I do not believe in New Year’s resolutions.
Quit that nasty habit. Lose those pounds. Get out of that dull relationship… A new year’s not gonna make much of a difference, really.
Unless, of course, you really wanted to do it in the first place.
I do not believe in New Year’s resolutions.
For I believe we should want to always better ourselves all throughout the year!
Happy 2006, people.
Few is as blissful as the rediscovery of a lost love.
The tingling sensations all over when you know you will once more feel the familiarity.
The dependability.
The comfort.
Truly treasured is the second chance of breathing new life into something that you used to clutch to so dearly.
Sure as hell gets your blood racing and heart pumping.
Pump. Pump. Pump-a-pumping at the mere thought of reliving all the intense moments shared in the past.
The fire.
The intimacy.
The glorious return of the great romance that you once had but somehow lost, back to cradle you in all of its warmth.
Shame on me for pretending to be a stranger for so long.
Here and now, I take this vow to never again lose you
My forgotten passion of reading.
I can’t stand looking at them together.
Heck, I can’t stand even the mere thought of them.
Is it just me, or do you also find that there’s nothing right with the Brad+Angelina union? That somehow there’s a disturbing air of pretence surrounding them?
Little miss I-carry-my-hubby’s-blood-with-me-around-my-neck-turned-oh-be-still-my-good-heart-philantropist. And Mister Pitt’s undisguised affection and adoption of Jolie’s step-kids so soon after his break-up with Rachel, uhm, I mean, Jen Aniston… You can be the world’s hottest guy, dude, but what’s the point if you have "I’M AN INSENSITIVE ASS" across your forehead? HELLO! ANYONE HOME?!!
Another salah pairing of 2005: TomKat (Cruise+Holmes). I mean, SURE OR NOT?!
All in favour, hands up please?
I really adore these words from Luis Fonsi. Beautiful, inspiring and truly ponder-worthy. They’ve helped pull me through some rough patches in my life; I’m now sharing them with you in hopes that they’d be just as kind when things simply aren’t going your way.
*NOTE: Scroll down below for the English translations
Si solamente con llorar se remediaran los problemas
Sería fácil
Si en cada lágrima se fuera la nostalgia y la tristeza
Sería fácilSi con dormir cambiara todo en una noche
Si al despertar ya no existieran los reproches
Sería fácil vivir
Oh, sería fácilSi no doliera el desamor y del amigo la traición
Sería fácil
Si se pudiera detener el tiempo y nunca envejecer
Sería fácilPero no es fácil ya lo ves
Somos humanos
Sentimos todo y no podemos evitarloHemos nacido por amor
Y casi siempre por amor es que lloramos
No es nada fácil si se tienen sentimientos
Porque la vida no es como un libro de cuentosY el que no siente su dolor
Es solo por una razón
Porque esta muerto
If problems are remedied only by crying
It would be easy
If nostalgy and sadness went away with every tear
It would be easy
If while sleeping everything will change in just one night
If when waking up the reproaches will exist no more
It would be easy to live
Oh, it would be easy
If the lack of affection and the betrayal of a friend do not hurt
It would be easy
If the time could be stopped and it never goes on
It would be easy
But it isn’t easy, you see
We are humans
We feel everything and we can’t avoid it
We are born by love
And almost always by love
That we cry
Nothing is easy if there are feelings
For life is not like a story book
And he who doesn’t feel his pain
It is due to only one reason
Because he is dead
"Sería Fácil" por Luis Fonsi desde su álbum segundo "Eterno" /
"It Would Be Easy" by Luis Fonsi, from his second album "Eternal"
The culprits: Suzanne, Azhar & yours truly
Partners-in-crime: Lyn, Nik, Lynn Lee & Jeffrey
The plot: The story is that Azhar’s dad got some vouchers for dins at Ciccio. Once Suz and Az manages to get her there, make sure she gets all shocked (read: jumping up and down while clapping excitedly with her huge eyes wide open) at the sight of Lynn Lee and Jeffrey sitting side-by-side (desired reaction: "my neighbour and my friend? wow!" Cut her some slack. She’s a Matchmaker, you see…). And when she notices Sel and Nik sitting opposite those two, then it’ll hit her that TASHA GOT PUNK’D!
Hahahahahah hope you had a great one, babes! First surprise in 29 years, eh? Not bad.
Not bad at all.
Sigh. Collecting your passport is still as lembab and frustrating as before.
One would’ve thought that with the introduction of the express passport-renewal machines, the immigration people would’ve thought of new-and-improved collecting procedures.
Of course, the gomen never fails to disappoint. Sigh sigh.
The receipt instructed me to proceed to Counter 18. When I got there, I found out from a seemingly uninterested worker that I gotta wait my turn to get the number. I asked if this was where I’m supposed to get it, and she nodded. I then queried about where I would go to collect the passport after getting my number, and she said "here also."
ONE person mending ONE counter which was allocated for TWO duties? Now that’s efficiency for you!
Sigh sigh sigh.
When you think of renewing your passport, you’d most likely be haunted by thoughts of having to line-up for yonks in a stuffy, smelly gomen office. It’s nothing short of tormenting, really.
This, while being a total zombie for waking up at ungodly hours just to ensure that you’re not too far back in the loooooooooooooong queue. Not pleasant.
Lo and behold—what I’ve just described is how it’s done in the PAST, people!
This morning, I headed to the immigration office at Pusat Bandar Damansara. Lucky for me, that’s just opposite my office. Unfortunately, however, this doesn’t mean I don’t have to get out of the house extra-early.
Leave extra-early. That was The Plan. Of course, me being little miss oh-just-five-more-minutes-please-snooze-snooze-before-I-know-it-it’s-already-an-hour-or-so-later, I only reached PBD at 9.20am. To make matters worse, my pics hadn’t been snapped yet, nor have my loot been withdrawn.
By the time I got to the pejabat imigresen, it was already 10am. My heartbeat seriously went into double mode just thinking about the torture I was about to endure. I ABHOR WAITING, argh!
So imagine my delight when the lady at the information counter told me that if I have a MyKad, I can just proceed to the express passport-renewing machines for speedier processing.
I’m like, wha…?
Well, basically, the gomen has installed these electronic equipments a la those cash-deposit auto tellers found at the bank. All u need is your MyKad, your old passport, 1 passport-sized picture, and cash (RM300 for a 32-pager/RM600 for a 64-pager). Interact with the machine and voila! You’ll get a receipt which tells you to come back the next day to obtain your new passport.
Lovely-jovely, innit. Thank goodness I didn’t get out of the house at 7ish as planned!
Must admit that I’m still quite jakun towards this new-found invention, heh. I wonder if there’s anything new with passport-collection procedures, hrmmm. Tune in tomorrow to find out.
I must’ve done something right of late as I was blessed with tix to the premier screening of (my much-awaited) "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" yesterday.
Boy, was security tight! I’ve attended several special previews before, and although all the tickets had a clause which prohibits the admission of cameras and other recording gadgets including handphones, PDAs and laptops, they’ve never really meant it before.
Last night, however, I had to go through three security personnel. The first guy inspected my handbag, the second scanned me up-down-up with an electronic device, and the third… Well, I can’t remember what he did but I know there was a third check anyway!
In any case, I was thoroughly impressed with Golden Screen Cinema’s remarkable follow-through in their efforts of curbing piracy. Kudos, GSC!
Now…
What’s the story?
Set in WWII, four Pevensie children—Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy—are sent away from their London residence to take shelter in a Professor’s countryside home. There, they accidentally stumble upon a magical Wardrobe which exposes them to the snowy lands of Narnia, a mystical world of fauns, centaurs, talking beasts, dwarfs and giants.
The four also learn of the curse—being in a never-ending winter without Christmas—which befell this place of wonder and enchantment courtesy of the evil White Witch, Jadis, whilst simultaneously burdened with the daunting realisation that it is they and only they who have the power to break the icy spell and free Narnia from eternal coldness.
As Peter, Susan and Lucy trudge through the snow to seek for and join forces with the noble ruler, Aslan the mighty Lion, they find themselves in a personal battle of their own as Edmund slips into a treacherous trail which leads him to becoming an unwilling accessory to the Witch…
Was it good?
Not wanting to reveal too much, here’s my general review…
In one word, the movie is SPECTACULAR.
Was it just?
As this motion picture was based on the timeless adventures written by CS Lewis, most people who’ve read the book have the fear of being disappointed by the movie due to excessive omissions/fabrications.
Unfortunately (and ashamedly), I have never read a single word in the Narnia series, and thus can’t provide you with my assessment.
Fortunately, though, my significant other’s love for reading had once upon a time pulled him to experience Narnia in the depths of his mind. “The movie stayed really true to the book” says he.
Pokoknya?
An undisputed must-see. But you don’t have to beat yourself up if you miss it—I’ll do that for you ;Þ
By the way…
I’m sure those of you who caught the trailer were choking on your popcorns when this emerged on the screen: “Singa, Ahli Sihir & Almari.” But wahey; if I’m not mistaken the powers that be have ripped these silly translations off of the credits.
So it was just “Kisah Narnia”—plain, simple and free from idiocy.
Oh also, for a change, it’s nice to see a movie full of Brit-twanged people with one measly American-accented fellow as a villain!
This one’s for all those who have shunned me for believing in Malaysian sports.
Squash Queen
Nicol Ann David has done herself and our country proud by becoming the (as yet unofficial) numero uno in the world. Nicol beat top-seed Australian Rachael Grinham yet again—this time at the finals of the World Open in Hong Kong—making herself the first Malaysian, Asian as well as youngest woman to ever achieve such a feat. Congrats, Ms David!SEA Games’05
My salutations also go out to Malaysia’s SEA Games’05 contingent, whose final gold medal tally of 61—our nation’s best SEA Games record so far outside the country—surpassed the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s (OCM) set target of 55.Contributors included long-awaited winners from Badminton: women’s doubles (after a 30-year wait), Athletics: 100m women’s hurdles (28-years) and Sepak Takraw: men’s regu (12-years).
Kudos especially to Foong Seow Ting, the rhythmic gymnastic darling who dazzled her way to four golds and two silvers. With this brilliant performance, Seow Ting earned herself the honour of being the athlete who’s amassed the most number of medals for Malaysia.
I’ve always known that this country has plenty of sporting talents. Given the chance and support, we definitely have the potential to make it big.
I don’t deny that there’s still much to do and a long way to go, but hey, the last thing we need is for people to stop believing along the way (or, worst still, for the rakyat to not have started believing in the first place).
Get behind your sportsmen and sportswomen, o’ fellow Malaysians. Don’t snub them just because they have not reached #1. Remember: Your cheers will help them get there.
Also, don’t just glorify them when they get there and drop them like they’re worth nothing when they have a rough patch.
Faith, people. Gotta keep the faith.
I travelled down south to Johor Bahru over the weekend for a dear friend’s wedding. Faralia, one of the most photogenic* people I know was the picture of sweet perfection on her wedding day. Congrats, my beloved lil sis. You were nothing short of stunning, truly.
*as well as one of the loveliest, kindest, prettiest, and most thoughtful
Anyways. Since we were in JB, Nik and I decided to go check out Danga Bay. We’ve heard so much about this place—supposedly the most "happening" spot around—so we wanted to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.
Oh man how I wish we didn’t set foot on that place. The stallkeepers were so rude, it’s not even funny! At each and every stall we went to, we both felt like we were troubling pests to them when all we wanted to do was buy our grub, which, in turn, will make them richer. Argh, how irate was I! “Danga Bay: Vision City of the South,” my behind! It’s more like “Dungu Bay: Vile City of the South” to me…
Two missions down, one more to go. Nik, who grew up in the capital city of Johor, wanted to seek out the places he used to frequent. And so I accompanied my sweetheart down his memory lane, revisiting his childhood memories that were left behind more than a decade ago.
As Nik showed me the house he used to call home, the schools he used to walk to, the streets where he used to ride his bike, the tree he used to climb, the place where he used to devour his favourite mee rebus, etc., I found myself being briefly introduced to his past. And somehow, I now feel a little closer to my significant other… which is nice 
Dungu Bay aside, JB was a surprisingly sweet experience for me. Merci beaucoup, mon amour!
