by | May 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
An interesting thing happened earlier today. I was in the morning queue to enter the still closed OCBC bank at 9am to do some banking. It was the first time I’d ever joined a queue as I was never this earliy before. Soon enough, from the back of the snaking queue, I saw the doors opening, while listening to Linking Park’s “New Divide” on incesasnt repeat.
As I approached the entrance, I realised that the staff of OCBC have lined up on either side of the way and they were actually applauding, greeting, smiling and bowing as the waiting queue made its way in. In total there were 4 staffs, and it was a really pleasant gesture indeed. I never thought that OCBC operated this way, or is this because of the SOS campaign? Who knows, but its certainly a great way to welcome in your customers.
Where I work at, the way we greet customers is by shouting off their names or calling then “Tai-Lo”, which means big brother in Hokkien, from far. I suppose this method works as customers feel welcomed and acknowledged, and at the same time it could lead to amusing consequences too~
Oh, another amusing thing happened. All those talk of exacting revenge on the soccer field, I think I’ve to put it aside for a moment. I’ve felt this aching pain on my left calf, ever since last night’s soccer session at FICO. It was a good workout and despite enjoying the session, I think I went home a little dismayed at the aching calf.
Seems like the revenge of the fallen will have to wait for another day. I wish I was an Autobot. Eh, I wonder if Autobots ever get cramps or aches?
by | May 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Psst. I’ve been itching. Itching real bad. No, not the rashes kind but the intangible kind where you just can’t wait to do something.
I’ve amazed myself this week. I didn’t realise that I could discipline myself to not even go on a Dota rampage in an effort to get as much sleep as I can. Okay, so I did went for a session with Han, last Tuesday, but that’s all. I’ve skipped my late night gaming to get my rest and recharge.
All these in preparation for tomorrow’s league game, which we MUST win. Last’s week’s draw was especially hard on me as I was unable to chip in and help the lads in the second half, when they conceded the equaliser. I’m not saying that with me the team will be invincible, and the truth is not even close to that, but at least had I played then I’d known that I’ve tried to prevent the equaliser from coming in, and even if it came eventually, then I’ll accept it.
I’ve actually felt physically fresher towards the end of the week, unlike previous weeks. Not for a long time have I felt this good, and the last time I felt this way I was on a prescription dose of multi-vitamins and protein shakes. Its Au Naturel this time, and its damn good!
Revenge starts 5pm, tomorrow. Sadly the venue’s nowhere near the west or central, but I’ll persevere.
Ooh, on another note, I’ve been watching and re-watching The Transformers2 trailer! Uber cool! What makes it even cooler is that Linkin Park’s penning the single for the movie’s OST. Its a good song too! Hear it for the first time on my blog — don’t ask how I got it, just enjoy it!
by | May 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
It took me a good 12 minutes of the phone alarm blaring and my cat, Yee-Eee, jumping and bouncing off me, before I could muster enough waking energy to, um, wake. It’s not easy getting up when you’ve just slept like 3 hours ago. In fact, it is far worse to try to wake when you’ve slept just between 3-5 hours.
Sleeping for 1 or 2 hours, and you will wake quite comfortably, but go past the 3rd hour, and you’ll be involved in a raging war between trying to even sit up on bed and lying down for a further 5 mins. Fortunately for me, my Cat was persistent enough to not let me have anymore 5 mins of snooze.
Joining the crowd in my living room to watch the Champions League final, Dad informed me that Barcelona had just taken the lead against Man Utd. Eto’o was the scorer, and I was the sucker who missed the excitement of watching the goal live. I blame my Cat for not bouncing enough earlier.
So well did you catch the game this morning, or night depending on where you are, and would you agree if I mention that Man Utd was unfairly pitted against an extra-terrestrial team this final? Whatever happened to fair play? Or did Barcelona managed to sneak an extra playere onto the pitch, which I frantically tried to prove throughout the game.
Resorting to long balls into the channels, Man Utd glaringly missed their playmaker. The player who makes their attacks tick and brings other players into the game. Who else, but Scholes was missed ultimately. Sure Giggs huffed and puffe, but his ageing legs didn’t receive the right support from his younger compatriots and he doesn’t quite possess the same killer instincts that Scholes does.
Indeed without Scholes, not one uniited player was bringing the rest into the game. Sadly the boys in white were content on either embarking on his own mazy solo runs, or resting deep in an effort to not get caught out. The Blaugaranas instead had every player who seeked to bring others into the game, while teasing and pulling the opposition.
Hold the ball, pass it behind to move it forward. Simple tactics from Guardiola’s boys and beautifully intricated goals delivered in his favour. Its hard to imagine that this is Guardiola’s first ever season as a senior coach. Um, Jose who anyone?
Forget coaches for a moment because a tiny lad from Argentino has just claimed the Ballon D’or on his own. Messi has arrived, finally and in big time too. Isn’t it freakishly out of this world how he jumped forward, leaned backwards and managed to divert Xavi’s cross into the net? All these while ghosting behind Ferdinand. You’d blame O’Shea for not pressing into him, but I say why lay blames when someone deserves crediting?
Wonderfully gifted with superb close control and strength despite his midgety size for a footballer, Messi is no doubt going to claim the next Ballon D’or — or world player of the year. Sorry Ronaldo, you’re an extremely talented athlete, but for now its time for you to take the backseat. Messi, the unstoppable force.
So all in all, to Man Utd, you’ve had an amazing season and experienced an unprecedented decade, but for now it’s time for you to take the backseat and herald the greatness, the phenomenon and the subliminal Blaugaranas.
Barcelona (2) – Man Utd (0). Good game. Good night.
by | May 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
If you’ve read my earlier post (didya? didya? didya?) where I introduced ALF, then you’d probably be familiar with that nick and realise that I’m not hallucinating over crack or some dope.
angrylittlefish.posterous.com
Yes, I’ve ditched my earlier wordpress version (which you can see here) in favour of posterous’ simpler, more elegant and less complex solution to posting updates on ALF.
Having stumbled upon Posterous.com by chance, I digged into its backend to find that it is indeed a superbly designed CMS/blogging/photo-sharing webapp or website. It is so dead simple, that I lost sleep over just how simple its creators have developed it to be.
It may appear to be to simple and not as customizable as wordpress or blogger, but for ALF, it suffices as he has indeed settled down completely with Posterous.com. I think ALF enjoys his new home there.
In any case, take a trip to see ALF and perhaps find him some love too!
by | May 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
Pain, pain, pain, pain and pain. Pain. I received an unwelcomed knee blow onto my left thigh this morning at Dragonscage. Flicking the ball away from the onrushing Rizal, his momentum forced him to land his knee straight on, full forced, onto my left thigh. Wonderful stuff. Feels like you’re flying around a field of chysanthemum. Yeah right. It’s super painful and I’d gladly demo to anyone who feels like a demonstration is needed. Heh.
Dragonscage attendance was ok-ok, not that many turned up, but mroe than enough for a morning session. Initially, after the blow, it still felt decent and I didn’t really feel the pain, not until I reach office later on and sat down at the workstation did I began to feel the beauty of a knee-blow-onto-thigh thingy. Painful daaaaaa! I had to gingerly hobble around at work today, but I hope tomorrow it’ll be better. But how to ease the pain? And the answer is…
Deep Heat! Like how Mee Maggi saved the lives of countless students in dorm rooms or hungry gamers on their 12th hour of DOTA, Deep heat has saved my Sunday evening. After work, I rushed down to nearby Mustapha Centre to find one, and I found a million! Okay, so its much less than a million, but myriads of brands and kinds of it amazed me! I really didn’t know which brand to look for, so I went with one of the expensive ones. You see, there was the $3 ones, the $6 ones, the $8 ones and even the $14 ones. I took the $8 Deep Heat, and before that decision, how I wish that I could instantly, at that moment, hook up to Google and do a quick search on ‘Best Deep Heat Brand’.
As it turned out, after browsing a little later at home, google confirmed that my $8 purchase was well worth it. Here’s the article that explains thoroughly what Deep Heat does. Thanks to the article, I now know that I got the perfect concentration of substance in my Deep Heat to ease the pain. I think its a good read for anyone in case a situation calls for it and you’ll probably thank me for directing you the link as you’ve just bought your perfect Deep heat too.
So less pain now, more mood for gaming + soccer watching. In a few hours time the English Premiere League games will kick off simultaneously for the last round of the season. Thankfully, I’ll be watching them all comfortably. Oh and to all Newcastle fans, I suggest you get Deep Heat to ease the pain of realising that your team is relegated. Suppose the $3 ones suffices eh?
by | May 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
We came late! Me and Arfan went straight after our soccer game, where we drew 1-1 with the table topper, thus failing to overtake them. It hurts more that I couldnt do anything about it as I left during half-time in preparation for Eulyn’s wedding in th evening.
Ok, so the wedding seating and registration kicked off at 6.45pm and instead, we arrived at 7.45pm, just in time as the guests were helped to the appetisers. Scrumptious but due to my war against vegetables, I tried my best to enjoy the cucumbers, onions and everything else white, orange and green.
So Laguna Sari was the chosen venue and it was a compact, and had a friendly ambience, with little crystals hanging from the white ceilings and pretty smiles from the waitresses dressed in kebaya. It was like Indonesia meets America. But the food was pan asian style? I was expecting a traditional chinese inclined menu but neverthless the food served filled me great!
The waitresses could use a few more skills upgrading though. It took them 20 minutes, and we had to ask ourselves, before we were given our glass of drinks — and she had to ask what we would like when there was clearly only one type of drink available, which she then dismissed her own question with a “Oh yah.. “. Big event perhaps getting to her.
Familiar faces surrounded the table and surprisingly, Farid, my secondary school buddy and still going strong, was the emcee for the day! Not bad, and from a daytime psychologist to a night time entertainer. He’s doing really well these days. I bet his side income beats his full time job hands down. I’m jealous already, but good for him!
So I was a little sapped of energy from a day’s work and the soccer game, so I was sort of reactive to the event and whatever ounce of it left was spent smiling away, but I thought I beamed most when Audrey approached me and we had a little chat from where we left of… like last December? Wow, almost 6 months already. Anyway, for a foreigner, she somehwo prefers to hang around with the locals rather than the expats here. Says she wants to get as much experience as possible. Good for her indeed.
Talking about experience, its about time that I gain some for myself — in Dota that is — and since I’m on a streak, why resist right? GGClient… here I come…..
by | May 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
Whoever wins American Idol won’t affect me. No I won’t be shrieking over the loser like these girls (their mom secretly taped their reactions in the 2007 American Idol season), but thinking and considering about the people around me gets me all soft and dewy hearted.
You see, Dad hasn’t been working for more than a year now and even Stepma has been docked at home for the past few months. I’m not entirely sure how both manage to get through with their dailies but its quite evident that they’re working on a shoestring budge, ever since they’ve enrolled for the Haj or pilgrimage package. In fact, they were supposed to go last year, but situations in Arab denied them and thus they’ll have to endure for another year.
Dad part-times but I can see that he’s growing weary trying to make ends meet — and I see him tired and weary most of the time! I try to help him whenever and wherever I can. I never ask him for anything cos I do not wish to add to his todo-list anymore, but I do advise him time and again on starting out on his own, which in a way he did, for a short period of time, with his friends in their KL-Singapore logistics venture. For now, I think he’s just focusing on his Haj plans. Keep it simple, he says.
And then there’s my brother who is preparing for his wedding next year. I help him with his expenses now and then, over the years and I’ve never asked him for them back, because I know its going to be difficult for him to repay them. Not that I really bother about getting them repaid, I just hope he gets through the wedding and settles down sufficiently. If someone dear needs my help, then I’ll help. Whether the loan gets repaid or not, that’s their prerogative. I guess that If I were a licensed moneylender, I’d be out of business in no time.
Like how I financed my sister-cousin’s diploma at MDIS and not really expecting anything in return. Mind you, its a hefty sum but I’m proud that she got through the year successfully and has achieved a decent certificate with her life. Although I am now a little concerned that she’s showing a lack of ambition when it comes to knocking onto any career doors. You see, there are doors opening but I guess she’s yet to walk through any of them.
I haven’t seen any laudable efforts and maybe that’s why my concern as a brother kicks in. I mean, watching videos of boybands and serial dramas, or window shopping online and regularly participating in forums doesn’t really pay the bills, eh? I’m already doing my part to support her and Godma for a while now and I hope it doesn’t come to a point where I ask myself ‘Is my spoon supporting the future or only feeding for the day’? I’m sure she can do much more and be an inspiration to her younger sis.
And what about my step-sis, who half the time seem to be plagued by her dreary outlook everytime she’s home? She’s finishing her poly tenure mid next year, and despite her moans and complaints about schoolwork, I think she’s going to get on well. She’s got ambitions, loads of it and nothing malign about that, but of which can cripple her capabilities at times. She’ll come to me for advice and help and it seems to me that this one wants to be able to do everything, like me, and to not being able to achieve a target is truly disappointing. However she’ll appear moody when that happens, unlike me who’s hell bent on being positive and to find a lighter, brighter side of things. I suppose I need to teach her how to Dota as an escape?
Wow, I’ve yet to reveal the whole iceberg and I’m already so wordy on its tip. Gee, I’m ranting like I’ve never ranted before here, and I suppose being squeezed financially makes me blurt. You see, commissions aren’t coming in like they used to. The economy isn’t looking great at all, and still I’m still glad about where I am at the moment, but here’s something that reeks: I’ve been resting on my laurels for many months now and somehow I got a kick on the butt via a song. Yes, a song woke me up. The song’s playing on my blog right now, thanks to David Cook.
You see, it’s a song dedicated to the passing of his Cancer strickened brother, Adam Cook. On my birthday 8 years ago, I got a wake up call with the passing of my late mum. That event led me to being positive and determined on working hard and to continue living against all odds. Today for the first time I listened to the song ‘Permanent’ and quite contrary it strucked me that nothing is really permenant. What if Jacky Printing went out of business? What would I do then? What if my loved ones pass on and I’ve never really got to shower them with the kind of life that they’ve been dreaming of? Then it strucked me again on another level that I’m not even through with the adult stage yet, where marriage and having children kicks in, sweeping you along with all the lovely problems that raising a family could bring. Let’s take things one at a time eh?
Arrghh.. Though I’m not even close to spiralling out of control (and neither are the people around me) I wish life could be… simpler? I’d sure would love to see more pro-active mind sets, firm decision-making, and plenty more smiles to share around. Why make life harder for someone else right?
Oh well, what a way to introduce my latest project. Tsk. Angry Little Fish. His name is alf. He is a fish. An angry fish. I’ve yet to post any pictures of him, but do peek back for more updates on Alf.
I think I have a good quote to end this post, which goes like this. “Why.. So.. Serious?” Bah.
by | May 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
No, not the frail economy or the flip flops of Obama, but rather the surprise victory of Kris Allen over Adam Lambert on American Idol. Yes, thanks to social media, we’re deliberating on who won AI instead of pressing world issues. Isn’t that great? <– note my sarcasm.
Anyway I have yet to watch the finals so I have absolutely no idea how they performed and despite recognising the talentsand charisma that Adam possess, I was quite certain that Kris’ best could only see him get runners up spot. If AI was a course in one of the local polytechnics, ADAM would have excelled with a Diploma with merit, thanks to his consistent and memorable performances, week after week. I’ve yet to see an AI contestant this good. I thought even David Cook’s charisma lost out to Adam’s!
Still, kudos to Kris for being younger, able to carry the guitar, sit behind a piano, being baby-boyish looking and choosing the right sexuality path which probably swooned all of America’s giggling teens’ handphone bills his way. In credit, Kris never appeared intolerable but played it safe all throughout the competition. He’s quite talented and sings well, but he comes off as a karaoke champion at times, compared to Adam’s stage dominating enigmatic solos.
Oh well, upsets do happen time and again. Not that I’ll be weeping 24/7 or wail over Adam’s lost, but I’m just a little irked that a better artist (imho) lost out.
If its any consolation for Adam, history has gone to show that the runner’s up for AI always sells way more records than the winners.
So congratulations to Kris. (As if he’s even reading this, in which case the congrats goes to Kris’ fans, but as if they’re reading this… so.. bah, forget it..)
by | May 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
I love this! Love this! Love this!
But too bad my card declined when I tried to get it online. Hehe. I’m such a sucker for good looking AND playful stuffs.
Its an intelligent shirt design isn’t it? Not your average skull and roses and guns and dead cat in the middle of the chest, but something rather playful and undull.
Well if you can’t find enough love for it, perhaps you’ll find it useful during your occasional lunch when you spill that coffee onto your shirt. With this shirt, you can hide that stain as part of its design! Brilliant!
Decaf-Disaster. Love it or hate it, it’s brilliantly intelligent. On sale for the next…. 1hour from now? Find it here (or its archive if 1 hour has passed.)
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