Reality ...

Just one quickie...top 3 on reality.

1. things are always not what it seems.

2. life's a mountain... yea, a tall one somemore

3. life's an energy ... the more you live it, the you feel it.

no wonder i'm no fortune teller.

Got 5 ...

Facebook turns 5 today... and erm ... so is my blog (well technically not today) . But what the helluva difference these 5 years it has been. No. i'm not talking about how much fine lines have appeared since then but a COOL USD1.5 Billion!!! 

That's how much that harvard bugger have made by just having 15 million people like us updating our routine and poking each other everyday... sigh....for me, this IS the best reality show ever. Take that Amazing Race.. and yes... me. 

Now ... back to work and stop poking. Every poke probably enlarges his kitty by millions every second! Grr...

Things you learn everyday ...

Yea... I know its kinda cliche to say it again and again, that life's a journey of discovery. That the more we thought we knew, in actual fact, we dont. At all, period.

Yesterday's conversation, or rather, from what seemed to be just a regular Facebook status update, turns out to be an hour long Google and search operation.  (See ... facebooking is good for the mental health after all)

Call me ignorant, but I dont quite care the various words that means the same in English... not that I dont wanna know, oh wel... i'm just plain ignorant then. So there I was, like a kid in a kinddy class ... going thru ox and bulls in the middle of the night.  And now I know ... ah ....

Happy Niu Year everyone ... (i know its kinda late...)

February is here ...

It's the first day of work after CNY ... and my boss has just aptly reminded us that we only have 50 days left before the end of Q1 (so much for a happy first day). Well, at least it sounds like someone is keeping tab of time when the rest of us are still in the year-end party mood. Good boys, keep dreaming, the boss is out with a whip already.

So folks, welcome back to reality. The skies are no longer blue (bit hazy actually now) and the work's piling high. Gambateh.  

This is how it should have been...

Like wow alvin .. for the longest ever, well, for the past 4 years ... this is the first major facelift my blog. Nothing to shout about I guess compared to the massive relay and technology-infused blogs of I-shall-not-mention here but I do get certain kick out of it. Its like getting your first very-own toy from your parents (though most likely it has been handed-down from your evil first-born brother), the sense of euphoria is unimaginably...big; though I could sense no one's impressed with what I did here. 

Now, for a person as IT/Web illiterate as I am, this is a major milestone k. Its like going to the moon back in the 50s (yes, i said 50s) or video-calling for your ancestors. Having said that .. I am hopeless in alot of sense and in many ways too...sigh. Here goes

1. I cant cook. 

2. I cant sing.

3. I cant draw

4. I cant (officially) play any musical instrument

5. I cant sew

and the list goes on ...  wow. The laundry is rather complete now.

another sign of aging ....

Just another reminder... as the little ones celebrate their birthday. Lil Lorraine is already entering Standard 1 this year yet I could still vividly remember her taking her first step to walk.

Happy birthday baby.  

Phew....

I'm just glad .. for the record. After 3 months of agony and bit of belt thightening, i'm kinda glad that things are turning around again. It's pretty amazing how life can change overnight, or rather just over lunch. Not that I was severely affected by the lack of funds ... just that the festive wasnt that nice if you're on a bit of shoe string and when you have tonnes of wants to fulfill.

Went to my lil pigeon hole in Puchong on Sunday morning, right after a nice dim sum breakfast ( i meant their service, not the good though) with the Pongs to erect the To Let signage. Just within an hour later I received a call to view and .... fast forward to today, I received a confirmation from the new tenant-elect. 

Take care of my lil pigeons ya...   

Glam

MBFC World MasterCard launch - No this wasn't part of the launch (phew..) but it was great joy to let down our hair for once. It's the first major car launch for me in MBFC. 

Now if only I could one ... 

1st Jan 2009

It's not my birthday ... but I'm gonna 11176 days old on 1st Jan 2009. No resolution in sight though. Just gonna keep counting. Dont ask me why ...

There. Happy New Year. Another decade is taking its bow soon .... 

Choice and chances

Someone told me .. long time ago.

Life's about choices we make, and chances we take... Never really dawn upon me, that these choices are also the chances I took. I dont have a point now. Just a wild random thought that's running through my mind. Something big must definitely be coming my way ...  

Alpinia Apartment : For sale

Hey guys, yes ... my lil apartment is up for sale (again)

RM 105,000.00 (neg)

780 sq ft. 3 bedroom, 2 baths

Alpinia Apartments

Bandar Puteri 

Puchong

Ping Alvin @ 012 273 9686 ...

Bloggin vs FB

Someone commented that I dont blog anymore (ha ha.. strange, not that I really blog anyway!!) Anyway, eversince FB became like the Starbucks of online-social-networking-bla-bla-bla (yea, I still haven't got a clue what it is actually) I guess its yet another god-sent excuse to short-cut. Its like cheating in Body Jam and Rpm classes you see. Makes and keeps you IN without really having to do the dirty work.

But having said that, blogging has become quite a pretty chore and uphill task lately. It's like having to prepare a meal for the entire clan you see (yes, i don't cook!) and worst of all, not everyone would want to stomach that afterall. Waste of time right? =) Having my mind preoccupied with tonnes of utterly rubbish and nonsense does not help it.

So, FB it is... its fast, easy and most of all, we feel that the whole is actually listening and watching, though I doubt how many actually bothers to vet thru the feeds considering the heaps of cam-whores and delusional freaks out there. Still ... you know most of your 'friends' will be shoved your life-story if they just so happen to be most left-out in the FB world.

Of course, i'd love to lament the lack of gadgets and stuffs to help me blog better (Eee PC .. where art thou!) and also being without the obligatory P-world must have SLR camera doesnt help at all. Haih.. excuses ... Oh oh, one more .. and the fact that this blog has remained unchanged for the past 4 years (something that cant be said about the owner) serves pretty little motivation too.

Now.. here's a blog already lo.

Cheerssss.... =)

Back ....

How do I start... Hmm... again, there's just so many things in my mind. Guess the goold'old me is back. Funny, just about two months ago, I promised myself to turn over new leaf, no more nonsensical and acting according to my whims and fancies. How fast do human forget.

The past weeks have been a bagful-mix of emotions. Sometimes I do wonder how strong I am and yet most of the time I'm pretty hopeless, especially when it comes to relationship; or rather the lack of it. Yea, lack of it is the word.

Succumbing the ideal Utopian of eternal partnership, I tend to hurl myself blindly into a cobweb of disaster, one after another when it doesnt work; or even if it doesnt not work up to speed. Banished to the idea that I could control and chart my own destiny, I'm beginning to succumb to the weights and yoke of not being able fulfill my hearts desire. My mind's easily cooked up and most of the time I could feel myself drifting willingly into oblivion. I feel horrible again, and I'm not talking about swallowing an elephant for dinner but the awful sensation of not knowing what's next, the hopelessness of not being able to determine why am I feeling that way and the sheer emptiness thats cocoons me. Worst still, the depressive aura is all consuming now; not wanting to speak to people easily, shying away from the commonest of routine and dwelling into multiple scenarios that weren't there in the first place. Help ....

Facebook rocks ...

yes, i'm getting more and more of a facebook addict nowadays, and as everyday know, there's loads of applications ranging from must-haves to those that are utterly rubbish. So more often than not, I don't really pay attention them em' though I'm aware how many buckaroos or karma points they earn me, hey, not that it pays the bills and keeps the boss happy, so yea, i'm not an application-slave. But this came in yesterday and being the forever insecure me, I gave it a try, just about 4 questions to answer and the result ... totally caught me by surprise and blew me away!

It's one of those birthday reading thingie basically ... so here it goes

Your birthday means that you are an early morning person.

You like water and water sports, and your best colors are blue and gray. You are artistic and love to express yourself in many different ways. While you tend to be more of an introverted person, that does not mean you sit at home. On the contrary, you have the best ideas when it comes to going places and finding things to do. You are very innovative and excel at creativity...

wow... how true! man, i never thought internet prediction could get that eerily closed to reality!

I used to be less than bothered about people's opinion about me, though I had lived thru and experienced one of the greatest moment accorded during my college years. Fast forward to 08, I found myself living thru public scrutiny over my private life and yes, I am bothered.

All these seems trivial I thought, as I was driving home just now. Side track, having to work in downtown kl and living in a suburb, I get to live the infamous life of getting stuck in endless bumper to bumper parade. But these moments can sometimes be my own quiet time, with the radio off and me alone in a sea of strangers. I have reached the defining moment in my life I believe, everything that I have ever dreamed and worked for, is quite within reach now. just that big push ... I am determined then I guess ... these 2 years' gonna be TIME for my ownself and no one else. Say the h**l what you want about me ... I've got my own life to live.

What's up

It's been about two months now, and almost a month into my new employment...reserve comments about my job till a later date. But now, guess the dusk has more or less settled, heart rate's down and common sense's back. Cant say i'm happy nor am I sad over what that has happened. It was just a one-of-a-kind and never-to-be-repeated chapter of life that l've learned the hard way.

Looking at myself now, guess, being alone has again taken its toll on me. It could also be the new lifestyle that i'm still adjusting too, having to sleep rather early so as to wake up early in the morning. yes, yes, yours truly works in downtown kl. but that aside, the routine has turned into something that's rather bland, staid and well... yea boring. Its kinda deja vu too. But i guess i should be complaining too.. i mean, i kinda wanted this in the first place.

I just bought a book over the weekend. Its called Barack Obama, the audacity of hope. Going back to my good-old reading habit that I often found solace and refuge from. That's why reading about the life and experience of other people is kinda therapeutic; its not being nosy or what, to me its a good short-cut to learn, appreciate and expect, what else could life offer.

On the bright side, things have definitely changed for the better (fingers crossed) over the past two months too. I found myself being able to relax and unwind much better, no thanks to the much needed weekend break that I have now. Maybe to many who has enjoyed weekends all their working life, the two may not mean much but its one helluva god-sent gift. Looking forward, i'm determined to fix the few flaws and bring back the meaning and ways of how I wanna lead my life. Too much have been wasted over the past two years, too many silly and inmature decisions that has caused me much anxiety, hardship and uncertainty. Perhaps I should get down and write it out loud too ... visible goals with achievable and doable means!

hmm.. who am i kidding ha.... well, lets just live one day at a time .. counting my blessings.

Another milestone to pass

Its the end of March now ... a quarter of the year has come and gone pretty soon.

Tomorrow's yet another milestone come to think about it. Wonder how's the new place gonna be like? Its kinda scary actually, to step into the unknown; with our lifes depending on it. Oh well.. so many questions, so many uncertainties!

Blessed to Give

I've been to Genting for the umpteenth times but this trip stood out and was really special. Special because it was for the very first time, a birthday present was given to a very dear friend of mine in a form of a trip. A trip which (admittedly) was long overdue for the many of us too; sigh ... time flies so fast when we go on with our own personal stuffs. Personally I was excited, and this goes a long way to show its not the place or material things but the presence and company of great friends that matters most. Maybe its an age thing but I felt really blessed and glad over the last two days. It was truly joyous to rant and rant just about everything and let loose though the place was terribly familiar already. Food was really great (thanks Daryl for your great hospitality) though the same cant be said about accommodation but ok la.

So to Jenny, happy birthday again (yes.. and again, and again!) The trip though short, but was short of nothing! Many more happy returns ...

sorry for the sloppy/blurry photos though!

The grand finale

Well.. it wasnt that grand after all but just the way I like it. Small but significant. Thanks Jenny/Cash/Joshua for being such a gracious host

a feng-tau host ... and a superb one

turning lobster fast, loads of great white wine

it was indeed a lovely night.. a simple one at its best
as we part, i cant thank you all enough
god bless all

17 years later

It's been a very very long while since i last took a break ... let alone a holiday! So 22nd March must have been god-sent to say the least. Though nothing to shout about, its one helluva trip as I went with mummy, sis and my niece. Not something that I have done before and a whole lot different from what I did with the CB gangs. Looking back, I've never made any trips with mum before (safe for those schooling days trips) so this trip is definitely one big step, and definitely not the only one.

the trip was to a little town (not that small actually as I found out) in Johor called Batu Pahat; Looking back, the last time I step foot into this town was a good 17 years ago so I had to crack my head trying to figure out how to get there. Yea yea, i know, in these days of GPS, yours truly had to still rely on those horrible vellu-era signboards that points you nowhere. Ne way, these are the highlights...

this bunting caught everyone's attention ... and its not a hoax!!

(i know ... its obscene when grown ups do the peek-a-boo ... don't ask me what they were doing)

(mutated fish that was supposed to bring tidings of luck and wealth should it swims to you.. yea right!!)

Of course, after all said and done, I was really glad to have gone for this little trip with mum. It brings back so much memories and most importantly, reminds me how much I have not done anything for my mum. As we grow, the self in us soon took over, friends seem more important and time seemed not enough. But I guess all it took was just a simple decision that I want to do it...

(noah's ark in progress ... how many men does it take to repair a ship?)

and yes.. a beach holiday (and young coconut water!)