All the stress...

The seller of my tickets stood me up. And now I am all worked up!
Why people don't have any integrity? A deal is a deal.

Why Taufik is THE ONE?

Ain't No Sunshine



Dick's Verdict: That was a performance ah, that I think is worthy of World Idol... I hope the Singapore public will agree with me and vote for you.



This is the Moment



Ken's Verdict: I think it was very well executed...



True To Your Heart



Florence's Verdict: Let's talk a little bit of soccer... You know what a Hat Trick is right? Three in a row? That's what you scored tonight

SI Roller Coaster!

First, I almost bought a pair of Terrace seat tickets for $200 from a guy. Supposed to meet up today, but suddenly he played me out and said he got an offer for $300! What the hell!

I thought all hope is lost. I was checking my email and hurriedly uploaded the new songs for Taufik's fansite when I found another pair, Terrace seats, for only $100!

Good karma I guess. You don't say!

So! Those of you who are going, supporting taufik, and would like to meet up, drop me a line

And here are the songs for you to download! Just right click to save.

Ain't No Sunshine

This Is The Moment

True To Your Heart


I also did this survey sometime ago. The results are not surprising, and I really hope those responded will vote!

Personal Stats for SI

Sleepless nights for SI Survey - 3
No. fo friends to Finals - 1
Money spent on Final tickets - S$200
No. of votes for Taufik this time round - 1000

*piakz on his own head*
so silly. I feel like a teenager again!

Singapore Idol Final Song List

So the song list is out. Both Taufik and Sylvester will sing three songs each, one which will be a special song composed by some big shots who did the same for Australian Idol. The other two songs are chosen by the judges and the contestants themselves.

Taufik
- Self Choice: Supersitious by Stevie Wonder
- Judges Choice: Mr. and Mrs. Jones by George Huff, American Idol finalist in AMI album

Sylvester
- Self Choice: An Jing by Jay Chou (why am I not surprised?)
- Judges Choice: It's My Life by Bon Jovi

My First Christmas Gift

Thanks Liping and Zhiren! Love you guys! And to think it comes all the way from Dubai!

Taufik Campaign

Was surfing the net to Taufik's official fan site when I saw this campaign.


~ Please click and support the e-card campaign! ~

Click play to listen to: Let's Stay Together, sung by Taufik Batisah - the true remaining talent on Singapore Idol.



Review by Today newspaper: 9/10
"He's got plenty of soul and R&B is in his blood. Tonight is Taufik's night. He already has all the attributes to be a singer. We're not only looking at a potential Idol, we're staring at a superstar in the making."

Yet another contribution from me for Taufik. Good night people!

5 Tips For Your First Date

Alright, so you got your best shirt and pants on. You sprayed on your sexiest perfume generously. You styled your hair for so long in front of the mirror that your arms ached. You are all out to make the best first impression. After all, it is your first date.

But what counts, honey, is how you handled your first date. Here are some tips to get you going:

1) NEVER bring your first date to an expensive place for dinner - you may terrify more than impress. Go for something simple, but your dinner should still be an experience. Think sushi bar or Marche

2) Keep the conversation light-hearted. Talks on your family dreams and what names you want to give to your offsprings are sweet, but they are also great DANGER sign for your date. Cool it there, it's only the first date

3) If you run out of things to talk about, think of something, anything to ask your date, and keep the conversation focused on your date. It helps if you mentally make a list of things you talked about before the first date

4) Should you have the misfortune that your date is less suave than you thought, keep your disappointment to yourself and act cool. Not all dates are perfect, and neither are you

5) It's time to call it a night, and you are prepared to send your date home. DON'T. it might be sweet, and your date might even like it. But the doubts if you should be invited into the house, or if you should be given a good bye kiss, or... (you get the ideas) can hurt a first date out

Dating is fun, but doesn't mean you really come as you are. Be mentally prepared and enjoy the night out!

P.S: Hey there, thanks for a great night out. I mean it.

Sleeping Late - Again!

Nowadays I am always sleeping very late. Usually 2 a.m., and I always have a hard time waking up the next day. Was resolute to sleep by 1 a.m. tonight the latest (so that I can get at least 6 hours worth of sleep) but looking at the time now, sigh...

Caught The Incredibles on Sunday night with James. Needless, it was bloody fabolous. Loved the soundtrack. And I blew $12 on the popcorn set minus the popcorn so that I can get the tumblers. Also got this set of 4 postcards. Cool~

Also got involved in "Support Taufik Batisah for Singapore Idol" campaign *LOL*. I helped the owner of the so-called Official Site to host all Taufik's songs. Since I already took the trouble to upload all the songs, I might as well share damn here. Just right click and select "Save As".

Piano Show - My Girl
Spectacular 1 - Everything I Do (I Do It For You)
Spectacular 2 - Great Balls of Fire
Spectacular 3 - September
Spectacular 4 - Yeah!
Spectacular 5 - Moondance
Spectacular 6 - Let's Stay Together
Spectacular 6 - Supersitious
Spectacular 6 Results - Where Is The Love
Spectacular 7 - Belaian Jiwa
Spectacular 7 - It's You That Matter

And here are some amusing images done by Taufik fans.







Okay time to sleep!

Singapore Idol Survey

Some questions for my fellow bloggers on Singapore Idol. Would love to know what you are thinking of the ultimate local reality show!

Please help by spreading the word too! Post this up on your LJ and help to get more respondents. Just copy and paste the following codes:

<center><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=54595735200" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/dynnaanwaar/taufik_daone.gif" alt="Take the informal survey! 5 mins max!" border=0></img></a></center><br><br>This is by <a href="http://razlanmanjaji.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Raz</a>

Thank you people! =)

Singapore Idol - The Final 2

So Singapore has spoken. They do think Olinda is worse than Sylvester. Though I was very disappointed with the outcome, it was expected. As usual, Ken is spot on with his predictions.

It is really silly to know that Sylvester got where he is today because of cute smile, cheeky grin, and thousands of teenage gals voting, because "he is cute". Whatever they were thinking of Christopher, David or even Jerry?

My heart really went out to Oli. Florence touched my heart deeply when she said - "I can't do this". Neither can I.

Here's a tribute to the wonderful Olinda.




Right Click to Download

When A Man Loves a Woman


Taufik gotta show to the rest of Singapore (minus fans of Sly) what real talent is! Now, does anyone know how to get tickets to the Finals?

Sylvester, it has to end tonight...

*amused*

Spectacular 8 - Stage and Screen (18th November 2004)

Ain't No Sunshine

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Spectacular 8 - Ain't No Sunshine

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This is the Moment

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Spectacular 8 - This Is The Moment

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True To Your Heart

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Spectacular 8 - True To Your Heart

To Do List

My new furniture delivery was late. And don't know why almost all people - from pizza boy to the delivery men - will assume I am Malay and start talking Malay to me over the phone.

While waiting for them, I was spending my time cleaning up my desks. My room is a truly accomplishment of a real single bachelor. Here's a sneak peak of of one of the MANY piles of mess in my room.




Now you get the idea. I need a room-makeover!


As I piled through all my rubbish accumulated over the years, I decided to draw up a To Do List which each, err, "outstanding" items that I carelessly put on my desk and promptly forgotten all about it. One hour and half-a-desk-cleaned-up later, I came up with this L-O-N-G list!

1) Email HollywoodClicks.com on torque dvd - Out of an impulse, I bought a brand new "Torque" DVD for Thet, knowing he loves fast cars. Only later I found out he already has one! Bummer. So going to write to my DVD rental provider and ask if they can make use of my DVD. It is still wrapped in its original plastic. Any taker?

2) Starhub payment - Piles of Starhub bills, and I have absolutely no ideas which of them are paid, and which is not. Doesn't really matter if my old line is still working, but I hate to have unpaid bills unless I really don't have the means to clear them up. And it doesn't help calling up Starhub and check my balance - my line is registered under my friend's name, and I have lost his contact and hence unable to do anything about changing name whatsoever. Gonna find out, somehow.

3) IT Works Bill - Another bill from my website host. I think it was paid, but better check to double confirm.

4) Alumni Day Reply - Another invitation to NTU Alumni Day. I guess I will go this time and do some networking. Doing it online has been quite effective so far - and I ought to try out in real life too. Plus I get to meet some of my old friends again!

5) Change XXXX Credit Card password - Ok, so I shouldn't have posted it. But just a reminder to myself. Gotta change the password!

6) Prudential online password - I think I have changed it, but I can't remember! Damn. Gotta make another call to my friend!

7) Email Sunday makeover - This reminder comes in the form of a newspaper cutting. You know every Sunday, Straits Times will do a free makeover for one person? Like hair cut, new clothes etc. They invite people to apply to be the lucky ones selected. I saw the ad few weeks ago and I still haven't apply. That's how bad a lazy bugger I am...

8) HSBC Gift - Oooo... I totally forgotten I got a gift to redeem from HSBC! Just found a letter to redeem a headphone from Senheiser. Not that I really use it, but no harm collecting it first.

9) Extra convo photos - Found an envelope full of photos from my convocations. Actually I developed them to send to my mum, which I did, but they were extra and I don't know what to do with them. Hmmm... maybe I'll make it into a collage and put it on the wall. (Or maybe I should just be sensible and put everything into an album and chuck it aside)

10) Makeover grad photos - This stack of photos got me laughing! I remember - just before my final exams, Louise (my good study buddy) and I spent $50 bucks each on some formal makeover photo. I look so unreal! Haha... okay, click on these at your own peril. You been warned! This is me when I was 19, just before I came to Singapore. Then, this is the MAKEOVER photo, one of the many I took just before I graduate. And this is me today. I guess I have changed over the years! Haha... now, what should I do with these unsightly photos?!?

11) Movie ticket stubs - Discovered that I am still keeping lots of ticket stubs of all the movies that I watched. Man... it is tough trying to recall which movie I watched with whom. But it surely will be a nostalgic experience. Maybe I'll do up another collage, like the one someone did for Linus' birthday not too long ago. "Sweet memories are made of these..." (or, I should be more sensible and just dump the whole thing!

12) LOTR photo cards - Got this beautiful set of photo cards of all LOTR characters when I bought the complete set of LOTR soundtrack. Yeah, the collection edition set of those beautiful tunes by Howard Shore. And yeah, I was that fanatical of a fan for LOTR. What else you think this journal is nicked "legolas79". Question is, what should I do with them?? Another collage? Another album? Sell it off?

13) Family details spreadsheet - I written so many details of my family members all over the place. Bank account numbers, addresses, emails, phone numbers, birthdays.... well, you will in my situation if all your family members are all NOT in once place. Mine is a truly globalised family. I gotta compile all these details, put it in a file and store it somewhere secure. Not my HDD, of course (still remember vividly how dishearted Kairin was when his crashed!)

14) Singpass - still got this account notification letter. Never used it before. Do I need to keep it?

15) Articles based on manazine - oooo.... I would love to write something based on what I read in the magazine! In fact, I want to write about a lot of things - HR, marketing, lifestyles etc etc etc.... I gotta make a choice!

16) Organize my bangkok stuff + docs + photos - Found not one, not two, but three envelopes worth of Vangkok stuff. From web printouts when I did my research prior to my trips, actual trip photos, the free publications I collected, the postcards I sent to myself... that's loads. And those are memories. Gotta think of a way to preserve and enjoy them instead of letting them rot in envelopes. What was I thinking!

17) Career web portfolio - Found all the job ads cuttings that I have applied to. When I graduated, I was desperate for jobs. My frantic job hunt at that time was really, really desperate. Now looking back, well, I can see how unprofessional I was. I want to share my job hunting experience with my junior, hence the idea for a "Job Hunt Chronicle - When SARS Hit My Wallet". Corny eh? Also, I found out that I still have the first ever transcript of my education life - that's UPSR, Malaysia's equivalent of PSLE - up to the PRWRA certificate I got earlier this year! That one whole stack of certs. I really ought to organise this properly and put them onto the web. I mean, come on, I am supposed to be a web communications expert. Haha~

18) Update contact database - Again, found many stray name cards all over the place. If I don't organize the contact details of all my friends soon, I never will, and soon I will forget all about them (and them, me). Ah.... I am going to be so stuck with MS Excel soon!

Imagine. I only cleaned half of my desk and I already have 18 things I want to do. I still got the other half - I can see stacks of books, aromatherapy oil, lotions, LOTR toys, unknown stuff in a BIG red plastic bag, spoilt printer.... and I look around my room. Boxes of movie memorabilias, messy wardrobe, dusty stacks of magazines...

And I shudder to think when my new furniture can move into my room. Oh man...

Birthday for Wai Yee!

Yesterday was a horrible day, but meeting up with my old pals kinda compensated for it :-)

It was a surprise (and a tad early) birthday celebration. It was her XXth birthday, and Louise, her two colleagues (I can't remember their names, damn) and I met up at Tiong Bahru Plaza for some Ramen and, of course, birthday cake!



The birthday girl!




The birthday cake!

After dinner, we went for a movie. I am no fans for horror movie. We caught "Shutter", about this good looking Thai photographer who was haunted by the spirit of an ex-girlfriend.

I was kinda spared from the horrible images, because half the time I was hiding my face behind my fingers. Yeah, I am pussy when it comes to horror movie.

No horror movie. Yay to cartoons and comedy!

Daphne's Selections - Singapore Idol

Due to popular demands, here are her songs for download. Please don't stream direct from my site - just right click on the links and select "Save As" to download to your PC.

Have fun!

Piano Audition
I Will Survive

Spectacular 1 - Parents' Choice
Joy to the World

Spectacular 2 - Disco
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Spectacular 3 - Rock & Roll
Blame It On The Boogie

Spectacular 4 - Idol
I Turn To You

Spectacular 5 - Big Band
Orange Colour Sky (not available)

Spectacular 6 - R&B and Soul
You Gotta Be (not available)
I'm Your Angel (not available)

Spectacular 7 - Asian Pop
I Believe (not available)
Ni Yao De Ai (not available)

Stay tuned for future download!

They call it slavery. What say you?

This is a late night post.

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately, using news aggregator by FeedDemon and subscribing to RSS feeds. That is awesome, but a posting on that has to come another time.

Reason for this late night post is because of this shocking piece of news I read from (yet) another blog. You would think working until 10 p.m. every night for your boss is tough. Yes it is, and these guys had it worst than you.

Check out this sharing from the spouse of a games programmer of EA. Yes, the company who produces games after games for computers.

I was squirming uncomfortably after I read those. You form your own opinion.

Singapore Idol - out went the cili padi

It was a heart moving episode. Lil' feisty Daphne was expecting the axe. It is not that she is not without talent. If she doesn't, the judges won't be enjoying her performances week after week. And it is not that she has less fans. Just listen to the screams during the live show and the young males who voted for her anyway "because she is SO cute!"



Her closing song was "I Will Survive", her song choice for piano round. As a tribute to one of the more memorable idol hopefuls, I have embeded her song in this post.

Edited: I have deactivated the streaming, but you can still download the song here. Jusr right click and select "Save As"

On another note: I am so glad that Taufik and Olinda were the top two. Finally, I have faith that Singapore are not merely blinded by good look, nor deaf to real talent!

Angel

Love this song!



You can also download the piece here.

New trick for job search

I am in fear that this research cum surfing session will last yet another 9 hours (sometimes you don't feel it when your wide ass plonked comfortably on a big pillow). So I'll be brief.

First, you need to read this.

Then, be astounded by this.

Now, make your own conclusion before reading this.

Did I find a niche when I did this few days ago??

Yay-ness!

Singapore Idol

I am officially an Idol fanatic. My infatuation started in March when I first bought my TV, and American Idol was the first show I watched. I was hooked since.

More recently and nearer to the home front, I am very into our local version of the Idol contest as well. I was just having my usual dose of clips on the website and came to a starling conclusion.



His performance was flawless. I have never heard of Supersitious or Let's Stay Together, but I felt the goosebumps on me. And what the judges said were even more remarkable!

After Supersitious
Dick Lee: R&B is your genre - you are Mr. R&B. I was expecting very good performance from you and so far I was satisfied
Florence Lian: Tonight you are not trying to be Taufil being Stevie Wonder, but Taufil being Taufik. That was very good
Douglas O: I can actually see fire in your eyes. I know you wanted this so much. You know what? I think you might just get it
Ken Lim: A good performer copies a good performance. A star performer devises a star performance. I'm glad you have begin to be a star.

After Let's Stay Together
Dick Lee: You did something very remarkable. Despite the noisy and complex arrangement, you stayed cool. If I have a hat, I'll take it off to you
Florence Lian: You went right to soul of the song, you controlled it so well - to me, that's your best performance so far
Douglas O: Two weeks ago I remember saying R&B is not your genre. Tonight you have proven me wrong
Ken Lim: In line with the ability of your fellow contestants, I say you stand a very good chance to be the remaining two in this competition.

I don't know why, but I felt a joy that was so intense in my heart after watching the two clips. Coupled with Taufik's down-to-earth personality (look at his blog on the Idol website), it made me cried. In joy.

Spectacular 7 - Asian Pop (11th November 2004)

Belaian Jiwa

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It's You That Matter

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Spectacular 7 - It's You That Matter

Geylang Galore

What a day in office.

From the moment I stepped into office (that's 15 minutes late, by the way) till the time I knocked off at 6 p.m., it was a marathon of work. It should have been a breeze for me, if only I know what I am doing.

You see, I am trying to promote this economics course for my company. It is definitely not a cheap course - for 4-days worth of high end business talking, it will cost the delegates a cool S$4590 per pax, without hotel accommodation. The bulk of the course actually when to bringing in the two lecturers from France.



Such high investments, such exclusive targetted audience (I need to talk to CEOs and Presidents of oil companies), such expectations - I am so stressed out. So I need a right marketing mix.

It must be chicken feet for some people, but not for me. That's one of the reason why I am taking up the new degree from MDIS (which will start next week).

So most of the day was spent cleaning up my mailing list, tracking records of emails sent, segmenting it, sending out follow email, classifying my cold/warm/hot list... in short, nothing value adding done. And it was indeed stressful.

So when 6 p.m. came (an hour after our appointed timing), it was with much relief when I headed down to Kim Seng Star Bowl with my colleagues for a few rounds of, of course, bowling.

Have you ever heard of that place? It was so secluded, I doubt many people know of its existence. Most of the players are pros and Filipinos (they have their own club of bowlers). Most of the time I don't have much luck in bowling, but I didn't know my colleagues' skills left much to be desired.

After that, we went down to Geylang Lorong 9 for dinner in 3 cabs. The food was good! Beef horfun, seafood horfun, fried chicken, oyster omelette, sambal kangkung... it was fabolous. After filling our stomaches, we decided to expand it further and headed down to the fruit stall. Durians, mangosteens, longans, langsats... and as if these are not enough, we went to our third stop - soya bean curd plus the absolutely delicious "you tiao".

Ahh... there goes one week worth of my diet, but damn, it felt good. It had been a long time since I last ate that much that now as I am sitting here I feel bloated. Oh well...

Yeah, Claude took some pics. Will post them up when I got them from her.

Here I go again...

Since I am doing it for my company here and here, I thought, why not do it for myself too?

Spectacular 6 - R & B (4th November 2004)

Supersitious

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Let's Stay Together

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Spectacular 6 - Let's Stay Together