Shashinki.com - Malaysia's Online Camera Shop!

ShaShinKi.com - Malaysia's Online Camera Shop!

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Merry Christmas!

Thank goodness Christmas isn't just on one day. I still have time to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Since I'm here, Happy New Year 2007, too!

I must apologize for my lack of updates. I have to beta-test another blog provider and it can be tedious when one doesn't have anything interesting to write about.

No thanks to my extended trip to KL, I was behind in my posting, as well as behind in my depositing my check. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to try harder.

Not much rain here, as opposed to the southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia. It is rather weird to be reading about floods and there is no mention of Terengganu.

Nothing new on the job front. Still jobless.

That's it for now. Bye!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Psst!

Yes, yes...I am still alive. Been busy administrating at Challenge You as well as going out into the garden to take photos. Doesn't matter if it's raining, or hot, or teeming with ravenous mosquitoes.

So, is it just me or does this top view of a mushroom in the garden remind you of a certain body part owned by both men and women alike? Oh don't mind me. My mind works in mysterious ways. I used my sister's Nikon L4 (or was it L3? Well...the cheaper one) to take this shot.

In terms of Macro quality, I still prefer my Kodak EasyShare LS755. But I really envy the fact that the Nikon has that Panoramic function and is also able to detect faces for portrait shots! Eeee....never mind, I must endeavour to seek that vivid yellow object to snap and enter that NGC Asia/Nikon Photography contest! I'm not going to share the link. The hint is already there. *eg*

In other news, I was also busy with butterfly chrysalides the past month. I discovered the caterpillars in the lime bush during their various instars and realized how dangerous it can be for them, despite looking like bird crap and having malodorous liquid emanating from their osmeteriums. Once, there were 17 caterpillars...and that dwindled to ONE in a span of four days! Eaten by birds and killed by Kerengga ants...what a way to go.

I did manage to save three that had begun pupating. Alas, only the first one that I had taken succeeded in becoming a beautiful butterfly.



Beginning to pupate >> A few hours before emerging >> Beautiful Butterfly!!

I am still so proud that I managed it! The good part about it was that I didn't have to feed it, or clean after it...just occasional sprinkles of water (which made it twitch). The butterfly crawled onto my hand on its way out of the container and it did not feel at all delicate. It had started moving about around 4:35am. I awoke sometime after 6am and there was a horizontal tear along the side. I thought I would aid in its exit by sprinkling water and then it stopped moving. I thought I had drowned it! XD Well, I was too sleepy to care by then, so I went to sleep. Without the aid of an alarm clock, I woke up again at 7:20am. The butterfly had emerged! I feared that if it remained in that juice container, its wings wouldn't fully extend, so I hurriedly took it back to the lime plant.

It spent a few hours sunning itself on that branch, and soon the clouds covered the sun. It flew away before the first drops of rain fell.

And that will be all for now. Take care, all!

Sunday, September 24, 2006

And the unofficial results are...

With just ninety vacancies and 1318 shortlisted applicants, it was to be expected that I didn't get the job. I'm fine with it, it's my parents who are driving me batty. I know they want and are hoping for the best for me, but it's not doing me any good to be sighing and saying, "You didn't get the job, tsk..." Hello? I was the one who checked. I KNOW I didn't get the job, no need to remind me.

I have this belief that in the long run, everything that happens will eventually be to my benefit/happiness. May not seem like that now, but who knows? Maybe I'll win the lottery some time in the future - because I didn't get the job. Hehe, wishful thinking. It's the only thing keeping me sane. =)

I'm not the kind of person to wallow in self-pity. I like to stay calm and mellow (and other people would think that I don't have a care in the world and I should be trying harder to get a job). I've been through enough disappointments to know that it'll all work out in the end. Of course, the ultimate end always ends in death, doesn't it? And by then, who needs to worry?

End of very short rant. Have a backup plan B and C. Hopefully, I'll go with plan B (take Unemployed Graduates' Training Scheme course) and not plan C (apply for that HSBC Global something-or-other where you try sounding like you're British or American and receiving calls from those areas).

Hmm, wonder when my ASW2020 dividend is going to arrive.

That's it from me. Take care, dear reader.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

And the result of the interview is...

*drumroll* ... postponed til next week! And if I hadn't asked an ex-coursemate (who had also applied for the job), I would have been checking every day at every hour until my eyes popped out. It pays to scan through the 12,000+ names that were on the list of those shortlisted for the interview (not just for the job I applied for). I know that at least four of my ex-coursemates also applied for the same job.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Still alive

Yes, I am! I've just been busy helping out as admin in a Flickr Group called 'Challenge You'. It's fun. I'll only use my photos when a challenge is close to expiring or I just want a challenge to begin. *grin* Anyways, I wanted to recap something that happened months ago.

Just before going to that Habib Jewels store for the prize-giving ceremony, I spent time at another jewellery store at Ampang Point. Hmmm, I can't quite remember what it was called. Was it Lazio? Whatever...I went there to waste some time and this young salesman attended to me. I did explain to him that I was just browsing because I was going off to Habib Jewels later. So I looked at all the chains, pendants, rings, earrings...and then I came to a display that had cartoon characters, such as Sylvester the Cat, Hello Kitty, etc. "We also have Twisties!" said the enthusiastic salesman. I thought, "Eh? Twisties? Isn't that the snack?" I saw what he meant. But I'll only reveal to you what he was referring to after I tell you that I went to the Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow 2006.

As my aunt decided to wait outside, my uncle and I rushed through the exhibits. But not such in a rush that I spotted 'Twisties'. Hehehe...


End of my mini post. At least it's something, yeah? Oh, and I won't know the results of my interview until Sept 19th. *fingers crossed* Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 07, 2006

Time Waits For No Man

And it's not waiting for me either. In 13 hours, I will be up to have breakfast and prepare for the inevitable. My interview with the Malaysia Public Services Commission. In Malay, that would be the Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia (SPAM) - but it's commonly known as SPA.

After days of memorizing names of ministers (please don't ask me which Ministry Datuk Dr. Peter Chin Fah Kui is from!) and thinking, maybe they won't ask me this...maybe I should read something else, the time has come. I don't remember more than half the things I learnt in uni and right now, I don't really care. I either get it or I don't. If I don't get it, I'll take that Graduate's Training Course (Web Publishing and Web Application Development) for 5.5 months at Cosmopoint Kuala Terengganu and I'll be guaranteed a job after that. If I do get the job, well...I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. besides, I have my parents to worry about that. *g*

Ugh, I'll have to be aware of what's in the papers tomorrow. Keep abreast with developments. Guess they won't ask me about the Terengganu lad from Marang who won 'Akademi Fantasia' last Saturday. Would they ask about the Prime Minister's son-in-law, Khairy and his problems in his party? Did he really take Maya Karin as his second wife? What about Siti Norhaliza and her impending wedding on the 21st to Datuk K (Datuk Khaled Mohamed Jiwa)? What about the Middle-east conflict? What about Tiger Woods' victory? What about Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic rant?

If and when I survive my ordeal tomorrow, I might spill the beans about it in a post. I have read that some people have been attending SPA interviews more than 4 times (interviews are conducted once a year, I think) and they keep trying each year. Maybe I'll just attend this one to see what it's all like and be prepared for the next one if I am so inclined to subject myself to the same experience.

Went to my uni yesterday and got my graduation gown. Purple with a silver stripe. Not going for those overpriced 'studio' packages with the frame and waxed over details. I'm going to go crazy with my digital camera. I have blue walls, purple walls, white walls, and a shelf of Encyclopedia Britannica to choose from. I just hope I don't stumble on my way to the Chancellor to get that scroll. That would be something interesting to frame. So, on the 11th is the rehearsal and briefing, and the 12th is my graduation proper. Apparently, I'll be the only one in the family with the mortarboard photo.

Below is a pic of a lizard that roams our garden. Go to a pet shop in KL and this would probably cost a few hundred ringgit, and you'd have to purchase a cage, food, appropriate foliage to boot. This lizard comes free and it can take care of itself. Who could ask for a better arrangement?


Here be dragons!
Here Be Dragons!
Take care all! Have a good week ahead! Wish me luck and think good thoughts for me (because I really am a nice person!). ;)

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Sorry...

...for the lack of updates. I got a little lazy and the heat wasn't helping matters either. And if it wasn't hot, then there'd be thunderstorms.

Two Saturdays ago, I received a call for interview letter from the Public Services Commision (Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam). I had applied online at their site (www.spa.gov.my) in April and after the Deputy Prime Minister's call to have the government departments update their vacancies and offer jobs to 30,000 jobless graduates, received word from them. My interview will be on the 08th of August (08/08) and I have to be there by 8am. 08/08 @ 0800. That's got to be auspicious. But I'm not keeping my hopes up. I have googled for information and the details scare me to death. Why do the interviewers want to see me under pressure? I can tell them I don't handle pressure well without them resorting to bombarding me with questions about the Constitution and the Government. Eek!

And here's another scary fact.
Number of applicants:
10,748
Passed initial screening:
1,318
Number of vacancies:
90 (yes, NINETY!)

Oh dear me! It's bad enough it's at 8am. My brain doesn't fully wake up until well after noon. And after lunch, it goes back into a dreamy state. *yawn*

Maybe if I assume that I don't get the job, my confidence levels will soar. Must think: I arrived without a job, I'll leave without a job...so, what have I got to lose? Hehehe...yeah, crazy logic. What's the post I applied for? They gave 10 choices, but all that was completely relevant to my degree was Information Systems Officer (Pegawai Sistem Maklumat). Let's see if I remember the job description (translated from Malay): Responsible for ascertaining the suitability of the existing computer system(s) and further developing, analyzing, designing, installing/executing, maintaining and reevaluating the data and information processing system to meet with the Dept's needs.

Some people commented about their interview experiences in forums and some said that they were NOT asked questions pertaining to their job. Some were.

I don't know if I should be the first to go into the interview room or wait til the end, when the interviewers are anxious to get home (and not so eager to pressure the candidate). But the thought of spending all morning there and seeing the other candidates end their suffering after 30 minutes...that might just do me in. And by the time it's my turn, I'll be a blubbering idiot. best to go in there unprepared. "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." I think it was Jonathan Swift who said something along those lines.

Okay, other than the fact that there's a pension plan after the age of 55, what are the benefits of working with the (Malaysian) government? Dad mentioned healthcare and subsidized housing.

I received the two albums I won during the Hitz.tv Album of The Week contest yesterday. Shakira's Oral Fixation Vol 2 and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Stadium Arcadium. The packaging for the RHCP album is first class! One side for Jupiter, another for Mars (it's a two-disc set) and the folded end is where the booklet goes. I guess I have to listen to the albums costantly before I like anything other than Dani California and Hips Don't Lie. Nothing beats Imogen Heap's Speak For Yourself album though. All her tracks are great!

Today, I got Simon's present. Two days before my birthday. He toyed with my mind, saying it was another one of his battery operated gifts. The two previous gifts are known as Sparky and Horace. Sparky is a flipping dog that barks. Horace is a hamster in a ball. I suppose with my regular questions about Cauli Cheese and Shepherd's Pie and other English dishes, he got the idea to get me the "Porters English Cookery Bible (Ancient and Modern)" by Richard, Earl of Bradford and Carol Wilson. Gee, nobody's ever bought ME a cookery book before. I usually buy them for my mother.

Okay, that's it for now. Take care all!

BTW, I WILL eventually continue about my trip details. But this time, I will just append to the previous post. If you subscribe, you'll find out when I have done so.


mailto:S.Landi@kent.ac.uk mailto:sl241@kent.ac.uk mailto:spartaco.landi.1972@gmail.com

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Automotive

The Volvo C70 at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) '06. Submission to the PhotoFriday Challenge.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Day 2: Prize-Giving Ceremony

I had set my phone alarm to 7am, but the voice and knock of my uncle on my cousin's door next to the room I slept in woke me up around 6:45am. I lazed in bed until the alarm was set off. The plan was for me to accompany my cousin to work, but I had to leave early because he had a meeting with a client around 9:30am. I was dressed by 8:30am.

I waited. My aunt stepped down from the stairs just before 9am. Offered to make me breakfast, and I accepted a cup of Milo. Not much of a breakfast person. Still no sign of my cousin by 9.10am. My aunt knocks on his door to wake him up. Cousin appears at 9:25am. He said the client called him and he rescheduled the meeting to 10am. He dropped me off at MidValley.

Let's see...where did I go first? When I got my bearings, I went right up to Pets Wonderland. I looked at the baby ferrets (imported from Holland) playing. I noted their big pile of poo in the corner of the cage (when they pick a corner, they REALLY pick a corner and stick to it). I saw the many Russian dwarf (little people?) hamsters squished beyond recognition (still alive, bless their little flexible bodies) in the gaps between enclosure and door. Sure, they look cute, but I couldn't get a hamster knowing that its ticker was set to stop after two years.

I went to the other side of the entrance, where the lizards were. There was a huge iguana, basking under the heat of the light. It was shedding its skin. And I noted how iguana poo looked. I can't recall now, though. Then, when the staff had opened the store, I went up to see the guinea pigs. The dogs were not in their cages at the time. I love looking at guinea pigs, admiring their various colours (white, red, black) and appearance. I saw hedgehogs too...and then I came to the Giant White Mice cage. In the corner closest to the front of the glass partition, I saw two pink, hairless baby mice suckling close to their mother. Then, as my eyes wandered deeper into the glass enclosure, I noticed a mouse's head. It was attached to a dried up body. Hairless. Don't think it was cannibalism, as the body was intact. No signs of blood around the body. I informed a female staff member and she went, "Oh!" and then disappeared. I didn't see her again and I wasn't going to wait. I only had about 30 mins remaining.

Next stop was Why Pay More? to check out on the shoes. The Reeboks in the style that I had bought in the past were all gone. More size selections this time though. But I wasn't planning on buying a pair of shoes, so I didn't.

I went to IT World to check on the Mouse prices (what I needed) and saw a Logitech mouse with cool tiger stripes. But I didn't get it because I knew I was headed for Ampang Point and wanted to compare prices first.

Then it was down to Watson's. Spotted a promotion where the St. Ives
® Medicated Apricot Scrub came along with a free St. Ives® Apricot Radiance™ Blemish-Fighting Cream Cleanser and it only cost RM18.90. The promoter was saying that the promotion had ended, but they were getting rid of their stock. I asked if there would be any in my town, and she said that she couldn't be sure. But the fact was, they wouldn't be offering this once stocks were sold out. I just had to get it. I've been using it for exactly two weeks now (wow, how quickly time flies!) and the effects have been good. I look better (no more dull skin) and my skin doesn't get dry nor oily. Just after paying for my purchase, my cousin calls and says that he'll be there in 5 mins. I hurry off to the entrance where he had dropped me off earlier.

*updated*

He was already parked out in the front and I didn't see him until a minute later (when he came out of the car). Took quite awhile to get to Ampang Point from there. It definitely was a long way away and I was glad that my cousin worked at Ampang Point (what were the chances it would be there?) and I didn't have to inconvenience anyone to get there.

My cousin parked his car in the underground parking and arranged for his car to be washed. By the time we were out of there, we decided to have an early lunch, as it was already past noon. I had a plate of Chicken Rice and I think that cost RM4.20 (no soup for that price!). They even charged RM0.30 for iced water! My cousin picked up the tab, eventhough I had wanted to pay for my lunch. Bless him.

I walked back with him to the shopping centre and loitered around, looking at pointing devices (mouses/mice). There weren't many computer stores there. Only two, if I recall correctly. I loitered some more, and then it was 2:20pm. I went off to the restroom to brush my teeth and look presentable. They only had two sinks there and I don't know what the other woman must have been thinking (toothbrush? toothpaste? homeless?). When I was done, I decided to walk to Habib Jewels at 2:30pm. I went through the side entrance and there were the usual glass displays and attentive sales personnel. I smiled at someone and mentioned that I was there for the prize presentation. She went off to ask someone else and that person told me that I could take the lift to the third floor. I did that and there was nobody there. Just chairs and the backdrop (just like the photo at the bottom - minus the people). I found an open door and walked through that. And saw a cleaning woman scrubbing a little fountain-pool thingy. Made small talk and then somebody approached me and said that they weren't ready and that the floor needed sweeping. Errr, okay. So off I went down to the ground floor and sat on a chair in the lobby area.

The security guard was yakking away with the receptionist. And the seconds ticked by slowly. Around 2:50pm, an elderly Indian woman, two women and two little boys came into the lobby. I wasnt planning on being perky, friendly, so I just looked out of the glass windows. And boy was I glad. I saw a smart fortwo driving past. The first time I saw it on the road. The elderly Indian woman asks me if I was there for the prize-giving ceremony and I replied in the affirmative. I said that I was a consolation prize winner and she replied that she was the first prize winner. I think I congratulated her.

Then a Chinese couple enters and the woman sits on the chair near me. I divulged that I was from KT and they were surprised that I would travel all the way just to accept the prize. I talked with the Chinese couple and the man replied that he was representing his brother (Teoh), who was in KT too. The brother had won the second prize. He asked me if I knew his brother, and I didn't recognize the name. And then..."You mean the man who always wins contests?" I asked. It was him indeed. The reason he didn't attend the ceremony was that he had just returned from Liverpool - the grand prize of a football-themed contest, and he wasn't up to travelling to KL. Had I known him, perhaps I could have been his representative too. And then absconded with the RM5,000 earring and pendant set. Naah, I'm just kidding. My conscience doesn't allow me to do that. Besides, they had photos of me at the ceremony, and all my details from the contest. I'd be a fool.



The boys were very boisterous. One had a Finding Nemo backpack, the other didn't. Together, they made a ruckus. Even during the event, one of them dropped their toy car loudly onto the wooden floor.



Before the event started, this was the scene. The photographer is the one on the far left, then the reporter and two Habib Jewels staff. My prize was in one of the smaller paperbags.

An Indian man (Kumar) arrived just before the event was to commence and he was the other consolation prize winner. There were supposed to be three consolation prize winners, but the doctor couldn't make it. The third prize winner was caught in traffic and only arrived while we were having refreshments.

Anyway, there was a little speech by the manager, and the PR woman. And then the winners went out to the front to receive their prizes. We had to read our winning slogans, and then we all posed for photographs. We were instructed to admire the first prize winner's bracelet, and to talk amongst ourselves. I think I remember saying, "Ooh, what a nice bracelet" twice. How idiotic.

We had refreshments and sat around tables that seated four. I sat with Kumar and the Teohs. We were talking about contests and it seemed that we were regular compers. Kumar said that he had won a prize a year or two earlier. And Mr Teoh said that his brother owned a club and had the opportunity to collect bottle caps for entries. He also knocked on his neighbours' doors to ask for entry forms in their copies of the newspaper. In fact, he was the only one who submitted EIGHT entries while the rest of us submitted only one each.

Just before leaving, I had mentioned that I was staying with my relatives in Puchong Jaya, and Mr Teoh said that they lived in the same area! I could get a lift back with them, they offered. Well, I tried to text my cousin, but there was no response, and I had to decline their offer. Small world indeed! I walked back to my cousin's shop and it was pretty busy.



My cousin's shop during a lull in business. He was busy preparing details of the Maxis roadshow. We finally got back around 6pm, I think. The night before, the plan was to catch a movie, 'The da Vinci Code', so after dinner, we went off to the IOI Mall. I watched the movie, but my relatives dozed off during several scenes. I felt bad about that, even more so when my uncle hadn't freshened up after arriving back from work.

*to be updated later*

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Two-petalled Crown of Thorns flower chosen

I hadn't checked my site stats in awhile and so when I noticed how many hits I had this week, I had to widen my eyes. A third photo was chosen at Interfacelift.com (June 6th). Nice to know that they do look through past submissions.

The reason I'm dragging my feet to update is because I have a lot to write about and the days are just too hot and humid. And if there's rain, there'll be thunder too (and I have to shutdown). I learnt yesterday, at the Frappr Sidekick Members chat page, that certain ISPs in the US replace fried modems (due to thunderstorms) free of charge! No fair.

I'll try to update later today. While I can still remember some details. Note to self: mention dead giant white mouse at Pets Wonderland.

Take care, all! By the way, I can't seem to chose font styles or see any of the usual functions on Blogger using Opera. Hmmm...

Monday, June 05, 2006

The Bus trip to KL

My bus ticket stated 11am, Tuesday morning. As usual, Dad drove me there by 10.20am. Before I could walk to the counter, Dad suggested I ask the bus driver. I handed him the ticket and he said it was the right bus. I was on seat 7C, and there was a girl sitting by the window on 7D. The bus was old and had tattered headrests. There were many empty seats, which were to be filled by passengers from the other towns along the route.

As the bus started on its journey, I started talking to the girl sitting next to me. She was on her way to KL for her uni project. She was studying in UM to be a town planner. Shazliana (I think that was her name) told me I could call her by her nickname, 'Baby' -- err, I don't think so. That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was hearing her say that she needed to talk to people on the bus or she would get motion sickness. I couldn't tell her that just by looking at her to speak, made me feel nauseous. So I tried looking out the window while speaking to her. It helped a little, but I prefer pretending to sleep.

Further along our conversation, I found out that I was on the 10:35am bus - I suppose they did that "Let's mock the time on the tickets" routine again. You'd think that would have made me arrive earlier to my destination. Alas! That was not to be. At the first rest stop (as usual, had sandwiches from home - I never buy any food from these stops), the bus took around 15 passengers from another Transnasional bus that had broken down nearby. I overheard the bus driver saying that he would drop them at the Kuantan bus terminal. Kuantan was out of the way and Shazliana started to fret that it would waste a lot of time. Kuantan was out of the way and was not part of the route. The bus arrived in Kuantan around 2pm. The stranded passengers had disembarked from the bus and were taking their things from the luggage compartment. Twenty minutes later, some of these passengers got on the bus again, bound for Kuala Lumpur! Why couldn't the few stranded passengers who were not headed for Kuala Lumpur be left at the rest stop for the next bus, while our bus continued our journey? Why couldn't Transnasional send in a replacement bus for the stranded passengers? Grrr!!

We made it to Kuala Lumpur in one piece by 6:40pm. My uncle was already waiting for me at the bus terminal, and I suggested that I buy my bus ticket back then and there after asking him when would be the most convenient time for him to send me to the terminal. He did want to think about it first, but I told him that it would be more convenient to buy it while I was at the terminal. We went to the counter and enquired about the tickets available for the 1st (as suggested by my father, a quick trip without hassling anyone for too long). The woman at the counter rattled off some times, starting with 9am. My uncle happily told her I would get on the 9am bus.

*** To Be Continued In Next Another Post ***

Was awakened at 8:30am

...by my mother who brought the newspaper in to show me the picture and accompanying article about the Habib Jewels contest results.

You may access the article here. Please be warned that I don't look that great in the photo, but I do look better than some people in there. *evil grin* I DO have a fringe, it's just not apparent in the pic. And I WAS wearing some make-up.

Sorry for the delay in updating. Was hounded by nephews all day, being pestered to let them use my laptop to play games.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

I'm back...

after an arduous nine-hour bus journey from KL. Apparently, the public holiday (the Agong's birthday) is the cue for everybody to drive to the hills and jam up the highways. One extra hour for my butt to go numb.

I don't think I'll condense the six days' worth of 'happenings' in one post. I'll start at the beginning (if I can remember the details). When I have been well-rested enough to post, without being pestered by nephews who want to use my laptop as an expensive tool to play online games. They already have their Gameboy Advance and Cartoon Network/Disney Channel/Nickelodeon to keep them company.

It's off to bed for me. Will update later. With photos. Oh, must transfer them first.

Friday, May 26, 2006

No more caterpillars! :(

It's been three days since I last saw any caterpillars on the lime leaves. I'm afraid that they (from the smallest of the small until the medium-sized green caterpillar) have all fallen victim to either birds, wasps/hornets or other caterpillar-eating/killing creatures.

Oh well. It's like revenge of the plants. The periwinkle would have been killed if the juicy caterpillars kept up their eating rampage. It's biological warfare (I mean, control) to the rescue! And here I thought I would finally witness a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. I suppose there will be plenty more caterpillars where they came from.

I wrote an e-mail to Habib Jewels and they replied today. They clarified that I won a pair of diamond earrings set in 18k white-gold. I am certainly happy, but I had visions of loose diamonds in a suitcase, or pouch (just like in the movies!). Well, sorry bro. I don't think I can chip away a little piece to replace your wayward ... chip of a diamond. *evil grin* You know I love ya, right? No, don't answer that! Hehehehe...

I might be in KL for a few days to attend the prize-giving ceremony. Not visiting anyone as the only destinations I'm concentrating on are my uncle's house, Ampang Point and the bus station. I may get an xD Picture card to replace the busted one I have now. :( The one major downside to winning the LS755 - freakingly expensive external memory. If I had a choice in it, I'd have opted for something that uses SD cards. *sigh* RM180 gone for a measley 128MB. Oh, and I also intend to buy myself a Samsung optical mouse, which I am told is around RM20. That's all I intend to get during my trip to KL. Nothing more, nothing less.

Still no news from those A4grabs people. I really hope I haven't been scammed. GRRR! I have half a mind to torch their business (after getting the hamper that I so rightly deserve, of course).

That's all from me. Take care, all!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

High on a Happy Vibe

I got a call at 1pm from the mystery shopping people. They need more people in KT who have internet access, proficient in English and have time to spare. I really couldn't give them any leads, as all the friends I know (...eh...DS!) are out of state. Have no colleagues either. If there's anybody in KT reading this who meets the above criteria, please leave a comment either in the tagboard (if it's working) or at the end of this post.

At 2pm, I got a call from a representative of Habib Jewels. She said I won a consolation prize in their contest! She told me the details of the prize-giving ceremony and that if I was unable to attend it, then I would have to appoint a representative.

Happy and all, but now I have a dilemma. Sis will be here and I won't have a place to stay. My best friend will be recovering from a long flight back from LA and I seriosuly do not want to impose on her and her family. I can't really appoint a representative because these are diamonds we're talking about.

Yesterday, my mum and I attended the official opening of her friend's bakery. We had samples of her buns and tarts. After an hour, we were approached by an employee of the pet shop where we had parked the car. (We had asked for permission first before parking in front of the pet shop). While waiting for the lorry/truck to move out of the way (our car was blocking their loading area), I poked my fingers into the bunny cage. They were panting in the heat of the afternoon sun. Their fur was soooo soft. Only RM15 for a cute bunny rabbit. *sigh*

It's time for American Idol. I'm off.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Hailstorm aftermath



I noticed the other day, as I looked up from under the Papaya tree, that the leaves bore proof of the hailstorm. So I snapped some. There was one leaf that was hanging for dear life.

Not much damage in our garden. I read that in some areas, houses collapsed and roofs were blown off.

The fat, green caterpillar on the soursop leaf is GONE! Where could it be? Why do I spot caterpillars one day before they go missing? Are the birds checking my blog to see where they are? *grin*

Can't think of anything else to write about. And some people have complained about the length of my entries. Yes, you, Beastie!! =Þ

That's all from me, take care all!

More caterpillars



One day after discovering those three fat caterpillars eating the periwinkle leaves, they disappeared. I'd like to think that they burrowed into the ground before becoming butterflies/moths, and were not bird/wasp food. I also couldn't find the two bigger-sized brown bird-poo-like caterpillars on the lime leaves. I think they got taken by the winged ones. Imagine, they're being eaten alive!

Anyways, after watching and clicking away at these two caterpillars, I focused on these small flowers in the grass, halfway between the lime plant and the chain-link fence. Suddenly...I heard a skritch skritch skritch sound. I turned to look at the soursop plant near the fence and spotted...



Another caterpillar! It was happily munching away at the fresh leaves. I watched it for a few seconds and then I did the inevitable. I blew at it. It raised its head menacingly (just look at those horns! Very Darth Maul-like, minus the red and black face paint and yellow eyes). I blew at it some more, and then...



BAM! Those things that stick out appeared from the front of its head. Not red like the other caterpillar's. (I blew at the young green caterpillar in the first pic above later in the afternoon and it finally stuck out its red thingies - antennas?? I think not!) Anyways, I bugged it a few times and it made a U-turn. Mum called out from the kitchen, saying that it was hot outside. Well, it WAS almost 1pm. As I left the soursop plant, I reminded myself to avoid brushing against leaves and plants in the garden. I don't want little green/brown visitors on any part of my person, and I do not want to get an itchy rash/reaction as a result of accidentally touching them. But on the whole, I am glad I spotted another type of caterpillar in the garden. This will be the third kind spotted in the garden in the past two weeks.

At around 3pm, Mum decided to clear some of the books from the book shelves to make room for more of my brother's books. Yes, Big Bro o' Mine...we don't have any more space. You and sis better be bringing some of your stuff back, now that you're married and live elsewhere. =Þ Had to sacrifice most of the National Geographic magazines (oh, those lovely pix!), as Dad didn't want to part with his Western books. There should be a rule...once you've married, you have to take your stuff with you. While setting aside the good books, Mum found a book on butterflies. It has information on keeping caterpillars too. Hmmm...too bad I can't just uproot the lime plant and place it in a cage. I had been thinking of cutting off part of the lime plant where the pupa will be, but I read in that book that one "has to be careful not to put green material in as this goes mouldy and could kill the pupae in the box." Hmmm, what to do? Dad had earlier laughed at me when he pointed out that I had missed seeing the first butterfly emerging from its chrysalis because that had happened so early in the morning. *pout*

I hope I don't get a reputation as The Caterpillar Lady of my neighbourhood. I never realized I was going to turn out this way. Oh right, it's a preventive measure against possible discovery by certain members of the family who have caterpillar phobias. *grin* Big, fat caterpillars...there should be at least one pic in every post.

There's this diamond contest and I don't know when the results will be out. I'm anxious to know the outcome. I'd like to think that I wrote a good enough slogan (I rhymed!!!). And I wasn't kidding when I told my brother that I would chip off a piece of the winnings and donate it to him since he dropped his ring and the 0.06carat diamond fell out of its base. *evil grin* Well, if I gave him a whole diamond, it wouldn't be fair to his wife, would it? *evil grin* I am so not winning this contest. I am too evil.

That's it from me then. Take care all! Oh yes, I'll leave with a nice flower pic...to show that I don't always take caterpillar pix.


Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Juicy



As I was walking out of the wet kitchen towards the lime bush after lunch, I noticed the tell-tale signs of another caterpillar - little round droppings. I looked closely at the periwinkle plant and true enough, there was one fat, juicy caterpillar. And then I noticed two more caterpillars munching away happily at the periwinkle leaves. Can you spot all three caterpillars in the first pic on the left? I thanked my lucky stars that I never brushed against the plant on the way to the lime plant. Ewww...

Second pic on the right shows a caterpillar in the process of discarding its waste. It's a lovely shade of green and resembles a six-petaled flower. I was at the right place at the right time to shoot such a shot. I had noticed another caterpillar pooping and looked at the one closest to me. As luck would have it, it had made a U-turn and was heading down the stem. I stared at its behind with eagle eyes. And suddenly, it's butt-lips parted and produced the poop in the pic. It can crawl and poop simultaneously! The ultimate in caterpillar coolness. (Yes, in a way I think that these caterpillar pix are my way of deterring my sister from checking this blog if she finds it *evil grin*)



Actually, the third pic on the left preceeded the poop pic. It had reached the end of the plant and was reaching out for the next non-existent br
anch to crawl on. After several seconds of stretching, it made a U-turn. I took a shot which ended up blurry (it was on the lower part of the branch and I couldn't get into position).

Fourth and final pic, I blew at caterpillar #2 and it curled its upper portion to reveal two false eyelets. I have to say that it looks kinda cute curled up like that. I can almost hear it say, "I'm shy!" I also bugged caterpillar #3 by using a dead leaf and poking its side. The immediate area I touched with the leaf flinched/winced, and so I poked it again, but in its lower regions. And that part flinched too. It seems that caterpillars are ticklish. Or maybe they hate being poked in the imaginary ribs (like I do when my real ones are poked).

Well, that's it for today. Maybe more caterpillar pix tomorrow! =)

Take care, all!

On the glass door of a bank

Went to three banks on Monday. The first was to accompany my bro. The second was to withdraw some money from the ATM, and the third was to bank in money into the A4Grabs account for the delivery charges.

There was limited seating at the third bank and my bro opted to stand. When there was less of a crowd and the seat next to me was free, my bro sat there. When Dad arrived after parking the car, my bro stood up to offer his seat, but Dad hesitated...and somebody else decided to sit there instead. Hehehe...he who hesitates misses out on a seat. On the door of this particular bank, are the words, "Authorized Personal Only". I was tempted to tell the teller about this, but when my number was called, some woman (her number was 1*27 while mine was 1*29) was standing in front of me. And the teller guy was all chatty with her *fume*. I figured that I'd let the mistake live on to entertain those who are more observant and aware.

Tuesday. The day was hot and humid...and then the skies turned dark and gray.

I was eagerly awaiting the rain. I could hear the thunder in the distance. Shot a pic of two magpie robins on the electric wires.

It started raining with a vengeance. Wind blowing like it was celebrating its 100th birthday (a lot of candles to blow out). Lightning flashed overhead, like the lightbulb in a photographer's studio. As the rain grew heavier, I decided to open the front door to admire the torrent or raindrops. And then SUDDENLY...

I noticed white bits bouncing off the paved driveway. IT WAS HAILING! In warm, sunny Kuala Terengganu! I couldn't believe my eyes! I started yelling out like I won the lottery, "HailSTONES! HailSTONES!" all the way to the kitchen, where everybody else was. It was around 5:10pm. We could see hail falling on the grass. And then my bro goes off to pick a few, getting hit in the process. It was ice, of course. But we held on to it like it was a remnant of the Gospel of Judas (yeah, yeah...buzzword of the century). *grin* The hailstones ranged in size from pebble-sized to the size of a five-sen coin (premie baby golf ball?). While all this thunder and lightning and hailing was going on, Mum gets this bright idea for me to call the Star (a local newspaper) office to report this weather anomaly. Errr, there's lightning flashing overhead, and I saw that episode of Mythbusters where they tried to recreate lightning to see what happens when you're on the phone and it strikes. Not a pretty sight, let me tell you. Think flames, think burning curtains, think a dead you with a smoldering ear next to the receiver.

And when the rain died down...

I went back to the garden to assess the situation. The bougainvillea bush had fallen over (I hope my cacti haven't been crushed), and a dead durian branch hung precariously on a lower branch. I just HAD to pull it off. Went to the back to check on the caterpillars. Only found two of them.



The bigger of the two seemed fine. The smaller caterpillar seemed like it wasn't having a good day. It was soaked and in a puddle. It must have caught a chill by now. Anyways, apparently the hailstorm was mentioned in the news tonight, but we missed it because we had to send my brother and sister-in-law to the bus station. There'd better be a mention in tomorrow's news.

My bro asked for the url of this blog and he's seen some of the entries. *g* Well, as long as my sister doesn't know about this blog, I should be fine *looks at bro* *grin*

That's all for now. Take care, all!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Happy Mother's Day!

My brother and sis-in-law arrived at 7am this morning from JB. I was asleep, but was semi-awakened around 8 when my bro came into my room to get something.

Hmm, I was 'busy' the past week. Had a quick meet up with Daftsavant at the Japanese cemetery (was told later that it was not a good idea to do that, hmmph). We felt more at ease communicating via YM. Can you imagine, we said, "I'll chat with you online later." after the usual awkward greetings and hurried home.

Then I was contacted via Skype by Andrew, a Malaysian studying in Singapore. He had bought tickets to Tanah Merah with a friend and decided to hunt down someone from KT to find information two days before his departure. The moral at the beginning of this story is, don't trust maps given out by KTMB. From that map, it appeared that Dabong and Kuala Krai in Kelantan was a short distance away from Kuala Terengganu. As the crow flies, perhaps. But if one to consult a road map, one could see that the only way to Kuala Terengganu would be via Kota Bharu. Andrew and Darren somehow walked to the cemetery just to see me (and give the two bottles of Florida's Natural) and even that was a comedy of errors, which I will not divulge. Let's just say that due to a communication breakdown between my mother and I, she went to get them from the cemetery, and I went to cycle (using a different route) to look for them. At 2-baking hot-p.m. Needless to say, I couldn't find them and decided to return home after 5 minutes of baking, as I had a feeling that mum had brought them home. I was right. And trust mum to not notice the bicycle gone.

When I entered the house, the first thing I said was, "If I get two shades darker, I blame you guys!" And that's when I noticed Andrew wearing a green sarong. He wasn't pulling my leg when he mentioned it over the phone after all. Sorry I couldn't join you guys for dinner, maybe next time. And maybe next time, you'll get bus tickets. Hehehehe.

The results are out at the A4grabs site. I won the Fasio hamper (worth RM500) and a haircut voucher (valid at some hairstylist's in KL). I haven't banked in the delivery charges yet.

I also won a baby-t and keychain in the Channel [V] The Ticket Failure To Launch contest. I usually don't hold much confidence in winning these e-mail contests because of the sheer volume of entries (I assume). I'm winning again. Yaay!

I am extremely hooked on Imogen Heap ever since I heard her on Pandora. If you went to her MySpace page, you can hear four of her songs. My favourite is 'Goodnight and Go'. It's very stalker-like.

Yesterday, I officially became one of three SuperMods (Super Moderator, not Super Model - unfortunately) at the Chip forum. I now have Supa Powers, which include banning people's behinds.

The days are just sweltering. I could just dig up a hole in the garden and make my own pool - if only digging didn't cause me to break into such a sweat. *g*

That's it from me for now. Take care, all!

Saturday, May 06, 2006

I survived!

I woke up at 6:01am, to the raspy singing of Bryan Adams. I set it that way. *yawn* By the time I was done with my daily routine in the loo, it was 6:10am. Heated up Mum's yam cake and tried to ignore the fact that I was using the 3-in-1 Ovaltine that had expired Nov 2005. My parents keep telling me that expiration dates aren't to be taken seriously. (If you suddenly see a news article about me donating my organs, you'll know what I ate as my last meal - something that had expired). Barely two mouthfuls of yam cake and a cautious sip of the Ovaltine, Mum was hovering at the kitchen door. "We're going at 6:30," she reminded me. I looked at the time. It was 6:20am.

Fine. I put the plate of yam cake back into the meatsafe, threw away the Ovaltine - found something grey floating in it and it DID taste a little off. *yawn* One good thing about having my laptop on my bed...I can have a nice 20sec lie-down on my feather pillows whenever I feel like it. *yawn* And by the time I was out of the door, it was 6:40am.
We used the shortcut, passing the hospital quarters and crowing roosters. I don't know why Mum didn't want to use the zebra crossing in front of the hospital, so we jaywalked to get to the beach. I opted to walk to the beach instead of the jogging track. I hoped to get a nice shot of the sunrise. Of course, with my luck, there will ALWAYS be a huge cloud in the way. It's ALWAYS like that! Grrr. *yawn* (these are real-time yawns). In the distance, I could see heavy rain (none of which arrived here). *yawn* Met a couple and made small talk in front of the A&W. Digi had something on and there were many little white- and yellow-roofed tents. Alas, the event was to begin at 10am. There was an inflatable climbing thingy (with ropes), and an inflatable jousting platform...it would have been fun, but the event ended at 1pm, so I couldn't go.

We walked around the jogging track that encircled the former MSAM2006 site, and then headed for the other jogging track. I said, "HUH? I thought we walked enough! We only start walking HERE?" Ugh...I am not a morning person, especially with two mouthfuls of yam cake and two small sips of poisoned Ovaltine.

So Mum banished me to one of the empty benches. I watched other people exercising. And then I looked up. No, I didn't see a UFO. I saw a cloud that looked like a face in profile. Bushy eyebrows, jutting nose, maybe a moustache, and a small chin. Maybe I just have an active imagination. =)

Speaking of UFOs, I was thinking that if a UFO has been identified as a UFO, would it then be an identified flying object? Yeah, that was the Ovaltine talking. *yawn* The idea came to me after the newspaper report in the New Straits Times yesterday of an alleged UFO caught on camera by a tourist in Penang. Report here. I don't know how long the item will be there, so best check it out now. On one hand, I don't think a tourist (who declined to be identified) would have time to procure a copy of PhotoShop to UFO-ize the photo. On the other hand...is it a coincidence that the hotel Public Relations officer's surname is 'Scully'? Where's Mulder? *eg* So yeah, my taking that sunrise-hidden-by-clouds pix was also an attempt at capturing some UFO of my own. But I guess the aliens are just day-trippers. A quick whizz by Penang and Malaysia is crossed out of the list of countries to visit. Maybe the aliens should have taken the time to answer the Tour-sm Malaysia survey.

Noticed a group of senior citizens yakking away in some Chinese dialect. Mum identified them as the 'swinging' group. No, it's not what you think. They swing their arms (I think) to exercise. Or I could be wrong and they swing that way too. *evil grin*

Saw Mum walking several rounds with another woman. Waited...felt tummy starting to growl (my inner Tiger). Waited some more. Felt sleepy. I've had gastric problems in the past, and I wasn't going to wait until I had unbearable stomach pains before looking for her. I walked towards her and her friend and said that I was getting hungry. The 'auntie' commented that I was thin and didn't have to exercise (yaay! Some logic at last! I know, she's one of those people with the incorrect assumption that if you're skinny, you don't need to exercise - but I LIKE her). So we started walking back. We crossed the road in front of the Istana Nur Nadhirah and I found some lovely flowers to snap at.

We arrived home at 8:50am. I ate the rest of the yam cake and drank some cold water and I was in bed by 9:20am. I was awakened for lunch at 12:50pm. Had lunch, transferred my photos and here I am now.

*yawn* What should I do now? Hmmm...Zzzz...I don't think I will be invited back for early morning exercises any time soon. *evil grin* *yawn* Excuse me for my incessant yawning. I didn't sleep much last night. Tossing and turning was the main activity between 1am and 6:01am (hmm, I suppose that is already a form of exercise!). I should have just stayed awake until 6am.

That's it from me. Take care all!

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Friday, May 05, 2006

The Tourism Malaysia Survey

Two nights ago, I discovered this link at the Tour-sm Malaysia site. It's tough to ignore something that says, 'Win an Apple iPod!'. Anyways, to my disappointment, I found that Malaysians or those who haven't travelled in over five years are not eligible. Or maybe I just picked the wrong occupation to have.

So what did I do? I voluntarily 'assisted' an online friend to answer this survey. Some of the survey questions are listed below. Sometimes I wonder what Tour-sm Malaysia are doing. Are they trying to sell the fact that Malaysia is not popular with the tourists?


Which of these destinations do you think is a great place to go shopping? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.

And which do you think has great beaches? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.

And which do you think is a great destination for diving and other water sports? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.

And which do you think has friendly people? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.

And which do you think has very good cuisine? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.

And which do you think has great night time entertainment? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.

(the one that takes the cake)
And which do you think isn't overrun with a lot of other tourists? Please select all the destinations you think this statement applies to.
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, None.


Hmmm, server seems to be down now. No matter, when it's up again, I'll share some of the other questions and one of my best answers yet. *eg*

So, is it just me who gets the wrong impression from the last question? One would have to think hard about it, as we all know how overrun with tourists the other countries are. Why couldn't they just say, "Which country do you think still remains undiscovered by tourists?" Then again, with those Malaysia, Truly Asia ads on CNN...the real answer should be 'None'. *eg*

Update: It was my streamyx acting up. Let's continue with the survey!

Note: If you say you're from 'Kuwait', Malaysia is top of the list. If you're from Australia, it's Singapore, and if you're from the US, it's the Philippines taking the top honour.


Thinking about Malaysia, what should Malaysia do to make it a more appealing leisure vacation destination?
Find Bigfoot (and yes, that was my answer on behalf of my friend. Bye-bye iPod!)

Imagine that you were the head of tourism promotion in Malaysia. From what you know about Malaysia and other destinations in South East Asia, how would you best promote Malaysia compared to those destinations?
(gee, maybe if you paid me, I'd tell).


The rest of the questions after that were more personal (marital status, salary). That's it from me. Take care all!

p/s: I hope I don't get busted for doing this. *grin* Maybe I should misspell Tour-sm M'sia. Hehehe.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

The day of immense inner rage

Maybe my mum took a placebo instead of her usual HRT tablet. Maybe something else set her off yesterday. Why the 'Maybe's? Well, I earned an earful just because I left the sandwich maker out the previous night. When I was just done with it, it was really hot. So I left it open to cool down and switched it off. When I was done eating my bread-butter-kaya, I promptly washed the plate and cup and put them aside where they usually go. Now, the sandwich maker is behind me. My line of sight is, sink, wall, door out of the kitchen. It's not that difficult to overlook it. And to put it away is really just three steps and push it between the microwave oven and the convection oven. No ladders, ropes or pulleys were needed in this operation. Mum lamented that it was the SECOND time I did such a crime. For one thing, she never mentioned my first offense. Had she done so, I would have been extra sure that I wouldn't do it again. And by the way, I've used this sandwich maker more than eight times. I told her that I tend to be a little forgetful and she accused me of not being thoughtful. And I shot back, saying that yes, I really enjoyed her nagging me and do this for my pleasure. That kept her quiet.

And Dad...wasn't really any concern of his, and I don't know why I tried to explain. What did I get from him? "Enough! I don't want to hear any of your excuses!" That REALLY got my inner Tiger-Leo steaming. So fine, I stopped talking and ate my lunch (I had it away from the table, in front of the TV). Mid-way through my lunch, I'd leave to go get a tissue in my parents' room. That's when the rash thoughts came to mind.

"Don't want to hear any excuses, eh? I'll show them! I'll...I'll cut my tongue!" And then I thought of possible cutting implements. Razor? A pair of scissors?

And then I thought some more. All that blood in my mouth seemed like a bad idea. And not being able to enjoy food for awhile (if a mouth ulcer is bad...imagine a cut tongue! Ouch!), well...that was torture in itself.

What if I made myself deaf by putting on my music at full volume? I wouldn't have to hear any nagging again. And then I thought about my CD collection, and my buying that MP3 player at the PC Fair. I wouldn't be able to listen to music! Or even watch Prison Break! Horrors!

Well, it looks like I won't be doing any harm to myself (or my organs). Best to inflict harm on others. Just kidding...I'm not like one of those crazy Japanese kids who got nuts and bludgeon their parents/grandparents to death as a result of excessive nagging. No offense to any Japanese who might stray here via PhotoFriday or Interfacelift.

I found a few interesting sites/blogs while googling for my street. One is devnullnikita and the other is Kecek-kecek. I like the bits in Kecek-Kecek where the blogger reminisces about the old Kuala Terengganu, when roads didn't have names of Sultans.

It occurred to me that if I left my url while leaving comments, I'd better have something interesting to write. *grin*

The Star Mother's Day contest is over. Will I not win again, as I did last year? Only time will tell. I'd be happy just getting the RM500 consolation prize (to be given to Mum in her quest to buy a good mattress after 30 years). It's not really a mattress anymore, more like a lump. *grin*

That it from me for now. Take care all!

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

The butterfly has flown

I checked the pupa just before lunchtime and as I looked down, I saw that it had changed in colour. I squatted down to realize that the butterfly had left its chrysalis. Awww...I bet that if I had checked on it at 6am, I would have found it with crumpled wings.

It wasn't until I detached the two silky strands and tugged at the bottom of the chrysalis that I realized there was a brown liquid oozing out. I left it and had lunch.

After lunch, I referred to the big butterfly book we have. It stated that during this pupal stage, it doesn't drink or eat and due to the outer layer, it can't get rid of its bodily wastes. Yup, I'm sure that butterfly had a nice time expelling its waste as it got out of its chrysalis. Ewww. I think that butterfly was the first one to ever make it to adulthood. I've never seen a single chrysalis before this one. And the next time I see one, I'm going to isolate the chrysalis. Or just wake up early. It took nine days for it to change from pupa to adult. I'll be ready next time. The book also stated that a butterfly lives between 25 and 30 days. If it doesn't get eaten by a bird or a gecko first.

Okay, quiz time.


You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image.
On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex.
You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time.
Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.



This is SO true! Hehehehe...and so is this next one.


What Your Sleeping Position Says

You are calm and rational.
You are also giving and kind - a great friend.
You are easy going and trusting.
However, you are too sensible to fall for mind games.



Hmmm, more mild that wild? Maybe I need a name change from Tigrrr to Tig-Zzzz. Hehehe. But hey...at least I'm still attractive. Teeheehee.


You Are More Mild Than Wild

You're confident, and you really aren't concerned with how "hot" you are.
Other people's ideas of what's sexy don't concern you. And this is exactly what makes you attractive.


You Are Not a Cook

You know cooking isn't for you, and you wouldn't even consider trying to make a homecooked meal.
And this is a very good thing. You've saved all your friends and family from unintentional food poisoning!


So, so true. Unfortunately. Well, if I had utensils of my own and didn't have somebody to remind me that I was doing everything wrong...I would have turned out differently. *grin* That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :Þ

That's it for now. Take care all!

Famous


They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. This burberry plaid pattern is from a cheap cd holder. I only chose this pattern because the other patterns and colours were ghastly. I've submitted this for the PhotoFriday challenge. The theme this week is 'Famous' and who doesnt know the Burberry plaid? I remember years ago, before Burberry was known in Malaysia, seeing this ubiquitous pattern in the American mazagine ads at the library. I kept thinking, "Why is this pattern haunting me? It's everywhere!" Because it's famous, that's why! :)
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Brief recap

The days just whizz by, especially when they're swelteringly hot. Let's see what happened.

I touched the pupa, it wasn't soft. It didn't wriggle either, but I wasn't intent on examining it in detail. It's still there, attached to the stem of the lime plant. I think it's getting darker now. I wonder how long the metamorphosis takes.

The 'Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia 2006' ended and according to the news reports, the response was overwhelming. They predicted 200,000 visitors and they registered over 250,000 visitors (that's counting me and mum going three times), but I didn't register the last time. Mum handed me her id card and I thought it was mine (not thinking straight). No wonder the girl looked at me funny when I handed that card to her. Yet she said nothing. Imagine if people didn't register...there could be more visitors. To emphasize the scale of this response, I looked up the population of Kuala Terengganu online (2005 figures: 262,340 people), so imagine almost the whole of Kuala Terengganu converging at Pantai Batu Buruk. Imagine trampled grasses, chaotic traffic and parking.

And I got a blender to show for it. =) I looked online, at the Pensonic site. It's a nightmare. The links don't work on the page after the entry page. Here's the blender page. My blender is the only one with the dual jugs. (PB-325 DJ).

I got my Donor card in the mail the other day. Wasn't laminated or embossed. Just a plain printed card where I had to fill in my full name, date, signature and mark what I intended to donate. The card is similar to those free printed calendars meant for wallets, as thin and flimsy. I'll scan/take a pic one of these days.

In other news, the games at all4grabs (Season 6) have ended. It all depends on the management what prize they want to offer me. What a letdown. The only game I ever played was Puzzler. I was only tops in the other two games because of the referral points. I couldn't care less about those (2-month gym membership and RM60 haircut), second for the Xtion Paintball UFO shootout (voucher for three people).

I guess we shall have to wait and see. I don't intend to play anymore because I'm supposed to give a chance to the other players, and I don't like the fact that there are cheaters. And it's not fair if the prize I really want isn't given to me because I won other games. Why give me something I can't use? I will happily pass those other prizes to the other players. Grrr.

That's enough ranting from me for now. Oh, and I updated the post about the Online Chat With Ian Wright as well. Don't forget to check that and follow the link to the full chat transcript.

Take care, all! *Hmmm, was this a brief recap?

Friday, April 28, 2006

I was half-asleep...

and lying in my bed, on this really hot and humid afternoon when my phone suddenly rang. I still had my wits about me and remembered that the phone was in my handbag.

A nice-sounding woman asked for me and said that I had won in their e-Contest (in conjuction with the Malaysia Unit Trust Scheme Week 2006)! I do believe that it was for the contest held yesterday. I was to come to their Enquiry booth with my identity card before 9:30pm tonight. She didn't tell me what I won. It could be a blender, or a stand fan, or a motorcycle or (dare I hope?) a hp Desktop PC. And the funniest part of this is, I remember being very realistic/pessimistic about our chances of winning anything. I kept telling my Mum, "There's no way we're going to win anything, our slogans (in Malay, mind!) are just too horrible and there are so many more people who could write better." FYI, I had to write my mother's slogan too. In fact, I have to fill everything for Mum because she says her handwriting is terrible (the way she refuses to fill in forms, you'd think she was illiterate). Or maybe she's just lazy?

Anyway, 'Yaay' to me for finally ending that losing streak. Ten months is way too long. I don't care if I end up with a rubberband, I still won something. *grin*

The past two days that we went to the fair, Mum made friends with the people at the Heveafil booth. (Wow, they're the world's largest manufacturer of quality extruded latex threads, I didn't know that!). I was the one who walked into their booth, seeing the four boxes of sample latex threads. Mum asked for some (hoping to sew some to the edge of bedsheets to make them fitted bedsheets) and that first night, she realized how valuable these threads were. You can't just buy them at the store (they're meant for industries like the textile, food and sports industries). And they can extend up to 7 times without breaking. Go check out their website, but be careful of the typos.

Yesterday, while waiting for my Dad to finish his MIC conference and fetch us, I took some photos of the flagpoles and a ship at sea. The time was around 6pm.


I waited for the wind to blow, but the 'Jalur Gemilang' (Vibrant Stripes) just wouldn't flutter 'majestically'. It was flying half-heartedly (if that is possible). But I just love that blue sky! It was so hot, there was not a cloud in the sky. The three flags above, from the top, are the flags of Pahang (top half of flag is white, bottom half is black), Johor and Selangor.


I tried to take the first pic without being seen, but apparently, I was. Just how do those photographers take pix of people unawares? Oh yes, powerful zoom lens! Second pic is of a father and his daughter walking away. This was the first in a series of three pix.


This is of a ship at sea. I used the two columns holding the flagpoles up as part of the frame. Looks quite nice, if I may say so myself. Ahem. *grin* If I had stood back a little more, I would have fallen into this 'fountain' (a hole with water).

That's it for now. Take care, all!

Update @10:39pm: I won a blender! Two blender jugs and a grinder, and a free little addressbook with a picture of a local deejay.