Where'd You Go

Song of the day: Fort Minor - Where'd You Go



Red, red and red galore! Mandarin oranges galore! Cookies galore! Hong pau galore! Yeap. It's KONG-HEI-FATT-CHOY time again.


Sadly to say, this year will be my last CNY celebration in M'sia. Not exactly last last (it's not as if I won't be coming back to M'sia in the near future) but rather, my last because next year I would not be around. Sigh. I will be missing all those ang pau's and kuih-carpet and yee sang and nga-koo peng. So, to compensate for it, I will be eating lots and lots of it this year. Don't be shocked to see me gaining a few pounds. Sigh. The things I do for the sake of FOOD!


Oh, I finally finished my internship in KPMG! On my last day, I had mixed feelings. Part of me was happy and elated as I would not need to wake up at 7am in the morning anymore. Part of me was sad that it had to end. I met a couple of people whom are pretty cool and it's regretful that we could not develop a friendship beyond that of colleagues. I mean, we did promise to keep in touch and all but, seriously ...... it's hard when you hardly see other right? Anyway, it was a memorable experience. Thanks KPMG.


The next day was a Friday. My pre-plan was to go visit KDU College with Amy and Taya. But, I had to cancel at the eleventh hour. Instead, I went for a marketing simulation organized specifically for the YV marketing team. In the night, I finally met up with Amy and Taya to have dinner at Williams. After dinner, we dropped Amy home as me and Taya had a drinking party to attend at Hillpark (yeap...again.)


That Friday was Jim's 21st birthday. Of course, we had a drinking party! This time around though, I had no excuse not to drink. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a drinker as hence, was cautious with the amount of intake I took. The main appetizer that night was some cheap-ass liquer which believe me, could do you more harm the morning after that save you a couple of dollars. My advice? If you want to drink, splurge for the good ones. You'll do your stomach a huge favour.




The drunkards - except for Suek Yee and Michelle who was MIA.


That weekend was movie marathon for Mich and me. Saturday, we went to MidV to watch Babel (which was good if you like dramatic shows by the way) and on Sunday, we went to the Curve to catch The Holiday (which was also good if you dig romance/comedy shows).


Wednesday, 14th Feb - The Dreaded Day aka V-Day


Yeap. The day where singlehood becomes a whole new nightmare. It's bad enough that we're single but do you have to shout it out to our faces?? I mean, it's so overrated. Couples should declare their love for each other every single day, not just on V-Day! To me, it's just a marketing gimmick and we've all fallen foolishly for it. Did I say "we"? I meant, you people. Lucky couples.


Anyway, how did I spent my lonesome V-Day? Sadly to say, on the bus travelling to Penang. The night before, I decided that I will follow Mich to Penang for a few days. I mean, who want's to spend V-Day all alone in KL right? So we left Pudu at 2.30pm and only reached Penang at 8.30pm. 6 bloody hours! On V-Day! On the miserable bus! BUT .......... it was well worth it. What better way to spend V-Day but with equally single friends whose company you enjoy in Penang? Exactly! After dinner, we went to Batu Ferringhi to purchase some DVD's and later lounged out at Golden Sands' beach area listening to sappy love songs. And that was how I "endured" my V-Day.


The next day, we went to Gurney Plaza to catch Ghost Rider (which was pretty disappointing if you expected a lot but was ok if you don't put in any expectations). Then, we went out to eat authentic Penang hawker food (char koay teow and cendol) before deciding to go visit Rene and Varun's alma mater: St Xavier's Institution.






Hah. Proof that I went there. Apparently, it's the oldest La Salle in M'sia.




Later, we went to the longest mall in Penang: Queensbay Mall! I must say, it was pretty impressive. Kinda like MidV. About 10pm, we left to have our dinner at New Lane (Penang's food paradise) and finally called it a night. Actually, after watching Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo on DVD, only then I called it a night. C'mon. It was our last night in Penang! I don't want to sleep at 12am!


Anyway, that was my second trip to Penang in 2 months. I'm beginning to like Penang more and more. It's got the charms of an old colonial town, food that is "quite" comparable to Ipoh, the lifestyle of KL and most importantly, the beautiful stretch of beaches. Hmm, how much does property cost in Penang again?


Ipoh is still my home-sweet-home of course. Nothing beats that.


[background music: "Ipoh Mari" from Point Blanc and Jaclyn Victor]








But still .....

The Next Episode

Song of the Day: Dr. Dre feat Snoop Dog - The Next Episode

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon. I just spent last night reading one of the best romance novels that I had come across in a while. It's called 'Small Town Girl' by Lavyrle Spencer. It's about this country superstar who has to return to her small-town and confront what she has left behind so long time ago. Naturally, it involves family and a spice of romance with the boy-next-door. I read it all within 24 hours. There's another similar novel which has become one of my all-time favourites, 'Night Swimming' by Laura Moore. I just love these kind of plots. Homecoming themes. Falling in love with the boy from yesteryears. Family values. Hmm. So romantic!

Maybe it's because V-Day is coming and all, these days I feel the urge to read lots and lots of romance novels. I've always loved reading them but for the past few months, I've been too busy to even pick up any book at all [Textbooks not included]. I can't wait for my holidays to start so that I can spend valuable time catching up on my favourite past time. Which also includes being a couch potato. Oh, the amount of TV I need to watch when I get back home!! I've been so unattuned to TV-Land recently and I miss my tube! No wonder my Dad resents the fact that whenever I come home, he would never be able to watch his golf tournaments because I'll be hogging the remote control all the time. Oh well. Sorry, Dad!

4 more days in KPMG to go. Hooray! Don't get me wrong. I do not despise working in KPMG in particular but more like the fact that I'm working at all. As a good friend of mine once said, "You're gonna spend the rest of your life working anyway, why not enjoy your life as a student now?"

So, after this experience, I am going to live up to it! I'm gonna cherish my year and half left of student life thoroughly. That means, lepaking, lepaking and more lepaking. Hehe.

I just heard some great news the other day. My chances of gaining a scholarship to University of Queensland is pretty high. Given my GPA of 6.75 out of a possible 7.00, I must admit the prospect looked kinda good too. [grin]. I'm seriously gonna go to Brisbane! Yay!

Funny thing was, I already assumed that I was going to be there already. In fact, I sorta made vacation plans with my buddies already and all. Haha. Gold Coast, people! Summer of 2007! Keep yourselves free!

I can just imagine the kind of fun we will have there. From our past experiences, I dare to say that we will be talking about it for the rest of our lives. Along with the many others we have had: Ipoh, Malacca, Penang etc.

Pics from our past trips:

In my humble 'kandang' in Ipoh. Best memory? Gua Tempurung!! [For those of you who has not been there especially those who has lived in Ipoh for the past 20 years, it's really worth the rm20 that you pay for the full experience! Mark my words!]

In EK's car, crunched up at the back in Malacca. We were on our way to eat ikan bakar in some kampung near town. Best memory? Dancing and drinking at Pure Bar!

Outside Gurney Plaza in Penang. Best memory? Watching fireworks to usher in the New Year of 2006 at Esplanade.

The trip that started the ball rolling: Pulau Kapas! So many memorable moments. Best memory? Our Mission-Impossible scene at Masjik Jamek LRT Station. Pure classic!

So anyone ready for Gold Coast yet??

Lonely

Song of the Day: Shannon Noll - Lonely

It's February. Already. God, time is passing by so quickly. Before you can blink, it's going to be March. Then, April. May. June. JULY!!!

July will be the month I say goodbye to Malaysia.

[sob sob]

I know. I know. I should be excited. In fact, I am! But deep down inside, there's this emotion swimming around too. It's called wariness. I'm wary about the fact that I would not be able to adapt to overseas life. I'm wary that I will not be able to click well with my peers. I'm wary that I will not be able to chill and hang out like now. I'm wary about everything.

Wariness aside, let's focus on the NOW.

Today is a god-sent holiday. Working life has definitely taken its toll on me. I am so sick of waking up at 6.45am everyday for the past 2 months. In a week's time? I will be FREE! WHooPee! Then, I will be able to truly enjoy my holidays. Be a couch potato! Read all the books I want! Sleep late!

Yesterday, I went to Reshmonu's free outdoor concert in Laundry. The artist himself was larger than life (or rather his hair was) but I must admit that I did enjoy his concert (though I missed a big part of the 1st set). C'mon. He sang two of my all-time favourites: Al Green 'Let's Stay Together' and Inner Circle 'A la la la la long'. How could I not like it? But seriously, he dedicated the latter song to his parents? Erm... have you heard the lyrics of the chorus?

"Girl, I wanna make you SWEAT

SWEAT till you can't SWEAT no more

And if you CRY out

I'm gonna PUSH it some more, more...."

Exactly! But it's a cool song. I like it!

Laundry's crowd is SOOO COOOL. Yuppies and celebs galore. An abundance of cute and hunky guys. Loud, popular tunes. My cute waiter-guy. It's definitely my favourite place to hang out, drink and chill with friends. Plus, their nachos is fantastic!

Here are some pics from yesterday:



If you look intently, you can see the word Laundry on the menu that Michelle is holding to cover her face.



The Curve decorations for CNY was so pretty. I could not resist taking a pic.

Another soon-to-be-favourite place of mine to chill on a lazy weekend would be Shook! in Star Hill Gallery. Last Saturday, after a round of shopping at KLCC and Sg. Wang while being a tour guide to 3 interns of different nationalities (Dutch, South Korean and New Zealander), we ended up at aforementioned place. Though the drinks are a bit pricey (I had sherry! Which turned out to be an old lady's drink. Damn), the ambience and music are what makes that place great. Plus, they play jazz classics that I enjoyed very much. And their bathroom was pretty much an attraction by itself.

This past week or so, I have been listening intently to my mp3s while working. Some of the lyrics that caught my ear ......

"Everytime I think bout it, I pinch myself 'cause

I don't believe it's true that someone like you loves me too"

Babyface, Everytime I Close My Eyes

"Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage"

Frank Sinatra, Love and Marriage

"Thought I was alone with no one to hold,

but you were always right beside me"

OST High School Musical, What I've Been Looking For

"Winter, spring, summer or fall,

all you gotta do is call"

James Taylor, You've Got A Friend

"For every piece of me that wants you,

another piece backs away"

James Morrison - You Give Me Something

"Was I invading in on your secrets, was I too close for comfort,

you're pushing me out when I wanted in"

McFly, Too Close For

"Don't you know you fool, you never can win,

Use your mentality, step up to reality"

Michael Buble, I've Got You Under My Skin

"If you like Pina Colada, getting caught in the rain,

if you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain"

Ruppert Holmes, Pina Colada

"Now is not the right time to get serious,

I don't wanna seem mysterious"

Fatima Rainey, Hey

"We're just ordinary people,

we don't know which way to go,

cause we're ordinary people,

maybe we should take it slow"

John Legend, Ordinary People

Damn. I love music.

One Sweet Day

Song of the Day: Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day

"Although the sun will never shine the same again

I'll always look to a brighter day

Lord I know when I lay me down to sleep

You will always listen as I pray"

The above song was written as a tribute to the 2 artistes' respective friends who had passed away untimely.

On Sunday night, while I was happily shopping for household items in view to decorate and sort out my messy room in IKEA, I received a very shocking text message from my college pal.

My law lecturer and tutor, Ms. Jana had passed away. From what I gathered from rumours circulating around college yesterday, she had drowned from a white-water rafting accident. Her wake was held yesterday which caused the office in Level 2 to be closed as early as 4pm. Every staff including several students (I'm sure) paid their last respects at her home in Subang. My thoughts are with her family and friends.

It's really a shocking and saddening news indeed. Ms. Jana was an enigmatic and animated person with a voice so booming and sharp that as a student, you really do not have a choice but to listen attentively to her every word. Some students might be afraid of her but she truly did have a heart of gold and a soft spot inside. She scolded us repeatedly when we failed to do our tutorials but it was for our own good in the long run. She exuded such authority and confidence within her that you could only admire and respect her as a venerable human being.

Having said that, I think I speak on behalf of all friends who had the pleasure and honour of being her student, we will indeed miss and remember you always, Ms. Jana. You have made an impact (however big or small) in our college lives and for that, we are indebted to you.

May your soul rest in peace in heaven.

There is one good thing to be learned from this tragedy. That is, to live life as if there's no tomorrow. All of us live life in procrastination, forever thinking that we will live till a hundred. But, life as it is can be cruelly snatched away from you when you least suspect it. Then, there will be regrets to bear and what-if questions constantly haunting you. As the saying goes, "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today".

I know. I know. It's easier said than done.

I think I owe it to Ms. Jana's memory to at least give it a thought.

[nods head]

Today, I shall pack my bag, purchase a one-way airline ticket and travel around the world!

[gulp]

Yeap. Easier said than done.

Casablanca

Song of the Day: Louis Armstrong - Casablanca

It's been a while since I had a peaceful and quiet Saturday night at home. Since my roomie's gone back to her hometown, I don't mind having to spend the night at home, catching up on my personal things.

Well ..... OK. Truthfully, it's because I don't have any real plans ..... On a Saturday night. I know, I know. It's pathetic.

But anyway, before blogging this entry, I was enjoying a new book that I just bought on impulse tonight. It's titled "Every Breath You Take" from Judith McNaught. I decided to give it a rest since my eyes are starting to get bleary (probably because I was reading while lying on the bed) and reverted my attention to my lappie instead.

And that was when I read OMEGA's request on MSN about naming our Top 10 Romantic Things that I got the idea to blog about this entry. So, yeah. This is thanks to you, OMEGA! [If you're wondering why her name is in big caps, it's because I promised her to do it]

Von's Top 10 Romantic Things (in no particular order)

1. A guy (preferably the fella I've been seeing and falling in love with) dropping down on one knee with a ring (I can understand if there's no diamond - aftermath of watching Blood Diamond) in his hand asking me (preferably in front of a lot of people) to MARRY him
2. The guy (G) playing his guitar and crooning "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx in front of an audience, dedicating the song to me
3. G swooping me away on a surprise tropical rendezvous (Tahiti, Maldives, Carribeans or if kiam-siap, Bali lor)
4. In a crowded party (full of luscious women) but G only keeps his eyes (and hands) on me
5. Dancing a slow dance with G without a care to others within the vicinity (wink!). My personal favourite? "Put Your Head On My Shoulders" by Paul Anka
6. G doing something he normally would not do (even detest doing) just because G knows that I love doing it (shopping counts, I guess)
7. G being a little possesive (putting arms around me to show to other males that I belong to him ..... Aaaww)
8. G planning an elaborate celebration on V-Day and my birthday (more than just flowers and dinner)
9. G telling me "I Love You" in the eye and meaning it whole heartedly (If he says "You Complete Me" in the way that Jerry McGuire did, that will do too [grin])
10. Last but not least: Ehem ........ Making L-O-V-E

Since I'm at this subject....

Von's Top 10 Romantic Songs Of All Time (i.n.p.o)

1. Frank Sinatra - The Way You Look Tonight
2. Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You (Duh!)
3. Lauren Wood - Fallen
4. Los Lonely Boys - More Than Love
5. Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
6. Santa Esmeralda - You're My Everything
7. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
8. Rod Stewart - These Foolish Things
9. Stevie Wonder - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
10. Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin (Buble's version is superb too)

Actually, there's more than 10 but these are among the best ones .....

Von's Top 10 Romantic Destinations (i.n.p.o)

1. Spain!!!! (Madrid, Barcelona, etc)
2. Paris (the Ultimate City of Lo-urve)
3. Santorini, Greece
4. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
5. Bali, Indonesia
6. Cancun, Mexico
7. Rome, Italy
8. Agra, India
9. Casablanca, Morocco
10. Langkawi, Malaysia (or Pangkor)

Von's Top 10 Romantic Movies Of All Time (the one's I've watched that is)

1. Never Been Kissed
2. Gone With The Wind (but the ending sucks)
3. A Walk To Remember (Shane West - swoon..... :)
4. Ever After
5. Sweet Home Alabama
6. The American President
7. Notting Hill
8. Bridget Jones Diary
9. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
10. Tristan and Isolde

Sorry, there's no Casablanca or Dr. Zhivago here as I have yet to watch it.

Hmm .... looking back, I realized that my Top 10 have all been about romantic what-not. I guess since V-Day is coming and all, it's only appropriate right?

Sigh. Another V-Day passing by. For the couples, you'll cherish it. For the singles (Sigh!), you'll loathe it.

"It's heaven when you find romance on your menu" -Sarah Vaughn "What A Difference A Day Makes"

How I wish ....

It Ends Tonight

Song of the Day: All American Rejects - It Ends Tonight

I decided to make my blog look a little more colourful, hence the bountiful pictures. Here's more pictures of me and my friends in Kuching [with some elaboration]


This picture was taken at our chalet (which was so so gorgeous and comfy!) via the mirror. We discovered this technique during our last trip to Malacca.


Again, at our very comfy chalet before we headed out to party [We actually spent so much time in the room that we watched 3 movies on Astro!]


At the Cultural Village in Damai.


At some place where there were 'periuk kera' plants. Yawn. I thought they would be more interesting (since they consume insects and all) but I guess I was wrong.

Good news!

It's Friday! The weekend is finally here (though I must admit this week has been going by pretty fast). Not that I'm complaining, not when it means my working days are thinning down (18 days remaining. Yay!) but it also means that my time here in Malaysia is also limited.

Sigh. 2 years ago, I was roaring to fly to Australia but now that it's really happening, I'm petrified.

It's a long and weary explanation which I shall not do now. As it is, I am illegally blogging here. I'm still at work with 15 more minutes left till I can leave. So, I'm trying my best to look busy you see.

Gonna watch movie later at MidValley. God, I love the weekends!

All Over Again

Song of the day: Justin Timberlake - All Over Again

The above song rocks! What have you guys got against JT anyway? He's so totally past NSYNC already! [Btw, I was and might still be an Nsync fan]

Just came back from a reunion with the KDU-ians plus our favourite 2 lecs, Miss Leena and Shirley. Needless to say, we all had fun reminiscing about our memorable KDU days, poke fun about our everyday lives (That's it you guys! No more No.52 joke!) and update each other (and others not present like the fact that Ken is turning into a geek) about our present lives. Hehe.

Seriously, we really rock. Though we hardly see each other due to reasons such as geographical and time constraint, everytime we meet up, it's like hardly any time have passed since the last we all met. We just instantly bonded! We will crack jokes instantly and tease about non-existent stuffs (Barbara! Chili's Gal!) just for the fun of it. Sigh. I really miss hanging out with you guys.

This entry is dedicated to those KDU-ians who have made my life a wonderful one. I could name names but it would take a whole lot of space. [raise glass] Here's to us! May we remain the best of friends always. Amigos Para Siempre!

Erm ....... digressing a little but here's more pics of my trip to Kuching:

X-Men Library

Curi use bathroom in Hilton

Before we partied at Damai

At the Cultural Village

Tell Me How You Feel

Song of the Day: Joy Enrique - Tell Me How You Feel

It's 2007. I'm turning 22 this year. God.....I feel so old suddenly! It's so unfair as I just turned 21 two months ago. Geesh.

It's halfway through January and LOTS have happened. My new year celebration was pretty memorable. We had a drinking party (Nope. I wasn't drunk. Just tipsy) and a sleepover. It's funny what people do when they're drunk. Some slept it off, some made out, some jumped into the swimming pool and some, like yours truly (who wasn't drunk, just tipsy) just sat on the sofa for fear of doing something stupid that could haunt you for the rest of your life. I'm glad to say, I did nothing embarrassing whatsoever. Phew.

After the long holidays, it's back to work for me. Fortunately, that week I only had to work for 1 day. Hehe. On Tuesday, I had 2 reunions at hand. 1st half of the day was spent with my Ipoh pals while the night, I met up with two of my tallest friends ever. On Wednesday night, I had a reintegration meeting which lasted till late late at night as we went out to mamak later on too. On Thursday, I had a flight to catch to Kuching.

Oh, Kuching. Yeap. I spent 5 days there. I had a pretty relaxing holiday. Here are some notable moments:

1. Kuching's airport is pretty chun.
2. Went to see Orang Utans but they preferred durians rather than bananas. What a disappointment.
3. Lots of cat sculptures around Kuching city.
4. The waterfront is beautiful at night.
5. Had myself a Traditional Malay Massage (which was soooo gooood but I had to take my top off though. In an open-aired gazebo. Yikes)
6. Watching 3 movies while in the chalet at Damai.
7. Getting a prank call from our dear friends in Sydney (aaaww.... we know you wished you were there with us)
8. Playing the drinking games (I wasn't drunk ok?)
9. Watching the cultural show (there was this pretty hunky native with a goatee ...)
10. Eating, eating and eating (Golok Mi, seafood, chicken rice)
11. Mel's brother's house aka entertainment centre: I got to watch my Street Fighter movie!
12. Went to St Joseph church for Sunday service (My mama would be so proud!)
13. Last but not least, superb hospitality from Mel and her family. Thanks so much for everything!















After returning to KL, the excitement was endless. For every night after I came back (Monday), there was simply something to do till I did not have the time to even unpack! Tuesday, we had the exchange team meeting and then later, we went to Waikiki Bar (scene of the tearful reunion between two Malaccan buddies who used to play computer games and eat parpadum together..... Aawww). Wednesday, joined in the farewell dinner for Lydia, a Dutch intern at Nirvana's. Later, we sent her off at KL Sentral. Thursday, episode night. After episode, the usual Mamak at Murni's. Friday, drinking party at Hillpark. I realized something that night. Two things actually.

1. Drunk people tend to be very long-winded. They repeat what they say at least 5 times.
2. It's fun to be sober when all around you, others are getting drunk/tipsy.

Next time we have a drinking party, I shall vow to record every single detail. It could be useful to blackmail people next time. Keke.

So that's pretty much how my 1st half of January went. So far, my 2007 has been good. But, it could certainly get much, much better [wink].

P.S: Dear Lord, I pray that the wish I made when I entered St Joseph's church for the 1st time could be fulfilled! Amen.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Song of the day: Jamie Cullum - What a Difference a Day Makes

I just realized that I have not blogged about an important event that had passed weeks ago.
Yeap. NLDS.
Brace yourself. This entry is gonna be a long, long one.

Apart from that, I forgot to mention about my 21st. Sadly, I was in the midst of exams and could not really go all out and celebrate it with a bang. Oh well, there’s always the 22nd. Hehe. Nevertheless, it was memorable. Thanks guys.

Straight after exams, I felt like I was on a bullet train. Everything was happening so quickly that I barely had time to sit back and chill. Yours truly was appointed to be the assistant chief delegate for UM’s NLDS delegation. Basically, it’s similar to being the assistant class rep. You look after the welfare of your teammates.

Our pre-NLDS was held in 4th College, UM. For 2 days, we prepared ourselves physically and mentally for the big event. Here are some things that I remembered from pre-NLDS:

1. Hauling my luggages up the slope towards 4th college lobby thinking that I was late.
2. Playing an ice-breaking game that involved us standing on the chairs and making animal movements.
3. Dancing, dancing, roll-calling, dancing, roll-calling, preparing props, more props preparation and eating of course.
4. Laughing in stitches because the sketch was so damn funny the 1st time we saw it.
   Alif’s boobs were D-cup sizes and are very pointy.
5. The bus driver promised us breakfast on our way to Penang but only stopped halfway through in Tapah rest area.
6. Whole journey was more or less in slumber until woken up by Mich’s call that said their car had caught up with the bus.
7. The bus was taking a joyride through USM as the aforementioned bus driver was lost.
8. Hauling luggages up the slope (and stairs!!) towards our designated hostel (sound familiar??) while enduring HOT-TO-GO from our male friends whose hostel happened to be just 5 minutes away from the lobby (Bloody hell)

That was just the appetizer. Now, the highlights of the main course.

1. Meeting loads of people whose names I can’t remember. But there are a few that stayed in my mind and hopefully in future, will be able to get to know them better.
2. Punishments galore: UM’s coin-passing, human pizza, condom-egg, butt slapping, eating biscuit from groin area (yikes!)
3. Roll-calls galore: Banana and papaya, A for Ayam, North and South, Boogara, Papa Shark, Father Abraham, Lost Season 1, Negaraku
4. SQUARE DANCE galore: Buttons, Hot Stuff, Shi-Shok-Shok, High School Musical, Hey Ya, Cotton Eye Joe, Ma-hi-Vee, I’m so Excited, London Bridge
5. Gala Dinner – food, food and food (at the end, UM vs UUM in roll-calling)
6. Samurai Game! Scary at first but damn cool at the end (I died because of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Sweat)
7. Challenging World View – someone asked me to explain what is masturbation [another sweat]
8. Getting pulled out unwillingly to dance by 3 guys and I screamed (sorta)
9. Sitting right in front hence could not fall asleep during boring sessions (best seats in the house??!)
10. Telematch – my knowledge of countries and their capital paid off rewardingly.
11. Global Village – lots and lots of slapstick comedy sketches
12. Aaron getting seduced to dance on his 1st day (His expression? Priceless)
13. Too many gay going-ons and cross-dressers
14. Walking back to hostel for most nights (what a torture on the feet!)
15. Fun, Fun, Fun and more Fun!!
16. Sleep-deprived

NLDS 2006 was certainly beyond any expectations and I had tonnes of fun. However, all good things must come to an end (plus, my body was so lethargic and needed some rest). After saying our goodbyes, we headed out to our respective hometowns. For me, it was not the end of the Penang excursion. Here's what I remembered from post-NLDS:

1. Sleep, sleep, sleep and sleep.
2. Eat, eat, eat and eat: Popiah, Char Koay Teow, Cendol, O-Chien, Rojak, Chee Cheong Fun, Hokkien Mee, Laksa
3. Rene's Auntie's Fabolous Condo with view overlooking Tanjung Bungah beach.
4. Joy-ride through spooky parts of Penang
5. Hanging out at the beach: Jet-skiing and horse riding (my 1st time on a horse!)
6. Short lepaking at Penang Hill (missed the tram ride up!)

All in all, it was an exciting, fun-filled but tiring 1 week. On my bus ride home to Ipoh, I slept all the way. Figures.

Since today is the eve of 2007, it is only fair that I reflect on my 2006. Overall, I had a pretty good year, much of it was because of my dear friends. They made it great. Thanks you guys. I started it watching fireworks in Penang and I will end it partying in KL in a matter of few hours.

My new year resolutions?

Lose weight, think more of others and play harder!

It's not the end but rather the start of a new beginning. Have a good one, people!

You Gotta Be

Song of the day: Desiree – You Gotta Be

The time is 2pm. I am currently writing this through my desktop at my designated work station which is situated strategically right in front so that everyone in the department would see me. At the moment, I have nothing to do and hence am writing this (In actual fact, I’m writing this so that my colleagues will think “Oh, she’s typing something. She must have work to do.” Hehe.). So far, it’s working!

For those uninitiated………….

Phew. Off again. I had to go down to the 3rd floor to get some files and scan some documents. Looked like my initial scheme did not pan out well after all.

Let’s try again. For those uninitiated, I am currently doing my internship in KPMG (One of the BIG FOUR Accounting firms in the world!!) which will last for 2 months. Today is currently my 4th day of work and so far, it’s going well. That is, no one has scolded me and called me a moron for being so clueless.

My humble “office” is situated on the 6th Floor dubbed the “Corporate Tax Services” department. This department looks pretty boring (and in actual fact, it is) because all you do is just sit down with a whole bunch of files around you and stare at the computer while trying to compute tax for some big shot client. Plus, they make you work like a dog as my colleague kindly told me she once only left the office at 1am!

On the 1st day itself, I knew it. I ain’t gonna be working in some tax department in the future. This ain’t what I wanna be doing later in life. No way, Jose. I want my career life to be out-there-meeting-clients and not sit-down-stare-at-computer. That moment, I thanked God that I was majoring in Finance and not Accounting. Poor real-life and soon-to-be accountants everywhere. I had no idea your life was so freaking boring.

So what the hell am I doing here? Wasting my precious holidays away, sitting here, and trying to look useful? Good question.

In some ways, it is kind of fulfilling. At least I know I’m not wasting my 3 months away doing absolutely nothing useful and being a lousy “sampah masyarakat”.

However, I only earn RM25 per day. Yeap. I know. Even waiters earn more than me. BUT….. it’s the experience that counts ma. My CV has been boost up (Did I mention KPMG is one of the BIG Four Accounting firms in the world?) and I get to be an employee in a multinational company!

The time is now 4.20pm. In about an hour, I will be free!! I will be meeting up with a couple of KDU pals in Chili’s MidV to reminisce (over and over again) about our very special college days. So, what else is new?

As an ending note, just like to put in a word of advice to all students out there: Enjoy while it lasts! Working life sucks more than student life though at the moment you may disagree. Believe me. I know both worlds. I can’t wait to be a student again.

Days remaining: 28