53. Ben's Farewell



Reached home at 10:30pm. Was gonna prepare for meeting with Wee. Wee smsed and said that they're going to Soho for Ben's farewell. Thot i was gonna miss it because i had Marcus' dinner to attend to. But since they're just starting, I'll drop by. Was there till about 2am. There goes the whole notion of work :P

52. Marcus' Dinner


Marcus is the character on the extreme left

Did something I've never done before. Got off work early today and since dinner is not until 7pm, I went over to Chef & Brew for tea..........all by myself. Was never really too comfortable being by myself. Decided to give it a shot. Ordered Earl Grey tea and sat there with my book. Time passed rather quickly (it has been 2 hrs) and next thing I know, Marcus called and I went over to meet him.

Marcus bought us dinner to celebrate his promotion :) We had it at Flame - Crystal Point. Then adjourned to Bailey's. Left rather early. Was home by 10:30pm :)

Figured I'll use this time productively to finish up some research before having a meeting with Wee later tonite for discussion. Also wanted to key in my thots for the day into my blog before I forget them. There were so many thots that I had to note them on my phone first. Think I'll also give my reviews on the books I'm reading concurently. Realised that there are a lot of thots that goes thru my head while reading them books. If i wait until i finish the book and then comment on them, i reckon i'll miss out a lot of points. So from now on, I'll write the reviews as soon as I read something interesting.

51. Darling Ru Yi


My darling niece has grown :)

50. A pix of the KLCC garden

49. 2004 Sauber Petronas' F1 car

48. 5 of us on the way to KL

47. Weekend in KL

Allow me to go back in time.

It is now saturday afternoon. I'm done with work and drove to Chong's house. Waited for everyone to leave together. Found out that Anthony and Jia Li can't make it because he fell sick. so left 5 of us. We finally left at about 5pm.

Fast forward to KL, we picked up Yew Peng's shock absorbers and went for dinner with Tee Ann (Hey Ann, here's your 5 secs of "fame") to celebrate her birthday. Twas a good time and the food was delightful. Truly the best place to have Pork Ribs :) The restaurant is called The Rib Shop in Damansara Heights. Unlike Chasers in Penang, the bbq sauce is just nice. Not too sweet or strong. Nice.

Went back to the hotel but can't sleep thanks to the amount of coffee consumed. So might as well stay up to finish my work. Was awake till at least 3am. Forced myself to go to bed. Was in my bed awake with lotsa random thots running thru my head.

Sunday was too hectic to being doing any thinking. Spent the whole day in KLCC. Bought a few books/magazines from Kinokuniya. Spent some time shopping for food as well. Goodness, it was another day of feasting I tell u. Bad habit. Had a hefty burger at Dome for lunch and lotsa fajitas for dinner at Chillis. It's all good though. Bought a bottle of Sake for my brothers since I have Hiromi as a guide. Chong bought a Japanese cheese cake for me as well. It's nice, texture is more of a sponge cake than a cheese cake.

That's pretty much the weekend. Reached Penang after dropping everyone off at about 2am.

Oh crap, how can i forget. There was a Formula 1 demo in front of KLCC by the Sauber Petronas team. Apparently they're celebrating their 10 yrs in F1. There was a very nice exhibition in the exhibition hall in KLCC showcasing all the cars they raced with. Nice.

46. Another good Mikey's Funnies to share:

This be the funnies sent out today. It's not too funny until i got to the statement I highlighted in RED. After I read it, it describes my "condition" so well that I'm beginning to think I really am too intense :) heh heh heh. I'm sure those of you who've been following my blog knows why it's funny too. I think I've become too philosophical :) Time for me to loosen up.

===============================
YOU KNOW YOU'RE TOO INTENSE WHEN...

~ You can achieve a "runner's high" by sitting up.
~ You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you've said it before.
~ The sun is SO loud.
~ Trees begin chasing you.
~ You can see individual air molecules vibrating.
~ You begin to explore the possibility of setting up an I.V. drip solution of espresso.
~ You can hear mimes.
~ You believe that if you think hard enough, you can fly.
~ Things become "very clear."
~ You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you've said it before.
~ You ask the drive-through attendant if you can get your order to go.
~ You keep yelling "STOP TOUCHING ME!!!" even though you are the only one in the room.
~ Your heart beats in 7/8 time.
~ You and Reality file for divorce.
~ You wonder if brewing is really a necessary step for the consumption of coffee.
~ You can skip without a rope.
~ It appears that people are speaking to you in binary code.
~ You have great revelations concerning Life, the Universe, and Everything Else, but can't quite find the words for them before the white glow disappears, leaving you more confused than before.
~ You can travel without moving.
~ Antacid tablets become your sole source of nutrition.
~ You discover the aesthetic beauty of office supplies.
~ You say the same sentence over and over again, not realizing that you've said it before...
~ Losing your mind was okay, but when the voices in your head quieted, it was like losing your best friend.

45. Being Spontaneous

Was asking a friend to join us for the KL trip last minute...........High resistance :) That fella refuse to budge. Me? I'll be the kinda person that'll welcome these last minute stuff. I may live to regret it later, but I'll jump into it first :) I never pass an opportunity for adventure/possible adventure.

Oh well, I guess everyone is wired differently. I guess caution is good. As they say, "better to err on the side of caution."

For me, I say,"Throw caution in the wind!" :P

44. May not have internet access until Monday

So it may be quiet for the next 2 days :)

43. Nite nite

Was contemplating to go to church.......but alas, needed to pick up a friend because his car broke down. :) OK, I wasn't gonna go anyway. Went over to BM to meet up with Chong, Lai, Nicholas & Yew Peng. Wanted to see a shop doing sound systems.

Confirmed going to KL tomorrow. Now have to pack and then sleep.

42. This Article is taken from MSN

Interesting article. I was linked to it from MalaysiaKini website. The title got my attention. Read it and felt it was worth publishing on my Blog. Yes, yes, I'm a male chauvinistic pig.

http://www.msn.com.my/women/love/article2/default.asp



When I was a kid, humility was something drummed into my sister and I as religiously as our multiplication tables.

Because both my parents had to work to sustain our young family, the Tai girls were raised mostly by my father's sister, an aunt who was the second wife of a successful trader. Together, they had a daughter, my cousin Jan, and cousin Jan was the princess of the Tan family, while we played her loyal subjects.

"Don't touch that chocolate, it's Cousin Jan's!" my aunt would always say, slapping our hands away.

"The ais kacang is not for you! You can have Milo instead," a servant girl working for my aunt once told me when she'd asked me to go buy the very dessert from across the street.

Did we feel deprived and treated like second-class relations?

Hardly, recalls my mother.

As kids, we seemed to have accepted that my cousin Jan was the daughter of a rich family, and we were not. This was the reason why things were the way they were.

In fact, if I remember correctly, we lived in reverence of our rich cousin for a long time. She played with us, took care of us even (she is ten years older) and life was good, because there were times that we did get chocolates and ais kacang.

Just not as much as she did, but it was okay, simply because Cousin Jan was older than us, and therefore first in line for all the goodies. Basic respect for your elders philosophy.

"It was a blessing in disguise," my mother told me yesterday.

"It is hard to teach a child humility, but years of living under your cousin's thumb did just that."

Of course, these days, such treatment would be considered child abuse.
With better opportunities in education and our careers out there, I wonder how many women today still consider themselves as genuinely humble.

I myself know only a few. Even I am not so humble these days.

Look around you. Perhaps seven out of ten women today are college-educated and hold a promising career. They may even have equally successful men (or women, whatever your sexual preference might be) as their partners. Speak to them, and they exude sheer confidence and style. No longer are we afraid to speak our minds and to show the world what we're made of. No longer are we bound by tradition to stay in our homes as housewives and mothers. These days, with technology, we can even be both professionals and parents.

We can do it all. We believe we can do it all.

Or can we?

As I sit here browsing letter after letter from the young women who read my column, I cannot help but wonder: Despite the higher education and better career opportunities, a lot of women were still failing in their relationships. Collectively, they seem to be making the same mistakes and lacking the same good sense when it comes to finding, and keeping, the right sort of men, eventually ending up with guys who don't respond to their needs.

Guys who don't seem to be coming up to par emotionally and mentally.

Guys who are leaving or even cheating, because the relationship has become too complicated.

Usually, the conclusion drawn is always that most men 'suck' these days. However, I could not help but wonder if sometimes, these problems occur because we women have lost perspective and possibly, because they have lost some of the important Asian virtues such as humility and integrity, trading them for more modern values such as independence and individualism.

I even wondered if the rising divorce rate had anything to do with women becoming more insistent of their right to a 'better' life (genuine victims of abuse and unfaithful husbands aside), despite not knowing most of the time what this better life entails.

An alarming proposition to be sure, but not without logic.

Are we failing in our relationships because we have become too full of ourselves because of our degrees and careers? Are we asking for too much in our relationships, unable to see the good in our men because we choose to focus on their flaws?

Are we incapable of being humble because we are afraid to be submissive? Have we lost our ability to be genuine (which isn't the same as being totally and brutally honest), opting instead to concentrate on our outsides with our religious facial massages, Atkins dieting and incessant shoe-shopping?

Perhaps it is time to take a step back, to take stock of our expectations and to re-evaluate our value systems because like it or not, the ideas we have about that ideal guy or that ideal marriage affect how we treat the other vital proponent of your relationships: your partner.

Perhaps we should ask if what we have today is already good enough, and to enjoy our chocolates and ais kacang - while we can still have them.

After all, what is the use of getting all the good (and good men) in the world, when you can't appreciate them?

JENNIFER TAI WRITES ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND FIRST-TIME MOTHERHOOD ON MSN.COM.MY'S WOMEN'S CHANNEL EVERY WEEK. SHE WELCOMES MAILS AT JENN@JENNEMEDE.COM AND DISCUSSIONS AT MSN.COM.MY'S WOMEN COMMUNITY BOARDS.

41. Stress :P

Rather stressful day. Was really busy running around and all. A lot of things didn't fall into place. 3.5 hrs of sleep doesn't help. Well, I guess a fast paced day is better than a slow paced one where i'll have free time to replay old videos in head. Heh heh heh.

I noticed I used a lot of "" in my earlier postings, This posting is certified "" free.

__________________________________

My Random Thots:

Thinking of running away.................just to forget the stress and all. Hmmm, where shall it be? Well, for the short term, I guess KL will suffice. Need to find a long term vacation plan. Either that or need to explore overseas market :D

40. Time to sleep

It's 3:30am now. Just finished my work. Time to sleep. Yawn.

39. A "Quiet" Nite


This Wine - 1998 Glaetzer Shiraz is really "smooth"

Had a lot of work to do. Didn't feel like working. Good thing Anthony called and asked if we wanted to go have wine at Denise (Opposite Belissa Row). Waited for Zakri to show up and we head to town. Yew Peng met up with us in town.

Decided to go down to KL this weekend with them. Yew Peng need to pick up his suspensions and Chong need to take Hiromi shopping. As for the rest of us, we're in it for the ride and maybe attend the drift event at Extreme Park. Oh well, as always, que sera sera.

Now back to work before going to sleep.

38. Yesterday

Another excerpt stolen from Mikey's Funnies. This one hits home as I've been hit by hard disk crashes twice in my lifetime and that's three times too many :(

YESTERDAY
Sung to the tune of the Beatles' song

Yesterday,
All those backups seemed a waste of pay.
Now my database has gone away.
Oh I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
There's not half the files there used to be,
And there's a milestone hanging over me
The system crashed so suddenly.

I pushed something wrong
What it was I could not say.

Now all my data's gone
and I long for yesterday-ay-ay-ay.

Yesterday,
The need for back-ups seemed so far away.
I knew my data was all here to stay,
Now I believe in yesterday.

===============================
Mikey's Thot for the Day:
If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance!
===============================

_______________________________
My Random Thots:

I concur with Mikey :)

on a separate note,

I used to want to be a clown. I always thot that clowns are funny and they bring laughter to people's life. A clown is always approachable and loved. People would open up and be honest with clowns. His life will be uncomplicated, naive and childish even. On top of it all, he'll be the center of attention.

Reality check:
There are a lot more downsides to being a clown than I thot. This "aspiration" has been permanently discarded starting 2005 :)

37. I have no skills :)

I just realised I have no skills in explaining things to people. I have this customer, I'm trying to explain a simple concept. I guess being an engineer, he should be way ahead of me when it comes to certain concepts. But alas, I was wrong. Not only was I wrong about him, he made me realise i can't explain a simple concept............one of us is a Himbo, and I'd like to think it's not me :D

Lunch was "interesting" as well. Actually lunch was rather mundane, it's what happened after lunch.

Had beef koay teow with my dad and brother. After makaning, we got to my dad's car and tried to start it. It refused to start. The immobiliser warning light is on. We ran out of ideas after a few hundred cranks and was gonna give up. Finally Wee decides to give it one more crank, and lo and behold, it'ssss aaaaalliiiiiiveeeeeeeeeeeee :) No idea what happened, didn't do anything special and it just started.

I think at the back of my dad's mind, he be thinking of a new car :)

36. A Wet Paree, pardon my french...........

You can click on it for a bigger picture

Stole a shot of this painting. We were at Dutch Mill restaurant (guess what kinda food this restaurant serves) in Pulau Tikus and I saw this painting hanged on the wall next to our table. Can't help it, so I took out my camera and stole it :)

35. Forwarded "junk" mail

There's a friend of mine who seldom forward emails. Today, he forwarded this "junk mail" to a few of us. I'd like to share that email with the rest of the world:

The Mayonnaise Jar and the 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in frontof him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things thatreally matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

"One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

34. Slow nite

Nothing much happened last nite. Yew Peng, Jack and Zakri came over to my place to chill. We later went out for an uneventful dinner and then Segafredo for coffee. Life is slowing down :)