Written by lainie at 02:53 PM on July 2, 2006 in work?, Family.

I'm back in KL! Tired as heck too, lugging my laptop from the mall and luggage back.

Was in Kelantan over the weekend to see the workshops for Digi / Eddin Khoo Kelantanese art stuff, Danlim was right. Our hotel was easy to spot - flat land everywhere, with one tall building sticking up. It's nice to be back and see tall buildings everywhere. Me, live in a concrete jungle? Yes please.

Danlim and I share an ability to sleep in moving vehicles. Every van / plane I was in, I think I could be found with my fingers laced across my stomach, head tilted back, sound asleep. It's not really a skill, one just has to be flipping tired.

Kelantanese workshops were quite slow for me, mostly because all I had to do was be attentive. The performances at the end of the day were more interesting though. Saw some Dikir Barat, traditional music, wayang kulit and seni silat.

Dikir Barat was veeeeeeery dodgy. They got a girl and guy to sing with the chorus about.....Digi. Light entertainment is one thing, but they seem to have spent money on "corporate social responsibility" to teach the kids to sing adverts?

Wikipedia: Dikir Barat

At first, I thought wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre) was kinda weird, what the hell are these people doing, making me look at shadows on some screen for entertainment? That lasted about 30 seconds before I realised, hey, this guy's really good at what he's doing! I mean.

I don't know how to explain it. I'm going to have to think about that for the article, but asides from that, I'll upload a video later. The crowd enjoyed the wayang kulit most, I reckon. They laughed a lot, Danlim says it was satire, and I heard some of the viewers remarking that the wayang kulit puppeteer must be a very smart fellow.

Wikipedia: Wayang Kulit

[ Most of the time I was there I didn't understand NUTS on what they were saying, their spoken Bahasa is very different from the one in KL, and I have enough trouble with that here ]

Seni Silat...We found a three year old kid who can bersilat. His mother proudly came up to us and asked us if surely we'd like to take photographs of this small boy (shorter than my waist), three time silat champion (of god knows what competition).

Hah. He doesn't do the fighting parts, more the dancing, but heck. Mohd Izzat, Silat Boy Video.

[ List of Kelantan videos, Wayang Kulit, Seni Silat. ]

You could say I found everything alien. Danlim went to the toilet, came out, and told me not to drink any more water. If a guy thinks it was horrible to even pee standing up somewhere, I don't want to be the one who has to squat / sit above whatever the hell it was.

Also, the "VIPs" were late. Very late. After a long day largely comprising of waiting and traveling, where I had slept only an hour the night before. We were in a kampung (village), where the villagers were all gathered waiting for the performances to start. Which couldn't be done without some speeches from "VIPs", apparently.

Was half-tempted to grab the mic and say, "well obviously they don't want to be here as much as the rest of us, so fuck it, we start the party first!". But I don't think I would have been understood, nor was I ballsy enough.

When they finally arrived, one of the kids of the event organisers drily remarked "Oh. The Hollywood stars are here". That kid isn't even 10, and I already like how she talks.

By the way, I had yummy food all day in Kelantan. We were brought to Cafe 69, where they kept bringing dishes over. And then we had dinner in the kampung, where the people there were reeeeeeeally nice and friendly, and one lady there cooked all day so we could have a good dinner.

Woke up this morning, took morning flight back. Some errands later, came home. Kat called.

Kat: Did you see a lot of kambing?
Lainie: Yeah, everytime I saw one I laughed.

On the way to the kampung, we passed many goats, cows, and chickens. I'm a city girl, asides from our three dogs, I barely even see pets.

[ Chicken crosses the road ]

Lainie: Ooooh...a chicken *snigger snigger snigger*.

[ Cow chews grass, lil udders swaying ]

Lainie: Ooooh, a cow *giggle giggle giggle*

[ Goat standing by the road, looking...uh. Goatly. ]

Lainie: HAHAHAHAHHAHHA A GOAT!

I think I creeped Danlim out a lil.

======

[ Censored, never fucking mind ]

Written by lainie at 02:41 AM on July 4, 2006 in Family, Daily Life, Friends, Stupid, but fun..

Yesterday was GolnGincu night. A group of us went over to Tei's place, had a homecooked dinner while sniggering at the gayness of the tv show. Sunday night is like lesbian bonding time.

Honestly, I'd not watch it if it wasn't so gay.

=====

After that, I looked up a friend I've known since I was 14? She's the first gay girl I ever knew, not bad huh?. Sitting by the pool at midnight, talking about many many things

When I first told her I was going to turn and start dating girls - she asked me what the hell I was thinking, and told me not to.

She said, being gay is a difficult life, and if one had a choice, don't touch it. Because even though it isn't wrong, people are judgmental, and she's had some difficulties because of her being gay.

I guess in that sense I've been pretty lucky, my life's been rather easy in that aspect.

=====

First day of class today. A few of us got stunned by this piece of news: Short semester requires us to pay fees. Three of us sitting in the cafeteria talking about this - they're halving the fees from the (coming) long semester, putting the other 50% in this one. Trouble, trouble.

=====

Met up with Kate after class, because the bitch is running back to USA soon. I'm gonna miss her something crazy, I hate it when friends leave. I mean, the only reason I handle my close friends being in a different country is that this is their home, they will eventually come back. Even if they don't live here anymore, even if they fall in love with Melbourne / Gold Coast / London / Ireland...........I know they'll return every so often (in Risha's case, so frequently it makes no difference).

We had dinner, and I started giggling like fuck. I'm very syiok sendiri. I say something then laugh at my own jokes, which is so superbly lame, but some things can't be helped I suppose.

We were eating our dinner in peace before I had a thought.

Lainie: I bet, if artichokes could talk, they'd have a really annoying accent.
Kate: What the hell?
Lainie: Yeah. Seriously. If they could talk, they'd be fucking annoying as hell. All wheekwheekwheekwhateverthehellartichokestwould say.
Kate: If an artichoke could talk?
Lainie: Yeah man. Totally.

I got round to thinking of soup.

Lainie: What if all vegetables could talk?
Kate: What?
Lainie: I bet, if a tomato could talk back - ahhh! Don't eat me!...I bet. I bet we'd eat a lot less tomatoes.
Kate: ???? Girl whatever.

[ I think this is where I should have shut up, but no.. ]

Lainie: No. Think about it. What if a tomato asked you why you should eat all 4, when you could eat 2? I mean. Wouldn't it suck if you had to justify to a tomato why it should be part of your dinner?

[ Or, I could have shut up here, because Kate is already looking at me like I belong in the madhouse ]

Lainie: I mean. You're lining everything up on the kitchen counter, and it's all these tomatoes, potatos, carrots, and they're all wailing away that they want to live.

[ Or, here ]

Lainie: It must suck to be a tomato.
Kate: Well, you could tell it it's the circle of life. Everything gets eaten. Even we, when we die...
Lainie: Yeah, we die, then only do we get decomposed. In this case, it's a murdered tomato. We will be killing something that talks back.
Kate: It's the tomato's destiny to be eaten. You could tell it that.
Lainie: You want me to tell a tomato it's destiny is to be my food?
Kate: .....Why are we talking about this?

Lainie: How about if you were a psychic tomato of some sort? Like, if you were in a kitchen, and all these Tomato Ghosts are floating around, yelling "Run! Run! This woman cooked me and I became an awful pie!"

[ Tomato pie, hmm. ? ]

Lainie: I bet if a tomato said something to me...I'd be like...

[ Thoughtful pause ]

Lainie: "Woah...the tomato just said something."

Kate: Okay. No more crazy fruits. This is the end of the conversation.
Lainie: But-
Kate: The end!
Lainie: But tomato -
Kate: No more!
Lainie: Fine...
Kate: Good.

After dinner, and much conversation about everything else:

Lainie: Just so you know. I'm still thinking of tomatoes and carrots.
Kate: Hahahah..What? Still? I don't understand. If you told me a dog could talk, hell sure. Okay. I mean, at least it could bark before. Not like a carrot has a mouth.
Lainie: Or even vocal cords. But still. This is a "what if" situation.
Kate: I don't like "what if" situations.
Lainie: But what if!!
Kate: Fuck what ifs!

We walked to 7-11 and I started talking about it again.





After I said that, Kate walked away as fast as she could (which isn't very fast), and I was trailing after her giggling and telling her how totally cool it would be if vegetables talked back to us, and how it would be so difficult to cook that nasty ass cabbages (what if vegetables could fart????).

[ Why don't I just cook another human being, I mean....It's the same amount of hassle. A cabbage could pretend to be just a very ugly human being. ]

Lainie: And fish! What if fish could talk to us by blowing alphabet bubbles!
Kate: First of all, that's not even scientifically possible.
Lainie: No! Fuck science! What if some guy was killed, and the murderer didn't get rid of the goldfish in the bowl?
Kate: Fish can't talk back!
Lainie: And the fish would be blowing out letters! And all the detectives would be huddled around the fishbowl, waiting for it to spell out what happened!
Kate: No more! No talking fishes! No talking fruits! No more!
Lainie: It could totally work!
Kate: NO! You're crazy!
Lainie: Fuck! It could work! I could make you an animation to show you how!
Kate: Yeah you do that, and I'll show it to the people back in America.
Lainie: No. Then you'll tell them stuff like "This is why I left Malaysia".

[ Crazy Chinese woman won't stop running after me talking about cabbages that talk and fart. Yeah. Sure. I totally want your friends to remember me that way. ]

Lainie: Okay fine. It could be an advert. This person wants to chop up some ingredients, and he's surrounded by all these protesting food. He doesn't know what to do, dilemma. The tomatoes are crying. The potato is so scared it peed. Carrot is demanding it's rights. Man can eat his food, but doesn't want to kill it. And in the end, a solution comes along!



Lainie: I don't care. It could so totally be used as an ad.
Kate: Yeah, but that's not what you meant right? You meant talking vegetables, in reality!
Lainie: Yeah, but I'm putting it in a way you'd get! You can have talking veggies on your tv!
Kate: It won't work!
Lainie: No! Fuck you! That advert can totally work!

[ Note: I did not say it wouldn't be very, very lame ]

Kate: Whatever....

Obviously, I'm enthusiastic to have my laptop back *smooches Photoshop*.

=====

After that my mom called and gave me a very very long talking to.

To cut a very long story (lecture) short - everyone thinks I'm faffing about and not studying. While I'm at it stop writing for The Sun / Kakiseni because the events I go for makes it look like I'm not studying when I could be (and apparently that's pissing off the whole neighbourhood),

Oh and everyone has the impression that I'm clubbing all the time (accused of this, along with drinking alcohol -which even if I did I would not consider wrong-, too many times, not going to bother). And, I should learn not to have a social life and stay at home, so that people can see me at home all the time, and therefore I must be good.

Hah. I mean. Sure. I just don't need to have any idea what's going on out there. Packaging design? When was the last time I walked by a shelf of goods? I don't know, I was at home pretending to be studious.

I mean. FUCK. I'm not studying accountancy.

When I graduate, somehow magically convince my employers that really, I am interested in the arts. Sure I am. Just cause I don't know what's happening in Malaysia at all...They'll just have to take my word for it, that I can immediately catch up on the latest local trends the moment I start working!

Fuck.

And me faffing around in college? I can't say ALL my lecturers like me. But I'm not doing worse than my classmates.

I had the most pieces picked for final exhibition for the two most important classes, graphic design and typography, where the lecturers decide what goes up, so it's not a self-wanking ego thing.

I could have put the most up for photography after my lecturer was done picking but I chose not to, it seemd like I had too much to put up. Good thing, because after the exhibition some people already remarked, I had noticeably more exhibited than my classmates. This is after cutting back on what I display (on typography as well) because I figured it wasn't a competition, and I didn't need so much up.

AND

- simply put, I didn't get there by slacking my ass off.

And on top of that, I was the only one amongst my classmates with electives classes. Two, at that. As I was the only one the semester before who took two elective classes.

I spend the whole day in front of the computer working / doing assignments - go for a (FREE, GODDAMMIT) gig for four hours, blog about the gig (you want to read about my never ending trouble with tracking / leading type? I'm guessing not), and of course everyone assumes that there I go again, hanging out with all sorts of bad people, all bloody day.

So you know what....?

Obviously all those people who don't see me when I work, can freely decide that because I go for gigs (oh, and get asked to write about them because I show much interest in local arts scene), they know enough to judge however they want.

Really, who cares if they don't know anything? Of course they're right. God knows MANY decades back, as students they spent miserable hours in front of the desk all day dutifully suffering to show they're being good students, so I must be doing something wrong because as my mother so eloquently quoted what was said about me:

"You're not showing them that you are suffering".

Fuck it.

I've told her this before. So. I'm not....going to bother anymore.

But I did tell her I intend to keep writing.

====

Very tired. Going to sleep.

[ Not sure why, tabulas comments seem fucked ]

Written by lainie at 01:50 PM on July 4, 2006 in Daily Life, Stupid, but fun..

SMSes. Way before I was properly awake, KA called me to say Jia Xin wanted to speak to me. About blogging. My snarkism only expresses itself past 2pm, so she was safe.

Later on, at a more decent time, I got an sms.

KA: Jia Xin. Call her. Midget pussy licker.

[ Call your friend a midget pussy licker because you said so? Sure! So I did ]

Lainie: Oi. Lainie here. KA called you a midget.
NOT Jia Xin: Huh?

Hailat, sent message to the wrong person. Luckily I did not type out "pussy licker" too.

Unfortunately, I thought I did, so I was extremely mortified when I realised that message was sent to....Er. Jac. Whose job I think is to be...a...feminist......? Activist.....? Fuck. So salah can die.

........And..............I can think of soooo many people on my phone with much better professions to send that to. Could I not send it to...an accountant? Med student? Pharmacist?

I thought I was gonna die. Gave the ground a "You can open up and swallow me now" look. Said sorry to Jac heaps of times.

I felt myself turn so red the guy who makes drinks in the mamak stared at me, looking right puzzled himself. I'm not sure how long he looked, because I eventually did a big cringe, put my forehead on the table, and decided to stay there a very long time.

Then I checked my "Sent Folder" to relive the mortification, the way embarrassing situations have a way of replaying over, and over, and over again in my head. Then I realised I had only said "midget".

Cheh. Forehead off the table immediately.

Rolled eyes, ordered coffee. Early morning pre-caffeine trauma is unhealthy. Mentally kicked myself in the ass, chanted "I will check the name before sending smses, I will check the name before sending smses"

Then I sent KA a message to tell her what I did.

Not KA: I'M NOT KA!

So much for that, then. Finally sent one to Jia Xin.

Jia Xin: Haha, if I'm a midget, I'm a hot one.

Yeah, that's definitely the right Jia Xin.

[ Kat: I think..When this (sms) convenience was invented, it was not meant for Lainie Yeoh. ]

Anyhow, I'm supposed to submit a photo of myself, along with a 200 word biography, for some write up in a magazine.

I can blab about myself all I want here, but a 200 word bio? My mind stops there. And as for a photo...I have no photos of myself. I'm getting traumatised, why do people keep asking for photos of me? Can't I use a caricature or smiley face of some sort?

Yes I understand that there are photos of my face all over this blog. I don't have most of them anymore.

=====

And now, since I watched Superman Returns today. I shall steal one of KA's jokes.



I'm developing quite a talent for wasting your time, aren't I?

=====

Today's typography class was cancelled. I can't take film appreciation because Bernice's class clashes with Imaya's.

I suggested Bernice change the class to Monday morning - not because I'm enthusiastic about Mondays, but because that's the only day I've had classes so I know Monday mornings are free.

Bernice: Monday morning? Excuse me? I'm not changing my life for you Lainie.

To be fair, it's not like I'd have great attendance on Monday mornings. It's good to see Farid again. Mopey arses, the two of us. Farid and I were whining (I don't know how I manage to find things to whine about, but I'm rather talented in that sense, I suppose). At the rate we're going, Bernice is going to think we're nutters combined.

I went for Superman with him (insert joke about Superman's steel schlong here).

I was just thinking. How would Superman have sex? I mean. If this man ejaculates....Won't his jizz punch through whatever it hits? Imagine the teenage trauma, the first girl he boinks and his super sperm punctures her vagina, throat, and comes out somewhere near the top of her skull.

======

Yes, tabulas comments are still fucked. My laptop is....DYING. again. again. again.

Sigh.

ARgh.

...........

I'm just so bored of the world these days. So extremely bored.

Written by lainie at 04:03 PM on July 5, 2006 in Links / Email.

I got a very interesting story off Tiara.

Our laws, our institutions and all our actions are a reflection of our ethics. Our own society owes itself to the writers of the enlightenment, but we never probe their work - we fail to espouse the movement's central principle, doubt - doubt everything. We study what is, never why, never what should be. For that reason, the education we have received here is not only incomplete, it is entirely hollow.
Valedictorian Kareem Elnahal's speech.

And the principal's reaction? He said Elnahal's speech was "hypocritical" and "an insult." Speaking of the other students in the audience, Blake said, "My hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying." ...
Principal promptly proves Kareem's point.

....I hated history in school. I will mogok if I have to retake that subject in school. I have plenty of negative feelings associated with this subject.

I yawned so much in class that the stream of tears rolling down my face made my teachers assume something tremendously bad had happened to me. They'd ask me, full of concern, and my usual reply (along with crying eyes) was a shake of my head, and a sleepy smile.

I think they still assume someone died or something.

Then I got older and read some interesting stuff here and there on issues that are relevant to what shaped Malaysian society. I remembered wondering why the hell I was not taught half the things I was in school - did I sleep through "crucial" lessons?

I can't be sure, but I doubt it.......Those were in my school days, when I still had my "background memory". I could regurgitate entire pages my teacher read out in class from memory, even if I wasn't really listening -the few things I learned from Chinese schooling, this being the only really useful skill for cramming for exams (along with reciting multiplication tables in Mandarin).

I don't know the details anymore, but I remember thinking everything was a whole load of crap. Maybe I was a cynical teenager.

[ This is why I totally believe memory is something that can be trained up. I stopped memorising stuff for a few years and now I can't even remember my cellphone number. ]

Just last night, as I walked home I wondered who wrote my history textbooks. Doesn't it matter who the analysis / info / opinions come from?

Or is it......I only have to know, the government approved this version?

Most of the time, I get the naggy feeling that not only do I not know anything, I'm not even asking the right questions.*

*Then again, no matter what I've read / heard / thought, I still feel like I don't know anything, so I guess I'll never know? Or, I suppose, in local geekoid speak this will be something like:

"I catch no grok. EVER."

====

Irrelevant, but I dislike spelling "government" as "gomen".

It sounds so cheerleader. "GoMen! Yeah you all doing fantastic! Go GO GO! w00t!"

Actually, I can't really imagine going up to a minister's face and saying "w00t!" (insert fist pumping into air movement here). Or rather, I can, but the resulting scenarios that spring to mind from those imaginations are best left unexplored.

Written by lainie at 11:36 PM on July 5, 2006 in Arty stuff.

I know it might look like I'm shamelessly plugging the ONE review I wrote for Kakiseni, about the play Rojak!, but it's really not the case (I swear).

Some time back, I went for OMG Series (open mic gig series).

For one of the last closing acts, Sanjiv Ganeswaran performed his stand up comedy routine / monologue for "Who Wants to Be Malaysian?" from Rojak!.



I emailed the video to some friends. The feedback I got was....interesting. Anyhow, just thought I'd share (a few minutes of ) 1 of the 10 acts from Rojak with you all here. Can't say it's my kind of humour, but since he did get some laughs from the people there that night, you might get a giggle or two too.

Written by lainie at 12:26 PM on July 6, 2006 in Links / Email.

(this post mostly for Golgincu fans like Jazzrat)

Gol n Gincu, The "Official" Blog.

Run by Daniel, the guy who does the wardrobe for Gng. It's the kind of blog where I'll look at the photos but barely read the text

Considering it's the 'official' blog, it has pretty pathetic hits. Total of 85 visitors, EVER? How long has that statcounter been there? A few hours? That can only mean you people interested in Gng don't know the blog is out there, so golah, golah.

(Errrr, is it not officially launched and I shouldn't be talking about it here.....?)

I mean. Who the heck would launch a blog? - something I should not say since I might be going for one such launch soon -_-"

=====

Bernice told me the other day Gol n Gincu (G n g) has the highest ratings on 8TV. Hmm. Cool.

I told a lesbian friend after last week's Gng, that my group of lesbian friends like to have dinner and watch it together, so we can point out the gayness to each other and laugh (it's almost competitive by now - look at that gay sports tshirt! She spanked her ass! Casanova ke, Casablanca ke!). And we laughed so hard at the scenes with all the ex-boyfriends.

Then she told me, what a coincidence! That's what her group of lesbian friends do too..........And they laughed so hard at the scenes with all the ex-boyfriends.

Which makes me wonder about the ratings...

======

Sick today. Burning up a fatass fever. Not gonna blog more now. You guys go explore the Gng blog instead.

Written by lainie at 04:28 PM on July 7, 2006 in Music.

Hell yeah, I'll be there. So what if I'm sick (and can barely stand up, hey hey). Music tonight, music tonight. Wheeeee!

Written by lainie at 02:37 AM on July 8, 2006 in Daily Life, Music.

Chen, have a good time whichever country it is you're going off to. Come back soon, bitch.

=====

My laptop has died yet again. I am not pleased. Tomorrow will be laptop fixing time.

Arghhhh, don't do this to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I want to research typography and do work. URGH.

I've submitted my article for The Sun today. I think it's crap. Oh well. Farid kept teasing me about being "famous" for writing for The Sun. I said "No one notices or remembers the bylines".

I proved it too - I told him to name ONE person who's written for The Sun before, ANYONE but me. He couldn't.

Also, I submitted a very short piece about myself for a lifestyle magazine, along with a photo. They're doing an article on bloggers. Written in a hurry. Not sure if they can / will use what I wrote, even. It was either I write it, or they surf through my blog and find something to write (the very idea gives me waking nightmares).

I recommended they also give Kinkybluefairy a call as well. At first they were reluctant, because I described what's in Joyce's blog and they said they have plenty of that.

Ah, but Joyce is Joyce. Cannot compare. Her blog is a lot funner than quite a lot of those supposed "party blogs". Last I heard, she's gonna be in the article with me too, along with Yasmin Ahmad.

Now that I mentioned the photo. My photo for The Sun is pretty salah . I'm too lazy to dig up another one to send to Kim, fuck it. It can wait.

=====

Tomorrow is Kakiseni's fifth anniversary, so I'll be going with some friends for the party. Speaking of Kakiseni, met Juliet the other day when I watched Happy Days (the third time, that is). Fun fun, I'd read about her jazz outing to Top Room in Zalina's article.

I think most people are startled when they find out I watched it that many times. I like the review Ruhayat wrote, by the way. Hybrid.

=====

I went for "A Night To Remember" gig today. I'd basically wanted to catch Plush (watch out for this band, really), and Lucy in The Loo. LiTL cancelled their gig, fucking hell, but Couple replaced them.

Plush = Melina plays for them = Tempered Mental connection.
Lucy in the Loo = Hana is lead singer = Couple connection.

Not that these bands sound the same, just thought I'd mention it.

Maybe my mood was off, I like Plush's music, but that was about it.

To be fair, the sound system there isn't too great (and that goes for quite a lot of gig venues). Didn't stay for the whole show either because my friends had not eaten tonight, so a few bands after Plush we left for supper.

I had a moment of "horror attack" when in the middle of one of the bands I wasn't really digging, Bernice showed up. And she'd brought a whole bunch of her friends along.

I'd told her earlier that Melina's other band, Plush, would be playing, but Plush was the first band up so Bernice had missed them by then (she just came back from a Gng shoot, I believe).

She was disappointed to find that out, think she was really looking forward to watching Plush. I told her she could stay for Couple if she wanted, but she left early - her friends stayed behind though.

=====

While I was sitting there, I felt a tap on my back. I turned around and looked at this girl. She looked back at me. Blank faces both of us. Then she pointed to her other side.

Oh, Melina.

Hah. I felt like such a dumbass after that. Did some "whoops" hand gesture to the girl I had stared at questioningly, but I think it came off looking like a Dr Spock geek moment. Then talked to Melina.

Lainie: Are you playing for KL Sing Song?
Melina: What is that?

[ I guess that's a no.... ]

Lainie: KL Sing Song? KL Cultural fest......?
Melina: ?
Lainie: -_-"

====

Bernice and Farid had both been saying earlier that they love the Tempered Mental song, Honestly. It's been getting heaps of airplay from Fly fm (smack you if you're in KL and haven't heard this song).

So I asked Melina if I could get some Tempered Mental CDs off her, some friends wanted to get them through me (including Bernice and Kat). I'd have gotten more, but I wasn't too sure who really wanted me to get it for them.

Kat gave me specific instructions on what to do, so after I got the CDs from Melina's car....

Lainie: Okay, I can't believe I'm doing this. I am SORRY to do this to you, but I need you to autograph one of the CDs......
Melina: What?

[ Pause ]

Lainie: I know, okay.
Melina: You sign for me lah.
Lainie: I can't lah, my friend recognises my handwriting.

[ Also, Kat will KILL me if she ever finds out - which she will if I attempt such things ]

Melina: What do I write?
Lainie: Er. I'm not the one in a band....
Melina: I never know what to write. "Thank you for your support?".
Lainie: How about "Dear Kat, don't do this to your friends anymore"?
Melina: Ei, I will really write that you know.
Lainie: -_-"

[ I'm pretty sure she meant it too ]

Lainie: Oh I know! Write Happy Birthday!
Melina: Really? Are you sure?
Lainie: Yeah, her birthday is coming up. Really really.
Melina: Cool. I've never written that before.

So Kat's copy of Tempered Mental's album has a happy birthday message from Melina on it. She's very very happy.

Melina said her handwriting sucks. I said that wasn't her vocation so it was okay. After she signed it:

Lainie: Shit this is so uncool. Okay, now what we do is, we forget allll about this incident. Okay? I've never (ever ever ever ever) asked you for an autograph before.
Melina: *deadpan face*...This never happened.....
Lainie: .......Yesssssss.........

[ My favourite solution for any situation: Erase from memory. It works damn well for me too, I never remember anything ]

We listened to the Tempered Mental cd in the car - Kat drove all the way to Tei's place just so Tei could jimmy the cd player and change the cd inside (Kat's cd player is fucked up). Which is entirely unnecessary because Kat will be seeing Tei at 8am tomorrow anyway.

Kat barely hears a damn thing we say as Tei drives because she's enjoying the Tempered Mental album too much. She basically tells us to stop talking to her, we were being too distracting. I guess I know what music I'll be listening to the next few times I'm in Kat's car (especially since cds are a total hassle to change in her player).

Kat: Is the marker you gave her for the autograph waterproof? Should I spray it with anything?
Lainie: I'm just saying, don't rub it anywhere with water.
Kat: You mean anywhere with liquid right?
Lainie: Wherever things can get wet, just don't rub lah.

[ Brief moment of trauma as I contemplate the likelihood of my friend literally rubbing herself agai- lalalallalalalla I am not thinking about this nope nope nope lalalallalalaaaaaaaaaaaaa ]

=====

I'm not too fond of the CD design, but that's probably just a difference in preference of style,s o never mind that.

Tempered Mental
Honestly.

RM12, you get 7 songs, and yes, I think it's worth it.

Track Listing
1. Honestly
2. Your Ingenue
3. Glass i
4. Mistrial
5. Prequel
6. Pure
7. All Bad Things

If you're interested, ask if you can buy a CD off them the next time you meet one of the band members - that's how most people get their hands on local albums anyhow.

If you're not sure whether they've recorded an album / have any in stock / brought any to the gig that day, just ask. No worries, it's a pretty normal, no one will think it's weird.

I'm just saying this cause I notice some people are just so intimidated by the idea of asking in case they look like the odd ones out. If the gig you go for doesn't have a table set up with CDs on it, it's okay to ask, really.

Or just go to Music Canteen and look up Tempered Mental / whichever band.

====

Events this month is crazy. So much to choose from!

For tonight alone, it was either "A Night To Remember" in Lil Havana, OR eDen in Top Room, OR jazz in Cotton Club, OR Sunway performing arts students exhibition (creative writing, film, theatre), OR free movie screenings under KL Fest 2006. And I'm sure I missed out plenty.

By the way, Top Room is having a special this month. eDen is playing, and they're lowering the price way down to RM25 (inclusive of one drink). I've never been to Top Room, but word is the music there is solid. Solid.

In other words, if you're looking for something to do tomorrow, that's an option to go go go.

Or, Wayang Kulit Kelantan tomorrow night. Or a gig. You get the idea...There should be something on every night.

Overload, man.

Written by lainie at 03:34 PM on July 8, 2006 in Daily Life.

Fip interrupted my sleep this morning (fine, afternoon), with a phone call. I'm meeting her and Kaz tonight, a party.

Fip: I bought you a belated birthday present! Haha...It is so cool!

[ Pause ]

Lainie: Is it.....an alarm clock....?

[ Pause ]

Fip: DAMMIT! HOW DID YOU KNOW?
Lainie: I don't know how I always guess the presents you buy.

Whooooo, but damn, am I good at it. I haven't even talked to her in ages.

Fip: But how did you know?

Heh. I'm your psychic ex girlfriend. Scared a not?
Also, Fip is the only person in the world I can think of who will call an alarm clock cool.

Fip: It has all these flashing lights, and plays this weird tune. Heh.
Lainie: The idea is to wake me up, not horrify me every morning.

Written by lainie at 04:38 PM on July 8, 2006 in Stupid, but fun..

Those wackos are worried about Barney and Spongebob being gay? They should watch this video.

Written by lainie at 02:26 AM on July 10, 2006.

Kakiseni party was last night, I think. Unless I skipped a night in my memory. The moment I stepped into Alexis, a waiter asked me if I'd like a beer. Damn, 2 seconds, and already a good impression.

There were so many cameras at Kakiseni party. I feel the fear.

Jenny (one of the co-founders for Kakiseni, the other being Kathy) is leaving to the UK. She gave a lil speech - Kathy kept heckling her. Pang kept taking pictures (he was accused of turning Kakiseni into his personal blog) and was told to stop it because the flash was too disruptive.

I met up with Iszie and Zedeck again - have not seen Iszie in ages, really. Iszie was sitting next to me as I was asked the third time if Lola is my sister. Well at least this guy asked, the other two assumed the girl I'm stalking, is my family. Kat will later tell me that when she first met us she asked Tei if we were cousins (not helping, Kat, not helping at all).

Iszie told me it was all cool, hey people think she and Zedeck are brother and sister too (Siblings??? How? They're a cute couple). While I'm sure that was meant to reassure me, I decided to allow the alcohol a chance to do a better job.

Cmon, admit it, more than half of us were there for the free beer / wine and food. Or, maybe I was the only freeloading heathen of the night.

I was going to blog more about the Kakiseni party...and more stuff. But. I recently encountered something I'd forgotten about, which is distracting me from it (also, by about the third "You're not gonna blog about this, right?" and "Lainie, this CANNOT appear in your blog tomorrow", I decided not to talk too much about it).

Anyhow. The source of unpleasantness? An FAQ. To be specific, this part of the FAQ:

"Is abortion legal in Malaysia ?

NO, it is illegal"

From FAQs on abortion.

Woi.

Is abortion illegal in Malaysia, as claimed? No.

Not always, anyway. I rather resent how they've just declared it the way they did, as a voice of authority. Do these people know what they're doing? My god (har har).

From UN.org (look, I ain't too hot about citing the UN here either, but heck)

Malaysia - Abortion Policy.
Grounds on which abortion is permitted:

To save the life of the woman Yes
To preserve physical health Yes
To preserve mental health Yes

Rape or incest No
Foetal impairment No
Economic or social reasons No
Available on request No

Additional requirements:
Third-party authorization by a medical professional is required. The legal period allowed is 120 days and the woman's consent is required.

Hmm. See those Yesses there?

As for me, I'd say abortion is for whoever wants one. But that's just my opinion. I'm not telling everyone my opinion is law. Unlike a certain website out there.

Written by lainie at 07:28 PM on July 10, 2006 in Daily Life, Friends.

Zedeck watched Gol Gincu last night. He sent me a message, I believe it went something like "Watching Gol Gincu for the first time. It's so gay".

Heh. I know, Zedeck, of course I know.

Zedeck: There was this part, where there's this flyer being circulated, with malicious gossip that the girl is of having a relationship with this other girl. And the people behind it...
Lainie: Worked for Berita Harian!
Zedeck: Close...
Lainie: Harian Metro!
Zedeck: Well. Turns out the people behind it were..This girl wearing a tudung. This guy wearing a...
Lainie: Songkok!
Zedeck: Yeah. Hah. And they go to the mosque.
Lainie: No agenda at all...what agenda?

But seriously, speaking of the Malay newspaper. They've been conducting themselves very disgracefully when it comes to Shanon Shah. Not outright misquoting him, but taking only soundbites that can be sensationalised and quoting him completely out of context. Idiots.

Only randomly connected, but have you guys ever watched "Your World, My World by Low Ngai Yuen? I like the short. It's the winner of Starlight Cinema Singapore Short Film Festival 2003 (amongst other wins, that is).

Now the film fest is coming to Malaysia. Ah, Evian water. We all giggled as we walked by an Evian bottles display in The Curve after we talked about this short film.

Yessss...I want an Evian too...Heh. You should watch it, to laugh at the Mandarin (and how the film ends), if nothing else.

=====

I finally met Amir (the cheek behind the arsiness that is The Malay Male). I didn't know how to tell him that I really thought that picture of the guy dressed up as Superman was really him. Turns out it's from some infamous spoof of Superman. I did however tell Danlim, who goggled at my ignorance of internet culture. Oh shut up Dan, just cause I blog doesn't mean I can trace down every idiocy online.

=====

Yesterday I was with Kins, Fang, Ali and Kat. They're fun people to have dinner with. We talked about ghostly stuff that has happened to us before. I had serious trouble trying to fall asleep that night (also, world cup celebrations are obnoxiously noisy). I hid under my blanket, and imagined a force field protecting me from nasty zombie faces that wanted to hover 2 cm above my face.

We also talked a lot about movies, and it always makes me want to get home and curl up in front of the telly, in good company with about 20 cult status movies. But, I can never sit still and watch tv without company.

Kins will be loaning his DVD player to Kat soon, and when that happens I'll camp out with Kat and watch tv with her. We also got to talking about books

Kins: I'm reading this book I really like right now.
Lainie: Oh really? What is it?
Kat: Haha...Kins, Lainie hates a lot of books.
Lainie: I do not, what are you talking about?

Kins: Well I'm reading The Historian.
Lainie: .....God I hate that book.
Kat: Hahahha...You see?

Am I really that disagreeable? Why don't I seem to like so much stuff?

When we went for dinner Kins tried to eat this huge jelly-pudding all at one go. The moment he stuffed his mouth full of blue jelly, I said "Hey Kins!". He looked up to find me doing some wavy-wiggly boobsy move. He nearly choked.

=====

Met up with Zedeck just now. The two of us were talking about the type of girls we like. We should swap, not so much because I like the girls he likes, but because I keep going after straight girls, and he keeps going after lesbians, so at the very least we'd stand higher chances with the girls we want.

Then we walked around KL looking for graffiti (I forgot where the backalley I wanted to show him was - please, KA, don't read too much into what I said). I did however point out the irony of a "Legalize ganja" stencil right next to the police hut. Then we went to that Arab Square.

There's a giant teapot there.
Build a giant teapot in your own backyard, and you're a religious crackpot.
Build a giant teapot in a park, and you're the government.

Isn't life here so strange sometimes.

I sent some black and white photographs over to some brochure that's being printed. Hmm. That's kinda...Well, of all the things I've done to be published, I never thought photographs would be a part of the list.

=====

Zedeck and I were looking at graffiti on sneaker culture when I noticed something colourful on the pavement.



A capsule. Red and yellow. On the red side, a grid of 4 squares, black and white. On the left, in black, it's printed "250".
I don't have Photoshop at my disposal right now, so I can't zoom and crop.

There were a few of these red-yellow ones lying scattered around the pavement. And another type, pastel yellow and blue. They say "Safire" on both ends, in an oval made of dual lines.



Of course, I assumed the natural reaction would be to pick them up. Zedeck thought it was entirely dodgy, but I was curious (and as Fip drily acknowledged a few days back, I'm awfully bad when it comes to that). I made Zedeck hold them and I took a photo. Then I put one of each kind in my pocket and brought it home.

I wonder what my aunt thinks, me dismantling pills on the dinner table, sniffing at powder and putting it back in the capsule.

It's yellow powder inside. Unevenly crushed. I wonder what it is? Smells bitter (I didn't want to take a big whiff, curiosity is one thing, accidental insufflation of unidentified powder is another).

I'm tempted to say crushed aspirins, but I'm not sure.

Anyone has any idea? Tell me? Generic? Doesn't seem so, and the features I just listed doesn't show up in Google (maybe I'm hitting the wrong keywords).

I'm guessing there's only really one way to find out (and because two friends have already panicked when I said this - no I'm not about to swallow it. I picked it off the street, for fuck's sake, I'm entirely too germaphobe to eat it after that).

Written by lainie at 02:13 AM on July 11, 2006 in Music.

"With this, I’m sad to announcement that Cosmic Funk Express has disbanded"

Alda's site.

I was just wondering the other day when this would happen.

Written by lainie at 02:30 AM on July 11, 2006 in Music.

Well. Cosmic Funk Express is has disbanded. So we've seen the end of one band. Let's move on to happier news. What you doing Wednesday night, hmm?

Place: No Black Tie (Lorong Mesui, off Jln Nagasari, behind Istana Hotel)
Time: 8pm
Date: this Wednesday (12th July 2006)
Bands: The Sofa Sessions, Rhapsody.
Entry: RM 20.

Rhapsody is playing in a double-bill in No Black Tie on Wednesday. I remember seeing one of their first performances there, thanks to Reza's Moonshine gig. Wellllllll. It's been some time, and they're way, waaaaaaay , waaaaaaaaaaaay more popular now (not undeservedly so, might I add).

[ Update ]

Rhapsody in on the Xfresh fm radio station tonight (Tuesday)
11th July 2006 at 9pm.

here are the frequencies:

Klang Valley 103.0
Johor 103.3
Penang, Kedah & Perlis 106.5
Taiping 104.9
Ipoh 98.5
Seremban 97.9
Melaka 107.3
Kota Bharu 99.8
Kuala Terengganu 104.0
Kuantan 100.0
Kuching 103.7
Kota Kinabalu 98.6
On Astro 115

So you can preview their music for yourself yeah.

[ /Update ]
I still remember my group of friends when Rhapsody first performed. We'd been shamelessly eyeballing Nicole before that. Then she went up onstage and started belting out songs in this "Woah" voice.

Most of us were already talking about how fantastic it would be if she was gay, cause with her shaved head, denim jacket, general look that night, she just might be.

After a few songs I had to point out to my heavily-in-denial friends that for a gay woman she was singing an awful lotta songs about ex-boyfriends and boys she liked.

Ah well. Win some, lose some. Now they're stalking a guitarist out there that has a red naked woman devil on her guitar strap.

As for the other band (it *is* a double bill, after all)? The Sofa Sessions. Ariff Akhir. I like Lagu Malas. I identify with it very much. I can't say lesbians check this band out too much in terms of perving, heh .

If you're a Tempered Mental / Qing and Kueens fan (which wouldn't be surprising), Kevin and Jimmy will be playing with Rhapsody that night. They're the bassist and purple-haired drummer for Qings and Kueens, and Tempered Mental, respectively.

It should be interesting to hear how they sound with those two backing them up. If you have not checked Rhapsody out yet (smack you ahhh), I'm telling you these two girls are worth the time. Go lah, fuckers.

I think I'll steal the rest from Rhapsody's blog:

Kevin Theseira, or more commonly known as "Ah Loon" to his close friends, is the bassist of Qings and Kueens, and lends his touch to other bands, and one of the lucky ones just happen to be,Rhapsody. Kevin wields 'Gabriella', his affectionately named double bass with panache, while effortlessly dancing his fingers across his electric bass, adding and interesting texture to Rhapsody's sound.

Kevin is the perfect dining companion but has lately taken to
controlling his baser instincts.

Ywenna Carollin, the music maker behind Rhapsody. Her insatiable appetite for food and music is legendary. So are her infamous elf-like ears, which have been praised incessantly by not-so-secret admirers of the ear fetish kind, which has resulted in Ywenna tucking back her hair to proudly display her ears while playing the keyboard, in hopes of gaining a new admirer or two.

A hard critic with a sharp ear (all puns intended), Ywenna constantly strives to take Rhapsody to better musical heights.

Nicole Foo, who harbours a secret desire to marry a man called Javier (who's a figment of her over-active imagination) is the lyrical force behind Rhapsody. She resorts to playing with the dog when she feels overwhelmed by the technical musical discussions, however, with her lovely voice as her saving grace, she practises singing in showers, bus stops and LRT stations, hoping to spread Rhapsody's music far and wide, subliminally. Nicole never says no to nice tunes or dark chocolate, calamari, broccoli and jelly.

[ Lainie: I'm sorry I thought you were the other Nicole, however, I now think of you everytime I look at moleskine! AND, I totally know which Nicole you are now. AND, I totally dig your singing, in showers or otherwise. ]

Jimmy Tan, is the beat master of Tempered Mental, while plying his drumsticks with other highly reputable music makers, Rhapsody is honored to have him keeping us in rhythm. An easygoing guy, who has
his obsessive-compulsive moments, Jimmy loves his pork like his life.
With a tendency to carry on conversations long after the conversation
has purportedly ended, Jimmy's voracious hunger for great music and
food fits perfectly with Rhapsody's philosophy towards life: "Love
good music. Love good food."

Kevin, Ywenna, Nicole and Jimmy have been hard at work hoping to bring
their best to the gig on Wednesday, tired, but they agree unanimously
that is a good kind of fatigue, because good music is always worth it.
So is good food.

So make sure we see YOU on Wednesday!

=====

Seriously though, the last time these girls appeared on the radio, my view count for videos of Rhapsody (and by proxy, Melina William / Tempered Mental) watched rocketed up by the hundreds.

For a reason. I've said this many times. If you've not heard these girls. If you like jazz-y music. Go.

Written by lainie at 07:11 PM on July 11, 2006.

Everyday when I go to pee, I get distracted by this pile of old newspapers stacked up beside the toilet door. I didn't read them. But, I do see the headline! It's from a way old issue of The Star.

"PM: I have a job to do."

What more could a citizen ask for, really.....

So reassuring, I know. There goes all my worries. It's okay people! The Prime Minister.....He knows!

Do I actually know what the article is about? Nope.
Does this blog post have a point? Nope.
Does my life have meaning? Nope (God I hope not).

Is my period ending yet? I hope so.

I'm getting bitchier by the day, and it's awfully easy to blame, well........You know. I am bleeding throughout the day. I'm not saying it's new, but I'm saying that if you tell me to shut up you might aggravate me unnecessarily.

I'm like a flesh-coloured, unmuscular version of the She-Hulk when I'm menstruating, aggravated, and deprived of coffee (not much difference between the last two factors listed).

I went to college today to find that Advanced Typography class has been canceled. So instead, I hopped over to Bernice's film appreciation class so I can watch cool films for free - of course Irony / Murphy's Law meant that her class was canceled too.

Hailat. What was I supposed to do in college then, listen to birds chirp as they fly by? I was so grumpy I headed straight over to the cafeteria for coffee.

I had an overpriced toastie sandwich for lunch. Eavesdropped on annoying college conversations (serves me right for being so nosy). I spaced out because the atmosphere of intelligence around me was so stimulating it was either

1) Stop listening to stupid people too Loud to ignore.
2) Homicide.

Fortunately, Natasha came along, she's in film appreciation class. She was reading The Sun, and pointed out an article about Serious Stuff I Usually Don't Understand Or Even Read About to me.

I saw the headlines, thought it was kinda funny that the article is called "Who Owns Your Ideas", and right beside it was this pic of some half-naked dude with ripply ab muscles. Like, what......ideas.......are we talking about, exactly?

Sometimes I wonder if it's just me and headlines. I actually have no idea what that ad was supposed to be about. Then I started daydreaming about owning a porno website. Then I walked home.

====

Entirely unrelated to previous comment about owning a pornography website, buuuuut: I want to set up a website of some sorts. Not a porn website, of course. Nuh-uh. Me, use all those naked people to make money? Will never dream of it.

Anyhow.

Honestly, the idea of me undertaking this task, and actually carrying it out, is kinda laughable. The idea of me having the money to fund this is almost painful (and not funny at all). But. I'll see what I can do.

People (okay you dotcommers, spill the info). How much to get a dotcom ah? I'm very blur on all these, so I wouldn't know.

Actually, when I went for the Panic Buttons forum, I met Brian from Alldatjazz.com (excellent website, by the way). He handed me his business card, which had the URL emblazoned across it.

Lainie: Oh...I know your website, I like it. I'm Lainie.
Brian: You're a blogger right?
Lainie: Uh. Yeah.
Brian: One of those...dotcommers....
Lainie: Uhhh...More like one of the dotcom slash tilde username, I-use-free-blogging-services, actually.

But if I want a dotcom, and it'll have lots of pictures (so bandwidth / storage)....Any info? All still a sketchy idea I'm toying with, really.

Written by lainie at 09:43 PM on July 12, 2006 in Daily Life, Music.

Oh kids.....have you heard about this?

Cuculoupes, bringing new ideas of "fun" into the kitchen and blogosphere......

Don't hate me cause I said "blogosphere". Love me cause I said...cuculoupes. Cuculoupes. Cuculoupes.

What a lovely, lovely word.

=====

It's official. I am on the way to being the next door hag that scares children away. I heard laughter next door, and walked out to check that they were not stoning my dogs (again) - four children immediately sobered up upon my arrival.

Their mother gave me a disapproving look, I reckon she is not pleased with the effect I have on her children. Either that, or she thought I just came out to glare at happy children, something I admit would not be unusual to my personality, but not what I was up to.

By the time these horrible brats have children, I shall have perfected the art to the point where just my aura emanating from the walls of the house will be enough to scare them.

=====

I must be annoying CJ.

First I don't answer his phonecalls (I was asleep), then when I call back his phone does not register miss calls, and then I ignored his messages on MSN because I didn't see them.............

Whooooops.

My bad, I'm sorry.

=====

Only Kat knows this, I think.

Few weeks back, I lost my Wacom pen. It means my tablet can no longer be used till I find money for a replacement. I have blocked out all emotions related to this.

Now you know too.

=====

Zedeck laughs at my "angst".

All I want to say is, sometimes I mind-dump, and I can't help but consider it a mental equivalent of, well, shitting. Therefore, I can't help it if he misinterprets it, it was never meant to be scrutinised in the first place, merely flushed away.

Anyhow, we discussed how my apparent angst should come in useful when I start my black and white goth comic, which shall of course have panel after panel of gratuitious emo-angst (is there any other type?), with a lone melancholic figure hugging her knees in some desolate area, black ink dripping from the top, and curly black tendrils of sadness coming out of everything for no reason other than to accentuate emotional drama.

I forgot to mention the long thin shadows that appear, as the requisite

1) black cat crosses the road lined with Tim-Burton-trees
2) crow lands on roadsign in the middle of crossroads

All, of course, bathed in the full moon's pale light. Come on, it could be so bad, what's not to love? What'd I miss so far?

=====

I have no classes today.

I do, however, have 5 songs I've been listening to lately. How you find the MP3s or whatever, is entirely your problem. I'm trying to limit it to one song per band / singer, kinda thing. And lyrics excerpts (some I typed out myself so it might just be completely off, I'm kinda deaf sometimes).

Against Me!.
AM (myspace)

From "Disco Before the Breakdown" (Actually, I wanted to write a post like this days back but I couldn't stick to just one song from this band. Also, Because I See It Coming: this song is not necessarily about gay people, okay?)

I know they're going to laugh at us
when they see us out together "holding hands" like this.
They wouldn't understand it if we told them all the reasons,
not that I think this deserves any kind of explanation.


World Leader Pretend
WLP (myspace)
From "Dreamdaddy" (I love this band. Really, I do)

Well Suzette,
You're wonderful at best.
A victim to the rest,
I'll be the bane of your success.
But your books have all been read,
And I'd read them all again.
I swear I never knew your name.

But it's never ever been about our mistakes.
We'll put 'em off forever if that's all that it takes.
And I was always taught to value restraint.
We'll fight all the long nights,
With the weariness of dust in the heart.


Guillemots
Guillemots (myspace)

From "Trains to Brazil" (I like the acoustics version, better to beremo along to, but the original is cool too).

It's 1 o'clock on a Friday morning.
I'm trying to keep my back from wall.
The prophets and their pawns have had another success.
I'm wondering why we bother at all.
And I think of you on cold winter mornings.
Darling they remind me of when we were at school,
Nothing really mattered when you called out my name.
In fact,
Nothing really mattered at all.


The Light Wires
Light Wires (myspace account).
From "Small as Strawberries"

Don't you worry
about me,
I will pull through.
This crying heart
has nothing but you.

Don't let this bring you down.
Don't let this tear you down.
Don't let this bring you down.

I'm all alone

Leaving for
home,
Waiting for
you,
Waiting for
you,
I'm all alone
Waiting for you.


Elliot Smith
ES (myspace, again)
From "Waltz #2" (sigh. Elliot Smith........xo.)

I'm so glad that my memories remote,
'cause I'm doing just fine
hour to hour
note to note.

here it is the revenge to the tune;
you're no good
can't you tell that it's well understood.

I'm never gonna know you now,
but I'm gonna love you anyhow.

I'm here today and expected to stay
on and on and on.
I'm tired.

looking out on the substitute scene,
still going strong.
XO, mom, it's ok,
it's alright, nothing's wrong.

====

All those lyrics, and after saying I dismissed Zedeck's claim about my angst. Fuuuuuut......... (no I don't know what that sound is either, shutup, don't make me account for what I say here).

I suppose I could have tried to salvage my reputation and find some non-emo type of lyrics to put up instead, but heck. Seems like a waste of time to make any declarations about the type of music I listen to.

If there's anyone familiar with the songs listed here, got any stuff I could listen to that's not too different, then heck, suggest away (great adventurer that I am, ever searching for new horizons and change).

Written by lainie at 01:13 AM on July 14, 2006 in Daily Life, Friends.

I don't know why I've been so tired today.

I set my alarm clock almost 3 hours ahead of class, and spent two of those shutting off the snooze alarm and waking up veeery slowly. Apparently I also answered a lot of smses and phone calls in the morning........

I have no memory of those, but my "Sent Folder" is quite interesting to read when I do wake up. Do I sound so disjointed when I am awake, that no one can tell the difference?

I came home after class and napped till dinnertime. Apparently I answered a lot of phonecalls and smses too, but I have no memories of that. I hope I didn't ask anyone to marry me.

=====

Smses are fun. Smses to stalkee are...funner.

Lainie: Hey you. Got time to set aside tomoro so you can be stalked?
Lainie: Le spelling horror, I've finally sent a message that goes tomoro. Dammit.
Lola: Haha hi, tomolo I no free. What u want to do leh.

[ That was undoubtedly the unsexiest message I have ever received from Lola. Like, worse than the ones where she goes "I'm straight! I'm straight!" ]

[ Lainie (to KA): Some chinese terrorist has kidnapped Lola and is sending prank smses from her phone. ]

Lainie (to Lola): Apparently what I want to do won't concern you anyway, my busy Chinkobelle. But if you change your mind..
Lola: I'll be staying over in Sepang for a....women's...rights.....workshop.
Lainie: A...........okay. I'm trying. I'm trying.

[ A WHAT? ....YOU? Surrounded by feminists?? Aieee! Oh my god! What god?? There is no god! Don't go yet, let me tattoo my name on your forehead first. Also, Chinkobelle is the new fun Asian porn name I came up with (not that I am calling Lola a porn star, her nickname is just fine for that, really). ]

[ Pause as I try to restrain from saying anything snarky about the workshop ]

Lainie: You did that on purpose.

She told me to quit being such a lesbian. Oh yeah. Like I'm the one going to some deserted place with a bunch of feminists. Yeah. I'm the lesbian. Me. Yeah. Sure. Whatever.

Lainie (to Kat): Lola going to women's rights workshop. I don't know what to say anymore. God knows what damage she'll do there.

All those unsuspecting gaydars wandering around in Sepang, wanting nothing more than gender equality.....Then Lola will arrive and......I wonder if all those gaydars breaking at the same time will have an audible sound.

Zedeck and I were making fun of feminists the other day (far as I know none read my blog, but if you're one....Uh. Danlim made me say it. His fault. Go to his site. Overthere overthere). Yeah I know I shouldn't, but to be fair, you lot are a damn easy target and I'm too lazy to think. Not that I'm sure how that's fair, so lalalallalalaaaaaaaa.

Lainie: And they will stand in groups. And chant angry poetry together. All day.

Zedeck's part left out to save his ass.

Hee heee heeee. Entirely too amusing.

By the way, speaking of women.....Have you heard about Art by Women about Menstruation? Also, in a different way, quite amusing.

====

While I was smsing Lola I was actually at the mamak with CJ. We're supposed to be working together on a proposal for some graphic design job (booklet, brochure, bunting). Needless to say, I was distracted.

Doesn't matter anyway, he was just bitching about how it hadn't been raining enough. Why are so many people saying that? I've been walking in the rain so much the past few days - admittedly not heavy rain though. From college, train stations, mamak stalls. Is it just my arse luck?

Never mind though, I like heavy rain. Good for sleep. And other things that result in good sleep. Hah.

======

Because of my non-Photoshop status, all my assignments involve sinography. So all I'm using is my paintbrush, and ink. Textures are gonna come from newspapers. Gahhhh, I hope I hold out long enough.

Originally, none of us were gonna take electives this semester because of our schedule. Then my classmates realised they need to take elective classes because I'm the only one who's taken enough so far .

So after some planning....I am gonna take Bernice's film appreciation class after all. Which is cool, because it'll be good for my GPA (I think)....except it was cooler when I could watch the movies and not have to write any papers on them.

====

I'm missing out on the utter coolness two-day event KL Sing Song looks like it'll be.

Dammit.

Tomorrow night I'm gonna head on over to watch the free traditional Mak Yong performance (doesn't make sense to write about it if I don't watch it, right?).

Then Saturday morning I'm off to Penang to see Janet Pillai's workshop for children's theatre. My flight hasn't been confirmed though, so I'll have to wait and see.

By the time I return on Sunday morning, KL Sing Song will be over.

====

By the way. Danlim's documentary got banned. To fuck up what he says, as usual, I copy and paste part of his email and miss out the middle bits:

The screening that 18? was selected for at the EBS International Documentary Festival 2006 in South Korea was a Five Nations Fair - focusing on five documentaries representing five Asian nations. Apparently this is done in conjunction with the respective embassies which is why the Malaysian embassy had a right to veto it.

The festival director said that the embassy's objection was because of the presence of an "anti-government political activist" in my documentary. "Only one?" I hear you snark from the back, but I assume they mean Hishamuddin Rais. Nevermind that he never made any directly political statements in it.

danny
http://danlim.twofishy.net

The most ironic thing was, I think he was informed his documentary was banned by.......Well. Amir Muhammad. You know. The Last Communist being banned and all that.

Cmon. It's ironic.

Written by lainie at 08:39 PM on July 14, 2006 in Arty stuff.

I'm off to Penang till Sunday, so I'm not updating yeah.

I helped Bernice get a Tempered Mental cd and tried to trade the CD for an assignment. She said no way . Some dude can successfully trade a red paperclip for a house. I can't even get out of one assignment for Film Appreciation.

Bernice is organising a festival for performing arts, coming up soon, with all sortsa cool stuff I intend to go for. Apparently performances for some of these are pretty hard to find (frankly, I'd not even heard of Randai before this).

 There's some connection between this, and some French arts festival coming up in Paris, where some of the performances here might go there....? I forgot what Bernice said.

This is the schedule:

 

MINGGU ‘NGADAP SENI  

Dates: 25 – 31 July 2006

                     Venue  : Dewan Orkestra / Panggung Ekeperimen/ Black Box

             AKADEMI SENI KEBANGSAAN (ASK) Jln Padang Merbok, KL 

Featured Performances 

 

DABUS

  25 July,  Dewan Orkestra. 8.30pm 

Performers: Troupe from Bagan Datoh, Perak  

  

RANDAI  

                  26 – 28 July, Panggung Eskperimen . 8.30pm 

Performers: Students/lecturers/graduates of ASK under the supervision of En. Afrizal, Padang, Indonesia.  

 

   MENORA 

29 July, Dewan Orkestra, 8.30pm 

Performers: Kumpulan Pak Eh Chom, Tumpat, Kelantan 

        MAKYONG 

                   30 - 31 July, Panggung Eksperimen, 8.30pm  

Performers: Students/lecturers/graduates/ of ASK under the supervision of Kak Asmah (related to the late Khatijah Awang), Kelantan   

 

             WAYANG KULIT 

                31 July, Black Box, 3.00pm  

Performers: Students/lecturers/graduates of ASK and featuring

Tok Dalang Pak Nasir. 
 

 

Written by lainie at 05:45 PM on July 16, 2006 in Daily Life.

*eyes title*
My god, I look like such a name-dropping ho.

=====

I know birthdays are supposed to be when I wish someone whatever fancy nice things, but I think I could do with a wish or two myself. So, since I'm not getting any and you are, no wishes for you Fip, I need them more. Anyhow.

Happy Birthday Kat!
and
Happy Birthday Fip!

Yes, both the three-letter-kids share the same birthday. And they're so alike in so many aspects it makes me question the accuracies of horoscopes. Then again, Pang was telling me about the Forer Effect, which I think is such a cool thing.

=====

Pang: Okay, I know you have a short attention span, so I'll try not to ramble too much..
Lainie: Woah. How did you know I have a short attention span?
Pang: Uh. Because...you said so..on your blog?
Lainie: Oh. Hah. I did?
Pang: Yes..?
Lainie: Oh...Uh. Turns out my memory's not too hot either.

Despite what he said about rambling, he went ahead anyway, and yeah. I don't know what we talked about. Well, he tried to convince me that ghosts don't exist and that there's an exhibition in Shah Alam that claims to have a toyol. Sat between Pang and Zedeck in the van on the way to Heritage Heboh.

Things an editor can do? Pang touched me lightly on the shoulder, I looked over to see what he had to say:

Pang: .....
Lainie: ?
Pang: .....
Lainie: ?
Pang: .....
Lainie: ?
Pang: *starts serenading Whitney Houston songs*
Lainie: -_-"

And so for the rest of the journey I had to listen to Pang's interpretation of Whitney, Elton, and various country music songs.

====

Heritage Heboh performance was facking cool.

There was one point where I phased out because KA told me something stupid, I said something cheeky back to her to "get even". She called back to tell me something that distracted my mind and it went completely blank on me.

I don't recall what she said, but I have a feeling I probably don't want to know either. Yeeesh. That's not getting even, that's going way over.

Also, I still need to get back at her for sending Lola to the women's rights workshop. What kind of friend sends a stalkee to a camp filled with feminists??

KA: Don't be silly, who said there'll be lesbians there?
Lainie: It's a...WOMEN'S RIGHTS CAMP. What do you mean no lesbians there? Where the hell else would you find them??
KA: You're right. Haha. There probably are lesbians there.
Lainie: God. I could Kill You.

There's nothing to forgive there, KA!

=====

Pang is gonna make Zedeck review the Heritage Heboh performance. Waiting for the article. After the Heritage Heboh performance, we went off for beer. I met Lucy there. I'd talked with her a lil before that, and it wasn't until muuuch later that

Lucy: Actually, I've read your blog before.

Zedeck throws me his "Oh look, it's a blogger specimen drinking beer with us" grin. Hmph. One day, Zedeck, one day.

Lucy's a feminist. Haha...And she said that I say I hate feminists on my blog (nawwwwww). See, what I say always catches up with me. Why on earth would I hate feminists? How many poetry readings can I go for if I hate feminists? What could I possibly have against women who burn their bras and let their breasts run free? (I'm kidding, that idea came from Risha who is certainly no feminist, if she even knows what that is ).

I said feminists are easy to poke fun of. Which they are. I don't have anything against them. I mean, it may be kinda salah, but it's a lot less salah to make fun of them than, say....cancer patients. Let me put it another way. I seldom read the newspaper. When I do, it's usually The Sun. And I read The Sun because I like the columnists (also because it's free, and if I was any cheaper I would be too).

Let's take a look at the last five columnists listed on The Sun.

Umran Kadir (don't know), Shanon Shah (Gender activist? I'll just say Feminist). Petra Gimbad (feminiiist). Jac sm Kee (feminiiiiist). Ziad Haider (women's rights. Feminiiiiiiist lah). It's a wonder I'm not completely brainwashed.

It's actually kinda amusing sometimes to read the one liner at the bottom of the columns. Damn lot of them there. Then again, I admit I'm not too great with reading everything they say, but I'll blame it on my attention span.

[ What happened to Sun Blogs anyway? ]

Anyhow, turns out Lucy is some veeery feministy feminist from the US and wrote some stuff about gender / sexuality back in the 80s that got published. Then jengjengjeng, the Internets came along, and let's just say...Nasty things have happened. Google is teh evil, didn't you know? Now she has to be a tame one in Malaysia because otherwise, she might get deported based on how some of the things she's said has been taken completely out of context, painting her in a bad light. That really blows.

We had a talk about my blog, and how I'm obviously just a google hit away from my future employer / country I apply residence for (if at all) / whatever away from them knowing a lot of things about me. But I figure, so what? I'm lesbian / bi / non-hetero? I'm basically at a point in life where I don't intend to hide anything even if I don't know what I'm not hiding. Hah. Lucy had a point though, it's not like she doesn't believe in what she said, it's more like...Well. You all know Google. Putting something up on the internet is in a sense allowing someone a lot of weapons to dig at you with, no?

*Princess Whine voice*: Oh yeah? I'll bitch about it on my blog if that happens.

Then she bought Zedeck, Pang and I beer. Me? Hate feminists? But activists appreciate alcohol! Must be because reality is constantly bitchslapping them in the face. I'd be constantly high if I had to do their work, convincing people they need to give me money to save pandas they'll never see, which also means I probably won't be employed for long. If I don't keel over from high blood pressure.

Aight, Lucy, call up if you're in KL, got your email from Pang will email you later too (this is assuming I got the address right).

=====

Later on, we met Mark Teh, Gabrielle and Adrian (part of Akshen, youth theatre collective under Five Arts Centre, which Janet Pillai is also a part of. Tiu, menagapa banyak sangat all these connections).

Mark was telling us really cool about two football books (Brilliant Orange, and Futebol), and how different nations could have their football strategies tied in with their politics. I found the description about the Dutch's use of space in Total Football really interesting (Mark was worried he'd bore us, but liked the subject so much he continued talking about it anyway, hah).

I'd like to know why none of my dumbass friends ever told me about this, during those long boring nights where I drank too much coffee and spent most of the night checking out excited men who popped jumped up everytime a goal was scored.

When my friends are concerned, I'm pretty sure there's no way I can write "excited men" in any form and get away with it.

Zedeck and Pang have this nasty habit of introducing me as a blogger. *Wince*.

=====

When I was in the hotel waiting for everyone to arrive, Joyce sent me a text saying she was bloooooody pissed because of the way she had been portrayed in an NST article, which made it sound like her blog is popular because she dates Adam .

I read out the message to Zedeck, told him that wasn't fair at all because Joyce's blog has always been one of the more popular ones, even pre-Adam. Shannon was standing next to me while I read that (though I don't know if he heard me). I just found out today, Shannon was the one who wrote the article. Lalalala.

=====

I have elevated my status to new levels of uncool. Simply put, I don't have anyone to watch Gol n Gincu with tonight, and I can't watch tv alone, ever. Also, I don't have a tv I can use, since my uncle will probably be watching his tv shows as usual.

Thought I was gonna miss an episode when I realised, hey! Iszie's in KL! And Zedeck's in Penang! And while this sounds like I'm about to go girlfriend-snatching, I really meant that at least, for tonight, she's single and I'll have someone to watch tv with.

I asked Iszie if she wanted to watch Gol n Gincu. Long silence.

Lainie: .....Too uncool?
Iszie: Perhaps.

I must look like such a geek

=====

I had to wake up at 630am today cause the flight I had to catch was ridiculously early. Planes are no fun. Rocs would be fun. Planes are...Well. I mean, cool in the sense of big-metal-machine-carrying-many-people-in-the-air kinda way, and it's not like I reckon I can throw a kid more than 2 feet above my head, but anyhow. Planes. they look so sterile / utilitarian / fucking boring.

Was sitting inside thinking that it was like us humans were all potential platelets in a vein, and if a tiny puncture happened in the plane's skin (plane's plane?), it'd tilt dramatically like in the movies, everyone would suddenly say "WOAHHH!" in that American action movie way, and those idiots not wearing seatbelts would fly towards the vacuum, smack against the wall, and seal it shut with their bodies. Like platelets.

Am aware that's kinda weird. Which also makes me think humans aren't meant to be awake in the morning at all.

Which also makes me wonder why the hell I would trust someone to fly a goddamn aeroplane at dawn while I'm inside. But anyhow, here I am back home and bitching away as usual, so no harm done.

Okay. More stuff happened. But I'm going out, maybe to meet Paultan, if I'm not too fantastically late . Ciao.

Written by lainie at 12:38 PM on July 17, 2006 in Daily Life, Friends, Links / Email.

Why can't we have free p0rn subscriptions on Firefox Day? Anyhow.

Here's your chance to be "immortalised" in Firefox 2.0. How lame can this get? Not exactly something that will make me wonder "Why am I not using Opera anymore...?", but still quite cringe-worthy all the same.

Cmon Firefox, is that the best you can do? Someone shoot the PR guy who came up with this, it's so ungeek. Then again, I don't think they're targetting the geeks with this one.

[ I wonder what filters they'll have up and running to catch the flood of stupid names they're bound to receive. What if someone puts up a name like Tiu Hailat? Tempted, aren't you...? ]

Like most others, I stopped using Opera because of the adware (though it's free now), and then Firefox came along and eventually caught up on the extensions / plug-ins / greasemonkey scripts / whatnot.

All of which I'm not using today, but I will be veeeery veeeeeeeery soon when my laptop comes home!

=====

Lainie: Why do you like cars so much?
Paul: Well, why do you like girls so much?
Lainie: Because I have hormones.....?

And because I bring to conversations a certain level of intelligence.

Lainie: I bet hands make the best bras.

Paul took a photo of my hand and sent it to Fireangel.


With the caption "Your bra".
(Long fingernails = Most Likely Single Lesbian.)

It's lame, I know. If I whine that Fireangel thwacked me the next time I meet up with her, you can feel free to remind me about this. But Fire, you still like us right? Right?

====

Rach just sent me a text that says: "By the way, you called me chicken in your last text! Hehe"

I had to check my phone records for that. Ah. She's right, I did.

Also got a text from another friend saying I had apologised for mistakenly sending her a text meant for someone else, and that I could get around to sending her that text anytime now, so she can know what I was so embarrassed about sending. Pffft.

I should stop texting when sleepy.

Written by lainie at 03:40 PM on July 17, 2006.

[ Updated ]

I got this sms earlier, guess it applies mostly to LUCT / MMU students, or people who don't mind a travel to Cyberjaya:

[ Update again: Transport provided, blame the very blur girl who asked me to put up the info for not saying this earlier ]

"Hey, need people who want to lepak on the set of Gol n Gincu, on Tuesday from 8pm - 11pm or so, at Lim Kok Wing Cyberjaya..Extras to fill in spaces for RM50. The entire GnG cast will be there".

Basically:

Needed: Extras.
Location: Lim Kok Wing, Cyberjaya.
Time: 8pm - 11pm (estimate)
Date: 18 July 2006 (tomorrow).
Pay: RM50 (they, pay you. Not the other way around ya ).

TRANSPORT: Pick up is at 7pm, Kelana Jaya LRT station.

Those interested can leave contact details in the comments box (of if you're worried some idiots might prank call you, send name and contact number over to lainieyeoh@gmail.com)

So if you want to, I don't know, sit around in a cafe and a few episodes later hound your family, your friends, your classmates to check out that 8second shot of you sitting behind Sazzy, or something, be there.

The cast of Gol n Gincu will be there. You can see pictures of them from this Gol n Gincu blog. If any bloggers are going, and taking pictures, tell me when you blog about it. Always have been kinda curious what goes on during shoots, since I never picked up any info from the commercial shoots I used to get dragged to (especially since most times we are pontenging and napping somewhere we can't be seen).

Written by lainie at 07:08 PM on July 17, 2006 in Daily Life, Friends.

Some scenes in movies I just can't bring myself to watch because I know they'll be so painfully embarrassing. SMS battle casualty, anyone?

I was in Advanced Digital Design class today, working on a Flash animation assignment. Was a bit bored after a while, and had what I thought was a Bright Idea. I planned to Disturb The Stalkee!

[ I have told KA that in the future, should I have any more Bright Ideas to disturb Lola while I'm in class, she should stop me. For my sake. ]

I texted Lola.

Lainie: How was women's rights camp? Came back empowered?
Lola: I hooked up with a hot girl. Your gaydar was right all along. Took a women's rights camp to make me realise.

Oh. Information overload in three sentences. That was so, so evil. That was a calculated attack. Actually, it was also pretty funny.

[ I'd probably have laughed a lot more then if I didn't have visuals of myself vomiting blood. ]

I knew she was kidding, because it's general information amongst people who know her, that Lola is evil (I have great taste in stalkees, also, wonder