Monday, November 30, 2009

Ngor Fan Lei Laaa!!!

Snapped this one in Bread Talk, Nathan Road.
I went all the way to Hong Kong to eat bread
I can get from Malaysia. Haha. Go figure. =p



I'm back... with over 3GB's worth of pictures to edit! (Half of which are camwhore pictures tee hee dun judge a girl on holiday.) 3.49GB to be exact. *sweat* This is why I need an assistant! Gotta get to work on 'em soon. But you all mou kam sam kap, ok? Man man lei. =p

Friday, November 27, 2009

Stop The Clock

It's 12:32AM. I write this in the comfort of my home in Penang but I'm still very much dressed in the day's dirt and grime. Ugh. I'm officially grossed out by myself.


It's 12:34AM. Dinner just ended about 15 minutes ago, no thanks to Firefly's almost-perfect track record in delaying their flights.


It's 12:36AM. I still feel dirty. Sigh. What I need is a nice, warm bath. But damn, I have yet to iron some of the stuff I've packed. (I shrunk the list for the sake of creating space for some HK buys, by the way =p).


Wow, it's 12:37AM. That means that that paragraph took me a whole 5 minutes to write – proof that my brain's one step from carrying out a full-fledged strike on me.


It's now 12:42AM. I took off to iron my clothes. At least that's one worry out of the way. Time to worry about that other thing – me and my less-than-clean state. I so wouldn't touch myself now. *shiver*


You know what? It'll be way past 1AM by the time I'm done with my shower and am ready to hit the sack. Boy, oh boy, does that suck.


Oh, wait... Did I forget to mention that the taxi man's coming at 4AM? Cos he is. Heh. That means the alarm's gotta start ringing at 3AM. That leaves me with only an hour plus' worth of shut-eye. Perfect. I know I'm just going to look SOOO good in pictures this weekend. SOOO so good. =_=


Ok. Gotta run now.

Clock's tickin' and them eyebags're growin'.

Damn, this age thing.

T_T


Maybe I'll catch you guys later when I'm waiting out the two hours at the airport. We'll see. If you don't hear from me, it means that Penang's airport sucks and I couldn't find an available comp to surf at or access to any free WiFi. Haha. (I suddenly realised that I have no idea if they've got any of that at the Penang International Airport.)


See you if I see you!
Otherwise, take care while I'm gone. =)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Turning 25 4 Days Late

Remember how I said that I was pre-booked for lunch and dinner yesterday? Well, meet my lunch date, the one and only, NB!




Of course, we were too busy eating, laughing and talking nonsense all through lunch to even remember to take pictures *gasp! gasp!* so, in-the-car-on-the-way-back-to-work shots are all I've got. Haha.




Thanks for bringing me for the bestest
belated birthday lunch e-vah, babe! =)

Worth A Giggle In The Car

Saw this on my way to work today.




Before I realised what was happening, a giggle escaped me and the seconds that followed suddenly had me feeling self conscious about giggling to myself while alone in the car. =p

If You're Still Awake...

...go outside.


The stars are out to play and boy, oh boy, do they look pretty all bright and twinkly. Looks like yesterday's tears did bring about some good after all. This makes the perfect reason to go to bed with a smile that'll last till tomorrow. =)


I don't know about you but I had a busy day. I'd been pre-booked for lunch and dinner but the workload was just crazy. (That just means having to rush through my appointments and having to do crazier amounts of work in less the time. T_T) So, it was really no surprise that I found myself more than happy to come home to a sky that's been given a generous sprinkling of fairy dust.


I stood at the porch and looked up for a good 5 minutes – amazed at the floating lights above me and stunned by their beauty. Tried stealing a 4R portion of the night sky with the Lumix G1 but... Epic Fail was only to be expected (and obtained -_-) considering its lousy low-light focus (in)capabilities. Guess Eyes and Memory will have to do tonight. Sigh.


Oh well...

It's always better when it's the real thing anyways.
Plus, now I have reason to keep looking up after the rain. =)

Hong Kong, November '09: The Packing Begins

  1. Hoodie
  2. Winter jacket
  3. Checkered pashmina
  4. 4 go-out-kai-kai tops
  5. 2 pairs of skinny jeans
  6. 2 sets of jammies – when on holiday, RECYCLE! =p
  7. 8 sets of underwear – I never EVER recycle these... yuck!
  8. Slippers
  9. Walk-far-far flats
  10. Pan-leng-leng boots
  11. Black leggings
  12. 4 pairs of socks – nobody likes frozen toes that smell like HK feet! *faints*
  13. Perfume – in case I get HK feet? *grin*
  14. Make-Up + Other Random Face Gunk
  15. Straightener + Hair Gunk
  16. Toiletries
  17. Contact Lenses + Lens Solution
  18. Lumix G1
  19. Omnia earphones
  20. 3 Chargers – Lumix G1 + W810i + Omnia
  21. HSBC ATM Card + Credit Card
  22. PASSPORT!!!

Damn, that sure looks like a hell of a lot
of nonsense to bring on a 4-day trip to HK.

-_-'''

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Pitter Patter

I love it when The Skies cry at night. Their falling tears, an unmistakable sign that stress, heartache and sorrow are being washed from the streets, to be seen no more – at least not until the next flood arises. And even as I lay warm and dry under the covers, tomorrow's clear horizon is tonight's promise of better days and greater things to come.


I hear the murmur of negativity but curtains blind my sight toward the happenings beyond the pane. But even as I do not see, I know... it's happening. Flashing lights make way for groans hurriedly uttered, muttered and just as quickly forgotten. With unparalleled ease and unbridled strength, Negativity is sent crashing to the ground, only to be lost in the sands I'll tread on tomorrow.


I pull at the curtains and allow my eyes room for a peek. It's funny but I can almost feel the cool of the tiny, clear bullets of liquid crystal I see coming toward me. And even as they land just inches from my face, I wish they'd reach out to touch me. I wouldn't shy away if they did. But they tease and taunt then slither Southwards, only to flatten out into nothingness at the touch of ground.


The ticking clock seven strides to my left tells me that tomorrow draws nearer with every tock I ignore. The Ticks bully the Tocks into submission so every Tock obediently follows a Tick. No questions asked. And now, the round clock looks me square in the face and tells me that Tomorrow's a-comin' much sooner than I'd anticipated.

Nike "Tag" Commercial

I know I quite lag since this commercial was actually a Cannes Lions winner seven years ago (details below). Haha. Dun mess. 7-year lag, wei!! Wth, damn kau fail, right, me?!? -_- But... whatever lah. Imma likin' this one so Imma bloggin' it anyways. It's real fun stuff. Enjoy, if you haven't yet watched it. And if you already have, just... urm, pretend buat dunno and ooo and ah over it, ok? =p




ADVERTISER: Nike • SPOT: Tag • CAMPAIGN: Play
AD AGENCY: Wieden + Kennedy • COUNTRY: USA
AUTHOR: Dan Wieden • DIRECTOR: Frank Budgen
AWARDED: Cannes Lions 2002, Film Grand Prix Winner
(alongside Spike Jonez's Ikea "Lamp" Commercial)


"Wieden is the author of a 2001 Nike ad called "Tag." This TV spot features a young man on his way to work in a big city. It could be Chicago, New York or San Francisco. (It is, in fact, Toronto.) All of a sudden, he feels a hand on his shoulder. He's been tagged. He's it. Pedestrians scatter. Plazas empty. The chase is on. He almost tags one woman as she enters a bus. He almost tags another but she dives into her car. He almost tags a policeman as he pulls away in his cruiser. Our hero is a wildebeest, charging wildly, hoping for contact. Finally he comes upon a hapless guy in the subway, the only man in the city who doesn't know the game is on. Tag. Now he's it. Frame for frame, "Tag" is probably the most exciting ad ever made. It had the drama of the chase scene in "The French Connection." It won the admiration of the industry and a Cannes Lion Grand Prix.

But it's an odd ad. It takes 20 seconds before we understand what's happening. For a while it's just people running around on a plaza, forcing us to puzzle things out on our own. Advertising is famous for its simplicity, repetition and sometimes sheer stupidity ("But wait! There's more! Act now!"). In the world of advertising, 20 seconds is a client-provoking eternity. Wieden dared to tinker with the rules.

For all that, "Tag" is a straightforward piece of advertising. It is playful. It makes Nike the friend of spontaneity and urban athleticism. It brings the viewer off the couch to the edge of his seat, the very point of the Nike proposition. Every commuter would love to see the tedium of travel exploded this way. Certainly, every athlete (and Nike is filled with athletes) would love to see the city as a competitive space."

[Source]


Read the full article here.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

"No More Works-In-Progress"

I said that.


But come on, now. Realistically speaking, who's a finished project anyways? Definitely not me. And don't look so smug cos it sure ain't you either. Heck, none of us are. We're all works-in-progress.


Now, where's that sandpaper...

Ganas

You know what?

I think I'm PMS-ing big time.

-_-


I am irritable, short-fused and easily annoyed at even the slightest error or misstep taken by those around me. I bite, snap, and deliver unnecessarily sarcastic remarks with such ease that I'm beginning to not like myself. My patience wears thin real quick these days and I often go to bed feeling terrible about the things I've said and done in the time that I was awake. Sigh. Think I need to chill and unwind soon cos letting off steam on others just won't do. Not. An. Option.

Addicted Kau Kau

...to Empire State Of Mind a.k.a New York.


Yes, it's been on repeat since Friday. Yes, I'm still on it. And yes, Duh Roads is ready to kill me for having it on loop all day today. Ha. Ha. Ha. Am. Not. Stopping. Full steam ahead, boys and girls! Full steam ahead. *grin*


-------------

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
No place in the world that could compare
Put your lighters in the air
Everybody say "Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah."

-------------


Seriously lah, I've been singing it so much (read: in the car, at work, in the shower, at home, soon as I wake up, before bedtime) I think I could just have overtaken Alicia Keys herself in terms of the number of times we've sung that song. Haha. OD or not, I ask you? But not my fault lah. Too ons already, the song. Cannot help it.


In fact, I'm so addicted that I ran
a YouTube search for the live version today.

Click here to watch the 2009 VMAs live performance.


Watch it. If not for Jay-Z, if not for Alicia Keys, if not for Little Mama pathetically pulling a Kanye... *rolls eyes* ...but for the look of total devotion, full adoration and complete enjoyment on Beyoncé's face as she sings along to Alicia's parts. (Time Stamps: 3:44s/4:08s/4:17s) Talented or not, Jay-Z sure is one lucky man.

Random Thoughts At 4:04AM

  1. Too. Much. Work. For. A. 4. Day. Week.
  2. Online chats rate pathetically on the emotion-sensitive scale.
  3. Is 2.5 years not long enough, just long enough or too long?
  4. Shouldn't let the sun go down on frustration/anger/sadness.
  5. Funny how Chinese kopi tiams serve rootbeer floats with ice.
  6. It was good catching up; should definitely do it again.
  7. Wonder if I should boot my way through Hong Kong – hmmm.
  8. That ayam goreng was waaay too tough for my liking.
  9. Think it's time for another dental visit.
  10. Great, it's 4:04AM already. -_-

Monday, November 23, 2009

Bill Watterson, The Love Guru

Gotta give it to him. The man just has a knack for making Life's complications simplistic. I see it as a gift. One that I'd like to have. Here's his interpretation of the love-hate relationship people have with... well, love and relationships.


Comic shown here has been edited
and meshed up by Yours Truly.



I've attached the original comic (below) for your reference
but I still think I like the chunk I ripped out best. =)


Growing Up Sucks Cos...

  1. Birthdays get more and more depressing as the years go by.
  2. You don't get babied by those around you no more.
  3. Throwing a tantrum is considered immature / juvenile / childish.
  4. Responsibilities trump Whims & Fancies... even PMS.
  5. You're too bogged down with responsibilities to actually find time to party.
  6. You're too tired from your day to even party it up good when you've got the time.
  7. You realise you need to start moisturising to stop your skin from making you look 40. T_T
  8. You start talking about things you can't even begin to define – like love.
  9. You start thinking about things you know not of – like marriage.
  10. You start wanting things you can't have – like kids.

Ok fine, I've wanted the last one for the longest time now so it doesn't really count. Stilllll...!!! Growing up sucks. T_T

Post Title Absent – Blame Tiredness

The weekend's been crazy. Everything that's taken place in the past 72 hours has cumulatively taken me so far beyond Tired it's not funny. Thank goodness it's a 4-day week I'm looking at come Monday. (Oh wait Monday's already here boo hoo sniff sniff sob sob.) But damn... 4-day weeks kinda suck too cos it means you've (and by that I mean I've) got to do 5 days worth of work in 4 days. Shiats. T_T

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Done

Remember that too-high-profile-for-my-liking stuff I mentioned I was conned (kinda sorta) into participating in? Well, it's finally over and done with. Sitting at home with my hair clean from the wash and no longer in knots, the skin on my face free from the half an inch of gunk it was under just hours before, and my feet no longer suffering from half tiptoeing in 4.5 inches of heels, I have this to say:


Thank you for the opportunity, thank you for the experience, but it's a king-kong sized "no, thank you" to a next time. No more next times. I'm just too old for this kinda thing. Not that it's ever been my thing to begin with in the first place. If you really knew me, you'd have known that. Can't believe I actually went along with it. But I did. Because you asked. But this is it. Like I said – no more next times.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Empire State Of Mind

Artists: Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
Song Title: Empire State Of Mind





[JAY-Z]
Yeah
Yeah I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
Right next to Deniro, but I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere
I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano's
Right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's
Took it to my stashbox, 560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons with them pastries
Cruisin' down 8th Street, off white Lexus
Drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie
Now I live on billboard and I brought my boys with me
Say whatup to Ty-Ty, still sippin' mai tai's
Sittin' courtside, Knicks & Nets give me high five
Nigga I be spike'd out, I could trip a referee
Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from...

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[JAY-Z]
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game
Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can
You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though
But I got a gang of Niggas walkin' with my clique though
Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock
Africa Bambata shit, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't for they act like they forgot how to act
Eight million stories, out there in it naked
City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it
Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"
If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwayne Wade
Three dice cee-lo, three card molly
Labour Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade
Long live the Kingdome, I'm from the Empire St. that's...

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[JAY-Z]
Lights is blinding, girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick
The sidelines is lined with casualties who sip to life casually
Then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple leaf
Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style
End of the winter gets cold, en vogue with your skin out
City of sin, it's a pity on the wind
Good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route
Hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin
And Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
Came here for school, graduated to the high life
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight
MDMA got you feelin' like a champion
The city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

[ALICIA KEYS]
One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty
No place in the world that could compare
Put your lighters in the air
Everybody say "Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah."

[ALICIA KEYS]
New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York


I miss feeling ALIVE.


That feeling like my lungs are just bursting with breath, my body's charged and ready for whatever comes my way, and my being just wants to explode from sheer expectancy. I want to know that greater things await me. And I want to look forward to that time and be prepared for it, whenever it comes.


Problem is,
I think I've stopped painting pretty pictures
in my head – pictures of things to come.

Don't know when it happened but it did.

Sigh.


I'm in need of a place that'll inspire me to start dreaming again. It's been awhile since I've indulged in thoughts of anything bigger than what could possibly be. So caught up with what has been, what is and what will certainly be that I've forgotten the beauty in looking toward the unknown and jumping without seeing ground.


-----------

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York"

-----------


Maybe I should start making plans
to hit the Big Apple someday.


p/s: This song is way beyond addictive. It's got a good feel to it. I don't really care what Jay-Z sings (though I think the man's got crazy talent – hey, he didn't break the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 by doing nothing) but I especially love the Alicia Key parts in this song. Makes me wanna move.

Turning 25

So 25's not as big a deal
as I thought it would be.

Hmmm.


In fact, I spent The Crossover doing and feeling nothing out of the ordinary. No extra grey hairs or wrinkles; no big bang or fireworks. No spotlights from heaven nor orchestral music from out of nowhere either. Quite the contrary, actually. I suddenly started feeling so overwhelmed by the demands placed upon me of late.


Sigh.

So... yeah.

There's really nothing to shout about.
No sentiments de splendeur – nada.


Lots to moan and groan about when I look toward my first day being 25 though. But it's not like it's stuff I can really share here cos it's a touchy sub and too many of the people within the community concerned read this space. Sigh. Sorry, guys. Gotta do the mature thing and stay vague while dealing with my gripes on my own.


Ugh.

Growing old really stinks, don't it?


Makes me wonder what the hype was about now. Argh, maybe this is just me feeling the effects of Quarter Life Crisis. The one that gets every 25-year-old feeling like they're past the fence, over the hill... and there's nothing to get excited about anymore.


Sigh.

Kinda sucks just thinking about it.
Guess it's downhill from here on out.

T_T

But hey, at least I've got people who cared enough
to try to make the passing of time easier on the emotion.

=)


I played Guest of Honour at a mini celebration earlier in the day at Decanter Seksyen 17, courtesy of the guys (and girl) from The Office – when I was still 24! (Pictures soon, ok?) Had people leave me birthday wishes on my FB wall, in FB messages, via email and through Gtalk throughout the day. Got a delivery of bears in a bouquet along with some chocolates. Received a number of calls past midnight from within the state, some from within the country and even one from abroad. (Awww.) And more than a few SMSes that kept my phone busy till up to about a 5 minutes ago. =)


-------------

Thank you, guys.

I'm touched by the fact that you remembered today
and bothered enough to let me know you did. =)

XOXO,
The 25-year-old

-------------


Wowwie. Look at the time. It's 3AM already!
Ok lah. Old people need to sleep. G'night, y'all.


p/s: The funny thing was the SMSes and FB wall posts was that they actually began coming in a whole 2 days before my birthday. Haha. Tsk tsk. So semangat to see me get old, all these people. Oi! I was still 24 then lah! Why you all make me feel old before I really am wan??? =p

Friday, November 20, 2009

Does She Want A Ring, A Wedding Band, Or A Guarantee?

Most modern Malaysian women of today expect to be proposed to (at some point or another before they grow too old to even see the bling on their fingers through their long-sighted goldfish glasses) by their partners. No longer is it ok for a man to just assume that he has her hand in marriage. Rule is...


If he wants it, he has to ASK for it.


And by asking, he obviously needs to boycott NATO – that's No Action Talk Only for you un-cool people who dunno acronyms, initial-isms and other cool stuff like that – and start ACTING on it. How? By getting (1) a ring, and (2) down on his knees. (Ahh, I think I could possibly be BeyoncĂ©'s best student yet. =p)


Thing is... modern-day women
are pretty delusional, too.

Let me tell you why.


Because getting a ring guarantees nothing in this day and age. NOTHING. You've gotta put pen to paper and spill ink (some sweat, tears and blood would help, too) before there's any form of permanency in your togetherness as a couple – your life together as husband and wife. Problem is, with the way society has begun to view marriage and its not-so-sacred-anymore-to-too-many-people vows, even that's not much of a guarantee. -_-'


So we're screwed, right?
Yep, we're all screwed.


I mean, already there's no guarantee that a relationship will last. We all know that. Not when you're just dating, at least – and by that I mean the officially-boyfriend-and-girlfriend-we're-in-a-relationship kind of dating, of course – no "it's complicated" nonsense, thank you very much. Cos shit happens, people draw apart, and relationships crumble. It's all a part of life and love, so that's that. We accept that it happened, deal and move on.


Thing is, it's easy(er) when you're just in the dating phase, right? Cos there's no real form of commitment there. No legal documents to sign, no in-laws to be answerable to in the event of a parting of ways. But what happens when you're married? Worse, what if you're married with child? You can't just pull a 180 and walk away. It's not fair. It's not right. And it is not an option. At least it shouldn't be. But even then, many opt for it. Cos it's the easier way out compared to dealing with the issue or working at improving the situation.


Some others (who are no better than the walk-away group, I might add) stay... and then resort to cheating on their partners to compensate for the lack of happy times in their marriages. Yes, those slime-balls, they cheat. The stories are plenty these days. I know many couples who've broken up because of cheating spouses/partners and it's just crazy how quickly a good thing goes awry when there's a third party pumping the beat.


So it's scary. Whether or not you're dating,
engaged or or married. It's just freaking scary.


Doesn't help that there are those infamous 3-year itches and the 7-year itches and goodness knows what other infidelity-driven itches there are out there, lurking around every relationship bend, just waiting to infect a good thing and send it fighting for its life.


Tell me.

How do you know that the person you're sharing a bed with
hasn't done the same with another just hours before?


You don't, right? At least not for sure unless you've done the necessary research, hired a PI or... urm, had a partner dumb enough to stroll into your home with lipstick on his collar. You. Won't. Know. All you can do is hope for the best and live on faith and trust (that hasn't been broken).


Ugh, the thought of sleeping with the "enemy" just sends shivers down my spine and curls my toes (in the worst of ways). Cheating partners have a special place in hell reserved for them, I tell you. And if there isn't one, there should be. >(


I think I'm digressing. Damn.

Ok so what I wanted to get at was that
in relationships, there is no guarantee.


And that really sucks. Especially for a person like me who needs the security of a guaranteed place in the heart of a person I'm giving my heart to. And not just the temporal-guarantee-that-comes-with-a-due-date kind. It's gotta be as permanent as permanent comes. Or else... susah lah mau komit. Tau tau tau?


So yeah... A ring helps to tell her you're serious.
A wedding band offers her even more security.
But a guarantee is what she's really looking for.


Aih. But I guess relationships are tough that way. Cos as much as we want guarantees, it's best we look ourselves in the mirror to see if we're able offer that same guarantee back? Hmmm... Looks like I've got me some thinking to do.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

My True Self Revealed

NOTE: Seriously speaking, this post is more for me than it is for you. BUT... if you're kaypo, you can read what I've copied and pasted about my personality below. If you're not (DUN BLUFF LA), then just jump to the end, click on the link provided and do the test yourself to reveal your "true self". *snort snort*


-----------------


So I did an online personality test today to *cough cough* reveal my "true self". Haha. Funny. But that's really what they said – serious!


Look!








ABOUT YOU:
You Are A VISIONARY

Your imagination, self-assuredness, and knowledge of the world combine to make you a VISIONARY. You have clear notions of how things could be, and the confidence to try to make them that way. You enjoy having a routine, and prefer comfort and familiarity to risk and adventure. Not needing others' approval to forge ahead, you are confident in your designs for the future. Your imagination allows you to envision the world as a better place. You're better at thinking of the big picture than you are with details, and you can see wonder in abstract things. Style and appearances are important to you, and you have a good eye for beauty. You are somewhat rigid in your beliefs, which comes from both confidence and an aversion to change. You are good at creating works of art in forms with which you're familiar. Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts. You are balanced in your approach to problem-solving, not letting your emotions hold you up. You have a strong sense of style and value your personal presentation – friends may even seek your style advice from time to time.


HOW YOU RELATE TO OTHERS:
You are ATTENTIVE

Because you like spending time with others, understand their feelings, and often know what is best for them, you are ATTENTIVE. Some people are merely concerned about others, but you take action, helping people when you have the opportunity. Although you care about others, you are hesitant to trust them to act in the best way on their own. You don't let your concerns with people go unnoticed: if someone has hurt your feelings, that person will hear about it. People energize and excite you—you are able to have fun and be yourself when you're around others. You also learn a lot about yourself by talking things out with people, even if you don't always share things that are important to you. You have a strong sense of right and wrong, and you're not hesitant to express yourself. Understanding the dynamics of a situation is an important skill that you have, and you often intervene to clarify things for others.


Ok. I'm done.

Click here to get your Personal DNA.

And A Beary Good Day To You, Too! =)

I Paling Pantang Blow Head Wan

There's this wretched aircon vent above my seating area that freezes the lot of us under it to death daily. And it's like, direct airflow to our place. Full blast. No joke. Damn kau cold ok. Permanent brain freeze. (No wonder always cannot think and cannot come up with ideas. -_-)


So, after yearsss of just accepting how things were (haha komplain banyak tapi buat layan aje), we finally decided to take matters into our own hands and employ a very modern-day, ground-breaking, revolutionary temperature regulation technology.




We duct taped the blowing bugger.
Problem solved. =)


p/s: Don't think senget and there's nothing wrong with my post title.

The Relativity Of Time

They say time flies when you're having fun.
I agree... and you're the reason why.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I Miss The Music Man

It's 2 days shy of 3 weeks since didjital – the guy who used to occupy the space to my left – well, left. Things have been quiet since (on the sound-front only, mind you; work-front's just crazy) but as always, life has to go on. And it kinda did... what with the current workload being so unforgiving and all. -_-


Anyways, this morning, I finally kinda-sorta caught up on my readings on Google Reader. (I still have over 1,000 reads left to go. T_T) I follow the DJ on my reader so I managed to read this piece written by didjital himself on his blog, recounting some of his memories at The Office. Sigh. Now I emo. Shaits.


Hoong Cai, I mish yew.




How come you no comes by eating lunch
wif us like you said you wud?

Going Back To The Basics

Q: What makes a good night out?
A:
Good company that tickles the heart and draws lots of laughter from the belly, out the mouth.




--------------


There's no need to spend a lot of money in order to have a good time. Tonight was proof of that. All that's needed is a pen, some paper, a little bit of brain, a healthy amount of kiasu-ism, and lots of child-like behaviour. =p


Drew a tie without a 2 out of 3. Haha.


I won in spite of the pressure I was under to lose. =p


Oh, then there was that kiddie thumb game where you need to "kill" your opponent's thumb by holding it down with your own. Haha. I so can't play that. Guarantee kalah kena kempis. My thumb grew too short cos my hands were made too small. -_-


Anyhoo, I vaguely remember the song having the words "John Jacob" and "Sunflower". (Memory fail.) Does anybody happen to remember the song and its lyrics? Kasi share sikit can?

Gimmie A H... H!



Funny how so much can be said in a single letter
that's placed next to two squiggles and a straight line.

Silly Billies Live Among Us

Some people just get so caught up with and affected by how other people are living their lives that they forget to fully live out their own. Silly mistake little people make, I guess. Poor them.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Stench Of Professionalism: It Reeks Of Bubblegum Pink

Big meeting this morning at 9AM with Clients, Creatives, Brand Team and Big Guy from NYC. Made it into the office just in time for O'Brien's breakfast then sat down and snored the meeting away. Ha. Ha. Kidding lah. But admittedly, I was zoning out at times. I blame Big Guy's French accent. =p


But what's the bubblegum nonsense all about, you ask? (Yes, the one in the title.) Well, as we happen to be a "creative" agency, we just had to be "creative" with our meeting attire.


Official Tueday Dream Team dress code: PINK.

*faints*

Damn kau bimbo for a major meeting. Haha.


(Blame Duh Roads, guys. The woman said she doesn't have red bajus – which was the originally chosen colour by goodness knows who – cos apparently wearing it makes her angry. @_@ Sket.)


Oh well, at least it gave me a reason to wear my very-girly, super-duper-uber-bimbo, legally blond-ish pink stilettos (which have been sitting in their box since they were purchased, I might add). Haha.



PS Makes My Blue Skies Blue

Was sent this picture over the weekend.


Original picture taken with a BlackBerry Bold.


Couldn't seem to fall asleep last night (although I was dead tired) so I ended up messing with it on Photoshop for kicks.


Edited picture post-PS CS4.


CHANGES APPLIED: Levels / Colour Balance / Brightness / Contrast / Photo Filter / Vibrance / Saturation / Lens Blur

TIME SPENT: Approximately 3-5 minutes


See? Photoshop does make my blue skies blue. =)

We're All Losing It

It's official. The Office is definitely overworking the lot of us to madness. It ain't just me who's losing touch with Sanity. I have a hunch that Tim Tams has lost it, too. Look at what he did last Friday.




"So your mouse won't run away."

– Tim Tams


*snicker*

Confirm otak off sikit already lah this one.

Monday, November 16, 2009

So Bizarre

So weird I just had to jot it down
cos this one smells like a keeper.


---------

Today, I learned how to walk.
Today, I learned how to walk like a girl.
Today, a man taught me how to walk like a girl.
Best part is, that man also happens to be my pastor.

---------


@_@

Ok, folks. It doesn't get any weirder than this.

Eye See You

As you can see, Cupcakes are no more. =)


Needed a for-fun project to get my mind off work so I got itchy backside-ed and started working on a new header for Tinki Talks. Been awhile since that last one anyways.




That's me in falsies.


You know, I'm not entirely happy with it to be honest but... ah, who cares lah. Some change is better than no change right now. (Damn, I've begun to accept mediocrity. -_-) Nah, here's proof of the original picture. Just in case SOME people think I PS my eyes bigger. >(




FYI, this image has already been tweaked and balanced prior to my header project. All I did with it after to fit the header better was massively tweak the Levels, Brightness and Contrast, them pump up the yellow in Colour Balance for a warmer tone to suit the rich chocolate background. NO LIQUIFY OR BLOAT TOOL USED. Hah!

6AM

Something needs to change
– either my salary... or my hours.


Cos I'm DEFINITELY getting tired of this wretched schedule that has been for the past couple of weeks. I need the sleep. And I don't want to have to sacrifice Life for it. So something's gotta give. Otherwise, something's gotta start making me feel like this is all worth the pain.

Tinki Talks Or...?

Remember how I said I was to meet up with a few old time friends from my college days last weekend? (Click here to read said post.) Well guys, meet the group:


I gave them curly call-outs so you'd know them by name. =)


Was somewhat odd having steamboat for lunch but on a whole, the catching up was good. Been ages since I've seen some of them. Hadn't seen tail or shadow of DP Tan since the end of Diploma 6 years ago. Haha. But hairstyle and new not-100%-sure-what-they-mean tattoos aside, the fella's still same old same old. Still same. And still older. HAHA. But the fella old or not still talk rubbish wan. =p


Oh, and since we're on the touchy subject of age, there's also the man who's entering the big 3-0 come 2010. (Name withheld to maintain privacy of said party =p) We used to hang pretty frequently in a separate group when I was taking extra courses at iACT but that was 2.5 years ago. Once work came into play for me, our group hangout times eventually got reduced to nothing. -_-


Then there was Terry Werry, too. Bumped into him for the first time in yonks during this year's Kancils. Quite a surprise. Don't think that there were many in my year who actually landed themselves a spot in advertising, to be honest. Most seemed to have chosen to step into the arenas of business, production or marketing.


Which leads me to this next
Diploma in Advertising graduate
who's now found her place in F&B.


Last but definitely not least, the lady with the amazing memory – Tiff::. She remembers every birthday. It's crazy! I don't know how people store so much information (about other people) in their heads. Heck, I can't even remember what I just had for dinner! Brain totally useless wan. Epic fail. T_T


But stories of failed cannonballs
and bloody noses aside (tee hee – still funny),
this was what I remembered most from lunch:


DP Tan to Pam Song: So what's your blog name?

Pam Song: Tinki Talks.

DP Tan: @_@ WHAT!? KINKY THOUGHTS!?!

Pam Song: -_-'''


And that, my friends came from
the one and only DP Tan,
the obsessive compulsive Tissue Man.




p/s: Terry Werry's been assigned the duty of organising a Christmas party. We'll see if he makes it happen. =p Find out in December...

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Sunday Fun Day? Yeah, Right. On Which Planet? Cos It Sure Ain't "Fun Day" On Mine.

Got so many things to do today it's not funny. I think that's all my life has amounted to now: Too many to-dos to do. Ugh. Life's the sh*ts when it hits advertising peak season. Can't wait to sign "done" on the top-left corner of all the JRs sitting on my desk right now. Too bad that would entail having to actually do the work first. T_T


That aside, it doesn't help that I'm being evicted – owner wants to sell the place – so I've gotta start looking for and picking a new space to chill the pathetic 6 hours I'm home from work every night. (At least I make up for my lack of night home by locking myself indoors throughout the weekends. Still worth it getting a room or I might as well just rent a box at Giant.) In fact, I'm now sitting here waiting for the new buyer to come by and take pictures of my room. Sigh.


After this, it's lunch with some old-time friends I haven't seen since the ancient of days. Yeah, college times seem so long ago now. @_@ Ok, that was definitely the ageing aunty in me talking. Haha. Those were good times lah. Really. Especially during my first year of Diploma. When life was all about eating roti canai to save money, getting to know people from all across Malaysia, staying up late for endless conversations under the stars, and last-minute studying. Haha. Good times indeed.


Then, I've got an evening appointment to go look-see a much-too-expensive room at a nice area I've lived in before. Nice place, good community, expensive rent. That's a yeah-yeah-boo to me. Ah, we'll see how it goes lah. I'm gonna checkoutit later so if things fly, I'll be a lot poorer... but a whole lot less stressed, too. Eliminating uncertainty in life always comes with a price – I'm gonna tell myself that. Haha. Self-psychosis. Works every time. =)


Ok. No more blogging. I gotta go get ready. Am bringing the G1 along for my reunion so I gotta be sure I don't look like I aged a decade in the last... 3-4 years (yes, it's been that long since graduation boo hoo, I'm an old hag now T_T) compared to my other ex-classmates.

What's The Point?

Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother putting in the effort. Times like these actually. Cos it's not like any amount of hard work or time put into planning leads to anything at all anyways. It always comes down to nothing. That's it. No more next times. I give up.

1300-888-333

All hail Domino's Pizza delivery that – although stated in the leaflet that there are "limited delivery areas only" – delivers its pizzas to my very-out-of-the-way doorstep in my middle-of-nowhere neighbourhood. (McDonald's refuses to deliver. *grumble grumble grumble*) It's so amazing that I don't even care if they never ever arrive within the promised/guaranteed/tua-sia-say 30 minutes.


Say Large Thin Crust Aloha Chicken
and I hear 3 words: To. Die. For.


Argh, I feel dribble running down my chin already. Too bad operation hours are only from 11:00AM to 11:00PM cos I sure could do one now while I work my Saturday night away, only to hit the sack when the light of Sunday hits my blackout-covered window panes. If I'm lucky. And really, really fast with my writing. T_T Seriously lah. This needs to stop soon. Before I lose my patience. And my mind.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Inter-Action

I'mma trying out this new
interacting-with-my-caption thingy.




Whaddaya think?




Haha. So super syok sendiri. (Whoa, that's like, 4 S-es in 1 sentence!) Haha. See? Syok sendiri again. But hey, cut me some slack. This blogger's got five jobs due today and she kinda needs to leave the office by 8pm to meet/greet/feed Younger Uncle who's here from Singapore. So ons, right? I'm so happening and so family oriented that my career is going down the drain. T_T


Check out the workload:
  • 1 press ad
  • 2 radio scripts
  • 2 TVC intentions
  • 2 print intentions
  • 2 campaign directions and theme lines

AWESSUM! I live for days like these.
(Ya rite. Just kill me now can?)

I should be stressed and working my butt off right now
but... whatever lah. It's Fly-Day Friday!! Wheee!

*faints from excitement*

Thursday, November 12, 2009

NAH! PROOF!

RAWR!! I have beef with a certain comment leaver who said that I PS my eye bigger. Who, you ask? WHO??? YapThomas, that's who! ROAR!


Click here to jump to comment.


He took a look at this picture I published earlier...


Click here to read original post.


...and just ASSUMED that
I'd Photoshopped my eyes bigger.

*snarls*

NAH! Open your eyes and look properly now.
I show you before and after pictures of my editing.


Before and After.


All I did in PS was adjust the Colour Balance, Brightness and Levels. Didn't even bother taking away any dark circles or eye bags, okayyy. >( RAWR. How dare you. First time never dig ear... now your eyes leh? And come on lah. If I really wanted to PS my eyes bigger, I'd make them perfectly symmetrical, too. >(


Oi! YapThomas, you wanna fight issit???

Community Service Message: Sila Korek Telinga

YapThomas: Eh, you got Grey's ah?

Pam Song: No lah. Never download. No time to watch and emo also. Anyways, I'm now watching Pushing Daisies.

YapThomas: @_@ What?!? BULLSH*T LADIES!?!

Pam Song: ??? *wth face* I said Pushing Daisies laaa...


Ada orang tak korek telinga. =p


Ladies and gentlemen, dudes and dudettes, boys and girls of all ages, races and faces. Please dig your ears. This community service message was brought to you by Pam Song of Tinki Talks. =)

1 More Day To Fly-Day Friday!

Teal is such a nice colour, don't you think?
So class. Haha. Me hearts teal many many.
=)


You know, I'm actually feeling a little overdressed for work right now. Am in a new dress (bought like yonks back but just never got around to wearing it), stilettos, almost-full make-up (no mascara or false lashes, thank you very much) and I've got a necklace on (I usually don't accessorize). There's this client farewell I'm attending tonight so I've gotta look like I belong with the 'in' crowd. -_- Seriously lah. I'm not so crazy to get all dressed up just for a friggin' Thursday lah, ok?


But but but... it's a day from Friday so I'm too gleeful on the inside to go full-on bluesy on Thursday. Is that cool or is that cool, I ask you? Another 12 hours to go and we'll be well into Friday already! Whoopie! I so can't wait. =) Of course, I've got massive deadlines to meet right up till then *cries and dies* but... ahh, whatever lah. Fly-Day Friday's still a joy to have around. =p


ONE! MORE! DAY!




Haha. As you can see, I'm very/extremely/insanely/beyond happy with this realisation. Haha. Finally! Weekend's acomin'! Woot woot! Last lap – gotta step on the gas, stick it out, make it through this half of Thursday, then FIGHT Friday to the death to win my weekend over! RAWR!

I No C I C Snow

Did you guys get that? That was supposed to be "I No See Icy Snow." Ha. Ha. Ha. I'm so lame at 4 in the morning. (I blame the workload.)


-_-

Now, where was I?

Oh yes... Snow.

It's one of the things I'd like to see with my own eyes
and feel in my boots and on my lashes before I pass on.


Was waiting to collect Baby from the workshop last Monday when I read this in a random magazine that was made available to patrons.




Interesting. (Not that I'm not aware that my brain constantly lies to me, of course. -_-) But what really caught my eye was this bit:




Pink snow?!? Man, I gotta see that someday! (Haha. Plain, white snow also never see before in my whole life, now come and tua sia say wanna see pink snow? Talk about dreaming big, wei. =p) But, yeah. Tua sia or not, I'd like to see Watermelon Snow someday.


TARGET: Visit Sierra Nevada, US of A
before I get too old to climb mountains. =)


Ahh, I love the changing of seasons. Or rather, I love the thought of it. (Eee, so pathetic. -_-) You see, I've never actually lived outside of Malaysia. And I've never been abroad on vacation long enough to actually see change take place before my very eyes. Sigh. I'd really love to though.


Sometimes, I wonder if I was born on the wrong continent. Why wasn't I born some place where there's Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring? Then, I'd totally be living the dream. (I know lah, I know – grass always greener on the other side bla bla bla dun rain on my parade can? I'm telling story here so you diam diam and let me finish.)


And I guess if I were to put my dream of watching the changing of seasons aside (and falling hopelessly in love / getting married / starting my own family / having my own kids), the other one thing I'd like to touch/see/feel would be snow. Pink or not pink also nevermind lah at this point in time – I shan't be picky. As long as it's me looking up and seeing tiny specks of intricately patterned ice falling from the skies, I'll die a happy girl.

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal Of The Day

Strolled in for work this morning
and saw this sitting on my desk:




Haha. Breakfast ala Malaysia!




Courtesy of the one and only 4YRS2ABD. Aww, bless that woman. She makes going to work worth my while. =p (Damn, I'm cheap. -_- One packet of nasi lemak means settle already. -_-''') Shot her a Thank You email (after sapu-ing it clean off the banana leaf; not before – haha) and look what she replied.




Haha. "Overworking" us? Hah! Tau pun!
("Us" meaning Duh Roads and I lah.)

*grin*

Thanks, babe.




Mmm, yummy... totally makes me miss the super-duper-uberly awessum, nowhere-else-can-fight nasi lemak behind Menara IMC.


*stomach growls*

Clay Art's Fun!

And a whole lot cheaper than I thought it would be, too. Haha. (Less than RM15 per pack even if purchased from The Gardens.) Don't know why I always assumed it'd be a crazy expensive art form to explore. Hmmm. Anyways, meet last night's midnight break project, Mr Cube and d'Rat. These two were my first ever clay art projects.


FYI, Mr Cube was #1 while d'Rat was #2.


They both came to be in just about... 15 mins? Not too long, surprisingly. Especially for a first try. Haha. Anyways, will definitely be up to more such nonsense when I've more time on my hands to mess with squishy white gunk. =)


-----------------------
REMINDER TO SELF
-----------------------
Moisturise hands repeatedly. (FYI, clay is so drying that right after making those two, the skin on my palms started flaking. -_-)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Act Cute Wednesday



Haha. Haha. Haha.
So. Not. Funny.

-_-


Seriously lah. Work's driving me crazy, I tell you. Can't take it no more. I need to get out of here somebody save me take me away please release me let me goooOoOoooOOo. T_T


Also hor, actually not easy to act cute when wearing serious black-framed glasses. But lucky I got skill. *cough cough* *grin* Ok, enough nonsense. Back to work. T_T

Hate Love?

"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defences, you build up a whole suit of armour, so that nothing can hurt you.

Then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life. You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore.

Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love."

– Author Unknown


----------


When you love, you open yourself up to the possibility of getting hurt. You put yourself out there by letting someone in. Sure, you don't lose yourself in the process. (You're not supposed to and you shouldn't anyways.) But... you do give a part of yourself away. Willingly. And that's the part that holds the most possibility of turning everything into a messy puddle of post-love goo.


When in love, we all play the selfless lover who gives of him or herself without measure. But when love goes awry, we go buruk siku on our exes and say that they've cost us our happiness, the best years of our lives, and we charge them heavily in emotional dollars for taking a part of us away with them with 'Goodbye'. Scorned lovers, that we all are, after the end comes. How unfair we all can be... even with those we once professed to love with all our beings.


"I love you" allows someone who doesn't share your DNA, into your heart, into your head and under your skin. But hey... YOU said the words, didn't you? YOU felt the emotion enough to let it roll off your tongue and slip past your lips. YOU took a chance. And by taking it, YOU made the investment. It was YOU who opened yourself up to the possibility of loss – of face, of ego, of heart – whatever. So, don't go blaming the one you loved for the loss you feel after.


And don't go hating on Love either. When you're crumbling on the inside, your head's a mess, and you're lying on the floor in actual, physical pain that just rips you apart from the inside out, remember that it's Love that's going to get you off the floor at a later time, too. Probably when you're feeling less at odds with her and are ready for her to re-enter your life once again. Because Love doesn't hurt. It heals. It's the lack of Love that causes "real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain."


Give that last part a think.
You know I make sense.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Wise Words From The First Lady

"Cute’s good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it’s, 'Who are you as a person?' That’s the advice I would give to women: Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. Look at how the guy treats his mother and what he says about women. How he acts with children he doesn’t know. And, more important, how does he treat you? When you’re dating a man, you should always feel good. You should never feel less than. You should never doubt yourself. You shouldn’t be in a relationship with somebody who doesn’t make you completely happy and make you feel whole. And if you’re in that relationship and you’re dating, then my advice is, don’t get married."

– First Lady Michelle Obama to Katie Couric in an interview for
Glamour magazine's Women of the Year issue, December 2009


[Source]


Yes, you're looking at the cover of Glamour's December issue. So, yes, I can see into the future. And yes, Michelle Obama has a point.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Going Vague On Purpose

Sometimes I wonder if Guarantee is too much to ask for. Whether Potential is enough to go with. And whether Maybe is enough to leap off a cliff for.


Hmmm. Maybe not.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Home Cooked Fast Food – YUMS!

Was sitting home, catching up on work yesterday evening and feeling sorry for myself when my phone rang. Looked at the screen and thought, "Ooo, nice number from nice people!" so I picked up. (Otherwise I probably wouldn't have if I was intent on doing work and I knew that it'd be a chat-for-fun-talk-nonsense-no-purpose call – sorry lah, bad working habit. Me no likes pointless distractions.)


Ended up getting roped in for dinner
at the closest place I can call "home" here in KL
with the closest people I can call "family". =)

There was pizza with pepperoni, bacon and LOTS of herbs.




Fresh out of the oven... and straight into the mouth. *burn!* It's so good that The Garrett makes very wrong sounds when he eats it. =p


Then there were burger patties, a tub of margarine,
sauteed mushrooms (TO. DIE. FOR.) and lettuce.




Sorry, was too hungry and the burgers looked too enticing that I walloped two big ones before I remembered I hadn't yet taken pictures. HAHA. Had to take a picture of estherlauderlyn's <--- [This blog is dead. Please resurrect it. Thank you.] --- burger instead.




Damn delicious, I tell you. The burger literally drips with juice. I kid you not. I see now also can lau nua. Like dog kena conditioned liddat. Haha. But I've gotta say... this was the part of the meal that really stole my heart...




*heart melts / legs turn to jelly *


I even got to tapau a whole tupperware of it back home, thanks to my one and only partner in crime (NOT SIDEKICK, mind you – inside joke), The Lauder One. How to not feel loved, I ask you? =)


Flanked by The Lauder One (left) and a chin-less Supersara (right).


With estherlauderlyn.


Thanks, girls (and The Garrett – nice to finally meet you!), for making my night. =) It was a good escape from work. Even if only for a couple of hours. SPEED SCANDAL to be continued soon! Sharing is caring. Me wants softcopy!!!


And thank you, The Lauder One, for refusing to take "no" for an answer and MAKING me go over for a good home cooked meal. It's been awhile since I've had one of those. More girly time soon, ok? Too many updates to share in too short a time. *cough cough* You know, I know. *grin* Loves you long time. Hearts!