features like fired porcelain...

I was at Lavish last night with Heng and Dick.
We had an occasion to go out drinking.
I should really get the pictures off Heng's camera.
Enjoyed a brief encounter with the usual Chivas, Tequila, Chartreuse and my love of Vodka.

I had met someone after the alcohol had kicked in.
All I want to ask is, "Who were you?"

I am not an asshole per se.
I just wanted to dance around you.
I had plied you with sweet nothings and false bravado.
I was mocked because I did not pursue further.
At least you had given me your number.

What am I doing?

recommended readings?

I got two new books up for RECOMMENDED READINGS here...
Kwang... When you get around to seeing this, pay attention.

Yea.
I know you can probably tell that I like Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
Alright... I'll confess.

I AM A GEEK !!!

But!
I have a few saving graces...
I do not have a pencil thin neck or a pocket protector.
Never will you also see me wear anoraks (What are they?).





Wheel of Time Book 11 - Knife of Dreams



I was back in Kuala Lumpur for an internship in 2003.
That year I was really bored, just working and yum~ing cha with Kwang and Ming.
So for the first six months of frustration and total boredom outside of work I picked up the adventures of Rand al'Thor in the Wheel of Time saga.
Understand that Leanne (my girlfriend at that time) was still in Melb and had not made it down to Malaysia yet.
The story is your standard fantasy fare with the earlier books mirroring the Lord of the Rings.
But after a bit, the story comes to develop on it's own with much manipulation and politics between the many varied characters.
I believe that Robert Jordan is one of our generation's contemporary greats.
He is a world builder... crafts stories that illustrates a completely new existance for your imagination to play in.
Knife of Dreams is the 11th book in the series (and it is has been a pretty long series).

On a sidenote, I got Kwang hooked on this series...
I bet he hates me for it. Right?





Judas Unchained



Peter Hamilton holds a special place in my heart.
I've read his earlier books and have enjoyed both Fallen Dragon and his Night's Dawn trilogy.
This man here writes engaging sci-fi stories with many varied characters.
What intrigues me is how he puppeteers all of his characters and develops the characters of ALL OF THEM.
This is his second book in a two part with the first being Pandora's Star.
I think this series is known as the Commonwealth Saga.
I've basically forgotten most of the first book, so I'd have to do a reread over the summer break.





It is unfortunate that both books are out in large print only.
The TPB or trade paperbacks (the smaller books you are used to Kwang) are only released later.
I've checked with Borders here in Melb and they have dates for both books in TPB in about 4 or 6 months.

My copy of Pandora's Star is a large print so I got that tonight.
But, I'm gonna sit and wait for the TPB of Knife of Dreams.
Why?
I got the earlier books of the Wheel of Time in TPBs.
And, I'm really buying them and collecting them.
I wouldn't want my shelf to look wierd with the motley collection of tall and short books.

Take care guys...

and my friend said...

Brother, you'd better open your eyes unless you want to go through hell again.

You can't go back.

Ever."




I'm having one of those shitty mornings.
And, my heart still bleeds...

last dance?

this post was written on 10-04-2005...



I really wish I did not encounter this poem.
It is a strange one about dancing and a farewell.

In that last dance of chances,
I shall partner you no more.
I shall watch as another turn you,
As you move across the floor.

In that last dance of chances,
When I bid your life goodbye,
I will hope he treats you kindly.
I will hope you learn to fly.

In that last dance of chances,
When I know you'll not be mine,
I let you go with longing,
And the hope that you'll be fine.

I shall partner you no more,
We shall know each other's minds.
We shall part with our regrets,
When the tie no longer binds.

make your move...

This is ten percent luck,
twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure,
fifty percent pain

And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!


I'm taking a step FORWARD.

Frank?... you OWE me.

I was slated to take a few weeks off Subway 'cause of upcoming exams and that my parents are around.

Stefi is now studying here and living with me.
She isn't really at boarding anymore.
And, dad has been here for awhile watching over Stefi as she has her VCE coming up.
Mum and Sammi arrived last Monday and brought mooncakes and tidbits.
The whole family is here and Mum cooks so I get to eat at home.
^o^
Food is good... but, I digress.

I had told my manager and negotiated that I'd only do Friday and Saturday nights.
'cause these are considered *my shifts* and therefore are my responsibility.

"Fair enough," I thought.

Then Frank calls me up on Wednesday and asks for a favour.
Take his shift on Thursday 'cause he has some stuff to do this week.
I agreed cause I'm helping out a friend and, cmon, greed is good.

"Fair enough," I thought... again.

I did a friend a favour and it was not worth the effort.
Frank... HAHA! If you're reading this, you OWE me man!
His shift was a full 9 hours, from 1200-2100. (re: as 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm)
And the amount of bullshit I had to go through was staggering.

The Subway I work at is now declared ~PERDITA~

The current manager is just so fkn uncoordinated, it is not even funny anymore.
Lydia is a very pleasant person but very disorganized.
We ran out of olives in the morning and that is a salad option that is popular with the customers.
Over the lunch period, I had this dumb chick Maddie bumping into me all the time.
And she is wide... VERY WIDE... *shakes head*
I mean MACK TRUCK wide!
Claire was at the counter, looking pretty collecting money.
And, as usual, not much help.

The LUNCH RUSH came and went and the store was left in a mess.
We had food all over the floor and I nearly slipped over spilled jalapenos and tomato slices.
I cleaned up after...
Washed an Mt Everest of dishes, threw out the garbage, swept and wiped everything down.
Claire and Maddie left leaving me and Lydia in the shop.

I was relieved as I thought that there would a quiet period for a bit.
And then, we had the graceless Melb Grammar kids waltz in.
Together, me and Lydia did about 60 sales in two hours... just the two of us.
These lil' shits are the smaller lower secondary variety.
Who are young, indecisive, rude and very, very loud.

And it was muck up day for them...

MUCK UP Day signifies the end of year for the Year 12s where they all go out in force to make life miserable for everyone.
By throwing eggs, ragging the lower secondary years and being a general nuisance they celebrate their leaving of the Victorian Schools Education system.

You'd really expect that Melb Grammar kids to be well behaved.
But it just doesn't happen... WTH?
These kids are from well off families.
Melb Grammar is this posh private school where the fees are ridiculous.
They lack civility of any kind...
It's depressing to think that these are the next generation that will become mathematicians, senators and business brokers.

Anyway... my day gets worse.
After the afternoon was over, we had run out of a lot of food to serve.
Thank you to Rowan, the new Year 9 kid who helps out, 'cause he turned up and did most of the food prep.
But, he forgot a few important things... like onions.
Then we also ran out of salami and pepperoni.

Tim showed up later 'cause he was supposed to close the shop.
Rowan left and we were again, two...
We looked at each other before the dinner crowd started.
By stroke of fate, I swear the Gods of Subway hate me, we ran out of paper to feed the receipt printer.
In this store, if the receipt printer doesn't work, the cash register also takes the day off.
The dinner crowd was getting antsy and we had to go back to manually recording sales and handing out change.
It was cool that we had batteries in the calculator, else I would be using an abacus.
Tim ran out on me halfway (without really telling me) to get more receipt paper.
And I was alone for the better part of the Dinner Rush.

I left sharp at 9:00 pm and went home.
Ate a small dinner and went to sleep.
I was justifiably tired...

And you know what?
I'm due in at Subway again at 5:00pm.

from Alvin... advice

and he said, "is the thing you buy will give you value in the future?
and can you gain any interest on it ?
think about before you make decision"



That is deep!

I was asking his opinion on my decision to get a bike next year.
He told me to take my $ saved and invest it instead.
Make the money grow for myself instead of just wasting it.
His reason was sound, 'cause cars and bikes "depreciate the moment their wheels touch the road".

Something I got to really consider...



I really think that Alvin is a grounded sort of guy.
He has his stuff together in a way that amazes me.
He is so utterly focused on his goals and he then sets out to acheive them.

the Yamaha YZF-R6

This is the YZF-R1 smaller, aggresive and younger brother.
I'm probably aiming for this bike in the near future.
Shares the same design as the R1 although is of a smaller capacity.
This is better as I wouldn't say I'm that great a rider.

Let's be realistic here...

I got the downpayment on a second-hand 250cc bike saved up.
Gonna be getting my bike license over the summer...
Then I gotta settle a loan application.
Probably start looking for a good second-hand bike then.

Then, we'll see how it goes.


R6 Performance




















Yamaha Racing Blue...




On a side note, team Gaulousses won the Moto GP again.
I can see why the worldwide admiration for Valentino Rossi is well founded.

I reckon Rossi is to Moto GP as Schumacher is to F1...
















Shares the same design as the elder brother... the R1.





Clean and sleek lines...












kakoi desne~



R6 Details
















I want to see this dial here hit 15 k revs and do about 120 km/h...
Feel the need, the need for speed.














I'm going to definately try to get myself a bike.
With this baby as the end goal.
^_^'

Gotta learn to ride first... yea!

The End? We'll see...

Remember The Name

by Fort Minor featuring Mike Shinoda


Who is Mike Shinoda?


Remember The Name

You ready?! Lets go!
Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all about
It's like this y'all (c'mon!)


Remember the group who came up with a hybrid theory.
A new sound that proved popular...

I'm talking about LINKIN PARK.

The same group who featured a screamer, Chester Bennington...
And a trip-hop rapper, who? wait for it... Mike Shinoda.

Mike here after their acclaimed MTV mash up with Jay-Z came up with a solo project.
Signed up some new kids from his area and called themselves Fort Minor.
Jay-Z here is backing them up and it is shaping up good.
This is a new sound you got to watch out for.


This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

my iPod nano christened c_keah

I got this lil' baby here about 3 weeks back.
Did a pretty good deal at JB-Hifi on Elizabeth St.
Frank and Sherls haggled, begged then cuckoold that store on my behalf.
I swear... if you're asian, you probably got the haggle/bargain gene sequenced into your DNA.
Frank and I ended up getting an iPod each plus charger for $320 per package.

Note that the iPod nano in Australia goes for $359 and the chargers are an extra $48.
It is a wonder how Sherls managed to get the price down so low.

A big thank you and hugs...





This is the actual size of the iPod nano... in relation to my hand.




The iPod went on some diet or joined up with Atkins.
Probably smoked pot and snorted coke' and now they are as skinny as Kate Moss. Heh!




Shiny! And it says 4GB...
I know there are scratches... I'm sad too!
It really does scratch easily.




Am kinda proud of my new portable baby... Why? 'cause it plays mp3s.




I still can't get over the fact it is soooooo... small...

What is on my new baby iPod nano?
hehe... *smirks*
currently listening to My Chemical Romance - The Ghost of You.

I look different? hmmm...

I bumped into Luan (unsure of the spelling of your name) on the street the other day.
She did mention that I looked different.
Something about not recognizing me.

My verdict is still out on whether this is a good thing...

Anyway, I got to catch up with her while she was waiting for her bus ride home.






Self Portraits




How do you take self portraits?
Stefi is the queen of doing the vain ole' me thing.
She said... point camera at self and *click*.












People mention that I look smarter with my spectacles.
I look more like an intellectual and that people think I am mature and trustworthy... Haha!








I think I look better without glasses.
I do wear contacts on good days...








I'm going to be using this for my avatar.
Sunny now thinks I'm really tanned in this photo, but it is just the lighting in my room.
I think it is one of the better pictures of me...








I guess there is a lil' bit of vanity in me.
And, this is coming from a guy who is not very good looking.

Hey... at least I am honest!

iPod nano

Apple Website for the iPod Nano.

Speechless moment...

I only have three words for this new piece of technology.
Slim,
Svelte
and Sexy...

Remember my Motorola RAZR V3?

And, we all know how much I like sexy technology.

stuff I have been up too...

What have I been up too lately?

I just finished my final assessment for the Java programming subject.
A great load off my shoulder... now I ask myself, "What is next?"
I think I'd be able to make my HDs again.

This really doesn't please me as much as I think it should have.
Minor irritant 'cause there was not much of a challenge in the assignment tasks.
Major irritant 'cause there is no practical usage for my coding efforts.
By this, I mean that my code is useless.
I was not getting paid for it... nor any reimbursement of any kind.
The code itself, will never be used by anybody.
It will never be used for anything.

I know that the subject constituted part of my learning process.
But... I am still unsatisfied.
It's like playing competitive sports with someone who is an amatuer.
There is no satisfaction in winning...







This was my tag for Reclaim encore.
I thought that the last and final Reclaim event was held last year?
Well... I dunno, anyways...
That was about 2 weeks ago on a Tuesday, I think it was on the 27 September.
Was not as much fun as I had hoped.
Too many people...







Got this from a magazine somewhere when I went shopping with Stefi.
I thought the advertisement was really cool.
It's like with the drawn in parts over the photo.

Yes... *ahem*
I know, understand and grasp the concept that I am a guy...
And, guys do go shopping.
Not just gay guys or metrosexual guys.
Even ordinary guys who work at Subway and are studying to be IT professionals.

Btw, I got a cheap $9.90 wool knit that day too.