Entries from September 2007 ↓

Sunday is less of a weekend for me than Saturday because Sunday means its the end of the weekend. By Sunday evening, I have to mentally prepare myself for the week ahead, especially when I know I have to be up early on a Monday morning. Bleh…

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On a lighter note, I might actually see Ratatouille today! Woohoo! Its one of those things. I keep meaning to see it, but never get my butt off the chair to actually do it. By the time I do, its on its way out and showing only in limited locations at odd times. So hopefully I do catch it because I’m a kid and I love cartoons.

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I went for my first Ramadhan buffet on Friday. Company was great but food was really blah. So blah I spent the whole night eating acar buah, keropok and pickled kedondong. So bad for you. Oh and this was in Cititel hotel so now you know where to avoid.

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For me, what’s fun about Ramadhan (Ok not so fun for those fasting, but fun for me) is the pasar Ramadhan which is basically like a food fair. A multitude of food stalls set up to sell the food that muslims (and anyone else) can buy to break fast with. This is the time to get some good nasi dagang and nasi kerabu, interesting kuih and basically, indulge in all sorts of Malay food that you can’t find in one place otherwise.

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And for now, after my morning coffee and morning cartoons, Sunday means a day of household chores - laundry, washing the house, doing some dreaded ironing!!! *stares at pile of clothes to iron and wills them into being crisp and ironed* That didn’t work did it?

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Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

To all the phones I’ve loved before
That travelled in and out my door
I’m glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the phones I’ve loved before

My apologies to Willie Nelson

My tag-buddy rightly guessed that I’m a gadgety kind of person. I love playing with gadgets and at one time, wanted to own all the latest and the best there was to be had. Mobile phones were no exception.

Anyway, this is what Giddy Tigers wanted me to do:

List down the following:
1. The phone(s) that you owned previously
2. The phone(s) that you’re using now
3. The phone(s) that you’re looking at to replace the current phone

Instead of doing that, I’ll do it in chronological order and tell a little story about my phones because this brings back memories.

When I first got home from studies and started work, I felt that having a mobile phone was so pretentious. Mobile phones were for the cina-apek business men who wield their tai-kor-tai bricks and talk loudly in public because they want people to know they are concluding a major deal when they could very well be just be talking to their wife/mistress. (my apologies to all cina-apek business men reading this!)

But after I started working, I realised just how useful a mobile phone can be, especially because I used to take the train to and from work and being female and all, my parents were easily worried. So, Dad got me my first phone by NEC. It was a slim little thing and it was black and I really liked it to be honest. It was very gadgety looking. Back in the days (gosh!) all we got was a monochrome screen and all the phone could do was to make and receive calls. No polyphonic ring tones, no sms. But it was a good phone and after I changed phones, it served Dad well despite being run over by a car. Till today, Dad swears by an NEC for durability.

Now, because I’m a bit of a Daddy’s girl, Dad got me my second phone too because I found that it was too expensive on a post paid service. So, I switched over to a prepaid service courtesy of what is now known as the Yellow Man and there was a promo where the Phillips phone was going for a song. It wasn’t my phone of choice, but it was cheap and again, served it function. One thing I liked about it is its weight. It might be bulky but it weighed next to nothing. The screen was tiny BUT it was the first phone I had that could receive SMS. At the time in order to send an SMS, I had to call up the service centre, dictate my message and it would be sent for me. Super weird I know.

Then finally, a phone I did not have to pester Dad for. When the Nokia 3210 first came out, I was smitten. I loved the idea of not having an antenna, I loved the idea of having interchangeable colourful covers and most of all, I loved the idea of a Nokia.

I’d always wanted a Nokia but at the time, phones were super expensive. This one cost something like RM999 AFTER bargaining hard. It was a gift but I did not feel right paying top dollar still. But it was my first Nokia and I loved it. By this time, SMS was starting to be the norm (but not yet the t9 predictive text system) so I was happy with the button size that made it easy to text messages and the large screen. I still have it somewhere… I think. It served me well despite being dropped quite a lot. But it was time to change the phone when the keypad stopped functioning.

By this time, smaller phones were in vogue. So, I opted for the Nokia 8210. Still staying with the user-friendly Nokia brand. This was again, quite expensive then, costing close to RM1000 with registration with the quite common 012 line. This phone was and still is pretty awesome. Its small, dinky and slim and does everything a phone is supposed to do very well. The only thing that I did not like was the limited memory or lack of, and the fact it got hot when making calls. Otherwise, I loved how it slipped nicely into a pocket without creating an unsightly bulge and the fact that it was just generally, a small dinky little phone!

All things were well in PB’s phone land.

And one day, I received an unexpected gift from my brother who knows I love gadgets. Not only was it a mobile phone. It was a Sony Ericsson T68i. It was still cute and dinky sized and this one is light. Colour screen!! But I initially hated it because I had to relearn all my phone commands which I’d been used to after using a Nokia for years. After a while though, I really liked the little phone.

I liked how the predictive text input would pull up a menu of word choices that I could scroll down using the joystick. It made for faster and easier text messaging, especially when you can see and choose the words. However, it being a Sony Ericsson, the dreaded “lag” hit the phone after a while. There was a lag time between command and execution which got noticably worse as time went on. And then, after a year or two, the keypad gave up. I’d press hard on it to get no response. Then, like possessed, it would execute every keystroke I’d pressed, which drove me nuts. You can imagine what a torture sending an SMS was. But it was hardy, that I must say.

And then, with Christmas round the corner, and with a friend having had a little lottery windfall (lucky dog!) I was gifted with a Sony Ericsson Z520i. It was my first clamshell phone and honestly, I loved it.

I loved that the keypad was responsive, and that the screen was big and that it was a clamshell. Ever since I watched the X-files, I’d wanted a clamshell phone that I could flip open stylishly and this was it. I loved it.

BUT I think there was a ghost in the machine or I was jinxed or something but this phone gave me nothing but problems. The plastic screen protector kept falling out despite many repairs and twice the screen went blank for no reason. I was told it was a connection problem which was “common in this phone” and that bugged me. It was a great phone but the hardware was crap and so, just slightly over one year, it committed suicide.

Which nostalgic ramblings bring me to the present. My present phone which I’ve had since May 2007 is a Samsung SGH-E830. I’ve reviewed it before and although I started out enamored with it, I’m less so now.

It being a Samsung, which is a brand I’ve never used before, it took some getting used to. Either Koreans are anal or Europeans are to the point, but this phone asks you 20 questions before allowing you to send an SMS or execute any command, except making phone calls. There are good points in this in that it eliminates the possibility of sending an SMS to a wrong person. I’ve done it many a time and its very embarrassing to say the least. The bad thing is that if you are in a hurry, it can be a pain. However, after all this time, I’ve worked out some short-cuts that make life just that little bit easier and after everything, its not turning out to be too bad a phone. The sliding function is quite fun and the size and heft is a good one. The screen is nice and big but there is a little bit of a lag time which bugs me sometimes.

The Samsung is still new so I think its too early to bin it. However, being female and therefore fickle, my sights have strayed afar back into the land of Nokia. If anything happens to this phone of mine (touch wood!) I will get myself a Nokia N-series phone simply because its cool, sexy and has wi-fi! I want a phone that allows me to blog on the go because I’m addicted that way. Also because Rinnah has one and GT has one and I want one too!

And after reading my long long ramblings (never short ones here on PB.com eh?) I’m going to ask these 3 people about their mobile phones because I’m kay-poh and I want to see who else has funky canggih phones!

• LB - because he’s back but I think he’s said before he’s a motorola man
• Pinkelle - because she’s fluffy
• Doris - because well, I haven’t tagged her in a while hehe…

I just got back from the soft opening of the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur which was opened to the public today. I’d been watching it come up on the site of the former Bukit Bintang Girls’ School opposite The Westin Hotel and Starhill Gallery.

Its quite a monster of a building. Huge and the potential is awesome. The parking can be a bit of a problem though because there is only 1 real entrance that I could see. For now, maybe because they aren’t ready yet, they have diverted the parking in through another entrance. The whole Jalan Bukit Bintang is already so jam packed at the best of times, this opening will just make the traffic worse.

Here are a selection of stores which are already opened, that I managed to grab photos of on the trusty camera phone:

I’d say at the end of the day, the Pavilion looks to be a Suria KLCC landed in Bukit Bintang. I believe the mall that will truly suffer with the opening of Pavilion is Suria KLCC. The stores in the Pavilion are very similar to those found in KLCC and 1 Utama - a mix of high street and high end brands.

The interior is still partly complete so there is a lot of renovation still on going and many stores are yet to be opened. I do not believe it will affect Starhill Gallery because that caters more to patrons of high end and luxury products. Lot 10 and Sungei Wang Plaza cater more to the mid-range crowd so they too will have their customers.

Berjaya Times Square which is more or less within the vicinity will be affected for sure because many stores found in there are in Pavilion too. The only thing Berjaya Times Square has going for them is the fact of the Imbi monorail stop right on its doorstep.

All in all, I have this to say: In the coming weeks, you may find me hanging out at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Its a new mall to explore and there are some brands I’ve been waiting for which are now available to us at the Pavilion. More preliminary reviews will be posted up on All about Shopping! soon. Stay tuned.

October is a wonderful wonderful month.

Giddy Tiger, wanted to know what happened on the day I was born, and then buttered me up by calling me a sport. I know all you want to really know is when my birthday is, GT and I’m absolutely gobsmacked to see that we not only share the same month of birth, we were born within 3 days of each other! *gasp* Will the wonders never cease?

Instructions:

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Type in your birthday and search your birthdate : Oct 24!!! Remember this date! Set your PDA alarm to remind you! Presents!! *so thick-skinned*
3. From the results, list down 3 events, 2 births and 1 holiday.

3 Events

1260 - The spectacular Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France; the cathedral is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I chose this event because I’ve been to Chartres cathedral and it is absolutely awesome. Its nice to know it was dedicated on my birthday.

1929 - “Black Thursday” stock market crash on the New York Stock Exchange. I can’t understand the stock market remember? But I definitely did not cause this crash!

1947 - Walt Disney testifies to the House Un-American Activities Committee, naming Disney employees he believes to be communists. I had to include this event because I found it so amusing that Disney, the epitome of everything that good and cute and musical and humourous would do this.

2 Births
I’m cursed with being the only person I could recognise born on this day. But upon looking closer, I spotted another 2.

1930 - Sultan Ahmad Shah, King of Malaysia. I think he’s the Sultan of Pahang because the lucky people of Pahang have Oct 24 off every year!

1985 - Wayne Rooney, English footballer And he was the only other person i recognised!

1 Holiday

United Nations Day (charter 1945) This isn’t a holiday as I know it but heck its a great day to be born eh?

I know its only 1 holiday we are supposed to list but I cannot resist adding that Oct 24 is also Take Back Your Time Day. I guess that’s why I take the day off on my birthday every year! Woohoo!

These are the people who have participated so far:

Mommyness is Happyness
This is a Miracle
Life’s Prisms
Rooms of my Heart
Life’s a Rollercoaster
Keeyit’s Wonderful Life
Lingzie’s Tummy Treats
Lilian Chan’s 5xmom
Adrian’s void sky
Sasha’s Tags & Such
Lemonjude’s Memoirs.:*CRoSs mY hEARt*:.
wHOisBaBy’s Family Friends Food & Fun
LiL’deviL’s LittLe famiLy
Everyday Healy
Giddy Tigers
Paris Beaverbanks

Lets see who else would like to share their birthday with us?

• Leah - Hope you  haven’t done this
• Simple America - Cannot remember if you have done this
• Ah Pek - though I know he’ll put his own slant to it

Photo by razfi and modded by me

Little Miss May tagged me with an easy-peasy one. Or so I thought. You know how it is with multiple choice questions. It all looks so easy because your answers are all on the question sheet. You just have to pick the right one. However, the right one is never easy to pick because just when you think you’ve got the answer, another possibility looms and starts looking like a potential candidate.

Its just like going for a buffet. The starters look so tempting and so do the desserts but by the time you have eaten a bit of this and a bit of that, you are too full to hit the dessert table. Yet you want to because its there and it might just be nicer than that acar buah you just had.

And just as it is with choices in your life. So long as the choice is between A or B its pretty straight forward. But when C comes into the picture, you start thinking “Oh, if I go with A then it will be like this. But what if I go with C. C sounds right…but…”

Choice is a good thing. But multiple choices can give you a headache. And on that esoteric thoughtful note, I come to May’s tag.

~ Start Copy ~

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.Try to make your tip general.

01. Look, read, and learn. http://www.neonscent.com/

02. Be EXCELLENT to each other. http://www.bushmackel.com/

03. Don’t let money change ya! http://therandomforest.info/ ******

04. Always reply to your comments. http://chattiekat.com/ ******

05. Blog about what you know & love. http://sugar-queens-dream.blogspot.com *

06. Don’t use filthy language-buy a dictionary. http://shinade.blogspot.com/

07. Blog about something educational http://climateofourfuture.org/

08. Be yourself; others will follow http://sfgirl-thealiennextdoor.blogspot.com/ *

09. Don’t have too many blogs that will become a chore to maintain http://cubicledenizen.blogspot.com/

10. Keep it simple, user-friendly, interesting and organised! http://erishaling.blogspot.com/ *

11. Keep the blog simple and sweet!! http://www.leslieho.com/

12. Share with others your thoughts and don’t be shy! http://groovy-olives.com/blog

13. Never ask for link exchange. Blog hop to increase traffic. http://www.jessieling.com/ *

14. Blog about something uniquely you. Or post some unique pictures. http://bernardchan.net/ *

15. Avoid too lengthy posts e.g. less than 200 words if you can help it. http://www.mylongkang.com/

16. Avoid Doing Tags. http://clementwongpy.blogspot.com/

17. Remember to go to the toilet when nature calls, don’t just sit glued to the computer or you’ll shit in your pant! http://wuching.blogspot.com/

18. Blog hopping is fun. You’ll never know what gem you’ll find in the blogsphere. http://che-cheh.com/

19. Do. Not. Plagiarize. http://narrowband.org/

20. Don’t put pressure on yourself to blog. Blogging should be FUN! http://rinnah.blogspot.com/ **

21. Love yourself, love your blog, love your readers, and keep sharing your love through your blog. http://yeehon.blogspot.com/ *

22. If you hug them, they will come. http://littlemissmay.com/ *

23. Don’t clutter your blog with too many ads. http://www.parisbeaverbanks.com/

~ End Copy ~

I wasn’t very original but hopefully these others will have some better tips for you than I gave:

• Pinkelle
• Tine
• Pablopabla

Picture courtesy of Simone Hudson