I really don't care. Really.

I think people complain too much. WAY too much.

And with the rise of social media, these complaints spread farther and wider. Out of 10 people, 8 people have no choice but to have knowledge of a complain which they don't give a shit about.

Here are some simple rules to be a better human being:
1) If you don't like it, FIX IT.
2) If you can't fix it, ADAPT.
3) If you can't adapt, STOP USING IT.

So if you don't like the new Facebook layout, you can either
a) Mess around with the settings/hack/whatev to make it what you want.
b) Get used to it.
c) Stop using it. Go find an alternative if you "can't live without it".

I could be meaner and say these people should just die if they are so dependent on something as inconsequential as this.

Stop spewing hatred. The world has enough negativity as it is, don't make it worse with trivial matters. Also because I and at least 7 other people don't give a shit about you hatin' on the new layout.

It would do everyone a whole lot more good to spend less time on your anti-social gadgets, stalking on the social network (such an irony, really) and spend more time with the REAL people around you. There are more worthwhile things out there to be done, more worthwhile problems to be solved.

Life does not revolve around Facebook. Seriously.

Of being smart(er) and zombies

I haven't been blogging for a very, very, VERY long time. Precisely since I moved back and started working. It's not that there aren't any juicy stuff going on (besides, I've always been random, so it doesn't really matter if I have something interesting to write about or not), just that, there wasn't really any urge to write.

I usually get a lot of ideas of daily stuff to talk about when I'm stuck in traffic jams or traffic lights, but after I got back, everything becomes "meh".

Tonight is different though. I have to fast tonight as I have a health screening tomorrow and since I can't have the munchies, nor is there any point of going out and can't have munchies, I thought I'd ramble a bit to distract my stomach from realising that it's a monster with a bottomless pit.

I've noticed that of late, I am getting weirder by the minute. For instance, today I wrote a note of warning and posted on my Facebook wall. The warning was for my phone. Perhaps tomorrow I shall warn some of my shoes to suck it up and stop being stupid. I know they are all plotting to fall apart at the same time. I also grudgingly have to agree that there is a direct correlation between the price of a pair of shoes and its quality. However things like Quiksilver/Roxy flipflops and my Nike tennis shoes do not abide to this theory. Especially the overpriced flipflops.

There is also this one thing that is kinda going on but THANKFULLY is not (yet?) a full-fledged idiocracy that bugs me. However, I will try to rant about it as nice as possible as there are some people whom I love that did it and so I have to forgive them and not scream insults to the general public.

One of it is that, it would be much appreciated if everyone would just check the facts of stuff before reposting and creating a brouhaha over nothing. End-of-the-world-warnings: Not Cool. If you believe it so much, please proceed to sell off all your assets and head over to China to fight for a place in the arks. Tsunami/earthquake/nuclear fallout warnings: I know you mean well, but please understand that there are a number of sick evil people in this world who have nothing better to do than to create unnecessary panic and chaos. There are also many silly people who would repeat, or worse, blow the evil maniacs' chaos out of proportion. Please don't be either of them.

The other thing is stupid "trends" disguised as awareness campaigns. For instance, how exactly do suggestive statuses promote something (usually breast) cancer related? Birthdates made scandalous into "I like it on the kitchen counter" or "6 inches" ... don't make people more aware and carry out breast self-examination. They make people talk about what a skank someone is. Creating a buzz as if you are pregnant, it only makes people speculate about "shotgun marriage coming soon?" or "so cheap, can't even afford condoms?". Maybe it promotes safe-sex awareness but then the message said something about breast (again) cancer, thus it is utter rubbish. Also there is this theory that all these are tactics cooked up by identity thieves, but I'm not so sure about that. Also, what is this obsession with breasts in particular? Try coming up with a campaign for liver cancer or is that not sexy enough?

So I shall end this with I'm 451 weeks and craving monkey brains.

You see, I am promoting zombie simian awareness.

Beware of zombies that look like monkeys/monkeys that are zombies. Bananas can't help.

This is supposed to be a monkey zombie. I suck at drawing with MSPaint.
I think it looks kinda like a discoloured Hello Kitty with road rage -- and air pollution.

I can't draw with MSPaint like how awesomely Allie Brosh can.

Have a good weekend!

A woman degrading women

One of the reasons I shun reading local news is because you get really rubbish-y stuff being reported as "news". For instance, the latest one...which I think is "news" for promotional purposes. I mean, hey, like they say in showbiz, all publicity is good publicity, right? Even the ones that make people want to throw stones at you.

The Star: ‘Wives can curb social ills like prostitution by being obedient and alluring’
and
Free Malaysia Today: Club for obedient wives (you can see how she looks like here, just in case you are curious)

Just to be clear before we start, this is by no means a racist or religious-intolerant entry. Some people might find it racist MAYBE because this particular "club" is predominantly focused on one particular race, hence one religion. And also because of the race and religion of the club's founder. But I shall strive to be as unbiased in my comments and focus on the social point of this whole thing.

I'll start by being nice and say that she has a well-meaning purpose, that is to curb social ills like prostitution and domestic abuse, albeit the fact that she is being rather idealistic. Prostitution IS the oldest occupation in the world and it is still an existing trade. That already says a lot. Forming an Obedient Wives Club isn't going to make any difference whatsoever.

Then everything she said in the news article just goes downhill from there.

“Obey, serve and entertain.”

Club motto, I should think. It's rather sad that beliefs like these are at the top of the third page of the newspaper. After all the rights women all over the world have fought for: the right to vote, the right to work, the right for education, for gender equality, for mutual respect, this woman is advocating a backward mindset that opposes all that women have achieved.

I am not saying that a wife should fight and disobey her husband, or disrespect and ignore him. I mean, two people decide to get married for a reason...and obviously two people did not decide to get married so that they have someone to fight with everyday. That is just preposterous. However, a woman should not also be told that the reason she marries is to become a slave, a servant, a...clown?

If they want entertainment so much, they should just marry a clown.


Any relationship is built on love, understanding, and respect for each other. What she is saying is so backwards, she is placing females as a subservient to males. It is just degrading.

“Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders."

That is just wrong in so many ways, I don't even know where to start. Whatever happened to all the "Stop Violence at Home", "Stop Violence Against Women" awareness campaigns? This is just like saying "If your husband beats the life out of you, it's your fault." Not only does the victim have to suffer the physical pain, she also has to suffer with the reason that she is in the wrong. With reasons like this, the statistics for domestic violence will increase, because to the weak men who beat their wives "it's not a crime, it's HER fault".

I can't go on. The rest of the things she said just makes me want to say "Sex slave much?".

This lady is also in another controversial club, the Polygamy Club. Initially, I thought it was pretty contradicting and redundant of the two clubs. But then, of course she is in the Polygamy Club, she is the second wife.

I, personally, am against polygynous marriages. Why not? It's unfair to begin with. It's always an allocation for a husband to have more wives, never the other way round. It's a patriarchal allowance. I understand that it is allowed in certain religions, but then again, religious texts that were written centuries ago ought to be adapted to the modern world, should they not?

Polygamy was allowed during that time due to war, famine, a lot of strife was going on. Men had to go to war, sometimes they die. During times of hardship and invasion, married women are deemed safer than the unmarried ones because they have the protection of their husbands, otherwise they get abducted and raped by invaders (although not always so, but that was the general idea). For the sake of the continuation of species, and not enough men to go about, men were allowed to have more than one wife.

However, in the progressive society, that isn't very applicable any more is it?

Besides, how would the first wife feel? I am sure irregardless of what they say (that they are happy, and the other wives are like sisters), deep down inside, she is devastated. People get married so that they can spend the rest of their lives together with the ONE person they love. Not having to share that one person with a bunch of others.

What this woman says and advocates is just degrading to women as a whole. It promotes lowered self-esteem, it is screaming "we are the weaker sex, you can do anything you want to us!" Think about it, if you are a man (or you ARE a man), would you want to see your mother, your sisters, your DAUGHTERS be treated this way by her husband?

We may be the fairer sex, we may at times be physically weaker, but we are never a second-class gender.

This woman should have more respect for herself.

Storms

I love storms. I know that when it rains, it means I can't go out to do things, outdoor sport plans have to be cancelled, my car would be dirty...but there is something very magnificent about storms. Kind of like watching a fire: beautiful from far, but dangerous when you are too close.

I also love the words that are associated with storms: Raging. Violent. Unexpected.

Lightning. Rolling thunder.

I also like how they make storms as a simile to tea:

"A storm in the teacup."

"A storm is brewing."

Storms are awesome right from the beginning when the thunderheads roll in. You see the waves getting choppier, the leaves rustling more aggresively in the trees, and the wind whips up. I love the wind because at times when you feel down, stand outside on a windy day and it almost feels like the wind blows away all your problems, even only for that moment. Also it messes up everyone's hair so you don't really have to worry about how you look like. Seeing heavy dark clouds in the horizon is also one of nature's magnificent pieces of artwork.

I love the storm because when it is over, the world seems like a cleaner place. In a poetic sense, the storm comes and flushes all the dirt away, cleaning the slate anew.

I am sure a whole lot of people would be cursing me for this. I know storms suck when it strikes when you are leaving for work, or leaving for home. Storms cause massive traffic jams, flash floods. It sucks to be outside when the sudden storm strikes up.

But in a moment out of time, when you are safely indoors, look out the windows, and just watch the beauty of a storm.

Storms are awesome ♥

Sunday

I came across this quote from somewhere (and because I'm being me on a Sunday, I'm not too bothered to google for it): Life is not easy, but it is great to have a Life.

Tell me about it.

Part of the time I just feel like killing myself with my lack of progress. It's so wtfish...I know I can do this, and I know I MUST finish this crummy thing up but it drives me absolutely bonkers. And the chair sucks and my back blardy aches (and I'm now just bitchin' about anything I can).

Doodling my Man as a goofy fuzzball (on my thesis drafts)

So to overcome the pathetic suicidal feelings, I decided to procrastinate (yes, that is the smartest thing I could come up with) by folding paper flowers. Come to think of it, being Chinese and all, "paper flowers" and "suicidal" shouldn't be in the same sentence. Oh well.

I completely suck in colouring.

I attempted four types of flowers: a daisy, a lily, a kusudama flower, and a kawasaki rose. The rose ended up in the trash can, even after two sincere attempts. The others are proudly laid on my laptop for the world to see (and with the horrid reminder of me procrastinating for a background).

Bitchin' about stupid work aside (I really really should stop calling it stupid 'cos that's just bad attitude), it really is great to be alive. I mean, if you're dead, there's plenty of things you couldn't be doing. For instance, folding origami flowers. And discovering that your colouring skills have been left behind in kindergarten. And also the occasional feeling of complete sappiness. Sappy corny happiness. That sometimes can help to forget the aching back you have. But the promise of a great back massage would, of course, be better.

Also I met Sigourney Weaver last Friday. That was kind of my highlight of the week (despite the fact that I have pictures of paper flowers instead of her). Being on a job and having to be all professional, I can't take any photos of her or ask her for an autograph...which kinda sucked. I mean, she is the Queen of sci-fi! She's a very beautiful, classy woman, who is not only down-to-earth but oh-so-intelligent as well. I am so very impressed. Also starstruck.

She hinted on a prequel of Aliens (which she is not in) and also a sequel of Avatar (and she added that James Cameron told her that "nobody actually dies in science-fiction"). She said something which inspired me to deal with my writing crisis: to approach the same idea from another direction/perspective. I liked that...but was too tired to act on it on Friday (and Saturday. And Sunday).

'Nuff said. I can't wait for Friday (although I don't like that time is going by too fast and I'm not working fast enough).

I still can't wait for Friday :)

Knowledge is Power

You know how the old saying goes.

In these current times of panic and grief, and with the borderless global community, know that not everything you read on the Internet is true. Just because somebody claims that the information is from a certain 'reliable' source also does not make it true.

For instance, CNN: Hot chick is now ruler of new island community, formed from this chunk of land breaking off from this piece of peninsula due to active tectonic plate activity.
Fact: CNN does not have a report on this.
Fact: The "Hot chick" in the headline refers to yours truly.
Fact: Everything else after "CNN: Hot chick" is utter rubbish.

Therefore if you received text messages that are something like this:

"4:30 in the afternoon, a nuclear power plant exploded in Fukumi. Do not go out if it rains later today and tomorrow. If you are going out, wear a raincoat or use an umbrella because if you get rained on it’s said to be dangerous. There is tendency that your skin will be burned, you will go bald or will get cancer. Please pass."

or this:

"BBC FLASHNEWS: Japan government confirms radiation leak at Fukushima nuclear plants. Asia countries should take necessary precautions. If rain comes, remain indoors first 24hrs. Close doors & windows. Swab nec(k)skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first. Take extra precautions. Radiation may hit Phil at starting 4pm today. Pls send to your loved ones."

remember that just because it says "BBC FLASHNEWS" doesn't make it true either. And instead of panicking and passing them on blindly (and perhaps heading straight to the pharmacy and clear out every bottle of Betadine they have in stock), find out how true these things are.

Looking at the first "warning", let's just say, if the rain is so dangerous as to cause chemical burns, baldness, and cancer, I am pretty sure a flimsy piece of synthetic material (umbrellas and raincoats) isn't going to provide you with much protection. And notice that the message has no explanation as to why exactly the nuclear power plant explosion has anything to do with the rain (and we shall discuss that later).

By the way, it's Fukushima, not FUKUMI. And it's Newsflash, not FLASHNEWS. Little mistakes like these also indicate the lack of reliability of these rumours.

The second message is also similar, but this one has one extra precautionary step which is to swab Betadine on your neck. First things first: Please know that Betadine is basically an antiseptic solution for cleaning wounds and used for disinfecting surfaces. ANTISEPTICS do NOT protect you from radiation sickness.

That in itself already made the whole "warning" very questionable. To add to it, these rumours start getting out of hand by claiming the occurences of ACID RAIN (which kind of explain all the warnings regarding staying out of the rain etc.) due to the nuclear power plant explosion.

Please know that a nuclear fallout and acid rain are two completely different phenomena.

Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced naturally when lightning strikes and sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions.

The burning of fossil fuel also releases sulfur dioxide. Thus COAL power plants is a cause of acid rain. Not nuclear power plants.

A nuclear fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion, so called because it "falls out" of the atmosphere after the explosion. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust created when a nuclear weapon explodes.

Note that a nuclear power plant explosion and a nuclear explosion are also two different things, just like a nuclear reactor and a nuclear bomb are two different things.

Here are some links, just in case some people still believe that a chunk of uranium from the core reactor is going to land on them tomorrow when it rains:
- Science officials: No threat of nuclear clouds, acid rain in PH
- Philippines hit by 'nuclear cloud' hoax
- Meltdown alert at Japan reactor

Irresponsible people start hoaxes like this by preying on people's fears. Ignorant people spread them out because they are, well, ignorant. You only fear the unknown.

Don't be ignorant, do yourself a favour and find things out for yourself.

Security, security

Recently I took a trip to Hong Kong, departing from KLIA's Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), and returned to the country from Macau International Airport. Apparently, while we were at the Macau airport, a personnel told us that they had complaints of being lax and thus have upped their level of security. In other words, they were pretty strict about stuff.

Which made me think about how EXTREMELY over-the-top lax the airport security is in Malaysia. No wonder people could smuggle bag loads of living snakes without anyone the wiser. You see, on the day we were leaving, we decided not to queue up at the check-in counter so we checked-in at the kiosk. We could check all four people in, without the presence of everyone. With our printed boarding passes, we headed over to the luggage check-in counter to drop our luggages. The oddest thing was, the counter personnel did not ask us for any identification documents. No I.C., no passport. Nada. That was really odd.

On the contrary, in Macau, the check-in counter required our passports AND the presence of its bearer. And they require you to get your check-in luggage security-scanned all over again if you happen to tamper with/open your bag prior to checking-in and after it has been scanned.

I have to admit, tight security adds to the hassle whereas the lack of it makes your travelling experience downright a breeze. However, on the whole, it is quite worrisome as to how easy it is to get pass security, what more on an international flight.

It's something to think about, no?

Answering Questions

I am going Home today! And the festive season is coming, time with loved ones, family and friends. It's going to be awesome.

One last post before I go off on my partial break :) Came across this post by the Monyet King and couldn't resist answering the questions. For a change, they're not a bunch of questions asking me about myself.

1. If we (Malaysia) had an extra RM 100 million to spend on scientific research – on which of the following areas should we spend it on ? (a) space (b) biodiversity (c) history (d) robotics (e) medicine
Either (b), (d), or (e). I'm weighing in on (b) -- improve on the wonders you readily have. Stop copying what others are doing and end up wasting a bunch of money on half-hearted, hangat-hangat tahi ayam attempts.

2. Is there intelligent life outside our solar system ? We already know that there is no intelligent life on our planet.
There very well might be seeing as the universe doesn't only revolve around us.


3. Before Parameswara came to Melaka, what were the people there (Melaka) doing ? Who were they ? What’s their story ? Surely, there is so much history prior to Parameswara but not highlighted in our history books.
The indigenous people were most probably going on their own business before this dude turned up, fell asleep under some tree, saw a mousedeer kick a dog, and decided to proclaim himself King (or so the story goes). But if that didn't happen, we wouldn't have what we have now. Perhaps something better. Or worse. Will never know.

4. If the tiger goes extinct (which it may), what animal should take its place on the national coat-of-arms ? Kambing?
The Sea Turtle. Oh wait, that may also go extinct. 
The Orang Utan. Wait...also high risked. 
Burung merpati.

5. Ibrahim Ali is a moron. True or Correct ?
Erm. *lalala*

6. To improve national unity, we should get rid of all educational institutions that cater for just one race - Tamil schools, Chinese schools, MCKK, Universiti Teknologi Mara, etc. Agree ?
Yes, especially when they prohibit/limit people of other races to enroll although academically and co-curricularly qualified.

7. Most (not all) of the world now accepts the Darwinian theory of evolution as the basis for origin of mankind. Even Vatican subscribes to this. The Earth was not created in 6 days neither did Adam and Eve appear suddenly in the Garden of Eden. How do you convince those who do not believe in evolution (most of them also believe that the earth is flat) ?
By setting all of them adrift on a boat. When they finally realise that they are not going to sail off the edge of the earth, they might be a little bit more smarter by then. If not, most probably they wouldn't survive the journey and they'll just die ignorant.

8. The history syllabus in our national school focuses too much on Malaysian history and not enough on world history. When I was in school, I learnt a lot of world history and I think I am better off because of that. Is it time to change the syllabus ?
Yes. And not only that, they really have to look into how the subject is being taught. Sejarah is one of the worst, most torturous subject ever to study for and forced on for exams.

9. Pisang goreng tastes best when eaten at 5 pm with a big glass of teh tarik. True or false ?
4.15pm with a mug of green tea. To each their own :) (5pm is time to get stuck in traffic jams)

10. Public transport (bus and train) should be free. By providing good and free public transport, the nation can save so much money that would have to be used to build roads and subside fuel as well as gain from the increase in productivity. Setuju tak ?
Hampir setuju. Not only free but the whole system should be improved upon: punctuality, safety, etc. If the public transportation system is flawless, fuel doesn't really need to be subsidised and this will reduce selfish consumption, leading to *fingers crossed* a cleaner country. However with fuel price hikes, every single blardy thing has an excuse to be more expensive. Including milo ping.

11. The primary sector (agriculture, logging, mining, etc) has the greatest impact on the environment per ringgit generated to the economy. The secondary sector (manufacturing, etc) has lesser impact per ringgit generated while the services sector has the least environemntal impact per ringgit generated. Thus, pushing the country's economy towards the tertiary sector (services) is the best way to improve the quality of our environment and protect our forests and wildlife. What do you think ?
Would agree although not entirely based on the reasons stated. The lack of the primary sector would mean an increase of import of raw materials which may set a whole different turn of events into motion. However with how things are being carried out at present, that concern might not be viable.

12. Although human beings are numerous, have advanced technology and weaponry, it is the monyets that rule the Planet. True or Correct ?
The best of leaders can control the world without their subjects know that they are being controlled :)

p/s: do I get at least a few pisang rastali? can they be substituted with pisang berangan?

Morning brain juice :) Cheers all, have an awesome week!

Teeth

Do you know the names of your teeth? The permanent set.

Let's begin:

First, we have the central incisors. For some, the top central incisors are the 'rabbit teeth'.
Next, we have the lateral incisors.
Followed by the canines -- the 'vampire teeth'. I chipped my top left one right after I had the permanent set...so it doesn't draw blood anymore.
After that we have the first and second premolars. I broke my bottom left second premolar the same time I chipped the canine. (Such a walking disaster.)
Then comes the 'big teeth': the molars -- first, second, and the occasional third "wisdom teeth". The teeth that wrecks havoc to so many people. Me for instance, my bottom jaw is not that big to accommodate all of them but they're forcing themselves out partially, which is so tiresome. And make my bottom central incisors to look like Christina Perri's:

Christina Perri in Jar of Hearts

Well, you know. At least I'm not the only one with teeth problems :)

Kids these days...

I quite like that phrase. Although it sometimes makes me feel old saying it, I like that the "..." part is filled with endless possibilities. Good stuff, bad stuff, head-shaking stuff.

I love working with kids. Not only are they adorable, but I like that they are full of surprises. Sometimes they just come up with things that you'll never think of. However, of late (i.e. the last time I worked with kids) I find that there are times that I am disappointed with how kids are now and I tend to compare them with how my childhood was like.

Back then, my friends and I never had mobile phones, many of us didn't have handheld videogames, we didn't have "tuitions" (unless those extra-curricular stuff like art and music classes, or some kind of sport), we spent most of our evenings running around the neigbourhood or playing in the front/back yards. I used to catch bugs in small plastic bottles and collect tadpoles from drains.

When I worked with 8-11 year olds two years back, sometimes it just gets exasperating. They don't know stuff, they don't want to learn new stuff, the easiest way to keep them in place is to leave them with their handheld games. They're rude, to each other, to people who are older than them. It makes you wonder: what is the new generation coming to? (I sometimes also wonder "What are their parents teaching them?")

And sometimes I pity them. They spend half their day in school, and then in addition to that they are made to attend after-school classes, and on top of that they have tuition classes to go to. I know it is a lot more competitive in the academic world today, but still, isn't that robbing them of their childhood? It makes me sad.

If you watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, it makes you think even more about what kids know about stuff these days. Like, they don't even know how potatoes or tomatoes look like. They know burgers and fries though. Sad, really.

But then comes another reality show which has minimal drama and a whole lot of inspiration and hope: Junior MasterChef Australia. 8 to 12 year olds COOKING. With honest-to-goodness skills. Awesome talent. SO ADORABLE. OMG. Making things like souffle, duxelle, meringue...it's just amazing. Such a must-watch.

Like I said, kids...always full of surprises :) It really gives one Hope.

Condolences

It's been a rather sad week so before I blog about certain rants, I thought I'd dedicate this entry to a dear friend of mine whose father has passed on. With all due respect, let's all have a moment of silence.

We are deeply saddened by your loss and we are with you during this time of grief. 

May the peace which comes from the memories of love shared, comfort you now and in the days ahead.

* * *

Love always,

Winter Solstice

Brigitte with her eyes so bright,

Looks toward heaven at midnight,

On the longest night of year,

That's the one she holds most dear.

~ Brigitte's Ballad

Bruma, or the Winter's Solstice, marks the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter in most temperate countries. I wonder if it will get dark any earlier here today, being so close to the equator and all...

Being Chinese, it also means it's time for tangyuan (湯圓) -- glutinous rice balls! I know that according to tradition, all these were done to bring about family togetherness, reunion, etc. However, for me, I reckon it is also an excuse to play with dough :) Last year I made a tortoise and a hare out of dough.

This year, I thought I'd make the whole thing from scratch and opted for au naturel colouring. Green from Pandanus amaryllifolius and red from beetroot. Unfortunately, the pandan plant in the backyard isn't really big so I did not had a lot of leaves to work with. After much pounding and some hot water, I only managed to extract a very small bit of green colour and it was rather diluted.

The beetroot however, was easy. The aftermath was like a massacre.

Thus, green dough wasn't as green, just a tinge...almost like white (background):

This year's balls, apart from the usual round ones with gula melaka (palm sugar) in them, and some marshmallow-shaped ones which my housemate made, I made one white elephant, and pink hearts.

Go figure.

For the sweet soup, pandanus, ginger slices, and I added some gula melaka (which explains the different coloured liquid) which were from the hacking of the large chunk of palm sugar for the rice balls.

Note: always boil the glutinous rice balls separately from the sweet soup. You don't want an ugly murky coloured dessert later.

My dough crafts for 2010 :)

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice Festival!

冬至节快乐!

'Tis The Season For Giving

...and receiving gifts :)

Sometimes, I think that with the creation of e-mails, instant messaging services, and the likes of that, we miss out on the good old-fashion post. I'm not complaining...who isn't grateful for e-mail on the days when you need to get a document to someone, on some other side of the world a.s.a.p.? And the next best thing you can do with someone really far away is to IM them, because that is almost like being there together.

However, the post. Ah, the good ol' post. Of the days when I used to have pen-pals and we would mail each other letters documenting our so-called interesting lives, photos, and small gifts. I know the Post Office has rules regarding how a standard letter should be like, but I remember how we used to make envelopes out of posters from magazines. And the sneaky ways of saving up on stamps (by applying a layer of glue on top of the affixed stamps...they can be reused by the other party after soaking the stamps in water and drying them).

But the best of it all is the feeling you get when you check the mail box and find something in it addressed to you :)

I got a gift via courier today...which was totally absolutely awesome! (thank You!)

- ♥ -

Speaking about gifts, I got this really cool X'mas gift from Francoise (thank you!):

Introducing the Envirosax! Hello Mikado #3 :)

The Envirosax is "the original designer reusable bag", so now not only can I go around being green, declining plastic bags while shopping like I always do, I can do that with style (and join the ranks of celebs using it pfft) THANK YOU FRANCOISE!

Oh, and I saw a woodpecker today. In the tree outside my room...the tree which somehow has its roots wired to some temperate system. It decided to go all bare because it's winter up in the northern hemisphere.

Cheers,

Childhood Treasures: MLP Sunny Daze

Apparently it's "Change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until Monday, December 6, 2010, there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. This is a campaign for children's rights and violence against children."

Confession: the word "Childhood" in this post is a little inaccurate because Sunny Daze is a Generation 3 pony (circa 2004). She's one of the newer ponies (not as new as those weird things they are selling now that look like miniature figurines with small bodies and big heads) and I got her just for the sake of nostalgia.

After my first three Generation 1 ponies from the 80s, I have not seen MLP on toy shelves for a long time (and even I changed to a different toy which I practically grew up on). So when they first reintroduced MLP in the early 2000s, I was intrigued and just couldn't resist buying one and compare her with the older ones.

Twenty years after its debut, MLP was reintroduced into the market with their first few ponies, and Sunny Daze was one of them Rainbow Celebration Ponies.

Sunny Daze has a white body and her symbol is a sun with a dark pink & yellow face, orange rays, and purple-outlined wind & cloud. Her mane is five vertical streaks in gold, dark pink, coral, dark pink again, and purple while her tail is a mixture of only dark pink and purple. Her eyes are purple with a lighter purple highlight and orange heart and there is a small orange heart on her hoof.

The ponies have a new packaging, and Sunny Daze came with a white brush (with a raised bow design on the back), a translucent w/ silver glitter pony charm on a white iridescent 'friendship ribbon'.

So that's my Pony collection, not a lot actually, because they were pretty rare in the market during my growing up years. I actually was more partial to the other 80s toy which is absolutely adorable (but potentially a choking hazard) which I may write about one day when I am all nostalgic again :)

I don't know how effective the "Facebook campaign" actually is, but this trip down memory lane has been nice.

And violence against children is one of the saddest things around. It makes one think, how evil a person has to be to commit violence towards the young who are unable to defend themselves. Worse, the perpetrators are usually the people whom the children look to for love and protection.

Childhood Treasures: MLP Windy

Apparently it's "Change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until Monday, December 6, 2010, there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. This is a campaign for children's rights and violence against children."

To continue with this series of nostalgia, I shall introduce my final Generation 1 (produced and in the market from 1982 to 1995): Windy -- the Magic Message Earth Pony (circa 1987-1988).

Windy had streak on her mane, the symbol of a tree on her haunches and a ribbon icon at the bottom of her right eye. She came with a yellow flower comb.

Being an Earth Pony means she practically looks like a normal horse, but being a Magic Message Pony, she has a cool feature -- the trees on her haunches are heat sensitive: rubbing them would reveal different pictures. I remember one side reveal apples on the tree, and the other side has a kite in the tree. However, after twenty years or so, the 'special effect' wore off so now both of her symbols look like faded apple/with kite trees. Still cool, though :)

I don't remember seeing Windy in any of the cartoons though.

Those were the days...

Shall end this run with one last pony tomorrow!

Childhood Treasures: MLP Whizzer

Apparently it's "Change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until Monday, December 6, 2010, there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. This is a campaign for children's rights and violence against children."

Right.

Based on the above excuse, I shall continue with my trip down memory lane. Meet my second pony: Whizzer -- a Twinkle-Eyed pegasus from circa 1985-1986.

Whizzer has symbols of beanies on her haunch and being a Twinkle-Eyed pony, she has 'jewels' for eyes (which made it very quaint to me when I was a kid). Her mane and tail were also of two colours and she is bigger than Morning Glory. Whizzer came with a purple (I know the picture shows pink but, yea, mine was purple) Shooting Star comb:

In the cartoons, Whizzer had a more colourful mane and tail, and honestly, I reckon she was pretty annoying. Living up to her namesake, Whizzer moves about and speaks really fast, usually stringing her sentences together. And usually saying everything in one breath.

Generation 1 ponies...good stuff :)

Childhood Treasures: MLP Morning Glory

There's this thing going round Facebook today: "Change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until Monday, December 6, 2010, there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. This is a campaign for children's rights and violence against children."

Fad or not, I thought it'd be fun to showcase some My Little Pony (it's been a long while) and whilst doing that, I got a little nostalgic. And it being a Friday and all, I thought, "What the heck, Fridays are for corny entries." So here goes:

My very first My Little Pony (MLP) was a Flutter Pony named Morning Glory. And it being a product of 1985 made it even more cool.

You can see her namesake are marked on her sides :)

Flutter Ponies differ from the other Ponies in regard of their size (they're slightly smaller) and they have longer legs. Their wings are of the iridescent variety (and the toy-version breaks easily -- they're removable and when you stick them into their slots on the pony's back, there's this button which you press makes them wings go up and down LOL). I remember Morning Glory came with this pink flower comb:

What I remember too was that when I was a kid, I watched a lot of MLP cartoons. They used to have them over the weekend mornings, and I had some of them on VHS tapes too. I think there was one which they called the MLP Movie where Ponyville was attacked by some purple goo which made creatures that came into contact with it hostile and unfriendly. The Ponies seeked the help of the Flutter Ponies (and their magical wings) and I remember this was how Morning Glory looked like in the cartoon:

What amused me was that I used to watch the cartoons with the dolls. And if I see them in the cartoon, I would say to my dolls "Look! That's you!" :) Also, as with all little girls and dolls that come with comb-able hair, I used to bathe them ponies and shampoo their manes.

Kids.

Ahh...the good ol' days *hums MLP theme song*

Maturity

25.

Twenty-five.

I always think the number 5 is like a cross-roads of sorts. It's kind of like a mid point of things.

When you were 5, you weren't as juvenile as when you were born, you have been around the playground a bit. You have been to nursery school for awhile, and in a few short years you will be 'officially' entering the education system.

At 15, you were in the midst of your teenage years. Still not very wise, but at least you do have slight realisations of stuff. Most probably you've had your first crush, first away-from-home trip, first etc.

Twenty-five. Another set of cross-roads.

To some it marks the exit from the education system. To some it means a decision to learn some more. Most have already entered the other system - the job market. Some are green, some are already veterans. Some have already set up their new family units, some are still discovering themselves.

A close friend is getting married soon. Another friend just had her first child. Several acquaintances are engaged.

Some may say that getting married at 25 is too young. But what exactly is too young? Is too young synonymous to being immature? Thus, is age a measuring scale for maturity?

I believe that maturity does not come with age.

Maturity comes with awareness, with experiences, and how we perceive and internalise the things we have learnt and been through. It comes with the acceptance of responsibility, to be accounted for every thing we do. The only factor age plays in this is that the older we are, the more time we have for experiences. And more time to reflect on them.

It's just like a research. The more time you have, the more data you collect, the more accurate your results will be.

That is, if you analyse your data at all. Some people just don't.

I think it is not very accurate of people to say that someone getting married at 25 is "too young". It is a social stigma, yes, it is a stereotyped perception, but I believe that such opinions are unjust because it is subjected to many other factors. I believe that if two twenty-five-year-olds are mature enough, are responsible and in a stable relationship (financially, emotionally, etc.ly) and they both made a sound decision to commit to each other, why not? I know a hell lot more older people who are less mature and are making a mess of things, so go figure.

Twenty-five. It's just another number.

The Fine Thin Line

I came across a question the other day that asked me to complete the sentence "Facebook is..." and the first thing that came to mind was "...making stalking easier."

Stalking. Which is also roughly equivalent to feeding the attention-whore monster in the other party (the stalkee?) Sometimes it's weird as to how some people would later complain that they're being stalked, or people are nosy, when in the first place they plaster all their personal problems on public domain.

courtesy of Natalie Dee

In retrospect, it is a fine thin line between Concern and Obsession. Crossing that line would be intruding the invisible wall of Personal Space. And I don't know about the general public, but me, that is like one of the ultimate pet peeves. It tempts me to say "Excuse me, I would like a restriction order.."

courtesy of Natalie Dee

A fine thin line indeed.

How would you know then?

Answers.com says:

"They (the obsessed) will constantly try to be in contact with you when they are not around you, always want to be around you, always question you about all things, possibly get angry or a temper arises if you are not talking to them enough. You will see a very apparent neediness as well as become overbearing in a variety of ways."

But I reckon that paragraph is just to reconfirm your own hunches because if you don't suspect it, then there is a high possibility that it is not an obsession.

Said William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice: "The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom." but Jimmy Durante may have put it more apt by saying "Why doesn't everybody leave everybody else the hell alone?"

Concern bordering on Obsession. The Fine Thin Line. Crossing it would result in Dislike, Stifling, Annoyance.

Hostility.

Fear.

Paranoia is soooo not hot.

Nomads

I found this old thing I wrote down several years ago, and I thought it was a very good insight and still applicable although I may have changed and stuff.

The Nomads of Life

I had an insight the other day. You know, what with people around me are leaving and things are all coming to an end.

I reckon that Life is always nomadic. Even if you stay put in the same place, you still pack up and move to another new PHASE of Life. In a way, we are not much different from our nomadic ancestors. Evolution just changes the context of being a nomad. It can be the need to adapt to a new place, or meeting new people, or having to face new challenges.

Just that, sometimes, I wish there is something familiar to fall back on at the end of the day.

I also reckon one of the hardest things to do is to hold in the tears and smile while watching someone step into the departure area.

~ May 01, 2008