My New Year Resolutions? ~ Looking back, it's been almost 2 years since my similarly titled maiden blog entry. Some resolutions i have achieved, making room on the list for new ones... the more daunting ones do tend to hang on longer ~ just have to keep moving forward towards a better tomorrow; keep the sense of resolve & devition alive & renewed at each turn of a brand new year ~ that's life for me =)
Getting on to the 1st one already:

1. Get a steady ~ this one has been around forever so it deserves the top spot. My story has yet to begin. Why?
Quoting Joel from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind " Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?" ~ this quoted from someone's comment in someone's post describes it best.

"Dont' be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin." "...So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset, is a minute of happiness you'll never get back"
(quoted from somewhere)

~ i try to live by, & hope i'll meet that someone who shares my point of view too, someday soon.

2. Pimp my ride ~ coz i just love fast rides...

maybe not so much like this.... source
What my ride needs:
a. a new paint job
b. shed off that ricer bodykit, go for clean cut & stock JDM look
c. go intrinsic to bring out the revered B16's true potential
d. tighten up its handling
~ the making of one clean & fast stock daily driver =)

3. Vacation ~ to set foot on a continent i've never been to before... too ambitious ($$)? let's start closer to home...
I'd be contented to visit either

or

this year. Or maybe someplace closer to home still.... Damai Puri? =p

4. Time to give my career a wake-up push. Not that i'm not doing well, just that i could do better. A lot. Maybe i'm just a little too laid back. Semiconductor is one volatile yet demanding field to be in; wafer fabrication is one of 'em sub-fields that ranks top in terms of $$. But then again, there's still the oil & gas industry right up there at the very top. A change of career in that direction would be great. If not, i'll just got to make do with what i am & what i have now; & do the very best. It's the best shot i have to make my 1st million $$ before 30 *still daydreaming* =p .... realistically & probability-wise much better than punting for 1/52 or 1/49s.. haha!

5. Think of resolution # 6 - 10 ~ coz it's #4 is not a good number to stop at.

Generically speaking, i resolve to live a good year & get wiser, not forgetting staying healthy & fit as a horse... . About getting the 6-pack thingy ~ i've got one already... just 5 more to go, haha... just like how mrtoilet put it, literally =)
& lastly, keep my blog alive....
Hey, that was #6 thru 10 already =p

> Subject: FW: Don't buy petrol on 24th Jan 2008 !!
> To:
>
> Hi folks,.......... Lets give it a try! Nothing to lose; Everything to
> gain!
>
> Lets fight the high cost of PETROL. Lets HELP OURSELVES against the
> PETROL COMPANIES!! If we all cooperate, it should give a SHOCK to the
> petrol industry! Lets give it a try. Got NOTHING to lose !!!
>
> See message below>>>>>>
>
>
> IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF
> PETROL FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD
> CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.
>
> AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OVER
> 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.
> THEREFORE "24th JANUARY " HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR
> BEHIND" DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP
> OF PETROL ON THAT DAY.
>
>
> THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY
> PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.
>
> WAITING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING
> TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE
> ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO?
>
> REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF PETROL GOING UP BUT AT THE
> SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES
> ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH AFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT
> IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING SUPPLIES, MEDICAL
> SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!
>
>
> WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY,
> WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD.
> FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE 24
> JANUARY A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH".
>
> We forward so many junk email to many of our friends, now let us do it
> for some useful cause to cut down the price of the petrol........
>
> REMEMBER: JANUARY 24, 2008.... NO Petrol Day...!
>
> Please "Think Of It ...............

hmmm, how true is this? well, i'm definitely not filling up on the 24th....
coz i just did so well past the half mark last night. Should be able to last til the weekend...

Another American monster movie *think Godzilla* ~ monster attack dizzyingly told from the view point of a handheld video cam, not unlike the Blairwitch Project but with better graphics & sound effects rendition; yes, portable gadgets technology has improved so much since, that you could shoot a whole blockbuster using one. Verdict: a barely 90mins flick with an abrupt ending is hardly worth the 9bucks, but i'd give 2 thumbs up for the effects. This movie sure is EFFECTIVE. It's the first thing that makes me vomit since that vodka overdose at Soho many moons ago...
Watch Cloverfield = get Clobbered-head feel xp
Go checkout the trailers here & see if it fits your movie appetite.

20080118 ~ Annah Rais Longhouse Trip

Apart from savoring the many local delicacies Kuching is so famous for (i.e. kolo mee, sw’ak laksa, tomato mee etc.) & checking out the sight-seeing spots around our historical little town, a visit to an authentic longhouse surely adds a more unique flavor to the travel itinerary of visiting friends from abroad. We embarked on a journey to the Annah Rais longhouse ~ a large Bidayuh settlement with history dating back hundreds of years, on Friday morning. Armed with a hand-drawn map *with prominent landmarks being the counts of bridges crossed*, negotiating the twisty Borneo Highlands highway in an Avanza on loan from mrtoilet was quite a breeze. Driving the country road was a joy with all the fresh air & lush highland sceneries. Initially planned for a trip for 5. Unfortunately, 2 of my buddies had to bail out at the last minute due some unforeseen circumstances, leaving the adventurous trio to venture on our own.

Looking as sua-ku as ever, my colleague, Margaret with the backpack & her ex-uni mate on a biz trip here for 1st time. Let’s call her bubbly miss Shiseido ~ she shops & talks for a living *a girl’s dream job* ~ literally the cosmetic industry equivalent of an semiconductor application engineer.

A recent addition to her job description includes conquering bamboo bridges in the interiors of Borneo… haha! =p feat

Even with modern technology finding its way into these authentic longhouses, the way of life here is still pretty much unchanged, especially among the village elders. It’s peaceful & quiet here; even the cats & dogs here seemed more laid back & move about slowly.

Our cam-whoring antics do not seem to bother the nearby napping cat a single bit…

Off to the nearby hot spring or ‘jungle spa’. This one’s not as commercialized as most of the other hot springs around the country i.e Poring hot spring in Sabah… so you could practically have the whole area to yourselves on a quiet day.

Had a pleasant encounter with a bunch of fun loving & young at heart ‘senior citizens’ at the spring… they turned out to be my not-so-distant relatives (mom’s cousins) after all!

Had a great time soaking up our feet getting revitalized, chatting, laughing & catching up over beer =)

The leader of the pack, an 86 year old strongman of the village (in-laws of one of my uncles) with ‘the catch of the day’ ~ a massive buah cempedak!

This energetic uncle too, is young at heart…. maybe that’s the secret of his youthfulness despite age ~ AMAZING

That’s our lunch consisting of one egg each boiling in the hot spring…

However, our attempt did not turn out quite as well = lunch gone.

Sensing our predicament, uncle graciously invited us over for lunch back at the longhouse. So we tagged along… =)

Back at the longhouse ~ started working on the cempedak ~ the first time I’ve ever had one, nice

Lunch feast kampong style… where everything is cooked in a bamboo; using very ancient kitchen utensils & stove which I can’t even begin to describe… well, it’s ancient…

Bon appetit!

Parting snapshots…

This has been a truly unique trip & gastronomic experience, even for me… a very memorable one. Thanks, uncles & aunties! =)

This is my 2nd consecutive dine-in at Sushi King, at the latest shopping/hangout joints in town; Boulevard last night, & The Spring just now. Seeing food served on rotating conveyor belt sure whets up my appetite...
So much that by the time i'm done ~
the plates pile up like the leaning Pisa Tower.... keep it up for a couple more nights to come then i'll definitely be high & dry well before the 26th!
The recently opened malls sure does this city justice; now that we shall no longer be associated with the siah-soi-ness of being the only twin-city in Malaysia without a proper shopping mall... =) more lively & bustling hangouts, makes a good 'sightseeing' spot too =p

*massive jam during weekends is a potential turn-off for me... *

The Legend has landed...

my GunPla infection is anything but over... had to get another shot of antidote ~ in the form of a HG 1/100 Legend Gundam to keep the fever at bay & my 'restless' hands occupied while waiting for the much anticipated never-arriving MG Destiny Extreme Burst Mode...

It's got great detailings, build quality, body proportion & articulation (minus extensive decals though) ~ quite close to that of an MG class ~ probably one of the best non-MG 1/100 scale Gundam kit there is...

a badass one ~ to go head on with my MG Strike Freedom!

Nope... that scrawny little 1/144 HG Sword Impulse Gundam ain't your match... go pick up someone your own size!
*Going relaxed-pace on this one... still looked half-complete without that ultra cool massive Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network signature pack of his... (banyak complex punye jargon)*

Miss A Bit... (fwd)

i just love my colleagues for keeping me entertained at work... always resourceful & quick when it comes to sharing hilarious youtube post like this one... muahahaha! =D

Just reminded me of my ideal retirement plan... gone up in smoke. WTF ~ i should be singing this song!!

cha yi dian nia-nia... ?? apa la, miss kaw-kaw ah~! gone... my 19million ringgit dream... !!! *not a frequent 4D/Jackpot donor... but sometimes when the loot snowballs to a mind boggling figure... i just can't resist the urge to try my luck ~ it's time for charity ~ =p

Harga minyak naik lagi...

37.442 litres = RM71.51 which, equates to approximately RM1.91 per litre ~ we shall all be missing this figure pretty soon, when the inevitable rumoured petrol price hike (BIG KAHUNA one... + RM0.40??) materialize soon sometime this year... *there goes my Turbo dreams...*

Semua pun naik... gaji aje tak naik (take cukup nih).. =(

The Malaysian Dotcom Youth Search ~ the hunt for the hottest & most innovative website, made by our youths ~ think of it as the Oscar for the Web Awards which, recognizes the very best commercially viable projects by M'sian youth. For the nominees site-roll, click HERE.

One of the nominated site co-run by a friend of mine ~ mount-kinabalu-borneo.com. This great & informative site has been on the internet for about 2 years, providing visitors from around the world simple access to all information on how to climb the majestic Mount Kinabalu; it's currently relying on donation to keep it running. So to all the mountain climbing/outdoor enthusiasts & those planning for a vacation in Sabah, do check out the website & vote for them by clicking on the voting triangle on the upper left (been missing since today? can also try voting on http://www.youthmalaysia.com/youthsearch/)

Also in the site-roll: sarawakian.net ~literally known as the gastronomic encyclopedia of Sarawak (mostly Kuching, though) ~ cool!

For all the nominess, all the best & kudos, guys! =)

*This is not a sponsored post*

Past Year Countdowns

31st '05 thru 1st '06 ~ last night of work for Dec '05 night shift... *sien*

31st '06 thru 1st '07 ~ first night of work for Jan-Feb '07 night shift... *jia lat!*

2008 New Year Countdown
Venue: Office.... OFFICE LAGI!!???

At least this time i'm not the night shift engineer on duty... get to party & monkey around office like it's nobody's business, hehe =p

Come to think of it, it's not a too bad idea after all coz:

1. Save the hassle of cracking heads thinking of an alternative countdown venue

2. Avoid the downtown countdown massive jam

3. Office is nearest to where we're staying
4. Ample parking space; can park right up to the entrance
5. Have the whole venue (office) to ourselves.. well, almost..

6. The unlucky ones on countdown eve graveyard shift gets to join in the action too

7. Economical ~ just tapau some KFC, Pizza Hut, utensils just borrow from the cafeteria upstairs.. no reservations needed, no cover charge...

=)