Bipolaroid...

Everything Changes

I was holding on to something I thought I had. But it turned out to be an illusion. I had it for a long time. Or so I thought I did. But when realisation set in, the harsh truth took my breathe away. They say that it takes two to tango. What they don't tell you is that the two people are most probably dancing a dance they believe to be tango but in reality is the 'joget' and when the dance ends, they find themselves in a dingy basement instead of a glittering ballroom. Illusions. Dangerous things. So today I am letting go of that illusion, my friend. I will still be there in that dingy basement if you need me to be, but I'll know that it is not a glittering ballroom.

Light Headed & Hungry!

I had 450mL of blood drained out of me today. And probably a little extra for good measure. I felt fine right after. But now (about 5 hrs on) I feel...strangely light headed. It feels like I am high on drugs or alcohol. Floating. And I thought that it would be interesting to blog in this condition. Maybe some interesting images will float around in my head. Maybe some numbers. Hhhmmm...

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But nothing. Nothing comes to mind. No pictures. No words. Did the people in the white coats suck out more than just my blood? Did I pass out while I was donating blood? Did they manage to perform the world's fastest brain surgery on me...successfully removing parts of my brain capable of generating interesting thoughts and witty remarks? Because it sure feels that way! Something has changed. I have not blogged since June. And reading the caption of that blog (Federer Rocks!)...hurts...it cuts like a knife. He still rocks...no doubt...but still...sigh...let's not go there. My head is already throbbing. Don't want my heart to follow suit.

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Where was I? Oh yes. Life. Someone remarked that I have been living life large from all my FB posts. Can someone really tell by reading FB posts?!!! What have I been writing in my status updates? As far as I can remember, a lot of it has been about food *smirks*. Hhhhmmm, if only he knew. This past year has been both challenging and frustrating on all levels.

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Argh!

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I am restless. I need to do something! Anything! I need to unplug the earphones out of my ears right now and make my way to a certain house somewhere across the Motorola bridge. And for what seems like the hundreth time...I left something at home that I am suppose to bring with me. Somethings...just never change. And somethings change way too fast. I am rambling. I am hypoglycaemic. And still very much light headed. And devoid of any floating psychedelic images or tinkling voices. No fun. And now to add to the mix of light headedness, restlessness...I am feeling wreckless and slightly mischievious. Oh no. Oh nooo. I shall stop here. No good can come out of this. Ha ha. Going now.

Federer ROCKS!

I enjoyed last Sunday tremendously. The day started with church and then went on in the following manner: sorting though second hand clothes for charity, a relaxing facial, a frustration parking experience in One Utama (where they deviated us to the One World parking without notice and no proper signage and help to get to the mall), Terminator Salvation, Formula One (no comments...I think that my passion for F1 has changed with the constant changing of rules) and then the highlight of the day: Roland Garros Men's Final. A showdown between my sweetheart, Roger Federer and Robin Soderling. The day that many a Federer fans have been waiting for. The question going through our minds, "Will this be the day that he wins the elusive French Open AND matches Sampras' all time record of 14 grand slam titles?"

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Well...HE DID IT!!!

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The match was a delight to watch and when at last Fed fell on his kness in victory...WOW! I was amazed at the how happy I was for him. And I still am. His achievements have been phenomenal. I think that I have been a huge fan since the start of his ATP career and I just love watching him play. It was not easy seeing him lose his number one position to Nadal but once a Federer fan, always a Federer fan. I think that I am still high from his win!

Time To Offski

It's a Friday evening and it is time to close all applications and turn off the computer. It is my 'holy' night and later on, Federer is going up against Del Porto...fighting for a spot in the finals of the French Open. I hope with all that I can hope with...that my darling hero thrashes Del Porto and advances with full confidence.

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This week has been a rather stressful one...but I survived it with all limbs attached and I am thankful. Now for two days of working on the condo and spending more money! I am broke but contented. Tim Hughes is singing, "We must go" and go I will. Before I offski, I leave you with two photos I took off Fiona's (talented, beautiful and easy to work with) website. Lauren's tea ceremony. Note the bunch of brides maids having a go at catching the bouquet.

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Am gonna try my bestest to finish off my Neil Gaiman this weekend on top of everything else already planned. Where do I find the time? Well, they say that sleep is for the weak. Mua ha ha...have you not read Twilight, we blood suckers have no need for sleep! Hhhmmm and if you have not read it...I know someone who is trying to sell a whole set! Call me! And now, like the Wee Free Men...it really is time to OFFSKI!!!!

Tough Time Recycling

It was frustrating. Good intentions were clearly insufficient. But let me start with what STARTED the frustration. Last Sunday, I was out with Amelia getting stuff done for our respective kitchens. It was a hot day. We stopped by a 7-Eleven for can drinks and proceeded to head back into PJ. Soon, the cans were empty and I left them in the car to be recycled once I saw a recycling bin. Monday passed and the cans were still in my car. Wednesday, Thursday and then Friday came and I realised that the places I went to did not have recycling bins located nearby. In fact, the only places I knew had recycling bins are Bangsar Village and IKEA.

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My point? It is not easy recycling effectively in Malaysia. You seperate the plastics from the paper and glass. And then, you have to go out there and search for a recycling center. I do it because I believe in recycling. But I can just imagine that those who do not take a really strong stand for it will also not really bother to go out and search for the nearest recycling post. That just irks me. Make recycling more simple and accessible! Then maybe more people will do it. Then maybe the blinking weather will go back to normal and I won't feel like melting every single moment of the day! The hot Leech over and out.

What The Leech Ate In Germany

Touched down, checked in and really to rumble.

(PS: Being too lazy to post up pics of the places I saw, I am just posting the yummy calories I had)

First shop I spotted walking out from the Marienplatz City Center underground. A bakery filled with really mouth watering breads and desserts.

No, I unfortunately did not have any dessert. Yes, boo hoo hoo...

Instead I had a toasted bread (can't remember what kind) topped with a generous helping of melted cheese, pineapples and bacon. It was SO GOOD.

I was truly in cheese heaven. This was one of the cheese stalls at the Viktualien Markt...a sort of food market in Munich filled with stalls selling fruits (so colourful and neatly arranged), flowers, trinkets, twig animals (each one with individualised names,,,SO CUTE!), sweets and many many other interesting items.

My first beer of the trip. Augustiner's beer hall.

That complimented the recommended pork loin and kraut. Kraut! Oh, that's a whole story of it's own. But it's a story for another blog.

Fresh pretzel filled with cream cheese and chives. I wish I could find this here in Malaysia. I just love their pretzels!

Beer number...erm...oh well, who is keeping count anyway.

Appetizer. You know what the white stuff on the breads is? LARD! Suffice to say, I decided that some calories were not worth the intake. Ha ha...the Leech counting her calories, huh?

After days of oinky loin, oinky knuckles, oinky ribs, oinky sausages, oinky snitzel and oinky strips...I decided to order a sirloin steak topped with fried onions. The combination was really good.

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Overall, the food was good...worthy of the LEECH'S SEAL OF APPROVAL. But kraut is to the Germans what kimchi is to the Koreans and what capsicum is to the Leech. Those of you who know me will get what I mean.

Believe

These past few weeks have been trying ones. They have been filled with challenges, both in and out of the office. There have been times I have lost my way at the crossroad of choices that are appearing more frequently of late. Many times where I have taken the wrong road. Many times that I started to doubt myself and my sanity and whether I was doing the right thing and making the right decisions. Doubts...they never really stop. Instead, they have a really sneaky way of multiplying till you are a jittery, quivery and uncertain mess.

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BUT.

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Before I got too lost...the Hand that holds me jerked me to a stop. I think that some cold water was splashed as well. It woke me up. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I DOING??? HELLO?!!! This jittery, quivery and uncertain mess was NOT me. It stops here. I have my directions. I have a map. I have a plan. What exactly was I unsure of? The more I thought of it...the more I reasoned...my doubts slithered away...just as sneakily as they appeared.

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Moral of the story. We need to stop and listen and assess before continuing. Those moments of rest are the ones that wake us up. They allow us to hear the alarms that may be blaring before we get too lost. As the saying goes...stop and smell the coffee...ooops...roses.

The Theory Of Intelligence

I don't know about you, but the conversation below makes A LOT of sense to me. I just had to post it. Anyway, a quick update for the month of April...taxes done...got the keys...went through several cabinet people and growing weary and tired and basically really frustrated (and this is before any work has started!!!)...work is equally as crazy...Ferrari's start has been apalling...so has Federer (but I am still supporting them)...also a very rainy start to the Formula One season (Sepang's race had to be stopped prematurely)...mum's birthday...swine flu (a week before I fly off)...a cancelled beach get-a-way...Sassorosso (which was just so so...ha ha ha...I just kill myself at times)...Yaki-Yaki (does NOT get the Leech's seal of approval)...Tenji (would probably not go back)...more futsal. Life has been good. Thank God for that!

"Well you see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

Good Friday

Why don't they understand,

Why can't they see,

Why are they crying in silence,

Why do they all have hearts broken,

It's not meant to be like this,

Why aren't they ALIVE,

Why have they not choosen love and hope and peace,

They could be running, flying, soaring with me,

But instead they have choosen to be chained,

They have choosen to endure the pain,

Pain that I can heal,

Pain that I can take away,

Just like I have taken all of it away,

Why can't they see...

There is another way,

And that way is ME,

I wait with open arms,

Saying pick me, choose me, love me

For I have picked you,

I have choosen you,

And I love you,

For all eternity.

Give Up? Never!

Some people use words too blatantly and obviously without thinking. And they do this under the misguided guise of, "I am only saying it for your own good." As if!

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One of the things that I particularly dislike are these three words: JUST GIVE UP. I have one word in retalliation: NEVER. I believe in trying my darnest best if it is something that I am committed to...something I believe in. In the event that it does not work out and turns out not to be the best course of action, then I will graciously LET IT GO. But I will never give up. If there is a will, there IS a way. The way may be a longer one...a more twisty one...but merely giving up is never the key. So people may tell you to give up but don't you EVER do so without a fight!

Finally It's Here

Has there ever been ONE thing that you have waited FOREVER to have? The one thing that seemed like it would never materialised. You wait and wait and then one fine day, a call comes, "It is here!" The world stops spinning and you forget to breath. The hustle and bustle surrounding you dims into silence and the only audible sound is the beating of your heart.

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Yup, I had a moment like that two days ago. It was a beautiful moment. It was a thankful moment. I thought that the day would never come. I sometimes felt weary...lost...and faith was all my hope could cling on to. Now I sigh with relief while frowning at the same time. One chapter has closed and another challenging one is opening. But I am not afraid. I take Your hand and step unto the freshly turned page. You take that first step with confidence and though my legs are a little shakey, I follow suit. I smile and shout, "BRING IT ON!"

Why Employers Should Provide Free Coffee

It makes sense. It makes A LOT of sense. 3-in-1 just doesn't do it for us anymore. We are talking premium coffee beans and have you seen the prices of premium coffee beans these days? Expensive is an understatement for the amount and frequency we consume. So yes, Wally has hit the nail on it's head in a very precise manner. What else are you waiting for...start up a petition and hand it over to your HR fellas.

100 Greatest Books

The BBC came up with this list of 100 books.Apparently the average number of books from this list that people have read is 6.

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Instructions:

1) Look at the list and put an 'X' after those you have read.

2) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.

3) Tally your total at the bottom.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X+
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X+
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X++
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X+
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6. The Bible (Erm...have definitely read through the whole NT...may have missed out some from the OT...so I won't claim this book to be thoroughly read)
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (started)
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X+
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare (just a few...and simplified versions at that!)
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (on Waiting List To Be Read)
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchel
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald X
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (on Waiting List To Be Read)
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X
34. Emma - Jane Austen X
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hussein
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden X+
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne X
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown X
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving (on Waiting List To Be Read)
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery X+
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel X
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon X
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville X
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X++ (one of my all time fav books ~ am so glad it is on this list)
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson (just started)
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens X
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom X
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle X++
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton X
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X+
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (ironically ~ I love the musical but have not read the books)

That's 28 books read in full.

Smoked Bluecheese Burger @ William's

The Leech's Question & Answer Session:

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Q: Is it as yummy as it looks?

A: YES! Oh yes it is!

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Q: Is it as big as it looks?

A: YES! Oh yes it is!

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Q: What else did the burger come with?

A: Yummy mash tatters, coleslaw and two equally yummy sauces.

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Q: Will you order it again?

A: Yes definitely...but knowing William and his ever growing menu...there might not be an oppurtunity to.

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Q: What drink would The Great Leech pair this burger with?

A: Hhhmmm, tough one but I will go for the Lemon Iced Tea...kurang manis!

Weekend

My weekend started out with swimming 30 laps around the pool with Choobs on Saturday morning and ended just now at a funeral wake of an uncle whom we occasionally saw during Chinese New Year. The middle bits mainly involved church and more church (yes, it was a rather holy sort of weekend). It has also been a VERY hot weekend...the heatwaves have returned and I was left tossing and turning the whole of last night. Even now as I sit in the living room, I wish I had a pool outside that I could jump into. I wonder how Fei Fei the cat survives the hot days with all that fur. Maybe he has taught himself to turn on the tap in the garden for a quick fix. Maybe he sneaks into the neighbours air-conditoned house.

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And also, after a truly unsatisfying lunch today, we (my usual Sunday afternoon makan gang) have decided to permanently slash Kavitha's Curry House (the one off Jalan Gasing ~ in some housing area) off our List of Acceptable Eateries. The service has always sucked due to insufficient staffing. But now, the curries sucked BIG TIME too. The salt fish curry that I used to be crazy about is now a disappointing watered down concoction that deserves no thumbs up. The normal fish curry too was lacking flavour. It was a huge waste of calories! Gah! Never again.

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I am gonna have another cold shower now before hitting the sack. It's gonna be another long week starting tomorrow. I can just tell. Nights!

Wait A Minute...What Was I Saying?

I am having one of those overwhelming days. I know I am having one of those days because I hear myself uttering the following:

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"Huh?"

"What was that again?"

"Erm, where were we?"

"What was I saying"

"No we can't do that...(pause for 2 seconds)...what were we talking about?"

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You will also probably see me walking in a confused daze...unsure of where I am supposed to go. My hair will be tied back in a messy ponytail. My eyes glazed. Yes, it's a really sorry sight and it's an indication that I should call it a day. Yes, my table is still filled with papers calling for my attention but I am gonna say, "Sorry dudes. My brains are fried. You are gonna have to wait till tomorrow cause this chick is going out for a cold one NOW." In my mind I am now slamming the office door and yelling, "HASTA LA VISTA BABY!" to no one in particular and jump into my red Ferari and drive off into the sunset. In reality, I am going to publish this post, shut down the lap top, lock up, get into Ichi Babi and drive off to 222 where my pals are awaiting.

What Melts The Leech's Heart

I found the quote below while surfing the net one fine day. I read. I melted. I copied. I pasted. I re-read it and melted all over again. Yes, I am a hopeless romantic with a low melting point.

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“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'”

Fears Verbalised

I think that every team leader's fear when it comes to hiring the team is very succintly worded by Scott Adam that "EVERY PROJECT HAS AT LEAST ONE IRREDEEMABLE IMBECILE". That one person that seemed perfect (yes, first impressions can be very deceiving) at the interview but will later on prove to be the bane of your existence. There has to be a way of detecting these people because working with idiots can really be hazardous to health.

Dear One

Sometimes relationships can be so frustrating and I feel so tempted to yell out the first thing on my mind...but I hold my breath...I bite my tongue because I have a policy of not speaking when I am angry. Words are something that I never want to have regrets over. But if I were to fume, it would probably go something like this:

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"Sometimes it is just so frustrating when you lie to me or when you don't tell me the whole truth. If I did not care about you, it would not hurt at all, but since I do...it does. I want to know you. I want to know your deepest thoughts. What scares you, what intrigues you...I want to know YOU. Why are the walls still up? Why does it feel like there is an expanse that I try to close but widens with time. You claim to be there, you claim to care...but I see us growing apart and hurts because you mean something to me."

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Sometimes (I think) relationships can be saved if only we were brave or secure enough to say what's on our minds...to say what needs to be said...to a friend, a lover or a family member. But so many times we choose to remain silent rather than to 'hurt' the other or to 'create a scene'. I say, what's wrong in creating a scene? I would rather go through life riddled with such scenes than one filled with repressed silence where everyone tip toes around landmines of secrecy and hurt. Well I tried, and with that done, there's nothing more to say but...goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England.