Last night, I watched Tadanobu Asano's debut directorial film "Tori" with Anarchy. It was a couple of bizarre short films, and we walked out on the accompanying documentary (which had no English subtitles). Since I'm an Asano fan, I have to say I'm quite let down.

"Aren't you glad you didn't bring him?" Anarchy asked.
"Yes, thanks for saving my relationship," I laughed.

There are still friends I've not met? Ga!
- sms from you (probably wondering for the upteenth time on how many people I seem to know)

My friends have developed a morbid fascination for my saccharine saturation point (or how sickeningly sweet my blog entries can get). You never did say if you were embarrassed, but when my friends finally met you, they often seemed surprised into admitting afterwards that they liked you. "But I already said he's nice!" I'd protest, only to be greeted by dismissive looks.

Your friends think I'm domesticating you, while mine think it's the exact opposite. I can wash plates marginally faster now, and I think I can walk down the supermarket aisles with you without whimpering.

We've just managed to memorise each other's mobile phone numbers (after a dinner gathering where we found out we're probably the only couple who can't dial the other if either of us loses our mobile phone).

I'm slowly getting used to having you in my life, and I hope I've not taken you for granted.

Just realised I've been tagged by Titania to discuss the following:

- Seven dreams before death
- Seven things I can't do in this lifetime
- Seven things that attract me
- Seven things I say
- Seven books that I love
- Seven movies that I’ve loved

Here's my lame cop-out reasons:
Actually some sections are impossible for me (I can't pin down the books and movies that I love, because I'll constantly edit the list to put in something else).

And I'm not sure I can remember so many dreams (of the sleep-dreaming variety).

As for the things I can't do in this lifetime, unless they're tagged with a timeline (e.g. be a piano protege by the age of 10), I'm not sure what I can't achieve if only I can will myself to it (I'm so optimistic).

In my current frame of mind, seven things that attract me are nothing that won't cause readers to gag and splutter in disgust, so that leaves me with:

Seven things I say (and all short words at that):
1) "Ga!" (most preferred exclamation under all situations)
2) "Idiot" (used like a swear word and repeated most often by amused friends mimicking me)
3) "Meow" (used when content, because I can't purr)
4) "...or?" (my lazy way to ask a question)
5) "Your head" (used alternatingly with "Idiot")
6) my name (because I have to announce it everytime I log into a teleconference at work)
7) Not to be repeated cos it causes gagging and spluttering

Sorry, not very informative am I? Yikes.

The specialist prescribed ginkgo for the ringing in my ears. Well, even if the ringing doesn't go away, my memory will probably improve. Haha!

The ringing in my ears has returned, and silence at night is especially unbearable. It feels as if my head's on fire and there's an insistent never-ending fire alarm sounding beneath my pillow. It's not as bad as it sounds, but still, it's so damn hard to sleep.

Will find time to see a doctor today.

You know, until I met you, I thought I had commitment issues.

There were times I fancied the wrong types, though I secretly knew nothing could possibly work out. And there were times where I could be in a relationship if only I would settle. If only I could be really logical and see that I didn't have time to wait until someone Right came along. Because anyone could be Right if I will it so.

But this is not how my mind works.
And this is not how my heart works.
And during this time, I understood that I could see myself being single for as long as it took. Even if it meant a lifetime.

So I waited. Or rather I didn't wait, and just lived as if life without you is a dead certainty.

Then you came along, and everything fell into place.

You realise that sometimes, I make up words or their pronunciations.
And I realise that sometimes, even if I could lip-read, I wouldn't be able to understand what you're saying.

Just watched a documentary called Fearless Freaks, which was based on the alternative band The Flaming Lips. Not only did it flesh out the band and its music for me, I also got intrigued by an album they did called Zaireeka, which consists of 4 CDs to be played simultaneously on 4 different sound systems.

From what I've read, fans have tried different ways to play this album:
a) Rip the music to mp3s, and start 4 media players on a computer system, each playing an individual CD one second ahead of the next, or
b) Rip the music to mp3s, and "meltdown" four CDs of tunes into one

I'm the type of person more in favour of experimenting (ie. method a), but still I think it'll be much more interesting to actually play this in different rooms and run round between them, just like the Flaming Lips did.

Yet another realization (on why you're special):
Because loving you doesn't turn me into a basketcase.
Because when I got panicky, all you needed to do was smile, hold my hand and say, "Calm". And suddenly I would be.

Over a long weekend, we ate banana pancake, oyster omelette, Penang prawn mee, char kway teow, chendol, ice kachang, rojak, Penang laksa, mua chee, popiah, dim sum, curry fishhead, steamed prawns, Indian mixed gravy rice, prata, ba ku teh, chi ya fish and a Ramlee burger.

If there is anything else we should have eaten in Penang, I have no idea what it'll be. lol.

Language is more fashion than science, and matters of usage, spelling and pronunciation tend to wander around like hemlines.
- Bill Bryson

How will you be defined in the dictionary?

Try repeatedly to see different answers. lol.

A co-worker didn't make it to work in Bangalore today due to an impromptu holiday sparked by riots (caused by grieving fans over the death of a famous actor).

In so many teleconferences today that my ears are burning and I've a permanent cramp from cradling the phone receiver in the hollow of my neck.

Still, the strangest opening line on the phone today was:
"Yes, speaking, can."

"so now i'm tied," she said with a perfect smile
when did you fade and forget i'm right?
let down your guard
forget you're tied and i'll forget why i won't try again
i said, "i forgot why."
she said, "stop finding faults in everyone you fear."
she said, "i hear you drowning, but i'm tied."
- Letting Up Despite Great Faults, "I hear you drowning, but I'm tied"

I wandered to the ever-present booksale during lunch, and bought myself Simon Doonan's "Wacky Chicks: Life Lessons from Fearlessly Inappropriate and Fabulously Eccentric Women", which is about women who are B.R.U.N.C.H. (Belligerent, Resilient, Uninhibited, Naughty, Creative and Hilarious).

Time to abandon the books I'm currently reading and start on this instead. Hmm.

Surprise of the day:
I've often joked that my inner rockchild is PJ Harvey circa her "To Bring You My Love" album days; but today, I've just discovered that there is actually an indie band from Atlanta also called Vaya.

Regret of the day:
Watching you oil and season your brand new iron wok and skillet in a smoky kitchen, and not capturing the moment on my mobile camera.

I have a copy of Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential", and I'm stuck at page 20 since I've bought it more than a year ago. In fact, prior to that, I've borrowed the book from my US travelmate and returned it before I read beyond the first few pages too.

So when you finished the last book you were reading, I thought I could lend this to you (for the simple reason that you do cook). You've not only read it much faster than I had, but have also been inspired to buy a Global Chef knife which was raved about in the book.

It was funny to watch you try out your new knife on old food. You beamed with delight as you alternated between slicing that onion and looking round at me to gush about the knife.

You made me want to buy knives too.

For the past 3 hours, I've been working on my laptop with earphones stuck in my ears. Except I'm not listening to any tunes. Somewhere along the way I forgot to play music, and my earphones became a stethoscope with which I listened to the innermost beeps and whirls of my machine.

This morning on the bus to work, the old lady sitting alone in front of me did a funny little ritual that captured everyone's attention. She rotated both hands in a circular motion from her lap to above-head level, just like a child's initial dance moves. Then, her hands did a knot-tying motion and sank back into her lap, where the whole cycle would start again. Each time she did this, she would increase the number of imaginary knots tied. When she was finally satisfied, she flapped her hands down like a descending bird and stayed absolutely still.

I wondered if she was praying, and if the imaginary knots were dead knots.

Old Nintendos blink, especially when you want to play a hot game like Marble Madness or Tecmo Bowl. It's like something great is right there and you can't get to play it. I guess my heart is like that because it never gets to play Legend Of Zelda or Excite Bike, and it feels gypped. The happy B.A. is just a shell. Inside, I am a bitter boiling ball of sad rage, kind of like an M&M. Outside, a hard happy candy shell, inside, bitter chocolate.
- B.A. Johnston, on his album "My Heart is a Blinking Nintendo"

I've seen you for the 7th day in a row and still, I miss you.

Sometimes, on my way to run, I will shuffle through my iPod tunes for an elusive wraparound song I can run to forever. This morning, I rediscovered Caribou's "Hello Hammerheads" (which except for a one-second pause at the end, was nearly perfect on auto-repeat).

It was just 4 repeated lines, set to acoustic guitars. It went:

"She told me to stay or go away
And I looked her in the eyes and left her.
Some people tried to tell me why
I made up my mind and left her"

There was no explanation either about the reasons for leaving, or about the Hammerheads, but somehow this song made perfect sense.

Pleix short films.
Check out the cool leaping dogs in the Birds video, as well as Sometimes (which I think I've seen before).