On The Contrary ...

COMMENT
By Nick Price

It may have taken Luis Suarez just 16 minutes to get off the mark in the Premier League, but it took the Uruguayan just over a month to silence any doubters and show thatLiverpool have a new man who can ease the burden on the strained shoulders of Steven Gerrard.

Despite Dirk Kuyt's hat-trick it was the £23 million man who took the plaudits at Anfield against Manchester United. As he did at West Ham, in vain, a week before, his dazzling close control set-up a tap-in for a team-mate, and a superb second-half free-kick did likewise, but aside from the goals he made, his dribbling and skills tormented a weakened backline throughout.

Over the past decade it has been largely the captain who has taken the brunt of the attention from opposition midfields and defences, especially so when Rafael Benitez did what no England manager has dared to do by removing Gerrard from his self-proclaimed and media-propogated "best position" and deployed him in a free role behind a striker.

This season and last, however, have shown a decline in the 30-year-old's game, – be that because of an ageing body, the chaotic and for a long time seemingly suicidal morale of the squad, or the loss of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano – and proved that the team needed another totem to hang its hopes on. Someone who could link play, apply the final touches to moves or simply create something stupendous out of nothing (Fernando Torres, for all his brilliance, could only do the latter two).

Alberto Aquilani proved too injury prone and slender to show that he has what it takes to cope with the physical demands of English football, while Joe Cole appears by the week to be one of the most ill-thought signings in recent seasons.

Suarez's emergence against the league leaders, and Liverpool's most bitter of rivals, could therefore not have been more timely. The 24-year-old carries a Carlos Tevez-like timber on his short frame, and like the Argentinean striker he has already shown the street smarts that will allow him to endure the sometimes brutish nature of life in the Premier League.

Slalom Suarez | Striker slinked past four defenders to set-up Kuyt's first

His stats in Dutch football make him seem solely a goalscorer, but he has shown in four appearances a selfless streak and a wiliness that will frustrate opponents. On Sunday the former Ajax man had an almost magnetic hold over United's defence. Every time he was near the ball, which was often given his tendency to drop into pockets of space and plead for possession, Chris Smalling and company would focus their attentions towards him.

Such diversion adds variety to Liverpool's play and could yet prolong the usefulness of Gerrard, whose injury-affected display on Sunday hinted either at a fading force adapting to a new and more disciplined role or a player entering into a quieter final phase to an explosive career.

In either case, Kenny Dalglish now has a new guy to call to ease the load on a captain who is

"Like Tevez, Suarez has shown the street smarts to endure life in the sometimes brutish Premier League"

retreating deeper into midfield, to a position that many believe is his best but thousands will tell you only brings into the spotlight his few glaring weaknesses.

Indeed, there is a case to be made that Raul Meireles, several years younger than Gerrard, is the more refined midfielder in a withdrawn position. While the Portuguese international lacks the sheer talent of his team-mate, he has a more cerebral mind, better aware of the space behind him and a more natural partner to the ever-improving Lucas Leiva.

Regardless, Suarez's emergence as creator, tormentor and finisher will divert attention away from Gerrard and allow him to use his talents – the ability to pick out a pass, to arrive late in the box or to create the space to thump a shot from deep – efficiently without ravaging a body that has for almost an entire career had to pull off near-superhuman feats just to keep his team in with a shout.

And while Suarez may not go on to replicate the phenomenal goalscoring feats of Torres, the man he had expected to partner but would ultimately replace at Anfield, he has shown that he may be more useful to the team as a whole than the Spaniard ever was.

The only problems Dalglish – if he is, as now seems inevitable, to become manager on a long-term basis – has on his plate is deciding who shall partner the World Cup star for the remainder of the season and bringing in the sort of talent that can complement the Kop's new hero.

Follow Nick Price on

Sami's tears and the babies take over Anfield.

2011-03-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

Dang! The Reds do have such adorable babies.

And by Red, I mean current and ex-Reds of course. But why spoil the moment.

Sami Hyypia Farewell

2011-03-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

I miss Sami in Liverpool Red. He was with us for a decade! Imagine that! How many foreign (non GB) players have been with a single club for so long.

He's a legend. A Liverpool legend. And rightly so on the list of the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop. The best defender we ever had.

Here's to Sami Hyypia. May he come back to Anfield as a coach/trainer as he wishes to once he stops playing.

I Fart In Your General Direction!

2011-03-06T05:48:00.000-08:00

superbly hilarious. why did I never came across this British comedy classic before?

The Pretty Reckless - Just Tonight

2011-03-05T04:30:00.000-08:00

I forget how I got to know about this song. Which is weird because I only found out about it a few days ago. Dang, I'm getting old I'm becoming forgetful.

I first heard about The Pretty Reckless thru Gossip Girl. I was (and still am) a major fan of the Nate & Jenny pairing and had Google-ed pictures and stuff about the two. There was one article which wrote about Taylor Momsen's 16th birthday in which she performed with her band, The Pretty Reckless, a song entitled 'Zombie'.

I heard a slight part of the song and found it to be weird and unacceptable to my ear-drums. Hence, I ignored Taylor's step in into the music world.

But then a few months later, I stumbled upon a movie entitled 'Kick Ass'. And any fans of Kick Ass or Taylor Momsen will surely know that The Pretty Reckless has a song in the movie; 'Makes Me Wanna Die'. A pretty hardcore song title I know. But the song is, one word, ah-mazing!

Even then, I didn't really go through the bands album or tracklist or whatever.

So when I finally did stumble upon the bands album, it was their song 'You' that initially got me going. It was a beautiful song indeed. Long story short, I wiki-ed their album tracklist and got hold of this one right here ... Just Tonight.

If you're not into Goth (like me), ignore the weirdness that is the music video. Just listen to the song. The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful and this song perfectly highlights Taylor's beautiful voice.

I've only ever heard Leighton Meester's song, Somebody To Love, and her voice isn't at all strong enough for her to be categorized as a 'singer'. Unlike Taylor, who can hit both the high and most importantly, the low notes perfectly.

So just push away negative opinions (if any) that you have for Taylor and her "choice of wardrobe" and behavioral attitude and just enjoy the music, just tonight.

Just Tonight lyrics

Here we are and I can't think from all the pills, hey
Start the car and take me home
Here we are and you’re too drunk to hear a word I say
Start the car and take me home

Just tonight I will stay
And we’ll throw it all away
When the light hits your eyes
It’s telling me I’m right
And if I, I am through
And it’s all because of you
Just tonight

Here I am and I can’t seem to see straight
I’m too numb to feel right now
And here I am watching the clock that’s ticking away my time
I’m too numb to feel right now

Just tonight I will stay
And we’ll throw it all away
When the light hits your eyes
It’s telling me I’m right
And if I, I am through
And it’s all because of you
Just tonight

Just Tonight

Do you understand who I am
Do you wanna know
Can you really see through me now
I am about to go

Just tonight I won’t leave
And I’ll lie and you’ll believe
Just tonight I will see
It’s all because of me

Just tonight I will stay
And we’ll throw it all away
When the light hits your eyes
It’s telling me I’m right
And if I, I am through
It’s all because of you
Just tonight

(Do you understand who I am)
It’s all because of you
Just tonight

(Do you understand who I am)
It’s all because of you
Just tonight

(Do you understand who I am)
It’s all because of you
Just tonight

Chris Brown - Forever

2011-03-05T04:03:00.000-08:00

I forgot how much I love this song. Chris Brown's Forever, in my humble opinion, is his best work yet. Well, I suppose it's a tie between Forever and Yeah (3x), but yeah, Forever is da bomb!

Just recently found out that the chick is a model from that game show, 'Deal or No Deal'. You know, the game where female models in slinky dresses holding a briefcase ...

I would have thought if they were going to rope in a model, they would have gotten a hotter one ... Victoria Secret Angels perhaps?

And if only the director got more of the dance moves on video ... coz CB kills it on the dance-floor and highlighting his sweet moves will be epic.

Talking to The Moon

2011-02-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away
I want you back
I want you back
My neighbors think
I'm crazy
But they don't understand
You're all I have
You're all I have

Chorus:

At night when the stars
light up my room
I sit by myself

Talking to the Moon
Try to get to You
In hopes you're on
the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool
who sits alone
Talking to the moon

I'm feeling like I'm famous
The talk of the town
They say
I've gone mad
Yeah
I've gone mad
But they don't know
what I know

Cause when the
sun goes down
someone's talking back
Yeah
They're talking back

Chorus:

At night when the stars
light up my room
I sit by myself
Talking to the Moon
Try to get to You
In hopes you're on
the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool
who sits alone
Talking to the moon

Ahh Ahh,
Ahh Ahh,

Do you ever hear me calling?
Cause every night
I'm talking to the moon
Still trying to get to you

In hopes you're on
the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool
who sits alone
Talking to the moon

I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away

Thriving Ivory - Flower For A Ghost

2011-02-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Lyrics | Thriving Ivory lyrics - Flowers For A Ghost lyrics

You disappear with all your good intentions
And all I am is all I could not mention
Like who will bring me flowers when it's over
And who will give me comfort when it's cold

She took a plane to somewhere out in space
To start a life and maybe change the world
See I never meant for you to have to crawl
No I never meant to let you go at all

Don't ever say goodbye
See my head aches from all this thinkin'
Feels like a ship God, God knows I'm sinkin'
Wonder what you do and where it is you stay
These questions like a whirlwind, they carry me away

Who will bring me flowers when it's over
And who will give me comfort when it's cold
Who will I belong to when the day just won't give in
And who will tell me how it ends and how it all begins

Don't ever say goodbye

I'm only human
I'm only human
I'm only human

Mitchell and Annie: Shattered

2011-02-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown

And finding answers
Is forgetting all of the questions we call home
Passing the graves of the unknown

As reason clouds my eyes with splendor fading
Illusions of the sunlight
And the reflection of a lie will keep me waiting
A love gone for so long

This day's ending
Is the proof of time killing all the faith I know
Knowing that faith is all I hold

And I've lost who I am
And I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken
Rejecting your love
Without love gone wrong
Lifeless words carry on
But I know, all I know
Is that the end's beginning

Who I am from the start
Take me home to my heart
Let me go and I will run
I will not be silenced
All this time spent in vain
Wasted years, wasted gain
All is lost, hope remains
And this war's not over

There's a light, there's the sun
Taking all the shattered ones
To the place we belong
And his love will conquer all

Yesterday I died
Tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight

Keri Hilson - I Like

2011-01-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

I don't like this song ...... I God-damn LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

Wonder why I never came across this before ... heck it's been on YouTube for ages

"Apologize" One Republic Music Video

2011-01-25T04:49:00.000-08:00

"Welcome Home" - Daniel Cloud Campos

2011-01-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Love him!!!! He is so smokin' hot and simply awesome!!!!!!!!!

Laza Morgan - This Girl

2011-01-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

There’s this girl, the one and only wonder of this
world (my world)
And it don’t matter if the road gets rough (yeah) if me
rich or poor (yeah)
She stay down with me if me go to war (my girl)

Verse:
Love you cause you are, every single star
In the constellation, that’s enlightening my heart
Special gift from Jah, wherever you are
Girl you got more presence than a hundred santa
clauses,
And I know (I know) we’ll stand together when the world
falls down
And I know (I know) that our forever’s gonna start
right now, yeah

Chorus:
There’s this girl, the one and only wonder of this
world (my world)
And it don’t matter if the road gets rough (yeah) if me
rich or poor (yeah)
She stay down with me if me go to war (my girl)
There’s this girl, the one and only wonder of this
world (my world)
And it don’t matter if the road gets rough (yeah) if me
rich or poor (yeah)
She stay down with me till we in the floor (my girl)

Verse:
[. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/l/laza-morgan-lyrics/this-girl-lyrics.html .]
These are hardest times, love’s so hard to find
Blessed is the man who has a woman at his side
This for you I write, never do me wrong
If you’re ever missing me just listen to this song
And you know (you know) we lay together when the sun
goes down
And I know (I know) still be together when it comes
back ’round (back round,
yeah)

Chorus:
There’s this girl, the one and only wonder of this
world (my world)
And it don’t matter if the road gets rough (yeah) if me
rich or poor (yeah)
She stay down with me if me go to war (my girl)
There’s this girl, the one and only wonder of this
world (my world)
And it don’t matter if the road gets rough (yeah) if me
rich or poor (yeah)
She stay down with me till we in the floor (my girl)

I said she stay down with me if me go to war
I said she stay down with me till we in the floor

Outro:
Girl give me everything I need
She’s there every time I call upon her, ya know?
My Girl, it’s Laza…

Chris Brown - Yeah 3x (Official Video) HD

2011-01-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

LOVE CHRIS BROWN!!!!!!!!!!

Asma Ul Husna - Hijjaz

2011-01-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

There Was A Time ...

2010-12-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

There was a time when I was a young, snot-nosed girl, when things were much simpler and most importantly, cheaper.

I remember when air sirap (rose drink) cost you only 20 cents for a glass (no ice) at school. It was considered the cheapest drink, and it was the most heavily consumed in comparison to other drinks. Milo was too expensive for us kids to drink at school on a daily basis. Now, a frickin’ air sirap (with ice) costs RM1.20!! That’s an additional RM1 compared to 15 years ago. How inflation is robbing us blind.

Nasi lemak, Malaysians favourite meal to consume in the morning, noon and night; used to cost 50 cents. There was also some that cost RM1 but those were in a larger portion, however just the 50 cents were sufficient to fill your tummy for hours to come. Now, that 50 cents nasi lemak costs RM1.20. 70 cents more than 15 years ago.

I'm not saying everything is better back in the days, I'm just saying that, well, it's just plain cheaper. Inflation and the once, twice, thrice economic downturn did all this. DAMN THOSE WALLSTREET MANIACS!!!!!

15 years ago. God, I feel so old! 15 years ago I was only 9 years old.

15 years ago.

15 years ago, there was less controversial things on TV than there are now. Movies didn’t always have explicit sex scenes because there was no need for that. The storyline had all the juice and spiciness without the necessity for graphic sexual encounters. Nowadays, everywhere you turn, even on the small screen, they just have to have it.

I read an article about a group of PTA or some sorts that launched an attack on TV directors and shows such as Gossip Girls, Glee etc. because of the racy and suggestive contents of the shows. A comment by a delusional individual (I suppose who is ‘of age’) stated that these shows aren’t meant for children or teens because of the ‘adult’ nature. I would just like to say that this is Glee we’re talking about. (remember the Brittany/Britney episode)

In my opinion, if the movie/show is about kids and teens, even though the actors are young adults, it should showcase suitability for kids and teens alike. Just because Blake was 21 years old when she did the romping scene in GG, she was portraying a 15/16 year old schoolgirl hence she should be acting appropriately. She’s supposed to portray a troubled child … there are other ways. There is no need to appear on TV in frilly underwear, and a man having the time of his life licking and kissing her skin.

Blackadder. That was a hilarious series, and still is which is why I’m downloading the series as we speak. It was a hit. It was funny. It was epic. It didn’t have sex scenes. But then we had F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Sex & The City and the likes. I think Americans tend to think with their ****s rather than anything else. The constant need for sexual activities astound me. Like they have nothing else to do with their lives. Maybe they don’t.

Just goes to show, when you don’t have a religion, faith, belief to hold on to, this is what happens.

END

Solat Sunat Istikharah

2010-12-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

Seseorang yang menghadapi sesuatu soal yang bersifat mudah, sedang ia sendiri masih ragu-ragu mana sebaiknya dilakukan, maka di sunatkan mengerjakan solat yang bukan termasuk wajib.
Solat itu boleh saja di waktu mengerjakan sunat Rawatib atau Tahiyatul-masjid dan boleh pula di waktu malam atau pun siang, sedang bacaan sehabis Al-Fatihah dapat dipilih sekehendaknya.

Niat Solat Istikharah

Sengaja aku mengerjakan sembahyang istikharah dua rakaat kerana Allah Ta'ala

Doa Solat Istikharah

"Ya Allah, saya memohonkan pilihan menurut pengetahuanMu dan memohonkan penetapan dengan kesuasaanMu juga saya memohonkan kurniaMu yang besar, sebab sesungguhnya Engkaulah yang Maha Mengetahui dan saya tidak mengetahui apa-apa. Engkau Maha Mengetahui segala yang ghaib. Ya Allah, jikalau di dalam ilmuMu bahawa urusan saya ini........baik untukku dalam agamaku, kehidupanku serta akibat urusanku, maka takdirkanlah untukku dan mudahkanlah serta berikanlah berkah kepadaku di dalamnya. Sebaliknya jikala di dalam ilmumu bahawa urusan ini buruk untukku, dalam agamaku, kehidupan serta akibat urusanku, maka jauhkanlah hal itu daripadaku dan jauhkanlah aku daripadanya serta takdirkanlah untukku yang baik-baik saja dimana saja adanya, kemudian puaskanlah hatiku dengan takdirMu itu."

How to Win Friends & Influence People

2010-12-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

I’m starting to love this book. Out of pure boredom at work, I brought this book over and read at my desk at any possible interval.

It really did shed light on a lot of things that made me wonder why …

Why don’t I have friends?

Why can’t I find a boy ..? hehehe

It taught me simple things like .. show respect for other ppl’s opinions – never tell them they’re wrong. Even tho they are.

Make ppl feel they are important, coz everyone feels they are.

It’s those kind of things .. I think this book is my New Year’s resolution.

To become a better version of myself.

I make enemies so easily .. and I know where I went wrong now.

Hopefully, I commit to this ;D

Knowing myself, it ain’t easy.

Semangat je awal2, and then .. nothing. Hehehe

But let's just try anyway

END

Mr Caterpillar Man

2010-12-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

You stole someone else’s eyebrows
Now it’s thick and bushy and dark
It looks so good on you that
You have now stolen my heart

It sounds horrible doesn’t it?Saying someone’s eyebrows are like some creepy crawly .. but let me tell you, there’s nothing remotely creepy about it, that I can say for sure *heart flutters*

Darn it I can’t think straight because my tummy is growling and threatening to run amok if I don’t fill it up. I don’t know why it’s like this. I already had Nestum + Milo this morning. It should be fine up until noon, where I will then proceed to have lunch. It’s an absolute disgrace that I have to succumb to all this and have B’fast, lunch and  dinner. How the heck am I supposed to lose weight with all this preposterousness.

Anyhoo, back from lunch now (it’s been a few hours since I last wrote this as I had some work to take care of first) and it was truly a satisfying one. Curry mee mmm … delicious. I couldn’t have asked for a better lunch. Well, actually I could. It would have been more ah-mazing if I had dessert to go with it (maybe some cheesecake, just the plain one is more than enough to complete my meal) and the caterpillar eyebrows for eye-candy. Now that would be a lunch of an out-of-this-world proportions.

Damn that guy is hot! I could stare into his eyes all day. That is … if I even get to see him for even more than 5 minutes.

Ooh, I like my fragrance today. [Hehe .. I get distracted way too easily.] I am wearing Bvlgari EDT today. I rarely wear this particular fragrance. It’s not my favourite. I have a new favourite, Givenchy’s Ange ou demon Le Secret. I never intended to purchase a new fragrance for myself as my mum ‘gave’ me quite recently (Jlo’s Live Deluxe) and I was actually looking for one for her instead. I have no idea how I bought the fragrance. I blame the promoter. Damn her!!! Making me take a whiff of the fragrance, and ended up buying it.

And the very next day, what do you know. I bought another fragrance. But this one is for my mum, I promise. (although it’s simply incredible and I am tempted …) Bvlgari (my new fave designer brand for perfumes) Jasmin Noir Jewelry Edition. Yes, you read it right.Jewelry Edition. It’s significantly limited (think only about 100 bottles worldwide) and I was fidgeting as to whether to buy or not to buy. I think I would have regretted not buying it. It was too good an opportunity to miss. Even though I had to practically beg, borrow and steal afterwards out of shortage of cash, it was totally worth it.

I can’t wait to see my mum’s face when she gets it.

The bottle design is already picture perfect. The typical Jasmin Noir you would see on the perfume shelves (or for those of you with exquisite taste, on your dressing table) but with a ‘slight’ addition to the design – an 18 carat gold necklace encompasses the neck of the bottle. That’s right. Now you know why I just had to buy it, by hook or by crook. Which was true to the case as my credit card almost maxed out (by just a few tens of ringgit). For my dearest mum, I would sacrifice it all. Well, it was slightly selfish of me because, well, I don’t really know how to put it into words but there was something inside of me that, just buying the fragrance (even if not for myself) was pure therapeutic.

Heck! I’m supposed to be writing about the Caterpillar Man, not Bvlgari!

Let’s list down what it is about him that attracted me so.

1)      Height – he’s tall … enough anyway. I would like him taller, but, I suppose you can’t have it all.
2)      Nice bod – not skinny, not bulky, no tummy. That’s fine by me.
3)      Smart – he dresses nicely. Love the pressed shirt, perfectly knotted tie, a little spike in the hair … not too much. Just right.
4)      Fair – he’s fair-skinned, which is what I like (not being so fair myself, well, just a slight) but just a nice coloured skin tone.
5)      Features – strong, captivating, the eyebrows … *sigh*

There you go. It doesn’t take much apparently, to make me fall head over heels.

The problem is (heck there’s a gazillion problems to it actually) I have no idea where he works. Well, I know he works in my building, that I’m sure of (I think) but which floor? Which dept?

So many questions left unanswered. I can’t even dig up info because I don’t even know how to describe him in the first place. What do I ask people? Do you know a good looking guy with thick eyebrows? Hello … people will think I’m nuts. Which isn’t far off anyway.

I just don’t get the sudden obsession about men’s eyebrows. It never occurred to me that that is the basis for attraction, to me anyhow. How did that come about?

Let’s recall … ok. Back in college, yes, I see it now. The guy I used to like, used to be a close friend, the first (and probably last) guy I told that I liked him. He had thick eyebrows as well. But what about Dublin guy? Did he have thick eyebrows? For the life of me I can’t remember. How long did I have a crush on him? Let’s see … starting March ’07? Or was it Feb? probably more likely it being Feb than March I suppose. Then he went back to Malaysia for hols in June, I then proceeded to return to Malaysia for good in September, to which he returned to Dublin in the same month. Last known contact was via Yahoo Messenger back in 2008 (early 2008 or end of 2007). Either way, he has probably forgotten all about me as he never replied any of my messages (in Yahoo Messenger nor Facebook).

Nonetheless, this guy is my new ultimate goal here. Him, or the nearest look alike. Take your pick.

To quote Mr. T, “Quit yo jibba jabba.”

END

Emptiness?

2010-12-20T04:03:00.000-08:00

Blankly staring into the single screen monitor that now occupies my cubicle (finally have one!) at my new office. It is now the 3^rd week I’m working here, and it reminds me of the first few months back at the old workplace … the honeymoon period. Nothing to do but chit-chatting away. Well, at least over there I was ‘socializing’. Here, I’m all alone with no one to talk to but my dutiful Torres and Bob who has since joined me here to keep me company as they did for the past 2 years.

Even then I don’t talk to Torres nor Bob, I mean, hello … we’re talking about a bunch of toys here.

Anyhow, I’ve been slowly adding knick-knacks to my new desk to fill up the emptiness and warmify the whole place. Not sure if it’s working because it still seems so cold and isolated. Maybe because it is isolated in a way. I mean, my surroundings … I have no neighbours dammit. It’s just me and empty cubicles surrounding me.

Things aren’t getting any better as I don’t even have much work to do as I don’t have the proper training to do much anyway. Plus the fact that I don’t have internet access is not making my life any better. So, most of my days is spent doodling, playing around, and only today have I started to do something productive … writing this blog post.

It’s been 4 months since I came back from Manila from a 10 week vacay sponsored by my former employers. I miss it there. I know going there was actually for work purposes … as a Process (and Product) Specialist. But it was a bit like a holiday for me, or for anyone else who went there, as we had some extra cash on top of our own salary, we stayed in a 4 star (I presume) service apartment and got 5 star treatment (the staff there was fabulous) and we got to go places and shop like crazy (for me anyway).

And it has been probably one of the best vacays I ever had due to the fact that I lost weight going there, and no it wasn’t because I went on a diet.

Manila was unable to provide me with the full set of food choices due to religious limitations – I can’t eat pork and I can’t eat meat/chicken as they’re not slaughtered as according to Islam. Due to the limitations, (I was only able to eat vegetables, fish and seafood) I lost some amount of weight to which I believe I may have re-gained now.

I’m not complaining much being back here because food here is thousand times awesome! I can’t live without my nasi lemak and biryani there sucks. Food in general isn’t satisfying. I’m too used to spiciness in my food that it just won’t taste as good if it ain’t spicy. But then again, I love seafood and it’s hard to find good seafood here in Malaysia, whereas in Manila, it was super easy. And cheaper.

*Sigh* I do really miss Manila.

I wish I could go back there .. sponsored by of course. I mean, if I’m gonna be going on a trip with my own pocket money, it’s gonna be somewhere exquisite? Hmm … the ‘cheapest’ place I can think of is Hong Kong. I want to go to Disneyland :D

Anywhere else is in Europe or Dubai. The US of A is kind of bottom of my list because … well, just because. Not really fond of the Yanks.

Australia? Probably. Never really crossed my mind before.

It’s just that I simply adore Europe. My dream vacay would be in Rome or Venice (used to be Paris but I went there already, but I’m not objecting to another trip there). I guess it’s the romantic in me. Just last night I was watching Letters to Juliet for the umpteenth time. It’s cliché in a way (the storyline), but beautiful nonetheless. Most importantly, it’s super romantic without being cheesy.

I just love the part where Charlie climbs up the vines to the balcony to reach Sophie, and uttered the words that melted my heart.

Charlie : I live in London, a gorgeous, vibrant, historic city that I happen to love living in. You live in New York, which is highly overrated.

Sophie : Pardon me?

Charlie : But since the Atlantic Ocean is a bit wide to cross everyday, swimming, boating, or flying, I suggest we flip for it.

Sophie: What are you saying?

Charlie: And if those terms are unacceptable, leaving London will be a pleasure, as long as you’re waiting for me on the other side. Cause the truth is, Sophie, I am madly, deeply, truly, passionately in love with you.

Which comes to another part of my life which is best told in another blog post – looking for my own Prince Charming. No Romeo, as what Charlie has enlightened me that he is no Romeo. Because if it were him, he wouldn't stand there like an idiot, whispering in the garden. He would climb the blasted balcony and be done with it.

Rumour Has It

2010-12-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

A world without gossip is a world without emotions. People need gossip to feel alive. The need to know, whether true or otherwise, are totally irrelevant. Because at the end of the day, as long as you are not the subject of the matter, nothing else actually matters. It is just a tale spun to spice things up in an else, mundane life.

My office is never without gossip. Every single day, there is a story afloat. Somebody someone knows heard it from someone they know and the story goes on.

If you were to hear it from the horses mouth, it wouldn't be called gossip, now would it?

So, basically, you rarely get first-hand information. But then again, you don't really care. It's juicy, it's succulent, it deviates you from the monotonous of work that you wish to be free off.

Now, a nice piece of drama unfolded recently. And when I say drama, I mean drama with a capital D.R.A.M.A. It's amazing that you would even get to hear something like this.

One decidedly normal evening, whilst robotically doing my everyday tasks, my next door neighbour (in the office) whispered something perturbedly and disturbing. A girl just attempted to commit suicide!

Apparently she (who isn't even an employee) climbed up a balcony, which was just one storey high, and threatened to jump to whoever who was there who cared.

One thing led to another but nobody knows the whole truth apparently but because of that, and because we needed to keep the juiciness going, we made up our own version of the 'attempted suicide'.

It was fun making stuff up.

I know, I know. It's bad to laugh at other people's misery, but this girl was funny as s***. I mean, hello .... the height? The most you can get is a broken arm, but you certainly won't die from it. Unless if you're the kind of person who falls funny, and you jump head first, then yes. There is that possibility of death.

I tried to empathise and came up with the rationality that she could have been too stressed out that she didn't even realise that she wasn't up high enough to kill herself.

At the end of the day, the girl's pain was our pleasure. We sure had a jolly good time at work that evening and we had her to thank for. Our stress level was certainly reduced and we actually enjoyed ourselves.

So it is true what they say ... behind every cloud there's a silver lining. Well, the silver lining wasn't for the girl, but that's besides the point. She did something good that day which was putting tonnes of frowns upside down. We salute you.

Jeff Healey Band - Angel Eyes

2010-12-18T08:02:00.001-08:00

When Love And Hate Collide

2010-12-07T02:06:00.000-08:00

Def Leppard are the BEST ROCK/METAL band EVER!!!!!!!

One of their slower songs, but nonetheless tugs at your heartstrings with such emotion and depth in the lyrics and also the musical arrangements of the song itself.

The original and BEST version from these guys from the UK (which was later ruined by the inclusion of "country darling" Taylor Swift)