Mich's Monologue

United Regardless Of Status

2011-07-18T19:36:00.003+08:00

I recently attended a six weeks training organised by my company. The topic is very useful not only in my current workplace, but also applicable in my future career development in other organisation. Two colleagues from my department were supposed to join me for the training but they back out last minute. So I was the only representative from my department. I went there feeling neutral because I always look forward to trainings (for added knowledge and to meet more people).

There were only 8 participants for the training because many who registered did not turn up. We were randomly divided into two groups and I was seated with four staffs from the operation side. There were only two management staffs including me and she was seated at the other table.

We were required to do many group discussions in order to complete the activities and exercises in our workbook. On the first day, I had difficulties discussing with them. This is because although we work in the same company, we have never talk, what more work as a team. They were quite reluctant to express their opinions, afraid that they are 'not good enough' for the management people standard. I on the other hand did not want to voice out too many opinions because I want to give the rest an opportunity to try answering the questions. At the end, it was quite a mess.

However, as weeks go by, we became closer and more comfortable with each other. We start to casually chat and acknowledge each other when we meet outside the training hall. Soon, we were able to co-operate and even win a few quizzes. I begin to appreciate and admire each of their skills and knowledge. Although I am a management staff, I dare say that the operation staffs are more knowledgeable than some of us because they have hands-on experience and they deal with guests more frequently. I realised that they are the elite people of their department and they are in the training because they are good in their job and they have the right positive attitude.

The most memorable moment during this six week training was the team building session. We have to work closely as a team to complete numerous task. We tried our best to complete the activities regardless of our gender, ethnic or social status. We were all equal at that very moment and since we are from different department, we managed to flaunt our skills in different segments of the exercise. It was the first time I really did enjoy myself since joining the company.

Today is the last session of our training. Before today, I cannot wait for the whole module to end because by then, I can resume my daily task at my work desk. But towards the end of today's session, I realise that I will miss the rest of the participants. Without realising, we have form a strong bond, althought we are from different departments, different backgrounds, different ethnics and different beliefs. It is our hunger to do our best and our determination to give the best service to our guest that make us united. I will try my very best to maintain this good rapport with every single one of them because they truly touch my heart.

Battle Of The Chefs

2011-06-11T23:07:00.035+08:00

My memory of the Battle of the chefs was very vague. I remember witnessing one when I was still in my dark blue pinafore (Malaysia primary school uniform). So when I attended the Battle of the chefs held at Straits Quay this year, I was pretty excited. I did not know that all the vegetables/fruits carving and cake decorating which I saw when I was young was part of the itinerary of the Battle of the chefs.

We arrived there quite late because it was a working day, so we totally miss out on the process of the carvings and decorating but we were fortunate that most of the masterpiece were still on display.

This year, I manage to witness two categories of live cooking competition. The contestants were from various countries, hotels and institutions while the panel of judges consist of noted Caucasians and Japanese chef as well as our local celebrity chef.

Vegetables & Fruits Carving. Consist of yam, watermelons, pumpkins etc...

Chocolate sculpting

Bread & Pastries Showpiece

Cake Decorating

Penang Floral Festival

2011-06-11T21:21:00.020+08:00

A female who doesn't like flowers and it's not because she has allergy to flowers or whatsoever......yes, there are such people and I am one of them. My mum 'exposes' me to flowers since a very young age but I just do not have the fondness towards the colourful, romantic thing.

So when I asked my parents to attend the floral festival, they were pretty surprised. I just feel like getting back to nature and feel the greens (especially with Penang emphasising so much on recycling and staying green and stuff).

Do pardon me on the lack of descriptions on the photos....as you know, I am just getting to know them (the flowers and plants). Anyway, enjoy the photos :-

The competition area. Nurseries and plant enthusiasts display their labour of love for the much coveted award.

Bonsai category

The autumn bonsai. The leaves are purposely pulled off to emphasis the beauty of the branches.

Rocks are used to enhance the beauty of the bonsai.

I personally think this is the most complicated bonsai.

I don't know what's the name of these plants but its beauty lies in the roots.

Besides the competition, many stalls were set up to sell flowers and plants. Cute buggy trains were available to transport people from the entrance to the festival ground for a fee of RM1 per person.

If you ask me, will I go again next year.......well, why not??

May At A Glance

2011-05-31T22:46:00.008+08:00

The last month of the first half of the year officially starts tomorrow. My life so far had been.....had been....had been....well, had been.....I did not achieve any of my new year resolutions as at to-date and I don't feel good about it. In fact I feel bad! Five months and I still have not lose any weights (but I did attempt to eat less), I still have not learn a foreign language (but I have already bought the french language kit) and I am still living in single-ville (I did try to flirt harder). But one thing that I am proud of is I have made many friends.....okay, acquaintance actually. Anyway, May is one of my not-so-routine-month. So lets check out what happen to me this month :

1. Had a great and meaningful dinner with my family. It was no special occasion, just a random dine-out night but we all had a good time indulging in those sinful food and engaging in conversations
Bro's
Mum's
Mine
Dad's

2. Was selected to stay overnight at my workplace (which is a hotel) for stocktake assignments. Free hotel stay - yay! No overtime claim - boo! Fun, new learning experience - yay! Am seleceted because I am single (those married with kids are excused from this assignment - boo. Had fun during the stock count because manage to meet many colleagues from other departments - yay! Had gossip queen as roommate - double boo!
My hotel room

3. Got half day leave the next day because my stocktake assignment begins at twelve midnight. Due to some logistic issues, I went home during lunch by bus instead of by car. It had been years since I last went on a bus ride. Penang bus sytem has been upgraded and the experience was not disappointing at all (if not for the heavy downpour which drench me wet). I actually felt a great sense of achievement when I reach home safely....call me pampered and spoilt....
Bus ticket

4. Felt really proud of my parents. Am really grateful to have supportive, open-minded and friendly parents. For the past month, I had been busy accompanying a very dear friend of mine on apartment shopping and when she found the right one, we proceed to furniture shopping. I am very glad that my mummy and daddy offered to help and gave many useful advice on this matter.

5. Many events were held in conjunction with the french festival. I missed most of them but manage to go for the puppet show and classical guitar performance held at Khoo Kongsi. The performance was not really good (or perhaps I am not artsy enough to appreciate them).

That's May at a glance. Hopefully June will be filled with more interesting and fun-filled activities.

Wesak Day Parade

2011-05-31T21:56:00.010+08:00

PS : If you notice, this is my first entry without any words or narration.

Temples of Solace

2011-05-30T21:42:00.022+08:00

Thai Buddhist Temple
The sleeping Buddha is one of the many places of interest that put Penang on the international map. Being a Penangite, it is a shame that I have not truly visited this temple and appreciate why does this temple attracts buses after buses of tourist daily. In conjunction with Wesak day, I decided to pay the sleeping Buddha a visit :

Lightings on the ceiling
3D designs of the wall

Burmese Buddhist Temple
I frequent this temple on Sundays although I am not a staunch buddhist. I find peace and feel comfortable in the building. For wesak this year, I decided to elbow my way through the strong crowd to light a candle for world peace. Normally, wesak day for me means an off day where I don't have to work nor study, and I will usually end up hanging out with friends. Maybe age is catching up and it's time to begin getting in touch with the religious side of me....

Float of the temple for wesak day grand parade in the evening

The Golden Pagoda Bell Tower was newly built and was launched during the weekend prior to wesak day. It is a three story building and an elevator was built to facilitate the welfare of older or disabled devotees. Each tile on the rooftop of the bell tower was sponsored by the temple-goers and well-wishers.
A replica of the tower

The elevator
Chandelier against the ceiling
Strong pillars to support the tower

The ground floor is filled with marble sculptures of Buddhist monuments from around the world.

Majestic ceiling. Spot the bell

Intricate designs lining the wall and tiles

Life-size statues of deities fill the second and third floor of the pagoda bell tower

View of Penang from the top of the tower

Bird's eye view of the Burmese temple

Blessing water and bands as souveniers for devotees who seek blessings from the monks

That wraps up my temple tour!

Necessities and Luxurious Stuff

2011-05-09T00:01:00.006+08:00

TGIF! It was just another Friday evening and I will be having pizza for dinner, yay. After a quick bath, I rushed to set the table for my pizza dinner when mum called for me from her room. She said that a big parcel was sent to my name and asked me to check what it is.

I was reluctant at first because I was really keen to eat my pizza. After hesitating a little, I go ahead with opening the parcel because I suspect it might be a gift from either dad or mum.

As I unwrap the parcel and open the box, I found a smaller box, an anti-virus, a laptop bag and a dongle.

Once I opened the small box, the word Acer pop up and I knew my mother bought me a new laptop.

It's official. I own my first personal laptop at the age of 25.

My family expected me to be very happy with this gift. I was and still am very happy to own a laptop. I do not wish to have one but owning one now is considered a blessing. Honestly, when I received it, I had mixed feeling. I am sure all of you why go, "What? Are you nuts? Your mum bought you a laptop and you are suppose to be happy because you don't have to fork out money for it. What's with the mixed feeling? Are you sick or what?"

That's the problem with me. I have lived without laptop and my days still pass by happily. I survive on sharing the desktop with my family members and when someone else is using the deskop, I will spend my time reading or watching the television. I do not need a laptop to do assignments or research or for work purposes. Therefore, laptop is solely a luxury item and not a necessity for me. I have never thought and never plan to get myself a laptop in the near future because I don't really need it.

Secondly, why did mum suddenly spend such a large amount of money on me? I feel guilty for 'wasting' her money. Well, yes I did not request for it but still, she could put the money to better use like pampering herself etc (that's the greatness of a mother).

I am posting this entry from my new laptop and I am trying to use it as often as possible to show my appreciation. Just in case you are reading this mummy, I really like this gift but in the future, it should be the other way round.....I should be the one getting you luxurious stuff.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T23:18:00.005+08:00

Today is the day all mothers anticipate. No matter how much they claim that this day is over-rated and merely a commercial gimmick, deep down in their heart, they wish their children will do something special for them on this day.

I did not wish my mother 'Happy Mother's Day' verbally nor non-verbally (which is through text messaging or social networking sites). To me, this three words carry no meaning because everyday should be mother's day. She deserves to be happy everyday and not only on mother's day.

Personally, my mother nearly died giving birth to me. She did not tell me this herself, my dad did. Maybe she did not want me to feel guilty or something. The cooking, the laundries, the sweeping, the mopping, the cleaning, the ironing, the chauffeuring and the list never ends. Mother does all this without complaining.

When I did badly at school, she never scold but encourages. When I hurt her, she just wept silently. When I crave and wish for something, no matter how big (handphone) or little (ice-cream) it is, she will get it for me. Eventhough she is a working mother, she is able to juggle both house chores and career well.

When I got my first meagre paycheck, she was happy for me and never once has she ever asked me to re-pay her in any way for whatever sacrifices that she has done for me. She will only remember the good in her children and erases all the bad.

The question here is how can we ever re-pay mum for all that she has done for us? Spas, expensive meals, gifts etc cannot measure to all the things that she has done. To me, the best way to make her happy is to lead a meaningful life and not forget my roots and the family I grew up in.

Mummy, everyday should be mother's day. I love you.

PS : Just in case you are curious, I pampered mum with a spa treatment today and she love it. Only mummy will understand my above toddler-like drawing.

Dim Sum

2011-05-08T22:22:00.012+08:00

The best way to break the ice or to make a comeback after a long hiatus is to talk about food. The long hiatus is due to nothing-special-happens-to-my-oh-so-routine-life. No, actually I was just too lazy to blog, preferring to waste my time playing some time-management games, ironic huh?

Anyway, we will be indulging in the world of Dim sum. Dim sum is cantonese for small individual portion of food. The Chinese usually eat it as breakfast and dim sum is highly associated with 'yum cha' which means drinking chinese tea. Dim sum mainly consist of steamed dumplings made of pork, prawns etc. Traditionally, people will wake up at dawn to savour this breakfast while reading the daily newspaper and listening to birds chirping. Nowadays, dim sum are served for dinner and even supper too.

To enjoy authentic and tasty dim sum, you don't need to travel all the way to China. Malaysia restaurants do serve yummy dim sum too. I had dinner at one :-

Chinese tea. Dim sum without it is like pizza without cheese.
Siu mai. Pork dumpling. One of the top favourites.
Harr gau. Shrimp dumpling.
Cheng yu tann.Steamed fishballs. Simple but nice.
Chee choi mai.Seaweed crabstick dumpling. I believe this dish is not available in China because it is not a traditional dim sum dish.
Siew loong pau. Named little dumpling but I find the size similar to other dumplings.
The fillings of little dumpling. No idea why is it green but am very sure it's made of pork.
Char siew pau. Buns filled with barbequed pork. My personal favourite.
Tai pau. Big buns filled with chicken meat and eggs.
Lor mai kai. Lotus leave glutinous rice with chicken and chinese mushroom. The glutinous rice is very filling and excessive intake may cause indigestion.
Food for five.
Some of the desserts and fried dishes on sale.
Tan tart. Egg tarts, a typical favourite.

There goes the ice-breaking entry. I am all in the mood to post more entries now....

Nothing Yet Happy ?!

2011-04-03T10:55:00.003+08:00

It's officially the second quarter of year 2011. Seriously, how time flies! If at this very moment, someone were to ask me how I feel, I will answer, "I feel nothing and yet happy." By nothing, I do not mean I feel empty, I just feel....well, nothing. I have been working on auto-pilot mode and getting okay money for doing that. Mind you, I did not choose to work like that, it's just that the nature of my job does not require me to push my brain to the limits. Therefore it makes me feel nothing because I use my brain lesser nowadays and since I practically give up on my studies, I am not putting my brain to good use again. I stop studying because usually only school drop-outs can be millionaires at a very young age and I am trying to follow suit. Before all you parents and teachers out there start screaming, well nope, I am only joking. I have given this course of study so many years and yet, I still can't complete it. I blame it all on passion and since I have already wasted enough time and money on it, enough is enough!

The above leads me to feeling happy, which is the only emotion I feel nowadays. Why? Well, I choose to be happy, it's as simple as that....really! Don't believe? Lets get a bit deeper into my life :

1. I have a stress-free job that pays okay money and I do not have to clock in extra hours at work. Did I also mention that all meals are provided by the company?

2. I do not have a very high tertiary education but I am grateful to land a job that pays okay. Besides that, I feel rich in knowledge of mannerism and humanity.

3. I have great family members. I still have both parents alive, not to mention both my grandmothers too, and also my brother. As for the extended family members, we are not very closely-knitted but we are all on good terms and when we do get together, it's always a joyous affair.

4. I have small eyes, flat nose and lots of baby fats despite my age. At this point, many of you will go, "What?? You are happy with that?" Well, yes and no! I used to not like my features because doe-eyed girls with small pointy nose usually get more attention, and don't even get me started on those flabby flesh. But then again, I have also seen many girls with my features that are pretty and even manage to land hot caucasian husband. As for those extra pounds, lots of exercise and healthy living is the way to get rid of them. At least, every part of my body is original (I despise plastic surgery for beauty), so what's the reason to be unhappy about?

5. I manage to stay out of gossips or participate in any form of gossips. Honestly, human revolve around gossip and to be able to stay out of this orbit is a really difficult task though not impossible.

6. I have friends and colleagues who love me for who I am.

7. I have a comfortable home to live in, sufficient money to spend on leisure activities and for donation, am living in a country where although the political grounds are a bit messy, at least it's a natural disaster-free area and I have my dog whom I really love.

Aren't all this sufficient? Well, I still desire to own a house, to have a better-paying job and to land a good husband. But I believe all this things will happen eventually. I should live in the present moment and enjoy it, tomorrow is after all a mystery.

Georgetown CNY Celebration 2011

2011-03-02T00:21:00.029+08:00

If I don't do this tonight, I think I will never do it. As usual, it's an outdated event! So I will just fill this entry with all the photographs and let them do the narration. This year's state level chinese new year celebration was not as fun as the previous year. This might be because the first time experience is always the best, filled with excitement and new discoveries. Or maybe the drizzle successfully dampen our spirit. But I personally think the crowd at a junction at Armenian Street killed the fun. It was extremely sardine-packed at the bottle-neck and I nearly pass-out due to human suffocation (imagine sweaty bodies plus rain-soaked clothing).

This cards were obtained from free hugs and we can use them as token to play games along the street.

This street features the lifestyle and things used by our fore-fathers in the olden days.

There were actors and actresses along the street playing the roles of traders selling cakes, biscuits and sugar canes. A group of young men acting as labourers were the 'stars' of the street. We can actually purchase the food on sale but we have to change our money to the olden days currency for our purchases.

The following pictures are my personal favourite. These bunch of young people were assigned to dress in 1960s outfit and every single one of them obliged to be photographed. They made the whole event so much more interesting.

Penang is one of the first state in Malaysia that is actively supporting the reduce, reuse and recycle campaign. Therefore, there was a mini reminder to encourage its people to practice the three R.

As we proceed to the next few streets, there were more stuff to check out:-

Bananas anyone?

Remember I mentioned about the huge crowd earlier? Check it out yourself. Some girls were assigned to 'give out' red packets with non-monetary contents from a balcony and the crowd went wild and crazy because of this. Kiasu-ism perhaps??

Any highlight of the night was the street of marriage. It features the holy matrimony of different races and cultures.

That's it! I have to seriously sign off this very moment because it's already 3am and I have a 9 to 5 job to attend to tomorrow...

3 Days, 2 Bucket of Tears

2011-02-19T20:45:00.004+08:00

Chinese new year is officially over. No need to wear red and bright-coloured clothes all day long, no more cookies indulgence and no more red packets to be collected. It's back to work hard and play less.

During chinese new year, everything said or done has to be auspicious and positive. Negative elements (such as the mourning colour black, arguing or engaging in any acts that causes grieve) are a big no-no because it symbolises a bad start for the new year. So since it's after chinese new year already, I expect to encounter some of this negative elements.

However, I don't expect them to come so soon. I contacted 3 of my very dear friends on three different days in a row and out of them all, 2 cried in sorrow. Although their problems do not affect or make an impact in my daily life, I am disturbed by their problems.

The first friend cried because of relationship problem and the second one because of career. The first friend is born with a silver spoon and is studying abroad but she has just been dumped by her boyfriend without a clue of the cause. My second friend is happily married but she was betrayed by her best friend/colleague and she was accused of a serious fraud.

I was honoured that they are willing to share their problems with me and in some way, I feel blessed that my mind is not bothered by anything major and I still have time for them.

I am sure my second friend will bounce back to her cheerful self very soon because she has her family full support and a job is after all a mode of earning a living only. Although, I don't deny that being betrayed by a close friend is one of the most horrible thing that could happen to someone in life.

However, I am really worried of my first friend because she is so far away in a foreign land and her problem is really a matter of the heart. I know the guy too and no one is to be blamed in this case because neither party made a mistake. When I came to know it, there was so much going on in my mind but I just can't find the right word to console her. I just hope that she can move on real soon and be a better person.

I am not only glad that I am surrounded by friends but I am very happy to be able to share my friends' joy and sorrows.

The True Meaning Of Chinese New Year

2011-02-17T23:17:00.018+08:00

It's the rabbit year.

I have to post this entry before the clock strikes 12.....not because I am Cinderella-wannabe. It's 'Chap Goh Meh' (the fifteenth day of the first month of the chinese lunar calendar) today, which marks the end of the chinese new year celebration. Today is also the chinese valentine's day where eligible maidens will throw oranges into the sea in hope of finding a good partner.

Anyway, lets get back to the topic of the day, to how I spent my lunar new year for the past 15 days. Besides dining, wining, gambling, receiving red packets and attending endless gatherings, I realised one very important value that is missing in the younger generation.

Ask a man in his fifties what chinese new year means to him and then post this question to a twenty year old. The youth will answer that chinese new year means holiday (no books, no work), indulging in sumptuous delicacies, the time to gamble, red packets, lots of drinking and the time to have fun. The former on the other hand, will give a one word answer. Family!

Besides all those fun and indulgences, chinese new year is the time for family. It is the time where family members, no matter how busy they are or how far apart they are from each other, get together under one roof to welcome the lunar new year. This year, I decide to blog about items that carries auspicious meanings to usher in chinese new year.

See the blue bowls? They are new and every year, we have to add at least one new bowl. This symbolises that we will have descendants and there will be more to eat.
'Kam' which sounds like gold in cantonese is a must have during chinese new year.
'Kat chai' which is part of an auspicious cantonese saying 'tai kat tai lei' loosely means big fortune and luck to come.
'Wo lou'. People in the olden days keep money in this. So when you display this, it means you have plenty of money to keep.
'Lin ngau' which rhymes with there is abundance every year.
'Suen' which sounds like count in cantonese symbolises that there is plenty to count.
'Wong lai' aka pineapple means arrival of luck in cantonese.
'Nian gao' which literally means every year also go higher / climb upwards the ladder of success.
Rice, the staple food of chinese. On new year's eve, we have to cook more rice to ensure that there are excess. The excess rice symbolises that we have enough to eat and they can even last until next year.
Hampers are a goodwill gesture and it means the recipient is likeable among his friends.
'Nin fa' is a must have during this chinese new year because when it blossoms, it symbolises fertility and beauty as well as life.

The most important day during chinese new year is the new year's eve dinner. On this day, we cook dishes which carry auspicious meanings.
Chicken have to be served in whole because it symbolises unity of the family members.
'Har' which sounds like the sound of laughter is a must have too.
Roasted pork is a delicacy and is usually served for this festive season.
Can you spot the fish balls amidst the brocollis? My family is not a fan of fish but fish or 'yu' in cantonese is a must have during chinese new year because it means there are excess in everything.
'Choi' rhymes with good fortune.
'Yee sang' is a delicacy which is sold only during this festive season. It consist of chopped carrots and turnips with marinated onions and fried biscuits, topped with a sourish sauce and pomelo scrapes.
All the family members toss the 'yee sang' with chopsticks as high as possible. As we do this, we shout out auspicious sayings like success, good health, longevity etc. The higher we toss means that the more successful we will be in achieving our dreams.

After dinner, we go for our last prayer of the year at the temple. We usually thank God for the blessed year and wish for a better year ahead.

When the clock strikes 12 and it's officially the first day of the chinese lunar year, we drink a bowl of this dessert known as 'lin chi pak hup'. Drinking this extremely sweet soup give us the hope that we will have a sweet and great year ahead.

The seventh day of chinese new year is known as 'yan yat' which loosely translate to human day or everybody's birthday. On this day, we will eat porridge cooked with 'sang yu' and garnished with 'sang choi'. 'Sang' means life.

Must have items during chinese new year :-
A place is quiet and dark when the occupants are sad and grieving. The thundering sound of firecrackers and the bits of red papers from the fire crackers scattered on the floor shows that a happy occasion took place in the family.
Lion dance brings luck.
'Hong pao' or red packets are given by married couples to children. When some one gives 'hong pao', it means the person has excess money and when the recipient receives 'hong pao', it means the giver acknowledges his/her status.
'Fook Lok Sau' which means happiness, abundance of descendants and longevity.

People nowadays do not really appreciate the meaning and details of chinese new year. They merely brush them off as grandmother's superstitious tales and outdated, non-scientifically proven beliefs. But to me, all these make the celebration meaningful. Besides the preparation, the part I enjoy most about chinese new year is the reunion dinner on new year's eve because it is the time where all the family members sit together for a sumptuous meal and catching up session.
Chinese new year is a time to celebrate family togetherness and to be able to celebrate this special day with your loved ones around is true blessings

January 28

2011-01-29T00:03:00.003+08:00

28th January 2011! It's not my birthday, neither is it some festivals nor a holiday. It's just another ordinary, routine working weekday. But sometimes, things work in a funny way and blessings come in the least expected manner.

It's pay day. So what? You deserve to be paid for the job done during the month. What I least expect is the bonus. I have one month plus bonus for doing sufficient (no putting in of extra hours) work. If it's not a windfall, what do you call it? I don't expect to be paid so much, after all I am still a newbie. That's the perk of working in a big company gal!

The second good thing that befalls me on this day is an outing with a very dear friend.....okay, a crush. It's the first time that we go out together, as in only the two of us. But I don't call this a date because he is already seeing someone. But him asking me out for dinner out of the blues definitely made my day (although at a point I had butterflies in my stomach). It turn out pretty platonic, just dinner and catching up as well as reminiscing the good old days. No flirting at all but it's enough because we get the alone time together.

Good things happen when we least expect it. The fruit is always sweeter when we have no expectation at all. What a lovely way to end my January!

Super Star Libra Cruise

2011-01-17T00:43:00.013+08:00

For the past two years, I am really grateful that I live in Penang and I am super proud to be a Penangite. Penang is a city with a touch of heritage preservation. No matter you are young or old, female or male, there is some happenings throughout the year at Penang that will suit you. (Pardon me if you think that I am crapping, it's my bedtime but since I have already logged in, might as well post all my entries at once).

Anyway, the Super Star Libra cruise docked at Weld Quay, Penang last week. It's a much bigger ship compared to the Star Pisces cruise (check out my post in March last year). The ship was opened for the public to tour and me being a 'kiasu' was there. Lets check out some snapshots of it.

Georgetown City Day

2011-01-16T22:51:00.019+08:00

Something just never change. I am trying my very best to stick closely to my new year's resolution and just realised that I forgot to add 'blog more often and keep the blog up-to-date' to my list. I am about to post an entry on an event that took place on the first day of year 2011. Procrastinating again, as usual? Well, no! I had been and still am making full use of my time baking cookies for chinese new year.

Anyway, lets get to the point. Georgetown, Penang was given the world heritage site status on July 7th two years back. What follows was major street festival and events to honour this title. Little did we know, Georgetown was also the first state in Malaysia to be given the city status. This title was given by Queen Elizabeth in year 1957. For the very first time this year, the Penang government organised a celebration to honour this status.

We reach Esplanade (the venue of the event) just in the nick of time to witness the flag-off of a cycling event as well as chingay performance.

One of the highlight of the event. I personally like this corner the most.

Games corner.

Random cute vehicles.

Penang Chief Minister's car.

The official opening ceremony and parade of Georgetown City Day. The mc for the night was Mahadzir Lokman, a popular local celebrity.

Ending the event or should I say starting a great year 2011 with fireworks.

What's Up Year 2011 ?

2011-01-01T00:42:00.002+08:00

Hello 1111 (1st January 2011)! Welcome year 2011 !

It's official. The first decade of the millennium is over. We are entering the beginning of the second decade. How time flies. Wasn't it only recently that I graduated from high school/college? Isn't it only recently that I started mingling with people of the opposite gender? I am a newbie in the working world? I am not so grown-up yet to party hard?

The answer to all the above question is a big NO. I had been letting life and time pass by without actually achieving much and without really growing up. I will be in my mid twenties this year. I have got to do something. Waste time no more, start living life like a grown up, and go out there and achieve some goals.

Note to self : The mindset for year 2011 is to live each day as though 24 hours daily is not enough for you to do the things you want to do.

New year's resolutions that must be kept and achieved
1. Lose all the baby fats. Come on, I am baby no more. It's time to be slim and sexy.
2. Practise 3G - Think good, Speak good, and Do good.
3. Land my dream job, my ambition of all time.
4. Learn a language, tentatively French.
5. Go for a holiday overseas with my family.

New year's goals that I hope to achieve
1. Take up a course of study.
2. Invest in properties (most probably a house).
3. Move from single-ville to dating-land.
4. Make more friends and really appreciate each friendship.

I am all geared up to face year 2011. I want to make this year my year! (Just like how Taylor Swift made year 2009 her year and Justin Bieber, year 2010 his year). I don't hope to be as famous as them. All I wish is to stick to my new year's resolutions and lead the life I desire. Bring it on year 2011 !

Fond Memories Of Year 2010

2010-12-31T22:50:00.004+08:00

Year 2010 is ending in an hour time. Many revelers are busy partying, ushering in the new year. I choose to stay in the comfort of my home and appreciate the last hour of year 2010. This is simply because year 2010 has a special meaning in my heart. It is my year....well, literally. It's the year of the tiger (which happens to be my Chinese zodiac) and 2010 rhymes with my birthday (10th October). But achievement-wise and making-new year's resolution-come-true-wise, year 2010 is not really my year.

Nevertheless, there are still many fond memories throughout year 2010:

January
- this month past by in a daze, maybe because it's the first month of the year. I still have plenty of time to achieve my goals (or so I thought).

February
- this month is all about Chinese new year. Cookies baking, spring cleaning, shopping for new clothes and of course collecting red packets.
- bought a new hand phone with my bonus.
- did prayers at the temple because the Chinese lunar calendar tiger year is supposedly not a good year for me. This praying ritual is known as 'sip tai sui' in cantonese.
- had a wonderful time at the Penang state level Chinese new year celebration.

March
- bonding session with mummy, daddy and brother on board of the Star Pisces cruise.
- attended the thought-provoking 'Siddharta, The Musical'. I understand the roots of Buddhism better and am not shy to tell people that I am a Buddhist.

April
- went for my 'dream' job interview and aced it (it turned out the job is not really that ideal).
- news of many friends' relatives and friends deceased. This makes me appreciate life and the people around me more.

May
- put in extra effort and extra time at work because it's my last month there. Although it's work, I enjoyed every moment with my colleagues and time seems to be flying by so fast.
- attended too many farewells for myself. All these make me miss my then-colleagues even more.

June
- a month of emotion roller coaster. Am very reluctant to leave my nice boss and amazing colleagues, yet I am keen to move on to a bigger corporation.
- started my new job in the middle of the month.
- discovered a very big hole (the size of two cars piled up) outside my apartment. Luckily, repair work quickly took place and no one was injured.

July
- Spain won World Cup for the first time in history. I am a Spain supporter (well, actually a huge fan of the goalkeeper, Iker Casillas), so I was really happy with the victory.
- had a great time at the Georgetown Heritage festival, which was held to commemorate Penang as a world heritage landmark.
- appeared in the nation newspaper. I joined a tour around Georgetown and was photographed by the journalists.

August
- went to cut my hair at a classic beauty parlour and the hair stylist is an old uncle. But the result turned out to be satisfying.

September
- nothing extraordinary happened this month. I was busy trying to adapt to my new job and trying to not miss my former colleagues.

October
- it's a wonderful month. Why? Simply because it's my birth month.
- brush shoulders with a local celebrity and an international starlet, yet I let the opportunity to snap photographs with them slip off my fingers.

November
- my proudest moment of the year. I completed the Penang bridge marathon within a given time frame and was awarded a qualifying medal.
- went for free trial french class. Totally love the language.

December
- the Malaysia football team was the champion for the Suzuki AFF. It has been so long since our country's team last brought glory home. As a result, the last day of year 2010 was declared a public holiday for Malaysians.
- it is the last month Penangites carry their purchases with plastic bags.

There goes my year 2010. May year 2011 be a more meaningful and better year.

Goodbye year 2010

Welcome year 2011

2nd Anniversary !

2010-12-25T23:19:00.004+08:00

Fuh! Finally manage to post an entry. Had not been super occupied for Christmas. No party, no crazy drinking and binging. In fact, I am not in Christmas mood at all. I actually feel kind of moody and I wonder why. Sigh.

I should be happy with my current life. I should be grateful. Why am I going through one of those down-for-no-reason-moments again? I hate it when this happens. I know I should not waste my time sulking and I should enjoy every second of my life but things are easier said than done. Feelings are so difficult to control, especially since I am of the fairer sex.

I should be grateful because although I am not a masters graduate, I am qualified enough to earn a decent job. My paycheck does not secure me a worry-free retirement life but at lease it's enough for me to meet my commitments and to do a little retail therapy. My family is not broken, my parents are still together, and my brother is leading his dream life. See, my life is complete, why am I feeling so shitty??

I guess it must be because of loneliness. I have friends but something is just missing. Will elaborate more in my next entry. I feel so inspired to blog nowadays. Good news!

It's always at times like this that I am truly happy that geniuses come up with blogspot. I always do feel better after pouring my feelings here. Muacks Mich's Monologue. Happy 2 years anniversary!

Merry Christmas! Love, Peace & Joy!

Is There A Difference ?

2010-12-22T19:36:00.003+08:00

Since the moment you are born, you are made and taught to take sides. Which nipple do you prefer to get your milk from, which is your favourite toy. Then when you are a toddler, which cartoon character is your favourite, what is your favourite subject at school, who is your favourite teacher and the ultimate question of all time.....who do you love more? Mummy or Daddy?

Then there are those friends and colleagues, always trying to 'recruit' you to their team in the invisible popularity race. Not to forget the country, with so many political parties trying to fish for your votes.

In the recent weeks, I became really sick of all this taking sides stuff. Can't people just stay neutral? Wouldn't it be more peaceful if human are not required to take sides?

At the home front, when parents argue, the children are indirectly made to take sides. It is definitely impossible for the child to stay neutral and not dislike one of the parent more. Siblings likewise.

Then at work or school, when two of your friends go into a misunderstanding, you are made to listen to their gossip and to agree with them that the other party is indeed bitchy and stuff.

On the political front, we are brain-washed to bad-mouth the other parties.

This are all human nature. Although I strongly disagree with this behaviour, there is no denial that it is part of the human character. However it is not the people that encourage sides-taking that suffers. The people whom are made to take sides suffer more. Why?

Well, I for example do not agree with taking sides because to me, both parties are not in the wrong, it's merely a big misunderstanding. At the end of day, when you are at your death bed, does all these really matters? I believe that everybody is born with a kind-heart. It's just that due to peer pressure and influence from the surrounding, one became mislead. Therefore, I befriend everyone and do not take sides.

But in the people-who-encourage-sides-taking opinion, they do not think that you are being neutral. When they gossip about the other party and you do not participate but merely listen, they think that you support the other party. When you talk and treat the other party nice, they assume you are on their side and instantly make you their enemy.

It is really a fine line between being neutral and being a two-headed snake. People constantly misunderstand you as the latter. But being a librain, I will continue my journey being the former because I find happiness by doing that.

Straits Quay @ Penang

2010-12-20T20:16:00.009+08:00

The pearl of the orient, my beloved Penang island is going through some evolution. Nope, I am not touching the political side. I am talking about turning Penang island into a one-stop shopping heaven. Many shopping complexes have mushroomed on the island itself this year.

My favourite new retail theraphy location is Straits Quay, not because of the shops or anchor tenants (currently, only 10% of the shop lots are occupied). I love this new place simply because of its majestic and sophisticated architecture. Call me shallow?

In my opinion, there is a reason for this building to be built in such a majestic way. Straits Quay was built on reclaimed-land. Gasp! Questions start popping in my mind. Will it sink in say a two or three decades time? Can the mighty tsunami sweep the whole building away?

Anyway, it is a not-to-be-missed place to visit in Penang. Just enjoy the evening breeze while walking along the promenade or enjoy a cuppa while over-looking the sea view, and for the shutter bug, it's a place to click, click, click and click your camera.

A modern place with vintage touch.

The theme for this year's christmas - Christmas in Candyland

Back From Hiatus

2010-12-20T00:02:00.005+08:00

It had been so long since I last updated this blog. I hate mentioning this and I am sure you are bored of reading this ever-so-familiar sentence as a starter for most of my entries. I am sick of it too but I just can't help it. Life had not been super busy. This past few months drifted by as though I was in a dream. I feel as though I am living each day without fully participating in it. Yeah, it's complicated but I am not emo....will be able to figure this out soon.

On a happier note, I suprised myself by participating in the Penang Bridge Marathon and shocked the people around me by completing the marathon in a short time, hence qualified for a medal. Yay! Finally something to be proud of. Has not been achieving much since I left high school, sort of miss my glorious days back then (I sound as though I am an old lady reminiscing her younger days).

The marathon was divided into several categories but generally there was the full-marathon, half-marathon and quarter-marathon. I only decided to join about two months before the race and being a first-timer, I opted for the quarter-marathon. The race started at 6am but I was already up at 3am. I went with my brother and a couple of expatriate friends. With their company, the morning was much more fun. We ran in the rain, which was not a bad thing since Malaysia is a humid country.

Time flies while we were running and enjoying the morning breeze. Soon after the race, we begin to feel muscle sores but we enjoyed the pain. We felt a sense of achievement and at that point, we made a date with each other to participate in the half-marathon next year.

On a totally unrelated note, for the first time in my entire life, I saw a person faint right in front of my eyes. It was a casual weekend outing with my two buddies. We had sushi for lunch and then we headed for the cinema. It was a really cold evening and by the time the movie ended, we were starving. We decided to have dinner at a double storey food outlet. Since the second floor was very crowded, we decided to head downstairs for a more strategic table. One of my friend missed a step and fell. She bruised her knees but luckily she did not sprain her legs. It was equally crowded downstairs, so we waited. Suddenly, the friend who fell turned to me and said, "Quick, talk to me. I am about to faint." I was taken aback by her remarks and was speechless at that moment. Suddenly, her face turned pale and she fainted. She nearly knocked her head on the sharp ends and I felt helpless. I was too freaked out to re-act because I did not actually thought she would really faint. Luckily she recovered really soon and by then, our table was ready. What a way to end our day.

Visit, Dine & Indulge

2010-11-08T21:56:00.024+08:00

Elizabeth Gilbert Eat at Italy, Pray at India and found Love at Bali. I am not so fortunate to travel around the world, nevertheless I had a great time Visiting at Gopeng, Dining at Ipoh and Indulging at Kuala Sepetang.

These three places are all located at Perak, Malaysia. What initially was a casual weekend road trip south to visit my maternal grandma turn into a fun-filled holiday. Although I have been to Perak umpteen times, this is a totally different experience with my relatives whom I meet every year.

It was a short weekend, so I spent Friday at Gopeng, Saturday at Ipoh, Sunday at Kuala Sepetang and today at work with really bad Monday blues.

Visiting at Gopeng
It's is one of the upcoming tourist attraction at Gopeng. Gopeng is a small town, located about a 30 minutes drive from Ipoh. The entrance fee to this museum is free. My guess is because they are new and would like to attract more tourist and make this place well-known through the words of mouth.

Dining at Ipoh
Ipoh is famous for its dim sum and bean sprout chicken but this time around, my cousin took me to an Italian restaurant for dinner. The restaurant looks pretty ordinary from the outside with it's name carved in green and red against a white background (colours of the Italy flag). The place was a little crowded but the waiters are very friendly and polite. The menu was rather simple, pizza and pasta
being the main course. Since it was my treat for the family, I ordered a variety and make sure we all eat to our heart's content.

I promise myself to dine at this restaurant every time I go to Ipoh simply because they serve the best pizza in town at a reasonable price. And not to mention, they have really cute pizza guys (waiters) there.

Indulging at Kuala Sepetang
Kuala Sepetang serves cheap and yummy seafood but if you are not a local, very likely you will miss this small fishing town. We ended our weekend by indulging in a table-full of seafood. Yummy but very high in cholestrol, but who cares....we are on holiday.

That sums up my journey for the weekend. Although I did not find love like Elizabeth Gilbert (hey, she went for a year and I only traveled for three days), but I manage to do some soul searching. I learned to appreciate the simplicity of life, to appreciate and love my family simply for who they are and that money do not buy happiness.

Say Ahh!!! With The Penang Doctors

2010-11-04T00:17:00.016+08:00

I was skeptical when I first heard that doctors from seven hospitals in Penang are joining hands to perform for charity. I mean, how good can they actually be? They will definitely be able to collect a massive amount of donations with their extended list of rich friends and patients, but definitely not with their talents....or so I thought.

Anyway, I attended the event because me, being an ex-celebrity-stalker was excited when I found out that former child star Fung Po Po and news anchor Owen Yap (which is an eye candy) will be at the event as a special guest and emcee for the night respectively.

We were seated quite far away from the stage because we bought the cheapest ticket. So please pardon my bad quality photos.
The ticket, printed like a certificate.
The programme book

About 80 doctors took time off from their busy schedule and performed for the evening. It was really nice to see the doctors working hands in hands for the name of charity regardless of which hospital they are from. There are many performances, mostly singing and I shall only highlight the interesting ones in this entry.

The night kick-start with a dance number, which I feel did not leave a lasting impact as an opening item. But the emcees, Owen Yap and Yen Husin saved the night with their quick-witted and humorous lines.

Then there was the sexy belly dancing performance led by this event organising chairman. The crowd went wild at this point and wanted more but they have to make way for the other performances.

Next up was the 'Half past six doctors'. They came up with this name because a part of each members in the quartet's name means Dr. Quack, Dr. Crazy and Dr. Killer. Despite their names, they belted amazing songs. I don't mind sitting though a few more numbers performed by them. They are one of my favourite performers for the night.

Then it was the rendition of the song L.O.V.E. and the singer was so good that it felt like he was holding his own solo concert. After that, a young and gorgeous doctor took centre stage to render 'Music of the night' from the movie Phantom of the opera. I was totally mesmerized by him (and his good looks) and had a crush on him soon after.

Then there were more singings after that but I was really distracted. 'Music of the night' was still playing in my head and I regret for not taking any photographs of him during his performance.

After all those singings, the event chairperson and my 'phantom' took the stage with their waltz move. It was really impressive and that concludes the first half of the night.

After a fifteen minutes interval, the officials and sponsors went on stage for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Then, the LSC Pacemaker rendered a medley of songs before making way for the youngsters from the Temple of Fine Arts to perform a sitar ensemble. Sitar if a guitar-like instrument and the melody produced is quite a novelty.

Next was the performance by an invited guest-doctor from Melbourne. He travels around the world to educate young medical students and performed two self-composed songs, one about skin and the other about hand. Many people did not appreciate his performance because they feel that it is not a proper song but I find the lyrics really catchy and cute.

Then, there was a latin dance performance and after that, my phantom took centre stage with a group of professional dancers to perform tango. At that point, I wish that I was his dancing partner.

Then, a group of doctors-to-be (medical students) did a near-perfect cross-over dance routine of street jazz and k-pop.

The night ended with all the performers singing to the tunes of 'Heal the world' and 'We are the world'. It was overall a fantastic night and we get to see the other side of the usually serious doctors. For one night only they drop their stethoscopes for microphones and dancing shoes.

If you notice from the pictures, the stage lightings was breathtaking thanks to the great stage producer Joe Sidek. He is seen below with Fung Po Po. And for those Fung Po Po fans out there, this two pictures of her is for you.

PS : I regret not grabbing the opportunity to get a snapshot with Owen Yap. I was literally brushing shoulders with him because I went to the front of the stage after the finale to get a clear snapshot of Fung Po Po. I could have just ask him for a picture and I am sure he would oblige. Regret!

Love Alive Charity Concert

2010-11-02T23:39:00.008+08:00

This event was only advertised once in the local newspaper and it did catch my attention because just by looking at the name of the event, I had an impression that it will be a night of local singers famous for their looks but unpolished vocal prowess. Boy, I was so wrong! I was really grateful that I decided to check out who the performers are and that I did not miss it.

The ticketing booth was decorated in a nice shade of pink. There were banners on the pink ribbon (which symbolises support towards fighting against breast cancer) and there were badges and t-shirts all bearing the same pink logo. Soon, I realise that this charity concert is in aid of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. And now the title of the event makes sense. Love Alive = With love, we are alive. It is meaningless to live in a world without love.

The concert was the brainchild of the Penang Rotaract Club (youth get together to do charity here) and was supported by Alliance Francais Penang (if you want to learn french, this is the place to go to) and G Hotel (one of the classiest boutique hotel in Penang).

When we reached the G Hotel, we were being served cocktails and the doors open at 7pm sharp. We were really lucky to be seated strategically in the middle about the 6th row from the stage. Soon, the guest of honour arrived punctually and he gave an astounding speech. One of the phrase he said which I find really meaningful was, "When we were young, we spend our life earning money. And when we are old, we spend our money trying to earn back our healthy life." It is so common in todays world for people to chase after material possessions that we have neglected our loved ones and most importantly neglected our health. And as we grow older, we start to treasure life, which might be a little too late for some. So true indeed.

The main reason I decided to attend this concert was because of two performers. They are 'The De Leon Jazz Experience' and 'Moses & Sons'. Both band consist of the father and his two sons.

Moses & Sons started the ball-rolling by playing 3 jazz numbers. Moses was on the keyboard while his two sons worked the electric guitar and drum respectively. Moses also showcased his vocal prowess by belting out two Michael Buble number. It was simply awesome.

Next up was Ronald De Leon and his two young sons. notice that I said young sons? Well, his eldest son is only twelve years old and the younger one is only ten years old. Despite their young age, they have carved their name for being the youngest 8th-grade saxophonist and the youngest 8th-grade drummer respectively. Besides playing the keyboard, saxophone and drum, they also play the guitar, trumpet and violet very well. What a true blue family of musicians.

After both families performed, they went on stage for a collaboration and it was nice to see such talented people performing superb musics.

The audience could never get enough of the jazz music but the two family bands have got to make way for other performances. Next up was a line dance performance breast cancer survivors beautifully clad in baju kebaya.

The night ended with a bang by Dasha Logan. She is the daughter of one of the members of 'Alley Cats'. She may be a petite teenager but she has great vocal prowess like an experienced singer. She also has on-stage charisma and I am sure she can go far without any helping hands from her famous father.

It was a fantastic night of music and talents. I wish that it would not end so soon but everything that begins will definitely end, but one thing for sure was I went home with a lot more love to spread and share with the world. Love Alive!

Going Back To School

2010-11-02T23:07:00.003+08:00

Why is it that every time when I am motivated and have the time to blog, the Internet connection will be down?! Finally after waiting impatiently for 48 hours, I got the strong connection back....but now I am faced with writers block. Arghh!!!

I realised that recently my entries consist of many pictures but brief descriptions. So I will try to put my essay writing skill back to work for my following entries.

In the beginning of this year, my mum and I attended mandarin class at a charitable organisation. I stopped mid-year but my mum persevere and she came out first in a writing contest.

This place not only offers mandarin classes, they also have classes for Malay language, English language, computer classes, flower arrangement etc. It operates like a school, equipped with school bell and black board, and it's sort of a nostalgia to be back in 'school'.

At the end of the school year, they have a 'graduation' dinner for the students and also a prize giving session to honour the outstanding students and to thank the dedicated teachers (which are volunteers because they are only paid a meagre allowance).

The dinner was held at the school hall and we were served 8-course vegetarian dishes. If the vegetarian food out there taste as good as those I had during the dinner, I don't mind being a vegan for life. Just by typing this makes me crave for the spicy & sour sauce 'fish' (the 'fish' was made from bean curd).

There were some performances by the students and volunteers. It was not very entertaining but they should be given credit for their effort. Then it was prize presentation time and lucky draw. The night ended abruptly because most of the people left once the number for the grand lucky draw prize was announced. That's a flaw in our local culture. People are not sporting to see other people winning.

The night kick start with a choir performance.
Fan Dance

Mummy collecting her trophy

Back To Basic

2010-10-11T12:04:00.004+08:00

I wanted to post this entry sooner, precisely immediately after my dad's minor accident. The reason being that at that very point I was really inspired but now writers' block has taken over.

I tried googling on whether are they any mode of transportation that faced extinction. What triggers me on this subject is bicycle. Bicycle was one of the oldest and first mode of transportation. It is a cheap and practical way of travelling although not for long distance.

I live on Penang Island in Malaysia, also known as The pearl of the orient. It's an island that has enough happenings of a city and yet it still maintains its heritage treasures.

The latest craze in Penang is cycling (the world has nothing else to create and goes back to the things once used by our forefathers?). The government actively promote this activity, many organizations took this opportunity to organise cycling events and the opportunist started making money from this whole cycling hoo-haa . My family participate too since we are true blue Penangites. Well, cycling is good for the air (no emission of smokes to pollute the air) and good for health because it's a form of exercise too. So, why not join in the fun?

On a rainy morning, while cycling downhill,my dad slipped over a wet leaf and fell from his bicycle. Luckily, he only bruised his leg and did not tumble down the hill. At that point, I realised that once we step out of our house, it is not safe out there (well, staying at home is not so safe after all but that's a different story).

Anyway, that made me realise that we have to be grateful that we made it to a destination safely no matter what mode of transportation we were on. We often take our loved ones for granted and casually say goodbye but have we ever thought that that could be the last time we see them? We have to appreciate the people around us and learn not to get mad over trivial things. After all, what is life if not for the other humans around us.

Will we be happy with lots of material possessions but no loved ones or will we be happy with enough material possessions but many loved ones to share them with? I am sure I will find happiness with the latter.

Lets check out my family members' bicycle.
Dad's bicycle.
Mum's.
Bro's bicycle. He was the first in the family to take up this hobby.
Mine. If you have not notice by now, mine is a stationery bicycle. I can only ride in machines that has three wheels (tricycle) or more. So in order to keep up with the family spirit, I got myself this.

Yay, It's My Birthday

2010-10-10T16:52:00.005+08:00

This only happens once in every 100 years. Hopefully my birthday wish which was made at 10.10am today will come true. Yay, it's my birthday today.....and it's 10th of October year 2010 today. I feel so special but on second thought, it's just another ordinary day. Well, maybe not so ordinary because I have loads of presents and greetings from all my darlings. But seriously, I feel the whole getting-married-on-10.10.10 is so over-rated and I am quite irritated by it.

Anyway, no major parties or significant incidents took place for my birthday on this perfect-10 day. But I had loads of fun with my dearest family members and friends. All the sweet greetings from my friends and relatives made my day too. We might not keep in touch often but the annual birthday greetings surely bond us in a way.

Home is not a place but a time. Home is the time we spend with our loved ones - mummy, daddy, little bro, becky. It's Monday when I post this entry. I am suppose to be feeling the monday blues but I am not. I took a day off as a post-birthday holiday treat for myself.

Presents from family.
The presents. Love them all.
Presents from friends.

Birthday card from my company.

PS : I regret not taking any photographs during my dinner with family. Well, we were all too busy dining and wining and I was seriously trying to get tipsy.

Romance Department

2010-09-22T00:35:00.003+08:00

I have never mentioned anything about this before but decided to do so because this is my journal. In 10 years time, I want to be able to read this entry and laugh it. Plus, isn't romance part and parcel of life? Isn't that why human are categorised into male and female?

My maternal aunties are currently trying to cope with their teenage daughters' puppy love life. They consulted my mum for some advice since my mum has already gone through that phase, or so they thought. Sadly, my mum could not comment much because her daughter did not face any 'boyfriend' problems during her teens. In her early twenties, her daughter still did not share with her any boyfriend stories, therefore she is an inexperienced mother in this topic.

I wonder whether is it normal for my mum's daughter to have never dated any guys although she is already at the right age. Neither she hates guys, nor is she a lesbian. So why? She is a little fleshy but certainly not ugly. Mum and the rest of the family members are quite worried that she has never hold a guy's hand or kiss. Some of her friends have left single-ville and head for the nuptial, even she herself is a little worried that she might end up alone on a rocking chair with a tonne of cats, all alone in a big house. Okay, I exaggerate, worry but not until that extend.

So maybe we should ask my mum's daughter all about it. She never think of guys back in high school because she believes her soul mate is some where out there but it's not time for them to meet yet. She did have puppy crushes on a few of her extra-curriculum activity mates but they are just passing moments. Then at college, there are a couple of stalkers, I mean pursuers but they are just not her cup of tea. She was quite attracted to another college guy but as they get to know each other, she found out that they do not click that well after all.

In the past year, she had a very strong crush on this guy but he is already seeing someone else. As a non-bitch, she resist herself from being a boyfriend snatcher although they keep in touch and flirt a lot through text messaging. She was enjoying a platonic friendship with him until recently, during a gathering, she caught him starring at her. She can feel that the guy is attracted to her (or maybe her judgement is wrong since she is inexperience with guys). She battled against her feelings for weeks to stop falling for this guy again.

Up until today, she is still battling the feeling which she thinks is love but is not sure. Today, she received a message on facebbok from a caucasian stranger. He is interested in pursuing her and she is pretty flattered. She always has the hots for caucasians but will not proceed further, not because she is afraid it might be a scam but because the stranger is a widower as old as her dad.

For the time being, she is enjoying life in single-ville. She has faith that Mr. Right is somewhere out there but it's just not the time for them to meet yet.

A Pleasant Night Of Music To The Ears

2010-09-21T19:01:00.007+08:00

Cough! Cough, cough! This place is so dusty and full of cobwebs.......Yup, it had been ages since I last post an entry. Had been too busy leading a routine life. Learning to enjoy work (which comes with free lunch) and trying to get to terms that it is okay to be idle and lazy after working hours (ie. it is okay to learn and do nothing useful).

The following is an out-dated but meaningful event. It was a gathering of Beethovens and Yanni and Kenny G. Students from a music school as well as talents from around Asia and Australia took us on a musical journey with their saxophone, piano, guitar, drum and vocals. The event was in aid of a down syndrome home and the school for the visually impaired. Many among the audience were teary-eyed when the children from the home performed a number.

Performance by the special children.

The place where cello, violin, organ, piano and drum meet.

The star for the evening - Melanie Maslin. She is renowned opera singer from Australia. Melanie gives opera a new twist with her unconvetional voice and very theatrical expressions and body language.

She performed an Italian and knowing that members of the audience do not understand that language, she selected two audience to express the meaning of the song with her. It was a humorous and entertaining performance.

Marlene Fox belting out her mandarin number. She never fails to please the audience with her accurate rendition of the chinese lyrics.
The three awesome talents performing together.
The youth from a musical school performing the inspiring 'Don't Stop Believing' from the Glee series.
I was swept of my feet by this performer. He is young, gorgeous-looking, sings well, and he is also a teacher of the music school. Simply charming!

Multi-talented children strutting their stuff. How I wish I could play just one of the instruments.
Am not too sure where are they from, was not paying attention to the mc because was still star-struck by the charming fella earlier. This group belt superb music. The girl with the saxophone gives Kenny G a run for his money. She gets the crowd including those serious-looking gentlemen tapping their feet to her tunes.
Moses Chuah and Son. The name of the band says it all. Father and sons, famous performers for wedding dinners.
De Leon Family. Also a father and son team, the only difference is the sons are much younger and the little brother has a name in the Malaysia Guinness Book Of Record for being the youngest 8th grade drummer. Wow! Did I mention that the family is pretty humble too?
All performers for the night up on stage for the finale jamming session.

For once, pictures do not paint a thousand words. It is a night where all you need to be is to listen and you will leave the ballroom loving Jazz even more. Music is life!

Patrizio Buanne @ Georgetown

2010-07-14T23:03:00.005+08:00

Patrizio Buanne. I knew that he is an Italian crooner with excellent vocals, but other than that, I am no fan of him. So when I came to know that he is coming to Penang, our lovely little island, I was wondering why such a famous person comes to our humble town? Right until now, I still do not know the answer but I am guessing that maybe one of the organiser is his personal friend.

He was here last Sunday for the Georgetown Ball, an event of fine dining with great music by the Italian crooner himself. Very soon, mummy ask me to attend the event with her. Did not know she is a fan of Patrizio but anyway, I treated her this as a birthday gift. We opt for the concert only tickets because the concert with dinner cost RM1,000 and above (gasp!).

It was held at a posh hotel, we get a complimentary wine with each ticket and there are lots of expatriate involved (I thought), so we dressed ourselves to the nines for this concert. It's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed, right? Plus, remember the name of the event? It's a ball, it will be grand.

When we reached there, I was not feeling very at ease because most of the ladies are dressed in evening gowns (so formal). But soon I knew that they were dressed that way because they were there for the dinner too, so I began to relax a little.

When we walking up the stairs, towards the entrance of the ballroom, I bumped into the Chief Minister of Penang. But this being a classy event and we were all dressed as Cinderella and trying to be sophisticated, I did not ask to be photographed with him. I am not crazy over him but how often do you bump into some big shots without any security pushing you away?

Once we entered the ballroom, we were directed to our balcony seat. It's a ball, so the seatings are not stadium style. There are tables downstairs for the dinner and we the concert-goers are placed at the balcony. Each balcony can only seat 10 people, so we felt very exclusive and important. Very Phantom of The Opera, I would say.

We waited quite a while before the show started. A live band complete with a grand piano accompanied Patrizio throughout the concert. Patrizio warmed us up with a fast Italian number and charmed us next with 'Fly Me To The Moon' accompanied by the grand piano only. It was amazing and he totally sweep my feet off the ground. He is not particularly handsome, I thought that he looks a bit old for his age but his vocal prowess is superb. He is a very humorous guy which makes him a great entertainer, and did I mention that I love his accent?

Then he did some fast songs, in a mixture of English and Italian which gets the audience dancing on their feet. He is a good dancer himself. Nope, not hip-hop but those charming booty shaking (male version of Shakira but in a macho way).

What he did next makes him totally deserve to be branded the Italian crooner. He went down to the audience, shook the gentlemen' hand and kissed the ladies on their hand. Then he picked one lucky lady to dance with him, a slow dance. After that, he took the stage with his guitar talent. Very soon, it was the end of the concert and everybody was very reluctant to leave but there is an end to everything, and we all went home with this amazing experience.

That night when I went home and for the next few days, his voice was stucked in my mind. He is a real charmer though not extremely handsome. I admit that I was totally swept off my feet by him and now I understand why mum is his fan (though not the screaming teenager type). Oh, and did I also mention that he waved and smiled to me? That totally made my day and my whole forthcoming week.