i'm up this early because i never even slept. serves me right for sleeping until noon on sunday. i was reading, when i realized it was already 4am. so i figured, screw it, i'll just stay up until it's time to go to work.
...kerana hari ini aku tidak mahu lambat lagi ke ofis for the monday morning meeting that i have been consistently late for, for the past weeks.
may it be a good week ahead!
i know for sure it won't be a good Monday for me starting at about 12noon when my head starts to ache from the lack of sleep.
Monday, September 03, 2007
selamat pagi malaysia
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Malaysia Boleyyyyy!!!
i was trying to find excuses to not finish the things that i'm supposed to do, so friends and me decided to brave the traffic to watch Malaysia play. Awesome stuff, i didn't take too many photos because
1. the game was too interesting
2. i was 100mm short, and from where i was sitting, 200mm was kind of useless.
look at those dudes in the orange shirts...cheh, jeles aku!
Malaysia won 3-1 to Myanmar. Myanmar played rough, and it was bloody annoying. But Malaysia persevered, and we won! Nice 50th Merdeka present for the country yea?
ok aku nak tidok...rasa macam nak demam lak....argh.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Perbalahanku dengan pihak berkuasa
Sebok-sebok post gambar, I forgot about my incident with the authorities late afternoon today. I was driving around Sg Buloh trying to hurry to another place when i got stopped by the police, as i got down one of the many ramps there. You know, the road towards Damansara Damai, where all the road constructions are?
Dah la aku nak cepat ni..kena tahan pulak. Sah2 kena saman. but what did i do wrong? After waiting for about 3 minutes in the friggin hot sun, Pihak Berkuasa (PB) finally came to my car. I rolled down the window.
PB: Bagi lesen. Awak tahu apa salah awak?
Me: Tak (and gave my license)
PB: Awak U-turn dekat double line kat atas sana. Double line mana boleh U-turn.
Me: Saya tak nampak pun double line? Papan tanda U-turn ada la, warna oren.
PB: Pegawai saya dekat atas sana nampak kamu U-turn. Mana-mana ada double line mana boleh u-turn, papan tanda tu ada orang letak sendiri lah tu.
Me: Jadi, orang lain letak, saya yang salah? Papan tanda tu warna oren, bukan papan tanda orang suka-suka lukis pakai marker pen!
..and then he went off for another 10 minutes to do i don't know what. I prayed that the destination i was headed to is still open by the time i get there. When he came back, he asked me to sign the offense ticket.
Me: Saya tak nak sign.
PB: (heavy sigh) hish, Kenapa pulak?
Me: Sebab saya tak rasa bersalah. Papan tanda tu macam papan tanda construction. Saya nak encik naik sana pegi tengok kalau tak percaya. Mintak maaf pada encik pun saya tak nak, sebab saya tak bersalah. Encik pegi naik sana sekarang tengok.
PB: hish. tunggu sekejap lah, pegawai saya turun sekejap lagi.
Another long wait in the car, and i spent it shooting angry stares at them PBs having their ciggies and chilling inside their cars. The pegawai finally made it down, and they waved me off. No apologies, no explanation, no nothing. And i don't know how many other drivers before me drove away with undeserved offense tickets in their hands.
RM300 saved, 20 farking minutes wasted.
Dah la aku nak cepat ni..kena tahan pulak. Sah2 kena saman. but what did i do wrong? After waiting for about 3 minutes in the friggin hot sun, Pihak Berkuasa (PB) finally came to my car. I rolled down the window.
PB: Bagi lesen. Awak tahu apa salah awak?
Me: Tak (and gave my license)
PB: Awak U-turn dekat double line kat atas sana. Double line mana boleh U-turn.
Me: Saya tak nampak pun double line? Papan tanda U-turn ada la, warna oren.
PB: Pegawai saya dekat atas sana nampak kamu U-turn. Mana-mana ada double line mana boleh u-turn, papan tanda tu ada orang letak sendiri lah tu.
Me: Jadi, orang lain letak, saya yang salah? Papan tanda tu warna oren, bukan papan tanda orang suka-suka lukis pakai marker pen!
..and then he went off for another 10 minutes to do i don't know what. I prayed that the destination i was headed to is still open by the time i get there. When he came back, he asked me to sign the offense ticket.
Me: Saya tak nak sign.
PB: (heavy sigh) hish, Kenapa pulak?
Me: Sebab saya tak rasa bersalah. Papan tanda tu macam papan tanda construction. Saya nak encik naik sana pegi tengok kalau tak percaya. Mintak maaf pada encik pun saya tak nak, sebab saya tak bersalah. Encik pegi naik sana sekarang tengok.
PB: hish. tunggu sekejap lah, pegawai saya turun sekejap lagi.
Another long wait in the car, and i spent it shooting angry stares at them PBs having their ciggies and chilling inside their cars. The pegawai finally made it down, and they waved me off. No apologies, no explanation, no nothing. And i don't know how many other drivers before me drove away with undeserved offense tickets in their hands.
RM300 saved, 20 farking minutes wasted.
shine
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
- Timo Cruz's speech, in Coach Carter.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Great Eastern sucks
anybody holds a life policy with Great Eastern? Their latest promo is the Premier Accidental Death Benefits Rider policy, which they slip in under the items section of your Premium Notice.
a normal person, like me, who is always in a hurry to pay their bills, looks at the notice, checks the total premium due at the bottom and makes the payment, only to realize an hour later the statement at the end of the notice that says:
"If you do not wish to add on the optional P-ADB, you only need to pay the Premium Due on the Policy (1)."
Upon which you know you will spend the next three weeks trying to claim the money back from them. In my case, the policy i was paying was my brother's, who is working out of the country. So when i called them, there was another hooha of getting the money to be refunded to my name instead of my brother.
For some unknown reason, when I called to get the refund, I was told that the payment had gone in, and I needed to fax a letter in order to get that refund. So I did all of that, and today, I received a call from them saying that they never received the Maybank2u transfer that i claimed to have made. True enough, when i checked my account, I didn't make the payment. All i did was register my brother's insurance account in Maybank.
SO WHAT THE FARK WAS GOING ON WHEN I MADE THE FIRST CALL, AFTER I THOUGHT I PAID FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT WANT?
Menyusahkan orang betul.
Moral of the story:
They should never slip in extra policies like that, which will end up wasting everybody's time.
Why am i so pissed off? Because nobody else can waste my time, other than ME.
a normal person, like me, who is always in a hurry to pay their bills, looks at the notice, checks the total premium due at the bottom and makes the payment, only to realize an hour later the statement at the end of the notice that says:
"If you do not wish to add on the optional P-ADB, you only need to pay the Premium Due on the Policy (1)."
Upon which you know you will spend the next three weeks trying to claim the money back from them. In my case, the policy i was paying was my brother's, who is working out of the country. So when i called them, there was another hooha of getting the money to be refunded to my name instead of my brother.
For some unknown reason, when I called to get the refund, I was told that the payment had gone in, and I needed to fax a letter in order to get that refund. So I did all of that, and today, I received a call from them saying that they never received the Maybank2u transfer that i claimed to have made. True enough, when i checked my account, I didn't make the payment. All i did was register my brother's insurance account in Maybank.
SO WHAT THE FARK WAS GOING ON WHEN I MADE THE FIRST CALL, AFTER I THOUGHT I PAID FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT WANT?
Menyusahkan orang betul.
Moral of the story:
They should never slip in extra policies like that, which will end up wasting everybody's time.
Why am i so pissed off? Because nobody else can waste my time, other than ME.
Monday, August 13, 2007
what a weekend...
ate too much, drove too much, shot too many, talked too much - to semi strangers. it was fun though, as they usually are.
while i was shooting, i heard some guests whispering my name. felt like a celebrity for a split second, until i turned around, and voila! there sat my neighbors, who turned out to be cousins of the bride. then, towards the end of the day, when i was chatting with the bride's mother, it came to my knowledge that the bride's mother was my mom's college mate, and good friend.
"it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small small world...." hahaha. (damn, i miss disneyland!)
ok...i'm off to bed after that 4-hour drive in the rain.
after this will be shooting hari raya hampers pulak...nervous, kind of, my first product shot assignment. but at least products don't move like children do, kan? i remember the domii clothing shoot, where i kaput for 5 hours straight after the session, and ended up delivering the photos to the client at 1 in the morning. kekeke...parah gila.
nite nite.
while i was shooting, i heard some guests whispering my name. felt like a celebrity for a split second, until i turned around, and voila! there sat my neighbors, who turned out to be cousins of the bride. then, towards the end of the day, when i was chatting with the bride's mother, it came to my knowledge that the bride's mother was my mom's college mate, and good friend.
"it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small small world...." hahaha. (damn, i miss disneyland!)
ok...i'm off to bed after that 4-hour drive in the rain.
after this will be shooting hari raya hampers pulak...nervous, kind of, my first product shot assignment. but at least products don't move like children do, kan? i remember the domii clothing shoot, where i kaput for 5 hours straight after the session, and ended up delivering the photos to the client at 1 in the morning. kekeke...parah gila.
nite nite.
Friday, August 10, 2007
hospital update
today was my first checkup after the 2nd anniversary of my stem cell transplant.
my blood count is normal, white cells 4.8, hemoglobins 11.8 and platelets 195. my liver function is also improving, though the numbers are still outside of the normal range.
the doc said, "u tak minum air ka?" she caught me there. my kidney function test showed that it's a bit dry. i told her that i am so lazy to drink water that i'd rather sleep than go downstairs for a glass of water. kena sound seround...padan muka.
otherwise things are good. just need plenty of water and regular exercise. and as of today, i'm off all medications.
alhamdulillah.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
ahh what a day...
man, what a tiring day.
it started with a small request that turned into a huge argument. Having let things slip in front of my eyes in the past, that request just hit the wrong buttons, so what ensued was a barrage of "ungkit-mengungkit" because i refused to back down on my point. ungkit-mengungkit dalam omputeh apa ah?
i'm not going to tell the story, because it was tiring enough having to go through it today, so i'll just stop thinking about it altogether.
then tonight, i received a call that left me pleasantly surprised. it didn't have anything to do from what happened in the day, but it made me feel better anyway. :-)
only one more day of work tomorrow. yeehoo! then i'm off for my routine checkup, before i head to JB for the weekend with my friend, for a wedding we have to cover. Apologies to Raz & Riz and Fakhzan for not being able to make it to your parties, this was something i've already committed to since months ago.
i'm off to edit a picture now before i go to bed. (it helps me relax) hahaha
yes, i'm a geek. gnite.
it started with a small request that turned into a huge argument. Having let things slip in front of my eyes in the past, that request just hit the wrong buttons, so what ensued was a barrage of "ungkit-mengungkit" because i refused to back down on my point. ungkit-mengungkit dalam omputeh apa ah?
i'm not going to tell the story, because it was tiring enough having to go through it today, so i'll just stop thinking about it altogether.
then tonight, i received a call that left me pleasantly surprised. it didn't have anything to do from what happened in the day, but it made me feel better anyway. :-)
only one more day of work tomorrow. yeehoo! then i'm off for my routine checkup, before i head to JB for the weekend with my friend, for a wedding we have to cover. Apologies to Raz & Riz and Fakhzan for not being able to make it to your parties, this was something i've already committed to since months ago.
i'm off to edit a picture now before i go to bed. (it helps me relax) hahaha
yes, i'm a geek. gnite.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
moon upon a blue sky
i found this in my Perhentian Trip pictures folder today.
I was having some keropok lekor at a restaurant near the Kuala Besut Jetty around 6PM while waiting for my bus back, and i saw the moon. Biasa la jakun kan...so i took out my camera and started snapping away.
Makcik Restoran: Mung amik gambo gapo tu?
Me: Tu bulan tu....
Makcik Restoran: Gambar bulan pun nak amik ke?
Me: Eh makcik....bulan macam ni susah nak dapat kat KL tau!!
Makcik Restoran: ooooooooooooo...
and then i showed her the images i just shot. She looked at them in silence, and her first word after that was, "Masya-Allah.."
Masya-Allah indeed.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
My Affair with an EOS 20D
i borrowed a friend's 20D for the weekend, to test out the wide angle lens i got for my brother. Alang2 tu, i borrowed the friend's sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 sekali...mainly to test my endurance.
so, apa lagi....this calls for a trip to the zoo! my third visit this year, i believe. hahaha. damn the 70-200 lens was bloody heavy. i only walked around for 2 hours, instead of my usual 4. but of course, the pictures came out so much sharper compared to my el-cheapo Nikkor 70-300mm G. look at the tigers here..you can even see the fleas flying around them. pergh!
one day i'll get that lens for myself. but before that, i need to start lifting weights...2 kilos of equipment is just a tad too heavy for me to lug around. hahaha.
Camera, lens and storage card courtesy of Khan. Thanks dude!
Saturday, August 04, 2007
stress domino effect
somebody in my workplace seems to be in stress. the control-freak strikes again, and it's driving me mad.
there have been massive changes in the environment these days. people leaving, people coming, friends moving to greener pastures. now, after almost 7 years, those changes are starting to take a toll on me.
i have been asking this to myself a lot lately. why am i still here?
- because i don't really mind my job, and i like what i'm doing.
- because i don't know if the other companies will pay for my health insurance, with my history.
- because i still have good friends here
- because i'm too lazy to see what lies beyond my two cubicle walls
- because i'm bonded for another 22 months, and my bond amount could buy me 2 D2Xs bodies.
are they real reasons, or do they sound more like excuses?
maybe the time has come.
or maybe not.
there have been massive changes in the environment these days. people leaving, people coming, friends moving to greener pastures. now, after almost 7 years, those changes are starting to take a toll on me.
i have been asking this to myself a lot lately. why am i still here?
- because i don't really mind my job, and i like what i'm doing.
- because i don't know if the other companies will pay for my health insurance, with my history.
- because i still have good friends here
- because i'm too lazy to see what lies beyond my two cubicle walls
- because i'm bonded for another 22 months, and my bond amount could buy me 2 D2Xs bodies.
are they real reasons, or do they sound more like excuses?
maybe the time has come.
or maybe not.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
kadangkala
sometimes you sit on cloud nine when people keep telling you how good your work is and how happy they are to have hired you.
then, occasionally, you get the really honest one, who tells you that the shots were good, but they are not happy with a few (important ones).
that brings you down, for a minute, an hour, a day, depending on the type of person you are. but once you snap out of the self-pity, you'll find ways to improve, and from that, you will learn. and you will realize that that is exactly what you need to get better.
gnite!
then, occasionally, you get the really honest one, who tells you that the shots were good, but they are not happy with a few (important ones).
that brings you down, for a minute, an hour, a day, depending on the type of person you are. but once you snap out of the self-pity, you'll find ways to improve, and from that, you will learn. and you will realize that that is exactly what you need to get better.
gnite!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
I hate public transportation
I now remember why I stopped using the train. It's even less reliable than my car, that's why. I'm now standing in a massive queue at KLCC to get past the ticket gate, since only one gate is working.
And what's worse, the system announcement said, "ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Kelana Jaya LRT station...we are experiencing a service interruption between the Dang Wangi St and Ampang Station."
Kelana Jaya??? Mangkuk betul. Can't even get that right.
Ok ah...no point whining too much. I'm gonna get meself some bagel and coffee, lagi best.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Turtle Bay Beach
and this...is Turtle Bay Beach. Site of the Turtle Conservation Project...I prefer this beach to Long Beach, merely because of it's serenity. The water looks different here too. It's an RM10 boatride from Long Beach.
i wanna go back...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
LRT Blues
Due to the unavailability of both cars, I was forced to take the train today. Now I'm on my way home, and some bugger standing or sitting nearby is in serious need of some deodorant. Eww!
Funny eh, in my travels here and there, I have no qualms riding the trains, subway, metro, MRT. No problems walking 4 kilometers to get to my destination.
And here I am in my home country, whining and complaining like a spoiled brat.
Merdeka!! Merdeka!! Merdeka!! (takde kena mengena. kakaka)
sunrise @ Kuala Besut Jetty
the beginning of my photographic adventure.
kakaka...
taken the morning i arrived in Kuala Besut, before the boat to Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil.
Friday, July 20, 2007
The road to Kuala Besut
I can't sleep. I'm on the bus to Kuala Besut and we're stopping somewhere in a canteen-like area for buses. Regret not calling Lan for some sleeping pills just now. Hehehe..
This bus isn't bad actually...it could comfortably seat a 6 ft tall man. Next time I will buy two seats for myself. That would be awesome!
I looked at the sky and even on a cloudy night like this, I could see the stars..now I regret not taking my battery charger with me so I could photograph the sky tomorrow night. Will try to save power and do a star trail shot if I can.
I tell you...it's kind of leceh carrying this camera backpack around. It took me 5 minutes to pack my clothes and another 20 minutes to pack my camera gear. Deciding what to bring and what to leave behind...and I know that when the time comes, I will still regret the choice of equipment that I decided to take with me. I'm like the lady traveller who takes too many dinner dresses with her just in case. Hahahaa...sometimes I miss the days when the only camera i'm carrying is my boyfriend's compact camera. Hehe. Gone are the simpler days, and I don't regret a single bit of it!
I'm travelling by myself tonight, and will be seeing Mar tomorrow morning. That lucky woman has already been there since yesterday. Cheh!!
Aight!! I'm gonna try to catch some sleep now. Wish me a safe journey. Nite2.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
to err is human
...to forgive is divine.
this is from my judgment error this morning. i really don't know what happened, but i was trying to switch lanes and i did not budget properly. next thing i know, i have already hit the car in front of me.
the driver got out of the car, and immediately spoke to me in the most condescending tone, "aiyergh....how do you drive la?"
with my foot on the pedal lerr, how else?
anyway, i just apologized, gave her my business card and asked her to call me when her car is ready.
my unlucky morning, i guess. but i'm off to perhentian tonight for a couple of days of fun in the sun! woohoo! babai!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tragedi Projek Potret Bulan Dalam 31 Hari
it was beautiful tonight...from Pak Mok's house. A perfect yellow crescent moon, and Venus right next to it.
the disaster was that when i got home and rushed back out with my camera and tripod..i couldn't locate the moon from my house.
tried to locate the moon again after dinner, to no avail.
just not my lucky night i guess. :-)
the disaster was that when i got home and rushed back out with my camera and tripod..i couldn't locate the moon from my house.
tried to locate the moon again after dinner, to no avail.
just not my lucky night i guess. :-)
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Al Fatihah
The latest news i heard was that they found the Nuri Helicopter crash site, and no one survived. Among the 6 Royal Malaysian Air Force crew members killed in the crash was Pak Mok's brother, Kapt Nor Azlan Dato' Termuzi.
Al-Fatihah.
Al-Fatihah.
image licensing question
so..some Argentinian book publisher wants to use one of my photos for their English books. It's a photo of a kid in a street playing the drum.
i'm not making any money from the photo usage. do i still need to seek permission from the kid?
shit i need to start learning all this licensing stuff.
i'm not making any money from the photo usage. do i still need to seek permission from the kid?
shit i need to start learning all this licensing stuff.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Asian Football Cup 2007
after the disappointment from our loss against China last week, some friends and me braved the rain to see China play against Iran.
awesome game. I ended up not taking that many photos because:
1. the game was more interesting to watch than photograph
2. the players were faster compared to the last game i went to. hehe..
the game ended with a draw, China 2, Iran 2.
good stuff.
Midvalley frigging megamall
Can u believe that one of the largest shopping malls in the country has only two visible ATM machines? And one is not functioning.
Talk about stupidity.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Mind blogging questions
Why do people have public blogs when they don't allow for questions to be asked?
Why do people share things, when they don't allow for their readers or viewers to reciprocate?
Why do people post pictures up for comments and criticism, then get defensive when they are criticized?
Why does Monday fall before Tuesday?
Why do summers come in June, why do winters come to soon?
ok...dah lari topic. (remember that 3T + Michael Jackson song, "Why"? haha)
Why?
Why do people share things, when they don't allow for their readers or viewers to reciprocate?
Why do people post pictures up for comments and criticism, then get defensive when they are criticized?
Why does Monday fall before Tuesday?
Why do summers come in June, why do winters come to soon?
ok...dah lari topic. (remember that 3T + Michael Jackson song, "Why"? haha)
Why?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Projek Potret Bulan Dalam 31 Hari
i stopped at the 7th day. i couldn't bring myself to wait an hour later each night than the previous night so i could capture the shape of the moon.
as i have learned, the moon will move to the same position in the sky every night 51 minutes later than the previous night. so on the 7th night, i only saw it at 2AM, which means that the following night i'll have to wait until 3AM...no way. hehehehe
i've lost that challenge for myself. i'll try again next month.
hehe
as i have learned, the moon will move to the same position in the sky every night 51 minutes later than the previous night. so on the 7th night, i only saw it at 2AM, which means that the following night i'll have to wait until 3AM...no way. hehehehe
i've lost that challenge for myself. i'll try again next month.
hehe
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Day +2 Years
Can you believe it's been two years since my stem cell transplant?
I can't believe it either. Lots of things have happened in the past two years. New hobbies, new love, new friends, new blood, new clothes, new hair, new health issues to manage, etc etc etc.
Alhamdulillah.
Happy 2nd anniversary to me!
I can't believe it either. Lots of things have happened in the past two years. New hobbies, new love, new friends, new blood, new clothes, new hair, new health issues to manage, etc etc etc.
Alhamdulillah.
Happy 2nd anniversary to me!
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 can tuna in salt water (drain out the water please!)
1 cup full cream milk
3/4 can cream of mushroom soup concentrate
chopped celery
frozen green peas
cooked spaghetti
grated cheddar cheese
preheat oven at 175 degrees C.
cook spaghetti (not too much, it will expand) and drain water.
mix cooked spaghetti with tuna, milk, mushroom soup concentrate, celery and peas.
season with a bit of black pepper if you like.
pour mixture in casserole dish.
top with grated cheddar cheese and stick in oven for 20-30mins until the cheese bubbles and turns brownish.
it reminds me of the freezing university days when we used to eat microwave dish tuna casseroles for dinner. comfort food, i tell you!
no pictures, unfortunately. i ruined the dish before i could take picture because i was so hungry. hehehe..plus the look of the casserole doesn't justify its taste. ;-)
1 cup full cream milk
3/4 can cream of mushroom soup concentrate
chopped celery
frozen green peas
cooked spaghetti
grated cheddar cheese
preheat oven at 175 degrees C.
cook spaghetti (not too much, it will expand) and drain water.
mix cooked spaghetti with tuna, milk, mushroom soup concentrate, celery and peas.
season with a bit of black pepper if you like.
pour mixture in casserole dish.
top with grated cheddar cheese and stick in oven for 20-30mins until the cheese bubbles and turns brownish.
it reminds me of the freezing university days when we used to eat microwave dish tuna casseroles for dinner. comfort food, i tell you!
no pictures, unfortunately. i ruined the dish before i could take picture because i was so hungry. hehehe..plus the look of the casserole doesn't justify its taste. ;-)
The first week of July
I'm moonlighting as a moon-stalker these days.
only a week, and i have learned a tonne of things about this object we call the Moon.
When I finish, i will list down what i have learned.
I'm so glad tomorrow's a sunday.
sleep time.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Reunited
Reunited, and it feels so good...
Reunited 'cause we understood
There's one perfect fit,
and sugar this one is it,
We both are so excited
'cause we're reunited hey, hey....
after more than two months in the workshop, my beloved is finally back. I still feel a bit awkward driving it around. But the new roar of the engine...ahhh, that's my heaven on earth.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
sunrise @ The Strait of Johor
I just got back from a trip to Singapore. Stayed in JB, in a place called Compact Hotel. When I arrived on Friday night, i complained about the car lift and the dodgy looking room. They had a Midnight Special of RM100, and I don't really want to know what that is. hehee..Then, I woke up at 7AM from the sunlight pouring through the window, and saw this wonderful sunrise.
My beloved camera almost got stuck outside the dirty window when i attempted to slip the camera through the small opening. I'm never going to try that again, it almost gave me a heart attack when I realized I couldn't slip the camera back in so easily. had to detach the lense before I could get the camera safely back inside the room. hehehe.
Singapore was awesome. The zoo was awesome. Too many people even at 9.30AM, but for RM15, i am not going to complain. The sale was good too, but I didn't buy much for myself. Went to look for camera stuff for my friends, and ended up buying the all the remaining stock of Sanyo Eneloop batteries at this camera shop in Peninsula Plaza.
Then I hung out at the Esplanade, the Merlion Park...all the normal stuff. A laid-back weekend, other than my legs now feel like they're going to break from too much walking.
Oh. And thanks to Najah who pointed me to Ayam Bakar Ojolali in Lucky Plaza. Man....that's the best tasting chicken i've ever had! yummmmy! I wanted to take home some with me, but i wasn't sure if it will still be as good when it gets to KL..next time maybe.
am going to rest now. work tomorrow.
night.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Traumatic Wednesday
in the past 3 years...i've had many invasive procedures done on me.
- blood tests (probably a thousand times)
- bone marrow biopsies (i lost count of how many)
- insertion of hickman line (twice)
- insertions of lines on my neck, arm and thigh
- bronchoscopy
- spleen biopsy
- lung biopsy
and the list continues...
and you may see me as a strong person, but most of the procedures usually end up in me crying or screaming and left me feeling rather fucked up for a couple of days.
yesterday morning, i had an upper intestine endoscopy procedure - am i using the right term docs? and of course, my standard question would be, would i be sedated, and if no, can i please be sedated?
unfortunately the doc declined my request. he said he wants to save my veins from being damaged. so, he gave me a throat anesthetic...it sort of numbed my throat..but i was fully aware of what was going on. and guess what? of course when i saw the scope, i freaked out! i fought, screamed and cried. and 16 hours after the procedure, i my throat and tummy still feel sore from my fighting the scope from entering my esophagus. the mental image won't go away, and i still feel like crying whenever i think about it. like right now.
why would anyone have to go through such trauma when they can be sedated?
i asked the doc why not, the only reason he gave was:
1. because he wanted to save my veins
but here are my reasons:
1. so i don't get freaked out and start to struggle
2. so i don't fight and hurt my throat
3. so i don't start screaming in the room like a mental patient, hence scaring the other patients
4. so the poor nice doctor doesn't label me as a difficult patient
5. so i don't feel angry for the whole day and have nowhere to channel the anger to
6. so i get to wake up 1 or 2 hours later groggy, but at least i'll be in a pleasant mood
7. so i don't feel traumatized and invaded for the whole day, which will end up in me sleeping until it's dinner time, which i think is a friggin' waste of time. and i still wake up in a foul mood.
it's 2 AM, and i can't sleep because i slept the whole day, and i still feel pretty fucked up.
i know, my mother says that i need to be strong and have willpower. fighting leukemia was a long and arduous journey for me, and these days, if i can avoid any discomfort, i will avoid it. my veins will regrow, but will the traumatic experience fade from my memory? right, why not just add another bad experience to her long list of bad experiences?
nevertheless, at the expense of my feeling horribly fucked up, the result of the scope was normal, thank God. :-) and i hope i never have to go through such a procedure again in my entire life.
have i said that i feel so fucked up now?
- blood tests (probably a thousand times)
- bone marrow biopsies (i lost count of how many)
- insertion of hickman line (twice)
- insertions of lines on my neck, arm and thigh
- bronchoscopy
- spleen biopsy
- lung biopsy
and the list continues...
and you may see me as a strong person, but most of the procedures usually end up in me crying or screaming and left me feeling rather fucked up for a couple of days.
yesterday morning, i had an upper intestine endoscopy procedure - am i using the right term docs? and of course, my standard question would be, would i be sedated, and if no, can i please be sedated?
unfortunately the doc declined my request. he said he wants to save my veins from being damaged. so, he gave me a throat anesthetic...it sort of numbed my throat..but i was fully aware of what was going on. and guess what? of course when i saw the scope, i freaked out! i fought, screamed and cried. and 16 hours after the procedure, i my throat and tummy still feel sore from my fighting the scope from entering my esophagus. the mental image won't go away, and i still feel like crying whenever i think about it. like right now.
why would anyone have to go through such trauma when they can be sedated?
i asked the doc why not, the only reason he gave was:
1. because he wanted to save my veins
but here are my reasons:
1. so i don't get freaked out and start to struggle
2. so i don't fight and hurt my throat
3. so i don't start screaming in the room like a mental patient, hence scaring the other patients
4. so the poor nice doctor doesn't label me as a difficult patient
5. so i don't feel angry for the whole day and have nowhere to channel the anger to
6. so i get to wake up 1 or 2 hours later groggy, but at least i'll be in a pleasant mood
7. so i don't feel traumatized and invaded for the whole day, which will end up in me sleeping until it's dinner time, which i think is a friggin' waste of time. and i still wake up in a foul mood.
it's 2 AM, and i can't sleep because i slept the whole day, and i still feel pretty fucked up.
i know, my mother says that i need to be strong and have willpower. fighting leukemia was a long and arduous journey for me, and these days, if i can avoid any discomfort, i will avoid it. my veins will regrow, but will the traumatic experience fade from my memory? right, why not just add another bad experience to her long list of bad experiences?
nevertheless, at the expense of my feeling horribly fucked up, the result of the scope was normal, thank God. :-) and i hope i never have to go through such a procedure again in my entire life.
have i said that i feel so fucked up now?
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Cookie
i haven't written about cats in a long long while.
well, this is a story about a cat named Cookie.
she was born in Taman Seputeh in August 2003, just before Merdeka Day. she became really sick circa late 2004 while i was fighting leukemia..the vet said she had skin cancer. You can see the lesions on her body in the picture. but she lived a full year, before she went missing sometime in early 2006. i assumed she died away from home and prayed that she died painlessly.
then tonight...while i was stumbling in the dark backyard to put food for Baby and Tompok, i heard the sound of a leash bell. the cat purr near my legs sounded strangely familiar. it felt like a lean, short-haired cat...and my heart skipped. shit, did Baby lose all her hair from the skin ointment i put on her? (Baby is having some skin problems too...)
i quickly reached for the switch to turn on the lights, and voila! there was Cookie...munching on the food i had just poured for the other cats. and she looks all better now..she looks older, but it was her!
i believed that she became ill because she was trying to absorb some of my pain when i was sick, and now that i'm better, she got better too. i guess that belief isn't too far-fetched then.
thank you to that kind person out there who took care of her when i couldn't. if she drops by to see me once in a while, that's more than enough for me, to know that she's OK and well-taken care of.
i'm now wondering if Alf and Owen could still be alive. :-)
p/s: Baby, after the maid left and all her three babies died, has gone into depression mode, and now looks more like a germ-infested stray cat rather than a persian. she's got these disgusting crustings on her ears, and she keeps going back into the maid's room to lie down on her bed. :-( it's so sad to see her like that. hope she feels better.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Jangan Pandang Belakang
not that i'm saying that the subject in the portrait looks like a hantu...hehe. totally not.
i just came back from watching the much anticipated local horror film, Jangan Pandang Belakang. Everybody was too scared to watch it alone, so me and a few friends got together tonight especially to watch this film.
here's my review:
It's overrated, and wtf????
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Heroes
finished watching the season finale of Heroes this morning, in my attempt to stay awake until it's time to get to work. The words of Mohinder Suresh at the end of the episode was very touching...i'm sure this paragraph is in blogs all over the world this week.
i am so going to be a zombie at work today.
"we dream of hope, we dream of change, of fire, of love, of death...Then it happens, the dream becomes real. And the answer to this quest, this need to solve life's mysteries, finally shows itself , like the glowing light of a new dawn.
so much struggle for meaning, for purpose, and in the end we find it only in each other, our shared experience of the fantastic and the mundane. The simple human need to find a kindred, to connect, and to know in our hearts that we are not alone."
i am so going to be a zombie at work today.
...and Inzaghi scores....!!!
not that i watched the game. i went to check the score 85 minutes into the game, and found out that Inzaghi scored both the goals for Milan. yeehooo!
not that i follow the Champions League...hahaha.
I remember my college crush on Inzaghi, which made me took Italian for 2 semesters, in hope that the day I get to meet him in person, I will be able to at least have a civil conversation with him.
not that i ever got to meet him, but the A's i got for the two italian courses definitely bumped my CGPA at that time.
ok...i better go to sleep.
buona notte.
forza Inzaghi!
not that i follow the Champions League...hahaha.
I remember my college crush on Inzaghi, which made me took Italian for 2 semesters, in hope that the day I get to meet him in person, I will be able to at least have a civil conversation with him.
not that i ever got to meet him, but the A's i got for the two italian courses definitely bumped my CGPA at that time.
ok...i better go to sleep.
buona notte.
forza Inzaghi!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
sunset @ Bukit Permai
- one better sore eye
- one useless trip to the shopping mall
- one failed attempt to find the Ampang Lookout point
- one goal in life achieved.
driving through the rush hour today trying to look for the Ampang Lookout Point as described by Fariz brought me here, the Taman Bukit Permai Lookout Point. It didn't look promising at first, and just as i was about to get back into the car, the clouds started to part.
my eye is better now. i guess it's time to get back to work tomorrow.
boo hoo.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
my eye
somehow, i contracted an eye infection over the weekend. it got worse last night, all red and swollen. i think i might have to take another day off tomorrow so i don't infect people at work.
coincidentally, it's my right eye, the eye that is constantly on my viewfinder.
maybe it's time i got a disinfectant for my viewfinder.
arghh so itchy!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
sunset @ KJ in HDR
another day, another HDR.
i'm going nuts. this addiction to HDR can be dangerous to my photo-taking skills. like i told Kichi, who cares what the original shot looks like when you can do a HDR later?
dang.
College sick
These days, when I attend talks and dialogue sessions on process improvement and quality, I keep hearing the words I used to hear in my college classes. Words and abbreviations like SEI, CMM, CMMi, maturity levels, etc.
Somehow hearing those words remind me of the indian food truck near Pitt Library (where they serve my favorite chicken tikka masala in the whole world), Kiva Han on Craig St, the pasta stand in the University Center and the Ponderosa buffet all the way in Monroeville.
Mmmph..yum!
Sunday, May 06, 2007
the other side of sunrise
taken at Teluk Chempedak, the morning after my friends' wedding. Cloudy morning when I arrived at the beach, and it was still cloudy when I left to catch a couple more hours of sleep.
i'm going back to sleep, now that i've arrived in KL.
Miss Oh has now become Mrs Oh. Congratulations, you two!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Impossible is Nothing
spent the evening in Bukit Malawati in Kuala Selangor, where the view is great and the monkeys are polite. I had no idea how far Kuala Selangor is from my house, so i let my GPS take me. damn it was far! hahahaa.. coming home was another thing, the roadsigns kept promising "Lebuhraya Guthrie" for over 20 kilometers, until i actually reached the highway.
here's a portrait of a silver-leaf monkey for you. i'm definitely going back to this place again...i didn't cover the Kuala Selangor Nature Park because by the time i reached the place, it had just closed for the day. :-( which was why i went up the hill to shoot (photograph) monkeys instead.
3 more days off and back to work..boohoo!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
lights, girls, action!
i went to the Ultimate Street Tuners Carnival last night, replacing a friend who was supposed to take photographs there. The cars were interesting, but the major attraction (i think) was the Dancing Girls! There were too many men with SLRs around, photographing the car models and the dancing girls. i would post up a picture of the crowd cheering, but i don't want any of the men to get into trouble. hehe. thank god i had my Photographer pass so I could walk freely in front of the stage to shoot, away from the sweaty men and the wild crowd.
the event went on until 1AM, but i left early because my feet were hurting from 3 hours of walking around in 2.5 inch heels with my photo gear. i usually do that when i'm taking pictures in large crowds to gain the height, but i guess considering the tarred parking lot, it was a bad choice.
so, you car tuning freaks...check out the event! it's at the Stadium Bukit Jalil Car Park B, and it ends tomorrow night! for more info, checkout their website here.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
after sleeping at 6AM...
i woke up too early.
bothered by the noise coming from the school in front and incoming smses on my phone.
the person who was mc-ing the event was the noisiest bit, she had a laugh like a hyena. remind me to put on earplugs before going to sleep on the weekend next time.
a picture for you. the two MCs cackling about while the kids watch the people near the board update the scores. muddy day at the field today from the storm the night before.
i know it's going to be a bad day today.
Friday, April 27, 2007
A Leopard called Manja
i went to the zoo on my day off, and spent 3 hours hanging about the big cats' enclosures. The puma gave birth to 3 cubs, unfortunately i came too late in the afternoon, so i missed it. The 3 cubs were the cutest things on earth! Attempted to take some pictures, but the cubs were too far away, so the pictures came out shaky..:-(
Lovely day.
more pictures of Manja the Leopard and Rocky the Bengal Tiger on my flickr.
Monday, April 23, 2007
i got punked
excerpt from thestar.com:
I'm not proud to declare that I am one of the thousands who were cheated. Not by e-barrel, but by another scheme at www.abbfund.com. Don't bother clicking on the link because it doesn't work anymore. How can a person like me get cheated like that? Hey, you never try, you never know. Now if you read my previous posting on the outrageous lawyer fees, you must think I'm crazy and contradicting. hehehe...
Why am I laughing? Because when i gave that money away, it was money I was prepared to lose (plus it wasn't that much). I remember writing it off in my books that day. Still, it doesn't stop me from wishing that the crook would get caught, rot in jail and in hell. The crook is probably vacationing in the Carribeans now, having a party. Lucky bastard.
all I can say is, it was a lesson learned for me.
Millions lost in e-invest scam
PENANG: Thousands of people nationwide are believed to have lost several million ringgit in an Internet “investment” scheme known as buy-e-barrel which has closed down abruptly.
Investors have been unable to log onto their online accounts over the past two weeks.
read more here...I'm not proud to declare that I am one of the thousands who were cheated. Not by e-barrel, but by another scheme at www.abbfund.com. Don't bother clicking on the link because it doesn't work anymore. How can a person like me get cheated like that? Hey, you never try, you never know. Now if you read my previous posting on the outrageous lawyer fees, you must think I'm crazy and contradicting. hehehe...
Why am I laughing? Because when i gave that money away, it was money I was prepared to lose (plus it wasn't that much). I remember writing it off in my books that day. Still, it doesn't stop me from wishing that the crook would get caught, rot in jail and in hell. The crook is probably vacationing in the Carribeans now, having a party. Lucky bastard.
all I can say is, it was a lesson learned for me.
Fashion on 1
woke up at 2.30pm, lazed in front of the TV and started to feel hungry about 1 hour later. so i got ready to go out, with no destination in mind, and camera bag in the backseat.
called a friend, who said he's on the way to One Utama, and i suddenly remembered The Fashion on 1 thing going on at OU and it's the last day today.
i took some pictures of very good looking men. among the many other photographers there, i had some inferiority complex looking at their canggih equipment, although i kept reminding myself that it's not the equipment, it's the subject, and the photographer that are more important. yeah, whatever...i still want that fast telephoto!
then i stopped by Damansara Perdana to capture the sunset, and after dinner came home to capture the moon.
what a day.
Friday, April 20, 2007
resting
here's my interpretation of the doctor's rest, relax and take a lot of vitamin C. chilling around my housing area photographing orange sunsets that remind me of enormous vitamin C pills.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
lawyer2 yang outrageous
i am refinancing my home.
so part of the process is for the new bank's lawyers to request for a letter of undertaking from the old bank's lawyers. the old lawyers asked me to pay RM105 in "Professional Fees" in order to produce the letter.
come on....40-50 bucks, i can understand. But RM105?? what the fuck? i could buy a polarizing filter with that kind of money. dia kena draft balik ke letter tu? I'm sure there's already an available template where all they need to do is type in my name and several other details.
maybe i don't understand what goes on in the lawyers office, but from my point of view, mencekik darah betul.
friggin' outrageous.
so part of the process is for the new bank's lawyers to request for a letter of undertaking from the old bank's lawyers. the old lawyers asked me to pay RM105 in "Professional Fees" in order to produce the letter.
come on....40-50 bucks, i can understand. But RM105?? what the fuck? i could buy a polarizing filter with that kind of money. dia kena draft balik ke letter tu? I'm sure there's already an available template where all they need to do is type in my name and several other details.
maybe i don't understand what goes on in the lawyers office, but from my point of view, mencekik darah betul.
friggin' outrageous.
bone marrow update
hi gang,
doc called me this morning and told me that my bone marrow is free from blast cells.
Alhamdulillah. the last time i did a biopsy they detected 2% blast cells in the marrow. I was a bit worried about the percentage increasing to beyond 5% which is when the doctors will start worrying.
doc called me this morning and told me that my bone marrow is free from blast cells.
Alhamdulillah. the last time i did a biopsy they detected 2% blast cells in the marrow. I was a bit worried about the percentage increasing to beyond 5% which is when the doctors will start worrying.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
another long day at the hospital
...and a complete waste of time, i might add.
waited for over 5 hours to see the doctor, and it turned out that the clinic couldn't trace my bone marrow biopsy results. the nurses can't find it, and the lab said they have no record of it. so what was the big fat bandaid doing on my back 2 weeks ago?? crappetty crap. doc thinks i'm mad at her, which i am positively not. i'm freakin' angry at the system they are forced to deal with day in and day out. and this is not the first time it happened to me. really, what the hell is going on in there?
and what's with the 5 hour wait? ingat orang takde kerja lain nak buat ke? the stress level i have to endure waiting, dah lepas the level recommended by the doctor, i think!!
deep breaths...deep breaths....on a more positive note, my blood counts were back to normal today compared to 2 months ago. WBC 5.3, Hb 11.3, Platelets 178, alhamdulillah. The doctor told me to take the rest of the week off to rest at home to avoid getting any more viral infections from my surroundings.
let's hope that my bone marrow results are as good as my blood counts. :-)
ciao!
waited for over 5 hours to see the doctor, and it turned out that the clinic couldn't trace my bone marrow biopsy results. the nurses can't find it, and the lab said they have no record of it. so what was the big fat bandaid doing on my back 2 weeks ago?? crappetty crap. doc thinks i'm mad at her, which i am positively not. i'm freakin' angry at the system they are forced to deal with day in and day out. and this is not the first time it happened to me. really, what the hell is going on in there?
and what's with the 5 hour wait? ingat orang takde kerja lain nak buat ke? the stress level i have to endure waiting, dah lepas the level recommended by the doctor, i think!!
deep breaths...deep breaths....on a more positive note, my blood counts were back to normal today compared to 2 months ago. WBC 5.3, Hb 11.3, Platelets 178, alhamdulillah. The doctor told me to take the rest of the week off to rest at home to avoid getting any more viral infections from my surroundings.
let's hope that my bone marrow results are as good as my blood counts. :-)
ciao!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
orange sunset @ Batu Dam
In the hoo-ha of Pencarian Lelaki Maskulin, i totally forgot about where i went the day before.
Only 15 minutes away from the Batu Caves exit on MRR2, this serene place is perfect for relaxing. Bring a picnic mat, some books and just chill. Or in my case, take photographs la. hehe...
How to get there: From MRR2, exit at Batu Caves and drive towards Ulu Yam and Genting Highlands.
Monday, April 16, 2007
KL Skyline HDR
After the event and some coffee, I went up to Level 9 of the parking lot to get a few shots of this to generate a HDR image. not bad, eh?
Riz - winner of Pencarian Lelaki Maskulin 2007
Held at Berjaya Times Square yesterday afternoon. Riz was selected via sms votes and judges as the winner of Pencarian Lelaki Maskulin 2007. He looked nervous and dazed throughout the event though...haha.
Wegra, myself, arianna, raz and her sisters and riz's parents all went to hand him some moral support. woohoo!
Congrats Riz!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
HKL charging for parking
went to the hospital today for an abdominal ultrasound, and guess what? the hospital has started to charge for parking. First 15 minutes free, first 2 hours RM2, and RM 1 for subsequent hours.
which would've been a great idea if there were actually parking available. it looks slightly less crowded, the introduction of the parking fees probably weeded out the free-riders who were parking there for free and taking the LRT or Monorail to their workplace.
my abdominal organs look normal, the ultrasound lady told me. Alhamdulillah.
which would've been a great idea if there were actually parking available. it looks slightly less crowded, the introduction of the parking fees probably weeded out the free-riders who were parking there for free and taking the LRT or Monorail to their workplace.
my abdominal organs look normal, the ultrasound lady told me. Alhamdulillah.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
a pic for you...
from me in my state of dis-inspiration (is that a word?)
can you tell what it is?
it's the moon peeping through the millenium bridge in putrajaya. yay!
the loveliest thing about going on these trips alone is the peace and quiet you get. though you get the occasional stranger trying to chat you up, asking questions about photography etc etc. hello, do i look like i drove all the way there to chat to people I don't know? but being the polite malay that i am, i layan aja lah...until i can find a reason to politely excuse myself, like, "ok...i'm going over there coz the moon looks bigger on that side. nice talking to you." hehehe.
gnite....
Thursday, April 05, 2007
uninspired
fever, cold, cough.
have u ever faced one of those times where you feel uninspired? all you want to do is lie in bed. you're too lazy to write about anything, you can't be arsed to take any photographs, you eat but you're not actually eating, you work but you're not actually working, you watch TV but you're not actually concentrating on anything. the only things you actually do properly is sleep and laze on the couch.
man...i hope whatever bug that's eating me right now goes away soon. it feels like i've been sedated all week.
had my bone marrow biopsy yesterday. as usual the last thing i remember is the nurse injecting saline and dormicum. the next thing i remember was waking up on my couch at home with a sore back. hopefully the results come back as good as always.
adios.
have u ever faced one of those times where you feel uninspired? all you want to do is lie in bed. you're too lazy to write about anything, you can't be arsed to take any photographs, you eat but you're not actually eating, you work but you're not actually working, you watch TV but you're not actually concentrating on anything. the only things you actually do properly is sleep and laze on the couch.
man...i hope whatever bug that's eating me right now goes away soon. it feels like i've been sedated all week.
had my bone marrow biopsy yesterday. as usual the last thing i remember is the nurse injecting saline and dormicum. the next thing i remember was waking up on my couch at home with a sore back. hopefully the results come back as good as always.
adios.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
I'm polluting the environment
...with the nasty white smoke coming out of the exhaust of my banana boat. I don't know what else to do..my mechanic said I have to drive it for two weeks before he can complete the repairs from the timing belt snapping the other day.
Arghhhhhh....! Ok I already called Mechanic and told him I can't drive this thing like this. If someone were to drive in front of me with fog coming out of the exhaust, I would curse the driver and maybe scratch the car if I find it...hehe. (but don't scratch mine la..please..that baby has gone through enough!) Mechanic told me to send the car in tomorrow.
To the pedestrians, motorists and any cars behind me who had to endure the smoke, please accept my deepest apology. I promise you that I will get it fixed as soon as possible.
Btw, my friend's husband who was diagnosed with leukemia mid-last month passed away two nights ago from lung infection. He was a handsome young lad who had the future in front of him. May Allah bless his soul, Al-Fatihah. Sorry for the late info, the news was rather depressing for me, I had to digest it for a couple of days.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
French Spiderman
being at the right place at the right time is definitely awesome! i don't usually bring my camera around, but i had it with me in the office today for an office farewell party (booohoo liza dah takde...), and the French Spiderman (Alain Robert) was right across from my window, trying to climb up the opposite tower.
my hands shook as i was snapping the pics, i was so scared that he would fall off!
here's the link to the picture i took that was published by Reuters. check it out! hihihi!!
exciting day for me....a depressing morning turned out to be a good day overall. ahh...life, eh?
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Sunrise @ The Klang Gate Dam
i couldn't believe that i actually woke up at 5AM to hike up a hill so i can a picture of this. the hike up was like hell! thank god for Kichi and gang who helped me up. hahahaa...i really need to exercise more...my muscles are so weak.
I stopped at a landing that was good enough for me to see the sun rise. After resting (for about an hour hahaha) i joined the guys who were further up experimenting with off-camera lighting. i'm glad i hiked up to join them..the experiment turned out to be great!
the hike back down was hell as well, but after it was over, i realized i had a really good time. the view was beautiful from up there on east when the sun was rising. There was a view of the KL skyline as well, but it was too foggy (or hazy?) to get a clean sharp image.
Thanks to Kichi who organized the trip. :-)
ciao!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
sometimes...
we deserve to be sad.
beneath the smiling facade, people usually carry different things inside them. the sadness of seeing someone who used to be so close to you slide away, and your forcing yourself to feel the same way. the loss of the moments you used to share with each other, now only remains something only you yearn to share.
then you remember. for every person who makes you feel that way, there are probably 10 others around you who are more than willing to make your day.
but still, you think. it's not the same.
beneath the smiling facade, people usually carry different things inside them. the sadness of seeing someone who used to be so close to you slide away, and your forcing yourself to feel the same way. the loss of the moments you used to share with each other, now only remains something only you yearn to share.
then you remember. for every person who makes you feel that way, there are probably 10 others around you who are more than willing to make your day.
but still, you think. it's not the same.
the laughing zaara
hihihihihihi!!
this is zt2 and juke's little princess, zaara.
that's not her dad...that's Uncle Neng.
she's so cute!!!! everytime i look at this picture, i start to smile, and giggle by myself.
am i sounding crazy?
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Linda Onn, her dress and the Academy Awards
wow, i can't believe an issue like this earned a spot on the Nation section of The Star! macam-macam....
DJ Linda Onn defends decision not to wear outfit to gala event
If you want to read from another point of view, check-out Suhaimi Sulaiman's posting on this.
I still don't understand why they made such a huge deal out of it.
DJ Linda Onn defends decision not to wear outfit to gala event
PETALING JAYA: Upon Linda Onn’s return from Los Angeles, the ERA fm deejay defended her decision not to wear the outfit designed by local designer Radzuan Radziwill for the 79th Academy Awards red carpet event which she had been earlier slated to co-host.
“It’s my body and it’s my say as to what I wear. It is a small issue over a dress,” said Linda during a phone interview yesterday.
read more here...If you want to read from another point of view, check-out Suhaimi Sulaiman's posting on this.
I still don't understand why they made such a huge deal out of it.
Monday, March 05, 2007
D50 Kit for Sale
Selling off my Nikon D50.
Bought in December 2005, shuttercount +/- 20K.
Body + Kit Lens 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 + Hoya UV Filter
All in excellent condition, recently serviced.
Price: RM 1680 Firm.
Reason for selling: upgrading.
Bought in December 2005, shuttercount +/- 20K.
Body + Kit Lens 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 + Hoya UV Filter
All in excellent condition, recently serviced.
Price: RM 1680 Firm.
Reason for selling: upgrading.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
money money money....
When I first started working, I did a test that concluded that I am driven by money. I'm at the tribunal court waiting for the hearing for my LAD claim. At 8.00 AM. Which means that I had to wake up at 6.45 AM. To fight for my entitlement, which came up to quite a significant amount given the 18-month delay.
Would I have woken up this early if it was over a RM100 claim? Probably not.
I guess, after all I have been through, i am still driven by money...
...what?
Money can buy you things that make you happy! Temporarily, if not permanently.
Would I have woken up this early if it was over a RM100 claim? Probably not.
I guess, after all I have been through, i am still driven by money...
...what?
Money can buy you things that make you happy! Temporarily, if not permanently.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
what tarot card are you?
as seen on daus' blog. told you i'm a genius.
You are The Moon
Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.
The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
one down...one to go.
as it turned out, the paper wasn't that easy. but i found some funny things in the paper.
during the exam review, the teacher warned us, "do not try to ask any questions to the invigilator. if you do, i will deduct five points from your total score." OK...whatever dude...
so, i was at my seat...and the invigilator said, "you can now start reading your questions..please make sure that the number of pages is the same as what is stated on the cover page."
so i read..
INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
1. This Question paper consists of FIVE pages (excluding the cover page) with FOUR Questions only.
i counted the sheets.
eh...why only four meh? if i ask a question, will i get 5 points deducted for nothing? so i left it, when i saw there were four questions at the back anyway.
spent 10 minutes reading and rereading the questions. making sure that i don't get mislead by grammatical errors. here's one question, verbatim.
Question. 4.
What approach did the company take to implementing the system in term of resources and organizational structure, given the strategic vision of the senior manager? What types of information you think a marketing executives need?
trying to read past the errors was one thing. trying to figure out which "company" the question was referring to was another, since question 1 referred to the company in the case, question 2 referred to TMNet and question 3 referred to AT&T.
really, shouldn't they have someone who vets through the examination questions before they get printed? jeez...
you're wondering how i did? i walked out after 2 hours and 15 minutes...i couldn't see myself writing anything else until 11pm.
i just hope i get through this.
during the exam review, the teacher warned us, "do not try to ask any questions to the invigilator. if you do, i will deduct five points from your total score." OK...whatever dude...
so, i was at my seat...and the invigilator said, "you can now start reading your questions..please make sure that the number of pages is the same as what is stated on the cover page."
so i read..
INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
1. This Question paper consists of FIVE pages (excluding the cover page) with FOUR Questions only.
i counted the sheets.
eh...why only four meh? if i ask a question, will i get 5 points deducted for nothing? so i left it, when i saw there were four questions at the back anyway.
spent 10 minutes reading and rereading the questions. making sure that i don't get mislead by grammatical errors. here's one question, verbatim.
Question. 4.
What approach did the company take to implementing the system in term of resources and organizational structure, given the strategic vision of the senior manager? What types of information you think a marketing executives need?
trying to read past the errors was one thing. trying to figure out which "company" the question was referring to was another, since question 1 referred to the company in the case, question 2 referred to TMNet and question 3 referred to AT&T.
really, shouldn't they have someone who vets through the examination questions before they get printed? jeez...
you're wondering how i did? i walked out after 2 hours and 15 minutes...i couldn't see myself writing anything else until 11pm.
i just hope i get through this.
Monday, February 26, 2007
last minute woman
5 more hours to go till my Multimedia Mocketing final.
i've been sitting in this cafe in cyberjaya for the past 3 hours, "reading" my slides...in between surfing and chatting. i'm expecting to be brain dead when the exam finishes at 11pm tonight. so friends, standby to pick me up from the campus OK!
5 more chapters to browse through. yes, browse. because here's the dilemma. the teacher said that if he finds that our answers are following what the book says, he's going to deduct points. cheh. so maybe it's better if i didn't read much. plus the slides are full of grammatical errors anyway and i am struggling to understand the sentences.
wish me luck!
ps: yea, i think i'm so smart, making fun of the class. i hope i don't get below a B minus. heheee.
i've been sitting in this cafe in cyberjaya for the past 3 hours, "reading" my slides...in between surfing and chatting. i'm expecting to be brain dead when the exam finishes at 11pm tonight. so friends, standby to pick me up from the campus OK!
5 more chapters to browse through. yes, browse. because here's the dilemma. the teacher said that if he finds that our answers are following what the book says, he's going to deduct points. cheh. so maybe it's better if i didn't read much. plus the slides are full of grammatical errors anyway and i am struggling to understand the sentences.
wish me luck!
ps: yea, i think i'm so smart, making fun of the class. i hope i don't get below a B minus. heheee.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
more reasons....
to procrastinate.
exam tomorrow, and i haven't read a single thing. downloaded my exam slip only to discover that the exam will start at 8pm instead of 6pm..woohoo! which gives me two extra hours...
Friday, February 23, 2007
da bling bling thing
a dream is a wish your heart makes...
this is one of the many dream cars of a 6 year old boy i know.
it must be liberating to have dreams that are uninhibited by financial constraints, public perception and impossibilities.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
holy crap!
uh-oh....
bsc -> rasta -> flickr surfing -> editing photos -> research about close up filters -> amazon and ebay surfing -> kenrockwell.com -> blog hopping -> imdb.com....
----> 5AM!
shite.
bsc -> rasta -> flickr surfing -> editing photos -> research about close up filters -> amazon and ebay surfing -> kenrockwell.com -> blog hopping -> imdb.com....
----> 5AM!
shite.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Uptown turned Cowboytown
Too laid back...
Perhaps too much peace and quiet can be detrimental to a person's well being. This boredom is eating me from inside...there's nothing else to do in KL. Well, unless you want to hit the shopping malls...! I'm running out of procrastination reasons, so i'm chilling out listening to music, while attempting to write my 4 page strategic analysis.
Can't wait for Wednesday to come, so I can resume my bitching about the traffic and the noise.
....just finding things to complain about. muhahaha.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
yahooooooo!
i obviously have too much time on my hands.
it was my last MBA class today. we break for a week, then i have my exams. and then, i'm done!!! (apart from the thesis..hehe)
the presentation went surprisingly well, despite us thinking that we had done a shit job. i guess we did get something right then...we all smiled when the professor said, "OK, this is another group that I think made really good suggestions, and have analyzed the case very well."
woohoo!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
watching her cry
i watch her cry,
sympathizing for her newfound challenge.
and he kept on smiling,
but i know the fear he feels inside,
as the certain future becomes uncertain.
then she cries again,
and she told me that it has been like a dream.
i held her hand and told her to "be strong",
whatever that means to each of us.
i fought hard for her not to see my tears,
but as i walked away, the tears fall anyway.
sympathizing for her newfound challenge.
and he kept on smiling,
but i know the fear he feels inside,
as the certain future becomes uncertain.
then she cries again,
and she told me that it has been like a dream.
i held her hand and told her to "be strong",
whatever that means to each of us.
i fought hard for her not to see my tears,
but as i walked away, the tears fall anyway.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Shiatt!!
Teka teki:
Kancil dengan Banana berselisih, what happens?
Kancil dengan Banana berselisih, what happens?
Answer:
Banana gets dents in her body.
Aaaargggghhhhhh!!!!
Hospital update - The one about the Hotshot doc
Man...new doctor for me today. The doc had a nasal voice, and spoke english in a funny way. I didn't like the way the doc told me, "well...your other counts are ok, but I don't like your white cell count. I donch wants to scare you or anything, but it could be a relapse you know. Now, you have two choices.you could do a bone marrow test, or you could come backs in a month and do another blood count. If I were you, i'd go for the bone marrow."
Suffice to say, that doc instantly made me uncomfortable. It must be the air of arrogance that was so strong inside the room that repelled me. Naturally, I asked where my doctors were; and the answer was, "Well, you better get used to it, because not all your previous doctors will be here forever you know. Plus we all here work as a team. Which is why I have to flips through your notebook here to see what has happened. So, tell me, why did the Doctors decide to inject you with your brother's lymphocytes last time?" haha...iyolah tu teamwork..
if tomorrow never comes...
did i say how much i love you...
did i buy the lens i want..
that i thought of everyday
and dreamed of every night....
if tomorrow never comes...
Suffice to say, that doc instantly made me uncomfortable. It must be the air of arrogance that was so strong inside the room that repelled me. Naturally, I asked where my doctors were; and the answer was, "Well, you better get used to it, because not all your previous doctors will be here forever you know. Plus we all here work as a team. Which is why I have to flips through your notebook here to see what has happened. So, tell me, why did the Doctors decide to inject you with your brother's lymphocytes last time?" haha...iyolah tu teamwork..
Wtf? Rasa nak terajang. Doctors have delivered me many bad news before...but never before they are certain. Never before they have numbers and lab reports before their eyes. And when they do, it never makes me feel angry. Sad, yes. But never angry. But this particular hot shot, yah, made me angry. Uncomfortable.
Well, I hope the low white cell count is only caused by my not feeling well yesterday, not due to a relapse. Hope the bone marrow biopsy will be OK..as the doc said, "Well, I donch want to waits too long..in case it somethings." yup..sempat lagi nak mengutuk. Hahaha..
WBC 2.3 - Lymphocytes 1.3
HB 12.2
Platelets 153,000
Anyway, I guess this is another reminder that we humans won't live forever, much as we want to. We hide our feelings, we suppress our emotions, we procrastinate, we forget to pray, we take things for granted. I say, from now on, everybody should seize their days, because you'll never know when you won't be around anymore. Tell the people who you care about that you love them, tell that crush how you feel, thank God for the blessings you have around you. And then, if you have the money, go out and buy that luxe item that you've been wanting all this while..be it an expensive designer handbag or a pro lens.
ala...like the Ronan Keating song tu...it goes like this"if tomorrow never comes...
did i say how much i love you...
did i buy the lens i want..
that i thought of everyday
and dreamed of every night....
if tomorrow never comes...
Gotta get some vitamins now. Tata.
what's love got to do with it?
absolutely nothing.
it's a bunga telur. hahaha.
i would turn my page pink, but i'm too lazy.
to those celebrating...Happy Valentine's Day. I'll be at the doctor's.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
spot on
i had my last monday class today. no more having to rush after work to school. and no more having to listen to lectures about how malaysians are so negative that we'll never amount to anything in life.
it took me more hours last night looking through my bird park photos than reading my journal articles. i ended up skimming through 5, and only properly reading one. it must be my lucky day today, because when he opened up my CD and randomly picked an article, he picked the one I actually read!! woohoo...! It was worthwhile spending the time editing the bird photos instead. hahaha..
the topic i chose was the power of blogs, and its possible usage within corporations. maybe i should write an entry about how the module didn't teach me much at all. muhaha..but i'll be kind lah since i'm so happy.
here's a picture of my friend's lens, taken from my home studio experiment...it has got nothing to do with this posting.
:-)
Sunday, February 11, 2007
shooting birds
tired from doing my website assignment all day, i decided to go to the Lake Gardens. My drive by shooting attempts didn't produce satisfactory results, so i went to the bird park to shoot some birds instead. No worries, no blood was spilled.
hehe. more pictures on my flickr page.
yah. it's now 11.45pm, and i still have my journal articles to be read. I'm a master procrastinator..!! argh...!
talk to the hand...
coz the head ain't in focus!!!
still have journal articles to read, group project to finish, a discussion at 11am tomorrow, ...and i'm still up doing nonsense. come to think of it, i was up the whole day doing nonsense, when there are still more immediate matters to be attended to.
i'm really not sure how buying two clamp spotlights from IKEA to build my home studio would help me answer my exam questions, but it sure is better than staying home, reading my textbooks!
just 3 more weeks, i need to focus!! i wish my head could focus like my camera does when it is set to a wide aperture; subject in sharp focus, and all distractions get blurred into the background. (paham ke korang analogy ni? hahaha)
bargh.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
love....
...is when someone, or something, occupies your mind day and night, and it makes you feel good thinking about it.
or some might call it obsessive-compulsive. i call it love...passion...when you're deeply interested in something, or someone.
and by my definition, i think i'm in love. with something...or could it be a someone? he he he...
what's your definition of love?
or some might call it obsessive-compulsive. i call it love...passion...when you're deeply interested in something, or someone.
and by my definition, i think i'm in love. with something...or could it be a someone? he he he...
what's your definition of love?
Friday, February 09, 2007
diversion tactics
dang...i always find reasons to procrastinate whenever there's something important due, for example my individual project that's due this monday night that i haven't started. things that have been diverting my attention:
1. sudden addiction to surfing flickr
2. sudden need to reorganize the music on both my hard drives
3. sudden interest in editing and reorganizing all the photos on my hard drives
can spend all night editing photos, cannot spend even 5 minutes to read the journal articles...
help!
1. sudden addiction to surfing flickr
2. sudden need to reorganize the music on both my hard drives
3. sudden interest in editing and reorganizing all the photos on my hard drives
can spend all night editing photos, cannot spend even 5 minutes to read the journal articles...
help!
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