Hazy days, lazy days...

We were somewhat bored in class today, so we played hangman. Suzanne, Wai Loon, Kian Ti, Phon, Tsu Wern, Fiona, Chun Hong, Kah Loong and me. And at recess, almost the whole of Upper Six was in the canteen, except, of course, the Arts students who were sitting for their Business paper.


This was taken yesterday in Pudu, near my grandmother's eye specialist's clinic. It occurred to me that the mamak are really a distinct element of 'Malaysia'. If any one group of people exemplify the spirit of Malaysia boleh, it would be the mamak.

Ice-blended fruity desserts? Boleh.
Almost any variation of roti canai? Boleh.
Custom-made drinks? Boleh.

And all for an affordable price (usually). What would Malaysia be without the mamak?


Somewhere near the beginning of his career, someone asked Elvis who he thought he sounded like. Elvis replied, "I don't sound like nobody."

The truth of this statement hit home yesterday, when I tried singing a few of his songs softly in class, before the Maths test. He really developed such a unique approach to his songs that the fast ones require a lot of confidence and charisma, and the slow-tempo ones tend to be emotionally-draining.

His slower songs, like 'In the Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds' are within a very singable vocal range (compared to some of his other hits), but they demand a lot emotionally, typical of his later songs, which demonstrated a remarkable degree of maturity and profundity.

As Bono might say, the music of Elvis is anything but 'wallpaper music'; a term he used to describe much of the prevalent music at the time U2's album War came out, in 1983.


U2's autobiography, U2byU2 is out! I saw it in Kinokuniya, retailing at RM169.90. There's a 20% discount (with purchase of another item of any value), but I don't know how long the offer will last. This is one book I definitely wanna get!

And word is out that they're releasing a compilation album in November, containing 16 of their most famous songs, plus two new recordings.


Sometimes, getting to know a person will open up a world you never knew before.

I tend to be an outlier (Denise and Valerie are right, I'm inclined to think), but the world of normal life, human life, seems to beckon. Am I losing what makes me who I am, just to be human?

Does this make me sound remotely Martian? Maybe not, but over the last two years, everything from National Service through Form Six, has only further reinforced that which has characterised my life ever since I knew it: the notion that I'm a weird person, a square peg in a round hole, a big fish in a small pond, a fish meant for dry land.

Perhaps it is present in everyone, but this trait seems to be amplified in some people more than others. A good number of my friends are even weirder than me; you know who you are!

Maybe, just maybe, there's some truth to that ugly duckling story...


I decided to treat myself to a CD yesterday, to 'celebrate' the end of the STPM trial exam, although for me, the trials are not quite over yet. I missed some papers last week, and will have to do them next week.

Anyway, it was down to either Michael Jackson's Number Ones, Evanescence's The Open Door or Shostakovich's 11th Symphony. Li-Shia suggested Shostakovich, and I reasoned that it's harder to find Shostakovich CDs than MJ's or Evanescence's; so I can always get the others some other time.

Haven't listened to it yet, but I plan to do so this weekend.