The weekend passed I a blur. There were so many things happening that I could hardly keep track of it all. And there were so many events on the same day, that I had to choose which one to go for.

Work occupied most of the weekend. Finished the dang conference at 7 pm on Saturday, rushed home to bathe, chatted for a few minutes with the early birds at the party in the apartment, then rushed out again as had a dinner function. Ate like a pig, had some really good ice cream cake, wine and coffee then rushed back to join the rest of the people at the party. The apartment was a mess after the party but… all in good fun. Slept at 4 am and woke up the next morning at 9 for work. Crawled into the office at 10 and went back home at 2 and joined the rest for a banana leaf lunch. Caught a movie after that and finally went back home at 8 to clean the apartment. By the time everything was done, it was already 11. Fell asleep at 12 and woke up again at 7 to rush for the 2nd half of the conference. :p

Super packed weekend. Am looking forward to the holidays for a break. Am just going to laze at home, watch tv, read a few books. Sounds good.

Frustrated

Is it too much to ask if I just want at least a call or a text message? I know you're busy with work but it doesn't even take one minute to send a text message. Is that really too much to ask for?

And you do know that i'll be going back home for the holidays. And that i won't be here for the whole week. And you know that i definitely have to go for the dinner. And you know that i have to work this weekend too. Why do you always put your needs and comforts first? Why am i the one who's always making the effort to see you? I know you say that i don't have to and that you never asked me to do so but i'm doing it because i want to and to some extent, i would like it if you do it too. You know that we only have weekends to see each other since we work so different hours that even talking on the phone is hard. That's why the least you can do is text me. Like i do for you. At times like these, i feel that you're really selfish. you only do what's convenient for you. you only call when you're bored. you only text when you're bored. you'd only see me if you've got nothing else to do with your friends. you don't want to stay at my place coz it's not convenient for you. I know that's not all true but right now, it sure feels that way. you know how important our weekends are and right now, you're really not pulling your weight to make this thing work.

I'm upset. I knew if i spoke to you, i would get upset. and i am. you said you'll call me back. i'll see if you do.

Bleh...

The past few weeks have been a pain-in-the-ass. Everything I plan for just doesn't seem to come through. Will not elaborate as I feel too lazy to type it out but.... it's just been a real pain.

Work in general has been pretty alrite. But I'm still not sure if this is my line of work. I'm hoping with more time and experience, I'll be able to integrate myself further into this line as I truly am enjoying myself and am learning. I probably should read up a lot more and get myself started in looking for post-graduate programs.

My secondment to Bahrain is coming pretty soon. Will be going for about a week in November then for a whole month in January. Will be alone when I go in January. Feeling shit scared! Not only about being in a strange foreign country on my own but also because I'll actually have to do work for our client there and I'm really scared if I screw up. So from now till I leave, I will be reading up on stuff that is related to the project, memorising all the important ppl's names and whatever else that may help me. Anyone with information about Bahrain and / or Dubai do drop me an email. Am planning to go around if I have the money and time to spare.

The next few days are gonna be hectic. So many things on saturday that I don't know to go for which. Plus I'll be helping to facilitate a conference for our clients and will have to work on sunday as well to collate everything in time for the 2nd part on monday. Can't wait to have a break next week. Will be driving back home and this time at least, I'll get to stay for more than 1 night!

So many things to do, so little time... and the year is ending!!!

Of Racial Tolerance

I watched an amazingly profound movie last night. It's called 'Crash' and touches on ethnic and racial issues in America. The movie is set in LA and the way the characters are developed is amazing. Each character has his/her own story and why they act the way they do. The stories of each character weave in and out of each other until finally they're all connected in one way or another.

The writing and the directing of this movie was done so well that you can't help but be so drawn into each story. Basically there are 2 cops - black and South American (who are also shagging each other), a District Attorney and his wife - both white, another pair of cops - both white (not shagging), a hi-fi TV director and his wife - both black, a locksmith - Latino and a shop owner - Persian. And they've all got their problems and issues to deal with.

The story opens with a car crash and cops around a highway where they're found a dead body. Then, flashback to 36 hours ago, and you're in a gun shop where a redneck American is selling a gun to a father-daughter pair who looks Middle Eastern. This couple is discussing about the gun in Arabic when the shop-keeper suddenly shouts at them and throws insults about them being Arabs and 9/11 etc. That's the whole tone of the movie. How people are so deep in their own perceptions and stereotypes of other races that it affects how they treat these other people.

My favourite storyline would be about the Latino locksmith and the Persian shop owner. It was so powerful and their final scene brought me to tears.

The movie showcases how dangerous stereotyping is. How your mindset can affect the way you treat others. Not only that, but how your circumstances also affect the way you act. For example, Matt Dillon's character, the police officer has a sick father who lost his job because of government policy to give it to the minority group which were the blacks. Then his father's health insurance has some kind of complications and when he goes to discuss with the person in charge, she's black and really bitchy. And so, because of this frustration, he pulls over a black couple and humiliates them. It's not that he really is a racist but just that his circumstances make the blacks look like the bad guys.

It's a really thought provoking show and I would encourage anyone to watch it.

Would love to write more but currently swamped with work and have lost the momentum :(

Post-Holiday Syndrome...

Just back from a short holiday in Phuket. And am now suffering from post-holiday depression :) Was really hard to get up and go for work the next day after returning.

Phuket was lovely. You would never know it was badly hit by the Tsunami. Practically everything was up and running and the bars and pubs were alive with girls and lady-boys. The weather was pretty alrite although it rained for a few minutes everyday. The beach was incredibly lovely. The sand was soft and fine and the sea was clear and calm. Perfect. The shopping was heavenly too. Loads of things to buy. Obviously I went over my budget and had to change more money.

The highlight of the trip was our venture into a gay bar where there were 20 plus Thai men wearing only white, tight underpants (with numbers attached) parading and dancing on stage. Choose the guy you like and request for their number and the guy will be yours to do whatever you want :) Interesting, huh? Most of the customers in bar were Matsy men and it was weird seeing them with a Thai guy or two in tow. We even saw one customer ask a guy to take off his pants and he started rubbing the guy's arse! Unfortunately, the guys on stage were not appealing at all. Some of them came down and sat next to me and tried to initiate conversation but it was so uncomfortable and I ignored them. Really freaked out when a guy sat next to me and started touching my leg! Was so uncomfortable but didn't want to frown at him or tell him off, so I just sat there and moved closer to my gal pals! Was so relieved when he finally got the hint that I didn't want his company and he left :) The waiter was extremely cute though. Reminded me of Jose :) And I think he took a fancy to me too coz he spent quite a bit time sitting down next to me and chatting with me. Plus, we were sitting at an angle so our legs were touching. And he touched me a few times as were 'chatting'. Also, he kept insisting that he wasn't gay (coz he was working in a gay bar) and actually dared me to 'test' him. Was nice knowing that he fancied me. At least he wasn't dodgy like the other guys who obviously expects payment and such. Even as we were leaving and the dodgy bar owner came to harrass us, cute waiter came up to me again and touched my hand and gave me this smile. I was pretty smitten by him. Plus his English was pretty alrite, at least good enough to carry a conversation and for me to understand what he was talking about. I'm now wondering if I would have done anything if I wasn't attached :) Probably not, knowing me. But then again... I just might have :)

The whole trip was pleasant enough. Am planning another trip there sometime next year. Anyone interested to join, feel free to come along.

Small girl, Big town syndrome

Lately, I've been feeling like my life is so totally lonely and utterly boring. Every day from Monday to Friday, I do the same thing. Day in, day out. I wake up in the morning, go to work, return home. It's just so mundane! Plus, I don't even have someone to go home to. I go back to an empty house and while the time away until it's time to sleep and repeat the cycle.

Sometimes, I wish my family were here. That I would be going back to my family home. At least it'd be more homey.

Life is so boring. I need something new in my life. Something to keep me entertained at least for half of the week. Have been going swimming for the past week but that only takes up about 1 hour max. What am I supposed to do for the next 4 - 5 hours before I have to go to bed?

Was thinking about joining a yoga class or some dance class but right now, my budget is a bit tight and I can't afford to waste a couple hundreds of ringgit on a luxury like that. Maybe in a few months time once I've cleared off a few things.

I'm writing this post and toggling between my work and reading the news.

Have thought about getting a pet. Something small but responsive. Have been thinking about a bunny rabbit. My previous experience with a rabbit has been quite enhancing(?) Never had any trouble with it. She was even toilet-trained! I don't know how but she really was. Everytime she needed to go 'do her business' she would automatically hop into the bathroom, where her toilet bucket was, and poo in the newspaper lined bucket. It was amazing. And she was really responsive. When she saw you or when you called her, she would actually hop to you and start licking your toes. At least a pet like that would be able to keep me company during those boring and lonely work days.

I'm feeling so disconnected right now. Even my writing is so jumbled. Bleh... just one of those bad weeks...

Blunder...

Oh great. I apparently made a big blunder with my last post.

My previous entry was misunderstood and was not intended for the person who misunderstood it. I was not talking about you. I’m sorry if you thought I was. I do have other friends, you know :)

This is what happens when you write vaguely. :)

If you want further details then feel free to drop me a personal email.

Annoyed

I'm so annoyed. I originally typed out a really long post, venting my annoyance at something that happened over the weekend and stupid blogger lost it when I wanted to publish it. And now, I'm even more annoyed... GRRR....

Anyway, let's just say that I now do not like a certain person and am hoping that I never have to see you again. You totally lost whatever respect I had for you. And I wonder why he chose you instead over her.

Holiday!

I'm going on a holiday. Will be flying north-wards towards the island called Phuket. Managed to grab cheap AirAsia tickets. Three cheers for budget airlines!

Haven't gotten our hotel sorted out yet but I'm sure we can find a place easily since it's low season.

Yay! Can't wait. And I think I can still squeeze in Cherating!

On another note, I cut my hair and gave it a reddish tint. Can't really see it in this picture though. I've got like some fringe down my eyes and everyone says I look like (a) a China doll or (b) Korean.

My haircut without the red highlights yet. I look so weird in this picture :)

Back to KL

My weekend back home was fun. Almost missed my flight though. Plane was scheduled to take off at 7:05 am and I only checked in at 6:40 am. Plus the fact that the guy at the counter gave me the wrong boarding pass didn't help much. Was halfway towards the boarding gate already when I realised that my flight number being announced and the one on the boarding pass didn't tally. Ran all the way back to the counter to change the pass and ran all the way to the gate (which was the last gate) to board the plane. I was the last one on the plane and they were all waiting for me :)

Met up with my friends. Had a really good lunch at Mr Ho's. A real porky lunch though :) I can't remember much of our conversation but just that we laughed a lot. Then as usual, we HAD to go shopping, so we zipped over to Gurney for some window shopping and a coffee break. More laughing at Starbucks too even though I don't remember over what.

Felt good to be back home again and chatting with my friends and sleeping on my bed at home!


My buddies from high school






My pork chop dish with a porky sausage.

My yummy latte with hazelnut syrup.









There suddenly has been many invitations to go on holidays from different sets of friends during the month of October. First there is Langkawi. Then Cherating. Now Bali. Which one to choose? I would like to go for all three but obviously there's a small little thing called financial constraint. Langkawi would be the 3rd weekend of October. Friends from Penang organising it. Cherating would be the last weekend of October. Friends from uni organising. Bali is 2nd weekend of October. Friends from work organising. Sigh... if only I had the money! I would so gladly go for all three! Sadly, because of money and not enough leave days, I'd have to choose one. Plus the fact that my secondment to Bahrain isn't confirmed yet, I'm afraid to plan anything beforehand. I think I most probably won't be able to go for Abang's wedding in January coz it looks like I will be in the Middle East by then. So, which holiday to go for? Even though I went to Bali early this year, I still want to go there! The place is so beautiful and the beach is great. So is the shopping! And this time if I go, I'm definitely going to get a Balinese massage and spa experience. Missed out the last time coz I spent all my money on shopping! On the other hand, Langkawi sounds tempting too coz I'll be going with my high school friends. Something which we've never done before. Cherating also sounds tempting coz of the company. Hanging out with those dudes is really nothing short of fun. So, which one?

Friday blues?

Urgh. It's Friday and normally I would be feeling elated coz I don't have to work the next day but I'm feeling pretty down. Can't exactly put a finger on one specific thing. A combination of things, I suppose. And I know I shouldn't be feeling like this but I do. And it sucks. I'm hoping that lunch in a while will cheer me up. My morning coffee certainly didn't.

It sucks having him work different hours. I should be used to it by now, after all it's been 5 months. But it still sucks. Big time. At times, I'm okay about it, but times like these, I'll be feeling really down. It's so difficult to meet. And we only have weekends to be together but sometimes, we gotta do other stuff too. Which leaves us with nothing. A weekend of other plans means never having to see each other. And we'll have to wait for another week.

I don't want to see him everyday. But there are days when you just feel like seeing him. And the worst part is, I can't even talk to him on the phone. All I can do is text him and wait for either his call or his text coz he can't bloody answer his phone in that dang company. (After changing to another department / company, I realised how fuckingly anal operations was - no h/p on the floor, no internet etc - damn lame) And by the time he can actually call me, I'll be sleepy already.

I'm just ranting and venting my frustration. Today just sucks, so far. Bleh...

On another note, I'll be going back home tomorrow. (Another weekend missed and gone!) It's been a while since I last went back. Miss it actually. Miss my house. Miss my couch. Miss my bed. Miss hanging out with my friends. I feel so detached from them. And of course, I'm the last to get any news. For example, when my friend get pregnant, I found out about it accidentally. Because they thought they had already told me and it was only through a casual e-mail conversation when someone said something that I found out and went like "WHAT?!?!!?" And I never know when any of my friends are travelling somewhere. A friend of mine is in US now and I don't know when she went, for how long, for what reason and when she's coming back. Or another time, when my friend broke up with her boyfriend of 4 years, went out with her ex, then got back together with guy. Or when another friend who's not so close is getting married next year. Or when another one changed job and is now working in a rival firm. Another thing is that I've never met the people that they talk about or are seeing. I've never met my best friend's boyfriend. I've never met another friend's husband. I've not seen my friend's son since he was born and he's now 6 months old and really chubby and cute! This is what happens when I'm the only one in the circle who's away from Penang! Not kept in the loop all the time! I can only catch bits and pieces when we have our e-mail conversations. Or when I go back and we meet for lunch / dinner / drinks. Even then, it's so hard to get everyone together! Someone will always have something to do and won't be able to make the gathering. A sign of us growing up, I guess. All busy and with our own thing.

Crap... feel so melancholy! Haven't felt like this in a while, I think. Maybe I'm just bored. I think I am. I've got work to do but I'm just bored :p

Funny parents

I received a really strange SMS from my mum yesterday. It was about a current boyfriend and an ex-boyfriend. I was at work and writing up a report when I read it. It was so weird and unexpected that all I could do was stare at my phone while my fingers were still poised over the keyboard, ready to type the next words. Won't go into details of the SMS but let's just say that it all came about due to some misguided information, lack of details and reminiscing.

And apparently it was my fault this whole thing popped up because I didn't tell my parents enough about my love life. So with the little information that they have, they just made up their own conclusions. Unfortunately, it wasn't that I didn't tell them. They just forgot what I told them and made up their own stories instead. And the worst part is that they thought that HE dumped ME! And that I was heartbroken! How frustrating is that! Oh well... parents. Anyway, cleared up the whole mess and now (hopefully) everything's fine. They've got enough information to get the correct picture.

It was just so weird reading that SMS. I mean, I didn't know my parents were still thinking about HIM. Makes me feel really uncomfortable. I mean, will they never stop thinking of him as the best person? Just because I was with him for quite some time and it was only natural for them to know him the best since I was still at home most of the time and not yet away. Obviously they wouldn't be feeling the same connection with whomever I'm seeing now as I'm not at home and they haven't even seen the guy. It's a little frustrating to know that my parents still prefer him. Really unfair, not only to me but also to the person I'm seeing now. They seem to think that he was such a good catch etc. Well, newsflash, he wasn't all that great, ya know! Yeah, we had a good time when we were together at the beginning but at the end, I kind of knew that he wasn't for me. We wanted different things. He was like "Let's settle down as soon as we can" and I was more like "Marriage? I dont' know...." :) Not that I'm against the idea of getting married but I'm not exactly going to fight for it either. See how we were different? I remember feeling really uncomfortable whenever he started talking about getting married in the future and how I would just smile and nod and not say anything. Bleh.

Whatever it is, I'm glad it's cleared up. Plus I'm really happy with the person I'm with now and I hope my parents look past the colour and see that he's really a nice guy and that it's my choice, whether it might lead to happily ever after or heartbreak. After all, you never can tell with the future. I'm just living life for the present and hoping for the best for my future with him.

Parents... bleh... what am I to do with them :)

Hey, Aunty!

Is age getting to me? Commitments? Responsibilities? Turning into an aunty without even realising it?

I don't know if it's a sign of growing old but I just can't keep up with the Voices people anymore. And I'm talking about the old farts. Those who were in the same batch as me. Everytime I get together with them for a drinking party, I'd be feeling so tired after a while and would rather spend my time in a more quiet place. Watching them, partying last night was a real eye-opener. I realised that I'm not like that anymore. I used to be able to just have fun, drink, and so what if I've got stuff to do the next day? Problem with then and now is that, the stuff that I need to do the next day is no longer classes or assignments but is to go to work and last the whole day. I can't fuck up anymore and say "I can try again" like back in uni. If I fuck up my job, that's it. No second chance. No "I can extend my sem to pull my grades up". No "I can resit the paper". Guess I really AM getting old. And I'm not regretting it. I'm actually enjoying my life right now. No doubt I had shit loads of fun in uni and with Voices partying all day and night but right now, I'm just in a point of my life where I want to be able to enjoy my work, get my own salary and buy my own things with my own money. Yes, I may complain about my work but who doesn't? All of us complain for the sake of complaining. And I used to want to travel round the world and be a nomad but I realise now, that's not who I am. I won't be able to live that kind of life. So, call me lame or a sell-out or whatever. I don't mind being a slave to the corporate culture :) I don't mind working hard now so that I will be able to afford nice things later on. I don't mind being a yuppie.

Sure, I can still party and have fun, but only on weekends or if I don't have to wake up early and go to work the next day :)

More roadtrips

Don't have many photos yet of my trips to Singapore and Kuantan yet. Waiting for my friends to send them to me.

Singapore
Singapore was really fun. My initial doubts about the trip was completely blown away the moment I stepped into the bus. The bus itself was amazing. It was a double decker bus, with the top part having really spacious and comfortable seats which could fit about 24 people. The bottom part was fashioned into a lounge / sitting area with armchairs and a sofa and a coffee table. Plus there was a home theatre system as well. Talk about luxury! The hotel we stayed in Singapore was a bit small though. The price in Sing dollars was okay... but after conversion, it was way too pricey! But all in good fun, rite?

Dinner at Vijay's uncle's place was really good. Add wine, ambience and good company, by the time it was 10 pm I was already feeling high and sleepy. Was forced to go to a club to meet some friends who had arranged something for me (not that I knew it at the time). Had a great time there. The band playing there sang me a birthday song and I was forced to go up stage and dance there. Was damn shy! :p Then, my friends brought out this amazingly sinful chocolate ice cream cake from Haagen Daaz. Yummy.

Looking tired after a night of fun.







The next day was shopping, shopping and more shopping. Bought a pair of Adidas shoes which were totally unnecessary :) And some cheap 'ah-lian' clothes. And a laptop bag. Hung out at a 'Hooters' bar, drank beer and played drinking games.
My Kilkenny in a Hooters pint.








Real fun day. See the happy smiles! Too bad it ended so fast.

Monday, and it was time to go back to boring KL :) Friends took us to this chocolate bar where all they serve is chocolate and waffles and stuff like that.


Drank this really happening drink called 'Suckao' where you get to melt your own chocolate pellets in a small pot of milk over a tealight candle. Then it was time to get on the bus and head back to KL. 3 days just wasn't enough!



Kuantan
Although everyone was grumbling about the trip, I think all of us had fun. The bus ride there was really bumpy. We chose to sit in the back row and it was like being on a roller coaster ride. We were thrown left, right and center! Reached the resort about 3 plus. We thought we could have some leisure time before dinner but were forced to go to the beach for some team-building activities instead. Thank goodness it rained after about half an hour, so we did our thing. Played cards, chatted etc. Dinner was themed 'Batik / Hawaiian' so I wore my pareo like a dress :) Because of the rain, the beachside BBQ had to be shifted indoors so that was a bit of a letdown. I drank quite a lot that night :) Went back to bed only about 3 something in the morning after hanging out at the beach with some bottles of wine and Chivas.

Woke up the next day at 10 am for breakfast then tele-match games. It was fun, but real tiring. After that, we had to practice for our division performance which we were aiming for first prize. Laughed a lot again and nearly lost my voice :) Was the emcee for the performance so decided to stay away from the drinks during dinner. As expected, our performance was a hit and naturally we won. Danced and drank the night away with another midnight rendezvous to the beach.

Next day was 'balik kampung' and everyone was just groggy and suffering from last night's drinks. Slept most of the way back in the bus even though it was as bumpy as before.

Now, back in the office doing work. Nose is leaking and I'm coughing non-stop. Suffering from the after-effects of too much partying and not enough water and sleep :)

Back online!

After 2 weeks of being disconnected, I finally got my replacement laptop today.

For those of you whom I didn't tell the story to, my laptop got stolen from my desk in my office when I went for lunch. Unbelievable, ain't it?

Anyway, just got back from Kuantan (department trip sponsored by company) and feeling really sickly. Coughing my lungs away. Too much drinking over the weekend :)

Will post pictures from my singapore trip and kuantan trip as soon as I get them.

Feels good to be able to actually do some work. Too much of 'non-work' gets boring after a while.

Work + coffee + roadtrips = TIRED

More photos from Nandos. Doesn't the chicken look yummy. It's Tuesday morning, i'm sitting here in the office, drinking my coffee and looking at a picture of a chicken. Talk about lazing and not doing work!

A picture of my division. Check out the guy 'posing'. Hehehe... obviously he was the butt of jokes for the week!

Anyway, the past weekend just rushed past like Flash Gordon. Went to Awana Genting for a workshop on Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, didn't take any pictures with my phone. Plus lost RM50 to Uncle Lim. Had fun though. Was pretty interesting and helpful. By the time i got back on Saturday, it was already 6 something in the evening. Didn't have my housekeys so met up with Farrah, drove her car back and chilled in her house while waiting for my housemates to return home. Went back home at about 10 pm, changed, packed and out i went again, this time for some Starbucks coffee with Farrah and Mahes and met up with Miss P later. Was really sleepy by then but knowing us, we just couldn't go back home and sleep (like normal, sane people) so we ended up having supper THEN going back home. Even after a shower, we didn't sleep until about 4 something in the morning and we were supposed to leave KL for ipoh at 8 am (which we did!)

Drive to Ipoh. A picture of Farrah speeding so that we can blackmail her next time :) We only reached Ipoh around 11 plus am though, coz we somehow drove into selayang and ipoh and stopped for some good ole' char siew pau on the way. Then we had to stop at a rest stop on the way to buy some kacang and a weird looking fruit called 'tampoi'. By the time we got to the wedding, we were already full. But of course we ate the food served there too!
I was pretty impressed with the clarity of the camera. This picture was taken at the maximum zoom. Not bad an investment, I must say. :)

Picture with the bride and groom. The groom is a good friend of mine from HSBC. Have known him for 2 years and he's my so-called macho man :) Means, I get to bully him into doing stuff for me. The stuff in the IKEA bag is actually our wedding present. Bought them a lamp with a really nice shade. First time at a Hindu wedding ceremony. The priest was doing a whole bunch of stuff which I didn't understand and had to get a narrative from Miss P.
After the wedding, we went round Ipoh town and stopped for some of Farrah's egg custard. Forgot to take photos from this point forward. It was amazing how we could eat and eat and eat. After the egg custard, we bought some 'famous' curry puffs and portugese egg tarts to save for later on the journey back. All of us were really sleepy by then so to keep awake, we went to a shopping mall! Walked round there, bought some stuff, then it was off to eat again! This time, ate famous Ipoh Hor Fun with Bean Sprouts and Steamed Chicken. We actually witnessed a snatch theft while we were eating. This guy on a bike snatched a lady's purse and there was some commotion but the dude had already sped off. Nothing much anyone could have done. After that, we were so paranoid and hurriedly finished off our food and clutched our bags close to us. I slept all the way back to KL. Reached home about 9.30 pm, Sunday night.

What an eventful weekend. Shifting to new place and going to Singapore this coming weekend. Must remember to take more photos!

Testing

Just testing out my new camera-phone at Nando's Midvalley Megamall yesterday at dinner. Look at the happy grin on Ng's face. The girl who just came back from Bandung, Indon.

The haze has really worsened. I think visibility is now only about 400 meters. The worst part is, the government does not want to release the API figures. How can something as important as this, be an official secret? You’re talking about the health of your citizens! Just because they don’t want to scare off the tourists, they’re keeping the figures to themselves. Come on. The public deserves to know. Besides, it’s not like the government is paying for our healthcare. And looking at the condition, it’s definitely way past the dangerous level. They really should be issuing directives to shut down the city and asking people to stay at home. Even going to work is now hazardous because you would obviously have to get out of the house, walk to your car, drive through the haze with minimal visibility, park your car, walk to the office. And even in the office, you can smell the smoke. That acrid smell which clogs up your nose and makes you sneeze and sniff like you have the flu. This is bad, I tell you. Everyone’s just suffering. And all the Indon government can do is apologize for THEIR hotspots and burning and blame it on the illegal loggers. Isn’t there anything they can do to put out these fires? It just seems like a lack of enforcement and will power that’s causing all this. If it just affects their country, then that’s fine. But it’s now affecting US! It’s really time to put a foot down and say “Hey, if you can’t handle your shit, then let others step in can take care of it coz it’s affecting the health of our citizens”. Damn.

Hazy Monday

It's a Monday and it's hazy. The weather is really bad. It's hot. It's humid. It's stuffy. Even if you're outside, it feels like there is no air and you can hardly breathe. I wonder when the haze will clear up and we can actually see the city skyline once again.

My sore throat's gone. The doctor confirmed my suspicions that I had a viral infection. He gave me a prescription of antibiotics, fever tablets, flu and phlegm tablets, cough syrup and some mouth gargle. Now, according to my doctor sister, if you've got a virus, antibiotics don't do shit. So, I really don't know if I'm cured because of the antibiotics OR are the antibiotics just acting as a placebo. Because after taking one tablet, I was fine the next day. Anyway, as usual, I didn't finish the prescription of antibiotics and the packet is still stuffed somewhere in my handbag.

My Friday was really busy. I finally actually stepped foot into Port Klang. Have not been there in my whole entire life before. Went there to interview some people for a project I'm working on. The journey there took a really long time but it was a refreshing change to be out of the office. Friday was also the longest I'd ever stayed in the office. It was really spooky to have everyone gone back and only a handful left on the floor.

Zoomed off to the Jazz Fest in Mont Kiara after that. It was pretty alrite. Especially the second act with a nine-piece band with trumpets, trombone and saxophone. The first act was that Shelley Leong girl. I'd already caught her performance once in Alexis and she delivered the same stuff again, so wasn't too impressed with her. The place wasn't very conducive to have a Jazz Fest though. Everyone was talking really loudly and it's really very distracting. Plus there was this bunch of annoying brats sitting behind me and you can tell that they're those rich spoiled brats who go to International schools and speak with annoying American accents even though they're 100% Malaysian. They were talking so loudly and this girl who sat directly behind me was so oblivious to her surroundings and probably thinks the world revolves around her, bumped into my chair so many times I had to refrain myself from actually screaming at her and making a scene. I was that irritated and annoyed. And the fact that I was already tired from work didn't help things.

Got my keys to the new place. Went there just in time to join the dudes for a drinking session. I first wanted furnitire in the living room, but after that night, the 'zen like' open concept is probably a better idea. The amount of drinks and food that was spilled on the floor was just amazing. I'm now thinking if this is going to be a weekly affair and dreading it if it is. Not that I don't enjoy their company but the cleaning up is just horrendous.

Shopped on Saturday and went a little overboard. All I can say is, I'm broke but at least I'm happy :) Unfortunately, still do not have any nice suits.

Watched the crappiest chinese movie ever on Sunday. Do not watch 7 swords. No story. No charachter building. Fight scenes were lame. Love scenes were utterly horrible. Bonding scenes were corny.

Had 2 really good meals PLUS bought another pair of sandals. Found this really nice pair of Adidas sneakers which is quite cheap too. Didn't get it of course, but it's now in my head.

Woke up late today but didn't reach work that late. Besides, I was one of the first to arrive anyway. Big boss ain't around so everyone's a little more relaxed.

New place is only 15 km away from work. Driving at average speed with normal traffic, it's only 10-15 minutes. Heaven.

Moving is shite. It's the only thing left now that's bothering me.

Ails of the physical body...

The physical body is a weak thing. As the saying goes, the mind is strong but the flesh is weak. Anyway, the point is that I’m sick once again after 4 months. Must be some kind of quarterly thing. The last time I was sick was in May. My throat is so sore. It hurts just to swallow my saliva let alone talk and eat. And as usual, I haven’t gone to a doctor yet. I just don’t like visiting doctors. Probably because I’m just so not used to it. Practically all my life, when I fell sick, it was just going up to dad and telling him “Dad, I have stomach ache” or “Dad, my throat hurts”. And voila, with just a prod or two, medication would miraculously appear and my illness will be cured in no time. Never had to go to a clinic, wait anxiously outside till the nurse calls your name, face a stranger and tell him what’s wrong with you, let him prod and poke you and look into your mouth… I hate all that. The first time I had to go to a strange doctor’s clinic, I was so freaked out. And every time I get sick, I just put off the visit to a doctor till I’m practically dying. Hence the fact I’m just sucking on loads of ‘Extra Strong’ Strepsils and drinking lots and lots of water which doesn’t seem to be helping my throat.

Looks like a visit to the doctor it is…