Wildlife Act takes effect in peninsula and Labuan

By M. SHAMINEE
sham@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: The Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 has been fully enforced in the peninsula and Labuan as of yesterday.

The Act, which was passed by Parliament in August, has a wider scope and jurisdiction in the protection of more wildlife species and activities related to wildlife.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) said in a statement yesterday that with the Act fully enforced, it would have better control on all wildlife species, wildlife derivatives, hybrid species and invasive alien species.

Perhilitan, it said, would also have the jurisdiction to address issues on wild animal welfare and cruelty.

“The new law will be more deterrent and provides stringent penalties and punishment for poaching and other wildlife crimes,” it said.

The new penalties include fines of up to RM500,000 with jail term of not more than five years while the minimum penalty imposed for several offences is not less than RM5,000.

The new Act also provides mandatory jail sentence for a term not exceeding five years and a fine not less than RM100,000 and not more than RM500,000 for offences involving protected wildlife such as tigers, rhinoceros, serow (a type of goat), gaur (seladang), leopard, clouded leopard and false gharial (a type of freshwater crocodile).

It also provides for the director-general of Perhilitan to appoint any public officer to exercise the powers of enforcement.

The Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) can be viewed atwww.wildlife.gov.my.

Bed Business...

Now that MekTam has gone 'home', things are coming back to 'normal' for me and the brats. Room got reorganised, rocking chair gets tucked into the corner, only to be brought out when I actually want to read. This leaves just enough space for me to solat... Talk about compact rooms. My old room was a veritable apartment in comparison! Oh well. The next place should be better, I hope. 

Had finally moved my big bed from the other house because my brats take up too much bed space to share. Unfortunately, its mattress had been 'reclaimed' by original owner. Dammit! Now I have to fork out an extra RM500 or so to replace it. Sigh. Is there no end to these expensive expenses? 

Since it's quite a chunk of dough, I have decided to really window shop before actually buying a new mattress. Little did I realise how much a 'standard' spring mattress costs! RM500 can only buy me a standard local brand, which seems to be of pretty good quality and comes with a 10 yr guarantee. Other shops - can get imported, but no warranty! Want warranty, pay extra RM200. Aiyo... like that also can ah? 

Haven't quite made up my mind, so in the meantime, am using the single mattress that comes with the house. See la, so cacat. Single mattress on a queen bed. Just imagine the gaps are actually shelf space for my reading materials lar, what to do? 

Come bedtime, notice that Trina has appropriated my shawl, while Leo chose the blankie at the foot of my bed.  Trina also likes to massage and suckle the brown shawl.. Sigh... you miss your mommy, ya, baby? Poor me had to squeeze in wherever I can.. Sabar ajelah. 

 In the kitchen/ drying area, my cili padi have finally fruited and some were ripe. These were the first harvest I took today. Not a huge amount, but better than nothing. I have finally managed to produce cili api. Yeay!! My previous attempts were not successful due to various reasons. And the taste? SEDAPPP... So fresh, exactly like the ones we used to pick in Nyai's garden when I was small. Organic beb...

Ha ha... am so mengantuk now. Better go to sleep lah. The brats are outside tonight. Thank God. More space for me!

Sleep Deprivation...

Been fostering a cat for Ee Lynn the past week, and my babies are so not happy about it! The blackies, and even Trina takes turns slipping into my room and harassing the poor little tuxedo cat. And of course Leo just growls and merajuk in displeasure. MekTam just got spayed, and so she needs a lot of peace and quiet to recuperate. As it is, she spends much of the time hiding under the bed...

Now she's gotten used to me, she likes to manja2 every now and then, and there's no hassle to coax her to come out of hiding. She used to really hide under the bed, and I had to wriggle underneath to retrieve her. Now the single bed is outside, and the queen bed is too low to wriggle under, nasib la kalau tak nak keluar makan...

The problem is, she gets extra manja in the freaking middle of the night, and starts whining at 5 a.m. every day!! WHY, baby, WHY??? I need to SLEEP! Especially if I stayed up until 2-3 a.m. working or fooling with the new phone. Sigh. Been turning up late to work and feel crappy to boot. Grrrr....!

Sigh... it's Ee Lynn's birthday today, so I guess I could keep the kitten for a couple more days... Going off to partay with the girls tomorrow, though, so would probably be good to give her back. Also working on Saturday n Sunday, so yes, probably good to send her back by tomorrow.

Weekenders

Don't you sometimes wish your weekends came with their own weekends? Past 2 days I barely got through my list of crap to deal with! Managed to pay all my bills, then fixed the bike on Saturday. Can't remember what I did that night. Seriously. In between moderating between my brats and MekTam, I didn't get anything much done... Sunday - pretty much wasted the morning reading. Managed to cram washing into machine just before going off to pick up furniture from Sali's and the old house. Wasted more time after that. Malam had early dinner at Kanna's with K Ayu & Rabiatun, then SLOOOOWWWLLLYYY cleared my room of the junk mags, cleaned up bed and put it back together. It's smaller than I imagined, so single mattress covers 3/4 of the queen bed and I have a reasonable bit of space to solat in. Cat's cages took up much of the free space, but that should be OK once MekTam goes home to wherever she came from. Maybe i can put the rocking chair inside to read in. Can lepak on the single bed to read/watch TV. Don't have much choice - super limited space in the apt. Should get rid of extraneous mags soon and find my missing documents - esp the bike papers!! Now the bike is road worthy, should try to make it legal la. Quite pleased with the old thing now, almost everything fixed already, except for fuel/speed gauge cover and speedometer gear.

Other problem is money... Paid bills, Abang, lori, repairs, buy t-shirts, etc etc etc.... I don't know if I can make it through the month... Still got saman to worry about. JPBD document is ready for collection, nak collect tu yang masalahnya. Kalau email aje kan senang... But then, pretty pleased that I managed to get stuff that had been dragging for months settled. Just bite the bullet and tapau food for the rest of the month la... Hadeh... And naik motor to save on parking & car petrol money. Am tempted to charge mattress on CC, but that would probably screw up my credit ratings again. So better sit tight and suffer until I get more cash in hand. Would be nice to dress up the bed in my favourite covers though. Yeah, and then I'll surely itch to buy new bedsheets to celebrate the return of my beloved bed :P I'm sure Leo would be happy to have 'his' side of the bed again too. Am glad this is working out. Still need to clean up house, but Sali's cabinet is helping a lot in controlling the mess of my stuff.

Sheez... am glad I have money to get things moving, but a little bit more won't hurt either. Lalala... :D

Making Choices

Been thinking of upgrading the bike the other day. Or the car... In the end, just spent money fixing both.

Changed the kapcai's wheel spokes (yang kuning rempit tuh) and rusty shock absorbers, plus problem brake. Looks much nicer now. Will try to give it a bath tonight to rid it of oily black handprints. Esok nak kena suruh diorang check the rattling noise from the back wheel. I rasa the chain guard is rubbing against the chains nih. WD40 pun kat ofis, the chain is so dry!! Kalau boleh suruh diorang tukar semua cover2 lampu yang dah buruk tu, semangat sikit nak pakai. If I can save a bit on petrol and parking, would be easier to save $$ for an apartment...

Then tadi nak beli either the boot cover or seat covers for the car. Dua2 takde kat Eneos. So just bought a tyre iron and jack to replace the ones I dumped. Boleh tak, drive as far as Merapoh without a basic emergency kit in the boot? Kot nya lah tayar pancit kat tengah hutan nun, hancus!! Got a steering cover and rearview mirror too, plus painted the ugly gearstick cover black. And a can of spray paint to touch up those ugly scratches on the front and back bumpers, The colour doesn't exactly match, tapi boleh la sementara nak hantar kedai for repainting... Nak upgrade, not a good time right now. So maybe just improve the decor, get my regular shop to check timing belt and investigate noisy idling, hopefully can make driving the old jalopy a little more pleasurable, tak segan kalau kawan2 tumpang... Kesian keta tu tak dibela betul2.

Yes, a new bike and/or car would be a treat, but right now, would be better to focus on saving up so that I can buy an apartment as planned. Bike's paid for, so would be stupid to rack up more debt to change that. Have recently applied for a 0-interest balance transfer for my credit card, so hopefully will be more financially independent in a year's time. Sigh.. sometimes I wish I had a fairy godmother...

Antara Realiti dan Fantasi...

Kadangkala aku suka bermimpi... Mimpi-mimpi indah yang langsung tidak berpijak di bumi nyata. Ada kalanya aku lupa, siapa diriku sebenarnya. Malah sering aku keliru, antara fantasi dan realiti, mana satu hakikat diriku? Akan tiba satu ketika di mana aku terpaksa memilih, dan mengambil tindakan, supaya sekurang-kurangnya tak semua angan-anganku kosong semata...

Antara yang mungkin terjadi:
1. Jadi superbiker.
- OK, maybe not superbiker. Tayar jer dah lebih kurang harga keta buruk aku. But at least upgrade la kapcai rempit tu ke something yang lebih sesuai untuk saiz XXL aku ni. At least tak la segan parking depan ofis...
- First course of action - pi ambik lesen motor.

2. Beli apt/condo - If I EVER find something that is not super overpriced, insya-Allah.

3. Slim down.
- Been going to the gym and working out. Stamina dah much improved, joints tak sakit lagi. Very good, tapi weight & fat mass masih terlalu tinggi. Will need to control food intake and do more cardio to balance weight training and yoga.
- should remember that my preferred shape is long & lean, not tall and fat. Long & lean would also complement the hot bike.

So... sexy superbiker buys bike to celebrate losing weight? Fine. Just make sure you manage to keep this job. Not easy to find something you love so much :D

Save Fuel PSA

I've always wanted to write this up...

Remember the PSA where the girl comes out late and the BF had to wait in the car? Goes something like this-

G: Sorry I'm late.
B: It's OK, I only had to wait 10 minutes.
G: (silly giggle) (breathless voice) OK. Where are we going? I'm staarving...
B: (In disgruntled, bored, I'm so going to break up with you voice) To the petrol station. I've run out of gas.

My reaction has always been: - DUDE! Get a bloody new car!

If a mere 10 minutes wait made you run out of gas, it only means
a) you were almost empty to begin with (just before a date? seriously) or
b) your car's a freaking gas guzzler and deserves to be thrown to the wolves. Oh wait. No, don't. It might kill the wolves.

It kind of illustrates the need to switch off your engine instead of idling, but seriously, ten minutes and you're low? Get a new car!! Even my jalopy doesn't consume as much.

There. It's off my chest now. :D

Making Scents

Maybe some people are anosmic, but scents definitely matter to me. It bothers me if someone doesn't smell of anything, or like moth balls! Eek, dude, put on some cologne boleh tak? While some people hate the normal scents of healthy humans, I see no problem with people giving off some pheromones as long as they don't stink of unwashed sweat or reek of cloying oils. Have a sweet smelling week, everyone :P

What up, doc?

Seems like a really long time since I blogged. Many things have happened, which I'm really happy about, but just doesn't feel right to publish online. But I guess I could tell people that I'm back in the conservation line, covering for Loretta's departure from MYCAT. Hers are big shoes to fill, so I hope I don't disappoint the lovely people on my team. Being back in Taman SEA feels like coming home again, bumping into old friends every other day. I feel so alive! Can't believe it's been 6 years since I left WWF.

Then last weekend I joined a bunch of MNS guys to Taman Negara Pahang, just to go mucking about in the forest. It was so good to reconnect to mother earth (despite what Hymeir said :-P). Even birding was forgotten as I redirected my attention to identifying the footprints we encountered. And the decision to go river trekking back to the camp was a really good call. It so reminded me of my uni days, except that now I had a pair of reasonably good boots to protect my feet. Didn't think they would last, but my Bata Outdoor boots held up surprisingly well. Afterwards had to light a wood fire since I didn't have time to buy gas for my burner. Not so easy since everything was damp and the smoky fire blackened up my mess tins pretty darn quick! Messy mess tins. Hrmph. Lucky I didn't have to drive home as I had a full day of cleaning up to do afterwards.

There was also the MNS 70th Anniversary Royal Dinner I attended the following night. More old friends, some of whom I haven't seen for years. Was nice to see my Tai Kor and fellow ex-Selangor Committee members.

Back at work, it was a relatively peaceful week, with just enough work to keep me moving without being overwhelmingly busy. And now, at the end of the day, am looking forward to partying with my darling sistas and attending Jai & Asma's wedding.

Life is good. Alhamdulillah :-)

Feeling good.. Or maybe it's just gas :D

Woke up feeling 'light' in my midsection, a feeling I haven't experienced much of late. Maybe it was the stress of an overwhelming job, but have been feeling so much better now after going for  massages and yoga classes. And before anyone spews nonsense about yoga being haram, I firmly believe that the exercise is purely physical. If breathing is haram, then I can't help cure your idiocy.

I do think the exercises helped 'open up' tight muscles and blocked arteries, allowing the body to heal itself. I have been feeling off for a long time, mainly due to stress, and basic Swedish massages haven't fixed the problem. I'm so happy I signed up for the gym. At last, somewhere I could have a bit of fun exercise and socialise afterwards. So different from gyms I visited before.

Used to think this light feeling forebode good luck, but maybe it's just a change in biological processes. Or maybe it's just gas... : D

Conditional Love

Went to a forum last night. Missed their dinner, so came back tired and hungry and broke (tak sempat ambik duit, ATM dah tutup). Sister kindly informed me that Bubu got trapped in my room earlier, so first thing I checked for was for poo. Didn't smell anything immediately so I thought I was safe. Unfortunately, there was poo on the bed - under my blankie. Ugh. Gross!!

Accidents like these have been happening far too often. Sometimes I close the door, not realising that one of the bloody cats was stretched on top of the cupboard or under my bed, well out of sight. Sometimes I left the door ajar, only to have it slam shut sometime in the day. Unable to escape thru the window (no ledge, 10th floor) - they often resort to showing their displeasure by sabotaging my bed. NOT a pleasant situation to discover after a long day at work plus other activities. Sigh.

Hujung minggu ni kerja lagi. Even less time to deal with dirty clothes, kena tambah lagi compromised linen. Hadooiii.... I have no energy left for this.... Hate the stupid brats...

"I'm Moving On"

(Rascal Flatts)

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different but they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong
I'm movin' on

I'm movin' on
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone
There comes a time in everyone's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town
I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't
I had to lose everything to find out
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road
I'm movin' on

I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on

Dilemmas

We found a place we wanted to buy the other day, but I guess it wasn't meant to be... The price was right, we all loved the place, but unfortunately things fell apart before we even laid down the booking fee...

The owners' solicitors sent a Letter of Offer which Abang thought would put us in a dangerous position. Despite saying this, they didn't bother to change the letter, even after we pointed out the problem. To make matters worse, we didn't have a lawyer on hand to represent us and we didn't take steps to immediately make the necessary changes through our lawyers. Furthermore, the time frame was terribly short, which gave us no time to sort things out before the offer came due.

After going back and forth for almost a week, the owners decided to accept another offer at a higher price. It's a bit upsetting to me, because I thought it was a good buy, but the sale fell through because of  bad communication and cooperation.

First, Abang decided to haggle over the price AFTER I had agreed to the initial amount. Of course that didn't go well with the sellers. Then, I don't know what he told them, but it sounded like we couldn't pay the deposit, even though we already put aside the money. I only had some reservations due to my uncertain financial circumstances.

Then there was the problem of the solicitors' reluctance to make amendments to their offer letter. They asked me to sign first and make amendments later. But the S&P will follow the original acceptance letter! I had HUGE reservations about putting my signature on a legally binding document that basically puts all of us in danger of financial jeopardy. So even though we have the money, and I pointed out that we could amend the letter itself, Abang didn't like the idea of merely scribbling on the offer letter, especially when the owners' signatures were not included.

At the end of the day, I just decided to let it go, because none of us had the time to wade through the morass of miscommunication and non-cooperation from their side.

On my side, it is quite a letdown, after being so excited about moving to the new house. It WAS a good buy, with a lot of extras, but basically the legalities held us back. After all, we couldn't afford to lose so much money in case anything went wrong. They already had one failed buying attempt before, probably due to the unrealistic agreement. Basically we think the lawyers don't really know what they're doing, and the agreement is basically unfair because the lawyers are related to the sellers. So good luck to future buyers...

So now I'll have to start looking again. I have to say that I was initially annoyed with Abang for hanging on to the document, but then I realised that he did have a valid point. On the other hand, he could have engaged his legal guys to fix the problem immediately instead of keeping mum and sitting on it! But then, the unrealistic time frame and agreement was another huge stumbling block...

While I do understand why the owners are annoyed, but they should have addressed our concerns too. If they had done something about the agreement, we would have happily signed and put down the deposit without further delay.  I could have called the owner and explained it properly, I suppose, but everyone was harried and rushing all over the place, so in the end, it all went to pot.

At the end of the day, I'd say both parties made mistakes, and things could definitely be handled better. But now I have good reason to get a proper job, because I hated being stuck because Abang held the money and his ding-donging cost us a perfectly nice place to live in. Hrmm.. you can see I'm still a little bit cheesed off. Heh.

Misadventures of a Gymster Wannabe

Well, not exactly a wannabe, the gym is just somewhere convenient to burn some blubber. Some days I go there just to drink coffee and take a hot shower! Imagine if I did that when I wasn't feeling too good. I might not have lost my RM149 refund because I was short by 2 visits... :-(

Anyway, since I've never been any good in sports, I'm learning stuff the hard way now. One of them is don't eat or drink too much just before a workout. And unfortunately, it's too easy to cross the line into 'too much' without even realising it. I was feeling good on Sunday when I went to the gym. Had had noodles that morning - with quite a lot of soup. Signed up for RPM and drank some more before it started. Disaster struck when the session started....

That day's trainer is a little more hardcore than the one before, and too soon I realised that I couldn't keep up because I had drunk too much, leaving too little room for breathing! Ugh... that was uncomfortable... By the end of the class I breathed better, but still did not do as well as I should have. You know I'm suffering when I keep looking at the clock, wondering when the class would be over. Heh!

The other thing on my mind is the condo we're trying to buy. Abang is being uncharacteristically sticky about the price and agreement... Sigh. I'm SO looking forward to moving there... Tapi itulah, deposit pun tak setel lagi. My friend's lawyer tak angkat fon. Tak angkat sudah, I pakai lawyer lain... Hoping things will work out soon. Including getting a proper job. Insya-Allah...

Missing in Action

When I came back from Bkt Nanas on Sunday I was pretty much whipped. I conked out immediately. I'm still not feeling so great. Slept this whole afternoon too, despite wanting to use my off day to deal with the mess.

My room is a disaster and there are items missing. Like my Transitions specs. And a paper bag of french fries, which would soon start to stink unless the urban legend about McD fries being made of indestructible plastic is true. My clean clothes and not so clean clothes are in danger of being mixed together. Definitely need to find a bigger apartment soon. Am busy house shopping and there's so many things floating around, like that lecturing job and the unfinished WWF project plus the PS the Children database. Shoot. Really need to get my act together fast...

Defining 'Progress'

Weighed myself after gym today. I was about 2.4 kg lighter than my starting point. Not huge progress if you consider that the gym has become something of a second home to me. But then, I might be a tad dehydrated, I probably lost some fat and built some muscle, which is supposed to be heavier. Therefore I might be in better shape now. The truth is, I just don't know!

I was supposed to weigh in on that special scale that tells your percentage of body fat and stuff, but last Sunday it was taken out on a mission, and now it's broken! Sigh. Managed to get some juicy tidbits about Biggest Loser season 2 from one of the guys, though. Even saw some pix. Heh heh. Kalau dulu for sure the info would be sent to me by Hallmark themselves. But really, do NOT miss the constant headache of scraping up ideas and getting every freaking thing organised. It was fun, but am sure glad it's over!

As for me, I'm still struggling on... Almost bailed 10 minutes into RPM last night. I had this pain in my head, and hypochondriac that I am, I got worried that it might be an aneurysm which would blow if I continued cycling... Instead, I took it easy and did my best to breathe. The pain subsided, but am still a bit apprehensive. You never know right? I am STILL the queen of the Persatuan Kaki Bangku seMalaysia, despite my new fascination with exercise. Even planning to join the Shape run. Purely doing it for the goody bags, of course. Going to run just fast enough to avoid coming in last. Not so hopeful, but might as well strike while the chicken-shit is hot...

About the weight loss, still can't decide how much I need to lose. If according to insane gym projections, I have about 20 kgs left to drop. By my original plan, only 9.5 kg. By adjusted target, 12.5 kg; and by 'not sure where number came from' target, another sizeable 17.5. So which is it, girl?

Maybe I should just go by fat percentage. Drop 3% now and lower it down to at least 30% by September. Sounds more achievable, right? Dropping 2 kg was hard enough. 20 kg? God help those who need to lose 200!

"Gentle Reminders"

God is most forgiving of our sins, but every once in a while, we do get reminders that we're getting out of line... Remember I was planning to go back to the gym on Thursday night? Well, in my haste to get there, I decided to pray Asar 'later'.

When I got to my car, the alarm was bleeping weakly, indicating that it had been activated some time ago. It wouldn't disarm, and only stopped when I OPENED one of the doors. Great. Needless to say, it wouldn't start either. I had to do something I hated - get my brother to bail me out. He had to detour on his way back from work and find my new office in an unfamiliar new territory. While waiting, I realised there was a car shop just at the other end of the block, so I asked one of the guys to come take a look.

The diagnosis: my battery was already dying, which was why it triggered the alarm. Apparently, car batteries do that - presumably to call attention upon itself. Had no choice but to replace the battery.

So reminder to self - whatever you do, prayer gets priority. Kapish?

Workout log

Missed gym last night because I conked out as soon as I got home. Felt pretty bad, suspect it's dehydration. Office water supply is not great, and RO water makes me sick. On the other hand, knees feel better when I don't strain them working out. Will have to push through the pain, I guess. If don't tone up my muscles, they'll never be up to par.

Was late for Balance again this morning. Seriously, leaving the apt is a challenge. For some reason, it takes me half an hour to get out the door, then have to wait interminably for the super slow lift to go down and back up again. Understandably, at 7 a.m., there's a lot of stops for kids going to school and people going to work, so it's even slower. Plus, only one lift is working right now, the other one is down again. THEN, I had to push aside 4 cars before I could exit. Seriously. Lucky the roads weren't jammed yet at that hour, but I still got in late. Had trouble with some of the poses because 1) my left knee is still a bit wonky, and 2) I wasn't quite awake yet at that hour. Tried to sleep early last night, but still stayed up a bit, so still not getting enough sleep. Bad habit. Bad for concentration and insulin balance.

Hoping to catch some more classes tonight. Can do more sessions now that my muscles are less sore, just need to jaga my knees, can't afford to screw them up. Plus, I was 'forced' to sign up for the KL Marathon. It's more for donation purposes, but my friends haven't responded to the spamming, will have to call them and ask for donations now. Hurmph.. In for a penny, in for a pound... Will just have to push through it now. Will need to sort out details since Azri's wedding will be on 26th June and the marathon the day after. My passport pun expiring in October, so will have to renew jugak. See la how.

Oza out.

Tales from the Gym

People say that people who have multiple tattoos got addicted to the pain of the process. Yes, they get something out of it - nice tats, for those who are into them anyway.

For me, I think I'm getting addicted to the gym. Slightly addicted. Have not spent nights dreaming of torture chambers and mean machines, but enough to drag my sorry ass out of the apartment. Figured that if I had any hope of dropping 20 kgs, some pain is necessary. Thank God I don't ache much anymore. The only problem I have is a stiff left knee. Something must have got out of alignment, because now I find it hard to duduk antara 2 sujud. Am able to handle most movements, but haven't been able to fix this particular problem. Any tips, anyone?

Have tried a few Group X classes. Thank goodness the instructors tolerate my bumbling efforts to keep up.   Here's the skinny on how they went:-
BodyBalance: Been wanting to try this for ages but never quite managed to get there on time. Was rather late this morning, but barged in anyway. Glad I did, because it was the most relaxing class ever! Loved it.
Line dancing: Any visions I ever had of old ladies dancing in a line flew out the window yesterday as I grappled with the alien idea of actually dancing. Latin songs, cha cha, TANGO??? Seriously... The instructor kept going, "Point 3x, save a step, cha cha cha. See? That's all. Easy peasy." Right. Define easy. I managed well enough when she's going slowly, but as soon as the music goes on, all the moves fly out of my head and I end up looking like a drunken elephant going round in circles. Not a pretty sight. You know I'm choreographically challenged... Must bug Azzy to teach me the ABCs. Will I ever try it again? Maybe.

BodyJam: Tried it once, yesterday. As in line dancing, I spazzed out. Drunk elephant seal. Try it again? Maaaaybe.

BodyPump: Quite enjoy it, actually. Fun alternative to using 10 different machines to tone different muscle groups.

BodyCombat: By far, my favourite class. Straightforward, powerful and fun. No going round in dizzy circles, thank you. Discovered there are favourite instructors, and people actually go to different gyms to join his classes! One sure indicator is the number of people in class. Friday nights - There's so many people that your side kick could very possibly land on your neighbour!! That said, the other day I caught my reflection in the mirror and I looked like a big fat wet fettuccine throwing itself all over the place. Darn. Gotta work on my technique. Obviously. 

Easy Step & BodyStep: Not too bad, but hardly my favourites. I do get lost with some of the more complicated movements (which are not complicated to others, it seems). I think I should join more of these 'complicated' classes, if only to improve my mental coordination. It really feels like I'm running on 128kb RAM when 2GB is called for. 

So there you go. Have tried most of the classes at one time or another. Probably should change my modus operandi and just grab whatever class is going on next. Some are good for the muscles, while others are good for the mind. Either way, it's nice to have a bit of fun :)

Which one is sexier?

Funny. I find the machine sexier. But that's just me :)

What's up in May 2010?

Dah lama I tak blog kan? Just after I quit my writing job, I was too depressed/ill to do anything. Eventually I fixed the meds problem and started volunteer work and later real paying projects. Am still working on one volunteer project, which is by now overdue, but couldn't be helped. Must finish it this week.

Have been addicted to Chuck, as mentioned in the earlier post. Somehow it spoils me for anything else, even Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Too much drama, too little funny. And too much sleeping w each other. Yuck. Almost like incest! Weird. CSI is of course still on my list of favourites. I adore the cast as well as I love figuring out their cases. Am still a geek at heart. But CSI is not as re-watchable as Chuck. Nothing is as re-watchable as Chuck! Love everyone on it, even Jeffster grows on you. Go figure :P

My new passion is a surprising one. Well, maybe not quite passion. Shall we call it an acceptance? I've actually signed up for a gym! Seriously. Me, the gym hating, outdoor loving, can never afford it, nature freak; actually making a commitment to earn more money so that I can pay a lot of money to go torture my poor muscles.

Let's face it. It's hard to go jogging/walking in my current neighbourhood. Open drains everywhere. Not safe. There is no swimming pool. Trekking - no kakis. Rowing - no pardner (to steady the boat while entering/alighting). Plus Putrajaya is too damn far to go regularly. 

The gym, on the other hand, is close by. Now that my bike is fixed, I can ride there, provided it's not raining. (It's easier to park a bike than a car in Uptown.) Already halfway to old house, so I can stop by to check mail.Guess the main seller is personality. FF is comfy, with real shower stalls, real friendly staff (not nose turning perasan stuckups in CF), and classes which are actually FUN. Instructors that actually look out for newbies, and money back offer for regular attendance after PT sessions? Couldn't pass that up! The marketer didn't try to hard sell me. There's a basic drinks bar, with a cozy lepak area to cool down over coffee and the paper. Smart people. I especially like the use of warm wooden panels instead of stark steel all over.

Unsurprisingly, my baseline tests  revealed an obese level of body fat, and that I was dehydrated. Really?? Wow. Really have to buy a new water filter for kitchen sink. Water tastes quite yucky. Yeah, yeah, I'm picky that way.

My muscles are still slightly sore, but am glad I let myself be talked into doing Bodypump last Saturday since I missed the BCombat class. It was doable, thanks to the kind instructor who strongly advocated that I stay with the minimum 2 kg load. I think if I had taken on more I'd pengsan by now. Can alternate that with Bodycombat, my favourite class. I'm not bloodthirsty, mind, I just find it more doable than complicated dance moves in Step or BodyJam. Am a hopelessly uncoordinated klutz. Nuff said. 

And would it be a surprise if it all came back to Chuck? I mean, who wouldn't want to be as hot as Sarah Walker /Yvonne Strahovsky? Or score someone as cute as Chuck/ Zac Levi? Even Casey/ Adam Baldwin is fit. Obviously I'd never be as hot as any of these guys, but hey, it would be nice to be lean and fit instead of a big sack of lard as per current situation. It might also keep my DM problem in check. It would be great if I could stop relying on meds...

Am about to start something new in a couple of weeks, hope it won't interfere with personal care time. Have no wish to go back to stupid overworked life ever again. Here's to a better tomorrow :)

The Chuckaholic

Sheez. I'm surprised at myself. I know what I normally get addicted to - computer games and Grey's Anatomy and CSI. I fell out of love with Grey's already and I just watch new CSI episodes out of curiosity.


For the past two weeks have been watching Chuck videos almost non-stop, except when I really needed to work/ sleep/ go to the gym/ have dinner with friends, of course. It's insane! I don't usually trawl You Tube for videos. Guess what I've been doing lately...? Have watched bloopers, casting videos, interviews, comic con panel stuff, etc etc etc. started out with Zac Levi, then of course Yvonne Strahotski, because those two belong together, then a bit of Joshua Gomez, then suddenly found a truckload of stuff with Adam Baldwin, who by the way is sooooo cute. Cut it out. I'm not gonna go nuts over the guy, just stating the obvious, you know.Oh, plus I actually listened to Podcasts dissecting the show! I'm turning into a crazy shipper!

One thing about the show - it's cute, and in a weird Oza kind of way, kind of motivating. It's nice to see a geek become a hero, it helps that they already preselected Zac Levi for his cuteness. Damn, I never thought he was cute until later in the show when his 'cuteness' surfaced, or allowed to surface anyway. And the dude fits so well with Yvonne. Can you believe how many people made fanvids of the two of them? And so many people hate Tim Loden, Yvonne's loser boyfriend. (Yes, I'm one of them). Zac already broke up with Caitlyn Crosby (who I don't think suits him that well either). And for the record, I have no illusions about meeting these people face to face. They're just amazingly intriguing at the moment. It will wear off, I hope.

Mainly though, the show really cracks me up  I'm sure my neighbours are wondering why there is someone ketawa terbahak-bahak in that apartment next door :P Plus the acting is super good. There is a lot of subtle interaction between the characters. You really see the emotions, especially between Chuck and Sarah.

On that note, what is it that makes someone cute or adorable or sexy anyway? I used to think that my TaiKor was sexy/ super hot. Then I saw his photo again and went like 'eww'! So many guys I thought were 'sweet' were hailed as 'sexy' and super hot by others. Man... did I fail Guys 101 or what??

Case #1 - George Eads (Nick Stokes, CSI Vegas). I thought he looked like a nice guy, the type who would hold an old lady as she climbs the stairs. Fans voted him Top Ten Sexiest Men on TVGuide. I stand corrected.

Case #2 - Adam Baldwin aka Colonel John Casey on Chuck. I liked him because I read somewhere that he's been married forever (only 1 wife) and has 3 kids and calls himself  'a family man'. I like that. Then I found fanvids of him. Okaaayy.. Yes, I noticed his hotness, but you know... I thought he's adorable.  He's so a Sugar Bear. Go Ilsa! :D
(You don't know what I'm talking about, do you? Check out Chuck Season 1 Episode 12, Chuck vs the Undercover Lover)

Case #3 - Zac Levi - OK. He's cute. And funny. And intelligent. And rides a Ducati Monster 750. Also owns a Harley. And races cars. Need I say more? NOT a total geek.

Sigh. MY geek would be someone who wants to sit by the river in the middle of the forest at night.... Entah bila la nak jumpa :P

Hari Hari Mau

This is so typical me not being up to speed on things. Very sorry, o Monkey King, for not posting my first entry on Monday as per your instructions. Totally my fault for being too preoccupied with work + Chuck to read the instructions properly. My bad.

Anyhow, what do I say? There are over a hundred blogs doing this, and somehow I'm sure they'd repeat the same things. I'll skip the basic info about Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksonii) and simply share what I learnt from the Sg Yu campaign in Taman Negara.

Many of us don't think we have anything to do with the decimation of the tiger population. But maybe we do, in a roundabout way. Think about the water we waste everyday. If everyone is so wasteful, soon there will be a water 'shortage' and people would suggest building another dam or piping water from the other side of the main range. All these developments destroy tiger habitat and can actually be avoided if people are so much more careful about their consumption.

Same goes for waste generation - more land will be needed for landfills if we don't stop throwing so much stuff away all the time. And one way to slow down the rate is 1) stop buying/accepting so much stuff,  2) compost your biodegradable waste and 3) reuse or recycle stuff.

I understand that we need to generate income somehow, but is it necessary to convert all logged forests into palm oil? Tigers can survive in logged forests, but it would be much harder for them to live in oil palm plantations. There won't be nearly enough prey for them to live on, not to mention the potential for conflict with the workers and/or villagers.

In Sg Yu, people have reported conflict with elephants rampaging through their kebun, but they failed to realise that the reason there is conflict is because THEY were encroaching into the Taman Negara area, which is basically allocated for the wildlife. If they stayed clear of wildlife territory, there wouldn't be conflict, would there? Some cases seem innocent enough. A boy killed a leopard cat (I think that's what it was, can't remember) because it ate his chickens, not realising that they're an endangered species. I personally believe that man should not be so hasty to eliminate anything which is 'stealing' his resources because guess what? You're doing it to the animals' resources! So there.

Then there are the snares. Most of the kampung guys set snares for deer and kijang, animals like that. Bear in mind that snares are illegal, ya. They might SEEM less dangerous than guns, but their effects can be devastating. First off, when they catch deer and stuff, they're eating the tigers' prey. Then other people come in and catch wild boar too - also tiger prey. 2nd choice, but better than nothing. And the snares catch anything that trips them off - even humans. The only difference is, humans have hands and opposable thumbs, so most of the time, they can free themselves. The other thing is, when an animal is snared, they'd do anything to escape - even if they lose a limb in the process. Hence 3 legged mammals found in our forests. If they can't, secondary infection kicks in and they might die of blood poisoning. Some, like elephants may be able to free the snares, but then live years with a wire constricting their limbs, effectively amputating their legs as they grow.

I saw footage of the tiger that was rescued from a snare in Belum. (Watch the video, it's on the sidebar.) Its foot had to be amputated, it finally succumbed to stress and died. And the mighty tiger shed a tear...

How cruel can we humans be? Are we not the Caliphs of the world? Change now. Save the tiger, save ourselves...

xxx,
Oza

---
The tiger is our national animal. Our heritage. But today only less than 500 of them
remain in the wild. As Malaysians, we need to stand up and protect our heritage.
Speak to your children. Speak to your leaders. Everyone of us can make a difference.

For further information, please visit MYCAT (www.malayantiger.net), WWF Malaysia
(www.wwf.org.my) and Department of Wildlife & National Parks (www.wildlife.gov.my)

You know you've watched too much Chuck when...

You start suspecting yr friends of living a double life...

Like.. let's say the bear. Came to SEA in his teens and never left. He does a lot of undercover work in his line of duty and he travels extensively. Pretty good cover for international espionage, wouldn't you say? Married life - can be cover oso what...

Then there's Pakcik. Seems like a gentle guy, but then, it might be a cover, right? Who would suspect him being anything but a middle aged consultant. Maybe his 6 months in South America was a cover.. Hmm.. MI6?

Plus a number of other people who are "freelancers" and "expats". Who really knows who they really are. But then again, they can't all be gun-toting butt-kicking spy dudes, can they?

He he. Wake up, girl. Chuck marathon's over. Don't miss yr deadlines, kay? : P

Remember when...

... 1GB was a lot of space?

Looked through my external hard disk today and saw that there was ONLY 979 Mb of space left in one of the partitions. Will need to weed out the unnecessary stuff in there sometime. It's nothing too important, just a collection of music and movies I downloaded, half of which I haven't watched and some I didn't feel were important enough to immortalize on CD.

Not too long ago, maybe six, seven years tops, I forked out RM105 for a 64Mb thumb drive. That was the cheapest I could find, the "high end" ones cost more than RM300. It became important for my coursework since floppy disks only held roughly 1Mb of memory each? A problem when your Powerpoint presentation topped 5Mb.

Still, 1GB was an untold amount of space back then. Computer hard drives were only 20 GB, and that was enough for a decent OS, with space left over for your files. Then file sizes exploded, soon the standard became 40GB, later 80GB. Now 160GB is pretty much the norm for a new laptop. And external drives - 1 Terabyte, 2 Terabytes... Wow! Crazy, innit?

It's common for companies to give away thumb drives holding pertinent information during events, decorated in various creative ways. 1GB is already the norm, I even got a 4GB one at some point. And to think once upon a time I had to PAY for a measly 64 MB. What will they think of next? :-)

The Cannibal in Me

Thanks to Sali, I now have a new computer to work on. One which is light coloured, which I favour over black; has a matte screen like the old one and works fine.

Actually took it for my sister, who can't do stuff when I'm on the one and only computer in the house. Since Sali offered to let go of her old underutilised laptop for a song, I grabbed the opportunity. But as I fiddled with the computer, I quickly found it to be more appealing than my new Acer which is fast and current, but not so great to WORK on. Older type screens are easier on my eyes - less glaring, no reflections. And I have a thing against black, which I feel is depressing and uninviting. The NEC looks a little like the computer I lost too.

It wasn't immediately good, though. As I suspected, the RAM size was very small. The computer is heavy, as was the norm 5 years ago. And our dear friend did not update the OS since forever. Even the clock was off since the machine hadn't been booted for far too long! I couldn't log on my wireless network, although thank God it does have an inbuilt wireless card. The hard drive is a tad too small, but that's not such a big deal since I can utilise my external drive and thumbdrive for storage.

Decided that the first order of the day (or night) was to upgrade the OS. Thank God (again) that it's original. Had to connect online manually using cable since I couldn't log on using the wireless. So many things have changed over the years that it's quite difficult to do anything on a computer running on XP SP 1. Left it to download as I slept and installed it first thing in the morning. Once done, I started upgrading the Firefox and imported my bookmarks. Thank God for XMarks! I'd hate having different sets on each computer!

Unfortunately, the wireless card couldn't handle logging on to a WPA encrypted network, so had to muddle around resetting to WEP instead. Had problems so sought help from the Belkin guys. They are SO helpful and I finally managed to get both computers on wireless. So glad for that.

To solve the RAM problem, cannibalised the extra RAM I had added to my dead HP. Miraculously, it fit. At first Abang thought the extra RAM wasn't compatible, but thanks to a bit of bullheadedness on my part, it proved to be a live one. So RAM is now 480Mb. Not up to current standards, but good enough to work on. No extra cost.

Updated the MS Office, and we're good to go. Now we'll just have to sort out who pays Sali since now I technically control both computers. Except that K Ayu will use my Acer more since I'd work on the old NEC. No one knows how much is the old computer is really worth, but know what, I don't really care. I love it already :)

Oza's "I Don't Really Care" Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

Leftover chocolate cake
Leftover chocolate icing
Milk/ milky stuff
sugar
Cocoa powder
Eggs
Corn flour

Not in the mood to measure ingredients, I decided to cook ala chef Michael Smith - without a recipe. Like, our beloved ancestors have been cooking by the seat of their pants since forever, right? So why bother with measurements now? Just play by ear. How wrong can you get??

So, started by breaking up week-old cake and scattering it around a flan pan. Then nuked leftover icing to soften it to a gooey consistency. Proceeded to make some kind of milk with underutilised protein powder and underutilised milk powder. Warm it up. Beat an egg with vanilla. Maybe 2 would have been better. Diluted half a cup of corn flour and cocoa powder with water. Throw in egg into warm 'milk', whisk it up. Bunged in sugar. One cup, more or less. Next, addded corn flour mix and whisked. It was quite runny at first. Was starting to dilute more starch when the pudding started to thicken up - too quickly!!! Managed to keep it under control and soon had it off the flame. Scraped in leftover icing from the bowl and mixed everything up. Spread it all over leftover cake and left pudding to cool. It might taste blah in the beginning, but worry not. It gets better once it has a chance to cool down.

So... gotta go shower. Gate crashing a party tonight. Wink!

Broken Wing

Once upon a time, there was a little bird that was just learning to fly. She tried to reach the next branch, but it was too high up. She kept trying to wing her way and failing. One day, she was so tired she fell off the tree where they were perched. She managed to climb back up, but she was never the same again. She had hurt her wing in the fall. No one understood why she couldn't fly, neither did the bird itself. Could the wing heal someday? We hope so...

The Collector

Isn't it frustrating when things are not where you expect them to be? I'm not much of a collector, but lately have been collecting a few TV series. My listed hobby is birding, but am actually a closet Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and CSI junkie. Seriously, sometimes I wish I could actually be a CSI. That would be SO cool! Especially if the guys are half as cute as the new guy n CSI Miami.. Ha. I wish. So far, the only payback i got was winning 500 bucks at a CSI themed party last year. Why couldn't I indulge in something that could make me rich for a change??

Couple of days ago tried to do a GA marathon and realised that the earlier episodes were all jumbled up in dozens of CDs crammed into undersized voucher files masquerading as CD holders. Yes, I agree that I'm a cheapskate. Therefore I had this genius idea of burning them all into proper DVDs. Nicely labelled ones, with matching titles, not a mishmash of names given by the uploaders and left any which way. Unfortunately, it turned out that doing this demanded that i copy everything back into the computer, a time-consuming exercise, and in doing so, discovered double files, missing ones and those that didn't make much sense. Managed to sort GA out after checking some online episode lists, and come to terms with my missing episodes. Am burning the collection now.

That leaves me with CSI and Private Practice to deal with. Have realised that I deleted the whole bunch of PP season 1 because frankly, it was full of crap. But now that it has somewhat improved I want a complete collection! (I still think it's nonsensical, I just watch it to see Addison and a few cute guys. How sad is that? :P) Anyway, also found that a whole bunch is missing from Season 2. I could have stopped downloading for a few months (which was possible, due to my overworked life), or, I could have already burned them into DVDs and lost them - which is also a strong possibility since I swear I had burned CSI season 7 and 8 on DVDs and they're missing as well.

So now will have to check for missing CSI episodes and try to download them from the net... The rest I'll just jumble up into a mixed DVD. No harm done, it's all just for my own private viewing anyway...

Bl**dy Banks..

I so hate it when I try to pay off a loan and they won't allow me. There's a price to pay to save on interest - RM200, to be exact. And that's more than the remaining interest due. So sakit hati! and they took the money without even acknowledging it. Hello.. that's a few thousand of my sweat and tears, okay? The least you can do is acknowledge that you have taken the money... instead every month i still get the standard letter "reminding" me that I don't owe them anything.. Yeesh!! Sakit hati...

Nasib baik semalam someone suggested i ask for an interest reduction. Yup. they should. Like 0%, since i basically have paid off the f**king loan! I hate this 'international' bank.

Just an Update

What have I been up to?

Am hungry now. Barely had dinner, unless you count oatmeal cookies and gulai ayam dipped with bread. Just finished watching Julie & Julia, something I downloaded quite some time ago. It was fun watching how the stories unfolded. Then of course I had to look up the blog and read more about the story. But now it's late and I need to decide if eating a cookie at 1.30 a.m. is going to make me fat tomorrow. Also have other food in the kitchen, but have no appetite for real food at this hour. Maybe I should just drink a glass of (low-fat) milk. And how did I end up with a stash of oatmeal cookies?

Was planning to make choc chip cookies today - to clear off old baking supplies stock. But changed my mind and decided to try something new. Haven't explored anything in a while... Looked through my stash of cookbooks and decided on Cinnamon Raisin and Chcolate oatmeal cookies instead. Unfortunately the cinnamon raisin bombed tastewise. Spice combination went awry i'm afraid... As I closed pages, saw 2 projects not qite done. Sigh, hope to get back on track soon. Have spent days just trying to rejuvenate my dead brain (and hopefully spleen) cells and cleaning house.

I'm starting to feel more human again now. Maybe I should take off and do some birding tomorrow...

I have a Theory...

In light of recent developments when my thinking facilities have been severely retarded due to unknown causes, I've been wondering - WHAT HAPPENED? Seriously. Why does one's brain simply jam up, unable to process information or churn out practical thoughts beyond the mechanical?

I remember hence that at one point i said out loud, "My brain HURTS." And it did. It hurt. I felt that it's swollen and grown too big for the skull. My head wanted to fall off.

What if... Kalau ikut drama melayu for sure got brain tumour punya lah. But what if it's a natural progression from overworking that anatomy more or less continously, with insufficient sleep, and poorly regulated blood sugar levels, causing it to physically swell up? Thus it would harden and tense, blocking blood flow to neurons and synapses and whatever else is supposed to work properly in there?

Can a doctor check on this? can they detect that my "stupefied" state was due to some kind of abnormal activity in the brain? It's possible, right? I know I was tired and stressed out, and it had been going on for ages. Furthermore, when I missed yet another deadline, I felt guilty and even more stressed and slept even less trying to sort it out, probably making the problem worse...

Does this make any sense? Wouldn't a brain need a good supply of fresh oxygenated blood to think clearly and creatively? Wouldn't it suffer from lack of nutrition/oxygen/exercise or too much bad stuff like sugar and salt? Hmm...

Oh well, am no doctor, but it sure beats the "my stepmother put a spell on me" theory!

Do you always have to play nice?

You teach people how to treat you, right? Lately have been too nice and allow people to put me off. In the end, aku jugak yang kena tembak! Man... have to reclaim my ganas side, otherwise things won't get done~!!

Omens

If you watch horror movies, there'll always be bits where small things are a precursor to weirder happenings. it's just artistic license, but it does eat at your psyche.

My stuff:
Car radio - had 'cardiac arrest' and died. TOD: 15:14. Stuck there forever
Earphone/mic set - screwed wiring. Sounds not good anymore (been using it 5 yrs no problem)
Watch - screwed clip buckle - keeps popping open
Office PC - burnt USB hub

I can't help feeling negative when bad things keep happening. And sometimes you just know that the time has come for change. I realized that superficial change could affect your insides too, and you become confused and unhappy. Some things are an integral part of your being, and being disconnected from it could result in losing your self - or your mind! I need to reconnect. Going back where I belong :)

Life is Like Climbing a Mountain

You know how it works... You're supposed to move steadily upwards until you reach your goal. However, things are easier said than done, aren't they?

Sometimes you run out of steam. Hikers lingo - pancit. Reason: no stamina, no energy, poor strategy, bad planning, bad luck

Sometimes bad things just hit you again and again, draining and kicking you in the butt and giving you a moon in the process.

The sucky thing is, it's not always possible to turn tail and run. Sometimes quitting is just as difficult as continuing. Rescue not always an option either. You'll just have to crawl your way through it.

The good news is, you'll feel good when you reach the top. What happens if you don't?

A Touch of Magic

What makes a love story great? As connoisseur of romance (read: trashy) novels and sappy stories, I'd say one key element is improbability. Like, what are the odds of the handsome English duke falling in love with an utterly 'ill-mannered' (actually she's just different) American heiress? Well, i guess it helps if both of them are drop dead gorgeous. However, there are many tales of the rich, not so handsome guy falling in love with the not-so georgeous cleaning lady who already has an illegitimate son, etc.

A lot of trashy novels make the hero filthy RICH and the lady an heiress. In many modern tales, people are less rich. But one thing i notice - the stories are more exciting if the hero is rich. Why ah? he he.. Except for Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas where the hero is poor. But still, he is..

BRAVE. Aha! ala.. nama pun HERO. mestilah berani. and honourable (even though he's broke). Girl also very pure hearted even though she's tomboyish/fat/ugly/clumsy etc.

lagi satu - they are always so the clever one. must be so terror like that.

Then there must be some element of magic or coincidence. Like every time, the same guy help the girl. Even though they fight all the time., they still fall in love. Magic or not?

Of course the dot dot dot must be super hot la. If not, no story.

But usually la, I find, if the girl oredy has a 'perfect' guy, then in the end he'll turn out to be the villain. Then "annoying" guy becomes beloved hero. Why? Because 'nice guy' was faking it, hero was just his normal charming/annoying self. Waahh.. so like that ah?

But really, too often I find 'charming' guys are actually charming because they practice a lot oredy. Not because they're so great. PR only... Someone pointed out that sometimes we need to argue because then we'll be able to sort out things we're not happy with. Keep quiet, we think everything ok when actually it's not.

But bottomline - happy ever after. The challenge is, how do we know that it's for real?

What's Your Tune?

Am feeling mellow and happy listening to Santana on CD. Guess I'm a rock chick, then, aren't I? I so love the rock kapak bands of the 80's, Bon Jovi and Scorpion. Fave tune: Blaze of Glory la, what else. But I draw the line at Death Metal. Too dark for me.

Yesterday was in a car of a jazz afficionado. Blech. Have to admit, their music/singing is technically nice, but the tune totally puts me off! Give me 70's Malay pop pun tak apa. I like Il Divo and such, but they also can be annoying (ikot mood le ni..) :P So what's Your poison? :D

What the...?

Had a full day outside shoot yesterday. Came back feeling feverish and tired - slightly dehydrated, I guess. Was stressed too, with rushing out early in the morning, spending all day with a myriad of crazy characters in the hot sun and occasional rain.

Was heading for the shower when I decided to open my window wider. Gave the pane a push but it was stuck. Pushed harder and the whole thing went flying down - all the way to the ground floor! I shrieked, there was nothing I could do to stop its fall. There was a bump and the inevitable crash as the glass smashed to smithereens. There is a restaurant at that corner and they often put tables outside... There were cars parked by the side of the building too... Worried that someone had been hurt or a car smashed, I decided to go down and check.

It took me a while before I could do this as I had to hunt up something decent to wear, and the lifts were slow. I walked down five flights before getting one. As I approached the parking lot, a small group had already gathered - guys from the surau I suppose. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the freak accident. Miraculously, the pane glided onto a kerb right between 2 cars and bounced before shattering, slightly grazing the bumper of one vehicle in the process. A motorcycle was parked there but the guy fled before I arrived.

According to the guys, it's not the first time such an incident happened. The windows on the block roll on shallow grooves, allowing them to dislodge easily. Furthermore, most units installed grilles on the inside, thus there was nothing to prevent panes from turning into deadly projectiles if it falls away. Eeps!

I offered to pay the girl who owns the car for repairs to the bumper, but now I feel it's a bit unfair for me to foot the bill for superficial graze from a freak accident caused by corner cutting developers... Maybe I can offer to pay half instead? Sigh. Still need to discuss the incident with the house owner... Geez. Such things never happened in my 30 year old house!

Tired but Happy

Am getting a tic in my left eyelid. Amazingly, it's a medical condition with it's own name - blepharospasm. Arwah my mom used to say that it means someone in the family is passing on. I Googled it and learnt that it's usually caused by extreme fatigue or stress. Well that explains it!

Am still getting used to the new bed, haven't been sleeping very soundly of late. Also sleeping really late putting things away. Mein Gott! My clothes 2 suitcases aje, my 'odds and ends' tak terkira banyaknya. Amazingly they are actually utilised quite regularly. Last night gave up on sorting my pile of miscellanous documents and just stuffed them into the filing cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind. Done! Will revisit them when I'm free.

Room and house is comfy now, only my fax machine je tertinggal lagi, and a set of nice pinggan mangkuk from the old house. I think I'll take the old "Happy England" set. Those were Mom's favourites.. Still need to go back to the old house to pack away my books and old lecture notes (yes, I'm a data hoarder). Still not ready to let go 5 years down the road.

Cats are going bonkers being enclosed in the limited space. The blackies would be happy to go back to the old house once Abang moves in. I think Leo would be OK anywhere as long as I'm around, but I worry he'll get fat with nothing to do all day except sleep and stare out the window. No one to fight with and nothing to hunt... he never liked to play very much. Maybe I should get a cat leash and take him for walks downstairs. The poor boy is looking so morose being cooped up at home all day. I do let him out to explore the corridor, but the little chickenheart always turn tail and head home the moment i stop following him. Don't want him to enter other people's houses either. Hmm... poor baby!

Work is... scary. We're working on 3 issues almost concurrently. And this year is our 50th anniversary, which means the Anniversary issue. Eeeps... NOT exciting for me. I want to go back to conservation, if they'll have me... What use is my Masters right? Spent a lot of money doing that, musn't let it go to waste.

Anyway, it's nice to have a kitchen I can clean in 10 minutes flat. It always takes ages to clean up the big house. Happy New Year, everyone!