Have you noticed that I keep personal information to a minimum here? No photos of people, no mention of people's names, etc.?

That's cos' I'm paranoid. Do you know how easy someone can just access this blog and find out everything about me? No way I'm making it easier for anyone to stalk me.

I know what you're thinking: If you're so paranoid, why have a blog in the first place? For the heck of it, that's why. I don't have to take care of a diary which is damn vulnerable (Right, JC?). And then, since I'm putting it online anyway, I decided to just go the whole hog and expose my inner thoughts to everyone.

Now, those who know me, know me.

I'm Yi Jien, studying at Taylors College, Malaysia. Male. Hopefully that's all you stalkers will ever know about me. So there.

Government servants needed

I'm interrupting the series on the 7 Deadly Sins for this post.

When I got my SPM results earlier this year, the most common question people asked me (besides "How many A's did you get?") was " Did you apply for the JPA (Public Service Department) scholarship?" The answer was, still is, and if I can help it, will be the same for my kids, NO.

Lucky I didn't apply. What if I had got it? I would have been bonded to an inefficient government for a minimum of 5 years. Malu betul (really embarrassing).

Here are the reasons I can think of to work for the government (not counting working as a minister) :

1. One would get to give contracts to one's own friends/business partners/family and take a cut.Only the Malaysian government can pay up to 10000% more for something.Not too bad, right? Stimulates the economy.
2. The pension
3. No need to work hard, since no one's going to fire you. What's the worst that can happen? Transfer only mah. After transferring, I'll have more people to bully and take br*bes from.
4. And of course, after accumulating huge amounts of coffee, I get to opt for early retirement! And I still get the pension!

Hmm..... feeling pangs of regret. Maybe I should have applied after all. Or maybe politics is the way to go..... hmm......

The 7 Deadly Sins--- Gluttony

Gula (Gluttony)
Just about everyone who knows me knows I have a weakness for life's pleasures. To me, any food that reaches a certain standard (i.e. tastes wonderful) is a gift of God. Especially chocolate. I happen to agree with what a friend of mine said, " Chocolate cake is always nice, just that there is a varying degree of niceness."

Had this the other day at Secret Recipe. Chocolate Indulgence. Tasted divine, too bad I only had 1 piece as my wallet didnt agree with my stomach. Thanks Jac and WQ for the inspiration.

Reminds me of the choc fountain at Lemon Garden Cafe, Shangri-La Hotel, KL. My cousin hasn't passed me the photo of the cakes there, but trust me, they taste as good as they look. This photo is courtesy of tripadvisor.com. , since I didn't have a cam with me at the time.

Hungry again....... the char kuay teow at Asia Cafe, SS15 tastes lovely........ the fried rice at Restoran Success a few metres away doesnt sound too bad either.........or even better, bak kut teh across the road in SS14. Choices, choices. Trust me, these foods taste great. Oh, yeah, ham dan you yu sou (squid tentacles with salted egg) at Restaurant JO in SS15 is nice too. The Japanese restaurant in Shangri-La (Zipangu I think it's called) isn't too bad, just over-priced.

There are too many nice things to describe here. Anyway, I guess what I want to say is, this is one sin I won't regret.

The 7 Deadly Sins --- Sloth

Acedia (Sloth)
Another of my failings. It may not be obvious to those who know me, but sloth is a big part of my life.

Many people think that just because my results are better than theirs I must be working harder than them. 1 question: When have you seen me studying? Don't think that has ever happened. The fact is, I only do the bare minimum possible. Extra work? No thanks.

That is the essence of sloth. A degree of laziness that prevents the fulfillment of one's full potential. That is my failing. SLOTH.

The 7 Deadly Sins --- Pride

This would be the start of a series of posts on the 7 deadly sins, namely Luxuria (extravagance, later lust), Gula (gluttony), Avaritia (greed), Acedia (sloth), Ira (wrath, more commonly known as anger), Invidia (envy), and Superbia (pride).

Superbia (Pride)
Probably the one which is my greatest failing (the title of this blog should tell you that). I tend to have a self confidence which occasionally borders on arrogance. It doesn't help that I have above average intelligence, and others tend to take it as a big deal. Hence an inflated ego.

In life, I believe in not underestimating one's ability, nor overestimating it. Either way it is dangerous. Also, I go around with a "I'm right until I'm proven wrong" mentality. This has not gone down well with a couple of people. However, I believe that I still keep an open mind. You are entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. If you can convince me that I' wrong, then I'll gladly change my opinion.

I hereby apologize if what I have done in my pride has irritated/annoyed/hurt you.