Bottom Of The Pile...
... Is what I'm feeling today :(

1) all our year-end leave has been put on hold until further notice

2) my plan was to leave the company by year-end (provided got good offer), not achieved.

3) no replies from anywhere

4) companies are paying peanuts for my line of work now (below 1.8k)

5) considering a change of line... did try to apply to some new line, but chances are slim cos my qualifications differ.

6) i feel useless

7) i sure studied the wrong course

8) why didn't anyone gimme advice last time

9) i feel angry abt myself

10) sigh...

*Note: Oli feeling hopelessly not in tune with life

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How Can???
Something's wrong... This can't be right... My calendar says... it's 29th November 2004... This can't be right... We're already approaching December??? How can this be??? No No!!! This is a conspiracy I tell you!!! Where has the year gone to??? No, this can't be happening! I'm not ready for the new year yet! I'm still stuck in my lousy job! No No No!!! It can't be end of 2004! No way! How can?!? Someone must've fast forwarded the universal clock! It's a conspiracy I'm telling you! The Americans are behind this!!! They're behind everything!!! HEEEELLLPPPP!!!!!

*Mental note: Reduce sugar intake

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A Big Time Failure
This message is directed to a certain Mr. Fong Chong How who recently filed a claim to sue a matchmaking agency for failing to find him (their client) a life partner. *takes deep breath* WHAT THE FARK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?

1) Fong, who is in his twenties, said one of his main requirement was the girl must be between the ages of 21 to 29. The first girl the agency introduced to him was 20, which was too young for him.

2) The 2nd girl the agency introduced weighed 57 kg, while Fong weighs a mere 54kg. You call 57kg fat??? You mangy son-of-a-biatch! You yourself weigh a mere 54kg, that is helluva light for a grown man, isn't it? I'm telling you, something is seriously wrong with this Fong guy you know. 54kg!!! WTF??? He must be some drug addict like fella to be so scarecrow thin. And he had to nerve to repeated stress the fact the girl is fat in his defence. Pffftttt!

3) He never met the 3rd woman, and rejected the 4th woman cos she's looking for a "professional", which Fong inteprated as "materialistic". Professional doesn't mean materialistic, you dungu-fied doink. It just means the chick's looking for a man with a respectable career (which you probably lack) and stable job. So what she had 10 or 20 boyfriends, it could be now she's looking for a more serious relationship, hence she signed up with the agency, isn't it? Yea, your chances are slim all right. So bloody slim, your chance isn't even there at all the begin with.

There's no need for any other reason to see why Fong is still single. Heck, he's a real pain and pathetic little weasel. I hope he stays single & miserable forever! Go fade into oblivion you moron.

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Random Conversation
Yesterday while having dinner with my bf and a friend, Sgal @ Ming Tien, Tmn Megah...

BF, Oli & Sgal: "bla bla bla...yak yak yak" *waiting for our food*

Girl walks pass our table from behind. She was wearing a tight sporty long pants (g-string underneath) and a casual bag hanging from her left shoulder. BF & Sgal were still talking, but from my angle, I saw the girl from the waist down.

Oli: *turns to BF* "Nice butt..." *I thought they didn't see the girl cos they were both so busy talking, deep in conversation*

BF: "Yea, wearing g-string right?"

Sgal: "The body is oklar... but the face not so ok"

BF: "Yar her face is quite wide you know"

Sgal: "Yar it is... and her face got one small hole wan"

BF: "And her front part a bit small oso"

Oli: "HOLY COW!!! I thought only I saw the girl. Mana tau both of you oredi scan from head to toe! Wahlauweh!!!"

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Internet Relationships
Over the years, I've meet quite a few online friends, some of which I still keep in touch with. When the internet was first introduced in Bolehland, MIRC was a huge hit. People will flock to internet cafes, log into a chatroom and start talking to strangers. During my college years, my friends and I would walk to a nearby cyber cafe and do just that to kill time while waiting for our next class. It was either that or we walk to Sunway Pyramid (which was a few hundred metres away). MIRC got a lot of young people hooked, but I wasn't one of them. In fact, I got kinda bored of it because each time someone new wants to chat with you, the cycle repeats itself: "Hi, asl?" "asl please", "hello, asl please". Boring... I stoppped IRC-ing completely after that.

When I was still undergoing my Multimedia course, I stumbled across another local chatroom (which I will not name here). Since I was so damn free, I joined it for fun. I met a couple of people from there, and these fellas wanted to actually meet me in person. Now I normally have a rule when making online friends: I don't meet. I had always preferred just to have an online chatting relationship you know. But I guess I made a few exceptions. I met a few of them (in public places of course). I guess I've been quite fortunate to have met some really nice people. They do not take advantage of me, they do not piss me off, they respect me and they tease me. One fella thinks I'm a psycho, another says I'm very noisy *grin* Hell, I was this close to starting a relationship with this online guy friend you know... until he chickened out. But that's old stuff lah. And I'm glad that all these years, I've managed to keep in touch with the few people I met from that chatroom :) And they've become pretty close friends too.

I've also been part of an online forum for quite a few months already. There's been ups and downs but everyone's been pretty nice so far. We chat via chat programmes, some have met each other for a few drinks. I know I've been pretty disceet cos I have yet to actually show my face to the forum members (so far only 2 have actually seen me :P). Hopefully I can meet some of them, if the timing is right *smirk*

*This post is dedicated to all my online friends I've met to this date. Especially to Mikey, Say Leong and Andy.

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My Pets

Notice Pai-Kia is reading "The Boob Scoop" on the left... :P His hormones are flaring.



I don't know why, but Tiger enjoys gnawing straws... There's actually some Vitagen in the straw :P I know a lot of men that seem to like to gnaw their straws as well... hmmm...


Hamtaro!


Hush Puppies punya puppy and Chocolate the toy cat (his nose look like Van Houten Chocolate) I have more soft toys, but most of them are stashed in the cupboard :P

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Flashback: My Birthday


These were the bouquet of calla lilies my bf gave me (sent to the office). The pictures on the right shows my flower arrangement skills (or lack of it :P)


These pictures were taken during dinner @ Lemon Garden, Shangri-La, Kuala Lumpur. The food was pretty good, lotsa variety. I had a few helpings of their raw salmon *yum*. The above picture are just some of their desserts. The one of the left is some sort of mini chocolate tiramisu, which was not bad. The other picture was my 2nd helping of dessert: mango pudding in the shot glass, a mini apricot fruit, some sort of pandan flavoured pudding (yucks!) and my favourite... chocolate coated marshmallows and fruits! Just take a satay stick, stick the marshmallows and your choices of fruits (strawberries, grapes, honeydew) and dip the stick into the chocolate fountain. The warm dark chocolate oozing from the top, free flowing down to the bottom. And when you take a bite onto the marshmallow.... ohhhh~~~ heaven :P But dang, missed out on the ice-cream. I didn't know they served ice-cream... and Haagen Daaz too. Dang... :P

*Images taken using the Sony Ericsson T610

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Carrot Milk Phobia
If there's one drink I will totally avoid, it's carrot juice with milk, better know as Carrot Milk. I know it's some healthy drink and that it probably taste ok, but there's no way anyone's is gonna force that drink down my throat! I don't hate the drink... I just don't like the colour of it. Bizarre as it may sound, but the sight of the colour itself turns my stomach and sends shivers down my spine. I relate this "phobia" back to my chilhood days.

I was a sickly child. Had weak lungs and could easily fall sick. I think just about every month, I would visit the clinic at least once. And when you're a kid, doctors usually prescribe antibiotics of the liquid kind. And a lot of times those liquid antibiotics come in shades like orange or white or pink. You know the thick gooey kind and the weird drug smell which makes me puke. Nowadays kids have it easy... Maple syrup flavoured drugs. I had to endure mashed up Panadol mixed with warm water and my mouth forced open by adults. And the taste of Panadol around my mouth.... OMG, I... can... still... taste... it... in... my... mouth... PHOBIA!!! PHOBIA!!!

And the liquid antibiotics... major yucks man! It was bitter and so damn hard to swallow. And the after taste... yucksss... it'll make any kid cry. And since I was a sickly kid, imagine eating doses of antibiotics every month! If it's not orange in colour, it's white. OMG OMG OMG... I dreaded taking my medicine. I hated taking medicine. I still hate taking medicine. When I see my friends or family members order carrot milk, I shudder. And when the glass of carrot milk comes, I just stare at it. The feeling of fear runs through my senses like a bolt of lightning. Don't bother offering me a sip of that carrot milk. The colour... pastel orange... thick and gooey... just... like... antibiotics... NNNOOOOOOO!!!!

Why can't they make maple syrup flavoured drugs during my time? Hell, look what all the atibiotics did to me? I fear carrot milk because of the colour!!! I don't see carrot milk as carrot milk! I see carrot milk as antibiotics!!! You ruined me!!! You ruined this child!!! *runs to the corner and cries*

*Note: I also don't take syrup bandung (red syrup mixed with milk) cos it's pink in colour... just... like... antibiotics... *help* *cries*

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Kids These Days...
You know how kids these days are demanding a hell lot from their parents? Handphones, digital cameras, credit cards, cash, cars. You name it, the kids gotta have it in order to fit in the crowd of hip & happening people. It wasn't like the day when I was growing up. You want something, you goddamn work for it. And most of the time you fork the money out from your own pocket. You don't demand for it. If your parents got you something, you just take it. After all, they presented you with something. what more can you ask for right?

Not these days. Just recently my mum was telling me what happened to a family friend of ours. The father was thinking of getting a 2nd hand car for his eldest son (who's in a nearby college). To the father, a 2nd hand car would be good enough for the son to use to drive around town and get to his classes and such (also the depreciation value is not as much as a brand new model). Problem was, each car model the father suggested, the son shot it down. The reason: Not nice, not good, no style. The father got pretty frustrated. "Who's paying for the petrol? Who's paying for the road tax? Who's paying the installments? You don't even know how to earn money yet, but already being so choosy here!" the father lamented. The Atos, Iswara, Waja... were all shot down. So what do you give a whiny college kid? If a college were to choose, of course they'll go for sleeker models right?

I feel that kids these days have no sense of appreciation and value. Everything just comes easily for them. Wanna buy an expensive handphone model, just get daddy or mummy to slip the plastic. Want that brand new ultra cool digicam? Slip the plastic. A lot of kids these days are so dependant on their parents. And it's partly the parents faults as well because they never educate their kids to appreciate things in the first place. I know many young fellas who are hopelessly dependant on their parents' money. Heck they can't even take a walk down the road to buy groceries. Once at a camera shop, this young boy wanted to get a digital camera. His mother looked at the price tag and asked him "Who's going to pay for the camera?" The boy said "You are!" The mother laughed and proceeded to buy the camera with her plastic.

You see where this is getting at? Kids these days think everything can be settled so easily. Just swipe swipe swipe. No worries about bills and stuff. Parents will handle it, why worry? They worry more about what's the latest trend, what's the latest phone models to get to show off, who's driving what. Kids, get back to reality ok. Not all of you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Stop being brats and learn to appreciate the stuff and people around you. And parents should really teach their kids proper lessons about expenditure and money. Money doesn't grow on trees.

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SMS Errors
Have you ever sent a message via SMS (short message servce) to the wrong recipient? I'm sure we all had that experience before. There you are happily keying in the letters on your mobile phone, press send and wa-lah! You didn't realise you had actually sent the lovey-dovey message to your boss. Oh boy... You scream to yourself "What the f*ck have I done?!?" "Stupid blardy chibai phone!!!" *profanities goes on for several minutes as you whack your empty head* Ok, that was just a sample. It may have not been to your boss, but I'm sure we all had, at one time or another... sent messages via SMS to the wrong people and realised our mistake. Heck some people, after realising their mistake, will even attempt to make friends with the recipient! LOL.

This happened a couple of days back. Some chick sent a lovey-dovey message to some guy's mobile. He had no idea who the gal was. And her message was like some poetry thingy... something about how much she miss the guy and the guy missing her, something about the rain and sky conditions bla bla bla. Probably copied it from some chinese poetry cos her spelling wasn't all that good and she used a lot of SMS abbreviations. So the guy decided to reply via sms, telling her to stop sms-ing (also because the girlfriend is getting mighty jealous and is about the blow some steam - just kidding :P). The chick replied, telling the guy (who she thought was the man of her dreams) to chill out *vomits blood* *sputter sputter* After several attempts to call the chick, she picked up her mobile and answered the call. She was of course, expecting her man on the other line, but to her suprise, turned out to be some other guy. The drama began...

"OH MY GOOOOODDDDD!!! OH MY GOOOOODDDDD!!! OH MY GOOOOODDDDD!!! OH MY GOOOOODDDDD!!!" *SHRIEKS ENDLESSLY* *runs around like a headless chicken* *digs hole to bury self*

Yup, you guessed it. Total embaressment. One of the most malu-fying of all malu-fying of things to happen. You've been sending all the lovey-dovey smses to the wrong guy. And it's not one SMS... it's several SMSes. Non-stop apologize continued, but no hard feelings. So, that should mark the end of the phantom SMSes right? Normally it would be the case cos the sender would be in shambles after finding out all her love messages were sent to some stranger rather than to her lover, and might just comtemplate to putting her head in the toilet and flush non-stop ala Michaelooi style. But being the thick skin chick she was, she sent another SMS *inhales deeply* This time she apologized again, and say she's really sorry about what happened and that she scolded her friend for giving her the wrong number. And she hopes to be friends... Eehhh?

So now we found out a new method of making friends. No longer do we depend on penpals and online chatrooms to find new friends. Simply pick up your mobile, type some message and send it to some random number. Who knows, the recipient could be some filthy rich jackass who owns several fancy cars and might just be your phonemate :P

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Coffee-Shop
On my last post, I blogged about seeing a SPG in a 5-star hotel cafe wearing a really short skirt and if she were to bend down, she will surely expose her "coffee-shop". After I posted that blog, one of my blogger friends asked me why use the term "coffee-shop". He didn't understand what I had meant so I explained it to him.

When I was in primary school, the term "coffee-shop" was used rampantly between us girls (all-girls school). And being stupid kids we were at that innocent age, we didn't quite grasp the idea that as girls, we were suppose to sit properly and cross our legs. You know, to be lady-like. Bah, like we cared at that time. Half the time we were playing catch and chasing each other up and down the stairs. And if we accidently saw some friend's underwear by mistake, we would say "I saw your coffee-shop!" and burst out laughing like a bunch of helium-filled hyenas. That's right folks, "coffee-shop" actually refers to your underwear (or whatever it is you're wearing down there - if any). I don't know if the term "coffee-shop" exist anywhere else besides my school lar. Hehehe :P

Why coffee-shop? Don't ask me, the term was around when I was schooling. And as kids, you don't ask. You're like a sponge, absorbing everything around you... both good and bad. And after you understand the functions on how to use whatever you have absorbed, you spread it around. LOL.

Nowadays the term to use when you see someone accidently exposing her undies is "zhao-kong" in Cantonese. In English, direct translation: Run-light. Are there any other terms I don't know of?

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SPG - Sarong Party Girl
The term SPG originated from Kiasuland Singapore... at least that's what I understand. Kiasu means 'afraid to lose' in Hokkien. In other words, you have to be the best among the rest, can't be 2nd place or whatever. Cream of the crop, top of the world, one and only... you get the picture. We're Bolehland, they're Kiasuland, enough said.

SPGs normally refers to the local girls who only has eyes for mat sallehs a.k.a gwailos. White men. Their main preference is white men, no ahbengs, no ahpeks... you gotta be white. Aside from that, it's best you also drive a really nice fancy car and have a thick wallet to boot. Guarantee SPGs will flock to you like a bunch of bees. SPGs normally speak pretty funny Engrish English *koff koff* *clears throat* They have long hair with permanent blonde streaks or some other weird shade (most of them anyway), wear tight fitting clothes (the shorter the better), superbly high groin kicking heels (gwailos are tall mar) and comes with a 10-inch powdered face. Some of them are slim, while some can be not so slim. Some may have a nice face, while most don't. So it all depends on your luck what type of SPG you can hook. One of the best places to go SPG hunting is downtown at some of the local clubs & bars. Now you know why clubs and bars open near hotels along Jln Sultan Ismail *LOL*

I saw a SPG during dinner yesterday. Tall lanky chinese gal with long hair and legs like they're a mile long. Her dressing was typical ah-lian style: Black frilly lacey top (off-shoulder), a tight and short 2-layer frilly stripe skirt (if she bends over sure expose *coffee-shop) and a pair of white heels. Was she pretty? In Hokkien, people would say "Boh sui" which means, not pretty. Hey, if a guy can tell you that, trust him the gal ain't pretty. Her breasts was flat and she has no butt. Everything flat, flat front, flat behind. The short skirt on her look like a piece of cloth just dangling in the wind. All she got was the height. And hell, even her voice is so *manja type, which probably explained how she managed to snag herself that gwailo. Most of the time, when such girls open their mouths, you can tell their skull is empty. So the mouth's probably good for blowjobs, nothing more. Maybe that's what got the gwailo hooked? *ponders*

SPG: "You know hor... Ai fink the oyster here vely nice lor"

Of course they're nice honey, Mr.Gwailo should have more oysters as well to boost his zinc level and prepare himself for the long night ahead of him *ahem*

Makes me wonder why that gwailo has such a lousy taste. Or maybe that's just for cheap flings. Hehe. Oh, and we saw another gwailo who really resembles Matthew Perry (Chandler from the sitcom Friends). Ekekekeke :P


*coffee-shop : your underwear / panty / thong / g-string / whatever you wear underneath
*manja : malay for pampered

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17th November
Today is an important date for me. Not only is it my birthday *Happy Birthday Oli!*, today also marks our 4th year "anniversary" as a couple :P Happy Anniversary baby! *muacks* Hugs & kisses to you! I love you! *shy shy*

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The Process
Buying a house is never easy. Not only do you have to consider the reputation of the developer, there's the location, the layout, the amenities provided and most importantly, the price tag. So many things to consider. And after you sign on the dotted line, you have to look around for the loan. Another round of consideration and the likes. And the process doesn't stop there. Just before your house is completed, you gotta think about what sort of renovations you wanna do, rite? Is it going to be major or minor? Which rooms to do renovations? What sort of renovations? Which contractor? Which interior design company? Oh my, how mind boggling :P

The empty house is like a canvas. It's up to you to fill it up. How should you start? What concept should you adopt? What style? How about the colours? The composition and the likes? Oh boy *rubs palms in glee* So much to think about. And the money, oh boy, the money involved. It works to set aside a budget before you start anything. That way, you try to get as much things as possible and really stretch your dollar.

We've seen quite a few furniture palces and have fallen head over heels with some really nice stuff. Haven't really bought anythng yet, and fortuntely most furniture shops have the option to keep the items you purchased from them, between 6 months to 1 year max. That's good cos we sure don't have any place to keep them furnitures! AHAKS! Why haven't we made up our minds? Well, being on the consumer side, we wanna look around more before really deciding you know. If, after our hunt, we didn't find anything that can beat our 1st choices, then we'll buy. Stretch our dollar, stretch our dollar.

It's a long process... and it's one we're doing together :D

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My Computer Got Window!
I only heard the last part of the particular radio ad...

Man #1: ... my wife wants curtains for the computer...

Man #2: Eh hello, computers don't need curtains...

Man #1: Eh, my computer got window you know!

I swear if someone comes to me with THAT retort, I will personally knee the guy in the balls (pussy if it's a girl), yank his undies (bra straps for girls), snap it repeatedly, then toss the stupid fool out of the 3rd floor window.

*Note: In case you're wondering, it's a Saturday, eve of Hari Raya, and I'm at work.

*Note: This entry has been corrected. Sorry for the bad spelling guys.

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Oh Boy... *phew*...
Now that I have my own house... It is now MY TURN to think about house renovations and anything that comes along with it. Last time, my dad would handle everything. From finding the contractor to discussing the layout and details to choosing the materials and furnitures, he handled everything. Now, the chance is mine (ours)... and it's a lot harder (challenging) than I expected it to be :P

Don't get me wrong. It's fun to do all the thinking and planning. After all, it is OUR house and of course like every proud house owner, we want our house to look nice and cosy and practical. Not to mention within the budget of course. Money money money... And of course we've had our fair share of minor disagreements on some stuff *hehe* After all, we're two individuals and our likes and personal preferences may differ from one another *wink* But fortunately we've been able to agree on some parts as well.

My partner did mention that he'll leave the colour coordination part to me. Goodie, I get to play with something. After all, I left him to decide on his home theatre system :P I'm happy with a TV and DVD player. Maybe throw in a PlayStation lar. I've some brochures on wall colours and such and have thought of some suitable colour coordinations for each room and space. Although at times I just wish my partner would give me the benefit of the doubt and trust me a bit more when I say this colour and that colour would match. I can understand when he says he can't visualise/imagine the match cos he has to SEE it in order to MATCH. But trust me a bit, baby. I know what I'm doing and I promise won't turn the house into some wild puzzle. I'll try to stay grounded :P

Of course I also use home furnishing magazines as my guide. They have some very useful tips on decorations, colours and etc. Ikea has been pretty helpful too. I would say I'm leaning towards the contemporary & modern style, with a touch of oriental culture. I do have a rough idea on how I would want some parts of the house to look like (visualise Oli, visualise!). I should draw it out and file it huh? In fact, I think I should draw out some of the different angles and indicate where I wanna place the furniture and colour and bla bla bla. We've recently got a quote for the kitchen (this room is probably the one eating a large chunk from our budget), but we're gonna get more quotes before deciding. Quite a head spinner at times *hehe*.

One thing for sure, I hope my dad doesn't insist on giving his bright ideas. He's liable to place lights and mirrors all over the place. Yikes! I love my dad, but really, his sense of design is rather... emm... you get the idea :P

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DeepaRaya Greetings
My greeting to my fellow Muslim & Indian friends out there :)



Happy Holidays y'll!

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Parents & Their Children's Safety
I was on the way to work this morning and something very disturbing caught my attention. We were on the right lane and passing our car was a white Volvo. And at the back seat was a chubby kid sticking his head out the window enjoying the wind in his face. The driver (the father I presume) had one hand on the steering, and the other on the phone. Now can someone tell me what's wrong with the scene?

1) You do not stick your head out the window in a moving car. It's dangerous and a very wreckless thing to do. Even if your excuse is "to feel the wind in my face", unless you want to lose your head, sit in the car properly and wind up all windows.

2) As a parent, you should be setting a good example to your children. When driving, use a hands-free port. Don't attempt to be some superman and multi-task while driving (talking on the phone without a hands-free, sms-sing). Not only are you liable for a hefty fine (if caught), you're endangering the lives of your family members and other drivers on the road. Not only that, you should not allow your kid to stick his/her head out the window when your car is in motion! You never know at what speed are other cars coming from behind you. A speeding motorcyclist could just ram into your kid's head and snap it. Or a lorry could zoom by and WHAM!!! Imagine the gory.

Moral of the story: As a parent, take care of your children's safety when travelling. Ensure they are seated correctly before you start driving. Teach your kid the safety rules when travelling inside a car. Travel safely people.

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I Hate The Weather! Bah!
You read me right. I so hate the weather these days. So gloomy, so wet, so freaking irritating and inconvenient. Everyday it will pour, and the traffic will come to a standstill and everybody will be stuck. People who depend on public transportation (like myself) are force to stay back in the office and gloat. On days like that I wish I had my own car. BAH!

Like today, I was suppose to take the cab back cos my partner would be in KL for some meeting and would be back late. Plus I didn't want to wait in this crummy place and see some people I don't really wanna see. 8 hours is enough for the day. But hell, because of the rain I cannot walk out to the bus stop to catch my cab. And calling the cab via their number proves to be a futile move because when it rains, them cab stations will say "Tadak teksi" - Which translated to "No cab is willing to take you, you mangy vermin! Live the rest of your sick life in the office bitch! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Argh... what am I suppose to do to kill time... sigh... I'm grouchy today.

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Aunty Madness
You know what's really scary? A bunch of aunties hovering over something cheap or on sale. No, I'm not kidding you. Aunties can be really scary creatures people. Especially the housewife aunty type. Why are they scary? Cos they will mob and hog and push you to the ground to get what they want. And their voices are liable to reach a very high decibel *brrrrr*

I mean, why can't they have some decency to treat the rest of the world better? Where's all their manners and politeness? Must they push and push and push just to get that piece of t-shirt on sale? Is this what they're teaching their kids? That it's ok to be rude cos everyone will give way to you? Heck no!

I was walking in a local *pasar malam last week and I caught sight of a make shift stall (the goods were displayed on a mat). A couple of Middle Eastern people were selling pashmeenas for RM 10 each. That's a really good buy for pashmeenas. There were some beaded bags as well. Being curious of the large crowd, I edged closer to get a better look at the goods.

Now I'm quite petite in size and I don't practise the idea of elbowing people just to get a better view (unless I really hate you). So there I was trying to excuse myself to squeeze between the crowds, and you guessed it. Those aunties wouldn't let me! They were just standing around holding up the pashmeenas, picking on the various colours and talking nonstop. I managed to pick one piece up to get a closer look, but there was this aunty beside me making a helluva fuss over the piece she was holding up (and her husband was getting annoyed, who wouldn't?). I dropped the pashmeena and walked on. Fortunately, there were few other similar stall further up front with a much lesser (read: non-violent) crowd.

And then there are times when in the mall (especially during mega sales), all the housewife aunties would sworm in and just grab and grab and grab. It's as if they've just been released from prison and have been deprived from shopping. I don't know, but they are freaky people. And those with loud whiny run-around kids are some of the worst breed of aunties I have seen. Their kid would be running loose like some mad jakun hyperventilating and the aunty screaming her curly hair off waving her jade bracelet and gold rings in the air. If you're gonna let your stupid kid run around chasing each other and risk breaking stuff, I suggest you chain them up in their respective cages before you leave the house. Otherwise use a leash... Pets Wonderland have some on sale.

For more scary aunty housewife stories, click here.

*pasar malam - night market

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Was It A Mistake?
*Note: This entry is entirely my own opinion and does not reflect all the designers out there. If you disgaree with what I say, fine, but do your flaming elsewhere. I'm going through a phase right now.

When I was growing up, I had always loved to draw. I scribbled on all my workbooks and textbooks (much to the dismay of my mum). I loved art classes and always looked forward to it during school. Every year when the teacher asked us what we want to be when we grow up (now I think this question is so f*cking moronic!), I would always fill the papers like so: To be an artist. I had a passion for drawing, so it seemed logical for me to be an artist later in life.

So right after SPM, I applied to various local institutions in hopes that one of them would accept my application, then I can proceed to pursue my education in the art world. From there on, I began to learn what design really is and the world of advertising. We were taught about design, colours, composition and the gurus behind all the famous advertising campaigns. We were drilled that the life as a designer is one cool ride with endless streams of really cool campaigns to do and happening events to get involved in. We would be part of the so-called "elite" people in advertising. We get to rub shoulders with great gurus and creative people. And we would be paid really nice salaries and the steps up the creative ladder would be there for us. We were there.

So, armed with my qualifications and such, I ventured out into the big world of creativity. So full of passion and ideas, I felt I could take on the world. I felt like I could just shout out loud "Bring it on!". Little would I know the journey was unlike what we have perceived to be. I went through numerous interviews, all of which were pathetic. Employers know that I was fresh out of college and were pressing the basic salary offer lower than the supposed market rate. Some even bullied me to the point they said I need a lot of help. Why is this happening? My then-ignorant mind wasn't quite registering that fact that a designer's life is not what I've been told to be during lectures. This is real.

I landed my first job through contacts via my parents (cos I was having trouble finding a job). My first drawn paycheck was a measly RM 800 (before tax deductions). But hey, it was my first job. But I kept looking of course. 3 months later I hopped to a small agency for a slight increase in salary, but that didn't last long as the place was soooooooooooo boring. It didn't felt like an agency was working at all. I went through another round of sad interviews. What is it with employers in the design line? You guys keep pressing the salary until it's just oh-so-f*cking-low! And yea, you keep saying you prefer experienced people, but if you don't give fresh grads a chance, where are you gonna find the "experienced" people you asked for in the first place? I once went for an interview in Amcorp Tower, PJ. After a long interview, the lady nonchalantly informed me that she's actually looking for someone with more experience. When I asked her why did she call me then, knowing from my resume that I have less than a year's experience. She replied "Oh, I just wanted to see what you look like". Well, I told her frankly (and nicely) that she has wasted not only her time but my time as well. I know I shouldn't have said that, but she pissed me off and I don't regret saying that to her at all. I'm stubborn :) I may have been a fresh grad at that time, but I refuse to let people push me around.

After that I quit working full-time and went back to studying. I took up a part-time Multimedia course with a local college at night and was working during part-time the day in some boutique. Working part-time was probably the best working times I had. but that didn't last long cos somehow the girl in charged of us hated my guts (till today I don't know what I did to upset her as we hardly talked. Maybe it's my face *shrugs*). After I completed my multimedia course, I applied to a few dotcom companies (before the dotcom bubble burst) and decided that I should just take the first one that came along. And that's what I did... and met my partner there :)

I'm currently with a local agency now, but am stuck with a dead end job. I no longer have the same passion I had. I'm not on talking terms with my boss anymore due to some reasons. I'm so sick of working on government related projects, which all happen to dead end jobs (repetitions, delays, repetitions and more delays). Some of the projects are more than 3 years old and we're still working on it. Frankly speaking, I feel like a dead fish. I'm looking for opportunities that would allow me to leave of course, but I have yet to get any replies from anyone. I've been thinking a lot of trying other fields, but the lack of experience in other fields are my current barrier now (although I did send my resume in just to try). Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong move to study design. Suddenly I feel as though my choices are so limited. Maybe I should've taken something more general like Mass Comm. I really don't know... Maybe I'm just feeling like this cos of my sick job + sick people.

If you were to ask me what would I have studied if given the chance to turn the clock back... I have no answer for you. Because at that time, design was the only choice I saw. On the positive side of things, had I not taken the path I took, I may not have met my partner. I may not have met a bunch of wonderful ex-colleague whom I still keep in touch with. So was my choice of education a mistake? I don't know. All I know is, next time if my kids tells me that he/she wants to be a designer, I'll sit them down and explain to them what they should know about the design world and perhaps tell them to think twice about other options before deciding.

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Rain Rain Go Away...
The weather's been pretty gloomy over the past couple of weeks. During the day, it's all bright and sunny. Come afternoon & evening, the skies will take a drastic shift of cloud formation and kaboom! It starts to rain cats and dogs, the roads get wet, the grass and wild flowers get life-giving water, puddles start to form on roads and then you'll have some crazy drivers zooming by at top speed splashing mud water all over the sidewalks.

It's not that I don't like the rain. Sometimes I welcome the rain. Not the "horrific thunderstorms with winds up to 100kph and raindrops the size of fifty cents" type of rain. I'm referring the the light rain. Especially when I'm at home and it starts to pour. The temperature will drop, the weather becomes quite chilly and the air smells cleaner than usual. And it's nice to cosy up on the coach with a blanket (or with someone) and have a nice cup of hot beverage. Throw in a good DVD or a book and you've got it made. And have you ever noticed that when it rains, you tend to munch more? I don't know about you guys... but sometimes I just get the urge to munch on stuff. Probably because when your body is feeling cold, you just want to eat more to warm the body up. And if it rains at night, *lagi best. It's so nice to sleep when it rains cos the weather's just so perfect to sleep in, just huddle between the comforter and bed sheets and your many pillows.

And then there are times when I don't like the rain. Especially on days when I'm feeling under the weather and just feeling oh-so-*sien with everything and everybody. On days like that my mood can take a drastic turn. Minor minor stuffs can easily tick me off. Productivity level will hit an all-time low and I couldn't give a damn about anything and everything at all. And if people I don't like start to ask me stupid questions... No, I won't shout at them, I'll just be sarcastic to them. Example: "You've been here 2 years and you still don't know how to transfer files from the public server into your workstation!!! You are hopeless!!!" It's at times like this I want people to leave me alone. Maybe I should do a tag and hang it around my neck...

On another note, my company management is organising their annual buka puasa-cum-annual dinner next week. I'm not attending it. It's my weekly sports day.

*lagi best - malay term which means even better
*sien - means boring

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Part 2: Home Loan Guides For First Timers
In Part 1, I listed down some tips on house buying and where to start. In Part 2, I shall be talking about home loans and what to look for in a home loan .

1) Decide how much loan you plan to take. Local banks sometimes offer up to 100% housing loans. Some even offer up to 110%, 10% for your renovations (if any). International banks however only offer up to 80%.

2) Some housing projects would only allow their list of end-financers so be sure to check with the developer whether or not you can get use other banks as your end-financer.

3) Study the housing loan offered by the banks. Often you might be taken in by the 1st two years low interest rates. Study the terms & conditions properly. Understand that the 3rd year and thereafter interest rates is what you should be looking at. The first two years interest rates are relatively low, while the 3rd year and thereafter rate would be decided by BLR (base lending rate, fixed by Bank Negara) plus bank's rate. BLR rates fluctuates depending on the economy. The current BLR rate is 6% (Year 2004). Remember, no doubt the first two years interest rate is very low, but housing loans are long term ( > 10 years) so you should be looking at the 3rd year and thereafter rate as well.

4) Banks are not the only ones which offer housing loans today. Some insurance companies also offer housing loans at competitive rates. Study the rates offered by them (a lot of times their terms & conditions are the same as banks). Some loans offered by insurance companies are only extended to completed properties and not for properties under construction. Check with your developer if they allow you to get your housing loan from insurance companies.

5) Do you prefer a fluctuating housing loan rate, or would you prefer a fixed rate? A fluctuating housing loan means you opt for a housing loan with BLR (read point No.3). A fixed housing loan rate means you opt for a fixed rate (i.e: 6% for the duration of your loan period). This means that even if the BLR goes up or down, your housing loan interest remains at the fixed interest which you signed up for.

6) Talk to a bank representative / insurance representative should you decide on their housing loan services. Ask about anything you want to understand further about the housing loan. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't let the agents psych you into thinking their loan is the best. You should go for a loan that suits your financial needs, not what other people think is best for you. Ultimately, you're the one footing the monthly payments so make sure you study all the details properly before deciding.

7) Upon deciding on your home loan, some agents would ask you to consider getting the MRTA as well. MRTA stands for "Mortage Reducing Term Assurance". If you've bought a house and want to insure the outstanding loan amount against *touch wood* death and/or total permanent disability, you might consider taking the MRTA up as a form of backup plan. Usually the MRTA is taken up concurrently with your housing loan plan and is a one-time payment.

8) Once you have chosen your choice of bank to finance your property, be sure to follow up with your paperwork. For properties under construction, the developer would issue their progressive billing based on the status of the project (1st 10%, 2nd 10%... etc). The developer would mail you the billing statement and will state down what has been completed, how much is the payment plus due date. At the same time, that statement would be sent to the end-financer you chose, so that they can process the statement and release the money to the developer. Often, the end-financers take a long time to release the progressive loan amount and the loan is released past the due date. In this case, as the buyer of the property, you have to absord the fine/penalty for the late payment, eventhough the fault lies with the end-financer (its suck I know). So be sure to always check with both sides (developer & end-financer) and try to avoid any possible penalties.

9) Your montly installment is calculated based on the loan amount, the loan package you chose and your loan tenure period. If along the way, you have some extra money and wish to make a prepayment (meaning you want to top-up on your monthly installment), be sure to check with the end-financer what sort of procedure is involved to make prepayments. You might be required to inform the end-financer first hand before making your prepayment . Most end-financers would penalise you for making prepayments and rates differ from bank to bank so do check with your end-financer regarding this matter.

10) Documents needed for home loan applications:

- Copy of Identity Card
- Latest 1 year income tax Form J/EA
- Latest 3 months pay slip/Letter of confirmation from employer

If self employed:
- Business Registration/Form 24 & 49
- Latest 6 months current account statements

11) Your monthly installment should be about 1/3 of your monthly income. When applying for your home loan, be sure to check how much the calculated monthly installment would be to ensure that it's within your salary means. You can get the end-financer to assist you.


For more information regarding home loans, click on the links below:
http://www.rhbbank.com.my/ - RHB Bank Berhad

http://www.rhbbank.com.my/calculators/home_loan.shtm - RHB Home Loan Calculator: Calculate your monthly installments and view how much principle/interest you're paying (all figures are an estimate value only)

http://www.aia.com.my/insurancecenter/products_hloan.html - AIA Home Loan Packages


*Note 1: The above links are as referrels for information only. I do not work for them nor am I advertising for them.

*Note 2: I don't represent any developers or financial institutions. Part 1 & 2 blog entries are mainly on my personal experience on house buying and getting a house loan and I just wanted to share some tips which I've learnt along the way with first time house buyers. Often as first time buyers, we're so blur and confused about buying property & the process, many times we might make a mistake and buy the wrong type of property / home loan. If ever in doubt, consult the professionals and experienced house buyers (friends or family).

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Part 1: House Buying Guide For First Timers
My other half and I made a big decision to purchase our own house a couple of years back. And in a couple of months, the keys to our new home would be handed over to us. This is our first home and of course, and as first time house buyers, we are very excited about the handover. We have a place we can call our home, our property, our own space. The journey has been quite educational, as along the way, we learnt about house buying, the rules and regulations to getting a property, as well as the steps involved when getting a house loan and such. I would like to compile some stuff and share with you and hope that other first time house buyers (like ourselves) can benefit from the list below:

1) When you decide to buy a house, ask yourself what is your budget and what type of house design do you like: semi-D, bungalow, single storey, double storey terrace, condo, apartment.

2) Decide if you want to buy something near town or away from town. Bear in mind that the location of the property will greatly affect the price of the property now & in the future: Near / in town itself, prices would be much higher. If away from town (20 minutes drive or so via highway), prices would be lesser.

3) It is always advisable to purchase a property with good accessibility. Even if you do decide to buy further from town areas, it is best to have good access via the highways / main roads. Certain developers would build a connecting road(s) to increase accessibility into their property projects to ease the traffic. Always check with the developer where about their projects are and check with them about the roads and accessibility.

4) Always shop around. Flip through the newspapers for a list of properties. Friday StarTwo& Saturday Weekender (The Star) has a host of properties to choose from. Go to show units to get a better look at the layout of the house plans. When you're there, always speak to someone from the developer side to get more information regarding the property. Don't be afraid to ask. Get all the brochures and floor plans you need and slowly look through the details.

5) Study the house plan properly. Is the layout good? How big is the unit? Are there other size options to choose from? What sort of amenities would be provided in the project? There are just some of the questions you can ask the developers.

6) Do your homework. Check the developer background and their reliability. It's always a good idea to see what sort of projects the developer has been involved in previously and their quality of work. The last thing you need is a "run-away developer" (one that runs before completing a project). Always make sure that the chosen developer uses good quality materials for the project and that they are reliable and can deliver the project on time. Any delays or setback from the developer side would result in you (the buyer) absorbing the progressive interest from the bank. Be sure that the developer compensates for the delay. Most housing projects take about 24 months to complete. Condo/apartment projects however, take about 36 months to complete.

7) Some developers offer rebates to attract potential house buyers. Some even offer a stamp duty waiver, which can help house buyers save a few thousand ringgit. Be sure you understand the terms and conditions before signing on the dotted line.

8) In some property projects, the developer will have an option of material upgrade (i.e: Upgrade your tiles, power points, TNB power supplies from 1-horse to 3-horse etc). There are additional upgrades and are additional costs to the initial property price. Be sure you understand what the upgrade is about and the additional charges that apply.

9) Some units may be more expensive than some, reason being the more expensive unit maybe have a better view / location from the others. In condos for example, the higher the floor, the more expensive the condo units are. Units facing the pool / golf courses / KL city skyline typically cost more than others. Units on "auspicious" floors like 8th and 18th are much more expensive as well (these units are usually the first units to be booked or reserved)

10) There's always a debate on "freehold" and "leasehold". Freehold properties generally cost more than leasehold properties. Once you completed all your payament, the property is yours. Leasehold properties generally have a lease of 99 years (depending on the remaining term). After the lease expires, the government can choose to take back the land or renew the lease.

11) Don't be pressured into buying a house just because your family, relatives or friends are urging you to get one. Buying a house requires a lot of detailed planning and it's a long term process (not to mention money). Always be sure about your financial status and work out a budget. Don't get a house way beyond your means and find that you can't afford to pay the installments / progressive interests later.

For more information, click on the links below.
http://star-space.com/ - Star Online's property page
http://www.rehda.com/ - Real Estate & Housing Development Association
http://www.hba.org.my/ - National House Buyers Association

I will blog about shopping for housing loans next. Stay tuned.

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