Shashinki.com - Malaysia's Online Camera Shop!

ShaShinKi.com - Malaysia's Online Camera Shop!

Sunday, January 29, 2006

CNY has officially started

Despite the firecracker ban, I still hear the law being flouted nightly. Somehow, Chinese New Year isn't CNY without the krakk-krakk-krakk in the middle of the night. "Oh, it's a Chinese custom to drive away the evil spirits/monster from the village," they say. I live near a cemetery, best reason to, eh? Scare those spooks away. Then again, with all that ruckus, it'll probably rouse them from their restful slumber.

I won't say who was responsible, and I won't say where this felony took place, but I have these two pix. Now, how on earth does one get rid of all those red bits of firecracker paper? It screams of "Firecracker ban? What firecracker ban? I thought it was lifted seven years ago."

Don't come knocking at my door, because my ears have been permanently damaged from all that din. The din caused by...

Shh, you didn't see anything here. I don't know anything. 0=)

After my third helping

So I was vegging out on my bed, reading some blogs when Mum came out of her room and said, "Time for some Ais Kacang!" Well, have I ever said 'No' to food? This time, I took pix from a different angle as well as when the ice is being shaved. Oh yes, I added more pix to the previous post, so if you read that earlier, scroll down to see more pix.





Mmm... after the second helping, I just HAD to have another. Do keep in mind that these bowls are small. I'm not a glutton. Not yet, anyway. *grin*

I'm so full, I don't know if I'm going to have dinner. Yaay for the ice shaver. =)

Take care all!

It's the Year of the Dog!

Well, I got up at 9am. As I walked past the front door, I noticed the clay dog figurines that I had bought on a trip to Southern Thailand on the coffee table. Mum found them on the display cabinet and put them on the table, in the spirit of New Year. =)

Wished my parents a Happy New Year and then had my breakfast of baked beans while I read the Sunday papers.

Mum was busy doing her kitchen stuff as usual. And then a little later, she got the circular candy tray out and added some of the ingredients for the 'Ais Kacang'.

I'm trying to write a little more so that the next photo posted is 'after' the pic on the left. I'm eccentric like that. Anyways, I just took an antihistamine tablet earlier. The itching is a memory now. I think I'm allergic to something. Had the Itch for three days and it started getting unbearable last night. Maybe it was the Prawns from Cambodia. Mum's been adding them to everything. And the Shark's Fin Soup she made last night had some prawns too. Please note that we didn't buy the shark's fin, it was a gift from the sister-in-law. Yaay, I've reached the end of the first photo! I did it! Yes, I am indeed crazy...

Okay, so here are three of the main ingredients of 'Ais Kacang': Cincau (black jelly), Cendol and Attap seeds (attapchi). I wanted to resize this, but apparently, I can't.


Then I went to the garden, since it was still bright and early. Took a few more photos of flowers and a bug.

You can click on the bug pic to read the caption. My attempt at being witty, and probably failing. *g*

Enjoy! ;) Off to have lunch now. Hmmm, so much done and there's still a whole day ahead! Mornings are pretty convenient.

Okay, I'm back after a lunch of Indian rojak (sorry, no pic for that). After that, I had 'Ais Kacang'!

The ice shaver

Best thing about this is that I can have lots of helpings! Not much of an expense, when you make it yourself. Unlike some unfortunate souls who don't have the time or the resources to get it all done themselves. I guess you pay for convenience, eventhough what you get isn't half as satisfying. Why eat out when you can eat in and save so much money? *big grin*

Anyone who marries me gets to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. How's that for bribery? ;)

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my accidental Chinese visitors a very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year. May the Year of the Dog be a barking success for you, with happiness up to the woof.

*cringe* Okay, I'll stop doing that now.

Mum tried out the ice shaver yesterday, while I was in my room, sweating while ironing the laundry. Yes, the volcano erupted and I had to appease the Goddess of the Household. I sacrificed my sweat (now I am itching, even after a shower and ointment applications).

Will be waking up at 9am tomorrow, eating a breakfast of baked beans and hot dogs. I can't remember the last time I had breakfast. I think it was Dec 8th. I had to go to campus to see the coordinator. Wait...it was later. I remember waking up to see the Golden Globes. I had breakfast then too. Heh...

Tomorrow I'll take pix of the 'ais kacang'. And an orange or two. *s*

Take care, all! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Friday, January 27, 2006

Of contests and prizes

I figured out the other day why I was having trouble uploading my pix to Blogger. They were way too huge. *g* All better now, but I do get too lazy to crop and resize my pix.

Went out to the garden again in the afternoon. Got bitten by mosquitoes til my legs itched. Took photos of the starfruit blossoms, the passionfruit bloom, the little sprays of mango flowers. 'Tis the season for fruits soon. *licks lips in anticipation*

The pix on the left was taken yesterday. Part of the arrangement my mother made for church this morning. I only used the available light from the open door. I miss the golden glow of the setting sun.

Anyways, on to the title of this blog. I noticed a new contest on a certain site (I'm not telling where, because I don't want to lessen the chances of my winning the prizes!). The first prize consists of two Nokia 6111 phones and a Photography Package (for a couple) worth RM4,000, from a certain Studio. The second prize consists of a Nokia 7370, a Bluetooth Headset HS-26W and a Photography Package (for a couple) worth RM3,000 from the same studio. Third prize consists of a Nokia 7360 and a Bluetooth Headset HS-26W. There are 50 Nokia goodie bags with 'super-chic Nokia merchandise' up for grabs too.

Last year, I won second prize in the Valentine's Day contest organized by the same site. I won my Kodak LS755 digital camera (as you can see, I'm putting it to good use) then. Not wanting to sound presumptuous or anything, but ... I'm single! If I won first or second prize, I can't just pick a man off the street to take photos with me, right? And I can't exactly call on my best guy friend to accompany me (the rumours were flying on campus just because we hung out together. We did nothing but chat and cycle! Tsk...imagine if we took that photography package). I read the Terms and Conditions, they never mentioned anything about transferring the package to anyone. If I won, perhaps I could just transfer it to my parents. But what a waste of RM3,000 - RM4,000 though. I could start paying off my student loan with that money. It's quite unfair, wouldn't you say? Valentine's Day is not just for lovers any more! It's for friends and family! Why presume that all the contestants are part of a couple? Or do I aim for the third and consolation prizes just because I'm single? What ever happened to cold, hard cash?

Oh well...I mentioned this to my Mum this 'morning' and she said not to worry about it until it happened. What's wrong with a little contingency plan? Do people wait for a real fire to happen before they start discussing evacuation procedures? I ask you, do they? I think not.

Here are some of the pix I took today. I went back into the house when I noticed something floating in front of my face. It was a little caterpillar, spinning thread from its butt and flying in the wind. If one can fly in front of my face, there's always the possiblity of one landing on ME! Maybe some have...and were washed down the drain during my shower. No...maybe they just got stuck to my clothes and jumped off again for a better destination. Yes, that sounds better. *relieved*


Passionfruit bloom

Unripe Passionfruit

Starfruit blossoms

Close-up of another starfruit flower cluster.

A cluster of mango flowers

Another cluster of mango blossoms


Mum got all the ingredients for 'Ais Kacang', just need to make the cendol. Will try to get pix of the preparations and the finished product when it happens. And try not to get in the way. *g* Well, I guess that's all then. Take care.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

A Quiz-filled day

The Stupid Quiz said I am "Totally Smart!" How stupid are you? Click here to find out! Overall, you scored as follows:



95% scored higher (more stupid),
2% scored the same, and
3% scored lower (less stupid).

What does this mean? You are 3% stupid. This means...

You are our next Einstein. Wow! Keep up the great thinking.

Ahem, I've never felt prouder to have obtained such a terribly low score. =) No wonder I'm still single, anyone intellectually inferior in my presence would feel so ... intellectually inferior. I wouldn't blame them for being intimidated by my English proficiency and quick wit. (Note to reader(s), please take with a fistful of salt). ;)

Well, let's have a quiz-filled day today!

You Are An Invisible Ex

You're so over your ex, you hardly even remember you have an ex
You prefer leave all of the baggage behind you - far, far behind
As they say, indifference is the opposite of love!


Your Birthdate: July 25

You excel at anything difficult or high tech.
In other words, you're a total (brilliant) geek.
It's difficult for you to find people worth spending time with.
Which is probably why you'll take over the world with your evil robots!

Your strength: Your unfailing logic

Your weakness: Loving machines more than people

Your power color: Tan

Your power symbol: Pi

Your power month: July

Darn it! This quiz uncovered my dastardly plot of taking over the world with my legion of nanobots (think the smoke monster on Lost). Next, how scary am I?

You Are Scary

You even scare scary people sometimes!
How Scary Are You?

Muahahahahaha! You should read the comment I left at someone's blog last night. This guest blogger was writing some rubbish about preparing 'Spiced Kittens'. And my somewhat disturbing comment was asking about effective methods of rendering them lifeless. I could lead you to that comment, just don't reveal my 'identity'. Then again, if I was so paranoid, would I have left my blog url there? *g* Here it is: I am Shhh (#4). Re-reading it, I think I scared myself! I sounded like I was serious and interested in preparing said dish. I hope the SPCA (phew, none here in my State) don't come knocking at my door, expecting to see skinned cats and kittens hanging from the ceiling. Naah, I couldn't do that...imagine the stench and the flies. I'd rather do that in a chilled room with a sterile environment. ;)


What Your Face Says

At first glance, people see you as driven and ambitious.

Overall, your true self is engaging and outgoing.

With friends, you seem logical, detached, and a bit manipulative.

In love, you seem mysterious and interesting.

In stressful situations, you seem cheerful and optimistic.

Notice how it says, "You seem". That's right. I look...it doesn't mean that I am. In stressful situations, I seem cheerful and optimistic. Deep down, I am plotting on going postal, shooting those responsible for making me all stressed out in the first place. Hmmm, good thing I don't reveal my identity here...oops, maybe I shouldn't have linked to my other blogs. Hmmm... and I scored a 3 in the Stupidity test? I think that's where the 3 comes in. D'oh. Heh heh.


Guys Like That You're Sensitive

And not in that "cry at a drop of a hat" sort of way.
You just get most guys - even if you're not trying to.
Guys find it is easy to confide in you and tell you their secrets.
No wonder you tend to get close quickly in relationships!
What Do Guys Like About You?

Okay, that was my last quiz. Have a good day! =)

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Venturing out into the garden

I had noticed the blooms of the jambu air (pink guava) tree outside my window yesterday. Time passed so fast (and I was too lazy to do anything) and so I ventured out today. Took two shots of the blooms. Here's one of them.

I knew there were those big red ants (referred locally as kerengga) about, and luckily for me, they weren't on the ground, near my feet. I approached the trunk of the tree...and there...

... all ready to attack me should I get close enough. That's when I realized that the leaves and branches were hanging low, and I felt a leaf on my head. I ducked and backed away. Looking up, I saw ...

... a caterpillar covered in kerengga ants. I wasn't sure whether they were attacking it for food, or protecting it from predators. The caterpillar might just be one of those that produce a sweet liquid that the ants crave. Like a nectar dispenser, perhaps.

I saw some growth at the bottom of the chopped up main trunk. And I took a shot. The three little leaves kinda remind me of the three fingers of the aliens in War Of The Worlds. What do you think?

Yeah, I have an overactive imagination. =) Took a few more shots of the same thing, just different angles, then I moved on to the Feng Shui plant.

As I looked at the other blooms, I noticed a familiar fluff I'd seen some weeks before. And true enough, I saw them on the edge of threads, jumping off like a group of bungee jumpers on a record-breaking bid.

You can see those little wrigglers on the petals of the flowers. I looked at the nearby leaves and stems and they were there too. Wriggling away happily.

Well, it was getting hot over there, so I returned to the back of the house. I looked up and saw this ...


One of the things that gets to me is this, almost every time I try to get a nice, clear shot of something, the wind will start to pick up. I'd strangle the wind if I could. I don't have a lot of patience, and with the wind, there's no telling when it'll die down. For instance, when I tried taking a photo of the little flowers on the Starfruit/carambola tree. Wind started to blow. It was taunting me.

I took three shots and looked for more flower clusters. And that's when I saw a solitary flower. I knelt down close to the ground, my camera pointed up. I was trying to get more sky than the neighbour's banana leaves.

I had trouble taking this photo because the flower kept getting blurred. I don't have steady hands, and the wind wasn't helping much.

Well, I guess that's it from me. It was a real snapping fest this evening. Good thing I decided to add another three-gang plug into my room. Now, I can keep my photoframe dock plugged in and just attach my camera when I'm ready to transfer my photos. I can only save 10 five-megapixel shots using the 16MB internal memory. It sucks not having an xD Picture card.

Went insane earlier and visited There.com. Something about a virtual world where you can meet and make friends. I was curious, so sue me. I downloaded and installed the 54MB application and then it changed my screen resolution! Got all ugly (like in Safe Mode). But the virtual world was alright. Saw a few other avatars and chatted with one. Just before I made the fatal mistake of resizing the window, we exchanged YM IDs. I crashed after that.

I VOW NEVER TO USE There.com AGAIN! Good thing joining and registering were free (no credit card details were requested). Anyways, that's it for me.

Take care all!

Monday, January 23, 2006

I'm an English Genius, baby!



English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 93% Expert!
You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

You scored higher than 60% on Beginner
You scored higher than 37% on Intermediate
You scored higher than 69% on Advanced
You scored higher than 80% on Expert


link

Ahem! And I only got one question wrong in the Expert section. Anyways, I hadn't planned on using this result to update my blog today. I just saw it an hour ago.

What I really wanted to blog about was what my British cousin-by-marriage wrote about the best reasons to visit Malaysia. I figured that the only way to convince a Brit to visit Malaysia is to get a fellow Brit with experience. E-mail edited for clarity and to protect the guilty (me).

What I can say is that the food in Malaysia is the best in the world (and Tigrrr's mum, MUM is one of the best cooks in Malaysia!). What makes Malaysian food to fantastic is the variety. There are so many dishes, I usually need a long check list when we go there for holidays just to make sure I cover everything gastronomically!

Contrary to belief, not everything is spicy. On the off chance that you find the local cuisine a tad too much to handle, even KFC in Malaysia is worth visiting! If you're a fan of sushi, that too is very cheap and you can sample to your heart's content. Delving further into the western tastes, the american coffee chain, Coffee Bean (aka just another Starbucks) sells fabulous iced coffees. Just the thing to cool down from the heat.

So thats food. It's the social scene of Malaysia. And as Tigrrr would no doubt have also tried to convince you, everything is cheap in Malaysia, especially the food. Food is literally RM to the pound, so in essence food is almost 7 times cheaper. Imagine breakfast for 20p. You can't even get a slice of toast for that here.

Everything else is pretty reasonably priced. Accommodation, taxis etc etc. Of course you have to be wary of being ripped off, but as long as you know everything ought to be cheap you'll be fine. So once you've stumped up the airfare to get there, you'll get a pretty good deal for a holiday.




Unless you plan on going jungle trekking or hiking Malaysia is as safe as most tourist destinations.

So can I emphasise anymore? Go for a visit! I haven't heard anyone wish they hadn't gone there. To further prove a point, we took my parents over there for a visit last June and they loved it, despite usually preferring their holidays to be more of the European/Cruise variety.

Convinced?


Wonder if that'll seal the deal. Simon loves his food. He almost sounds like Wallace (of Wallace and Gromit fame) when he's raving about cheese. *eg* He just mentioned that he might be able to have a vacation this year. And I suggested Yugoslavia and Latvia, and he got confused after my past 'Visit Malaysia' promos. He's not made his mind up. So there's still a chance. Hmmm...

Take care, all! 2007 is Visit Malaysia Year! ;)

Some people...

Steve, you don't have to keep checking my blog for updates so many times a day! =Þ

See, if you subscribed, you needn't waste your time checking and looking at stale entries. Nothing happening here, hence the lack of updates.

Mum's been spring-cleaning. Something to be done before Chinese New Year (CNY) on the 29th of January. Doubt if I'll be going to my granny's this CNY. The Year of the Dog will be less festive, but it'll be a break from the temple burning firecrackers next door. Constant "Crack-crack-BOOM!" every night. No Ang Pows for me, then again, I AM getting older. But the rule is, "Married people give money in red packets (ang pows) to children and single people!!!" No thanks to my siblings marrying non-Chinese, I don't get any from them, either. *sigh*

Was wondering about this nasty smell in my room three hours ago. And then I remembered seeing Mum drying the seat of the chairs in the sun this morning. They weren't completely dry and she put them back on. I removed the seat from my room. Even with air freshener sprayed in my room, the smell still manages to permeate the air. All better with the seat out. At first, I thought something had died. Checked windows and sides of door for any signs of more gecko carnage. Found none, thankfully.

Some news about Ty. He got back to me and said he hasn't been using MSN Messenger for the past three weeks. Still, he apologized for making me feel like the 'Flavour of the Fourth Quarter'. That was nice of him. Yes, having him write a nice, long e-mail after quite awhile is making me warm towards him again. Strange about the MSN Messenger doppelganger. I've been seeing it online at 3am, using the Web version. Tried to transfer a file, to which it cancelled. So it HAS a brain! I figure I'm going to pester it with "Who Are You?" messages (cue The Who's "Who Are You" song - Tell me, who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?) until it tires. Or until I start that job and I can't stay up late anymore.

Anyways, his PC is busted indefinitely. He won't fix it. He has plans to get a laptop, but priority right now is for his coming 1.5-week vacation. So the laptop will have to wait. I won't make any judgments until he's around again. If I overreacted (which anyone would have in my shoes), well...he's seen what a Nutjob I can be, eh? I don't know if I'd date me myself (sorry if you don't understand the previous sentence). But I know I'd be at least best friends. I might be a little off-center, but I'm fun and caring (personal experience may differ according to individuals and their actions towards me).

Listening to Pandora. I just love it! Open it on one tab and keep surfing other sites and you don't even have to see the ad on the site.

That it from me. Take care, all!
p/s: One downside to calling my blog 'DNR' (not going to type the whole thing out - it'll just show up in the search results), is that there will always be a stream of people looking for information on the order. It's already #4 in the search results at MSN Search (Use Google, people!!).

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Delayed

Oops, sorry for the delay. Time goes by so quickly when you're not doing anything. Let's see...I saw the live telecast of the Golden Globes on Tuesday. Was first watching it on cable, and then realized that the telecast on NTV7 was live as well, and in fact, was ahead by several minutes!

Didn't like the renaming of Pierce Brosnan to Pierce Bronson by John Travolta (all that Xenu Scientology crap must have affected his brain). And Teri Hatcher jinxed it at the start of the show when she said that they were all going to lose to Mary Louise Parker. As superstitious Chinese people would say, "Sway". Saying something bad because it just might happen.

Then the next day, I watched the premier episode of American Idol. Let's face it, most of us watch it for the weird and wacky antics of the delusional. I'm sure that none of those who sang badly have ever heard a recording of themselves murdering a Whitney Houston or Paula Abdul song. They just trust the compliments and assurances of well-intentioned (or are they just being evil?) friends and family members. I was wondering if there was going to be another Mary Roach...and there were quite a few. The stubborn, reality-challenged 'singers' who are convinced that they are truly the next American Idol and that the judges had made a mistake.

I am so rooting for that cowboy from a town of four. I sure hope there will be a Good Samaritan who will offer to give him vocal lessons for free. Imagine the publicity if he gets into the finals.

Spotted what I thought was a woodpecker on the side of the avocado trunk. It's almost in the center of the photo. I was in my room and there was a mosquito screen between us. Hence the blurriness and not being able to get closer. Showed the pic to Dad and he said it was a Barbet (I think that's how it's spelt). Barbut? I think the former looks more accurate.

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

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Flavour of The Fourth Quarter

I will update this within 20 hours. Nothing much happened today. Mum squealed-screamed in the kitchen before lunch, she hadn't seen a squirming earthworm on the kitchen floor. We have NO idea where that came from.

Bro called almost two hours ago, at 12:14am, he thought we might have called him earlier. He had been carrying a heavy box and hadn't seen a hole in the ground. Twisted his ankle. Mum told him to eat some painkillers. I figure, why not just go to the hospital?

Had written e-mail to Ty the day before, saying that it would be my last to him after his igtnoring me on MSN Messenger. I made myself visible when I saw him online, but I didn't say 'Hi'. I gave him a choice. When he opted to go offline, that just made me irritated and angry. After all those daily chats and e-mails, this is the treatment I get? I said in the e-mail that I didn't even want a discussion anymore. It was over and I didn't think we could even be friends.

Two hours ago, he replies. In the e-mail, he responded that he was on a break at work and that his PC was busted since last week. He said he would be going to the library to get online and that he would contact me within one or two days. He said that he didn't want me to not write or chat with him anymore.

I can't help but wonder, if I hadn't e-mailed him, would he have had the decency to write back? I doubt it. I think he may have been happy with the fact that I would always be there, for him to talk to if the mood struck him. Well, he underestimated me. Nobody treats me like that. I don't like people who give me grief. I stay clear of people like that. I'm no sucker for punishment. After those 'whirlwind' three months, I do feel like the 'Flavour of the Fourth Quarter'. Past my expiry date and ready for the dumpsite.

Oh, looks like I've written what I planned to write tomorrow. Hehehe. Silly me.

Okay, sleeping early tonight because I want to be up by 9am to catch the live telecast of the Golden Globes! =)

Take care all!

Saturday, January 14, 2006

School Opening

Well, I woke up at 9a.m., to Annie Lennox's "No More I Love You's". Then I wondered what time the thing was supposed to begin. Lay in bed until 9:15a.m., when Mum opened the door to my room. I asked her what time the ceremony was to start and she said that I had to be ready by 10:15a.m.

Did the usual bathroom rituals, made myself toast and margarine and Mum's homemade strawberry jam. Was 'reminded' (read as 'nagged') to apply make-up. Had to change the outfit I had on because both my parents thought it didn't look nice. Changed. Applied lotions and potions and foundation. That's it. Our ride had arrived and I just remembered to wear my watch, my rose quartz bracelet (supposedly effective in drawing out all those prospective suitors and make them fawn at my feet -- hasn't worked yet) and my glasses.

Parked the car in the Yen Tin Midtown Hotel guest parking after explaining to the friendly police officer that we were there for the opening ceremony. We walked for about 20 metres until we reached the tent where the VIP tables, buffet table and chairs for the 'common people' were.

I saw two unfortunate souls dressed as the school mascots (a big-headed kid and a giant strawberry). It was hot by 11am. They must have sweated buckets. Small kids were sneaking up behind the strawberry to get a feel of the material. It seemed like the strawberry was being molested without its knowledge. (If you look closely at the pic below, you can see the impression of fingers above the black 'seed').


Soon, the sirens of the police outriders were heard. The Sultanah arrived in a car fit for royalty, walked on the yellow carpet and was greeted by the awaiting VIPs. She cut the ribbon (I think it was ribbon, I couldn't see anything behind the throng) and entered the brand-spanking new premises of the Smart Readers school. Went back to our plastic chairs. I was coaxed by Mum to check out the back entrance and get a pix of the Sultanah if I could. No, it was blocked with kids waiting to perform. And there was a police officer there too. So I just took a pic of the kids.



Then, it was time to eat. All there was was 'mi goreng'. And jellies and doughnuts and curry puffs. I had a small helping of noodles, a very hard doughnut and a curry puff before Mum talked to one of her many friends who works there. We were then brought upstairs, where it was cooler and had another spread of food. I think it was actually meant for the security detail. But there was plenty for everybody. I didn't eat much, just a fruit tart (had slices of peach, kiwifruit, half a grape, dragonfruit and whipped cream), a piece of 'roti jala', and a packet of Chrysanthemum Tea.


Later, we went upstairs to check out the dormitory. Incidentally, the floor we were on was to be the reception area. There was a room that could fit seven occupants and the door was two steps away from the reception desk. Upstairs, were two more floors with better rooms. Some had twin beds, other's had a double and a single, or a double and twins. Looked like there was a room for every preference. One room had a bathroom attached with heated shower, while the rest had a common bathroom (with heated shower) and kitchen area. All rooms were air-conditioned and had a TV. Looked comfortable enough. I'd have taken a pic, but the rooms hadn't been prettied up with bedsheets yet.


The Sultanah left by 12:30pm and we left soon after checking out the school proper. As we passed by the head honcho of the franchise, the family friend told her, "These are the parents." Only Mum's friend in the middle was a parent. I'm sure she must have thought me an unlikely parent.


It's time for dinner. Take care all!

Having problems uploading pix

Geez, it's getting tougher and tougher to upload pix to Blogger! On Opera, there's only the Add Pic and Spellcheck function available and even then it's impossible to upload. No matter, I'll try uploading some other time. At least I managed to add the flower arrangement photo.

Attending a school opening ceremony in the morning. School is owned by a close family friend and will be officiated by the Sultanah of Terengganu (she's the wife of the State Ruler, the Sultan of Terengganu -- Terengganu Royal House).

As usual, Mum was insisting I try out outfits beforehand. No jeans as it would be somewhat formal (what with royalty and all). I suggested, "What about a dress?" and Mum just about snorted with amusement at the thought of me in a dress. I think it's been more than a decade since I've worn a dress.

Tried the two cheongsam tops (I lost weight and the chest part was all hollow), a multitude of blouses and shirts, skirts and pants. At one point, I saw Mum handling a shirt and it looked like she expected me to push my head through. Of course, when I did that, she left the shirt on my head! She said I could dress myself! Hahaha...of course. *grin* Please forget what my actual age is.

No rain today, survived Friday the 13th. Wasted money SMSing/texting my bids to Channel V's Bid It! Such suspense when I received a confirmation message saying that my bid was the lowest and unique bid and that the item was mine if no one had outbid me. That lasted all of three minutes when I got another notification stating that my bid was no longer the lowest unique bid. Three more times did I get lowest unique bid after numerous tries. And that's where I got stumped. I had tried all the possible denominations from 0.01 to my previous lowest bid. So when I incremented the bid by one sen, it was unique, yet NOT THE LOWEST! How could that be? I stopped after that (still have five bids remaining), because it looked fishy to me. What am I bidding for? An iTECH Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard! It's a small cigarette lighter sized gadget that projects a keyboard layout onto a flat surface such as a table and it knows what key you've tapped when your finger obscures the key. It's meant to be used with handheld devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and certain laptops (with Bluetooth capabilites, of course).

Do I really need one? No. So if my bid doesn't win it, that's fine. I really just needed to decrease my credit. I've been accumulating too much and due to a lack of a special someone to waste my credit on, I decided to try my luck with the bids. Just so you know, I have donated credit to charities in the past as well. The Tsunami relief as well as several 'Suara Hati' causes.

Take care all and have a good day, wherever you are (Islington or Stockholm or Pudu or Damansara or Cheras).