21

I just turned 21 today. As I cross the threshold to adulthood, I stopped to think. So much has happened the past 21 years, that it's hard to even list down everything. But I think the moment I stepped into adulthood, I am definitely happy with who I am today.

Well anyway, I had one of the most memorable nights of my life the night before I turned 21. My girlfriend invited me out for a dinner date via a voucher she sent me through the e-mail. Took me a while to realize that the voucher was made by her. It really brought a smile to my face.

It was definitely a night to remember. She put her heart and soul in planning everything to perfection, just to make my 21st birthday an unforgettable one. Thank you darling. It really meant a lot to me. :)



Song recommendation of the day:
Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

3 Months

...and still going strong.

Dead.. To be revived soon.

I have been totally blank on blog posts, thus the non-updates.

But when I have something good I'll come up with something.

In the meantime, my plurk timeline will tell all that is happening for now.




There are a few things I do plan to do:

a) Record a song ( I HAVE TO RECORD SOMETHING)
b) Start doing some actual work on the MP3 player.




Song recommendation of the day:
Papa Roach - Scars

In the midst of the holidays.

The first week of my trimester break is gone. Passed in a blink of an eye. It feels good to be back in my room, air-condition and all (now it's turned up to 27 degrees Celcius or I start sniffling). Family's good, grandma even walks better than before, thanks to the knee replacement surgery. Joey seems to have missed me. And my drumset is there waiting for me to bring it down the next semester.

As I sit down in front of my laptop, typing this post out, many things seem to go through my mind. And all of it just makes me smile.

All I can say is, I could not be happier at this moment. When I look back at things, I realise that I do not regret anything that I've done the past 20 years of my life because it brought me till this day. (wow deep thoughts much lol)

My family's happy. My dad has finally retired, and is making the most of each day doing the things he loves, which includes getting really good at pool, watching movies and just pretty much relaxing. My brother is about to finish his A-levels, and I'm pretty sure he kicked its ass already. I don't think my mom has much to complain about. Everything seems to be falling into place. Not that it was never in place before that. I guess everything just fits tighter now.

And of course, not forgetting that I got to spend time with my girl on Saturday when she came down to Penang. I've missed her.

Well the next thing on the agenda is bowling tomorrow. And the trip to London. Probably one of the last family vacations because my brother will be starting uni soon. It should be fun.

Song recommendation of the day:

Adele - Make You Feel My Love

Tenji

Tenji Japanese Buffet Restaurant is located at Solaris Mont Kiara in KL and is simply awesome if you love Japanese gourmet. The only other Japanese buffets I've tried are at Kampachi (Equatorial Hotel, Penang) and at Tao (E-Gate Penang).

Hands down, Tenji blows away the other two with its huge buffet spread, ample choices and classy ambience.

Outside Tenji.

The entrance to the restaurant itself looks some what like the lobby of a hotel. Definitely a good impression of things to come.

The picture does not do it justice.

After driving for a good 45 mins, a toilet break was definitely needed. The washroom itself did not fail to impress.





We arrived at 11.26, 4 mins before the buffet started. After washing up, it was 11.30 and we were led to the buffet hall. And yes, we were the first ones there.

What we saw totally blew us away. The place was huge. And it definitely looked great. Some sort of classical Japanese song was playing in the background which adds to the effect.

Before getting down to business (eating), we walked around just to see the choices. The way they presented the food was definitely appetizing. I'll let the pics do the talking:

Sashimi

Scallops

Shishamo

Baked Leg of Lamb

The desert section Cakes, puddings, or Häagen-Dazs anyone?

Pastry. My dad would go nuts.

The totally awesome chocolate fountain!

Needless to say, we had a great time. And bigger stomaches. Will definitely go again. Already promised my brother to take him there when he gets to KL.

Song recommendation of the day:

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

I really need to update

I feel that my blog really needs updates. But I have been too busy especially with finals dawning on me. 2 papers are over and 1 more will be in the afternoon. Will put up a proper post after the exams. There's one already in the drafts. Expect tonnes of pics! Too many things have happened and it's gonna be one bomb of a post.

And it seems that if I do well in the finals. I do not have to finance my own set of double pedals. Any mid range pedals to recommend? I'm thinking of Gibraltar.

*edit* post is up!



Song recommendation of the day:
Liquid Tension Experiment - Universal Mind

A different side of life.

It's been a really long while since my last post. Guess I've not really had much time to spend online, as the finals are coming up next week. Feel pretty relaxed though..

Loads of things have happened since my last post, and I've gone through many changes. For one, I now found out that I can study some place else besides in the comfort of my room. I spend every single day waking up with a smile and looking forward to the new things the day will bring. Guess it's really been a while since things are like this. Despite the finals looming in 1 week's time, I still find time to do things I like and not just lock myself in the room 24/7.

Some of the highlights of the week would include my music performance at New Era college, stuffing myself at the Pasar Malam in Serdang and going around to random places to study with my girl.

The Performance at New Era
The performance at New Era went well. I have to admit I was pretty nervous, but soon got over my jitters after the first song I played. My girl tagged along and became my personal photographer.


The first song was the song composed by my friend and fellow ex-Disted coursemate Lim Sze Lin, entitled "Be An Angel". During the Fresh Bottle Recital night, he limited my playing to "as simple as possible". But during this time, I was allowed to go crazy with the song. And I thoroughly enjoyed that.

The next song was the song which had the highest audience ratings during the Fresh Bottle Recital night which was, Jian Tong Nian, written by Ghim Yao. This song had an encore performance both during the recital night, and in New Era.





I was also asked to add extra flavor to the song. And I did. I hope. Lol.

I can safely say we made our name there that day. Despite technical difficulties with the mike. More pics!

Pasar Malam in Serdang

Recently I discovered a pasar malam nearby to Cyberjaya. Well 20 mins is considered near over here. It was quite a pleasant surprise. By "pasar malam" I usually expect it to be shops selling cheapo toys and clothes. But this pasar malam was a food galore. Shin Wei and I went along with our friends Natalie and Chee Wen.

Nevertheless, I have to say we ate alot. And by we, I mean Shin Wei and I. We probably ate two times or three times the amount of Natalie and Chee Wen put together. Oh well.. The food included satay, some ice kacang thingy but with fruits, chai kuih, mua chee, chinese sausages, pancakes, and other foodstuff that I can't remember the names.

Definitely would want to go again. Pictures aren't available at the moment as they are all in Shin Wei's phone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Study week was indeed fun to say the least.

Here are some random pics:

Recital Practice:

Blood Donation

SS2 and Secret Recipe

Song recommendation of the day:
Liquid Tension Experiment - Paradigm Shift

All the craziness has come to an end.

The past few weeks have been crazy, with exams, assignment datelines, and nightly music practice. Not forgetting my concert. And now everything has come to an end, it feels so weird to feel so free. But then again, I'm not complaining.

The Fresh Bottle Acoustics Recital Night last night was a blast. Everything went according to plan, though I did screw up here and there, but managed to cover it up. One of the songs I played was popular enough to be requested for an encore performance, and needless to say, that was probably my best performance of the night. Though I was clad in super gay pink, my drum solo in the middle of the song went according to plan. I came up with the solo backstage to incorporate into the song. Failed the first time, but hit it during the encore. Man it felt good.

However the star of the evening could most probably be Kit Leong, with his violin solo. I sat in the crowd watching him perform, and cheering he got from the first note he played. Girls screamed when he played his solo. He had no facial expression whatsoever, but I bet he felt great.

Surprisingly handling all the workload felt like nothing. Probably because she was there with me almost the entire time.




The next obstacle left is finals. I'm not too worried.








Song recommendation of the day:
Liquid Tension Experiment - Acid Rain (too awesome to describe)

Diving. Headfirst. Blindfolded.

I don't want to. Yet I am. Damn.

The wild ride.

These couple of weeks has been a wild rollercoaster ride. I've gone pretty out of my mind, came to a standstill, and then thrown back into the fray with a sudden twist of fate. And I would not have it any other way.

The next couple of weeks are going to be stressful, but I still have a smile on my face. I doubt it's coming off anytime soon.



Song recommendation of the day:
Flo Rida - Right Round

Earth Hour

Here I am sitting in the dark while my laptop is running on its batteries. Most of the lights in my home are off. However there some are running on a timer, so I have no idea how to switch them off. I look out my window, I can see my neighbours walking in the dark in their own homes. I guess most people are taking the initiative to join in on this particular hour in which we sacrifice a small part of our comfort to benefit and show our concern for the world.

Even shopping complexes are turning off their lights, leaving the necessary ones to allow people not to bump into each other. Radio stations going off the air. Everyone is playing their part.


Sitting here it makes me wonder, how many people out there do not care. I sure hope there aren't many.




Song recommendation of the day:
Apocalyptica feat. Cristina Scabbia - S.O.S. (Anything but love)

How does it add up?

I need to know what the hell is going on.

I need to calm myself down.

Home, is where the heart is...... As well as my dog, drums and air conditioned room.

As you all might know, I'm back in Penang for one week. Wished it could be longer, I mean who wouldn't. Being back home feels exactly the same as the day I left it. Joey greeted me like I was never gone, my room looks exactly the same (besides for an empty table, it's usually messy). My mom starts stuffing me with vegies. And my drums sit there, dust-free (thanks to whoever who kept it that way =D )awaiting my return. It does feel good to be back. But my car is left in Cyberjaya. Guess I'll have to steal Je Vin's in the meantime.

Got this week pretty much planned out. At first it seemed like I have nothing to do, but my schedule is getting filled by the second. And I'm not complaining. At least I won't rot at home.

Besides that, I also got my song list for the concert next month. Turns out I'll be playing 4 songs, 2 English songs, 2 Chinese songs. All emo songs. I think every single song being played in the concert is pretty much really really slow stuff. I think I'm gonna fall asleep performing. But hey, I get to play on stage.

Songs to be played:
Being With You (song with really gay cliche'd lyrics)
Be An Angel (piano composition by Lim Sze Lin)
Hou Lai Zhen Me Le (This one seems okay)
Jian Tong Nian (This song is just plain annoying)

*edit : Jian Tong Nian turned out to be the most enjoyable song for me to play on the concert night. I take back my words.


That'll be it for now. Busy busy week.



Song recommendation of the day:
The Prodigy - Run With The Wolves

Gah..

I should really bang my head on the wall several times.

Can't we all get along?

Some things have been on my mind for quite some time. It's the petty squabbling and animosity among the people I know. People dear to me whom I consider all friends. It would be something I will not quite understand. Everyone is different, everyone has their flaws. It is up to us to accept them, understand, and help them change.

Sometimes the things said or done by an individual might come off wrong to others. But after knowing that person more, we can know why and where it comes from. What happened in the past to make the person act the way he is. And that helps us to accept their actions, to forgive and let go. We are human, we make mistakes. We speak before thinking, later on wishing that we can take back what was said. I myself know that sometimes what I say can come off as insulting, degrading and egoistic when I get carried away.

But it's the serious moments, the moments when you see friends being there for one another, is when actions do count for something.

Nowadays, a harmless joke from one will spark anger in another. And it really saddens me, as I know, no one actually means what they say. It was said in good spirit, yet the other party takes it to heart. Probably because what was said hit a nerve. Then you have to think again, not everyone will know what's on your mind. Not everyone will know the things you find sensitive or hurting. I have faith in all my friends that they are all good people. I'm pretty sure if the person did know how badly what he did it affected another, he would refrain from repeating it.

But it's not entirely the fault of the people taking things too seriously. Knowing where to draw the line, knowing when to apologise is a different thing all together. And I can't deny, that some of the people that I know do go too far. And I know that I'm not excluded in this matter, I am trying to change.


In conclusion, it is possible for all this to go away, if we're more honest and direct to each other. To shut up and listen. And I'm willing to start it all off.




So, my friends, what shit have I done? Tell it to me in my face. Then hopefully we all can get along because I know that all of you are good people at heart. And what I think about all of you will not change.




ps: the very last sentence is a lil gay. LOL

Song recommendation of the day:
Brooke White - Hold Up My Heart

Cockroaches

Filthy, pointless creatures with no reason of existence. Gah.

For You

As promised! Hope you like it, it's been ages since I've written anything.. Sorry if I'm a lil rusty.




I see you standing there,
Looking ahead with a glassy stare,
With a hurt noone has to bear,
But this life is not one to be fair.

I see you standing still,
Not wanting to feel,
Not wanting to leave this ordeal,
Not wanting to let your heart heal.

I see you feeling afraid,
For all the things that were left unsaid,
For the tears that you've shed,
But still not knowing what lies ahead.

I see you holding on,
To the remnants of the past, long gone,
Keeping it all in, withdrawn,
Hoping and yearning for a new dawn.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let me take you away,
Steal your pain day by day,
Lead you from the dismay,
Just to see a smile hidden beneath the fray.

Let me open your eyes,
To see a world where happiness has no price,
To free your heart from behind the ice,
To see things under a new sunrise.

Let me be your pillar,
To hold onto when you feel bitter,
The one who makes your life brighter,
When everything around you seems to wither.

Let me take your hand when you're weary,
Because it's not too late nor too early,
For you to leave the pain behind, to walk steady,
Never alone, for I will always be there, always ready.





Song recommendation of the day:
Shannon Thomas - Collide

Audition

A few nights back I went for an audition. It was to play drums for a concert in April.


I actually did not want to at first. Lai (the rhythm guitarists i played with) went to the actual date of the audition, which was on the 2nd of March if I'm not mistaken. I did not want to go because the band was under the Chinese Language Society. And if you all know me, I'm the Chinese dude who doesn't speak any Mandarin whatsoever. So to avoid ridicule I decided I'll just leave it at that.

But then Wing (lead guitar) told me that there would be a jamming session on the day after audition. He even showed me the ad, which said anyone who plays music are welcome. I was thinking myself, I will not miss the chance to play drums at any opportunity I'm offered. So I dragged my friend, Sze Lin with me to go. Since he could speak chinese and was a musician anyway (pianist).

I was bored there at first, as they played mostly chinese songs. And those songs had minimal drums. But the people there were pretty nice. They found out that I was Chinese-illiterate and all of them spoke to me in English. They even offered to play some English songs. I was like, hey,maybe this isn't too bad.

The session was pretty fun. I played drums (yay) and I even sang. Despite his earlier complaints, Sze Lin was having fun playing the keyboard. During the session, a few of the musicians came up to me and asked why I did not come for the audition the previous day. I shrugged off the question.

The next day, Sze Lin told me that the society was having another audition and they asked me to go. So what the hell, I went along with Chinway and Sze Lin.

Here's how the audition went:

CHINWAY'S AUDITION (keyboard)-

CW : Hey, are you sure this chord is correct?
Keyboardist : Yes.
CW : It's definitely wrong.
Keyboardist : No it isn't.
CW : Yes it is.
Keyboardist : No it isn't.
(Repeat x100)
.
.
.
The entire session was pretty much this argument. No doubt Chinway was the way better player than the current keyboardist but some people just can't admit mistakes.

SZE LIN'S AUDITION (keyboard)-

SL : I'm gonna play an emo song of my composition. (I'm just guessing this because he composes songs and it sure sounded like one of his compositions)

*plays emo-song written by himself*

I'm pretty sure he would get the part, as there was no heated battle happening during his audition. Lol. Plus he is an awesome pianist. Anyone wanna listen to one of his songs, I have it.

MY AUDITION-

I'm gonna leave this blank. Don't want to seem like I'm bragging and later not get the part. LOL


Anyway, the concert is in April as mentioned at the start. I guess it will be a good experience as I've never played on stage for a large audience before. Hope it all goes well.



*edit* : I passed the audition. :)



Song recommendation of the day:
Crazy Town - Hurt You So Bad

With sticks in hand.

Last night, after almost 2 months of no drumming, I finally got the opportunity to pick up my drum sticks and play with awesome musicians. It really felt good being behind the kit again. We went to RS Jamming Studio at Equine Park, Seri Kembangan. The studio was below average, but I guess it didn't really matter. As long as there was a drum set and backing music, it was good enough for me.

There were four of us, 2 guitarists, 1 bassist and I. The lead guitarist was this miniature dude and his friend, the rhythm guitarists was a huge dude. Both hugely talented (and happened to be staying in the exact same condo block as me). The bassist is a friend of mine from Sarawak whom I met through playing an online game called GunZ Online, many years back. Was surprised to meet him here in Cyberjaya. Turns out he was studying in Lim Kok Wing.

We only chose a few songs to play that night:

Blink 182 - All The Small Things
Muse - Time Is Running Out
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face down (I love this song)

We had no vocalist so I did the vocals for the songs I knew. Was really rusty but after an hour or so of playing I think I'm getting back my touch. Nevertheless it was fun. Most probably will be going again this weekend with more songs. More challenging ones hopefully. Hopefully some Velvet Revolver or Breaking Benjamin. Yet to discuss.


Well besides all that, uni life seems to be picking up its pace. Lab reports, assignments and midterm tests coming up. Really seems daunting. Wish me luck.




I gotta pick up my blogging pace, it seems to have slowed down to once a month.




Song recommendation of the day:
Anna Nalick - Breathe (2 a.m.)

Hi, my name is Je Sen and I live in Cyberjaya

From the title, as most of you can guess I have a new address. Yes I'm living in the "INTELLIGENT CITY", called Cyberjaya and am now studying in Multimedia University. Trust me there is nothing intelligent about this city, pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

It's been quite some time since I've updated anything on my blog. Been busy, pretty much starting over as freshmen in a new university. Besides that, with the help of my parents, the place I live pretty much has everything that I do consider the comforts of home, with the exception of my family being there of course.

Living on my own so far, seems to be going pretty well. People seem to say it's hard being on your own, being independent. But somehow to me, it does not seem that hard. Though of course, I do miss home, but this is something new, and I guess I thrive on new things.

The first few days of uni have been fairly unexciting to say the least. Haven't started any tough sections of the subjects yet, so I guess I'm still taking it easy. The population of MMU is pretty large, though the ratio of good looking girls might be 1000:1. Yes, it is very sad indeed. But I'll live.

I guess that's the update for now. I know many things are yet to come. And I'm pretty sure I'm very ready to face them.

Here's one pic!

The first home cooked meal!

P.S : Driving here absolutely rocks!

Song recommendation of the day:
Trivium - Of Prometheus and the Crucifix

Tagged

Got tagged by Ee Yin. Might as well do it since my exams are over and done with:


1. Pick a word that begins with the first letter of your name.
Tyranny (no idea why that popped into my mind)

2. Who are you missing right now?
Amy Oon (don't gloat if you read this)

3. Your ex shows up randomly at your house , what do you say?
Hi.

4. How many bedrooms are in your house?
5

5. Is there a reason for your profile song?
Don't have one.

6. Do you hate the last girl you were talking to?
Of course not, she's my future housemate.

7. Who was your last text message from?
Evonne a.k.a. Clumsy

8. What time did you wake up this morning?
7am (exams)

9. If someone liked you right now , would you want them to tell you?
Don't know, don't care.

10. Did you mean it when you said "i love you" last?
Yes.

11. Is it okay if you kiss people when you're single?
I don't see why not.

12. What is wrong with you now?
Nothing at all. Or so I think.

13. Do you think you'll be married in 10 years?
Most likely.

14. Would you kiss someone to make your ex bf/gf mad?
No. Don't see the point.

15. Do you believe exes can really ever be "just friends"?
It really depends.

16. Do you use T9 , word or abc?
T9

17. Do you tell your mum everything?
Most things.

18. Who was the last person you cried in front of?
Don't remember. Probably my mom.

19. Have you told anybody you loved them today?
My dog.

20.Who can you trust?
My brother. And dog.

Quiz 2.
1. Besides Your Lips, Where Is Your Favourite Spot To Get Kissed?
I don't want anyone to feel squeamish so I'll skip this.

2. How Did You Feel When You Woke Up This Morning?
Excited. Last day of exam. Last day of truly being a student at Disted.

3. Who Was The Last Person You Took A Picture Of?
Ivan. Who was sleeping.

4. Would You Consider Yourself To Be Spoiled?
Maybe.

5. Would You Ever Donate Blood?
Yes. But haven't done so.

6. Have You Ever Had A Best Friend Who Was Of The Opposite Sex?
Yes.

7. Do You Want Someone Dead?
Yes. Well probably not. Lol.

8. What Does Your Last Text Message Says?
I emptied my sent messages.

9. What Are You Thinking Right Now?
Nothing at all.

10. Do You Wish Someone Was With You Right Now?
Guess not.

11. What Time Did You Go To Sleep Last Night?
12.30am.

12. Where Did You Buy The Shirt You're Wearing Now?
I don't remember. It's very very old.

13. Is Someone On Your Mind Right Now?
No.

14. Who Was The Last Person To Text You?
Evonne Khoo

Quiz 3.
1. What’s your nickname?
Donkeh (Amy Oon), Silly (Evonne), Boobsen (Gwen). Plenty more.

2. How old are you?
20. But 21 this years. (@Ee Yin: "Don't oh gosh at your age. You're only 18).

3. When’s your birthday?
31st July

4. What’s your special skill?
What the hell is special skill.

5. What’s your horoscope?
Leo

6. Who pass this survey to you?
Ee Yin

7. She’s your….?
My baby sis! lol

8. What you wanna talk to him/her?
Come to Penang!

9. What you think about him/her?
Short. Just kidding. Really adorable at times. Doesn't really take care of herself well.

10. When you know him/her?
3 years ago.

11. How’s her attitude?
Workaholic. Since she started her course in sg.

12.Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
No.

13. If one day , your lover tell you that he/she loves you too , how will you do ?
This is a lame question.

14. Are you well-being now?
Never better. But a bit of cough.

15. Why does god give you courage?
So I can do dumb things.

16. Who’s the people that you like?
Almost everyone. Well mostly.

17.Which colour do you like the most?
Blood red.

18. God give you 4 wishes:
1st: Good health to my family and friends. (to be less self-centered)
2nd: Strike lottery (so I can fulfill all material wants)
3rd: Play drums like Jojo Mayer + Joey Jordison + The Rev + Travis Smith combined.
4th: To be able to fly. No joke.

19. Do you like to smile and laugh ?
Silly question.

Gonna tag Chinway and Kit Leong.


Song recommendation of the day:
The Script - The Man Who Can't Be Moved

The beckoning call of a new year.

It's 2009.

Yes, this year will be the year I turn 21.

Yes, this is the year I will be leaving Penang.

But has anything really changed? Maybe.

What is for sure is, noone knows what a new year will bring. And to me it is something really exciting, venturing into a world of the unknown. And this year will be no less exciting than the last, probably even more.

2008 was over before I knew it. There were many ups and downs. I changed, some for the better and some for the worse. I made mistakes and learned from them. Guess it has been another year which I have no regrets.

2009 will definitely be an adventure.

However the new year mood does not really start for me till I get past my final exams. Kind of "potong steam".

Will do another post pretty soon. Have to get back to work.


Happy New Year everyone..



Song recommendation of the day:
The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go





*This post seems to lack enthusiasm and liveliness. Yes I do notice that.