Thursday, December 28, 2006

2006: IN RETROSPECT

If life were a book, then then the years that pass would be the chapters that allow the words to flow seamlessly and reveal stories that people enjoy so much.

But years don't do that, do they?

It felt just like yesterday I was welcoming 206 with open arms, in smiles after a moderately pleasant 2005. It offered promises of being a good year, as most new things do. Besides, beinga year older meant being a year wiser.

It has become a custom NOT to make any New Years resolutions, especially in the last ten years or so. Anyway, it's a fact that when 31st December sweeps by, bowing on it's way out, we sit down and ruminate in regret for not going through all those (usually ridiculous) goals we set for ourselves. I didn't make any resolutions the previous year, and I've made up my mind to not make any for the coming year too!

2006 brought along a whole bunch of joys and sorrows. Topsy turvy and turbulent as far as years go. Time sped by, leaving snails behind, lagging whilst looking for a comfortable place. Those that moved with the times might have found themselves being dragged unwillingly along the way. Just going with the flow that was neither smooth nor comfortable.

Among things that bore any significance in my existence in this corner of the planet include the fantastic trip to Bali I had somewhere in mid-April, learning a new language that I was teribble in, and most probably will never be able to master perfectly, and meeting my very first fender bender.

2006 was littered with many instances that made you wonder if you were really ridiculously unlucky. Those instances dropped like hailstones crashing in on a warm sunny day and tore the once promising looking 2006 into tiny shreds of misery that twisted into knots that tied you so tight that you felt that if you attempted escape, you'd be hurt even more that it's better to stay still and allow the year to take complete control of your life. But then again, occasionally some nice things would happen, and there'd be something sweet and nice and memorable that makes you think of 2006 with a smile.

If it didn't sound so silly, I'd say that 2006 had something personal against me and whoever else who might have been on the receiving end of neverending misery.

Is there a reason to detest 2006, I find myself asking... I suppose I should, or could, but I don't. Maybe there's a small amount of animosity, but that's about it.

I've always had an unexplainable fear of time passing by too quickly, becaus it means that another year would be over before you know it, and everything still remains the same (I still adamantly disapprove of resolutions!)But for once I'm glad that a particular year is coming to a close. That 2006 is going to be over. I tell myself that next year will be better.

2007 here I come!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

THURSDAY THIRTEEN: THE FIRST TIME


Thirteen Things about terrashield:the past

1. She played table tennis in school
2. She dyed her hair purple once, but since her original hair was very dark, it didn't show except under bright lights.
3. When she was 11 she had a fight with another kid over a green colour pencil.
4. At age 6, she created an imaginary sister whom she fondly named Malboro. She then shared the imaginary sister story with her real sister who believed every single word.
5. She had single handedly destroyed a vacuum cleaner
6. Her interest in caring for the environment started with a book by David Bellamy
7. She used to have a cool collection of stickers
8. When she was 5, her neighbour told her that she wanted to kidnap her kid sister, and she really believed that horrid woman.
9. No one wanted to be friends with her when she first started school
10. She used to enjoy the schoolbus rides home when she was around 13 and 14 years old
11. She had survived on a 56K modem until April 2006
12. Her ex-favourite sling bag had a glow in the dark Adidas logo which frightened the hell out of her one night when there was a power failure
13. When she was around 10 she used to pretend her dad's motorbike was a horse
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!


Wednesday, December 20, 2006

BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT: A REVIEW

It's been ages since I last reviewed a book. As far as I can recall, I reviewed GOD KNOWS by JOSEPH HELLER because that was one of the funniest books I have ever read. Besides, I borrowed the book from the varsity library ever so long ago, and I was afraid that I would forget why I loved it so much.

Other favourite books of mine have thus far avoided being brutally post mortemned by yours truly because there was simply no time to do so. Besides, I feel that books like 'TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD' and THE CATCHER IN THE RYE are far too great to be reviewed by little old me.

Nevertheless, it's not as though this particular book is not that great that I dare review it... it's only the circumstances that led to me getting the book in the first place which prompts me to attempt some reviewing... not what I think about the book, but the cause and effect analysis due to reading the book.

The funny thing was, an old school friend whom I got in touch with only a few months back, read my unimaginable dramatized post and sent me an e-mail and said I could borrow THE ALCHEMIST from her... How so very sweet, she added that she was Coelho's fan, and had most if not all his books in her collection. Simply amazing... to think that we were in the same school since the age of 13 right up to 17 and I never knew this side of her...

Firstly is the way the book is written, the words flow from the book like a tranquil river waiting to meet the sea. Add in a dash of breathtaking view in the midst, and you have pictured the language used successfully.

The story, however, is about love, and it's all sweet and stuff. And awfully painful too. Now, sadly I admit that I don't really believe in true love as there has been nothing whatsoever to prove it's existence... but a part of me occasionally reminds me that it may not be such a bad thing after all. I blame it on quarter life crisis like how John Mayer narrates it on Why Georgia. But I digress... There was nothing to laugh about inside the book, but I found myself laughing all the same... recollecting all the drama that unfolded along the pages of this blog...

In a way, I'm quite glad I made a mistake when buying the book... because you always hear about THE ALCHEMIST and not much of this book wherever you go. Or like what my Moroccan bloggerfriend put up in my comment section: maybe the universe did have a special message for me inside :)

Monday, December 18, 2006

SONG REVIEW: EVIL BY INTERPOL

I was just listeneing to some music just now, and apparently this song, Evil by Interpol was in the right place at the the right time...

The musical arrangement is superb.

Music video

# Lyrics

Evil Lyrics
Artist(Band):Interpol


Evil Lyrics


Send Interpol polyphonic ringtone to your cell phone


Rosemary, Heaven restores you in life
You´re coming with me
Through the aging, the fearing, the strife

It's the smiling on the package
It's the faces in the sand
It's the thought that moves you upwards
Embracing me with two hands

Right will take you places
Yeah maybe to the beach
When your friends they do come crying
Tell them how your pleasure's set upon slow-release

Hey wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey who's on trial?

It took a lifespan
With no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy,wait why can't we look the other way?

We speaks about travel
Yeah we think about the land
We smart like all peoples
Feeling real tan

I could take you places
Do you need a new man?
Wipe the pollen from the faces
Make revision to a dream while you wait in the van

Hey wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey who's on trial?

It took a lifespan
With no cellmate
the long way back
Sandy, wait why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless; you are exotic
You need something for which to care
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?

Leave some shards under the belly
Lay some grease inside my hand
It's a sentimental jury
And the makings of a good plan
You've come to love me lightly
Yeah you've come to hold me tight
Is this motion everlasting
Or do shudders pass in the night?

Rosemary, Heaven restores you in life

I spent a lifespan with no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless, semi-erotic
You need someone to take you there
Sandy,wait why can't we look the other way?
Why can't we just play the other game?
Why can't we just look the other way?

Friday, December 15, 2006

BLOGGER'S SECRET AGENDA

Some time back, I recall a fellow blogger friend who one of the first few to convert to beta mention that she couldn't log into her account to post comments into non-beta blogger's pages.

Now, I find myself facing the same problem... only it's the other way round. Due to my unexplainable stubborness in refusing to change to Beta, me and my blog have been relegated to the status of second class blognetizens. Bloody hell...

I can't post comments on my beta blogger friends blogs in one try. It takes at least 3 attempts, and that is if I label myself as 'other' or 'anonymous'. Sometimes, I give up due to sheer frustration in attempting to leave a sign that I have visited.

Other non-beta bloggerfriends have mentioned similar thoughts on this subject: Prometheus and Yaxlich.

I'm afraid, that blogger has finally figured out a tactic to not woo non-beta bloggers but to coerce them into joining this society where if things go wrong, then too bad! Ha! Ha! And then when there a minuscle number of non-beta bloggers left, they will just eliminate the whole non-beta thing and then one day when we wake up andfeel the urge to post something on our blogs we will be cruelly informed that due to the poor response non-beta blogger is having, they have decided to scrap the idea of having beta and non-beta versions!

See, they have a secret agenda.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

PAGE 123: A TAG

I was reading My Marrakesh this morning when I stumbled upon this meme which she had put up on her blog. As usual, I couldn't resist tagging myself...

What you have to do is pretty simple...
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, go down to the fifth sentence.
3. Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name of the book and the author.
5. Tag three people.

Alas! I realised in dismay that I was at work, which means the book closest to me might be an equipment catalogue... Now putting that up would have generated a free advertisement... (The truth is my table was spotless this morning, because we were forced to clear out the desks as the president (of the company) was supposed to visit us - that means even the manual was out of reach!)

Anyway, I just remembered that I had chucked a book into my bag a few days ago... so I guess that I'm in luck. Here goes:

They are probably arriving now. I left my uncle there and I must run back. Look here, if you were not such a fool, such a confounded fool, an infernal fool with strangers - you see I recognise your cleverness, but you are a fool, or else if you were not, you would come and join us, instead of wearing out your boots.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Let's see... I haven't actually tagged people for some time, so maybe it's time to make a change again. I hereby tag Princess Shin, Julia Scissor, and Irene.

Everyone else is also invited to join in the fun. Just let me know :D

Sunday, December 10, 2006

A WHACK ON THE HEAD AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOW

If there's any injury that you can downplay, a whack on the head is definately not in the group. It's a nice Sunday morning, and the best part is that Monday is a public holiday and that means I have one of those hugely anticipated long weekends :) But then that's another story!

Anyway, I went to get some stuff yesterday (which was Saturday), and one of it was this book The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. I'm not exactly sure if it's just my luck or the fact that the major bookstore chain only has a tiny store in the town I live in, but books are hard to come by once they've passed their prime...

Anyway, surprisingly this time around the book was there, riight in front of my eyes! (Actually, if I'm desperate enough, the staff at the book store could always locate the book for me from one of their bigger stores, but for reasons unknown, I don't often go through that measures to obtain a book I want. Maybe I feel that its better complaining about it)

Back to the Alchemist... there were 3 copies, but I didn't like the feel of the cover (It was the glossy kind, but I prefer books with the matte surface and embossed words... I browsed even closer and found one book hidden at the back. Yes! I was on a roll. Despite being ridiculously unlucky most of the time, I was extremely lucky, or so I thought. I checked the book to make sure that it was correct... It wasn't embossed though... Yep, Paulo Coelho and The Alchemist were visible on the cover. I picked up the book, paid for it and hastened out of the store.

When I got back, the sister dived into the book bag and picked out the book. I can't remember her exact words... but she told me I got the wrong book. Instead of getting The Alchemist, I had in my insistence of choosing a book with the prettier cover grabbed 'By the River piedra I sat down and Wept'. I'm afraid this big blunder was caused by the unceremonious whack on the head by the damn doorway. Argh...

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go sit by The River Kxxxx and weep.

Friday, December 08, 2006

A HUNDRED AND FIFTY THINGS TO DO

I saw this on Prometheus's blog who tagged himself after reading Lizza's blog (which i actually read too, but it was quite long ago). Anyway, it looked pretty interesting and all, and I was bored, so I actually tagged myself... more out fo curiosity than anything else.

38/150 = 25%

If you read this part, that means this is the 3rd time I'm publishing this post. You see, in my half unawakened state this morning, I hit my head on the doorway (accidentally, of course!) and now, I'm a bit of a blubbering idiot. First I spelt 'actually' as 'catually' and then left it there to be published, next I repaired my PS at the bottom of the page, because something was wrong with it, and then as I read the page again, I noticed that I had failed to describe the objective of this meme...

Objective: What you have to do is copy this whole thing in your blog, feel free to delete the parts in the parantheses, and bold the sentences which describe things you have done.

I hope this is the last edit...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (a hill actually, but who cares, right?)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of the moon.
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk (and found out a secret!)
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (School)
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship (boat, but I hated it!)
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours (Chicken pox time)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (so far...)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

PS: Does anyone know where's 98?

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

YO MAN, WHAT'S GOING ON?

Is there a reason to not worry when you read things like this

Registering yourself as a blogger describes the idea of having your freedom curbed, your every move monitored... It's an assault on your existence as a person who has been bestowed with the ability to think (rationally or otherwise)

If a different country wants to do it, then let it be. Why emulate it? If you look at their history, communism was part of their not so distant past. We instead have fought tooth and nail against it, lived in general fear during the emergency years, not allowed a movie about an old communist 'hero' to be screened here, yet when it comes to freedom, we are sometimes treated like 5 year olds. And you can't force people to be responsible.

I believe that people, regardless of who they are will be able to make conclusions for themselves based on what they read. Introducing this move is akin to telling off the lady at the end of the street to register herself as an official gossiper!

Friday, December 01, 2006

RECIPE FOR A MISERABLE NOVEMBER

INGREDIENTS
1. Find November
2. Add a dash of self induced insomnia
3. Sign up for a competition with stringent time constraints
4. Sit for an exam in a foreign language
5. Study the said language
6. Apply for leave (2 days) to study said language
7. Go to work and stay there for 12 hours
8. Work on Saturdays too
9. Ensure that everything is urgent, if it's not, make sure that machines break down so that sooner or later it will be urgent.
10. Work with a colleague who has just handed in his resignation and is doing his involuntary notice period.
11. Your other level headed colleague is out of the country
12. Neglect your blog and concentrate on other things (read: work/competition/exam)
13. Worry about everything that usually doesn't worry you
14. You find out that your favourite band loses a team member (The bright side is, he's still alive, so chances for a regrouping will be there)
15. Make sure that everything clashes with everything
16. Encourage your car to make funny noises
17. Yell at people, be grumpy
18. Throw in a million distractions
19. Do more paperwork, draw graphs that make no sense
20. Write fiction till you hate your characters, and then give up after you've passed the 30,000 word mark

METHOD
Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl. Something about the size of yourself will suffice.
Let it simmer slowly for one whole month. Be careful not to let it get too hot, for no deaths should occur.
At the end of the month, look into a mirror and laugh out loud
You may or may not feel better, but you will realise that November has finally come to an end.
If you're brave enough, maybe you could jump into the nearest ocean/river/drain to forget about November.
There you have it, all the ingredients to make a disasterous November... Next year I'm gonna obliterate November by sleeping through it, unless I get brutally woken up by reality (I wish!) Got to remember to make an appointment with an evil fairy godmother!
PS: OK, I must have mentioned this like a thousand times to anyone who would listen, but yeah, the Japanese exam is on 3rd December. Yes, that's barely 2 days away, and here I am, distractedly blogging .

Please wish me luck... I am actually dead scared :)
Thank you...

IT's THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Time for the Annual Appraisal again.  It's a cloudy Sunday afternoon, and I had just finished giving scores to my subordinates on their ...