our loss their gain?

i is sad today. (SSD's gonna get jealous upset again but still must post!) cos i is sad.

got a rude shock when su announced that today was D's last day. 4 of us just stared open-mouthed at her and D, shocked into silence. it never occurred to me that he would leave at this point of time cos he was still studying part-time and his wife expecting a son soon. then i found out that it wasn't his choice.

it was obvious in his expression and sms-es that he was sad to leave, and my respect for ST went down a notch. he must have had something to do with it. but what's done is done. hope D pulls through.

first 妈 and now D.

when i first came in, 妈 was the one who patiently taught me the various admin and project coordination stuff, giving me all the help i needed. when she left, she generously gave me all her notes which she accumulated over the years, so that it'll be easier for me. even now, i still complain to her and she listens to all my vents. and most importantly, she understands me and what i have to go through because she went through the exact same thing! =(

when i first came in, we only had 1 engineer, D. which was why i went to him for all site and technical matters. same as 妈, he patiently taught and explained and guided me through. he also wouldn't bother us coordinators unnecessarily unless he really needed help. he came across to me as a jovial person who could crack lame jokes whatever the situation. which was why i could click with him. eg. vict and i have gone through the whole sicc shit and even gotten teased about our "relationship" but seriously, he is weird. i prefer to ask D for help anytime.

even though i have grown closer to the rest of them, especially 亲爱的, 妈 and D are special i guess. and now they're both gone. SO I IS SAD! :(

... ...

guess i better stop before SSD drowns in vinegar. lols. =\ dinner at coffee club. we're running out of places to eat!

our passionfruit smoothie. tangy and refreshing! but the seeds were a little too...crunchy for my liking.

my grilled fish fillet with salmon mousse. the mousse was inside the fish and had zero salmon taste. carrot-y sauce at the bottom was nicer. fish was not too bad though.

SSD's slipper lobster linguini. this one is a must-try! the 'lobsters' were fresh, but the main attraction was the pasta. i don't know how to describe it. just super yummy! :D (ps. slipper lobster is a type of crayfish. boo-hoo.)

the end! =)

2327

this world is unfair

today i shall be blogging about something that pisses me off. even more than work. enough to make me post on facebook.

2 dingoes maul 3-year-old girl on australia beach

1. those are wild dogs (basic instinct much?).
2. toddler wandered off by herself.
3. toddler intruded the dogs' territory.
4. toddler's family didn't keep watch over toddler.

so in what way is it the dogs' fault? why are the dogs blamed? why are they being put down for nothing? and in the same report, where one 9-year-old was killed, a further >2 dozen dogs were put down. fair much? this world is weird...

... ...

this morning my dad asked me to buy some discs as he wanted to haolian make use of his blue-ray dvd player. i immediately thought of 2012. i had watched it again during my trip to genting last month.

it never fails to evoke strong emotions each time. the scenes are so real and i feel it's actually starting to happen already. the earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, erupting volcanos, all just a coincidence? bit by bit, area by area, it's gonna hit everyone of us sooner or later.

frankly speaking, i'd rather die quickly like in the show. it's much more painful to have survived and realize you're left with no family, no home, no food, no shelter, no nothing.

if 2012 really happened, i wonder what mother nature has planned for this earth. today, we dig up fossils of dinosaurs that were wiped out millions of years ago. and probably millions of years later, some other thingy would be digging up OUR fossils to study. you know, like a computer? when problems get too much, it's easier to just reformat the whole damn thing.

e.m. (edward morgan) forster contributed to my depressing end-of-the-world mood of late. (sidetrack: i had finally found his ebook The Machine Stops online to download for froggie. yes the same one we studied for o'levels.)

the story tells of a futuristic world where all of us live in individual cells. each cell has automated stuff for our needs like air, food, water, sleep, personal hygiene etc etc. there's even a network system to connect us to one another, anywhere in the world. you'd never believe that this was written in 1909, almost 50 years before there was internet.

anyway, all the cells are part of a huge underground machine. people rarely travel around and the land above has become barren and inhabitable. even the air is poisonous. so dependent have we become on the machine, that at the end when it breaks down, mankind is wiped out.

how encouraging. =\

2125

simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

[audio=http://dc189.4shared.com/img/314325615/73fbd0d8/dlink__2Fdownload_2FhPaLIJn0_3Ftsid_3D20110112-12549-631b5340/preview.mp3]

"lionel richie, always works."  :)

... ...

had a nice normal paktor day yesterday. met SSD after his meeting for a quick bite.

his spicy chicken set.

my dory fish set. lots of cheese and mayo and nice buttery rice. oh-so-fattening!

soft ice cream! yummy but not exactly a pretty sight. and if you think SSD's look horrible, you should see mine! XD

then we went to watch rio!

a short 90+ min, yet sweet, romantic and hilarious film about the simple love story between 2 blue macaws (which explains the lionel richie song). a children's film no doubt, but i enjoyed myself nevertheless. =)

we had some time before dinner, so we bunked at mac's for coffee. embarrassingly, i've never tried mccafe coffee and i didn't know they came in such pretty forms.

the mochaccino was tasteless though. -__-

headed to mad for garlic to use up my 1-for-1 voucher.

ambience is nicely dim and somewhat romantic, but prices are a little on the high side i feel. wouldn't be coming back unless it's a really special occasion.

we shared this korean drink that's supposedly one of their bestsellers. it's nice, but not special. should have tried the red wine mix. =(

my lobster (and fish roe) pasta, one of their few cream pastas. the sauce is nice and lobster-y, and the roe gave a nice little crunch to the otherwise normal pasta. there isn't alot of lobster meat though. tsk.

SSD's red devil. originally labelled as 3-chillis, he asked them to reduce it to 2-chillis instead. it has much more ingredients than mine, but a tad too spicy for my liking. furthermore it looks and tastes pretty assam/tomyum, which i don't agree on. pastas should be italian, and cream pastas are the only ones that look italian to me. >_<

the end! lots of food posts. i think i eat too much. sobs.

... ...

earlier on f1 today, hamilton got his first win of the season. let's all put our hands together and pray that vettel's luck has all run out. if it can't be hammie, at least let the champion be someone who actually has good skills instead of just a good car. sighh.

2228

life is a zoo in a jungle.

after planning for so long and some setbacks later, we finally managed to get into the zoo. i had fun. even though a pak-tor date became a family outing. lols.

unfortunately, majority (like 99%?) of the photos taken with sotongball turned out horrible. i'm such a bad outdoor photographer; i can't keep my hands steady enough for clear sharp shots! zoom made things worse. as such, i think i'll just compile all the photos into a slideshow at the end. =\

but just to share a few things along the way. in particular, the elephant show. it was horrible.

didn't capture their performance, but they were doing stuff like pushing a log into the water and retrieving it back. or lying down and getting up on command.

OH PLEASE! someone please convince me that these elephants love being ridiculed day in day out in front of so many people. education may be important, but i'm sure there are other ways than making fun of them. doesn't anyone agree with me that these beautiful majestic animals should best be admired in their man-made natural habitat? doing things that they normally do in the wild? -__-

i wish it wouldn't affect me so much. oh wells. look, otters!

my favorite white tigers.

i love how they look so beautiful, strong, mysterious, dangerous, yet fluffy and cute and cuddly all at the same time. tiger skins belong to tigers, not us. may harm, and lots of it, befall illegal poachers of any kind. =)

my first time seeing a white peacock. so pretty!

our brief stop for lunch:

animals have feelings too. this one looks sad.

this one looks too comfy for words.

i love the fragile forest.

even though there are butterflies fluttering everywhere. i know they're pretty, but they remind me of 小强s. i love how the birds walk around and YOU have to siam for THEM to pass. i love how the lemurs hop around so close yet minding their own business. love how the place smells and feels so rainforest-y natural. sighhh.

and the australian outback. *salutes*

had to brave a whole bunch of toddlers (ewwwww!) just to get 'up and personal' with this kangaroo. (no zoom!) i miss my australia farmstay. =(

and the rest of the shots in no particular order:

[slideshow]

probably a lot more animals we didn't visit. it was, after all, more troublesome traveling in a group of 8. hmmmm.

where to next? :P

2130

not food again?!

tired of my food posts yet? :P not to worry! i'll have a super interesting and non-food one up in the next few days (hopefully).

SSD tried to whisper-order this but unfortunately didn't do a very good job. i heard. lols. nevertheless, muacks for trying! ^_^

and my oh-so-dreamy sashimi from last week.

2238

mean what you say

[audio=http://dc306.4shared.com/img/523652564/ef3fd2d/dlink__2Fdownload_2FbO0yC0s_5F_3Ftsid_3D20110303-184106-56eb3400/preview.mp3]

2119

shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.

DL: 你是 accounts 还是 qs 啊?
me: 都不是...
DL: 那为什么你一直追 claim 的?
me: ... ...

*slap slap* i've been doing stuff that's not in my job scope. and for a very good reason. I DON"T HAVE ANY JOB TITLE!! previously when i was applying for card, i asked my HR the same thing. and her reply? "i also don't know leh." like, totally WTF can?!

stupid "jack of all trades, master of none" shit. how to find new job like that? how to get same pay like that? *PANIC PANIC PANIC!!*

it's totally ruining all my temporary good mood, which are pretty scarce already. hais.

to make things worse, i collected my contact lens yesterday, and went on a shopping spree today. besides my usual makeup stuff, i decided to go ahead with the collagen supplement which i wanted to try for so long. and since they were having offer for a 3-month supply, guess what i did? (-_-||)

BUT BUT BUT!! i'm actually pretty excited about trying this collagen thingy. :D i sure hope it turns out as wonderful as they claim it to be.

even though i'm $480 poorer in just 2 days. sobs.

2140

sleep till you're hungry, eat till you're sleepy.

i used to blog about an 'event' on the night itself but seems like recently they keep getting later and later. like the genting post was blogged almost a week later (because i kept procrastinating on the photo editing) and i had already forgotten a lot of the details. sighx.

met up with ma with the rest of kolics for buffet steamboat dinner.

full wild mushroom soup. no more 麻辣 horror! =\

wild mushrooms with thai spices. light and refreshing, i like. a bit too much onion though.

monkey head mushrooms in house dressing. i always order this when i eat at mushroom pot. it's the best dish here! =)

fried mushroom veggie roll. not bad at all!

teriyaki style scallop sticks. the sauce is nice but there was something about the scallops i just didn't quite like.

crispy squid with wasabi sauce. another of my favorite!

wild mushroom fried rice. we ordered 2 servings!

braised wild mushrooms e-fu noodle. forgot to try this. =\

we went to the stadium outlet, which was nearer but super ulu and hard to find. the place was rather empty when we arrived and less than 10 tables were filled by the time we left. i wonder how they make money like that. hmmm.

but the lack of patrons also meant faster and better service for us. we practically only had to hold up and read the menu, and they'll come take our order. lols. had our usual loud laughing and crapping and complaining, though this time we didn't feel embarrassed cos there was another table even louder.

not too bad a place for a girls' night out. they have 20% off every wednesday (ladies' night) as long as it's all gals at your table. adds up to around $27. =)

... ...

on a side note, just want to rant. i received this email from the HR of some company (she didn't even state her company) requesting me to go down for an interview. it was sent at 4.45pm, and the interview 'slot' was at 12.30pm the next day.

firstly, she assume that i just stay at home everyday waiting for her interview? no need to apply leave? she didn't even mention anything like "let me know whether you can make it". it was more like ordering me to go for the interview. and secondly, i replied to request for another 'slot' at a later date, which she didn't even bother to reply. damn no basic manners.

i don't know about the company, but definitely *PUI* at this linda-bitch.

0018

the journey, not the arrival, matters.

i went to genting last weekend, again. and SSD came along, again. lol. one of my more fufilling trips cos this time, 我满载而归! ^_^ even though 二人世界 became 三人世界 cos bro came along. -__-

26/03/2011 - saturday

reached at 4am and as usual, stoned inside casino for the first few hours. somehow bro managed to sneak past (he's a few months short of 21). hmmm. they played jackpot, i played plants vs zombies. lol.

then met relatives for lunch before they left.

my assam laksa. it looks super spicy but it was pretty mild actually. and so not worth. there was a lump of weird rubber-like noodles and a few pieces of sardine. with LOTS of onions/chilli whatever. ewwww!

random pretty clouds on the way around.

majority of the arcade machines were closed for maintenance, so we went bowling. at least, the both of them did.

not gonna ruin long pretty nails no matter how much i was tempted to bowl. =\

played for a few games and since we only had less than an hour to spare, we played snooker next! should have played pool but snooker was cheaper! lol.

it was an excruciating 45mins standing there watching them play, cos i wanted to join in but was wearing low-cut. -__- furthermore they took sooo long to finish one game. zzZz.

then back to get our luggages and to the rooms. we got lovely superior deluxe connecting rooms! shiok. and knocked out till dinner. lol.

dinner at kopitiam:

and then shopping! this time i got masks and a bag. it was one of those 一见钟情 stuff that i immediately picked out from the rest, but reluctantly put back when i saw the RM139 price tag. luckily the salesgirl came over and informed that it was now RM35 after discount. of cos must buy! mad happy. =D

after parents retreated back into the casino, we visited practically all the convenience shops in search for the cheapest supper, and we got them all the way at the theme park. @_@

played old maid and i lost majority of them. is that saying something? grr!

27/03/2011 - sunday

up and ready to go! see pretty ribbon on bag? =)

we had free buffet breakfast for 4 at the hotel's cafe. was super happy initially cos unfortunately i can, and am willing to, eat A LOT for breakfast. but i was super disappointed in the variety and quality of food they offered.

all not nice one. but oh wells. considering it was only around RM6 each when divided, not too bad i guess.

then headed to the garden outside for some sun.

not breathtaking, but better than being stuck inside. and it's colder indoors.

then went arcade to flip some tables, play some basketball...

...and shoot some bowling pins. lol. we spent like, RM120+ on that game alone. both SSD and bro tried so many times, but only managed to win twice. tsk. but better than losing it at the casino right? =\

and then sportsbook next for the opening f1 race.

still a little early, so pool again.

vettel won again in the end. but hamilton got second! and he was nursing a damaged car. let's hope he fares better at sepang next month.

we all went back room to sleep awhile, then headed into new orleans for dinner. bro slipped past again. SSD got asked for passport, but i'm comforted that at least i got checked before turning 21 and bro didn't. sobs.

the usual minestrone soup and salad...

and fish-n-chips! not fantastic, but better than having nothing except potato wedges to eat. lols.

window seat = photos.

after another shooting session at the arcade, we went to stock up on supplies.

cold cold room, hot hot maggi, warm warm bed, cold cold drink, nice nice movie = shiok max. ^^

28/03/2011 - monday

rise and shine!

free buffet breakfast again for 3 of us. more or less the same food. sighx.

then arcade for some racing.

and shopping! bought some more masks, ribbon clip and a nice studded wallet to match the new studded bag. oh and a pretty pink heart pillow to hug.

haaaapppyyy! =D

then went back room, pack bag, lunch at hainan, slack at starbucks, and off to home sweet home. rest of the day was horrible since i was nursing a horribly throbbing head.

... ...

so yep, end of my 2.5-day weekend getaway. so not enough. so reluctant to come back to work. nothing much to look forward now i guess. T_T

2255