just minishorts.

The year's rounding up and I have several outstation journeys to make before ushering in the new year. Going to Manjung this weekend to show off our power station to some journalists… and then the following week, am visiting our hydroelectric dam at Kenyir with several photographers…

A week later I'll be off to Hanoi with my cousins… we'll be celebrating the new year then.

This means that I hardly have time to do spring cleaning.

…

I've never been to a power station before, so I'm actually very excited. Except, hmmm… I'm not sure if I enjoy the work that's to come.

Three weeks down to 2007. I'm going to be supremely explicit about my biggest wish for this year.

I wish that Eric would propose to me within the year.

There. Extremely shameless. Totally, screamingly, me.

So tell me, what's your biggest wish for 2007?

Three new categories have been created in the past three months. The first was of course the Religion section, seeing that I obviously enjoy scrutinizing this thing about humanity and its varying beliefs.

Then there's the one where I'll stock in all the Chinese posts, for easier referencing.

The last category, 'Commercial Break', probably should have existed from day one, for ethical reasons. I've gotten some freebies and certain review samples along my little foray into this pastime, obviously. But because I'm not particularly able to do the reshuffling and recategorizing, old posts such as the Pixart and LG phone reviews will have to stay in the General section for a while. They will eventually get carted into their rightful categories, while I clear things up. In the future, any new review offers will automatically become a part of the occasional commercial break.

I'm also considering reinstating my google adsense… it's just that I'm a little lazy to tweak around with design and stuff, although I do suppose since lifting out the adsense banners I've been missing out on some extra pocket money. Shame hoh, seeing that even MENJ can get over USD100 a month from his Google postings. Note to self: Must. Stop. Obliging. Him. Must. Stop. Visiting. His. Site. Must. Stop. Being. Infuriated. By. Bigots.

In any case, I still am one of those spesel, supremely fortunate bloggers to have been able to attract potential employers by virtue of this accidental online portfolio. It's wholly unexpected! Had I not have minishorts, I suppose I would still be editing books and pursuing a career in educational publishing. But things change, and although I've never expected to be in PR, here I am.

BTW, kill me, but I've signed myself up at ReviewMe. The problem is, I'm terribly bad at self-navigation on the web, all my previous advertisers have approached me via e-mail. I know nuts about signing up for this sort of programme where you're required to visit the original site several times to see if an advertiser picks you. Then again, I've been out cold for too long, and you can't call yourself a real blogger unless you jump on the bandwagon, at least once in a blue moon.

Fortunately, the system at ReviewMe looks simple enough. Now I'm supposed to wait for someone to knock on my virtual panel and say, 'Review my product' yeah? Let's see how these goes, although I'm rather doubtful that I'll even get an offer. Ok lah, the elitist in me still prefers those e-mail and ask you 'could you review my product' type of stuff, and offers a freebie out for readers to participate in. My rationale is, if I get a good review offer, obviously I'd like my readers to have an opportunity to know about it too? If I could give out a sample (sponsored by the advertiser, of course), that basically increases the attraction of the review, yah? I'd feel better too being honestly appreciative of the virtues of that particular product…

So lets see where this goes. To Commercial Breaks and money-making hobbies!

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Uploading photos taken on holidays is very much like reading a poetry collection. Surreal, and you remember, the place you visited isn't really THAT beautiful. The photos turn out awesome though, so you can actually come home from your holiday with memory cards full of evidence.

When the secretary asked, I said the usual, 'The weather's cool. It wasn't raining. The flowers were lovely.'

The truth is, Cameron Highlands is a polluted place. Brinchang is cool, but you can't drive with the windows down. The tour buses are a bane to the area, but the townfolk love it, we tourists bring in the cash. You can walk through the marketplaces–there are at least three in CH, a honk will jolt you out of your spree, and you'll have to walk aside to give way to the next car. The exhaust fumes are annoying, and shopping trips, especially in the Brinchang market area near Kea's Farm, reminds you, revoltingly, of Kota Raya. Of all places, hah.

So the photos tell a thousand stories, and more. The cool weather the CH gardener's dream come true, flowers blossom more gloriously in CH. But the townfolk have gone ahead of themselves. The weather's not as cool as it was anymore, the scenic views aren't nearly as scenic as they used to be, and there are more apartments these days — CH is turning into another Genting, albeit with more flowers, because flower-farming, is a lucrative trade.