Sway... Sway...
It was close to 0000 hrs. I was just falling asleep when suddenly, I felt my bed rocking. It was a strong rock, just a gentle sway. I thought I was imagining at first, and thought perhaps hubby was shaking the bed (you know how men are when they sleep, very lan-fun).

I looked at him and saw him sleeping soundly, so I dismissed the swaying. But the swaying didn't stop wor. I felt my bed just swaying and swaying... I felt like I was on a sampan out at sea o_O Again I looked at hubby, no reaction. I checked his bed, lie down on it and I felt the same swaying sensation. Am I imagining things?

I tried to tell myself it's in my mind lar, go back to sleep. Then suddenly I heard my dad shouting outside (he was watching tv in the living room). I heard his shouting and banging on my door. I heard his say the word "Earthquake!" and I knew I wasn't the only one feeling the weird swaying sensation.

I rushed out of the room and my dad was just hysterical. He kept saying "Earthquake! That was an earthquake!" and pointed at the chinese lantern hanging on my balcony, telling us he saw the lantern move from side to side. And the chair he was sitting on, just gently rocking.

My dad rushed out to see if any of our neighbours also felt the movements. Sure enough, we were not alone. Many tenants were already on the way down to the guardhouse. I ran into my room to grab my bra and quickly put it on (I don't want my breasts to be ogled by anyone at such an hour, eventhough there's nothing much to ogle at). Hubby was up by then and asking me what happened with a blur face. I told him we could've just experienced an earthquake.

I quickly called a friend of mine who's working in The Star about this. I also called a few other friends and asked if they experienced anything smiliar. Many of them said "Yes, we felt tremors too!". A large crowd had gathered at the guardhouse, everyone in their plain t-shirts and shorts, some in pyjamas (like yours truly). Didn't see any ladies with teteks showing though (shucks).

I went online and googled about the tremors. First stop was PetalingStreet.org and true enough, bloggers were already at hand with the news. Several parts of the West Coast also felt tremors. An earthquake had struck just of the west coast of Sumatra again, this time a magnitude of 8.5. CNN also confirmed the earthquake reports and tsunami warning was issued.

At the time of this blog, Indonesian officials said the death toll at the nearby islands where the earthquake originated from is still rising.

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Tremors
Tremors were felt in parts of KL and PJ. Stay tuned.

Update: An earthquake rocked Northern Sumatra. It is estimated that the earthquake is approximately 8.2 on the Ricther scale. Click here for more information.

Tremors were felt is many parts of the Peninsular. KL, PJ, parts of Subang Jaya, Taman Desa, Old Klang Road, even Penang felt tremors lasting up to 1 minute or more. CNN has just comfirmed that the earthquake is from Northern Sumatra and is a big one too: 8.2.

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

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Ching Ming
Ching Ming festival is about a week away. Many people will be taking the weekend off and make their way to their ancestral burial plots for some spring cleaning and worshipping. Today's newspaper wrote some stuff about extravagant burial plots and the details that went into it. Stuff like carving nine dragons, use of granite on tombs and huge marble walls with intricate carvings of deities as backdrops. The final resting place of one should be carefully planned, with location, feng shui, birth dates and the surrounding areas taken into account. Hey, you may be dead but that doesn't mean you can't be buried with class and style ;) Even the dead needs to feel pampered.

The memorial parks are big business these days. Like many would say, the dead don't talk... which means they can't object. Memorial parks are the modern way to go these days. It is no longer seen as a place of gloom and sadness. Nowadays memorial parks have lovely landscapes, beautiful flowers and shrubs lining the walkways and fantastic water features. Talk about a good business sense. Sometimes I think even the living don't live that luxuriously :P

As a chinese, we always believe that we should treat our ancestors with utmost respect. After all, if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be walking this earth today. So memorial parks came along as a way for us to show our gratitude. If we couldn't give our ancestors the good stuff when they were alive, now's the chance to redeem that favour: Pick a good plot with good feng shui, do it up nicely (more $$$ more gaya) and hope their after life would be a good one.

Of course memorial parks don't come cheap. The package could cost between several thousand ringgit to millions! Hey, if you can afford it why not, right? After all, if you've been living the life of luxury when you're alive, what's to stop you from living the same luxury when you're dead? If you can afford it, splurge it they say.

Me? Well, I'm ok with the idea of memorial parks. It's a good service really, eventhough it'll cost the living an arm and a leg. Though I much prefer to have my internal organs donated first, then just pure cremation would do. No need for feng shui lands and marble walls. For me, when you're dead, you're dead. Didn't matter if it were the land or the sea. Just don't scatter me off Port Klang. At least choose some nice beach of the east coast lah XD

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A Short Hiatus
Sorry about my sudden absence. I have some issues to settle, hence I haven't been able to blog regularly. Please accept my humble apologize. I just need to settle some personal stuff right now, so not really in the right frame of mind to do anything else. Rest assured the HamuSter will be back :)

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The "Requirements" Factor
Most people have some sort of requirements when searching for their partners. I'm here to talk about what girls seek in their man. I remember during high school, I remember hearing girls gathering in groups and talking about boys and what they want/seek in a man. Many would say they want someone who has some form of good looks, preferably with a nice looking wallet, etc. And when I came to college, I heard the same stuff again. Most of my girlfriends actually listed down what sort of requirements the guy should fulfill in order to spark some interest from them (the girls). The list goes like must have decent look, must have money, preferably with a car, etc etc. You know the story lah.

Me? I've never really made any kind of list about anything. I don't know about the other girls, but for me... I feel if you judge people, people will judge you as well. I guess deep down inside, you just now if the guy you're with is your type or not. I don't see it necessary to actually write down the requirements a guy should fulfill in order to be your partner. I mean, you may seek a guy with such and such requirements. The guy could also be making his own list and is seeking such and such, right? And what happens if you fall for someone who doesn't fulfill any of your requirements? What next? It can happen...

I think making a list is quite superficial, because at the end of the day, it's up to chemistry between the two people. Everyone wants a perfect mate. Everyone wants a perfect partner with a perfect life. But we all know there's no such thing as anything perfect. The closest thing we can get is a "compatible" relationship. Lotsa understanding, lotsa care, lotsa sharing and proper communication. Being compatible is more important that being perfect. Because even perfection has its flaw :)

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My Trusty 8250

Meet my companion, my Nokia 8250 a.k.a Butterfly. It's been with me since Dec 2002 and it's my 2nd mobile phone. My very 1st mobile phone was the PCN model 5310, the one with the solid body and antenna. I remember buying the first phone. It was quite a costly affair at that time. I had started working not too long ago and felt I needed a mobile phone. That was in 1999 and phones then were quite expensive. I opted for a prepaid package, that also the SIM card and phone cost me close to 1 grand *phew*. Yes, it was THAT expensive to get a mobile phone. And if you wanted a dual band phone, it'll cost you even more.

But of course over the years, as the increase for mobile phone rises, the prices soon dropped. But I was never really one to constantly switch mobile phones. I was pretty happy with my then 5310. Pretty solid phone (I accidently dropped it a few times before :P), friendly functions, the works. Even when phone makers were coming out with even more canggih-fied phones, I didn't rush out to get the latest models. I was what you call... "Phone Loyal" XD

When Nokia first introduced the Nokia 8250 "Butterfly" into the market in 2000, I was awed by the beauty and sleek design of the phone. It was gorgeous! But the price tag put me off... close to 1.5K when first launched. Eek! I couldn't afford that price tag. So I told myself to be patient, wait for the price to drop. Nokia came out with many other models soon after, but the 8250 remained my favourite.

One day back in 2002, my dad said he wanted to take my 5310 and give it to one of his staff. Huh??? You take my phone away from me, and ask me to go get a new phone? My dad gave me his laubeh Ericsson model, but aiyo, it was so damn big & heavy. I decided then to get my beloved Nokia 8250. Since hubby's (then bf) brother operates a mobile phone shop back in Sg Petani, hubby gave a call, ordered my Nokia 8250 and had it delivered to my house in a matter of days. I finally got my gorgeous Butterfly! By then the price for the phone was down to like RM 800. The wait was worth it. My 8250...

It's been 3 years since I started using the 8250. I still have no intentions of switching to another phone yet. I know there are many even better models now, especially with the burst of colour screens, polyphonic ring tones, cameras and etc. I still like my phone. So it's a little out of date and it's monotone and it's playing a Smurf tune :P It has no camera, no GPS, no WAP... but I don't care. I'm sentimental... hyuk hyuk!

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A Guy's Dilemma
Ok, I'm too damn free! LMAO!!! I was reading the papers this morning and came across the dilemma section. A huge word splashed across the Youth section on Page 19 (go find it). The line reads "Difficult Girlfriend". At first I thought it's one of those sob stories about some guy having problems with his gal... maybe girl is bored or girl is seeing someone else yada yada yada. But dunno what made me so *keypoh, I went and read that article. OMFG! I AM SO FREE!!! Hyuk! Very long post ok.

To summarise the article, Tony is having major problems with his beau. Their 5-year relationship is going down, with constant arguments and the girl finding faults at Tony. Now Tony has a regular job and since his father passed away, he has taken the responsibility to care for his family. Now the girl is always complaining Tony doesn't have time for her, and puts his family first before her. Tony picks the girl and sister from their house is some far-off land, and sends them back each day, and he absorbs all the cost alone. The commute is taking a major toll on his wallet and physic. The girlfriend even got herself into trouble when purchasing a car and Tony came to her rescue. But instead of being grateful, she claims Tony should've been more of a man and turn to muscles instead of just plain negotiation to settle the problem. She's also complaining that Tony always has no money. When they go out, Tony foots for everything. Tony does not wish to end the relationship because he truly loves her and she is his inspiration. But the constant hot temper & finger pointing he's getting way too much for his to bear and he needs help.

To Tony, this is my reply:

1) Your gal and sis are obviously treating you like a floor mat. They're climbing all over you and you know it. You've been nice enough to fetch them to and fro from their house and absorb all the expenditures, and yet your girl is complaining you have no money/don't spend time with her. If the sisters were really nice people, they would've offered to share the travelling cost and not depend on you. You've being taken like their full-time driver. Wake up! You are being used to the max. Explain to them that the cost is a problem for you and get them to share the cost with you. If they think you're being calculative, well... that explains their intentions. They're just using you as a free ride.

2) Your girl complains you don't spend enough time for her. She keeps saying you put your family first before her. Such words coming from such a selfish girl. She obviously does not want to understand your family background and choose to see herself as "the one and only important person" in your life. She obviously has no respect for you or your family to say such things to you. No one should but their partner in such a situation: to choose between family and partner. For a partner to compare like such, it only goes to show how shallow and self centered they are.

3) I think you did a great job in getting the car out from the would-be cheating dealer. Instead of flexing muscles, you made is possible by fair negotiations. Your girl on the other hand, thinks you're a mouse by not beating the guy up. Firstly, she got herself into so much of problems by being a smartass and not doing enough homework when purchasing a car. And when you tried to help her, she accuses you of being some hopeless softy. She complains you don't act like a man and always have no money. Does that mean to be a man, a guy must turn to violence? Does it mean to be a man, one must club a person's head and draw blood?

4) "Tell your mum she can have her son back." - Tsk, such words coming from such selfish lips. Refer to #2.

5) There's nothing wrong with being prudent. It's bad enough you absorb all the cost when the both of you go out. And she's still complaining you don't have money. Frankly, just because you're a girl doesn't mean you should get the guy to foot for everything. Is your girlfriend working? Cos if she's a working person, she should pay for her share and not fully depend on you financially. She's draining your wallet and she's still complaining you're not giving her enough.

6) A person can only take so much of yelling and scolding. We all have limits and when we reach the limit, we need to find the rot of the problem and fix it before we get into deeper stress. You have obviously found the root of your problem: Your girlfriend. She's not happy that you spent time with your family. She's not happy that you're always being prudent in your spending. She's not happy that you're soft spoken and sensible.

My advice to Tony: Dump the bitch. You don't need such treatment from anyone, especially from a girlfriend. You're 23, you've got a great job and is a person with responsibility. You're better off without such whiners on your back. Your girl is selfish, rude and has no respect for you or your family. 5-years is a long time, but imagine another 5-years of insults and rude remarks from her... and another 5-years... and another... Can you bear with it? You may love her, but it's obvious that love is fading. You should not tolerate such attitude from anyone. Make the pain short, end the relationship now. Because if you don't, I'm guessing she will. Good luck.

Oli very bored today :P Hehehehe...

*keypoh : nosy

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Weird Conversation
I received an email from a company in Petaling Jaya where I had sent my resume to, and they requested that I call them to make arrangements for an interview appointment. They gave me their contact and person to speak to, Ms N. So this morning I picked up the phone and dialled their number...

Phone rings... *toot* *toot* *toot* *ask for Ms N* *listens to the PABX machine melody*

Girl: "Hello?"

Oli: "Can I speak to Ms N?"

Ms N: "Yar???"

Oli: "Ms N, I received an email from your organisation to contact you and make arrangements for an interview."

Ms N: "Yar???"

Strange, I thought, Why does she sound so blur? Maybe she hadn't had her coffee *shrugs*

Oli: "I received the email from Mr A..."

Ms N: "Yar???"

Ok, to me it sounded as though she was unsure of what's happening, she can't say more than one word and the word cannot have more than one syllable in it.

Oli: "So what time would be convenient for me to come?"

Ms N: "Five???"

Oli: "Can I request to come earlier?"

Ms N: "No???"

Oli: "Ok then, five it is. Thank you."

*click* She puts down the phone...

What a weird lady. I wonder what else in the company is weird. Maybe it's a culture in there to speak with words no more than one syllable? Even an answering machine can speak better than her. LOL

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An Ode To My Bed
My bed, My bed,
My precious bed,
The softness of your touch,
Relaxes my soul, takes away the crunch.

My bed, My bed,
My precious bed,
Linen or cotton fabrics,
You cure anything that makes me tick.

My bed, My bed,
My precious bed,
When I'm happy or when I'm sad,
Your soft sheets embraces me even when I'm bad.

My bed, My bed,
My precious bed,
How I love thee, words cannot say,
It's a Slumberland! people would say.

*Note: This is not a free advertisement promoting Slumberland beds :P

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'A' Is The Preferred Alphabet
This morning, splashed across the front page of The Star, 3 bright students, the cream of the crop, the best of the best, one even broke the national record of scoring the most distinctions in the country. Wah, glamour glamour. Boleh masuk Malaysian Book of Records.

The last time we had 16As, this year we have 17As. Next year should we be expecting 18As? It's such a shame to see the education system focusing so much on alphabets alone. It's like saying if you don't score 'A's, you'll get no where in life. 'A's will form your lifeline, 'A's will guarantee you a good future, hit the books and just score. I never agreed with the education system here. We're not given the chance to express ourselves. Everything is direct from the books. The education systems focuses so much on scoring distinctions, they have totally neglected to nourish the young minds properly. More homework, more extra classes, more exams, more tuition. What do we get at the end of the day? A bunch of lifeless robots programmed to hit the books because that's the only thing they know. So sad...

Of course not all students are like that. Some are very athletic and active in co-curicular activities. Scoring high distinctions in our local exam papers does not mean one is brilliant. Sure it can help you secure a good scholarship, but when you hit the job market it's a completely different ball game. Have you ever heard employers asking to see your SPM/PMR/UPSR results? Haha! I'm not saying you should completely fail your exams either. But do not have the mentality that says high distinctions is equivalent to a high ranking job. Real life doesn't work that way.

*Note: I'm merely questioning the education system in our country. The system is such we are spoonfed with information, but we do not know how to process and express ideas. The education is in such a way they only recognise distinctions rather than bright ideas, hence the younger minds will have less of chance to really explore and try new things.

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Car On Fire!
Yesterday morning while on the way to 1Utama (coming from Centrepoint direction), hubby and I saw thick black smoke coming from something burning up front. At first we though that perhaps some bush caught fire due the the dry spells, or maybe even open burning. But as we drove closer, the smoke was coming from a car! Beside our car was a bus that has just made it's way next to us after crossing some traffic lights. Several cars from both direcions stopped up front and just watch the flames engulf the entire car.

The first thing that came to my mind was "Was anyone trapped in the car?". By the looks of it, there was no one in the car *phew* Also, opposite the road I saw a man standing with a Bandar Utama security guard watching the inferno. Hubby said the fire is only burning the front oprtion of the car, and it's only a matter of time before the fire reaches the petrol tank. "Where is the police? Did anyone call them?" I exclaimed. Just as I turned, a police car drove to the scene and stopped and I saw an officer stepping out of the car. "Ok, the police is here... But where's the *BOMBA?" We didn't stop very long to watch the burning car, too many people were stopping anyway and I wasn't about to watch the car explode. Oh, and the car's umber plate starts with the alphabet P (Penang plate). So we continued our journey to 1Utama.

We left the mall at about 4.30pm. I thought by now the wreck should be cleared and everything back to normal. To our dismay, the burnt wreck was still lying on the road! The exact spot where it was burning in the morning! The surrounding road divider and grass was black, but hell the car was still lying on the road! Why didn't the authorities clear the wreck when they put out the fire?!? Do you realise the danger the wreck pose to other motorists? Plus that spot is actually a very sharp corner and roads in Malaysia are dimly litted at night. An unsuspecting car going fast may not see the wreck and just smash into it!

I hope by now the wreck has been towed away. What were the authorities thinking? Oh, leave it here lah. Nak my business anymore. Tak kisah!

*BOMBA : fire brigade

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The Swingers Lifestyle
*Note : This entry is entirely my own opinion and does not reflect the general masses.

Ever heard of the term "Swingers"? Apparently it's a lifestyle in the US where married couples go to some club or dinner party and end up swapping partners. Yea, it's like a spouse exchange programme. We go dancing, we have some nice food, we check out each other's partners, I get your husband, you get my wife, we all get sexual for a while and swap partners after that. Wah-lah! And sometimes the process can involve more than 2 people. There can be threesome, foursome, even groupsome (if there's such a word. Haha!) Hey, don't look at me with that strange expression. I got this topic from watching Oprah :P *points at Oprah* *victim mentality in action*

The couples that came to her show to confess their secret lifestyle seem to believe that by being swingers, they can actually become better life partners to one another. They claim their sex life has been sooooooooo much better as compared to not being a swinger, and there's no guilt involved, no strings attached. Oprah was unconvinced by any of their tales (it was apparent on her WTF?!? expression). I find it quite disturbing to hear these people standing up to their stories and actually trying to convince the world and each other, that what they're doing is actually quite normal. Do they see it as a form a infidelity? The swinging couples don't seem to think so. "We're aware of each other's actions... No strings attached... No jealousy involved... I still love him/her very much... Being a swinger has improved our sex life so much!" are just some of the stuff the swingers said during the show. Oprah was appalled... so was I.

Call me old fashioned, but whatever happened to "holy matrimony"? It's bad enough we have people going around cheating on their spouses and switching partners like they're changing panties, and now these people are convinced that being swingers can actually help to improve their marriage lives? And to think these participants actually enjoy the ritual... Whoop! De-ja-vu! Hieros Gamos! From The Da Vinci Code. Sacred union. But wait, Hieros Gamos is a sacred, religious ritual, clearly not what these swingers are trying to project. There's nothing sacred about switching partners and openly sleeping with another person. In fact, it is an insult to the institution of marriage, wouldn't it? Being faithful to our spouse, emotionally, physically, mentally, now that is sacred.

Swingers or not, couples who sign on the dotted line fuse together a union of trust, love, care and friendship. Such "swinging" practises should be prohibited as it only promotes loose morals and negative influences. It's bad enough to curb the rising number of STDs among the young and the divorce cases among the married. Now we have swingers who claim sleeping with other married people is only natural to improve one's married life. Whether emotions are involved or not, or whether one party is aware of what the other party is up to, infidelity is still infidelity. If you don't have respect for other people, at least have some respect for yourself.

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Victim Mentality
I think I'm suffering from "Victim Mentality"... a situation whereby things go totally wrong with a person, he/she ends up pointing the fingers at external factors other than themselves. My situation may not be that serious lah, but I think I am suffering a wee bit on this mentality disease.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my situation and what came to mind was there must be something I'm doing not right about everything. And then I read an article from a female mag saying something about "victim mentality". And it hit me... I could be suffering from this. May not be serious, but I do show some tell-tale signs of such a syndrome. It's hard to admit your weaknesses, especially for me since I can be quite a pig head at times (I'm such a stubborn horse! Gawd slap me!) I think I have a tendency to sometimes blame external factors for my short coming, without fully realising that the situation is actually due to my own thinking. I point fingers at other things/people... but the root of the problem is actually ME.

So why is it I have such a problem? Lack of confidence was one answer that shot through my brain. Maybe I'm feeling a little insecure about myself? I don't see the good factors in thing perhaps? No, I don't go blaming my hubby when things go wrong. Mostly, I end up blaming myself when things don't go smoothly. I think I'm putting undue pressure/stress on myself without even realising. Like my previous job for example. I was unhappy with my boss (after he labelled me) and the pathetic management. I didn't understand how some of the long serving staff can actually tahan the working environment there. Hence I made a fuss about how things could be better if this action were to be taken, that was to be taken etc etc. I was trying to change something which was beyond my capability. Why am I like this? Is it true that I actually want people to listen to me? That I always want to be right? I don't know.

And when things go down, I go bonkers because things didn't go the way I wanted it to go. Yeap, wherever I attempt something, be it a project or organising a trip... I always have this thinking that things should go THIS direction. If the cup is to be on this table, the cup MUST be on THIS TABLE (now I sound like I'm suffering from an obsessive compulsive nature, like Monica from Friends. Yikes!). And what do I do? I pin the blame on something or someone. Many times I keep telling myself I studied the wrong course. I kept saying that maybe if I studied a different course, things would've been better. But the fact remains... whatever course I could've chosen may not guarantee anything better/worse. The problem wasn't the course. The problem was me. And to correct the situation, I first have to correct myself.

*takes a deep breath* It's hard to actually type this entry out. Because I'm actually forcing myself to admit that I have a problem. It may not be as serious as some of the sample stories written in the magazine I read, but it is still a problem. And I have to face it, correct myself and learn from my mistakes.

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The Spirit of Blogging
Much has been said about blogging. For the past year, blogs have been getting a lot of attention. In fact, the word "blog" was voted "Word of the Year" in 2004. So what is a blog? To put it simply, a blog is that of an online journal. Short for "weblog", a blog may consist of various topics, anything from personal issues to music reviews to entertainment gossips to religious matters to politics. If you really look properly, you may even find several blogs which touches on *ahem* sexual preferences and encounters/experiences :P Whoop-dee-doo!

I've been blogging since 2003, and I've been enjoying it ever since I was introduced to it by a friend. My blog is like another channel for me, to express myself in words when I cannot express myself vocally. I channel my energy, my expression, my thoughts and my doubts to my blog. And I've watched my blog grow from day to day. Each entry that I type tells the world a little more about who this person is behind the computer screen, but without revealing too much (we gotta have secrets you know. Sshhh) I don't claim myself to be always right about anything because what I blog about is based entirely on my thoughts alone. Anyone can disagree/agree with me, it's really up to the readers how they want to see my blog. I'm not gonna stick a gun up your spine and force you to like my blog... *hides revolver*

I've also realised that bloggers have been labelled "selfish" and "rude" and other names. Ok, I do admit that maybe some bloggers go overboard with the use of profanities, but then again it is their blog. Hence the usage of grammar is really entirely up to the blog owners. But to label bloggers selfish? I don't think we bloggers are selfish. Have you really read some the really good blogs out there? Blogs tell facts, actual facts which you can't possibly get from the mainstream media. And with the power of the internet, you can get the latest news within seconds... sometimes with pictures to boot. Plus you get actual feedbacks from the people, the society. No red tapes, no censorship boards, no editors, no politicians breathing down your necks. Blogs are for the people. Blog are the people. They represent the people who's thoughts have been surpressed. Many times we cannot say what we want to say, so writing it all down is the next best option available.

No, bloggers aren't selfish people. We share facts, we tell the facts, we exchange facts. And although we do complain about certain parties and their possible lack of service/mentality, we're only stating facts. Facts which some parties may find very hard to swallow. After all, one can only improve if one listens to critics, right? At least we're not blowing up cars and burning houses down to get your attention :PpPpP

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