Hooked On Bookz

Of recent, I picked up Richard Carlson's "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all Small Stuff" from my bookshelf and one of the topics he wrote in this book, caught my attention, "Surrender to the fact that Life Isn't Fair". Quoting directly from one of the passages, "One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It's not and it won't." How many of you have felt that you have been unfairly treated before? Me? A thousand times and more. I am a pro at that haha =P I'd always be the one saying, 'Shit, why they treat that ang moh better than us! Just coz they ang moh lah isit. Call that waiter here. I wanna tell him something.' or 'Why am I stuck in this stupid job?!' or 'Blardy hell. Just coz he knows how to polish the boss' shoes, the boss treats him better, while I work like a dog here, the boss ne...

I HATE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED. (Not sure if it's the same when I was younger. But this is one of the many pics you see me actually SMILING :P) But ask anyone now, they can vouch for that statement. My ex boss, had had to ask me a million times before I agreed to have a picture of me taken for the magazine's Editor's Note. Look into any of my recent family albums, and you'd most probably find me behind the camera. (Yes, I'm usually the one taking the pics.) So, to be honest, I never really looked forward to my photo session for my wedding album haha =P Anyways, that aside. Today, I'm a changed person. Just awhile ago, I asked my dear friends to come a day early before my wedding so that I could have more personal pictures taken with them before the actual day. So, what changed me? Just today, I was working on an article, which required me to attach some pictures with it. So I had to leaf through some of the pics I've taken recently...somehow, it led me to my sto...

I've compiled a few interesting answers from my bookaholic friends hehe 1) you race against midget of a kid to get the first edition of the last harry potter installment with J.K. Rowlings' signature at 5am on a Saturday! (*LOL!*) 2) when you choose a handbag based on whether it's big enough to fit a book. 3) when you can shower without getting the book wet. --> i kowtow! 4) when "one more chapter" is the last thing you say to yourself before bed every night. 5) even when you're so blardy exhausted, you still continue with your 'one more chapter' with one eye open.... 6) you freak out seeing someone mishandling ANY books, even if it isn't yours. 7) you go in with none, you come out with tonnes. (you knw what i'm refering to if you're a bookaholic) 8) you can't fall asleep at nite without reading first... sigh.. 9) you spend quarter or half your salary on books, almost every month! 10) you could no longer control yourself from having ...

The Asiabeat Project is the brainchild of Lewis Pragasam , one of Asia’s leading drum/percussion exponents and innovator in World Music. With six albums released worldwide, the Asiabeat Project's recordings and performances are now legendary for merging Asian and contemporary music styles. Besides his Asiabeat Project, Lewis has also performed/recorded with international renowned artistes such as Randy Crawford, Ernie Watts, Billy Coblum, Jeff Berlin, Bob James, Nathan East and Ottmar Liebert, to name a few. Asiabeat will be playing to the musical styles of funk, rhythm & blues and world beats. If creative groove based music is your passion, you won't want to miss this. Date/Time: Fri 12 - Sat 13 Sep 2008/10.30pm Venue: Alexis Bistro, Great Eastern Mall, Jln. Ampang, KL. Admission? IT IS FOC!!! I'M GOING! Anyone else??? For more info, call: 03-4260 2288 or go to: http://www.alexis.com.my

Sorry...I'm a sucker for book sales :( Plus, I'm a member...and members get additional perks for this one!!! *Sigh*...HOW TO RESIST SUCH TEMPTATIONS?! And I just bought two titles from the Borders' Book Sales....*Double sigh*...and just two weeks ago, I bought another of murakami's title.....*Triple longgggg sigh* I tell you, my books are more than my clothes you know!!! damnit Any cure, anyone? (FYI, my hubby doesn't help much...coz he'll go 'Ah, if you don't buy now, don't regret later, then say "aiyah,...shd hv bought the book. now i can't help thinking about it."' Few books and a few pages later, I would end up at the cashier!!!) I think whenever I go to a bookstore or a book sales, my body gets possessed...shiet...

I received this very interesting email from my bro. I know it's long, but trust me, IT'S WORTH YOUR TIME AND DIME! ;) (CL, NO WONDER YOU ARE ALWAYS SO LUCKY!!! :P) Why Some People Have All The Luck! by Prof Richard Wiseman, University of Hertfordshire (http://www.richardwiseman.com/) Why do some people get all the luck while others never get the breaks they deserve? A psychologist says he has discovered the answer. Ten years ago, I set out to examine luck. I wanted to know why some people are always in the right place at the right time, while others consistently experience ill fortune. I placed advertisements in national newspapers asking for people who felt consistently lucky or unlucky to contact me. Hundreds of extraordinary men and women volunteered for my research and over the years, I have interviewed them, monitored their lives and had them take part in experiments. The results reveal that although these people have almost no insight into the causes of their luck, thei...

This is super duper cute and farrrny. Pixar short video which appears before Wall-E ;)

(Click to enlarge :P) I'd love to go for the opening...but I can't make it!!! *Sob sob* But I'd love to check out the gallery tho. Go visit the website! You'd be tempted to buy haha (if you're into paintings lah that is :P)

What a good reason to stock up!!! Sadly, I just bought some books and a few of them are still untouched **sob sob** You guys go ahead, have fun....buy some good reads so that we can exchange!! hehe ;)

What lousy past 2 days I had....Haven't been feeling well. Guess must be due to the smokers who smoke in the office *koff koff* Anyway, am feeling slightly better today already. Hopefully can catch up with my reading and post something up here soon. Oh yeah, going for some pretty interesting events later ;) Till then, take care & God bless!

Hi everyone, Ever since the post on 'The Last Lecture', I've received numerous sms and msn messages about it. It's really encouraging to know so many of you are interested in reading this book. To those who'd like to borrow it from me, I'm sorry, but you might have to wait. Today, someone just borrowed it from me and promised to return it on Sunday. Make sure you do! Coz there's another person waiting in line! :P But if you can't wait to read it, go grab a copy! Then help me lend it out too hehe Oh yeah, remember the Reading while Waiting Project (RWP)? (Kindly refer to my earlier post please :P) It's commencing soon. Make sure you be part of it! ;)

Dedicated to all my friends who want to live their dreams.... The Last Lecture is a slim book that can be read in just a few sittings. It is full of stories and aphorisms, many of which are familiar from its video progenitor. We revisit Randy Pausch's fulfillment of his childhood dreams and the principles he learned along the way. I've learnt some good lessons on life from Pausch. (At the moment, I'm still waiting for the video to download) One of the many I learnt was about brick walls - that they are there for three reasons: 1) to see how much you want to achieve that goal 2) to keep other people who don't want it bad enough 3) to prove how badly you want something So when faced with a brick wall (or walls), never ever give up! Breaking through or climbing over (whichever way you prefer) that brick wall would only make you a tougher, stronger person ;) Also, learn to be an open book. By this, I didn't mean being easily 'read' by others. I meant, leave y...

With Ed Soon's practical methods and tips he shared during the 'Wine & Dine with Ed Soon' evening, I found the perfect wine which went perfectly well with the fish sauce. According to Ed (the famous wine columnist from The Star. By the way, he's Singaporean :P), it is based on the push and pull theory, that balances the taste, making this combination so flawless. In this book, Ed Soon and his partner, Patricia Guy (author of books on wine) share simple but great tips on how you too can find the perfect wine for your Asian dishes (and the wine doesn't necessarily have to be an expensive one!). They have organised the varied flavours that are typical of Eastern cuisines into five categories. This forms the basis of their method (It is so darn simple when you get the hang of it!) They have also examined the fundamental characteristics of a large number of wines and categorised these by style (crisp wines and dry, juicy white wines, woody white wines, etc) This book...

Ok, I'm just gonna make this veryshort. I'm so exhausted. Just celebrated my husband's birthday at Chilli's today and I know I'd have to blog about this or else, one day, I might just forget that it happened. So yesterday, I attended this wine & dine session (cost RM295. FOC for media haha) and had loads of fun. It was my first time going for this type of wine-tasting event. Anyway, it was really an eye-opener, coz I got to learn how to pair wines with Asian food ;) What's better, the whole evening, I was seated right next to the famous Ed Soon, The Star's wine columnist. He is one humble, handsome man (looks nothing like his profile picture in The Star). Really enjoyed his company. My colleague and I learnt so much! :) Hey, finding the perfect match, isn't that difficult, after all! We found ours in, like, what, 2 minutes? haha all you need is your tastebuds :P If you wanna know more, you can get a copy of his book, titled 'Wine with Asian Food...

Just when I thought China did a fantastic job on its Olympics Opening, I read this in the papers today and googled for the online version. I mean, come on, not letting a kid perform in front of a grand audience all because of her looks??! You gotta be kidding me man....Firstly, it's HER BLARDY VOICE! Secondly, she's just a kid! Thirdly, what would this make her think of herself?? I'm sure whatever she said below, was 'taught' by the 'people above'. Olympic Lip-Synching Singer Outed Following Opening-Ceremonies Switch Producers subbed in new girl after deciding that original singer wasn't 'flawless in image.' By Gil Kaufman If you were one of the estimated 1 billion people around the world who tuned in to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on Friday night, there were several moments where you probably said, "Wow! No way!" As it turns out, you had reason to be skeptical about some of the amazing visual and vocal feats of wond...

Now, who says ugly isn't beautiful? Check out what I found! (This post is pretty long, but please read, especially if you think you're 'ugly'. It's really enlightening :)) By Bob Considine TODAYShow.com contributor updated 12:46 p.m. ET Aug. 8, 2008 Confucius once said, “Everyone has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Leave it to the owner of a company called Ugly New York to have the eye of the beholder. “I think people are really ready to start seeing a whole different kind of person out there,” Simon Rogers, the agency’s head, told TODAY’s Al Roker Friday. The Ugly Talent Agency opened in London 39 years ago, but only opened up a New York office last summer. And business is ... beautiful. Ugly New York’s mission: To find the look of someone who is anything but outright pretty. There are safe words to describe the look; it could be “real” or “eccentric.” But certainly, “tall,” “short,” “fat,” “thin” and, well, “ugly” also fit. Anyone who evokes a certain character...

The last we met and laughed, and had a great time, I think, was about 6 years ago. Anyway, we had loads of fun yesterday, doing the stuff we used to do. Met up with other ex colleagues too. Adryan was my ex-colleague when I was working in M1, Singapore. (Refer to the previous post) Bernard was there too and Valent, who is now working in M1. Bernard hasn't left yet, because of the money and comfort I guess haha Anyway, we met up at Mid Valley yesterday and caught up with good ol' times. Laughing at how we used to bitch about our bosses and customers and the walks at night, the annual dinner, etc. I can imagine, if our whole gang was there, I bet one day wouldn't be enough for all our stories! :D And today too, I had to privilege of shopping with an Image Consultant who helped me create an 'image' I've never tried before haha Let me give you a quick brief on what I've tried: 1) The feminine girl with long, straight hair. 2) Then I chopped off my long mane, and...

One of the many books which I've loved reading when I was younger...was 'The Water Babies'. The story's beautiful and the illustrations...unforgettable...I wonder if it's still available....I'm gonna try to get my hands on it. I'd go to the moon and back to get it.

Read this from a link on my bf's blog (bennykhoo.com). Very interesting.... ------------------------------------------------------- by Lizzie Buchen (published online August 5, 2008) The recent death of Ling-Ling , the only giant panda owned by Japan, sent the world into mourning. Everything about these giant teddy bears—their squat, furry bodies, their sad black eyes, their especially vulnerable babies ( often compared to sticks of butter )—makes them ridiculously, scientifically cute. This, along with their dire status as a species, makes them a powerful symbol for the conservation movement as a whole. But there’s another side of the panda’s tale. Pandas have been ridiculed for their decidedly non-bearlike vegetarian diets, their apparent lack of interest in —and aptitude for—sex, their tendency to spend the majority of their time sitting, eating, scratching (video), and defecating (about 40 times per day)—even for being, shall we say, plump . These rather "unfit"...

Today, is the day, 080808! We'll be pronounced husband and wife! Documents will be signed, pictures will be taken and everyone will be happy, especially my parents. (They've always been worried that nobody would want to marry their rebelious daughter :P) I'm not sure what will follow after the signing of documents, but I know I'll be dead tired, because it's 1.45am now and I'm still wide awake. I think I should catch some sleep. Don't want my eyebags to be too obvious tomorrow. Wish I could cover them up with some make up, but I forgot to bring the tools with me. Maybe, just go with natural beauty lah haha =P So, good night everyone... Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.

An obituary printed in the London Times ... interesting but true: Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground wh...

Bangsa Ria, the centre for the severely disabled is having a jumble sale this Sunday, 10 August, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On sale are clothes, second-hand and new, brand new children's shoes - Land Rover brand (have never heard of the brand but these shoes are pretty sturdy walking shoes), home items (toys, puzzles, knick-knacks including a clock), books etc. Prices are from 50 sen up, with the Land Rover shoes going for just RM10.00! They're keeping prices low because this is their way of giving back to the community as well. There are also some pretty good office chairs (swivel), exercise step machine etc plus some simple tidbits - I mean this is Malaysia - we've got to think food! Bangsa Ria (Happy People - isn't that a lovely name for a centre!) is located at 35, 11/2, which is perpendicular to Jalan Universiti. The first building on this road is Universiti Towers and we are about 5 or 6 bungalows away. Green walls and blue gates - hard to miss! So, be ...

With perseverance and passion, comes great success. Remember the story I told you about Alex, who now has his own album and band? (Click on the 'Stories' or 'Videos' tab to read about it) Guess what. I have another success story to share :) Remember Victor, my friend who told the White Tiger ghost story? He finally got what he wanted. And I am extremely proud of him and happy for him :) You see, he had always wanted to be in the advertising industry. As a friend, I didn't know what to tell him. Coz firstly, I disliked it. No. Dislike isn't accurate enough. Hate is more like it. And you don't recommend something you hate to a friend, right? Secondly, I didn't want him to be brutally 'murdered' by them. To me, everyone in that industry is very selfish and heartless. But after knowing him for awhile, and seeing his passion, I thought, maybe he should just go ahead with it. So, he went for a few interviews, but he didn't succeed at first. But yo...

Arrived early. Unfinished work on my desk. An event. Arrived. Changed of venue. Nobody informed us. Went to new venue. Got lost. Arrived. Ate. Nibbled. Did some really fake-hi-bye-beautiful-product PR. Smile. See you again. Thank you. Bye. Back to desk. More unfinished work. A must-edit-now-work. Can't go home. Held up till about almost 9pm. Tired. Hungry. blardy hungry. Rushed home. Dinner. TV. Blog. Bathe. ZZZ. ciao.

and thankful for Facebook. Because of Facebook, Adryan found me, and helped me find Vanessa and Sau Yee. (And Derrick! Check your blardy wall! :P) They are the friends who made my life a living paradise when I was working in M1, Singapore. I remember those crazy times when we had to 'layan' horrigible customers who are too dumb to understand simple instructions, and once, when I almost lost my job for calling one of those dumbasses a d**khead haha Luckily Michelle was understanding. Wonder how and where is she now... Those times when I thought the unforgiving shifts were a torture, you guys helped me turn it into an entertaining ride. Oh Adryan, remember our bitchy chats over the phone? haha I think we've chatted for like, an hour before rite? Hehe Get your ass here, think my bf wants speak with you LOL I'm so glad we're all keeping in touch again. Adryan, like what you told me, 'true friends are like diamonds, very rare. Fake friends are like autumn leaves, the...

Yes,....I went out and bought Miranda July's No one belongs here more than you. Do I like any of her stories so far...? Hmm...her characters in the story sound kinda sad, lonely and depressed. Don't read it if you think you fall in that category. It won't make you feel much better of yourself :P Anyways....It cost me RM45.90. Personally, I don't think it's worth the money. Yeah, the little 'book' (if you can see it :P) on the chair is 'No one belongs here more than you'. The reason the book is captured in such a way is because that's exactly how I feel when I read her stories. isolated. lonely. dark. depressed. sad. Anyway, if you have read the book, lemme know what you think ;)

Just when I thought I was getting bored of Picoult's works (the storylines get pretty similar after you've read some of her titles), Kavita gave me this book. In it, Kavita wrote, 'Each word was infused with lots of emotion.' And she's right. 'My Sister's Keeper' grips your heart from the very beginning and never lets it go. The plot turns and twists when you least expect. Just when you think that you know what's coming next, it turns the other way. It makes you cringe, cry, smile, laugh, love, hate, pity. Yes, it brings out every bit of emotion that is in you. Most importantly, it makes you question the ethical issues of parents and their children, the moral dilemmas parents face when making choices for them and whether the freedom of choice is really a good thing. This one's an unputdownable read. Reading it turns you into an addicted page turner. You just can't and won't want to stop. Thanks for the book, Kavita....

Some of you may already know that I've just started my new job last Friday, 1st Aug, 2008 (Come to think of it, quite nice numbers 010808 or 188 haha) Joe, thank you for your messages :) But, I'm not gonna say much about my new work place. If you noticed, I rarely bitch about work (even if I did, I've deleted it :P) or about stuff that I'm unhappy about, or about people that drive me up the wall. My posts are mostly about my general interests in books, events, movies or stories which I find interesting/inspiring. Reason's simple: Better be safe than sorry. I don't want any of my posts to be used against me. So to be safe, I 'blabber' such things in my ever reliable 'Moleskine'. Okay, maybe I should stop labelling it as my 'Moleskine'. (Denis may not be very happy about it :P) My little black and white 'diaries'. So I'm just gonna tell you this much about my new place: 1) My boss and colleagues are generally friendly and warm. ...