Is selling nasi lemak an option?

I don't really like to complain about work in my new blog, but I guess the events today deserve a mention. It was bloody loooonnng day at work. I was in the office at 7am this morning, and I left just before 9pm. That means a good 14 hours at work!

I have to complete 5 different things before the day draws to a close. One of them was a due diligence dataroom review for which I had to update summary tables of potential liabilities for 5 sites. The tables need to be submitted to the project manager in US by today. It wasn't too bad but it takes up quite a fair bit of time. Then my colleague called and ask me to find out some information to be scanned and emailed to her. Haiya, very leceh one.

The third task was to address an email query from a senior colleague from the US about a DD report I completed for 4 sites in Korea 2 months ago! I just don't understand why they took so bloody long to come back with queries. And yes, they ask all sorts of very specific and detailed questions, as if I am a such a pro in Korean environmental legislation, when in reality, it was only my first trip! The site interview was tedious. Site personnel could only converse in Korean. I had to use a translator. For every question I ask through the translator, it takes about 5 minutes before I get an answer. So imagine asking 20 pages of questions! And it surely didn't help as all documents and labels are in the Korean language! Imagine if I had to get each and every word translated into English, I would be there for weeks! And now, this US colleague is asking me so many questions that I don't really have the answers to. I just wanted to yell out to him to just fuck off and leave me alone.

The fourth task was to prepare a revised cost for a proposal for a client. Damn that bitch! Like this not right la, like that to expensive la, give discount for Phase 1 la, give more discount for all scope la.... she thinks consultancy is like pasar malam is it? Want to bargain here bargain there. Some more want it urgently la... cannot wait already la because she must award by today la. And she keeps calling me every 15 minutes. How to concentrate? I must have revised the cost for her 4 times liao! And it was already 7.30pm at that time! For goodness sake!

The last task was accompany my boss to Mines Resort Business Park for a meeting. Haiya, what a waste of precious time. Something that could be done over the phone but the client insiste on seeing us. Talk talk also the same stuff.... haiya!

And above all, I have developed a zit on my nose, probably due to the increased stress levels the past 2 days. I hope it will go away by next Friday. I can't be carrying it on my nose while in Singapore!!!

It's getting fucking busy again all of the sudden. I had an asbestos legislation review and a proposal for a potential project in India to prepare. Plus, most likely I have to deal with the bargaining bitch in the morning tomorrow. Fingers crossed that my US colleagues do not come back with even more questions!!! Next week, I will have another DD site visit to do in Penang, and possibly the bitch's project to start on. At times like this, I really wish I could just drop everything, go back to Taiping and set up a nasi lemak stall. Life will probably be so much more serene....

From A Distance

My heart cried out silently as I watched the unattainable L from a distance once again in the gym today...

I see you in the gym and you walk on by
You make me wanna hang my head down and cry
If you gave me half a chance you'd see
My desire burning inside of me
But you choose to look the other way
I've had to work much harder than this
For something I want don't try to resist me

Open your heart to me, baby
I hold the lock and you hold the key
Open your heart to me, darlin'
I'll give you love if you, you turn the key

Hey you!

Yuks! I absolutely hated it! That new Madonna song, Hey You, is horrendous. Lame! Lame! Lame! For a veteran musician, famous for her ability to reinvent herself creatively, is this the best she could do? Aiyo, this is as bad as her songs from the American Life album.

Rubbish!

Old Goa

Since I don't get to travel much for holidays, I reckon I should show off selected pictures of my work cum holiday trip to Goa, India in February. Haha! Lucky me, due to a lack of domestic flights between Goa and Bombay, I had almost an entire day free in Goa after my audit. What's more, the client paid for the taxi driver to take me around the whole day to visit the Dona Paula, Panaji and Old Goa. In the end I only spent 400 rupees (about RM32) as a customary tip for the driver. The trip would have been better if I had not fallen ill. For days, even before the trip, I had been feeling slightly feverish, and has some problems with my sinus. The pressure buildup in my nasal cavity was horrible!

So what did I see in Goa? Beautiful old city with ruins of Catholic churches built around 1500 - 1650 when the Portuguese arrived in India and colonised Goa. I loved historical sites and have never seen such grand structures in my life!

Panaji: The Church of Immaculate Conception

Old Goa: Basicilia Bom Jesus (Church of Infant Jesus), a World Heritage Site

St. Francis Xavier's casket inside the Church of Infant Jesus. If you looked closely, you can see the body of the good Saint.

Old Goa: Inside the grand Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Inside The Church of St. Francis of Assisi: The wall decorated with paintings.

Old Goa: St. Cajetan Church, apparently modelled after the St. Peter's Church in Rome

Wished I had more time to appreciate every little detail of the intricate and grand architecture. I had always loved old historical sites. Sometimes, I wished I could go back in time for a moment to see and experience what and how life used to be in the past...

The Blind Dating Game

It has been more than 5 months since I met up with any guy from the internet. I haven't been much of an active member in the internet community and I usually only respond/return in kind to people who send me 'hearts'. Due to my extremely limited logon time, the popularity of my personal profile suffered. Very rarely do people chance upon my profile and even rarer would anyone send a sympathetic 'heart'. Well, I don't have the hunk-next-door look; in addition, I suspect that the 'age' factor has further depreciated the value of my profile (and hence my self-marketability). Well, in terms of gay lifetime, once you hit 30, you're as good as finished. Time to retire.

Until recently, two guys visited my profile. 'Hearts' were exchanged and soon enough, both suggested that we meet up. One guy hailed from Cheras (doesn't half the KL gay population live there?); the other closer to home. Cheras guy suggested I come over to Miharja. It is a bit far from where I live, plus I'm not very familiar with that area. Hence, I counter proposed a 'neutral' place midway between my home and his place, KLCC or BB would be the best. He was reluctant to meet in town, and suggested Ampang Point, which is still rather close to his home. Again, it is an unfamiliar place for me to be meeting a stranger at night. I am beginning to sense that he is just plain lazy to travel beyond 5 km from his home. Why the fuck do I have to be the one who has to travel across suburbs just to meet you? You're the Queen of Cheras is it? When I re-proposed KLCC again, his last sms reads: "Sorry, not coming to town. Take care!"
Whatever la... And I am damn sorry too!

As for the other guy, we met up at an agreed familiar and convenient place. But unfortunately, as much as he claims that he is over his ex-BF, it really doesn't appear that he has. I spent like over an hour listening to the details of how and why his relationship failed, and what a loser his ex was... Excuse me, I didn't come to meet up with you to listen to your grudges against your ex. Why he see it fit to share such personal information with me... I certainly could not figure out. But of course, I was as usual, polite, and I sat through it, subtly trying to change the topic by asking other aspects about himself. I soon realized he took little interest in anything else but himself, his work and his ex.

Why do I subject myself to such painful meetings? It's almost always the same situations. This internet/online dating approach hadn't been successful for me the past 6 years, and so why bother anymore?