Can u help me* - Usher

I was wif tGiF and we walked into a Nike shop. We looked at the Brazil World Cup jerseys as well and Holland's away jersey for the World Cup. I actually wanted to see if the new Holland home jersey is on display.

It wasn't. So I walked over to the guy at the counter.

Moi: So when will the home jerseys for Holland be on sale?
Nike guy: Oh, it's not out yet.
Moi: (Trying to be patient, with a smile on me face). Ok. But when will it be out?
Nike guy: *pauses* Before the World Cup!
Moi: Oh, ok. Thanks.

Riiiiiggghhhhtttt! tGiF and i walked out of the shop, trying to keep a straight face...

Pics taken from various sites online

*A single from his album, 8701.

2 become 1* - SpiceGirls

Yup, two movies become 1!!!! And yes, only 1 ticket. And yes, yes! It is in 3D!!!!

But the 1 ticket was at a much higher priced ticket since it is in 3D. And the 3D was nothing spectacular. It was nice, tho!

But the two movies together - simply brilliant! And i really enjoyed Toy Story a lot - even tho i had always thought Toy Story 2 was better!

Overall, altho i was absolutely physically exhausted, it was a great time and good fun. Nice to 'escape' from the frustrations at work and at the things going on in this country!

Now for Toy Story 3!!!!!!

Pics taken from various sites online

*Their 3rd consecutive no. 1 single and their first Christmas no. 1, way back in 1996

Spring is here* - Nat King Cole

Was reading a fren's blog - she was talking about the beauty of spring! And a lot of me students over at the UK have also posted up lots of nice spring flower pics in FB.

But we have flowers here in Malaysia too!

And recently, the tree outside me house started to bloom!

But yet, it is still not the same as spring in the UK. It is really different when you have had to go thru months of cold bitter winter where all plant life seemed to have died - or fallen into a deep deep sleep - and then suddenly, spring springs and everything becomes alive again, colour fills the world once more!

As a Christian songwriter once wrote:-

What is wondrous time is spring
When all the trees are budding
The birds begin to sing
The flowers start their blooming
That's how it is with God's love
Once you've experienced it
You want to sing, it's fresh like spring
You want to pass it on.

I really miss spring in the UK. Here's my tribute to it:-

p/s - click on the photos for much better quality!

*His version of Rodgers and Hart song which was written for the musical, I married an angel. Such a sad song, tho.

Could've been* - Tiffany

A friend's cousin has been having migraines and other symptoms which we very much like wat i had last year. The doctors found a tumour in his head and took it out - but discovered it was cancerous. He is at stage 4 now.

Another girl had been pretty forgetful and was becoming very different. Unfortunately, they discovered the cause a little too late. It was a tumour just like mine - but instead of pressing against her skull (like mine), it grew onto her eye and left her blinded in eye.

Accounts like these makes me realised i could have suffered the same fate - or even worse. I doubt i am any better than these people. Yet for some reason, i sit here today, blogging, with my tumour taken out and proven to be benign - and the only 'injury' i suffered is having my hair almost all shaved off.

tGiF once said - not very seriously - that she 'saved' my life. Looking back now, i have to say that that statement may not be too far away from the truth. It after all only she who noticed the swell on my head - and it was she who made me go and get a medical check-up. If not, who knows wat could have happened?

I do not deserve this... but i have been spared a worse outcome and i must make the most of the life i have left.

****ADDENDUM****

I had difficulty drafting this post - the more i tried to write it, the more it seems like i'm rejoicing over the problems and misfortune of others. If that thought comes to mind when reading this post, i apologise. That is not my intention.

*Her 2nd no. 1 hit in the US - and my favourite song of hers!

So far away* - Carole King

I had to park pretty far away today!!!! Here is the view from the 8th floor of Block E where i am:-

I have been suggesting they have a gondola service to ferry us to this side of the lake!!!!
Or a sampan service at the very least!

But it really wasn't so bad. The morning sun was up - and it was generating vitamin D in my body. I strolled slowly along the lakeside, enjoying the view of the campus which i never seen before.

In the evening, as i walked back to my car, the sunlight was causing shimmers on parts of the lake. Nice. :-)

Walking along lakes always brings back memories of the lake back in campus at the UoE:-

Yeah, sure, that lake is miles different!!! But still, this is the closest i can get. Now if only the weather wasn't so humid...

The walk is nice (for now). At the end of the day, it really isn't so far after all. I used to walk even further when we were at the SS15 Campus (and i parked at SS14!!!!).

*One of her well known songs and one of my fav of hers.

Can't buy me love* - The Beatles

Yeah, money sure can't buy us love! But sometimes, it seems like money can 'buy' votes...

*Their 4th UK number 1 single - a classic, to me!

Freedom* - Wham!

So the end finally came. And i have experienced freedom for more than a week edi!!!! And what a week it was, in terms of eating of course! ;-P

OK - i dun wanna explain (again!) why i had to impose a ban on meself on certain foods for the past 3 months plus (if you wanna know, see here and here). It's finally here. The long wait is over. I can eat watever i want to!!!!!

So how did i 'celebrate' my freedom?

Well, according to my (not so good) math, my freedom started on Thursday, 15th April. But come dinner on Wednesday, my mom declared for me that diet is over! She made a wonderful egg dish - using eggs and salted egg steamed with minced meat. Lovely! :-P

tGiF also surprised me - and wat a wonderful surprise it was. She bought me some super brilliant lovely choc-durian mini cakes!!!!!! Check out the pics:-

I could almost hear the 'Hallelujah chorus' when i finally ate it!!!!! It was no cake!!!! As you see in the pic just above, it was basically very little cake around pure real tasty durian flesh, covered in lovely chocolate!!!!!!

tGiF din even get one for herself - and she had to travel pretty far just to get them for me!

For the next few days at work, this was the scene (and smell) of my table early in the morning:-

Nasi lemak!!!!! It was supposed to be my first meal to celebrate my freedom - after all, the last meal i had before checking into the hospital was nasi lemak too!

The nasi lemak from my favourite stall - and just like old frens, it was like we never said goodbye!!!! It was exactly how i remembered it to be. Such a lovely combination - the eggs together with the prawn based sambal plus the peanuts over rice cooked in coconut milk!!!!

I could eat that for breakfast everyday!!!!

Anyways, my eating continued. At home, i finally could eat the Reese's peanut buttercup.

On Friday, i went with my colleagues to have banana leaf rice and i had curried mutton. I started making egg-mayo sandwiches to bring to office to eat. tGiF and i oso went to Delicious on Friday niote for dinner where i had my duck confit pasta while she had her usual crab meat linguine (of which i ate some too, of course! Crab meat!!!!). The duck was really good, as usual.

Then on Saturday, i traveled up to Ipoh with tGiF - she went to see her parents and get a haircut. I went to eat!!!! ;-P

When we arrived there, we wasted no time but went directly to Foh San - not even stopping at her parents' house!!!!

It was packed but we got a place. tGiF wasn't too impressed with the food at the new Foh San. me? I was having the time of my life!!!! Here are some of the prawn dim sums which i had. So so so so good!

The eating continued later - and tGiF again surprised me with buying roast duck!!!! Two types - pi pa roast duck and herbal roast duck!!!! Oh my goodness.... it was sooo good (help! i'm running out of superlatives to describe how good the food is).

I ate with her family but no prizes for guessing who had the most of the duck!

The next day, we traveled to Tanjung Tualang just to have seafood!

Yes, i have had prawns oredi - but not like the ones i had there! Big (we opted for the medium sized prawns) juicy and fresh!!!! Two styles - steamed with some wine (i think) and stir-fried. Interestingly, the stir-fried prawns was fried together with pork scratchings!!!!

There were also deep-fried squid, oyster omelette (arguably the best i've had) and crabs cooked with salted eggs!!!!!

Finally, on Wednesday this week, i finally had beef!!!! Nothing special - just a cheeseburger from Burger King. But my favourite cheeseburger locally (no bacon cheeseburgers here at the fast food joints).

The circle is now complete. Of course there were other small things i ate - like the deep fried fish egg me mom made, fried flat rice noodles with eggs and prawns, etc. Yes, there are still many other varieties of eggs, prawns, crabs, duck, peanuts, etc to eat. But i am contented now. Life seemed complete! ;-)

*Their second no. 1 hit in the UK way back in 1984, still sounds so good today!

Bittersweet* - Bobby Michaels

The certificate said that the time of death officially was 1527 hours, 23rd April 2007. That was exactly 3 years ago.

I still remember that day. I was at work at the University of Malaya - and of all the places, i received the fateful call while i was at the toilet of the Law Library!

I remember then travelling all the way to Sunway Medical Centre and going to the ICU. I remember my mother crying...

Today, i feel sad because i miss him.

Today, i feel glad because i know he is in a far better place.

Today, i feel happy cuz i know that i'll see him again, one sweet day.

In memory of Lai Siew Kong

Loving son, loving husband, loving father, loving grandfather.

7th Oct 1931 - 23rd April 2007

*One of his better songs. Haven't heard anything new from him for a long time, tho.

Because you loved me* - Celine Dion

I'm everything I am because you loved me (see here).

Thanks, pa!

*Her hit single which was featured also in the movie Up Close & Personal.

I feel good* - James Brown

House, Season 5 Episode 6:-

Dr. James Wilson: Maybe he had a great cup of coffee, or a tremendous bowel movement. Bottom line is your boss is in a good mood. Stop analyzing it and just enjoy it.

I just dug out this quote which i posted much earlier, almost a year ago, actually. But i thought of this quote this morning - cuz i'm in a good mood! And it wasn't because of a great cup of coffee! ;-)

But there are also many other reasons - the headache's gone, what was lost is now found, i received another FB message which made me laugh the first thing in the morning. And i'm still rejoicing over the good news of a fren which i received last nite.

Yeah, even tho Liverpool lost last nite, it just won't dampen me mood!!!

Oh, i oso had a nice breakfast of nasi lemak!!!! :-P

*One of his signature songs and some people say, his most well known.