Not Far from Heart.

Recently I find myself grinning or laughing alone when I read posts on Facebook written in the very localised Malay slang. I know slangs are bad for any types of languages and as much as acronyms are bad as well! I have a few very close Malay friends and so I could "decipher" the special language that most people; even Malaysians couldn't. I've been trying my best to infect a friend with the slang for this two months. I know most people were not familiar with the slang because they didn't grow up listening or speaking it.

I find it amusing because firstly, it is widely spoken and written. Though not contained in the ever-expanding Kamus Dewan (most of you would've owned one, but not me); the slang is widely used and developed its own acronyms no thanks to the creation of SMS. Secondly, the seemingly rude words became tame with the slang. Shockingly true. Lastly, speaking these words make me feel multi-cultured. Most people expect me to pick up British slang once I study in the UK but no. You may develop a new slang over time and choose to stick with it; but I prefer to speak American English and continue to develop my local slang.

Being abroad now, I feel homely whenever I came across these slangs. I reminisce the times when me and my good friends would converse in Bahasa and English depending on the situation. Sometimes you have to switch to the correct type of language to add the drama to your gossips. How I miss them... and I'm glad one of them is going to join me in the UK this September.

That's the End.

I don't understand how some people can just be so unpredictable. One second there they'll be agreeing to everything I've said then another, the freaking time bomb in their mind just goes off and soon they're condemning my words. I couldn't get an explanation out of this phenomenon. I know it's hard to digest what I'm saying right now but the fact is some people just HATE the fact that someone else is happy.

It's because I'm close with you that why I share my stories but I don't know what kind of mentality was it that cause the backlash. Jealousy, maybe? I admit I'm not perfect but instead of listening to my stories then lashing out you could've just advised me to have less fun and be serious in the first place. Don't agree then disagree. It's annoying and the truth is, I grow to know you as a stranger now so thank you very much.

Dreaming.

I'm still filled with excitement since yesterday's conversation with some friends. First, my old high school mate made me so jubilant because of the little details that she spotted in the videos that I showed her. I was talking to her about the old telenovelas that we watched on television during high school especially the ones by Gabriela Spanic with twin roles evil sister-innocent sister acts. My friend spotted that the same third party aka. husband-stealer for both telenovelas was the same WOMAN. Oh the stereotypes they played in soap operas. Great spot there, and your ability to hum through the song nonchalantly made me laughed my head off!

Then my client came online and told me about her good news. Just read her blog and saw it posted there... basically all I could think at that moment of time was asking her to make the trip to UK this winter. Excitement built up and I got lost in the conversations forgetting my role as her manager. Dear me, wake up!

I got a little too excited, so I went to bed early. But I forgot to eat proper dinner thus waking up at weird hours eating and chatting again. Stalked Facebook for awhile and saw my friend praising 24Herbs' music and she commented that she never thought HK produces this kind of music. Was happy for awhile until I read some other comments on YouTube comparing 24Herbs to FAR EAST MOVEMENT. What the heck? Oh those ignorant comments and nobody cared to shut them up. 24Herbs is a group of artists with calibre and previous success. It's just that Conroy with his crazy ideas decided to start producing music with Mr. Ghoststyle and other rappers. Anyways, thank goodness for this following video which made me laugh because of that silly Conroy again.

Looking for the Sun.

It's June already and it's still quite cold here. I remember how the heatwave and crazy pollen-filled atmosphere ruined my perfect spring/summer. I hope the sun will really come out and shine!!! Feel like having a trip down to Alton Towers and experience the theme park adventures; only when the sun is out though. Get so tired and sick of the rainy weather... poor red Converse of mine always get victimized by the weather because those are my to-go-for shoes in bad weather. My Lady's All Star is still sparkling white tucked away safely in the corner.

I had a rather interesting conversation with my friend the other day during her visit to Manchester to save a very miserable me. Almost 12 hours together, just lots of food and tea down our throats. We hung out in the dim sum restaurant for like 3 hours!!! We just have so much to talk about because of our common interests. Then, we talked about how some are easily embroiled in scandals while others (like us) managed to elude themselves from the trouble. She came out with the "putting yourself out there in the market" theory just like when there's a bait, fish are likely to take the bait. I created a better term for it: "open for business or closed for business". She shrieked in disgust... it sounded like some brothel business.

So when she went to the toilet (drank too much cha during tea time); I snatched her Blackberry from the other end of the table and fraped (Facebook-raped) her. I'm unsure if her friends who liked the status actually understood what the status meant, but it was surely funny. And the best part; she didn't realized that she had been fraped for 3 times until after-dinner. I'm really glad to have a friend for support when the bad times come and always there to answer my distressed calls. As I'm always there to answer hers.





On another note, maybe I should really put the the closed for business sign up clear.

I really appreciate the smiley face and the discounts/free food all but there is no easy way of saying this.

Out of Touch with Reality.

I haven't been keeping up with radio music and I've just learned about this group called Far East Movement lately. The name itself sounds very Asian and upon checking, wow they're a quartet of Japanese, Korean and Chinese guys. And I finally get the thing about "fly like a G6" that people have been saying to me... it's their song.

The music they make is not really my cup of tea. I get quite sick with all the electro-auto tune type of music that will.i.am popularized. Now I get what's going on with the fad and obsession with Korean culture in the US. Even the new MTV reality show is called K-Town:

My goodness is this a new culture or am I just being to overtly judgemental and conservative?

Just Because.

Browsing through the news sites today at wee hours in the morning after a long marathon of online gaming; top news sprouted out from the sites are all in concern with the devastation in Missouri after the series of tornadoes. The tornadoes ripped the city apart; people are still missing, homes and properties are gone but in those pictures I don't see people crying neither do they show any signs of giving up. They went into their homes, picked up the pieces, go around meeting people and see how others are doing. I am amazed by their spirit. When New Orleans was struck with Hurricane Katrina 6 years ago, the city once famous for party scenes (I learned that from the Tony Hawk game) became a total wreck. It is still slowly recuperating from the disaster but the New Orleans people are tough and they still live on with their lives instead of waiting around for aid. I mean, most of these people are used to the carefree, slacker lifestyle and for them to pick up from the rubbles... simply unbelievable.

Life is fragile isn't it? You can never know when disaster will strike, down with sickness, accidents to happen... the list goes on. Everytime these things happen, my parents will be reminding how lucky I am and how I need to be grateful for living a relatively comfortable life so I shouldn't really complain so much or ask for more luxury in life. Truth be told, I could only be grateful for like one day or more then I'll revert to the greed I have in my heart. I tried to make sense out of this seemingly paradoxical feeling but in the end I just give up knowing I'll give in to what my heart suggests.

Recently, I gave a long hard thought to the reasons why I do the things I do despite knowing better. Oh, it's simply because I'm in a position to do so. It's like some people will say: "Oh she's rich what... buy branded stuff only." It's not because the person should save up money like others but because he/she is in a position to do so; the question is why not? Similarly, people are all studying hard for exams, some would not do so but still they do very well in exam. They can afford not to study simply... they're in a position to do so. They're smart and they don't have to stuff knowledge into their heads just because most people do that. I know it is hard to group these things together; I mean, money vs studies, right? But then what I meant to exemplify from these situations is that given certain situations, people will do what they want to do no matter it is something bad or good; just because they're in the position to do so.

Where One's Heart Belongs.

Everyday when I wake up from bed I think of home. I miss everything in Malaysia and my mum always got me wondering would it be better if I go through the year in Malaysia instead of UK. Truth be told, as much as I miss home I knew deep down in my heart that I have better opportunities in the UK. I wouldn't have the same bravery to try and live on my own when I'm in Malaysia. Heck, I don't even drive out past 9pm. In the UK, I can walk back home alone from the train station at 11pm in the night. Manchester is not the safest place in UK, but at least I know the chances of bad things happening to me is lower than in Malaysia (what a relief). Oh counting down the days till I get home. Less than 2 months now. And this funny conversation in the Facebook made my day:


My mum is in KL now and hanging out with a bunch of Facebook stalkers... she got to see what's going on with my brother especially during his exam period. And... he got caught spamming and fooling around.

Boxes of Fun.

So someone gave me an idea to blog about the number of checkered shirts that I own. Cross-referenced with Stephysiology's Flannel X Plaid: Men’s Clothes Defined. Well I have to say it doesn't just apply to MEN; ladies have their fair share of awesome plaid clothings as well. I have a total of 9 plaids. Not that many.


And here are two of the aliens in my collection of alienated clothings... one very high school prefect-like blue shirt which I got at a very low price at GAP in Cheshire Oak. The baby blue shirt was only £8 from H&M sales.


It's a good thing to own these if you live in country with cold climate like the UK. I usually wear them with a sweater during winter and during spring/summer I can just roll up the sleeves or wear them unbuttoned with plain singlet on the inside. I don't suppose I have to justify myself in the vertical relationship of CMSCE.

You Jump, I Jump. We All Jump Together.

Gone were the days when we just want the time to go faster and we can fast forward through school days. Now, most of us wish that the clock can tick slower and let us take a breather in the very last days of youth. Yes, I'm not that young anymore. Look at this picture. 3 out of the 4 PTS girls. When we took this picture, it was our 10th year after taking a leap year together. Now, it's been 12 years. See, I still don the short hairdo then.

So the next time we're going to take a picture would be the 20th year reunion? I hope not.

Be-ing.

I've started drinking coffee on a regular basis lately. Well, it's because I finally ran out of condensed milk and I was lazy to go shopping. I know the supermarket is just 3 minutes walk from my flat but spending less on unhealthy food is a blessing-in-disguise for my sheer laziness. Coffee has very little effect on me and I do drink strong, dark coffee. Without milk, I drank them black with sugar. Wow, my tastebuds is reintroduced to the watery taste of coffee.

I make them in the morning, keeping the coffee bag for a half-cup by evening. Oh the morning cup of coffee is like some kind of elixir for the enhancement of concentration. I can read and do my work without fail for several hours! Then I'll make brunch and dinner, chat with friends and family online; gaming for an hour or so before taking my half cup of coffee and read again. I hope this lasts... I need it.

So me and my client were chatting away as usual her early bird hours meet my late nights. We have bumped into each other a few times online which was quite spooky the first few times... kind of used to it now. But when we chatted just now we could even think of the same things. Sunday morning and Maroon 5... then:


19 times EPL champions. Sheer luck.

No Direction.

I put Metric's "Fantasies" album on a loop this evening while gaming away. The first song of the album is "Help I'm Alive". Couldn't help but to ponder upon the lyrics. The lead singer of the band actually wrote the song after some soul searching journey in Argentina; kind of related what I was telling a friend. Soul searching and you should go ohm... ohmm... ohmmm...

##If you're still alive my regrets are few
If my life is mine what shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going, I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing and my heart's still
Beating like a hammer, beating like a hammer##

Her lyrics are like some kind of modern poem. Strange phenomenons start happening again. Cicadas swarm reappeared and terrorized Southern US after hibernating for 13 years. Southern America was met with tornadoes and serious floods before this. Then strong earthquakes happened in Murcia, Spain. The fragile and helpless me can just watch all these disasters happen one by one; baffled by inexplicable phenomenons and remind myself of 2012.

Help, I'm alive.

The Ringing Bliss.

Oh it's Mother's Day already in Malaysia! Of course in the UK we celebrate two separate dates for Mother's Day. While Hallmark Cards rule the US; in the UK it's Clinton Cards so I have a theory that it is all but a scam to sell more cards. Of course, I meant that as a joke. Mother's Day is always the day I'll shower my mummy dearest with a gift and treat her to a meal outside. Interesting enough, I only start celebrating Mother's Day for real after high school. That's when I really appreciated her effort and what she had sacrificed for her children.

Being the eldest, priority is put on me. I remember my mum making sure that she could fetch me from school and so my brother had to switch to afternoon class; taking the bus to school. Then the tuition timings and everything, my mum will definitely be there 10 minutes before the class started and 10 minutes before class end. Then she had always objected us eating from outside and always cook for us even though it's very hard to cook for a party of 3. When I said I want to go to any restaurant in town to eat she'd object to the idea and scold me. She wouldn't let me join any friends to hang out in the town and though I was not for one who likes loitering around... she was really strict to me.

The amount of strictness went on and on... no magazines (smuggled for 3 years), no VCD/DVDs (till I bought them with my own money), no internet till Form 4, no late night TV (except for Thursday night) and definitely no truancy. Naturally, I rebelled against her commands but not in the extreme manner. Just enough to make her get angry with me daily.

As I grew past the high school years, I realized what she did was for my own good but at the same time I learned although some of her methods were wrong (tyranny); I must learn to appreciate and forgive for she is my only mother. I begin to learn not to argue with her so much as to communicate and explain to her my predicaments in certain issues.



This year is one of the most challenging year yet for me... she was always there to support my decisions and everything I do. I miss talking to her daily and let her nag on. One more week till she goes home and I hope all is good for them there in Indonesia now.

Smell Fish.

My new obsession: Jeremy Wade (the best angler in the world).

I started learning more about fish as I arrived in the UK; for the sake of cooking. Amazingly, it was the "Fishing" action in The Sims 2 that really made me learn more names. I have always wondered how am I going to survive grocery shopping in Malaysia's markets. I cannot even relate the names to their looks! Not just fish but also vegetable! That's the fallacy of supermarkets... buying after you read the labels.

I haven't fished properly in my life even though I grew up frequenting the jungle my dad worked in. Most of his friends there are anglers and hunters. Never thought of joining them though. Anyways, fishing is still not something I'd want to pursue. Especially after watching Jeremy Wade's show... I can imagine myself getting pulled into the water by the fish instead of me pulling them out of water.

This guy's show managed to make me feel eerie. Starting with the number of jumbo catfish he caught then the piranhas... but shockingly he revealed to the world that there are actually fresh water stingray! Not just in the secluded part of the world but in ASIA! They are so huge and actually killed humans *gasp*. Anyways, this week he shocked the audience again by hooking up his first SAWFISH.

Quite a tame fish and this sawfish actually survived both shark and crocodile attacks (living in fresh water).

Not so bad, this week's episode was a total eye-opener and I didn't feel sick to my stomach. Naturally I moved on to another great show, Iron Chef America. Guess what, it was battle fish. Heck, they introduced me to another creepy sea creature; WRECKFISH. My jaw dropped.

Yes, Iron Chef Morimoto was using a chain cutter to deal with the fish!!! The fish was SO HUGE and scary!!! Seeing its white flesh though, made me hungry.

Coming Clean.

Check the calendar. Oh it's been a week plus since I've gotten back from Wales. A week plus since the misery has begun for me. Not so much of misery as I thought it'd be. It's just one week without random coleslaw takeaways from the Domino's pizza located 5 minutes from my flat; no random online shopping sprees and more importantly, surviving the whole ordeal taught me new things.

I can really survive with less than £50 a month (on food). I find my bills a little too excessive? Why do I need two handphones... why do I need higher bandwidth internet... why do I need mobile broadband... Although I put all of them to good (and often, full use), but it's not a reason for me to waste away my hard earned money.

Just to list out the amount of *extreme* loots I've gotten since my PSW visa:

A micro four thirds camera; Panasonic G2.

DKNY's Town and Country handbag (scarf fever)

The one and only Converse All Star Lady edition.

*Another?* pair of Ray Bans; special edition wayfarers.
(bidded it cheap from eBay)

Personalized NikeID futsal shoes.

The watch of my dreams... DKNY ceramic chronograph.

Latest loot before downfall; Panasonic mega zoom camera
(bidded it cheap from eBay)

I was thinking of selling one of these, should my financial problems loom but I knew deep down in my heart I wouldn't; by any chance! I was quite fortunate to have spent like 40% of my salary on non-necessities because if not I'd have more savings in my current account leading to greater downfall! Reason being my bank account is current only; not savings and thus the bastards got to empty my bank account! Wonder when I'll get all my stolen funds back? 3 months? Or more? As long as I get them back I can wait.

Before any of you readers start worrying about me, my parents decided to send me my allowance for September earlier... but no matter how early it would be in mid-May. I have £40 left for 2 more weeks. Can't believe I'm actually going to make it.

Contemplating What and What Not.

I had an interesting conversation with a friend just now... what would you like to know about your future-self if you can see into the future? Being a funny man, he suggested whether he's hitched or not. I was saying he's desperate.

I have thought this through before (I'm a daydreamer) and my answer would be the day that I will die. Knowing the time of your death is my ultimate aim if I can see into the future. That will be THE reason for me to change my lifestyle and lead a meaningful life till the day I meet my end. Being a funny man he was again, my friend said that I will be desperate to live my life to the fullest thus categorizing myself into the desperados genre. Lame statement; indeed, and he agreed so.

I don't necessarily mean living my life to the fullest but to lead a meaningful life. It might come from making a change to the world, having a profound effect on others' lives or even achieving my goals in life. Whatever it might be...

We're all just saying because there is no way anyone can see into the future let alone predicting what's going to happen tomorrow. Till then, you just have to be grateful for having a life to live and try to make the best out of it.

Sooner or Later?

Being a food aficionado, I can't help but to think of creating tasty food without having to splurge at restaurants. Of course it is always a struggle to recreate dishes when you're living alone with no one to cook and try dishes with. Oh how I miss my fellow gluttonous housemate back in Leeds!

I had a wonderful dessert at one of the most overrated pub-restaurant in the UK; The Wetherspoons. Belgian waffle with vanilla ice-cream and maple syrup. This cost me £2.30!!!


I have to admit the real joy of tasting the dessert was the MAPLE SYRUP. When I saw it on the menu I knew right on; that'd be my dessert choice.


One of the best products out of Canada... I really feel like buying a bottle now but I have no real use for it. I don't make pancakes often and the syrup reminds me of waffles.

So...
Should I get a waffle maker as well? For a reason I know when I have a house of my own and a kitchen of my own... this will be on the kitchen counter. If the price is low before I head back to Malaysia next year... I might just get one...

The Bad Times Roll.

The gap year is coming to its most challenging time yet. Yes, monetary problems have finally struck. Not that I overspent... but I fell victim to debit card fraud. Most likely to be the card skimming fraud according to the bank. Although I'm not liable for any of the losses but I'm doomed for this month. My account has been emptied (darn you bastards) and have been effectively suspended pending investigation. I have no methods of obtaining cash at all! All I have with me is £60; just enough for food and bills. Thank goodness for PayPal; I can still pay some bills online.

How do I tell my parents about this? They're going to be worried sick. Both of them must be enjoying each others' company now since my mum will be in Indonesia for almost a month till mid-May. Oh yes, a check on my credit card... valid until May!

See, it's my mum's fault for saying stuff like: "Dear, the credit card is going to expire in May. Any emergencies remember to use it before May okay?"

I was like, mum, how can I spend before emergencies occur? Now I know how...

Well I had only told like 3 friends about this and only one of the three is a friend in UK. I guess there is no point telling others and make them fret about my personal issues when the exam clock is ticking down. So, what should I do when I get past this hurdle? (I know for sure I can live with £30 a month; rent and bills non-inclusive)

The Lost Taste.

A hungry me at midnight is now nothing unusual. Often too common and being the usual good old food enthusiast, I talk about them with my friends. In the recent 2 nights; friends actually went to get supper and leave me facing the laptop screen with the thought of them gobbling down food down their stomach. I haven't been the type to take supper ever since I came to UK. I think I actually took supper for less than 3 times since I came back to Manchester! Rare feat.

So I've been lamenting about not having dim sum and my favorite Japanese cuisine for a month long. It is pretty rare considering the fact that I live 15 minutes away from these restaurants and I haven't been there. The reason? No companionship. In order to enjoy these food, I need good company because the amount I usually order is humongous.

Today is one happy day for me. A friend from Nottingham came over and I finally satisfied my cravings. I ordered so much dim sum today! We had porridge, egg tarts, radish cake, glutinous rice, siew mai, prawn dumplings, fried wantons, char siew paus and prawn cheung fan. Wow 10 dishes and two of us finished them up! Awesome guy!

Then we walked around the city checked out some stores and we actually walked into Manchester City store. Chelsea and Arsenal fans actually went into the store; if caught, I cannot imagine the consequences. Then I was checking out the 16th April Wembley semi-final jersey, a fan actually walked up to us and told us that the date is his birthday. I had to react to it while the fact being my hand held the jersey to check it's quality. Umbro made some pretty shabby jerseys.

A drop at my favorite coffee shop and we talked about some silly A-Level stuff and the cafe started playing Kylie Minogue's concert album. My friend mentioned about the sexy, scandalous video I posted on my client's wall. Oppsss, and I thought not many people saw it. Heck, guys love that kind of stuff, how could I have forgotten?

Lastly, my favorite restaurant... Tokyo Season! Quickly dropped order for my favorite fried oysters, sashimi platter and pork katsudon. Oh the moment of joy as I finally taste the succulent tuna sashimi and how it melted in my mouth... pure satisfaction. Having a person to share the huge platter and also knowing how to enjoy raw Japanese food is really what I need in Manchester. So I have been urging my friend from Sunderland to get a job in Manchester Science Park so she could be the person... oh good things don't come easy. Indeed.

Progressive Loving.

TUESDAY (correction), the final night of Kylie Minogue's concert tour in Manchester. Guess who'll be attending? Of course, YOURS TRULY -again! This time, I'll be in the Splash Zone!

Kylie, what a dance pop icon. Always true to her music and style. I have been listening to her music since young. I can still remember the first song I heard; "Before the Devil You Know" and the music video with upbeat aerobic routines (trademark dance music videos of that era). Then she made me hooked to the music video channel for this wonderfully directed music video of "On A Night Like This":

Her 2011 tour is aptly titled the Aphrodite Les Folies Tour meaning the progression of love tour. It's her love for the music and entertaining the fans that kept her performing over the years. Gosh it's already been 6 years since she battled cancer. Many speculated that this might be her last tour (taking a hiatus afterwards) as the theme for her concert ground is Ancient Greek. The direction of the concert mimicked the last days of a great empire. I hope not.

Guess how much you have to pay to be in the "Splash Zone"?
Freaking £250!!!

I will be sitting right at the back of the standing area; seated. As a big supporter of hers over the years, I cannot believe that I am reaching my 10th concert milestone with hers on Monday. Truly unbelievable. I shall upload the pictures of the concert once I return from it!

Going Gourmet.

I've became a Food Network junkie lately. Haute cuisine is definitely something that I cannot afford but watching the chefs cook have been a total satisfaction. I even idolized a few chefs! Of course, it's not like I'll try cooking the dishes and try to become Randy in South Park!

My favorite chef No. 1: Nate Appleman

When he appeared in Iron Chef America he was rather plump but he was an exceptional chef. So focused and creative... for his age! He has some qualification from the Italian Pizza society or something and he's a true butcher. The way he handled the suckling pig in Iron Chef was crazy incredible! I was watching Chopped: All Stars yesterday and he competed against two other top chefs; Beau MacMillan and Anita Lo. Basically the all stars chefs battled for the top prize of $50000 for the charity of their choice. Everybody was heartbroken when he explained his choice; his son suffered from Kawasaki disease a year ago and so he wanted to donate to the Kawasaki Disease foundation.

Nate sharing Japanese soba with his son.

My favorite chef No. 2: Anne Burrell

Fiery and she can really talk smack, no joking when it comes to cooking. She was trained in classical Italian dishes and could really scare all her opponents. She was Mario Batali's sous chef in Iron Chef America but has also hosted Worst Cooks in America for 2 seasons now. Her group won in both the seasons! All the guy chefs are definitely scared of her as seen in Chopped: All Stars.


I have a bunch of other chefs that I like... say, Jamie Oliver, Giada de Laurentiis and Jose Garces. But there are two chefs you can really pick up recipes from; JAMIE OLIVER and RACHAEL RAY. Both of them have shows for 30 minute meals and the recipes are amazing. However, one thing in common... 30 minutes meals but 1 hour of cleaning up to do.