Life has a way of punching you in the groin when you least expect it. That's what has happened to me and I'm still reeling from the pain. I'm currently lost in limbo, and I need some time to realign my purpose. That's why I need to take a break from blogging, so that I can rediscover my life.
Stress has rarely overwhelmed me, but it has and I'm starting to break down. It is not only my stalled final year project but also some personal issues I have with people. I wish I could write about them here, but the blog is a little too public for that. It's a common phenomenon whereby a person under stress will feel helpless because there's just too many things to do.
But I won't allow myself to stop functioning. I will spend some time prioritizing my life - 'studies' on top and 'love' right at the bottom - and then rebound back. Stronger. Calmer. Better.
06 February 2006
Are You Fearless?
I watched Fearless with HWMNBN* last Wednesday night. I couldn't believe how packed the cinema was! I mean it's already 3 days after the official Lunar New Year but there were still so many people! We wanted to catch the 7.30pm show but it was already sold out. The next showtime at 9.25pm was quite packed too and there weren't any good seats.... except for a couple seat. I was afraid people might feel queer seeing two guys in a couple seat but I had to choose between having a good view or having a big ego.
In short, I picked the couple seat.
And my first impression was, "WOAH". It was my first time in a couple seat (never been on any movie date before, really!) and the feeling of the bigger seat is just bliss. I really don't mind paying an extra ringgit just to have a more comfortable seat. Though it is supposed to be two seats combined into one, it felt way more comfortable than that!
Ahem, on to the movie itself. I think it is one of the best kung fu films ever. I am sick of all the usual good-guy-avenges-for-lost-family-by-killing-bad-guy storyline, and Fearless really pulls this off gracefully. Jet Li plays both the hero and villain of the story and I really love movies where people actually change and not just stay a 2D character.
Since it is based on a true story, viewers simply can't expect the ending to be a rosy one. I think the final scene really embodies the name of the movie. But don't be fooled by all the philosophical talk - Jet Li really delivers his best punches and kicks in all the fight scenes. I still wonder why he tried to make Hollywood movies.
In the end, while it may disappoint people who expect a feel good kung fu movie, it exceeded my expectations with its story of how one man learned to be truly fearless.
*HWMNBN: He Who Must Not Be Named. He is just too private, and forbade me to write about us actually buying a couple seat. But what's done is done, I say.
In short, I picked the couple seat.
And my first impression was, "WOAH". It was my first time in a couple seat (never been on any movie date before, really!) and the feeling of the bigger seat is just bliss. I really don't mind paying an extra ringgit just to have a more comfortable seat. Though it is supposed to be two seats combined into one, it felt way more comfortable than that!
Ahem, on to the movie itself. I think it is one of the best kung fu films ever. I am sick of all the usual good-guy-avenges-for-lost-family-by-killing-bad-guy storyline, and Fearless really pulls this off gracefully. Jet Li plays both the hero and villain of the story and I really love movies where people actually change and not just stay a 2D character.
Since it is based on a true story, viewers simply can't expect the ending to be a rosy one. I think the final scene really embodies the name of the movie. But don't be fooled by all the philosophical talk - Jet Li really delivers his best punches and kicks in all the fight scenes. I still wonder why he tried to make Hollywood movies.
In the end, while it may disappoint people who expect a feel good kung fu movie, it exceeded my expectations with its story of how one man learned to be truly fearless.
*HWMNBN: He Who Must Not Be Named. He is just too private, and forbade me to write about us actually buying a couple seat. But what's done is done, I say.
04 February 2006
Get Off My Back Please
Since Dad's Chinese New Year break is as long as mine, he's home 98% of the time and his presence is very uncomfortable. I rarely have any private time to myself because he could just suddenly pop his head over my door (I mean that figuratively). And I have to accompany him for most meals and follow him out. Worse, I have to listen to his (mostly) lame jokes and offer a fake epileptic laugh.
He's a nice person to be around, but there's also too much of a good thing. And when he is annoyed, it kind of rubs off on me too. This holiday reminds me of the time when Dad was laid off during the 1997 economic crisis. He was unemployed for a few years so most of the time he is at home and it really bugged me. I had to inform him of my whereabouts constantly and I felt really caged in. Of course, I was much younger then but it is happening all over again now.
That's the disadvantage of being the only child - there really is no one else for him to bug.
He's a nice person to be around, but there's also too much of a good thing. And when he is annoyed, it kind of rubs off on me too. This holiday reminds me of the time when Dad was laid off during the 1997 economic crisis. He was unemployed for a few years so most of the time he is at home and it really bugged me. I had to inform him of my whereabouts constantly and I felt really caged in. Of course, I was much younger then but it is happening all over again now.
That's the disadvantage of being the only child - there really is no one else for him to bug.
03 February 2006
The Magical Toss
In Chinese tradition, we will offer incense and food to our departed relatives on certain occassions. The biggest celebration is the Chinese All Saints Day, known in Hokkien as Cheng Beng. But during auspicious dates like the Chinese New Year, some people also perform the offerings.
I missed last year's Cheng Beng because I was in Nilai, so Dad suggested we go pay respect to my paternal grandma at the temple where her ashes lay. I agreed whole-heartedly.
Now, after we offer some food to the departed (usually vegetarian), we will wait a few minutes for them to "eat" the food. And to find out if they are "finished" with the offerings, we carry out a simple ritual. We clasp two identical coins between our palms and mentally ask the departed if they have finished eating. And then we just release the coins without purposely throwing or spinning it. If both coins land on their opposing sides (one head and the other tails) then the departed is considered to have done eating. If both coins show the same side, it is presumed that the meal is still ongoing and we will have to wait a few more minutes before repeating the process. Instead of coins we sometimes use a pair of wooden crescents. The point is to have two identical items with distinct opposing sides.
Here comes the interesting part of the post. Anytime Dad or my aunts do the ritual, it rarely (almost never) succeeds on the first toss. However, when I do it, my grandma will respond in the affirmative on the first try. E-v-e-r-y-t-i-m-e. Dad kept reminding me of my "special ability" every time we do this, and in fact I have never failed. Just today Dad tried twice but the coins showed the same side. But on my first try it showed opposing sides. I couldn't help but smile.
Was it just sheer coincidence all these years or do the laws of probability bend when I toss the coins? You decide.
I missed last year's Cheng Beng because I was in Nilai, so Dad suggested we go pay respect to my paternal grandma at the temple where her ashes lay. I agreed whole-heartedly.
Now, after we offer some food to the departed (usually vegetarian), we will wait a few minutes for them to "eat" the food. And to find out if they are "finished" with the offerings, we carry out a simple ritual. We clasp two identical coins between our palms and mentally ask the departed if they have finished eating. And then we just release the coins without purposely throwing or spinning it. If both coins land on their opposing sides (one head and the other tails) then the departed is considered to have done eating. If both coins show the same side, it is presumed that the meal is still ongoing and we will have to wait a few more minutes before repeating the process. Instead of coins we sometimes use a pair of wooden crescents. The point is to have two identical items with distinct opposing sides.
Here comes the interesting part of the post. Anytime Dad or my aunts do the ritual, it rarely (almost never) succeeds on the first toss. However, when I do it, my grandma will respond in the affirmative on the first try. E-v-e-r-y-t-i-m-e. Dad kept reminding me of my "special ability" every time we do this, and in fact I have never failed. Just today Dad tried twice but the coins showed the same side. But on my first try it showed opposing sides. I couldn't help but smile.
Was it just sheer coincidence all these years or do the laws of probability bend when I toss the coins? You decide.
Encik Yap Berkata
There is a new language translation website that will translate English webpages into the Malay language. It is still under testing so the translation capabilities are quite limited but very speedy. Obviously the best way to test it is to translate this blog, and you can read the very funny translation.
The funniest part happened to be Mr. Yap's quotable quotes. The following is the list of his sayings after LinguaWeb translated them. And I think it just made them funnier. Of course, it will only be familiar to those who know Mr. Yap, so I apologize to all my other readers. But really, it's too funny not to post:
(You can read the original English versions somewhere in my sidebar)
The funniest part happened to be Mr. Yap's quotable quotes. The following is the list of his sayings after LinguaWeb translated them. And I think it just made them funnier. Of course, it will only be familiar to those who know Mr. Yap, so I apologize to all my other readers. But really, it's too funny not to post:
(You can read the original English versions somewhere in my sidebar)
"Sesetengah daripada anda orang-orang lelaki hebat sangat, ia... adalah... melebihi pemahaman saya."
"Biar saya menjadi satu Buddha untuk seminggu."
"Saya tidak tahu jika ia adalah cara yang betul atau tidak, tetapi saya tidak peduli."
"Cuba menjadi sedikit pandai mungkin, tetapi nyata tidak cukup pandai."
"Menghalang saya, sila, menghalang saya. Sesuatu anda tidak melihat, perhentian adil saya."
"Mata anda adalah satu kebaikan organ pada tubuh anda, ia ditunjukkan banyak barang"
"Ini adalah penting, sangat amat penting, kerana ia penting."
"Saya tidak menyalahkan kamu, ia hanyalah perisikan sendiri saya."
02 February 2006
Overzealous Overspender
I'm a pretty detailed person. I usually track every cent I spend in my trusty diary. I used to calculate my monthly spending but I don't do it anymore because I know I can control myself. But when I came back last Saturday I didn't take my diary so I decided that for a week I wouldn't care what I spent on. After all, I have my ang pow earnings to support me.
And so far I've been doing very good. Today, I treated Dad to dim sum before going to karaoke, followed by a sip at Starbucks. Those are some things I wouldn't do otherwise, as knowing I have to write "Starbucks: RM8.40" in my diary will send me into cardiac arrest. Although I need to focus entirely on researching my final year project now, I'll look into ways to burn cash before I go back to my penny-pinching habits next week.
Hmm... the thought is just plain delicious.
And so far I've been doing very good. Today, I treated Dad to dim sum before going to karaoke, followed by a sip at Starbucks. Those are some things I wouldn't do otherwise, as knowing I have to write "Starbucks: RM8.40" in my diary will send me into cardiac arrest. Although I need to focus entirely on researching my final year project now, I'll look into ways to burn cash before I go back to my penny-pinching habits next week.
Hmm... the thought is just plain delicious.
01 February 2006
Epileptic Fits
I went out with friends the other day, and one of them was particularly good with the jokes. As everyone laughed, I realized the unfortunate truth - I laugh like a mime. My mouth opens widely and my face contorts as if I'm having an epileptic fit, but no sound ever comes out of it. Not even a little "har, har"! One of these days someone will probably shove a slipper in my mouth to try and prevent me from eating my tongue.
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