Let's not forget!

Could not believe it when I heard on the radio a few mornings ago that Michael Jackson had died.

I would not say I was a big fan. I was probably still a crying baby when he was at the peak of his career with his uncontested record-breaking album "Thriller". But I have always liked some of his smash hits like "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Black or White", "We Are The World", "Heal The World" and "You Are Not Alone". I'm sure most of us grew up with those songs.

There were many negative reports surrounding him in recent years. I admit some part of me believed he might be guilty. When someone was so successful, it's easy to believe that this someone might resort to something 'different' to gain satisfaction at the next level. Personal friends and hardcore fans of his did not believe those reports, of course.

With all those negative news, we (at least me) had forgotten how good he was. Until I watched his concert which was shown on TV last night. The singing was good. The songs were great. His stage presence was undeniable. His mere presence caused hysteria and tears among men and women alike! Most of all, his dance steps were incredible! Even though those dance steps were choreographed almost 20 years ago, they still feel so up-to-date and relevant. Oh, many people have managed to imitate him. But none can do it the way he did it!

And I just realize that many of the scenes and dancing in movies, comedies and music videos of other artistes were actually taken from Michael Jackson's music videos and concerts! That just goes to show how much impact and legacy he had left us. Not to mention his trademark gloves, hanging pants, white socks, jackets, etc. :p

Newspapers and the internet are now full of his news. There was this report saying that he's worth more dead than alive. As cruel as it may sound, there seems to be a ring of truth to it (except maybe to the organiser of his never-would-be upcoming concerts in London in July). More news can be expected.... on the cause of his death, his debts, his estates, the custody of his children........

There are also some reports on his childhood (or the lack of it), which could probably explain why he liked children and built Neverland. He started singing at the age of 4 or 5 and missed all the things kids at that age did. Kinda sympathize him. I'm not trying to imply whether he's guilty or not. After all, who am I to judge? It probably does not matter anymore. But in a way, everyone had played a part in the making and breaking of MJ.

I guess I will always remember his Moonwalk, his 45 degree bending, his slow-motion dance moves and the touching moments when he sang with a group of children.

What about you? How does his death make you feel?

I feel like digging up my old collection of pop songs. Reliving those moments during my teenage years when I used to be 'crazy' (but not hysterical :p) over some pop singers.... :p

Furry fun

Remember my little doggies?


Well, I am starting a whole 'new collection'!


With different themes.



Theme #1: One happy family

House image from http://secure.goldengateshousing.org.uk/TenantServices/Content.aspx?id=3

Presenting to you:

Papa dog looking smart in his bow tie, getting ready to work....

Briefcase image from http://www.tutorialized.com/recent.php?d=04/21/2006

Mama dog in her pearl necklace, on her way to the market......

Flower hat image from http://www.neopets.com/~xColliex

Basket image from http://www.scissorcraft.com/jsgames/basketfill/basketfill.htm

Their precious little baby, learning A B C....

Theme #2: Crimebuster

*Sniff* *sniff*...... Grrrrr.... I can smell some pirated DVDs nearby....

Theme #3: The Dalmatian

I'm the 102nd... brothers and sisters, here I come!

Dalmatians from http://jigsaws.hit.bg/101-dalmatians/image/101-dalmatians-1.jpg

Theme #4: Guard-dog

Sitting attentively, guarding his master's house loyally (门口狗 hehehe...)

Kennel image from http://www.susannabenn.com/

Theme #5: Reflection

Whoooooo... is that dog I see.... staring straight back at me... when will my reflection show, who I am inside.. ay.....

Tigger from www.millcreekbengals.com/cartoons.htm

Theme #6: My little pony and friends

Ok, it still looks like a canine... but the tail and legs remind me of a pony, especially those wooden rocking ponies for kids.....

Pony image from http://faux.uwcs.co.uk/my%20little%20pony.png

Theme #7: Mother nature

This one is my favourite.... made from a colourful paper bag.....

Paper bag image from http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/objects-equipment/5030700-paper-bag.php?id=5030700&refnum=1192263

Tree image from http://www.imageenvision.com/stock_clipart/details/0025-0802-2714-2960/tropical_palm_tree_cartoon_character_flexing_his_arm_muscles

Picnic by the waterfall

Sneaked out for a picnic lunch by the waterfall with colleagues on a Friday. It was the first unofficial social activity where everyone in the department was present.



Okay, we did not really have to sneak out. After all, the dean and ex-dean knew about it. We invited them along, although they backed off at the last minute due to urgent meetings and calls... much to the relief of some of us.... that left most of us youngsters :p



Anyway, the picnic was right after our department meeting. A colleague ordered pizza (his treat - he promised many months ago :p)... some also brought homemade garlic bread, cakes, drinks, etc.



We went to this waterfall called Sungai Salu, which was about 20 minutes' drive from campus. Despite being a local, I'd never heard of this place before :p


A colleague (from another town :p) recommended it. It was quite empty when we arrived, with only a few people around. I was told that it usually started getting crowded after 5pm.

Not too crowded when we arrived....

We climbed up a few steps to a mini-waterfall. We had at first wanted to go further up, but the path was blocked halfway... so we decided to stop at the lower mini-waterfall... which was probably a good thing..... cuz I did not bring suitable footwear. Anyway, my Head of Department was so nice he offered me his slippers while he went barefoot!

The tracks leading up to the waterfall

That's where we had our picnic lunch

Deep in water... my colleagues, except the half-naked man :p

The mini- waterfall

Some rocky surface beside the waterfall.... hmmm... why does it remind me of someone wetting his pants? :p

A different angle....

People basking by the waterfall... looked so relaxing I felt like joining them :p




Male colleagues with their rolled-up sleeves and pants, looking like farmers :p




Hmmm... wonder what they were discussing.... found some new species?

Nice view.... I like the rocky surface (minus the man, of course)...

We left the waterfall to visit an orang asli (aborigine) village. The village was a mix of modernity and primitivity. Modern brick houses with luxurious cars parked outside stood among rundown wooden huts with tree trunks as pillars and leaves as roof. It was amazing how these huts stood the test of time and storms.



Anyway, a few colleagues are now working with Habitat For Humanity (HFH), an international organisation, to build some low-cost houses for these orang asli. A few representatives from the organisation visited a few weeks ago. As they could not speak our local language, they asked us to help as the middlemen to talk to the villagers. Sites for the houses have been identified and cleared. They have also talked to local suppliers for the raw materials. I was at first tasked to help translate and talk to the suppliers. However, someone else who were familiar with the suppliers around town volunteered to help.... which was a good thing, as I have to admit I'm not familiar with the shops in town and I'm not a good bargainer :p


We are now discussing where to go for our next... ahem... 'team building'. A few names of nice tourist attractions around the area have come up. But with the new semester starting, it would not be easy to find a time that suits everybody. Hmmm..... we'll see... :p

Final? Final!

It's been a while.



Had been busy for a few weeks with final exams (not me sitting for the exams, thank you!). Now that it's over, we have more flexibility with our time that we managed to organize a small party in the lab and a factory visit hehehe..... Great bonding I would say, as we survived together a few police road blocks along the way while wondering if we'd be blocked since I was dressed in black that day. No kidding. A colleague was actually stopped once on her way home from work for dressing in black!



Passed by the famous 'democracy tree' and the vacated buildings nearby. Everything was quiet.



Don't ask me who the current and final CM of my state is, as I have no idea. If things could change within a span of 8 hours, how do you expect me to know, right? After all, my daily routine is not affected. Though the same cannot be said for those working in the public service department, especially the officer in charge of hanging the pictures of 'important people' on the wall. A friend joked that a special rotator should be installed on the wall, so that with a press of a button, pictures could be changed automatically. But with the rate things are going, I'm afraid the motor would not hold for long!

Source

Welcome to Perak!



While waiting for the drama to unfold, let's move on to another drama.



Or should I say reality?



I'm talking about American Idol!



It's down to the Final Two now! It's Adam vs Kris! Well, if you ask me, I'm voting for Adam. Ok, so my vote doesn't count, but still....



To tell the truth, I disliked Adam in the beginning. His spiky hair, thick dark eyeliner, leathers, nails...... his performance was already quite good then, but it was only after he changed his appearance that I started to like him. He now dons a decent haircut and some simple make-up, with occasional leathers but that's acceptable and suits his style of music. And he looks good in white tux too! What with his broad shoulders and tall figure, he towers over Ryan hehehe.... I like his smile too. He looks so sincere and humble when he smiles.



I like Kris too... he has this cute boyish charm, he plays the piano and the guitar. He has had a few great performances too. But Adam has been consistent. In fact, he's outstanding every week! And since we can only have one winner, it's Adam for me.

Looking forward to a great show during the finale. At least the decision would be final.

Am I an irresponsible driver?

I really need to write this, now!

My heart is still beating fast, my hands are still a little shaky.....

Maybe it's not such a big deal to many, but somehow I am bothered and feel shaky.

While I was driving to work just now, I knocked down a dog with a loud thud!

It was a wide road, with grasses on both sides. Earlier on, I already spotted the dog (with a collar) running lively beside a motorcyclist (probably the owner) on the grass at the roadside. But I never expected it to rush out when I was nearing them. I was really shocked, I cannot even remember whether I had braked. But I did slow down afterwards to check on the dog through the rearview mirror. It was still running lively on four legs, so I think it should be alright.

But the impact is still there now as I am typing this. I checked on my car just now, and luckily there was no blood stain.

I don't know why, but I'm a little bothered by it. Should I have stopped my car and checked on the dog and apologized to the owner? Have I become an irresponsible driver who ran away after knocking down someone (or something)?

My Guardian Stars

Received my first gunshot when I was 6.



Nah, not the lethal ones.



But this:

Source

For those of you who had never seen the tool before, it's used for ear piercing. The earring would be filled into the gun (like a bullet) and shot through the earlobe. Not sure if it's the same tool used for piercing tongue and nose though :p

If you think it's cruel, you have not seen it all. Before the gun was invented, traditional piercing was done manually. Ginger would be rubbed on the earlobe to make you feel numb. Then a pin would be used to make a hole! Manually!

Luckily, the gun was already invented when I had my first piercing at the goldsmith.

But I made the mistake of changing from the original pair of gold earrings to a pair of plastic earrings. And my skin was sensitive to the material. Made my skin itchy and there was pus discharge. I ended up removing the earrings and the flesh regrew.

I dared not pierce my ears ever since then, until I was about 11. I remember in that year, there was an intercalary month in the lunar calendar (闰月), which means that the same month occurs twice. The Chinese believe that buying gold jewellery during the intercalary month is auspicious (don't ask me why :p). Anyway, I had my second 'gunshot' that year. Of course, I selected a pair of gold earrings. A pair of simple and small ball-shaped earrings.

Source

Had been wearing the same pair since then.

Until a few weeks ago..... when I dropped one of the back clutches. Did not know where I dropped it and I could not find it... so I decided to get a new pair.

Went to the goldsmith and traded in my old pair for a new one. I remember my old pair cost about RM50 when I was 11, and now with one clutch lost, the goldsmith gave me RM40 for it. Was that a good deal?

Well, of course I still had to pay a little for my new pair of earrings.

Out of all the designs on display, this pair caught my attention.

I think it's unique. Simple without being too plain. Sparkly without being too flashy.... and most of all, I like the idea of a star reaching out to a smaller star.... just like our guardian star (守护星), a concept that was probably popularized by TVB :p

I really like my guardian stars... and best of all, I get to admire them everyday in the mirror :p

90 years old!

It was my paternal grandfather's 90th birthday last weekend. So we went out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Booked 3 tables earlier and invited a few closed relatives.


The first table was for the first generation of the family, consisting of my grandfather, grand-uncles and grand-aunties.

The second table was for the second generation consisting of my parents, aunties and uncles.

The second generation. That's the 'birthday boy', standing in the middle in white. That's my mom standing at the back in pink and my father behind her, almost hidden.

And of course the third table was occupied by the third generation, namely me and my cousins.

The third generation wishing the birthday boy....

Since we're Hokkien, we tried to wish him in Hokkien for fun. But none of us in the third generation speaks the language! So we had to ask our grand-uncle to translate for us before passing the message to my grandfather. Don't ask me how to say 'Happy Birthday' in Hokkien. I forgot the moment the words came out of my mouth :p

Singing the birthday song......

We were seated on the first floor of the restaurant. At first there were other families having dinner on the same floor. But after some time, they left so we had the whole floor to ourselves! My uncles started singing karaoke. Soon everyone joined in. I was shy at first. But after some persuasion, I joined in :p

Things got real crazy when my aunties started dancing! I was again shy at first. I was never really closed to relatives in my father's side. But it's such a happy occassion, my grandfather was really happy and even my grand-uncles and grand-aunties (who have always looked strict I was sometimes scared of them :p) started dancing! So again I joined in the fun. They even partnered me up with my father for cha-cha hehehe....

Anyway, they were really surprised to see me dance. Guess to them, I have always been this shy and quiet bookworm cousin of theirs :p

So I told them about my dancing lessons :p

My grandfather was dancing on the little stage with my aunties by his side. Look how happy he was.

Posing with my beautiful cousins. I was the most casual in jeans.

Took a picture with my grandfather and an auntie.

We left the restaurant around 11 pm and gathered at my grandfather's place. Naturally, two mahjong tables were set up :p

While the first and second generations were busy playing mahjong, we proceeded to a story-telling session! With my grandfather as the story-teller, surrounded by his grandchildren as the audience. Stories travelled back to his childhood in China (he's born in Malaysia but moved back to China with his mom who was ill, and later brought back to Malaysia by his father). After the story-telling session, we played a simple game of message delivery. My grandfather would whisper some Hokkien phrases to the person next to him, and the message would be delivered until it reached the last person. I was unlucky to be the last person, where some 2-syllable phrases could end up sounding like 3-syllable vulgar words! And I had to shout those words out!

Overall, it was a happy occasion. After all, it's not everyday that we get to celebrate 90th birthday. Maybe we can learn a thing or two from my grandfather's lifestyle. I remember he used to jog every morning in a white singlet, short pants and a small towel hung around his neck. After that, he'd cycled to town. When he's not moving around, he'd be watching TV, ranging from TVB drama series, Taiwanese Hokkien drama series, Hollywood movies to Bollywood movies. No kidding! He likes Bollywood movies! I enjoy discussing storyline and drama plots with him hehee...
And during the weekend, my father and uncles will go over to play mahjong with him.

By the way, I'm the eldest of the third generation who carries the family name! I'm not my grandfather's eldest grandchild, but those who are elder are my aunties' children, and my grand-uncles' grandchildren (who carry the family name) are all very young. That makes me the eldest! I wonder if this means I'm the 长子的孙 (eldest grandchild)... or does the term only apply to grandson?

Anyway, it's not as if my grandfather owns a large estate or a hotel empire to be passed down to me :p

Else, I would not be sitting here blogging. Maybe I'd still blog. But I would blog about the limited edition milk bowl I bought for my chi hua hua :p

Or I would be off sun-basking in some islands or sandy beaches. Or busy cutting my new self-sponsored album or movie. Or just busy with manicure, pedicure, shopping in New York, Paris, Milan, London... see? I would be so busy I'd never have heard of England :p

Ok, back to reality.