Quote

"... from personal experience that when the people we love make choices, we don't always understand them. But we can go on loving them, just the same. It isn't a matter of comprehension. It's forgiveness."
Jodi Picoult - Vanishing Acts

Saturday, December 30, 2006

New Year's Resolutions....

Tomorrow is the last day of 2006. Do you have your New Year's resolutions all ready to go? Here are some famous resolutions..
-Lose Weight
-Pay Off Debt
-Save Money
-Get a Better Job
-Get Fit
-Eat Right
-Get a Better Education
-Drink Less Alcohol
-Quit Smoking Now
-Reduce Stress Overall
-Reduce Stress at Work
-Take a Trip
-Volunteer to Help Others

Save money by engaging yourself in cheap hobbies, exercising (get fit, lose weight & reduce stress) or watching tv.
To lose 1 lb (around 0.4536 kg), you need to burn off 3500 calories... 350 calories is 5 miles of running, imagine that!!! So in order to burn off 1lb per week, you need to burn 500 calories a day which could be 250 calories reduction in meal, and 250 burn off in exercise.
Reduce stress at work by prioritizing your work - Post It!
Volunteeering opportunity- Mercy is one that I know of, even if you can't join the mission. You can actually volunteer to help with the medicine packing. In Sabah, there is SAWO(Sabah Action Women Group) as well.

Aren't women complicated?

I got this from Adilah's blog...

-The Differences Between Men and Women-
"Let's say a guy named Fred is attracted to a woman named Martha. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.
And then, one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Martha, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?" And then, there is silence in the car. To Martha, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.
And Fred is thinking: Gosh. Six months.
And Martha is thinking: But, hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily towards, I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?
And Fred is thinking: ...so that means it was...let's see...February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means...lemme check the odometer...Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.
And Martha is thinking: He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed - even before I sensed it - that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected. And Fred is thinking: And I'm gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It's 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.
And Martha is thinking: He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry, too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.
And Fred is thinking: They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty...scumballs.
And Martha is thinking: Maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.
And Fred is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a warranty. I'll take their warranty and stick it right up their...
"Fred," Martha says aloud.
"What?" says Fred, startled.
"Please don't torture yourself like this," she says, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "Maybe I should never have...oh dear, I feel so..."(She breaks down, sobbing.)
"What?" says Fred.
"I'm such a fool," Martha sobs. "I mean, I know there's no knight. I really know that. It's silly. There's no knight, and there's no horse."
"There's no horse?" says Fred.
"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Martha says.
"No!" says Fred, glad to finally know the correct answer.
"It's just that...it's that I...I need some time," Martha says. (There is a 15-second pause while Fred, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)
"Yes," he says.
(Martha, deeply moved, touches his hand.) "Oh, Fred, do you really feel that way?" she says.
"What way?" says Fred.
"That way about time," says Martha.
"Oh," says Fred. "Yes."
(Martha turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks.)
"Thank you, Fred," she says.
"Thank you," says Fred.
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, and weeps until dawn, whereas when Fred gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a college basketball game between two South Dakota junior colleges that he has never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it's better if he doesn't think about it. The next day Martha will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and they will talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, they will analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, considering every possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it either. Meanwhile, Fred, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Martha's, will pause just before serving, frown, and say: "Norm, did Martha ever own a horse?" And that's the difference between men and women.
" -Original writing by Dave Barry-
See look at the women's side. Wouldn't you want to know earlier if he is the one you want to be with. I wish it's simple, like the cutoff for every relationship is six months. After that you decide whether you want to be with the other person or not. If you are, make future plans. If not, just better break it off while you can still imagine your life without him/her. When you not think, time will pass by, and without realizing you could be together with the person that don't like for years.

Friday, December 29, 2006

On various things....

Breaking up in the early stage of relationship is much easier than after couple of years together. Unless if you're in a casual relationship where both parties acknowleged that the relationship is for fun sake and no commmitment attached, it's better to re-evaluate your relationship after 6 months or a year. In order to find the right person, you need to be the right one. Have you ever had thoughts lurking into you head wishing if only your boyfriend is more romantic, or if only your girlfriend is more nicer. We all have our fantasy ideal partner in our head. But people don't change overnight. It might be what you have now is what you will have in 6 months, a year, or 5 years from now. Be honest with yourself if you can live with the good and the bad. On the bright side, people can change for the better.

New Year is two more days... and after that it will be weeks and weeks of work. Geee.. How fun!!!

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Christmas Day

Went to Lana&Hellotz wedding last Saturday at Le Meridien Hotel. Lana looked sooo pretty with lace kebaya and the eu natural makeup.. I love going to weddings (only the people that I know). I love looking at the proud and happy parents face. The way the bride and groom look at each other.It shows how in love they are, how happy and excited they are to start their new life together as husband and wife. It's such a blessing to see two people in love finally be together. While other people are still struggling to find the other half, they already find theirs awwwh..... Okay, I'm a sucker for old-fashion romance,or, maybe I'm watching too much one tree hill :P


Me with the bride and groom....

Went to Simpang Mengayau in Kudat on Christmas Day. FYI, Simpang Mengayau is the the tip of borneo. It's such a beautiful place. Look at the beach and sand... Look sooo pure....




I just read the email about Ninie, hopefully everything will be okay...

Everybody, enjoy your last week of 2006!!!!

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

All I want for christmas is.....

This Villa!!!! If you have time, take one minute to look at this website, Villa, it's absolutely beautiful. You need to marry a super-billionaire to buy a place here. But look at the view!!! And imagine running on the treadmill overlooking the blue and clear ocean. aaawwwh.... I bet it would take all your stresses away...

And here is another beautiful place in sabah. It's called sinurambi, an experience to a country life. Sort of, except you will have your breakfast and dinner served :D I don't even know that this place exists until I found the website. I think it would be a perfect honeymoon place. So for my newlywed friends, do check out this website yeah...

Monday, December 18, 2006

Holiday mood

First of all, shoutout to my newlywed friends, Lana & Hellotz!!!

It's end of the year, and i've become more and more malas to go to work.. It's end of the year kan, i bet everybody would feel the same way.







Con at Luna Rossa










This year kk has become more festive with christmas celebration especially in the new warisan square. And every where (shop) you go, there will be people wearing santa's hat, also, you can hear christmas songs at the background. Reminded me christmas in the us.... White christmas and the christmas shopping :D

Gingerbread house in Shangri-La Tanjung Aru.They're made from real dough and royal icing. When you go inside the house, it smells like cinnamon-gingery cookies..

Happy getting engaged Lyn & Wandy AND Rina & Shah....

Friday, December 15, 2006

Microsoft Channel Conference


Yesterday I went to Microsoft Partner Conference in Pan Pacific Sutera Harbor. Basically it's about the year of "LOVE". It's kind of true in a way since most of my friends are getting hitched end of this year or next year. But actually "LOVE" is the short form of "Launch of Office 2007, Vista and Exchange". It's not so bad actually, I got to eat hotel food, and delicious cheesecake!


Also, I was lucky to get a pouch under my seat. Okay, sure.. it was an outdated xp pouch, and its not like I wear a pouch .. But who cares, the point is I never really get these lucky stuff, whether lucky draw or lucky seat or anything starts with lucky, and yesterday I got something. They also did a demo on the new Microsoft Vista which I thought kinda cool. It has the mac-like feel. The 3-d flipping images.... and the cool interface.

At first I thought there would be some eye candy at the conference, hmmmm.. but I guess eye candies don't go into programming . So no networking there :P. Well, but at least it's a new experience..

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Random Pictures No..... Hmmm....

Isn't it beautiful.....

Friday, December 08, 2006

Girls check your car!!!

Yesterday, my car died on me!!! Actually the battery was. I was trying to start my car, and all I got from it was treek...tekk..tekkk..teekk. Since I'm clueless about cars, I called my brother, and asked for advice. My first thought was it was a battery problem. It happened to me before(different car), and luckily I was in a shoplots with a workshop. This time, I was at work. I was trying to find jumper from my colleagues, and see if they can jumpstart the battery. And silly me, we had to spend 10 minutes trying to find way to open the front boot(We even read the manual!) hehehe... Luckily my car can start after that, and I was able to reach home safely. Appparently my water battery was low. Honestly I never even checked the water battery, the oil, or the water coolant. I thought the service center would handle all of those things. But somebody who's working at p2 here told my brother, that they never check everything.... Hence, the low water battery in my car. I guess we girls should really learn to get our hands dirty.

Here's information on how to check your battery's water.
Apparently you need to check it every week if your battery is more than 1.5 years old.

Anyway.... Do learn on how to...
-check your battery for water
-oil
-coolant



I was having lunch today and went into this one cafe. Look at the so-called healthy drinks. Carrot drink? Okay, that one still acceptable... Tomato? Celery? Yolk? Do you really need to blend all these veges together. Can't u just eat them as vegetable instead of having em as a drink?

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Oh dear guilt....

I have to say that Guilt is such a powerful feeling. Some people do things because they feel guilty( not because they want to). Is it a conscience that human have so that they will do the right things? Who knows? With so many things to consider, who can "use your head, follow your heart" anymore?

Anyway, tomorrow I'll be going for a free treatment at a spa service thing. Apparently they're having a promotion. Hmmm.... I want to have a restful weekend since on monday I will have my OFF-day!!!

After all the hard work and sleepless nights, the project I was doing is launched today. But I don't get that exhilaration, excitement, satisfaction thing. I think something is off my emotions drive. Hehehehe. That is soo geeky btw. Will be going for a Microsoft Conference next week (Aaghkk, even double geeky!!!)

So, New Year's resolutions.... hmmm.. try not to make new year's resolutions...

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

A list of some of the best excuses for falling asleep at work.

They told me at the blood bank this might happen.

This is just a 15 minute power nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to.

I was working smarter - not harder.

Whew! I mustve left the top off the liquid paper.

I wasnt sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!

This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!

I was testing the keyboard for drool resistance.

Im in the management training program.

Im actually doing a Stress Level Elimination Exercise Plan (SLEEP) I learned at the last mandatory seminar you made me attend.

This is in exchange for the six hours last night when I dreamed about work!

I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress. Do you discriminate against people who practice Yoga?

Damn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem.

The coffee machine is broken....

Someone mustve put decaf in the wrong pot.

Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just wont wear off.

Ah, the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the workaholic!

I wasnt sleeping. I was trying to pick up contact lens without hands.

The mail courier flipped out and pulled a gun so I was playing dead to avoid getting shot.

Geez, I thought you (the boss) were gone for the day.

Thought kind of funny in a geeky way...

I am at a career crossroads; should I become an astronaut, a fireman, or a system administrator?

This is the kind of question that these "handy comparison charts" were just made to answer:

PURPOSE OF YOUR CAREER
Astronaut: Advancing scientific knowledge for the good of humanity.
Fireman: Saving lives and property.
Sysadmin: Assuring uninterrupted access to alt.binaries.erotica.sheep.

ADVICE YOU'LL GIVE KIDS WHO WANT TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS
Astronaut: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables."
Fireman: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables."
Sysadmin: "DON'T DO IT! RUN AWAY!"

QUESTION YOU'LL BE MOST TIRED OF ANSWERING
Astronaut: "Where do you go to the bathroom?"
Fireman: "Do you really slide down a pole when the alarm goes off?"
Sysadmin: "Can't you do anything about all this spam I've been getting?"

WILL YOU EVER BE ON TV?
Astronaut: Yes!
Fireman: Occasionally.
Sysadmin: Only MSNBC's "The Site," which doesn't technically count as TV.

WILL YOUR JOB EVER GET ANY EASIER?
Astronaut: As computers get more and more advanced and able to control more of the functions of the space vehicle, yes.
Fireman: As more and more people install smoke detectors in their homes, yes.
Sysadmin: As more and more clueless newbies discover the Internet, absolutely not.

INSPIRING MOVIE ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION
Astronaut: "The Right Stuff"
Fireman: "Backdraft"
Sysadmin: Uh... gee, I'm really drawing a blank here... "Wargames"?

YOUR WORK HOURS
Astronaut: Fairly long days during the mission, but lots and lots of time between missions to relax.
Fireman: 24-hour shifts, but 48 hours between shifts to relax.
Sysadmin: Not really "work hours" or even "work days"... more like "work millenia."

FRINGE BENEFITS OF YOUR JOB
Astronaut: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex.
Fireman: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex.
Sysadmin: You get ALL of the jokes in "Dilbert."

NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION
Astronaut: A few, from people who think the government should be spending its money in different ways.
Fireman: A few, from people who think you take too long to arrive following a 911 call.
Sysadmin: You'll have to learn what comes after "trillion" to be able to count them all.

YOUR VEHICLE
Astronaut: Multimillion-dollar space vehicle atop multimillion-dollar rocket.
Fireman: Big red truck with flashing lights and siren.
Sysadmin: 1978 AMC Gremlin.

In conclusion, if the sysadmin option has seemed the most appealing in even one of these categories, you should become a sysadmin.

Top 10 signs of 'Job Burnout'

10. You're so tired, you now answer the phone with "Go to Hell."

9. Your friends call to ask how you've been, and you immediately scream, "Stop asking me all these damn questions!"

8. Your garbage can IS your "In" box.

7. You wake up to discover your house is on fire, but go back to sleep because you just don't care.

6. You consider a 40 hour week a vacation.

5. Visions of the upcoming weekend help you make it through Monday.

4. You don't set your alarm anymore because you know your pager will go off before your alarm does.

3. You leave for a party and instinctively bring your ID badge.

2. Your DayTimer/Work Planner exploded a week ago.

And the NUMBER ONE sign that you are burned out because of work.....

1. You think about how relaxing it would be if you were in jail right now.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

PMS Guide

DANGEROUS: "What's for dinner?"
SAFER: "Can I help you with dinner?"
SAFEST: "Where would you like to go for dinner?"

DANGEROUS: "Are you wearing THAT?"
SAFER: "Gee, you look good in brown."
SAFEST: "Wow! Look at you!"

DANGEROUS: "What are you so worked up about?"
SAFER: "Could we be overreacting?"
SAFEST: "Here's fifty dollars."

DANGEROUS: "Should you be eating that?"
SAFER: "You know, there are a lot of apples left."
SAFEST: "Can I get you a glass of wine with that?"

DANGEROUS: "What did you DO all day?"
SAFER: "I hope you didn't overdo today."
SAFEST: "I've always loved you in that robe."

DANGEROUS: "Why are you complaining so much?"
SAFER: "Here's gift certificate for a massage"
SAFEST: "Totally!!!" (Agreeing to everything

Feel free to add new Dangerous, Safer, and Safer Guide for the guys :D

So much for a happy ending.....

Weekend feels so short :| And I am stuck in the office on Sunday night. Well... It's not so bad actually. At least I have my space which is great! It's the school holidays, and kids are running around in the mall, in the restaurant, everywhere. You really should avoid malls during school holidays, all the de-stressing from shopping would be gone with the sound of kids screaming and crying.

Anyway, I think people should stop making New Year's resolutions. People only get excited about New Year's resolutions during the first few weeks... If you make tons of resolutions like me, you would end up disappointed and feel like a failure at this time of the year, when you realized that none of your resolutions are accomplished.So, here are few tips to make New Year's resolutions.

* STEP 1: Be realistic by setting achievable goals. Winning the lottery, for example, is out of your grasp.
* STEP 2: Describe your resolutions in specific terms. Instead of "I don't want to be lazy," opt for "I want to exercise regularly" or "I will cut down on my television watching."
* STEP 3: Break down large goals into smaller ones. For instance, commit to losing weight by resolving to join a gym and improve your eating habits.
* STEP 4: Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan. So you want to quit smoking but you smoked to relax yourself? What other forms of relaxation are available to you?
* STEP 5: Above all, aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.

Someone used to say to me that life would be different after stepping out of college. Since we were small, we're accustomed to structured environment, where in a specific situation there are specific rules and goals to achieve. So supposedly, after you graduated, you are free to try out new things that you haven't gotten the time to. This makes me think that I should take new hobbies for next year. Sometimes I feel my life feels so predictable and soo routine. I can try to be outdoorsy, but I dislike being sweaty in the hot weather. I can take up music lessons, but I've asked 4 people to teach me guitar, and the only chords I know are C, D, Em and G. The only thing that I like is trying out new restaurants in town :p

Lana's wedding is in two weeks time. Shoutout to Lana, I'm sooo happy for you that you find your other half. Good luck with your wedding preparations, I'm sure it's going to be fabulous!!!! Mel and Jinn, I can't wait for you two to come here!!! Please, New Year come faster!!!!