Entries for February, 2009
February 2nd, 2009
today POSTED AT 11:40 PM Perhaps I should be living for today, instead of waiting for tomorrow. Why not enjoy what I have now, than to think about what could be tomorrow? If carpe diem were the rule of the day, would there not be more pleasure? And yet, in pursuing pleasure, would it be opening a door to future pain? Don't dwell in the past or in the future. Live in the moment. Be wolf. I'm tired of could-be's. I'd like to see a time where things will be because I make it so. Then again, I've always been so much more reactionary than pro-active. It will be difficult to change. See? I'm doing it again. Today, I will try to remove the could-be's in my life. Today, I make my tomorrow. Feeling: resolved 1 talked!
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February 5th, 2009
of technology POSTED AT 09:06 PM I just realised that my panel doctor has a very canggih system. She writes stuff on her screen, and it's connected to the computer in the outer room, where when the consultation's over, the assistants get the medicine ready. All without delay!
Other point of interest: I plugged in my speakers to my laptop while I was doing some work, (who else but an auditor works while on MC?! Yeesh) and then I logged onto the VPN to check my email. For some reason, the speakers stopped playing, but when I pulled them out, the music was still playing on my laptop. Does that mean the song somehow got routed into my office server? Hmmmm.... Listening to: justin mcroberts |
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February 7th, 2009
February 8th, 2009
on writing POSTED AT 11:23 AM I'm in need of a Muse. There was that short-story competition thing that I wanted to write for, but haven't started yet. Given up on the ABNA due to lack of time. There's always next year, I hope. The problem with short stories is that my shorts normally focus on these little cadences and words that play around in my head, which is alright for a nice poetic piece, but really isn't a short story. Nothing happens. It's static. Those shorts might be good as preludes or teasers, or bits of a longer novel, but really isn't right for a short story. A short story needs to move. It needs action packed into it. It needs a definitive beginning-climax-end. It needs plot. But I never had plot, to begin with. My germs of ideas always seem to be a cadence, a rhythm, a catchy phrase. Then the problem with novels is that I always reach my intended end somewhere at about the 25 thousandth word, when a novel is supposed to span 50k or more words. So maybe I should just write short novelettes. The thing with blogging is that I always have these great ideas that I will write down but never do. Then when I actually log-in to the editor, I find that all those ideas were either silly anyway, or long forgotten. I hadn't intended to write about writing when I first started, it kind of just wriggled its way in when I said that I needed a Muse. I did start with something else to begin with, then realised that it's just not the right post for this page. What did I really want to blog about yesterday? I really can't remember anymore. I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to my neck. Maybe the thing I love about books is the words and the phrases, the way they rattle off the tongue and the mind, the spirit of the thing that races through your brain and your pulse. I hardly ever sit down and imagine how the hero or heroine would look like: I'm not a people-person, I guess, so I think of them as humanoids - I just can't see their features. I don't do details, so I don't see the pretty landscapes or the places they're in. But I see the way the words tumble over themselves to show you what's happening. Which is why I love Robin Hobb, because she strings things together so seamlessly, taking you to places familiar and yet unfamiliar, able to invoke the last shred of emotion and empathy for her characters even when they're in a culture and time so far removed from our own. Hers is the kind of writing that really draws you in. Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow series was able to evoke that in different levels over the saga. Ender's Game was one of the best, but other than Speaker for the Dead, the other two in that series delved into harder topics, that whilst as exciting brought up too many concepts and harder thinking that I do not wish to explore. (Solely my failing, I gather, and not his - I really do hate politics.) The Shadow series captured it again, being much lighter, though I don't think I enjoyed Ender's Shadow that much - being a repetition in part of Ender's Game, and being much too surreal. The thing with Christopher Paolini is though he has progressed from being a blatant plagiarist (okay, maybe not plagiarist, but borrower of ideas) in Eragon to being able to stand alone with Brisngr, that flow just isn't there. There's a sense of unwanted formality and stiltedness that just puts me off. It isn't the formality of a 17th or 18th century classic - that has a charm all its own. There's just a slight awkwardness in the way his sentences fit together that makes it slightly uncomfortable to read. But there, I've bombarded you with words, and while words are all I have to take your heart away, I doubt you'd appreciate it being shoved down your throat. --- we could stick your picture on a chair |
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February 9th, 2009
almost done! POSTED AT 12:10 AM Awesomely, after approximately 3 and a half hours of hard work, I'm almost done setting up my new IKEA table. All that's left is wondering how to shove the wires out of sight, whether I'm actually going to use those two shelves and rearranging all my books from out of my clothes cupboard onto the snazzy bookshelf thing. My fingers hurt and I've started coughing again, but it's worth it. I figure at my usual time cost charged of RM200 an hour (I think - I haven't filled up a C4.01 billing sheet in a while) this table would have cost me something like RM1,100. Serious. That's RM700 for time costs and RM400 as the actual cost of the table. And that's not factoring in time cost for my mum, or transportation costs from KL. (Though I'll take the transport costs as a free plus, since it was a since-we're-already-here factor, and not a special trip.) My thumb is red. This is awesomeness, my mum and I rock. My dad went to sleep, so he can't share any of our awesomeness. Pictures tomorrow, I'm tired. Feeling: accomplished |
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February 9th, 2009
done! *wiggle* POSTED AT 11:44 PM This is the third time I am going to try to post this today... I hope it works Presenting... stage one... to final product! (Okay, so the first thing I had to set up was my computer)
That thingy on the right... is this cool magnetic board, where we have an impromptu pen holder. (As you can see... there are already books and books and books there! I figure this is my 'work' station... it has... dictionaries, a very old bible, thesaurus... and lots of FRS. Oh yah, as well as copies of FYU and ISCAMania)
And the main reason why I bought this table....
Okay, so the books aren't up there yes, but I love my snazzy new bookshelf! Hehe. Well, my scattered CDs have also found a new home. (My CD bags are almost too full to fit anymore, these were the 'leftovers' from my last rearranging spree, so to speak) Oh well, a couple more pictures for today...My brother and his masterpiece!
Doesn't that look really awesome?
Cley's dinner pictures will have to come another day. |
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February 13th, 2009
IT'S TODAY! POSTED AT 04:41 PM The show's tonight... it's going to be a full house. Overbooked, actually. I don't really know what I feel. What I do know, is that I'm glad that the end is in sight. It's starting to grate. If you still want to come and watch, tomorrow's still open. Tickets are at RM85, student price at RM60. Visit www.penangplayers.org for more info... Contact Mrs Mano Balachandran (012 4318330) or Joelle Saint-Arnoult (012 5512616) for ticket details. (But not tonight after 7, because we will be busy) Or if you're in Groi, that'll be next Sat, the 21st at Indulgence. On an aside, I had lunch with Dennis who was up in Penang for a meeting in Intel. It's been ages. Well, okay. I met him in Dec. Whatever. Gotta run and start prepping. |
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February 14th, 2009
Today I... POSTED AT 04:33 PM
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February 15th, 2009
have passport, will travel POSTED AT 11:40 PM So I've finally done my passport. The guy helping me process the stuff asked where I was planning to go. I said, no plans yet - just in case. Then he said something about having people spending 300 bucks on making a passport and then not using it within the 5 years and what a waste it was. But no. Have passport, will travel. I intend to, purposefully. Even though I'm so introvertedly shy and unadventurous it might not be worth the effort, but I will. If only so I can take photos of everyone else having fun. So they'll be running around doing outdoorsy stuff, and I shall ensconse myself with beautiful museums, novelty shops and second-hand bookshops. I shall stop being negative. There's nothing wrong with liking quiet things. =) --- I heard a lot of things I wish I didn't hear today. If only because it made me think of him. |
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February 21st, 2009
Quickie POSTED AT 10:58 AM I'm typing this in a rush as I will have to leave the house in about 8 minutes to drop my car off at PCC (Thanks, Gabe) and get picked up at the KDU hostel (ooh, that sounds weird) to get to Ipoh! It's the last run of Love... Perhaps? at the Indulgence Restaurant (or something like that) and I'll be overnighting with Lex (yay, lex!) then coming back to Penang maybe after lunch. Not too late, I hope. Maybank is taking forever to log in, maybe I'll give up, but I did so want to transfer some cash to FD while I can. I doubt it's a good idea to like, refresh a log-in page to a bank. Grr. At any rate, I'd better squirrel away some money because I have been oh-so-overspending in the last two days. Bought books, 6 at RM133, which was quite a steal, (yay, MPH sales!) and jeans at RM33 (that was 70% disc) as well as a new shirt from The Executive at like RM45 (well, only 50%). Parkson's sales are pretty yummy. AND THEN Script Frenzy sent a message gearing up for the new launch in April (w00t w00t) and their 2009 long-sleeved tee. Gah. Okay. Enough about that, I have to run. |
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February 23rd, 2009
Space Opera, really. POSTED AT 10:02 PM The internet is so slowwwwwwwww these days Anyway, I just bought E.E. 'Doc' Smith's classic Lensman series, a steal at RM15 for 7 books. w00t! I haven't actually started reading them yet... But at any rate, I thought I'd do some googling and I discovered that these books are considered 'space opera':
Yeah. (Funnily enough, this E.E. Smith was also described as 'a food engineer, specialising in doughnut and pastry mixes - mmm doughnuts.) Oh, Star Wars is apparently part of this genre as well, and "In his biography, George Lucas reveals that the Lensman novels were a major influence on his youth." Me thinks I'm going to have fun with this... Though I do think I will try to finish my books one at a time. I'm currently in the middle of Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope. And that was 18 books bought in 4 days. GAAAAHHHHHHH. Hi, my name is Anna, and I'm addicted to buying books. Reading: Can You Forgive Her - Anthony Trollope Listening to: Hello Love album - Chris Tomlin Feeling: sugar high |
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February 28th, 2009
dropping rates POSTED AT 10:35 AM I finally got home early enough and remembered that the online FD placement closes at 10pm. So I went, happily put some cash into FD... and then found out that rates have dropped to 2%. Stupid thing is, I put it in for a 2 month stint (I'm expecting to need the cash in mid year, maybe) which gives 2.05% at Maybank, and then I hop over to Eon Bank and find out that they're offering 2.5% for that same tenure! Grr... but I don't have any more loose cash to stuff in, and besides, for Eon Bank placements you STILL have to go to the bank and pick up the cert and I don't have the time to do that. (Maybank's e-deposit is certless) Oh bleh. I also just found out that a flight to UK costs about RM3k. Yeesh. |
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