Arrival of my new baby

The long wait is finally over. After almost 3 weeks to a month of not having one, I sighed with relief that I no longer need to go through an excruciatingly painful torture wait another few donkey years for it; feeling deprived. =P

The thing that has kept me excited for the past few days is nothing other than my brand new lappie!

Dell Studio 1450!

I just don't know how to express how delighted I am to be able to afford a lappie for myself. If it wasn't due to my old Compaq in the brink of death, I wouldn't have bothered getting a new one. So it was out of desperate measures that I've decided to place order on Dell's website. And thankfully, my patience paid off as I obtained a pretty good deal over the PC Fair weekend - minus the queues & hassles.

With the bright LED screen measuring at 14" & weighing only 2.4kg, my baby is has everything that I needed or perhaps a little bit more. It is running on the Windows 7 platform & has been showing good signs of stability after 3 weeks of usage.

I supposed the only thing that made me the happiest that I purchased my baby at a really attractve price. Not too pricey, not too cheap that the performance is compromised - at least I'm satisfied. And *tsk tsk*...I no longer need to fight with my sis for the computer. =)

Walking the aisle at Kluang

Christmas is one of the best time for get-togethers, reunions & lots of partying as the year end draws close. December is also probably the best time for couples to tie the knot as it is an auspicious month in the lunar calendar. I was invited, together with WL to our colleague to attend his holy matrimony. And guess what, his wedding will be held all the way in Kluang!

The best thing about attending this wedding is that I'm travelling with WL to a small town for the first time. As soon as we arrived, we checked in at a hotel - apparently the one & only luxurious hotel you can find in that humble town. Well, what more can you expect? We happened to get a room overlooking the river that flows across the town.

Being the only five-star hotel in Kluang, we were shocked to come across with poorly maintained fixtures & furnitures. Not to forget the odd smell upon entering our rooms. I had to remind myself many times this is a small town, remember that. At least we still have proper shelter to sleep through the night.

In case you didn't know, wedding receptions in small towns are commonly held in the day - or rather noon to be more precise. This is to avoid having friends & relatives to travel back late at night should they choose not to pay for accommodation. With little time to prepare, WL took quick showers while I started working on my makeup. And off we go to the ballroom where the wedding reception will be held.

The food served was the usual Chinese eight course dinner. Of course, we can never forget the camwhoring activity that keeps us from feeling bored while waiting for the next dish to be served.

There you have it, the bride & groom cutting the cake.

More camwhoring...

Last but not least, a picture of us with the newly weds. =)

Later in the evening, we went to the bride's house for BBQ session. As usual, food was pretty okay but we were served with lots & lots of Justea drinks. -.-" I supposed the BBQ food wasn't hygiene enough that WL ended up with a stomach upset. I was dehydrated & lacked sleep, hence with the bad headache. We had no choice but to stay on in the hotel instead of waking up early to join the rest of them for kopitiam breakfast at the famous Kluang station.

Then, what did we have for breakfast? Eventually we settle for buffet breakfast at the hotel cafetaria. With my hunger pang hitting in, I couldn't resist feasting on different kinds of dishes despite the lack of appetizing meals.

We left Kluang later in the morning; me dozing off in the car most of the time while WL drove quietly. He was driving relatively faster than the day before, hoping to reach home faster. Overall, it was an interesting & fun experience to be able to attend weddings like this with WL. Even though this wasn't exactly our own holiday trip, it made us felt like we're a couple. A "newly wedded couople". XD

The un-heroic storm warriors

The poster was cool & the trailer was effing cool that everyone expected the movie to be a kick-ass. Like awesomely good. They were wrong. I was wrong too. How could this happen?? It was so incredibly disastrous that I simply couldn't believe myself & WL sitting through 2 hours just to digest the plot.

What went wrong? Sadly speaking, the production team focused too much on bringing the comic to life with loads of CGIs that it neglected on the feelings & stories behind the characters. Furthermore, there was a serious lack of interaction between characters; dialogues were mostly one-sentence while the entire action sequences were overtly exaggerated.

When you watch the movie, you'll notice that the CGI sequences resembled one Hollywood movie a lot. That's right! It looked exactly like the Spartan themed 300, unfortunately. With loads of slow motion scenes squeezed into the 2 hour movie, one can imagine how dull & boring it can get. Having weirdly translated Malay subtitles (ie Penjejak Awan equivalent to Striding Cloud) flashing across the screen was already annoying, there you have Charlene Choi as Second Dream (oh what a name! -_-") always calling out to Wind & nothing else. What the heck~

Please, please...don't go wasting your precious time & money to catch this in the cinemas. In fact, it's not even worth your time spent watching a pirated DVD at home. It's THAT bad...

People of the media industry

Being part of the marketing industry can actually provide an individual a life full of excitement & bizarre events. You meet people from all walks of life - not only of different backgrounds but personalities too. For instance, this media guy who is affiliated to our agency was at our place for a quick presentation by representatives from the radio station.

He was transferring a presentation deck to my thumb drive so that my manager & I could look through it just in case our CEO might start questioning for our opinions. Coincidentally, he saw a movie clip of Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans (I think...can't remember -_-") & casually asked..."can I have that, please?"

I was taken by surprise as it was such a hilarious moment. I was like..."Sure, go ahead. Since you've asked..." Haha! It's no biggie, really. But just so funny =P. Never thought that I would encounter such random moments with someone I'm not personally close to. Perhaps that made he & I close up the gap as working partners. Interesting...*chuckles*

Alan Tam & Hacken Lee Live in Malaysia 2009

When I saw this poster of Alan Tam & Hacken Lee promoting their concert in Malaysia (for what seemed like their 2nd or 3rd time in our homeland), it never crossed my mind that I would attend it. For free!

I've got nothing much to blog about them as I'm not a fan of their music. As veterans, it's no doubt that their voices shine throughout the concert. It could be the choice of songs & the fact I'm no fan do affect how much I enjoyed the concert. Definitely wasn't as exciting as the Dong Bang days but what more can I expect, right? Furthermore, it was FOC & I attended it with dearly beloved WL =) I guess that's all that matters...

Piccies, piccies!

RIP good ol' lappie

Here I am blogging from my aunt's company laptop, sadly announce that my personal lappie has finally come to an end after 2 years 8 months of usage. LED lights were on but it refused to boot up nor show any signs of life display. I bought it at RM3,600 & despite some minor bumps & scratches due to wear & tear; the lappie looks as good a few months old. Isn't it a waste to have it disposed?

Many of you may think that the spoilt lappie is strong reason for me to get a brand new one. However, to get another one would probably cost me another 3k... T.T That is if I'm getting a considerably good one with specifications that accommodate my sis' designing needs. To be honest, I don't even need one that's superbly good in graphics or has high RAM. As a matter of fact, I'll be spending most of my quiet time blogging, performing some word processing & working on presentations/worksheets & FB-ing. Only occasionally I would be watching some videos online or download some dramas to whet my drama-holic appetite.

*sighs* I'm so in a dilemma right now~ Which one should buy?? :S

One year & counting...

Yesterday marked my first anniversary working in this company. For the past few months, there were many moments to be cherished. Be it for good & bad times with colleagues or great lessons learnt from people of all walks of life. Along the way, I've met many new people that became good friends while some just came & left...just like the wind.

It's not easy surviving in this tough environment reason being the culture is very much different here. Lots of methods are still pretty conventional & the redtape policy becomes a hindrance to complete certain task in a quicker manner. Imho, there are many procedures that can be omitted to increase work efficiency. However, there's no way we can change them to suit our preference. It's a management decision, after all. =(

I'm indeed surprised myself that I'm able to struggle & survive working here considering the tough environment. Especially when our department is seriously lacking manpower. It's really stressed out working in this office but it did trained me to be so much tougher than before. I remember that I used to cry a lot over little things. Now, I tend to keep sorrows inside or brush them away. Or perhaps I'm too tired to even feel upset about anything. Haha!

Tough job aside, I still love my job as marketeer. In addition, I met many great people too that are willing to help along the way & I'm certainly grateful for their endless support & guidance. After all, it's only the beginning so no harm suffering a little. Wish me luck as I hope to stay on for another year or two before I embark on a new journey in another organisation that could provide better remuneration package. ;)

Mei was at East Coast Part 1

On a cloudy Friday morning, I embarked on my furthest trip from home. I was on my way to Kuantan! Our Marketing team travelled there with the purpose of presenting a brief to the East Coast sales team & also to attend the final round of annual dinner. We set off at about 9am in our company's Volvo - our group consisting two from my department, one from Sales & Procurement respectively.

It was a long & somewhat tiring journey for me. Perhaps this is due the very fact that I travel less than anyone of them in the car. It was my first time being away from my humble "kernel" & I wondered if I'm able to survive or take care of myself without my parents' supervision. Much to my surprise, I adapted in no time & hardly demanded anything nor anyone to pamper to my needs. Though no doubt my face was showing signs of fatique throughout the entire trip. And so I napped throughout the entire trip. Zzz...

Upon arriving Kuantan, the trees & swampy areas flashed by as our Volvo passed by. Development is relatively slower in this part of the foreign land. The bizarre thing is...dark red soil can be seen everywhere, unlike the yellowish & orange muddy soil that we're so accustomed back at home.

Along the coastal line, wooden Malay houses were seen occupying the flat lands while thick forest trees were replaced with tall coconut trees.

Just a few kilometres away, the resort finally came into view...

I was supposed to share room with two ladies but due to last minute change of plans, I was left with no choice to sleep alone. But this room is just too roomy for a single soul like me.

The sales team was in a meeting & it wasn't necessary for the Marketing people to join in. Hence, we decided to hit the beach & snap some photos. Kuantan beach is not that scenic, as expected.

Nevertheless, the sea breeze & cloudy weather was indeed a good environment for a quiet, soothing relaxation.

Soon the sun sets & the dark skies cast shadows over the coastal line. The hotel was immediately lit up; its soft, amber lights are warm & inviting that it felt like the building is welcoming the guests with open arms. It set the mood for the night of our annual dinner - everyone getting ready to experience an enjoyable night.

Dinner was served in buffet style, as usual. Nothing tasted out of the extraordinary but generally acceptable. I supposed it's the ambience that made the event somewhat special in some ways. What's more, this is the only annual dinner that serves alcoholic beverages - a plus point for our male colleagues who are hoping to have a jolly good night. While the men stayed on for extra pints, the ladies retreated to their own rooms for bedtime.

To be continued...

Forever Michael...This Was It

I've been harbouring the desire to watch This Is It but didn't wanna voice it out knowing that WL doesn't fancy movies like such. I may not be a hardcore fan of MJ but as a child who has been watching him on TV & having interest for his musical & extraordinary dancing talents, the film that showcases MJ during his final hours of rehearsals before his shocking death.

Mum was eager to watch & both of us watched the earliest show of the day. No doubt the video materials were very raw & not filmed professionally reason being it was meant for MJ's personal viewing. Nevertheless, Kenny Ortega did a fantastic job in piecing up the bits & pieces of clips recorded in different periods into a 2 hour length film. First, it was the audition to select the best dancers around the world for the upcoming tour which didn't make it to the stage. Next, intensive practices were held to perfect the dance routines. Meanwhile, short clips were shot in the studio with the purpose of giving it a modern twist to MJ's old videos. Generally, the film is the full dress rehearsal of the concert with him singing each song live.

For a 50 year old man, his singing & dancing abilities still never lose its appeal despite his frail figure. Seeing him on stage in the film felt as if he's still around, live & kicking. His songs are good but the only tracks that made me tear in the film is I'll Be There & Heal The World. MJ's angelic voice adds life to the beautiful song which makes u feel that God has sent angels down from heaven to make the world a better place.

When the credits rolled, all of us in the cinema hall refused to leave as the film was absolutely fantastical. That the concert would the most awaited spectacular show of the year. It was such a waste that this concert didn't make it to the stage. We wouldn't have the opportunity to watch it if it did, right? RIP Michael, you'll always be in our heart until the end of time.

Travelling

My first time travelling up north without the presence of my family members nor WL turned out to be exhausting but nevertheless, pretty okay. And it wasn't for a holiday trip with buddies or close-knitted colleagues but in fact for the sake of working. The thought of long-distance travel during weekends due to work seemed so hard to bear.

Well, I supposed this is part & parcel of a job as a marketeer - to travel once in a while to other regions in order to have a better understanding of the actual market. I would like to stress again that this is was my first time presenting to the sales team. Not that I'm really green in doing presentation but c'mon, it can be quite nerve-wrecking to be a newbie giving sales brief to the team who are more experienced than you are. Train of thoughts started running through my mind the night before I'm bound to travel. I'm thinking...what if I made a blunder of everything? What if I didn't know how to elaborate my slides? So many what-ifs...

Thankfully, things turned out smoothly. No doubt I was a little nervous & my voice croaked a little throughout the presentation but I felt my confidence level grew slowly & steadily. It was hard to keep the team's attention; after all they've already been briefed previously by their sales leaders. Tell me who would wanna listen to the same thing twice. Neither do I. Haha.

I think the best part about this trip is the opportunity to experience the annual dinner organised by the regional office. Something that other staff in the HQ won't have the privilege to do so unless they're from the management level. It was interesting to see that the employees at the region put a lot of effort - right from the performance to the decorations eventhough it was of a lower scale, less lavish celebration. Food was okay, or at least that's what I thought so as compared to the ones served at HQ's annual dinner. Never knew that pasembo (Indian rojak) tasted so good~ ^^

Travelling back to KL right after the dinner ended was quite a bad decision. Should've left earlier but you know...we can't simply do that when the boss is around. I was in a deep slumber the whole night despite the bumpy ride & uncomfortable 90 degrees angle backseats. I arrived home at 1.20am, a record breaking time~ Haha. Seriously. Never in my life I come home that late even though after a night out with WL cuz we conform to my family's strict curfew. But who cares about curfew when you're already in a rush to travel back home when there's a need to work the next day? It's pretty insane exciting & adventurous working in this company. =P

Body of a possessed one

What a good way to celebrate Halloween by making a trip to the cinemas to catch a horror movie. Nevertheless, watching a horror/thriller movie for the 2nd time is definitely not helping me to overcome my fear for spooky stuff. Not even when you have a bombshell such as Megan Fox to please both male & female audiences. Wanting to accompany WL so badly that I've decided to go against my will to give it another shot. Together with our ex colleague & his gf, it was more like a double date movie outing.

This movie opens with Amanda Seyfried's character, "Needy" narrating on how she was sent to the asylum due to an incident with her best friend, Jennifer. Jennifer, the typical popular high school girl who only has eyes for hot guys suddenly got possessed by a demon. Her demonic powers make her look radiant as ever but however, she needs to feast on human flesh to stay youthful. Or she would look haggard & drained out as if she was on withdrawal symptoms from drugs.

Overall, the plot is nothing great. But the entire movie was too graphic for me to bear. Especially when Megan Fox has her long black tresses covering her face & drenched in blood - sniggering slyly revealing her long, sharp fangs - ready to prowl on unsuspecting preys. And you see her going wild; seducing the guys with her uber sexy body & then tearing their flesh apart, then leave the body behind to rot. No doubt her bikini body is to die-for (both males & females), the story itself didn't do justice. In the end, the devil got out of hand & you see "Needy" taking revenge.

I'm not giving out more spoilers here but if you're into blood & gore, here's another movie for you. After all, it's the month of Halloween. Time to get spooky~

Getting married

It's been great pleasure to announce that my mum's sis (aka my aunt) is finally getting married. Or should I say, already married. =) The long wait is finally over.

My aunt & her future hubby had chosen to be wedded at the Buddhist temple at Brickfields for both the blessing & the marriage registration. It's like killing two birds in one. Hehe. It is indeed an eye-opening experience for me; seeing couples officially tying the knot upon the marriage certificate is signed & sealed.

Couples were blessed at the Buddhist temple with two monks chanting prayers for 5-10 mins. Meanwhile, family & friends are welcomed to join in the praying - in return giving donations in kind to support the welfare of the temple caretakers.

As soon as the prayers were completed, we ascended the stairs up to the registrar office. We sat at the waiting area quietly while waiting for our turn to be called in for the registration ceremony. There was a glass window at the judge's office facing the waiting area in which we could see through. It was definitely nerve-wrecking for both my aunt & her future hubby cuz they couldn't wait to settle everything once & for all.

Just to create a less tensed environment, I persuaded them to pose for the camera. =P

Few minutes later, it was our turn. Or should I say, my aunt & her life partner's turn to enter the office. The couple sits across the judge while witnesses from each side of the couple's family/friends sit opposite each other as shown below. As you can see, my mum was nominated as my aunt's sole witness.

As the judge read the oath, my aunt & her partner fidgeted anxiously on their seats - probably thinking of what to say or what to do when the moment arrives. Once the couple had declared "I do", they were told to exchange rings for one another. Next, they moved on to signing the marriage certificate followed by signatures from both parties' witnesses. Voila! They're pronounced a married couple~ Congratulations! The judge was courteous enough to take a few seconds posing for the camera with my aunt & her hubby. =)

Simple as it was, the entire process was quite an experience for me. It makes me wonder about the future when it'll be my turn to walk that aisle. Such a huge dutiful commitment...phew! Anyways, perhaps it's still to early to ponder over it & get myself worked up for nothing. When the time comes, I supposed I'll be more than ready. ;)

Candid shot after the ceremony

Exhausted & demotivated

I've been given a job promotion. But sadly, I'm not sure if it's a happy thing to shout about. Especially when things are in a total mess right now. I do enjoy a certain part of my new responsibility. However, I realised I became less efficient cuz I now have to deal with people who are exceptionally difficult to work with. On top of that, it's impossible to leave my old job behind.

*sighs* I'm so drained out & I need help. Hoping that things will become a little wee bit easier in months to come. Crossing my fingers now. I really don't know how long I can go on like this. How demotivating. =(

All Shiny White Date Day 14

D-day has finally arrived! Or should I say today is my big day. One final task to do & I'll be heading to paint the town red white. With my darling WL, of course.

Brush twice a day & I'm all set for tonight. =)

All Shiny White Date Day 13

Omg, it's the 13th day already. How time flies! Tomorrow will be the final day for my preparation. And I'll off to for my perfect white day. As usual, I wouldn't miss my daily regime of keeping my teeth sparklingly clean with a scent of fresh minty breath.

It's makeup time. With the right selection of colours, any ordinary girl can be transformed into a beautiful "princess". My task is to identify the type of look that I want to achieve for my date. Be it the sweet, innocent lady or a sexy siren.

Knowing that my facial features wouldn't be able to pull of a sexy, sultry image...I've decided to go for a sweet, innocent look to highlight my natural beauty. I feel that pastel colours would suit me more. Those dark colours would probably make me look like a drag queen =P

All Shiny White Date Day 12

Day 12!! Two more days to go. Can't wait~ XD

Let's brush, brush. Keep on brushing for that dazzling white teeth.

All Shiny White Date Day 11

Eleven days & counting...to my fabulous white date with my beloved. Can't wait! What better way to charm my date with a perfect white smile? With Darlie's All Shiny White toothpaste, of course.

A beautiful dress is incomplete without a perfect shoe to match. After much searching, I've decided to pick this shoe to complement my date. =)

It's the Cole Haan Ceci Air Rose Slingback with fabulous rosette details & designed with Nike Air technology for extra comfort. It sure is expensive but definitely super duper comfortable.

After all, who wants to go on a date & having to fake your smile while your ill-fated shoes are pinching hard on your feet? You can always flaunt your style without compromising comfort.

The last & final destination

I was in for a bloody, gory movie yesterday. Movies that I never thought that I would pay to watch in the cinema. I decided to give it a try since WL had shown much interest in this massive killing movie.

It didn't turn out to be scary like you would expect from horror movies. Of course, the movie was as disgusting as you can imagine it could be. I thought I'd nearly puked. You see human flesh get squashed & minced into pieces just like you insert meat into a food processor. Eww...

In general, I personally prefer the 3rd instalment of the movie. Not that I'm huge fan but this 4th movie is so ridiculously short - merely 1 hour 40 mins - that it's definitely a waste of every dollar we spent. The plot is predictable like all Final Destination movies but I remember the previous ones were much better, to be honest. Nevertheless, it was a good experience watching with WL cuz I was holding on to his arm tightly each horrific scene appears. XD Felt so good that he's around.

All Shiny White Date Day 10

Believe it or not, it's already 10 days that I've gone through the preparation for my white date. Four days left & I'll have a perfect white date with my dream guy.

But before that, I need to freshen up my breath & brighten my smile with Darlie's toothpaste, All Shiny White. Dazzlingly white~

All Shiny White Date Day 9

It's Day 9 already! Five more days to the white date with my perfect guy. I can never forget my daily regime - using Darlie's All Shiny White toothpaste for fresh minty that lasts almost the entire day.

Every inch of a female needs attention in order to look her best. The next important thing is the crowning glory - hair. Choosing the right style is essential in order to create a presentable & attractive image. The hairstyle & colour should at least reflect one's individuality & enhance her image by highlighting the good; hiding the flaws.

I'm not as fortunate as some ladies who are blessed with thick, dark beautiful hair that looks good no matter what kind of hairstyles they adopt. For me, I have to be very selective & so far...I looked the best in soft, luscious curls. Something like...

...this.

This.

Or this.

I bet my date couldn't lift his eyes off me after seing such gorgeous tresses. =) My perfect white date, here I come!