Coming March...

" What didn't kill you will just make you stronger "

Coming March? Just so you know, March will be a very exciting month, with lots of happenings. SPM results is expected to come out in mid March but date isn't confirm yet. Not putting too high expectation, but hoping for the best, and prepare for the worst at the same time too- anything can happen! It won't kill us, but make us stronger. Turning officially 17 coming March and i can't wait- i can then resume my driving. March holidays are up too... Note, i passed my driving theory test already, just waiting to be officially 17!

Leap year this year which means there will be 29 days for February, and today is the 29th. It's a unique day, special for some and some even selected this day to celebrate any wonderful occasion. It's once every 4 years! Those born today, Happy Birthday. Celebrate to the fullest, for you have to wait another 4 years more to the next one. NST came up with a nice article for those born on the 29th. I remembered one who will be celebrating her 15th birthday today, but it's actually her 60th one!

Another article i found very fascinating in the NST is the 'Are You Sure You're Alone?' article which was published in the Life&times section, written by Dr Albert Lim Kok Hooi. It's regarding supernatural superstitious. And most importantly, it's involving the 'safe' checking in into a hotel room! Precaution, read only to be fascinated, but if you're afraid, skip this. 'The less you know, the better. If you don't know about a superstition, it won't matter. Breaking a taboo not known to you won't hurt'. But once you read it, 'will it be the same again?'. The writer is a practising oncologist. I'll continue.

1. Always pre-book a room that is not tucked away at the end of a corridor. Apparently spooks prefer dark, lonely corners. If there's no vacancy, don't insist. The front desk person will put you in a haunted room which the hotel reserves for 'special occupant'.

2. On approaching the room, you could knock or ring the bell. At the same time, mutter under your breath "ghost, i shall be staying here for 3 days. Please let's get along, OK?.

3. Three things to do as soon as you enter : Flush the loo. Draw the curtains to let in sunlight. Look under the bed.

4. One shoe be upright and the other faces downwards, sole facing upwards.

5. Place your luggage on the unoccupied bed. This will ensure Casper will not occupy it.

6. Before you knock off to sleep, please cover all mirrors and reflecting surfaces. When you sleep, your spirit/soul leaves the body. If it encounters an imge of you, it may get confused and enter it. You wake up and 'you' may not be you!

Fascinated yet? I bet you are far from 'fascinated'. Bewildered i think! Anyway, it's up to you to believe it or not. But it's always better to know it, and avoid doing it right?

That shall end this post, Coming March. February was great. Fantastic. But March will bring much more than that! The results of the Favourite Silverscreen will be out soon, so catch it. And don't forget to visit my post often, for there will be new updates to it! Marching, wc08, Coming March, 29th Feb!

BlockBusters2007

"The silver screen of 2007"

Movies of 2007 have captured the hearts of many, with some anticipating and eagerly waiting for the sequel to be back. I'm going to determine the best of the best, simply, the favourites. With that, i have nominated the movies, of my choices. The list of movies and their categories are as below. Happy viewing.

Nominated for : Favourite Movie 2007, Shia LaBeouf as Favourite Male Actor, Megan Fox as Favourite Female Actor, Favourite CGI Effect Movie, Micheal Bay as Favourite Director, Optimus Prime as Favourite Movie Character, Favourite Soundtrack, Favourite Action Movie, and Favourite Unique Movie.

Nominated for : Favourite Movie 2007, Patrick Dempsey as Favourite Male Actor, Amy Adams as Favourite Female Actor, Favourite Soundtrack, and Favourite Unique Movie.

Nominated for : Favourite Movie 2007, Johnny Depp as Favourite Male Actor, Keira Knightley as Favourite Female Actor, Favourite Sequel Movie, Gore Verbinski as Favourite Director, and Captain Jack Sparrow as Favourite Movie Character.

Nominated for : Favourite CGI Effect Movie, and Dakota Blue Richards as Favourite Female Actor.

Nominated for : Favourite Unique Movie

Nominated for : Gerald Butler as Favourite Male Actor, and Favoutire Action Movie.

Nominated for : Favourite Movie 2007, and Favourite Animation Movie 2007.

Nominated for : Favoutite Sequel Movie, and Favourite CGI Effect Movie.

Nominated for : Favourite Animation Movie, Donkey as Favourite Movie Character, and Favourite Soundtrack.

Nominated for : Favourite Sequel Movie.

Nominated for : Favourite Animation Movie

Nominated for : Jessica Alba as Favourite Female Actor, Favourite Sequel Movie, Favourite CGI Effect Movie, and Silver Surfer as Favourite Movie Character

Most Anticipated Movie : Narnia:Prince Caspian, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

These are the nominees. You can always leave a comment or send it via e-mail, to suggest why that movie should be chosen. The movies are what i had watched or known of it, and i have selected the favourite fews. For the Favourite Unique Movie, it means that the movie is fresh, different, and one of a kind. Like the nominated fews, it's like a mixture of animation and real acting. The results will be posted soon, after much consideration and may be your comments. wc08, can't wait to see the results.

*note: the pictures are courtesy of the Internet!

15 : Chap Goh Mei...

" Time flies when we are having fun "

Dear Rat,
Isn't it absolutely true that when we are having fun, time really flies with great speed? It's already the 15th day of CNY! No doubt, i did spend the whole 15 days to the fullest, with so much fun. Really. And that no one can take it away from me.

The final day wasn't all too bad. We had dinner, a family dinner with my aunt, uncle and cousins, to celebrate the 'chap goh mei'. No, we don't throw oranges to the river in hope of someone good to marry 'us'. After the dinner, we had 'mata kucing' and ice creams for dessert. Note, the 'mata kucing' was the result of years of patience from the tree behind our house, we planted it. As always, there won't be a CNY spirit if the casino isn't open. Since it was our last day, why not i give it a shot! The casino closed at 10pm, and they left for home. By 12 midnight, everyone was asleep, but reluctant to leave the last day of CNY, or simply, the whole CNY.

Since that was the final post about CNY, i also did a poll on 'what does CNY means to you, that you look forward to it?' within the same period and thanks for your vote, and that i shall announce the results in this post. Top of the list would be, money-minded people, to gamble! Unbelievably, what you look forward to is gambling? Or the joy of it? Anyway, it still tops the list, and remember to never get addicted to it. Gambling, not my cup of tea.

Coming second is a shared seat. With both 'ang pau please' and 'buying new clothes' scored a tie in second place, what connects the both would be the colour red! This year, red is good. Also known as the 'red packet', it is usually given to unmarried juniors from married couples or the elderly. For clothes, people tend to wear new clothes ( and because of that, they need to buy new clothes) to symbolize the beginning of a new year. Often, red is the ultimate choice.

Next would be the visiting part- i like it! As you have seen it all, visiting is always fun and enjoyable as you can also meet up with new people, or long-time-no-meet person. Apart from that, we can have fun with our cousins, uncles and aunties too, that puts it the same spot as the house visiting!

You may not agree, but luckily some voted for this- to feast on food, coming forth, and i simply will vote for it too. You can never diet during CNY. Never. And don't even try, you will not succeed. Also sharing the spotlight is people who look at CNY as 'just a holiday', which is basically true. A rest from school, and also from work too! How i wish it could be longer too...

People nowadays lack interest in lion dance and firecrackers already. Maybe because we are growing up, and don't feel like playing or watching it. Coming last, it's the both of it, equally shared. However, i beg to differ because i still believe that lion dance and firecrackers should also be what we look forward to. We can hardly watch a 'lion' performing. And playing firecrackers are important to celebrate the lunar new year. The loud, deafening explosion is thought to scare away evil spirit.

All in all, thanks for your votes, and hope you will continue to vote in my next poll that is coming 'on the way'. And to you Mr Rat, i truly had great fun this whole 15 days and thank you. See ya next year, and don't take away all those cheese! Overjoyed, wc08, saying bye and to you readers, stayed glued to more, coming!

Yours truly,
Mr Ram, WC.

11th, 12 th, 13 th and 14 th Ratty Day

" The only world you ever know is the one you see through your own eyes " - Being the Best

Dear Rat,
Very soon, i'm going to miss you. With just one day left before the final day of the 15 days of CNY, i'm going to celebrate to the fullest! Just like the quote above, what i saw with my eyes, will be what my world would be, and that the world is my personal one.

Day 11 is a Sunday. And it wasn't any Sunday but a Sunday with the CNY spirit. In mid-afternoon, my family and i went to my father's friend's house to pay a visit. It's new, and the house is beautiful. After the short visit, we headed off to my aunt's house in Subang. Mingled around for a while before we went to Imperial China, somewhere around that area, near Sunway Pyramid. The place was fantastic, and we had a sumptuous dinner! 'Loh Yee Sang' too and it was great. The food was tasty and even had Sulking Pig. Dined- in, we were lucky as there was the 'Choi San', God of Prosperity. He shook all of our hands, and even took a picture with Him! After dinner, it was time to depart back home.

No more houses to visit. My aunt's house marked our last visiting for this CNY. So, the 12th day, Monday, was a boring day and just stayed at home. Apart from that, the mini casino still opens!

Looking forward to this day. Had a wonderful time with my friends in KLCC. Day 13 was the day we watched Jumper. The show wasn't that great- it lacks the 'wow' factor and there wasn't much complexity to the show. Anyway, the small reunion with my friends made the whole outing seemed perfect. We chit chatted on all sorts of stuffs. But the main question was, 'what are you planning to do?', and i dislike answering that question.

The movie 'we' watched, Jumper.

This is the 'we'. PM Chong, JH, S and N together with me. Jimi, he's the one that took this photo.

Day 14 was another monotonous day, no variety.Except, i continued reading my 'undang' book for the test, which i'll soon be taking it! That should wrap all up, dear Rat. Don't run away yet, for the Chap Goh Mei will be my next post! Bored, wc08, begins his 'what's in my garden' to be another section in his blog site.

Yours truly,
Mr Ram, WC.

Ratty Day 8, 9 and 10 !!!

" Tak-Tong-Chiang"

Dear Rat,
Hello again, and hope you are not afraid of the sound of the drum- i'll be posting a video of it. The 8th, 9th and 10th day were great with lots of house to visit, back to back! So, allow me to begin before i sway out of topic- i'll finish all 15 days of CNY before i'll announce it.

This is the day for those to pray the God of the Sky- thien. Usually, they'll prepare sugar canes for the ceremony. Some might even pray using roast pig, crabs, or simply just fruits. The day is the 8th day of CNY. And this didn't stop us from visiting as we had two houses to go all in one night! Late evening, we were off to my father's friend's house, and feasted on many tasty delights-the fried mee hoon was the best. Didn't stay long and left for another house- Un Jimmy's house. It was the final leg of the Amazing Race Asia and i could only catch the last 15 minutes of the show! Sadly, my favourite, and whom i was rooting for, didn't make the cut and emerged third, Marc and Rovilson. Singapore's gym buddies, Andrew and Colin, rose and topped the teams, becoming the champion to walk away with USD 100,000. Malaysia's Vanessa and Pamela came in second, and didn't manage to repeat history. I was too full and didn't eat in Un Jimmy's house, but the food looked very inviting. By midnight, they began their prayers and lighted a firecracker. It was LOUD and the final burst even triggered the alarm of a house near-by. No police, and off , time to sleep.

Chor 9- 9th day of CNY. That night was Un York's house, but the day went as usual, only had lunch at Oldtown Kopitiam with my family- and it was actually a contingency plan, an alternative, second choice. Went to Un York's house, and again, food and the familiar faces of the many days of house visitng- it's like 'taking turns', each different day. The 'loh shu fan' was yummy, especially when mixed with the curry. Good combo! Also, we had 'fruits yee sang', courtesy of Aunt Renie.Watched the Mummy, with lots of outside drama and observed people gambling- don't favour them. It was early the next morning, very early, 1 hour from yesterday, did we only buzz off!

10th day! That's fast, as they as, time passes when we are having fun. Really. The tenth day already? This day was different- didn't i said there will be a video? Check them out, it was Great Eastern Mall's last day of the CNY celebration with the drums and lion dance performances. Sorry if the video isn't clear- i used my sister's handphone to capture it! Also, the battery went kong later part, and had to stop the mission.

Give you a brief feel of it first. The video is about 7 minutes long, be patient if you wanna see it. Bad news again, lie down to watch, side ways, ok?

These are the picures before the start of the stilts and floor performance, and also before the battery kong ! The video, other post only.

Bird's eye view, observing them preparing.

The View, far right is the floor performance, far left is the lions- silver and gold, far-mid?

By 4, headed home and got myself ready for Un Desmond's house- my 'pak pak'. Another round of eating- really put on weight this CNY, and the other years too, and this is the fun part... Played cards, but didn't gamble. My uncle's signature dish- porridge, the porridge! PSP starting to wave in, lots of them! Chit chat, stayed until 1 something, another late night out, and only then we said our goodbyes. Technically, it was our last house to visit among my uncles and aunties (father's friend), and we didn't buzz off that easily. But still, i'm now back home, blogging! That marks the final gamble among them- the teens and kids.



The 11 th day isn't over, and i'm not blogging it yet. 11th day, would be another day, but still, in me, the CNY spirit must soar high! Don't let it down, yet! Still celebrating, wc08, to blog more soon- and be back for more!



Yours truly,

Mr Ram, WC.

Ratty Day 5, 6 and 7...

" May Stuart Little brings you comfort, Mickey Mouse brings you joy, Minnie Mouse brings you beauty and pleasure, and most importantly, Ratatouille brings you abundance of good food!"
-sms

Dear Rat,
Hello once again, and i hope you weren't bored with the previous post- no pictures so you might lose interest! Again, this post will be a picture-free one, and don't say i didn't warn you. This post will be about my 5th, 6th and 7th day of the 15 days CNY celebration! Enjoy reading...

Day 5, where i stopped in the previous post, is again about visiting. Had lunch in my Yi Po's house, and as always, her cooking is out-of-this-world! I took more than one round, and i bet many did so too...There was a mini casino on too, but i wasn't tempted to join the fun. My uncle rares bird and he got a few expensive ones. One could reach 5000 cash- ringgit, it is a parrot with red-tail. Had a wonderful meal that filled my stomach, and a wonderful time there too before we headed back home. Night, another house visiting. See, i'm really busy- and that's the whole point of CNY! Went to my Kam Po's house. Had dinner earlier so we just went for a visit, and little chat. Didn't stay long, as the next day, school is resumed! But i'm the scapegoat.

Day 6 was quite a simple day, with not many houses to visit. But still there was one on, my father's friend, and i just tagged along. Went to Puchong, again, he lives there. The food was good, but the cookies were better! For once, i ate lots of cookies even i don't favour them. Didn't hang long there as we don't know the way out from there. Done, Day 6, close.

Day 7 is People's Birthday. Where's my present? It's the day where we 'loh yee sang' and eat porridge. It's said, this day, we grow one year older! No house visiting today, stayed home for dinner. Mum made porridge and fried mee hoon, and bought a 'yee sang' from outside. Yummy!

Today is Day 8 of CNY, but i'm not going to write yet as the day isn't over! But apart from that, i would like to wish you, Happy Valentine's Day, and don't stay up so late! I'll stop here, Mr Rat, and wait patiently for the days soon to be written. In love, wc08, with the CNY, and not for Valentine!

Yours truly,
Mr Ram, WC

Ratty Day 3 and 4..

" The visiting saga continues "

Dear Rat,
Thanks for reading Ratty Day 2, and so do you readers, and thank you again for staying glued to it as i write to you more on the celebration- it's only getting better!

Day 3 marks our second day in Melaka, as it's after an overnight stay in the 'kampung'. Seriously, 'kampung life' is a must try, be it a Malaysian or a non-Malaysian. It's simply unique and irresistible. You might feel bored if you're too used to staying in the city, but the 'kampung' will simply stun, or charm you, making you forget about the concrete jungle and remember the ambiance of the 'kampung'! We wanted to eat puree for breakfast, unfortunately, the shop was closed and we had to try out a new place, near the Merlimau market. Ate roti canai and 'lotong'- the 'lotong' was superb, the gravy...umph... was simply lip-smacking! Off back to the house, and rested until about 5 pm before headed back to KL. As expected, there will be jam somewhere along the way back, and this time was near Senawang! Reached home at 8, but prepared to go out visiting again in Un Albert's house. The mutton curry and shepherd pie were tasty, and not to forget, the cake was simply fantastic! The mini casino didn't wait for us, and was on before we were there. Wonderful time there, and headed back home around 1 in the morning! The Day 3 adventure, close.

Day 4 was another great day. Morning, had breakfast before continuing our visiting saga. Un Mah's house was the target and spent some time there. Off back home, it was my ku po's house next, in Puchong. Had lunch in her house, and even there, there was a mini casino on! Went home by 3 and rested and recharged our energy to fullest for Un Arsenal's open house. The layer cake was delicious, and had dinner there. Poker, two tables! Mahjong, two tables! No police...

Day 5, that'll be another post dear Mr Rat and readers! Sorry for the absence of photographs as i didn't take any pic! Hope you're eager to find out more, remain glued to the screen and still having the spirit of CNY flying high! wc08, that'll be all, for now, and happy reading!

Yours truly,
Mr Ram, WC

Ratty Day 2

" The world changes, and so is my world"

Dear Rat,
How you find the first day post? I absolutely hope that you enjoy it, and so do you, dear readers. Moving on to the second day of CNY, we started the day with the Morning Breakfast known as 'hoi lin' (my apologies, i don't know how to spell them but it sounds like that). The atmosphere won't be the same without the mini casino, and so it's began! But, count me out, i don't really favour them. Vote for what you think CNY is all about in my poll. Coming noon, my aunts and uncles came for visiting just before we stepped our foot out to head to Melaka!

Celebrated CNY in Melaka with a difference. My other aunt with her family were there too, and we haven't meet in years! So what, i had a wonderful time in Melaka still, and had bbq for dinner. I cannot resist the temptation to feast on the food, and my taste buds were craving for more! Bloated!

The barbeque's process... Hands off!

Saliva drooling yet? Wait until you try them, literally, but you couldn't!

Again, the casino is on, anywhere will do...

Stayed up for The Myth on tv3, an interesting show but the midnight news interrupted and i couldn't 'tahan' but to dive into the dreamland! Day 2, close! Speeding, wc08, for the world to change, my world, and for more these lunar new year, again, stay glued for more as i'll post the other days, day by day!

Yours truly,
Mr Ram, WC

Ratty Day 1!

" Reminder : Don't forget to put cheese all around your house so that the rats will come. They are the Prosperity Rat, Good Health Rat, Happiness Rat, Lucky Rat and the Year Earth Rat. Gong Xi Fa Chai, and lets not shoo these rats"

Dear Rat,
It's your year this year, and i bet it'll bring lots of joy and happiness. May you flood my family with everything good, but don't get me wrong- i'm not trying to be greedy. It's what we call 'share' and we'll share amongst ourselves, and may you bring more cheese to fill our stomachs!
To celebrate your arrival... this is what we did!

As early as 8, we were awaken by the sounds of the drums from my neighbours. We did some last minute clear-up to beautify the house, and await my uncles, aunties, and cousins. The casino soon began, and they started to gamble. I didn't gamble much as i don't really favour it., in fact, i only started to gamble later part of the evening.

The flowers in my house, and that's not all.

About 12.30pm, the lunch buffet prepared by my mum opened, and soon we filled our stomach with the delicious food and thirst-quenching drink. My friends arrived on time, as they had said. Absent-minded, i forgot to take a picture with them. By 1 something, the lion dance troupe came and started their mind -blowing performance amplified by the fire red lion! Enjoy the photos...

The lion outside the house, ready to enter

Lion entering the house!

Make way for the lion in the house, in motion, praying

... on the 'climbing' performance, trying to retrieve the veg...

Ground performance...

Throwing the orange from one lion to the other

Observing the floor

One, doing business, while the other awaits and entertained the guests

This was the 'business' the lion did! Wonderfully shaped...

Photography session...

There won't be a CNY if there's no firecrackers!

Goodbye, lions. May we meet again next year, and years to come! You guys did a fabulous job, and no doubt for the thunderous claps after your fantastic performance. "The lion and the dance this year's nice," commented by my aunt!

It was after that did i started to gamble. Time ticked, and soon it was night. Some guests stayed for dinner, and later made a move back home. Day 1, wonderful! And stay glued for more, as i soon post about the other days, piece by piece, and that's for you to check out. Ecstatic, wc08, to be continue, and chat with you soon too, Mr Rat!

Yours truly,
Mr Ram, WC

Work No More

"The human eye is the best camera one can ever find, the best pictures one can ever capture"

How far do you agree to the quote above? I truly believe that the human eye captures the best picture, as it not only captures the image alone, but takes the emotions altogether. Juggle this, do you prefer to see the Northern Lights on a photo shown by your friend, or experiencing the moment real life? The atmosphere, and the feelings, are totally different if we see it with our naked eyes, even amplified if we see it together with our love ones! Nonetheless, the eye serves more than one purpose, not only to see, but to understand, feel and to be integrated with other parts of our body to respond correctly, morally. Appreciate it, while you still can.

The alarm clock in my handphone rang and i stretched my hand to retrieve it, shutting the irritating, buzzing sound of the alarm that disturbed my sleep. I was awake, but not totally. I had to drag myself out from the comfortable bed, battling the desire to fall back to sleep. Then, I remembered. 'Why am i complaining, it's my last day of work today. Can't wait' and i washed my face immediately. Filled two bottles, and got my 'Hotlink' shirt on, ready for the day ahead. Ready for it?

Walked out with eyes on the road traveled but not only on the look-out for cars, but stray dogs as well. I had to take an alternative route to avoid those creatures, and i reached the destination without having any bruises from fighting with them. Filled my stomach my with 'Singaporean fried mee-hoon' which took more than 20 minutes to be prepared. Ate quickly, and off to my last day of my part time work!

Fortunately, i was on time for work. The shuttles were just lifted up, and i had to squat to enter.
The day soon began, but we, as usual, had to wipe the table and prepare our yesterday's report to be handed in first. Sharp 9.30, the shuttle opened completely, inviting customers to come in. I'm ready with my float, switched on the Maxis sign.


The green wall to the sign defines the shop as Maxis, not other operators. Ushering customers in even from afar, greeting them as i ready for their payment to be made.

I took charge of Counter 3, written 'payment'. Unfortunately, the day turned sour as all the computer's system were down, very. We had to issue them the manual receipt and later only do the the transactions on computer. Just after noon, the systems were back alive, and we began to enter in the transactions. At the same time, it was peak time and there we had to multi task, doing both the earlier transactions as well as the lucky walk-in customers. Lucky, no mistakes we made and the day returned back smoothly, regaining it's speed to accelerate while we waited for the night.


It wasn't all the time busy, as for my last day, i was determined to bring my camera to work. Wonderful people, gld to meet them, or even work with them though only for about 3 weeks!

The 'si-fu' there, as the other took MC. Her name is Sue, and behind her is my childhood friend, also her last day, Vivianloy.

Sean, doing some funny face while i captured this pose. "Okey, serious now," said Sean.

My workmates. They are really wonderful people. Missing in action were S Xian, Sab, CC W, R C and J W. Fun working with them, but when it comes to business, it means business!

As the night rolled in, we started to close our drawers, and the shuttles as well. Who would want to display all the money on the table insecurely? It was a lot, but for my last day there, no. By 9 pm, the shuttles were all shut, all ready to head home, and me, simply enjoyed the final moments there, capturing every second of my day with my eyes and i'm sure the experience working there will worth more than money can tell. About money, i got my first pay, but it's of no need to tell. Ask and you'll know.

The 16 days of work had been really fun, tiring, streesful, exciting and of all feelings, experience-full. My main goal of working was to meet new people and to try out working life. Trust me, i reached far beyond my goals, and i really appreciate it! As for now, i'm 'unattached' but i absolutely want to celebrate CNY with abundance of joy and happiness, simply, to the fullest! Cheerful, wc08, eager to usher in the new year, and 'til then, wait as i post more of the upcoming CNY!