Parents teach...children learns...

LEGAL DISCLAIMER : The post below are just meant for laughs...it doesn't represent my parents in any way...I don't think my parents will hang me for putting this up...if I'm lucky, they'll get a good laugh out of it...if not, God have mercy...

1. Parents teach their children RELIGION .
“You better pray that my car can be fixed or else someone's gonna get hurt real bad...”...I jammed my dad's car into a side wall...back seat doors was crushed as a result...

2. Parents teach their children LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that’s why...”

3. Parents teach MORE LOGIC...
"I've had eaten more salt than you've eaten rice, how dare you question me??!!"...a Chinese saying which means that the parent have had more life experiences than the child, and we should always trust without question whatever they say/do...that's a tyrannic act, I'd think...

4. Parents teach their children FORESIGHT.
“Make sure you gotta 'blueprint' of what you're planning to study...where your funds come from?...what are you going to do after your degree?...how long will it take??...etc, etc"...when I was a fresh naive 17 year old, give me a break, will ya!!!...jeez, at that time, the only source of funds I knew was from my PapaMama foundation...

5. Parents teach their children IRONY.
“Keep crying, gal and I’ll give you something more to cry about...you see this cane??”

6. Parents teach their children about the science of OSMOSIS .
“Don't talk with your mouth full and eat your supper.”

7. Parents teach their children about CONTORTIONIST.
“Will you look at that stain on your t-shirt??...I just bleached it yesterday...”

8. Parents teach their children about STAMINA and CONCENTRATION...
“Don't even think of movin' from your chair til' you've finished those veggies and your rice...”

9. Parents teach their children about WEATHER .
“This room of yours looks as if a lightning storm, blizzard, flood, and tornado went through it...all at the same time!!!...”

10 Parents teach their children about HYPOCRISY .
“If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. And don’t exaggerate!”

11. Parents teach their children about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION .
“Man, now you're starting to sound and act like your father/mother!!”

12. Parents teach their childrenabout ENVY.
“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who can't afford a decent meal at home...now eat your Maggi mee...”

13. Parents teach their children about ANTICIPATION.
“Just you wait until we get home...you're gonna get the best thrashing you've ever had..”

14. Parents teach their children about RECEIVING .
“You are going to get it from me when you get home...just you wait...(refer to Nu. 13)..."

15. Parents teach their children GENETICS.
“You got that crooked nose from your father...your drama skills from your grandmother...sadly, you didn't get inherit any bargaining skills from your mother...”

16. Parents teach their children WISDOM.
“It's too complicated to explain to you now...When you get to be my age, you’ll understand...”

17. Parents teach their children about JUSTICE .
“One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out to be a pain just like you..."

Bidding Adieu to a brutal year of 2009...

I’m speaking only for myself here...of course, I am sure that there is at least 1 among the 6 billion people in this planet that may feel the same as I...

Professionally and personally, 2009 was one tough slog...of course, it was all part and parcel of growing up, I guess...been tested by fire, to see how long I could withstand...tested by the strong winds, to see if I could stand on my ground...melo-dramatic disasters that threatens to reveal my vulnerabilities and true-self...the soft-shelled crap that I am...

I’ve never been one to look back and re-hash all the shouldave dones, couldave dones, and wouldave dones...I mean, what’s the point in that?...Sure, there are regrets to live by...harsh decisions and consequences...but I'd take those anytime...rather than choosing to live on safe/hibernation mode...where all the grass is green, and the people grow wings, giving each other foot massages...I would thrive on adventure, and the dangers it has to offer...it keeps me on my toes...and it toughens me up...

For me, being an adult has changed my perspective in many things...one has so many commitments that he/she has to re-think his/her priorities...I for one, had to decide that some things can stay, others can wait...I can remember how annoying I was when I was a kid, insisting on things I knew I couldn't have...squeezing all the innocence out of me to manipulate my mum into giving in...I failed at most times, of course...Gawd, no wonder my mum had grey hair in her 20s!!...It was me!!!...

I've also learn to step with caution wherever I go...luckily for me, my conscience constantly reminds me that mama and papa isn't around to clean up my mess...so I'd better not mess up...one wrong step, and your shoe is covered with dung...sure, Dettol and soap always does the trick...but the stink always stays longer than it should...and good luck gettin' rid of that one!!...So far, no major disaster there...*touchwood*...

Bills and warning letters taught me how difficult it is for money to come by...I have made several investments in things worth while...(am paying in installment to my current official banker - my dad)...and it seems that I have not much savings after all...after I have deducted my monthly insurance, petrol, toll, gym fees, house rental, groceries, piano and wat-nots...I may have to re-work my savings scheme...I don't have any at the moment...will have to take note of that next year...

Have rekindled some old friendships...I used to feel guilty for not keeping in touch with friends...partially, I am always caught up with work...and as for my free time (which is quite rare), I chose to sleep in, and catch up with my ZZZZzzzzzz...but sure, that ain't an excuse...I've looked up some of my childhood friends...hopefully I'll do more of that next year...

If you asked my mum, she would tell you that I was never one with a business mind...my intentions still pure and true...in fact, I have given many of my music students extra hours outside of their lesson...without pay...UNTIL, I noticed that many parents never reciprocate...in fact, they start demanding for more!!...So, with a heavy heart...I had to put my foot down and turn some students away...I have lost students in that manner...but I guess on the long run, its only for the best...

Well, this is an overall review of my life spent over year 2009...I do hope things were better for you than it was for me...a tumultuous year, that's for sure...but with no regrets...I feel more prepared with what year 2010 has to offer...and hopefully I would have a much clearer head and make wise decisions...instead of many slips of this year...*grin*...

Have a great year ahead!!...

One to two months wait, madam...

So, the four working days have passed...and still no sign of cash return in sight...I checked my account yesterday...I even went to Public Bank (PB), where my ATM card was issued to enquire about it...

Told my sob story to Miss X...she was fortunately more sympathetic than the guard standing in the corner, but never mind...asked me to fill up the complaint form...sat down and explained the procedures for situations such as this...

By the way, my bank account was started back in my hometown in Ipoh, 270km from where I am now...

1. PB from Kuala Lumpur (KL), where I filed a complaint will fax my appeal to PB in Ipoh. (I was no idea that I had to transfer my bank account to Kuala Lumpur where I am staying now)
2. PB from Ipoh will check their systems and fax my appeal back to the PB Headquarters which is situated in KL.
3. PB Headquarters will then check THEIR systems, and fax my appeal back to PB Ipoh with a confirmation if my appeal was legal/not.
4. PB Ipoh will then fax letter of approval/not to PB KL, which PB KL in return will get in touch with me...

So, my appeal/complaint will be wired as such...

Lessajinomoto --> KL --> Ipoh --> KL --> Ipoh --> KL --> Lessajinomoto

And the whole process will be "one to two months wait, madam"...Oh, if only I can last that long...I pray I can last that long...my cash flow is drying up, and I have none to spare for the rainy season...

Talk about Luck!!...

An ode to 1st December 2009

Twas the week after Thanksgiving, I headed out for lunch.
My tummy was growling, mouth watering, so I set off for something to much.
Dried from cash, I stopped by an ATM machine,
It took so blardy long to register, I wanted to dose it with benzene,
There I typed my amount, A thousand Ringgit plus hundreds more,
Waited for another 5 minutes, my blood did boil, my legs were sore,
The ATM finally cracked into life *woohoo!!*, I hear yummy cash a-flippin' inside,
Lifted up a prayer of thanks only to find nothing comin' from its mouth open wide,
I waited a little longer, hoping that it was a mistake,
But an ink-less receipt shot out, stating that the money I did take...

A thousand Ringgit plus hundreds more,
May not seem much but keeps my month ashore,
Pay my rent, my petrol, my toll, my bills,
my food, my groceries, my gym, my ills.
I checked the other machines to confirm this nightmare
Praying that it was just another prank-ly scare
I dialed 1300-xxx-xxx with my heart in my mouth,
straining to listen for instructions, while my brain has gone south
Was told to wait for two hours before filing a report,
I gave her a little piece of my mind and many other sorts.

I went to the nearest CIMB bank to make my claim,
Vowing that if I don't get my money back, their good name I'll gladly defame
True that one may say that things like these do happen once in a while
But I having to suffer the consequences of their neglect just ain't my style
I filled in the form, details, trace number and all,
The counter lady flashed her Colgate Ad smile sayin, "It'll be FOUR workin' days before they call.
So that leaves me completely broke for one whole week,
with so many bills to settle my following days does look quite bleak,
Sat quietly at home, I did, not daring to move so much as an inch
I thought, If it was just a prank act, I'd let him/her go with just a pinch

Well, you'd thought that as long as one has credit cards, one will survive
I thought that too, till I reached the KFC drive,
"I'm sorry, mam but your credit card didn't get through", said the lad
Asking me to pay in cash, cash which I wish I have had
Having no choice but to call my personal hotline,
Rang my dad for help, I did...how many hundreds? I asked for nine (for the 'just in case's)

Returned back home, with no mood for food,
Marching towards my laptop, I wondered if this was only the prelude
My wonders were confirmed when my Firefox came crashing down
Some email replies unsaved, my face was slightly more than a frown
Several more tries and yet the same thing
Obvious isn't it, my luck is draining...

I clocked in my washing machine only to watch it go belly-up
Looks like I'll have to hand-wash, especially my skirt soiled with tomato ketchup
An order I made for a rubber stamp, simple as it may seem,
Upon my reaching the shop, a mistake I spotted and I released some steam
A positive point was that I was allowed for a carpet exchange, (the carpet I purchased didn't match my theme)
but seeing how my luck goes, I am not surprise if it catches fire first and goes up in flames...

And no, things didn't improve then...I refuse to dwell on them longer than I should...
It is times like these that makes me wonder...WHY ME???...
But then again...why NOT me???...

Bad Google...

Check out what comes on the screen when you type LESSAJINOMOTO on Google to look up...*not that anyone will bother, I know...I don't know why I did it myself...complete waste of data transfer and virtual space..*

Random Logics of A Perfect Mis-fit...cum Insomiac

I had "mothball-ed" Milo with milk, because of that...there are easier ways to die... ....*will update the next time*...
Posted by Lessajinomoto @ 12:56 PM ...
mislaidthoughts.blogspot.com/ - Cached - Similar

and this...

Random Logics of A Perfect Mis-fit...cum Insomiac: September 2008
...have asked Santa Clause for a bottle of acid cyanide this Christmas and just spare me the misery. ...
Posted by Lessajinomoto @ 12:06 PM 0 tonality(ies) ....
mislaidthoughts.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html - Similar

Of all sentences that Google chooses to pick from my post...they just made me look like a walking disaster laced with unstable physiological tendencies... BAH!!...

Can you imagine the look on my mum's face if she sees this...I imagine her rolling her eyes...giving the well-known "THAT'S my daughter, the idiot" look...

Random Updates...

Jeez...its almost one month since I've updated this blog...its been lacking so much attention, I think it needs an overhaul...hmmm...will get to it soon...

Anyway, just mere updates since I've abandoned this blog till now...I'll write about them in detail soon, and try to link them up as well...

• my cousin Jo has left for Japan to be with her husband who is studying there...I spent my short Raya holidays with her...doing lots of catching up...and just bonding...it will be a long time before I see her again...
• in the process of setting up my personal music studio...A simpleton like me, never knew how much work it required...sorting out my finance, renting a house, furniture shopping, house designing...good, its keeps me real busy and occupied...
• learned a lot about the bits and pieces about house renting...I've never really rented a house before...always been renting rooms and bunking with my friends...it was quite a hassle...while it did make me feel more "adult"-ish, I was relieved and happy that its over and done with...
• I AM FINALLY INSURED!!!!...Life, Clinical Illness, Personal Accident...the whole hullabaloo...Man, the first time I invest in something, which I can never see a return...ah, well...the beneficiary will benefit from it of course...I'll be too dead underground to enjoy it by then!!...
• written my first cheque...well, second actually...but it was the first time I've written a cheque for such a large sum, my hand was literally shaking!!!...Shaking because I am afraid I may make mistakes...which if I do, I'd have to cancel it off and start a new cheque...that cost me 35 cents...yeah, so I am a cheap-skate...I never claimed I wasn't...but hey, if you don't earn that much, don't have savings that much, and having other commitments...writing a cheque for an amount close to RM5000, you'd be scared too...
• arranged two songs for the concert that I am preparing my students for...its been playing in my mind for three months now...I finally got my arse down, and wrote down the score to its details...hehe, am quite satisfied with it, actually...surprised too...I have great love for counterpoints, and listening to my friends (colleagues) play my arrangement was fulfilling...ah, well...bits and pieces of mistakes, of course...but who cares??...its done!!!...
• went shopping...literally...it may mean nothing to you, but if you know me well enough, you'll know that I'd rather get swine flu than shop...I hate all the walking around, and the little indecisiveness in me...but just a few days ago, I shopped like crazy...had to get all the necessities for the house that I am renting...gosh, I've used my credit card so many times, I lost count!!...that too...has never happened before...
• decided to delay my car purchase...I figured...with my music studio up and coming, I'd rather place my investment there instead of paying for something that I want, but do not need...besides, my beloved Toyota has just got an overhaul, and its now a beauty...ride is comfortable, suspension was perfect, and all that jazz...hehe...sorry, bro!!...I knew you had high hopes getting my car...*grin*...I think I will need it a little longer...half a year more...or maybe longer...hehe...keep your fingers crossed!!...
• learned that my dad speaks dual messages...he is helping me out financially with my studio...backing me till I can stand on my own feet...so he says, "Girl, there are many things you can't rush...you've got to let time tell...now, we take it one step at a time"...when I was thinking about the studio, and how it should go...and in that SAME line, he will add..."Girl, you'd better get things going...the minute we've rented the house, the expense starts rolling...time lost is money gone"...??????...*roll eyes*...you've got to excuse me...its my first time thinking in business language...and man, have I got tonnes to learn!!...
• am in the process of planning a small recital for myself...sort of like a self-promotion...I'd thought it would be a good idea, since it will keep me on my toes musically...and it will be a step closer to getting rid of stage-fright...am also thinking of inviting my students to play along with me...will sleep on it tonight...
• *sigh*...Malaysia is so screwed up politically, it has left me dry and devoid of all hope...so if you happen to find that I don't write nor comment on some issues about Malaysia...you'll know why...besides, I think its time I write about something positive that I feel about my country...but at the moment, besides the vast variety of food and culture...there is nothing to hope for as yet...

well, that's all I can remember for now...I won't have an internet line so soon, now that I've shifting...hehe...lets see if I can live through that!!...*grin*...

123456789

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!!!...

Twenty Fives...

I am not able to think in paragraphs at the moment...Engine stalled...and my brain modem is hanged...trying to reboot...meanwhile, I'll just write something in strings of sentences...whatever random thoughts that goes through my head...for this coming 25 seconds...starting from...now...

1. I love the screaming colours of dawn and mysterious shades of dusk...But these days/months/years I have been having trouble getting out of bed which results me in being perpetually late...except those excruciating humid days when you've just sweat a bucketful...and its time to change the bed sheet...*Sigh*....

2. I actually feel a lot sometimes/can be quite emotional but I often try not to show it...I tell people this being called being 'professional'...my arse...lying through my teeth...

3. Haven't watched TV for years!!..Partly because my mum used to have this *thing* about watching TV and it being Full Of Trashy Shows...the other part was...ahem...technology...I have changed my focus to computer, Internet...and all the illegal downloads, which gives me much flexibility...I do not have to schedule my time around the tube anymore...

4. My home back in Ipoh...is antiquated...We still have dial-up (only recently, my dad changed it to Broadband...AFTER the herd has left the building...my bros and I), and the cathode ray tube TV that is ? years old. (Refer to point #3.)

5. Am not a fan of shopping/too much girly stuff (books would be an exception), but I think I should learn a bit cos its a thing that seems to unite most girls, like how football unites guys around the world...And also cos...its something one should learn...I am a late bloomer...so tease me about it...then watch how I would enjoy torturing you...

6. (related to #5.) Zero fashion sense...sometimes wish that I could save less on books to buy some decent clothing...that the other way around...nobody seems to be impress with my vast collection of books...though guys would gladly walk around with their tongues hanging out, while checking out a girl with a push up bra and 5 inch stiletto...

7. (also related to #5.) I do like baking and cooking though, but that seems to be becoming not a particularly girly thing in these times...though I must emphasize that I prefer to bake and cook in the comfort of my own home...or with a close friend...I am the boss of my own kitchen...so comments DURING the cooking process is not recommended...its annoying...ever heard of the saying..."Too many cooks spoil the broth"?

9. I like heartwarming movies for a change...Sometimes I feel like there's too much craziness, violence, messed-up-ness and destruction in life already, no need to see some more on the screen...But ironically at other times ,I just don't care...I am thinking that I might be emotionally castrated in some way...

10. I've a kind of wanderlust...Not the travel in comfort sort...If I were a guy in older times, I'd likely have joined a ship's crew and go gallavanting off to foreign lands looking for a near death adventure...Or, a gypsy circus. The trapeze artists are cool!..Heights don't give me thrills...but the adrenaline that kicks in after that does...ah, well...I know what you're thinking...and I completely agree...all talk and no action...which is true...I am sitting in front of a computer...and I can say as and what I want in my blog...put me in a real scene of mutiny and fights...I'll probably grow chicken feet...

11. I have bilateral simian creases on my palm...I wonder what causes these single palmar creases...

13. I love reading...well, I also like the idea of people THINKING that I love reading...*grin*...

14. I kind of like acting (Hallplay!), dancing and singing but I'm not good at any...not at all...I can't do impromptu, I dance like a fridge, and have a voice of a slaughtered cow...

15. It'd be fun to learn tap dancing one day...

16. I am an alto!!...Probably an contralto, in fact...I can reach the C below middle C... which is kind of low for a girl?...I used to think that altos were inferior cz someone said they don't get the nice melody lines that stand out (the horribly misguided youth i was), but I've since left that misconception behind...*grin*

17. I like the outdoors, sailing, kayaking, camping, trekking, nature, and animals, especially birds...but I have done none of the above...trekking, yes...camping...well, does staying in a dorm near a jungle count?...

18. I have been cycling ever since I waned out of my pacifier and pampers...then as I grew up, I started cycling to places, since my parents was never free to drive me around for my activities...though I must say I have yet to go any place outside a 20km radius with my bicycle...I will put that in my to-do list...sometime soon...

20. I used to climb roofs, and trees at home/in school...that totally contradicts the fact that I have fear of heights, doesn't it?...I didn't have a choice...I was a tomboy then...and with all the rough games I was playing with the boys...and my shoes that were too big for my feet (my mum kept buying me shoes a size bigger, cz she was afraid I would outgrow them soon...I am still a size 3 now...)...somehow during the game, in the midst of kicking and all...my shoes would take a trip of their own sailing through trees and leaves...to land on the school roof...It was either death through heights...or facing the wrath Queen Mama of the House...I chose heights...I managed to retrieve it at times...other times, not...My mum had to buy me 4 pairs of school shoes that year...after having found my shoes mysteriously disappearing all the time...

21. As a result of having communicating more with kids than adults, I have lost the ability to communicate comfortably with the senior citizens...I find myself struggling to correct my grammar...and change my voice to a much gentler tone...I am like a kid that would not grow up...

22. I think it'd be cool to fly a plane, especially those fighter/acrobatic planes...Rarr...Should have tried applying to be a pilot....but I would not have made it anyway...thanks to my parents' genes that decides I should look behind a lense all the time...

23. (related to #21) Having said that, I'd like to learn to like kids...it does not come very naturally for me...I care for them because its my responsibility...but annoying, spoilt brats are really difficult to embrace...still workin' on it...

24. If I could live the last 7 years of my life again, I would do things VERY differently....But as Prof S says, things always look clear through a retrospectoscope, but when you're in the process its a different matter...And I is thankful for the friends who have walked with me during this very, very long winter...

25. And lastly, yes...before you attempt to correct me, allow me to clarify that I am very well aware that I missed out a few numbers while I was listing these "Twenty Fives"...and no, it was not a fleeting accident...in fact, it was purposefully done with a good purpose...I've said it before...but I'll just say it again...

"Engine stalled...and my brain modem is hanged...trying to reboot..."

Note : I have not been blogging for a month now, after having taken 'sabbatical leave'...no excuses for my absence...July is a crazy month...and I needed a break before to clear my brain memory space...and reformat...as you can see, this leave has made me a slight retard, when it comes to sharing and deciding how to string my sentences...a couple more post, and hopefully I'll be back in shape...*fingers crossed*...

Paranoia...

You drive away from your house...heading straight for the main road...you will stop at the traffic light as it turns red, as any courteous driver would do...though there are some bastards who are honking at you to jump the red light...you feel like giving them a third finger, when they wind down their window shouting at you...but you hold your peace...it ain't any good trying to fight them anyway...there is three of them...and only one of you...

The traffic light turns green after a while...you step on your clutch, and switch to first gear...its a tiring work-out you go through every time you drive this junk...but man, you do love the wide space, and the security you feel about it...there is a U-turn sign ahead...you turn on your indicator...and make your turn...after all, you have got to head the opposite direction...

You travel a small distance, preparing to switch to gear three...followed by gear four...when suddenly you slam your brakes as you see what is ahead of you...seas of car...all honking their blessed souls out...ALMOST not moving at all...damn it, you thought...and looked for an escape route...there is a U-turn sign 50 meters ahead of you...well, it does bring you back to where you have first started...but at least, you will be spared the misery of having to wait the traffic out, while some crack-pots fixes the road at this unholy hour...

You wipe away your sweat from your forehead and neck...crap, you just bathe...barely clocked in 15 minutes in the car...and here you are sweating your pores out...and worse still, you smell like exposed cheese...you try looking for your trustee mp3 player...hoping that it will bring you something to groove to, while you wait almost impatiently...to get to the U-turn...you sit for a while in silence and penetrating heat...only to realize in complete wonder, why your mp3 player isn't playing your favourite Incognito tune yet...you stare at it...and just as your luck would have it, your mp3 player blinks...LOW BATTERY!!!...Shoebox pickle blowfish!!!!!, you shout aloud...It doesn't make any sense, and you know it...but you're trying to control the habit of cussing to much...and though it is a mouthful, it does include many sounds in the usual traditional swear words...and most importantly, it makes you feel a lot better...

After a good 18 minutes, you were able to step on the pedal, make the U-turn and flee...as you are in the opposite direction, you see the whole 3 kilometre jam...and you feel like shouting out...SUCKERS!!..you head for another route...there isn't much time left...your piano lesson starts in half an hour...which you will be able to get there just in time, should you not head for any traffic jams...but it is a Saturday, after all...so we will have to see...

Ah, the alternate route...it is usually a traffic jam there...but it shouldn't be too bad, and all too long...much more bearable than the one you just went through...besides, it....Ludwig Van Beethoven!!!...bumper to bumper, impatient cars honking poli-rhythmically...all recognizable symptoms of time-that-will-be-wasted...*sigh*...the cars from the previous traffic must have been as smart as you...to turn to this route as well...making it quadruple the traffic then it normally would...hey, wait a minute...the balding guy in the car on your north east, does look a bit like the uncle who jogs around my neighbourhood...yikes, a sense of fear creeps in...one you can't understand...nor do you know how do describe it...it feels somewhat like an extreme case of claustrophobia...but can anyone blame you??...here you are, stuck in the car, on your east, west, north, south, north east, north west, south east, south west...cars again...well, if you had the brains to make sure your mp3 player was all charged up and working, it would not have been so bad...but without it, the agony is just unbearable...and to make things worse...both your legs, one to the clutch, the other alternating between the brakes and accelerator...you can't feel your legs no more...

The traffic win hands down this time...you pick up the phone, and send a message to your teacher...you feel a slight 'crappiness' in your guts as you type the message...you hate it, when you have to cancel a class, using traffic jam as an excuse...but when you think about the number of traffic you still have to go through...just to get your teacher's house...you shudder unvolunteerily...the Phoenix Plaza highway jam, the MidValley highway jam, the Petaling Jaya highway jam, and last but not least, the Damansara jam (though the Damansara jam ain't too bad...the traffic lights there are quite generous with their greens, so its tolerable)...

Kuala Lumpur, where half our life is wasted on highways...

(Never underestimate the power of classical composer...when you feel like swearing, try a Gustav Mahler, or even Shostakovich for that matter...these composers' name are so liberating yet foreign, your friends won't be able to tell if you're swearing or not...)

All in a days work....

Quite a purposeful day...for me, at least...

I managed to get a much needed opportunity to practice on the piano...refreshing, would be an understatement of how I felt when I placed my hand on the keys...these days I was feeling restless...as if there was something in the cosmic world poking at my back...but I couldn't figure out what it was...tried to brush it aside...trying to convince myself that I'd probably mis-placed something...and my subconscious is ringing a bell...or probably it is trying to remind me that I forgot something...well, if it was, it would be useless anyway...I have no clue to what I should be remembering that I ain't remembering...

But upon touching the keys, and playing some jazz standards; 'You Don't Know What Love Is', 'Body and Soul', etc...the restlessness melted away...and for once in so many days, I felt at home...the prodigal child has returned...

Goes the saying...

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~ Berthold Auerbach

Hence, I was able to produce some solid work during my piano lesson with my teacher...we discussed a lot about arrangements and big band sounds...the musical shades and colours...melodic contours...horizontal harmony...and triggering of an image...inspiring and challenging...really gets me on the move...

Decided to give myself a break and pamper myself with a reading marathon...Since I was looking into some fresh topics such as Sociology and Criminal Minds, I decided to head to Kinokuniya bookstore in KLCC...which was about 45 minutes drive from my teacher's place (including traffic jams and all)...got lost a bit, damn the stupid Malaysian road signs...but all was well...

Got bitten by an unknown bug, I think...while all the gals my age are enjoying chick lits such as Confession of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, Sex and a City, by Candance Bushnell which covers the breadth of post-feminist issues like love, courtship, and gender...I am now going through the online crime libraries, reading about the unfortunate rape and murder of Anita Cobby, Caylee Anthony case, etc...all homicides that never failed to make me feel sick in the guts...the murderous details and thoughts of the criminal give me creeps...but nevertheless, my eyes were glued...my interest grows...in wanting to understand what goes through the minds of these souless souls...my curiosity has a much bigger appetite than I can imagine...

So while in Kinokiniya, I managed to rake up some books on criminal psychology...confessions of a serial killer, behavioural sience...nothing makes my day, than a good book to read, comfortable seats with background classical music...and of course, a cup of hot coffee for the finishing touch...

Then comes the most memorable part of the day...I made my way down to the parking lot, and queued up to pay my parking ticket...I didn't bring much cash with me...just RM15, as I didn't plan on buying anything in the bookstore...I took out RM10 from my purse...I didn't know how much exactly was the parking rate in KLCC...but I gather it should be about RM2 per hour...making my whole bill to an approximate RM9 seeing that I've spent exactly 4 hours and 24 minutes in that mall...

I slot in my ticket..."Please pay the amount shown on the display," the stupid machine repeated in a most monotone lady voice...I looked up on the screen...RM13.50...WHAT the???!!!!...Forgive me...but I very nearly cursed aloud...I couldn't help myself...I looked around...for a moment, I thought the machine went nuts...then my eyes caught the sign listed with the parking rates...RM3 per hour...blardy hell...I then suddenly remembered why I have always refrained from driving to KL town, opting to take the monorail instead...man, that was complete daylight robbery!!!...

I made my way to my car...RM13.50 poorer...was thinking, that I might as well have bought the book, and left earlier instead...at least, my money would be well spend investing on a book, instead of contributing to this high-class mall and its taxes...but on the other hand, if I had left earlier, I would have been caught in a peak hour traffic jam, which would have annoyed me terribly...either way, I still lose...I had tried to save myself some cash by reading books of my interest in the bookstore itself, instead of purchasing them...but I guess my efforts are all down the drain...*sigh*...

Was lost in my thoughts for a moment there...and when I looked up, I realized that I have walked way past my car, and got slightly disorientated...no worries, though...just a slight detour...car should be just around the corner...nil...well, probably the other corner...err...nope...haha...those poor guys in the car who was looking for a parking space...I didn't realize that they were tailing me with a hope to get one...it broke my heart to wave them away, and see their flickering hopes vanish...NOT!!...haha...cruel, aren't I??...*grin*...I was exaggerating...of course, I never thought of that...But after a while, I finally decided to head back to the parking machine booth, and start from there once more...when I reached, I realized what my problem was...I was in the wrong floor/level...I paid my parking ticket in P1, while my car was parked at P2, a level lower...blardy hell...

Got into the car, and headed for the road...Man, the last time I drove to KLCC, was light years ago...The signs were most helpful, though...a bit to helpful, perhaps...cause it wrote the names of every street nearby the mall, and showed the arrow, left and right...that will lead you to that specific street...such an ingenious idea, isn't it??...the problem was, they have then put misery upon people like me who are completely uselss when it comes to street names!!!...Don't recognize a single one of them...Pinang Street, Tun Razak street...hopeless...

Tossing a coin, I decided to head for Pinang Street...the road took me to Impiana Hotel, and I just followed the traffic from there...I saw a road sign on my right, that writes "Cheras", the destination that I am suppose to head...the taxi in front of me, turned to the right, following the sign...so I did as well, tagging behind him at a consistent speed...and while there wasn't a traffic jam, there were plenty of cars...still, I was not panicking...as long as I followed the traffic...

Suddenly, the taxi swerved to the left...no light indicator switched on, nil...man, what a road jerk!!!...when all at once, I understood why he did what he did...the lane he and I was in, the most right...was headed for a hidden tunnel...with a sign in white, and bold green letters...KLCC PARKING...blardy hell...stupid road signs!!!...what are the signs for, if they are placed in a position, impossible to view...till its to late for the driver to make a safe turn??...damn it...

While the taxi managed to escape from entering the fateful tunnel, I on the other hand, weren't so lucky...there were many cars behind me, and I was to much an obedient citizen, to cross the double line drawn on the road...so I went in...took another parking ticket...again...and came back out...thank goodness, that the first 15 minutes of parking entry is free of charge...

Well, that was the Lessajinomoto adventures for the day...If I were suffering amnesia in years before, I am telling you that I am remembering everything today...

#1. Never ever drive in KL, unless you are willing to have your life considerably shortened...the stress, handling both the traffic, and brainless moronic drivers...is just ain't worth it...chances are, a majority of people working in KL town suffers from high blood pressure...I could feel mine just tipping the scale...

#2. KL shopping, are meant for the yuppies...the parking rate says it all...man, RM13.50 can last me two main meals (rice, veg and red meat and a cup of chinese tea)...and even that, I would have balance left!!!...

#3....ah well, if you happen to have any tips on surviving in KL, do drop me a note...

Ctrl-Alt-Delete

If I were to compare the 2008-Lessajinomoto and the current standing one, I would definitely say that I am now much more committed to my work, more passionate about the things that I do, and more aggressive in achieving goals...hence, I now see much improvement and I am able to stay focused much longer...

~ am learning to give myself a pat on the shoulder, and cut myself some slack...

But somehow, I have missed looking into finer details, such as mastering some specific bowing techniques on my violin, brass attacks on my compositions, using altered scales for my solo improvisation...

And what's more, I have missed the main practice...to list out more achievable goals, and taking them out one at a time...instead of aiming for the biggest piece of cake...and getting somewhat discouraged and disillusioned at times...

I need to jump-start my engine...re-look some goals and work my way around it...

I need a detox...

Week 10 Updates...

Pardon the silence...and no, I have not died...

This is by far the most agonizing week of the year...ever...

It is the ABRSM Theory Exam next Monday...and I, being ambitious (but rubbish at many times), have registered 10 students (8 of them which are of high grades)...

And it is this week, that they choose to grow mushrooms on their brains, and forget the most basic of music theory...yes, that includes grouping of notes according to time signature, key signatures of scales, chord inversions and wat-nots....all very careless mistakes...

*groan*...of all times, why do they prove to be specially dumb this week?...why can't it be the week after next?...or did they do this, just so they can enjoy seeing me freak out throughout their lesson?...

Understandably, I have been running around, chasing my kids for the entire week...I have been giving them extra classes, even during my off days...but it just doesn't seem to be sufficient...and funnily enough, I have already completed their syllabus last year in October, so that they have abundant time for review, go through past year exam questions, etc...went through with them every itsy bitsy detail and mistakes...but today, I can't help but feel that my work has been undone...

I need a miracle...really...

I know I am aiming really high for my students...but I am confident that they can get it...now if only I can get them to drink some Red Bull just before the exam...
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I just had a short break, just two weeks back, spending a day in Genting Highlands...and I came back the next day, all pumped up and raving to go...but I am now looking forward to another break next week...Penang...my cousin and childhood mate, Jo is getting married...and secondly, I need a breather...
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I send two of my jeans and a long pants to fix a couple of days back...and had to pay quite a hefty sum for it...I think I just got ripped off...man, I have got to learn how to do extensions on my own next time...
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Plan to go back hometown next week, over the school holidays...and back to my ever-dramatic life with my grandma...and being her chauffeur for the week...and most probably drive her to Penang, so she can join her friends for another gambling session...so what's new...

Btw, my boyfriend has really mastered the art of pampering...*grin*...after last week's incident, he took us out for an eating spree...and some book shopping...clothes shopping...more eating...not at all good for my waist definition...=)...haha...he definitely knows the way to a gal's heart...*winks*

My Portrait...

So I happen to have a lil' darlin', who is an artist in the making...and like any well-known artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Georgia O'Keeffe, Wassily Kadinsky; he would find inspiration through any possible means...

For example, Van Gogh had a brainchild, when he came across a beautiful lady by the name of L'Arlesienne... and came up with this...

Potrait of L'Arlésienne (Madame Ginoux)

- February 1890

Pablo Picasso (a personal favs), using bold colours, produced a painting of a young little girl, believed to be of his daughter...

Maya with Doll (Maya a la Poupee) - 1938

And of course, our bro, Da Vinci obviously had Virgin Mary in mind when he painted this picture...

Madonna of the Yarnwinder -c. 1501

Ah, such beautiful people, aren't they??...unique styles, great depths of meaning, such antiquated concepts...I have always wondered what I look like if someone as talented as them, would have the courage to draw me....

And it just so happens, I got lucky...I needn't look very far...I did have a Leonardo Da Vinci in the house after all (product of Malaysia, mind you)...and with me as his only ever-so-divine inspiration of the moment, he drew me...

Presenting my first portrait ever...

The Portrait of Lessajinomoto
- 7th March, 2009

I sure hope he is hiding somewhere...cz he just lost me my potential suitors...and my dignity...

This is a complete exaggeration...I don't have long protruding teeth!!...and my nose 'whiskers' does not dominate the entire land fill of my 'snout'...and those flippers...*sigh*...

But, yeah...I am all meat, fat and bones...so there!!...I prefer to be stuffy, then an aneroxic look-alike of Keira Knightly...an ironing board with a face...

Keira Knightley

Man, it just striked me...there is a striking resemblence of her...and Michael Jackson!!...the face, I mean...strong, defined jaws...erm, slightly unproportionate to her body, etc...

Having said all that, I do wish at times, that I could control my need to eat excessively...but do not be weary...it isn't the way I look that I am concern about...it is because my eating habit is difficult to sustain...financially...well, physically too...

Semolina pilchard, climbing up the eiffel tower.
Elementary penguin singing hari krishna.
Man, you should have seen them kicking edgar allan poe.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
I AM THE WALRUS,
goo goo g'joob g'goo goo g'joob. Goo goo g'joob g'goo goo g'joob g'goo...

- I am The Walrus by The Beatles...

[note : the song is an inside joke...and I still adore the Malaysian made artist...as horrendous as he made me look...*winks*....]

Example #1: Revenge of the Parents...

Image credit : Washington Post

Kids, ye bewarned...
Never, ever leave your Facebook/Friendster/MySpace/Youtube account unlocked and in plain view...
...*winks*...

Have I ever mentioned...Zit comics are completely classic??...hahahaha....
Thank God my parents ain't that cruel...
*fingers crossed*

Smoke in my eyes...

The best way to get a sexy smoky eye is to trace black eyeliner heavily along the top and bottom lashes before bed. In the morning, after a shower, simply clean up where needed with a cotton tip and voila! Perfect smoky eye!!!

- Cleo magazine beauty tips, according to make-up artist Rae Morris,

...You've - So - Gotta - Be - Kidding - Me...

The only look I'll get at max, especially in the mornings would be an undignified sleazy eyed, oriental roadkill...and a slash of black smudge across my face...and pillow...and my little Po-Po (this cute teddy that my boyfriend bought me...*grin*)...

'Nuff said...

Granny loves me...

My grandmother won something during a lucky draw this week...She was all excited about it, and wanted to share her gift with me...It wasn't something all that expensive (if it was, you'd bet that she would keep it to herself)...but I was the lucky one among her grandchildren to be chosen for this gift...

Since I am far from my hometown, I politely declined, and suggested that she gave it to my brothers instead...Funny enough, she insisted the it wouldn't do, and that only I could use this gift to the fullest...

It started to spark my curiosity as to what this gift was...that even my own brothers were not allowed to touch it...

I asked my mum this morning...she gave me two clues...

Firstly, it was an electronic subject...

Secondly, it produces sound...

Even I got all excited...tonnes of images ran through my head...

A blasting room Audio system??... (for a while there, I forgot that she mentioned the gift wasn't expensive)...A handphone??...A synthesizer??...I've been dreaming of one for dinosaur years...

I was THIS close to the answer...half correct, actually...

It was....
A toy keyboard...

*sigh*.....

Perpetual Sickness...

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
I'm gonna eat some worms.
Big fat juicy ones, Eensie weensy squeensy ones,
See how they wiggle and squirm.

Chomp off their heads and squeeze out the juice
And throw their tails away
Nobody knows how I survive
On worms three times a day...

I learn that song back when I was a kid...kindergarten teacher taught me...sang it throughout the 2 hour ride for a holiday, and drove my parents crazy...taught MY students how to sing it...and play it on the piano...and THEY drove THEIR parents crazy...ah, those naughty, naughty devils in disguise...all in a days work, isn't it?...*grin*

My body sure does hate me for some reason...Every single time I think I am about to recover, my body decides to pick up the same illness...sometimes with more vengeance...annoying, really...Throat feels raw now...my nose is blocked...and it does not help, the fact that it is still Chinese New Year...which means I am not able to smell the sweet aroma of my dad's cooking...and it also means that the majority of the Taoist people are still burning joss sticks, and paper money...the thick smoke is starting to settle down and merge with my mucus...(imagine you having a stuffed nose, and an ass-hole of a guy, smokes his cigarette and blows on your face...I would have punched him, I tell ya)...
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Well, just to describe my Chinese New Year in a nutshell...

We didn't get to enjoy our usual Chinese New Year feast...grandma claimed to have lost one of the three pairs of shoes she bought...and has turned the whole house upside down to find it, and still failed...caused a bit of tension in the family, as she was consistently muttering accusations that one of us must have taken/stolen them...Dad finally defused it, by taking her to buy a new pair of shoes...spent a day or two hunting for that specific model...drove my dad insane...finally told my grandma, to either be happy with a different pair of shoe, or to forget about it...she chose to be happy...unneeded pain in the neck...

Grandma insisted that we should all start our cooking a few days ahead, despite having been told time and time again, that it is best to keep the food fresh...too much stress and pressure, we felt...completely unnecessary...so my dad decided to abandon the cooking mission...we all had KFC for reunion dinner instead...and Pizza Hut the night after...
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Grandma got mugged twice in a week, at the same spot and about the same time...once before the CNY...and once after...she lost quite a bit of money and some jewelry during the first time...but did not sustain injury...second time, not so lucky...first robbery, she claimed the thief took her house-keys, which we then promptly changed the locks for our house...only to find out later, that she actually left her house-keys back at home...the second robbery, she remembered her house-keys this time, which she placed in her hand-bag...and that got stolen...so we had to change locks for the second time...
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Referring to a previous post I wrote...the person I'm referring to...let's call her *Charmaine...I didn't get a chance to settle things with her...she decided that by not making time for her, I have hurt her...and therefore, she has decided to send me an SMS in the wee hours of the morning...to cut off the friendship...just like that...I responded by sending her a message, expressing my disappointment in her selfishness...and she begged to have our friendship back...it made me feel like a 6 year old kid...were friendships that cheap, that it can be taken apart and mended through an SMS??...I decided to stick to her decision of cutting the friendship...cause I just feel this emotional burden, one that hangs on my shoulders all the time...and I just don't need that right now...I think, if she doesn't respect my need for privacy and having other friends...it would be difficult for me to accomodate her...so it happening now, can prove to be a good thing after all...

*Note : name changed to protect privacy...
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Maternal grannie fell down a day before CNY...had an open wound on her head...so it required some stitches...fractured her left wrist too...plus the fact that she doesn't not have the strongest set of bones, its gonna take a while to heal...
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Paternal grandpa seems to be losing weight drastically...my last visit back in Dec '08, he weighed about 52kgs...and looked much healthier, despite me being aware that it is merely a deception...it was his steroid meds intake, that made his face as round as a moon, and as smooth as a baby's buttocks...now that the doctor has removed him from steroid meds, he has sunk...literally...to a 43kg...that makes it a 9kg weight loss in two months...makes me fear, at times...that he may not make it through the year...*touchwood*...

Just reminds you, doesn't it...how precious life can be...one may have the whole world in his hands, all the money he/she can spare...but nobody can make it past mortality...a good knock on the head, to remind us...that though at times we act and think we're gods...we aren't...
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Am facing some changes in my life...certain cross-roads...need to re-think my priorities...make a check-list...most importantly, I need to sort out my thoughts...I've been almost ignoring every problem hurled at me the past week, thanks to CNY...now I find that I am all jumbled up...can't seem to focus...darn...

Loves and wat-nots...

What I love about Chinese New Year..

The opera dances...

The decorations...

The Chinese drum performance...

The fireworks....

The Lion Dance...


and of course... The Chinese New Year is never complete without...





the ang pows!!!
(little red packets with bits of money in it...*grin*)

Have yourself a Happy Chinese New Year!!!...

For anyone who needs a laugh...

I know I do...*grin*

Letting Go.....

A brand new year...and hopefully, with improved habits...

I could start this post by stating the list of reasons of why I have been infrequently posting these past few months...and while I am at it, I would probably add that I have been traveling back to hometown more often, last month especially...and there weren't any internet line...my family isn't too big on Broadband/Streamyx stuff...The majority of the blame, would fall on my internship, which I was slogging to ace and pass, so that I could get a good credit on my paper...Results isn't out yet, so I am still trying to keep my fingers crossed...

But of course, nobody likes to read a post that starts with tonnes of insincere apologies and claims of how busy their lives have been...

So I'll just keep it short and simple...I have not been blogging, because I couldn't get myself to put my thinking cap on, and think about a blog entry...hence, my disappearing act...I've been suffering a lazy bone lately...

I envy people/authors/bloggers, who are able to write effortlessly...their brain juice are seemingly endless...while I struggle for the right words to come to me...and many times, it is as hopeless as leaving a bed unmade, and wish that the blanket will fold itself...maybe someone would be kind and care enough to do this ever-so-painful chore for me...Words have been absent as I have been...

I wish for a burst of creativity now...

Year 2008, have been all in all...quite generous, I must say...no monstrous challenges, unlike years before...or probably experiences of the past, has made me tougher...or maybe I am just living in denial...I don't know...

Am trying to find my own identity at the moment...what I want to be remembered by...I am now an official graduate student of UCSI, having passed all my subjects (finally...thank God!!!)...but I am not sure if I want to be bound into this comfortable concept of 'music teaching' for life...that the society perceives us to be...

Many times, I feel incomplete...inadequate...I feel there isn't anything that I am doing...one that makes me stand out...that would become my forte...one point against my music college...is the fact that we are introduced to everything that a music industry can offer...but we aren't given the hands on experience, so we could actually explore what we would really like to do...in other words, I do have a general idea about recording and producing, composition, performance...but it is all basically theory and facts...

I worry too much, some people say...and I guess they are right...I am a jazz piano major...and I should work at being good at it...instead of crouching in a small corner, and throwing myself a small pity-party...*yea, I need a good kick in the butt at times...no, all the time*...I always worry about not being able to catch up with my peers...but constantly worrying and beating myself up...yet, doing nothing about it...gets me nowhere...

I just need to learn to cut myself some slack...get my fingers grinding the chords...I've been too careful ...just playing safe last year (2008), a protective layer I placed around me after all the hurts I have suffered in terms of friendships...but I have rested enough...

Time to let go...and just enjoy the ride...

Happy New Year, everyone!!!...May your year be as exciting as mine will be...*winks*...