Malaysians have no taste in lamps. Either that or lamps (of all varieties - standing, table) are so not in vogue that the shops only bring in the ugly ones. Or the really ostentatious ones that only datuks and datins will think of buying. Short of buying up Ikea's whole selection of floor or table lamps, one is really left with no choice to choose from.
Hubby and I went lamp hunting over the weekend but came away from the expedition sorely disappointed. We went to Sect. 14, Jalan Imbi, Sri Hartamas, D. Perdana and D. Jaya only to be 1) disgusted with the selection or; 2) disappointed with the lack of imagination. I mean, the stuff they had were butt ugly! In the end, we felt defeated.
Malaysians have a thing for hanging and wall lights but totally neglect standing and table lamps. That's the only conclusion we came up with. How else could you explain the lack of the latter in all the shops we visited? At first I thought the Ikea lights were too simple and too ubiquitous, but after doing the rounds, I think they're the best so far and that we may not have a choice but to get our lamps from the megastore.
I'm so sad. Merv suggested ordering from the US and getting Samson to bring it back for us. What?! Like I want my sis down my back and all over my head??!!
I shall persevere. I still haven't checked out Kepong or Salak South or Cheras or any of these places out in the boondocks.
Hubby and I came to a realisation though: we probably would not find the kind of lamps we want from the lighting shops. We'd probably find them in furniture shops.
I've yet to find my dream lamps...
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Full Dress Rehearsal
The full dress rehearsal went well. Couple #2 were more poised and confident of their moves and the routine, so they shone to thunderous applause. Still not as much feeling as Couple #1 but a visible improvement over the previous night’s performance. Couple #1 on the other hand, were more nervous so their moves didn’t look as smooth last night as the night before. However, they still managed to carry off the emotion of the song and the dance better than Couple #2. Oh, and the lead for Couple #1 had a nice round derriere. Couldn’t see the corresponding physical shape of the lead for Couple #2: his jacket was too long.
It was great entertainment, nonetheless. Watching is such fun! Participating in the competition would be so stressful, I’m convinced. Not to mention tiring.
Good luck to all for Thursday! Participating makes you winners already!
It was great entertainment, nonetheless. Watching is such fun! Participating in the competition would be so stressful, I’m convinced. Not to mention tiring.
Good luck to all for Thursday! Participating makes you winners already!
A Near Miss
I almost ran over a man yesterday. It would have been an accident and totally not my fault; he was rolling towards my moving car.
My normal route home from the studio last night could have turned into a nightmare. At the crossroads from Taman Tun towards the LDP heading to Ikea, I almost ran a guy over. I was on the fast lane. Immediately after turning a diagonal right onto the LDP, a motorcyclist cut in front of me to head left into Damansara Jaya. I only remember registering there was a spark when the motorcyclist hit the car in the lane on the left of me (or was it the car that hit him?). It happened so fast it was surreal. I'm supremely thankful that my reflexes were fast and that I was not driving at breakneck speed.
There was a spark as the front or side of the motorcycle hit the car in front of me in the left lane. The next thing I knew, the man was off his bike, the vehicle thrown to the right of my lane and almost to the curb from the impact of the encounter. The man was on the ground, rolling in the opposite direction, coming towards me. I remember these thoughts flashing in my head, "Oh shit, oh shit!! He's rolling this waaaay!! Hit the brakes, hit the brakes! Damn I hope my brakes are working. I hope the cars at the back of me aren't following too closely. I hope they don't kiss my bumper."
And the man was still rolling. After two or three rolls, he stopped. And my car stopped almost right in front of him. My heart was in my mouth, it was thudding at full volume in my ears. The car that hit the motorcyclist sped off and didn't even bother a hoot or glance as to what was enfolding. The driver in the car behind the culprit honked the the asshole hit-and-run, then was thoughtful enough to turn into the fast lane and stop about 10' in front of my car with the motorcyclist in between. By now, the motorcyclist had gotten up and was patting himself to see if he was hurt and started limping to his bike.
I was in my car saying to myself, "Where are my hazard lights?! How do I turn the bloody hazard lights on?". I didn't want the rest of the cars behind me to give me a dented butt. I found the darned hazard light switch after a few confused moments. By then the driver in front had already gotten out of his car and was talking to the motorcyclist and checking if he was hurt. I got out and stepped a little away from my car to see if he was OK. I yelled to the other driver, "Where is the guy?! Did he drive off?!" The driver nodded. "Idiot!!" I said. I asked the motorcyclist again if he was OK. He looked extremely shaken but at least he was up and he could wheel himself and his bike away to safety.
The driver got back into his car and so did I. He drove off first; I stayed stationery until the motorcyclist could cut a clean path into Damansara Jaya. I didn't want the cars behind me to finish him off when I couldn't.
I was so shaken by the encounter that when I got home, I couldn't stand or walk straight because my legs were still shaking and almost jellylike.
This is only the second time in my life that I've seen a motorcyclist knocked off his bike right in front of my very eyes. The first was when I was less than 10 years old and in the car with my parents heading back home to Cheras. It was also night. I've never forgotten the scene and the terror that froze me.
That same terror gripped me last night. And I still think I was so damn lucky not to have been driving too fast and that my reflexes were lightning quick. And that the brakes held.
That is one miss that was too near and one I wouldn't want to have happen to me ever again. Life being as it is, however, will ensure that even though you are minding your own business, will throw you a curve ball once in a while.
My normal route home from the studio last night could have turned into a nightmare. At the crossroads from Taman Tun towards the LDP heading to Ikea, I almost ran a guy over. I was on the fast lane. Immediately after turning a diagonal right onto the LDP, a motorcyclist cut in front of me to head left into Damansara Jaya. I only remember registering there was a spark when the motorcyclist hit the car in the lane on the left of me (or was it the car that hit him?). It happened so fast it was surreal. I'm supremely thankful that my reflexes were fast and that I was not driving at breakneck speed.
There was a spark as the front or side of the motorcycle hit the car in front of me in the left lane. The next thing I knew, the man was off his bike, the vehicle thrown to the right of my lane and almost to the curb from the impact of the encounter. The man was on the ground, rolling in the opposite direction, coming towards me. I remember these thoughts flashing in my head, "Oh shit, oh shit!! He's rolling this waaaay!! Hit the brakes, hit the brakes! Damn I hope my brakes are working. I hope the cars at the back of me aren't following too closely. I hope they don't kiss my bumper."
And the man was still rolling. After two or three rolls, he stopped. And my car stopped almost right in front of him. My heart was in my mouth, it was thudding at full volume in my ears. The car that hit the motorcyclist sped off and didn't even bother a hoot or glance as to what was enfolding. The driver in the car behind the culprit honked the the asshole hit-and-run, then was thoughtful enough to turn into the fast lane and stop about 10' in front of my car with the motorcyclist in between. By now, the motorcyclist had gotten up and was patting himself to see if he was hurt and started limping to his bike.
I was in my car saying to myself, "Where are my hazard lights?! How do I turn the bloody hazard lights on?". I didn't want the rest of the cars behind me to give me a dented butt. I found the darned hazard light switch after a few confused moments. By then the driver in front had already gotten out of his car and was talking to the motorcyclist and checking if he was hurt. I got out and stepped a little away from my car to see if he was OK. I yelled to the other driver, "Where is the guy?! Did he drive off?!" The driver nodded. "Idiot!!" I said. I asked the motorcyclist again if he was OK. He looked extremely shaken but at least he was up and he could wheel himself and his bike away to safety.
The driver got back into his car and so did I. He drove off first; I stayed stationery until the motorcyclist could cut a clean path into Damansara Jaya. I didn't want the cars behind me to finish him off when I couldn't.
I was so shaken by the encounter that when I got home, I couldn't stand or walk straight because my legs were still shaking and almost jellylike.
This is only the second time in my life that I've seen a motorcyclist knocked off his bike right in front of my very eyes. The first was when I was less than 10 years old and in the car with my parents heading back home to Cheras. It was also night. I've never forgotten the scene and the terror that froze me.
That same terror gripped me last night. And I still think I was so damn lucky not to have been driving too fast and that my reflexes were lightning quick. And that the brakes held.
That is one miss that was too near and one I wouldn't want to have happen to me ever again. Life being as it is, however, will ensure that even though you are minding your own business, will throw you a curve ball once in a while.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
My Take On Harry Potter
The latest HP movie left me wanting. There were too many gaps and there were times during the movie I found myself wondering, "Wasn't there supposed to be more before this happened?" or "Hah, we're here already? So fast?".
True, there were bits that had to be left out, if not the movie would have been four hours long, but the cuts ought to have been smoother in transition. I'll give Mike Newell one thing though, he came up with a good vision of Voldemort. The kids have all grown up; Hermione's turning into a lovely young lady, Harry's facial features look more chiseled, and Ron, Ron is well, quite ugly actually, the poor thing.
One scene which I thought was wholly unecessary was the long drawn out bathroom scene with Moaning Myrtle. I mean, she gave him the clue and all, get on with it. Newell chose to focus on that bit of the story when he could have put more oomph into Goblet of Fire with more scenes of Cedric, Krum and Fleur fighting their own dragons.
Overall, I still prefer Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban. It was dark but he managed to infuse some colour into his version. And it didn't seem as disjointed as Newell's Goblet of Fire. Or should I say, Gelas Berapi. Duh, the people who sub really should be more creative in coming up with their titles. Gelas Berapi indeed. Harry Potter and the Glass of Fire. Sheesh.
Oh well, I won't spoil the movie too much for those who haven't watched it.
True, there were bits that had to be left out, if not the movie would have been four hours long, but the cuts ought to have been smoother in transition. I'll give Mike Newell one thing though, he came up with a good vision of Voldemort. The kids have all grown up; Hermione's turning into a lovely young lady, Harry's facial features look more chiseled, and Ron, Ron is well, quite ugly actually, the poor thing.
One scene which I thought was wholly unecessary was the long drawn out bathroom scene with Moaning Myrtle. I mean, she gave him the clue and all, get on with it. Newell chose to focus on that bit of the story when he could have put more oomph into Goblet of Fire with more scenes of Cedric, Krum and Fleur fighting their own dragons.
Overall, I still prefer Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban. It was dark but he managed to infuse some colour into his version. And it didn't seem as disjointed as Newell's Goblet of Fire. Or should I say, Gelas Berapi. Duh, the people who sub really should be more creative in coming up with their titles. Gelas Berapi indeed. Harry Potter and the Glass of Fire. Sheesh.
Oh well, I won't spoil the movie too much for those who haven't watched it.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Housework
It can't get more mundane than this. This morning, here's what I did:
1. Helped out with breakfast: I made coffee
2. Weeded my big bonsai and bouganvillae and added weed killer and fertiliser
3. Cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen
4. Cleaned the stove. Since hubby never washes or cleans the stove after cooking, it was long overdue and I could not get out spots and stains from the stainless steel even though I used vinegar and baking soda. So I did the next best thing: lined the counter top with aluminium foil.
5. Cleaned the kitchen hood.
6. Did the laundry (though hubby helped with putting it out)
And now that some of the housework is done, we have to head out for a family friend's wedding in Kajang. I'm hoping we can stop by at Kino on the way back to get my books wrapped.
1. Helped out with breakfast: I made coffee
2. Weeded my big bonsai and bouganvillae and added weed killer and fertiliser
3. Cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen
4. Cleaned the stove. Since hubby never washes or cleans the stove after cooking, it was long overdue and I could not get out spots and stains from the stainless steel even though I used vinegar and baking soda. So I did the next best thing: lined the counter top with aluminium foil.
5. Cleaned the kitchen hood.
6. Did the laundry (though hubby helped with putting it out)
And now that some of the housework is done, we have to head out for a family friend's wedding in Kajang. I'm hoping we can stop by at Kino on the way back to get my books wrapped.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Magic Carpet
I just fell in love with a RM16,000 carpet from Iran. It’s a pleasant buttery yellow and has the most original floral design. It feels heavenly and the weave of the carpet is such that if you look at the carpet from one end it’s a light yellow and if you view it from the opposite end, all the colours are played up and more vivid. It’s gorgeous. It’s about 3’x4’ and also astronomically out of my budget.
I saw its cousin first: a star-shaped very light cream carpet with hints and shades of pink and peach flowers. Beautiful! The weave is courser than its yellow relative but the shape is exquisite. Both are wool weaves but the yellow stunner has a silk lining. The star cousin is cheaper at RM8000 because of the coarser weave and a cotton lining.
Sigh…both are out of my league.
So I settled for a blue 5.5’ x 7.5’ Belgium machine made copy of a Persian design. The weave is quite fine and quite densely packed. The design is messy (according to Poh Ern). But I like messy; it’s very busy with lots of twirls and swirls and motifs all over the place, but I love the colour. I’m thinking of replacing my living room carpet with this one. It’ll feel nicer and since it’s heavier, won’t be prone to move out of position if the cats run around on it.
If only I could justify buying a RM8000 carpet…
I saw its cousin first: a star-shaped very light cream carpet with hints and shades of pink and peach flowers. Beautiful! The weave is courser than its yellow relative but the shape is exquisite. Both are wool weaves but the yellow stunner has a silk lining. The star cousin is cheaper at RM8000 because of the coarser weave and a cotton lining.
Sigh…both are out of my league.
So I settled for a blue 5.5’ x 7.5’ Belgium machine made copy of a Persian design. The weave is quite fine and quite densely packed. The design is messy (according to Poh Ern). But I like messy; it’s very busy with lots of twirls and swirls and motifs all over the place, but I love the colour. I’m thinking of replacing my living room carpet with this one. It’ll feel nicer and since it’s heavier, won’t be prone to move out of position if the cats run around on it.
If only I could justify buying a RM8000 carpet…
Cough Attack
I’m sooo sleepy! This detox thing is making my body go haywire. My nose is running a mile a second and I feel exhausted. Driving is becoming a hazard as I find my eyelids drooping and my concentration lagging. Last night I woke up from sleep, coughing as if my lungs would burst. I couldn’t stop even though I wanted to. My chest was itchy and burning and my throat just continued filling up with phlegm. I hacked away like an old hag that’s trying to breathe her last breath. When I could finally slow down and sleep, my chest hurt and the phlegm was still there.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Detox
I am into my sixth day of detox. My nose has been running non-stop and my eyes have been itching on and off. I was warned but I didn’t think my body would have such severe side effects. Apparently, the longer you’ve had problems, the more severe the side effects. I only hope they don’t last much longer. I don’t think I can carry on working very productively with a runny nose and itching eyes.
Twilight Once More
I am rereading Twilight.
It’s crazy, but I think I’m nuts. I just finished the book last night and am rereading it again today.
I’m rereading it so soon because I just love the story too much. I like the way Meyers portrays the interaction between Bella and Edward. There are tense moments, tender ones and humourous ones. Fairly erotic ones too, even though all they do is hold each other or share kisses. Chaste but tense.
I’m rereading it also because I went through it like a storm the first time around. I do that when I’m into a book: I race to finish it because I need to complete the story, along the way I skim through the descriptions. This time around, I’m taking my time to absorb the words and enjoy the scenery. And there are quite a few bits I missed in my haste to finish the book. Stuff I read which didn’t register.
I suppose it’s sweeter the second time around. It’s a more leisurely read and I’m not in such a hurry to see how it ends, so I savour the writing.
It’s crazy, but I think I’m nuts. I just finished the book last night and am rereading it again today.
I’m rereading it so soon because I just love the story too much. I like the way Meyers portrays the interaction between Bella and Edward. There are tense moments, tender ones and humourous ones. Fairly erotic ones too, even though all they do is hold each other or share kisses. Chaste but tense.
I’m rereading it also because I went through it like a storm the first time around. I do that when I’m into a book: I race to finish it because I need to complete the story, along the way I skim through the descriptions. This time around, I’m taking my time to absorb the words and enjoy the scenery. And there are quite a few bits I missed in my haste to finish the book. Stuff I read which didn’t register.
I suppose it’s sweeter the second time around. It’s a more leisurely read and I’m not in such a hurry to see how it ends, so I savour the writing.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Roadkill
You see something new everyday.
Today was a dead bloated cow on the side of the road.
I was on the way home to my parents'. It's my first cow.
It was still light though in the evening. My parents passed the road too. They didn't see it. I asked my sis too. She didn't see it either. She has the excuse of night, my parents don't.
Or maybe it's just the morbid part of my brain playing up on me. I see pigs in the lorry being taken to slaughter.Chicken or ducks in lorries. And a few rare times, bovines. The rest of my family don't seem to run into this morbidity that often. Or if they do, they don't notice.
Like I said, I think it's just me. Me and my Moonlight Sonata.
Today was a dead bloated cow on the side of the road.
I was on the way home to my parents'. It's my first cow.
It was still light though in the evening. My parents passed the road too. They didn't see it. I asked my sis too. She didn't see it either. She has the excuse of night, my parents don't.
Or maybe it's just the morbid part of my brain playing up on me. I see pigs in the lorry being taken to slaughter.Chicken or ducks in lorries. And a few rare times, bovines. The rest of my family don't seem to run into this morbidity that often. Or if they do, they don't notice.
Like I said, I think it's just me. Me and my Moonlight Sonata.
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