so fast

Posted on July 7, 2010 by gee

It’s July. Time for a repost. This blog is so full of originality.

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are you experienced?

Posted on June 20, 2010 by gee

There was supposed to be an entry about Spring Break, and about London. The draft post is sitting there in probably its fourth incarnation now. It’s still sitting there because it’s not saying what I want it to say.

Instead, the words kept being about something else. Like, say, Ithaca by Constantine P. Cavafy.

Ithaca was shared with me by a very good friend some dozen years ago. Under what context I forget now. But to this day, whenever I set foot in a new part of the world I think to myself, hah, I made it. In Ithaca, these would’ve been my Phoenician markets and Egyptian cities… But more and more, the last line of the poem makes me think different: “that you should understand already what these Ithacas mean”.

These Ithacas? What’s with the plural? Hm… So, change of perspective in recent years — I no longer think of Ithaca as a someday-someplace thing. Ithaca is when I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb– no wait, wrong reality. Oh yea, Ithaca is when I learned to stop worrying about what others thought you were supposed to be doing.

If I did what others thought I was supposed to do I would have more than likely, to say nothing of where I’d be living and what kind of job I’d be holding down, be visiting the Tower of London in a theme park in Shenzhen; I wouldn’t be in London, looking at the Tower of London and getting drenched, while walking Tower Bridge, in a storm that was so quick and fierce it felt like getting sandblasted. How can one even begin to compare the experience of that to seeing a facsimile completely removed from context in a different continent?

My mother has an anecdote she likes to bore us with every so often: her scrooge-like bosshad once declared, “No need to travel lah, watch tv can already.” To which she responded (very wittyly too, she would tell you), “Ya lah, you also no need to eat lah, see pictures can already.”

Pictures, images, and miniatures only tell you so much of the story. The rest is for you to write your own. This entry is 3 months late. With any luck, the rest of this summer will be more productive for fatuitous thoughts, and more Ithacas to follow.

Posted in Travel | 1 Comment

grawr

Posted on May 29, 2010 by gee

End of school year brings me stress and a healthy serving of mood a la foul. So I’m going to vent by listing out three major things that piss me off about Twitter and Facebook users:

1. Bad spelling
This annoys me in general but if I have to see your sloppy, couldn’t-be-arsed, consistently atrocious spelling on my news feed it is annoying to the point where I will submit you to lamebook.com.

2. Using pics of their children as profile pictures.
I know you have an ugly mug, okay? Listen, you can’t live your life through your children. And while I’m talking about children and facebook… for the love of decency DON’T REFER TO YOUR CHILD AS YOUR PRINCESS OR PRINCE.

3. The abuse of the Retweet feature.
Does this really require an explanation?

Posted in Everyday Things | 1 Comment

But at least it’s not a house of cards what…

Posted on May 11, 2010 by gee

No seriously, they weren’t using it as some kind of structural insulation:

Polystyrene window frame shock for house buyers [The Star]

BUTTERWORTH: Several house buyers in Taman Ampang Jajar here had a rude shock when they checked the houses – the outer frames of their windows were made from polystyrene.

A buyer, Lee Kim Tatt, 35, claimed that the polystyrene pieces were covered with a thin layer of cement.

…

A representative for the project’s architect said the frames were merely decorative pieces that should not be stepped on.

Unnnn-freaking-believable. I mean, if they were clever they would have at least tried to pass it off as some form of new energy saving insulation.

Note to self: Think twice before buying property back home.

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that’s unfortunate

Posted on May 3, 2010 by gee

The words Stephanie March and White House all together in one sentence gets me all a twitter. So even though Smarch wasn’t at the White House or doing anything White House-y, I’m excited to report sightings of the erstwhile Best-ADA-on-SVU-ever was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

That dress is all kinds of unfortunate.

Wish I had more to report. The only thing I know for sure is that Smarch spoke to a CNN guy, a AC360 guy, and this is what he has to say:

“I talked with that former Law and Order prosecutor/actress, Stephanie March, some. She was friendly, but seemed to get a little irritated when after everything she said I went, ‘DUH-DUNHT!’” [Source]

Everybody thinks they’re funny after the Correspondents’ Dinner…

Posted in Stephanie March | 3 Comments

how my brain works, a snapshot

Posted on April 11, 2010 by gee

I called some students a bunch of “pre mitosis gnats” earlier today. Don’t ask where that came from…. my thoughts, they sometimes just fall out without my consent. But it wasn’t to their face. Anyways, that made me think of the fun phases of the process especially when they were pronounced in Malay. Anafasa and telofasa was not funny to you? It was to me. I only remember telofasa because in the textbook and in revisions books the illustrations for the telophase always reminded me of a telur. True fact. Ah, mnemonics. And I will always remember that mitosis and meiosis was the first question of the second paper of biology, which was also the final paper on the final day of SPM exams and which I’m sure I bombed so spectacularly it’s really quite amazing that I didn’t fail the subject. I consistently had nightmares about those exams over the next ten years. Biology wasn’t fun. The only fun there was to be had was the joke about a garden hose and vas deferens.

And this is how my brains zigs and zags and zigs again when it really should be zagging.

Posted in Everyday Things | 1 Comment

To summarize

Posted on March 20, 2010 by gee

What to talk about… what to talk about??

Work is not blog material, life in Kuwait is work and sleep, and I’ve spent more hours in malls in this last year than in the previous 3 years.

I miss alcohol from time to time. I miss the climbing gym.

It gets very dusty here. Thank god for housekeepers.

I have a chronic pain on my left foot.

It’s nice to be somewhat gainfully employed with health insurance.

I haven’t gone to see the doctors yet about the pain.

SVU is a piece of crap. Stephanie March is still hot.

My ipod died its second — and seemingly final — death.

I have a Blackberry.

Even with a smartphone overall I’ve spent less time on the internet since starting work.

I went to Lebanon and saw the Mediterranean sea.

I miss tennis.

In about one week I’ll finally have set foot in Europe for the very first time. London calling!

That’s pretty much it for now.

Posted in Everyday Things | 4 Comments

return of the wack

Posted on March 15, 2010 by gee

I need to start blogging again more often. Sometimes I have things to say and 140 characters is not cutting it.

Watch this space.

Posted in Everyday Things | 1 Comment

6th year running

Posted on February 14, 2010 by gee

Got to have a post today just cause I have one every year for the last five years.

Also, ’tis CHINESE NEW YEAR. HOLLAAAAA.

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Preternatural goblokness*

Posted on January 21, 2010 by gee

Malaysians advised against being immersed in Facebook, Twitter. Our Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim was quoted saying:

“They are just selling Facebook, Twitter, L-Band and various other services, even through space, as a product but we do not do such business. We accept all this in a state of cultural shock,” he said.

Um. I have no fucking clue what the means. His cryptic, swaying train of thought is as WTF-inducing as a certain former Alaskan Governor. This fler is more than a katak bawah tempurung, it’s a deaf and blind katak under a tempurung buried under six feet of manure.

I think everything that can be said about this nitwit has already been said. The paper reported the backlash, and on Twitter was where the fun was. So search the hash tag #yorais for hours of enjoyment.

One final comment: I don’t know if he says this because he’s stupid or he thinks the rakyat is stupid. They stood flabbergasted after having their seat majority slashed and bloggers were voted in to public office in the last general election. The continual dismissal of the capabilities of new media to disseminate information will be their downfall. But let’s not give them any ideas…

*I used this phrase offhandedly on Facebook one time. It rolled off the tongue so well that I’m gonna keep it. “Preternatural goblokness” ® ©

Posted in On Being Malaysian | 1 Comment

year in review, by way of facebook statuses

Posted on December 31, 2009 by gee

January
is ready for teh rose bowl
has developed a love-hate relationship with the word ‘diversity’
wants to hug and kiss strangers; Alex Cabot is baaaaaack!
is 3 more weeks to new years. yes!
if only it didn’t “feels like -1″… brrrrr
is all like, “frak you!”
is waking up from a nightmare that lasted 8 years.
is stop saying happy new year! you’re all making me think i missed it!
is way to stay classy Aussie Open fans!
HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR! ????!
is jet setting this weekend
is Liverpool or Chelsea?
is almost a for-reals librarian.

February
is making dumplings. stupid kroger ground pork… >.>
is leaving on a jet plane. See you on the other side of the planet.
is obviously jetlagged.
is addicted to Spore. Curse you Maxis!!
Yay Mauresmo (now just rinse, repeat at Roland Garros)
is waiting on the rain
sadly acknowledges that Guitar Hero pwnage is not a resume skill.
tiada gentar meskipun it’s all fubar.
… still blaming it on the bossa nova

March
blew beaucoup bucks on books at borders
can time travel.
can time travel, & am now only 12 hrs ahead of eastern time instead of 13.
commences hating on the new facebook
happy spring breaking, kids
tiene muuuuucho hambre.
want to go see Lee Hom (no, seriously)
C’mon SC! Beat the Eagles!
holeeee cripes! we beat BC! Next up: #2 Mich St. Can’t watch!
gah basketball. gah.
is really tired of the HP vs Twilight debate. Please just go away.
still giggles everytime she sees the “Dana Scully Does Not Have Time for Your BULLSHIT” bumper sticker…
Will Ferrell, get on Twitter. ’cause Pete Carroll sed so! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh5KweP3qdo
hey, man. I’m alive. I’m takin each day a night at a time.
runs around screaming, ‘KIM CLIJSTERS IS RETURNING TO TENNIS’ thankyougod.

April
misses bloomington.
is all along the watchtower
is all across the universe
is all your base are belong to us
likes easter. six feet tall pink easter bunnies, not so much.
is now properly licensed and diplomafied. fear me.
“It’s hard to talk when you’re teabagging.” – Anderson Cooper
happy 4/20
Depeche Mode free concert in LA this Thursday. askjfhapofikjcnaiv!!!!!! there. I feel better now.
actually kinda misses Little 5 weekend…?
Man United!
thanks IU Auditorium, for emailing me your 09-10 season lineup. I really needed to know that Yo Yo Ma and Avenue Q will be there when I’m not.

May
congrats to those graduating. YiPPeeIT’SSumMErrrr to the rest.
i have no desire to wear big fugly hats but I WILL drink a mojito in honor of the Derby.
wondering what else to do with the leftover rum… eyes the container of raisins XFD
cinco de mayo on a tuesday is just an excuse to extend the partying done this last weekend. eeeeeexcellent.
is doing her Happy Man U dance, which, is kinda like her Happy Snoopy dance.. which is, kinda like her Happy Everything dance.
aaw, Kyle Taber is graduating.
wants Guitar Hero Metallica. kthxbai.
is watching NASA tv cuz i’m that nerdy
if i had a vote, my vote would not be for Adam. (don’t hate!)
Man U wins the Premiere League!
watching Wimbledon Centre Court new retractable roof ‘opening ceremony’
will take summer music recommendations now. Unapologetically mainstream is ok by me.
I swear I had nothing to do with how the result of American Idol turned out…
Once again, it’s Roland Garros. Once again I’m taking bets on when Mauresmo *facepalm* will announce her retirement.
Remember: I love you all. Just not at the same time.
Roger Federer – Roland Garros Champion. (I totally just jinxed him there)

June
Dear librarians, I miss working on a ref desk. Am I weird? Sincerely, me.
I’m on emran’s crackberry! Coveting it!
hates Hartamas traffic! Hate. Haaaate. BENCI.
Google Sites – you’re lame. I hope to never have to teach a class on using you.
is trying to have a positive status update… processing… please wait.
hearts Dewa 19 so much at this moment.

July
Facebook, I have been ignoring you… and it feels good.
Rather jealous of librarian peeps at ALA Chicago.
Ok, REALLY jealous of librarian peeps in Chicago now. ::sadface::
I has a PS3! GTA IV here I come!!!
fell into a big ass closet, still clutching the PS3 controller.
would like everyone to appreciate that “flour” has one syllable, not two.
No, I have no idea why I thought Man U was playing in Sing instead of here. I’ll go kick myself in the head now.
has a date with the Boy Who Lived.
has a crush on the Boy Who Lived.
has laptop battery issues and is not a happy camper today.
eclipse!
laptop problem fixed. cause I’m awesome like that.
would like to give you one tight slap.
needs to pack.
hopes you’re having a nice hump day.
has a new toy.
has a new toy and would give it up to be able to have been in San Diego last weekend.

August
just had a really good day with her brother and niece.
loves her Craftsmans tools. It beats a can opener and Swiss Army knife when you need to put furniture together.
is gonna attempt to find USJ2 after not having been there for 10 years, armed with nothing but an address and memory.
Has been vindicated – the more common word is ‘jelak’ and not ‘muak’. Haha to Emran.
<3 ‘s the Trojans. Bring on football season already!!
has Color Me Badd in the head but does NOT want to sex you up.
is now at 29°22’11″N 47°58’42″E?. Net access intermittent. Send some lovin!!!
loving Kuwait. Miss you all.
haz teh interwebz now.
has Homeroom duties and is excited about it.
has yet to achieve a critical mass of significant knowledge.
misses buka puasa food and is really hungry right now.
is thinking about museums.
is not going to do it all in the first year.
Shout out to the Quadrant of Waste. Holla back!
is actually nervous about first day of school. Eeek!

September
it’s college football season. *happy dance*
was on a boat.
isn’t really having the best start to the week
Hey school librarians – need a 10 minute library activity that won’t insult the fragile egos of 11th/12th graders and their intelligence. Ideas??
Heaven forbid we let the man in the office to which we have our kids aspire to actually speak directly to them.
finally got around to getting a local SIM card.
Go Kim, go!!
Good luck, Buckeyes.
Serena cussing? Kim in the finals? Matt Barkley, frosh QB marching the Trojans to victory? I NEED TV!!!!
YES, KIM! Wooooooo!
wishes you all a Selamat Hari Raya.
Washington is not a happy place for the Trojans.
Beat Wazzu!
wants to go to Abu Dhabi F1

October
remembered to tim tam slam today. It was good.
is a gherkin?
I’m not asking for much, Hoosiers; just don’t let the Buckeyes run circles around ya.
In case you were wondering… yes, I did use my library’s laser scanner and pointed it at Google’s homepage today.
has had Facebook fail for past 36 hours and is therefore plenty out of the loop.
weeded.
Someone tell me how to not respond sarcastically when asked – by a grown up no less – if I have an astronomy section in the library.
Happy Deepavali/Diwali!
Just saw the news about tanker explosion on I-465. Like, whoah.
Dhoom!
FB eated my statuses

November
*facepalm* USC got beat by the damn ducks
Oh Hoosiers.. so close yet so far.
finally, lemon flavoured toothpaste again!
wants to start a wild rumpus.
is thankful for booze and bacon. whaaaaat
go Boise State! and FUCLA. kthxbai.

December
is now one of those blackberry zombies
Not sure but I think I need to weed this book… “Exploring careers in the computer field” Published 1990.
like the rest of the world I have Google Wave invites. Hit me up if you want one
show your local food bank some love. kthxbai.
If you don’t know, as of today, Facebook will automatically start plunging the Earth into the Sun. To change this option, go to Settings –> Planetary Settings –> Trajectory then UN-CLICK the box that says ‘Apocalypse.’ Facebook kept this one quiet. Copy and paste onto your status for all to see. (via Anne Haines)
is cold
slept for 14 hours. How YOU doin’?
Hey Facebook, why must I download your plugin to upload photos? You suck. Love, me.
My digits while in KL: +6017 3646 154.
Happy Christmas and all that shiz.

Posted in Everyday Things | 1 Comment

oh yeaaaa

Posted on October 26, 2009 by gee

Went to mall and saw these gems.

First off, at IKEA’s everything-and-thekitchen-sink section — make sure you read the entire thing:

Next, at Carrefour:

If you think I don’t have at least two jokes about “underware” and “packing” you don’t know me

Posted in The Eeenglish Police | 1 Comment

Smarch snacking

Posted on October 4, 2009 by gee

Oh, lord. The woman loves her doughnuts. Fried ones. *whimper*

Bobby Flay thinks doughnuts are underrated lately. “Everyone is suddenly on a health kick, but doughnuts are a very important part of cuisine, in my book,” he said at the after-party for the new Tracy Letts play, Superior Donuts.
Even the play, about a doughnut shop in Chicago, “gives doughnuts a bad rap,” he said. “Think about it — they’re fried, they’re sweet, they have a fantastic flavor, a great contrast in texture. What’s better than a doughnut? And it goes great with a cup of coffee!”
Could health fiends add a few doughnuts to their diets? “Yeah, just serve it with yogurt,” Flay suggested.
So where do he and his wife, actress Stephanie March, go for a doughnut? “There was this Krispy Kreme that was really 200 yards away from our apartment. I’m sad it’s closed now,” March said. Flay went with a foodier favorite, Doughnut Plant, who catered the party: “They’re really good,” he said. “And they’re fried,” March added. “Let’s not forget they’re fried.”

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/around-town/food-drink/FOODD-Bobby-Flay-Asks-Whats-Better-Than-a-Doughnut-63423157.html

Posted in Music, Movies, TV and Books, Stephanie March | 4 Comments

sheee’s back!

Posted on September 22, 2009 by gee

smarch_lahti

Twitpic by svumac [http://twitpic.com/imrh2]

Posted in Music, Movies, TV and Books, Stephanie March | 2 Comments

It’s not that I don’t love you anymore

Posted on September 6, 2009 by gee

I just don’t know what to say these days.

How lah?

Addendum: but I think once life gets more settled here, I’ll have much to say about SVU, college  football and life’s general meandering course.

Posted in Everyday Things | Leave a comment