Laine's 25th at Sugimoto

A little update on last night's dinner at Sugimoto for Laine's birthday. There were about 10 of us, including Elaine Ho and Shuh Yih, whom we practically meet once in a year for the past 3 years and that also were all on Laine's birthdays (the 1st one at PD in year 2002, last year at Micasa and this year at Sugimoto). Hehehe...

The food there was alright. We ordered duplicate set of 7-8 dishes including Taco Wasabi (it's actually octopus, and it was KL's favourite!), salmon with mashed potato, eggplant and crabmeat croquette. We spent the whole time talking about law (of having your car pulled over, of saman, of marital rape), insurance, production shows and diving. See how diverse the group is? Let's see... Out of 10 of us, there were 3 lawyers, 1 insurance marketing exec, 4 engineers and 1 production director.

L-R : Elaine Ho, Zona, Laine, KY, Sey Chuan, sayang, me, KL, Julia & Shuh Yih

Laine didn't want us to sing her a Birthday song, and hurriedly blew the candles as soon as they were lit up. But we still sang it anyway, and even louder. Hehehehe..

We were there for nearly 3 hours, and then Laine, KY, KL, Zona, sayang & I proceeded to 'yum char' at Spicy Kitchen. We talked about a common friend whom was Laine, KL and Zona's 3-year-classmate back in high school days, whom I just knew but we attended Computer class together, and whom sayang knows now. We were suprised how she used to be very serious and studious back then, but turned out wild, flirtatious and bimbo-ish now. Not that we were b*tching about her. It was more like, saddened and wondered about what happened to her. What made her take that drastic change. Is it that she spent her high school days on academic reasons and figured that now she's trying to live her life, making up for lost time? And if she realizes that she is known as the 'entertainer', 'GRO' or even 'the girl with kidneys on the brain' or something like that? It's sad, really.. And that just kept me pondering the rest of the night..

[Updated] Oops.. I missed out an accountant/financial controller in the group. Thanks Zona!

Holidaeeeeeeeeeee

Am on leave today. Muahaha... Syok-a-lingammmm... Oh by the way, tomorrow's Merdeka Day. So I'm having a 4-day weekend here. Hehehe.. It's been a while since I had such a long weekend. Niceeee...

Went to Mid Valley with Mummy. Sighz.. It's either I really should put on more weight or that my fashion taste is seriously declining. I've been searching for a nice, denim skirt, not too long, not too short, not too many patterns on it, no sequins and not too fading at certain parts. All the skirts I looked at today have something wrong in them. Urghhh... Can you see that I'm not a huge fan of shopping? I am definitely not anywhere near Becky, the shopaholic in Sophie Kinsella's series.

Oh the other hand, guess who I saw in Metrojaya. 2 of the Malaysian Idol contestants - Vick and Saipul. I think they must have been doing their clothes shopping for this week's performance. I recognized them coz, I just watched them on 8TV last night for the Vote Results. If they were walking separately, then maybe a bit harder to recognize them. But they were practically just sitting on the bench near the Grand Piano with another guy, whom I'm assuming is their security people. They were bored and yawning the whole time. Hehe.. Saw them again in Guardian, when I think Vick was buying some hair dye? Anyway, not my business.

Will be meeting up later with Laine, Zona, Julia, KL and their 'spouses' for Laine's birthday dinner at Sugimoto in Hartamas. Then perhaps go somewhere to see the fireworks for the Merdeka celebration... Until then.. Happy Holiday, everyone. And Happy Merdeka!! Happy Birthday, Malaysia!!

Tanggal 31, bulan lapan, lima puluh tujuh
Merdeka! Merdeka! Tetaplah merdeka
Ia pasti menjadi sejarah

Tanggal 31, bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Hari yang mulia, hari bahagia
Sambut dengan jiwa yang merdeka

Mari kita seluruh warga negara
Ramai-ramai menyambut Hari Merdeka
Merdeka!
Tiga satu bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Hari mulia negaraku merdeka

~~ Sudirman - Tanggal 31 ~~

How Heavy Are You?

Everyone I come across would ask me that. People that pass me by would be caught staring at me, which unfortunately is definitely not because I'm gorgeous or anything like that. It's the kind of stare that says "Oh my gawd, she's soooooo thin!" You know how a matchstick man looks like? Yes, I look exactly like that. I look pretty much like a bamboo stick, short one though.

Over the years, I'm being told that I'm like those North Korean famine, or I'm being asked if I'm anorexic or "tak cukup makan ke?". I'm no way any of them. The problem is that I am thin. Blame it on the genes, if you want to. I love to eat, mind you. I just don't eat a lot at one go, but I take many meals. When after I'm full, maybe 1 hour later or so, I'm hungry again.

I never understand why would people love to be as thin as me. To be honest, I hate the way I look. I want some fat! Let me rephrase that.. I DESPERATELY want some fat!! If you must know, I'm only 36-38 kgs. For my height, I should be 48 kgs. The most I managed to go to was 42 kgs, when I was in Sheffield, but I lost them right after I came back to Malaysia. *Sighz* It's nothing to be envious about my weight, really. I fall sick easily.. I get injured too easily.. I can't even donate blood.. I can't help around much especially when carrying things.. I easily get blown away. Yup, the last statement is true. Back in Sheffield, I got caught off balance several times during the windy days. There were a few times when it was tooooo windy, that I just couldn't move forward. It was THAT bad! It was a good thing that I always had at least someone walking with me. Literary, they kept me grounded. Hehehe..

How did I manage to gain some weight back then? Let's see.. Every morning, I would have 2 half-boiled eggs, a bowl of cereal and a cup of hot chocolate. I would walk 40 mins to the uni, with a couple of Snickers bars in which during each lectures, I would munch a bar. Then I would get sandwiches from the cafeteria for lunch. During the walk back home, I would stop by at Broomhill Friery and get a packet of hot, fresh, salty & vinegar-ish chips (a.k.a fries) and munch them till I reach home. Once at home, I would have a cup of hot chocolate and some 5-for-£2 cream biscuits from Jack Fulton with the gang in the kitchen. Then we would have home-cooked dinner, which would always be in big portions since there were 5 guyz and me (Guyz always tend to eat a lot!). After dinner, we would have Granny Smith or Royal Gala apples, or any other fruits while watching tv. Few hours later, we would be munching cream biscuits again and have another cup of hot chocolate before the day ends. During weekends, we would have packets of frozen pizzas, lasagnes, spaghetti, Shephard's Pie and loads of potatoes. Gosh... That sounds a lot, huh?

I don't know if this method works over here in Malaysia, but I'm trying. I even joined the PanGlobal Club early this year, hoping that gym would at least help me gain some muscle, which hopefully would eventually become fats. I did mention before that my New Year's resolution is to gain some weight. I still have 4 more months to achieve that. I'm freaking tired of being this thin. And please, don't judge me on your first impression of me that I'm on a diet. I'm not what you think that "girls nowadays ahh.. Always want to diet... Always want to look slim slim". I love chocolates. I love ice-creams. I love pasta. I would take anything fattening or do anything just to reach that 40 kgs mark again.

If you have any ideas, please do let me know. I'd truly appreciate it. For the mean time, I shall pack my gym bag and head over to PanGlobal Club now. Hhhm... I'll probably dip in the pool as well... It's so hot today. :)

For The Heck Of It

Got this through Friendster, and I thought, why not...

Instruction : Put an X next to the option you identify yourself with...

[ ] I wish I was a different ethnicity.
[ ] I have an eating disorder.
[X] I am short.
[ ] I am tall.
[ ] I think I'm really attractive.
[X] I prefer winter over summer. (There's something melancholy especially when it snows.. Ahhh...)
[X] I am a geek. (Yup.. Bookworm.. Nerd.. You name it)
[ ] I am a shopaholic.
[ ] I am reasonably intelligent.
[ ] I am attracted to girls.
[X] I am attracted to boys.
[X] I like British accents.
[ ] I smoke regularly.
[ ] I smoke socially.
[ ] I drink socially.
[ ] I drink regularly.
[ ] I will never date a bad kisser.
[ ] I've lied to avoid kissing.
[ ] I brush my hair at least 50 times a night.
[ ] I am religious.
[X] I am not religious but have morals.
[ ] I lie frequently.
[X] I am impulsive.
[ ] I am hardworking.
[ ] I am good at History.
[X] I enjoy taking pictures.
[X] I like spending money on myself.
[X] I like spending money on others.
[X] I have a regular income.
[ ] I earn money on a job-by-job basis.
[X] I pay my own bills.
[ ] I rely on my parents for money.
[ ] I can cook.
[ ] I enjoy cleaning.
[ ] Tidyness is a must in my life.
[ ] I like clutter.
[ ] My idea of good music is Britney Spears.
[ ] I have heard of Blonde Redhead.
[ ] I enjoy Blonde Redhead.
[ ] I am fashion-conscious.
[ ] I have good taste.
[ ] People tell me I have good taste.
[ ] I excel(ed) academically.
[X] I am told I have yet to fulfill my potential.
[ ] I am good at sports.
[ ] I am good at certain sports.
[ ] I couldn't do sports to save my life.
[ ] I am creative.
[ ] I am artistically inclined.
[ ] I want to be an artist when I grow up.
[X] I want to be an engineer when I grow up.
[X] I eat when I'm upset.
[ ] I cannot adapt to change.
[ ] I am interested in politics.
[ ] I have shoplifted.
[X] I download MP3s.
[ ] I have gone underage drinking.
[ ] I have gone underage clubbing.
[ ] I can dance reasonably well.
[ ] I can dance extremely well.
[X] I dance like a cardboard gorilla.
[ ] I can sing.
[ ] I sing like someone stepped on my foot.
[ ] I can swim.
[ ] I enjoy surveys.
[X] I enjoy surveys when I'm bored.
[X] I keep a journal.
[X] My teachers don't like me. (I know 2 or 3 of them loved to pick on me. Eeshh..)
[ ] I enjoy controversy.
[X] I can be a bitch/bastard.
[ ] I have a thing for bad boys/girls.
[ ] I have tattoos.
[ ] I've been in a nudist colony.
[ ] I'm not sure if I want to have children.
[X] I'm not sure if I'll get married.
[X] I know who I will marry.
[ ] Someone has a crush on me.
[ ] I am interesting.
[ ] I am a good liar.
[ ] People enjoy talking to me.
[X] I annoy people from time to time.
[ ] I am a born leader.
[ ] I am a born leader but shouldn't lead.
[ ] I've snuck out of the house.
[ ] I enjoy felching.
[ ] I have a foot fetish.
[ ] I have a shoe fetish.
[ ] I watch Sex And The City.
[ ] I don't think Sarah Jessica Parker is pretty.
[ ] I want to be J Lo.
[ ] I cut myself.
[X] I have cut myself.
[ ] I hate people who pretend to be suicidal.
[ ] I hate popular people.
[ ] I think cheerleading is a sport.
[ ] I am photogenic.
[ ] I live in Chucks.
[ ] I think graffiti is art.
[ ] I have dated a criminal.
[ ] I have been cheated on.
[ ] I have cheated on someone.
[X] I have a temper.
[X] I like playgrounds.
[X] I dance in the rain.
[ ] I am obsessed with Shakespeare.
[ ] I have tanlines.
[ ] My favourite color is pink.
[ ] My favourite color is black.
[X] I would classify myself as emo.
[X] I am musically inclined.
[X] I like listening to music.
[ ] I like music-blasting cars.
[ ] Thongs are comfortable.
[X] I like flip-flops.
[X] I know what monogamy is
[X] ... and I believe in it.
[ ] I want to be a social worker when I grow up.
[X] I have siblings.
[ ] My siblings annoy me.
[ ] I think South Park is funny.
[X] I believe in love.

The Olympics

A tribute to the recent Olympics going on in Athens... Hehehe... Watch HERE. Speaking of that, when is Malaysia gonna win a medal?

Elid After 15 Years

My boss has just recently announced that the company has purchased its own 2-storey building (FINALLY!!) at Jalan 223. It's gonna be a hassle for most of us to drive there, and no doubt we're gonna have to endure the massive traffic jam especially driving back home. Any ideas for the best shortcut to and fro from Bangsar? A colleague suggested using Section 14. We'll probably move in to the new building sometime CNY, so, yeah, I'll have about 6 months or so to explore around for the best route to use. :) There are some suggestions that we build a small little recreational hall. I can imagine it now... When our eyes are too tired to stare at the PC screen, and we get too frustrated from coding, we can just head down to the hall and smash some shuttlecocks or release your stress on the ping-pong table. Hehehe...

And since we are of MSC status now, we have also officially purchased an office block in Cyberjaya, in which it will be named Elid MSC. But I don't know who's gonna be 'thrown' there to 'jaga' the office. Hehehe... I hope it's not me *cross fingers*... Cyberjaya's just too far to drive there!!

Photo previews of our new buildings.. Below is the one in Jalan 223, which of course, the company name is NOT gonna be Steelform. Apparently the building has been deserted for 3 years or so... Oh no... Do you think it's probably haunted? *Gasp*

This is our office in Cyberjaya. Just a small little office block, but I heard it has a very nice view of the garden.. Hhhm...

13 Going On 30

Kelly was given a whole cinema in B.U. for the sneak preview for "13 Going On 30". She works for Vida magazine, actually. Well.. More like, used to work, coz she recently quit her job there. It was supposedly to be for her readers, but she snagged a couple for us. Muahaha...

Anyway, all in all, the movie was alright. Purely chick flick. The plotline was very simple, about a 13-year-old girl, geeky-looking typical teenager, trying to fit in with the popular crowd. On the other hand, her best friend Matt thinks that she should just be herself. With some sprinkles of the 'Wishing Dust', she wishes that she was thirty, flirty and thriving. The next thing she knows, she was brought to the future, where she was 30, works for her childhood favourite magazine, practically everything that she wanted, except her best friend.

I guess, everyone pretty much shares the pain of growing up. When we were kids, we just wanted to hurrily be an adult. We yearned to be popular, to be rich, to be legal. We rebelled, we tried to be someone else, to be accepted. Along the way, we unknowingly sacrifice a lot of things, including the people that loves you. It would be nice if we can just wind the clock back and fix everything that we've done wrong. Or have Doraemon to fish out a 'Door to the Future' from his pocket. Unfortunately, we can't. The only things that we can do is to cherish every living moment, to learn from our mistakes and be a better person. Oohh.. And perhaps a note to the teenagers out there, don't dismiss or look down at your geeky friends. They might end up being your actual Mr./Mrs. Right. Hehe...

Happy 25th, Sayang!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Sayang, Happy Birthday to you!!

I've been 'irritating' him with this song the whole day.. Hehe... We both took leave today and went to BU to watch Catwoman. Not very interesting movie though, despite Halle Berry and her sexy leather outfit. Then we went to Times Square later in the afternoon. We were to meet up with Stan, Helen, Sean and Jache for karaoke + buffet dinner at Neway. So we walked around, had hot dogs from DQ Orange Juice and 1901, and oh, even scouted for a thick cardigan for me coz sayang said that it's freezing cold in Neway. In the end, I got myself a dark blue, Mickey Mouse fleece from Winter Time. Hehehe... At least I can use it in the office, since the R&D room is practically like an ice box!

Then we headed for Neway. The buffet dinner was considerably ok, just that we spent most of the time selecting songs and having fun, so we didn't really gobble a lot. Hehe.. Everyone had fun, I guess and I hope! Especially when we sang the Birthday song to sayang, Sean and Stan sang the Chinese version - something about 'may you change car every year, may you change house every year, pay loans until you die'. Haha.. Despite the song selections are mostly Chinese ones, I don't mind going there again. This time, I'm gonna eat a lot! The pasta salad's not bad actually.. Yum yum...

By about 11pm, sayang & I left to meet up with 2 of his colleagues, Mr. Tan and Belinda at Wow Wow Cafe in Plaza Damas. It's exactly the same one as in New Taman Sea. Except that I preferred the atmosphere in Plaza Damas, coz it's more of an open-aired concept (the one in NTS is dark and gloomy). And I liked the way the singers did their song renditions, in acoustic guitar style. It made me feel very relaxed listening to them sing and strumming the guitar. And of course, the song requests like 'Hoi Fut Tin Hong', 'Kau Ilhamku' and 'Wonderful Tonight' helped just as much. Had a very good time there. Even suggested to sayang that we go there for all our yum char sessions. Hehe...

Hopefully he had a great 25th birthday. Quarter-of-a-century old... And I'm gonna be in that category in less than 4 months time. *Gasp* Anyway, happy birthday, sayang!!!! *Muakz*