A Year Has Passed & Judgement Day

To all of you:

Have a bloody great New Year! All the Best!

Etc. Etc and all the other shit.

Sorry. Caught me in a bad mood. New Year's on the Sunshine Coast is the worst I've seen. Little fireworks and nothing else. No display or anything. And to make matters worse, my exam results are coming out in 6 days. I'm panicking man. Wish me luck! Cheers!

New Year's Resolutions

So. The year is almost over. And thinking back now, there's alot of things to look forward to and change. A year can hold so many events. No. Wait. Not even a year. A day.

365 days

So many things could have happen. But some of them just didn't.

My Resolutions For 2008:

1. Swear to God that I'll work harder in my studies if I'm allowed a second chance in studying again.
2. Be more independent and mature (I should be - I'm turning 18!!)
3. Learn to be tactful but still retain my honesty and painful straight-forwardness
4. Be tidy and neat! Mess- Be Gone!!
5. Make Mother proud of me - somehow..don't know how but I'll figure it out along the way.
6. Live my Life to the Fullest. No Regrets. Take Advantage of a Situation. Make it your best!
7. Last but not Least:

Get Rid of My Laziness!!!!

The End of The Year 2007 - Summary

The day before the New Year. Wow. The year passes by so quickly, especially this year. This year has been pretty exciting. Actually one of the most exciting I've had in ages. Here's the reason why:

• This is my final year in MCSHS and was a proud graduate.
• Finishing the 2 year IB course (don't know whether I'll pass but still glad I'm done)
• Mother got married. Finally.
• Independently travelled with my friend to Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.
• Shopped till I basically had to buy a new bag to accomodate my new clothes.
• Pierced my tongue but Mother found out and threw a fit. Out came the piercing and closed in half and hours time. Damn it!
• First time to a nightclub (ssh..)
• Performed in a Choir
• Passed the Audition to be in the Vocal Group
• Mother lets me drink, providing it's not in front of her. (Actually, it's more like she doesn't care what I do as long I'm not drunk. What?! Wait..she doesn't care??) Ignorance is bliss
• Became an Internet-obsessed Freak. Woo!!
• And actually started swearing.

Well then. Do you think it's exciting? Maybe not, but I don't give a shit 'cause:

My Life @ Blogger

Visit My Blog at: http://mycrimsonregrets.blogspot.com

See You There!!

Xo

Bribie Island

Urgh..I couldn't open my eyes this morning as it was dry as the Saharan desert. I probably slept with my eyes open during the night. Lethargic. Again? I literally rolled myself out of bed onto the floor. Don't worry, my bed IS on the floor.

I bought this dress pajamas some weeks ago. Upon wearing it, I knew I had to have it. Why? I'm not sure. Probably the reason is that it's cheap and on discount, $1o AUD. I also liked the collar. I thought a belt might supress its flare but Mother said it makes me look fat. Thanks Mum.

As said, the Sunshine Coast has not been very sunny lately, with sudden downpours and strong wind. But we decided to go sight-seeing. Mother wanted to go to Bribie. And so we went..

Me at a random Beach and almost being blown away.

And oh..please let me know what you think of my pajamas dress!

Oo..nudies prohibited? Damn.. no free show..

Beach Flowers

Bribie Island. What are the first impressions? Well. Let's see.. Ok I've got it. If you were looking for a place to die peacefully, this would be it. You would also die from sheer boredom. Either than the beaches, I'd say there's literally nothing to do. Weather's not been very helpful lately so I guess surfing is not an option though we saw some nut on a surfboard. It's SUICIDE!!!

Finally, after a decent brunch, we found a good spot to stop and take photos. It was a small jetty and there was sunshine. Why not? Winds were strong. How strong? Strong enough to make me stumble a bit. And especially with this pajamas dress of mine, it keeps flaring up. So I had to pull it down to ensure that I did not flash the people that were passing-by. Told Mother that the belt was a good idea after all.

Walking on the bridge towards the jetty

Me against the wind. And also the weirdest photo I've ever taken.

Tarja Turunen

I love Opera.

I love Classically Trained Singers.

I love Symphonic Metal.

I love Tarja Turunen.

I love My Winter Storm.

Formally the lead soprano singer of Nightwish, Turunen was publicly fired. Why? Apparently it was her attitude towards the financial part of the band and this was the reason to be fired.

What a waste.

Turunen has an exceptional voice that captivated many with her unique and powerful voice. That special talent of hers drew me into Nightwish in the beginning. Shocked she was fired? Yes indeed. I recently found out that she has a new album:

My Winter Storm

This is her second album, despite her "first" solo album acted as a Christmas one, was released in 2006. My Winter Storm still has the Nightwish feel to it eventhough she's no longer a band member in Nightwish. So obviously she has kept some of the symphonic metal tune to it. Good! Cause that is what she's good at.

Formally in Nightwish

Anette Olzon? Tough one. She has her own special talents but as for what Tarja Turunen has, its unreplaceable. Like it or not, Nightwish would never be the same without Tarja and with some observations I see lots more of Tarja's fans than Anette's.

Dinner & Thriller

On the Sunshine Coast, it's well, not very sunny lately. Showers and a gloomy weather has been haunting us for the past few days. A storm they say. All I see is showers. Such lies.

Well, maybe not everything is a lie. Forced evacuation on beaches and the world famous Fraser Island. Makes you really think how bad things get with the storm. I just don't realise it.

In all its glory, the rain does have its moment. It lowers the temperature here and I'm thankful. Not so grumpy anymore but still a hermit. I've been hibernating at home for weeks not enjoying myself as I should. What happened to my fucking holiday that I dreamt of when I finished school?

At first, I proposed bowling. Mother made me realise that Andrew had a sore leg. The Cripple. My slyness prevailed and is making me take an advantage out of the situation and suggested a movie. Mother also wanted a dine out. Score.

For the first time in 2 and a half years on the Sunshine Coast, I finally dined at a restaurant called Pig & Whistle, a British pub and cuisine. Damn, my little dreams are finally coming true. That restaurant has been haunting me for years now as I pass by it every time I head towards the cinema. You just can't escape it.

Upon entering, a sea of eyes drowns you in their stare. But only for a second and you gasp for air. Not so bad you think. A dim light illuminates the place and yes, it reminds you of the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter. Maybe I'm exaggerating but that is the feel you get of it. Only with a rather modern twist. Definitely no witches and wizards here, only Muggles.

We were seated and the menu was placed before us. Yummy. Dinner time. Giving it a long hard look, I decided on a dish called Cornwall Seafood. Does sound British. Mother chose what I wanted before I changed my mind - Steak & Guinness Pie. Her husband chose Lamb Shanks. All pure mouth-watering glee.

Mine came out to be superb. And trust me, I mean it. As a spoiled kid, I was privileged enough to have tried a variety of food. Used to call myself an epicure when I was younger. I hope to keep up one day with that dream. Continueing my story, this dish had a wonderful sauce that complimented the seafood. It was a thick, creamy and rich white sauce that I imagine would be made from cheese and white wine. Soaked in it was a mussel, two prawns, bits of scallops and squid. It was a little but then it had to be fitted into a piece of bread.

The sauce itself had the aroma of seafood. As a seafood lover, I endulged in this refined gourmet. This dish truly gives its taster a delight in eating. I felt my skin tingling and emotions rushed through. Talk about an aphrodiasic. You thought only oysters would work. What can I say?

I live to eat.

I ran across and bought tickets for Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem. Couldn't wait to see it and hoped that it was as good as the first one. Fuck. I only realised that the Movie Marathon was on. Should have known better. I really wanted to go to one before I left the country but somehow I always manage not to go to it. The queue was also very bloody long.

Ta-Da! 9.20pm. They let us in and we got a great spot (In Australia, there's no prefixed seats for you. It is a first come, first serve basis.) right in the middle of the cinema. Thinking nothing could spoil it, we had a delay. The movie started around 10pm. Boo-ya

Ugly vs Ugly. Who wins?

In the beginning it was pretty exciting, but then the plot started deterioting. It felt like a movie where they wrote it as they shot it. I was rather disappointed. Mother was the comedy relief tonight. She kept saying how the body of the Predator was hot.

Lol.

I think you need to cover its face with a cloth. That's why the mask is there Mum! But I must admit...

Hot body or not. No!

iPod Cover Cookie

Cookies. Chocolate. White Chocolate. Scotchfingers. Oreos. Simply Delicious.

I even own a t-shirt that says ME LOVE COOKIES.

Canny me. I now own a iPod Cookie. Unedible of course but does remind me of the mouth-watering, saliva inducing Cookies.

I wanted it and at the same time I needed it. My iPod was getting dropped due to my lousy little hands. So what I want is what I get. My pure silicon Cookie baby.

Ta-DA! Introducing my shockproof Cookie. Unedible of course.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Omg omg.. Yes! Love SBS channel!! Many thanks indeed. I some how feel as if I have to click the tv guide and ta-da, it tells me that Laputa: Castle in The Sky is on. Talk about intuition. I nearly fainted with glee. It is the second movie by Studio Ghibli (1986). It's funny how each of Studio Ghibli's works are linked with one another subtlely. If you look closely enough, there are little characters that are reused. It's hard to describe but if you watch it you'll see.

Once again, Joe Hisaishi has made a great soundtrack. Although looking back from all the Studio Ghibli I've watched, they also have a certain tune to it as a base that is similar to one another.
But it is still a first-class entertainment from an anime movie. I rate this a 4 and a half out of a 5.

Howl's Moving Castle

Ok. Here we go again with Studio Ghibli's production, Howl's Moving Castle. Coincidently, I also looked up the times on the internet for the tv guide and found out that this was on. As advertised by Johnly, I decided to check it out. Like an obsessed fan, I did my little research (after I watched the movie) about this film and was surprised that it actually was an adaptation from a book by Diana Wynne Jones, which was published in 1986. I even watched a trailer on YouTube to grasp what the movie is like. Boy oh boy..Was I excited. Across my forearm, lies the faded memory of yesterday's scribble of the timing.

Usually Mother would be upstairs talking things over with her husband but when good things are on, they somehow always manage to sense it and come down stairs to bother me. It's not that I don't want them there but it's just that Mother talks through the movie and when I give a piece of my mind, she shushes me. Life is full of injustice.

However, I was expecting them to go upstairs in the first part of the movie as I remembered them leaving when I was watching Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Winds. But no, Mother seemed to entralled and found it amusing and stayed. Like a good puppy, her husband stayed next to her faithfully. Those two are almost inseperable and I had to beg him to let Mother and I go on a holiday by ourselves next February..Anyways, back to the story. From the beginning, it was already captivating and exciting. I could hardly contain my rapture. These images are from http://onlineghibli.com/ once again.

It was a rather weird movie in a sense that some parts were left for you to figure it out in your own mind rather than bluntly straight-forwardly telling you the story. It leaves an air of mysteriousness and adventure. Sometimes I wish my life was as exciting and mysterious like this.

What I find most mysterious from Studio Ghibli's movies are the male characters. Not all of it but from Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. In Spirited Away, a male character called Haku, acted as if he had a split personality to help save Chihiro. Similarly, Howl did the same for Sophie as he saved her and he had split identity. (Watch both of those movies and you'll understand =P) The differences though comes in with their personality. Haku has a matured personality despite the fact he looks like a boy and Howl has an immature child-like personality that is prominently shown when he sulks and starts melting when Sophie accidently changed his bath water and turned his hair orange. I love both of this two characters more than their female counterparts.

Howl

Haku

Other things I've noticed that are similar between these two movies are:

• Both male characters end up passed out near the end of the movie


• Both male characters can fly; Haku as a flying dragon and Howl as an oversized mutated swallow

Well that's from my observations anyway..

Howl- I Love This Character!! Not to mention Haku too..Much more handsome than his dark hair though.

Overall, it is also a heart-warming journey to self-discovery, courage, passion, sacrifice and love. It's a 5 out of 5 movie and deserves lots of credits. However, take the time to watch it as it is kinda deep at parts and you really have to decipher it. But as for me, I LOVE it!!

Here's a little trailer of this movie with the lovable soundtrack, "Merry-Go-Round of Life"

Nausicaa: The Valley Of The Wind

Lately I've been pretty obsessed with films that have been directed by Hayao Miyazaki. If you are wondering who he is, Miyazaki is the director of Studio Ghibli's work. Some people may have heard of Totoro: My Neighbour and Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Wind. If you still don't know who he is, he's the director for the famous Spirited Away. Thanks to his movies, I've become seriously addicted to the music composed by Joe Hisaishi for the soundtracks of those movies.

Lately I've been chatting and figured there are more Studio Ghibli movies and was deciding to save up and purchase some. SBS, I thank thee. My little wishes has been fulfilled. Last Sunday, at 10:15pm, they aired Nausicaa of The Valley Of the Wind. Haha and thanks to my addiction to internet surfing that I found out that it was on. Boy was I glad!

Looking back at Studio Ghibli's work, you can definitely see some differences as they advanced on in years. As Nausicaa was a film in 1984 and considered a Studio Ghibli's first film. You can definitely see some similarities in the style of drawing in the film. It was pretty good and loved the deeper insight towards the detriment of the environment. Miyazaki's wild imagination allows him to create creatures and things we's never think of and subtle elements are used to convey the message to his audience. Here's bits and pieces from the movie. I got these from http://onlineghibli.com





If you really like a heart-felt movie and anime combined, this is a movie to watch. For me, I would rate this a 4 out of 5 stars. It's simply fabulous!

My First Earnings From Blogging?

As a blogging newbie, I discovered ads. At first I would have thought that it is normal for some blogs to have ads. Until I realised that they actually pay you to have their ads put up. Call me slow- I knew that ads can earn revenue but didn't know that blogging can be so helpful. Honestly I've been so busy with school work this year, I forgot about blogging.

Well. I hope I start earning something. Even a little would pay off. Wish me luck peeps!!

Me-Sha = New Baby Sitter

Suffering from a late night yesterday due to my addiction to blogging and chatting, I was awoken by a loud knock on the door. With only 6 hours worth of sleep, I lazily slopped around the room trying to find a decent pair to clothes to match with. I grabbed the nearest t-shirt which was recently bought which is in fashion with today's faded cartoon characters. Mine had the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street saying Me Love Cookies. That is true.

The first stop was in Brisbane to see Andrew's daughter's daughter, Phebe Lee (Yes, Mother's husband is a grandfather. He has a grandson and now a granddaughter). Phebe was about 6 weeks premature as she was due in late February next year. She was tiny!!!! It was the first time I've seen a baby in an incubator. Her skin was pink and translucent as you can see the veins beneath it (Forgot to mention that Phebe is only 6 days old). I did not take any photos as I did not want to provoke the nurses' hawking eyes.

A cool mosiac work found infront of the hospital. Quite a wonky cross. Can't figure out whether it's a P or a cross. Make up your mind!

Later we headed to my mother's friend's house in Underwood. She had a 2 month old baby named Vanessa. With cheeks so chubby it was hard to resist the temptation to pinch it. And yes I admit it. I pinched Vanessa's cheeks. Lightly of course - I don't think I want the baby's mother to be upon me! Vanessa's older brother, Samuel was having his afternoon nap but Sophia, the mother of Vanessa and Samuel, decided that he had enough sleep and woke him up to bring him out. The last time I saw him, he was just a tiny one and couldn't walk. Now he's this toddler of a year and a half and walking! He looks like an animated doll.

Baby Vanessa and oh!-so-pinchable-cheeks. And no, her name is not Mesha Chow. I'm just too lazy to tag blog address on.

Baby Samuel last year. Florian was there too. Hehe.. Jan.. don't drool on my page please.

Samuel was a shy kid when his mother brought him out. Speaking in Cantonese she asked him to say hello but all he would do is to turn away. Late when he eventually warmed up to us, he decided I should be the baby-sitter. For me, it was definitely strange.

Here's one fact about me: Babies don't like me. They cry whenever I want to hold them and this was proven to me by the countless times I tried carrying one. Whether it's the way I carry them or something, I couldn't figure it out. Vanessa is DEFINITELY one baby I like. All she'd do is sleep, drink milk, fart, poop and the cyle continues. And when she sleeps she doesn't wake up unless you out her down. She likes human contact. Finally, I found a baby that does not cry when I carry her!! ~Woot~

Then another strange thing happened. When Samuel started warming up to us, he came up to me and looked at me and stretched out his arms and waits. Baby language = I want to be carried. Me?? Surely I was dreaming. Mother was always the one that babies go to but this toddler wants me? I must be doing something right nowadays.

Older Samuel now -sitting on a shoe rack eating his dried guava in a boy on the table like a good boy. That is until he showed his cheeky grin. Then you know he's up to something.

So I became the sitter, he'd grab a stool, come over to me and point it. Yes. He did that and he's only 1 and a half. Pretty smart for a toddler eh? His mother also told us that when he wants to be carried when his sister is getting the attention, he'd grab a pillow, put it next to his mother, point to the baby and then point to the pillow and then open his arms out-stretched, indicating that it's his turn to be carried. Cute eh? What's more, he likes helping his mother with his sister and seems to enjoy babies eventhough he's still considered one himself.

Samuel has a toy mop. You'd be thinking "Why did his mother ever buy him a toy mop when he's not even a girl?". Well, get this. Apparently he found it in the toy shop and did not want to let go. So they bought it for him. Samuel also has a magazine which he wanted to show me and only me, of pictures with babies in it and other toddler equipment. His face filled with glee and a smile and he would clap when a picture of a baby showed up and he would look at me. Sweet kid.



It certainly changed my mind on some baby issues I used to have but it still does not change my mind about having my own. Both women today told me that it was extremely painful. Maybe I shall consider adopting one when the time is right.

Me and Baby Vanessa.

Ah..My Dinner.. Tortellini Pollo..Mmm

*BURPS* Hehe..well it was a good dinner *Rubs tummy*

Nightwish & Lacuna Coil

This is a rather old experience of mine but I thought that it should be recorded down, so here goes. As a huge fan of Evanescence, you do what all the fans do - Listen to their songs, view their videos and have a slideshow of them on your myspace (well maybe that's just me). However, the slideshow was premade by the others and it suddenly had a picture of Nightwish. Unfamiliar with it, I just ignored it. The slideshow incident was the second time I bumped into their photo. Apparently some people compare Evanescence with Nightwish though their styles of music is different.

For fun, I went to YouTube to investigate this band and the first song that popped up was Wish I Had An Angel. Wow. I was breath taken as it was everything I loved - a mix of classical and metal so it didn't have much of the grunting that normal takes place in metal music. The other song that was also displayed was Nemo which actually means "nobody" in Latin. Fascinating.

Their songs soon got stuck in my head and I knew that I had to have one of their cd's. So out to the plaza I go and looked real hard for it. A few shops I went to did not have it but determined as I am I went to Virgin Music and they have it! I bought Nightwish's Once immediately. As soon as I got home, the cd went straight into my cd player and the first song I played was Wish I Had An Angel.

Ignorant as I can get, I thought this was a new band until I Wikipedia it. Nope. They are even older than my beloved Evanescence. Nightwish was formed in 1996 whilst Evanescence was formed in 1998. Ok maybe not that much older but surprising I did not hear about them. Maybe KL doesn't really like the idea of metal in Malaysia. It's true - most of my music life in Malaysia consisted of what I heard on radios and they were like pop, R&B and etc. You just don't get enough metal! Even Evanescence the first time I heard them was shocking as I thought they were rather heavy. Now? Haha..not heavy enough. I live to seek a heavier but still symphonic band.

Not long after, I was criticised by a fuckwit for my support of Amy Lee being the best singer I've personally heard, I kept hearing news about Lacuna Coil and the same thing happened - Got hooked onto their song Heaven's A Lie.

Yeah I must admit they are pretty funky but since I viewed their concerts on YouTube, the lead singer, Cristina Scabbia doesn't sound too good live. Amy Lee still sounds the same on stage as her songs.

When I found Nightwish I was pretty excited until I realised through my "extensive" research that the lead singer, Tarja Turunen was fired. I was pretty upset as I thought it was the end of the band until they said that they found a new singer. I heard their new single Eva and it was pretty good. The new singer, Anette Olzon has a pretty high vocal range to make-up for the classical training that Tarja had. They proved to be pretty consistent so I was satisfied again. But then of course I enjoyed Tarja more as I enjoyed classical singing with metal. I particularly enjoyed this song called Sleeping Sun. This video I just posted was a remake and I find it equally as good as the old one which can be found here :

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gmDWvGKLzBE

~Happy Watching~

National Treasure - Book Of Secrets

I was awoken by my ringing of my phone. Thinking it was the alarm I woke up to turn it off until a closer look revealed that someone texted me a message. With blurry eyes, I managed to decipher the message sent to me. It was from Ben and it was to ask me to go with him to the plaza for "Christmas" shopping. I do not celebrate Christmas anymore but still decided that it was a fine opportunity to meet up with him. Taking the 12:54pm bus, I arrived around 1:15pm and called him earlier, about 5 minutes before I reached the Sunshine Plaza. As expected, he was late as usual. Then I realised something. I've finally gotten over him! A month ago I couldn't stop thinking about him, but know she knows why. It's finally all clear.

"Why go for someone who does not even try? Who says one thing but acts the other? Why bother? If he really wants you, he'll be there for you. But alas, the truth speaks otherwise."

He was a picky and he ended up buying one gift for his neice. I on the other hand am bored out of my brains was smiling politely as he chooses his gifts. I thankfully know now why we don't celebrate Christmas. Choosing gifts for other people are such a bore. Don't be mistaken. We are Christians but we just DON'T celebrate it

So after an hour or so, Ben decided to leave as he had a "meeting" with his boss. I on the other hand was rather reluctant to leave. National Treasure 2 was now showing and I decided to watch it. Ben gave a maybe answer so I went without him. It was kinda awkward I must admit, eventhough it wasn't my first time watching a movie alone. All of the people watching the movie came in either with friends or with their partners. Ishh..Geramnya..Semua orang ada teman tapi saya tiada

National Treasure (don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it) was alright. Riley was of course the comedy relief but to me it wasn't as exciting as the first one. I give it a 3 and a half out of 5. I realised something funny too..How old Nicholas Cage is!! You can actually see the receding hairline. Overall if you like adventure, give this one a shot. The clues in the movie fails to amaze me.

McQueens (Nikki) - Thank You!!

My friend, Michelle labeled me as the funky one. As funky as I used to be, I lost touch with my funkiness. My beloved red streaks disappeared as I continually chopped it. It also disappeared from all the washing. Then I realised that I needed to rejuvenate myself.

My appointment was at 12pm and at first I thought that it was going to be just a regular salon lke those in KL..No..it was definitely better!! Everything there was stylish and retro. Impression scale: I'd give it a 10 out of 10. Unfortunately due to my awe, no photos were taken. Guess imagination will have to be used.

My hairdresser's name is Nikki and she was originally from Melbourne. She was the one that consulted me and gave me all her opinions. Like always, I just adjusted my taste to hers and follow suit. Firstly, straight after consultation, she asked me to move to another part of the salon (Apparently, it was like a colouring booth). Next to it, was like a mini coffee-shop with the coffee machine and cups. But I just had water - trying to stay healthy.

Without a mirror, I couldn't see what Nikki was doing so I waited till she was finished and I went to the bathroom to find out that I looked like Medusa with aluminium foil snake-heads. Hmm...fugly attractive

Whist washing, Nikki gave the most enjoyable massage that sent me into euphoria..The other hair-stylist looked over and she nodded with approval. Me with my head in the sink, couldn't wait to see the end result. Boy, was I excited! After the rinsing and treatment. she popped me back to my original seat and I was shocked to see how red it is! It was definitely brighter than the last red I got in KL (I was also pleased that Mother would be in shock to see how red it is hehe)

Mother popped in the right moment and saw the red..Haha I loved the look on her face. I knew then that it was redder than she expected it too. *Maniacally laughter of Mr. Burns*

"Excellent.."

Mother's original appointment was for 12pm too, but her hair-stylist was sick and then Nikki took over for her. Mum didn't want somthing bright so she got light brown high-lights. The funny part is that she has SO much hair, Nikki had to get the hair-straightener out. Here's the end results:

Spotted my red yet?

My Beautiful Mother (Still Looking Young!) and Kisses for the Treatment!

Front view: Not that much difference to the other haircut but at least its even now.

Time For A Change -Again

In Australia, it is rather hard to get a good make-over for your hair for a rather reasonable price. That is, if you want a good 5-star quality salon. When I say make-over, I mean the WORKS, like style cut and blow dry, colour, and treatment. I admit it, I'm a pampered spoiled brat.

However, the nightmare soon passed and I finally mustered up the courage to ask mum to bring me to Uncle Ricki. He was my mother's hairstylist since she was around 14 too. It was a bliss. Heaven in disguise and that was where my addiction started. I loved the head massage they would give when they wash your hair. The smell of the shampoo and treatment would just calm my senses. It is weird how everytime you go to a salon, the way they blow-dry your hair ALWAYS look better when you try to do it at home. It's like some kind of magic they seem to possess. Or why do you think people are willing to spend money on just wash and blow-dry?

This is not the case in Australia though. A wash in their salon means a waste of money. This comment is supported with some of my Chinese friends here and my mother. A wash here, means shampoo, then a 2 minute scrub, then rinse, then a little bit of conditioner, and then a rinse again. What?? No massage? Even I could do it at home. But then it was urgent. I just returned from the beach and it was Graduation night (Refer to MCSHS Graduation 2007)

Ah...the bliss of salon back in KL...A wash means 15-20 minutes of a head massage, rinse, conditioner application with a bit of massage and then the final rinse. I just love how they pamper you with their magical fingers that soothe your pain away and almost sends you to Noddland. I LOVE IT!!

First time I got a Rebonding treatment (for those who does not know, it's similar to a permanent straightening but it makes your hair oh-so-soft and super Shiny!) was in 2005. I imagined it to be better. It was but it left my hair very very flat. No volume. Kinda weird actually. I don't think I suit it. What do you think?

Looking petrified (2006 during Chinese New Year in Genting)


In 2006, I went back to KL for almost a month. Full of pampering from Mother. First I went to the salon and got the Worx. I got a new haircut, full head with red streaks (2 different tones of red) and a treatment. Oohh..And also 2 rounds of facial at CN Beaty Salon. Ta-DA!! A new me..

Me Before Make-over

Me After The Works..

The joy of my new hairstyle did not last long..after 3 months, even with the use of a colour-protect shampoo, the red faded away and in its place was a copper colour. It was still ok but definitely the red. What's even worse, even with the new cut and trim, I still had some of the previous damages in my hair..so I decided to fix it again. To chop it off.

And then...Ta-DA!! Here's me with short hair..

Then I did the unthinkable again..I cropped it!! Again!!!!!!!! Now I look kinda like that but without the fringe and everything is more layered than it was. I told mum that I want to cut my hair again. Was planning to go to the hairdressers near my house but look what dear Mother found:

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• 
  
  Wella Professional Toner ($35 -FREE)

What I found funny is that Head Massage cost $20AUD whilst in KL it comes when they wash your hair! Oh well.. This IS certainly a bargain. The last time I went to a professional 5-Star salon to cut my hair cost me $22 (student price; originally $45).

I certainly can't wait. It's booked for this Thursday(21/12/2007) @ 12pm...Till then I'll let you know the full process of how it went..

The Song That Got Stuck In My Head

This is a rather old song (considering what you call old) - old as in 7 years ago old, Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down.

The bloody tv ads got this song stuck in my head. What am I to do? Well..All that's left is to hum and tap my feet!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=q233CxlIZtk

Missing My Friends

Friends. Any importance? Not really. I have elaborated on the fact that I don't have much friends. But now when I look back, I realise that I indeed do have some close friends. Friends I never thought I had.

Anyways, too all my friends that knew me since primary school, I wish you the best of luck in everything you do and now that we have finished high school, I know that you all are smart enough to get into a great university. (Alas! I'm always the weird one that's not academic and stupid..T.T) Just remember one thing..KEEP IN TOUCH!!

Plan B

So. The story of my life. Is it going to be over with just these results? I seriously don't know.
Day after day after day, I lie in my bed thinking over and over what I'm going to do in the future. At first, it seems so glorious the prospect of getting to study overseas and I dreamt. Yes, I dreamt the days that I would be spending in UK on my own. Those spectacular day-dreams left me determined to get what I want but then I woke up.


Waking up to the real world was a shock for me. Everything in my life seemed surreal. Nothing was what it seemed. Time passes and things changed around me so drastically but I failed to realise it. I was so caught up in my own fantasy world that nothing seemed too important. Everything lost its sense of urgency. My own fantasies killed me.

You might be thinking that I'm depressed and unsatisfied and have no reason to be. Well, the truth is - No matter how lucky you are, we humans tend to be unsatisfied.
But don't get me wrong. I'm happy for what has happened to me today but now this is my release of all regrets and sorrow.

What's my sorrow? My deepest and greatest fear is not going anywhere. I no it's no use crying over spilt milk but a girl can release her emotions can't she? If I fail, I'm almost half doomed. This is the story why: (WARNING! Long story ahead. Continue if you're interested)

Arriving in Australia in mid 2005, I was happy to know that I was able to start afresh. A new life. A new country. A new school. A new start. A new beginning. I was happy with everything I had and my mother was there beside me. Until trouble came along. This Australian opportunity was given to me by my mother's ex-boyfriend, Michael. However, relationships isn't as pleasant as it seems. To cut things short, my mother had an argument and called the relationship off, but of course this didn't really affected our stay as it was my education and he was promised to take care of it. However, things began to change with this break-up.

My mother became depressed and became extremely moody and to take frustration out, she'd snap at every little thing I do. She was never like that. Or probably the fact that she had never lived with me for such long periods at a time (Reminder: She was a flight attendent and wasn't constantly home.) that took its toll on her. I beared it all inside.

School became a little refuge from mum, where it was nice to just concentrate on me. Everything was different here, everything SO much easier. We had less subjects (6 at the most) and exams were held at the end of each term. But after that term, everything that we had learnt isn't required again. That's right. We ONLY had to study for the term's work and nothing more. But with such easy work loads, doesn't mean that it's good. It meant no university prospects overseas.

At the mean time, mum went to a psychologist and got some anti-depressents that kept her in a good mood. Then life didn't seem too bad after all. In school then, I had a friend in PE class called Tika and we would hang out. Coincidently, her father is also single at that time and we went for movies, originally just the 2 of us but it ended up being 4 (her dad and my mum decided to join). Things happen and with mum's depression..Well let's say they had a relationship. I did not like it one bit.

I enjoyed my time with my mother as I didn't spend alot of time with her. And as childish as I was, I was jealous of the attention taken away from me. I became a melancholy child and people could not understand. Especially my mother. Once she said that I should be grateful for everything and stop being selfish in interfering with her life.

But they all don't understand. I am grateful but just not showing it. She could not understand why I wanted attention. Lost time needed to be made up for. But she doesn't know. Instead of all the constant arguments that we had (that resulted disasterously - I lost my trip to Europe cause I didn't want to go to the meeting. Rather stupid really.) I just took it all with my little fantasy world. I just learned to smile and accept anything that comes without any serious thought.

Then I did the most stupid thing in my life - I took the IB course. Apparently with this Diploma you can go to any university in the world as it is world recognised. SURE..
Here's the catch:

1. You have to have 150 hours of community service called CAS. Stands for Creativity, Action and Service. Ok, that was alright but I personally wouldn't say pleasant.
2. You have to do a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay with a 1600 word limit. That sucked. I got a D. But at least I didn't fail.
3. A 4000 word essay to be completed over the course of the 2 years. Mine was: How British colonialism affect the immigration of the different ethic groups in to Malaya between 1786 -1920. Got a B. Not bad.
4. You have to choose 3 Higher Level subjects and 3 Standard Level.
5. As the results are rated from 7 to 1, 7 being the highest, you have to get 24 points over all to pass the course. (That means you need to get at least a 4 in each subject)
6. Also needed to pass, you have to get at least 12 points in your Higher Level subjects.

So now you know it. The "fantastic" course that allows you to go overseas. Did I mention it is SO easy to fail it?

My plan B is actually just applying for a local Australian uni. Why? Malaysia is less likely to take me as I don't have a SPM result and my Malay is almost gone. *Sigh*

Negaraku..Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku..

Well. Not really. I wouldn't actually die for my country. Not THAT patriotic.

However I must focus on the bright side of our country. Seriously. I started appreciating Malaysia from a whole new perspective.

Why?

Australia in all its glory has negative issues. Call it Culture Shock or whatever, I'm surprised it lasted till today with Howard's rule. Thankfully he's out and in comes Kevin Rudd, a trustable looking guy that looks as if he just came out from the SouthPark cartoon series. However, I must say he has really tried his best to improve Australia's economy by signing up for the Kyoto Agreement and now is planning to provide every student in Australia with one laptop. Lucky pigs. Why do they always do this when I'm LEAVING????!!!

Here's some of the cartoons from Peter Broelman, a cartoonist that currently works for the Sunshine Coast Daily. Observe Rudd

A recent cartoon of Rudd and Howard during the 2007 election not long ago

An Australian Fact if you're interested that I find shocking:

It's illegal to spank your children

This was my reaction:

So..It's alright if your kids hit you and but then you cannot correct them by spanking them? I'd like to see them in Malaysia then..Oh our glorious cane and rulers that emits a rather joyful spanking sound on naughty children's buttocks, thighs or hands.

Anyways, here's the news if you haven't heard it. My return to my homeland is booked on the:

29th February 2008

Can't wait to eat all my favourite Nasi Lemak and Chow Kuay Tiow..mm..