Car calamity struck this Monday; nearly put our party plans on hold, but I insisted on making it happen as scheduled... 'cause the cake was still oozing freshness! Definitely wasn't about to let my hard work go down the drain; so even though Yang Kang suddenly had no car, and the same went to Carmen, and *worse* Tharu met with an accident, I quickly made arrangements to pick all up: BU first, then Cheras.
Ready to party.
But, as luck would have it, the rain poured somethin' nasty and I misread Jln. Tun Razak as Bandar Tun Razak; made a wrong turn. Drove past Tharu's place in Sri Manja - -'' and wound up at Sunway Pyramid. So basically, that error shifted the party from Lookout Point to Pyramid; surprise!!
It was close to 9 before we started dinner.
Settled down after much wandering about, at a Hakka specialty place. We were the last ones out at 10 p.m. after revealing to Hong Onn that she was the birthday girl and not - as we'd led her to believe - Carmen.
I'm glad to say, we pulled it off just fine and she loved it. And us. XD
YK pulling out his wallet to pay the unwitting b'day girl's share.
Hong Onn and I.
The cheesecake looking marvelously cheesecake-y.
I hounded my Math lecturer for the recipe and did the baking at my aunt's house 'cause I didn't have all the equipment needed.
We were doing this more for heat;
it was rather chilly in that place, lol.
This is supposed to be some Chinese character,
but it looks like a smattering of holes that shouldn't be there, to me.
Wishing hard.
She took longer than I usually do, ahaha.
I think she blew harder, too. =P
Aaaand proceeded to compress my ribcage after finding out she was the celebrated one that night.
Oh, her mighty hug is one to fear...
Group photo with the hole-studded cheesecake.
Hong Onn insisted the holes made it look all the cheese-ier. =]
Her phone rang.
*Hello, wat... I'm cutting cake now.*
Trademark me with my Beckham's disorder.
Acting like I'm salivating over a slice of cheesecake
when it's so far from the truth.
Uh-huh, that's right;
the chef can't stand the taste of her own effort.
Oh man, I never thought this day would come; when I'd be contorting my face at my own cooking.
Bottomline is, it is official: I hate cheesecakes.
She takes her first bite.
To my dismay, Carmen and YK confessed they weren't allowed to eat birthday cakes due to religious reasons. Which made 3 non-cake-eaters that night.
*If you don't eat, I'll eat 'em all!*
Chef : ^ ^
Hong Onn and I brought home one half each.
She's the only one at home who eats cheesecake; I'm the only one at home who doesn't.
Well, we promised to take many photos for Tharu who was sitting at home with relatives =( so we did with the mall nice and empty, with lighting you don't normally get during business hours.
Carmen, Hong Onn, Nicole.
Camel in the new wing.
YK : After dinner, we go ice-skating!
Nicole : *...*
Walking at night is on the list of things I like to do
- even if it's indoors.
Yang Kang and Hong Onn.
Cake and card.
Carmen picked the card 'cause the drawings are like what Hong Onn does in class.
Heeeee~
Took advantage of the empty stairway.
And clambered onto the onstage couch before any security came by to stop us.
We had to take turns, lol. Other groups were doing the same.
Featuring: The cocktail dress.
Regal angle.
(Credit to Hong Onn)
The photogenic gal herself.
Gettin' buddy-buddy. =P
Group picture!
Talk about bling. o.O
This poster stood out as we passed by.
Naturally, we wanted to "stand out" too.
Take One: Hmm, maybe the other way...
Gaaaahhahhhh!
LOL
Just minus the dislocated arm, alright?
YK looking very much like a crazed delivery boy.
Now like he needs a faster ride.
Showgirl!
Alamak Carmen, why did you join him??
The horse neighed. I swe*r it did.
Neh, actually it was the platform that rocked and alarmed us. Nice pic. XD
Night drawing to a close.
For all the hours we've danced together.
Our very own CC;
Carmen Chan.
Being short is a good thing here.
It fits you into the frame! =)
She reminds me of a Barbie doll, sometimes.
Barbie and the puppet.
Hong Onn liked the lighting.
Very much. =]
Take a bow,
exit.
The next day, I began what I thought would be a grueling three-day session at the Subang dance studio. Found my way there well enough, thanks to my sister and Metropolitan College, but my key got stuck in ignition upon parking. Second time in my one year of driving. Seriously confounding issue.
Thank goodness Lien Siaw and Ian were around to accompany me to the Toyota workshop nearby. Frankly, it isn't just some run-of-the-mill workshop; think state-of-the-art, clean, airy... and you'll get the idea. Left the car for a checkup while I went for practice.
It was surprisingly not tiring, probably because one spends a lot of time watching others do their thing as an option to practising steps. One thing I like about Subang campus - they have bubble tea right downstairs! Their studio is in one of the shoplots opposite the college; it has a mirror often scribbled on with black marker, and is really a good place to go if you're looking for a sauna but can't find one.
This new experience of spending the whooole day in a studio fits in with my hopes (though then, I didn't know exactly what) when I accepted the performance offer. Watching others dance; observing their fluidity, agility, strength and slip-ups, is motivating if not inspiring. So much energy in those lunch-less bodies. Yes, they do skip lunch sometimes and just go on dancing through the noon.
The only time I get to see b-boys in action is when I plant my diminutive frame at the frontline of balconies or crowds at competitions. So of course I loved having them battle not six feet from me! <3> Today is only my second day there, and I've learnt at least five different dances, none of them complete.
Such is the way things are done in Subang. In comparison, Hartamas girls practise the same routine on end without pause. I know now why I get so drained out the following day.
Speaking of dance, here are several pics slow to come from D-day - the event I slaved for, and the first major event TCSH's fledgling Dance Club has organised, to date.
Mates
Carmen, Hong Onn, Louis and I.
D-day was held in conjunction with Rock Your Tummy, a food fair.
On the left is Rahul; the other spectacled guy is Aaron.
We had our own food stall too.
Carmen made sandwiches and here, I am seen carefully drawing lines on my brownies...
...before Hong Onn delegates them to their respective frilly cups.
We weren't the only ones selling these.
But the rival brownies weren't even brownies.
Twice as tall but tasted more like moist chocolate cake than anything else.
Sung Hwan and Snoopy,
just two of the many Koreans in Hartamas.
The place is overrun with 'em.
- -''
See, Aaron again.
Wherever you go, you run into one of them. =P
The thing about Koreans is they super-stick together.
Da Yoon, Yong Min, yet another Korean, Snoopy.
The Gatsby crew livening up the scene.
Fellest Yan in the flesh.
Spent the whole day on my feet, being in charge of the performers.
Giving directions, greeting them at the entrance, and managing my own last-minute run-throughs together was crazy hectic.
And no, I was not posing; Louis really caught me making a call.
Run-through for singing.
I tried harmonising the alto part; only agreed to sing 'cause otherwise Douglas wouldn't rap at all!
Definitely prefer dancing to singing.
Douggie's best friends who came to support him.
BestFren, BestFren, Hari, Abhinav (not a best fren).
Taking to the stage.
A week before sem. finals, I committed the sin of... going on a shopping spree with Carmen. Brought her to Atria for a branded sale; stepped out thinking I had a slightly satisfactory purchase, and was struck in the face with the view of another sale - right next door.
How could I have been so blind??
The day's result: chaos in my room.
When that was done with, we scurried over to the Big Bookshop at the opposite end. Never having been inside,
I was just dazed by the sheer many-ness of novels - hardcover and paperback both spread and stacked across dizzying expanses of floor and table. There came a point where I couldn't follow the titles individually anymore, my eyes just scanned across them all.
And the stationary, that section was no less lovely. Fell prey to a few pretty items:
This file attracted me with its scribbles and colour shades,
but secured its spot in my heart for quoting Wordsworth's Daffodils;
the first poem I ever loved.
Think of it as finding a picture of your first love in a filing cabinet.
Bought a couple more for my little cousins.
Sometimes I think I just make up excuses to buy and buy... hope that's not true. > <
Isn't it lovely, though?
How could you say no to this...
I know I've seen this somewhere before...
but oh well, now it's mine!
The easiest decision of the day came with seeing this particular shade of green.
It is ridiculously RARE to find this colour being sold - and it happens to be my favourite.
Hop into my arms, baby.
I'm takin' you home tonight.
*Sigh*
Carmen came up to me with a shocker: the "real branded sale" was above our heads; we'd gone to the "wrong" ones.
Security for bebe and Zara upstairs was much tighter, with handbags sealed at the entrance. It was hilarious to see one dignified executive clawing at the plastic to reach her ringing phone in the midst of browsing. =X
Oh, the clothes I actually bought;
none from "the real branded sale" upstairs
consisting of Zara and bebe.
The were all ugly, except for a pair of bebe shorts I considered buying.
Bits and pieces:
At Tony Roma's for my father's birthday.
My Papa, the birthday bo- uhm, man.
Spirally hair. =)
The-Devil-Wears-Prada-style.
My *howdoyoudescribethose* fingers
plus the conspicuous vein.
This inspired the "I love all this sunshine" post.
I get that feeling every time I see this happening.
My beloved collection of books (part of it, anyway).
Made a lantern today for the Copenhagen summit. Heheh.
Ooh, what's that?
Looking as sinister as ever, but with sunlight filtering through in a strange way...
like it's too attractive to be feared.
Uncharacteristically, I stood fast and zoomed in to that ...thing.
Normally I'd run away screaming or close.
Aren't you proud of me?
Maybe one day I won't have this fear anymore.
My firstborns have bloomed.
Love have I waited for frangipanis (my favourite local flower) to adorn my garden.
Seeing their fresh pink colour is like discovering "it's a baby girl!"
Lovely colours, graceful lines.
I like what the frangipani represents.
Oh, look. It's the second bug of the day I'm zooming into.
And it's sitting on my newborns!
This is what I get from standing and squinting at bugs in my garden.
There were at least five on my right leg, and some more on the other.
Highly unusual.
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