The November issue of CLEO wrote an article… or more like published a “survey”, where the writer went around asking people what would they do with their last RM50.

The description included at the beginning of the articles says:

“The ATM says your account has RM50 left and for imagination’s sake, you don’t know when your next pay check will come in. What will you do? Elsa Samuel talks to 27 ladies and six guys on their hypothetical last RM50 days.” (emphasis added)

I wonder if the people whom she asked didn’t understand her question or just deluded or we Malaysians have became so dependent on our parents to bail us out that we don’t really care on saving our own money.

20 odd of them would actually splurge their last RM50 on nonsensical things instead of the essentials; food and petrol. There’s a guy who would use it for petrol so that he could get to his parents or girlfriend’s for food. Fair enough, you’re a guy, and it is quite practical but not too much, in my opinion. But, getting mood rings and binging on Krispy Kreme and having a posh dinner? You’re going to have a last good meal and not bother about food at all until you get your pay, which, could come only in 2 weeks time? After all, hypothetically, you don’t know when your pay would come in!

I wonder if they realize it is their last RM50, not that “you are given RM50; what would you do with it?” kinda thing. I strongly believe that the lady who plans to change it to 5 sen coins and go around donating it think so, but I might be wrong. Still, like I said, I believe strongly that she misheard the writer’s question.

I find it horrifying that only one person thought of investing it, and that less than 10 would think of survival, i.e. getting enough food to make sure you’re tied till your next pay.

Or maybe they think that, oh, after I spend this RM50, I would die, so I don’t have to deal with the mess of having to survive.

After all, it is your last RM50.

But, get real. Would you think people would ask you such thing?

This article made me think of two things; do we depend too much on our parents to bail us out and not start saving from the first day we start earning? And do we Malaysians have a big problem of listening things through and answering a question properly?

The ISP’s being a pain in the arse.

The extensive advertising done by P1 doesn’t correspond with what they promise in their advertisements; their service has gone down the drain.

If this is the best, I don’t want to know what is the worst.

However, I’ve tried their rival ISP, and, in my opinion, P1 is not the best.

So, if you’re around the Damansara area, please consider not “cutting”.

Seriously.

Blah.

Haven’t been able to check my email for over a month. Sigh.

Was a celebrity just now at the dental clinic.

And since I am not bound by Hippocratic oath and no one will be suing me on ethics (since I should be the one suing), I’ll blab later.

Now I suddenly feel sleepy.

Probably because the LA is finally receding, and I am in pain, and I woke up at 4.30 this morning.

Toodles.

Oh, had a student extract my teeth.

And guess what? SHE DID A BETTER JOB THAN MY SURGEON DID!!

Hah!!

I love students. Just not when they’re tailing their consultants; those are bloody annoying.

I’m getting a tooth extracted tomorrow.

My last wisdom tooth.

They couldn’t get it out when I had the operation that took out the rest because it was quite complicated to get it out and I was out for waaayyy too long, as it were.

So, they let it be.

And I’ve been suffering ever since.

Gosh, it’s been, what, 4 years, since it first made an appearance? I remember it was my last dental appointment in first year that the dentist realized it started growing.

That was early 2006.

Gosh.

And it still hasn’t come out fully, would you believe it?

Still, there has been too many ulcer incidence that they decided to get it out. Thank God!!

Anyway, I’ve been freaking out over it. After all, I haven’t had any of my teeth extracted while I’m conscious for over 10 years. Admittedly, even when the one while I was unconscious was bloody painful afterwards!!

Before I had the operation, my mother actually brought me to some cake shop. The last time those teeth could actually feel sugar or anything else that might ruin it.

Hahaha.

Today, she left me a note, telling me to “make sure [I] buy something sweet to give [my] teeth a last treat, even if it is just a peanut butter sandwich”

Suh-weeeettt.

Oh, the peanut butter sandwich thing is mainly because I’ve been wanting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich since forever but I’ve been too lazy to get a loaf of white bread for myself.

Never ever eat peanut butter sandwiches on brown bread. Ewwww!!!!

Got myself 2 slices of cakes from Secret Recipe. Theoretically one for tonight, one for tomorrow. However, I know I wouldn’t be able to finish a whole slice at one sitting, so I would try a bit of each now, and keep it in the fridge. Have some for breakfast (and make sure I brush my teeth quickly again before leaving) and again when I get back.

Gosh… Need to wake up at 6.15 because I’m going with my friend (who is no longer my dentist ).

*yawn*

What will I be doing till 9.30? Oh dear. Sigh…

I finally got a roll of scotch tape to repair my very much battered dictionary.

I usually use surgical tape for it nowadays. I used to use the actual Scotch Tape, or the Magic Tape by 3M previously, but since it is an imported product, my mother thought the price charged were obscene.

I preferred using Magic Tape; you could write over it. Especially when you were younger and accidentally tore parts of your homework. Rather than rewriting it all over again.

Regardless what brand of tape we use, I would still call the tape used to repair torn books or paper “scotch tape”.

Even the surgical tape. Which caused confusion when I asked my cousin to buy me a roll when she went to the pharmacy.

“Shouldn’t you get it from a stationary instead?” she asked.

I actually only started using surgical tape to repair torn paper when I was in uni. I couldn’t find any scotch tape, and had too many things to do to rewrite the notes, so I searched into my “first aid kit” (which was actually a drug store, to be honest) for the tape.

Since then, I associate that tape with paper instead of gauze.

It’s just the perfect tape. If you make mistakes, you could take it off easily without tearing the paper. And once you seal it properly, it is so strong, it wouldn’t come off.

AND you could write over it!!

However, the price rivals Scotch Tape, though I’m not going to convert back to 3M’s product. However, for “normal” day to day repairs, it is alright, since I don’t deal with paper that much anymore, and I am not as I was before.

Oh yes, I do wrap my presents with surgical tape quite often. Hahaha. So, if you’re a friend and you see surgical tape being used to wrap your presents, you know it’s from me. My personal card. Haha.

So, I decided, fine, I’ll buy a roll of scotch tape to repair my dictionary. Not that I would need to write over the tape anyway.

I finished the whole damn roll!!

It was so battered… It is about 10 years old; bought it in 2000. I wanted an Advance Learner’s Dictionary, so it is paperback, which might explain the battered state more.

The last time I repaired it was before I left for England for the first time. I actually wanted to bring that copy, but my mother said I was being ridiculous and told me to get a copy there.

I can’t imagine not having a hard copy of a dictionary and a thesaurus with me, ever. So, it scares and boggles my mind that I know people who’ve never opened a dictionary ever in their 20+ years living.

And, my mother has her own copy and I have mine. We just can’t share the dictionary. I use it while I’m reading–which is all the time–and she uses it while she’s writing her papers–which is also all the time. We do share a thesaurus; I don’t really write as often as she does. And she has a tendency to depend on Words’s thesaurus; faster, she claims.

It is funny that people that love–or even feel that they need to write–don’t really use a dictionary or a thesaurus. It’s just really sad. And even more people don’t know the existence of a thesaurus and what it is for.

Oh, and that project of reading 5 new words from the dictionary every day? Failed. Urgh!! I can’t remember where I stopped. Sigh.

Anyway, so, I went about repairing my pathetic excuse of a dictionary. I am quite reluctant to purchase a new copy because I grew fond of this copy. Sometimes I get intimidated of using a new copy of a dictionary. Part of the reason why I don’t really use my mother’s; she buys a new copy almost every other year. Her many research assistants “borrow” them till they can’t find it anymore. My copy’s an antique compared to hers. Hahaha.

It’s funny that my dictionary tend to need repairs towards the end. Most notoriously the letters R and S. I’ve absolutely no idea why.

And, this time, I went about repairing the cover; not just the pages that are hanging by just an mm of glue.

It looks much better, I have to say, but still quite pathetic. The roll of scotch tape doesn’t resemble the thing I bought 2 days ago; there’s no cellophane left. Only paper.

So, I asked my friends, what do they think I should get. My mother told me why don’t I get a pocket electronic dictionary; that way, I can bring it everywhere I go, since I bring a book with me every where I go (which is affecting the way I pick my handbags now. Oh why did I use to pick tiny handbags? Oh yeah; to prevent my bringing a lot of things. Wooppsss!!), but I am not so keen on it. I still feel like dictionaries should be books; a thick bunch of paper that one could flip through and make a lot of noise with. I’ve asked quite a number of my friends, and all of them voted for getting a hard covered copy to replace my current one. Admittedly, it’ll be quite some time before I get a new one, I’m thinking.

I may prefer paperbacks in general, but there are some books that I would want hard copies of. Books that I will be using or looking at often. A good example is Bulfinch’s Mythology; when it entered my “must buy book” list, it has always been the hard cover one. Now I want hard cover copies of the Odyssey and the Iliad. I got a hard copy version of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Oh, yeah! In general, I prefer hard covers for poetry. Not so much for prose. And if my mother didn’t have a hard copy version of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, I would have gotten one myself.

I hate thin books that are hard covers. There’s nothing sillier to me.

Hard cover dictionary, of course, has always been the preferred one.

However, due to the Advance Learner’s not having a hard cover version, I got a paperback. But yeah, now that I am beyond that, I will get a hard cover one.

Our thesaurus is hard covered. Mainly because it was paid by a research grant. Haha. And it is wrapped in plastic. Mainly because I have a tendency to throw away the paper that covers the hard cover.

Ahhh!!!! My list of books I wanna own is getting longer.

Nowadays, I find, to appreciate contemporary art–the wider sense of the word; I can’t stop saying enough how much I dislike modern art, as in drawings and such–especially books, you need to have to know and appreciate the classics. I see a lot of mention of the classics, or poking fun of the classic ideas… Retellings (though they’re common in any era)… There are also mentions of it in songs (though the songs I listen to tend to be more political than a retelling of stories. I think liking both Muse and Franz Ferdinand gives me a balanced political view. HAHAHA. Like they’re my politics teacher. I imagine my actual tutors slapping me for making them equivalent to a bunch of artists. Kekeke).

All in the name of recycling and not wasting.

Hahahaha.

Are we at the end of creativity?

Unlikely, since there are still quite a lot of new ideas coming out, but they do seem recycled a tad bit.

Though one would only realize if one is very very well read anyway.

Sadly, I’m not one of them

Oh, not only am I a prose person, I also prefer fiction. I don’t really fancy reading non-fiction, though nowadays I sometimes do read memoirs. I don’t know; I find lessons from fiction are better learnt than from non-fiction books. You can see how the lessons are applied in life, rather than in hypothetical situations like non-fictions are. Of course, not all non-fictions are like this. But, oh, I don’t know. Not much facts, I suppose. And the presentation… Ah well.

On e-books… Regardless how extreme my “enviro-Nazism” becomes, I doubt I’ll ever get an e-book. There is no way I will stop buying hard copies of books. They can always plant more trees to replenish them. I guess I’ll just have to be more alert on choosing the books I buy; making sure that they use sustainable paper instead of the likes of Ramses Paper Company.

I’m in love with Lenka. Her songs are just too cute!!

Sounds like a tweet but what the heck. Hahaha.

My twitter’s abused a wee bit too much.

And I finally got hold of the actual The Resistance. OMG I am in love with I Belong To You.

They’re just amazing. I love Muse!!

Nowadays I would carry either my Celtic cross pen or my Wacky Woolies pen in my handbag every single time I decide to go out, even when I am off to the night market. Sometimes I feel like bringing my leprechaun pen, but it is just too bulky.

Which pen I bring depends on which island I miss more. And since I spend much more time in Britain than Ireland… The Celtic cross pen is always in my handbag.

Also, it makes me look more serious than the the Wacky Woolies one. What with being made with pewter instead of plastic, and having the elegant Celtic decor instead of cartoon sheep…

Of course, sheep are just ridiculously cute, but, image is important, right?

Especially to snobbish sales assistance, which are in abundance in Malaysia.

I don’t get why they’re so snobbish; c’mon!! You’re just a SA, alright!! I can make more money than what you’re doing right now!! Plus, you’re at my mercy; if I decide not to buy, you might not get your commission.

Anyway, apparently, my using my own pens have awarded me with frowns from them. Like, “oh, fine, use that posh pen of yours instead.”

I have lost my Celtic bookmark, which I brought everywhere (since I always have a book with me in case I need to wait for anything; I hate wasting time that I could spend reading), and I very much doubt those that I got when I went back to Scotland last April ever (not that I blame Amni for it; it wasn’t her fault. And that is another topic I would like to talk about later), I feel the need to bring something with me that reminds me of Scotland. Sometimes I think I just like it because I didn’t study there. If I ever decide to study there, I might suddenly love Wales; who knows.

2 reasons now why I bring my Celtic cross pen.

Another because I hate using communal pens now.

Maybe it is because of the H1N1 scare (and my mother only finally getting over the fact that I still went to Glasgow even though they had one (much much emphasis here) confirmed case of swine flu. You would think the guy went around Glasgow spreading it instead of being strapped into some hospital bed. Admittedly, it was just starting; but still!!!).

Maybe it was the 10 week period where I had to battle acne on my face because I stupidly thought, hey, my face has been clear for over 2 months; it should be alright leaving my POM topical cream back home. I was sooooo wrong!! Got it first week I was there thanks to some very special pillow cases. Which means, now, I change my pillow case every single day. Even though I have 4 pillows on my bed, I actually only use one when I’m asleep. I change that pillow case when I wake up. Obsessive, I know. I no longer can stand them. And I set myself a relatively strict skincare regime. Relatively.

Maybe it is because of my new hair style; with the bangs and the short hair. There was this period where I had horrible acne because of my hair; it resembled a beard. Clear for a day (thanks to the awesome topical cream), but it’ll come back again the next day. Whaaaaatttttt!!!!

Or maybe it is because, regardless of my skin care regime, I have this habit of putting my hands at the lower sides of my face when exclaiming things; whether in shock, or seeing something ridiculously cute or adorable, or any other relatively strong emotion, apart from anger. I find it easier to start a new habit that trying to shed a new one. And now that I am addicted to Lenka (so bloody cute!!) and watching Muse’s clips on youtube (I find them cute and adorable; it is beyond me how people see them as sex objects. Maybe because they seem small (with the exception of Chris, of course); so skinny. And add to Matt Bellamy’s height… Hahaha. So cute!!).

Communal whatever are riddled with bacteria. It’s like a history archive of what the people that have been using the pen did before they held the pen. And those things will be transfered to my hands when I pick up and use the pen provided.

And then, when I see something I would squeal over, I bring those bacteria ridden hands to my face???

Ewwwww!!!!

Not to say that my pens would be less bacteria ridden, but at least it is just mine, you know?

Nowadays, I feel like I’m quite paranoid. I would swipe a cotton soaked with antiseptic germicide onto my mobile, wallet and the pen in question once I get back. Can’t do much with money, but you could do something about your hands.

I do hold onto railings when I walk down the stairs or take the escalator. I could be clumsy sometimes, so prevention is vital.

So, the best thing to do is to lug around a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer. Of course, with my blabbing about the prevention of H1N1’s responsibility is everyone’s… Of course I would bring my own! And it is beyond H1N1. I started more because of being eeeeked over the amount of sweat and weird people on the tube. Get out of the  tube station, first thing I do is use some hand sanitizers. Actually, some times I do that before I get my Oyster card out, even. So, those 2 weeks in London did help me cultivate this hand sanitizing habit.

After using a communal pen, I would use a hand sanitizer. It’s a must. There was once I forgot to bring both pen and hand sanitizer… I freaked out, like, totally. Gosh.

I know it might look crazy and paranoid, but, really, it is not so much as the H1N1. I am skeptical about quite a number of things about H1N1. It is more about vanity; about being absolutely fed up with acne. Maybe it is an urban myth that dirt causes acne, maybe it is not. However, how could you be sure that the person who used to pen didn’t just pick his/her pimple before using it?

Gahh.

And to look at me when I fumble in my bag for a pen to sign that credit card slip even though there’s a pen right beside it?

Sheesh!!

Oh, and never ever lend your pen to someone else, especially strangers!!

Ew ew ew ew ew!!!

The most amazing band ever (God, I couldn’t resist adding that. Hahaha), Muse, just posted on their official website the announcement of one of their songs will be appearing on the New Moon soundtrack, albeit a remix version. Yes, the remix version is inferior to the original one; I can’t help but notice it. I wouldn’t go far down as to say it sucks; nothing that comes from Muse could suck.

The comments of the Muse fans… Even though understandable, is so silly and ridiculous. That Muse has sunk so low because they’re in such a crappy movie’s OST… Yes, it is annoying when you hear people only knowing Muse because of Twilight, and saying you’re just like them, but really, shouldn’t it be up to them to decide?

Wouldn’t true fans support their decision instead of bashing it, even if it was extremely horrid?

Okay, that would be friends. Strike that.

Shouldn’t you just keep quiet and let Muse decide how they want to go about with their careers?

Most of the time, the most difficult thing for a musician to do is to reach an audience. And the Twilight phenomenon (it is a phenomenon; the saga, not the ones that happens twice a day  ), I think, is a good platform to use. Oh, I know, the Twilight fans are insane, but their insanity has triggered quite a lot of attention and people–including me–got curious and went and checked it out. Although I do know Muse before the Twilight hoo haa. But really, being in a highly advertised, high anticipated, highly blablabla movie is like free publicity; it is not just the target audience that would be going to the movie; busy bodies would, too. And the curious. Basic economics; increase advertising equals to increase in demand.

Admittedly, I got curious over the hype over the book. I didn’t know anything about the movie before I decided to buy the book, even though I only got around buying the book after I knew the movie was coming out. I like rushing that way. And after I finished the book, I wondered how bad the movie would be, since the book was so bleh. However, if I had to pick one of the books in the series, I think the first book might be the best. Bella’s not too annoying yet. In New Moon, she’s so pathetic!!! As it is, she’s so weak, but New Moon… OMG!! And I so can’t stand Jacob Black.

What made me continue buying all 4 books–apart from reading the reviews of Breaking Dawn and getting horrified over the anti-abortion agenda put forward by the book there–was the fact that Meyer writes quite a long acknowledgement page. In comparison to the other fiction books I’ve read so far, then. Now I’m getting more and more. Oh, I’m the type of person who judges a textbook according to the preface included. Yeah; crazy, I know. It works, though. Haha.

The Twilight saga is not the only series or book (those I have tonnes) that I’ve purchased the book solely for the reason of the hype it generated and not because I’m a fan; Harry Potter is another. Oh yes; I find Harry Potter overrated. Oh, her imagination is amazing, bladiblabla, but, as a piece of literature? Nahh… Doubt it. I would be quite horrified if they start building something like the Scott Monument for JK Rowling. I like hating something I know about. It’s so stupid to hate something because of what you’ve heard about it; go to the original source and hate the original source!! Probably the only thing I hate passionately that I don’t really know about it Doctor Who. Though, to be honest with myself, I hate the branding/ advertising/ marketing team of Doctor Who more than anything else about the franchise. Imagine arriving to the UK for the first time ever, and having the 10th Doctor’s posters plastered everywhere, like Big Brother from 1984. Was torn between hating David Tennant or the whole Doctor Who thingy. Took a while to realize that those two are not the ones to blame but actually those who project the image; the marketing team. The show doesn’t really bother me; heck, I’m actually indifferent to it; not me genre (I do hate the genre though; can’t stand sci-fi).  Though, having lived in the UK for 3 years, I know bits and pieces of it. Like that girl I met in Glasgow said, you must be rather ignorant and live in your own hole to not know about it after a month of being in the UK. Admittedly, I know someone who didn’t know anything about it even after 2 years of living in the UK.

Hate the hype given to the Twilight thingy (can’t really call it phenomenon, because the phenomenon happens because of the hype), hate the fans’ reaction… but really, don’t hate the book if you haven’t read it. Reading the plot and summary of wikipedia is not enough to give you the whole picture. Maybe hate Meyer’s brand of vampires, but really, do not hate something you don’t know. It is stupid and you’re just showing how ignorant and lazy you are. Ironically, ignorant hate is the most powerful hate of all. You would think that the saying “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” is true. I mean, really, how are you going to convince people that you’re right–that people should hate/like what you hate/like–if you don’t know anything about it? “Because the fans are insane” is just so stupid; look at the fans of Twilight; they’re mostly female teenagers. I think you’re the craziest and most unreasonable when you’re a teenager And not forgetting, peer pressure and influences affects you most then.

I very much doubt these “true” Muse fans know much about the storyline in the Twilight saga. Some of them point out that Meyer writes about a vampire love story instead of some conspiratorial theory or some political thingy or whatever else that Muse’s lyrics is all about. Yes, it is not the main topic, but if you do listen to the words of the lyrics carefully, and read the book, you will see, scattered here and there are ideas or stories of some songs. And it’s not just Muse that inspired or helped with her writing the series. On her website, Meyer provides a playlist–a soundtrack of sorts–that, I suppose, inspired her to write the way she did. Muse may appear on every list (I think; I’m too lazy to check), but it does not dominate the whole playlist. And c’mon!! Wouldn’t it be boring if someone just decided to write a book/ story based on the songs that a band has written? Remember Mamma Mia? It might be a hit, but plot wise… What the hell?

Not to say that Twilight’s plot is so great. It’s okay, but it is a lot like a work of fanfiction, and the characters are heavily idealized (no surprise why teenagers are crazy over it; we’re often most unsatisfied with ourselves then), and Bella is such a Mary Sue (super obvious in Breaking Dawn). To get everything she wants is just ridiculous. People might say you’re just jealous, but really, it is just unrealistic!! And to suddenly change 180 degrees (I don’t get the changing 360 degrees thing; don’t you realize if you turn 360 degrees, you get back to square one?) when she turns into a vampire?

And I can’t quite shed the feeling that Edward is into Bella because of her looks, and the mystery and allure due to not being able to read her mind (on that note, I realize that quite a number of other vampire themed stories seem to have mind readers, whether it is the vampire or not. What’s up with that?). Reading the partial draft of Midnight Sun (oh yeah, I went all out; I want to know how far should I take this hatred of mine. Haha), it is a lot to do with the mystery, I think. Since Bella is actually just as bad and smitten over Edward as the rest of her high school is, and Edward doesn’t seem to fancy anyone because he knows they’re crazy over him, ladida. And the obsession over looks!! And how Bella thinks that if she turns into a vampire, she’ll be prettier and Edward would like him even more.

What the hell? What a wonderful thing to be telling your teenage audience. Oh, Bella’s just a horny virgin wanting to pop a cherry, in my opinion; never having a boyfriend and all.

Anyway!!! Stop criticizing Twilight now. This bashings seem to be rather seasonal. When the movie’s around the corner or in theaters… Hahaha. Oh well.

Fans would always be the same, just the different things they would go crazy over. You’re just as unreasonable/crazy as the fans of something you dislike. Those people would think you’re the crazy ones for liking what you like.

The “side effects” of being in the Twilight saga’s OSTs might be that those crazy Twitards go crazy over them for all the wrong reason, but it has helped them break into the US market. KT Tunstall broke into the US market through American Idol, and she hates those kind of reality TV. Like she said, it is crazy to turn down such an offer, especially if you don’t have the exposure there. You shouldn’t cut your nose just to spite your face just because the target audience of a movie is a bunch of crazy and horny girls.

When you see the Twilight OSTs songs, I don’t really imagine Twitards would listen to those songs if it wasn’t for the fact that it was in the OST; you’re reaching a new audience. Maybe they’re not as “true” as you are, and they’re pretentious (though you are that as well), but with an amazing band like Muse, they’re just too dumb to realize Muse’s awesomeness. But in that bunch, it is very possible that they would be interested and fascinated by them and get their album, and probably make it possible for Muse to come to your place to perform, since they would have a wide enough audience to make it worth performing there. All is not baaaddd, though it will be bad if the actual fans don’t actually get the ticket. But would you bother going to a band’s concert if you only knew two of their songs? Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to get their albums first before deciding to go to their concert?

And also, most of the times, those crazy girls drag their boyfriends to watch the movie. I don’t know why the boyfriends would subject themselves to seeing their girlfriends ogling someone else. Those boyfriends would probably like Supermassive Black Hole, try finding out which band that performed it, and tada!! New fan!! Just because you were there from the start doesn’t make you a better or more superior fan!! Yes, Johnny-come-latelies are annoying, but better late than never?

Shouldn’t you be supportive of your favorite band having reached a wider audience? Or do you think that Muse should be kept a secret that only a selected few with “superior” musical taste would listen to? Sheesh!!

And did you read the NME article on why they’re letting “I Belong to You” appear on the soundtrack? The frontman, Matt Bellamy, says “[It's] one of the ‘can’t believe we got away with it’ kind of tracks. I think it might be worth giving it a go because it’s a track that might not get played live very often… one of the obscure tracks off the album so it might give that track some life that it wouldn’t have otherwise.” Full article could be found here.

Though, reading through all the comments, one of them said that the fact that Bellamy thought that Twilight was going to be an indie film makes him/her feel better… White person!!

Maybe explains why they’re so pissed off that Muse is using some “big corporation” to break into a market.

On a somewhat related note… On the topic of Muse and Twilight as well…

On Sept 11th, I tweeted “How DARE you say that I only liked Muse after Twilight. Excuse me; I only bothered downloading the OST BECAUSE OF THEM!!! Will bitch on blog” but I didn’t due to time constrains (the cookies to bake and the things to shop for Eid) and the insinuation that I would do it once I get back from my kampung… Syawal is almost over and I still have yet to bitch over it. Hahaha. And since I am talking about those topics already… what the hell. I am still pissed off about it.

I am quite sensitive when people accuse me of liking Muse only because of Twilight. I don’t mind people liking them because of the movie, but to accuse me of doing the same? Urgh!!!

I don’t really announce to the whole world that I like Muse before that. I tell the whole world about new discoveries, not so much the old stuff. I don’t go around telling the whole world about Travis, or Taylor Swift, or Rascal Flatts, or Lucie Silvas, or just whoever, after some time I’ve discovered them, until there’s something else to trigger it. A new album, maybe.

Like, for me to mention and go about Muse was because of the Twilight OST. When I discovered that Muse was going to be in the OST, I knew I just have to get the OST!! I even went as far as saying that I love the OST just because there’s one Muse song. And after listening to it, I didn’t bother gushing over Muse’s song–I knew the song already, so rather gone case that I would like it. Still, I like all the songs in the OST; well picked. Oh, wait, I’m ambivalent over both Rob Pattinson’s songs.

I “discovered” Muse while I was doing my A-levels; 2004. I went to college with these guys… Went as in literally get from my house to college. Fine fine; hitched a ride with these guys; sons of my mother’s friends. They played Absolution, the album, over and over and over again. It remains my favorite album from the band.

Initially, I hated them. I hated them with a passion. But typical me, I wondered why the heck do I hate them; I haven’t been listening to their lyrics, or their songs, properly. I was just refusing to listen to it. I was always sitting at the back seat, and they blasted the songs sooooo loud!! Truth be told, I basically hated the fact that those boys didn’t bother being considerate in playing less loudly. Maybe they wanted to turn me deaf. They always said that I can never go to a gig. Hrmph. So it remains my dearest ambition to actually attend a Muse gig, just to shock the hell out of them.

After about 2 months of constantly playing that album (like it’s the only album they have), I decided, fine, if you can’t beat them, join them. I might as well try to enjoy the music… and the end result? I love them. Hahaha. That was also about the time when I started sometimes sitting in the front seat and realized, and didn’t have the heart to tell them, that the front speakers were not doing too well. Explains why they play the song so loudly and not realize it was hurting my eardrums.

I tried to download as many of their songs as possible, but it was not easy; the internet connection was shite (still is, actually. Hahaha). Only when I went to England did I manage to get all of their songs. Yes, all. And I love them all. Though, admittedly, sometimes I keep it quiet that I like certain bands, because it used to be that I listen to mostly country and pop music, with the exception of Travis and sometimes U2. And I became a closeted (now out of it) T in the Park watcher; TV of course. I still can’t imagine subjecting myself to 3 days of not showering and be surrounded by those who might have came without showering for more than a day. In the summer at that!! I was starting to dabble with indie and the various rock genres. Hahaha. I don’t really like Glastonbury; too diverse for me. Hahaha.

So I would consider myself a Muse fan about 2005? End of 2005 though.

Funny, the same year Twilight was published. However, I was still blissfully unaware about it. Hahaha.

By the end of my degree, I was firmly a rock music fan. Hahaha. Though, of course, to like every single rock band is crazy. Could you keep track, anyway?

Anyway, so, when the Twilight OST came out, I was raving over it. When I watched the movie, I loved the score, and raved about it when I finally got it. You have to give credit when credit is due. Kinda dumb to be enjoying something secretly but publicly hate that thing. So hypocritical.

Muse performed during the VMAs. And the next day, their latest album, The Resistance came out. Went a wee bit crazy over trying to get the album and the performance at the VMA. And this idiot just started blabbing as if I’m such a Johnny-come-lately who only liked Muse because of Twilight but pretends to like them before.

Excuse me!!!

I almost lost my hearing senses because of them!!! It was worth it, to drum into me that they are the best band ever.

And to be arguing with me why is it so… God!!

And to think that you are a Johnny-come-lately yourself!! Not over Muse, obviously, but to a lot of things.

The list is just too bloody long to list out.

With you, it is either you discover the band/singer/actor/show/musical/etc or like it. If not, you’ll use that ridiculously condescending tone, asking, oh, you like that band/singer/actor/show/musical/etc eh? How could you like it? I don’t, or I have never heard of it. Are you sure you’ve heard of that band? Maybe you’re imagining things.

God!!

Seriously, if everyone would have the same taste as you, life would be extremely boring and dull and we would never advance because we’re so content with what we like, because that is what people will produce.

Initially, after reading the book, I wasn’t going to go watch the movie; it’ll be horrid, I thought. However, I found out about Muse being in the OST so I downloaded it. I listened to the OST and thought, I can see how the songs would fall into place, though it turned out quite different from how I imagined it, but it was good nonetheless, except for some spaces where it was so silent, you could hear a pin drop.

Basically, it was more because of Muse I watched Twilight, not the other way round!!

Stupid git!! Urgh!!

PS: Hahahaha. I’m browsing through my old entries, and I said that I wanna watch New Moon to see how the actor playing Aro laughs the comma-ed laugh. Hahahahahaha. Maybe I will go watch it. Hahahahahaha.

Because I am not really writing a review of the Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

I shut down my computer a few minutes ago, promising myself I would go to sleep after I finish reading the book, but on the last page, I cried and felt the need to blog.

A rather crazy thing to want to do considering my laptop’s been refusing to let me upload anything. So this post might just be typed out but not posted up, ever. Who knows?

To be honest, I’ve no idea what to write. After finishing the book, I cried for some time. I still find it funny that I get so emotional when I read books nowadays. I didn’t before I started reading Nicholas Sparks’s works.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a beautiful book. Pushing some of the logic and the ideas about fate aside, it is an enjoyable read. It is a story to get lost into; it has its own world and ideas. Might differ from yours (it did with mine), but what the hey; if everyone thinks like the same as the next person… Life would be boring and static, don’t you think?

Like I said, I don’t really know what to say; I just felt like blogging. I don’t feel like summarizing the book; you can get it from wikipedia or whatever else anyway. Not that I usually summarize the books I’ve read anyway.

Apparently, some of my mother’s friends are saying that I sound more and more well read. Funny, considering that I haven’t been reading any classics lately; most are contemporary fiction, which are not always read by people in my mother’s circle.

However, I do realize that quite a number of the novels I’m currently reading have political and historical undertones in it, even though they’re not exactly historical fiction novels. A number of them have time frames during the Second World War, though I haven’t actually stumbled upon anything from the First (probably explains why the only thing I know about the WWI is the death of Archduke Ferdinand was what started it… Why, the time frame, aftermath, etc etc; absolutely no idea. Of course, this coming from someone whose only memory of what came out from her history teacher’s mouth was that she liked Pierce Brosnan. How very historical). Maybe the Second was more interesting? The aftermath had more impact, since it didn’t cause a Third?

And I do feel like I want to read books that would make me cry to the point I would fall sick like I did when I was 15. Okay, so I was already ill then, and also it’s really not the time to be falling sick right now. Maybe I should stop reading books that are heavy. Hmmm…

I wonder where’s my copy of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Ah… the book’s really the kind of book that you’ll either love or hate, for the same reason. For me, I have moods for it… There are times I hate it… and some that I quite like it (love might be too strong since there are times that I hate it). I need to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy the humor of the book; it is kind of annoying. And the main character sounds just so bloody paranoid, though with very good reasons. However, it does feel like he doesn’t want to admit that he is in a war. I don’t really know how to explain it… Oh well.

The book does feel a bit like the Catcher in the Rye, but not in the I-want-to-be-like-it as I felt in Ash Wednesday by Ethan Hawke. I could read it, but I do get bored of it quite easily. Yes, it is a book that I would read a lot of other books in between. I’m just not sure what right now. Currently, I’m reading the Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Catch-22(since I now “officially” have finished reading the Time Traveler’s Wife). I wanted to read My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk or one of Khaled Hosseini’s book, but it might be a wee bit too heavy. Maybe I should read a fantasy book instead of a general fiction. And to be reading several books at one time with similar thickness (I thought of starting again A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving; read a bit and forgot about it) would be a bit too frustrating; I don’t quite like finishing books at the same time.

Or maybe I should start reading classics again.

Or poetry. Dante’s Divine Comedy is looking at me. Though it takes me forever to read poetry. I would need to scribble and make notes to fully understand it. I don’t know why. Explains why my copy of The Odyssey and The Iliad is in prose form. Or maybe it is actually poem just laid out it prose form. Still, it did help me read it faster. Oh, wait, no–I did read the poem version; I just own a prose version. Oh yeah; I practically knew the story anyway, so that’s why it was easy. Hahaha.

Maybe I should read Milton’s Paradise Lost instead. Looks less intimidating that Divine Comedy.

Maybe I should read Shakespeare!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I hate that guy!!

Yes, I was very bored. Hahaha. But it was quite fun to translate it too!! And realized, heyy!!! my Malay’s not so bad!! Hahaha.

Well, “salam ayah dan ibu” wasn’t there mainly because when I wake up, I’ll be the only one at home still… And there’s only 8 verses; I already had 8!!

Hangat-hangat tahi ayam is the “heating up chicken shit”. Hahaha. Hangat actually means hot… But with complicated Malay grammar that I am not able to explain, saying it twice (there are a lot of instances where we repeat the words; usually makes it plural but not always) gives it another meaning. Tahi means shit. Ayam is chicken. By the way, we actually have a flower called bunga (flower) tahi ayam. Can’t remember the English name. I’m not joking!!

And I see your mind is still as dirty as it was when we were doing our LL.B. Sigh. America didn’t change you? Hahaha.

Like I tweeted you, it is not my current background!! It was this pinky and flowery background that I can’t stand even after a day. Hahaha. The ice cream is so cool la. Want to get one like that, but I’m sure gravity will not allow it.

And yes, all the games I mention are on facebook. Hahaha.