(1) Happy 25th Birthday to Myself

Its a beautiful tuesday and the day when I turn 25, a quarter century old. Hmm if u asked me how it felt, nothing much. Its just another day except for the secret knowledge that its mine special day in some way.

Had presentation hence slept late and woke up very early to prepare. By the time I finished, it was around two in the afternoon. Even while mapling, my eyes were closing. Tab had tuition and I rather catch up on some sleep at five. Woke up, dabao and ate dinner in room whilst mapling (setting up shop and watching sales or the lack of it....), playing guitar and watching tv. Multitasking genius if I say so myself.

Now the day is almost over. I do feel well rested. CNY is round the corner. If I am still entitled to a birthday wish *checks watch, phew still 24th*

"I wish to have a shuai ge like gackt!!!!!!"*Victory sign*

Okay lah. The real one...

"I wish for good health for my immediate family and myself. A peaceful year if possible."

I am looking forward to dinner tomorrow and presents. :)



(2) Taipei Trip Reloaded

It started with Quetzal telling us that she was going to taipei. My sister and I were keen to go, but due to medical appointment for my sister, in the end, I went with Quetzal and bunk in with Zhuan. It was from 26th dec to 30th dec.

Day 1:
It was to be my first time flying in a plane. Err... blame my family for not being strucked with the travel bug. Travelling was always in a car or bus or train to a place call Malaysia. Hardly exciting. Well there is a first for everything. Quetzal helped alot to show some of the procedures of checking in. Nothing exciting except the shopping part in the duty-free stores. As I didnt want to end up empty-handed, bought a bottle of red wine for Zhuan for her troubles, $45, ka ching went the cash register. Still I had saved much more on accomodation. Once inside the plane, things slowed. 2 incidences occured during this time to liven up things.

First, (may seem unexciting to most), I had ordered a baguette and ginger ale on board JetStarAsia. NO! Its not the thrill of eating while flying several thousand feet above in the air, the amazing thing is that it had tasted rather good. Not to mention I didnt have lunch. My dad lah, say must reach there early, and when reach there, just ended up waiting and not eating.... Sign.....

Second, there was this annoying family. The kids sat directly behind me and quetzal. Then they would talk loudly, kick into the seats such that we, feel it and for quetzal's case, the kid bang on that portable tray such that she cannot sit or sleep in peace. She tried telling the mom but to no avail. In the end, we changed seats elsewhere and the plane landed.

There we got a quick bite, some bread and a surprisingly delicious lavendar milk tea. It has a fragrant aftertaste. From the airport, we had to board a connecting bus to the city for NT145 (S$1 is almost NT20) and rode for 4omins. Then from the dropoff at a hotel, hopped into a very big spacious taxi for a ride to Zhuan's place. The taxi car model is the equivalent of one of the branded cars in Spore. Forgot the brand... Zhuan came and fetched us over. Wow she lived on the top floor of the apartment. It has about 5 floors. Luckily I climbed 6 floors while living in the hall.



The neighbourhood. The apartment is the dark grey building in the background. A nice neighbourhood with food readily available.



There we are, home sweet home for the entire stay. Its like those apartments you see in Hong Kong serials. With lots of stairs and a few doors at the staircase landings. Zhuan lives in a converted apartment with 3 other neighbours. Hers is a self-contained room with attached toilet.

Zhuan's place is at Guting, near to Shi Da, taipei top university. With her bf, the four of us headed down to the nearby Shi Da night market for a bite. On the menu was ...

(1) Lu3 Wei 4 - delicious parts from the pig, vegetables, fishcakes, mushrooms, beancurds etc
You pick the items you want to eat and they serve it piping hot with soya sauce... Nice. Especially since it was kinda cold. We ate that with steaming hot soya bean milk. Hmm even a non-soya person like me found it good also. Zhuan's bf codename Cap as he always wore that skull cap whenever we see him. Cap told us that there is salty soya milk. But many cannot accept that taste, even him. Eeee.... I'll pass.

(2) Smelly Bean Curds - after the lu wei, we walked on pass rows of eating places and roadside stalls to this one that sold smc. Zhuan told us that this one is unique cos the pieces are small cubes and fried very well, compared to others which are big slabs that are fried then cut. NT60 with side dish preserved vegetables. The smell was still bearable when we sat down inside. It had reminded me of the smell of Msia's famous drains..... When the dish came, the smell compounded hundred-folds!!! It hit your nose as a smell of something that had gone bad in garbage. Zhuan tucked in and we followed suit. Quetzal took a small bite first, made a big funny face and refused to touch the sbc anymore.

Was it really that bad? I wondered and put the whole cube in my mouth...

*chews chews*

.....

....

..... ARG...H!

The smell now multiplied a thousand-fold in your mouth. Instead of garbage smell, now a taste that STRONGLY resembles the smelly pork smell (pig smell from pork) assailed my senses. I did the only thing that I could... swallow damn quickly. Phew... once down, the smell and taste went back to rubbish level.

Looking at that plate of sbc. Quetzal was adamant, she was not going to touch it. Zhuan is eating but there is quite a number of pieces. So soon after dinner, dun think she can finish. Then she bought it and treated us....

*Thinks, considers* Okay fine, I'll eat some more then. Since already survived the first piece, at most swallow quickly lor.

*Picks up another piece, dip in sauce and put into mouth.... chew chew*

Eh? Not so bad this time. The PIG smell is at a tolerable level. Hmm was the first piece so potent that it knocked out my sense of smell and taste liao? Fine. Then I can help to finish up. Yay 1 point for Hellbound, 0 for sbc. I guess I'll remember this smell and taste forever. Its just so distinct.

(3) Bing1 Tang2 strawberry and tomatoes - After sbc, we walked around at the clothes shop and stalls there. There were cool looking winter wear with nice furry hoods but most style were the casual type. We even visited 2 of the shops where Zhuan wrote articles about. They sold interesting trinklets and accessories and display things that though are interesting, have absolutely no use sometimes. We walked past a stall selling sugar-coated strawberry and tomatoes. The sugar has been melted to a syrup and it covers the strawberries and has hardened as a layer over it. We each had a stick and shopped around. Very crunchy I must say. And cold too cos of the cool weather. Good but got that irritating- some-sweet-stuck-in-my-teeth feeling. Nt25 per stick with 5-6 fruits.

We walked around some more, and Zhuan showed us how to walk back to her place. We went back to her room where she packed some stuff as she was staying over with Cap. Me and Quetzal had the room to ourselves for 2 nights. So while flipping the cable tv channels, we came across a chinese wuxia movie that just started. At first, we thought it was just a normal no-brainer movie. It turned out to be a no-brainer, low grade, soft porn comedy. Walao. Spoil reputation but it was so corny. There were no sex scenes save for alot of suggestive scenes. So corny that we had a good laugh. The plot was so pencil-thin such that after quetzal went for a bath and came out, she didnt miss much. Same for me. Stupid ending also... Oh well, with that we went to sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day.

To be continued.

My hair....my hair!!!!! (wails)

Okay pls refer to Tab's blog for most of the minor details. I shall focus on the main feelings at hand.

Today I got a haircut cos I had enough of my fringe getting into my food and mouth.

My initial idea was relatively simple...

1) keep back a bit longer, so cut some off
2) hope to expose bits of my ear to see earrings
3) keep my fringe long, but its too long, so cut some off

Lets just say i only got (1).
(2) was not recommneded cos that means my side too short overall. Fine so cover ears still, layered.
(3) suggest another way to cut my fringe a bit... and change parting to side so can comb over and look more clean-cut.

Okay... I was a bit reluctant abt the fringe and asked how short.

Above eyebrows....

Err...

Then he cut longer than eyebrows..

The look very funny, not to mention since its combed to the side, it covered one of my glasses.

Okay, cut a bit more... still cover...

Cut some more and vola!

OMFG!!!!

I look..... I look........ I look like one of those hairstyles I spotted in my primary, secondary and even up to JC lvls!!!!

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The type with the mushroom hair and short fringe..... OMG!!!!

I thot I had left that past behind me.....

And that hairstyle could have been done by a normal neighbourhood hair salon for 10 bucks! Here I was, paying $25 bucks for something that is very very similar and ugly. Even those salons can cut better and I had some which I had rather liked from them. Walao... should have insisted on my initial choice... which would still leave me with some decent fringe... and a means to tie a pony tail... (Sob sob snivel snivel)

Instead now I have a helmet hair, fringe looks like shit and no more ponytails....

Okay next time, I AM NOT GOING TO THAT SALON!!!!!

I should instead pay for those specialized in j-pop and j-rock hair salons OR trust my neighbourhood salon to do a better job.

For now, unless the fringe grows back in the remaining 9hours, I still have to face the world. Bought a hair gel, see how I can somehow fix things a bit tom....

P.S: If u see me for my upcoming birthday, pls pls do not say to me "eh, you've cut ur hair?"
That would only earn u a black stare and some verbal slamming.... Dun say I didnt warn ya.

Back from taipei and will be blogging abt that at a later date. A good trip with different experiences.

Err my new year resolution is to

1) Be a better person!
2) Get rich and retire!
3) Get my bandit to lvl 70 asap and be meso multimillionaire!

Yar, rite.

Moved back to hall again for another 6 weeks of lessons before being sent out for the big 'P'. Hope dun go back to old place. (*fingers crossed*)

Bought a nintendo console, those with installed games inside one. Will be trying that out. Relive games played in childhood eg Bomberman, Supermario... and with tonnes of DVDs to watch... so much to do and so little time. Until next time.

Its been a while since I've last blogged so lemme write some stuff that happened until now...

(1) Mapling

Well its nothing new except for the fact that me and my bro and sisters opened a shop to pool resources to sell. Last week, I bought a cash card and used some credits, abt 6 bucks to buy a shop permit to open a stall in the designated marketplace. My siblings passed me stuff that they want to sell and their selling prices. So inbetween times when I am not hunting, I would hop down to the market and open stall. It means being open at the busiest timing, leaving messages to ask players to look around, and even includes closing time. Man tough work. My bro joked that I really sounded like a stall-keeper. It must be all that bazaar skills. Check it out! (my character name has been blanko to prevent harrassment or identification watever)

Example of a typical day in my 'stall'



Well I still get laughed at for wearing a box. But I love my little box! Anyway takings for the shop was quite good for the first few days with about 3million of meso sales thus far. After distributing out the meso to my siblings, I became a meso millionaire. Meaning I have more than a million meso. Yay! Now stronger also so hunting dragons and ghosts and crabs, no more mushroom and pigs and snails.

Also Maple is having a Christmas event where u can enter a special town during christmas. Its winter over there and u can decorate your own tree. Check out my trees and my impersonation of 'The Little MatchStick Boy'.

My Own Christmas Tree



Little MatchStick Boy I



Little MatchStick Boy II



(2) Possessed Kneecap???

About 2 weeks back, I had a long lasting cough so much so my mom brought me to this sinseh who is currently treating my family. I havent gone to see him before cos I was busy at hall. So when he saw me, I told him about my knee and my cough. To cut the long story short, I got medicine for my cough, which has incidentally gotten better. The interesting part comes when he asked me about my knee.

Basically the story was 'I sprained my ankle at my grandma's funeral, at the graveyard. Later my uncle helped me massage and treat it, but that same nite I had sharp pain all the way to the kneecap. A week later went to another sinseh to treat but damage done. Henceforth had knee problem'

After listening to it, that sinseh told my mom that 'dirty things' might have caused me to sprain it in the first place since it was the graveyard. Also might be the reason y after 2 years, its still giving me trouble. So while massaging and twisting my knee, the sinseh actually chanted something. But I only got to know this after I returned home since they conversed in cantonese. When I told Tab, she plainly said "So... it means your knee is possessed?!?"

Well I think not that type of possession or what, otherwise when I sleep at the hall, things would have happened and Tab would not have slept so soundly. BUT if he can make my kneecap better and even heal it, I would believe anything at this point cos this injury is already almost 3 years old and no improvements. But it is still a bit stiff and tired at times, and also my medicine is running out, so most likely today will go and see him again. See what else he has to say. Will keep you informed. (Exorcist II to be continued....)

(3) Scarecrow Race Revealed!!!!

Remember that Scarecrow guy that had my sister and her friend falling head over heels over? Immediately after the Batman Begins, there was the Justice League show starting at Koven Mall. They went to ask the stage crew whether the guy Scarecrow would be going there, and she said yes. Hence they made their way all the way down to Koven to catch a glimpse of him in action. Hopefully can see his real face.

BUT....

When the show started, my sister filmed that with the camera..... she and her friend started giggling and critizing that actress being fat and stuff. They were laughing so hard that the camera was shaking, so me and my sister saw a shaking footage with lots of "Walao!!!" inside. Also hear their colourful commentry about each of the justice league actors and actress. But no ScareCrow guy. He wasnt there. They were disappointed.

Later....

Her friend found a blog with an entry about ScareCrow. That blogger's sister worked in the crew. It revealed that Scarecrow was a malay guy. So my sister and her friend were disappointed. They had thought that he was a caucasian male. Now I dun hear any more about Scarecrow... Suddenly no more craze. LOL!!!

ScareCrow Mania



I was lazing around at home on Tuesday when my youngest sister came back from her outing with friends and asked me,

"Hey u want to watch Batman Begin show at Raffles city?"

"Nah too lazy."

"Got Scarecrow leh... "

"Nah not the real Scarecrow, only the mask is real..."

"Can take pictures free of charge but got to bring own camera. I saw the photo taking today. My friend is smitten by Scarecrow cos he is very amusing to watch."

"Ok, if u want to go, then we all go together. Bring all our digital cameras there."

So on Thursday afternoon we happily met up to watch that performance. I came from hall. Had to arrive before 4pm cos you have to take a coupon to take pictures with them.



A nice back drop welcomed us. Then there was the queue. But OMG, we felt damn out of place cos we were surrounded by little, bright-eyed, batman-adoring kids!!! Imagine going to the queue, 3 "Big Kids" and take coupons which are just number tags and line up with the rest of the crowds which are all kids accompanied by parents. In fact we towered over them. Luckily Geoky's friends also came in another group so we felt a bit better.

Whilst queueing, we speculated how the Batman and ScareCrow felt when they see us, 3 BIG KIDS wanting to take photo with them. We laughed ourselves silly thinking how the parents, shoppers and even kids saw us as. But the wait was worth it though our faces burned still.



Argh my dream guy. Well out of the 3 characters there, he was the most active with varying poses whereas the other 2 were rather stiff. (I amaze myself with my photography sometimes)



While posing with them, both my sisters managed to shake hands with ScareCrow but I didnt cos by then, the cameraman wanted to take liao. And I didnt get to stand beside Scarecrow. *sob sob snivel snivel*

"Haha Scarecrow shook my hand leh, today not going to wash liao."

"Ya, mine still has his smell on it"

='(

After phototaking was a intermission until the performance at 7pm. Hence we went and ate dinner at Carls Junior Burger. All of us managed to eat an entire burger each as that was my only meal of the day but dabao the fries back to eat. We went back right on time and watched the performance. I was busy using my digital camera to record the Scarecrow dance solo part. YES! I was successful. *signs dreamily*



So now at home, Geoky and her friends, me and yingel all smitten by Scarecrow. They even contemplated to go down again for another show. It ends this sunday. Daily show 1pm, 7pm. Phototaking 3pm and 5pm. Queue one hr in advance for coupons.

Its enough for me. Reminds me so much of the hype for Sailor Moon many years back where I took photo with them too. Now I just want to buy the Batman Begins DVD.

A Tune In My Head....

Recently there has been a tune stuck in my head. After watching the Chicken Little trailer on monday, the song that sounded like "numa numa e" hung in my head. I meant to look in up to download but didnt quite get the name of the song. Its a very catchy song that makes u wanna dance and move. Watching chicken little dance, I also felt like dancing.

After a long search, I found a video. In fact this video is so popular, millions watched it and it was featured on CNN and VH1. Check it out! Click on the movie, chck out the one with subtitles and original.

Anyway if u have the same tune in ur head, that song is by The O Zone, titled Dragostea Din Tei think its a romanian song. But heck, its stuck in my head. I am now listening to it and swinging along. Hmm sleep seems a long way off today... wonder what else to do now.

A classic case of .....

"Having the munchies real bad"

After dinner of da bao mee siam, I checked the Maple game that is still down. Hence given nothing better to do, tv programs suck and didnt feel like reading just of yet, I opened up Robotech and started watching. It is like reliving a long lost childhood as this series is one animation that I followed very closely when I was a child in lower primary. Imagine after school and watever, somewhere in the late afternoon, me and my brother would diligently switch on the television to watch this series. I am glad I had gotten the entire vcd collection for $55 because I had seen the dvd collection 2 sets, each abt $140. Even the malaysian animation was 3 sets for RM$99 each which works out to $150. So this is really a steal. So do not underestimate your nearby poh kim for stocking the occassional steal.

Anyway after 6 episodes, I started to get a bit hungry. Its not really hunger but the classic case of munchies. A real bad case. I looked around on my table for something to eat, there was a half packet of pritzels which was soon demolished. The thought and taste of crispy roti prata suddenly filled my mind. Cant seem to concentrate... Argh, in frustration I went through my food supplies.

Verdict- Pathetic.

I had only some packet of biscuits left that had served for my breakfast for the entire semester. Imagine eating the same brand of biscuit for breakfast everyday until I decided to 'defer' my bowel movements until later hence I stopped eating breakfast only recently. My course of action is clear. Tomorrow I am going grocery shopping. There needs to be some decent munchies in this room. What I have is really pathetic. What I do have are beverages. Healthy ones too. Lets see, I have green tea powder, tea bags, sachets of milo and coffee, chicken of esscence and the much dreaded cod liver oil. Its so healthy I cant stand it when I am having the case of munchies.

*mumbles grumbles*
I'll make my milo and eat my biscuits but tomorrow if I dont even have something decent to chew, I am not Hellbound... Let me get back to my Robotech series now.