Eternal Baroque

What are words?

2011-06-16T16:51:00.001+08:00

Are they combinations of 26 different alphabets? The unique kind of sound when you identify their pronunciation?

A silent h in 'hour'. An uncanny combination in 'rendezvous'.

But like music notes, words weave something more than what they are.

They are excitement in an inspiration. They are admiration in beauty. They are faith in an idea.

They are a conversation between two people.

When you write, do you know who you are writing to? Do you know what feelings or information you want to share to them? Do you know why they would listen?

Do you know why you write?

Writing words is a communication in itself. If you don’t know why you are talking, no one else does. If you don’t believe what you are saying, no one else will.

Words are powerful. Only if you can master them. They’re like a nasty horse that won’t let you ride it if you’re not good enough.

Some people turn away from that particular horse, or even give up on horse-riding forever. And I’m the silly little bullheaded lass who still want to keep trying. In any case, I’m the silly little bullheaded copywriter in an advertising agency for two weeks now.

Finally I’m back on here, thanks to the brain-picking process at work. You know, you get overloaded with words and you have to spit them out once in a while. Haha.

Good day everyone!

Soupe du jour

2010-04-30T23:52:00.006+08:00

Yes, I'm being lazy. To update blogs. lol. But I'm at least putting in efforts to pretend I am doing something. :P

Here we go today, soup of the day: a forwarded email that was meaningful. Read on! :)

-Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

Image credit: lovingwhisper.com

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

Image credit: list.co.uk

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Image credit: istockphoto.com

Thanks to the friend who forwarded this email to me. ;) Good luck with life everyone!

Now, then and sunset on the guitar.

2010-04-27T19:12:00.004+08:00

Just thought I would write a few words after all this while, updating about what I'm doing now and next.

So after a lot of hard work I have completed my final year project on time, and I'll start having my first paper this Friday. There will be four papers for this final-final exams, with the last paper on May 12.

What I'll do next? Let's see. Going to climb Mount. Sungai Lembing, again. Try my luck on sunrise again. And then, would probably go to Kuala Kangsar to visit a friend. After that, Cameron Highlands, again.

Then, looking for a job.

What would happen next remains a mystery now anyway.

On another note, I love sunset on the guitar. :)

YER BLUES
"the sun goes down on the new Fender acoustic..."
- Copyright 2006 by Rick Macomber

“One day,” you said to me, “I saw the sunset forty-four times!”
And a little later you added:
“You know--one loves the sunset, when one is so sad…”
“Were you so sad, then?” I asked, “on the day of the forty-four sunsets?”
But the little prince made no reply.

- Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

And I still need a friend.

2009-12-28T18:20:00.008+08:00

What are friends to you?

Some say friends are those who help you through hard times; some say friends are those who you share your happiness and sorrows with; and some say friends are those who make us who we are.

Image from Dreamstime.com

Some people say friends come and go, some people say good friends worth the effort to stay connect.

Some people say friends aren't forever, some people say friends stay forever because we want to.

Some people say friends won't completely understand us, some people say friends are only true when you understand and let understood.

Some people say friends who let go should be let gone, some people say friends drifted apart because they are both fear of saying "I miss you, please come back".

Image from Myspace

Some people say friends are nothing but a shadow, some people say friends are only for those who know how to open the heart.

Some people say they don't need friends, some people say that's a lie, because we all need friends.

And yes I do agree, all of us need friends. Be it a friend who stays nearby, a net friend, a penpal, or even an imaginary friend.

We make friends to share, to understand, and to make us who we are.

Image from lizaklimenko.wordpress.com

Lastly, a lovely song for you to listen here. Long lost penpal, by Hello Saferide.

Long lost penpal
by Hello Saferide

Hello
Do you remember me
I am your long lost pen pal
It must have been ten years ago we last wrote
I don't really know what happened
I guess life came in the way
Let me know if you're still alive
Let me know if you ever used that knife or not

Hello
Yes I remember you
I've got a husband and two children now
I work as an accountant and make fairly good money
I still have your letters, you used a pink pen to write them
And you would comfort me
when my tears would stain the ink
And I would send you mix tapes with Kate Bush on

I have to admit I sometimes lied in those letters
Tried to make life better than it was
I still wasn't kissed at sixteen
And I still need a friend

There was this letter
I never told you this back then
But it would be fair to say it saved my life
I sat in the window
The only one left out from a party again
Pretty sure I didn't have a single friend
Then I checked the mailbox

Dear long lost penpal
I was lying the whole time
I'm really a 46 years old man named Luke
I have three children
and a wife, she doesn't care
And I hope you don't resent me
And I hope you do not hate me
For trying to find my way back to what it's like to be young

I have to admit I sometimes lied in those letters
Tried to make life better than it was
I still wasn't kissed at sixteen
And I still need a friend

And some of the times, we need friends to make life better than it was.

Image from commentsguru.com

Loneliness is not alone

2009-12-22T19:49:00.009+08:00

You scroll across your contacts in your mobile phone and you found no one to call up for a lunch out. You open up a new message box and end up clearing the text you've typed because there's no one you thought would be free enough to reply. You log on to instant messenger online and log off in three minutes after you realise those who are online aren't people you could actually chat with.

And then you shut down computer, turn off phone, sit in front of the 24-hour-entertaining television set and start to wane in blues. Those are the times we call ourselves feeling lonely.

Image source: krystalheart.com

But are we totally alone with our loneliness? We may always have thought that loneliness is a completely self-contained emotional state. However, study shows that loneliness is actually contagious. Yes, loneliness, like flu or cold, could spread from one person to another.

According to a research led by University of Chicago Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience director John Cacioppo, loneliness can be transmitted from one person to another, whether in person, on the phone or even online. And in turn, this spreading of loneliness influences the pattern of social network around the lonely person. - Chicago tribune

The results of the study shows that when a person admits feeling lonely at one point, his or her family and close friends will be 52% more likely to encounter loneliness two years later. The contagious effect of loneliness will remain significant up to three degrees of separation. It means that when you are feeling lonely, you could influence your friend's friend's friend to feel lonely. - Time magazine

Image source: seanjonesfoto.com

Besides, the researchers also found that when a person feels lonely for one more day in a week than usual, his or her neighbours who are close friends would experience increased loneliness. - Science daily

It sounds bizarre - that your next-door neighbour, and even your friend's friend's friend whom you may not even heard about his/her name before could feel lonely because you are lonely. Surprising as it sounds, but how does this really happen? What it really takes to make a lonely person makes another person or even a stranger lonely?

According to Cacioppo's research, there is a pattern of contagion that over a period of time, the group of lonely people will be gradually moved to the edge of social networks. In other words, when people become lonely, they become more and more disconnected with the society. - Science Daily

Image source: apronstringsemily.wordpress.com

"On the periphery people have fewer friends, yet their loneliness leads them to losing the few ties they have left," said Caciappo in an article published in Science daily.

However, before they lose the last few ties, they spread their feelings of loneliness to their remaining friends, who would then also become lonely.

"People who feel lonely view the social world as more threatening," said Caciappo in an article published in Time magazine. "They may not be aware that they are doing it, but lonely individuals think negatively about other people. So if you are my friend, and I started to treat you negatively, then over time, we would stop being friends.

"But in the meantime, our interactions caused you to treat other people less positively, so you're likely to lose friends, and they in turn are likely to lose friends. That appears to be the means of transmission for loneliness," he added.

Image source: dejavu87.wordpress.com

Frowning, making other unpleasant facial expressions, saying hurtful things or even adopting uninviting body postures are all it takes to spread negative feelings. - Time magazine

The significance of the results of this study is that it shows that "loneliness is more like an indicator of the social health of our species on the whole". To the psychology therapy field, it means treatment for loneliness not only involve the patients themselves, but also larger, society-based issues, that probably "there is almost a wave of loneliness that is being propagated by people two or three connections removed from them". - Time magazine

Now that we see how loneliness can be spread and its implication on a larger scale, the question that we should ask is: What can we do to help the situation?

Ultimately, loneliness is our "biological signal of hunger or thirst" (Chicago tribune); only that what we are hungry and thirst for is a helping hand, comforting words, and some wamrth in a friendly hug.

Image source: thenewheretics.wordpress.com

In the end of the day, we are not completely alone when we are lonely - your friend's friend's friend could feel lonely because you are lonely. Now, we are not really that isolated in this colder and colder world after all, are we?

Once again.

2009-11-22T00:06:00.005+08:00

It's been a really looooong time.

I had had doubts if I would ever continue writing in this blog again, or if anyone would still be following, checking on my blog every weekend, having that tiny little hope that she or he may see an update.

And if anyone still does, I greatly appreciate your appreciation, and I'm also awfully sorry for deserting this blog for more than three months.

But I'm back today, again. Things I'll be writing here may be different from what I've always been writing though; it's been a long time, and people changes from time to time. After all, the world is dynamic, life is dynamic, people are dynamic.

Change is always for the better, I believe.

My return today is a very simple one - I just have these quotes from significant figures that I really like to share. Writing in facebook status or windows live messenger's personal message can only include that many - and I have read so many good lines today that I really like people to know.

They've made my day. Hope they do the same to you too, whoever is reading.

Mark Twain (American humorist, writer and lecturer. 1835-1910)

Image from cmgww.com

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

“Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.”

Maya Angelou (American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. 1928-present)

Image from mayaangelou.com

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

Mae West (American actress, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol. 1893-1980)

Image from allaboutmae.com

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

I only learned about this great woman, Maya Angelou, today. And yes, I'm going to check out her famous book "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" soon!

When I've got the time to hit the bookstore.

I hate this but I'm having so little time to be spent on going out. It's a dangerous place we're living in, but I guess once in a while, we all need some fresh air, somewhere else.

A bookstore, a restaurant, or a movie.

2012 was good in terms of graphics, moderately heart-gripping, but somehow it's also commercialised, if you know what I mean. It could have been better, if it could go deeper than just surface.

Humanity. The best test I've ever seen on movies was in Batman: The Dark Knight; where two ships were installed with bombs. If you've seen that movie, you know what I meant.

Thanks for reading Eternal Baroque. Good evening, and have a great weekend. :)

Things that inspire

2009-07-18T14:02:00.007+08:00

One interesting thing about commercial ads is that sometimes it inspires. Like watching a meaningful movie, or listening an emotional song; the heart aches, then it warms up; a surge of life in your veins.

It's not hard to survive in this modern days. But perhaps, most of us have problems seeing through; knowing how to live.

And that's the reason some movies, some songs, some ads, could touch a cord in you; as if you've been asleep for all this while, waiting for that one sentence, to wake you up to life.

To cut long story short - I went for a movie night out with my friends last night (Public Enemy, great!), and there was this Chivalry commercial before the movie started. It was as if the narrator was talking to me - a life-inspiring message.

The Movement, Live with Chivalry, Chivas

Transcript:

Millions of people. Everyone out for themselves. Can this really be the only way? No.
Here's to honor. and to gallantry, long may it live.
Here's to doing the right thing. To giving a damn.
Here's to the straight-talkers, who give their word, and keep it.
Here's to freedom, wherever you find it, and to knowing the true meaning of wealth.
Here's to the brave among us.
Here's to a code of behavior that sets certain men apart from all others.
Here's to us. Live with Chivalry.

On another note, the background music used in this commercial is a masterpiece. Can't resist to not share it with you. I love how the music flies from one point.

To Build A Home - Cinematic Orchestra

There is a house built out of stone
Wooden floors, walls and window sills...
Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust..
This is a place where I don't feel alone
This is a place where I feel at home.......

Cause, I built a home
for you
for me

Until it disappeared
from me
from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust........

Out in the garden where we planted the seeds
There is a tree as old as me
Branches were sewn by the color of green
Ground had arose and passed it's knees

By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top
I climbed the tree to see the world
When the gusts came around to blow me down
I held on as tightly as you held onto me
I held on as tightly as you held onto me......

Cause, I built a home
for you
for me

Until it disappeared
from me
from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust........

God, Or Mind Over Matter

2009-07-02T16:46:00.002+08:00

Hooks, daggers, even iron bars, pierced through the skin and flesh of the people walking under the hot sun, towards the temple high up in the dark caves; they walk with pride, without a single sign of fear, as if they do not feel the hooks on their backs, nor the daggers inside their jaws; as if they do not feel pain.

Every year in Malaysia we can see Hindus flocking to Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, during Thaipusam festival. Thaipusam is the day when the Hindus come to thank their gods for granting them their wish. One of the unique scenery on this day, is certainly the extreme actions some Hindus took to show their gratitude to their gods. Some push through a dagger in their jaws, or cheeks, some pierce through the skins of their backs with sharp metallic hooks. They each take different ways to show their faith, but what is similar is that none of them show a sign of pain.

For the Hindus, it is believed that with proper rituals done prior to the special day, and with a deep faith in their gods, they will not feel any pain when taking such seemingly painful actions. According to them, they do not feel any pain when they pierce through their flesh with metals because they are protected by gods.

Bizarre as it sounds, there is also another case as a similar example - the followers of Sufi teachings. During their rituals, they chant and chant, sometimes even dance. As their chants get louder and louder, their devotions to their teachings get more and more intense, they claim that they can push through daggers, swallow swords without feeling any pain. And also that they can heal very fast, without an ugly wound left behind, within minutes, after pulling out the daggers or swords.

Similarly, the Sufi followers claimed that they are blessed and protected by their God when they perform such rituals, hence the magical powers of no pain, and fast healing.

While experiments found that the phenomenon of no pain, and fast healing, is TRUE, and that the bio-light of a person is enhanced when performing such ritual, which lead certain scientists to conclude that "the only simple explanation is God"; some scientists argue that it's not God, it's just OURSELVES.

Experiments back then have shown that human's consciousness has very powerful influence over their physical bodies. The famous example would be that experiment, in which a person was hypnotized, and being told he would be touched with a hot coal. The experiment subject then actually had his hand burnt, even though in the reality he was being touched with an ice block during the experiment.

Therefore some scientists argue that the "magical power" of no pain and fast healing when highly-religious people perform such rituals, is actually the power that they obtain, simply because of "faith". There is no external forces, but only internal influences where their strong believe in immunity to pain because of God, make their physical bodies immune from feeling any pain. It is what we call, mind over matter.

For years debates have been on this subject - is the power of feeling no pain, the gifts of God, or is it natural capability of human beings that is yet to be understood?

And thus here I ask the question : Do you believe in any external forces outside our mind (e.g. God, spirits, etc) ? Or do you think that there is no external forces, but it's only our mind over our bodies, and matters; it has always been just us, and our powerful consciousness ?

I personally think that such magical powers derived from both forces - external, as well as internal. Yes, I totally agree that the power of human's mind is so vast, so....unlimited, and also, undefined. I believe that, with a strong faith in something we are doing, we can achieve anything beyond our known limitations.

However, I also believe that there are external forces, unnecessarily be God. I believe the universe is filled with energies, active, inactive, flowing, stagnant, occupied, or free-flowing. When we believe strongly in something, our consciousness actually is "stirred" to such intensity, where it "attracts" the external energies outside our bodies, resulting in a resonance that may enhance what our physical bodies can do.

For me, the answer lies in a collaboration between the two - the intensity of our consciousness, and the resonance with external energies outside our bodies.

But still, we will never know the true answer until the true potentials of human beings is being explored, and mapped out; until we can say definitely what is really the limitations for human beings, or what is not.

As human being that possess the ability to think of why to everything, we are the most mysterious of all beings in this world. It's even more mysterious, when mysterious beings like us, are actually looking inward now, looking for an answer to what we can actually do, and what we really are.

After all, life is a mystery on its own.

Golden Ratio: Where It Is Not.

2009-05-25T16:40:00.002+08:00

I believe most of you who have followed Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci's Code" story closely would be familiar with; or at least heard of it more than just once - Phi, the golden ratio.

image source: GoldenNumber.net

In spite of its significance in mathematics and arts, the definition of a golden ratio is rather simple actually. Take one line here, and then we cut the line into two segments in different length in a special way. Say we name the longer line segment as line segment a, and the shorter one, b.

What is so special with it is that we have to make sure the ratio of the length of the entire line (a + b) to the length of the longer line segment (a), is the same with the ratio of the length of the longer line segment (a) to the shorter one (b). Get that right, and we will already be looking at the magic number, the golden ratio, a.k.a. Phi.

image source: Wikipedia

The golden ratio is often denoted by the Greek letter phi (Φ or φ). Phi is a ratio, and moreover, an irrational mathematical constant; which approximately equals to 1.6180339887. When expressed algebraically:

-Wikipedia

In one of his books, Stephen Hawking once mentioned the more numbers of mathematical formulas are printed in a book, the less popular it will be selling. Thus let's leave that algebraic expression as the one and only mathematical formula you will see in this article, to prevent further boredom. :)

Well, back to the heart-gripping fiction. The handsome Harvard lecturer Robert Langdon gave a mathematics lecture on golden ratio in his class, trying to tell his students how special, and how really close the number is, to human beings. Fibonacci's sequence, ratio of female bees to male bees in a hive, ratio of one spiral to the next spiral on a nautilus, ratio of the diameter of a rotation to the next in a sunflower's growth, even to the ratio between different human body parts.

image source: Daniel Von Fange

"Measure the distance from the tip of your head to the floor. Then divide that by the distance from your belly button to the floor. Guess what number you get," says Langdon in the class. And we don't have to guess like his students here; the answer by Langdon, is Phi; no surprise here. To top it off, he claims that Leonardo da Vinci has shown belief in golden ratio as the ratio of the height of a perfect human face to its width; that the artist used Phi in his artwork, Vitruvian Man. - Discovermagazine.com

Of course, we have much to thank Langdon, or Brown, for indirectly giving such a mathematical revelation to the readers who may or may not know about Phi before. However, Brown is a fiction writer, and there are certainly a lot of disputable claims in this book; and some are more fiction than fact. And thus as critical-thinking readers, we have to ask: how much are the claims about Phi is true in the story?

Look at the human body proportion example Langdon proposes. Measure the distance from the tip of your head to the floor. Then divide that by the distance from your belly buttion to the floor. What answers, we will actually get? I bet it's something close to 1.6. But what is 1.6? When we compare the number 1.6, to the irrational number of Phi, 1.6180339887... , we can see why this claim is impractical, weak in foundation. There are a lot of ratios we can get that, when simplified, is 1.6. But that can be derived from a numerous possibility of exact numbers - 1.623, 1.607, 1.572, etc. And these numbers I just gave as examples cannot be said to be anywhere close to 1.6180339887... . - Discovermagazine.com

Besides, if you spend time measuring your body parts, you might get numbers like 1.2, 1.8, other than 1.6. It's more coincidence than predetermined. - Discovermagazine.com

image source: afpstudio.com

Similarly, the claims on Vitruvian Man doesn't seem to be very solid either. According to Keith Devlin in his article "Cracking the Da Vinci Code", the equally common claims that Sandro Botticelli used φ to proportion Venus in his famous painting The Birth of Venus and that Georges Seurat based his painting The Side Show on φ, are also seem to be without foundation. Painters who definitely did make use of φ include the 20th-century artists Louis-Paul-Henri Sérusier, Juan Gris, Gino Severini, and Salvador Dalí; but all four seem to have been experimenting with φ for its own sake rather than for some intrinsic aesthetic reason. - Discovermagazine.com

Knowing this much, it's probably time to examine how much facts are there in your knowledge about Phi. And we've got a cool quiz here (from "Cracking the Da Vinci Code", Discovermagazine.com ) :

A GOLDEN RATIO QUIZ

There are so many false claims made about the golden ratio, and so many surprising truths, that it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Here are some of the most common statements you will find in the literature, besides the ones mentioned in the article. See how many you can correctly guess are true or false. (True means known for sure to be true; false means there is insufficient evidence to justify the statement.)

1. The Egyptian pyramids were constructed using the golden ratio.

2. Some Egyptian tombs were constructed using the golden ratio.

3. Some stone tablets show the Babylonians knew about the golden ratio.

4. The cubists based much of their work on the golden ratio.

5. The famous French architect Le Corbusier advocated and used the golden ratio in architecture.

6. The Secretariat building at the United Nations headquarters in New York comprises a stack of three golden rectangles.

7. Some Gregorian chants are based on the golden ratio.

8. Mozart used the golden ratio in some of his music.

9. Béla Bartók used the golden ratio in some of his music.

10. When a falcon attacks its prey, it swoops in along a path that is mathematically related to the golden ratio.

11. The poet Virgil based the meter of his poem The Aeneid on the golden ratio.

12. Some 12th-century Sanskrit poems have a meter based on the Fibonacci sequence (and hence are related to the golden ratio).

13. The golden ratio occurs in certain crystal structures.

14. There is a Fibonacci number with exactly 666 digits.

15. If you square any Fibonacci number, the answer will differ by at most 1 from the product of the two adjacent Fibonacci numbers.

Answers:

1. F 2. F 3. F 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. F 9. F 10. T 11. F 12. T 13. T 14. T 15. T

Now I'm sure you have a clearer, more-examined, less-disputable views about Phi. Although there is a lot of claims in Brown's novel that seems to lack viable justification, but a few points Langdon proposes are true anyway. At least the part about plants.

According to Devlin, to achieve maximum efficiency, flower heads and plant leaves grow in a spiral fashion governed by the golden ratio. Since φ is an irrational number and the number of petals, spirals, or stamens in any plant or flower has to be a whole number, nature “rounds off” to the nearest whole number. - Discovermagazine.com

He also explained that in the case of leaves, each new leaf is added so that it least obscures the leaves already below and is least obscured by any future leaves above it. Hence the leaves spiral around the stem. For seeds in the seed head of a plant, nature wants to pack in as many as possible. The way to do this is to add new seeds in a spiral fashion. - Discovermagazine.com

As such, we come to see why Phi is so significant in science - it's the ratio that gives optimal solution to plant growth equations. - Discovermagazine.com

Like how Devlin puts it, "It’s a question of nature being efficient".

image source: Terroir Seeds

As readers living in a society "exquisitely dependent" on science and technology, we have to sharpen our eyes and logical senses when we read. I certainly do not hope people in our era live up to fulfill Dr. Carl Sagan's expectation that "hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology".

Hence we just have to be critical, and check, and double-check every fact we are absorbing.

"There are many hypotheses in science which are wrong. That's perfectly all right; they're the aperture to finding out what's right. Science is a self-correcting process. To be accepted, news ideas must survive the most rigorous standards of evidence and scrutiny."

And there we go, Dr. Sagan's quote has quite sum the whole thing up. :)

*Dr. Carl Sagan, 1934-1996, American astronomer, writer and scientist.

The Jurassic Botanical Park

2009-05-11T17:33:00.008+08:00

Giant mushrooms looming all over the lands, elephant legs with eerie pink flowers growing on top sticking their stems out from rocks, sky-scraping ogres almost bald-headed with creepy hair standing tall in the forest - you would ask, is this a fantasy dream alive in the mind of Guillermo del Toro ?

But no, this is not a fantasy, let alone a dream. It's a real place on Earth, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa. It is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean, some 350km south of the Arabian peninsula, belonging to the Republic of Yemen. - Wikipedia: Socotra.

The main island of Socotra, spanning over 30 to 35km north to south and 130km east to west, is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin. The archipelago was believed to have started its long detachment from main continents since the Miocene, some six or seven million years ago.

This harsh and dry land, which derives its name from Sanscrit word meaning "the island of bliss", is considered as the "jewel" of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. And people name it that way for a good reason. - Dark Roasted Blend, Wikipedia: Socotra.

For millions of years the island has been isolated, providing a suitable environment to preserve a bizarre botanical paradise, since the time of Gondwana, the massive supercontinent once existed on Earth 180 to 200 millions years ago. The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago explains the teeming plants varieties on the island - with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, more than a third of the 800 or so plant species are found no where else. Some varieties have even been preserved for 20 million years, i.e. haven't changed their forms or ways of living for those million of years!

As we have a grip on what and how Socotra island is, we shall look back at our otherwordly landscape we just thought came out from Pan's Labyrinth nightmare.

Looking closer, the giant mushrooms looming all over the lands are not mushrooms after all. They are trees, with such great name - the dragon's blood tree, or dracaena cinnabari. The tree has branches spring upwards forming an umbrella-shaped tree top, and when seen from afar, looks just like a giant mushroom. In spite of its uncanny appearance, its red sap was highly sought after as a medicine and a dye.

Next are the disputable elephant legs sticking out of rocks with odd flower branches, except that they are not elephant legs (obviously), but stems of another rare botanical species, the desert rose, or adenium obesium. Weirdly enough that these rather ugly-looking plants which reminded me of literal meanings of frump, are called as the delicate, fragile and graceful rose of the desert (I would say it doesn't live up to half of its name), they actually have more stoical bearing than roses. They grow their roots without soil and straight through the hard rocks.

Leave the harsh roses aside, and we shall look at the ogre with eerie hair like Medusa's. Of course it is not an ogre, instead it looks more like a papaya tree's stem, except that it is taller, more taller, and fatter. It's the cucumber tree, or dendrosicyos socotranum. It doesn't resemble any forms of cucumbers to me, but maybe those bare leaves dangling over its top like some monster's hair do dangle in a cucumber dangling style.

In addition to the botanical's version of Jurassic park on the island, it also has a fairly rich bird fauna, including a few types of endemic birds, such as the Socotra Starling Onychognathus frater, the Socotra Sunbird Nectarinia balfouri, Socotra Sparrow Passer insularis and Socotra Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus. - Wikipedia: Socotra.

Socotra was recognised as a world natural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in July last year. The island has around 40,000 populations, but it has only has it first roads in 2006. It is geared towards sustainable eco-tourism and thus, it seems that you would have to get a camel to walk the lands. - Dark Roasted Blend.

Botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered island flora in the world. The archipelago is a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation and a possible center for eco-tourism. - Wikipedia: Socotra.

If there is any places I would want to visit at least once in my life time, I would tick this island as one of them. It's great to be transported back in time to some ancient era in Earth history to have some otherworldly experience, except for the camel-riding part. But who knows, it might feel better than you thought!

Images and information sources: Dark Roasted Blend, Wikipedia: Socotra.

The future of Sims, coming.

2009-04-04T15:00:00.005+08:00

The Sims. You live in a neverland of your own family, and the world is flat. The Sims 2. You fall to the circle of life with roommates and course mates, and the world is three-dimensioned. The Sims 3. Your can walk from this side of the town to that side of the town, and the world is interconnected.

From one confined virtual world to a virtual world of endless possibilities, The Sims 3 finally opens the door for sims and its players this June 2.

Originally expected to be released in February, Electronic Arts has announced it has plans to re-evaluate when The Sims 3 will be available in stores, and has now decided to postponed the releasing date to June 2. - Ars Technica

Alongside the June launch, the game team is creating awareness for the game through trailers and videos. And these videos are so great, I can't wait to play The Sims 3 NOW!

Watch them, Sims players and those to be!

The Sims 3 - Official E3 First Look Trailer (PC)

Sims 3 - "Taking Candy" (Game Trailer)

The Sims 3 Developer Game Tour

Victory, or destroyed by war.

2009-03-25T15:40:00.007+08:00

It's a harsh cold world out there at the front line.

Being thrown, pushed, crushed, defeated, devastated, depressed. And still the next morning you have to wake up and survive the next battle.

Though till then, all the battles fought were only minor scratches of the whole cruel world.

But the failures in fighting these minor wars were already able to smash the young spirit into shatters and pieces.

Life isn't hard, everyone else is doing the same, and even more difficult jobs than you are; But life's still overwhelming, while you can't even win the weakest monsters when others are already slashing throats of huge demons.

Like a loser gamer in Diablo II, stuck at the ground level and could never break through to the next.

I am baffled in newsdesk. But I'm still surviving, at least able to breathe.

Though the worst part of it hasn't even come yet.

Watching people battling one of the worst demons I feel belittled. I know if it were me, I couldn't handle it.

Relieved and angry at the same time.

Relieved since I know that demon is out of the limit of my capability to handle; Angry because I know I couldn't handle this if it were me while others can excel it.

Even though the hands are trembling when weapons are set out; even though the shoulders are shaking when armour lies in front; even though the tongue is tied dumb when horn is handed - there is no turning back for a soldier on the red line.

In the end it's only sieg or vom krieg zerstört.

All we can hope is a ride on four horses over the Siegestor when the curtain draws.

"Dem Sieg geweiht, vom Krieg zerstört, zum Frieden mahnend" - inscription on back side of The Siegestor (Victory Gate) in Munich by Wilhelm Hausenstein.

"Dedicated to victory, destroyed by war, reminding of peace".

Blog and Pilot!

2009-03-21T18:34:00.004+08:00

Taking control of that wheel, reading the invisible grids mapped out in the vast space, looking over to clouds all around and lands beneath shrink into blurry dots - have you always been aspiring to be a PILOT?

Now here's the chance for it. AirAsia is organising a blogging activity for those who want to apply to be a pilot in AirAsia airlines. Yes, blog! And ten people will be chosen to live their dreams in the sky.

Simply send in your blog entries from April 1 to May 15 this year, telling why you deserve one of the ten spots, to AirAsia blog.

First you'll have to login to the blog (it's the same login as the AirAsia website; create one if you don't have one), and then click on the "Write a Blog Post" tab. Then you can write in your entries titled "So You Wanna be a Pilot?:(post title)" with your full details that include your name, date of birth and your contact details (email, physical address, direct contact number) and submit it.

Applicants are required to meet these basic entry requirements as per the Department of Civil Aviation and AirAsia standards for pilot acceptance.

Conditions of entry:-

1. Aged 18 to 28 as at date of submission of entry

2. Passed SPM (or its equivalent that is recognized by the Malaysian Government) with at least A2 in English and Mathematics and B3 in Physics taken at one sitting. (Those from the Arts stream should have at least an A2 in General Science); or possess a Diploma/Degree in Engineering or Science-related disciplines with CGPA 3.0 and above and at SPM level scored at least a B4 in the subjects mentioned above taken in one sitting.

3. Good command of English and Bahasa Malaysia both written and spoken.

4. Must be physically and mentally fit with good eyesight (visual acuity of at least 6/60 without optical aid, correctable to 6/6 and not colour blind. Should be able to successfully pass a medical examination up to a Class 1 standard conducted by a Department of Civil Aviation Authorised Medical Examiner (DAME).

5. Minimum height of 163 cm (5ft 3in).

6. Be prepared to sign a training bond with a surety.

Ten winners will be selected as a whole. Only published entries will be considered for selection as one of the ten winners. The winners are then entitled to be the first to attend the first round of selection for AirAsia's new pilot intake, which will be determined by AirAsia and AirAsia retains the right to alter the date of interview at its discretion.

For more information, log on to http://blog.airasia.com/index.php/so-you-wanna-be-a-pilot#c1649, or email blogteam@airasia.com for further queries.

I wanted to be a pilot too, at some point of time in my life; How cool and free it is to soar in the sky? Well. Unfortunately I'm too short (around 159cm only)... so guess I'll pass on this great offer.

Though I know some of you might have been always aspiring to wheel that plane! So I'm writing this down in my blog, in case those of you who meet the requirements and interested might want to know about this great opportunity. Good luck blogging and flying! :)

P/S : I just read that you are unnecessarily to be non-spectacled to be a pilot. Read this.

It's too late to apologise.

2009-03-14T19:15:00.004+08:00

It's never too late to learn that you have made a mistake. But it's always already too late to realise that it really was a mistake when people told you so back then; at which after you fired back at them, stomped away from them and never to see these unpleasant narrow-mindeds again.

People did a lot of silly (sometimes over-board) mistakes when they were young. And I guess one of them is to think that you're better than a lot of people and that you don't have to work the hard way like everyone else, and that you will eventually become someone great because you are great.

When people tell you to stop daydreaming, to stop fantasizing, to stop overestimate and "young people, you'd better don't be so arrogant", you felt offended and you thought these were the negative people you had to get rid of your life, so as those self-help books said in ways to lead a positive life.

However as time moves on you fell a lot of time and finally ready to accept the fact that you are truly incompetent, not that great, not that humble as thought you were. In fact you've been so inflated with your own capabilities that you've overlooked the rules of how this world works.

When you blamed it on the narrow-mindedness of people that disagree with your unrealistic fast-paced ambitions, probably it's better to flip the coin to the other side and look - no one in the world is as "open-minded" as how you define it.

You just want to get to the destination quick without working hard (lazy); You just want to get accepted and applauded for your ideas without working on it (more laziness); You just want to be recognized by everyone without even start to network with professionals (you thought you're Megan Fox or something? Even Fox has worked hard to climb up the ladder before Transformer was up!).

ehem, ignore the slogans. Just find it funny. :P

The world is open-minded, but only to those who have visions and willing to work hard to achieve something great. You could be king in your little brain without even moving your ass from your chair, but it takes years to be someone that speaks volume in the reality.

I am young and I have to admit to that I have done a lot of the mentioned silly mistakes. Negativity should be avoided, but not to the extent that even constructive criticism could not make a pin hole through your walls of perfect illusions.

When people care to not let you down, they're kind-hearted friends who don't want to make you feel bad; When people care to let you know you're being unrealistic, they're good friends who can actually pull you out from the self-destruction you're heading.

It's already too late to realise that some of the people I chased away (or rather I ran away from) in my life had actually been telling me the truth of the working world. But it's never a time too late to realise, than to never realise at all for the rest of one's life.

One thing I learnt - not to whine. Do things that is your passion, and even if the starting is hard, enjoy it. Whining won't get you anywhere but the trails of a failer.

Today I've learnt a lot from this website I accidentally stumbled across : Sloperama Productions FAQs. Even though it's mainly about advices for people who want to get into game designing industry, the wisdom of Tom Sloper applies in many places.

I shall end the post with his wise quote: "It doesn't matter if you're just a Street Corner Joe. You have it within you to accomplish great things. Learn. Plan. Prepare. Execute. Adapt. Improvise. Conquer."

Slumdog Millionaire: Not The Ordinary Indian Movie

2009-02-23T12:33:00.009+08:00

The Dark Knight was great, but Slumdog Millionaire is already far better on a whole different level.

Winning six Oscars of the night, Slumdog Millionaire proves itself as not just an Indian movie but a movie about life, brothers, love, death and money - completes with the three all-time best-selling issues: death, money, and sex - but not the exposed kind of sex.

The movie began with a young man being tortured by a police officer, who was so convinced that the under-educated, low-income boy had cheated his way up to the place next to being a millionaire in the popular TV show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire".

However the boy Jamal wouldn't succumb: "It doesn't take a genius to answer those questions."

His story began to unfold as the police officer asked him how did he managed to answer each and every question in the game. Village rivalries, mother's death, beggars syndiket, gangster, and trapped lover - Jamal's life was filled with terror, disappointment and also lost love, but all of these had somehow given him the clue to answer the questions in the game later.

Jamal's life had not been a pleasant one, even almost too harsh a reality of a lower level Indian's life to be shown on the big screen. The visual impact was so huge, so deep, and audience are forced to see the darker side of Indian's street - the good thing is, finally, we're not spoonfed with all the Bollywood's happy-dancing dramas anymore.

Someone has to show us what is really happening.

Yet the success of this movie doesn't lie only in its honest depiction of the dark side of Indian street, but also it's empathy on the characters to give them a chance to break out.

Maybe it wasn't the best or the most fulfilled ending for the movie, but at least when so much had happened and so many wounds had been inflicted, it's the realistic and better ending for Jamal.

On another note, the ending of the movie had been touching - and the Oscar results proves that it's not just about the storyline - it won Best Original Soundtrack score and the Best Song categories besides Best Sound Mixing.

The movie gave another thought for me - It would have been so much better if things never happened, if one never let go, if they hadn't looked back; Yet sometimes we have to go through so much only to realize, shed so much tears (and blood, probably) to see, and lost so much to get back to the initial point.

Overall, I would have to say: "Good job, Danny Boyle, and all the cast and crew!". Many have a lot to thank you for, and I thank you for such a movie enjoyment!

Ah, entertain-ing.

2009-02-17T22:06:00.007+08:00

Time to blow away some dust. Sorry people, again I'd been caught up by both work and also laziness for weeks - friend said that working people have no life, and I'm one of those lazy pigs who wake up in the morning with working blues and come back from work to do nothing else for the rest of the day.

The last time I posted anything I was at fashion and beauty desk, but now I've been switched to the entertainment/lifestyle desk - which, I would have to say, is more interesting to me than f&b - well, except for the freebies part.

While I don't get to get all those latest eye shadows, glossy lipsticks, perfect foundations anymore working in this desk, I get something different after all - the experience of talking with SOMEONE interesting.

The difference between f&b and entertainment is the object of interest - one is about the products, the other is about the persons.

Undeniably, there had been boring times where you ate small biscuits, smiled half-heartedly to the PRs, heated the chair for nothing and wasted some inks for apparently no reasons other than to waste the inks.

However, there had been times, too, that you would meet people who are actually INTERESTING; Those were the people who actually inspires, excites, interests.

Some travelled far enough to share exciting stories; some went through much enough to tell you how to not fail life itself; And some served good food.

...... Yes, I'd been for food review and also movie review - Korean food and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button respectively. :P

So far being in the entertainment/lifestyle desk gives good experience going out, it might not be as relaxed and pampered as in f&b coverings, but you do see more than just fashion and beauty.

"The reason why I could've developed all these interests, is that I'd put all my time into business and hobbies only - I don't shop, I don't watch TV, I don't go for spa or facial," said a female adventure traveller on 4x4 vehicles across South America last year, who is also a florist, dancer and chinese ink painter besides being a published photographer now.

Shows the relation between emphasizes on fashion and beauty and level of personal development.

But still, I envy my friend who got the SOTHYS body treatment in f&b desk. I need one for my tired feet!

A devil and a not-that-sane man

2009-01-25T02:04:00.000+08:00

We all have obsessions - be it that adorable laces, that creepy tune or that Keanu Reeves; We all have crave for something or someone at one time.

And my obsessions currently would have to be the smoking hot devil Chuck Bass, the insanely humourous Dr. Walter Bishop and everything about the two extremely definitive persona.

TV series Gossip Girl made a huge come back in end of last year, airing its Season 2, with Chuck Bass (played by Ed Westwick) ever more seductive and Serena Van Der Wurtsen ever more gorgeous. The series revolve around the lives of Manhattan elites, the upper-east side's glam and scandals of the filthy rich teens.

Serena with her on-and-off relationship with Dan, Nate with his high fidelity currently hooking up with Vanessa for god-knows-how-many-days-it'll-last (I bet he will hit on to another girl the next few episodes), Jenny with her competitive side coming back to school after quitting fashion job, Blair with her love-and-hate relationship with Chuck - now it's already episode 16 and I'm still craving for more and more DRAMAS!

Chuck Bass is certainly the devil, the bad boy, the mephisto who is never ashamed of being filthy rich and using those money for filthy pleasures. Drugs, women, alcohol - this guy has all sorts of problems but he still pulls it off looking metrosexually seductive. When you thought he's just a heartless mean bastard, the next second he's showing his mercy on things and people he treasures; And yet, the next minute he puts on his devilish smirk on his face again, heartlessly and heart-breakingly saying : "'Cause I'm Chuck Bass", watching the world burn in his hands.

Maybe it's true that women are naturally blessed with "maternal instinct" that when triggered, couldn't stop but fall to save the man who is god-knows-if-he-himself-even-wants-to-be-saved. Chuck, as problematic as he is, Blair falls hard for him, trying to save him even though it turns her world upside-down, destroys her own life, makes her suffer. And yes, I bet there are also a whole lot of girls out there queuing up to save this gorgeous guy, hoping that this guy can be saved. And yeah, that is what makes Chuck the guy so sought after - the maternal-instinct trigger-puller. Voila!

Fringe is another sure-to-make-the-headline series first aired in September last year. Created by Lost creator J. J. Abrams, with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Fringe is a sci-fi series that explores the realms of fringe science - a type of science that is debatable, possibly-destructive and questionable, yet, theoretically possible to realize. Levitation, teleportation, telepathy - these might seem bizarre and probably more spiritual than scientific, yet the series pulls it all together possible with fringe science, making science the new God.

In search of information about "the Pattern", FBI agent Olivia Dunham, highly intelligent fraud criminal Peter Bishop and institutionalized research scientist Dr. Walter Bishop team up to decode all the unusual incidents happening all around the world, looking for a scientific clue to understand "the Pattern".

In spite of the amazingly addictive plot lines, the Frankenstein-mixed-with-Albert-Einstein Dr. Walter Bishop is certainly one of the most interesting character in the show. He has been in a mental facility for 17 years before being granted permission to leave to help in the investigation of Olivia. This man, as highly intelligent as he is, has an almost humourous style of speaking and way of acting.

Dr. Walter has a personal lab at Harvard with a personal cow to milk for personal drink which he heats it with lab equipments - even though it seems really insane to drink milk from a laboratory-used measuring cup but John Noble (who plays the role Dr. Walter Bishop) makes it hilariously normal-looking.

Not to mention that seriously funny phone conversation with his son Peter Bishop : "Hello, This is me, your father, Walter Bishop," which is being replied indifferently by Peter : "Thank you, Walter. I know who you are." Wonder who would have come up with that line on the phone!

It's not too unusual when it comes to Dr. Walter to comment like this when he saw a bizarre parasite housing on the heart of a poor man : "This is spectacular"; Or him to reply like this when Peter told him the person they were looking for was dead : "Does he still have his head? Is it still attached to his body?"

You know he is somehow insane, yet that is what makes Walter such an interesting character - he doesn't feel out of place with his insanity and thinks that he is acting appropriately while milking a cow in his lab or saying that the onion soup beside victim's body looks tasty at the scene of a horrible deaths in a restaurant.

Thanks to Dr. Walter Bishop, Fringe has something to laugh about besides the addictive tension all over the show.

Dramas is brewing round the corner - I can't wait to have more of it! And you- are you ready4more?

I bet Dr. Walter Bishop will be saying over there : "Excellent! Let's make some LSD!"

Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

2009-01-24T20:54:00.002+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

I finally have my five-day break before back to work again.

My mind is still in a mess, but I'll get over it soon. I guess.

Until then, I wish you all good luck and good fortune in the Year of Ox! :)

Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

Let's face it, you're not Kate Moss.

2009-01-15T18:46:00.004+08:00

I have been in the fashion & beauty desk for two weeks now. I know, I know, you all have tons of questions like "Oh my god, is it cool?", "Gorgeous, did you get to try some free make-up?", "Freak, aren't you so in trend now?"...

However, the truth is that it's actually a bunch of Paris-obsessed and Kate-Moss-worshiping and vitamins-enriched products.

One of the Paris brands told me that turquoise and plum are the make-up colours trend this season. So I tried turquoise on one eye and plum on another eye, and I looked like I had two black eyes - one that has already blue black and one that just got punched one second ago.

And tell me if this is even logical - one of the make-up brands have one of their trend to look as if Kate Moss just woke up. If you want to get a look of just-woke-up, then just woke up and get out of the house. And if you seriously badly want that smoky eyes smudged look, sleep one hour and woke up and go. Otherwise try punching your eyes. Or apply turquiose and plum colour together.

If you do get the just-woke-up look perfect, I suggest wearing one of those designs for CNY this spring to perfect-ize it. They looked just like your grandmother's pyjamas. And seriously, some of the designs I saw were so smudged that I couldn't sense any design in it - perfect match for your smudged just-woke-up look.

Once you get everything ready, you might want to get you yourself to be ready. Spa is a good choice but I find it difficult to get that the spa products actually make you younger when the spokeperson looks like she's got layers of plastic on her face. And what's more, those nerves-confusing exercise to beautify your skin - I believe I'll have nerves-break-down syndrome before I have my chin shaped.

Besides, here's a good news for vitamin-obsessed : 90% of the beauty products are vitamins-enriched. Any kind of vitamins you can think of and those you won't even dream of in your wildest dream are added in moisturizer, facial cleanser, whitening cream, eye gel, hand cream and foot lotion. Seriously, everything. And I think they even add it in lipstick and toothpaste, so that your lips and your teeth are not left out from vitamins.

So far, I'm feeling so cool with all this, don't you agree?

Just, brief.

2009-01-11T17:36:00.005+08:00

It's high time to update my blog, I guess! I've been quite busy with work since my internship started on 5th January; almost caught me exhausted.

I'm currently assigned to the Fashion & Beauty department of The Sun newspapers. Normally this section will be published on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays. So check out extra careful on these days if you might catch my name there! (If you know my full name!)

I already had one on Wednesday for a very brief article. A good start!

Besides, the sun management will be rotating us interns - I'll be in Entertainment next month and newsdesk finally in March.

In spite of being busy with work, still, I try to keep my head above the water. :)

There's tons of things revolving inside my head; yet it also feels like there's nothing really significant that I have to spill it out - isn't that weird? hehe.

Well, while I take some time to clear my head up, I have two movie lines from "Hitch" to share with you here. Good day!

"Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love.
If you must steal, steal away from bad company.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink,
drink in the moments that take your breath away." - Hitch

And, always remember...

"Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away."

-Hitch

2009, I resolve to be a better girl.

2009-01-01T20:28:00.003+08:00

It's a whole new year starting today! 1st of January, don't we all love it? :)

I know it's been soooo long I hadn't updated my blog here. What I'd done in the end of year 2008? I had gone to Singapore from 24 to 27 of December, celebrating Christmas in the crowded modern Asian city. The theme this year was "A Sweet Christmas in Singapore", so lamp posts along Orchard Road were decorated into candy canes. They were so cute!

I'll post the photos up once I got them from my friends. ^^

We all make new year resolutions when a new year comes. Even though we could not quite make them in some of the years, but it was still an exciting ritual to do, embracing the coming new fresh year. And that's what I'm going to do, too! :P

First of all, I want to perform well in my internship starting 5th of January! As you would have read it some posts ago, I am going to do my internship for three months in The Sun Daily. Yes, the Nation's free newspapers which is Telling it as it is. The Sun newspapers is considered to be one of the most neutral newspapers in Malaysia, providing high quality news. I still do not know which department would I be in, but whichever it is, I want to do well, or at least fine!

Secondly, I want to have more self-confidence. You would never look good without a pint of confidence threw on yourself. You would never be capable without a layer of confidence glowing on you. You would never make your point clear without a little more confidence. I want to have more confidence in being myself, admit the wrongs, praise the good, point out the unfair and feel good about myself.

Thirdly, I want to be better in bass. And get really good in jamming. And make it to somewhere this year, if possible.

Next I want to further expand my circles of friends and go to more places I've never visited. I want to see more and know more still.

Also I resolve to be more considerate, and reasonable when talking to people. I'll think before I hurt someone with my words, and I'll state my point clear when someone tries to take advantage of me. That's very important. :)

Last but not least, I resolve to live healthier than last year. I'll yum cha not more than five nights a week; I'll sleep at 1 a.m. the latest on nights I didn't have assignments or yum chas; I'll do more walking to buy nutritious groceries; I'll shop really less, only for important things; and I'll be less emotional.

I guess my every list ends with a seven. So here's my big important seventh point : Life's short, do it if you want to know how it would be, and don't regret. I know it's a bit cliche, but I would end the post with my favourite quote from the movie Transformers :

"Fifty years from now, when you're looking back at your life, don't you want to be able to say you had the guts to get in the car? " - Sam Witwicky

Happy New Year!

The Best of My 2008

2008-12-21T15:49:00.007+08:00

It's the Dong Zhi today! A festive day for Chinese, signifying winter solstice and also the end of previous year. Two days later we'll be celebrating Christmas. It's time to say "Happy New Year" !

It's the time in a year to start making conclusions for the previous year, and make new year resolutions for next year. So far the year 2008 has been a year of widening circles, opening views, stretching horizons and growing up for me. I feel grateful as I draw my conclusions for my own 2008.

1. Joined a band

"I heard that you play bass?" asked Calvin when my roommate gave me his MSN. "Yeah," I replied. And that marked the beginning of me having a band - now with Calvin as one of the guitarists, I as bassist, Pei as drummer and Khai as guitarist also. And I wouldn't forget to mention this time - and Teko as band manager (and vocalist sometimes) ! :P

2. Valuable memories on Terengganu islands

In mid May and June I went to two islands in Terengganu - the happening Redang and the breath-takingly beautiful Lang Tengah. It was the first time I ever see such crystal clear seawater when I reached Redang. Saw colourful corals, fishes and got to feel a live sea cucumber. Got myself a photo of snorkelling under the sea. Danced and drunk in Redang too!

Lang Tengah was yet another great experience -I saw five sharks in one day of snorkelling. I even got to play a Nemo with my own hands! Jungle trekked and saw Green Tears (a kind of plankton that glows in the night, usually seen on beaches), baby turtles and shooting stars!! And I touched the Christmas Tree corals, too. :)

3. Went to different places

I never really went to many places myself, I'd not been overseas and I only been to Melaka, Johor, Pahang and once to Sarawak. But that was before September this year! My coursemates and I went for trip to Taiping, Perak and Penang Island after our finals ended for the May semester. Nigth-safari-ed the first time in Taiping, and tasted real local Penang food in Penang! Ah, those asam lasak, fried oyster, Muachi....Yummy!

Right after came back from Penang, I went to Ipoh to attend one of my best friend's birthday party at her grandmother's house. Treated myself to lots of tasty Indian food - that was when I knew there were sooo many different kinds of Indian curry! Visited the Kellie's Castle and Gua Tempurung and also tried a few famous local dishes such as the Ipoh Tauge Chicken.

4. Watch gigs and see musicians in action

Thanks to Calvin and Teko, I had chances to watch more gigs and see more musicians in action than ever this year. The first would have to be Moonshine Gig in Laundry Bar on 13 November. Calvin brought Pei and I to watch the gig, I finally got the chance to see Tempered Mental in action - not mentioning that I even got to talk with their drummer Jimmy and Ocean of Fire's drummer Jonathan Scull in person -although they just said one or two sentences to me. :P

5. Widen musician circle

Things really would run once you got it started. At least now I know a few more musicians than just those in my own university. And it's great to know more!

6. Joined a new gang of friends

This was truly unexpected - I knew this gang of new friends through Teko. I'm the ultimate night animal for years and couldn't change. And it's great to have gang of friends to hang out in the middle of the night! Yum cha and yum cha for nights! Hehe. It is also a whole new category of people I ever mingled with. And it's very fun to hang out with them. I certainly learnt more than I would have thought. :)

7. More horizons widen!

There are still lots and lots more of experiences I gained this year. Street Dance competition I went to report about, heart patient I interviewed for my assignment, short film shooting I helped for, and the new friendly roommates and housemates! :)

I guess I just love NANA (seven in Japanese), it has been the second post I listed up to seven things. And these are the conclusions I drew for year 2008 - I'd been surprised, growing up and grateful.

That was my 2008. And how was your 2008 so far? Do tell me about it!

Until then, Happy Dong Zhi and Merry Christmas!

Seven Ways to De-emo

2008-12-17T17:07:00.000+08:00

Emo. It's the kind of feeling you feel when you sit down alone finally after a crazy party is over. It's the kind of feeling you feel when you thought of a meaningful memory when it rains. It's the kind of feeling you feel when you just got hurt by a friend's insensitive words, but you find no way to express your feelings.

Almost all of us dislike feeling emo. It draws us down, it makes us vulnerable, it makes us feeling lonely.

To lead a positive life, we would have to think of ways to cope with emo. And it differs between people and people in their ways of over-coming emo.

As a person who emo quite frequently, I have discovered seven ways to help me out of emo through all these years of in-and-out-of-emo experience.

1. Watch informative documentaries

Surprisingly, watching TV programmes such as National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and History Channel put me at ease easily. Whether it's the awe of new technology or the surprising fact about history, or even the firm voice of the narrator in most documentaries, documentaries have always been successful in drawing me out of the black hole of emo-ness.

2. Watch humourous movies/dramas

This works just as amazing as documentaries on me, but it's just that it's a little harder to get access to movies and dramas I want to watch than documentaries sometimes. Though, watching a light-hearted movie such as Bridget Jones' Diary, 101 Dalmatians, and Madagascar, I feel better having a laugh. And of course, some black humour in dramas such as Desperate Housewives or Gossip Girl entertains as well too.

3. Blog

Sometimes I get so emo that I couldn't even drag myself to be couch potato, so I stay in front of the cold hard monitor and start typing out my feelings into my poor grey blog. It feels a lot better after you get to pour your feelings out. Even though it's just writing out your feelings for no one to read.

But anyway, blogs are great because of its ambiguity - you write things there because you don't want to make your friends worried by telling them, but by posting in blogs, your friends have possibilities of finding out and might just come and console you some time later. However, regardless of the motive of blogging, it's really one of the great ways to de-emo.

4. Try out something new within the interested areas

For instant, I try out new ways of playing a certain bass line, or experiment on writing lines on my own with my bass. And I think by plotting out a whole new kind of story in my mind also helps to de-emo. These kind of things excites, thus the mind would go more positive relatively.

5. Sleep

One of the effective ways for me to overcome emo is to sleep, if my mind isn't too restless. It seems that with enough sleep, people could feel happier. I probably have the emo cycle frequently due to my sleep-deprived lifestyle. Feeling emo is one of the ways my body is telling me it needs rest probably. :P

6. Get out of the house with friends

This solution could be the best and also the worst of all. Sometimes by getting out, my mind is allowed to sway into other fun stuffs with friends. But sometimes getting out in a state of mind that is emo, friends not only didn't make me feel better, but I make them down as well. And that is the worst of all situations. So it's a risky decision to make when I'm emo.

7. Chat with friends on instant messenger

Although I put this one as the last in the list, but it doesn't mean it's not important. In fact, I clicked on to this option like 90% of the time when I was emo. However, equally risky as the 6th option, chatting with friends on IM could lead to disastrous situation sometimes, too. You may just end up being hurt more or hurting yet another person because of your inconsiderate words or the other person's inconsiderate words.

You never know how sensitive you could be, or your friend could be at the moment. And not to mention you never know how busy/messy your friend's mind is at the moment. Though nevertheless, when it works, a few words from your friend could just happened to be your salvation of the day.

People are complicated animals, we could never really predict what we would get or what we wouldn't get. That is why the key to de-emo, I would advised, is to change the "mode" of your mind without having to rely on another person's reactions to help.

It is no doubt friends really help a lot, when they are capable of helping. Most of the time we can only self-help. And anyway, you may never know, maybe by doing more self-helping, you could then become a more independent and reliable person for others.

Emo could slow you down, make you stay. However we can always discover ways for ourselves to de-emo, to start running and to start moving on. You may never know, the good things in life might be already on their way to your doorstep!

15 seconds in remembrance with Keep Moving

2008-12-16T13:37:00.006+08:00

I know I've been procrastinating to upload the photos of the video shooting like weeks ago. And finally, I'm here to upload the photos. :)

Director Marco at the left, The girl Carmen, and Main character Chi Hou at the right, me as background. :P

Discussing about how the scene will look like...

Getting ready...Camera man Che Kian at right

Testing out.....Wonder how would have Carmen and Chi Hou felt, being camera-ed at such a close distance :P

And you can see me standing far away....

More takes of the same scene....

Examining the film we recorded...

Another scene.....director telling me to walk from point A to point B. @.@

Finally the video shooting for the day was done......took pictures to remember the day :) [notice : I was the only one not doing any pose at all in this picture....oopz :P]

The guys wanted to stand in front instead of behind the car....hehe

So that was it, the day I went to help out in a short film video shooting. Would have to thank Marco, Che Kian, Chi Hou, Callum and Carmen again for giving me this new experience.

And yeah, JcX....there you go....photos are here finally. :P

Reference : 15 seconds, keep rolling and Keep Moving!

The 2% of Intervention, Or Not.

2008-12-15T17:11:00.008+08:00

Sixty-five million years ago, a fatal star fell from the sky. Dinosaurs, who roamed on this planet for more than 160 million years did not survive the catastrophe. And man, turned up to claim the throne as the ruler of Earth till the present day.

Darwin has shown to the world that evolution is the mechanism behind how this world works. All creatures, all living beings in this world in the present day, come from one common ancestor - a pool of primordial soup. The little cell was the origin of all the variety of the branches of organism we have today.

Dogs split from their wolf ancestral line 15,000 years ago. Horses evolved from a small dog-sized animal without a hoof 55 million years ago. Elephants, are believed to be directly linked with the Mammoths lived in the Ice Age 300, 000 years ago. And apes, were the ancestors of human beings.

Though, how much of the story of evolution is true?

Are we the direct descendants of the primates, or was there a missing link between ape and modern human?

According to genetic analysis, human DNA is 98% identical with the DNA of chimpanzee. 2% of diversity is due to normal species variation. Yet a podiatry surgeon, Dr Roger Leir, found that 223 genes in the 2% diversity have more significance than merely species vary mutation.

In year 2003, Dr. Leir "discovered that 223 genes do not have the required predecessors on our geonomic evolutionary tree." - The Canadian

"In the evolutionary progression from bacteria to invertebrates (such as the lineages of yeast, worms, flies or mustard weed – which have been deciphered) to vertebrates (mice, chimpanzees) and finally modern humans, these 223 genes are completely missing in the invertebrate phase. " - Z. Shitchin, world-mysteries.com

The significant genes are responsible for important psychological and psychiatric functions in Homo Sapiens.

Dr. Leir, and some other researchers believed that the siginificant two-third difference in genes between chimpanzee and modern human could be proof for the presence of extraterrestrial generic intervention.

However, some scientists claimed that the presence of these 223 genes was a result of horizontal evolution, a kind of "bacteria insertion", and not any result of extraterrestrial intervention.

Even though the missing link between ape and human hasn't really been found, there wasn't any physical evidence to proof that extraterrestrial intervention ever happened.

Yet, Llyod Pye, a writer and a lecturer, presented a skull found in Mexico that he claimed to be a Starchild skull - the skull of a hybrid of human being and extraterrestrial being.

Starchild skull

However till date, "no test result was inconsistent with the theory that the child was anything other than human. " - Wikipedia

Other claims of extraterrestrial intervention rise as well, such as the reknown Anunnaki in Mesopotamian myths, the debatable Dendera light bulb in ancient Eyptian temple, and the mysterious purpose of Nazca lines in Peru.

Dendera light, showing the single representation on the left wall of the right wing in one of the crypts

Did we originate from apes alone, or had we actually descended from a far away species in the unknown outer space?

It is interesting to imagine that we could have come from outer space, that we could have been descendants of extraterrestrial beings. However all of these, are merely assumptions, theories without physical evidence.

In the cautious science field, we always stick to the explanation that requires the least assumption - until there is a physical evidence to prove that it is wrong.

Extraterrestrial intervention in human evolution - if you would look at it cautiously, there are way too much assumptions made and way too little physical evidence if any, to support.

Nevada Highway 375, also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, in Rachel, Nevada.

Truth of myteries would be revealed someday, and in the mean time, we can spend time wondering if we are closer to chimpanzees or grey aliens. Or neither, and we're simply descendants of the Almighty God.

P/S: A post inspired by the programme "Is It Real" aired on National Geographic. :)
P.P/S: Might write about Anunnaki myths or the Dendera light bulb or the Nazca lines some other time.....hehe

Tiny, Yet Could Be Big.

2008-12-14T16:59:00.006+08:00

The world has always been irony. The smallest of things could cause the biggest of impacts. Virus, the tiniest semi-organism on Earth ever known, could kill hundreds and thousands of people. Bacterias, small as they are, without them decomposing the compost, Earth would be a barren wasteland of mass garbage.

Subsequently, it's not a surprise that 40 years from now, our source of fuels would come from small little water-living organism with the size no bigger than a peanut - the algae.

In the second part of the series Ecopolis, aired on Discovery Channel, the problem of transportation are being addressed. Transportation nowadays poses one of the biggest threats to the future of our cities. Scientists estimated there would be two billion vehicles and a seven-fold aviation increase by 2050. These large numbers of vehicles and aviations could emit 12 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Los Angeles ranked as the most polluted city in the nation for all categories in the report, even though LA's pollution levels have dropped. (Credit: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Four new advancements has been introduced as possible solutions : algae biofuel, fuel cell vehicles, blended wing aircraft and the electric jeepney (e-jeepney).

Today, I'll briefly introduce the most appealing advancements to me here - algae biofuel.

The algae transform carbon dioxide under the exposure of sunlight into energy. As part of the process, the algae produce oil. They "can generate 15 times more oil per acre than other plants used for biofuels, such as corn and switchgrass.

Algae can grow in salt water, freshwater or even contaminated water, at sea or in ponds, and on land not suitable for food production."-ScienceDaily (Aug. 19, 2008) .

Environmental engineering professors Andres Clarens (center) and Lisa Colosi (right) have teamed up with commerce professor Mark White to investigate how algae may offer the biofuel of the future. (Credit: Melissa Maki)

Besides, algae feeds on carbon dioxide and organic material such as sewage - using algae as source of fuel would also help to clean up the environment.

The algae produce purer oil in terms of low carbon products than vegetable oil. It could mean less carbon dioxide emission when burned in the engines of vehicles.

However the new technology faces a few challenges too. One of them is the mass financial support in extracting the oil from the algae - it involves a form of complicated technology that costs a lot. Though scientists supporting algae biofuel remain optismistic that there would be better and more cost-efficient algae-oil-extracting technology being introduced in the near future.

In spite of that, it is still in question if the burning of algae biofuel would emit other harmful gases beyond carbon monoxide and green house gases.

It sounds almost the ideal solution to the problem of pollution causes by transportation - using algae biofuel requires less usage of lands than petroleum processing, less time of extracting than oil-palm planting, and they can be grown easily in mass.

However in the second part of the series Ecopolis, the host Dan Kammen examined all four advancements and decided that e-jeepney would be the best choice, considering that people should be encouraged to use public transportation.

Though the idea of algae biofuel still sounds the most interesting to me - imagine our cities fueled up with the oil extracted from these small little algae, we would be literally being lifted up by these small giants.

Although e-jeepney has been chosen by Kammen, but still, the idea of algae biofuel makes a food for thought - how could we have thought that things as small as an algae could be the big hope for our future on Earth?

This world always has its way of surprising us, in ways we least expected. Hope, can be found in the most impossible place.

Something I like

2008-12-10T18:04:00.005+08:00

It has been another busy week :P...My sister's wedding, final exam, my internship briefing. But today I'm not here to talk about any of them, but about my BASS.

I guess most of you who are following this blog know that the blogger (yeah that's me) has been learning to play bass for almost a year already. And well, to be specific, the instrument I'm playing is electric bass guitar, which you can often see it in modern rock and jazz bands.

You can see a bass in bands such as Mayday ...

Bassist of Mayday, MASA

....or Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more.

Bassist of RHCP, Flea

So at least if you don't have an idea of what is bass, now you do. So yeah, that's the 4-string thingy I'm playing.

When I first picked up bass as an instrument to master, a lot of people asked me why. Why, out of all the musical instruments, had I chosen bass - the most low profile, least noticed in a band?

I couldn't really remember all the answers I'd given to that question, but I guess sometimes the real reason of picking up something, does not come before you pick it, but after. I couldn't really tell a solid reason to why I chose bass when I was given the choice to choose.

But it's after I've known bass and known a lot of other things and people through bass, that I slowly know why. Maybe other instruments could have led me to another path, and maybe to some other people, some other things. But I'm grateful as where I am now.

I guess, when you choose your musical instrument, you have also chosen part of your life through it.

Life is one big mystery.

If I hadn't chosen music, I would not have love music. Guess it's a choice I've made long before I even decide to love music.

I think it would be dry and hard to explain what about my bass and stuffs, but I'll show you the bass I'm using currently.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Xerxes!

Yamaha RBX270J in Metallic Red, that is.

In fact I don't know what else I could say here ... I guess only people like me would understand. Thanks to my bass...literally, you've opened me up to a wider world, a richer life.

Music, Play For Change. Music connects. :)

We can accept, if we would believe.

2008-12-04T01:20:00.004+08:00

Differences. We are familiar with it. In life, we're constantly dealing with it. Getting your bread from the Indian grocery store, buying your nasi lemak at the Malay stall, having lunch and reading your newspapers in the Chinese restaurant. We are certainly no strangers with differences in Malaysia.

As Malaysians of a multi-racial country, we know, and should have known, that acknowledging differences is not the end of what we should do. The most important thing, far more important than acknowledging differences, is accepting differences.

Yet what we understand here in this multi-cultural setting, might not be understood by the others in the world.

And I really wish they'd understood. Do understand. And will understand very soon.

Anyway, it seems like I've strayed too far away from what I really wanted to talk about initially. Things happened lately, world is falling in grey. But I do wish to believe in the good of people.

In fact I just wanted to say that I'd just watched a movie titled "Outsourced" on TV. The story was about an American salesman being sent to India to train the workers there.

It was a good movie, for it has successfully depicted the changes in the main character, from cultural shock, to learning to accept, and finally truly adapting. What was really good about this movie was that it gave a different look, a different light on India and the people in India.

That the child who stole the main character's phone returned it with hand-drawn paintings; that the fierce-looking man in poverty had the generous heart to invite the main character to dine with him; that the seemingly rules-and-norms-restricted country has its colourful side of fun and enjoy during festives.

Behind everything that doesn't look acceptable, there is one thing that connects - the warmth of the people.

Maybe it was just a movie - I'd not been to India myself, but what I really like about the movie was the message inside.

"Like you, I was reluctant with everything here. But once I gave up fighting with everything, it feels so much better,"said another foreigner the main character met eventually in India, in the movie.

Maybe we've been grown up learning the differences between us and the others; Maybe we've been grown up fighting with everything that is different from us. But have we tried to slow down, give up fighting, for a moment?

It could have been so much better.

Differences, it draws us apart. Acceptance, it connects people with differences. Citizens of the beloved Gaia, are we ready to accept differences? Even if we don't look the same, even if we don't talk the same, even if we don't dress the same, even if we don't eat the same, even if we don't pray the same...... Can we at least share one common faith in the miracles of acceptance?

In paranormal field they always say : "You can see, if you would believe."

And I shall say....We can accept, if we would believe.

Thanks again, to the movie "Outsourced".

15 seconds, keep rolling and Keep Moving!

2008-12-01T13:46:00.002+08:00

How long do you need to standby for 15 seconds of appearance in a film?

No conversations, no monologue, even the face can barely be seen in the background - for 15 seconds of appearance.

You may think that it takes maybe like, half an hour? But no, the answer is ....TWO hours. And it takes a whole day from 12p.m. to 8p.m. outside for the pre-, the -ing, and the post-.

"Are you free tomorrow? We need a girl my height to act as my friend in a video," asked Carmen on Saturday night. And then a phone call from Carmen and the director himself.

Hence I agreed.

So yesterday I'd gone out to help out as an "anonymous-friend-of-main-actress" in a short film shooting near Sunway.

The short film is a work by the production team "Keep Moving", and it is meant for taking part in TVF (Tokyo Video Festival) next year.

"The story is about a guy who traps himself in his own music world, and shuts himself out of the real world outside," said the director cum script writer, Marco, as he explained the theme of his short film.

As I read through the script Marco has written, it was no doubt he must have a good sense of humour. I couldn't help but laughed when I read words like "main dude", and "become genki again" in his script.

Imagine the poor main character being referred to as "the main dude" again and again. LOL.

"The short film would be around ten minutes," added Marco.

The photographer of the day was Che Kian, who is also working for a professional photographing company. And he was also the one who came over to fetch me, thanks! :)

So my friend Carmen was "The Girl" in the short film, who seems to have slightly special relationship with the main guy character in the story.

The main character was played by Chi Hou (translated), a quite good-looking guy who I personally thought he looks like Leo Ku, the Hong Kong singer cum actor. Oh and yeah, he was the main dude then. :P

After like numerous time of retaking NGs, and I'd taken out my handphone and pretended to sms, and walked from point A to point B and turned to smile, for numerous time.....Finally, the part with Carmen and I was done.

Callum, the guy who was to help out during the scene, helped to take a few photos of the whole team working on that part that day.

And we all went off to a famous Ice Shop at Metroprima, Kepong. (Oh no, yet again for me. ) We all talked and then Marco and Che Kian drove Carmen and me back home.

Helping out as an "anonymous-friend-of-main-actress" was already so tiring, I could imagine how tired it could be for those actors and actresses. The video-shooting session today gave a whole new experience to me.

Thanks to Marco, Che Kian, Chi Hou and Callum - Best wishes to you all in TVF next year!

P/S : Stay tune for photos later, they're with Callum still. :P
P.P/S: Personally I think this team Keep Moving is quite creative, do check them out at
http://keepmoving5.blogspot.com

Follow-up : 15 seconds in remembrance with Keep Moving

Happy Belated Birthday to myself

2008-11-26T12:02:00.010+08:00

BIRTHDAY, the one special day out of the 365 normal days in a year. It's special somehow, that when friends forget their birthday wish, when your bf/gf don't mention anything about going out , when your boss says you have to OT on your birthday, you get upset easily.

I had my birthday on last Tuesday, but it was not until Thursday that anyone celebrated for me. I don't know how others would have felt, but I was EMO on the lonely Tuesday. But anyway, Thursday was fun nonetheless.

After a surprising Chocolate Banana cake late birthday celebration in Old Town, Jaya One (again thanks to all of you who celebrated for me), we went to Midvalley.

With a stomach full of chocolate banana, my friends and I went Starbucks Coffee after buying movie tickets. Had a cup of Dark Cherry Mocha Frappucino. Was very excited to order it at first, since the last time I had it I couldn't have enough of it. But this time around I didn't like it.

There was a little taste of almond in the drink. And I hate almond tea, almond milk, whatever with almond. Except for almond chocolate - and even still, I don't take almond chocolate as my favourite. Anyway, who will? Hazelnut chocolate or macadamian is much better isn't it.

Struggled to finish my cup of coffee, we went watching Madagascar 2. Funny as usual, but I would say that Madagascar 2 has not been better than the first. But still, the extremely-cool penguins, the hilarious Zebra, the lion that likes to show off, the confidently sexy hippo, and the whining giraffe in love - they made me laugh at least.

And really, I LOVE the penguins. You rocks!

The movie ended around 5p.m., we walked around and saw that Dior happened to be promoting its new mascara. Free testing. Urm well, we were not really kiasu, but hmm.....Dior mascara free putting on for you wei...Lol.

So you could've guess, I and my friend went tried out the new Dior mascara. I chose the blue colour mascara, but since my eyelashes weren't long enough, and weren't curve enough.... the effect of the blue mascara couldn't really be seen.

With the blue Dior mascara put on free of charge, I walked into Sushi King third floor to have dinner. Friend Sham and I got a few sushi dishes, but apparently Sham who had sushi for the first time didn't enjoy herself.

Anyway, I enjoyed my sushi as usual. Ah, all those salmon. Raw. Smoked. Grilled. I love them all!

After the sushi meal, we headed back home. When I reached home, it was raining and the traffic was so jammed.

While walking back from the bus stop the driver of one of the cars offered a ride to me, but I hadn't have the mood (rain and jam and all that) and honestly a little afraid (sky was dark and I was alone). So I simply ignored and walked my way back. Wonder should I have at least say a "No, thank you" ? Oh well.

Although the day ended raining again, but I still enjoyed the outing with friends. Thanks again to Sham, PeiZhi, Hwang for taking me to Midvalley. :)

And sure again to PS, WS, LC, YR (who came just to bring the cake and celebrate for me), thank you! I like the cake a lot. ^^

Birthday is one special day out of the normal 365 days in a year, and it is friends that make it special. Thank you everyone who remembers and willing to make the effort to wish me and celebrate for me. I had a special birthday, at least. :)

Oh and, friends on my facebook can check out more photos there. If you're not in my facebook friends list - you can always add me! - eternalbaroque@hotmail.com

And, yeah, HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY to me :)

Pubbing, the other world.

2008-11-25T19:46:00.005+08:00

The band went down the stage after their last song. The stage turned dark as colourful lights dimmed. Drinks were almost finish. The smell of smoke filled the air, as people sat down after the excitement, lighting up cigarettes.

After a few minutes, the stage was bright with green, yellow, red lights, yet again. Techno music started as the DJ ran his fingers smoothly on the turntable. Three girls wearing only hot pants and sexy tops swiftly went up the stage on their high heels. Beers were continuously being poured into glasses, as people started getting excited to move their bodies. The night had just begun.

On Saturday I went to a pub at Sri Hartamas with friends. We were going to watch my friend's friend's band performing.

Yet more than watching a band performance, the pub itself offered much more surprise, and entertainment.

After the band performed their last song, I was surprised that there was extra entertainment that night. A troupe of sexy dancers who called themselves "Sexy Girls" grabbed the stage and everyone's attention, as they danced sexily on high heels and in super short pants and luring tops.

The night got heater as the girls moved their stage to the middle of the pub, dancing between the ceiling and the sofas. Light balls of luminuous colours illuminate their body movements as they walked and moved in "sex-suggesting" movements. People got excited, some guys gave one shot of beer to the girls, cheering as they drank it in one gulp.

Sexy Girls were not the only surprise that caught my attention that night. Things happened under the table were equally eye-opening as well.

Men in their middle ages gathered at a corner, drinking up jug and jug of beer. In each of their arms, a sexy waitress sitting on his lap, or stand hugging his waist, or caressing him. And believe me, the "caressing" was not just kissing on the cheek or touching the face. It was more than that, much MORE. And I'll leave the space for imagination for you.

As one of the Sexy Girls did her stunning movement of opening wide her legs upside down, and one of the uncles opposite caressed the whole body of the sexy waitress, I felt sick.

And so this was the world of sexy dirty money.

The night ended as the trance music started to fade. DJ Ice came over to our table and talked a little, pouring beer into the glasses. My friends and I chit-chat for a while before leaving the pub as it closed.

It was the first time ever I went such pub and pub-bing in such a way, watching dancers dancing sexily, waitresses caressing customers. I've always known such a world exists among us, so much nearer than we thought. However when the world was so near to be observed, the feeling was totally different.

The heart beats that sync together with the techno music. The smell of cigarettes sinking into the clothes. The urge to keep watching as the dancers danced like what-ever. The feeling of sickness when peeping what people were doing under the table. The struggle not to fall, as the world of women, sex, and alcohol came so close.

"Clubbing brings out the devil inside you," a girl friend once said.

And pubbing, it surfaces the doubt in the world you're living, the values, the worths, the things you thought is important.

Pubs, the place to forget all about you know about this world. And start a new rule. Try it if you dare to.

P/S : But I would not encourage one to.
P.P/S : The band was cool, they were playing canto rock and some classic english rocks.

What A Sexy World

2008-11-22T17:28:00.012+08:00

It's been such a loooong time i never update, isn't it. Been up and down these days, things like my own birthday (18 nov people! lol), The Sun coming-interview and my new bass kept me occupied.

Finally, I'm here to write something, again. *evil grin*.

In a world in which Britney Spears went out without underwear and Gong Li showed almost half of her boobs in movie, surely, we've been using the word "sexy" very often now and then.

Sexy is a very complicated word, come to think of it.

What actually constitutes SEXY?

Friend Vin listed things like : nice long legs, nice hair, not too thin, curvy figure, etc.

And friend W once said that a long nice black hair can make a girl looks even better.

"When she wears miniskirt, I feel she is sexy," said guy friend Vin, referring to another girl we both know.

Last week on MSN a guy friend J was talking about going to Singapore. He has recently just become single and available again.

"Ah, all those mini skirts," J said longingly. So guess sexy for him requires a mini skirt also.

Nice long legs, is a must.

"Sexy means the body looks nice in the clothes the girl is wearing," said Vin, "Pretty is another thing."

However, when asked about how would he define sexy, guy friend W said : "A girl has to have a pretty face, to be sexy."

"If the girl has damn nice legs, but the face like frog - how could you say she is sexy?!" expressed W.

So sexy only covers the body part, or does it request some sort of beauty in the face also?

No conclusion has been drawn so far, but I personally thinks that sexy doesn't require a pretty face.

I guess the best answer on how to define sexy, comes from girl friend S. She thinks that sexy means covering but also showing a little of the body. E.g. Sari.

All covered yet it's sexy. No more explaination needed. Look.

Personally I think sexy isn't something that is too direct - it's not something that shouts out to people : "Look at ME!" Such as a large eye scoop of your breasts or showing butt line with jeans sooo low.

Instead sexy is something that is INDIRECT. It happens when you're not trying too hard to be sexy. Long legs in skinny jeans and heels. Curvy body in fitting dress.

Sexy is something that you feel about a girl, even by just looking from behind of her wide bare back; or by just glancing through the mirror that reflects her long smooth legs; or by just watching her sleeves slides down her fair silky shoulder from sideway.

Sexy, it's still too complicated a word to define. Yet it's rich enough to describe everything that is sexy.

So.....girl, are you ready to be sexy? 'Cause the world is becoming sexier, and sexier. ;)

From whom do we live

2008-11-17T10:33:00.006+08:00

Hands trembling, she tried hard to stand up from her chair. Lines and lines of veins, became more clearly to be seen on her skinny arms as she slowly lifted herself up.

She got herself up and sat down beside the bed, where today papers spread messily on it. Her short curly hair did not move in the air-conditioned room, as she bent to find for the contact book on the table beside the bed.

"Here it is," she said, her once beautiful brown eyes glimmered, as she found the book.

It was Mooncake Festival in September when I last saw my grandmother. She has been older.

Looking at the old yellowed photo hanging on the wall, it was unimaginable, how time could have taken everything from us.

Her skinny arms was once round and firm; Her hair was once long and wavy; Her eyes were once full of energy.

She had spent almost her entire life bringing up her family and the families of her children. Wrinkles deepen each year.

I was never close to her - how I wish I could be, and I think some time younger I used to be scared of her. However as time flies by she has been older, so much older that she couldn't scold me or glare at me anymore, and I've been older too.

Old enough to see that I have not much time left to appreciate her.

After all, it is her life that was devoted to her children that brings me to life. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here.

Please take care of your parents and grandparents. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here.

Before I end this post, here is a Thai insurance commercial that I would like to show you...... Although it's bad for a commercial, but it's touching enough for a story. :)

When smoke gets into your eyes

2008-11-11T12:53:00.010+08:00

"I'm stressed, I want to smoke," said a girl friend P while yum-cha-ing (to have a drink and talk crapz in mamak stall for hours) late night on Friday.

And instantly the three men at the table, smoking, started encouraging her to start smoking. The only two who don't smoke at the table were P and I.

I refused to smoke for any reasons, but probably Virginia Slims would get me.

It was only Thursday when I saw three girls smoking at mamak stalls. They were tall, slim and smoking hot.

Girl friend S thus said that smoking looks sexy. Smoking makes a girl slimmer. But girl friend B firmly insisted that smoking is bad for health.

"Never ever smoke," said B.

On another occasion, a guy friend Vin said : "Once you say the girl smokes, I don't think she's hot anymore."

And back to the yum-cha scene on Friday night - it actually lasted till Saturday early morning - there were three girls at the table, and one of us did smoke. And she was pretty, sexy, and hot. To me.

Strangely these days I'm finding more and more ladies who smoke are prettier and sexier.

No yellow teeth, no darker lips, no shorter height, no blurry eyes, no disgusting smells. Instead they are tall and SLIM, and SEXY.

So does smoking makes a lady sexy, or it makes her go down the drain in a guy's mind like the one of Vin?

In my opinion, a lady smoking IS sexy when she holds something like Virginia Slims and very confident about everything of herself.

Smoking might actually boost the confidence of a lady, I guess. When you see them puffing smokes into the air, it's almost like the whole world is in their hands with no doubt.

But of course, when a lady smokes too much that her teeth goes yellow and her voice sounds like duck, it's not sexy anymore.

Talking rationally, I think that smoking appropriately elegantly is sexy, but the price to pay in the end might be too much.

On Sunday I interviewed a man who had gone through five bypass within 24 hours.

"Don't smoke, " advised him, for countless times.

So stop smoking, ladies. One puff of cigarette means one part of your lungs has blacken. And it wouldn't be clean after 10 years of not smoking.

But still, the world would be less interesting and less sexier to see, if every lady stops smoking.

Evil enough, I still enjoy watching ladies smoking away sexily, when smoke gets into your eyes.

Pregnant, at 21.

2008-11-07T12:45:00.009+08:00

Being a mother is sweet, holy, and a sign of becoming matured.

What about being a mother at early 20s?

Would it remain sweet, holy and a sign of becoming matured; Or would it becomes scary, ugly and a sign of coming disaster?

Nowadays the cases of underage pregnancy still shock us, but we could shake our heads at it and comment that these teenagers should wait longer; however when it comes to cases of pregnancy at early 20s, we have very contradicting comments among ourselves.

Certainly early 20s isn't underage anymore, and certainly couples could have sex at this point of age - provided that if you have no issue against premarital sex, like me.

But what if the young girl get pregnant?

Following the previous post on "Should girls have sex with their bfs", my friends and I had another discussion yesterday. This time around, we're looking the issue from a new angle - the becoming-a-mother-possibility-and-whether-it's-good-or-bad angle.

Friend S talked about her close friend during high school, had just pregnant and got married. The couples are both young, at their 21s. Both are highly educated, and their families know about their relationship all along, too.

So friend S was kind of disagreed with pregnancy and marriage because of pregnancy at such a young age 21.

"The girl could have have more fun in years to come, but she got herself pregnant at 21, " said S, with a hint of sighing.

The question now is : Should young couples get married because of pregnancy at early 20s?

According to S, certainly she doesn't agree to that. A girl is at her best times at 20s, having a baby, family, and all, ruin all the fun.

Imagine that when other girls of your age are shopping, hanging out and flirting, you are changing diapers, cooking porridge, and washing your husband's underwear - it's really such a waste to become a wife and mother at early 20s.

Friend W had another point though. Getting pregnant and married young, would minimize the age gap between generations - thus the communication gap between generations could be made smaller.

Nowadays young people don't talk to their grandparents, and even parents - they're too old-fashioned to know about what we're talking about. Thus by having baby and marrying young, your son or daughter would reach 20s as you just reach 40s. A 20-year gap makes much difference in the ways of communication.

But of course, thinking rationally, I would say that I agree with S that people should not marry because of pregnancy at early 20s.

Even though the communication gap could be solved, the effect can only be seen in 20 years later - in the 20 years waiting for that gap to be seen solved, a young mother is spending her days with diapers, kitchen, and laundry for 20 years.

Getting married because of pregnancy at early 20s seems to be more of a waste for the young couples, than benefits and convenience (some people say that it saves your trouble of finding and finding for the Mr. Right).

So as I see it : You can have sex with your lovers at early 20s, but please spot the bad guys before they enter you, and when you're letting a guy in - please use condom. And preferably take birth-control pills also.

You don't want to be happy for three months for becoming a mother and wife, and unhappy for 20 years to come.

Psychologists said that an unhappy mother would cultivate an unhappy child. Note that! Only get pregnant when you already had it all PLANNED out.

Good luck to every young couples out there!

Reference : Should girls have sex with their bfs

Please do not fuck here, thank you.

2008-11-05T10:42:00.007+08:00

I don't know if you've ever encountered such listening-mistake, but certainly my friends and I laughed a great deal out of this.

As we drove into a car park on Monday, one my friends turned and asked the driving friend : "So you always fuck here lah?"

And for a minute the driving friend was stunned, I was stunned, before anyone started reacting - and came to conscious and logics that he was talking about "park", not "fuck". Lol.

But of course after the friend who was asking the question knew that his words were "mis-interpreted", he felt fucked instead. :P

However, it wasn't the first time to encounter such silly mis-interpretation.

Once upon a time the parking ticket machine used a voice who used to say :

"Please insert your fucking ticket"

to every car-parkers.

But after some time, my friends were surprised to find that the ticket machine has changed to use another lower, more precise voice who says in a very clear pronunciation :

"Please insert your PARKING ticket."

And seriously the new voice certainly did emphasize on the word PARKING when he tells it.

It seems that the word "parking" does sound like "fucking". The next time you heard anyone asking you in the car park: "So you want to fuck here?"

Don't lah think senget or get excited too soon, lol. Maybe it's just about the parking, and not fucking.

Oh btw, I accidentally came across this info - there really is a town in Austria, near the city of Salzburg, named Fucking. And that picture at the beginning of this post was the signboard of the Fucking town.

The town attracted more tourists than the nearby towns for its Fucking signboard. However locals are fed up with the Fucking name, even though it brings them a lot of tourism income.

Anyway, enough fucking today! I'll stop the foul word now. :P

A natural retreat

2008-11-04T01:11:00.014+08:00

How long has it been since the last time you stop and smell a flower?

Once in a while, we all need a halt from the rat-race in the city. A one-day trip to Fraser's Hill serves just that purpose to escape.

Fraser's Hill is located near Raub, Pahang. It is a perfect location to feel in peace with nature.

So I went there with my family on a Sunday morning.

Before getting to Fraser's Hill's Gap, we stopped by for a while at the old Pasar at Kuala Khubu. The shops there were of historical designs, caught a glimpse of it while driving around.

Old China Town buildings

At 11 a.m. we reached the Gap, driving into a long and winding one-way road up the cap of Fraser's Hill. The air is cooling and refreshing, a natural air-conditioner. :P

After driving for about 8km, we reached the cap finally. Saw a large golf court and buildings covered with leaves and such.

So we drove uphills, and my Dad took out his binoculars and we started bird-watching. @.@. I saw quite a lot of birds, but they were so good with camouflage, that with my phone's camera, you don't see it even when it's right there.

This is a photo I took, where there's a brown-coloured bird resting on a branch.

Erm, nothing, right?! ? I myself couldn't see any bird until zoom-in for like, 8x?!..and still in 8X it's a blur brown spot that I am not even sure if it's really the bird. But I saw the bird with my own eyes outside the camera indeed!

For about half an hour we were bird-watching, until I felt really bored (ok, i'm not a nature lover...urm, not a bird-watching lover..lol). We drove more uphills, through another long, really winding road up to the Waterfall.

We still have to walk on foot for sometime before reaching the Waterfall. Though along the way you could see lot of greeneries, and a slow flowing peaceful stream under the bridge. It was a relief for the eyes as well I guess, with all these anti-stress-adants.

One of the photos that I like. Over there were father and daughter, the father leading his little daughter walking slowly along the bank. The father was accompanying his daughter running before that, it was so cute! :)

So we finally saw the Waterfall after walking up and down fleets of stairs (Ah, I hate stairs. ><). The waterfall view from far :
The water was running fast here, the sound of the water rushing down was loud. Some people were swimming, playing around near the Waterfall. But we didn't get down.

After chilling for a while we headed back again. Then I saw this amazing tree :

The tree was literally growing without soil. The roots were struggling to hook on the rocks at the bank. The water had been too fast at that spot I guess.

Even trees could hold on to the last minute, why couldn't we? A piece of mind.

So we drove back the way we came, I decided to take a photo at the square.

OK, that's a typical nerd tourist who took photo in front of a memorial clock tower. ><>

Yeah, that's a Post Office at Fraser's Hill. The design was really beautiful.

We went down the winding road again to the Gap and I took photo of an old historical Chinese tea shop. Believed to have been there for more than 20 years.

After all these long winding roads we took, finally we were hungry like...anything la. haha. So we had our lunch at Kuala Khubu, eating crabs.

You can see how big was the "Gong"! And I ate that, hehe XD....

Fraser's Hill trip was nice, cool, and refreshing. You can have greeneries, birds, butterflies, waterfall, jungle-trekking...... It's a perfect place certainly for nature-lovers.

But a city bug like me....probably prefer to stay in front of the computer blogging than walking up and down the fleets of stairs or going up and down the long, winding roads for birds and waterfall. ><

Anyway, it's still a natural retreat indeed! :)

The unknowns in everyday-life.

2008-11-01T18:51:00.002+08:00

I'm sure most of you have seen this. You've seen it, touched it, tasted it, but have you heard of it?

What do you call this cute little thing?

Ji Dan Gao (Egg Kuih) ? o.O

But it's a Malay traditional snack. Should have a Malay name, isn't it?

Caught you speechless?

Well, well, this cute little kuih is called Bahulu.

Bahulu is a Malay traditional snack, and is a favourite among Malaysians of all ages. It comes in different shapes, but the popular ones are the goldfish and the button (the picture above). [on how to make Bahulu]

I'd been to a Malay wedding lunch this afternoon with my family - it's our neighbour's daughter getting married. And the lady sitting with us at the same table told me about the Bahulu.

This lady came all the way from Johor Bharu to Kuala Lumpur here, and she indeed seems friendly, and very traditional.

For chinese it would have been a chaos already among the parents and old folks, if we uses colour black and white as the theme for wedding. But obviously it's not the case for Malays.

The whole theme of the Malay wedding I went was in black and white - the tents were decorated with black and white fabrics, the tables were covered with white cloths, the flowers in the glasses placed on the tables were white, the close family members were wearing black and white baju kebaya and others (forgive me, I really did not study thoroughly in high school when it's the chapter of Traditional Costumes).

Certainly the Malays do not have an issue with grayscales, and maybe it's even a good colour for them.

So I had the lunch there, some rice, some veggies, some sambal, some daging, and that's it. We went back after eating with delicate fans as souvenirs - one would really wonder, why a Malay wedding would gives out Chinese-styled fans as souvenirs? Btw, it's China made and cheap LAH.

Maybe that's the reason.

The whole thing isn't such a bizarre event, but it kinda struck me, when I sudenly realized that I really don't know how to bersalam appropriately. I was feeling awkward the whole time I was there - not in place kind of feel.

We were the only Chinese family there when we arrived. So as I ate and watched these Malay people walking, talking, smiling around, I'm having a strange feeling - so I've been living among crowds of Malays for 20 years (we're one whole Malaysian family wat), but still they seem so near, yet so far.

I know them all along, but I never really get to know them deeper. How they talk, how they bersalam, how they eat, how they joke. Is it me being biased so I'm avoiding myself getting close? Or is it simply because they're so many, so near, and so normal in the background that I fail to notice their specialty?

Oh well, crapped too much again today. Thanks a lot for reading, please comment! :P

Should girls have sex with their bfs?

2008-11-01T00:57:00.003+08:00

What do you think about it?

At this age (20 something), is it OK to have sexual relationship already with our lovers?

Does giving our bodies up to our guys help to keep him by your side, or instead it makes him get bored faster and leaves sooner?

One friend of mine, A, thinks that nothing is forbidden when your feelings are turned on. Everyone, man or woman, in this world has desire; it's a very normal thing to come to sex when you're in relationship - isn't it too kesian that even your guy don't feel desire for YOU?

A is open-minded with this - she thinks it's perfectly OK to have sex if both parties feel the desire, the drive, the rush of adrenaline to feel each other's body. It's not about the guy is your future husband or what - you love him at that time, and that's all is required.

And then there's a girl friend B, who is skeptical about sex, hates, scared of, disgusted with anything about sex, the total Ms. Pure - but that was before she has the boyfriend now. It shocked the gang of friends we're in, when she told us that she has lost her virginity to her boyfriend.

And thenB is still a bit awkward with sex, but she's feeling more and more "selamba" with the issue having sexual relationship with her lover. Though she also decided prior already that this boyfriend would certainly be her future husband - so that's the reason she can accept pre-marrital sex. And I've seen her with her bf - they communicate like husband and wife alraedy. With no doubt her bf is certain about marrying B also.

Ok, so there's enough said from girl part. We shall listen to what guys would have to say instead.

A guy friend, C, has been in a relationship with his girlfriend for the longest time. Years he'd been in relationship with the same girl. And his girl is hot no doubt! (I saw her:P) But it shocked us too, when he honestly told the gang of friends we're in that he had never got to sex with his gf. So, WHY?! For desire, is a normal thing for mammal like us what.

So he said : "Yeah we'd a lot of times nearly got to that, but I stopped myself."

Again, another WHY?!

"Because I really love her, and I really sayang her."

And it suddenly struck me at the time he said that. When a guy is really seriously in love with a girl, he would consider MORE than ever. If a guy truly loves, he would also be truly responsibled. If a guy truly loves, he would also truly considers everything.

When he doesn't think for your future together, he's not seriously in love.

There's another guy friend, D, who just mentioned the same thing to me. D had been in relationship for a long time too, and he's serious with it that he hopes he can marry with this girl in the future. And also, in shock, he said he never got to sex with his gf either. Everything can wait, when a guy truly loves a girl and wants to be with her forever and ever.

D said : "I think that if a girl have sex with her bf, it'll only make the bf leaves her sooner.

"Guys are fast to get bored."

OH, so that's the case?! And D said it was his opinion after knowing some stories of others himself. When a guy has got all from a girl (include the sex), then he'll lose his interest in the girl very soon. Mysteries, unexplored, is what keeps us hooked, isn't it?

So that's opinions from 2 girl friends, and 2 guy friends.

Strangely, through what I've gathered in conversations with friends, guys and girls, I find that girls are actually more open with sex in relationships, than are guys. o.O

Girls mostly, and basically consider with heart -the feelings; Sex can go, if the feeling is right. But guys, when they're serious about the relationship (Yeah, SERIOUS, cannot be emphasized enough), they consider the sex issue with brain - the rationality; Sex can only go when he thinks he has the sufficient ability to make his girl happy and loved, not only 5 minutes now, but also 50 years in the future.

And then we come back to the question again........Should girls have sex with their bfs?

Does having sex with bfs keeps them longer or chases them away faster?

For me, I guess it's a matter of different people. But girls, we all have to learn to protect our bodies! Please spot the bad guys before they enter you. (Again i cant emphasize enough the importance.)

However, when a guy really loves you, my girl, you're sooooo lucky. Blessings to everyone i know! :)

Follow-up : Pregnant, at 21.

Lost in Translation

2008-10-30T20:27:00.004+08:00

Write about your favourite past time.

How would you have understood the above statement? Is it

A. A sweet memory; OR
B. A lousy hobby ?

It was quite surprised to know that actually most chinese-educated people would mis-interpret the sentence as to write about a memorable moment in the past, instead of the real meaning to write about a hobby or interest.

It is not their (or rather our, oh yea i'm chinese-educated too) fault to be blamed on, in fact. I guess....it's just Lost In Translation. XD.

Oh by the way that was one past year question of Feature Writing subject I'm taking this semetser - the lecturer told us about this doubled-meaning "statement" had caused some students to get zero mark. (Ouch, fcuk right, for those students. >.<) Just before I end this post, let's try another example : "What keeps you awake at nights?"

What would you have to say? Is it

A. something that causes you to wake up in the middle of night from your dreams;
B. something that causes you to fail to have some sleep even though you wanted to; OR
C. something that causes you to be awake actively doing things the whole night ??

Oh no, another romantic confusion for us. Prepared to be lost in translation in this English-dominating world. :P

Cohabitation - should or should not in existentialism and egoism.

2008-10-28T23:03:00.004+08:00

That's the subject we're being tested on today.

Well basically....according to existentialism, people only have to do what they think is correct at the time and place given. So, a person who at the time cannot afford to live on his or her own, should choose cohabitation as a way to save more living cost. But anyway, it's a different story after one suddenly won lottery or got a fab job - in this case it is no longer a wise decision, you know why. You earn the rice and he eats the rice. Clear? :P

Next, according to egoism, people must do what would bring benefits to oneself. Self-importance is larger than any other things. Hence, cohabitation is allowed in egoism, since a couple can get what is beneficial for them - the cost saving, the sex fulfilment (yeah well it's true what), the hormone balancing (consider some people who never get married and how they end up to be), etc etc. Therefore cohabitation is very well allowed in egoism.

Consequently, cohabitation is truly a wise decision, eh?. Seems to be. :P

By the way, oh well, i managed to screw sweet child thru - not bad eh, lol. And the zombie bass leading was like fcuk but not shit anymore - is that anything better? well....hope for better improvement next time!!

And aikz, still no nice secondhand bass in music master today i saw. SRX500 looks nice in youtube, think gotta ask the price.

Later gonna yum cha i guess?.....so that's all tonight! ciaoZ~

This is a post on How To Crap.

2008-10-28T13:40:00.003+08:00

In approximately 1 and 1/2 hour i'll be having my moral mid term.....
Moral at this university stage...., it's no longer baik hati, belas kasihan, ali ah kau.

Now we're talking about real PHILOSOPHY!

The 4 theories we're gonna be tested on today :
1. Utilitarianisme
2. Egoisme
3. Prinsip Kewajipan
4. Existensialisme

Hmm, sound really hard eh?
And this is how studying philosophy would be - quite torturing for the brain to understand what all these great philosophers thought of for years, in just 2 hours. -.-

In spite of the exam, I'll be having the second jamming session this semester with my bandmates later tonight. Still a bit panic over the whole thing - Sweet child o mine, aih, sweet child screw me....>< style="font-style: italic;">Zombie like shit again.

Anyway, gambateh yo!

Oh yea. i gotta finish up my how-to article assignment by tonight hopefully. The title roughly thought of was : "How to save energy when using air-conditioner"

Though it sounds a bit off the mark - i'm gonna write about things like putting up curtain, tint the windows, repaint the wall white, service the unit regularly, etc etc....

What about "Air conditioner energy saving" ? Simple, precise, no confusion. But where is the word "HOW TO".......

How to put the how to!...haha...><

Oops gonna be 2p.m. already,.....guess i better get change.

IOIO
bassist girl~

2008-10-28T12:02:00.001+08:00

And then i sit and think
that i should be happy
so here it is.
please smile ok

why so serious!