Okay, the alcohol effect has faded and my body is now starting to ache. Man! Urgh! Never never again using that crazy hose. Going to forbid D from ever bringing it to any party again.
Wonder how the rest of the guys are coping? Someone mention it was a fraternity gimmick. Got that rite.
...Walking out of bustle and hustle at India Street ...Walking to serene quietness and peacefulness ...Of the Old Colonial Courthouse ...Looking at the garden grounds ...Taking shots of the fountains ...Thinking that tree deserves are photo shot ...When I heard a cry ...A marching cry ...Turned around ...Saw an old chinese man walking ...Walking and still crying out ...For unseen comrades in arms ...To defend the nation? Who knows? ...Day in and day out ...He walks through the town area ...What he sees we cannot tell ...Must have been harrowing and frightening ...And yet, he still rallies his men ...With firm strides he walks forward, ever forward ...With that, I walk to Padang Merdeka ...In the midst of all the traffic going around it ...A place of remembrance ...The stage for Merdeka celebrations was up ...For tonight's celebrations ...Marking 40 years of Sarawak independance ...And 46 years of Malaysia independance ...Imagining what it was like ...Through the years of struggle ...Through the frustrations and arguments ...To the glorious day of independance ...And I can still hear the cry of the old man ...Whose mind lives in another time ...Whereas we are here now ...Today, living in freedom ...Thanks to our leaders ...Happy Merdeka Day
Went to Inland Revenue to check my income tax statement. Settled for 2002. Only thing left to settle is 2001. Sigh. Can't believe that the lady mentioned that I have to write a cover letter else they will not follow-up even though we submitted information to them. Still, they move my file from Shah Alam pretty fast so must have been alright.
It's always so sad when collegues whom you've worked with for many many years and have learnt many many painful lessons with them start to leave the company for greener pastures. I do with them all the best but I'm going to miss them a lot.
The past 4 years have been interesting, working with them on many things and it was interesting as well. The ups were always motivating and the downs were lessons in patience, learning to pick oneself up and making sure IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. The humiliation was more than enough motivation to go on.
I feel sad to see them leave. So I'm selfish. Can't help it. I like working with them. I like to be able to talk to someone about my problems. I like having someone who knows me talk to me about the problems at work. Now, I have to be able to develop a new relationship with their replacement. Not going to be easy. And it might take a long time. But I guess it has to be done.
Trying hard not to feel upset about it all. After all, it's a great career move for them. They are going on to more challenging jobs. Meet new people. I do wish them all the best. For brighter things.
Well, coming back home today, I find a tremendous change in my room. Last week, an entire window was removed and the hole was bricked up completely. Today, another window has been removed and bricked up as well. Unfortunately, there is now a piece of wood supported it via the door frame that is position next to the recently bricked up hole. So, cannot go outside to the veranda and cannot open the remaining 3 windows until the concrete has dried. Well, going to have the aircon on for the next few days so that's a plus sign. It's been extremely noisy and dusty since renovations started a few weeks back. The carpet floor in this room had to be vacuumed. Hate vacuuming. Wish all of this renovation work will be over soon.
From time to time, the newspaper dailies in Malaysia will publish narrow-minded comments from male chauvinist pigs. I seldom get this angry but this one of those times.
Imagine waking up to such bull as what is reported in the theStar. Although the main story was about a haircut, I'm shocked to hear that ladies were fined (!!!) just for not wearing headscarves at their workplaces. What is wrong with the male generation these days? Even SuaraMalaysia (written by a guy mind you) points out that the opposition party is having problems dealing with their emotions as well as their d**ks. It's not a question of women dressing or behaving properly. It's more of a question of the men in that political party coming to terms with their desire towards women.
Let's see. The main theme is always that the men are purged of any guilt for activites such as rape and abuse. It's all HER fault. She dressed indecently. She tempted me with her eyes. She did it all. How can I stop myself? It's like watching a group of kids pretending to be adults, trying to come out with ways and means to stop their feelings. Women are not the problem here. The problem would be that these little boys have not grown up. They look at a woman and start thinking she is Delilah the temptress. Never mind that they are covered from head to toe, they must also now not wear lipstick. Holding hands is a bit no-no. Why not ask the women to wear a burkah? At the end of the day, it doesn't change a single thing. The men have to come to terms with the fact there are successful women out there who can juggle both a challenging career and run a harmonious household. Can't believe they use this as an excuse as to why men betray their wives. [ Original Malay version ].
The best thing for men like this is to get yourself castrated. Probably then you can stop thinking of sexual desires and start respecting women for what they really are. After all, isn't it the male hormone testoterone making you feel this way? Prevention is better than cure. Yeah, so I'm being sarcastic. So what? These pompous, obnoxious, chauvinitics male version of the homo sapien species deserves it.
I remember Granny's stories of the Japanese Occupation when she was living in West Malaysia, then known as Malaya. How they had to hide their food. How the family had to hide the daughters from the soldiers visiting at odd hours of the night. How my late Grandfather suffered during that period.
I remember not knowing what the term Holocaust meant. All I knew then was that it was a bad word that meant something horrifying that had happened during WWII. It wasn't until I started reading more about WWII that it finally hit me what it really meant. Books by Corrie ten Boom were an eye-opener. So was Schindler's List.
As I was surfing through the site on Anne Frank, I was touched by the way she wrote her daily thoughts and how she wrote her stories in a poignant manner. Was a pity that I couldn't read her words in the language that she wrote. She had such a positive outlook despite the grim situation that she was in.
A lot of thoughts ran through my head. How horrific I felt at what the Nazis were doing. How painful and traumatic it must have been for the Jews and other minorities during that period. It's something that I cannot even begun to imagine, yet alone experience. But it does make me thankful for being given the opportunity that I currently have. Able to voice out my thoughts. Able to do many things in my life where I can make my own choices. Makes me humble in the process. Reminds me to be more tolerant and patient when dealing with others. Not to discrimate. Makes me think more about myself and my character.
Well, not on politics but on being on the scene with video footage of a fire rampaging through the nearby squatter colony in Tabuan Jaya/Stutong.
Driving pass the squatter community yesterday evening on the way back home seem uneventful. Until I reached home, that is. There was this plume of smoke with a lot of ashes rising above the back of the house. Thinking that it was the neighbour behind us burning his rubbish again, I casually mentioned it to Granny. Then, went to the back of the house to take a look. It was raging fire! Took a quick video shot(6.6MB) from the upstairs bedroom.
Quickly called 994 to inform the fire brigade but they said the vehicles were already on their way and that was at 7:10 p.m. Funnily enough, Sarawak Tribune reported that BOMBA reached there at 7:10 p.m. but could have sworn they only arrived around 7:30-ish. As for controlling the fire by 7:40 p.m., think it was only the front side of the fire. Further into the squatter, heading towards our house, the fire was still raging uncontrolled until around 8-ish. The firemen started to bring hoses towards the front of our house where there was another fire hydrant. Must applaud the crowd for lending a helping hand with the hose. Once the water shot out, a loud sounding cheer went up.
In between all the commotion, a lot of Granny's friends living in the squatter colony were busily moving their clothes and prized possessions to our garage as well as our neighbours. I must say that some were smart enough to bring out the gas cylinders out. When the fire was very near our house, we heard a very loud hissing sound. Think that was the sound of the gas escaping from the cylinder as a few seconds later, there was a loud explosion and a tall flame shot out into the sky! Here was the video footage(4.1MB) from my Granny's garden. It was about 3-5 m away. Luckily, it was raining this evening so the roof didn't catch on fire.
In one of the video footage, you can hear a loud explosion of the gas cylinder blowing up. Also, we heard a lot of firecrackers going off at various time intervals.
Fire was finally put out by 9:30-ish and alot of people whose homes were still standing started moving their stuff back. I must say that the fire brigade, civil defence and Red Crescent Society did an excellent job considering a lot of unwanted nosy people started coming to get a closer look, causing traffic jams and other accidents on the road. Heard that on the main road, a car hit a motorcycle and the motorcyclist was badly injured. It also didn't help that there was a traffic jam the whole day today because of curious drivers wanting to catch a glimpse of what is going on.
Anyway, there is a bit of confusion on how many houses were burnt. TV3 Nightline reported 12 houses, Sarawak Tribune reported 15 houses and the International Times (local Chinese Daily) stated 20 houses! Hmm... hard to tell by looking at the burnt debris. Houses were closely packed together that it's kind of hard to determine.
A lot of talk went about saying that the fire was started out of frustration of not being able to obtain free land. Think it was a week or a few weeks ago, the squatter families were drawing lots for land provided for by the government. Am waiting for the next news update in the papers during the next few days.
First, it was the Enneagram Test. Now, a little revelation from Cainer. Uncanny.
Rowena * is a tough cookie. You can't pull the wool over Rowena's eyes and you had better not try! Rowena was born under the sign of the crab and she can deliver a very nasty nip! Cancerians may not be the fiercest creatures in the zodiac but they are blessed with a brilliant set of self-defence mechanisms. They have impenetrable armour and sharp, scary claws. Rowena's shell is especially strong. She won't let anyone come anywhere near to her heart unless she knows for sure that they mean no harm. Her impeccable instincts inform her of this and alert her to act accordingly. This is why the world around Rowena is divided into two sorts of people - those who don't know quite what to make of her and those who have been fortunate enough to meet the real Rowena *.
The real Rowena * is soft, kind, caring, loving and giving. So soft, so kind, so special as to deserve a sainthood. All praise to 'Saint Rowena the Caring.' 'Saint Rowena the Caring.' It has a ring to it does it not? It is fair comment, is it not? Indeed it is, as all who know the true nature of Rowena will willingly and eagerly confirm. There's only one problem with being a saint. It is what it does to your ego. Rowena * is a true saint and true saints are not just naturally loving and compassionate, they are also naturally humble. But true saints have a tendency to turn into martyrs. Sometimes, just sometimes, Rowena can be a little too good for her own good.
Hmm... nails me on the dot? Gotta ask my collegues at work about this. LOL!
Definitely influenced by Jikon, Najah and Dinesh. Perhaps too much so. ;p
Well, definitely a new look. Unexpected Liberation. LOL! Well, I like the fish escaping from the fishbowl. The splashes of water everywhere. :p And yes, it's still an orange look. Don't really like orange but the goldfish was calling out to me. Got it off from Elementopia. Couldn't change the template name of Unexpected Liberation so decided to keep it. Not so bad except that if you're expecting me to be a loud and 'ra-ra' kind of person, think again.
You are Water! The water calls to you, it is part of you. Your friend's come to you when they need help or someone to lean on for you can wash away their pain. But beware for when you are mad you are a force to be recken with.
Mobic is the painkiller. Can't believe he gave me something for arthritis. Then again, I did have a prolapseddisc two years back which acts up now and again. Think it was from the Kuching Fest trip where I carried 10-15 kg of food. Plus, I had to walk around in heavy safety shoes to show some auditors around the factory. Oh well. The medicien did help to bring down the pain. Now, I don't even feel a dull ache.
Norgesic probably helped a bit too. Used as a muscle relaxant. Feel like I was on cloud nine and so sleepy. Snooze for about 5 hours. :) Hmm... seems like it can also be used as a Percursor to synthesis explosives, drugs, etc. as one of the main ingredients is aspirin. *Shudder*
Still, it was nice to have a day off after lunch a long day yesterday. Lying in bed while everyone else had to work. Ha!
2nd day of company's street basketballs challenge. 3 against 3.
Yeah! Go man! Boo! Down with him! Don't block the scoreboard! Hahaha! Crazy shot! Look at him fly! Smooth pass dude! Pass over da ball! Idiot! So simple! A miss? A MISS?!?!?!? FOUL! FOUL! FOUL!!! Faster lah! Go slow! GO SLOW! LEFT! RIGHT RIGHT! AIYO! Cannot see lah! MOVE MOVE MOVE! Why like that one?!? WEI!
Me, I went to support my collegues (same dept) and see the guys sweat and move those muscles. Great eye stress reliever after a tiring day. :)
Yeah, it's a gal thing. No diff from guys watching a beauty pageant. :p
Got myself a USB Flash Memory Drive from Apacer. Very nice. RM399. Well, more expensive in Sarawak due to transportation charges from KL. ;p Still, comes with in-built speakers, functions as a voice recorder and has a card expansion slot. Nice. However, plastic casing seems a bit flimsy. Back cover doesn't close properly because of card expansion slot. Need to be careful when closing it.
Spent an extremely long time at the Sony booth. Yeah. I like stylist but expensive stuff. :p Didn't get anything from them though. The PDA looks like a good bargain though : PDA, 2.0 MP built-in camera, MP3 player. bluetooth. Pictures were very clear. Oh well. Have to be happy with my Palm until it konks out. A collegue who used to work for Palm Singapore mentioned that fixing the battery once it is exhausted beyond use is EXTREMELY expensive. Hmmm....
Also managed to check out the new Sony PCG-TR1. Very nice. Sexy in white. Strikes me as a feminine notebook. Price tag matches it : about RM8K. Yikes! Price of being fashionable. Another friend recommended the Asus version but too many people at that counter. Will check it out tomorrow. Just for fun.
Walk around a bit more. Think there was only about 20 booths. Not a big do like the PC Fairs in KL but big enough for a town like Kuching.
What a weird day. During a physical check, the electronic blood pressure monitor showed an error.
First reading was weird : 116 / 83.
Second reading : systolic was ERROR as it went pass 110. Diastolic = 82. Redo the strap.
Third reading : same as second reading.
(Starting to wonder what is going on.)
Fourth reading : switch to a mercury scale. 116 / 85.
Doc said it looks normal. Hmm... I wonder. Not the first time I had these readings. Am a bit worried about Hypertension but it doesn't fit the category.
Well, let's see what happens the next time I take my blood pressure.
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today, 8TH August, 2003,of winners of the SUNRISE DE LOTTO/ INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS held on 30TH July, 2003. You / your company, attached to ticket number 013-2316-2002-477, with serial number A025-09 drew the lucky numbers 37-13-34-85-56-42, and consequently won in category C. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$4,500,000.00 in cash credited to file REF NO. REF: MCL/FLW/12-A782881207. This is from total prize money of US$22,500,000.00 shared among the fifteen international winners in the category C. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 30,000 names from Australia, New Zealand, America, Asia, Europe, USA and North America as part our International Promotions Program, which is conducted annually. CONGRATULATIONS! Your fund is now deposited with a Finance and Security House and insured in your name. Due to the mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim has been processed and your money remitted to your account.
Cheh! Talk about tipui-ing people via the net.
Also interesting to note that someone actually called up the FBI regarding this matter. :)
I remember my sister first trying to carry him. Too heavy for a 9 year old. 14 pounds of muscle. Black. Smart. Quiet. Patient. Especially with two little gals.
I remember my sister chasing him. Running like mad. Big black eyes. Wide eye with excitement.
I remember him always sitting down on any newspaper that was open. Bad habit. No idea where he got that from. Push him to one side. Still he comes. Wanting attention.
I remember my neighbours Yang and Seng liking him. Talking to him. Telling him that they were going to eat him. But they never.
I remember Dad talking to him. One old man to another old man.
I remember him clawing the bedroom door to get out at 4 am. Wants to go to the garden potty. How Jas and I used to dump him into Dad's room. So that Dad will take him out.
I remember him eating corn and keropok. One by one. Piece by piece. Dainty eater. For a male cat.
I remember him coming back from a cat fight with the tom next door. Dirty from a fall in the drain. Twice it happened. And twice Dad and I had to shower him. Non-stop howling.
I remember him becoming old. Wheezing. Coughing. Heaving.
I remember Dad calling to say that Smokie is put to sleep. That it was for the best. It was more than 4 years ago. Buried in the garden.
I remember still missing him. Still.
The website was from an old account at Geocities. Have since taken it down and the Guestbook doesn't work anymore. Bring's back a lot of memories of that fussy, aristocratic but lovable cat.
Posted at 11:58 PM.
