Sunday, October 30, 2005

1988-1992.

google earth is rather brilliant. thanks to whoever it was who suggested it to me. at the same time, there was also a helipad across from our place that was fricking loud. we were fine with it for 4 years. those were good times.

Saturday, October 29, 2005

pc + pa = good fun.

I don't know much about knob twiddling, but I've got to admit, it was kinda cool seeing my pc hooked up to a PA system for the YE bazaar on Thursday. Lots of knob twiddling was involved (yes, I like to twiddle knobs, especially my own). Ah. Pictureseque.

It's going to be a long weekend. Up to next Monday, in fact. I had to submit my assignment a day late...going to college on a Saturday morning is never fun. It's even eerie when most of the Department is lit up the way it usually is and there's nobody around. On a Saturday.

if you've got 6 bucks to spare...

roti beckham

3 plates of nasi goreng bacon

nasi goreng bacon

I went down to Murni's last night with Matthew and Khai Lun. If you've got RM 6 to spare, here's what you can get with it. I also ordered a Supper Set but forgot to take a picture of it. It has sausages, fries, a friend egg and 4 nuggets. Which taste like they just came out of McDonald's (the nuggets, I mean). Awesome.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

awkward feet staring.

Doesn’t it just sorta annoy you when things don’t go sour…they just go…well…nowhere? It’s been a few months, but I still gotta ask myself what exactly happened. It’s been awkward each time I’ve bumped into her in college. Though I doubt that avoiding each other is the best course of action…or is it? Ugh. It’s so teen opera-ish (beng says: aiyah, it's not like i'm in love with her wut).

Send this one back to the video store.

It’s been an interesting last couple of days. The new interim BIZ Council committee has been chosen, and what they have planned is a trip, not unlike last year’s schedule. The next meeting’s on Thursday, where hopefully, everyone would’ve laid out the possible choices that they’ve got, inclusive of prices and itineraries.

I’m also the YE Club’s MC-cum-idiot DJ for its Celebration Bazaar for the next two days, excluding today’s festivities. It’s kind of funny how everyone tries to fight over the playing of songs just to show off their own peculiar tastes in music (I know that Dragostea Din Tei isn’t exactly a sign of good taste, but come on, it’s a sign of good humour).

Finals in 3 weeks and I’m definitely not prepared.

Is anybody interested in purchasing a PS2 for RM 450? The price is negotiable, but you’re going to have to face a dodgy controller whose Dualshock isn’t where it’s supposed to be. If so, e-mail me. I’ll throw in 100+ games worth RM 500+ for about RM 200 (this is kinda negotiable) for good measure.

Sob. It’s the beginning of the end of all things juvenile (though it’s not one of those fresh start phases in my life).

Onto other things…
INXS’ (is the punctuation correct?) Pretty Vegas is out. I heard it last night while scouring for the ever-elusive McDonald’s Banana Pie with Justin last night (more on that later).

Not everyone might feel that way, but I’ve got some kind of emotional attachment with the song, and it kinda felt rather awesome hearing it on the radio last night, especially since it was announced that the first new INXS single would be the song that was performed last on the finale show, which just sounded awful, to be honest.

Also, the McDonald’s Banana Pie might not even exist in KL anymore. We tried the outlets in Pusat Bandar Damansara, SS2 and Section 13 while we were told that the outlets in Bangsar and Midvalley were empty. Ditto for the Centrepoint Drive-thru, though we didn’t visit the new outlet along the Cheras highway.

I want to take a nap now. Good bye.

Put your Kancil through a blender...




I saw this last week. Its rear doors are intact, while there's a slice of wood precision-fitted (okay, not really) to create a cab. It's a mighty fine idea, though we don't really know if it's JKR/Puspakom approved. It'd be funny if it was, though. Notice the lack of any vehicle identification whatsoever.

Is this a good idea?

If you've got 5 bucks to spare...

…try the Ribena Special from Murni’s in SS2. It looks so timid, doesn’t it? This is the medium-sized variety. It’s essentially an ice-blended jar/jug of Ribena that comes with pieces of natta de coco, lychee as well as small slices of watermelon. Excellence.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

the importance of being idle.

I don't mind
As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine
I'll be fine
If you give me a minute
A man's got a limit
I can't get a life if my heart's not in it

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

restepc (not a typo).

my vision of what a good boss would be: someone who takes a last look of the office before leaving for home. and who's usually the last one to leave.

strangely enough, stephen wu, our head of department, does just that. and as annoying as he is, as...wu-ish as he is, he has my grudging respect.

maybe not a cool boss, but one of those wisely, silver-haired bosses. though he hardly fits the profile.

this round, the rotund chinaman wins.

leave it to a website to tell me that i'm stupid.

i'm celebrating mediocrity - my incompetence is your entertainment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello ian tai

Your age adjusted IQ score is 83 and the average score is 100.Your IQ score is the result of a formula based on the number ofquestions answered correctly on the test. This score has been further adjusted to account for the differences in capabilities among various age groups. Your percentile score means that you scored higher than 14% of the people who took this same test.

Your Grade: Below Average

Your performance on the test is below average and although you have the ability to reason well you have yet to reach your full potential. You will benefit by becoming more self aware of your abilities and by fully understanding your strengths and weaknesses. While you are capable of critical thinking and effective communication you will need extra effort in your academic challenges. Adding to your scope of knowledge can be fun and will help you adapt to new situations.

General statistics
----------------------------
Total number of questions:30
Questions answered:30
Questions not answered:0
Questions answered correctly:12
Questions answered incorrectly:18
Percentage correct answers:40%

------------------------------------------------------------------
it's official. i'm an idiot. gloat away, you fuckers. gloat away.

Monday, October 17, 2005

My First Little Penang Adventure.

The mighty Landeater parked on the curb of a nondescript Penang street.
--------------------------------------
According to Justin, the best things in Penang are the attractive Chinese girls, the fried chicken skin which you can get packed with prawns and RM 5 chicken chop. All of which were not to be found last night, when we paid a visit to Georgetown to sell off Justin's adjustable springs. Apparently, the hawkers at the end of Gurney Drive had been temporarily relocated whislt renovations to their previous haunt were being done, and they'd also closed by the time we'd gotten there.

On the bright side, it was my first trip to the island in 18 years. It's been fucking ages. Forget about the lack of big-bosomed Chinese chiquas...the island itself was a joy to visit.

Wandering aimlessly looking for a way to get out of Penang, however, was tedious. Finding Gurney Drive was tedious. Taking the wrong turn and heading back to the island was tedious. The road signs in Penang are tedious. Simply because they don't tell you what you need to know.

We took the Proton Landeater 1.5 Gli (that just sounds lame now). It did 400+ km for RM 40. Not too shabby, to say the least. Take route 1 all the way from Jalan Kuching to Southern Ipoh, and then head straight for the toll. Or if you'd prefer, you can get to Butterworth from Ipoh via a toll-free route. Though it'd take a helluva lot longer.

Here're most of the photos I took below. Please note that Justin was driving my car, and constantly moving. There weren't a lot of photo opportunities.

Especially when you're moving. In the dark. Ugh.

Enjoy, I suppose.
---------------------------------------------------

en route to Ipoh: the Tapah clocktower.


we're crossing the Penang Bridge to the island...not like you could tell.


random penang shot #1.


random penang shot #2.


We went all the way to Penang to eat here, since nothing else was open.


RM 8.60 for this. Just this. Amazing. We could've had this in SS2...


...and it still would've looked the same in the end.


The traffic jam upon our return to KL, near Selayang @ 7:05 a.m.
---------------------------------------------------
Not a lot of pictures at all. This trip has proven the Landeater's fuel economy, as well as its ability to boost up to 130 km/h on backcountry roads. Which are pretty scary to speed on, wh it's drizzling. And it's 4 in the morning. And when you haven't slept for almost a day.

Tsk. I'm getting rusty in my old age. On another note, I'd really love to go to Penang again. In daylight.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

round the roundabout.

here's a tip for arousing suspicion in kuala lumpur: make 4 rounds around a roundabout, and someone's bound to take notice. especially if it's the police.

whilst deciding where to go after a session at Murni's last night, justin drove around the kepong-batu caves roundabout repeatedly. we caught the attention of the police, who susbsequently stopped us once we found a direction. they took our ICs, and played a game of 20 questions with justin, while sazman, theo and his girlfriend and i kept on cracking up.

it's amazing that cops carry mp5 submachine guns.

unsurprisingly, we got away with it. though making multiple passes around a roundabout is rather silly.

after that, we proceeded to genting (he'd told the fuzz that we were heading there), and proceeded to chill out (literally). hillariaty ensued. ah.

so, now, kids...leave those roundabouts alone.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Oh, Fiona.

the long one.

one blog is enough. enjoy.
-----------------------------------------
Daddy Bites Parts 1 & 2

It sounds overly sappy, but at times, I watch fathers play with their children on the playground, or hanging out with their kids at the mall and I want to be like them. That’s right. Hold back your consternation: I’d love to be a father. While most guys would probably shudder at the thought of such an atrocity, I bet that there’re others who wouldn’t mind a shot at it. Maybe it’s that internal desire to spread the seed around, or my own desire to build something from the ground up and watch it flourish. Of course, it’s not always guaranteed that it’d always flourish.

I’m worried about my own view that I’d be better off being settled down and domesticated. Once upon a time I had the notion that if I got married, I’d be with a yuppie-like partner, and we’d spend our nights coming back from work and adjourning to bistros with our yuppie-like friends. We’d have stainless steel kitchen appliances such as bowls and spatulas, but we’d never have to use them because we’d give up on cooking and just eat out to whet our appetites. It’d be a fun marriage; it wouldn’t be complicated with children because somehow, we’d be both Supermom and Superdad, and we’d leave the kids with a nanny or we’d both take turns taking them to our respective daycare facilities where we worked.

Fat chance, seeing how this is Malaysia.

But that was a vision, anyway. I suppose that the objective of my life is to attain that goal. Make it a reality, if I must. To earn enough money to gain some form of financial freedom to spend time with the people I want to spend time with the most. You know what I’m talking about. I want to be a hands-on parent. The kind of doting parent who’s always there for the kids, but who doesn’t interfere…that much.

Diaper changing? Not a problem. I’d wake up in the middle of the night. Rides to school? It’s part and parcel of being a parent. Presents? Hey, your kids are supposed to be pampered every now and then. I’d go for all the school performances, and try my best to attend the sports meets and the parent-teacher days. It’s debatable, but my father wasn’t there for me when I needed him the most (though I’m grateful for it, strangely enough). I wouldn’t really want my children to grow up that way.

But for now, I guess that I can only sit back and laugh at what’s been said here. I’m nowhere near prepared for all this. I’ve got to admit…I probably love the idea of being a father a little bit too much. You know how some fathers go all-out to correct the mistakes that they made through their children…like how they want to instill their hopes and dreams in their children and give them what they couldn’t have themselves? It’s probably the same everywhere. You should be worried if I feverishly repeat to myself that my son will become a high school jock, or my precious daughter shall become one of the Plastics.Parenthood. Getting there is there hard part, no?

Forward progression is the only way up.

I’m scared of having a less than perfect child. I’m saying this totally from an aesthetic point of view. I believe that the older a couple is, the higher the chance that the child conceived would suffer from some handicap or abnormal quality. There’d be some physical imperfection involved. I’ve often asked friends if they’d still take the child in and give it whatever it needed, or would they treat it as a second-class child. The obvious answer would be that they wouldn’t know. But you’d guess that despite giving it all you’d have, you’d probably still want an offspring a little more…normal.

I wouldn’t know what to do. I’d love the child…after all, it’d be my flesh and blood. I’d give it whatever was necessary. But at the same time, the bigot in me would probably try to find ways to “fix” the child to get it accepted. Now, it’s the world’s biggest cliché, but it’d be for the best interests of the child. To ensure that he or she has some kind of equal footing in life --- success depends heavily on your physical attributes. To ensure that the child gets to enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed: without any impediments and hindrances; to enjoy it the way that any fully-functional mortal being would.

It sounds a bit over the top, doesn’t it? It all boils down to the fact that I’d be scared of the shame that would be packaged along with having a child who didn’t have “it”. I suppose that the end product reflects heavily on the people who’d brought it into the world. You know how bad seeds are often forgiven because the parents are usually the ones who’re blamed? I have the fear that the same thing would be said of the parents of a child who was lacking in some department. And this isn’t just a child who’s suffering from an impediment. The parents of any child who’s perceived as unsightly in whatever way…they get the blame, don’t they?

Spare the child. Stone the creator.

On that note, what would you do with a child who was sorely lacking in his academic progress? Lord knows what my parents think of me. I live the life of a bohemian free spirit, free from the worries of academia, who’s now sorely paying the price for it. Yet, I still continue my practice of being aloof, because it’s who I am. I suppose that I can use the excuse of “I was meant for greater things” and detach myself from my current responsibilities as a dutiful son. But I do believe in filial piety and, most importantly, karma. It’d be interesting to see what happens to me during my life as a parent.

I can’t really tell you why I am the way I am, just that I am. It’s amazing that I’ve been given all the leeway that I have. But I suppose that the party has to end sometime. Maybe this is some misdirected ode at the responsibilities that we’re meant to assume as we go into “adulthood”. I suppose that we’re all going to live the conventional cookie-cutter lives that we’ve all been told about. Everybody wants domestic bliss of some kind.

Bah.

I’ve got some big shoes to fill, but it can wait.
--------------------
Right Place, Right Time

Looking at the limited opportunities available to you to meet people as you grow older, you tend to take what you can get. Granted, convenience isn't a good reason to go for someone, and it totally destroys the whole "soulmate" thing, and you're not really being totally true to yourself, but research has shown (don't ask me what source this is) that you've probably already met the perfect person and have subsequently lost him/her. So, once that business has been taken care of...who cares? You've already held (and for some of us, tasted) perfection, so at least we know what it's like. It's time to move on to the ugly duckling, in the hopes that nothing short of a swan blossoms from it. Who knows? It might just happen. And you'd be happier because of it.

Is settling for less a bad thing? What if you're settling for just a little bit less? I've realized that in terms of a "partner" (I never thought that I'd be putting it that way), I'm not as picky as some other people that I know. I know that I don't really have the resources that they have either, but in another perspective, I'm pretty much game for anything as long as I see that there's something there that I'd really like. The good thing is, this doesn't apply to everyone that I meet. The bad thing is, it applies to the majority of people that I meet.

People do come in 31 flavours. And more. This sounds quite poncey, but I really do try to see the good stuff within a person as opposed to just the superficial stuff because...it's more rewarding to take a look at what's inside. With that said, I've never really gone out with anyone who was absurdly fat (maybe just a little bit chubby), nor have I ever really gone out with someone who couldn't speak English with at least a IELTS 5.0 level of proficiency. At the same time, most of the girls I've dated do have some kind of artistic ambitions within themselves.

Not being picky.

I don't know. I find that it's easy for me to just take a look at someone and go "hmmmm...not too shabby". It's gotten me into trouble before. And it just might, once again. There's no beauty in a situation like this. Shit like this isn't meant to be treaded upon lightly. Show no restraint, because someone's eventually going to understand your motives. Eventually.
------------------
Discipline...?

My mom used to hit me a lot when I was a kid. It was her way of showing who was the boss. I suspect that when you're a housewife, who is properly qualified for a job but unable to carry one overseas, you probably develop some kind of inferiority complex of sorts; especially if you're a strong-willed, independent woman.
I ended up hating her for the majority of my teenaged life because of this. My dad recalled that I used to run around screaming "child abuse! child abuse!" when I was younger. After each thrashing I'd get, I'd just feel awful. Wouldn't you?

And it doesn't stop there. My mother probably had it in for me. One terribly clear memory I have took place in Singapore. My father had broken the handle off a mug, and I was there with him. He then went to work. I went to school, and came back. My mom questioned me intently about the mug, and didn't believe me when I told her that my father accidentally broke it repeatedly. He came home, and reaffirmed what I'd said. I didn't even get an apology from her. It's not so much the lack of an apology I was mad about...it was the total lack of faith she had in me.

I was told repeatedly that since I was a crap son, I'd get crap children. This is only because I fought back when I was in my teens. What kind of mothering is that? And am I all that more screwed up because of it?
Nowadays, things are cooled down significantly between my mother and I. I only see her once a week, and I don't hear from her that often unless she wants to be heard. Or unless I want to talk to her, which, I have to admit, doesn't happen at all. Our relationship is less than healthy. And sometimes, I really do think she's mad. As in crazy. Insane.


Not too flattering, I know.

Nature dictates that we stick by our mothers. How does that quote go? "Mother is the name of God on the lips of all children." Something like that. I don't know. I wish it was true.
--------------------
Misfit.

I tend to be slow in any social situation; I can read a situation well enough, but in terms of responses and witty comebacks…I’m sorely lacking in that department. I have a knack of saying the wrong thing at the best times, therefore bursting the bubble of a perfectly lively discussion. I’m also renowned for doing incredibly strange things that defy logic. Not silly things, mind you, but strange things that just prove that I can outweird any of my friends. I’ve had my share of priceless moments, but my life seems to be filled with moments where you’d tend to take a step back and tell yourself that I wouldn’t be worth your trouble.

One New Year’s resolution that I’ve made over the years has been to watch what I say. It’s worked well enough, and I’ve improved immensely because of it. But I also live by the adage that the first thing you say (no matter how ludicrous) is the most honest thing; it comes straight from your gut. And I tend to use my gut instincts more than my brain. I’ve benefited from it in the past, but lately, things have taken a nosedive. Still, I believe that things tend to work out more as a result of out instincts, rather than our logic.I don’t know if I’d change myself to become popular. I revel in mass adoration, and it’s worked out so far in my favour.

There’re certain aspects of myself that I could change in an attempt to boost my profile. But how far would I be willing to go? How far would you be willing to go to be accepted? I remember keeping to myself in high school; the friends that I had (and still have) belonged to what I’d like to call the slacker community. I’m not saying that I’d found acceptance.

And after all this time, it’s still awkward at a tertiary level.I’m not complaining that I don’t belong anywhere. It’s just that at this point in time, I should know where I belong.It sounds silly, but I’ve got different accents prepared for different people. And in situations when different accents need to be utilized simultaneously, the results can be catastrophic. I can’t be myself without realizing that there’s some bizarre conflict of interest with another “self”.

How I perceive myself to be and what I’d want people to perceive me as…the gap’s getting wider everyday.
--------------------

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Photographic fun-o-rama.

I've borrowed Joo Yee's camera for Facehunt. But naturally, I'd go snap-happy and start taking photos...of myself. My brilliance knows no bounds! These are here purely because I had nothing better to do (and I can't post the pictures of our Facehunt contestants here due to privacy/ethical reasons).

As you can see, I've got a long way to go in learning how to be photogenic. I am the anti-photogenesis (there is no such word).

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Glitches.

One peeve I have with the previous two versions of FIFA is the lack of intuitive player selection when the opposition counters. I can’t seem to select the player I want at the right time, and it ends up being very sloppy in the end. I suppose that you could tell me to just deal with it, and that it’s only a video game…but it’s still annoying. FIFA ’06 doesn’t escape from this; it’s a little bit more free-flowing, so you don’t really need to select that one player, but in times of crisis, it’d be nice if I could select the player that I wanted. Desperate pushing the analogue stick in the direction of the player I want and pressing “X” frantically doesn’t seem to work here any more than it did in previous versions. Bah.

Other than that, I keep on losing in the Semi-Professional difficulty level, and I’m tempted to take it down a notch. I’m not the best FIFAist but even I’d think that I’d manage to at least draw with a CPU opponent…which leads me to a sudden realization: this early in playing the game, it appears that the CPU opponents are better (just a bit) than my human cohorts.

Practice practice practice. All for the love of a soccer videogame.

Saturday, October 08, 2005

new obsessions.

it's been a week of new obsessions. but the one that's struck me the most has been my purchase of fifa 2006. it's been here for a little over 12 hours. yet, it's just struck me. like a bat out of hell. a bat on the head. like a cat on a hot tin roof. it's smooth. it's scary. player animations have improved. the game feels very different. and it's enough for me to beat my 11 year old neighbour once.

how's that for impressive?

the ear's still infected, probably, though the swelling has died down. i haven't applied anything but saltwater to it. no disinfectants such as dettol or savlon have been applied as yet. the entertainment value of the consequences of my (in)actions should be high.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Back to Wrigley's...

It's a nice photo and all (I lifted it off Steven's Friendster profile), but it's also a bit embarrassing. There's this massive wad of gum in there (at least it looks like a wad of gum because I know for a fact that I've got a competent set of gams), so...yeah.

My ear is so, like, infected.
I've got no idea what an infected ear looks like. My right ear is full of puss and dried blood. Though it's quite fun to pick at. Huzzah.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

profile views and spews.

friendster scares me. the ability to know who's viewed your profile is a nifty tool...if you're the popular one. on the other hand, people like me, who might obsess a little too much over a particular someone might not want the undue attention. i've already been acknowledged as something of a stalker by paolo's beard (hey, random clicks are fun!), but there're other people whom i'd prefer to keep oblivious to in regards to my curiousity about them.

on the other hand, it's good to know that i've got "friends" who'd view my profile with each change that i make. but it also means that i'd have to make a major change and not a minor one in order to spur more people to view it, e.g. add a solid number of different photos and a total profile change as opposed to adding one or two words to the same thing. it makes you think about what you want to change, and most importantly, why you're wanting to do so. it makes you think about what the point of it all is.

and in the end, there's really no point at all.

today has been utterly pointless. i've managed to catch up on sleep, but the price that i had to pay with was that my day just passed by without incident.

i need a job. esther was asking me if i wanted a job with Maxis that was binding over a month. it incidentally pays well. and i want it. the temptation....ooooaaah.

COME BUY MY WARES!
COME BUY MY WARES!

i can't wait. i've never been in retail before and this would be a bit different. and at least i'm not being an ass by proclaiming my love for digi and how i'm gonna stick by it and not promote any other telco. (though if i ever caught enough infamy to become a celebrity endorser, it really would be digi i'd be endorsing and not one other. the same goes for coca-cola....pepsi who?)

hmph. the start of another week. this just drags on, this existence.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

october already?!

there was a little lamb
it was slaughtered and turned to chop
i ate it
i ate it well
there was a little lamb.

there was a little lamb
its fleece was white as snow
white like lines
cocaine lines
go 'n snort yer blow.

there was a little duck
its feet were webbed like webs
go die, go die
waddle waddle
there was a little duck.

the moral of the story
is lost on me
therefore
there is none.