A couple of things have happened peeps (- for those of you not in the know, 'peeps' means 'people'!)

Firstly - Errolyn's cut her hair (!!!)
Secondly - Errolyn spent RM120 at the Times Warehouse Sale (!)

So, which do you want to hear about first?

Well, obviously I've put up some pics of myself with long hair and my new hairstyle which actually looked so good on the first day that I hugged my professional hairstylist - Annita Hisham of Curlers & Trimmers in Desa Sri Hartamas - and thanked her very very profusely. I was almost teary-eyed cos I wanted to do it but had the usual suspects - concern, excitement, reservation, eagerness and of course, my faithful friends - urge, desire and let's-do-this-now!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know me from childhood, I've had 'beautiful' long hair since I was yea high, not least because the two or three times I have experimented with short hairstyles, mum has commented that I look like an Indonesian maid! I also had another nickname - 'Butterball'. Funny how you remember these things huh?

Anyways, I didn't think I looked sooooooo bad for those 'different' hairstyles but obviously short hair doesn't get you as many looks as long hair does. Frequently enough, people say long hair is sexy and guess what, I think it is definitely TRUE! No offense to all the short-furred people out there but you know what, we can't deny that the length of one's hair almost always does influence the looker whether he/she realises it or not! Gosh, am I rambling? Do you just want me to get to the point?

So - I cut my hair. Mum said no, D said hmmmmm, sis said yeah, friends said try it slow. You see, originally, I had wanted the Anita Sarawak haircut. Hairstylist said no. :)

Secondly, there was a Times warehouse sale in PJ - in that building where people hold a lot of warehouse sales? Behind Colgate-Palmolive is how they describe it. Anyway, if you go around that vicinity, you'll be able to see a white sign on the ground that says 'Free Parking for Times warehouse sale'. The guard will then hand you a yellow parking ticket and very diligently tell you to collect the parking voucher from Times.

How do I know he diligently does this? Cos I went twice!

First time I went and bought quite a few books totalling RM120 with 2 books worth RM1 each. This was their gimmick you see - 'cheaper thatn newspaper'!!!! And a lot of other novels (Mum and I love Greg Iles) worth RM8. Can you imagine! The normal RRP (Recommended Retail Price) is somewhere around RM30-40 and here we can get it for RM8. Some hard-cover books were RM15 and of course there were the more expensive ones too like James Patterson (whom I love - can't read his books fast enough!) for RM24. Bought the Volume 1-4 of Stephen King's Dark Tower set for RM30, one Orson SCott Card's SongMaster for RM 8 (I loved Ender! - as I have said in my review of Ender here on my website - if you haven't, you need to, no matter what the genre you prefer!)

Then I went a second time, and bought one contemporary 'Chick Lit' - well, the bookstores call it 'Chic Lit' but somehow I think they mean the former! :)
Couldn't bring myself to buy it the first time around cos it didn't seem right to spend money on frivolous Chick Lit. I know, I know, the other novels are all fiction too but they seem to require more thought and planning and effort since the books I like to read usually involve a lot of twists in medical/legal/espionage/horror thrillers. But anyway, only RM 8 right? And let's see, bought another RM 1 novel since they change the novels, everyday I think. There was another Iles book for RM 1 but sadly I had already bought it for RM 8 the other day - DAMN!

So, when you buy RM100 and above (accumulated receipts of one day only), you get a complimentary RM5 voucher to use at Times, valid until 31st July. And if you buy RM300 and above (again accumulated receipts of one day only), you get a very nice Times bag. So, with D buying RM200 and above and me RM100 and above, we got a nice Times bag - which you may see me carrying around now!

So that was my eventful!!!!! weekend. And this weekend I am going home - which promises to be even more fun, love and comfort. I miss home. I want to go home. I miss everything it represents to me - family, comfort, luxury, familiarity, closeness.

Too-de-loo!

Post of 25th April 2005
(With pictures)
An Intimate Evening with Lea Salonga - Broadway Pleasures.

Lea Salonga sang only one Miss Saigon song, one Les Miz and a lot of other songs I didn't really like. Her voice is as pure as ever and I enjoyed it to no end but I definitely wouldn't have minded more songs that I liked.

Mrs Rob has been married for 'a little over a year now' (as she kept reminding us) and still very much in love. In fact, the theme for the night was Love. It affected some and didn't affect some.

There was her Broadway album for sale at half-time (which I have already got courtesy of D's visit to the Filipino MP3 market....hehehehehe....The 'Voice of God' announced that it would be on sale after the concert but actually sales started, and ended, at half time intermission!!! Quite a few people missed out on it. Demand definitely sky-rocketed when 'God' promised that Lea herself would come out and autograph your copy of her album.

Lea came out in her 'ugliest costume of the year' a blue suit first and then changed into a shiny red off-the-shoulder chiffon thingy with pants. She looked really bigger on stage - as in more substantial from my vantage point to the left of the stage, one tier up and beautifully right in front of the stage! Circle 1 - A3-6!

But boy! When she came out to sign her album, I couldn't recognise her! On stage she looked bigger and older and not so captivating but in person, she came back to normal size, looked 22 and lived up to all beauty expectations. LA SALONGA IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND THIS IS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO ALREADY THOUGHT SHE WAS RAVISHING. SHE EXCEEDED EXPECTATION STILL!

Overall, repertoire could have been improved, I thought her voice sounded a bit nyaring but stil mesmerising. As someone very aptly put it, she acts her songs! It isn't just singing - another gem like her is Celine Dion. That's why I can't understand when people say Carrie Underwood and Jaclyn Victor sing well. Yeah they have the voice but they don't emote, they don't bring the song to life, they don't send shivers up your spine and make you want to cry. When Lea sings, I believe.

Well, there is my adventure with Lea - I have been within the closest proximity ever with her and now go home sated. The train ride again - very romantic - all the old world charm and rocking soothing motions - except the AutoDoor won't open for me!

Lovely.

Post of 23rd April 2005

It's my fourth/fifth/sixth trip to Sinsapore and I've definitely run out of things to do, places to see and malls to visit. People always say shopping is fabulous in Singapore....I beg to disagree. Whoever said that must have said it a decade ago before shopping exploded in Malaysia what with the advent of MidValley Megamall; my personal all-time favourite, although I must say Sunway Pyramid comes a close second.

What do people actually do in Singapore? God knows during my second trip itself, I had already exhausted all the 'pleasures' of Singapore - night safari, sentosa island, orchard road.

On my wonderful train trip down here to Singapore on KTM Berhad's Senandung Malam (the train with the sleeping berths), when we crossed the straits between Malaysian soil and Singaporean....lo and behold, the FINE city didn't seem to fine! Malaysian waters were clean but Singaporean waters.....were....(piss!) not! How odd!

Anyway, why am I in Singapore again you may ask? Is it some perverse sado masochistic desire within me, coming back again? A resounding No! I just had to come cos this is the only location and the only night that Lea Salonga - Queen of the Musicals is performing.

Back in Malaysia, it is DAD'S Birthday but according to Lilian Too, I must not travel long distance this month, so I wasn't planning to go home to Penang. But what is a girl to do when Lea Salonga comes to a town near you????? Brave the odds and pray hard as hell! I do feel terrible about daddy's birthday though and wish I could tear myself into two and be everywhere I wished to be all at the same time - preferably with the Lea Salonga concert in Malaysia - but......

Anyway, there was one good development from my visit to Singapore. Edward Kee apartments - BEE-OO-TEE-FULL! I wish I lived here is all I can say!

Anyway, will write more tomorrow about the non-diva diva! Too de loo and til
tomorrow - We Must Love Her!

It sure is hard planning a holiday! If any of you out there know of a tour agency or travel agent who hosts tours to China with an ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE, please let me know! I am desperate. You would think there would be quite a few tours out there with guides who speak adequate English - but it doesn't seem to be the case.

I don't know why I agreed to do the logistics for this trip. Damn! We're looking to go to Australia or China. Australia because we've never been there and perhaps, it's time we did since people seem to rave about it alot although I've never been particularly entranced by it.

China because it was cheaper than Australia but the more I research about it, the more attractive it gets! The Great Wall, the beautiful lakes and rivers and gorges - I heard that the 3 Gorges is flooded up already and the people have been relocated! A natural beauty gone forever! It is sacrilegous that the Chinese government has allowed such an atrocity but.....I guess it is also embarrassing that I have only now found out about it.

I'm definitely looking forward to any input anyone out there can give me with regards to touring Australia or China. I'm not afraid to say I don't know much about either country and get really nauseous looking at the computer too long. Our Malaysians websites also don't seem to provide much information when it comes to their possible itineraries and I've sent some enquiries to their email addresses only to have emails come back to me saying the 'inbox is full' (!!!!) or that delivery is impossible due to some technical glitch or another. Do our tour operators rely solely on walk in business then??????? In this day and age!

I for one, do not have the time to walk into each and every tour agency out there under our hot hot sun to ask you questions and remember all that you have told me! So, TOUR OPERATORS/TRAVEL AGENCIES OUT THERE TAKE NOTE! I would like to contact you online and have you give me substantial information that is HELPFUL - preferably online too so I can file away your answer and contact you if you're good enough!

Reliance so far looks to be the best one out there with a nice website and down-loadable itineraries and price! (most important!) I'm definitely looking forward to even more good service from them.

So anyway, back to the focus - let me know if there are any particularly good travel agencies out there that do Aust/China. THANKS!

Hi Auntie,

You were very clever to have suggested this method of communication, because I indeed can't get through to Canada! I tried a couple of times and the email has been sent back both times. Please write me again when it's all fixed.

Looking forward to it!
Love,
Me ;)

Hi All!

Think my pounds have almost all come back since I partook in this quite quite exquisite dinner at Lobsterman, SS2! If you're reading this JH, thanks for dinner and I shan't forget the ice-cream raincheck!

Anyways, after dinner tonight, I realised that I have not written about a couple of milestones in my life.....namely my brushes with fame. Am I not fame hungry then? I always thought I liked attention, though am not a 'lets-pretend-to-be-crazy-so-we-can-get-attention' kinda person! Well, I must say I can't figure out how I missed it but here goes....better late than never eh!

(Here I go with my exclamation marks again - do I speak like this too?????)

Brush With Fame #1

Globetrekker - Search for the Next Host
It was a bright and sunny morning. Errolyn was talked into attending the Astro Globetrekker auditions being held on Saturday morning right after working the whole night through. Errolyn looked tired and probably didn't look very interested in the position considering Errolyn's very practical 'I won't get it' mindset.

Anyhoo, we went along and filled up all the application forms, met a bitchy gay guy who actually turned out to be quite nice who worked for the event management company with Globetrekker. Waited our turn very patiently cracking jokes and planning our topics.

I chose to talk about my momentous climb up Mount Kinabalu of course. Had this whole drama planned out but then I realised that 1 minute isn't very long and sometimes, (probably oftentimes), the judges stopped you after they had seen enough.

So, I cut my story short and got to the juicy part, talking about being on top of the mountain and how awe-inspiring it was. My piece was definitely not very factual nor was it very serious. I set myself free and being very comfortable in front of cameras, worked whatever I had to work!

Lo and behold, that very afternoon, they called me and told me I was short-listed, or shall I say, Top 20! for Sunday's Big Do in front of a public crowd.....

Gosh, was I nervous. My sister of course was very excited for me since she auditioned in Singapore too but unfortunately, the judges were not feeling very well that day and missed her razzle dazzle personality......

The day dawned, I had agonised over what to wear and how to go out there in front of a public to present myself. Had gimmicks planned of course but in the end, the physical real result lacked sorely from what I saw in my mind.

There weren't a LOT a LOT of people there but there was a fair number. We were given topics to come out and talk about for 1 minute. Work the crowd and Errolyn Tan was shortlisted again to TOP 10!!!!

It was getting on in the day and I was beginning to feel tired. That coupled with the fact that I wasn't all thatttttttttt keen on it in the first place, I drew lots for my final topic and got 'Tiffin Carrier', prepared a spiel about it lasting 3 minutes - went out, didn't do too well I guess and never got called back as the Top 3 Winners!!!!!!!!

Boo Hoo! First there was Top 15 for 3R. Now Top 10, when will i ever be TOP? Wasn't upset about losing the opportunity to star in my own episode - haven't seen anything of the winners so far until now actually - but the agony and humiliation of not being one of the placers......I resolved to never get involved in any competition like that again......We'll see.

Brush With Fame #2

Voice Over for TV Infomercial

Got a call one afternoon in the office whilst I was rushing into a meeting - that's so much work! Meetings!

Anyway, was asked to do a voice-over for this infomercial that pushed a French skincare range. The girl with the agency told me all about arrangements for coming into the studio, emailing me the script and directions to the studio - spent a good 10 minutes talking about that before telling me I would actually be paid for the job.

Well, after I heard that, I was sold! I would have done it anyway, just for the experience of it as well as for my friend - who was the director.

And then guess what, the client called me a little later in the evening, wanting to hear my voice. I read from the calendar on my desk - it had a little para describing its wares, trying to sound 'commercially' and husky.....as someone talking about skincare would sound basically.

Well, God was on my side and I 'got the job'. Spent 4 hours over 2 days in the studio, got it all wrapped up and there you have it, the infomercial is now on TV!

I'm famous! Haven't caught it yet but I sure hope people aren't storming the TV station in droves complaining about it's terrible terrible voice talent!

*******************************************

So, there you go, my infamous self in the past 6 months.

Blogger is looking really weird for me now and I think it is because they have updated their look again. I shall have to wait for D to fix it I guess.....

It's been a really hectic new year. So much to do and see. I am thinking perhaps I should write a column for a newspaper or magazine. Wouldn't it be cool if I had a job writing columns like Sex in the City? Or another dream job of mine would be food/vacation spots critic!!!!

So many new things to set up at the office, some exciting, some tedious, some routine and some downright fun....like practising dancing - damn I wish I had more of that.

Don't know if I can say that I am learning alot; as I should be, what with being in a new position which requires more responsibility and more horizons and all that.....but....

anyway, I must say at the moment, there's lots going on but I've explained it, talked about it so much now that I don't wanna say anything more about work!

D's in ulu Bradford, UK. Wishing I was there of course!

I'm getting married in the morning.....

Gotcha! It ain't me but one of my best friends from good ole Penang. She's not much of a traditionalist but it is the event of January 2005! (I would like to say the year but I am kinda wishing for other things to happen as well)

So, Congratulations Zoop and Dave! I can't believe it's happening....I know it's already happened back in October but you know, this is the one we girls get to attend - that's gotta count for something!

On to other news - earthquake and tsunami. Seems Nostradamus 'predicted' it - a natural disaster that at first mere humankind equated with SARS, AIDS.....but now it's actually this biggest-in-40-years earthquake off the coast of Sumatra.

I hear Pak Lah has postponed the New Year celebrations at KLCC. I think Malaysia should celebrate - celebrate that life still abounds, the new year brings new hope and opportunities, babies are being born, loves are being discovered. It's a happy time. A freak tragedy that we should mourn, but also realise that life and its uncertainty should be celebrated and appreciated even more so.

I was in Selangor when it happened. Didn't feel the tremors, didn't even know about it until 6pm Saturday evening. Maybe its harder for me to mourn deeply when it was so far removed from me, my family is safe and I don't really know anybody who was affected - even friends from India were safe.

I am not inhuman though. I still feel the tragic loss - reading the newspapers and seeing the images be it in print or on video - brings tears to my eyes.

But let us also remember the silver lining - Malaysia did not suffer such terrible losses as some other countries, we are still able and willing to offer aid, we have a calm, happy, peaceful nation where people (I don't want to use this phrase) of all races live in harmony. We say it quite often and hear the propaganda but have we ever really digested the phrase and understood it??? Where else in the world do you find this happening so smoothly?

We travel the world and it opens our eyes. Mamak food all around the clock, chinese/malay/indian/portugese/italian/spanish......food abound, beaches, fields, trees, hills, mountains, we're not in the path of any natural catastrophes, shopping all year round, rural and urban lifestyles, technologically advanced....so much to live and be thankful for!

So let's celebrate because otherwise we may continue to take our good fortune for granted!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! May 2005 bring us all our hearts' dearest dreams!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It's that time of the year again and I haven't even uploaded blogs about my New Zealand holiday with the girls in November 2004! What can I say? It's not easy to get everything done when there is so much to do!



Anyway, New Zealand was a bit of a let-dwon for me. Didn't think it was worth all the effort in planning, all the money spent and all the hoo-ha that people usually attribute to the gorgeous natural pastoral beauty of NZ.

There were definitely parts of the country to die for but I can't say the same for Auckland, Hokitari or whatever.....and so many other provincial little towns. I mean I can see (kinda) the lure of an untouched, quiet little town but to live where there is one main street and everybody knows your business and everybody knows your name......not quite the thing I want to get into. The shops close at 5.30pm, there's nothing to do at night (the night spots close at 10pm) and the food hardly varies.

There ARE a lot more sheep than people, or at least that's what I saw.....you hardly see people out on the streets or even on their farms....one t-shirt I saw says it all
BAA BAA BAA
BAR BAR BAR
That about sums up New Zealand.

But let's concentrate on the inspiring parts of the country eh! South Island was our Promising Land - all our expectations were on that particular island after we traversed the North Island. It was almost fulfilled.

If you are driving, remember to stop for fresh crayfish on the drive between Picton (where the ferry berthes) and Christchurch. You will see the boats and you will see the signs. Milford Sound was gorgeous and beyond description especially if you're one for scenery. The snow-capped mountains always did it for me.

By the way, the North did have the Maori Village which was really cool and had a traditional performance of the Haka and other songs.

I had a whitebait omelette. Whitebait being the biggest catch of NZ - actually looks like ikan bilis with more meat and white. Also had a try of wombat burger which tasted pretty good and NOT like chicken.

Went also for a Glacier Walk at Franz Josef - climbed the FJ Glacier which left me numb from cold, kinda tired, sweaty, dirty and smelly from the poncho they provided. Not at all as cool as I thought it would be! Definitely does not compare with the Kinabalu experience!

The one place I truly enjoyed was Punakaiki with the Dolomite Walk and Pancake Rocks. I loved the sea spewing itself up through the blowholes and waited ages to catch the perfect photograph.

And now it's Christmas already! This year has flown by in the snap of fingers. Let's start the new year with new responsibilities, priorities and good luck; not forgetting love. Never forgetting love!

Ciao and may Buddha bless your lives always!

NEW ZEALAND HERE I COME!!!!!!

It's been one year on the books, 4 months in the planning and now the time has finally come for us 4 girls to go travelling around the beautiful North and South Island of NZ.

14 days of uninterrupted splendour is what we hope for not to mention some exciting fun! I mean what's a holiday without some mischief and good-natured jollying eh? I plan to do things I never planned on, it's time to kick off all those chains and fears because I'm thinking if I don't do it now, when on Earth am I going to do it?

I'm not young anymore, time to take responsibility and ownership for my own enjoyment right?

So, we're just four happy girls going off on a girl's trip, driving, cruising, staying at YHA hostels, flying on our own and trying not to overspend! I don't think we'll be doing much shopping there, Economic Board of NZ, but what the heck, they've already stolen 9k from me!

So, look out for fantastic LOTR pics and grandeur.
I can't wait!