Be The Valentine They Are

My feed, be it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, is filled to the brim with Valentine's Day love, or more accurately, Valentine's Day thirst.

When I was in school, I had slight anticipation for Valentine's. Namely because the clubs sold special treats which is delivered to the recipients class, so you could be agonized throughout the day waiting for your treat to come from your special someone. Of course, it may just be a silly prank your friends pulled off you (trust me, I've done it myself), or it could just be a heartwarming message from your friend. But usually the pretty ones get loads of presents and me, usually none. So my anticipation was mostly based on me getting to eat my friends' treats. Yeah.

I remember when I was in Form 1 (13 years old), I remember seeing a Form 5 girl from morning session leave the school with a huge bouquet of flowers and tailing behind her, was her friend holding a bunch of presents and a teddy bear for her (I assume it was the girl holding the flowers as the bouquet caused her hands to be full). So my witnessing probably nurtured my anticipation for Valentine's Day since then. You can read all about adolescent hormonal Noel during Valentine's 2012 here: I RANTED ABOUT MY STALKERS AND CAM-WH*RED (Slightly unrelated to the topic here but it gives you a picture of Valentine's Day in SMK SK)


But now that I have left school and the hormonal rush has reduced (slightly), Valentine's Day to me is just an opportunity for other people to make money off you in this Lovey-duvvey, mushy-wushy season. 

 And I suppose you should really celebrate this event in the name of true love, even if you don't have a true love at the moment. 

Which is why I dug through some of my parents' old photographs. 

The story of how my parents met each other is actually a rather bizarre and  funny story. A story that I will leave until another time. 

But the story of my parents marriage I suppose I can tell now.  

Look how dorky they are

 My parents got married on the eve of Valentine's Day. I don't really know why they chose it, but it just so happened. As it is now, 13th of February 1993 was also during the Chinese New Year period. They had a proper Catholic church wedding where my grandfather gave my mother away. Then after that they had the Chinese wedding thing where they invited family and friends to feast. Pretty much the usual stuff. 

But the most unusual part was that my parents refused to do a wedding photoshoot because my Mum said: 'It's such a waste of money and time to hire a photographer to shoot us. The fuss is not worth it. And what happens to the wedding photos in the end? They end up hidden, under the bed. It's just not worth it." Instead, they put on their wedding suit and dress, and started photographing each other at their new house, which is the house that we are still currently living in.  

And I even found a selfie among other odd photos. My parents took a selfie 21 years ago as part of their wedding 'photoshoot'.  My parents are so cool. 

So today marks the 21st anniversary of my parents. I asked them what they were going to do, they just shrugged and blew it off. They never really celebrate it anyway. 

I want to end this post with some words of wisdom from my Mum:

"  Getting married isn't about the grand event on the wedding day. Getting married is living together with a with a person for the rest of your life. " 

Have a great Valentine's.

 Trying To Learn From My Parents Angel

The Stars

I suppose I don't have anything special to say, just that I found photographing the stars with minimal equipment in the middle of the night extremely romantic and cold.

Thanks to my cousin who taught me how. And google too.

The thing I enjoyed most about photographing the stars is the sense of unknowing-ness. I didn't know what was the outcome. Could I capture Orion's belt? Could I capture that star? What star would show up suddenly?

And suddenly the photo is processed and it takes my breath away.

It reminds me that I am small. But a speck of dust in this vast universe.

And that I have a long way to go, before I can reach my stars.

Starcrossed Angel

Kantoi - Zee Avi

Song: Kantoi
Singer/Band: Zee Avi
Album: Zee Avi (Self-Titled)
Released: 2009
Genre: Indie, Folk

Original Album Cover

 

Lyrics & Chords:

C : 332010
C#: 443020
G?: 320013

Intro: C C# G


      C                     G7
Semalam I call you, you tak answer.
                          C
You kata you keluar pergi dinner.
                           F
You kata you keluar dengan kawan you.
           C               G7             C
But when I called Tommy he said it wasn't true.

     C                    G7
So I drove my car pergi Damansara.
                        C
Tommy kata maybe you tengok bola.
                       F
Tapi bila I sampai you, you tak ada.
  C     G7       C
Lagilah I jadi gila.

     C                            G7
So I called and called sampai you answer.
                               C
You kata sorry sayang tadi tak dengar.
                              F
My phone was on silent, I was at the gym.
       C               G7             C
Tapi latar belakang suara perempuan lain.

     F     G7     C
Sudahlah sayang, I don't believe you.
            F               G7               C
I've always known that your words were never true.
       F      G7         C
Why am I with you, I pun tak tahu.
   Am7          C                    G7
No wonderlah my friends pun tak suka you.

     C                           G7
So I guess that's the end of our story.
                                  C
Akhir kata, she accepted his apology.
                               F
Tapi last last kita dapat tahu she was cheating too.
         C              G          G? G
With her ex-boyfriend's best friend,
   C
Tommy.


Kantoi!

Taken from ultimate-guitar.com and modified

Noel's Lyric Interpretation:

The lyrics of this song are written in 'Manglish' according to a website. But no, sweets. It's not. It's a mixture of Malay and English. Basically the lyrics are about the singer's boyfriend who is cheating on her. He's a liar, a cheater and completely shameless. And at the bridge, the singer expresses how she feels about this which is: nuh-uh *head shake* Then towards the end, there is a twist! Turns out the girl the boy was cheating with was cheating on him too, WITH HIS BEST FRIEND TOMMY. KANTOI! (This word basically means: Caught red-handed, which is... Well, the whole song summed up.)

I really love this song. The folk, jazzy feel of this song gives you a I've-Had-Enough-of-Your-Sh*t-Good-Riddance-You-Cheating-Sucker feel. And I think the twist in the end makes it perfect, showcasing how karma bites you in the ass. Zee Avi is really a talented songwriter, being able to tell a story in a carefree song. I can't even write an interesting novel jeez.

♪  ♫  ♪  ♫  ♪  ♫  ♫  ♪  ♫  ♪  ♫  ♪

Who i s Zee Avi? Only one of the most talented Malaysian musicians that's who. Actually, you don't need to know who she is. You need to listen. Her voice is just heaven.

Here's me trying to be Zee Avi. Ada feel tak?

I suppose no one requested this song. I just figured it sounded nice with my voice (no high notes yes) and decided to play my guitar which has been silently collecting dust under my bed.

And I've tried recording myself for the other songs people have requested like: Every Chance We Get We Run - David Guetta, Home - Gabrielle Aplin, Rock N' Roll - Avril Lavigne... It's hard to practice and then sing and then record y'know. Especially when I'm doing it all by myself. And it's even worse because I don't sound good. I can't sing. I just like to.

And I apologize for not writing anything recently. But every time I open my drafts, I stare at the points I've jotted down, the ideas that sounded so good in my head. And I just hit against this huge brick wall. It's not a writer's block. It's just that I lost my ladder to climb the wall. And I'll find it soon. I just need a little bit of time to let my thoughts drift.

I suddenly realize that I am terribly vain.

Oh well.

I Youtube too.

Kantoi Angel

Shelvin's 18th Birthday + Roller Skating

Hi Humans! :)

Yesterday (14/1/14) was a public holiday in Malaysia so that means OFF DAYYYYY. Oh yes, it was also our baby Phuah Shelvin's birthday. So of course we went out to celebrate. 

After some intense HwB Whatsapp discussions, we decided to feast at The Burger Factory! Apparently it's located at SS15, Subang. And we were all extremely excited. We even made reservations and all, y'know? Plus they haven't seen me since SPM ended (26/11/13) so yeah. 

So Huiying, Yiwen, Joyanne and I arrived at Burger Factory 1-ish. And thus we waited for the arrival of the others. 

And we waited

And waited

And waited

And prank called them

And waited

Apparently they were lost. Waze had brought them to another The Burger Factory at Petaling Jaya. 

*moment of silence* 

I suppose it was our fault as well because we didn't realize there were two Burger Factories (actually there's like, four in the Klang Valley alone)

But alas they arrived at almost 3pm and we feasted, had cake and photos and all that mumbo-jumbo people do during birthdays. Here are some photos we took. 

P/S: The burgers at The Burger Factory is.. Mediocre. Just regular burgers. Nothing special. Quite expensive, actually. But the environment is quite enjoyable, as you can see from the bright photos. And also they have too many staff and they spend their 'free time' loitering around on their phones. Yup. 

Homosapiens With Boobs: Reunited

Homosapiens With Boobs + Abang and Brother-in-Law 

Mega love for my Shorty 

Full body shot cause we fabulous like that. 

While eating, Ashely spontaneously suggested that we do something else besides just eating. She wanted to go roller skating. And we spontaneously agreed.

So, we went to The Wheels at Subang Avenue. You can find out how to go there here: HOW TO BE AS COOL AS US

Here's the address anyway because I know you people don't read my words:
Lot S4.01,
Subang Avenue Shopping Mall, 
SS16/1, Subang Jaya, 
Selangor, 
Malaysia 47500

The place is actually not bad. Considering that it was smack in the middle of a deserted shopping center, and it was quite shabby at first glance, I really enjoyed myself there. 

You got to pick between inline skates and roller skates. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's some images from tumblr: 

The traditional roller skates

And the most common skates around: inline skates

Okay, I guess I should shed some light on Skating. 

As showed above, those are the traditional roller skates which are also sometimes called Quads. Quad roller skates are thought to have origins dating back to the 1700s. It is mostly used for artistic (figure) skating, roller derby, jam skating certain types of roller hockey and speed skating. Quad roller skates have two wheels on either side of the skate boot attached to parallel axles in a rectangle-shaped layout. Standard quad roller skates have a toe stop that serves as a braking mechanism. To stop while quad roller skating, point the toe of one skate toward the ground and drag to a stop. 

On the other hand, inline skates are usually used  for speed skating, most roller hockey, aggressive skating and by many recreational skaters. Inline skate wheels are placed in a straight line, designed to emulate the blade of ice skates. Inline skates feature a heel-stop brake. This works by bending the knees, pushing one foot forward, then dragging the heel-stop brake on the ground until slowing to a stop.

Get the picture?

However, based on my experience, I think inline skates are easier and much simple to skate in compared to roller skates. I chose to skate in roller skates because I thought it would be a fun challenge. I have been skating using inline skates since I was young so using roller skates for the first time had me off to a wobbly start. The basic theory for both of the skates are the same, you push and you slide and you find your balance. But I feel that inline skates are easier to control compared to roller skates? Especially when you turn the corner. I had no idea how to make use of the skates at first but after falling flat on my face a few times, I got it. 

The overall ambiance of the place was very young-person-will-dig-this(?)-ish. There were lazer lights flashing everywhere in the otherwise dark ring with pop music pumping in the background. There were some regulars there whizzing away, racing each other, and of course there were some couples who couldn't skate, clinging to each other for dear life. And also groups of friends teaching each other to skate and laughing at each other when they fall down. 

I like it a lot. 

Basically you have to pay RM25 to go inside, but if you're a member, you just have to pay RM20 with no hour limit. 

So yeah, I had a smashing time laughing at people who couldn't skate and teaching my friends how to skate. And also falling on my face and my bum more times than I'm willing to admit. 

We're so cool. 

Note: Ashley is wearing inline skates while Dhipa is wearing roller skates. We're not wearing anything because we've returned them. You're welcome. 

Overall, it was a very exciting day but most importantly, I got to hang out with my friends whom I will be seeing lesser and lesser since secondary school has ended. We caught up with each other's lives, talked about our jobs, talked about college, talked about future plans. Of course we also mentioned those who aren't there, (Raja Johannes we miss you) and planned future birthday outings. 

And yes, I would go on a roller skating date with you if you asked. 

Have a great week ahead ;) 

Oh yes, and Happy Birthday my baby Phuah Shelvin, I'll get you your present soon :p 

Skating Angel

I Smell Chinese New Year

So after work on Fridays, I go shopping with Mum.

And Malaysia being Malaysia, every mall is trying to see who has the best Chinese New Year decor. And Gardens is just gorgeous. My non-existent photography skills cannot capture the mood and feel of their Chinese New Year decor.

Yeah. I just wanted to show you guys pretty photos okay? And to say I can't wait for CNY I just can't wait. I have got my Cheongsam ready. And I can't wait to get fat over CNY and regret it later :)

I don't watermark my photos because I don't think they're worthy of watermarking. But still, it wouldn't be nice if you stole it. So don't, okay? At least ask permission first.

Feeling The CNY Angel

I Want Snow But There Is No Snow

Let's talk about snow. I can tell you it's cold. I can tell you it's white. I can also tell you it's made up of water.

I think that's about it.

As you know, Malaysia is hot and wet and sexy forever because we're located near the equator. We don't snow. We just don't. It's summer all year long (except for monsoon seasons, but the west coast of the peninsular doesn't really get affected by it because we have the mountain range to protect us woohoo).

Anyway, there is no snow.

And I'm sad. Because I've never seen real snow before. Sure, I've been to an ice house, where it's like, one or two degree Celsius there, but it's artificial. It's not authentic. I bloody wanna feel the fluffy real snow and make a snow angel. That is my ultimate goal. And maybe have a snowball fight.

Why is Noel ranting about snow? Christmas is already over man.

Dude, if you haven't noticed, America is now a popsicle. Snow is everywhere.

And also, I've just recently watched Frozen and Rise of The Guardians. Queen Elsa and Jack Frost ok.  JELSA

 

 

 

Mmm yes. Enough of the photo spam. But Jelsa is gorgeous no?

And I'm obsessed with the thought of snow. Just the thought. Because I know people in countries that snow absolutely hate snow. It's cold and it blocks roads and it freezes water and it deflates tires and it creates slush. I know. But that won't stop me from dreaming about it's beauty.

I'll make my snow angels someday.

Sorry it's midnight and Noel is slightly delirious. 

“A winter’s snow, A flurry of delight,

A chilled breeze, With flakes of white,
Hold my hand, While we walk down
This road, On these wintery Nights.”

—	Gabriel Kawczynski

Good night, sweethearts.

Snowy Angel