Monthly Archives: January 2008
Published on 29 January 2008
Drove DatinTini to head office ‘cos her car’s in the workshop.
“Oh my god. Your car is like zoo negara.”
Eh. Want people to fetch you, be a bit more polite can. 
Anyway i have no choice but to remove all my shoes, books, CDs and leftover lap sap from the car tomorrow cos i have to return it to the company.
That will, no doubt, take some time. 
Chucked her off, and ran to catch up with GarfieldChak in Delicious 1U.
I have to stop patronizing Delicious and La Bod so much.
We exchanged what’s been happening with us in the past couple of months (plus the fellow doesn’t read my blog so all the better) and i told him about the tak-jadi snatch theft incident.
“I never bothered going for neighbourhood watch meetings before, but i actually went the other day,” he said, before revealing that the section between SMDJ and Atria (roughly 200 houses) encountered eight robberies in the span of 12 days (Jan 14-26).
“Come on, i’m a big guy and even *i’m* scared nowadays okay.”
Chak’s big enough that when he dressed up as Frankenstein last Halloween, it was more then perfect.
I told him how JappyCalvin’s car got broken into a couple of weeks ago and they nicked his GPS system and other stuff.
“Last time everyone would know someone who kena-ed something like this. Now, it would be everyone has kena-ed something.”
We changed topic after that, how his emceeing on NYE at 1U went (he emcees as well now. contact him at chakster@gmail.com) with FlyFM’s Basil, how the other business is going, my current lifestyle of traveling (Chak: “Ley mou cho kung ar?” I could understand that!), and other stuff 
He told me how someone we know is planning to get married.
Me: What! Wow. So many engagements suddenly… Man, everyone’s either getting married or robbed these days.
Chak: Hahaha!
***
A stretchable bracelet (its beads are like tiny silver cups strung together) from Ginger boutique in Chiang Mai i’ve been wearing every day since i got back.
Super cool + unique.
IceCalvin said local designer Daniel Chong has the same thing for sale in the form of necklaces.
Published on 28 January 2008
(i actually wrote this the day after the accident, before Thailand, and forgot to put it up)
Snatch theft is not a new thing in KL, or Malaysia for that matter.
You read about it in the papers, you hear how your friends’ bags got snatched, you see ads for bags with detachable straps.
A couple of years back, i remember MaryBerry and Debbie got scared shitless by guys on motorbikes with knives outside a friend’s house. And it wasn’t like they were simply lepaking outside the house. They just got out of the car and were waiting for their friend to open the gate.
Last month, QueenKanch got robbed in Bangsar just outside Nirwana. She wasn’t alone, a group of guy friends were standing just a few feet away from her when a car stopped next to her. A guy got out, asked for her bag and in shock, she gave it to him instead of putting up a fight (which was obviously better lest she got hurt!). This can’t even be called ‘snatch theft’ wei. It’s ‘take theft’ 
As someone who spends so much time driving themselves around alone, i’ve received my appreciated share of advice and i *do* follow it as much as i can.
I lock the car doors the moment i get in.
Nowadays, i try not to put my handbag on the seat next to me (the Zouk ppl told me how some thieves have taken to smashing your passenger window and grabbing your bag while your car is stationary at a red light/jam, before zooming off).
I don’t walk in lanes alone and look around and behind me for motorcyclists.
I try to walk on pavements instead of the side of the road.
I wasn’t even alone the night someone tried to snatch my bag.
NickIsTaller and StephTheVolcano were with me.
It’s just that sometimes, yes, i slip.
I had that moment when i wasn’t careful to walk on the pavement instead of the road.
I had that moment where i walked without listening out for a motorbike.
I had that moment when i was careless cos i thought nothing would happen to me.
And in that bloody small window of Joyce-Being-Careless, someone was able to grab that opportunity.
I was walking two steps towards my car when in a whoosh and a knock, i found myself lying flat on the road.
It happened so quick that the first thing i thought was, “OW… Owwwww… man, that HURT. What was that!?”
When i realised i was on the road and that i stung in places i hadn’t yet discerned, my first thought was that i’d got knocked down by a car.
Till i looked up to see a motorbike speeding off in front of me.
“The fellow was trying to get your bag!” said NickIsTaller.
No shit.
“Oh my god! Are you okay!?” asked StephTheVolcano
“Yeah.” I was pretty much in shock and wanted to sit down.
Hobbling to the pavement, i lowered my stinging (cos that’s how it felt!) body to sit.
Admittedly, i cried for 15 seconds like a kitten (it was only less then half a minute, i swear) cos it was so painful as they inspected my injuries.
My left hand was so painful i couldn’t even close it properly and my right knee was bleeding.
But that was about it and it wasn’t a big deal.
Steph told me she kept on asking whether i wanted to get a bandage for it but all i could do was crow how the fucker didn’t get my bag.
Which was lucky.
Cos i was going to purchase a new phone (which i didn’t have time to in the end) so i had over a K in cash on me, two phones, my digicam, cards, all my keys, ARGH imagine the MAH FAN-NESS if i had lost all that!
I would have been crying for 15 hours instead of 15 seconds sial.
I’m really lucky cos i didn’t get hurt too badly.
And my Anya with all its contents didn’t get stolen.
Remember the Rule of Three?
How the bloody thief made me terbabas on the road like that… one day he’s going to get knocked down by some car with three times the injuries, i swear. Or worse, cos i’m sure he’s inflicted more pain on other women as well.
This is a good lesson.
To remind me to be more careful, and not to take my good luck for granted all the time.
And now i know what Mary and Kanch meant about being paranoid after a robbery. 0_o
***
I got reminded of this post i left in drafts when i read about Lainie’s recent accident.
And it’s not just us, there’s been a lot of shit happening recently, what with the female/child kidnappings and all.
Just last week i was introduced to a girl who asked what was wrong with my knee and i told her.
She retorted with, “Oh, someone snatched my bag in SS2 two weeks ago!”
Also, please read about the recent bus crash that occurred on Friday.
Excerpt from the Star Online:
Nian Ning, 21, a Public Service Department (PSD) scholar at the University of New South Wales in Australia who was on her way to visit friends in Kuala Lumpur, was among three passengers who perished when the driver lost control of the bus and slammed into a divider.
“We learnt that the driver had 13 summonses against him. Why had the company not screened him and realised that he was not competent to drive that bus? I wonder why the authorities still allowed such a monster to roam our streets?” asked Nian Ning’s distraught father Lee Hock Chuan, 50, a company human resources director.
The family plans to take action against the bus company, read more about it here.
Published on 28 January 2008
I had to wake up at 6:30 in the morning today.
6:30 AM.
AM!
And not for a flight for a holiday or anything.
“What time’s your shoot?” asked AdamPoserPan.
“7:30 -_- I cannot be late…”
“Yeah, you can’t be late!”
I had numerous alarms to ensure i’d wake up.
One on each mobile phone = 2.
RowdyRudy offered to call me to make sure i didn’t lose the plot since he’s already awake at the time.
And my old school alarm clock set last for good measure.
The first thought in my head while i forced myself to get up was, “There must be something illegal about getting up this early…”
With all the previous jobs (and current one), i’m not used to waking up at the same time i had to when i was in school, alright.
I’m a night person. Not a day person.
Managed to drag my ass there on time, before the make-up artist, hairstylist or stylists arrived.
So yay for me!
I can do those shoots where you just put on some make-up, do my hair and i pose (amateurishly) a bit.
But this was the first one where a more artsy concept was involved so i sat there for hours, with layers of make-up, crystal, vaseline and kitchen products spread all over my face, arms and chest.
And i couldn’t scratch.
And oh how it itched!
But woe should i scratch… some bits would come off then they’d have to redo it.
0_o
So i tahan-ed… and tahan-ed… and tried to think of happy thoughts to get my mind off it.
And fell asleep while at it -_-
I’m sure Matt and Ashley had a lot of fun with my hair, though it was extremely disconcerting when they were sniggering “Hee hee hee!” during the first two minutes.
After seven hours, we wrapped up and i drove home straight away to get all the gunk off.
Washed my hair four times, and my face thrice, but someone still managed to pick remnants of glue off my ear.
>.<
By 7pm i was struggling to walk properly and saluted Rudy feebishly, “I don’t know how you do it. How the hell can you wake up at 5am and still be okay at night. You know what, i feel really bad now for those nights i dragged you out drinking!”
“Yeah and you know what. The worst thing is to sleep at 3, wake up at 5, be on the show at 6, and every three minutes have to sound like most enthusiastic person alive!”
“… Oh god.”
Salute.
In a little while, i will be visiting toon town again.
Published on 27 January 2008
Just checked my bank account to ensure that a cheque cleared, and noticed extra money came in from somewhere.
I have no idea where from.
But heck, if magic money wants to appear in my bank account, by all means.
***
I promised myself i wouldn’t shop after i return from Thailand, which i’ve managed to do after previous trips to Bkk.
Only this time round, i happen to come back when it’s End Of Season sale everywhere.
“Guess what…” i plopped myself down for lunch in Pavilion.
“What.”
“I was walking past Marc Jacobs and they’re having sale!”
“… Andddd….”
“And a bad bad thing happened…”
Fail.
***
Went for long-overdue dinner with PassedOutBen. Who made me laugh so hard, i burrowed my face into my inner arm on the table and cried.
We were talking about biographies and which to exchange with each other.
“I just read the Manson one, damn good.”
“Oh hey! Is it yours?”
“Yeah.”
“I read it halfway in Zaidi’s room last time while they were busy jamming or something, then i left it.”
“Last time… damn long ago right. That was my book okay. -_- The book went around like hai then only i get to read.”
“Hahaha!”
Reminds me of Rudy and Moots.
***
Daddy still doesn’t get why women need so many shoes and clothes and… things.
We were walking around IKEA and i pointed out some shelf with hooks that would be great to store my abundance of bags.
“See, right, we wouldn’t have to worry about all this if you didn’t have so many bags in the first place.”
“It’s… not… that... many… *mumble*mumble*…”
“You know, i thought of fixing up some shelves for you while you were away. Only problem was, i couldn’t even get into your room.”
“Oh, COME ON!”
My father is exaggerating. Totally. I got my dramatic genes from him.
Went for a nice dressy dinner with the girls at some party last night.
Wore one of my new BR dresses and couldn’t decide which shoes to match it with.
So i asked Daddy.
“Does this match?”
He squinted at them.
“If you didn’t have so many pairs, you wouldn’t have to think so hard!”
-_- I’ll never hear the end of this.
After dinner and cocktails at Rick’s Cafe, the girls and i headed out to twenty.one for two more cocktails before calling it a night.
It was pretty crowded and i was petrified someone would accidentally burn my silk dress.
“I swear…” i seethed to Dhanya, “If anyone burns my dress, i’m going to make them pay for it.”
She laughed.
“I’m serious! It’s like driving a car. What if i’m driving a nice car and this dumbass kancil bangs into you? Takkan you cover the cost of something you paid for but someone else ruined!”
***
Yoga Tabby was staying at one of the guesthouses in Chiang Mai and happened to stretch miang-ly when my digicam was aimed at it.
***
I adored the first junk sale which i took part in. Will try to blog about it this week before the sale itself.
I remember that all the money i made from selling my lap sap went to buying beer and other people’s lap sap -_-
***
Sorry haven’t been blogging much.
Too busy spending time with the ones i missed while i was gone.
Published on 24 January 2008
I used to play dress up as a child with my cousins. We’d pull on over-sized dresses from the 70s that belonged to my aunt, and parade around the master bedroom in them, making up ‘lands’ and which land belonged to who as we went along.
On our first day in Chiang Mai, IceCalvin spotted this lovely little teahouse next to the guesthouse we were staying in.
Chirpy walls of canary yellow and dusky pink, white wrought iron garden furniture, serving only teas and desserts… it was so very English country garden!
“Let’s dress up for breakfast tomorrow!” IceCalvin suggested.
“Dress up… like how?” I thought about the skeleton mask and helmet he had bought.
“Like all nice for tea.”
“Can! I’ll wear my new hat!”
“I can wear my jacket!”
“Hee hee let’s do it!“
Now when you dress up as a child, it’s perfectly acceptable. People (read: adults) let you play make-believe and get on with your thing, because hey, you’re 8 and imagination is good for the child’s brain, right.
But if you dress up as an adult, people stare and laugh because, hell. You’re supposedly an adult now alongside the expectancy of behaving like one.
Sometimes you mustn’t care what other people think.
Because it will do so much as to squash your soul.
IceCalvin and i didn’t give two hoots and bright and early the next morn, we donned new things, bits and bobs we got in Bangkok.
Whom better to play dress-up with other then a fashion stylist.
Then we trotted merrily next door, grinning back at every one who grinned at us – these two kookies decked in afternoon tea party clothes.
Hat bargained down till RM30 on Khao San Rd., necklace from Kenya’s vintage shop in Bangkok, al cheapo dress with embroidery for RM20, Khao San as well.
IceCalvin’s insanely flamboyant scarf of sorts from a local designer in BKK.
His – Custom-made. Leather. Siam Square. 2,000 Baht.
Hers – Size 37. Chunky beige. 900 Baht. From Spain ended up in Chatuchak.
We had warm raspberry tea…
I had some blueberry tea + yogurt shake…
Along 5 mini-desserts…
… and blueberry cheesecake with baby mounds of fresh cream all around…
… and poached pear in red wine with vanilla ice cream…
All for 500 Baht/RM50.
“Fuck, damn cheap right!”
Vieng Joom On Teahouse
53 Jaroenraj Road
T. Watgate A. Muang
Chiang Mai 50 000
www.vjoteahouse.com
Published on 24 January 2008
I’ve been all flushed and hot, ever since i got back.
So i’ve been chucking Panadol and Neurofen down cos i really don’t want to fall sick!
I called DatinTini up to ask how work was going and that i’ll be seeing the team the next day.
My welcome reply courtesy of Tini: “You’re going to die. We have damn a lot of work to do.”
… Dammit.
On the very same day i got back from Thailand,
I went to Milca to get my hair done, and we ended up discussing what we’ll be doing in Vietnam,
Then i met up with RowdyRudy for drinks and we impulsively plotted for Bali.
I was thinking that since i’ll be really free (and jobless) in February, i might as well eat and live elsewhere for the time being.
RowdyRudy and i were having oyster shots and merlot in Flam’s on Changkat BB, giggling and listing all the colourful things we’ll bring to Bali when i felt a wave of 100% glee wash over me and went, “You know what! I feel i have the best life in the world right now!”
“That,” he nodded, “Is a great feeling.”
