The rains and sunshines of my life: Budding, blooming, and withering...

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

?!?

Your Personality Profile

You are pure, moral, and adaptable.
You tend to blend into your surroundings.
Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends.

You believe that you live a virtuous life...
And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye.
As a result, people tend to crave your approval.
The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage.

In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.
You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming.
Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you.

You are best known for: your touch

Your dominant state: changing
Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Swan

Animal You Were in a Past Life: Rabbit

You are passive, sentimental, and emotional.
You sometimes lack self-confidence, but you are creative and rational.

Annyeong Gaseyo

Argghhh! I will soon be ripped off my only source of communication and entertainment in this office! Cause the new staff is coming soon, so she’s taking my seat and I have to go share with some guy, ED. :…( KC said I will be guiding the new staff for one month then I will leave for the more technical department, under HM. After that, they predict that another new assistant or staff will come so ED and I will be shooed away to the labs. Oww, so sad for him.

I mean for me nevermindla, but he is permanent staff boh. He is this cute, cute boyish guy. Haha… dun get me wrong la… I mean he looks young ma, as in like sei kia (sei kia = kid, if he reads this die lar). So maybe I won’t get to blog/ surf/ email since I share PC with him! OUCH! Tonite go home and pray he share me his PC hehe…

So, if u dun see any updates from me, it means ED is a mean mean kiamsiap (selfish) guy ;P. Nola, kesian him oso, lost all his privacy to surf since I sit right next to him (as in sharing one desk). Ooops, I just remembered. This means I must remove all my personal documents from this PC before the new girl arrives. Arrrgghh wat a fuss. Since we can’t bring storage media in I have to email everything back to my own email and DL if from somewhere. Right now, I think my only next source of internet is school. Hehe… St3! Mum’s office mah. Buthen, wen got time to go there la… And go there mit all the teachers meh…

I hope Hueno doesn’t ‘die’ of hunger since I can no longer log on to feed him. Aiyoh, I so look forward to change department but that was with a PC! -_-… Now all I can say is, wait and see. So, Annyeong Gaseyo* for the moment, till I get a PC/ line of my own in 1Si.

*Korean for the day:

Annyeong Gaseyo = goodbye to the person staying behind (and u leaving)

Anneyong Gyeseyo = goodbye to the person leaving (and u staying behind)

Monday, February 27, 2006

Generally Agreed...

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.
Your Element is Metal

Your power colors: white, gold, and silver

Your energy: contracting

Your season: fall

You are persistent (and maybe even a little bit stubborn).
If you see something you want, you go for it.
You have a lot of strength, and it's difficult to get you down.
Very logical, you tend to analyze everything going on in your life.

Rainy Rain Rain


It’s a rainy day. So nice. But today I forgot my handphone, forgot my bottle. Luckily I remembered my head. Actually the things I remembered to bring was cause it was never taken out in the first place. And I couldn’t have forgotten my jacket since I was shivering this morning. So I wore my jacket zipped up. Everyone arrived all wrapped up; looks like winter wear. Haha… It’s a real cold day. But surprising the icebox is not as cold as most ppl expected it to. Luckily, if not I can’t imagine. I seriously had considered to bring an extra jacket this morning… Poor Tiger and Hola, they are probably so cold but they followed me to my car wic was out in the rain. Poor pups, missed me huh? ;)

Last Friday, I went to HR to fight my rights. J Hehe… Din go to CH, Ms SUPER-hard-to-negotiate-and-talk-to. She’s from China and speaks with this erm… unbearably HIGH pitch tone. Asked SU and I got it (easy pea)! 7 days of leave. So my 4-working-days-a-week plan is still on! YEAH!! Only 7 days leave; not enough to cover so many working weeks, so I had a headache spreading them out uniformly. Thank goodness for whoever created Public Holidays esp Gawai (3 days!!! But one fall on Sat).

So, my 4-working-days-a-week starts on the week after Ms Suhaila’s visit. Skipped weeks with Public Holidays. So, end up with only few full working weeks. I kept most of it towards the final weeks in case I need some time for preparation to get back to a certain deserted desert called Tronoh. Anyhow, I din take any for last week since I may be really busy wrapping the loose ends up and completing final report, logbook and etc.

I’m a really bad student. I think Mr. Thiam probably thought I kidnapped his squash racquet oredi. I have been skipping Badminton religiously!

Week 1 – Move house
Week 2 – Move house
Week 3 – CNY (he oso no session la)
Week 4 – (some dinner, forgot wat)
Week 5 – Chap Goh Mei dinner (neh the day bz whole day, how to go wor)
Week 6 – Sprained neck
Week 7 – Stabbed thigh
Week 8 – Flu like dead dog
Week 9 – Lazy :P
Week 10 – Will I go?

Wow, weeks flies man! Not totally my fault. I mean, its cause most occasion falls on Sat night mah! Friday nite may be too rushing for ppl after work and Sun nite ppl rest to work/ study on Mon liaw. Also, the place is a bit far la… And also my favourite cousin is not around to motivate me to go. ;P Haha… So many reasons… seems like I’m not going anytime soon. But I will have to go to return the squash racket and VCDs.

Weekend over…. And so here I am back in this office. When am I changing department??? Not that I hate here, but I don’t love it to death either… How? So far, the PE not much to do yet. I wonder why? Unless I’m spos to check the task folder every now and then. But I daren’t cos that’s SS not mine so I scared I ter-peep sumthing confidential or wat. He said Lg spos to pass me mar. So, I think I’d better wait or ask Lg.

As u may have realized, I have no photos that were taken on my own in my blog. Mainly, I am blogging from office, my only source of communication to the outside world besides my handphone. My house STILL NO LINE! Telecolm is very efficient. And they say need to fulfill the minimum quota before they can setup whatever needed for tel line. There’s like at least 30 – 30 families in already ok? And it’s not like my house is in the middle of NO WHERE… Opposite the 2 lane road oredi got a fully occupied housing area! 1 minute up that road got a whole lot of international companies / factories (free industrial zone). 3 minutes down the road u got Tabuan Jaya old, semi new, new… Song Rd…. Its like 15 minutes from the airport. And there are so many new housing area around that I dunno their names. Boulevard, Woodlands, erm.. Drive Avenue, North Height, Esco Ville… blah blah BLA ok?? Can’t you (Telecolm) see that it’s a crowded (and going to be even more) area where telephone lines are essential?
Had finally gotten my house address! Hehe, have been telling ppl I dunno my house official address. I am still reach-able at the old address, but not so secure d mah since I dun live there. Later lost la, wat la... Erm, so if u need my new address just lemme know ok? Email, friendster or wat oso can. :)

So wat has blogging from office got to do with not having pic/photo of my own?

10 things to know about my company *ahem*:
  1. No storage media allowed (inc diskettes, USB, handrive, portable HD, CDR etc…)
  2. No camera / camera phone / anything u can take photo/ video with.
  3. All process of storing / saving info / documents can only be done by department secretary.
  4. All corners got this camera turning 360 degrees spying on you (except toilet cubicles).
  5. All doors (and I mean ALL) can only be accessed if you swipe your card. The only door without swipe system is the door of a toilet cubicle. Your other alternative, is break the small glass pane and activate the company alarm.
  6. If it’s your first time in the lift, you are in for a ‘surprise’. But no worries, the lift is not about to crash down (and even if it does, its only 3 storey high). It jerks like it’s suffering Parkinson all the way up (and you pray like mad) and when it reaches; it jolts about few inches above the precise level, before dipping down to the correct level. All that comes with the sound effect, which makes you wish that you had taken the stairs in the first place (besides developing potential heart attack while at it). All in all, it’s a ride in a lifetime (try at least one before you decide you are not fit), esp when you are not prepared for it (early morning still half awake) and there are no straps or anitin to grip onto.
  7. Open your bags and show guards everything inside your bag when you swipe out company. They want to see absolutely EVERYTHING (checking for storage devices and camera phones).
  8. Stop at inspection point every time you drive pass security point for vehicle inspection. Open your vehicle’s storage compartment too.
  9. And if it’s raining, please register your umbrella at the security, it is not allowed inside.
  10. Lastly, and the big trademark of this company is, walk (and work) like the path is in midair and is falling off every step behind you, and you are about to be eaten by a monster (or worse if the monster decides to play with its food).

Okay, I feel so good. So good, …(forgot lyrics by NTV7 d, so long din watch)… TO be honest to the dot, the above information is true to… 99%. There may be about 1 % of exaggeration. But well, you get the idea.

Your Dream Engagement Ring Has a Heart Diamond!

You wear your heart on your sleeve, so of course you should also wear it on your ring.
A heart diamond is the perfect choice for highlighting your passionate disposition.
Only a true romantic can get away with wearing this ring. Luckily, that's you.
And only a true romantic can give you this ring, so make sure you find him...!

Friday, February 24, 2006

More, more & MORE!


Wanted for the possesion of too-perfect complexion (looks like SKII ad)
Han Chae Yong
Nice set of *teeth*
Sunshine smile

Short hair oso not bad huh?
Mata rambang already o not? Last Korean gal that u mustn't miss out...


The Myth of Beauty
A scene from movie The Myth
The Myth: Dancing scene
Kim Hee Seon
Her again
I know, I know, she got a lot of good photos... wat to do...
Some more of Kim Hee Seon
And more
And more...
And... eh.. no more! hehe... That's all folks!

More...

Won Bin
AIMH Supporting actor
White again! :)
Another Korean drama hit, Winter Sonata
Bae Yong Joon & Choi (smthg)
My favourite Korean actress, Moon Geun-yeong
Cute girl
*mature*
Huh?
Simply sweet

and more to come... but getting a bit lazy to upload... so... c mood after lunch! ;P

Friday RULES!!!

Oh man! This is SOOOoo heated. Started out wf SS (the guy bside me) giving a phone call. Watever he was discussing must be really bad, but my FARfarAway wall/ mode must have ‘thickened’ over the time in 1Si to filter out so many unnecessary….err.. interruptions, that I din notice a thing. -_- That is until he suddenly spun his chair furiously facing my direction and was practically shouting into the phone and stamped his foot (dunno which since I only heard it, din dare to look). I was shocked, and I jumped a lil, mainly cause I was so into my SPC thing.

Found out he was arguing wf this guy over the imprecise documents causing the client (who came to audit that time) to question his credibility. SS resorted to ask this guy, lets call him X, for help. After the phone failed to resolve whatever the matter was, SS told X to come up for clearer clarification. My gosh, X could be as rude (for a professional position like his) a guy as u can imagine. He barged into Tiger Shark (the conference room with all clients auditor) like he’s the CEO or worse. Of course, that was a, very, very negative move (here in 1Si). The client is the type, as S put it, scare-the-shit-out-of-u type of client auditor. Mind you that’s her opinion; S is an experienced employee here.

So SS had to pull him out and X never even apologize for his sudden appearance. Okay, out here, they continued to argue in low voices but it was impossible. They were rose their voices in a controlled manner as TS room was just behind them. Pace back and forth to cool down the heaty ‘discussion’. X might as well have called SS stupid directly in front of the whole, okay half the department. The heated conversation went like smthg this:

(din bother to listen much in the beginning, bthen it became a lil too audible...)
SS: So, I…I… am so… stupid and can’t.. understand.. can’t understand …your.. explanation? (he’s actually too angry to speak already, his words are like stuck between his gasps for air)
X: Hah, you said that urself ar! (this guy no prob speaking and happy to spit more fire)
SS: Ok,… ok so… I am stupid..! So you… you.. go explain it all to the client yourself.
X: Hamph!! When they are ready call me, I don’t want to stand here! (…and walks off.)

And all the symbol-spelled words came after that. ~_~` (And apparently the client bombd X cause he too wasn't satisfied with the explanation X gave.)

I’ve been having really weird and bad dreams lately. I keep dreaming of something / someone dying. And it just got worse last nite wen I dreamt of the world coming to an end.
?!?

On the brighter note, notice the pale pink bunny by my page? Let me intro him to all of ya! Meet my adopted e-pet, Hueno (pronounced as hew-no). Feed it if u feel like to ok? There’s always a carrot when u click ‘more’. I haven’t really explored wat else Hueno is capable of. Oh, and he hops when u click on it… Ok, I’m not out of my mind yet, just to kill time ok? For the Santa game, use arrows on keyboard to move the figure (Santa) to collect presents. Yeah, basically all these features can kill boredom for those rotting in cubicles. You can try the flag quiz too. Guess the flag country name lor… so obvious. And guess wat? Football countries flag are the easiest to guess (eventho I dun folo futbal).

Adding so many (stupid) features into my page make it load slower nowadays, so please do have patience. The layout is sometimes distorted but that’s cause I’m doing some reconstruction. So bear with me. Even now, hope u can bear with the tiny imperfect parts which I haven’t figured out how to correct (and getting tired to). Yeah, I’m real bad with this kinda thing, and I’m learning slowly. ;P

Yesterday evening, I was walking to my car wen I crossed path with 3 Japanese guys! Actually, it’s not like they are super good looking like Won Bin (Autumn in My Heart male lead) or wat. And they are in their 30s. Looking smart and stable kinda guys. Fair and TALL. Hehe… One of them was on phone, (dats when I passed him) and he went “Moshi, moshi bla bla bla..” Ok wat I’m trying to point out is his voice! So… (no word can describe its nice-ness). And he was speaking so gently too. ;P Kla… I’m over-reacting. Like neva c Jap ppl b4. I’m JUST commenting ok. I have the right to! Last note: I never hear any Japanese speak in such nice voice, so well-mannered, gently etc… before, not even in movies or dramas or anime for that matter. Ok, the end. Full stop.

Aniwei, I prefer Korean artists (actors / actresses). And if u haven't notice, I'm a Korean fan (as in self-learning language and gona visit there sumtime I hope). Some pics I dig out. More here.

Scene frm AIMH

Nice pose for VD don u think?

Song Seung-heon, AIMH star

Nice close up

White is JUST irresistable

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Voyagers & Plasma

Was reading a bit before bed last night. There’s a small article on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Nope, it’s not a new movie sequel etc. As most astronomy fans probably know, they are the two spacecrafts launched and funded by NASA in 1977 till now.

Ok, for totally astronomy blur case ppl out there; let me give a bit of intro. Not to say I’m an expert, but I know a bit basic (wic most ppl prob noe) so here we go…

The Earth, and the other 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto) circulating the Sun makes up the Solar System. Our solar system is located in the outer reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is a spiral galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy contains roughly 200 billion stars To give a rough idea of how vast our galaxy is, it takes approximately 100 million million km / 100 000 light years to travel from one end to another. The Milky Way lies within a cluster of galaxies called the Local Group.


The observable universe is believed to contain at least 10 billion (1010) galaxies, clustering together in the thousands but still spaced from one another by millions of light-years.

Talking about astronomy, I vaguely rmr me and the fungus (?) family bk in form 4 or form 5 participated in this national competition on astronomy. Yeah, Baboon gave us the project. Not that he forced us (I think) but the prize was quite attractive; some cash and a telescope! So naturally we accepted it. Yeah, everyone was anticipating the telescope (I know I was). But I guess, students being students, and when something isn’t made compulsory, we never put much effort in it and in the end handed in something we scraped out in a day or two? Hehe, those were the time…

Aniwez, both Voyagers were launched with the initial mission to explore Jupiter and Saturn. After a considerable amt of discovery, they have set to travel further since. They diverged routes (around 1980s) and V1 began to travel outwards of our system (while V2 lingers around planets). V2 is the only spacecraft yet to fly by Uranus and Neptune.

In 2003 or even as early as 2002, V1 is believed to have crossed the termination shock. There were some disagreements but in 2004 the evidence was solid.

However, Stone suggests, the termination shock may have been moving outward from 2002 through 2004 at about the same speed that V1 was traveling.
"We were, in a sense, surfing the shock," he said.

The termination shock is where the solar wind, a stream of electrically charged particles blowing continuously outward from the sun, is slowed by pressure from gas floating between the stars. It can expand, contract, and ripple, depending on changes in the speed and pressure of the solar wind.

Voyager 1 is now 94 astronomical units from the sun. (One astronomical unit equals the distance between the Earth and the sun.)

Now Voyager 1 has entered uncharted territory: the heliosheath. The sheath also marks the transition between our solar system and the interstellar medium.


Scientists don't know exactly how wide the heliosheath is, but they expect that it will take Voyager 1 another 10 years or so to travel through the region. The spacecraft is expected to keep going until it runs out of power, probably around 2020 at the earliest.

After traveling through the heliosheath, Voyager 1 will encounter the heliopause, a boundary region that may be as complicated as the termination shock. This is where the wind from our sun mixes with interstellar wind.

"Once it crosses the heliopause, Voyager will be the first human-made object to reach interstellar space," Stone said. "Once there, we can determine for the first time the strength of the interstellar magnetic field."

V2 is expected to cross the termination shock between the period 2007 to 2010. The Voyagers contain the records of Earth's life and sounds, gifts for any intelligent being out there yet to be discovered.

Oh, another interesting read from National Geographic magazine, is human may have discovered the 4th state of matter. We lived thus far knowing gas, liquid and solid but that’s not it, or so they said. SO have a quick guess? Well, I never guessed it, but the answer is plasma.

The earth is surrounded by it. The aurora borealis is a lovely example of it. So is lightning. The sun is made of it. Plasma is a gas in which atoms have been ionized – that is to say, stripped of electrons. Because of that, plasma has magnetic and electric fields that move around rambunctiously and unpredictably, altering their environment. As the environment changes so does the plasma – a continuous dance of action and reaction. It’s usually hot but can also be cold. “Plasma as a life of its own” says Walter Gekelman, who researches the stuff in an enormous basement laboratory at UCLA.

Orion Nebula in Billion-Pixel Beauty

Credits:
National Geographic magazine, Feb 2006 issue.
http://www.setileague.org/reviews/aliens.htm
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

...

I’m stranded in office today with as much as RM 0 in my wallet. So like it or not I went down to punch the ATM so it wud vomit some lunch money for me (my coins only fund normal lunch but I wanted some sushi so…). Stranded cause it was raining cats and dogs and monkeys and elephants out there. I settled for the thought of sushi I think I quite missed. I entered into a sardine-d, tuna-ed and curry-ed cafeteria. Not that it is squeezy but all the seats and tables were taken. Everyone couldn’t go out for lunch cause of the downpour; or rather they prefer not to make the fuss. So I sigh and bot a piece of pizza and came bk to munch it in my cubicle.

Due to my itchy hands, the previous msg board is somehow suspended. Aih.. so I get new one while waiting for it to return?? Sheesh… And before I even successfully publish my new msg board, it is again suspended?! Whats going on… Guess the site has some housekeeping to do…
Sian.. there goes my ‘lunch nap’ I looked forward to. And there goes my msg board. What else is there to go. Go to sleep…. Zzz not… unless I wanna get fired… ish the 24/7 camera is turning round and round…. Kla.. lunch over, since SS is bk wif his interesting story of ppl using spoilt lift (but not notified) and died when it crashed to the bottom (Penang case). Aih, wat bad luck and sad case. Pray for him/her/them.

Wednesday Wails

Hie! Morning just arrived in office… Rainy day… Wen I walked towards my cubicle I’m quite surprised to see KC’s place empty. Empty; as in no sign of her arrived yet. I guess I’m so used to see her or at least her pencil box/ hp/ signs that shows that she’s here already whenever I arrive. Is she on leave? Or is she later than me for ONCE? Hehe… We’ll see…

Yesterday, I overheard S telling P that Song Rd is full of pirated DVDs sold at RM2 per piece!!! If it’s a 5 pieces DVD drama, it’s RM10. SO cheap! And if it doesn’t work, u get to return them for good ones. Bt according to S, hers were perfect DVD std! I’m gonna hunt for them after work. All the Korean and TVB dramas, here I come!

It’s rainy season in Kuching. Been raining these few days/ whole week… which is great! Rite now, inside office but wheneva I walk down the hall to toilet, I can hear the wind howls and the rain storms heavily down on the glass (wall). And this icebox office is turning into Antarctica. My jacket feels useless. Okla, not Antarcticala since its not snowing… yet.

Remember my malfunctioning car remote? Well, well, what should I say? It’s turned over a new leaf… or not. Put it this way, it turned 360 degree back to its malfunction state but in another way. It’s functioning too well, that it malfunctions. Am I making any sense here? Anyway, now, it automatically locks/ unlocks the car without me touching the button or even the remote itself. Yes, it’s gotten over sensitive. Whenever I bring the keys (+ remote) within the vicinity of the car, the car starts locking, unlocking, locking, unlocking (infinitely)…. automatically. That is until I get in the car and start the engine. Can some Perodua automobile literate ppl tell me wat is wrong with this remote? Isit paying back all the ‘debts’ it owed me the other day when I pressed it infinitely and it didn’t even squeak? Gosh, this remote is driving me nuts so I decided to detach it from my keys and use only keys in future. My rough guess is the stupid rubber (black one) button is getting dislocated. For this latest case, it’s too near to the sensor and touching it even without anyone pressing.

M’sian Thomas Cup team has successfully booked their tickets into the finals in Japan. They beat Indonesia in the semis! Meanwhile, the Uber Cup team just bid farewell to the finals even though they too, had stunned the Indonesian team. More news.

Oh yeah, yesterday CH called me to tell me trainee got no leave (She’s also the one who rejected to accept my application for training here saying they dun accept trainees ~ liar…)! What news! So much for my 4-working-days-a-week plan. Argghh… But TJ told me trainees working longer than 10 weeks are entitled to 10 days! And I’m here for like more than triple that time! I’m gonna find time to HR and get bk my ‘stolen’ leave. :-<

7:51am
KC walking in with her bag; meaning she just arrived. YES! I’m earlier than her for once. Hmm… I wonder why she’s late (later than usual bt not office hour) today.

Feeling a lil sleepy today. Think it’s cos I woke up near 6am (was abt 5:50am)? Yeah, probly most of u, esp those working in KL are used to getting up at that time to squeeze ur way thru LRTs to work, but I’m used to waking up at 7++am mah… I am looking forward to the noon nap today.

It’s halfway through the week and I’m counting down to Friday 5:30pm! Speaking of Friday, SS told me he’s gonna take half day leave on Fri and ask me to take over the PE stuff. Not that I’m complaining of the workload, but he really should train me a lil in these two days instead of totally leaving it to me on Fri when he’s not around to guide me. Well he did briefed me about few weeks back, but really, I need hands on experience before having the confidence to tamper with the system alone unsupervised. He may just have a lil too much confidence in me ever since I rescued his program some time back. I just hope he doesn’t get any heart attack when he returns on Monday. And its not like I can turn to KC for 911, or even JL for that matter since his work is totally technical. The last time I tried, they were totally lost since they were not involved in his section. I guess I have to start communicating with the Inline Section ppl. Okla, lemme go do some self studying and analyzing on the system first. Tata!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Tuesday Tales

Yeah, I’m still in office today. Feeling better actually. Was tempted to take sick leave but around 7:25am when my maid peeped into my room asked if I m going to work, I decided I was up to it. Feeling refreshed actually. I still arrived in time, despite the jam. Ok, mebe I was about 3 or 5 minutes late swiping in? But honestly, I was already in 1Si by 7:47am. Went round and round hoping to get a car park nearer, but in vain. Then, while walking inside, this Kancil decided to move out… Haih…

Near lunch time and I’m hungry. But my car is so far away that I’m thinking for the n-th time if I should go bk or stay here for lunch. Because I dun really wanna walk 10 mins under the 12 noon merciless sun. Hmm… decided to go bk. Or mebe I should stay? Aiyoh… fickle minded-ness symptoms bk again. Ok, I’ve decided to stay.

Maybe have sushi for lunch? Healthier for a sick person ma… Oh, then I just remembered I have about 0 cents in my purse. Yeah, I have 0 cents cos I dun kip coins in my purse (coins will leave marks/lines on the leather, sayangmar…). The story of my purse comes a long way so I appreciate it a lot. The price is even longer, well at least for a miser like me la. Olive would know since she is a nice nice fren who went through the pain and suffering (not quietly tho) with me while I was shopping for it. Even for a shopaholic like her, I don’t think she approves how much ‘effort’ I put into getting a purse (if her she just buy all mah!). Haha…

So I should probably head home huh? Actually, I can go to the ATM wic is by the Harmony Walk, so have to change shoes and swipe out! Mite as well go home rite? Ok, I’m going bk for lunch (and not changing my mind anymore)! On second thoughts, I have another purse from Aussie Adeline ;) wic I keep a collection of my coins. It’s full and heavy and should be able to ‘fund’ my lunch/ even lunches for the week. Ok, if I go on, I mite unintentionally ‘invite’ someone to kill me. I will continue the saga after lunch. By then, everything is history no matter how fickle my mind decides to be.

12:20pm
Back! If u tot I had lunch in 1Si, then u’re wrong. Yes, went home for lunch. Jus cam bk rite after lunch. Fast eh (went off abt 11:50am)? N if u think I luv my office so much, then u r wrong again. Well, partly la.. I only love its net. ;P Came bk to surf. Yeah I’m a net addict. Actually, as I said, was so refreshed this morning and it lasts till now. So I didn’t take my usually noon nap. I wonder wat medicine the Doc prescribed me with. I’ve never felt so… energetic and rejuvenated before; wic is a good thing la.

Speaking of doc, any medcent ppl out there can tell me if choc ice cream is gud for a sick person? Ok, ok, dun tell me la. But I just can’t refrain myself. Hehe… Nvmlo, I’m getting better d.

I got to know SPL follows my blog, so I gotta stop badmouthing her. Hehe… Nolah, I dun badmouth anyone (so far). Hi SPL, having a good day? Dun get ‘invited’ to the stage again ok. That’s so embarrassing. FYI, she was late for school and got ‘invited’ to ‘model’ in front of the stage. But according to her it was a rainy day and there about 20++ ppl with her. I dunno if she meant she can hide behind those 20++ ppl or if she meant she didn’t mind being late for school dat day. Aniwei, she’s a good studentla. I think it’s the first time she got punished for anything in her whole school days (minus future since I’m not fortune teller). And I think she’s having exam this week? Yes? Okayla, see ur BIG sis so nice, announce Good Luck to u in her blog. Achieve your targets ok? PMR is like…(erm… not sure when leave school half a decade d mar..) in near futurela. Hehe… I get u a HUGE Garfield softoy if u get straight As. (*valid only while money in my account lasts). Ish… I’m too nice a sister… :p And this nice sister thinks u owe her …erm… (21-14) birthday presents. Hehe… I’ll give u a discount, say u start giving when u r like 13, so owe me 2 only. See, faster grab this rare opportunity, more than 70% discount u know! ;P

I wanna apply leave. But I dunno how. And everyone else seems so busy. I mean, its kinda bad wen everyone’s rushing their tail straight to get deadlines met and I ask “Erm, how for apply for leave?”. I have 10 days (I think) of leave. I’ve divided them uniformly over the next 30 weeks. So every week I get at least 1 day off (plus public hos mar). If that week happened to have public hols, then I skip it and save for the week to come. And thus throughout the rest of my 30 weeks of IT I only have 4 days of work per week! Yipeee! Suppose to start next week, but that’s if I figure out how leaves are applied. Knowing 1Si, it probly takes many, many procedures before my one day leave is approved.

Okla, I see I’d manage to crap near a thousand words. Told u, I’m really refreshed. Better check out wif doc wat he gave me. I probly looked like a dead dog yesterday so he gave me some super-duper energizing pill.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Monday Mourns

I’m sick. Flu, cough, fever, etc… Injured. Sprained neck and stabbed right thigh. Hurt. Sad. Nothing new. Did I mention sick? Ok, very Sick then….

Oh, last nite was raining really heavily. First time in my life have such experience. The thunders were booming all nite till morning. Felt like I slept through a ‘war’. Had immobilized neck and right leg, drowsy after medicine, and headache, so I didn’t get up to watch the ‘war’.


Nevertheless, I got up for work this morning. Yeah, I drove with that bad neck and bad leg. I can’t wait for the weekend to come eventho the last one was just over. I need rest… terribly.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Strange? Stupid? Cute?

Jailed for life for throwing slipper at judge

An Indian judge has sentenced a robber to life imprisonment for hurling a slipper at him. Judge C D Gongale managed to duck in time when Rajkumar Sharma threw his slipper at him, reports The Times of India.
The 19-year-old appeared before the judge in Mumbai after he was accused of robbing an auto rickshaw driver of £5.20.
Senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani said: "The punishment is excessive but the accused's conduct is unpardonable." The paper said suspects are now produced without their shoes in some courts to avoid such incidents.

?tfel/thgir

Green mamba sent through post

German police are investigating after a deadly green mamba snake was sent through the post. The parcel had a note attached saying: "Warning! Poisonous snake!"
It contained a three-foot-long green mamba, and was sent to an address in Berlin. The green mamba, one of the world's most dangerous snakes, has been handed over to a zoo in the German capital.


Musical breast implants

Computer chips that store music could soon be built into a woman's breast implants. One boob could hold an MP3 player and the other the person's whole music collection.
BT futurologies, who have developed the idea, say it could be available within 15 years. BT Laboratories' analyst Ian Pearson said flexible plastic electronics would sit inside the breast. A signal would be relayed to headphones, while the device would be controlled by Bluetooth using a panel on the wrist.
The sensors around the body linked through the electrical impulses in the chips may also be able to warn wearers about heart murmurs, blood pressure increases, diabetes and breast cancer.


Ex-head's skeleton helps with lessons

Health officials in Romania are concerned about a school using the skeleton of a former headmaster to teach anatomy.
Puchenii Mosneni elementary school, in Prahova County, has been using the skeleton for more than 50 years. School staffs believe it has played a big part in encouraging many ex-teachers to become doctors over the years.
Former principal Grigore Alexandru Popescu wrote in his will that he wanted to donate his body for educational purposes when he died in the 1950s. It is believed he also put a curse on anyone who moves the skeleton from the school.
But health officials say they need to check to see whether the skeleton poses any health risks to students. They say any preservation treatment must have been carried out decades ago and there could still be a disease risk, the Evenimentul Zilei newspaper reported.


Swedish firm insures against speeding fines

A Swedish company is offering insurance against parking fines and speeding tickets, claiming to be the first in the field.
Swedish drivers who register with the Bisso company and pay an annual fee of 850 crowns ($150) are covered against three speeding tickets a year, as long as they are not more than 30 kilometres per hour above the limit. For an extra fee, drivers can buy cover against parking fines.
Fines in Sweden, which has one of the best road safety records in the world, range from 800 to 2,000 crowns for speeding and 425 to 700 crowns for parking offences.
"We believe drivers are under economic pressure and there is no room in household budgets to pay fines," Bisso head of marketing Dan Glimmeras said.
"We offer economic protection."
He says insuring against speeding fines is not illegal but repeat offenders could still lose their licence. Mr Glimmeras says several thousand people have signed up for the insurance since May.

Bus to Hell!


'Menstruating' boy stuns doctors

In an extremely unusual case, a Kolkata doctor is treating a teenage boy who has been showing symptoms of menstruation.
The 15-year-old 'effeminate' boy's bleeding has been occurring in the second week of every month and lasts three days. During the period he experiences stomach aches, cramps, nausea and mood swings.
"We examined the boy. Though he has male organs, his behaviour and traits are like a woman," said physician Sudip Mondal.
"If tests of blood samples prove the presence of ovum, this would be a very rare medical case," he added.
Tarak, the boy who was identified by only one name, works as a domestic help in Kalna town, some 200 km north of Kolkata.
He began 'menstruating' more than a year ago, but hid the fact from his employers and his impoverished family for the fear of losing his job.
Doctors, who say this is a very rare case but not unprecedented, are now planning chromosomal and hormonal tests on the boy.
"The presence of female functional endometrial in a male prostrate gland can cause this type of anomaly," said Pradip Mitra of the West Bengal Gynaecological Society.
"The boy needs immediate medical attention or else this could cause fatal complications," Mitra warned.


Curry spice found to fight cancer

HOUSTON, July 12 (UPI) -- Turmeric, a spice that is a key ingredient in Indian curry dishes, contains a potent cancer-fighting agent, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
A study published in the upcoming issue of Cancer magazine related that curcumin, a chemical pigment in turmeric, helped stop the spread of breast cancer tumor cells to the lungs of mice.
Now doctors have launched clinical tests to see if it works on humans, said Bharat Aggarwal of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who led the study.
Earlier studies suggest that people who eat diets rich in turmeric have lower rates of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer, Aggarwal said.
He noted that many cancers are 10 times rarer on the Indian subcontinent than in the West.
The breakthrough came as no surprise to the owner of an Indian restaurant in downtown Manhattan. Abu Syed told the Daily News: "We already knew that Indian food tastes good. But it is good to hear it can help with cancer, too. It is one more reason to eat plenty of it."

?diputs?

Woman, 86, arrested in pizza row

An 86-year-old woman has been arrested for calling emergency services because she couldn't get a pizza delivered. Dorothy Densmore, of Charlotte, North Carolina, spent two nights behind bars after dialling '911' 20 times in 38 minutes.
Angry she could not get the meal delivered to her home, she demanded police arrest the pizza proprietors, reports the BBC. She told police that she had been called a "crazy old coot" by someone at the pizza shop. Mrs Densmore, who is 5ft tall and weighs seven stone, has also been charged with resisting arrest.
A police spokeswoman said the octogenarian scratched, kicked and bit the hand of the officer. She has now been released from jail, pending a court appearance in July, after a judge ordered a medical evaluation.


Scientists in Russia are baffled by a girl who apparently has X-ray vision and can see inside human bodies


Reports say 16-year-old Natalia Demkina has been tested by doctors at the children's hospital in Saransk and they can't explain her strange talent.
Natalia, who can describe the inside of bodies in detail, said she was pleased the doctors didn't think she was lying.
But she claims to be worried "that they might be hiding something from me about why I can see through objects".


Two-month-old baby speaks

A two-month-old baby in China can call his mother for feeding, instead of crying for attention.



When the baby wants feeding he calls "Mama, Mama".
Mrs Wang at Beijing city says she discovered her baby could speak when the baby was only 2 months old, reports Beijing Times. Mrs Wang says the baby can also say the word Nai, the Chinese word for milk. Doctors at Beijing Children's Hospital say it's really rare for a baby speak at two months old.

World's Worst Predictions

  1. Theoretically, television may be feasible, but I consider it impossibility--a development which we should waste little time dreaming about.- Lee de Forest, 1926, inventor of the cathode ray tube
  2. I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. - Thomas J. Watson, 1943, Chairman of the Board of IBM
  3. It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to anything.- Albert Einstein's teacher to his father, 1895
  4. This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us. - Western Union internal memo, 1876
  5. We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962
  6. Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?- H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
  7. 640K ought to be enough for anybody.- Bill Gates, 1981
  8. Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction. - Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
  9. Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
  10. We don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.- Hewlett-Packard's rejection of Steve Jobs, who went on to found Apple Computers
  11. In 1939 The New York Times said the problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn't have time for it
  12. An English astronomy professor said in the early 19th century that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate
  13. Airplanes are interesting toys, but they have no military value.- Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1911
  14. Whatever happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping.- Frank Knox, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on December 4, 1941

Patience is Virtue

Today I forgot my locker keyagain! Lucky for me, I did have my swipe card this time. Actually I wanted to hook the locker key back to my card this morning…
(I’ve just came bk from locker area changing shoes… lemme continue…)

…buthen I decided to put it in my pocket since it’s quite a fuss to unhook and hook my badge and other keys every time I need it. It was when I just passed the security gate, my mind bothered me. I checked my pocket for my locker key and couldn’t find it. Actually I was really early and could’ve made it bk and here again just in time, but I was lazy so I decided to get shoe wrap from security since TJ is long gone to save me this time.

Me:
Err… excuse me, sorry but I forgot my locker key…

Woman guard glanced at my card, rolled her eyes and looked away.


Me: (??) Excuse me; I forgot my locker key, so I can’t get my safety shoes.

Woman guard mumbles something NOT in my direction as if she’s talking to the air.

Me: (What the…) Excuse me; I forgot my locker key, so I can’t get my (stupid) safety shoes. Erm, may I get shoe wrap please?

Woman guard glances at my card again and mumbles, a bit louder than the first time, something again in a frustrated tone as if I’m invisible and she’s searching for me in another direction.

Seriously, she needs some basic manners such as looking at the direction of the person she’s talking to even if not in the eyes. Well, how am I supposed to catch what she says if she directs her kiamsiap and annoyed decibels in another direction?!

Me: (being very patient) Pardon me?

Woman guard repeated what she did. She glanced at my card, my trainee card, again and this time I got what she was trying to tell me. I’m a trainee but still a solid human ok… She finally saw that I caught her meaning.

Woman guard: You got your clean (safety) shoes already. So we can’t give you shoe wrap.
Me: (patience is virtue) But I forgot my locker keys so I cant get them. May I please have the shoe wrap?
Woman guard: No

?!? I was very tempted to walk in the clean area with my sandals, and if anyone asked I’d just say I didn’t know wat to do because they had this very ‘helpful’ guard. I mean if I’m not entitled to shoe wrap because I’m a trainee, at least tell me wat to do… I am a stupid TRAINEE after all and dunno wat to do in situation like this.

Me: So I can’t get shoe wrap? (not sure wat to say since we usually DO get new shoe wrap) ... So how can I enter the clean area?

This time I practically stuck my ears to her lips and followed wherever her face decided to turn. Aniwei, the conversation repeated and went on like that until I was practically begging and finally got the message that she asked me to get used show wrap from the rubbish bin. I had this surprised look on my face, and she had this satisfied thin smile on hers. And this was one time she was actually looking at me as if waiting for my reaction. Nevertheless, I still thanked her politely (and sincerely) and went off to scruff up some cleaner used shoe wrap from the bin in front of so many other employees esp the group of technicians who were sitting there. Must've looked like a beggar digging for food. I honestly admit that there’s some embarrassment, but it won’t kill me.

I could feel her surprised stare behind me (since I did exactly what she said instead of getting new ones) as her plan to humiliate me did not work that well. I even took my time to choose better ones. Yeah, I could feel stares from others as well. That’s because, we usually get to get new ones. Well what to do? It is my fault I forgot my key. And it is what she ‘advised’ me to do. Actually I was tempted to ask the other man guard who was nearby but was too occupied (giving out shoe wrap!) with another staff to notice his partner’s attitude problem. Also, I could’ve easily gone to the main entrance and get new ones. But I felt it is disrespect to her if I asked her and not follow what she said.

Yeah, despite being disrespect to the end by her, I still decided to respect her. This world needs lots of love and respect man. Yeah, speaking to her and her look-away replies did fire up my nerve but I decided to let it die. Love could make enemies your friends anytime. But if it’s my dignity is one thing she wanted to rip off me, its one she definitely won’t get. And if she’s still on duty when I walk out for lunch later, I’m still going to smile at her because I am no longer annoyed by her but thank her for the precious lesson of patience.

And maybe God knows how comfortable I am with this used shoe wrap, that my key did turn up in the end, which is why I went to change into my safety shoes just now. The key was in my pocket which I checked this morning but must have missed. And just now, somehow I was 'told' to check my pockets again, despite already being in the clean area.

I can choose to think “Aiyah, if got this key wont have to go through all that crap” or I can settle with “Had it not been for the ‘missing’ key, I wouldn’t earn and learn such valuable experience”. And I chose the latter. :) Everything that happens, has something you can 'earn' out of it, but usually we let our anger burn them all.

Besides this morning’s ‘excitement’, I’ve been quite bored recently. Entertained myself with ‘Lost’ episodes I DLed but it has already ran out since I only DLed till the middle of Season 2, and I got restless with the ‘hanging’ story. Other times, I spend them doing the even more boring Weekly report.

Last few days I saw this dog/ puppy in a bloody pool in the middle of the road. I immediately looked the other way (have a thing for bloody gross stuff). Lunch time, it was still there, the pool now dried into a red patch. And it was still there the next morning, looking like minced meat. Urgghh…. simply recalling about it now turns my stomach upside down. It was only yesterday evening when I was going home that I notice it was no longer there. Poor pup… What a day to die… Pray for it…

Yesterday, I got to know that Ms. Suhaila (she’s the E-Mach lec rite?) is gonna be my UTP SV. En. Zaihar e-mailed me abt it. Very thankful and happy that I got her since DWoof or should I call him DWolf tried to make me believe I got Awan, the evil master of grueling viva. Seriously, I think he is dying of boredom in Siemens, since he pulls his tricks every other second or isit every single second? But thanks to him, I learnt to not trust a single word of his. And his lies are beginning to sound really stupid. But his desperation for trust has not worn out.

Anyway, the SV visit is gonna be on 16th March. I feel nervous even rite now. Even though it’s just a visit with no presentation (right guys? Someone confirm wf me?), somehow still nervous ma. My poor 1Si SV had to cancel off her leave she planned to take that day. Oopss…

Was surfing and came over pages with useful tips for better sleep, something everyone might be lack of.

Clear your mind of all the anxieties and thoughts of the day. Avoid feelings of anger or resentment, which can be more potent than anxiety in maintaining wakefulness.

Don't read an exciting book (or watch endless animes) or watch a thrilling film before bedtime. Excitement is another obstacle to sleep.

Tell yourself frequently during the day, and again last thing at night, that you will relax in mind and body, go to sleep quickly, and sleep right through to the morning.

Make the bedroom a pleasant place, softly-lit, quiet and comfortable (and for Ong’s case mebe a lil more hygienic instead of breeding unknown fungus on her mattress).

Follow the natural human sleep pattern (no wonder Ong got prob) by retiring early and waking early.

Unwind physically. Progressively relax your body, tensing and then releasing each group of muscles from the toes to the head. Alternatively, meditate for at least fifteen minutes before retiring.

Avoid nicotine and caffeine for at least an hour before bedtime - they both harm sleep. In small amounts alcohol, which is a depressant, can help you get to sleep, but it is better not to rely on it.

Try hot milk and honey or a malted milk drink as a soothing bedtime beverage.

Repeat a soothing formula - such as "I am drifting off to sleep" – (self-hypnotizing? Hehe…) before sleep and if you wake during the night. Alternatively, repeat a peaceful visual exercise, such as visualizing trees waving in the breeze (wow… dinoe dat…). You could even use the old trick of counting sheep. If these exercises produce no immediate effect, persevere with them. After several nights the unconscious will begin to get the message.

Don't worry about the amount you are sleeping - in the end, our bodies make sure we get all the sleep we need. Worrying or annoyance because you can't sleep is a guarantee of wakefulness.

So you may ask, what is the cause of this sleepiness?

One of the more common sleeping disorders where a person is either unable or afraid to go to sleep is Insomnia which comes in many different flavors.

- Difficulty falling asleep

- No problem falling asleep but difficulty staying asleep (many awakenings)

- Waking up too early


Behaviors shown to perpetuate insomnia in some people:


- poor sleep hygiene in general (*cough*Ong*cough*)

- expecting to have difficulty sleeping and worrying about it

- ingesting excessive amounts of caffeine

- drinking alcohol before bedtime

- smoking cigarettes before bedtime

- excessive napping in the afternoon or evening (*cough**cough*)

- irregular or continually disrupted sleep/wake schedules

Difficulty sleeping at night is only one of the symptoms. Daytime symptoms include:

- Sleepiness

- Anxiety

- Impaired concentration

- Impaired memory

- Irritability


For more on sleep problems, click here.

"True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment." William Penn

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Thomas/ Uber Cup

"The Yonex Thomas & Uber Cups Japan Finals 2006 will be held in Sendai and Tokyo from 28 April until 7 May 2006. IBF is inviting applications from line judges interested in being a part of this prestigious event." If I were there, I would have tried… but most probably rejected right out on the spot. Haha...

Oh man, I am interning so I probably won’t get to follow it. I rmr the past few years when I was in UTP, I watched it 3 times? Eh, how is that possible huh? Since Thomas/Uber is held one in two years. I think one of it is Malaysian Open? Olympics? Let me see, first time should be around special semester. I watched with my rumate and a bunch of seniors. Well, I remember the seniors were on the verge of breaking those plastic chairs due to their excitement (jumping). Haha… 2nd time (2nd year), I was watching from my own room in V2 (got a TV not long after). I rmr Fish nagging me to study Microprocessor but that was just not very possible. In the end, I studies MicP with a sad, heavy heart throughout the nite to face MicP in the morning. The last time I rmr was in the new V3 watching with Grace, who was certain I (watching the game) was jinxing Malaysian team (every time I watch they lose points and when I go somewhere else, they win). But Malaysia as always never fails to fail… This time around, would they fail to fail? Will they win?!? The victory drought is just too long!

Let’s have a look at the potential victorious team. I bet China immediately came to everyone’s mind. They have such long winding line of experienced and skillful players (not to mention good looking) that they have to take turns to let different players be exposed.

“The men's single event may even cause problem for Li Yongbo for his selection, as no less than 6 players are up to the job, with Lin Dan, Bao Chunlai, Chen Hong, who have been the most regular of the Chinese in the past few months. Yet Xia Xuanze, 2003 world champion, has proven recently that he was back in form with a final in Switzerland. And his experience has always proven its worth in team competition. Not to mention Chen Yu, very solid and Chen Jin, the new kid on the Beijing block, who has stunned the world of badminton by his speed and stamina at only 19. The tough choice however could be a blessing when it comes to take turns in the team and allow some of the key players to rest for the later stages.” For more, click here.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has also consistently proved to be a strong team. Although it is said that their performance has droop considerably recently (due to Sony’s injuries and Taufik’s absence from all tournaments to prepare for his wedding on Feb 4th), no doubt they are still a threat to our team.

The youngest player who once stunned the world

... Taufik Hidayat
Chan Chong Ming and Chew Choon Eng jubilate after levelling the tie for Malaysia
As for Malaysia, the line sees to Lee Chong Wei, Wong Choong Hann, Hafiz Hashim and Kuan Beng Hong whom are labeled ‘with the ability on good days to beat any player in the world’. Too bad these ‘good days’ doesn’t seem to be often enough huh? It seems though that the doubles have been performing well, earning the label ‘top form’. Lee Wan Wah and Chong Tan Fook, then Chan Chong Ming and Koo Kien Keat will be the leading pairs, but will be backed up by what others view as ‘hidden weapon’ of Malaysia, to stun the world.
However there is a disturbing factor for the Malaysian team as Lee Wan Wah who carries Malaysia’s hope seems to suffer knee injuries serious enough to be left out for the qualifying rounds in India. This leaves our team to be represented by only 5 players.

Lee Wan Wah, serious knee injury...

"He still has a problem with his knee. It still hurts when he bends. If this problem is not fixed, he may have to forget about playing badminton. We (the coaches and support staff) have decided that it is better to reduce the number of tournaments for him to play in."

Rexy said that there would not be any replacement for Wan Wah for the Thomas Cup qualifiers, where new scoring system will be implemented. For more, click here.

Whatever the obstacle, performance and progress is, I am sure the most anxious party to win this tournament would be the players themselves. So let us all Malaysian put our hands together and pray our hopes banked on them will be returned with sweet victory. Go, Malaysia Boleh!