Pop dream

Some of you might know that I sing as a hobby. But most might not realise that I have a YouTube channel which is very active of late.

I think I began uploading videos of myself singing cover versions circa 2007. At the time, I had my favourite Nokia phone which had two cameras and recorded quality videos and audio — but I dropped it in front of the office without realising it one day and it was gone 😦

My channel went on a hiatus for a while after that because I couldn’t find a good camera to record with. I ruled out web cams because they are horrible for recording YouTube videos. The visual and audio quality is unpredictable; you just don’t know how your videos are going to turn out.

It’s a good thing that my husband and I got the Sony Nex5 recently because it is not only a good digital slr camera but also an excellent video recorder as it records in High Definition.

And this time around, I have my husband to play the guitar for me so that I don’t need to rely on instrumental/minus one and have more room to add my interpretation to a popular song.

My channel doesn’t have thousands of subscribers yet. Sure, one video has had close to 3,000 views — only because I linked it to a popular video and it has been there for three years.

But getting thousands of views was not my aim when I set up the channel. It’s all just for fun; something that my husband and I can do together in our spare time.

I don’t want to say much because I’d rather the music speak for itself. So I’ll leave you with one of the videos that we recently recorded. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting my blog! If you like what you just read, feel free to share it on Facebook or Twitter. You might also like to check out my older stuff and my other blog. Thank you so much and see you soon!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

It has been ages, I know. For that I apologise, folks.

My last post was 15 days ago. Needless to say, I had been up to many good and no goods since then 🙂

I went karaokeing with my husband and sister (on two separate occasions)

There is this new karaoke place in SA on the topmost floor of a nearby hotel. I promise you it’s not dodgy. In fact it’s quite clean as it is relatively new. It’s arguably one of the cheapest joints I have been to. If you are ever in town, do drop by. I mean, where else can you sing your heart out for only RM25 for TWO hours?

I had a lot of noodles

I recently discovered N00dle Stati0n. Its speciality is of course noodles but it serves Malaysianised Western food and goreng-goreng as well. But what got me hooked to the eatery is the more than two dozen types of hot and cold beverages on the menu. I recommend this one drink which is blue in colour and tastes like tasty cough syrup 🙂 Everything there is about RM6. Western food is slightly more expensive. The drinks, on the other hand, are rather pricey. They are also priced at RM6. But they come in tall glasses, so you can share the drink and split the cost.

I went to Ho Chi Minh City for 4 days and 3 nights

I’ve been to Hanoi before (last year) and was quite excited when I was sent to follow a group of 60+ college students on a study tour there. I really had fun because I had good company. We visited a local orphanage, did some sight-seeing around the city, visited local tertiary institutions, interacted with local students, shopped and tasted local delicacies.

I was proud of myself for being brave enough to try the local street food (equivalent to our gerai). It’s a pretty big deal for someone who is so anal about getting food poisoning (excuse the pun). When the host asked me if I’d like to try the local food, I had to grin and bare it. I don’t feel good about forcing everyone to follow my dietary regime. I know we’re supposed to follow our guts but in this case, I refuse to let my gut rule my life. I didn’t regret my decision at all. The grilled fish we had was so tasty and sweet and I loved the way they cooked the kangkong. Sedap!

So, moral of the story: high stakes, big reward.

P/S: I bought imitation canvas shoes which I simply adore for less than RM55. So happy 😀

I received lots of free books in the mailbox

I joined this online book swapping club called BookMooch recently. I sent two books to Singapore and Spain and have received two books so far from Spore. These are books that I have been meaning to buy but couldn’t afford — despite having book allowance. Well, you have to have some dough to buy the books before you can claim, right? Anyway, I’m happy that I got these books for free. I only spent about RM20 in stamps to send my two almost brand new books. I’m glad to report that my two recipients were happy with the condition of the books.

I received lots of items I bought online in the mailbox

These include my two tops, handbag and necklaces which I wear to death. I’m itching to make new purchases online. I saw a few nice tops and a pair of pants on cososo which I may just get. Free postage mah!

I’m sure I did a lot more than this but I can’t really remember. Besides, I’m kinda tired. Till next time neh…

Hooked on you

I’m seriously hooked on online shopping. It’s so weird. These days, I actually find clothes and bags on the pages of an online boutique more appealing than the ones on the racks of actual stores!

I used to think that I need to touch and feel the items that I buy BEFORE I purchase them. But, I’ve been converted. I love the ease of paying via fund transfers. If you have a question about the product, assistance is just an email/phone call/IM away. No sales assistants tailing you while you browse the store. Ahhh… bliss!

So far, I have bought two tops online. I’m looking forward to the first top I bought from here which will be delivered to me right around my birthday. I’ve paid for it eons ago. It’s taking a while to be delivered because apparently, all the items sold on the website will be made upon receiving the order. I thought that was interesting. Can’t say I like the wait but never mind lah. The top I’m getting is worth the wait. (Unfortunately, I can’t find a picture of it on the website anymore. So I’ll just take a picture of it once I receive it).

Another top bought from here will be delivered to me early February (I hope). I just paid for it this morning, a few days past the deadline set for ordering. But the girls running the store were kind enough to pay for me first when I couldn’t meet the payment deadline. Now that is what I call good customer service! I had bought my first item from there — my green bag – offline (at a bazaar) and that entitled me to a 10 per cent discount on my next purchase (the top).

My third purchase will be a Chanel-inspired quilted bag from here. It will be a birthday gift to myself. I haven’t placed an order yet because I feel guilty buying the bag too early. If it’s going to be a birthday gift, it should arrive near my birthday. Otherwise, the excitement would be lost!

So yes, those are my past and future purchases via the world wide web. If you haven’t tried online shopping, you don’t know what you’re missing!

If you’re still hesitant, start with baby steps (something small, practical, that you won’t regret buying). I forgot to mention that my first online purchase was actually a bag organiser (something like this). I get frustrated when I change bags and discover that I had left certain things behind. So the organiser has these little pockets that can fit all my essentials (especially my girly kit for that time of the month). So when I next change my bag, I just transfer the organiser and not have to worry about anything. Now, I can’t live without it. It’s an affordable product that I really recommend.

On another note, I have been quite busy of late. Monday to Wednesday are going to be crazy from now on because I have two deadlines. Some of you may already know that I’m wearing two hats right now. Juggling two deadlines is tough especially when the two deal with different subjects. It’s like trying to cope with a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde persona. You’re already used to one personality and still getting a hang of the other. Yet it’s difficult to handle both because getting used to the new persona is consuming too much of your time and energy that the original one gets a little neglected. I don’t know if I’m making sense but that’s how I can describe my current situation is.

But life wouldn’t be interesting without curve balls thrown at you once in a while, right?

So I will take it in stride.

On that note, I shall wrap up this entry and go freshen up. Before I forget, I should let you know that I lost my perfect organiser (read two entries ago) but I shamelessly asked for a replacement and got it this morning. My life is perfect again!

Also, I took part in a treasure hunt, my team came in 17th out of 20th spot, won Rm50 and Rm200 in !kea vouchers (for coming out first in a karaoke contest after the hunt). I have a charmed life, I know 😛

Concert

Happy Federal Territory day!

January whizzed by so fast, I didn’t even have time to reflect on what the heck happened last month. Oh yes. Apart from work and more work, I managed to squeeze in some time for entertainment. On Jan 27, I went to see Anugerah Juara Lagu at Stadium Nasional and just a few hours ago, I was at Sh3ila Maj1d’s charity concert.

First up, I have a confession. Sh3ila Majid has not registered as one of my favourite singers in years. I grew up listening to her songs but since the Ratu album, I was not into her anymore. But when the offer for free tickets for two to watch her concert came my way on Thursday, even I surprised myself when I said yes. I thought I’d go with my husband but he said he wasn’t very keen. So I thought of my brother who – as far as I remember – was a big fan.

So, after a shopping outing with my department – we were helping our new colleague update his wardrobe … long story… I’ll update you on this later – I rushed home and had only an hour to get ready for the concert. I picked my red and white dress which I bought from Tawau and paired it with my shoes from Charles and Keith. I wasn’t so sure about the dress code. I may have been over-dressed but I’d rather be over-dressed than under if you know what I mean.

My husband who had made plans to chill with his friends in KL sent me to the lrt asiajaya station where I took the train to klcc. I went straight to mdm kwan’s for dinner with our gracious host the peeps from T-to-the-M. They were the ones who gave me and a bunch of other writers complimentary tickets worth RM200. We had dinner, chatted and walked together to the convention centre. I didn’t realise that the convention centre has a plenary hall which is a huge auditorium.

The hall wasn’t full. We were seated at the row before last, way up there and we could see about 7 rows on the right side of the stage were practically empty. But after the first set, the usherers told us we could fill the empty seats in front of us. So we did.

The concert started out a little slow. She sang Warna and Pengemis Muda first. They were familiar songs; I could actually sing along to them but something was missing. It was only after she started singing the P Ramlee songs from her Lagenda album that the concert became alive, for me at least. Things picked up even more after she invited everyone to dance.

My favourite part of the concert would be the P Ramlee songs – especially Engkau Laksana Bulan when she was accompanied by the Indonesian violinist Henry somethingorother. OMG, he is so f*ing good. You had to be there to know what I mean. I wish I could youtube the guy right now and show you how good he is 🙂

I had a really good time at the concert. I didn’t expect to enjoy myself this much considering that I’m a bigger fan of CT than Sheila these days. I still think that if it had been a CT concert, the hall would have been fuller. But I’m not sure if CT can command the stage the way Sheila did. Sheila’s stage presence is superb. Well, she has been in the biz for 20 years.

Now, I vow to sing her songs the next time I go karaoke-ing. I want to learn how to sing Ku Pohon so that I can pick the song next time I karaoke. I don’t know why I always overlook Sheila when I karaoke because I know a lot of her songs and I know I can carry the tunes. Tak per lah. There is always a next time. Hmmm… maybe tomorrow at the club? That’s an idea.

Oh btw Princess, your hubby was there showing his support for Sheila. Of course, Tun Dr M and wife were also there as the patron of the 1JN, the organiser of the charity event. They were really committed because they stayed throughout the concert. Some VIPs would creep out quietly mid-show. But not this couple. I didn’t even see them leave the hall for a bathroom break. Cayalah *lol*

Anyway, I shall suggest the karaoke plan to my husband later. In the mean time, I better get some sleep. Later alligator! In a while, crocodile! wtf

P/S: I bought a new pilates video from Denise Austin from Speedy. There were a bunch of new dvds but I could only afford one first. I hope to try it tomorrow.

Sunday

This is weird.

Dexter and Deedee are sleeping earlier than me. As I write this, Deedee is curled up at her favourite spot – the roller ball – on the first floor, whereas Dexter is on the ground floor sleeping next to the food container. Hmmm… I thought hamsters sleep during the day??

Anyways, I am tired but not sleepy yet. Just came back from bant1ng where my husband spent the entire time babying the pet monkey his cousin’s uncle keeps. They named the monkey (kera) Bu/sh after Ge0rge Bu/sh. He’s the cutest little thing. He’s less than six-months-old I think and is absolutely manja. He is so childlike and by that I mean like a human child. He gets upset if he thinks that my husband is leaving his side and insists of literally hanging on to him. So by the time we came back to SA, both of us smelled of monkey and by that I mean of mild BO. It’s true! That’s the only way I can describe the smell of a monkey.

So both of us duly showered to get rid of the “stench” once we got home.

It has been a long day because we’ve been out of the house since noon. We went to the family carnival organised by B/H and had fun. They cancelled the married couple karaoke contest because the organisers were running out of time. I just wished they had made official announcement to inform that it has been cancelled, though. But I’m glad I went to the family carnival because I got to see performances by An1ta Swk, M1sha 0mar and Datuk S1t1 Nurhal1za. An1ta or kak n1ta as she is fondly known amongst her fans is so small in person. She has the figure of a girl in her late teens/early 20s, I kid you not. And she is what… 65?

I’m glad I got to see M1sha 0mar perform live for the first time. I really love her voice. But I thought she chose the wrong song to perform. She should have sung Nafas Cahaya after she did Berdua Lebih Baik, that Indonesian number, instead of Ku Seru the sequel to her famous Pulangkan. The song is too slow for a family carnival.

And it is also nice to see S1t1 Nurhalz1za perform. She looked AND sounded great. She sang her Siti Situ Sana Sini, followed by a number written by Yassin and duetted with our topmost boss on My Heart.

Speaking of duets, BH’s big boss duetted with the vile Maw1 on the song Lagu Cinta. Yes, all our bosses are gila glamour great singers. Seeing Mae1 needing “high” security made me want to hurl. Like, please lah! But people were crowding him so I don’t blame the fella. But his popularity was clearly overshadowed by S1t1 because people were literally crowding the stage to take pictures as she sang. People only crowded around Maw1 AFTER he sang. So what do you think of that Maw1? Still think you’re the biggest thing in Msia?

Hehehe… Emosional pulak 😛

So that was basically my Sunday.

P/S: Deedee and Dexter must have been sleep walking because now they’ve moved spot (on the same levels which they were on earlier) and they are back to sleep again.

Call me karaoke queen

Why? Because I’ve made a vow to enter all the amateur karaoke contest (especially for media) that I can 😛

After the NPC-D1g1 contest which I entered last month — in which I won third place 😦 — I signed up for another competition taking place tomorrow. BH is organising its family carnival in conjunction with its 50th anniversary tomorrow and they are organising lots of activities for the entire family. One of them is the husband-and-wife karaoke contest 😛 I have no idea what the prizes are (I hope it’s cash and lots of them) but I had convinced my husband that we must, absolutely must enter. When I signed up, there were only about three or four other couples. I think they’re looking for 10.

It’s funny though because no one called us to reconfirm the details, although I had left our details in the form. All I know is that the contest starts at 2pm. So, we’d better leave the house tomorrow just before noon. We’re probably going to sing Jangan Ada Dusta, a duet by Broery Marantika and Dewi Yull. It’s a slow ballad which is not so hard on the larynx – because husband can’t really hit the high notes – and soothing to the ear.

Well that is tomorrow.

Last night, I entered a contest during the Gold3n Hop3 media night and won…(drum roll please) first place! Woohoo! I got a RM500 JJ shopping voucher. Not bad eh?

Two years ago, I entered the same contest, got second place and won RM700 worth of shopping vouchers. Nampaknya, nilai hadiahnya sudah merosot. But at least I got RM500. Who is going to give me that much cash to shop, right?

I don’t have anything specific to shop for. Maybe I’ll buy something frivolous with it like clothes 😛 I heard JJ is having a sale now. Can I say perfect timing?

Bad luck? So the drama

Looks like there will not be an ipod for me… yet.

I got No 3 for the solo category.. or should I say catergory.. as the word is spelt on the d1g1 envelope which I got as part of the prize for the d1g1-NpC karaoke competition. The envelope contained a letter which said that my the cheque for my RM400 cash prize will be delivered to me later. I also got a 6070 nokia phone and a trophy. Not bad eh?

Former colleague K1na got 2nd place. She did Fran’s Aku Seorang Pendatang very well. I on the other hand didn’t sing my song well enough. I think I had an out of body experience because I hardly remember what happened on stage except that the performance went by so fast. It was almost as if I didn’t have any control of what was going on.

Anyway, after I finished my performance, I pretty much knew that I had screwed up my chance of winning 1st place that anyone remotely better than me would easily beat me.

But to be honest, I didn’t expect to be beaten by the guy who won first place (who shall remain anonymous). I mean, seriously, he got first place? He is not even good. In fact, I was surprised he made it to the finals.

If anyone really deserved the top spot, it would be that chinese guy who went down on his knees. His performance was a little theatrical, I have to admit, but he told a story through his song. Alas, the juries chose mr tv guy for reasons only they and god know.

Do you think the results were read backwards? Which means I got first spot and therefore am the rightful owner of the ipod nano? Hah! I wish!

Well, juries’ decision is final, as they say.

I guess I should have seen the signs from the moment I realised that my karaoke vcd was not in my bag. I found it at home near the washing machine. Then, I wanted to get my eyebrows done and only managed to find a shop which offered such services after three tries. After that, when I wanted to pick up my dress, I realised that the laundromat’s front door was closed. Apparently, they close every alternate Fridays. But luckily I saw the owner closing the back door. When we were finding my dress, turns out that they haven’t ironed it. I sent it to be dry-cleaned on the 11th. The dress was delivered to me at about 6pm. Then, we I got to d1g1’s office, I discovered I had just started my monthly when I went to the toilet and I didn’t have a pad with me. So, I did what some girls would do when they’re stuck in such a situation: use toilet tissue. Gross I know but desperate times call for desperate measure!

The only time I was lucky all day was when I went to get my hair done. I didn’t have to wait at all – apparently, the crowd had lessen just a few minutes before I arrived. I guess I should count my blessings and consider myself lucky for winning 3rd place. I mean, I got to the finals beating 20 over soloists and I am the third best solo singer out of 10 people. Not bad lah….

Well, hope the 14th of July brings better luck my way.

One step closer to fame and my very own Ipod :)

By now, some of you may have already known that I made it to the finals of the D1G1-NpC karaoke competition. Kamm asked me how many soloists got through to the final round and I couldn’t answer for certain. I was on the stage for a bit but took of to visit the loo before the photographer Ros3la took a group picture of winners. I had a stomach upset about an hour before the results were announced, so was popping in and out of the toilet 😛

Anyway, my husband said there was a news report on it (the result, not me getting the runs) in the MM yesterday written by my old college pal. I should check it out.

Kamm also said I should be out celebrating but I was too spent, to be honest. Two late nights (for the prelim and the results) are enough for me.

But today I MUST start practising. No time to lose anymore. Yesterday I sent my dress for dry cleaning and got some medicine for my stomach problem. With those problems sorted, I should be able to focus my “eye on the prize” (think Violet, the gum-chewing girl and her mom in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie) .

But before that, I have my pages to proofread. I’ll talk to you soon!

You’re killing me

I haven’t laughed like I did yesterday in a looooong time.

It all started when An3n picked that raya song by S.J1beng at the karaoke last night. I can’t even remember its name. Then, CT got the bright idea of saying a raya dedication during the song.

CT: Saya Lans Korporel yadayadayada dari rejimen 19863 ingin mengucapkan selamat hari raya kepada….

I tell you… I just “died”. After that, everyone else joined in. Those dedications only work for raya songs. I know Syawal is over but if you “accidentally” play a raya song and make such a dedication, you’ll feel the raya spirit. Try it this Raya Korban!

CT and I duetted in the song Cinta (Kr1s Dayant1 and Melly G) …. and failed …. because neither of us are familiar with it. And then we sang Percayalah and Pudar together and some other songs too.

And then I sang Never Too Far (I’ve always wanted to sing that at the karaoke) and Nazam Lebaran. Of course we did our dedications then too. Nazam was such a loooong song and I so suck at Melayu Asli, so I was more than happy to laugh than sing.

Then L1ya came. I haven’t heard her sing in a looong time, too. Being a big fan of Ella, she sang Ala Amerika. Then we all sang Khayalan and ended the night with Selangit (dangdut song). It was hilarious. L1ya sang with heart and soul 😛

After that, we adjourned to Pelita near KLCC. The mee goreng was quite good.

My husband and I gave L1ya a lift home (we all live in Shah Alam). Throughout the drive home, we talked about the blogs we read and how we feel about camwhores. More about that when I come home from my Kuala Selangor outing with my peeps from the office.

So, yes, my husband will be an “orang bujang” this weekend. You know what, so will I 🙂