"Jack, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise Ay08."
We were on the bus on the way to an undisclosed location.
"Come on Jack, tell me."
"No way, it's a secret. Just wait."
I grabbed her hand and grasp it. She smiled back at me and reciprocated.
"Jack, is that you?"
Who could this be that disturb my moment of tranquility? It is no other than
"Oh, hi Lin, how are you doing?"
I let go of Ay08. It is not because I felt shameful, it is just because I felt that it is better for Ay08 for people not to find out about us. Besides, Ay08 already has a boyfriend in Malaysia.
"Fine, fine. Say, aren't you supposed to meet Mi07 today?"
Ay08 then looked at me, like she deserves an explanation.
"Yeah, but I can't. I am showing a friend around. Do you by any chance know what is the important message that she wanted to tell me?"
"Hmm, I have no idea. Oh, here is my stop. I should go. Take care."
Lin then stepped out from the bus leaving Ay08 and me in a moment of awkward silence.
"So, what is this about Mi07?", Ay08 said sheepishly.
"It is nothing important. Nothing that I have not told you before. "
"You should go and meet Mi07 as she has something important to tell you. When are you supposed to see her?"
I just smiled at Ay08 and said
"Right now."
Ay08 just kept quiet, stunned by my answer.
I pressed the stop button and we alighted at the following stop.
"Come on Ay08, we need to walk a bit now."
I grabbed her hand and kept on walking.
"Where are you bringing me Jack?"
"To a dodgey alley so that we can make out," I said it with a straight face.
"Hey, you perv!"
She nudged my shoulder playfully and we both burst out laughing.
After 20 minutes of walking, we finally reached our destination.
"Taddaaa!" I said enthusiastically.
Ay08 just looks confused.
"Jack, what is this?", Ay08 said disappointingly.
"Oh, it's a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant."
"Yeahh, so you are telling me we took 2 buses and on top of that walked 20 minutes just to arrive at a KFC restaurant?"
"Relax, Ay08, do not be so angry. Look closer at the signboard ."
She then squint her eyes to inspect the signboard.
"It's Halal?", she said in an upward interval signifying it as an excited question.
"Yes, it is."
"But Jack, how did you find this place?"
"A friend told me. And well, you love KFC, so..."
"Jack, that is so sweet of you."
She then proceed to hug me. It feels so nice to be in the sweet embrace of Ay08. Feels like I am floating on cloud 9 right now.
"Come on let's go in now."
She went straight to the counter and began ordering enough to feed 10 starving children. I paid for our food and we scattered around to find a place to seat. After finding a place to seat, we began chatting away while eating. That is until...
"Sorry Ay08, I have to take this call."
I then slipped away outside of the restaurant while Ay08 enjoyed her KFC.
"Jack, sorry to disturb you."
"It's okay Ha. What's up?"
"Are you coming to Paddington tonight?"
Oh my God, I have completely forgotten about it. I take a very hard look at Ay08. She look puzzled that I was looking at her and waved at me childishly. I waved back and smiled. At that moment, I know Ay08 makes me happy and I want to spend my entire life with her.
"Sorry Ha. I have to break my promise."
"Oh, it's okay. You are with her, right?"
I just kept quiet. I did not what to answer.
"Okay, Jack. I'll see you in Malaysia then."
"Definetely Ha. We'll go for the mamak. Have a nice flight."
"Jack, good luck with her. Take care."
And those are Ha's last words to me. I then walked back towards Ay08's table.
"Ay08, are you done?"
"Here I saved for you some chicken."
"It's okay, just pack it, let's go."
"Where are we going now?"
I just looked at her and smiled.
"Ohhh, another surprise? I like."
She then grabbed my hand as we began walking out from the restaurant. I could feel electricity running through my entire body, that was how excited I was.
My phone rang and I picked it up instantly as I do not want it to disturb my perfect day with Ay08.
"Jack, I am in London."
The voice sounds so familiar. Listening to her voice brings back memories, somehow.
"Who is this?"
"It me, La00."
Sometimes, a perfect day can be ruined with just one phone call. A phone call that came at the most vulnerable moment.
Sorry for the long delay guys. I was busy with my presentation and report, but now I am back at blogging. The storm has now passed for now, and it is all smooth sailing from here up until...August 25th.
Anyway, sorry for the long delay of the series Why Do We Love. I shall make a point to end season 3 by this September. Other than , I am discontinuing the section I Weep For The Future as it feels to much like writing my thesis. I shall also stop the gaming and movie reviews and shall replace it with a new 'secret' section in the future. Wait for it.
Thanks for sticking by guys. The new episode of Why Do We Love will be up sometime next week. Season 3 Episode 18: The Call .
"Hey, Jack. Ready to go?"
"Always ready. Where are we going Ha?"
"Just having lunch nearby. I am quite surprised that you come on Sunday?"
"Oh, why is that?"
"Forgive me for saying but you don't really look like the studious type."
"I am not. I am a genius."
I smiled. She chuckled a bit.
We walked across the tube station. It was a pretty long walk from the campus to town. Along the way, I can see that Ha was very giddy. Was it because of me?
"So, how's it going with your research?", I said served as an ice breaker.
"Pretty bad. Things are messed up beyond belief."
"That's research. And of course, my personal life as well."
She chuckled again. Man, am I on fire today.
After around 20 minutes of walking, we finally reached the place. It was a simple chinese diner, if there is such a thing. We sat down and ordered egg rice with pepper chicken, yes, both of us. The food arrived in an instant, making our small talk time margin to spill into eating time margin.
"You come here every Sunday, Ha?"
"Yup."
There was a moment of awkward silence for a while. Being an expert at tense moment, I can sort of predict what was Ha about to ask next. From the looks of thing, she seems to have a hard time enunciating her question.
"Jack, are you...single?"
Finally, the golden question. At that moment, I came to a cross road. Should I pursue Ay08 or Ha? I do not want Ha to end up in the same fate as An05. I regretted every single day of my life regarding the An05 incident. So, it was time for me to come to terms with my feelings. I would not want this to turn out like the epic tale of La00 and An05. This is the right thing to do.
"Ha, to tell you the truth, I do not know."
She kept quiet looking dazed and confused.
"What I meant to say is Ha, I am single. But I am seeing someone right now, and it has been quite a mindtrip."
Ha looked disappointed.
"So, that's why you do not want to go to the mamak with me," Ha said sadly.
I cannot see Ha being upset as my pasts with An05 began to come to mind. So, I tried comforting her through words.
"Tell you what Ha. Once this is settled, we'll go and have that mamak in Malaysia, regardless of my status quo. Do you like that?"
"Sure thing Jack."
"When are you going back to Malaysia, Ha?"
"Next week."
Then I realized that 2 months time just breezed by like the blowing wind. Have I been so into Ay08 that I have lost track of time?
"What time is your flight?"
"10pm. But I'll be leaving from Paddington at 6pm."
"I'll be at Paddington. I promise."
She smiled.
"And, can I have your Malaysian number Ha, for the mamak in the future?"
She smiled and gave me her number.
"Ha, I like you. You remind me a lot of my previous...complicated relationship. But at this moment, I am focused on someone else. The past had taught me that you have to stay focus on one girl at one time, or else I'll end up hurting everyone in the process. "
Ha just smiled.
"Jack, you are a nice guy. I bet the girl is lucky to have you."
Little did she know that I was going after someone's girlfriend. Sparing her details of my love life, we got up , paid our meals and said goodbye to each other.
I was walking home and then suddenly, my mobile beeps and came in a text. The text reads
"Jack, can we meet up this weekend? It is urgent! Mi07"
What does Mi07 wants with me?
In rare times, you will know that whether the decision made was good or bad almost instantaneously. Did Jack made the right decision? Who knows. But, he will find out the repercussions of his decision sooner than he thinks.
As usual, I arrived first. It is not that she was late, I was early. I was nervous as usual. With the things that happened last week, I do not even know what we are anymore. Lovers, friends, whatever. The thing I know was that I love her. So there I was, waiting for her at one of the few malls in the UK. Hands sweaty, checked....heart thumping, checked...butterflies in the stomach,checked...conclusion: I was freaking nervous. This is basically my first 'official' date with her.
After a couple of minutes, she arrived. Beautiful and graceful as usual. At that moment, I knew that I need to have her. I MUST have her. So, I greeted her in a most gentleman way ever. I grabbed her hand, bring my mouth to it and kissed it.
"You look beautiful, Ay08."
"Thanks. So, what's the plan for today?"
"Movie and then lunch. I thought of Watching Drag Me To Hell, is that cool?"
She just kept quiet.
Let me explain, Ay08 hate horror films. And, the reason I wanted to watch DMTH was because I love horror films, and DMTH is one of the best. I was just pushing my luck and she should have said no. On the contrary, she nodded and said
"Let's go."
I was surprised. I tried giving her another option.
"Are you sure? We can always watch Hangover instead."
"I am sure Jack. Let's go."
"All right, just do not walk out from the movie halfway through. It kills the mood."
"Sure, do not worry about me. Let's go."
We arrived at the ticketing counter just in the nick of time. I asked for 2 tickets to DMTH and I can see that Ay08 was nervous. We entered towards the dark theater slowly and we sat down somewhere in the middle. Coincidentally, the theater was empty and we were the only ones watching it. Guess everyone was working on 12 noon weekdays. The eerie silence coupled with the pitch black atmosphere really turns the notch up on the scare factor.
When the movie began, the loud along with the out of your seat moments really scared the shit out of me. I was enjoying every second of the movie. I looked to Ay08 to see how she was doing. She was squirming in her seat. Her hands deeply grasped my shirt. Her eyes was closed. She was not having a good time. I cannot stand her suffering like this. Hence, despite how much I love to see more of DMTH, I grabbed Ay08's hand and walked out from the cinema.
"Jack, aren't you enjoying the show?"
"Naa...I am a little frightened. Let's watch Hangover instead," of course I lied in order not to hurt her feelings.
She gazed sharply at me and said
"Liar! You were enjoying it."
"Fine, I LOVE it, but I cannot bear to watch you suffer any longer."
"I am big girl, I can handle it. Are you saying that I cannot handle a little horror film?"
I just smiled and Ay08 look confused.
"I KNOW you can. It is just that you might not ENJOY it, that's all. If you are not having fun, then it is not worth doing together."
Ay08 was flabbergastered upon hearing my answer. She looked so touched that she was about to burst into tears.
Her hands slowly glides across my face and pulled me towards her. She gazed directly into my eyes and I was attracted towards hers. I cannot look away. My hands just automatically move towards her hips. I pulled her towards me as my lips move towards hers. She closed her eyes expecting the kiss. Unlike last time, I proceeded on until our lips locked. For that brief moment, I was content. A little bit guilty but content nevertheless. That was my first kiss ever. I love Ay08 a lot and I have not forsaken the goal of making her my wife.
She grabbed my hand and smiled.
"Where are we going now Ay08?"
"Hangover is still playing. Let's go."
A perfect ending to a great HORROR movie? Or a perfect beginning? You decide.
I have no love for Killzone. I did not play it on the PS2 and I think that Sony hailing it as a Halo killer is just an exaggeration. However, my interest pique due to the KZ2 trailer that generated quite a stir at E3 a couple of years back. Sony claimed that the video shown was real-time, but in the end confessed that it was actually pre-rendered and served as a concept video. So, graphically, how did Killzone 2 fare to the pre-rendered trailer shown? Pretty darn close.
You cannot tell which is the game and which is the trailer. The graphics are marvelous. The character models are detailed, the environments are lush and varied, guns are cool...and the lighting is just orgasmic! Definetely, the best I've seen. Kudos to Guerilla Games to actually meet and exceed the standards set by the pre-rendered videos shown.
Graphics:5/5
If you manage to tear yourself away from the graphics, you will realize that the sound is just as magnificent. They really translate the chaotic nature of war well. The music is Star Wars-ish and feels very epic. The voice acting is great.
However, the scripts are really bad. Talking about sandwiches during war, WTF? Since the script is not the voice actors fault but more of the writers, I am still going to rate the sound as one of the best I have ever heard.
Sounds:5/5
Looks like all the teleportation is finally good for something.However, KZ2 lacks innovation. Nothing new has been introduced in KZ2 except for the cover-system in FPS. The guns are not imaginative and the enemies look the same. The storyline is cliched beyond hell.
Gameplay:4/5
The single player campaign lasted for around 10 hours and was deeply satisfying. Besides that, as usual, there is an online mode which I do not really care about. You can replay previous missions to earn better medals.
Longevity:4/5
Redec buttsecking Master Chief!Overall:4/5
They say, there are no rules to love and war. Personally, I've only followed one simple rule: know when to stop. Every plan must have an exit strategy, because everyone knows, the battle will never stop regardless of you winning or losing.
It has been a while since I felt this way. It felt like I was on cloud nine. At that instant, I was content. I talked to Ay08 and the time breezed by as if it is not a constant. It felt like old times. Like as if nothing ever happened. However, once the cab stopped, we knew that things were not like old times. So much has changed and yet we both try to cling dearly to the past. We disguised our relationship as 'friends' but deep down, we both knew that it was something much more.
I opened her cab door for her. I took out some of her boxes while she paid the cab driver. After paying, she then helped me to carry all the boxes out. As the cab left, we both stood quietly in front of Ay08's new apartment. From the outside, it looks like a lovely place.
"So Ay08, aren't you letting me in?"
She still stood in awe. She was in a hypnotic state until I gave her a nudge.
"Huh, right, sure Jack."
She opened the main door to her apartment building and we both carried the boxes in. After all the boxes were in, it is time to visit her apartment.
We both carried a box each. The apartment was on the second floor and so we decided to take the stairs while leaving the boxes on the first floor. When we reached the front door, Ay08 gave a knock and then she used the key to open the door. We both entered and we were greeted by her housemate. After giving our introductions, Ay08 and me then proceed to go to Ay08's new room. Ay08 screams in shock as we entered the room. I just smiled as it happened.
The entire room was filled with flowers. There have to be at least 20 bouquets or so.
"Jack, was it you?"
I just smiled.
"How did you do it?"
"I called a couple of mutual friends, they tell me that you are moving here."
I could see that Ay08 was holding back her tears, tears of joy I hope.
"Why would you do this Jack?"
The actual reason I did this was as a goodbye present. But I guess now the main reason has changed.
I held Ay08's hand. I got down on one knee. I turned around and got something out from my knapsack.
"Because...I love you Ay08."
Ay08 looked surprised. I handed her that 'something' that I took out from my knapsack.
"Jack, this rose, it's..."
"It's the same one as the first rose that I gave you."
Ay08 is stunned.
"Let's start over, Ay08."
"But Jack, I have a boyfriend."
I will not be making the same mistake as I did previously. No more. This will not be Dublin all over again.
"I know, that's why I will not be asking for an answer right now."
"What do you mean Jack? I do not understand."
"Just let me know what do you think of us being together in 3 months time. That should give you an ample time to really think about it."
She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up. There were tears in her eyes. Without saying a word, she hugged me.
Looks like someone has not been playing by his own rule. Will it lead to a triumphant victory or a humiliating defeat? Only time will tell.
Life is chaotic. It cannot be defined through neither equations nor statistics. Sure, we can plan a memorable event but normally, the most memorable ones are unplanned for. In the midst of all this chaos that life brings us, emerging from its ashes like a rising phoenix is love. From the chaos emerges a deterministic emotion called love.
We both just stared at each other as if time was frozen. For a split second, I could sense strong emotion emitting from her. At that moment, all I can think about was to kiss her . As I moved in for the kiss, I was surprised that she began closing her eyes, expecting it. However, I chickened out at the last moment. I am not entirely sure why I did that, sometimes I tend to amaze everyone including myself.
I got up from the bed. She looked disappointed, and I do not blame her. In order to just blatantly brush this incident aside, I started to focus on the uncarried boxes.
"Err...I think we should take this down now," I said blushingly.
She got up from the bed and pick a box while I picked another one.
"Hey, Ay08, this is kind of light. Are you sure we did not leave anything behind?"
Suddenly, she rushed to the side of the bed and pulled out a plastic bag. I can barely make out it's contents.
"That's it?"
She nodded. She gave me the plastic bag and I carried it along with the box.
We took a last look at the room, shut the door and went down the steps.
Same as the way up, the way down, is again, full of silence. In order to lighten the mood, I started building random conversation.
"So, what's in this plastic bag anyway? It is sure is very light."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"I bet you have some naughty stuffs in here, don't you?"
"Noo...and eeww, you pervert."
While we were talking, the plastic bag accidentally fell over and the contents were exposed all over the steps. I was shocked and I can see that Ay08 was feeling shy.
"You...you kept this?"
Ay08 just stayed quiet.
I picked up the dried withered flowers. Apparently, Ay08 has a whole bunch of them.
"Are these all mine? Is that the first flower that I gave you?"
She kept quiet.
"Why....why would you still keep these?"
She bent down and started to clear up the mess. I sat down and helped her.
"Because Jack...I.."
Now it was my turn to be quiet. I can sense that there was a huge stress on Ay08's vocal chords that caused her voice to be shaky. She seems to be trembling a little bit. Clearly, she was afraid. The thing that she was about to say must be really tough on her. Hence I pitied her, and being the altruist that I am, I rescued her from her distress.
"Because you love flowers so much, right?"I suggested it to her.
She just kept quiet and looked down.
I smiled at her then proceed to put the flowers back into the plastic. After clearing up, we continued walking down the steps.
I knew what she was going to say, but I could not let her say it. Not now at least. People say that you can never take back your words and I am afraid that she might make a huge mistake by uttering those words now. And at that moment, my love for Ay08 reignited.
Coincidentally, as we reached down the steps the taxi has already arrived. Without hesitation, I helped her moved all of her boxes into the taxi. After around 20 minutes of hardcore moving, she was ready to leave. She walked up to me, looked me directly in the eye, and with a shaky voice, said
"Promise you visit me sometime?"
I turned my back on her and walked back into the house, without saying a single word. I could see she was stunned and hurt. Ay08 then turned around and headed back into the taxi. As the taxi was about to leave, I shouted.
"Ay08, wait!"
She peered through the window and smiled at the sight of me carrying my knapsack. I then went over to the door and entered the taxi.
"You are leaving without me Ay08?"
"But Jack, I do not understand."
"You'll need help carrying those boxes to your apartment."
"How do you know that it is an apartment?"
I just smiled at Ay08. At first, she was taken aback for a second by my smile, but later on, she began smiling back. The look that she had on her face was priceless. So pure, and innocent. That was the day that I fell for her, again. Maybe things would end up differently this time? Fate can sometimes be so cruel.
