friends in need are friends indeed....

damn....i wish i could be home with my best friends....
especially when shit happens...*sigh*....

as long as they knw tht im ALWAYS there for them and tht they've always got my shoulder to cry on and ear to listen to everything...=)

i feel for them and i wish them my love and tht i wish the very best in getting things sorted...

*hugzzzz*....

the day tht was bipolar....

today's just one of those days where it can be "YAY!" one minute and "fuck this shit" the nxt...

it started out pretty good i'd say - despite the crappy rainy weather we've been having the whole day. anyway yeah, had a good night's sleep and went for a job interview. here comes the yay! part - i got it....as predicted, it's a waiting job - at a city hotel. it'll only be on sunday mornings, during their brekkie crowd. so yeah, i dont mind the 6 or 7am start if it gets me $12.50 an hour! and i only have to work about +/-5hrs each sunday! =) haha...yeah man...this will help fund my cds, concert tics and coffee...and maybe a trip up north to visit the northland kids....=) and i start tmrw! it'll be like a test-run, in tht i'll actually start working, bt they'll also be teaching me the ropes along the way. hopefully after about 6wks, if i do good enough, i mite juz get a pay-rise! heheh....

because i juz got this job, i decided to reward myself la....hehe..went over to JB Hi-fi to check out some cheap cds....dear God, i was exercising such self-restraint! there were so bloody many cds i wanted! bt yeah, i had to control myself and save it for another trip...=) and so, i settled for only 2 cds - The Clash "the singles" and "100 best piano classics".....hehe....=)

so yeah...the day went on pretty ok la after tht...juz lepakking at home...with my dumb CAT and CCS...*sigh*...bt then evening and nite came...and as usual, the oestrogen overdose became an issue for me...hehe...well, wht can i say...its definately NOT something im used too..

so yeah, shit happens...and here i am, keeping a safe distance, in the sanctuary of my room...accompanied by bono on vocals....=)

so yeah, like the title says - the day tht was bipolar....yay one minute...then fuck....

crazy and incarcerated....

prison is definately an interesting place....=)
u see lotsa different people....
especially when u're in the medical section and u're checking out the psych patients...

pretty bizarre and interesting day...=)

SickSickSick...

dammit!!! living with flatmates who have been constantly sick since we got here more than 4wks ago has finally taken a toll on me...

i was soo happy la before this, being grateful tht im still standing, tak kena pape lagi...suddenly it started last nite...i was juz coughing non-stop! and it was the kind of cough tht was dry and i could feel how hoarse and sore my larynx was! dammit laa....i think it was precipitated by the biscuit overload i had tht morning during the Rata Unit Clnicals...too much bikkies, not enough water... *sigh*...

the worse part is...i thought it would've resolved by now, or at least NOT progress..off course tht wasnt gonna happen...today, my bloody NOSE started LEAKING!!! gila babi annoying seh....and because it has been leaking, i've had to obviously keep on blowing and wiping it dry. and now, my nose is sore!!

sedih, sedih....i really, really hope this gets better....
or at least not get worse, especially with the prison visit tmrw...

stupid thing of the day...=)

my life and my days typically involves me doing stupid/crazy things...and today's NO different...=)

today, i decided to leave work at mason clinic early. juz cos it was pretty boring after the highlight of the day - sitting in on the interview with a totally bonkers patient, convicted of robbery and possesion of stolen goods and firearms. anyway yeah, i left at 3pm and dengan gila-nyer, decided to walk home!

haha....yeah, so door-to-door, from mason clinic back home to mt terrace, took approximately 1 1/2 hrs! hahaha....by car - only abt 10-15mins? =) and i think the distance was only abt 7kms or so? hahah....gile ke tak? =)

will i do this again tmrw? and the days after tht? we'll see how rajin i end up...=)

my 2nd chicken dish...=)

garlic chicken stir-fry with bokchoy...

sambal kangkung with udang..=)

hehe....yes....its another attempt at making a proper dish.....=)
the name: garlic chicken stir-fry with bokchoy...=) and this time....it's courtesy of this little cook-book on chicken dishes tht mama gave me before i came back to auckland...=) hehe....

so yeah, i chose this recipe....and i FINALLY cooked something! my 2nd chicken dish after the chicken cacciatore...=) hhahaha...so why all chicken, u ask? well, cos thts all the "meat" (other than fish) tht i eat here....=) so why not laa....hahahah....at least i'll finally use up the chicken i bought from the 1st week i got here...=)

so yeah...it didnt taste half bad....hehe...=) so why not la kan? asalkan perut kenyang, can already laa...=)

MissionBay Jazz/Blues Street Festival

the date...16.02.2008...
the place...Mission Bay...
the setting...MUSIC HEAVEN!!!

well, it was for me...=)
it was fantabulous!!! it was blues, jazz, salsa, and more! all rolled into one awesome nite!!!
it was like i was in a chocolate shop!!! sooo much awesome-ness, so much good stuff to choose from!!! =)

well, the event itself was scheduled to be on from 6-11pm...by the time we got the bus from britomart, it was already close to 6...there were lotsa ppl ready to go...when we got there, it was a short queue to get in and believe me, the $5 entrance fee was very well worth every single cent!!! =)

knowing me, when it comes to awesome music like this, i ended up being oblivious of everything else, and before u knw it, i was seperated from the girls i came with - sal, nurul & pu3....bt yeah, all was good, as we met up for fish & chips...=) as is with auckland weather, it began to rain, as it had been the whole day - bloody passing showers! =) bt tht didnt stop the music...it was sooo good, listening to all tht music around you...

before u knw it, i was off on my own again...seeing as how the girls were busy taking photos at the beach and checking out the food stalls...for me, all these were secondary...music - esp jazz/blues came first!! =) i've probly said this a million times in this post itself, bt they were AWESOME!!! =)

i think my favourite for the nite was this jazz/funk group called "Grand Central Band"...they were exactly the kind of jazz i love! so yeah, i stayed and swayed at their booth the longest! they made classics and non-jazz songs into awesome jazz pieces...i was hooked! they were selling their cds, and being a fan of cds, i really, really wanted a copy! bt damn, it was pretty mahal - $25 each...hmm..decisions...to buy, or not to buy....cos at the time, i only had $15 cash on me....so i asked if they played anywhere? and turns out, they play at a bar in Ponsonby called The Grand Central Bar fortnightly on thursdays...=) so yeah, the plan now, is to go watch them live adn see if the cds MIGHT maybe be cheaper...or heck, i'd juz enjoy them live...=) whynot? =)

so yeah, they're my new "obsession"...hehe....and oh yeah, there was this latin/salsa group which was also awesome...they're called "Voxnova"...definately very very cool....=) definately gonna check out wny gigs they have....=)

on to the nxt genre - BLUES...i really liked "CJ & The Sidewinders"...definately very cool! i think it was hillarious tht during their earlier sets, there were these 2middle-aged women who were juz dancing and bopping like they were 20 or something and it was funny cos at times they were stealing the spotlight from the band! hahaha...ppl actually stopped to look at them instead of the band's music...=) bt yeah...i get it...the band was awesome...=)

the nite ended with us heading off at ard 10pm-ish....man, were there a lot of ppl! bt thankfully there were busses regularly. so there wasnt much waiting. sal and i decided to walk back from britomart, which despite the cold summer night, was good - cos we decided to treat ourselves with some yummy strabucks...=) i got myself a mocha...=)

saturday nite was an awesome nite!!! a nite to be remembered!!! and if i were to ever have a first date, or any date to win me over - this is soooo it!!! =)

chicken cacciatore success!!! =)

chicken cacciatore...still in the pot....

chicken cacciatore

chicken cacciatore with mushroom risotto...=)

well, i'd like to think it was a success...hehe...

it all began when i found an "easy chicken cacciatore" recipe somewhere on the net...it did seem simple enough, and it was a good way for me to FINALLY cook the chicken breast i bought like 4wks ago! =)

so yeah, i had everything..juz took a couple of sal's tomatoes and omitted oregano which none of us had. the only thing i had to do for taste was to add some salt...too bad i didnt have some ground pepper lying around...bt oh well, notes for nxt time! =)

so yeah, i didnt turn out half bad...haha...im sooo happy for myself...hehe..ok laa...bangga sket...some self-praise here...i mean, its my 1st sorta "real dish"...which isnt juz random stir-fry veges with canned tuna...=)

and i had it with the instant mushroom risotto i made the other nite. tht one was definately easy..poured the contents out of the badg adn i juz added some onions, mushroom and greenbeans for extra yumm..=)

haha....baby steps nana, baby steps.....=)

and record of the yr goes to...

They’re tryin to make me go to rehab
I said no, no, no
Yes I been black, but when I come back
You wont know, know, know.

I aint got the time,
And if my Daddy thinks im fine,
He’s tried to make me go to rehab,
I wont go, go, go

she may be troubled, bt she rightfully won the record of the yr!!! with her awesome voice and words...why shouldnt she win it...=)
congrats amy winehouse...=)

and omg!!! i LOVE the performances...
esp josh groban & andrea bocelli...and even the 2 pianists....
such a great nite of music...=)

countdown to the winners...

its juz less than 8hrs away!!! one of the most star-studded nights in the music biz...=)
yes, i am talking abt the GRAMMY AWARDS....

i cant wait i cant wait...it'll be shown live at ard 8pm auckland time...woohoo...i can finally watch it live...accompanied by some dinner off course...=)

lets see..i really really hope the ppl i would like to see win do end up winning...
i hope amy winehouse, JT, maroon5 all win....=)

oh well, i guess we'll juz wait, watch and see...

ooh...really looking forward to the performances....

based on a true story....

[all names are fictional and have no relation to real characters..=)]

once upon a time, there was a girl..her name was N. she wasnt very feminine, nor was she beautiful on the outside. bt wht she lacked in physical beauty, she made up for with inner-beauty. she was a loyal friend. she will always have your back, anytime, anywhere, anyhow. she was also very blunt, not very mushy or girly-girl. and she was proud of who she was. however, there were times where she did wish that she was like every other girl - pretty, feminine and knew how to get the boys. bt just as quick as tht, she would snap out of it and be contented with the way things were.

she had always been unlucky in love. this time around, she had a new-found infatuation for a boy named S. bt when it came to matters of the heart, N was a rookie. she didnt knw how to properly flirt, how to properly tug at the strings of the boys' heart. and she also saw things the way the boys see it. so she has always been the friend. the dude. and she was happy with that. N had sadly turned cynical. it was all after a boy called G. since her brief encounter with him, she has given up all hope at finding prince charming.

all her friends knew she had an interest in I. they teased her, played up the situation. she took it all. for she knew that it was all untrue. that whtever infatuation she had was not returned. she wanted to belief that it was juz a phase. that she would soon get over it. the thing is, deep down i think that N really wants it all to be true. wants things to be such that I would like her in return. she knew that it was too far-fetched, bt it was somethign she could juz dream about. it was a constant struggle. N wanted so bad to NOT have any non-platonic feelings for I, bt it was proving to be tough. while she would successfully suppress it on most times, whenever she sees him, they come bubbling rite to the top again.

it didnt help that I was a favourite amongst the girls. he was a sweet-talker. he was a nice, honest, kind boy. he didnt have a hidden agenda or anything sleazy about him. amongst those who liked to hang out with him, was A. now A is a pretty girl. she was definately wht the guys would want. pretty on the outside, able to flirt her way thru anything, and man, could she dance. she was a girly-girl. someone the boys could fuss over. adn that worked for her. she has a steady prince and they're happy together. unfortunately N had noticed tht A payed a lot of attention to I. and vice-versa! I definately looks at A a lot and why not? she's a pretty sight. N had noticed a lot of this. N felt hurt. she felt betrayed. bt she knew it wasnt her right. I didnt belong to her. she never laid claim to him, so wht right did she have to them flirting with each other?

N told this observation to her friend H. H hadnt noticed this before. so tonight, there was a nite out in town. the girls were going and I was called along. N wasnt going, because she FELT ugly and she knew she WAS ugly and didnt belong with the pretty girls. now I is such a lovely person that he also wanted N to come along and tried his darndest to persuade her. bt N had made up her mind. she didnt want to feel inadequate whilst out with them. she hated the feeling and refused to go, despite them tempting her with the presence of S at their nite out. it was also during the preperation for their nite out that H came out to N and told her that she had noticed the flirting going on and concurred with N's observations. H felt sorry for N. N was defeated once again. she knew this was coming. she was used to it. she had always played second fiddle especially when it came to matters of the heart.

N is now going to look at the silver lining under this cloud. this incident would help her put I out of her mind. she will try to move on and to think of I merely as a friend and nothing more. because tht's certainly how it is and she refuses to get her hopes up high, only to have them crushed once again.

so i guess we'll see how it turns out for her. we'll see how this plays out for N, I and even A.