Why do I do this?
Read: George's Marvelous Medicine & The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl, The Magician's Nephew & The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl: A Biography by Jeremy Treglown
Reading: Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens, The Haunted Dolls' House and other stories by M.R. James, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
CD: None
Favorite song: Dakota by Stereophonics
Playing: Freecell or Spider Solitaire, depends on the mood.
Watching: The Apprentice 3, Frasier, CSI, Akademi Fantasia 3, Arrested Development
*No. of times asked if I have a boyfriend: 3
*No. of times asked when I will get married: 13
*No. of times asked when I will have kids: 2
Note: * Since I started this blog of course. I've been getting these questions lots of times before but you can't honestly believe I would count them, right? I just thought of this lately. It's interesting to know the average number of times a single girl at a marriageable age get that million dollar question. I hope other single bloggers would do the same. Maybe we can write a thesis on it! I also change "ppl" to "times" since one person can ask all three questions.
Other news:
1) Started working at new place.
2) Also got another offer but declined after much consideration.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
With aching feet and a happy heart
It's kind of funny when I read Willwolf's comment on my post "It's not like I did it on purpose!" because I actually had the same thought. Maybe it was a sign because yesterday I got an offer from the other company I applied for.
I know I said that I preferred this company (B) but after listening to my friend's advice and after long consideration I decided not to accept it because...
1) It's much further than my current location and the pay is lower so income will not compensate the extra expenses.
2) The current bookstore I'm working in is my favourite.
3) My friend told me that the bookstore location that company B offered to me is ugly.
4) It's bad to up and leave so soon into your employment.
5) I don't need to worry about what to wear everyday.
6) I can save a lot of money by not worrying about clothes.
7) Inspite of the strict rules and the cow thing I feel that I can be happy with this company. They have high expectations but I'm confident that I can meet them. They also keep up a high sense of professionalism which I like. It's like what I heard someone said yesterday -- I would be proud to work for this company.
It's been 2 weeks at my new job and so far it's been good except for the part where I got in late on the first day and my aching feet..
The job is similar to what I was doing before just that now I'm handling bigger stocks and wider range of titles, in other words more tiring. In the 8 and a half hours of work, I only get to sit down for about 1 hour which is at lunch time. Give and take the time it takes to walk to the food place, walking to the table, walking back to work, yadayadayada, I was left with 45 minutes to let my butt do it's job.
I should be so lucky if a customer would ask me to help them check for a book, because then I will get a chance to sit, even though for a minute, to use the computer. But then I'm not really well-versed with the layout of the store and the customers tend to ask for some pretty weird titles. So there's still some anxiety whenever a customer came up to me asking for help.
But I understand that I do need to shelve the books and walk around a lot because then I can learn where everything is. I must say I'm getting good at locating a particular book, provided that the book falls under the category that I'm handling that is.
At the end of the day I will be quite exhausted with great pains on my feet and thighs. Thank God that I get 2 days off every week and I appreciate the fact that the off days are not consecutive. After three days, my enthusiasm, excitement, positive energy and great smiles that I gladly offer to the customers are running out and I walk kinda funny. Can you imagine working 5 days straight? But take away the pain and exhaustion, I'm pretty happy to go back to work the next day. And I expect to loose a few inches from my thighs and tummy.
Tomorrow is the start of my first 4-straight working day. I've had 2 weeks of 'body training' and my legs doesn't hurt that much anymore. But wish me luck anyway.
I know I said that I preferred this company (B) but after listening to my friend's advice and after long consideration I decided not to accept it because...
1) It's much further than my current location and the pay is lower so income will not compensate the extra expenses.
2) The current bookstore I'm working in is my favourite.
3) My friend told me that the bookstore location that company B offered to me is ugly.
4) It's bad to up and leave so soon into your employment.
5) I don't need to worry about what to wear everyday.
6) I can save a lot of money by not worrying about clothes.
7) Inspite of the strict rules and the cow thing I feel that I can be happy with this company. They have high expectations but I'm confident that I can meet them. They also keep up a high sense of professionalism which I like. It's like what I heard someone said yesterday -- I would be proud to work for this company.
It's been 2 weeks at my new job and so far it's been good except for the part where I got in late on the first day and my aching feet..
The job is similar to what I was doing before just that now I'm handling bigger stocks and wider range of titles, in other words more tiring. In the 8 and a half hours of work, I only get to sit down for about 1 hour which is at lunch time. Give and take the time it takes to walk to the food place, walking to the table, walking back to work, yadayadayada, I was left with 45 minutes to let my butt do it's job.
I should be so lucky if a customer would ask me to help them check for a book, because then I will get a chance to sit, even though for a minute, to use the computer. But then I'm not really well-versed with the layout of the store and the customers tend to ask for some pretty weird titles. So there's still some anxiety whenever a customer came up to me asking for help.
But I understand that I do need to shelve the books and walk around a lot because then I can learn where everything is. I must say I'm getting good at locating a particular book, provided that the book falls under the category that I'm handling that is.
At the end of the day I will be quite exhausted with great pains on my feet and thighs. Thank God that I get 2 days off every week and I appreciate the fact that the off days are not consecutive. After three days, my enthusiasm, excitement, positive energy and great smiles that I gladly offer to the customers are running out and I walk kinda funny. Can you imagine working 5 days straight? But take away the pain and exhaustion, I'm pretty happy to go back to work the next day. And I expect to loose a few inches from my thighs and tummy.
Tomorrow is the start of my first 4-straight working day. I've had 2 weeks of 'body training' and my legs doesn't hurt that much anymore. But wish me luck anyway.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Zodiac Characteristics of Capricorn Woman
[comments in brackets and in red are by me]
By Pankaj Khanna [Pankaj who?]
Physical Appearance
- The Capricorn women in her early years is normally slender and somewhat weak. Her general demeanour lacks confidence. However there is definitive improvement in her constitution after 16 years of age. [True]
- The nose is generally long and the eyes are deep set. The face bears a forlorn look. The body below the waist is normally on the thinner side. [Not in my case, on the top part I mean. I must say my ass is pretty slim]
- Overall appearance of a Capricorn woman is however of a smart and attractive woman. [Mmm... True?]
Mental Attitude
- You have a strong ability to think and you can understand the human nature the way no one else does. [True but "understand the human nature the way no one else does" sounds pretty strong to me]
- You also have the ability to analyse and understand any concept well and shall possess a good memory. Therefore you will prove good at all professions that require analytical thinking and understanding. [False. I must admit I have very bad short-term memory. I always find myself going into a room and forgetting what I wanted to do. I blame second-hand smoking]
- The
General Nature
- You are quite a reticent person that is you do not speak much. It is not very natural for you to just smile & make friends. It also translates - you are not a party animal. You are modest and polite and do not believe in showing off.[Very true]
- You have a deep understanding of human nature and think and understand the concepts of life and human beings well.When a
- It is not easy to cheat you. You have a very business savvy nature Methodical working, prudence and the ability to carry on even in most adverse circumstances makes Capricorn people most successful.[I hope this is true in my case]
- Women born in this sign are great organisers and have enormous tolerance, patience and steady nature.[True] You are capable of building a team in which you will not have any favoritism but shall deal with people according to their capacity to deliver goods.[Never been tested] You are highly tactful, diplomatic, clever, cunning and selfish. [True, yeah even the selfish part]
- However on the flip side, if you allow your negative side to dominate, you can easily transform into a cunning person with the ability to cheat others and use them for selfish purposes.[I'll try my best not to allow my negative side to dominate]
Health
- Depression, discontentment, worries and the tendency to keep yourself extremely busy tells on your digestive system.[On my what?]
- Skin diseases, injuries to kneecap and dislocations of joints are the other most common problems that a
Money
- Conservative by nature, prudent and economical - a Capricorn women can amass a lot of wealth in her life.[Wealth? What wealth? I don't see any wealth around here]
- You do not waste money but save it slowly and steadily.[Huh? I do?] The investments made by you are those which will give you steady and safe income without risk. [Oh really? I'll keep that in mind]
- However it is also not uncommon for
Romance And Sex Life
- A capricorn woman loves from heart. You will not tell people about your love, sometimes not even to the person you love. You shall like simple people with simple lifestyles. You develop strong emotional love for your man and are very sincere and true in your relationships. [Never been tested]
- Being a practical woman, you do not daydream about romance or involve yourself in casual flings or non serious relationships.[True, not true on the daydream part]
- As you are systematic and organised, you can easily control your desires. You are calm and composed from outside even if inside your heart you are brimming of desire.[Oh really?]
- Your naturalness and desire to rise above the ordinary keeps you a bit aloof but you can be more passionate then other females.[True, I do seem aloof in other words I try to keep it cool] You can be ignited by a simple caress. [Never been tested]
- Your hot spots are toes, knees and naval cavity.[Never been tested]
Marriage
- You may not strongly want to marry-but you still do. [True] The deep emotional needs of the capricorn borns - along with the need for a stable family life leads to early marriage [what?] and they generally have very stable married life. [Amen]
- You are an excellent home maker [I am?] and you like simple and elegant things-not bright colours but softer ones. [True]
- Taking care of children comes very naturally to you and you can contribute significantly in rearing children into intelligent & sensible human beings. [Hehe... I hope so]
- You will have a nature of not generally taking anybody in confidence [True] but you must develop more open relationship with your husband so that he can understand you better and misunderstandings do not crop up. [Okay, I'll take note of that]
Ideal Match
- Gemini, Virgo, Taurus and Pisces are most suitable signs for you. [I've had a realtionship with a Pisces - didn't work out. And I did try to have something with a Gemini but we just don't have the chemistry, you know what I mean]
Caution
- You are the one who is equally happy in leading a solitary or a socially busy life. If you are more sure of yourself, you will become more successful. [Taking note now]
- However great expectations from your ownself and life, fear of future and remorse about the past, some times leads to great depressions for you.[I'll keep this in mind]
- Plan your life properly and give time to everything and aim a bit low. Try to be contented. That will help you surely.[Aim low? Never!]
Lucky Days, Numbers And Colours
- Fridays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are your lucky days.
- 6, 8 & 9 are your lucky numbers.
- White, green and light blue are your lucky colours.
[Yeah, yeah whatever]
Recommended Gemstones
- Diamond, Emerald and Blue sapphire are your lucky Gemstones. The gemstone you should wear should be of a vibrant Aura and should never have been worn before. Its weight shall be decided as per your body weight and age [Heard that? "Never have been worn before." So no hand-me-downs for me okay!
To all Capricorn ladies out there, does this ring true for you?
I also have horoscope profiles for other signs. You can drop me a line and I'll pass it to you if you're interested to know.
Monday, July 11, 2005
It's not like I did it on purpose!
Hear ye! Hear ye! Today was my first day at the job and guess what...
I was late
I don't know what happened! Suddenly today of all days, the exit to Jalan Ampng from MRR2 was jam packed! I know that that road can be messy sometimes, but I've never known it to be this bad, the cars were crawling all the way to Pandan Jaya! Anybody can explain what the hell happened over there at 9am this morning? I was like screaming in my car, "Why God? Why today of all days?!?!?!?"
All in all, total late time was 13 minutes.
Of course, just as I expected, I got some reminders and warnings from the HR Admin Asst that met me when I first came in, the Unit Leader that briefed me in the morning, the HR Exec who came to collect my letter offer, the Assistant Head Dept that briefed me in the afternoon, the HR Manager that met me sometime in the evening, and the Assistant Unit Leader of the unit I was to be in.
I knew that being late on the first day is like a big tabboo and the biggest sin that you could ever commit to your new employer. But come on! It's not like I did it on purpose!
I knew that there would be repercussions. The Asst Head Dept told me that it will effect my appraisal and thus effect my bonus and increment, which is a common practice and quite acceptable to me. But later on, my Asst Leader told me that the staff can be downgraded if he/she has a minimum of 2 (two) lateness within the ENTIRE year (365 days).
You see, the company graded their employees according to their expertise and performance. I guess we are like cows:
A for juicy, tender meat, very punctual and gives a lot of milk
B for good skin, tender meat, great attitude but come into the barn late from time to time
C for little knowledge, sour milk but good leather skin
D for skin only good for cheap imitation products, flesh good for hamburgers, all in all good for firing.
If within that year, a grade A cow were to come in late on two, I repeat TWO or DOS or DUA or ER or 2 days, it will be downgraded to B. Very tight-ass policy of you ask me.
Well, okay I do have doubts whether I can survive this kind of condition but what to do? Of all the companies I applied, they were the only ones who wanted me. Kind of sad if you think about it that way.
However, I still have a ray of hope because after I was accepted into this company, I got an interview with another company. I would prefer this other company since it's bigger and I know the learning experience will be much more different. What if this company is as tight-ass as this current one, you might ask. I won't mind, at least I have the kind of work experience I wanted, working with a bookstore that has a chain of retail shops under its belly. I am hoping that they will call me by this week. If not, then I would have to close that window.
If you have a rough idea which company I'm talking about, just keep it to yourself. I'd rather people not know where I work. It would be committing another great booboo, talking bad about your employer on the net. And if I got caught there would be no excuse because this time I did do it on purpose!
I was late
I don't know what happened! Suddenly today of all days, the exit to Jalan Ampng from MRR2 was jam packed! I know that that road can be messy sometimes, but I've never known it to be this bad, the cars were crawling all the way to Pandan Jaya! Anybody can explain what the hell happened over there at 9am this morning? I was like screaming in my car, "Why God? Why today of all days?!?!?!?"
All in all, total late time was 13 minutes.
Of course, just as I expected, I got some reminders and warnings from the HR Admin Asst that met me when I first came in, the Unit Leader that briefed me in the morning, the HR Exec who came to collect my letter offer, the Assistant Head Dept that briefed me in the afternoon, the HR Manager that met me sometime in the evening, and the Assistant Unit Leader of the unit I was to be in.
I knew that being late on the first day is like a big tabboo and the biggest sin that you could ever commit to your new employer. But come on! It's not like I did it on purpose!
I knew that there would be repercussions. The Asst Head Dept told me that it will effect my appraisal and thus effect my bonus and increment, which is a common practice and quite acceptable to me. But later on, my Asst Leader told me that the staff can be downgraded if he/she has a minimum of 2 (two) lateness within the ENTIRE year (365 days).
You see, the company graded their employees according to their expertise and performance. I guess we are like cows:
A for juicy, tender meat, very punctual and gives a lot of milk
B for good skin, tender meat, great attitude but come into the barn late from time to time
C for little knowledge, sour milk but good leather skin
D for skin only good for cheap imitation products, flesh good for hamburgers, all in all good for firing.
If within that year, a grade A cow were to come in late on two, I repeat TWO or DOS or DUA or ER or 2 days, it will be downgraded to B. Very tight-ass policy of you ask me.
Well, okay I do have doubts whether I can survive this kind of condition but what to do? Of all the companies I applied, they were the only ones who wanted me. Kind of sad if you think about it that way.
However, I still have a ray of hope because after I was accepted into this company, I got an interview with another company. I would prefer this other company since it's bigger and I know the learning experience will be much more different. What if this company is as tight-ass as this current one, you might ask. I won't mind, at least I have the kind of work experience I wanted, working with a bookstore that has a chain of retail shops under its belly. I am hoping that they will call me by this week. If not, then I would have to close that window.
If you have a rough idea which company I'm talking about, just keep it to yourself. I'd rather people not know where I work. It would be committing another great booboo, talking bad about your employer on the net. And if I got caught there would be no excuse because this time I did do it on purpose!
Saturday, July 09, 2005
That can only mean one thing
Hehehe... HBO is showing reruns of Carnivale which can only mean one thing...
THE NEW SEASON IS COMING!
The story is the most intriguing that I have ever seen. When you go down to the nitty gritty it's actually about the age-old fight between good and evil. But the question that arises throughout the story is who's good and who's bad.
It's the American dust bowl, 1930s, the great depression. A carnival is traveling around the dust bowl taking with them a mysterious 18 year old boy. Somewhere else, a priest is passionately fighting for the soul of his community but his methods may be questionable. So, who's the good guy? Who's the bad guy?
Is it Justin Crowe (played by the enigmatic Clancy Brown)? A priest gifted/cursed with the ability to make people witness their own sins and see the consequence of their actions. A woman who steals from the charity bowl was made to painfully regurgitate coins from her stomach. She repented and became a very pious follower of the Lord after that. A bar owner who has an unnatural liking for boys was forced to see who he really is. That night he shoot himself in the head and Brother Justin conveniently acquired the bar and turned it into a church. Is he evil?
Or is it Ben Hawkins (played by Nick Stahl) ? A boy who is gifted/cursed with the ability to cure any sickness and even bring back the dead, but not without drawing the life force of the things around him. Everytime he cures someone everything around him dies, be it plant, animals and I guess people too though I never seen him do it around people. Is he good?
One thing for sure, they're destined to meet for a final showdown. But who do you want to win?
Another thing that I love about this series is the Carny Lingo or Carnival Language. Here are some samples...
"Where do you drop anchor?"
Where are you sleeping tonight?
"We're already choking on the nut."
Our overhead expenses far exceed our current income.
"Keep your peepers on the road."
Keep your eyes on the road
"C'mon children, we got dust to shake."
Come on people, let's go.
Even more appealing when said with a southern drawl.
If this is not appealing enough maybe I should mention the Templar Order. You know, the mysterious group that can be traced all the way to King Arthur's time? Any historical mysteries that cannot be explained will surely be tied to this order. it is so mysterious that it has always managed to be intertwined in many fictitious stories. It was mentioned in the movie National Treasure, Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code, the computer game Gabriel Knight: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, and now the TV series Carnivale.
Check out the official website. It's pretty cool and complete. But be careful when browsing around because I accidently discovered who's the man with the tatoo of a tree on his body. Damn.
Update (4 Aug 2005) : I just found out the show has been cancelled! HBO cited financial reasons. Would you believe that? "Financial reasons". Financial reason my ass! But I do hope that HBO would still show the second season here. They better. If not I will 'mengamuk' like hell..
THE NEW SEASON IS COMING!
The story is the most intriguing that I have ever seen. When you go down to the nitty gritty it's actually about the age-old fight between good and evil. But the question that arises throughout the story is who's good and who's bad.
It's the American dust bowl, 1930s, the great depression. A carnival is traveling around the dust bowl taking with them a mysterious 18 year old boy. Somewhere else, a priest is passionately fighting for the soul of his community but his methods may be questionable. So, who's the good guy? Who's the bad guy?
Is it Justin Crowe (played by the enigmatic Clancy Brown)? A priest gifted/cursed with the ability to make people witness their own sins and see the consequence of their actions. A woman who steals from the charity bowl was made to painfully regurgitate coins from her stomach. She repented and became a very pious follower of the Lord after that. A bar owner who has an unnatural liking for boys was forced to see who he really is. That night he shoot himself in the head and Brother Justin conveniently acquired the bar and turned it into a church. Is he evil?
Or is it Ben Hawkins (played by Nick Stahl) ? A boy who is gifted/cursed with the ability to cure any sickness and even bring back the dead, but not without drawing the life force of the things around him. Everytime he cures someone everything around him dies, be it plant, animals and I guess people too though I never seen him do it around people. Is he good?
One thing for sure, they're destined to meet for a final showdown. But who do you want to win?
Another thing that I love about this series is the Carny Lingo or Carnival Language. Here are some samples...
"Where do you drop anchor?"
Where are you sleeping tonight?
"We're already choking on the nut."
Our overhead expenses far exceed our current income.
"Keep your peepers on the road."
Keep your eyes on the road
"C'mon children, we got dust to shake."
Come on people, let's go.
Even more appealing when said with a southern drawl.
If this is not appealing enough maybe I should mention the Templar Order. You know, the mysterious group that can be traced all the way to King Arthur's time? Any historical mysteries that cannot be explained will surely be tied to this order. it is so mysterious that it has always managed to be intertwined in many fictitious stories. It was mentioned in the movie National Treasure, Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code, the computer game Gabriel Knight: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, and now the TV series Carnivale.
Check out the official website. It's pretty cool and complete. But be careful when browsing around because I accidently discovered who's the man with the tatoo of a tree on his body. Damn.
Update (4 Aug 2005) : I just found out the show has been cancelled! HBO cited financial reasons. Would you believe that? "Financial reasons". Financial reason my ass! But I do hope that HBO would still show the second season here. They better. If not I will 'mengamuk' like hell..
Friday, July 08, 2005
I think it's time
To talk about a reality show again.
Yeah... I hate to admit this too but I caught the AF fever. It sure took a long time for me to caught it. I must have had quite a strong immune system against reality talent shows.
During the first season, all I watched were the final concert and that was only during the interesting stuff like Vince's and Nija's performance. Rest of the time I was just listening to it from my room while I was doing God knows what back then.
Second year, the temperature rises up a little. Apart from the final concert I also watched the weekly concert from to time. But the above condition still applies i.e. most of the time I will just listen to concert from my room and come out when I feel there's something interesting going on. Oh yeah, I also began to Afundi during this season.
This year, I've watched all the concerts from beginning to end, and if I can't help it, I never missed the diaries either. But I still haven't started Afundi yet. Maybe because I still couldn't find that one student I would love to root for.
During AF2, I was so surprised that Zarina went out that I have to jump onto the bandwagon and started voting. Most of the time I voted for Zahid but I threw a few for Fara after watching her performance at the final concert. I don't think she would win but she deserved to be at the top three. When everyone was Afmasuk-ing Linda I was Afmasuk-ing Zarina. Linda may have the voice but I don't think she has the ability to 'work' the audience, you know what I mean? You give her a song and she will sing it well, but throw her a bone she won't know what to do with it. Like the time when two musicians went ahead and upstaged her. Anyway, that's old news.
Let's get back to the present time.
This year, there's something weird going on. While last year it was the Mas phenomenon (can't really sing but still managed to breeze through until the 8th week defeating more talented students like Zarina, Anding, and Edlin), this year the top 2 place are always monopolized by these 2 guys, affectionately called by Cikgu Marlia the "Kembar Siam" [Siamese Twins]; Mawi and Felix at first and second place respectively.
With this kind of 'freakish' consistency, I'm thinking that Akademi Fantasia 3 now has become a competition, not for the first place anymore, but for the third place among the remaining students (currently 7 of them: Akma, Ekin, Marsha, Amylea, Yazer, Aidil and Kefli).
Though I admit that Mawi has a great voice I don't think that he deserves to be the champion. I want Malaysian entertainers not only able to belt out great songs but they must also be consistent, multi-talented, savvy, and smart. Mawi has a great voice, but unfortunately I don't think he's savvy enough to survive the industry. After 5 performances I don't think he's consistent. He forgot the lyrics in the second qualifying concert, he forgot the lyrics and messed up the melody in the first concert and he lost his timing in the last concert. It's quite a shame really. He could have delivered Beautiful Maria beautifully but he blew it. M. Nasir even gave him the thumbs up but I guess it was premature since he messed it up in the end.
His inconsistencies may also be caused by overwhelming emotion due to the great screams from his fans everytime he came up. But that just shows another weakness. If he can't appreciate his fans' enthusiasm, how will he give his best to them in return?
Felix on the other hand is the one that I won't mind seeing driving the car in the end. He may not have the dynamics but he still has great vocals and consistently gives great performances every week. Should I add that he has great personality as well? Previous years we have Vince and Zahid, this year's funny-man is Felix. I don't know if it's just a coincidence but funny-men tend to win people's hearts so I guess Felix could win this. Yeah, Mawi is funny too but I think it's more because of his awkwardness rather than his sense of humour.
This Mawi phenomenon is really outrageous. It has become a fight of who's the fanatic. They insisted that they're not and very eager to deny it whenever someone even mentions the word 'fanatic'. I mean, the people could be talking about fanatic for Akma or Amy or Aznil but they will be quick to deny that they are not a Mawi fanatic. However, if you leave messages like...
"Mawi World!!!!!!!"
"Mawi is the Best!!!!!"
"Afundila Mawi!"
in a thread about M.Nasir, then I think you have a serious problem.
As for me, I think it's time to start voting again. I do like Felix but I want to give another student a chance for once. I think Amylea deserve my vote. Who cares about recent events. She got the talent, she's very consistent, and you can expect nothing but the best from her. She has the making of a great entertainer.
Go Amylea!
but I don't want Yazer to go out either...
Yeah... I hate to admit this too but I caught the AF fever. It sure took a long time for me to caught it. I must have had quite a strong immune system against reality talent shows.
During the first season, all I watched were the final concert and that was only during the interesting stuff like Vince's and Nija's performance. Rest of the time I was just listening to it from my room while I was doing God knows what back then.
Second year, the temperature rises up a little. Apart from the final concert I also watched the weekly concert from to time. But the above condition still applies i.e. most of the time I will just listen to concert from my room and come out when I feel there's something interesting going on. Oh yeah, I also began to Afundi during this season.
This year, I've watched all the concerts from beginning to end, and if I can't help it, I never missed the diaries either. But I still haven't started Afundi yet. Maybe because I still couldn't find that one student I would love to root for.
During AF2, I was so surprised that Zarina went out that I have to jump onto the bandwagon and started voting. Most of the time I voted for Zahid but I threw a few for Fara after watching her performance at the final concert. I don't think she would win but she deserved to be at the top three. When everyone was Afmasuk-ing Linda I was Afmasuk-ing Zarina. Linda may have the voice but I don't think she has the ability to 'work' the audience, you know what I mean? You give her a song and she will sing it well, but throw her a bone she won't know what to do with it. Like the time when two musicians went ahead and upstaged her. Anyway, that's old news.
Let's get back to the present time.
This year, there's something weird going on. While last year it was the Mas phenomenon (can't really sing but still managed to breeze through until the 8th week defeating more talented students like Zarina, Anding, and Edlin), this year the top 2 place are always monopolized by these 2 guys, affectionately called by Cikgu Marlia the "Kembar Siam" [Siamese Twins]; Mawi and Felix at first and second place respectively.
With this kind of 'freakish' consistency, I'm thinking that Akademi Fantasia 3 now has become a competition, not for the first place anymore, but for the third place among the remaining students (currently 7 of them: Akma, Ekin, Marsha, Amylea, Yazer, Aidil and Kefli).
Though I admit that Mawi has a great voice I don't think that he deserves to be the champion. I want Malaysian entertainers not only able to belt out great songs but they must also be consistent, multi-talented, savvy, and smart. Mawi has a great voice, but unfortunately I don't think he's savvy enough to survive the industry. After 5 performances I don't think he's consistent. He forgot the lyrics in the second qualifying concert, he forgot the lyrics and messed up the melody in the first concert and he lost his timing in the last concert. It's quite a shame really. He could have delivered Beautiful Maria beautifully but he blew it. M. Nasir even gave him the thumbs up but I guess it was premature since he messed it up in the end.
His inconsistencies may also be caused by overwhelming emotion due to the great screams from his fans everytime he came up. But that just shows another weakness. If he can't appreciate his fans' enthusiasm, how will he give his best to them in return?
Felix on the other hand is the one that I won't mind seeing driving the car in the end. He may not have the dynamics but he still has great vocals and consistently gives great performances every week. Should I add that he has great personality as well? Previous years we have Vince and Zahid, this year's funny-man is Felix. I don't know if it's just a coincidence but funny-men tend to win people's hearts so I guess Felix could win this. Yeah, Mawi is funny too but I think it's more because of his awkwardness rather than his sense of humour.
This Mawi phenomenon is really outrageous. It has become a fight of who's the fanatic. They insisted that they're not and very eager to deny it whenever someone even mentions the word 'fanatic'. I mean, the people could be talking about fanatic for Akma or Amy or Aznil but they will be quick to deny that they are not a Mawi fanatic. However, if you leave messages like...
"Mawi World!!!!!!!"
"Mawi is the Best!!!!!"
"Afundila Mawi!"
in a thread about M.Nasir, then I think you have a serious problem.
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject--Winston ChurchillI do hope that Malaysians in general would just stop and think rationally for once. And I hope that supporters of the other students will not give up and start bringing in the votes in busloads. I think it is unfair to allow these 2 students to monopolize the whole competition.
As for me, I think it's time to start voting again. I do like Felix but I want to give another student a chance for once. I think Amylea deserve my vote. Who cares about recent events. She got the talent, she's very consistent, and you can expect nothing but the best from her. She has the making of a great entertainer.
Go Amylea!
but I don't want Yazer to go out either...
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
I hate to admit it
But it's true.
(From a forwarded e-mail)
******************begin e-mail*********************
Girls are still girls! ******************end e-mail****************************
Kampung Gal : But I try not to be this type of girl cause I myself find indecisive people annoying.
"Free at last! Free at last! God Almighty, I'm free at last!"
(From a forwarded e-mail)
******************begin e-mail*********************
Girls are still girls!
BF : What do you want to eat??
GF : Anything will do......
BF : Ok, chicken rice then.
GF : But I don't feel like having rice leh....
BF : Ok, mee goreng then.....
GF : Don't want, too oily.....
BF : Fishball noddle soup....
GF : Yeeeee...So plain....
BF : Then what you want???
GF : Anything lor......
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Me: What do you don't want to eat? Rice or
Noodles?
Wife: Er..don't want rice
Me: Ok, so anything with noodles is fine?
Wife: Yes
Me: Soup or dry?
Wife: Anything
In the end, we still couldn't find out what she
really wants.
-----------------------------------------
Another scenario when going shopping with girl,
girl: (holding up two clothes) which one is nice?
boy: the blue one looks nicer
girl: is it? I thought the black one is more classy
boy: I agree, take the black one then
girl: But then, the blue one looks quite nice too
boy: yeah
girl: which one is better ?
if boy answer 'black', girl will say he keeps
changing his mind and never shows sincererity and care
if boy answer 'blue', girl will say, " told you that
the black one looks more class"
But no matter what the boy says, the girl will
eventually choose the one
she has already decided beforehand. A lot of the times,
the girl might even put the two clothes back (after
extensive trying) and
says not interested anymore. really don't know what she
wants.
----------------------------------------------------------------
This is quite true but not totally. Not all the time girls are
like this.
AGREE GALS OUT THERE WHO ARE READING THIS?!!
Kampung Gal : But I try not to be this type of girl cause I myself find indecisive people annoying.
"Free at last! Free at last! God Almighty, I'm free at last!"
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Need a change of air?
2 days to go!
Need a change of air? Follow this simple procedure...
Please note: This procedure will only work if you are currently breathing in some uncomfortable air and not shaking legs planting grapes (aka "menanam anggur")
1) Buy paper everyday and check out the classifieds section first.
2) Cut out interesting vacancies.
3) Update your resume and write the best letters that you have ever written in your life.
4) E-mail/mail out the letters and resumes.
5) Wait.
6) Once invited for interview arrange for leave.
7) Think about what to wear to the interview.
8) Prepare your answer for 'the' question "Tell me about yourself"*.
9) Outline some questions you might want to ask them (try not to talk about benefits)*
10) Go for the interview.
11) Wait.
12) You can call them to check your application status or wait some more.
13) If invited for second interview follow step 6 & 7.
14) Do some research on the company background that's interviewing you.
15) See step 10 to 12.
16) Repeat step 6 to 15 with other companies if you want.
17) You got an offer, you don't have to agree immediately. Tell them you will consider and call them back in a few days*.
18) Informed your employer of your wish to resign. Try to negotiate notice of resignation.
19) Once, everything is settled and agreed upon with your current employer, call your prospective employer with the earliest date that you can join them. (Note: You can negotiate benefits and remuneration here)*
20) Write letter of resignation and submit to your soon-to-be ex-employer.
21) Take the friend who gave you the tip out for lunch.
22) Collect your letter offer from future employer.
23) Say goodbye to ex-colleaques and hello to life-long friends.
24) Blog about it. On second thought, feel free to blog about it at any step of the way.
(Forgot one step - E-mail all your friends about it)
25) Say hi to new colleaques, new bosses and new problems.
Note:
a) If you are not progressing at any level of this procedure, repeat step 1.
*Tips learned from Job Interviews for Dummies
Need a change of air? Follow this simple procedure...
Please note: This procedure will only work if you are currently breathing in some uncomfortable air and not shaking legs planting grapes (aka "menanam anggur")
1) Buy paper everyday and check out the classifieds section first.
2) Cut out interesting vacancies.
3) Update your resume and write the best letters that you have ever written in your life.
4) E-mail/mail out the letters and resumes.
5) Wait.
6) Once invited for interview arrange for leave.
7) Think about what to wear to the interview.
8) Prepare your answer for 'the' question "Tell me about yourself"*.
9) Outline some questions you might want to ask them (try not to talk about benefits)*
10) Go for the interview.
11) Wait.
12) You can call them to check your application status or wait some more.
13) If invited for second interview follow step 6 & 7.
14) Do some research on the company background that's interviewing you.
15) See step 10 to 12.
16) Repeat step 6 to 15 with other companies if you want.
17) You got an offer, you don't have to agree immediately. Tell them you will consider and call them back in a few days*.
18) Informed your employer of your wish to resign. Try to negotiate notice of resignation.
19) Once, everything is settled and agreed upon with your current employer, call your prospective employer with the earliest date that you can join them. (Note: You can negotiate benefits and remuneration here)*
20) Write letter of resignation and submit to your soon-to-be ex-employer.
21) Take the friend who gave you the tip out for lunch.
22) Collect your letter offer from future employer.
23) Say goodbye to ex-colleaques and hello to life-long friends.
24) Blog about it. On second thought, feel free to blog about it at any step of the way.
(Forgot one step - E-mail all your friends about it)
25) Say hi to new colleaques, new bosses and new problems.
Note:
a) If you are not progressing at any level of this procedure, repeat step 1.
*Tips learned from Job Interviews for Dummies
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Ni kira apa lak ni
4 days to go!
I can't believe that I could be so excited to leave my job at the bookstore that I have to count the days. Don't get me wrong, I do love working there but lately it's not as enjoyable as it used to.
If you've been following this mediocre blog of mine, you can guess that the main reason would be the 'secondment' to my boss' brother's office. If you're not a follower let me give you a brief history of what happened the past few months.
It started in April. It started with some small tasks that was passed to me by my boss. He would usually give me some documents and my job was to type it up in the computer. It could be letters or a spreadsheet. One day, he said to my manager (who shares my frustration with his work ethics) that I'm supposed to follow him to his brother's office. What I thought to be a one day stint turned out to be quite a nighmare. Read more here.
In May, my manager broke the news that I will be posted at this brother's office until end of the month. I took the news with a heavy heart but what can I do. He's the one who signs the cheques so I have to do what he says. For the whole month of May I was forced to do some mundane job of typing, coming up with spreadsheets using Excel, filling up application forms, and in between those tasks, develop the skill of staring at the computer and try to look busy even though I'm not doing anything.
1st June, I e-mailed my manager about my future with this company and she said that she will discuss this with the boss. The next day, my boss and I had 'the' discussion. He said that there's not much for me to do at the shop now that he only has one. Before this he had two shops in KL and I took care of the branch. But then he had to close the branch since it was not doing so well (from no fault of mine which is a God's honest truth!).
Ok, back to the discussion. So he said that there's not much for me to do at the shop and that at average I'm only needed 20% of the time. In the meantime, he thinks it is best that I come here and "earn some money" (a direct quote). He even said that there's not much for him to do there either. For him, the bookstore is not really a booming business and it's just a hobby for him. That's why he's here to help out his brother and "earn some money" for himself too.
"Well, if that's the case I want to ask you something," I said. "In my letter of employment it was mentioned that I need to give 3 months notice if I were to resign. Since you said that I'm not really needed at the bookstore, I was wondering if I can get a shorter period."
"I'm flexible. If you find a great offer, or you find a job at other bookstores I will consider. I can talk to my brother. It'll be okay."
So, that's how I got to give only 2 weeks notice of resignation instead of 3 months.
And there's only 4 days left, and that's only because I overused my pro-rated annual leave by two and a half days.
PS: My broadband connection is ok now.
I can't believe that I could be so excited to leave my job at the bookstore that I have to count the days. Don't get me wrong, I do love working there but lately it's not as enjoyable as it used to.
If you've been following this mediocre blog of mine, you can guess that the main reason would be the 'secondment' to my boss' brother's office. If you're not a follower let me give you a brief history of what happened the past few months.
It started in April. It started with some small tasks that was passed to me by my boss. He would usually give me some documents and my job was to type it up in the computer. It could be letters or a spreadsheet. One day, he said to my manager (who shares my frustration with his work ethics) that I'm supposed to follow him to his brother's office. What I thought to be a one day stint turned out to be quite a nighmare. Read more here.
In May, my manager broke the news that I will be posted at this brother's office until end of the month. I took the news with a heavy heart but what can I do. He's the one who signs the cheques so I have to do what he says. For the whole month of May I was forced to do some mundane job of typing, coming up with spreadsheets using Excel, filling up application forms, and in between those tasks, develop the skill of staring at the computer and try to look busy even though I'm not doing anything.
1st June, I e-mailed my manager about my future with this company and she said that she will discuss this with the boss. The next day, my boss and I had 'the' discussion. He said that there's not much for me to do at the shop now that he only has one. Before this he had two shops in KL and I took care of the branch. But then he had to close the branch since it was not doing so well (from no fault of mine which is a God's honest truth!).
Ok, back to the discussion. So he said that there's not much for me to do at the shop and that at average I'm only needed 20% of the time. In the meantime, he thinks it is best that I come here and "earn some money" (a direct quote). He even said that there's not much for him to do there either. For him, the bookstore is not really a booming business and it's just a hobby for him. That's why he's here to help out his brother and "earn some money" for himself too.
"Well, if that's the case I want to ask you something," I said. "In my letter of employment it was mentioned that I need to give 3 months notice if I were to resign. Since you said that I'm not really needed at the bookstore, I was wondering if I can get a shorter period."
"I'm flexible. If you find a great offer, or you find a job at other bookstores I will consider. I can talk to my brother. It'll be okay."
So, that's how I got to give only 2 weeks notice of resignation instead of 3 months.
And there's only 4 days left, and that's only because I overused my pro-rated annual leave by two and a half days.PS: My broadband connection is ok now.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
A late night SMS conversation
5 days to go!
-------------------------------------------------------
One night not so long ago, a phone went... beepbeep!
It was an SMS from a friend.
Akum, pe khaba. Lama x dgr cete. Sihat tak. [Greetings, how are you. Long time haven't heard from you. Are you well]
Sihat. Cite ada tapi tunggu................ [I'm well. I have news but wait....................]
Wah wah. Gamaknya dpt le mkn nasi myk thn ni...................... [Wah wah. Can eat oily rice la this year..................]
Malam buta ni tak tidur lagi ke? Nasi minyak? Sape nak masak nasi minyak? Bila? Mana? Bestnye [Late night still not asleep? Oily rice? Who's cooking oily rice? When? Where? Bestnye]
Eleh.. Wat x tau lak. Key le g tido. Sng nanti cal le. Jgn senyap je. Kad jgn lupa anta. Adios.. Gd nite. [Eleh.. make like don't know lak. OK go to sleep. Call when you're free. Don't forget to send the card. Goodbye.. Goodnight]
-------------------------------------------------------
One night not so long ago, a phone went... beepbeep!
It was an SMS from a friend.
Akum, pe khaba. Lama x dgr cete. Sihat tak. [Greetings, how are you. Long time haven't heard from you. Are you well]
Sihat. Cite ada tapi tunggu................ [I'm well. I have news but wait....................]
Wah wah. Gamaknya dpt le mkn nasi myk thn ni...................... [Wah wah. Can eat oily rice la this year..................]
Malam buta ni tak tidur lagi ke? Nasi minyak? Sape nak masak nasi minyak? Bila? Mana? Bestnye [Late night still not asleep? Oily rice? Who's cooking oily rice? When? Where? Bestnye]
Eleh.. Wat x tau lak. Key le g tido. Sng nanti cal le. Jgn senyap je. Kad jgn lupa anta. Adios.. Gd nite. [Eleh.. make like don't know lak. OK go to sleep. Call when you're free. Don't forget to send the card. Goodbye.. Goodnight]
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