[nEc]rO"man"c3r - the usual randomness

Consciously or not, I've been spending way too much time on Facebook at rather meaningless activities.

I FB so much that I lost the motivation to blog. Not to mention that I haven't the slightest idea on what to blog.

Oh, here's one.

Been looking for a job for quite some time now and so far I've not really been actively seeking. I was lucky enough to be shortlisted to attend an assessment at PWC last week and still awaiting for their notice for an interview by today. I've also tossed some resumes to IBM, Grant Thornton, and GuocoLand in hopes of increasing the interview opportunities. For all these while from July I've been unimaginably idle. Time to brush up on some interview skills and general knowledge.

On the other side of my life, the LM gang is planning for a get-together trip to Shanghai next year. I'm direly looking forward to it. That's the time when we can eat AUTHENTIC dim sum and dumplings. Apart from that, I am still largely vague about the idea of having a vacation in Shanghai. I can't help but to feel this tingle that screams "It's gonna cost a lot".

The LM gang is also expecting Lawrence to come home real soon in December. Well, I hope I get a job by then because the Shanghai trip is gonna need some cautious budgeting.

I have marched into adulthood as of today, turning 21 as I speak.

I guess when you have people who celebrate with you on this meaningful turning point of life could be something memorable and great. So I shouldn't be complaining about how the expectation gap came into the picture, and how the dinner session went whilst I was merely watching everybody eating, or the pragmatic side of my birthday gift. I just can't help but to think, do my closest friends really know me all so well or was I being too picky?

- - -

Took a number of pictures from a number of cameras ranging from pure-automated DSCs to fully customizable SLRs. I was being flashed at for god knows how long and how many times until my eyes started to see nothing but post-flash glares and negative-like illusions. For a moment I was thinking that being a celebrity can be taxing too, when all the flashlights are focused on you.
When the birthday song was played by the crew in The Ship (Damansara Uptown punya), strangers from  another table also wished me a happy birthday. Something fresh everyday. And I appreciate that. The thing is i had an acne outbreak which was still swollen and reddish. Not fun.

_  _  _

I had a great afternoon dining at Pasta Zanmai at 1Utama with Auwen. I didn't expect him to foot my bill as a birthday treat. So, thank you very much Auwen.
Before the meal, we were in college listening to the Deloitte representatives and the previous year winner on their presentation on the Deloitte Tax Challenge 2009. Our lecturer Mr. Lye made it compulsory for all of us to participate both in the Individual category and Team category. Then we were briefed that nobody failed his Tax paper. At least it is 1/3 of a relief, so to speak. Mr. Steven Toh, our audit lecturer on the other hand gave us not so optimistic a news. 70% passing rate. In a class of 18 people, that was sheer bad news. 5 out of 18 had failed, by Steven Toh's standards, before the confirmation by the Exam Board. I was lucky to score highest for the assignment, and when combined with my mid-term test, I have a 20/30 marks as per the whole assessment is concerned. That is some achievement in Toh's marking scheme. Passing is not a major issue but Toh said that the highest was a B-. That's like 75-79 percentage. Quoting his most important line, he said that those who scored high in the assignment did not do as well in the finals. I guess he was referring his disappointment to me. I think I did miserable in my finals, failing to remember every single detail from a book thicker than a bible at 800 pages. Heck, that's not my fault is it?

- - -
So back to my 21 year old birthday plan, I actually wanted to plan one of my own but in the end I succumbed to something which I did not really enjoy.What was I do to with 
So Tsu Lynn, Charm-Ming, Wei Keat, Woon Wei, Kam Ling, Yuh San, if any of you are reading this, please make my plan happen!
So yeah, just another birthday.

Yesterday I was flipping through the newspapers whilst giving my best shot at avoiding all the seriousness of issues that burdens me a tad too much for a morning read . Then I picked up this Chinese newspaper, something that I would probably do every once in a blue moon. Chinese wordings deserve a larger font size in newspapers, if you ask me what I think.

As I nonchalantly scanned the pages in hopes of an article with a lesser word count (so that I won't get lost in a sea of Chinese words), I found this column on shoes. It was an article on the latest arrivals on Crocs's shelves. If the vibrant flip flops were a breath of new air into the shoe business, then consider this new lineup something I would term conventionally unconventional. This time around Crocs have mix-matched the elements of leather and khaki canvas and produced several new series into the existing product line.

Speaking of which, I would like to introduce you to Cove, my favourite among all the new arrivals.

I had this personal message carrying the sentence ''Macbook Pro finally available in 13" -- 至少給我有個夢的權利 (at least give me the right to dream)".

Unexpectedly, the unintentional line caught the attention of many.

I couldn't resist but to take down a screenshot of Lohon's (high school friend) reply towards my unrequited dream.



As we continued our conversation, we were aware that both of us have a final paper on the 19th this month. His was an adjournment initially set on the 11th. Combining the figures, we have 1119. Obviously you should know what follows next right? 4 ekor lah. Apparently I have no experience dealing with the sports betting business. I guess I'll have to dispatch my righthand man to get the job done.

Somehow, I am grateful to have received Lohon's gift of creativity. It's nothing tangible but yet it's so felt. Thanks again Lohon. Still the good ol' witty Lohon as he always has been.

I have much more to worry about other than how to own this Macbook Pro right now myself. I can only consider it of the least importance for the time being.
The line still stands. So long as I can dream.

Tsu Lynn once said "Everyone is hooked to some kind of Faceboook games".

I got myself into this The-Sims-like game on Facebook that allows players to personalize their own characters or avatars, operate a restaurant, design their own little block off the road and hire friends to be chefs, waiters /waitresses, cleaners (primary responsibility is to CLEAN used-up dirty toilets), or sack them if they are too ugly to fit your shop. Players need to collect ingredients by means of visiting  friends' restaurants, barter-trading, or buy them at an exorbitant price from the stall next to everybody's shop in order to create their dream menu.

Initially, my intention was only to design a shopfront. Same reason why I picked up the Sims in my high school days. I enjoy interior designing.

Then there was peer competition. Ever get the feeling when you just can't stand other people are fetching greater achievements than you could. What's more that you don't like to be left lagging behind 'coz you started off earlier? Anyway that wasn't my main motivation or cause of addiction to stick with the game. I know it is dumb to play a simulating game spending hours on crafting a space into a themed restaurant, but one way or another it can be amusing for someone who is departing away from his dreams . Now that I'm graduating from an Accounting major I feel that the dream of advancing in interior design is even further away from where I've started. C'est la vie, non?


This is how my restaurant looks like on the inside.
Don't you just love the Burberry patch? 
Don't mind the white ghastly figures. I don't have all day to wait for them to load.
The yellow coloured stars are the ratings from other players. Mine is close to 4-star.



From the outside.