the Chapter of Our Lives

Random trip to Tebrau, Johor

2008-12-25T23:55:00.004+11:00

Just to let you know, we only spent 2 hours in Tebrau, walking around the mall window shopping and head back for dinner and my aunt's place after that. So don't expect much. Tebrau (Johor) is surprisingly quite developed compared to the other Johor areas I have been.

A beautiful sunset

Two main reasons for this post: (1) I am sick from all the traveling, bored & restless at home and I have too much time in my pocket to dispense (2) I got quite a few good pictures and I wish to share them, and also to share an interesting "observation".

The Jusco Mega Mall

From the outside, the Jusco Mall in Tebrau is huge! It is almost as big as 1-Utama in Damansara. It's really new, nice and big! I will just let the following pictures speak for themselves instead of rambling unnecessarily.

Amanda & myself at the only corner which was decorated with Christmassy items

Look into the BALL.

The walkway of the Mega Mall. Pretty and spacious isn't it?

Now here's the interesting "observation" that I mentioned earlier on. The guys here carry hand-bags! OMG! Look, no offense, I do not have anything against handbags, it's just that I am pretty comfortable with girls holding them. But guys??????

It's not exactly a "handbag" but it is more of a "document bag" kind of thing which are meant for guys. Don't jump to any blind conclusion that I am a sexist, but isn't it a little... gheyyy? Remember the episode when Joey Tribianni donned a handbag? That's the point that I am trying to get to you!

A group of teens. Look closely and you can observe that 3 out of 5 of them are actually carrying man-handbags.

A guy in one of the shops, carrying his backpack and also a handbag. Note: His GF was already holding one of hers, so that pretty white bag MUST be HIS.

Lastly, maybe this is the current "fashion statement" in the teyes of guys here. I respect that. But seriously..... come-on...... I mean.... What's wrong with you guys?????

Eye On Malaysia

2008-12-25T17:01:00.007+11:00

The view of the Ferris-wheel from the Melaka Raya Bridge

Malacca - the historical city; commonly associated with very old buildings from the colonial times, chicken rice balls, Jonker Wall, A' Famosa and Baba Nyonya, there is now a new landmark which we Malaccans are proud to present.

The night view of the walk in front of the Eye

A bird's eye view of the walk leading to the Eye

The Eye on Malaysia, a 60 meters Ferris wheel which was previously installed at Titiwangsa Lake, Kuala Lumpur has made it's way to Malacca. As you guys know, the Eye on Malaysia was probably inspired by the London Eye & the Singapore Flyer.

This is the gondola which I got on

In the gondola 60 meters above the ground. An eagle's eye view of Malacca City

The wheel has 42 gondolas (which my Aunt counted while we were waiting at the foot of the wheel). To my knowledge, it was unveiled in conjuction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2007. However, it has made it's way to Malacca, which is a pretty good thing for us.

Malacca is now less boring and we now have more stuffs for tourists to do, other than eating and snapping pictures of old buildings. It also provides Malaccans another nice place to take a stroll, as it is pretty scenic and windy both during the day and night.

The 60 meters Ferris-wheel now decorates the sky of Malacca

The shot that I got right under the whole structure

The Admission fee is RM 10 for adults and RM 5 for chidren. However, the stated prices are double for non-Malaysians. We had a 24 minutes ride in the air-conditioned gondola (around 4 complete rotations).

The sight was awesome as we saw how bright Malacca city was at night. However, I believe that the view during day time would be better as one could see both land and sea at the same time.

The Eye on Malaysia - heaps of people were there

Amanda & myself

Please note however, as the Eye is still "new", the 4 hectre piece of land around it is still under construction. Drivers do take extra care as the parking lot is quite messy with loose stones on the road.

To travellers who are interested, take note. Do arrange your visit to the Eye in a group, or else you would be crammed with 4 other random people, which may be quite awkard to see each other in a small gondola. Also, try going in groups of 5 (6 maximum). I have heard of complains where they crammed up to 8 passengers in one tiny gondola.

Finally, if you do have motion sickness and a fear for heights, good news and bad news. The good news: a good and fun way to overcome your fear. The bad news: if you move a little in the gondola, it "rocks"!

A rainy day - A good day to test my new baby!

2008-12-12T00:34:00.007+11:00

The long awaited pictures! Well, don't expect much from me as I still new to my DSLR. It is so much different from a normal digital camera. These were the ones I took during and after the rain earlier this evening. And to keep this blog alive during the holidays (before it dies again next year)

A reflection

I tried capturing the droplet of water when it was about to fall off, but I am still new to DSLRs

The extremely heavy rain

Heavy downpour. I think this 40 minutes rainfall pours more water than a year's rainfall in Canberra.

Fresh droplets on a green leaf

Moments before falling off the leaf

A heavy rain which subsided into a drizzle

I like this picture. Droplets on the windscreen

Publish Post

Falling droplets from the roof-top

What Uncle A said to Uncle B

2008-12-11T01:22:00.006+11:00

The following scene was what I have witnessed between two old men in a restaurant yesterday night. I found it pretty humorous, from the way they were talking. Before I begin, let me draw a little diagram to explain our positions:

Red Dot - Uncle A
Blue Dot - Uncle B
X - Me

The fact that annoyed me was that they were seating so far away! It was quite irritating at first that they were treating the place like their own coffee-shop. Like all uncles in Malaysia, they talked rather loudly.

But as I listened to their conversation, it became funnier by the minute. You can have a look for yourself in the following video clip.

Uncle A was doing most of the talking. He was so energetic! I can't stop smiling looking at his hand movements and actions.

On the contrary, Uncle B was like, "Owh, really arh?" and from his facial expressions, it was like "wah lao, I want to relax and eat properly also cannot! Cha si lang!"

The conversation between them? I think it went something like this (from the moment when I started to ke-poh):

Uncle A: The other day I went jogging at Bukit China. Very healthy la these few days

Uncle B: Good for you! But I boh-lat la. Run a bit I chuan already!

Uncle A: Cannot like that. Must do work out sometimes. When you old already, you don't do work out not good for health. You fall sick easier.

Uncle B: Sure or not? Later work out too hard fall sick how? Knee pain la, ankle pain la. Macam-macam later also kena

Uncle A: Aiya, won't one. We so old already nothing to do ai-tong tampok la!

Uncle B: (Nods head, maybe he was tired of talking to Uncle A already)

Uncle A: The other time I took bus to Penang join some marathon. The bus ah, take 6 hours to reach there. bla bla bla bla bla.... (this was where I got sick of listening to him)

Uncle B: Hey my food is here already! Wa chiak seng arh! Paiseh paiseh (In fact, he was relieved that he can at least have a moment of peace)

Uncle A: Ok ok...

On the side note:

Come to think of it, I pity these two old gentlemen a little. They do not have anyone to accompany them. I do see how old men like him gets lonely. Perhaps his wife had passed away. Perhaps his children are living a life on their own now. Where else can he go to?

To me, the reason why he was being so talkative was that he wants to share his experience, to express his feelings. I mean, who else can he tell these things to? His children? If I were him, I will certainly want to talk to people around me more, to make myself feel that I am somehow still connected to this world, that I can still relate to people well. And it is much better than being quiet at home.

As for myself, as far as I can remember, I always had people around me at all times; friends and family and my dear. It really makes me appreciate the people and company that I have. And it is really, really good to know that I am not lonely.

Why God allows the feeling of pain?

2008-09-22T13:17:00.003+10:00

Life is like droplets of water sometimes.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
'I don't believe God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.
'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers don't exist!'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.
'I am here, and I am a barber. I just worked on you!'
'NO!' the customer exclaimed.
'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and sufferings in the world.'

Flash back - Are you an emo?

2008-09-21T21:55:00.003+10:00

Yes, we know that "emo-es" are another type of people

When you are sad and you complain about how wrong things are around you, people around you may call you an "emo".

To those who does not know the real term, it is not the abbreviation of "emotional".

E = mo squared. An overworked Einstein resorts to be an "emo"

Emo: Punk music on estrogen and a reason for boys to act like girls

I would not really explain the historical and politically correct usage of "emo", but what rather interests me is the fashion and stereotypes of people branded as "emo-es".

The word "emo" is associated with males and females who:

Wears tight jeans (preferably dark)

Have long fringes brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes

Emo hairstyles for guys. Never fails to attract "emo" chicks

Dyed black and straight hair

Emo hairstyles for girls. Into it?

Think rimmed glasses.

Yes sir! Black = Emo

In the recent year, "emo" according to the eyes of the media, has been associated with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy and introverted.

They are even sometimes compared with mental anxieties and disorders such as depression, self-injury and suicide.

Emos hate themselves

Goths hate everyone

Emos want to kill themselves

Goths want to kill everyone

Quoted by Chelsea Lewis

"Emo-es" are know for being sad all the time

*Dude, I'm sad, I feel like cutting myself*

I hope that I have at least cleared up the meaning of "emo". It is a popular trend nowadays, which may be detrimental to the society (due to the mental disorders and anxieties).

However, if you just want to dress as one I really do hope that the above pictures and examples could be useful.

The most common definition of the word "EMO" is....

When everything seems to go wrong, they will spend a lot of time unneccessarily picking about their mistakes, other people's mistakes, how the world can be a better place, how they could have changed that world, how other people can change their world, etc etc etc. The list goes on.

Don't be a little pussy! Meow!

Honestly speaking, I can be an emo myself? When my results are bad or when I just wake up from the wrong side of the bed, I will just be a glum the whole entire day.

The best solution that I have found? Grow up! I have become matured (slightly more matured, if you think I am boasting) in my thoughts. I don't have a STD - Self Transmitted Depression. I get over things fast. Follow the Joker guys! Why so SerIouSsssSsss?

Life may not be a joke, but why so serious?

So fellas out there, do you think you're an emo? If so, which type are you - A fashionistic self styler as an emo punk rocker? Or a glum sour grape who moans all day long?

You decide. As for now, I'm drinking some eno, the best solution to dissolve extra "emo-ness" left in my stomach.

Eno : Available at your nearest pharmacist. A cure all of emo-ness

For the original post, please visit http://amandagene.blogspot.com/2008/01/todays-feature-are-you-emo.html

Blogging stops here - For the mean time

2008-04-15T00:23:00.003+10:00

This blog is temporarily out of order due to maintenance.

For the readers who frequent my blog, I am sorry to say there won't me any posts from the 15th to the 22nd of April as Amanda and myself will be in Melbourne.

BUT - We'll definitely be back with more pictures, stories and news! So stay TUNED!

P.S - But if Eddie (our kind friend who is willing to let us crash over his place) allows us to use his computer, we'll definitely upload some stuffs if we can.

My Life - In Pictures

2008-04-13T22:24:00.009+10:00

Family

With the presence of my family, everything is provided for. Life is like a straight smooth road ahead of me where the directions were already planned. I can just choose to sit back and relax.

With them around, I am but a child. I fear naught a single thing when they hold my hand, not even in the face of danger or waves of troubles to come. For they are my parents and my whole world lives because of them.

Troublesome thoughts of a young adult - ME

I used to be a lonely individual. Standing in the open space watching crowds of people pass by as time flies. The world is cloudy and gloomy and compared to everyone, I was just a tiny being with no potential.

I used to think that I was just a normal person, an average, a mediocre. Life is like a coffee bean, where I was not unique. I seem to be like many others, trying to fit in becoming what others want me to become.

Life, back then was like an eternal sun-set. Everything was cold and becoming dark with not much ahead of me. No hope. No dreams. No life.

A new hope

The power of prayers never cease to amaze me. It gave me courage. It gave me strength. It gave me hope. All I had to do is to believe, try and fight for things that matters to me.

To me, prayers are like bridges, where it will bring you across troubled waters and to places where you can never imagine to be. And if you work hard enough, it will be and expressway bridge. (=P)

A dreamer. A fighter. An achiever.

People say dreams give you the idea, hope to give you strength and courage the wings to fly. It is true. My dreams and goals in life will one day come true and with the support of my family and friends, I am already sailing through the clouds.

I believe I can leave footprints in the lives of many. I believe that every thing I put my hands in, my earnest effort and solid strength in it will be achieved. I want to be a history maker where any mark I left behind will be always there.

People say rainbows are meant to be up in the sky but if I can touch them within my bare hands, then I SAY that rainbows can be made and dreams can be a reality. I am a fighter, I am believer, I am an achiever with the right goals and motivation in my life.

How I deal with a bad day

1. Smile. The most affectionate gesture that a human can offer to another in almost every circumstances - in grief, joy, sympathy, romance, etc. It lifts the day of another while it brightens yours. So why not put on a smiling face today?

2. Love - I do not hate the hardships I face, nor the people who are difficult to handle. I try to learn and understand the things that I do not understand. And if all fails, well, at least I tried my best.

3. Persevere - Like the wood-chopper, a goal can never be reached without perseverance. Tumultuous times call for the right balance of effort, self esteem and hard-work. All of these - to be at the top.

P.S - 1) Dear mum and dad, I miss you guys very much. Hope you guys are doing well back home. Thank you for the support although I may complain to you guys a LOT.

2) Dearest Amanda - thank you for the times where you stood by me when I am weak or to cheer for me when I am strong. You are one of my prayers answered - a lover, a girl-friend, a best-friend.

Orange creme caramel

2008-04-12T12:50:00.004+10:00

Orange creme caramel - Note the different shades of it due to the caramel. Splendid!

This is a refreshing and elegant dessert that can be prepared a day before if you wish. It is perfect in making an ideal sweet finish to a dinner party.

Preparation time : 25 minutes + 4 hours chilling
Total cooking time : 55 minutes

Makes 6 (when using 125 ml ramekins or 2 when using 400 ml ramekins)

Ingredients:

220 g caster sugar
500 ml milk
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthways
grated rind of 1 orange
3 eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp of orange essence (or 1 tsp orange flower water)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 C

Always have another pan of cold water at the side of the stove to prevent the caramel from overcooking.

When the caramel is boiling, remove it and dip the pot into the cold water. This is to prevent the caramel from drying up and crystallising.

2. Prepare caramel using 90 g of the sugar and a tablespoon of water. After the caramel has stopped cooking, pour into six 125 ml ramekins. Tip a little to coat the sides and bottom of the ramekins.

3. Bring the milk, vanilla pod and orange rind to boil slowly in a small pan.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, remaining sugar and the orange essence until creamy.

5. Whisk in the boiling milk and pour through a sieve into a jug, discarding the vanilla pod and orange rind.

The ramekins made it easy to gauge the level of water need to filled in.

5. Pour the mixture onto the caramel in the ramekins and place them in a roasting tin. Fill the tin with hot water a third of the way up the ramekins.

In the oven at 150 C. Fan bake option.

6. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes (until it is not jiggly or no liquid comes out when you poke it with a wooden stick). If you are using large ramekins bake for 50 - 55 minutes.

7. Remove the ramekins from the roasting tin and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

8. To serve, run the blade of a palette knife around the edge of each orange creme, then place the center of a dessert plate over the ramekin and invert onto the plate. When you lift the ramekins off, the liquid caramel will run over the dessert beautifully. (Do it very carefully)

I miss Malaysia [Part II] - S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G!!!!!

2008-04-09T00:11:00.001+10:00

Although Canberra is not a pretty bad place to live in (to some, it's almost synonymous to the word - BORING), one could feel that it is not quite like home - MALAYSIA!

The highway - on the way to Pavilion.

I need to feel the busy-bustling city life sometimes! Even Malacca feels livelier than Canberra! I really miss the part where cars love speeding on the highways (especially when they highlight you from the rear or show "interesting" hand language)

I guess being in a more civilized place (not implying that all Malaysians are uncivilized) means less interesting scenes can be experience when you are traveling on the roads.

Kuala Lumpur - Petronas Twin Towers. Home is where the heart is (excluding the hot-humid weather there)

I miss the tall building in Kuala Lumpur. The sight of tall buildings around you just makes you feel that "Yes, there is some life going on here. It's not a dead town" when you are a third year student in Canberra.

I really wonder (along with everyone else here in ANU) why the Australian Government made Canberra as the Capital of the whole country and the tallest building in the whole state is no taller than the Equatorial Hotel in Malacca.

But most of all (although it may sound politically incorrect as I am a guy), I miss shopping! Canberra Mall is no where near to the shopping malls in Malaysia. Now I know why Aussies flock all the way to Singapore and Malaysia to shop.

Here are some mega-malls that I really miss.

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

The deco in Pavilion - Elegant, classy and sophisticated

The podium set up for the Christmas celebration.

Malaysian shopaholics are jumping in the air with joy when this baby was built. The whole building was built on the ground of the ex-Bukit Bintang Girls School.

1 million sq. feet of land = pure shopping pleasure. It was a RM 3 billion project that consist of luxury residences, offices, a 6-star boutique hotel, a business class hotel along with a retail frontage.

One can tell how well the building is designed by having a glimpse of how the escalators are arranged.

The top floor of the shopping area - look at how big and wide the whole place is.

Here, Esprit has a store spreading over 3 levels. Other famous names that can be found here are Hermes, Montblanc, Escada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Coach, Burberry and Versace.

One thing important. The prices here are extravagant to the average consumer like myself. I went in one outlet to look at the price of a suit (as I needed one) Guess how much it is? RM 9999! Even the shop assistant was shocked reading that price to me.

So if you are pretty rich or just want to splurge, this place is certainly the place for you. If you are like me, well, there is a term called "window-shopping". =)

One-Utama

The view of the Christmas deco here in 1-U

The multi-story building is the place where you want to be.

With over 5 million sq ft of land, 1 Utama is definitely an international shopping and entertainment ground. Besides having designer clothing, it has other brand names that are more affordable. (Compared to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, a lot CHEAPER!)

This place is the mecca for events and lifestyle shopping. The shops here (in my opinion) mostly revolves around fashion, i.e. clothing, make-up, accessories, etc. They do have home-living shops as well where one can find nice furniture, home sound-stereos and D-I-Y equipment.

A close up shot on the deco - I like this shot a lot

The bird's eye view of the main area of 1-U where the Christmas deco was voted as the best for year 2007 (I think)

Among all the shopping centers up in KL, 1-Utama is my favourite. Why? It has a simple name: 1-U. Even cool shopping advertisements can be put up. U-1 go shopping? Go to 1-U! (I know I am lame sometimes..)

Mid-Valley Megamall & the Gardens

Dating in Mid-Valley - One thing I like best about Malaysia, NO UNI = NO STRESS!

The Christmas deco in the Center Court of Mid Valley.

Last but not least, Mid Valley is one of my favorite shopping places in Malaysia. With 4.5 million sq feet of land, it holds more than 450 stores in its five floors. Like 1-Utama, it caters to the mid-high income group although they do have expensive brands as well.

The best part about Mid-Valley is that our friendly KTM has a stop there as well, which is good for students. Other than that, it is a good hang out place as it is near residential areas like Bangsar.

One of the "Chimneys" in the Gardens.

Again, the complexity of the design of walk-ways between isles is one thing I love.

My darling - along the isle of the new Gardens.

The Gardens is an extension of Mid-Valley, where it is connected through a bridge and an underground passage way (from the basement floor where all the fast-food joints are).

It is like Pavilion Kuala Lumpur where it caters to the higher-income consumers. You can really see the contrast between the shoppers in the Garden and in Mid-Valley, in their fashion sense, attire and spending power.

I guess that's all for now, for those who are in Malaysia, LUCKY YOU! For those who are not or visitors to my country, this would be a good place for you to shop =)

Toodles~

W-O-R-D-S or S-W-O-R-D?

2008-04-07T22:29:00.003+10:00

I came across this thing once a long time ago (in some forwarded mail thread). It's pretty witty actually.

One has either too much time in one's hand or even perhaps extremely deadly in Scrabble.

PRINCESS DIANA

When you rearrange the words:

END IS A CAR SPIN

DORMITORY

When you rearrange the words:

DIRTY ROOM

ASTRONOMER

When you rearrange the words:

MOON STARER

DESPERATION

When you rearrange the words:

A ROPE ENDS IT

And last but not least, the best one here:

MOTHER-IN-LAW

When you rearrange the words:

WOMAN HITLER

Have fun reading it and if you want, try making your own words up! =P

p.s - My mum kept on saying to me on MSN, "Eh, it's the letter I emailed to you one laaaa". So she deserves the credit here.

Sky Fire 2008

2008-04-07T09:26:00.000+10:00

A note before you read: This is a pretty long post - not in terms of words but pictures. I have decided not to stack too many pictures together as I would rather you guys viewing the pictures as large as they can. They are indeed beautiful.

The Occasion

Sky Fire is an annual fireworks show held over Lake Burley Griffin here in Canberra. This occasion began in 1988. The fireworks display are arranged by pyrotechnicians are synchronised to the music played.

It is usually held in February or March. This year, it was held on the 15th of March 2008. It had been estimated that more than 18 000 people turned out to see Sky Fire 2008.

The gang - on a picnic by the lake (approx. 5.55pm)

The majestic view of people under the Australian flag.

The Sights, Sounds and Smell

Other than the display of fireworks, they had parachuters, WWII airplanes, helicopters and speedboats on display. They had a live performance as well. Overall, it was all in great fun hanging out together with friends and loved ones.

How did we prepare for the Sky Fire? Bring lots of chips and fizzy drinks! A mat or a picnic rug will be extremely useful (unless you want feel little pricks of sharp grass on your but). Light alcohol would nice if you have a chiller with you to keep your booze cold.

Chilling - with snacks, fizzy drinks and chit-chatting away.

A bottle of Japanese beer on a hot day - Nice!

Having your snacks ready and drinks by your side, just sit back and guzzle everything down like a true-blue Malaysian. It was a fine day and it was pretty nice just lying down on the grass looking at the clouds.

By 6.45 p.m the crowd was already piling up. The locals were sitting down on their picnic chairs and a hat that any Aussie would wear. There more airplane stunt performances and parachuters decorated the sky with colored smoke.

The crowd in front of us - facing the stage in the middle were a live was held

When up in the air, planes are like dreams of men - they soar up high above us when our feet are on the ground.

Lake Burley Griffin - the view of it during sunset took my breath away.

The wind was pretty strong at time, thus the parachuters were falling way too fast even with their parachutes all opened up. Luckily they did not land on the ground but into the lake instead.

I took a walk with Amanda as well around the place as it was her first time attending a Sky Fire event. Here are the sights that we saw:

Parachuters soaring high above us - with crazily strong winds prove to be quite dangerous.

The public toilets available - quite interesting

The toilets were quite interesting actually. I really wonder where had all the waste magically disappeared to. Apparently you have to press a button a few times to flush the toilet as well as when you want to wash your hands.

But mind you, the sight inside the toilet was not at all pleasant to see. Actually, dirty toilets are almost a part of any country (like Malaysia). It was a worthwhile experience though.

The moon - in broad daylight?

The car of the Radio D.Js' - sporty and funky

My darling posing a cute smirk on her face - instead of a hot pose that models do. Lol

The Merry People from ANU

And at about 7.45 p.m the sky was about to turn night (it was still like summer that time, where it was warm and the sun sets pretty late)

You can see the smiles and funny faces of my group. Yes, I can assure you that we have not turn ourselves into boring nerds when you associate us with ANU.

The full crowd has arrived! And the sky's getting dark as well (approx. 7.55 p.m.)

We were having fun with sparklers as well.

The one and only girl in my heart and myself.

And the SKY FIRE 2008!

And finally the moment that we all have been waiting for, SKY FIRE 2008!! I have posted only the selected pictures from what I have taken, so enjoy!

Moments before the start of the fireworks.

B.L.A.S.T. O.F.F!!!!

Green Palm trees?

Or blue palm trees?

In the shape of a feather

One of my favorite shots that night. Spectacular

Slightly overexposed, but I want to show how great the scale of the fireworks here

Golden star-burst

This looks like a magical explosion of fairy dust

Another one of my favorite shots

I like the color for this one, adds the carnival flavor to the fireworks

This looks like flying spirits who had just escaped from the bottle.

Another magnificent shot that shows the magnitude of the display

One of the last scenes from the last ten seconds of the fireworks

All good thing must come to an end. After the fireworks, we head off back to UniLodge (some went out to club instead). Another interesting day, in a widely proclaimed boring town called Canberra.

And a great picture to end with - some random passerby posing as I made this shot.

Youth Week 2008 @ Canberra

2008-04-04T21:42:00.000+11:00

Free is good. And goodies, in turn, come in a cute little blue bag

Youth Week? What is that? National Youth Week (NYW) is Australia’s largest celebration of young people. Generally, people aged 12-25 years all across Australia get involved in NYW every year.

The celebration in Canberra may not be as grand as the ones in Sydney or Melbourne but hey, at least we had fun in the midst of preparation for our exams and studies. Here in Canberra, it is held in Garema Place.

Free BBQ!

2 guys beating each other out - with super inflated boxing gloves and a bouncy boxing ring

Here, they have a number of booths of various community centers and social services groups which were promoting themselves and to create an awareness that there are help available to the youths.

They had a few booths of various community centers as well as counseling groups on that day. These groups sort of like advertised themselves by handing out free brochures and goodies.

A scrambler on display!

One of the community centers

They are meant for teenagers with problems due to anxiety, stress, loneliness and other teen related problems. This is actually good as on this day, their presence create an awareness that you are never alone when you have problems.

This year, their main project was to create awareness that there were people among us who has eating disorders. It was pretty cool that they asked people who were present to write something on the many weighing scales which were on displayed.

Here are a few shots regarding the display:

A passer-by doing her part by writing something down on the weighing scale

One of the very nicely decorated weighing scales. You can either choose oil paint or a permanent marker

Scaling Heights to Freedom - It's like an irony, weighing scales and eating disorder

The volunteer over-looking participants painting

Basically, NYW is all youths gathering together to voice out their opinions and voice their concerns. They have on-going events such as talent shows, competitions, live concerts (for bigger cities like Melbourne) and art displays.

Here in ACT, there were quite a number events (the ones that we saw during our one hour there) such as a cheer-leading dance routine, live bands, hula-hoop dance, a girl walking on broken glass, a belly-dance performer and street jugglers.

Here are some of the pictures of the performances:

The MC for the day. Notable quote: "You, sit down there and listen to me!"

Hula-hoop

The volunteers of their respective organizations and community service centers

A girl walking on broken glass with her bare feet

A cute little doggy - she stole my sausage!

The cheer-leading squad

the belly-dancer shaking her.. erm.. belly buttons with a sword on her head

The street acrobats and their team of jugglers behind them.

The jugglers. Note: the left guy kept on making mistakes which quite humorous when the right guy threw the pins at him.

I guess that's all for now. Been busy reading my articles to update frequently nowadays. Laters!

A birthday bash - In Tosolini's

2008-04-04T01:09:00.000+11:00

Tosolini's : The place to be when it come to Italian cuisine.

Before I start writing more regarding the place, the main purpose of the event is to celebrate the birthdays of two of my friends, Debbie (from Singapore) and Yooni (from Korea).

No other better place that they can pick to celebrate this special day than Tosolini's Restaurant. Tosolini's really made its name with its pastas and focaccias. (Italian my man, Si! )

This snazzy restaurant is right next to the busy central bus terminal and in the heart of Canberra's city, Tosolini's really pulls in the passing crowd. They have seats outdoors where you can have a cup of coffee to watch the world pass by.

In the restaurant

Oriental style lanterns add spice to the ambiance - on contrary of being an Italian restaurant

Yellow spot lights on the ceiling create a warm atmosphere, one which is very important to induce the appetite of their customers. One would want to be cozy in the outside before they start pampering their stomachs with the delicacies offered, Si?

A long dining table awaits us - where cutleries were arrange with much care and attention.

Everything was very well arranged. Wooden tables decorated the floor along with matching chairs. There was even a fire-place in the middle of the floor, creating a much warmer feeling to all who set their foot into the restaurant.

the Bar: Fine selection of wines are available, as well as other types of liqueurs.

A good marketing strategy: Make one's customers pass the glass display of cakes, desserts and pastries as well as the fine selection of wine when one's customers come in. That was what they do. If weren't for the cake that we brought, we would have already gotten one from the place.

the friendly and professional crew at the counter and display shelf.

Finally before I head on to the food I shall rant a bit more on their staff. They were polite, friendly and basically - professional, as one expect from a high class restaurant. I even had a little chat with them when I took the picture above.

Me: It's for my blog guys, sorry for the flash
Dark shirt guy: It's alright, but I have to charge you next time
Me: Aww, come on! You guys would be famous.
Dark shirt guy: Then that's ok, but be sure not to put my face next to a naked picture, or else I would be in trouble!

The food - Starters

You can view more of the range of their food on their official web-page. We have ordered the Modello Banquet Dinner (which was $29.90 p.p). This sort of price is the price you'd expect from a snazzy Italian Cuisine restaurant.

Alright, here goes!

Garlic, Pesto, Sundried Tomato, and Olive Breads

Toasted bread with the mentioned items above - a good start for more to come

Calamaretti St. Andrea

Lightly fried calamari served with wild rocket and lemon dressing. They almost melt in your mouth the moment you chew them.

Antipasto Misto

Garlic prawns, grilled chorizo, shaved proscuitto, assorted dips and marinated vegetables

The last starter was the best! It was served with bread, so when you lay them on top of the bread along with the dip it is simply superb!

The food - Mains

Everyone had to choice to choose one out of the following mentioned below.

Pizza al Pescatore

Roman style pizza square topped with prawns, calamari, tuna, chilli and fresh herbs

A very filling pizza, especially for sea food lovers. Remember the ones they had in Pizza-Hut? This one's ten times better!

Insalata con Pollo

Marinated chicken pieces tossed with sun dried tomatoes, shaved parmesan, crispy potatoes, baby spinach and wild rocket leaves

A unique mix of chicken salad - delicious to the very last leaf of vegetable and shred of meat.

Vitello alla Limone

Tender slices of veal, panseared and served with crispy kipfler potatoes, wild rocket leaves and lemon butter sauce

Meat lovers! Get your hands on this! This would definitely fill your stomachs. Add a dash of pepper and it would be perfect!

Fettucine alla carbonara

Bacon, cracked pepper, parmesan, garlic cream sauce

Among all of the options offered, this would probably be the best. Simple, filling, tasty and delicious!

Risotto con Pollo

Marinated chicken, mushrooms, semi dried tomatoes, seeded mustard and fresh herbs

May look dodgy or even like a RM 5.00 "chap-fan" but it's not bad actually.

Chaplango alla Sedapo

I know that I am not suppose to play with food but I can't help it!

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Thanks to Lyon, everyone has the chance to enjoy a little bit of good wine

The Celebration - Yooni's and Debbie's Big Day

Alright, I think I have already covered enough regarding the restaurant so now regarding the main purpose of why we were in Tosolini's in the first place - a birthday bash for two babes!

xx candles - for a girl named Yooni.

Sparkles and candles adds the fun! (The sparkles ended a little bit too soon - even before the cake was served)

Either the world is too small, a stroke of chance or a by fate, these two close buddies have the same birthday!

Left to Right: Gladys, Debbie, Kimberley, Yooni, Amanda and Winnie

Even they have different birthdays (I shall keep their ages a secret, as you know I may get bashed up by them for telling the whole world how old they really are - GIRLS) and live in different halls, many friends turned up for the event.

The many people present on this very special day - people of different races, nationalities and countries. Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Australia

The two birthday girls with their cakes - making their wishes and singing along with the merry crowd.

There is a reason why we meet in Canberra and why this place means Kam-ber-ra - "meeting ground" in the aboriginal language. This is where our lives crossed with one another, creating new paths of friendship.

With a good eatery location, scrumptious food served, happy friends amongst us and a special day that happen, today is definitely a day that will remain as what we call a happy memory.

And before I end the post, I shall let Yooni and Debbie blow out their candles and granting them their birthday wishes:

Smoke from the blown candles - sending their wishes up to the heavens and allowing their hopes and desires to come true.

PS : After party will probably be covered by Winnie =P

Chocolate Mousse Cake

2008-04-02T19:57:00.000+11:00

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake - the end product-

One slice of this mousse will be enough for even the most hardcore of chocolate lovers

Ingredients
(sereves 8 - 10)

285 g dark chocolate buttons
600 ml pouring cream
6 large egg yolks
170 g caster sugar
10 amaretti biscuits, crushed

To serve with:
cocoa powder
amaretto liqueur
creme fraiche

Some of the ingredients required for the cake: Dark Chocolate, Pouring Cream, Cocoa Powder, and Amaretti Biscuits

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to fan-forced 130 C (150 C conventional)

2. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water) or in microwave. Allow to cool slightly then stir in cream gradually until smooth.

Make sure you melt the chocolate over hot water, not over the fire.

Pour the cream a little at a time or else it would be difficult to mix them up evenly.

3. Combine yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until pale and smooth.

This is the consistency that you should be looking for.

4. Pour chocolate mixture onto yolks and stir until smooth.

5. Place a 25-cm greased tart tin on a baking tray and pour mixture into tin.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until just set.

7. Remove and cool.

8. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

9. Turn out, press amaretti biscuits and cocoa into the side and drizzle with liqueur.

10. Serve in slices with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Note: This cake is a very, very and I do mean VERY rich cake. Not meant for those who are on a diet. And while serving, please keep it to small thin slices.

Earth Hour 2008 @ ANU

2008-03-29T21:54:00.000+11:00

You can do your part to save the earth, even if it's just one hour.

Earth Hour is an international event where households and businesses turn off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour.

This happens on the evening of 29 March at 8 pm local time until 9 pm to promote electricity conservation. The underlying motive is to reduce emission of carbon dioxide and green-house gases.

A cool picture - showing how many people in this world actually take Earth Hour up.

The main event was actually held in Sydney where you can really notice that most of the lights are switched off during the Earth Hour. However, ANU did its part too in this global call for energy conservation.

Candles on the plains : A. N. U.

Basically what ANU does is that they have a gathering over at Fellows Oval which started at 6pm. I did not attend it as I have some dinner with a bunch of my good friends here. (hence the lack of pictures from 6 - 8).

They had some free BBQ barbeque over there as well as some activities (that I am aware of). The main thing starts at 8 pm. Other residential halls in ANU as well as UniLodge took part in this event.

Tea-light candles protected with waxed paper, creating a calm and nostalgic scene

During the darkened hour, they had a display of a four men crew of fire-jugglers. It was quite and amazing feat to witness. They had samba music accompanying the stunts.

About Earth Hour

The volunteers for the event playing the samba beat that makes you feel like dancing

The people from Malaysia, China and Australia.

Here in Down Under, Earth Hour is promoted by World Wildlife Fund Australia (WWF) and the Sydney Morning Herald. Yes, you may think "One hour? What difference does that make?". Believe me, it really does.

My best picture for the night : Fire Phoenix and some weird doodle of a face. I like the Phoenix more.

The phoenix moving around in a blurry burst of flame

Last year, in Sydney alone during the very first Earth Hour, there was a massive 10.2% reduction in electricity consumption - where households switched off their non-essential appliances and businesses switching off their machines.

Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses took part last year.

Looks like a swirling flame.

A fiery heart - that is what I am.

Imagine the difference the world can make in just an hour. With more and more people and business taking part in this event, we could do something to save and protect our future generations.

I really don't know how to label this picture. It still looks cool in my opinion.

The performer throwing his staff up

There were various critics regarding this event as well as anti Earth Hour groups. However, this event does create an awareness regarding this major issue - the greatest contributor to global warming is green-house gases, caused by coal-powered electricity.

I like this picture after the Phoenix one : It's like a long serpent unwinding itself.

This looks like Cloud doing his omni-slash from FF VII

For more pictures or news regarding this event you can always head to their official website http://www.earthhour.org.

As for ANU, I tried to upload the best pictures that I have taken. They are not really impressive some of them when compared to my friend's, who took the pictures with a Digital SLR.

Finally here are some extra photographs that are worth posting.

The above really looks like this --> o.O

I may not have any knowledge in Mandarin at all but the above really looks like some Chinese symbols though.

An array of fiery displays.

I actually thought it was a Terminator coming out from a time - vortex.

At the end of the day

At the end of the day, it's all about what you do now that will affect your world in the future. And hence, do your part to save the world. A little now may make a big difference later on.

The lighted path leading back to UniLodge

Pancakes

2008-03-29T10:10:00.000+11:00

Pancakes - Simple to do, delicious to eat.

I would like to share a recipe with you guys. It is really simple to do and it takes little time too. Serves up to 3 people or 2 if you guys were to be big eaters. Some equipment you need before-hand just to make sure:

Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Whisk
Mixing bowl
Lader

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla essence (optional)
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Beat egg until fluffy.
Add milk and melted margarine.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with a little butter on a paper towel.
The pan is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which 'dance' around the pan.
Pour a small amount of batter (approx 1/4 cup) into pan and tip to spread out or spread with spoon.
When bubbles appear on surface and begin to break, turn over and cook the other side.

Movie Date - Just the two of us

2008-03-28T11:20:00.000+11:00

Only at Pancake Parlor's: A good time with a good meal and a movie.

Just face it; I got bored. I got stressed. I got sick of facing my books for the past 6 days in the row that I feel like puking and throw all my books away into the recycle bin.

However, it will cost me approximately AUD 220 of reading materials (and apart of a big scolding from my oldies).

But hey, instead of throwing everything away, I look at the above advertisement and say $15 bucks for some pancakes and a movie ticket? That's pretty cheap by the way. The original costs are:

Short stack pancake (2 pancakes) = $ 9.80 1 Movie ticket (with concession) = $ 12.00

You do the maths. I think we are able to save $ 6 - 7. (Note: The above prices may be wrong as I don't usual frequent the Pancake Parlor or the cinema)

Short stack pancakes - served with home made maple syrup and ice-cream.

I think I had a post regarding the shop; Pancake Parlor. Anyways, they serve really really good pancakes, served with either cream, ice-cream or butter. I like it with ice-cream. The warm fluffy pancakes will melt the ice-cream; giving much pleasure when you taste it in your mouth.

Vienna Cocoa - Hot chocolate drink topped with fresh whipped cream with cocoa sprinkles on it.

Oh, one thing about the movie deal - There are no drinks included in it. I ordered a Vienna Cocoa for us, as my dear loves chocolate more than anything else (besides me). It is not that bad, except the fact they put a HUGE amount of cream on top of it.

Dendy Cinema - 2nd floor of the new wing of Canberra Center.

After our dinner, we head straight to the Cinema to check out the availability of the tickets. We were way too early for our movie actually as it starts at 8.50 p.m. Nothing else better to do, we went for a walk in Canberra Center.

Situated up on the 2nd floor, it gives some class and flavor to it every time you head to the Cinema, you need to take the escalator up.

For those who unaware about the life in Canberra, here's an eye opener: EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN AFTER FIVE. All of the shops were already closed and not one person can be seen - except both of us and the cleaner who was driving around some cleaning vehicle.

The long empty walkway of Canberra Center

It's almost like a ghost town. But I like the above picture a lot - and Canberra Center

Back to the Dendy Cinemas. Unfortunately, I took blurry pictures of the ticket counter, the refreshment bar and the foyer (with my k850i phone. I know it's a lousy picture with a good camera phone, but I am still new with it!)

It is nothing like Malaysia's Cinemas. Maybe it is like the newer ones over at the Gardens or Cine Leisure. The design is nice and suitable for a movie-goer, it just makes you FEEL that you want to keep coming here.

The foyer of Dendy Cinema

the Ticket Counter

the Refreshments Bar. The spooky shadow in the middle is Amanda by the way, she was keen in checking out the prices of the chocolates offered.

What movie were we watching? Step Up 2 - Where it doesn't matter where you came from (Malaysia), it's about where you are at (Canberra). As a dance movie, it is pretty good with nice dancing routines but as an ACTUAL movie, it gets pretty lame and cheesy sometimes (not to mention the fact that they made fun of Asians, giving the image of a Russel Peter's Cantonese Accent).

However, if you want to catch a glimpse of people with hot bodies doing their thing or cute guys breaking it down on the dance floor, this movie is perfect for you.

The entrance to the silver screen

Step Up 2 - the Streets

It is not very often I write about myself as I do not want my blog to be filled with "emo" thoughts (so as to AVOID thinking that I may have written too much bout my personal life and the whole world is reading it - you know, THOSE types of blogs).

-----Skip this part if you want to ignore my personal thoughts-----

I do want to say that spending time with Amanda is one of the greatest joy one earth, holding her hands when we watch the movie and saying occasional "I love you" when a cheesy or mushy scene comes up.

Nothing beats this feeling; spending with someone you truly love. Every second becomes almost forever as you play with her hair and hold her hands ever so tight. It makes you the happiest person on earth for that very moment.

Alright, before I get messages saying "Your blog so emo la" or "You got no shame arr writing bout your personal life, and like I care reading bout your life" I shall say that going for movies is really fun.

------Resume reading here if you skipped the above section -----

Especially when you have a ticket for two, with someone special holding your hands as you step up into the silver screen.

A ticket for two - Just you and me

Gungahlin - Shopping for groceries

2008-03-26T14:13:00.001+11:00

Yes folks, a weird name for a district in the Australia Capital Territory(I assure you that there are even weirder names for other districts, but I shall stick to my post). Gungahlin is situated to the north of the city center.

It is a district comprising 7 suburbs with around 26,000 people of the 320,000 people in the Australian Capital Territory (June 2001 Census). It is not really a big place; a main district center where all the shops are located and residential areas surrounding it.

Alright, I shall not drag on too much about the geographical or historical data and will get back to the point. We (Amanda & myself) left UniLodge at around 10 am in the morning (it takes around 25-30 minutes bus ride)

A really really cool van parked in front of UniLodge

I guess it is an advertisement van: www.wickedcampers.com

Thankfully, I had most of my work done for the following week (tutorials and reading) so I guess I could spend some time relaxing myself with Amanda in Gungahlin.

Honestly, even compared to Melaka Raya in Malacca, (or to Taipan in USJ) Gungahlin town center is just like this: 2 long streets that crosses and a few 2-level buildings with shops in it. Yes, it is PRETTY small for a town center.

Gungahlin Marketplace

A cool clock. With the digits representing some Australian figure or symbol.

Besides having a few Chinese restaurants, pizza shops or fast-food joints, the Marketplace has a few departmental stores, such as Big W, Coles and my favourite, Aldi.

Told you that it is a long street with 2-level buildings. The sight is pretty plain actually.

The other long street that crosses the street in the previous picture. (Honestly I don't know what the names of the streets are. Shame on me)

The sight is not plain anymore, with a model in it; Amanda =) and with a Mercedes Benz

There is one thing that I like about Gungahlin more; it looks new. Compared to Belconnen, Dickson or Woden, the buildings here look much newer and more well designed. Even the interiors of the shopping malls look better.

Amanda in front of Mako Bar, one of the cafes around the Marketplace.

Now tell me, does the interior look nice mate? Certainly does

Finally, the MAIN reason for students of ANU to sit a long 25 minutes bus ride is not to look at buildings or fancy the long streets that cross at a perfect right angle, but to buy cheap asian groceries from a place called the Hub.

From Vietnamese spring rolls to Roti Canai, from Japanese Tofu to Indian Curry Powder, the Hub has everything that you want, especially when you are from Malaysia: the home of good food.

the Hub.

And with lots of groceries in our hands, I can't take any more pictures but all I can say is that for any Malaysians in Australia who are reading this, I have man tao and miso soup while you DON'T. Haha

I miss Malaysia [Part I] - Chinese New Year's Eve

2008-03-25T12:39:00.000+11:00

Meant to put this up last month, but well, been busy =P

I always remember my Dad as someone who loves staying at home when there are any big celebrations like New Year's Eve or other big public holidays that has celebrations outside.

Behold, the sight for sore eyes : Cendol

BUT not this year! I recalled that I was actually online writing a post for my blog where my Dad got so enthusiastic asking everyone in the house to get dressed and saying "let's go to Jonker Walk, I want to eat the cendol there".

Now if you really are a cendol lover, I could send you the picture of the shops name and you can head there yourself. The above picture is from another shop which is slightly inferior to the one i frequent. Nevertheless, it is still quite yum.

One of the alleys leading to Jonker Walk.

Then we are off to the very long, crowded and sweaty lane of Jonker Walk - a high class "pasar malam" where you can get everything, from bubble tea to beers and from expensive silk cheongsams to cheap sandals.

Cheap thongs and sandals; ranging from RM5 to RM 20

Having to crawl in the traffic for about 30 minutes it was actually quite a sight to behold. Red lanterns decorated the night and specially red spot-lights that were put up by the government adds to the New Year's ambience.

The ambience of CNY fills the night as red spot-lights decorated the walls of these historical buildings.

--> POLIS <--
Jangan main-main atau kena "ang pau" nanti
dan bayar saman.

One could witness an almost bumper to bumper traffic crawl in the heart of Malacca City and policemen with their motorcycles scouring the city floor to direct the traffic (or other reasons that I would not say - but you already KNOW-LAH)

The crowded alley of Jonker Walk; home of stories of blood, sweat and tears (actually you smell sweaty arm-pits more)

Jonker Walk was EXTRA congested on the eve of the year of the Rat. You can see families hanging out together or friends gathering with each other, adding to the mood of get-together. Temples near the Walk have special prayers for good wishes and prosperity for the coming new year.

Outside a shop: The shop-owner holds special prayers for prosperity and for more "chai" to come.

An occasional youngster which carries the brand "Ah-Beng/Ah-Lian" adds more to the mood that it really is a Chinese celebration. I guess today is the day where they can brag to their friends which brand of hair wax or gell that they use.

One thing that sets Jonker Walk apart from an ordinary pasar malam is that they have a stage! On every major celebration like CNY or Christmas, they have performances such as singing, dancing, lion dance or magic acts.

The area near the stage where the performances are held.

The stage which I was talking about. And the sea of people crowding around.

I guess that is all I can remember from a night from 1 month ago. I really miss the hot, humid weather sometimes (but I am glad that I am in Australia still). I really miss the cendol in Jonker Walk but most of all, I miss the spirit of get-togetherness with my family.

And finally, a picture to end this post. Toodles.

Candle In the Wind

2008-03-10T23:15:00.000+11:00

"And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall you
Along England's greenest hills
Your candle's burned out long before
Your legend never will"

To my dearest cousin, this song will always play in our hearts.

It is easy how someone can just go away just like that. It has been 3 days but the sorrow and the loss can still be deeply felt.

You will never know when you will ever lose that special someone. All I can say is that treasure everything around you while you can. Because our lives after all, are like a candle in the wind.

Will be missing you dear cousin.

Brand Depot In Canberra

2008-03-02T23:17:00.000+11:00

One thing that every shopping lovers in Canberra will come to know and love; Brand Depot. It is a factory retail outlet where almost every good there are sold at a discounted price.

Good news for students living in Canberra - a way to kill time and get together with friends.
Bad news for parents NOT living in Canberra - a way the holes in their pockets get bigger.

A bird's eye view

Although it seems pretty far from the city, it is a mere 20 minutes bus ride from the city. It is an express bus that heads only to the airport and brand depot.

Note: Brand depot is somewhere near the airport. One could see the terminal and runway track on the way to the outlet.

The whole place is the size of a warehouse, with many individual shops and stores separated by thin walls. I would say the whole building may be as long as a football field but half the width.

One can witness many shops and the walkway stretches on and on.

Honestly speaking, this place is not really meant for guys as men's clothing are still a bit expensive (after the AUD-RM currency exchange rate comes to play). But, it is a haven for girls.

Girls can buy almost everything here for themselves. For blouses and tops (of all kinds; tubes, tank tops, spaghetti straps, etc), the cheapest price that I know is AUD 3 and price ranges from AUD 5 to AUD 20 for the really discounted ones.

Girls are always indecisive when comes to clothes, that's why they have guys to wait for them. =P

Nevertheless, they still have more expensive garments available, but knowing our status as students and our "Kiam-Siap" (stingy) behavior, we prefer going for cheaper stuffs.

For guys, well, the best offers here are mostly sport shoes, leather jackets and jumpers. I myself bought one BUM jacket for only AUD 10.00 which is comparatively cheaper than anywhere else

They do have seats along the walk-way, just in case you get tired and a cafeteria at the back of the building for refreshments.

Brand Depot, girls favorite shopping place

The building layout however, do irritates shoppers sometimes. The place is in the shape of a rectangle with shops in the center and along the side. The refectory is situated at the back of the building along with the only toilet.

Yes, it happened to me before where I had a sudden urge to relief myself of my natural instincts to pee. I have to run around the shops in the center just to get to the back of the building.

I wonder if the architects for this building have any bladder or not they forgot to make the toilet a little more accessible.

Crazy discounts are everywhere.

As the place is situated near the airport, one can notice how large the place is as it is one building that stands out on the plains.

Pictures of Brand Depot Entrance.

Notice the happy shoppers and their merchandise.

I guess that is all I can write about Brand Depot for now. Back to work!

The walk to Canberra Centre (Updated)

2008-02-19T21:03:00.000+11:00

Since the semester has not started yet, I might as well make full use of my spare time posting some pictures of Canberra (for those who might want to have a preview what the city really looks like)

A brief introduction - Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Australia. With a population of over 323,000, it is Australia's largest inland city. (Think it as a place twice the size of the state Malacca and half the population)

The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, 280 km south-west of Sydney, and 650 km north-east of Melbourne. (3 hours bus ride to Sydney and 8 hours train + bus ride to Melbourne)

Yeap as you have guessed it, Canberra is an entirely purpose-built, planned city. Everything, from the location of the Parliament House to the suburbs. Even the lake here is man made.

Following an international contest for the city's design, a design by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913.

A tour around Civic, a location near ANU and UniLodge

The front view of UniLodge - A parking space

Alinga Street City Junction (note that the town is pretty desserted during weekends)

The Parcel

A note about the Parcel

P.J's - the best lunches in town with a cheap price.

Like Malacca, Canberra has a booming tourism industry

The hallway of the buildings

A catchy CD promo.

Chick2Go a.k.a Ali Baba - A so-so place for kebabs

The view of Capital Hill. Civic (Canberra's Heart) is almost build around this hill.

Northbourne Avenue. One of the main streets of Canberra

Civic does not have a proper bus station. But it has a bus terminal like this.

They have cyber cafe here as well. AUD 2 per hour. They have DOTA!

Pancake Parlour.

It's a good place to eat once in a while if you are up for it. It's pretty good!

The entrance for Garema Place - That's what they call their main business centre where all the shops are.

Kim's Groceries. Do NOT buy Asian stuff from here except if you are desperate, for the pricesare quite expensive.

Coscut Cosmetics - Not a bad place to buy shampoo, soap and other stuff.

A small part of Garema Place.

Centrepoint - Garema Place

One of the attractions in Garema Place - A merry-go-round

The slightly pornographic sheep

Seeeee what I mean?

Canberra Centre - The old wing

The front view of the Centre

The view of the Centre's Food Junction

Hot Dollar - A really cheap place to buy kitchen utensiles.

Gelatissimo - Nicer than Malaysian branches

Their Summer Sorbet offer

Supre - A place where girls go mad about clothes, like Amanda

The back entrance of Canberra Centre

The new wing of Canberra Centre

Big W - We sell for less. Big Whoopiedo!

A mock-shot

Some deco in the mall, I think it's pretty artistic

7.10 p.m. and it's still so bright

And finally, some chopped bicycles. This guy studies in ANU by the way.

I guess that is a wrap for now. I will write more about Canberra in times to come, so stay tuned ! Good night and good day, mate!

A belated Valentine's Day Post

2008-02-16T21:45:00.000+11:00

Ever since we got back to Canberra, we hav gotten pretty busy packing our rooms respectively and buying groceries and items needed. Thus, that explains why I do post anything regarding February the 14th.

The boring part - Facts about Valentine' Day

Valentine's Day has been on for a long, long time.

Every February all across the country and the world, candy, flowers, gifts, sweet and mushy words of love are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine

Love is all around, poor cupid dies from exhaustion

It is a pretty long and boring story but to cut the long story short, St. Valentine's Day is a combines vestiges of both Christian and Roman tradition.

The big QUESTION: Who was this St. Valentine and how did he become associated with this age old ocassion? The big ANSWER: It is the name of Saints who were martyred (Saint Valentine or sometimes known as Valentinus)

A book store in Canberra with one of their whiteboard ads.

Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudies II outlawed young men from marriage (as he requires them as soldiers more than people making love in bed), Valentine realized the injustice in this decree.

Ignoring the emperor's commands, he secretly performed marriages for young couples. When he was discovered, he was ordered to put to death. The main story happened before his death during his remaining life in the jail.

Needs more love =P

There are a few versions of how this day came about but my favourite one is about Valentine himself. Legend holds that while being held in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailor's beautiful daughter.

The jailor's daughter visited him once in the prison thus captivate him with her beauty. The letter which was sent secretly to the daughter was signed as "From your Valentine", which became today's expression.

Like cupid, the old man died from too much love

Although the truth behind this legend is hard to be proven, the stories that were handed down through generations certainly emphasize his characteristics as a sympathetic, heroic and most importantly a romantic figure.

Love is all around, with round yolks and white hearts

Have you ever wondered who this mysterious person is and why do we really celebrate this holiday? Well, I did a little research about it. (As I do not want to just talk about myself, spare me the hassle alright?)

The real stuff - How do you prepare yourself for the BIG DAY

1. Plan Ahead!

Some sweetness for this sweet day

love sick girl: Why you didn't bring me go anyway dearrr? *sulks*
love sick boy : Sorry la darlinnnggg, I didn't book any place...
love sick girl: Yerrrr... why you so not romantic one? Why you cannot.....

love sick girl: Aiyer? Why no flowers one? My girlfriend got 888 roses why I got ze-lo?

love sick boy: I forgot la, plus no money

So to avoid getting into these sticky situatio which may threaten your relationship, book your valentine's dinner ahead or buy early presents.

2. Guys, do not try too hard. Girls, do not expect too much.

As long as you guys are happy having each other during this special day, that's all you need - love.

Blow Him Away : The Lowdown on Going Down. Girls, get them and READ them

However, a simple card or a small teddy bear key-chain will certainly make her day, and a big hug plus a kis will make his day.

Give and take!

3. Safety first.

Always use love-doms!

If you guys are really feeling the L.O.V.E (the lurrrrveeee), make sure you guys know where you are heading to avoid any unwanted events. =P

Seen in a clinic

Another book about the big L : Love

As for Amanda and myself ...

A Chocolate Swiss Mountain Malt for two please

We went around Canberra City in search for a restaurant for a romantic dinner but it was way above our budget. So we ended up eating in Pancake Parlour. Not a bad place to hang out and to dig in, except for the price.

Some other couples in the Parlour

Mexican Chicken Crepe

the Tabriz

To me dear, you are the sweetest Valentine that ever happened in my life, not just the February the 14th but everyday,everytime, all the time. I love you.

Back to Canberra

2008-02-15T01:12:00.000+11:00

After three months of a LooOoooOooOOnnNngG holiday here I am back in Canberra. It was a heavy hearted good-bye for me to my home in Malacca as it is the place where everything is taken care of for me but here in Canberra, I have to do everything myself (with Amanda of course).

I am certainly going to miss the food in Malacca, the cheap proper sized pool tables back home, my house, my mum's home-cooked food but most of all, my family. It is their company that I will always be thinking of and always be waiting to come home.

Ok ok, cut the mushy and emotional stuff. Back to OZ land and ANU as a student.

Question: How do yo equate the trip back to Canberra?

Answer: Going back to Canberra = 8 hours' flight + 3 hours bus ride.

Care to explain the equation? Sure, why not?

Jetstar Airlines - Cheap flights, low fares all day everyday from Australia's newest cheap fare airlines. People say low-cost airplanes aren't that good, safe, reliable, uncomfortable and lousy but here are some facts that I have discovered to prove them wrong (& right)

Jetstar Airlines

The seats are not small at all and in fact they are pretty spacious with enough leg space for you to stretch (My height is around 176 cm). They are pretty comfortable, equipped with an adjustable seat head rest to prevent nasty neckaches.

Some ad I found at the Sydney International Airport.

Like all low cost airplanes, every seat do not have an individual LCD screen in front of you, but they do have a screen in the middle every 6 seats, so it is pretty okay to watch movies. Cabin crew are friendly (like all other airlines).

Economy Class Seats

Food and drinks, those you need to purchase yourselves. However, plain water is free and that is the main reason why it is "out of stock" within the first 3 hours of the flight (I asked for water and they gave me one of the last bottles - or so they proclaim). Do pack some sandwiches or bread if you can.

The view of sunrise throught the window. Awesome

Amanda and myself were given the seat which is nearer to the toilet. At first thought, it was a good idea but on board it was an unbearable one (literally speaking). The toilet door and the walls were pretty thin and when someone farts, you can have an audible sound of *poooooot*.

The isle of the cabine. Note the LCD screens

But it gets better. Your olfactory will have a major meltdown if you were to smell what I have. There were four instances where certain passengers answered the call of nature onboard in the toilet. Imagine the stench! Other passenger beside me were either covering their nose, fanning their faces with paper or taking out deodorants. (Amanda slept through all of them except one)

The flight was pretty smooth, just some minor turbulence. I hope the minor details above will give you an impression of what to expect and experience when you are sitting a low cost carrier. It is not bad at all except for the foul stench that comes from the toilet.

Oh yeah, for movie addicts you can order a video on demand pack which they will give you a portable video player throughout the whole flight.

8 hours flight = Smelly poop stench + Loud audible fart sounds

Greyhound - Australia's only national coach express. Nothing much I can mention about the bus which is pretty much the same as Malaysia's Transnational or KKKL.

Greyhound Australia and a picture taken whilst leaving the airport

Overall, it was a tiring journey for me. I am one of those people who can never fall asleep on the airplane. Total hours of journey to Canberra ? 8 hours + 3.5 hours bus ride + 2.5 hours of waiting time = 14 hours. Almost a whole day spent on travelling alone.

If you think flying isin't safe, just think that at least you are inside the plane.

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-07T01:50:00.000+11:00

Happy Chinese New Year . Gong Xi Fatt Chai....

Our reunion dinner at friendship Restaurant, Kepong.

LOU SANG.... READY
GET SET

GO!
Guai ling kou.... nyam nyam my final desert.

Notice something ? I did not snap those main dishes as I was disappointed. All they serve was shark fin, abalone, fish, and prawns. At the end of the day my mom had to order an extra dish for me ( lemon chicken) . Yes, I am allergic to all sea food and it wasn't the 1st time that I had to go through this myself. At the end of the day, all I ate was lemon chicken, yee sang and guai ling kou. That was enough to fill my stomach (thank goodness) . Well, over all it was a satisfying meal for me.

The world is shrinking I guess? seems like I tend to bump into people around me easily. Not to mention, even Michelle and Eddie bumped into Lilian Tan. Lucky for her I wasn't there. LOL .

( I strangle you )

( you strangle me )

Sweet and adorable couple =) , bump into them at pavillion.

Last but not least, Good News ! New coming of the year. Let us welcome to our new baby Asam and Laksa. They are not food. They r not what you think they are. They are my new DOGGIES. Both siblings are called Asam and Laksa. They will be arriving soon anytime this week. Till then more pictures will be uploaded =) . I shall leave the suspense on...

Happy chinese new year.

Kuantan

2008-02-06T23:16:00.000+11:00

Disclaimer: To fellow bloggers or visitors who are from Kuantan, please do not be offended by the details in this post. It is just a note on my experience at your lovely home-town

Introduction

The streets of Kuantan

Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the largest state in Malaysia. This city is founded in the 1850s. Overall, the city does not have many tall buildings nor huge shopping malls.

The state capital mosque

The place is pretty laid back and rather modest looking. The main city area only stretches not more than 6 or 7 blocks.

Surrounding the parameter of the city are housing estates; the brick-buildings closer to town and the kampung fashioned houses situated further away.

Top Three Reasons to Have a Holiday in Kuantan.

1. Very F.R.E.S.H seafood!

Pak Su Seafood Restaurant

Cheese Lobster and the crowd at the restaurant

Black Pepper Crabs and the display of fresh seafood.

Braised Tofu and Steamed Dragon Fish

Apart from tourism, the fishing industry plays a vital role in the state capital's economy. Fresh seafood fuels tourism (from the very good food that it provides).

The must go restaurant here is Pak Su Seafood Restaurant. Although a little pricy, this place is the bomb, with their stuffed crab and cheese lobster ready to blow your taste buds.

2. Relaxing hotel, away from the hustle & bustle.

My 3 days 2 nights stay here was spent at the

Me @ the lounge. There's the hotel under the gloomy monsoon skies

Swiss Garden Resort, Kuantan. This place is located approximately 15 km away from the city (a mere 15 minutes drive)

It faces the South China Sea, which makes it a nice place to watch a beautiful sunrise. The setting of the hotel itself makes you feel comfortable and relaxed the very moment you checked in.

Part of the lounge. Yellow lights sets the romantic ambience

The lounge boasts of a "floating lounge", where most of the seats are surrounded by water. The lounge itself has a grand-piano, where a pianist will play the jazz/blues songs at night.

Night time at the pool and me chilling out in the cool water

The hotel provides wireless broadband as well, but a minimum charge. Other facilities include their trademark "Samsara Spa", a mini gymnasium and a games room where you may play some arcade games, play pool or table tennis.

The entrance to Samsara Spa

By nightfall, neon-lights will bring a romantic ambience at the lounge. This place will be a superb get-away for couples or newly-weds.

The brightly litted Swiss Garden

Part of the dining lounge. Note the cubicle styled eating room on the right.

3. Sandy beaches and beautiful sun-rise.

The most famous beach here in Kuantan is the Cherating beach, but the one right in front of the Swiss Garden Resort is a splendid one as well.

The beach and the little hermit crabs.

As it is the North-East Monsoon season now, the beach looks gloomy due to the grey clouds and strong winds. But if you were to visit this beach on a non-monsoon day, it will be great.

You can catch a glimpse of small hermit crabs having some mating "orgy" (I got it down in video in case you would not believe me), baby crabs crawling everywhere and small fishes swimming about.

This little fishy swam a bit too far up the shore.

The hotel has some beach sports facilities up as well for those who are interested: beach soccer, volleyball or for the slightly lazier ones, just some long benches for you to snooze on.

I woke up at 5 a.m just to catch the sunrise.

Alas, the sun will not come up until 630 a.m here in Kuantan. But when the sun really came up, it was well worth the wait.

Sunrise at the beach. (Although concealed by the clouds)

Top Three Reasons Not to Have a Holiday in Kuantan

1. Lousy road system.

Jam-jam-jam. Everywhere also jam-LAH

It appears to me that the city has only one main road: Jalan Berserah. And along that road it has at least 10 traffic lights, within 1 km.

Thanks to that, my family and I were caught in a jam due to the long traffic light queue.

2. Monsoon season.

Better check your calender and get the season right. Kuantan will be in her wettest season from November - March, that's when the North East Wind will bring in the rain.

Otherwise, you will end up like me - facing heavy rain fall most of the time during the trip.

3. Lack of Shopping Malls

I know you may say, "You go all the way to Kuantan just to go shopping mall ArH?". But my point is, what if you just want to take a stroll in the city and have some window shopping in the mall?

The city only has two big malls; Kuantan Parade and Berjaya Megamall. Both of them are pretty run down and most of the shops in them are small private businesses which sells sub-standard goods.

I guess that's all about Kuantan. I would say it is not a bad place to go to, but not a very exciting place either. Last but not least, this one is for you, Amanda. =)

A N G

A heart just for you
And that our story will last like the oceans

Eu Gene says

2008-02-06T23:10:00.000+11:00

That I have been lazy to upload anything from my house because of the very slow streamyx connection. (It took 15 minutes to upload 5 pictures)

That I have been pretty busy with housework. Being the only child certainly has it perks, but the down side is that you have to do dirty housework. (Especially before CNY)

That I have been busy enjoying my holiday back home in Malacca, especially during my birthday. (Many thanks to Winnie, Lyon, Eddie, Mic and especially to you dear Amanda)

Marketing lessons...

2008-02-01T04:43:00.000+11:00

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" - "That's Direct Marketing"

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointed at you says: "He's very rich. "Marry him." -"That's Advertising"

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her phone no. .The following day, you call up and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - "That's Telemarketing"

4. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - "That's Public Relations"

5. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry ! me?" - "That's Brand Recognition"

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. - "That's Customer Feedback"

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. - "That's demand and supply gap"

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you could say a thing, some other random guy come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him - "That's competition eating into your market share"

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. - "That's restriction from entering new markets"

leaving soon ...

2008-01-31T20:50:00.000+11:00

Few months ago, we were talking about the famous Mamak in town and how much we miss those spiciness back in Malaysia. NOW, time is ticking away. I suppose many of us are doing last minute shopping for Chinese New Year and CANBERRA. Winnie tempted me with those beautiful plates and bowls. For 1 minute, I hesitated, thinking should I buy them ? I mean you can't get those in Australia. Then again, I realize we had plenty back in Australia except that it's without those pattern.

Winnie, Valentine's coming, I don mind 2nd hand gift =) LOL .. I kid

I was browsing through ANU's website. I was surprise with my time table as compared to last year's hectic workload.

Once again, being free doesn't mean I can spend more time shopping and wasting my time. This year's resolution " Never give up " . Action speaks louder than words. It requires a lot of determination and of course support from my dear friends and beloved ones =) . It's like you strive for the moon, if you fall, you fall upon the stars.

11 more days to go and we'll ( My beau and me ) be leaving for Canby. Can't wait to go happys. I miss you ... I miss you so so much ... my .. my ............................. BANANA CHICKEN ! ( drooling away )

Till here then =) I miss you guys so so so much !

P/S : Got kinda bored and drew this for that special someone

girls day out ( fantastic day )

2008-01-26T04:21:00.000+11:00

Well basically I have nothing interesting to blog about but since everyone had been bugging me to blog again so I have decided to blog about "girls day out" organized by Winnie.

According to Winnie - " I believe hanging out with a bunch of girls come with a whole lot of f.r.e.e.d.o.m. To speak whatever, and NOT be too obsessed with being proper."
Yes it's true, one of the reason we went hyper and was dancing away in the room( karaoke session). Thank god, it was dark from the inside and the glass was tinted.

Q & A
Q: What do you think of girls day out ?
A : Fantastic.. We do what girls usually do like Gossip/camwhore/shopping/window shopping ...

Q: How many are there and who are they ?
A: There were 5 of us. Mich/Mel/ Kim/ Winnie and me.

Q: What did you buy ?
A: 3 pairs of socks for Gene and 1 pair of wedges that cost me RM 47 after 20% DISCOUNT !

Q: How do you feel ?
A: It was fun but if only I did not drink 3 glasses of coffee that I end up having MASSIVE HEADACHE through out the day.

Q: What did you have for lunch ?
A: I had black pepper noodle pork fillet and 1 glass of CAFFEINE and 2 more during karaoke session.

Q: Any pictures you would like to share ?
A: YEAP

My black pepper noodle pork fillet @ Wong kok char chan teng.

Pretty Kim & Winnie

My camwhore buddy

Kim and me

From left : Mich,Winnie,ME,Kim
WInnie u look sexy..

US

Superstar...

lol ... BFF

me and mel

happy moments*

NEWAY @ 1u ( out of 10 I would say 5/10) .
Why? because there's no RIHANNA
lol....more of updated chinese songs than english song.

Well, I guess a picture worth a million words. Overall, I had a blast with my girl friends today. Hope to have more hang out with you girls. Cheers** have to head back to bed otherwise I'll be a zombie the next morning. Getting up at 530am. Snooze for another 15 minutes and hopefully i won't go back to sleep again. Initial plan is to get up bathe and leave house at 615am then zoom to JLN IPOH's DIm Sum then meet up with Eddie and Mich for breakfirst. Hopefully to reach home beofre 7.45am just to wake my dad up in time to fetch us to Bangsar LRT. Bus at 9am.
Guess what ? It's 2.21am now... Gene is so going to kill me. I can't help it when I felt restless after drinking 3 glasses of coffee. Toodless...

perfomance @ 1u ( F1 opening ceremony ) + my friends....

2008-01-20T21:42:00.000+11:00

Here's one of my performance that I would love to share with my fellow friends.

I'd love to thank my wonderful friends who have made my life so colorful and cheerful. Especially when I was down, you guys are always there for me. It was a boring Sunday, and so I've decided to create our memory in a video =)

Note: For those who is not in my video, you're still my friend/s . That is because I don't have your pictures . =)

Sit back and enjoy...

3 more weeks to go till we meet each other in Aussie land again. Amanda misses her friends and BF a lot. Especially Unilodgens and BRAND DEPOT!!!!!!

Note: My deepest condolence to My long lost friend, Marwick chin who recently just pass away due to his heart problem ( age 21 this year ). May you rest in peace and we'll always miss you as much. You used to be very close to us and now that you have departed, your name will be forever carve inside us. I felt terrible when I came across about you, as I haven't got the time to bid Good Bye and to say my very last apology for what I've done before that may hurt you indirectly. I remember you've always wanted to meet me in person but I refuse all the way as I did not have the time or perhaps delaying your request each time. Now that there's no more next time and I'm really sorry for that. Probably the next time we meet again is when I'm standing in front of your tombstone. I somehow regret but there's no turning back again. We used to be so closed in form 3 that you would tell me stuff about Lee Wah. There were times where the 3(Mich,you and me) of us used to play and talk a lot back then. This morning I was scrolling through my phone list, I saw you and your dad's no. in my phone. Now that I remember back in high school, you used to sms me till you ran out of credit and then you'd use your dad's phone to reply me again. You used to tell me that you've got a very weak heart but I chose not to believe because you look very healthy back then. Sigh... I can't really remember how we met up, considering you were from a boy school ( la salle school in PJ) but I do appreciate the times we(mich,you and me) had together back then. Memories will be kept inside us forever. Good bye my dear friend =)

unfaithful - Rihanna (Amanda)

2008-01-19T00:40:00.000+11:00

This is what happens when an ordinary girl like me stay awake in the middle of the night. Tried sleeping but somehow my eyes just couldn't shut. All of a sudden, BLOGGING seems to be the best option to kill my boredom.

Like many other girls, I adore Rihanna best. I unintentionally got one of her songs stuck in my head so i suggest it'll be a great idea if I do the same to you. Lol, I kid.

introducing.... Rihanna ~~~~

Rihanna was born on February 20, 1988, in a county called Barbados,St. Michael. She lived the life of a normal island girl going to Combermere, a top sixth form school, similar to grammar schools in the UK. Rihanna won a beauty pageant and performed Mariah Carey's "Hero" in a school talent show. Her life changed forever when one of her friends introduced her to Evan Rodgers, a producer from New York who was in Barbados for vacation with his wife, who is a native. Rodgers arranged for her to go to New York to meet Jay-Z, CEO of Def Jam Records. He heard her sing and knew she was going to be big and for more than just one song. She was 16 when she was signed to Def Jam. Rihnanna's debut album is out now. It's called "Music of the Sun".

Rihanna Lyrics
Unfaithful Lyrics

last but not least ......

Amanda was born on 3rd October, 1987, in a country called Malaysia,Kuala Lumpur. She lived the life of a normal city girl going to Australia National university, an economics degree student.. Amanda never won a beauty pageant before and performed Mariah Carey's "Hero" in a karaoke call Red box. Her life changed forever when one of her friend, Michelle did not introduce her to a producer from New York who was in Malaysia for vacation with his wife, who is a native. Rodgers did not arranged for her to go to New York to meet Jay-Z, CEO of Def Jam Records. He did not hear her sing and never knew she was going to be big and for more than just one song. She was 13 when she first met Michelle.

Coming Up.. Malacca: Home sweet home

2008-01-13T18:42:00.000+11:00

Warning. Delayed posts are due to our busy-ness.

Amanda and I have been too busy for the past 2 days to even try to blog. So, just a little pre-note if you guys do wonder what we are up to.

We are down in Malacca (my hometown) happily eating away and visiting places (especially places that Amanda never been before).

There will be a few posts about our trip here, featuring places to makan-makan, shop and to take nice pictures.

Alright, got to go. I am about to bake some cookies with Amanda. (another post regarding my cookies, with the recipe up and pictures to view if you like.

Signing off!

Canberra, Australia. Where our paths crossed.

D-I-Y Facial Treatment.

2008-01-12T18:28:00.000+11:00

Nothing beats facial treatment, especially on a warm day in Malacca. What's best is when you do it yourself and feeling much refreshed and rejuvenated after the treatment.

Here are the basic steps which you can use to pamper yourself and fill your time when you are at home. Facial is not only for girls but for guys as well

Guys, never think you are too macho for a facial treatment. You deserve the treatment sometimes. Get your girlfriend or your mum to do it.

I really do admit I can be quite vain sometimes (even more than Amanda, considering I am a GUY)

1. Relax yourself and make yourself at home.

A relaxing snack prepared by Mum.

Start of your facial treatment with a cool and refreshing drink. As for myself, I had a cup of "honey lemon lime" drink with some grapes. This is to make you feel more pleased at yourself and more relaxed.

2. A refreshing wash and scrub

Proper cleansing is always the first and crucial step of a good facial treatment. Facial scrubs are useful in opening up those clogged pores as well as removing dead skin cells and impurities.

Tea Tree Facial Scrub from Bioglo. Minty afterwash feeling.

Cream Cleanser from St. Ives. Suitable for dry skin.

Wash your face with luke-warm water. Luke-warm water helps to open up clogged pores thus making it easier to cleanse your face properly

Do NOT use WARM water as it may irritate your skin

3. Mask your face. Sometimes you will be prettier that way.

Yes folks, one of the two vainest persons you ever seen, huh?

Indeed. I use the "Neem Face Pack" by Himalaya Herbals as it is suitable for oily and pimple-prone skin. It contains neem and turmeric which are anti-bacterial in nature.

Neem Face Pack. It gives a cooling sensation after washing it off.

For those with normal skin, get a mask that contains minerals, vitamins and fruit extracts. This is to provide nutrition to the skin of your face.

4. Get rid of nasty blackheads (if you have them)

I am one of the unfortunate race of people that has slightly large pores and an oily T-zone, thus I have blackheads.

Kao Pore Pack

The blackheads extracted by the Pore Pack

Kao Pore Pack is quite effective in removing blackheads. However, do it in a well air-conditioned or a cool room as pespiration will reduce its effectiveness.

The white mud nose pack from the Face Shop

White mud nose pack in action

The White Mud Nose Pack from the Face Shop is equally as effective, but keep in mind that you need to make sure there are no open pores left uncovered by the white mud.

5. A balanced ending is a good ending.

Wash your face once more with a mild cleanser. You may use cool water to rinse your face this time as it helps to close your pores.

Biotherm is the range of facial product that I use. It is quite effective for oily and acne prone skin. They have a cleanser, toner, day cream and night cream.

Use a good toner which is a lotion designed to cleanse the skin and to shrink pores. You may apply it with a clean cotton or wool pad.

Cleansing removes oil from your skin thus a good moisturizer would be vital. (Your skin is hungry for moisture after every washing!) This is to prevent your skin from drying and cracking.

That is all folks. If there are any facial tips you want to share, you are most certainly welcomed to post a comment.

Today's Feature: Are you an "Emo"?

2008-01-09T18:54:00.001+11:00

Yes, we know that "emo-es" are another type of people

When you are sad and you complain about how wrong things are around you, people around you may call you an "emo".

To those who does not know the real term, it is not the abbreviation of "emotional".

E = mo squared. An overworked Einstein resorts to be an "emo"

There are reasons why "emo" does not mean like how it sounds and why people who behave as as described above are branded "emo".

"Emo" is a style of rock music which describes several independent variations of music with certain similar styles. The below is the timeline of how the term "emo" came about:

1980s - the term emo described a sub genre of hardcore punk
1990s - the term emo began to refer to the indie scene

An Indian Summer live gig

In the early 90s, a hardcore genre that came to be know as "Emotive Hardcore" which was pioneered by Rites of Spring.

"Emo" was a term for the crowd who loved Rites of Spring, Indian Summer and the new wave of "Emotive" Hardcore bands.

The word "emo" probably came into modern terms as what we know, perhaps due to journalists, producers or magazines who do not really know what "emo" is, hence labelling most things they hear as "emo".

It is probably because it sounds nicer (the X-factor) rather than labelling bands as "bubblegum pop punk".

Emo: Punk music on estrogen and a reason for boys to act like girls

Hence, it is rather untrue that "emo" meant "emotional". Most of the current bands (especially boy bands) make music to certain mushy and sugar-coated emotion which create a feeling of "emotion". (E.g. Backstreet Boys, 98 degrees are sometimes known for their "emo" music.

I would not really explain the historical and politically correct usage of "emo", but what rather interests me is the fashion and stereotypes of people branded as "emo-es".

The word "emo" is associated with males and females who:

Wears tight jeans (preferably dark)

Have long fringes brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes

Emo hairstyles for guys. Never fails to attract "emo" chicks

Dyed black and straight hair

Emo hairstyles for girls. Into it?

T-shirts which often bear the names of rock bands

A couple of "emo" styled T-shirts. Comes with all sizes

Studded belts and big belt buckles

Studded belts and assorted belt buckles are a must to be a qualified "emo"

Canvas sneakers or skate shoes (often old and worn out)

Thick, black horn-rimmed glasses

Yes sir! Black = Emo

Emos hate themselves

Goths hate everyone

Emos want to kill themselves

Goths want to kill everyone

Quoted by Chelsea Lewis

"Emo-es" are know for being sad all the time

*Dude, I'm sad, I feel like cutting myself*

I hope that I have at least cleared up the meaning of "emo". It is a popular trend nowadays, which may be detrimental to the society (due to the mental disorders and anxieties).

However, if you just want to dress as one I really do hope that the above pictures and examples could be useful. Signing off!

Note: This post is dedicated to my friend Kevin Kim, as I always mistaken him as an "emo". Sorry dude, as you were always being "emotional" and "sensitive". Lols. I kid.

Polite Malaysians or Rude Malaysians?

2008-01-09T02:09:00.000+11:00

Type "World's Rudest Country" and you will see articles indicating Kuala Lumpur is the 3rd rudest city in the world. FORTUNATELY, Budapest is the world's number 2 while Bucharest is the worst.

Is it something to be proud of, being known as the world's 3rd rudest country? It may be an old article, but the fact that rude Malaysians are out there has been around longer than you can ever imagine.

Time and time again local newspapers were filled with reassuring quotes from Malaysians and foreigners saying how polite and courteous we all are. Yes, we are surprised with this surprise. "How can we be so rude?" you may ask.

There are signs everywhere to clearly show that Malaysians can be rude in the wider sense of the word. We are not only rude in the sense that we would get shouted at or reprimanded but in the sense that people may assume that we as Malaysians are uncivilised or uneducated.

Recognise the quote "1st world country with 3rd world mentality"? It describes us well sometimes.

The following actions below are some of the actions that probably contribute to that very shameful ranking:

Littering. Ah yessss! Remember those lessons taught by our teachers during Moral Education period, that we must throw our litters into the dust bin? Alas, that exist in theory. Although we would be fined if we were caught littering, law enforcement is poorly executed. (I have seen policemen throwing "Mamee" wrappers on the streets before)

M & M theory of driving. There are "Maniacs" who treat highways like a F1 race track, speeding at almost 200 km/h, endangering lives of people on the road and in the speeding car. There are also "Morons" that hog the road, driving slowly and making turns without switching on their signal lamps.

The 3 Ks'. Kiasu, Kiasi, Kialang. (Afraid to lose, afraid to die and intimidating - like a monster) We Malaysians often state that our friendly neighbour, the Singaporeans are perfect characters of the 3 Ks' but fail to see that we are masters in them.

We are "kiasu" during any Mega Sales. Have you ever seen people pushing and elbow each other in the shopping mall just to reach the clothes they want? What about people who cuts into any queue that you are in?

We are "kiasi" to the point where we do not want to admit our faults. I was at this certain buffet dinner where I saw a male with "kiasu" characteristics - He has his plate filled with the things served till the point where some of his meatballs rolled off. Sometime later, the host came across the meatballs and asked around who caused the unwanted mess. Mr. K announced "Eh? How did that happen arh? I think I saw some kid drop his meatball-lah!"

We are "kialang" when we are behind the wheels. The potion that Dr Jekyll drank turns him into Mr. Hyde, while our cars and motors are instant recipes of road rage and destruction. We hold the world's 30th rank in the most road fatalities. If you were to anger anyone on the road, they will drive ahead of you and give you a nasty "what the @$#%@ is wrong with you" glance.

Staring. Malaysians LOOOOVVEEE staring. They love looking at you as though as you are an object without any remorse. I always observe males around when I do my shopping or just hanging out with Amanda (Yes, I do admit I tend to be protective around her)

Guys love looking or more specifically, LEERING at girls. They tend to stare from the heads down and stop somewhere in the middle (If you are a guy, you know and if you are a girl, you know this better).

Come on! Firstly, it is rude to stare and secondly, you are being an ass for not noticing that OTHER people knows that you are staring.

These are just a few traits of the rude and ugly side of Malaysia. I want to add that not all Malaysians are like this, some of them are really nice and good people to be with where they are willing and ready to lend a helping hand in whatever ails you have.

WAKE UP! We are very well into our 50th birthday as a country but if we do not change our attitude and manners, we will not go very far. Imagine potential investors who are interested in our country but eventually got turn off with our ill mannered ways

Malacca Trip

2008-01-07T04:08:00.000+11:00

Many of my friends (especially Michelle and Winnie) had been asking "how's my trip to Malacca?". It's indescribable as I had too much fun and I didn't know where to start.

Here are some photos taken in Malacca :

They must be really rich to afford this Santa.

I'm a shortie beside Santa.

I'm shorter than Winnie.

I'm a shortie beside Michelle.

I'm really short beside Eu Gene.

I'm as tall as Eu Gene's Mum.

Overall, I am SHORT !

(Therefore taking a full length picture with someone beside me is not advisable not UNLESS if they are as short as me)

Gene and I visited the Portuguese Settlement which is a Kristang community in Ujong Pasir. (The Kristang people are better known as "Serani")

The Kristang are a Malaysian ethnic group with mixed Portuguese and Malay or Indian ancestry, which arose during the Portuguese colnial period.

Although they have Portuguese ancestry, most of them were quite tanned. English is their main language but they can converse in Malay fluently as well.

In December, their main attraction is during the Christmas holiday, as they decorated their houses with beautiful neon lights and festive decorations.

The "famous" A'Farmosa. It feels like I was teleported back into the past. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia.

This tiny gate (called the Porta de Santiago) is all that is left of a mighty fortress. This is why I tend to pose around more at the entrance of the building. =P

Unfortunately,did not manage to snap more pictures. There were some "unwanted" attention of some "people" were staring and giving unpleasant gestures and looks.

Luckily Eu Gene was there with me or else they would have followed me even more.

St. John's Hill, Eu Gene's favourite jogging spot.

The view of the sea from the Settlement. The old bridge you see used to be intact when Gene was still a fat chubby kid.

Klebang Beach in Malacca. One of my first few times at a real beach.

Rm10 for a ride ? Michelle, that horse looks like you ! (poor horse looks like it was crying or am I too heavy?)

Gene brought me over to a Crocodile Farm as well. It only costs RM5 per entry. It was really amazing to see real live crocodiles lying around. There were baby crocodiles (a pen's length) and as well as more matured ones.

The place was quite poorly managed, with no proper walking paths. The glass display cages where they kept the snakes were dirty. The water in the pools of the crocodiles were either yellow or brownish-green.

A dead croc and a live girl

Overall, the place was an interesting place for me. We even visited a "haunted house" in the Farm but we had to pay RM2 to enter.

It was so dark that Gene walk straight into the wall three to four times. It was a total RIPOFF.

Amazed to see a buffalo ( I don't mean to snap from it's back )

Last but not least, Me and Gene.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks to: Gene, Auntie ( Gene's mom ), Uncle ( Gene's dad ) and Cat Yee

Thank you for taking care of me and I really do enjoy my trip a lot.

Lots of love,

Amanda

P.S : Wanted to take some pictures with auntie, uncle and cat yee but do not have the guts to ask them.

Note from Eu Gene: I have edited some contents in this blog. Enjoy reading =). I may post some new contents about the fort and the pictures of places you see here.

Jalan Ipoh Yong Tau Foo - A brief note

2008-01-06T20:30:00.000+11:00

This post was meant to be published yesterday, but I got lazy. Anyways, Amanda and I went for breakfast over this place, "Jalan Ipoh Yong Tau Foo".

The name might be a little deceiving, for this restaurant is not exactly located at Jalan Ipoh but at Jalan Segambut.

Extra chewy fish balls. Yum!

The ordering style is like Kim Gary's, a paper and a pencil. You just need to count the number of ingredients that you want and write them down.

However, the price for each ingredient (i.e. fish ball, bean curd, lady's finger, etc.) is much more expensive than the ones in Malacca.

Eggplant and "tau kua". Superb!

This would be my first time eating Yong Tau Foo with rice, as they do not serve noodles. The fish balls were fresh and chewy. The eggplant was superb.

Basically, everything was good. I guess this is the reason why people are willing to pay almost one ringgit for just one fish ball or ingredient.

The paper where the restaurant determines our orders. Note: the price for each thing.

Overall cost of the day? For my portion alone, it was RM 10.80. I guess living in KL basically means inflated prices.

Although that was a huge amount to pay for a meal, I guess it was alright as it was so delicious.

The fried bean curd. Awesome.

A brief note: Michelle got lazy that early morning when she ignored our SMSs. We invited her over for breakfast as she lives somewhere along Jalan Ipoh.

Today's Feature: Ah Beng & Ah Lian

2008-01-03T23:25:00.000+11:00

Yes, we Malaysians live in a very multi-cultured country, so unique that other than our friendly neighbour Singapore, no other place in the world has them. What are they? They are Ah Beng & Ah Lians

SPECIMEN ONE: AH BENG

The Ah Beng Evolution: 50 Years of Progress

The typical Chinese guy more commonly found in places with dense Chinese population. Generally has dyed hair (bright golden bleach is preferred, bright red, blue or green is sometimes the "in" thing). Some of them prefer short and spiky hair where as some prefer long front fringes that gives them the occasionally habit of "flicking" their head. (more like a seizure attack).

Typical Ah Beng pose.

The favourite "centre parting" style

The standard issue of Ah Beng-ness: Blonde Bleach

An Ah Beng generally loves techno music and most of the time owns a modified Kancil car which blasts their favourite music genre so loud you can hear it down the road. If you were to witness a heavily tinted car, with deep bass "thump-thump" zooming in front of you, 75% chance it would be an Ah Beng.

A modified Kancil: Licensed to "kao" Ah Lians

Another version of an Ah Beng car

Ah Bengs are pretty vulgar. They speak in a mix of Chinese and Hokkien. And when they speak English, it may be hard to understand their mangled form of English. However, there are those few Bengs who are actually pretty highly-educated but their manner gives it away.

They often think people are constantly staring at them. Sometimes, this aggressive behaviour results in a fight with whoever they thought were staring at them. Favourite phrase before the fight: "Kua, kua, kua Si-Mik? Ai seo pak ar? K** N* N**!". (Direct translation: Look, look, look what? Want to fight? *#%$^@*$)

SPECIMEN TWO: AH LIANS

The epitome of Ah Lian-ness

Ah Lians would be the female version of an Ah Beng. They are something like the Asian version of a Bimbo (Body Impressive, Brain Optional).

Hong Kong pop wannabies?

Huge platform shoes are a requirement for them.They prefer blond/red/blue streaks in their hair. (Their aim is to look like Hong Kong pop figures but it rarely works). "Bob" hair-cuts is the current "in" thing.

With platforms like this, they can easily walk over flash-flood waters

An Ah Lian normally has the need to add their "kawai-i" (cute) factor. Phone accessories and colorful hair pins and clips are a must before they leave their homes. When taking pictures with friends and fellow Ah Lians, a minimum of two fingers must be put out and the head must be tilted at an 10-20 degrees angle.

Fingers up! Steady annnnndddd snap!

Other characteristics of the two species mentioned

Most of them love hanging out at cyber-cafes. If you enter into any cyber-cafes, you may witness some of them playing Counter-Strike, DotA and O2 Jam. They would be either shouting and hopping about their seats like monkeys or swearing Hokkien and Mandarin expletives.

Another one of my favourite past-time is to browse certain "community" websites and reading profiles of random people. Some of the humurous ones that I came across:

"I LIke TO WatcH The AcTioN MOvIe Such As 2fUsT2fURiOS...HErM..C.S.I iS AlSO tHE mOST i lIKe TO wATCH...gHOST bLOcKbUSTER..aLsOaLSo...hMM...aND AlL pROgRAM AT mtV,[V] AnD hITz.tV"

"I lovE MusiX Very WeLL And No bOdy caN stop Me to Love It...eSpeciaLLy EngLish SOng...I AlSo Like tO BikE My SouLMate SkuTEr"

It's a little bit annoyin sometimes to read alternate capital letters. I really wonder whether they have the time to press SHIFT at every alternate letter they type. I guess this wraps up today's feature. Till then, later days!

hilarious video clip

2008-01-03T02:03:00.000+11:00

Happy 2008 to all of my friends and family. Year 2007 will be a closing chapter to everyone. There were good and bad times in our past and hopefully we'll try not to carry forward our grudge feelings for this wonderful year 2008.

Here is one of the hilarious video clip which made me burst into tears of laughter.
What happens if you're in that scenario ? sit back and enjoy the clip =)

My First Post (Coming from Amanda)

2008-01-02T03:59:00.000+11:00

This is my very first posting and I don't really know how to start. Anyway I came across this video and thought it was funny. Here it is.

This is a very meaningful video which touches me.

Just a little extra note that I want to share. Back then when we were in high school, we used to be " 3 " all the time. Now that it is down to just the two of us and I am suspecting that she' is avoiding me for her "boy-friend". If this goes on, I will just keep my distance. She chose her "boy-friend" over me. Mich, if you are reading this, I just wanna let u know that I understand how you felt back then. If only he doesn't exist in her life, I guess maybe there is still the 3 of us till now.

First day of 2008: Time Square

2008-01-02T01:20:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year everybody. I hope none of you guys have any nasty hangovers or waking up half dead. I guess everyone enjoyed themselves in their very own special ways. Nothing much happened today, except that we went to Times Square in the afternoon.

It was very much of a sudden decision for both of us. The traffic in KL in pretty light today (assuming everyone who partied last night were still sleeping) so it took us only a while to reach the place without any jams.

Honestly, it is my first time over to Time Square. At first sight, I was quite impressed with the place. Not only that it is huge, but the layout and the interior design is alright to look at.

The multi-leveled escalators

Starry-eyed surprise?

We bought two tickets for the AVP 2 at the IMAX theatre counter. While waiting for the theatre to open, we walked around the shopping mall. There were ten stories of shopping isles, but only the first 6 floors were packed.

It was quite disappointing to see a mall of such grandeur succumb to sub-standard clothing stores and brands.

Time Square Mall is home to the largest indoor theme park in Malaysia. The 3 storey roller-coaster track was quite an impressive sight. The arcade centre was so-so.

The indoor-theme park

After the very long walk and before the movie, we stopped by over at "Kopi-tiam Station" (one of the old coffee shop style franchise) and ordered a Mango and Banana Ice Shave. To our dismay, what we ordered was very far from the thing that they gave us (a very big rip-off).

The very delicious mango ice shave, yes?

The very sub-standard dish served to us

An additional note about the place; poor management and lousy staff members. Imagine this, two of the workers were "distributing" fork, knives, spoons and serviettes on the floor! That is a big no-no for my standards. RM 6.50 for a half empty bowl of shave ice is pretty expensive.

AVP 2 started at 2.45 p.m. Yes, they hold the largest silver screen in Malaysia, but what they certainly lack in was the clarity of the movie shown. The movie wasn't sharp at all, almost like a cheap RM 6 DVDs purchased from a pasar malam. The sound system and acoustic however was really something. It certainly gave Amanda lots of fright. =)

Out of a credit rating of 5 I would only give TS 2 points. Although the place was big and spacious such as the Curve and Gardens, but the quality of the goods displayed and shops available were a let down. They really ruin a 5 star shopping mall. What really shocked me the most was the parking fees, RM 10! That's freaking day-light robbery.

Guess that's all about today. Laters!

Goodbye to the Old Times, Hello to the New Year

2008-01-01T04:23:00.000+11:00

Forget about the party at the Curve, Cineleisure or even the countdown at Mid-Valley. When anyone asks how did we usher in the new year, the answer is simple: A movie and supper.

But before all that, I had a pleasant surprise from Amanda, Big Apple Doughnuts! They are mouth-watering circles which are sinfully coated with chocolate, sugar and jam. She drove me to one of the hills in Bangsar to have a small 'dinner-picnic' while watching the sun set. Nothing beats the satisfaction gained from eating with someone you cherish (as well as doughnuts which are so yum!)

We watched 'I am Legend' at 1-Utama. It was a good thing that we left the place early as the traffic jam towards the Curve had already started. Hordes of people were already flocking to 1-Utama arond 10 p.m. as there was a live concert. Thank goodness we were not stuck in the pile up for long. Here's the pro-KL driver in action:

We arrived at the Indian Mamak with hungry stomachs. It was not a surprise to see that place almost empty as most of the KL-lites were either at home or at clubs/bars waiting to usher the year 2008. These are the things we ordered:

1. Maggi Goreng 2. Amanda with her Roti Tisu 3. Nasi Goreng.

Not really much of a count-down we had, but it was something that few others did during this very special occasion: just hanging out with someone special till the clock ticks from the past to the future. Greetings to my parents who are back in Malacca (pleasantly enjoying filling their stomachs at Ang Moh Teh without me), friends and everyone who reads this post. Happy New Year all!