I Smell a Rat

Well, since I buried my wounded plant outside of the building, the rat in my office needed a new victim. My colleague jokingly accused me of purposely sabotaging her plant. By taking my plant outside, I left her plant vulnerable to vicious biting of the rat. And hence, this is my update on the new poor victim in the office.

Already one down.

A week later... the plant had no chance.

Brigette Lin Ching Hsia's Characters Trauma

I was in awe of Brigette Lin Ching Hsia's glamorous comeback in the 90's, signaling her retirement from her retirement from the movie industry.

Brigette Lin first returned in Tsui Hark's film - Swordsman II. She acted as a man who castrated himself to become perfect martial art leader. To become a perfect martial art leader, he must be a woman. I was surprised at first when my friend told me that Brigette was a man in the movie. I was surprised but I loved the idea of her comeback. It was different from her many roles of repetitive characters of same storyline love movies from Taiwan.


At the moment of the popularity of the film, I thought her character's death was one of the most beautiful in any film.

And then came Dragon Inn, where Brigette Lin again acted as a character with martial art ability. And in a male costume. And the character died again.

And then there was the famous Bride with White Hair, acting angrily against straight character played the late Leslie Cheung. She did not die in the first movie, but she went crazy, jilted by love.

And I believe there was the Ashes of Time, where again, in a male costume, her character went crazy with jealousy.

And there was the film Fire Dragon, where she was denied of love again.

And she was the cold killer, really depressing-like, in Chung King Express.

I think her character died again Handsome Sibling, acted opposite the not-handsome Andy Lau.

Actually, by the time her character was denied of happy ending in Bride with White Hair, I was already having a trauma - Brigette Lin's dead characters trauma.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

I kept telling myself that sometimes we need to do something crazy.. something stupid. Not something bad like any violent act.. but you know.. like hiking up the hill at 4am. Or meditate whole day. In fact, once I was invited to meditate the whole night into the next morning. Something like this... something crazy.

I still remember queuing up for Harry Potter's last book. I was eager to know the conclusion. I needed to know if the unstable, though talented, JK Rowling was going to do something bizarre like writing off the one character that had made her a billionaire, just because I suspected she felt guilty for the fame Harry Potter received and not Neville Longbottom.

Here is the diary of the day Harry Potter Book 7 was released.

Lined up for my book at 6.40am, and I was already customer no.40. To fend talkative people who would blab out the spoiler, I blasted my MP3 out loud - letting Rihanna and her eh eh ella ella Umbrella to drown the voices around. No problem even at the cashier when I could pick up my order at Borders. And then, queued up for my free breakfast at Starbucks. And then, I saw it - this young girl, who sat down on an empty chair, already reading, like others in Starbucks. But she was starting with the last pages instead of the first chapter. Freak!! I scrambled. Breakfast or no breakfast, I was not about to let anyone tell me the ending.

I did not avoid internet and switching on tv for nothing, just in case any news blurted out the ending.

Skipped lunch. Skipped dinner. Did my reading from 8 am and finished the whole Harry Potter Book 7 at 1030pm. Phew!

Google Translation from English to Bahasa Melayu

I decide today to have fun with the translation of Google Translation from English to Bahasa Melayu (Malay language).

I eat French Fries. ---> Aku makan prancis goreng.
Hahaha!

I am going home. ---> Aku akan pulang.
Okla. Not bad.

I took a bath. ---> Aku memuat mandi.
Huh?

I am downloading a song. ---> Saya men-download lagu.
I think I can accept this. Anyway, 'download' in Malay language is muat turun. Serious. ;p

How do you do? ---> How do you do?
Serious. This was what I got.

Don't lie to me. ---> Jangan berbohong padaku.
Okla. Pass.

May I kiss you? ---> Bolehkah aku menciummu?
Wow. Pass.

I want chicken burger, with only tomato sauce and no onion, please.
--->
Aku ingin burger ayam, hanya dengan sos tomato dan tidak ada bawang, silakan.
Wow. Serious. Not bad.

Son of a gun. ---> Sompret.
Huh?! I did not know that.

Drag queen. ---> Drag ratu.
LOL.

In the wee hours of the morning ---> Dalam larut pagi
Impressive.

I am blogging this down, as a reminder to myself not to use Twitter.
---> Saya blogging bawah ini, sebagai pengingat untuk diriku sendiri untuk tidak menggunakan Twitter.
Okay.

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it

It felt so wrong, it felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it
--->
Aku mencium seorang gadis dan aku menyukainya
Rasa nya cherry chapstick
Aku mencium seorang gadis hanya untuk mencubanya
Saya berharap pacarku tidak keberatan

Semuanya itu terasa begitu salah, semuanya itu terasa begitu benar
Tidak bererti aku jatuh cinta malam ini
Aku mencium seorang gadis dan aku menyukainya
Aku menyukainya

Okay. Not bad.

This is no fun. :( I am moving on.

Titanic Rose Lied

Yes, Jack. I won't jump. I know.. I know.. I jump, you jump.
But if you jump, I won't.
Okay.. I'll listen to you. I will marry again.
I'll lie to that man.
I'll marry him although it is you I want.
Or I think I want.
You know what..
It does not matter.
Men are suckers.
I won't jump for you.
I'll lie to the man I would marry.
You and him won't win.
I will.
Suckers!

Ebookwise - Ebook Reader

My ebook reader arrived!! :)

After contemplating and desperat-ing for it for quite some time, my godbrother Stanley came to my rescue, reluctantly (yes, I went through the whole preaching about budgeting and not spending unnecessarily from him, the younger one among the two of us in our godbrother relationship), and told me that his colleague, Julian Kung is able to help me to get the ebook reader I want from America.

Of course I was torn a little between Ectaco Jetbook Reader, which is able to read many formats of ebook and Ebookwise reader. What's the difference? Around RM400. The ebookwise reader I manage to get costs me around RM400. Ectaco may cost around RM800.

I ordered online, and got it to be sent to Julian who was in America. Ebookwise is shipped only in America and Canada. (Of course eventually I came across another page where someone is willing to ship Ebookwise reader worldwide. Link is provided at the bottom.)


So, this is how my ebook reader looks like in my hand. I should be delighted, right? Well, it is only partial of my whole story.

Ebookwise reader uses no latest technology when it comes to the card. It uses the obsolete Smart Media card. I was lucky to have one in my drawer, and luckier that I am able to find it. It is only 8MB and this can already cost a coolly RM50 online.

But the unfortunate part is that laptop nowadays only read SD, MMC etc cards and not SmartMedia card. Last I heard, a smart media card reader costs around RM100+. :(

A check in One-Stop Penang got me to the top floor and I managed to get a reader, costing only RM20. There were two versions. First attempt failed, and succeeded to get the right reader only on the second visit. I should have brought my Smart Media card along during my first visit to try it out.

The purchase of the Ebookwise reader give me these two - a USB cable and a phone line cable. But since that I have the Smart Media card, I doubt I would be using them, since that the process of transferring files from my laptop to the ebook reader is slower through these cables, as compared to by Smart Media Card.

This was my BIGGEST mistake. I don't read. I didn't read of the input power and being the handyman-challenged person I am, I plugged the adapter into Malaysia's power source.


I killed my original adapter. It is no longer able to function - to charge my ebook reader. As the point is really narrow, it is difficult to find one in Malaysia.

I was lucky enough to find one in my second attempt at Macalister Lane. This baby costs me RM42, and it is REALLY heavy. So, imagine me traveling with this adapter. Hm.

Point is - I have my ebook reader now. :) I am so happy.

Taylor Swift versus Kanye West

Of course Kanye West was rude. If it had been Eminem or 50Cent who won the award, I bet he would not be so tough enough to walk up and took the mike away from Taylor Swift. And the worse part was this was Taylor Swift's first VMA award won. I like what Taylor Swift had said - She was thrilled she won. She was thrilled Kanye West appeared on stage with her. And suddenly, she was not so thrilled anymore. But a good person she is that she chose not to bad-mouth him. PR, people. PR!!! Perhaps Kanye can learn a lesson or two.

One website said that Kanye West acted that way because he did not like when things didn't go his way. Translated - he was losing BIG TIME. And he was a coward. Snatching the mike away was like taking a lollipop away from a young girl. How rude. Damn rude.

So, the world sympathizes with the talented country chick. Okay, so Kanye West is a jackass. Don't quote me. Quote the President.

What does this convert to?

• More album sales for Taylor Swift. It's bound to happen. Winning an award helps to promote the album. Sympathies promote even more.
• More airplays for Taylor Swift's You Belong to Me. I expect it to go up the chart again.
• Taylor Swift is going to win awards in Country Music Award. Not that she wasn't expected to before this whole incident, but I am talking about winning more than expected. Remember Dixie Chicks in the Grammy?
  

Ask Madonna. When Academy Award sneered at her Evita, the world did not disagree, but it did not stop the increase of sympathy for the lady who worked so hard to promote Evita and yet was rejected. That year, interestingly Grammy embraced her. She won 3 Grammy Awards.

Ask Nicole Kidman. When ex-hubby dumped her, talented Nicole who was overlook often for Best Actress nomination got her first one for her portrayal in Moulin Rouge and eventually won the year after for her role in The Hours.

Sympathy wins.

Shark Fin Soup

CNN news showed again shark fin story. I had heard of a few times. Something about the greed of human, wanting shark fin soup, and sharks have to die tragically. According to some sites and news, millions of sharks die each year for their tonnes of fins. Those shark catchers would just slice off the sharks' fins and throw the finless sharks back into the water. Without their fins, the sharks go into their death slowly.

Hm.

I am not one who is fond of real shark fin soup. I have been to Chinese wedding where fake shark fin soup is served. You know what. It is already good enough for me. It is not that I am so good with my taste bud to want the original, nor do I want to pay the high price for the original. Nor do I want to support such cruelty.

The video clip on tv showed how the shark's fin was cut off and thrown back into the sea. And here was what I was thinking.

They are sharks. Remember? Sharks??!!

It is not like they are the CUTEST thing ever on earth. Sharks! They bite.

Hi, I'm Bruce. Fish are friends.

I mean, it is not like the tv is making me any more sympathetic for the sharks. Look at those teeth. Look at those eyes. Even in a photo, the eye is looking like it is hungry for our flesh.

It's not like they looked adorable like the panda below.

Yup, I am the cute one, until Kungfu Panda made me a clown.

So what if I looked lazy? I'm still cuter than you. ;p

Yeah, I know. Pity the sharks. But it is not like the sharks are making it easy for us to pity them when they go around biting people and leaving evidence like half-chewed arm on the beach shore.

Hm.

Samsung I8910 HD vs iPhone 3GS

How much money can one carry in his pocket?

I so want the new Samsung mobile phone. I like it because its screen is 3.7 inches wide. And it records video in High Definition. I am talking about Samsung I8910 HD. However, reality checks. It is RM2899, which is a kind gesture of RM1 off RM2900. So, do I want to buy a RM2900 mobile phone and carries it around with me in my pocket? I mean, carrying an almost RM3000 in my pocket everyday? Since when our pocket become so rich for such pleasure?



So, that left me with the other temptation - iPhone 3GS, which is ridiculously priced in Malaysia as RM1200+, with monthly subscription of RM100 a month for two years. In Singapore, my brother-in-law can get one for only S$250+ and a cheaper subscription. Good, Maxis. Rob the poorer Malaysians for every single cents they have.

What I don't like about iPhone is that I need to install different application to use different files. I want iPhone to read ebooks but I do not want the headache to figure out if the free application is able to gain access to pdf files as well as storing them.

Moreover, my Maxis line is poor in my area.

The bottom line is that iPhone only costs me RM1200+ to carry around, unlike Samsung I8910 HD and it is less painful on my budget on my first charge. But iPhone is unable to record video at HD ability. Sigh..

And I am doing all this sighing even without having the ability to pay for any of this luxury now. Ha!

Swatch my Watch

If you curse a watch long enough, it dies. Mine died. If you should read the time and date, you can see that it died on 4.10pm Sept 2.

So, was it cursed? Well, perhaps I did curse it a little too often. Not that I stopped using it. I'm a watch-man. I use watch. For the past few days, I got uncomfortable not able to tell the time and needing to refer to my mobile phone again and again. So inconvenient.

So, why did I curse my watch? Well, to be fair to myself, a watch tells of the owner. I got my watch from my 10 years anniversary for working for my college. And to be frank, this Tissot watch says that I am plain. I am boring.

Hm.

Now, without disrespecting someone, I have to say that eventually it was no secret who picked out the watch for me. And just because it was bought by this person, a lunatic colleague thought I would definitely love it, or I have to love it, just because it was chosen personally by the person. You should have seen how she looked shock when I said the watch was ugly. It was like I had sinned in front of a bunch of innocent kids.

I thought perhaps it was the battery. At a repair shop, the battery was proven to be still having a more than 75% life span left. So, no one knows what went wrong with this Tissot watch.

Some believed that the watch is worth RM1500. It is not. It is less than RM1000. It is not even RM800. It is not even RM600, after discount. How I know? I called up the shop that provided the warranty, pretending to be interested to buy the same Tissot watch model. And of course, with my name engraved at the back, it is probably worth much less now, coz I am no celebrity. I am no Miley Cyrus or Zac Efron or even Paul McCartney.

I saw the watch that defines me. It is a Swatch. And it is also RM580. Which means it remains a watch that defines me, but not likely purchased by me coz it is bloody expensive. I don't believe in paying more than RM200 for any watch.

If Tissot can die on me, why not Swatch? So, nope. I won't be buying that Swatch.

The Key to Your Heart?

Once in a while, we need to do spring-cleaning our wallets. I mean, look at the junks we collect. We collect business cards, of people we don't even remember weeks later, or friends we don't even want to keep in touch with. Why do we take the cards? We are polite human. Not honest, but polite. And these cards, plus other credit cards, toll cards, membership cards of fitness centers we hardly go to, point cards etc make our wallets thick. The only thing missing would be the cash.

Well, wallet - I can clean. Keys? I can't. How many keys does a guy need? Apparently, more than five. Surprising, huh? Especially for a guy who does not have much.

What happened to the olden days when everything needed is locked in a house, of wooden door, which has a simple slide-down lock.

Olden Days Wooden Lock

Look at the keys I am carrying in my pockets and around my neck. Three keys around my neck - two for cupboards and one for my computer lock.

Two more for my motorbike - one to start the motorcycle and the other to lock.

Five more for my house - one for the mailbox, three for the front door and gate and one more for the metal case in front of my place - to keep my helmet and shoes.

So, a total of nine keys. A guy like me needs nine keys. Thank goodness I do not carry my room keys with me.

As a finale to my entry today, this is to humor you, the reader.
I love rainbow. ;)