Wedding Planning

I mentioned yesterday that I received a red bomb. Some of you would wonder what that is. It's a wedding invitation. LOL My friend, the bride, is planning her wedding all by herself with some help from the partner, family and friends. I think that it is a stressful enough time to get married, let alone to plan the whole thing alone.

I suggested to her to set up a Wedding Website so that all of us, especially friends and family overseas, could keep abreast with the couple, read about their progress and ultimately to view bridal photos, videos of the wedding and share in the joy of a newly wedded couple.

Wedding Channel offers free wedding website which looks really easy to set up, even for people who are not web savvy. After all, it's just a matter of picking the template and uploading text and photos to it.

Snoopy's Ailing Health

One thing that worries me these days and makes me lose sleep is Snoopy's ailing health. I am sure loyal readers would have read my posts on him. He is no longer young and has mobility problems. This past month, he fell into the drain twice and I couldn't help him up by myself.

It pains me to see his health deteriorating but this is something that I MUST see through. I need to be strong for him and try to be as patient as I could and spend as much time as I could with him because I know that once this chance is gone, I wouldn't get it back. There's no point in regretting of not being able to do this or that for him while he is still alive. This applies not only to Snoopy but all who are close to us and mean something to us.

I can’t help but wonder if Snoopy is able to see through 2009. On one hand, I want him with me as long as possible, on the other hand, I do not wish him to suffer from old age ailments. I pray that this will not be too difficult for him and on me.

Still Searching For Gem of Life Soundtrack and Sub Themes

It's funny that although The Gem of Life has already concluded a long while ago, we are still searching for all those lovely sub themes and music inserts that were used in the drama. Although I personally did not like the main soundtrack by Shirley Kwan to much, I have to say that after watching 82 episodes of the drama almost daily for four months, the soundtrack grew on me. I like it a little more now. As for the sub themes, I really love those and think that were so well chosen to match the mood of the scenes and the couples.

I wish that TVB would release an album of all the songs and inserts used so that we could all enjoy the music without having to search for them on the various episodes should we want to listen to the songs.

Listening to the music also will bring back memories of the drama. Even though some may say the drama lacked quality, I personally think that it has its high moments too and worth a rewatch. I will do that one day when I am bored out of my head. LOL

Beauty Career

My sister told me to enroll in a beauty course. She is in that industry and she said that should I go over to the States, she could help me secure a job. I am thinking hard about this. However, a thought crossed my mind. If I were to study like she asked me to, why couldn't I study in the US? Wouldn't it be better? I am sure the standard is higher compared to schools here in Ipoh.

I checked Find A Beauty School and I see many schools that offer beauty courses across America. If you are looking for cosmetology schools in kansas, Washington D.C., Alabama, Tennessee where my sister is, or just about any state in the United States, check the website of Find A Beauty School.

Using this website, you could easily request for information, visit the website and view the location map of the school or beauty institute. I find it very helpful to receive the information I want all in one website.

What A Short Month

I was shocked when I realise this morning that tomorrow is the last day of the month already. I know that today's the 27th but somehow, it did not dawn on me that February has a shorter month. I don't know why but I always dread March, it seems so loooong to me but February, I don't feel like I even started working again yet after the long Chinese New Year break and it is over already. It surprises me every year!

I just did a quick calculation. Although I did not work too much and took lots of breaks, sleeping way too much because I am spent taking care of Snoopy, I managed to pull through the month financially, just barely, though.

Well, I guess when the economy is so lean and so many people lost their jobs, I shouldn't complain, at least I am still earning, just not as much as I used to. I guess what we should all do is to just hold on tight and ride through it.

Trip To The US Delayed

A little while back, I wrote that our family friends had planned to travel to the US to be with their daughter who was expecting her second child. The parents at first wanted to go there just after Chinese New Year. The daughter recently gave birth to a girl but the parents still have yet to make their way there and it's the end of February already.

According to the daughter, who is also my sister's good friend in the States, her parents are afraid to fly on their own. Although the mother has visited her before, the father has not and the father is so scared to travel, not because he is afraid to fly (some people are) but because he is afraid of getting lost due to communication problems as he does not speak English. Both of them don't.

I saw from the website of MAS that air ticket to Los Angeles and New York is not even RM2K and it's all inclusive, which is what I like about MAS. They don't have hidden charge unlike Air Asia, from what I can tell from their websites. I think it's a pretty good deal for flights under RM2000 but then my sister and her friend are actually in Tennessee which is another two flights away from Los Angeles or New York. That's more money to spend on air tickets!

And then I think that although air tickets seem cheap, the returning ticket may be way more expensive. I think we should send our mother over too. My sister has left for eight years already.

When Was The Last Family Vacation We Had?

I know I mentioned often enough that I need a vacation. I really do. Recently though, a friend told me of a family vacation she took which makes me feel so selfish for wanting to take a holiday by myself.

My sister told me about family vacation packages in Cancun which her colleague just returned from. I checked the website of Karisma Hotel & Resorts and I am really captivated by the beautiful scenery. I wish that I could get away, but with the family.

It really has been a long time since we travelled together. Now that we are all adults and lead our own lives and my sister has migrated and married, it is really difficult, though not impossible, to arrange for a family vacation.

I need to discuss this with my siblings and arrange something while our parents are still relatively healthy. It would be fun.

Wasting Time on Facebook

I realise that I have been wasting too much time on Facebook this past week. I guess I should blame it on friends who keep responding to my status messages which make me obligated to reply as well, otherwise I would seem rude, which I don't think I am!

However, unlike most friends, I don't play any of the games on Facebook. I do get invitations to games and I accept them but that's all I will do. I wouldn't play simply because I could not spare the time, which is just as well or I would get addicted to games like Pet Society, Mouse Hunt, Elven Blood, Knighthood, Battle Stations, Blood Lust and what not.

But then again, I know of innovative bloggers who would play all these games on Facebook and then create a niche games blog so that they could blog about all the levels and game hacks. Maybe I would do that as well if I start playing.

Celcom Free Calls On Sunday

Although I have been a Celcom postpaid subscriber for a long time now, switching from prepaid, I think about three years ago, I just noticed a few months ago that Celcom gives free calls on Sundays. Now, I don't actually know how this free minutes is calculated but I know that I never enjoyed it.

I am subscribe to Celcom's C250 package and every month, I don't even use more than 250 minutes of call time unless I make it a point to "boil phone porridge" nightly with a couple of friends. Otherwise, I feel like I am wasting good money for paying for the talk time that I don't even use. With all the excess minutes monthly, that's why I don't get to enjoy the free calls from Celcom.

I wish, though, that Celcom would not force that 250 minutes on us. It's fine if they want to charge us RM50 monthly but let us use that on our calls AND text messages. I must be dreaming but I seriously think that's what they should do if they do not want to lose even more subscribers.

Investment Plans

Bank Negara has cut interest rates again. It pains me to see my FD interest going down. My friend calculated that to receive RM300 per month in interest, we would need to place RM120,000 in the bank, compared to only RM100,000 last year. However, with this fresh cut, I believe we now have to place at least RM140,000 conservatively.

That's why my friend told me that while interest rate cut is good for those who have loans but not people who kept cash in the bank as an almost no risk investment, it is no longer viable to park cash like that.

My friend told me about his plans to invest in options and asked if I would like to join him. Hmm I don't know, I'm a coward when it comes to money. He told me that he uses free option screener tool provided by PowerOptions to evaluate options traded in the United States.

Have you traded in options before?

Hole In The Sky

I mentioned that I have plans to buy property, either a small house or an apartment/condo. Of course I couldn't afford luxurious houses or condo units but then when I think that condos, apartments, flats and whatever you like to call them, are just holes in the sky, I don't think I am prepared to pay too much for it even if I could afford.

I think that when buying property, most of the time, we are paying for it to be in a good environment. A house could be dilapidated but if it has a good address or located in a safe neighbourhood, we are expected to pay for them. So right now, I could only afford to purchase property in the low to medium cost range and I am not willing to live in a low cost home because I don't feel secure.

And I wonder what happens to the condo owners should the building be so old that it has to be demolished. What kind of compensation will they get? I don't know, I guess I have lived in a spacious, though old, house all my life but wouldn't mind living in a condo, if I did not pay for it. As for long term investment, I really have to think very hard about this.

Miss Korean Dramas

It has been such a long time since I watched Korean dramas. I think the last I watched was Coffee Prince but I can't really remember because I subsequently watched some other movies and TVB dramas as well, the one I remember most was Ip Man. This is a very entertaining martial arts movie starring Donnie Yuen as Ip Man himself, the founder of Wushu.

Right now, I am watching two TVB dramas, the current one, Emergency Unit or better known as E.U. and an older drama from last year, A Journey Called Life. Both have totally different storylines. E.U. is about the lives of policemen and their jobs but A Journey Called Life is about personal issues in today's society.

Last night, I watched four episodes of A Journey called Life and one episode of E.U. I'm only at episode 8 of E.U. but already at episode ten of A Journey Called Life. E.U. has 30 episodes, but the way, while A Journey Called Life has only 20 episodes; a rather short one, if you ask me.

Red Bomb

I thought that with Valentine’s Day over where a handful of my romantic friends got married on that significant day, I would have some respite. However, I just received a red bomb from a friend who will be marrying his long time girlfriend this July. He has also requested me to help out his future wife with the wedding because she is from my hometown but work out-of-state. I could certainly understand that hassle.

I promised my friend that I will arrange for all the gifts from bridal gifts to bridesmaid gifts to groomsmen gifts and gifts for in-laws and friends. I love shopping anyway and what better way to shop that shopping with another person’s money?

The Knot Wedding Shop has a vast array of gifts that it’s so difficult to decide which to buy. If I could, I would get a little of EVERYTHING but I am sure my friend will kill me so I’ll be a good friend and just pick those that offer discounts. LOL

Eli Wong’s Fate In The Hands Of Selangor MB

So the Sultan of Selangor has wisely decided that he will not meddle with the political fate of Elizabeth Wong, who has tendered her resignation from State Exco and as ADUN of Bukit Lanjan. I guess her came to this decision after seeing the debacle that happened in Perak which is still unsettled right now, after so many weeks already until the Sultan appointed Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) had to seek the advice of the Queen’s Counsel.

In my opinion, Elizabeth Wong has no cause to resign even though what she did, as a non-Muslim being in the same room with a Muslim, and I am assuming that they did not share a bed, is considered worse than khalwat; this is what was told by me by Muslim friends.

I think that as long as both are consenting adults, there’s nothing that the law could do, even if it’s oral sex in the case of Dr. Chua Soi Lek, and anal sex, which was allegedly committed by DSAI.

I think that the Selangor MB should reject Elizabeth Wong’s resignation PROVIDED she could withstand the continued onslaught of her enemies who apparently will continue to publicize more and more lewd photos and even a video clip online.

Heart of Greed Wins Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2008

It comes as no surprised that popular 40-episode TVB drama, Heart of Greed, bagged a total of nine awards at the recent Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards. It beat the previous record winner War and Beauty which won eight awards in 2005.

Heart of Greed was very well acted with a stellar cast. It's a moving drama with family feud as the central theme. I cannot agree more with the awards that this drama bagged in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2008 but I think that Favourite Couple was a poor choice.

I mean I like Raymond Lam's and Linda Chung's characters respectively and I think that Raymond’s Alfred Cheng the lawyer was pretty stylish in Heart of Greed but as a couple, they lacked chemistry. But I guess that there aren't that many young couples to choose from in Heart of Greed.

Anyway, congratulations to all winners! I wished I was there at the Arena of Stars at Genting Highlands!

Favourite Drama: Heart of Greed

Favourite Leading Actor: Moses Chan as Tong Zhi Onn in Heart of Greed

Favourite Leading Actress: Louise Lee as Ling Hao in Heart of Greed

Favourite Theme Song: Heart of Greed - Susanna Kwan

Favourite Couple: Raymond Lam and Linda Chung as Alfred Cheng and Sheung Tsoi Sum in Heart of Greed

Unforgettable Moment: Dai Kai (Louise Lee) returns home to accuse Sai Kai (Susanna Kwan) and Bo of manipulating the family in Heart of Greed

Favourite Characters:
Tong Zhi Onn – played by Moses Chan
Ling Hao – played by Louise Lee
Sheung Tsoi Sum – played by Linda Chung

Walk Away From Home Foreclosure

I recently read about an American couple putting their cave home on auction on eBay. Most of us do not realize it but the recession in the United States is very real with record unemployment and home foreclosures. California is leading in the number of monthly foreclosures, followed by Florida.

Even though President Obama has put measures into place to help newly unemployed people deal with their home loans, unfortunately, not everyone would qualify for it. I read that self-employed people are left on their own, unfortunately.

In the precious recession, a friend lost his home and he told me that if he had know that he could take a Loan Modification, he would not have to go through that horrible experience. You know, not only did he lose his house, he also lost his wife and two sons because of episode.

You Walk Away is a very resourceful website with information on Mortgage Loan Modification for people who need it. It's one of the ways to avoid foreclosure and add on to the statistics! For anyone who qualifies for mortgage loan modification, You Walk Away offers Foreclosure Modification which includes a complete Walk Away Protection Kit.

Dr. Chua May Face Possible Oral Sex Charge

Former Malaysian Health Minister, Dr. Chua Soi Lek, currently MCA Deputy President, may face possible oral sex charge after his previous sex scandal video resurfaced. At first, I thought that a new unreleased sex video of Dr. Chua Soi Lek has leaked out but no, apparently, it's the old one. Hah.... talk about the enemy within. And just when it seems like he's making good progress with a political comeback.

Oral sex in Malaysia is illegal as it is deemed to be carnal intercourse against the order of nature, just like anal sex. I am sure there are many people doing it daily in Malaysia but behind closed doors, no one knows about it. It should be all right as long as it's between two consenting adults. Actually no one cares.

In Dr. Chua's case, I sort of pity him to be caught like that. He's not the only man (or woman) to commit adultery but because he was a Minister, with enemies, he is humiliated so. Now, I'm not condoning his actions. In fact, I think that someone who holds public office and do what he did should not continue to hold public office now that he has been found out.

I think that everyone should be given a chance to make a comeback but then Dr. Chua never learns. As I understand, he still is having a relationship with his "personal friend". I know it must be very hard to let go of it, of her, but then I think since he has chosen her, he should let go of his political career. Don't you think so?

Degree or House

My cousin started his degree course at UTAR earlier this year and I had the chance to ask him how his studies are over the weekend when he was back. I've been thinking for the longest time now if I should go back to school or forget about that degree course and use the money to buy a house.

I checked his subjects and was surprised that he had to study Calculus even though it's not Mathematics, Engineering or Physics course. Even Business and Marketing courses have a couple of Math subjects, I was told. As you know, I have a phobia for it after failing Additional Mathematics in SPM.

Come to think of it, I have already given back to the teachers all that I studied before. I used to enjoy Physics but now, I don't even remember how to calculate linear motion anymore!

If I were to go back to school, it is going to be pretty tough conditioning my mind and lifestyle to that of a student!

Battle at Kruger YouTube Video

I watched National Geographic Channel yesterday and there was this documentary about the Battle at Kruger, which was captured on video by a Safari tourist in 2004, if I remember correctly, and shared on YouTube by one of his friends who also participated in the Safari tour.

If you also watched the programme on National Geographic and have wondered which video they were referring to, this is the one. It has received more than 41 million views at this time of writing. Yes, it has gone viral, not surprisingly!

This video is full of suspense. It shows a herd of buffalo walking into seven lions who were sunning themselves. The lions chased the herd down but a calf fell into the pond. The lions dragged it up but under the water, three crocodiles wanted to snatch the calf too! The lions won over the crocodiles and the calf was dragged in but the buffalos came in an even larger herd charged at the lions. Even the lions were afraid of the angry buffalos that came to save the baby!

Well, you just have to watch the video yourself. It's worth your eight minutes!

Bringing Out The Rare Coin Collection

My sister was very angry the other day when her mother-in-law went and reinstalls her car. Legally she had the right because the car was under her name but it is my sister's car and she settled the car loan after a few years and to learn that she has to be burdened by another few years of car loan, she just blew her top.

My sister tells me that this past few months, her mother-in-law seems like she's pretty tight financially and always in need of money. My sister says that if they could help, they surely would, but the woman refused to disclose why she needs money all the time.

According to my sister, the woman has a collection of rare coins which she plans to sell off. My sister pities her and says that if she gets the collection valued, my sister will buy it from her at that price and if in the future the mother-in-law could return the money, my sister will let her have the rare coin collection back. Otherwise, my sister will keep the coins, after all, they will even be more valuable in time to come.

Working In Slow Motion

I don't even know if it's Streamyx problem, computer problem, notebook problem or server problem or what. It seems like for the past couple of days, working on the computer has been such a tedious process I actually feel my arm, shoulder, neck, head and neck in pain. And no, I'm not exaggerating.

It's just totally frustrating to want to get stuff completed by a certain time, even though self-imposed, but not able to complete the work, ending up sitting around here longer than necessary, rotting and wasting time, when I could go and do something else but no, when my work finally completes, I feel sleepy, my above-mentioned body parts ache and my eyes are strained and I crawl into bed and fall asleep and not have the chance to do other things that I wanted to do earlier.

And by the time I wake up, I have to go to the computer to get "more" work done online, repeating the earlier process and once again, totally no chance to do my other stuff. WTH!!

/end rant

The Ultimate Betrayal - Elizabeth Wong Nude Photo Scandal

Although I do not know Elizabeth Wong personally, I kind of feel sad for her that she has been embroiled in this controversy and made the feel ashamed of herself and disgracing her family. Although some may say that she is immoral to have sex as an unmarried woman, or have sex with a Muslim guy, I think that most people cannot claim to be 100% morally right.

Also, it's unfair to clump her together with Dr. Chua Soi Lek, who was and still is an adulterer who cheated on his wife and family. Elizabeth Wong, on the other hand, is a single woman and I believe, she has the right to do whatever she wants that is not against the law, and as an adult, is not answerable to anyone except herself.

Not too long ago, I wrote about trust in a relationship. Hers is the ultimate betrayal. I do not know the details of her relationship; suffice to say, what should be kept private between the two of them somehow leaked out and it was not Eli Wong who did it.

Frankly, a lot of my friends, whether single or married, do have homemade sex photos and videos. It's not up to me to judge them if they like being actors and actresses in the bedroom but to show them to friends, and heck to the world, that the work of an ultimate scumbag.

In Eli Wong's case, in my opinion, no matter how bad the photos are, or even if there are sex videos, I don't think we should judge and condemn her. Like I said, she's single, he's single. They probably planned to get married to, and isn't she lucky to know what kind of guy he is with this dark episode?

Granted, she was forced to resign because politicians are supposedly morally righteous but tell me, how many are? In fact, they are the worst lot. I see no reason why she has to leave besides the threat that more photos and perhaps video will be released to the public to force her to relinquish her posts and bury her politically.

Take care, Elizabeth Wong!

Around The World Tour

I was going through older posts over the past couple of days to do some blog housekeeping and I came across a post where I mentioned I would like to go on a tour around Malaysia and some regional countries.

This reminded me of my father's old dream of taking the family around the world in a caravan. Unfortunately, that didn't materialize but it just shows that I am indeed like my father. We both have a wandering spirit.

If I have the chance, I surely would love to travel in a caravan. It would be awesome; though more expensive than travelling on a bicycle. On the other hand, we get to save on accommodation. Granted, unlike in Europe and America, rv parks are uncommon here but I guess we can always park just about anywhere by the road side in some rural place, can't we?

When I am able to, I’d probably invite a couple of friends to come along and share not only the expenses but also the experience.

RPK's "Last" Words

While half the internet population, perhaps more, is searching high and low online for Eli Wong's nude photos that had been leaked to the press purportedly by her ex-live in boyfriend who took photos of her while she was sleeping, and apparently she likes to sleep in the nude, those of us who are politically aware and have continued to read Malaysia Today would probably have read RPK's "last" words. If you haven't, well, just know that if ISA is again applied on RPK, he has vowed to starve himself to death, making him martyr in this whole unfortunate incident.

While we are busy searching for Elizabeth Wong nude photos on the side, let's not forget RPK's struggle, not for himself, not for his family (I actually pity his family to have to put up with everything he stands for) but, as he said, for the future generation of Malaysians.

RPK has called on Malaysians to continue with his struggle but I fail to see who has the courage to do so, sacrificing so many, many things along the way. What do you think?

Affordable Exquisite Designer Costume Jewelry

On the evening of Valentine's Day when I was at the shopping mall, my friend sent me a message asking if there were lots of people there too. Yes, there were couples shopping and some of them were buying last minute gifts. I noticed that older people opted for diamond jewelry, though we all know that this jewelry brand is so affordable because of its lower quality diamonds.

Comparing the diamond jewelry with holsted Jewelers, if I were to buy a gift, I would rather buy designer costume jewelry simply because of its larger selection of jewelry pieces which are more colorful and just as exquisite. Moreover, prices at Holsted Jewelers are just a fraction of the lower quality diamond jewelry.

Of course, it's now too late to buy Valentine's Day gifts but I think this is better value for money.

Nude Photos of Penang Nurse Han Bee Yin & Elizabeth Wong

Yesterday, my friend sent me a text message and asked me if I have the nude photos of the Penang nurse and those of Selangor State Assembly woman, Elizabeth Wong. Just because Elizabeth Wong is from Ipoh too, he thinks I'm privy to her nude photos. LOL

Well, it was so early in the morning, I didn't even have the time to read the papers so I had no idea that a scandal broke out. I also learnt about the Lam Wah Ee Hospital nurse nude photos from him a couple of days ago.

Obviously I did not have these photos and told him so. Wah, he told me to go and search for them on the web and then send to him. Woi! What does he take me for? I told him that even if I do have them, sorry, I won't be sending to him because basically, I don't distribute porn, particularly when it hurts someone's career like in Elizabeth Wong's case.

Han Bee Yin, the Penang nurse who is well-known online as PAK, said that she will continue to be a nurse. I wonder if people have flocked to Lam Wah Ee Hospital to take a look at her or not yet if they haven't seen enough of her nude pictures and videos on the web.

13 Year Old Dad & 15 Year Old Mom

Did you read about the 13-year old British boy who became a father last week after his 15-year-old girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl? Geee... I know that this is not the first pair of teenage parents but what has the world come to, with children giving birth to children?

I watched videos of this child couple and the boy actually looked like the big brother of the baby and the sad thing is that they have no idea the heavy responsibility that is ahead of them. The boy occasionally gets GBP10 from his dad while the girl lives off her mother and the family is on welfare.

I also read other news articles of teenage parents and there was this girl who gave birth to a boy when she was 15 years old. One would think that she would change her lifestyle already, right? But no! She’s now 17 and pregnant with triplets and yes, she is on welfare.

I can certainly understand how pissed off the British people are to see where their tax money has gone to!

Blister Relief Patches

During a recent Valentine's Day sale, I accompanied a friend to shop for new shoes. How weird is it that she buys about a couple of pairs of new shoes per month? She used to buy more when the economy was better and I often question how she could wear them all. I guess she just love shoes. Do you remember The Gem of Life's Jessica's shoe rack? My friend's collection is halfway there!

I didn't buy anything for myself. If you read my blog often enough, you'd know that I have pretty odd sized feet and it's either half size too small or too large. I usually get the half size smaller pair and have to get Blister Relief ready. Breaking a pair of new shoes is not easy for me so you can understand why I try not to buy new shoes.

I told my friend about Engo patches in case she needs them when wearing her many pairs of new shoes!

Valentine's Day

How was Valentine's Day for you? Isn't it scary how time flies? Being single, it was nothing exceptional for me. It's too commercialized, anyway.

I went to Ipoh Parade as I was informed that there would be a Valentine's Day song dedication programme, a dance programme and then music dedication programme again.

So off I went with my camera intending to shoot some photos or even videos. Sure enough, there was a music dedication programme where the emcee spoke into the microphone and I couldn't even hear whom dedicated which song to whom. LOL

I did manage to see the three dances that were performed by this pair of teenage classical dancers. They were young but pretty professional in their steps. The problem was that Ipoh Parade once again did not have budget and the show was manned by this pair of dancers only so you can imagine all the wasted time between shows as they change their costume. It was overall a pretty poor show which could improve if there was another pair of dancers.

Still, that was the highlight of my Valentine’s evening. LOL! Pathetic, right?

E.U. (Emergency Unit) - 學警狙擊 - TVB Drama

So The Gem of Life FINALLY concluded last night. Heh... the final episode was totally lame. One would think that after 81 long episodes, the series would end with a BANG! but that was not the case. Anyway, I don't take this to heart. Just watch for what it's worth.

The new TVB drama that will be replacing this slot occupied by Gem of Life for 17 weeks will be E.U. (Emergency Unit) - 學警狙擊. This is a 30 episode police/crime/action/revenge drama. From what I understand, Emergency Unit, which is also known as The Academy Full Throttle, is a sequel to The Academy & On the First Beat. I didn't watch either The Academy or On the First Beat.

Cast:
Ron Ng (吳卓羲)
Joey Yung (容祖兒)
Michael Miu (苗僑偉)
Kathy Chow (周海媚)
Elanne Kong (江若琳)
Aimee Chan (陳茵媺)
Sammul Chan (陳鍵鋒)
Dominic Lam (林嘉華)
Kaki Leung (梁嘉琪)
Charles Szeto (司徒瑞祈)
Anita Kwan (關伊彤)
Casper Chan (陳思齊)
Dickson Lee (李家聲)

I can’t read Chinese and the only actress I recognize from this list is Kathy Chow. It has been years since I have watched her. I still remember what an awkward actress she was when she was a rookie.

I am not sure I am going to follow this drama. I’m pretty busy lately. Perhaps I'd only start watching it after ten episodes have been aired. After all, it's pretty easy to catch up at my pace of consuming dramas. LOL

The other drama that is being aired, I understand, is a period drama and I try to avoid that as much as possible. This means that it would be either E.U. or some older TVB dramas or Korean dramas. Hhmmm let's see.

New York Restaurant Reviews

It's funny that even though my friend, Paul, has lived in New York City for almost twenty years now, he still is not as well versed with the city as he should be. The other day, he asked me when i will visit him as he would like to take me out to dinner. He has just read a review of a new restaurant and he would like to try it out with me.

I was surprised that Paul has to read The Village Voice for reviews of New York Restaurants when, as an architect-cum-contactor, he constructed some of these restaurants!

If you are visiting New York, you should check out The Village Voice, especially their restaurant reviews. When travelling, I always make sure to try the local cuisine. If I were to go to New York, The Village Voice's restaurant reviews would surely be helpful. From this site, we could easily sort popular eateries by cuisine, location, price range and features.

Bali

My friend asked me if I would like to join him and his girlfriend on a trip to Bali. Boy, am I so tempted. Two of his friends are making plans to follow them so there are currently four people and if I go along, there will be five of us.

My friend told me that we could share out the cost of the trip, like transportation and food and other miscellaneous expenses. As for the package tour, it costs slightly under RM2500 for about a week for two people. I don't know how good a deal this is but according to my friend, it is the cheapest. At less than RM200 a day, it certainly isn't bad at all.

I so want to go along, actually, though it would set me back by an estimated RM1500 but then my Snoopy needs me. Did I already mention that he fell into the drain last week? I could help him up by myself as he was stuck at an awkward position. Besides, he's been shitting in his sleep almost every other day. Boy, I am so depressed but I can't abandon him at this point.

Managing Accounts Receivables Better

My friend, James, told me that he will not be receiving his pay check this month. I was surprised because he works in his father's manufacturing plant and as the son of the boss, one work think that he has a pretty good life there.

However, James told me that like all sectors, manufacturing is also badly affected by the global economic meltdown. James said that even though his company is still strong, the same could not be said for their associates. They have decided not to chase for payment from their associates yet.

Of course, James and his father will not allow these accounts to turn into bad debt. When the time comes, if necessary, they surely will seek assistance of a collection agency to help manage these accounts receivables. This month, though, James has decided to not take any action yet but rather sacrifice his own pay check.

American Profit Recovery is a company that specializes in managing accounts receivables for creditors in any industry at all, large or small. Unlike most profit recovery companies, or debt collection companies, if you will, they charge very reasonable service fee. While other companies charge a steep percentage of the sum recovered, American Profit Recovery goes by a flat-fee only. This translates to higher profit to their clients.

Sperm Bank in Malaysia, Singapore

If you have been following this blog closely, you would remember me talking about a friend who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I got to know about it late December, 2008. Even though I keep telling everyone not to give me bad news because I get affected by them easily, I guess I am glad that I was told. I understand that even his mother does not know about it. She lives overseas and he decided not to tell her yet since nobody could help him except the doctors, and his own cells.

A couple of days ago, this friend told me that there's a real risk of him being infertile (as in the inability to father a child) after going through chemotherapy and I asked him if he stored his sperm and he said he didn't.

I feel really bad about it because it didn't cross my mind before he started his chemotherapy or I would have advised him to do so. It may not even be necessary in the end but I am someone who likes to back up, check and double check.

So my friend has already started chemo in the first week of Jan, 2009, and he says that it's too late to do anything about it now. He says that if he lives through this and gets married later, he does not mind adopting children. Still, it wouldn't be the same as having children who carry one's genes, right? Anyway, there's a long road to travel for my friend. He's still spiritually very strong now and I pray for him that this will all be just like a bad dream one day.

This brings me to the question: Is there a sperm bank in Malaysia or Singapore? No one I know used such a service before and neither have I seen any advertisements of sperm banks here.

Laser Eye Surgery

It's pretty difficult to find someone with perfect vision these days what with extensive use of the television and computer and smaller screen devices like the Palm, iPhone, PlayStation and even common mobile devices with color screen. And then there's the UV Rays from the bright sun that we subject our eyes to daily when we forget our sunglasses.

About 70% of my friends need the help of glasses and it's scary that some of them started wearing one even before they were ten years old! You can imagine how fed up one would be after depending on glasses for 20 - 30 years so much so that laser eye surgery is the only way to go to get rid of the glasses once and for all.

My namesake, the one who escaped death from 9/11 incident, has already started to research on boston lasik prk. She told me that if there's one thing that she wants in this world, it would be perfect vision. Since it is achievable now and the cost of laser eye surgery is getting more reasonable and with more advanced technology, why not go for it?

Although I do not have perfect vision, neither do I need to wear glasses 24/7, which I am most thankful for. However, I could imagine myself opting for laser eye surgery should I have to depend so heavily on glasses!

Gem Of Life Episode 80, 81, 82 And It's Over

I just finished watching Gem of Life episode 80. Boy, I can't believe that there will only be two more episodes and then it's over. Although there are some boring parts in the entire drama, I would say that overall, I have been entertained.

It's kind of hard to believe that although I wondered at the beginning if I should follow such a lengthy serial, I am quite astonished that at the end of it, I would have spent 16.4 weeks watching The Gem of Life. That translates to four months and a week.

I also just calculated, at an average length of 42 - 44 minutes per episode, I would have spent approximately 3500 minutes or 58 hours of my life watching the drama, learning the lives of Sylvia & Calvin, Constance & Terrence, Jessica & Martin, Mr. & Mrs. Hong, Sunny, Derek, Ah Woh, Will, Elise, Philip and other supporting characters like Chris, Victor and Gilbert, Joey and Sharon and even the boy, Ho Zit Seon.

Like all TVB dramas there are moral lessons conveyed in its plot no matter how intricate it has been so yes, there are many lessons to be learnt from it. Frankly, even before The Gem of Life concludes, I am already missing it. Maybe it’s out of sheer habit!

Moving & Storage Services

A friend of mine is in dilemma after her husband received news that he has been promoted but he would have to accept the job posting overseas. My friend and her husband bought a house not too long ago and it is still under construction.

The problem is that now that they are required to set up a home in a new city but their house is still not completed yet, my friend and her husband has to give up their current residence because there's no way that they could upkeep three homes at the same time even though the husband will be provided with housing allowance.

My friend says that she will have to look for a company to help her store her personal effects and she would have to do most of the stuff herself since her husband will be leaving first to scout for a new place.

What concerns my friend is the ability to look for a professional art storage company. As you know, art isn't cheap and this couple has invested in some good pieces. My friend is a little worried since she does not plan to ship her stuff overseas. There are just too many things and she doesn't even know how long this post will last.

I provided her with the contact of an art storage company so hopefully, that will solve a huge part of her problem!

C-OH!-BRA

Many of my friends are quite surprised that I am a rock fan. To be more precise, I was a fan of 80s "Hair Bands", from Scorpions to Def Leppard to White Snake, but especially Bon Jovi. Even though we all have grown older and the music changed, I still prefer them during their hair band days.

Earlier today, I was introduced to this online series called C-OH!-BRA. We can only watch the series online at http://htvinteractive.com/cobra.html so the episodes are actually better known as "webisodes".

C-OH!-BRA is about an 80s Hair Band (or Hair Metal Band) trying to make it big in 2009. It's a comedy so we can expect lots of funny moments.

Right now, I have no idea how many webisodes there will be but four have gone live on the website which you can watch online already. I have finished watching them. What I am looking forward to is a heavy dose of 80s rock music in upcoming C-OH!-BRA webisodes. Should be interesting!

Just Get a Boyfriend!

So I was complaining to a friend after reading about a couple of people who spent RM2K buying skincare products and I was saying that I could never have good skin because I can't justify spending that much on skincare products. The most I would spend is a few hundred. I am just too cheap. Hehehe

But MIOR soap didn't help me and SK-II which I have already used for a few days doesn't seem to help also. At least, I do not see the improvement that I am longing to see.

My friend told me that I am just wasting money buying and trying these products. He said that one would hardly see a girl with boyfriend who has bad skin, though he says that my skin isn't that bad. I think he has a problem with his eyesight or maybe he has already forgotten how I look like as it has been two months since we met.

So he says that I should get a boyfriend too. I think he meant that "happy hormones" would help me achieve a radiant complexion, but I don't know leh, he must be pulling my leg. I do still see girls, one half of a courting couple, without perfect skin.

If spending a few thousand would GUARANTEE me the skin I am after, I surely would do it but there's no such thing as a guarantee, right?

Pakatan Rakyat Rally (5th Feb 2009)

I read that Pakatan Rakyat plans to hold a rally at the Menteri Besar's residence tonight at 7pm to support the embattled Pakatan government. Are they still the government?

If you are planning to go, do note that they have already changed venue. Where, I will not tell because I see no purpose to show support this way. The fate of the State now lies in the hands of only two people, the Sultan of Perak and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Of course, both have different routes to take if they want to right the situation. Let’s hope that whatever decision that is taken will be for the good of Perakians.

Whatever happens, we will wait for the next General Election.

Hand & Nail Grooming

I read an article yesterday which says that we have to pay attention to our hands and nails as part of our daily grooming routine. While I know that, I really cannot find the time to do so.

The article says to apply heavenly hand cream not only onto our hands but also elbows and knees to keep our skin supple. I have no problems with elbows and knees, just the palms and fingers since I use my hands all the time, typing at the computer, mobile phone, iPhone, Palm, etc.

I also read that girls must never have ragged nails. Hehehe so if you are in the habit of biting your nails, stop. Stop right now.

What I learned from the article is that if we do not have slim fingers, we have to stay away from bright and striking nail varnish. I certainly do not have slim fingers so I better start changing to more neutral colors that would not draw attention to my fat and stumpy fingers. LOL

Anyway, although I love to keep longer nails, I am unable to because I type too much at my computer keyboard and QWERTY keypad of my mobile device. Long nails will slow me down.

Well, as long as I keep my nails in shape and colored, I should be fine.

SK-II Skincare Products

I just bought a range of SK-II products that cost me a bomb. MIOR soap, which also cost me a bomb (LOL), did not work. I don't know, maybe there's something wrong with my skin, my hormones or maybe I am using these products that everyone says are effective in the wrong way.

Whatever the case, I really hope that SK-II would work. Aiya.... I am too old to suffer from zits. It makes me suffer from low self-esteem, although I do not have exceptionally bad skin, it could be better! It's not a matter of being vain or anything, I just want to look good for myself.

I have been in search of the miracle product for my skin condition and nothing seemed to work. My friend told me that SK-II is the top commercial cosmetics and skincare brand for Asians so I shot for the "best" instead of continually wasting more time and money on other brands in my experiment.

If you have good skin, please let me know what products you are using. Please don't tell me about good genes, though!

Srini Anumolu’s Meditation

While blog hopping in the wee hours of this morning, which is my usual activity at that time of the day, besides watching dramas, I stumbled upon the blog of Srini Anumolu. From what I understand, Srini Anumolu is a blogger based in India. Did you know that there are many bloggers from India and most of them write in excellent English? Srini Anumolu is just such a blogger.

The title of the blog is Meditation but then I don't think you will find anything on meditation in the real sense of the word. This blog has an international flavor and carries many article son travel and overseas accommodation. In addition, there are many interesting articles from around the web that Srini Anumolu came across that he reposted on his blog to share with his readers.

If you are looking for a different kind of blog to read, Srini Anumolu’s Meditation is the blog to visit. The direction of his blog is totally different from mine and would make a refreshing read.

Shaky Perak State Government

Since March 8th 2008 General Election where Perak was lost to the opposition by a mere margin, we already know that Perak Government ruled by Pakatan Rakyat is on shaky ground. We have friends in the political circle on both sides and got to know that State Assembly people have been offered millions of Ringgit to crossover, bringing along their seat. Of course, we have no proof but recent events have shown us that those rumours were true.

You see, I always believe that people enter politics, especially mainstream politics not because of political ideology or for the party or state or country. At the top of a politician's concern is first and foremost, himself, then only the party. That's why no matter which party rules the state or country, there's not much difference to the Rakyat because a party is run by various people and people are basically the same, no matter their creed, colour or race. They fight for themselves first.

That's also where corruption comes in. People are easily swayed by money no matter what political banner they represent. In all fairness, Perak should have two by-elections and let the people make a firmer decision this time around.

Time To Upgrade My Device

I've been using my Nokia E61i for almost 1.5 years now, or has it been two? Well, most of my friends who also bought Nokia E61i or Nokia E61 have upgraded their phones but I still haven't. Actually, I don't normally chase after new phone models but lately, I found that my battery is not as strong as it had been. I need two full charges daily now instead of one.

I am thinking that I shouldn't waste money on the battery and just upgrade my phone. After all, original batteries are not cheap so I might as well just trade in my phone or sell it off and top up to buy a new set.

I've set my eyes on brand new and unlocked blackberry phones. They are similar to my Nokia E61i and come with QWERTY keypads as well, which is what I prefer. Also, Blackberry certainly looks sleeker than Nokia ever could.

Maybe I should start counting my red packet collection even before Chinese New Year is over!

No Photo!

I received a message from a reader the other day. He found my blog through the search engine, it seems and apparently, is not a blogger himself. I think he felt like he shares some of my interests from my posts, and since he is also from Ipoh, he feels a connection.

He wrote in and said that he could not find my photo on my blog. My question is, why must I publish my photo(s)? Just because every other blogger seems to have no problems with publishing their photos, and in fact, camwhore is their middle name, doesn't mean that I would have no problems with it as well.

Anyway, I told him that I do not have a photo online or even offline and that I am more comfortable behind the camera than in front which is the truth! I don't even know how to camwhore.

I wonder if there will come a day where I willing publish my photos on my blog. Hehehe! I must have gone crazy already if that happens.

Great Feast Tonight

My Hokkien neighbors have already set up altars in their garden to offer prayers to the Gods. As you know, they will only begin their Chinese New Year celebrations tonight. Poor them!

Anyway, I have been invited to their open houses and will be going over to a few houses afterwards to show neighborly support. Oh yes, they will be lighting firecrackers as well and one household has even arranged for late night lion dance. That would be awesome to watch.

And how could I not mention the food? Like past Chinese New Years, I have been stuffing myself non stop since the Eve. I KNOW I have put on weight, I just do not have the guts to weigh myself. However, I have some weight loss pills on standby and will be putting myself on a stricter diet after the Chinese New Year celebrations! I promise!

Gem of Life Conclusion

Time really, really flies, eh? It's hard to believe that Gem of Life is going to conclude soon, possibly by the end of next week. We are now up till Gem of Life episode 74 tonight and there will be another eight more episodes to go till episode 82, although I read in forums that TVB has been disappointed with audience response to the mega drama and plan to shorten it by five episodes. I don't know how accurate this rumour is. I hope that they will show us all 82 episodes, if only to allow us to watch the cast a little longer.

Just like the tagline of this drama, which is something along the lines of "all that glitters is not gold", the three daughters, Sylvia, Constance and Jessica, are back to square one. Once again, they are single, with an additional broken relationship.

In the closing episodes, I hope that these three sisters and the rest of the characters will have something positive in life but that may be wishful thinking. Derek has died and Ah Woh seems to be suffering from a medical condition.

Anyway, while some people say that Gem of Life is no longer interesting, I would still want to support it till the end, if only to have a closure to the drama.

Free Loyalty Points

My friend, Terrence, told me that he would like to buy a watch since he has some excess money through his angpow collection, which he calls his "bonus".

Terrence plans to buy a branded watch and I told him that I would like to tag along so that I could collect loyalty points. He doesn't have any loyalty reward cards so he might as well benefit me, right?

Terrence has already checked what he wanted online and so far, he says that Swiss Army watches have caught his eye. They are rugged and he told me that one model even comes with a torch light which would be handy.

I don’t know yet how much he would eventually spent but I am already looking into collecting a few hundred loyalty points from his purchase! Boy, don’t I just love freebies!

Feb 3rd Perak State Holiday

Tomorrow, 3rd Feb, has been declared a Perak State holiday to celebrate the silver jubilee of the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah. In conjunction with this, new State award “Dato’ Seri Azlanii” (DSA) will be bestowed upon 25 individuals who have served the Sultan loyally.

To create a long stretch of Chinese New Year holiday, I have declared 2nd Feb as a holiday. Haha!

Anyway, I understand that the official hotel for the Silver Jubilee will be held at the new hotel in Ipoh, Tower Regency Hotel. It will also be where royal guests will be staying.

I understand that this is the tallest building in Ipoh City and it was built at a cost of RM70 million. It has a total of 260 hotel rooms and service apartments and this 4-star hotel is the only one in Ipoh that has penthouses. Mmggg wouldn't it be good to own a penthouse here?

100 Drug-Dependent Celebrities

I recently came across a long list of one hundred drug-dependent celebrities on a celebrity blog. Some of these stories I have already read about, some of the names on the list shocked me; “Oh no, not them too?”

The thing is, I thought that with their wealth, they could easily check into a private drug rehab and kick the bad habit out of their lives. But I guess, sometimes it takes a third party to let us know that we have a bad habit because we ourselves can't see it.

What do you think?