Why do I do this?
Read: Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck, The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Unknown Errors of Our Lives & Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
Reading: Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens, The Haunted Dolls' House and other stories by M.R. James
CD: Hopes and Fears by Keane, Seal Best 1991-2004
Favorite song: Best of You by Foo Fighters, La Tortura by Shakira
Played: none
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: 12
*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) After many, many interviews I finally got an offer.
2) Ended up getting a new mainboard for my PC. Now I'm stuck with this big thing that's called a CPU.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
The last straw
I am so unlucky when it comes to machinery or electronics, like cars and computers.
My car always makes some strange noise like now I will sometimes hear a sigh when I press the accelerator or the break. Sounds like my cat asking for food. And I always manage to find some new scratches now and then. Meanwhile, my computer keeps dying on me no matter how careful I am with it or how much I upgraded it or reformat it.
Last week was the last straw.
Someone banged into my car, unhooking my front bumper and folded it out for about 25 degrees. Though I managed to 'fold' it back in and secure it, it will come off sometimes and dangle like a loose tooth. I have to tie it with 'tali raffia' now. The guy gave me RM150 by the way, so no biggie there. But then I have to go without my car for a few days to get it fixed.
Just my 'luck', I'm having a break next week between my current employment and the new one. So I won't mind leaving my car at the shop for a few days. A good time to fix some other bumps and bruises as well.
Then, my computer which used to spit and sputter every three months has finally drawn its final breath. I sent it to the regular shop (if it's a clinic, it would have a big file on my computer) and told me that I need to replace my motherboard and in the process change the processor, the casing and the RAM.
Which is totally not the right time for me. Not only do I need to fix my car, my paycheck has not been that prompt lately (will tell you why in later post). This throws my whole budget off.
But the price to resuscitate my computer was not that bad. It sure beats buying a new computer.So I went ahead with the procedure and you could say that I have a new PC, what with the new processor, RAM and less than a year old hard disk.
Since I've also replaced the monitor and the mouse, the only original parts that are left from the day I bought this set are the floppy disk and the keyboard. The rest are practically new or borrowed (like the old monitor that brother gave to me). I even have to buy a new speaker. I just hope that this will survive until I have enough to buy a new one.
Okay. I got everything done yesterday. I was so excited to use this 'new' PC. I'm getting a clear view with this old but still working monitor, I got my new bigger, bulkier CPU hogging my table, I got the new speaker that belts out less-than-desirable quality sound from the new Seal CD I just bought. I was so ready to blog again. And then... what the %&^$^!!!! I can't get into blogger?!?!?!?!?
So I called tmnet but they can't resolve this through the phone. They have to fill in a report, they need to send a technician over (some help he was). I still can't access blogger (plus a few other important websites as well). And yet, when I try my dial-up connection, I can get into blogger. So now I'm using my 56K dial-up connection to blog. Can you imagine my frustration? You know what they say, once you go broadband you can never go back.
So if you're wondering about my absence from the blogosphere, this is my story. And I just realized that I cannot live without a personal computer.
My car always makes some strange noise like now I will sometimes hear a sigh when I press the accelerator or the break. Sounds like my cat asking for food. And I always manage to find some new scratches now and then. Meanwhile, my computer keeps dying on me no matter how careful I am with it or how much I upgraded it or reformat it.
Last week was the last straw.
Someone banged into my car, unhooking my front bumper and folded it out for about 25 degrees. Though I managed to 'fold' it back in and secure it, it will come off sometimes and dangle like a loose tooth. I have to tie it with 'tali raffia' now. The guy gave me RM150 by the way, so no biggie there. But then I have to go without my car for a few days to get it fixed.
Just my 'luck', I'm having a break next week between my current employment and the new one. So I won't mind leaving my car at the shop for a few days. A good time to fix some other bumps and bruises as well.
Then, my computer which used to spit and sputter every three months has finally drawn its final breath. I sent it to the regular shop (if it's a clinic, it would have a big file on my computer) and told me that I need to replace my motherboard and in the process change the processor, the casing and the RAM.
Which is totally not the right time for me. Not only do I need to fix my car, my paycheck has not been that prompt lately (will tell you why in later post). This throws my whole budget off.
But the price to resuscitate my computer was not that bad. It sure beats buying a new computer.So I went ahead with the procedure and you could say that I have a new PC, what with the new processor, RAM and less than a year old hard disk.
Since I've also replaced the monitor and the mouse, the only original parts that are left from the day I bought this set are the floppy disk and the keyboard. The rest are practically new or borrowed (like the old monitor that brother gave to me). I even have to buy a new speaker. I just hope that this will survive until I have enough to buy a new one.
Okay. I got everything done yesterday. I was so excited to use this 'new' PC. I'm getting a clear view with this old but still working monitor, I got my new bigger, bulkier CPU hogging my table, I got the new speaker that belts out less-than-desirable quality sound from the new Seal CD I just bought. I was so ready to blog again. And then... what the %&^$^!!!! I can't get into blogger?!?!?!?!?
So I called tmnet but they can't resolve this through the phone. They have to fill in a report, they need to send a technician over (some help he was). I still can't access blogger (plus a few other important websites as well). And yet, when I try my dial-up connection, I can get into blogger. So now I'm using my 56K dial-up connection to blog. Can you imagine my frustration? You know what they say, once you go broadband you can never go back.
So if you're wondering about my absence from the blogosphere, this is my story. And I just realized that I cannot live without a personal computer.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Talk about a revival
Man! Now that the juries out, I guess all the songs are out too. On Wednesday i swear that the radio was playing a Michael Jackson song every hour. I wonder what happens if the jury found him guilty. Will they all throw out his CDs out of the station's window?
Time for some other mediocre news and updates....
------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes! I did it! I went out and bought Keane's Hopes and Fears. It took quite some time for me to arrive to this decision. I'm afraid they will be another Coldplay. I borrowed their first album from a friend and after a few listens I just got bored with it. I was not too excited about the songs that were playing on the radio at that time anyway (But I still like Trouble).
As for Keane, I've heard 5 of the songs featured in this album and I love them all. So might as well buy the CD. It has a bonus DVD anyway. Thanks to all the stations who played different songs from their album instead of airing the same song over and over again. I'm listening to it while writing this, I can't believe that the simple combination of vocals, drums and keyboards can be so interesting.
----------------------------------------------------------
I also rented A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I hope it can explain my infatuation with the movie.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Lionel,
Imajica was not that tough. It was too intriguing to be tough. I never heard that story before and I don't think I care actually. Who cares what he was eating, digesting or inhaling while writing Imajica? It sure was one hell of a story.
I read it like 8 years ago so I'm sorry to say that I cannot give a very eligible synopsis. All I can say is Imajica is Barker at his best. If you haven't read any of his works, he is known for very twisted, beyond horrifying visions with a dash of eroticism. Who else can envision those terrifying Cenobites or imagine that in a single yarn of an old carpet lies a whole village with its own residence, and the whole carpet is a whole new world altogether.
In Imajica he used all his secret ingredients and exercised all his special skills to present an interesting, well-balanced soup for the imaginative soul. It has adventure, mystery, thrills and even a love story. His special interest has always been that beyond this world we exist in there is another, maybe more worlds that we are not aware of. This theme is apparent in Weaveworld, The Hellbound Heart and his latest book, Abarat. It is also the theme for Imajica. This time we are faced with the possibilities that there are 4 more worlds out there and these worlds in addition to ours are supposed to be connected. However, something happened so long ago that our world (the one that we're living in) is separated with the other four. While the people from the other four Dominiins are free to travel through the four Dominions, we are left alone, ignorant and oblivious of the existence of these other worlds. They were all waiting for the day that all the Dominions will be together again but they must find the Maestro first for he is the only one who has the power to achieve this. I can't wait to red it again.
If you're still doubtful I suggest you rent or borrow instead of buying. If you find that it's not your cup of tea, you won't feel that it's such a waste.
This is the best that I can do for you, Lionel. I do recommend the book highly, if you are into the horror genre and won't mind the erotic element. What's wrong with Amazon anyway?
Thanks for visiting my blog and hope you'll come by again.
Yours sincerely,
Kampung Gal
-----------------------------------------------------
I got a job offer!!!! Woohooo!!!!! Might be interesting to post about all the steps of changing your employment, wouldn't it?
---------------------------------------------------------
That's all the news for today. Till we meet again on Kampung Gal in the City.
Time for some other mediocre news and updates....
------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes! I did it! I went out and bought Keane's Hopes and Fears. It took quite some time for me to arrive to this decision. I'm afraid they will be another Coldplay. I borrowed their first album from a friend and after a few listens I just got bored with it. I was not too excited about the songs that were playing on the radio at that time anyway (But I still like Trouble).
As for Keane, I've heard 5 of the songs featured in this album and I love them all. So might as well buy the CD. It has a bonus DVD anyway. Thanks to all the stations who played different songs from their album instead of airing the same song over and over again. I'm listening to it while writing this, I can't believe that the simple combination of vocals, drums and keyboards can be so interesting.
----------------------------------------------------------
I also rented A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I hope it can explain my infatuation with the movie.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Lionel,
Imajica was not that tough. It was too intriguing to be tough. I never heard that story before and I don't think I care actually. Who cares what he was eating, digesting or inhaling while writing Imajica? It sure was one hell of a story.
I read it like 8 years ago so I'm sorry to say that I cannot give a very eligible synopsis. All I can say is Imajica is Barker at his best. If you haven't read any of his works, he is known for very twisted, beyond horrifying visions with a dash of eroticism. Who else can envision those terrifying Cenobites or imagine that in a single yarn of an old carpet lies a whole village with its own residence, and the whole carpet is a whole new world altogether.
In Imajica he used all his secret ingredients and exercised all his special skills to present an interesting, well-balanced soup for the imaginative soul. It has adventure, mystery, thrills and even a love story. His special interest has always been that beyond this world we exist in there is another, maybe more worlds that we are not aware of. This theme is apparent in Weaveworld, The Hellbound Heart and his latest book, Abarat. It is also the theme for Imajica. This time we are faced with the possibilities that there are 4 more worlds out there and these worlds in addition to ours are supposed to be connected. However, something happened so long ago that our world (the one that we're living in) is separated with the other four. While the people from the other four Dominiins are free to travel through the four Dominions, we are left alone, ignorant and oblivious of the existence of these other worlds. They were all waiting for the day that all the Dominions will be together again but they must find the Maestro first for he is the only one who has the power to achieve this. I can't wait to red it again.
If you're still doubtful I suggest you rent or borrow instead of buying. If you find that it's not your cup of tea, you won't feel that it's such a waste.
This is the best that I can do for you, Lionel. I do recommend the book highly, if you are into the horror genre and won't mind the erotic element. What's wrong with Amazon anyway?
Thanks for visiting my blog and hope you'll come by again.
Yours sincerely,
Kampung Gal
-----------------------------------------------------
I got a job offer!!!! Woohooo!!!!! Might be interesting to post about all the steps of changing your employment, wouldn't it?
---------------------------------------------------------
That's all the news for today. Till we meet again on Kampung Gal in the City.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Reading inside the box
Wah... now in cyberspace also can play tag.
But this is a historic moment. This is the first time Kampug Gal has been passed with one of this thing. Along said that she tagged me.because I "work in a book store and DEFINITELY reads a lot of interesting books." Check out the caps in 'definitely'.
I don't know if I DEFINITELY read interesting books so I'll let you guys judge for yourself. Here's my side of the story...
1) Total number of books I own
Let me see... I have one dish barrel, three 11inx13inx13in boxes, one 11inx10inx12in box, one Recall box, all filled with books, a few in the cupboard, some stacked on the floor...oh yeah I got some more on top of the dish barrel... so that makes about... I don't know... 500? 600? Most of them are inside boxes hence the title "Reading inside the box". All I can say is it's still growing.
2) The last book I bought
The last book I bought was actually a bunch of books I got at the Times warehouse sale. But if I want to really name the 'last book' it would be the Pullman's Trilogy because those are the last few books that I selected to add into my pile. For the full list click here.
3) The last book I read
Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck. Just finished it last night. I'm truly amazed by this woman. She's an American but she can depict a traditional Chinese family with great detail and depth. Ok she may have lived there most of her life but this is unbelievable. She wrote about a poor family in The Good Earth and then she wrote about a very old, wealthy and influential family in Pavilion of Women. I was expecting an inter-racial love story after watching the movie but it was deeper than that to my utmost pleasure. Will talk more about this in future post.
4) 5 books that mean a lot to me
The Neverending Story by Micheal Ende. This book I can truly say the first book that entered my all-time favourite book list. I think I was in Form 4 or 5 when I first got hold of it from the school library. Years later I saw it at a bookstore and I bought it straight away and read it again. It's a beautiful book and very unique. The chapters starts in alphabetical order, meaning first chapter starts with A, second starts with B and so on. Each letter is also intricately illustrated at the beginning of every chapter. I scanned a page for your viewing pleasure.
Imajica by Clive Barker. The book that made me fall in love with Clive Barker's mind. I was already a fan of Hellraiser the movie which leads me to venture into his books. I happened to choose the biggest book that the rental bookstore has. I must have been pretty bored at that time. This book turns out to be my favourite Barker book and it still is. I've always wanted to read this again but it's in the dish barrel and I can't reach it. I need a bookshelf!!!
Little Women, Good Wives, Jo's Boys and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott. I know this is 4 books but I can't talk about one without mentioning the other. Louisa May Alcot gets me every time i.e. she can make me cry reading her stories. At first I thought it was because I saw the movie so I had that mental picture to get me in the mood. But then I also cried when I read Jo's Boys and Little Men. She just has a way to touch my heart.
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. My favourite Dahl book. It's about this wonderful father-son relationship. What amazes me is Dahl grew up without a father but he was able to embodies what a great father should be. But I don't think it's limited to fathers. I think it also talks about how to be a great parent. A very sweet book, suitable for both boys and girls.
Remedial English Grammar and Usage. Hehe.. I know, this book seems out of place but it is dear to my heart because it was the prize for getting the third place at a short story writing competition at my school. I also won the second prize the previous year (I got a book about household tips) which lead me to believe that I may have a knack in writing. But this one is more meaningful because I think my teacher was trying to drop a hint. He once pointed out in front of the whole class how horrendoes my grammar was in my first story, which I got the second prize for. So I guess a year later, there was no improvement. I'm sorry to say Mr Andrews, my grammar is still horrendous but I promise you I will improve myself.
5) Tag 5 people and have them fill this out on their blogs.
I thought I don't want to play tag anymore but I'm curios as to what these people have to say..
Eyeris - He's the eye on books. Of course I want to know what he has to say.
The Visitor - I'm sure this guy will DEFINITELY have read some interesting books. I hope I can get recomendations on good horror books.
The Social Cafe - just want to see if they read any books between the drinking and cussing. Anyone from the gang will do. Or they can compile a list between themselves.
Kenny Sia - also want to see if he reads between the testng of new condoms and measuring his balls
Ok guys, ignore this tag if you've done this before but do give me the url of the post, orait?
But this is a historic moment. This is the first time Kampug Gal has been passed with one of this thing. Along said that she tagged me.because I "work in a book store and DEFINITELY reads a lot of interesting books." Check out the caps in 'definitely'.
I don't know if I DEFINITELY read interesting books so I'll let you guys judge for yourself. Here's my side of the story...
1) Total number of books I own
Let me see... I have one dish barrel, three 11inx13inx13in boxes, one 11inx10inx12in box, one Recall box, all filled with books, a few in the cupboard, some stacked on the floor...oh yeah I got some more on top of the dish barrel... so that makes about... I don't know... 500? 600? Most of them are inside boxes hence the title "Reading inside the box". All I can say is it's still growing.
2) The last book I bought
The last book I bought was actually a bunch of books I got at the Times warehouse sale. But if I want to really name the 'last book' it would be the Pullman's Trilogy because those are the last few books that I selected to add into my pile. For the full list click here.
3) The last book I read
Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck. Just finished it last night. I'm truly amazed by this woman. She's an American but she can depict a traditional Chinese family with great detail and depth. Ok she may have lived there most of her life but this is unbelievable. She wrote about a poor family in The Good Earth and then she wrote about a very old, wealthy and influential family in Pavilion of Women. I was expecting an inter-racial love story after watching the movie but it was deeper than that to my utmost pleasure. Will talk more about this in future post.
4) 5 books that mean a lot to me
The Neverending Story by Micheal Ende. This book I can truly say the first book that entered my all-time favourite book list. I think I was in Form 4 or 5 when I first got hold of it from the school library. Years later I saw it at a bookstore and I bought it straight away and read it again. It's a beautiful book and very unique. The chapters starts in alphabetical order, meaning first chapter starts with A, second starts with B and so on. Each letter is also intricately illustrated at the beginning of every chapter. I scanned a page for your viewing pleasure.
Imajica by Clive Barker. The book that made me fall in love with Clive Barker's mind. I was already a fan of Hellraiser the movie which leads me to venture into his books. I happened to choose the biggest book that the rental bookstore has. I must have been pretty bored at that time. This book turns out to be my favourite Barker book and it still is. I've always wanted to read this again but it's in the dish barrel and I can't reach it. I need a bookshelf!!!
Little Women, Good Wives, Jo's Boys and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott. I know this is 4 books but I can't talk about one without mentioning the other. Louisa May Alcot gets me every time i.e. she can make me cry reading her stories. At first I thought it was because I saw the movie so I had that mental picture to get me in the mood. But then I also cried when I read Jo's Boys and Little Men. She just has a way to touch my heart.
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. My favourite Dahl book. It's about this wonderful father-son relationship. What amazes me is Dahl grew up without a father but he was able to embodies what a great father should be. But I don't think it's limited to fathers. I think it also talks about how to be a great parent. A very sweet book, suitable for both boys and girls.
Remedial English Grammar and Usage. Hehe.. I know, this book seems out of place but it is dear to my heart because it was the prize for getting the third place at a short story writing competition at my school. I also won the second prize the previous year (I got a book about household tips) which lead me to believe that I may have a knack in writing. But this one is more meaningful because I think my teacher was trying to drop a hint. He once pointed out in front of the whole class how horrendoes my grammar was in my first story, which I got the second prize for. So I guess a year later, there was no improvement. I'm sorry to say Mr Andrews, my grammar is still horrendous but I promise you I will improve myself.
5) Tag 5 people and have them fill this out on their blogs.
I thought I don't want to play tag anymore but I'm curios as to what these people have to say..
Eyeris - He's the eye on books. Of course I want to know what he has to say.
The Visitor - I'm sure this guy will DEFINITELY have read some interesting books. I hope I can get recomendations on good horror books.
The Social Cafe - just want to see if they read any books between the drinking and cussing. Anyone from the gang will do. Or they can compile a list between themselves.
Kenny Sia - also want to see if he reads between the testng of new condoms and measuring his balls
Ok guys, ignore this tag if you've done this before but do give me the url of the post, orait?
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Cover Me - The Good Versions
Definition
Cover song : a song rerecorded by another artist. Most times involve new musical or vocal arrangements with the hope of banking in on the original song's popularity or wanting to show that they can do better than the original artist.
I bet there are thousands of cover songs out there that it’s difficult to cover them all (hehe... get it? Cover song? Cover them all? Ok sorry for that attempt to sound witty)
I must say that I'm not trying to be the set myself up as the authority when it comes to music. In fact I don't know much about it. When it comes to trivial knowledge I like to consider myself the 'expert' on movies above all else, then there's knowledge in books, tv shows, then music.
So when I first thought of posting about the world of cover songs, I started to list down a few that I like, some that I don't, a few that are not bad and so on. I find it difficult to recall a collection of songs to make a presentable list. I tried to enlist some online help but I guess they don't really care about cover songs. What can I expect? It's certainly not a steamy, xxx exciting, not even a controversial subject. So I have to rely on the radio to maybe inspire me to recall some songs that could into my list and it kinda work. After a while I managed to compile a respectable number of songs that can be put into different categories.
Like I said before, there are many cover songs out there so I have to limit my list to those that I'm passionate about. And I must have heard the original version so that I can truly make a comparison.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's start with my favourite cover songs. They are not in order of preference. It's difficult to rate which one I like best.
1) Have a Little Faith in Me - Mandy Moore originally performed by Jewel
I was a bit shocked that Mandy Moore would chose to cover a Jewel song. I hated Mandy Moore the singer when I first heard this. There's just something about her mouth that I find annoying. She likes to bend it, pout it, twist it in an unnatural way. In other words "macam buat-buat" [faking it is the closest translation that I can think of now]. So I was very determined that this is a bad rendition more so because this is my favourite Jewel song. But after a few more listens (on the radio, I just try to avoid seeing her sings on tv). I find that it's not that bad and I'm not sorry to say that it's better than the original. The cover has more dynamics compared to Jewel who I think intended it to be laid back and soothing for her rendition. I must say that I prefer this version.
2) I Got You Babe - Chrissie Hynde & UB40 originnaly performed by Cher
I'm not much of a fan of 60s and 70s era which includes the music that were churned out in this era. So of course I prefer the Hynde-UB40's version of this simple and uplifting song. But I believe that any song that's reggaed-up always works. Just check out the soundtrack of 50 First Dates.
3) Sekuntum Mawar Merah - M. Nasir & Hattan originally performed by Alleycats
David's vocal is always dramatic. It just works work with any song that he sings. Alleycats songs are so great that it takes two moguls to make their song better. They slow it down, makes the vocal more raw and voila you get the best cover of a Malay song of all time.
4) I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston originally performed by Dolly Parton
What else can I say. An R&B version is always better than a country version to my ears.
5) Time After Time - ? originally performed by Cindy Lauper
Ok, I know I'm making a reporting booboo - writing without doing proper research. I tried looking for the name of the group/singer who covered this Cindy Lauper classic but I can't find it. Actually, I don't even have the slightest clue who the singer is. It's not even a tip-of-the-tongue thing. All I can say is that the singer is female (duh) and she has this soft, lilting pitch in her voice. The cover is smoother, softer than the original. I must say I really like this version. It has quite a good run on the radio waves. If anyone has a clue to who this is, I welcome the help.
6) Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente originally performed by New Order
Acoustic version of a techno. Very well done.
7) Belaian Jiwa - Innuendo originally performed by Carefree
I don't really like Innuendo but I like this song.
8) Lately - Jodeci originally performed by Stevie Wonder
It's live, it's soulful, it's dramatic. Who can beat that?
Damn, this thing is getting long. So I'll just drop a few more down here...
Don't Dream It's Over - Paul Young originally performed by Crowded House
I Drove All Night - Celine Dion originally performed by Cindy Lauper
Kasih Berubah - Ferhad originally performed by Flybaits
Well, that’s it for now. Stay tune for more of “Cover Me”...
Cover Me - The Not So Bad Versions
Cover Me - The Bad Versions
Cover Me - Don't Ever Try to Cover Versions
Cover Me - Ones That I Like to See Anyone Try to Cover
I still welcome any thoughts or comments or any song you would like to nominate for my list. Great thanks to Eyeris for his feedback. Truly appreciated.
I won't apologize for any spelling mistakes anymore. I'm using Word (magnified to 150%) and then copy it to Blogger. So any spelling mistakes in this post is all me.
Cover song : a song rerecorded by another artist. Most times involve new musical or vocal arrangements with the hope of banking in on the original song's popularity or wanting to show that they can do better than the original artist.
I bet there are thousands of cover songs out there that it’s difficult to cover them all (hehe... get it? Cover song? Cover them all? Ok sorry for that attempt to sound witty)
I must say that I'm not trying to be the set myself up as the authority when it comes to music. In fact I don't know much about it. When it comes to trivial knowledge I like to consider myself the 'expert' on movies above all else, then there's knowledge in books, tv shows, then music.
So when I first thought of posting about the world of cover songs, I started to list down a few that I like, some that I don't, a few that are not bad and so on. I find it difficult to recall a collection of songs to make a presentable list. I tried to enlist some online help but I guess they don't really care about cover songs. What can I expect? It's certainly not a steamy, xxx exciting, not even a controversial subject. So I have to rely on the radio to maybe inspire me to recall some songs that could into my list and it kinda work. After a while I managed to compile a respectable number of songs that can be put into different categories.
Like I said before, there are many cover songs out there so I have to limit my list to those that I'm passionate about. And I must have heard the original version so that I can truly make a comparison.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's start with my favourite cover songs. They are not in order of preference. It's difficult to rate which one I like best.
1) Have a Little Faith in Me - Mandy Moore originally performed by Jewel
I was a bit shocked that Mandy Moore would chose to cover a Jewel song. I hated Mandy Moore the singer when I first heard this. There's just something about her mouth that I find annoying. She likes to bend it, pout it, twist it in an unnatural way. In other words "macam buat-buat" [faking it is the closest translation that I can think of now]. So I was very determined that this is a bad rendition more so because this is my favourite Jewel song. But after a few more listens (on the radio, I just try to avoid seeing her sings on tv). I find that it's not that bad and I'm not sorry to say that it's better than the original. The cover has more dynamics compared to Jewel who I think intended it to be laid back and soothing for her rendition. I must say that I prefer this version.
2) I Got You Babe - Chrissie Hynde & UB40 originnaly performed by Cher
I'm not much of a fan of 60s and 70s era which includes the music that were churned out in this era. So of course I prefer the Hynde-UB40's version of this simple and uplifting song. But I believe that any song that's reggaed-up always works. Just check out the soundtrack of 50 First Dates.
3) Sekuntum Mawar Merah - M. Nasir & Hattan originally performed by Alleycats
David's vocal is always dramatic. It just works work with any song that he sings. Alleycats songs are so great that it takes two moguls to make their song better. They slow it down, makes the vocal more raw and voila you get the best cover of a Malay song of all time.
4) I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston originally performed by Dolly Parton
What else can I say. An R&B version is always better than a country version to my ears.
5) Time After Time - ? originally performed by Cindy Lauper
Ok, I know I'm making a reporting booboo - writing without doing proper research. I tried looking for the name of the group/singer who covered this Cindy Lauper classic but I can't find it. Actually, I don't even have the slightest clue who the singer is. It's not even a tip-of-the-tongue thing. All I can say is that the singer is female (duh) and she has this soft, lilting pitch in her voice. The cover is smoother, softer than the original. I must say I really like this version. It has quite a good run on the radio waves. If anyone has a clue to who this is, I welcome the help.
6) Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente originally performed by New Order
Acoustic version of a techno. Very well done.
7) Belaian Jiwa - Innuendo originally performed by Carefree
I don't really like Innuendo but I like this song.
8) Lately - Jodeci originally performed by Stevie Wonder
It's live, it's soulful, it's dramatic. Who can beat that?
Damn, this thing is getting long. So I'll just drop a few more down here...
Don't Dream It's Over - Paul Young originally performed by Crowded House
I Drove All Night - Celine Dion originally performed by Cindy Lauper
Kasih Berubah - Ferhad originally performed by Flybaits
Well, that’s it for now. Stay tune for more of “Cover Me”...
Cover Me - The Not So Bad Versions
Cover Me - The Bad Versions
Cover Me - Don't Ever Try to Cover Versions
Cover Me - Ones That I Like to See Anyone Try to Cover
I still welcome any thoughts or comments or any song you would like to nominate for my list. Great thanks to Eyeris for his feedback. Truly appreciated.
I won't apologize for any spelling mistakes anymore. I'm using Word (magnified to 150%) and then copy it to Blogger. So any spelling mistakes in this post is all me.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Current update - 30/5/05
Why do I do this?
Read: The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester, Roots by Alex Haley, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer, The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Reading: Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck, The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
CD: none
Favorite song: Work by Jimmy Eat World
Played: none
Watching: The Apprentice 3, Frasier, CSI, Six Feet Under, sorry to add this but I have to say Akademi Fantasia
*No. of times asked if I have a boyfriend: 2
*No. of times asked when I will get married: 10
*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) My monitor konked out. After 3 weeks still not fixed. Damn I really miss writing.
2) Got a new member in the family, a boy, the 12th grandchild and the 9th grandson for the lovely gransparents. Enough to form a futsal team complete with reserves. 2 more to go and we can form a football team.
Read: The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester, Roots by Alex Haley, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer, The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Reading: Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck, The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
CD: none
Favorite song: Work by Jimmy Eat World
Played: none
Watching: The Apprentice 3, Frasier, CSI, Six Feet Under, sorry to add this but I have to say Akademi Fantasia
*No. of times asked if I have a boyfriend: 2
*No. of times asked when I will get married: 10
*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) My monitor konked out. After 3 weeks still not fixed. Damn I really miss writing.
2) Got a new member in the family, a boy, the 12th grandchild and the 9th grandson for the lovely gransparents. Enough to form a futsal team complete with reserves. 2 more to go and we can form a football team.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Revenge of the Kaki Movie
It's been three motnhs since I last went to the movies. What better purpose to pull a movie-goer out of her hiatus than to see the final instalment of the Star Wars saga.
I just got back from watching ut and I had this feeling of satisfaction to see the story finally come to its end.. no wait its.. erm... conclusion, no that's not it....welll whatever it is that Lucas was trying to achieve.
One thing bugged me from the moment I found out Padme will die in childbirth. I remember in Return of the Jedi, Luke once asked Leia if she remembered her mother, her 'real' mother. And she said that she was sweet and kind or something like that. How can shee remember anything if she just saw her mother for a split second after her burth? In fact I don;t think she even had her eyes open then. Oh well.
All in all the movie is good. Even though I look forward to see Padme-Anakin scenes, I dreaded the words that will come out of their mouths. And when Darth Sidious gave the order to execute Plan 66, it was the saddest thing I have ever seen. That was certainly the end of an era.
I wonder if there's a book/cartoon/comic that telsl the story between Ep. 3 and 4? There's about a 20-year gap there. Should be interesting to know what happened in those 20 years. Something like Clone Wars. That thing s great man, even though I only watched the first half only
. I blame NTV7 for not giving any indication that they will continue Clone Wars the next day and not next week like I assumed
Pardon the spelling mistakes if any. My monitor is still in the shop.
I just got back from watching ut and I had this feeling of satisfaction to see the story finally come to its end.. no wait its.. erm... conclusion, no that's not it....welll whatever it is that Lucas was trying to achieve.
One thing bugged me from the moment I found out Padme will die in childbirth. I remember in Return of the Jedi, Luke once asked Leia if she remembered her mother, her 'real' mother. And she said that she was sweet and kind or something like that. How can shee remember anything if she just saw her mother for a split second after her burth? In fact I don;t think she even had her eyes open then. Oh well.
All in all the movie is good. Even though I look forward to see Padme-Anakin scenes, I dreaded the words that will come out of their mouths. And when Darth Sidious gave the order to execute Plan 66, it was the saddest thing I have ever seen. That was certainly the end of an era.
I wonder if there's a book/cartoon/comic that telsl the story between Ep. 3 and 4? There's about a 20-year gap there. Should be interesting to know what happened in those 20 years. Something like Clone Wars. That thing s great man, even though I only watched the first half only
. I blame NTV7 for not giving any indication that they will continue Clone Wars the next day and not next week like I assumedPardon the spelling mistakes if any. My monitor is still in the shop.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Who's the criminal here?
You are stealing!
It's against the law!
You are supporting the Ah Long!
For the price of one pirated DVD you can help a child in need!
Or so they say.
I totally understand and I admit that I'm a criminal, I don't know where my money goes, and I could have put my money to better use. But yet I don't care.
But I think living under the strict and constantly exercised scissors of the Censorship Board justifies my life of crime. I don't understand. How can we censor art? Because when it comes down to the nitty gritty that's what a film is -- art. Can you imagine putting a black bar on Mona Lisa's smile? Imagine the Sistine Chapel with that amazing painting on its ceiling. Now imagine it with streaks of black here and there. Terrible right? And imagine having a baby-shaped cut-out on a painting because baby Jesus is not wearing a diaper. So, who's the criminal here?
So that's my first justification. I like to see art in its entirety. I don't like edited scenes and edited lines. I like to see them as the artist envision it to be seen.
Another excuse that the public usually gives is the price. Pirated vcd/dvd are much cheaper. So how come I don't buy pirated CDs? One obvious reason -- the packaging. When you buy a pirated CD, you'll get a very high quality copy of the original front and back cover, the lyrics maybe and if you're lucky some additional songs will be put in there as well. When you buy the original CD, you'll get the original front and back cover, lyrics if they want to give them to you, and some pretty good additional photos and original art layout that the artist/producer intended it to be. Which I think is worth RM40.
In contrast, when you buy a pirate vcd/dvd, you will get the discs, front and back cover for RM5/RM10. However if you buy an original vcd/dvd, you will get the discs, front and back cover for RM19-90/RM99. So which one do you prefer, the RM10 or RM99? Why pay more when you can basically get the same thing right?
What really pisses me off most of the time is that the quality of the original vcds are terrible. For example, I bought West Side Story. It's a musical but the sound of that cd is so bad that I can't imagine playing that movie ever again. Everytime the singers reach those high notes (which happens a lot in this movie) you will here a screeching sound like running your fingernails across a blackboard. Another example, I bought The Wizard of Oz (I can't remember how much but it was not RM5) supposedly original. I saw at the back that this CD has some additional scenes. I think you might guess already, it doesn't. So, who's the criminal here?
And that's my second justification. The packaging is horrendous. I can get the same thing for a fraction of the price.
So, until I can see any films without any treatment by the Censorship board, I will stop buying pirated products. And until I can get my money's worth, I will buy original vcds/dvds. For now, let me ask you this...
Who's the criminal here?
It's against the law!
You are supporting the Ah Long!
For the price of one pirated DVD you can help a child in need!
Or so they say.
I totally understand and I admit that I'm a criminal, I don't know where my money goes, and I could have put my money to better use. But yet I don't care.
But I think living under the strict and constantly exercised scissors of the Censorship Board justifies my life of crime. I don't understand. How can we censor art? Because when it comes down to the nitty gritty that's what a film is -- art. Can you imagine putting a black bar on Mona Lisa's smile? Imagine the Sistine Chapel with that amazing painting on its ceiling. Now imagine it with streaks of black here and there. Terrible right? And imagine having a baby-shaped cut-out on a painting because baby Jesus is not wearing a diaper. So, who's the criminal here?
So that's my first justification. I like to see art in its entirety. I don't like edited scenes and edited lines. I like to see them as the artist envision it to be seen.
Another excuse that the public usually gives is the price. Pirated vcd/dvd are much cheaper. So how come I don't buy pirated CDs? One obvious reason -- the packaging. When you buy a pirated CD, you'll get a very high quality copy of the original front and back cover, the lyrics maybe and if you're lucky some additional songs will be put in there as well. When you buy the original CD, you'll get the original front and back cover, lyrics if they want to give them to you, and some pretty good additional photos and original art layout that the artist/producer intended it to be. Which I think is worth RM40.
In contrast, when you buy a pirate vcd/dvd, you will get the discs, front and back cover for RM5/RM10. However if you buy an original vcd/dvd, you will get the discs, front and back cover for RM19-90/RM99. So which one do you prefer, the RM10 or RM99? Why pay more when you can basically get the same thing right?
What really pisses me off most of the time is that the quality of the original vcds are terrible. For example, I bought West Side Story. It's a musical but the sound of that cd is so bad that I can't imagine playing that movie ever again. Everytime the singers reach those high notes (which happens a lot in this movie) you will here a screeching sound like running your fingernails across a blackboard. Another example, I bought The Wizard of Oz (I can't remember how much but it was not RM5) supposedly original. I saw at the back that this CD has some additional scenes. I think you might guess already, it doesn't. So, who's the criminal here?
And that's my second justification. The packaging is horrendous. I can get the same thing for a fraction of the price.
So, until I can see any films without any treatment by the Censorship board, I will stop buying pirated products. And until I can get my money's worth, I will buy original vcds/dvds. For now, let me ask you this...
Who's the criminal here?
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Coming out of the dark
I was a bit worried when I picked up Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. His books are recommended everywhere I turn, people I've met, from the book itself which listed out many praises, in cyberspace, plus the awards that it has won. Even customers who walked into my bookstore highly recommended it.
We do have his books in the store so I could have just pick it up anytime I want and read it which I always planned to do. But as time pass, the books got sold and my boss didn't bring in anymore copies. And then one day I saw all three of his dark materials at Times Warehouse sale for RM8 each. And I thought what the hell. If it's not that good I won't regret it as much.
Philip Pullman? Not that good? Some of his fans might scream out. But you must understand my situation first.
Have you ever been in this position? The papers, internet, your friends highly recommend a certain book or movie. They say, "It's the best ever!" "Not to be missed!" And then when you do read or watch it you thought "Eh? What's so great about that?"
So I started reading The Golden Compass with a sceptical mind. I was afraid I will experience the same thing with this one, more so because it's a fantasy. But for all you know, it was quite good actually. I got hooked when the alethiometer was introduced.
But the concept of daemon kind of reminded me of digimon. I kept thinking what came first, daemon or digimon?
Another thing that bugs me about this book is this particular snippet, taken from the many praises found in the book,
It sends chills down my spine.
We do have his books in the store so I could have just pick it up anytime I want and read it which I always planned to do. But as time pass, the books got sold and my boss didn't bring in anymore copies. And then one day I saw all three of his dark materials at Times Warehouse sale for RM8 each. And I thought what the hell. If it's not that good I won't regret it as much.
Philip Pullman? Not that good? Some of his fans might scream out. But you must understand my situation first.
Have you ever been in this position? The papers, internet, your friends highly recommend a certain book or movie. They say, "It's the best ever!" "Not to be missed!" And then when you do read or watch it you thought "Eh? What's so great about that?"
So I started reading The Golden Compass with a sceptical mind. I was afraid I will experience the same thing with this one, more so because it's a fantasy. But for all you know, it was quite good actually. I got hooked when the alethiometer was introduced.
But the concept of daemon kind of reminded me of digimon. I kept thinking what came first, daemon or digimon?
Another thing that bugs me about this book is this particular snippet, taken from the many praises found in the book,
The most ambitious work since Lord of the Rings...It got me thinking, if this is equivalent to Lord of the Rings, what does it say about the artistic level of literary works today? The Dark Materials is great but it still doesn't compare to Lord of the Rings, the greatest modern literature for the past century.
It sends chills down my spine.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Everything's so blurry
I can't really blog about anything right now. I have to send my monitor for fixing. Currently I'm suing an old monitor which is not in good condition also. Everything;s kind of very blurry now. So pardon the spelling mistakes if any because I can see much.
What a bummer I got some pretty nice topics lined up already. But in the meantime maybe you can help me on my 'research'
1) What is the best or worst covers songs you have heard?
2) What is the ultimate love song for you?
3) You really hate this particular artist but suddenly discover that one of their songs os not bad after all.
4) What's your favorite music video?
Have a groovy Friday the 13th!
What a bummer I got some pretty nice topics lined up already. But in the meantime maybe you can help me on my 'research'
1) What is the best or worst covers songs you have heard?
2) What is the ultimate love song for you?
3) You really hate this particular artist but suddenly discover that one of their songs os not bad after all.
4) What's your favorite music video?
Have a groovy Friday the 13th!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Apples and Wine, Women and Men
Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just take the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy.......
The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along...for the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and
it's up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
He... he... Got anything to say? Guys? Girls?
Monday, May 09, 2005
What is it?
What is it about A Walk to Remember that I just have to watch it everytime I came across it while channel hunting?
What makes it so different than Sweet November or Here on Earth or Autumn in New York or Moulin Rouge? (OK, I love Moulin Rouge. Nothing can compare to that). Well, what's the difference between this movie and the other 3 I mentioned? They all told the same story in different, or should I say similar variations.
Let me illustrate. Boy is a jock/the most popular guy in school/town/has a relationship phobia. Girl is a sweet, pure, hippie-like, spiritual person. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy and Girl happy. Boy finds out Girl is dying. Boy sad. More lovey-dovey scenes. Girl dies. Boy sad but very content and ready to move on.
I'm sure everyone of you have seen this story in one way or another or in one language or another.
I've seen A Walk to Remember like I don't know.. 10 times now and I'm still not tired of it. It's always like, "I'll just watch it until the song or after the first date" but I always end up watching it till the end.
I don't know why. Is it the song that she sang on the play? It's a nice song. Is it the sweater? I don't think so.
Is it the character? It's been done before. Is it Mandy Moore? I'm not a fan of Mandy Moore (though I'm beginning to be a fan of Mandy Moore the actress). Is it the guy? I don't even know his name. Is it the line 'I don't need a reason to be angry with God"? Which is a great line by the way. Is it the father? Is it the soundtrack? What is it?
I'm not one to get attached to a sad, melancholic movie as this and certainly not with a story that has been told over and over and over again. Why do I like this one and not Here on Earth which has a very similar plot and setting (the story revolves around teenagers). So what is it?
I watched it again last night, trying to find some answers and I still can't figure it out. So I guess it will just be one of the mysteries of my life.
What makes it so different than Sweet November or Here on Earth or Autumn in New York or Moulin Rouge? (OK, I love Moulin Rouge. Nothing can compare to that). Well, what's the difference between this movie and the other 3 I mentioned? They all told the same story in different, or should I say similar variations.
Let me illustrate. Boy is a jock/the most popular guy in school/town/has a relationship phobia. Girl is a sweet, pure, hippie-like, spiritual person. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy and Girl happy. Boy finds out Girl is dying. Boy sad. More lovey-dovey scenes. Girl dies. Boy sad but very content and ready to move on.
I'm sure everyone of you have seen this story in one way or another or in one language or another.
I've seen A Walk to Remember like I don't know.. 10 times now and I'm still not tired of it. It's always like, "I'll just watch it until the song or after the first date" but I always end up watching it till the end.
I don't know why. Is it the song that she sang on the play? It's a nice song. Is it the sweater? I don't think so.
Is it the character? It's been done before. Is it Mandy Moore? I'm not a fan of Mandy Moore (though I'm beginning to be a fan of Mandy Moore the actress). Is it the guy? I don't even know his name. Is it the line 'I don't need a reason to be angry with God"? Which is a great line by the way. Is it the father? Is it the soundtrack? What is it?
I'm not one to get attached to a sad, melancholic movie as this and certainly not with a story that has been told over and over and over again. Why do I like this one and not Here on Earth which has a very similar plot and setting (the story revolves around teenagers). So what is it?
I watched it again last night, trying to find some answers and I still can't figure it out. So I guess it will just be one of the mysteries of my life.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Do you know...
the story behind the most referred book of all, the Oxford Dictionary?
Even though a few variations of the dictionary exists at that time, it was in 1857 that Dean Trench suggested the project to compile all known English words complete with their histories and meaning, in other words the meaning of everything.
Its first editor Herbert Coleridge died a year into the project. His successor, Frederick Furnivall was disorganized and a womanizer, almost causing the collapse of the project. In 1879, came James Murray, a former bank clerk with only an honorary degree to his name and a keen interest in lexicography. He played a major part in forming the dictionary that we know today.
Apart from the permanent editor and sub-editors, volunteers were engaged to help compiling a series of quotes containing a certain word. A letter was sent out to the public in search for volunteers. Many answered the call. They were then given a list of books to read. The volunteers will then write down "a quotation for every word that strikes you as rare, obsolete, old-fashioned, new, peculiar or used in a peculiar way". The quotes must be written on a paper measuring about 6 5/8 x 4 1/4 in (about a quarter of the A4 paper) and mailed to them. The papers are put into it's respective 'pigeon-hole' and sorted. The editors then read them and come up with a clear definition of the word.
Some of the volunteers include Fitzedward Hall an American recluse. Even though he and Murray became great friends they had never met. Another volunteer was William Chester Minor, a surgeon during the American Civil War and a schizophrenic who murdered a man for no reason. He worked on the dictionary from Broadmoor Asylum for the Clinically Insane. He once mentioned that working on the dictionary kept him halfway sane. Other known contributors include Frederick Sweatman, Charles Onions and J.R.R. Tolkien who was mostly responsible for the W section.
It was determined that the dictionary will be completed within 10 years. In truth it took 68 years to finish.
It was published in stages being the words A - Ant featured in the first part.
These are some of the things I learned from Simon Winchester's The Meaning of Everything, to describe it briefly, a biography of the Oxford Dictionary. I never knew that making the most trivial book can be such an interesting story too.
I was a bit nervous when I bought the book. I was afraid that it might be too boring or dry that I would just read a few pages and then shelve it again like what I did with a few other books. I'm happy to say that it wasn't.
Of course the subject matter is not that complicated. It's about words, English words, nothing technical about it. But the narration is smooth and simple apart from the over-bearing use of '--' followed by long clauses. It reminds me of an episode of Stark Raving Mad when Stark and his editor argued over the use of '--' and 'comma'.
Within the simple narration you will find a dash of some complicated words like rebarbative, oleaginous, desuetude, and sycophantic among other. What's the point of writing about a dictionary if your reader is not going to use it right?
If you're wondering...
rebarbative - to be repellant / irritating
oleaginous - resembling or having the properties of oil / marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality
desuetude - to become unaccustomed
sycophantic - characteristic of a swindler
(Meanings courtesy of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 5th Edition. Sorry, I don't have an Oxford Dictionary
)
PS : George Clooney is 44 today!
Ok! I'm going to watch Pitch Black now.
Even though a few variations of the dictionary exists at that time, it was in 1857 that Dean Trench suggested the project to compile all known English words complete with their histories and meaning, in other words the meaning of everything.
Its first editor Herbert Coleridge died a year into the project. His successor, Frederick Furnivall was disorganized and a womanizer, almost causing the collapse of the project. In 1879, came James Murray, a former bank clerk with only an honorary degree to his name and a keen interest in lexicography. He played a major part in forming the dictionary that we know today.
Apart from the permanent editor and sub-editors, volunteers were engaged to help compiling a series of quotes containing a certain word. A letter was sent out to the public in search for volunteers. Many answered the call. They were then given a list of books to read. The volunteers will then write down "a quotation for every word that strikes you as rare, obsolete, old-fashioned, new, peculiar or used in a peculiar way". The quotes must be written on a paper measuring about 6 5/8 x 4 1/4 in (about a quarter of the A4 paper) and mailed to them. The papers are put into it's respective 'pigeon-hole' and sorted. The editors then read them and come up with a clear definition of the word.
Some of the volunteers include Fitzedward Hall an American recluse. Even though he and Murray became great friends they had never met. Another volunteer was William Chester Minor, a surgeon during the American Civil War and a schizophrenic who murdered a man for no reason. He worked on the dictionary from Broadmoor Asylum for the Clinically Insane. He once mentioned that working on the dictionary kept him halfway sane. Other known contributors include Frederick Sweatman, Charles Onions and J.R.R. Tolkien who was mostly responsible for the W section.
It was determined that the dictionary will be completed within 10 years. In truth it took 68 years to finish.
It was published in stages being the words A - Ant featured in the first part.
These are some of the things I learned from Simon Winchester's The Meaning of Everything, to describe it briefly, a biography of the Oxford Dictionary. I never knew that making the most trivial book can be such an interesting story too.
I was a bit nervous when I bought the book. I was afraid that it might be too boring or dry that I would just read a few pages and then shelve it again like what I did with a few other books. I'm happy to say that it wasn't.
Of course the subject matter is not that complicated. It's about words, English words, nothing technical about it. But the narration is smooth and simple apart from the over-bearing use of '--' followed by long clauses. It reminds me of an episode of Stark Raving Mad when Stark and his editor argued over the use of '--' and 'comma'.
Within the simple narration you will find a dash of some complicated words like rebarbative, oleaginous, desuetude, and sycophantic among other. What's the point of writing about a dictionary if your reader is not going to use it right?
If you're wondering...
rebarbative - to be repellant / irritating
oleaginous - resembling or having the properties of oil / marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality
desuetude - to become unaccustomed
sycophantic - characteristic of a swindler
(Meanings courtesy of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 5th Edition. Sorry, I don't have an Oxford Dictionary
)PS : George Clooney is 44 today!
Ok! I'm going to watch Pitch Black now.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
KennySia's mini-meme and a tribute
This is my contribution to KennySia's mini-meme that he proposed here.
To warm-up...
Next, a funny if not mundane one...
For the next one, you have to stretch your imagination a bit.
You are blogging anonymously but you still want to promote PPS so you could wear this one. A person behind you would see this...
But when they come up to ask you about it, they will see this...
Hehehe... nothing great but I just want to contribute something.
For those who do not visit kennysia.com, I also want to share the news that his father passed away yesterday.
So this one is for his father and KennySia...
May his memory lives on forever at kennysia.com
To warm-up...
Next, a funny if not mundane one...
For the next one, you have to stretch your imagination a bit.
You are blogging anonymously but you still want to promote PPS so you could wear this one. A person behind you would see this...
But when they come up to ask you about it, they will see this...
Hehehe... nothing great but I just want to contribute something.
For those who do not visit kennysia.com, I also want to share the news that his father passed away yesterday.
So this one is for his father and KennySia...
May his memory lives on forever at kennysia.com
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Maybe I should
I think that females who succumb to all these tactics just to get a ring on their fingers are shallow and will never gain the happiness that they've always imagine.Though I agree that they might work I cannot imagine myself being in those positions.
Even though I do take care of my body and what I eat, I will never wear sexy clothes.
As confident as I am, I don't think girls should make the first move. Remember the old Malay proverb?
"Takkan perigi mencari timba"
[Wells should not look for the bucket... or something like that].
Being subservient bruises my ego.
And if he has two hands, he might as well shell his own bloody prawns.
But then I saw this...
-------->
-------->
-------->
And I thought...
Maybe I should.
Except for tactic no. 2 of course
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Current update - 30/4/05
Why do I do this?
Read: Books of Blood by Clive Barker, The Thief Lord and Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Wicked Wit of Charles Dickens, Now Showing by Joe Garner, The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan
Reading: The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester, Roots by Alex Haley, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
CD: none
Favorite song: Caught Up by Usher
Played: CSI
Watching: The Apprentice 2, Grounded for Life, Frasier, CSI, American Idol 4, The Amazing Race 7
*No. of times asked if I have a boyfriend: 2
*No. of times asked when I will get married: 10
*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:
Got my degree cert, mailed straight from Australia. Yippee!
Read: Books of Blood by Clive Barker, The Thief Lord and Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Wicked Wit of Charles Dickens, Now Showing by Joe Garner, The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan
Reading: The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester, Roots by Alex Haley, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
CD: none
Favorite song: Caught Up by Usher
Played: CSI
Watching: The Apprentice 2, Grounded for Life, Frasier, CSI, American Idol 4, The Amazing Race 7
*No. of times asked if I have a boyfriend: 2
*No. of times asked when I will get married: 10
*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:
Got my degree cert, mailed straight from Australia. Yippee!
Friday, April 29, 2005
Unforgetable Moments From the Movies
Apart from books, I love the movies. I guess it's because movies are a combination of my two favourite art forms: pictorial and written. What better way to enjoy art than watching talking moving pictures right? So I am quite proud to acquire Now Showing: Unforgettable Moments From the Movies as part of my book collection.
I finished reading Now Showing within 2 days. This coffe-table book is a compilation of 25 memorable moments, according to the author Joe Garner. Though the selections are debatable you must consider the circumstances.
Out of millions of films that had been churned out since technology made moving pictures possible, how do you chose 25? There's also the problem of getting copyright release. For example, Lucas had no problem giving permission for Indiana Jones but no permission was given for Star Wars. So Garner just had to work with what he has available and I think he did a pretty good job. The collection makes an enjoyable read. I even forget to take a nap one eezy-breezy Sunday afternoon.
However I feel that his choice is also governed by the popularity of the films. Though I've seen 15 out of the 25 films he has selected, the 'unforgettable moments' highlighted in the book didn't strike a chord in me. And so we arrived to the point of this whole post, what are MY unforgettable moments from the movies? I wish I can put up some stills from the respective moments like in the book, but you know me, I'm too kampung to know how to do that.
(Warning: The next part MAY have some spoilers. Do exercise some caution if you care about this stuff)
One movie popped in my mind immediately - Billy Elliot.
My favourite part is when Billy's father and brother sacrificed the cause they have been fighting for strongly, better conditions for coal miners. The quit the fight to go back to work so little Billy can have a better future by going to a very good Ballet school rather than see him ending up in the mines with them. They were glum when the elevator took them down to the mine but they were happy and proud to see Billy danced later on.
LOTR: Return of the King.
Among the three films, the battles are of course memorable. But one little scene from the third instalment of the trilogy has a special place in my heart. Osgiliath was over-run by Orcs and Faramir was forced to order his men to retreat. On his return his father said, "Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?"
Dead Man Walking.
When the death row inmate, Matthew Poncelet, a few hours before his sentence is carried out, finally confessed to his spiritual advisor Sister Helen Prejean. It's pretty hard to explain why I love this part. I think it's because that it gives a sense of hope that even the most heinous criminal can still find redemption with the proper guidance. That there is still hope for anyone if you're ready to accept it. That even at the doorstep of death's door you can still find love. The two great actors, Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, makes this scene even greater.
Contact
In between the hyped-up, high-tech talk, alien theories, handsome Matthew McConaughey and nerdy scientists, is the story of one passionate scientist, Ellie Arroway. If you look carefully, there are two slow motion sequence throughtout the whole movie. First is when Ellie was running to get her father's medication and second is when the first transporting machine was destroyed. To me, the slow motion effects signifies the two most significant yet catastrophic moments of her life. One is when her father died and the other is when she witnessed her life's work literally blows up in her face. Two memorable moments for her and two memorable moments for me.
Toyol
This 1980s (could be 70s) movie is the scariest Malaysian movie I've ever seen. I think I was about 10 and I have already developed an appetite for horror movies. I remember watching it with my mother and my sister and my sister was such a scaredy-cat that she got her face covered with a blanket most of the time while I watched it with unblinking eyes from beginning to end.
For those not familiar with the term, toyol is a supernatural being that takes the form of a green naked boy. Its purpose? To steal money for its owner.
The part that I remembered very well until today is the climax. If I recall correctly, the toyol has been hurt and it came running back to its master, a man named Bachok. It found him and clung to him for dear life and suddenly it burst into flames, killing Bachok in the process. What I also cannot get out of my head is a soft, high-pitched, lilting, little girl-like voice saying, "Mari Bachok... mari... hihihi.. mari Bachok.. mari..." [Come here Bachok.... come....hihihi] I can't remember who said it and what for but it sure gives me the creeps everytime I think about it.
I never saw the movie again though I'd love to. Probably due to the stringent censorship on movies with supernatural subjects. Quite a shame because that movie has some moral to convey too like don't mess with things you can't possibly comprehend or control.
Star Trek
I can't remember in which particular movie from the whole Star Trek saga this memorable moment came from but I remember the scene well. A prisoner has been caught by the enemy and he was forced to become a spy for them. It seems that in the 24th century, forcing someone to spy for you doesn't involve threatening his life or a loved one. Instead the prisoner is 'installed' with a biological device that can control him. That biological device is a glowing flourescent yellow leech that is dropped into the victim's ear. Long story short, I sleep with my hands covering my ears that night.
Inspiring, horrifying, heart-breaking. For various reasons, these scenes made it into the list of my most unforgetable moments from the movies and I'm looking forward to adding more of them. What about you? What's your unforgetable moment from the movies?
I finished reading Now Showing within 2 days. This coffe-table book is a compilation of 25 memorable moments, according to the author Joe Garner. Though the selections are debatable you must consider the circumstances.
Out of millions of films that had been churned out since technology made moving pictures possible, how do you chose 25? There's also the problem of getting copyright release. For example, Lucas had no problem giving permission for Indiana Jones but no permission was given for Star Wars. So Garner just had to work with what he has available and I think he did a pretty good job. The collection makes an enjoyable read. I even forget to take a nap one eezy-breezy Sunday afternoon.
However I feel that his choice is also governed by the popularity of the films. Though I've seen 15 out of the 25 films he has selected, the 'unforgettable moments' highlighted in the book didn't strike a chord in me. And so we arrived to the point of this whole post, what are MY unforgettable moments from the movies? I wish I can put up some stills from the respective moments like in the book, but you know me, I'm too kampung to know how to do that.
(Warning: The next part MAY have some spoilers. Do exercise some caution if you care about this stuff)
One movie popped in my mind immediately - Billy Elliot.
My favourite part is when Billy's father and brother sacrificed the cause they have been fighting for strongly, better conditions for coal miners. The quit the fight to go back to work so little Billy can have a better future by going to a very good Ballet school rather than see him ending up in the mines with them. They were glum when the elevator took them down to the mine but they were happy and proud to see Billy danced later on.
LOTR: Return of the King.
Among the three films, the battles are of course memorable. But one little scene from the third instalment of the trilogy has a special place in my heart. Osgiliath was over-run by Orcs and Faramir was forced to order his men to retreat. On his return his father said, "Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?"
Faramir: You wish now that our places had been exchanged... that I had died and Boromir had lived.And the look on his face when he heard that was so heart-breaking that I will never forget it. Everytime I see it, everytime I think of it, I will get choked up. Those remarkable lines written by a master were delivered perfectly by two amazing actors. Could've done it better than this.
Denethor: Yes. I wish that.
Faramir: Since you are robbed of Boromir... I will do what I can in his stead. If I should return, think better of me, Father.
Denethor: That will depend on the manner of your return.
Dead Man Walking.
When the death row inmate, Matthew Poncelet, a few hours before his sentence is carried out, finally confessed to his spiritual advisor Sister Helen Prejean. It's pretty hard to explain why I love this part. I think it's because that it gives a sense of hope that even the most heinous criminal can still find redemption with the proper guidance. That there is still hope for anyone if you're ready to accept it. That even at the doorstep of death's door you can still find love. The two great actors, Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, makes this scene even greater.
Contact
In between the hyped-up, high-tech talk, alien theories, handsome Matthew McConaughey and nerdy scientists, is the story of one passionate scientist, Ellie Arroway. If you look carefully, there are two slow motion sequence throughtout the whole movie. First is when Ellie was running to get her father's medication and second is when the first transporting machine was destroyed. To me, the slow motion effects signifies the two most significant yet catastrophic moments of her life. One is when her father died and the other is when she witnessed her life's work literally blows up in her face. Two memorable moments for her and two memorable moments for me.
Toyol
This 1980s (could be 70s) movie is the scariest Malaysian movie I've ever seen. I think I was about 10 and I have already developed an appetite for horror movies. I remember watching it with my mother and my sister and my sister was such a scaredy-cat that she got her face covered with a blanket most of the time while I watched it with unblinking eyes from beginning to end.
For those not familiar with the term, toyol is a supernatural being that takes the form of a green naked boy. Its purpose? To steal money for its owner.
The part that I remembered very well until today is the climax. If I recall correctly, the toyol has been hurt and it came running back to its master, a man named Bachok. It found him and clung to him for dear life and suddenly it burst into flames, killing Bachok in the process. What I also cannot get out of my head is a soft, high-pitched, lilting, little girl-like voice saying, "Mari Bachok... mari... hihihi.. mari Bachok.. mari..." [Come here Bachok.... come....hihihi] I can't remember who said it and what for but it sure gives me the creeps everytime I think about it.
I never saw the movie again though I'd love to. Probably due to the stringent censorship on movies with supernatural subjects. Quite a shame because that movie has some moral to convey too like don't mess with things you can't possibly comprehend or control.
Star Trek
I can't remember in which particular movie from the whole Star Trek saga this memorable moment came from but I remember the scene well. A prisoner has been caught by the enemy and he was forced to become a spy for them. It seems that in the 24th century, forcing someone to spy for you doesn't involve threatening his life or a loved one. Instead the prisoner is 'installed' with a biological device that can control him. That biological device is a glowing flourescent yellow leech that is dropped into the victim's ear. Long story short, I sleep with my hands covering my ears that night.
Inspiring, horrifying, heart-breaking. For various reasons, these scenes made it into the list of my most unforgetable moments from the movies and I'm looking forward to adding more of them. What about you? What's your unforgetable moment from the movies?
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Isn't it nice...
When just one compliment could make your day.
There was I feeling so down and uninspired when suddenly someone came and said just the right thing. I can even see my ego level move up a notch.
I think I've recovered my blogging mojo. How do I know that I got it back? It's when I started to use the thesaurus again.
Thanks Fishtail! Thanks Mac!
There was I feeling so down and uninspired when suddenly someone came and said just the right thing. I can even see my ego level move up a notch.
I think I've recovered my blogging mojo. How do I know that I got it back? It's when I started to use the thesaurus again.
Thanks Fishtail! Thanks Mac!
This is how you do it
He he he... (devil laugh)
I just got back from Times Warehouse Sale in PJ and what a great time I had. MPH should just stop doing anymore warehouse sales until they learn something from Times. This is how you do it man!
Half of the area were covered with bargain books instead of the measly few bins that MPH had at their warehouse sale. A lot of paperbacks at RM8 and I'm not talking about some unknown titles by obscure authors. I'm talking about Stephen King, Catherine Lim, Phillip Pulman, John Grisham, Toni Morrison and many more. I even saw Bridget Jones (Book 1 and 2), Cold Mountain and Star Wars novelizations among others. I also saw the complete set of Stephen King's Wizards & Glass series (4 books) for RM30. Quite a bargain but I'm not a fan. Eyeris actually posted a very comprehensive take on this event already so I won't elaborate anymore.
But while he's kicking himself over Life of Pi and Terry Brooks, I was booting myself over
*** WE INTERRUPT THE REGULAR PROGRAMMING FOR A NEWSFLASH ***
Constantine is out!
Where the hell are all his fans? Did they suddenly develop a taste for melancholic chubby boy who sings melancholy songs? Scott was not even at the bottom three. I think family background got something to do with it. I think America is starting to root for the average dude (with a son to boot) rather than the high-class Greek kid from Brooklyn. Oh well, I guess now there's an opening for Bo in the final 2! Go Bo Bice!
*** End of Newsflash ***
Ok where was I.... Oh yeah...
And while he's kicking himself over Life of Pi and Terry Brooks, I was booting myself over for To Kill a Mockingbird, Anne Rice's Blood Canticle and Blackwood Farm. I bought To Kill a Mockingbird at MPH warehouse sale for RM21! And I bought the Anne Rice books at regular price. I can't believe they could sell Anne Rice at RM8 and these are the latest ones too. Damn!
But I guess that's just the ups and downs of a book collector. You win some you lose some. While I may lose 3 points this time, I managed to win on some of these...
I just got back from Times Warehouse Sale in PJ and what a great time I had. MPH should just stop doing anymore warehouse sales until they learn something from Times. This is how you do it man!
Half of the area were covered with bargain books instead of the measly few bins that MPH had at their warehouse sale. A lot of paperbacks at RM8 and I'm not talking about some unknown titles by obscure authors. I'm talking about Stephen King, Catherine Lim, Phillip Pulman, John Grisham, Toni Morrison and many more. I even saw Bridget Jones (Book 1 and 2), Cold Mountain and Star Wars novelizations among others. I also saw the complete set of Stephen King's Wizards & Glass series (4 books) for RM30. Quite a bargain but I'm not a fan. Eyeris actually posted a very comprehensive take on this event already so I won't elaborate anymore.
But while he's kicking himself over Life of Pi and Terry Brooks, I was booting myself over
*** WE INTERRUPT THE REGULAR PROGRAMMING FOR A NEWSFLASH ***
Constantine is out!
Where the hell are all his fans? Did they suddenly develop a taste for melancholic chubby boy who sings melancholy songs? Scott was not even at the bottom three. I think family background got something to do with it. I think America is starting to root for the average dude (with a son to boot) rather than the high-class Greek kid from Brooklyn. Oh well, I guess now there's an opening for Bo in the final 2! Go Bo Bice!
*** End of Newsflash ***
Ok where was I.... Oh yeah...
And while he's kicking himself over Life of Pi and Terry Brooks, I was booting myself over for To Kill a Mockingbird, Anne Rice's Blood Canticle and Blackwood Farm. I bought To Kill a Mockingbird at MPH warehouse sale for RM21! And I bought the Anne Rice books at regular price. I can't believe they could sell Anne Rice at RM8 and these are the latest ones too. Damn!
But I guess that's just the ups and downs of a book collector. You win some you lose some. While I may lose 3 points this time, I managed to win on some of these...
- The new Artemis Fowl book (The Opal Deception) RM24
- The Complete Book of Vampires RM15
- The Complete Tolkien Companion RM10
- Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind RM8
- Yann Martel's Life of Pi RM8
- Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha RM8
- Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass RM8
- Philip Pullman's The Subtle Knife RM8
- Philip Pullman's The Amber Spyglass RM8
- Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop RM5
- E.M. Forster's A Passage to India RM5
- and War and Peace (VCD) RM9
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
I feel so uninspired
I don't know what I want to blog about anymore.
I do have a few topics lined up but these topics need a lot of research before it is ready for publish. Well, if you know me well enough already, you might know what I'm about to say.
"I'm just too lazy"
I tried blogging about some trivial things like what I did today, what I was thinking about lately. But I feel these matters a bit too trivial for my taste. I mean it's not like those who read this would care unless they know who I really am. But alas, as far as I know there's only one (1) reader who knew me outside the blogosphere and that's because I went on and mentioned that I do have a blog. But she deserves to know since she was the one who introduced the joys (and pains) of blogging to me. Anyway, I don't think this person would care to know what time I woke up this morning, whether I squeezed a nickel-sized or a dime-sized toothpaste onto my toothbrush or why I was 15 minutes late for work today or what I did last weekend, which usually consists of waking up late, watch tv, read or twiddling God-knows-what on my computer.
Blogging about recent books that I've read, something that I've done before, is another option but then enjoying a book is way different than TALKING about why you enjoy it, especially when you also want to sound intelligent in the process. Very difficult.
A clear mind helps in organizing critical thoughts so I guess my mind is a bit occupied lately. What has it been occupied with? Man I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm going to talk about 'what I was thinking lately' after all.
Since my last post 7 days ago I have to spend 2 of those days helping my boss's brother typing data on the computer. I'm finally back at the bookstore on Thursday evening much to my relief. I was so worried I'm going to be stuck there I was ready to quit if I stayed there any longer. It was so mind-numbingly boring I thought that my brain has shut down on me.
On top of that I think my modem was strucked by lightning (again!). That's another strain on my budget. I still have my dial-up account but I began to suffer broadband-withdrawal syndrome: mind-numb caused by longer waiting time for a page to load, higher stress level because less time is spent on reading and watching tv and unnecessary interuption when someone picked up the phone, well... you know the drill.
To occupy the times when I don't feel like hearing the dialing sound the modem makes, I installed CSI, a game I bought so long ago but never got around to play. However, installing the game resulted some errors on my computer - I cannot shut it down properly. Thankfully the game is short and I uninstall it straight away, not caring that I didn't get 100% on all my evaluations.
Last weekend my aunt from Ipoh came over and stayed for a few days so not much private quiet time to think. They are my favourite family members however.
Now, Tuesday has come again. My broadband is up and running and I just feel obligated to publish something if only for the sake of those who visit my blog regularly but got shut down everytime they saw "Crossing into the Borders" at the top of the page, especially to those who has 56K dial-up connection. I totally feel you. One tip: get Firefox and find out about Live Bookmark. For the time being I give you "I feel so uninspired".
Damn! For someone so uninspired I did talk a lot, didn't I? I guess what matters is not what is it that you want to write about, but to actually start writing. Something I've noticed while studying for my business degree. It's always the same every single time. I will start an assignment late because I have no idea what to write about but once I got started I can't stop. Just hope that I didn't babble as much as I am now. Well, I've submitted all the assignments and I got the freakin' cert already. Nothing I can do about that now. But I do have to control my babbling on this blog since it doesn't have anyone to review/mark it. You be my lecturer. Just let me know if this is too much babbling for you.
Double damn! What if no one actually reach the end to actually read that previous line?
Oh well...
I do have a few topics lined up but these topics need a lot of research before it is ready for publish. Well, if you know me well enough already, you might know what I'm about to say.
"I'm just too lazy"
I tried blogging about some trivial things like what I did today, what I was thinking about lately. But I feel these matters a bit too trivial for my taste. I mean it's not like those who read this would care unless they know who I really am. But alas, as far as I know there's only one (1) reader who knew me outside the blogosphere and that's because I went on and mentioned that I do have a blog. But she deserves to know since she was the one who introduced the joys (and pains) of blogging to me. Anyway, I don't think this person would care to know what time I woke up this morning, whether I squeezed a nickel-sized or a dime-sized toothpaste onto my toothbrush or why I was 15 minutes late for work today or what I did last weekend, which usually consists of waking up late, watch tv, read or twiddling God-knows-what on my computer.
Blogging about recent books that I've read, something that I've done before, is another option but then enjoying a book is way different than TALKING about why you enjoy it, especially when you also want to sound intelligent in the process. Very difficult.
A clear mind helps in organizing critical thoughts so I guess my mind is a bit occupied lately. What has it been occupied with? Man I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm going to talk about 'what I was thinking lately' after all.
Since my last post 7 days ago I have to spend 2 of those days helping my boss's brother typing data on the computer. I'm finally back at the bookstore on Thursday evening much to my relief. I was so worried I'm going to be stuck there I was ready to quit if I stayed there any longer. It was so mind-numbingly boring I thought that my brain has shut down on me.
On top of that I think my modem was strucked by lightning (again!). That's another strain on my budget. I still have my dial-up account but I began to suffer broadband-withdrawal syndrome: mind-numb caused by longer waiting time for a page to load, higher stress level because less time is spent on reading and watching tv and unnecessary interuption when someone picked up the phone, well... you know the drill.
To occupy the times when I don't feel like hearing the dialing sound the modem makes, I installed CSI, a game I bought so long ago but never got around to play. However, installing the game resulted some errors on my computer - I cannot shut it down properly. Thankfully the game is short and I uninstall it straight away, not caring that I didn't get 100% on all my evaluations.
Last weekend my aunt from Ipoh came over and stayed for a few days so not much private quiet time to think. They are my favourite family members however.
Now, Tuesday has come again. My broadband is up and running and I just feel obligated to publish something if only for the sake of those who visit my blog regularly but got shut down everytime they saw "Crossing into the Borders" at the top of the page, especially to those who has 56K dial-up connection. I totally feel you. One tip: get Firefox and find out about Live Bookmark. For the time being I give you "I feel so uninspired".
Damn! For someone so uninspired I did talk a lot, didn't I? I guess what matters is not what is it that you want to write about, but to actually start writing. Something I've noticed while studying for my business degree. It's always the same every single time. I will start an assignment late because I have no idea what to write about but once I got started I can't stop. Just hope that I didn't babble as much as I am now. Well, I've submitted all the assignments and I got the freakin' cert already. Nothing I can do about that now. But I do have to control my babbling on this blog since it doesn't have anyone to review/mark it. You be my lecturer. Just let me know if this is too much babbling for you.
Double damn! What if no one actually reach the end to actually read that previous line?
Oh well...
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