Free faulty PS2

A few weeks back, my friend have given up on his PS2 and his brother have no interest to play games on it anymore and i jokingly asked if I could take off him. Surprisingly, he said yes but not so surprisingly seeing that he got it on the super cheap from his friend who sold it to him for an insanely low price of RM50!!!

Well the catch to take this machine off him was that I had to send it for repairs as something was wrong with it since it is able to play DVD movies but not PS2 games =_=" Oh well, a small price to pay for a limited edition white PS2 :)

So last Wednesday after an outing with my bunch of friends, he gave me his PS2 and his entire collection of over 100 games. I did not have time until yesterday to send it for repairs but I have however enquired from a shop about the cost to repair it. Initially, I was quite hesitant because the person told me that I had to change the lens and an IC but i emphasized that if it could play DVDs, there should not be anything wrong with the lens, logical right?

So I sent it for repairs yesterday and indeed the repairman just replaced the IC telling me that it was too old and its quite natural that it died. Time to play games which I have missed out for many many years :p In the end the cost of owning a PS2 for now is RM65 ie the cost to replace the IC.

The limited edition Gran Tourismo white console with its 2 white controllers

Up close on the white console

The bag of games :D

Ten Ten Ten ...

This weekend did not start on a good note, literally because while browsing my Facebook updates, a friend posted a series of sad Korean songs. One of the MV caught my attention and eventhough there was no English subtitles, i watched the 2 parts and amazingly i cried influenced by the rhythm and story in the MV.

Its about what you would do if you had the chance to turn back time or change the past. Im sure in some moments of our lives we would look back and regret some of the choices/actions that we have made/taken. Many of which we would like to go back and change. I do have many things which I would love to change BUT it is not possible to change what is past.

포지션 - 그대가 이세상에 있는것 만으로

한동안 그대가 내 곁을 떠나가 버렸다는 것을
믿을 수 없었지만 더 이상 난 부정할 수 없네
내 진실을 주고 해맑은 사랑을 느꼈는데
어느새 그대에 마음이 내게서 멀어져갔네

이제 사랑이 너무 두려워
이런 아픔을 견딜 수 없어
무너진 나의 가슴을 어디에서

위로 받을 수 있을까
아니야 나는 사랑한거야
영원히 변하지 않는 그런 사랑을
그래 나는 후회하지 않아
사랑이 떠나버려도 내겐 소중한 것을
가슴깊이 느끼네
그대가 이 세상에 있는것 만으로
내겐 기쁨을 주는데
내겐 기쁨을 주는데

위로 받을 수 있을까
아니야 나는 사랑한거야
영원히 변하지 않는 그런 사랑을
그래 나는 후회하지 않아
사랑이 떠나버려도 내겐 소중한 것을
가슴깊이 느끼네
그대가 이 세상에 있는것 만으로
내겐 기쁨을 주는데
내겐 기쁨을 주는데

Korean like Japanese are quite complicated to be translated. So some things may be lost in translation :(

Position - You, just being in this world

for a while I couldn’t believe that you’ve
Left my side but I can no longer deny it
I had felt a refreshing form of love and you’ve given me the truth
But at one point, your heart has been distancing yourself from me

Now I’m so afraid of that love
I can’t endure this kind of pain
Where am I supposed to find comfort
For my crushed heart?

No I l had loved
A kind of love that would never change
Yes, I have no regrets
Even if that love leaves, it’s precious to me
I can feel it deep inside my heart
You, just being in this world
Gives me happiness
Gives me happiness

No I l had loved
A kind of love that would never change
Yes, I have no regrets
Even if that love leaves, it’s precious to me
I can feel it deep inside my heart
You, just being in this world
Gives me happiness
Gives me happiness

Should I thank my friend for introducing such a beautiful and meaningful song or should i be angry for making me down for the weekend?

Food Adventure @ Cristang

Ever since we got our yearly big payout aka bonus, my colleagues and i have been more willing to spend a little bit more for lunch. On the same week we got the payment, we went to a restaurant which normally we would only go on paydays. The following day we went to Kin Kin Curry Pan Mee at Medan Tuanku. Today we went to an interesting place called Cristang at 8 Avenue, near PJ Hilton. Their speciality, pork burgers!

Cristang signage - "Pork in all its glory"

As i was in a meeting when they made reservations and ordered food via phone call to the place, i was told that we will be tasting 5 types of pork burgers. From other blogs, the burgers looked big and there were only 3 guys, 2 of whom have bigger stomach so i was sweating already before we left office. As many people are still away on extended holiday for Hari Raya, Federal Highway was quite clear and we reached the place in less than 20 minutes. Since we made reservations and have ordered in advance, we just had to order our drinks before our burgers were served in around 10-15 minutes after we were seated.

The menu for selection of Pork Burgers, i suppose P denotes pork :p
Premium BavariCUM?
Nice ambiance
P2 Burger - Pork patty (P1) with bacon
P3 = P2 + Chili Con Carne (something like yuk sui with chili)
P4 = P3 + petai, busuknyer
P9 = P1 + Kimchi + Vegetable side dish
P10 Mk 2 = P3 + jalapeno ie more spicy
Dessert = Fried butter cake with icecream
After the 5 shared burgers, we snapped up this dessert in about 2 minutes according to timestamp XD
Tapau for another colleague who always have noon meeting, P3

Since this was quite an adhoc lunch outside, nobody brought a camera and my phone camera was said to be the best so i was tasked to take the pictures. However we were all quite hungry and so nobody remembered to take pictures hence the more than half eaten burgers before picture was taken scenario above :p

As you can see from the timestamps, we were like beasts and managed to gobble down the 5 burgers in around the same time that it took for us to get to the place. I would recommend the burgers with at least the Chili Corn Carne level. I don't like petai so i quickly washed P4 down with my drink.

Although everyone got a little slow when the last piece of the shared burgers were lapped up, we did agree to a dessert which was highly recommended by my colleague who suggested the place. I am also not a big fan of butter flavoured foods but i had no problem finishing this dessert well within 2 minutes. Almost like sekejap ada, sekejap tarak.

In summary, YUMMY!!! Porku burger hontonyi oushi, sugoi, besto. The damage for each person inclusive of drinks was RM39. IMHO it was worth the price, porkstifaction =D~~

The damage even before i board the plane

After a very long absence from vacations, i finally managed to grow enough balls to want to go on a vacation which does jive with my new year resolution to want to use my passport at least 1 more time before it expires next year. As with most vacations, there will be costs involved for the travel. Being a calculative person, i do keep track of my expenditure from time to time especially when im on a tight budget.

Now let's take a look at the damage before i even board the plane to my destination :

MAS return tickets to New Zealand : RM2880 + 9% interest for 12 month installments ~ RM261.6 per month
JetStar return tickets to Christchurch : NZD132 ~ Rm303.6
Air NZ Auckland to Wellington : NZD60 ~ RM138
Car rental from Wellington to Auckland : NZD152.75 ~ RM351.33
Accomodation at Rotorua for 2 nights : RM400

Misc preparations :

International Driving License : RM150
Sunscreen : RM25
Shoes : RM100
Waterproof camera bag : RM100
Socks : RM75

So in total that's already more than 4.5k before i even leave the country ...

Im planning to bring NZD2k so that's another 4.6k, 10k for a trip because i don't have a travel partner who wants to go to nearer destinations like HK, Taiwan etc :( What to do, everyone have gone to those destinations before or have made other reservations later this year.

Some randomness to end my post :)

The stuff which are going to be in my backpack, maybe not the waterproof camera bag :p

Some test pics which i took with my camera inside the waterproof camera case :

Perhaps it works better underwater?

Wisdom minus 2

After more than a month of suffering, i have finally managed to purge 2 wisdoms. Unfortunately i am still clutching my cheek because its now quite swollen and i dislike eating time. Not just because i can't use my whole mouth to chew, i don't feel like opening my jaw wider than an inch, reminds me of the surgery that i had to keep it ajar while 2 strangers are looking into it and one of them shoving metal instruments into my mouth to remove my unwanted wisdoms.

I look like half a chipmunk now, one side of my cheek is stuffed with a nut so it looks swollen. Can't have much of expressions too. The skin is stretched so much so that it is uncomfortable to make a smile.

On 1 hand im glad that im rid of a menace that has caused me some sleepless nights due to the intensity of the pain that it spread up to my head. Those nights i had to take a ponstan just to resume sleep. Awoken in the middle of the night to a pulsing headache is something that i won't want to experience too often. On the other hand, im clutching my face as if shyness is just showing on the left side of my face.

The meds that im taking now are quite a mouthful, mostly antibiotics to make sure that my wound won't become infected as its surrounded by bacteria which are naturally living in my mouth. Surprisingly i had not taken a single painkiller so far as the pain is much more tolerable than i imagined except for the fact that i will get hungry and will need to use my mouth.

Also since i required stitches to close up my lower jaw wounds, the doctor left quite a long trailing surgery thread that is making my tongue busy to try to get rid of that annoying piece of thing from between my jaws. Hopefully it will dissolve faster than what im told because its really getting on my nerve! Feels like a piece of food stuck at the back of my mouth ...

I think i understand why some people would not want to have any teeth removal procedures being done in the evening because if the bleeding have not stopped before you go to bed, you might drool blood onto your pillow. Yes, there are a few blood stains on my pillow =_=

Since my lower left jaw's wisdom tooth damaged my good working tooth, i need to go back to the hospital to get it fixed and also schedule for another surgery to remove my last wisdom. I think i will do that after my trip, don't want to be not able to use my mouth to taste the wonders of New Zealand :D though most of the food there are red meat, which i do not fancy =_="

Eels - Fresh Feeling

This is the first time i heard this song and imagine my reaction when google results turned up that a fish is singing it LOL. Not really sure why i liked it but perhaps it was a very suitable song to be playing in the background of a drama that im watching. The lyrics don't really stand out too much nor does it have those striking words that might jive with your life's events. Anyways, here are the lyrics :)

Eels - Fresh Feeling

You don't have a clue
What it is like to be next to you
I'm here to tell you
That it is good
That it is true

[Chorus : ]
Birds singing a song
Old paint is peeling
This is that fresh
That fresh feeling

Words can't be that strong
My heart is reeling
This is that fresh
That fresh feeling
[End Chorus]

Try
Try to forget what's in the past
Tomorrow is here
Love,
Orange sky above lighting your way
There's nothing to fear

[Chorus]

Some people are good
Babe in the 'hood
So pure and so free
I'd make a safe bet
You're gonna get whatever you need

[Chorus]

That fresh feeling
This is that fresh feeling ...

Last of my 20s

As many of friends would have voiced out before me, I am now officially into my final year of 20s. Its not like the big 3 0 scares me because i have always been said to be older than i look.

Anyways the signs have been there all the while. When i was 15, a distant aunt commented that i looked like a 25 year old and should get married @_@||| I almost fainted and i was really seeing stars after hearing that. Now that im getting balder, i look more like someone entering the 40s zzz

There had been quite a few "first"s for me this year. The most obvious one would of course be my trip to New Zealand WOOT! Have been quite down for many reasons and i was looking forward to have a trip hopefully with some friends but many of whom have made their plans well in advance or maybe i should say that i was the one too slow to want to join them? Well whatever the reason, i think i prefer decisions made not too much in advance and hence my sudden urge to travel partly due to the several promotions held by a few airlines. If i had company, i would most likely would have travelled to Hong Kong or Taiwan or Korea or a place in the region. But as things developed, i could not find a friend to go with so i just went big and picked New Zealand :)

I have always wanted to go New Zealand especially after watching Lord of the Rings. There is a strange attraction about it. Of course then there is an outstanding conversation i had with a very good friend of mine that i would love to visit her there. So after many many days of asking around and consideration, i just went for it not knowing if my bonus will be able to cover for my expenditures but what the heck. If you think too much sometimes, it just won't happen.

I also did something uncharacteristic of me, something which i never thought i would do. Anyways, i tried it and it did not work out as well as i wanted it. Well at least i have done what i have always tried to picture i would do. Guess the things in movies only happens in movies.

Something coincidental happened in my game too :p

Ranked 888th in the game after gaining 18 rankings on 8/8/2010.

That's a lot of "8"s to my liking XD the number of players online i finally got it after my 3rd screenshot :D Just wanted to make it look more nice :p

Looking forward to my trip and hope that my work won't be piling up when i get back tomorrow but i already know i have loads to do.