“… When ONE person is cursed, TWO graves are dug…”
Ooh… don’t be frightened… ^_^
It’s a manga/anime story… I’ve never read/watched one before, even though I did hear “good” comments about this anime…
Even the broadcasting company had already produced a short series based on the anime, of course, acted by real human!!
Japanese title, “Jigoku (hell) Shoujo (girl)”
Since I’ve only watched half episode (which is half of half an hour, ^_^) I can’t stay much about the story… the part that I watched was about this little girl who hated her so-called best friend soooo much, due to some incident (which I didn’t know what it’s about) so, “jigoku shoujo” appeared in front of her, gave her this little grass doll (those that people use to do curse) the price is… you can send the other person to hell immediately, but when you die, you’ll go to hell as well… oh!! In the end, one big happy family… +_+
I wouldn’t know whether there’s any ‘message’ that were to be relayed through this anime, however… ya…
I like it when the creepy voice said quietly “when one person is cursed, two graves are dug”… ^_~ how true!!
Here’s another quote
“ 闇に惑いし哀れな影よ・・・ 人を傷つけ貶めて罪に溺れし業の魂 ・・・ いっぺん、死んでみる？'
"Pitiful shadow clothed in darkness.Thy actions cause men pain and suffering. Thy hollow soul drowns in thy sins. How would you like to see what death is like?"
”
— Enma Ai.
2007-02-28
Aftermath...
Last weekend (Saturday) we gathered in one of our friends’ house for our annual gambling session (during Chinese New Year)
…
Let me deviate a little bit…
The other day, I was wondering, ah… when did we start such session… at first, I thought I cannot recall… then, I realized, it’s when her family moved to this new penthouse condominium… ya, that year, when we visited her parents (her parents are super friendly and opened… I mean, they don’t poke their nose into our business, they’re cheerful, oh, super cheerful, also her sis, and of course, SHE!! ^_^;; even when the father decided to “poke his nose” into our business it’s when he wants to be part of us, in the game… see!!! Where to find this type of parents!!! Kakaka!!! And then… oh… maybe I’ll sound very impolite and manner-less a bit… and we’re used to her kitchen and fridge… ie. She’s always welcomed us with her food and drinks in her kitchen and fridge… so, tell me, where else to go… ok… I’ll say, I’d do the same things to my dear friends as well… well… cos, I’ve stayed with her family zillion years ago, mm… when my car was involved in a minor accident and need to be sent for repair for a month, and that I stayed with her and family in their old house, for a month, I ate and dined with them, and she sent me to and from work… oh!!! What else can I say!!! ^_^)
Oh, back to the track…
That year, when we visited her parents, and somehow, a card game got started… from then onwards… every year, after we’re back from our different hometowns to KL, we’ll gather in such place, to err… ok… exchange $$$ hahaha!!!
I’ll have to admit, most of the time, I enjoyed the companion rather than the game… though, I do like to play card games from time to time… ^_^
Our game, started from big-D, to later.. the easiest one is blackjack… then, this year…
Oh, horrible… one of us introduced this “in-between” no-brainer game… (but shame to say, I kinda enjoyed it, again, I guess, it’s mostly because of the companion… this year, we’d an extra crazy gambling buddy!!! Though 1 usual couple quit, and 1 new couple joined… ha… people come, people go!! ^_^)
Ok… the aftermath was…
That night itself, I’m not sure if it’s solely because of my sitting position during the entire game THAT LASTED TILL 3 A.M. (we started from about 10 P.M.) my lefthand suddenly gave me this super-duper uncomfortable irritating pain, like it’s coming out from the bone… or some sort.. and it lasted me for 1.5 days… well… it could be because of my posture, or, because I carried my handbag (one that’s like doraemon’s front pocket, that contains a lot of things, ie. Heavy!!) with that hand the whole of that day…
The problem was… I woke up in the middle of the night of Saturday (well… not so middle of the night, it’s about Sunday morning already, since we only got home and got ready for bed around 4 A.M.) due to this pain in my left hand, really couldn’t sleep at all… I’ve never experienced this before…
Then, on Sunday, he’d another small gathering in his colleague’s house in the afternoon… so, I played my TAI-TAI part… trying to social-social with the rest of the TAI-TAI… with my painful lefthand… and lack of sleep…
Until after I talked to my mother about my ‘condition’ only I realized that, I should have put a salonpas on it… so, I did…
The next day, Monday, I went to pick up my letter of offer, and they asked me to go for a simple medical checkup… gosh… my blood pressure was high… which I couldn’t believe… cos, usually (well… the last check was in 2005 thou, when he’s still working in s’pore) OK… plus this and that, with some possible infection, on top of that I was still in the midst of recovering from my flu, which… oh!! Which I got when my dear husband went out till 3 A.M. still hadn’t come back to ‘blanket’ me… ^_^ that I caught the cold that day!!!
I was not satisfied with the result, so, I went to my own clinic, the one that I did my last check in 2005, result still come out similar, but then, the doctor bothered to explain a little bit more, which gave me a peace of mind…
Oh, anyway, these are all side-track stories… the point is I’m telling you, I HAD A PAINFUL LEFT HAND FOR 2 DAYS, due to the crazy “in-between” card game!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, then, what’s this game about… basically it’s really a no-brainer game… each player was given 2 cards, opened… and the next card that you’ll draw is your bet, you bet if it’s a card in between your existing 2 cards, with a sum of money… you’ll basically win/lose the amount you bet… or to the maximum of the pool of money in the middle…
See… the point is… we all are very stingy people… so, our base bet is like RM1.00 only… so, the superduper game was dragged for such superduper long duration of time… compared to previous years, it’s because this year, there’re 1 + 1 superduper crazy gamblers where the 2 superduper crazy gamblers basically won the most money… as they’re willing to bet to the max… m~_~m huh!!
Ah… before we wrapped up… one of us (in fact, most of us, the male basically, who’re always lack of patience!! ^_^) insisted on raising the base bet, ie. RM10.00… for the final round…
Ya, the pool got to about RM100.00 at one time… however, as the amount was big, so, crazy people got less crazy (oh, that proves that, afterall, they’re not that crazy, ^_^) and in the end… I’d say… no loose no win…
The difference in our hands, from the real winner to the real looser, probably was about 10 odds to 20, something like that…
Ah!!! Sounded I wasted my entire night to gain a painful lefthand!!! Heh!!!
…
Let me deviate a little bit…
The other day, I was wondering, ah… when did we start such session… at first, I thought I cannot recall… then, I realized, it’s when her family moved to this new penthouse condominium… ya, that year, when we visited her parents (her parents are super friendly and opened… I mean, they don’t poke their nose into our business, they’re cheerful, oh, super cheerful, also her sis, and of course, SHE!! ^_^;; even when the father decided to “poke his nose” into our business it’s when he wants to be part of us, in the game… see!!! Where to find this type of parents!!! Kakaka!!! And then… oh… maybe I’ll sound very impolite and manner-less a bit… and we’re used to her kitchen and fridge… ie. She’s always welcomed us with her food and drinks in her kitchen and fridge… so, tell me, where else to go… ok… I’ll say, I’d do the same things to my dear friends as well… well… cos, I’ve stayed with her family zillion years ago, mm… when my car was involved in a minor accident and need to be sent for repair for a month, and that I stayed with her and family in their old house, for a month, I ate and dined with them, and she sent me to and from work… oh!!! What else can I say!!! ^_^)
Oh, back to the track…
That year, when we visited her parents, and somehow, a card game got started… from then onwards… every year, after we’re back from our different hometowns to KL, we’ll gather in such place, to err… ok… exchange $$$ hahaha!!!
I’ll have to admit, most of the time, I enjoyed the companion rather than the game… though, I do like to play card games from time to time… ^_^
Our game, started from big-D, to later.. the easiest one is blackjack… then, this year…
Oh, horrible… one of us introduced this “in-between” no-brainer game… (but shame to say, I kinda enjoyed it, again, I guess, it’s mostly because of the companion… this year, we’d an extra crazy gambling buddy!!! Though 1 usual couple quit, and 1 new couple joined… ha… people come, people go!! ^_^)
Ok… the aftermath was…
That night itself, I’m not sure if it’s solely because of my sitting position during the entire game THAT LASTED TILL 3 A.M. (we started from about 10 P.M.) my lefthand suddenly gave me this super-duper uncomfortable irritating pain, like it’s coming out from the bone… or some sort.. and it lasted me for 1.5 days… well… it could be because of my posture, or, because I carried my handbag (one that’s like doraemon’s front pocket, that contains a lot of things, ie. Heavy!!) with that hand the whole of that day…
The problem was… I woke up in the middle of the night of Saturday (well… not so middle of the night, it’s about Sunday morning already, since we only got home and got ready for bed around 4 A.M.) due to this pain in my left hand, really couldn’t sleep at all… I’ve never experienced this before…
Then, on Sunday, he’d another small gathering in his colleague’s house in the afternoon… so, I played my TAI-TAI part… trying to social-social with the rest of the TAI-TAI… with my painful lefthand… and lack of sleep…
Until after I talked to my mother about my ‘condition’ only I realized that, I should have put a salonpas on it… so, I did…
The next day, Monday, I went to pick up my letter of offer, and they asked me to go for a simple medical checkup… gosh… my blood pressure was high… which I couldn’t believe… cos, usually (well… the last check was in 2005 thou, when he’s still working in s’pore) OK… plus this and that, with some possible infection, on top of that I was still in the midst of recovering from my flu, which… oh!! Which I got when my dear husband went out till 3 A.M. still hadn’t come back to ‘blanket’ me… ^_^ that I caught the cold that day!!!
I was not satisfied with the result, so, I went to my own clinic, the one that I did my last check in 2005, result still come out similar, but then, the doctor bothered to explain a little bit more, which gave me a peace of mind…
Oh, anyway, these are all side-track stories… the point is I’m telling you, I HAD A PAINFUL LEFT HAND FOR 2 DAYS, due to the crazy “in-between” card game!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, then, what’s this game about… basically it’s really a no-brainer game… each player was given 2 cards, opened… and the next card that you’ll draw is your bet, you bet if it’s a card in between your existing 2 cards, with a sum of money… you’ll basically win/lose the amount you bet… or to the maximum of the pool of money in the middle…
See… the point is… we all are very stingy people… so, our base bet is like RM1.00 only… so, the superduper game was dragged for such superduper long duration of time… compared to previous years, it’s because this year, there’re 1 + 1 superduper crazy gamblers where the 2 superduper crazy gamblers basically won the most money… as they’re willing to bet to the max… m~_~m huh!!
Ah… before we wrapped up… one of us (in fact, most of us, the male basically, who’re always lack of patience!! ^_^) insisted on raising the base bet, ie. RM10.00… for the final round…
Ya, the pool got to about RM100.00 at one time… however, as the amount was big, so, crazy people got less crazy (oh, that proves that, afterall, they’re not that crazy, ^_^) and in the end… I’d say… no loose no win…
The difference in our hands, from the real winner to the real looser, probably was about 10 odds to 20, something like that…
Ah!!! Sounded I wasted my entire night to gain a painful lefthand!!! Heh!!!
The Best Scheduler in town… ^_^
Recently, there’re many changes around me, around us… we’re coming back for good, but there’re friends who’ll be leaving the country… for a while (hopefully not for good ^_^)
Anyway… life still goes on, I still surf my internet, still watch my TV, and still download my favourite TV series (oops!!)
mm… what I’m trying to say is… there’re changes in our lives, there’re up’s as well as there’re down’s… both compensate each other, to form the beauty of life…
^_^
We went back to his hometown Butterworth for the Chinese New Year… and since he’s changing his job (so that it’ll be more ‘localized’) we drove his car (THE satria) back… after nearly 3 years “sitting” there at home…
We’ve scheduled to come back on Friday as we’re having our usual Chinese New Year gathering with our friends on that Saturday…
On Wednesday, we went out to penang island, and his brother suggested us to go up the hill… err… that hill with the big big temple up there (“Kek Lok” temple)… we’re driving his parents’ car… and went up the temple, came down, no problem…
The next day, when he went out for a morning walk with the parents… the car had some problem… where the clutch went “loose” or “light”… so when we went out again, we’re all in his satria… (which supposedly have been sent for service just very recently)… we had our brunch and then went to buy the new bottle of clutch/brake oil… while waiting at the road side, we heard some funny “knocking” sound coming out from the front of the car… while seeing the temperature indicator kept going up… OH!!!~~~ apparently the radiator got overheated and the rusty water (cos, the car’s been dormant mode for the past 3 years and that the inside of the radiator got rusty…) kept pouring out and hit on the cover of the bonnet…
Immediately we “dragged” the car to be checked…
Rusty pipeS were detected, checked and changed… we sent the car in the afternoon, supposedly to be able to pick it up in the evening, however… till 8pm, the car was still not ready…
We waited till the following day, the day we’re supposed to come back here… till 11am only we managed to pick up the car… (on the way, we’re forced to stop for about 3 times, as the radiator still got heat up, AFTER HE SPED!!!!!!!!!)
Anyway… the whole point is… how perfect and “graceful” of all these happening events that I’ve experienced…
If the clutch went wrong a day earlier, we could have been stuck on the steep slopes up on the hill in penang… stranded there for the whole night…
And if the clutch didn’t go wrong at all… we wouldn’t be using the satria at all until the day we’re supposed to drive it back and discovered that the car had such big problem!!!
If…
Same goes to my job-search experience… there’re many ‘if’s and ‘or else’s… and the timing…
I do feel, the zillionth time, the scheduler has done HIS work again, perfectly…
Yes, ^_^ the best scheduler in town, the best scheduler in our life…
While I was considered rejected by company H, I was… I’ve to admit, I was a little bit down, cos, they gave me so much false hope by getting me all the way to meet the country manager (I suspect, the one who’s reluctant and ‘slowed’ the process was the centre manager ^_^) and turned out, hesitated, reluctant, skeptical… etc…
mm… I have plans for myself… I plan this and that, I schedule this and that…
but I think, I, (I’m not sure about the rest of the people) am definitely not the best scheduler even for myself… we’ve plans, but on and off it comes out sour or rotten, or screwed up… or it’s just not too perfect…
Lessons learnt…
Sometimes, we don’t know why we’re doing this, but we just have to keep going… you’ll see the result one day, which you’ve never thought of, or imagined before…
Sometimes, blessings do come in disguise, or late… ^_^
Anyway… life still goes on, I still surf my internet, still watch my TV, and still download my favourite TV series (oops!!)
mm… what I’m trying to say is… there’re changes in our lives, there’re up’s as well as there’re down’s… both compensate each other, to form the beauty of life…
^_^
We went back to his hometown Butterworth for the Chinese New Year… and since he’s changing his job (so that it’ll be more ‘localized’) we drove his car (THE satria) back… after nearly 3 years “sitting” there at home…
We’ve scheduled to come back on Friday as we’re having our usual Chinese New Year gathering with our friends on that Saturday…
On Wednesday, we went out to penang island, and his brother suggested us to go up the hill… err… that hill with the big big temple up there (“Kek Lok” temple)… we’re driving his parents’ car… and went up the temple, came down, no problem…
The next day, when he went out for a morning walk with the parents… the car had some problem… where the clutch went “loose” or “light”… so when we went out again, we’re all in his satria… (which supposedly have been sent for service just very recently)… we had our brunch and then went to buy the new bottle of clutch/brake oil… while waiting at the road side, we heard some funny “knocking” sound coming out from the front of the car… while seeing the temperature indicator kept going up… OH!!!~~~ apparently the radiator got overheated and the rusty water (cos, the car’s been dormant mode for the past 3 years and that the inside of the radiator got rusty…) kept pouring out and hit on the cover of the bonnet…
Immediately we “dragged” the car to be checked…
Rusty pipeS were detected, checked and changed… we sent the car in the afternoon, supposedly to be able to pick it up in the evening, however… till 8pm, the car was still not ready…
We waited till the following day, the day we’re supposed to come back here… till 11am only we managed to pick up the car… (on the way, we’re forced to stop for about 3 times, as the radiator still got heat up, AFTER HE SPED!!!!!!!!!)
Anyway… the whole point is… how perfect and “graceful” of all these happening events that I’ve experienced…
If the clutch went wrong a day earlier, we could have been stuck on the steep slopes up on the hill in penang… stranded there for the whole night…
And if the clutch didn’t go wrong at all… we wouldn’t be using the satria at all until the day we’re supposed to drive it back and discovered that the car had such big problem!!!
If…
Same goes to my job-search experience… there’re many ‘if’s and ‘or else’s… and the timing…
I do feel, the zillionth time, the scheduler has done HIS work again, perfectly…
Yes, ^_^ the best scheduler in town, the best scheduler in our life…
While I was considered rejected by company H, I was… I’ve to admit, I was a little bit down, cos, they gave me so much false hope by getting me all the way to meet the country manager (I suspect, the one who’s reluctant and ‘slowed’ the process was the centre manager ^_^) and turned out, hesitated, reluctant, skeptical… etc…
mm… I have plans for myself… I plan this and that, I schedule this and that…
but I think, I, (I’m not sure about the rest of the people) am definitely not the best scheduler even for myself… we’ve plans, but on and off it comes out sour or rotten, or screwed up… or it’s just not too perfect…
Lessons learnt…
Sometimes, we don’t know why we’re doing this, but we just have to keep going… you’ll see the result one day, which you’ve never thought of, or imagined before…
Sometimes, blessings do come in disguise, or late… ^_^
Bitter Sweet Symphony
Yatta!!! Yatta!!! (Tribute to Hiro in Heroes!! ^_^, he just loves saying this words, it means “I DID IT!!”… ya, when he finally managed to teleport himself or even other people, other things from place A to place B, and when he managed to stop the time, ya, Yatta!!)
^_^V
Tomorrow I’ll be starting work again, back to office, after… err… nearly 3 years(??? Come to think of it, I stopped in Mar, 2004, I kept thinking it’s only 2 years…) of hiatus… -_- and tomorrow, I’ll be a pretty cute OL in klang valley again!!! Kakakakakaka!!!
mm… in fact, my job hunting experience since last December is not considered THAT smooth… (ya!!! After being nearly 3 years of housewife, what does one expect huh??)
my very first interview, was with company F, went there, had a nice chat, but in the end… only discovered that, they’re looking for young and attractive ladies (sounds like looking for bar girls? ^_^ nah… but they’re looking for freshgrads) and I was thinking to myself, why called me then, didn’t I state my age CLEARLY on my online resume?? Fine then…
Then… when I was returning to my hometown, waiting in the airport, another company called me (company M) , I told her I’m on my way back to Sarawak, then, she said, she’ll check again with her manager… fine then…
When I came back from my break back home, company H called me… ^_^ it’s a big and prestigious MNC, and for people from my line, I think, that’s one of the ultimate place to work in… well… I suppose so…
First round, with my “possible” direct supervisor, another nice chat session..
After about a week, second round with the centre manager, well… not so nice chat, cos, she’s very very skeptical with my consistency in my job… and mm… she striked me as a very conservative and careful (a little bit too careful) person…
Then another week plus to wait… called me in for the third round of interview with the country manager, oh!!! Lasted for only 10 min, in San Francisco Café ^_^!!! (OK!! Fine!!)
Followed by this, came another period of waiting, till I couldn’t wait any longer, and I wanna show how much and how serious I want the job, I called the headhunter… his “advice” --- keep my option opened…
Oh, ok!! I know what it means…
Then… unexpectedly company M called me again to schedule an interview… well… I’ve to admit that, that’s not an employer that’s in my priority list… however, I still went for the session… another nice chat session with my future direct boss (a very cheerful lady)!!! The horrible thing was, I was given some IQ and maths test… (which err… I thought it’s not so related to the industry… I thought they’d had given me an aptitude test or some case study, but none!!!) and the test… gosh!!! Looking at the fact of how my brain got rusty throughout these 3 long-vacation years… I really really really felt that something inside my head was stuck and twisted and couldn’t function for a few time during the tests… the end was… I didn’t finish any of them, only did the best I could…
1st IQ test was something like, arrangement of alphabets and then you guess the next sequence, for eg. b c k l m d e k l m…
2nd IQ test (as well) was worst to me… it’s those little-little round, rectangular, triangular, shaded, half-shaded, halved, etc. of patterns, and I need to figure out the NEXT pattern… and GOODNESS!!!!!!!! SOME OF THE PATTERN SEQUENCES REALLY DIDN’T MAKE SENSE AT ALL MAN!!! I’m quite sure the person who created the questions is somehow PSYCHO!! ^_^
3rd Maths test… ok… I’ve to admit, this was my strongest part… thou still didn’t manage to finish in time…
However, overall… I’ve to say, the TEST session was quite fun…
After this… my headhunter called me again, maybe he’s extra helpful, or maybe he’s obligated, or maybe as a job agency, you really will get lots of rewards by successfully introducing an employee to a company… he suggested sending my resume to company I (competitor to company H) however, this time, it’s not a sales job that I’ve always wanted… but I told him, well… sometimes, it doesn’t matter… cos, I just want to join an MNC ^_^… and I thought I can handle the mentioned job after he’s described to me…
A week later, I got to meet up with my little friend who’s back from tokyo, went to karaoke… when I was happy karaoke-ing away in the room… the HR called me for the second session… ok… so, I went and met up with the director of the department, another nice friendly err… balding guy (oops, no offense ya!!). This second interview somehow provided me to opportunity to evaluate their company… ya, I evaluated them.. (at the same time, they evaluated me, of course!!) I came to a conclusion that, they (the company) comes to be quite a “clean” company… who earned their businesses through merit, rather than… arrrghh…
So… the day before we went back to his hometown for Chinese New Year, my direct boss (the cheerful lady) called me, asked me how’s the session with the director and bla bla bla… then, she told me, they planned to give me a big “ang pow”… and later briefed me with the benefits and stuff in the company… Yatta!!!
In a way, I am glad that, I was not taken by company H that immediately, cos, the office location is downtown, parking fee is expensive there, and probably even limited… I was even contemplating if I were to get employed, I may need to consider taking the public transport, otherwise, I’d have to start my journey at about 6.30am everyday, cos, the office is horribly located right in the centre of jam place, and the traffic here IS getting more and more horrible after all these years…
As for company M… ooh!!! Hehe… it’s located in just another 2-3 neighbourhood away, at the same part of the city… Yatta!!
So, I thought, when I was not considered by company H, it’s a blessing in disguise, and for the employment from company M, it’s a blessing that came unexpectedly and late… ^_^
However… the “symphony” didn’t end there, immediately I got off the phone, my headhunter called me, asked me why I was engaged and told me that company I wanted to “have a chat” with me… and bla bla bla… then I told him (err… in fact, I didn’t plan to tell him until I officially sign the letter) I’ve just accepted a job offer verbally… and since I know I wouldn’t change my mind, I told him to help me to err… “turn down” the “invitation” for me “politely”… (I didn’t want to burn the boat, so, I thought, it’s better to turn down the “chat session” than after a few rounds of interview only tell them that I’m not interested… or, if it’s another way round that I’ve to reject the “verbally-accepted” job… I felt quite bad, cos, err… my direct boss was err… kinda excited when she’s talking to me… in the aspect… haha!! Well… HE said, usually boss won’t call the subordinate directly, it’s the HR job, ie. She either is damn free, or she likes me so much ^_^, well… however, I think she’s a very nice lady)
Then then then… tomorrow… I’m supposed to start work already right? My headhunter called me AGAIN (courtesy call) to tell me that, the offer from company H has finally come… still briefed me through the details of the package (well… I’ll have to say, it’s a sales job, the commission is very good, but not the basic, however, I wanted it badly cos, it’s a BIG company!!! Kaka!! Funny mindset huh??)… and of course, the result is still the same…
So… now, I guess, my bitter sweet symphony has finally come to an end… Yatta!!
^_^V
Tomorrow I’ll be starting work again, back to office, after… err… nearly 3 years(??? Come to think of it, I stopped in Mar, 2004, I kept thinking it’s only 2 years…) of hiatus… -_- and tomorrow, I’ll be a pretty cute OL in klang valley again!!! Kakakakakaka!!!
mm… in fact, my job hunting experience since last December is not considered THAT smooth… (ya!!! After being nearly 3 years of housewife, what does one expect huh??)
my very first interview, was with company F, went there, had a nice chat, but in the end… only discovered that, they’re looking for young and attractive ladies (sounds like looking for bar girls? ^_^ nah… but they’re looking for freshgrads) and I was thinking to myself, why called me then, didn’t I state my age CLEARLY on my online resume?? Fine then…
Then… when I was returning to my hometown, waiting in the airport, another company called me (company M) , I told her I’m on my way back to Sarawak, then, she said, she’ll check again with her manager… fine then…
When I came back from my break back home, company H called me… ^_^ it’s a big and prestigious MNC, and for people from my line, I think, that’s one of the ultimate place to work in… well… I suppose so…
First round, with my “possible” direct supervisor, another nice chat session..
After about a week, second round with the centre manager, well… not so nice chat, cos, she’s very very skeptical with my consistency in my job… and mm… she striked me as a very conservative and careful (a little bit too careful) person…
Then another week plus to wait… called me in for the third round of interview with the country manager, oh!!! Lasted for only 10 min, in San Francisco Café ^_^!!! (OK!! Fine!!)
Followed by this, came another period of waiting, till I couldn’t wait any longer, and I wanna show how much and how serious I want the job, I called the headhunter… his “advice” --- keep my option opened…
Oh, ok!! I know what it means…
Then… unexpectedly company M called me again to schedule an interview… well… I’ve to admit that, that’s not an employer that’s in my priority list… however, I still went for the session… another nice chat session with my future direct boss (a very cheerful lady)!!! The horrible thing was, I was given some IQ and maths test… (which err… I thought it’s not so related to the industry… I thought they’d had given me an aptitude test or some case study, but none!!!) and the test… gosh!!! Looking at the fact of how my brain got rusty throughout these 3 long-vacation years… I really really really felt that something inside my head was stuck and twisted and couldn’t function for a few time during the tests… the end was… I didn’t finish any of them, only did the best I could…
1st IQ test was something like, arrangement of alphabets and then you guess the next sequence, for eg. b c k l m d e k l m…
2nd IQ test (as well) was worst to me… it’s those little-little round, rectangular, triangular, shaded, half-shaded, halved, etc. of patterns, and I need to figure out the NEXT pattern… and GOODNESS!!!!!!!! SOME OF THE PATTERN SEQUENCES REALLY DIDN’T MAKE SENSE AT ALL MAN!!! I’m quite sure the person who created the questions is somehow PSYCHO!! ^_^
3rd Maths test… ok… I’ve to admit, this was my strongest part… thou still didn’t manage to finish in time…
However, overall… I’ve to say, the TEST session was quite fun…
After this… my headhunter called me again, maybe he’s extra helpful, or maybe he’s obligated, or maybe as a job agency, you really will get lots of rewards by successfully introducing an employee to a company… he suggested sending my resume to company I (competitor to company H) however, this time, it’s not a sales job that I’ve always wanted… but I told him, well… sometimes, it doesn’t matter… cos, I just want to join an MNC ^_^… and I thought I can handle the mentioned job after he’s described to me…
A week later, I got to meet up with my little friend who’s back from tokyo, went to karaoke… when I was happy karaoke-ing away in the room… the HR called me for the second session… ok… so, I went and met up with the director of the department, another nice friendly err… balding guy (oops, no offense ya!!). This second interview somehow provided me to opportunity to evaluate their company… ya, I evaluated them.. (at the same time, they evaluated me, of course!!) I came to a conclusion that, they (the company) comes to be quite a “clean” company… who earned their businesses through merit, rather than… arrrghh…
So… the day before we went back to his hometown for Chinese New Year, my direct boss (the cheerful lady) called me, asked me how’s the session with the director and bla bla bla… then, she told me, they planned to give me a big “ang pow”… and later briefed me with the benefits and stuff in the company… Yatta!!!
In a way, I am glad that, I was not taken by company H that immediately, cos, the office location is downtown, parking fee is expensive there, and probably even limited… I was even contemplating if I were to get employed, I may need to consider taking the public transport, otherwise, I’d have to start my journey at about 6.30am everyday, cos, the office is horribly located right in the centre of jam place, and the traffic here IS getting more and more horrible after all these years…
As for company M… ooh!!! Hehe… it’s located in just another 2-3 neighbourhood away, at the same part of the city… Yatta!!
So, I thought, when I was not considered by company H, it’s a blessing in disguise, and for the employment from company M, it’s a blessing that came unexpectedly and late… ^_^
However… the “symphony” didn’t end there, immediately I got off the phone, my headhunter called me, asked me why I was engaged and told me that company I wanted to “have a chat” with me… and bla bla bla… then I told him (err… in fact, I didn’t plan to tell him until I officially sign the letter) I’ve just accepted a job offer verbally… and since I know I wouldn’t change my mind, I told him to help me to err… “turn down” the “invitation” for me “politely”… (I didn’t want to burn the boat, so, I thought, it’s better to turn down the “chat session” than after a few rounds of interview only tell them that I’m not interested… or, if it’s another way round that I’ve to reject the “verbally-accepted” job… I felt quite bad, cos, err… my direct boss was err… kinda excited when she’s talking to me… in the aspect… haha!! Well… HE said, usually boss won’t call the subordinate directly, it’s the HR job, ie. She either is damn free, or she likes me so much ^_^, well… however, I think she’s a very nice lady)
Then then then… tomorrow… I’m supposed to start work already right? My headhunter called me AGAIN (courtesy call) to tell me that, the offer from company H has finally come… still briefed me through the details of the package (well… I’ll have to say, it’s a sales job, the commission is very good, but not the basic, however, I wanted it badly cos, it’s a BIG company!!! Kaka!! Funny mindset huh??)… and of course, the result is still the same…
So… now, I guess, my bitter sweet symphony has finally come to an end… Yatta!!
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Your a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the things meet yeah
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change
By “The Verve” (Urban Hymns)
Try to make ends meet
Your a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the things meet yeah
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change
By “The Verve” (Urban Hymns)
2007-02-20
Up is Down, Down is Up
There are two episodes from my favourite TV shows, Boston Legal and House, which had caught my attention lately… I mean, the stories tend to stay in my memory longer…
They are Boston Legal: s3e11: Angel of Death and House: s3e07: Son of Coma Guy
Two of these shows, again, posted an enquiry on morality of human… yep, again!!!! That’s why, I love these two shows so much…
Angel of Death, where Alan Shore had to defend a female doctor in New Orleans (post Katrina hurricane), who euthanized 5 of her patients. Her testimony was that, the rest of the doctors had already fled away, and that, there’s no help coming at all (they got to know from the radio) and that the 5 patients have no chance of surviving at all, suffering in bed, the condition of the hospital was actually like a death camp, human waste everywhere… and so on…
The families of the patients wanted to sue her for taking the right in her hand to decide to kill the patients, who, actually didn’t asked to be killed… according to the female doctor, they’ve already lost all their consciousness to think, or even too weak to make any decision… ie. ask to be killed. Furthermore, there’re doctors, who, fled from the hospital during that critical period, actually came back to the court to give their testimony against the female doctor… while they were never there…
Alan’s argument was… “these decisions were made in an environment that you had to be there to understand.”
In the end, Alan won…
I wouldn’t be able to say which is right or wrong, of course, if I go by the book… however, the beauty of a story of such, is that, it makes you think… ^_^, which, apparently is the best activity that I’ll have, for my pastime. As… most of the time, we tend to be like one of those doctors who fled, and came back to condemn the others… aren’t we???
Son of Coma, where, a coma patient was waken up (temporarily) by House so that he can get all the medical history of the son of this coma guy, as the son’s liver was failing…
After a ride (in Dr.Wilson’s car) to Atlantic City, to find that coma guy’s favourite sandwich, and after a long Q&A session/interrogation with the guy, House got the news that, the son’s heart is failing too… and will be very soon… as the son is an alcoholic, he’s forfeited his ‘right’ to get a heart transplant… however, the father, if dead, will be able to give his son his heart… all the parties knew that, the father will go back to his indefinite coma again, so, House said to him, “… hanging is the best way to preserve the heart…”, yep… cos, by regulation, House was already hand-tied… he told Cuddy, “… I’ll think of a way then…”…. And that’s the way, by ‘persuading’ the going-to-be-in-indefinite-coma guy to err… kill himself…
Sad… but practical…
Sounded immoral… but practical… however, in the end, it’s the father, who wanted to do something for the son… besides the fact that, he decided to go after THE sandwich in his memory, rather than stayed at the bed of his dying son… made the decision to kill himself…
While House stayed outside and waited…
Two dark stories… however, “Angel of Death” is slightly more pleasant to watch, cos, the dark message is already being ‘candied’ with the comedic nature of Boston Legal.
Again… something to think about ^_^
They are Boston Legal: s3e11: Angel of Death and House: s3e07: Son of Coma Guy
Two of these shows, again, posted an enquiry on morality of human… yep, again!!!! That’s why, I love these two shows so much…
Angel of Death, where Alan Shore had to defend a female doctor in New Orleans (post Katrina hurricane), who euthanized 5 of her patients. Her testimony was that, the rest of the doctors had already fled away, and that, there’s no help coming at all (they got to know from the radio) and that the 5 patients have no chance of surviving at all, suffering in bed, the condition of the hospital was actually like a death camp, human waste everywhere… and so on…
The families of the patients wanted to sue her for taking the right in her hand to decide to kill the patients, who, actually didn’t asked to be killed… according to the female doctor, they’ve already lost all their consciousness to think, or even too weak to make any decision… ie. ask to be killed. Furthermore, there’re doctors, who, fled from the hospital during that critical period, actually came back to the court to give their testimony against the female doctor… while they were never there…
Alan’s argument was… “these decisions were made in an environment that you had to be there to understand.”
In the end, Alan won…
I wouldn’t be able to say which is right or wrong, of course, if I go by the book… however, the beauty of a story of such, is that, it makes you think… ^_^, which, apparently is the best activity that I’ll have, for my pastime. As… most of the time, we tend to be like one of those doctors who fled, and came back to condemn the others… aren’t we???
Son of Coma, where, a coma patient was waken up (temporarily) by House so that he can get all the medical history of the son of this coma guy, as the son’s liver was failing…
After a ride (in Dr.Wilson’s car) to Atlantic City, to find that coma guy’s favourite sandwich, and after a long Q&A session/interrogation with the guy, House got the news that, the son’s heart is failing too… and will be very soon… as the son is an alcoholic, he’s forfeited his ‘right’ to get a heart transplant… however, the father, if dead, will be able to give his son his heart… all the parties knew that, the father will go back to his indefinite coma again, so, House said to him, “… hanging is the best way to preserve the heart…”, yep… cos, by regulation, House was already hand-tied… he told Cuddy, “… I’ll think of a way then…”…. And that’s the way, by ‘persuading’ the going-to-be-in-indefinite-coma guy to err… kill himself…
Sad… but practical…
Sounded immoral… but practical… however, in the end, it’s the father, who wanted to do something for the son… besides the fact that, he decided to go after THE sandwich in his memory, rather than stayed at the bed of his dying son… made the decision to kill himself…
While House stayed outside and waited…
Two dark stories… however, “Angel of Death” is slightly more pleasant to watch, cos, the dark message is already being ‘candied’ with the comedic nature of Boston Legal.
Again… something to think about ^_^
2007-02-06
Say a little prayer…
I learnt that, physically dirty, is cleanable, but not what’s in our hearts…
I learnt that, whatever it is that I do for YOU, it’s always between me, and YOU… (I do not have to bother too much, to prove to the others)…
I learnt that, if one day I will be ill, my physical health may deteriorate, but I would pray that my spirit will be the strongest ever…
I learnt that, before we say what others SHOULD do, we may sit down and think what we can do for others…
I learnt that, before we start to condemn the others, we may look into the reflection in the mirror…
I learnt that, our very own excuse is always justifiable, and other’s is unforgiveable… (how ugly!!)
And I learnt that, when a life is perished, a new one will be born… however, the story of a life, maybe told forever… and hope be seeded again…
Tomorrow, will be… a sunny day!! ^_^
I learnt that, whatever it is that I do for YOU, it’s always between me, and YOU… (I do not have to bother too much, to prove to the others)…
I learnt that, if one day I will be ill, my physical health may deteriorate, but I would pray that my spirit will be the strongest ever…
I learnt that, before we say what others SHOULD do, we may sit down and think what we can do for others…
I learnt that, before we start to condemn the others, we may look into the reflection in the mirror…
I learnt that, our very own excuse is always justifiable, and other’s is unforgiveable… (how ugly!!)
And I learnt that, when a life is perished, a new one will be born… however, the story of a life, maybe told forever… and hope be seeded again…
Tomorrow, will be… a sunny day!! ^_^
2007-02-05
~~Women are “GOOD” PEOPLE~~
Please give me a chance to explain!!! ^_^Y…
(OK, by now, you must have known that, my ‘learning gateway’ is TV… ^.^)
Come on!! Since it’s such an MCP world and since most leaders are MALE, and since most problems now are caused by MALE leaders… that’s how I reached my ‘conclusion’!!!!!
Of course, there’re “bad” women!!! However… besides those (a handful) in the history, the rest… come on!!! Are just MEN!!!! (who’re bad)
The other day, I watched CSI, the pathologist said, “women are 7x more likely to be a victim as compared to men, and men are 10x more likely to be a murderer as compared to women!!!”
How sad huh!!!
Of course… there’re “bad” women, in the history, now, and in the future.. but most of the time, what we do, is just nag nag nag, and manipulate, manipulate, manipulate, the one who will finally EXECUTE them, is always THE MAN!!!
Blame the woman, you can!!! But men are usually (thou not always) the one who execute…
K??? just accept the fact!!!
And of course, there’re real BAD women who kill, who murder… mm… but has the number outnumbered the male murderers, serial killers yet???
I remembered when I was small… there was a song (chinese song) singing about this place, where it’s ruled by women… well… the song basically gave you a picture that, such place will be a very peaceful and beautiful place…
And for your information… if man IS never in the picture, women CAN live peacefully and happily together…
However… realistically, such place, won’t really exist… right?
mm… anyway, this is just a short notes after I came across a trailer of some war documentary on TV, I think.. can’t remember the details… however… suddenly, I felt like slapping all THOSE MEN (who cause havoc here and there) on their face!!!... that day…
(OK, by now, you must have known that, my ‘learning gateway’ is TV… ^.^)
Come on!! Since it’s such an MCP world and since most leaders are MALE, and since most problems now are caused by MALE leaders… that’s how I reached my ‘conclusion’!!!!!
Of course, there’re “bad” women!!! However… besides those (a handful) in the history, the rest… come on!!! Are just MEN!!!! (who’re bad)
The other day, I watched CSI, the pathologist said, “women are 7x more likely to be a victim as compared to men, and men are 10x more likely to be a murderer as compared to women!!!”
How sad huh!!!
Of course… there’re “bad” women, in the history, now, and in the future.. but most of the time, what we do, is just nag nag nag, and manipulate, manipulate, manipulate, the one who will finally EXECUTE them, is always THE MAN!!!
Blame the woman, you can!!! But men are usually (thou not always) the one who execute…
K??? just accept the fact!!!
And of course, there’re real BAD women who kill, who murder… mm… but has the number outnumbered the male murderers, serial killers yet???
I remembered when I was small… there was a song (chinese song) singing about this place, where it’s ruled by women… well… the song basically gave you a picture that, such place will be a very peaceful and beautiful place…
And for your information… if man IS never in the picture, women CAN live peacefully and happily together…
However… realistically, such place, won’t really exist… right?
mm… anyway, this is just a short notes after I came across a trailer of some war documentary on TV, I think.. can’t remember the details… however… suddenly, I felt like slapping all THOSE MEN (who cause havoc here and there) on their face!!!... that day…
I just won’t speak & You just won’t listen!!!
*_*
^_^
The other day, after he showed me his many “trophies” from his recent china trip, we chose to watch “Babel”… among all the others… (some of them, are just too old, for eg. “Stealth”, don’t know why he bought it, some are expected and predictable… ^_^ only “Babel”, besides the fact that I know it’s nominated for many awards in the Oscar, I didn’t know what it’s all about in fact… oh, besides another fact that, there’s Brad Pitt and other actors actresses all around the world)
Ok… we started the DVD… and I was multi-tasking in the beginning of the show, then, I went on to read the sypnosis on the DVD cover… err… he asked me, what does it say… my response was, “don’t know… don’t know where the ‘point’ is…”
After we watched for about 15 min, his turn to read the sypnosis… and his turn to say, “don’t know what’s the point!!”
There were 3 mini stages in the movie… Morocco, Mexico, and Tokyo… serious, for about 30 min, I seriously still couldn’t see any connection… so, I GRAB (with rage!!! Kakaka!!!) the DVD cover again, and had a glance at the chinese version of sypnosis!!! Eh!!!!!!!! It’s all totally different from the english version… (Light Bulb lit!!) oh, now, I know the ‘connection’…
I was frustrated throughout the first half of the show, cos, I still couldn’t grasp what the director was trying to deliver… (ooh!! Since when I’m so high-level… hehe, I ALWAYS AM!!!)
Now then, I was right on the track…
(it’ll contain spoilers!!!)
First, morocco, a nomadian family, father, mother, sister and 2 brothers… it all started with the father of the family passed a gun to his 2 sons, who helped look after the herds… then, 2 of them, started to shoot aimlessly and meaninglessly just to see how far a bullet can go… the younger one kept telling the elder brother that, the bullet can really go very very far, for eg. 3 miles!!! And he proved it…
On the other hand, there’s this couple of husband and wife on tour (brad pitt and cate)… where we can see that their marriage/relationship was under great tension… the first thing the husband said was something like he chose (for them) to come here, is because he likes it there (ie. Morocco) and obviously the wife didn’t enjoy it very much, or not at all!!!! She felt very insecure and uncomfortable in this type of place…
Then… there’s this pair of cute sister and brother kid, blonde, taken care by a mexican nanny, who’s planning to bring these 2 kids away to mexico for a short trip, to attend a wedding…
Far east, there’s this pair of father and daugther, where, the daughter handicapped with deafness… his wife/her mother has just killed herself without reason… and that brought even more ‘cold air’ and tension into this small family… (however, wow!! I’ve to say, the condominium that they stay, must be of a few million or even billion yen!!! It’s huge, the lobby was like big commercial building lobby… spacious, security system implemented… that’s never appeared in my daily japanese drama series…)
From wikipedia,
Babel (Hebrew: ???????; Bavel) is the name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon (Akkadian Babilu), notable in Genesis as the supposed location of the Tower of Babel.
In Gen. 11:9, the name of Babel is etymologized by association with the Hebrew verb balal, "to confuse or confound": Balal is regarded as a contraction of earlier *balbal. The name bab-ilu in Akkadian means "gate of god" (from bab "gate" + ilu "god"). The word "bab-el" can also be seen to mean "gate of god" (from bab "gate" + el "god").
Genesis
Babel is mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as the home city of Nimrod.
[10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. [11] Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, [12] And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. (KJV)
According to Genesis 11:1-9, mankind, after the deluge, traveled from the mountain where the ark had rested, and settled in 'a plain in the land of Shinar' (or Senaar). Here, they attempted to build a city and a tower whose top might reach unto Heaven, the Tower of Babel.
The attempt to build the Tower of Babel had angered God who, in his anger, made each person involved speak a different language which ultimately halted the project and scattered and disconnected the people across the planet.
Of course… some of you may have already known the meaning/cotext even better than me… ^_^
Anyway… years ago, I’ve watched another japanese drama called “babel” as well.. however, it’s not much to do with languages, rather, mm… again, I was trying to understand what the production team was trying to say… I reckon, it’s more like… FIGHTING GOD!!! Cos, it’s a medical drama, where the 2 surgeons in there (an underground hospital) can do miracles to whoever came seeking for help. For example, they helped produced Olympic atheletes by injecting some drugs, but the side effect was, after a few years, the gal who got it, would become bigger and fatter… but what she wanted was to be an olympic winner once in a life, so, that’s the price she paid for… another case that I remembered was, another gal got fixed with a pianist’s hands who’s passed away, and thus she could play piano… ok… I know, it’s more like unrealistic story, but then… it’s interesting…
And now, there’s this movie…
The ‘ideas’ that I gather… were
The 2 brothers, the younger brother… mm… I reckon, he was born err… ‘bad’ (in chinese, there’s a say, everybody was always born ‘good’… however… mm… I tend to think that, the percentage is 50-50, some people ARE born ‘bad’, some ARE ‘good’, that… I supposed, is the ‘decision maker’ in each and every individual, if one is exposed to a bad environment, whether he/she’ll become bad from good, and vice versa… sometimes, we like to blame on ‘influence’ surrounding us… however, why?? are there people who’re always not influenced… but yet, can even bring changes to othres)
Oh… back to the 2 brothers… so, the younger brother insisted on his ‘skill’ to shoot the gun… and eventually… they caused some ‘accident’…
The elder brother tried to stop the younger one for all his crazy act (he’s one of those who really like to prove himself to others, and he peeped while his sister, not sure if it’s real sister or not, was changing… see!!! Bad nature!! Cos… in the wilderness… no internet, no TV, no commercial brochure, only 1 family in the middle of nowhere… a kid, probably less than 10 years old, how much “bad” influence from outside he can get???)
Brother tried to stop him, father tried to lecture him and bring him back on path, he just won’t listen…
After a short argument the husband & wife went back into the tour bus and started their journey again… then… suddenly, a flying bullet out of nowhere, shot into the wife’s neck…
As for this couple… they just won’t communicate properly… he won’t listen, she already refused to speak anymore…
As for the japanese father-daughter… she won’t and she can’t speak… (due to hearing, she’s mute as well) and the father… wouldn’t know how to communicate with this problematic teenage daughter…
To her, she can’t hear, and others won’t ‘listen’ to her anyway!!!!
And lastly… the mexico side of story… the nanny, brought the 2 children (hehe, they’re the children of the husband & wife far in morocco), her nephew drove, to mexico… after a happy, noisy and enjoyable mexican wedding party.. they’re on their way home (super late at night)… and at the border, the car was stopped by the border police… however, maybe the nephew was drunk, maybe it’s because he’s a gun, or maybe it’s because he was just getting impatient, the police tried to get him to cooperate, he just won’t listen (oh!! By the way, police was american police, and they’re mexican… ie. Language barrier again!!) and he’s trying to explain, police also just won’t listen (cos, it’s 2 mexican with 2 american kids behind the car, looks like a kidnap)… in the end… he drove away ‘illegally’ and when he found out that, the police was chasing him… he dropped the aunt and the 2 kids in the middle of the dessert…
These stories in different sites, some happened parallelly, some happened just a few days, or a while ago/after to each other… but I’m sure you won’t get to see the whole movie in chronological order… ^_^
Well… this is as far as I can get… I mean, trying to ‘understand’ the movie… ^_^
I’m sure there’s more… but this is as far as I can get….
I’m not a linguist myself, and I definitely won’t understand the beauty of understanding languages and languages…
Like many of the others…
(let me side track a little bit!!! I remember in this japanese dorama series “TRICK”, the mother of the girl Yamada always likes to say “Words/Language” has its own power, don’t misuse them!!”… ^_^ she’s a caligraphy teacher!!)
Anyway… my understanding is… language is supposed to be used to ‘communicate’… (oh!! Just for your information, I didn’t attend any communication class as well.. so, I may say something wrong yo!! ^_^)
Therefore… mm… in actual fact, as long as you understand… understand the true meaning of what’s in my head… it doesn’t matter if the language is correct, or if it’s beautiful, or if it’s powerful…
Thanks to the poets and great authors that we see the beautiful side of languages being used in different way, but also thanks go the poets and great authors (especially those chinese ones) people are ‘cheated’ into the trend of deceitful and fully decorated pretentious languages… ^_^
And therefore… language, as for now… instead of being used for proper communication, … is used to attack, to deceive, to poison, to hurt, to cover up, to pretend, to sell and so on…
Worse is… when it’s used onto our loved ones…
mm… I supposed… we will never get to the day to see the Tower of Babel!!!
^_^
The other day, after he showed me his many “trophies” from his recent china trip, we chose to watch “Babel”… among all the others… (some of them, are just too old, for eg. “Stealth”, don’t know why he bought it, some are expected and predictable… ^_^ only “Babel”, besides the fact that I know it’s nominated for many awards in the Oscar, I didn’t know what it’s all about in fact… oh, besides another fact that, there’s Brad Pitt and other actors actresses all around the world)
Ok… we started the DVD… and I was multi-tasking in the beginning of the show, then, I went on to read the sypnosis on the DVD cover… err… he asked me, what does it say… my response was, “don’t know… don’t know where the ‘point’ is…”
After we watched for about 15 min, his turn to read the sypnosis… and his turn to say, “don’t know what’s the point!!”
There were 3 mini stages in the movie… Morocco, Mexico, and Tokyo… serious, for about 30 min, I seriously still couldn’t see any connection… so, I GRAB (with rage!!! Kakaka!!!) the DVD cover again, and had a glance at the chinese version of sypnosis!!! Eh!!!!!!!! It’s all totally different from the english version… (Light Bulb lit!!) oh, now, I know the ‘connection’…
I was frustrated throughout the first half of the show, cos, I still couldn’t grasp what the director was trying to deliver… (ooh!! Since when I’m so high-level… hehe, I ALWAYS AM!!!)
Now then, I was right on the track…
(it’ll contain spoilers!!!)
First, morocco, a nomadian family, father, mother, sister and 2 brothers… it all started with the father of the family passed a gun to his 2 sons, who helped look after the herds… then, 2 of them, started to shoot aimlessly and meaninglessly just to see how far a bullet can go… the younger one kept telling the elder brother that, the bullet can really go very very far, for eg. 3 miles!!! And he proved it…
On the other hand, there’s this couple of husband and wife on tour (brad pitt and cate)… where we can see that their marriage/relationship was under great tension… the first thing the husband said was something like he chose (for them) to come here, is because he likes it there (ie. Morocco) and obviously the wife didn’t enjoy it very much, or not at all!!!! She felt very insecure and uncomfortable in this type of place…
Then… there’s this pair of cute sister and brother kid, blonde, taken care by a mexican nanny, who’s planning to bring these 2 kids away to mexico for a short trip, to attend a wedding…
Far east, there’s this pair of father and daugther, where, the daughter handicapped with deafness… his wife/her mother has just killed herself without reason… and that brought even more ‘cold air’ and tension into this small family… (however, wow!! I’ve to say, the condominium that they stay, must be of a few million or even billion yen!!! It’s huge, the lobby was like big commercial building lobby… spacious, security system implemented… that’s never appeared in my daily japanese drama series…)
From wikipedia,
Babel (Hebrew: ???????; Bavel) is the name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon (Akkadian Babilu), notable in Genesis as the supposed location of the Tower of Babel.
In Gen. 11:9, the name of Babel is etymologized by association with the Hebrew verb balal, "to confuse or confound": Balal is regarded as a contraction of earlier *balbal. The name bab-ilu in Akkadian means "gate of god" (from bab "gate" + ilu "god"). The word "bab-el" can also be seen to mean "gate of god" (from bab "gate" + el "god").
Genesis
Babel is mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as the home city of Nimrod.
[10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. [11] Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, [12] And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. (KJV)
According to Genesis 11:1-9, mankind, after the deluge, traveled from the mountain where the ark had rested, and settled in 'a plain in the land of Shinar' (or Senaar). Here, they attempted to build a city and a tower whose top might reach unto Heaven, the Tower of Babel.
The attempt to build the Tower of Babel had angered God who, in his anger, made each person involved speak a different language which ultimately halted the project and scattered and disconnected the people across the planet.
Of course… some of you may have already known the meaning/cotext even better than me… ^_^
Anyway… years ago, I’ve watched another japanese drama called “babel” as well.. however, it’s not much to do with languages, rather, mm… again, I was trying to understand what the production team was trying to say… I reckon, it’s more like… FIGHTING GOD!!! Cos, it’s a medical drama, where the 2 surgeons in there (an underground hospital) can do miracles to whoever came seeking for help. For example, they helped produced Olympic atheletes by injecting some drugs, but the side effect was, after a few years, the gal who got it, would become bigger and fatter… but what she wanted was to be an olympic winner once in a life, so, that’s the price she paid for… another case that I remembered was, another gal got fixed with a pianist’s hands who’s passed away, and thus she could play piano… ok… I know, it’s more like unrealistic story, but then… it’s interesting…
And now, there’s this movie…
The ‘ideas’ that I gather… were
The 2 brothers, the younger brother… mm… I reckon, he was born err… ‘bad’ (in chinese, there’s a say, everybody was always born ‘good’… however… mm… I tend to think that, the percentage is 50-50, some people ARE born ‘bad’, some ARE ‘good’, that… I supposed, is the ‘decision maker’ in each and every individual, if one is exposed to a bad environment, whether he/she’ll become bad from good, and vice versa… sometimes, we like to blame on ‘influence’ surrounding us… however, why?? are there people who’re always not influenced… but yet, can even bring changes to othres)
Oh… back to the 2 brothers… so, the younger brother insisted on his ‘skill’ to shoot the gun… and eventually… they caused some ‘accident’…
The elder brother tried to stop the younger one for all his crazy act (he’s one of those who really like to prove himself to others, and he peeped while his sister, not sure if it’s real sister or not, was changing… see!!! Bad nature!! Cos… in the wilderness… no internet, no TV, no commercial brochure, only 1 family in the middle of nowhere… a kid, probably less than 10 years old, how much “bad” influence from outside he can get???)
Brother tried to stop him, father tried to lecture him and bring him back on path, he just won’t listen…
After a short argument the husband & wife went back into the tour bus and started their journey again… then… suddenly, a flying bullet out of nowhere, shot into the wife’s neck…
As for this couple… they just won’t communicate properly… he won’t listen, she already refused to speak anymore…
As for the japanese father-daughter… she won’t and she can’t speak… (due to hearing, she’s mute as well) and the father… wouldn’t know how to communicate with this problematic teenage daughter…
To her, she can’t hear, and others won’t ‘listen’ to her anyway!!!!
And lastly… the mexico side of story… the nanny, brought the 2 children (hehe, they’re the children of the husband & wife far in morocco), her nephew drove, to mexico… after a happy, noisy and enjoyable mexican wedding party.. they’re on their way home (super late at night)… and at the border, the car was stopped by the border police… however, maybe the nephew was drunk, maybe it’s because he’s a gun, or maybe it’s because he was just getting impatient, the police tried to get him to cooperate, he just won’t listen (oh!! By the way, police was american police, and they’re mexican… ie. Language barrier again!!) and he’s trying to explain, police also just won’t listen (cos, it’s 2 mexican with 2 american kids behind the car, looks like a kidnap)… in the end… he drove away ‘illegally’ and when he found out that, the police was chasing him… he dropped the aunt and the 2 kids in the middle of the dessert…
These stories in different sites, some happened parallelly, some happened just a few days, or a while ago/after to each other… but I’m sure you won’t get to see the whole movie in chronological order… ^_^
Well… this is as far as I can get… I mean, trying to ‘understand’ the movie… ^_^
I’m sure there’s more… but this is as far as I can get….
I’m not a linguist myself, and I definitely won’t understand the beauty of understanding languages and languages…
Like many of the others…
(let me side track a little bit!!! I remember in this japanese dorama series “TRICK”, the mother of the girl Yamada always likes to say “Words/Language” has its own power, don’t misuse them!!”… ^_^ she’s a caligraphy teacher!!)
Anyway… my understanding is… language is supposed to be used to ‘communicate’… (oh!! Just for your information, I didn’t attend any communication class as well.. so, I may say something wrong yo!! ^_^)
Therefore… mm… in actual fact, as long as you understand… understand the true meaning of what’s in my head… it doesn’t matter if the language is correct, or if it’s beautiful, or if it’s powerful…
Thanks to the poets and great authors that we see the beautiful side of languages being used in different way, but also thanks go the poets and great authors (especially those chinese ones) people are ‘cheated’ into the trend of deceitful and fully decorated pretentious languages… ^_^
And therefore… language, as for now… instead of being used for proper communication, … is used to attack, to deceive, to poison, to hurt, to cover up, to pretend, to sell and so on…
Worse is… when it’s used onto our loved ones…
mm… I supposed… we will never get to the day to see the Tower of Babel!!!
2007-01-21
Watch the Sinking, Stop the Sinking
mm… two weeks ago, we went to watch “the sinking of japan”… well, it was between “night at the museum” and “siniking of japan”, but, my point was, if we didn’t watch that day, we’ll still have to ‘arrange’ for another day to watch this show… “night at the museum”, I think, Ben Stiller’s act won’t be restricted in a small little TV box… therefore, we went in for “the sinking of japan”
yep, it’s just another catastrophic show… most of the people will say so, and, mm… from the diplomatic angle, I may say so… but, when I heard this girl behind me, after we came out of the theatre, said “it’s just like Armegaddon”… I had the sacarstic urge to tell her this “B-I-T-C-H”!!!!
yes, it’s another catastrophic show, with heroes, and heroins in there… plus some romance, however, it’s just slightly different from what we normally see… (yes, you can say I’m biased, cos, I love watching japanese shows)
I couldn’t remmeber much of Armegaddon (that doesn’t’ mean that I think the show was bad, just simply, I CAN’T REMEMBER!!)
But I can remember the slight bit about “Deep Impact’, or “The Core”, or “Day after tomorrow” etc….
However, I don’t think, they’re much the same.. cos, mm… “the sinking of japan” was less dramatic in a sense…
Of course the hero died in the end, but, I was relieved, when they didn’t even show all those long bid-goodbye speech or tear-shedding scene when the hero was to die… they didn’t even show the hero died, but we view know……
I actually thought this show is good, and worth-watching… especially with the recent ‘events’ here… and everywhere…
Earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruption, all happened in “the sinking of japan”…
And… from a geologist’s (cheh!!) point of view… it’s interesting to watch, and it’s possible to happen… ONE DAY!! (I mean, the sinking, not the stopping)
And… why I want to scold that girl, B-I-T-C-H… haha!! Cos, I like the show very much, and I really would like to know what she’s expecting to see before entering the theatre showing a movie titled “the sinking of japan”… oh, furthermore of her ‘conversation’ with her friends, she was saying “oh!!! All my favourite cities are damaged now!” then, her male friend said, “Ah!! Then you’d better go there quick before they disappeared!!”… @_@ sorry for eavesdropping!!! B-I-M-B-O!!!
Anyway, that was not how I feel about the show… I mean, like her…
I know, it’s a show, and I know, it’s so-called si-fi thriller genre… however, as where we are now, we will not see how a real tsunami, or experience an earthquake, probably in my life, as long as I am here.. (however many many years in the future, when everything is changed and tossed upside down, I wouldn’t know what will happen then!!)
But, when you see that, people, many many people… who’re trying to run for life…
I’ve to say, my feeling was a mixture…
It WAS scary in the show, (or I’m just tooooo indulged in the story and the setting) when you see the vehicles on the road, fell into the crack on the ground suddenly due to the movement of the earth…
It WAS scary, when you see the wave from the supposedly beautiful deep blue sea, suddenly become sky high and coming towards you without mercy… it WAS scary, at least for me…
It WAS hopeless when you see that most of the land was covered with the volcanic ash and you don’t see the blue sky anymore…
It WAS even more scary that, when the people in the authority only planned for their own escape and assuming that, you’ll be one of the dead people eventually and that they do not have to worry if there aren’t enough countries who want to take you as refugees… cos, they don’t have enough space in their country… it was scary, cos, when the people with the power started their plan, you’re already considered dead…
It was scary that, the supposed pride and very beautiful mount fuji will erupt eventually, maybe in the next few minutes… what they wait was only a miracle…
Of course, in the show, miracle did happened in the end…
But, miracle does exist, don’t you think so?????
There’re aren’t many born heroes everywhere, but there’re always people who wants to save somebody they love…
(in the show, the guy decided to ‘sacrifice’ so that, the girl he likes, will be able to fulfill her dream, as a team member from the rescue team, to save people, otherwise, everybody will be doomed… I know it sounds ridiculous or too small the reason to BE A HERO, but then, at least, it works for me!!)
Mixture of feelings is…
I’m glad that, I’m never born in such places, or living in such countries, that I may have to face such a day…
But I’m sad that, there are actually places like this, where those people have to live in a such a fear, day to day…
However… on the other hand… it seems like only people from these places, have grown stronger, better, and stronger… everyday is a blessing to them…
Therefore, I thought, it’s unlucky to be lucky, and it’s lucky to be unlucky…
Lucky cos, we’re faced with less challenge, but then, we loose our spirit (unlucky)… sometimes…
Unlucky cos, we’re faced with more challenges in our living condition, but then, we’ll have stronger fighting and survival power (lucky)…
Then… I think… life is fair!!
yep, it’s just another catastrophic show… most of the people will say so, and, mm… from the diplomatic angle, I may say so… but, when I heard this girl behind me, after we came out of the theatre, said “it’s just like Armegaddon”… I had the sacarstic urge to tell her this “B-I-T-C-H”!!!!
yes, it’s another catastrophic show, with heroes, and heroins in there… plus some romance, however, it’s just slightly different from what we normally see… (yes, you can say I’m biased, cos, I love watching japanese shows)
I couldn’t remmeber much of Armegaddon (that doesn’t’ mean that I think the show was bad, just simply, I CAN’T REMEMBER!!)
But I can remember the slight bit about “Deep Impact’, or “The Core”, or “Day after tomorrow” etc….
However, I don’t think, they’re much the same.. cos, mm… “the sinking of japan” was less dramatic in a sense…
Of course the hero died in the end, but, I was relieved, when they didn’t even show all those long bid-goodbye speech or tear-shedding scene when the hero was to die… they didn’t even show the hero died, but we view know……
I actually thought this show is good, and worth-watching… especially with the recent ‘events’ here… and everywhere…
Earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruption, all happened in “the sinking of japan”…
And… from a geologist’s (cheh!!) point of view… it’s interesting to watch, and it’s possible to happen… ONE DAY!! (I mean, the sinking, not the stopping)
And… why I want to scold that girl, B-I-T-C-H… haha!! Cos, I like the show very much, and I really would like to know what she’s expecting to see before entering the theatre showing a movie titled “the sinking of japan”… oh, furthermore of her ‘conversation’ with her friends, she was saying “oh!!! All my favourite cities are damaged now!” then, her male friend said, “Ah!! Then you’d better go there quick before they disappeared!!”… @_@ sorry for eavesdropping!!! B-I-M-B-O!!!
Anyway, that was not how I feel about the show… I mean, like her…
I know, it’s a show, and I know, it’s so-called si-fi thriller genre… however, as where we are now, we will not see how a real tsunami, or experience an earthquake, probably in my life, as long as I am here.. (however many many years in the future, when everything is changed and tossed upside down, I wouldn’t know what will happen then!!)
But, when you see that, people, many many people… who’re trying to run for life…
I’ve to say, my feeling was a mixture…
It WAS scary in the show, (or I’m just tooooo indulged in the story and the setting) when you see the vehicles on the road, fell into the crack on the ground suddenly due to the movement of the earth…
It WAS scary, when you see the wave from the supposedly beautiful deep blue sea, suddenly become sky high and coming towards you without mercy… it WAS scary, at least for me…
It WAS hopeless when you see that most of the land was covered with the volcanic ash and you don’t see the blue sky anymore…
It WAS even more scary that, when the people in the authority only planned for their own escape and assuming that, you’ll be one of the dead people eventually and that they do not have to worry if there aren’t enough countries who want to take you as refugees… cos, they don’t have enough space in their country… it was scary, cos, when the people with the power started their plan, you’re already considered dead…
It was scary that, the supposed pride and very beautiful mount fuji will erupt eventually, maybe in the next few minutes… what they wait was only a miracle…
Of course, in the show, miracle did happened in the end…
But, miracle does exist, don’t you think so?????
There’re aren’t many born heroes everywhere, but there’re always people who wants to save somebody they love…
(in the show, the guy decided to ‘sacrifice’ so that, the girl he likes, will be able to fulfill her dream, as a team member from the rescue team, to save people, otherwise, everybody will be doomed… I know it sounds ridiculous or too small the reason to BE A HERO, but then, at least, it works for me!!)
Mixture of feelings is…
I’m glad that, I’m never born in such places, or living in such countries, that I may have to face such a day…
But I’m sad that, there are actually places like this, where those people have to live in a such a fear, day to day…
However… on the other hand… it seems like only people from these places, have grown stronger, better, and stronger… everyday is a blessing to them…
Therefore, I thought, it’s unlucky to be lucky, and it’s lucky to be unlucky…
Lucky cos, we’re faced with less challenge, but then, we loose our spirit (unlucky)… sometimes…
Unlucky cos, we’re faced with more challenges in our living condition, but then, we’ll have stronger fighting and survival power (lucky)…
Then… I think… life is fair!!
2006-12-26
Christmas in Winter, Christmas in Summer!!
Last weekend, we had a mini-minor gathering in one of our friends' place... for Christmas...
it all started when we found out that, he bought a Christmas tree... so, why 'waste' a Christmas tree standing there so lonely??? therefore, we came out with a small Christmas gathering plan... and he offered to cook... yeh!! ^_^V
Another reason was also, ever since we got back in town, we haven't really met all our friends yet... so, Christmas is always a good time to gather around with friends...
As for me... in fact, this year is the first year where we (friends) actually gathered together for Christmas... which is... mm... hehe... a good trend to start... among us... kekekeke!!!!
potluck, or some simple dinner prepared by somebody... especially the latter... is always a very warm thing to think about... huh???
Err... where are the people??? forgive me for forgetting to take the pictures of all the 'guests' around... ^_^;;
as i was putting all my soul and my heart on the food that night, we forgot to take pictures of the people, but only the food!!! keke!!
looked very professional huh???
there's one thing that i finished nearly half of the plate, but is not in this picture... it's tuna stuffed-cherry tomatoes... too handy for me to stop picking and nicking on them... as well as the platter of sushi... ^,^
maybe i'm old, maybe i'm too imaginative, maybe i'm too indulged to the festive mood... as i always think that Christmas has to happen in winter... therefore, in places with super hot weather... i just couldn't have my Christmas mood... however... this year, it's slightly different...
maybe i'm old, maybe i'm too imaginative, maybe i'm too indulged to the festive mood... Christmas this year... summer or winter, didn't really matter too much to me anymore... but, having a Christmas gathering in a very White-ly decorated house... did have its White Christmas effect... ^_^... ghee!!!
having close friends around, in a cosy little house (with cool air-conditioned) really did give one a very warm feeling... warmth in winter... (well... i know outside is damn hot!!! and i was sweating like mad!!! but as i said... maybe i was too indulged to this winter-white-Christmas mood!!!)
I know it's a little bit late.. but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
it all started when we found out that, he bought a Christmas tree... so, why 'waste' a Christmas tree standing there so lonely??? therefore, we came out with a small Christmas gathering plan... and he offered to cook... yeh!! ^_^V
Another reason was also, ever since we got back in town, we haven't really met all our friends yet... so, Christmas is always a good time to gather around with friends...
As for me... in fact, this year is the first year where we (friends) actually gathered together for Christmas... which is... mm... hehe... a good trend to start... among us... kekekeke!!!!
potluck, or some simple dinner prepared by somebody... especially the latter... is always a very warm thing to think about... huh???
Err... where are the people??? forgive me for forgetting to take the pictures of all the 'guests' around... ^_^;;
as i was putting all my soul and my heart on the food that night, we forgot to take pictures of the people, but only the food!!! keke!!
looked very professional huh???
there's one thing that i finished nearly half of the plate, but is not in this picture... it's tuna stuffed-cherry tomatoes... too handy for me to stop picking and nicking on them... as well as the platter of sushi... ^,^
maybe i'm old, maybe i'm too imaginative, maybe i'm too indulged to the festive mood... as i always think that Christmas has to happen in winter... therefore, in places with super hot weather... i just couldn't have my Christmas mood... however... this year, it's slightly different...
maybe i'm old, maybe i'm too imaginative, maybe i'm too indulged to the festive mood... Christmas this year... summer or winter, didn't really matter too much to me anymore... but, having a Christmas gathering in a very White-ly decorated house... did have its White Christmas effect... ^_^... ghee!!!
having close friends around, in a cosy little house (with cool air-conditioned) really did give one a very warm feeling... warmth in winter... (well... i know outside is damn hot!!! and i was sweating like mad!!! but as i said... maybe i was too indulged to this winter-white-Christmas mood!!!)
I know it's a little bit late.. but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
2006-12-14
Small Car with the Big Personality...
haha!!!! i wonder if anybody can tell me, where my 'subject' came from???? i wanted to talk about something like this 2 weeks ago, when my little kancil hit the road again!!!! after 9 months without its beloved owner... my 'xiao p' a.k.a p-chan...
ya, 2 weeks ago, when we came back, when we started my 'xiao p', when i finally drove it myself... i somehow felt 'belonged'... my 'small car with the big personality'..... kakaka!!!! i like to say it, even though... even though... for those who still can recall... it's this commercial by the slutty Ruby Wax, for Vauxhall... (not sure if this car is still around though)
i like to call my 'xiao p' --- a small car with the big personality... kakakakaka!!!!!!
as... well... i practically drove it like a four-wheel drive, and stuff my guests in like it's a MPV... yo!!!!
maybe the one more thing that i've gotta try, is to DRIFT!!!! kakakakak!!! (in my dream)
today, i just sent it for services... a thorough check-up... woo!!! now, it feel even better to drive it.... it's like, it's been given this new energy jab by the workshop mechanic... a full dose!!!!
anyway, while i was waiting for the car to be 'serviced', i went to a small coffee shop nearby, to drink drink and eat eat, and read read newspaper, and talk talk on the phone, or send send sms... i am never a fan of 'wanton' noodle... or, maybe because of this reason, today... i actually thought that the 'wanton' noodle that i had, was good.... (i shall bring him there, to re-evaluate)... that shop was err... i think, was run by old people... the ONLY stall is the 'wanton' noodle stall... (now you see the reason why i, as a non-'wanton' noodle fan, would order a 'wanton' noodle)... the one and only stall was offering 1. 'wanton' noodle, and 2. prawn noodle... the stall is run by an old couple... and i saw that, the tea person, was an old lady... THAT's ALL!!! yep, plus a young guy who helps deliver the drinks...
ooh!!! by now, you can see that, i'm not even a fan of prawn noodle, and between the two, i suppose... 'wanton' noodle is still better... ^_^ at least, for me... ^_^
so... if you come to puchong... ^_^... at the big junction between puchong-LDP-sg.besi... the car workshop that i frequent is called Dinar Daya, and that coffee shop, apparently 'nameless'... is in the same row as dinar daya, facing the LDP, facing the fly-over...
... you can have a try of the 'wanton' noodle... ^_^V
hahaha!!!! as you can see... actually i want to talk about food, rather than my 'small car with the big personality!!'
ya, 2 weeks ago, when we came back, when we started my 'xiao p', when i finally drove it myself... i somehow felt 'belonged'... my 'small car with the big personality'..... kakaka!!!! i like to say it, even though... even though... for those who still can recall... it's this commercial by the slutty Ruby Wax, for Vauxhall... (not sure if this car is still around though)
i like to call my 'xiao p' --- a small car with the big personality... kakakakaka!!!!!!
as... well... i practically drove it like a four-wheel drive, and stuff my guests in like it's a MPV... yo!!!!
maybe the one more thing that i've gotta try, is to DRIFT!!!! kakakakak!!! (in my dream)
today, i just sent it for services... a thorough check-up... woo!!! now, it feel even better to drive it.... it's like, it's been given this new energy jab by the workshop mechanic... a full dose!!!!
anyway, while i was waiting for the car to be 'serviced', i went to a small coffee shop nearby, to drink drink and eat eat, and read read newspaper, and talk talk on the phone, or send send sms... i am never a fan of 'wanton' noodle... or, maybe because of this reason, today... i actually thought that the 'wanton' noodle that i had, was good.... (i shall bring him there, to re-evaluate)... that shop was err... i think, was run by old people... the ONLY stall is the 'wanton' noodle stall... (now you see the reason why i, as a non-'wanton' noodle fan, would order a 'wanton' noodle)... the one and only stall was offering 1. 'wanton' noodle, and 2. prawn noodle... the stall is run by an old couple... and i saw that, the tea person, was an old lady... THAT's ALL!!! yep, plus a young guy who helps deliver the drinks...
ooh!!! by now, you can see that, i'm not even a fan of prawn noodle, and between the two, i suppose... 'wanton' noodle is still better... ^_^ at least, for me... ^_^
so... if you come to puchong... ^_^... at the big junction between puchong-LDP-sg.besi... the car workshop that i frequent is called Dinar Daya, and that coffee shop, apparently 'nameless'... is in the same row as dinar daya, facing the LDP, facing the fly-over...
... you can have a try of the 'wanton' noodle... ^_^V
hahaha!!!! as you can see... actually i want to talk about food, rather than my 'small car with the big personality!!'
2006-12-05
When everything is down the drain, you're down the drain!!! ^_^V
guess what happened again?????????
ok... this started from the very beginning...
In the beginning of time... (ie. When we just got back from Oz/S'pore)
1. my astro, still can't view anything, even the basic channels... even though i have been paying when we're away... (cos, i've been paying the minimum while we're able to view some 'extra' channels, so, i thought i shouldn't 'touch' the subscription... see!!! there's never free lunch huh!!! now i got backfired.. which i hope not!!!)... in fact, we couldn't view any of them since this august... but i was not around... (he came back alone) so, only now, i called astro to try to solve...
2. and guess what??? i called astro, since last week... immediately after we got back, their system was down... then, i waited for a few days, called again, system still down, i couldn't stop myself from asking them, “your system has been down for many many days, doesn't your boss question any of you or scold any of you???” of course i won't be given any 'satisfying' answer... to date (2006-12-05) the system is still not up yet... i called them yesterday, they told me, TODAY!!!!! after 2pm... ya, hope you're right!!!
3. then, mid of last week, we went to IKEA and Harvey Norman, bought some new furniture, and a fridge, a washing machine, and a dryer... (washing machine and dryer came in a bundle, just couldn't resist!!! i know i know, i'm bad shopper!! ^_^)
4. so, later in the week, ikea sent the items that we ordered to our place, and we 'ordered' them to be assembled... however... half way through their assembling process... i noticed a scratch on the front panel... i voiced it out, they (surprisingly without any 'resistance') said they'd exchange it for me...
5. first, there's scratched door, second, there's one screw lack in the packing, so, they couldn't fix one of the 'legs'... ie. My cabinet couldn't stand!!!
6. then, we ordered that, our cabinet door could be fixed with extra key... it's called EFEKTIF A, then, we (including the ikea assembly men) discovered that, the EFEKTIF A, should come together with EFEKTIF B, ie. One is key hole, one is key~~~ goodness!!! now then we know that, ANY EFEKTIF B key will be able to open ANY EFEKTIF A keyhole!!!! SMART!!!
7. 3 unsolved outstanding 'issues' from ikea... however, the assembly men couldn't do anything, the procedure would be... i call the customer services (to launch a complain, i believe), then, the customer services will check with the delivery/assembly men again, then, they'll pass it on to the home delivery DEPARTMENT... THEN home delivery will call me to fix another time and date to come fix the 'issues'
8. however, let me tell you, IT'S EXTREMELY EXTREMELY difficult to get through the IKEA customer services line, and the customer services' staff was not really very helpful... or i'll put it this way... the first person that i spoke to, was not really THAT willing to help (huh!! i wonder why she want to be in customer services department... @#%@#^@^) mind you, her name is SHEENA... then, after zillions of time of trying, i managed to speak to another person again, called Addy... i complained to him about Sheena... this time, finally, he's willing to help and came back to me with something... ya, finally, to fix the second 'delivery' (the screw, the door replacement, and the key)
9. second time, ikea people came... after fixing the keyhole and replacing the door, one of them told us this... the screw that they're given, was WRONG again... so, they need to go back to change, and get the RIGHT ONE!!! oh, before they can proceed.. i've to go through the painful process of getting through their customer services phone line... ok.. this time, it's slightly easier...
10. finally, ikea people came, for the third time.. and finally, our cabinet is FIXED!!!
11. parallelly... our washing machine!!!! hm!!! see... when they delivered the washing machine, dryer and fridge the other day... i was basically over-joyed... at the fact that, i finally can do my laundrette easily (initially, we're using the super ancient twin-tub machine, ie. You gotta fill up the water... and stop the water inlet when it's full, then, start the machine, then, after a few round of washing, you gotta transfer the wet laundrette to the other tub to spin... ie. You can't sleep, you can't go out, and you've to be there to keep an eye when you're doing your laundrette... ^_^ ya, we've been using THAT for err... nearly 8 years!!) so... i was too thrilled to use the machine... i washed the pile of mountain-high laundrette... then, the next day... still thinking of continuing... however... i found out that, the machine refused to drain automatically, and even i forced it to drain.. it refused to spin... so, i called the harvey norman sales... as it was a weekend, he told me, he'll help me to get the electrolux guy on monday (the following day)... fine!!!
12. therefore, yesterday (monday) i called the same sales guy to make sure that he helped me to contact electrolux... (which i think, i can do it myself, however, since it's newly purchased goods, i guess, it'll be better if i go through the same dealer) ... in the afternoon, while i was taking my afternoon nap, electrolux lady called me up, to tell me the time when their engineer will come... mm... at least, she sounded much more helpful than the IKEA customer services... (huh!! i wondered... if if happened that we bought the item and decided to assemble ourselves... and halfway through, or upon near completion, then only we found out that, there's one screw less... what would we have to do?? arrgh... don't tell me, i've to dissemble the whole thing and bring it back to ikea???...)
13. anyway... at the moment, my washing machine is still 'hanging there', as the engineer is not here yet... but guess what?? last night, i boot up my PC (after the PREVIOUS REFORMATTING) ... it failed to launch the explorer.exe process... ie. After booting into the supposed OS.. i can't see anything but blank... can't see any icon, nothing!!!!! then i tried to see what's happening, by doing the ctrl-alt-del... another message popped up and told me that, the task manager was failed to launch (as well!!!) FINE!!!!!
14. the last thing i DIDN'T do, was to bash the keyboard, as well as the notebook... however.. maybe after all the 'events' since the past week, and a very recent reformatting of my PC... or maybe after a long night of watching TV/DVD... my brain functioned a little bit slow, as to feel anything about this... so, i relaxingly took out my rescue disk... (since the last reformat was not THAT far away... therefore, those CDs were still around my side)...
and there i am... happily typing away over here... ^_^
as this time, it's different from the last 'need-to-reformat' event, (my PC was hacked) i didn't know what really happened... as i mentioned, not far from the last reformat and re-arrange and re-configuration... somehow, quite immediately after 1.5 day of rest (for my PC) then suddenly the whole OS failed to launch the vital basic explorer.exe process........
but fine!! fine!! fine!!!!!!....
ok... this started from the very beginning...
In the beginning of time... (ie. When we just got back from Oz/S'pore)
1. my astro, still can't view anything, even the basic channels... even though i have been paying when we're away... (cos, i've been paying the minimum while we're able to view some 'extra' channels, so, i thought i shouldn't 'touch' the subscription... see!!! there's never free lunch huh!!! now i got backfired.. which i hope not!!!)... in fact, we couldn't view any of them since this august... but i was not around... (he came back alone) so, only now, i called astro to try to solve...
2. and guess what??? i called astro, since last week... immediately after we got back, their system was down... then, i waited for a few days, called again, system still down, i couldn't stop myself from asking them, “your system has been down for many many days, doesn't your boss question any of you or scold any of you???” of course i won't be given any 'satisfying' answer... to date (2006-12-05) the system is still not up yet... i called them yesterday, they told me, TODAY!!!!! after 2pm... ya, hope you're right!!!
3. then, mid of last week, we went to IKEA and Harvey Norman, bought some new furniture, and a fridge, a washing machine, and a dryer... (washing machine and dryer came in a bundle, just couldn't resist!!! i know i know, i'm bad shopper!! ^_^)
4. so, later in the week, ikea sent the items that we ordered to our place, and we 'ordered' them to be assembled... however... half way through their assembling process... i noticed a scratch on the front panel... i voiced it out, they (surprisingly without any 'resistance') said they'd exchange it for me...
5. first, there's scratched door, second, there's one screw lack in the packing, so, they couldn't fix one of the 'legs'... ie. My cabinet couldn't stand!!!
6. then, we ordered that, our cabinet door could be fixed with extra key... it's called EFEKTIF A, then, we (including the ikea assembly men) discovered that, the EFEKTIF A, should come together with EFEKTIF B, ie. One is key hole, one is key~~~ goodness!!! now then we know that, ANY EFEKTIF B key will be able to open ANY EFEKTIF A keyhole!!!! SMART!!!
7. 3 unsolved outstanding 'issues' from ikea... however, the assembly men couldn't do anything, the procedure would be... i call the customer services (to launch a complain, i believe), then, the customer services will check with the delivery/assembly men again, then, they'll pass it on to the home delivery DEPARTMENT... THEN home delivery will call me to fix another time and date to come fix the 'issues'
8. however, let me tell you, IT'S EXTREMELY EXTREMELY difficult to get through the IKEA customer services line, and the customer services' staff was not really very helpful... or i'll put it this way... the first person that i spoke to, was not really THAT willing to help (huh!! i wonder why she want to be in customer services department... @#%@#^@^) mind you, her name is SHEENA... then, after zillions of time of trying, i managed to speak to another person again, called Addy... i complained to him about Sheena... this time, finally, he's willing to help and came back to me with something... ya, finally, to fix the second 'delivery' (the screw, the door replacement, and the key)
9. second time, ikea people came... after fixing the keyhole and replacing the door, one of them told us this... the screw that they're given, was WRONG again... so, they need to go back to change, and get the RIGHT ONE!!! oh, before they can proceed.. i've to go through the painful process of getting through their customer services phone line... ok.. this time, it's slightly easier...
10. finally, ikea people came, for the third time.. and finally, our cabinet is FIXED!!!
11. parallelly... our washing machine!!!! hm!!! see... when they delivered the washing machine, dryer and fridge the other day... i was basically over-joyed... at the fact that, i finally can do my laundrette easily (initially, we're using the super ancient twin-tub machine, ie. You gotta fill up the water... and stop the water inlet when it's full, then, start the machine, then, after a few round of washing, you gotta transfer the wet laundrette to the other tub to spin... ie. You can't sleep, you can't go out, and you've to be there to keep an eye when you're doing your laundrette... ^_^ ya, we've been using THAT for err... nearly 8 years!!) so... i was too thrilled to use the machine... i washed the pile of mountain-high laundrette... then, the next day... still thinking of continuing... however... i found out that, the machine refused to drain automatically, and even i forced it to drain.. it refused to spin... so, i called the harvey norman sales... as it was a weekend, he told me, he'll help me to get the electrolux guy on monday (the following day)... fine!!!
12. therefore, yesterday (monday) i called the same sales guy to make sure that he helped me to contact electrolux... (which i think, i can do it myself, however, since it's newly purchased goods, i guess, it'll be better if i go through the same dealer) ... in the afternoon, while i was taking my afternoon nap, electrolux lady called me up, to tell me the time when their engineer will come... mm... at least, she sounded much more helpful than the IKEA customer services... (huh!! i wondered... if if happened that we bought the item and decided to assemble ourselves... and halfway through, or upon near completion, then only we found out that, there's one screw less... what would we have to do?? arrgh... don't tell me, i've to dissemble the whole thing and bring it back to ikea???...)
13. anyway... at the moment, my washing machine is still 'hanging there', as the engineer is not here yet... but guess what?? last night, i boot up my PC (after the PREVIOUS REFORMATTING) ... it failed to launch the explorer.exe process... ie. After booting into the supposed OS.. i can't see anything but blank... can't see any icon, nothing!!!!! then i tried to see what's happening, by doing the ctrl-alt-del... another message popped up and told me that, the task manager was failed to launch (as well!!!) FINE!!!!!
14. the last thing i DIDN'T do, was to bash the keyboard, as well as the notebook... however.. maybe after all the 'events' since the past week, and a very recent reformatting of my PC... or maybe after a long night of watching TV/DVD... my brain functioned a little bit slow, as to feel anything about this... so, i relaxingly took out my rescue disk... (since the last reformat was not THAT far away... therefore, those CDs were still around my side)...
and there i am... happily typing away over here... ^_^
as this time, it's different from the last 'need-to-reformat' event, (my PC was hacked) i didn't know what really happened... as i mentioned, not far from the last reformat and re-arrange and re-configuration... somehow, quite immediately after 1.5 day of rest (for my PC) then suddenly the whole OS failed to launch the vital basic explorer.exe process........
but fine!! fine!! fine!!!!!!....
2006-12-01
Feather Sleep
can anybody tell me how to sleep on a feather pillow??? gosh!!! i'm not the type of person who'll have problem with different places or different bed and so on... however, when it's a feather pillow... that's it... that's it... there go my good night sleep...
the first time we have to 'suffer' a feather pillow was in singapore...
however... these 2 days... over here... gosh!!!! there're many cushions, pillows in one bed... you know, typical marriott, reinassance style... but ALL OF THEM are feather-filled... so.. you can imagine... the sleeping queen can't sleep!!!!!!!! (cry!!! end of the world!!)
i really really have problem with feather pillows... no matter how i sleep... it'll get pressed to thinner and thinner... and then, you feel like, you're not sleeping on anything...
and it won't be shaped back like most of the other cheap sponge pillows, or cotton pillows, to the more expensive memory pillows... it just won't 'bounce' back to its original shape... that's what i hate about feather pillows...
and that's why, i've been blogging whole night...
this morning, near morning hour... i tried to get some sleep... but, no matter how i placed my head... upside down, inside out, right and left... etc.... whatever stunt i could do with my head and my neck, all i tried.. but i just couldn't sleep well...
now... can anybody just tell me... if you know the trick to sleep, on a feather pillow!!!!!
otherwise, i seriously doubt the usability of feather pillows... i guess, they're first invented purely, and solely, for pillow fight!! that's all!!!
ja!!
the first time we have to 'suffer' a feather pillow was in singapore...
however... these 2 days... over here... gosh!!!! there're many cushions, pillows in one bed... you know, typical marriott, reinassance style... but ALL OF THEM are feather-filled... so.. you can imagine... the sleeping queen can't sleep!!!!!!!! (cry!!! end of the world!!)
i really really have problem with feather pillows... no matter how i sleep... it'll get pressed to thinner and thinner... and then, you feel like, you're not sleeping on anything...
and it won't be shaped back like most of the other cheap sponge pillows, or cotton pillows, to the more expensive memory pillows... it just won't 'bounce' back to its original shape... that's what i hate about feather pillows...
and that's why, i've been blogging whole night...
this morning, near morning hour... i tried to get some sleep... but, no matter how i placed my head... upside down, inside out, right and left... etc.... whatever stunt i could do with my head and my neck, all i tried.. but i just couldn't sleep well...
now... can anybody just tell me... if you know the trick to sleep, on a feather pillow!!!!!
otherwise, i seriously doubt the usability of feather pillows... i guess, they're first invented purely, and solely, for pillow fight!! that's all!!!
ja!!
Beef Noodle and Tempura
whenever i see Jay Chou's MTV, or hear his song... they remind me of what momoko (matilda tao) has said about him...
she's one entry about Jay Chou in her blog... (i've posted her link in my link page... ^_^)
for those who don't read chinese... this is what she said... which i find it very funny and err... 'inspiring' in a way...
when i first saw the title of her blog... i couldn't quite understand... cos, she put Jay Chou together with Beef Noodle... err.... @_@?????
she said, she just couldn't understand why people like to complain about how Jay Chou never bother to change his singing style and so on... which, ya, i notice... since the very beginning till now... his songs are all the same style... ya... all these years... ^_^
that's how she put it...
"imagine, once upon a time, when there's no beef noodle at all in this world... and one day, maybe ah wong got struck by lightning and invented the famous beef noodle for the century... and after that, everybody started to copy ah wong and also sell beef noodle...
and now, you start to ask, 'hey, ah wong, you only know how to sell beef noodle meh??!!!'...
ya!!! don't tell me you now expect the famous beef noodle ah wong (the creator of beef noodle) to start selling tempura and waffles and so on!!!???"
further on... she said, style, and even a genre is very difficult to be invented..., ie. not everybody can do it... if you don't like beef noodle, then, go somewhere else!!!
ha!!! i like it!!! momoko!!!
since then... whenever i see Jay Chou... i just can't help but see him as THE beef noodle sometimes.. and i'll talk about it...
same as today... i suddenly thought about Jay Chou, so... i somehow thought of writing it down, to share with my english-speaking friends... ^_^V
she's one entry about Jay Chou in her blog... (i've posted her link in my link page... ^_^)
for those who don't read chinese... this is what she said... which i find it very funny and err... 'inspiring' in a way...
when i first saw the title of her blog... i couldn't quite understand... cos, she put Jay Chou together with Beef Noodle... err.... @_@?????
she said, she just couldn't understand why people like to complain about how Jay Chou never bother to change his singing style and so on... which, ya, i notice... since the very beginning till now... his songs are all the same style... ya... all these years... ^_^
that's how she put it...
"imagine, once upon a time, when there's no beef noodle at all in this world... and one day, maybe ah wong got struck by lightning and invented the famous beef noodle for the century... and after that, everybody started to copy ah wong and also sell beef noodle...
and now, you start to ask, 'hey, ah wong, you only know how to sell beef noodle meh??!!!'...
ya!!! don't tell me you now expect the famous beef noodle ah wong (the creator of beef noodle) to start selling tempura and waffles and so on!!!???"
further on... she said, style, and even a genre is very difficult to be invented..., ie. not everybody can do it... if you don't like beef noodle, then, go somewhere else!!!
ha!!! i like it!!! momoko!!!
since then... whenever i see Jay Chou... i just can't help but see him as THE beef noodle sometimes.. and i'll talk about it...
same as today... i suddenly thought about Jay Chou, so... i somehow thought of writing it down, to share with my english-speaking friends... ^_^V
Flags of "their" Fathers
^_^ i didn't mention that we went to watch "Flags of our Fathers"... while it was released in Oz...
mm... it's not a film that many like to mention after they watch it i guess... even though it's more 'mentioned' before it's in the theatre!!!
mm... nothing much to say about a wartime movie... besides death, and more death...
one thing worth noted was that, while we were in the cinema, we noticed, there weren't many people from the younger generation... the theatre was, err... 20% filled, or less.. and besides us, i guess, the rest of the 20% were mainly old men... which i guess, were directly or indirectly involved in that war, or other similar war that's being shown...
actually, for a moment, i felt sad seeing them, standing there, while the movie was finished and they started showing all the real-life photos on the screen, and those old men were just standing there, staring at the screen... i quickly moved myself out of the theatre, scared that, i'll break into tears again...
i wouldn't way i feel how they feel, but i more or less know what the movie was about...
as i said, wartime movie, nothing much to talk about and nothing 'exciting' to talk about.. besides deaths...
the only interesting part was the very end, where the main character John (young John played by Ryan Phillippe, he's still cute and still very Ryan Phillippe, (i thought he's sparks in his eyes ^_^) after all these years ^_^) finally passed away...
one thing he said... that, there's no real hero... when they're fighting in the battlefield, they fought for their friends, fought for those they loved...
Coincidently... i watched a japanese movie, called "Bokudachi no Sensou" (Our War)... it's slightly lighter and more towards those sci-fi storyline.. however, in the end, the leading actor also said the similar things... ie. "i don't care if i'm fight thing for a war, or for our country, but as for me, i'm fighting for my friend, for those that i love!!"...
i'm very much looking forward to the release of the japanese side of story, ie. "letter from iwojima", starring Ken Watanabe, and my favourite Nino-chan (pronounced as 'chyan') from Arashi... \(^o^)/ i'm sure he'll do the role well...
^_^.........
mm... it's not a film that many like to mention after they watch it i guess... even though it's more 'mentioned' before it's in the theatre!!!
mm... nothing much to say about a wartime movie... besides death, and more death...
one thing worth noted was that, while we were in the cinema, we noticed, there weren't many people from the younger generation... the theatre was, err... 20% filled, or less.. and besides us, i guess, the rest of the 20% were mainly old men... which i guess, were directly or indirectly involved in that war, or other similar war that's being shown...
actually, for a moment, i felt sad seeing them, standing there, while the movie was finished and they started showing all the real-life photos on the screen, and those old men were just standing there, staring at the screen... i quickly moved myself out of the theatre, scared that, i'll break into tears again...
i wouldn't way i feel how they feel, but i more or less know what the movie was about...
as i said, wartime movie, nothing much to talk about and nothing 'exciting' to talk about.. besides deaths...
the only interesting part was the very end, where the main character John (young John played by Ryan Phillippe, he's still cute and still very Ryan Phillippe, (i thought he's sparks in his eyes ^_^) after all these years ^_^) finally passed away...
one thing he said... that, there's no real hero... when they're fighting in the battlefield, they fought for their friends, fought for those they loved...
Coincidently... i watched a japanese movie, called "Bokudachi no Sensou" (Our War)... it's slightly lighter and more towards those sci-fi storyline.. however, in the end, the leading actor also said the similar things... ie. "i don't care if i'm fight thing for a war, or for our country, but as for me, i'm fighting for my friend, for those that i love!!"...
i'm very much looking forward to the release of the japanese side of story, ie. "letter from iwojima", starring Ken Watanabe, and my favourite Nino-chan (pronounced as 'chyan') from Arashi... \(^o^)/ i'm sure he'll do the role well...
^_^.........
2006-11-30
Coffee Depression
ah... i was telling my friends in Oz the other day, that after coming back from Melbourne, i started to have this "Coffee Depression"... like she used to have "Food Depression" everytime after she came to KL and back to Melbourne again... ^_^
after nearly 9 months of non-starbucks, non-coffee-bean type of coffee... i still don't have the urge to step into any Starbucks, or Coffee Bean over here, in the mean time (in the mean time only ^_^)
as i know, i'll not be able to get the same good and real type of quality of coffee... as well as, with a fair price..., therefore, i don't bother... for the time being... ^_^
however... while we're in Singapore... at least i've some other side choice... we went to TCC, we went to Pacific Coffee.. which is not so American... even though Pacific Coffee is also another near-American type of coffee... where you only find the typical common type of coffee... however... TCC (The Coffee Connoiseur) is slightly different... i'm not sure if i'd want to call it better.. as it's only an temporary "coffee depression" symptom of me, where i've lost all my usual and norm 'judgement' ^_^... but, at least, i find good decent Affogato in TCC ^_^...
back in KL... nothing....
today... i saw Chocz in KLCC.. (they've one in Singapore as well... but the one we saw, it didn't have seatings... however... why bother??? Singapore still have Max Brenner.. at least when i've chocky craving, i can go to Max Brenner.. but what am i going to do when i'm in KL??? so, i went on to try Chocz)
their menu wasn't THAT interesting or THAT norm to me... their range is too big and wide, they've almost everything, but lack of proof of their specialty in chocky products...
so, i order the bare minimum to see if they can do it right... "Madagascar Origine Rare"...
mm... surprisingly it's quite good... (ie. i'll go there more than once, in the future!!)
however.. besides this "Madagascar Origine Rare"... i didn't see other more varieties of chocky drinks or chocky products... (mm.. hopefully they'll improve one day!! or somebody please, franchise Max Brenner over!!)
mm.. ok... one reasonably good discovery for the day...
however.. my coffee depression is still not cured!!!! @_@
after nearly 9 months of non-starbucks, non-coffee-bean type of coffee... i still don't have the urge to step into any Starbucks, or Coffee Bean over here, in the mean time (in the mean time only ^_^)
as i know, i'll not be able to get the same good and real type of quality of coffee... as well as, with a fair price..., therefore, i don't bother... for the time being... ^_^
however... while we're in Singapore... at least i've some other side choice... we went to TCC, we went to Pacific Coffee.. which is not so American... even though Pacific Coffee is also another near-American type of coffee... where you only find the typical common type of coffee... however... TCC (The Coffee Connoiseur) is slightly different... i'm not sure if i'd want to call it better.. as it's only an temporary "coffee depression" symptom of me, where i've lost all my usual and norm 'judgement' ^_^... but, at least, i find good decent Affogato in TCC ^_^...
back in KL... nothing....
today... i saw Chocz in KLCC.. (they've one in Singapore as well... but the one we saw, it didn't have seatings... however... why bother??? Singapore still have Max Brenner.. at least when i've chocky craving, i can go to Max Brenner.. but what am i going to do when i'm in KL??? so, i went on to try Chocz)
their menu wasn't THAT interesting or THAT norm to me... their range is too big and wide, they've almost everything, but lack of proof of their specialty in chocky products...
so, i order the bare minimum to see if they can do it right... "Madagascar Origine Rare"...
mm... surprisingly it's quite good... (ie. i'll go there more than once, in the future!!)
however.. besides this "Madagascar Origine Rare"... i didn't see other more varieties of chocky drinks or chocky products... (mm.. hopefully they'll improve one day!! or somebody please, franchise Max Brenner over!!)
mm.. ok... one reasonably good discovery for the day...
however.. my coffee depression is still not cured!!!! @_@
Bondy Begins
Oooh!! i went to watch "Casino Royale" today... since i'm staying in the hotel.. didn't bring my notebook and whatever gears that're important to me... ie. nothing to do.. (and the TV channels in the hotel sucks... ya... goodness... why do we still have the superduper old Vision 4???? SHAME!!)
so, i pretended to be a tourist, took the hotel bus (while most of the hotels in other places, made this a 'service', but i gotta pay RM2 for this) to KLCC...
i knew i'll end up watching "Casino Royale", as at this moment, there's nothing much on show... (if they're still showing "The Prestige", i'll probably camp at the cinema!!!!!!!! but, too bad, this time, i'm not destined to be able to do that, while it was start to be shown in Oz, i left Oz, and as the whole world know that, Oz's movie schedule is slower than the rest of the world, so, when i'm back to m'sia now, it's already taken out of the cinemas... i managed to catched the LAST round, showing at 21:50 in Singapore!!!)
"Casino Royale", i didn't expect anything... just watch for entertainment... one thing with this type of film (at least to me) you'll never failed to be entertained, at least... at the same time, there's Denzel Washington's "De javu"... for this, i didn't know what to expect... "didn't know what to expect" and "didn't expect anything" is different... cos, i kinda expect to see something great out of Denzel Washington, therefore, i didn't dare to take the 'risk', as to walk in the cinema, without knowing a little bit what i'm watching!!! ^_^ anyway...
besides the FAMOUS Daniel Craig... i didn't know who else i'll get to see... in fact, i kinda didn't know what i would get to see either...
from the opening credit... ooh!! EVA GREEN, wait, this name sounded familiar... isn't that the girl from "The Dreamers"???? yummy!!! (oh!! if you wanna have a look at what "The Dreamers" is... come to me ^_^, it's Bertolucci's film..., but nothing too great!!!) so, i was wondering, hm... so, is EVA GREEN the bad or the good one????
one important thing to mention...i like the OP song... "You Know my Name", by Chris Cornell... mm... my type of song... ^_^
(ok, below will contains spoilers.. so, if you don't want to know the storyline at all, please don't read!!)
after nearly half of the show... then, only i realised... oh!!! it's another 're-installation' thing... ^_^ no wonder... no wonder this time James Bond fought more... i mean, real tough fight, rather than using all those fancy gadgets... no wonder, he was not so pro, and he sometimes, 'tripped and fail"... i see i see... then, i got the beginning lines, something like, he's promoted from 00 to 007!!! i see i see!!!!!!!!!!!
ok.. forget about Daniel Craig's head... ^_^ when i first saw him, i mean after seeing a few close-up shoot of his face... i thought.. ooh!!! a crumbled James Bond!!!! his face just somehow looked funny to me... mm... looked a little bit like one of the game's character, a monkey... can't remember the monkey's name, but i think, it's a game...
but in the begininng part, where he was chasing the guy with the bomb... there's this moment, this guy's gun ran out of bullet, so, he tossed it away... coincidently... he tossed it to Bond's direction, so, Bond picked it from the mid-air, and tossed it back to him, hit him... ie. the same bullet-less gun, one could do nothing but tossed it away, but with James Bond, he COULD DO something about it ^_^V...
after the first few fighting scenes and so on... i got it i got it... James Bond is a brainy person.. a more realistic brainy person, without all the fancy gadget... (but at that time, i still didn't get it as a re-installation of the 007 show)
mm... then... ooh... after i slightly figured out that, this is the "Bond Begins" type of show.. ah... i started to flow with the story... let's forget about Daniel Craig's head, for once, the 007 story actually is interesting.. by itself... usually, the limelight is on the James Bond.. however... i guess, this time, the story in a way, stole the limelight.. (or, am i wrong?? ^_^)
mm... for once... i kinda like the story of 007
for once... there wasn't a distinguishable one bad girl and one good girl where the bad girl always gotta sleep with Bond before the good girl... type of story...
and for once, James Bond is more serious about his relationship with a girl... (not that it bothers me too much, my favourite Pierce Brosnan also had already had an on-screen kiss with my disliked Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Halle Berry... i'm already used to 007's disappointment!!)
then... ah!!!! the part where Eva's Vesper and Daniel's James checked into the hotel.. trying to enter the poker game... where, James prepared a sexy dress for Vesper, and then, in return, Vesper prepared a tailored suit to James... and he complained... and so on...
Ooh!! i could see what's coming next... i could see!! i could see!!! well... i'm pretty excited about what i was going to see...
when James Bond finally put on his tailored suit... HAHA!!!! i know what the story-teller was trying to tell already... cos, when he finally put on the suit... i suddenly felt that, oh!!! now only it's JAMES BOND... and i know, why the future James Bond always wears tailored suit... it must be....
the girl he love, ie. Vesper who prepared/introduced him the tailored suit, died... and that, from then on... he always wears tailored suit and that, he'll never get serious with any girl anymore... mm... that explained... and of course, that's my type of story... cos, i was just too use to the Hong Kong's "God of Gambler" type of story... where Gou Jun liked to wax his hair, and he liked to eat chocolate and so on... mm... interesting... and ya, regardless if it's Daniel Graig or not Daniel Craig... i found this character more interesting...
ok... i don't have to mention about this story anymore... the story progress.. more or less a what i've guessed... and ya, Vesper died...
i've to say... Eva Green was cute... she looked a little bit like the japanese Nakashima Mika, especially with her make-up while she's in the casino... the same type of eyes make-up... however, i have to admit that, she's really quite a pretty girl, as.. after all those heavy make-up, when she was 'honey-mooning' with James Bond in Venice... without all those heavy make-up, she still looked fresh and pretty... ^_^ yummy!!! ^_^
too bad that, she'd to die in the show... ^_^ but that's what created the real James Bond right?? ^_^
lastly... i've to say, which i hate to say... "Casino Royale" is actually quite good... ^_^ (thinking of the fact that, i was one of those who criticised about Daniel Craig being Bond and that Pierce Brosnan was tossed out fo the show!!! and that i supported all other candidates while they're still auditing instead of Daniel Craig... well... however... i've to say, i still miss Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, but i don't reject Daniel Craig as one anymore, BUT... i still can't quite equate him as James Bond, thinking of his monkey head!!! HOWEVER... now i got it... now i know why they've to choose another person... as it's meant as Bond Begins, so, they can't really get the same Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, then, we'll all feel like we're watching "Back to the future" sort of movie... where James Bond travel through time and showed us how he met his real love, and how he was promoted to the famous 007...)
^_^;; then... i don't mind watching for the second time... with him!!!
so, i pretended to be a tourist, took the hotel bus (while most of the hotels in other places, made this a 'service', but i gotta pay RM2 for this) to KLCC...
i knew i'll end up watching "Casino Royale", as at this moment, there's nothing much on show... (if they're still showing "The Prestige", i'll probably camp at the cinema!!!!!!!! but, too bad, this time, i'm not destined to be able to do that, while it was start to be shown in Oz, i left Oz, and as the whole world know that, Oz's movie schedule is slower than the rest of the world, so, when i'm back to m'sia now, it's already taken out of the cinemas... i managed to catched the LAST round, showing at 21:50 in Singapore!!!)
"Casino Royale", i didn't expect anything... just watch for entertainment... one thing with this type of film (at least to me) you'll never failed to be entertained, at least... at the same time, there's Denzel Washington's "De javu"... for this, i didn't know what to expect... "didn't know what to expect" and "didn't expect anything" is different... cos, i kinda expect to see something great out of Denzel Washington, therefore, i didn't dare to take the 'risk', as to walk in the cinema, without knowing a little bit what i'm watching!!! ^_^ anyway...
besides the FAMOUS Daniel Craig... i didn't know who else i'll get to see... in fact, i kinda didn't know what i would get to see either...
from the opening credit... ooh!! EVA GREEN, wait, this name sounded familiar... isn't that the girl from "The Dreamers"???? yummy!!! (oh!! if you wanna have a look at what "The Dreamers" is... come to me ^_^, it's Bertolucci's film..., but nothing too great!!!) so, i was wondering, hm... so, is EVA GREEN the bad or the good one????
one important thing to mention...i like the OP song... "You Know my Name", by Chris Cornell... mm... my type of song... ^_^
(ok, below will contains spoilers.. so, if you don't want to know the storyline at all, please don't read!!)
after nearly half of the show... then, only i realised... oh!!! it's another 're-installation' thing... ^_^ no wonder... no wonder this time James Bond fought more... i mean, real tough fight, rather than using all those fancy gadgets... no wonder, he was not so pro, and he sometimes, 'tripped and fail"... i see i see... then, i got the beginning lines, something like, he's promoted from 00 to 007!!! i see i see!!!!!!!!!!!
ok.. forget about Daniel Craig's head... ^_^ when i first saw him, i mean after seeing a few close-up shoot of his face... i thought.. ooh!!! a crumbled James Bond!!!! his face just somehow looked funny to me... mm... looked a little bit like one of the game's character, a monkey... can't remember the monkey's name, but i think, it's a game...
but in the begininng part, where he was chasing the guy with the bomb... there's this moment, this guy's gun ran out of bullet, so, he tossed it away... coincidently... he tossed it to Bond's direction, so, Bond picked it from the mid-air, and tossed it back to him, hit him... ie. the same bullet-less gun, one could do nothing but tossed it away, but with James Bond, he COULD DO something about it ^_^V...
after the first few fighting scenes and so on... i got it i got it... James Bond is a brainy person.. a more realistic brainy person, without all the fancy gadget... (but at that time, i still didn't get it as a re-installation of the 007 show)
mm... then... ooh... after i slightly figured out that, this is the "Bond Begins" type of show.. ah... i started to flow with the story... let's forget about Daniel Craig's head, for once, the 007 story actually is interesting.. by itself... usually, the limelight is on the James Bond.. however... i guess, this time, the story in a way, stole the limelight.. (or, am i wrong?? ^_^)
mm... for once... i kinda like the story of 007
for once... there wasn't a distinguishable one bad girl and one good girl where the bad girl always gotta sleep with Bond before the good girl... type of story...
and for once, James Bond is more serious about his relationship with a girl... (not that it bothers me too much, my favourite Pierce Brosnan also had already had an on-screen kiss with my disliked Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Halle Berry... i'm already used to 007's disappointment!!)
then... ah!!!! the part where Eva's Vesper and Daniel's James checked into the hotel.. trying to enter the poker game... where, James prepared a sexy dress for Vesper, and then, in return, Vesper prepared a tailored suit to James... and he complained... and so on...
Ooh!! i could see what's coming next... i could see!! i could see!!! well... i'm pretty excited about what i was going to see...
when James Bond finally put on his tailored suit... HAHA!!!! i know what the story-teller was trying to tell already... cos, when he finally put on the suit... i suddenly felt that, oh!!! now only it's JAMES BOND... and i know, why the future James Bond always wears tailored suit... it must be....
the girl he love, ie. Vesper who prepared/introduced him the tailored suit, died... and that, from then on... he always wears tailored suit and that, he'll never get serious with any girl anymore... mm... that explained... and of course, that's my type of story... cos, i was just too use to the Hong Kong's "God of Gambler" type of story... where Gou Jun liked to wax his hair, and he liked to eat chocolate and so on... mm... interesting... and ya, regardless if it's Daniel Graig or not Daniel Craig... i found this character more interesting...
ok... i don't have to mention about this story anymore... the story progress.. more or less a what i've guessed... and ya, Vesper died...
i've to say... Eva Green was cute... she looked a little bit like the japanese Nakashima Mika, especially with her make-up while she's in the casino... the same type of eyes make-up... however, i have to admit that, she's really quite a pretty girl, as.. after all those heavy make-up, when she was 'honey-mooning' with James Bond in Venice... without all those heavy make-up, she still looked fresh and pretty... ^_^ yummy!!! ^_^
too bad that, she'd to die in the show... ^_^ but that's what created the real James Bond right?? ^_^
lastly... i've to say, which i hate to say... "Casino Royale" is actually quite good... ^_^ (thinking of the fact that, i was one of those who criticised about Daniel Craig being Bond and that Pierce Brosnan was tossed out fo the show!!! and that i supported all other candidates while they're still auditing instead of Daniel Craig... well... however... i've to say, i still miss Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, but i don't reject Daniel Craig as one anymore, BUT... i still can't quite equate him as James Bond, thinking of his monkey head!!! HOWEVER... now i got it... now i know why they've to choose another person... as it's meant as Bond Begins, so, they can't really get the same Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, then, we'll all feel like we're watching "Back to the future" sort of movie... where James Bond travel through time and showed us how he met his real love, and how he was promoted to the famous 007...)
^_^;; then... i don't mind watching for the second time... with him!!!
Rapid KL but KL never Rapid
RapidKL but KL never 'Rapid'
Another painful story about m'sian ticketing system arises today!!!
Guess what happened???
mm... mm... the story starts from the beginning!!! (i've always liked to start my story from the very beginning... i know i know, some people don't like it)
so, why do i end up in Reinassance Hotel today? (oh!!! for your information, it's a Mormon hotel!! ^_^)
well, i was just tagging along... ^_^ and tried to act like a tourist...
nah... not really.. just that, i didn't bother to drive my car out from the carpark, then, go to KLCC Suria, looking for carpark, and pay the parking, and then, need to drive back, look for carpark again!!! see????
therefore... after some shopping and chocky drink, and movie... and etc... i took the LRT back to Reinassance Hotel... mm... in fact, it's not THAT far to walk from KLCC to Reinassance... but i was lazy... at the same time, wanna see if my Touch n Go card still work after a long break...
First thing, i went to the LRT customer service counter in KLCC... a SMALL notice board put there, in front of the desk, saying that, the Touch n Go system is down!!! ($#^$%^#%&%^&@ why is every system in KL DOWN!!!!! toss them to the drain please, somebody!!! i couldn't watch Astro for many days, even though i still pay while i was abroad, and when i called the customer service, they said, their servers were down, asked me to call the next day, after 3pm, so, i did, and it's still down, so, next day, and i did, and it's still down!!! #!$#%@^%$ then, we bought some IKEA stuff, one screw lack.. i called their customer service number, nobody ever picked up the phone, and after zillion time of trial, finally some girl called BLOODY SHEENA, picked up, explained to her, she said she'll check with the delivery guy... later i try to call back to double-check... never get through the line, call the delivery guy, he said, customer service never called him back... then, after another round of zillion of time of trying... another guy called Addy picked up the phone... i complained to him about this BLOODY SHEENA bitch... finally this Addy helped, now, i'll have to wait till Saturday to see if the whole customer service thing is working, and that not all of them are walking dead bodies!!! !@#$#%#$@^%#^&^%&Y)
back to the LRT story... so, fine, i tested the Touch n Go card, it worked... so, i arrived at Dang Wangi... which is nearer to Reinassance Hotel on the other side, compared to KLCC on the opposite end of Jalan Ampang... i went to the customer service desk, asked if i can refund my LRT ticket... ya, in case my Touch n Go didn't work, i bought a ticket as well... then... to my SHOCKING!!! the sit-there-and-doesn't-do-much-thing guy asked me where i bought the ticket from... i told him KLCC (ya, i bought the ticket from KLCC to travel to Dang Wangi) and he told me, if that's the case, then, i CAN ONLY REFUND IT IN KLCC STATION... i 'ha!' very loud, stared at him... thinking that it's a joke... i came from KLCC... now you're asking me to go back to the origin point just to refund the ticket?? "Can i refund at the ticket machine then?" he shook his head... then, i told him, "what a system!!" and left...
gosh gosh gosh!!!!!!!! %#@%$%&*^$&%$%#%#%$#^&#%&$%&#^#$%#$#
there's a (i guess) some middle-eastern guy who's beside me, saw my 'situation', he asked if i want to sell the ticket (he thought i want to sell the ticket??) i told him no, it's ok... and when i came up the escalator, he asked if i what i meant was to sell back the ticket... i told him, "don't bother, i guess, one would have to go back to KLCC to be able to use the ticket anyway!!!" then, he replied, "i thought they said it's SMART system??" (Yeh!!! even a foreigner can see the SMAAAAAAAAAAAAART-ness in our system!!!"... God save the malaysian!!!!
ha!! i can't be bothered about the RM1.30 ticket... for a lesson.. it's cheap!!!
but, goodness!!!!!! really... what a system..
talking about ticketing system... i haven't been to many places to really compare.. however... the smartest one that i have seen up till now, is the one in tokyo... their ticket, made of paper, very small in size.. probably it's just slightly bigger than the label tag at the collar of your shirt/blouse/etc... but yet... say.. you bought a daily pass... then, to the next day, there's some value left, not enough for you to do a full trip... then, you'll go buy a second daily pass right? for the second day??? however... if you put the 2 little mini ticket together, into the turnstile, it'll automatically finishes off the first ticket with the little bit of remaining value, and start deducting on the second one...
we're very impressed... by such small little ticket... serious!!! maybe the system is not THAT smart afterall... but the small little mini ticket is definitely smart... whichever!!!! ^_^
frankly, so far.. i haven't seen any other system as smart as this... most of them, are the bare basic good ones, like the ezlink, or the octopus card (where, octopus slightly superceeds ezlink, as, you can use it as cash card, purchase goods from grocery stores and 7-11, etc)
ok.. i'm not really comparing apple to apple...
however... in most of the places that i've been... AT LEAST, we can refund all the extra value on the daypass or tickets, IN ANY STATION that uses the same system... oops.. sorry, but not in my own home country!!! GREAT!!!!!...........
Another painful story about m'sian ticketing system arises today!!!
Guess what happened???
mm... mm... the story starts from the beginning!!! (i've always liked to start my story from the very beginning... i know i know, some people don't like it)
so, why do i end up in Reinassance Hotel today? (oh!!! for your information, it's a Mormon hotel!! ^_^)
well, i was just tagging along... ^_^ and tried to act like a tourist...
nah... not really.. just that, i didn't bother to drive my car out from the carpark, then, go to KLCC Suria, looking for carpark, and pay the parking, and then, need to drive back, look for carpark again!!! see????
therefore... after some shopping and chocky drink, and movie... and etc... i took the LRT back to Reinassance Hotel... mm... in fact, it's not THAT far to walk from KLCC to Reinassance... but i was lazy... at the same time, wanna see if my Touch n Go card still work after a long break...
First thing, i went to the LRT customer service counter in KLCC... a SMALL notice board put there, in front of the desk, saying that, the Touch n Go system is down!!! ($#^$%^#%&%^&@ why is every system in KL DOWN!!!!! toss them to the drain please, somebody!!! i couldn't watch Astro for many days, even though i still pay while i was abroad, and when i called the customer service, they said, their servers were down, asked me to call the next day, after 3pm, so, i did, and it's still down, so, next day, and i did, and it's still down!!! #!$#%@^%$ then, we bought some IKEA stuff, one screw lack.. i called their customer service number, nobody ever picked up the phone, and after zillion time of trial, finally some girl called BLOODY SHEENA, picked up, explained to her, she said she'll check with the delivery guy... later i try to call back to double-check... never get through the line, call the delivery guy, he said, customer service never called him back... then, after another round of zillion of time of trying... another guy called Addy picked up the phone... i complained to him about this BLOODY SHEENA bitch... finally this Addy helped, now, i'll have to wait till Saturday to see if the whole customer service thing is working, and that not all of them are walking dead bodies!!! !@#$#%#$@^%#^&^%&Y)
back to the LRT story... so, fine, i tested the Touch n Go card, it worked... so, i arrived at Dang Wangi... which is nearer to Reinassance Hotel on the other side, compared to KLCC on the opposite end of Jalan Ampang... i went to the customer service desk, asked if i can refund my LRT ticket... ya, in case my Touch n Go didn't work, i bought a ticket as well... then... to my SHOCKING!!! the sit-there-and-doesn't-do-much-thing guy asked me where i bought the ticket from... i told him KLCC (ya, i bought the ticket from KLCC to travel to Dang Wangi) and he told me, if that's the case, then, i CAN ONLY REFUND IT IN KLCC STATION... i 'ha!' very loud, stared at him... thinking that it's a joke... i came from KLCC... now you're asking me to go back to the origin point just to refund the ticket?? "Can i refund at the ticket machine then?" he shook his head... then, i told him, "what a system!!" and left...
gosh gosh gosh!!!!!!!! %#@%$%&*^$&%$%#%#%$#^&#%&$%&#^#$%#$#
there's a (i guess) some middle-eastern guy who's beside me, saw my 'situation', he asked if i want to sell the ticket (he thought i want to sell the ticket??) i told him no, it's ok... and when i came up the escalator, he asked if i what i meant was to sell back the ticket... i told him, "don't bother, i guess, one would have to go back to KLCC to be able to use the ticket anyway!!!" then, he replied, "i thought they said it's SMART system??" (Yeh!!! even a foreigner can see the SMAAAAAAAAAAAAART-ness in our system!!!"... God save the malaysian!!!!
ha!! i can't be bothered about the RM1.30 ticket... for a lesson.. it's cheap!!!
but, goodness!!!!!! really... what a system..
talking about ticketing system... i haven't been to many places to really compare.. however... the smartest one that i have seen up till now, is the one in tokyo... their ticket, made of paper, very small in size.. probably it's just slightly bigger than the label tag at the collar of your shirt/blouse/etc... but yet... say.. you bought a daily pass... then, to the next day, there's some value left, not enough for you to do a full trip... then, you'll go buy a second daily pass right? for the second day??? however... if you put the 2 little mini ticket together, into the turnstile, it'll automatically finishes off the first ticket with the little bit of remaining value, and start deducting on the second one...
we're very impressed... by such small little ticket... serious!!! maybe the system is not THAT smart afterall... but the small little mini ticket is definitely smart... whichever!!!! ^_^
frankly, so far.. i haven't seen any other system as smart as this... most of them, are the bare basic good ones, like the ezlink, or the octopus card (where, octopus slightly superceeds ezlink, as, you can use it as cash card, purchase goods from grocery stores and 7-11, etc)
ok.. i'm not really comparing apple to apple...
however... in most of the places that i've been... AT LEAST, we can refund all the extra value on the daypass or tickets, IN ANY STATION that uses the same system... oops.. sorry, but not in my own home country!!! GREAT!!!!!...........
2006-11-29
So much yet So Nothing... @%$#@%@$^%#&^@$#^@$
a few days ago, my PC went down the drain... ^_^ horror story to tell... ^_^
just 1.5 days before i came back to KL (for good, hopefully!!) i found out that my PC was infected by virus, or hacked by people... well.. i can't really differentiate, but it felt more like being hacked frankly... however, i guess the procedure went like that... first... i somehow got infected by some malware or spyware, or whatever stupid rubbishware... then, by having these XXX-wares, somebody hacked into my system...
i was in s'pore.. doing my 'usual business'... ie. having my PC one for 24 hours.. (well, not exactly but, long hours!!!) and the bandwidth there was SUPERB... i guess, it's tooooooo superb that, it's similar to the door of your house is wide-opened that, the thief is just too tempted to come in and get something ^_^... see??????
let me tell you this horror story in cronological order ^_^V
first... around 04:00, i was monitoring my 'usual business'... then, my intrusion detection system informed me that, some services were trying to run by itself..., those services looked like this 9gnqx.dll, and 5ctmon(something something).dll... then, i went to see my processes... it's this extra run32dll in it... which usually doesn't happen...
so, i felt fishy about the whole thing... and since it was late, i decided to shutdown the machine and went to bed...
the next day... still thinking that, everything will be OK after a good night sleep... (duh!)
i ON my PC and again, check the process list... hm... really!! some extra services were happily running by themselves... including another new service, called test3
i killed them all... and went to check the programme folder... WOO!! one extra new programme suddenly 'reside' in my programme folder... ie. TEST3
i tried to delete it, it's locked...
and then, i tried to search for those funny .dll files, and i found them, again, couldn't delete them...
after many trial-and-error and many rounds or rebooting... i finally managed to deleted the test3 folder, and those .dll files..
HOWEVER... they 'regenerated' themselves... and forced it through the processes to become one running process...
and more horror events came up...
1. i ran all the available anti-virus, anti-spyware programmes on my PC... none of them managed to catch anything... fine!!!
2. so i thought maybe all these programmes just couldn't catch them... i downloaded more of the others... and try to install... to my surprise... ie. HORROR STORY NO.1, (as compatible as Ju-On, or The Ring) i discovered that, i couldn't run any of them, .exe files... ie. i couldn't install ANYTHING!!! (it's this 'error' message popup, saying that, the .exe is not compatible with this win-32 OS)
so, i went online to surf for more information, after surfing (still dare to surf) for a while... i gathered (from all the information that i read) that, i need to have a look at my hosts file...
3. i nearly fainted when i saw it!!!! my hosts file WAS SEVERELY modified... @%@#^%#**^$@%$#%$ and it's all those super-suspicious redirected web addresses... gosh!!! and the worst thing is... i couldn't modify it to the original version, as, i couldn't save the file... it's locked by whatever $@#@%$ hacker out there!!!!!!! !@#$@#%@^#!^&$^%@&%$^@#$%
after another few more round of trial-and-error and reboots... i managed to run those .exe files... install more new anti-virus, anti-spyware programmes.. however, still!! none of them manage to detect those funny proccesses!!!!!!!
ya... i'd better reformat the whole thing, and give it a good spring cleaning!!!!!!!!!!
the next thing i decided to do... (even though i have been trying to avoid) was to make sure that all my files were backed up properly... then, i shut down my computer... and prepared to bring home to reformat the whole thing... i guess.. that's the only way out...
SO, i finally really really shut down my PC and bid goodbye to it!!
for a while... (without a PC... or with a PC that's basically considered 'dead' or 'unusable') i felt... mm... goodly-empty... ^_^ this suddenly reminded me of an article that i've read before...
there's this guy, his house caught fire... of course, at the first instance... one would feel lost and maybe panic, or whatsoever feeling that one would have, when one's house was on fire...
however... quite immediately later... he felt relieved... according to him... over these years... he had piled up too many stuff in his house... wanted and unwanted, needed and not-needed... usable and unusable... etc... many time, he felt like throwing them away, however.. due to sentimental value, or whatever reason.. he didn't do it eventually...
and this fire...
in a way, helped him to re-new his house, re-newed his 'attachment' to those worldly belongings... therefore, he was kinda 'thankful' to such event...
mm... i thought, this type of people, will always raise up again, regardless what downturn, what disaster hit them... (of course, my case is nothing comparable to this 'house-burning-down' case though!!)
and i suddenly feel that, all the data in my PC were so unreachable, untouchable... so much of data... yet, so... nothing!!!
it's all so virtual, so unreal, and so... unphysical!! ^_^...
just 1.5 days before i came back to KL (for good, hopefully!!) i found out that my PC was infected by virus, or hacked by people... well.. i can't really differentiate, but it felt more like being hacked frankly... however, i guess the procedure went like that... first... i somehow got infected by some malware or spyware, or whatever stupid rubbishware... then, by having these XXX-wares, somebody hacked into my system...
i was in s'pore.. doing my 'usual business'... ie. having my PC one for 24 hours.. (well, not exactly but, long hours!!!) and the bandwidth there was SUPERB... i guess, it's tooooooo superb that, it's similar to the door of your house is wide-opened that, the thief is just too tempted to come in and get something ^_^... see??????
let me tell you this horror story in cronological order ^_^V
first... around 04:00, i was monitoring my 'usual business'... then, my intrusion detection system informed me that, some services were trying to run by itself..., those services looked like this 9gnqx.dll, and 5ctmon(something something).dll... then, i went to see my processes... it's this extra run32dll in it... which usually doesn't happen...
so, i felt fishy about the whole thing... and since it was late, i decided to shutdown the machine and went to bed...
the next day... still thinking that, everything will be OK after a good night sleep... (duh!)
i ON my PC and again, check the process list... hm... really!! some extra services were happily running by themselves... including another new service, called test3
i killed them all... and went to check the programme folder... WOO!! one extra new programme suddenly 'reside' in my programme folder... ie. TEST3
i tried to delete it, it's locked...
and then, i tried to search for those funny .dll files, and i found them, again, couldn't delete them...
after many trial-and-error and many rounds or rebooting... i finally managed to deleted the test3 folder, and those .dll files..
HOWEVER... they 'regenerated' themselves... and forced it through the processes to become one running process...
and more horror events came up...
1. i ran all the available anti-virus, anti-spyware programmes on my PC... none of them managed to catch anything... fine!!!
2. so i thought maybe all these programmes just couldn't catch them... i downloaded more of the others... and try to install... to my surprise... ie. HORROR STORY NO.1, (as compatible as Ju-On, or The Ring) i discovered that, i couldn't run any of them, .exe files... ie. i couldn't install ANYTHING!!! (it's this 'error' message popup, saying that, the .exe is not compatible with this win-32 OS)
so, i went online to surf for more information, after surfing (still dare to surf) for a while... i gathered (from all the information that i read) that, i need to have a look at my hosts file...
3. i nearly fainted when i saw it!!!! my hosts file WAS SEVERELY modified... @%@#^%#**^$@%$#%$ and it's all those super-suspicious redirected web addresses... gosh!!! and the worst thing is... i couldn't modify it to the original version, as, i couldn't save the file... it's locked by whatever $@#@%$ hacker out there!!!!!!! !@#$@#%@^#!^&$^%@&%$^@#$%
after another few more round of trial-and-error and reboots... i managed to run those .exe files... install more new anti-virus, anti-spyware programmes.. however, still!! none of them manage to detect those funny proccesses!!!!!!!
ya... i'd better reformat the whole thing, and give it a good spring cleaning!!!!!!!!!!
the next thing i decided to do... (even though i have been trying to avoid) was to make sure that all my files were backed up properly... then, i shut down my computer... and prepared to bring home to reformat the whole thing... i guess.. that's the only way out...
SO, i finally really really shut down my PC and bid goodbye to it!!
for a while... (without a PC... or with a PC that's basically considered 'dead' or 'unusable') i felt... mm... goodly-empty... ^_^ this suddenly reminded me of an article that i've read before...
there's this guy, his house caught fire... of course, at the first instance... one would feel lost and maybe panic, or whatsoever feeling that one would have, when one's house was on fire...
however... quite immediately later... he felt relieved... according to him... over these years... he had piled up too many stuff in his house... wanted and unwanted, needed and not-needed... usable and unusable... etc... many time, he felt like throwing them away, however.. due to sentimental value, or whatever reason.. he didn't do it eventually...
and this fire...
in a way, helped him to re-new his house, re-newed his 'attachment' to those worldly belongings... therefore, he was kinda 'thankful' to such event...
mm... i thought, this type of people, will always raise up again, regardless what downturn, what disaster hit them... (of course, my case is nothing comparable to this 'house-burning-down' case though!!)
and i suddenly feel that, all the data in my PC were so unreachable, untouchable... so much of data... yet, so... nothing!!!
it's all so virtual, so unreal, and so... unphysical!! ^_^...
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