Clowns Part 2 : Or maybe not...

I made it!!!...I sat through the whole film of IT...from the start till the end!!...Okay, okay...so I broke the film into a couple of sections...took a couple of breaks...shuddered just a little...what is the big deal??...Actually, it wasn't too bad when I watched it the second time...hehe...I knew when those gory parts were coming...so I just closed my eyes for those scenes, or just pretended to need to message someone on my phone...

Tim Curry's portrayal of a clown is still first class, I think...the monsters...ah, well...it was a show made in the late 1980's...one couldn't compare to the graphic effects of the current years...nor can it expect much...If I had watched this movie for the first time in my 20s, I would have rolled my eyes, skipped those boring scenes...and just move to those juicy, bloody ones...(I contradict myself, I know)...yawn...and maybe laugh at those stiff monsters...But if a child were to see it, I can understand how traumatizing it could be...In fact, I'd realized that it wasn't the film that scared me anymore...but the image of Pennywise that is screwing with my mind!!...I did have slight difficulty sleeping that night...*sheepish grin*...

Well, I don't think I am all that afraid of clowns anymore...though I can't guarantee that I won't cringe at the sight of one...my knees may buckle a bit, my heartbeat race a little...that's about it, I think...

And just as I thought I had conquered clowns at last...someone in the house changed my computer wallpaper (without me knowing...I was bathing then)...clicked on my Firefox to hide the image...so that in all my sleepiness...I closed my Firefox...and saw this...

I'll leave it to you to decide what happened after that...and the fate of that someone...the time then was 12:45am...in the still of the night...

Clowns Part 1 : I might just make it!!!...

Note : Skip to the last paragraph if you happen to be short of time...or uninterested...

The white painted "jolly" expression, marred by blood-red eyes...the fixed smiling face, that makes you just a tad more than apprehensive...those mega huge dark red boots...the crude and colourful baggy clothes with elastic suspenders...The offensively coloured hair...they were once thought as amusing characters who brings laughter to people's live...revealing to them a whole new world of magic and entertainment...More often than never, now they seem to be anything but that...well, in the movies, at least...

I've never hidden the fact that I always had a fear of clowns since childhood...its called "coulrophobia"...man, I didn't know it was so common, that they actually have a term for it!!...I just found out online a few days back...I never was scared in the rigid-with-shock-and-panic kind of way...more of a case of the heebie-jeebies...seeing a particularly malevolent sight of a clown would cause my stomach to come undone...and I will avoid anyone and everyone dressed as a clown...be it the jolly old one down the street...

People may ask...why the extreme??...Let me make it absolutely clear...that I am now all grown up...and have discarded beliefs about Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, clowns in the sewer, Mr. Sandman and all that jazz...even before I hit puberty...I am aware that there never were Santa's little helper elf that make tiny toys, and a Santa that knows if I were naughty and nice...There weren't any Tinker Bell's who was going to place a 50 cent coin under my pillow...I realized that for myself after my 2nd attempt of placing my baby tooth before going to bed...

St. Francis of Assisi once said..."No one is to be called an enemy...no one does your harm...you have no enemy except yourself."

I find that quite true...and applicable to every situation even for this...It isn't so much of a clowns' act that I fear...more of the mental image in my head that I am trying to escape from...vision of clowns that return to haunt my subconscious...that paralyzes me...of course, my imagination doesn't help...and has a tenancy to over-exaggerate...

My first encounter of this clown conundrum was thanks to Stephen King whose novel IT and the subsequent TV series about Pennywise, a sewer-dwelling, child-eating clown...It was in the early 1990s...when I have just finished the novel (I was about 9-10 years of age, I think...)...and was really excited when I saw in the newspaper that IT was to be screened on TV...the novel gave me the creeps...and being a young-blooded soul, I was eager to watch the show...and to be "pumped with the adrenaline rush"...after all, it was the first time I had permission to stay up...and, it was my first horror movie...

Nothing prepared me for the goriness of it all, though...That novel still scares the hell out of me...blardy thing...and I try to avoid it at all cost...For weeks after that, I felt the need to check under my bed before I went to sleep...look down the sink cautiously as I brush my teeth...leave the dirty dishes till the last minute...till it could wait no more...Everytime I think 'clown'...I see Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise...the sheer horror that inspired in me, even at my age now...my hair stands...

So after all this nonsensical chatter...I am sure you would be asking...what am I doing to overcome it??...well, first of all, I have just finished downloading the TV show It (1990)...*my sanity here is questionable...I won't deny it*...I am going to watch it once more...and see where and which scene exactly that hits my nerve...maybe if I know and determine where I first got scared out of my wits...I'll know that there isn't much to be fearful of in the first place...save me thousand of dollars in therapy, wouldn't you agree??...hell, now that I am seeing it with adult eyes, I might just laugh through it all!!...Note: MIGHT...

Krusty the Clown (from Simpsons) may be the ONLY clown that I can look at, without a cringe...at many times, it help tame the dark images that toys with me...for a short while...but still...

Black Sun...

What would you do, if you had a really, really bad day...and everything that you do just coincidentally goes wrong??...

a) go through a self destructive mode...splurge yourself with money that you don't have...ram your car on someone's gate...hoping that the other party will have a worse day than yours...shove all your stationery on the floor...your life is messed up...doesn't make a difference if your room should look the same...

b) shut everyone out for a while...and throw yourself a self-pity party...have some booze and potato chips...and plant yourself in front of the telly till your butt grow fungus...

c)...(I'll add when I can think of one)...

At the moment, I am doing option B (without the booze and chips...yet), while practicing self-control to resist from opting for option A...

Hope you've had a better day than mine...*sheepish grin*...

Travel : Phuket Lesson 101

When one touches down on Phuket International Airport, he would know that he will be heading for the people...people come here for two reasons :

1. the Thai girls...somehow prostitution here is legal...sadly this is where the money is for them at the moment...'tourist' will spend a month or two there...for good company...and some other things...

2. to enjoy what the beaches and the sea have to offer...beautiful corals, great ski-ing place...kayaking, canoeing among many other activities...and last but not least, a heart melting sunset...

For those opting for option #1, they are usually sun-bathing in the morning...and back in the hotel by sun down...for more intimate activities...

As for option #2, we wake up early in the morning...have a hearty breakfast, and head for the speed boat which will bring us to our destinations...

Here is Lesson 101 : Before you jump down, learn how to swim...

If you don't fancy swimming, and yet would still like to look at some corals...

Here is Lesson 101.1 for you : Before you jump down, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...or ask the locals to do so for you...

I was on my first trip to Phi Phi Island, where the activity of the day was snorkeling, swim, snorkeling...tonnes of corals to explore...and so little time...the speed boat I was in, had about 30 people in it...2 families from Hong Kong, one from Sweden, another from Australia, 2 groups from M'sia (including us) and a few singles...

Our first drop off was at Maya Bay...for snorkeling...I being too excited, I think...was the first few to jump off...goggles only, and no life jacket...(yes, I am aware of the dangers...but I wanted to touch the sea corals, and the life jacket was restricting...)...

At first, I did have some problems keeping afloat...the current was strong, and there was the sea temperature to adjust too...so I swam near to the back of the boat, where there was a rope...and I held firmly to it, while taking a breather...

When all of a sudden, there was this 300 megaton hippo grabbed me on my shoulders and pulled me under...Caught by surprise, I had a few gulps of sea water, before I struggled to reach the surface once more...I looked out for the source...and, would you believe it...one fat dude (from the Hong Kee group)...had just jumped into the water...and was also struggling to float!!..the difference was...he does not know how to swim...I understood that he was fighting for his survival...but, crap...need he hang on to a small shrimp like me??...btw, he did have a life jacket...

The local guide tried to pull him up...somehow he slipped once more...and dragged me down again...TWO-ZERO...I could not swim away in time...and besides, the under sea current was pulling me towards his direction...and yes, I had a few more gulps of sea-water...blardy hell...and this time, I wasn't in the mood to be nice...

True, it may just be my luck, that I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time...I can accept that gracefully...but what pissed me off...was the fact that when the locals got him back on the boat, he turned to the tour guide, and scolded her for life jacket malfunction!!!...I was already up on the boat, watching this scene (I quickly climbed up after him, as I was tired after the struggle)...and it was obvious that he didn't buckle the strap between his legs...which not surprisingly, didn't keep him afloat...also, erm...there wasn't any life jacket that fitted him...he was WAY too big....

Not only had he the audicity to scold the tour guide in front of us, tourists...he was so self-absorbed that he didn't apologize to me!!...and yes, I was expecting an apology...why not??...true, it was an accident...and I was an innocent bystander who got involved...but still, I would expect some courtesy...some sort of an apology for inconvenience or rather...or at least, a little concern to see if I am alright or not...

But Nooooo....he never went down...and spend the rest of the trip (till the next stop, at least)...being his egoistic self, and proclaiming to his family/friends...how he struggled...and how he nearly drowned...and no thanks to the locals for pulling him up just in time...

And with all the salt water I drank...I really wanted to puke...literally...

So, learn to swim...if not, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...its for your own safety, after all...

Travel : On things I've learned while in Phuket...

Just a few reminders for myself just so I don't repeat my mistakes :

• Shopping in Phuket isn't for the faint-hearted...Conserve your energy to barter, barter, barter...if you're not up to it (like me)...walk away...window shop, and don't hope for too much...
• Driving in Phuket or Thailand for that matter...is a dead No-No...You've got to be resolute, your senses sharpened...bold...and a jerk, at times...when it comes to confronting traffic...You can't be all four, and read the map at the same time...There are tonnes of motorcycles here...and there is no law that says you are required to wear a helmet...also, streets aren't systematic there...just as you thought you're in a one way street...you see a car heading towards you from an opposite direction...btw, the car/motorcycle that you rent there is NEVER insured...so damages are on you...
  
• Gear yourself with motion sickness pills...you'd never know when you need one...be it in one of the speed boat trips in choppy waves, or in the midst of one of the twisted roads of Phuket...or in an air-plane...it'll come in handy...if not for you...your loved one...
  
• Red flags errected in the middle of the beach = strong waves, keep away!!...
• Go for Thai massages BEFORE joining those crazy sun-stroke activities...sun-burnt skin and Thai massages are never good combination...its heart wretchingly PAINFUL!!!...man, you've got to be there to know it...
  
• When hiring a driver/taxi/Tuk-Tuk...tell them you want to see beautiful sceneries and take pictures...not go shopping...especially in destined tourist shopping centres...insist on it...
• Swiss army knifes aren't allowed on board the plane...neither are empty shell bullets-made-into-necklace...
  
• Tiger shows...are actually lady-boys display...and other sexual fancy stuff...not to be taken literally...and they are spelled as "Thai-Girl" shows...not "Ti-Ger" shows...bleh...when I heard it the first time, I thought it would be wild Bali and Caspian tigers...heesh...gave me a thrill of the moment...all for nothin'...
  
• When in doubt, its ALWAYS a dude...that is a tip for guys out there...if you happen to be checkin' out some hot babes...and you come across one, that somehow looks slightly off the page...chances are you're lookin' at a brother...though there was ONE time, when I was wrong...
• Make friends with a local...they are extremely friendly...and they will willingly help you buy the stuff that you want...at a local price too...so you don't get ripped off that much...they will also advice you on which shop to visit or not...trust the locals to know their market...
• Remove footwear, when you approach a massage parlor...or dropping by a shop...locals always close an eye when it comes to custom such as these...but I can see that they appreciate it when they sense we know our place...and keep our shoes out of their business premises...of course, this does not apply to street vendors...
• Geographically, Phuket is situated on the west side of the shore of Thailand...so the sunset rules there...don't waste time waking up early for the sunrise...you won't get any, you nimwit!!...like...DUH!!!
• When ordering food, always order ala carte...ordering singles will come to R350 Baht per person (equivalent to RM35)...while ala carte (all seafood, mind you) will only cost R130 Baht per person at maximum (RM13) after dividing the cost among friends...
  

Travel : Phuket Island I.M.Os

Ah, I've just returned from the land of the free and booze...hehe...It was a 9 days trip altogether...though tiring (I had to return to work 10 hours after touch-down)...but all worth it...I never gave a single thought about work...didn't have a care in the world if my students passed their exam or not...Now that I am back, I am back to worrying again...the obsessed person that I am...

Am not going to go through every itty gritty detail about my trip e.g how I kept getting confused about the currency exchange...so much so, the locals there gave me 'that look'...and how I could not figure out their food menu...and all that jazz...

[Note : if you aren't into long post...scroll all the way to the bottom for the 'summary'...]

Place...
I stayed in Patong Beach...one of the many beaches of Phuket...the place was obviously built for tourist...with stalls on every corner of the street...This were one of many places that were badly affected when the Tsunami of 2004 came raging towards them...5 years later (yr 2009)...the place have been rebuilt...everything has been restored and they are back in business...

The waves are simply amazing!!...unlike the weak ones found in Batu Feringghi beach in Penang, or Port Dickson in Seremban...the winds in Phuket are strong...and it is just awesome to see two waves come together to make a great splash!!!...

One thing that stood out, as I looked around the area...was the scary electrical wires that were intertwined...like a Rastafari hair-do!!...Just check it out...man, I've never seen so many wires connected to a single pole in my life...if there were an accident, and one of the electrical poles got shot-circuited *touches wood*...the whole Patong Beach would suffer a black out for sure...


Food...
Marvelous!!...what can I say...Mamak tom yam soup in M'sia taste quite bland now...not as thick and rich in texture, as the one in Thailand...not to mention its spiciness too...I would have preferred it with less salt and MSG...but ah, it will do...tonnes of food available all night long, which suits my living style...*winks*...I am a big fan of Thai food...having visit many Thai restaurant in Kuala Lumpur...so I knew my way around the food stalls here...and had a clear idea of what I wanted...and oh...the mango sticky rice!!...Can't be missed...the glutinous rice here was much sweeter...toys with my taste buds...it will be a long time before I would succumb to tasteless, watery, pathetic tom yam soups in the mamak, that's for sure...prices are quite reasonable too...as long as you stay off the main road...and order ala carte...main dishes shared among friends, and a plate of rice for yourself...saves you $, and closes friendship ties...*grin*...

People...
Quite friendly...with a ready smile at all times...and always polite...even when conversing in their language...it almost sounds like a professor lecturing you so gently it lulls you to sleep...Their English is quite limited, though...just enough to get around their business...not quite enough to spark a conversation...

Not to forget...the street vendors can be quite a shark when it comes to quoting a price, though...I saw some thongs that were quite pretty and nicely decorated...factory-made, obviously...but the cutting was neat, and it fitted me perfectly...when I asked this man, Bangladeshi if I had a guess...how much it would cost me...he quoted me R600 Baht!!!...that is equivalent to RM60 in Malaysia!!...Daylight robbery, I tell ya...why, thongs/slippers at a night market in Kuala Lumpur would cost me only RM10....So I walked away...only for that same guy, to grab me in the arm...and give me another price...R350 Baht...for the same thong, I was once so keen on...

Wrong move, buddy...haha...man, this is starting to feel like a game of chess!!...to see who gets the better of whom...I was then absolutely convinced that he saw us tourist like squealing pigs being led to the slaughter house...so I refused...for 3 reasons...One: I hate bargaining...though I'd love bargains...and no, I am not confused at all...I hate negotiation of these sort...but I love price-drop sales...Two: I felt that man has no business ethics at all...and I am turned off by that...anyone would...I mean, sure, he needed to put food on the table, but I as a customer would like to be sure I got my money worth as well...wouldn't you agree?...Three: I am no shopacholic, and I can do with/without the thongs...so that was that...

One day trips...
Visited Phi Phi islands, and James Bond island...it was rainy season, so the sun was out only in the morning...and by afternoon, cool showers followed...It went quite well...and we got it at a very good price, I think...we paid about R1000 Baht for each trip...which is equivalent to RM100 in Malaysia...there was this nice lady agent who saw to it that we were well taken care of...I could see that she didn't take advantage of us as many other agents would...a friend we got to know there, also a tourist from Japan...paid R1700 Baht for the same trip that we went...

Travelling on a speed boat was quite a pain in the arse (LITERALLY!!)...especially when the seas are quite rough, during the rainy season...I'd find myself in mid-air...close my eyes, hold my breath and embrace myself for th-....owwww, shit...my butt feels sore and numb...ah, could have been worse...thank you, God...for my tonnes of fat!!...For once, I didn't mind that I wasn't skin and bones...

And oh...to anyone who plans to go on day trips such as these...do remember to wear casual e.g, three quarter pants, shirt, swim-suit, etc...it doesn't make sense to come in a beautiful, sexy dress with exposed lingerie, thick make-up and mascara...and lingering perfume...pay R1700 Baht for trip, and not join in any of the activities...and to add insult to injury...squeal at any drop of water that hits you!!...

Another note...there is one thing that I fail to understand, nor show compassion for...is why there are some people who will complain and scream bloody Mary, whenever a slight shower befalls upon them (due to the breaking current of a wave...or someone wet passing by them...or a drizzle) while on the speedboat...and yet, when we reach one of our stop points, they will eagerly jump off the boat, into the sea...and happily bobbed around with a life jacket as the sea current brings them...I mean, when we sign up for this trip, or even in any activity near a beach, we would already expect to get wet, wouldn't we??...then why all the fuss before??...so excuse me, for sneering...and not offering a helping hand...until I can fully comprehend, only then can I sincerely sympathize and hand over my towel...otherwise, heesh...

Conclusion...
So, would I go back to Phuket again?...Yes, definitely...it ain't a shopping paradise, but that's alright...I am no shopping diva either...but yes, because I was so busy visiting that outskirt islands off shore of Phuket, I forgot to visit Phuket itself!!...so I missed Karon beach, Kata Beach, Phuket town...well, not really...I used my last day to drive through all of them...and spent 30 minutes in each place...but that is hardly sufficient...

Scenery was beautiful and breath taking...though it was cloudy, so we couldn't see any sunset...wasn't good time for the camera...can't imagine how it would look like on a good weather!!...plus...the cost is cheap...provided you stay off the tourist shopping area...back-pack and stay in budget hotels...my stay only cost me RM35 per night...comfortable bed, and good service!!...

Motto for new music graduants...

A couple of months late : pay attention and learn from my mistakes...I've broken nearly all of the following...*sheepish grin*...So I'd thought I could save you guys the trouble...this applies to students of any music profession...

• If you're going to be stupid, you've got to be tough (TM)...Happens to everybody, I'm sure...its just that people like me would need more "stupid-time" than others...
• Don't lie...to anyone...even to your students...kids these days are smart as hell...and they can smell your 'poo' a mile away...
• Be nice as you can...If you can't be nice, be silent...If you can't be silent, walk away for a while and count to ten...Never switch to strangle mode...After a tiring 12 hour work shift, 6 days a week...all you have left is your auto-pilot and your self-control...Doesn't pay to lose either one.
  
• Always answer your phone...you will never know that a very much needed gig is just a pick-up call away...though I must urge you to put your foot down, should you find clients/students calling you at 12am "just to chat"!!...
• Don't take criticism personally...if you must, step aside and do an honest self-evaluation of yourself...some critics does hold water...others, are just plain words from brainless morons who can't back up their statements...
• NEVER ASSUME!!!!...
• Don't assume that just because you've explained something, that the other party understands...Don't assume that just because you've said something several times, the other party remembers...Chances are, they will conveniently forget, so you will have to explain again...
• If you have trouble with with your student/client/projects...don't give up...Keep trying...the breakthrough will come, but you have to keep trying...
• Start planning when to take leave at the beginning of the year...or you never will...
• Fake it till you can make it...you can't put off not talking to parents, apologizing for errors, PERFORMING on stage..."Being fearful" is gonna be a helluva lifelong recurring theme...[Note : I learnt this from my dad..]
  
• Appreciate your fellow colleagues and college friends, they are your lifeline, music support, last minute band on call, food delivery, complaining partners and counselors...And they are the ONLY people who will know EXACTLY how you feel because they're going through it too...
• Lastly, enjoy a great time ahead!!...Nothing beats the thought of one having the privilege to make music everyday...learn music everyday...and work with music everyday!!...

Ah...such bliss...yet so much heartache...

Anti-Protonians vs Not-so-pro Protonians...

So, my 1982 1.6 Toyota Corona have been giving me problems of late...the engine crankshaft has taken its toll, it being subjected to various forces...car bearings are bald, thanks to the lack of periodic maintenance...timing belt needed changing...well, to be honest, I have been talking about giving my buddy an overhaul...but have been postponing it due to financial constraint...and the fact that I couldn't afford to spare my car for a week long...

[Note : I have just sent my car to overhaul a few days back...so now I am currently transport-less...and having my favourite Walrus to drive me around...*grin*...]

Anyhow, my dad and I have been discussing about the idea of purchasing a new car since April '09...my maroon red buddy wasn't exactly fuel economical in anyway...plus, it was due time that I passed this 3-generation buddy on to my brother for his usage...and I, having a salary should start investing on assets such as these...(A house is next on the list, but that will have to wait for now...Banks won't approve my loan based on my current salary, that's for sure)...

Being a new graduate with a meagre salary, I didn't give much thought on Toyota and Honda cars, as they were very much out of my price range, and I would have to slog hard, just to keep up with interest alone...(Bank interest rate is 3.65% flat for local cars...I am not so sure about foreign cars now...)...

So I had no choice but to toy with local made cars such as Proton and Perodua, which was more affordable...there wasn't much...a 1000cc Kenari/Viva, 1.3cc Myvi/Saga and a 1.6cc Persona...all ranging from RM41k-55k...

After all these years of being away from my family, and being financially independant...one would have taught that I would be strong enough to sort out and make big decisions...this car hunting season showed the other part of me...

I did have my eye on a 1.3 Proton Saga which was the cheapest of the car listed...No, I am not at all a Proton fan...nor am I for 'Support Local Made Goods' campaign...Proton as a company suffered badly throughout all these years, thanks to bad management and corruption...but, I...being a first time purchasee, wasn't looking for anything show-off-ish, nor sporty...YET...just something reasonably priced...and most importantly, with boot space...

My parents weren't too keen on the idea of me purchasing a Proton car...they think that the quality may not suffice, and I will have loads of problem with customer services...and car maintenance in near future...yeah, we blardy anti-Protonians...but if I were to scrap out the idea of buying Proton cars, I am stuck with Perodua Viva or Myvi...which both comes WITHOUT much boot space...

Why am I so particular about boot space, you may ask...just in case you didn't know...my Toyota Corona 1.6 is a large and conservative rectangular box...a comfortable saloon car of the 1980s...it holds a little more than 504litres in boot space alone...and that is where I have been keeping boxes of music books, my violin...and spare clothes to change...yea, there was a time when I literally lived in that car...

Plus the fact that I am used to driving a big car with large space...hence, Perodua Viva (the smallest car of the lot) was definitely out of the picture...I had considered Perodua MyVi (should I have chosen it, it would have been deep blue in colour)...but it was such a common car...common not in terms of the design...but the fact that almost EVERYONE owns a MyVi...I look outside my window...and chances are...I will see a MyVi pass by me, every 5 seconds...and that has been giving me nightmares of late...

So, I went to check out the Proton Saga 1.3 that has been launched a few years back...and I could not have been more disappointed...the design of the interior of the car, looked so cheap...and plastic...that I discarded this choice completely...I even refused to give it a test-drive...the allocated space was fine...bearable in the least...but all those thinsy whimpsy buttons looked like they came from a toy keyboard or something!!...so that was that...Proton Saga...scrapped off my list...

Proton Persona was next...while it wasn't the greatest design available...but it had sufficient boot space, and I didn't mind taking it out for a test drive...it was slightly cheaper than the Perodua MyVi...and since I was not crazy of those two options...I thought I'd might as well look for something that I could get my money's worth...besides, Persona had a 1.6cc engine, whereas MyVi had a 1.3cc...I gave it a test drive...performance was rather sluggish, for a 1.6cc engine with an auto gear box...especially when I was testing the highest class of the Personas...maybe the manual transmission would give a better performance...Well, that...I will never know...as Protons do not allow test driving for manual cars...

So, Proton Persona was my best bet...now, came the tough task...convincing my anti-Protonian parents to allow me to purchase a Proton...and to get my dad to become my guarantor...that latter task was pretty simple...it was the first one, that is gigantic...

Wasn't looking forward to that confrontation, though...I don't like unpleasant situations especially within my family...and while I know that my parents are more than willing to listen to my two cents worth...the idea of not agreeing with them give me knots in my stomach...it depresses me...have you ever felt that before??...I feel like a kid once more...wanting to gain my parents' approval...

Anyway, to date...the situation has been solved...but not the way I thought it would be...*grin*...

But that will have to wait...need to catch up on my ZZZZzzzz first...Part II coming up!!...

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Its now closing down to the 56th second of 34 minutes past 12am of 7th August 2009...As we all very well know...the time and date will be 12:34:56 7/8/9...a significant moment in history...one that we should celebrate with our friends over a drink at mamak's...do a count-down...hold a costume party...join a strip club...something memorable and exciting...as this line of numbers would never come to pass again....

And I am now...

- doing facial...a disgusting brown-mud mask...
- clipping my toe-nails...
- watching a newly downloaded "Once Upon A Time in China" starring Jet Li...
- applying moisture on my already cracked heels...

- debating if it is worth risking a cavity, should I decide to skip flossing tonight...lazy bone attack around the corner...

The list above are my "something memorable(s)"...amazingly exciting, isn't it???

Now, what are yours?...*grin*...

[Updated as of 12:29pm of 7/8/09]

Note : It has been brought to my attention, that 12:34:56 should be read as 12:34pm and 56 seconds...and not 12:34AM, as it would be read as 0034 in the 24 hour time system...oops...sorry, my mistake...

Hence, my 'memorable(s)' would be...

- laying on the bed, with the air-con switched on and my comforter wrapped around my legs...The Simpsons on the computer screen...and me having a good laugh...
- delaying my trip to the gym...
- Analyzing my breath...it stinks...must be all the garlic in the Tom Yam seafood noodle that I just had for breakfast...*makes mental note to gargle in mouth rinse for 15 minutes later*...

Toodles!!...*grin*...

p/s : Just in case you're wondering...I did floss after all...as lazy as I was...force of habit...so...no, I won't have to visit the dentist anytime soon...thank goodness!!!...

For the Love of A Bikini/Swimsuit....and Being overweight...

Holidays are approaching (Thank God!!)...my work load doesn't seem so dull and heavy anymore...in less than 2 weeks, I will be on my way to Phuket Island along with a couple of my friends...all sunshine rays, salty water waves, gentle breeze...and a cup of Pina Colada!!...*grin*...

I've been thinking if I should get myself a new swimsuit, as mine is quite worn-out....dust-mites got to it earlier than I did...and like most women of the 21st century, I am slightly cautious (not to the point of paranoia...YET), about how I look...especially in tight fitting clothes...(the UN-fashionable person that I am)...so yes, I am more than aware of my little love handles, thunder thighs and spots of cellulite coming along the way...

I myself have been victim of cruel and insensitive statements of how much weight I've gained and all that jazz...for starters, I have accepted the fact that I am no longer a teenager, hence...my metabolic rate has slowed down very much...unfortunately, my appetite needs retuning, and some readjusting...that has not worked out to my favour...and I have yet to convince myself it is worth the trouble...hence, my additional weight...and oh yes, I don't exercise all that regularly anymore...

Having said that, its only 4 kgs from my teenage weight till now...as far as I am concern, no big deal...but to the eyes of public, I have ballooned to a size of a whale...

All these talk about "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me"...are loads of bull, I think...well, unless one is emotionally castrated, I don't see how that can happen...As I am neither skin and bones, nor fat...I am just being teased for being 'fleshy'...that is enough for me to stop at my feet...and feel SLIGHTLY pinched...yea, call me sensitive...

I can only imagine how overweight people must feel...with all the pressure around them to be thin, I am sure they are exposed to 24 hours taunting and riducule...I say 24 hours, cz when they out for a stroll, or window shopping...they see all these sexy manequins dressed in tight fitting clothes, drawing attention to their thin bony legs and 18-inch waist...only to be reminded why they should never dream of owning such clothes...

And don't anyone dare tell me, that it is up to these overweight people to be mentally strong, and be confident...while committing themselves to exercising and diet programs...if there are any with such high self esteem, they are a rare breed...if not, beauty saloons would have been out of business and closed down...

So, it really bugged me today...when I came across a post from a blog (I can't remember it now)...that had a picture of a big sized lady, in a bikini suit...and the post-er commenting on it...somewhere along the line of...and I quote..."please-i just ate----BARFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, in my own opinion (I tell myself this all the time...but my heart needs more convincing)...that as long as one feels comfortable in what he/she is wearing...that is most important...if I don't agree with one's sense of dressing (lacking cloth, etc), unless one is my friend, I will most probably keep numb, and shut it...

Now, I really don't care what people thinks about overweight people wearing bikinis...but some comments that I've read online concerning this issue was really inconsiderate...take this few for example...

• "I guess they have no concept (or no mirror!) of how they appear to others."
• "However, most fat women will live out most of their sexual lives never getting laid, only giving head to guys drunk enough not to notice."
• "She's unattractive and unattractive people get judged"
• "These people (overweight people) needs to be ridiculed if society deems them unfitting"
• "Fat people deserved to be ridiculed, though"
• "Fat people do need to be ridiculed for their own sake."
• "I believe they're (overweight people) trying to test our "gag" factor."

THESE-PEOPLE-DISGUST-ME...

Come on...do you not think that these people are already self-conscious one way or another?...Everyone struggles with one common issue...the need to accept and love one-self...do you think any of these comments help their self esteem at all?...I can't imagine the confidence they have to speak to themselves, when they look into a mirror...If they read through those comments, it could really break their spirits...While I would definitely suggest a healthier life-style, calling them a beached whale is just...plain rude...Everyone is beautiful in their own way, and as long as they are covered up enough, I'd say; let them do what they want...Ah, well...what can I say...if these people (bad mouths with an attitude) finds in necessary to make rude statements about other people, just so that it makes them feel better about themselves...so be it...I just needed to get vent it out here because I know the hurt...I've tasted it before...and it bites...hard...

On a comforting thought, though...Overweight issues can be handled, though it may not be easy...A nincompoop with a bird brain and bad attitude...that takes a miracle...

Still Hangin'...

Going through some major changes in my life...exciting, yet scary...will post about it soonest possible...*grin*...

The Malaysian Circus is now showing!!!...

So, hang on a minute....regarding my previous post...

the Malaysia Education policy goes as such..

• starting from year 2012, students who are studying primary Year 1 and 4, secondary Year 1 and 4...are required to study their Science and Maths subject in Bahasa Malaysia...those in vernacular schools are required to take theirs in their own mother tongue...

• BUT when it comes to the highest level, secondary Year 6 (or Form 6 as we know it)...and having to sit in one of the toughest exam (STPM) that determines our fate in public universities...we have got to revert back to Science and Maths in English...as that policy has not changed...
  

In conclusion...our future primary Year 1 and 4, secondary Year 1 and 4 would have to go through English education for another 2 years (2010-2012)...under the care of 'mad' teachers...having to take intensive English tuition classes to help cope with their studies...only to go through another bout of intensive Bahasa Malaysia tuition classes in year 2012 to adjust to the change that our clowns in the parliament chose to implement...

And those who are nearing secondary Year 6, would have to endure the painful switch once more to Science and Maths in English...while having to cram in 3 modules of Chemistry, Biology, etc...excruciating activities, tuition...all in a span of 18 months...

Those in secondary Year 4, would be able to adapt quite well, as they have to endure only 2 years of Science and Maths in Bahasa Malaysia, before returning to English...but man, my hearts go out to the primary Year 1 and 4 students...

The change of policy was made when apparently there was quite a number of people who requested it, so that the exam statistics would not look all that bad...and their child need not suffer countless hours of candle burning...well, now I'd like to see how they will endure Form 6...or A Levels for that matter!!...

Michael Jackson, IMO

The news that caught the world off guard...

The passing of Michael Jackson...I know I have mentioned about him a few post earlier...at that time, I was not really able to find words that really mirror my thoughts...

Being born in the early 1980s, I will admit that my knowledge of MJ's history is kinda sparse...why, he was touring in Japan when I was just born!!...All I knew about him even till now, are mainly the controversies that engulfed him these recent years...But I must say, though... the proximity of the man portrayed in by media and paparazzi vs the man that touched and changed the lives of millions was, in my opinion...is a little more than disturbing...Those two didn't quite match up and I thought that there could be a missing link...

Michael Jackson didn't become the Michael Jackson we know today, overnight...He was, in truth, what we made him to be...With each performance, each hug, each smile, and each scandal we were taking a part of him to sustain our enormous appetite...He was undeniably a man with an amazing talent, and he was, the superlative musical performer of our era...I am sure most of you would agree...The more he was denied a "normal" existence that we all very well know...the more he turned to his monumental talent to preserve and keep him going...

From the few videos I have seen of him of late...(and yes, I am outdated, I'll admit to that), the way his face would light up when he saw a fan was remarkable, and he always seemed to be very considerate and very generous with his time...He was a man that understood and knew he had the power to change lives and he desired to share this gift with as many people as possible...

While this is often what we expect of those who are extraordinarily talented, many individuals of various stripes fall prey to their narcissistic side that comes with such fame and flattery...while some of this was inevitable with Michael Jackson as well, through his videos and concerts (though I have not watched him performed live)...I observed that he still continued to share himself and his gift with the world in a very selfless manner...He always came off as gentle hearted and generous, going out of his way to be courteous to his fans, often talking with them or giving them hugs when most people in his position would have had them snubbed off and whisked away...

I am not vindicating his personal behavior...He may have caused harm on a number of children, which, if it is true, is completely inexcusable...But I feel that we have to somewhat recognize that we all share certain responsibility for each of those acts...While he may have also had an abusive father and an almost non-existant childhood, we all denied him the chance for human growth in a way that would realigned even the most balanced of individuals...Michael Jackson was clearly a lonely man in pain, and we all share a responsibility for much of that...While the admiration of his millions of fans may have in some way sustained him, this dynamic was only symptomatic of the loneliness and isolation he was forced into...Michael Jackson lived for the adulation of his fans because we witheld him the hope of anything else...We almost categorically denied him the possibility of real and meaningful human connection...Like Janet Jackson has said, to everyone, he would always be Michael Jackson: dancer, singer, icon...but it is only to his family and closest friend, that he was a known as a daddy, a brother and a great friend...He became an image, he became an idea, he became a victim of his gift and genius because we wouldn't permit him to be anything else...We all wanted and demanded more Michael Jackson and he caved into it...

But beneath this image was a human being that yearns to belong...In giving us what we all desired, he was going further and further away from himself, something all us fans seemed unwilling or unable to recognize...And when we finally had a glimpse of the man beneath that mask, it alarmed us that this man was a very lonely and distraught human being, as if he could have become anything else under these circumstances...We screamed for more Michael Jackson (greater moonwalks and anti-gravity steps, pumping grooves, slick dance moves, etc), and while we did get more of him, we also got Michael Joseph Jackson...one which we didn't take the time to understand...And it scared us...And instead of reaching out to the man who first shared his gift with us...we ridiculed him, put him in tabloids, and causing him to become even more reclusive than before...

He lived for us, and once we discarded him for what we had made him, he was understandably broken, lonely, and lost...While he may or may not have engaged in inappropriate behavior with children, in some ways it is understandable that he turned to the friendly company of children because they were most probably the only people he could turn to who would have no ulterior motive...trying to rip some benefit from their relationship, to use his extraordinary talent for their personal gain...Children may be the only ones that could enjoy Michael Joseph Jackson, whereas we were always asking for more of Michael Jackson the performer and artist...

We collectively have become his surrogate parent...and MJ a perpetual child, constantly seeking our approval...He worked tirelessly to earn this approval...when we finally withheld it, not surprisingly, he was alarmed and hurt...

As his physical ailments robbed him of his performance abilities, he became, a man who regularly endured an extraordinary amount of physical, emotional and mental anguish...I think anyone else would have long perished under such circumstances....but not Michael Joseph Jackson...Stripped of the talent that had long sustained him, he turned to prescription drugs and painkillers, and to what little sanctuary he found in the privacy of his own home...

The demise of Michael Jackson seems to have been, in some ways, unavoidable...There is a saying..."The candle that burns brightest also burns fastest"...and Michael Jackson's light was blindingly bright, much to the benefit of us all...But as we stoked the flames and the light burned brighter it inevitably burn out...when the flame was finally extinguished, and the candle ran out, we are left with no one else to blame but ourselves...

I believe that Michael Joseph Jackson was not only a singular, once-in-a-century musical artist and performer, but he was also a sincere and kindhearted being...His greatest flaw (or is it even a flaw??) was that he expected of us what he gave in return...We forced him to create and live in a pseudo-reality that facilitated the offering of his amazing talent and gifts to us, and when he tried share himself with us, he was laughed at and mercilessly criticized and ridiculed...We asked him to live in the funhouse, and when he asked us to join him we scoffed and threw stones through the windows...

Michael Jackson should be remembered first and foremost for the way he changed the lives of millions of people...It will likely be a long time, if ever, before we see another musical performer with the incredible gifts and generosity that he possessed...We made him to appear super-human, and in many ways it seems like he was, but reality bites that he was just as human and just as frail and prone to mistakes as we all are...We were given the gift of this extraordinary man, and thus began the rise and fall, the slow and inevitable erosion, of Michael Jackson...The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, and so it goes...

Rest in Peace, Michael Joseph Jackson...

Have you seen my Childhood?

I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities...
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me...

People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things...
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?

People say I'm strange that way
'Cause I love such elementary things,
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
The dreams I would dare, watch me fly...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I've had

Have you seen my Childhood....

- Childhood by Michael Jackson...

Doing the Limbo...

Neil Armstrong phrase following his historical lunar landing "A Small Step for Man...larger step for Mankind"....

Well, after all the big mess, debates, sneering and polls about the decision of scrapping the idea of teaching Science and Maths in English...our Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) have certainly taken us 30 years backwards this afternoon...

So yes, those schools in urban areas can breathe easily...Chinese and Tamil medium schools can walk the corridors smiling and stressed free...now that DPM has reversed our policies after almost 6 years of implementing and emphasizing Science and Maths in English...

This is a nightmare...one that does not go away when the alarm clock is cranked up...one that will further compromise the future of our generation...

In a perfect world, students would be learning all subjects in the best language for them individually, and also learning Malay and English perfectly fine regardless...But there is no such thing as a perfect world...so we can only imagine what is best in the interest of our students, we would have a CONSISTENT policy and competent teachers able to implement this policy...

This being my country Malaysia, and our politics being nincompoop clown performers, what we got was a silly compromise that made nobody very happy, and a paralyzed bureaucracy uninterested in making this policy work...One of the most telling an article (which I have yet to link...can't find it at the moment), which shows only 20% and 10% of secondary and primary school science and maths teachers respectively scored 67 or higher on an evaluation of their English proficiency...

So, it goes to show that their 6 year policy (year 2003-2009) of Science and Maths in English failed...on the other hands, 6 years is barely enough to move mountains...but our DPM decided to steer the wheel the other direction and try a different approach to enhance English learning: English literature will be reintroduced as a subject, along with grammar and composition...(I wonder if that is a misquote by The Star, because that would make a total of four subjects for the English language alone.)...The Minister also said that they would rehire retirees and foreigners if necessary to supply more English teachers...

Maybe teaching science and maths in English is a fatally flawed idea, but we have no way of telling that from this six-year experiment, because the government so thoroughly messed up its implementation!!...(There is also the counter-argument that teaching these subjects in English worked perfectly fine for thousands of schoolkids before we switched to Malay as the national medium of instruction in the 1970s...)...Yes, we have been transiting from Malay to English language for a couple of times now...and still no progress...

So we had a whole generation of students undergoing this massive change, all for nothing...And now we will have another generation of pain as thousands of kids get stuck in educational limbo while the government phases out this failure of a policy...

All this was completely unnecessary...The government could have at least tried to make ETeMS ( English for Teaching Mathematics and Science) policy a success by not virtually sabotaging it, but they did not...they could have increased the allocation of time to English, refocus the curriculum, and hired professional English teachers six years ago, but they did not...

More importantly, the transition to teaching science and maths in English 6 years ago, would have been successful if only they had been patient and first prepared the teachers to use English in the classroom...But they did not...

In short, we spent six years spinning our wheels doing absolutely balls, and we have nothing to show for it...I feel infuriated...I was a victim of this non-policy (I completed my studies in Malay...didn't do all that well, due to rebellion of having to translate all my subjects to English for my understanding)...but to see our future generation going through this limbo game as well...infuriates me all the more...

The Funnies...

Gosh, this brings back my good old teenage days...TOTALLY!!!...*grin*
Have a great week ahead!!...