American Idol - Classic Entertainment

I watched American Idol last night on 8tv to be entertained. =D Yeah, I enjoy watching this show immensely. You get to see weird people auditioning to be the next Idol.

There was this gay-like fella whose name was Ian Bernardo who went to try to impress the judges. He wore a white shirt with ‘Ian Bernardo’ printed on it and he donned a fur kind of scarf around his neck, I think. He was walking up and down the streets of New York telling complete strangers that he’s the next American Idol. Haha! He was extremely confident of himself and he talked big.

When he got in the audition room, he began to sing and dance. Horribly. He refused to leave and started telling the judges that they had made a huge mistake or something. He claimed he’ll be bigger and better than Taylor who, Carrie Underwear, Reuben and Kelly! Honestly, this guy was hilarious! He should be a comedian instead of an American Idol.

I waited for the next person trying out with anticipation. I like this show!

A bubbly, bouncy girl named Nakia was good too. She started with ‘Dancing In The Street’ and got the judges dancing along with her. After that, they asked her to sing another song and she sang ‘Dreaming of You’ by Selena. This time, she did not impress the judges that much. They said her tone all was out and no, she can’t go to Hollywood to be the next Idol. It was really heart-rending. She left the room a totally different person. She cried and the other people outside clapped and cheered for her.

Some people were so desperate to get the yellow piece of paper. They begged and fought and gave the judges a hard time. Questions like:

‘Where did I go wrong?’

‘Why didn’t you like me?’

were thrown at the judges. They pleaded, begged like crazy but the judges were adamant. Decision was final. And they could not take it. They are still acting stubborn because they want to be an Idol.

These people should just get over it and move on with life. Like how the judges always advised those who did not make the cut. They should realize that they cannot please everybody.

There was no Malaysian Idol last year, wasn’t it? What happened? I can’t wait for the next one. Not that I’m auditioning. =D

Crazy Computer

Bleh! My stupid computer has jammed itself again! Or maybe I jammed it??? Haha! Probably.

My sister is bringing hers over tonight so I hope from tonight onwards, I can surf the Internet and blog peacefully. I'm bored now, that's why I'm not giving up on my computer. I am still online although the computer hanged a couple of times just now. =(

I started reading Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones last night. It was quite a boring start too. Why do all the books have boring introductions especially the ones I'm reading now? I hope it will get more exciting as I read more. I like Diana Wynne Jones. I need to know if she's American or British. I checked inside the book and it was supposedly printed in Great Britain. So, I guess she's British. But I still need to confirm it.

Okay, my computer is halfway jammed now. Got to post this before it's too late! Bye!

N.B. Diana Wynne Jones must be British. She lives in Bristol, England.

The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

The School at the Chalet sounded interesting to me and I thought it would be a fun book to read. Little did I know that the beginning was so hopelessly boring! Therefore, it took me quite a long time to finish this book and unfortunately, I could not read other books yet. I tend to read one book at a time, so in order to read the next one, I have to finish the one I’m currently reading.

Nonetheless, the book got better after reading about ¾ of it. When I finished the book, I wanted to read more of it! I’m keen to read what adventures Joey, Madge, Grizel, Juliet, Simone, and the others will have in the books that follow The School At The Chalet. That would not be a problem because Elinor M. Brent-Dyer wrote over 60 books about the Chalet School.

Madge, Dick, and Joey are the Bettany siblings. They have no parents and struggling to support themselves. Then, Madge decided to start a school in the Austrian Tyrol. I did not know that it would be so frightfully easy to start a school but anyhow, Madge did it. Initially, the school had very few students but it grew as the time went by.

I found this school story somewhat familiar with Enid Blyton’s school stories. It was also amusing that the girls insisted on keeping up with what English schools in England did. Play pranks. The students at the Chalet School consisted of different nationalities. The German students were excited to play pranks because they wanted to feel being in an English school. The only thing they did not have was a midnight feast like how Enid Blyton’s schools had.

Of course there are tragedies, excitements, rows with various kinds of people, making new friends, silly students, etc. It was dull in the beginning because all everyone did was introduce themselves to each other. Things sped up when the girls began to play pranks on one another and there were the consequences.

I also learnt new German words too, for example, mittagessen or lunch.

I am looking forward to reading more Chalet School books.

TV Problem

For the past few days, my parents and I could not watch the television at home because all the channels were blurred heavily with white spots. All this happened after my mom called a repairman to fix the area thing, which had tumbled over on our roof due to the strong winds. Well, the channels were quite clear that night but come the next morning, all channels were blurred again.

Finally, my mom asked my neighbour if he could do something about it. Around 10 something in the morning, 2 young fellas came to change the whole area or signal thing, I don’t know what’s it called. There was a lot of banging and shouting but now, we can watch ALL the channels! =)

By the way, I was browsing through The Star’s InTech section and came across an article about selling and buying on eBay the right and safe way. I did not realize there were so many things and factors to consider just taking part in the trading community on eBay. Here’s the article if you are interested to read it.

Scam jobs out there! Beware!

As I was reading the Jobs section in the newspaper, I saw a couple of ads advertising for typists. These typists could work at home it seems. It sounds too good to be true. Wow! I could type and type and earn cold, hard cash at last. I decided to give them a call.

I called one number and a guy answered. He told me to send an e-mail to the e-mail address given. So I sent. I sent to ad no.2's e-mail address too. Well, I hung around in cyberspace waiting for their e-mails but none came.
So, I came online again around half an hour ago and I was excited to see a new message in my inbox. It was a reply!

They told me 'Congratulations! You're hired as our new typist. Please read on.' It was that easy. I only sent one e-mail and I got the job??? They must be kidding me.

Anyway, I read on. Guess what? I had to deposit US$100 (RM380) in order to get the typist job. What is this? I want to work and I have to pay them money too? I was afraid that this was a scam job when I read the advertisement in the papers. I remembered reading a few articles about people who had been cheated in scams like these. Before they can start working, they had to pay a 'fee'. Then, the 'company' gave them jobs to do like typing or assembling toys. In the end, they never got paid and the 'company' disappeared. Amazing, huh?

Is there any real typist job out there, which doesn't require any deposits? These work from home jobs cannot be trusted. Majority are dishonest schemes. You have to be smart and don't fall into their traps.

Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

I really like this book especially the ending, which was very touching. Harriet M. Welsch thinks she is a spy and she acts like one too. It's quite funny the way she peeps into people's houses to see what they are doing and what is going on. She is 11 years old and keeps a notebook. It is like a diary to her. She writes notes in her notebook frequently and feels utterly lost without her precious notebook.

She has a nurse and she is affectionately known as Ole Golly. Harriet is very close to her and she will give Harriet useful advice. Usually quotes from poems. Only Ole Golly understands Harriet's need to always write in her notebook.

Harriet has 2 best friends, Sport and Janie. Sport likes to cook (he has to cook anyway because his father is a writer and he's in charge of the cooking) while Janie dreams of being a scientist. Her main goal is to create a chemical that will blow up the whole world. Yeah, really eccentric.

One day, Harriet accidentally lost her notebook. Unfortunately, the notebook fell into the hands of her classmates. She wrote some nasty things about them and they sure did not like it. They grouped together and went against Harriet. They refuse to talk or acknowledge her or be her friend. She became even lonelier when Ole Golly resigned from her job as her nurse. The term nurse here is not your hospital nurse. A nurse is something like a nanny or governess.

Then, Harriet's parents thought she has some psychology problem and sent her to see a shrink. Well, things soon got better after that. This is a thoughtful book and is a great read for everyone. Enjoy!

How To Make Paper

Ever wondered how paper is made? Yeah, the pieces of paper in your books, diaries, newspapers and toilet paper. I came across this website and I liked its colourful content and childish drawings. To learn more about making paper and recycling, which is extremely important so we can save our dying trees, you may visit Let's Make Paper.

I remembered a few years back when my school held some science fair and my friends decided to make paper out of old newspapers! They were successful and their booth was quite popular. The results were light brown papers that were thick, rough and looked like paper from 1000 years ago.
Anyway, I typed in 'how books are made' in Google and instead of how books are physically made, I got how books begin from a great idea. There is this Puffin at Penguin Books Australia website, which explains how a book is made, with great illustrations.
If you want to know more about the history of books, look in Wikipedia, which is always a reliable source of information. I really like this online encyclopedia. Lots of information.

This List of banned books fascinated me. Check out the list to see if you have read any of the books banned!

Soap Operas

Do you like to watch soap operas or any series on TV? Soap operas or dramas can be very addictive. If you just sit down in front of the television for an hour and you get the story, you'll want to know what happens next. To know what will happen, you have to watch it again the next day, right? Yup, it is the same for me.

I used to watch ‘Yo Soy Betty, La Fea’ or 'I am Betty, the Ugly' a few years ago. It is a Spanish show and they spoke in Spanish. Gracias or muchas gracias were the first few Spanish words that I've learnt from watching the show. I also used to go to school the next day and discussed the show with my friends who watched it too. We used to laugh about Betty’s antics or what Armando or Patricia said to Betty. Betty is smart but physically unattractive as she wears big glasses and has unruly hair. She is also head over heels in love with her boss, Armando. Patricia is kind of like her enemy.

After the show ended, I never really followed any soaps anymore. But now, there is this Indonesian series called ‘Bawang Putih Bawang Merah’ shown on TV3. I watch it because my mom switches on the TV in the afternoons. She followed the story at first but got sick of it as Bawang Putih also known as Alya was always crying! I didn’t like her crying very much too. The cast of ‘Bawang Putih Bawang Merah’ are good-looking and their acting were mediocre but it can still grab the attention of the viewers. No wonder it is one of the popular shows in Indonesia. It won some Panasonic award or something; I’m not quite sure.

But I have this one and only one question. Why, oh why does Bawang Putih cry all the time??? Can’t she stand up for herself and fight against the evil Bawang Merah (Siska) and finish the problem for once and for all? And I’m tired of seeing Bawang Merah’s smug look on her face each time she makes Bawang Putih suffer. Okay, since I am so dissatisfied with the show, the question is why am I still watching it right? Hehe… Well, I don’t watch it every afternoon, only some.

Then there is also Alya’s fairy. She is like a guardian angel to Alya and I wish I had one too. Everybody would like a guardian angel too! Frankly, I think that Alya is still alive for the story to go on is because of the fairy who had helped her a thousand and one times. Without the fairy and Alya’s stupidity, there will be no Bawang Putih Bawang Merah show.

This drama is a modern version of the Malay folktale Bawang Putih Bawang Merah where Bawang Putih can sing beautifully and Bawang Merah has a horrible sounding voice. One day, the Sultan went out on a stroll and he heard beautiful singing. Then, I guess someone told him where the singer lived and he went to the house.

Well, Bawang Merah tried to persuade the Sultan that it was her who sang. The Sultan did not want to be fooled so he asked that the 2 sisters sang. Bawang Merah sang first. Oooh, how horrible she sounded! Next was the heroine, Bawang Putih’s turn. The Sultan fell in love with her at that moment. You know what happens next then. The Sultan and Bawang Putih got married and lived happily ever after.

Rain Rain Go Away...

It's been raining nonstop ever since last night! It rained the whole day today. Couldn't go out, couldn't dry the clothes, no sunshine... It was just rain, rain, and more rain. The newspapers reported that 'thunderstorms, heavy rain and possible floods' would hit the northern region in Malaysia. It may only stop raining tomorrow and I really hope it stops too. Lots of clothes to wash, ya know??

Anyway, last night was the launching of Visit Malaysia 2007. The Eye on Malaysia seemed to be the highlight of the night. It's a Ferris wheel situated in Taman Titiwangsa. When you go on it, you get the chance to view the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur. Its structure is supposed to be the same as the London Eye or Millennium Eye, which is the biggest observation wheel in the whole wide world. I must go to both eyes one day! =)

Okay, let me do my part in promoting Malaysia to the world now. It is a multiracial country where the people are of different races, religions, cultures, etc. And we all live in harmony. =) The one thing we Malaysians enjoy doing is....eating! Yeah, the food is really good here, who wouldn't resist it? Hey, we don't eat the entire time okay; we just love our food very much.

My all-time favourite dessert is ais kacang. The ice is shaved and mixed with jellies, beans, green-coloured noodles, black grass jelly, atapchi, syrup and melted coconut sugar or gula melaka. Another favourite dessert is leng chi kang. I love eating rojak too. Rojak is a mixture of fruits and spicy peanut sauce. There is also satay. Satay is something like kebab, I think. Really delicious. Besides these 3 ultra-delicious foods, there are much more offered here too.

I guess I'm quite bad at describing the food I eat so if you want accurate details, I suggest you search on the Internet to find out more about Malaysian food. I apologize if any wrong descriptions were given!

Anyway, I hope many visitors will make a stop here in Malaysia, as it is a country worth visiting. Don't worry about your safety here; we have policemen too, just like in other countries. Only peace loving peoples here, no wars! =)

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Australian books are not bad. There should be more books by Australian writers sold here. Looking For Alibrandi is an excellent book written by Melina Marchetta. It has even been made into a film in 2000 and I have only known about it today. Oooh, how I would love to watch it since I love the book so much!

The story is told from Josephine Alibrandi's point of view. Josephine is of Italian descent and she lives with her mother, Christina. She is 17 years old and studies in St Martha's. She is there on a scholarship. She has 3 best friends - Sera, Lee, and Anna, and they always hang out together. They are all very different from one another but still; they are the best of friends.

Josephine had the biggest crush on John Barton, a highly intelligent boy. But, there is another tough guy on the scene too. Jacob Coote is from Cook High. Josephine begins to fall more for Jacob and her feelings towards John start to fade. John seems to have problems and he confides in Josephine but I feel that she does not understand him. She is already absorbed in her own world with her own problems ranging from fights with Jacob to racism remarks from schoolmates.

After 17 long years, Josephine's father, Michael Andretti, comes back. Initially, they were like oil and water and were determined not to have anything to do with each other. But as time goes by, they got to know each other and became good friends. She is also trying hard but unsuccessfully to pair up her mother and Michael since they are her parents anyway.
The saddest part of the book was where one of Josephine's friends, (I won't tell you who) committed suicide just before their Higher School Certificate exam. Josephine and her friends and enemy took it very badly.

In my humble opinion, this is a really good book and I hope there will be more Australian books in Malaysia.

How To Walk in High Heels - The Girl's Guide to Everything by Camilla Morton

A really catchy title, don't you think? This was my Christmas present by my sister who is always trying to make me behave more like a lady. Sometimes I listen to her advice and sometimes I try to defend myself. =) Anyways, this book is helpful in a way, with lots of great tips and witty suggestions. It teaches you how to lead the life similar to a celebrity or a princess.

It even mentioned that a 5 cm heel is considered practically FLAT! Moreover, the higher and the thinner your heel is, the higher your status will be. So girls, better invest in a pair of really good and high high heels in order to receive more attention because duh! you will become really tall and easily noticed! It makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

I liked one where the title is How to Change a Nappy. There are other eye-catching titles too. It even has tips for the low-tech girl. You can learn how to use a printer, how to ebay, know the different parts of a computer, which is the keyboard, the monitor and the mouse (it does not bite), and more.

In fact, almost everything a girl needs to know is in this book. Well, like I said, almost. So, don't go expecting that everything can be found in this book.

How to Survive New Year's Eve, How to swim in shades, How to sound like a politician, How to use a knife, spoon and fork, How to love champagne, How to find and delete viruses, How to make popcorn, How to change a light bulb, etc. And if you can't do it, take a step back and let a man finish the job for you. No point getting your well manicured nails dirty or broken. That's a popular tip in there.

Lastly, I guarantee you'll learn a tip or two, which you may find useful one day. And to all the girls: enjoy being a girl! There's nothing more you could ask for.

Blogging For Money - A New Trend

Money....$$$$$$$......who in their right minds would say no to money? I don't know about you but to me, money is really important. As a matter of fact, money is important to everyone. It buys us food, clothes, houses, cars, books, underwear, mobile phones, reload cards for topping up phones, that latest Guess handbag, those gotta-have-it Nike shoes, movie tickets for girlfriends/boyfriends, etc, etc.

Students are encouraged to take up part-time jobs during the school holidays so that they will spend their time doing something useful for a change. Maybe doing some waitressing, or becoming a cashier. Or giving tuition (only the geniuses are recommended for this. Well, maybe. =/ ). Whatever the job is, the money still rolls in.

How I wish I were paid simply to read storybooks or watch movies. I am a real movie buff. I love movies! I've probably watched all the movies ever made! Okay, I'm exaggerating. Hehe... However, all blogger-crazy people can sing for joy because they can earn money for doing something they love or for the sake of doing it 'cos everyone's doing it.

If you typed in 'blogging for money' in Google or other search engines, there will be a list of websites offering you cold, hard cash if you sign up with them and blog about what they tell you to blog. Popular ones include PayPerPost and Blogsvertise.

It's quite an interesting and really easy way to make money. No more ugly work uniforms, no more nasty customers, no more traveling all the way to work, and no more more! All you have to do is get comfortable on your chair and just go on a blogging spree.

Enjoy blogging everyone! =)

Swapping Books With Strangers?

Our main problem is...books are so outrageously expensive! A decent paperback novel can cost up to MYR40++ and a non-earning primary/secondary student simply cannot afford it. 'Let their parents buy!' I can hear some of you say. Well, it's not that easy either. Some parents would not dream of spending money on storybooks for their kids. They would rather throw their money away on overcrowded, fully booked tuition classes and extra-good, highly recommended revision books for their precious, future doctor/engineer/accountant/millionaire kids.

Okay okay! Looks like I'm getting out of the point here but as we all know, it is a fact that kids nowadays read more schoolbooks than storybooks. But what about those who can't live without books, or storybooks to be precise?

I found a few book-swapping websites and I think their ideas are fantastic. For example, at bookcrossing.com, the concept is when you finish reading a book, you leave it somewhere in public where some stranger will pick it up and go home to read it. They then leave the book in public again and let someone else find it. It works in the US but in Malaysia? I doubt it. If you ever leave a good storybook in public, I'm sure nobody will ever see it again. Either it's kept safely in someone's home (finders keepers!) or at a second-hand bookshop.

Here's an interesting article entitled 'The savvy bookworm', where
they talk about renting, swapping, buying books when on sale, etc. I really hope Malaysia can inculcate the reading habit in everybody, from those aged 1 to 100! Babies don't have to read, they can just look at the pictures! =) You can't force them to read either. They will only nibble at the book.

May books last forever! Happy reading!

List of Books That I Want To Read

One day, a few years ago, I thought, 'Hmmm, why not I compile a list of books that I want to buy/borrow/beg to read?' And it's quite a long list but unfortunately, due to financial constraints or lack of time, I only managed to finish off a few books. Here is my list:

1. Teen Ink, Our Voices, Our Visions
2. Life Lists for Teens: Tips, Steps, Hints and How-tos...
3. The 7 Best Things (Smart) Teens Do
4. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
5. How to Deal (Speak)
6. Dear Nobody
7. The Opposite of Chocolate
8. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
9. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer by Vivien Alcock
10. The Cuckoo Sister by Vivien Alcock
11. The Sylvia Game by Vivien Alcock
12. The Boy Who Swallowed A Ghost by Vivien Alcock
13. To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper
14. The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner
15. It's a Long Way From Penny Apples by Bill Cullen
16. Dealing with Relatives (...Even if You Can't Stand Them!) by Dr Rick Brinkman and Dr Rick Kirschner
17. Stately Pursuits by Katie Fforde
18. Little Darlings by Sam Llewellyn
19. Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
20. Eddie Dickens
21. Unlikely Exploits
22. Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay
23. Indigo's Star
24. White Boots by Noel Streatfeild
25. The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett
26. The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
27. Little Black Book of Stories by A.S. Byatt
28. Mirrors
29. Kids' Night In
30. Eating Words for Breakfast
31. Ten of the Best: School Stories With a Difference
32. Forever by Judy Blume
33. Baby Blue by Julia Green
34. Lost and Found by Valerie Mendes
35. My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
36. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
37. Ballet Shoes for Anna by Noel Streatfeild
38. Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
39. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
40. Middlemarch by George Eliot
41. Vilette by Charlotte Bronte
42. Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson
43. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
44. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
45. Bootleg by Alex Shearer
46. Doctor Illuminatus
47. Soul Stealer by M. Booth
48. In the Shadow of the Ark by Anne Provoost
49. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
50. Lionboy - The Chase by Zizou Corder
51. Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
52. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpugo
53. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
54. Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers
55. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
56. The Power of One by Bryce Courtney
57. The Orange Girl by Jostein Gaardner
58. Kingdom by the Sea by Robert Westall
59. The Dark House by Marcus Sedgwick
60. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
61. Heavy Metal and You by Christopher Krovatin
62. Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
63. Swan Sister - Fairy Tales Retold
64. Crank
65. Ruby the Red Fairy
66. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
67. Sophie's Bakery for the Broken Hearted by Lolly Winston
68. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
69. Saturday by Ian McEwan
70. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
71. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
72. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
73. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
74. An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
75. Boy by James Hanley

Whew! It is rather a long list! But, I stopped adding to this list some time ago. There are more, which I would love to read. And if any of you readers have read any of the books I've listed above, please tell me if the book is worth reading or not. It's quite sad judging by the few books I've only read from my list. But, nothing is impossible, my friends. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Wormy Morning

Ugh, what a morning! I was cutting vegetables like what I do every morning and if I'm lucky, I won't get to meet any uninvited little slimy Annelids. But, I guess today is my lucky day. I was slowly peeling off a vegetable leaf and voila! There, resting snugly in the leaf was a long, shiny, worm. I shrieked and ran away to get myself far, far away from it! In the end, my mom took the leaf with the worm in it and threw it outside. She said the sun would kill it. Then, I had to continue cutting the vegetables, hoping there would be no more slimy friends.

These few months, there have been numerous little crawly worms, you know those black worms with yellow spots on them, and they are around the garden especially in the drains. I don't know how many little worm lives I've ended already and I'd most probably be known as a worm serial killer. =0

Worms are hermaphrodites, that is that they have both male and female reproductive organs. So, it's no surprise that they can reproduce many, many baby worms in a short period of time. Thanks to my Biology book, I've learnt a lot about this unlikable species. I wish there were no worms on this planet! But, without them, our ecosystem would not be complete. So, they do serve a purpose in life. Don't worry, after all the worms I've killed, there are still billions of them crawling around. Even in your stomach!

Happy New Year 2007

Happy New Year 2007 to everybody out there! I do hope all of you had a blast last night counting down to the new year. Well, I certainly did not have a blast last night because I was, unfortunately, dozing away in Dreamland!

Anyway, have you got ready your New Year resolutions yet? I'm sure most of you have goals to achieve within the next 12 months.

I surfed the web and found that popular New Year resolutions include losing weight, quit smoking, drink less, spend more time with family, save more money, etc. In my case, I only want to save more money so that I have money to buy more stuff! =) Especially books. Typical me. If I ever visit a bookstore, I'll look around in awe at the books around me wishing all of them belonged to me!

Okay, it's taking me a long time to type this post, as the connection is quite bad. Maybe there are millions online now. Who knows??

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!!!