I am going through a rotten time.
I’m sorry for not responding.
I would very much like to be alone for the time being…
On Ching Ming we are suppose to worship and honor our departed loved ones. We are suppose to clean the headstone, change wilted flowers with fresh ones and say our prayers before sticking in the incense. Food is laid out on the covering in front of the headstone. At the end of the ritual we are suppose to burn paper money and other paper-made necessities. See, we believe in after-life. I saw in the newspaper the other day that there are even paper bras available for sale.
Paper bra… taken from the Star
(Now that they have come out with paper lingerie, i think it’s about time we have paper condom. It must be darn crowded down there if you know what i mean. Safe sex anywhere right?)
Hi,We’ve seen your website at http://slowcatchupkuan.blogspot.com/2008/01/******
and we love it!We see that your traffic rank is ******
With that kind of traffic, we will pay you up to $4,800/month
to advertise our links on your website.
.
.
.
Sincerely,F. Balousha
The ContactThem Network
My eyes almost popped out when i saw the $4.8k. That’s like a lot of money. I mean it’s really way too much money for just an advertisement on my low traffic blog right? I don’t even get ads from Nuffnang anymore coz of my low traffic. *bummer! Sounds fishy but they got my rank and blog url correct, so i decided to check it out.
The man behind ContactThem; Stephan Ducharme *suppose to be a known marketer but i never heard of him lar so i don’t know lar, had created a system or program (whichever you like to call it), which promises too find leads. It’s similar to MLM actually. Every member will get a software that will help them find leads or contacts. So, the idea is to get the contacts to subscribe to ContactThem service and you’ll get paid a commission for the subscription. In other words, you spam your contacts with email.
Read the * disclaimer at the bottom of ContactThem page:
*These figures of earnings are examples to help you understand the earning potential – You can make more or less. There are no guarantees of income. *You are NOT paid per click, per impressions or for the period of time our banner is exposed on your website; you are paid per sale generated. You receive a sales commission when members join our paid membership upon your referral or your sub-affiliates’. Recurring monthly commissions are subject to members’ renewals. By default, 2 levels of commissions are paid; to access levels 3 to 10, you need to meet each level qualifications. Please take time to consult the qualifications for each level inside the affiliate area that explains everything in details.
So yes, they promise payment UP TO $4.8k alright. That is if you pulled your weight and remember, this is not a proposition to advertise on your website but actually an affiliate/MLM program.
Just so you’d know what you are getting into.
Now you must be thinking “Here goes another woman’s whine about her wrinkly skin, eye bag and bye-bye hand (wave bye bye and the wobbly flab under your arm is bye-bye hand lor). Woman hor always scared to get old. Scared get fat lar. Scared people know her age lar. Whatever lar!“
But this time is different. I think… no… i know i’m having a quarter life crisis. Out of 16 symptoms, i hit 15… i mean like WTF?!
Characteristics of quarter-life crisis may include:
(Taken from wikipedia)
WTF!
I am craving for ‘fu juk tong sui’ right now!
I am craving for ‘fu juk tong sui’ right now!
I am craving for ‘fu juk tong sui’ right now!
I am craving for ‘fu juk tong sui’ right now!
WTF!
WTF!
WTF!
and
WTF! I should cut down on my WTF coz bb community says i’m obnoxious which i am not at all.WTF!
I am not obnoxious… i’m just plain rude honest. WTF! *wakakakaka!
8:30pm
=====
This is one of the reason we should hug and kiss our mom. TeddyMummy made ‘fu juk tong sui’!!! That’s pretty fast eh?! *slurp!
12.44am
======
I’m hungry. Tong sui here i come again.
God i’m at my 3rd bowl. I need Marie France… -_-”
However, when i first heard about Malaysian Dream Girl, i thought “Urghhh… not another Malaysian copy cat reality show?!!“. Then i found out that it’s the first online reality show ever in Malaysia and i thought “Oh god… they’re bringing the meaning of lame into the next level. I can’t bare to watch!“. I kept thinking of the Ah Lian(s)s, La La(s), See Ham(s) and other seafood variety that’s gonna grace my PC screen. I’m definitely not gonna watch it.
Seafood anyone?
Yet, i did (just for a peek) and i was so right…
and wrong.
The first few episodes was… yawn… nothing much… watch some skip some. The judges and host really need some intensive training from Simon Cowell. They are so predictable and maybe they are just trying too hard. Maybe someday we would have a reality show like Malaysian Dream Judge?? *hint hint
Anyways, i was dead on hooked from episode 3 onwards. Sufficient to say that i was still busy waiting for episode 7 and 8 to load at 3am in the morning. Ok
ok. I admit, i just tune in to watch the drama and the bitching and the crying and the who’s-not-doing-housework part thanks to Cindy. *wakaka!She’s the perfect villain isn’t she? I don’t know if she’s so bitchy in real life but she definitely annoys the hell out of me.
Fiqa and Hanis: I think her accent is a new hybrid. It’s from a land called WannaBeMatSalleh… maybe? *muahahahahaha!
Drool
My favorite was Valerie coz she’s darn funny and girl-next-door but hey this is not a Miss Congeniality Contest and she’s voted out already. Now i am just vouching for Fiqa… she’s sweet… wait no… i’m with Hanis. She’s dead funny and Jay… but Eyna is great in photos… great now i can’t make up my mind!
Personally, i think most of them are gorgeous but don’t really have a model look except for maybe Jay for her very prominent and defined face feature and her height.
Jay
Ringo is too petite, too cute-sy and quiet. *she’s better in writing than in talking hor
Ringo
Eyna photographs well but she’s so invisible… Eyna who?? *love her Women’s Secret photo though
Eyna
Cindy looks just like any other girl in 1Utama… and way too annoying. *ei you think you very pretty meh??!! No lor…
Cindy
Adeline has great photographs but… no character lar… too lembik. *can join Project Super Star.
Adeline
Hanis looks pretty and i love her character but no X factor leh… *will do great in tv commercial like sunsilk or rejoice but not in catwalk lor
Hanis
Fiqa
is outspoken looks more like a cute teenage actress in movies like Gol and Gincu. *she also looks like a rocker! Rox!
Fiqa
Nadia is great but she scares me… like ALOT. *tigress on the prowl. Roar!
Nadia
Now who died and made me the critic *muahahahah!
Wei Malaysian Dream Girl people, faster load up the entire episode 8 lar. I want some drama and cat fight now!
27th January 2008
==============
Once we got back to the highway, our 2 days of calmness and tranquility on Halong Bay seems ages ago. Its a world apart. The traffic was so crazy and the honking of cars was driving me up the wall.
Honk honk honk!
It was a 3 hour plus drive back to Old Quarter. Naturally we pulled a stopped at yet another crafts workshop. Time to pee. *wakaka! Hop back on. Lets go!
Naked women and lions
I noticed that graves were scattered on the paddy fields. Initially when i saw the tombs, i thought it was those small monument where people pray and put joss sticks on. It’s so weird that the paddy fields are doubled as cemeteries.
Cemeteries…Boo!
Carying our heavy backpacks, we scour Old Quarter for a room to stay. Our stay in previous guest house (on first night) was a nightmare. I practically died freezing.
Where got room??!!!!!
I had no idea it was so difficult to get rooms at Old Quarter. It wasn’t even peaked season. Every hotel or guest house was fully booked and occupied.
We were getting desperate. It was either get a room or sleep on the streets watching big fat rats running around.
Traditional barber on the street. How cool is that?!
Finally we found a hotel with room to spare. One thing i learned from this experience is to always plan ahead. You’ll never know how desperate we were. We had nowhere to go *whack head!
Thank god we found a room! It cost us USD20 for it (air-con, heater and even internet access in our room). Initially it cost USD25. We insisted on not paying a dollar more than 20 and we got the room… minus the breakfast -_-”.
Internet woo hoo!
We put down our baggages and head out for a walk before the night fall.
Hoan Kiem Lake
The Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city. Situated in the middle of Hanoi, it is the heart of the city. The atmosphere at the lake is totally different. Its very relaxing and its obviously is a location where the locals come for some leisure time. Locals especially youngsters and couples would come out to the lake side for an evening stroll. *can see couple smooching also hehe.
No smooching here… yet
Hoan Kiem’s Huc red bridge
At the northeast corner on a small island of the lake is the Ngoc Son Temple also known as “Jade Mountain”. Here is where Vietnam’s famous scholars and intellectuals are worshiped.
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Beautiful red Ngoc Son
You have to walk through the Three-Passage Gate or Tam Quan and across the Flood of Morning Sunlight Bridge or The Huc to reach the temple. The island temple opens onto a small courtyard. Foreigners flocked the temple.
Vietnamese are very religious you know.
Confucianism? Taoism? Buddhism?
One of the main attraction of the temple’s pagoda is the 6-ft-long stuffed tortoise in a glass casing. According to legendary mythology, the giant reptile that helped in the defeat of the the northern Ming aggressor back in the 15th century.
Giant tortoise a legend to behold
In memory of the victory of Vietnamese against the Ming China, the emperor built the Tortoise Tower which now stands majestically in the middle of the lake.
Tortoise Tower… sory blur a lil’ hahaha
When we were done at the Ngoc Son temple, the sky was already dark.
Shoplots nearby the lake
The streets near Hoan Kiem lake is very different from those within the center of Old Quarter. It’s much more modern with Western delis, up scaled boutiques and cafe’s and less congested. I even spotted traffic lights… although not much motorist take any notice of it -_-”. So, be careful even at the traffic light junctions. You might get run over… ALOT.
Air asia!
Just for the record, Nine West was having a 70% sale. I mean like darn cheap-clearance-sale that type. *whyTF am i so poor. Discount liao also cannot afford…
Nine west having discount ler…
As we walked down the street to the T junction, i saw the most magnificent sight. The St. Joseph’s Cathedral! I had no idea that it was near the Hoan Kiem Lake at all. Stumbling across this historical monument was the best thing that could ever happen.
Personally i have a thing for old cathedrals… even though i’m not a Christian myself. To me, they are just the most romantic architecture ever built. Very very Gothic.
Old gothic St. Joseph
Towering over the surrounding shops, St. Joseph’s Cathedral was actually built by the French during the nineteenth century replacing the demolished Bai Thien pagoda. St. Joseph‘s Cathedral is the largest congregation in Hanoi and the north of Vietnam. It’s a timeless piece lost in the modern-day era.
Spectacular St. Joseph
The courtyard in front of the church was packed with a procession of motorbikes, bicycle cabs people and beggars waiting at the fence. Standing on the top platform of the 2 stairs leading to the building, with so many people looking on, we kind of felt like a rock-star ready for a night of rocking concert. *wakaka!
Motorist and people ready for mass
I was there when the wooden doors of the cathedral opened to allow the masses in. It was scary! People flocked… i mean stampede into the building, pushing and elbowing on the way. In a matter of minutes the building was full. T
here are plastic stools available at the side of the building but you have to push your way through.
I seriously recommend the live broadcast on LCD screen outside of the building. You’ll breathe better *wakaka!
Holy evening mass…i mean like wow!
Before we retire for the night, we went to have a look at the famous Dong Xuan market. After all, it is Vietnam’s oldest and largest market. Won’t miss it for the world.
Setting up stalls
The market opens quite late, so when we arrived at about 7pm the peddlers just started to set up tents. The tents occupied almost the whole street so if you’re looking for something you’ll most probably find it here. The market offers offers goods of all sorts from fresh produce, household appliances to women accessories and more.
Groceries anyone?
Much like our Petaling Street in Malaysia, there are hundreds of stalls selling fake branded stuffs. Gucci? Prada? You can find it here. It’s definitely cheaper than Malaysia though.
Shoe peddler
I hold on tight to my backpack coz the street was swarming with people. I mean REALLY. Walking from the start till the end of the market was not an easy task.
Tired and hungry… and a lil’ bit dizzy from looking at stuff at the market, we had dinner at Hang Bo street where we got conned by a 10 year old kid.
Old Quarter food. Yummylicious!!
The boy was playing with some foreigner next to us. He was darn adorable. Like celebrity kid adorable ok.
Boy: Hello, buy from me? *offered us some chewing gum.
EatAllYouCanShung: You speak English?
Boy: Yes. *hugged his body tightly as though he was shivering
Me: Me: Very cold? Me too! Brrr….
Boy: Yes *Colgate smile
EatAllYouCanShung: How much?
Boy: 2,500 don.
EatAllYouCanShung: I only have 1USD. Do you have change?
Boy: Yes
Me: You have change right?
Boy: Yes yes!
EatAllYouCanShung: Ok. Here you go.
He took his money and off he went to the next table then he disappeared. Where’s the change ler…
To be continued at:-
3 hours, 6 Destinations
**** ——- ****
Note: All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix F8.
~ 1/1/70 12:00 am
