Making of A Hyprocondriac

OCUTeD = Obsessive, Compulsive, Unnecessary Tension Disorder...

Ok, so what if you know that it is not a definite, theoretically proven disorder and does not exist in the Medics Bible...so what if I made it up a couple of minutes back...but if there is such disorder, I have it...and at an extreme...

Supplementary exam was suppose to be today...I checked it two weeks back...wrote it on my notebook just in case...yet, I have this fear, that I could have mis-read the exam date...mixed up the days...missed my exam somehow...and this paranoia has gotten so acute, that I am constantly checking the exam schedule online...whenever I can...and even that, I am still not convince...there was one day, while I was driving, my thoughts about this exam and the same worries came back to me again...I drove like one of the arse drivers I keep complaining about...just to rush home, and put my head at ease...a compulsive disorder?...you be the doctor...

Water taps, not being closed tightly...ceiling fan not switched off...cupboard door not shut...a part of me registers that I have done all the above...but yet, I find myself worrying that I could have missed something...and I'm constantly going to my room to check...it gets annoying soon enough, especially when it makes me late for classes at times...but on the other hand, it was good exercise going up and down the stairs...

I keep bills, so that I am able to keep an account of my daily spendings...I close and balance my account every night...sometimes in the morning...to ensure that I do not forget any little petty cash that I might have spent...yet, after closing my account for the day, my brain is still in active mode, thinking back if there is anything I could have missed out...yea, compulsive disorder...

But all this fears and paranoia are unnecessary...I know...but tell that to my brain!!...I can't get it to sit still just yet...and it is driving me nuts!!....

On another note, Mahathir's resignation from UMNO has caused a chaos and an underground current in the party in itself...while many people supports his act...and calls it his 'best card played'...there are many people yet skeptical and fearful on the outcome and the impact it has on the party...

In my opinion, while it is not up to me to say for sure if Mahathir's move is right...I must say that UMNO seems to be playing the wrong cards all the time...when this whole havoc started, UMNO threatened action against 'party-hoppers' who dares step into the Opposition party...that, is well taken and accepted...if the UMNO chooses to act that way, so be it...yet, they open their doors to 'party-hoppers' from the Opposition party!!....It bites them back in the arse, don't you think??...First the blogging issue, and now this...while other people are fighting to ensure that animals don't go extinct...some people fight for Human Rights...Malaysia government fights to see who gets more people in their party...and who will be the bloopers...

Darma : Perfect Storm

Local weather report : Draught and haze for the coming months...

Its been humid and hot like crap. Even my room, which has fairly nice ventilation, is starting to feel like a sauna...I hate it when I feel sweaty at the bottom of my thighs, especially when I'm sitting on a leathered arm-rest chair...I tie my hair up into a pony-tail, it provides relieve to my neck...I hate it when I feel sweaty already...when I just had a bath 5 minutes ago...These past few days, I have been wishing that I need not go to college, nor work...so that I can jump into a cold shower at anytime I wish...100 PLUS seems to be all that I drink...and water, of course...

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Do you remember the how annoyed you were the last time when...

• the cashier seems to have a lackadaisical attitude when punching in the price numbers on the cash machine??
• when the parking attendant return your balance of RM40 in COINS...well, they kindly provide you with a plastic bag to bag up all the coins...but RM40 worth of 20,10,50 cent coins??

I went through all of that this week...

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On another note, Tun Mahathir has quited UMNO...that should be interesting...we'll see what happens next...

Without Focus

It is beyond my comprehension, how many writers, can think of an original idea or new subjects to write about on a daily basis...That is one of the clear signs that cast me aside from being a writer...I just can't imagine myself coming up inspired so often...

With all complete honesty, my method of seeking inspiration, is really lame...I try to observe drama outside of my normal hundrum life...which is hard, I tell ya...but I'm sure nobody wants to hear my daily rants about my 'blardy' kids and coming in and out of college...I devour newspapers, to see if there is any topic that I can share my opinions on...I stare...at random objects...You'd be surprise how hard that can be...to stare at something, to the point that you are not thinking any more...to the point, where you have cleared things that clutters your mind...so that you can think clearly once more...I don't have that kind of patience...but the result, I must say...is really rewarding...

These past few days, I'm not able to write on impulse anymore...I used to get plenty of ideas, and can't wait to get home to share my thoughts on this blog..I can't write anymore, without wondering if I got some spelling write, or if I missed a semi-colon here and there...I hate it when that happens...Punctuation seems to have a way of getting on the way of my train of thoughts...it slows me down, and an idea is lost...how discouraging...but that is not to say that I intend to quit blogging all together...No, not at all...I guess that even a short span of 5 days abandoning my blog...it is hard to get started again...

I want to write without stopping...on a daily basis, without any reservations...I want to write about anything...even on things that does not inspire me...on random ideas, on words, things I do not know about...that adds a great challenge that I would love to live up to...that will force me to get out of my comfort zone once in a while...and make me face the tough reality out there...a quote, a poem, a song...

I guess it is easier said than done...I will just have to start writing again...and write non-stop...till I come to the point that I can ramble off, without the concern if I am filling my writing with bombastic words...without the concern if I have just made a grammatical error there...until writing for me, is effortless...that I need not even need to stop, to correct a punctuation...

Malaysia - The Land of Possibles

It has suddenly just dawn upon me, on how unique our(my) government seems to handle issues 'when it matters'...since the election on the month of March till now, there has been non-stop ministerial-poking that is really getting into me. Till now, I have not found constructive evidence to prove to myself other than the fact that our government ministers never seems to address the issues at hand. They appear to just put on a mini-skirt and dance a jig around them, hoping that problems will somehow blow over...do allow me to proof my point...

So, there was a report that crime rates have increased in year 2007...so, what does our government have to say to that??..."Install CCTVs in all crime-prone areas."...they say that it would help watch out for criminal activities...if you ask me, video cameras only do good AFTER the crime happens, when there is a need to catch the criminal...it DOES NOT curb nor lower crime rates...besides, ever thought of spending the RM5.1 billion on increasing labour pay for our policemen, and giving them good training...putting able-thinking policemen to patrol crime-prone areas??

So, traffic accidents being frequent, does not paint a good picture of our government...so they spend our tax-payers $$$, to install cameras all over the place to take pictures of traffic offenders. What about using our precious money on raising awareness among drivers and stripping driving ed-centres for not educating the drivers properly??...How about 'screwing' the arses of the people in PUSPAKOM, who took lightly their responsibility of making sure all heavy motor vehicles are in working order and road-worthy?...

So, our politicians say that our youngsters need someone to look up to...forget Tun Mahathir, or Abdullah for being a legend...forget about instilling in young people, the essence of self-worth (getting a good education, passionate pursuit of goals, etc)...our government throws in millions to send this boy into space ONLY as a participant (visitor), and spending another half a million trying to convince us to dream of an astronaut...

Corruption is a problem to us, you say...Not any more!!!...our government has just came up with an ace formula...spend some billions of money printing a few hundred thousand stickers and flags that says "SAYA ANTI-RASUAH" ( I am an anti-corruption) and stick them on their uniforms, badges, police station windows, walls and ceilings...and corruption problem is bound to vanish...hmm...I wonder if our government has just came out of pre-school...or, if they ever thought that WE, the citizens have just graduated from pre-school...

What I'm trying to prove here is this :...I feel that our(my) government seems to think that everything can be proved and bought through money...to prove one is more holier than thou, he builds great number of mosques...to create good toilet-habits, they invest money (RM400k)to invent a self-functioning, fully automated toilet (only one of a kind)...one that will automatically open your door after a 15 minute use...for that kind of money spend and the kind of price charged (RM1 per entry), I would hope that it will help me wipe my arse too...

Enough rants...I don't want to sound whiny all the time...even though there are times that I am...and it is at those times that I'm thankful that I have such a patient boyfriend...*grin*

"Western Food"

Only people in Malaysia, that has not stepped outside this sorry country, would actually think that the Western food offered in a nearby mamak/coffee shop is relatively acceptably and edible...honestly...

I have a college mate all the way from America, by the name of Ryan...who looks at the soggy fried bacon with limpy french fries with distaste...he gives the exaggerated look of horror...made quotation marks in mid-air and says, "Yeah...'Western food'."...and sadly, I would have to agree...

My boyfriend and I just visited a restaurant that boast of western food, just the night before...he had smoked chicken, while I blissfully ordered what they would call 'Baked cheese Seafood'...I imagined yummy mussels, with prawns, and slices of fish...and entertain myself with some good imagination of how it would look like, will waiting for my order to come...

We were talking about phone radiation, when my order came...looks like lasagna, at first sight...my boyfriend took the liberty of officiating it...one look at his face, was all it needed to tell me how it tasted like...

Tasted like broth without salt...

Looked like over-cooked baby oatmeal...

Smelled like baby vomit...

And to make it worst...there was only one mussel, and one not-so-fresh-prawn, and two crab sticks...the rest was...broth...and uncooked eggs...eww!!!...Thank goodness I had a large cup of orange juice to wash down the taste...

It was a slow ride of agony...if it wasn't for the RM15.90 I had to pay, I would have chosen to starve...luckily I had boyfriend...he shared quarter of my pain!!...*grin*...never will I be adventurous and order food of this sort...ever...

Goes to show...do not attempt to pull of something one is not good at...Western Food is one of them...

Dear mummy,

For all the crap you've got to put up with,
For all the panic I've cost you,
For all the times I've talked back, and when I shouldn't have,
For all the times you've comforted me,
For all the advices, heeded and unheeded,
For all the rebellion you've got to put up with,
For all your love you've poured through years,
For all the 6:30am wake-up calls,
For all the chauffeuring you've done,
For all the times you've been patient with grandma,

And most of all,
For all the years, you've glued this family together...

I am truly thankful...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY...

Dear Grandma

I need you to understand...I want you to know...it is not that I accidentally left you out, on wishing you Happy Mother's Day...I wish I could do so...but I just couldn't...not without feeling the frustration, not without feeling the emptiness behind those words...

God knows that I wish, I don't feel this way...this dilemma of not wanting to have anything to do with you...Through your selfish actions, you have made these years a living hell for the family...my family...the people I care for...the only people that was there for you, when you were sick...when you were in need...You inconvenienced people so, that the whole world has to stop...just to see to your needs...

I have failed...as a grandchild, I'm afraid...I am a hypocrite, after all...I tell my brothers, that we should accept you the way you are...and to give you the respect...and that I have managed to do...

But I realized...that on such a special day as Mother's Day...I am unable to put aside my disappointment ...and to show you my care...and mean it...I wish I am able to let go...I wish I am able to forgive...for the tears you have caused my mum...for the tension within the family, just because you flew into a rage...for the years I have yearned for a grandma's love, but never got it...

It is with an honest heart, that I am pouring out in this blog...you are my grandmother by name and by blood...and for that, I will pay you the respect that is due to you...but I am really sorry...I can't bring myself to do more than that...cause in my heart, I never saw you as a loving grandmother...

If empty words still mean something to you...here it is...happy mother's day...

It is my hope and my prayer, that one day...I will learn to put aside my feelings...and to call you 'grandma' which much heartfelt meaning...but for now, this will have to do...

You've Got Mail

YOU HAVE A PACKAGE, Contact Email : fedexcourierdeliveryservice001@hotmail.com

from : DANIEL E. GLABERSON (D.GLABERSON@ut.edu)

received : 30th April 2008

Greetings.

I am Mr.Divad White , i have been waiting for you since to contact me
for yourConfirmable BankDraft of $800.000.00 United States Dollars, but
Idid not hear from you since that time.Then I went and deposited the
Draft with FEDEX COURIER SERVICE, WestAfrica, I Travelled out of the
country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till end of March.
What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE
as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because
of the expiring date.

For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance
premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the cheque showing that it is
not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.
The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE to deliver
your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is($150.00US)
Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

Again, don'tbe deceived by anybody to pay any other money except
$150.00US Dollars. I would have paid that but they said no because they
don't know when you will contact them and in case of Dumorrage.You have
tocontact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your Draft
with this information bellow;

PLEASE REPLY TO:
Mr. Mike Aderson
DIRECT EMAIL: fedexcourierdeliveryservice001@hotmail.com
Telephone:+(234)8077410005

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address() and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and
ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package
over there and know when it will get to your address. Let me repeat again,
try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further
delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $150.00 US
Dollars for their immediate action. You should also let me know through
email as soon as you receive your Draft.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.David White

[Note: I have never before in my life, responded to such letters, as I have a habit of hitting the 'DELETE' button on my email box, even before I have time to chew on it. In fact, I'm tired of having these emails spam my mail-box every now and then. I just wish sometimes, that people will have something better to do, than to write non-sensical letters such as these...as to not waste my (our) time...but today, is one of my good patient days...]

Hence, my response...

Dear sir/madam;

There are several discrepancies in your email which I feel the need to bring attention to. First and foremost, I think you are really confused about who you are, and how you choose address yourself...You call yourself Divad White/David White, yet your email address calls you by Daniel E. Glaberson. I have considered the fact that you could have borrowed your friend's email account for some purpose, but seeing the content being as serious as it sounds, it does not seem professional at all, to use a friend's account, wouldn't you agree? And also, the fact that you never bothered to proof-read this letter, before clicking the 'SEND' button, obviously shows carelessness on your part, and total disregard for grammar, capital letters and punctuation, which I would not expect from a businessman of your status...who is your secretary, by the way??...Give her a fire!!...I am a gracious customer, therefore, I shall not pursue...but others are not so nice as I am...

Anyhow, to more important stuff...

Just to assure you, I'm not Dumbo. You would think that I would get excited over a big some of US800.00 credited to me, though I do not recall banking in any draft of that amount. Besides, as a full-time working student, I do not even have RM800.00 to my name, let alone US800.00...which is, if you do the maths, almost RM2400.00...I could have won this 'US800.00', one could say...but if I actually won a contest, I think I deserve US1 million, wouldn't you agree?...I mean, which miserable contest, would give me a measly US800.00 for winning anyway?...and would you actually think that I would actually enter a contest that would get me ONLY US800.00...that will enable me to survive comfortably for only 1 month and half?

True, enough, I am no Dumbo. I have researched a lot about you, and it seems that you have evolved several times. Are you now Patricia Garaci or Mike Anderson?...or neither?...

You say that you have traveled to West Africa for a 3 months course and would be back in March. That would actually indicate that you mailed this letter, say...approximately in late December '07 or early January'08, I presume...and I only received this email of yours on 30th APRIL '08??...Man, which express mail did you use?...I'd sure sue them if I were you...Geez, even snail mails aren't that slow...

And would you expect me to believe, that such a Multi-National corporation such as Fed-Ex, would go so low, as to depend on Hotmail for email deliveries??...and my, do they have gazillion email addresses!!...I wonder which one is valid...is it now:-

a) fedexcourierdeliveryservice001@hotmail.com
b) fedexdeliverydept01@hotmail.com
c) FedexExpressdeliveryservice@hotmail.com
d) fedexcourier44@live.com (ah, they change email partners now, did they??)
(taken from other resources)

0r

e) fexmyarse@fatchance.com

hmm...I really believe you got their email wrong...if you need more help, you can ask FedEx

By the way, you did say that you have send my oh-so-precious Confirmable Bank Draft to Fedex Courier Service in West Africa...and you have also so kindly given me 'convincing' advices...and oh, you have given me the contact number of the person who handles Fedex Delivery services!!...number is (+234)807741005...wow, so much trouble to go through for someone you hardly know, isn't it??...Yet, the last time I checked, (+234) is an area code in serving areas such as Ohio in United States...so, is it right to presume that West Africa is part of United States??...Oh, I don't know...I am TOTALLY ignorant when it comes to obvious geographical errors...but I'd think you had better mention this to the board of US government...no wonder mails are getting screwed up...and slow...A lot of trouble, I know...but I'm sure if you didn't mind battling 'storms' for me, you wouldn't mind a little more trouble, would you??...

I have got a couple of problems with the transfer funds...So I apparently received US800.00 for doing absolutely nothing at all. But the condition is that I have to pay US150.00 for delivery/postal fees. Wow, that is SO CHEAP!!...At the end of the day, I will stand to get US650.00, right??...That is cool!!...

Yet, I think I will have to pass...I am a very busy young gal, which priorities, definitely does not lie in money. Besides, if I were to wait for any mail response from your side, it would take another half a year, which by then, I would have starved in a most undignified way...

I'd rather earn my cost...

p/s : by the way, you will not be getting an email from me, because of all the reasons above...besides, you have already gotten more than enough attention from me, then you truly deserve...

Yours sincerely,
Lessajinomoto

At wits end

I've just decided to conquer Mandarin once and for all...for various reasons...

1. I want to be able to converse with my boyfriend's friend and family...I noticed that it can be mentally tiring, to need to translate every conversation they are having, to English, just to accommodate me...

2. Some of my students are limited in their understanding of English...and I need to stop using sign-languages...

But, hell...

I don't like Mandarin...I never did...well, maybe if I was familiar with it at a younger age, it would not be so hard...so, can anyone blame me??...it is not my fault that I had no Mandarin influence when I was a kid...all my childhood friends then were 'bananas' too...by the time my mum realized its importance, I was already near college age, and refused at all cost, to join 5 year olds in learning their Mandarin vocab...and how annoying that both my brothers are lucky enough to avoid the same fate...

Aarrgghh!!!...it is frustrating to learn to converse in a foreign language, when I already am so comfortable in the language I'm functioning in now...it is also painful to be laughed at, at this age...to be laughed WITH, is fine with me...but to be laughed AT, (after a while), could be a large blow to self-confidence...

Secondly, the vocab of Mandarin is so large, I don't know where to start!!...First of all, as I'm not able to read Mandarin words, my resources are thus limited to conversations...so, for the first time, books are not really there to help me improve my vocab!!...the only people I talk to; my students, a couple of my friends, my family, and my boyfriend...ah, well...at least that is a start...

I was just wondering, if I should join a Mandarin class...still struggling with that thought...as much as I want to open myself to learning Mandarin, I'm not sure if I'm totally comfortable yet, forcing myself to classes of two hours a week...probably with some kiddies!!...

The Awakening

• There is almost no hope left for the political scene in Malaysia. Now with the change within the government, it is still aired live, how one politician calls another 'Monkey Head', followed by non-stop jeers and insults of Big Monkey and Big Foot...resulting to our beloved politicians being to discuss only THREE topics out of the 73 topics planned out for the meeting...how mature...
• The recent parliament meeting, was to be said the most "CANTANKEROUS SESSION" in more than three decades...if you do the calculations, the next most 'cantankerous' meeting would be the one that started off the disaster of 13th May 1969...
• These chaotic scenes was viewed on air for all citizens to watch...and on YouTube as well, for the whole world to know...
• Insult of the disabled...*sigh*...I would have thought that during the recent election, we would have gotten rid of all the idiots who makes the parliament look like a circus...turns out, there are still some discrepancies...you can be sure that sexist remarks will be due next...
• And stupid and childish complaints like "How come Karpal Singh (who is wheel-bound) donot need to stand up to talk like all of us here?"...can one get any shallower??
  

Was there any other time that I would be more embarrassed to be associated with Malaysia??... Let me see...I don't know...I've lost count...

I will not put any links here, you know how to get to it...type any of the following:

• 'Malaysian Parliament Meeting',
  
• 'jeers',
  
• 'bigfoot'

Gazillion links will follow through...

3 Things

have not done much meme in these couple of months, so I'd thought I'd entertain myself by doing one now...(though that does not mean that anyone should start tagging me now...that is an inhumane and cruel thing for anyone to go through)...

3 Things Tag

1. 3 Things that scares me: Ronald McDonald; people with unnatural insertions (too much silicon, botoxed lips, etc); Lorry drivers...
2. 3 People who makes me laugh: Russell Peters; Jeffrey Dunham; Bill Cosby...
3. 3 Things I love: my Motorola L7 phone; my Toyota Corona 1.6 (1982); my jammies...
4. 3 Things I hate: being nagged at; ego-headed males who thinks females should remain illiterate; shopping for shoes...
5. 3 Things I don't understand: fast spoken Hokkien/Mandarin; why the price of the Motorola L7 have got to drop so freakin' fast; HTML...
6. 3 Things on my desk: a stained cup of coffee; computer; an autobiography book of Mao Tze Tung...
   
7. 3 Things I'm doing right now; blogging; watching Top Gear car show (it is hillariously funny, highly recommended if you should need a good laugh); trying to convince myself that 4 minutes is all I need to sweep, mop floor and wash my hair..
8. 3 Things I wanna do before I die: travel to every corner of the world; swim with the dolphins; watch Pat Metheny play live...
9. 3 Things I can do: eat-watch TV-answer phone-study-talk to my mum all at the same time (about the only multi-tasking I'm capable of); speed read; dance like a fridge...
10. 3 Things I can't do: Multi-task; read to children (the pace is too slow); dance properly...
11. 3 Things I think you should listen to: Mongolian and Tibetan chants; Arturo Sandoval's trumpet solo lines; any Gospel music...
12. 3 Things you should never listen to: Any Britney/Lindsay/Hillary/Scarlet CDs; Techno music; my singing...
13. 3 Things I'd like to learn: Photography; Rock-climbing; Scuba-diving...
14. 3 Favourite food: Herbal soup; Italian pasta; Cheese cake (any flavour)
15. 3 Beverages I drink regularly: H20; Coffee; 100 Plus...
16. 3 shows I watched as a kid: Fresh Prince of Bel Air; Care Bears, Transformers (Note: I still think I am a kid)
17. 3 people I'm tagging: LINA!! (Once she is done with her performance, that is...); Boodyboy too...and you...(if you are bored...like I am...*grin*)

We are all monkeys...Mahathir too...

It first started by a court order for a Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Atten to remove more than 10 postings from their blog, as News Straits Time, a government-controlled newspaper was threatening to sue them for 'libellious' writings...The government then gave a fair warning to all bloggers, that they should watch out what they say online, as it could tarnish Malaysia's good name, and theirs as well...

Before the elections, we rarely hear of any politicians posting or hosting any blogs...the ones which are a household name, would be opposition party Lim Kit Siang, and Anwar Ibrahim. These people were then condemn, and accused of using the cowardly way of dominating the cyber-space because "these bloggers know they cannot influence the society, so they make up stories"...Why, even this Khairy politician guy (UMNO) has also seen us bloggers, an equal to monkeys and no higher than that...

But hey, hey...what do you know??...In a spend of less than two months, more than 2 UMNO politicians have joined the cyber-space in blogging!!...the ex-Selangor MB, Dr. Mohamad Khir; the sitting Melacca Chief Minister, and UMNO Information Chief...why, even our ex Prime Minister Mahathir!!...

Now, if anyone tells you that blogging is a complete waste of time, or bloggers are no less than monkeys...please tell them..."Our famous ex PM does it too!!"

Our government will have a hard time chewing on this...and even now, they have decided not to clam down on us bloggers anymore...and have changed their statement, saying that they have always been liberal towards us...

Is it only me, or are you rolling your eyes too??...

An attempted biography

LESSAJINOMOTO, is a relatively young girl (year 2010: not so young anymore) who grew up singing Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and was seen making a lame and futile attempt to 'moonwalk' occasionally. Since the era of Electronic and Techno music, she has brought untimely joy and mental anguish to two parents who was and still is privileged to call her their daughter. These proud parents was luckily smart enough to know that they should not rob the world of someone of sheer genius, despite the knowledge of excruciating rack they would have to endure in the near future. If they were to do so, it would have been a cruel and inhumane decision, and their lives would have been totally miserable and incomplete otherwise. A win-win situation, as one would say.

For years, they have been having tons of fun, sharing up and down moments even till now. Two more male seeds sprung after harvesting, and were added into the family. Her father lives in another state from the family for work purposes, of course. Though one must admire his commitment to travel back and forth every weekend for 13 years now. Her mum is a freelance tuition teacher and a good counselor, even at times when advices are not needed. One brother attends a college close enough to visit home on weekends, but is rather selective about it (e.g run out of Milo/shampoo/extra dirty laundry). Her other brother is currently sitting through SPM, experimenting the balance of getting through the stupid exam, and keeping sane, all in one breath (as of year 2009, he has officially graduated from high school, and is now joining his older brother in attending University). Her grandmother, well, we can fill three books with her oh-so-gracious activities, but we won't. Besides, this isn't a biography about her. It is about LESSAJINOMOTO.

She loves a marathon of John Grishams and Jeffery Archers. Reading to her, is one of the tools to make time pass by fast, when they don't seem to. She became visually impaired at a young age, due to unnatural light and heavy reading. Being vain as she is (though it does not show), she refuses to wear spectacles. She was as determined not to give in and wanted to prove to the world that she was better than any man with a perfect eye-sight. Thus, she found herself in many awkward situations. She could spot a public washroom, but occasionally walked into the one designated for the opposite sex. There are even times, when people could have perceived that she thinks she can walk through walls. Well, she definitely didn't perceive that thought, yet she walks into one anyway. Wanting her dignity restored, only then she agreed to a geeky spectacles, joining half a billion others who are doing so.

She can be found devouring tens of packets of snacks (e.g Cacho Chips) when found under extreme stress. She is a badminton and car-racing fanatic, who pretends to know all the rules and tries to tell the player what to do. She is capable of surviving on very little sleep, but that is probably due to her hyper-activity and workaholic character. Disregard any objections that she may hurl, about her life being a topsy-turvy drama. Knowing her will prove to you otherwise. She is addicted to her mp3 player, though she already has one integrated into the jelly brain of hers. She is also addicted to her 1996 manufactured Fujitsu lappy, who struggles to cough into life, and is on the brink of death any day now, as all electronic devices are made to do. If little Fujitsu dies, LESSAJINOMOTO goes with him, spiritually at least. Her little pet peeves are endless. Therefore we shall not put them here. She has a (un)founded fear of heights, Ronald McDonalds, clowns, an 'low battery' sign on her handphone/mp3 player, lorry drivers, etc.

A couple of years back, one may have bumped into LESSAJINOMOTO who will greet you by saying, "Hi, welcome to Indulgence. What would you like for breakfast this morning?". To make this clear, she never asked it out of sheer curiosity. And its not like she cared if one would have his/her bouts of nourishment to jump-start the day. She only says this line as it is all part and parcel of the job of being the ONLY waitress who is able to function in English. Which is followed by a treatment of a dirt by the customer-to-be. Now, it is different. One can now find LESSAJINOMOTO smiling at a parent saying, "Ah, you little (devils of a) children performed wonderfully today!! I will see you little (bratty) kiddies next week!!". She is now teaching in a studio and giving private piano lessons to jolly cute children (monkeys), both young and old. A lot of energy is being consumed there.

And she grows old, she does not want to be an old hag. Let's leave it at that.

[Short note : This was my lame attempt to write a biography. I am completely aware that it looks like an autobiography. I may be senile at times, but I am still able to tell the difference. May I then defend myself with the fact that at least, I'm trying. That has to count, doesn't it??]

Travel : Perhentian Island

My group of friends and I met in the airport last Friday to make a trip to Perhentian Island where we planned to do a little snorkeling...Perhentian Island is situated offshore on the coast of north eastern Malaysia, south of Thai border...

The speed boat ride towards the island, was quite bumpy, I must say...yes, the seas were quite rough and choppy...but I'm sure the driver was speeding as well...I literally had to fight the wind, because I could feel the wind trying to push me off my seat!!...my friends too was struggling to stick their arse on the plank...it seems to be on mid-air more than half the time, that I was really fearful they may fall off the boat...my butt felt bruised and raw when we finally reached our destination...the bumpy ride did come with advantages...for one, my friends was so occupied with self-balancing, that they totally forgot to be seasick...not bad...

We didn't waste much time that two days...I went for a round of photography while the boys sorted out their stuff...we were issued our snorkeling gear right after lunch...where we headed straight for the snorkeling sites...the boatman dropped us at the first destination...but we saw NOTHING...the water wasn't very clear as expected...and I gather it was because of the heavy rain the day before...it was only at our third destination that we managed to finally see some spectacular coral reefs...and it turned out to be fantastic!!...The place seems to be teeming with life...and curious fishes...

One of my friends brought an Olympus camera, which was waterproof and weather-proof (I forgot the model name, though)...we took a good lot of pictures on the coral reefs, but many of them turned out to be quite disappointing...*grin*...well, we still keep the pictures...but it was either blurred pictures of coral reefs...or the colours were not strong and striking...

The second day of snorkeling turned out to be the most eventful comparatively...we paid a visit to Redang island...and on our way there...we saw what I thought was a fat, dark man enjoying his swim off the shore...but hey, hey...what do you know...it was THREE turtles mating together!!...one male, another female...talk about being horny...that lucky bastard had 2 partners to keep himself busy!!...

The sea in Redang was much clearer...hence, visibility was much better...there was a larger variety of coral reefs and tiny sharks too...I attended to the coral reefs...but I kept away from the sharks...I'm uncomfortable about nibbling fishes...but sharks...are much worse, I think...

So these are a couple of things I've learn so far...

1. Fish absolutely LOVES dead skin...if you recall in my previous post, I fell down three days prior to this vacation...injured my left leg, bruised my right...scraped my left arm and bruised my right as well...so the wound was in the midst of healing...of course, it didn't heal instantly...so some dead skin was still hanging off my wound...and the fishes happily nibbled at it...and it felt SO ITCHY!!!...

2. Soaking an infected and injured leg on salty sea water may not be the best idea after all...it wasn't the soaking that hurt...it was the after effect!!...Walking on the beach or anywhere else after the hours of snorkeling was painful...not to mention stingy as well...though I am aware that salty water could help kill germs...so the boatman says...

3. The snorkel is created to help you breathe...it is not meant to stand in your way...I had my goggles with me, so I did without the mask...but as I was so used to letting my breathe out through my nose, the snorkel was pretty much useless to me..."You don't trust the snorkel to help you breathe"...was the comment a friend of mine gave...he is right, I suppose...but I'm not going to waste time telling my brain that...I snorkeled without the snorkel...

4. Life-jackets could be a nuisance at times...but you still have to put them on...as a rule, it was compulsory for us to put on the life-jackets while we snorkel...but it was getting so annoying!!...For one, I couldn't dive and touch the coral reefs that I was so itching to...(I finally did, btw...ditched the stupid jacket and just went in)...and it made swimming almost impossible!!...in fact, if anything...when you wear a life-jacket, where you go is dictated by where the waves bring you...but I wanted to go against the wave...and I wanted to go to the coral reefs pronto!!...Not wade and dwaddle like a duck...with so much to see, there just isn't time!!...

5. As long as there is food, be happy...food where we were staying, weren't that great...but at least we were fed...it was Malay food all the way, except for the last night where we had BBQ...but cool...we managed to stuff ourselves quite well...

6. The sea is an awesome being...I've spent more than half my day on the sea...have been through calm seas...and choppy ones...the most choppy of course, was a wave of half a metre high at max...I can't imagine how it feels like to face a 48 metre high wave!!...I have come to understand that it is a different set of rules altogether, when we go to the sea...and we have got to play by theirs in order to survive...I love to observe how the waves go in different directions, as the wind and current brings them...I am fascinated to hear about how boatman tells the storm by the movement of trees and fishes...I love the salty air, and cool wind the sea brings...but I am just not prepared to mess with them...in fact, after this trip, I feel a deeper respect for the sea...and will leave them at peace to do as they will...

7. Being away from the modern world is good...the yearning for technology is hefty too...there, in the beach...a 100 PLUS drink is RM3...while Internet access...is 30 cents/minute...that makes a freaking RM9 for just half an hour!!...a normal meal is no less than RM15...ah, the price we pay to stay away from the rat race...

Nevertheless, it was a good holiday...I was lifted from my depression...and I am feeling better about myself...I am photograph crazy once more...taking photos of "nonsensical stuffs" as my friends would call it...but I don't care...

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to tend to my sun-burnt skin...

Vacation