Hello 2008!

The year 2007 has been an amazing year. So, here we are, on the threshold of another New Year.A new year, and new set of hopes, dreams and ambitions.
My Resolutions this year :

1. Reach office at 930- i'm always late to work and its getting worse! It has been 2 weeks plus that i've been away from work. Tough. But i will get through it :P

2. Read at least 3 books - i bought 8 books from the recent Times Bookstore Warehouse Sales. Dirt cheap. My supply for 2 years plus.

3. Go for at least one overseas trip - Travel will broaden your horizon. So, this may be the most important thing to do. Save $$$ and cure the itchy feet! i m thinking bali, nz, bangkok...island..

4. New hobby - Golf maybe?

5. Get certified and be done with it - It has been almost 2 years since i took the dot net course and have yet to complete the exams. Total 5 papers and i have took 3 papers last year. 2 more papers to go.woohooooo!!

Happy New Year 2008.
May you live in interesting times.
Live life to the fullest!

Cheers!

Lunch at Elcerdo

I went to this Spanish restaurant at Changkat Bukit Bintang that serves only pork- from nose to tail!
Elcerdo is a great dining place especially if you love pork! Our entree is this parma ham with melons. I didn't take photo of this but its a must try, the smoked ham is cut into thin slices and eaten with bread. And the melon is darn sweet..:)

Their famous dish is the roasted piglet. I find it quite unique that they cut the crispy pork with a white plate. And the best part, they will allow you to smash the same plate on a wooden bucket with a big black rock in it..its a spanish tradition for good luck!hahaha..damn scared at first but excited at the same time, i smashed the plate! And everyone cheered and clapped..its like some sorta celebration!The piglet was crispy and tender!
Cutting the roasted piglet with plate

Roasted piglet!

Head down to Elcerdo for the amazing oink oink experience! Visit Elcerdo for more info. Even the website looks darn piglylicious good! Oink!Oink!<00>

Close call

Few weeks back, while i was crossing the road, i didnt notice that there was a bike coming. Then i heard a voice, "WOOIII!!"and then I felt a strong grip on my left arm..pulling me back to the safe side off the road. I snapped back to reality, what was i thinking when crossing that road? It was a close shave..i guess i would have been knocked off by that motorcycle if it wasn't for the angel's swift action!
So, i wrote this to thank him.

Thanks takashi and i owe u one helluva big margarita!!here, enjoy!:p

Updates: Top 30 things to do

This year, I have achieved item 4,8 and 30! haha..cant believe it though..especially mount kk, i dont think i will be going up there in the near future!But the view is breathtaking!Definitely worth the climb!!!

sunrise at the top
above the clouds

view from atop

1. Sky Jump

2. Bungee jump

3. Backpacking in South Island,NZ(to achieve 1 & 2)

4. Climb Mount KK (targeted in July 07) * achieved on 15th July 07

5. Spend more time with frens n family

6. Save more so can spend later!muahahaha..

7. Own a house

8. Drive a go-cart (queued up many times but nver got the chance) * achieved on 29th July 07 PD

9. Exercise more

10. Watch more movies

11. Read more books

12. Ride a motorbike

13. Visit Paris (Eiffel Tower)

14. Take pictures of all my friends and family(so, don't u resist the next time i snap yer photo)

15. Try a pilates class

16. Visit Niagara Falls

17. Take ice skating lesson

18. Ride on a helicopter

19. ZzzzZzz under the stars

20. Start own business.

21. Ride the largest roller coaster (yes!!*grin*)

22. Cloud gaze all day

23. Dance in the snow with the one i love

24. Play Golf (minus the hot blazing sun)

25. Snow, snow, snow -feel the snow falling

26. See the sunrise and Sunset on the same day. (how hard is that??)

27. Scream at the top of my lungs on a mountain.

29. Learn how to bake a fab cheesecake (didn't quite make it the first time!)

30. Learn how to swim * still got 2 more lessons to go...:P

Le Festin- Camille (Ratatouille Soundtrack)

I love this song!!so romantic and beautiful.. although can't understand the french words, but can somehow feel like im in Paris when listening to it! You gotta watch Ratatouille!

Here are the lyrics in eng and french, Enjoy!
Le Festin

French lyrics:

Les rêves des amoureux sont comm’(e) le bon vin
Ils donn(ent) de la joie ou bien du chagrin
Affaibli par la faim je suis malheureux
Volant en chemin tout ce que je peux
Car rien n’est gratuit dans la vie

L’espoir est un plat bien trop vite consommé
A sauter les repas je suis habitué
Un voleur solitaire est triste à nourrir
A un jeu si amer je n’peux réussir
Car rien n’est gratuit dans…

La vie… Jamais on ne me dira
Que la course aux étoiles; ça n’est pas pour moi
Laissez moi vous émerveiller et prendre mon en vol
Nous allons en fin nous régaler

La fêt(e) va enfin commencer
Sortez les bouteilles; finis les ennuis
Je dresse la table, de ma nouvell(e) vie
Je suis heureux à l’idée de ce nouveau destin
Une vie à me cacher et puis libre enfin
Le festin est sur mon chemin

Une vie à me cacher et puis libre enfin
Le festin est sur mon chemin

The Feast
English lyrics:

Dreams are to lovers as wine is to friends
Carried through lifetimes, (and) spilled now and then
I am driven by hunger, so saddened to be
Thieving in darkness; I know you’re not pleased
But nothing worth eating is free

My hope is a banquet impatiently downed
Impossibly full, now I’ll probably drown
Many thieves’ lives are lonely with one mouth to feed
If giving means taking, I’ll never succeed
For nothing worth stealing is…

Free at last; won’t be undersold
Surviving isn’t living; won’t eat what I’m told
Let me free, I’ll astonish you; I’m planning to fly
I won’t let this party just pass me by

The banquet is now underway, so…
Bring out the bottles; a new tale has spun
In clearing this table, my new life’s begun
I am nervous, excited; (oh) just read the marquee!
A lifetime of hiding; I’m suddenly free!
My dinner is waiting for me

A lifetime of hiding; I’m suddenly free!
My dinner is waiting for me

Unexpected Lunch

Yesterday, went for lunch with colleagues -choo bee,too and chin..at Shi Men Ti restaurant in S&M(next to kotaraya). I ordered beef soup noodles. My food came first, so while waiting for other orders to come, we were just our usual self, talking crap and laughing.

Then when the waitress came, she just put the food we ordered on the table, until we saw a slice of pork meat dropped from one of the bowl onto the tray..so ah too,upon seeing this, pointed his finger at that particular slice of pork to the waitress. In fact, all of us looked at her anticipating her to do something..

And......without much hesitation, she quickly picked up the pork with her bare hand and put it back into the bowl where it belongs as if nothing has happened and walked off.
Jaws dropped, brains numbed, eyes wide opened..we were really in disbelief..hahahaha..her action was way too fast for anyone of us to digest..It happened so fast, i cannot believe it!hahahahaha.. we cracked and laughed our heads off in total disbelief!!!

Jeez..this is so outta mind!i never thought such thing will happen,plus we are not in some dirty hawker center but we are getting this kinda service!

Anyway, that pork meat rice was Chin's. He finished it anyhow...and didn't mind at all..hahaha..(maybe with the waitress' extra 'ingredient', it tasted better!only god knows!)

Conclusion- I think i will not go back to this place again.hahaha..but for her 300% 'selambaness' and 'do-i-look-like-i-give-a-damn-bout-ur-pork-face'
It's priceless!!!hahahaha..

Oh yeah, forget to mention that we saw a little 'siew keong' there too. muahahahahha...

GSS

Just got back from Singapore. Its the Great Singapore Sales again but it wasn't that great after all. I just bought perfume and some chocolates. Didn't plan to buy anything there..reason being- things are relatively more expensive now than before, especially with the recent GST hike which is effective today. The gov tax went from 5% to 7%. So everything is a bit expensive now. But it wasnt much of an impact to me becoz i was only there to catch up with my friends and some ex colleagues. I met Alice, Too and his other half, Brenda, Hazel, Simon, Chin Lai, Hung Fai,Chin Ling,Harold, Adrienne and Ming Lit. So, it's was a good trip except for not having enuff time to meet my other friends and relatives.

Anyway,I wanted to get an ipod nano...hmm its about 20% cheaper to get it from spore than here.
I didn't buy it coz i m kinda broke this month. I still have 2 more trips from this week onwards.

What i like about Singapore:
1. Good food especially if its foreign chain food operators and not chinese hawker food
2. Cheap ipods
3. Cheap chocolates (yummy!)
4. Living cost is actually lower than KL if its a one to one comparison.
5. Good transportation (Taxis are spacious and reliable..they run on meters. No toutings!)

What i dun like bout Singapore:
1. Escalators way too fast (no wonder so many escalator accidents) but in KL its way too slow.
2. Bad hawker food(dun take bak kut teh there, its nothing like here)
3. Pple are walking fast. Its a fast paced country.

So the conclusion is -I still like Singapore. :P

Track 02

It's funny how, in an album the track number 2 always appear to be my favourite song. I don't usually listen to all the songs in the album unless its uber nice. So, what i usually do is to play the track 02 first.
And could it be a coincidence that track 02 is usually the artist's best song in the album?

Boring Saturday!!!!

I woke up this morning at 8am feeling reluctant to get off my bed.
Darn!! I need to get to cyberjaya for work on a saturday morning!!A beautiful saturday morning that is!
When i get to cyberjaya at about 10 am, my colleagues had left..so i just sit here until 6pm.. Will be sitting here for 8 hours- Been here for .. Doing absolutely nothing and its bloody cold in the server room...luckily, there is one operator who talk to me for the first hour about his KK trip and his working routine here. Otherwise, it's totally unbearable to sit here alone and in the cold..

I wish the time will pass quickly.at least for now..then i could go back to my lovely bed...

2007 must be the movie year for three!

Some of the movies to look out for this year are 3rd installments:
1.Spiderman 3
2.Shrek The Third
3.Pirates of the Carribean 3
4.Oceans 13 (First -Oceans 11, Sequel-Oceans 12)
5.The Bourne Ultimatum (Last two sequels are The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy)

I have watched all the movies above for the 1st and 2nd installments and the one that I most look forward to is Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Just love Johnny Depp and his antics!

Spiderman 3 coming to you this 1 May 2007!Enjoy!

my new bags!!

Classic Padini working bag

Nike Diatribe Medium backpack

Fila sporty bag

My Visual DNA

I land on this interesting site (http://friends.imagini.net/) that throws some random pictures at you. Click on the pictures based on the title and after running for 5-6 steps , voila! You get your very own personal profile. Here is my profile :

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Hiking Excursion

Yesterday was such an eventful day. Went to Bukit Tabur,Taman Melawati for hiking. We started off at 8am. The group consists of 6 of my colleagues and 11 others from Hong Leong Bank. It was a good start as the weather looked great. I was the only one wearing shorts but thank goodness the land was dry and not slippery, else i will get many scratches(though i did get few minor cuts and bruises).

Overall, it was an interesting experience. We climbed up and down -crossing the hills. What i like most bout this hike is the rock climbing part. Quite dangerous,i must say as we swinged with the ropes, and climbed with our bare hands- testing our endurance and gripping skills!

In total,we spent about 5 hours!!But i really enjoyed the rock climbing part.Bee Teng(we called her spider woman) led us throughout the journey- this was her second time though. A big thanks to her, Ed, Too for they were really helpful and always watching over me!!

One of them said Bukit Tabur is even more difficult to climb than mount KK. So, i guess, mount KK wouldn't be much of an obstacle for me.:P

After lunch and getting ourselves squeaky clean, we headed down to Thai Odyssey at One Utama for foot massages. One of my colleagues and I decided not to go for the foot massage (the lady was way too persistent though,eeeewww), so we went to have mee suah(with oyster) at one of the shops selling taiwanese food.

Some decent photos i took:
Halfway on top

Going down with the ropes

Ed pointing to where we were heading

hello domo

domo saying hi
I saw this little brown creature at my fren's msn picture and was instantly attracted to it..heheh..it looks kinda fierce but it's actually quite nice. His name is Domo-kun!Domo means thanks in Japanese and kun means Mister.
More about domo-kun at http://cardhouse.com/travel/japan/domokun.htm

domo and bear in the rain(i like this pic)

domo and the rabbit

Tax Tips

Today,I went for a briefing conducted by Inland Revenue Board(IRB) or better known as Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri. Something very important to share with all of you is that the rebate for the Books/Magazines is allocated RM700 per annum.

The guy who has worked there for 27 years said "Apasal you tak claim tujuh ratus ni?Claim jer la". Then another guy asked "Tak ada resit pun boleh claim?"
"Takkan u beli majalah bawah jambatan, u nak resit ke?Takkan u beli buku untuk anak kat sekolah, ada resit?Claim jer la."replied the officer.

So, indirectly he was hinting to us that we can claim the RM700 allocated for books and magazines without receipts!!The reasoning is because that they can justify the amount spent on books. However for others like medication for parents, u need to have the receipts.

Well,its good to know that coz i dun spend that much on books per annum :P

nose sandals

sick cny

Cny ain't so good this year..sick ady...luckily, sick on the 3rd day. Plus now back to work, plan to take a day off from work(mc hammer :P) coz caught flu after kena rain the other day. KL is pretty quiet with most of the pple went back to their hometowns. Traffic is smooth...LRT is not congested..
What i love bout cny:
1. Ang Pows
2. Gatherings with frens and relatives
3. Gambling (went to genting on 2nd day of cny, although congested but if u win $$$, that just slip off ur mind)
4. Holiday
5. Smooth traffic

What i dislike bout cny:
1. Me getting sick
2. Away from loved ones


Anyway,Happy Chinese New Year!!:)

my desktop

My desktop as of today... :P few of my colleagues were shocked..too bad, the wallpaper can't change, so this is how to make it look better. :P

Top 30 things to do

Top 30 things to do (in no particular order except for item 1 , 2 and 3)
1. Sky Jump
2. Bungee jump
3. Backpacking in South Island,NZ(to achieve 1 & 2)
4. Climb Mount KK (targeted in July 07)
5. Spend more time with frens n family
6. Save more so can spend later!muahahaha..
7. Own a house
8. Drive a go-cart (queued up many times but nver got the chance)
9. Exercise more
10. Watch more movies
11. Read more books
12. Ride a motorbike
13. Visit Paris (Eiffel Tower)
14. Take pictures of all my friends and family(so, don't u resist the next time i snap yer photo)
15. Try a pilates class
16. Visit Niagara Falls
17. Take ice skating lesson
18. Ride on a helicopter
19. ZzzzZzz under the stars
20. Start own business.
21. Ride the largest roller coaster (yes!!*grin*)
22. Cloud gaze all day
23. Dance in the snow with the one i love
24. Play Golf (minus the hot blazing sun)
25. Snow, snow, snow -feel the snow falling
26. See the sunrise and Sunset on the same day. (how hard is that??)
27. Scream at the top of my lungs on a mountain.
29. Learn how to bake a fab cheesecake (didn't quite make it the first time!)
30. Learn how to swim

Super Premium Club

Yessss..finally it's here!This is my new year present!My resolution this year is to indulge myself with timeless temptation!


proud member of super premium club

Ice cream is one of the two temptations that i can barely resist. Another is chocolate. So, a luscious scoop of Håagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream is the best combination one can get.Better than anything that i have tried!

With this membership, i m entitled to 20% discount for purchases above $20 or 15% off otherwise plus many other privileges.

Håagen-Dazs at KLCC

Okie, stop drooling..;P