2007: A Year Of Pictures

You didn't think I was going to just leave the post before this one as the last post of 2007 did you?

So, 2007 was a year filled with highs, lows and everything in between. I had a 6-month break after my days at Inti College, Then I enrolled into Taylor's College for a course in Architecture, which made me open up my eyes, stop and observe at buildings, places and cultures and then soak it all in. That journey is just beginning. Then I had a family trip to China and many many other occasions and events. I got to acquire new friends this year as well as new experiances.

So before I bid farewell to 2007, let me recap some of the pictures I took this year. By far, the type of pictures that I have taken the most this year, hands down, has to be.....the Jumping Pictures.

So, when the hell did it all began?

-Well, here's the very first jumping shot taken at KLPac...by Sophia. I started jumping for some unearthly reason and she took a picture!

- And then, Jon wanted one too!

- Followed by Sophia with her cool side ways leap.

Then I returned to Penang for my semester break and Sandra and Mei Zhi were all like "I want one too, I want one too!" Ergo:

- Mei Zhi's jumping picture at Penang Hill. "Look at me fly!"

-Sandra's armpit-showing jumping shot.

Later, more friends saw them, liked them and wanted them and the frenzy started.

-Ivan Teh's Kung Fu inspired jump.

-Ivan Lee's Buddha-landing jump at a temple.

- And here's some crotch-kicking action...*ouch*

- Pamie leaps off a clock tower!

- Kar Weng follows suit with his crazy high jump.

-We also got group jumping pictures.

- Jon, me and Sophia jumps into the air...Pamie strikes a pose.

- Even my sister did an awesome looking jump in Beijing.

And best of all
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-My mum did one on the Great Wall of China!

I had a good time in 2007, I hope you did too. And I definitely wish you guys a rockin' new year ahead!

HAPPY 2008!

The Wedding + My Christmas

So, onto my cousin, Melissa's wedding. It was a great occasion. Weddings are gateways to family reunions and rediscovering your roots, and I find that rather interesting. So the celebrations were spreaded out over a two-day period which included ancestor worship, pre-marital night? (i'm not sure what lau thia meh is in English), tea drinking ceremony and the wedding night dinner feast.

The only thing I did not attend was the ancestral worship coz I was out, so I don't know what happened there. The lau thia meh was okay. We had catered food at my uncle's house and chit chatted into the night reminiscing and retracing roots and meeting up with other relatives whom I have not met before.

The tea ceremony was held on the next morning and tradition comes into play here with the younger generation serving tea to the elder. My cousin and her husband served tea to my parents, grandma, and other older relatives. Me, being the youngest in my generation, had to serve them tea instead... and got red packets in return :)

- My cousin and her husband serving tea to my grandma.

- Tea being served to my parents.


The dinner commenced in the night at Maple Gold. Dinner was good. And the atmosphere is what you can find in any typical Chinese wedding dinners. Loud music, out-of-pitch karaoke singers, multiple conversations but most importantly, a sense of camaraderie in the air. I even discovered new cousins!

- Random picture.

- The bride and groom with me.

- Alex, apparently a cousin I never knew I had, and me.

So, to Melissa, congratulations!

+ My Christmas

My Christmas celebrations were okay. Nothing interesting. It kicked off in the morning with me watching two movies with Zhi Xiang at Gurney Plaza. The first one was a French movie entitled 'Le Petit Lieutenant'. It was um...interesting. Never really watched a French movie before. The plot was rather slow with some unexpected twists and scenes. But the thing that gets me is the fact that there was absolutely no background music or any form of audio effects usually used to create moods. But at least now i've exposed myself to foreign films.

The second movie was National Treasure: The Book of Secrets. Great movie. But I think it's comparable to the prequel. If only they did things more differently this time around. The plot was rather predictable but it's still a good flick. They managed to use back the original cast, which was good, and they even threw in Academy Award winning actress, Helen Mirren, to the mix!

We didn't stay on for the Christmas countdown as I had dinner arrangements with my parent's friends. The dinner was held at Deluxious. The food was good. But the pricing is expensive. We dined the night away awaiting the Christmas countdown in good company, but I have to admit I was bored to death. Imagine being with old uncles who smoke and drink ALOT. As the night progressed, so did the merriment and by merriment, I mean rowdiness. But I guess it's better to eat and be...rowdy than to be all alone at home watching reruns of E!'s Most Starlicious Makeovers.

Glutinous Goodness

Today's tang chek which is the Winter Solstice and tis' was the time to maketh tong yuen again. Well, actually we made it yesterday night as everyone else does and ate it today. We usually don't observe this festive season much. It's more of an on again, off again practice. We make it when we feel like it. But in the past few years i've been drawn more and more into celebrating these festive occasions that make the Chinese culture unique. Maybe it's this innate quality I possess that urges me to practice old traditions that are now being pushed into oblivion and to research and find out more about my own culture. Am I babbling? I think i'm babbling...

Here's the tong yuen I made with my aunt:

- the balled up spheres of glutinous rice flour

- the finished product: glossy looking balls with varying colours in a sweet pandan leaf flavoured syrup

For detailed instructions on the making of tong yuen, check out Ivan.

*COMING UP

Pictures from my cousin's wedding!

Just an Update

I've been watching a few movies over the past week, three to be precise. And have been going out A LOT. I went to both Queensbay Mall and Gurney Plaza like back to back. They are like the ONLY malls here worthy of going. If only there were more. I miss KL...malls.

But ever since I've been back in Penang, I've totally stopped shopping. Haven't bought a single item back here. Not as many choices and brands here I guess. Even the sales here are just mediocre. The last time I shopped was like two weeks ago back in KL when I was staying at the Concorde hotel and KLCC and Pavilion were just around the corner. But i'm happy now that i've stopped shopping, seeing as I've attained my Chinese New Year outfits.

-At Sandra's...after American Idol-ing and KOF-ing


- Zhi Xiang and me...and Jeff (who's camera shy) at Queensbay.

I've been told I look thinner since coming back from KL. I'm kinda bummed on that. But nevertheless this gives me the opportunity to eat more FOOD...*drool*. I've got curry mee, char koay teow, hokkien mee, char siew fan, chicken rice, mee goreng, and a few others down. But i'm far from completing the list of things I wanna eat here. Phew.


MOVIE REVIEWS


+The Heartbreak Kid



The Heartbreak Kid starring Ben Stiller was kind of a let down in my opinion. quite typical. A few laughs here and there which was okay and also Ben Stiller's signature skits throughout the show. Overall, I didn't really enjoy the movie. But DO check out the Eva Longoria cameo at the end!!! Her appearance saved the movie from giving me a bitter aftertaste.


+ The Golden Compass



My friends say this movie was a disaster. But I have to disagree. Infact, people are already comparing this movie to the LOTR trilogy. I've never read the book before but I did enjoy the movie somewhat even though i'm not a fan of fantasy. Nicole Kidman's performance was fantastic! She totaly made her character seem cold and cunning. I wished she appeared more in the movie. Daniel Craig had only a small appearance and Dakota Blue Richards was pretty good displaying her cheekyness, curiosity and courage throughout the movie. And the scenary and filming locations were breathtaking. Overall, I think this movie was satisfying.


+ I Am Legend



This movie was shot around the time when I was in the states last year!!! AND it's shot in New York! That's why I absolutely HAD to watch it. I went into the cinema expecting to watch the last man on earth (Will Smith) frolicking around the earth looking for a way to reproduce his own species...seriously. But little did I know it was going to be a bloodbath filled with foul zombified human beings wreaking gruelling havoc...oh the gore...It's the kinda movie which makes my eyelids fly up when the thrilling scenes unravel. Will Smith portrays his character well, displaying an array of emotions some bordering on insanity (who could blame his character?). It's a good watch. It's thrilling, horrifying but is also injected with a few laughs and sadness. Between the three movies, I would recommend this one.

Shopping Plans

God, it's been like foreeeever since I went online let alone post up anything. My bad. But i'm not gonna hand out empty promisses saying i'll update more often coz' I don't know how buzy or lazy i'm gonna get. It also depends on my mood. I've been so darn preoccupied with events and outings and travelling of late. I've been back and forth KL, Seremban and Penang very much in the past month. But that's going to end soon when I return to Penang on Saturday and spend the rest of my time there until my next semester at Taylor's commences.

Okay, so i've already started shopping for my Chinese New Year clothes and i'm actually nearly done. Just have a few more things to purchase. I've already gotten all the tops and the clothings left I need to get are bottoms and shoes...but the shoes are optional. I'm considering whether I should show you guys what I bought...maybe i'll just wait until Chinese New Year and only take pictures then.

I think i'm gonna buy jeans for my bottoms. Currently I have a stong liking for dark indigo and black coloured denim. Those unwashed unfaded types with a slim, straight or slight boot cut. Not really into the slouchy baggy jeans but I do have a pair of those. The reason i'm not getting the distressed faded denim it's coz I wanna wear them in myself and let them mould and shape to my err...legs...you know, when you wear your jeans without washing then for like a month and they begin to feel perfectly fitted to you.

So, as I was saying, dark denim. Yup, that's what I plan to get. And they make your legs look longer too! These are just some examples:

- Straight cut dark-coloured denim by DKNY


- Slim-cut dark indigo denim by Guess

Another thing I plan to get for CNY are waistcoats! Yes. I've been seeing a lot of them at the Topman shops and they really look good. I wonder whether I look good in them though. But i'm so gonna get one of them for the New Year!

- Charcoal grey waistcoat by Topman. Topman has the best crap!

And about the shoes, well i'm not planning to get them unless I find one at a really good deal. I'm not the average person who'd pay like 300 ringgit for a pair of Nikes...well actually I hate nikes...but the point is that I'd only buy shoes when my old ones are nearly worn out. But I anticipate i'll be needing more dressier shoes next year for upcoming class presentations. So I might end up with formal dress shoes for CNY.

- If anyone wants to get me these shoes and I mean ANYONE...by all means, go ahead! These are the most darn good-looking shoes i've seen in a while. Even the bag looks fantastic!

But i'm definitely NOT getting these shoes which I swear to god were created in HELL!

This guy says it all:

* WARNING: Vulgarity is present in the following video.

And also, it's a good idea to lower the volume down a little coz he starts shouting at the beginning of the video in the Chris Crocker parody scene.

Rut

To say all's well and everythin's fine would be a big lie for me right now. Things are hectic. Time is insufficient. And i'm in dire need of a pick-me-up. Something. Anything.

So why am I in such a rut lately? Two words: Exam Season. That just says it all doesn't it? So far it's two down and one more to go. I just finished my English paper two hours ago. It would have been better if I had more time. I had so many ideas but so little time. Only two hours for subjective questions and a 500 worded essay. 500 words! I think I only managed less than 400 words. I'm so dead.

Previously, I had my Building Materials exam which was quite challenging. And yesterday was the submission of my Introduction to Design class journal which totaly sucked as i've been slacking a lot on that one. The first few chapters up til chapter 8 was fine. It's chapters 9 to 11 which I totaly blew on. I sped through them as again, time was limited. I should have done them regularly, I should have done them way earlier, I should have added and researched on more topics. All these 'should haves' are useless now. Regrets are painful.

Next week, I will be having my final exam, Malaysian Studies and also 2 submissions for my Design Communications class. I hope they go better than my journal.

PS: I will be going to Seremban for the weekend. And also, I forgot to bring my cellphone charger from Penang, so my cell has died on me. I'm trying to locate someone with the same charger as mine.

Model Building

Okay, so it is officially the start of my study break. All of my classes have ended for this semester and two weeks from now, my exams will commence. I'm quite startled by the fact that my first semester is already coming to an end. It's just so fast. If only I have more time.

Out of my five subjects I'm taking this semester, only three of them have actual final exams. The other two are based on our assignments and work which really puts a strain on us. We really have to work our ass off just to achieve the desired grade. But I've got a feeling we haven't seen the worst that the architecture course has to offer...

So like three posts ago, you saw one of my assignments, the one where I stencilled three faces of myself. Well, another assignment has come my way which I have just handed in on Thursday. It was actually given to us just before I left for China, so as you can imagine I haven't got much time to fully concentrate on it. But I hope what I've done is good to earn me a grade I hope for.

On to the assignment: Basically we had to comprehend and incorporate the design principles (which we have learnt from our class) into a 3D piece of work. In short, use a model board, cut, cut, cut and arrange, arrange, arrange to form 3D shapes which use at least two of the design principles. Jon completed his model wayyy ahead of time and it turned out to be a hit among us coursemates. On the other hand, I was really cracking my head on what to do and how to start. Plus, I had to juggle this model building assignment with an English presentation and a two-point perspective drawing.

I ended up playing with the model board a bit trying to get ideas and also seeking the opinion of my friends and lecturers who were kind enough to help me in the matter. Here're some pictures:

- I used the Repetition principle by creating these triangular shapes using white model board.


- I arranged them around here and there and this is what I came up with. The typed out paper explains my model. This is what it looked like prior to submission.


- The mess left behind on my work table. I think I wasted alot of model board...darn.

Safe to say, I'm satisfied with my model and I sure hope my lecturers are too. The only thing I disliked is the gluing. Yeah, I kinda left glue stains here and there, making it look untidy. But I liked the concept though, we had to type that out in the explanation sheet I said earlier and submit it together. However, I think I made the explanation kinda...umm...complicated. I think I used too many words. Here is what I typed:


"Assignment 3: Poetry in Composition.

Inspired by the skeletal features of the spine and ribs and also the elliptical shape of an eye, my work encompasses a number of principles to create a harmonious composition. Firstly, from an aerial point of view, my elliptical shaped composition displays the principle of Axis. There is an inverted symmetrical balance which can be derived from this view. When a line is drawn through the middle of the composition, both sides are symmetrical, but inverted. Secondly, this composition also employs Rhythm and Repetition. The basic triangular segments are repeated seven times, each time with a decreasing size; to form the skeletal-like shapes on each side. These shapes, along with the recurring rectangular strips in the focus point, which is the middle, are able to emanate a sense of Rhythm. The way the triangular segments are repeatedly arraged, gives it a life-like flowing movement when viewed from an elevation point of view. Lastly, since the aerial view of this composition exhibits an elliptical shape, there is a Radial form which can be noticed as lines radiate from the main focus point. The vertically placed rectangular strips are also carefully arranged to complement the similar sense of radial symmetry and balance."

After reading it for the second and third time...I kinda got blur myself.

Utter Inefficiency

After a bombardment of photos for the last few posts. I won't be featuring any on this one. It's also partially due to my laziness to edit them. So anyways, I just really wanted to comment on the absolute inefficiency of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). So, why have they flared up my anger you ask? Well let me review all the incidences:

1. The timing is totaly off! Sometimes I end up waiting 40 minutes for the damn train.

2. Since the timing is off, then why the hell should they even display the departure time (at the station) of the next train? What's the reason? To get people on the edge of their seats?!

3. Sometimes when you're in the train, they don't even announce which station is next. Especially at night. So you don't know which station you've arrived at unless you crane your neck around to look for some pathetic sign.

4. Touch n' Go...MY ASS. I usually use the Touch n' Go card at the KTM. The other day, when I scanned my card as I was exiting the station, the display unit show that my card had RM0.00 CREDIT LEFT!!! WHAT THE F***!!! I have like MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED RINGGIT IN THERE, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE FREAKIN' MONEY!!! That really pissed me off. Their system sucks...it UBER-SUCKS! But i've managed to reclaim my money back. I tell you i'm sooo never going to use my card on the KTM anymore.

5. (This reason is only partially the KTM's fault) There are no lines or cues when boarding the KTM, so it's not really fair if someone who came after you manage to get in before you. Also, damn all the people who push and shove when boarding the train to the extent that other passengers are unable to alight the train. I swear, if someone shoves me again, i'll shove and elbow back...maybe even throw a sucker punch...kidding


So, for the past week, i've basically been wriggling myself back into the college timetable. Upcoming assignments include my English presentation on 'Green Buildings', A model making project to show shapes and forms for Introduction to Design, A two-point-perspective drawing for my Design Communications class and also updating my journal and sketchbook. Phew, that's alot!

My finals are in Mid-November. To be exact, it starts on the 14th and ends on the 21st, so after that, I assume I should be free. But I plan to stay on for a week before returning to Penang. It depends though. But i'm sure i'll be in Penang for the month of December.

And last but not least...there's a Mid-season SALE at TOPMAN!!!



+ EXTRA

*LISTEN TO THIS*

"Groovejet" (If this ain't love)
by Spiller feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor

I love this song. It's the type of song you can hear and dance to in a club but it's also a good 'chill-out' song. It's got a great beat and rhythm you can groove to, hence the title I guess. The music's by DJ Spiller who by the way, is 6 feet 9. Vocals feature Sophie Ellis-Bextor's lovely voice. So listen up, and listen to this song! Check out the remixed version too!

PS: I think the video was shot in Thailand.

*WATCH THIS*

I know Halloween isn't a big thing in Malaysia, but just the idea of dressing up in costumes is so cool. I was thinking about wearing something different for classes this coming Wednesday.

Halloweeny Wednesdays: How to make a Mummy Costume
by Threadbanger

Halloweeny Wednesdays: Warlocks, Witches & Ghouls
by Threadbanger

One Hundreth

So i'm finally posting up something. Phew...it's been a really hectic month for me with many assignments due one after another. I had no time what-so-ever. Plus, I took a week off classes for my China trip with my family(pictures are posted below), so I had to complete and hand in some assignments earlier. Most of my classes are now rushing towards the end with bigger and bigger assignments being allocated. And the finals are just around the corner. Talk about stress. But other than that, i'm still looking for time to enjoy myself, although I have a feeling I shouldn't be doing so with so many things going on.

I was planning to post up something before going to China, but I just didn't have the time. Plus this is my hundredth post and I didn't really want to waste it on some boring rant like i've been doing so for the past few times. But all that aside, i'm back now.




So, about China. It was great. Seriously.

What? Do I not sound convincing enough? Fine, just look at all the pictures and judge for yourself. Apparently, we took just over 900 pictures over a period of 8 days. That's about a hundred over each day! So, since I can't post them all up (I really wish I could), I'll just post up a few pictures from each location I liked.

>WARNING!: There are A LOT of pictures up ahead!<

The following pictures from the trip are in no particular order. Here goes:

-Tian'an Men Square was very spacious. This was the first site we visited.


-From the Tian'an Men Square, we took a brisk walk and crossed a wide road and arrived at the majestic Forbidden City. That's Golden Water (which is a stream) behind me. The plan of the Forbidden City is very much symetrical.


-I don't think a lot of people sit down to take pictures there...(that's me mum and sis by the way)


-The ming tombs were interesting. You get to climb down like several stories below ground to witness the location where one of the emperor's coffin was found.


-The Summer Palace was huge, but sadly, we only explored a tiny portion of it. The architecture and designs were really ornate though.


-These flowers were planted around the courtyards and outdoors and were really fragrant.


-In the Summer Palace, there is the longest corridor in the world! We didn't walk it all though.


-Willow trees reflected on the water makes a great backdrop. You see a lot of willow trees in Beijing.


-At the Great Wall of China.


-Just look at the amount of people there! There were so many! But nevertheless, the winding wall never fails to astonish. It was very windy there too and cold. But after walking a bit, you kinda generate heat and the cold goes away.


-Some parts of the wall is kinda steep. The tour guide asked us only walk up to the second station...but we walked up to five...hehe.


-The famous Peking Duck. So oily...SO GOOD


-Look what we passed by! It's the new olympic stadium! The Bird's Nest.


-Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan) is where the emperor would make sacrifices and pray to heaven during the winter solstice. The architecture has a lot of symbolism involved.


-That's the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It's circular and has three tiers. You can't go inside, but you can elbow your way through the crowds to view the inside from one of the three door openings.


-The Round Altar, also situated in Tian Tan, is where the emperor would stand during the religious ceremonies. You have to take turns to stand on it and we all did it! Great feeling.


-We stayed overnight in Chengde (a mountain resort north of Beijing). The hotel there kinda sucks but the temperature there was much cooler! The picture is of Putuozongcheng Zhi Miao. A building built to resemble Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.


-Spinning prayer wheels at Puning Si, a temple with both Chinese and Tibetan influence.


-Wangfujing Street is the shopping district and it really comes alive at night. There are department stores with expensive brands, food and clothing outlets along the street and also there are stalls selling foods from sugar dipped fruits to deep fried scorpion on a stick (which my sister tried and I took a small bite of...it tastes like deep fried chicken skin)


-The city of Beijing. Very modernized indeed. But I think there are way too many people living there.


-At the Beijing International Airport. That's how we carried our bags, mind you.

Yeah, I hope that's enough to prove how great the China trip was. All those places, all the history. I think if anyone really wants to go there and soak it all in, they have to spend more than just a week. I think our trip there was too short. We literally swept past from location to location since time was very limited. Also, some of the food we had there was kinda insipid. Should've tried food from other restaurants and outlets. But that aside, China is really worth the visit.

The hotels we stayed at we only okay. The first one was good though. We stayed there for 4 nights. I liked that one coz the rooms were huge! And the breakfast at the coffeehouse was also pretty good. Then there was also a hotel we stayed at for only one night which was the hot springs hotel where each room is equipped with a jacuzzi in which it's water source is from the hot springs, which is bloody HOT I might add! Took me half an hour to get into the damn thing. The hotels other than those two were absolutely abysmal.

1. The Great Wall of China : Hands down, the greatest wall I've ever seen.

2. The Forbidden City : It's just so awesome!

3. Wangfujing Street : Shopping...can I say more?

4. Temple of Heaven : It's overwhelming to stand on the round altar where the emperor once stood

5. Summer Palace : Large and stunning

If you wanna see more of the pictures from my trip, just ask me!

So I arrived back in Penang on the 19th which is last Friday which happens to be the vegetarian diet day. So on the flight back from Beijing, we had to order the vege meal...and they gave us cup noodles...blek. Then because of the turbulence or for some unknown reason, I felt nauseous. Terrible. But I felt okay after touching down in Penang.

I didn't do a lot of shopping during the trip. The only thing I bought for myself was some foodstuff and a shirt...that's it! I didn't even get souvenirs. So don't expect any. But my mum and sis bought a couple of things. They could've bought more stuff but bargaining can really take it's toll on people.

I'm gonna be super-stressed out over the next few weeks seeing that the finals are approaching and assignments are dropping left and right all over me. I wish I was still on holiday...