Captivated by the Brazilian Mojo

Heard this got featured on Capital FM's weekend segment - Global Passport. And, the effect was instantaneous. I fell in love.

Ela Partiu sung by Tim Maia

Ela partiu
Partiu e nunca mais voltou
Ela sumiu, sumiu e nunca mais voltou Se souberem onde ela esta
Digam-me e vou la busca-la
Pelo menos telefone em seu nome
Me deumflex; uma dica, uma pista, insistaEi! e nunca mais voltou
Ela sumiu, sumiu e nunca mais voltou Ela partiu, partiu
E nunca mais voltou
Se eu soubesse onde ela foi iria atras
Mas nao sei mais nem direcao
Varias noites que eu nao durmo um segundo
Estou cansado
Magoado exausto
E nunca mais voltou

(Translation)

She's gone
Gone and she hasn't come back
She disappeared, disappeared and hasn't come back if you know where she is
Tell me and I'll go and find her
At least call me up on her behalf
Give me a hint, a clue, I'm begging you She's gone
Gone and she hasn't come back
She's gone, gone
And she hasn't come back
She disappeared, disappeared and will never come back
If I knew where she went, I'd go and look for her
But I don't know which way to turn
So many nights that I can't sleep even for a second
I'm tired
Hurt, exhausted
And she hasn't come back

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Old school? But me like!

Cupid's Arrow: Past, Now, Future

Says Alicia to me,

I have never heard of a person who is love-struck but unhappy.
You are the first.

*looks down, twiddling thumbs*

Insecurity issues of the past? Indeed. Without letting go of the past, there's no looking forward to the future.
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And I could use a little distraction. Or so I thought.

A road trip to commemorate and relive the past. A conclusion to be drawn.

The upside, insecurity issues are in the past - that's to be sure. A new face replaced the old, ill-feelings are no longer harbored. There's so much to look forward to! Uncharted waters, yes; but endless opportunities too.

The downside, not much progress with new face. Que sera sera? I wonder.

Money-spending in Malaysia, today vs. a week ago

First week into 2014 and we decided to have our dinner at the hawker stalls. And that was when I really felt the pinch. Okay. Pinch is an understatement. A wild, painful twist. Gory? Not quite... but brutal.

Chicken rice was RM6.50. I felt like tearing up.
A week ago it was still RM5 to RM5.50?

Leungsui and a fruit juice cost RM4.80. Am totally baffled.
Leungsui used to be RM1.20 and fruit juice, RM2.50?

And I told Alicia (a good pal, she will be one of my frequent mentions in the blog!),

When we dine at Chili's, TGI's, or Nandos - though it's pricey food but the hike don't really hit us because we anticipated the price tags that come with the brand. Plus, it is usually a celebration or a gathering when we do dine at classy restaurants. You have already anticipated the bill and would have slap a RM50 note when it comes.

Realisation hits HARD when we actually eat-out at hawker stalls.

Source: http://savemoney.my/

And after seeing this, my thoughts are:
Start planting potatoes at the balcony and cultivate some hydroponic bayam at the living room. Somehow, I get the impression that my landlady would not be too pleased with my suggestions.

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Scratching head at the relevancy of (No.2) Selangor's state EXCO salary and (No.9) Temperature in the chart.

Telling Stories of Yasmin Ahmad, the Storyteller

First, it started off with Sepet. One of my lecturers and mentors - Mr Abel played the movie during one of his Mass Comm lessons... and I have a faint memory of myself sobbing with a smile tugging at the lips when the credits rolled.

Then Gubra. It's an extension to Sepet which I am so fond of.

Then I went on for Mukhsin. So sweet and pure. Real, even.

Muallaf. Can't help but sobbed away.

Talentime. Was so hooked to the OSTs at one time.

Beloved, respected, talented, sweet and gentle Yasmin Ahmad. 
You will be missed forever more.
Happy Birthday.

Al-Fatihah.

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One of my favourite songs by Yasmin. "Keroncong Hujan"


Mega mendung di angkasa
Hembusan bayu dingin terasa
Gerimis berderai di merata
Bagai mutiara

(Swirls of dark clouds in the sky
 Feeling the billowing cool breeze
 The drizzling came crumbling down
 Like fallen pearls)

Rahmat dibawa bersama
Limpahannya meresap jiwa
Adakala bahgia terasa
Meskipun duka nestapa

(Bringing together the blessings
 Overflowing and seeping into every soul
 Sometimes happiness is felt
 Even during testing times)

Tika hujan turun
Sayup mendayu hujan keroncong
Merdu irama dialun
Bersenandung

(When the rain falls
 Playing a faint and melancholic tune
 A melodious rhythm is strung
 And hummed)

Hujan membasahi bumi
Melahirkan keluhuran budi
Mengeratkan perpaduan suci
Kasih sayang abadi

(The rainfall wets the Earth
 Expressing its magnanimity
 Forging sincere ties and unity
 Of undying and eternal love)

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Re-watched snippets of Talentime and I still sobbed away.

A Dip in Positivity

Taokeh, less negativity please!

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Hours after hours of discussion on Whatsapp and the moment when you finally nail something down. The feeling itself is: ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

Realisation hits much later - communicating with artists ain't easy-peasy, in fact it can be scary-merry.

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When a 65 years old texted you for work advise, you know you're doing your work RIGHT.

Alicia's #shoutout in the background: Professionally, I never doubted you but I just can't say the same for matters of the heart laaarh!

Ain't running but a singing man: Lee Kwang Soo Fan Meeting Malaysia

And the three ladies went running to meet Lee Kwang Soo of Running Man.

Lady A: I think I watched one or two episodes before.
Lady B: Oh, cos' I got complimentary tickets. So, who wanna go with me?
Lady C: Running Man! Not my favourite, but he will do!

Nevertheless, the Running Ladies trio went ahead to attend Lee Kwang Soo Fan Meeting in Malaysia 2013 at KWC Fashion Mall.

Huge, towering, fluffy (?), like a polar bear - was my first impression of Lee Kwang Soo.

Although he is affectionately known as the 'Giraffe' by his fans. Due to this, there's a lot of giraffes running around the place. Giraffe headgears complete with blinking lights, giraffe floating balloons, giraffe jackets, giraffe jumpsuits, giraffe bags, giraffe plushies - I kinda enjoy watching the crowd of giraffe-look-a-likes gathering at the fan meeting. Oh. So this is what a Korean fan meeting looks like. Interesting.

Personally, I love the emcee more. Talented and fun Baki. Proficient in multi-languages, still quirky as ever and his sudden Ya Allah! Baru naik pentas nak peluk lagi! Berdiri tepi dulu!

It was a nice experience. Was reminiscing the fact that, back then when I was still at the age of chasing after celebs and stars, I do not have the financial support or connections to gain access to the concerts or fan meetings that I would love to go. When I am actually out of it, complimentary tickets or special accesses came by so often that I attend just for the fun of it.

Definitely not a case of showing off. *smirks*


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And so I played host to a dear friend who came all the way from Ipoh to pay me a visit. We went to the poolside and have some fun reading, chatting and best of all - camwhoring!

At the end of day, the way my dear friend described it - it was as if I'm running a resort-style backyard and she actually came for a holiday getaway instead. Right. I know the pool and the palms are scenic. And the true beauty of Samsung smartphone's camera.

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A small #ShoutOut to few dear friends and acquaintances: Thanks much for your kind words of encouragement and support.
"You did a stellar great job."
"Your copywriting is powerful. None of my friends nor clients use words like you. All those flowery words. Imaginative. Funny!"
"You would do great alone."
"I'm relying on you for my words and content management moving onward."
You know who you are - thank you for these kind words and compliments.
I am really flattered (nope, not flattened, in fact, far from it!) and of course, I would work harder in 2014!

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Of humour, love and beauty in 2014.

More Writing. More Reading. Less talking? Nope!

Bought books!

Just can't resist em'. As much as I like to write, I love to read too.
I read less in 2013, and in 2014 I am determined to read more.
A sound resolution? You bet it is!

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A dear, long-standing friend from those university days came to visit. I am glad and happy that she is doing well and venturing into a new course soon. We talked, we swapped stories and those fuzzy, warm memories of the old days came gushing back. It feels like being embraced in a bear hug. Cozy. Snuggly.

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Instead of ordering my usual joe during mealtimes, I actually went for fresh blend of fruit juices. Upon getting that look of surprise from my friend, my explanation actually sent her into second rounds of shock.

"Aging. Need more vitamins to maintain the youth and charm."

Yes. I am 24.

Altoids to the Rescue, Unblocking the Writer's Block

Today is a dry spell. Stifling weather together with a writer's block ain't the best combination in the world.

Really.

Hit the bottleneck while working on some translation projects and my only remedy is the metal tin of Altoids mint candies. At least they made me feel better.

Slightly better. After all, "For 3 days in 1924, Altoids were stronger than the U.S. Dollar".

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Reflecting back on 2013, it was a year with endless transitions, surprises - both pleasant and unpleasant ones, opportunities, obstacles and challenges, and blessings.

It was a year of great gatherings with the Downstairs Gang. Though most of us left, but our friendship survived the separation, I'm glad. I became an Aunty Pillow to little Dina, whom I referred to as a cool baby; as cool as both the parents. An adorable and surprising low-maintenance gem!

Next, got jaded and tricked by the typical businessman-employer. Nasty ordeal, but I suppose everyone gotta learn their life lessons somehow. Things didn't work out, fortunately it lasted only for a brief period of time. The saddest part? Break an arm - lost a friend.

And then, an opportunity presents itself. Things gradually pick-up and eventually ends with a big bang. It wasn't really a bed of roses but it was perhaps the most blatant display of behavioral change that I ever witness in such a short span of time. Then again, a dear friend reminded me this: Are you referring to animals or humans? If its the latter - then don't be surprise.

It was a year of outings and travelling. From island hopping in Krabi, Thailand to Brunei, the land of gold palace tops and the Abode of Peace - to Penang foodie trip, chillaxing session at Bukit Merah Laketown Resort etc. The extreme sunburn that made the doctor snickered - everyone kept telling me that I resembled a lobster just came out from the soup; the solo travelling that got me an earful from mom; the wanderings and gatherings that strengthen friendships - it was most memorable.

It was a year of meeting great and not-so-great people. Good-natured and supportive ones. Calculative and full with hidden agenda ones. Gentleman turn disaster ones. Friends who became potential partners. Haughty-mighty ones. Those who can't write proper English but use-it-to-threaten-people-anyway ones. Is it possible that my Mr Right is in the list? You bet. Hopefully Santa grants my Christmas wish for 2013!

It was a year of meeting new, lovely people whom eventually sparks fly and became very dear friends.

It was a year of losing that special touch and connection with few former war mates.

It was a year of attending star-studded private functions. It was a year of special entrance passes and VIP tickets to 'live' shows and concerts. It was also a year to have a better insight into productions and back-stage management.

All in all - 2013 is fruitful. A year of endless transitions.

My wishlist for 2014?

More writings. (More rantings?)
Santa granting my Christmas wish. (Blushes)
Lesser transitions, and a more-focused environment and scope.
Travel to Myanmar to see Pagodas and experience the Jakarta traffic jam.
A healthier me. (Mom's nagging is way too scary to forget!)

God bless.

With the in-coming good news - I look forward to a great 2014!


Now, back to unblocking my writer's block. Meh.