Last Day of Work.

I will miss this company. Tomorrow will be my last day of work. But boss decided to do a farewell lunch for me earlier, which was today since he has appointments tomorrow.

So, we went to Subang to eat Japanese food in a very cozy and super nice ambience restaurant called Rakuzen. The exterior design of the restaurant was rather modest. But the interior was really nice. Very Japanese like, with all the lighting, bamboos and paintings at the right places. Looking at its nice ambience, it suddenly occurred to me that this lunch would probably worth my one week salary. There were only 4 of us. But what the heck, I don’t have to pay anything. J

I had a Grilled Unagi Set which was really really nice. And of course, my favourite Chuka Lidako. Superb. Fresh and juicy. I don’t really know how to describe food, so pardon me for my lack of vocab. But anyway, I was right. The bill was around 220++ for four persons’ lunch.

Although it was just two short months, I’ve learnt more than I did in any other previous jobs. From this job, I’ve:

1. Gained extra 2 kg, at least. Largely because of me going to pantry to search for food whenever I was free. And usually, I would be free most of the time.

2. Gained Super valuable knowledge about sales and marketing. How to deal with ‘leceh’ customers and scared-of-responsibilities-colleagues.

3. More friends. My colleagues are all great people. Very successful yet humble. Plus, they always treat me lunch because according to them, students like me must save money for college. Lol. I wish all my future colleagues are like them.

4. Experience the fun of going back early, coming to work late. Hehe. But my boss was cool about it.

5. the freedom to buy whatever food I want to eat in office and claim it under companies expenses. Hehe..

6. learnt how to talk nicely to customers although kena scold by them like, must be calm. If not all the four letter words will come out already.

Anyway, I’m on movie marathon now. So far, completed The Enchanted, and The Golden Compass. Tommorow will be I am legend. The day after tomorrow: National Treasure. Then, finally Warlords. Oh and if time permits, Alvin and the Chipmunks too.

So, if anyone wants to join the marathon, just drop me a call/sms. Need more kaki.

People i avoid.

Some people are weird and scary. Some are just plain morons. Some are one of a kind.
There are so many kinds of people in this world. But I have always avoided certain kind of people in my life.

1. People who avoided me first. It’s my natural instinct to do that. People avoid me for no reason, and in retaliation, I avoid them too. And I reckon that’s why I keep losing friends every year. It’s not that I’m arrogant or anything. I’ve tried to talk to them, to know the reason behind this but they refused to even talk to me. So, fine, let it be. I don’t need a friend like that. The next time they try to patch things up with me, sorry, I’m not a forgiver.


Now, how i wish these people are like this cloud. I can just blow them away whenever they get too near me. Saves the hassle of avoiding them.

2. Negative people. I call them whiners. They are those people who whine about every single thing in life. It’s very easy to identify them. Apart from their obvious sulking and frowning, they have limited vocabulary.
Their favourite phrase: “Why me???”

If i was the prime minister, this will be seen in every single corner in the country.

3. People who are interested in me when they don’t know the real me. It’s very irritating. These people have only seen me no more than five times and have talked to me less than a total of 10 minutes. How could you be interested in anyone at all given that time frame?? In my view, these people are desperados.

Desperados makes me sick. Urgh.

4. Buggers. These people just don’t understand the meaning of ‘Away’ on MSN. They keep nudging you till it gets onto your nerve. This is also one of the main reason I’m having less contacts in my friends list and more in my deleted list. In person, if I ever see them, I try to ignore their existence, just like how I’m used to ignoring them on MSN.

I wish i could make this appear on their computers everytime these buggers nudge me on MSN.

5. Women having their PMSes. I have seen and experience the fury. Believe me, you better run before they’ve been possessed by the PMS devils. Scarier than watching Britney Spears on MTV Movie Awards.

Yes people. Be VERY afarid of these women.

6. Two faces people/ Fakes. I’ve known many of these. Some of them had even once become my closest friends. It’s easy to fall into their trap because it’s hard to spot them. And once you do, it is usually too late. I despise these people; they feed on people’s insecurity. I had been manipulated by them before and now, everyone thinks I’m the selfish, unappreciative and ungrateful one. And they get to be the noble, kind and selfless one. What the heck, I don’t live on others’ opinions and expectations.

So, there you go. This is only a fraction from my real list. But the rest are less ‘severe’ than these people. Are you anywhere in this list?

Bad luck in office.

Today is the one month ‘anniversary’ of me being in the office. I noticed I bring bad luck to the office, from the first day I started working.

First day of work
Air cond broke down for the first time in months. Repairman came the next day and it caused my boss a bomb.
Ok. I think I can forgive myself for that wasn’t my fault. The air cond needs servicing after so long anyway.

Somewhere in first week
The lights at my place went off. For the whole day, I had to resort to ‘disco’ light. By the end of the day, all the lights I see were also blinking although they were perfectly fine. My eyes began to create its own imaginary image. Boss was kind enough to replace it for me the next day. Thank goodness for him!

Second week
Telephone problem. Had to wait for Telekom for almost 2 weeks to fix it! That was an ultimate torture since I have limited access to internet (eg: no blogging, facebook, msn, ebuddy, meebo, you name it, everything is blocked here). Phone was my only source to outside world!!

Third week
Air cond broke down AGAIN!!!! Thank god the repairman came the next day. Save the suffering for me. The bill is not here yet but I bet it cause my boss a bomb too. The repairman had to vacuum, weld, and even climbed to the roof to check!

Today
The water dispenser broke down. And this time, it was my fault. Since there was no one in the office today, and coincidently, the water dispenser ran out of water, plus I was damn thirsty for water, I figured I was strong enough to carry one galloons of water but I was so wrong. I did manage to carry it but when I tried to put it into the dispenser, I heard “crack”. That was when I knew I broke everything in the office.

Air cond, lights, water dispenser, phone…It’s as if everything I used is jinx!
I wonder what’s next.

Crazy about donuts!

I’m sure everyone has heard about the new donuts store in town. I’m talking about J.Co donuts of course. The first time I had them, it was sinfully delicious! I ate 3 of them one shot. The second time was even better because I get to choose my own flavours. (The first box was courtesy of Sue San, she queued up for almost an hour for it!). It took me 45 minutes to get my own box of made-in-heaven donuts.

Now, I know that those people who are lucky enough to get to eat Krisy Kreme donuts would say J.Co is nothing compares to the pioneer-donuts-maker but we Asians are not so lucky, so we ought to settle for J.Co. Which, by my standard, is good enough.
I just wish that they have more stores here. Such a hassle to buy it.

J.Co Donuts.My favourite one is definately Alcapone, almond flake with white choc (this pic on the top right)

Then, there’s Big Apple Donuts. I don’t know which one is the copy cat but one thing I do know is that the latter’s donuts doesn’t taste as good as J.Co’s. It’s almost like Big Apple is trying to emulate J.Co success but only they failed miserably. Their donuts are oily, toppings are so-so and they leave a sour taste on my tongue. Reminds me of those 3-for-one-ringgit donuts you can buy in Pasar Malam, but only with extra toppings.

Big Apple Donuts. They look identical arent they?? But don't be fooled by their look!

But I find it odd that Big Apple has so many stores in Klang Valley as compare to J.Co which has only one store, so far in Pavillion. But I hope in time, J.Co will take over Big Apple. Hehe..so that I can eat J.Co’s donuts conveniently.

Anyway, this is just my own opinion. In case you’re wondering, I don’t get commission or advert fees from J.Co. So, try them both and be their judge!

Glorious Food!

3 days 2 nights = extra 2.5 kg.
Yea…that was the time I used to gain 2.5 kg more. All thanks to Penang. The whole Shah Alam gang except Ms Leong made it to Penang after 6 hours bus ride from Shah Alam. The bus ride itself was somewhat a torture because the air cond was super cold. I had to wear gloves and socks, jackets and even extra blankets. Even the kids sat next to me only wore a jacket.

We reach Penang at around 5 in the morning and Sook May’s brother in law, Ching Siang picked us up to his house. The first day on the itinerary was that we explore the island on our own, by public bus of course. And because it was a Friday, Ching Siang couldn’t bring us around the island as he had to work.

Day 1
And so, we started our first day by having breakfast in one of the food stalls nearby our place. Two things I discovered during breakfast were that you cannot survive in Penang if you don’t know hokkien and even if you know, it’s different from Klang Hokkien.

Then we took public busses to Bukit Bendera and Kek Lok Si and I thought I would die. It was such a torture, we had to wait for at least half an hour for each bus and we were given the wrong instruction by the bus drivers one after another. So we ended up taking 2 hours plus just to get there.


Both May and Mak were busy looking for bus while smart-ass Kok was drinking Slurpee and me, what was i doing? I forgot...

Lo and behold. The majestic Kek Lok Si.

But it was all worth it.
Kek Lok Si was huge! But it was so unfortunate for me. After reaching there for half an hour, my stomach was making funny noises. I ended up going to the toilet twice. But I still managed to take a few pictures here and there.

A pretty shot by Kok. The pagoda that i didnt get to go all thanks to my stomach!


All of us. From left: Mak, May, Me, Sui Jing and Kok.


Bet you couldn’t see that I was grimacing under the big grin!

The view from Bukit Bendera was just alright. It could be better if not for the haze.
But nonetheless, there were still a lot of tourists, probably due to school holiday.

The hazy Penang.

At night, we went to Gurney Drive for some lip-smacking food!
For the first time in my life, I couldn’t be bothered about the super oily fried chicken skin or the pig’s skin. I just chow it down! Heck, when I think back now, I can literally see the oil dripping from the food. It’s as if oil in Penang is free…

Food vocab of the day
Hokkien Mee in Penang = Prawn Mee in KL
Hokkien Char in Penang = Hokkien Mee in KL

Gurney Drive at night.

Day 2
Day 2 was so much better, largely because we didn’t have take public bus! For breakfast, we had Tim Sum in one of the coffee shop where you can see Ah Peks gathering around a table and talking about old times. Everywhere we looked, there were sights of old Ah Peks and Ah Chims. I reckon there were lots of Ah Peks not because of the food but probably because of the waitresses. No, they’re not wearing skimpy, sexy wear. They were Ah Chims, for god sake!

The food was alright. Not too bad but not the best I’ve had.

Then we headed down to Him Heang to buy Tambun biscuits. Him Heang is actually the name of a shop, famous for its Tambun biscuits. Their biscuits were in such high demands that we even had to place our orders earlier and come back to collect later.

Waiting for our turn to place orders...

And so, we went to the sleeping Buddha Temple before going back to Him Heang to collect our biscuits. The temple was big but not as huge as Kek Lok Si. But what I liked about this place was the drawings on the walls, about the story of Buddha. How he got enlightenment etc. We also tried our hands at the “kau chim” area and this is what I got:




Sigh…Guess that I won’t be rich anytime soon...

At the Sleeping Buddha Temple, behind us was the drawing of Buddha leaving his rich prince's life.

Next up, we spent some time shopping in Gurney Plaza but none of us bought anything, perhaps because the things there were too expensive (Versace, Guess etc) for us poor students.

Our stomachs were grumbling after the long walks at the temples. So, we went to eat cendol and it was really really good! The cendol stall was a small stall manned by an uncle, his son and another Indonesian lady. People don’t seem to mind standing at the roadside eating cendol. All kinds of people were there, from those in office suit to little boys back from school. While having our Cendols, our nose quickly picked up a familiar smell, Char Koay Tiaw! Just beside the cendol stall, there was a small cornet lot restaurant. The Char Koay Tiaw was the best I’ve ever had! Fresh, juicy prawns and just the right taste.

Yummy...delicious cendol!

We then went to Batu Ferringi to enjoy the beaches there. But sadly, it was not up to my expectations. Pangkor was so much nicer. We strolled along the beaches, feasting our eyes with pretty Kwai Lohs and Kwai Muis.

The beach at Batu Ferringi. We tried hard to take a picture of Kwai mui in bikini but instead, this is what we got. A little girl playing with sand.

Then, we explored the other side of the island, Balik Pulau. It was a completely different scene. This area was under-developed with many kampong houses and beautiful mountains.
We stopped at the huge dam and one can just sit there and be in peace with Mother Nature. You can even hear the wind blowing. It was so quiet and serene.

Beside from us, there was only another family there. Very Peaceful...

Then, came the main itinerary of the trip, seafood!!!
We went to a very hidden and secluded restaurant in Balik Pulau, and it took us around 1 hour plus to reach there. But the view was superb. The restaurant was located at the seaside and we reached just in time to watch the sunset with fresh seafood in our mouths!
And the best of all, it’s not very expensive. With such a beautiful view and fresh seafood, they could charge me as much as they want.

On the table were prawns, crabs, chicken, fish, cuttlefish, and vege.

Look at this view near the restaurant! Simply marvellous...

After our delectable dinner, we went home and stayed up till late, watching Mr Bean, and chit chatting.

Food vocab of the day
Seng Kak Chui = Teng Lang Teh (Chinese Tea)
Tau Sar Peah = Tambun Peah

Day 3
Our final day in the island. All of us woke up late, all thanks to the late night chats. We had tapau chee cheong fun for breakfast and stayed at home, watching more Mr Bean before going out for lunch. We had Hokkien Mee for lunch and it was the only food I didn’t enjoy in Penang. It was too oily for my liking.

Pig's skin. Just look at the oil!

To burn off the super-oily Hokkien mee we had for lunch, we went shopping at Quensbay mall. Surprisingly, the mall has more varieties of clothing compared to the ones in KL. But I only bought a working shoe.
After a few hours of shopping comes more food! Yea, we were eating non-stop. It’d be a miracle if I don’t put on weight. We had Nasi Kandar for dinner and it was just ok.

Then, we went to explore the industrial area in Bayan Lepas. Ching Siang was our tireless tour guide. He brought us to a snake temple but sadly, it was half closing when we reached there. All the snakes were kept inside and we couldnt see them.

So, we went back home to pack up and wind down after the tiring shopping trip. Then, it was our final feast in the island. We had Tong Sui, Char Koay Tiaw and Hokkien Mee, and that’s just for supper!

For our final trip, Ching Siang took us to Fort Cornwallis, a historical fort used to defend the island during the British invasion. Aside from the historical monuments, there was nothing much there. But it was nice to enjoy the cool breeze of air and watch the locals fished at the seaside.

Fort Cornwallis.

And so, that was the end of our trip.

At last, we headed home to Shah Alam. The ride back home was so much better and I fell asleep as soon as I got in the bus.

The verdict.
Best Char Koay Tiaw: The corner lot restaurant beside the Cendol stall, near Komtar.
Best Hokkien Mee: The stall near Tong Sui shop. I could give you the name of the place if only I remember…
Best Laksa: The one in Gurney Drive, although Chin Siang said that there is another one in Air Itam, just below Kek Lok Si.
Best Cendol: Definitely the one near Komtar. Delicious!!!!

Now, i just wish i have more money to go to the next trip....

*Pictures courtesy of Sui Jing and May

Three’s a company.

I’ve started working this week in a company in Shah Alam. And it has only 3 staffs…including me.

There’s a country manager a.k.a boss and there’s another technical guy, and there’s me. My position is called sales coordinator but I was wondering since I’m the only one in the sales department, doesn’t that make me the head of sales? Sales Manager sounds good…I wish…

But the job’s quite fun so far…My daily routine would be recording the sales and coordinating sales between customer and the head office in Singapore. So far so good. My boss and the other colleague are great! My boss is very supportive, taught me everything from A-Z as I’m pretty new to all these sales thingy. The other guy is very friendly and caring, always making sure that I feel comfortable in the office, offering me snacks etc..

Not to mention, the office is like less than 5 minutes away from my house and I can practically go back home for lunch! And the best part? The salary! Quite good pay but not the best I’ve had but still, I get to learn tons of stuff..

The company I’m working in is called ISP Chemical, which deals which chemical stuff. They produce tons of chemicals from the basic one like polymers to really “deep” stuff like Gafquat. And they have offices worldwide.

Anyway, I have the weekends off so I still have time to hang out.

Right now, I’m listening to Matt Wertz and Jeff Buckley (the latter thanks to uncle), and I strongly recommend these two great singers.