penny for my thoughts?

Up Close and Personal

2007-04-08T03:24:00.000-07:00

Guess who I made coffee for today??? People who watch CSI: Las Vegas, remember Catherine Willows? Yup yup. Marg Helgenberger came in to Borders today and got coffee from our cafe. At first, I didn't really notice because, well, she looks normal. Ya know, just like any other person out there. Then when she was asked for a name for the order, she was like, 'Oh...just M'...I was like heh?? Took another look, and bam. Heh. But we had to act casual. So just made her the drink, handed it over to her and that was it. But still, pretty cool. Heh.

Anyways, I haven't got much to blab about now...so, till the next celeb encounter. Tee hee.

Ouch

2007-03-08T00:21:00.000-08:00

I'm so tired. My feet hurts. My back feels like it's about to break. And I still need to lose weight. But I'm having fun. Selling coffee is something I've never done before, and I can't exactly say i'm very good at it, but hey...ring up the order, grab cups. 2 shots of espresso, 3 shots of honey cinnamon syrup, steamed milk, ring up more orders, grab more cups, try not to spill anything...easy peasy. Hahaha. No, not exactly. But it's fun nonetheless. I'll appreciate these people behind the counters more the next time I order a Medium Sized Mocha Javakula, kurang manis....

Don't Everybody Call Me All At Once...!

2007-02-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

Whoa. After a month of no calls, no work and plenty of rejection, this sure is a change. For the better.

First I started working on an indie feature film. This is a super rush job for now since they want to submit the 1st draft to a festival by March 1st. So now the average rate of composing is not 1 minute a day...more like 4-5 minutes. But I'll have time to fine tune it and make changes after that...so that's good.

Then there's a student short which I will start working on this weekend. Will be meeting the director later this week. So that's cool.

Yesterday, I also got a call back from a small indie production company that I interviewed at last week. They want me to join their team. Yay! It's unpaid, but from what they were telling me, lots of chances for exposure. They do stuff like documentaries and segments on specific people or topics...and it gets aired on TV or Cable. :) Two thumbs up.

THEN....then there's Ralph's. Hahaha. Yeah, I was so desperate work for I applied online at all the nearby grocery stores and book stores and all. They have 2 job openings at the Ralph's in Century City, which is about 15 minutes from my place. So will be meeting the store manager tomorrow too.

So now...after getting my ass slammed at by so many closing doors, I'M kicking ass. Hyuk hyuk.

Homemade gifts

2007-02-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

It's 4:53 am. And I can't sleep. So as usual, I started browsing on the net. Since Valentine's Day is around the corner, I started to look for ideas on what to give TJ. And I happened to bump into this page...Loving You.com. It was just ideas of homemade gifts that people made for their other halfs.

...I guess I am what-you-might-call a sappy person. I like stuff like these...it may be corny, but it's meaningful. Sweet. But it's kinda funny really. All these years...I never did anything like that for my ex boyfriends. No homemade cards, or homemade gifts. No gifts. I always ended up in relationships where...you just don't do stuff like that. Be it Valentine's Day...or birthdays...or Christmas...Those days were just...you know, like any other day. Not that important. We usually ended up somehow agreeing that we didn't have to get the other person anything for those 'special' occasions...

On the other hand, reading those posts on the website reminded me of someone. Not a boyfriend, but rather, a really really good girl friend. When I was back in college, I made a really close friend. Heh. Actually, we didn't really start off on the right foot. We had pretty bad first impressions on the other person. I thought she was an obnoxious, stuck up spoilt brat....and she thought I was a snooty high class rich girl. Heh. Boy were we wrong!

We turned out to be really close...inseparable, some might say. When we were still living in the dorm, everybody knew that...if you see one of us, the other is not far from sight. We always went to class together...had lunch and dinner together....and after dinner, we would talk and talk and talk and talk somemore. What we talked about...everything. From school, to guys...to dorm gossip...everything under the sun.

Even after we moved out...and studied different majors...we still managed to find time to talk...sometimes we would talk all through the night, and just go for class the next morning. Haha. Yea...it was super hard to keep our eyes open. Then after a while...we started to do more things on our own. We started making new friends...started heading toward different paths...but she somehow always showed me that she still cared.

Sometimes, in the morning...I would find a simple note on my table...telling me to have a great day in school today. Or a card with silly drawings and silly messages. (She was a great artist by the way) But those cards sure made my day. It made going through a whole long day of classes just that little bit better. Or it would make me laugh whenever I think about it. She once drew me a cartoon of me...holding the violin...and the violin was complaining about the way I played it. (Yes, I'm a lousy violinist) Till today, it never fails to make me smile whenever I think about it.

I remember once, I wanted to make her a homemade card for her birthday. I knew she liked tulips...and I just happen to have this tulip card in one of my DIY books. So off I went to buy paper, glue and all that DIY stuff. I tried to follow the instructions exactly...but well, I guess I kinda suck when it comes to arts. Haha. It started turning out all funny...and different...so I had to improvise. I was kinda embarassed when I gave it to her...but she told me she liked it. :) It actually felt really good making somebody a gift rather than buying it...

But, I don't think I have done anything homemade since then. Maybe this Valentine's day will be a fresh start. Hmm. We'll see won't we...

God Will Never Quit

2007-02-02T01:53:00.000-08:00

Just when I was feeling discouraged, I got this in my email...God sure does works in mysterious ways...

*God Will Never Quit*

*One day I decided to quit... I quit my job, my relationship, my
spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.*

*I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said.
"Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" His answer surprised
me... *

*"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"*

*"Yes", I replied.*

*"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care
of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew
from the earth. It's brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing
came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the
second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again,
nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo."
He said.*

*"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I
would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the
bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.*

*"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant... But
just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had
spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and
gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my
creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me.*

*"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been
struggling,
you have actually been growing roots?"*

*"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."*

*"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a
different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest
beautiful."*

*"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"*

*"How high should I rise?" I asked.*

*"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.*

*"As high as it can?" I questioned**

*"Yes, He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."*

How Do You Handle Rejction?

2007-02-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

Gee. Rejection is always so hard to swallow. I met up with this composer today, who was looking for assistants. In a nutshell, the type of music I write is probably not the type he's interested in. But well, he said he'll keep in touch etc etc. So that's rejection #1.

Just 5 minutes ago, I checked my mail...and I received a mail from Universal. So, yup. You got it right. They hired somebody else. So 2nd rejection of the day.

I even applied at my old dorm to be an RA (residence advisor), but I think they're most probably looking for someone who can work there during the weekdays...and probably someone who lives there. So I wonder will that be rejection #3?

Yes, I am feeling rather discouraged at the moment. In fact, this afternoon, I was wondering...am I doing the right thing here? Should I even stay on? But I know that I shouldn't give up. And that I should try 10 times harder. So try harder I shall...and just hope for the best.

Heh. TJ says I need to toughen up. I think he's right.

Tell me...how do you handle rejection?

I'm in debt...

2007-01-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

Poor Vader...he ate a rock and it got stuck somewhere in his belly. He started throwing up everything he ate and drank, and had no appetite. He couldn't even lie down to sleep because of the discomfort. He was brought to the vet and they did X-rays of him and stuff. Saw the rock in the x-ray and said he needed surgery. Cos it was too big for him to poop out. The surgery cost nearly made me faint!! But it was that...or put him to sleep. No way was I about to do that to my big boy...so TJ's dad paid for the surgery....right now I am in debt. :( I told them I will pay them back in time. Once I get a job.

Just take a look at him. He looks so depressed and ashamed of his scar. They had to shave off his belly for the surgery, so there's like a big patch of white now. Poor dude. Hope he's doing okay. Wish he was back here with me and TJ...

As for my job waiting...well, I got an email from the music school saying...well basically, it was a no. Haha. Well, I already expected that, so no disappointment there. I'm still waiting for Universal to get back to me. I'm not having too high hopes on that too...the lesser the expectation, the smaller the disappointment if it's another rejection. I've also been calling the temp agency everyday...guess they're looking for a suitable job for me. I even applied at Borders online..since it's so near the apartment. I'm way stressed out now. I know it has only been like a week since all these job applications and stuff...but it makes me think a lot. One year to get a job is not enough time. But well...I'm gonna stay positive and just try my best. One of my friends told me that's all you've gotta do. Just try and try and try. You'll never know unless you try. So try I shall.

I was watching this movie called 'Modern Romance' last night. It's pretty old...but I found it pretty entertaining. It's basically about this movie editor and his relationship with his gf. But man, don't they hit the right spots. These kinda relationships are just what's happening nowadays in the real world. Especially in the entertainment industry. Does marriage hold no meaning anymore???

In Memory Of Hershey

2007-01-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

TJ's little girl, Hershey went to doggie heaven today...She was 14 years old. Hope she's back to her energetic self in heaven! We will miss you, little girl.

Wait wait wait

2007-01-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's 9:30 on a Friday morning. TJ left for school. He's got an Italian quiz today. DO WELL!! :) We got somewhat depressed last night thinking about the next few years to come. Will he get into Med school? Will he get one at UCLA? What happens if he gets into a school out of state? Another long distance relationship? I don't think I can do 4 years. Unless I move with him and follow him wherever he goes....Lots to think about.

Right now, I'm kinda just...sitting tight (which is something I can't say about my butt no more) and just waiting for news. The music school hasn't called back, so i'm assuming they got somebody else...which is fine. Plenty of other music schools to look for. I only start calling the temp agency on Monday...so that gives me a few more days to relinquish in the joys of the unemployed.

And yesterday...oooh, yesterday. Lemme back track a little. Right after my appointment with the temp agency, I received a voicemail from one of the assistants at Universal. She's leaving. Wants to continue her studies and get her Masters. So her position as assistant will be available. She asked me if I was interested and hell yeah, I was. So I sent them my resume and met up with them yesterday.

Since they already knew me, they could skip the company background and all the..."interrogation" bit. Just more or less told me the duties that were expected yadaa yadaa yadaa. They are still interviewing people, so I'm just gonna have to sit tight again and wait for news. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed on that. I know I don't have much experience in paperwork kinda jobs, so I won't be surprised if they gave the job to somebody who knows what they are doing. And the job also includes dealing with stressed out clients...whom I'm supposed to destressed and all. Haha. I got so scared of THAT description I even bough a book off Amazon on Telephone Etiquette and all. How to deal with people on the phone. YES, I am that useless when it comes to customer service.

Anyhow, after the interview, had a little chat with a few people there. They're keeping their fingers crossed for me too. But in the end, it all comes down to who will suit the job the best, so...oh well, we'll see. It's weird. If you sit me down and ask me to write songs for you and compose like, 5 minutes of music per day, I'd be less scared than asking me to talk to people on the phone. I am really not a natural people person, but I guess it's time I learnt anyway. Hehe. Sometimes I wish I was more like Dad. He gets along with everyone! Everywhere he goes, he knows someone. Or Mum. Haha. Everybody in the market knows her. Hmm...

Dang, it seriously kills your brain little by little when you don't have a job...

Another interview

2007-01-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

Yup. So I went for the interview. It went pretty good I think. Just gotta sit tight for about a week. If they liked me, I will be called back for a second interview and most probably an observed teaching. *yikes* Now THAT is stressful. Oh well, if I do get to that stage, I'm just gonna teach like how I always teach. I just hope that American kids are not THAT different from Asian kids. They'll probably talk more, but I guess that's alright.

Then I have another interview this coming Monday. I signed up at a temp agency. Can you believe they can't open .pdf files?? I sent a resume in pdf format and I got a call back asking me to resend it as a word document. Haha. Ah well. So I'm gonna see them this Monday, probably lots of documents to fill and all, since she told me it's going to take about 2-3 hours. Hmm.

Ooh ooh...and I got a gig! :D My first full length feature film. Indie of course. I received the contract a couple of days ago and my friend is helping me to look through it. So more updates on that later. Hehe.

Right now, gotta go wake my baby up. Toodles.

Me + piano = ??

2007-01-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have an interview this Monday. At a music academy at Santa Monica. Guess what I'll be doing? Yup yup. Piano teaching. Hahahaha. Just part time...maybe once or twice a week (if I do get it)...just to start bringing some money IN instead of just OUT all the time.

Anyhoo, wish me luck.

Back in LA

2007-01-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

Yes yes, it's been a long time since my last blog. But that's only because i....went....HOME!!!!! :) Yup yup. I was back at my home in Malaysia for about a month or so. And mm mm mm...the food...good good good! I filled myself up with all my favourite food...curry...soup...vegetables...indian, chinese, home cooked...I didn't do much at home really. Just ate...slept...ate some more...went out shopping...that was about it. Haha. Oh yeah, went shopping for souvenirs too.

Then I flew to San Francisco to my baby's home. Got me some pressies from his family. Bought them some souvenirs too. Like Malaysian handicraft...and the ever-so-famous...fake products. Hehe. Oh, yes and Malaysian food. They seemed to enjoy that.

But now...now I'm back in LA. Time to kick ass again. No more foolin around and time to get WORK!!!! And yes...time to start shedding off the pounds that I put on in the past few months. Ugh.

Anyways, I'm back.

YAY!!!

2006-11-15T23:39:00.000-08:00

Whoo hoo!! Today was my last day at Miracle Mile! Yay! Worked from 10 till like...5. And Cabut lari. Hyuk hyuk. Nah, it was a good experience. The phone calls, the CD compilations etc etc. But now, all I can think about it GOING HOME!!!! Heh. Going home and being a bum in front of the TV. Where I can DRIVE out anytime I want to...to get food...ahhhhh...or to go jalan jalan...lepak lepak...hehe. No need to wait for the darn bus...or get my dear boyfriend to fetch me out. :D FREEDOM!!!!!

giggle

2006-11-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Heh. I have noticed a few things since I came to LA...guys who hang out in Santa Monica seem to like Malaysian girls. I wonder why...

The very first time a guy tried to pick me up was at a bus stop in Santa Monica. As usual, I was standing by the wall, minding my own business...when this guy comes up to me and asks me for the time. So okay, I told him the time...then he started talking...and talking..and continued jabbering for a while. I lost track of what he was saying halfway due to his accent. He ain't American thats for sure. He finally asked me if I wanted to 'drop by' his place to watch a movie or something...since he claims that his roomates are not at the same entertainment frequency level as him yadaa yadaa...hahaha. Thank goodness my bus arrived just then.

The next time was just a bunch of guys sitting at a restaurant...who called me as I was walking by...heh. No, no 'ratty' Malaysian whistle. Just a surprising 'HI' out of nowhere.

Today...again, I was waiting at the bus stop after a long day at Universal. 10 minutes after waiting...this is what happened.

Dude : Hi, how's life?
Me : Wh....erm...good good..
Dude : I was just wondering...what nationality are you? I'm just curious
Me : Oh, I'm Malaysian :)
Dude : Ohhh, I see. You're very pretty.
Me : (hahahahahahaha) Thank you...
Dude : I wanted to talk to you...but you looked kinda young...I don't wanna get into any trouble or mumblemumble....how old are you?
Me : ....How old do you think I am?
Dude : I dunno...16?
Me : LOL. Try adding like...9 maybe
Dude : erm...21?
Me : No, I'm 25...
Dude : Really??? You're really pretty...

Bus arrives...

Me : Erm, I gotta go. My bus is here.
Dude : Oh...can I have your email or something...?
Me : Uh...*while walking towards the bus* ...I think I'd rather not... :)
Dude : Oh, it's okay. Sorry for bothering you :)
Me : Nah, don't worry about it...

*Hops onto the bus...sits down....and tries hard not to start giggling...*

Hahahahaha. Guys can be so funny. Heh. I'm still trying to get used to the culture here, so to speak.Where it's totally normal for a guy to approach a girl..or vice versa..and just start chatting the other person up. So unlike Malaysia, where kids start by asking their friend to go tell the girl stuff like....'My friend thinks you are really pretty...and wants to be your friend...' LOL. Here, I guess rejection is not a big problem. Hmm...I wonder if I was still single..would I be giving out my number to guys? Hehe. Anyhoo, pretty amusing day. The guy was pretty cute too. ;)

Home sweet home...or is it?

2006-11-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder...when am I ever gonna have a place of my own? With someone I love...with my cheeky and fat Vader...? I think I am way pass that age of having roommates and living in a so-called house. Where people leave dishes in the sink, and don't clean up the mess that they leave behind. Where no one ever seems to do anything although the couch cover, which is supposed to be covering the couch...is more or less covering the floor. Where no one offers to clean the rug...or vacuum the carpet...or swiffer the kitchen...or put the dishes back in the cupboards when it is dry...

Tell me...am I asking for too much?? Or are these all pretty much...common sense when living together...? Sometimes I tell myself, close one eye. If they don't bother, why should you? Why do you always have to clean it?? Let them clean it. But then I think again, if I ever do that...I believe I will be living in a dump pretty soon.

So I end up doing all the work..sometimes intentionally in front of them...but I guess some people just don't get hints. Subtle ones, obvious ones, nada. Even post-its don't work anymore...

...I am so tired...

$$$$

2006-10-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

Man, I am so broke. All the fees for my internship, my OPT, health insurance, flight ticket....practically wiped out all my money!!! :( Geez. I need a job!!!! But can't do much about that for now. Have to start looking when I'm back home...and when I get back here. I MUST get a job by my birthday next year. I wanna earn my own money again!!

Anyways, I got invited to this party hosted by a director that I got to know. So..time to MINGLE and make SMALL TALK!!! Yay. Two of my FAVOURITE things!! But oh well. It's all good. Heh.

Oh by the way, I am starting to have another toothache again. I REALLY really hope it's not another wisdom tooth. Anyhow, I am waiting till I get back home to get it checked. No way am I paying all that money for dental care here again. No matter how much pain it's gonna cost me. Pusat Kesihatan Seremban rocks! Whoo hoo!!

Creating a Demo CD

2006-10-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

First of all, make sure you have these few things :- CD-Rs, CD labels, CD covers/sleeves, envelope, paper, ink. Then follow steps listed below.
1. Have your music ready. All mixed, mastered and ready to go.
2. Burn suitable pieces onto a CD-R. Make sure it works both on computer and regular CD players.
3. Make CD label with your name, type of genre, and contact information. If using CD cover, you might also want to print a cover with the track listings.
4. Write a cover letter
5. Print list of credits (if any) or resume
6. Put CD, letter and credits into envelope.
7. Buy stamps.
8. Mail it

Yup, this is basically what I've been doing the whole day today. Both at work and at home. The minute someone accepts submissions of demo CDs, this is basically what you have to do. So when I came home, I remastered all my demos and burnt them on a CD. I still have to get the CD labels and stuff. But it will be done soon.

Heh. Come to think of it, this is the very first Demo CD I've ever sent out. Usually, it's just an email to that person stating my background, and that I'm interested in working on the project, and then direct him to my MySpace page. Much much easier to do that nowadays. But there are certain benefits of sending a CD though. They are not forced to sit in front of the cmputer to listen to your music. They can pop the CD into the player while they're driving home, or pop it into a CD player at work...increases the chances of your music being heard I guess.

Oh. Anyways, whom am I sending the CD to? Wel. Long story. I am taking this 'Survivor's Guide" course right now. It basically gives you the nuts and bolts of how to survive being a composer. We had an assignment the prevous week. Get a copy of the production listings that state all the projects that are in production right now. Choose a project which you think is attainable. Find out contact info. Call them and ask if they're looking for a composer. If yes, try to get an address where you can submit your Demo CD.

Basically, this is also what I do at the management company. So, easy peasey right? WRONG! It's so easy to call for other people but when it comes to calling for yourself...heh. A whole other story. Anyways, I chose three projects that seemed pretty reasonable. This is what happened.

Call #1

...dials..
Voice : Hi, you've reached the production company for project so and so. We are not available to answer your call at the moment. Please leave a message and your contact number and we will call you back as soon as possible.
Me : (Yeah right you'll call back)
BEEP
Me : Hi, my name is Doreen. I was just wondering if you're looking for a composer for project so and so. If you can, please give me a call at.......Thank you.

Right. That is one of the most typical answers you'll ever get. Voice mail.

Call #2
Voice : Hello, production company so and so
Me : Hi, my name is Doreen. I was just wondering.....etc etc etc
Voice : Let me connect you to so and so
So and so : Yeah?
Me : Hi, my name is Doreen etc etc etc
So and so : Yeah, just send an application to our company okay?
Me : Where is that?
So and so : All the information is on our website. So and so. Okay? Bye
Me : Thanks

This is what you'll get on a slightly lucky attempt. First you actually get to speak to a real person. Second, you get an address to send your demo to. So, one thumb up for Call #2. After that...

Call #3
Voice : Hello?
Me : Hi, my name is etc etc etc
Voice : Wellll, we are basically using a lot of old songs for this project. And we have someone who's gonna write the main theme for this...if you could find someone who knows the usual rates for a 2 hour feature, that would be good. Just get back to me after that.
Me : (wha...what??) Erm...well, it depends on the budget of the film...whom am I speaking to??
Voice : Og, I am so and so (the director!!!)
Me : !!!!
Voice : What we have with the other guy is a profit sharing thing...etc etc etc...Anyways, let me give you a LITTLE information about the film.....

...Talks for 30 minutes about his movie

So..yeah, it ended on a really good note. I got the address to send my Demo to. He's interested in giving it a listen. He's happy that I seem to be interested to be part of the project. So there you go. Call #3...big success. now it's a matter of following up.

Heh. I guess this assignment did me a lot of good. :) But in general...one must have loads of perseverance, enough social skills , right location, a dash of luck and a sufficient amount of skill. (yes, I actually have a test tomorrow....so...trying to sink in some stuff here!)

Going Home!!!

2006-10-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

Yay! I've finally bought my ticket to go home!! I will be leaving on November 20th at like, 11 pm and I'll reach KL at 1pm on November 22nd. Heh. Yeah, you lose days when you travel from US to Malaysia. But who cares. I'm finally going home after a year of being in LA. Time to pig out and snuggle in my bed again. Oh, wait. Gotta kick my sister outta my room first before I can do that. Heh. The little kiddo took over my room after I left. Hmph. All for the AC.

I've gotten all my internship paperwork sorted out. Got all my OPT applications sorted out. So as long as I'm back here in LA by January 5th 2007, I should be fine. Anyway, both internships are fine so far. Still lotsa phone calls and paper work. But I've managed to talk to the people there a bit. try to catch them and have some one on one chat. Let them know I will be looking for a job soon. Hopefully, if they know of something, they'll think of me! I believe I've been doing a pretty good job so far. No complaints. Heh.

Anybody watch any good movies lately? The last one I watched was...lemme see. Oh. Yes. Jackass 2. Haha. It was stupid. And it wasn't even that funny. Just..bodoh. I just watched The Bone Collecter again on TV just now. Reminds me of my Serdang days. In the old Serdang flats. With my girlfriends in the living room, lounging on the carpet. I miss those days. Where we'd just hang out and talk and talk and talk and talk somemore. Next thing you know, it's time to go to class. Haha. Guess now you know why people used to call me The Walking Zombie.

I really miss those days. Sometimes when I walk around campus, and I see the students there hanging out together, it keeps reminding me that I'm an old fart now. Gotta think about getting a job. No more fooling around. No more spending 90% of your time with friends and the rest of it for studying and sleeping. But well, I guess it makes you appreciate all the close buddies you have. SK, CC, PS, Chik and Cher, LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! *muaks*

Run Me....Run

2006-09-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

I used to dislike running. That was one form of exercise that was waaaaaay bottom on my list. But recently, I've been dreading getting on the weighing scale...cos the needle doesn't stop where it's supposed to anymore. So, since I'm too lazy to go to the office to get a gym card, the last resort I had was to run.

So run I did. At first it was more like run/walk. But it's been two weeks now, more or less. I'm finally able to neeeearly run all the way on the route that I'm taking. it's just the killer slope up Westwood that always kills me. But it actually feels good. To feel your heart pounding in rhythm...to feel the cool breeze against your face...to feel the heat boiling from under the sweatshirt. Just the feeling of some sorta accomplishment. Heh. PLUS, there's another incentive to all this weight loss thing. I don't wanna be the laughing stock when I go back home!!

Actually, I was hella tired today. Started my 2nd internship at Universal Music this morning. They had me do lots of sorting. In alphabetical order. Haha. I've been lucky to have been able to skip entry level jobs so far, but man, it sucks. Time passes super slow while you're there, putting everything in order. Stack after stack after stack. But the people in the department were really nice. So, hopefully I get to learn something there...to pay for all the paper cuts I got from just today alone!

blah

2006-09-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is one of those days...where the mood swings just happen like *snap* Just feel so....blah. Hope I'll snap out of it soon...

Ever wonder sometimes....if you were in someone else's shoes...would you actually like you?? Or would you think that you're such a big pain in the butt and cranky all the time..? Sometimes I think...if I somebody else...I might not actually like me. Haha. Oh well.

My big boy

2006-09-16T01:11:00.000-07:00

I miss Vader...

Dum dee dum...

2006-09-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

i was just checking out the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website last night and man, I got soooo confused. It takes me like three attempts to understand one single sentence sometimes. A friend of mine, BS, was telling me I should check it out and find out exactly what kinda jobs qualify as a working visa. I guess my best bets would be the H-1 visa...or the artist visa. Still trying to gather more information regarding these two things. Hopefully it won't be too complicated. I mean, hey, if so many other Malaysian students managed to find a way to stay here, I'm sure it can be done.

Oh, and I've been scouting out some Chinese restaurants in Alhambra too. Alhambra, Monterey Park, Pasadena...those are like the more Asian populated. The stores are all Chinese stores with Chinese words...which I can't understand. Heh. The one that we went to last night was just so so. It's like a typical Hong Kong cafe I guess. The coffee milk shake was good. The beef curry....I give it a B-...The Noodles with meat strips and pickled vegetables was HUGE...but the taste was just mediocre. Heh. If I'm ever in Pasadena, I'll probably go check out the Malaysian restaurants there. Hyuk hyuk.

Right now, a feeling of restlessness is starting to creep in again. Wondering how I'm gonna end up. Will I stay, will I go home? Will I get a job? Will it be what I really want? Or would I have to go through the typical 9-5 job for a long time before I have enough money saved up to compose full time? Questions questions. Right now, all I want is to make some money so I can stop asking for money from home. Maybe even send some money HOME instead. I'm not used to being so financially dependant again. Sigh. Anybody got a film that needs music? *hint hint*

First day as an intern...

2006-09-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day as an intern at Miracle Mile Management. It's a management company with clients like Bill Conti etc etc. All I've gotta say is...man, I hate answering phones. My very first phone call, and I forgot to ask who was on the line. And a few calls after...I remembered to ask...but when I redirected the line, I forgot his name! At least I got a laugh or two out of it. Ah geez. I'm not much of a phone kinda person.

Basically, I'm gonna be doing LOTS and LOTS of phone calls. Yes, answering the phone is one. The other would be to call people and ask for updates or details regarding a movie etc etc. I'm hoping I'll get better in time, but this certainly does not come so naturally to me. But well, tis good practice. Besides, Now I know just how hard it is to actually get hold of REAL people, and not just answering machines!

Anyways, I was in Antioch for a whole week. Left after the Williams concert, which was really really great. Played some classic old stuff during the first half, and the second half was most of his famous works like Star Wars, Memoirs of a Geisha, ET...Really nice. He seems like a really nice person too. He gave us like...3-4 encores...it was neverending!

Then we took a 5 hour drive back north. I was so excited to see Vader again! When we reached, we stood outside the side gate and we could see Vader through the cracks, sniffing like crazy. The minute we opened the door, he just POUNCED on us!! :D I was like, OMG, you are SO BIG!!! Then we spent like an hour just playing with him. At one point, I guess he couldn't decide whether he loved me for being there or hated me for leaving him. He was licking me like crazy, then I saw him trying to nip me a couple of times...then it was back to licks. Heh. Crazy dog.

We brought him out for walks the whole week. We took the bikes sometimes and made fatboy run after us. Heh. He's a fast runner now. :) He even chased after our car when we left for LA. He ran all the way to the junction and Cisco had to run and get him back. Guess he thought we forgot to bring him along. He was kinda depresesd the whole day after that too. :( Ah well.

I did attempt to do my final cue while I was there. But I guess it's just like being home...you know, how you can never get anything done at home...so yeah...nothing got done. But when we got home, I sat in front of the computer for like one whole day non-stop and managed to write a 3 1/2 minute cue. A friend came to pick us up and we went all the wya to Alhambra to Martin sound studios. It was really nice. The room sounded really warm and the orchestra sounded pretty full for its size. I managed to get 2 takes, and they sounded pretty good. The engineer was kinda cranky though. Haha. I miss Rocky, our engineer at PIT. He had this mood swings from funny funny funny CRANKY funny funny. :D But yeah, I guess thats the last time we'll ever be in a recording studio for a long long time.

After the recording 6 of us went to a chinese place down the street. Initially, we were supposed to eat at this place across the street...but SOME people... ;) refused to eat at a 'B' place. Haha. Man, you two would never survive in Malaysia if you only ate at 'A' places. There goes all the hawker food...and mamak...and most chinese restaurants....hahahaha. It's the Bs that usually taste good man!

Anyways, I'm pretty beat right now. Gonna go get some shut eye. Cheerios.

John Williams

2006-09-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Yay, in about 3 1/2 hours, I will get to see John Williams in action at the Hollywood Bowl! :) Then it's off to Antioch to see Vader! Double yay! Anyways, I've managed to do a rough sketch for my final cue with the timing notes and stuff, and I'll be working on it while I'm in NorCal. It's a really nice ending scene from Hidalgo, where you see all the horses run free in the wild...really nice. Plus, no dialog. Heh. It's gonna be a 3 1/2 minute cue, my longest yet for class. So I hope I do good!

rendang

2006-08-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo! Cooked rendang beef today. Haha. Of course, i used some Brahim's pre-packed curry but hey, I didn't get no complaints from my baby. :) But it's still missing some spices. Don't know what though. Will try to throw some stuff in the next time I cook it again.

Oh...and guess what. Just when I thought I was finally free from my copying job, I got a call from the composer today and hey whaddaya know. He missed one piece. Ergh. So yes, I have another short piece to copy and extract and all. Gotta finish by tonight so I can start on my final cue tomorrow. Then I gotta finish my final cue by Saturday so I can go see my doggie for a week! Yay!

theme park frenzy

2006-08-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

I actually had a whole long blog written out a couple of days ago. But when I tried to add pictures and stuff, my entire blog got wiped out. Yup. Just my luck. So here I am, trying to write about the past two weeks...again.

Anyways, I finally got the chance to visit Disneyland! My bf, roomie and I met up with my bf's sisters there, and had one full fun filled day. Everything there was so colourful and full of life! We saw the classic Disney characters, went on the rides (adult and kiddy), walked from one themed park to another.The Indiana Jones ride was super fun! And ooh, if you ever go to Disney, you've gotta try Space Mountain. Two thumbs up, I say. The ride is not scary, but it's very very nice. It's an indoor roller coaster where you're blasted off into space and go twirling about in stars! And the music really pumps you up. We enjoyed it so much, we went to get Fast Pass tickets for the ride again. Fast Pass tickets are meant to save your time so you don't have to wait in the long line everytime. So they give you a time where you've gotta return to go on the ride, and you go in the special Fast Pass lane. So our return time was between 10 to 11pm.

So we walked around some more, took pictures, and just felt like kids again. And at night, it was time for the fireworks! And that was one helluva firework display! The best I've ever seen so far. Everybody was filled with awe and all you could hear was 'Oooohhs'...and 'Aaaahhhhs'. :) It was really really nice. They had it at the castle, and there were light displays on the castle as well. And Tinkerbell came flying from a mountain nearby too. Haha. Right after the fireworks ended, we started walking back toward the Space Mountain ride. After like, 2 minutes of walking...we were wondering...hey, why is everybody going in the same direction too? Isn't the exit the other way? So we got excited by all the bustle and running, so we started running too. Haha. Looks like we weren't the only ones who had the idea of going on that ride before we went home. By the time we reached, the line was already super long! Good thing we had Fast Passes! Haha. So one last ride...and then it was byebye Disneyland.

The three of us got kinda psyched about the rides and all, so we decided to take it one notch further. Magic Mountain. :) Exactly one week after Disnyeland, the three of us drove to Anaheim, which was about 1 hour away from Westwood. As we approched the park, we could already see the rides from far and *gulp* they looked scary!! We started walking around the park to check out the rides. My bf (who was supposed to be the most chicken of us all) wanted to get on ANY ride we saw...while my roommate wanted to try the milder ride first. So we finally ended up going on Riddler's Revenge. And man, that was a mistake. We couldn't see the ride before we went on, so we didn't know just how scary it was gonna be. This was a ride where you're sorta sitting on a seat as big as a bicycle seat...and your feet juuuuuust brely touch the ground. So you're half sitting, half standing. And before we knew it, we were shot off into the sky. Up up up then whooooaaaaaaaa....twirls and loopy loops and up and down and left and ride. I was so scared I didn't dare to open my eyes!!! And that made me even more dizzy...toward the last 15 seconds, I seriously felt my cereal churning in my stomach! So after that, we were all still kinda dazed by the ride, so my roommie and I decided to sit the next one out while my bf, the daredevil, went on the next ride 'Scream'. He kept calling me chicken after that. Hmph.

After that, we went on rides like Batman, which was one of the milder ones...and then we decided to go to the latest and main attraction, Tatsu. My roommie said no, uh uh and off he went to a differnet water ride. Haha. After waiting for an hour or so, we were finally strapped into our seats. At first it looked like the seats on Batman. Where the car was basically hanging from a rail and you sat on a small seat with shoulder straps and stuff. But before the ride started, we felt our butts being lifted into the air and we were face down! Then we started the slow climb up...usually during this climb, you'd be looking at nothing but skies, since you were sitting facing front. But this time, you could see all the people on the ground, getting smaller and smaller....and there was basically nothing between you and the ground. (!!!!) Before we could even take in the beautiful scenery we saw, everything became a blur. We saw skies, ground, skies, trees, up down, round and round. It was crazy!!! But super super fun. And the shoulder straps were super comfortable and secure. Heh. Anybody who needs some thrills in your life, go ride Tatsu.

We also went on rides like Superman, where you're accelerating so fast and then get shot off into the sky...where you see SUperman right on top of the tower....rides like Ninja, Revolution and oh, also water rides! We got soaked but dried off pretty quickly as it was HOT that day! I got a major tan just from walking around that day. Even after putting on sunblock and sunglasses and all. Heh. Yes, it was even hotter than in KL!! But the weather has cooled down a bit here in LA. Gets pretty chilly at night now. Which is good.

So, yeap. That was my two Wednesdays in a row, back to back. Heh. Work wise, I FINALLY finished my copying gig for the musical thing. After sitting in front of the computer for like 8 hours non stop everyday, I finally finished extracting all the parts and sent them to the composer. And since I ended up doing more work than I was supposed to, he compensated for my time and paid me a lil extra. :) whoo hoo! And I should be getting more work after the musical is done, as he has more songs to be transcribed into Finale and all. So, yeah, I'm pretty much set for a while.

As for my lil doggie, my bf and I finally decided to stay in our current apartment. It was getting too stressful and it was hurting our relationship. But we have a short term plan though. He just started working in school and is going to try to keep that job through school. And I will be starting my internship somewhere around mid September. I will be focusing more on trying to get a job that will actually give me a work permit once my Optional Practical Training is done. Yes, that might mean a 9 to 5 office job, but as long as it's related to the entertainment industry, it won't hurt. Any sorta experience here helps. Once I have THAT secured, THEN I can slowly hunt for composition gigs to do part time. But anyhow I'll be needing the full time job to support myself here...without asking ol Daddy oh for money every few months. Heh. So once I find a job...hopefully sometimes next year...then we can hunt for apartments again, since at that time, I will have proof of income and all. And then we can get Vader back...since my bf's family has been so nice to look after him for now, we plan to get a puppy for his sister when we eventually take Vader back. Heh. Why not get a new puppy myself? Nahh...I'm still attached to my Big Boy...and I miss him so much! But right now, school and work comes first.

Alrightey, I'm getting hungry. So I'll leave you guys with some pictures and I'm off to hunt for food! Cheerios!

very 'chan'

2006-08-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Man, this has been a long long loooonnnggg week. And I'm too tired to write about it now. Will update you peeps in a couple of days...when I'm finally done with my copying gig (hopefully). See ya guys later.

yum

2006-08-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

homemade lasagna with spinach...gooooooood...

Hooyeah!

2006-08-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

I have started running. Haha. Yes, the exercise that's way bottom on my 'Like' list. My bf and I started running yesterday. Down Ohio, Westwood and Santa Monica Boulevard. It's not that far a run...but well, we start small. Haha. Or rather, doable. We still walk here and there, but mostly, we're trying. *pat on the back*

We also treated ourselves to a movie this afternoon. Caught the matinee of 'Pirates of the Carribean:Dead Man's Chest'. It was okay. I actually kinda like the first one better. Funnier. But oh well, Johnny Depp still crack me up anyways. Since finding a parking in Westwood is a pain in the butt, we decided to take the bus. And THAT was my baby's very first bus ride! Haha. He actually enjoyed it. (yeah, wait till you HAVE to take it every single day!)

Oh yes, I have the green light to enrol for my internship at UCLA Extension. Nope, I'm not getting paid a single cent for my internship. What more, I have to pay the school! Just for 4 lousy credits. Ah geez. But hopefully, this experience will be useful somehow later down the road.

And Vader got his balls chopped off today!!! My bf's sisters brought him to the vet to get him neutered. And he's now stilll in Antioch, feeling slightly blue and depressed, and wearing his lil cone! Sigh, I should be there to take care of him...the poor thing. All that manlihood...gone in one day. It's okay, big boy. I still love you all the same!!

Okay. Time to get some dinner. Adios.

...

2006-08-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

...Just when I thought things were getting better, it all seems to be going downhill again...last Friday was a good day. Went for the Composer's Expo in Hollywood. They had pretty good panels for the discussion and all. Informative and entertaining. They invited guests like Hanz Zimmer, Mark Isham, Davind Newman and lots more. Hung out with Ken, Boon, Chris and JJ during dinner. It was fun.

I also went for an internship interview at Universal Music on the same day. Reached there a tad too early, so I just basically waited outside for a while before going in. Then, met up with my interviewer, talked a bit...and got offered the internship there and then. So that was a plus point of the day. I will probably be starting my internship in September. Most probably when Fall Quarter begins. And since i'll have one foot in the door, hopefully something better comes along later on.

Sunday was just class, basically. Nothing much. Heard some good news from my baby, about the apartment stuff. We've been apartment hunting since a few months ago. Cos the manager here won't let me keep Vader, my doggie. And being the emotionally attached person I am, I cannot even think about giving Vader away. So here I am...searching for apartments, that has good location, decent price...and one that allows dogs.

Now that I have finally found a few that suits all criterias..another problem crops up. Credit. As students here, we also have no proof of income. Solution? Get a co-signer. Not just any co-signer. Someone with strong credit. Okay. Got that. (Or at least...I think we've got that)

...But all these stress has taken its toll on my relationship with my baby. Quarrels...fights...the works. I'm stressed...he's stressed because I'm stressed...we never know when another arguement will start....It's probably all my doing. All this stress has mad me an impatient, mean and irrational person....Maybe I shouldn't drag him into this. Since Vader is my dog...he is my problem. I should just find a solution by myself...

Should I continue hoping that we will eventually get an apartment, and both my puppies will be with me...but risk our relationship in the process...? Or should I just give Vader up...and be unhappy?

I don't know what to do...

Home home home

2006-08-03T05:12:00.000-07:00

I wanna go home!!! :( I really hope I can go home for a few weeks end of this year. Tentatively, the plan is to go home sometime late November, and come back to LA before Christmas. But that depends on a lot of things. Like, the exact date my program is supposed to end. Whether or not I get an internship this Fall. Whether I'm ALLOWED to go home and COME BACK here during that time period. Lotsa stuff to settle.

But if I do go home, heh, I know what I'll be doing the entire time. EAT, EAT and EAT some more!!! I miss my mummy's cooking. I miss roti canai and maggi goreng. Chicken curry, mutton curry, fish curry. Chinese food!!!! Bak kut teh, soup, all kinds of vegetable!! Noodles, noodles and more noodles!! *drool*

My dear ji muis, if I do go home, you guys had better plan a 'Girls Night Out' okay?? We'll spend one whole day just doing girly stuff and talking girly stuff and all that. I miss you guys so much!!! *Hugz*

Oh yes, today is my daddy's birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the BEST DAD in the world!!!! :)

You Da Man!

Ever since my life began,
I realized that "You da man!"
I saw your wisdom, your courage too,
And I learned I could rely on you.

Your tolerant nature was really great;
Nevertheless, you'd not hesitate
To let me know when I'd been bad
It must have been hard, but that's being a dad.

You're strong and smart and filled with love--
A gift to me from up above.
So here's a greeting from your biggest fan:
Happy Birthday, Dad, cause "You da man!"

Here a freak, there a freak...

2006-08-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

It's confirmed. I'm a freak magnet. (!!!!) Every time I take the Metro bus to go to North Hollywood, I ALWAYS end up bumping into some sorta freak or other. First, it was this dude smoking pot in the bus. After huffing and puffing, he shouts, 'MAN, that guy who just got off the bus was smoking pot!!!! Did you see it???!! Man, people these days. Tsk tsk tsk'....what more, it was followed by giggles and laughter from behind. 'Oh man, that was the funniest thing ever!!' More giggles...Good gawd, please grow up.

Today, it was another kinda freak. There I was, sitting in a nearly empty bus, minding my own business, when this dude hops into the bus. 5 minutes later, and whaddaya know, I find my nice lil space being invaded. All those empty seats, and yet he sits right next to me. OK. Fine. It's a free country. I go on being nonchalant, listening to my CD. Next thing I know, he decides to reply my non-existent Dear Abby letter....

Freak (very serious face) : 'I've got some advice for you. You listening?'.......

Me (one eyebrow raised) : Uh huhhhh (What the hell???)...

Freak (still very serious) : 'You've gotta be strong. You can never count on other people these days. You can't depend on anybody but yourself. It's all in you. You've just gotta be strong. Just always remember that okay?'

Me (nodding veeerrryy slowly) : Uh huhhhh...(Freak).

Then he leaves the seat and decides he wants to get off the bus. But not before making a helluva commotion by shouting to the nice decent people outside attending a show at Hollywood Bowl. You don't even wanna know the things he said. Insults, cussing...more cussings...well, you get my drift. Then, he started bugging the bus driver. 'Come on, let me off the bus'.....No, I can't. We're not at the bus stop yet. It's dangerous....'Just let me off the bus. You don't have to care about me. You're not my father. I wanna get off the bus!!' Thank goodness the bus driver had the sense to just stop and let him out. Yay bus driver!

So to sum up my day, I spent a total of nearly 4 hours on the bus. 3 hours of going through little corrections I had to do for my copying gig. Half of which isn't even my mistakes. Met 'Abby' on the way home. Reach home to find that I accidentaly scheduled an internship interview on the same day I was supposed to attend a Composer's Expo.....so yes, I've had a long day.

The 'N' word

2006-07-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

How do you say no to somebody? How do you say 'uh uh, no way am i doing THAT for you' without pissing them off or hurting them. I don't know why but I always end up doing extra than what I'm being paid for. And the pay isn't even THAT great. It's just so hard to say no without risking screwing up the relationship you have with the other person. Sure, sometimes you can squeeze your way out of it, or twist things around so that they THINK you are still doing it for them, but you're actually figuring out an escape route for yourself. But most of the time, I end up just doing it anyway. Ah well.

We did have a rather good class this evening. Bruce Broughton came as our guest speaker and he was pretty good. Very informative, kept it at a comfortable pace. And his music is....phew. Some of it sounds crazy! Notes flying everywhere! He played us different kinds of music that he has written and they were all pretty darn amazing! And I just realized that he was the composer of one of my favourite cartoon themes, Tiny Toons! Heh. Anyway, go check out his site. :) Bruce Broughton

Okie dokes. Gotta go make myself some dinner. Or supper....(Man, I do miss those late night mamak sessions) Cheerios!

Ramblings...

2006-07-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what triggered it...but out of the blue, I just felt like throwing out all the crap I have in my head. So, here I am. At 4 in the morning. Writing my very first blog. I seriously wonder how long I'll be able to keep this up, seeing as I hardly ever managed to even keep a diary or a journal. Oh well. At the moment, I just really miss my two puppies. Wish they'd come home soon.