Of Beer and Witches

So how was the first week of the new year for everyone?
For me, it's been pretty productive, work wise - although it's probably due to the need to meet deadlines more than any sudden burst of energy.

Friday's dinner with the gang was a good one. We tried out Weissbräu (click the link for a review by Gourmet Garden), the newly open German Bistro and Bar at Straits Quay. I had the Hungarian Beef Goulash, though I ordered it mainly because they didn't have the Braised Pork Shank that night. The food was OK, but I would say I enjoyed the Erdinger Dunkel better ;)
We had some good laughs that night and it was certainly a good way to end the week with.

By the way, unless you are a  a movie titled Season of the Witch. Unless you are a Nicholas Cage fan, you can probably skip this. Let's just say that the show doesn't have much to do with witches. And there was just no plot to the story.

OK...maybe now that I have lowered your expectations, you might actually enjoy it a little if you are to go watch it. Let me know if it worked :P

I'm glad that tomorrow is still Sunday and I can have another day to rest at home, probably trying to finish that book I started three weeks back - was juggling a couple of things lately, but no excuse I guess. All I want to do now is to get back into a comfortable routine and make sure that I get the "work life balance" thingy correct (clichéd terms, yes I know). And apparently my astrology forecast tells me that I should focus on career this year (got this link from Ling) - maybe I should take the advice. But then again, I thought that's what I've been doing for the past two years...more of the same then?

To LFC fans, tomorrow is going to be a big day. With Woy leaving the club, I'm hoping King Kenny can work some miracles (keeping my fingers crossed), although it's going to be a bit tough. But...You'll Never Walk Alone, right? ;)
As for Woy, sorry mate, your poor tactis and face rubbing antics kind of consigned your fate to walk out from Anfield alone.

Till the next posting, adios!

And Now It's Twenty Eleven

Yeah, so I'm reviving this blog of mine. I apologize to friends and readers for going on a super pro-longed hiatus without leaving a note - and didn't reply your comments either. Terribly bad of me.

Anyway, we are beginning the year 2011 and I guess it's a good time as any to start blogging again :) Was still having second thoughts about it last month and it's all thanks to Jacylenne for giving me that final push to start writing on this blog again.

2010 has been one eventful year for me - there were good ones and as usual with life, came with the bad ones as well.

On the working front, although there are risks involved, I decided a few months back to take up a new and different role - plenty to learn about and in a way need to start over in certain areas. But I believe I made the right choice - just need to make it work.

On the other hand, I made some decisions in life that I hope will not come back to haunt me. But life will and has to go on. "After a hurricane comes a rainbow" so say a song I heard on the radio recently.

2010 marks the big upgrade to version 3.x. Makes me think back to 10 years ago, when the bunch of us were happily partying away (ahem...I mean studying) at university, without much worry over...well, almost everything else.

Looking back to what I have achieved today, I guess I could have done better. But we can't have everything, can we? ;) I got the promotion that I wanted, moved into a new apartment, made some really good friends over the years (and managed to keep in touch with them regularly), and had lots and lots of cherished "moments". Not much to complain about I guess.

I learnt that the pain of losing someone you love cannot be explained nor understood. And with reaching the 3.x mark and looking back at 2010, there were so many moments that I would have loved to have shared with you, mum. Makes me miss you all the more.

2011 started as well as I could have hoped for. I'm back in hometown and typing this while watching my nephew and niece play with their toys...has a relaxing and nice feeling to it.

Met up with an old friend yesterday and was told that I'm the first on his list of friends to catch up with in 2011. Or could it be that I'm the last on his list from 2010 that got spilled over to 2011? ;)
(If you are reading this, you should have guessed that I was going to bring this up right? haha...)

Also, I was at a wedding dinner of another old friend from university and had loads of fun, particularly during the after party, which lasted till 2am! Gave me a massive hang-over this morning though haha...

I'm certainly looking forward to 2011 and what it has to offer. I'll certainly be writing again, hopefully in a more consistent manner. First thing would probably be to do some "face-lifting" to this blog. I'm still thinking about what the theme should be for the header and the background. Hopefully a thoughtful blogger and friend can give me some inspirations? ;)

Here's to wishing everyone a wonderful New Year and a fantastic 2011!

The Wednesday Before Monday

It's back to work again on another brand new week...

OK, that wasn't enthusiastic at all - but who would be on a Monday morning? ;)

Anyway, I took two days off from work last week, and coupled with the public holiday on Wednesday, my working week was down to two days only and the break has been making me a bit lazy.

However, it wasn't a lazy week with no positives - finding a good book counts as a postive in my books (forgive me on the pun). As usual, my favourite past time is reading and Wednesday afternoon made perfect timing for a cuppa at Starbucks, while enjoying the available books at Borders. I found two new books from Dragonlance, one I have been waiting for - though, a quick browse at both told me that I wasn't in the mood for fantasy that afternoon. Or was it perhaps the story has gotten a bit boring?

Anyway, I found the remaining book to be much more interesting. It carried the title: first, break all the rules. Eye catching indeed, huh? But what does it mean?

I'll tell you all about it once I have finished reading it, will see if I can do a bit of book review - something that I haven't done in a long while. In the meantime, why not pick one up and have a read yourself. Who doesn't like breaking rules? :)

Guess which one did I buy?

In Good Faith Indeed

Updated [17-Sept-08]:
And our falling-asleep-in-meeting PM accepted the resignation with the expected reason that more patience is required to make changes, the government doesn't depend on one person, yada yada yada...

The fact that he has just lost a minister that was supposed to bring about judicial reforms seem to be lost to our sleepy PM. What's more, the Senator was brought in by the PM himself. So if Zaid has failed, it would mean that the PM has also failed? Pak Lah not only failed to provide the necessary support to push through reforms, but he has also fail as the only person with enough power and political clout to force a change in mindset of the people in his cabinet.

While Pak Lah mentioned that judicial reforms will continue even with the absence of Zaid, it seems to me that there is just no will within the government, the cabinet and the political elites to change. Pak Lah does not seem to realize just how big a blow this will be to the hopes of the people of seeing an important and lasting change to the judiciary.

We are back to square one. Pak Lah's promises are mere empty words that have become increasingly meaningless. And worthless.

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Finally...someone who takes responsibility for the wrong things that are happening in this country. For the first step you have taken, Mr. Zaid Ibrahim, I salute thee.

I have read his book, In Good Faith, and have often wondered ever since then on whether he is truly the person who espoused the ideas that was written in words.

Is he any different from the common Malay politicians that we find so abundantly available in BN (to everyone's detriment and loss)? I may not agree with all his views, but with his actions today, he has earned my respect.

Reading his responses in the Sun gives me that little bit of hope that the word accountability still exist in some of our politicians' dictionary - albeit Zaid Ibrahim is the first I have seen so far.

To quote:

> On the ISA arrest of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng
"I did not expect this. That our government would find journalists a threat to the country? How can a journalist be a security threat? I cannot understand this. But, I am a minister, so I am responsible. In terms of ISA usage, for example, the police said we detain first, then only we investigate. This is a strange principle. I don’t understand this. You cannot detain people just because you want to investigate."

Now, why won't the rest of the current government follow suit? It would be the best gift to Malaysia as it signal a new dawn to its people. But that is just wishful thinking, right?

Flintlocke is Back!

Missed the World of Warcraft webcomic? Wait no longer...after two years that is.
Catch the new series, Flintlocke vs. The Horde here: A Horde of Many Colors