Facebook Etiquette

Cham liao! Cham liao! Cham liao!

I must admit that I am kinda addicted to Facebook now, in spite of my initial reservations. Damn! Shouldn't have signed up in the first place. More time spent staring at the screen.

Ok, it's been just a little over two weeks, and despite laying low with no profile pic, and no contact information, I've accepted 20 "friend requests" (yes, as usual I've been extremely passive and have only initiated two "friend requests" of my own), and numerous unglam and unauthorized pictures of me posted in other people's albums.

I am still lost in the maze of facebook, or am I just being an internet bimbo? I still can't find my way through the numerous functions and pages. Or is it just the so-called "new" layout of facebook?

Mmm... I haven't found my life partner yet on facebook and I'm kinda disappointed lo (this benefit of facebook was "promised" by Tricia - cis! bluff me! kaka!), but I'm keeping my facebook account for two important reasons:
(1) To monitor the unglam photos of me being posted and mitigate the damage done;
(2) To drool on cuties and hotties on my friends' profiles (ah yes, I found the video of the hunky guy liao!)

But I do have a few questions at this time:

(1) How do you deal with "friend requests" of people you don't know AT ALL? I've got quite a few friend requests from such people liao. Never seen, never heard, never smell before. Gila one.... But if leng chai, I sure accept one la. But if not leh??

(2) Can I ignore those miscellaneous requests? What purpose do they serve? I'm afraid of giving out too much information, and also scared of virus!!! Is it rude to ignore those requests from friends???

(3) How can you be sure the "controversial" comments you made on other people's facebook are not open to public? How can you be sure that your unglam photos published by your friends are not publicly available for viewing despite their assurances? How can you regulate the kinds of information/photos published in facebook, not necessarily by you, but by others??

Hot 100

For those of you who didn't know, Billboard is celebrating 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100. The Hot 100 chart measure popularity by tracking sales (physical and more recently digital) and plays (jukebox, and radio). Here is a summary of a few interesting chart figures:

Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (Peak Position, Weeks at Peak, Year)

1. The Twist - Chubby Checker (#1, 3 weeks, 1960 & 1962)

2. Smooth - Santana feat. Rob Thomas (#1, 12 weeks, 1999)

3. Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin (#1, 9 weeks, 1959)

4. How Do I Live - LeAnn Rimes (#2, -, 1997)

5. Macarena - Los Del Rio (#1, 14 weeks, 1996)

6. Physical - Olivia Newton John (#1, 10 weeks, 1981)

7. You Light Up My Life - Debbie Boone (#1, 10 weeks, 1977)

8. Hey Jude - The Beatles (#1, 9 weeks, 1968)

9. We Belong Together - Mariah Carey (#1, 14 weeks, 2005)

10. Unbreak My Heart - Toni Braxton (#1, 11 weeks, 1996)

Don't know who Chubby Checker or Bobby Darin are, but it's interesting to note that You How Do I Live did not even hit #1. Still, it is a monster hit for LeAnn Rimes. The song must have a very long chart life to be in #5 all time top song!

--------------------------------------------------------

Hot 100 All Time Top Artist

1. The Beatles

2. Madonna

3. Elton John

4. Elvis Presley

5. Stevie Wonder

6. Mariah Carey

7. Janet Jackson

8. Michael Jackson

9. Whitney Houston

10. The Rolling Stones

I am guessing that this chart also measures the number of hit singles/songs put out by an artist, and not solely on sales and airplay figures. The only artistes still considered "active" in this list are Madonna and Mariah. And over the next few years, with more singles from them placed in the charts, we should see them moving up this list. Will Madonna have the chance to move to pole position? Or is Mariah catching up with her sooner than later?

-------------------------------------------------------

Most Weeks at No. 1: By Artist

1. Mariah Carey - 79 weeks

2. The Beatles - 59 weeks

3. Boyz II Men - 50 weeks

4. Usher - 43 weeks

5. Michael Jackson - 37 weeks

6. Elton John - 34 weeks

7. Janet Jackson -33 weeks

8. Beyonce - 32 weeks

9. Madonna - 32 weeks

10. Whitney Houston - 31 weeks

Without doubt, Mariah is the queen of spending the most number of weeks at #1, thanks to gigantic hits like One Sweet Day (16 weeks at #1) and We Belong Together (14 weeks at #1) The Beatles, at second place, is 20 weeks behind her! It is obviously impoosible for anyone to catch up with her.

--------------------------------------------------------

Most No. 1s: By Artist (All time)

1. The Beatles - 20

2. Mariah Carey - 18

3. Michael Jackson - 13

4. Madonna - 12

5. The Supremes - 12

This chart shows the artist who has placed the most No. 1s in the Hot 100 chart. Again, Mariah and Madonna are the only "active" ones in he Top 5, and they should be moving up this list. However, based on Madonna's song performance in the United States this decade, she will have trouble placing any more #1 in this chart. For example, despite topping the charts in 45 countries, Hung Up considered as the most successful single of all time worldwide, only manages to secure #7 in the Hot 100 chart.

-------------------------------------------

There are more chart information and list at Billboard. You also get to see music videos in Youtube of your favourite artistes and songs (including those from the past - saves you time from searching them!).

And it is hilarious to read the comments of fans for each list. As expected, there is always quarelling between Mariah fans and Madonna fans. Check it out!

Mamma Mia!

Yes! People who knew me well will know that I only watch drama movies.... I drama ma... so sure like drama movies one la.... especially those with tragic endings. But I also like musicals too. That's because it makes the movie seem like a looooonnngggg MTV. I like music videos!

My last musical movie was Hairspray. Yeah, it's been more than a year liao. This time with Mamma Mia!, it's on a preview ticket! Wah free! No need to pay! Thanks to A World Without Strangers, muahhaha! Of course, I'm the "jakun"... since this is my first time I ever got to go for preview screening. Wah! So excited lor. We had makan, then loitered around the mall, but soon AWWS signalled that it was time to go and line up....

Yes, free tickets don't come easy. There was already a long queue liao, and it was still half and hour before the show! There was a couple of other preview screenings... can't remember liao! I Then the crowd build up... wah, so many people, and in the end there's almost no more queue! Cis! I don't understand why those people don't want to open the bloody gate lor. According to AWWS, usually they let people through... no queue like this.

So we waited and waited.... and when they decided to let people through, I almost fainted (drama... drama). I was so scared people would just rush and push, but luckily it wasn't so bad. But of course there were queue jumping a bit here and there. In the end, nobody checked our preview tickets at all because the crowd was simply to big. Aiks! Anyone of you without tickets could also have snuck in for free!!! So being kiasu, I rushed along the corridor so that we will get the best seats. So unglam lor. AWWS almost vomitted his gassy drink and dinner.... keke... sorry!

So how was the movie?? It's funny and entertaining all the way through! Of course, you can't take the storyline seriously, but Abba's music works marvellously well. And aside Meryl Streep, we've got two very funny aunties in the show who's so hilarious! One of them reminded me of a friend's mom!

At the end of the show, when the credits start to roll, everybody still remained in their seats. First time nobody stood up to leave like most other shows. We were presented with two "music videos" of the three female casts singing Abba's songs.

Yes, it was lovely! I like! I get goosebumps every time an Abba song came up... reminds me of music in my childhood years.

Thanks AWWS!

Pig

I had an extraordinary pig Saturday in which I had two ten-course Chinese meals in a day! Really rich food!! First, it was a wedding lunch, complete with the usual "4 seasons", sharks fins soup, fish, vegetable, prawns, pigs trotters, etc etc.... yummicious!

Then, later in the evening, yours truly had another round of rich food, thanks to Jaslene, who invited us to his food tasting / review event. Now, I was excited because it was free food, and when we sat down, we were told there'll be 11 dishes to taste. This is the first time I've even been to a food tasting/review event, and it was extremely interesting to see how pictures got taken, food got tasted and critically reviewed by experienced food bloggers. Jaslene had invited the five of us for the experience. There were two other food bloggers and their partners, whom Jaslene knew, but not us.

We arrived early, and waited at the able. I was extremely hungry after my step session earlier on. Soon the others arrived, and food was served. But that does not mean we can eat yet. We have to wait for the mandatory pictures of the yummicious food to be taken by two experienced photographers, three food bloggers, the rest of us curious observers... in all different angles and directions, and even in different poses! Yes, food also must pose you know! Have to scoop it up la, have to pick it up with the chopstick la... and Jaslene was arranging the bowls in some sort of pattern.... the ultimate food camwhore!


It took at least 5 - 10 minutes after the food is served before we get to eat it. Aiya... pengsanz! Hungry like a wolf liao!!!

This was my second sharks fin soup for the day!

This was my fourth prawn dish for the day!

Yes, very much like a wedding dinner, the event took about 3 hours! We were all very well-behaved and formal. Cannot drama! Cannot hiao! That's because the others were straight, and we didn't want to pecah habis since we have to safeguard Jaslene's reputation. But there were a few difficult questions to answer.... for example, we made a mistake by simply answering that we met in the gym and are now close friends, and none of us knew about soccer! LOL! And of course, with Tricia's very pecah photosite, and in spite of Tricia explanation that she took photos of weddings and her travels, the other photographer bluntly described her as "oh yes, i know you... you only took pictures of men...". LOL!

***************************

After that, we adjourned to Tricia's place for the Midautumn festival celebrations. Yes, we were all back to our old selves again, and we were running around the poolside lighting ad hanging up lanterns, as if we were little children again.

Facebooked Again: OMFG!!

I am a very private guy. A sure introvert. I don't like being surrounded by too many people, and I hate crowded places. I prefer to shy away from attention, except for the occasional drama, with the gang. I certainly don't like photos of me taken, unless it's creatively controversial and with my face cropped out to maintain anonymity. I don't like too much information, especially on busy web sites. I don't see the benefit of telling the whole world who I made "friends" with one hour ago, or that I just "poked" someone two minutes ago. And I certainly don't have and don't want to have hundreds or thousands of "friends".... it will get too complicated.

Friends are people we have known for a certain period of time, who have grown to understand each other on an emotional level, and feel comfortable with each other. Friends are people you treasure, and want to spend personal time with. Friends are for keeps.

I do not consider those who do not fit the above definition as my friends. They are simply categorized as people that I:
(a) "Have seen before somewhere"; or
(b) "Know" ie. have spoken with and/or spent some time with (eg. gym kaki, or people at work, or people from internet, or fuck buddies);

You see, for me, it is possible to have 200 people I know, but it is not possible to have 200 friends at any one time.

Which is why I cannot comprehend the extremely loosely used word "friends" in facebook, or any other sites for that matter.

Which is why I cannot comprehend why people get all excited about collecting "friends".

In facebook, you cannot hide. I innocently got into facebook about 2 years ago, and I was shocked that despite having limited information and with no photo or real name, I was tracked down by "somebody I used to know" who had absolutely nothing to do with the two "facebook friends I was linked to". I deleted my profile immediately.

This time though, my signing up again was primarily motivated by the fact that I could view videos of a gorgeous hunk. My "sisters" (the definition of this term probably requires another post!) and step-classmates had also promoted the benefits of facebook. Among the benefits include the "high" probability of finding my life partner through the network of friends' friends' friends' friends' friends' friends' friends. Plus, it seems like just about everybody has a facebook profile.

I tried signing up using some obscure name, but the smart program insisted it must be my real name! Phuh! As I clicked and entered the world of facebook, I instantly got lost again! So many functions, so many buttons, so many tabs, so many colours, so many pictures, so many updates! OMG! ~~ This bimbo here cannot process so many information lah! And I still could not find the video of my hunk!!

Certain profiles are public, and yes, I can see that some people certainly have too much time on their hand.... you have to scroll down like forever to reach the end of the page!

And of course, as private as I may be, even though I have never facebooked until now, I found so many photos of myself (some were unedited and in unglam poses and lighting) splattered all over facebook for the world to see! OMFG! (yes, no prizes for guessing what the F stands for)
I demand my photos be removed immediately! Or I'll "poke" your asses!

*************

As negative as I may be in this moment, I will try to stay facebooked for a couple of weeks. Who knows, I might end up getting addicted and have 1000 friends in no time! But I expect to see the video featuring my hunk, and get a life partner by the end of the 2nd week. Otherwise, I'll delete my profile once again!

Asking for Change, Asking for Trouble

I never liked change, particularly if it had to do with moving away from one place to another, even if it's for a few years. I don't like leaving the familiar environment and particularly close friends. The last time I had to come back after 4 years of studying aboard, I cried my hearts (and eyes) out for days. My eyes were super swollen. I was such a cry baby.

Which is why I've turned down offers to be based overseas, or even outstation. Afterall, what if I am based in a place without gym? I'd die!!!

But not too long ago, I was contemplating perhaps working in someplace like Singapore or Australia is a good idea. The money is probably better. The quality of life in Australia is great for sure, while for Singapore, well, at least it's neater and orderly there, plus the guys are hotter!

So few weeks ago, I sort of asked my boss from SG to see if there is any possibility of a transfer. I told her it's just a thought, nothing to be serious about at this stage.... but now she wants to discuss it in greater detail. Haiye! Now I have to consider the option more seriously, and I don't know what to think!

I shouldn't have asked in the first place... now I'm deeply troubled. The thought of leaving my parents behind, and my friends, adjusting to a new place ... shit! I really shouldn't have asked if I wasn't serious about it. Help!

The Significance of Jalan Hicks

Jalan Hicks (now called Changkat Bukit Bintang - Changkat Raja Chulan) had always been a special road for me. When I was a little boy, my mom and I used to visit my elder sister who rented a room in Jalan Hicks. The house was a corner lot, a block away from Frangipanni. Back then, the area was predominantly residential, and further up closer to Jalan Bukit Bintang, the area was a notoriously sinful red-light district. Jalan Alor was as busy back then as it was now.

It took another twenty years before I would visit Jalan Hicks again. Fable, officially my first gay friend, lived in an apartment just a stone throw away from where my sister used to live. I used to drop by almost every other Saturday nite when we would get ready our dancing shoes and later sinfully transform ourselves into podium queens in the then Liquid. There was once a sinful camwhoring session too, but at that time, blogs and flickr were non-existent yet. And that was way before his apartment unit was transformed into sort of a mini zoo with colonies of hamsters, a tortoise, a rabbit and fishes. But now, after more than 7 years of friendship and fairly regular visits to the area, Fable has quite abruptly moved on, not to live in another part of the city, but back to his home town. I just can't believe it was just so sudden. Even though it's just an hour and a half away it just felt FAR.

I guess, for the time being, I won't be visiting Jalan Hicks anymore.

Fable:
All the best and happiness in this next phase of your life. Take good care of yourself, and visit us in KL regularly. Don't be malas, or we'll come down to Seremban and create havoc there! Haha!

Backlog Blog

For the first time since I began this blog that I have a backlog of posts. Yes, I haven't updated my blog for almost 3 weeks ... and Fable already marah-marah liao. I've got quite a bit stuff to update, to bitch about, and to share ... but I just haven't got the time! It's so late, that if I post something now, I might even have to label it as "Flashback". Keke! No la...

Well, I was away for 10 days in some god-forsaken place in Indonesia (more about that later!), and when I got back, all I wanted to do was to spend time with my dear sisters, which I did .... for dinner, for lunch, for dinner, for National Day's eve supper, for gym, for lunch, for dinner and supper, and then for dinner again ... omg, and initially I complained I had no plans for the long weekend!



So there goes my weekend, packed, and in the presence of germs carried by sister Sindy. Right after that, a few other sisters got sick, and so did I. Extremely tired, and slept for like 10 hours the past two days. No time or mood to blog. Then last nite, when I was in the mood, the internet connection was so bad, I could hardly load the page! And I was thankful, it's back up alright today.



I feel fat. Even though I'm still underweight the last time I checked. In the past 3 weeks, I've only attended 1 step class, and 1 jam. I'm so step-deprived! Urgh! Nevertheless, I did find the opportunity to go to gym in Jakarta, but I didn't get the chance to attend any classes. Now I have two pages of my gym passport book filled up! Yay! Of course la, must make full use of the membership!

First row: RSC (Makati), RCBC (Makati), RCBC (Makati), Manila

Second row: Q House (Bangkok), Paragon (SG), The Cathay (SG), Senayan City (Jakarta)