Vyen's Tortoise: Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo...

Vyen's 2 year old tortoise basking in the sun

Look who's out for some sunshine....

A close-up shot, courtesy of TTY

For the "Tortoise Growth Chart", please click on the link provided below

http://livyen.blogspot.com/2008/02/vyens-tortoise-lost-found.html

-LV-

Peng Nam

Classic Chinese Pre-war shopfront - Name of the shop carved on the pillar. [For the uninitiated, it is supposed to read "Peng Nam Restaurant" (Peng Nam Zau Lau - 4th word missing)]

But I do wonder, what "Peng Nam" means in Chinese??? I'm the classic case of know how to read but don't know what it means. Would someone kindly enlighten me? Pardon me...

_____

Had a relaxing 4 day break back home and I'm back down South again.... Ahhhhh.... May have another long weekend off next week (that's what the timetable says, barring any unforeseen 'ambush' by the Torture Camp authorities)... Well, we shall see.

It's May day today, thus, Mum and Dad decided to drive me back down South. Bro tagged along as usual. And we dropped by Peng Nam (in Rawang) for dinner.

Rawang Town @ 6.45pm (approx.)

It is a classic old school Chinese shop with marble table, big 'daun nipah' fans (errrrmmm... I don't know how to describe them, but it's those old school ceiling fans), located in the middle of town, serving home cooked food; something different from the 'dai chao' (大炒) places we normally frequent. It's a family-run business and food there tastes really really really (emphasis added) good....

The shop front

Classic Chinese Makan Place: Chopsticks + Soysauce plate + Chinese Tea + Bucket of Ice (Ah!!! Too bad I didn't have a picture of the teapot and the 'sterilising bowl' aka the bowl of hot water commonly used to rinse the cutlery and teacups prior to use.)

It closes at 8pm everyday, so we got there at about 6.30pm just before the dinner crowd starts to pour in. Despite our 'foresight', we were lucky to get a table as the 12 tables there were fully occupied but for one. 15 minutes later, a mini queue started to form outside. Yes, no joke.

And before we proceed to the food, I am duty bound to place my usual disclaimer.

Warning VCKY: Food pictures ahead!!!!!

We had our 'default dishes'; deep fried wanton, omelette, sweet and sour pork and a stir-fried vegetable (Choy Sum tonight). Btw, the fish with tofu tastes good too, though we didn't order it this time around.

Omelette: Alas, the picture does not do it any justice. Trust me, it tastes good.

Stir-fried Choy Sum in the background. Pardon my poor photography skills. Was more eager to dig into the food than to take pictures by now! :P

Sweet & Sour Pork: Tangy tasting sauce with pieces of crispily fried pork. Perfect harmony!

The famed deep fried Wanton with the sweet & sour dip: Tastes good, though I'm not a big fan of deep fried wantons.

(Chopstick + Wanton + Dipping action courtesy of TTY)

Rice is individually cooked in a steel/metal/alloy bowl. Old school man! And I thought I'm the only one who does this at home. Yup, I 'double boil' my rice in a small metal bowl at times (to prevent the kerak nasi (crust???) from forming should I cook it in the rice cooker due to the miniscule amount of rice cooked), when I don't feel like cooking 3 day's supply of rice.

Rice: Cooked the Old School Way

Total damage: RM48 (inclusive of rice and drinks)

-LV-

And This Little Girl Grew Up...

But her toothy grin and round eyes still remain...

-LV-

Doggie...

I fear dogs except for this one, Z+ (pronounced as Z kah. To be honest I don't know the spelling...). He's a really cute, lovable darling, who does not hoover around your feet. He will follow you when you walk in, and lies at your feet, where ever you are sitting.

Shall abduct it from Grandma's place one day *evil grin* I bet she will retort with "Seang sei ah!" or will prolly tell me to use him to "min fu juk" i.e. "Don't you dare!" and "Go stew the dog meat with beancurd sheets..." in the 'san ning'/ 'sei yaep'（四邑）dialect.

More about that dialect later. It's pretty useful considering the fact that it is so rarely spoken, so much so that no one ever understands it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taishan_dialect

-LV-

Review: My Father

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:My_Father_%282007%29.jpg

I watched this DVD on the day I bought it, which is very untypical of me. I'm usually very lazy or tend to procastinate when it comes to watching DVDs. I can never bring myself to watch an entire movie on my own, except if I'm in the cinema or if there's someone watching the DVD with me. Manifestations of ADD (attention deficit disorder) I guess???

Anyway, back to the movie. It wasn't much of a tear-jerker as I'd expected it to be, but it does have its poignant and heart-touching scenes. Spoiler alert.

E.g. the scene where Henney discovers that Kim is not his biological father as he thought he was. And where Henney's adopted father passes away. And perhaps, the most memorable of them all would be the scene where a young Henney (about 5 years old) realises that he is different from the his siblings and the rest of his family. They all had blonde hair, and his, black. So in an innocent attempt to blend in with the rest, the young Henney poured a tin of yellow paint over his hair.

One thing I realise about this movie though, is Henney's improved acting skills. A big improvement from his "My Name is Kim Sam Soon" days, where he was a bit too stiff and always had his trademark smile plastered across his face. His tears were so real in this movie. Omigosh!!!!!

I'm looking forward to watching him in "Xmen "Origins" Wolverine" next year!!!!

And best part about this movie is that 40% of the dialogue is in English, hence, minismising the dubbed parts. I hate dubbed movies/shows. And the Korean dialogue is kept simple, hence giving me an opportunity to practice my rusty Korean!!!! Min would be so proud that his efforts were not wasted!!!!

Brilliant movie with a simple, yet engaging storyline!

-LV-

Nasty Sunday

Retyping this entry for the 2nd time. Blogger died on me the first time around. God knows why!!! *pekchek*
___

Nasty Sunday I had...

1. That MU game. No, it's not a penalty. Yes, I'm still bitter about it (as of yesterday). Thank you very much!

2. Went to bed with running a temperature. No, it's not the adrenaline from the match, but the looming threat of a nasty flu.

3. Woke up at 7am on Sunday with a nasty sorethroat and a slight temperature, had to practically drag myself out of bed. Took a quick shower, went down to grab Bob to head for class.

4. Bob refused to get his engine rolling. And was only up and roaring on the 3rd try (thinking back now, I should have seen the signs). Drove to the Torture Camp via my usual route, only to discover that that section has been cordoned off for some dunno-what marathon. Fine! Took a diversion and headed to the Torture Camp via Jln Maarof. ARRGGHHH!!!! This means an extra 10km! I still managed to arrive on time; 10 minutes early.

5. Parked at the usual spot, and notice a man standing in front of Bob, waiting for me to get off. Suspected something amiss, but got off anyway. He approached me, asked for RM1. From Seremban, came down to meet a friend, but lost wallet, phone, etc.... blah, blah, yaddah, yaddah....needs money to take bus to KL Sentral! Usual story... Holy cow! Man, do I look stupid? Firstly, KL Sentral is just 5 minutes walk away (less than 1km) and secondly, where on Earth does one find a bus service from Methodist College to KL Sentral! No such thing!!! I think I must have looked dumb and gullible.

I refused and told him, KL Sentral is just round the corner man! 5 minutes walk MAX! Maybe slightly less than 1km!!!!!! And now, Mr Conman changed his story, said he needed to call his friend with that RM1. I refused, asked him again whether he lost his wallet. "Yes", he replied. I retorted and replied, "Right, you lost your wallet, now I tell you, walk straight down and KL Sentral would be in front of you. There's a police station (no such thing of course, but I think I've seen police booths somewhere...), go make a police report and use the phone there to call your friend!"

"Sorry, but I'm not giving you the RM1". I brushed him off and started walking away. And at this point, he had the cheek to bargain and to ask for 50cents! Pengsan man! I would be dumb to have parted with my RM1 or 50cents!!!

On the hindsight, I think I shouldn't have spent so much time talking to him. Close to one minute. Yeah, it's in broad daylight and in an open space, but God knows, I might have got robbed and stabbed to death. Afterall, I haven't got life insurance! Lesson learnt: Walk away! (God knows what and why on Earth I spent time speaking to him! Flabbergasted!)

6. Got to class, discovered that my usual spot is taken up, no biggie as it is not labelled "Private Property of TLV" anyway. Though the seat is mine, by convention. So plonked myself down in a nearby seat, and reserved one for HP. Class started, by now I was feeling crappy and horrible... Running a temperature again, and the headache was killing me!!!!!! Decided to cabut during the lunch break.

7. Went to get Bob, and to head home. Put the keys in the ignition, turned the keys. Damn!!!!! That fella refused to budge. Battery mati. Thank God dad's down this weekend, so I made a SOS call. Sorted that guy (Bob) out, and was home at 1.30pm, man! With the amount of time I wasted, I should have stayed in class afterall!!!!! *Kiasu!*

8. Got home, watched Spanish Grand Prix. Mclaren is performing underpar this weekend. So the race was a bit potong stim... Thank God Heikki survived that horrendous crash!

Anyway, that pretty much sums up my Sunday!

Nombor 4-ekor of the week: 6452 or 7111. Gerenti strike!!!

-LV-
*I seem to have survived the onslaught of high fever... for now...

Bimbo Alert

I was nearly a Chemical Engineer;

I was almost a doctor;

BUT now,

I'm glad I'm neither a Chemical Engineer, nor a doctor; but a (near/almost/hopefully soon-to-be) lawyer...

BECAUSE

I get to dress up when I go to work!!!!!!

Yes, seriously...

*lols* *chuckles*

-LV-

*bimbotic mood!*

Crash, Boom, Bang

How cannnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Refer: Previous post; nothing to say! *sobs* Injustice! Mana boleh penalty!!!!!!???!!!??!?!?!)

Plus, I'm down with sorethroat, threat of flu looming!!!!!!!! *double sigh*

Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying, nothing to shout about as well. Plus, I suspect Renault short-fueled Alonso!!!! Hamilton and Kovalainen 5th and 6th respectively *triple sigh!!!!*

Good night!

-LV-

*PS: Looks like this means I won't be making the trip back this Tuesday afterall...

Go United!!!

The MU fan is here... 1.5 hours to kick-off; the match that will determine our title destiny.... Hmmm... Should I Tv my jersey on, to match dad's? PS-will head home for the Tuesday match should we win tonight..

The Holy Grail

Subordinate Courts Rules 1980, Rules of the High Court 1980 = the holy grail of Civil Procedure.... *hou sien ah!!!*

Alright peeps, better get started on the questions again; otherwise ciak lat!!!

Yummy, Yummy, Yum!

Disclaimer: VCKY- Food post ahead!

My 'witch's brew' of beef+chinese raddish+carrots+longans+goji berries (wolf berries). Tastes superb as usual *grins*; the rich and strong taste of beef complimented by the 'earthy' (no idea how to describe it) taste of the raddish. Alas, one thing lacking- Mandarin orange peel!

Otherwise, it would have been perfect!

Tsk Tsk Tsk...

Just finished watching the United-Barca match, both teams drew blanks but Barca was obviously playing better. United looked as if they went all the way to Spain only to defend. Tsk tsk tsk... Geram watching them play, plus Ronnie's missed penalty! Apa lah!!

I'm rolling in bed now whilst typing this entry from my mobile. Oh, how I love mobile blogging! Night... xxx

My Father

And so, I'm back after the brief 3 hour rendezvous at 1 Utama. It was short, but pleasant and made a lot of difference both to my motivation and pockets! But then, it's been like 6 months since I last bought something (yeah, I didn't even get anything new for CNY).

Justification! Justification!! Justification!!! *grins*

http://gb.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2005/10/03/ee051003151.jpg

The bright side is that I'm rejuvenated and am refreshed after the brief shopping trip. Am prepared to attack my Civil questions with gutso now!

The errrmm... not so bright side of things is that my wallet/pockets hurt. *grins* Got myself 2 tops and 2 pairs of shorts (RM60+ for all of them! Amazing eh! *smiles proudly*), a DVD and a load of toiletries from the Body Shop (that's where the bulk of my dosh went to! But then, these will last me for half a year, so it's OK! *smiles*...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:My_Father_%282007%29.jpg

And of course, I got a DVD that I've always wanted. "My Father" by Daniel Henney and Kim Young-Cheol. RM19.90 for the original, still a tahan-able (bearable price) as I never (rarely) buy CDs, DVDs; be it pirated or original. So I guess a splurge once in a while is justifiable. It's not exactly a big budget movie, hence can't find the pirated version anywhere, same goes for the many independent director movies I've wanted to watch, but could not find kaki to accompany me to the cinemas. Might just have to watch for the original version to be out in the markets... Paris Jet'aime anyone???

Anyway, I hope to be able to find time to watch "My Father" over the weekend; I hope I do, in light of the Spanish Grand Prix + MU v Chelsea (do or die title decider) and also my studies.

The synopsis is as follows...

http://global.yesasia.com/en/ImageGallery.aspx/section-index/code-k/version-all/pid-1010747198/#selection

"Based on a true story, My Father traces a young man's journey to Korea in search of his biological parents. Brimming with pathos and tears, My Father resonates long after the film's ending, which features actual footage of Aaron Bates, whose heart-wrenching ordeal inspired the film.

Though raised by a nice loving adoptive family in America, Korean-born James Parker (Daniel Henney) has always dreamed of meeting his birth parents. He gets his wish when he volunteers for the U.S. Forces in Korea and tracks down his old orphanage. There, he learns his Korean name "Gong Eun Cheol", and appears on a TV program asking for help. A priest who claims to know the whereabouts of James's birth father soon makes the reunion possible. But his father turns out to be a death row inmate who has been incarcerated for the last ten years - not the ideal image James originally had in mind. Nevertheless, the two men find an undeniable father-and-son bond that metamorphoses into something more special - something thicker than blood..."

(http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-index/pid-1010747198/)

Okay, I admit... the main thing that attracted me to this movie is the 'hunk factor'. Come one people, who wouldn't!

Woohoo, Daniel Henney....

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b388/401/daniel03.jpg

Now, please find something to catch your drool... *winks* Damn cun right???

-LV-

*Fulamak!*

*off to battle with Civil Procedure!

Hmmm...

I'm sleepy, even after my 3 hour nap + the 9 hour's sleep yesterday. But god knows why I ended up at 1U after finishing my morning reading quota... He he shopping temptations I guess. Better finish off my lunch and hit the shops!

How Long More?

Just realised housing developments projects have commenced on the piece of land adjacent to my house i.e. just behind the mini jungle. I sincerely hope the trees wont be fell, leaving my room facing a concrete jungle

My Sister's Keeper: Review

I posted about this book, "My Sister's Keeper" a couple of months ago. http://livyen.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-sisters-keeper.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk

I have since finished reading a couple of other story books; namely "PS: I Love You" by Cecelia Ahern and "Perfect Match" also by Jodi Picoult. But, this particular book has been left by my bedside, untouched for a good 2 - 3 months. Reasons, I don't know.

http://www.amazon.co.uk

"Perfect Match" - A brilliantly engaging novel!

Anyway, finally got my hands on that book again yesterday night after a long layoff. Was reading it for a good 30 minutes (was at about page 200+ or 400 pages) before curiosity got the better of me.

Well, (to cut a long story short) the plot centred around a girl who is conceived as a saviour sibling for her sister, Kate. Anna who is now 13 years old is deeply troubled by this revelation and the constant medical procedures and treatment she has to undergo for the sake of Kate. Kate has since suffered a relapse and is suffering from renal failure unless a BTM (bone marrow transplant) is done. Prognosis is not good.

Anna has instituted legal proceedings against her parents for subjecting her to such needless treatment, which is solely for the sake of Kate. And the story rolls on....

......

As I read the book, I can't stop but find answers to this question. How would the court balance the interests of the respective parties?

1. Anna - her right to self-determination, and the need to consider her best interests (a pending lawsuit against her own parents would certainly do her more harm than good)
2. Kate - her right to life
3. Brian and Sara - do they as parents, hold an ultimate veto towards the medical decisions of their children? If so, to what extent does Anna (whom I would consider to be Gillick competent i.e. possess a good and sufficient level of maturity to display a clear understanding towards the gravity of the issue in hand and the consequences it entails) have a say in objecting any decision(s) made on her behalf?
4. And lastly, but most importantly, does the right and santity of life outweigh other considerations?

Thus, I can't help to wonder how Picoult would seek to reconcile these issues throughout the 200 odd pages (out of 400) that I have read thus far.

And as the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat, and more so LV. After 200 odd pages of resisting the temptations of flicking through the last chapter of the book, I finally made the fateful decision to turn to the chapter that read: Epilogue.

I WAS REALLY REALLY REALLY DYING AND CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT WOULD THE CONCLUSION BE....

WARNING: Spoilers ahead.
To read, please left-click and highlight the following paragraph(s).

And boy, the conclusion was unexpected.

I would say that Picoult took the easy way out by not addressing/answering the questions I had above. Rather, her story ended with Anna being involved in an accident at an intersection and was seriously injured as a result. Being in PVS (permanent vegetative state), her parents then decided to turn off the life support machines and pledge her organs for donation. Kate, would of course be one of the lucky receipients.

And so, Kate survived the ordeal and is now in remission. Whilst Anna, despite her struggles with her identity as a saviour sibling have now passed on.

The ending, to me was a bit of 'potong-stim' situation and an easy way out for Picoult without having to address the Bioethical dilemmas posed in the earlier parts of the book.

Well, I may be wrong as i jumped straight from page 200+ to the final chapter, having left out a good 150 pages worth of material. Until then, I take that she has failed to deliver as I had hoped...

It left me in a state of disbelief, and pondering over the issue overnight, which of course, left me sleep-deprived. Yeah, I know, silly me!

I came to realise that that was the only way she could bring this story to an end/closure without having to go on rambling further on the bioethical dimension of this saviour sibling saga.

Well, it's akin to the many instances when we used to write our UPSR, PMR and SPM cerpen/cereka/stories where we didn't know how to put an end to our fancy fictional essays. Hence, more often that not, we would resort to penning down this line, "... Rupa-rupanya, aku hanya bermimpi." Yeah, I guess this is the line of approach taken by Picoult in her attempt to reach a conclusion that would satisfy a majority of her readers.

On further consideration, I think the book may perhaps not be the sole factor for my sleeplessness. The brain/sub-conscious mind is just too active lately. Must learn how to relax and calm down and for the brain to understand that bed = sleep.

Will finish up the book soon and update later.

-LV-
*btw, IMHO (in my humble opinion), PS: I Love You has quite a potong stim ending too! *Sulks*

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

PS: I Love You; Everyone needs a guardian angel...

(and I can't help but to agree!)

Server Downtime

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get..."

Tom Hanks (oh, I so love him) as Forest Gump

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hanks

IN CONTRAST

"If you sow sunflower seeds, you know you'll (at least) be rewarded with sunflowers at the end of the day..."

TLV

Layu, mid-afternoon; @ 31900, April 2008

*hehe* I know it's a bit lame trying to "name" my pictures.... at least I tried :P

Wasn't feeling great yesterday, and I realised that this 'mother of all exams' is consuming me bit by bit. Yup, my 'internal server' went haywire and was down for 'maintenance' yesterday.

Yeah, I know it's the final step of my academic journey, but at times, the feelings overwhelm me and I can't help but sit and think. Man, all this reading isn't getting me anywhere...

And if you're fairly close to me, most of my conversations lately would have centred around this mother-of-all-exams. At times, I feel sorry for those who have to listen to my complaints. *thanks peeps...*

I started reading Civil Procedure yesterday, and I must admit this subject is my Archilles heel. I can't see the link between the law and the issue in hand and this has certainly got me worried and worked up. Hence, I wasn't as productive as I wished to be yesterday. Sorted out some questions on Criminal Procedure, opened my Civil book and sat there wondering, how am I to tackle this subject?

I understand the concepts when I read them, just that my memory fails me as always, and knowing myself, the memory bit wouldn't function until the week before exams (i.e. my brain just wouldn't commit most of the cases I read to memory until it is a do-or-die situation). *ARRRGGGHHH* And what irritated/irked me the most is the fact that I have read it, and yet I couldn't spot the issues!!!!! I panicked and got all worked up, wondering how am I to tackle this pile of crap 12 weeks before exams....

Droopy; @ 31900, April 2008

I knew that stressing over this would not get me anywhere, and sitting at home in front of the notes wouldn't do me any good. Took a quick shower, and drove myself to class early; 4.30pm for the 6.15pm class. And boy, it wasn't meant to be my day, ended up stuck in the traffic jam along Jalan Tun Sambathan just right in front of the Torture Camp for 20minutes, the traffic was crawling!!!! And I ended in class at the same time I would had I followed my usual schedule.

Anyway, got to class. Manja-ed with SW a bit, kacau-ed HP a bit more with sad puppy dog eyes *winks*.... sat there during Evidence like a Zombie, just couldn't concentrate and the fact that the fella spoke like a bullet train didn't help much.

Had dinner at the dirty restaurant below the Torture Camp... Nice wantan noodles as usual, talked a bit... and felt better by now. Ha Ha! And HP realised it!!!!! *winks again*

Got home, with renewed enthusiasm to take the bull by its horns, or probably in this case.... errrmmm.... ready to flick through the Rules of High Ct again?

Exchanged a couple of text messages with KH. Got some more support, and by now I'm back to my usual "I can conquer the world" self again *exaggeration*.... Not exactly oozing with confidence, but I'm ready to wage war against Civil Procedure again.

Buzzed ZY online (and as usual, he replied "Apa hal?"), did some complaining... *hehe, yeah I was a bit emo yesterday...* And he in turn, told me about his job as a 'storekeeper' *winks*. "Don't worry, you're not the only one having exams." True enough, I thought to myself... As per the Chinese saying "Exams only mah, you think you very big meh?" (translate to canto. please)

And that was enough to get me kickstarted and *thud* I went back to reality!

We do need such people to get us back on track, don't we?

Sunflower bud; New Life, New Hope; @ 31900, April 2008

______

Anyway, (contrary to popular believe) I do lose track of sanity and reality in my quest to conquer this mother of all examinations. It does consume me at times and the desire to PASS (read: not score, I just want to pass.... Cukup Makan, 3rd class is good enough.... Am not aiming to be the top scorer or what nots... and what sorts...) does overwhelm me. What's most disturbing is the fact that at times, I do not know whether I will even reap what I sow.

I'm human afterall...

Yeah, at least if you sow sunflower seeds, you'll know that you would get sunflowers at the end of the day...

But then, don't sow; won't know!

If you sow sunflower seeds, sunflowers are what you'll get in the end; @ 31900, April 2008

Despite the many complaints and ups and downs and emotional turmoil and personal conflicts *dramatising* I have deep within... I know and realise that no one can help me if I do not help myself.

Hence, I went to bed early last night and woke up this early morning (albeit groggy) with renewed enthusiasm to kick the arse outta See-Elee-Pee.

Standing Tall, Looking Pretty; @ 31900, April 2008

Yup, I'm not the only one with exams, and I shall complain no more and instead, take it in my stride. One step along the way...

Criminal conquered! Civil next!
_____

I can't get enough of them (sunflowers I mean)... *smiles*

In Full Bloom; @ 31900, April 2008

"If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great.”

Tom Hanks (again)

-LV-

*PS: Thanks to those who helped keep my sanity intact and in check...

Mango Mania

7 mangoes... All turning ripe at about the same time... How am I to finish them in time?

Have You Seen Purple Chillies Before?

Purple Chillies, stolen progeny from the local market; April 2008 @ 31900

Yes, in my garden. And they are dangerously, potently spicy!

-LV-

Dysfunctional Shop

Wow! What on Earth Tesco had in mind when they launched this line of products? They are only 7 years old!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1037060.ece

_____

I used to get my stationery from this particular shop; YY back during my school days due to its close proximity to the school. So it was rather convenient to drop by as I walked from school to tuition, etc.

But I've been avoiding this shop of late, as I would at times, feel uneasy with the staff at the shop. I ventured into this shop this morning as I couldn't find what I wanted elsewhere.

Well, you see, this is a really 'old-school' kinda shop where everything is stuffed in every nook and corner of the shop; unlike the 'easy to find' layout you see in places like Popular and MPH nowadays. Thus, one would need to tell the shop assistants what one was looking for and he/she would 'dig' it out for you. (Yes, "dig" as the shop assistant would have to rumage through boxes and piles of dust to find that 4'x6' envelope you wanted or the Pilot G1 refill you were looking for....

Anyway, there's this old lady at the shop who (I would say) has turned a bit senile. As such, I find it uneasy having to ask her for certain things which I wanted. And at times, she works rather slowly and is (always) unsure of the pricing. Hence, causing much irritation to her co-workers. And this would turn into a 'full-blown' shouting match between this old lady and her co-worker. And poor me would have to stand there and enjoy the show...

This happened today, again, as always... I went to the shop to get some 3M Post-It Notes as I couldn't find it anywhere else. Well, you may wonder why I'm so particular about the brand. I used to use other cheapo brands, but I hated them as they fail to stay in place, the adhesive just doesn't stick and the notes that I put on certain pages would just drop-off and go missing. So, it's back to the slightly more expensive 3M ones, but at least they stay where and when they are supposed to! Solves me of the trauma of missing notes.

I spotted the Post-It Notes, grabbed the two that I wanted and asked Miss Old Lady the price, to which she asked co-worker A. Co-worker A (CWA) was unsure of the price and was supposed to check the price when she was stopped by another customer. Hence, Old Lady asked CWA if it's RM3.50 for the bigger one and RM3 for the smaller one. Sure enough, it turned into a shouting match, as CWA insisted that the price of the smaller one should be RM3.50 as written on the product.... I was left standing there watching.... CWB then came in and was asked about the price, to which he replied that he was unsure. The shouting match went on, until Miss Supervisor came in. *THANK GOD!* I thanked my lucky stars, the heaven and Earth, as by now, I wanted to just pay and leave the shop...

Frankly speaking, I find the shop a bit dysfunctional in the way the co-workers interact. And more significantly, I find it rather uneasy watching and observing the way Old Lady is treated; which is one reason why I try to avoid the shop as far as possible although it can be considered as the most comprehensive stationery shop in town despite its 'old-school' layout.

Life is a cycle, and we would all grow old at some juncture. Which makes me wonder whether CWA has ever put herself in Old Lady's shoes, and imagine how she would have felt.

And as I walked out of the shop, I heard Old Lady murmuring to herself, "I told you it was RM3 + RM3.50, isn't is correct?" (in Cantonese) in a dejected tone.

I know some of you may think that it isn't a big deal, but to me, well, it just made me feel VERY UNEASY.

And today, I walked out of the shop, telling myself (yet again) to avoid going into the shop, IF POSSIBLE...

-LV-
*Oh yeah, it's beef curry tonight... Woo hoo... I love my Grandma!!!! :P

Goodbye insomnia, temporarily... Albeit 2 days

Ah...back for a breather... The view fr my bedroom. Dragonflies, monkeys, squirrels, kingfishers aplenty. No, I'm not kidding...

3 more months of this!

See-Elle-Pee

Hidup CLP, Makan CLP, Minum CLP, Tidur CLP.

Yup, my current 'obsession', the current most happening thing in my life. *Adoi!*

I refer to a string of articles in the NST on Sunday, 6th April 2008 and I can't help but to agree that there are inherent flaws to the current system that causes injustice, biasness and unfairness to all Malaysian law graduates; be it from local or foreign universities.

I draw your attention to the following articles,

"Is This The End of CLP?" http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2205438/Article/index_html

"If At First You Don't Succeed" http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2205441/Article/index_html

"Not Impossible To Pass First Time" http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2205452/Article/index_html

"CLP Was Only A Stop Gap Measure" http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2205476/Article/index_html

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The main aims of the course, as I view it is to introduce law graduates to the practical aspects of legal practice. And as much as I hate to admit, the wide array of subjects covered in the syllabus does this well and proper.

However, I must point out that there are certain aspects of the course that I disagree with. Firstly, we are to juggle 10 different subjects all lumped into 5 different papers. This means having to remember more than 10 different statutes altogether. And I do not see the reason why we are barred from bringing most of the statute books into the exam hall. Instead, we're expected to commit most of them to memory. Stupid ruling!

Secondly, the notoriously low passing rates of the said examination. I had a look through the statistics given on NST on Sunday and the passing rate in the 2007 examinations was at an all time high; 36%. Otherwise, it averages to about 15 - 20% per year. I honestly believe that this is not a true reflection of the academic capability of the students out there. Come on man, there can't be so many stupid people out there!

One reason behind this atrociously low passing rate is the perhaps due to the fact that one has to pass at least 4 papers in the first sitting, of which they qualify for a referral for the 5th paper that they failed in the first sitting. Referrals are normally done in October, and to 'qualify' for a referral, you must get a score of at least 35-39% in that particular paper in the first sitting (i.e. July Paper). Fail 2 subjects or more = Resitting that whole damn examination the following July! I honestly do not see the point behind such ruling. It imposes an unduly heavy burden and mental and psychological agony on us students. Plus, what's the use of resitting the other papers that you've already passed??? Wouldn't it be a better move to allow students to 'carry forward' the credits from the previous examinations? CLP people, I don't get your point here!

Lastly, the system creates unfairness amongst law graduates. At times, I feel that those who graduated from foreign universities are being 'unfairly penalised' by virtue of their qualifications. LLB (UK/Aus/NZ) and LLB (Malaya) makes a lot of difference; one is a 3 year degree and the other a 4 year degree. Most importantly, the former reads must do CLP and the latter, no need to do CLP. Well yes, foreign graduates (those from the UK) have the option of doing the English BAR in the UK instead of CLP. As much as a I refuse to chatise the BAR, it creates an unequal playing field for students. Yes, the BAR is tough but it is almost a 'guaranteed' pass if you do your work. Whereas for us, working hard may not equal to passing the exams. In short, the unlucky ones do not reap what they sow.

If the board decides to continue imposing such stringent 'litmus tests' for the candidates, I am strongly in favour of them imposing a common qualification examination for all graduants; echoing the requirements adopted by Singapore and HK, just to name a few. In that way, there are no 'back-doors' to qualification in Malaysia. Like it or not, we are all adjudged based on the same criteria, same examinations and same stringent standards. That way, we are assured of at least a common standard amongst all graduates. Just like how STPM is to dictate the entry into local Universities. But then again, there's this whole STPM and Matriculation debate....

Having said much about the inequality and unfairness of the examinations, there's only one saving grace. I must admit that I've learnt so much more in my 6 months (and counting) of CLP compared to the 3 years in law school. Law school = academic debates, which has little bearing towards legal practice. Whereas CLP provides us with an insight into legal practice.

So folks, that's my 2 cents worth.

Like it or not, CLP is here to stay and a common qualification examination is miles away.

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12pm now, time to start shoving my face into those books...

___

So what does a girl do?

She sips her coffee and proceeds to kick start her day!

Cappucino - Red Cafe; Old Trafford, Manchester; November 2007

-LV-

*I know I've been posting very very frequently lately. Well, it's just me. I tend to write more when it's nearing exams and when I'm reading/researching for my papers/courseworks. I view it as an avenue for me to relax and to clear my mind.

So, please bear with me as I am very aware that some of my posts (past, present and future) do not make much sense. Well, I just need to type away.... and hence, my blog is often at the receiving end of my 'abuses'.

Otherwise, it will be the treadmills...

Isle Of Skye; July 2007

This is not one of the most flattering pictures of myself. Had slightly over-chubby cheeks and horrendously rounded face back then. Heck! Who cares! But yet, this picture ranks among one of my favourites in my personal collection.

I think it's the background contrasted with my bright yellow top that makes me love this picture so much.

And yes, did I mention that I miss my long hair?

-LV-

*3.22am, insomnia yet again!

The 8th Wonder of the World

I rely a lot on the Internet to get along with my daily life. News is the primary thing on the agenda, then comes MSN which is always on but rarely used (keeping in touch with friends), gossips, road maps, weather conditions/forecasts, movie reviews, product reviews, emails,... and the list just goes on. I am severely crippled without it.

And I am still amazed with the wonders of the net. Just a couple of hours ago, I (in Malaysia, right below Thailand and just above Singapore and somewhat near Australia) was having a tri-continental conversation with Mel (from Belize, Central America in the Carribean, right next to Mexico and just below USA) and Sarah (the Oz-Irish-English leprechaun; currently in London at the moment). *lols* Yeah, that how we describe ourselves geographically.

Amazing ain't it! Had it not been for the Internet and Facebook and MSN; we've surely lost touch the moment we left the University of Manchester.

-LV-

Apa ni?!?!?!?

And they fed me with this....

"... Dear,
Mdm Li Vyen,

As our teleconversion refer , the adjustment have done as shown below and will update in the next your billing in 13/04/2008. Hopefully you will satisfied .

Tq...."

Walau eh!! Madam summore!!!! *Lols!!!*

Apo ni!!!??!!!!??

-LV-

*and with this, I hope my Telekom trilogy is put to an end.

Thank you for bearing with my previous rantings. I just needed an avenue to vent out my frustrations.....

Very Well Fed!

It didn't take too long for those fellas at Telekom to FEED ME BACK. 24 hours was all it took after an angry and sacarstic email to them earlier last week.

But interestingly the lady on the line had the cheek to tell me that they will pay me by cheque and insisted that I demanded such method of repayment. When I denied the accusations, she replied "Oh, mungkin kita tak faham apa yang kau tulis ni!". Woah.... I started rolling my eyes, my blood began to boil.

And I replied, "Cik, tolong baca baik-baik. Tak tengok ke ni?"

Ah, subtle... But, I hope I got the message across!

And less than ah hour later, another fella from the Accounts Department called to reassure me that the necessary adjustments have been made and also to apologise on behalf of Telekom. But cha dou-ed by this fella, who addressed me as Madam TLV. *faint*

Next billing date April 2008. We shall see.... Otherwise, another round of tongue lashing from me... He He. It's actually quite fun cursing people in BM.

-LV-

Malaysia Boleh!

I sent Mel some Boh Mint Flavoured Tea last November (November 2007), along with a Christmas card.

It was supposed to be headed towards Belize, and should take 1 month max. I estimated. And how shocked I was to discover that the package only arrived at Belize, Central America today (April 2008). That's half a year!

It took a round-the-world-trip according to Mel. And it arrived at Belize with extra postage stamps attached, along with some Spanish inscriptions.

Malaysia --> Belarus --> Spain (or some Spanish speaking country we presumed) --> Belize

OMIGOSH!!!!!!!

Now I know why I paid RM20 for the postage. Apparently, I paid 'extra' for the round the world trip.

Malaysia Boleh!!!!!!

-LV-

Salute Cukup-cukup, Berhabis-habisan

I believe that some of you might have read my previous post regarding my Telekom Saga. (Note: Post has since been edited)

Anyway, I've received a reply from them today... and it's got me in stitches.... laughing that is...

"... With regards to that matter, we are very sorry for any
inconveniencecaused to you. We have been escalated your complaint to our respectivedepartment for further action and we will feed you back in a soonesttime..."

Taken verbatim, without any alterations/editing.

Hence, the typographical errors. And of course NUMEROUS grammatical errors in this SHORT reply.

Man! The part where they offered to "feed me back ASAP" takes the cake! *lols*

Wonder if they passed their SPM English or bother to at least proof-read their emails. A 3 sentence long email, but with significant errors in all sentences! *salute kau kau man!*

I could not have done any better! *salutes kau kau again!*

Should I reply clarifying my 'demands'? *grins*

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was just requesting for a refund of my RM75. I did not ask to be fed.
Thank you very much for your kind offer.

-LV-
*now I know why Mum made me do those English grammar and spelling exercises when I was a young kid.... *forever grateful*

Utterly Heavenly

Warning: VCKY, drool inducing post again...

Grandma's kaya (handmade with lots of love) + cream crackers = my favourite breakfast item/ snack anytime of the day. Can't find any other kaya anywhere as good as grandma's.

Have tried to make some myself, but failed...

Oh yes, did I mention that the Kaya must be COLD i.e. right out from the fridge for maximum enjoyment? :P

-LV-

*loves her grandmama....

Faith vs Religion

Po Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong; September 2007

"Faith" is one's belief and trust in/towards a certain thing.

Whilst "religion" is a set of personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction;

or

what we both refer to as a subset of faith.

or

in a variety of cases; lies 'in between'.

There can be religion without faith. Not everyone has 'faith' in the religion they profess to believe in. In fact, in some cases, they are just 'born into the religion' i.e. by default; they go through the many motions of religious rituals without even understanding its true meaning and significance. They 'believe' in God, because they are brought up with that sense of belief. In such cases, it amounts to religion by default and not religion by choice.

Furthermore, although the word "faith" is commonly reserved to describe one's belief in religion, I (We) believe, that it encompasses a wider spectrum of things. "Faith" is often used interchangeably with words like "believe", "hope"... and as such, covers a wider variety of things which are not necessarily linked to any religious ethos.

Do let me know if you beg to differ. We would like to hear from you.

What's your equation?

Religion = Faith

or

Faith = Religion

or

Religion x Faith

or

Faith x Religion

-LV-

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Note:
The above were exerpts from the conversation I had with Mel the other day.
Re: Her debate with a friend about faith vs religion.

Bocor Again!

Woohoo... Refer to picture above. Need I elaborate any further???

No Excuses

Dictionary:
Professional student (adjective): used to describe a person who has been a fulltime student throughout his/her life, and has never held a proper fulltime job

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One thing I find most interesting throughout my postgrad (PG) year and my post-postgrad (PPG) year (read: CLP) is the presence of mature students in my class.

Susan was a nurse in her 50s, Louise an established barrister in her 40s, Divine a medical doctor in his early 30s, Rachel a surgeon in her early 30s, Nick a dentist in his late 40s - my classmates during my PG year. Fun people to talk to, and it's nice being the 'baby' at times, cause you get sayang-ed (i.e. pampered) *smiles*

Fast-forward PPG: I see some senior citizens around too... some in their 60s... 50s... 40s.... and some young (late 20s, early 30s) professionals; architects, accountants,...

It makes me wonder, why on earth do these people choose to torture themselves with work and weekend classes for CLP?

Their perseverance, determination and motivation is inspiring....

Hence, for a professional student like me; I have no excuse to fail.... Work hard, babe!!!!

-LV-

Findings

Investigations revealed that the unit above is currently housing more than 10 foreign workers when the maximum capacity is 8 tenants per unit. Might the cause of the mold be overusage of water? Or a leaked pipe? Further checks to be done tomorrow. Possible cause of action for private nuisance??? *grins* just a thought... Till then, the saga continues...

Orange Chocolate Cake

If you know me well enough, you would have known that I love oranges.

Orange + (dark - 75%) Chocolate = potent combination

And hence, the subject of my next baking experiment - Orange Chocolate Cake.... Soon, soon soon!

-LV-

Geli

The watermark in my masterbed room, kitchen and living room has enlarged in size. It's getting mouldy and the paint is peeling. It smells musky and the sight of it grosses me out..... Very geli...

What should I do????

-LV-

Tham v TM Bhd [2008] 1 MLJ 2988

*sniggers*
I'm asking for trouble again...

Below are exerpts from my complaint letter written to Telekom.
(now, let's see how long will they take (if ever) to address my complaint...)
Otherwise, The Star here I come.... :)
____

... I wish to highlight some deficiencies in your customer care and general inefficiency of the services provided by your company.

... I must stress that I am deeply disappointed with the level of service provided by your company.

-the rest of this post removed-

-LV-

New neighbours

New fellas moved in to the unit above mine a wk ago. N look at the damage done to my unit... One of the many watermarks caused by whatever 'stunt' they are trying to pull upstairs... Some parts of my ceiling have even turned mouldy! Holy cow! What on earth are they doing?!!? Building a fishpond? Or digging a swimming pool? Dang.... Im not pleased... :(