Visiting my kampung's icon

Two Sundays ago, Erika and I went to Batu Caves.
(Erika is from Toronto and is staying with me for the next one year. She's hot and single)
The last time I was there, climbing up the stairs was not too big of a deal. You know you are old when you have to tell yourself just one more, step, one more.

September is the coolest month because...

...it's my birth month.
I always feel special because all self-respecting fashion magazines in the world,
particularly my favourite Vogue and Elle come out in
bumper issue to celebrate my birthday.
I started buying Vogue as young as 13, dreaming that one day I would be
the editor-in-chief of a magazine.
The closest I got was being the sub-editor and later, editor of my schools' yearbooks.
Oh well.

Speaking of the September issue, I wonder if Vogue's "The September Issue",
the behind-the-scene movie of the making of the fashion bible will be shown here.
It would be so cool to watch Anna Wintour, the real Devil Wears Prada
on the big screen.

BTW, love the Elle Sept's issue as well but do they really have to use
Jennifer Aniston on the cover?
Would have not bought the magazine, had it not for the other
great content.
It's obvious that I belong to Team Angelina.

SATC 2 Carrie's Look - Yay or Nay?

Hmm.
The first look is ok.
Second is passable.
Third is horrible.
I know we are still in recession but
it's Carrie for Manolo Blahnik's sake!
Thou shall never look bad.
Ever.

(pics from huffingtonpost.com)

Kakak is getting a day off

Soon our kakaks will have a day's leave in a week and the right to keep their passports on them.
Wow. I can hear all the tai-tai and aunties screaming yau mou kow chor ah!? (Transl: WTF!)
Not sure if maids from other countries are given this right.
The Filipino maids have been enjoying that for years
and that's why cheapos and slave drivers
prefer to hire Indonesian maids.
Still, don't think the slave drivers will abide to the new ruling.
The sights of the poor maids watching after the spoiled rotten brats
while the useless parents enjoying their meals at some fancy restaurants
on Sundays will remain.
Trust that.

I'm 33, not 3

The cow did it.

Since today is my hari kebesaran, I thought I should not think about the poor cow's head. To die for some rendang that was sold probably at Section 23, Shah Alam was already sad enough, but adding more salt to the rendang, the head was paraded and kicked around to insult another religion.

But our super intelligent minister said:

"They, the organisers, who are sitting left and right of me, didn’t even know that somebody was going to bring the head of the cow during that demonstration.” he said.

In that case, shouldn't they asked the people who brought the head to go play far-far away?


Then the very clever minister said:

He added that the residents only wanted their voices to be heard but it was unfortunate that “the publicity they received was negative because it was linked with racial and religious sentiments.”

Who were the ones threatening blood spill?
Who were the ones shouting ALLAH HUAKBAR?
Who were the ones screaming about the Malays tercabar?

The cow did it.

So I turned 33, right?

This must be the calmest birthday I've had.
Ok, not true. I had a blast last Friday at Finnegan's Hartamas.
Thanks for the memories!
xoxo

Ultra vires means to insult, kan? kan?

I was trained by my very smart mother to use a dictionary whenever I didn't understand a word. If I were to ask her, her standard answer would be "Do I look like a dictionary to you?". To check if I had indeed looked up the word, she would ask me the meaning of the particular word. I would get a hurting real bad, if I couldn't tell her the answer.

Needless to say, the dictionary (Cambridge English Learner) was my loyal companion. I developed a very disgusting habit of bringing reading material into the toilet to pass time when doing my 'business' (Thanks so much, Dad!) and that dictionary was my favourite. Learning new vocabulary fascinated me. I would also try to learn obscure words which I could use in my essays.

Now, although I don't carry a dictionary around anymore, whenever there are things or words that I don't understand, I will google it. It is so indispensable that without it, I can't imagine doing the work I do.

Imagine my horror when a reporterd reported on something he assumed or agak-agak. How difficult can it be to just type in the phrase, say I don't know ultra vires....and voila!

According to google, there are 292,000 hits on the phrase ultra-vires.

The first to appear said:

9 May 2009 ... Ultra vires is a Latin phrase that literally means "beyond the powers". Its inverse is called intra vires, meaning "within the powers". ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_vires

That's why a little knowledge can be very dangerous.

Bodoh sombong lagi dangerous.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — Utusan Malaysia reporter Mohd Nizam Mohd Yatim told the High Court today that he thought the phrase “ultra vires” contained in a press release issued by Karpal Singh meant the DAP man was insulting the Perak Sultan.
Mohd Nizam, the prosecution’s first witness in Karpal’s sedition trial, was subjected to a rigorous cross-examination by defence counsel Jagdeep Singh Deo, and appeared rattled by the lawyer’s questions.
At one point the Utusan Malaysia reporter did not appear to even know what Karpal Singh was being charged with.
The reporter was also unable to show a clear understanding of the barrage of questions by Jagdeep on the four-page press statement distributed by Karpal during a press conference on Feb 6 this year.
Based on a report written by him and published by the newspaper, Mohd Nizam had been put on the witness stand by the prosecution to show that Karpal had committed sedition.
By questioning him over his understanding of what transpired during Karpal's press conference, the defence was attempting to prove he was an unreliable witness.
The DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor MP was charged with sedition on March 17 for saying Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin's removal as Perak mentri besar by Sultan Azlan Shah could be questioned in a court of law.
The veteran lawyer-politician was charged in the Sessions Court in KL before judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948.
Karpal is further accused of several other seditious statements related to the entire Perak constitutional crisis which began two months ago.
He is accused of committing the crime during a press conference at his law firm here on Feb 6.
During cross-examination, Jagdeep had asked the 38-year-old reporter: “Do you agree that his (Karpal) view on the constitution is sought after?”
Mohd Nizam: “I am not sure.”
Jagdeep: “Do you agree that he (Karpal) is known as a smart laywer?”
Mohd Nizam: “I am not sure.”
Jagdeep: “If you still do not know after eight years working then you should start doing your work properly.”
Jagdeep then proceeded to ask him if he understood the press release since it was in English.
Mohd Nizam: “I only understand it in general and not thoroughly.”
Jagdeep then asked the reporter if he agreed that what was said in the press conference was only an opinion of the constitutional crisis in Perak.
“I only report and do not give opinion,” Mohd Nizam replied.
The answer appeared to irritate Jagdeep who accused Mohd Nizam of being insincere.
Jagdeep then told Mohd Nizam to read part of the press release to the court.
Mohd Nizam: “Although the orders have been confirmed by the Sultan. If the decision is ultra vires then the decision can be adjudicated by the court.”
Jagdeep then asked Nizam to explain what ultra vires means to the court.
Nizam looking confused and replied: “To insult.”
Jagdeep then told Mohd Nizam that his misunderstanding of the word had caused chaos in the country because the word actually means “beyond the powers”.
Mohd Nizam was then asked what questions were thrown at Karpal during the press conference.
Nizam explained that reporters wanted to clarify if Karpal meant that he was going to bring the Sultan to court.
“So do you agree that Karpal did not say that he will sue?” Jagdeep asked.
“Agree,” Nizam replied.
After the cross-examination, the defence team requested Judicial Commissioner Azman Abdullah for the witness’s cross-examination to be adjourned until it could question another witness on the transcript of the press conference.
Azman then asked the prosecution to call its next witness.
But the prosecution could not bring its next witness, an RTM reporter, because he had failed to show up and could not be contacted.
The trial was then adjourned to tomorrow afternoon.