No Escape...

The culture that comes from my roots never cease to amaze me...I would have thought that my family, being a Christian for three generations now, would not have taken nor subscribe to all these 'superstition' seriously...but boy, was I wrong...

Even till now, my grandmother would scream the house down every Chinese New Year(CNY)...trying to get us to comply and submit to those superstitions...for two weeks before the celebration, the whole extravaganza and show of cooking will start...because it is according to Chinese traditions, that it is a taboo, to use knifes during the first day of CNY, just in case we 'cut' of our prosperity and good luck...

We would have the house spick and span before the big day comes, as it is believed that we would be sweeping and wiping away our fortunes, should we clean on the first day of CNY. Even if we were to sweep the house the following days, we would have to sweep it inwards, so that no harm will follow...dust and rubbish would have to be taken off the back door...

Grandmother is especially particular, insisting that everything we use would need to be new...new clothes, new tableware (yes, that includes plates, bowls, fork and spoon...so you can imagine the pile of plates accumulated till now)...I remember that there was a time, when my grandma made a ruckus, when I used a used plate to serve my dad rice...I wasn't aware of that 'golden rule' then...and my dad, stressed up by all her screaming since morning...chewed me up real good in front of my other family members...I left the dinner table, all hurt and confused...didn't think what the big deal was, that ended up me getting scolded that bad...of course, all of us knew that my dad was at the snapping point then, and my situation was the prefect trigger...I had a good cry...and my dad apologized to me later...I remember it clearly even now...it was the first time my dad ever said that he was sorry...and I found it easier to forgive...

We start the firecrackers going by midnight...Legend has it, that a red dragon is due to come at the strike of midnight of CNY, and firecrackers were meant to scare them away...tradition keeps us going from there...Others say that it is a way to celebrate the coming of a new year...and also give the old year a great send-off...

One would have thought that as time progresses, we would have abandoned these traditions and customs in exchange for new thoughts...I have had my share of scoffing at these traditions...but I now realized, that in keeping these practices, even though we may not believe these superstitions...reminds me of my past, how I have come to be...and most of all, a sense of identity...something that I have in common with the rest of the Chinese community...that keeps me going...

Tension Release...

Some people say that it would do good to see a 'relaxed' picture...as a way to de-stressed...
I don't know about you...but seeing this 'relaxed' picture above...

...just makes me wanna sleep...

I Love Stress

One big band arrangement project...

One Malaysian Music exam...
One violin exam...
One Arranging presentation...
Three music compositions to polish...
Two piano pieces to memorize...

Date Due : 30th July 2008, in short, 3 days to go...

Why do I allow myself to go through this, you wonder...

Let me list them down...

1. I need datelines...I excel in it...if someone tells me to "take my time", my brain will just automatically translate that, as I have eternity to do it...and in comes procrastination...

2. It makes me feel needed...and useful...I only have a limited time to live this life...and I would want every second to count...

3. When I'm kept busy, I am kept from thinking of all the things going around me...the idiosyncrasies happening, the screwed up politicians that govern the country I care for, though I am fully aware that it is beyond my control...my financial bills...

4. Cheap adrenaline...yea, that's the one...I feel restless, if I were to stay at home, with no plans in mind...

I honestly think that nobody can survive without minimal stress...as for me, I try to reduce stress by hitting the gym...but guess what...

"Lessajinomoto, you seemed too preoccupied, even when you're doing your work-outs...so deep in your thoughts...you've gotta learn to de-stress!!" - gym instructor...

Dude...I am already slightly de-stressed...thanks to my one hour work-out...you should have seen me, BEFORE I hit the gym!!...

Someone's gotta say it...

(Note of caution : I am so steamed up...I am sure that there are tonnes of expletive profanities coming up...)

I can't take it anymore!!!...nor can I keep my mouth shut...I'm brewing with frustration...and every inch of my body yearns to scream out...

"JUST HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK WE CITIZENS ARE???"

All this crap about high maintenance of our Nation's baby, Proton (well, that car is crap too, by the way...a tin-can design, with a 1970's Mitsubishi engine...ah, you can't trust the government to come up with something original...)....

I'll have you know...that my Toyota Corona, is easily older than any of those blardy cars...why, it is even older than I am!!...but still...it never cost me so much as RM88,000 for fixtures!!!...

Which by the way, you Proton government people sent your cars to authorized Proton dealers for your upkeep...and I'm pretty sure that you guys are paying at a mugged down price...considering that, you would be using government/taxpayer's money to pay for the maintenance anyway...

I feel insulted...cause the way you tried to explain off the high expenses on your car...seems to insinuate that we are still monkeys from ice-age living off trees...don't you remember that half of us, travel all the time...therefore knows the market price of fixtures for car parts...me, for example...would have to know how much car servicing would be...or how much changing a carburetor cost...I have too!!...if not, there will be some stupid mechanic punk out there, who thinks we girls are dumb blonde and chop our finance in half!!...

I, for one...know that a gear box change, would cost approximately RM800 at max...at least, mine would...as my car is old...and spare parts are now hard to get...besides its a foreign car...so yes, it would be more costlier...

Now, you're telling me that you are sending your locally made Proton Perdana to an AUTHORIZED DEALER to change your gear box...for a f*cking RM15,000???!!!!...Its either you are SO DUMB, you forgot to do your research...or the authorized dealer just got the better of you...or wait...there is another option...you paid RM500 for that maintenance...and the RM14,500 went buried in your pocket...how about that, eh?...

Watch out...Here it comes...)(*$@#%^#&@^%$#*@#&^$&!!!!

Withering...

There is just so many things in my heart that I want to pour out...but am afraid to...as I am afraid of how it might affect me...I hate the professionalism-NOT that exist in this institution...and the fact that they can just shut me out, without an explanation to my enquiry....in the name of higher authority...I hate the fact that I'm threatened to keep my mouth shut...in exchange of a better future...

I really do not know which is worse...loosing my principals, to secure an easier pathway to success...or to stand firm on my principals...and suffer all the way, just because your higher authority feels threatened knowing that there is a loose cannon lying around...

I have been able to stand on my principals so far...but it is really costing me so much...that now, I am starting to wonder...if it is all worth...besides, being able to have a clear conscience when I lay my head to rest...what else do I benefit??...I want to be able to tell my grandchildren that I have been strong enough to stand up for what is right...but calculating the unnecessary brick-walls placed before me...I am just about ready to give up...

More details, AFTER I have received that paper...but not before...

Domesticated Pets...

I used to have tonnes of hamsters...usually start off with a pair...then my friends who are too busy to look after theirs, bring them to me to be hamster-sat...and eventually it becomes mine...

My boyfriend used to tease me...on how rodent-like I am becoming...and I tease him back...calling him a marsupial...probably I should change, and just start calling him a mongoloid...*grin*...

Anyway, I decided to do some shopping yesterday...was smitten by a health bug, and bought some cereals...yogurt, etc...

While waiting at a traffic light, on my way home...I decided to kill time by reading the writings on the cereal box...which says :-

"A tasty blend of chilean flame raisins, apricots, banana, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, blanched flaked almonds, whole hazelnuts and multi-grain flakes" - Dorset Cereals

hmmm...how nice...*traffic light has turned green, puts down box and drives*...

Erm...hang on a minute...sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts...that's what I use to feed my hamsters!!!

Just Off My Chest...

• I am contemplating, if I should straighten my hair or just let it stay naturally wavy...I am aware that my hair would be more fried than it is, with all the chemical it will have to endure...at least they are fuss-free...natural wave requires me to put hair styling cream, so it doesn't mess up...too much work for a hassle-free gal like me...
• I am wondering...how come, competition is given more priority than compassion...for the sake of climbing the corporate/social ladder, people are willing to stab you in the back...whatever happen to "Let's hold hands and go up the ladder together" motto?
• I wish I can differentiate clearly between "learning to accept" and "giving up"...there are some things that I'd stop pursuing, because I was "learning to accept" that I can never have the guts to stand up in front of people to perform...some friends told me that "learning to accept" was mere excuses...in reality, I'm "giving up"...now, I'm just confused...
• I need some hugs...NOW...am missing my boyfriend's terribly...
  
• I really need a break from work...having been putting too much energy into my work...I'm getting emotionally exhausted all the time...
• I miss the sun...its been humid, and stuffy...yet cloudy...for these couple of days...no rain...nor sun either...
  

And the last shout-out...

I'M FED UP WITH ALL THE CLOWNS GOVERNMENING MY COUNTRY, AND TURNING IT INTO AN ART OF CHAOS!!!

"Why So Serious?" - The Joker

I'm taking my own sweet time, reading through "Things That Must Not Be Forgotten" by Michael David Kwan...History fascinates me...I love contemplating about the psychology of it all...How a leader approached a certain situation...make a certain decision...and how human greed/kindness has surpass it all...changing the course of history...amazing...I really like it...I love unpredictability...I hate it when I find myself already knowing the direction of the story, even before it is unfold...and in doing so, I ruin the plot for myself...

Which was why I thought that the plot for The Dark Knight was marvelous!!...I decided to take a stroll in a nearby shopping mall for a change...was stuck in my room sweating my blessed pores out the whole of yesterday...the damn weather was that hot...and at the same time, I decided to pay the cinema a visit...felt weird just purchasing A ticket...usually, I buy two...that is until my boyfriend left...

I was wondering if I did the right thing...I was afraid that I would be putting myself in a position, where it will suddenly make me realize how much I miss him...the vulnerability that I might feel...the thoughts that may go through my head...

Just in case you didn't know...clowns freak me out...live ones or puppet...the only clown that I can look straight in the eye and laugh...is Krusty the Clown from Simpsons...but that's about it...so I guess you can understand the shivers I got, just looking at the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of Joker...

I realized that it is a common string of clowns when it comes to Batman movies...first it was the Penguin, by Danny Devito, followed by the Riddler by Jim Carey...I remember putting a blanket over my head, everytime I see the Penguin appear...my dad used to tease me, about how action and gory movies are wasted if I didn't allow myself to be scared by them...how incredibly helpful...well, that was when I was a kid...

I'd never thought that the late Heath Ledger would be included in my list of Versatile Actors together with Johnny Depp and Edward Norton...I've seen his movies before...and...oh well...it was entertaining enough...but its not something that I will remember him by...until his Joker character (ala Hannibal Lecter) came along!!...

I don't want to spoil the movie for those who have yet to watch it, as it will deprive them from the experience...so I will try to keep the spoilers to myself...but the plot was good, though not in-line with the comics...what I loved most, was the twist in the plot, that got me glued to my seat...the geniuses that kept me guessing, and wondering how the conclusion would be...brain stimulation...and it wasn't the typical hero and heroine happily ever after sequeal....I have got to applaud the movie director for having the guts to take the heroine off the show....(oops, I just leaked a spoiler here)...so, yes...it does have an occasional 'funny' moments, where scenes does not look natural...but heck, I even thought that it was worth the pangs of bowel pain, from holding my pees!!...

Let me re-assure you that I am not giving credit to the late Heath Ledger out of pity's sake...and I am not disregrading Danny Devito's Penguin, nor Jim Carrey's...all of them are equally good...heck, Penguin still gives me the shivers when I think of his black round eyes, popping out of his round face, and pointed nose!!

Its been a great two years of non-stop super hero movies...from Iron Man, Batman, Fantastic Four, X-Men, The Hulk, Spider Man...I wonder what is next...can't wait!!

Round the poli(tic)-berry bush

Well, folks...its happening again...this is part of our Malaysian dose of daily suffering...delightfully integrated between the cobweb of our lives...

(taken from thestar.com.my)

I really do hope that nobody missed any of their exams this morning like it happened the past Monday... and I'm sure the government is aware of this...just because you so kindly offered to reschedule the CLP exams...due to the intense traffic jams caused by your roadblocks...
It means rescheduling our time, just to meet yours...which is a waste of our time, petrol and money...

By the way...I don't know...my maths are probably pre-school level by now...though I'll have you know that I got straight A's for Maths back in high school...

I have been trying to justify...reason...why should the government sent 10 police cars, and 20 balaclava-clad mask commandos (special forces) to arrest a fragile, diabetic looking 61 year old man?...do you even believe for a split second...that Anwar Ibrahim, with all his medical history, would be able to summon the last of his energy to deliver a No Shadow Shaolin kick, that could...with slimmest possibility, thwart of 10 of your men?...

A total waste of taxpayer's money, I would say...in other words, another wanton act and unorganized money splurging by the government...tsk, tsk...

Lessons for the ego-brownheaded-ignorant fool...

So, it was my third time in my twenty plus years of life...committing myself to a facial, and entrusting someone to prod and poke my face...despite my previous not-so-memorable experience at the spa...and no, I didn't go back to the one that my mum recommended, just so I can save my mum the embarassment that she had to go through before...

Nevertheless, my worries and restlessness before this facial appointment was totally unfounded...for the FIRST time, there was no extraction of blackheads!!...Yipee!!...Just tonnes of mask, recommended by the specialist (but I never bothered to remember the brand nor purpose)...but I gathered that it was suppose to give my face an uplifting...as to my understanding...

Going back to the past for a bit...my mum had nice skin texture, when she got married...and she blamed me, for blasting and making her hormones go haywire, as zits starting popping like weeds in an unattended garden...my dad on the other hand, having gone through no stress of bearing a child...had perfectly nice skin, with an occasional pimple...and as years passed by, flawed/nicely decorated by some unwanted wrinkles...

So far, I am blessed with good YET not perfect skin...I have yet to experience a pimple epidemic...but I did have to suffer from the 'freckled-face' syndrome (courtesy of my maternal grand-dad) since young...Now, that may not mean a big deal to non-Asian friends...but for a Chinese freckled-face gal, it is the very formula, that starts off a traumatic childhood...taunted by classmates for looking weird...by some aunties who tell me I look un-Chinese-like...

Even now, I am still a victim of my freckles and my not-so-Chinese facial features...I've been mistaken by customers and parents alike, for being a foreigner, in my own local soil...the good side to it, though...that the hotel bell-boys tend to treat me with a little more respect, thinking that I'm an American/British born Chinese...or with a foreign bloodline...the bad side to it, is that I am always skinned financially, when it comes to dealing with car mechanics and peddlers on the street...who has come to assume that since I look foreign-like, I must be a dumb blond who is loaded with cash...and nothing to spend on...

And the fact that I can't speak good Cantonese, is an added disadvantage as well...

So, my cheeks are welded with tonnes of freckles...and my mum used to convince me that I had a combination skin, oily on the T-zone of my face, but dry at the sides, cheeks mainly...she believes that I have inherited her type of skin...So I have spend my lifetime, glossing over supermarket shelves to look for an oil control product, with high hopes of zit prevention...

Only to realize during my recent facial check-up...that I had dry skin!!...No wonder...there was a time, when I washed my face twice daily...and my nose would peel with skin flakes...it was only when I decided to wash my face ONCE a day...those darn flakes disappeared...

So, in summary, all the money I've poured in to face oil-control products for 10 years now, were the very cause of my skin dehydration (thanks, mum!!)...and worse off, I've never bothered to tonne or moisturize on a daily basis...and I've just learned...dry skins are more prone to wrinkles at old age...Oh la la!!...

I've been told to do an uplifting facial mask every 3 weeks...I'll have to google that up later...I don't know what it means!!...but that is the smallest of my problem...I just hope that I have enough self discipline to stay committed to it...*sigh*...

Just so you know, I'm more comfortable with my freckles now, as un-Chinese-like as they may be...For I have come to believe that faces without freckles are like dark blue skies without stars...so there!!

Spawn of the Devil

It used to be that anybody who didn't own a Friendster membership would be a sore loser...school mates would tease you...and you'd hate your mum for not subscribing to an Internet line...you'll sneak into the cybercafe, sign up for tonnes of emails you don't use...just to show how 'updated' you can be...

You have all the chatlines you can get...MIRC, ICQ, AOL, etc...you can hardly keep track...all just for the sake of shutting those laughing hyena friends of yours, for successfully making you feel like Dumbo...

That was the 90s...

Now, the change has come...

"You don't have Facebook? How is that possible? How are you going to keep in touch with everyone?"

"Join Facebook, please!!...I wanna 'super-poke' you...just for fun!!"...

"You are still on FRIENDSTER??!!...Who in the world joins that anymore??...micro-organisms and viruses?...you need to get yourself updated, man!!"

Well, first of all, there is always MSN and my personal favourite, Skype which I use every so often to keep in touch with my long lost friends...and have not disappointed me so far...except for the damn connection!!...

Secondly, how lame can you get, when self entertainment, is simply derived from 'super-poking' someone?...How fun could that be compared to taking a stroll on a shopping mall, or reading?...I happen to have a better life than that...and even in my free time...erm...hang on...what free time am I referring to??...I always have my violin and piano pieces to improve on!!...

Thirdly, in my opinion, Friendster serves the same purpose as Facebook...so yes, I am comparing a Proton Saga (Malaysia's self acclaimed car production, which ain't making any money at the moment) and Lamborghini...a DOS computer processor with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor...a Motorola 100 retro and a Motorola SLVR L7 Diamond...but it doesn't make any difference...it fulfills my criteria...

Does it allow me to view my friend's profile, to keep myself updated? Post up a photo? Share a blog? Send a comment/message? Reminders and notifications? Profile updates?...I believe you will find all the answers to these questions are...yes, they do...

Yet, let me list the differences between the two:-

a) Friendster isn't as annoying as Facebook...
Let's face it... Facebook tries too hard...from event scheduling, to sending a virtual gift, to Buy-Your-Own-Friends request...I mean...what the..."Buy-Your-Own-Friends" application??...What in the world is that for?...What purpose does it play in my virtual life?...My friends ain't from the Hallmark...or some Ebay auction...and just so you know, my friends happened to be priceless...and can never be bought at any price...period...

I understand the need to pack in as many services into one package in order to make it attractive...but the number of possibilities here, are simply overwhelming...

As for Friendster...just nice...no annoying adds, no 'spaming'...

b) Facebook, are one of the many causes of downfall of the English language and literacy...
Just in case you didn't know, I am one of them who harbour an intense hatred for abbreviations like ROFL, LMAO,etc...especially when it comes to blogging, or writing a note online...I belive that abbreviations only help, when one is taking down personal notes from lectures, etc...Abbreviations in this virtual world is simply shortening a language that people do not get enough practice of, anyway...It kills me to see people 'riting lk dis al d tme cz dey dun noe how 2 spell prprly'...does it get on anyone else's nerves when that happens?...

Of course, an occasional 'shd'/'cld' or an 'lol'...is exceptable...but coming to SMS terms?...screws my brain, I tell ya!!

(Note: I am well aware that Friendster isn't much help to the improvement of English grammar either...but the degradation of the language is more obvious in Facebook. Thanks for NOT pointing that out)

c) The idea of judged by the amount of applications I have on Facebook...
Someone once told me..."You have to allow yourself to be vulnerable in order for Facebook to work."...So now, it turns out that since I chose to subscribe to maximum privacy, keep my profile as simple as possible., not list EVERY single book I read..I'm doomed to be a lousy team player...a pathetic loser...

Nice try, dude...but I'm not that naive...or easily influenced...nor do I hunger to be popular...Just so you know, I've had a taste of popularity before...now, leave me to enjoy my peace...

At the moment, I'm sitting at 561 requests and invitations for something or another, on my Facebook...but I'm not intimidated...neither will I budge...

The Gym Saga

You have got to join a gym membership, before knowing how it actually feels...The annoyance, and irritation that runs down your spine...every time you see it...Those inconsiderate bastards...out to show their myojo and macho-ness through their work-out...not realizing that they are actually embarassing themselves...or probably they do...

They grunt and groan bloody Mary...so loud, it can be heard a mile away...followed by a tenor shout of "Yeah, baby!!"..."Oh, come on! Come on!"...all just to psych themselves, and to show everyone around, what a killer workout they are having...I have always failed to comprehend, why they can't make their grunts normal sounding...and even save it for the last few reps, when they're busting the last reserve of their energy...

Slightly too narcissistic, if you ask me...wanting people to think that they are THE man, all ready to be on the cover of the Muscle Men magazine...

And good grief, you have got to check out the way they dress!!...I mean, if you look a bit like Chewbacca, more hair on body than skin...try not to go shirt-less...and for the guys, it is NEVER a good idea, to jog in spendex (if you get my groove)...you may risk looking like your guts spilled over, and we all know that, that ain't the first impression you want to give to date-able ladies...

And please, do not bare all...It is beyond my comprehension why some guys would choose to purchase shorts, that are too loose for them, and they know it...I know it would delight that idiot to know that I have managed to observe his dark brownish butt alright...and it was a horrendous sight...and no, I am not interested in anything else that you have to offer...wear a belt, for cryin' aloud!!

But women are very much guilty of this too...for one, please take off your make-up...you have no idea how scary it looks, when you have mascara smudged all over your face...and yes, it happened when you were wiping sweat off your face...and I'm sorry that I had to let you go around the gym with that look for an hour, before breaking the news to you...(well, to be honest, I'm not but oh heck...)...

And insisting that you are able to to fit into that baby size tube, well...I can't find the words to say...I mean, if you have a hot bod, and want to show it off...be my guest...but when all one can see, is rolls on your guts threatening to spill over, that ain't a very pleasant sight, I'm sure you'll agree with me...find a suitable gym clothe, and when you're back to size zero, you can jolly well try that tube again...but till then...I'd rather you don't...

B.O also known as Body Ordour...everyone has it...it just depends on the intensity, or the degree of it...but if you do happen to have one, get a deodorant before someone's nose starts burning...especially if you are going to have a go at the threadmill with someone already jogging by your side...you have no idea how difficult it is to hold one's breath when he/she is running 3-6 miles...

And those machine hoggers...parking themselves on a machine and yakking for 20 minutes (well, they are usually aunties) with their friends...or glue themselves to their cell phone...finish your jogging business and continue on with your chit-chat...if not, move away!!...

And to the man in my gym who shouts so loud to get himself pumped; My advice is that he slows and tones down a bit, before his ego takes a beating...from me...oh, one of this days...I would so love to seal his jaw, with my fist...I'm up to my neck with his groans...

IQ of an Ass...

Whatever happened to the times when roadblocks by policemen were purely for crime preventions?

Well, just so you know...in Malaysia, there are never roadblocks solely to look out for the society's well-being...there is always a bribe in between, some 'private' negotiation going on...for extra intentions that we are all so familiar with...

But not this time...

As much as the Selangor Police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar claims that the recent roadblocks are 'normal crime prevention measures', I am somehow not so inclined to believe...

What...all of your police followers suddenly got bitten by a work bug?...you decided to cut off their 11 hours of break time...all for the love and care for the society?...how sweet of you...an Angel passed the word to you, did he?...or you recently suffered a sun stroke?...

I hate to break it to you, honey...but I have come to believe that this roadblocks...are just for show....and let me tell you why...

It is a usual four lane on the highway, which expands to EIGHT lanes upon reaching the toll booth...after exiting the toll booth, these eight lanes slowly closes back to four...and a little further than that ,due to road construction, it is down to TWO freaking lanes...

It is a working Monday, you lugheads...Hundred thousands of cars, swarm and flood the highways, to get to their work place, as early as 7am...and your people, has the balls...to place those orange cones, right after the toll booth...less than a 100 metre away...closing the road, from 8 lanes...down to 2...

Needless to say, cars started piling up even 2 kilometres before the toll...at times like these, I get irritated and mutter 'words of frustration' beneath my breath...but what made me explode into expletive profanities...was when I saw NO POLICEMEN on the road at all...just them damn small orange cones...

Where are your croonies, you may ask...sitting at a bus-stop nearby, having a smoke...oblivious to the insane traffic jam they are causing...probably having a good laugh at us, trying to avoid those damn cones...

The No-Confidence motion isn't till tomorrow, you blithering idiots!!...Even if you had given an order to arrest all Anwar supporters, why should you want to do a roadblock, at every corner, and every single day?? Just so you know, I've been through four of them today, while driving to KL city and I tell ya...that was a 2 and half hours drive compared to my normal 20 minutes...my blood was brewing...so was my arse...Man, for the 2 and half hour, I would have already reached my hometown 280km away!!...Give us drivers a moments rest, would you?...It is already expensive enough, having to purchase petrol at a much higher price, now we are wasting it...while shifting gears, from Neutral, to gear one...

And if you were to issue an order, make sure your croonies see it through the end!!...What the hell are they doing, taking a smoke....while we drivers smoke through our ears...

Sometimes, don't one just itch to say..."wtf..."...Because I do...

SHUT UP!!!

A family was sitting at a round table, in a cheap restaurant, having lunch...Husband, wife and two kids; a young boy and an elder girl...They were almost done with their meals, except for the boy; who were trying to chew his rice, and drown it with a glass of water, for every spoon...The elder girl, was entertaining herself by walking round and round the table, just for fun...Mum sat across Daddy, crossed hand with pursed lips...Daddy was drumming his fingers on the table...looking pretty restless...

Turns out that they were a familiar sight to many...Other customers who came in for their meals, waved to them and said hi...Mum replied, giving a smile and waved back...Dad looked up, gave the same smile and a slight nod...

Strange...I'd thought...their smiles, were thin...never reaching their eyes...I could feel tension in the air a mile away...

Ah, probably its just a mild tug of war between the couple...it doesn't seem to be affecting the two kids, though...girl still going round the table, I'm surprised that she has not reach a point of giddiness by now...boy still chewing on the rice, that he has been struggling to swallow 5 minutes ago...

Couple exchange words...it is turning out to be a one word conversation...one that I couldn't hear...and didn't give a care in the world...Couples have their differences...but they will kiss and make up, for sure...

"Shut up"

"But there is..." followed by an interrupted "Shut"

"I still think..." a fiercer interrupted "SHUT UP, will you!! Do you want everyone to hear us arguing?!!"

Madam, I didn't hear you guys arguing...I only heard you shouting at your husband...and putting your family to shame...and what happened to giving respect to your soul mate?

Settled

It is settled then...I will be flying off to Melbourne end of this year to work!!...air flights have been booked...accommodation confirmed...now, I will just have to get my visa applied, and passport renewed...catch up with old friends too...and pass the last two subjects in college...YIPEE!!!...

And oh ya...continue pursuing my internship...

Nothing satisfies more than...one step at a time...

I feel sorry for this guy...

I definitely do not wanna be in his position, sitting for a Maths exam and screwing up, just when he is about to get the answer...hehe...other examples of unimaginable exam answers here...

For the Underdogs

Dear Chicken Rice man,

First, the words of praise...I appreciate that you have yet to raise the price of your goods, it still remains at RM3.50, since the first day I came, which was 9 months ago...week after week, I have been coming to your shop, in hope to take back with me a packet of chicken rice for lunch...though it ain't the cleanest shop in town, I did appreciate the fact that you allowed me to enjoy the 'extras' without extra charge...The extra veg (cucumbers), extra chili sauce, extra soup...thank you...there are even times, I am willing to pay a little extra, or refuse the change...as a thank you gesture for your generosity...

Now, comes the not-so-nice part...

So your Indonesian maid may be slow...she may not be able to understand you fully...yea, so you could say she is stupid...but ever toyed with the possibility that she may not understand you because you speak horrible Malay??...you tend to throw in some Cantonese words...and your Malay speaking, is just merely a direct translation from your mother tongue, Cantonese...and you expect her to understand you fully?...That is a bit too much to ask, isn't it?...

But that isn't the chicken bone that I wanna pick on...

I just wonder, what the other customers think of you...when you complaint aloud to them, in front of your poor maid about her...so she may not understand a word you say, since you are babbling so fast in Cantonese...but I am sure she is not as stupid as to not suspect, especially when you are hitting her head half the time...and calling her a retard in Cantonese...I am not sure if you will agree with me...but I honestly believe that you complaining and telling me how stupid your Indonesian maid is...tells me that you have no respect for your co-workers at all...no respect for her feelings...no respect for who she is...plus, I hate all the shouting...and your constant barking at her...it hurts my ear so...and it is difficult to enjoy the food placed before me...

Is it because she is of a 'lower class' than you?...Is it because she is of a darker skin than yours?...is it because she is helpless and limited by her vocabulary to converse with you?...

I gave your Indonesian maid a smile...and thanked her for bringing my plate of rice over...and I saw her smile for the very first time...that really is a positive change from what I usually see...a sad face, totally void of emotions...and I am encouraged....she brightened up my day, as I have hers, for that day...I am just sorry I am not able to do so on an hourly basis...and that she will have to bear with a loser like you till her contract is over...

I am in a dilemma now...I look forward to see her smile again...somehow, my heart goes out to her...but yet, every time I come, I am filled with rage, observing the way you mistreat her...and frustrated that I can't help beyond an occasional smile or two...and slipping in a word of thanks...

I feel tempted into boycotting your food stall...and I think I will...I no longer find contentment in purchasing your goods anymore...hence I am informing you that I will never put my foot into your food stall ever again...so, starting today, tell your accounts manager, that there will be an RM7 (I come twice a week) decline in weekly profits...for I have chosen to take my food business elsewhere...and you're very welcome...

I just hope that as I walk pass your food stall to another, I will be able to meet your Indonesian maid again...to hand her a familiar smile...and pray hard, that she will find happiness elsewhere...as she can never find with you...

There and Back again...

I have to confess that I have not be deligently blogging as much as I would want to...I wasn't busy, actually...its just that, these couple of days, have been an emotional topsy turvy one for me...and I just wanted to keep myself in check...blogging would just force me to come to terms with what I feel...and that is one emotional bucket to big for me to handle...

My boyfriend just left for Tasmania, Australia yesterday night...so you can imagine the farewells, we went too...dinners, 'yum cha'(s) and all...the last farewell that we had...was steamboat cum BBQ right at Seri Kembangan...along with his closest friends from high school...

Just in case you are wondering what it is, this is not the riverboat variety that you may normally see...its not a steamboat either, as the Americans would understand that to be...rather it is a pot of boiling cauldron of soup, heated constantly by gas stove fire...if you are lucky, you get to heat it with charcoal, which just makes the soup taste unbelievable...

Consumers will then proceed by shoving in pieces of raw food (prawns, fish, meat, veg, noodles of any kind), and allow it to cook....and while waiting...consumers then can lie down and relax for a spot of tea, and exchange of conversation...all for the price of RM21.90 per pax...reasonable, is it not?...

A friend of mine, Boodyboy...may disagree...and I guess he has a point to it...his argument, was basically this..."Why are we paying a hell lot of money for food that is RAW and UNCOOKED...and still, we end up having to cook it ourselves?"...that poor dude stands by his principle that if we must pay that high a price (usual bowl of noodles would cost RM4.50), we must at least be properly served...instead of standing, and perspiring our blessed souls till the cows come home...waiting for a couple of measly baby squids to be cooked...

I enjoy participating in steamboat actions a lot...yes, so I may be sweating my natural juices off., more than I would like...and my hair stinks and smells of gunk...I am more busy cooking, then I am eating...I end up burning more than half of the food that I am cooking (it is a steamboat cum BBQ set)...but ah, observing how the guys' cooking skills are put to the test...and having a good laugh at their expense was more than worth it...

Boodyboy ended enjoying the ice-cream more than the process of cooking itself...I don't blame him...it took him a lot of guts to put his manly principles aside, and come to enjoy the company. I think my boyfriend finished more than one plateful of squids...he loves it that much...while I stuck to fishballs and veg...easiest to cook...and fastest too...*grin*...the rest, ah, I just waited for my boyfriend to place it on my plate...yes, I know...I am a bitch...do I look like I care??...Last chance for me to lavish in his care...and enjoyed being pampered...might as well make the most of it...hehe...

So, how am I dealing with his departure??...well, I am trying to work more...and be extra committed to my teaching, giving my students extra classes...just so I am able to fill my time...I am staying out of shopping malls and cineplexes, as it brings back memories...and I am not sure I am brave enough to handle them...trying to take this time to catch up with old friends as well...hopefully time passes by fast...I miss talking to him, though...and I really, really miss his company...thank God for online communication technology...if not, I wouldn't have survived this long without losing it...

Of course, if anyone else has other suggestions...do feel free to drop a line...*grin*...

The Heat is On

It used to be the rivalry between Obama and Hilary, that was interesting...I really enjoyed listening to them debating different issues, and going all out, to win the hearts of their people...now that Hilary has decided to take a step back, it is now the battle between McCain and Obama...Democrats and Republic...couldn't get anymore engaging than that...

Or can it??

Take a look at my country's political situation for example...the government has almost lost the election, and have been denied that 2/3 majority votes...our Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, has been given a no-confidence vote, by one of its party, SAPP...our next in line, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has just...(no less than 12 hours ago), been bombed with the confirmation that he was undeniably connected to the murder of the Mongolian girl, Altantuya...through the statutory declaration of a private investigator...link of the confession here...

Now, that is on the side of our government...taking a look at the Opposition, and we are no better...cause Anwar Ibrahim, the preceived 'saviour' to our political problems, is...accused of sodomy...again...this time, by a slurty Malay kiddo by the name of Saiful...no older than me...now, I will be more than happy to cover my head with a scarf...I am THAT ashamed...

The Islam state government in the Kelantan and Terengganu, has announced that there should not be any use of lipstick and high heels, as it may lure man to rape them...it is still all our fault, isn't it...humans with cock, are the innocent one...whereas we are devil-sent, to lure them with body accessories...I have come to the point of frustration to the point of no-return...they accuse us, of wearing tight skirts to attract them...especially when we are sitting down...NOT cross-legged...it creates a very 'dark tunnel' which toys with their minds...they accuse us, of wearing white, to tempt them, to see through our bras...and with the X-ray visions, our boobs as well...probably...

They accuse us, of dressing nice to work...to seduce them, so that they can't concentrate on their work...

Well, if you ask me, dressing nice to work...shows a certain form of respect for myself, and the people I am going to meet...and the way the government put it, it is as if, men are nothing but sitting ducks...weak, and unable to resist any form of temptation...which I am pretty sure most men will disagree with that...

This will just be a short post...my boyfriend is leaving for Australia to further his studies tomorrow...and I would like to spend as much time with him as possible..*grin*...longer rants for later!!!