HB

A long, personal journey worth having.

Player FAIL

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jestina post

I’ve just been told that I’m a nice person. Now this is usually a good thing no? Well, not when it is followed by a very polite and politically correct sentence which in effect goes “You’re too nice to be my boyfriend”. πŸ˜‰

Now, I have to admit…I don’t get this very often. It’s new to me. Novel. I was actually quite pleased to get this “I don’t like you but we can be friends” treatment.

Okay, I won’t say I’m pleased but I think it’s for the best. I think I understand agape now. I’ve been interested in this girl for ages (no points for guessing who).

She is interested in another person. I think that’s great, if the person is a nice guy.

I have a feeling I went about this entire thing the wrong way though. I tried too hard to be nice instead of being the indifferent player. I think all girls like bad boys to some extent.

This entire “Let’s just be friends” thing is different from what I’m used to receiving, but now I think of it, it’s for the greater good.

I usually make people cry. *cue song I’m a heart breaker*

She didn’t make me cry though. I totally understand. I still feel the loss though coz she’ll make a great life partner.

On the other hand, knowing my history, friends will DEFINITELY outlast my average relationship. πŸ˜‰

Now, when is karma coming to bite me in the ass?
hi

10 reasons I need a new ride

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#1 My current one is getting a little long in the tooth

long in the tooth

I own a Toyota Vios 1.5G which I bought in 2006 and from the multiple accidents that its been through…well, it doesn’t handle as good as it used to.

#2 It’s My Life

…and I did it my way. I’m 29 and I’ll be purchasing a condo in a couple of months. The next step is getting a new car. I like to think that I’m still young (oi, at least I’m not 30 yet okay?) and I want a performance car which handles well on the road but won’t make me file for Chapter 11 just for gas. I come from a family of Toyota owners (my dad has a Land Cruiser and Lexus, which is not technically Toyota but same company) so when I trade in I’m gonna get me a Vios 1.5G TRD Sportivo.

#3 Steer me up Scotty!

central panel

This the redesigned steering wheel in the new Vios. I love steering wheels with integrated controls. It just helps prevent #1 – accidents. You know how it is when you’re driving your friends. Everyone with different music tastes and so forth. Switch channels? Volume up? Sure!

#4 Reat flat floors

flat seats

You will not appreciate this until you come to that hallowed time when you really want a flat floor. I won’t elaborate further. The official SPL is that you can…er, recline and just chill like you’re the King of the World (or at least the King of the Backseat).

Erm, it kinda sleeps two at the back too – one on the backseat and one of the floor. No…ah, backache to worry about. πŸ˜‰

#5 Big Pimpin’

vios g trd

You want a sweet ride, right? Nice, sleek and new with perhaps that extra boost to get you from Point A to Point B a little bit faster.

aerokit

TRD decals on everything would do wonders too!

rims

Pick up chicks as easy as ABC. By chicks of course I mean baby chickens (the poultry, the white meat we eat).

#6 You’re hot and you’re cold

hot cold

Okay, this is one of my pet peeves. Not everyone is created equal…at least not with regards to cold tolerance. Some people just feel chilly at a relatively warm 18 degrees Celcius. Of course, being the courteous driver, you have to accomodate for them…and this is where the centre instrument panel with brand new aircond control dials comes in handy.

#7 Red is the new black

trimmings

Check out the new red stitching on the seats, shift and steering wheel of the Vios 1.5G TRD. It’s subtle but it’s noticable. I feel faster already!

#8 God is in the details

The new Toyota Vios 1.5G and 1.5G TRD Sportivo has design and performance changes which makes one of the best selling cars in Malaysia all the better (better-er?).

vios g front

There’s a new grille

vios g back

A remake of the rear combi lamp

An all new combination leather seat in addition to the other details in this Vios makeover documented above

#9 Economical with the truth

concealed

If you noticed (which you won’t) the new Vios 1.5G varients have concealed front center storage. I love this. Anything with the word “concealed” appeals to me…until the 5-0 learns about it of course. πŸ™

Otherwise, you can just put whatever you want inside there and there’s no one to stop (and search) you.

…and another thing about (fuel) economy, the VVT-i engine will get you far. Take it from a Vios owner. It’s easy on the wallet when you pull up to a gas station.

#10 Fast and furious

rear

Well, at least look the part – with the new TRD Sportivo aerokit, seat fabric and suspension kit.

sportivo

Now the latter will really help a lot when that ciplak car beside you with its big modified exhaust and boosted up sound system makes the driver think it has +666 HP – until you leave him in the dust. πŸ˜‰

I kinda feel bad after going for that test drive with the Toyota Vios 1.5G TRD Sportivo coz it makes my current ride feel…so old. And I don’t like being reminded of my age. :p Time to save up then for an upgrade!

i want

Desirability…do you have it?

Webpage: http://www.toyota.com.my
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ToyotaMY
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ToyotaMY
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ToyotaViosMy

Serious about pies

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pies

No, not poontang pie. The regular, good ol’ down under pies. I’ve been to PAKn’SAVE (which seems to have upstaged Countdown as the premier grocery shopping place in New Zealand) and sampled their wide variety of pies.

paknsave

Bacon and cheese with egg. Shepard’s pie. Pork and apple pie (my favorite – a contrast of sweet and sour, like life). It’s one of those things I’ve missed since I’ve came back from Aussie. A simple pie doused with ketchup on top.

jesters

One of the best places I’ve had pies during my previous week in Auckland is Jesters (who are really serious about pies). They have a wide range (including the pork and apple pie I was talking about – trust me, it tastes better than it sounds).

No, this has nothing to do with my fantasies of migrating to New Zealand with Jestina. *cough*

How much floor should you use to make a pizza?

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pizza floor

I’m much more interested in the pounds of ceiling and wall the toppings are made from. πŸ˜‰

The funny thing is that this came out in an issue where there was an insert apologizing about a misprint in the previous one saying that Kadazans are from Sarawak with an addendum that more care will be taken for future publications. Kadazans are from Sabah, with the exception of Karen Mayer coz she’s just special that way.

Reclaim the night!

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zouk

phobia /f’oʊbiΙ™/
Synonyms:
noun: fear
phobias (plural)
A phobia is a very strong irrational fear or hatred of something

twin towers

Remember my post entitled Fear of the dark? BTW, for red blooded men “hatred” is a synonym for “fear”. πŸ˜‰

party people

I just thought you’ll like to have an insight into the XY Chromosome brain.

sony tx7 touch screen

I managed to get my grubby paws on a Cyber-shot TX7 and decided to take it out for a night out of clubbing!

intro

Their were hens night too.A hen party is seen as a special event their. All were dancing with pole and shirtless. That was really a treat for girls eye.

cheers

I’ve always been apprehensive (Read: afraid) of taking photos at night due to the tragic results that inevitably happens. I’ll take 10 photos in a row and ALL of them will turn out bad. >.<

camwhore

However, ever since the Cyber-shot TX7 I have faced my fears and conquered them! Here’s my awesome night out at Zouk in KL with friends the previous weekend.

b52

I love the rich and textured quality of the photos. There’s Intelligent Auto Adjustment – perfect for the lazy ones among us.

the girls

Hand-held Twilight is another Godsend from the good people at Sony. A lot of clubs don’t allow you to bring in dSLRs so a compact that can rival a dSLR in night shots is your best bet.

night out

There are also heaps of Scene Selection options – from Twilight Portrait to Gourmet (for taking food photos) in addition to whimsical features like Pet.

food

Food, glorious food! It finally looks like what it should be!

panoramic

A panoramic shot! Easy peasy to do.

our family

The thing that really takes the cake in terms of the Cyber-shot TX7 is the option of taking 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio photos.

velvet

You won’t know how useful widescreen is until you’ve used it in a club with people jostling you around and elbowing you to get some dance space. You can also take 8 photos in a row – perfect for OCD people like me who likes to choose the best possible picture from a range.

photos

Personally, the feature I like the most in the TX7 is the ability to shoot in HD quality video, so I’m going to show you how well it performs in low lighting conditions with multi colored strobe lights messing with the sensor.

I have had a lot of problems with shooting videos in my previous digicam and with the HD quality video recording with this, it’s really tempting me to go back to Cyber-shot digicams. It’s sleek as hell and easy to slip into your pocket or purse for a great night out. The touch screen works wonders too in getting a lot of appreciative glances from the people around you. πŸ˜‰

Check out the full product specs here. All photos taken with the TX7, except the ones featuring it, obviously.

I only have one complain about the Cyber-shot TX7. I’ll have to return it tomorrow. πŸ™

sony tx7 model

Can I keep it please?

Empress Garden Restaurant, Herne Bay, Auckland

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Empress Garden Restaurant

We went for a family dinner before my mom’s operation slated the next day. I wanted to bring her to a nice restaurant but my mom has very Chinese tastes and wanted to go to a Chinese restaurant.

peking duck

My sister recommended Empress Garden – it’s supposed to be the best Peking Duck place in Auckland (which isn’t saying much, trust me) and the sheer volume of patrons requires a reservation in advance. The place was packed!

duck feet

We had an entree of cold boneless duck feet. Tasty, and no pesky bones to get in the way of your enjoyment of animal foot fetish. πŸ˜‰

peking duck dish

Anyway, about the Peking Duck, which is the headliner for this place, it’s prepared in the usual three-part procedure – the duck skin, the second phase (lots of options here) and the third dish (usually soup).

peking duck prep

I didn’t find the Peking Duck to be particularly authentic – it doesn’t only come with the skin but also some meat (!!!). How liddat?

peking duck eat

We had the sesame pockets for the second course – you put the minced duck meat cooked with chai bo and stuff it into warm pastries.

sesame pockets

Pretty good.

sesame seed filled

The third course is duck soup with vegetables and tofu.

peking duck soup

All three duck dishes comes from the Peking duck – utilized to the fullest, the bone is used to cook the soup.

duck soup

Obligatory dish of veggies – being not a fan of green things (except those you smoke instead of cook). I don’t know what it is, my mom ordered it.

veggies

Also, one last dish of Kung Pow pork. I have serious doubts about this. It looks more like sweet and sour pork instead of Kung Pow pork (no dried chillis) but they cook it with chilli oil instead.

kung pow chicken

The Peking Duck costs NZD 80 alone. The entire bill came up to about NZD 170 which is RM 387 – pretty cheap considering we couldn’t even finish it. >.<

Posted 1:56 PM NZ time

iPhone plans explained in terms you can relate to

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maxis iphone 3gs

ON ARM CANDY VS A REAL GIRLFRIEND

I’m sure you know the difference so I won’t insult your intelligence. Oh wait, I will. Haha! Arm candy is someone you bring out but it doesn’t make much financial sense to be with while a real girlfriend is someone practical whom you are planning to start a family with. How often do you go out? Do you really need all that data when it’s nigh impossible to surf that much (1GB and above per month? WTF you doing? Downloading porn?). Your steady gal here is Maxis who gives you the thing that matters the most – minutes of talk time. Practical, sensible and probably the XX Chromosome you wanna have kids with.

breaking up

ON BREAKING UP

Okay, think of it this way. You’re dating this hot new girl and you’re not sure whether you want to be in a relationship with her. Say you want to change girlfriends. Maxis allows you the option of either breaking up with them after a year, or going into a long term relationship with them.

With the competition, there is no option. You’re stuck with that girl for 2 years even though you would gouge your eyes out and poke out your eardrums with sharp toothpicks to avoid her constant nagging.

Options = good.

booty call

ON BOOTY CALLS

You want it now and you want it fast. That hot, sweet and fast action without the girl suddenly going all psychotic and renegading on the arrangement and wanting to get into a 2 year relationship. You call, she comes, whether in KL, Penang, Ipoh or JB. Maxis has near 100% HSPA+ coverage in Klang Valley and HSPA coverage in most major towns. The competition on the other hand, only has limited 3G coverage in most areas. Why are you buying an iPhone 3GS if you’re surfing on a lower speed?

It doesn’t make sense brothers and sisters.

high maintanence

ON HIGH MAINTENANCE GIRLFRIENDS

Let’s say you’re dating two girls. One of them only expects you to buy her the occasional dinner (you need to eat anyway) which works out to about RM 80 per month on Maxis’ 0% interest easy payment option (iPhone only). The other one sounds good at the start, but constantly bugs you to buy stuff you don’t need every month, which works out to RM 106 per month…and after two years of her crap, she hits you with another whammy – you still haven’t paid for her, and you’re stuck with her for another loooong year. Let me spell this out for you – after two years on the competition’s iPhone plan, you STILL have to pay for your phone (technically, you don’t own it yet) and ALSO the monthly commitment fee. By the Gods above, Fine Print (TM) is a fine thing indeed eh? *sarcasm*

Drop that high maintenance girlfriend and check out the iValue Maxis iPhone plans now!

Maxis customers also get free local calls and SMS between family lines – something that’s important after all the time you’ve spent chasing tail and neglecting your filial obligations. πŸ˜‰

One, 29 buns

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29 buns

One, 29 buns, all in good fun
Pink fluffy ones
And, after a bottle of rum
It’s good and done
It goes plus one,
Another year runs!

I got a box of 29 buns from a friend who managed to catch me before I flew off. She even heated them up – apparently it’s a Chinese tradition to eat these buns during birthdays but I must have been skipping class when they taught that in culture class.

Anyway, Lainey also dropped by as I was about to shower and head off to the airport to catch a flight to NZ. I haven’t seen her in ages…it’s good to catch up!

lains

Yes, I’m wearing the same shirt – haven’t showered for more than 24 hours. T_T

I’ll be in New Zealand for the rest of next week for my mom but I’ll still have net access so it’s business as usual. Okay, gotta rush to catch a plane now, my dad is already here.

Twinsky Seafood, KK with RM 15 abalone

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twinsky seafood rock fish

Ask anyone* where the best seafood in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is and they’ll inevitably say “Ocean Seafood”. Don’t. Just don’t.

twinsky seafood

I’ve been there, done that, bought the motherfucking t-shirt and I stand here as witness that it’s a tourist trap.

twinsky seafood tanks

* Now’s probably a good time to say that anyone means hotel personnel.

twinsky fresh seafood

You wanna eat where the locals eat? Are you a traveller or a tourist?

twinsky choose

Ignore me if you’re the latter. However, if you’re a serious traveller, head on over to Twinsky Seafood where there is fresh seafood, much better than all the fancy air conditioned, scented napkins, attentive service restaurants.

twinsky live seafood

Don’t get me wrong, the good people at Twinsky Seafood has damn good service as well and the place is absolutely fucking packed when we went there. We didn’t even go during peak hour – that’s a testament (okay, okay, cutting down on Biblical references now) to how good their food is.

Go on a tour of the establishment and you can pick and choose the marine life that you want to consume.

digging gold

Would appreciate it if you kept the gold prospecting away from the fresh seafood.

rock fish

Aww…poor fish. Sucks to be you.

Alrighty then let’s get to the meat (no pun intended) of the post:

twinsky crabs

Crabs in hot and sour sauce. This is good and you get to choose the crustacean that you want.

twinsky sabah abalone

Sabah Green Abalone. It only costs RM 15 per abalone. (!!!)

sabah abalone

I told you seafood is cheap in KK right? The portions are larger than what you’ll expect in KL and it’s juicy and sweet.

sabah style abalone

Best dish ever.

twinsky sea fish

This is a sea fish that we ordered. Wait ah, lemme get my wallet to see how much it is.

mango appetizer

Chup! I forgot about the delicious pickled papaya appetizer.

twinsky seafood stone fish

Rock fish a.k.a. stone fish. It sounds a bit dodgy as Jerine pointed out (and she swore not to eat it at first) but when it was served…it’s magical. =D

twinsky seafood me

It’s cooked HK style with soy sauce (as all fresh fish should be prepared) and it tasted delicious. It was hard to the touch at the tank, yeah, stating the fucking obvious here, there’s a reason it’s called stone fish but after steaming…it’s the best thing that hits your palate. Smooth, silky with all the right tones.

stone fish

The entire meal costs about RM 250-300 – I don’t have the receipt coz Jerine paid for the meal.



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