Sea Sea

I forbid anyone to laugh at her name. Or snigger. Or anything of the sort. Sea sea's my 9-year-old cocker spaniel. Sexy albeit a little on the overweight spectrum, charming, alluring even though she's been neutered, helluva little spice & shy + timid with stranger dogs.

We (my bf & i) brought her to the DOG RUN @ West Coast Park on Sunday. We thought she would be delighted at the amount of land space for her to run & holler around. But we thought wrong. When we reached there, she's already tired. And all she did was to sit in the car!

So there's quite a distance from the carpark to the Dog Run & we figured, it'll be good warm up for her! She was apparently excited & happy, walking a little faster than usual & sniffing around. We were praying that she don't poo! Cos we didnt have newspapers ready & the poo bags in the park are being used up. dont know what to do but pray. I'd say sea sea did us proud. :) Good ger!

Anyway, upon reaching the dog run area, my bf saw ALOT of dogs, big & small ones. And he told me that Sea Sea would be such a disgrace to us. For eg, she doesnt know simple commands like "Come", "Sit", "Stay", or "Fetch". Btw, sea sea does not own any toys & we're not so for the idea of using the twigs & leaves as her toys. Becos she doesnt own any toys, she wouldnt understand the command "Fetch", would she?

My bf suggested that we just leave her alone, if not she'll just embarass us. :(
Haha, anyway, once we stepped onto the dog run, ALL the dogs came charging at Sea Sea. Well, maybe not charging, but they ALL were walking towards us. Knowing Sea Sea's temperament, she'll probably hide. Quite unlike her huh, for those of your who knew her? But yup, that's Sea Sea. There's this sheepdog & 2 white mini-dogs (u know like maltese & Shih tzu?) that came with a curious look on their face & smelled Sea Sea's ass.

If you think that's gross, then dont get a dog. Cos there are alot more gross things that they do. This is only tip of the ice berg. Why? Let me explain. Dogs say hello to other dogs through this way. So it's very normal for them. Just so you understand.

Sea sea will be hiding away from them & preventing the other dogs from invading her ass. But that's about all the she does to protect her ass. I'd normally help to dispel those unwanted attention but I was feeling a little more adventurous that day & decided that maybe she can meet new friends. Even for her age. Anyway, sidetrack a little. Sea sea doesnt look her age! I wish i can be like her. A little preview on sea sea for ya:


Click for a larger image. My digicam takes very clear pictures!!

Back to the scene. We unleashed her in an attempt to let her run anywhere she liked in the area. In the past, she's GOT TO be on her leash AT ALL TIMES. But she's behaving like a nice old lady over here. She's really old..63 dog years. She's not running around, just walking around & keeping really close to us. Mr Chua & I were sitting on the bench, trying to relax. But we figured, unless we walk & run around, Sea Sea's not gonna do so.

So, we lifted our ass off the bench & tried walking around. Yep, of cos Sea Sea followed us & we're so scared she'll embarass us in the first place! Shame on us for harbouring such thoughts!

Sea Sea, i'd dare say was one of the most, if not THE MOST, obedient dog over at the dog run!

There was a small bulldog, or boxer, or some ugly dog of unknown breed that keeps barking & disturbing other dogs. The owner, is a young couple, must be older than me & mr chua, seemed not perturbed by their dog's unruly behaviour.

After that, another elderly couple joined the couple mentioned above in their bench & their dogs started to disturb one another. Being very noisy. Tsk tsk tsk. I will be so disgraced if i have that kind of dogs.

Shortly after, one gross couple & a very gross woman appeared with a shih tzu & west highland terrier respectively. If u have no idea what they are, they're both white, mini & supposedly cute to alot of people. Not me. NONE of them, i repeat, NONE of them can EVER beat Sea Sea. Like i've always maintained, cannot be put into the same category of comparison.

Later on, something happened................

THAT STUPID WESTIE (WEST HIGHLAND TERRIER) CAME RUNNING OVER TO MY AREA & DRANK SEA SEA'S ICE WATER. TWICE SOMEMORE!!

And it's true that people say, if your parents are good, they'll teach you good. Likewise, if the dogs are like that, you can guess what kind of owners they have.

And you know what the owner did? (Or didnt do, as a matter of fact.)

THAT DAMN BLOODY STUPID WOMAN, CAME & GET HER DOG AFTER SEEING WHAT HER DOG HAS DONE & JUST CARRIED HER AWAY, SMILING AS IF IT'S SO CUTE OF HER DOG TO DO THAT.

Btw, i exclaimed loudly without knowing she was behind me: "Eh, that stupid dog drinking my dog's water!!".

I am very particular abt all these things. As in cleanliness.
Seen Howard Hughes in Aviator? I'm a little bit like him, as in conscious abt all these cleanliness stuff but im not obsessed. I drink from people's glass, bottle etc as well. :)

So i threw away the water, & make new ones for sea sea. Later on that stupid dog came & drink the ice water again while we were all away playin with sea sea at one corner. I swear if this happens to me next week, im going to screw the woman upside down, left & right, inside out.

Anyways, evil thoughts aside, i had the time of my life trying to record down as many memories as i have of Mr Chua & Sea Sea. This is a fantastic shot, i think, albeit Mr Chua's signature "closed-eye" look which i hate.


Click to enlarge!

And he didnt volunteer to help me & Sea Sea take. GAWD!!!

Here's more of Sea Sea:

Look at that saliva dripping!!

Want something grosser? Here's one:

I think this picture speaks a thousand words & do not need for any descriptive captions.
As such, i also do not think anybody would want to "Click to enlarge" this picture. :)

This dog run session revealed the other side of Sea Sea which we've failed to see. She's really very "bochap". Every dog that passes her by, will walk towards her & smell her "you know where" & she'll not look at them & walk ahead normally.

Mr Chua says that's because she's deprived of outings! That's why she's not curious!
I say no, i used to bring her out very often & she's not a "sua-ku" ok!! If she's a "sua-ku", then she'll be even more curious, which she isnt. Im very curious, is she getting old? Or maybe this is the side of her that i've failed to realise?

All in all, my Sea Sea has done me proud. And i feel so ashamed thinking she'll embarass me (all due to Mr Chua's psycho-ing that sea sea will embarass me).

She's not the one invading other people's territories & barking at other dogs.
She's not the one who steals a drink from other people's bowls.
She's not the one terrorising other dogs by chasing them.
She didnt bother any passers-by.
She was being very nice & obedient & i am so proud of her.

Anyway we lost her leash. All due to kuku Mr Chua's (as usual!!) fault. Spare the details.

By the time we reached home, they were dead beat:


Click to enlarge!


I love Sea Sea & I know i am gonna miss her when i go Aussie. I wish i could take her with me!

You know these few days i was packing my luggage & she'd crowd around as usual & when my sis asked her if she wanna go into the luggage, she didnt say "Yes" obviously (hmm!), but she looked longingly. Once my sister opened the luggage, she'd crawl in & nestle her fat body against all my clothes & sleep there.

I think this is her way of telling me that she want to go with me. It's her way of telling me to bring her over.

Crazy?

That's what Mr Chua & my sis say. They do not see this action of hers as any sign.
They think it's just normal of Sea Sea to do that. She loves attention!

Hmmmm, i beg to differ.

As usual, i leave you guys a parting shot. So long!



I had a new haircut! Looks kind of different in this angle. And that's Mr Chua's signature "closed-eye" look. I must say, he looks cute!


I have more pictures of the Dog Run session on My Multiply. Interested parties, can head there & take a look.

Ta!

Farewell Lunch @ Club 211

Yo guys! This post is dedicated to the folks from RS - the company which I've worked in for the past 8 months. Not a very long period of time, but it ain't that short either.

December 31st is my official last day & my boss, Dear Ms Winnie Bee, gave me a farewell lunch & invited a whole bunch of people as well! Well, i definitely have to credit my other boss, Dear Mr Ee Hsin! who gave me a farewell dinner at Brasserie Tatler together with the sales team.

Those of you wondering how come i got so many bosses, is because I served both the HR & the Sales Dept. Winnie is the HR Manager, my boss' (Meisee's) boss. And Ee Hsin is my other boss (joey's) boss. Of course, all of us got a common boss. Jones!

The nice thing is, all my bosses are super cool. Esp Ee Hsin & Jones. Ha!!

Actually the reason why i'm blogging is so that i get to comment on those pictures that we took! I'm sure there are some "discussion" going on behind me when they loaded the pictures into their shared drive. Of course, I'm already out of their sight! So they can say all they want, finally rite!

Haha, here i go... Dec 31st being New Year's eve & a Friday, we get to dress casual at work & get a half day, which ends at about 12.45pm. Meisee the coordinator & also the recommendor for Club 211 as the venue made a reservation at 2pm.

Ee Hsin was complaining that he gotta wait sooooo long that he'll be so hungry he wont be able to drive us there later. And he wouldnt give me the farewell present unless i force Meisee & the rest to leave earlier. Here's proof:
I had a hard time getting that envelope from him. Ha! $250 Taka voucher, thanks boss!!

So anyway, shortly, one by one car, we reached our destination. I took Walter's car together with Jonathan aka Jonny & we're the first to arrive. :)
Then slowly, everybody starts pouring in with the exception of Joey Yap & Ernest Tan.


Here's a group shot to prove it:

From left in front: Me, San San, Peter Tan, Walter.
From right in front: Ee Hsin, Jonny, Winnie, Kevin Yap, Ailing & Lisa.


After choosing our main courses & sides, we started to feast on the delicious food! Yum yum!!

It's only when we've started on our main courses did the 2 suspicious characters appear in what seems like a couple outfit. Joey & Ernest finally appeared. Here's another group shot;

Haha, my comments are written in the picture! Man, just looking at the food makes me hungry.

We finished the food pretty fast, i believe we're all famished.

Then.......................it's photo time!!!

This is the last chance to preserve my memory of all these folks.
Maybe not last lah...but you know before i leave for Aussie.


Does Jones look cuter with specs or without?

I say with or without, he's really cute! Btw, i noticed when he does this "five" sign when taking pictures, his thumb will always be on his face. Take note in pictures coming up... :)


Dont you guys agree, they look reluctant to take this picture with me behind cos its like im the third party or something? Btw, they were so lazy & comfortable in their own seats i have to squeeze my way through behind (luckily im skinny) them to take this picture.

Heard of the Thai movie "SHUTTER"? Own very own rendition.
Meisee & me....

Spooky!! In case, you really think it's spooky, it's actually very clever photographic techniques & correct positioning. That's Kevin Yap in the mirror..

Seeing he's so desperate to take picture, i took 3 pictures with him!! haha...here's the one with my signature sign.



More pictures more pictures more pictures!!!

Walter & me! Can you guys believe he's 31?



Ailing & me looking forever adorable.

And then here's Lisa & me:



Jonathan, i realised, he didnt look that happy when he took the picture with me.


Can see the difference? must admit that Winnie still looks very cute for her age, right?!
She's only 13yrs older than me only....cannot believe rite!

This is one of my favourite shot. I think it's candid & it really captured the true essence of happiness. :) Wonder who's that photographer....

Aint we lovely? The HR ladies..... :)

Speaking of favourite pictures...this is Ee Hsin & me! Hand in Hand...ahahaha!

My kuku boyfriend will kill me when he sees this.

Since we're in the topic of getting killed by my boyfriend, here's one more reason for him to do so:



Dear dear, if you're reading this, it's all good fun. Look at all our happy faces!!!

Oh...last comment!!

I think this snapshot is just so picturesque. The lighting seems perfect!
And MS looks a few years younger. But i think that's because she's standing beside Jones.

Jones must be feeling really happy! Hmmmmph!

Guys, thanks for the lunch! Esp. Winnie cos its HR budget..haha.
"Tian xia wu bu san zhi yan xi" - meaning there's no dinner in this world that does not end.

All good things must come to an end. Havent you heard?
The end is the beginning is the end. Never hear before? I knew it, generation gap lah.

Take care guys & keep in touch.

PS: I'll be leaving only on the 17 Feb so still can collect ang pows! Pls give generously if you see me - in case u didnt know - i'm aka the poorest person in RS. No kidding!

Here's a parting shot:


I love this shot!!!!!!!!!

Ta!

Problem solved - Publishing Comments

All thanks to Mr Tham.

Hero for the day.

Visit his blog here!
And check out the very very cool "Crazy In Love" MTV.

Ta!

Publishing comments

I am going bonkers.

I spent dunno for how many freakin days figuring out how to enable comments. Cos my friends asked me to put tag-board on my blog, but design-wise, i think it's not feasible leh.

So i decided to enable comments. But cannot!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cos this skin is made by myself, so certain things that blogger skins have, i might not have. Im no expert, really.

Then slowly slowly try....then finally can.

Then????!!!!

The link is there! But no colour!! Meaning, it's invisible.

If you click on the "0 comments" at the end of my post, you'll be brought to a new page where you see my post again. But at the end of it you cant see anything. But if you highlight....then you can see "POST A COMMENT".

How come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im so tired of living man.

Can some kind souls out there who visits my blog tell me what can i do? Solutions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

The Practice - Part I

The Practice.

A show that I have been watching since I was 15. That was when I was in Sec 3. And I've been catching it ever since, all the way, through O Levels, and poly, and after graduation until now. The Practice is into its 8th season. I think i've started watching The Practice from season 2.

Not one show from Channel 5, I'd dare say can match The Practice's depth, humour, wit & the ability to challenge your ethical & moral values. Which explains why I don't follow any other show. Shows like Alias, Charmed (Eeewww!), Buffy (EEeeeeEEWW!), etc. In recent months, there're slightly better shows like CSI, Nip/Tuck etc, which are treading a little on the dark side. I like dark shows. Shows that challenge the morally inclined.

However i have to add, both CSI & Nip Tuck DID NOT manage to "hook" me. Simply because i do not need to use my brains when i watched them. CSI, maybe, but it's too detective-like. I prefer court-room drama.

Maybe subconsciously, i want to practice law! Haha! Actually no, I just like shows, books & all on lawyers and anything legal-related. Which explains why i love John Grisham & his books & David E Kelly - the producer of The Practice & Ally McBeal. Man! I missed that show soooooooooooo much. Mr Kelley used to practice, FYI.

Back to the show. More on the show....

The very true essence of this show is that it does not paint a nice picture. It does not illustriously depict the triumph of winning cases against rapists, robbers & murderers.

Instead, we are made to see life's many conflicts of interests and how unpredictable life can be. We are made to see that practicing is not always about fighting for justice and doing what everybody thinks is right.

Practicing law has their own guideline, and the DA (District Attorneys) who represents the Commonwealth (The United States of America) are governed by a set of ethics, rules & guidelines for their practice & act.

The defence attorneys, too, are governed by the same ethics, rules & guidelines for their act & practice. This set of guidelines require defence attorneys to defend their client's rights to the best of their interest and to give them their rightful treatment. The USA is known for their emphasis on human rights and its evident in their system of government.

Many a time, defence attorneys defend the public's enemy like rapists & murderers. They have to be true to their profession & do what's best for their client. They are doing their job. No doubt it might be a pretty dirty one, but i feel its how you make of it that truly matters.

Reasonable doubt.

As long as you can prove reasonable doubt in your case, you can manage to acquit, if not lighten the sentence of a defendant. The firm is best known, or should i say, notoriously known for their usage of proving reasonable doubt. They call it "Plan B". And sometimes, by doing that, they used innocent people as their target in hope of proving to the jury that reasonable doubt exists.

Dirty? Hmmmmmmmmmmm, probably. But hey, it's their job.

There was this episode whereby they executed "Plan B" out of desperation & voila! They actually found that the 'victim' in question could actually be the real murderer. Luck, i say.

Dramatic? I say definitely. Which is why this show is so intriguing. Into its 8th season, I'd say i'd guessed most of the verdicts and endings correctly. *beaming proudly*

I used to get all, if not, most of the endings & verdicts wrong. And it made me realise that life sometimes can get so helpless.

A trademark of The Practice is that their characters are so cleverly moulded that you really do not know who is the real victim and who is the real murderer. And 80% of the time, the show does not explicitly say. Which is why you have to use your brains to watch, unlike alot of other shows. Tell me, u got use your brains when u watch The Bachelor anot?

These kind of crap cannot be put in the same category of comparison lah.

Alot of times, the murderers in the show deny their deed. Murder in the first degree, second degree or third degree does not constitute to death penalty in the USA, unlike S'pore. Their heaviest sentence is - Life without parole - meaning: You get a life sentence without any chance of parole meaning you'll be locked up for life.

And they say rapists get sodomised when they enter the prison cells.

Which is why rapists will always deny their crimes & will pressure the defence attornies to fight till the end for them. There was one episode of this man, with all evidence pointing against him, flatly denied the crime. At that time Ellenor Frutt (she's my favourite though she's losing my attention...) kind of did not believe he was innocent and she let her emotion ruled her mind. But nonetheless she fought the case with passion as she always did. Long story short, they lost the case. The man was devastated.

The next day, they received news that that man hung himself to death in his cell. And he was very badly assaulted. Sexually.

Very sad when i saw & Ellenor only found out later that he might not have been the criminal after all. The kind of emotional struggles that your mistake has led to such dire consequences is suffocating.

In their profession, if they do not believe in their job, they will not be able to survive. You get stares from victims' families and you get cursed. And then you ask yourself, is this what you want after years of law school? They call it the defence attorney talk.

Many a time, they put criminals back on the street only to see them repeat their offences again. Then they questioned their profession again.

I think this post is pretty long already but i still have so much to say.

Wait for my Part II. I'll do an intro on the cast & maybe talk more on what happens on some of the episodes.

So long... Here's a parting shot:

Apple vs Creative

Again, i felt a compelling need for the "righteous" me to speak up. I hate Sim Wong Hoo. I just think he's really not that Creative.

Years ago, i remember in secondary classes, my teachers would sing praises for this man who tread on the path that no Singaporean has treaded & his Creative products are so popular in the US where he made it big. He wanted to sell his idea locally in his homeland but nobody really cared. Its just like the case of Stefanie Sun? Whereby she became a bigtime songstress in Taiwan FIRST, before becoming really really popular in Singapore. Do u say, Singaporeans lack the foresight & the insight? I say, to a certain extent. Generally, being skeptical of home-grown brands & products is a culture of Singapore. Agree?

Even til when i was in poly, lecturers would marvel at the entrepreneurial spirit of SIM & his determination to want to suceed. Subconsciously, i hate to admit, i WAS pretty proud of SIM, u know. It's only recently where mp3 players are getting really popular & that Creative is getting more agressive in their marketing - what with the famous "Creative Warehouse Sale" that attracted thousands of people from the aunties from Toh Guan to the hip youngsters from Tampines - that i found something really wrong & that really turned me off.

I'd say things are going fine until that Creative Zen thingy came out, & then the Creative Zen Micro. -BLEAH- Damn bloody gross! It's like a direct duplicate to Apple's iPod & iPod mini!
And they proudly announced that they came out with the idea to counter Apple's. How CREATIVE is that?

Apple's Steve Jacobs, i'd say has all along done an incredible job at their branding & i can say they've really suceeded in associating their products with people being 'CREATIVE', sophisticated, has good taste & class. You dont see Louis Vuitton & Gucci coming out with storage cases for Creative Zen, do you? BTW, you can get a monogram LV protective case for your iPod at a cool price tag of $368 (if im not wrong.)

BTW, you should also know that the PCs & Microsoft, also did the same thing as SIM. Being a copycat. Maybe being a copycat makes you rich? Bill Gates is rich. IBM's boss (i dunno who) is rich as well. Although they have already "retired". if you've heard, the fewof you with IBM PCs & laptop has got themselves some good antique. IBM will not manufacture & produce Pcs anymore. They've sold their license & company to a "i-forgot-the-name" company. Not that they are losing money, but i seriously think they must've earned enough.

Back to Apple, i simply love their ads! Their first ad got me falling head over heels over iPod & Jet's "Are you gonna be my girl". I'm actually appalled that when i visited HMV sometime back, when Jet just made it big when i saw the sticker plastered on their album "Get Born". It says "Are you gonna be my girl - featured on Channel 5's OC trailer."

Is THAT even something to be proud of? C'mon, i mean for some unknown little punk bands in SG, ya probably, but JET? NO WAY!!

You HAVE to agree with me that it's way more freakin cool to have your song be featured on an iPod advertisement & be associated with being one of the best? I dont EVEN think that Jet knew their song was on the trailer. GAWD.

So after iPod & iPod Mini, Apple came out with an incredible 60GB iPod Photo, you can store thousands of songs & photos as well. The screen is in colour no less! Not to mention they have the really cool, U2 iPod, in jet black! My god, i want one! :(
And i'm so happy for Apple that i am literally jumping with joy. Until i saw some past newspapers that i have just read yesterday that SIM WONG HOO, is unimpressed with Apple's lastest gadget - iShuffle - the latest mp3 player from Apple that uses a 1GB flash memory. Just like alot of Creative players. But so? I will NEVER say that Apple copied Creative.

You can always win the market share by using price. Creative positions their Creative ZEN as a "cheaper iPOD" - saying it has ALL the functions that iPod has BUT much cheaper! Like i said, you can always win by using cheap prices to attract buyers. BUT, if i EVER by a Creative Zen, it's only becos of the price & that in my heart i'll be thinking, one day i'm gonna earn enough money & buy 3 iPods, one for me, one for my bf & the U2 limited edition iPod to collect dust on my shelf.

It's like, i'll start by buying a Hyundai or Suzuki first, then when i earn enough money i'm gonna buy a Jaguar or a Lexus (for me, it's gotta be Peugeot cos i love french. Language, culture, men & cars.)

Now who the hell is that SIM guy to JUDGE someone else's product (Steve Jacobs??!!) especially since he's been duplicating their idea right from the start? How can someone of that amount of limited creativity be even fit to be put in the same category of comparison? Definitely not fit to even comment!

In my opinion, you can always look into somebody else's ideas especially since you've identified them as your no.1 competitor. BUT, whats the point in coming out with whatever they've been coming out & then saying yours is cheaper & hence better?

So what if Creative ZEN series has express colour changes like the mobile phones? I wont need it cos i have my LV Monogram cover case. -BLEAH-

To me, being creative means being able to THINK FURTHER than your competitor. For example, the iPod photo, if i were SIM, i'd most probably make my Creative Zen Micro Photo a smarter one by offering the function of sharing. Maybe thru bluetooth with another Zen Micro Photo or at the click of a button, send it to my email or my friend's email.

It's the USP.

Price can never be a USP.

USP means unique selling point. By being cheaper, is NEVER being unique.

Like i've mentioned, Apple recently launched their $868 iPod Photo that allows 60GB of storage. And guess what? SIM has just introduced the Creative Zen Micro Photo & won an award in Las Vegas. I say, so what? Sure you can put all your awards in the Creative showroom so that consumers can marvel, but Singaporeans are shallow lah. Those that will marvel obviously will go to their showroom...those that wont, are not even the least bit impressed.

Speaking of showrooms, have you guys seen Creative's showroom???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!



How to compare to Apple Centre? In case you're not aware, it's at Wheelock place...................................................go take a look, man!

How to compare...?????! Gawd. I see one more wrinkle on my right eye trying very hard to "see" the world.

In any case, you might have known, i have been to Creative's showroom cos its freaking near my hse. And sad to say, i own a Creative mp3 player. It's a free gift that comes along with the Starhub MaxOnline subscription.

In that same newspaper that i've read about SIM's comments wasa SPH journalist's (Grace Chng) insight on Creative's bid to dethrone iPod.
In summary, she shared my sentiments. It wont be easy cos Creative still got alot to do about their marketing. I quote: "Creative has a history of innovation, but it has yet to come up with a a product which inspires the kind of consumer lust surrounding the iPod."

Cool statement. I concur totally.

Well, one thing i have to mention is that Creative's Mediasource (similar to iTunes) is a little bit easier to operate than iTunes. It's very simple to use that it's idiot-proof.

iTunes is a wee bit more complicated but you'll be amazed at the ease of use once you fiddle it a while more.

All in all, i think i've made my point. I hate Sim Wong Hoo.
I think he gave a whole new meaning to being "Creative" in a shame-shame way.

Man, i feel i can be CEO also. Easy rite? I'll just produce & get my very talented designer friends to design something much cooler than Creative's stuff & them sell them all at half the price cheaper. See what he do...

GAWD, i'm creative!

Singapore Idol - Taufik

One word. Seriously cannot make it. OK, so i used 4 words, but hey! gets my point across. I genuinely think he cannot sing. Although alot of people actually think otherwise, which is to me, quite a shock.

I mean, i've people telling me this: "Taufik can sing! If you are into singing or if u r in the industry, or if you knew anything abt singing, you will be able to tell the difference between Taufik & Sly. Cos Taufik really can sing. And very well too! "I AM NOT A SLY FAN, mind you. Just in case you are wondering why am i blogging about Taufik's incapability to sing. But i do think that between Taufik & Sly, it's gotta be Sly, man.

BTW, i was from the school choir when i was in secondary school. AND i was the section leader for ALTO section. Some kuku just tell me that if i knew anything about singing, i WOULD be able to tell that Taufik can sing. Apparently, i KNOW, my darling.

Can Britney Spears sing? How about Stefanie Sun? *come to this a while later*

That particular kuku person said, Taufik sing got technique man! PUI. Sure, given that he got technique - i absolutely DO NOT agree, given that he can sing a whole song in falsetto, doesnt mean you can sing!

To me, the ability to use the right technique - say use diaphragm to project the voice etc, does not automatically equate you to be a good singer. It's the same - just because you can strum the 6 strings on a guitar, does not make you a player. You're just a plain friggin strummer.

How do i describe Taufik's voice?

That of a boy who has just reached puberty & hormones (is it? or something else? Anyway, u get my point rite? :D) causing the voice to break & still the bloody kuku insisted on singing. Then end up singing in falsetto. GAWD.

Voice aside. If he looks half as cute as Gurmit Singh, or Dick Lee, Or Ken Lim (Whoo!), i might have been a little more forgiving & said, yeah, he can be our Singapore Idol. But he's not even half as cute as William Hung. :(

He looks like he applies eye shadow everytime he's on TV, u know trying to achieve the smoky eyes effect that most girls are dying to have? I also think his face is too small for his eyes. *Not that he has big eyes* It's just that his face is improportionate... :D
By hey! I can live with imperfections on plain mortals like you n me. I just don't think that as a Singapore Idol, or any models on the FHM cover, or HER WORLD Cover, should look anything less than perfect. That i mean Felicia Chin on FHM. Gawd. Has FHM lost their mind?

Answering my question above on whether Britney Spears & Stefanie Sun can sing. Hear the guys on Class 95 on weekdays 6-10am? They will agree with me that Britney Spears cant sing!
But hey! She's hot & she can dance baby....i hate to admit, but i have to mention, she looks VERY hot, right?

Stefanie Sun is one good singer. Have you heard her sung "LIVE"? Gawd, she puts Jolin, Cindy & whatever bubblegum pop-per to shame. They should go bang their head against the wall. So what if she's less than perfect? That, i mean her, erm, complexion.

My point is, if you are not so good looking, you must have talent. If not, you're just a piece of cow dung. If you don't have the talent, then at the very least, you must look the look, baby.

This i mean, Sly should win. i must say he looks like an under-nourished, with a head too big for his body ah beng. Why would Dick Lee call David Yeo ah beng? Nvm, anyway, i dont think he can sing as well. But he's got a band.

"Not-Happy-Taufik-Fan": So what? Got band means can sing meh?
C'est Moi: No lah, but he can play the friggin guitar brudder. Means he got talent!!
"Not-Happy-Taufik-Fan": But u say can strum the 6 strings doesnt make him a guitar player wat...

Point taken. Totally agree. Which is why i don't know how on earth did our Singapore Idol turned out like that. I repeat, I AM NOT A SLY FAN. So i will not fight with you to insist Sly should win. I just feel that if you point a gun at me & ask me to choose between Taufik & Sly, I'll choose the latter.

I read on the papers that Singapore might not be able to make it for World Idol. I forgot the reason. Initially i was relieved that there is no chance for Singapore to be made a ridicule. Then i figured, maybe it's not so good. That means, most Singaporeans will disagree with me that Taufik cant sing.

Maybe Taufik should be MADE to go for World Idol, just like how all 18-year-old & above males in SG are MADE to serve NS. I cant wait to hear what Simon Cowell has to say!!!

That's because I AM SURE that Sir Simon Cowell possess the same kind of insight, taste & brutal honesty that I coincidentally possess as well.

Maybe Singapore needs to hear something from the GURU. Cowell should say something intelligent & knock everybody's mind back to planet Earth. Singapore needs to hear something from Cowell in order to know that their Idol, is not so much of an idol after all.

BTW, what prompted me to blog my views on Taufik is because i saw his damn bloody disgusting music video on TV. That stupid song, dreams.

Can be more creative anot? Haiz.

P/S: Apologise for the wide usage of Singlish. If you're viewing this in any place other than Sunny Singapore, you probably do not understand certain verbs, nouns & adjectives. No worries, go to talkingcock.com. - a local sartirical humour webby.

4th Anniversary

Today marks the 4th (!!) year of togetherness between me & my kuku bf. To alot of people, 4 years is really long. Hmmm...actually i think so too. :)
It's only like the blink of an eye yeah?

I cannot believe that me & chua darling has been together for 4 whole freakin years!! I mean, we're two very different people to begin with. When i say different, i mean we are REALLY different. It takes more than just words to describe our vast difference in personality, character, values & thinking. You've got to personally know us in order to sprout out: You guys are really different. One of his friends said that before. So what's new?

I remember that sometime into our 2nd year and 3rd year, we are toying with the idea of breaking up. Tell me that this doesnt happen in relationships & i'll punch u in the face. *Not because im angry or pissed BUT cos im trying to knock u out of dreamland, fairytale-land & fantasy-land. Doing a kind deed ok.

It's only the frequency, baby. My sister (Sharon: u can visit her blog here if u want.) brings this topic of breakin up to her bf (Jim) almost every other day. However, they always find time & ways to make up. They're still together as of this minute.

All in all, im trying to say, no two person can co-exist without having friction & difference in views. I mean you have to recognise this point before you decide to give the relationship up. You'll never be able to find anybody who can be with you forever & ever without having any problems & arguments.

I remember penning break-up letters that never got sent out & never reached his hand (although i suspected he might have secretly read them before). Those were kept in my bag, cos nowhere in my house is remotely safe from the prying eyes. I'd describe how i felt about him not loving me in the letters & cry myself to sleep every night. Those were a freakin long time ago. It always boils down to one single underlying reason for our quarrels: our difference in views & thinking. We will start by getting him to voice out his thoughts. Once his mouth opened, i'll be fuming mad.

Why? Cos i simply CANNOT understand why on earth can someone be so kuku, & why he thinks the way he thought. Seriously, till this day, i still cannot understand him. I still cannot agree with him on certain things.

The reason why i am holding on is because I KNOW HE LOVES ME. And of cos, the feelings are reciprocated. :) Maybe until the day i find another person who can love me more than my kuku bf does, i might consider. And it's also this reason that gives me the excuse & reason to be a little bit more forgiving, each time he behaves like a kuku.

What happens when a couple engage in a heated argument? It's either, the boy apologise, the girl apologise or to each his own. :) Simple as that.

Hence, it's a very CONSCIOUS effort between two parties to want to make the relationship work. At least for me. :)

Clubbing & Clubbing kaki - Part 1

It's been almost two months since I've last stepped into Zouk. To me & my clubbin kaki, Karin, she thinks it's been REALLY LONG. Indeed it is, considering that every Wednesday is a ritual for us to go there.

Clubbing has become my ONLY pasttime for a very long time, since my free time is spent with my kuku bf & of cos, other time, im working.
Which leaves me only weekends. Plus, my kuku bf doesnt club. Not that i love this trait of his, its just that clubbing gives me time off with him to be with my frens & he gets to do his own thing as well since he told me he treasures the times when he's alone.

How do i start this post? Hmmmm, let's do a proper intro abt my clubbing kaki (fren-in Singlish), Karin Loh. Karin is my poly friend. We've never actually been in the same class! But we hung out in school cos of my other poly friend, hadi. Hadi is my Year 1 classmate & we all went to the same major in Year 2, SADLY, in different class. He's in class 10 & im in class 11. Hadi hangs out with karin & a few others from class 10 & friendly me, often hang out with them as well. Who says u can only hang out with pple from ur own class?

Sometimes if we happen to have similar time breaks in between class (since we share the same lecture times; just different tutorial timings), we'll all head on to Orchard for some window shopping or maybe just sip coffee nearby. Nice Nice. Awwwwww, i miss school man!

During poly times, I've never actually clubbed with Karin, maybe a few times but it's always with some other kiddos. But i guess, its fate that brought us together. Of cos, I am such fun to club with, haha, makes me so popular. :)
Cos almost every group of friends of hers that i clubbed with, i happen to ''click'' with everyone.

After we graduate, Karin still continued to jio (ask-in hokkien: a local dialect) me go clubbing. Being the regular clubber that i am, i always agreed. However, it's always me alone! I never ask anyone else cos i dont really like to club in a big group. Karin always has her own group of friends & thru her, I met alot of friends as well. :D

Unconsciously, whenever she goes clubbing, she will ALWAYS ask me. We always have so much fun together!! Of cos, with some exceptions cos of some of the undesirable pple that sometimes came with us. Nonetheless, it's always been fun, fun. fun.

Karin is a mambo princess. I dun call her queen cos im the queen. HAHA!! No lah, im the chambermaid man, cos im no longer into Mambo. :(
Karin is devastated....ha! But versatile as she is, she can really rock the dancefloor dancing to R&B; hip hop tunes as well, cool babe!

It's been a year & a half since we graduated from SP & we're still keepin in touch & meeting up regularly, albeit, only for clubbing.

I can also remember, there were my ''down'' times & her "down" times & we'd head down to DBL O to drink till we drop before heading down to Zouk to party. If you are a regular clubber, you know im talking abt Wednesdays. I used to ONLY go Zouk on Wednesdays cos of the musical preference that me & my friends share. Fri & Sat, are boring in Zouk main cos of the House music that they play. I just cant appreciate Paul Oakenfold & Dave Seaman..

Of cos, now im into R&B; hip hop, Phuture is always there. But hell! It's damn bloody crowded!
I hate crowded dancefloors. Not that i need a big space to dance, but not when everybody's being squeezed like sardines trying to gyrate to the very sexy tune. Chua darling will be fuming mad had he known some stranger guy is gyrating to the tune with his whistle behind my ass. (That's how crowded Phuture can be) I cant even move my hand without touching somebody.

Then i found Chinablack. Way cool! They play a mixture of R&B; Hip Hop, some trance & house, some mambo jambo, all in all, pretty cool. And they've got a spacious dancefloor, enough air con (unlike DBL O), i heard the drinks are pretty cheap as well. I dunno cos i've nv ordered before. One misgiving: their service staff sucks like hell. Not just rude but plain insolent like they've been forced to work without getting paid & on top of that got to blow their boss' whistle after work. I mean the gal bartenders. The guys are so much better. That's why my choice of wanting to give birth to a male is so correct, i know i wont regret it. (Off topic but i cant help it.)

Noticed that i didnt mention about DBL O, cos im SO OVER THEM!! They sucked! Music sucks, dancefloor sucks, no air con (so cant say that it sucked), crowd sucked. That's the worst. However, nowhere can beat Devils' bar. It's hell for people like me. Commerical techno music, middle-aged men & women moving their bodies hysterically like having 2 left feet, NO, 2 left hands, on the dancefloor. I can hardly find any ah-bing-ge (chinese for Army Guys)! Btw, i hate ah-bing-ge(s)...but this is to illustrate my point that Devils' Bar is littered with dirty, filthy old man & heavily-made-up aunties who cant dance to save their lives. Of cos, their main purpose is not to dance, God knows what the f*** they're doin there. Well, better to all be there than to pollute the very-scarce nice danceclubs in SG.

You might want to ask:
In the first place, how did u get ur ass in Devils Bar?
Claiming that you're a regular clubber, DIDNT YOU KNOW?

Sure i know, but i was with a bunch of colleagues who wanted to head on to Chinablack which unfortunately was not open for business that night. We had to figure out between Rouge & Devils. Apparently, only i wanted to go for Rouge. I never bow down to numbers as long as i know im right. However, i figured they wouldnt rest until they've visited the place. Well, let them see where their choice takes them.

I DESPISE ALL OF U WHO VISIT DEVILS. Seriously i would be ashamed to know that my friend clubs at Devils. Btw, i failed to mention. Devils feature scantily-clad women doing bartop & pole dancing. It's just really sleazy. Dennis foo if you're reading this, which i doubt he'll ever will. ha! Your club might be raking in the money from those filthy rich dirty old man, but ur club has absolutely no class. No branding. No repute. I happen to study PR & Advertising & all these branding stuff is just something that i breathe everyday & it's really important. Money is not everything.

The only thing worth mentioning a praise at Devils is the Live Band. But still, never good enough a reason for me to club at Devils. I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE SEEN AT A CLUB LIKE THIS. That will be the final time.

I think this post is rather long but i still have a lot about clubbing that i want to blog about. Will do it in part 2. I'll move on to some other discoveries that clubbing has gave me & intro some of my other clubbing kakis.

Cant wait...

Here's a parting shot of Karin. She's very single & available at time of post. However, you'll have to go thru me to get to her. Hee. Protect ma princess, man.

Mis-Understood

I have been telling myself not to write anything about the Asian Tsunami disaster unless i have something intelligent to say. I've seen so many bimbo blogs that pray & urge people to donate. Hmmm, didnt want to appear corny & seriously, I want my blog to feel intelligent, like me. HA!! :D

I was reading Ong Soh Chin's article in The Straits Times today & i feel a compelling urge to speak up. Her article titled: Don't shoot the messenger reveals one of the biggest misunderstanding in their profession, just like any other.

Being a journalist, requires one to report any incidents & happenings, in its factual truth & of cos, minus all the opinions. One is supposed to deliver news; not to present the news through your eyes. Different people have different opinion on things, imagine who can you count on to give you facts & truth if journalists didnt do a good job. I've been a subscriber of our national daily since i was in Sec 3. That's a freaking 7 years already. Of cos, i have my favourite columnist, & no, it's not Sumiko Tan. It's Tay Yak Keak. And he's one hell of a funny man. Not ready to talk about him yet, maybe in time to come. Back to my original topic.

Ms Ong mentioned in her article that she was talkin to her friend about her impending trip to Sri Lanka to cover the story. And that her friend mentioned about a Sri Lankan friend who was at the disaster site & has since come back to SG. Ms Ong asked for the contact numbers of that Sri Lankan friend & her friend politely refused stating that she don't usually give out contact details to journalists.

We all can understand how one wants to protect their friends & that Ms Ong's friend specifically said that the friend is utterly grieved; hence, better to be left alone.

As a communications student here, I totally understand Ms Ong's intention. To get a better idea & view about things, which is the only way to cover a more realistic story. However, Ms Ong was offended by her friend. She was not being treated like a friend, but a journalist. Sure there are many despicable & lying black sheeps among the family which sometimes give journalists the bad name that they have always been called.

This brings me to my point. Alot of professions are actually widely misunderstood. Journalism being one of them. I am bound for Down Under to RMIT studing Communication majoring in Public Relations. It's really my calling (believe it or not! :p ) & when i tell people about my choice, they'll be wondering, why the hell do i need to spend so much money on tertiary education on something as worthless as PR?

GAWD. :-||

Tell me what you know about Public Relations. Maybe one or two out of the ten people that i ask can something remotely near to what PR is all about. People think its just attending parties & mingling around doing some bimbo stuff.

The freaking truth is: Public Relations is really a very intelligent profession. So much so that normal people cant grasp it, hence all the misunderstanding. : /
I am saddened but at the same time, relieved that I am not one of those "normal" people. ;p

And PR inculcates some of life's really precious values & habits like planning. All PR professionals are believers of planning. I plan my things all the time, though sometimes i still screw up but hey! I always tell myself, I make mistakes; I learn from them. No hard feelings.

Those of u interested, i managed to get the link for the story, Don't shoot the messenger. But i think it wont last long, most prob only for a week. But hey! Early bird gets the worm.

Back to Ong Soh Chin. Ms Ong's article was a little fuelled with anger (which i can totally understand why, cant u?) but at the same time, maintaining her professionalism & educating readers on the true essence of being a journalist. In their profession, during times of disasters like the Asian Tsunami, terrorist attacks & war, they have to be on the "front-line" to cover the story & deliver news to those of you who "shake leg at home" & first-hand news will be delivered to you via TV & the papers every morning while you sipped your morning coffee.

Being the journalist that they are, their job is to present the news in its raw & factual self. Wars are painful with innocent people losing their lives & homes, how is one going to find a happy smiling face that does the V-sign when being photgraphed or being shot on TV?

Those areas affected by the Tsunami is a wreak, i believe. The entire Sri Lanka, Malaysia & Indonesia have already been wiped out. Places & homes destroyed. Situations like this, it's immensely difficult to cover anything other than grief & more grief.

The journalists are doing their job. Just like the many journalists around the world covering stories on the Iraqi war, terrorist attacks. Some foreign journalists were being abducted & in the end, killed by the terrorists while trying to do their job & does anyone even sympathise them?

I do, because i know.

Do you?

Protected Stuff

Guys, as you might have noticed, you cant do 1 thing on my blog. That is to right click.
Well, this is to prevent the minority of already-very-little people who view my blog to copy & save any information & then dissemintate them elsewhere or use them for their personal use without going through me first.

I'm open to sharing as long as i knew about it. So if you guys want anything on my blog, FEEL FREE! to ask. My email is always there & welcomes any questions, requests & comments.

I guess it's always courteous to ask but often than not, people takes everything from the Internet for granted. And you're talking to a very possessive person here. :)
Well, cant blame me since this blog skin took me a day to figure everything out...

Of cos, i'm no computer genius or a html expert. If you are DETERMINED to get that picture or to copy anything, i guess there is really very little that i can do, you know..

Then again, the html is only applicable for MSIE & Netscape users. Mozilla users like me still get to right click. *sigh* (now can u feel what those Mac users are feeling....?)

But i hope my point gets across to all you rare sensible, understanding, mature & courteous homosapiens living in this cannot-make-it-world.

1st day of freedom

Today is a fresh new day for alot of people. Students start school today, working adults resume work after the holiday weekends BUT not for me. :)

Last Friday was my last day in RS & today is neither a working day nor a schooling day. Not for long though since I'll be hitting the books again in Feb. This time, in Down Under Melbourne. RMIT finally accepted me & offered me a place in their renowned Communications programme. I'm thrilled by the news after all the assignments & phone interview i've gone thru just to snag a place there.

I have my qualms as well cos i'll be going there alone & living & studyin there is going to be a tad difficult. Well, i figured nothing in life is smooth sailing (at least for me) & this is just one of the paths that i have to take. Smooth as my doggie's fur or tough & rough like my doggie's temper, I'll be able to survive it all & emerged out a stronger person. I know i can..

MuthaFucking Thief

First of all, Merry Xmas to you!! If you're reading this, that is. I cant even be sure if anybody EVER reads my blog.

Secondly, apologise for the more-than-usual usage of profanities in this entry.

Anyways, dont u guys just love Xmas? The season of giving where people hug one another & say "I love you". Man, i love those days when i was in Aussie, though Im heading there soon, this time, alone. But im happy cos i embrace life & totally lookin forward to this new chapter of my life.

Festive seasons are the time to strike. Strike what, you might ask? Well, in layman's terms, to steal, to rob, to rape, basically to do something illegal.

I'm looking for the motherfucking, despicable, desperate & dumb thief who god-knows if he has a friggin "d**k" to hang around his skeletonic frame due to his evil deeds. [I TOTALLY believe in retribution.]

In summary, my helmet got stolen. Actually my bf's helmet got stolen. THE $500 OGK FF4 helmet that i bought for our 3rd anniversary was stolen, on XMAS day - 25 dec 04. We parked our bike at the M Hotel carpark & kept our helmets in each of the sidebox on his FJR.

Our FJR. The 2 highlighted pts are the results of the theft. The handle was being forced open by a tool. You see, the handle is like a lever for the box. So once the handle is being "opened", you can naturally open the box.

The next day, we alarmingly found a suspicious looking helmet on our bike & my dummy thought "hey! Free helmet!".

The culprit's helmet. Saw the powdery stuff? That's the work of the police trying to find some thumbprints.


Gawd, sometimes i feel like poking him. Anyways, when he was abt to open the box he noticed something was wrong. Our sidebox fell open without having to go through the lock. He opened the left one & found the helmet gone. The other one was intact.

I was furious. Fuming mad, man! I dashed back to the reception & reported this issue. Ok, what happens after is the exciting part. The manager got us to fill up a form for record purposes & offered to call the police. I was skeptical about how helpful the police are going to be cos I despise the govt system in S'pore. Like the police, law, ministries & other govt related agencies & institutions.

The police came & tried to understand the situation from us. Im gonna say a long story short. The decided to do a finger-print check on the suspicious helmet & on our bike.

The look of our sidebox after it's been scrutinised & powdered by the police for the thief's fingerprints.


The whole time i was so excited that i wanna take pictures but my kuku bf discouraged me warning me that i might go to jail cos i illegally took their photos.



Above: the two police cars that came. Below: A is Mr. Abdullah, the mgr of M Hotel. B is Kenneth Lee (an obvious police rite?)

Of cos, smart & intelligent me has a nice voice to boot. Ask the police lah. KAOZ!!

Mr Nice Policeman (Kenneth Lee) said ya, sure! I started snapping away like the k-poh-ness in me just erupted man. After they done the finger-print detecting, they still couldnt figure certain things & had to engage an expert.

The expert at work. Hmmm...

An expert! Gawd, this is not EVEN a murder case! I really wonder how many of such cases happen in S'pore per month & do they go to such extent for every case? I'm not complaining here but I'm just really curious. :p

Anyway, THE EXPERT came & was professionally snapping and examining the 'criminal tool cum victim" -Our FJR. Of cos, i was snapping away & exclaiming "so cool" everytime he takes out a new gadget from his Doraemon box.

BME actually stands for Bukit Merah East. In case you're thinking it's some cool police code.


Here are my conclusions:
1) The motherfucker must've seen us before we left our helmet inside the box. If not, he wouldnt have spent so much effort forcing open our boxes without knowing there's something valuable inside.

2) He might have done it immediately after we left the carpark OR in the middle of the nite after 1am. Cos there's 2 weddings at M Hotel that nite, hence high traffic, so not possible to commit the crime. Unless, he is a damn blardy expert that lives his life by stealing. Well, i dun exclude this possibility.

3) He is stupid enough to leave a helmet on our bike. Yet he's smart enough to leave a matt surface one. More difficult to get fingerprints.

4) He used a blue colour tool to force open our lousy FJR lock.
5) Definitely not a staff of M Hotel neither is he a guest.
6) Steven, the M Hotel driver tops my list of suspects.

Let me explain pt no. 6.

I heard from Kee Kiat (my bf's eldest brother-in-law who was an ex CNB officer) that 99% of the criminals will return to the crime scene after committing the crime as it is their nature to want to find out abt what happened after & what the police have found.

Steven, suspiciously followed me & the hotel manager to inspect the bike when i first reported the issue. Which i think has got nothing to do with him since he's just a stupid driver. He was lingering around the area doing absolutely nothing constructive & i seriously think he has my helmet.

Well, if u noticed, if pt no. 5 is true then pt no.6 cant be. Sianz....i wish i knew the truth. :(

Gawd, im so saddened. It's not just M Hotel that does not have a protective & safe designated lots for motorbikes. Almost 90% if the shopping centres & hotels doesnt. Some dont even have lots for motorbikes ok. What is it with Singapore, man!

A little description about the M Hotel carpark...

The entrance of the carpark has a little corner for at most 6 motorbikes at the same time? And our FJR probably occupies 2. Anyway, there is a CCTV but it only focuses on the boss' SDG Rover. Basically, anybody can just come in, do the deed & go. Nobody will question them whatsoever. There is also no security guard at the carpark which is normal. Hmmm, im just so curious & wondered, how come? With all the theft cases reported in the papers everyday, aint shopping centres, public buildings, esp. hotels do something?

Hotels especially cos they are often the targets of terrorism. All the ang mohs & all ya...

I shall not curse the thief cos i believe in retribution. What goes around comes around. Though i strongly DO NOT believe in the good begets good. If yes, why did my goddamn helmet get stolen!!!

On a happier note, my bf & i had a nice XMAS, just the two of us. Here's a parting shot.



So Long..

The Strokes

The very first song that made me fall in love with The Strokes was "Someday". Ironically, the first time i got hold of this song was when i was downloading some mp3s using the p2p file sharing software, Kazaa; which I have stopped using a very long time ago cos of all the spyware & adware & most irritating of all, bogus files.
Only 1 out of 30 files i downloaded is of OK quality. I gave up & switched back to my old habit of buying CDs. Anyways, back to The Strokes.

I wasnt searching for the strokes, but that song came in as one of the searches, and out of curiosity, i downloaded it. Of cos, the rest is history. The Strokes is WAY damn blardy cool ok.

Their sound was very unique & i thought they sounded British. Truth is, The Strokes is a 5-piece stylish & talented NYC band. They dont sound very authentically American because of their music influences, such as The Ramones & Beach Boys. No wonder, i thought they sounded British.


A very nice & different "Strokes" pic.

Maybe i shall introduce who they are.
The strokes are Julian Casablancas - Lead Singer, Nick Valensi - Guitar, Albert Hammond Jr - Guitar, Nikolai Fraiture - Bassist & Fab Moretti - Drums.

They've changed quite a bit since ''Is this it" & I have quite a hard time figuring out who is who. I hope i'm not wrong. [P/S: "Is this it" was their previous album]

From left: Fab, Julian (with cup raised on right hand), Nikolai (sitting down with big eyes), Ryan (sitting down with a stoned look. He's the band manager btw), Nick (Nikolai with cute nerdy goofy expression) & Albert (the "poodle" drummer whose looks changed the least).

OK, back to my topic. Of course, my love didnt stop at "Someday", i went searching for their album wanting to know more abt their music.

The title song was absolutely fantastic & i couldnt stop listening to it! Julian's voice was wrenching yet strong. Yet they dont sound melancholic like what some of the bands today sounded, Coldplay, Keane & Embrace. Well afterall, they're American.

"Is this it" is a captivating album that serves to differentiate The Strokes from the other American bands like The Calling & i dont agree to put The Strokes in comparison with bands like Green Day & Sum41 & all that crap.

Just because you have a guitar hangin around your neck doesnt mean you are talented. Just because you can strum with your 10 fingers doesnt make you a guitarist. Just because you have a mic in your hands doesnt mean you can sing. Just because you can open your mouth doesnt make you a good singer.

I have always been a big fan of British culture in particular British music & film. The British has a stronger, wittier sense of humour than their American counterparts which i deemed their humour as flat & caustic.

Not that I have something against the Americans, it's just that relatively, i prefer the British. The Americans produce some really great bands & musicians too which i totally adore! The Red Hot Chili Peppers whose sound is really unique & their music excellent. The Smashing Pumpkins! - a Chicago based band with heart wrenching vocals that makes your heart cringe whenever you hear their songs. One of the very few melancholic American bands. Perhaps will talk about them in my next post.

Julian writes most, if not all, of the songs in the album & their originality is just amazing. They've managed to create a very strong identity for themselves & their image is so un-american. The Calling has an equally strong voice but their sound is just not so unique compared to The Strokes & therefore i think, they'll never be as big as The Strokes. At least, in MyHashPipe Walk of Fame.

The Strokes rules!! Here's a parting shot. Are they cool or wat!