Of this and that

Y-e-s!!! I've completed my final assignment of all for my MSc! Yippee-doo-dah!

Now, all I have to do is sleep on it for a night (something I do for every assignment, to ensure that there's no new idea that suddenly pops into my head) and then I can send it off tomorrow night - yippie! :)

All that's left is to study for exams in August and then, thesis-writing ...

Oh no. I've just deflated my balloon.

Ah well.

Tomorrow's a whole day of trawling Klang Valley roads - part of the job, but no I'm not a taxi driver :P

This weekend's gonna be filled with wardrobe activities (clearing out old clothes and going out to buy new ones! what activity's better?) and bringing an old Korean friend around town. She's here for a Redang trip, but can you believe I've never been there? :P

Maybe I'll drop by the hairdresser's if I've time (though I doubt it 'cos if I'm in the mood to shop, I s-h-o-p). Haven't shopped ever since CNY, anyway. It's about time for some great weekend-shopping.

But, wait, it's only Monday today right? Aish ...

Otherwise, happy news of the day : The darling pre-ordered the hyped half-blood prince for me! :)

New stuffs!

Noticed anything new??

For the blur-at-heart, or the infrequent-visitor :
1. The new flickr badge - ain't it soo cool?!
2. The new links! - Hope you guys who got linked don't mind. Which brings me to ...
3. Project Petaling Street! - M'sia's fantastic blog-tal for all the egotistical M'sians who wanna publicize their blogs, yes including yours truly (a little publicity's great, especially after the infamous minishorts event).

Yes, I've had an interesting weekend surfing the net - since typing up my assignment is a dead-boring activity. Now, it's back to work :P

The Invitation

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do
for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old
you are.
I want to know if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

(as extracted from The Star 25/06/2005)

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy under the stars

... is to bring a towel everywhere you go.

Yes, a weird, tickle-funny-bones-you-never-knew-you-had kind of movie. Very British. And left me wondering "What kind of movie is this??" Actually, it's a good movie - because I've never watched something like this.

But of course, I don't recommend watching this in the cinema. Not much cinematic effects that a DVD won't be able to project comfortably.

Starlight Cinema was fun. As soon as the movie started, we felt little drops of rain. So we rushed to the protection of the VIP tent and grabbed comfy chairs there. And, actually, Citibank Clear card members have this special lounge where they have air-mattresses (check out a picture of it in the Star Metro page 31 today and see who you recognise) and comfy little chairs for you to sit in. Quite a different experience this year - not as authentic as the previous 2 years, but more comfy - indeed, we progress.

Must start by groaning first. My quest for the valuer's license has been postponed by a whole year - argh! Due to a change of management in the Board, the rules have been pulled stricter and *ish* I'm affected. Darnit.

Good news, I'm waiting right now to be picked up for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at Bukit Kiara - Starlight Cinema! Won invitations, so yippee - KFC picnic :)

And oh, happy birthday Cindy - my dear best friend across the oceans :)

Assignment frenzy starts again. Thankfully, for a topic I quite like : Corporate Real Estate. But, still, final assignment - ever, phew! After this, it'll be exams in August. And then, God willing, I get a brilliant brainstorm on what to do for my thesis - and then, ta-da, my MSc scroll!

Just ... 8 ... more ... months ...

Brody upstages Smiths!

Nope, it's not Jolie's in-your-face lips or Brad's cute butt-in-boxers that made Mr & Mrs Smith. It's the fact that Adam Brody (yes, the Seth Cohen!) was in this movie that made it half interesting to watch. The movie was only glamourising the 2 stars - and yes, memang they oozed sex appeal and definitely had chemistry - but, but, the best part was Adam Brody, definitely.

Actually, Brody was very Cohen-y in the Smiths. I wonder if he's naturally like that or he's just been acting too long in The O.C.

Well, it was nice to see Brody again. Especially since it's been like 3 weeks since the O.C. was shown on tv. It's always replaced by F1 or some nonsense like that :P I'm having O.C. withdrawal, definitely.

Starlight Cinema's here again!

Yes, it's that annual event in Kiara again. Whoever's never been before should really go. It's an experience you don't get anywhere else in M'sia. Movies under the stars, eating KFC, sitting on mats, huge screen, cool breeze, the smell of grass - wonderful experience :)

And this time they've got great movies again. Yippee. 22nd June - 16 July. Dates to be put in your diary.

http://www.starlightcinema.com.my

Up and up, more and more

Noticed the many many developments lately around PJ? Here's a list I plucked from somewhere :

Just completed
- Bayu Puteri Apartments, Tropicana
- Emerald Plaza West Condo, Damansara Perdana
- Perdana View Condo, Damansara Perdana
- EPF Building, Jln. Timur (massively renovated, now has a new facade)
- Kelana Mahkota, Kelana Jaya
- Palm Springs @ Damansara Condo (six towers of varying heights)
- Sri KDU Secondary School Block, Kota Damansara
- The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

Soon to be ready (final touching-up)
- Amcorp Serviced Suites, PJ State
- Assunta Hospital extension (8-storey building with multi-storey carpark)
- Dataran Prima Condo
- Royale Bintang Damansara Hotel, The Curve

Currently under construction
- 32 Square, Sec. 14
- Jaya33, Sec. 14
- Armanee Terrace Condo, Damansara Perdana
- Casa Tropicana Condo
- Centerpoint Phase 2, Bandar Utama (next to McD's)
- Cineleisure, Mutiara Damansara
- Li-Villas 2 Condo, Sec. 16
- Low-cost flats at Jln. SS2/72 (in front of Jasmine Towers condo)
- Merchant Square, Tropicana (directly in front of Bayu Puteri apt.)
- Milan Metropolitan Square, Damansara Perdana
- Millennium Place Serviced Apartments and Mall, Sec. 14 (next to Menara Jaya condo)
- Ken Damansara II & III
- Pelangi Damansara II
- Pelangi Astana (next to existing Pelangi Damansara medium-cost flats)
- Office block at Phileo Damansara 1 (6-storey building)
- One Utama Phase 3 (hotel and office tower)
- Some new elevator tower at University Hospital's main block
- Vista Damansara, Kg Kayu Ara (behind Shell petrol station)
- PJeight (fronting the Federal Highway, opposite PJ Hilton)
- 8avenue (behind PJeight, in front of PJ traffice police station)
- Crimson Damansara Commercial Centre
- Opal Damansara, Sunway Damansara (opposite Palm Springs @ Damansara)

Proposed
- Dijaya Mall (next to Damansara Intan)
- PJ@Sterling, Kelana Jaya
- Hotel in Kelana Jaya (next to Giant Mall)
- Huge Glomac project consisting of hotel, office complex and apartments on that big piece of empty land between Kelana Puteri and Kelana Mahkota
- Medical Center, Bandar Utama (next to 1u Phase 2)
- PutraLine LRT Station, Lembah Subang Depot
- Shopping mall and office towers in Damansara Uptown
- Shopping mall in SS2 (on the open car park)
- Bandar Utama Business Park "bu8" (7-storeys, next to McD's drive thru)
- 20-storey office complex on the site of Giant Paramount

ALL this within PJ alone. Some might think "Yay, development!". I'm, like, "Urrm, so much high-density development?" This compiled list is making me wonder what PJ's gonna look like by the time we reach 2010. And, let's not forget all the draft proposals sitting in MPPJ right now awaiting approval that we don't know about.

On the one hand, it's great that we're having so many new stuff around. But, in a tiny corner of my heart, I wonder if we really want that much development that will change the PJ we know.

The delayed Singapore pics ...

... are as below. You know what? The pictures seem to show that I had more fun than I actually did. Hmm ...

I love my Olympus :)

Half-mermaid, half-lion makes the Merlion 

The made-famous-by-Pixar-Pictures Nemo fishes! 

Do you see the seahorses? The Underwater World in Singapore is rather good, actually. 

View of Star Cruise Superstar Virgo's roof deck from the cable car ride we took to Sentosa. 

This is the hotel room which cost us RM218/- per person for a 3 days 2 nights stay. It's right opposite the famed Hotel 1929. My camera's flash is fantastic - the room is actually MUCH darker. 

COLA?

Apparently, the government is planning to implement a 5-day work week for civil servants. And, they'll be re-implementing the COLA - cost of living allowance - which was stopped in 1974.

Question 1 : Does a 5-day work week mean that people like us now have to take leave in order to get things done at government offices? Even now, Saturdays are the busiest days at most government offices.

Even if they implement an extra half-hour worth of work to replace the non-working Saturday, it's not going to help much. Particularly as it may probably just give an extra half-hour of "minum" time.

In actual fact, it really doesn't matter if they get things done really efficiently and work productively during the normal working hours. I mean, the Immigration department can do it so efficiently, how come the NRD or other such depts seem to lack behind in providing timely service?

Question 2 : How do you calculate a COLA?

Do you do it like how you calculate the Consumer Price Index - CPI? Where you take a basket of basic goods and measure its price increase percentage?

Again, it'd be a non-issue if productivity in the civil sector was at a reasonable level. Give them a raise for productivity if you need to. Or promote efficient staff. Do what the private sector does and reward those who should be rewarded. I don't see why taxpayers should pay for the living allowance of civil servants.

"The paper said Cola should be a very reasonable amount, especially for the lower income group, which had been badly hit by the escalating cost of living brought about by rising fuel prices." (The Star, June 2). And who foots our now-increased cost of living??? (Yes, still bitter about the fuel increase. Especially fueled by rumors of another 10-cent increase within the year).

But, no actual plans have been announced yet. So, maybe my shallow understanding of what COLA really is may have tainted my opinion.

My opinion on what's happening in the country is not at its optimistic best right now. Did you read about the RM 1 billion that the country loses every year in import taxes for luxury cars because special permits had been given to a select group of unnamed individuals to pay less taxes? Hmm, I always wondered why the Naza showroom near my house could have such beautiful luxury cars displayed in the windows just like that.

I've got the latest Coldplay album - X & Y :) I shall now turn all melancholic and temperamental while lasting this phase :)

Yesterday was spent traversing the PLUS highway. Took 4 hours to drive to PD (it was bumper-to-bumper from before Sungai Besi toll and all the way till I exited at the 2nd Seremban exit). Argh. Spent 6 hours in PD and then decided to head back home (thankfully, it was only a short 90-minute drive home to PJ). Reason why was because of paranoia. The ground floor apartment had, like, five exits / entrances - the main door, the sliding door, the fire exit, the rear exit, the dry area exit. Argh. And with only me, my mum, my li'l brother and the maid, it didn't seem very safe to remain there. So, headed back home to the supposed safety of home and a peaceful night's sleep.

Lotsa stuff happening.

House alarm triggered one night. I heard noises in the study room next to my bedroom. Called my mum and she called the police. Police came (amazingly efficiently in 5 minutes) and scouted our house for us. Hobbled around and we lost about 2 hours of sleep that night. On a work day some more :P

Therefore, this episode has suddenly made me realise why people say you pay maintenance charges (when you live in apartments) for security. The word security now has a different meaning to me. At least in apartments you don't have to be afraid of people climbing down through your ceiling boards to scare you out of your sweet dreams.

Handed in my 3rd assignment for the semester. One more to go, due end of this month. But right now, this weekend, I'm free. For a while. Mummy requested me to drive her and my brother down to PD for the weekend. So ok lor.

Note for all of us : it's the beginning of the middle of the year.