i’m on my way

Today is our 6th anniversary together.

I took the day off and we went to IKEA to have meatballs and get some much needed hangers. It was nice to walk around without having to deal with the usual crowds. Then we came home and just chilled with the critters. It was a day for reflections and quiet reminiscing. We talked of how far we’d come since that day I casually went into this relationship with the intention of breaking up with MC as soon as I was posted to Indonesia. Haha.

I love you, MC. Thanks for putting up with me.

acoustic downtempo. LOL.

I’m not really a fan of birds. When I see an owl or a peacock, I go ooh and aah but that’s about it. Bird related documentaries on National Geographic and Discovery go unseen and God forbid I should actually go on a birdwatching trip. Parakeets annoy the hell outta me and I think parrots should fly free in whatever jungle they came from. Oops, I forgot that I love puffins and penguins but anyway, those babies are just too cute for their own good.

Enter NGM’s December article and wallpaper collection on albatrosses. I’m in love. I think I’ll even change my current desktop (Iceland’s Kolgrima River) to that of albatrosses flying above a very rough sea. Simply awesome. Ack. Now I miss The Stinky.

Having several pets, the desire to have a clean floor but not the will to physically do anything about it beyond vacuuming 2-3 times a week can be stressful. Several pet owners I know from various pet forums (yes Beebs, I have a huge L tattooed on my forehead, but so do you, Mr. How-Will-I-Look-With-Black-Eyeliner) have recommended the Roomba but this was sometime ago when it still cost an arm and leg. The price has gone down some what and now with December bonuses on the horizon, temptation has kicked in. A salesperson is coming over to give a demo on the various models and I just can’t wait! Hehe.

Here’s a follow up article to Radiohead’s amazing decision to sell In Rainbows for whatever amount a fan is willing to fork out. I cracked up reading Gene Simmons’ comment of: ‘Are they on fucking crack?’ Hahhahaha….. ‘Are they on fucking crack?’ Still tickles me. 😀

Ohh! Ohh! Dunno if they’ll pull through (they’re not sure themselves, LOL), but the folks of freakonomics are giving away free SIGNED bookplates. Sign up here, fellow fans. I really really hope it works out.

OK, off to charming the socks off some clients but before that, a conversation snippet:

“Look at that sticker on the white car! WTF! Malaysia ada Persatuan Tapir ke?”

(looks and LOL) “That’s the logo for the Malaysian Nature Society, you carnivorous eejit.”

the good’s gone

In case you didn’t catch the 101 East episode on AlJazeera last night which discussed the BERSIH rally, here’s a 4-part video of the show. Guests were: minister Nazri Aziz, Khairy Jamaluddin and human rights lawyer, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.

I *heart* you, Imtiaz.

Part 1 of 4

Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4

Part 4 of 4

Stinky and I were truly offended by the smugness of minister Nazri’s interpretation of what a democracy is, and his and KJ’s obvious disdain for the Opposition. Here is what Stinky had to say after I had finished wailing that they didn’t give Imtiaz enough airtime.

Nazri said that “we are the people, as we are democratically elected by the majority, and therefore we represent the majority.”

However, democracy does not mean that you only have to represent/listen to what the majority wants. Democracy is, first and foremost, a guarantee that the majority shall not trample upon the rights & voices of the minority. That is why in the UK, there are imams who preach hatred against Jews during the Friday prayers’ sermons, and are still NOT denied their right to say so, what more detained under some sort of ISA.

That is also why there are devil/satan worshippers in the UK or the US who are free to do their devil/satanworshipping as long as they don’t interfere with another person’s rights/liberty. That is also why there are communist organisations/parties still in existence in the West, spouting their beliefs, and not denied the chance to do so, despite the countries being a democracy.

For a true democracy is a guarantee that ANY voice, no matter how small (or absurd/immoral) shall be heard and never obstructed/denied.

Khairy’s point that the rally is actually an ‘Opposition rally’ and not a ‘common people’s rally’ glaringly misses the point, because the rally itself is a voice, whose voice it is is totally irrelevant. What is important is that voice shall be heard and not denied/obstructed.

How’s that for a wet Friday morning?

milk & brownies

It’s been a lovely couple of days, or as lovely as it can be without having Stinky around. I’ve been pottering around the house: doing a little vacuuming, a little laundry, but still haven’t gone round to unpacking. Mostly I’ve been cooking, eating and reading NYT articles online. Got groceries yesterday and I’m happy to report the fridge is bursting with ingredients to make soup and stews. I’m a happy bunny.

Long holidays without Stinky has always been the time to reflect, take stock of things and get things done. After the first couple of hours of frenzied texting and moping that he isn’t here to help with chores, nevermind that I miss the bugger like crazy, I settle down and start enjoying the quiet solitude – if I can ignore the rampaging pets and their collective shenanigans. I still wish he was here last night though – making fun of him via text message on his and his band’s appearance for some Raya tv special just wasn’t enough 😀 .

close my eyes

I’m a happy camper coz a friend from Singapore gave us Stinky The Great Spy Experiment‘s Flower Show Riots for him to review in a local music mag. Autographed some more (thanks, Chloe!!)! I’m a big fan of their song, Class A Love Affair. The other songs in the album don’t quite have the impact as that song does, but they do grow on you. It’s been written in the Singapore media that they spent SG$40,000 on the album. A rather astonishing sum IMHO, and something which is sure to rankle a lot of people in the local music scene, if not already.

Having a partner whose free time and energy is spent on making and playing music, I naturally spend quite some time going to gigs and making acquaintances there. As an outsider looking in, I’m prolly not qualified to bitch about the goings on I see at such events, but delusions are delusions no matter how highbrow or plebeian an event. I’ve lost count the number of bands who’ve materialised, played a few shows, made a splash within the hipster community (re. non-CD buyers), get a few write-ups in the media and then think they are the Next Big Thing and the saviour of the underground scene. A few months later they fade away and the next thing you know, they’ve formed completely new bands in a whole different music genre and the cycle begins again. It would be laughable if it weren’t so sad. Big fish, small pond syndrome is alive and well in Malaysia. Haha. It’s a good thing Stinky’s musically inclined friends can’t don’t read blogs or else I’m toast. They hate me enough already for yawning away during their brilliant sets. Then again, if they do read this post, they prolly won’t see themselves in it. 😀