Friday, February 27, 2024
?!
Who wants a cookie?
I WANT A COOKIE!!!
haha, made you look :P
Sucker.
Posted by Tiff @ 12:50 PM GMT [Link]
Thursday, February 26, 2024
Par-tay? Par-tay!
Where did I leave off?
Oh yeah, the day after that mad trip to check out the Penchala Link.
Right.
Taking pictures didn't happen. I passed out early; we were doing something all day that kept me real busy (if only I could remember what...). Friday and we were off to Ipoh to visit my uncle, eat, and maybe pray. Food is mad cheap and yummy if you know where to find it, and my cousins and I stuffed ourselves silly between bouts of sleeping, checking out local highlights (we saw the ruined set of Anna & the King), shopping and praying. I took lots of pictures, yeh.
Drove back on Sunday afternoon, only to congregate at Levin's later that night for Basil's bachelor party. 4 hours and 5 bottles of vodka later, SC's arms were wrapped around a pail, three others had passed out and Basil, AL and I were chilling with a cooler and some beer.
Warm vodka is nasty shit.
Up bright and early Monday, chilled with cousins till late. After lunch and cleaning up, it was off to Red Box for a karaoke session. My cousins are a scream ;D
Tuesday was "work" day, but I only stuck around for a couple of hours, as I'd promised to spend some time with my brother. We baked (well, he baked; I watched tv) and yakked till late. He was making tonnes of desserts for his birthday party the following day. Two carrot cakes, two tiramisus, flourless chocolate cupcakes, three jellies, two pastry puff/cream/lychee things and a bread pudding later, we called it a night.
My car's ABS screwed up on me, so it was off to the workshop to get it checked before driving my aunts around and buying last minute foodstuff.
The ladies called ;D ;D ;D
Half an hour went by in a blink of an eye, but we had so much yet so little to say to one another. I miss my roomies; we're crazy, but at least we're crazy together. I was glad to hear that everyone was doing good, and hopefully I'll be seeing them soon.The clan started arriving a little past seven, and Steve added a 4kg banana chocolate cake to the list of desserts. Everything else was the usual on the menu; curry, fried noodles, wings, etc.
Today I woke up late and am sitting by myself in the office, not even attempting to be useful.
Saturday's wedding day, but dad and I will be missing the church ceremony as we have to take care of the store. The cousins have a room in the hotel in preparation for our night of excesses; it is imperative that we imbibe in as much alcohol as possible before March. Or something.
Posted by Tiff @ 02:13 AM GMT [Link]
Wednesday, February 18, 2024
Happy day mama
"...come alive come alive, watch the city go by, turn me up, turn me up turn me up turn me uppp..."
It's been a long time since I wondered around with only two hours sleep in my system, but it was fun while it lasted. Bummed in the office doing light paper work and random surfing. Checked out the night market nearby after work and bought pirated copies of Jason Mraz's and Linkin Park's albums for a steal of RM10. I guess location really does matter.
An e-mail from Punky made me grin from ear to ear for a long while, so much so that my cousin thought I lost my mind, hehe. After all, I'm known for laughing to myself at the oddest moments, as my roommates will testify :P Thanks Punkila!
"Are you lucid? Drug induced? Through bloodshot eyes the city come alive come alive come alive...ah, how wonderful you are..."
Was vegging out today. Merv came by in a bid to escape horrible traffic, and we chilled for a bit. Joined him and the guys in Bangsar later, and we drove to Bandar Utama via the newly opened Penchala Link Highway, just to see what it looked like, lol. In all truth, the guys wanted to see where the road led and familiarize themselves with it. As for me, I'm as blur as ever, but what else is new? I thought the tunnel looked pretty neat though, and we plan to check it out again tomorrow, this time armed with cameras, yay!
"Outside, you feel like you were born with a 'Kick Me' sign taped permanently to your back..."
I've got a bunch of things to do, which is odd, seeing as I'm not supposed to have anything on my agenda for the next two months (or the past three, for that matter).
Amazing. Audrey's been on this "New Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre" marathon since 11am. It's now 2.30am and she's still going strong. You've just got to love 80's chinese dramas, lol. Slightly reminiscent of Hindi movies, minus the dance moves and constant costume changes. They sing once in a while though :P
"Are you listening? Are you breathing? Give me something, I can believe in, 'cause you give me soul, illuminating everything..."
Mum says I'm so damn blur 'cause I stay up all night. Pffft.
I've got to stop listening to Better Than Ezra's "Happy Day Mama" on repeat.
*hums along*
Posted by Tiff @ 02:00 PM GMT [Link]
Tuesday, February 17, 2024
stuff
I'm at 'work' and my cousin's away, so I get to be sneaky and hang out online, wee!
Well, not much hanging out as it is hanging around, seeing as this 'puter is so old it can die anytime (what is it with me and dying computers?) but I digress. I can write as I please, walla!
Pffft.
My pride has the odd punch-up ever so often with my will to do what's right, but pride is secondary to so much, and ever so often, I feel the need to apologize to friends and family for being the sarcastic half-wit that I am, sometimes too blunt for my own good, too fierce and too cutting as cruel words spill forth from heart to mouth with no brain in between.
If it's one thing I understand, the only thing flawless is flaw itself. I'm trying to bite my tongue, honest I am, but old habits die hard, and it's a fact that I need a good kick ever so often. Unfortunately, when it comes to taking people down a peg or two, unforgiving words spring forth automatically, and my stubborn nature makes it even harder for me to back down when my skewed views of injustice are brought to light.
There are days when I argue for the need to be honest and blunt, and I usually get put down for being "whitewashed" and "not Asian enough", not giving "face", not showing respect to elders and the likes of it.
Maybe dad's right; it's in my blood to argue to death about something I believe in, to have a reason for every move and motive, so absolute with the blacks, whites and shades of grey that I forget ... I don't know what.
I feel bad for the people who put up with more shit and ramblings than they ought to from a narcissitic overbearing wordy opinionated loudmouth (not to mention psycho) bakeaholic whom they have the misfortune to know, hah.
I guess I'm just... a lousy friend in so many ways.
Ever get the feeling that you're so alien you ought to be locked away?
Posted by Tiff @ 12:47 AM GMT [Link]
Monday, February 16, 2024
Rings
"I wrote a three-page note so I could ask you why you live your life (disregard the pretense that you made)..."
Circular signs of the eclectic mind that revolve and shape perception in a bid of deception to senses and cheap recesses of the obscure, a short tenure at sanity while encouraging vanity with silver and steel, matte or shine in straight squiggly lines, sliding past fingertips to grasp onto skin; it all looks fine.
What I'm trying to say is, I bought rings. Lots of rings. Actually, just five. Four simple silver designs, one elaborate black. The black one's good for leaving marks, if you know what I mean. Painful marks. Yup.
Why the sudden obsession with rings?
I was in Bangsar trying to find a silver dolphin ring, reminiscent of the one I used to wear religiously (along with every silver chain, bracelet and dog tag I possessed) back then. In all truth, I have no idea how I misplaced it, but I felt a sudden surge of nostalgia and decided to see if I could dig one up. Failing to do so, I decided to buy a couple of funky ones instead. I'm suddenly hooked, and plan to hit the night markets again this coming Sunday.
More and more I find that company is dispensible, even my own, especially my own.
Damaged beyond repair. Game over, please insert coin(s).
Posted by Tiff @ 11:03 PM GMT [Link]
Friday, February 13, 2024
Charge it!
The fuzzier the brain, the easier it is to just sign for every damn purchase, heh.
Nice and drugged, I decided to take the chance and drive to Ikea on an almost empty tank at 4.30pm on a Friday. Shean thought I was insane, if only because rush hour would be killer, but lucky me was greeted by smooth flowing traffic throughout the 25 minute journey. Parking was easy too, although navigating through the superbright showroom was a challenge, as the colours were magnified and brain-fizzling, to say the least.
Two seat cushions, charged to my Visa.
Five chairs, charged to my Visa.
"Good Omens", charged to my Visa.
I paid in cash for dinner.
Groceries, charged to my Visa.
Gas, charged to my Visa.
This credit card thingie could get addictive...
Decided to walk around the Ikano Powerstation in an attempt to clear my mind. Spent almost two hours in Popular and was suckered into buying Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman's Good Omens, just 'cause it looked so damn good. Had a quiet dinner at Dome's and started reading. I have to say, this book has me completely hooked. I've been giggling and laughing throughout, if only at the madness and blasphemy of it all. Amidst the usual characters of God, the Metatron, Satan and Beelzebub (we aretalking about Armageddon here, there is the Anti-Christ, an Angel who also happens to be a part-time rare-book dealer, an Angel who "did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards" and a Sister Mary Loquacious, "a Satanic Nun of the Chattering Order of St. Beryl", to list but a few.
Headed back home and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some stuff. The car (which screwed me over last week thanks to a dead battery) was kind enough to last till I finished my errands before I managed to stop by a decent petrol station.
Shean and Shao came by and we headed to our usual hangout for some teh o' ais limau and nonsensical chatter. Today was a discussion and put-down of what idiots men and women were over the course of a relationship, possible or otherwise, while shaking our heads at the story of a guy who drove 600km to buy 200+ roses for a girl who already has a boyfriend. The futility (and stupidity) of it all.
Cynics 'R' Us ;D
Anyway, got home and fixed the chairs, all five of 'em. Declined to join cousins for another yumchar session, if only because the mind is getting cloudy once again.
More medication, some reading and more sleep. Mmm.
Posted by Tiff @ 02:00 PM GMT [Link]
Thursday, February 12, 2024
*stretch*
Reasons beyond comprehension, understanding beyond the decipherable.
Posted by Tiff @ 05:48 AM GMT [Link]
Thursday, February 12, 2024
Birthday wishes
Happy Birthday sooks; another year down the drain, another year to grow a little more cynical ;)
I wasn't late when I called, but I'm late to post, buy hey, it's here anyway, right?
There's a bottle around here somewhere with both our names on it.
Posted by Tiff @ 05:33 AM GMT [Link]
Thursday, February 12, 2024
I
Some days I really think I should be locked up and put away for good. All good intentions aside, there's nothing but trouble and grumbles about the shit that happens and in all truth I don't have any clue where I'm going with this right now but hey caffeine, medication and a splitting headache can't be wrong right right right?
Oh bloody hell.
Up and dandy, happy as a clam, but underneath it all is nothing but a sham, da da da...
You are who you choose to be, your mind is yours, not necessarily free, and rant and rave as you will, search for an answer of maybe a thrill, but friends we forget and family we neglect and everything from your clothes to your soul you sell, for a price any price because you know for a fact there's nowhere to go but hell.
Insecurity textiled into a facade you cannot break, and what you shed whether skin or tears and lines constructed with lies to protect and die within holds you, locks you, and breath is but one that comes after another until you're tired and fed up and confused but blessed yet not understanding why, even as your conscience holds you prisoner and there's this little bit of hope that gets beaten ever so often, that those you trust will hurt you anyway, and understanding makes it all a little more disheartening, befuddling the mind and all you can see is that big bloody window and the possibilites it offers, but brainwashed to know that it's wrong, so damn fucking wrong, but freedom offered can never be a bad thing, never enough to laugh with tears and cry with joy, never enough to make sense out of this.
"I" focusses too much on the singular, "I" hates the plural. "I" denies the people, "I" lives for the self. "I" trusts no one, "I" believes in "I" and "I" alone.
Posted by Tiff @ 05:29 AM GMT [Link]
Sunday, February 8, 2024
18 day re-cap
15 days come and gone, and the Tiffy Gambling Market Exchange took a major blow on the very last night, but it was worth every cent :) My cousins had a huge family gathering and even invited a lion dance troupe to perform on Chap Goh Meh, which is the 15th day of the lunar month, and the last official night of celebrations. Unfortunately, I missed the lion dance, but I did get to play catch with the kids, resulting in a very tired Aunty Tiffany at the end of the hour. Who needs the gym when you have 8 kids to play catch with?
Anyway, the cousins sat down for a game of blackjack which lasted till 3am, with the dealer taking home a total of over 5 grand, phew. All in all, I contributed but a drop in the proverbial bucket, but damn if it wasn't a crazy night.Chinese New Year saw the disregard of many annual traditions and the execution of but a few in the name of practicality. I was disappointed, but enjoyed the family dinners and numerous rounds of mahjong which lasted till the early am. The house was packed for the first four nights, and it isn't any wonder that yee sang is merely an annual dish, because by the sixth night I was well and truly sick of it :P
As in any typical Chinese family, the eve of new year itself was busy, with everyone scuttling around on last minute errands and rushing home for the reunion dinner. For some, 'home' meant a four hour drive to a different state, depending on where the elder generation or majority of the family lived. For example, mom's hometown is actually Teluk Intan, Perak, which is about two hours away from the city. However, five of the seven sisters have migrated to KL, and after my grandfather passed away, it didn't make sense to join the mad rush back, so we took to celebrating in the city instead. Dad is a second generation KL-ite, so the whole family was around, with the exception of a few aunts and cousins who had to follow their husbands back. Prayers were held and cleaning was top priority because no one was to do any "work" on the first day of the New Year, seeing as it would be an inauspicious start. However, for some obscure reason, my parents took to cleaning anyway, but that's a different matter altogether. I drove my brother around for some super last minute shopping as he'd been so busy with work he hadn't the time to buy new clothes (which are a must in most families). Shops were closed by five or six, ours included, in preparation for the reunion dinner. There are 4 boys out of 13 kids in my dad's family, but for numerous reasons, none of my uncles could host the dinner this year, which meant that the onus was on my father to fulfill the obligation. The dinner was attended by my father's two older brothers and their families, my unmarried aunts and a few stray cousins. Mom had cooked up a storm, and by eight the kitchen was filled with the noisy clink of silverware and chatterings of a family catching up with one another. Out came a bottle of infused vodka, and the cousins drank and toasted to the coming of another new year. Mom's sisters and their families turned up after their respective dinners, and the house was packed till late.
The first day was one of prayers, new clothes and visiting. One was not allowed to wash their hair, for some reason or another (last I heard when I was a child was that if we did, our ancestors would have to drink the water?). Everyone was up by 9 and, having showered, decked out in their newest and reddest gear, hehe. After lighting joss sticks and a quick breakfast, it was off to my grandparents' to offer prayers to our grandparents and the deceased, as well as the gods that sat on the family altar. The funny thing about my immediate family is that we really don't do much visiting, as we tend to play host instead.We were home by noon, and the house saw a continuous stream of people coming and going, so much so that we couldn't leave the house again!
The rest of the new year was a blur of colours and smells, lots of mahjong and rest, laughs and good food. The 7th day of the New Year is known as Yan Yat, which, literally translated, means "(Humanity's) Person's Day", or everyone's birthday for that matter. We gathered at the Oriental Restaurant to celebrate, as well as to bid my godparents a safe journey, because they were leaving for Mongolia in a week. The 8th night saw us contributing to major air pollution as we arranged a 'mountain of gold' which consisted of 2,000 pieces of embossed paper folded to resemble traditional Chinese gold ingots. I had to pick up a whole roasted piglet from my aunt's, and a stream of silly puns ran through my mind as I drove the little piggy home :P After joss sticks were lit and prayers made after midnight, the 'mountain' was set on fire and the pig carved for consumption.
All in all, it was a good 15 days.
Yesterday saw me rushing like a crazed thing from one destination to another. 6.45am and I was up to drive my godparents to the airport. I got home at 9.30, and after a quick shower, it was to my cousin's and then to Bangi for the launch of a new project which her company was involved in. I had to play assistant and hand out name cards as I mustered the most convincing smile possible instead of running for the exit amidst business and financial talk, yuck. Not three hours later and I was in Sri Petaling to witness my cousin's marriage. He being half Malay meant a traditional Muslim wedding, and we were there to see the bersanding ceremony. What immediately struck me was the generous use of purple, which I was told was similar to the Chinese and their obsession with red, but I digress. It was odd going up to the platform and performing the blessing rituals, as this was the very same boy I played with when we were little tots, who was three months younger than me, and whom I haven't seen in years. He was, in so many ways, a stranger, one whom I wouldn't look at twice if we bumped into each other on the street. I honestly doubt he had a clue who I or my other cousins were, with the exception that we were related in some (not so) obscure way through his mother.
Now, with all that's been happening, it really is no wonder that fixing the 'puter and stuff was low on the priority list. However, my cousins are away and for the first time in over two weeks I have more than 6 hours sleep in my system and the house to myself, hence time to write a little :)
A thunderstorm is on its way, so I'm gonna end this post here before the 'puter gets fried.
I've got a pig in the car and I'm not afraid to use it!
Posted by Tiff @ 04:45 AM GMT [Link]
Wednesday, February 4, 2024
Jump in, jump out.
It's February.
Woah.
As usual, I have five minutes before I gotta bounce, and it's usually down to my last five minutes that I log in here 'cause I spend most of my time clearing my mailbox of spam and replying what little real e-mails I receive, or trying to anyway.
The fifteen days of Chinese New Year are almost over, and all gambling and late nights aside, I am pleased to report no major wins or losses this year. The Tiffy Gambling Market Exchange has been relatively stable, and little red packets stuffed with cash have helped ease my financial burden.
Yay!
I sent a super long e-mail to my ladies back in Canada, and I'm so glad I wrote that two days ago because damn! I had a lot to say!
I hope everyone and anyone who actually checks this bloody thing has been nothing short of great, and as little as I may log on or write, it doesn't mean I think of you any less: you're always in my thoughts. Really. (...because I think too much mah.. ;D)
Okay, five minutes almost up. Post and publish, here I come.
*waves*