Sawadee-leh mah leh-kap

Yesterday hor, I was sleeping VERY VERY peacefully.

All of a sudden, I got a call from a mysterious 014 number, which ALSO called me the night before as well (but I missed it).

As my mind begin to shift and understand that the sudden noise infecting my ears came from my phone, I started to get very irritated as I hate being woken up. After all, the only person I permit to call me when I am sleeping is Princess. IF it is anyone else, then it had better important...

... And seeing how it turned out to be a 014 number and, most certainly NOT Princess' personal ringtone, it was, more obvious than not, NOT Princess.

So through my pain and my anguish, I reached out to my phone trying hard not to open my eyes so I could go back to sleep immediately after I tell the bugger that I am sleeping.

But the first thing I heard on the phone was
014: สวัสดี! อรุณสวัสดิ์! สบายดีไหม? (Sawadee! Aroonsawas! Sabaideemai?) [Hello! Good Morning! How Are You?]

In the midst of my beautiful slumber, I hear my phone ring, and upon picking up the call this is the first thing I hear, NOT a good thing.

So I sat up, and responded in a VERY irritated tone
Eddy: WRONG number.

The caller sounded, shocked, at my response.

014: Huh?

Eddy: wrong... NUMBER!



The only one thought that raced through my mind was (Of all things I am awoken by this m*****f***ing knnccb pkmcblc Tha....)

014: SAW! IT'S ME SIN JERN LA, YOUR FAVOURITE FAT FRIEND!

Hearing that, it only took me not more than half a second to recompose myself

Eddy: Oh.. ok..

014: Cibai, you cannot recognise my voice meh?

Eddy: Sorry lo, Ba lu khun cheh nia (Just woke up nia)

He began telling me how he is back for a few days to settle some visa issues, as he is studying in Thailand, hence, the excruciatingly painful greeting that awaited me somewhere around 8-9am yesterday morning

That's Sin Jern on the far left, followed by Samantha (Samster the Hamster) and Joel, X'mas 2006

Chuah Sin Jern, is one of my two bestest best friends (bbf) from my hometown, the Pearl of the Orient, Penang. The other being Joel Lim Siew Cheang of course. I've known these two since 1999, when Sin Jern and I were in form 2 and Joel was in form 1. Hence this year marks 10 years of unshattered friendship, eventhough we've been separated so many times.

Samantha pointed out during our last major gettogether, Chinese New Year 2008, that it is very amusing to observe the three of us conversing as we have absolutely nothing in common and yet our conversations are funny, hilarious, entertaining to listen to and can last for hours.

Sin Jern ended up being science stream student back in form 4, but not really enjoying it as he had the mentality of an arts stream student, like me, which would revolve around something like, couldn't be arsed about getting 9A's in SPM.

I believe it was in form 4 that we actually started getting closer. His dad works in KL so occasionally he'd take a bus down to visit, so one time he randomly asked me if I would like to follow him, and so I did.

Yes people, back then, we considered coming to KL a holiday, as oppose to what most of you think, and I am pretty sure you'd equally consider going to Penang a holiday as well, but guess what, I do not think that going to Penang constitutes as a holiday.

We did another trip post SPM, probably in december. We were more well prepared this time, with hotel numbers and designated destinations, as opposed to going in 2001 blindly not knowing what we wanted to do.

After SPM I went to Sunway College to pursue MUFY, and he went to every college in Penang over the period of 3 years. But every other weekend, I would come back and he would be one of the 2 people I would call, the other being Joel of course.

Taylor's UWE Year End Party, 2005, with Sin Jern being on the top right

In 2005 I entered Taylor's and he was already studying in TarCollege, but every once in a while he'd take the LRT all the way down to find me as there were more things to do in Subang than Setapak and my house was well equipped for guest.

When I left for UK, he too left, but for Thailand instead, Bangkok in fact (hence the ability to call me up and greet me in Thai). Since then I haven't really gotten the chance to see him. He did come back during Chinese New Year in 2008 but that's about it. Of course, we look forward to meeting up next during Chinese New Year 2009.

My 22nd Birthday, Red Box, Gurney, 2007

We share an interesting bond with each other, probably cause we have known each other for so long. And I will never, ever, forget all the years he used to miss call me because he never had enough credit to call me properly, even when it was him who needed someone to talk to. I always, ALWAYS, always had to call him back. But not like I minded anyway, a friend in need is a friend indeed, no? I even took the liberty of subscribing to DiGi for the Friends and Family package reducing the price per call to a very low amount. But, much to my dismay, he ended up miss calling THAT line as well saying it was cheaper for ME to call HIM back using THAT line.

Jane's Farewell, 2006

Joel's my other bestest best friend, as lame as it sounds. Joel grew up in high school not being liked by many, even students from other schools did not really like him much either. But it was easy to understand why. Flaw in many people around him was, they all knew how to complain and dislike, but no one ever wanted to give him a chance, or to help him change. Joel basically can be very well mannered yet lack social ethicate, but he's improved a lot since we've been close friends.

Joel progressively studied in Penang, till he graduated, never leaving his hometown. Proved to be far more patriotic than me.

Joyce's random "I WANT TO GO TO THE BEACH" outing, 2006

Even up til now, many people still ask me:
How can you tolerate him?
Do you not think it is embarrassing to be around him in public?
What if people assume the two of you are the same?
Won't it tarnish your reputation as well?

and other mean and vile questions like that.

I even had this conversation even with my mother, and the point I shall throw across, siding Joel of course, would be: As dumbfounded and imbecilic he can be, he is one friend who has never ONCE let me down, of course until he had a bitch for a girlfriend a couple of years back, and like it or not, he's stood by me for 10 years up til now.

But leaving form 5 in school, all my classmates said the same goddamn thing to me. Something about not forgetting each other, best friends forever, give me your handphone number, keep in touch!

Bollocks. Joel never once said that to me yet he still contacts me till now. We do favours for each other without expecting anything in return. Whenever he wants to come down to KL, he will bunk in with me. Whenever he needs someone to fetch his girlfriend, especially back then when all he had was his bike, as I live a lot nearer to her, I would fetch her for him. Whenever I need someone to help me run errands, he'd always help. Even now he is patiently going through lowyat forums everyday to look for desktop parts for me because I personally do not have the patience to read post by post.

Also my Birthday back in 2007

But amazingly, that is how our friendship stands. Joel is the one friend, as oppose to all of my classmates in high school, especially those that hated him, that I can always rely on. We even went to see our high school headmaster retire June this year. Yup, we still hold strong to our Alma Mater.

Brother Paul Ho's Retirement Dinner, 2009

Joel and Sin Jern started mingling more around 2003 when we all gained to ability to maneuver our own vehicles. I still miss all our 12 hour cybercafe marathons. We used to do them everytime I found time to come back from KL, followed by a midnight scrumptious meal at rafee.

Remarkably we have seen each other through trials and our tribulations, even all our relationships. We have stood by each other when we needed each other the most. We know that if ever we need someone to rely on, the 3 of us would genuinely be prepared to help each other out. I even think we have reached that point in our friendship whereby we can read each others minds without needing anything to be said.

When we fall, we would never fret, not just because the mightiest have fallen, but because we know we will always be there to pick each other up as and when we fall.

We've cried
We've laughed
We've yelled
We've ki siao-ed
We've probably done every darn thing right and wrong in Penang, many memories to last us a lifetime.

We do not brag about our exceptional friendship, we do not talk to each other everyday, we do not fake the stereotype "we should meet up again"s comments or messages in facebook, we do not even get to see each other very often. But as and when we do, it always feels like time has not passed since high school when we first understood that we would be best friends forever.

"Many people spend their whole life searching, for true friends like mine."

Happy 10 years anniversary lo, and many more to come. We shall celebrate the belated version during Chinese New Year 2010 ok?

My 1st 1st Anniversary

Yes, as the title portrays, this IS my first relationship that has reached its first anniversary, and I am proud that the person I am with is none other than my beloved Princess

Scratched my head ten times over trying to come up with the present I deemed most fit for the ocassion, something worthy of her, and I once more have to thank Anthony "DuHuKu" Lim for his assistance in ferrying me around to carry out my errands.

Yes I know it is truly sad, I anticipated this day many months ago but ironically we had a paper to sit for on the 18th. Therefore for the love of ACCA we decided to postpone the "celebration" a day later.

Funnily as we were both discussing how to exchange gifts, I was worried we'd go to dinner empty handed. It was then we simultaneously said that both our gifts were too big to lug all the way to dinner just to be opened and lug it back home. So Princess suggested we open our gifts at 12am on the 17th of October 2009, which marked the midnight entering into our first anniversary.

Approximately 11 hours 38 minutes 52.36 seconds prior to midnight, she came over to my house, with the gift, with the intention to study, eat dinner, continue studying and finally open our gifts at midnight. Princess being the curious little cutie she is kept on prodding me, asking me what I bought for her, and everytime she asked me whether she had guessed correctly, I'd blatently say yes, which of course, led her nowhere.

Princess: What you buy for me woorrr?
PaPa BeaR: Present..
Princess: Photo Frame?
PaPa BeaR: Yes..
Princess: Don't lie.. Mirror?
PaPa BeaR: Yes..
Princess: ...... Why you bluff me one? What is inside?
PaPa BeaR: Cutlery set for 4.
Princess: HAR??... ..... Seriously la. Laptop?
PaPa BeaR: Yes..
Princess: ......

Went on for another 5 minutes or so till she got fed up with my monotonous answers, so finally she gave in to curiosity and asked me for permission to open her present in advance. I, of course, said yes, with the exception that I get to open mine too. She declined... for a little while. So we ended up opening our presents instead of studying.

"Faster take, faster take, I cannot wait to open"

FYI, a clock is considered a contemporary or a modern 1st anniversary present, as oppose to the traditional present which has a theme of paper. Besides, I pay very very close attention to what she says everytime I hear "I" and "want" in the same context. And I remember not too long ago she mentioned she wanted a clock for her room. I searched many clock and watch shops for something nice and worthy of her but, alas, was not lucky enough.

I then found this one which represented everything dear to her. Bears, flowers, the fact that its a clock of course, and even the pendulum is enveloped in lace with a flower stud to center it.

After which, came my most anticipated moment. The Grand Opening of my gift.

Smashing wrapping paper if I do say so myself

Still gasping in awe at the work of art that laid before me

Took me at least 3 minutes to recompose myself, having said I felt a mass-combination of emotions that left me speechless for more than a minute.

Truly a work of art

After all it really looked like something she put a lot of effort into making having said she does not really have much free time due to school work and maintaining her own e-boutique while trying to give me adequate attention.

Thus today, finally, after our paper ended, I had already made reservations for 2 at The Cave in SS2, the place where it all began.

on the 16th of October 2008, Princess asked ME out for a date and suggested The Cave as she (through her excessive bloghopping) thought it looked like a nice place and she wanted to give it a shot. Turned out to be a couple restaurant isolating each couple into separate rooms. Shortly after midnight, which marked the 17th of October 2008, we got together officially, thus this marks our first year together...

... and a day.

I love you Princess.

"I would rather have had one breath of your hair, one kiss from your mouth, one touch of your hand, than eternity without it."

Subject: A Hilarious Mail from a frustrated victim of chain mails!

I found this in my email, with regards to a man who has gotten so bloody sick and tired, as I personally have, with chain mails.



I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and continuing it in 2009 and so on...

Because of your kindness:

* I stopped drinking Coca Cola after I found out that it's good for removing toilet stains.

* I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.

* Forwarded hundreds of mails but still waiting for FREE DESKTOP, LAPTOP, CAMERA, CELLPHONE etc...

* I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because
they cause cancer ...

* I don't leave my car in the parking lot or any other place and sometimes I even have to walk about 7 blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a perfume sample and try to rob me.

* I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill with calls to Uganda, Pakistan, Singapore and Tokyo.

* I also stopped drinking anything out of a Can for fear that I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.

* When I go to parties, I don't look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

* I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times.. (Poor girl! She's been there since 1993...)

* Still open to help somebody from Nigeria who wants to use my account to transfer his uncle's property of $ 100 million. So much trustworthy.

* I have forwarded 35 emails to 400 people hoping that Ericsson or Nokia will send me latest mobile phones but those models are also obsolete now.

* Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Ganesh , Tirupathi Balaji pics etc. Now most of those 'Wishes' are already married (to someone else)

NOW IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you do not send this e-mail to at least 11,246 people in the next 10 seconds, a bird will pee on your keyboard today at 6:30pm.

Nothing has happened till now.....................but who knows. So please forward.

Unclear of the Concept?

"Anyone" it seems...

Probably missing something...
... somewhere

The Long Weekend

Upon entering the second term in ACCA, it came to past that I had the stupidest timetable planned out for me. 3-6 on Monday, 3-10 on Wednesday, 7-10 for the first 8 weeks of the semester, and 8am-7pm on Saturday. Leaving a gap on Sunday, Tuesday and 2 days post 8 weeks on Thursday and Friday. This made it very hard to go back to Penang as and when I liked.

Checked the Timetable in early July to find that Hari Raya permitted me 6 days without class, allowing me to return to Penang for that entire duration. Thus I booked my flight early enough to get it cheap, and I also chose to fly because taking the bus would probably take me easily 6 hours or more due to the jam.

Starbucks Subang Jaya Airport, prior to departure

I did not do anything extremely exciting or productive throughout the 6 days. I just lazed around and spent the first few afternoons with my mum up to Saturday as my parents were going to Hong Kong for a getaway.

Hardrock Hotel recently landed in Penang, and so my mum wanted to get us 3 kids a room for the long weekend for the fun of it. But, much to our dismay, being a long weekend, the rooms were fully booked. So as a form of consolation, she booked a table for us at Hardrock Cafe for dinner on Sunday.

Lobby Ceiling of Hardrock Hotel

Personally I was not very impressed. Service was poor probably because the restaurant was fully booked. Dinner did not come till an hour later and my brother's dinner came nearly an hour after ours. The Nachos I ordered as an appetizer did not come at all. Dinner for 5 costed us about RM300 + a long wait, not to mention a long boring drive back up Batu Ferringhi. Traffic is usually congested at night as buses keep stopping along the one lane windy road up or down Batu Ferringhi, and the usual night market is perpetually on till about 12am.

Porch Wall of Hardrock Hotel

Came back groggy after six days suffering from sleep deficiency and a slight flu. Princess picked me up from Subang's little airport, to drop my stuff off at home so that we could go and watch G-Force and eat a good dinner after our sorrowful separation.

When I opened my door...

The cute little note

... and found this sitting on one of my laptops. Loving girlfriend, is she not?

After our movie, we had our favourite Pasta Zanmai for dinner, and while eating, I kept stopping and smiling to myself, especially when I accidentally gaze at her. Of all the girls I could have ended up with, I am seriously very happy that it had to be her.

on my door <3

That cute little note now rest at the top of my bedroom door, very much in view when I am sitting down on my bed hacking and slashing at my laptop. Not to mention, from now on everytime I walk leave my room, I can look at the cute little note and feel like nothing in the world can bring me down.

The cute little note is not a reminder that she loves me. I do not need to be reminded that she loves me, but we cannot deny that as much as we know people love us, it never fails to give us that warm and cuddly feeling inside as and when we hear someone dear to us telling us that we are loved.

Pasta Zanmai

The Inner Child

Does your inner child still creep back out of you every once in a while? Mine does, very frequently, which is why you still see me:
i) going to toyshops at the age of 24
ii) wishing that I could meet or be part of the Transformers
iii) sneaking off to buy Nini or gummies
iv) watching old disney cartoons and still enjoying it
v) having a supportive mother that calls me up whenever she sees a Gundam exhibition, as well as buys me Transformers as a 24th birthday present.
vi) hugging Stitch every night when I go to bed.


Well yesterday, Mr. inner child struck again.

Yesternoon, in the midst of our everyday chitty chatty msn conversation, Princess told me that she had a surprise for me. She, being the girlfriend we all know she is, knows what I love, which would be surprises every now and then. Makes one stop and think who is the boyfriend and who is the girlfriend in this relationship. I do ask that question once in a while too, but I usually end up pacifying myself concluding that I am just a very feminine boyfriend.



Yes I know, to the naked eye, our conversation may seem lame, but bear with it, it is how we speak to each other. Every couple has their own distinctive style of communicating with each other. Some resort to yelling, some resort to squeaking, and others resort to mating calls.



Also, being the girlfriend she is, she enjoys seeing me suffer through the medium of curiosity. So she keeps prodding and reminding me that I have an awaiting surprise as soon as I get to see her today. But, nonetheless that is one of the aspects that makes her cute.

So when I went to get my bag from her car, she began prodding and reminding me all over again in a very cutesy tone:

"Where is your surprise? Where is your surprise?"

The cheeky little Princess had already put it into my bag beforehand. Comes to show that she is learning a lot from the surprises I give her every now and then.

Unfortunately I only have photos of this surprise, as it is not edible. The other surprise I got, was a packet of gummies. Yes, I am a sucker for gummies. I vacuumed them up faster than anyone could say, "Hey can I have o..n.... nevermind."

And yes, I am as fascinated as a kid would be when it comes to surprises. Which is why I have so many pictures with regards to the cute little paper bag I stumbled upon opening my bag in class.

As for the long awaited contents of the bag, Ok la, I admit, I was more kaypo about the card than the present for a start. But it is safe to say that most people would read the card first before opening the present. If you do not do so then nevermind la, you are not most people.

Honestly, my first reaction to the card was that she picked the card solely based on the design, not the wordings, as I could not fathom as to why she would express gratitude to me all of a sudden.

It was then when I opened the card...

... and shed a tear...
... or two.

IN ANY case, the next important part of the present opening procedure would be to actually take a good look at the gift itself.

Seriously, is she not the cutest girlfriend? I still do not know what I did to deserve her but, I still find it amazing how small things like these that she does for me, can feel so big to me, and make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside that I am more than contented with the way my life flows now.

We all know my eyes are only focused on one thing in my whole room. So what better place could I have picked to put my new precious present than right beside my laptop. It has been approximately 9 hours since I put it there, and as I am playing my game or watching an anime, throughout the whole night, or even up to now as I am writing this post, everytime I gaze or look at it from the corner of my eye..

.. I smile..

And remind myself as to how lucky I am, to have Princess, as my girlfriend.


"Love is meant to be simple. It is we that make it complicated"

The Househusband

Today's my Monthly-inconsistent-room-cleaning Day. Yes I know, as surprising as it may seem, apparently I DO clean my room. This is what my room looks like before the life threatening process begins.

Before

This is not the royal palace I would like to bring Princess to everytime she needs a place to crash. So, as usual, I am very very enthusiastic about cleaning my room. Just this morning I was waking up from my sleep telling myself how complete my life would be if I could clean my room today...

"...I can die happy now"

So this is me being..... enthusiastic.

"Where do I begin..?"

And this is me after 53 seconds.

"..Die..."

Just last night I was talking to a friend who told me that her boyfriend expects her to do housework and tells her she's not marriage worthy because she does not do it. Telling your girlfriend she has to clean your room, wash your clothes and do the dishes while you play your Xbox, PS3 or DotA using a stupid excuse like:

"If you don't start now, in the future you definitely won't do it"

Eh, excuse me, our girlfriends did not go through 11 years of school, 1 year of pre-U, and 3 years of university to graduate and become your maid. But, if you insist that she should be your maid, then please pay her adequately. Otherwise, man up, grow some balls and do it yourself.

Not once have I ever asked Princess to clean my room, or even lift a finger to help me (apart from hanging her towel after she bathes instead of throwing it onto my bed). I cook for her, and do whatever laundry for her that is left in my house. Even when she comes to Penang, whenever we have self-cooked supper, I do the dishes. If you really love your girlfriend as much as you claim you do, you would focus on the stuff she does for you and feel happy, not the stuff that she doesn't and feel bitter everyday.

Well, after climbing a mountain and parting a sea, I successful undertook the life threatening, pain staking, bone breaking, head cracking process of cleaning my room. Frankly I am quite please with the results, eventhough I know it will not last me more than 3 days.

"Ta Da"

Come come, let me show you my pillowcase. My mummy bought it for me about a year ago.

and my beloved Stitch

Princess drives from Cheras to Sunway to find me as often as she can. Instead of whining about her not cleaning my room, doing my dishes, washing my clothes, or even being my maid, I rather focus on feeling touched and loved as to how often and how much effort she puts into coming to find me to take me out. The least I can do in return is to make my room worthy of her presence. Sparkling clean... for 3 days.

"Forever with you"