jacky

2006-05-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

God.... I can't believe malaysians are as idiotic as this!!
Saturday May 20, 2006

Datuk alleges cheating, Datin cites threat, maid claims abuseA DATIN claimed her husband threatened to kill her if she laid a finger on their foreign maid, Harian Metro reported.

The Datin denied abusing the maid but admitted to pulling her headscarf.

“I only did that after she stuck her backside up at me when I told her off for misbehaving,” the newspaper reported the Datin as saying.

“My maid has become big-headed and refuses to do housework when my husband is not in. She started behaving this way when Datuk started defending her and all her wrongdoings.”

The maid, who is in her 20s, has been working in the household for more than four years.

The Datuk, Datin and the foreign maid have all made separate police reports – the Datuk alleged that his wife had cheated on him, the Datin alleged that her husband had threatened her and the maid claimed that she was abused by the Datin.

The Datin said her husband’s latest threat was that he would “beat her to death with an iron rod if she hit the maid again and not to call him if she (Datin) did not die from the beating.”

2006-05-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm bored today and not motivated to go excercise either. i really should go to the gym and then the library to get that dvd i have on hold there.Bah.

2006-05-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to decide whether I should stay at my current job after graduation. It would certainly save me the effort and pain of interviewing, redoing my resume and all that. However, it's a long commute, over an hour each way. So I'm not sure what to do. Icertainly can't afford to live in Bellevue at the rate I'm being paid!

2006-05-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

My passport came yesterday. Yay. Now to plan an overseas trip! HAHA.

2006-04-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

I went to get a passport today. I don't understand why my Washington ID doesn't count as a form of identification but a driver's license does. They're both issued by the DMV. Do you need to produce something when you get your license but not when you get ID? I don't think you do right? That was just weired. I don't have a Wash. license, just a Malaysian one. Maybe I should get that converted. This is a good incentive to do it!

2006-04-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

2006-04-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

I've been really gassy recentyl, maybe it was the stroganoff I ate yesterday at work? Hmm.

2006-03-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

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2006-03-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

Well. Only one more class before the quarter ends. I'm trying to decide whether to tell management I have a week off?!?! Then they'll make me work a full 40 hour week for sure. Maybe I should just enjoy the time off.

2006-02-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic

At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung

You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping

Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

2006-02-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Taken from my friend Thing Yin

Signs that you are a 80s' baby
Time is flying and now we are getting old.
You grew up watching G-Force, He-man, Transformers, Thundercats, Silver Hawk, Woody Woodpecker, Chipmunks and Mickey Mouse.

Not to forget Ninja Turtles, Mask, Smurfs ,Dragon Ball and Voltron too.
Girls watched Japanese cartoon like My Little Pony, "Xiao Tian Tian", "Hua Xian Zi" etc.

You grew up brushing your teeth with a mug in primary school after >recess time.
You squatted by a drain with all your classmates beside you, and brushed your teeth with a colourful mug.

You remember the packets of milk we get in primary school to encourage us to drink more milk. (It is only cost 30 cent per pack)

In secondary school, girls go to the library to borrow their favourite romance storybook.
In secondary school, girls altered their school skirt to shorten it and guys will go to the school appointed school uniform tailor shop to tailor make their school trousers to the then fashionable "baggy pants"!

During primary school days, the teacher will punish you using a ruler to hit your palm.
A bowl of noodles soup cost only 30cent in primary school days.
When you were in primary school, girls like to go to the bookshop to buy cute stuff such as animal erasers, various shape sharpeners, colourful notebook etc.

Hankyu Jaya, Yaohan departmental stores used to be a favourite hangout for families during weekends.

In secondary school days, you buy the Bata BM Turbo or Pallas Jazz school shoes. Some guys like to wear those china made ankle high shoes. Some even like to wear those very thick socks with their school shoes. Internet? E-mail? What the hell is that?

So you thought a decade or more ago, your friends don't have pagers or handphones in school. CDs? What's that? Cassettetapes were the norm.
Movie tickets used to cost less than $5 last time.

The goodies from Mama shop used to be Mamee , Kum Kum, Ding Dang chocolate balls with toys in the box, colourful hard "egg", "cigerette" bubble gum, KIKI Bubble Gum, pink bottle of bubbles c/w a small tubes with yellow sticks to blow "more lasting" bubbles that you can pop more air in or slam it on.

When exams are over, the board games (e.g Monopoly, Donkey, Transportation Comparison Card) & held ! video games will be all over the class room. Your favourite sound is the bell! For it's the homemade ice cream man. The cream that tops Haagan Dazs!

Your favourite childhood games were playing "gu li"(marbles), five stones, five bottle cover, zero-point, catching, "Pepsi-Cola one two three" and/or "Police & Sentry"!

The best thirst quencher of all times is the yummy colourful ice tubes you can buy from provision shops for only 10 cent. To eat them, break the tab and suckwhile holding the freezing tube! All gals have a girl doll/strawberry shortcake/my little pony/pound puppy, while all boys have a soldiers figurine (combat) or a rubber band catapult that shoots folded paper!

Once was the era whereby ice-cream sticks were valueable items, then came the paper aircrafts, chalk fights. Some boys made their own guns from wood, and used 'Bacalli' as the bullets. Some even used matches to shoot and burn kids 'lanterns during MoonCake Festival.

And your favourite holiday was Lunar New Year! New clothes, Ang Pows, shopping, junk food and family outings!

Let's see, the majority of students in universities today were born in 1987 / 88....
They are called "youth".

For them, they have never heard of the song "We are the World, we are the Children..."
And the "Uptown Girl" they know is by 'Westlife' but not 'Billy Joel'.
For them, there have always been only one Germany and only one Vietnam.
AIDS exists since they were born.
CD exists since they were born.
Michael Jackson is already whitened.
John Travolta is always round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.
They believe that Spiderman and Incredible Hulk are just new films.
They can never imagine a black and white screen for a computer.
They never know what is Atari or 'Game & Watch'.
They can't believe a black and white television ever existed and they don't even know how to switch on a TVwithout a remote control.
And they never understand how we can go out without a mobile phone when we were in university...

Let's check if we're getting old...
1. You understand what was written above and you smile.
2. Most of your secondary school friends are getting married.
3. You are always surprised to see small children playing comfortably with computer.
4. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head.
5. You spend less and less time talking on phone with your friends daily.
6. When you meet your old friends from time to time, talking about the good old days, repeating again and again all funny stories you experienced together.

Hahaha!.... Yes! We are getting old too...........Cheers to the 80's

2006-02-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

I had the worst bus ride of my life the other day. The bus is supposed to go from Bellevue Way to I90 to Nercer Island, back to I90 then stop at 5th and Jackson. This is what happened: The bus missed my stop, pulled over a block away, nissed the Mercer Island stop, took 3 attempts to get back on I90, missed the freeway stop, pulled off the freeway at the wrong exit, and then proceeded to stop at every stop from then on. The bus is not intended to stop there!! Rawr. I think he should have either got back on I90 or just gone straight to 5th and Jackson. Hmph.

2006-02-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

I am so happy I don't live in that apartment! I hope nobody was hurt. First a fire, then this... I heard that a couple on the 520 bridge broke due to wind. I'm a little freaked out now! Wow...

2006-02-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

FOr the longest time, I thought I wouldn't have kids, because I can't afford it. I really can't afford anything now, let alone a kid. Anyway, I thought that because of money, I would not have a family. I realised recently that if I getr married then maybe I would have more money. Maybe I would be able to have kids if I get married. Not that I really want kids either way. But I wonder why it is that I assumed I would be a single mom? Weird.

2006-01-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

Well. I am working 7.30 - 6pm twice next week. Aargh. Damnit. That's a long time to be at work and am not gonna be paid overtiome because my total hours are less than forty next week. Hmm.

2006-01-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

My brother needs a haircut. Aargh. He looks like a sheep.

2005-12-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

Ok. i got my citizenship papers today! Yay! went to malaysian food with the cousins tonight. :)

2005-12-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I forgot to write that reflection paper. Oh well. I guess it's good that I came to that study session, I'll write it now before class. Aargh.

2005-12-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

So what do I think of this.... I guess it's the law, so it's gonna happen. I can;'t believe that tsome ppl are stupid enough to have drugs at the blardy airport, of all places, with all the security and all of that going on. Not that I neccesarily approve of death penalty all of the time, but if you know this is the law [it's announced on the plane over, so I am sure this guy did] why whould you do that?

Australia says Singapore hanging "barbaric"
Thu Dec 1, 2005 7:33 AM GMT

By Michael Perry

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government dropped diplomacy on Thursday and called Singapore's plan to hang a young Australian drug smuggler "barbaric".

Australia has repeatedly sought clemency for Tuong Van Nguyen, 25, who was convicted of smuggling 400 grams (0.9 lb) of heroin from Cambodia through Singapore's Changi airport in 2002.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock criticised the imposition of the death penalty, especially in Nguyen's case which he said had mitigating circumstances -- Nguyen said he smuggled the drugs to try and pay off loan-shark debt for his brother in Australia.

"It was a mandatory death sentence. We feel most remorseful this is going to happen," Ruddock told Australian television.

"It's a most unfortunate, barbaric act that is occurring."

Then-prime minister Bob Hawke caused a huge rift with Malaysia that lasted a decade when he called the 1986 hanging of two Australian drug smugglers "barbaric".

Singapore is one of Australia's strongest allies in Asia and Australian Prime Minister John Howard has rejected calls for trade and military boycotts over the execution, which is scheduled for Friday.

Howard has, however, made five personal pleas to Singapore and his foreign and justice ministers have also called for clemency. But the city-state has stood firm, saying it would not allow Singapore to be used as a transit for illicit drugs.

Nguyen's lawyer, Lex Lasry, told Australian television from Singapore that Nguyen, a Catholic whose family came from Vietnam, was "ready to die".

"He has little concern for himself. He has a great insight into his situation and he is, in fact, ready to die," he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer confirmed Nguyen's mother Kim Nguyen would be allowed to hold hands with her son before his execution.

But Singapore had knocked back a request that Nguyen and his mother be allowed to hug one last time.

"It'll perhaps be very meagre compensation, of course it will be, but it will be nice that they can touch each other," Downer told reporters in Canberra.

"PLAYING GOD"

While many Australians are holding candle-lit vigils for Nguyen on the eve of his execution, the nation is divided.

A survey by Morgan Poll conducted on Wednesday night showed 47 percent of Australians believe Nguyen should be executed, 46 percent said the death penalty should not be carried out, and seven percent were undecided.

Singapore has not published polls on the death penalty, but many people say they are in favour of it.

"We must have the death penalty in Singapore. If we do not take strict measures, many more drug smugglers will come to Singapore and destroy the country," said P. Subramaniam, a 56-year-old shop owner, as he sold chillies to a customer.

Tengku Sri Melati felt otherwise.

"Having the death penalty is like playing God. We have no right to take lives away from another human being. Punish the criminal but don't kill him," said the 23-year-old Muslim woman who is a researcher at a business institution.

Some 420 people have been hanged in Singapore since 1991, mostly for drug trafficking, an Amnesty International 2004 report said. That gives the country of 4.4 million people the highest execution rate in the world relative to population.

Nguyen's hanging is set for the same day the United States is due to execute its 1,000th prisoner since 1977.

Australia abolished the death penalty decades ago. The last man hanged in Australia was convicted murderer Ronald Ryan who was hanged in a Melbourne prison in 1967.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols and James Grubel in Canberra, and Fayen Wong and Nur Dianah Suhaimi in Singapore)

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

2005-11-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

All alone... houssesitting for someone. Bleargh. Sould hed home noe. It's past noon!!

2005-11-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ordered a new laptop! yay is me!! Whooppee!!!

2005-11-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Bizareness at work. We were talking about killing chickens. Someone said you kill them by chopping them on the neck. Somneone else asked what you do for girl chickens. So we were all like "Huh, girl chickens have necks too right?". The reply was, "Necks? I thought you said nuts!!!!" Heheh.

2005-11-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

immigration interview next month. Have to study.

2005-10-31T12:38:00.000-08:00

I did my immigration fingerprints today. Some vietnamese guy thought today is November 1st and came too early. Overly anxious to become American, I guess. I laughed.

2005-10-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

I feel like I haven't accomplished a dman thing with my life. I'm not rich. I'm not talented. I'm not outstandinly good looking or spectacular at anything. I don't have a high powered well paying job, or even an decent paying job. I make roughly 17k annualy, if I were full time. I am not full time!! I don't have a car because I can't pay for one. I don't have savings, a house or anything worth any great amount. I am uninsured because I can't afford that either. So what. Am I worthless now?

2005-10-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Going to the INS for fingerprinting on Monday. They better not reschedule me!!! They did las time, i was pissed!!! What's the point of appointments if they can't keep to them? Well. At least it's their new building instead of that piece of crap that they had before.

2005-10-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Should i attend? Hmm.

Host: Malaysian Association of Seattle
Location: Miller Community Center
330 19TH Ave E, Seattle, WA View Map
When: Sunday, November 13, 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Phone: (206) 684-4753
Dear Fellow Malaysians and Friends,

You are cordially invited to an Eid celebration, hosted by the Malaysian Association of Seattle (MAS). Your presence is very much appreciated and will add to the merriment of the occasion.

MENU:

nasi himpit
lodeh
rendang
sambal tumis
sambal kacang
nasi minyak
ayam masak merah

Entry Fee: $15 per person (below age 7 FREE, age 7 - 12 $7.50)

You are welcome to bring halal side dishes :-)

Please respond by November 5th.

Selamat Hari Raya!

Malaysian Association of Seattle

2005-10-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

So I fell asleep on the bus yesterday and missed the stop. Still on time to work though. Heh. So sleepy yesterday. I bought new clothes today! And i saw Kathleen at Lane Bryant. Got her number but did'nt save it on my phone right. :( She has my email and phone number so I hope she calls me first.

2005-10-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

So, I got the early shift at work tomorrow, 6.30 - 2.30. Well. At least I get to leave relatively early, plus I'm generally up several times in the night anyway. I hope one of the wake up times coincides with 4am, which is when I need to get up so I can catch the 5am bus. Heh. i wonder how come this is only an eight hour schedule, most of the time it's 8hrs plus one hour unpaid lunch. Well, whatever. Will see tomorrow when it happens.

2005-10-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Today, at first I was supposed to work at the Bellevue center but Redmond needed a person, so I said ok. Except the other person ended up coming in, so I got to go home early. Which I guess is ok, since I have more hong out time. Gonna hang out with the grandparents tomorrow. Yep. More old people time.

2005-10-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

I kind of feel like whenever I interact with other people it's for what I can do for them or what I can get out of it. It's like, it's all about either work or school or whatever else that's not m personal life or theirs. i realise that I don't have any friends. None. None from work or school. I've never invited anyone over to my apartment, nor do I really want to.. I don't have that kind of relationship with anyone I know. I had the urge to cut myself today. I wanted to prick myself with something sharp. Just aa little bit. I didn't do it though. I hope I dont....

2005-10-15T03:40:00.000-07:00

NAEYC went ok, I think. My boss seemed pretty excited. Nobody ate my bronies, I came back w/ 3/4 of a tray!!!

2005-10-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Naeyc coming tomorrow.... was hoping that i dont need to go but i guess I am on the schedule. hope everything goes well. Need to pick something up for the potluck tomorrow too... Ergh. Can't be bothered to cook so I'll buy something.

2005-10-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Doing better today. Voice starting to come back. Shampooed the filthy carpet today, the water was black!!

2005-10-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Damn spammers are fast. My last entry, time 10.18pm, had 2 spam comments at 10.23pm.

2005-10-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

aargh... i have diarrhea! If losing my voice wan't bad enough..... Oh, I cut up my credit card. Geting to be too mucg, you know. Spending too much $$. So no more of that.

2005-10-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

gah. I'm really sick now. Completely lost my voice, coughing up snot and my right eye was crusted over this morning. I'm up at my usual time. Habit, I guess, but maybe I should go back to bed.

2005-10-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Bored. Not on the schedule for today. However, still need to go in and pick up those damn surveys for class!! I have a small cold and blew out a bunch of neon snot from my nose. I'm breathing better though. :P Probably just as well that I'm not at work though, don't want to infect the kids or get sicker right.

2005-10-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Got a spiffy pair of new glasses that cost too much money. Damn.

2005-10-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Classes have started again. So far I'm doing ok, and working a little less. Didn't initial my last time sheet but got paid anyway. I guess that's ok? Only made $400 last pay cycle though... :P

2005-09-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

Mother left today. Had nasi lemak for lunch. I bought 2 boxes of mooncakes. Must hoard them since they are only available once ea yeat. The ones here aren't as good as the ones in KL. Malaysians are more imaginative with the flavours. I only found either bean or loutus with no yolk or 1-2 yolks. That's all. Plus it's 4x the Malaysian price!!!

2005-09-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

mother is making my nuts. Crazy. AArgh.

2005-09-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mother coming today. Apartment filthy [still]. Need to vacuum.

2005-09-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Gotta blean my apartment... it's filthy. Mother is coming in 2 days!! AARGH!! Stress. I need cash.

2005-09-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on the burned apartment unit here. Still not fixed I guess. I wonder where they all are living? I hope they were insured!!

2005-09-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling kind of sad lately. I don't know why. Mild depression. Maybe I need to get out more. Meet more people or something. Work isn't really the place to do it for me, I feel. I don't tend to have personal relationships with people I work with because I don't like mixing personal and work life. Hmm. I guess I;m quite antisocial, actually.... I haven't made a real friend in probably 3-4 years. I wonder if it's my fault or something?

Ergh. I need to go and think about this more.

2005-09-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

I really should post more. Very quite here. Although not much going on besides work. Work. That's it! Sxhool starts in a couple of weeks although I can't afford to pay for the classses I'll be taking, at least not until my next paycheck comes in. $500.... AARGh!

2005-09-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Caught a cold from one of the kids. Bleargh. Sniff.

2005-08-31T05:53:00.000-07:00

MERDEKA!

2005-08-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Raining again after a long dry spell. Raining a lot actually. Dark by 7.45pm. I guess it's time for the rain boots and umbrellas.

2005-08-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

I need a car. I was on the bus coming home the ther day, and the bloody bus broke on I5. We all had to get on another bus, which was parked diagonally across the lanes to block traffic. Gah. Car!

2005-08-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Someone shit on the playground at work. SHit! I can't believe it! Gross.

2005-08-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Some people should be banned from riding the bus. Ergh. Some guy got on the 271 and thought it was #43 or #48. How can you mistake 271 for 43 or 48? Adooi. You also shouldn't ask the bus driver to wait for your friend if your friend is several minutes away. If your friend is running to catch the bus right this minute, ok. Not if they are far away!

2005-08-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Work is stressing me out. Really, really stressing me out. I feel like I'm not good enough for the job. A lot of my kids have issues/problems/whatever going on. I don't know enough about them to know what to do. I feel like I'm letting them down somehow and that I'm not good at what I do.

How the fuck did I get hired for this position?!?!!?!?!? How come none of the "normal" centers hired me?!? I didn't even think that I had got the job when I interviewed for position. There are so many other interviews that I had felt more confidant about, but why did I have to be hired for this one!?!?

2005-08-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

So tired. Might ask for less hours after school starts. My feet hurt.

2005-08-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Nearly shit apon by a pigeon today. AARGH!

2005-08-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

Some jerk stole my tomato plant! they pulled it out by the roots and left the pot behind! FARK!

2005-08-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Trying to decide if I should go. I can't cook, plus it's 2 buses each way. Maybe I can hitch a ride w/ someone. We'll see. What to make? Kuih possibly. Curry or rendang....

From: Malaysian Association of Seattle
Location: Golden Gardens Park - Shelter 1
8498 Seaview Pl. NW,Seattle,WA View Map
When: Saturday, August 27, 1:00pm

You are cordially invited to the MAS Merdeka Day Potluck, Picnic and BBQ.

In celebration of Malaysian Independence, the menu theme is authentic Malaysian Cuisine (Chinese, Indian or Malay). Cost for food is $7.00 per adult for those NOT bringing an authentic potluck dish (This is to cover food costs and catering by Siti Mudzakker) and rsvp is necessary with MAS at: alexischin@hotmail.com.

A $3.00 fee, per family or individual, is required to pay for shelter and picnic table reservation expenses.

THERE WILL BE NO DONATION OFFERING, so please remember the Reservation Fee and Meal Fee (if you don't bring a dish).

MENU:

Nasi lemak (Coconut rice )
Sambal udang kecil (Shrimp sambal)
Telur rebus (Eggs)
Ayam kari (Curry Chicken)
Mee goreng ( Malay stirfry noodle )

Potluck dishes:
Curry puffs (Maimun)
Kuih Talam (Azi)
Chinese BBQ Wings (Alexis & Jim)
Bubur ChaCha (Alexis)
Mango Lush

Plus Various members dishes..

So bring your family, beach toys, kites and join us for a day of feast and fun in the sun.

Shelter reservation cost: $3 / family.
MAS's catering service: $7 / person. Children free. (Waived if you bring a dish)

2005-08-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

One of the kids was rather insistant that I must be someone's grandmother or at least someone's mother. I can see being a mom, but grandmother?!!?!?!? I'm only 25!

2005-08-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

I wonder if the Malaysians would get the contract. I hope they do a good job if they do.

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/
transportation/235211_newbidder04.html

Debate on rebidding monorail heats up
Third builder, from Malaysia, steps into the fray

Thursday, August 4, 2005

By LARRY LANGE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Could a new set of construction bids save Seattle's monorail project?

After more than two hours of debate last night, including a discussion charged with ethics questions, monorail officials hadn't decided.

Meanwhile, a third builder has stepped into the fray.

One team of designers and builders told monorail project board members it could develop the 13.5-mile system in a lighter, sleeker design than a competing team that negotiated a contract.

"We never stopped believing in this project," said Andy Robbins, project development director for Bombardier Transportation, a partner in Team Monorail. But Patrick Flaherty, president of the competing Cascadia Monorail Co., objected to a Team Monorail presentation before the monorail board and said Team Monorail couldn't offer the guarantees his own team has promised.

Flaherty said his team will work with the monorail agency to reduce the $1.6 billion construction cost of the project and that Team Monorail made a "corporate choice" not to submit a design-build-operating proposal a year ago as his own team did.

Allowing Team Monorail to make another pitch while Cascadia has a contract waiting for action by the agency risks setting "a dangerous and troublesome precedent," Flaherty told monorail officials.

Monorail board members asked the two teams to appear yesterday as part of their reconsideration of the project. The board is pondering the project's fate after rejecting a proposed $11.4 billion, 50-year financing plan that aroused loud opposition when it was made public in June.

A number of Seattleites, including some monorail supporters, have called for rebidding the project, hoping it might increase competition for the work and lower prices. Team Monorail was qualified to bid but backed out, saying it could not obtain a performance bond to cover liability shared among team members.

At last night's session, Team Monorail members reiterated their idea to have liability divided between construction company members and Bombardier, the train builder. They said they have commitments for the project from several large local companies. They said the project would be guaranteed financially not only by the team members' bonds but a $50 million "completion fund."

But, questioned by Flaherty and several board members, Team Monorail officials said they don't yet have commitments from large civil contractors with enough financing power to keep the promise. They also wouldn't commit to the $1.3 billion construction price they've put on their Web site.

Board member Sue Secker questioned what guarantees Team Monorail could give. Team Monorail officials said if the Cascadia contract is rejected, a new contract could be negotiated and accepted in about seven months. But monorail staffers said the process could take nearly three years if the process is completely opened up to new bidders.

Acting board Chairwoman Kristina Hill questioned Team Monorail's ethics in creating a Web site promoting "trains not in service" and proposing liability arrangements that didn't meet last August's bid requirements.

"If we've done anything wrong, we'll correct it," said Tom Stone, Team Monorail's project director.

Also yesterday, a third monorail-construction entity, Malaysia-based Mtrans, stepped into the fray. Its chairman, David Chew, sent Hill a letter Tuesday expressing interest in building the Seattle monorail. Board member Cindi Laws said this shows the project is "viable and people are very interested in doing it."

But "rebidding doesn't solve the problem of not having enough money" for the line, said analyst Krista Camenzind of the monorail watchdog group OnTrack. "If you don't have the money, you can't pay for the contract."

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2005-08-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

OK. Time to review The Way Home. It was ok. I guess the point is that we should take time to get to know our family, don't be selfish, greedy etc. To be watched now are:
Anne Frank
Castle in the Sky
Hiroshima Maiden
My Neighbour Totoro
What ever happened to Baby Jane?
Oasisŭ Oasis
Suchwiin bulmyeong [Address unknown]
Siworae Il mare

2005-08-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

I got a sub job at Hopelink. Yay me. The person said I can probably get 40 hours a week. YAY! Only problem is that it's in Bellevue. Kind of far but maybe I can negotiate something when school starts. Might be time to drive to work now.

2005-08-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Those stupid Academic Financial Services called me again. Idiots. If they call one more time I plan to get their contact info and report them for harrasment.

Anyway, I atempted to for a swim and there was a crowd there at the pool who were doing monkey business, so it was hard to do laps. Back to walking.

Stinky spiky fruit

2005-08-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

I also bought a package of durian, $3.99 for the pack. It tasted ok but watery. It came frozen, vacuum sealed and not stinky. It tasted ok, but otherwise the texture was not great. The cashier convinced me that her dad eats it often and it would surely be OK. Hrph.

I remember when I was a kid, my dad always would open the durians. We got them from my grandfather's estate. Someone from there or my uncle [HI UNCLE LYE!!] would bring them to our house. I had a little wooden stool and sat there in the corner as my dad chopped open the durian with a cleaver. Other times if we had company, we would do this on the front steps. If not, it would be in the ironing room. I always thought durian opening was my dad's job, not my mother's. Anyway. we haven't done that mor at least 10 - 15 years!! Durian season was always a huge deal at my house a kid. Now, only my brother is at home and the oldies [parents and grandmother] don't eat so much. Maybe since I was much younger at that time, I alway thought that the basket of durians was so huge, bigger than me. Now... I have to deal with a small plastic non stinky bag. Chey.

Seasame Balls

2005-08-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

I bought these today. Yay for sesame balls. I boiled them when I got home, they weren't bad. Sometimes I just want to buy these, since we had these only on special occasions. They were around $2.50 for the bag. I went to the Asian grocery near my apt. Tan Duc grocery. They tried to convince me to eat at their cafe but I wasn't hungry. They just moved here so I guess maybe they want the business.

2005-08-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

Still watching Korean movies. My new hobby. Current movie is The Way Home, review coming soon.

2005-08-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

You ruined my work, you flying fat man!

2005-08-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

I think I confuse people. Like my name, for instance. Depending on how and where we met, I'll either be Jacky or Sze Yung. Generally this is ok unless two parties meet that call me by different names... it happened the other week actually. Maybe i should change my name to somethung neutral. Like Bob. Or something. It happened today, actually. I left my name at the interview as Jacky but she didn't realised we had been communicating perviously until she saw my name in writing. Bleargh.

2005-08-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have decided to buy a bicycle. Does anyone know a decent bike store in Seattle? Or used is ok too. However, Seattle has some places w/ no bike lanes!! I hope I don't get run over!

2005-08-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

ELDC Broadview is looking good! However I do have to return tomorrow for six hours. Better do a good job tomorrow so I get hired! Plus if I do get the job I'll be paid for my time tomorrow! YAY!

2005-08-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Stupid telemarketers. Has anyone heard of Academic Financial Services? They keep calling me and asking me whether they can consolidate my loans. I told them no, I have no student loans. Then they asked me to give me my friends information so they can harrass my friends on the phone. I told them I wouldn't give my friends information to strangers, since I've googled them and didn't come up with anything. Then they had the courage to say I should ask my friends to call them vs them calling my friends!!!! i said please remove me from your list, don't call me anymore. Of course 2 days later they called me back!!! AARGH!

2005-08-01T02:26:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have a char siew pau recipe? I can't seem to do it right, even with the flor pack that comes ready made from the asian grocery. Although I did manage to get a tin of Milo today. haven't had that in a while. Must now get milk to make it with. I wonder what it will taste like using soy milk. Minorly lactose intolerant, but maybe the gas will be justified by the milo taste?!?!?.

2005-07-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Went for a 4 mile walk. Sweating... so hot today. Well, it's good excercise though.

2005-07-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

forgot to mention earlier that idiotic neighbours were yelling and playing water at 4am. idiots.

2005-07-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

I had the oddest, weirdest dream last night. Part of it was that I was back in KL [maybe] and went to a used book store. The books were cheap, very cheap, like rm1.50. When I went to pay using my credit card, the owner of the store said I would see the bill on my card as something else besides a bookstore, meaning that he registered his business as something besides a bookstore. Plus there was a notice acknowledging that 1] i take full responsibility for any outcome that results from purchasing these books and 2] i don't attempt to have sex with his daughters because he had done so. I asked whether the books were stolen and he acknowledged yes, but in a long convoluted way. I did not buy the books. I woke up then and can't remember any more. But very, very odd dream.

2005-07-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

I wonder how long it would take for someone to figure out I have died. I live alone, don't know the neighbours. I don't go to class in the summer. I only have a job as a substitute so I don't work everyday. I guess since it's summer my body would get stinky pretty fast though. Hmm. Just something to think about.

2005-07-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think I have lost my atm card. Bleargh. I have ereported it as lost and requested a new one.

2005-07-30T02:17:00.000-07:00

I had a slightly odd job interview at a childcare yesterday. We interviewed in the room where kids were napping for some reason. Doesn't the director have an office? I guess not... Hmm. Odd. Very weird. The director seems a little strange too. He's some young guy my age. Hmm. Not that this is bad. Just that he didn't seem particularly directorly. The whole thing seems a little off compared to other places I've seen. not sure if I can accept that job.

2005-07-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

Chey. I'm watching The Grudge w/ Sarah Michelle Gellar. If a monster jumps out from the bedsheets, you don't jump in the bed too, right? Some ppl...

2005-07-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

There was a fire at my apartment complex. I took this photo but they covered the burned parts with the plastic. Chey!! Should've got there earlier for photography purposes. Apparently the fire started in the beauty bark. it even made the 10pm news. Not really a huge fire but still...

2005-07-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

I cut my own hair. Too cheap to pay. It looks ok right?

2005-07-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

so hot today, supposed to be over 90f... roasting in my apartment.

2005-07-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Has anyone heard a reason for not using a past supervisor for a job reference? I was told by an interviewer not to lost any former supervisors as a reference person on the application. I thought it would be ok since the supervisor can discuss the quality of your work, right? Weird.

2005-07-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

I interviewed for a job today but couldn't accept the position due to time conflicts. The director was nice though and offered to forward my resume around. So I hope that works! Need a job... need more money.

2005-07-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

phone back in working order.

2005-07-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

AARGH!! I did a really idiotic thing. I took everything out of my backpack to wash it. But i neglected to remove my cell phone. So it's wet and broken!!! If anyone has a Cingular compatible phone to give me please do. Currently w/out a phone...

2005-07-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

Diarrhea.

2005-07-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to start getting to bed earlier. It's past midnight and I'm still watching DVDs. White Noise.

2005-07-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

SO I did the CPR class today. Their website said it was 9am - 3pm so I prepared myself for that. We ended at 12 noon!! Chey. We watched a few movies about first aid and practised CPR. The instructor was missing during the videos.... oh well. I guess that's ok since we were just watching videos. But I hope I remember all the info!

2005-07-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

This is the other thing I made with the berries.Look at the seeds extracted from that amount of jam!! I used about the same amt. of berries as in the collander. Chey. I still have 2 sandwich bags of blackberries to freeze. Might get more tomorrow if I have time.

2005-07-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

I made pie in lieu of birthday cake yesterday. The crust didn't turn out very well as I've never made pie before. Hmm. Maybe time for another practice attempt?

2005-07-21T00:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy birthday dear me
Happy birthday to me!

2005-07-20T01:44:00.000-07:00

Well. I finally signed up for the cpr/first aid/bbp class this weekend. Cost me $30 but hopefully it will help me get a job since it's required by licensing to work in my field. Feh.

jacky

2005-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ugh. My idiot neighbours are outside laughing hysterically and being noisy. Don't they all have jobs? they seem to always be outside there making noise past midnight. When I come home from class, like arounf 2pk they are there too. Ergh...

2005-07-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Full is me. Sniff.

2005-07-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

I picked these the other day and made jam. Too many seeds though. :P I guess wild berries are like that. Not genetically engineered to be palatable.

2005-07-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am craving sugar or chocolate. It's 11pm, kind of late to go out get some. Damn.

2005-07-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Some little kid, probably less than 2 years old, came up to me at the shoe store today and asked me to pick him up. He came really close to me and stuck his arms out so I would carry him. I didn't. I asked where his mother is and he didn't seem to know. Hmm. Someone did claim him then, so I guess he's ok.

2005-07-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Free blackberries! There's a 3-4 block stretch about 3/4 miles from my apt. Nobody seems to be picking them ... so I did. yay!

2005-07-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

I found some pgotos taken when I was probably 17. bad hair days galore... I looked like a troll.