on fire

It took me a while to fall asleep. I was exhausted, but my brain was still in third gear. There were a lot of dreams. About my dead gramma. About a tall robot (its thighs were at cloud level) who stomps on homes and captures residents. I was in the toilet when the community alarm went off. I peeked through the door and saw the robot's feet at a distance. I switched off the lights. And crouched lower when I saw it heading towards my direction. But it's never come close to this area before, I thought. The next thing I know, the walls around me crashed and crumbled, and I was shivering in the middle like a peeled banana. The robot picked me up with his fingers and strode to another direction. Would there be more like this one? Is there a robot community just like ours somewhere? My brain was screaming out questions even though I was scared shitless. Suddenly, my throat caught fire.

I sat up in a jerk. Wiped saliva off my face and swallowed. And my eyes bugged. My throat was really on fire. Hurt like a bitch, it did. My head was pounding. Wha...? Why is this happening all of a sudden? I was perfectly fine when I went to sleep. Okay, maybe my gums were slightly inflamed, but that could be fixed if I drink more water. No biggie.

I was practically voiceless when I went into the doctor's room. He said he hasn't seen any inflammation as bad as this for months. Yea it's gotta be bad, my saliva feels like lava swooshing around and I saw how chilli-red my throat was. What super breed of virus could do this in a few hours? Sigh.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you'll be in pain for 2 more days. There's no point for me to prescribe antibiotics for you now, they won't work. I'm gonna give you painkillers, alright?"

Fuck.

chicken game

Was browsing through the net for supergengchow names for my client's chicken wings and drumsticks when I came across this. Just find it too cute to be true. Next time I know what to do when the bosses are not in! Muahahahaha.

Been wanting to post pictures from my Singapore gathering with the Sistahs but my monitor at home went kaput after I downloaded the pictures into the computer. Bummer. Now I can't do anything until Samsung sends me a new one or I go buy one myself. Or maybe, just maybe... I could persuade brother to carry his from downstairs to my room...

My weekend was great! Although I spent not more than 24 hours with Ange, E/E and LCL, we had really some quality time. Been ages since I've laughed that hard. I hate to think we're all grown up now, and soon we'll be doing crappy grown up stuff like get married, have kids, talk about nothing else but what diaper brands are good etc.

I miss high school years.

valentine's day

I came to work this morning to this. And promptly forgave KC for not being able to be with me. Balloons work for me. All the time.

To those who didn't get balloons: Happy unimaginative, consumerist-oriented and entirely arbitrary, manipulative and shallow interpretation of romance day.

the descent

The Descent is an awesome movie. A lot of firsts for me. Very likely the only British movie that I enjoyed whole-heartedly. First of all, 100% of the main cast are female. I've never seen any movie that didn't have men (the husband that appeared for less than 5 minutes in the beginning didn't count). Secondly, there wasn't any holding back in the gore and scare department. I was pleasantly surprised at how many gruesome scenes actually escaped the censorship board. Maybe there was too much and they didn't know where to start censoring without killing the whole movie. Muahahaha. My gain. Thirdly, it was my first outing with 10+ non-straight guys. I was totally enthralled by their drama-queen expressions, explicit sexual comments, openness to hugging and touching... etc. We drew a lot of attention, especially when 2 of the guys screamed louder than the actresses at certain scenes. Truly enlightening experience. Social suicide? I'm not making a conclusion yet. They're loud, bitchy and over-sensitive... but totally honest. And I can't walk hand-in-hand with "normal" guys without worrying about intention.

But I really need some adjusting to comments like "Did you see how huge her boobs look when she was jogging in that skintight thing? It's soft and bouncy and... totally gross!"

Haha.

helium

Valentine's Day suck balls.

Restaurants come up with fancy named super marked-up menus, nevermind, we all know already. Florists come up with fancy named super marked-up bouquets, hoho, flowers are necessities, can accept. But I conclude that V-Day suck balls because I was asking a balloon/bouquet store the price for filling up my balloons with helium for someone's graduation tomorrow, and guess how much the bitch quoted? THREE bucks each. Like hell I'm gonna pay THREE bucks for air. I am supplying the balloons. I even have the shiny twirly loops to hold the balloons together. And all of those cost less than the helium. Fuck, they're selling helium balloons twisted into the shape of your choice at two bucks in pasar malams.

I was so angry.

Then I proceeded to clean up my room and toilet and bath. And saw my present tucked into a corner which I don't even breathe in the entire year. Hoho. My surprise V-Day pressie. Blame it on the damn helium, blame it on its laziness to keep it at home... but KC's cover is so blown.

It's a Seiko watch. I think. I hope. From the silver box with Seiko printed up front.

Valentine's Day isn't so bad after all. Hahahahahaha.

movie quiz

And I thought I watch a lot of movies. I'm quite disappointed, really, with my score. I only managed to figure 12 out of 30 (some are wild guesses). Don't I just hate to lose. Please let me know the movie titles here if you ever manage to crack all of them.

animal friends

Animal friends in Gramma's house include a lot of chicken who're happily munching on leftover veggies from our steamboat session. There used to be ducks, geese and turkeys sharing the quarters too. And have I mentioned rabbits, guinae pigs and hamsters? Yea, Gramma and I used to walk to deserted fields to pluck wild plants for them to eat. It's their favourite, Gramma said. So I kept quiet about the leeches between my toes.

This is the chief house pet with no name. She responds to anything when she's hungry and nothing when she's feeling sulky. Very tame. Always begging for food.

This tabby doesn't reside at Gramma's. She visits when she sees fit. Caused chaos when she decided to frolick around at 3a.m. when we're staying up to guard Gramma's coffin. Three voices gasped in unison when she ran under the coffin. Good thing she's not black or all the sci-fi stories we read would have us fleeing from an imaginary zombie.

Another semi-permanent visitor. I was happily scratching her neck when my cousin exclaimed in surprise that she didn't bite me. Must be the maternal magic touch I got.

gramma

It seems like a good day to leave. The sky the bluest of blue with no hint of rain clouds. The warm breeze sleepy and muted from nights of fireworks, rich food and merry making. The help gently removes the drip and oxygen mask.

You're home, says someone.
She smiles and nods.

She's really quite something. Never one to ask for help if she can manage. And manage well she did. Six children with offspring of their own, a grocery store and uncountable house pets. Illiterate she was, but she can speak Malay and a few dialects in Chinese fluently. After knowing the Lord, she surprises her grandchildren by learning to read the lyrics to her favourite worship songs - at the age of 80.

Her breathing slowly becomes laboured. Although the doctors say she will not be in pain, that her high toxic level will sedate her, it is still painful to see her fighting to be with us longer.

She cooks wonderfully. Never will I taste such beautiful soup. The strength that she demonstrates, the passion that she infuses into whatever she does will be my balm in difficult times. Shifting furniture and grocery goods to a new home 40 minutes away with just a pushcart and a few bicycles, helping to build a grocery shop and a home from scratch - if she can do all these, nothing should bring me down. Some of the determination must have been passed on to the grand-daughter.

The laboured huffs gradually become silent, then still.

I'm sorry I hadn't spent more time with you when I could, Gramma. There are still so many things I want to ask, like what did Grampa and yourself call each other, how was it like being in this new place without knowing anyone or the language when you first moved in and so on. But I'm glad I held your hand at the ward. I know you're the proper, shy type that don't hug or caress to show your love. Thank you for not pulling away. Thank you for squeezing my hand and smiling back at me, although I would prefer you to not shyly pull away when the other cousins came back. I should have done this a long time ago, then maybe I would have the courage to hug you and kiss you and tell you how much you mean to me.

The time for grieving and missing Gramma will come to pass.
Then it is time for rejoicing in her unity with the Lord and husband and other loved ones.
After all, our ending... is God's beginning.

CNY

And... it's Chinese New Year! Time for visiting, time for gorging and gossiping. Please excuse my absence for a week or so. I'll be too upset after explaining to 8 aunties why am I still unmarried, still earning less than my cousin(s) and still prefer traveling (and job-hopping) than working in a stable 9-to-5 job.

Anyhoo... Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone!

Dog Dog-Dog Dog Chiang!

*piang piang piang* (sound effects of mercun)

appeal

I feel disturbed. My perfectly accessorised and ladylike colleague asked aloud why the client kept looking at me during our meeting this morning. She should be puzzled alright. With her porcelain skin, womanly scent and super-tight super-high-slit skirt, why would anyone even notice I exist? (this is stated matter-of-factly and not oozing with too much jealousy)

Unless, 2006 marks the beginning of a long-awaited era where:
(1) Flabby is the new slim.
(2) Ambiguously bisexual is the new rugged.

Or he could just be staring at the pre-menstrual big-ass zit on my forehead.

Nevertheless, a little attention from an attractively available (and rich) opposite sex does plenty good to the self-esteem (and takes my mind off the zit).

I hate Mondays. Especially when I sleep at 4am on Sunday. Because the zits will invade. And my radar will be kaput and not sense someone attractive signalling.

stoooopid

Someone please hit my head with a wok.

Because I am stupid.

Because this morning, I used a piece of dish-washing sponge to wash my car (I couldn't find the bloody car-washing sponge!)... and now my front hood is covered in scratches! Gaaaah! How could I be so effing moronic to think that the coarse scouring sponge is gentle enough for my delicate car skin? How could I? Gaaaaaah!

Sigh. But the scratches (albeit being quite minuscule) are in a nice, circular, undulating pattern. Hmmm. I didn't know I can draw freehand perfectly rounded circles! *think happy thoughts*

I'm such a can-draw-perfectly-rounded-circles-freehand idiot.

WHY do I have to insist on washing my own car? WHY couldn't I just sleep longer and send it to the petrol station for washing? WHY did some moron spill instant noodles on my car outside the office yesterday? WHY do bad things happen to me all at once?

*sulk*

zits on back

Fuck la. I have 2 zits the size of Mauna Loa on my back, within 10cm of each other. Never before had I been so poisonous. It hurts when I put on my shirt. It hurts when I laugh too hard and lean back on my chair. It hurts my finger and brain to know that the zits are there. Dammit! I've learned my lesson! I shan't feel any pity for an unused piece of soap found at the bottom of someone else's traveling trunk and bring it to my bathroom anymore in the future! Somebody please take my Mauna Loas off my back! (but if it involves painful squeezing of the pus followed by a satisfied sigh from the squeezor and muffled screams from the squeezee... then no thanks)

KC's brand new car of 3 days got broken into a while ago. Just outside the office. With people inside the office the time it happened. Fuck. What gave these daylight robbers such boldness? Alas, nobody saw who broke in the window. KC is a wreck. Lost the brand new working bag I got, lost an entire stack of client's working papers, lost the house keys (and mine too). I was VERY tempted to give KC the "I told you so" speech but refrained. I know how I hated it when people did that to me. But seriously, I did point out that a window alarm is necessary. Fucking stuck-up Nissan people say that their car windows won't break easily. The most damage would be a crack. But no, they won't break. YEAH RIGHT!

Feel like kicking someone at the little hollow behind the knee. Grrrrr...

farang chicken

At gramma's, I came to realise that being a chicken is quite tough. Damn political also.

Gossip gossip. Peck peck.
Notice how the chicken with SAME SKIN COLOUR only can eat at the same table.

Then the farang came.
And everyone had to flee and scatter.

Tsk tsk.

company lunch

I didn't know I could be sick of real good food. That or my digestion system is shot to the dumps.

The company lunch this year was at Sagano. It's easily the best Japanese buffet in town, but I couldn't eat! My stomache kept rejecting all the yummylicious chow, sending wrong signals to my brain that I was already full. How could I be full after 12 oysters?

Sure, I went to Lemon Garden a coupla times the past few months, and I just had Japanese a week ago... but my stomache used to be The Black Hole. It's insatiable. Dang. How am I suppose to win a pizza-eating contest now? *whine*

I always laugh at people who take fruits at a buffet. FRUITS? If you wanna watch your diet and have fruits rather than real food, stay at home! Why come to a buffet? It's people like you who encourage the hotel to waste real food space to make way for fruits!

Alas, they found their way to my table.

taiwan - beitou

Since Taiwan has hotsprings in many areas containing different health-promoting minerals, we tried two different places (Beitou in Taipei and Jiaoxi in Ilan). Beitou won hands down. So we altered the preplanned schedule just to come back to this same place for a second soak. The water is murky-white here, with a strong sulfuric aftersmell (volcanic?). And the clothes I wore after the soaking sessions still carry the smell, even after a few rounds of washing! Strong shit, this. I feel healthier already.

The room with its private tub so reminds me of Japan, right up to the pre-soak shower equipment. I couldn't quite get use to showering sitting down, so I bet them passer-bys had some fun looking in the window.

I could even watch the telly while enjoying a health-boosting soak! It took me a while though to get use to the sulfuric smell and not think about how lighting a match could explode the whole hotel.

Right below the window (opposite the hotel) is the public hotspring where you only need to pay a minimal fee for a half-day soaking session. Besides not willing to buy a swimsuit, I didn't want some old fart staring me at the face trying to guess if I'm an aboriginal woman or Vietnamese while stealing glances at my cleavage.

H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y.

taiwan - nine tribes

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village features the culture and lifestyle of the major nine tribes of aboriginals found in Taiwan. Not just your typical Mini Malaysia poorly built display homes with inhabitants poorly crafted from wood/clay/whatchamacallit collecting cobwebs, each tribe has its own huge area with structures and even real aboriginals demonstrating the tribe's unique craft/ability and hosting stage events to interact with the crowd. And it's not just about culture and all its boredom. This culture village comes with a theme park! With roller-coasters, scientific voyages and whatnots!


This part of the harvest dance received the most camera clicks and flashes. I suspect it has something to do with half-naked teenage boys and muscular butts.

It looked easy as peanuts when the virile aboriginal males swung ala Tarzan across the small divide, but 80% of the volunteers from the audience who went up fell splat into the water. In winter. Luckily they have blowdryers at the back of the stage for wet clothes and shoes.

They have 2 or 3 HUGE kickass performance areas like this one for the more important and exciting dances/shows. So nicely done, right?

Water features (not unlike those koi pond in temples) at some tribe's settlement. Can't remember which one, I was busy taking pictures yo.

I even managed to cajole an aboriginal canoe-builder (this shit is real, they use it for the harvest dance!) to snap one with me. His peace sign totally spoiled the whole aboriginal experience thingy-lah. But I'm impressed with his patience in carving and etching them nice curls and patterns on the side of the canoe.

I fed fish in trepidation. They're damn fat and aggressive okay. Any minute they could hop on to the rock I was squatting on and flap my face until I fall into the pond and they swarm around me and slowly tear my flesh apart. So pardon my fake smile. I was scaird.

Here's something that looked totally out of place. At the entrance to the culture village, they have this Victorian garden with marble statues and fountains and even a quaint train going round the huge garden/park. At the end of the path stands a majestic, castle-like restaurant serving Chinese food. Hmmm.

taiwan - sun moon lake

Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan. The lake is so huge that it takes hours to drive around it. The surface reflects cheery sunlight as well as the cool moonlight, hence the name. We arrived too late at night to watch the sunset, and we woke up too late to witness sunrise. My bad. I didn't know that during winter, sunset is around 5pm and sunrise 5-6am.

The jetty in the morning. We were waiting for a tour boat to take us out to explore the lake. Breakfast was a rushed, simple affair as none of us could anticipate the condition of the boat and choppy lake waters. Nah. Lake's calm as a mirror.

Our boat made two stops at different mini-islands on the lake. This is the view from the pinnacle of the first island (with a temple to our back).

This is the second island which is 5 times tinier than the first. We were allowed to hop off the boat just to take pictures. There's no path to anywhere else. The stone-fountain-tree decoration in the middle is nice though.

taiwan - ching jing

The less-travelled natural gem of Taiwan - Ching-Jing. This is what Salem High Country ads are made of. This is where spirits soar and imagination takes flight. This is when words fail and noise cease to exist.

The entrance to the green wonderland. We didn't pay the entrance fee to venture inside because we didn't have enough time to walk about. And they don't have sheep-shavings on weekdays. So we walked along the outer rim. Which was equally captivating.

Resplendent sights like these make all the copywriting I did for our property clients melt into warm bullshit. Took all I had to make sure I was breathing (and it's not from the trek).

To ensure that I am not ripping these breath-taking stuff off the internet or someone else's webbie, this is yours truly. Amongst grazing cows. There were goats and sheep too, but taking pictures with them all would cause me giddiness.

Even our rooms looked ethereal in the morning sun. Perfect place to be if your ideal method of relaxation is to curl up on the 2-seater swing in front of the rooms with a nice hot cuppa chocolate and a good book. I don't mind 3-4 days here, just doing nothing and breathe in the view.

esprit

Behold. My Esprit loot for the year. Will attack Hong Kong for Guess next year.

metal eggs

Behold. Metal eggs. Flavorful.