a long-term relationship. The girl made use of him, raked every penny she could and then left him cold heartedly.

To convince him of her sincerity so he would give her all that he had, she slept with him. From what I understand, she was like a whore. A desperate nerd like him would have loved the attention, of course. So they made the best couple you could ever imagine.

After the break up, he tried to get World Class Girlfriend back again. Reason(s)? Firstly, he realised that she is the best girlfriend in the world and all the accusations that he thrown at her was nothing but a proof of his foolishness. Secondly, he knew that he could never find another girl that would accept him.

She could never take him back because she was already seeing someone else and he was way too freaky for her liking. So one day, World Class Loser told her he will wait for her forever and that she is the most special girl ever and all that nonsense. A week later, he got together with a girl he met at a Cupid event.

Ironic, isn’t it? That happened sometime in May 2006. He told World Class Girlfriend that he did not love her because she is not his type. However, he is trying very hard to because she seems to be crazy about him. A guy who is lack of attention like him tend to have thoughts like these.

In August 2006, World Class Girlfriend informed him that she is going to get married and he had the WEIRDEST reaction ever. No well wishes, nothing. Instead, he said her marriage will not last because she is a player and never meant for marriage.

Jealous of my happiness. Angry he did not get the girl. Envious of me marrying before him. Fuming because he is left with the girl he did not love. Left out for not being able to do the same. Resentful because he is not the one I had chosen.

They all described how he felt.

Now, December 2006, he proposed to the girlfriend he does not love and they are getting registered soon. Can you believe that? After 5 months into a relationship and they are planning on the biggest commitment ever. I guess they are probably both equally desperate because the girl agreed so easily.

He probably proposed in the first place because I am getting married and he was green-eyed. I hate to be the driver of his relationship but looks like his life is governed by mine. That is really sad but no one can blame him, he is born desperate and weird.

I feel for him. So very sad a person and a situation. I really pity his girlfriend, she is just a toy to him. A couple can hardly get to understand each other in 5 months as everything is still prefect and rosy. Give it 12 months and things will change. Then again, what can we expect out of a desperate guy right?

Even if it doesn’t work out, he will have to make sure it does. Otherwise he will end up alone in life… Better to have someone he does not really want (second best) than to be alone. I suppose that is his weakness and greatest fear.

I have a confession to make. World Class Loser = My ex-boyfriend. Which means, World Class Girlfriend = Me. Yes, I know it is pretty big headed of me to give myself such a name but it seemed perfect for the story and the occasion.

Stay in the Light

2007-02-23T14:41:00.000+08:00

****************
Since Ivan and I finally have the keys to our new home, there were various things for us to consider doing to the house. One of them that came up in our discussion was the kitchen lighting, as the kitchen is the heart of the home.

We were contemplating between warm lights, simple chandelier or ordinary pendulous lights. Each type of lights has its own pros and cons hence we decided to browse the Internet for ideas.

That was when I we stumbled upon Shop Premier, we website that retails all types of lights. We were rather fascinated by the variety and the fact that purchases above $100 include free shipping.

Do check it out if you are light shopping!

This post has been sponsored.

The Accident

2007-02-23T11:20:00.000+08:00

****************
Last night, just as I was about to retire, I received a phone call from Ivan.

Ivan: Bee?
Me: Yes, that's me.
Ivan: I ran over a child.
Me: Hehehe... That's cool. (Thinking he was a proud murderer of a baby cockroach)
Ivan: I ran over a child.
Me: Erm alright.
Ivan: Really, I ran over a child.
Me: Uh huh...
Ivan: I am sending her to the hospital now.
Me: Oh my God!!! You were serious???
Ivan: Yes.
Me: How???
Ivan: She suddenly dashed out to the road so I could not see her...
Me: Gosh.
Ivan: I will call you later alright?
Me: Erm... Sure.

After hanging up, I ran downstairs to tell my mother what happened. She was so horrified that words cannot describe her reaction. In fact, she seemed even more worried and upset that I was. According to my sister, after I went back upstairs, she was so upset that she looked like she was on the verge on tears.

An hour later, Ivan called me back and told me that the child was alright. Her parents understood that it was her fault for dashing out to the road and not minding oncoming vehicles. Also, her CT Scan showed that everything was alright - just a little bruise on the nose.

Thank goodness.

For the Patriotic

2007-02-23T10:37:00.000+08:00

****************
If you are searching for patriotic posters, PatrioticPosters.Net is your one stop shop for everything in red white and blue!

Whether you are looking for replicas of historic documents like the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, vintage americana, Stars and Stripes, beautiful pictures of old Route 66, posters of Ole Glory, native American artwork, contemporary Southwestern art or traditional Old Wild West images, posters of specific moments in history like 9-11 and the World Trade Center attack or posters celebrating the US Military, Air Force or the Marines, you are definitely in the right place!

The following is a visual appetiser of what's in store:

Pretty, isn't it? Do check out the website for variety... You will not regret it.

Key to My Heart

2007-02-23T08:00:00.000+08:00

****************
At long last, Ivan and I have finally gotten the key to our house. This means that all legal documentation have been completed and we are officially the proud new owners of a double storey terrace house.

Since the lawyer firm is closed all week due to the Chinese New Year break, we are not able to obtain the key just yet. We intend to get it next Friday and pay our new house a visit the following day.

How excited we both are for the arrival of next weekend!

Pentax Binoculars

2007-02-22T15:03:00.000+08:00

****************
If you are on search for a new pair of binoculars, you ought to check out Eagle Optics. There you may find an extensive range of Pentax binoculars, available for your perusal.

You may select the Pentax DCF WP II 10x42 binoculars if you have rough trails as it is dust, rain and sleet proof. Meanwhile, the Pentax DCF ED 10x43 binoculars have high performance scanning capability while the Pentax DCF ED 10x50 binoculars allows supreme views from dusk to dawn.

These are just a few of the various Pentax binoculars models. You may check the rest out for yourselves at Eagle Optics. They offer great low prices, excellent customer service and they even offer financing for purchases above $200.

This post has been sponsored.

The Grand Arrival

2007-02-22T00:11:00.000+08:00

****************
Last weekend, I took a flight to east Malaysia with my colleague for a business trip. The departure was on a Friday morning hence we arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport an hour earlier to check in.

After checking in, we proceeded to the departure gate. Just before we entered the said area, we had to scan our hand luggage and walk through a metal detector.

Upon stepping into the vicinity of the scanners and detectors, I almost passed out. A few villages of old Malay folks swarmed the area, all dressed in white – on their way to Mekah, I suppose.

They were rude, ignorant and every other inhuman word in the dictionary. The way they did not queue, coughed out loud without covering their mouths, pushed me around… It was despicable!

I must have looked so upset that even my colleague noticed. She said, “They are on their way to Mekah. When they arrive, their WHOLE FAMILY will greet them at the airport. From the oldest to youngest member of the family.”

Somehow or rather, I took that statement lightly.

Right after the plane had landed in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night, my colleague and I made our way out to the arrival hall. Upon passing the luggage collection area, I almost passed out again.

There were approximately 6 conveyor belts in motion, each and every one of which was swarmed with those old ignorant folks dressed in white. It was then that I thanked God I did not check in my luggage.

I walked right past them and proceeded to the arrival hall. The number of brown skinned individuals that gathered there made me feel like I was Celine Dion and all of them came to welcome me to Malaysia.

My colleague was right and I could not believe my eyes. You would not too unless you have seen it for yourselves. Honestly, I have nothing against Malays but they way they behave really disgust me… Sigh.

You will never believe me until you have met a Malaysian Malay. Welcome to Malaysia.

Mint, Anyone?

2007-02-21T17:59:00.000+08:00

Allow me to introduce to you the budding evolution of credit cards: Mint Credit Cards!

Mint had in year 2003 introduced their credit cards. There are two versions of the card, one being the standard credit card while the other is the MC2 credit card that has the bottom right hand corner removed. This was actually introduced as the first shape transformation in United Kingdom for the past 37 years.

With Mint Credit Cards, one may enjoy a 0% interest on balance transfers and purchases until 1 December 2007. On top of that, one may also get a 0% bonus offer until 1 August 2008 on balance transfers debited to their account during the month of February 2008.

Recently, in September 2006, Mint introduced the Mint Gift Card. Fundamentally, it is a prepaid credit card that one may present as a gift. This is especially useful for those who may now know precisely which stores to obtain vouchers from (as a gift, of course). The Mint Gift Card is something that can be used at almost any store.

Further information about the company and its products may be found at the website.

This post has been sponsored.

The Dessert [Part I]

2007-02-20T09:27:00.000+08:00

****************
On Valentine’s Day, Ivan and I went to the supermarket to get a tub of ice cream for dessert after our pizza.

When we arrived at the freezer, I asked him which flavour he would like. He said he would go with anything that I have decided on. After looking at the freezer for 10 seconds, I noticed that the supermarket had a limited selection of brands and flavours.

I thought of getting something that costs approximately RM10.00 to RM20.00, which would probably be a pretty decent tub of ice cream. Much to my surprise, Ivan pointed out the Haagen Dazs Tiramisu ice cream to me because it costs RM28.90 and he is normally very stingy.

He will never suggest for us to buy such expensive things unless I was the one who suggested, and then he would just pay for it. Anyway, I looked at the freezer for another 10 seconds before grabbing the Haagen Dazs tub and dashing to the counter before Ivan could change his mind.

At the cashier, he took out his wallet and searched for some cash to pay. When I saw that all the had in his hands was a RM10.00 note, I said, “10 bucks? That’s not going to be enough.” “Oh then how much?” “Erm… A RM50.00 note is more like it.”

Apparently he did not know that my precious tub of cream cost so much. No wonder he suggested that we took that brand! He said, “Gosh. I am not aware that a tub of lousy cream and milk is so expensive.” “You chose it, not my fault!”

And then I secretly grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

Replica Sunglasses

2007-02-19T23:48:00.000+08:00

****************
At present, there is a flourishing market for replica sunglasses as almost everyone wants to look good putting on a pair of designer sunglasses. Replica sunglasses that are offered at vast discount prices in comparison to the original stuff is a trend as one can obtain tons of sales and make good margins from it.

If you are selling, or looking to sell replica sunglasses at online mall stores, chain stores, kiosks, flea markets, fair or festivals, then read on. Also, if you are on the lookout of great door gifts for corporate (whether small or large) functions or any motor shows, this might just be the place for you.

When you source your requirement of wholesale sunglasses from CTS wholesalers, several benefits are available to you. You get a wide assortment of designs, promotional low cost to high quality cost lines, full range of surf wear and sportswear, fast selling popular ranges, metal and plastic styles with various combination of lenses and many more.

All of their designs are replicas and look-alikes of the various designer sunglasses. Hence he wearer may feel the similar excitement that he feels wearing an original pair of designer sunglasses. Also, you are not going against the law because they do not carry and fake brand names as the sunglasses are sold as “inspired by”.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Fire Boar

2007-02-18T11:45:00.000+08:00

****************
Wishing a happy and properous Chinese New Year to everyone out there.

May the year of the Fire Boar bring you great success in your businesses and carrers, and harmony in family relationships.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

Rhinoplasty

2007-02-17T23:02:00.000+08:00

****************
If you have been thinking about Beverly Hills rhinoplasty, Rodeo Drive Rhinoplasty might be just the place for you. Their offices and surgery center are located on Rodeo Drive, being an exclusive street that represents the pinnacle of taste and service.

As the only plastic surgery center on the world's most glamorous boulevard, they bring similar standards to your rhinoplasty care. Their staff work to provide the best possible surgical outcomes in a setting that embodies the standards and lifestyle that you may require. This means attention to your individual needs before, during, and after your rhinoplasty.

Rodeo Drive Rhinoplasty's approach is different from the norm. They have a team of two surgeons with complementary training and backgrounds that perform all nose surgeries together. This interdisciplinary approach provides you the benefit of a broad perspective and skill during evaluation and treatment, as well as cosmetic and functional aspects of your rhinoplasty.

Only paying attention to aesthetics can lead to breathing problems following surgery while only paying attention only to breath flow can compromise aesthetics. Hence Rodeo Drive Rhinoplasty surgeons work to overcome these problems by using different perspectives to focus simultaneously on both improving appearance as well as function.

Dr Lloyd Krieger is a plastic surgeon who focuses on creating an attractive nose during your rhinoplasty while Dr Marc Kerner is a facial plastic surgeon or otalayrngologist who works not only to create an attractive nose but also focuses on functions so that breathing is not impaired, or if necessary, will improved during the procedure.

Various people choose to have rhinoplasty or other nose surgeries for many reasons. At times, their nose does not match the shape and size of the rest of their face or at times, their nose is too wide, too large, too narrow, or has a bump on it while some people have breathing problems. Rodeo Drive Rhinoplasty customise treatments to individual needs and concerns.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Oh Valentine

2007-02-14T14:37:00.000+08:00

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

Happy Valentine's Day to all the people of the world.

Spread the love on this very special day! Man... I am crapping. Must be the overdose of Mandarin oranges and tangerines.

Anyway... Have fun today but spend wisely (do not get conned by the blood sucking florists and restaurants).

Cheers.

Christian Style

2007-02-13T15:40:00.000+08:00

****************
Ivan related to me one of his experiences as a child over dinner yesterday.

Little Ivan learnt how to use chopsticks when he was as little as 8. No one taught him how to use them, he just decided to pick a pair up one day and learn for himself.

After some time of careful observation, he had noticed there were 2 methods of using chopsticks. The first is where only one of the chopsticks move (the correct method) and the second is where the chopsticks cross one another (the wrong method).

Normally, those who were not taught the correct method of using chopsticks would use them the wrong way – like me. You may now proceed to laugh all you want. Anyway, little Ivan crossed his chopsticks too as he was never taught the correct method.

One fine day, little Ivan was sitting beside his aunt and watching her eat with chopsticks. He noticed that only one of the chopsticks was moving. After keeping his curiosity inside for the longest time, he finally asked, “Why do you use the chopstick that way?”

“This is the correct way of using chopsticks,“ his aunt replied.

He then recalled that his father crossed his chopsticks too. So he started to think that if his aunt was right, his father was using his chopsticks wrongly. To further satisfy his curiosity, he ran towards his mother to get some answers.

“Why do dad and aunt use their chopsticks differently? Is dad using them the wrong way?” he asked.

Before I go on, I should add that Ivan's father is a Christian.

His mother’s reply was classic.

“Your father’s way of using chopsticks is Christian style.”

The things parents say to put an end to a child’s curiosity...

Goji Berry Goodness

2007-02-12T00:02:00.000+08:00

****************
You know how people are slowly moving towards the trend of healthy eating lifestyle thus creating the sudden gold rush for organic food and what not? My mother and mother in law, for that matter, are extremists when it comes to this hale and hearty stuff. They can sit for hours just talking about it.

While doing them a favour (do not ask me what it is), I found a website that wholesales and retails Goji Berry Juice, Goji Berries, Goji Seeds and much more. For your information, Goji is actually the English contraction of the Mandarin name for Wolfberry.

Goji berries are known in Asia as one of nature's most nutritious natural food and they have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly 2,000 years now. Thus naturally, Goji berries are often linked in Chinese lore to Shen Nung, China's legendary First Emperor, mythical father of agriculture and herbalist.

If you are interested in purchasing the very finest Goji berries, you may consider this Goji website. They import the highest quality of Goji berries directly from the valleys of the Tibetan and Mongolian Himalayas. Also, because they are able to buy in such large volume, they are able to offer you the most competitive prices.

Do check out the website if you are interested!

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

For Holiday Goers

2007-02-11T00:21:00.000+08:00

****************
A month or so before Ivan and I went for our mini honeymoon in Bangkok, I was busy surfing the Internet for a trustworthy and reputable website to book a hotel room. There were so many out there that I did not know which one was better than the other.

Later on a couple of my friends actually directed me to Hotel Reservations, unaware that I had already made my reservation. Nevertheless, I browsed through the website quite a bit as it was so commonly recommended.

The website offers hotels, motels and resorts in Australia (Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Gold Coast, etc.), Germany (Lubeck, Berlin, Munnheim, Frankfurt, Munich, Kiel, etc.) France (Paris, Toulouse, Arles, La Rochelle, Marseille, Avignon, etc.), Italy (Milan, Florence, Turin, Rome, Venice, Tuscany, etc.), Greece (Volos, Athens, Rhodes, Heraklion, Mykonos, Santorini, etc.), England (Heathrow, Leeds, Oxford, London, Knottingham, Birmingham, etc.), Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.), Belgium (Mechelen, Brussels, Gent, Oostende, Bruges, Leuven, etc.) and Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Coimbra, Estoril, Cascais, etc.).

If you live in the USA or Canada, call 1-800-447-4136 (a toll free number) to make your reservation, which is available 24 hours 7 days a week. If you live in Europe, you may call 00-800-1276-3549. This number is applicable in United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland and Australia. The worldwide number is (1) 817-333-5105.

HotelReservations.com also has rebates of $100 and guaranteed lower rates. For example, the Portofino Beach Hotel in Anaheim starts from $149.95 at the website but I found that it starts from $169.00 at another website (I will not mention names). To find out about other hotels, motels or resorts, do pay a visit to the website to witness the very competitive rates for yourselves.

Personally, I found the website very user friendly and informative. It is really easy to navigate, has heaps of useful functions and even maps to the respective hotels, motels and resorts.

This post has been sponsored.

The Proposal

2007-02-10T00:12:00.000+08:00

****************
I have been asked this particular question (approximately say, one trillion and one times) by many: How did Ivan propose to you?

It is probably good for me to clarify here once and for all that the answer is, “HE DID NOT.”

Me: Guess what? (names a girlfriend) and (names a boyfriend) are registering their marriage soon.
Ivan: Really, when?
Me: Some time early next year. Seems like everyone is getting registered these days.
Ivan: Let's get registered too.
Me: (?????????)

Yes, very unromantic and nothing like the dream proposal I had been yearning for since I was a child. Even more so after I was introduced to Cinderella and Snow White.

I guess this is when someone tells me, “Welcome to the real world.”

Cards For All

2007-02-09T19:16:00.000+08:00

****************
As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I bet most of you if not all of you, are out shopping for gifts and cards already.

The first thing on my list is a card as it is easier to locate and select compared to a gift! I am not a huge fan of hard copy cards for the one reason that I dislike writing, hence I have been searching for e-cards online. After a few websites, I stumbled upon a free funny e-cards website on Egreetings.com.

There is a vast variety of funny, risqué and animated e-cards available at the website that caters for Valentine’s Day, birthdays and various other occasions. The thing I like about the e-cards is that they can all be personalized with messages as well as pictures.

Yearly subscription to the website is $13.99 while users may also obtain a free 30 day trial membership to send unlimited e-cards. However, amongst others, members enjoy the benefit of scheduling e-cards to arrive on a specific date. Therefore members may personalize e-cards whenever and schedule it to be delivered immediately or on a predetermined date.

There are heaps of e-cards available at the website but current popular ones include birthday e-cards like "Birthday Cleavage" and "A Birthday Wish (or Two)" or the really funny new "Cupid's Pickup Lines" or "ABC's of Valentine's Day" Valentine’s Day e-cards. Do check it out!

A visual appetiser:

This post has been sponsored.

Murderer

2007-02-07T12:41:00.000+08:00

****************
I wish to relate an incident that took place when I was a child. It was nothing violent or abusive – I had the perfect childhood. In fact, it was something… Well, read on and you will find out.

Dressed in my favourite pair of pyjamas that my mother had made for me, I dashed downstairs as the commercials on television was about to end. Pleased that I did not miss a single second of my TVB serial, I smiled to myself and got comfortable.

Ten seconds into the show, I felt something tickling my knee. It was awfully ticklish hence I reach to my knee and smacked it. Following that, something in me made me clutch that part of my pyjamas pants. I was indeed too absorbed in my show to realise what my true intentions were.

As I continued clutching my pants, I felt something moving in there hence I clutched even harder. After wrestling for a couple of seconds, the moving object had finally become still. That was when I was suddenly taken back from the world of TVB to the real world.

Suffering from clod sweat, I ran upstairs while clutching my pants. I took it off, put another pair of pants on and threw the earlier one into the laundry basket. Then I hurried downstairs once again to ensure that I had not missed any important scenes.

The next day, my mother said, “Girl, did you kill a lizard yesterday?” Shocked, I said, “Did I?” She replied, “Yeah, there is a dead lizard in your pyjamas pants.”

Cell Phone Deals

2007-02-06T14:31:00.000+08:00

****************
If you are looking for a website that sells cell phones, you should check out Wirefly. It is the Internet’s number one seller of cingular phones and cingular plans.

You may shop by carrier (Verizon Wireless, T Mobile, Sprint, etc.), phone (Motorola. Samsung, Sony Ericsson, etc.) or service plan (select cell phone plan features). These options are available at the upper right hand corner of the main page. At present, the top ten cingular phones are the RAZR V3i w/ iTunes (get it free after rebate, Motorola KRZR ($49.99 after rebate), Nokia E62 (this cell phone is free), RIM BlackBerry 7290 (free BlackBerry), Motorola v557 (free phone and $30 cash), Palm Treo 680 (get it free after rebate), BlackBerry Pearl (only $49.99 after rebate), Motorola v365 (this cell phone is free), Motorola Pink RAZR (free Cingular RAZR) and Motorola Blue RAZR (free Cingular Blue RAZR).

Also, you should check out the exclusive online deals on all new cingular wireless phones as there are rather interesting arrangements there. For instance, you may obtain a free black RAZR phone with a Bluetooth headset with a new cingular wireless account.

With a new cingular wireless account, you may get also LG CU500 and Samsung D807 for $0.00 so do check out the deals. You may also obtain other really cool phones, including the Sony Ericsson W810i (my personal favourite) for free after special rebates with a new cingular wireless account.

Finally, you may also opt to get a red RAZR for free with a Bluetooth Headset with a new cingular wireless account. The options are aplenty so do check them out for yourselves.

Just to add on, the pink and red MOTORAZRs are on sale for Valentine’s Day with selected service plans. For those of you who have yet to figure out a gift for your other half, I think this would make a wonderful gift (for the girls only, please – we do not want to see guys walking around with pink and red cell phones!).

This post has been sponsored.

The Reason

2007-02-05T23:56:00.000+08:00

****************
Sorry for the missing in action act, people.

I have a very good explanation for it though! Ivan and I had just returned from Bangkok (for our mini honeymoon) an hour or so ago. We bought heaps of decorative items for our new home while I bought so many tops and dresses that it can last me another year or two.

Now, I am so tired that I can sleep forever...

Goodnight people and till I post again.

Hockey Gossip

2007-01-31T09:06:00.000+08:00

****************
Calling out to all hockey addicts!

I would hereby like to introduce to the lovely bunch of hockey addicts out there to a NHL Forum known as HFBoard.com. It is essentially a NHL forum and message board for the National Hockey League and has been around for the past 5 years.

If you have yet to discover it, welcome and happy discovering. They have forums such as trade rumours and free agent talk, the business of hockey, national hockey league talk, the history of hockey, prospects board, hockey’s future media, etc. There are heaps of threads following the said forums.

Do check it out if you are a fan of the NHL, who knows, you may even meet some top notch hockey star (sorry, can’t give any names because I am not too well versed with hockey) there!

This post has been sponsored.

My Big Day [Part II]

2007-01-30T08:48:00.000+08:00

****************
It was a demanding day all right but I must say that registering my marriage with Ivan is a truly beautiful experience for me. I suppose today marks one of the happiest days of my life, if not the happiest! *smiles from head to toe*

That is why I have decided to post some of my photographs here – I normally do not due to privacy purposes. For those of you who would like to see more, please feel free to let me know.

Enjoy!!!

Our very first photograph for the day.

Ivan: Finally, the moment I have been waiting for!
Amie: Signing my life away... *sobs*

You may now kiss the bride.

Ivan's family.

My family.

Ivan's subordinates who paid a surprise visit.

*peck peck*

Hey... Hands off the bouquet, it's mine!

Together as one.

Stealing a kiss...

In our own world.

The princess and the frog.

Caught in the act of stealing some holy water.

By the tortoise infested pond.

Chooi Peng and I.

The two 7 year olds I met on the day I married a 27 year old.

Chatting about the good old times.

*hugs* =)

Free Podcast Hosting

2007-01-29T11:26:00.000+08:00

****************
For those of you who do not know what a podcast is, shame on you!

Being a very nice person, I shall enlighten you. A podcast is basically a radio show delivered over the Internet to the user’s personal computer. Unlike streaming audio, which requires listening in real time, podcasting allows the user control how and when to listen to their favorite shows.

There is a site known as MyPodcast.com that offers free podcast hosting thus users may record and host their own podcast for free. Users have unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth and best of all, membership if free. Check it out!

This post has been sponsored.

My Big Day [Part I]

2007-01-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

****************
It has all been said and done. I am now legally and officially a married woman. A layman’s understanding of extremely exhausted is an understatement of how I feel right now. Not because I am married, mind you, but because of the happenings of the day.

Please allow me to share one of the most important days of my life with you.

I could hardly sleep the entire night and I suppose that was a major cause to the exhaustion that I had been enduring all day. At 6.50 a.m., I could no longer lie in bed forcing myself to fall asleep. Hence I got out of bed to freshen up and shortly after which, I called Ivan to see if he had already woken up.

Never in my entire 25 years of life had I taken as much time as I did today to prepare for an event – a whopping1 hour 25 minutes. I seriously have no idea what took me so long to do. Ivan arrived at my house at 8.15 a.m. to pick me so we could go to Thean Hou temple (the marriage registration venue) together – as he had insisted.

He came in to my house and I helped him pick a tie to match his shirt. Normally, he will require my judgment for important days like today as he is colour blind (for real, people). When I could not decide on the brown or red tie, I asked for my father’s opinion and he said to go with the red. My father is one superstitious man but at least he is decisive.

Hence Ivan put on the red tie while I applied some foundation on his face. He has this strange tendency to stop everything he is doing, close his eyes and grin like a lizard every time I do something to his face. I tried very hard to disguise the humongous zit on his chin but eventually I gave up as it is beyond my expertise.

I then trimmed his nostril hair (yes it is long enough to look messy) as he had left that out from his things to do list. We finally left for the temple at 8.23 a.m. and arrived there approximately some 15 minutes later. Upon arriving, we headed towards the Commissioner of Oath’s office to obtain the relevant documents.

We then took a stroll around the temple while waiting for our parents to arrive. My parents arrived first and shortly after, Ivan’s parents arrived too. We hung around the entrance of the temple and took some photographs. Looking around, I found that we were only one out of the one trillion couples registering their marriage today.

I looked at Ivan’s watch and it said 9.10 a.m. hence I got a little worried as one of my childhood friends, Chooi Peng, had not arrived. Just when I looked around for her, I saw her walking towards us. When we met up, she congratulated me and presented me with a gift. I thanked and hugged her for being so sweet.

Although we were scheduled for 9.30 a.m., we headed towards the registration office at around 9.20 a.m. just to be safe. It was like a marketplace at the registration office, just that everyone was very well dressed and no one was purchasing any meat or vegetable. Aside from that, it is no different from a marketplace.

After waiting for about 5 minutes, one of the officials in the registration office called out to me. He asked if all family members were present (his voice was barely audible) and I nodded my head. We were then asked to go into the registration office and he punched some information into a computer while we sat around and waited.

That was when Wai Kit (Ivan’s childhood friend and our photographer of the day) arrived. He turned up just on time! We were then told to enter room 2 after the couple in there had finished. Just as we stood up, the couple and their families exited the room. I then asked everyone to enter the room and made sure no one was left outside.

It seems that the couple, the witnesses and the Commissioner of Oath sat around the table at their predetermined seats while the others had to stand around the small room. My witness is my sister while Ivan’s is his mother. After closing the room door, cameras were snapping all the way: Ivan’s father, my father and Wai Kit.

The Commissioner of Oath asked for our preferred language and then asked us to sign some documents, including our marriage certificate. We were then asked to stand up to take our marriage oath (which I personally found pretty touching). After which, we exchanged rings and kissed as the cameras snapped away.

Once we had exited the registration office, Ivan saw a few of subordinates who came to surprise him. Boy are they a sweet bunch or what? Unfortunately, Ivan and I did not have much time to entertain them as we had our own agenda. We did manage to have a few quick words and a couple of photographs together before they left, though.

As for the next 2 hours, I need not go into detail because we spent the whole time photographing around the temple. There were heaps of beautiful spots at the temple as it is an internationally known tourist attraction. Hence my sister, Chooi Peng, Wai Kit, Ivan and I went on the photography venture together.

Both the mothers were sitting together gossiping about life and such, Ivan’s sister and father hung out together while my father went missing. Wai Kit was surprisingly good with the camera, although it was actually his first time handling one. With that, our photography venture came out rather successful.

Ivan’s father then suggested for us to adjourn for lunch together. My father suggested for us to go to a seafood restaurant nearby which his friends brought him to recently. Hence he led all 4 cars to the said restaurant but did not manage to find it. Instead, we ended up at the seafood restaurant at the foot of Robson Hill.

I had no idea how the food tasted because I was so exhausted that I felt like I was sleeping all the way through lunch. After lunch, Ivan and I sent Chooi Peng to KL Sentral before heading home. The journey home was another extensive torture as it was so congested hence it took us close to an hour to get home.

Today was truly exhausting but very memorable day for me… It will forever be known as the day I became Mrs Ivan Chan.

2 or 3?

2007-01-25T08:50:00.000+08:00

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

On the way to work this morning, Ivan and I held a conversation on the means of transportation to Thean Hou Temple this coming Saturday. Yes, it will be the day that we are registering our marriage.

Ivan: How many cars are we going in this Saturday? 2 or 3?

2 would mean I go with my family and he go with his. 3 would mean our families would go in 2 cars while Ivan and I will go together.

Me: Does it make a difference?
Ivan: Go in 3 cars lah… I come and pick you up.

Looks like he already decided on the outcome before he had asked me. He was just asking for courtesy sake.

Me: Alright. Are you doing that to make sure I turn up?
Ivan: Yes. I will tie you to me.

He is one insecure lizard, isn’t he?

Student Woes Resolved

2007-01-24T09:33:00.000+08:00

****************
I learnt something new something new today: student loan consolidation.

It is actually the when student borrowers consolidate their outstanding student loans. student loan consolidation not only helps students lock in to a lower interest rate, it also has many incentive features.

For further details, you may refer to the website of Next Student which makes college funding simple and cheap. They offer finance solutions for college graduates, graduate students, college students, parents and high school students.

Soaps for the Soul

2007-01-23T13:58:00.000+08:00

****************
Over the past 6 months, I had been keeping myself busy with the various soap operas and television series out there. It is almost as if I am addicted to it lately – I cannot live a day without watching at least one episode.

While browsing through some reviews and updates on the shows I have been following (trust me when I say that you do not want me to start naming them), I stumbled upon a website dedicated to soap operas.

Personally, I thought that the website is not too bad – in terms of its content. What’s more, the website is updated daily. However I do feel that it looks rather cluttered on the whole thus it will definitely look better more spaced out.

Soap opera fans should check the website out.

This post has been sponsored.

Birthday Surprise

2007-01-20T11:16:00.000+08:00

****************
I have been meaning to write the entry for the longest time I can remember but due to my hefty workload at the office and all the energy that that drained from me, I just never got to it. Yeah, I know people do not like excuses… But somehow I still feel that I have to justify my missing in action act.

It dates all the way back to 6 January 2007 (my birthday!).

As I was brushing my teeth on the night of 5 January 2007 at 11.57pm, I heard a vehicle approaching my house. I am very familiar with the sound of this vehicle (a junk that will fall apart anytime) because I listen to it almost everyday for the past… Goodness knows how long. Hence I instantly knew who came over for a surprise visit.

I walked downstairs and opened the gate. The visitor was grinning like a lizard (I know, bad proverb… But trust me, he looks like a lizard) and held something in his hand. It was hard to hide that something because it was just too big, although I must say, he did try very hard to put it out of my sight.

This was what the something looked like:

So the lizard like visitor gave me a kiss on the forehead and said, “Happy birthday, Bee.” I smiled, thanked him, and invited him in. You see, I was afraid that if I did not invite him in then I would not be able to feast (yes, it is obvious what that something was) on the thing that the lizard visitor was holding.

Once in the house, I uncovered the box to discover this:

My heart melted like it has never melted before… It looks awesomely delicious. I thanked the lizard visitor once again and he sang me a birthday song as I drooled over my surprise. Once he was done screeching, I instantly dug into my surprise (which meant that lazy me have to brush my teeth again later on).

Naturally, I offered some to the lizard visitor and together we ate as much as we could for the next hour. The next day, I had to camp in the toilet for more than 30 minutes due to the excessive fresh cream and milk.

Steiner Binoculars

2007-01-19T09:55:00.000+08:00

****************
For those of you who are not aware (I doubt there are any but just in case…), binoculars are actually two identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes which are mounted side by side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, thus allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects.

Unlike a monocular telescope, binoculars give viewers a three-dimensional image: the two views, presented from slightly different viewpoints to each of the viewer's eyes, merge to produce a single perceived view with a sensation of depth, allowing distances to be estimated.

Alright, enough of that. I sound more like an encyclopedia than anything.

Before I proceed, I should add that this post is dedicated to those who are looking for a good pair of binoculars. Sorry to have led those who are not interested this far into the post… But I am sure you have all heard of the saying “better late than never”.

One of the best places to look for a new pair of binoculars is at Eagle Optics, where you may find Steiner binoculars (though I personally feel that this range is more for expert users). They offer great low prices, excellent customer service and they even offer financing for purchases above $200.

This post has been sponsored.

Disturbing Caller

2007-01-17T22:52:00.000+08:00

****************
While suffering from my 15 minute insomnia last night, I suddenly recalled one incident that occurred during my secondary school years.

I was taking an afternoon nap (something I do everyday upon returning from school) when the house phone rang. As I received heaps of phone calls during those years, I placed the phone right beside me on the bed. Anyway, the ringing startled me as always, but I soon recovered and answered the phone.

Hoping it was one of the cute guys from La Salle (an all boys school opposite mine), I answered the phone with the sweetest voice. It was a guy alright but the guy was looking to speak to my father. I told him that my father was at work and offered to give him my father’s office number.

He did not want my father’s office number and instead, he started to ask me general questions about myself. I tried to be polite although I really wanted to continue my journey in dreamland. Hence I tried to fan him off, saying that I will get my father to call him back if he leaves his name and number.

I began to notice that something was wrong when the guy started panting. He could not have been somewhere outside walking (to cause that sort of panting) because his background was dead quiet. That was when I began to suspect that he was doing something unpleasant on the other side of the phone.

Immediately, I demanded for his name and threatened to hang up if he did not give it to me. I gave him 2 chances to tell me his name and when he failed to do so, I hung up the phone. If he were really my father’s friend, I am sure my father would understand if I explained the situation to him.

I am glad I did what I did but somehow, I feel rather used and cheated!

Say Spoof!

2007-01-16T09:46:00.000+08:00

****************
Technology has really gotten far ahead of me. It has gotten far ahead of you too, if you have not heard of SpoofCard calling cards. Believe it or not (I personally found it hard to believe), it offers users the ability to change what the person on the other end of the line sees on their caller ID display.

This calling card ensures the privacy of calls (especially for people who have got a lot to hide), plus it has the ability to record calls and change your voice, it is fun and inexpensive and best of all, it is easy to use and fast to set up. You may visit www.SpoofCard.com for more information on the calling card.

Check it out, people! I definitely would if I live in the States.

This post has been sponsored.

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

2007-01-08T09:29:00.000+08:00

****************
Ivan brought me to Genting Highlands to celebrate my birthday. We had a great time there although I still believe that Genting is one of the most cut throat places to visit. It seems like a whole other world up there, especially where pricing is concerned.

We had lunch at Sushi King, dinner at Coffee Terrace and some snacks in between. The dinner was a buffet style that consists of various cuisines which I believe is the most edible in the whole of Genting. I had a ball of a time exercising my greediness for the 120 minutes we spent at the restaurant.

As with every other buffet, my favourite section would be where the desserts are displayed. I was trying to decide on one of the 3 coloured puddings (white, purple and orange) when the chef appeared next to me. Actually, not that it mattered which one I was going to choose since I was going to try them all – it was just a matter of sequence.

Seeing the chef, I thought that he was the right person to recommend my first selection.

Me: (Points at the white pudding) What flavour is this?
Chef: This is coconut.
Me: (Silently pukes) Oh I see.
Chef: (Points at the orange pudding) This is mango. (Points at the purple pudding) This is blackcurrent.
Me: Alright. (Trying to decide)
Chef: (Points at the purple pudding) Take this. It is a favourite among children.
Me: (Walked away with the blackcurrent pudding, shocked)

Just when I had fussed (for the past month or so) over how I was getting all wrinkly turning a quarter of a century old, someone had mistaken me for a child. Hmmm... Just to think, all that fuss for nothing.

Ais Horkee

2007-01-06T00:34:00.000+08:00

****************
I am born risk averse. Hence I normally do not like to take risks of any kinds, types and forms unless I really have to – like probably a life or death situation. Thus a life is certainty is what binds me and holds me together.

My best friend (I shall not mention names but you know and I know), however is the exact opposite. Now that she is idle so often pins and needles are a norm, she found herself a new interest to indulge in: Sports betting.

For those of you who are not familiar, sports betting is about predicting sports results by making a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. Bettors usually make their sports wagers with bookies (this is a colloquail term) and on the Internet.

Since ice hockey is a common sport in Canada (where she is), all I ever read from her instant messages these days are I-C-E H-O-C-K-E-Y. I am glad that she has found a new form of entertainment but I sure do hope she does not lose her lifetime savings on sports betting.

Poor me... I lost my best friend to her latest interest.

Happy Birthday To Me

2007-01-05T09:57:00.000+08:00

****************
Yes, it is that time of the year again. My birthday.

It falls just 2 weeks after Christmas and 1 week after New Year. I am turning a quarter of a century old tomorrow – if you do not know how to do the math, go hit your head against the wall as hard as you can. Three more of my current lifespan and I qualify as a century human (think century egg).

So here is to me…

Happy birthday to me
I am the best thing alive
I am turning twenty five
Happy birthday to me!

Yes, I know, I am so full of myself. What can I say besides, "That's just me and that's what makes me so LOVABLE!"

Manhunt

2007-01-04T20:59:00.000+08:00

****************
For those of you who are still wondering (you will know what I am talking about if you are an ardent fan of my blog), no, I have not participated in online dating.

On a similar note, I would like to recommend a free dating site to those who do participate in online dating. The features available are as good as any paid dating site yes it is 100% free.

Yes, this surely is something that will work for me… IF I AM SINGLE.

This post has been sponsored.

Happy New Year

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

****************
As 2006 draws to a close, it has experiences we now call history, which will definitely shape our future.

Here is to wishing that 2007 will bring you and your families prosperity, good health and most importantly, happiness.

Happy New Year!!!

To a Wonderful Man

2006-12-31T00:06:00.000+08:00

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

This is dedicated to the man who taught me how to love devotedly, respectfully and unconditionally, with all of my heart.

Dearest Ivan,

I have finally found the one I never thought I would find. I have never pictured myself walking down the aisle but here I am, thinking about our big day, our beautiful home, our wonderful children and all the other fine things in life that we will share on the journey we embark.

I love so many things about you (admittedly, even the bad ones sometimes) that I cannot keep up with myself as I list them down.

I love the way you looked like a ~~first~~ second class nerd when we first met. I love how you always wore a collared shirt whenever we met. I love the way you tucked your shirt in ever so neatly. I love the way you wore your pants considerably high. I love the way your pants were so tight that I could almost see everything underneath it (*yummy*). I love how your glasses were so round that it made you look like a cartoon. I love how you all that made you look like a nerdy crossbreed of a lizard and a frog - Nerdy Lirog.

I love how you looked so brave but was so shy deep inside when you first held my hand. I love the way you are so matured all the time, although I do think you are a little too serious at times. I love how you always look so solemn when you speak. I love you for always trying to meet my requests, even my admittedly unreasonable ones, from the very beginning. I love the way you never give up on trying to win my heart.

I love how you always insisted on seeing me although I never wanted to see you. I love the way you were so persistent when it comes to me. I love how you managed to persuade me to see you at least once a week. I ~~hate~~ love how your breath always had that awful tobacco stench. I love our weekly movie nights (Wednesdays or Thursdays) that you forced me into going initially. I love the night we watched the Tom Cruise movie because it was when I started to fall for you.

I love how I was ironically posted to the same building as you although we were working for different companies. I love how you joined me for lunch during my first day although I had no intention of seeing you. I love how you woke up 2 hours earlier to accommodate to my working hours. I love the times we waited for each other in the lobby before heading home together. I love you for fetching me home at odd hours of the night whenever I worked late. I love you for never uttering a word of complaint whenever you do anything for me.

I love the way you always comforted me whenever my psychotic manager had his routine rage blackouts. I love how you were always there for me when he made me cry. I love the way you make me smile and laugh after all the tears. I love you for always standing on my side when I was unhappy about things. I love the way you advised me about my problems at work. I love how you convinced Pei Mei and Michael that you are a good guy (they used to sound me for not treating you half as good as I should) although they hardly knew you.

I love how I started to grow fonder of you everyday. I love the times I started thinking of you whenever I am idle. I love how I got butterflies in my stomach whenever I saw you. I love how my every inch of me tingles whenever we touched. I love how all those feelings made me afraid of falling in love again. I love how I felt so scared yet so unbelievably happy. I love the way you reassured me time and time again that you will never hurt me like the rest. I love how you succeeded in convincing me so naturally.

I love the way you always like to be close to me. I love how you are always so affectionate towards me. I love the way you adore me like a sweet little teddy. I love how you never let my hand go, not even for a single second. I love the way you are so fond of my ~~oversized~~ tummy. I love you for never asking me to go on a diet to lose all the extra pounds. I love the way you stroke my hair and tell me you love me. I love the way you kiss my hand and tell me you love me. I love the way you hold me and tell me you love me.

I love the way you kiss off my lip gloss. I love how you kiss my hair and smear lip gloss on it (which you got from kissing my lips). I ~~hate~~ love how my hair feels so sticky after that. I love the way you look at me with your small, squinted, hardly visible eyes. I love the way you hug me and hold me through the night. I love the way you protect me from all the impurities of the world. I love you for being by my side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I love the way you support me in everything I want to do.

I love your girlish bathroom and cosmetic products. I love how you used to insist they were a waste of money whenever I purchased them. I love the look on your face when you bought your first facial scrub and moisturiser. I love the moment you finally realised that girlish products are mandatory. I love the way you try so hard not to move your face when you have a facial mask on. I love the way your tears flow down when I pop pimples or ~~dig~~ remove impurities from your face. I love the contented smile on your face whenever I applied moisturiser for you.

I love how call me “Bee bee” or “Doo” when you want my attention but have nothing else to say. I love the way you say “Bee?” whenever I call. I love the way you mutter “I love you” silently when you are at the office. I love the way you say “Miss bee bee!” when you have not seen or heard from me for a certain period of time. I love the way you say “Beautiful bee” whenever I dress up a little. I love how you say "Bee you got double chin!" and giggle while stroking my chin. I love how you say "No, you are cute," whenever I say I am fat. I love the sound of your voice at any given time of the day.

I love the smoothness of your skin (it is even smoother than mine). I love the way you have muscles although you look like you only have bones. I love how monstrous and intimidating your toes look. I love your two front teeth that never ceased to stick out. I love the way your self-amputated finger look so creepy. I love how good you look in you jeans. I love how good you look in just your jeans. I love how good you look in everything you wear (except the tight pants). I love how good you look when you are not wearing anything.

I love the way you always misplace your things. I love the fact that you are very sensitive and cry whenever we argued. I love you for having the strength to quit smoking (it was a long and difficult process for not only you, but for me as well). I love the way you squirm like a worm when I tickle you. I love the way you lag like my ancient notebook whenever you relay something to me. I love the way you can always fix my notebook when it dies on me. I love the fact that you can always fix my notebook because you are just like it - you both lag.

I love the way you fall asleep anywhere, anytime without difficulty. I love the peaceful look on your face when you are asleep. I ~~hate~~ love the way you snore like a freight train. I love the way you will rather shiver than wake me whenever I unconsciously snatch your share of the comforter. I love the way you will never go careening into my side of the bed. I love how you never returned the favour when I kicked you in my sleep. I love the look on your face whenever I wake you up in the morning. I love the way you smell in your ~~smelly~~ pyjamas.

I love how you never learnt to appreciate my sarcastic jokes. I love the way you look so gullible when I try to con you. I love how you always believe me when I make a cynical remark. I love the grammatical errors that you make when you speak and write. I love how you cannot pronounce the word authoritative. I love how you cannot spell hippopotamus. I love the way you come running to me when you are confronted with a Balance Sheet or Profit and Loss Statement.

I love the way you always forgive my sins. I love you for being a man of your words. I love the way you honour your principles and live by them. I love the way you are always so reliable and responsible (except when it involves turning up on time to pick me). I love how I can take your every word seriously. I love the way I can trust you without fearing that I may be disappointed. I love how you make me feel so secured all the time. I love how all that make me so happy being in love with you.

I love how you drive your jalopy around proudly. I love the various sounds that it produces. I love the different aromas I get to weave only in your jalopy. I love the way your jalopy is so dirty that it looks like it has never ever been cleaned. I love how you never want to buy a new jalopy although it is way overdue. I love the way you save for our future. I love how you have good financial planning. I love the way you try to smack me to my senses when I spend too much. I love the way you sometimes give in to me even when I spend too much.

I love you for being so intelligent. I love you for being so good at what you do. I love you for being ambitious and always aiming for the sky. I love how you always think far and have a vision for the future. I love you for working so hard just to give me a more comfortable life. I love how you are so generous with me although you do not have much. I love how you sacrifice all your interests for mine. I love how you would go an extra mile just to see a smile on my face. I love how you take a few minutes off your busy schedule just to call me.

I love the fact that you are the perfect guy for me. I love the way I am born so lucky to have you in my life. I love the way you never ask for anything in return for your unconditional love. I love how you put up with my mood swings and bad temper. I love the way you put up with my obsessive and compulsive behaviours. I love the way you treat me like I mean everything to you. I love how you really love me for who I am. I love how you would never trade me for all the money in the world.

I love everything that made us possible. I love God (as I am not very religious, probably fate would be a better choice of vocabulary) for bringing us together. I love myself for giving us a chance before it was too late. I love my friends for making me realise that the guy I have been searching for all my life is right in front me. I love everyone around me for smacking me to my senses each time I did something mean that hurt your feelings. I love our families for the support they have provided to us all this time.

Last but not least; Ivan dearest, I know all about you and I love you just the same. I love you today, tomorrow and forever, till death do us part.

* edited and reposted

Techie Stuff

2006-12-30T01:34:00.000+08:00

****************
I am very proud of myself, having learnt something new in the world of Internet and computers (a world that I do not belong in). It was Ivan who gave me a brief lesson on interactive search personalization and later introduced me to the Sproose home page.

To be very frank, I am only a novice in this subject but I will try to my best to share my newly found knowledge. Sproose is actually a search engine (please correct me if I am wrong in any way) whereby the user may interact with the ranking of search results.

This is because Sproose has its own ranking system and database, which allows the user to vote for each website. The scoring will be from 1 star (not too good) to 5 stars (great). Search results will fluctuate immediately based on the score assigned after the user has voted.

Hence this allows the user to create a personal index of their favourite websites whenever they punch in keywords for searches. The score assigned to a website will then be weighted as a group score for all Sproose users.

Therefore, instead of adopting the back-linking popularity method to determine the ranking of a website, Sproose allows users to determine the ranking instead. How democratic, don’t you think? Man, I love democracy...

This post has been sponsored.

Verdict Reached

2006-12-29T16:06:00.000+08:00

****************
Last weekend, Ivan and I spent what seemed like 16 years in Diamond & Platinum. This duration is on top of the 32 years that we had spent there the weekend before last. After the 48 years plus in total, Ivan and I (actually it was only me that was indecisive from the start) had finally decided on a suitable of wedding band.

After a series of extreme fickle mindedness (is there such a word?), I had finally decided to go for the matching pair. Hence I had to forego all the beautiful diamonds on the other ring and just settle with a single stud. What a sacrifice! Believe me, you do not want to get me started on the sacrifices that we girls have to make these days.

The following is a visual appetiser, courtesy of Ivan’s hard earned moolah along with the intense brain power I had utilised to select the most auspicious and suitable wedding band for not one, but two (it is still considered two although it is a matching pair)...

From the looks of it, I guess you can safely tell that Ivan (not me, mind you) will be consuming grass to stay alive and drain water for hydration for the next few months - at the very least. This will definitely ensure a fat and cabohydrate free diet. If he behaves though, I might consider sparing him some of my creme brulee and red wine.

Season Greetings

2006-12-25T10:16:00.000+08:00

May this candle bring you and your family the light of peace, love and happiness. Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

The Oxford Dictionary

2006-12-24T00:15:00.000+08:00

****************
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Herewith is a sneak preview of the Oxford Dictionary's latest definition of words:

Divorce - The uture tense of marriage.
Cigarette - A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end and a fool on the other.
Lecture - An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through the minds of either.
Compromise - The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.
Tears - The hydraulic force by which masculine will-power is defeated by feminine water power.
Dictionary - A place where success comes before work.
Conference room - A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.
Classic - A type of book that people praise, but do not read.
Smile - A curve that can set a lot of things straight.
Office - A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.
Yawn - The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.
Et cetera - A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.
Committee - Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.
Experience - The name men give to their mistakes.
Atom bomb - An invention to end all inventions.
Philosopher - A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.
Diplomat - A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.
Opportunist - A person who starts taking bath if he accidentally falls into a river.
Optimist - A person who while falling from Eiffel tower says in midway, "See I am not injured yet."
Miser - A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.
Father - A banker provided by nature.
Criminal - A person no different from the rest, except that he got caught.
Politician - One who shakes your hand before elections and your confidence after.
Doctor - A person who kills your ills with pills, and later kills you with his bills.
Boss - Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Fairy Godmother

2006-12-23T11:05:00.000+08:00

****************
If all you boys and girls do not already know, I am an ardent fan of photography. For the record, I dig digital cameras and not SLR cameras. Yes, not very professional, I know.

Reason being that my hands are simply too small to accommodate a typical SLR without the risk of dropping it. On top of that, I am a very fussy person thus with all the functions and features available on an SLR, I might end up spending hours just for a few shots. I know I am difficult to comprehend...

On another note, I was born to be a traveler – like real. If I had all the money in the world (which I do not), I would definitely walk on every inch of the globe. I would visit every country (yes, even Iraq) in the world and keep a photography journal of each one. Thus travel definitely comes hand in hand a good camera.

Due to the fact that I do not have all the money in the world, I have been stuck in my own country for the last 8 months. Not only that, I own a digital camera that originated from the Stone Age… I think it is possible that even Fred Flintstone has one better than me. I am that miserable.

Thus nothing would be better for me than a brand new 6 megapixel (imagine the awesome resolutions I could print the photographs out in) HP digital camera along with a photo printer! Getting the photo gear would be like a dream come true… Think Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother. My Fairy Godmother will be HP.

So boys and girls, please put your hands together (no, not to clap) and pray for me! If I do get the photo gear, I promise to personally visit those of you who prayed for me, take a wonderful photograph of you and post it on my blog… Admit it, you boys and girls are dying for me to do that. *smiles*

This post is sponsored by HP.

Aussie Tale

2006-12-21T11:04:00.000+08:00

****************
For the last two years at approximately the same time, similar thoughts were running through my mind. Somehow, the months of November and December brings me to recall the many memories I have of my days in Australia. Although I was not there for long, the experience was unforgettable and different from anything I have ever been through.

I left home in February 2003. Everything happened so quickly that I did not even realise I was going to leave until the day I was actually leaving. Two months were spent packing up both my suitcases (one big and one small) with clothes, clothes and more clothes – and other necessities, of course. Altogether, my pile of bricks, I mean suitcases, weighed an approximate thirty odd kilograms.

Before I knew it, I was standing at the top of the escalator just before the departure gate. This is where I said goodbye to my family as those without boarding passes could not go beyond that point. As I stood there, looking beyond the escalator, a trickle of tear fell on my face... Followed by a stream of tears. I hugged my sister, my dad and my mum. It was only then I realised I was going to be so far away from home for such a long time.

The kitchen was pretty well equipped so no complaints about that. Oh, and all six of us shared one toilet and two baths. Pretty sad, isn’t it? There was always a war on turning the central heating of the house up and down. Knowingly, we girls would turn it up but the guys would (being Aussies) turn it down. They were a real pain in the ass at times.

One of my girlfriends bought a small television, which we would normally turn on during dinner. Internet connection was provided by the university via wireless LAN hence I was online almost 24 hours a day. It was one of the only ways of communicating with everyone back home. Hence, Gilbert (my laptop) was my most precious possessions in Australia.

The only shopping centre around our campus was called Mid Valley (yes, very ironic). It was only accessible by wheels. Walking there would probably take half a day or so (just a rough estimate as I have never tried going there by foot). There is not much to see there, though, compared to the Mid Valley back home – just a few hypermarkets and a cineplex.

Aside from Mid Valley, there are only walk-in shops by the streets in a few nearby towns. Hence, I can safely conclude that there is more grass than shops in that part of Australia. I do not shop for clothing there (severe lack of variety and brand names that I fancy) thus the bulk of my money is spent on groceries.

Hence I have developed a passionate interest for cooking during my stay in Australia. I have never once spent more than 5 minutes in the kitchen back home and the most I have done was to scramble an egg. Now, I can do wonders in the kitchen. I simply adore experimenting in the kitchen, mixing sauces and spices (I had so many bottles and packets that I could open a shop).

Also, I munch on plenty of tit bits, snacks and junk food all day long – they have a vast variety over there at low and affordable prices (especially the chocolates and potato chips). It is so cold over there that I get hungry faster than anything and I eat way above my average portion back home. Basically, I ate like a cow over there (or maybe king kong).

I flew back for about three weeks during the mid year break as I missed my family too much. That was not the initial plan and it was peak season then hence the air tickets were very expensive. However, I supposed my parents missed me as much so they instantly agreed when I requested to fly back for that short period. My parents treated me like a princess in the duration I was back home, the most apparent was my favourite dishes on the dinner table every single day without fail.

When I was in Australia, my parents had already given me a fixed amount as my daily allowance. However, they often called up telling me to use the supplementary credit card (from my dad, of course) to purchase anything I wish to eat. They were probably afraid that I would stinge on food and come back looking anorexic – now we know who sponsored my entire cooking extravaganza and where those extra fats on my body came from.

Lectures and tutorials over there are basically the same as over here. Some of the lecturers are very much friendlier and more helpful. The university is a 10 to 15 minute walk from my house so I get plenty of good exercise. My classes are averagely two to three days a week hence I get plenty of time to myself. There were a couple of places that I visited during my stay there and with me are heaps of pictures to remind myself of those sweet memories.

Before I knew it, I was already packing my suitcases to go home and that time it was way above thirty odd kilograms. Anyway, I had to leave behind most of my things (as much as I did not wish to do so) due to that. Among them were my dark green bathrobe which many commented made me look like a tree, my lovely pink towel which I love to warp myself in, my favourite sleeping shirt which I could never sleep without, my Garfield bedsheet which was always smiling at me and my Nike Air which has been everywhere with me in Australia.

As I boarded the plane, I had a mixture of feelings. Though I really wanted to go home and have waited for that day for a very long time, I still felt a little heavy hearted to leave. The memories and experiences I have gone through that year would always stay in my mind – the laughter and the tears, they were overwhelming and would never for a single moment be forgotten.

I have my parents to thank for sacrificing so much just to give me this experience. Thank you mum and dad. As the plane took off, I looked at the land beneath me and whispered quietly, “Goodbye Aussie. I will be back someday to visit you."

The Oldest Science

2006-12-20T11:14:00.000+08:00

****************
Stumbling upon this used telescopes website known as AstroAds.com, brought back memories of my younger days. You know, those days when I was shorter and chubbier (thank heavens those days were long gone), running around without a care in the world.

As a child, I adored astronomy classifieds, as the phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere amazed me a whole lot. I wanted to know about the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology and motion of celestial objects, as well as the formation and development of the universe.

Space is and was the one place I could never venture to, hence it was the unknown boundary. Unknown circumstances led to my budding curiousity, which in turn led to a serious need to discover and observe transient phenomena.

So much so that I had aspired to be an astronaut for a significant period during my childhood, during which, my mother tried really hard to convince me that it is not a suitable profession. You know how Asian parents always want their children to grow up as doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.

My parents must be really disappointed in me as I did not grow up to be either one of those. Instead, I grew up to be a banker with a measly pay and a boss from hell.

This post has been sponsored.

Copyright Thief

2006-12-19T08:13:00.000+08:00

****************
A couple of days ago, Lemon (my beloved boss) and I went to visit a client at their office located at The Boulevard, Mid Valley. The sole purpose of the visit was to meet the company’s Singaporean director who happened to be in Kuala Lumpur for the day.

As the cab passed by The Gardens (phase 2 of Mid Valley that is currently under construction) and Northpoint (the condominium just across the road from the first phase of Mid Valley), Lemon decided to open his mouth and annoy the hell out of me.

Lemon: What’s that called again? (Points into mid air)
Me: What? The mall or the condominium?
Lemon: Yeah…
Me: Yeah what?!
Lemon: That one lar…
Me: What?! The mall?
Lemon: Yeah.
Me: The GardenSSS.
Lemon: Oh… The Garden.

I knew it!!! I knew he would miss out the ‘S’!

Me: No, The GardenSSS.
Lemon: Yeah lar, The Garden.
Me: (Wished I could faint and forget that the conversation ever took place) Anchor tenants of the mall are RobinsonSSS and Isetan.
Lemon: Really? How do you know?
Me: (Wished I could disappear from the face of Earth) I read?!
Lemon: Oh…

After the cab driver had put us down, we walked towards the client’s office. Upon reaching, we were introduced to the Singaporean director by the client. The 4 of us then decided to walk to Coffee Bean and have a light chat over some coffee (fruit smoothie for me).

Director: Lots of construction works going on around here.
Lemon: Yeah. The new phase of Mid Valley is called The Garden. They are opening Robinson and Isetan there. (Looked at me for confirmation)
Me: (Looked away, feeling disgusted)

What he did was worse (in my humble opinion) than stealing copyright! It goes even further to prove how shallow he is… The way he so hurriedly offered the little bit of information was as if he was afraid someone else would take the credit for it.

Not that he deserved any credit in the first place but what he did was just despicable. What’s worse is that he actually had the nerve to look at me for confirmation. I could not possibly ask for a better boss than good old Lemon... *sigh*

Virtual Tour

2006-12-18T08:51:00.000+08:00

****************
Anyone care for a virtual tour to Prague?

Yes, I am indeed obsessed over European cities. Wait... Prague is a city in Europe right? Why of course it is! It has to be, otherwise my eyes would not look all dreamy and my heart would not glow each time I hear the city mentioned (I have a biased mind).

As the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, Prague is indeed one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. For people like me (who can only dream of going there at the time being), a virtual tour is the closest I can get to Prague.

There are over 12,000 pictures available at the website, making it seem like one had visited the entire city. On top of the virtual tour, there are paranomic views options as well as live cameras. My favourite, however, is the random walk function.

Ah... How I long even more to go to Prague now! *dreams*

Decisions

2006-12-15T07:55:00.000+08:00

****************
After what seemed like forever (and a century or two), Ivan and I had finally decided on a date for our marriage registration. Hence last weekend, we made our way to Thean Hou temple to submit the necessary documents. The submission had to be done between 21 to 60 days of the marriage registration date.

We paid RM25 for stamping and RM100 for services rendered. Whether or not it is a rip off, I guess it is an individual thing. I thought RM125 is alright for a private registration but Ivan seems to not agree with me. Come to think of it, he almost never agrees with me whenever it involves paying more for something.

After the date was settled, Ivan bought me a sweet white dress from Zara to wear on our special day. We then went to scout around for a wedding band. After paying a visit to almost all the jewellers in town, we had decided on Diamond & Platinum.

We spent close to 2 hours in the shop because we could not decide on a suitable pair.

The first pair is a matching one thus design, texture and everything is similar. The only difference is that mine has a small stone in the middle while Ivan’s does not (as with most wedding bands for guys).

The second pair is not matching at all. This is because mine consist of a row of diamonds while Ivan’s is just a plain platinum band with simple lines on it.

We were contemplating because of the importance of matching bands versus the beauty of the diamonds. Someone please enlighten me!!!

Little Kristy

2006-12-14T08:53:00.000+08:00

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

As I was chatting to Nal yesterday, she told me that her pet dog (a cute little Yorkshire Terrier called Kristy) had become really passive ever since the incident. Yes, the unfortunate incident where Kristy was attacked by a dog three or four times her size. She was even hospitalised for a few days due to the severity of her injuries.

So Nal went to look for a cure (perhaps some animal equivalent of anti-depressants) and discovered this product known as Anivive. It is actually a remedy for pet depression, stress and anxiety thus she tried it out since they had a 90 day money back guarantee policy.

For the first two days, Kristy was still whimpering and did not have much of an appetite. On the third day, she started to become good old Kristy once again. Although she almost turned the house over, Nal did not utter a single word of displease.

It is a wonder, the products on the market these days.

The Machine

2006-12-13T07:58:00.000+08:00

****************
Ivan slept over at my place yesterday night. I would normally say “Don’t snore ah!” before we went to bed but I forgot to do so last night. The moment we fell silent, I froze for a few seconds after realising that I had forgotten to cry out the ever famous before-going-to-bed phrase.

Somehow or rather, that phrase worked on him because he does not snore whenever I do say it. Anyhow, my suspicions were confirmed once he started snoring a few minutes later. It got louder and louder and then it just got extremely unbearable.

I tried kicking him (lightly) a few times so he would stir and hopefully, stop snoring. Alas, he did not respond to anyone of my few million nudges. Hence I decided to give up. I stood up, took my bolster to my parents’ room and slept there instead.

After 30 minutes, I went back to the snoring machine. Much to my delight, I discovered that the machine had suffered a technical difficulty. Hence it was no longer 100% functional. I the curled up beside the machine and slipped in a deep, deep, deep sleep.

Shopaholics Anonymous

2006-12-12T12:55:00.000+08:00

****************
As we are all aware, Christmas is approaching soon and one of the best things to do at this time of the year is shopping. There are sales, bargains and discounts almost everywhere.

Due to the massive traffic condition here in Kuala Lumpur, my yearly indulgence is somewhat disturbed. Yes, disturbed but not halted entirely. Nothing can stop a girl from shopping.

But no fear, there is always something which I think is one of the greatest innovations of mankind: Online shopping! I found a couple of free coupon codes, i.e. CouponChief.com, that some of you may want to check out.

My favourite one would be the Target coupon codes that entitle shoppers to a 10% discount. I remember those endless hours I used to spend in Target when I was in Australia. Needless to say, I love shopping at Target!

Come to think of it, I love shopping anywhere that is shop-able…

The Entrapment

2006-12-11T12:43:00.000+08:00

****************
Earlier today, I approached my department secretary to inquire about my marriage leave. I wanted to know the duration of the leave, the time period that I am allowed to take such leave and so on so forth.

I started my sentence with, “Can I ask you a couple of things about marriage leaves?” She started to smile so knowingly that I could have blushed and turned as red as an apple and tomato combined.

So I told her to help me out by looking at me solemnly instead. She did not exactly do that but she did wipe the teasing essence of her smile away. I then posed my questions to her.

Still smiling, she told me what I needed to know about the leave. Then she said, “Why are you getting married so early? I thought normally Chinese girls marry around 28 or 29.”

Yeah, I guess now you can roughly figure out my age. Damn. I am an innocent young adult.

Anyway, I then replied her, “I fell into the poisonous trap and there is no way out.”

She then said, “Normally older people are trapped. It is such a tragedy that one as young as yourself can fall into such a trap.”

Could not have said it better myself.

Oh no… I forgot that Ivan may be reading this! *hot soup*

Family Drama [Part II]

2006-12-09T01:59:00.000+08:00

****************
Remember the cousin who obtained a soft loan from his mother?

Well, it seems that his mother had retracted her claim to file a legal suit against him. As with everything, there is always a catch to it. She had reversed the debt to a cash advance company so that she will be out of the story.

Whether the so called cash advance company is legal or not, no one knows because she refused to let anything out. For all we know, it may be one of those “Ah Long” or more commonly known as loan sharks.

Anyhow, she left it up to her son to settle his debts with the cash advance company. For his sake, I really hope he settles it within the stipulated time frame. I do not want to attend a funeral unnecessarily.

Turning Down the Unwanted

2006-12-08T11:14:00.000+08:00

****************
HE: Can I buy you a drink?
SHE: Actually I'd rather have the money.

HE: I'm a photographer. I've been looking for a face like yours.
SHE: I'm a plastic surgeon. I've been looking for a face like yours.

HE: Hi. Didn't we go on a date once? Or was it twice?
SHE: Must've been once. I never make the same mistake twice.

HE: How did you get to be so beautiful?
SHE: I must've been given your share.

HE: Will you go out with me this Saturday?
SHE: Sorry. I'm having a headache this weekend.

HE: Your face must turn a few heads.
SHE: And your face must turn a few stomachs.

HE: Go on, don't be shy. Ask me out.
SHE: Okay, get out.

HE: I think I could make you very happy.
SHE: Why? Are you leaving?

HE: What would you say if I asked you to marry me?
SHE: Nothing. I can't talk and laugh at the same time.

HE: Can I have your name?
SHE: Why? Don't you already have one?

HE: Shall we go see a movie?
SHE: I've already seen it.

HE: Where have you been all my life?
SHE: Hiding from you.

HE: Haven't I seen you some place before?
SHE: Yes. That's why I don't go there anymore.

HE: Is this seat empty?
SHE: Yes, and this one will be if you sit down.

HE: So, what do you do for a living?
SHE: I'm a female impersonator.

HE: Hey baby, what's your sign?
SHE: Do not enter.

HE: Your body is like a temple.
SHE: Sorry, there are no services today.

HE: If I could see you naked, I'd die happy.
SHE: If I saw you naked, I'd probably die laughing.

Not Streamy At All

2006-12-07T08:27:00.000+08:00

****************
I went home yesterday night only to discover that Streamyx (the dominant broadband service in Malaysia) was down again. Yes, AGAIN!

Don’t get me wrong, I am glad to see the offer of broadband service after waiting for what seemed like two hundred decades. However, I must add that it is an honour to see the bit rate jump from 1.0mbps to 56 kbps. Sometimes, it gets so bad that you see no connection at all.

Every single time I brought this issue to the attention of the customer service line, I hear similar phrases such as "Can you please check your signal?”, "Unplug your telephone line and then plug in again", "Check your router setting", "Reset your Router", etc.

This morning, as I was surfing the Internet searching for other users with similar problems, I stumbled onto a business broadband website. I must say that I am truly impressed by everything I saw. Needless to say, I would kill or even slaughter to have such a proactive and original service provider in Malaysia.

Then again, I guess no amount of killing or slaughtering will ever make my wish come true. Reality check! So when the clock strikes 9.00am in about 30 minutes, I will give Streamyx a call because I so want to hear those similar phrases.

The New Word

2006-12-06T12:57:00.000+08:00

****************
I learnt a new word today. The word is OMINOUS.

My mother suggested that Ivan and I register our marriage on the 6 April 2007. Reason being that it is an auspicious date, i.e. Kuan Yin’s (the Goddess of Mercy) birthday. When I looked the date up in an English calendar, I noticed that Good Friday happens to fall on the very same day.

Thus I was more than convinced that the 6 April 2007 is the perfect date. That is, until I got hold of one of those typical Chinese calendars with 365 pages with each page dedicated to each day of the year. All over each page are Chinese characters and a couple of English words.

Instantly, I flipped to the 6 April 2007 page and looked around for English words. The only words I recognise were “Ominous Day” and “Avoid Hunting”. Since I do not hunt or plan on hunting, that bit does not concern me. It is the other bit that worried me… The ominous bit.

Although I do not know the meaning of ominous, it sure sounded like bad news. Hence I looked it up in the dictionary and found that it meant something along the lines of threatening, warning, ill-omened… Call me paranoid but could there be any worse day to get registered?

So I guess that officially ruled 6 April 2007 out. Now, repeat after me everyone… O-MI-NO-US!

Save Your Screen!

2006-12-05T09:04:00.000+08:00

****************
Back in Australia, I had nothing to do most of the time and the one thing that took up most of my time was to search for free screensavers online. When I did not feel like doing anything else, I would stare blankly at the entertaining screensaver(s) on my notebook.

Although there are plenty of things to keep me well occupied these days, old habits die hard. Hence I still enjoy searching for screensavers on the Internet and staring at them blankly when they are playing on my notebook. Perhaps I am more of a nostalgic person than I thought.

Recently I found this free screensavers website as I was surfing the Internet. It had a surprisingly wide selection of screensavers for downloading at no cost. You see, the problem with most of these sites is that they charge you. That can get pretty annoying, especially when you find screensavers you really like.

The screensavers are easy to download so the non-computer savvy folks need not tear their hair out. Among the categories available are seasonal, nature, funny and contemporary, and according to the website, they contain no spyware or adware. Here is a visual appetiser of one of the many screensavers available:

Unfortunately, I am not computer savvy enough to paste a sample of an animated screensaver here (if that is even possible)... Oh, and I definitely prefer the animated screensavers in comparison to the photo montages!

Application Form

2006-12-04T08:09:00.000+08:00

****************
APPLICATION TO GO OUT AND RETURN LATE

Name of Boyfriend / Fiancé / Husband:

I hereby seek approval for a leave of absence from the highest authority in my life in respect to the following requests:

Date:
Time of departure:
Time of return:
Amount of alcohol allowed (units):
Locations likely to be visited:
Females likely to be encountered:
Strength of curry permitted:

Should the said approval be granted, I solemnly swear to only visit the location(s) stipulated above. I shall not speak to any female other than those listed without gaining verbal approval one hour beforehand. In addition, I will not turn off my mobile after two pints nor shall I consume more than the allocated volume of alcohol without first calling for a taxi or ordering a tandoori.

I fully understand that even if approval is granted, my girlfriend / fiancé / wife retains the right to be pissed off at me the following week for no valid reason whatsoever. Thus I am the low life one, I know who wears the trousers in our relationship and I agree it is not me. I promise to abide by your rules and regulations and I understand that this is going to cost me a fortune in chocolates and flowers. You reserve the right to obtain and use my credit card(s) whenever you wish to do so.

Should I not return home by the time stipulated above, I hereby promise to sleep overnight on a park bench next to a tramp . On my way home, I will not pick a fight with a person who only exists in my inebriated mind nor shall I conduct in depth discussions with the said entity. I understand that the wardrobe, cupboard, washing-up basket, fridge and dishwasher are out of bounds with regards to urinating.

I declare that to the best of my knowledge (of which I have none compared to my BETTER half), the above information is correct.

Signed - Boyfriend / Fiancé / Husband:

Request is APPROVED / TURNED DOWN

This decision is not open to negotiation other than on my terms.

-------------------------(please cut)--------------------------

Permission for my boyfriend / fiancé / husband to be away for the following period of time (subject to change and always to my sole absolute discretion):

Date:
Time of departure:
Time of return:
Amount of alcohol allowed (units):
Locations likely to be visited:
Females likely to be encountered:
Strength of curry permitted:

Signed – Girlfriend/Fiancé/Wife:

Family Drama [Part I]

2006-12-02T13:38:00.000+08:00

****************
Yesterday night, my mother came rushing into my room again. It was one of those times when I was certain she had a juicy story (or so she thought) to share. I looked at her with a smile and told her to spill the beans.

Without hesitation, she went on and on like a train that never stopped.

One of my cousins had obtained a soft loan from his mother (whom is my aunt) some 20 months ago to invest in his newly established business. He had promised to pay my aunt back 6 months ago but she never received a penny until this very day.

Before I go further, I should mention that the mother-son relationship had always been a little tense. Alright, maybe the word little is understated… Let’s just say that they could never see eye to eye without throwing daggers.

Hence she had threatened to file a legal suit against him (imagine your own mother bringing you to court). She claimed that he took her for granted because she is his mother, hence she will never take action against him if he does not pay.

Anyway, I think it is a rather complicated story but according to my aunt there is a lesson to learn from this. If you really need a loan, go get it from a payday cash advance company or something. I suppose she rather watch her son getting sued than personally sue him.

Maybe there still is some compassion in her towards him.

Productive Conversation

2006-11-30T14:46:00.000+08:00

****************
Just another one of those productive conversations with my intelligent boss, Lemon.

Lemon: (Walks towards where I was seated)
Me: (Prepares for another one of those productive conversations)
Lemon: So (Smiles as pleasantly as he could possibly but still looks as if he did not even bother to), is the assignment I passed to you last week okay?
Me: Yes.
Lemon: What do you mean by okay?
Me: (?!?!?!) You were the one who asked me if it is okay. Why not you ask yourself the definition of okay rather than ask me?
Lemon: Oh… (Giggles) So, what is… Is it… Are you finished with it?
Me: Yes I am. 99.99%.
Lemon: What is the other 0.01%?
Me: Checking.
Lemon: Okay… (Walks off feeling satisfied)

Man, is he really that empty up there or what?! Someone, please free me from him. I would do anything and everything just to be free… Anything! Everything!

Fantasy Footie

2006-11-29T08:38:00.000+08:00

****************
Something caught my interest last night: Fantasy Football.

Nick introduced it to me when I called him last night. He seemed almost too busy to entertain me hence I had to ask what could possibly be more appealing than talking to me. I had never in my dreams thought that fantasy sports would be the answer…

I had no choice but to let him get back to his fantasy game. With nothing else to do, I logged on to the site and started to browse around. Thus I can safely say that I am now a certified fan of the American Fantasy Football League. What’s more, I discovered that one can win cash and prizes and some of the payouts are pretty impressive too.

Cool huh?!

Italy, the Country of Lovers

2006-11-28T09:30:00.000+08:00

****************
I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish to go to Italy!!!

My dream honeymoon spot: Italy.

I love Italy for so many reasons that I just cannot begin to name them or I would never stop. The cities that I would definitely visit (when I have the opportunity to go there) are Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan and Turin.

Italy is shaped like a boot due to some geographical reasons. Unfortunately, I do not love Italy enough to memorise its exact prevalent peninsular geographic nature.

I am truly amazed by the beauty and variety of the country’s landscapes, especially Venice. Hence that is the one city that I must visit.

The most enthralling fact about Venice is its canals and the “city on water” concept. Apparently, it is an archipelago of 118 islands formed by approximately 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which Venice is built on are connected by about 400 bridges.

I can only imagine for now, how romantic it would be for Ivan and I to go to Italy and how much fun we would have… *dreams*

Wedding Stuff

2006-11-27T09:53:00.000+08:00

****************
These days, I just cannot help surfing the Internet for wedding related websites. I guess the excitement to my big day is really getting to me (in a good sort of way). The best, or maybe worst, part of it is that we have not even selected a date yet.

Anyhow, no harm planning in advance right?

It is good to have something to get me going and something to look forward to in life. Otherwise each day will just be like any other day and eventually I will lose all interest in living. Man, do I sound philosophical today or what…

Anyway, back to my point earlier. I stumbled upon this wedding invitations website that I thought was pretty good. They have lovely engraved invitations, invitation ensembles, direction cards (but you got to come up with the map), etc.

It is worth checking out! :)

Prison vs. Work

2006-11-26T15:12:00.000+08:00

****************
IN PRISON you spend majority of your time in an 8’ x 10’ cell
AT WORK you spend most of your time in a 6’ x 8’ cubicle

IN PRISON you met 3 free meals a day
AT WORK you get a break for only 1 meal and you have to pay for it yourself

IN PRISON you get time off for good behaviour
AT WORK you get rewarded for good behaviour with more work

IN PRISON a guard locks and unlock the door for you
AT WORK you carry around a security card to lock and unlock all doors yourself

IN PRISON you can watch television and play games
AT WORK you get fired for watching television and playing games

IN PRISON you get your own personal toilet
AT WORK you have to share the toilet

IN PRISON you can get your family and friends to visit
AT WORK you cannot even speak to your family and friends

IN PRISON all expenses are paid by taxpayers with no effort on your part
AT WORK you pay all the expenses to go to work, eat and then pay taxes to feed and shelter prisoners

So what are you waiting for?

Kill your BOSS now!

Games Galore

2006-11-24T08:26:00.001+08:00

****************
Anyone up for a free online games spree?

This is actually one of the few entertainment sites that I can access from my office. Every other site, especially those that enables online chat, is banned from the server. If you are asking, I work in a bank.

Anyway, this was one of the first two sites to offer classic Nintendo games online. Although now there are a number of other sites offering the same, but this is still one of the bigger attractions of the site.

The games come in an array of action, adventure, arcade, casino, fighting, humour, puzzles, racing, retro, shooting, sports, strategy, etc. Also available is the Classic NES game emulation with a selection of Nintendo games that can be played online with no downloads required (this is a real bonus).

Now take a wild guess as to who is going to spend some productive hours in the office today?

Child Murderer

2006-11-21T14:46:00.000+08:00

****************
I guess relating my encounter with the purple reptile in dreamland inspired Ivan to have an encounter on his own. When I woke him up this morning, he held me responsible for interrupting and hence spoiling his encounter in dreamland.

After assigning the blame, he excitedly related his dream to me.

His dream revolved around a young boy (approximately 5 years old), who happened to be one of his friend’s brother in dreamland. The boy was chasing him and another friend around with a knife. Apparently, the boy was not mentally sound hence he had the knife with the intention to kill people.

Ivan related to me how they hid from the boy and how they had managed to escape from him several times. He claimed he was scared out of his wits. Imagine a fully grown adult who was afraid of a 5 year old boy… Fine, a 5 year old boy with a knife. But how sharp can the knife be? Also, there were 2 of them to tackle the midget!

2 adults, 1 boy with a knife, and the 2 adults were running from the boy. Somebody please tell me that that makes at least a little sense. My purple reptile dream is definitely worthier.

Anyway, the 2 so-called adults made it to a clinic and consulted a doctor about the boy’s illness. Apparently, the doctor was aware of the whole murderer saga and was familiar with the boy's condition. The doctor said, “*sings The O.C. theme song*”.

Ivan’s ringing tone: The O.C. theme song (not that he followed the series or anything but I kind of talked him into setting it as his ringing tone).

So there you go... I interrupted the most important part of his dream, where all mysteries are to be unravelled. Big deal.

Priorities

2006-11-16T08:29:00.000+08:00

****************
I stopped to catch my breath as I arrived at the departure gate. Judging from the severity of my lateness, I had expected the plane to depart without me. Much to my surprise, though, passengers were not even invited to board the plane yet. Thank heavens for Malaysia boleh!

Hence I stood rooted to the spot for a few minutes, gasping for air. When there was enough air in my lungs, I walked towards the metal detector. It was where passengers were supposed to start queuing as soon as the announcement to board the plane came on.

Soon enough, the cabin crew made an announcement for all passengers of the flight to board the plane.

Then, along came this kiasu Malay man. He placed himself right in front of me, probably afraid that I may take the seat he wanted so badly and cause him to feel sore about it for the rest of his sad, sorry and miserable life.

For your information, AisAsia flights are based on free seating - first come first serve basis. Then, he kept calling out to his friend to join him on his shameful quest. His friend, Din, apparently refused to do so and continued to be seated on the bench.

As always, elderly and children (along with their families) are given priority to board the plane first. The kiasu Malay man kept inching forward as the priority queue subsided. He then said to Din, “Orang yang book kat Internet tak boleh naik dulu. Sabar ya.”

In plain English: Those who made flight reservations via the Internet are given second priority. Be patient.

What an idiot. I almost choked to death on my own saliva upon hearing that.

Power Root

2006-11-15T09:44:00.000+08:00

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

Growing up, I was drowned in vitamins by my mother. There was a period in my life when I took 8 tablets a day – multivitamins, B complex, wheat grass extract, zinc tablets, English Primrose Oil, garlic extract, calcium tablets and vitamin C. Whenever I fell ill during that period, I would have to take the 6 tablets along with all my other “get well” tablets from the doctor.

Good thing my intake my vitamins had decreased over the years. Now I only take multivitamins, pro-biotic and vitamin C. My mother’s latest discovery is the ginger root extract, hence I foresee an addition to my 3 tablets a day routine. Ginger root is a plant that grows abundantly in China and India where the root is used in both cooking and in medications.

As my sister and I often have problems with our digestive system, my very dedicated mother looked around for a traditional remedy. It seems that ginger root is one of the most popular herb purported to treat digestive and bowel disorders because of its ability to relax the stomach, break down protein and cleanse the colon.

Well then, I guess my table intake will be increased from 3 to 4 very soon.

Reptile in Dreamland

2006-11-14T08:36:00.000+08:00

****************
Every now and then I would dream about snakes. I know dreaming of snakes is disgusting but it is not like I can control my dreams. The snakes that I dream about always come in different forms. By different forms, I do not mean square or round or triangle. I actually means in different sizes and colours.

The one that appeared in my dream last night was huge (like one of those oversized pythons we see in documentaries) with the biggest and sharpest set of teeth ever. I remember clearly that it was purple in colour but I vaguely recall the patches on its body, either yellow or black or both. Also, it had a slick and long tongue.

Actually, it reminded me of a nastier version of the snake plushies in Ikea.

Ivan was in the dream with me and the nasty reptile was going after us both. Somehow, it chased us all the way to my house so I quickly opened the main door and shut it behind us. Then it started to hit the glass panel that separated my living room and the garden repeatedly, as if trying to break it.

It looked so horrifying that I think I could remember it for life. I will remember its aggressive nature in attempting to shatter the glass panel. It was hissing and snarling with its mouth wide opened while shooting at me the most threatening look ever.

Here is what the dictionary of dreams has to say about snakes in dreams: A snake, being the ages old symbol of evil or satan, makes it a bad omen to have one show up in a dream. To see a lone snake and feel threatened by it shows that you have a bad enemy that is even then working against you, it also a warning against bodily harm from an enemy. To dream of many snakes in a pit is the foreboding of much bad luck in love or business. Should you overcome and kill a threatening snake in your dream shows that you will overcome your adversary and win out.

I did not kill the nasty reptile... I guess that means I am in serious trouble. Sigh!

Kill Some Trees!

2006-11-13T09:41:00.000+08:00

****************
As I have previously mentioned, I am an ardent supporter of wooden products in the house (flooring, features, furniture, etc.). As I have also previously mentioned, Ivan aggressively opposes wooden products because of his concern of a certain species of ants known as termites. Yes, it is sad, but true.

We are considering between laminate flooring and ceramic tiles for the upstairs. Laminate flooring is made to look like wood flooring, but made up of either synthetic materials or of synthetic materials combined with natural ingredients and covered with decorative appliqué. In simple terms, it looks like wood in Magical Land because of its shine and glitter.

The best part about laminate flooring is that it simulates wood (love the Earth, people!), but some are made to look like marble or granite. It is a popular alternative to hardwood or vinyl because laminate flooring resists staining, wear and fading much better than wood while providing its looks and appeal.

The following are some visual appetizers:

I have read that laminate flooring is durable, about 10 times stronger than a kitchen countertop you may verify that statement by utilising the sledge hammer from Diablo II. Aside from that, it is also water-resistant hence it can be used in a bathroom (though hard to believe) as well as a kitchen or hallway.

For lazy people like me, the best part about laminate flooring is that it does not require steady maintenance (yes!!!) and protection from scuffs (yes!!!) and ridge marks (yes!!!). Hence you will not have to oil your floors, have them sanded or worry about water spills. That means more time for me to sleep and laze around the house. Ah, the joys of life.

So what are you waiting for people? Kill some trees and get laminate flooring today (man, I sound like some hard sell advertisement)! I have this strong inkling that nature lovers and environmentalists will most probably ban my blog from this post onwards. Oh well.

Buying Groceries

2006-11-12T11:08:00.000+08:00

****************
Dear Men,

This is directed especially to those of you who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free!”

Here is an update for you.

In the modern world, 80% of women are against marriage.

Why, you ask?

This is what we say, “It is not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage.”

Cheers.

Sincerely,
Women of the 21st Century

Informative

2006-11-10T09:23:00.001+08:00

***************
Last night, I was searching the Internet for a site that provided comprehensive information in respect to Malaysian mortgages. Instead, I stumbled upon a site dedicated to American homebuyers. It was so informative that I caught myself spending at least 30 minutes browsing the website...

From what I had read, I understand that the website had almost anything and everything on mortgages for homebuyers. If such information were available to Malaysians, we would definitely be more informed. The rate of mortgage fraud, hidden fees and the lack of transparency in the borrowing process can be really frightening.

The information available at the mortgage loan website helps consumers fully understand the ins and outs of borrowing intelligently. On top of that, customer data (for those who wish to submit their personal information for a pre-loan application) is protected through SecureTrust, which guarantees compliance with FTC, DoNotCall & Can Spam regulations.

I simply cannot get over how useful I really thought the site is for homebuyers (American homebuyers, that is). When will there be such a resourceful website available for Malaysians?! Perhaps when kingdom comes...

Debates

2006-11-09T10:58:00.000+08:00

****************
Ivan and I held a debate this morning: Blinds or curtains for the kitchen?

In the end, blinds won the debate. So we went on to decide what types of blinds to get for the house but failed miserably. I guess that proves how effective we are when it comes to decision making.

As far as I know, there is a vast variety of blinds out there. I have heard of the infamous Bella Roman Shades, vertical blinds, horizontal blinds, bamboo blinds, a variety of wooden blinds, pleated shades, roller shades, etc.

I suppose we would go for horizontal rather than vertical blinds. Vertical blinds give me the impression of an office. Imagine the feeling of being in an office in the comfort of my own home in my pretty little kitchen... That would only spell one thing: Disaster.

Somehow, my preference is always skewed towards wooden products whenever it comes to the house hence wooden blinds is the way to go. Nevertheless, Ivan (being the practical one) expressed his concern of wood and termites (again!).

That concern of his had marked the dawn of another debate. Sigh… We should probably just settle with curtains. Brown curtains, that is, which are highly similar to wood.

The Lizard & Bee Home [Part I]

2006-11-08T09:11:00.000+08:00

****************
The anticipation for the moment Ivan and I finally get the keys to our new home is killing me. It is almost impossible to contain all that excitement and eagerness inside my minute frame. I practically have to meditate to contain all that vigour inside me. Once a whiff is released, there will be no end to it because every bit of vigour will be released until I am deflated (think balloon, people).

After much consideration, we have unanimously made a decision to call our new dwelling the Lizard (referring to Ivan) & Bee (yours truly) Home.

Although it is approximately 3 months before we get the keys, I am already researching the various home improvement ideas, trends and products. Just the thought of renovating the Lizard & Bee Home is enough to make me jump high enough to reach the moon and bring a piece of rock home as a souvenir.

If budget is not a constraint, my dream home improvement project would be greatly desirable. I would hack all the existing flooring in the home, lay homogenous tiles for the ground floor and timber strips for the upper floor. Then, I would have wall features in the living as well as dining areas.

There would be an indoor waterfall in the living room for Feng Shui purposes, along with designer furniture from renowned manufacturers. A 42 inch Samsung plasma television would complement that setting perfectly. I prefer the contemporary concept hence I would like to keep everything simple but comfortable enough for a good retreat.

The kitchen is probably my favourite section of the home. I would renovate it extensively with marble flooring, mosaic tiles on parts of the walls, high tech stainless steel equipments, granite countertops, aluminium kitchen cabinets and a modern breakfast counter in the middle of the kitchen.

As for the master bedroom, I would keep it simple with some built-in furniture, i.e. bed frame, bedside tables, walk-in wardrobe and dressing table. I would like a wooden theme for the bedroom hence beige or light brown would be the desired colours.

See, I am not a greedy person. Having all that is enough to make me the happiest girl alive. I suppose the kitchen renovations would cost the most (which is equivalent to accumulated savings of 2 lifetimes minus the inflation) but we have all heard that the kitchen is the heart of the home, haven’t we?

Sing a Song or Two

2006-11-07T08:56:00.000+08:00

****************
Just as I switched off the lights to retire, my mobile started to ring. I then felt like I was preparing for an episode of Desperate Housewives instead of jumping into the sack – because my ring tone hummed the theme song of the television series.

I wanted to ignore the call but when I saw Nal’s name on my screen, I figured I had better answer it. Otherwise, she will never forgive me for ignoring her call, she will call over and over and over until I answer… And well, it is not everyday that I get a call from Canada.

Anyway, she called all that way just to tell me about a certain song she heard over the Internet. I had no choice but to get up and turn on my laptop. Then I went through the whole process of connecting to the Internet to access the website of the song she mentioned (imagine what it is like for a tired and sleepy person to do all that).

After listening to the song, I was actually pretty impressed. For those of you who are already reviving the Christmas spirit (and to a certain extent fancy alternative rock music), you should check out Greener's Christmas Song. The lead singer's voice must be the one thing to have caught Nal's attention - manly, broody and sexy.

Greener is an unsigned band, it seems, and a couple of years back the number of downloads for their demo Christmas Song hit the million mark. The band had recently rerecorded a professional electric and acoustic version of the song and a portion of the proceeds this year will go to the Music Industry, HIV / AIDS charity LIFEbeat. Not bad, huh?

So Nal is definitely doing something to benefit the needy and had persistently bugged me to do the same. I told her I would think about it and she finally allowed me to hang up the phone. Before doing what I do best, I turned the lights off and swayed into the comfort of darkness...

Taken for Granted

2006-11-06T12:20:00.000+08:00

****************
My office phone rang. I answered it. It was my boss, Lemon. He asked me to go over to his place (approximately 15 steps from where I am seated). Being the obedient slave that I was, I walked over almost immediately.

Once I had reached, he handed me 3 pieces of paper (which were actually memos). He said, “Put this on A’s table, this one on B’s and this one on C’s.”

Not a word of please or thank you to be heard.

The last time I checked, he had a pair of functional legs and he is seated closer to the 3 people than I am. What the fuck is his blardie problem? I am not a freaking secretary and neither am I his freaking slave.

Why can't he ask the secretaries to do his dirty work? Maybe because he knows it himself that those tasks are too lowly regarded, even for a secretary. Secretaries these days may repel but he knows Amie will not.

It is bad enough that he makes me fax his documents (because he does not have hands), do ad hoc reporting for him (because his time is too precious), mail documents for him (because he cannot spell), etc, and now he asks me to walk around for him as if he do not have legs.

Quoted from one of my colleagues, “If he becomes a big boss one day, he will be extremely bossy.” Another colleague said, “Yes, IF he ever becomes one. With an attitude like that, I doubt he will ever become one.”

Well said. Lemon has no management skills whatsoever and he is definitely lacking in technical skills. I can go on and on about him, and relate all the complaints I have heard about him but I will conclude here for now. Too much office politics for one day!

He is definitely taking me for granted and using my "congeniality" to step all over me. That said, there is a limit for everything, including my "congeniality". I am sorry to say this but all of us under him agree that he has all the traits of a lousy boss.

Wax and Such

2006-11-03T13:38:00.000+08:00

****************
Although our proposed wedding dinner is probably more than a year away, Ivan and I (actually it is more of me alone) have been thinking of what to give our guests as wedding favours. Chocolates and cakes seem to be the most common ones around hence I am hoping to find something more memorable.

Then, a light bulb appeared above my head yesterday (the result of watching too many cartoons) and I thought of candle wedding favours. As always, I then surfed to Internet to check out the options available to us.

To be very honest, I was actually pretty impressed with the varieties I found.

The one that I particularly fancied was the chocolate candles, which looked exactly like chocolates! If we gave those out as wedding favours, we had better warn the guests that they are actually made out of wax and not the usual butter and cocoa. I also liked the candles that came in pairs, in the form of cups and fruits.

If anyone has any ideas on wedding favours, please feel free to drop me a line.

Pushing the Limit

2006-11-02T08:28:00.000+08:00

****************
There was this one occurrence, which happened about a year ago when I was walking out for lunch one afternoon. I cannot recall which of my colleagues were with me that day but they were all walking ahead of me.

As I was walking innocently, suddenly, I felt someone pouncing on me. The pounce was so hard that I almost fell on my face. If I was any blurer, I would have fallen on my face and the idiot who pounced on me would have very well landed on me.

When I had recovered from the shock, I slowly turned back, putting on the most poisonous glance for the person who pounced on me to receive. Standing there was a Northern Indian man, looking extremely apologetic. He was wearing a dark green long sleeve shirt with dark brown khakis (like a freaking tree), along with a lanyard hanging from his collar.

Did he do it on purpose? Is he as sorry as he looked? How did he pounce on me unintentionally? Is he a molester? Was he trying to pick my pockets? Did he dress in office wear for a reason? I continued to glare at him as all those questions were running through my mind.

Then, that very sorry bastard took his hand and started to rub my back, apologising profusely. How dare he rub my back like that…! Somehow, he confirmed most of my suspicions about him by doing that – directly or indirectly.

I am a girl of peace but I lifted my fist and planted it on his face. There is a limit to everything and that was mine.

Mum's Freebies

2006-10-31T14:19:00.000+08:00

***************
It felt good to lie on my bed and have my legs up, just staring into space. That is definitely something I need everyday after a long day at work. I was rejuvenating peacefully until my mother excitedly came running into my room. I asked her in a bored tone, “Yes, mother?” Somehow, I knew that even after she relayed the cause of her excitement, I would not even be half as excited as her (that had normally been the case).

Apparently, when I was busy generating income at the office during the day, my mother had been occupying herself by surfing the Internet at home. She stumbled upon this health website that provided tips, advice and free product samples. You have to first sign up for a membership before accessing the above, though. For the record, membership is free.

So she was relating to me about receiving samples from renowned brand names such as Welch's Fruit Snacks, Kleenex, Bounce Fabric Softener, Tylenol, Centrum, Acuvue, Nature Made, Planters Peanuts, Banana Boat Sun Screen, Kraft Dressing, Purell, etc. You will never know how enthusiastic mothers can be when they get excited until you have met mine. She even printed this out on our colour printer:

You can also get various contents relating to food, beverages, vitamins and minerals, sleeping aids and insomnia products, diet and weight management products, pregnancy and women’s health products, vitamin and supplements, dieters counting calories and carbohydrates, and natural and alternative health supplements at that site.

In case I did not mention it earlier, my mother is not exactly 100% computer savvy. Her computer knowledge is limited to the fundamentals for survival should she be placed in a room with nothing but a personal computer for entertainment. Hence she practically coerced me into going online to help her sign up to the website so she would be entitled to the freebies.

So I reluctantly got up from my bed, turned on the notebook, connected to the Internet, keyed in the website address, only to discover one clause enough to shatter my mother’s heart into a few billion pieces: You must be at least 18 years of age and live in the United States. Not the first half of the sentence, people! The second half!

I could swear I saw streams of tears falling from my mother’s face. The moral of the story today, boys and girls, is MAKE SURE YOU READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY!

My Childhood Prisoners

2006-10-30T13:31:00.000+08:00

****************
When I came into the office this morning, I noticed a red ladybird (I have to be specific because there are green and yellow ones too) on my keyboard. It was on alphabet L. Was it trying to tell me that it is a [L]adybird, that it is [L]ost, that it is [L]arry, or what?

Whatever it was trying to convey to me, I decided that it did not belong in a high rise office building. Thus I lifted the little guy with my ruler, walked towards the window, opened it slightly, and set the little guy free. I hope all my 15 years of science education did not go to waste… Ladybirds CAN fly, right?

Seeing the little guy reminded me of my childhood, back to when I was about 5 years old. I was out in the garden (which was not renovated and tiled yet) with my mother and that was the first time I was introduced to a ladybird.

She caught it with her hand and asked if I liked it. All red with black polka dots, any child would be fascinated by something like that. She then told me to grab my plastic water bottle and that was where I kept the little guy for the next 2 days until it stopped breathing.

From that day on, I would go to the garden every now and then hoping to capture my next prisoner. As time progressed, I started to put leaves and water in the bottle in hope that the little guys would have longer life spans. The longest a ladybird ever survived in my bottle was 3 days – must be a strong one.

Initially I thought a ladybird’s average life span is approximately 2 to 3 days. After a while, I confided in my mother and discovered that the short life span problem was caused solely by me. It was then that I had decided to stop capturing ladybirds.

I then took in brown beetles – I hated them more than anything. Why keep them as pet then, you ask? I figured that putting bugs into a bottle does not pleasure them, instead it agonises them. Hence I put the beetles into the bottle without plants or water.

When it died, I would transform into a bug surgeon and perform an autopsy its body by dissecting it. I tried capturing dragonflies and mosquitoes too, but they were too fast for me. So I had to settle with beetles for the rest of my childhood.

Some kind of childhood I had there, huh? But look what I turned out to be… A sweet, well mannered, pleasant young lady.

This Halloween...

2006-10-28T11:43:00.000+08:00

****************
I suppose Halloween is more of a Western than an Asian culture hence many of us on this side of the world are not aware of the celebration. It is celebrated most commonly in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Puerto Rico, with increasing popularity in Australia and New Zealand.

Halloween is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going from door to door collecting sweets (or chocolates, I suppose). If we Asians celebrated Halloween, I would never want to grow up. Imagine getting heaps of free sweets (or chocolates)!

If you have not heard, FrightWorld the Movie World Premiere will be held at Frightworld Haunted Amusement this coming 31 October. This special screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the cast and crew. After which you have the option to tour Frightworld Haunted Amusement and at midnight there will be live music.

I would definitely recommend the movie to horror flick goers as the 30 second sneak preview was more than enough to make me lose a few nights of precious sleep. For the record, I am now an ex-horror flick goer due to a certain movie (erm... The Exorcism of Emily Rose) that caused me to reverse my interest.

Do not get me wrong, I still crave for horror flicks. The only difference is that now I am not able to indulge because if I do, I will be sweating under the sheets all night long praying that whatever I saw in the flick during the day will not come for me.

Anyway, if you are looking for something cool to do this Halloween and live in the Western New York area or are willing to travel there (sorry I did not mention this earlier, I was too engrossed in the whole “scare” thingy), you ought to attend the event. Red Scream Films shot FrightWorld in the Frightworld Haunted Amusement itself.

FrightWorld is actually rated R so you must be 18 and above or accompanied by an adult. On top of that, Frightworld Haunted Amusement is regarded as one of the top 13 scream parks in the United States of America by HauntWorld Magazine.

Hence be prepared for a night of solid scares. Sadly, it is definitely not a place for the weak hearted like myself though I would so love to pay that place a visit. You lucky New Yorkers! Imagine the scares and screams in the place… Awesome!

I shall leave you to your thoughts with a frightening poster of the movie.

Wedding Bands

2006-10-26T09:11:00.000+08:00

****************
As our marriage registration is approaching soon, Ivan and I have been searching for a suitable matching wedding band. We have been browsing around the various jewellery retailers in Kuala Lumpur but to no avail. I suppose that the problem must lie in me because I am the picky one while Ivan will go with anything I have decided on.

Our, or rather, my desperation for the perfect wedding band had broadened my search to all sources – including the Internet. I then stumbled upon a site which has a pretty impressive selection of rings and various other jewellery.

They offer engagement rings (which I told Ivan we could do without to get better things for our new home), wedding bands (which is a must for us to get), jewellery dedicated especially for anniversaries (probably when we celebrate our 10th anniversary), diamond rings, etc. The site even offers marriage proposal ideas, honeymoon ideas, proposal mistakes and such.

I doubt Ivan will propose to me (being Mr Plain and Unromantic) so I can only fantasise after browsing through the marriage proposal ideas. If he does though, then PROBABLY he has been reading my blog. *tsk* Well, either way, I still get the ring of my choice!

Trade Show Exhibits

2006-10-25T16:56:00.000+08:00

****************
I was out most of the morning at one of my corporate client’s place. This client is principally a manufacturer and wholesaler of a well-known locally produced garment. I am not able to reveal the name though, due to confidentiality purposes. If you still want to know, you may mail a request to me along with your picture… And if I find you attractive enough, I just might reveal the name to you.

Anyway, we were having a nice chat as the General Manager shared with us the story of how he and his brother flew to Dubai for a 4 day trade show exhibition. They went there in hope of securing a foreign joint venture to expand their business overseas and in increase the company’s imports.

He said that all the booths at the exhibition had wonderful backdrops, decorations, lightings, etc. while theirs were just plain steel racks with plastic hangers and a few garments on display. I definitely had my share of laughter upon hearing that. What made me laugh even harder is the fact that he relayed it with much amusement in his voice and comical expressions.

Then he shared with us this exhibit wholesaler known as Exhibit Deal that he recently got to know of from his contact. They have everything you need for trade show booths, from table throws to literature racks and everything in between. The materials are lightweight, easy to transport and assemble in a snap.

He then claimed that when they attend future trade show exhibits, they will not appear as unprepared.

Doraemon & Hello Kitty Joke

2006-10-23T09:37:00.000+08:00

****************
Some of you may have came across this ridiculously funny joke. For those who have not, knock yourselves out.

Doraemon and Hello Kitty were out on the streets one day.

When Doraemon saw Hello Kitty, he waved and greeted her, "Hello Kitty!"

Hello Kitty, however, did not greet him in return. Why?

(She could not speak - she did not have a mouth)

Now, she was feeling pretty bad about appearing rude, so she stitched a mouth on herself and went to look for Doraemon.

When she saw him, she greeted him enthusiastically.

Doraemon, however, ignored her. Why?

(He could not hear her - he did not have ears)

Chocoholics Anonymous

2006-10-22T13:59:00.000+08:00

****************
I have been a chocoholic for most of my life. The first chocolate that I had ever tasted was at the age of 3 (according to my parents) and I loved it so much that I smudged it all over my face (also according to my parents). After which, I was rewarded with chocolates every now and then for good behaviour.

When I was 15, I had one bar of chocolate everyday without fail for 3 months, prior to sitting for a major Government exam. It had a wonderful influence on motivating me to study harder. In other periods of my life, I probably take chocolate every once a week or so.

Chocolates in Malaysia are rather costly hence I could not afford to consume as much as I would like. When I went to Australia to further my studies, I found my haven. Chocolates there were dirt cheap (in comparison to Malaysia) and they came in vast varieties that were unknown to Malaysians.

After my return from Australia, I had significantly reduced my intake of chocolates due to health consciousness. The main reason that I can manage my intake is because having been to Australia, the variety of chocolates here are unable to lure me. It is sad, but true.

Hence I had since lost interest in chocolates and hardly ever thought about it. That is, right up till I stumbled upon Mrs. Cavanaugh's Chocolate sometime last week. Since then, I have been craving for some really good chocolate.

The graphics at Mrs. Cavanaugh's Chocolate were sufficient for me to salivate until the Pacific Ocean would wave a white flag. Here is a visual feast for all the greedy chocolate lovers like me:

I enjoy any type of chocolate, whether dark, milk or white. Mrs. Cavanaugh has a variety of traditional chocolates, famous assortments, nuts and chews, tantalizing truffles, chocolate crèmes, pecan caveliers, cherry cordials, crunchy brittles, roasted nuts, fantastic fudges, sugarless chocolates and sandwich mints.

My favourite piece in any boxed chocolate would definitely be the crèmes (preferably fruits) as I am not a nut lover. As for my favourite chocolate combination, it would unquestionably be the chocolate and raspberry. That said, my favourite chocolate from Mrs. Cavanaugh would definitely be the raspberry truffles.

If I had my way, I would purchase every single product from Mrs. Cavanaugh’s and have a wonderful feast at home. I swear that I could so finish everything in a single day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea and supper. After I am done, I will proceed to the nearest gym and enrol for an intensive programme. That’s just the way life is…

50 Steps to a Happy Marriage

2006-10-20T08:31:00.000+08:00

****************
A few days ago, I received an email titled “50 Steps to a Happy Marriage”. Reading it made me think for a moment, whether or not Ivan and I have what it takes for a happy marriage.

The following are the “steps”, after which are my personal comments. If you have the time, you may count and see if there are really 50 items or someone was just pulling a fast one on me (along with everyone who received this email).

Knock yourselves out. Nah, just try not to get bored.

Start each day with a kiss ~ YES [Ivan never fails to greet me with a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead when he picks me for work during the weekdays and when we go out during the weekends. Hence my neighbours enjoy a good show every morning, just the thing they need to wake up.]
Wear your wedding ring at all times ~ N/A [We are not officially married yet hence no ring. Currently shopping around for one though!]
Date once a week ~ YES [Sundays are labelled Ivan & Amie’s day out. We go window shopping, catch a movie, munch on some chicken meatball and popcorn, and have dinner together. For the past few months, we have been house hunting all through Saturdays and Sundays. Now that that is done with, we are reverting to the normal routine of Ivan & Amy's day out.]
Accept differences ~ SUBJECTIVE [No one is perfect. Point being, we cannot accept each others’ differences all the time. Healthy arguments are good for the relationship. The most important thing would be learning how to compromise with one another. Good justification, huh?]
Be polite ~ YES [Please, thank you, you are welcome… They are all gestures of politeness so I guess this is what "be polite" means. We say them all the time.]
Be gentle ~ SUBJECTIVE [What if we like it rough? Some people do.]
Give gifts ~ YES [Ivan is my gift and I hope I am his too.]
Smile often ~ YES [I have a natural ability to smile endlessly and Ivan smiles almost all the time with me. That probably means that I am his gift too. *hehehe*]
Touch ~ YES [But where exactly?]
Talk about dreams ~ YES [If we can remember our dreams, we will share them with each other. Otherwise, it will remain unknown until Doomsday.]
Select a song that can be "our song" ~ YES [Our “our song” list is endless. I guess we should select one special song. If asked to select one spontaneously, I would probably go with Damage - Forever.]
Give back rubs ~ YES [Occasionally. He rubs my back gently while I stomp on his back with my feet, using my whole body weight - told you some people like it rough.]
Laugh together ~ YES [All the time, more so when we make fun of people (especially the Malays - apologies if you are a Malay reading this) or share a joke, etc. Ivan is never a humourous guy but his adorable dry humour (lame jokes and remarks) never cease to amuse me. *giggles*]
Send a card for no reason ~ NO [Too old fashioned I suppose. Damn, I cannot seem to find a good way to justify myself for not doing this. I guess I better start sending cards to Ivan.]
Do what the other person wants before he or she asks ~ SUBJECTIVE [We cannot read each others’ minds all the time. But when we can and are able to do something for each other, we definitely will.]
Listen ~ SUBJECTIVE [Men do not listen, do they? I thought it is a known fact. Then again, this is probably directed to the male species reading this, in hope of a reformation. *tsk* And they have the nerve to claim that women do not listen.]
Encourage ~ YES [We are always very supportive of each other.]
Do it his or her way ~ SUBJECTIVE [Do WHAT?!]
Know his or her needs ~ YES [I suppose we are aware of each others’ likes and dislikes but whether we can obey it or not is another matter altogether.]
Compliment twice a day ~ N/A [He looks like a lizard, smells like a cockroach and walks like a crab. What is there to compliment? *hehehe* On the other hand, he does compliment me though. But that is because there are so many things for him to compliment!]
Fix the other person's breakfast ~ ONE WAY STREET [Ivan is a pig in a lizard's body. He never wakes up earlier than me so there is no way he can fix me breakfast. I do it for him though, whenever we spend the night together.]
Call during the day ~ YES [We do during the weekdays, whenever we have the time. As for the weekends, we call each other so often that our phone bills are higher than the sun, moon or stars.]
Slow down ~ SUBJECTIVE [Slow what down? Hmmm… Some people might like it fast.]
Cuddle ~ YES [All the time. Ivan is very much a "cuddle" person, if you know what I mean. As for me, I am a "cuddled" person. Hence we complement each other.]
Ask for each others’ opinion ~ YES [All the time.]
Show respect ~ YES [We do not salute when we see each other... Does that defy this "step"?]
Welcome the other person home ~ N/A [We do not live together yet but when we do, I am such we will welcome each other home. After all, an additional presence means you have another person around to do the dishes, scrub the floor, etc.]
Look your best ~ SUBJECTIVE [I always do because I am just the way I am. As for Ivan, no matter how hard he tries... A lizard will always be a lizard.]
Wink at each other ~ NO [Why is this necessary? Alright, I will start winking at Ivan...]
Celebrate birthdays in a big way ~ YES [I would rather use the word "special" than "big".]
Apologise ~ SUBJECTIVE [When we are trapped with nowhere else to run, we will apologise. Humour aside, I suppose if something is really our fault (or sometimes not) then saying sorry is not an issue.]
Forgive ~ YES [One of the most important elements of a relationship.]
Set up a romantic getaway ~ YES [Something we both love doing together. Financial constraints aside, of course. We are planning for a honeymoon to Italy (my dream destination) sometime in the next 1 to 2 years.]
Ask, "What can I do to make you happier?" ~ NO [No justifications hence no comments.]
Be positive ~ YES [All the time.]
Be kind ~ YES [If we are not cruel, then we are kind… Right? Then again, you got to be cruel to be kind. So which is which now? I AM CONFUSED!]
Be vulnerable ~ YES [Very much so.]
Respond quickly to the other person's request ~ SUBJECTIVE [Certain requests require a longer period to implement.]
Talk about your love ~ YES [Especially after serious arguments, we start getting all apologetic and mushy. *brrr*]
Treat each others' friends and relatives with courtesy ~ SUBJECTIVE [I condemn most of my relatives while Ivan just listens. That does not count as a misconduct on his part, right? As for him, he never has anything to say about his relatives besides them being nosy... I suppose that is what it takes to be a relative - NOSY.]
Send flowers every Valentine's Day and anniversary ~ YES [Ivan does give me flowers on our anniversaries but not on Valentine’s. I tell him not to because I do not see the point in paying double to triple the price for a bonquet of flowers (though I adore them) on that highly overrated day.]
Admit when wrong ~ YES [As mentioned above.]
Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires ~ PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL [No comment and mind your own business.]
Pray for each other daily ~ NO [Actually, I do not even pray for myself and I doubt that Ivan does either. Maybe I should start being more religious, rather than only turning to God for help when I need it.]
Watch sunsets together ~ SUBJECTIVE [When the sun sets every evening, we are still stuck in the office working our asses off to pay for the mortgage. We do watch sunsets together when we go on holidays, though.]
Say "I love you" frequently ~ YES [Each time before hanging up the phone and every now and then when we are out together.]
End the day with a hug ~ NO [We normally kiss, not hug. Alright, we will hug instead of kiss from now on then...]
Seek outside help when needed ~ KIV [IF and WHEN NEEDED.]

Based on the findings, I hereby conclude that we do have what it takes for a happy marriage (with room for improvement, of course). Yipeee!!!

The Magic of Numbers

2006-10-18T16:16:00.000+08:00

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

I grew up in a superstitious environment (which has directly and indirectly made me superstitious too). This was probably because my mother is a dedicated full time housewife who has nothing much better to do with her time. Thus she meddles with various traditions and beliefs, one of them being numerology.

After all that I have read on the subject (thanks to my mother’s comprehensive library), I believe that there is no one way to describe numerology – everyone has their own understanding of the term, including my mother and me. The underlying principal of numerology, though, is that it refers to the mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and the character or action of physical objects and living things.

There is this numerology site that I stumbled upon yesterday. It gives you a comprehensive reading just by entering your full name and birthday (ladies, you would have to key in your REAL year of birth or the reading will not be accurate). I entered the required information and found the results pretty fascinating, they were rather precise! Of course, when I say precise I mean about the past and present, not the future – as I cannot tell the future.

Amongst others, the results include your Life Path Number (derived from your date of birth, it means the road you are travelling and reveals the opportunities and challenges you will face in life), your Four Challenge Numbers (the First which usually lasts from birth until approximately the age of 30 to 35, the Second which usually lasts from the age of 30 to 35 to around 55 or 60, the Third or Main Challenge is felt through your entire life and the Fourth usually starts at approximately the age of 55 or 60) and your Heart’s Desire Number (your innermost yearning and the dreams closest to your heart).

Apart from what I have mentioned, there are many other interesting readings in the results. You guys should try it out and give me some feedback. Tell me if it is as accurate for you as it is for me. If it is, you are definitely obliged to buy me a drink (at least!) for introducing a miracle to you. Look at it this way, if the prediction of the past is true then the prediction of the future is likely to be true too. This is definitely better than any crystal ball at some fun fair!

I should forward this site to my now Internet savvy mother too. Knowing her, she will have a ball of a time analysing the results. So much so that I will go home to an empty dinner table just because she got too hooked to the computer...

Desirable Sex

2006-10-17T14:59:00.000+08:00

****************
A girlfriend asked me, “Do you know what sex is the most desirable?”

It took me a while to reply as I did not really understand her question. If someone else had asked me, I would have suspected that the person had more than just one grammatical error in that question. However, since it came from this particular girlfriend, I knew her English was way better than that.

Hence I replied, “You mean male or female? Or what?”. “NO! I mean the act. You know, the act of sex. Anyway, the answer is forbidden sex.” She then added, “The thing that we want the most is the thing that we cannot get. Therefore, the person that we want to sleep with the most is the person that we cannot sleep with. Ever.”

Maybe God had a reason to create us humans that way - to desire the things that are beyond reach more than the obtainable. Perhaps my girlfriend's statement is true but maybe not for everyone. I for one am a "sufferer" of this venom - I do not mean in the sexual aspect but in every other aspect of life (I have to say this in case Ivan decides to read this particular entry in my blog).

When I cannot get the one thing then that is the one thing that I really want – on the basis that I even wanted it in the first place, of course. I cannot want something that I did not want, that does not make sense. Complicated? They are there for your eyes to read and your brains to digest for as many times as you wish to understand that I am trying to say.

Anyway, I just wanted to get some opinions on my girlfriend's statement. Any takers?

A Land of Vibrance

2006-10-15T11:02:00.000+08:00

****************
There is all this talk going on about where everyone will spend the DeepaRaya break this coming 21st to 25th October 2006. DeepaRaya is actually a combination of 2 festivals in Malaysia, i.e. Deepavali (for the Indians) and Hari Raya Puasa (for the Malays). These festivals happen to fall at a similar time this year and a couple of years before this – I cannot recall exactly how many, hence the long holiday for us Malaysians.

Last weekend, Nal and I (while chatting online) stumbled upon this Costa Rica Forum which brought up our interest in the country. We then searched the Internet for more information on Costa Rica and decided that we definitely have to go there someday, although not during this DeepaRaya break due to budget constraints.

The country has an estimated population of 4.0 million people and the majority is descended from Spanish settlers. In contrast to its neighbouring populations, a little mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations had occurred. Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of Spanish or to a lesser extent of mixed Mestizo heritage, as well as Italian, German, Jewish, and Polish descents.

Many of us have heard of Costa Rica but only a few are aware of its geographical location. Truth be told – I never knew where it is on the world map before last weekend. Neither did Nal. Anyway, Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus. Hence it is basically a narrow strip of land that is bordered on two sides by water and connects two larger land masses.

As the country is mostly coastline, it means great deal of surfing, beaches galore and thus a climate built for laziness. Extremely suitable for people like Nal and I! Although I do not surf nor burn my precious skin under the sun, I love water sports (not the life endangering ones please) and building sand castles (reliving my childhood memories).

Aside from that, Costa Rica is also home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.1% of the world's land mass, it contains 5.0% of the world's biodiversity – imagine stumbling upon a different plant or animal everywhere I go. Actually, I would love to see the different floras (to satisfy my photography thirst) but not the faunas. As it is, there are alreadt enough bugs and reptiles and what not around...

Costa Rica is a tropical country and thus experiences only two seasons, i.e. wet and dry. The dry season is generally between late December and April while the wet season lasts for the rest of the year. In addition, temperatures vary little between seasons as the main influence on temperature is altitude.

Sounds good, doesn't it, Costa Rica? I guess I will be stuck at home again for the upcoming holiday but when I do get an opportunity to visit Costa Rica, you may expect a detailed write up and photographs of the country. Meanwhile, I shall surf the Internet everytime the urge to fly to Costa Rica arises. It is definitely more economical to do so than to physically take a flight there.

An eye opener: The crater of Volcán Irazú (please do not ask me to pronounce that), an active volcano near Cartago, Costa Rica.