the inaugural sekhar memorial lecture with the honorary bill clinton RUINED by RUDE LADY!

I never had abundant luck throughout my life. Of course, I consider myself lucky as I always seemed to manage to pull through at every level of my life (getting an overseas scholarship; accepted into University of Chicago; working for McKinsey) but I almost never win any lucky draws or random competitions or lotteries. So I was extremely excited when I found out that I had "won" a spot to listen to Bill Clinton give a speech in his inaugural visit to Malaysia.

Clinton gave an amazing speech -- it was captivating, relevant and inspiring. He was charming and he knew what to say and what not to say. He was also funny and definitely a joy to listen. I was and is still very glad that I was there amongst the crowd.

I really thank the organizers -- Sekhar Foundation and ASLI -- who footed the bill and brought Bill Clinton to Malaysia for this wonderful occasion. However, I was terribly offended by the people who were working the registration.

We were told to register and pick up our ticket/tags earlier at around 2pm. I was wearing a grey top and suit skirt (without the suit jacket) with heels, totally appropriate as "smart/business attire" as prescribed in the emails sent out to us. But when I picked up my ticket, the registration table asked me "where's your jacket?".

First of all, a question such as "where's your jacket?" should not be asked during registration (since the lecture was later at 5-6pm). A polite reminder to wear a jacket during the lecture would suffice.

Secondly, there was NO indication in the email that we NEEDED to wear a suit jacket. The email distinctively wrote "smart/business attire" and obviously I was careful enough to make sure of that for something as important as this.

I lied and said that my suit jacket was in the office but I couldn't help pointing out the fact that I was NEVER told to wear a suit jacket.

The youngsters at the table immediately started looking for someone who had more authority to speak with me and this lady stepped to the front to talk to me.

I repeated what I said and she retorted, "no, it's business formal".

Please la, I have the email from the organizers as proof can?

She insisted over and over again that it's business formal and then proceeded to make a comment "you're going to meet Bill Clinton without wearing your jacket?".

That is SO not the point. Not that I'll actually meet him (not to mention that I was sitted so far behind!).

I was at least in business casual if not slightly more formal than business casual and she was wearing this V-necked dress with some cleavage showing. Please tell me which is more appropriate?

And while I was still talking to her, she went "next person please" and totally ignored me!!!

I didn't want to argue anymore because she's obviously awful and rude and will not budge from her self-declared righteousness and I'll forgive her ignorance although my blood was boiling from the way she was treating me. I may be young, but a little respect please! I wasn't even being rude and I was simply pointing out a fact. It is SO Malaysian to not let people argue the facts and treat the public like shit and that's what I HATE about Malaysia. I'm sure that if I were in a different country, someone would have apologized for the inconvenience and patiently explain that there may have been some miscommunication but a suit jacket would be needed.

And guess what?

This girl who was sitting next to me in the lecture was wearing jeans and slippers wtf!

I wished I had been braver to fight it out and ask for the supervisor's name for being so rude and inconsiderate.

is this a new year or what?

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

What are you guys doing or up to this CNY?

As for me, I'm flying to JB in a few hours to meet my family there (my elder sis is in Skudai) then flying back to Kuching on Wednesday night and back to KL on Monday evening. A lot of travelling for a week of CNY right?

A lot of things happening although 2009 just started 3 weeks ago...what if Obama's inauguration, RBS's 70% nationalization, all the economic uncertainty and my career uncertainty.

le sigh~

Just looking forward to seeing mr. boyfriend for valentine's! any suggestions on places we can go (not necessarily in kl)??

Have a great CNY!

HUGS and KISSES
XOXO

our promise

My christmas present from mr. boyfriend was a ring of my choice, a ring that I wanted to be our promise ring (although mr. boyfriend refuses to wear a ring so it kinda defeats its purpose -- is it true that guys do not like to wear rings?).

I had earlier decided that I wanted a plain white gold ring because that's long-lasting and I can wear it on a daily basis. Only after searching up and down for the perfect ring do I realize that it's nearly impossible to find a plain white gold ring (or at least in Hong Kong!). First of all, white gold rings usually come with diamonds or other gems. Secondly, plain white gold rings comes in pairs because it's more like wedding bands. So I settled with a Swarovski ring which is rhodium-plated with a huge pink crystal (which of course cannot be worn on a daily basis...le sigh~ oh well I can't get everything I want!).

I really do not know what the future lies ahead for mr. boyfriend and I. Everyone seems to think that we'll most definitely get married but there's so much uncertainy up ahead that it seems awfully naive to think that I'll 100% get my happy ending with mr. boyfriend.

I always like to ask him "will you leave me for another girl?" or "will you love me forever?" or "will you break my heart" and being the absolutely honest and direct mr. boyfriend, he always tells me that he can promise me to try but he can promise me nothing more than that. Not exactly what I want to hear, eh? But truth is, that's the honest and blunt truth. No one can guarantee that they'll love one person forever or be with one person forever. Maybe that's what the institution of marriage tries to do -- temporarily guarantees that we have this one person in our life for as long as the marriage is alive.

I would be lying if I don't say that I honestly feel that I want to spend the rest of my life with mr. boyfriend. I want to be the one to take care of him and be there for him through ups and downs. I can be my true self with him (yes, that includes the etiquette unmentionables) and he spoils me incredibly (yes, I agree that you spoil me loads but that does not mean I'm spoilt!). I really cannot be any much happier =).

I love you!

sad and miserable

I am officially miserable to be back in KL. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow, maybe I'll feel better next week, but right now I just want to cry and cry and cry and forget about the fact that I have to go to work tomorrow.

the reason for my deep sadness

what is there to do besides shopping?

I've only been in KL for 4-5 months and I'm already bored. Please tell me...

...what is there to do in KL for fun?

Shopping? Hmm...is there anything else to do but shop? I've been shopping in Pavillion, KLCC, Midvalley, Gardens & Bangsar Village/Bangsar so much so that shopping is getting a little old now (*GASP* shopping is starting to get boring? For me to say shopping is getting old should be the same as for me to say I'll stop eating...which is literally impossible). But seriously, sometimes shopping in KL does get a little stale. KL does not have some of my favorite stores from the US (Express, Victoria Secret, Urban Outfitters, A&F, Hollister) and some of the stores that ARE available here much more bloody expensive than in the US (Banana Republic, Gap, Forever21) because the sales here are kinda sad and import tax is a pain. There are no discount brand stores such as Feline's Basement or TJ Maxx in KL too where I found amazing deals on branded stuff (My Nine West and Kathy Van Zeelan bags only cost me around USD$30-40 each).

Some of the clothes here should not even be sold at full price because they are out of season already in the US. Remember this dress?

I blogged about wanting this dress from Armani Exchange in my old blog on June 06, 2007. This year in August/September (don't remember exactly when liao because memory fails you when you're old), I walked into the Armani Exchange store in Gardens and saw this EXACT dress selling at FULL PRICE.

Yeah, we get "hand-me-downs" from the US stores.

Paying full price for a dress that has been around for ONE YEAR is absolutely ridiculously stupid. Also, high-end brands in Malaysia are more expensive because there is import tax on these luxury items!

I think I've gone off on a tangent but my head's kinda spinning from watching too many reality TV shows online today so I'm going to stop here regardless of the cohesiveness and logic of this post. Ciao!

another end to the amazing race asia

I'm such a sucker for reality TV shows. One of the shows I've been diligently following is the Amazing Race Asia season 3 (which I didn't know is called TARA3). The quality has improved tremendously from the first season (I remember a lot of cringing and nose-screwing when I watched the first season which totally put me off till now) and I'd say it's almost compatible to the US edition in relative terms. The teams are much more interesting and has more funny/interesting/mean things to say...and the detour and road block challenges were a lot harder than it used to be.

The winners - Sam & Vince

The runner-ups - Geoff & Tish

The fun-loving ones - Ida & Tania

When the Hong Kong team won, I'm just happy that it's them and not Geoff & Tish. I sincerely wished that Ida & Tania would win (I was rooting for Henry & Bernie all the way till they got eliminated) because I'm Malaysian and because they were sincerely nice to each other all the time and had lots of fun so much so that it was a joy to watch them race! I got to say, they DID have ONE fallout when they were in Dubai but that was the ONLY time we've seen them bicker on TV. I dont' like Geoff & Tish because...they're not very likeable. Geoff is an ass sometimes to other people, even people not in the race and also to Tish. I don't like them because they caused Henry & Bernie's elimination (in a way).

It makes me wonder, whether if I run the race with mr. boyfriend, will we end up bickering and fighting like almost all couples did on the Amazing Race? I think we will but he doesn't think so. Also, would I have gotten the tattoo at the Fast Forward which Sam & Vince did (which earned them their lead for a few legs)? I think I would have, in the adrenaline rush of the race but would probably live to regret it if I didn't win. And, this is from Amazing Race US a few seasons ago, would I have shaved my head bald at the Fast Forward? Now, THIS, is a really really hard decision. Can you imagine me bald? Yuck!