the other world

Last weekend, I did something I've never done before. Something I guess I'd regret if I hadn't done it.

I went to watch a play, all by myself.

It was a couple of weeks ago, while I was walking across town to get my badly-needed haircut when I came across this advert poster showing a new play coming to the local repertory theatre. Intrigued, to say the least, and curious I was. 18 months I've been here in this small Scottish town and I have never really explored all it has to offer. The play would have been a perfect excuse for me to get out of my usual routine and indulge myself in something totally different.

Truth be told, I'm jaded with my life. Since young, I've been prodded towards the Science stream, having school results 'above average'. All my life I've only known a world of numbers and physic laws and chemical bonds. Now, having my path in life already set out in front of me, at times I wondered what it was like if everything had been different.

I'm intrigued, and curious. Of a whole different world I have never experienced. Will probably never know what it's like to be in.

The world of Arts.

That was why I decided to watch that play, actually. Even though it meant that I'll have to go by myself, since I can't think of anyone around who would share that same interest, that same curiosity and sense of intrigue.

That play was Equus. Yes, the same story involving horses and a certain Harry Potter star being nude. Honestly, that piece of gossip absolutely undermined the real quality of the play itself. It deserved far more than being known as 'the play Daniel Radcliffe acted nude in'. The story was highly disturbing. Thought-provoking. And absolutely captivating.

Not to spoil the story, it was about a psychiatrist called in to help a young boy who had a certain 'abnormal' passion with horses. From the start to finish, it was like I was watching the real story unfold itself in front of me. Two and a half hours, I sat there transfixed. I cried. I laughed. I jumped off my seat. The play was that good.

My compliments go to the everyone involved in the play. The direction, acting, lighting, sound effects, were all perfect. For a small-ish repertory theatre (compared to the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow), it was very professionally done and directed. Forget the Hollywood special effects and explosions and corny lines. This is the real entertainment, as it was centuries and centuries ago.

I guess people indulge in different things in life. Chocolate, alcohol, food, sports cars. I have no interest in any of that. I indulge in the world of arts. The world that has always intrigued me. Kept me curious.

Or perhaps I was just jaded and wanted to escape this life into another world.

hm?

My Christmas break started yesterday, and since then I've just been bumming at home. Finished up the half-watched 'Saving Private Ryan' on my laptop last night. And while I was in the hospital to hand in some reports earlier, I saw this stash of recruitment booklets on the floor.

It's a recruitment for medical officers for Territorial Army.

And then I had a sudden unexplained interest to join the Army.

Really?

The only way I could explain it was, maybe I have an instinct very deep inside of me to stay away from hospitals as far as possible.

Or maybe it's far more interesting to work in the Army.

But.. really?

I think I've lost my sanity somewhere over the past 4 years.

Kung Fu Panda / me and my new shoes

Went for a long overdue outing with the increasingly diminishing number of us here. Earlier in the week me and Huilin were talking bout dragging Mus out to watch Kung Fu Panda with us, but someone seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Haha. Fortunately Yew Wen and Ben were free, so the 4 of us instead went MidValley to catch the much anticipated Po THE big fat panda doing kung fu (:

Maybe it was just me, but i think the movie was really really superb for me. I was almost in tears at the end of it. Possibly because i really loved the kung fu scenes of them fighting haha. I'm a biggie fan of martial arts fighting. Even by animated animals haha. Real cute. It was pretty funny too. Some lady behind was amazed by the "city is full of pigs" :P

After movie Huilin and Yew Wen left, with me and Ben scouring MidValley and Gardens for things to shop. I was looking for a pair of sports shoes actually, since the Reebok i bought after IMU Cup in Sem 1 is already shedding its skin and sole. Good time to get a new pair too to wear in Dundee.

--

First time i spent more than RM200 on myself with my own money.

Some might think i should have no qualms about spending just a fraction of the pay i earned the past few months. I do think too, but you don't know how heart-wrenching it is to fork out the money you've earned with your sweat and blood the pantry's Milo.. until the money left your hand and into the cashier machine with a ka-ching. Ouch.

Wouldn't say it was an impulsive purchase (like what usually happens to me), i've been looking for shoes for weeks now. But still i made a stupid mistake of not trying out a bigger size instead. Only after i looked at it while waiting for the train that i realised i bought the shoes one size smaller than my usual shoes. They do fit perfectly, albeit too perfectly. Now i'm worrying i might outgrow my shoes. Haha perhaps i do worry too much. RM270 is a LOT of money. Sigh.

Reebok Trail Haven. RM270. ouch ouch.

--

Perhaps not too long ago i was dreaming of a pair of outdoor shoes, and now i already own one. I know i should be much happier than i am right now, but somehow i don't. A year ago, i would be ecstatic to have bought one. I do love my new pair of shoes. I love the smell of my new shoes. But something wasn't exactly there, like i'm missing something.

Maybe because i kept worrying my shoes is one size smaller than my other shoes.

Certainly not that our group is so small now. Or the clock ticking away somewhere. Nope, i'm certainly not. *in denial*

a dream was but a dream

I had a dream.

I vaguely remember how it started, or how it ended, or even in between.

But i remember waking up this morning and feeling like i really wished that dream never ended.

--

In that dream, i boarded a plane.

To see my friends already seated in it.

I spotted Jeremy, with Paul and Mustaqim sitting somewhere near him, and i moved over to find a place nearby.

Found a place next to Yih Seong who sat a row in front of them, and i seated myself.

Then it changed to a place (we reached?) where there was a lot of people.

And i met my mum(?) and my primary school friends, notably Yohannes and Jaimi there as well.

I ended up going to sleep, with someone in my arms.

I remember hoping all this would last, as i lay there, drifting off into dreams within a dream.

--

Before waking up late for work.

Alas, a dream was but a dream.

Truth is, i'm boarding a plane with strangers to a strange land filled with strangers.

7 weeks.

Sigh.

to pamper or not to pamper?

Went hypermarket-hopping with my family yesterday for the New Year shopping needs. Took more than 3 hours in total to buy the stuff we need. Mommy did most of the shopping though, me, my brother and Daddy were someplace else most of the time. Somewhere with fancy gadgets and electronical stuff. Boys will always be boys =P. (bet my Mom was cursing her luck for having 3 sons and no daughters.. we're no help at all when it comes to groceries shopping haha)

Anyway my younger brother wanted to buy an MP3 player. Dad was already browsing the MP3 players on display.

Sometimes i think my Dad do pamper my younger brother a little too much (ok, i'm getting a liiiittle jealous). Haha no, really. His birthday last year Dad bought him a new camera phone O.o. Though it's not a high-end model and it was a surprise present for my brother, still, he never ask me before he bought it! For advice of course, not whether i want one myself. I still have my eyes on the W850i, and i won't settle for anything less =P.

Then couple of months ago Dad bought a digital radio for 300 bucks. Complete with MP3 playback and digital FM tuning, just like what he had always wanted. I was planning to buy one for one of his birthdays actually.. seems like there's a sudden need to find another present for my lil brother now =S.

And now, Dad bought a Sony NW-E002F with another 300 bucks because lil bro wanted an MP3 player. I was telling my bro to buy a SE Walkman phone instead, since the W710i is only 900 bucks now (he prefer a clamshell phone). Guess i wasn't persuasive enough =/.

Organic Electroluminescent Display. cool, no?

Not that i'm jealous (really!). I just thought since he wanted an MP3 player AND a new phone, it might be more 'economical' to get both at once.

Ah well. As long as my lil bro is happy =)

On another note.. i think i should be saving up money from now to buy that W850i i want. Price is dropping fast and i really want to get that phone before i leave this country next year (or not). Which means no more indulgence for me. Sob sob ='(

a boy can only dream

I was looking around online at handphones recently. Because the one i have now is more than 3 years old (it's obsolete already!) and is merajuk-ing with me for some time now. Stupid phone suka-suka go into perma-silent mode and sometimes even reject my SIM card for no good reason. BUT i'm still not abandoning it because 1) i need a handphone, 2) i don't have money to buy one to replace it, and 3) so i'm waiting for some GOOD-HEARTED person to 'donate' a SE W850i to me. Oh where hath all the GOOD-HEARTED people go.. =P

Haha ok in case you still haven't get it, i soooo wanna get my hands on a Sony Ericsson W850i (*cough*my birthday coming*cough* - ok, it's FIVE months away but still.. never too early to drop hints, right? =P). Yes i think i'm getting greedy after getting a Canon Powershot A620 for my birthday last year. Sigh...

Advanced Walkman® 2.0 music player
2MP camera with 4x digital zoom
262.144 color TFT, 240x320 pixel screen
comes with a 1GB mem card

Too bad it doesn't have autofocus.. but seems like that doesn't make the photos quality drop too much (W850i/K750i test). And i have a digi cam for pictures anyway hehe. It's currently priced at RM 1700+ for original set and RM1400+ for AP set tho =S. Ouch. Pray the price drops by the time my birthday comes..

Saw it at a shop in KL Sentral today on the way to pick something up from the post office. Almost drooled all over the glass counter =(. So near yet so far..

A boy can only dream..

ps - i should be freaking studying for my exams instead of fantasising bout a handphone. sigh...

Happy Birthday to ME! =D

This must be the best birthday of my life =D

Yesterday i went to the PC Fair in City Square with my family. Dad wanted to buy a pen drive. Took us a long time just to get into City Square.. the jam was so bad we moved only like 2km in an hour >.<. So.. since we wasted so much time trying to get to the PC Fair, my dad decided to buy more stuff to make it worthwhile =P. A total of three 1GB Kingston USB Drives for each of us brothers, one headphone with mic so that i could call my bro in Aus, one ink catridge for my printer in Bukit Jalil, and my birthday cake. He even wanted to buy a new printer and a webcam for me O.o (by which Mom was giving him disapproving looks haha). I guess it's just that my dad was an impulsive buyer.. just like me hehe. It runs in the genes, no?

Celebrated my birthday on the night of my birthday eve like any other birthday celebrated at home ^^. Put the cake on the table, bring out the plates and forks, sing the birthday song, then gobble up the cake. Well, not really gobble up the cake.. nowadays it seems like we can hardly finish the cakes. Only ate half of it, the other half was stuffed into the fridge. Btw it was a Mocha cake from Season's =D.

My Season's Mocha cake =D

My birthday started with lunch with my parents at our fav 'Kuay Teow Kia' stall, then a 35 minutes wait for the bus that came late -.- . I swear i could've pounced on the driver and pummel his head on sight.. but then it's my birthday, so i decided to let him go this time =P

Reached Bukit Jalil at round 5.30pm, went out for dinner then came back and camp in front of my com. After a while Wy Keat came up to my place.. with beers! =D Hehe.. we spent a while talking and drinking beer in my room before Chia Huan called me for a 'Helen Keller meeting' at Ben's place. I believed there was a meeting.. really! =P haha..

What i didn't expect is the number of people there. Last year there was only Paul, Yong Chen and Ashok with me (bad timing actually.. not anyone's fault). This year there was like.. 21 of them? O.o .. i guess where there's food, there's us eh? haha =P. Thanks to all of you who celebrated my birthday.. was really happy you all so willing to waste time for my birthday.. instead of studying for CPR the next day ^^

So.. i guess i have a lot more thanks to give out hehe. Thanks to all those who went Carre4 to buy stuff (i have my sources =P). Thanks to all those who put in the effort to plan for my birthday. Thanks to Ben, Chee Mei, and Jane June for borrowing their place =P. Thanks to each and everyone of you who were there.. Yih Seong, Jeremy, Prasad, Paul, Chia Huan, Chui Han, Winnie, Ivy, Yew Wen, Denise, Shin Yin, Keat How, Hui Lin, Fabian, Timothy, Jackie, Wei Loong, Wei Cheong, Ben, Chee Mei, and Jane June! Love y'all =P

ps - thanks to all those who wished me happy birthday too.. was surprised to hear from Afree after so long hehe. Chow Chow was the first to wish me tho haha.. so i guess i can forgive him for not coming to celebrate my birthday =P

My birthday presents =P
(a headphone, a pen drive and my Canon Powershot A620! Woots!!)