Blergh!

So last night started out great. I spent my evening watching this new Korean drama on tv2 called Spring Waltz, and then continued that with Wars of In-Laws. Then I switched stations, from the TV to the Internet, and I spent more or less the entire night doing my usual round: Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, my email account, Yahoo! and MSN messengers, and of course, Youtube (strictly for Bleach).

And then it hit me.

At about 2 in the morning, my stomache started to burn. It felt like acid was being poured into my intestines. Okay, so that's apparently what gastric is. Yes, I had gastric, or so I thought. So I did nothing, thinking it'll go away on its own. It didn't. I switched on the TV, watched some Malaysian Mandarin drama, and ate a bun, thinking maybe that would help alleviate my gastric. It didn't. So about 5 minutes after wolloping off the bun, I took 2 Actal tablets. It supposedly helps to relieve gastric, heartburn, blah blah blah. Instead of feeling better, I felt worse. I started feeling faint. And then the thought struck me. I wasn't suffering from gastric...

It was food poisoning!

This might sound strange, but I actually consider myself an expert on food poisoning. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I go around town poisoning people with my food. No. When I claim expertise on food poisoning, it's because I've personally suffered more than enough food poisonings to recognise the sign and symptoms of it. In fact, I've gotten so used to food poisoning that I can usually recognise it within a few minutes of eating the 'poisoned' food. So last night was really a shocker for me. I had food poisoning like, 8 hours after dinner! That's why I didn't recognise it as food poisoning.

And that's why I ended up vomiting the contents of my dinner into the toilet bowl at 2.30 a.m. I ended up feeling like I was gonna drop down in a dead faint at any moment. Ended up going to sleep at 3 a.m., curled up like some injured animal about to puke out its own innards.

But yes, I'm fine now. After 11 hours of sleep, fine as any food poisoning survivor can be. And now I've learnt my lesson:

My stomache takes 8 hours to process whatever food I've eaten, good or bad.

Interesting...

And cheers!

Hmmmm...

Well, it's officially into the second week (or is it the third?) of my study break, and no, I haven't started studying yet. In fact, I know this is gonna shock some of you guys reading this, but I don't even know what my first exam is supposed to be, neither when it's supposed to take place. Yeah yeah, I know it makes me sound really careless and lazy, but really, there's still time to worry about exams. Like, I'll start worrying the night before or something. But for now, it's a life of leisure!

So what exactly have I been doing lately?

Well, it's the same old same old every study break. Sleep late, wake up late, blah blah blah... Like today, for instance. Okay, let's start from yesterday evening. Yesterday, at about 7 p.m., I came online and blogged and surfed the Net. The usual sites I visit are Facebook, Friendster, and Youtube. What do I watch on Youtube? Well, I seem to have developed a sudden liking to this certain anime called Bleach. Okay, so maybe it's not that sudden, but you see, it's been airing on tv3 on Sunday nights, like about midnight, and usually I have classes early the next day, so really I couldn't afford to watch it on TV. I tried to watch some, but you know the story lar... Once you miss one episode, you really struggle to understand what's going on in the subsequent episodes. So with all this free time on my hands, I decided to 'catch up' with Bleach through Youtube. And yes, I admit I'm quite addicted to the anime. It's pretty good, really. My fave character is Chad, aka Yasutora Sado! You can see a pic of Chad on the left! And yes, Kurosaki Ichigo is really a fun character to watch as well. But anyway, enough about Bleach. You guys can check it out on your own... I usually stay online until about 2 or 3 in the morning, and what I do is this: I open up, like, 12 Internet Explorer windows, and all of them are loading Bleach episodes. I don't watch it immediately, mind you, rather I wait until they're all loaded, then I go offline and watch it at my own leisure, in the comforts of my own room. This video-watching session usually lasts until the wee hours of the morning, say around 4 to 5 a.m. The latest (or earliest, depends how you see it) I've ever gone is pass 6 a.m. Then after all that, I go to sleep. Of course, when the Heroes episodes come out, I download and watch that.

So anyway, this morning I woke up at about 1 p.m. I watched a little TV, ate some lunch, and went back to my room. There, I spent 4 hours straight reading The Barbed Coil, this great fantasy cum adventure-set-in-a-strange-world novel written by J.V. Jones. Then at about 6 p.m., I came down to watch more TV and yes, dinner too. These days, I eagerly wait for the clock to reach 7 p.m., cos this is when Wars of In-Laws comes on, and I watch this till 8 p.m. every day. Then since it's Monday, I watched CSI:NY at 8.30 p.m. I even cooked myself some creamy potato soup to accompany my couch potato ways. No pun intended. Then at 9.30 p.m., I brought down my laptop, and yes, the entire circle starts again.

That's how my life is these days. It might sound boring to you, maybe even monotonous, but you know what?

I'm enjoying every single minute.

Cheers!

100th Blog Entry!

Would you believe it? I've finally reached my one hundredth blog entry! Hurrah! And to 'celebrate' this momentous occasion, I'm gonna blog about something that I like... A lot.

Heroes Season 2!

For those of you who don't already know, the first episode of Season 2 aired in the US on September the 24th. For us stuck here, it's really a sad story. Personally, I've to wait hours and sometimes days just to download, bit by bit, each episode as it comes out. So yeah, it's really a journey each week, to have to wait patiently just to watch an hour's worth of good stuff. But really, in the end it's worth all the wait...

So what do we have in this season? (Warning: Spoilers ahead!) Well, let's have a brief recap of Season 1 first. Last season, we saw different people around the globe suddenly developing super powers. Last season's focus were on characters like Peter Petrelli, Nathan Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura, Isaac Mendez, Matt Parkman, Mohinder, Claire Bennett, a whole bunch of other heroes, and the villain Sylar. Basically, everyone's trying to save the world from an explosion, which they thought would be set off by Sylar, but gave a twist when we discovered that Peter was the one who was gonna blow up New York. So then Nathan swoops in from the skies and flies Peter off into the sky and bang! Explosion. End of Season 1.

Now Season 2, so far there's been 4 episodes, and I finally caught up with all of them a few days ago. So what's going on? What's the new news? The scene opens with the Bennetts' relocation to Costa Verde - new home, new school, new job, new identity. Sylar has apparently lost all his powers, and Peter has lost his memory of who and what he is. And both of them are stuck in remote areas of the globe. Peter's in Ireland, and Sylar's somewhere in Mexico. Hiro, meanwhile, is stuck in 17th century Japan, trying to make the legendary Takezo Kensei the legend that he's supposed to be. Most of the heroes are somewhat estranged from their families and their old lives, and we also get to meet a whole bunch of new heroes. Can I say that they've also increased the number of good looking guys on the series? *grin* But on a more serious note, I must admit that I feel slightly disappointed with Season 2. I guess it's unavoidable, especially when a preceding season has been so fantastic, and the way I see it, that's how it is with Heroes. Because Season 1 was so good, Season 2 has so much to live up to, and somehow I feel Season 2 has kinda lost some of the explosion and that certain something that Season 1 really had. I just can't describe it, really. It's just something about Season 1 that kinda keeps you rooted to your seat, with bated breath, wondering what's gonna happen next. Not quite so with Season 2. At times I found it a little draggy... But I don't know, maybe it's just me. I admit I was kinda expecting something a little more breath-taking, and I guess that's why I'm somewhat disappointed. But I still really do love the show. It's simply the best show there is right now. And may I say that I just can't wait for Episode 5 to come out tomorrow? Teehee!

So like, anyway, here are some pics I took off the official Heroes website. And just some comments I thought I'd add to 'spice up' the pictures. LoL!






Poor Hiro got stuck in 17th century Japan... Funny how they didn't just shoot him on the spot. Wearing jeans was considered a crime in ancient Japan.









And they decided to do a few makeovers too. Mohinder got a haircut...













While Nathan grew a beard. I was really relieved when he shaved it all off an episode later...










Then, of course, they gave Claire a love interest in the form of her new classmate, West. I'm sure his ability to fly has absolutely nothing to do with their chemistry.





And here are two other new heroes introduced in Season 2, twins Maya and Alejandro. Don't worry. He actually looks much better after he cleans the mud off his face.


And that marks the end of this blog entry... It's been a long and fun journey blogging all this while, and here's hoping my readers don't die from Premature Boredom Syndrome...

Happy 100th Blog Entry to me!

Cheers!

Music to my ears...

So like, I was wondering what to blog about today... Not that I don't have any ideas, I'm just keeping the best for tomorrow, teehee! So for today's blog entry, I'm gonna write about something that's very close to my heart - MUSIC! Yeah, I know it's something that's close to everyone's heart, but seriously I do love it. I like playing it, studying it, listening to it... But today, I'm just gonna talk about the singers who make my heart jump. It could be that certain something in their voices, or a certain word or phrase in the song, or just a lovely riff or chord... Just anything that makes me love that song or singer! Enjoy!

This here is Patrizio Buanne. What can I say about him? I like his voice, I really do. It's one of those deep, classical types. You know, the macho types, not the girly voices that some male singers have these days. Patrizio Buanne reminds me of the good ole days of music, when men still dressed in tuxes and knew the art of chivalry and charm. Oh he has a lot of charm alright. His songs are all love songs, and since he's Italian, most of his songs are Italian songs, and yes, Italian really sounds good on song. My favourite songs include Credi In Te, Only You, Forever Begins Tonight, On An Evening In Roma, Alta Marea, and seriously I think I could list down all his songs here. But I'll stop. And hopefully you'll try listening to his songs and see what I see (and hear) in his songs.

The Goo Goo Dolls have some really great songs too. I like their sound, the same way I like songs by Lifehouse and The Calling. One big factor is definitely the voice. I like the rough and gruff sound, I find it strangely... Heart-wrenching. Especially when it comes to slow, sentimental songs. Like, if you don't know what I mean, take a listen to The Calling's Wherever You Will Go and Lifehouse's You And Me. And when it comes to the Goo Goo Dolls, who can leave out such hits like I'll Be and Iris? And have you guys listened to Name? Man, those are really some great songs. Stay With You is a really sweet song too. And yes, I think it's really ironic that all this tough-looking men - the type who look like they could beat you to a bloody pulp if you look at them the wrong way - can actually come up with some of the most romantic and sentimental songs on the market. Ironic indeed, but I'm not complaining. Not one bit.

And this is Teitur. I know most of you are probably going "Who?" right now, but that's okay, I kinda expected that. Okay, just a quick intro. RealPlayer says that he specializes in "dreamy, slightly sad songs" and that he "spent the first 17 years of his life on the Faroe Islands (between Britain and Scandinavia)". Right. Well, I remember the first time I heard one of his songs, One And Only, was when I was watching this movie called Aquamarine with my friends, and there was this scene where the mermaid girl was dancing with the guy, and it was all really sweet and all, and then this song came on and I was literally blown away. Seriously, that song is really sweet. One of the lines in the chorus goes "Do you want to be my one and only love?" and like come on, with a line like that you're bound to melt the hearts of like a million girls (and maybe some guys too). If you like folk music, you might like Teitur. His guitar is the anchor of most of his songs, and yeah RealPlayer's right. His songs do sound rather sad, but I think that just adds to its beauty.

And who doesn't know Ronan Keating,the ex-Boyzone member who successfully launched his own solo career. I like his songs mainly for their feel-good factor, and really, some of his songs are quite good. They were times when I couldn't get Lovin' Each Day and I Love It When We Do out of my head, they're that catchy. And some of his ballads are some of the best I've heard, like To Be Loved and It's So Easy Lovin' You. Always pleasant to the ears, and with some pretty good lyrics, yeah Ronan Keating's songs are quite good.

And then there's Daniel Bedingfield. Now I can't help but feel that Daniel Bedingfield has one of the most heart-wrenching voices in the music industry. And have you listened carefully to his lyrics? Man, his songs are positively sentimental! My favourite songs of his are Never Gonna Leave Your Side, If You're Not The One, Without The Girl, and Girlfriend, just to name a few. It's just something about his songs. He has some of the most creative rhythms I've heard in quite a long time, and his use of sound effects is just simply superb. Take a listen to Never Gonna Leave Your Side... I can almost hear the wind blowing and the seagulls calling! It's simply beautiful!

And how could I leave out Howie Day? I like his song Collide so much that I actually put a video of it onto my Friendster site. And yes, it's the song that you hear everytime you enter my blog! I just don't know how to describe it. I know you guys are probably really sick and bored of the song now, but hey, I still remember the first time I heard it on the radio. And it still makes me smile everytime I listen to it, even to this very day. What can I say? I think it's his voice. There's so much emotion in his voice. Remember what I said earlier about macho voices? Yeah, Howie Day has a great voice! His lyrics are really something too - some of my favourite lines are "Even the best fall down sometime... Even the stars refuse to shine..." - it's so beautiful. I've listened to a few of his other songs, and they're great too, but I must say that Collide still remains my personal favourite. I just can't describe it here... You'll prolly have to ask me in person, and yes, be prepared to hear me talk for about an hour or so. That's how much I like this song.

I think you guys know the feeling. The way the opening chords of a song can put a smile on your face, or when you're looking out into the rain and a certain song comes on, and your heart just aches. Many people call it the magic of music, but I like to think that we somehow weave our lives and memories around music. It's kinda like, when you suddenly hear a song out of the blue, and suddenly you are taken backwards through time, back into the days when you were still a child. So call it what you want, but I'm sure you all agree that music is definitely just one of those things in live that you learn to love and appreciate.

Cheers!

Updates!

So finally it's the study break (yippee!) and finally, I got my lazy self to finally sit down in front of the laptop and start typing. I find it really ironic. You would think with the holidays (read: study break) around and all, I'd actually have more time to spend on blogging. The irony of the situation is I find myself even more busy than usual, spending my time on other things (read: the idiot box). Which is why I find it so difficult to come online. Just... Got distracted. That's all.

So anyway, I know some of you are waiting to read about what happened during the night of the play production. I really don't have to say much, I'm sure you've heard some news or other. Anyway, to cut a long story short, all went well, we pulled it off, we're all happy it's over, but rather sad at the same time I guess. I did feel a little wee bit sad that it was all over, y'know, that this was more or less the end of this really 'major' play production. Like, how many people actually get the chance to be part of something like this, right? And the job of screaming and directing other people sure has its kicks. Teehee! So right, onwards with the story. On that Friday morning almost two weeks ago (for those of you who didn't know, the actual staging of the play was on Friday the 5th of October), we had our final rehearsal, and at about 12.30 p.m. we stopped for some rest. I returned to uni at about 6.30 p.m., and from there on out it was really a mad race against the clock. I didn't even have time for dinner! Mostly, we were all running around like headless chickens, trying to put makeup on everyone. At about, oh I think it was around 9 p.m., I gave my group a peptalk of sorts, telling them the usual things you tell to a bunch of really nervous people. After that, we waited for a while, and then at about 9.30 p.m. our actual play started. Man, was I nervous sitting there with the audience. My group did well, I was really proud of all of them for really pulling it off. Here are some pics to actually help with your visual imagination and all:

The picture above was taken during one of the earlier practices. You can tell it was one of the earlier practices because everyone's still holding their scripts... Teehee! The picture below was taken on the actual day of the play production, that is, on Friday morning itself while we were all rushing to do lotsa things like props and costumes. This is the group of really talented people who were doing all those things. Everything from decorating the backdrop to sewing, to making signs and making a really cool 'throne' out of a normal chair.

The two pictures below are evidences of what happens when you need trees that can walk and talk... You get people to become trees! Complete with 'howling wind' and 'choking' sound effects...

Now this pic below with all the red light is a pic taken of our last rehearsal. You can see the Sphinx, pretending to die on the floor after her Riddle is answered. You can see Oedipus, agreeing to be the King of Thebes after he sees the beautiful Queen Iocasta. And yes, you can see the wild and barbaric Tribal Thebans too... They sure look vicious with all those sticks and branches in their hands... Run, Forest, run! Ahem. Pun intended.

This picture below is of Oedipus and the ever-popular Creon (some people call him Theban Idol)... A scene where they show their brotherly love, complete with secret handshake. You can also see Iocasta sitting on the throne, and her Maid too.

This pic below is one of those dramatic scenes from the play. Oedipus tries to get to the bottom of the mystery of Laius' death by threatening - Ahem. No no, I mean questioning Teiresias the Seer. We gave it a little Malaysian taste by making him a bomoh though... Complete with smoking bowl and all...

Was really proud of my Chorus, who you can see in the picture below. Look at them! That was a dramatic scene alright! We dressed them up in black cloaks, and that night they wore black pants and tops too, so it was really interesting. Here you can see them pleading for the life of Creon.

Ah... Here in the sepia-coloured picture below, you can see my pride and joy... The Octet! Of course, I know octet means eight, but what started as eight soon bloomed to include eleven people. Who, are rather what are they? They're the a capella group created to fill in the er, intermission while our Props Team changed the deco, backdrop, stage, etc. They sung two songs, Stand By Me and Beautiful Girls. First got the idea when I realised the two songs share the same bass riff. LoL! One of my fondest memories of the play was when the audience literally roared when the Octet switched from Stand By Me to Beautiful Girls... So proud of them!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures of the actual play production that night itself. Sad but true. But that's not the end of the story. The biggest shock for me came at the very end of the play, after the actors got up and formed a line on the stage. I kinda expected they were gonna take a bow, and I admit I was ready to join them, until they suddenly called me up and presented me with a bouquet of flowers... Flowers! With real roses in them! I was so touched... I don't think I've received a bouquet of flowers from anyone before, and for it to come from not just one person, but 63 (or 64, I can't remember) people! Now that, my friends, is indeed a beautiful memory to hold on to... Until my golden years. Sniff!

To any of my groupmates from Group II Oed Rex 2007, if you're reading this:

"Thanks for the memories!"

It's been a great journey, a great mission, but it was all worth it in the end! Cheers!