Auld lang syne

Okay...am leaving in about 30 minutes. Just want to wish everyone


HAPPY NEW YEAR

and may 2007 be SMASHING for all of us.



See you in 2007.


P/S: Hope Sha wont be late.

###

Ku akui tubuhku melunglai...

Thanks to Mail, we managed to squeeze in the last karaoke of the year. So the four of us – him, his girlfriend Tini, Sha and I – sang our asses off.



Man, those rabbit teeth look cute when I was 10. But at 27…they just look ridiculous.


“Di balik selendang sembunyi nur kasihmu
Tersimpul hatimu hatiku satu
Persis si Majnun menagih kasihnya Laila
Terbelah dunia tetap bersama” (Kasihnya Laila, Jinbara)


After that, we followed Mail to Mustafa Centre because he needed to buy drinks in preparation for Hari Raya Haji. After choosing three cartons, we headed to the cashier. There wasn’t much of a queue. But the cashier took an oh-so-long time.


Copek lah! Den nak pulang ni!

Then Tini decided she too could be a cashier.



We goofed around and I messed up the white radish display and Tini posed beside my masterpiece.



The cashier finally settled Ismail’s purchase and we were soon on our way home.



Time now is 0400hrs.
Time to edit.
But…not before Two And A Half Men.

Charlie: I can't do this anymore. I quit.
Alan: You can't quit poverty, Charlie.


A thousand times goodnight, panic resolutionists.


P/S: Heading to KL in less than 24 hours.

###

You must not know 'bout me

To the left
To the left

Mmmm to the left
Everything you own in the box to the left
In the closet, that's my stuff
Yes, if I bought it
Then please don't touch

And keep talking that mess, that's fine
Could you walk and talk, at the same time?
And it's my name that's on that jag
So go move your bags, let me call you a cab

Standing in the front yard, telling me
How I'm such a fool, talking 'bout
How I'll never ever find a man like you
You got me twisted

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I could have another you in a minute
Matter fact, he'll be here in a minute [baby]
You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable

So go ahead and get grown
Call up that chick and see if she's home
Oops I bet you thought, that I didn't know
What did you think
I was putting you out for?
Because you was untrue
Rolling her around in the car that I bought you
Baby, drop them keys
Hurry up, before your taxi leaves

Standing in the front yard, telling me
How I'm such a fool, talking 'bout
How I'll never ever find a man like you
You got me twisted

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I could have another you in a minute
Matter fact, he'll be here in a minute [baby]
You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I'll have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable

So since I'm not your everything
How about I'll be nothing
Nothing at all to you [nothing, nothing]
Baby I won't shed a tear for you
I won't lose a wink of sleep
Cause the truth of the matter is
Replacing you is so easy

To the left to the left
To the left to the left
Mmmmm
To the left to the left
Everything you own in the box to left

To the left to the left
Don't you ever for a second get to thinking
You're irreplaceable

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I could have another you in a minute
Matter fact, he'll be here in a minute [baby]
You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'

You must not know 'bout me
You must not know 'bout me
I could have another you in a minute
Matter fact, he'll be here in a minute [baby]

You can pack all your bags we're finished
Cause you made your bed now lay in it
I could have another you by tomorrow
Don't you ever for a second get to thinkin'
You're irreplaceable - Irreplaceable, Beyonce


Yeah.
Love it when a girl gets fierce and firm.
Good on us [wo]mankind!

###

Shitted Spirited away

Susan and Sean...

Where is our dinner bill?
The meal had been thoroughly digested and flushed away already.

Thank you.

###

I'm all good, not bad.

Hah, yeah right!




I am like...a lamb.

###

Midweek sad TV

Was watching Season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy on cable. And well, lovers may come and go, but friends…they tend to stay longer. Selfish or not.

And yes, when the world makes a crap cake out of you … watch sad shows.


"At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear, and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. Some things you say cause there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves. " (Dr. Meredith Grey)


"At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines... that are way too dangerous to cross." (Dr. Meredith Grey)


"At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it's not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you , and once in a while people may even take your breath away." (Dr. Meredith Grey)


Meredith Grey is definitely not my favourite doctor but she does have the best lines in the show.


Yeah.

It has been a tad frustrating day with the internet moving at a snail’s speed. The earthquake in Taiwan has to be the cause because it destroyed some undersea cables. So Lauren and Rae, when you reach Taiwan tomorrow, can you just stop for a while and shout “Chee bye, you dumbass!” into the Taiwanese airspace. Thank you. And erm, just in case you see Jay Chou, tell him his #1 Malay fan (me, lah..who else) say hi.

Or, you can get me a pack of this.


Not the pork-flavoured one, okay?


Nothing else.
Work.


P/S: I have only been up for 10 hours. Tsk tsk tsk.

P/P/S: I am only productive at certain times of the day. Today, I spent my productive time frying chicken. No more work cell to edit.

###

It's "Yellow", not "Golden", dude!

1. What is your favourite word?
“Yeah”

2. What is your least favourite word?
“Cannot”

3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
The great outdoors

4. What turns you off?
Bad manners

5. What is your favourite curse word?
The pseudo-ominous “Fuck you!”

6. What sound or noise do you love?
Frank Sinatra’s voice

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
Ringing alarm bells

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
X-treme sportsman / Club DJ - - -it’s a tie

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Parents Embalmer

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"Come in, everyone's waiting...let's party!"

Yeah yeah..zhi ma gai men.

xxx

Walked in the rain to meet the mother at Golden Mile just now. Had difficulty getting coach tickets to KL until we were directed to Alisan Pte Ltd. Managed to get 3 tickets plus hotel accommodation.

Anyway, the sister doesn’t want to go so I have one vacancy. Thank God Sha wants to join me. Otherwise, when the mother goes off to meet her friend, I will be left spending the last days of 2006 on me own, probably on the treadmill in the gym perhaps.

Anyway, I found out that CY2, Vinz, Weixiang, Zhenni and JQ are going to be in KL as well. Yay! You guys can come over my hotel for a swim okay? And my hotel is near Chinatown so yeah, we can attack the pirated dvd sellers together…and the food, of course.

And of course, hopefully Zouk at night.



After dinner of a ridiculously spicy Ayam Penyet dish, I was very eager to rush off to town to meet Grace and Lauren. The former had asked me to join them to catch a movie because she happened to (conveniently) have free tickets. Thank you, Grace!

Before heading to the MRT station, the mother stopped to help this old lady, who was selling something at the Army Market Food Centre. She wanted to go to the toilet. The mother decided to assist her cause the floor was wet and she was afraid the woman would fall.


Why wasn’t I doing it? I don’t know. The mother got to her first, I guess. Maybe I was too excited thinking about the movie. Man, I am selfish. I deserve to have selfish friends.

Gah.

I reached Lido about 10 minutes late and the movie had already started. What movie? Hehehehe. Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jin Jia …
THE CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER.


Before I put up Yun Fatt and Hatsumomo Gong Li, my Jay Chou comes first, okay?





I want to faint.
So many boobies.
Tsk tsk tsk…Not cold, meh?


"Gold and jade on the outside, rot and decay on the inside." (Director Zhang Yimou on his movie)

Little did he know it actually describes the entire movie. The Curse Of The Golden Flower (COTGF) is grand in terms of cinematography, boobs, stellar line-up, boobs, costume, boobs, opulence, boobs and style. However it is slightly ambitious with its fighting and plot turnarounds. While Gong Li is fantastic (she plays a raving lunatic very well), I think Chow Yun Fatt is under-used and almost insignificant. Jay Chou…well, some may say he is woody. But, and I am not saying this because I am his #1 Malay fan, you cant actually fault him because his character doesn’t require him to do much anyway. Besides, he is still "raw" as compared to Yun Fatt and Gong Li.

I think the typical Ah Lim, Ah Kow and Ah Soon can take over the role of the Emperor and all the princes. Their characters are not well-developed and their profiles are not interesting to begin with. God knows why the Empress has an affair with the First Prince in the first place. He is not good looking, looks pale and sickly.

COTGF splits viewers into 2 camps. From the reviews I read on the net, 60% love it while the rest don’t. I think if you don’t follow Yimou’s work (Red Sorghum, Raise The Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Qiu Ju, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles, etc) and just watch with low expectations, COTGF can be entertaining. It has incest and family absurdities like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, soft-pornish boobs, battle scenes a la Lord Of The Ring’s The Return Of The King and many destroyed flowers just like the battered nurseries in Thomson Road.

Oh well it doesn’t matter.
I am just happy to see Jay Chou.
Hah.

It’s Boxing Day today and Chelsea drew with Reading 2-2. That was something. Tay Tze Siong was right. That badass “punter” said Chelsea would draw with Reading. Psychic. Liverpool lost and well, Arsenal won over Watford 2-1. Of course, the best thing that has happened tonight is that Man U beat the crap out of Wigan 3-0, although I must say we didn’t have the best of the first 45 minutes. Thank God Ronaldo came in later to work in the magic. Cant imagine if he’s on the bench still.

Okay. I really need to do some work.

A thousand times goodnight, turkey bacon!


P/S: I think the movie title should change to The Curse Of The Chrysanthemums.

###

Multus amicus, nullus amicus

She doesn’t listen to me, does she? Or maybe I am just too sensitive. Or maybe she is just pre-occupied with the things going on in her life that she seems to not spare a thought for me who happens to be a bloody old friend who always sticks it up with her. Why am I surrounded by whiny selfish people who never stop to ask how are you doing and really mean it? Why am I surrounded by:

- people who moan about people not caring enough for them when they go home late at night and yet cant be bothered to do the same to a friend who is also going home alone late

- people who whine about not getting cards or sms-es but don’t send cards and sms-es themselves citing “It’s not my thing”

- people who are only interested in men and create their lives and activities around the other species

- people who dominate every conversation talking about themselves, sparing a couple of minutes to listen to others (only because they have to pause to breathe) and then continue their oh-so-interesting drama?


Oh well.
Life.




Met Meiling and Sharinah for dinner. As expected (haha), Meiling gave us a present each and phew, thank God we did a very last minute shopping yesterday and got her a very pretty green handbag. Glad she loves it. I think.

After dinner, I dragged them for desserts cause I was in the mood for hot cheng teng. Parted ways soon after. Lauren, Ting, Grace and Sha were all heading to Grace’s place and they asked me to join them.


Nachos, ice cream, sprite …and we were all up for Grey’s Anatomy Season 3. Love that show.


"Okay, here it is, your choice... it's simple, her or me, and I'm sure she is really great. But Derek, I love you, in a really, really big pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window, unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you. So pick me, choose me, love me." (Dr. Meredith Grey)


When it comes to love, sometimes we tend to lose whatever dignity we have left. Worthy or not, it has always been a great step to take. Accepting the negative verdict with grace will be an epochal start back to normalcy. Whatever it is…it is always great to do it with good friends, ice cream and a good show.

“Bila yang tertulis untukku (When what has been written for me)
Adalah yang terbaik untukmu (Is the best for you)
Kan kujadikan kau kenangan (You’ll be a part of my memory)
Yang terindah dalam hidupku (The most beautiful one in my life)

Namun takkan mudah bagiku (Still it wont be easy for me)
Meninggalkan jejak hidupku (To leave behind traces of my life)
Yang tlah terukir abadi (Which have been eternally carved)
Sebagai kenangan (As the most beautiful memory ever)
Yang terindah" (Kenangan Terindah, Samsons )

It makes more sense in Bahasa Indonesia, trust me. Anyway it is the time in life again when I have been ripped, rolled and shredded. My only consolation is that I didn’t get too lost in it because I had weighed the consequences before I came up with the pretty illusions.

Anyway tomorrow I will have to choose..either spending New Year in KL or in town with friends. Right now, I am leaning towards the former. Whatever. You know what…it doesn’t matter where I’ll be. What matters most is that I must make the most out of the circumstance.

Go, me.


“At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it's not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away.” (Dr. Meredith Grey)


It’s 0300hrs. Think I should squeeze in a bit of editing. Been too sick and tired to do work lately. I should really buck up.

A thousand times goodnight, unintentional stragglers.

###

Life goes easy on me

I did ask the girls. Now my turn to answer.


Top 3 Highlights of 2006

1. Quitting my job in March and leaving for Timor.

May seem nothing to you but it’s a great sacrifice for me…resulting to where I am now. But I may not have much in my pockets right now, but I feel more things here (points to heart) and here (points to brain) . Guess there is a silver lining after all.


2. Teaching

I did a week stint in Timor and I guess, I felt a tug from there on. That brought me to a school in Yishun. A relief teacher may not mean much, but it is a step for me. I love sharing and inspiring. I like my Shakespeare even though I think Macbeth is not his best. I like explaining Literature in broken Mandarin to my clueless Chinese students. I like their looks when they score good grades. And I like it when I change into my NPCC uniform later and whip their asses :)

Waking up damn early in the morning is like jihad. It is a battle everyday but by 1400hrs every day, I am free. Heh.


3. Travelling: Taking the road less travelled

Unlike last year where I took flight to London-Brighton-Manchester, sunny Tioman, heady KL and exotic Borneo, my destinations were much humble this year. There was the charming Timor, the memorable “homecoming” back to Perth with the family and the gratifying hell of a trip to Taman Negara Endau Rompin. Perth was a bagful of emotions and with Taman Negara, it was blood, sweat and erm…drama all roll into one big ball of fun.


Yeah. Many made it close.
- World Cup “bookie” job : I didn’t think I could be one
- Made great friends : Timor, Discovery, Singapore Pools, HO Course
- Weddings: Noreen’s and Susan’s…epic!
- The Moonies’ birthdays: Wow!
- The NIE rejections: Ouch
- New toilets!
- A closure

I am sure there are some more. But right now, I need to shower cause I am meeting Meiling and Sharinah.

Ciao.

###

To barf or not to barf...barf!

Just done puking my dinner and lunch out. It's not bulimia. Think I am down with stomach flu. I know sleep can be a remedy but I am not in the mood yet. Soon.

Am bundling meself in quilt. Just hope I can get out of it fast enough if I need to puke again.




Not sick enough to pose for pictures apparently.

Urgh. I smell of puke now.

It didnt occur to me that when I asked Santa for a present, I would get stomach flu. Ho ho ho merry fucking christmas.

Oh the room is spinning.

A thousand times goodnight, sickos and sickies.


P/S: Editing has to be done tomorrow.

###

Too lost in fluff

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true...
All I want for Christmas
Is you...

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas day
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you...
You baby

I won't ask for much this Christmas
I won't even wish for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe
I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
You...

All the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air
And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
Won't you please bring my baby to me

Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see baby
Standing right outside my door
Oh I just want him for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby all I want for Christmas is
You – All I Want For Christmas Is You, Mariah Carey

The best then…the song still brings it home now :)


Just want to wish all my Christian friends a very Merry Christmas. Hope this festive season will foster great ties with the family and also friends. Many Yuletide greetings and may the anticipation of the coming new year don’t kill us all.

This period of time every year always bring me back to 5-6 years ago when I was still a young girl eager to make an impression on the world. Christmas was really wonderful back in Rediffusion. Working late for the evening show was extra beautiful when requests upon requests for carols and hymms were met. On my left was the stunted mutanted dwarfed Christmas tree with presents spilling at the base and on my front, were boxes of music records (those good old vinyls) – jazz, swing, country, rock, soul, Motown, psychedelic – all singing Yuletide joy. I am not a Christian and I don’t celebrate Christmas…but I know good music when I hear one.

I miss those Rediffusion days.

Anyway, while I concussed in the living room for a couple of hours just now, I had gazillion people calling me. And I had one call all the way from Prague! I didn’t realise it was Adrian cause I was damn groggy but whoa…our dear friend is sure having a great time, enjoying his ass off at eastern Europe. Well dude, it was cool of you to call me and I wish you a happy holiday. Pity we got cut off.

To the rest…I am sorry lah. Was really groggy so pardon the blur mumbling tone and slothful answers. Am not going out anyway cause my favourite rom-com is on. Why it’s LOVE ACTUALLY of course.




Beautiful backdrop. Beautiful plot. Beautiful accent. I love Brit rom-com.

"We've never got friendly. I just wanted to say I hope that can change. I'm nice, I really am, apart from my terrible taste in pie. And it would be great if we could be friends." (Juliet, Love Actually)


Love can be a many splendored thing
Can't deny the joy it brings
A dozen roses, diamond rings
Dreams for sale and fairy tales
It'll make you hear a symphony
And you just want the world to see
But like a drug that makes you blind,
It'll fool you every time

The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all

Now I was once a fool, it's true
I played the game by all the rules
But now my world's a deeper blue
I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too
I swore I'd never love again
I swore my heart would never mend
Said love wasn't worth the pain
But then I hear it call my name

The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all

Every time I turn around
I think I've got it all figured out
My heart keeps callin' and I keep on fallin'
Over and over again
The sad story always ends the same
Me standin' in the pourin' rain
It seems no matter what I do
It tears my heart in two

The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all - The Trouble With Love, Kelly Clarkson

Pain.
Later.
Love Actually now.

###

Cruising through sick lullabies

It’s 1600hrs on Sunday and I have been awake for more than 24 hours already. Initial plan was to moped at home last night but the girls managed to drag me to catch The Holiday.

Kate oh Kate…why was it so similar?






THE HOLIDAY was predictable BUT sometimes, corny warm feelings are just what we want to rewind and relax to at the end of the day. Although I did find the characterisations of Cameron Diaz (Amanda) and Jose Mourinho Jude Law (Graham) a bit barf-worthy, after a while, the mood of festive romance and the need to abolish singlehood simply dissipate any cringe-grinch feeling in me.

And ah, Kate Winslet (Iris)…man I thought she was awesome. Many teary moments were spawned by her. Maybe it was the connection…it still bleeds.

The movie is great if you don’t want to fry your brains cracking war strategies and solving crime or mathematical problems. It’s a Christmas movie so it definitely plays around with your feelings and pleads for connection – which it wins. The trick to enjoying it is to allow yourself to feel corny. Corny is not a bad thing, you know. Just let go…


Arthur Abbott: Iris, in the movies, we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason, you're behaving like the best friend.


..sigh..
Go ahead and be gone with it.

Awrite!

Movie ended at midnight. Lauren and I headed to Starbucks to try a bit of the apple crumble Ting and Grace brought from a party. Hah, great chance to cam-whore obviously.



I was sick and sleepy.
The time on my watch read 01:37.

But oh well. Apparently the night was still young for this person who was lurking behind the gay Barney-ish, dirty purple curtain outside the toilet.


And now I have pimples on my face.


And with this Chinese coffee mugshot, we called it a night…


…a night which I didn’t consummate cause I stayed up all night feeling sick and shitty. When daylight crept in, I washed up and headed for my religious class. It took a bit of spiritual awareness to bring you back to a levelled state of consciousness telling you:

… that everything in the world is transient
… that heartbreaks get you down only for a while
… that money can always be earned
… good friends are precious gems
… (at risk of sounding bible thumpish preachy) God is always there for you

All these, of course, were soon exterminated when sleepiness came a-knocking. Sharinah, Liah and I soon nodded off into la-la land…right in front of our lecturer.

I am sorry. Sunday morning is always a bitch.

Anyway...

Just a few more days to New Year, ya’ll.

“It seems I had it all wrong. It turns out you'll go somewhere new and meet people who make you feel worthwhile again.” (Iris, The Holiday)

And with this…I am thinking of running to KL for the New Year. Am still contemplating. And waiting for my money too. Otherwise, I’ll run to Westin The Plaza at Raffles City and bury my face into the armpits of my loved ones.


P/S: I am so looking forward to Love Actually @ 2200hrs.


###