did u feel it too?

It happened around early midnite. Felt a slight movement from my desk in the office. Didn't think much of it until another colleague felt the same thing. Its like you were swaying ever so lightly. Few others around didn't feel it so we just thought it was some one off thingy. Soon after we got others walking in stating they felt as if the building was shaking. Then calls came in from friends around Malaysia. From Penang to Singapore and all around the Klang Valley. Everyone felt some sort of movement. Those on high rise buildings felt it more and even ran out of fear thinking the worst is about to happen. I then decided to check online for reports of anything close by. Checked CNN and Yahoo but didn't get anything. I then went into the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as I remembered you can verify if any quakes happened around the world. Spotted one in Indonesia which happened within an hour ago. Off the coast of Northern Sumatera, about 535km from Kuala Lumpur with a magnitude of 8.7. Flashbacks of what happened in Dec 26th ran through my mind. Hoped that nothing bad would come of it. Just checked on Yahoo and it seems Tsunami warnings have been sent out in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and the Andaman Islands. It is reported that there doesn't seem to be a threat of a Tsunami as it has already been 3 hours plus after the quake and none reported along Sumatera. I pray that this is true. Please god do not let this happen again. Be safe everyone and do take the time to pray for those that need it the most. Good night.

why you so like dat?

This is a song I heard long time ago and somehow I just recalled the chorus. Funny stuff I tell you especially if you are Malaysian or Singaporean as we relate to it more. It was sung by a group called Kopy Kat Klan from Singapore. Check it out.

I give you all my chocolate,
I give you my tic tac,
But when I wan a kit kat,
You never gimme back!

Oui, why u so like dat ah?
Hey why u so like dat?
Why u so like dat ah?
Hey why u so like dat?

I let you kopy all my sum,
Because you always blur,
But when I try to kopy back,
You always call the Sir!

Oui, why u so like dat ah?
Hey why u so like dat?
Why u so like dat ah?
Hey why u so like dat?

You tell me dat you don't like girl,
I also donno why,
But when you see a pretty girl,
Your voice go up damn high!

Oui, why u so like dat ah?
Hey why u so like dat?
Why u so like dat ah?
Hey why u so like dat!

slow slow day...

Sigh. It has been a very sloooow Monday. UK is having their bank holiday for Easter and due to that not many calls have come in. It has already been 8 hours and only 12 calls. Usually on a Monday we would be about 300 by now. I guess I shouldn't complain because it could have been a total opposite whereby we get 400 plus calls with have the team around. But the boredom is killing me! Can't do much because its the office. Can't just get up and leave because its a full working day for us. All we can do is watch the clock go by and pray for a call. Its funny because on normal days we wish for this but when it comes by, we wish for a normal day instead. Sigh. I guess I just gotta wait till the clock strikes 1am. Then its home sweet home for some good nappy time. *Yaaaaaaaaaaawn*

outsourcing...

I got this during Christmas and it cracked me up then and it still does. It got me thinking of how far the world of outsourcing has come. There isn't much that you can't outsource anymore. From brides to babies to shoes to even water. It is all about getting it cheaper or easier. I can't really complain much about outsourcing though as I am in that line and I should be greatful of this new industry. Without its expansion I don't think I would be where I am today and enjoying its benefits. At times I do understand where all the anti-outsoucing people come from. If I were in their shoes I would be just as pissed off about it as the next guy. Imagine losing your job of 10 years to someone in a foreign land just because they were a cheaper alternative. And on top of that you have 2 kids who are still schooling and a loving wife at home to feed. How are you to feel and cope? Yes business wise its the best thing to do but morally and emotionally it is far from it. Abandoning your employees when they most needed you without even flinching. These sort of things is what drives a person to go postal. Heck if it happened to me I'd most probably gun all those that were involved in the decision making or at least try to run em over. Maybe I'll plant a bomb in their cars and when they start the ignition. Kaboom! Hehe. Actually I won't as I'm not that insane or dumb or even have the balls to but the thought would definately cross me. Its not my fault either, blame Hollywood. Filling me with all these ideas. Back to outsourcing, how freaky would be to even outsource Santa. I mean imagine you sit on a chair in the mall and speak through a phone and some dude with a weird accent is asking you what you want for Christmas. 'Ello wat you want for Clistmas? Hep you been good boi? Thanking you. Please come again' Damn that can scare a kid up real good.

funky tests...

I was browsing about and stumbled upon Tickle. Its a site which has some pretty interesting tests on various subjects. Below are some of the results I got after taking them.

The Celebrity Matchmaker

Subendra, your match is Cameron Diaz!

There's just something about Cameron Diaz, isn't there? You sure think so, which is why this Charlie's Angel is your celebrity dream girl. The easy-going California native is prettier than any girl next door and still twice as nice. Her unpretentious, up-for-anything attitude has appealed to you ever since she chewed up the scenery with Jim Carrey in The Mask. She may be a former international supermodel, but you can just tell she'd be up for a beer and a burger — and she might even watch the game with you, too. What more could a guy want? Since you've always been a sucker for the spontaneous, easy-going "guy's girl," Cameron's fresh-faced looks, winning smile, and non-stop legs will make you feel like you've finally found "the one."


Are You A Sex God?

Hark - the oracle speaks! A bolt of lightning falls from the sky! SHAZAAM! As the smoke clears, the hidden deity in you emerges and is revealed to be: EROS, God of Love.
As a devotee of this long-neglected virtue, you are a committed romantic. You prefer to savor the joys of seduction before you step into the bedroom. This quality makes you incredibly attractive to women, who seem to melt in your presence. They sense your strong character and respect your ideals. They dream of stealing you away and making dreamy love to you all day long. Not to say you wouldn't be happy to oblige, but you want to make sure that there's some emotional or intellectual compatibility between you and your partner to carry the relationship along. By the time you are ready to show them your godly performance, they're hooked. You take sex seriously and show your lucky woman a passion that has only existed in her wildest dreams. You are probably an emotionally expressive and sensitive person whose pleasure comes from pleasing others. Your chivalrous ways have probably earned you a following of fans and a trail of satisfied mortals in your wake.

What Color Is Your Aura?

We don't need a psychic to tell us that you're giving off a Gold vibe. You couldn't ask for a better color — a glistening gold aura is as good as it gets. A lively blend of yellow and orange, gold people are happy, playful, energetic, sensitive, and generous. Always up for adventure, you'd give a friend in need the shirt off your back. You're spiritual, too — all those halos in old paintings aren't colored gold by coincidence. Almost childlike in the carefree, joyful way you live your life, you're popular and outgoing with your large circle of friends. Chances are you're so full of light and energy that you sometimes find it hard to sit still and chill out. Instead, you're constantly looking for excitement, no matter how risky or impulsive the occasion. Happy-go-lucky and always laughing, you truly are as good as gold.


The Multiple Intelligences Test

Six Kinds of Smart

Subendra, you're smartest when it comes to visual/spatial intelligence. Others may take their environments for granted but not you. Because of your visual/spatial intelligence you really see the world around you. This strength often helps you better appreciate the beauty and detail in everyday things. From shapes in nature to the structure of a fine automobile, a countless variety of things hold your interest. Having this particular kind of heightened awareness can allow you to form accurate mental images of existing places and objects. In extreme cases, one might call this strength a photographic memory. Being visually/spatially intelligent also means that you likely have a vivid imagination that can be put to use in a variety of creative or professional endeavors.

What Kind of Movie Are You?

Subendra, if you were a movie, you'd be a Groundbreaking Documentary

If you think documentaries are boring, think again. Like your movie match, you're an intelligent individual who makes people think. Documentaries span all sorts of topics, from the trivial to the profound. Perhaps your interests do the same, but one thing's clear — you're a smarty and you like to learn.We'd guess you're the person at the dinner table or the water cooler who stirs up lively debates about the latest news or tidbits from the Discovery Channel. Part of you probably gets a kick out of creating controversy and getting people fired up about their beliefs. Another part probably likes opening people's eyes and sharing your thoughts. And for that, you get two thumbs up for trying to get to the bottom of things and making waves!

screwed up start...

Arrgghh what a fucked up start to the week. Took my dad to the Casio service center and on the way one fucker in a white Nissan van side swipes me. Screwed up Betty's rims and scratched the left side fender slightly. Sigh I'm beginning to think the car is slightly cursed. I guess I should be happy its not something big and just a small fender bender but it still pisses me off. Hope nothing else happens for some time. Can't take this shit anymore. Poor Betty. Must be traumatised by all these incidents.

some interesting quotes...

The minute you start talking about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost.
~ George Shultz

Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.
~ Tupac Shakur

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
~ Oscar Wilde

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.
~ Bertrand Russell

I don't get high, but sometimes I wish I did. That way, when I messed up in life I would have an excuse. But right now there's no rehab for stupidity.
~ Chris Rock

not bad after all...

The weekend is officially over. It turned out quite alright I must say, even though I missed out on watching F1 in Sepang itself. Had a good game of Futsal with some office mates on Saturday afternoon. The last time I played any sports was about a year back and boy was it tough catching up. Ran out of breath within 5 mins and playing 3 a side didn't help either. Plus the damn heat. This weekend's heat has been a killer even with some short showers it didn't help. After the tiring game of Futsal I headed to my high skool buddy's house warming in Cyberjaya. Had a nice time there mingling with his mates and drinking Tiger. The beer and food were free flowing and with great company, I don't really have to explain how good it was. After getting back from that I just knocked off. Woke up pretty early to get some chores done on Sunday. Got myself a new toy that was being promoted at 1 Utama's Jaya Jusco. It was pretty cheap so I couldn't help myself. Its called Race-Tin Gen-3 RC from Auldey. A China toy making company. Bought the car with whatever modifications they offered. Its not bad and goes pretty fast. Supposedly up to 15kph after modifications. Then I got back from the mall to catch the F1 on Astro. It was a pretty good race. Good to see Renault doing well plus Toyota. Narain performed well too, coming up closer to the top 10 in each race. Sadly Sauber Petronas didn't do that well. Hope both performs well in Bahrain though with fresh engines. Once F1 was done had a nice home cooked meal. Working UK hours in Malaysia stops me from eating home cooked during weekdays so come weekend I'm all for it. To cap the night off I had a can of Jolly Shandy and saw '28 Days Later' on the telly. Pretty good movie I must say. Interesting storyline and directing. Hope it never ever comes true unless of course I was the one stuck with a cute chick. Now I'm gonna switch on the AC and hit the sack. Please pray that I have a good week ahead. Toodles.

taxes...

Aiyo its that time of the year again. This time we have to do the assestments ourselves and as expected no proper direction was given. Just plonk it on us and figure it out. Unless of course you wanna pay someone else do your taxes or if you want to visit the tax office and struggle to understand what the hell the officers are saying. I'm sure they themselves are clueless of the new format. Yesterday, In-Tech advertised this website to help you on your taxes and I checked it out earlier. As expected it was a half assed job with errors and no direction whatsoever. Its like you already have this crappy form to fill, now you gotta struggle with a stupider website to help you with the crappy form! How does that work?! After browsing about I realised that website will most probably be a portal for them to fetch juicy data about tax payers and feed other companies so they can send their damn spam via email, snail mail and SMS. I won't be able to get my taxes done this year but at least I would get the latest Sharper Image catalog and be called up for some time sharing BS! =P

freaking a...

Arrrggghh. Why does this happen to me all the freaking time?! I was offered a free VIP ticket to our F1 Grand Prix this Saturday only to find out last minute its actually for Friday's event which is not even worth wasting my precious time, money and effort attending. Damn I was so happy to be able to attend and at no cost at all! Sigh. Now I have to resort to checking the race out on my telly. I'm sure I won't be the only one as the damn tickets are just too freaking expensive. Cheapest ticket around is RM100 and thats just at the hillstand under the freaking hot sun. I wonder how F1 races have become so expensive for spectators but somehow without fail they always sell out. Anyways no point in whining. All those that are able to go, enjoy yourselves. Hope Sauber Petronas does well this weekend and also Narain Karthikeyan.

back to work...

Yaaawn. What a day it has been? Had a couple of meetings which were pretty okie. Shitload of emails to respond to. Crap to update which is eating up my time. Reporting to do which is not fun. Getting a headache just looking at it. Sigh. Wish I was still on holiday even if it was just bumming at home. Hope tommorrow I'll be able to get back to the jist of things. Still in the laze about, just wanna sleep and eat mood. I even had moments when I was brain dead whereby everything seemed new to me. Luckily I snapped out of it and know what I'm doing now. Phew. Wouldn't want to be sounding like a fool to the bosses now do we. Now its time to head back home, have some roast pork and a can of Jolly Shandy before hitting the sack. Toodles folks!

24 Fun Things To Do In An Elevator...

1. Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: "Shut up, dammit, all of you just shut UP!"
2. Whistle the first seven notes of "It's a Small World" incessantly.
3. Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: "Got enough air in there?"
4. Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.
5. Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
6. When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
7. Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.
8. On the highest floor, hold the door open and demand that it stay open until you hear the penny you dropped down the shaft go "plink" at the bottom.
9. Stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while, and then announce: "I've got new socks on!"
10. When at least 8 people have boarded, moan from the back: "Oh, no, not now, damn motion sickness!"
11. Meow occasionally.
12. Holler "Chutes away!" whenever the elevator descends.
13. Walk on with a cooler that says "human head" on the side.
14. Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce "You're one of THEM!" and move to the far corner of the elevator.
15. Wear a puppet on your hand and talk to other passengers "through" it.
16. When the elevator is silent, look around and ask "is that your beeper?"
17. Say "Ding!" at each floor.
18. Say "I wonder what all these do" and push the red buttons.
19. Listen to the elevator walls with a stethoscope.
20. Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers that this is your "personal space."
21. Announce in a demonic voice: "I must find a more suitable host body."
22. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
23. Wear "X-Ray Specs" and leer suggestively at other passengers.
24. Stop at every floor, run off the elevator, then run back on.

coming to an end...

In about 2 hours or so my long break would come to an end. Tommorrow I would be back in office attending meetings, solving trivial issues, hearing gossips and what not. The usual mumbo jumbo of working life. Sigh. At least I had a very good 10 days. My taiwanese ex from came over to visit before returning home from US (after completing her studies). Took her to Gentings, Penang and Cameron Highlands. Spent some really good quality time together (if you catch my drift). Its great to go on holiday with someone you love. No matter how fucked up it can get it'll still turn out good at the end.

Now a brief review on the places I visited. Sadly I won't recommend Cameron Highlands to anyone. The damn development there has spoilt everything plus they are still at it. The weather ain't cooling anymore and its too damn commercial. I can't imagine anyone wanting to head up there nowadays. I remember it about 10 to 15 years ago. You can get mist/fog daily and the weather was something else. A winter of sorts for us Malaysians plus the vast natural environment. Now all you get are dirt, smoke and heavy machinery. I didn't wake up to birds singing but to the damn lorries and cranes starting up. At least Penang was alright. The beaches were simply beautiful and it was nice and quiet where we stayed. The food choices were good as well although somehow I think its rather overated. Everyone says its simply heavenly but most of the stuff I tried were not as great as what I can find here in PJ. I know Penangites would say you didn't go to the right place but I think that wouldn't have made a difference. I do agree though that its cheaper than other places. Finally Gentings, well what else can I say about this place. Its a Las Vegas wannabe on top of a hill. The only good thing is the weather up there. You can always count on it being cool and breezy. Hmmm I guess thats all folks. Gotta hit the sack now. Don't want to be all sleepy and grumpy in work now do we. Cheerio.

string of arseluck...

Sigh. Why is it everytime I go on a holiday that shit is bound to happen. I just got back from my long break and without fail some arseluck kicked in along the way. Three quarters of the way to Penang, Betty's extractor lost the connecting bolts and I was forced to drive her sounding like a motorboat all the way into the city looking for an exhaust shop. Praaaaaaaaaaat! Thankfully it was something small and happened near civilisation. If not I would be farting all the along the highway wasting petrol and going deaf. Then everything was fine until we were coming down Cameron Highlands. I was being nice by letting this Wira overtake me and I hit a protuding curb. Screwed the left driver side of Betty's rims. Now its all scratched up. After that, while heading back home, a truck's rethreads came off and was flung up by this car on the fast lane. I was about 2 cars behind him and the damn rethread landed smack bang in front of Betty. Couldn't avoid it and had to hit and run over it. Stopped not far from the incident and checked the damage out. Scarred my bumper slightly, smashed my license plate to smithereens and tore my foglights up. Sigh. Thankfully I'm back now and I hope no more shit is to happen. Still have 3 more days before I have to get back to work. Wish me luck.

by golly...

Chorus from a song I would like to share. Seem to suit me right now.

I can see clearly now,
The rain is gone,
I can see all
Obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds
That had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright,
Bright, sun-shiny day!

a long break...

Ahh finally I am taking a looong deserved break. Since I started in this company I haven't gone on any except single day stuff to finish off my leaves. Now at least I'm taking a planned vacation for 10 days. Whoopie! Gonna be visiting the beach and highlands. Get some cool water and cool air and a hellave lot of lovin'. I can already smell the salty air and feel the cool breeze. Hope they have some good cocktails to sip on and a beach chair ready for me to veggitate. Plus it better not freaking rain! I don't want to be stuck in my room all day or hiding in some building for cover. I think I better start packing. Hmm now where did I put my sun tan lotion?

long flights...

Would you be able to tolerate a flight for 20 odd hours? I used to resent the flights I had to take from Malaysia to US and back. A friend of mine is going through the same thing right now and I am sure shes going to resent it when she lands. Its just too freaking long and this is without counting in the stopovers or check ins or even immigration. The agony of lugging around everything and making sure your in the right lane. Not counting the millions others who are just like you or even more annoying. Twice on these flights I had to sit next to a huge person and boy was that fun. Not itself you gotta be in the plane for years but being cramped is another thing. The food isn't much to shout about either. The whole serving time is flipped. They give you food when yur used to sleeping and when yur wide awake they want you to sleep. Frozen food from the supermarket taste so much better and could they at least get some good wine or beers. Damn for the money we pay can't we at least get some decent drinks! At least that would relax us or something. How about the stewardesses or stewards? Couldn't they be any more polite. The first flight I took to the States via Northwest Airlines was the worst. They were only around to serve when its meal time. Never in between. They would actually dissappear for the other periods unless of course if you keep buzzing them and then they would show up with a chainsaw. To ask for some water is like an eternal sin. C'mon is your freaking job and not like we are asking you for a massage or something. Just some freaking water to clear my throat and replenish my fluids. If there was a water cooler nearby I wouldn't even bother you. But not all are bad, other flights that I have taken have been good. Just gotta avoid some airlines I guess. The couple of hundreds you save really do make a difference on these flights. Thank god I won't be taking another long flight anytime soon. Don't think I would be visiting US in the near future and everywhere else is much nearer. But then again, you never know do you. My company might just decide to send me there for some training. Sigh.

quotes...

Some interesting quotes to share. None of them mine of course.

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
~ Andy Warhol

Misfortune shows those who are not really friends.
~ Aristotle

Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
~ H.L. Mencken

Life is too important to take seriously.
~ Corky Siegel

We need men who can dream of things that never were.
~ John F. Kennedy