How the hell does a grocery list of ‘a-few-essentials’ come up with a whopping RM 150 bill???
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A look at my trolley and one will know that I am definitely NOT shopping for a family. 
Some fruit juices, instant noodles, canned soup, canned corn beef and ham (sweetheart’s fav), ice cream (yum yum!), chicken vienna and smoked pork for sandwiches, 100-Plus (great for hangovers!), Ribena (great as a mixer with Vodka)…that is what I call a single’s grocery list. 
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All around me were screaming kids, Muslim families shopping for the day’s buka puasa feast, and other families doing their regular Sunday grocery shopping. I was getting weird looks from the supermarket staff, and other fellow shoppers….looking at the stuff in my trolley and at me. Whatever.
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When it was time to unload the grocery bags from my car, I was suddenly thankful for the Body Pump classes at the gym. It was definitely no easy feat trying to make it a single trip from my car to my aparment but made it, I did. Was rather proud of myself, actually. 
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Hope this will last me for a good while.
There is only so much grocery shopping a single gal can take. :\
Archive for September, 2007
Single’s Shopping
Wise Words
"Do not go to bed angry, stay up and FIGHT!"
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Someone said this to me yesterday and last night, I discovered the truth of it. It’s true that it’s not good for couples to go to bed pissed at each other. Many relationship books write about that. However, it’s one thing to read about stuff but it’s another to experience it, eh?
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We stayed up till 5am ‘fighting it out’ and by the time we finally fell asleep, we were both totally KO-ed. Woke up next morning feeling really stupid for the things that annoyed us so much the night before. I like the making-up part though.
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Love ya, baby…and thanks for putting up with me when I get bitchy sometimes. The same way I put up with you when you get cranky and impossible sometimes. :p
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They say love is all about giving and taking. How true.
I learnt this some time ago but I was reminded of it again today.
- Understand the objective.
- Be clear on what you want to accomplish in the presentation. - Know your audience.
- Select the style of your presentation and depth of information sharing by the type of audience you will have.
(i.e. Top mgmt audience : present key points and provide bottomlines; Marketing audience : paint big picture) - Do your homework.
- Always good to research on the topic but DO not make the mistake of focusing too much on the data. The key messages are your focus, not the data. - Decide on the gameplan / roadmap.
- This will provide the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Your direction will be clearly stated here. - Identify the milestones & timelines.
- This will be where you pause to celebrate your successes. Be mindful to be reasonable or you will fail before you even begin. - List down the Action Plans / Next Steps.
- This will clear any ambiguities on who is to do what next. Eliminate noises like "I thought you were going to do this!?" - Practise your pitch!
- No need to elaborate on the importance of this step. You know it, I know it….’nuff said.
Ok, so you have all the above steps covered and you are ready to rock & roll! What next?
Just one last thing to remember —> YOU ARE THE KEY MESSSAGE!
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Remember the 3 V’s rule for any presentation. Then focus your efforts according to their level of impact.
- Words (Verbal) - 7%
- Voice (Vocal) - 38%
- Physical (Visual) - 55%
*Based on actual research done by Dr. Albert Mehrabian (UCLA)*
Ok, good learnings. Actually more of a refresher course for me today…but hang on, I was supposed to attend the "Command Skills for Managers" training today, not the "Powerful Presentation Skills" training. :\ Hmmmm…..Ok, I buy it that all those are part of what a manager needs to know in order to acquire ‘Excellent’ command skills.
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So, did I achieve my training objective today?
I….erm…not really…erm…think so.
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I wonder, am I getting too critical of our trainers over the years? I mean, I have seen a fair bit of trainers come and go in the past 7 years. Internal and external ones. We learn some, we don’t learn some. I guess. Oh well….
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Am soooo glad it’s Friday night already!
*big, wide, happy grin*
I hit a personal record today.
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Had my ass glued to my chair for a total of EIGHT hours. No breakfast, no hot milo, no bio break (toilet lah!), no get-up-and-stretch, no ciggie break (yea..yea..I don’t smoke but I can still bitch abt not getting a break! :p), no turn-around-and-gossip break (but then again, maybe it’s coz my cubemate is in Japan for 3 weeks) - just con call after con call, IM discussions one after another (at one point, I had at least 10 chat windows open…asking and answering some questions pertaining to the calls we had earlier in the day!), and non-stop emails flowing both ways.
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I even had to cancel a lunch appointment (*still sore about that*) with 3 cute guys in town. Had been craving for the yummy Hokkien Mee and was sooooo looking forward to it. Just minutes before the agreed time to meet for lunch, I got an email from one of the Marketing folks.
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"Eleen, appreciate if you could join us in this call today between Marketing and the Sales team. We will be discussing about the OOW program. Since you are working on the program, it would be good for you to provide your inputs to the Sales team and ensure both the TS and Sales teams are connecting the dots properly."
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Am I glad to receive that invitation?
Yes, becos it will mean I am finally getting some damn movement on the bloody OOW program I have been fighting so hard for so long!
Am I gonna join the call?
You bet your ass I am!
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Then, I asked THE question.
"What time?"
Answer : "12noon - 1pm"
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What??!??!! You marketing folks don’t hafta eat lunch…good for ya…but I do!
Did I say that out loud to the Marketing lady?
Nope. Decided that would put me in her bad books and she may not be as helpful with the program afterwards. :\
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So I just bit my tongue and kwai-kwai joined the call. It was a good decision to dial-in though. I managed to make some folks accountable for some crucial tasks (things that I’ve been wanting to get them to own for the longest time but they kept pushing back), had the support of the top Marketing guy in Asia (I love you, Ben!), and had the pleasure of hearing some folks I dislike squirm in their seats as they were questioned by the big boys for not playing ball. *evil snicker*
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Ok, so I bitched abt missing this and that but one thing for sure, I did not miss lunch. I did not get to go out for it but sweetheart was a such a dear. He packed back the Hokkien Mee for me and delivered it to my cube - together with bowl and utensils. So, I still got to enjoy my favourite Hokkien Mee.
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The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. More con calls and more presentation decks to prepare. Bulldozed my way through the entire afternoon ‘coz I didn’t wanna stay back late (have movie tickets to go watch ‘Chuck & Larry’ at QBM).
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So, all in all, it was a FULL Thursday but super duper productive. *satisfied grin*
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Friday’s gonna be interesting ‘coz I will be attenting an offsite training in town but have to sneak out for about 30 mins in the afternoon to dial-in to a call with my boss and some big boys from Japan. That’s gonna be my next BIG project. Yippeee…. :\
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Can’t wait for Friday night.
Smelly Feet - Part II
Ok, fine.
So the correct term is ‘Smelly Ass’ (translated from "chao khar chooi") but most folks I know use ‘Smelly Feet’ and that will be what I will stick to for now. Thanks, though, for the Chinese lesson, M.
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So, my earlier post on ‘Smelly Feet’ created a bit of a confusion and I want to apologise for that.
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Sweetie, sorry for not being more specific when I was describing the ‘Smelly Feet’ folks which resulted in your worrying if I was refering to you and your babe. Thousand apologies from the bottom of my heart, ok? *hugz*
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Also, when your babe sought clarification from me earlier today, my immediate reaction was to laugh ‘coz it was so not the case and neither you nor your babe were twiddling your fingers and staring at the ceiling when everyone was reaching for their wallets. I had total confidence that none of us in the usual group is ‘Smelly Feet’ at all. T’was the outsider of the group that was the culprit. I felt bad though when I found out that you got worried after reading my post from yesterday. *grovel for forgiveness again*
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So, here’s the happy ending to my story.
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The email I sent him yesterday seemed to do its job. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to follow up. He immediately passed the cash to a friend to return to me or sweetheart. Then, proceeded to reply my email and quickly informed that he has cleared his debt.
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D’s response when I voiced my surprise at not having to chase for payment was :
"Of coz he dares not act dumb anymore lah! Eleen Por asking directly from him, he dares to not pay?! Ai si ah?!?!?"
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*LOL*
Whatever lah, as long as folks like him don’t get away with playing the ‘Smelly Feet’ cards, I don’t really give a damn who ai si or mai si.
Smelly Feet - Part I
I have a pet peeve.
I absolutely detest folks who are ’smelly feet’.
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That’s the literal translation for what we Hokkiens refer to as "chao khar". This title is specially tagged to folks with a VERY bad habit of looking the other way when the waitor comes around with the bill.
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Last weekend, I was reminded again of how intolerant I am of smelly feet folks. A bunch of us were having supper at our usual spot after a great night of clubbing celebrating Ham’s birthday. When the towkay came to our table with the bill, we did a quick head count and I went "Five ringgits per person please". All immediately reached for their wallets and passed the cash to sweetheart who paid the man earlier.
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All but this guy and his partner. Suddenly, they were twiddling their fingers and the ceiling seemed to totally fascinate them. Shocked and a tad embarassed by the rudeness we just witnessed, both sweetheart and I exchanged looks. Then sweetheart mumbled under his breath "First and last time!".
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Fast forward to Tuesday.
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Conversation between sweetheart & I.
Me : Baby, did that guy pay you back for supper last Saturday night?
Him : Nope.
Me : Eyerr…why so damn smelly feet wan?
Him : Aiya, consider it a lesson to us lohhh. No more going out with him next time. Thank God it’s only 10 ringgits for both of them.
Me : It’s nothing to do with the amount. Totally the principle, or rather the lack of it!
Him : True…true….
Me : Hmmppf! I’m not gonna let him get away with it. I’m gonna send him an email to ask him to pay up!
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Which I did before I left the office for gym today.
Will follow up with him tomorrow on payment. I will give him 24 hours to clear his Inbox and get to my email.
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See what I mean about how anal I can get with smelly feet folks?
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Again, it’s nothing to do with the amount and everything to do with the PRINCIPLE.
Assorted Crackers
Many weeks ago, a friend passed me a flyer for a Motor Treasure Hunt which will be taking place in early October; next weekend to be precise. It is organised by IGNITE Youth which happens to be a Christian Youth group.
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We decided today that we will have some fun in this hunt and hopefully win some moolah. Never mind the fact that not one of us in the team is a Christian. What matters the most are the prizes that are up for grabs!
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Their rather attractive prizes lined-up:
- 1st prize - RM 1000
- 2nd prize - RM 800
- 3rd prize - RM 500
We had to come up with a 2-word team name for our team comprising of rather amateur hunters (except for 1 veteran who has been hunting for the past 10 years). We decided on a name that refers to an assortment of team members; in terms of gender and hunting experience…cracking our heads over the hunt questions. It didn’t take us long to agree on ASSORTED CRACKERS.
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"Let’s make sure we don’t end up being ASSORTED CRACKPOTS!" a team member reminded us all.
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Let’s hope the organisers stick to their word and do not try to squeeze in any Bible questions or questions that require churchy-related knowledge to answer. We would lose pathetically and it will be a fast death. :\ No matter how many ‘talian hayat’ we have sitting at home waiting for us to call, we will still lose precious time and lose our chance at the cash prizes. So, no religious questions, ya! :}
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Like I always tell my friends, I do believe in God.
I just don’t believe that He is in any form. To me, God is in me. He is with me wherever I go and I do not need to go anywhere to pray to him. I can pray/talk to him wherever I want and whenever I feel the need to.
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That is my humble belief lah. :)))
Happy Birthday, Ham!
Birthday celebrations seem never-ending this month.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining, just wondering how many more great people are born in the month of September (next to February, of coz!)
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Thanks to the management of MoMo (special thx to you, Richard!), we had a GREAT time last night celebrating the birthday of a good buddy. It’s amazing how he has evolved from a complete stranger walking into the interview room years ago to the good friend that he is today. Let’s hope this friendship will continue on for many, many years to come! *hugz*
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Being the popular guy that he is, we were totally not surprised for the really good turnout at his birthday party last night. The entire VIP area was packed with friends who were there to celebrate the night with him.
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His brothers were all there to celebrate with him.
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It was quite a task, though.
First, birthday boy was missing.
Then, "Where’s Amirt???"
Followed by "Oh, there is he. Now, where’s Jo?!?"
And "Erwin, quick! Go get Leong!"
Before finally "Ok, everyone’s here. Quick! Snap the picture!".
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Phew….I must say the results were worth the hard work, though. 
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Old and new friends got together for the night.
Thanks to the birthday boy who brought so many good looking people together for the occasion.
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A great time and lotsa fun was what we had last night.
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To all the folks who were there for the night, the birthday party would not be as SUCCESSFUL without all of you!
Thank you so very much for yet another unforgettable night! *muahhhhh*
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P/S - My white boots were totally thrashed. Spilt drinks, broken glasses, clumsy feet stepping on them…it’s no wonder my darling white boots decided to end its servicing days. Oh well, time to go boots shopping!
No, it’s not ‘Methodist Girls School’. It’s the ‘Malaysian German Society’ - MGS.
The place where Octoberfest is held every year in Penang.
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Together with some friends, we decided to check out their Open Day and Fleamarket event today. They had a whole bunch of 2nd hand items for sale but nothing caught our eyes. The one thing that got our attention was the food, the really yummy home-cooked food for sale at the booths. We had our late lunch and ate all the way till early dinner time! *LOL*
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My numero uno food : Pasta!
The roast beef that I know Sweetheart will love.
Packed some for him since he didn’t get to join us for this event.
The really yummy cheesecake that G bought and shared with us.
MMMmmmMmmm…so yummy and sinful!
The super rich chocolate moist cake which I got for Sweetheart’s mom. Her eyes totally lit up when I brought it over. Chocolate is indeed every woman’s favourite : young or old. 
The flower-shaped waffle with apple sauce and sprinkled cinnamon.
Of coz, the meal will not be complete without the BBQ’ed German sausages and sauerkraut. With lotsa and lotsa of mustard. Yum Yum! 
There was a booth selling giant, colourful cookies and I just couldn’t resist buying one. They are just so pretty. I picked one that best reflected how I am feeling today. 
Am not planning to eat it. Just to keep it and as I told my friends, if my apartment runs out of food and in case of emergencies, maybe and just maybe, I will eat this pretty cookie of mine.
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Sheryl enjoying her waffle.
Our good lookin’ male companion for the afternoon. We just discovered today that we share many interests. Good food, hunting, hiking, clubbing, travelling, hanging out with friends. Totally cool! 
Good friends who made the afternoon a fun and unforgettable one.
Thanks guys, for making my Saturday afternoon a GREAT one! *hugz*
Damn Emo
I am pissed, VERY pissed.
Not the booze kinda pissed but the I-wanna-scream-n-kick-n-hurl-obscenities kinda pissed.
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It’s been a long time since I allowed myself to get this pissed. Over the years, I had worked hard at not letting him get under my skin. Sometimes, I succeed. Other times, I fail miserably. And those times I fail, like now, I cry so hard that I feel really shitty inside and out.
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Why? Why do I allow him to affect me like this? Why can’t I just turn off my emotions when it comes to him? Why can’t I just stop caring and loving? Times when I thought I was doing a good job disengaging myself from him, things happen that remind me rudely again of how emotionally attached I am to him. No matter how much I fight it, he is very much a part of me.
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As the guys in my life come and go, he will always be there. Watching with his ever-accusing eyes. Never saying much but I could always feel in my bones what he thought of me, my life and the guys I’ve loved in my life. They’ve always been confused, just as how Sweetheart is confused now. Wondering why I always allow him to upset me so. I am at a loss for words when it comes to explaining why and how I am so weak when it comes to him.
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I rant and rave. I wish him to be placed at the furthest part of the universe from me. I wish a million things people wish for when they are desperate. Yet…as time passes…
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I will forgive him. Never forget but will always forgive. For all the hurt and pain he caused me. I will still forgive him. I don’t know how and I don’t know why but I know I will. Just as how I have forgiven him for the worst 2 weeks of my entire life when I thought I was gonna lose one of God’s gift to me : my eyesight.
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I will be alright. I will soon forget about this emo moment and bounce back to the happy parts of my life : my job, my friends and of coz, my Sweetheart.
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What does not break us will make us stronger.
Yes, I am growing stronger. Thanks to him for all the sh!t thrown my way, I am definitely growing stronger.
Equilibrium
Life, to me, is all about striving to achieve a healthy balance.
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Between yin & yang,
Between love & hate,
Between men & women,
Between work & play,
Between coming & going,
Between rocking the boat & keeping it steady,
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Occasionally, I stumble and fall. I lose focus. I get lost in the Abyss of Procrastination. Then, I am pulled back into this lifelong quest to keep it somewhat balanced. Sometimes, it’s sweetheart. Sometimes, it’s my friends and even my folks. Most of the time, it’s myself.
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Still, I learn. I learn that this world is filled with imperfections and I am one of them. But for as long as I continue to let Passion guide me, I know I am definitely on the right path.
The Eternal Kid
Today, I’ve been superlatively tagged by a good friend in Facebook as :
"Most Likely To Never Grow Up"
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*LOL*
It gave me the best laughter for the day!
(which goes on to show that my earlier superlative tag on him was spot on. I tagged him as "Most Likely To Make Me Laugh".)
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Thanks, M. For your so-candid tag on me.
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And yes, I am not ashamed to admit the truth of that. I would most likely to never grow up, in this lifetime at least. :p
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- I love ooh-ing over the rainbow after a heavy downpour of sh!t Life throws my way once in awhile,
- I love messing around in the sandbox after a hard day’s work of giving my best in what I am paid to do,
- I love skipping around in glee after receiving emails from the big boys for a job well done,
- I love sticking out my tongue at folks who never believed in my dreams and aspirations,
- I love how ice cream always makes me feel better after a horrible experience with anyone anywhere,
…and most of all…
. - I love the feeling of butterflies in my tummy when people I love do things for me as an expression of their love.
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No, I don’t think I will ever grow up.
*HUGE grin*
We did it.
We finally did it.
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As agreed with sweetheart, I went online to check out the latest Bangkok package deal from AirAsia. There was a slight hiccup ‘coz I got sidetracked by a cute guy (G, you devil, you!) to consider staying at the highest hotel in Bangkok (Baiyoke Sky Hotel). I checked out their website and it was really impressive. I was swayed and considered rearranging our package.
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Then sweetheart talked some sense back into me.
"Baby, can I remind you that you are always the one to insist that we should never spend too much on accomodation ‘cos we will only be resting there at night and most of our awake time will be spent exploring the exciting places around?"
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Hmmm….good point.
So, it was decided. We will use the cash we save from the hotel to go shopping! That was a rather easy decision.
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Total cost : RM 1560
What will we get for that amount?
- Return flight tickets for 2 persons
- 5D4N stay at a 4-star hotel (Gold Orchid Bangkok Hotel)
- Daily buffet breakfast for 2 persons
That’s about it.
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Which works fine for us ‘cos we hate being tied to a tour agency’s itinerary. We prefer it free ‘n’ easy so that we can explore the city at our own pace and plan our own agenda. We did the same thing for our Phuket trip when we celebrated Sweetheart’s birthday in April, so this should be just as fun. Except that this time, we’ll be celebrating my birthday. :)))
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So now, it’s up to our darling friends to make up their minds and then confirm their online purchases. Remember guys, every extra day you take to think about this will mean extra bucks to pay for the vacation.
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Tick Tock Tick Tock…
It has been a week.
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I decided to send a reminder email to my darling friends, to remind them to make up their minds soon if they wanna enjoy the great promotional pricing. As we all know, AirAsia’s package pricing is known to fluctuate quite drastically.
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Then, I decided to check out their website on the latest pricing for the same Bangkok package. To my horror, I saw that the price had jumped from RM 850 per pax to RM 1100 per pax!!! I think my heart almost stopped for a few seconds there! An increase of RM 250 in one week??!?! *breathe breathe breathe* I tried to calm myself down and after I shared this news with sweetheart, he got rather anxious too. :\
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So, it was decided. We will go online to book those tickets no later than tomorrow.
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If the others are still indecisive and still dare not commit to planning a vacation months in advance, I’m sorry but I can’t wait any longer. Sorry darlings….you know I love ya’ll but I am desperately in need of a vacation to look forward to. *sad, sad puppy look*
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Ok, one more check. This time, I checked for 2 pax to 1 room (vs my previous checkings of 1 pax to 1 room). Holy Molly…the pricetag showed RM1.5K for 2 pax, 4D3N, flight & hotel plus tax. What a deal! Am soooooo gonna grab it by tomorrow.
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Yes, I do so need a break/vacation to look forward to.
I need it…
Sweetheart needs it…
our Patrick needs it…
our laptops need it…
our MyVi’s need it…
and yes, I believe our darling friends need it too.
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If only they would just commit themselves to it the way we have! 
Surprise Party
It’s interesting how folks take surprises.
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While most are ok about it, meaning don’t hate it nor love it, some are at opposite extremes. I know some folks who lurrveee being surprised and some who absolutely loathe it.
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My sweetheart is not one who is keen on surprises and made that clear to me since the early days we met. So, I do not waste my time and energy planning up surprises for him. Me? I lurrve surprises.
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The surprise party that was planned last night was a belated birthday party for our darling Drey. Birthday gal loved it. It was organised by her sweet cuz. Me, I was blown away by the food! The reeeaalllly yummy food! Have always been passionate about cooking for parties. More work and time’s needed as compared to having the party at a restaurant but definitely more personal and fun! Also, I’ve always believed that love can be put into our cooking.
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I only managed to take a few pics, but not of all the yummy food available. Still, the pictures are great reminder of the gastronomic treat we had last night.
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Since it was a Saturday night, the football fans were glued to the TV screen. Although not a football fan, I found myself getting caught up in the games and was cheering alongside them. What was most amusing to me was that the guys had their own favourite team to root for and therefore, there will be an equal amount of cheering and jeering at each goal or even each mistake made by the players.
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So while the guys were occupied with the game, we girls had our fun chit chatting and fooling around with our cameras.
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Despite all the excitement of the game, there is still one thing the guys will love more - their women!
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There is really no such thing as too much love.
:)))
Happy Birthday, Drey!
T’was a wet, wet Friday.
Did that stop us from going clubbing at our favourite clubbing spot? Nope!
Rain or hail, we won’t fail! To club, that is.
*Tsk tsk tsk* Talk about hardcore…
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One more thing that motivated us to get our butts wet in the rain and into Momo last night : Our beloved Drey’s birthday celebration!
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Birthday gal arrived late but arrive she did. Had to work late, that poor gal. Due to some miscommunication, the birthday cake was not purchased earlier as planned. As a result, a couple of us had to hop across to Sega’s and with some creativity, put together a ‘mixed whole cake’ for the birthday gal.
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Here’s a picture of our work. *LOL*
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Once the VIP arrived, the party was in full swing! Due to the rain, the crowd in the club was relatively smaller compared to other Friday nights and lucky us got to enjoy the not-so-packed space. We practically had the entire VIP area to ourselves. Woohoo…
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Here’s proof of how much fun everyone had.
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We would’ve taken more pictures but sweetheart’s digicam ran out of juice. He used it earlier in the day for his colleague’s birthday celebration and forgot to recharge it. Time to get a spare batt for the camera, me reckon.
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All in all, we had loads of FUN.
We hope the birthday gal did too. After all, that’s what matters the most, eh?
The Aquarian
My horoscope for the day says :
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The Bottomline
There’s more to life than your career. If it’s not going gangbusters, don’t fret.
In Detail
There is more to life than your career, so if it’s not going the way you would like it to be going right now, just don’t worry about it. Shift your focus to the areas of your life that are going well — there are quite a few to choose from. If your career happens to be going exactly the way you want it to be going, then good for you! Take time and enjoy it. After all, you can afford to put things on auto pilot, take your foot off of the gas pedal, and take a long lunch or leave a little early.
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Funnily, that was exactly what I did on Friday afternoon. Had a really long and hard week and just decided to call it an early day. Made sure I had all the things-that-MUST-be-done-by-this-week covered, then packed my laptop and headed back home right after lunch time. I must say the break was good. Considering the horrendous Friday I had last week, I didn’t think I could handle a repeat of that this week.
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Coincidentally, we realised that a fair bit amongst our clubbing gang are Aquarians. A few of them got abit excited last night when they realised that there were at least 4 Aquarians amongst us. One of them started a whole string of what Aquarians are and in seconds, the entire cohort started shouting out what they believe are our supposed traits.
- We always give, give and GIVE…till we forget to take sometimes!
- We are passionate people!
- We embrace Life!
- We are EXTREMELY driven!
- We love challenges!
- We are not afraid to be different!
…and I couldn’t hear the rest ‘coz sweetheart pulled me over to dance with him.
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How can one not be affected by all those positive lovin’ from these folks?
Yes, I love them to bits!
TGIF
It’s Friday and it’s rainin’,
Has been raining since early mornin’,
Snuggled deep in-between the sheets,
Feelin’ lazy, feelin’ sweet…
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It has been a long and hard week,
Although painful but t’was totally worth it,
Lots of wins and lots of stories,
To learn and share all the glory…
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A birthday celebration in sight,
Special is what we want her to feel tonight,
"Let’s get drunk!" some folks exclaimed,
Cake and candles, we must not forget…
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The week’s gone,
The weekend’s here,
Come, everyone,
Let’s celebrate for the week that was,
And usher in the great weekend that will be.
It all comes back to…
When the passion’s dead,
When the desire’s gone,
When the giddiness’ faded,
When the goose pimples’ disappeared,
There is only one thing,
That will survive through the test of time,
And that, my dearest friends,
Is LOVE.
Good food, Great company
Tonight, I had to host some foreign colleagues who were in town for some meetings. Itinerary decided for the night : Dinner in town and then DVD/souvenir shopping in Batu Feringghi.
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It was decided that we will go for authentic Indian food. KARAIKUDI’S the place to go if we’re talking about good quality Indian food. We all agreed that it’s most definitely the BEST restaurant in Penang’s Little India, even in the books of our Indian friends.
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1st trick of the night :
We made our China counterpart eat with his hands. It was his first attempt at Indian food (they don’t have any decent Indian restaurants in Xiamen???) and we told him that the utensils on the table were decorative items. "You MUST put the food into your mouth using your fingers! No fork or spoon." We were pleasantly surprised that he didn’t protest at all. Here’s proof of his cooperation. Way to go, Aaron!
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The next picture is a winner.
The guy from India who decided to explore the wonders of utensils and the guy from China who just discovered the joy of eating with one’s hands. Talk about real cultural exposure, eh?
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I just couldn’t resist taking a picture with Mr Sporting for the night.
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The muhibbah ladies :
The Malay who does not speak nor behave like the average Malay,
The Indian who does not look like the average Indian,
The Kaur who speaks fluent Hokkien and Mandarin,
The Chinese who does not look nor think like the average Chinese.
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Here’s a pic of the most
aggresive woman I’ve ever
worked for in Dell.
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The thing I love most about
her is that she shares my maxim :
Work Hard, Play Hard!
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Gone clubbing with this Filipino
lady on a few occasions.
Impressive?
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U bet! ;)
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2nd trick of the night :
After dinner, we headed to Batu Feringghi as planned. To our disappointment, not a single DVD vendor was in sight! Sweetheart who came to join us after dinner said that he overheard some folks at the gym talking about it. We learnt later that there will be no DVD available for the entire month of September. The authorities seem to be working hard this month. Hey, Ramadhan month is just around the corner. Gee, I wonder if that has anything to do with this…duhhhh!!! *roll eyes*
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Still, we had fun. No pics ‘cos I was too busy selecting souvenirs for my colleagues to bring back to our other team members in China and India. Pleased with myself ‘coz I managed to bargain for some good pewter stuff. Got some super cheap earrings too. 5 pairs for RM10!
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By 10-ish, I was oh-so-ready to go home. Me feet were killing me, it was a bloody HOT night (zero wind), and my phone was constantly going off with warnings from friends on the tsunami that hit Indonesia.
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My maxim :
When my time comes, it doesn’t matter if I am lying in bed or out walking by the beach during tsunami alert times. I will still have to go.
"Early birds get the worms", folks say.
Yeah, me going out to grab those big, fat, juicy worms!
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Received announcement email from AirAsia this morning on their latest promotion for travelling in 2008. Their rates start from as low as RM 0.88! I know it’s too early to plan for travelling next year but heck, for that kinda price, I don’t mind making early plans and then arranging my schedules around those plans.
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A further check revealed that the RM0.88 is only applicable to places like Phuket and Krabi. Since I have been to both of those places, I decided to search for the price for Bangkok.
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Price that stared back at me from my laptop screen : RM 8.00. Dirt cheap! I know it’s not inclusive of tax but after adding in the taxes, the total amount one needs to pay for a return ticket from Penang to Bangkok is only about RM 350. What a steal!
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I dug deeper for details.
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Inclusive of accomodation and daily breakfast, the entire cost came up to about RM 850 for a 4D3N stay in the heart of Bangkok. Super duper cheap!!!
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Excitedly, I emailed the details to some friends. Set their minds thinking and I forsee some vacation discussion in the next week or so. Coincidentally, another friend’s birthday is only days before mine. So, we can have a dual birthday celebration in Bangkok come February 2008. :)))
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Bangkok, here we come!!!
The Power of Dreams
That is the tagline for HONDA.
Me likey.
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Today, I’ve been auto-shopping.
It seems the Honda City comes in 5 colours; which are divided into 2 categories (Metallic & Pearl).
- Alabaster Silver Metallic
- Bluish Silver Metallic
- Satellite Silver Metallic
- Sparkly Gray Pearl
- Nighthawk Black Pearl
Silver too uncle-ish and black too impractical.
Only color left for me to consider is gray. Urgh…not that exciting a colour too. :\
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Let’s hope some big HONDA sale comes up sometime soon that will help expedite the entire decision-making process.
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*Keep fingers tightly crossed*
A Biased World
Many things in Life are biased.
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Like this for example.
And this…
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Hmmmmm??
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Crossing the line
I am not proud to write this : I got wasted last night.
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It has been awhile since I last crossed the line of no-return. The last time it happened was in Nov last year at a friend’s wedding dinner. We downed so much wine and by the end of the dinner, I was so far gone that clubbing was not even an option at all.
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Was not proud of that Nov night and am not proud of last night. However, I realised that although there are many reasons why I hate getting wasted, there is one thing I’ve always appreciated : My wonderful clubbing friends.
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I love and appreciate :
- the way they surround themselves protectively around me to make sure I don’t get into trouble or get hurt.
- their persistence to stay close to me despite my telling them off in my drunken stupor.
- my close friends who share their honest advice and thoughts with me.
- the way sweetheart takes care of me and tucks me into bed at the end of the night.
I enjoy clubbing with my friends and I like to ensure all fun is kept behind the line. Once in a long while, like last night, the line is crossed unconsciously. When that happens, I appreciate my true friends talking openly about it instead of sweeping things under the carpet and pretending the previous night never happened.
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Love you all to bits! *muax*
Wind Movements
Vart…queef…fanny/p***y fart…
So many slangs to refer to the same thing.
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"Is it just me or do you gals sometimes kena p***y fart???" - A galfriend asked us curiously last night.
Our answer in unison : "Coz you’re NOT the only one! It happens to the best of us!"
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It is common for folks who fancy acrobatic positions. Especially those hip-elevated ones. Lots of wind movements, I guess… *lol*
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Some preventive measures :
- Kegel exercise
- Artificial lubrication
Some guys told me they find it sexy, a turn-on even! Others announced their disgust with it. A vast majority are neutral about it. I know some gals who are embarrassed when it happens to them. Seriously, what is there to be disgusted with or embarrassed about? It wouldn’t happen if you guys have not been been at it like rabbits, right? :p
S.I.N.
I eye it from a distance…
It tantalizes me,
Calling out to me softly and provocatively,
I feel my defences breaking down,
I want to, I need to, but…
I must resist! I must fight! I must stay strong!
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"I’ve had a long day. Surely I deserve to enjoy it???"
I tried to reason with myself,
"No! It’s too damaging on your mind and body!"
It was a hard battle, I admit
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I turned the other way,
Hoping that work will distract me,
Slowly but surely, I was lulled back towards it,
That’s it! I’m not gonna hold back any longer
F**K IT!!!
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I reached over and wrapped my trembling fingers around it,
The relief of not having to hold back rushed right through me,
Ahhhhhhh….
And we have, the moment of Truth…..
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Its sweetness teased my senses,
My tongue wrapped around it,
Gently, ever so gently,
My teeth sank into the soft outer layer,
Out rushed the hidden treasure,
A million stars exploded in my head!
High, oh so high, I flew into the sky…
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Two of my favourite things in the world,
Vodka & Chocolate!
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Liqueur fills, anyone?
Vodka Cocktails
I found these during my Langkawi trip in May. Finally did what I wanted to do for months - snap a picture and share what makes each of them special.
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COSMOPOLITAN
The Fashionista’s staple : This delish and full-flavored drink became an overnight favourite during the days of "Sex and the City". Fashion, girl talk and Cosmos simply go hand-in-hand. It’s an instant mood lifter.
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LEMON DROP
Sweet and Sour goodness. Lemon, sugar and a good bit of vodka is a classic combination and the ultimate refresher. A definite favourite amongst folks who love sourish drinks.
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TROPICAL BLUE LAGOON
When we’re hankering for a vacation but can’t possibly afford (the time or money) the escape, this drink is the solution. A definite tropical vacation in a glass. Its blue sweetness will take our minds to lush ocean landscapes, gorgeous and rich-colored flowers, warm waters and snorkelling adventures.
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APPLETINI
This provides a nolstagic connection to a slower pace of life - to days of lounging around listening to jazz. The ripe, crisp flavor turns the traditional martini into a new apple-infused alternative. Yummmieee….
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I read somewhere a long time ago that vodka is the closest thing to perfection ever conceived in the history of spirits. I couldn’t agree more!
Reverse Vampiring
Have you thought about donating blood but don’t know how to go about it?
Have you always wanted to donate blood but could never find time to do it?
Have you dreamt of donating blood but never had the guts to do it?
Have you always wanted to save lives but never got into the medical field?
Have you yearned for the feel-good sensation of having done something that have somehow, someway helped to save mankind?
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If your answer is yes to any of the above and you work for Dell Penang, you are in luck! A blood-donation drive has been organised with GH to replenish their blood bank. This is happening tomorrow from 9am - 3pm.
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This annual event is something I look forward to each year. I am one of those folks who cannot bear the sight of syringes and blood but every year, when this time comes around, I make it a point to participate in this activity. I just have to make sure I look the other way when the medical officer pricks me with the syringe. :\
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Other than the obvious fact that I’ll help save some lives (perhaps? hehe…), I will also not deny that doing this fulfills a personal need of mine - It makes me feel good.
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Wanna feel good? Go donate some blood.
Skipped gym tonight for something more important :
To celebrate our darling Flo’s birthday!
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It was decided at the 11th hour to go for dinner tonight instead of waiting till the weekend. Got some friends together and headed to Teluk Kumbar for the delicioussss ‘Hai Boey Seafood’. Last time I was there was when the GCP folks treated me to a farewell dinner at that place - ‘coz their speciality was the ‘Croc Tail Dish’. Nope, we didn’t order that tonight. That had to be pre-booked at least a day before.
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Our beloved Flo aka The Camwhore was delighted when we told her that we’re all cancelling our Monday evening plans to celebrate her belated birthday (actual day was yesterday). Here are the pics of how happy the birthday gal was tonight.
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She insisted : "No cake for me! I HATE birthday cakes!"
So, we had no choice but to stick the candle in her favourite dish for the night - the fatty pork meat and also, the fish head! *LOL* Other diners in the restaurant were giving us funny looks. Damn if we care. We were having too much fun!
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We had other yummy food as well. In fact, we ordered waayyy too much and ended up having to pack some of the leftovers. Whoopps…too hungry when we ordered the dishes.
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Anyway, here are the pics taken of the really yummy food.
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Good food with good friends. What more could a birthday gal ask for, eh? Yes, we all had fun tonight. Says who we can’t have fun without alcohol?!? :p
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Happy faces of friends who love Flo to bits.
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One year wiser, eh girl?
Definitely HOTTER, HORNIER, and FOXIER!
Full House
After the mad Merdeka celebration on both Thursday and Friday nights, we decided to take it easy on Saturday night. "Let’s go R&R!" Someone suggested.
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Too much of a good thing may turn it into a bad thing - and that applies to clubbing as well. ;)))
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So, as usual, some friends ended up chillin’ at my place. Packed some munchies and ice cream (BR’s…yum yum!), talked some crap, watched some DVD’s, got to know a new friend (*wink wink*), and except for one guy, the rest ended up crashing over at my place.
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Master bedroom : Me & a galfriend (just as well that sweetheart’s out of town) climbed into my bed at slightly past 5.
Guest room # 1 aka Activity room : New friend and *ahem* declared at 3-ish that they were tired and were ready to hit the sack. Yeah rrrriigghhhttt! *LOL*
Guest room # 2 : Another galfriend insisted to stay up till the end of Episode 3 (L-Word Season 4) despite the fact that she couldn’t keep her eyelids up by 3am. Finally at 4-ish, she zombied her way into my 2nd guest room for the night.
Couch in lounge/living room : Since I had a L-shaped sofa, there was sufficient space for 2 guys. One slept on each side, fully stretched out and both insisted it’s more comfortable than the bed. Oh well, I can’t argue with that. On some week nights, I will favor my couch to my bed too. Hehe…
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Woke up past noon and found most of the folks gone. The remaining 3 folks hung around for abit before we all left for our own Sunday activities. The weekend’s gone. Sigh, fun time really flies, huh?
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Oh, one good thing to look forward to : Sweetheart’s on his way back to Penang! He got into the Finals and got some cash prizes. Sweet…
Pictures, finally!
FINALLY, I get to upload the pics taken at the grrreeaaat party we threw last weekend.
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The food…
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The Flaming Shots…
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The Friends…
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And more friends…
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The Love of my Life : Sweetheart & Patrick
This week, we have a long weekend and man, it’s sweet! I could get used to a 4-day workweek.
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Highlights for the past 48 hours :
- We had fun singing to Sudirman’s classic "Tanggal tiga puluh satu, bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh, Merdeka! Merdeka! Tetaplah merdeka, Ia pasti menjadi sejarah…" at the stroke of midnite on Thursday night. Poor R scratched his bald head wondering why we got so excited and started singing and jumping to a ‘weird-sounding’ song. I told him it’s a real local classic to celebrate our Independance Day. ‘OOhhhh’, he nodded but still looked confused. *lol*
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- Our favourite clubbing home reopened its doors after 3 weekends of inactivity. "Homeless no more, we are!" excitedly exclaimed the many fans of MoMo.
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- I realised I have different taste when it comes to lovin’ & sharin’. "I like it that you are so unique that way, baby" Hehehe….
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- Lots of ex-Dellians who moved to KL for work came back for the long weekend. We had fun catching up, dancing and drinking with them.
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- Some of the gay Thai guys are back in town. F & D were soooo happy to see them. Too bad that super tall guy who kissed sweetheart wasn’t back. We were hoping to match him up with D. Hahaha!
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Lowlights for the past 48 hours :
- For the first time in a looooooonnnngg time, I clubbed without sweetheart last night. He had to make the KL trip for his other love : Magic. Since I already accompanied him down South last year, I decided to pike out this year. Traffic will be a bitch in KL and also, lots of friends are back in Penang for the holiday.
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- A friend annoyed me with her insistence to continue ‘relying’ on me for drinking needs. I will hafta put a stop to this, soon. I will only go far for friends who appreciate me; not those who take me for granted.
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- I have been going for my BW sessions for years and for the first time, I had to go through a horrible session. Same place and same therapist I have been going to for the past few months but this time, it was PAINFUL. I checked with some other friends who made BW appointments yesterday too and it seemed they all went through a similar experience. Looks like they over-marketed the 50%-off promotion. As a result, more customers than they can handle. Meaning too rushed a job, meaning PAIN. Looks like I will hafta feedback to the boss when she returns from her maternity leave.
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- I miss my baby already. Oh well, I’ll be back in his arms again in another day. :)))
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