2012

So here comes the new year...  Bleh

I can't care less. Not that I'm trying to be a sour grape here.  It's more because you don't judge yourself based on 365 and 1/4 days. 

It's gradual.

Or perhaps I'm just being the plain, uninterested me.

Candles (Remix) - Hey Monday

Ruffled

Maybe I'm just letting myself down, 

maybe it's a subconscious attempt to keep my ego in check,

maybe I'm just consciously blaming my subconscious.

I just have a whole lot of love,

laying dormant, wanting to burst out.

Though I act like I don't care much,

trust me, I'm malleable to anyone.

Now won't you help me fix that,

even as a momentary pause?

Bah.  I'm just sitting here, after realizing that I played a little too much Skyrim again, looking at my Ruffles potato chips.  Whilst running circles around Facebook.  Speaking of which, I finally watched The Social Network.  And it was

I can happily claim that edited picture to be of my work.  And there goes my ego again.

My sem break is turning out to be quite unfruitful.  But hey, I got to work at least.  Next month will be a whole other problem: university applications.  My gawd.

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

Eve

Another pending Christmas that I don't have particular plans for...  Oh well!  But for the third year running, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is stuck in my head.  Can't blame her, it's a kickass song with a hint of romance.  Ignore the last word.

What I learned today is that a best friend is someone who you'd like to punch in the face at times, and instead makes you laugh alongside him.  Thank you for reminding me that, Chin.

In advance, Merry Christmas!  May your dream(s) come true, because I wish mine could.

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Fingerprints

Tuesday's work with Roger with Major 7 Music was incredibly tiring.  We worked from 10 am (at Royale Bintang Hotel) until 12.30 pm and then from 2 pm till 3 am at MMU located in Cyberjaya.  It was psychotic, not to mention extremely taxing on my body.  I swore I could've gotten a hernia anytime during work should I lift those stuff by myself.  Well, it's only my fourth day at work so I screwed up on tons of stuff.  Thankfully no one besides the AV crew realized it.  But hey, the experience was a nice one.  The pay was also quite good, but that didn't really matter.  I just woke up two days later to realize that I've got multiple cuts on my fingers from getting cut/crushed/smashed by the gear when taking it down, and later loading it back in, the truck.

I'll be leaving for futsal soon with Vikesh, my driving school buddy, who recently came back from Ireland, pursuing a medical degree.  I'm very excited, as I haven't had a good workout in two good weeks.  Just hope that I don't get slaughtered out there like that game against the Middle Easterners.

But on a grand-er scale, sem break has been pretty meh...  Maybe because I'm playing more than reading, OR that most planned events fall apart at the vital stages.  And sem break kinda sucks when you have the luxury of time to stalk people whilst trying to suppress hormonal instincts.  Contradicting much?  But girl WHY SO ATTRACTIVE?!

Feel The Music (JXL Mix) - Tom Jones

Crimson

A wonderful evening, I had.

With a familiar face.

We connected well,

as though the past did not entangle.

An idea flashed across,

in a glimpse I relapsed.

But the thought still persists:

am I to find the antidote,

and/ or maybe another adversity?

If only a degree of directness is obliged...
And a hint of crimson intent catches her attention

He Won't Go - Adele

Moonlight

Well, I don't have a job, so I'm free for the entire month.  I've cancelled half my trips with friends because I just felt like it.  I'm reading again because I need to.  All this bears one question in mind:  Am I too selfish?

I'll leave that thought for myself to ponder on tonight when lying on my bed.

When I debate with myself,

regarding the people I missed,

I simply mention:

every single breath.

The problem persists,

how frequently it may be asked.

Circles - Digitalism

Dust

Finally!  After months of procrastination, I managed to pull off the spring cleaning of my room.  It looks much neater now (and less claustrophobic).  I'm sorry to my dad's co-workers for all the racket caused by the noise emitted by the vacuum cleaner, which was almost equivalent to a jet-engine's roar.  So I've been sneezing for the past half-an-hour from the dust but I've vacuumed most of it.  Will probably do a second sweep tomorrow morning.

Moreover, my family plus Sunshine went to witness "Stomp!" the dance/musical performance at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center last Saturday.  They were phenomenal!  I felt incredibly guilty for dosing off at once scene...  Very, very guilty in fact...  I didn't even know why I was all of a sudden sleepy.  But it was a great show.  And as a bonus, the Picom PC Fair was next door.  So I got new earphones from Sensonic and a Logitech Stereo Headset.  Like, FINALLY.  Yay!!

Buen Salvaje - La Vida Boheme

Micro

Whee!!  I'm done with my finals for the last time this year.  I'm planning to get a part-time, maybe even full-time job at Thyme Bakery at Uptown, since it's incredibly nearby.  To work for a month.  Eh hee

At least I have a clear picture of what to do in my free time (at last).  I've got three main goals this break:

1. Do extensive research on my transfer univeristies.

2. Get a job, if not, learn how to cook anyway.

3. Read (more) books. 

Sounds very straightforward.  And now to hope the best for a TOEFL exam slot.  I. Need. This!!

Fallin' Apart - The All-American Rejects

Studiere

It's "study" in German, mind you.  Dang...  I've got my hands on a well-reviewed book by Umapagan of the BFM book club, Reamde, and Michael Crichton's unfinished book "Micro", which was halfway done before his passing.  Sadly, I've got finals to worry about.  The main reason why I can find time to blog now is because there's so much Bio crammed into my head that I can't absorb any more info at the moment.

Also tried registering just now for the TOEFL exam for next year.  Unfortunately it's been fully booked till the end of February.  Bloody hell.

Horchata - Vampire Weekend

Comfort

It seems that fate, karma, or whatever force is truly at work out there.  Just an hour after the previous post, Sab calls me up to go get a drink.

Simply put, we caught up and had a good time.  Thank you, I really needed that.  The simplest things are almost, if not the most splendid things in life.

Band of Brothers Suite One - Michael Kamen

Stagnation

What's on my mind?

Too damn much.

My Mind Rebels at Stagnation - Hans Zimmer

Catharsis, the purging of emotions

Just got back from the THEA 1000 mini-production entitled "Catharsis".  Quite good, with some awkward scripts.  But all in all, a good value for money.  Kudos to Danny who's opening skit gave a great start to the night.  And to everyone else, great job.  You guys thoroughly deserve the credit.

But there's one minor issue I had (with myself not the production, mind you) tonight.  I'm sure it's now a formality to flex my poetic wit or somewhat to cloud the meanings.

Another bliss, 

prancing along the rose petals.

Swift and strong,

as the gale of the wind.

It thunders in my chest,

and leaves me unrest.

For the heart and the mind,

resume another contest.

Along the rose flutters,

but admired by many,

myself included.

To embrace its splendor,

or to gaze at a distance,

that is the question (un)answered.

I need a therapy session soon.  Oh, god.

Since I Fell For You - George Benson

Face

It's two weeks before my last finals for the year.  Again, time really flies and another year just passes me by.  I'll probably proceed with my inner reflections someday after my finals. But today, I'm surrendering myself to emotions again, sorry.  Well, it was all because of coming across this picture on Deviantart.  Big credit to the artist who did this.

I still look for that face,

the one only seen in dreams,

yet too immaterial to know who.

In that blur,

I'd roam around nomadic,

clueless, yet with a purpose.

Until time catches up with me,

I'll miss another face.

But sometimes,

I wish that she not be the one,

although how much splendor she possesses.

At times, I just don't want to fall for every flower out there.

Whether it be costly,

or a mere gamble,

I'll never know until I lose it all.

But then again,

I'm always playing shadow games with its notion.

I hate my emotional needs.  They demand so much.  Goodbye for today.

Carina - James Hunter

Landmark

I feel like blogging on my Broga hike which happened on Monday, but I'm too lazy...  Moreover, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 beckons for my attention.  Anyway...  the main topic for this post will be on the unique date.  Sure there are massive song requests on the radio waves and bla bla bla, but I decided to create my own list.

11 reasons why today's unique six-digit binary date, 11.11.11, will be remembered for a while yet:

1) China's celebrating singles day, since 1 symbolizes being single.
2) Also in China, engaged couples are rushing to get registered for marriage.
3) Pregnant Korean mothers are demanding for C-section so that their kids get born today.
4) The official end of World War I (which ended on 11.11 am on the 11th of November, 1918)
5) The hackers in Silicon Valley is naming today Nerd New Year due to the six-digit binary date and are organizing an all-day hackathon /party for charity.
6) The next six-digit binary date will fall 89 years from now at January 1, Year 2100.
7) If you put the date in binary coding, it will be the highest value (since "1" is the cap value)
8) Yu Liang getting fraped so badly that his sisters completely blocked him from Facebook.
9) Me attempting to preserve a chocolate bar, left overnight in the fridge, from melting for some 8 hours(and SUCCEEDING!)
10) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is out!
11) The release of the dumbest, linear, stupid, childish, over-the-top goryness, cliched, Greek-mythology-insulting, biggest FU sign of all movies, "Immortals". Arguably THE WORST movie I've ever witnessed yet.

And have an awesome day :D

And this new Blogspot layout confuses me so!!  :/

We're An American Band -  Grand Funk Railroad

Smack

I'm getting obsessed again.  In retaliation, I gave myself a slap.  Not too hard to leave a mark, but not too soft to go unnoticed either.  Excuse the awkwardness.  You guys should know I'm like that since college life started.  Larger extremes: more extroverted AND more reserved at the same time...  

Okay.  That's all for now.  Goodnight.

So Close - Jon McLaughlin

Reveal

There's a few things I've learned in this week of fatigue-ridden college episode.

1. I get sad everytime I walk home in the rain.  Don't know why, just my newly discovered nature.

2. Power naps are to be used sparingly, not all the time.

3. We met again, "D" and I, if you still remember what I mean.  Otherwise, here's a reminder.  But since I was so busy with the Halloween booth and stuff at that time, I just waved and smiled.  At least she remembered me and smiled back.  At least.  And I still haven't gotten her name.  Teenage romance?  Oh, please don't be that...

Escapee - Architecture In Helsinki

Courage

For the 21874th time, sorry for not blogging.  I was either too busy violating (and abusing) my free time with FIFA 12 and Dues Ex: Human Revolution (which is shizz AWESOME) or finishing up the assignments I stockpiled all this while, and juggling the tensions of organizing an event with an absurdly demanding crowd.

*sigh* I hate it when I find myself in a position where I have to sigh.  It shows near intolerable levels of frustration.  But I'll soldier on, as I have been doing all my life.  Unfortunately, that means the inevitable outcome of not meeting some expectations.  I'll take the bullet for the team.

But I seem to be bereft of confidence lately...  Maybe it's the big odds placed against me.  Or it could just be me under-performing.  Well, sadly I've been in a mess lately.  Gotta get out of this slump soon.  I'm sure I will buck up.  Just need to push myself instead of someone else helping me. 

I need more courage.  And I'll drive myself to get some.  I must.

Let This Go - Paramore

Idiot

I just miss those times where I felt that I mattered.  At least, to someone.  Idiotic me.

Baby Blue - Dave Matthews Band

Blank

Sorry I haven't posted for a while!!  Another one of those "no incidents, no post" scenarios.

Had an interesting day at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary yesterday.  We got to feed some elephants as well as ride on them.  It was... scary yet fun (as all new things are).  Then we were supposed to bathe the baby elephants later that afternoon.  BUT they decided to take a leak and dump(s) in the river with the workers.  So that idea was (thankfully) scrapped.

So blah blah blah, everything ordinary about a trip.  Long hours in the bus, restlessness, and some snoozing.  Best of all, no report required.

And I'm having emotional conflicts again.  G-Dang it

Rumour Has It - Adele

Reborn

*pardon my lack of enthusiasm; imagine the hype displayed in this post by the factor of 10*

Had a fun time with Atia and Sab yesterday.  We went to The Curve at Mutiara Damansara.  We initially wanted to eat at Ikea's cafeteria but since it was Malaysia Day, a public holiday now, it was jammed packed.  So we settled for the always-healthy Subway.

We walked past Bubba Gump and at the entrance positioned 3 waiters.  EVERY ONE OF THEM greeted in the same matter: "Hey, ladies!".

Self esteem : -10 points

It seems when I hang out with girls, I'm collectively the gal too.  Not really complaining.  Nagging, perhaps.

Anyway...  it started raining heavily so Rakesh couldn't make it, since he lived some distance away.  So the three of us decided to watch a movie.  There weren't many shows to choose from, so we settled with Johnny English Reborn.  With front row seats.  I guess that's the bargain you make if you decide to buy the tickets just a minute before the movie starts.  It was a good movie, though.  Very funny.

Then once the movie ended, we went home.  Now that's what I love.  A simple get-together, no fusses, everything just comes across naturally.  Now why can't I have that more often?

Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People

Waterfall

To live life, is to find a purpose,

of why you were brought to this Earth,

of what you are meant, or made, to be.

If you can't find that purpose,

NEVER lose hope,

it will come forth in due time.

Frustration and anger may arrive first,

but they are mere bystanders,

discouraging your efforts.

Heed not their calls,

but the ones in your heart,

those, that truly mean something to you.

As Coldplay mentioned in their recent song,
"every teardrop's a waterfall",

Just don't fight against the current.  Man, when you understand how a wonderful, nice person can be that insecure, you can't help but bleed your heart out, to the point of being reduced to tears.  I think I'm gonna go let it out now.  I'm sorry for the incredibly depressing post.  I just need to pour the contents of my feelings every once in a while.

Then again, this blog is 99% ranting, eh?  Goodnight, and to all, safe dreams.

 Every Teardrop's a Waterfall - Coldplay

Joy

I learned a valuable lesson today,

and it brings an internal conflict to a close.
I don't need/ see everything,

but a want derails judgement.
Discreet pieces of appealing traits,

it attracts but is not enough to appease one.

That should,
that could,

and that would,

be a perfect conclusion.
Let that implicit meaning show to those at heart,

for a heart on sleeves is merely a giveaway.

GOD I'm happy I rediscovered poetry.  College is making me less free (again).  Now...  to read on Charles Darwin's excursion to the Galapagos Islands, or Football Manager 2011??  Oh dang...

All I Need - David Ryan Harris

Patience?

Asking someone out for lunch, is such a big task.  WHY IS THAT?!

Forevermore - David Ryan Harris

Daze

This past few days have been quite nerve-wracking for me.  Paintball was boatloads of fun, but at the expense of my grandaunt (God bless her soul) leaving this plane and my good friend getting caught up in a nasty accident.  Thankfully, I was there during the moment.  I don't know...  maybe sorrow is coming across naturally to me, that I not embrace it but on the flip-side, acknowledge it to be an integral part in life.

Orientation today was another bucket of joy.  I helped out the Sun-U Council and had a great time with random strangers who came for orientation.  Funny thing is, that for once I didn't think it was so important to know their names.  I guess sometimes it's fun to hang-out with strangers coming together for one sole purpose.  When I think about it now, it's sort of a mini epiphany on how joy should be felt.  That's comforting.

And my parting message today:
To all my friends,
I've always cared.

It's just that I wasn't always showing it,

just lying outside visibility.

Warning Sign - Coldplay

Skype

It's the single most inventive thing I've seen to ever brace online messaging.  You get to call people!!

Yes, this invention marked it's debut years back.  It's just that I'm utilizing it a lot more frequent lately.  And it's really great to talk to some people halfway across the globe, knowing that they're doing fine.

I love you guys.  Okay.  Mushy mushy moment gone.

Annie's Song - John Denver

I'm BORED!

I've been trying to fill up my time with more useful stuff in my agenda, since my first sem break featured me solely vegetating at home.  So for the past two weeks, I've been going to social events, well... minor ones, walking around the place, and spending more time playing my new Football Manager 2011.

Okay, so maybe more time will be put to playing this game.  BUT STILL!  It's a good game which involves tactics.  So it's not that bad.  And I'll be going for paintball soon, so cross that off my Bucket List.

Yea...  I'm kinda just posting to fill my blog up.  Cheers.

Oh!  And the Community Shield is on tonight with Man United going up against the "noisy neighbors" Man City.  I'm sure it'll be interesting.  Aguero may be starting!  And I'm curious how David De Gea will fare.

Signals the start of the Barclays Premier League next week!!

I Told You I Couldn't Stop - Jakob Dylan

Recap

Since god knows when Roshan's camera will start working again, I'll just start anyway.  On Thursday, 14th July, the Liverpool Football Club had a training session alongside the Malaysian IX national team at Bukit Jalil Stadium.  It was from 7pm up until 9pm.  So after my 3 o'clock Calculus class that day, I rushed to Kelana Jaya LRT Station via the RapidKL bus to rendezvous with Roshan.  He reached around 4pm due to the Tropicana City Mall bus.  Along the way, we missed our stops some 3 times, which cost me some RM10 extra.  The stadium was packed with people.  Outside the stadium were plenty of stalls selling jerseys and other memorabilia, the most apparent being those blasted vuvuzelas and horns.

So after an hour of waiting, the guards opened the gates and the thousands of Kopites waiting outside started pouring in.  These were some of the shots taken during that day, most of them coming from the official tour website.

The attendance that day was close to 40,000 fans.  That's nearly half the stadium filled with Liverpool Supporters.  To be frank, I myself was surprised by the vast number of people who showed up.  It was more than the attendance of the Arsenal match a few days earlier.  And this was only the training session!

The next day, I had my driving examinations.  So I had to waking up at AWOUHDQ 5 a.m. in the morning just so I could take the bus bringing us there (to Jalan Broga, Semenyih) which SUPPOSED to arrive at 6.15 a.m.  Below the agency office, swarmed with mosquitoes under the rain, was hardly a good start to my day.  The bus ride took 2 hours, doubled of what was the supposed eta.  And the air-conditioning in the bus was at full blast throughout that journey, when it was raining heavily outside.  All I had was a collared shirt and jeans to keep me warm.  Needless to say, my fingers and ears were desensitized.

The day was extremely draggy as what seemed to be the most boring day of my life.  And at the end of the day, I failed my driving test on Open Road section.  What did I do wrong?  I crossed an invisible line of white paint on the floor, entering the next lane.  Okay.  My bad.  But to add insult to injury, I had to endure a freaking THREE HOUR bus ride back because of a few factors:

- Bus driver didn't know the way.  Couldn't even tell me where the heck we were.

- It rained very heavily, thus the traffic jam became more time-consuming.

To top it all off, my phone was close to death so I had no music to listen to.  Oh, and I had to walk in the rain back home, which gave me the flu.

Saturday was a fun day though.  Roshan and I took extra care when we traveled there and back.  The LRT to Bukit Jalil was jam packed with Liverpool fans.  When the LRT reached the destination, everyone began to cheer as we exited the compartment.  Almost instantly, anthems were sang and the atmosphere was tremendous.  This was going to be a cracker, and THIS is what you call a big club, rich with tradition and we, the fans, are always the 12th man.

  

 

The game ended in an exciting 6-3, with the visitors running riot in the stadium.  And the best part was although the near-full capacity of the stadium donned the traditional red of Liverpool, we supported both sides of the game.  And Malaysia played well.  Through all times we sang the YNWA song, I think I can get most of the lyrics.  C'mon, which other team has their own song?

And that, ends the three day spectacle of awesomeness.  And with that, loads of fatigue.  Cheers.  And YNWA

You'll Never Walk Alone - The Crowds

Bowel dismemberment

Well, I'm not done with the "super week" yet.  Still under wraps!

On a more recent news, I finally took heed to patch up the two giant holes in my Cheetah pants yesterday.  The green one.  Well, my mom asked me to.  Finished sewing in 2 and a half hours.  Boy, that was long.

And today I stumbled across a carton of unopened milk which was expired the day before.  Not wanting to waste any food, I opened it and tested it.  It was safe, so I drank it.  The whole 1 LITER of it.  Biggest nutritional mistake I have ever made.  That was around 12.30 this afternoon.  And I just went through my SIXTH pit-stop to discharge my bowels.  I tell you, it's a hundred times worse than consuming detox drinks.

The Handshake - MGMT

Bands

Pardon the impromptu-ness.  I don't like writing down and erasing my lines.

Still walking aloft the breeze,

hoping it will carry me to another dove.
Yet no avian being passes by,

just the chill of the breeze.

I leave my heart on my sleeve,

so that all can see.

But probably no one cares.

Meh.  Seems scrappy at best.  Need to do something more...  PRODUCTIVE

All Signs Point To Lauderdale - A Day To Remember

Second guesses

Just when I thought I knew you well, you proved me wrong.  Again.  Well, it isn't bad news.  It's just that I need some time to think it through and accept it.  Rejection makes it unnecessarily complicating at best.  Since I'm having my semester break now, I suppose it's good timing.

Okay, I won't over-think on it.  No.

And I'm STILL waiting for Roshan to upload those photos...  I wanna blog on it now...

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven

Ugh...

Had a very, very exhausting past 5 days...  So many events back to back.  But it was all awesome, except for the failing my driving test part.  Will blog on it all when I'm free.  Down with the flu now and exams are next Tuesday.  One last push!  And then, my driving exam retest more sleeping hours!

Paper Romance - Groove Armada

Volunteer

It was a rainy day during Calculus class on Thursday, June the 30th.  Then again, I was mightily stuffed from my meal-for-two mixed rice dish.  My brain could barely figure out a quadratic equation any faster than my 15-year-old sister could.  And boy, did time creep slowly.  As the two-hour mark neared to a close, I felt my side-pocket, the one housing my phone, vibrate.  Desperate for something interesting to happen that day, I hastily slid my phone open.  It was Kevin.  Knowing Mr. A&P Director of the Sun-U Council, it must be some request for volunteers.

True enough, it was.  The Sun-U Council needed more helpers at the International Students Office (ISO) as it was a new intake for several programs such as the accounting programs (CAT and ACCA), Canadian International Matriculation Program (CIMP), Foundation In Arts (FIA) and so on.  Kevin said that he needed help from 3 till 5.  Since my class just ended at 3, I thought: "Sure, why not.  Besides, I could get some hours of community service for this."

So Yu Liang and I went to lend a hand.  Through the glass panes, we could see the hectic condition of the office.  The seats were all taken up, there were some helpers running to and fro, calling out to several people.  It was chaotic.  And in the midst of that anarchy, stood Kevin, smiles and all.

He quickly briefed us on how each department of inquiry is segregated to distinct sections of the somewhat large office.  Opposite the entrance to the ISO, was some 8 separate desks, each specializing in course placement-related inquiries.  To your immediate right, was the head office girl, nicknamed "Kak", who helps in anything related with paperwork, be it printing official transcripts or registration and application forms.  Opposite Kak's desk situated three desks related to insurance-related affairs.  To the back of the office, was some 10-odd tables helping out with visa applications, renewals or brand new.  On the much-occupied (mostly by brochures) reception desk featured 4 ledgers for students to fill in their details before being attended to.

In that whirlwind of information being crammed into my head, I had to go back to Kevin to recap all that.  Took me some 6 times to get it all sorted out.  But once we knew what we were doing, it was going very smoothly.

Then after half-an-hour, Yu Liang had to go, leaving me and Kevin to man the place.  Ish.  Then came in this lady, with her daughter [I'll just call her by the alias of "D" (for daughter) as two "her"s in this conversation will get very tricky] walking slowly behind her, almost shy-like.  She went to Kak to ask about the deposit International Students have to pay as part of their insurance.  After a short while, Kak approached Kevin and I and asked which one of us was willing to show the lady and her daughter the way to the Financial Department as they need to print their official transcript.  Since it was getting monotonous in there, I volunteered.  They were Indonesians so I was a little lost in translation as Malay varies from Malaysian to Indonesian.  Well, not completely lost.

So I escorted them there and the lady asked me, in Bahasa Indonesia, of course: "What course are you doing?"  I made sure I pronounced every syllable properly as my tendency to chew up words is rather annoying, answering "American Degree Transfer Program" really slowly.  She nodded and I saw D brush aside her fringe.  At that moment, I got a clear picture of her face.  And DAMN she was cute.

I stayed cool and asked the lady what course was D enrolling in, as she was some few paces behind us.  Her mother replied "CIT".  For a moment, I paused.  Wait, I thought.  Computer Information Technology?  Since when was there a computer science course in Sunway?  I was extremely puzzled but I just nodded, trying to buy me some time to figure what it was.  But it was too late, the next question came and it was "Is the program good here?".  Like an idiot, I just laughed and said that I don't know.  She laughed along, saving me some blushes.

When we reached Financial Services, I took a number for them as they both sat down.  Then I went and stand beside them.  D saw me standing and offered her seat for me, smiling and she shuffled into the next seat of the row, and I accepted the offer.  Still befuddled on what "CIT" may be, I asked her what course was she doing, making sure my voice was low enough so that her mother won't hear me.  She replied "Certified Accounting-"

Oh!  Now I know!  It's Certified Accounting Technician.  CAT.  I forgot that the way some people pronounce "A" isn't "eh" but "eye".  Then, she asked me whether was it a good program here.  I promptly answered: "It's very good here, most people come here." with a smile.  Then again, private institutions DO get more students due to the high demand.  I wasn't wrong.

I then asked where was she from, hoping it was some place I know (unfortunately, that meant either Bali or Jakarta, which wasn't very helpful or encouraging).  She laughed as she stated that I surely haven't heard of the place before.  "Try me" I insisted.  Well, I can't actually recall what she said, but I have no clue where that was.  Then she laughed, revealing her two rows of near-perfect, white teeth.  I guessed it was the result of witnessing my clueless dead-pan look that I subconsciously display when I don't know stuff.

Then our turn was up and we settled it quite quickly before leaving.  The trip back was exactly the same as the trip to Financial Services: very quiet.  Then she sat outside at the tables provided by the ISO directly outside the office as I went back in to resume my shift.  I took one last look at her before going back in.  She saw that and said thank you.  I flashed a smile as I said: "Your welcome."

Kevin saw that and started eying me as I returned to the reception desk.  She's pretty cute, he said.  Yeah, she was, I replied.  "You got her name?" "Nah, it'll be weird and all..." I shrugged.  And he raised his eyebrow, giving me the "you're sure about that" look.

Actually, I thought about it a few times in that brief escort.  But in the end, I didn't ask.  Sure, she's cute, kind, warm and all, coupled with that sweet smile, but she's in a totally separate course from me.  We'll barely see each other and to top it off, she's an international student, what are the odds she'll be around long-term?

That was logic speaking.  And I took every word of it.

After rethinking about what had happened that day, I think I made a really bad judgement call.  The was some connection that I felt with her.  And distance, to say the least, was never up to debate when it comes to me being attracted to someone.  Emotionally, my feelings said a totally different set of opinions.  I should've just taken the chance.  Just reminiscing about her, her perfect skin, that warm look in her eyes, the slender body, the way her hair was beautifully pinned up, even down to the way she walks, being reserved while not wanting to garner any attention at all, the epitome of modesty.  As Malcolm Gladwell of the book "Blink" would say, snap judgement tells a lot.  Yes, she was seriously attractive.

But I hesitated and brushed it off.  And the chance went by.  Let it be my lesson for the future.  That's the least I can hope for.  For in some odd way, that memory is still latched tightly in my memory stem.  And it's those kind of "tiny fragments of experience" that signify something bigger.  Should fate be extremely kind, I hope I would see her again.  The funny thing is that if I weren't to volunteer to help Kevin, none of this would've happen.  Should I leave this to chance, is the least of what I can offer.  And I'll try to keep my eyes peeled for the day that we do cross paths again.  I believe I still have a chance.  Thus, I volunteer myself for that cause.

Burning Love - Elvis Presley

Reformation

I am wrong as much as I am right,

or so I figure.

I falter, I stumble,

but I'll try to pick myself up.

The shadows still offer their haven,

but although tempted, I refuse.

The marionette will have one less pawn to showcase.

Or so faith tells me so.

I no longer drag this heavy feet.

I've discarded some of the burden.

No longer was I encumbered,

be it by doubt or strength.

For resolve is what I thrive,

to bathe in it's embrace,

be it right and ridden of wrong.

But what is day and night,

if we can't fight against the same plight?

We are the dark, we are the light.
Still we result in nature's blight.

Wow...  I'm getting some groove back on impromptu writing again.  And it's nothing short of elation for that fact alone.

However, the recent hoo-ha about Bersih 2.0 is really nonsensical to say the least.  Anwar Ibrahim, although I hold no favor for him as compared to any other politician, was hospitalized at Pantai Hospital as result from the rally.  To make matters worse, an innocent person actually lost their life due to breathing problems from the resultant tear gas.  Why does the government do this?  I don't really know.  It's only normal that we question nearly everything.  As a concerned citizen, I do.  I just keep my head down and not nose around.  The less I know, the better.  But violence was never right.  Sigh.

C'mon People (We're Making It Now) - 

Richard Ashcroft

Fourth of July!

On Monday, the ADTP Student Committee had it's first event with the upcoming board members.  It was at the Sunway-Monash Residence and the management was VERY PRIVY.  Very.  But scrape that.

The whole purpose of the party was to celebrate America's Independence Day, also for the Dean's List ceremony, and a party for the leaving students.

And I was a little nervy.  Of course I should be, it's my first big step in college life outside books. It was going really well, the setup and sound checks and decos.  As Naufal would say:  It looks pretty good!

At 5.30pm, the guests started arriving and soon, the place was packed with people.  It was getting exciting and I thought:  Wow!  This could BE it.  It's gonna be darn fun.

Then, some problems popped up because the management, being privy (that's all I'll say) nearly put the entire event to a complete halt.  But thanks to our adviser, Mr. Chong, he and his top-notch negotiation skills bought us just enough time to enjoy the party.  We really owe it all to him.

Here are some of the best pics from that day.  Not much explanation is needed, credits to Vicky Ong for the pictures.

 

 

 

It didn't matter whether I had a quiz for Sociology the following day, or that my hair was badly chlorinated, or down to the fact that I cut finger in the process of tying balloons.  It was worth it.

I'll be looking forward to working together with you guys again!

B Is For Brutus - The Hives

Adagio

Somehow, God does have his mysterious ways.  I mean, I don't worship him to decide my fate, but I do recognize it whenever he shows me a sign, however miniscule the sign may be, the magnitude always larger.

After my post earlier today (okay, technically yesterday as it's already past midnight), some 12 hours ago, I receive a call from her.

Her reason behind the call is solely to catch up on lost time.  I didn't mind.  We're still friends, good ones too.  Again, she ran out of topics rather quickly.  But I'm okay with that, it just means that we're still the same, I'm just meddling with my thoughts anyway about the previous sentence.  It was good to hear that she's fine, and partially on how I'm fine with it too.  So I didn't miss the middle part of The Karate Kid for nothing.

Oh well, time to sleep.

Crossroads - John Mayer

Shambles

You really wanna know why I always show discomfort when we talk about her, yes, about you?

You guys just can't seem to get the point that I DON'T LIKE TALKING ABOUT IT.  But still, as one of my closest friends, how can I blame you?  You're just concerned.

Sorry about that.  Brief outburst.

Yes, it started off as one way traffic, but then you've seem to have turned your head.  And for once, I felt accepted by someone else who was more than a friend.  For once, I felt truly happy for my personal life.  And it seemed genuine for a while that you felt the same, that we have some connection that was intangible, yet highly valued.  In that moment, I felt not romance, but real attraction.  I may be too young to say such things, but that was indeed how I've felt.

You began to tell me your stories, and I shared my fair half.  The best part was that I understood you, that beneath that radiance of confidence you had, you and I were similar in some degree: unsure, insecure, in need of a supportive figure.

I obliged, but you didn't return the favor.  I told my stories, you criticized me for them.  Instead of patronizing, you did the opposite.  It wasn't constructive nor helpful, but I kept my mouth shut.  I was happy enough.  Still, that was just part and parcel of a relationship, I thought.  Overnight, we made up for our scuffles.

Then it came the time where I literally placed my body on the line for you.  Although I suffered a Grade One ankle sprain, I still took the 20-minute walk to your house just to surprise you, but you weren't free.  You didn't even bother to take that few steps to exit the house.  Sure I was on painkillers, but that was just temporary.  I endured and almost ran through the pain barrier with you for that marathon, staying by your side the entire time, slowing down when I was too fast for you, looking out for any threat to protect you from.  And the day that we embraced, that one sensation was all I've needed to make me happy.  But that was the last day that I was about us.

I placed everything on the line for that relationship.  I even considered breaking my own principles for you: to abandon Buddhism.  I'm not proud of that thought.  Although I'm not the best Buddhist, its culture IS my identity.  The thought of leaving my identity behind for a gamble of a chance, is not a very proud one.

Then a few months passed, and the cracks started showing.  You learned that we share less commonality than we once believed to have had.  And you tried to brush me aside.  You ignored me at times, and began to speak in harsh tones, sometimes even rudely.  I knew what was happening.  I just didn't want to face it.

We had our first argument in school, and it wasn't good.  You won, but only because I didn't put up any resistance: it'll just make it worse.  So you took more drastic steps, and just overnight, everything changed.  You didn't say a word, you completely ignored me, and my voice was left unheard, whether you did hear it or not.  I tried to salvage what I could, my friends helped me as well.  But you've decided.  And soon, I threw in the towel too.

So what is it that makes me sad whenever you're mentioned?  It is that you never gave me the chance to work things out, that we, weren't giving it our all, that there is still one stone unturned, that we didn't not fully weigh all our options, that the finished article may just have been fabricated.  Well, maybe you didn't give it your all.  I did.  And lost something in return.

So that, is essentially my black rose.  And that's why I can't fully trust my judgement anymore.  That I'm broken, and I'm still recovering.  But you seem fine, like it's never happened.  Well then, good for you.  I'll be happy for that small piece of news.

Sleepwalker - The Wallflowers

Clarity

Okay, not posting much as this week seems to be "crunch time week" for me.  Got a Mid-term paper tomorrow, overdue Calculus homework on Wednesday, and a presentation given just today, which also needs to be submitted on Wednesday.  Oh, and 11 pending interviews for my Sociology report.  Crunchy.  Om nom nom.

And regarding the previous post, the rambling one, it's NOT about the past issues I've had or any mushy mushy touchy stuff.  I'll save that for next time  It's just a guy being a guy, thinking every other person out there is just...  too beautiful or elegant or smart to be worth consideration.  Dang, there goes the mushy part.  Okay, back to work.

I've Been Delivered - The Wallflowers

Standard??

Okay, I'm a guy.  Kind of a normal guy.  With hormones.  Annoying, mischievous, always-questionable hormones.

But girl, why must you be so darn pretty?  I think there is such a thing as being "too pretty" to the point that it only affects me.  Yes, this is my personal rambling 101 class.  I'll admit I'm quite messed up in the head at times.

That's all.  Goodnight.

You know what?  Ignore me.  I'm just gonna post it anyway as I always post stuff I'll regret posting.

Peace??

So Weightless - David Choi

Chosen!

When I first donned my new slacks last Friday for the interview, the thought of being chosen to be part of the ADP Student Committee didn't quite cross my mind.  I just focused on trying to impress them and kept revising my answers.

Before the interview, there sat Naethan, Rikesh and Eric.  We had a chat and I heard from Rikesh's mom (who happens to be the ADP supervisor) that they were opening 20 slots for the committee this year.  I was a bit relieved, noting a 2/3 chance was quite good odds.  So I went in, answered confidently and left in a span of 5 minutes.  It will probably be the quickest interview I'll live through.

And I just received a SMS notifying me of being chosen to be part of the committee.  I was thrilled.  Then I saw the notice on the group wall on Facebook.  Only ten people got chosen.  I immediately felt a surge of elation.  Out of the 30-odd aspiring people, I got chosen.  So the odds were steeper than known, but I made it.  I'm incredibly happy both because I can do something outside my daily studying and the fact that I'll be representing the face of ADP at Sunway.  It's a big responsibility, but I'll relish the challenge.  There's a meeting on Wednesday with the current group and the new group.  Can't wait for that.

Here I come.

Oh, and David Choi was AWESOME OMGOHWIDUASLDIUAWD SEXY KIMCHI DURIAN BOOTILICIOUS!!  It's on his Twitter, not just random rambling.

That Girl - David Choi

:/

This will probably be the only post where I couldn't find a title to.  This short semester is going by so quickly.  Heck, my finals are next month on the 20th (which is right after the Liverpool friendly and Jog For Hope, oh crap!!).

I can't even get any inspiration to blog...  Haizz...  The brain drain.  Anyway, I got a Calculus 1 Quiz tomorrow and also my ADTP Student Council interview.  God, I'm stressed out for the interview.  I want it very, very badly.  Unfortunately I'm going head to head with 30-odd others for the 13 slots offered.  That 1:3 odds are not very convincing.  Wish me luck.  I'm gonna call Atia soon to find some confidence, and maybe, my ace in the hole for tomorrow.  Fingers crossed, as usual.

Closer To You - The Wallflowers

Wonder, ponder, squander

I'm still caught between fear of rejection and fear of a missed opportunity.  But as the wise gurus say: It's about the little things in life that count.  Eh?  *sigh* I think I'm better off enjoying what underwear I pick each day.  That does matter.  To me at least

Don't mind me.  I'm just hogging space before finding something more worthwhile to blog upon.  On another note, I may not enjoy this short semester as Sociology will take up a lot of time.  I got a proposal due next Wednesday.  AND IT'S ONLY THE SECOND WEEK HERE!!  Luckily my group partner is on the case already.  I'll just slack about for today and perhaps study up for this Wednesday's quiz.

Volcano - Damien Rice

Thank you, Jack Sender!!

Taken from his blog, A Warming Trend Post.  There's a link at my blog as well, if you wanna read his work.  Fantastic stuff.  I feel compelled to meet him in person.

Taken from his blog, A Warming Trend Post:

days are like eggs
some sunny side up
they’re hard, or scrambled
and, thank god,
always a few are
over easy 

The brilliance of language, makes me smile anyday.

Dogs - Damien Rice

Blaze

Still the hallways continue to mock me.  Just as how the sun glares down on me.

I'm starting to think that I can only write and not compose.  Sucks to figure that out.

Jaded - Aerosmith

C2AGE

If I'm not mistaken, C2AGE stands for Comics, Cosplay, Anime, Gaming and Entertainment.  Basically, it's a Comic Con toned down to the Asian level.  This year it was held at Tropicana City Mall.

Lots of my friends wanted me to join them in this event.  After witnessing the full force of my college's Anime Club, I am hellbent on distancing myself from anything Otaku, besides reading Manga.  So I tried to cough up lots of excuses just not to go.  Me and a few friends were suppose to group up after the event to catch a movie, since some of them are going for the event, held at 11 in the morning.

Due to some miscommunication between Roger and, I thought that the event had already ended at 10 and started walking there.  Only halfway through my journey did Roger explain that the event had JUST STARTED.  I tried my best to kill time walking there, but the sun was shining down it's heavenly grace on me so I was getting slow-cooked.  So I reached the place right when it was about to start.

I grabbed a cup of coffee from Starbucks first as I rushed out of my house on an empty stomach upon getting Roger's text.  He soon joined me and we chatted for a while.  I was shocked to know that he was shocked to know that I have a blog.  He reveals to me that he thinks the idea of guys blogging is weird and that the sole purpose of most bloggers are to vent their disgust towards people they dislike, thus he doesn't receive the news of me being a blogger all that warmly.  Then he asks me what was my purpose behind blogging.  I longed for that question *Cue evil music accompanied by maniacal laughter*.

And as we sat there on the small table in Starbucks, I told him my story.  Well, I've mentioned the purpose before so I'll skip the mushy mushy parts.  The main story is still on the event.  But that look on his face where he took those words back about guy bloggers, was utterly priceless.  To rain on my brief parade, C2AGE just started.

My ears had to bear with the pitchy, often chipmunk-inspired Cosplayers belting out their all-time favorite songs while resisting the urge to gouge out my eyeballs due to excessive horror.  I swear I would break if not for my noise-blocking earphones and the Borders nearby.

So essentially, what I've learned that day is:-

A problem: A toilet full of people.

A bigger problem: A toilet full of Cosplayers.

Baby I'm Yours - Breakbot ft. IRFANE

Introverted?

*Before proceeding, kindly note that the average age group for the people I'm mentioning about is about 13-17 years of age*

These days months years, I've seen a couple a few tons of people just put depressing, often corny and emotional (ish...) posts about their relationship(s) on any social networking site, and they get all the sympathy their friends can offer.

I just keep my mouth sealed and carry on.  I don't need the attention.

People, YOU HAVE NOT come of age where marital status does matter or receding hair is a commonality!!  Why do almost (almost) every teen has to be so overly dramatic?!

"End of the world's today, no wait, tomorrow!". Gawd.

Though I do believe I'm some no-fun person with an abnormal case of growing up (not old) quicker than others, it's only because I have waved off the influence of pop culture that I'm ranting on the aforementioned.  Hate to break it to you poor, psychologically primed people but jocks are not all dumb, the popular people are not all plastic, nerds aren't the saddest people in the world and singing pop songs in the Glee Club will not make everything A-okay.  Heck, you'll probably work for a nerd sooner or later in your life.

It's not that I have the emotional gauge of a rock, I just don't favor unneeded drama in my life.  So am I really an introvert or an extrovert with a dash of absolute I-don't-give-a-crap?  More 50-50.  Nuff said.

The Rat Within The Grain - Damien Rice

Wallpaper

I recently learned that you can set your desktop background to change pictures at given intervals in my notebook (Yes, I'm part technophobe!!), so I decided to make my wallpaper(s) as awesome as I want it to be.

I was soooo engrossed in it, I ended up digging through my entire library of pictures for the desktop background.  Little did I realize that I took one and a half hours doing so.

It better be worth it!!

Rootless Tree (Live @ Abbey Road) - Damien Rice

Dean's List

I got a 3.69 CGPA. Okay it could've been better.

Bright side, Dean's List-ed!

Down side, I gotta near perfect grades from now on.

You know what's the messed up part?  I got to get a 4.0 GPA for the next 10 subjects (3 in each of the two long sems and 2 in both short sems) and I can only achieve a 3.89 CGPA.

I'm cork-screwed.  QUQWHDIQUWGERFLIQUWYDGIYUQKWG!!

And somehow...  I'm addicted to The Bloody Beetroots now.  Didn't think I would dig alternative electronica...

House N° 84 - The Bloody Beetroots

Ponder

You know, sometimes I have this feeling that you want something.  Something only I can, perhaps even used to, offer.  I need more space to think this through.  Maybe just more time.  Mixed signals aren't handy at all.  Who am I kidding, you don't even stop by, whether it be here or in reality.

Song writing is a pain when you're struggling with writer's block.  I can only pen two lines a day - and that's plain sad.  I suddenly realize that I do have a lot of personal posts.  Hope they don't mind.

Here Comes Your Man - Meaghan Smith

Twang

Okay so clearly I haven't started my song project due to the overwhelming urge to game, game, game and to be a slob.  That will change now.  Well, I can't just say soon.  That is just... me.

Alright!  Time to initiate the work process.

She's Got You High - Mumm-ra

Aloft

You know, listening to House of Cards by Radiohead and Broken by Lifehouse while checking my friends' profiles on Facebook...  is eerily beautiful.

I think I'm losing it.  Yea...  that line above didn't make much sense.  I probably don't understand myself fully.  But I find it...  soothing.  My questionable self...  why didn't you show up earlier?

House of Cards - Radiohead

Philli, philli

(Sooo sorry for taking so long.  Hope you guys enjoy this post!)

Day One

We had to board a 1 a.m. flight so I didn't have much comfortable sleep on the first day.  We left the house at 9 p.m. on Sunday and I only managed 2-ish hours of sleep from the 4 hour flight.  The immigration lady was such a ... b-word.  When it was my turn, she did the usual key-in crap and once she was done, she just threw my passport back at me.  Like what the heck, man?  AND she threw my departure card away, by accident or not, god knows.  But I wasn't mad, unlike my mom who was FURIOUS.  I guess I'm okay-ish with it due to the fact that I'm used being treated like sh!t.  Pardon the language.  So much for my mabuhey (greeting).  Miss Melissa M. Navarro, I'll remember you.  Anyway, time for some lighter stuff.

We were met there by our tour guide for the WHOLE TRIP, Juan.  Man, he's big, 6' 5'' at the very least.  He has only been to KL once, and that was at KLCC.  I was puzzled: Of all places, why there?  He later revealed that he went there for the Petronas Basketball Competition.  He certainly looks like a basketball player, bald and all.  The sun had risen as early as 6 a.m. and we took the time to admire the sunrise as the 12-seater van drove about the highway.

The we began our 2 hour drive to Tagaytay.  I tried oh so hard to sleep during the drive, but the bumpy surface of the road made it impossible to sleep.  I was struggling enough, trying to keep my neck from dislocating.  I got some 15 minutes of power nap, miraculously.  But we haven't reached Tagaytay yet, it was only a rest stop for breakfast.  It was about 7 a.m. then.  We went to the nearby 7-Eleven to grab some snacks and drinks.  There were a group of people at the table outside, drinking some beer.  Can you imagine that, drinking beer at 7 in the morning??  Then Juan explained that they were workers at the call centre working the night shift.  This was their sleeping time: in broad daylight.  There was even a lake there, filled with Koi and Karp, even a boat ride around the lake.

*Well, I just drained some 9% of battery life typing this section out.  Gotta type quicker next time!  Lunch is here!!*

We reached Tagaytay at around 8.20.  There was some mix-up during check-in, as they only had one room for us, when my mom booked for two, and the management of which my mom booked from can't be reached as it was not office hours yet.  In the end, they gave us another room, thankfully.  And it was a twin room, all the more better!  We unpacked our stuff and headed out for breakfast.  Almost every eating place here in Tagaytay has a view overlooking Taal Lake and the volcano.  We had some of their speciality beef, stew, also known as Bulalo here, along with some Beef Stew and Pork Knuckles.

 

Bulalo served with Fried Egg and some rice

 

Beef Stew

 The place where we ate, Green Ats

The beef there was sublime.  All of us were stuffed so full that we called it the day!  No joke.  We just  went shopping at the SaveMore grocery store, where I got mistaken for a local when a saleswoman wanted to advertise some Vaseline body wash on sale.  We just ended up buying some 3-in-1 coffee and Cebu Dried Mango (a local favourite there) and retreated back to the hotel.  The store had a few interesting food up for sale, though.

Like these two:

Durian, Guava and Mangosteen Spread

I took the break to play some games on my notebook, while my dad and granduncle took a nap.  We left for dinner at around 6.45 p.m. and it was already as dark as night by then.  We ate at Josephine's for dinner, a very famous place for their Kare-kare, a Philippine stew. It is made from peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables, stewed oxtail, beef, and tripe.  Yes, I had to refer to Wikipedia for further explanation.  Again, we stuffed ourselves with the wonderful food there.  Notable mentions would be the wonderful view with gazebos and benches placed outside in the vicinity of the blistering cold and their Crispy Kankung, crisp and paper thin, served with homemade Mayonnaise.  Absolute bliss.

And to prove how GOOD the Kare-kare is, they displayed their certificate of acknowledgement.

Victors hands down.

Day Two

We went far away from Tagaytay today, about a two-hour drive.  I kinda forgot the name of the place.  It's said to be a good viewpoint for the volcano.  It was incredibly windy up there and my hair was all over the place.  The hill was interesting as it was private property to one of the ministers back then.  He decided to leave it as it was later on.  There's even a private chapel there for him.  I encountered what would be the only Filipino who couldn't sing.  He was video-ke-ing (karaoke, but with video instead) and his singing was all over the place.  Juan implied that he was very, very drunk.  We all couldn't agree less.  The worst thing is the dreadful singing can be heard from everywhere as the compound was small.  He even scored a 92 over 100 in some songs...  Loose wires, I say.

We had dinner at MushroomburgerRobinsons to grab more Dried Mango because my mom (who ate it WITHOUT ME) said it was that good.  We bought 40 packs.

FORTY. UNGODLY. PACKS. OF. DRIED. MANGO.

Heck, we freaked the store out!  It amounted to around RM 150.  Achievement unlocked.  For dinner, we headed back to Josephine's to eat as it was that good.  No prizes for guessing how much we ate.

Day Three

The next day we went to Sonya's garden, a private estate initially which was later opened for the public to view.  It was such a lovely place, with many colourful flowers all over the place.  I snapped a mad number of pics, since Macro is what I like doing.  Here are some of the pics.

 

 

We later found out that Sonya has a book published no where but here.  She insists that it is personal and that's why it can only be found at Sonya's Garden.  My mom decided to buy two issues, one for her and one for my dad's client.  When we purchased the books, the lady asked us to stay there for a while.  We were puzzled.  Stay here?  What for??  She explained that she's going to get Sonya herself so that she can AUTOGRAPH the book personally.  Whoah!  It was that personal to her.  Not just that, we got to choose from a variety of scented inks and coloured wax seals.  That was another pleasant surprise.  Unfortunately I didn't snap any photos; my sister did that.  Then Sonya suggested we try the food out here.

So heeding her advice, we went to check out the food.  They had this buffet offer, which costs some RM50 if you were to convert it to our currency.  But this people were all incredibly health conscious: all they had in the menu was spaghetti and greens, NO MEAT whatsover.

We gave up and snuck out quietly so that the waiter didn't notice us.  They had already served us drinks.

Then we tried to go to Breakfast at Antonio's, which was the only restaurant to make it to the Top 50 list of best restaurants in Asia.  It was the only place in all of Tagaytay where no Filipino was dining there.  I got skeptical.  And then we saw the menu.  Hot dang, it was expensive!!  A drink alone was equivalent to one and a half meals somewhere else!

My grandmother and granduncle admiring the wall of photos there

So we again, ditched the place and headed to Jerry's Grill instead.  They had, again, nice food there and we were stuffed.  Juan told us that the restaurant will have a Halo-Halo (THE BEST DESSERT I'VE TAKEN) on the house if it was your birthday.  But all our birthdays are months away.  So my father claimed that day to be his birthday.  We all kept mum.  Typical Malaysians.  Hahaha!


Day Four

Thursday, we went to another distant place suggested by Juan as Tagaytay was getting monotonous already.  I didn't catch where we were heading, so the place we visited still escapes my mind.  Something like Escudero Mansion.  It took us some 3 hours or so to get there.  But we had a carabao (bull) cart to bring us around the whole compound.  At the back of the carriage sat this elderly couple who provided the live music to serve the occasion.  They sang rather beautifully olden classics like "You Are My Sunshine" and "月亮代表我的心" (yep, they knew the song).  It was nice at first, until my sister and grandmother joined in.  Then it got a little...  annoying.  Ah Mah, you know I love you a boatload but it was a bit (I stress, a bit) hair-pulling to hear you and my little chipmunky sister singing.

Then we had a buffet lunch at a man-made dam.  It was very unique of an experience (but a pricey one!).  The rocks were slippery due to the moss and I cursed myself for not wearing my slippers.  I was terrified when guiding my grandmother across the stream.  A small slip would spell disaster for her aging body.  Nevertheless, it was very soothing to feel calm, cool water rushing fast your feet.  Very serene.

The whole bunch, kung-fu mom attached

 

We were stuffed when we left and the staffs there kindly gave us copious amounts of tissue paper to dry our feet.  To make matters more interesting, my grandmother asked them for more tissue paper - in Malay!  Boy was that awkwardly funny.

Then we visited the museum there.  It was started by the Escudero family, who were closely tied to the Americans when they occupied Philippines, according to the tour guide.  The current generation of the Escudero branch is the sixth and they still reside in that exact estate.  Photography was prohibited so I couldn't take any pictures.  But the entire ground floor hosted tons of Jesus Christ statues from churches all across the nation.  The second floor showcased the antiques from the past century, like Ming vases and other commodities bartered in the early days.  They even have the clothing of the nation's leaders and patriots such as Emilio Aguinaldo and Jose Rizal.  I also took some opportunity to flex some History know-how.

We then hit a shopping mall for dinner.  We finally had out hands on some Jolibee and god it was SUBLIME for fast food!  Juan was once a manager there and he revealed to us that their policy of keeping food fresh was responsible for making them the fast food powerhouse in the country.  He said that if the chicken is not sold in 15 minutes, they'll dispose of them.  And the food is actually as good as Carl's Jr.!

Day Five

We felt that Tagaytay had nothing more to offer so we headed to Manila since they have cheap motels which can be rented for half a day.  So we first went to shop around a little where I took the opportunity to get the polvoron molds from the Goldilocks store there.  It would be one of the most epic scenes of my life.  That event can be broken down to four stages, each stage represented by a worker I talked to.

Stage One
I went to the lady working at the cashier and I asked: "Do you sell polvoron molds?".  She looked past me at the rack selling polvorons and pointed there.  "Ah, polvoron.", she said.  "No, no.  The molds." I replied showing the action.  She just frowned and asked me to confront another lady.

Stage Two
The next lady worked at the custom cake making and delivery department, so I presumed her command of English may help me out.  I asked the same question, adding "the one used to make the polvoron itself" at the back of that question.  She mistook shape for flavor and replied: "Ah, chocolate." and pointed to the rack beside me.  So I proceeded to Stage Three.

Stage Three
Back to the counter I went.  I asked her the same question from Stage Two and added (again) another "it's to create the shape".  She replied: "Yea, only oval shape."  I rephrased the question and she just pointed to the basket of polvoron on the counter.  She got puzzled and went to the back to get more help.

Stage Four
Along came this young woman with gloves from the bakery at the back.  I tiredly asked her.  And she (surprisingly) gave me a straightforward answer: "No we don't."  And that concludes my quest for the polvoron molds.

Then we went to the seaside to witness the sunset.  Here are some pics I took with my phone.

And here are some of the sunset.

Then we went to this huge shopping complex known as the Mall of Asia.  Seeing it in person, I could understand why.  It was easily FOUR TIMES LARGER than One Utama here.  And we were just in time to witness their fireworks display.  It was wonderful, however due to the dark surroundings, I deemed it the Night of a Thousand Flashbangs.  I managed only three photos as my phone's camera has no proper scene mode for night photos, not to mention the slow shutter speed.

Inside, they have a ice rink where we witnessed an amateur ice hockey tournament.  We also bumped into this shop called Spoofs.  They sell shirts with - you guessed it - spoofs on them.  Like the Got Fatter (instead of God Father) and Fart and Furious.  I got the one which says Facebulok (bulok - inferior in Tagalok) and my sister got Twoilet (from Twilight).

And then... nothing much significant happened besides the shopping and the sleeping at the motel.

Day Six
We woke up and had to board the flight already...  So we said our goodbyes to Juan, and he gave my brother his jersey he wore during the Petronas 3-on3 basketball competition he participated in years ago, autograph included.

And THAT!  Ends my month-long post.  Hope you guys didn't burn your eyes out reading this.  You can also check out part one, part two and part three of pictures taken by my sister.  Though it may contain lots of useless pictures, no offense.  Cheers.  And till the next trip, happy reading.

Wonder - Dan Black