:: Festive and New Year Greetings ::

I am back...well, just for this post.

Right now, I am on holidays...but strangely it is in the same place that I have been before for 4 months...you are right, it's the same old Den Haag in Holland.

It's winter now, means that the weather is not as kind as the summer and autumn previously, but then again, I am back here - not for work, but just pure leisure.

Well, the reason for this is to really find out if I could settle down here....to live and stay and work for a couple of years....Singapore and KL do not excite me - both socially and professionally.

I need to have 4 seasons, but then, perhaps it is just an excuse to get away and go on with life's new experiences.

To all of you...Have a Great 2006! May we be in touch again....cheers!

:: aGentX ::

aGentX says goodbye to holland : Jul to Nov 2005

the view from my office in the hague has changed from the sunny and green trees to yellow autumn skies...it was time for me to leave the hague and holland.



yes, i am going to miss all the life experiences there but the work got to continue and be completed in kuala lumpur and singapore.

then, it will be back to the beautiful dutch low lands...(again..i hope).

aGentX is also taking a rest from blogging, life has found many new meanings suddenly...until then, take care you all...

cheers and farewell.

:: blogging seems to be the hardest word::

it took me quite a while to realise it that i am really in the hague, holland.

and it really happened when i was helping a friend to move to his new home...while carrying stacks of boxes, fixing up bookshelves and mending doors.

while driving up to his place with other friends, i realised that there are so many things in holland which i have not ventured at all. i guess you could see it from my lack of photographs in my blog and the lack of posts to writewhat i did, saw and experience.

yes..there have been incidents - such as a colleague who discovered a dead man's body at her hotel room balcony, my bicycle accident which has left a bruise on my right knee, the weird noises at my hotel room, the fashionable frenzy when the weather gets cold, the dutch cheer until my throat went silly while watching a soccer match at a bar...etc

but i realised that i am not really into blogging those things.

it's simply because : i'm living the moment.

right now, these moments are dear to my heart and memory...i will recollect them in my thoughts and blog about them someday...but until now, it's off to living them.

yes, there will be pictures...of my dozens of new found friends, the street, my bicycle and the house that i am staying right now.

but bear with me with the lack of post, again!

as i will be back home for good shortly..by end of this month and will be in time for deepavali and hari raya puasa...in singapore.

Happy Ramadhan

It's refreshing to realise that almost everyone in Holland know that today is the beginning of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadhan.

The Dutch reported it in the news, newspapers and even TV documentary.

Its also a good feeling to see fellow Muslim 'break-fast' together at the company's cafeteria, sorry for the small pic, it was taken using my mobile cam.



Selamat Berpuasa...

:: dating the hague ::

sorry for the long overdue post, i have been taking things the dutch way and i must say that i have changed quite a bit :D

i am taking things slow right now, no more weekend plans to paris, london or amsterdam...but i think i love it best when i am just enjoying the city that i am right now, that is, the hague.

i'm getting in love with this city, everyday means more new people to know and new experiences to discover. whatever stereotypes and prejudices that i have towards the dutch have disappeared.

now, i am even thinking of finding longer term projects so that i could stay here longer.

2 nights ago, i was watching the world-cup qualifier soccer - rooting for holland of course. since it was just at a cafe just opposite my hotel (yeah, i've shifted..no more opposite the nudist beach anymore)... it was fun...considering that i have known about 50 new people...people that i have no association at all from work.

i am cycling to work (no more trams for me), went to friend's birthday party, getting invites to people's home...friendships are very warm here, something which i have missed much in asia. we do not hug and kiss enough, i think..but then again, we are after all..easterners.

this is fun, its getting ever more fun everyday. sadly, i do not miss singapore that much now...except for my loved ones back home...including my cat.

where shall i end?...i can't see to be enjoying this life when i am eventually posted to kuala lumpur to work...once this beautiful dream has ended.

XxxX


:: indian summer at the hague ::

:: back again...::

here i am...at MAS lounge in KLIA...waiting for my connection flight to Amsterdam.

the deal is, if i go direct using SIA from Singapore, it will be on economy.

and since the project that i am working on is a malaysian deal, so everything has to be from KL if i want to fly business class.

so discriminatory....sigh! 2 more hours in this boring lounge.

see you, in the netherlands...again!

:Coolest Real Job Description::

I came across this...which I think is the kind of firm that I want to be a part of...
This is a real post, you can apply if you so wish to...good luck ;)

Company name: StrawberryFrog B.V.

Company Description:
StrawberryFrog is a dynamic full-service advertising agency, catering to global brands. We're small, we're fun, and we do great work for awesome clients. Come join the frogs and the revolution.

Job Category:IT

Job Title:Cool IT Geek

Job Description:

• support 50 frogs and their beloved Macs in our Amsterdam office, but it
  wouldn't be PC to neglect our finance frogs with their PC's
• rescue frogs who, although renowned for their great intelligence, sometimes
  can't make the printer work or turn off auto spell, please help
• set up a projector at 8:00 in the morning for an important client
  presentation, but don't worry there's coffee and we'll be extra nice to you
  all
  day
• set up a wiki site in the afternoon and a font server in the evening
• research the goods and the bads of Ethernet over leased lines
• be a Mac zealot, but not an MS basher
• help the Amsterdam Art Director find his lost power cord for the umpteenth
  time (we know Jon took it…)
• help the New York Account Executive use VPN for the first time (yes, she's a
  VPN-virgin)
• be small, be big
• know the pro's and con's of a Proxy Server
• believe that 5 years from now e-mail is dead, and collaboration is the next
  big thing
• dot all the i's, cross all the t's
• be the webmaster
• manage the wires so we can be wireless
• be able to argue why Oracle is a way better RDBMS than MySQL
• know how to find answers to any problem on internet fora
• be a 2-frog team together with our IT Director, be a 1-frog team when he's
  away
• help with lots of miscellaneous things that have nothing to do with your
  job

Requirements:

Sound like fun and a challenge? If you have strong IT skills with 3-5 years of IT and support experience (preferably in an international environment), a good sense of humor, and non-IT people can understand you when you talk about computers, please get in touch with us.

Applicants must already be in possession of valid work permit for the EU/Netherlands.

Please send intro letter and CV in English by the 24th of August to: sonja@strawberryfrog.com

Salary Indication:t.b.d.
Location:Amsterdam
Country:Netherlands - Amsterdam
Agency name:StrawberryFrog B.V.
Description of the agencyCheck us out at: http://www.strawberryfrog.com/

Submission
Deadline:Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Contact name:Sonja Beentjes
Contact phone:+31 (0)20 5300421
Contact Email:sonja@strawberryfrog.com

:: weekends overload::

i had the craziest weekends schedule in my life, evar!

3 weekends ago, i was in amsterdam - looking at 'diana ross' at a queer pride parade...



2 weekends ago, in paris...again! but this time with better view from the hotel room....



1 weekend...well, i was home...


but now, i am in KL...


this weekend, back home to my beloved singapore....

and then, in the hague again...


so how? you tell me....can i ignore my blogging again, for a while...especially to miss mumbles :P

pleaze....

:: getting lazier to blog ::

sorry lah, miss mumbles for not updating too frequently.

it's ironical that i am not blogging as much as i thought i would be, as being away in a foreign land often means less hanging out with friends and being in the hotel room most of the time.

it's not.

in fact, i have spent so much time out of the hotel room and reaching home late every night from work, drinks and dinner.

it's maybe that it's better to do something than nothing at all that i am occupied MOST of the time..especialy when its the weekend.

but i'm afraid to be another 'tell-all' blogger..with lots of pics and stuff....but then again, what the heck! it's national day today in singapore and i just wanna share with you some pictures from last weekend...

it was amsterdam's gaypride 2005...and how could i not go when there were posters everywhere in the office asking for support in attendance since there was a 'contingent' from my client's office....



and ps: did i forget to tell you that i will be away in paris again, this weekend?

and forgive me from being away from blogging in the next few days...you would understand it if you are in my shoes...i'm sure ;)

see y'all...

and OH YEAH.. Happy National Day Singapore...Majullah Singapura!

:: just when enough is enough? ::

:: food glorious food, where's the sambal, man!::
a friend of mine (who is staying in KL) once said that she will never show me around should I decide to pay her a visit.

her reason was simple : she said that i am a 'high maintenance' guy...

and she got that idea just because i took her and her sister to good makan places around when they visited me few months back.

that was the first time that i ever heard anyone said about me.

am i really a high maintenance guy?

right now, luckily for me...all my meals are 'on the house' - which means that i can really indulge in any kind of food - french, dutch, american, indonesian, thai, chinese, etc at a city where only 60% are from the dutch origin. lucky me....bread and more bread make my farts stink big time!

however, after eating all these 'high maintenance stuff', i am getting sick and tired of going out to the restaurants anymore.... not because of the obligatory tips (sometimes, no need to tip as the waiter will act blur with the change)

the food is good, i have to admit it, although some of the asian restaurants are totally crap! but i am having strange craving for simple meals back home.... like maggie curry instant noodle for example, or mui fun from prinsep street and chicken rice from rex....

and the worst of all, is that i miss my mother's cooking...how i take the daily home-cooked meals for granted..and now, even these luxurious food could not make up for that short-coming.

i know its only going to be a month now, but i am really running out of ideas of what kind of food that i am going to expense -- on the house.. :).

like all they say, you can't have the best everytime...just once a while only lah! it's no wonder that power people like the president, SM Goh, sultan of johor occassionally "tah pow" food from local ordinary hawker....

see - i am not high maintenance after all....

:: sms that make me warm today...::

i still have text messages or phone calls at weird hour here (like 4 in the morning) from back home. they are either from banks promotion about a new 'free' credit card, insurance..etc etc

but i received this today and it made me laugh....darn, i do miss local jokes back home...

"Nathan asks dad the difference between confident and confidential...
Dad says, "You are my son, I am confident. Your friend, Ramu, is also my son, it's confidential...."

thanks sharon...for your waking up sms... ;)

:: NKF/SG.blogger versus Amsterdam/Nude Beach::

I think if you are given a choice between the two....the answer would be obvious.... that was whyI have not blogged at all about the news back home lately.

It did not mean that I did not follow the NKF saga and Bloggers.SG that just ended over the weekend. Yes, I still read about news back home daily and missing ChannelNewsasia already...here its all about the London bombing....every single day!

The weekend was good, it was the first real summer for me since I am able to take off my shirt and walk around the beach, and so are about few hundreds of Dutch danes...needless to say, it was a 'boob-a-looza'.

On Saturday was a quick get-away to Amsterdam...quick because a co-worker felt...err....sick from all the smokey joints. It was only for 4 hours that I did not even get a chance to see women in window displays - selling themselves in the red light district...Amsterdam is a dirty city, it was nothing but sleaze and marijuana, and they are exploiting and loving every single part of it. All the souvenir stuff revolve around it. I don't like this city much, I still prefer Paris anytime.

And on Sunday was a nice short walk across the hotel to a nude beach...hehehe. I did not know there existed a beach like that nearby, it was by sheer coincidence that my beach-walk brought me to a place where you can 'naturists' can sun-tan naked. But it was mostly by the not-so-young kind of crowd... :)

Here are some more pics of Amsterdam and Scheveningen, The Hague - Holland.



So sorry if I cannot seemed to be bothered so much about the news back home....and no, I am not stoned nor buffed if that was what you are wondering....

:: mini Holland ::

after collecting my fresh laundry and undies - straight from work, i decided to take a walk to a nearby park called Madurodam.

this park offers the whole of holland - landmarks, famous places, buildings, etc on a scale of 1:25. in short (no pun intended), it's really a good starting point to 'see' the netherlands, in a nutshell...really.

at 12 EU, i think it's worth all the effort instead of travelling all over holland...as i am a lazy traveller of the netherlands. and my souvenir from this visit? a marijuana t-shirt labelled 'amsterdam' ...hahah, since i am not a druggie, reckon this is the best other option that i can consider..

and being ever so unprepared, i did not bring any camera, but instead, i took this pics using my mobile phone....so, bear with the lousy quality, ok?









and hey, there's the SIA plane too... :P

:: lovely summer night ::

it was a rather lovely evening today.

after work, i rushed 'home' to send my dirty clothes to a nearby indian laundry shop. it was a good deal as they charged based on a bundle. for instance, to wash,dry and iron my shirt, it will cost only 1.45 EU as compared to 7.35 EU of what the hotel charges. even though it is an expense item, my cashflow is running really, really quick here.

took a stroll...wait a minute, i don't stroll...i walk pretty fast by nature...so it ended up like a mini jog actually along the beach nearby the hotel. it was crowded, despite the fact that it is almost 8.00 pm by the time i ended my walk. how i wished i have my roller-blade with me now...like the french, many dutch roller-blade too, but not as popular as cycling though.

this is one of the rare days that i can walk around with only my work clothes without the need for a jacket. and come tomorrow evening, i will have fresh rounds of undies...horray!

:: boujoir! ::

i am back to the hague, straight away to work the moment i arrived the train station. having the office directly about the train station does help, i guess to get things done pronto!

work whole day, just had japanese dinner and now its almost 12 midnight.

dead tired, with the unpacking and re-checking in the hotel...time to sort clothes to be sent to the laundry, else i have no clean undies to wear the next few days.

will write about paris, i promise....no, not about paris hilton again, but it's really about paris...the city which i think i will wanna go again :)

au revoir!

:: boujour! ::

:: paree..here i come ::

its more hectic now rather than back home.

i have not even ventured into the surrounding areas in the hague, but yet, will be leaving to paris over the weekend. i should not even considered it as a holiday as i really do not have any idea about what to expect.

you see, i never liked europe as a holiday destination, and so, because of this, i do not know what 'tourist-y' things to do here.

so later on, in 5 hours, i will be taking the train from the hague to paris and schedule to reach there by midnight there...and i am doing this straight from work...only with a haversack and direction on how to reach the hotel.

i hope to see some pics, if i am in the mood...and if i really like the place, perhaps i will visit paris again by bus which will only cost 39 EUR here.

see you all again on monday...bon cheri!

ps: weather sucks again today....cloudy, drizzle and grey grey skies...

:: so, London's got it eh ::

I really miss all the IOC proceedings in Singapore..I really do.

If I am home, I would have followed all the live coverage on TV, newspaper and perhaps even might drop by at Raffles City just to take a peak at the celebrities who were in town.



Guess Victoria Beckham would have missed me at the celebration party eh?

But too bad, I was rooting for Paris as I am going there this weekend....guess you can't have all, can't you?

:: finally, I got shampoo::

its not pantene or head and shoulders...but its lux shampoo which i could not find here..

so, bought garnier fruits instead...hehehe. now, my hair is really clean and healthy (i hope :))

miss mumbles, email me your address..i will still send you a postcard though :)

:: the sun is shining every so brightly into my room, and it is almost 9 pm! ::

being a night person, it is hard for me to adapt to the full sunshine which will last from about 5 in the morning to about 10 pm at night...

when i try to fall asleep, it is still bright, when i wake up it is still bright...and when i return from work, it is STILL bright...

i miss the darkness...and i am drawing the curtains just to create an illusion that it is indeed...night. perhaps i will become a dracula soon and will start smoking pot soon...hahaha..

i am still not well rested, my eye bags will explode soon...and i just remember that i have forgotten to bring my own shampoo...cannot find it here....guess what kind of shampoo is that and i will perhaps, send you a postcard from here :)

good day...err...night!

:: scenes while walking around from work ::

there are many interesting sights from the location of my office, Dee Haag Central Station (which is like our Raffles Place or City Hall MRT station-equivalent lah!)

it's hard to take any photo in holland without taking the tram lines which are overhanging on the sky-line of your photo shots :P

the hague is clean, and i am getting used to the city already.

:: not another sunny day ::

its almost 9 am, and the dark clouds appear. but its funny because it is not 'gloomy' and 'bleak' as yesterday as the sun was shining happily. so gung-ho that i wanted to take a walk to the park nearby, but the bloody cold gush of wind made me changed my mind and took the jacket and walk around indoors instead :)

:: it's really nice to walk a little further sometimes ::

:: Morning walk to work ::

:: 9 am or 9 pm?? ::

I have finally have the time by myself..and it is 9 pm now.

But it is still bright and sunny outside - despite the cold strong winds blowing.

I am very, very tired today...started with the 13 hour flight from SG to Amsterdam.
The Krisworld entertainment system hanged down on me...that too, didn't help the journey...


And the rain and heavy luggage in between the trains and trams transfers did not help.

But at least, I have reached here safe and sound - an a wireless internet account too.
Since I am too tired to write more, I share this pictures to you.


1) View from the office
2) All alone in the welcoming 'orientation'
3) Casino that I will walk by everyday to the tram station
4) Bleak and grey summer....

Will catch up with more pictures and stories soon...cheers! Its time for me to have an early day...err..night. It is going to be a long, long day tomorrow at work.

By the way, the place that I am staying is at the circle area in the picture below:

I am still hoping for the real summer to appear and less winter to come....

:: 1 more day to go ::

been very busy with errands, lunches, dinners and other last minute appointments.

still have not packed my luggage for the trip - please wish me luck that i do not forget anything that is essential.

will catch up soon :)

cheers!

:: 6 more days to go ::

there are numerous errands that i need to do before my departure this sunday.

and driving around with the virginal aGentX-mobil really does not help - as the more enjoyable i am enjoying this new toy, the shorter time that i have left to spend with it.

today, i spent my time doing 'banking stuff', you know to apply for inbound/outbound inter-banking facilities (not because i have much money, but because of lots of debts rather :))). no more issuing of cheques, an activity which i enjoyed really, because of the challenge for me to get my signature to be consistently the same each time.

BUT most important errant today, is to send my feline, sumoki, for his annual vaccination at the animal clinic

other than the overall medical check up, i also told the vet about sumoki's 'male pattern baldness' around his tail area. the vet then suggested a hormonal theraphy and give few tablets as oral medication with a return check-up and review a month later.

as time does not permit me to send sumoki one months' later (no, i cannot outsource this task), i decided not to pursue this treatment further. the pills will have to wait.

not only because of my absense, but also because of the side-effects that might happened as a result of the hormonal theraphy. he may end up depressed and having symptoms of morning sickness such as vomitting (heee...) and if that should happen, i must send him to the clinic pronto!

so, looks like he has to wait for my return, hopefully 3 months later, and then, we will continue
with the treatment. i hope he won't mind being a little 'bald' on the ass...at leat for a while.

i could sense that sumoki knows of my impending departure, and it showed. he is rather moody and tends to cling on to me more regularly.

and the fact of his habit of sleeping with me, on my bed every night, will not make matters easier too for him.

and for me too.


:: moody sumoki - with chichi the hard rock cafe tokyo gorilla looks on ::

:: meme : 5 things I miss ::

wabbit makes me 'work' - which is fine as there is nothing to do in the office anyway...other than long coffee breaks and day dreaming.

5 things i miss about my childhood :

1) the BIG lawn with full of tall trees and grass....
where i could just picnic under a tree with a transistor radio, read a book, with toys (creating a mini village/town) and even have my afternoon nap. it was also a place that is big enough to have a create a badminton court!

2) my swing under a shady jackfruit tree...
where i could swing for hours...day dreaming and imagining seeing 'a lady in white' in the middle of the night...swinging..if you know what i mean.

3) watching recorded movies from tv and 'Solid Gold!"
where i could dance and learning dance steps from Solid Gold (do you remember this tv show?) that's where i got the moves, i suppose :D

4) being a latch-key child
everybody was away either at work or school...i was the king of the house. it has taught me to be independent and that's how i learn how to cook (well, sort of ) and watching lots of tvs and videos when i should be studying...

5) taking 'adventure' walk with my school friends.
there were always places to explore....haunted houses to visit (only during the day, then)...fish pond to swim and games to play...it makes us more creative and lots of the games make use use of imagination...not many like that nowadays...sadly.

passing to anyone? don't know who to 'arrow'...heheh

:: 7 days to go ::

If all goes well, by this time, next week, I will be in The Hague for 3 months.

Not for leisure, mind you, but for work :(

Which is fine by me. But not when you have a 3-day old car to spin around and only to leave it behind only after using it for one week :(

this year, all my timing is screwed up, and after the Bangkok fiasco, I told myself that I will not plan for anything else but me.

Looks like I have swallow that - the whole piece.

:: Movie Baton ::

Received the movie baton from Sookhk so here are my stories :

Total Number of films I own on DVD/Video

I think about 500 plus or so...never kept a database although it was an ambition that I once had.

The Last Film I Bought
Dare Mo Shiranai (Nobody Knows) - A Japanese flick which the child actor won the Best Actor Award in Cannes Film Festival 2004. It is a moving helluva of movie!


Five Films I Watch A Lot/Mean a Lot to Me
1. Grease (1978) - I watched it over 20 times since I was 7 years old...enough said!
2. Love Letters (Japanese - 1995) - I dunno why I cried like an overgrown baboon when I watched this.
3. Shall We Dance (Japanese - 1996) - This has motivated me enough to take up ballroom dancing. The American version with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez is absolute crap!
4. In The Mood For Love (Fa Yeung Nin Wa) (Chinese - 2000) I know many found this movie to be dreary and slow, but due to personal events that have happened when I watched this, I felt very much like the protagonist Chow Mo-Wan (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and could understand him perfectly.
5.The Sixth Sense (1999) I am awed! Enough said :D

I am passing the movie baton to no one...hehehe, being lazy.

:: I got a medal, you know! ::

<warning: a rather long post - best read with coffee or before bedtime>

when i received the letter from the Singapore Police Force that us, their National Servicemen, now, too, well...finally, will have the similar convenience of electronic portal like the guys at the Army - i was elated.

it's about time.

i have always been rather envious for not being 'selected' to join the SAF for my National Service, that was my expectation back in junior college. my aim back then, was to be super-outstanding recruit soldier during the BMT (basic military training), becoming a recipient of the covereted Sword of Honour and subsequently, trained to be a fine officer at the OCS (officer cadet school). that was even though my ambition was never to be a soldier or an officer in the first place.

but you know how idealistic and competitve college boys can get, knowing all the army-jargon and acronyms like the ones above was our way of male-bonding.

so when i received the recall order to report to the police academy for my NS, i was rather disappointed. i reckon it was because i was the only male member of my family who was called-up for NS.

my 2 elder brothers were exempted, i suspected because of these reasons: - my eldest brother was not called for NS because he was a hippie in an era where long hair was frowned upon while the other was a college student in a generation where student activitism and communism ideals were rampant in the 70s and early 80s. guess they were perhaps categorized as 'risky'....well, lucky them! but i could be wrong in my 'analysis', so please, don't sue me.

my BMT in the police academy was a breeze ...i even had more than enough energy for 'self-training' and additional workouts...i ran around the academy and train for the cross-country. did more than required exercises, push-ups, chin ups..you name it, i did it.

i guess my 'efforts' have paid off because i came in 3rd during the cross-country race among the recruits in the academy. the 1st two winners were national runners, so not bad for my attempt and my 2.4km run record then was 7.34 minutes!

as it has been 'fated', i was selected to join the elite police unit at that time, which was known as the 'police task force' after my passing out from the BMT in the academy.

PTF, which is now known as SOC, is a para-military unit with main job is to counter any riots and terrorists attacks. immediately after the posting from the academy, i had to under 'real' training for 1 month. the route-march with heavy army gears and backs, the continuous running in half uniforms with boots and all, the punishments to drop 50 (ie: 50 push-ups)....i love 'em all...i really did.

again, because of my 'on-ness' i was selected to join the fittest and the best troop in PTF, it's called KC. i have the time of my life there...regulars or NSF, we were all brothers. one for all, and all for one. we were the only police unit, back then, that did not have any distinction between 'real' police and 'NS' police. we wore the same badges and some of us even have higher ranks than the regulars...hehehe. before i bored all of you "NS-widows" with boring NS talk, let me stop digressing here, right now!.

NOW back to the electronic portal for NS men, i discovered that way back in 2001, i was actually confered a public service medal...i really did! i guess it got lost in 'translation' somehow...because i have never received any letters to inform me, but it's there..in my NS record....see?



hmm...guess this medal would look like in my smart police uniform eh? but then again, where is it now?


but then again, i don't care...really,i guess my college boy passion about the military and uniform have died ... the military idealists have become just that. just an ideal for me.

:: good nite, faye ::

received this email:

so, if a tear, when thou art dying,
should haply fall from me,
it is but that my soul is sighing
to go and rest with thee.

emily bronte

it was an ode which my very good friend, L, used to announce the passing of her dearest dog, faye.

faye has been fighthing with her diabetics for the past 2 years, and her battle has taken its final toll today.

the last time i saw faye, my heart sank. i was at L''s place to help her transport her used clothes for a donation-drive when there faye was - blind and aging, growling and barking at my feet. she was still as gusto and strong spirited, despite her weaken physical being.

i was sadden by the cruel twist of fate - that has transformed a cute and energetic beagle into one that is blind and tired. but faye was never helpless. L knew that my heart had sank that day, because my teary eyes could not hide it from her.

i could not remember when was the first time that i met faye, it didn't matter, because to me, she has always been this wonderfully-adopted dog into L's family and i know for every penny that i have, that she has brought much joy to them.

faye was L's 2nd adopted dog, the 1st, Noi-Noi, has passed away and i knew L and her family were devasted but were strong enough to adopt faye.

before i knew L (some 16 years ago), i must admit that i have a dog-phobia as i have been chased by two wild fierce dogs (can't remember which breed) before when i was young. serve me right for being 'overly friendly' with them.

through L, i got to know about pet adoption, being more involved with the SPCA and about being kinder to animals.

i had another phobia too, that is, a pet-phobia. as my little cat, Lucky, was taken away from me when i was a little boy. and i have been horrified by her lost that i had almost vow never to have pets anymore and was actually afraid of cats for some good years.

over the years, my liking to animals have been stronger. and together with my mom, we have decided to adopt my current pet, Sumoki. it was from here that i know that my mom loves dogs too...although it would be religiously and culturally insensitive for us to actually own dogs, as being a malay-muslim.

here, i must emphasis that islam is not an anti-dog religion. traditionally, dogs have been seen as impure, and the Islamic legal tradition has developed several injunctions that warn Muslims against most contact with dogs.

this is wrong.

dogs are being considered impure, and this will therefore means inconvenience to muslims. inconvenience in getting themselves cleaned (ie: abulation) when the time comes to peform the prayers. that's all.

and this 'impurity' has a way to be cleaned according to the islamic way as accordingly.

Muslims can touch dogs. However, certain Muslim scholars are of the view that if the part in contact with dog is wet, then a ritual washing should follow, that is by washing that part seven times with water, one of it water mixed with earth. The Muslim in South East Asia follow this opinion. Whereas other Muslim scholars are of the view that there is no ritual washing for the part in contact with dogs.

from MUIS

read this article, dogs in islam to correct any misconception.

so i hope, you could understand why i become rather emotional about the news of a dog's demise. it was not just about a dog's life, but it was about a loyal and spiritual joy that one will encounter, of having to cross path with a wonderful being, a pet, such as faye.

good night, faye...and thank you for bringing much joy to L's household and to all who know her, including yours truly.

:: butt crack, not again!::

is this a sign that this week is going to be 'shitty'?

captured this on the way to work this morning....

and this comes right after declaring my pet peeve 382 - fashion faux pas just few days ago.

may god help us!

tip #62 : a sexy butt is one that is covered and tight! not showing off your cracks, you have the cleavage for that...learn from the butt-queen J-Lo, you will not see her butt crack. that's what sexy thongs are for..to tease without showing any cracks!

:: party tip #47 : big size at 1st sight....NOT!::

aGentX is in party mood today, because summerlove dance 2005 is here...



more...

to all you clubbers who will undress to impress at the silky smooth imported-sand-beach-from-indonesia at the exotic island of sentosa, here is one tip that you must know :

for the ladies (and some men), remember that whatever you see at the party "don't believe at size at 1st sight". and to the men who are 'guilty' of this enhancement 'trick', don't blame me for sabo-ing you all eh.... and remember, big size is not everything :)

just look at the pictures below to understand what i mean:



interested to know more? go to NewUrbanMale to order one or ten for yourself. and if case you are curious...well, i don't them at all :P

:: sticker-stain ::

serve me right for sticking the 'flag day stickers' on my nipples (with t-shirt on lah!) ...and now, my t-shirt has that glue stain, even after repeated attempts to remove it.

anybody got any ideas or remedies on how to get rid of this?

:: so long....buddy! ::

so long....buddy!, originally uploaded by AgentX.

the sky was in tears this morning, as I bade farewell to my truly-partner-in-crime, my nameless car.

yes, you were always a machine to me, nothing more, nothing less. you served your purpose to transport me around, but somehow, i could not help but feeling a little melancholic when i drive you the last time. the all too familiar sight, scents and touch of your interior and the practicality of your exterior were all too much of forget.

but unlike some, i have never treat you like a wife, in fact, i am quite bo-chap at times. you have never seen me spending hours under the hot sun just to wash, clean and polish you. i just send you to a car wash in JB or somewhere convenient only when i feel like it, and in most times, i let mother nature bathe you. guess you have your last wish today, when the pouring rain splashes its heavenly blanket of water drops to your body...and i really hope you are feeling fresh after that.

you shared some of my best memories. you have endured my senseless monologue, my over-the-top-atttempts-at-singing, my warp sense of humour, faking accents and basically, speaking nonsense to myself all the time. yes, i do that a lot, and thanks for being there for me and understand that driving is a boring activity - but it is again the most treasured moment of privacy that a man could ever ask for. to drive alone, that is...other than 'doing business' in the toilet.

you have endured abuses from a raging taxi-bully, incompetent bang-and-run-driver (who didn't know how to reverse park) and just 2 weeks ago, again, by taxis who were too impatient and do not have any sense of safe distance which resulted in 5 vehicle chain collision. luckily you were able to stop in time, else the motorcyclist infront of us would have 'flung'.

despite all that, you have stood tall and still look good despite of your aging looks which, by today's standards, are not hip and trendy enough. but i don't care...never once did i ever feel 'paiseh' to leave you at the carparks of the hippiest clubs in town. we are both non-flashy and self-contented people, but at times, we do road-rage at stupid motorists, eh...but that was just between us.

so my friend, even as my heart aches, i have to leave you today. you will be reincarnated into some sophisticated gadget or even an instrument that save lives....you will do good, like you have always done before.

thank you for keeping me safe in the crazy and hectic traffic everyday and i will always remember that fun that you and i had to our 1st ever road-trip to KL...just the 2 of us.

RIP. :`)

:: mp3 make-over ::

i really dislike the warp-speed of technology changes.

just last march , yours truly bought himself an mp3 player, after years of the pre-historic mini-disc . and as usual, being an idiotic individualistic, he chose a Sony instead of iPod of Zen.

why? it's made in japan lah...that's why, but no...seriously it's because of my indifference to anything that is common (read: rebonded hair) and it was the first time that sony ever embarked on the mp3 format instead of its own "atrac-whatever media" (which was able to produce high quality digital sound and saving disk space at the same time).

it is also big in storage at 20 GB and functions as an external hard disk too. and lastly, it is light and small compared to its class and it is very, very robust...with hard disk protection technology.

but now, they are releasing a better version (and cuter too) of the player.. it was already released in usa and japan though...and it will hit our shores real soon.

.and damn, what to do?

so think, think think...should i sell the old one and buy another one instead, how?

buy new one, waste money, as i would rather use that money for my airfare to hong kong or tokyo...more fun, even though it has shorter life span of funtertainment.

so, instead of getting tired of my old toy, i have decided to give it a makeover....and the results are not bad...dont' you think so?

before - boring dully silver...


after - karate chop suey leh...


so now, uncle here can try to look hip with this eh?

:: another label ::

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What kind of blogger are you?

via the ever resourceful, mini tomorrow...lancerlord

:: pet peeve 382 : fashion faux pas::

it was a good working monday today.

good mood, good energy and good appetite.

so for lunch, yours truly indulged in a little serving of 'lor mee'...it was thick, unfashionable black and rather disgusting-looking gravy, but it was deliciously enough for me.



however, my lunch was ruined by rather an unsightly view right across where i was sitting. it was not because that there were three plus-sized women, but rather, one of the woman was wearing a rather obscenely low-waisted, tight pair of jeans which has shown her cellulites on her butt cheecks....

and the cellulites on her ass reminded me of my retina . you know the sort that looks like some geographical map of some streams, rivers and other water sources. there were like hundreds of lines...err...gross!

i am ok with cellulites actually, i really don't mind if you have them...really!

but if you ever have them, please hide it away from the public eyes. it is not meant for public display. period.

this leads me to another thing about bad fashion sense. before i started to sound judgemental, please believe me when i say that everyone has the right to be proud of your body - and you should! nobody is perfect, even j-lo's farts are as smelly as the rest of us, or maybe even more stinky if she has lots of beans. but please do yourself a favour of looking good, you owe it to yourself, and no one else.

the case in point here, please refer to the picture below:



the lady with the white blouse is older and has the similar (or perhaps even larger) body than the cellulite-thru-the-ass-cheek girl in the green outfit. but in this simple example, her dressing sense makes her body look more proportion than the younger and supposedly-more trendy girl. she also looks slimmer as compared to the outrageously tight top which makes her looked like an overgrown baby. thank god that this picture was not clear enough for you to see the cellulites that were prominent on her ass-cheeks which will give you an idea on how the yellow river will look like on a map.

i am not a fashion expert, but i do enjoy a great deal of beautiful things, who doesn't right? so, what went wrong? for starters, i will suggest that you refer to style guide, which will help you a great deal in what NOT to wear!.

among the style basics that everyone should know are:

* Recognise your assets and choose clothes which flatter this part of your body.
* Show off your breasts OR your bum, never both in one outfit.
* If you have love handles or a round tummy, wear textured fabrics and wrap-around tops.
* If you have a short or wide neck, wear tops that are open at the neck, rather than high or round ones, to lengthen and slim your neck.
* If your clothes are too tight, you'll look fatter not thinner; straining fabric is a style no-no.

if you still need help to determine what works best for your body type, you can try out the personalised style rule generator.

i have seen too many women wearing low-waist jeans with 'overflow tummy' and 'exposed butt-cracks' when they are sitting. and it doesn't help if the panties that they wear are the grandma-knickers sort. it's definitely not sexy at all, but looks excruciatingly painful.

anyhow, what do i know? but ladies, you cannot imagine the kind of words that guys used to describe these fashion faux...they are sharp and venomous.

and yes, have i ever tell you that i was voted the best personal style (male) when i was in uni...many years ago, once upon a time :)

so, believe me. please.

:: kennysia's latest blog trendsetter::

Congratulations aGentX, you are...

mr brown of www.mrbrown.com

Like that ad for Toys 'R Us, you are that kid who doesn't want to grow up. Except you do. And now you're just a big overgrown kid who doesn't want grow up. You have a warped yet addictive sense of humour. It takes skills to poke fun at serious things and you have no problems doing that. Your peers look up to you and yet you're humble about everything. You are an infantile.

Which Singaporean Blogger Are You?

:: geeks galore::

the geek god, aka the richest-man-in-the-world, is coming...and i am lucky to be invited for the seminar.



actually, it was more for the paparazzi factor, rather than the actual geek-kingdom quest for knowledge. see if he is really a geek that what he was made out to be....and i bet there will be many other geeks who will lock-jawed in awe as well...sans yours truly.

but i wish it is paris hilton instead though :)

guess u can't win 'em all...

:: kara-not-ok ::

the last time i ever karaoke'd was with a group of guy buddies, around 7 of us at a bar somewhere near chinatown. the playlist was 98.65% chinese songs. dont' get me wrong, i love all kind of music.

my pals were singing mostly mandarin, hokkien and cantonese songs. i know some of the songs, having the benefit of hearing them before somewhere. and i really liked some of the songs.

that was not my trauma. it was rather the inability to read chinese and the lack of having hanyu-pinyin lyrics to sing along too.

it also did not help that yours truly cannot really sing.

being the entertainer as usual, my choices of the english songs were simply to irritate and make a jackass of myself. i chose beyonce's "crazy in love" and tata young's "sexy, naughty, bitchy" (which i did not realize the the lyrics were so raunchy...ouch!)

needless to say, it turned the house down and it also didn't help that i happened to be ditzy and light-headed when my turn came to sing....and the dance was complimentary.

so now, when the same invitation was thrown again to me, i would be rather prepared and try to sing 'real songs'. so, i have decided to choose this song, Teresa Cheng's "The Moon Represents My Heart", but for now, i got the hanyu pinyin lyrics...and trying to memorize them.

and i am also considering to join yamaha's voice course and some super memory lessons so.

so, here is my task for the next 48 hours, to memorize the lyrics below; wish me luck!

Teresa Teng - Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin.
(The Moon Represents My Heart)

ni wen wo ai ni you duo shen
wo ai ni you ji fen
wo de qing ye zhen
wo de ai ye zhen
yue liang dai biao wo de xin

ni wen wo ai ni you duo shen
wo ai ni you ji fen
wo de qing bu yi
wo de ai bu bian
yue liang dai biao wo de xin

* qing qing de yi ge wen
yi jin da dong wo de xin
shen shen de yi duan qing
jiao wo si nian dao ru jin

* ni wen wo ai ni you duo shen
wo ai ni you ji fen

* ** ni qu xiang yi xiang
ni qu kan yi kan
yue liang dai biao wo de xin

Repeat *
Repeat **

English Translation

You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much I really love you...
My affection is real.
My love is real.
The moon represents my heart.

You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much I really love you...
My affection does not waver,
My love will not change.
The moon represents my heart.

* Just one soft kiss
is enough to move my heart.
A period of time when our affection was deep,
Has made me miss you until now.

* You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much I really love you.

* ** Go think about it.
Go and have a look [at the moon],
The moon represents my heart.

Repeat *
Repeat **

:: current mood::

11838_01_l, originally uploaded by AgentX.

this t-shirt best describes it. anyone wanna buy me a present?

:: interview marathons ::

abercrombie & fitch t-shirt, originally uploaded by AgentX.

throughout my working life, i have the (dis)honour of interviewing so many people that sometimes, when i bumped into familiar faces, they would come up to me and exchange pleasantries and from there, i will remember where we have 'met'.

the transaction will just end there. no more follow ups and 'keeping in touch' and perhaps, we will never meet again - at least in this lifetime.

however, i have often tried my best to update every job applicants with the outcome of their interviews since i would like to have a very clear conscience mind -- should i ever bump into them on the streets in god-knows when.

so far, it has been paying off pretty well.

it since has been few years since i last had to conduct many job interviews. i am playing on the opposite side of the camp right now, with my current job.

other than my initial interviews to be accepted for this job, i have to be 'interviewed' by our clients for every single projects. the purpose was to give them the 'comfort factor' of my worthiness and assessment of my competencies to the tasks at hand. mostly, these 'interviews' are via conference and video calls. my 'interviewers' could be anywhere in paris, london or bangkok so far and the outcome could be decided almost immediately.

sometimes, they liked me while other times, they do not. c'est la vie, i am ok with that.

on my part, sometimes i want to be 'liked' while at other times, i do not want that assignment at all. life is pretty strange as the projects which you hoped of not being selected, but it turned out well and vice versa. there are times when the customers would want to bring me on, only to be 'pushed' by the cost factors and they will get another of my colleagues from the malaysia office.

i am treating all this like a game so far, and i am already a 'seasoned' job applicant. sometimes i wonder if i have lost the 'passion' to be interviewed anymore. i am become no longer 'a fresh meat' in the flash parade (unlike years ago, when i went to a cabin crew interview...all fresh and young, eager and excited..parading our 'flesh' to the panel of interviewers - but that was another story).

right now, it is all an act, really...because the things that are to be said, have been said so many times before. just smile, look fresh and eager...sound positive, that is all part of the interview game. but the only thing different between my interviews and those real-job seekers is that, i already have a job, but i need to give the assurance to my clients that "yes, take me...i am worthy of my rates that you will have to pay...i provide good work, professional, decent and cute...heheh..."

i am feeling like an old whore at times, with all these 'acts'.

no, make it an old mistress.

:: sgblogconspiratorists at work::

this is getting out of hand, the sgblogconspiracy that is.

i should not have blogged about my impending reservist in august and the fact that i will be 'on duty' for the national day because the conspirators have found out and told me boss about it....



i don't know what the conspirators did to influence my boss so that i cannot go for my diligent and 'on-the-ball' reservist (and thus, free show) during the NDP, but i could sense it that it has to do with the bloggers.sg 'convention' coming up soon.

my boss wanted me to do my reservist during that convention week, which means, i cannot attend that event-to-meet-xiaxue-and-sillycelly....marangkusheebye!

i could smell mr miyagi's involvement in this, maybe since he being an ace silencer in the elite military , he cannot stand the sight of a reservist cop like me walking around and looking macho in the tight uniform during NDP while oggling at pretty babes and getting lots of free food and tell people not to cross the road anyhow...., when he has to go to 'real army exercise' at the outbacks without any 'chio-bus' to look at for days... :D

from now on, anything that don't happen as planned, i will blame sgblogconspiracy as they said " all your blog are belonged to gahmen".

Et tu Brutus?

technorati tag : sgblogconspiracy