In a world of her own.....

It's a beautiful day. I've had enough sleep - not feeling lethargic. Still, rest required before work tonight.

News about our increment and bonus at work tonight. Let there be really good news. But then again, its the beginning of the month. It's expected to be busy, plus I'm starting my new position officially tonight. It'll be stepping into the battle-field alone this time. No back-up. It'll be an assault.

I finally sms-ed ZT again, nothing confrontational. Kept things light-hearted. It was nothing like what I intended to do a few weeks back. I'm glad I put it off. I just sent a message, telling her what's been going on then jokingly asking if she had forgotten about me. In fact, I wasn't expecting a reply at all.

Later on, she came online - so I just greeted her. And then she said congratulations. So, after about 2 months of being M.I.A, she's back.

I asked her why she disappeared, why she didn't reply my messages and what happened to her.

"Sorry, I was in a world of my own"

Then I had to ask the question, if it was about me.

"No, its got nothing to do with you at all". ( Well, of course. I've been nothing but a darling :D)

She said that she was fine, but lots on her mind. It was a relief that she was ok. Lots of things went through my mind when she first disappeared - she lost her phone, I did something wrong to piss her off, etc.

Well, loose ends have been tied up. At least I know what's happened. I can rest easy, nothing to worry about.

SW did reply my message as well, she wasn't feeling well.

"Not feeling well, ttyl"

This isn't her normal reply. Something isn't right. More loose ends? All the same, I didn't want to reply her sms, I just sent her a virtual "Get Well Soon" card.

Go Go Power Rangers.....

Guys, we should start watching Power Rangers, the Japanese version at least. We all know Power Rangers are for kids, crappy acting, crappy stories. But who cares about all that when the Japanese version, "DekaRanger" has got this.....

Ayumi Kinoshita - Yellow DekaRanger

Got your attention? Beats the US-version of The Might Morphin' Power Rangers ANYTIME I say!

American Idol-wannabes.....

Something I've realized watching the latest season of American Idol. I used to think that I hated Celine Dion's songs. I really did. Even Whitney Houston.

Celine Dion's "The Power of Love", "If You Asked Me To", "Beauty and the Beast", Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You".....

The Idol contestants made me appreciate these songs more - it's just the Titanic-theme that gets on my nerves. It's still stuck in my head after all these years. How it remains stuck in my head eludes me, its not like we hear it often on the radio or on TV anyway.

PSP getting cheaper.....

Since the USA launch, the retail price has dropped from RM 1365 to RM 1328. Temptation.

Tremors.....

For the first time in my life, I felt what earthquake tremors are like. It was a little past 12:20am. I was already at work.

Something didn't feel right. It was like I was feeling dizzy, disoriented - but it couldn't be. I felt the ground shaking beneath me. It went on continiously for about 30 seconds or so. I'm not sure, I didn't keep track but it seemed like a long time.

All around me, people were standing up - some with surprised or shocked faces. I looked around and K wanted confirmation that I felt it too. I said yes - then I told her "I think there's an earthquake somewhere". We were evacuated. For 30 minutes, we were standing in the parking lot of the office. We were all excited - many of us, a first feeling tremors or earthquake after-shocks.We saw a cop car and fire-engine racing past. We wondered what happened but we never found out.

We were then told to go back to work after that - damn! We all thought we could go home early last night. No matter - I've got the day off.

After a few hours, everything was back to normal. They checked CNN and got news that a 8.7 scale earthquake had hit again. Another one, we thought. We were on standby, advised to evacuate again if more tremors were felt.

The Promotion.....

MO Sharmini came over, wanted to tell me something but I signalled that I was on the phone. AMO VJ pulled me aside later to have a meeting to me. He asked me if I wanted the bad news first or the good news first.

He said there was no bad news - only good ones. He told me effective 4th April 2005, I'd be on the floor as a Lead GSE/Supervisor. He congratulated me, then went on with his usual encouragement. I'll be having my "masters certification" for the next couple of days when I go back to work to be a "Certified-Lead GSE". G and D will be doing the training and I've got 3 days to brush up!

After that, e-mails were sent out to all the AMOs. AMO Aru came over to shake my hand, saying that I deserved it. AMO VJ came over as well later. Now, gimme a fat paycheck and I'll be much, much happier. Not to mention more appreciative.

More PSP Madness.....

Today, my first step to the darkside begins. I bought the 100% Unofficial PSP magazine. What next?

Tying up loose ends.....

PF asked me why I haven't updated my blog for so long the other day. I told her I was busy, which was in a way true. The work hours are a killer. Sometimes, I choose sleep over entertainment.....how sad. And all the things that have been going on.

I wanted to send ZT an sms the other day ask her why she was ignoring me. It would have been in the lines of this:

"Why are you ignoring me? Did I do something wrong? ....."

Something tells me I sort of know the answer to that. But I really don't think I deserve this. Finally, I didn't even send the message. "Why bother?" I was thinking.

GW told me - "Failure is not a dead end, its a detour". I'll try to remember that. Honestly never knew she reads so much before this.

Looks like the loose ends are still hanging.....

The Move.....

Yes, we'll be moving again. I think it'll be about the 10th time in my entire life. Here's the list of places we've been staying at before:

#1 - Subang Jaya
#2 - Kampung Tunku
#3 - Johor Bharu
#4 - Ampang
#5 - Damansara Utama
#6 - Damansara Jaya
#7 - Taman Mayang Jaya
#8 - Bandar Country Homes, Rawang
#9 - Melbourne, Australia (though this really doesn't count)
#10 - Kelana Jaya

Did I miss anything out? So its pack, pack, pack. Plans are to move out before the end of April, within the next couple of weeks if necessary. I've got to go to sign the tenancy agreement one of these days. Got to try to transfer the Streamyx account if possible. So much to do, so little time.

Had a talk with dad the other day and was expressing my intention to sell the Honda Civic and perhaps getting an older model with lower monthly repayments. I feel the strain of having to pay RM 800 a month for car installments, which has turned into a family car - yet I don't get the convenience of owning the car. I still have to waste 4 hours a day waiting for the company transport. I still have to pay the daily RM 7 taxi fees when I need to get home after work. I thought I was paying for convenience.

Then I thought about it and decided to keep the car. Its a gorgeous car and I know I'll regret if I sell it off for something else.

The Offer.....

VJ spoke to me the other day and asked me if I was interested to be a Lead. A promotion of sorts. The catch is that it isn't an actual post within the organization - and they'll have to make requests for an increment and/or an allowance. Basically, a Lead will be drawing the same pay as a normal rep, but with added burdens and responsibilities. The management is aware of this and wants to reward us appropriately.

There have been so many promises that haven't been delivered. The talks about banding are finally materializing. The first time we heard about this was back in Oct 2004. They're supposedly to adjust our paycheck based on our jobs and responsibilities. HR Dept are supposed to give us briefing and letters this week.

In another 2 months, it'll be 1 year working at this place. The longest job I ever had, out of the 3 jobs I've had thus far. I've been so close to throwing in the towel. Things didn't seem to be going anywhere - all the broken promises didn't help matters. This new offer will stir things up abit. It might just prolong the inevitable. It's an opportunity to polish up my resume so I'll take whatever I can get now.

For a second time, a customer wanted to speak to a supervisor to commend me. This is all going into my personal files, which is good.

I can see some jealousy amongst some of my peers. They joke about it - but they're just masking their true feelings. Everyone wants to look good in the eyes of their bosses, don't they?

SONY PSP.....

It's out. It's finally out. The thing is, the games that I plan to get are not available yet. I've bumped this gadget from my "want to have but not necessary" list to my "want to have but useful" list. I've just had another slow Saturday shift. I really need something to kill time.

Plus if I'm going to hang on to this job, travelling time takes up 4 hours of my non-working day so its something "useful" to own. Plus if I get this, I can strike off the iPod from my "Wish List". And I've heard its quite a chick-magnet as well. A guy who've got the Japanese unit had girls coming up asking him if it was a handphone. Apparently there was some lady who gave him a business card too. Well, wouldn't that be an experiment to try out. Seeing is believing.

I think I've got to check with Jason to see how much I can it for. He's quoted a price of RM 1365 that comes with the SpiderMan 2 movie on UMD. Maybe I can get a "regular customer" price. It's time to dust off those credit cards soon I think.

Guilty as charged.....

OK, so GW wants to make me guilty for not mentioning her in my blogs. Guilty as charged. What's the sentence? :D

So if you're reading this, remember my advice, edit your post and keep the name of your plans to yourself before someone reads and steals it.

I've managed to influence a new recruit into the blogging scene. Go me! Have fun and happy blogging GW! Now you can't say I don't mention you anymore, can you? Your wish is my command.

Yummy

Had chinese dishes in SS3 last night. Thai-fried chicken, barbeque pork ribs and Japanese tofu with vegetable sauce never tasted so good. Must be all the takeaway "economy rice" dishes that we have for dinner everyday of the week. Plus the cafeteria food at work is nothing to shout about. Urgh. That's the working KL-folk for you.

Survivor

What's my motivation? I find it hard to believe that D submitted a 24-hour notice! But he's got a better offer, better post. Good on him. They must be paying him well for him to jump ship like this.

So now, I'm back to doing supervisor job functions MINUS the pay! I'm taking escalated calls and customer complaints - so every call is a bad call. Some customers soften up when they think they're speaking to a manager or supervisor. The rest, no mercy - they yap on and on like barking mad bitches!

And I can't believe I actually took the time to come up with some comeback lines. If only I can get them into action next time.

Sarcastic verbal exchanges were also order of the day at work on Saturday night.

After verifying customers information and enquiring how I can assist her.

Customer: Why do you keep charging me insurance? I have vehicle insurance.

Me: Ma'am, you need to provide us with proof of insurance. Once you do that, the $20 fee will be reversed and you DON'T have to pay that optional fee.

Customer: You're damn right I don't have to pay the fee, its optional. What does optional mean to you?

Me: Optional means you have a choice.

Customer: *interrupts before I could finish talking* AHA! Exactly what I thought. I have a choice, so get it off my bill cause I'm not paying it!

Me: Ma'am, optional means you have the choice. A choice if you want to update us with your insurance information or not. All I can tell you is that if you don't update us, the $20 charge will keep showing up on your bill.

Customer: This is harassment! I'm taking my loan somewhere else! bla bla bla bla......Well, thank you for participating in this harassment.

Me: Thank you for calling *censored for privacy's sake*, ma'am.

Customer hangs up abruptly and I bet she was pissed!

You want another one?

Male Customer calls up and verifies information.

Customer: *shouting* Why the hell are you charging me all this fucking interest? It looks like I'm not going to be able to pay off this fucking loan in time then!

Me: Sir, I'd suggest you mind your language and let me explain.

Customer: *shouting* Get me your fucking manager! How's that? Is that going to help you?

Me: If you want to speak to my manager, I'm going to place you on hold

Customer: *shouting* Get me your manager now!

Me: *stabs the hold button to shut that yapping bitch up*

And these idiots don't know what sort of loan they're signing up for when they sign on the dotted line.

Now I know, cheap cars, killer interest rate. I think we Malaysians can be considered a lucky lot. If only they reduce the import duties drastically, life will be good.

The shit I have to go. Well, not only me but all the Customer Service Reps where I work. I really need a raise if I'm to do the supervisor's job. And that was just a call I'm getting as a normal Customer Service Rep! Bitch.... Even though I'm not a fan of Green Day, their new song is the bomb! But they're not all bad, there are the rare nice ones.

Mr. Arthur, if I do get my raise, I have you to thank for putting in the good word for me!

No wonder D jumped ship. How many more will? I haven't seen V for days now. He was here for one day after he came back from his leave then was out on MC for the rest of the week! He going to jump ship too?

My original group of 30 people has reduced to like 5 or so left. We are the last few remaining survivors. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Time to look elsewhere is coming soon I guess.

If I can handle these current lot of customers. Locals should be a walk in the park, no?

And as for monetary motivation, I hear the other groups are getting 1.5 months or 2 months bonus. And they found out back in January. Confirmed as well I think! Damn! We have no news at all. We reckon we'll get the shit about no-profits and the rest of the cock and bull stories. I don't think I'll hold my breath. We'll be lucky if we get anything!

I'm looking forward tomorrow. Off day!

Out of sight, not out of mind....

Well, it seems as though as SW doesn't check her Gmail on a regular basis as well. But when she does, a whole bunch of forwarded video clips for my viewing pleasure. Comedy clips are the order of the day with some ocassional "Positive Thinking" themed posters/pictures.

I've finally finished reading "The Da Vinci Code" on Saturday. Delays, work and all. The modern term "horny" is derived from the Egyptian God of Masculine Fertility- Amon, who had a head of a ram. Hence the term, horny. Interesting. I wouldn't have known unless I read Dan Brown's book ;)

The past week was a killer, the weather-induced headaches. On Saturday morning, I looked out the window and I thought I saw mist. It was gloomy and I thought it would be a very cool day. Upon stepping out of the building after work, my nostrils were assaulted by the stench of ash and the smell of something burning. Mist my ass - the haze was back. It was like stepping out on a foggy day in Genting Highlands. Good thing the rain later in the day cleared the skies. Weather's a lot cooler now. Maybe cause I'm not feeling the effects of the fever/headache that I've had.

Flexibility

Another dose of bullshit from management. We've got to be adaptive to changes, flexible. There are talks about having 3 month rotation for shifts, a 4-day work week or a permanent fix on our shifts. Non-official news is that we'll be sticking to permanent shifts.

All in the name of cutting costs. Why? Rotation-basis shifts will mean that transportation for the other departments will be affected so they decided to make it permanent.

Does that mean no bonuses or increments for us? On the other hand, increments and bonuses would be handled by AMOs. Perhaps there's a chance. But won't know for sure until the time comes around.

The Project

We were required to do some sort of decorations for our work "cubicles". Someone came up with the idea of coming up with Zodiac signs.

So we have another guy who's a Virgo like myself and he came up with a whole load of text which he kindly offered me. Of course while doing my own research, I came across some tid-bits here and there. Honestly I wasn't putting 100% into this project because come on, its like some silly school girl project. But what the hell, the boss wants it and the boss handles our increments etc. So here we are - doing a Zodiac project. I couldn't really be bothered coming up with alternative solutions.

Virgo - are mostly loners, have very few real relationships but when they do, it ends in pain and heartbreak etc.

Depressing....

SONY PSP

Launch day is coming and I still want the freaking Sony PSP. Why for god's sake? WHY?!?!?!?! It's a unnecesary luxury.

Don't Waste Time On Useless People

That's what someone told me when I told her how silent my phone was during the CNY and Valentine's period. Or how when all the sms-es that I sent went unreplied. She said I should have taken her out for dinner instead. But she's always so busy, that I have to be slot into her daily schedules and date books just to have dinner with her. Are you reading this? =p

Question is: how am I going to respond to this. A hostile reply? Or just pretend like nothing happened? Peaceful "negotiations" is always better, no? Now only if there's a chance to practice that.

That's the other thing about me, I can forgive but NEVER forget. You have been warned!

Neon signboards.....

It sure feels like I got a big neon signboard over my head that reads "SUCKER!".

I've been trying to get ZT on the phone ever since CNY. I'm pretty sure she's read my messages on Friendster and the sms but chose not to reply. Will they only call me when they want or need something? Or am I really a sucker? What do I do when/if they do contact me again? Am I going to turn to jelly again?

Someone please pinch me the next time I find myself drifting into this sort of trap again. PLEASE! And smash that neon signboard while you're at it.

It's the first time in about 4 years since I bought a book. Yes, a real book. The last book I bought was "The Lord of The Rings" after the first movie came out.

I finally succumbed to the hype and bought Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". Believe the hype, the book's pretty good.

Now I say "pretty good" for a couple of reasons. I'm very, very stingy with compliments most of the time. I'm also not much of a reader (especially books). My reading material the past couple of years were limited to only car magazines and the ocassional FHM magazine.

I bought it on Saturday morning at Times, 1U after work, to prepare for a lousy shift on Saturday night. The last time I worked on a Saturday, I realized that interruptions did not make an enjoyable gaming experience when I brought my GBA to work. I now realize that I'm not much of a multi-tasker. Reading while waiting for calls is NOT enjoyable as well. I guess I'd like to concentrate 100% when I'm doing something.

The other reason that I think its good - I bought it on Saturday morning and I've finished half the book as of today. Question is, when I finish it - what next? I was checking out other authors, older books - Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Anne Rice.

The weather is murder. It's been so hot, the thunderstorms in the evenings are not much help. Looks like I've got a mild fever since yesterday. Time to retreat and confine myself to my air-con room. Can't wait for the next off-day!

Looking through rose-tinted glasses.....

That was then.....

I was watching some kid while having a mini-reunion dinner at the restaurant the other day. He was probably about 5 or 6 years old. He was walking around, doing the "Buddha Palm Strike" on every inanimate object in his way - mainly the plastic chairs around. This kid must've watched "Kung Fu Hustle" too many times. Or perhaps an overdose of kung fu-themed commercials on the telly (Kurnia Insurance tv-commerical comes to mind).

So this kid goes around, smacking every other chair in sight, making all sorts of sound effects. Then dad says I used to be like that when I was younger. Always in the super-hero poses. Funny, can't really remember that but then again.....

We were oblivious to our actions and surroundings when we were younger. Not a care in the world. The best things about Chinese New Year were the angpows, fireworks and food. The family gatherings, the games and laughter.

Not a care in the world. The fireworks, sparklers, pop-pops, etc. Stuffing our faces with the cookies and snacks.

Ang-pow takings were the highlights. Every single ringgit saved was gold. Back then, a couple of hundred in ang-pow money and you'll be on top of the world.

No pressures, no burdens.

We didn't know the value of money or where it was coming from. Come Chinese New Year, its time for shopping. New clothes and shoes were part and parcel of the celebrations.

This is now.....

Not so much on fireworks and such. We know who to blame for that. But being a health and safety hazard as well - I can't say I'd blame them. Watching fireworks as a kid and as a 20-something - the feeling just isn't the same.

The haul this year? Slightly over RM 250. Pathetic by today's standards. With inflation and all that. Maybe its an unspoken advice from relatives. Something along the lines of "Go get off your useless ass and get married already! You're too old to be receiving ang-pows!"

The only constant thing then and now, stuffing our faces with cookies and snacks!

Frankly, it didn't even really bother me if I could get new clothes or shoes these past couple of years even though it was tradition.

As we grow older, there's added burdens and pressures. We see everything differently now. We're conscious of what people perceive of us and our actions. We think about actions and consequences.

Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

The year didn't start off too well for some, myself included. Down with a flu and was feeling crappy for most of the Chinese New Year. In fact, I hardly went out at all. Probably a case of the blues as well.....

Anyhow, here's to a blessed year filled with happiness and prosperity to all!

Sunday Morning.....

"Sunday Morning" - Maroon 5

Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew
That someday it would lead me back to you
That someday it would lead me back to you

That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave

Fingers trace your every outline
Paint a picture with my hands
Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm
Change the weather still together when it ends

That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave

But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you
Singing someday it'll bring me back to you
Find a way to bring myself back home to you

And you may not know
That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning

She whispers to me again.....

SW replied and said she got my sms-es the other day. She's been giving the same advice for sometime now.

"Be Happy. Simple words but often misunderstood. ", she says.

Easier said than done, methinks, as always. It's going to take awhile. I don't feel as bad as I thought I would. Maybe its not so bad after all?

Funny though, she's stopped sending me forwards to my Gmail account. I've neglected this account for sometime now, checking it ocassionally. Lots of forwards from her the past couple of weeks. But then after last Monday. ZERO. Zilch..... a sign of things to come?

Cliches.....Cliches.....Cliches

I've heard so many this past week.

"If its not meant to be yours, its not meant to be yours"
"If she's yours, she'll come back to you"

Is that supposed to be comforting? I don't really find it much help, to be honest. But I guess that's reality to some, and I might have to accept it. Is there really such a thing as Fate? Or is it something one has to work on?

It's always easy to say it - dish out the best advice ever. But when the you're caught in the situation yourself, I bet you won't be able to do what you tell others. Besides, heavy doses of Hong Kong serials must've made me into a non-believer.

"You made my day, man. You deserve a raise!"

What kind words from a customer. Its very, very rare that we get someone appreciative of what we do. Mr Nice Guy was happy with what I could do for him about his car loan that he said I deserve a raise. I casually mentioned that he should speak to my supervisor about it and he requested to speak to one! I transferred the call to VV and in the end, he sent out an email to all the staff on the floor in Customer Service. VV told me he would also make sure that the AVP got a copy of the email as well.

Now I've got good comments in my appraisals! And if that raise really does materialize, excellent. I can still hope, can't I?

I've learnt that being humble doesn't do jack-shit for me in my organization now. We've got to blow our own horn and blow it loud. That might bring me places. If only I had realized that sooner, I'd have TWO good comments in my appraisals for the 6 months I've been at work.

Suddenly, I'm like a hero at work. The new guys (who'd eventually know me anyway) now know who I am.

I'm like getting interviews about the call that got escalated to the supervisor (OK - it was just ONE interview from a junior).

I'm famous. A superstar! But I don't want that. I've always been low-key, behind the scenes. Not one who wants to steal the limelight. But then if I've got to blow my own horn to get places, then that's what I have to do.....just in a more subtle manner.

I won't mind that raise though!

Thanks Mr Nice Guy - you made my day too!

The Reunion

Had a call from SH the other day while on the way back from work. The old group wanted to meet up. I wasn't so sure at that time. I was confused and I didn't even know what day it was. I had to call him back to find out exactly what day the get-together was.

About 8 of us met up at Pyramid last night. Went to Kim Gary's (or is it Gary Kim's? I forget) for dinner. Cheese Baked Pork Chop rice. Mmmmmm.....always have a thing for cheese.

Decided to have a drink after that. We couldn't decide where to go. Ended up at one of the pubs at the Promenade area. Don't even know what it's called. I don't remember the last time I had beer. Had a couple of glasses. I still don't like it. How anyone can consume so much baffles me.

Funny - don't they sell Kampai anymore?

Interesting Reads

I wonder how PS is doing? Since the last time I got the sms from her, haven't heard from her since. Is she back in KL?

I woke up early, about 5:30 am this morning. It was supposed to be a quick toilet visit but here I am now, about 3 hours later, blogging away. Watched abit of TV too.

Decided to check my mails - hoping for something, a pleasant surprise I guess. No such luck. However, I did check out PS's blog. And she's got some pretty interesting links to other blogs too.Where does she find all these stuff?!?!

I checked some of the other blogs out as well. These people seem to have such interesting lives. Is there something wrong with me? Do I need some loosening up? I'm like a drama king or something.....

Well, for your reading pleasure:-

The Datin Diaries - True confessions of a real life Datin! It's an interesting read. I've got to check back more often

Sony PSP - USA Launch Date, Sony PSP - I Want You So Badly

It's finally announced - March 24 2005.

"While the PSP's ship date fell inside previously announced release parameters, its price was higher than expected. Sony will only sell the PSP as part of a single-SKU "Value Pack" for $249 in the US, CDN$299 in Canada. The new price point is $50 higher than the $199 many industry analysts predicted; that was based on the PSP's Japanese MSRP of 19,800 yen (approximately $185).

Besides the PSP unit itself, the Value Pack will include a 32MB Memory Stick Duo (which usually retails from $24.99 to $39.99 solo), headphones with remote control, a battery pack, AC adapter, soft case and cleaning cloth, and a UMD disc with game-demo movies, and a music and video sampler. As an incentive for early adopters, Sony will include a free UMD copy of the blockbuster superhero film Spider-Man 2 with the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped "

Damn it - its coming with a UMD disc of Spider-Man 2. That will get people's saliva drooling. Watching a movie on a hand-held.

Too tempting, must resist. Maybe if I get that raise that Mr Nice Guy recommended..... Company's financial year is supposed to end in April 2005. I wonder what sort of bonus they'd be announcing.

That might help fund the purchase of the PSP. Will be damned useful on boring Saturday night shifts too, that's for sure!

I teased Bro Ryan the other day. Always asking him when he'd get me the PSP. He gets irritated about that, all the time. And I kinda enjoy it. One time, I told him I always got what I wanted (material things). And come to think of it, its true.

Sooner or later, I always get what I want. It's just a matter of time. Gadgets like the PS2, XBOX, Gamecube. The Honda Civic. Next on the list is probably the Sony PSP. Then again, its a rather long list. There's a new handphone in there somewhere, an Apple iPod (which I can probably scratch off if I get the PSP), a nice, shiny new watch, the Canon Ixus S40 digital camera.....I can just go on and on.

Daydreaming, I should be going back to sleep. Maybe its the alcohol residue in my body doing the thinking.

Broken and Battered.....

Start Of Chapter - 16th May 2004, 1:04:27 am

" They say Happiness wears different masks, comes in many guises. There are lucky ones where Happiness finds them. I'm not so blessed. I've tried to find Happiness many times. Just when I thought I have Happiness within my grasps, she slips away.

My quest to search for Happiness has been a long and painful journey. Along the way, we might meet someone who might point us in the right direction, someone who can provide us with the right items, a person with wisdom and experience to offer. In the end, it is a journey one has to take alone.

After losing my way many times, I thought I was back on the right path. The path that would lead me to Happiness. I've seen the signs. The signs couldn't have been wrong.

The birds were chirping, the sun was shining. That's when I saw Happiness, in the distance. I could hear Happiness calling out to me. I thought I was almost there, Happiness was just within reach. I made my way towards the voice, Happiness was whispering out to me - leading me towards her.

Suddenly thick, black clouds form around me. The clouds are too fast for me. I cannot run and there's nowhere to hide. Then Darkness hits me, its all around me. There is so much pain I have to close my eyes.

Sadness, Pain, Anger, Disappointment, Failure.....they're all taunting me. How does one feel so many emotions at the same time? Then I realise I'm only human, my weakness.

Was it really Happiness calling out to me? Or someone else in disguise?

I open my eyes to find Happiness is nowhere to be seen. She's gone. Everything gone in moments. Everything I've done to get here - has it been in vain? Has everything gone to waste? All hope feels lost.

Now, I'm stranded in an empty field. I see people in the distance. Maybe people I've met before, perhaps familiar faces. They'll be searching for something of their own. I have to find my way back.

People always say its the journey, not the destination. And someone once said what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Perhaps there is wisdom in those words. There is a lesson to be learnt.

Right now, I'm broken and battered.....I'm lost and alone again. I need time to heal."

End Of Chapter - 31st January 2005, 11:35:55 pm

- To Be Continued -

The words "You'll always be a good friend" - no matter how many times you hear it, it's always the same. It hurts like hell.

It's always about me, not about her. From the way things seem to appear, I've finally come to realise that I was the problem, not her. I just don't know why I was blind not to see it earlier. But then why did it seem otherwise? Was it all a lie?

R.I.P.....

I just found out today that someone I know passed away recently. He was about 22 and I got to know him at a gathering. Met him only once but it was enough to know he was a good person. Apparently it was stress related, either a heart attack or a stroke. Rest in peace, my friend.

Makes one think how think about fragile life is.....

I've changed shifts 3 times within the last month, this time all because the management wants to cut costs. They've grouped us according to our transportation routes and that will determine our shift time. I'm still at 12am - 9pm but I'll be reporting to AMO VJ again. I thought I was supposed to be having my off-day today as in the schedule. Was really looking forward to it. Then I found out on Saturday that there was a mistake. I should've known it was too good to be true. When did they ever give us our off-days on Mondays?

All the changes have been taking its toll. Bouts of insomnia, adjustments to be made for the sleeping times. Funny, with all these excitement, I actually had 2 dreams about a tsunami in KL! Talk about weird.


AS is also back from UK. JC called me the other day and wanted to meet up on Saturday - when I had to work (but of course!). I told them to make it Monday and that was before I realised there was the mistake. Might probably be meeting tomorrow night then.

Met up with TE yesterday. I told him before to give me a call if he didn't go back to Ipoh for the weekend. He sms-ed me a few days before to tell me and asked if I wanted to go watch "Elektra". Why not, I thought.....

Finally got around to getting myself to the Braun Buffel boutique while I was at 1U waiting for TE yesterday. The main point was to find out how much SW paid for my gift. The wallet was selling for RM 219. I knew it wasn't cheap - but had no idea that it cost that much. This "search" to find out how much the gift cost SW got me wondering - why the hell was I doing it? The only explanation I could come up with was out of curiousity, if nothing else.

The time has also come again for more gifts, this time its for Valentine's. Found this really interesting card - which I think is unique. Hope she likes her presents as well!

Again I went to Djinn's shop as usual. The temptation of the PSP is too much to resist. It's not helping that the price is getting cheaper, and with the USA launch coming in March 2005. I feel like a character from the Lord of The Rings trilogy who's being seduced by the power of the One Ring.

Photos and pictures do no justice to this gadget, it has to be seen in motion. Here's a video of "Finding Nemo" to see it running on the PSP to see how good it really is! It was shot by a lucky PSP owner who wrote his own PSP review. Read review here.

Unbelieveable, its like carrying a pocket DVD player around. To quote a quote, "What the eyes see, the ears hear, the mind believes"!

"Finding Nemo" on PSP!

Last Thursday's In-Tech pullout of The Star stated that 800,000 units of the PSP have been shipped since launch. Damn it, I gotta get me one of 'em PSPs! Anyone else tempted now?

I'm not crazy just a little unwell.....

Puddle of Mudd - Blurry

Everything’s so blurry

and everyone's so fake

everybody’s empty

and everything is so messed up

preoccupied without you

I cannot live at all

my whole world surrounds you

I stumble and I crawl

& you could be my someone

you can be my scene

you know that I’ll protect you

from all of the obscene

I wonder what your doing

imagine where you are

there's oceans in between us

but that’s not very far

(Chorus)

can you take it all away

can you take it all away

well you shoved it in my face

this pain you gave to me

can you take it all away

can you take it all away

well you shoved it in my face

this pain you gave to me

everyone is changing

there’s no one left that’s real

make up your own ending

and let me know just how you feel

cause I am lost without you

I cannot live at all

my whole world surrounds you

I stumble then I crawl

you could be my someone

you can be my scene

you know that I will save you

from all of the unclean

I wonder what your doing

I wonder where you are

there’s oceans in between us

but that’s not very far

(Chorus)

Can you take it all away

Can you take it all away

well you shoved it in my face

the pain you gave to me

Nobody told me what you thought

nobody told me what to say

everyone showed you where to turn

showed you when to run away

nobody showed you where to hide

nobody told you what to say

everyone showed you where to turn

showed you when to run away

(Chorus)

Can you take it all away

can you take it all away

can you take away the pain

the pain you gave to me

this pain you gave to me

It's been a week but I'm still feeling shitty. Have this cough and phlegm. Ocassional body aches. And this funny feeling in my mouth, a weird aftertaste of something.

AMO Aru sent out an email at work reminding us about the dengue outbreak. Some of these symptoms are similar. Could it be.....?

The week didn't go well again but it ended similarly like the week before, which was a good thing. I managed to meet up with ZT. She called me up and wanted to have dinner. It was kind of a last minute decision, but I went ahead and agreed anyway. I was feeling alright throughout dinner. Until I got home, started to feel the effects again.

Maybe I might have to consider taking the night off if things don't get any better by tonight.

It could happen to you.....

Do you have that someone in your life who's never around, then magically re-appears when they want something, a tiny favour perhaps? Some are even more obvious, they show up specifically when they want something!

So I was online yesterday minding my own business when I saw her came online. She's back in Australia now. Let's call her Miss X to protect her identity but I reckon someone might know who this person is. So, I thought "OK, its been awhile - lemme just say hi". It started off alright, then the request for the favour came about.

Apparently, Miss X's old phone charger isn't working and they don't sell that model in Australia. Miss X asked if I could go get her the charger and pass it on to her friend's sister who's going to Australia soon. Better yet, she asked if I could buy her the charger and pass it on to her friend. She said she'd call her friend's shop in Jln Sultan Ismail (near The Mall) to enquire about the charger and asked if I could pick it up from there.

My first reaction was "Shit, that's in KL! I'm shit with KL roads!". She went on and on. That's when I regret my decision to say hi. I knew she had to go off soon to go to work.

So what did I do? I clicked on the close button on MSN Messenger and just ended the conversation there and then. *Shock* Now, wasn't that mean of me? Well, too bad. I don't know why I didn't say "NO" there and then.

I'll just say that I think I know Miss X long enough and she's pulled this sort of stunt before. The moral of the story? Be cautious when dealing with with a Mr or Miss X in your life.

Slept after 1 am last night and I was awake at about 7:30 am. Eye-lids getting heavy. Need more sleep. And I've got this sore-throat. Great, fucking great! Just when I've got to go back to work tonight.

Truth and Reconciliation....

It's day # 10. I'll be going back to work tomorrow night. SMS-ed DG the other day and he told me our new shift will be from 9pm - 6am. That's a pretty good shift. I'll get home before the traffic starts to build up. Then again, its only for the next 3 weeks until we rotate shifts again.

Finally met up with SW again on Saturday - after 6 months. I gave her presents to her first, she was excited from what I could tell. At first I told her she could only pick one out of the bag, I only told her in the end that they were all for her. She said she never got so many soft toys at once before. And the song that I managed to "track" down for her, surprised her. It was "Paul Oakenfold - Ready Steady Go".

And the truth was revealed. We talked and she asked me if I really wanted to know the truth and I said yes. All this time, she wasn't angry at me at all. She thought that I was angry at her. She remembered that she was supposed to celebrate our birthdays together but thought I was still angry at her. She said I was lucky that I sent her an sms on her birthday.....whatever that means. I guess she took it as an indication that I was not angry at her. She did some explaining, I listened.

I asked her why didn't she sms or call me if she wasn't angry. She just shrugged. She said that although she didn't sms or call, it didn't mean that she didn't think about me. That was nice to know.

She took me to Tower Records and asked me to choose something. I was having a tough time choosing CDs. I finally narrowed down the selection between 2 choices, a compilation and Alicia Keys - The Diary Of Alicia Keys. Still couldn't decide when she suggested that I take both. I asked her what were they for, since I've already had 2 gifts in the bag. She said she was feeling generous.

I finally opened my presents at the end of the night, after dinner and movie. I sent her home but we stopped for a drink. It was a leather wallet and a keychain which was a heart-shaped lock with a compartment for a photo. Now that one got me thinking again. Why a heart-shaped lock? Any significance?

I was very touched. Other than a gift from my sisters, I don't think I got any other presents this year for my birthday or Xmas. Come to think of it, I don't remember when was the last time I actually got any birthday gifts.

I had to practice some sort of self-restraint. After all, it was the first time I was seeing her again after 6 months. Basically needed to see her reaction - and it seems like things might have gone back to normal. Still, I'm lucky I got out of this one without any problems. She's going to be working on Saturdays for the next month. Probably won't be seeing her for awhile unless she decides to sms me at the last minute and wants to meet up.

2nd time at Manhattan Fish Market and had their fish & chips again. It wasn't too bad this time around but my vote still goes to Fish & Co for quality.

Check this out for something funny. The actual song is much better but just for laughs. It'd help if you're a fan of the game, if you're not - I'll just tell you its the theme song for "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater". Enjoy!

Tribute to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

I'm done.....

I'm finally done with all my DVDs! I think it took less than 7 days to finish watching all the movies and the whole season of "Smallville". "The Bourne Supremacy" wasn't too bad. In fact, I liked it a lot better than "The Manchurian Candidate".

Some observations about "Smallville":

- There's almost a car accident or incident involving cars in almost EVERY single episode!
- Clark Kent wears mainly blue or red tops in the show (Superman colours?). I only saw him wearing yellow once (in the season finale) and a tuxedo (season finale as well).
- Martha Kent (Clark's mother) is always the one speaking on the phone, then reporting to the family about anyone who's been hospitalized
- Jonathan Kent (Clark's father) always ends up arguing with Clark whenever Clark discovers one of his new powers

Looks like I'll have to get season 2 and 3 after this cause season 1 ended in a cliffhanger where Lana was in her truck which was lifted up by the tornado, while Clark was seen running into the twister (in an attempt to rescue her I suppose), then the words "TO BE CONTINUED" came up. Damn it, I hate it when that happens. It's been a long time since I've watched any tv series continuously, don't remember cliffhangers, except for maybe "The X-Files".

Now, I haven't been talking much about another "new" handhled console by Nintendo called the Nintendo DS (Dual Screen). Nintendo has come up with a new Tamagotchi-like game called "Puppy Times" or "Nintendogs".

Click on the link and check out the pictures, especially all you puppy lovers might find this interesting. Pretty realistic I'd say. Makes use of the Nintendo DS' stylus and touch-screen to interact with the puppies in this "game".

"Puppy Times" Flash movie (actual "game" demo"

Awwww.....isn't he a cute little thing =)

It's funny, I got so many invitations to meet up this week.

Was talking JC online the other day, and he asked me if I had plans this weekend. I told him I had unconfirmed plans. He said that NA wanted to meet up. The last time the whole bunch of us TARCians wanted to meet up, NA was a no-show! I met up with him and had dinner at BSC. Seems he had a really good time in UK when he visited AS. He spent about RM 5000 and was there for 2 weeks. We might probably be meeting next weekend. Went to Cold Storage when JC wanted to buy some stuff. Saw a 750 gm jar of Nutella spread. Was very VERY tempted to get it. And some cheese too. Weird.

SW sms-ed me the other day, we're either supposed to meet up tonight or tomorrow. I'm still waiting for her to confirm the plans. And what about ZT? I've heard nothing from her yet too. Damn!

Then, JT also sms-ed me last night and asked if I was doing anything this weekend. Wanted to meet up as well. I thought she was leaving for Singapore to work soon but apparently, there's no news about her job offer there yet.

KL also gave me a missed call while I was having a nap - damned flu.

My leave's about to end. Damn it - time flies.

Day # 5

It's day number 5. Have I done anything "productive"? I don't think so. The only thing I've done for the past couple of days have been mainly catching up on sleep and watching TV and DVDs.

Out of all the DVDs that I got the other day, I'm left with "The Bourne Supremacy" and "Die Hard". I'm also on to disc 4 of "Smallville", I think I've just finished episode 13 last night. Looking at the synopsis on the back of the DVD covers, I realized that there are many episodes here that I've seen before on TV. Funny, cause I don't remember having the time to have watched it on TV before. When did I ever watch "Smallville" on TV?

I also realized that I'm not a big fan of drama. That's what I think of "The Manchurian Candidate". Maybe I just don't appreciate that kind of genre.

My horoscope yesterday read - "Your talent resides in facts, analysis and practical solutions. Emotions and feelings? - that's another story. Today, you'll be given a golden opportunity to get deep and meaningful with someone special. Go for it!".

What opportunity? I didn't see any "opportunities". I was stuck at home! Oh, wait.....maybe I was supposed to pick up the phone and give someone a call? I didn't really want to waste the effort. Chances are hope or expectations can come with disappointment. Maybe I should just wait till the weekend when everyone else is not working! :D

The only call I got was at about 3:10 am when I got a call from one of the transport drivers. I have no fucking idea why he called me for. He was nice enough to call earlier in the evening to ask if I was taking the cab from 1Utama or Summit, though. But why the fuck did he call me at 3am in the morning? He was saying something but I didn't catch it being half asleep. Weird.

Today's horoscope - " Today's Scorpio energy favours psychological undercurrents and the mysterious. So don your detective cap, grab your magnifying glass and get ready to uncover a fascinating secret!"

The only thing I've uncovered so far is that Discovery "Travel and Adventure" is now known as "Travel and Living". And I watched an episode of "A Cook's Tour" that I've never seen before. They have a turkey dish in Mexico with a sauce made of chocolate and bananas among other ingredients. Turkey with Chocolate? Weird combination. And they use alot of cheese in their cooking. Mmmmm.....cheese =D

Back to one of my "Christmas Wish List" items, there have been announcements that the screen for the Sony PSP will be replaced to cut costs etc. Originally, the screen was developed by SHARP but now, the new screens will be supplied by SAMSUNG. Compare the quality from different angled shots. You can't deny that the image quality on SHARP is heaps better.

SHARP screen


SAMSUNG screen

Damn! I want a SONY PSP NOW! Funny, I haven't played any games since I got my PS2 back from the shop the other day. Maybe I just want to get all the DVDs out of the way first.


This morning I woke up, went to the bathroom and had a thought. It doesn't really feel like I'm on vacation from work. It's more like a break from school or Uni. Why? I realized that I didn't have to worry about any datelines or project status, no worries about meetings or anything of that sort. There's no report that I need to finish up, no clients to meet up with. I guess its one of the perks of the job.

Right now, it pays the bills and expenses. I get to keep aside some money each month - but will this lead anywhere in the long term?

Mum saw the stack of DVDs that I got yesterday and she asked me how much I spent on them. She told me I should start saving up or I won't have any money when I want to get married. Marriage.....hrmmmm.....I thought there was no rush?

Annual Leave Day # 2.....Make that Leave Day # 2

Now I don't know if this is such a good idea. It's not the start of my official leave plus I don't really have 10 days of annual leave. It's just a 5-day stretch and today's the replacement off-day for New Year's Eve when it was supposedly the actual off day. Hell, it isn't even my annual leave but core leave. Maybe I should start the recount.

Read something interesting in the paper the other day, about earthquakes and its relation with the date 26th. It seems that alot of major earthquakes occured on the 26th. Here's what's reported in The Sun, 1st January 2005.

2001
- Jan 26: Ahmedabad
- Sept 26: Chennai

2003
- Jan 26: New Zealand
- May 26, Sept 26: Japan
- May 26: Indonesia
- Oct 26: China
- Dec 26: Bam, Iran - estimated 30,000 people killed

And the latest one, Indonesia as well. The latest death toll stands at 155,000. Now is that coincidence? Pretty freaky huh?

I set out what I needed to do yesterday. The servicing of my PS2 cost less than I anticipated. RM 50 instead of the expected RM 80. Bad news though, I was told that the lens will be dying soon and it'll cost about RM 280 for a new replacement. Seems to work fine now although I have yet to fully test it out. No complaints so far. No new games yet.

I finally saw the Sony PSP. This guy who bought a Nintendo DS was testing it out. Sad to say, the game he tested (Puzzle Bobble or something) didn't really show off what the PSP is capable of. Still from what he saw, he said it was damn good. Hell, it better be good for RM 1600. When am I going to get mine? :D USA launch in March 2005.

I went to Fish & Co again yesterday for dinner at 1U yesterday. It's the 3rd time I've been there and the same order of their "World Famous" (their claim, not mine!) Fish & Chips. Still, its good fish & chips. And some of you might know I'm not a huge fan of seafood. Same quality of food and service. Thumbs up! I said good things in the little survey card they gave me after the meal. Either they pride themselves with the quality of their food and service at this outlet or do they maintain it at all outlets?

The same can't be said about the Manhattan Fish Market I tried at Sunway Pyramid the other day, the chips were a little soggy. Maybe I was there on a bad day. It was only after the meal when I realized that there was a Fish & Co outlet at Pyramid as well! I felt cheated. Should I give them another chance?

Decided to go DVD shopping after that. I still haven't got my "Return Of The King" Extended Edition DVD set yet. RM 170. Need to focus on my budget. Self-constraint.

Was planning on getting only a couple of movies, Jackie Chan's "New Police Story" (in Cantonese!) and Resident Evil: Apocalypse. I ended up spending RM 110 on *ahem* DVDs! Talk about self control! So what did I get? Good thing about this place is that they have an offer of "Buy 10 get 1 free" and boxed sets count as well!

- Smallville Season 1 (6 discs, 21 episodes) : Already finished disc 1 (Pilot - Episode 4) and bloody hell, there are some problems with it. If it happens to all discs, I'm going back and demanding an exchange or refund! Watching the first 4 episodes, its kinda like watching X-Files set in the Superman universe. The later seasons only get better or so I've read.

This is for you KL! =D

- New Police Story: Jackie's very emotional in this one, and I've read that Nicholas Tse was the comic relief@clown in this movie. Hello? What comic relief? I don't recall anything funny in the movie. Charlie Young, haven't seen her in awhile, kinda reminds me of AMO SF :D

- King Arthur: Wanted to watch this at the cinemas but didn't have the time (or my usual company?)

- Bourne Supremacy: Seen the first one (Bourne Identity) and abit of it again on ASTRO the other day. It's a sequel so, why not eh?

- The Manchurian Candidate 2004: Read good reviews about this remake with Denzel Washington, plus I was running out of ideas on what to get.

- Die Hard: I think my favourite of the trilogy. Maybe I should've just waited and got the boxed set instead :P Yes, its old. Date on the back of the sleeve stated it was released in 1988.

I think this haul ought to last me quite awhile, no? I can also catch up on my gaming. I doubt I'd have any plans during the weekdays anyway.

So, anyway, I've been doing some thinking. And I'd like opinions. So here's the question:

"Who would you buy a gift for? Would a friend deserve a gift? Best friend? Someone special?"

I must admit that I'm not the type of person who buys gifts for people, not even friends I've known for more than 10 years, unless its a special ocassion. So naturally, I don't expect gifts from people either.

I guess not everyone is that type of person. I think this normally applies more to females. I've known some people for a very long time and don't get gifts from them. But hey, I'm not angry at you, I'm not expecting anything. No need to feel guilty or anything :D

It's just that the issue with SW got me thinking. I figure you gotta be pretty special to get a birthday, then Xmas present from someone you haven't seen in 6 months, right? I'm touched by the gesture, delighted that she still thinks about me. I should just be happy with what I have.....shouldn't I?

So fire those comments away, you can click on the little "#" at the bottom of this post to add a comment or email me at royalrumble79@yahoo.com

In the meantime, I think its time for some more "Smallville".....

Annual Leave Day # 1

I thought I'd start the count today. See if I've done anything "productive" by the end of my leave.

I've been suffering from sleep deprivation lately. The lack of sleep from one day snowballs to the next. I woke up early this morning, I had to take a drive down to see where Ryan's school was. I can't remember what time I fell asleep last night. It could've been 11pm or 12am. Went out for breakfast, checked out where the school was, mum went to the market while I got the wiper blades replaced. The old ones were starting to rust, damnit.

PF wanted to have dinner with me last night. She was playing mahjong at her aunt's place in Sunway. Mum & dad were still in Johor, with my car. I was left with the other car at home on standby. I didn't know what time they'd be coming back. I was the baby-sitter, who knows I might have needed to go out to get dinner for them. Plus, PF can really get engrossed with her games, I remember those Literati sessions. Always asking me to play a round or two.

SW sms-ed me. She's back in KL now. Seems that she's got news that she'll be really busy this coming week at work. Told her that I've got a surprise for her. Hehehe >:)

ZT missed call me. TWICE. I called her back and she asked me out to dinner. Of course I said. We made plans to meet at 1U at about 6:30 pm. Dinner, then I'd have to send her back home to USJ. No problem.

I had to go there anyway. My PS2 has been repaired. Time to collect it.

Less than 15 minutes later, she sms-ed and said that she couldn't make it cause something came up. Shit. Well, I still have to go there anyway. Oh well. Funny thing. I remember talking to her but I can't remember when. Was it yesterday? I remember telling her that I've still got her present. Then she said she'd call me to see when she can meet up with me. I told her she'd better before her present "expires". I remember her asking if I got her chocolate. Insomnia is fucking with my mind and memory.

Maybe its time to stock up on some new DVDs. Smallville DVD set still very, very tempting. It seems that Season 4 started screening in the USA recently and Clark Kent is finally able to fly! Wow - only after 4 seasons. Pretty interesting considering I'm a comic fan.

I guess its now time to go out and face the crazy traffic. Got things to do, places to go.

Goodbye 2004, Hello 2005.....

I arrived home after work today greeted by cloudy skies. It was the sort of weather that depresses you. Sadness. I'm awake now, 7 hours later and still no change in the weather.

5 days before the New Year, there was an earthquake which triggered the tsunami. I remember coming home from the wedding dinner and turning on the news. It was hard to imagine a tsunami hitting Malaysia. I was watching the scenes of the aftermath in Penang, that was nothing compared to the events that followed days after. Today, its reported that the death toll is approaching 150,000. Reports and news of the destruction have been replaying over and over again on major news channels - it reminded me of 9/11 when I was still in Melbourne, glued to the tv watching the Twin Towers being hit by the plane.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake happened offshore, and that got me wondering, what would it be like if the earthquake was on land. Malaysians have never seen the natural disasters before, it was hard to imagine.

Of course there was a major hoo-ha at work, which I don't really intend to go into detail. One of the bad news is, there will no raise cause it seems that the new recruits will be getting a lower salary. The bastard VP JG was lying in our faces, we don't know how much he's keeping from us but that much we can tell now.

New Year's Day spent at the office, not much of a celebration at all. Got a some fruitcake from AMO SS. It was a colleague's last day so more cakes! A piece of Chocolate Banana cake from Secret Recipe and another chocolate cupcake. In fact, cakes are the staple diet for any sort of celebration at work.

I've signed my confirmation yesterday. AMO SS had a little talk with me about the appraisal. I've scored a 2-M (Medium) on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being "Perfect" worker aka machine and 5 being "Needs improvement". Of course, there is room for improvment. Isn't there always? This means, I've got to give 2 month notice if I decide to resign.

So to start off the new year, I've got myself a job with no raise. At least it'll get the bills paid for now. 4 people have left the company within the last week. My group started out with 30 people and there are about 8 left now.

My core leave was also approved so I'm off from 1st Jan 2005 - 10th Jan 2005. Now, so much free time, what do am I going to do? The only reason I applied for the leave was to help with transportation from Ryan.

-----NEWSFLASH-----

The price of the Sony PSP has dropped below RM 1600. Lovely! IF only I had the extra cash to burn, this would be a nice item to have, among others.