APIIT UCTI “DANCE2NIZTA” Inter College Competition

Preparation the Day Before
It was a fine Friday (I woke up late :p), and I was relaxing, when I realised I had to go to APIIT because I had forgotten to return Jiz’s wallet (she put it in my bag the day before). So I thought, maybe I can go later as they might start the decoration for Dance2nizta. Jiz also had asked me to bring my copy of “The Star” (I realised later that it was because SARC’s articles had been published in the “R.AGE Campus” section). So I went. To my disappointment, not much had been started on the decoration, and I was just sitting around not knowing what to do for some time. Finally, late evening, they started. Vivian, Pauline and I helped out Mihika with the Body Art (temporary tattoo) booth; cutting out letters, drawing and colouring tattoo designs with glitter. Along the way, I painted Ryan’s face as well. I must say it turned out pretty nice (although some said it was “gay”. Oh well).

After pasting the letterings and tattoo designs, I felt that the board was still a little bare, so I suggested that we add a lady’s silhouette to fill the space, and that we could paste some of the designs on the body. This was what we came up with. (I must say that I was so proud of it!)

Later, we went to check out what they had done to the cafeteria area. Wow! They had installed UV lights! Anything white were all glowing! Then, we called it a night (some still continued with the preparations – it was three, and I had enough)

The Big Day
I woke up late (again), and relaxed. I was watching a hindi movie when I realised that I was late! Pauline and I were supposed to be there at 4pm, but we ended up being there at 5.30pm LOL! So, me and Pauline started up the booth. I guess that because many were heading to Euphoria (they gave away free tickets), many did the temporary tattoos. Because I was also manning the booth (until the show started, anyway), sweet Pauline did tattoos for me for free!

The performances were pretty cool! They had a different layout was also interesting; with the stage set high; in front of the lift – rather than the usual layout during other APIIT events.

The hosts (Edmund, Mike, Leka and Darsh) had a Halloween theme, all of them sporting ghastly make-up (Edmund’s was the best; as Two-Face)! here are more pics..








The Lounge

The best transformation was the cafeteria. It was an alcohol- and smoke-free dance floor!!!! There was free flow of 7-up Revive, and free flow of house music! There was a break in between the show. Me and my friends went to The Lounge first, and then to check out the online dance competition (which wasn’t interesting – to me, anyway…)

After the competition ended at 10pm, the dance floors were open again. I was too shy to dance (even my mom told me to dance through sms - “u r young, n it’s safe, so y shy?” LOL! One of my friends even labelled me as “toilet dancer”. Well, I do dance out of the toilet, but only with my family around… and sometimes, certain friends). My friends tried so hard to convince me to dance, and I refused to budge! Finally, as the crowd got less and less, I relented. Still, I had more fun with family than here. Because of the “shyness” clouding above me? I don’t know.

The night was indeed a good one, and I enjoyed myself. Not bad at all for a mere RM15! And, I got CDs with my goody bags! ;)

Deepavali Delights!

No,no, I’m not talking about the food (which were yummy, by the way…). Its all about the fun I had that weekend! And it was home sweet home! =)
Of course, join my family to clean the house. Tiring, but hey, its all part of the Deepavali fun! While dusting the display cabinet, I found a particular piece of woodwork that I was so proud of (it was a project for “Kemahiran Hidup”)! And, a photo frame I did during one of the workshops organised by the Young Enterprise Programme.
Friday, 24 Oct
It was shopping time in Penang’s Little India! I wasn’t buying clothes this time! But I bought accessories instead… they were cool!
I also noticed that they have refurbished some of the old buildings. I was so happy that they retained the original “look” of the buildings! Yay to heritage!I also noticed this VERY cute short bus!! I just HAD to take a pic!!!
Upon reaching Penang Street, we looked for a place that served vegetarian food (my family is vegetarian on Fridays). Not far from where we parked the car was a small restaurant (Sri Krsna Restaurant, I think) which had the words “Today’s special – Vegetarian Biryani” screaming from a whiteboard in front of its entrance. So, we went for it. My, it was GOOD! If I did not have to do loads of walking after lunch, I would have had a second helping!

And, we were off! Shopping, shopping! We went shop after shop, looking for accessories for myself, a Punjabi suit for my mom, and a simple shirt for Dad.
Mom and Dad did not find anything they liked that was affordable, but here’s what me and my mom got for me! (hehehe my Dad isn’t exactly the type who loves looking at rows and rows of costume jewellery… :P)
It was a bright evening when we were done, so Dad suggested having tea before heading home. So, we went to the Vegetarian “part” of the Sri Ananda Bahwan franchise (they actually divided their shop into two; the vegetarian one was located at one end of the row of shoplots, the non-veg was located at the other end of a separate shoplot).
I had the cow’s milk tea and my parents had coffee. We also had veg “murtabak” and “pilaf”. They tasted so good; we decided to “da bao” some for my brother (who insisted that he did not want to come). Then, the drinks arrived… Gosh! They arrived in cute Indian-style steel cups! (I had fun “tarik”-ing my tea :P).Upon departure, we bought authentic ghee sweets (oooOOOOHHH!!!) and headed home. What a day!

(The photo below is what I ate for lunch the next day. Rice with “rasam” and sardine cutlets. Nothing interesting, right? True, except for the fact that I ate from a mug! :P)

Sunday, 26 Oct
As with the age-old tradition, I lighted lamps around my house (the twist – I used tea lights instead of the oil “villakku”).
Unfortunately, before I could take a picture of my lighted compound, the wind blew all the lights out. The second time I lighted them, they lit, but as I picked up my camera phone, the wind threatened, so I decided not to take a picture.

I drew henna designs at night, as the next day was Deepavali!!
Deepavali Day, Monday, 27 Oct
I went to temple with my Dad and brother. Mom couldn’t come along as she had lots of cooking to do. We came home to the glorious smell of “dosai”, chicken curry and Black pepper mutton. After having breakfast, My brother and I sent packs of delicacies (ghee balls and murukku) to our family friends who lived in the same residential area.

After a short rest, we headed to my uncle’s house in Perak for a family gathering. Below is a photo of me; overdone with make-up (*shivers with horror*)We talked and laughed and watched TV specials. It was fun! But it was going to get better, as the night will not be complete without sparklers!!! Yay!! There were even villagers who played crackers (we played along :P).It was a great day!

Tuesday, 28 Oct
All good things come to an end, they say, and so did my Deepavali experience. I had classes the next day, so I went home

Still, this was a great Deepavali, just like every year before! :)

அனைவரும் இன்னிய தீபாவளி நாள் வாழ்துகள்

Lol! dunno how 2 get d spelling right! :P

Global Peace Festival Concert

After getting so excited yesterday about the rock concert – KAMI road show (which, by he way, is my first ever REAL concert experience), I went for another, this time for a good cause. It was organised by the Global Peace Federation (GPF).

1.30pm…
The first half of the show (1.30pm – 3.30pm) was the “Student Program”, which was more of artist Liang screaming to the students if we were ready.



There was an unmemorable speech by someone, followed by clips of peace ambassadors (the one which featured the astronaut got the most acknowledgement, if the teens’ screams were indeed that…)

என்ன லா? தமிழ் வருது???

Hmm… I was trying to edit my post, and I did not know how to disable the Tamil writing… LOL!
Anyways, there were also a few cultural performances; but I don’t remember the sequence *sorry!*







Somewhere after that, Ning Baizura performed (with class, I should say :). The ending of her performance was near perfect, right up to the point where a friend of mine exclaimed about her “fine @$$”. Hmm, so much for enjoying a performance (hahahaha I’m sure u were enjoying her @$$ as well! Kekekekeke…)

After that came the second part of the show, which featured mostly speeches. Most of them were… err… boring (forgive me for being a normal student :p), but there was one speech that stood out. It was by the founder of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF); “the Lion” we dubbed him. His voice definitely contrasted his appearance. A black suit hung on his tall, thin frame, with hair slicked back. However, his voice was deep and hoarse (Hulk Hogan?). He had so much of enthusiasm in him, roaring “Do you want to dream the ultimate dream?” to every section of the stadium. So, okay, I did not understand more than half of what he said because of his accent (my friend thought he said “Do you want to drink the ultimate drink?”), but I liked his enthusiasm anyway! LOL!

After the speeches were over, finally we had performances! Shruti was up first. This tall 13-year old lass performed well, working the length of the stage like a pro. Then the slew of performances comprised Suki (One In a Million winner), Daniel Lee (Malaysian Idol 2), Nikki (One of the Malaysian Idol Finalists) , and, uh, some others…

But the most memorable performance (in my opinion) is Jaclyn Victor’s. Her voice is simply amazing! Her rendition of “The Power of Dreams” was a little off, I guess, as I think her singing style does not suit the song. But, when she sang her winning song, “Gemilang”… Wow… I sang along so excitedly, poor kiat ngee who was beside me probably got some trauma :p

And that was it. 6.30pm and we’re off! Outside, there were booths selling GPF and Friends to Mankind merchandise for charity, among the many other booths (which were also set up for charity as well). I did enjoy the muffins by Monster Muffin.



Just something I really wanted to post... Check out the amount of spices I got from one serving of Biryani!

Knowledge Management, Malaysian Rock Bands, and a Night of Quiet Disappointment

Wow! A blog entry, after so long! Finally!
But what have I for all of you today? Well, some bursts of excitement (as some of you who know me might have grown familiar with), and, unfortunately, some sour rants.

My day started with a new note; waking up early (8am) on a fine Saturday morning having slept at 2.30am. Now, that’s something rare – doesn’t happen very often to me :p
“But why?” you ask. Today, I accompanied my very good friend (or “da jie” (big sis) as I consider her to be) to a talk in my university (hereafter referred to as “uni”).

I was late (we were supposed to walk there from our accommodation, hence leaving – or planning to – an hour before the talk). getting ready was a mess too, and I fumbled for my things before rushing off. Of course, the plan changed and we took a taxi there instead.
There, she told me about a dream she had about the talk (my, my, isn’t someone exited? LOL!). In her dream, we were the only two people dressed formally (almost turned out to be true). And, the speakers were Thais, giving the talk in their native language. Confused, she turns to me for explanation, only to find that I am on the other side of the room, busy chatting away with my former lecturer and tutor (well, some of THAT came true, too!). We laughed it off as we exited the taxi.

We were surprised to find that the foyer of our uni was not bustling with activity as we had expected it to be. Instinctively, we went to the “reception” at the Student Services office to enquire. “L1-6” they said. We quickly rushed there, thinking that we were late.

Blink. Blink. Stare. Blink. Blink. The room was empty!
“Aiya, don’t tell me we are the only attendees!” exclaimed a nervous Da Jie.
“Uh-oh…” was all I could manage.


We went down to the “reception” again, when we saw the lecturer who was to chair the talk inviting the speaker to L1-6.
We followed quickly. There, thankfully, were already two other attendees. We sat down, waiting…
“Good morning, sir!” Da Jie chirped. I followed suit. He replied with a very welcoming smile that beamed through my half sleeping mind. “How do you say I in Malay?”
We had some more small talk (well, it was more of him talking, as we did not know what to say). Finally, as more and more people trickled in (literally; not many showed up… close to twenty, maybe), and the laptop and projector were set up, the kind looking European got the ball rolling.


“What do you know… and what does it mean?
Knowledge Management & Strategy”
The words splashed across the screen from the projector, and below, in smaller fonts, “Dr. Alan Eadley, Faculty of Computing Engineering & Tech, S.U.” (I hope I do not get entangled in court procedures of any kind by revealing the details…)

I consider myself VERY, VERY lucky to get the privilege of attending this talk. It was interesting, informative, and very useful, not to mention fun – the man sure has wit! LOL!

I would like to point out something that he had stressed throughout the talk – Knowledge itself is NOT power, unless there is action, hence the need for Knowledge Management. (very BRIEF gist, that one…)

Hehehe. Now for the “bursts of excitement” part…
1. I was the only undergraduate there. There were postgraduate students; and the part of my friends’ dream coming true – Ms. T. and Mr. J. (I use initials so that they do not sue me… kekekeke)were there (Hahaha! I was as a student WITH them! And they were BEHIND me! LOL! Talk about equality... or something else? hmm...)

2. Indeed, there were more who wore casual than formal (including Ms. T. and Mr. J.!)

3. Mr. J. was late! (If people find out his identity and tell him about this blog entry, I’m so DEAD!)

4. We would have won a million dollars each, if only we were answering the same questions as J. Campbell (I think) who had won it on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, or on “QI”.
Oh, and,
-Panama hats are from the Equador,
-Camel-hair are squirrel fur, and
-Canary Islands were named after dogs
-Citibank America had the first ATMs; they originated from ticketing machines.
Just to mention a few facts we have acquired during the talk (I’m a fan of Dr. Alan already!)

So, at 12.30pm, the talk was over, and our tummies were growling… Da jie and I eagerly headed to the car park Bukit Jalil Stadium. It was the KAMI road show, and I was so excited! For the first time, I was about to see with my own eyes, my favourite Malaysian English bands rock the house down (alongside newbies and lesser-known bands – which were ALSO awesome, mind you)!

Of course, we first filled our stomachs with food that would make a nutritionist scream! The Chicken in Pita Bread was heavenly (today is my first non-vegetarian day after a month) but the rest were… well… never mind…

There we were, enjoying the food and music, when it started raining.
Rain? Bah! We whipped out our trusty umbrellas and continued enjoying…

(The band Jeopardise is worth a mention, by the way…)
At some point, I had to answer nature’s call, and the mobile washrooms set up were packed with rain-fearing people. Since the band that was performing at that time was less tuned to our tastes than the others, we headed out to find a washroom.

Lo and behold! There is a stunt-biking exhibition on the other side of the sports complex! We saw some really cool European dudes dressed up like there was a stunt-biking competition! (I think they were going to see what the KAMI road show was all about…)

When my “business” was over with and we headed back, the rain gave way to HOT sun, and that band was still playing (the bands performed four songs each). We went on to notice how polluted the air was; filled with the smoke of cigarettes… I estimate that 8 out of 10 people were smoking there. We wished that it would start raining again so that the smokers would find cover to continue smoking; while we enjoy a smoke-free concert. Unfortunately, that remained a wish, and we opted to stay outside the concert “ring”, watching the bands playing from far off.

Eventually, the clocked ticked to almost four-thirty, and da jie had to leave to get ready for her friend’s birthday celebrations. As we walked away (the stage still visible; from the side) Dragon Red started performing! Oh man! But I did not stop da jie, I just followed, as I did not want her to keep her friends waiting… wow, Dragon Red!

Pop Shuvit, Estranged and OAG were slated to perform somewhere in between that time to midnight. They were also bands I so badly wanted to see in action, among others, but could not because I had no one to accompany me after da jie left…

I was so crushed… I do know that they may not be as good as American or British rock bands, but they do entertain… the worst part was that none of the friends, (all non-malays, by the way) that I called to accompany me, supported them. The words “Malay bands” and “boring” or “what is there” or “don’t like”appeared in the same text message. I was devastated! Our own home-grown gems neglected. Oh well, it may as well be that only I have the “taste” for these musicians, while others prefer the more commercially-acclaimed music… oh well, oh well.

So here I am, on a sad, quiet night, writing a heavily detailed post of how my day went today, on MS Word no less, thanks to the absence of Internet connection.

I refuse to end this post in such a heavily, seemingly grudge-y note, so I will mention something that makes me as eager as I was this afternoon… The Charity Concert in conjunction with the Global Peace Carnival! YAY! Cant wait cant wait!!!!!!! Okay, I better sign off now and get some sleep… I want to be full of energy for tomorrow! Jac, Nikki, Ella, Ning and the lot, here I come!

--This post was written that night itself... i want to add that i could have called thivaakar! oh man! i was only thinking about bukit jalil residents to accompany me to the KAMI roadshow --

Posts

Hey people, so sorry for not updating the many, many things going on in my life... cant seem to make time to do it...

FUTSAL ROCKS!!!

It has been so long since I blogged last, I guess nowadays I would be blogging once a month… oh gosh! Hopefully the frequency of my posts does not decrease…

Well, waking up late (no classes on that day), lumbering around aimlessly, being lazy, and then getting geared up! For what? FUTSAL!!

Of course, first meetings almost always do not work out as planned, and this was no different. Only four members (yours truly included) turned up. However, our club advisor (or should I say team manager) Mr. Vasanth* had already booked the court. I managed to convince the other three members to go anyway, just to get ourselves familiar with the court.

We were to walk to the futsal court which was not too far away. At first, the members seem to have doubted my map reading skills (a hand-drawn map by Mr. Vasanth*, and a good one, mind you! He had to attend a meeting, so he couldn’t come with us ), but I insisted that we were on the right track.

Finally, we reached our destination! (Or so we thought…). It was supposed to be around the bend, but there was a squash centre instead. There were two guys on bikes parked in front of the centre, so we asked for directions. “Left” he said, so left we went. Hmm… Nothing but car parking lots… and more. Then there it was! A big, big bend. And after that, YAY! THE FUTSAL COURT!!

Uh-oh. Many, many, many guys. Testosterone overload… Eeee malunya!!
We meekly walked toward the counter.
“Umm… we’re here for futsal,” I said.
“Ok. And?” said the friendly-looking guy-at-the-counter.
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked; feeling a little awkward.
“UNVZ** right?” he guessed, looking at my shirt that displayed the name of my university.
“Yup,” said I.
*pause*
“What do we do now?” I asked, feeling VERY awkward.
“Here,” he gave me a ball.
*pause*
“Anyone that can teach us how to play?” I asked.
“No, sorry,” the guy replied empathetically.

So we went, four of us, toward our court. Munirah* was in heels, so she couldn’t join us. So it was me, Audrey* and Dyana*. Thank God, Audrey had some football skills (thanks to her entire bloodline’s craze for the beautiful game), so she was teaching us basic skills. I kept kicking the ball “funnily” (read: unable to use the right technique). Well, hopefully I’ll get the hang of it soon. We were at it for some time. Kicking, passing (miserably), trying to score goals, having FUN, sweating, panting, more fun, more sweating, more panting…(dang, it is SO tiring!)

Then he came! Yay! Mr. Vasanth is here! He played a while with us, until our booked time was up. Poor guy! He had an appointment after the meeting, but he skipped it for us! SO SWEET OF HIM!

The four of us had planned to walk back, but as it was dark, Mr. Vasanth offered to give us a ride home (he is a caring manager… like a father figure). While driving, he told us of the glory of his younger years, when he was very active in sports. He plays almost everything! Too bad his current job has got him bogged down with responsibilities. Well, I guess it is God’s way of warning him to take care of his aging back! :p

This is the first of many fun futsal days to come, and I am looking forward to every one of them! YAY! YAY! YAY!


*Names have been changed to protect privacy
**Institution name has been changed to avoid court cases

Travelling in the bus...

I had a bus ride back to my hometown that was a roller coaster of a positive kind...

I was so full of emotions! The bus ride was perfect; the sun was shining, but i was comfortable in the air-conditioned bus, I was listening to the radio, and well, everything just seemed to be right in place :D

Then there was this time where it was almost sunset, the sun was warm and orange, falling upon my face, sting's "Brand New Day" playing, and i was reading Garfield. Boy, did i feel complete!!

;)

Thank You to the Dear Friends of Mine; My Brothers and Sisters

Dear friends of mine, my brothers and sisters,
These past few days, I suddenly felt so thankful for your presence in my life,
Though I have to admit that too many times I have taken you for granted…
So I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

For giving me support when I almost lose hope.
For laughing with me when I am joyful.
For making me smile when I’m down in the dumps.
For forgiving me when I upset you.
For accepting, when I ask for forgiveness.
For acknowledging my strengths and your encouragements.
For accepting my flaws and helping me improve them.

And, as a whole,
For always being my siblings, willingly, when my real ones could not be by my side.

It is not everyday that I tell you this,
No thanks to ego, or just plain ignorance,
But to my brothers and sisters,
Though not of blood,
I humbly declare my love of Friendship
That I hope and pray forever lasts.

- Krishnashree, 11.28pm, April 19, 2008


Thanks for always being there for me ya’ll… Really appreciate it :)

Bro-Sis Night Out! Yay!

The Call
It's been a week since my bro called and told me that he would come visiting one of these days...His friend was taking his sis (who lived within the area that I'm staying in) out, so he tagged along. Finally he called! He's coming at around 8pm.. yay!

Dressed for the Occasion...Or Not...
So I thought I'd take him out for dinner at the makeshift stalls lining the pedestrian walk outside the apartment area. Yep, I was ready for a "yum cha" session with my bro, with my frizzy hair tied up, me clad in his old tee (its not OLD, he rarely wore it, and one fine day found that he outgrew it) and a pair of Muller shorts. Oh, come on, its just the stalls... why would I wanna dress up?. Boy, was I wrong. The call came...

"Hey, get ready fast! We're almost there! My friend is taking us out." said my bro in a hurried manner.

No Ice to be Broken :)
Great. I swapped my shorts for a pair of Dapper jeans (why does it suddenly seem that I own a number of men attire?) and got straight out. A Kelisa was waiting, but I couldn't see my bro. Fortunately, i recognised his cap. He opened the door and said "Get in, get in!" and I did just that. I did know that his friend's sister was inside, but i did not expect her to be all dressed up (okay, as the night passed it didnt seem that she dressed up, but when I first saw her, all I could think of was "Gosh, I'm dressed to hit the stalls, she's dressed to go to the mall! Yikes!") But of course, a friendly smile and an introduction made me feel a whole lot more comfortable :)

Yum Cha Session
Then as he was driving, we all discussed where to go for "makan". We decided have some Chinese food, so we went to a corner shop hawker center. Because of my flu and irritable throat, I ordered "bak kut teh", my bro's friend's(hereafter referred to as "HE"... gotta protect their privacy...) sis too(hereafter referred to as "SHE"). My bro had "wan tan mee" and HE had "char koay teow". We chatted while having dinner.

Decisions, decisions...
Then, we finished. "what next?" was the million-dollar question (that is, sadly, a figure of speech). HE said,"Ok, we'll decide while walking to the car.

The engine started and we were still discussing. "You know what? Pull over at the bus stop and we'll decide." said SHE. Ideas were:
-pool
-bowling
-movie
-clubbing (yikes!)

problems were:
-venue
-time

Finally, we decided to go for a movie at Mid Valley. The car was parked and off we went; heading straight to GSC. OK, time for more decision-making... we watched the trailers and scanned the posters while waiting at the queue, but still could not decide. We finally got our turn at the ticket counter and asked the guy to recommend a movie. After about 5 minutes or so, "Deadly Ghost" it was. I wanted to watch "the water horse" but HE didnt like those kind of movies, so we went for the thai horror flick.

Deadly Ghost of Boredom
So we were all geared up and excited to get spooked(it was night time after all), but boy! What a disappointment the movie was. I almost shut my eyes so many times, not because of the fear but the lack of it, really! Sure, there were some "shock factor" moments, but they were few and far between. Besides, the shock factor in horror movies have been recycled so many times that they just aren't shocking anymore...

However, it was a great coincidence... at the end of the movie, the two main characters find out that they are siblings (bro-sis)! ha ha! SHE pointed this out, and me n bro were like "yeah, what a coincidence! truly a bro-sis nught out!" HE was just frustrated that we spent RM11 per person to watch a lacklustre, lack-fear-factor, lame horror movie.(well, actually, all of us were)

End of a Great Night (sans the movie, of course)
yep, all good-and not so good (movie)- things come to an end. Bro gave me the headset he had wanted to pass to me and I gave him the t-shirt that I got for him. The night was sealed with Goodnights and Goodbyes and Thank Yous.

...and a blog :D

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Well, I wrote about my morning, but today is definitely one of the happiest day of my life!!

I have no idea why. I woke up today with nature in my mind, I walked with nature, then spent my whole evening with nature. The following are the details:

So, after spending the whole afternoon reading the Sunday newspaper (and enjoying my chicken biryani lunch), my housemate Esther came out of her room and sat beside me. She prepared to do some reading for her assignment, while I got up and looked out from the balcony. I took a deep breath of fresh after-rain air. Oooh, it felt SO good. Suddenly I exclaimed loudly, "I'm so happy!"

"Wei, you saw your boyfriend izzit??" asked a surprised Esther
"Ha-ha, no la, I just feel so happy!" I answered.
"Why leh?" she asked.
"Dunno... I guess it doesn't take much for me to feel happy," I said with much content.

Well, it is true, really. Some people need material gifts to be happy, some people link success to happiness. Me? I just stare at trees on a beautiful day and feel so happy. (No, I'm not a Martian. A normal Earthling, if you please.) The weather today was just right, the sun was bright but cool, the air was fresh, the skies were blue, the clouds were white, the trees were green(lots and lots of trees...whee!) and the highway was quiet.

Esther joined me. We both looked out to the vast greenery that laid before us, our eyes gleefully lapping up the unending beauty of God's work of art. We had a fun chat too, over a cup off coffee. Its bitterness(I have a dislike for coffee) was somewhat sweetened by my sugary feelings (Okay, so now I am beginning to doubt my origins... Mars isn't that bad, is it?)

"I want to settle down in America," Esther said, somewhere in the middle of the conversation.
"Hey, I want to settle down in Canada! You come to Canada also la!"
"Ha-ha! Ya lo, ya lo! 20 years later then I call you to come for yam cha! Then we discuss lo, my children so big, your children also so big oredi, all go to university oredi."
"Ya, ya! then we also sit in the balcony!"
"Ha-ha! then discuss about 20 years ago, how we sit in the balcony and chit chat chit chat! Wow, so nice la!"

Wow, it would. Indeed, it would. We talked alot more, and then some. Gosh, what a beautiful day [its a beautiful day~~~by U2. good song]

Now I'm writing this blog with the beetles songs playing in the background. (~~oh bla-di, oh bla-da, life goes on oh! la-la-la-la life goes on~~)

PERFECT.

Right, my assignment is due Tuesday... Gosh, the smell of Cintan noodles is so good... perhaps I'll boil some...

Hmmm Mars...

...

(this post has been published with the consent and contribution of Esther. My regards to her.)

Stories For My Soul

I like reading Sunday papers. Especially The Star. They have a certain feel. They make you happy that u actually woke up THAT early on a Sunday morning, yet give you the same "lazy Sunday" feeling. Laidback, light and easy. Aaaaaaaaah...

I enjoyed today's paper, particularly because:
-I bought it from a jovial Indian man by the street.
-I had just returned from jogging with my housemates, feeling energized
-I devoured the news with tasty nasi lemak (well, that kind of kills the purpose of jogging; but then, I'm not one who wants to shed kilos for the sake of vanity, but for the sake of preventing further depletion of my stamina (MAPCU tournaments coming up!!! Gotta get my body up and going to win!!!))

Despite the heaps of news from the election fever (I am not going to comment because I might be shoved into the cells by the ISA), I welcomed the StarMag, the weekly lifestyle section.

I was drawn to the picture first, a tiny boy with colourful clothes sitting on a dull, grey blanket of rough pebbles. Then the words, "What is precious to you?...for one little boy, it was a pebble". Go, read it- StarMag, Sunday 9 March 2008, Heart & Soul , The important things in life by Balamohan Yugenderan. Although it is short, I am sure it would touch you the way it did me.

Then below that piece was the "The Gap" column, with today's article starting with "Why was I born with such dark skin?"- the writer's question to her mother.
It related to me, but the only reason being the colour of my skin. I have never had any problems with it. Perhaps it was my upbringing, and the people i grew up with. Nobody ever pressured me to be "fair". I wasn't affected by the myriad of advertisements of fairness products. Nor did my friends' endless complaints of their own skin colour affect the way i thought of mine. Yes, I do use fairness products only because my face is darker than the rest of my body(which I find quite unbalanced), and that the face has much less surface area to cover than body (cost-effective way). I am happy with the colour of my skin. In fact, I think it is beautiful. (No, I am not in denial and no, I am not perasan. Please.) Well, I guess my parents and siblings have taught me well; to appreciate what God gave me. At least, I have healthy skin that i can live in comfortably, and can enjoy 100% when out in the sun without having to worry about not having enough melanin to prevent skin cancer. Of course, I am not TOO carefree that I expose my skin to the midday sun!(Besides, the heat would give you crummy feelings :P)

Having said that, mornings are nice. Cool and breezy with just the right amount of sunlight. Gosh, I am full of happiness today(yep, despite the fact that I have an assignment due in two days which i haven't started).

Okay, I better get started on my assignment. After I finish the paper, that is. And after lunch. And after...

Love

Ah, one of the most discussed topic in the world. I was watching the video "All About Loving You" by Bon Jovi when I remembered that I made an unofficial promise to a friend to write about it. I will write in the form of answers to FAQs that I've received. ATTENTION!: These are only my opinions, and are not meant to offend anyone, nor to serve as a guide. If you would like to express your support or disapproval, by all means please do leave comments. Thank you.

(Another thing, I am not limiting my opinions to boy-girl love unless specified)

What do you think of love?
Love is undeniably the most passed-around emotion in the world(oh, come on, you do not hate everyone everyday do you? That would be SO VERY exhausting!) It is also undeniably beautiful. Well, I am struggling for words trying to describe love. it it THAT great!

Why do we need love?
I need love, for sure. And I am very fortunate to have endless supply of it! Well, I guess it's human nature that we need a sense of belonging and assurance. Love gives us that. It tells us "I'll never leave you," "You will find comfort in me," and "I will accept you as who you are," among others. It gives us hope when we are lost. It's an asylum for our soul. It just exists within us.
We are love.

Do you have a boyfriend?
No.

Oh come on, really?
Are you hard of hearing?

Well then,have you had any?
Nope.

Seriously?
Yes, seriously.

Why don't you have a boyfriend?
Well, there are a few reasons:
1. I don't feel the need to have one.
2. It never came to me. As in love. Not "invitations"...(At this point of my life, I'm not looking for love, like some (if not most) of the people my age are).
3. I've heard many of my friends talk about the pain of the first break up, seen them cry over broken first love, etc. I have somewhat made a notion that it is too energy-consuming if I were to experience break-up, therefore I avoid it. (Ha-ha!Prevention is better than cure, they say... :)
4. I find it very hard to trust people. Out of the 100 people that I know very well(I have just estimated that number), less than 10 people receive more than 60% of my trust. However, this does not affect the closeness I feel with people.
5. It's impractical. Enough said about that.
6. It's financially constraining. Calls, SMS, outings(dates), you name it- it would leave a hole in my currently very small pocket...)
7. I have a funny feeling that I might be less committed. There are other commitments in my life, I am not sure if I would commit to a relationship. Well, not fully, anyway. So, obviously, it would be very unfair to the guy.
8. I would feel like I'm "tied" to something. I wouldn't be free to do, act and speak whatever I wish to. Apparently, a girlfriend should be a certain way. BAH!
9. I might change. (I don't know where this came from...)
10. I love my life the way it is.


Are you scared of boy-girl love, then?
Oh, God, no. Come what may. But, I am definitely on my guard.Like i said, I'm not looking. I still haven't experienced that "tingly" feeling people in love talk about. Even if I do, I'd probably lay low on the radar. (Hmmm, my mind is indeed weird stuff...)
Then again, it seems to be a wonderful experience(at least according to my experienced friends and TV shows, anyway).
Perhaps I'm not ready.

What if someone you like a lot asked you out?
We'll see what happens when it happens. I guess I'll keep my mom's words close to me:
"If you ever fall in love, make sure he's your BEST best friend." Sound advice. (Well, that was after the statement "I can't do anything if you fall in love" accompanied by a disapproving look on her face. Ha-ha! Love you, mom. :P )

Well, that's about all the questions I can remember receiving. If you have questions, please ask me and I'll try my best to give clear answers.

To all my friends and family, thank you for being a love in my life. I appreciate and love you just the way you are. If you change, I well try my very best, to not only accommodate, but also embrace the new you.

MWUACKS!

Do I Act According To My Gender? Well, Does It Matter?

I really can't stomach the fact that almost every human has a typical idea about how a lady should act(many are also vocal about it). Please read the first sentence again if you had only males in your head. Yes, even females have this idea about how a lady should behave.

Come on! It is the 21st century! Gays and lesbians are getting married no more in secrecy(more and more people accept homosexuality), so why a heterosexual lady who, uh, "has an edge" becomes a scum?

Well, on the other end of the spectrum, it seems less "harsh". The remarks of "be a man" to, uh, "sissy" guys are limited to fathers. And perhaps high school bullies.

But for ladies, it seems that almost everyone- ladies, lads, aunts, uncles, etc give a disapproving look or remark if a lady so much so raises their voice a fraction of a decibel louder, or behave a teeny bit rougher, or sit in an "inappropriate" manner.

By now, you would have guessed that I am one of those ladies. I believe that behaving in accordance to unwritten laws is a GREAT barrier to personal development and self-satisfaction. When I am not in a skirt or extremely baggy shorts, i sit in whichever way makes me comfortable. Even in school(I was in an all-girl school for the past 11 years of my life sans last year), I was one of the loud ones. So what if i like to play Counter Strike? So what if I laugh a little louder? So what if I call a friend from across the room? So what if I hold a fighter's pose(referred to as "guarding stance" on Taekwon-Do) in public? (uh, maybe not in PUBLIC public, just familiar public... you know, the "public" in which the majority knows me well)

If I refrain myself from all these, I would not be me. A fake, if you please. I would also be frustrated with life. Take this equation:
Refrained= Not 100% myself= Not 100% happy

I am very happy being the way I am, and i will change for no one but myself.

Of Laksa, Sate, the Rich, and the Children

As I stepped out of the car, a rush came over me. The hustle and bustle – the myriad of noises; different people talking loudly in different languages, children crying or throwing tantrums trying to get attention – and of course, the very strong smell of various Malaysian cuisine. But I was very, very comforted by all this. Indeed, it seemed like ages since I last stepped into my neighbourhood pasar malam (night market).

Ah yes, the first thing I did was look for my favourite assam laksa stall to see if they had been sold out (it was minutes to nine, and yes, they do sell out pretty fast). I almost squealed with glee when I saw the familiar face manning the stall (gosh, it has been THAT long! My, my, he’s grown a lot older… ha-ha marriage does lots of “wonders” to the human anatomy :P)

We (Dad, bro and me) took a detour to the sate stall first, bought 20 sticks, then went over to enjoy them with the Laksa Nan (never asked them ‘bout the name). Ooooh, the fat rice noodles swimming in the warm, sour-spicy fish soup… Heaven! This laksa is undoubtedly the best I’ve ever tasted!


And the memories came flooding into my mind. Throughout the 11 years I was schooling in BM, every Monday was my family’s “Laksa Night”. All five of us would walk there (unless we had lots of things to buy), then head straight to the laksa stall. After having our tummies filled to the brim (yep, slurped every last bit of the soup), we’d buy some sate and have them while shopping for fruits… wow, really miss those days…

While I was reminiscing and enjoying my laksa, a man walking past us, whom I recognised to be quite well-off, was greeted loudly by a passer-by. He was decked in a white top and a pair of shorts (both top and bottom appeared quite aged). Then I thought, “this is one of the few places where people just let go of their busy, uppity life- just to enjoy the little things in life. The reputed doctor in his shorts and tee, the wealthy business man decked like the Ah Pek at the market… this made me smile. Again, I was comforted by the simple life that not only the people who visit the pasar malam, but the people who live in peaceful yet lively neighbourhoods like mine… the wealthy always take time out to enjoy life (I always greet the Uncles and Aunties when they pass by my house during their almost-daily evening walks, either by themselves, with their spouses/pet dogs/children/grandchildren).

Which reminds me; a lot less children come to the playground across my house these years. I figured their evenings were filled with unnecessary “tuition classes” (oh, for God’s sake, they’re YOUNG CHILDREN!). How I had a blast when I was a child! We three siblings would rush to the playground at the stroke of four, disregarding our mom’s warnings of skin cancer (hot sun bla bla bla). The best part was playing with children we met for the first time. We didn’t need to invite, they didn’t need t ask. No introductions as well; just loads of fun! It did not matter who he/she was, or what language they could (or could not) speak. Many games we played. Some were passed down by older children; some invented by our own. Yes, “ice-and-water”, “Buaya (alligator)”, “pepsi cola”, “aci-ligan-duduk”, and my personal favourite- dodgeball! Wow, the more, the merrier! (also more challenging). We’d run and squeal and laugh so much, and then some more! I really don’t think I’d survive a second without panting myself blue in the face if I attempt that now. (gosh, up to now, my stamina right now is at its all-time low. Thank God for Tasik Komanwel; now I’m picking up… I hope.

I’ve reached the bottom of the deep plate on the unstable portable table beside the electricity generator. The sate sticks are clean, and the cucumber slices have settled in my stomach. Now, if I could just lift myself off my chair…

Death

Ironic, isn't it? That my blog is born, yet the first title is "Death"?

Well, i just posted a bulletin on my Friendster account (that's http://profiles.friendster.com/krizfreeze to you). some of the questions concerned death; and my friend, vicky, suggested: since i write "essays" to answer each question, might as well i satrt up a blog. so there was a problem of what topic should i cover for the first topic. Naturally, death came to mind... its a nice contrast, as i've mentioned in the above...

so, these are the among the questions, and the "extended versions" of my answers...

What do you regret more - things you'vedone or things you have't done?
Things that i haven't done... It is a great loss to have not done things that i've always wanted to do, or dreamed of doing. even if they were "spur-of-the-moment" stuff, or things that i wanted to do but were not that important... it is just a waste. A waste.

Would you rather murder or be murdered?
If i had to choose, i would murder. i can't imagine myself commiting homocide, but that case is even stronger for the latter- being murdered... i guess i love myself too much! hahaha!
i'd rather experience watching someone die in my hands than experience death myself... Cruel. but if u try to see it from a different perspective, it's quite true. ever watched the "saw" movies? if you have, u'll see what i mean.

Would you rather be skinned alive orburned?
I'd rather be burned... it's a much shorter process, and i think the time for my body to get into shock might be faster too. [getting all medical here... btw, i am NOT a medical student. never intended to be one.] so all in all, it's a less painful death.

If cremated - where do you want youashed spread?
The sea. i can't quite explain why. perhaps being born a hindu, it is etched in my mind that once i die, i would be cremated, and my ashes would be released in the sea...
but i want my ashes to be spread into the sea... i guess it's sort of a "release" - that my body would finally be disintergrating, that my soul would be completely released into the vast universe, as my body spreads out into the ocean...

Considering all circumstances unknown -when do you wish to die?
i read my friend's answer: "when i'm old and sick" and was taken aback. many young people do have that answer, but i have one that is... well...
i don't have a certain number in my mind about when i want to die[no point trying to estimate something you can never, ever accurately predict], but i want to go away healthy-and about 80%, if not 100% satisfied with my life. why suffer sickness then die? why not before? why be sad/frustrated with illnesses then die, when i can sing with joy minutes before my last breath? of course, the best time to go is during my sleep... painless and peaceful..

The one you love most is dying...what isthe last thing you say to them?
i dont quite know... i read the question without anyone in mind, and i felt indifferent. after that i imagined the one i loved the most dying... and i felt my heart growing heavy. what would i say? it would ache way too much to say what i really want the last thing to be said; thati love them, or to say goodbye, or anything... you know; the heavy feeling... "sebak"...
but then i pictured a different scenario, where i am chatting-like me and that person always do-about anything and everything... and felt somewhat different... i had this happy feeling... not happy that the person will die, of course! but happy, because i am with them in their last moments together, laughing about the silly stuff in the past, giggling about the people passing by, admiring the sights around... well, that was different... and comforting...

If you knew it was your last day - whatwould you do?
somehow, i pictured myself being quiet. with lots of things running through my mind... yet, i am at peace. not anxious, not frustrated. nothing like that. just at peace. but lots of thoughts in my mind. i'd probably be alone. not because it is as it is, but because i'd want to be alone. at a quiet park, on a breezy evening. inhaling the fresh air, enjoying the sights and sounds of flora and fauna. just sitting at the park bench, and falling asleep...and going...
i dont know why, in that "picture" that came to my mind, there were no humans around me... just nature... why werent my loved ones around? i dont know... i dont know... but it was very serene...

well, that was all the questions about or related to death... the latter ones had the most emotional feelings.. but now, at this point of my life i just want to live each day as it comes. at this point of my life, i am 95% happy with my life, when the people around me are bogged down by one thing or another..

And i thank God everyday for that.