jolly christmas...

Its been awhile since I actually went somewhere for Christmas. Usually its just lazing about at home and watching TV. This year however we were invited for 2 open houses. Guess where? Malacca of course. Damn its practically our 2nd home now. LOL. Anyways it was a single day trip. Drive up, eat up and drive back. A simple plan.

About 4 of us headed out in the wee hours (if you count 10am wee) of the morning. Had some breakfast at Bangsar and we shot off. We managed to skip the jam by about 30 minutes or so and reached Malacca within 1.5 hours. Just in time for the 1st invitation which was Devan's crib. His mom prepared for us a scrumptious spread of wonderful curries (chicken and mutton) and briyani rice. Yummy. We also managed to indulge in a few pecs of JD with coke. Do note that this was forced upon us by the host. We were just obliging. Can't be rude now right? Especially being Christmas and all.

After the meal it was already close to 4pm. We proceeded straight to the 2nd destination (Maria's place) which was at the Portugese Settlement. I was excited as after all the trips to Malacca, I still have not stepped foot into the settlement. Somehow we never really had a reason to go in. As we drove in we saw all the interestingly decorated houses. They seem to take much more pride in the decorations. Reminded me of when I was in US. Where you could drive down almost every street and see the decorations up. Sadly it wasn't at nite so we couldn't see all the wonderful lights and colors. The roads were kinda tight though and our designated driver had trouble maneuvering the car around. We did however manage to find a spot to park and headed down to her house. We were greated again with food. Sigh. The torture. Don't these people understand that I need to lose weight! First it was the yummy sweets like jam tarts, portuguese sweet bread (very tasty stuff with a hint of cinnamon) and cookies. Then I was expecting tea as discussed but somehow a can of Tiger (beer) popped up. Once again I was forced our of obligation to drink it. HeHe. We were then invited to try our some food which were their specialty. Something I was dying to try as I have been told were spicy and heavenly. Yup you guessed it, Devil's Curry. As bonus we also got to try some mutton curry as well which was really good. Tasted very much like rendang and the meat was nice and tender. *Drool*. After that we had to head back to Devan's place and crash. Our tummies were too stuffed to even move properly.

Now let me rant about the Portugese Settlement for a bit. Please note this is my opinion ya, don't get your knickers in a knot or all hot and bothered about it. Just giving my honest opinion. Firstly I have to say that most women there are beautiful. No matter what the age. They have very nice features and a wonderful skin tone. Must be the mixture in their lineage. The men however have rough features and somehow don't seem compatible with the women (in terms of looks that is). Next is how outsiders aren't really welcomed. Now I don't blame them for this because I wouldn't like idiots driving around checking out my house during Christmas and causing a ruckus. I was even told by Maria that some tourists actually stopped by and asked if they could borrow their toilet. Jeezz. The cheek of some people. Anyways it did give us a scary feeling. I wouldn't be surprised if we accidently hit a car we would have been chopped up and served for dinner. LOL. I know I know I'm exaggerating but it sure felt like it. I think its most probably of the closeness of the community. I was told most there don't really leave the settlement much. I guess that is a good thing as the community is well guarded and it preserves their culture. Alright enuff ranting about the settlement. Back to the trip.

At Devan's place we were practically knocked out. Two of us were bumming watching the telly while 2 others fell asleep. By the time we were energetic enuff to do anything it was already 11pm. And as expected we were hungry again. We headed down to a nearby mamak and had our dinner. We were actually supposed to head to Umbai again but were too lazy to drive down (takes about 30 minutes or so). After dinner we were to drive back but Devan managed to convince us to head to Ringo. Our favourite hangout joint in Malacca, located along Jonker's Street. There we had about 3 buckets of beer. Chilled and enjoyed the music. If only there was a place like that in KL or PJ. Would have been a really nice place to hang with some mates. Around 2ish in the mornin' we decided to head back home. We said our goodbyes and shot off. The roads being clear we managed to reach home by around 330am. Damn were we tired. Knocked out till about noon the next day.

Overall it was a great way to spend Christmas. Hanging out with mates, eating wonderful food and having drinks. Now what more could I ask for. =)

king is back!

Woo Hoo. The Prosperity Burger is back. After a long hibernation McD has brought back the Prosperity Burger. Nice soft beef patty with black pepper sauce and onions. Just had one for lunch today. My all time favourite. Nothing so far can beat it. Thankfully the formula hasn't changed as well. The burger still taste the same since it was introduced except for maybe not being as spicy. Used to be much more peppery. Think some softies must have complained and they changed the formula. Anyways it still tastes great. Yummy!! Hopefully they don't bother to bring back the chicken version. Now that isn't much of a hoot. The meat is rather tough and the use of capsicums instead of onions isn't that great. Guess they brought it out for those that don't eat beef.

Damn thinking of the burger is making me hungry. I think I'll have one for lunch tommorrow. Can't resist the temptation. Plus it ain't gonna be around that long. Might as well gobble up while I can. LOL.

the movies...

Ahh after a handful of months I got to go for my movie binge again. Took Friday off to burn my annual leaves before the year end and booked 2 movies in GSC 1 Utama. First being King Kong at 1130am followed by Narnia at 330pm. King Kong is worth watching at the cinema (make sure its a THX Certified theater as well) but I'll advise to give Narnia a pass. Not worth the effort to get hold of a ticket as well as the packed theater with noisy kiddies. A DVD9 would do just fine. Anyways something striked me at the theater yesterday, its starting to smell like a freaking food joint. Damn GSC is now selling Fish N Chips, Fish Balls and god only knows what else as snacks. Jeeez. Last time it was only the smell of butter from the popcorn or boiled corn as well as an occasional McD burger/fries sneaked in. Now the cinema itself is providing all the stinky food. What a turnoff. All throughout the movie I could smell fries, tomato ketchup and god only knows what else. Sigh. Not to mention the occasional burps from satisfied tummies. Starting to really ruin the cinema experience. Wonder what they will introduce next. Nasi Lemak and Curry Mee maybe. Yuck. At least at GSC the seats are nicely spaced and spacious. So its comfortable throughout the movie.

Sitting through King Kong was one hellave experience. My bladder almost exploded. I'm one of those that can't miss a scene so going to toilet breaks is a big no no. Considering King Kong was 3 freaking hours long, you can imagine the torture. The last time I went through the same problem was when Titanic was released. Phew. I can still feel the pain. Ouch. To make things worse, GSC 1 Utama makes you take a big round before you can get back into the mall. So you can imagine the agony trying to locate a damn toilet! Next time I ain't drinking or getting a drink for any long movies. Its just not worth it.

*Yaawn* Think I better hit the sack now. Been up all day. G'night.

christmas fun...

Got this via email earlier...

what a scare...

The weirdest (and painful) thing happened to me yesterday. As I was getting ready for work, I wanted to place a pair of headphones into my cargo pant's pocket. Just when I bent slightly to put the earphones in, I felt a sharp sting at my back. I fell onto my bed cringing in pain. I laid there for about 15 minutes before I shouted for my mom for help. I could barely move let alone stand up. My mom kept bugging me to stand up and walk the pain out but I just couldn't bare it. I laid there in pain watching the time go by. Thinking that it would subside and I can head for work. Sadly that never happened. The pain lingered. My mom then gave me some painkillers and I waited for it to take effect. Nothing changed. By that time it was already too late to go to work so I decided to take the day off. I laid there not knowing what to do and also fearing that I might have slipped my disc. I remember an office mate who went through that and was on MC for 4 weeks!! Plus the amount of caution he has to take since then to avoid it happening again. I was really scared I tell ya.

At dinner time my mom made me a sandwich as I couldn't go downstairs for dinner. With the immense pain the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. I ate, took more painkillers and forced myself to sleep. Praying that it would be all okie in the morning. Sadly when I woke up the next day it wasn't any better. I could move a lil but couldn't stand or walk due to the pressure of my body on my bones causing it to hurt like hell. I forced myself up and using a walking stick headed to the nearest clinic to see whats up. Hoping it wasn't serious. I was refered then to Sunway Medical where the emergency ward took an x-ray and gave me a jab. The verdict? Thankfully it was just an acute back sprain. My bones are fine. No slip disc. What a relief I tell ya! It was one hellave scare. Since the jab the pain is subsiding. Doctor told me to rest a few days and it'll be fine. Gave me a whole lotta pain killers as well. Now at least I can walk and sit without much pain. There is still a slight nagging sting in the center of my spine (near the crack of my butt) but compared to what I was suffering before, I ain't complaining.

Sigh. Now I kinda know what getting old feels like. Especially when osteoporosis kicks in. I better take good care of my body. Now I'm worried of even playing futsal or ping pong. Don't wanna go through what I'm going through now. Worse still if my discs was what got screwed. *Touchwood*. Alrighty, I better go take some pain killers now and head to bed. Hopefully it'll be much better tommorrow morning. Wish me luck guys. Cheers.

damn i'm mexican?!

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

dear friend...*explicit*

Something funny I received a while back...

yokes...

Priorities

An elderly lady was standing at the railing of the cruise ship holding her
hat tight so that it would not blow away in the wind.
A gentleman approached her and said, "Pardon me, madam. I do not intend to
be forward but did you know that your dress is blowing up in this high
wind?"
"Yes, I know," said the lady. "I need both my hands to hold onto this
hat."
"But madam, you must know that you are not wearing any underwear and
everything is exposed!" said the gentleman in earnest.
The woman looked down, then back up at the man and replied, "Sir, anything
you see down there is 85 years old. I just bought this hat yesterday!

Q&A

Q: What is the similarity between men and rats??
A: Both keep searching for new holes.

Q: What is the closest thing similar to a woman's period??
A: Your salary, it comes once a month lasts about 5- days and if it doesn't come means you are in big trouble.

Q: What's the difference between biology and socilogy??
A: When the baby looks like his dad or mom, then it is biology. When the baby looks like the neighbor, then it is sociology.

Q: What's the height of recycling??
A: Sending a sanitary napkin for dry cleaning

Q: Doctor: You look so weak & exhausted. Are you having 3 meals a day
as I have advised?
A: Lady: Doctor, I thought you had said 3 males a day

christmas wish list...

Although I do not celebrate Christmas (except for eating the goodies), I thought why not have a wish list up. The best thing about Christmas has to be the swapping of presents. I mean, how can anyone dislike that. Except maybe if you have cheap relatives or friends. LOL.

Anyhoo, heres my wish list for this Christmas. In no particular order that is. Anyone willing to fulfill them can always comment below and sign up. =D

1. XBOX 360
2. Mediocre Audio Setup for my MyVi
3. Titan Suspension for my MyVi
4. Sony PSP
5. Bali Trip (minimum 3 nights)
6. Norwegian Hawaiian Cruise
7. Ipod
8. Leather Upholstery for my MyVi
9. A GirlFriend (seriously, any recommendations?)
10. Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory Tour (to satisfy my choco cravings)

Sigh. The list can go on and on. Better stop if not people would think I'm greedy. Hehe.

food fest!!

Waddup y'all?! Just got back from Malacca with some mates. Seven of us decided to drive up in 2 cars and rent a 2 bedroom apartment for the night. From the time we arrived till we left, food was our only priority. One hellave pigout session I must add. Together we must have added about 10kilos. LOL. I think if not for having a bath, some sleep and the drinking session, we practically stuffed our faces the rest of the time. I won't be blogging on what we ate and where because its exactly same as before. No point in going somewhere new when the good shit have already been found.

This time around it wasn't as exciting as before. I think knowing what to expect spoils the fun of it. The first time we went we were new to all the foods so everything was a surprise and surpassed our hopes. Now that we knew what we were about to have, it kinds ruined it for us. We became bitchier actually. LOL. Being able to compare does have its ups and downs I guess.

Below are some pics of the trip. Time for me to hit the sack. Yaaaawn. It has been a looooooooong weekend. *Burp*


wheres the food????


cheers...nothing like a cold heiny...


cool kwai lo...sings in malay and mandarin as well...


nothing like yummy local ice cream to cap the trip...

food poisoning...

Arrggh what a screwed up day I had yesterday. Was practically bedridden the whole day. Must have ate something dirty/spoilt during supper the previous nite and that screwed my tummy up real good. Was purging and vomiting constantly. Had to even break my clean record and take an MC. Now I'm avoiding anything oily or milky. Don't even have the appetite actually. Hope my tummy gets back to normal soon since I'll be heading down to Malacca this weekend. Don't want to be missing out on all the goodies there. Guess I'll stick to drinking soup till then. Sigh.

power of technology...

I found something very interesting today. At around 7ish pm I received an SMS from a friend stating that her friend's 6 year old daughter was kidnapped today along with their car, which is a new Perodua MyVi, at a petrol station in Puchong. Without hesitation I forwarded this SMS to my mates as well as people in the office. I went online during that moment and noticed that there were multiple postings of this case in various forums. I also got word that some of my mates received this news via chat tools like MSN/Yahoo Messenger and ICQ. About an hour or so later an update was posted in most of the forums stating that thankfully the daughter was found by a taxi driver. The story was that they left the car (running I think) in the petrol station (to pay or get something I'm presuming) with their daughter inside. Two guys got in the car and shot off. They immediately spread the news to their friends who in turn spread it about. About an hour or so later the lil' girl was found by a taxi driver along a road somewhere. Thankfully as the girl's safety is all that we were worried about. The car can always be replaced.

Now the interesting thing is, I do not know this family and neither does my friend who sent the SMS to me or received them from others. But the way how information travelled to tonnes of people who were total strangers to the people affected. I even heard that a radio station publicised this during the ordeal (although stating that they cannot verify if it was true). The marvels of technology helped spread the news and keep people in the lookout. I am sure without mobile phones and the internet, it wouldn't have been so quick and god knows how the ending would have been.

This also reminds me of an incident whereby a car got stolen in Shah Alam and within minutes it was posted online to spread the word. After about a handful of hours, the car was spotted in Johor (which is about 400km or so away from where the car was) at some workshop. Within a few hours from getting that info, the car was recovered by the owner (and his mates of course) in one piece. Imagine how fast that took. No cop in Malaysia could do that I tell ya. At least not without bribing or getting some big shot to pull some strings. And all that would take at least a day or 2. This was done within half a day.

Its amazing. The power of Information Technology. Although in some cases its a pain with people suffering from defamation/slandering to black mail. But majority of the times its the best source to spread information without all the damn red tape and hurdles. Especially in the latest incident where a child's life was at risk. Thank god she was found so fast and unharmed. Can't imagine the trauma the parents and the the lil' girl faced. At least they are reunited now. Hope they manage to find the car and catch the 2 arseholes who did it. Sadly I doubt it with the state our cops are in. Sigh. Its getting really scary nowadays. Too many shit happening with no sense of security at all. We are becoming very close to a lawless nation. Well at least I feel that way.

Anyhoo, I better get back to work. G'nite folks and be careful. You never know when you would be targetted.

cheapskates...

Why oh why are Malaysians such cheapskates?? I mean I'm sure its not just in Malaysia but I've been to a handful of countries and still feel we have about the cheapest people you can find (besides Singapore that is *wink*). People here don't seem to pass up anything that is free. Even if they don't freaking need it. I see this happening almost daily. In the supermarkets you see people actually lining up for free samples. Some to the extent of cutting line, pushing or using their children to grab more. I mean come on la people. Are we that poor a country or is there a famine going on which I wasn't aware about? This is not Somalia or North Korea. They have a justified reason.

Then we have the monkeys who haunt Open Houses during the festive season. These people have made it an art form I tell ya. Some even have the gall to bring their own tupperwares and what not to tah pao (doggie bag) as well as their maids to do the dirty/humiliating work. Imagine that these monkeys we are talking about are actually educated (to a certain extent that is), have a good paying job and most probably with multiple cars, a maid (or two) and a huge bungalow (not counting the 2 condos that they are renting out as well as their holiday home in Langkawi or Port Dickson). Yet they don't mind braving the traffic and cramped up with 100s of other cheapskates just to get some food which is most probably better at our neighbourhood mamaks/stalls. Its most probably cheaper as well to buy the food considering the petrol and time wasted at these open houses. If it was up to me, I rather they spend the money on these lavish open houses to feed the really poor and malnurished people of the world.

One thing for sure is how THICK these freeloaders must be. No sign of shyness or embarassment. Some are even proud of their takings. Jeeez. I mean I know getting something free is always good, but only take it when you need it. Not take it for the sake of it because at the end of the day its gonna be tossed in the garbage. Oh well, sorry for just rambling on. Just wanted to let it out as I've seen it happen recently and felt rather disgusted by it.

*Yaaawn* I think I'll hit the sack now. Its rather late and I'm starting to see stars. Toodles folks!

slurpeeeeeeeee...

Damn today I felt like an addict. I had this huge craving for Slurpee and I couldn't lay still until I actually got it. Practically had to drive to about 3 7/11s @ 11pm before I managed to get my hands on one and boy was it worth the effort. Got myself the green colored one like in the picture attached. Think the flavour is Tutti Frutti. Yummylicious. Now my tongue is all green and I'm still recovering from massive brain freeze. Its been donkeys years since Slurpee was out and it still is an all time favourite. I actually stopped having them for years but all of a sudden I have these cravings. I'm still in search of the blue variety, think its called Moutain Breeze or something along those lines. Can't seem to find that flavour anywhere. It was the first flavour released in Malaysia when Slurpee was introduced by 7/11 (or at least it was the first flavour I had). Instead nowadays they have all sorts of weird flavours. The worst so far was Asam Boy (tamarind) which miraculously dissappeared after about 2 weeks on the market. I wonder what other flavours they would come out with. Durian? Mangosteen? Oh well, as long as they have Tutti Frutti on the market I'll be fine.

By the way, if anyone does find the blue colored Slurpee, please do inform me. Cheers...

identity card...

Finally after 2 weeks since my wallet got stolen I managed to get my temporary identity card (IC). The whole freaking process took 4 hours! We reached Putrajaya around 1030am, got my number and by the time my number was called it was around 1230pm. Then after taking the pic I was done around 1pm but I had to get my temporary IC notorized. Just as expected my arse luck kicked in, damn department that notorizes are closed for lunch from 1pm to 2pm. So I had to waste my time hanging about at the cafeteria till they opened again. Can you imagine it took them about 30 minutes just to notorize my freaking temp IC. Jeeeez. Talk about speedy service. Wasted the whole day at the JPN office. Sigh. At least I got it done I guess. Supposedly Putrajaya is supposed to be the fastest way to get your IC but not anymore. I think people found out and now the place is packed just like the PJ or KL branches.

Luckily I had my mate with me to pass the time. Even he was shocked at the queue because previously when he brought other people there, things were done within 30 minutes or so, 1 hour the most. Hmmm maybe it was just my arse luck. During the whole 4 hours, we were the only ones fooling about. The rest were all so glum and pissed. I mean I know its long and tiring but at least make the best of it la. We had tonnes of weird stares and I'm sure some nasty comments but screw it. I would say it was an eventful day because at the end I still got my temporary IC and soon (well within 2 months or so i think) my official MyKad.

I am however still dissappointed on how slow it is to just make an identity card. Things like these should be done with ease. How can they expect people to spend a whole freaking day just to get their ICs done?! In the US when I had to get my State ID or Driving License, the max it took was about 20 minutes. I understand an hour but 4 freaking hours is too much especially with this day and age of information technology. Sigh. I wonder when things would catch up or at least the services would improve. Soon I have to go to JPJ and get my driving license. I hope that journey isn't gonna require a whole day. I'm running out of leaves to take!! =(

its been 2 years...

Wow time sure flies. Two years ago this day was when I joined my present company. Lots of changes have gone by and I'm still here under the same roof. Made many friends (some of whom have left) as well as a few enemies (can't really avoid them can i?). I am greatful to have gotten a job in this company as well as the progress I have made. I can't really complain much. People who know my history in this company would slap me even if I did. Lets just say I got on the right train and still haven't gotten off. Its interesting to see how things can change within 2 years but even better still is when some things NEVER change at all. Like how one of my mates put it, same shit different toilet. I know I know its a disgusting corelation but its spot on I tell ya.

I've learned alot of things in these past 2 years. Gained hellave alot from my colleagues, managers, customers and even the mamak stall people outside or the numerous places we go for our lunch and dinner. Mostly useful stuff but an occasional crap here and there. After all we tend to learn better from fuck ups right, whether it be ours or others. The thing that I find interesting is that even though I should be happy with what I have achieved so far, from time to time I'm not. Maybe its because I'm bored of what I do or maybe because there isn't any challenge anymore. It could just be time to move on to a different role with different hurdles. Then again there are times I don't want anything to change and get pissed when they do. Sigh. Will there ever be a balance? Or a sense of satisfaction? I guess not since that would make life rather dull.

Anyways I didn't mean to purge, just wanted to mention that its my 2nd year not only in this company but under the same project. To all that are in the same boat, Happy Anniversary and looking forward to more years to come. =)

whoopie a badge!

Did you guys catch the papers the other day? About our great police force and their campaign to stop bribery/graft. I must say the commitee that came up with it must be some exceptional people. I wonder how many curry puffs, kuih lapis and mee goreng were consumed to come down to this remarkable solution. What the fuck were they thinking?! OMG. Wear a freaking badge as a cure against bribery?! Wow I'm sure this is gonna be one hellave campaign. Its worse than our Tak Nak campaign. And we all remember how successful that was. I see more smokers now than before! I guess those screwed up ads on the telly, papers and billboards were too much to handle. Got people all stressed out and shit and you know what happens when people get stressed out right. Light up a stupid ciggy and puff their life away.

So I guess these badges must have some secret powers. Whenever a cop accepts a bribe, do they shit in their pants? Or better still, maybe they turn inside out? Now that would be something worth seeing. C'mon la people. Wearing a fucking badge is not gonna stop bribery. Its not even going to make a dent into the whole issue. Its just a BADGE!! The cops wear a police badge don't they? Do you see them upholding the peace and safety? I've had friends who came from abroad and never saw a cop for their whole stay here. And I'm talking about a weeks stay or more. That itself is a testament of how screwed up things are here. All of them are too busy wolfing down curry puffs and drinking tea in their nice air conditioned rooms.

There is a much bigger issue here than bribery and wearing a damn badge. We should start with some control and ultimatums. If the cops actually DO THEIR WORK, I am sure we won't have to worry about bribery/graft. Its sad that I do not feel safe in my country anymore. At certain times we can actually be compared to countries like Somalia and Indonesia where crime is rampant. You can get robbed right outside your front door or have thieves have the cheek to lock you in your own house while they strip your car apart. Sigh.

If badges really did work, we would have stopped the spread of AIDS, eradicate drugs and last but not least, actually have world peace...

welcome back red devils...

Woo Hoo. Manchester United just whipped Chelsea in the butt. It was a terrific game and Chelsea could have come even or actually win it during the 2nd half but good ole Man Utd persevered. There were some great chances missed by the Devils as well but I ain't complaining since they got a win. Finally after a handful of miserable games. Maybe Roy Keane's nasty yet truthful comments did help. Gave the team a slap in the face and wake their asses up. Now at least they've proven that Chelsea IS BEATABLE! Hope they keep this up. We can't afford losing anymore especially during the Champions League. Can't be going home this season empty handed now. Its just not right.

Good going Red Devils!! Now I can have a good sleep. G'nite y'all.

bandito pockett SUX...

What utter crap!! I just managed to get my hands on a KFC Bandito Pockett. KFC's answer to McD's Foldover (which is simply superb I must add). Sadly KFC fucked up yet again. Whomever that came up with the concept screwed up just like the KFC Curry Crunch. The pineapple salsa thingy is just not working folks. The Bandito Pockett is a hot & spicy 100 percent chicken fillet topped with pineapple salsa sauce, lettuce and mayonnaise, and specially wrapped in a tortilla flatbread into a handy little pocket. Now the idea sounds great, but don't be fooled. The pineapple salsa has this weird sweet taste which doesn't jive with the whole meal. I think I'll stick to the Foldover which never seem to fail except that now they are charging an extra 50 cents for more sauce. Damn these thieves. Daylight robbery I tell ya. Not like they pour a whole bucked of sauce or something for you. Just a lil dab extra and they want more money!

Anyhoo I just wanted to bitch about KFC's new product. Yet another screw up by them. I think they need to revamp their whole R&D team. Hire some people who actually know about food for once. Its been a long while since they came up with something new and original which actually sells. If I'm not mistaken it was the Zinger burger. Oh well, good luck KFC and to the rest of you, STAY AWAY FROM THE BANDITO POCKETT!!

You've been warned. Toodles.

diwali...

To all Hindus,

Happy Deepavali!!

May the Festival of Lights bring

Happiness your Way...