Family "Tied"

I haven't been to any outings lately.
Don't get me wrong, I've been invited for some, but either it crashes with my original schedule or I'm just too damn lazy.
So now, the people I get to see during the hols are just my family.
And no, I'm not talking about my immediate family, because that'd be just sad, because my "immediate family" only consists of my mom and dad =_=
Well, anyways. There was this annual family gathering on my father's side. Again. (Note the word "annual". Great, now I'm just being repetitive. I'm such a bore, aren't I?)
It was my dad's turn to organize this year's gathering, and we held it at Lanson Place in KL.
It's by far the nicest place we've stayed so far, compared to the previous family gatherings. And believe me, there were plenty.
To be exact, 2011 is the 20th year we've had the family gathering. And by "we" I mean my dad's family, because (obviously) I wasn't yet born 20 years ago. (Like, duhh?)

So this is what the lobby of Lanson Place looks like. It's pretty great, isn't it?
It's labeled a "service apartment", but it can definitely pass as a hotel.
And the rates are cheap too!
For the studio apartment with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room and everything, it only costs RM 230 for a night!
And there's Astro, a gigantic stereo system, a video player and an awesome view of the Petronas Twin Towers (or as my dear cousin Zhong Zhen calls it: There.. Look for the two jagung sticking up from the ground -,-).
My dad didn't plan much for this year's gathering. It was all "free and easy", meaning there were no plans or events at all o.o
On the first night, more than ten of us cousins went to KLCC to watch Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
The stunts were pretty cool, but I didn't feel that the storyline was particularly interesting. Just the typical "save the world from nuclear bombs" kinda thing.
And yeah, I still get creeped out by Tom Cruise's face. I know that's like, superbly weird.
But I just am. o.o It looks too unnatural, but that's just me. :P
By the time we got back to Lanson Place, it was already past 1 a.m. But hey, I wouldn't worry, our record was 5 a.m. xD

Yours with a cherry on top,
Qi Cheng.

Post-turkey Day

"The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came"

Love love love this song. It's a perfect mix of everything! :D
Today's Black Friday. All over Twitter, not so much on Facebook, but that doesn't change anything!
A lot of people think that Black Friday means Friday the 13th. But this time round, it actually means the day after Thanksgiving, when all the prices of almost everything are slashed and amazing discounts and offers are sploshed practically everywhere in shopping malls all over the US.
This year it falls on the 25th of November, which is today and some stores in the US are even opening at 4am to tempt bargain hunters.
Last year, more than $45billion was spent by American shoppers on Black Friday, and reports suggest 2011 could see record numbers hit the shops.
If you're hell-bent on being stuck at home, well them, do check out the online version, dubed Cyber Black Friday.
The US National Retail Federation expects 152 million people to hit the shops this weekend-up 10.1% from last year.
The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1966 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black".

Personally I don't understand how these people can come out of their houses just to get squashed by thousands of people in a limited amount of space and breathe the humid, de-oxygenized air.
Doesn't sound like an ideal holiday to me.
Hmm.. maybe that's not up to me to comment on anyway (:
So.. Happy Black Friday everyone!

Yours with a cherry on top,
Qi Cheng.

Bring on the KUH-CHING!

Okay, this time round, the holidays are actually quite boring.I think I'm on the way to fully turning my brain into mush by watching at least 8 hours of television per day... o.o I hope my eyes don't burn. -,-
Anyways, a few days ago, I watched a movie on Diva Universal (Astro 702 xD) called "The Bling Ring".
It's actually based on a true story but the characters are slightly different, but on the whole it's pretty much identical to a string of crimes that occured throughout 2008 and 2009.
When I watched the movie, it hadn't really occured to me that it was based on a true story.
Because, well, I thought these things were pretty impossible.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Lemme explain.
The Bling Ring, true to its name, was a group consisting of mostly teenagers who bulglarized the homes of several celebrities.
In total, their activities resulted in about $3 million in cash and belongings, most of it from Paris Hilton, whom they robbed several times.
First of all, I'd like to give some comments:
1. Ok LOL, these are teenagers we're talking about, and if they can break into celebrities' houses, in those kind of "high profile" neighbourhoods, what does that say? I mean, c'mon, is the security THAT bad?
2. Okay, is Paris Hilton or dumb or retarded or something? -,-

Okay moving on...
RACHEL LEE
There were a total of six ring participants, and the alleged ringleader of the group was Rachel Lee.
Lee is the daughter of divorced immigrant Vickie Kwon, originally from North Korea and David Lee, originally from South Korea. Both parents own successful businesses. Lee lived in Calabasas with her mother, who owns a franchise of Kumon, a tutoring company. Her father is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lee and her older sister Candace had a privileged upbringing, and she drove a white Audi A4 to school, where she was named "Best Dressed" in the 2007 yearbook. When she was in her early teens, her mother remarried, but she and her stepfather did not get along. She attended Indian Hills, an alternative school, because she had been expelled from Calabasas High School, and upon graduating was awarded a creative arts scholarship. A year after graduation, she was fined and put on probation for a petty theft incident in which she and Diana Tamayo stole $85 of merchandise from Sephora. According to Prugo, Lee was obsessed with reality television. Towards the end of the crime spree, Lee moved to Las Vegas to live with her father, which is where she was eventually taken into police custody.

NICK PRUGO
Nicholas Frank Prugo was reported to be a shy and friendless teen prescribed Concerta for ADHD and Zoloft for anxiety, who was transferred to Indian Hills high school after being expelled from Calabasas High School for excessive absences. In 2003, Prugo had a role as "Kenny" in Little Lost Souls: Children Possessed, a made-for-TV quasi-documentary about theexorcism of children whose parents believe them to be possessed by evil. Lee befriended Prugo after he arrived at Indian Hills, and introduced him to most of the other people who would eventually join the crime spree.^[7][9] The two initially bonded over their love of fashion, and Prugo claims to have been infatuated with her. After being accepted into her circle of friends and participating in their nightlife activities, Prugo became hooked on drugs, and began stealing from his parents to support his addiction. Their first home robbery together occurred during the summer after tenth grade, when he claims that Lee suggested they rob an acquaintance from Woodland Hills whom Prugo knew to be out of town at the time. Prugo claims to have been reluctant, but didn’t want to risk losing her friendship. During that first burglary, they discovered $8000 in cash hidden under a bed. They split the money, and the next day went on a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive. Prugo and Lee began checking the doors of expensive cars parked in their neighborhood, to see if they were unlocked, on an almost nightly basis. They would take credit cards found in the cars, and go shopping the next day in areas like Melrose Avenue. They would be dressed well, and according to Prugo, merchants never questioned their use of the cards.

(Okay, wow. The storyline of the movie really matches the real incidents. Good work! )

ALEXIS NEIERS
Alexis Neiers had been part of Lee’s social circle at Indian Hills. At one point, she was kicked out of her home by her mother for, according to police, smoking OxyContin, which she denies. Prugo took her in, and she claims that although she knew her circle of friends were committing the crimes, she only became inadvertently involved when, while drunk, she unknowingly accompanied Prugo to what turned out to be a burglary of Orlando Bloom’s home. She claimed that police searched her home and found nothing. However, police reported that they found stolen items in the possession of Neiers, her sister Gabrielle, and their sister, (through adoption), Tess Taylor, and that she was caught on camera leaving the scene of the crime with stolen bags in her possession. She initially denied any wrongdoing, but later changed her plea in court to no contest.

DIANA TAMAYO
Diana Tamayo was, in 2008, the student body President at Indian Hills, where she had been voted "best smile", and been awarded a $1,500 "Future Teacher" scholarship after graduation. She was also known for getting into fights, and according to police was an illegal Mexican immigrant. However, she was apparently affluent enough to own a Lincoln Navigator. Along with Lee, she had been fined and put on probation for engaging in petty theft. According to Prugo, her entire wardrobe consisted of stolen items. Her small size was utilized during one robbery in which she gained the group access to a home by crawling through a dog door.

(WTH??? A DOG DOOR? SERIOUSLY?!! -,-)

COURTNEY AMES
Courtney Ames, whose stepfather is boxer Randy Shields, was a Calabasas High School student and an "old friend" of Lee’s. It was through Ames that the others met Lopez and Ajar, her boyfriend.

JOHNNY AJAR
Ajar, a former convict nicknamed "Johnny Dangerous", is not believed to have participated in the burglaries, but was recruited by Ames, his girlfriend, to sell some of the stolen items for cash. He was raised in housing projects around Reseda, outside of the group’s community, the son of a father who was a career criminal and drug addict. He had previously spent 2 years in federal prison, having been convicted for drug trafficking in Wyoming at age 22. Ajar first met Ames and her friends at a nightclub called The Green Door, and allowed them access even though they used fake IDs. At the time of the burglaries, he worked as a promoter for club Les Deux Café.

ROY LOPEZ, JR.
Lopez and Ames had worked together at a restaurant and bar in Calabasas. Ames had recruited him as a reseller, and he also participated in burgling at least one victim, Paris Hilton, from whom he is alleged to have stolen $2 million in jewelry, which he carried out with him in a Louis Vuitton bag. He was unable to sell off most of it.

Reported victims include Paris Hilton, Audrina Partridge, Rachel Bilson, Orlanda Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox, and last but not least, Lindsay Lohan.
Wow, these people sure have good taste.
Anyway, in the movie, Nick Prugo I'm guessing is a character named Zack Garvey, which by the way, is WAY TOO CUTE for the likes of Prugo, who is just.. ick.
But y'know, movies have to look good. -,-
Okay, that's it from me.

Yours with a cherry on top plus lovin' the luxuries in life,
Qi Cheng :)

Original Bling Ring



"Rachel Lee" and "Nick Prugo" but in the movie their characters are Natalie Kim and Zack Garvey.