PS3 - Playing Seriously 3 - Wanna be a rockstar?

The latest craze in the gaming section seems to be the Rockband or Guitar Hero games. Almost every other computer shop have stocked up these mock band sets in their stores like it's the hottest items for Xmas. It's popularity is further spured by it's compatibility with PS3, Wii and Xbox 360. I suppose a lot of people buy them in conjunction with long Chinese New Year holidays. Good idea too as it's something you can show off to your guests when they come visiting besides being good entertainment value.

I now understand why cousin bought it just a few weeks before the New Year. Just ample time for them to practise. And their practise paid off as they can play expert level for drums and guitar now. No wonder he kept asking me to practise my vocal chords before coming to his house for an "audition". He seriously warned me against making a fool of myself with the vocals should I play expert level.

I still remember the eager beaver look on my cousin's face when he first got the PS3 set. He came to my house with the new toy and insisted we go for yumcha. It was pretty weird for him to insist that I go for yumcha even though there was a special guest that he wanted me to meet. True enough, Miss Cake was back from UK but I guess the real reason was to practise the Guitar Hero as it needs 4 people to make up the complete band of drums, guitar, bass and vocals.

Practising with the Guitar Hero for the first time was pretty frustrating (although fun) since everyone was new with the game. (We were so amused by the new game that we stayed till 4am - but I think the neighbours weren't too amuse with our bad music and laughters...). We couldn't even go pass the first bar without mistakes or totally striking out. Cousin Mun said he wanted to sell the set at ebay the next day. Guess he wouldn't part with it for a 1000 bucks now that he's mastered some of the songs like Hotel California, Beat It, Eye of a Tiger, Living on a Prayer and About A Girl. (To further illustrate and emphasize how frustrating it is to play "expert" level without practising: even Little b was frustrated, and shouted, "What is wrong with you guys?" when he was playing the "easy" drums while we keep striking out with our "expert" instruments. "C'mon Miao, let's get out of here", cried a bored Little b and ran off to play in the garden with his cousin Miao after we struck out a few rounds).

With this game, we now appreciate how difficult it is to play music, let alone be a rockstar (especially when you try and play No Doubt's Spiderwebs) and thus, perhaps think twice before we give in to piracy. (I know I know, the heart is willing but the flesh is weak).

Here's a few rockstars wanna be...

This one looks like a serious Yee Woo player rather than a rocker.
Aren't we a little too ambitious to play and sing at the same time?
This one takes the cake.... King of all ROCKERS!!! Yeah Man...!



The "band" singing (or killing) Nirvana's About A Girl

Living on a Prayer? How apt to be playing a rock song in front of the altar! Omitofu... Yau Kwai Muk Kwai.... (translated to something equivalent to "Father please forgive me for I have sin...")

Miss Clumsy

Cant believe that the CNY predictions are so accurate... This Miss Clumsy slipped and fell flat on her bum yesterday. And now I can't sit for long. I can't enjoy my favourite passtime of web-surfing without risk feeling that sharp, piercing painful pull on the tip of my backbone after sittng for 10 minutes. This is torture. Going up the stairs makes me feel like an old lady. When I got in and out of the car, my slow-motion back breaking expression makes little b exclaim, "You're getting old, mom..."

Ohhh... this is frustrating. I hate the feeling of being helpless. It's so depressing. It makes me vulnerable. It makes me crave for attention.... makes me yearn for loads of pampering and TLC... makes me wanna cry for help....

But I can't or I won't because I was brought up with the notion "to help ourselves first before seeking help". Seeking help should be the last resort....

And these 2 conflicting internal emotions are taking a toil on me. The normally patient and composed me has turned into a short-fused unreasonable monster, short of being foul-mouth.

However, I still don't feel sorry for the nurse who made me wait 20 minutes for my painkillers which I probably wouldn't consume. And she has the cheek to tell me that she was on the phone. There were 3 staff and all 3 were chatting away and I patiently waited at the empty clinic (I was the last of a series of patients and the wait for the consultation itself took me around 30 minutes). I was kept busy with Bryan's funny school stories for the first 20 minutes until I realised 2 other walk-in customers taking their medication before me and I went into RAGING MAD MODE. I stood up and ask the other 2 nurses, who wasn't on the phone, to pass me my medication as I have been waiting for almost an hour. They just stared blankly at me. The woman finally put down the phone and started to look irritated by saying, "Mana ada 1 hour. Just now I couldn't serve you because on the line..."

I told her to shut up, stop wasting time and to prepare the medication and swipe my card. I also started scolding them about their incompetence. And they didn't have the courtesy of saying sorry. Really stupid. I was sooo freaking angry, that when I left, I criticised the stupid fat woman (don't even think she's a qualified nurse), "Don't even know how to say sorry! No manners!"

And then I left the clinic in a huff, only to realised I had forgotten my receipt. I went back, still in raging mad mode, demanding for the receipt. Initially, they said they couldn't print it again since I didnt request for one earlier. Then they tried to press one of the buttons on the credit card swipe machine, and the receipt was printed out. I was still so boiling furious that I scolded her, "Bodoh!" as I took the receipt and left again ... for good.

I know, I know, I have been unreasonable for scolding them, but given my situation, I bet you all would have reacted the same way (if not worse!)... And to top off all of those internal topsy turvy mixed up feelings, I have to suffer from PMS too. Arghhhh...

Maybe I went to the doctor for wrong ailment, thus getting the wrong presciptions. Maybe I should've just gone to a spa and have a good looking masseur pamper me instead of getting all tensed up with those incompetent nurses!

Any prescriptions for internal emotional turmoil, anyone?

Pictures source: www.123rf.com

First day of school again

Just finished wrapping son's text books - 2 nights in a row, because I ran out of wrapping plastic covers earlier. Yeah, kids nowadays are spoiled brats, the parents do everything for them...but what to do, most family units are small and usually the only son or daughter, thus the extra pampering...

Hard to believe that time flies so fast. It's like only yesterday that I blogged about his first day in Kindergarten! It's really frightening sometimes to think that all these while I have been so protective. He has never crossed the road by himself before and today I had to let him cross all by himself while watching behind the bus stop with a weary heart. He thought it was fun to have a Pedestrian Crossing Policemen to guide them across (little b calls him the "School Crossing Guard" which I later found out to be the more correct term. Hmm... he learns quite a lot from the Higglytown Heroes from Disney Channel!).

Anyway, when he finally saw me following from behind, his dependence began to seep in and he started to ask me where he should like up for the assembly. I told him that I wont be here tomorrow and he would have to ask the teacher. He was quite shy and was still tugging at my hands to bring him to the correct line among the throngs of other children in the assembly. I stayed put and just then, the bell rang, signalling the start of school. My son was like suddenly hypnotised (struck by fear perhaps?) and quickly ran to the teacher to ask her where his class is. The teacher-in-charge pointed out his class to him and he hastily walked towards the back to join the line of his cute tiny comrades.

The kids nowadays are much braver than how we used to be last time, which is good. And they are more verbal. I followed the class as their teacher bring them around to tour the school and I noticed the Year 1 children dare to ask questions, like, "What's an auditorium?"

I also find that the teacher has a hard time answering the questions belted out by these tiny tots. There's one particular stair case which leads to the staff room and the children are not suppose to use that stair case. During the tour, the teacher was warning the children not to use that stair case and one of the children shouted, "Why cannot use that staircase?"

The teacher was at her wits end and said, "I say cannot means cannot. You cannot ask me why cannot."

And then towards the end of the tour, one of the children shouted out to the teacher, "When can we go back to the class?" (in a very bored tone). Their short little legs must be tired after walking around the big school. Little b was a little frightened by the sheer size of the school and told me, "This school is dangerous, Mom. It's too big. I can get lost in it!"

I sometimes wonder how the teachers can withstand not laughing at the children, or pulling a straight face when the 30+ children starts behaving naughty. During the lesson, the teacher was explaining the discipline record book and how she would jot down their naughty deeds to show to the parents. One of the kids pointed to his neighbour and shouted at him, "She's talking about you ah!" I muffled my uncontrolled laughter at the back of the class.

And then when it was time to go home, some of the children just pack their bags and run out of the class because they were too eager to reunite with their parents. The teacher had to shout, "OOIII OOOOIIII OOIIII.... jangan balik dulu. Beratur dulu." (Don't go home yet. Have to line up). All the parents waiting outside couldn't help but let off a chuckle seeing that scene.

As I see willing parents lining up in long queues (which takes up to an hour) for school books, I can see that children nowadays are having it easy. Having said that, the standards set for them is also much higher now. I am sure these very parents, who are willing to queue up with Crocs slippers and six-inch heeled glass slippers (I am serious!), expect their children to perform much better than anyone else. As I leave him to take care of himself, I now understand that this first step in school does not only mean his first step to independence, but his journey to the survive and strive in this complex and perplexing society.

Good luck my son. May your journey be sweet and smooth....

A collection of tea sessions

As the year comes to an end, it's always a good time to reminisce the good times...(just to hold on to the good times, or whatever that's left of good times since 2009 is speculated to be a recession period, thus difficult times ahead.)

It's been quite a year for the HP club. Our main target for the HP club is to conduct fun "yumcha" sessions (tea drinking sessions) to help reduce our stress, revigorate our youth and basically to bond.

Never thought that our club could achieve so much this year. Not only did we manage to have our happy hours almost on a daily basis, but we also manage to bring our tea sessions to various locations (even outstation!). And we've brought our sessions to a new height with our "high-tea" sessions.

So I will dedicate this blog to thank the various hosts who have been so generous and kind to introduce and bring out the best in their areas to help make HP club such a fun and exclusive club.

Let's start with the Chinese New Year excursion to Ipoh/Lumut. Never really thought it would happen because our members are quite lethargic and indecisive but hey we went all the way to Ipoh and Lumut just to meet up with our oustation friends to reduce their boredom and bring the hustle bustle of the city (and our silliness) to their quiet hometown. We have Keyman and LP to thank for their warm hospitality and sumptious lunch and dinner when they treated us to sample the warmth and the beauty of the 2 suburbs. Read more about the trip by clicking here.

And then who can forget the recent 2 Seremban trips - so full of events, laughter and joy! All the things that happened could be used as tea session gossips for a whole month! We have MC to thank for bringing us around the place he spent most of his growing up years.

Oh, and the special yumcha trips to Puchong and Sg Long to visit the members staying in these faraway areas. We have Keyman to thank for his Puchong hospitality. The Puchong tea session was a memorable one with a good cause. Read more here.

And the Sg Long trip was a funny one albeit stressful. It was a New Year's eve yc session. We wanted to escape the city jam, thus we decided not to drink in KL but in the suburbs.

MC was suppose to lead the way but he ditched us for his other plans in Sunway. And then Keyman, with his limited memories of his trips to Cheras and Sg. Long decided to lead us to meet up with Mr. MyHump's "hometown". All was well until we reached the highway in Taman Connaught where the right lane is for U-turn to the infamous Taman Connaught pasar malam while the left lane goes through the underpass to lead to Alam Damai/Taman Len Sing. However, the road sign on top of the U-turn shows Kajang/Cheras. So, as we approached the U-turn, Rachel called from the office to report some problems, causing a confused and unfamiliar Keyman to take the U-turn. Once we hit the U-turn, our stress level increased because the traffic was building up in Cheras and we don't know how to get back on track. Just then B called and question if his plans for New Year's eve dinner was still on. With that traffic, stress level peaks, and I told him he has to go without me...

After about 15-20 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic, we finally managed to get back on track and found that Sg. Long was indeed the suburbs. The passing of 2 tolls makes it feel like we're going outstation to Mr. MyHump's hometown! As we follow the road sign to Sg. Long, Mr. MyHump called and told us that he's not really living in Sg. Long! OMG.... are we lost again!?? Stressed up again! Finally, after getting directions via phone, Keyman finally got us there and the italian food at Susan's Bistro was worth the trip albeit all the stress. The spaghetti was superb and the tiramisu was rich with enough rum to tease the tastebuds. (Can't compare to Alexis's because that is not the conventional tiramisu). And the price was reasonable too. Thank you Mr. MyHump for the Sg. Long hospitality.

Happy New Year to all from the HP club.. :) May we have many many more yumcha sessions to come.