It's my birthday today... and I purposely chose this "auspicious day" to go to the dentist so that I have a reason to take leave from work!

It's been two years since "I don't work on my birthday!"
Last couple of years my birthday falls in the period while I was still chambering so I HAD TO work on my birthdays (as pupils are not allowed any break in between their chambering period).

This year is my first birthday as a "lawyer"... but I felt a bit ambarrasing to tell people I'm not working because it's my birthday... so I took "having to see the dentist" as an excuse.

Anyway, back to the dentist... which I went for my scaling

I initially wanted to go to Michael Heng's clinic... but this "most popular expensive dentist in town" has been "fully booked for the entire week" so I just go to the nearest clinic near my village: Dr Patricia.

I'm useless when it comes to pain and as I remembered Rev Stephen Tong commented that many dentist play Mendelsohn's "On Wings of Song" in the clinic to ease their patients' pain,  before I go to the dentist, I downloaded the music into my Creative MuVo Slim...

I had the music played repeatedly through the scaling ordeal!

I think the music did help... even though I still felt the sourish tinkling... it was not as unbearable compared to my last scaling.

The ordeal lasted about an hour... but it didn't felt like forever like the last one.

My ordeal ended with the one of the most ridiculous thing in the world:
after being tortured by the dentist you have to pay her.

And this time, it cost me RM100.
I had to take out the cash from my Ang Pao because they don't take credit card! Sigh!

Now I think most "happening" (as in it happens again and again) experience I gained from court appearance/attendances is, "stand and wait".

Today, I was at court waiting from 830am to nearly 11am to be called in for a matter wherein the other party is merely asking for an adjornment!

It was hot... there were no aircon, not even chairs... or whatever stool...
I stood there... and stood there... stood and stood... until I nearly fainted!

Sigh...

FYI, when I was finally allowed the privilege of the aircon and a seat inside the judge's chamber... the matter was finished in less than 3 minutes.

Sigh!

And while waiting, I was so bored that I started snapping photo of the ugly sights in the court:

the leaking ceiling

the rat hole

Along with some criminals parade (I don't mean they are an ugly sight la):

Bomb hoax at Court House

26th February, 2008

KOTA KINABALU: Court proceeding was abruptly halted after members of the public and Court staff were ordered to vacate the premises at 10.10am yesterday following a phone call on the presence of a bomb.

District Public Order and Police Traffic Deputy Superintendent Chandra Muzaffar said a team of police personnel arrived immediately after receiving the report at 10.30am that the “bomb” was located in the compound.

According to the Court’s telephone operator, she received the call at 9.23am from a women caller with an Indonesian slang who told her to ‘be careful, there’s a bomb there.’ (hati-hati, ada bom di sana)

Judge Duncan Sikodol who was informed about the matter ordered all staff to vacate the premises immediately.

A bomb squad and a tracker dog searched the area for the “bomb” but found nothing. The Court was cleared immediately at 12pm yesterday.

This is the fourth bomb hoax that was reported since 2004.

Notice the expressions on Lim and Koh's faces...

Pak Lah: Gong Xi Fa Cai... vote for BN!
Lim: sigh... (they must be finishing the lokan now at home)
Koh: I wish I'm home with family celebrating...

And here's another one:

Pak Lah: The Government never lie, have I any reason to lie to you?"

Lim: there's a big lie there!

Koh: yeah right... right...

The family decided to have my birthday dinner early... so we "chin-chai" went to this shop we bumped into on our back from the groceries:

We ordered:

herbal chicken

signature vegetarian ginger fish fillet

Three dish dinner for 4 person cost RM49.20.

The taste? So so only...

Why so many patrons? Beats me!

This is my flute bought from Singapore Yamaha (Tempines Mall, Pasir Ris) back in 2002 (22 Dec),
it's a conventional concert flute, which means, it is meant to by played on the right...
which means, it will be a "crazy thing to do" for a lefthanded person like me!

Despite my insistence, my music teach thinks I should learn the flute the "right"-way!

I'm reluctant of course...

Here're some people who played the flute not the "right" way:

Cathal McConnell playing the Traditional Irish Flute

 Michel Blavet

Selling at RM650 in Kota Kinabalu.

Well... yah, I have a bad habit...

I love my smelly blanket...

I love to sniff sniff it before I went to sleep...

I don't know why but the smell comforts me...

I feel relax and at ease when I have my smelly blanket...

and that's why I am reluctant to bring it to the washing machine...

Oh my smelly blanket on a raining Saturday is best!

... ... ...

zzz zzz zzz

This was taken with my shaky hands using my camera phone... sigh

I know its not a good picture...

Just to let you see what I saw in the city when I finished work walking towards my car...

A big adult "biawak"... "lizard" is an "understatement" right?

Poor thing must have came down from Signal Hill (which was the back of this building) in search of food.

He was trying franticly to cross over the dark tinted glass not understanding why can't he get through it... I hope he will not end up in some people's stomach after this.

I know many Sabahans see this animal as a "delicacy" even though it is one of the protected species in Malaysia and people who killed the animal can be fined!

... ...

First day at work after the long chinese new year break... although there're piles of work... I just don't seem to have to energy or motivation... it was drizzling the entire day... was so cold... I only wish I were at home, hybernating inside my smelly blanket... :)

Tomorrow is another court day... sigh!

Here's another shop blacklisted... Fong Sang Yick...

This is really one of the most unfriendly shop I have visited in KK!

What happened was... I went in just to see if I could have my Seiko's exhausted battery replaced. I realised the shopkeeper was already "entertaining" a buyer who was bargaining with her to sell him a watch at RM1,000 net, so I waited patiently. The "taukeh" was also present but he seemed to be busy with another customer, so I just stood there waiting for my turn to be treated.

But instead of asking if he could be of service, the taukeh just went into his office after finishing with the customer... I thought: "nevermind maybe it's his lunch break" and continued on waiting... but then, the most annoying thing happened.

The shopkeeper could seem to decide if she could sell the watch to the customer at RM1,000 and asked the taukeh to come out. The taukeh came out thinking I needed his service, so I told him I'd just like to have my battery replaced. But, the shopkeeper quickly told the taukeh and in my face, "this one no need to be bothered..." I was like ... what?!

I mean if she just told me nicely, "I'm sorry please wait for a while, we'll get to you in a minute" I would have understood and waited... but both she and the taukeh blatantly treated me as if I was never there... they never greeted me, no smiley... nothing. And after being told not to be bothered about me, the taukeh just left my watch on the table and went back to his office... without saying anything (I didn't even know if they provide the battery replacement service or not)... I was quite upset then. So I took back my watch and just left the shop.

Of course I also took a picture of the shop...

From the food court @ Kolombong Giant Hypermarket...

RM4.00... with generous portion of meat, fragrant rice and a bowl of soup.

Good for money's worth!

  Felix Mendelssohn: 3 Feb 1809

Famous Biblical Oratorio - "Elijah"

Have not the chance to listen to this masterpiece yet...
Still searching for the CD...

 George Frederick Handel: 23 Feb 1685

Famous Biblical Oratorio - "The Messiah"

Have in possession, a copy of "The Messiah" (choruses version)...

The biblical verses in "The Messiah" were compiled by Charles Jennens.

The Resort...

Its chalets

Its view

Got my brother to buy for me from Kuala Lumpur... arrived today! Yay!

This is my new thumb drive... Kington Migo at RM46 only from Lowyat Plaza...

This model is not yet available in Kota Kinabalu...

Now I can carry whatever files between home and office!

The retractable cap is a not as sumple to use as sown on its package though...

It is quite stiff and needs lots of "fingers energy" to pull it off...

 
Mmm...  now I have two Kingstons, 2GB + 128MB

... ... now, what should I put in... mmm mmm