Don't Have A Whale

Comic strip from Mutts by Patrick McDonnell

Hehehe, I just opened up my e-mail and got this little strip from my comic subscription. Hehehe.. Aside from the fact that I look like a whale now, I find that what the little crabby said is true. :P

It is funny as it reminded me of what I'm supposed to cut out from my diet, which is CARBS!!!!

So, what constitutes CARBs or Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates (from 'hydrates of carbon') or saccharides (Greek σάκχαρον meaning "sugar") are simple organic compounds that are straight-chain aldehydes or ketones with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group. Carbohydrates are the most abundant biological molecules, and fill numerous roles in living things, such as the storage and transport of energy (starch, glycogen) and structural components (cellulose in plants, chitin in animals). - Taken from Wikipedia.

Anyway, from a nutritional standpoint, carbohydrates provide the energy necessary for us to do work. However, if you do recall your high school science, excess carbohydrates will be converted into sugars and later fat deposits in your body.

Have you ever felt sleepy after taking a lot of rice during lunch? Well, that is because your body has been through a temporary "sugar high" after your body has absorbed too much sugar to convert it into glycogen (fats), leaving your blood with a low sugar level. You feel tired, fatigued and even sleepy. [source]

Hence, "carbs" are a dieters nightmare. Not only that, but I think the food pyramid taught in school is just all wrong. We should be taking less carbs and more fruits and vegetables instead. So, controlling carbs is everyone's nightmare now!! (^ ^)

However, when you are starting to work out. You might find that your trainers or some nutritionists who tell you that you still need some carbs in order to give you energy in your workout. This means that although we are encouraged not to take white rice, we are encouraged to take more cereals, unpolished rice and fibre in order to "fill-up" the stomach.

By the way, white bread is not good idea as it contains too much refined sugar which is tend converted into fat. It is better to take wholemeal/high fibre breads instead.

Anyway, I've been cutting out rice from my diet for the past 3 weeks and substituting it with a bit of pasta, and wholemeal breads.

What are the effects? I'm feeling lighter and more alert after lunch. If I do feel hungry, I take some fruits to feel full. However, I try to stay away from the very sweet fruits but opt for stuff like guava or apples. I've not tried taking green apples as my stomach tends to get very acidic after that.

Anyway, it is a battle but I hope that I can win the war. (^ ^)

Disappointed... Slightly

In one of my posts, I've related that I'm already spending about nearly 8hrs per week at the gym, working out.

Today, I had my measurement, a.k.a weight, BMI calculation and found out that I've not lost much.

Hence, I'm fxxking disappointed with myself.

Sh*t.

I've been working out since 23-July and today, all I can show is that I've reduced about 1.65kg and only 0.7% of body fat loss. I've attended about 7 sessions to date throughout the last 3 weeks.

WTF...

I'm fxxking pissed with myself.

I've been cutting off alot of things in my diet. So much that I've been thinking two or three times about what I put in my mouth.

However, I got to admit that I have been naughty too. My diet went haywire for the last couple of days as I went out lunch with colleagues and friends. So, it is my fault. It is hard to choose the right kind of food when you're out with friends. Anyway, most of them are pretty understanding - though I still didn't quite enjoy my b'day lunch this year as we had dim sum and we always tend to overeat when we have dim sum.

So, what did my trainer have to say? Work harder - push myself more on cardio and etc. I should be doing 2 hours full cardio per session on top of my training. Whoa. That means I'll be doing 12 hours a week!

Anyway, today's session was not so intense as I was fxxking tired. I've not been sleeping well for the past few days. Besides that, I was working out on an empty stomach. Not a good idea.

What's my action plan?

1. Change my diet even more drastically.
- Cut off my milo completely. I'll just have to make due with only 2 cups per month. I take it without sugar, but with 1/4 cup of low-fat milk.
- More greens, a bit of quality protein (lean meat with little oil) and no carbs (rice, pasta, bread)
- More quality fruits (not too high in sugar - durian is not a good fruit)

2. Work out more
- More ab crunches before bed and after I wake up.
- More movement-related exercises.
- Spend more time at the gym.

As of now, I have not seen even 1 roti canai for the past two months. Same with teh-tarik too.

The last time I had nasi lemak was last month and even then, I felt that it was already too much. (^ ^)
I only allow myself 1 nasi lemak per month.

I've already cut out salt and sugar from my diet. Even limiting myself to 2 cups of coffee per week. The rest of the time would be just water or green tea. Natural juices are ok too but nothing beats the real deal, i.e. fruit.

Don't even talk to me about chocs. The only choc I taste is in my milo.

*Sigh*. It is tough. But I have got to do it.

For those starting their diets and exercise plan. Let's not be demotivated with such slow progress. Who ever said that this was easy was fxxking out of their mind.

Gambate!! 加油！！！

Go Play With Sticks and Stones-la!

Another China-related manufacturing scandal.

This time, this scandal has a world-wide effect. It involves children toys.

The last scandal involving China's manufacturing industry had to do with food, to be precise, certain ingredients in pet foods have been tainted. This caused some pets to die, i.e. mainly dogs or cats. When the pet foods company performed a detailed investigation, they found out that some food manufacturers in China were responsible for having ingredients being tainted.

I kept tabs on this. 'Coz I have a dog and ever since the Pedigree scare several years back which caused renal failure, I've taken her off the big commercial pet foods and went for those foods certified/recommended by the vets.

Meanwhile, due to this issue, several big companies in US decided to sit up and take a closer look at their operations, especially those where they outsourced ingredients or components from China.

Anyway, one of the more tragic news out of this new scandal is about how one manufacturer has committed suicide after learning that the products his factory manufactured contained lead in the paint and that it was being recalled. He paid his workers before hanging himself. The worse part is that the paint was supplied by his friend, who has disappeared once the scandal broke. So much for friendship.

The other issue I have with this is... Who in their right fxxking mind will put tiny magnets in toys???? What more, the tiny magnets can come out! Whoever designed these types of toys are real idiots. Sure, you can put labels to warn parents about small parts or the appropriate age for the kid to play, but who reads labels???

Due to this scandal, I now think I should throw away about 99% of my old toys which I intend to give away to my future kids or nephews/nieces as it is now dangerous. Hehehehehee... I can't imagine how I managed to grow up without much health problems due to such toys.

Oh well, back in the day when toys were a luxury, we had to make due with our imagination. We played with whatever was around us - rice, sticks, stones, earth, grass, old tyres, metal pieces, floor tiles... If you can make a game out of something, it was a toy. I remembered asking my grandma for rice so that I can make my five or seven stones. We had some spare cloth lying around and we thought it was a good idea. Boy, those days, toys were easy to come by. And I was an urban kid!!

These days, I doubt any kid will take up a stick to play with. When I say kid, I refer to the urban kid. Kids these days will settle for nothing less than the best toys - mostly electric generated. During my time, a battery operated toy was the ultimate type of toy to get for Christmas or your b'day.

Times have changed. Tastes have changed. Parents have a bit more spending power than parents of past generations and they can afford to splurge on their kids - buying some gadgets which will apparently increase their brainpower. Kekeekeke... I don't have kids but please do let me know in 17 years time if buying a really expensive toy which is supposed to stimulate brain activity in a gurgling baby to produce 25As in his SPM.

Sekian, Terima Kasihhhhh...

Assumption Wednesday

When I was growing up, Assumption used to fall on Thursdays. Today, being Aug 15th, it fell on a Wednesday. Strange, how the calendar has to adjust itself. (^ ^)

Anyway, the thought came to me when my mom dragged my half-dead @ss up from bed to get me to go to church this morning, since I couldn't go in the evening.

==: A slight digression as I explain what is Assumption :==
Assumption is a Day of Obligation for Catholic Christians to celebrate the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where at the end of her earthly life, she is assumed to Heaven both body and soul.

Mom: Today is wednesday, right?
Me: Uh-huh?? (half-awake, half-asleep)
Mom: Hahhh... I remember Assumption always fell on a Thursday.
Me: Hmmmm... Yea. I think the calendar shifted liao. (zzzzZZzzzz)

My mom mumbled something else but I couldn't grasp as my mind was still not awake at 6:15am in the morning.

Now, we celebrate the solemnity because The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model Christian, who submitted herself to God to be a "handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38) and thus, reminding us to be like her. A model of grace, patience and faith. We Catholics give her great respect because she was the Mother of our God and of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And as I said before, a model of great faith for us to emulate daily.

I may have been asleep before, but I was fully awake to remember the message during mass today... I hope.

Happy Feast Day folks!

A Lot To Be Thankful For

For the past couple of weeks, the bible passages from Luke, i.e. Luke 12:35-40 and Luke 12:13-21, have been telling us to focus not on ourselves but on others as well as to prepare to meet God.

The notion of life after death plays out for the past few weeks as the bible passages remind us that our riches lie not here in Earth but in Heaven. That we should not focus on ourselves, i.e. self-centeredness but on God.

Certainly, that has kicked off a thought for me. I have a lot to be grateful for.

I may not be rich.

I may not be famous.

I may not have won any lottery or contest.

I may not be the smartest person in the room.

However, I am grateful for the following:

Good Health - I am somewhat healthy.
I'm still working on it. But I'm grateful that I wake up each morning, able to breathe normally, without pain or with the aid of machines. I am able to walk, run (not that fast) and do my work as a normal person. I have premature graying but heck, with the lifestyle we lead, and the people we meet, what's a few gray hairs?? I am grateful that I was born normal, with the capacity to the best of what God has given me. I should do more for my fellow man.

Love of Family.

My mom, dad and the dog - Snoopy (woof!!)

My 'lil sis and Snoopy (Snoopy - ain't I a cutie-pie?)

My future bro-in-law with Guess-Who??

My family ain't that big, I've got my parents and lil' sis and soon to be bro-in-law, not to mention my extended family. We keep in contact, don't squabble as much but support and care for each other. That reminds me, when are we heading down to Seremban to visit my eldest uncle? :-P

The STRONG Tan Senior Women

Part of the Tan clan (my eldest cuz, Ian on the piano)

Love of my dogs.

Oofy (at God's house now)

Yep, I had another dog before Snoopy. It was Oofy. She taught me how to love and live. She has the biggest heart which reaches out to anyone and anything. The birds may land and eat her food, she will not chase them. I believe she was a gift from God.

I'm white and tan, so cute... and I blog too!!!

Snoopy is my great companion and comforter. No matter how lousy my day was, she would come greet me at the door with a wagging tail. Even when she had just had her knee operation, she would still limp to me.

Love of friends.

My mates...

I often b*tch about my friends but I still love them. And I know that they have my back. We've stuck through thick and thin, laughter and sorrow. Though some of us are apart now, we're closer than we think we are.
P/S: If you're looking for EV in the pic, she's not there!! LOL!!! Her identity will remain a secret for now.

Great colleagues.

Farewell Dinner with iNavigate people

At Harsha's Engagement

I've met a number of interesting people in my working life. Some pleasant, some aren't but generally everyone is great. I do hope to work with some of them again for I know we were a great and formidable team. Without you guys I don't think we would have been able to win some awards for the company we worked for. I'm proud of you guys!
P/S: I don't have a photos with my current colleagues. I probably should bring the camera out again. So sorry folks...


Enough $$$ to keep me going.
As I said, I'm not rich nor famous. I just have enough in the bank to get me by. I strive not for riches but only to provide a better living for my family. My family and I have been through tough times. We know from that experience that $$ isn't everything. My job is pretty good and I'm contented with my career for now.

Some Talents.
I have some talents though I do not know what it is. Friends have said that I'm too modest with my artwork. Anyway, I do know one talent which I do not have - Blogging. LOL!! Judging from the no-comments and low numbers, my blog pretty much sucks. But it's ok. It's my blog and I know what I want to do with it!!

So, what should we strive for? The pursuit of happiness is a never-ending quest. However, if we stop pursuing it, maybe it will find us?

Besides that, isn't it our duty to bring joy and happiness to another person in this world? There is joy in receiving but there is greater joy in giving.

I'd suppose I should stop and smell the roses. Be grateful for what I have. Sure, i should continue to work hard, enjoy what I do, but I should also start giving to those in need.

We are so blessed. Have you ever stop to count your blessings?

Saggy Skin??

EV READS MY BLOG!!!!

Wow, now that is no surprise.... **Remembers the fiasco**

Anyway, after my last post, she pointed out a particular paragraph where I said something about "sagging skin"...

Yep! It's a lot and I'm doing all I can to lose it! That means a lot of cardio, strength training for upper and lower parts of my body so that I burn more calories and also tone my muscle gradually. The last thing I want to have is sagging skin after losing a lot of weight. To be realistic, I believe if I can lose up to 10kg by the end of the year, it'll be fantastic!!

So, she messaged me...

EV: Sagging skin....
Me: ???
EV: You sure you can lose all that weight? Hahahaa
Me: I think I can kua...

I think I know what she'll ask next..

EV: So... since you might get the sagging skin, maybe you can donate some to me?
Me: (O__o)
Me: Why? You want me to feel your pain as well???
EV: Yeah!! Since I need some skin to graft my burn, and you have extra skin, why not??

I gave it some thought. True, EV may need to undergo skin grafting to reduce her scarring. She's rather worried about her wound now.

Me: How can??? I'm AB bloodtype. I can only donate to same blood type. :D
EV: Eh?? You are AB-ar? Cehh.. Cannot donate to me-la
EV: **cries** How?? How??

Poor EV. She's still in a lot of pain. Her wound is "weeping", i.e. water is seeping through and it is healing slowly. Despite all that, she still has her sense of humour. :-)

It has been 4 weeks since her accident. Please pray for her speedy recovery.

Are You Willing To Eat Dirt To Smell Greener Grass?

I am ruminating...

Yes, it is waaaayyyy past my breakfast and now, I'm ruminating my food and thoughts.

Anyway, I had a "ping" from my friend who is now in Australia on MSN. She never really "pings" me unless it's to ask something. Heck, all of my close buddies tend to do that. I tend to "ping" people to cakap kosong (smalltalk) to pass the time. I digress... as usual... ** roll eyes **

Friend: Hello. How are you?
Me: Hey! Long time no see. I'm ok.
Friend: Want to ask you something.
Me: Sure, wassup?
Friend: You in programming?

Now, I've passed my biz cards so often to these friends and they didn't bother to check it out. My job scope has changed from junior programmer to technical architect in the span of 9yrs. Heck, they don't even know what is MSC. This.. despite them being lawyers and accountants. Don't they read the papers?? Go figure.

Me: Nope. I've moved on.
Friend: What do you do?
Me: I'm in code design and management now.
Friend: Ohh
Me: Why?
Friend: My friend's firm are hiring programmers. Will you be interested?
The company will get the work permit and then you can get visa.
Me: No.
Friend: Why? You want to come over or not?
Me: Yes but not now.
I'm in a project which will take me into mid-2008.
Unlike your job, I can't leave a project mid-way.
Besides, I think I'm technically too old to be a programmer now.
Friend: Ok. It's your choice.
But the longer you wait, the harder it will be.
Me: Why?
Friend: It does not matter whether you're technically young or not.
It's always hard to get the same job level when you move over.
You always almost got to start from scratch again
Me: What???

At this point, I got a pissed off. My friends in Aust have been pestering me to come over for ages now. Sure.. I'm in my early 30's and am still young. However, to compete for a job with people 10 years my junior? I think it's a bit risky, don't you think?

Besides that, my 9yrs experience count for zilch??? WTF?????

I told my friend off saying that in IT it is almost never the same. But she didn't respond. Probably got pissed off with me and went off.

So, I messaged another good friend.

Me: Eh... Ask you something...
IT Friend: yeah
Me: Would you go over to another country to start from programmer level again?
IT Friend: no
Me: My friend said that our experience here count for nothing when we go over
IT Friend: GTH
Me: Yeah.. I went WTF??
IT Friend: Which country is this?
Me: Aust
IT Friend: That place is one ego and screwed up place.
Me: Tell me about it...

I can't blame my friend. He was interviewed by some Aussie company for a high position and they were asking some nonscensical questions regarding software architecture. They even asked him how he got the knowledge. WTF. He was smart to turn down the offer as the package was not good enough. It was enough to just "get by" in Canberra.

So, the question is, would you be willing to eat dirt so that your kids/future kids can get to get better grass? There were many stories about doctors/lawyers having given up their profession just to be char-koay-teow seller in Australia because they could not get a job. As to the reasons why they can't get a job was not revealed, maybe they had a language issue or their certificates were not recognized. Who knows?

I've also heard some success stories from my mom's friend where after going through a migration agent, her daughter's who's an auditor managed to get a better position with one of the big 4 overseas.

My friend got her PR easily on her own, i.e. without the help of the migration agent. When she went over after having about 4 or 5 years experience, she found that it was difficult to get a job, despite having a professional certification in Finance. It seems that her CFA was worth zero dollars.

I'm not saying that if you are going to Aust, you'll won't be able to find a good job. Just that like in any job hunting situation, you have to find what suits your needs and career path plans. With the world being so flat, I believe that people will be searched out for their skills and hopefully, where their experience comes from will not result in ZERO years of experience.

So, what would you do?

I'm Getting There... Slowly...

It has been a while since I've posted something.

Yea, it has been pretty hectic around here. Two things dominate my life now - Work and Exercise.

Notice that "Exercise" is a bigger part of my life now ever since I started working out at the gym. It is a commitment I intend to keep for a long time to come.

Anyway, I have to work out about 3-4 times a week, for about 2 hours per session. That makes it 4 x 2 = 8 hrs per week, i.e. 1 "full" work day. Yep, that's why they call it Working Out.

My friends started to quiz me about why the sudden decision to work out. To them, me + gym do not equate. I was fairly active in my younger days playing basketball and badminton but I was never fit.

I have been fat all my life, other than the fact that I was a small baby at birth.

Anyway, the concerns about my health is what stirred me to go and join a place where I can torture myself or pay someone to help torture myself. Besides that, my little sis plans to get married next year and we can't look so different - She's thin, I'm fat.

One particular friend does not believe in the exercise approach and goes for the softer way of dieting.

Sure, that helps for a while, but once you stop or your meal replacement product goes EOL or Gawd-forbid the Company which makes your meal replacement product goes bust or etc..., you're back to square one. You pack on the pounds and worse still, the effect becomes worse, i.e. you become fatter! Why so? Because you're not making your body burn calories efficiently, you're just "starving" your body to pscyhe it to lose weight. Does that change your metabolic rate?? That answer is no....

How about those slimming places?

I shun such places. I've heard horror stories of such places using techniques and equipments to "melt your fat" but that's what it does only - MELT FAT. If you continue to eat, you'll still add on pounds. Besides that, when you first go to such places, you'll lose your water content first. The harder stage is when you've got fat to burn. That's why these slimming places will wrap you, chuck you in the steam/sauna to make you sweat it all out. After that, they massage you and voila, you'll lose your 10kg or $$ back guarantee.

I've heard otherwise...

One ex-colleague has gone from one slimming place to another, only to find that it is the same process and worse still, some people at these places make fun of you behind your back. Wait until those svelte beauties have 2 kids and hit 40... ** rolls eyes **

I for one, still believe in the straight and narrow path of proper diet and plenty of exercise. If you want good examples or role models, have a look at Demi Moore or Madonna. Both women look hotter than the Lindsay Lohans and Britney Spears now.

So, is the regiment helping? YES!! DEFINITELY!!!

I feel better after just starting 2.5 weeks back. I don't get headaches in the morning, my head is clearer, I have more energy during the day (before I exercise) and I'm starting to feel good about myself. The love handles around my waist has somewhat reduced a little but I've got a long road to go.

How much do I need to lose? 40kg in 1 year's time... (0___o)

Yep! It's a lot and I'm doing all I can to lose it! That means a lot of cardio, strength training for upper and lower parts of my body so that I burn more calories and also tone my muscle gradually. The last thing I want to have is sagging skin after losing a lot of weight. To be realistic, I believe if I can lose up to 10kg by the end of the year, it'll be fantastic!!

With each step I take to intensify my training and now that I'm starting to see that my body is getting stronger, I'm gaining more confidence. Confidence that I will be able to achieve my goal.

There is no greater joy than seeing your fats turn into strong muscle. I do not intend to be super muscular, I think that's for the guys but I do want to look toned and feel strong.

To those of you out there who still trust on the diet thingy, it will help to a certain extent, but nothing will help you keep the pounds off than good 'ol hard work of exercise. That's the honest truth.

Pssstt... If you're wondering how much weight I've lost so far.. I think I've dropped a couple of kg.. Time to celebrate.... with a kiwi fruit! :)

Dog Tired...

Just got back from the gym a couple of hours ago.

I had a lot of energy but after I took my shower and sat down to read my blogs and play with Facebook, I'm now really really tired.

Snoopy likes to dream about chicken... I don't... LOL!!

My workout was about 1.5 hrs today. About 30mins of cardio and about 1hr of strength training.

My bones are aching but I feel good. My head doesn't feel very stuffy and I have more energy now.

However, I've got to watch my right knee as it is starting to hurt. I feel that it is weak. Darn the years of driving automatic transmission cars but we can't help it because of the fxxking jams around KL.

I've been advised to increase my workout from 1hr to 2hrs!! That means I'll spend about nearly a full-working day (if you work 8hrs) at the gym. Whoa..... Intense but it is a worthwhile investment. Basically, I'm envisioning myself being more fit (ala The Secret style-y)

I'm dog-tired... I need to sleep.

Should I Stop Blogging?

A lot of hoo-haa is going on about bloggers being a threat, spreading lies and what-not.

*Sigh*....

Frankly, it is very bad to generalize that all bloggers are out to cause trouble. In fact, some blogs are really helping other people out, for example, the recent Blogathon held for charitable causes.

The US White House Presidential Race is heading towards the Internet as a new medium to disseminate information. They (read politicians) have realize that technologies such as blogs, video-streaming and etc. is here to stay. They have realized that in order to reach the new generation of voters out there, they have to learn to embrace this technology, use it to their advantage and not shun it.

I don't know. This is all getting a bit too ridiculous.

I'll still continue to blog. That's because I like to write about stuff going on in my life - although it's soooo borringggggg....

Besides that, I think I do post some useful stuff too, right? Hehehee.. (^ ^)

Sawadee-ka... Bangkok Hop-Over

I was down in Bangkok again last Thurs night as I had to attend a full day's meeting on Friday.

The company suggested that I go down the night before as my meeting began really early and so, the earliest flight would not be possible.

Anyway, I had to take MAS this time and dreaded the fact that there could be delays.

Boy, was I right! Not only was I made to wait for a full hour at the check-in at KLIA, I was made to wait another full hour in order to get on my flight to Bangkok. When I arrived at the gate, two things struct me.

1. No one was manning the gate. Not even a security/police personnel was in sight.
2. The gate's information was wrong. It stayed wrong until the last minute when I boarded the flight.

BTW, there was no announcement from KLIA about the flight being delayed. I think it was obvious that the flight would be delayed as at the specified boarding time, the plane was not even parked at the gate! *Duhh!!!* (-__-)

Anyway, finally my @ss was on the plane to Bangkok. The staff were courteous and efficient as usual. I had my late lunch/early dinner before arriving. The one thing which irked me was that they informed me that I only had one choice of meal left.

Stewardess: Would you like chicken or beef? However, I'm sorry that the beef has run out. Would you like the chicken?
Me: Errrr.. OK.. -_-"

I'd guess it was standard procedure to inform the traveller that there were other choices but it all ran out. Just that I found it funny 'coz it sounds so "scripted". HeeHee...

When I got to the new Bangkok Airport, I was glad to have reached solid ground.

You see, the weather around M'sia has been very cloudy and rainy lately, hence we have a lot of large rain clouds all over the place. So, where there is cloud, there is turbulence, and where there is turbulence... You get the picture.. You'll be riding a rollercoaster of sorts.

I really take my hat off to the air crew as they were able to balance the food trays and drinks during turbulence. If me, you'll get a free bottle of wine or juice or etc... in your lap or face...

Well, remember I said something about queues and delays at KLIA? I got more of the same thing (with repeat disco-chorus) at Bangkok. I had to wait in line for about an hour just to get through the immigration. Wonder why they were soooo slowwww....

Once I got out, I was so glad to be able to get into the taxi and head towards my hotel - Amari Atrium, where my lovely room greeted me...

It's a lot more modern than the room I got last time. I'd guess because this time I got the business rooms.

The bed was very inviting. I was so tired from all the travelling. After all, I had been travelling since 3:00pm (M'sia time). I managed to reach my hotel after 9pm (Bangkok time) despite touching down by 7pm. (o___0)

All I wanted was a nice shower. And guess what I found again...

Hehehee.. Looks like the yellow ducks I posted in the other site. LOL!! I wonder which serious executive would play with the rubber ducky while taking a bath??

Oh yea... The condoms are still available for purchase... It was neatly hidden away in a drawer next to the fridge. At least it is not conspicuous.

Needless to say, I slept like a pig since I was sooo tired.

Bangkok's skyline was rather interesting. I snapped a quick photo of the skyline from the window. If you look carefully, you'll find that the overhead highway is really really high up, unlike our MRR2, the road is straight... :P

Anyway, although my trip was rather short but it was an interesting trip this round. On my way back to M'sia I was also held up for delays both at immigration and by MAS again. *sigh*

Soon after, I read that MAS had fixed is trying to fix their delay problems... *Doh!!*

Diverted Attention?

I was wondering about the difference between "divert" and "digress".

Looked up dictionary.com and got the following:

Digress (verb)
- to deviate or wander away from the main topic or purpose in speaking or writing; depart from the principal line of argument, plot, study, etc.

Divert (verb)

1.	to turn aside or from a path or course; deflect.

2.	British. to route (traffic) on a detour.

3.	to draw off to a different course, purpose, etc.

4.	to distract from serious occupation; entertain or amuse.

Hence, I chose the title accordingly since I felt that I was being distracted from work. (^ ^)

Anyway, found this little quiz about being either a Mac or PC at Blogthings.

This is my result...

You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy. You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

300 Ab Crunches???

Hmmm... Am feeling very guilty at this moment since I did not go to the gym today as planned. -___-

I was supposed to go for an early session at 6pm but got to work late, had many things to do, hence have to cancel my appointment. -___-

When 7pm came around, I was so freakin' hungry and realized that I forgot to take something at 4pm so that I can go exercise at 7pm. -___-

Anyway, I just had an awful dinner at Genki Sushi, KLCC. I don't think I can ever eat there again.. yuck! -___-

My stomach is acting up for I don't know what freakin' reason. -___-

Yes.. I'm guilty and pissed now.

Anyway, my B2 (Basic 2) training on Saturday evening was pretty ok. I learned a few more techniques on doing some abdominal crunches, a.k.a Ab Crunches. With the right technique, I felt the pull on my abdominal muscles and managed to do 100 reps. My trainer tells me that she had a client who can do 300.

I went... (0____O)

I said, "I think I'm a little bit far from that for now." **smirk**

Trainer: **No response**

Aiya!! *slaps forehead*

Oh well, at least Alvin gave some encouragement about me working out in the gym. Thanks!!

Meanwhile, I'll have to organize my photos a little bit before I post something about my latest trip to Thailand to meet a client last Friday. It should be a little fun.

I missed out on the latest Blogathon but managed to pledge some $$$ to Kelwin before time ran out. We still have 48 hours to pledge. ;-) Do your bit for charity!!!!

Anyway, for more info, visit 5xMom's site. :P

Angie Joins The Gym!!

Finally, I had my first session at the gym.

How do I feel??

GREEEEATTTTTT!!!!!!! (Macam Tony the Tiger from Kellogg's Frosties) My arms feel like it wants to fall out of its sockets and my legs are like jello.

All in all, it was gooodddd.....

Despite being very tired and told a lot of scary things about my health, I'm glad that I took the first step to regaining my health back.

Just to prove that I have joined a gym, I got my card's photo here...

Front-view

Back-view

So, I get to go to all Celebrity Fitness clubs, which is quite cool since I may want to do other stuff after my work-out at the shopping mall. I don't mean just eat, but shop as well.

What are the other benefits besides getting a good work-out? I get some discounts of course! My favourite one which I will utilize a lot would be O'Briens which has a lot of yummy sandwiches!

I've worked out at some other gyms before but they were short-lived as it was far from my home/workplace and it was free, i.e. not many machines to go around. Anyway, the gym was packed and looks like everyone is working out these days.

Anyway, I've been known to start stuff but not complete it. Well, it is time for me to at least achieve 1/2 of my 2007 New Year's Resolutions, right?

To all of you out there who is trying to lose weight and get in shape, there is no shortcut. The only way is to eat right and exercise hard. Good luck! Gambate!!!

Sunday Evening...

My favourite song from Maroon 5 happens to be "Sunday Morning". It is just one of those songs you like to listen to when you're driving on a traffic-free highway on a Sunday morning.

Anyway, I had a number of plans which didn't quite materialize over the weekend and rightfully so, on a Sunday Evening, I feel kind of empty and somewhat guilty.

Hmmmm... I'm a confirmed procrastinator. No matter what plans I may make during the week or night before, if something does come up, I immediately "transform" into a procrastinator. (Kekeke get it? I'm a "procrastinatron".. Ahhh.. too much Transformers lately.. LOL!!)

Anyway, here's the breakdown of my plan for Saturday:

8:00 am - Snoopy comes to bark at my door
8:02 am - Buka mata (open eyes)
8:03 am - Try to sit up and stretch
8:05 am - Slump back to bed
8:15 am - Snoopy comes to bark at my door again
8:16 am - Buka mata ... again
8:17 am - Slump back to bed... again
8:30 am - Snoopy barks frantically at my door
...
...
9:00 am - Wake up & cuci muka, gosok gigi.. etc.. Other hygiene-related stuff
9:30 am - Arrive at Subang Parade to start 1st gym exercise
11:30 am - Finish gym, come home to have shower
12:30 pm - Go out and have lunch with mom at 1U - shopping
3:00 pm - Come back and take a nap.

However, what transpired was....

9:30 am - Wake up
9:31 am - WTF!!!!! I OVERSLEPT!!! SHHHIITTTT!! I'VE GOT A FXXKING HEADACHE!!!
9:32 am - !@#@!$#@!$#!#@!##
10:30 am - Breakfast
10:31 am - Mom asks, "What time you want to go to the gym?"
I answer, "11 something-la.."
11:00 am - Feeding Snoopy
11:30 am - Mom asks, "Aren't you going to the gym?"
I answer, "Let's wait for Dad to come home at 3pm."
"OK"
....
3:00 pm - Raining... Fxxking Raining Heavily...
3:01 pm - "How-la?? Now raining? Want to go or not"
I answer, "Errrr....."
....

10:00 pm - Mom asks, "So, are you going to the gym tomorrow?"
"We'll see"

Anyway, Sunday morning came and we all overslept for the first mass time at 8:30am. I was playing around with my laptop and blog, while my parents went Ga-Ga over the "exciting" British Open Tournament (Golf) on Astro ESPN. Yes, it was so exciting that they were watching the channel in their sleep.

We managed to go for the 11:30am mass and I was very annoyed with a little boy sitting in front of me as he kept eating pretzels and playing with his toys. *Sigh*.. kids these days. He's old enough to read, surely he must be old enough to understand that during the Holy Hour at God's House, one must be quiet? Anyway, I don't blame the kid, I just blame the parents. ** roll eyes **

After mass, we decided to go down to PJ for some yong tau foo but there was a stupid jam on the Federal Highway on a Sunday morning. WTF.

To top it off, it started to rain heavily too!! Yep, thanks to human-induced Global Warming.

Mom asked again, "So, are you going to the gym later?"
I answer, "Yes, when the rain stops."

We got home and decided to wait out the rain a bit. The cool weather had a strange effect on all of us and immediately, we transformed into "sleepatrons"... ZZZZZzzzz....

Even my dog got into the act.

But then again, she's a natural sleep artist. She makes sleeping look so good!

3:00 pm passed. Then 4:00pm... Mom finally woke up and said, "You're not going to gym at all today, right?"

** Silence **

She got me there. I've transformed into the procrastinator that I am. *Sigh*...

All I can say about this weekend was, I managed to get a lot of rest to make up for the late nights which I endured during the normal work week. I hope that it won't be repeated in the following week.

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 home to you
- Maroon 5, "Sunday Morning"

Have a productive week everyone!!

Food Porn!!! (Ingredients For A Good Sarawak Laksa)

This is a delayed photo post as I had been so busy over the past couple of weeks.

Anyway, last weekend, my family got together to have some good Sarawak laksa for lunch. My mom was busy with getting the soup ready, made from good chicken and prawn stock, mixed together with the laksa "oil" which my good friend EV got for me whenever she came down to KL for a torture visit.

So, for a good laksa, you need to have great ingredients ---> Why do I sound like Jamie Oliver wanna-be???

Luscious Prawns...

So, now that you've got great prawns which are poached in stock, peeled and halved, what's next?

Very flavourful shredded chicken

So, the basis of the laksa is made of prawns, shredded chicken, bean sprouts and shredded egg.

The shredded chicken was made by steaming the chicken (with a little bit of salt) and just shredding the meat off the bone. Of course, the leftover bones could be used to boil the stock but my mom was a little rushed for time and so, we didn't put that in.

This time round, we didn't fry any eggs as we felt that we had enough ingredients to go around. However, I beg to differ, having the eggs in my laksa is nice. (^ ^)

To top all of this off, we need a little bit of mint so that it gives a little bit of oomph for the laksa soup.

Minty!! Raw material for chewing gum or mint sweets

Some other laksa stalls in Sarawak would use coriander but Mom decided that mint would be something different.

Of course, no laksa is complete without a squeeze of lime...

Zesty!!

I wish I had taken a picture of what the completed laksa looks like as my camera's battery gave out at the last minute! (~.~)

Anyway, I had a previous post about laksa at another blog site. So, have a look there... ;-)

Meanwhile, I'm just salivating about my next trip to Kuching (God-knows-wehn...) as I miss the food there. *Sigh*.... I've got to take a break from work!!!!!

0207 20.07.2007

Hahaaha.. I'm cutting it close. It is Friday morning, officially and I'm still working at this freakin' hour...

Anyway, thought of putting something up for the 20th of July, 2007 at 2:07am.

Noooo... I did not stay up especially for this, just thought that it would be fun since I'm working my @ss off at this hour.

Oh well, I've had it!! I'm going to catch some Zzzzzzz... Got to stay alert tomorrow for the document review meeting.

Community Service Ads...

It's another late night for me. The "joys" of being a somewhat senior executive in an IT project. (-.^)

Anyway, heard this ad on the radio before?

"Hi, I'm bla bla from the movie bla bla"
"I want to tell you about being kind to animals..."
"bla bla bla.."
"Please be kind to animals and don't wear fur..."

I was like WTF?? WEAR FUR???? IN THIS FREAKIN' "COLD" WEATHER???

Since when is M'sia so "cooollldddd" that we have to wear fur?

Oh yea... I do wear "fur"... Kekeke, if you're referring to my body hair. LOL!!! Hence, am I an animal??

If so, please be kind to me. **bat eyelids**

Frankly, who's the fxxking idiot who wrote that piece of garbage about being kind to animals and fur business as a community message??

If it was that "celebrity" who thought of it on-the-fly, it just goes to show how fxxking "fly-sized" some celebrities brains are. (Oh yea, if you're wondering, I was one of the few sane people who advocated for poor little Paris to spend a few weeks in jail. I can't stand bodoh celebrities)

At least mention helping out the local animal shelter or something... Or, tell kids not to kick the poor dog or cat-la... WTF...

Anyway, this little ad from that radio station irritates the sh*t out of me everytime it is aired.

Another radio ad which irritates the hell out of me is the "We-Shit Visit Malaysia Year" ad which Zewt brought up. Hehehe...

It is coming up to 1:50am. I'm contemplating if I should ditch reviewing the docs which my colleague sent me and just wait until 0207am to post something.

EV's Better Now.. Many Thanks!

I just got an SMS from EV today, informing me that she's better now.

She just got discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon. If you're wondering if she was in the government hospital, she wasn't. She was in a private hospital, where the doctors did not inform her when she could be discharged until she insisted on going home after spending a week there.

After the incident, I believe she's very happy to have had the good care at the hospital especially when I found out that she had 2nd degree burns.. (o_____o)

Hope you're recuperating well!

Our prayers are for your speedy recovery!!!

Late Night/Early Morning Blog??

This is a very late or early blog post.

My brain is frozen now with tiredness and sleepiness. I may be blogging in my sleep. (^^)

Anyway, this is something I've not done in a long time. Staying up late to finish up documents and work. It has been a while.

So, just wondering, what keeps you awake, other than the stress of having to complete your work and submit it on time?

I've tried many techniques, from the time I had to cram for exams back in school, right up to uni.

What is the most effective one so far?

Of late, I've found that classical music works for me. Especially those coming from the Baroque and Classical periods to be pretty effective. So, I've been listening to a lot of Bach and Mozart lately. Classical music from the Romantic period does not cut it for me. I just fall right to sleep. So, sorry, my Chopin CD got to go in the drawer.

Heheh.. Don't even try to suggest opera to me. The high-pitch screams will affect Snoopy and besides, that puts me to sleep straight away. Hehehehe...

Oh yea, don't try to recommend loud music from Linkin Park, et. al as that puts me to sleep too. Kekeekke...

Hmmm.. Besides music, what else? Drinking lots of water so that you have to pee?

Caffeine may not work well with me, since I'm prone to migraines now. I used to take heck of a lot of caffeine back in my uni days. So much so that I probably hug a Coke bottle to sleep too. (^ ^)

**Yawn**.. Time to sleep. It is exactly 3:00am. Hohohoh...

It Was A Quiet Weekend... Some Food Porn Included...

It certainly was a rather quiet weekend since there was nothing much on. My brain was trying to work overtime in trying to complete some technical documents due for discussion on Tuesday.

Progress was a little slow though...

Anyway, I took some time out over the weekend to take some photos, mainly of the lilies growing in my garden. The flowers bloomed and it looked so beautiful. The lilies grew over my dog, Oofy's grave. She was a sweet little dog and I miss her dearly.

Lillies At Night

Since I had nothing to do on a Saturday night, I decided to try those instant-pasta thingies. I had bought one some time back but didn't have the time to try it out. Besides, the recipe called for some low-fat milk which always seem to run out rather quickly at home. (^ ^)

In the end, since I was too lazy to venture out to cari makan with my dog, I decided to cook the San Remo's Alfredo instant pasta with some nice trimmed back bacon fried in olive oil.

Looks yummy ain't it??

Anyway, aside from the fact that I had to work over the weekend, it was pretty good as the weather cleared up and we had a bit of rain to cool the environment.

Lovely...

I decided to also take a close-up shot of the lily in full bloom before it dies a couple of days later in our hot weather.

In Full Bloom...

Hmmmm... I should make it a point to finish my blogs sooner. I'm posting this on a Thursday night when it should have been completed by Monday... LOL!!!