WANG LEE HOM - HEARTBEAT

Fruitful year

It's that time of the year again...Time to make a closure and look forward to a new start in the new year. It's time to look back and see how miserably you have failed your resolutions (that's IF you have any). :P
Reading back at my closure for 2007, it has been quite a fruitful year for 2008. As usual, I do have my resolutions come every new year (whether I accomplished all of them is another story).


Travelling
It started with Singapore with a bang. Jacky's concert back then was a great show. We had a memorable group trip to Krabi (though short, it's fun) and a happening chic's trip to Bangkok.
The year will not be complete without road trips to several places locally:
Sg Lembing
Seremban (for Gunung Datuk)
Bidor (for Bidor run)
Johor (treasure hunt)
Melaka (Away Day and family trip)
Langkawi (yes, again)
One of the highlights this year is the trip to Mulu. It has been one of the most eye-opening experience for me. Compared to last year, I think it's pretty tame this year in terms of travelling.

Relationships
Year 2008 started with a mixed feelings. The crushes and flings in 2007 has proven that I am really over THAT period of my past. And I am glad. I have learnt not to be too involved emotionally. And there is that little false alarm. And thank God, it's only a false alarm. September brought a new spark of life for me. I am happy now. When I look into his eyes, I can see someone whom I can depend on, my pillar of support. Thanks dear for being in my life and being there these couple of months. We don't know what the future may bring, but we'll plan and try to work things out.

Career
First half of the year was quite turbulent. Outsouring, offshoring. It was uncertainties, don't know if I will still have a job by end of the year. Then, there's this turn of luck, Not sure if it's good or bad in the long term, but I have managed to secure a permanent position here. And I am glad about it at this moment. So, bad news is, I am stuck in the department for at least 2 years. Hmmm...I think I can manage. :P And dear, I promise to be more positive at work and not to be stressed and I will remind myself everyday on this.

Family
I made a promise to myself to treasure them more. There has been some up and downs but overall, we became closer as a family. Though we didn't have as many trips as last year but I planned out the more family activities come 2009. I love my parents more than anything in the world and I just want them to be happy.



Health
Marathons, marathons and more marathons!! I've joined many runs (though it's only 10km) and met a lot of great inspiring friends. And I've just completed 21km with a timing I'm proud of (yippie!!) Overall, I am much healthier this year. Forcing myself to workout at least twice a week. But one thing I failed to achieve is to lose weight. I failed miserably. In fact I gained. :( Anyone can give some EFFECTIVE tips to shed those extra pounds? I've exercised and cut down on my food portion but yet, disappointing results...Sigh...
And I still remember I promise someone to learn cycling. But I failed. :( It will go to my resolution list next year.



Misc highlights
2008 has many new experiences. I fell in love with hiking and running. I've developed a passion for reading and has completed many books this year. I've learnt to be stronger emotionally and mentally. Early of the year, I did learnt to bake and cook but due to time limitation (ahem...or laziness), I failed to learn more from my mum. Will do so next year, hehehehe...

Coming to the end of 2008 will be special this year. Two close friend will tie the knot and share their lives together. Su and Nick, sincerely wishes both of you happiness and we are waiting for more good news to come ya...

To the rest of my friends, see ya in 2009!!

Maaaaaammaa Mia....

Another great musical theatre I've had a chance to attend this year. Beauty and the Beast a few months back is not as good compared to Mamma Mia. But it would be perfect if Mamma Mia is held in KL Convention Centre instead of Istana Budaya. The stage is smaller and the seats are not as comfortable. All in all, the performances were captivating. The vocals are clear. I am amazed that the performers are so full of energy despite having to perform 2 shows everyday for more than 2 weeks. Highly recommended if you are a fan of Abba.

@4am

4am...

Still deep in my dreamland. Suddenly, a loud crash, as in REALLY loud, woke me up. First thought that came to my mind, someone accidently crashed into my house. Scrambled up, reached for my glasses and peeked outside and this is what I saw.

My mum was at my side in no time and we thought of calling the police but luckily the driver managed to climb out. And amazingly he was not hurt. The driver's side was badly crushed. Thank God no one was injured.

Another resolution completed

21 km, 3 hours completion time, another resolution checked, satisfaction = priceless.

Twilight

Shuckssss...

Disappointed as the movie is not what I had imagined it to be. Not as good as what I read in the first book out of a series of four from Stephenie Meyer. Maybe they shouldn't have made a movie out of it. I must admit it was more enjoyable in the book. Maybe some stories aren't suitable to be a movie. Unlike LOTR which I would prefer to watch the actions rather than cracking my imagination through the thick books.

I just finished Eclipse, the third book. I was so engrossed that I finished the book in less than 3 days. The fourth book will have to wait till my exams are over. Crap...That reminds me that I need to start studying from this moment on...

Food Review:Wendy's Bistro

Wendy's Bistro had recently changed it's name. I couldn't rememember the new shop name though.

Food here is pretty similar to Euro Deli's but this shop specializes in pork belly. Not to be missed is their grilled pork belly. It can be a little too fatty but the taste is really good. It is well marinated and grilled to perfection. The pork chop is a let down. The meat is too dry and tasted bland. The different types of German sausages is worth a try. Once you've tasted these sausages, normal ones you can grab from the supermarket is nothing to be compared. It's almost as good as the sausages in Euro Deli's.

Contact Details

WENDY'S BISTRO

20 Jalan PJS8/18,

Dataran Sunway Mentari,

Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-5630 1699

The What-Bug-Me Tag

The rules

List out 6 things that bug or annoy you.
Tag another 8 persons to do this.
Strictly no tagging back!

1. Unable to book cheap flights from Air Asia because of the congested servers during 0/ low fare promotion. KNS!

2. Stupid drivers who overtake you without signals causing you to brake suddenly and nearly having a heart/ panic attack. KNS!

3. Annoying colleagues who come and talk to you non-stop when you are in the mid of something urgent and you are squeezing your mind trying to figure out how to solve the stupid problem. It's hard to concentrate when you are blah-blah-blah-ing ok? KNS!

4. Filling in pages and pages of forms - any forms - be it pre-employent/ government related/
registration forms. Even more so when spaces provided is so limited to fill in all you need to
fill in. It's wasting my time ok? KNS!

5. Aunties pushing and shoving you in the market/ supermarket/ during sales. By all means I do respect elderly but it doesn't gives you the right to be rude. Stay in your line aunties!! KNS!

6. Rude sales assistants/ cashiers. It doesn't hurt to flash a smile and say thank you even if I do not buy anything in the end. Instead of showing that bitchy and arrogant faces. You will not get my business like that ok? KNS!

There...I've completed mine...I'm suppose to tag 8 people but I am lazy. Please feel free to vent your frustrations.

Food Review:Italiannies

Pastamania......

I loveeeee the pasta. It is a great idea to have a set with 4 different choices of pasta so we will not have a hard time deciding which flavour to choose. The serving size is just nice, not too filling. I guess we were hungry that time (or I was) as I can't remember the 4 flavours we picked. As for the grilled chicken set (forgotten the name), it's not up to expectation. The baked potato is nice though. And not to be missed on the menu is of course, the mouth-watering Strawberry Cheesecake. The strawberry sauce is not too sour nor sweet, just nice to end a satisfying meal.

Xiao sheep

Arlo...I am Xiao Sheep...Mek mek's other half...Although I am fatter than Mek Mek, I am twice as adorable as she is.

Are you the one?

"I've spent all my life waiting for the perfect guy but you're nothing like him."
That's a movie line that caught my attention.
I am a big dreamer. I have the picture of the perfect guy in my head-a so-called template. I guess every/ most girl does. But not many of us will get to be with that Mr Perfect.
I always believe that once we fall in love, we will learn to accept the flaws of that person. And I do believe also, somehow, love is blind. No matter how thin or fat, tall or short, handsome/pretty or ugly, we will learn to accept that person with our heart. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
Hmmm....my point of writing this? I don't know. *blink blink*
From past experiences, relationship can be very tiring. Relationship can be so fragile. Relationship can be about everything - feelings, the money, the religion, the communication.
So, to all who has found that special someone, treasure them. Do not turn them into who you want them to be. Just love that person for who they are. And for those who haven't found the special person, have faith that he/ she will appear one day.Till then, live life well.

Love line....

Your love line, also known as your heart line, relates to all the emotions and situations that are associated with love. This line is above your head and life line. It begins under your index or middle finger and extends toward your pinky. How to read your love line:
If the line starts directly underneath the index finger, then you are content with your love life.If your line begins right below the middle finger, this indicates a selfish and materialistic outlook when it comes to love.A line that begins between the middle and index finger signifies that you give your heart away too easily.
Is it accurate??

Mek

Hi,
My name is Mek. You can call me Mek Mek...I am a cute, lovey dovey sheep...
I am offering free hugs for all...Please contact my owner, keef for more information.
Don't miss out this opportunity!!

XoXo,
Mek...

Food Review:Food Republic and Toast Box

This is a way overdue review but anyway, here it is...:P
Food Republic is a foodcourt chain originated from Singapore. They have a branch here in Pavilion, KL. I have tried several of the stalls here and the food is up to par. My favourite being the Taiwanese Cuisine. You do not have to fork out a bomb to enjoy delicious Taiwanese food and snacks. I forgot the name of this set that we ordered but it is definitely worth the price. I really like the bread with fillings of mixed vege inside it.



We had our tea time at Toast Box. A disappointment. We all agreed that Oldtown's toasted bread and coffee taste a lot better.

Docs,Superheroes,Angels and Conspiracies

Friends and colleagues are all hyped up on TVB series nowadays....I used to be an addict too, many years ago. Now, I am more into the western type of drama series. And yes, they are back after the looooooooooooooooooong break. Heroes, Smallville, Grey's Anatomy, Supernatural and Prison Break. Waiting forward to new episodes each week. :P
Which one I like best? I would choose Grey's...Worth watching...Seriously....

Reflections

(this was written a couple of months ago)

The trip to Mulu few has been an eye opener and a unique experience. It had me thinking and reflecting on my life - past, present and future. Climbing Gunung Api to witness the pinnacles had been one of the toughest physical challenge for me. I had underestimated the difficulty. But that was not what bothered me most.
When we were descending, I was not strong mentally. I kept thinking that I am too tired and my legs are hurting like mad and I cannot go on anymore. I really felt like giving up. And this frigthened me a lot.
Maybe to many, I live a life without much hardship. But to me, that is not the reality. My parents are not rich, not even well to do but we always managed to get by with a decent living. My dad is very money-wise and when I was young, I was taught to save, save, save and save. I never really had the luxury to own things I like and I never demanded much. Going to college at that time was a big step but luckily I got a scholarship which definitely lessen the financial burden.
I always thought that I am an independent girl. When I was 5, my parents wanted to send me to kindergarden. I was reluctant to go. I told them I will go when I am 6 yrs old. And I did. The first day, I still remember, I asked my dad to go home after sending me to the kindy's doorstep. I never cried nor asked my dad to accompany me. It was the same when I first stepped into Standard 1. Even during college registration, I handled it myself as I do no want to trouble my parents.
That's me. Or that's how independent I thought I was.
However, when I think back of certain incidents in the past, it scares me. Some of them, I never ever thought I will do in my life. Impulsive behaviour and did things I consider very stupid and very despicable once. Yet I made a mistake by doing them and hurting people who loves me.
And how this all link to the Mulu trip? I never thought that I am someone who gives up easily but I had that very feeling in Mulu. Many things were going through my mind at that time. I realise how fragile and weak I am.
Maybe it's time to do some soul searching. Have some quiet time to think of the past events, the things I have learnt and to plan for the future. I have always yearned to be someone care free. To be independent emotionally. And that is something I failed to do in the past.
All my life, I have met many people. Fallen in love and never regretted the relationships I've had. Every incident is a learning point and I am really glad to say that my opinion and view has matured through these points of life. I made a vow starting this moment, I want to be who I wanted to be and not what everyone expected me to be.

The unexpected

When I least expected
Something good happened
Something that lets me see the world
In a completely different light

When I least expected
You become the angel
Guarding me, guiding me
And catching me when I fall

When I least expected
I feel real glad
To have you beside me
To have your shoulder to cry on
To have your hands around me
When I am cold

When I least expected
I feel real glad
Just because I have known you
Just because I have you
To love me

1437

now i know what it means....:P

inspiration - nil

it's almost a month since my last entry. many things had taken place. i wanted to blog about recent happenings and recent trips but there's no inspiration in me. i've started few blog entries but never got to finish them. what is happening? am i really drowning myself? maybe i need a solo trip to find myself again. some time alone from this hectic life. some time alone to decide what i really want and what i can do to find passion in life again.

Food Review:Purple Cane Restaurant

Actually, not in much mood to review. Just wanna look at nice food photos...I need COMFORT food, lots of it!!! So stress can puke!!!!
Counting down the days to our holiday...Pray hard that the situation stabilizes ya...
Back to topic, Purple Cane restaurant is well known for its tea-leaves-influenced dishes. Even the rice is boiled with tea leaves. Dishes here are unique. Do give it a try for something different. I personally like the settings of the place and the artsy way they decorate the food. But can't say the same for their desserts...Not up to expectation...

Food Review: Izzi

I always count my blessings to be able to enjoy some good food and most importantly to do it with a bunch of LOUD, WHACKY and CRAZY friends... You guys and gals are the best... The food at Izzi is not exactly cheap but with promotions of 50% or 65% off the total bill with certain credit cards, it's worth the food. Pizzas were good but we've tasted better ones. The chicken chop was too salty and the salads were quite bland to my tastebud. Pasta was so so...Overall, the food is ok...same goes for the dessert. But the desserts looked too pretty and one could not resist ordering them. I like the environment on the first floor but too bad it's always booked for functions.



(From top:Cheese Dough Ball, Chicken Chop, Tuna Ceasar salad, pizza, desserts-can't remember all the names :P)

Reminiscence

It's been a year since I ran my first 10km...A year ago, in Sunway, I participated in Adidas King of the Road 2007 (KOTR 2007). I still remember the nervousness, butterflies-in-stomach feeling (and I still feel so everytime I am about to run in a marathon). And I told myself I wouldn't miss this year's run no matter what. So there I was, in Shah Alam this morning, for Adidas KOTR 2008. It was a good run. When I am about to cross the finishing line, I felt a gush of wind in my face. I can't believe that it has been a year. I admit my timing never really improved much but I run for one sole purpose, to enjoy it.

Hope my friends who are joining me for upcoming runs will feel the satisfaction of completing a run.
And SIM 2008 - here i come (i've registered for 21km-as part of my resolution this year to run a half marathon).
ps: foongling ar...i got a medal...just for you :) happy birthday....

Chasing rainbows...

"...You deserve someone who loves you with every single beat of his heart, someone who thinks about you constantly, someone who spends every minute of the day just wondering what you're doing, where you are, who you're with and if you're OK. You need someone who can help you reach your dreams and who can protect you from your fears. You need someone who will treat you with respect , and love every part of you, especially your flaws. You should be with someone who can make you happy, really happy, dancing-on-air happy. Someone who should have taken the chance to be with you years ago instead of becoming scared and being too afraid to try. ..."

-Where rainbow ends: Cecelia Ahern-

From sushi with love

ok, so it doesn't look perfect but i hope to make it for someone i love. feeling a bit mushy now.

i learnt to make sushi and pizza and it was a great bonding time with my family. the pizza turned out delicious and the sushi is great. most important is the process of getting it done. enjoyed every moment of it.

I run

When I am lost, I run...

When I feel down, I run...

When I feel sad, I run...

When I feel frustrated, I run...

And most of all, when I needed time alone, I run...

Work stress, emotional turmoil...

At times, I feel like doing something extreme, doing something outrageous and something I really wanted but there are so many consequences to consider, so many factors pulling me back. It's so easy to listen to your heart...but it ain't easy when your mind disagrees with it...

Maybe I am searching for perfection and that perfection will never come.

Maybe I am just giving myself reasons because I am afraid.

Afraid that it might not be what I wanted...

Sigh...

Food Review : Euro Deli

Spontaneous decision to eat out and drink on a Tuesday is definitely a good way to de-stress. But make sure you had just enough to kick the tension away and not over doing it...Else, you might not be able to work the next day...:P
Located at Damansara Kim, Euro-Deli is a small eatery servng German delicacies and specialties such as their German Sausages. Many types of sausages to choose from and it all looked so delicious. The food is not bad at all. We chose a type of sausage with cheese oozing out when we cut it. Apart from that, we had pork ribs and knuckles and a type of bacon rolled with pork. The pasta is delicious.
For those who loves beer, there are a variety of German beers but do expect the price to be a little bit high.
Euro-Deli has a branch in KL and the environment is much nicer. Do check this out ya...
http://www.eurodeli.com.my/home.html

F1 Explorace - Cyberjaya to Melaka

9.00am - As soon as we were flagged off at Cyberjaya, we scrambled to open our first clue - match 13 pictures of F1 driver to their names and get the name of our next destination. I admit I am clueless on F1 and unfortunately so were most of my team members...but we managed to get to the next destination - Sepang Circuit - with some luck and smart guesses. There, we had to pose for our creative photo challenge with umbrellas and a flag.
Our next destination - Seremban R & R and the challenge is to pump RM 6.88 worth of Shell petrol. We managed to get RM 6.89...This is where we got our tulips and made our way to a eatery in Seremban.


Here, we took up another challenge aptly named - the F1 Squirt...Using empty bottles for chilli sauce (you know, those green and red ones found at restaurants), we have to squirt air and push a ping pong ball through a track. We had lunch here and got our next destination clue - by deciphering codes using 'dictionary' on our hands aka our handphones...

After some u-turns and wrong ways (due to technical error in the tulips), we managed to get back on track to Eagle Ranch near to Port Dickson. The go-karting challenge is easy but what came after that, I would never be able to forget.

It reminds me of Trailblazer sans the mud and jungle. 3 out of 4 team members have to work together to climb through some logs. After much huff and puff, pull and push, we managed to go climb through (sorry CK for leaving you behind), then to the swinging planks...and through a tyre and at one point we have to eat cili padi and wasabi and the last challenge is to dress up one team member in boots, gloves, helmets and jackets and feed him/her water without him/her doing anything and then finally help him/ her over a high wall. Not easy at all but it was fun!!! Laughed our ass off at some points. After completing these, it's time to make our way to Melaka with the tulips and the hunt questions.
4.00pm - We finally arrived at Jonker's street. The final challenge is to dip our hands in a tank of eels to collect pebbles to spell a word. I volunteered to do it. I didn't know why at that point I didn't feel nervous. They are slippery and slimy...That's all. If it's a tank full of insects, I will be screaming my lungs out. The final part of the hunt is a walk hunt along Jonkers. Lacking in time, we just collect whatever answers we can get. And at 4.49pm, we submitted our treasures and questions to the marshalls and headed towards Everly Resort.

Tiring 8-hours of journey followed by a dinner. It's amazing we still can find the energy to play some card games and have a little drinking session. And I didn't get drunk this time round...:P


Some random pictures taken...

Maiden @ Everly

Famosa fort

Just imagining...

@Everly

Some IMPORTANT tips on being a navigator:
1) Read the tulips and instruct the driver which way to go (RIGHT or WRONG way, it doesn't matter, refer to 3)
2) Ensure driver is ALERT and AWAKE (you MUST do anything to keep him awake-including slapping him)
3) Be VERY confident on your direction (even if you are on the wrong track, APPEAR confident)
4) Ensure all your car members are ALERT and AWAKE (very DIFFICULT to achieve!!)
5) And last but not least - make sure yourself is fully ALERT and AWAKE (failed!!)