2009

There's just 9.5 hours left of 2009. As I sit in front of the computer thinking back to what I have done/achieved throughout the year, I can't help but feel as though I could have done more. Maybe I could have done more to help my family and friends; maybe I could have done more for myself; maybe I could have done more to contribute at work; maybe...just maybe...I could have done more.

It isn't as though I am unsatisfied with my actions in 2009. I'm pretty happy with all that went on in 2009 and if there were something that I would have liked to change, I don't think there's anything. Yes...on certain months or days I have felt as though I should just give up. Sighs. But then...I am always reminded of how lucky I am, first of all, to be alive, have a wonderful family and circle of friends, a job and money at the end of every month. Why should I complain?

2009 started with me scarring my knees!! Then there were two accidents that happened within months of each other. A grand-uncle made his transition into the next life. A cousin started her journey in her marriage life. A few celebrities left the world. There was an MGS reunion. Natural disasters punished Earth, reminding us of how vulnerable we are to the powers that we do not control.

A lot has happened in 2009. Personally, I don't think I have achieved much. But...I have grown. I have grown older; I have grown wiser; I have grown stronger. I may not have anything to show of my achievements but the fact that I am still alive, still have a job, still contributing to the family income, speaks a lot in my opinion. I may not have bought a new car or handphone; but neither am I in a credit card debt. Yes I have the usual car and study loans to pay off but then, I'm not drowning in debt. And I believe that's something to be proud off.

:-) I'm quite excited to start 2010. I've decided not to have a '2010 TO-DO LIST'. I had a 2009 list and from that list, I failed to strike off two items - one of which I won't mention here. The other is an on-going struggle, so technically I didn't fail. What is it that I'm talking about?? Putting on weight!!

And so...like I said...I've decided not to have a list. Just for a change. I already know what I want to happen in 2010 and hopefully by the end of next year, I would have achieved it!

To all who read my blog, here's wishing you a very very very HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May 2010 bring you all that you wish for and much much more! God bless always! Muax!

6 Tequila shots, 1 Bacardi Lemon = 1 whole day of hang over

To continue from my previous, we had a wonderful dinner of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, potato wedges, boiled carrots, sauteed onions and salad. During dinner, we drank water and coke.
The drinking session began after our meal. Prem, a close friend had bought a bottle of Tequila. He had promised my sister that we would have Tequila shots during her b'day last year but since that didn't happen, he made sure that we had it this year. So, shots of tequila went round the table, starting with him, then my mum, my sis and then me. I could not bring myself to gulp down the first shot. I was so nervous but since everyone had done their turn, I could not escape. Down my throat the liquid went and as fast and hard as I could, I bit into the lemon. The result? Not bad!! Haha!

So shot after shot of Tequila went round and after 6 shots each, the bottle was empty. Next came the Bacardi, thanks to my dad! By now, I was still fine and could walk to the toilet and back to the table steadily. So round two was Bacardi lemon. We each took our shots following the previous order. The Bacardi tasted better than the tequila. Then...

Then I stood up....and whoa.....I was unsteady!!! :-D I walked a few steps and then sat down on the floor coz my legs felt like jelly!! I waited for a few minutes, walked slowly to the bathroom, had a bath to freshen me up and went straight to bed!! My dad was worried about me that he helped me upstairs!!

The next morning was...well....I had a slight hang over. As long as I didn't stand upright, I was fine. If I walked in a crouch like position and moved slowly, I was fine. I felt nauseous the whole day. Although I tried to vomit so that I would feel better, I couldn't. After having a good bath and then having a nap in the afternoon, I awoke around 6pm feeling much better and my nausea gone! Thank God!

Now, I've decided that I'm going to have a sober New Year! I'll just eat more.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! And I couldn't agree more!! It's December 25th - CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas eve was spent at home. It was also my last working day of 2009 and for God knows what reason, I just felt soooo tired! I slept from the moment I came home!! Well...not exactly from the moment I came home. I fell asleep at around 8pm, got up to eat dinner, went to sleep again, got up at 1.30am to have a bath and then promptly went to my room and slept till the next morning!!! Talk about sleeping round the clock!!

So I got up at around 9.30am and the first thing on the agenda was PRESENTS!!! I got 4 gifts this year - 2 were food items and 2 were toiletries. All of which were what I really wanted!! :-)

Lunch was at one of my dad's musician friend's house. After that, we went grocery shopping for dinner. As I am writing this, mum is preparing dinner - Roasted chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, boiled carrots and sauteed onions. YUM!

Anyway, I just want to wish everyone a VERY VERY VERY MERRY XMAS!! GOD BLESS ALWAYS AND ENJOY THE DAY!!

Few more days to Xmas

OK...so I'm back from my hiatus. I've been so lazy to update my blog; but then again, nothing exciting has happened, so...

I spent the first 3 days of the past week on Penang Hill. It was my organisation's yearly 'Staff Planning Meeting' (a.k.a. Staff "Retreat") where almost the entire staff congregate in an isolated place for 3 days. We have day long meetings where we report on what we have done for the past year (since the last staff "retreat"), plan for the following year, and at the same time, bond with our fellow colleagues. The bonding part of the "retreat" is somewhat shrouded in hypocrisy as we are all supposed to be happy, have fun and enjoy each other's time. But then, there are among ourselves a certain amount of dislike (some even downright hatred) and so, it is here that we have to pretend and be hypocrites. Although I do not like admitting it and do not like practising it, but I too have become a hypocrite. I suppose that's survival.

I was not looking forward to the "retreat" at all. I mean, who wants to be stuck atop Pg Hill for 3 days, accompanied by the same people you see everyday for 8 hours!! The same people who made my stay at last year's retreat ok were not with me this year; but I had a new set of friends and this time, I must admit, I did enjoy my time although it was only after dinner, when we were given time to ourselves, did I enjoy myself.

Down from Pg Hill and had only one day of work before the long weekend. I went back late on Thursday as I had a meeting with my supervisor before she left for the Philippines.

On Friday, I spent the day finishing my Xmas shopping. I've bought gifts for everyone, had them wrapped and are now nicely under the tree.

So there's 5 more days to Xmas and I'm slowly getting into the mood. I suppose it's because I only have another 3.5 days of working before my organisation closes for the year. Also, I'm awaiting some good news and hopefully I get it!! :-)

I guess my next entry would be about how I spent Xmas, what gifts I got etc. I'll probably end the year with an entry on my reflection of 2009 and what I hope 2010 will be like.

Lazy

Ok...so it's been awhile since I last updated my blog. Frankly, nothing interesting has happened since the last post. Oh well...I attended Red FM's Love Classifieds party on Dec 5th and while I enjoyed myself watching all the games and the DJs' antics, I obviously did not find THE ONE as most of the guys there were old!! Some even came with their wives!! Why on earth would you go for a singles party with you wife in tow???

The year is almost ending with just 3 more weeks to go. Xmas is in two weeks and I've only got one present. Heck...my tree isn't even up yet! I've just been so lazy to do anything except go to work. Of course, I'm hoping to get some good news a few days before Xmas; and if, no, WHEN I do get the good news, I'll shout it to the world!! Wish me luck and pray for me!!

Hmmm....

Friday

So I watched the much anticipated 'New Moon'. My sister, her friend Kiran, and my three cousins joined me. Being the eldest in the group, I felt somewhat out of place and to add that, I was watching a movie made for teenagers!! Nevertheless, my enthusiasm didn't suffer. I was as giggly as they were; ooh-ing and aah-ing throughout the movie; and...call me lame, I thought the guys in the movie (read: Jacob Black and his pack of wolve brothers) were HOT!!! Damn!! Unfortunately, Taylor Lautner is just waayyy too young!! Sighs!

After the movie, my sis, Kiran and I went to fetch Trish (whose poor car was sick) . Since we were all starving and since it was a Friday night, we decided to go to Sunset Bistro. Coincidently, Kiran has been wanting to go there, so it was a 'kill-two-birds-with-one-stone' decision. Sadly for us, the kitchen was closed for the night at Sunset, so we had to make do with another cafe just beside Sunset Bistro. Of course, like many other cafes, this was empty and being the only patrons, we'd thought that we get fast service. How wrong we were!! To make matters worse, Hindi music was played on repeat the entire time (and loudly for that matter)!! Not only did we get our food late, we were all suffering from a headache at the end of it due to the music!!

Once we hastily wolved down our meals, we walked over to Sunset, where it was packed with people!! And...surprisingly, there were so many Indians!!! Getting a table was difficult enough; but to get the waiters' attention was a whole other problem!! It was as though they were deliberately ignoring us, so much so that my sis had to go up to them to ask for a menu!!

Kiran had a 'Sex on the Beach' (which was basically vodka and orange juice) and my sis and I shared a 'Screaming Orgasm' (vodka, kahlua, baileys and cream). The names given to these drinks is of course something to talk about. But I will not get into it. Kiran's drink was rather nice; light and not so strong, which bodes well as I can now order that the next time. As for the drink my sis and I ordered, well, it was really strong!! It was worth the price we paid considering the amount of alcohol it had inside!!

The night ended pretty late for us as we only left Sunset around 1am.

Saturday

Since my mum did not have to go to the market this morning, my sis and I got the luxury of sleeping in!! :-) There was no breakfast this morning as by the time we woke up and read the papers and filled my mum up on our outing, it was already noon.

I needed to buy a shoe since all my high heels were borken; and so we decided to go out for lunch and then shop. Lunch was chicken rice and then we headed to Prangin Mall. Scouring various shoe shops, finding the perfect pair (and I use the term 'perfect' very lightly) was difficult!! It was either too high, too low or no heels at all, too expensive, NO SIZE or even uncomfortable!!

Finally, I found a pair at the Thai Fair that was on-going in the mall. The fit was right, the look was right and the price reasonable. I decided to wear the shoes on the way back walking to the car (so that I could "break" into it) and OMG...it was a mistake and also a blessing in disguise!!

The short walk from Prangin Mall to the carpark, cost me two blisters!!! Thank God I decided to wear it before Tuesday (I have a meeting then)!! Right now, my feet are hurting from the two blisters but I am determined to "break" into the shoe and wear it on Tuesday.

I watched a Hindi movie (Dil Bole Hadippa) that afternoon. It starred Shahid Kapoor and Rani and once again, I fell for Shahid Kapoor's body!! It was HOT!!

Hmmm....I seem to like guys who have hot bodies; the type who has six-packs(pecks??), borad shoulders etc!! Haha....I'm so taken in by what I see in movies, on tv and what I read in books, it's going to be so hard lowering my expectations when it comes to reality!! As it is, Trish has already been telling me that I'm such an imaginist; while my sis (who's also like me) and I have constantly been telling each other that we HAVE to stop watching, reading and dreaming about these so-called great guys. Sighs...There's only so much we can hope for but if we do expect to get guys like the ones we see on tv or read in books, then I guess we're doomed to be spinsters for life!!

Oh well....I'll stop here for now. Else I'll just continue babbling...

The secret alcoholic in me??

My mum was a wild person back in her hey-days!! She drank, she smoked, she partied all night long, here in Malaysia, in Hong Kong and God knows where else!! She slowed down a bit once she got married and we kids started appearing. She did go out occasionally, to see my dad play or just to have the "much-needed" girls' night out.

My sis and I grew up in an open environment. Since dad was away pretty much during our entire childhood, my mum brought us up in what I would call it a "truthful-no-nonsense" environment. She's one of those "you-make-your-bed-you-lie-in-it" sort of person and I'm grateful that she is that way, even until today. She lets us make our own mistakes and learn from them; let's us make own our choices and then deal with whatever the consequences are etc. But I digress.

What I want to say is, despite being the fun, wild person she was in her younger days (though I have to admit, she is the life of most parties even till today!!), my sis and I somehow did not inherit that trait from her!! We are in fact quite the opposite.

We don't go clubbing; we don't smoke: as for drinking, up until a few weeks ago, we only ever drank alcohol with our parents' present!! It's not like they're full of rules, saying you can't do this, you can't do that; don't drink alcohol, don't smoke! Nope! My parents are in fact the total opposite!

My parents actually ENCOURAGES me and my sis to go out, experience the world, do fun things!! All within limit of course. But somehow, my sis and I don't feel the need to do those things. I suppose it's because we know that our parents will let us do what we want and that they trust us.

And so...like I said, up until a few weeks ago, my sis and I only ever drank alcohol with my parents being around.

A few weeks ago, my friend invited us to go to Hard Rock for the opening and that sort of brought us out from our shells. Of course, smoking is a NO-NO as inhaling second-hand smoke is enough to kill me!! I stop at corrupting (or poisoning) my liver with cocktails, beer etc. I somehow, in my 25th year of existence, find myself beginning to like drinking!! *Gosh* I started slow at first but the more I go out, the more I drink!! *Gasp*

At Hard Rock, I had only one beer. The following week, at Sunset Bistro, I had something stronger. I had a S'pore Sling. Last night, at QE2, since it was Ladies' Night and all the drinks were free, I had.....3 Vodka cocktails, 2 shots of Black Label (neat!) and a Kahlua (which tasted like Kopiko!!). I didn't get drunk nor did I feel high. Although I did feel a bit sleepy. My sis had 4 Vodka cocktails and she felt fine too.

*Grimacing* I wonder what or rather how far I would go next?? I don't fancy getting drunk and embarassing myself in front of my friends. Nope...I'd rather do that with my parents around, though I am sure I'll never hear the end of it should that ever happen!!

Hmmm........do I detect a growing alcoholic in me???

The Past Week

After our outing at Hard Rock last Friday, the week after that was spent shifting. My office shifted to a new house and so for the past week, I have been packing and shifting and arranging furniture and dusting and cleaning. Basically, no work was done. Even when everything was settled, all the tables and computers and chairs arranged, no work was done as the internet had not been installed.

The week past fast and I for one was glad. Friday night arrived fast and my sis and I spent that night at Gurney, watching MJ's This Is It movie. Thanks to Trish, we managed to get tickets for the day after the opening. As a fan, I've been anxiously waiting for the movie to come out. Although the whole "movie" is basically of interviews and rehearsals, it was worth it. I got to watch a genius at work. Until I watched this movie, all I've seen of MJ are his music video clips and taped concerts. Therefore, to see him rehearsing, making mistakes, perfecting his moves, singing and music, it was a pleasant change.

This Is It showed us what a great musician and entertainer MJ was. One particular part in the movie which made me smile was the part when he was "discussing" a particular music melody with a musician. To an amateur, whatever the musician played sounded perfect but MJ refused to accept the melody and insisted that the musician "feel" it. He arrogantly said, "I want it to be played the way I wrote the song. So feel it". To me, that was a master genius at his best - knowing what he wants and demanding that he gets it.

I left the cinema with mixed feelings. I was happy that I got to watch the movie as it showed another side of MJ. However, I couldn't help but feel sad and cheated as the movie showed us, the world, what a fantastic concert This Is It would have been.

Saturday - we spent the morning following my mum to the market and then we headed to a jumble sale at St.Nicholas. After that, we had a late brunch.

That night, Trish, I and my sis went to Sunset Bistro. As it was their 4th Anniversary, there was a guest singer and a few shows presented by the Sunset Staff. After "limiting" myself to a beer at Hard Rock, I decided to drink at Sunset. So, after having a glass of Ice Blended Capuccino, I ordered a Singapore Sling. I'd drank this drink at Planet Hollywood before and I loved it then. But somehow, the drink tasted horrible! I felt as though I was drinking cough mixture!! My sis had a Margarita and Trish had A Day At The Beach, both of which also tasted like cough mixture!! Maybe it was just my mouth!! I had a good time as the setting was nice and the place was full of people. The fact that we were on the beach and sand was everywhere only added to the atmosphere.

Now that I've tasted quite a few cocktails, I'm on a mission to find a drink that will suit my tastebuds. Maybe I'll try a Tequila Sunrise next. Or a Pina Colada. Or a Sex On The Beach. Hmmm.......

"Coming of age"

Nachos, alcoholic drinks, good music, great environment and fantastic company - these marked my so-called "coming of age" night. Having never experienced any clubbing or drinking of alcohol WITHOUT my parents being around, last night, Trish, my sis and I went to Hard Rock for its soft opening of the cafe. After much debate, indecision and "obstacles" (my sis is underage), we managed to get into the cafe and enjoy ourselves. The worry we had about being checked or of my sister being left out as she is underage was all water under the bridge, as we sat at the table, near to the stage, sipping our drinks and picking (I say picking coz we had to order some food as we "conned" the hostess into letting us in early during dinner time and we already had dinner) on the nachos we ordered and enjoyed the music. The fact that I've not been clubbing or drunk any alcohol without my parents' presence just goes to show how "ulu" I am!! Of course, when I drank wine and beer while I was in India...well...that's not counted!! HAHA!

The table in front of us consisted of 4 ladies celebrating one of the gals' bachelorette night. They were dressed to kill, complete in shorts, fish net stockings, a garter around the bride-to-be's thigh, paper crowns and a sash. They'd been there long before we arrived and we could see that they were already 'high'. Things went up a notch when another of their girlfriend arrived. THe newbie was a socialite and managed to get some other patrons to dance and take part in the ridiculous gags that she came up with for the bride-to-be.

The band was good - they really kept the crowd entertained, although I felt as though the female singer of the band had a worm in her body as the way she danced was just so funny!! It was as though she was constantly wriggling!! Haha!! I think the best part was when the band broke into the YMCA song and all the Hard Rock employees came out and stood on stools and the bar and danced to the song!

My sister had her fantasy fulfilled when she got to drink the "Ultimate Bloodmary" - though she struggled to finish it as it tasted awful. I know this as I tasted it. I stuck to the conventional beer as the prices of the drinks were high; plus, Trish had said that the mixed drinks were not that good.

We left the place at about 1am, but not before we had our fill of taking pics around the hotel. Pics are on FB!!

Thanks to Trish for inviting us and for paying for the drinks!! !! Thanks to my dad for helping us get my sis in and also checking up on us!!

Next stop is Sunset Bistro for Halloweens!!

And it's all over once again

Two full days of festivities - eating, drinking, laughing, talking loudly. Ahhh.....I wait for this every year, when everyone is gathered in a small house, enjoying each other's company, catching up on the past year's happenings, all while munching on murukus and other little titbits.

Deepavali is the festival of lights and indeed...I do feel that this festival lights up our lives. You can see it in the lights that shine from every Hindu house; from the smiles and eyes of grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins; on the neighbours' face when you share with them all the murukus, ghee balls, cookies etc; and also...I believe, on the faces of the Gods.

This year, once again, I had a blast. Of course...all this would not have happened but for the long list of "things to-do": washing, cleaning, making the muruku etc!! Not forgetting the "almost" tragedy that happened which rendered my poor aunt immobile during Deepavali.

Anyhow, as usual, Deepavali eve saw the whole family gathered at my grandparents' house for the prayers. Although the eve is set for prayers to the deceased, it always becomes a reunion of sorts, as EVERYONE will be there. It's as though there's a silent rule that says, "Everyone in the Arumugam family has to be present on the eve of Deepavali". This I find especially weird because, instead of everyone gathering on Deepavali day itself, we do it on the eve!! Anyway, there was the usual GREAT food and FANTASTIC company despite the usual delay in beginning the prayers. I suppose this was expected since the prayers ALWAYS starts late (every year)!!

Deepavali day of course saw most of us dressed in our new outfits. I saw 'most of us' as my grandmothers and aunts opted for the more comfortable "housecoats" as they were busy cooking. After having brunch, we cousins then proceeded to have our annual photography session.

There are only a few of us here as other cousins came later in the day and some are overseas.

By mid-afternoon, we were all tired and so my family and I headed home to have a siesta. That night, we returned to my grandparents' house for dinner and more laughter. :-)

As always, I enjoyed Deepavali this year and it's a bummer that I have to return to work tomorrow. If only my holiday could be longer....haiz!! HAHA!!

More pics on Facebook!

Deepavali preparations

The yearly gathering at my grandparents' house this year saw a smaller group present. Since the majority of the usual "gatherers" have left Penang, the group this year was narrowed down to my sis, two aunts, grandma and me. One week ago, we all gathered to make the all-time favourite "kulcha" - a delicious yet work-consuming delicacy. It takes a long time and a lot of work just to make this "kulcha" but the end result is always satisfying. As I said, it's an all time favourite among the grandkids and also the grown-ups (oldies). And to add, the "kulcha" is a family recipe - no one else knows how to make it!! :-)

Yesterday was 'muruku' making day. One of aunts went to KL and so the group was even smaller. To make matters worse, my sister and mum got sick. Both were vomiting and had diarrhea (food poisoning) and so, that left the group with just three pairs of hands!! My grandma was stationed at the stove, my aunt was in charge of the flour and I had the all important job of pressing and designing the murukus!! [My arms hurt today]

The first batch went well with no incidents. However, at the start of the second batch, something bad happened. The gas pipe that was connected to the stove came out of its place and that started a fire in the kitchen!! Amidst trying to put the fire out and pulling the gas tanks out of the way, my aunt got burned!! Thank God her dress did not catch fire and although she was not in the fire for a long time, her legs got burned. We rushed her to the bathroom and doused cold water all over her legs to stop the pain. There was no peeling skin or anything but she had a blister (the kind you get when you come in contact with an exhaust pipe) on the back of her thigh.

I told my grandma and aunt that we should stop making muruku and that I could do it at home but they refused. We cleaned up the kitchen, threw away the pipe and small gas stove that was used, and promptly got back to work. My aunt was in constant pain as her legs were smarting from the burn but she insistently said she was fine.

We finally finished everything at 1am and my sis and I went home. Today, when I called my aunt to ask how she was, she said that the pain was gone although now, blisters had appeared around her ankles as she had been wearing silver anklets. We took her to the doc for a check-up, where she was given cream and painkillers.

The fire yday really gave all of us a shock. I'm really thankful that nothing seriously bad happened and that everyone is okay!! To think that the whole house could have caught fire!!! I'm really really glad and thankful to God that nothing bad happened!!

Of being exhausted and having to put up with tense people for days

I'm finally back at the office after having spent the past 5 days at Copthorne Hotel for my organisation's Conference and Congress that were held back-to-back! These meetings were THE meetings of the year. The idea came up in January-February and from then on, it was go-go-go. Despite having hired a conference coordinator all the way from the Philippines, whose sole job was to organise the conference and congress, nevertheless, everyone at the office got saddled with extra work!! I was put into the "meeting kit" and logistics team, in addition to being in charge of one of the nights' special events, The Night of Inspiration. That workload was an addition to the 4 workshops that was being organised by my programme over the course of the conference and congress.

The long Raya holidays were cut short as we had to come back to work on Tuesday (22nd) and from that Tuesday, it was non-stop work. We came to the office early and left late. When we shifted our office to the hotel, things seemed to speed up. For those of us commuting, it was especially tiring as the program, as usual, always overshot the time schedule.

Despite a few hiccups and with missing delegates from the Philippines due to the typhoon (which affected the whole program), the conference and congress went on smoothly. By the second last days, tensions were high. Everyone was tired.

The congress ended yesterday and next Monday was declared a holiday for us!! Yippie!! In addition, we could come in to work later today, instead of the usual 9am.

For now...all I need/want to do is sleep. But...with Deepavali coming in two weeks' time, I'll have to get started on the shopping!!

Eid Mubarak!

TO ALL MY FRIENDS OUT THERE

I'D LIKE TO WISH YOU GUYS....

EID MUBARAK!!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI!!

Closure

Finally...I have closure. After studying hard for 3 years to earn my Law degree and waiting another 2 years just to don the graduation robe and mortar board, I can finally close that chapter of my life and look ahead. Now that I've had my graduation lunch gathering, donned the robe and mortar board and taken the pictures, I can finally begin to look forward to achieving something else. What's on my mind at the moment is to find a new, better paying job. That's my next goal and I'm not going to stop doing anything I can to achieve that!!

Below are two pics. My computer can't read the CD that the bridal house gave me, so until I figure out a way to get the pics from the CD, this is it for now.

Solo and family pictures.

9 hours of talking non-stop

So I had my usual meet up with Trish yesterday. We have this occasional meet ups after long intervals. She's busy then I'm busy and when we finally have a day when we can actually meet up, the long intervals between our meetings actually takes a toll on us as we usually spend hours just talking over cups and cups of drinks.

I met up with her at the IJM building as she had another signing though it was a Sunday!! Then we headed off to Gurney where she had a rather late lunch at Chilly's. A few hours were spent there as we had rounds of bottomless fruit juices and iced lemon tea and tortillada chips. Amidst talking and gorging ourselves with the chips and dips, I manage to "save" her MacBook by efficiently and literally 'shaking' a mini-disc out of her MacBook!! Once we had our fill, we went (or rather she) went shopping. We met her "long-time-no-see" friend Mathan who was emceeing an event at the ground level concourse area; we met Phaik Luan and her mum who were shopping for gowns; and we also met Jia Yit at Nando's who was there with his whole family celebrating his dad's birthday.

With our feet tired and with Trish's shoulder aching from lugging her MacBook around, we headed to Coffee Bean, where we had cheese cake and ice-blended coffees. Thanks Trish, for 'belanja-ing'!! Another few hours were spent there, gossipping, eating, drinking, on-lining and gossipping. We finally left Gurney at midnight after we were practically "chased" away from Coffee Bean (they were already closing the lights and cleaning up the place).

Going out with Trish is always fun although it's only the two of us. We're on the same wave length, can talk about anythinga and everything; we can even disagree on things and yet come out fine. :-)

It was a nice way to spend a Sunday!

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

It's Merdeka day!! The day we achieved independence 52 years ago!! It is a day to really be proud of, for it signifies our freedom from the clutches of foreign control and power.

For the past year and a half, ever since the ruling government lost a significant majority in the last general elections, there has been much talk about the integrity, responsibility and efficacy of the government; and much of that talk has been of the negative. In my entry today, I would prefer to stick to talking about the good things that is Malaysia, especially in this time when everything seems to be haywire.

Malaysia has always and will always been known as a multi-racial/multi-ethnic country. That's what makes Malaysia unique. The fact that its people are of different races and religion living together in harmony and with respect is truly a point to salute.

Off the top of my mind, I can think of three things that show how Malaysia has really grown in terms of being united:

1) There are more inter-marriages now than before. And I don't just mean the marriages between the Indians and Chinese, but also of the Chinese and Malays...etc. The willingness to commit to a different religion and lifestyle just goes to show how we have all evolved and have finally begun to see past colour and religion.

2) 'Mamak' shops now boasts of having multi-racial customers, enjoying their cup of 'teh tarik' and 'roti canai'. Even the Chinese are learning and enjoying the spicy delights of Indian food. One good example is my brother Jared who is half-Chinese and half-Filipino. With that biological traits in him, he could not, for the life of him, eat anything spicy!! But...with constant practice and lunches at my aunt's house where curry and chillies are staple food, Jared has "taught" his Chinese-Filipino tongue to accept spicy-ness!! Hahaha!! He has indeed grown so much that he now eats chillie padi!!!!

3) And of course...who can forget the infamous "lah" that accompanies almost every word or sentence. I bet that we can recognise a Malaysian anywhere in the world from that very word: 'LAH'!

It is sad to see that the problems or issues of racism seem to stem from the very people that are supposed to symbolise unity: the government. I don't see the people being racist. I don't see celebrities being racist or practising racism. It is those in power that seem to that this racism issue so personally.

I just hope that...before it's too late, people will learn and realise that race and religion is a private issue. It should not be made into something political or a problem.

HAPPY MERDEKA MY FELLOW COUNTRY MEN (WOMEN)!!

Finally...I'm officially a graduate!

(L): Sun Yat Sun building where we had out lunch.

(R): Group shot!

Finally...after two years of waiting, my much anticipated graduation took place; although there was no ceremony to receive my scroll. Nevertheless, after two years, to actually HAVE a gathering was good enough!!

So...the graduation lunch gathering was held on the 22nd of August at 'The Sun': Spring Chamber Restaurant. Only a small group attended the lunch along with a few lecturers and also the principal of the college. Lunch was from 12pm-3pm. There was lots of laughter and chatter as we reminisce the past, talking about our college days and how the lecturers had to endure our antics. Business cards were distributed, work experiences were shared and pictures were taken as we enjoyed our 3-hour lunch. 2 years have passed and yet, it felt like it was only yesterday that we sat for our final exams and left college. :-) It was a good gathering. Oh...we also signed up to be part of our college alumni.

And then it was Sunday...and it was photo-shoot day!! I've waited two years to don the robe and mortar board and I finally fulfilled my long awaited dream. I had thought that I would have to give up the chance of ever getting my graduation picture taken. But I guess God is on my side and also with my believe in The Secret my dream was fulfilled.

With my make-up done professionally, me dressed in my robe and mortar board, and my family present, my photo-shoot took place. After nearly 2 hours of smiling and posing (for solo shots and family shots) the photo shoot was over. One thing that I regret is, because we did not have the ceremony, I did not have the chance to take pictures with my fellow classmates. Nevetheless, trusted Trish was on hand and together, we manage to take pictures together, complete in our robes and mortar board!! :-)

Here are the pics taken with my camera:

Gossiping

Gossiping - idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.

Yesterday, after months of turning down, re-scheduling and postponing our catch up, Trish and I finally met up. We both decided to have dinner together. I met her at her new office after work, where she showed me her very own room(!!), new computer (!!) and uh...well...basically, that's it. Haha!! Her new office is nice; it's modern in design with black walls and it doesn't look like the typical office setting as the cubicals for the clerks are all of the modern design. But I digress.

We were to have dinner together and had initially decided to go to Gurney. However, being a Friday night, as expected the route to Gurney was jammed. So plans had to be changed and we ended up going to Ananda Bhawan in Tanjung Bungah (although I had banana leaf for lunch that day!!).

The Ananda Bhawan outlet in Tanjung Bungah has a very nice setting, which is basically to attract tourists; but it also serves as a good place to hang out and not to forget that the food is also good. So...while we waited for our order of Mutton Briyani, Tandoori Set, Cheese Tosai, Sirap Ice and Bru Ice Coffee to arrive, we did what we always do: GOSSIP.

We talked about so much of stuff and about so many people. After all, it's been nearly two months since we last met and in almost 60 days, a lot can happen. Even as our food arrived, the pace in which we were talking did not slow down. We talked and talked and talked, then ordered a second round of drinks, then continued talking and talking.

All in all...we talked for nearly 4 hours!! And the place was actually closing by the time we left (though there were still other customers there)!!. Half way through our conversation, we stopped and reflected on what we were doing i.e. gossiping. We wondered whether what we were doing was right. After all...we were talking about people we call friends (some of them anyway).

In my book (and Trish's) I think what we were doing (and will always be doing!!) is okay. Yes we're gossiping but we're not spreading rumours or lies. She updates me on what she's heard or talked about or experienced, and I do the same. If not for this 'gossiping', there's nothing to talk about, we realised!!

In the end, we decided that we will continue gossiping. If it doesn't hurt anyone, then what's the problem right?

On the way back, we still had not finished talking!! Even when we reached my house, I continued sitting in the car talking!!! Haha!!

I suppose she's right in saying that, between us, there will never be a silent moment. There will always be something to talk about. So...to many more hours of more gossiping!! :-)

August 15th 2009

On August 15th 1990 - A small, fair, bald-headed, chubby baby girl was born. She was the centre of attention when she returned from the hospital; but she was also the envy of her elder sister.

Fast forward to August 15th 2009, this baby girl who will turn 19, is still the envy of her elder sister. Who's this OLD teenager, who will be celebrating her last year of being a teen? My sister!!

I've had 18 years of fighting, arguing, hair pulling, shouting, kicking etc...you name it...we've done it. But despite all the crying and shouting and occasional ignoring, we've had loads of time laughing (most of the time at my mother's expense), joking, bonding and simply enjoying each other's company. Not to mention the comparing!! I can't stand the fact that she has natural brown hair and is fairer than me!! Haha....even so, there are people who say that we look so much alike. Though there are some dimwits who have asked her if I was her MOTHER!! Stupid, blind people!! But I digress.



I think I can safely say for the both of us that without one another, life will be difficult. She's always been there (here) for me when I need a shoulder to shout at, throw a tantrum, complain or just bitch about people. She does things for me when I am tired or lazy (though it takes a hell lot of cajoling!!). And.....she's good for my wardrobe!! Hehe...since the both of us are thin (though people ALWAYS say she's okay in size), we can share everything from jeans to t-shirts to shorts!!

We are so close that people find it hard to believe we are THAT close!! We are always asked whether we fight or not. I suppose in this day and age, it's hard to find sisters who are so close. In fact, we even get complimented on being such good sisters, so much so that we are some-sort of a role model to my cousins!! Haha!!

It's fun having a younger sister. Though we are 6 years apart in age...sometimes those 6 years seem to be invisible. She reminds me that age is just a number and that we will always be young if we put our heads to it; while I teach her the rudiments or rather the survival of growing up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAYSHNAVEE!! MY BABY SISTER!! LOVE YA LOTS!

Decision Made

Ok...after much thought, frantic calls, much persuasion and countless SMSes, the decision has been made. I am going for the very very very belated graduation gathering. Although the number of attendees (so far) is a mere 11 people, I've decided...what the heck??!! At least I won't be alone. Apparently, the rental of the graduation robe comes together with the lunch; and that we cannot just rent the robe. So we really had no choice.

After much clarification and persuasion, we (my friends and I) had to accept that we have to pay for the lunch in order to get the much wanted robe as it was a package. [We wanted to just rent the robe so we could get our photos taken, but alas, we couldn't just rent the robe. Furthermore, we want the ACTUAL robe with the correct colours and stripes, not just any robe that can be rented at the shop]Although lunch will not be served at a hotel but rather a restaurant, GOOGLE put our fears to rest as we found out that the restaurant is new, of fine dining standard and the place actually looks nice. Now all we can hope for is that the food tastes just as good as the place looks!! :-)

Well...looks like 2 years of waiting is finally coming to an end. I can't wait to go for the lunch and then to get my photos taken, so that I can finally put one phase of my life behind me. For two years I've felt as though I have had no closure. No end or rather no proof of 4 years of hard work and brain damage!! Haha!

It will also serve as a proud and memorable moment for my parents; to show that they have a graduate daughter; to stand tall next to me holding my scroll and dressed in my robe and mortar board. The picture alone (with my parents and sister smiling) will speak a thousand words. Words that will come from my smile, saying, "without my parents (and sister) I would not be where I am today". And words from my parents' smiles, that will say, I have done them proud!

Dilemma

The day that I've been waiting for, for the past two years is finally about to arrive. Two years of waiting and harassing people; and finally, it's about to happen. Though the excitement has long been diminished, the feeling once again re-surfaced when I got the call. Excitement, anticipation, relief.

But wait... all that vanished just as soon as it returned; two years is indeed a looong time to wait for something so significant. However, the significance soon died down, when people moved on and achieved greater things; things far more important than a graduation gathering.

I never had and never will have a graduation ceremony where I would gather in a hall with my classmates, walk on stage to receive my scroll when my name is called and take endless pictures, all this being witnessed by my family. That day has long gone. The "day" that is to arrive is actually of a gathering of graduates from the past two years; a "formality" gathering that the college is organising to 'acknowledge' that we have indeed graduated. It'll be a lunch affair, complete with us (or whoever's going) wearing the robe and mortar board.

The sad thing is (to which my dilemma stems from), my friends do not want to attend this function. It's been too long and some of them are already certified lawyers who have recently just been called to the Bar. No point in going back in time just to have this "graduation", they say. I agree with them. But at the same time, I'm thinking, I'm never going to be a lawyer. I'm never going to be called to the Bar, so I'll never have that "achievement"/"closure" that marks an end of a person's education route.

Hence my dilemma....do I attend the gathering knowing none of my friends will be there? Do I attend the gathering for the sake of wearing the robe and mortar board and having small talk with my ex-lecturers? Do I snub the gathering; the gathering which I have fought so hard for this past two years? After all, it'll be weird (and wrong, in my opinion) to not go after harassing the college to have one.

My rationale is this: What's the point of going to the gathering where you'll be the lone person from your batch? I'll still rent the gown and go for the studio photo session with my family (this I will not miss!!). But do I go for the gathering?

Review

It's the 1st of August, and although I should have done this two months ago, to be honest, it didn't enter my mind until yesterday. What am I talking about? Why...my 2009 To-Do List of course!! At the beginning of the year, I made a list of things to-do or rather I would like to achieve by the year end. And like anyone on a mission, I think a review of the past 6 (7) months is due. What have I done in the 1st half of year and have I achieved anything? How many items on my list have I crossed out??

Well...there are 5 items on my To-Do List and so far, I've managed to strike off two items (clap clap clap!!) and deleted one item off the list as I figured that was something that's not realistic for this year. It's on my next year's list though!! I still want to do it!!

And so...as far as the review goes...I'm right on schedule. 7 months have passed and two items have been struck off. The remaining two items pose a bit of a problem as one of them has been a goal I've been trying to achieve for years. It's probably going to take me another few years. Only God knows. As for the other, it's not really something to achieve I just realised but rather, it's on-going. So far, I've managed to stick to it quite diligently and I hope to continue to do so.

Well...two more items with 4 months to go. I think I can complete my To-Do List. We'll see...

Weekend Getaway

This weekend, my aunt, dad, sis and I had a short getaway. We went to visit an uncle and his family in Ipoh. This uncle had lived more than half his life in Penang, getting married there and having his four children borned there as well. But when his new job posted him to Ipoh, he had no choice but to move there. Initially, he had stayed by himself in Ipoh and traveled back to Penang every weekend. However, with the petrol costs rising and having to drive to and fro just to spend what little time he had with his family, he decided that it was best that the whole family followed him to Ipoh. After much discussion and planning (and protest from the kids!), the whole family moved to Ipoh at the end of 2008.

Since he moved there, everyone except my family have visited Ipoh. For my family, work commitments and with everyone's different schedules, there was not one time available when everyone could just leave Penang for the weekend and make the trip there. Even this weekend's trip was impromptu. Everything was discussed, argued, negotiated and planned on Friday before we left on Saturday morning. The problem was, my sister and I had thought that it was to be a day trip, with us travelling there in the morning and returning that night. But everyone thought that it would be just wasting time.

When we found out it was a one-night stop over, we were reluctant to go. Furthermore, my sis has her mid-term exams next week; with four papers held over the entire week!! Travelling over the weekend would be wasting time and she would not have the comfort of studying in a comfortable and familiar place. Nevertheless, since we have not visited my uncle since he moved there, we decided to compromise and go. (Plus, another aunt and uncle from KL were going to be there as well.) That way, if ever there was a time that needed us to go, we could always say..we compromised the last time!! Hehehe....very sneaky of us.

Anyway...we left at 10.30am on Saturday morning. The journey was expected to take around 2.5hours. However, as luck would have it, we missed the Ipoh toll and ended up going all the way to Simpang Pulai, extending our journey by another hour!! After numerous calls to my uncle and then waiting for him to guide us back to his house, we reached the house at 1.30pm. Just in time to have a wonderful lunch. After lunch, we had a feast of locals fruits (mangosteens, rambutan, langsat). Then it was time for the customary afternoon nap.

Tea came and we had cendol and various types of keropok. There was also fried nuggets and sausages cooked in BBQ sauce. Then...while the adults watched the MU Vs. M'sia match on tv, some of us played badminton, some played video games and some just hung around. My sis took the opportunity to do some revision.

Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant, paid by my generous uncle. After filling our stomachs with butter prawns, Thai-style fish, petai, vege and Japanese taufu, we all went for a drive around Ipoh town. We then adjourned back to the house. Everyone changed into their PJs. Some slept early, some watched tv while my dad and uncles chitchatted. They chitchatted till 4am!!

I was the first one up the next morning. Then slowly, one by one, my aunts, cousins and uncles woke up. My two aunts and uncle went to the market, while the ones at home just lazed around and ate a breakfast of tosai and coconut chutney.

My sis and I had initially compromised with my dad that we would only agree to the trip if we could leave on Sunday morning. But lo and behold, when Sunday morning came, we were still in Ipoh!! After breakfast, my uncle took us (the Penangites and KLites) to Taman Rekreasi Gunung Lang. We spent about an hour there, taking the boat ride to the park on the other side of the lake, and explored the place.

After that, we went to get the famous keropok that Ipoh is famous for. Back at the house, a lunch of briyani, mutton, fish and vege was awaiting us. After tucking in, we finally left Ipoh! We left at 3.15pm and were home in Penang by 5pm.

Although we had complained and were reluctant to make this trip, I must say that I enjoyed myself. One night is definitely not enough. The next trip (yes..the next trip!!) we would need at least 2-3 nights to fully enjoy ourselves.

It is tiring travelling over the weekend and then rushing back on Sunday so that we can make it in time for work on Monday. Plus, the weekend goes faster and I hate the feeling of "Tomorrow's Monday again!". Oh well...that's life...

2 years later

For those of you who have been reading my blog, you'd have notice that I have had one or two entries venting out at my missed opportunity of having my graduation ceremony. I finished my final exams in June 2007 and got my results in September the same year. By right, in October or November of that year, I should have been worn my graduation robe and celebrated with my friends, our success at having survived the gruelling three years of law school. Instead, we were "asked" to wait for our juniors and that we would have a combined graduation ceremony the following year, for the simple reason that my graduating class was too small.

One year later and we were still waiting. Even the juniors started wondering whether they would have their ceremony. And as expected, there was no ceremony or even news about it. Weeks passed, months passed and soon it was 2009. All that time, I was e-mailing my ex-lecturers, asking them about our ceremony. I think my "questioning" bordered on harassment!!

My ex-classmates (now close friends) told me to forget about it coz the college was obviously not going to grant us one. But I felt cheated. I mean, when it came to paying our fees, they were so insistent and strict, to the point that they would hold on to our results until we made a complete payment. But now that we have paid our fees in full and have actually finished our course, they cheat us out of a well-deserved, well-earned graduation ceremony. Having a photo with me wearing a robe and the mortar board is no big deal; but then again, I want to have that picture!!

I could not let it go. My friends went on to do the CLP and with that, they got to have some sort of graduation, complete with wearing the robe and taking pics. I did not have that opportunity, so I wanted my ceremony! It came to a point when I almost gave up. But I decided to try one final time. I asked my mum to call the college and talk to the principal. She was assured that there would be some sort of "gathering" for the graduates to "acknowledge" us, sometime around June. The call was made in January or February, I can't remember.

June came and went. And I too gave up! Heck, I actually forgot about it being so involved and busy with work. Until I got a call from an ex-lecturer yesterday afternoon, informing me of the "good news"!! Imagine my surprise and excitement!! I was told that it would be in the next 2-3 weeks at one of the hotels and that currently, the college is doing a headcount to determine the number of attendees. I of course immediately contacted my friends (who told me it was no big deal). But then again, it is a big deal to me! I've had almost two years of answering queries as to why I have not had a graduation and how come I do not have a picture!! Well...come August, I will no longer have to answer them. I can just show them the pictures!! :-)

I'm so excited! Finally...I get to wear the robe and mortar board, have a belated celebration with my friends and finally put it all behind me!!

The tears are gone but the memory lingers

So I watched the much anticipated memorial to MJ last night and as expected, tears did wet my cheeks. Though I've seen snippets of the memorial over a few channels and heard some of the speeches on the radio, it did not lessen the sadness or prevent the tears from falling.

It was clearly visible that everyone on staged was touched, inspired and influenced by MJ, and it was clear as crystal how affected they were by his demise. For a no one like me to feel so deeply about MJ's passing, I can only imagine how the people he knew feels.

Yes...I'm getting a little carried away with my grief as can be seen from the comments garnered on my FB page; but then...the KING did die.

Anyhow...I can go on and on about how I feel, what the world has lost and how there will never another MJ. But I stop here. For I believe that there is no need to add on to what is already out there. How we feel individually and as a whole about MJ...I'm sure he knows it and can finally see it for himself from up above.

And my tears continue to flow...

It's been two weeks since Michael Jackson's shocking death; and in those two weeks, I've heard his songs over and over and I've read news about him from every available newspaper, magazine etc.

Early this morning, there was a memorial for him, broadcasted live all over the world. It was too early in the morning for me to watch and so...I have to make do with the repeat later on. However, though I missed it this morning, I saw and heard snippets of the memorial all day, online and on the radio. The memorial, sombre, solemn and poignant was a fitting send-off for the King of Pop. Though I've yet to watch the entire memorial, I already shed tears more than once: on the way to work when I heard the King's daughter speak for the first time, when I heard Brooke Shields' speech and when I heard the entire stadium sing We are the World.

I still cannot accept that he has died. And I can't help wondering, if I feel this way, me..someone who didn't even know him personally....how then would his children, parents and subling feel? How would his loved ones feel about losing their most cherished, most loved and most famous brother, son and father? I don't think that question will ever be answered.

I'm waiting for time to pass so that I can watch the memorial. And I'm sure that I'll have tissues around me and probably swollen eyes tomorrow morning, as I watch the world celebrate the life of Michael Jackson.

8 years on....

It has been 8 years since my schoolmates and I were together in the same place and at the same time. 8 years ago, it was during SPM that we were all gathered in one venue. 8 years on and the very same schoolmates gathered at a different location, at a different time. Although not everyone from the batch were there, the crowd that attended the 2009 MGS Gathering was quite good.

The venue was a friend's house in Tanjung Bungah. The time: 6.30pm. The gathering was a sort of potluck, with everyone bringing something to the table. However, being Malaysians, ALL of us were fashionably late!! Even I was late. I arrived at the house at 7.10pm, 40 minutes later than the stipulated time...and believe it or not...I WAS THE EARLIEST!!! The host was still having her bath when I arrived!! 15 minutes later, another three friends arrived. However, the full crowd actually peaked at around 9pm, I think. People came and left at intervals, so much so that it was difficult to keep track of who actually came and didn't!! In fact, I think I missed a few faces, saying only "Hi" to them coz by the next minute, I realised that they've left!!

8 years since high school is indeed a very very long time. Time in which two of my schoolmates have gotten married and are now mothers. Some are attached, while many others are like me, still revelling in singlehood. Faces have changed; hairsyles are different; some have put on weight, some have lost weight. Talk now revolves around work, with business cards passed around. I actually felt old!!

But it was fun meeting up with the gang, although I have to admit that most of us there were never close during high school. Yes, we were classmates/schoolmates, but most of us were never really buddies. Nevertheless, when it comes to meeting up after a long long time, we do find that we still have that 'bond' that kept all of us together all through high school. Of course, we can never really break the "groupings" or "clicks", which of course was evident as the crowd grew. But then, that's life. You tend to stick to the people you're comfortable with, and I did the same.

It was really good catching up with the gals. Listening to their experiences and the different paths that they have taken. It makes me smile when I think of how we have all changed. One example is of a friend, who was rough and tough during high school, played netball with such intensity and now...she's a registered nurse!! I never thought that she's choose such a noble profession. It just doesn't seem like her; but then again, people change.

:-) I enjoyed myself, although it would have been more fun if more people were there. Some were missing, so the "true" feeling of actually 're-uniting' wasn't that great. Nevertheless, it's only Year 8 since we left high school. Maybe in Year 10, the crowd would be bigger!!

The "early" group

How time flies...

It's already July 2nd!! We're actually in the second half of the year!! Where did the time go?? It was as though it was just yesterday that I was celebrating New Year's (well...not exactly celebrating since I ushered in the New Year with a horrible fall that has scarred me for life!!). Anyway, back to my whining...WHERE DID THE TIME GO??

This Saturday, there'll be a sort of reunion of my high school friends. We have not had an official reunion as you see on TV or read in the newspapers. Some of us friends do meet up on occassion, however, we've not had a whole class reunion. So this time, it'll be different, sort of. Everyone from two classes were invited but of course, not everyone can attend. So...it'll be a mix of girls from two classes attending and reminiscing. The great thing is...we can all click! And...even though I'll be the only Indian there...I don't think I'll feel left out. [It was difficult to invite the Muslims as the host is Chinese and so, having halal food is a problem. Anyway, we couldn't contact them either].

I'm excited. I can't wait to see all the change that has happened in 8 years!! Can you believe it? I can't believe that I've left high school for 8 years already!! 2 of the girls coming are already married and have a kid each. Some are attached while there are still that are single.

I can just anticipate the hugs, laughter, loud talk and camaderie!! I'm so excited!!

Will update you guys on how things went, along with pics!! :-)

[Do you] Remember the time

My entry today is one of millions that will pay tribute to the one and only King of Pop, the late Michael Jackson. Music extraordinare, dance genius, full-fledged entertainer/performer. It is undeniable that his music, dance moves, video clips and concerts changed the world of music; and set the standards for today's young generation of dancers such as Wade Robson, Usher, Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake. Heck, even I am enthralled every time I watch a video clip of his. Having two left feet myself, his slick moves and perfectly synchronised choreography makes me want to stand up and copy his dancing!! I can't choose a favourite dance routine of his as ALL his dance routines are brilliant!!

What can I say about this (so-called self-proclaimed) King of Pop, that has not been said already? To me, he is nothing short of a God-given miracle. Though his bizarre behaviour and weird lifestyle overshadowed much of his last few living years, in the end, when he left this world, what people remember about him the most is his music. One cannot deny/dispute his success or talent. Although there is a saying that goes, "only when one dies, do people really start appreciating what is gone", I don't think this runs true when it comes to Michael Jackson. Despite going through two big court cases and seeing his reputation get damaged, he still had millions believing in him, his innocence and his music. He can be called a freak, a paedophile and countless other names, but ultimately, when you ask anyone who Michael Jackson is, I'm sure they'll say, "Michael was THE ONE. The best dancer, the best singer. He was simply the best." And I agree.

Whatever he does in his personal life (read: the spending, the Neverland Ranch) should be left private. Why should anyone bother if he has chimpanzees and giraffes as pets? Other celebrities have pigs as pets, why don't they get bothered? So what if he spends time with children at his ranch? If he wants to provide a little happiness and joy in some poor kid's life, he should be allowed to. After all, Oprah does the same but I don't see her getting any backlash like he does.

Ultimately...when you think of Michael Jackson, you think of MUSIC. Songs like Bad, Rock with you, Beat It, Billie Jean, Childhood, Remember the time and You are not alone are masterpieces that will not be forgotten. It'll continue playing throughout generations as parents pass them on to their children, who will then pass them on to their own children. His music is timeless.

As for his songs like Heal the world, We are the world and the Earth song, it is still relevant even in today's world. I think it is especially relevant considering the fact that we are combating global warming, climate change and the food crisis. Despite the songs being written more than 10 years ago, the fact that it is still relevant today just goes to show how timeless Michael Jackson's songs are.

I listened to his songs the whole day yesterday and as I am writing this, I am still listening to his songs. I think I've listened to Beat It and Billie Jean and his other songs more than 10 times each and yet, I'm not bored. His voice and emotion that he pours into each song that he sings makes me sigh every time I hear a song of his. Add to that the interesting video clips that accompany these songs, how can one get bored?? I cannot bring myself to listen to any other music at the moment, because there's some part of me that is afraid that if I do not listen to his music, I'll feel guilty. Sounds crazy but heck!!

In conclusion, no matter what people say about Michael Joseph Jackson, to me and millions of others around the world, he is NUMBER ONE!!! I don't think there'll ever be anyone like him again; and to think that he was just a young boy when he started, maintaining his career for more than 30 years, time in which he broke (racial) barriers, Michael Jackson is indeed the King of Pop!!

Father's Day

We look so much alike that strangers on the roadside actually recognise me as “Shun’s daughter”!! I’ve had people walk up to me, asking me, how is my father(?!) and I don’t even know who they are! That’s how much I look like my dad. My father’s old friends say I look exactly like him when he was younger – minus the moustache!!

[Me on the left; dad is centre; sis on the right]

My father and I have never been that close. Being a musician, he was away most of my growing years, travelling in and around the country for work. I saw him maybe once or twice every few months when he returned (with presents!), then he’ll go off again for another few months. Nevertheless, despite travelling so often and for an extensive period, he never failed to call. If he was in Malaysia, there would be at least 2-3 calls per day. If he was overseas, he would call at least once a day.

Since my father was always away during our younger years, it is only natural that my sister and I are closer to my mother. Anything and everything had to go through mum, from making decisions to asking permission, eventhough dad was around! In fact, when dad was around, my sister and I actually felt weird. It didn’t feel “normal” having him around, as we were so used to him being absent.

When he retired from being a musician, it took a while for the whole family to adjust to him being around all the time. At one point, he seemed to be EVERYWHERE and it was disturbing!! Haha!!

But it was nice. Since mum didn’t drive, having dad around meant that there were car-rides and eating out! Soon, we got used to seeing him reading the newspaper in the morning as we got ready for school; to him asking us if we wanted to have lunch or dinner; to him following us to buy groceries. In fact, we got so used to him being around that we soon had him buying groceries without us!! He even offered to buy the “girly” stuff if we needed it but of course, that was off limits!!

As I left high school, started college and then started work, having dad around was a blessing. I got good career advice from someone who had such a wide range of experience. He advised me on what to expect from the working world; how to deal with office politics and disgruntled bosses. He still treats me like his little girl (I don’t think that will ever change!); but then, he also treats me like the adult that I am, sharing with me his concerns, problems and worries.

Now...instead of him being “everywhere”, I worry when he does not come home in time; or when he gets the sniffles; or when he just doesn’t feel well. Only now, as he ages and slows down, am I beginning to appreciate him and his presence.

As I mature and progress in my life, I am reminded that life is not all about chasing dreams and making money. We get so caught up in this chase, that we lose track of what is important. Loved ones like my dad and mum were always there for me when I needed them, it is now my time to return the deed. I always tell myself that, anything I give them will never be enough as they have given me life. Therefore, for as long as it takes, I will always, treasure, appreciate and love my dad and mum.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, APAH!!!

The Wonder of The Secret

Ever since I read 'The Secret', I've changed the way I look at things, and also think about things. I tell myself to always think of the good side of things, attract only the positive and not to even dwell on all things negative. This change has not been easy, considering the amount of stress, frustration and disappointment that I feel from time to time. The will to banish all negative thoughts and feelings sometimes threaten to overshadow the need to think, feel and act positive. But thanks to my mum and sis, who, despite not really believing in The Secret, continuously remind me of the need to stay positive, I've managed to hold on to the "rules" of the book.

When I returned the book to my aunt, I did not forget what I had learned. However, practising something without having anything to refer to, is difficult. It's like practising Law without going through the chambering period. Therefore, when my aunt recently gave me a copy of the book, I was ecstatic!! And just yesterday morning, before leaving to work, I flipped through the book and reached a section that said:

'Create, your day in advance by thinking the way you want it to go, and you will create your life intentionally.'

And so...I did just that. I visualised what/how I wanted my day to go and believe it or not, at the end of the day, I felt great!! Everything went smoothly throughout the whole day!! My project that has been in the works for 1 year and 3 months finally ended yesterday; I got a much anticipated call; and, that night, when I was out with a group of friends visiting a radio station fair, I actually won something!!!

I came home feeling happy, satisfied and just great!! My conviction in The Secret is restored (at one point I begin doubting it) and you can bet that I am going to continue practising it!!! :-)

The night I turned into Princess Jasmine

One week after the traditional wedding ceremony, the customary wedding reception was held. This time, it was held in Penang as it was organised by the bride's side. And as always, I was worried about what I was going to wear for the dinner. After all the fuss about having to wear a saree during the traditional ceremony, it was a relief to find out that we did not have to wear a saree for the reception as it was a 'modern' dinner. My sister already had her outfit ready for the dinner, even before the traditional ceremony. As for me, up until a few hours before the dinner, I still had no idea what I was going to wear!!

To anyone who knows me, they'll know that I hate wearing dresses or skirts, so either one of those were out of the question. So that left me with pants, but of course jeans were out of the question as well, although I would have LOVED to wear one!! Since my sis had a replacement class yesterday, we had to send her to college all the way up in Tanjung Bungah. On the way, there is a Thai fair that sells everything from clothes to shoes to bags. So of course, I had to stop there.

I found a variety of pants there and I couldn't make up my mind which one I should get; and being thrifty, I didn't want to buy every single one!! So in the end, I settled for one that, not only I liked but also one that will not emphasize my thin legs. Back home however, I found out that I did not have a proper top to match the pants!!! And that was like 5 hours before the dinner. So I announced that I was not going to attend the dinner!! Right up till my sister and mum were getting ready, I still had not found a proper top to match my pants!! I ran up to my room, dug my cupboard and prayed feverishly that I'd find a top. To top it off, my mum insisted that I needed to wear LOTS of accessories!!

In the end, I did not only find a top to match, I had the whole works: bangles, earrings and even shoes!! This was the result:

As you can see, I managed to achieve the gypsy/Princess Jasmine look, complete with gold belt and gold shoes!!!

[My gold shoes from Thailand. It actually has a sentimental value as it was bought by my grandfather for my mum!! ]

The shoes proved to be a huge problem for me. Having long feet and wearing a size 7/8, I had to squeeze my feet into size 6 shoes!! Oh...the things I do just to look good!! My mum has this motto when it comes to dressing up: "No pain, no gain" and in this case, she was soooooo right. By the end of the night, I could hardly walk. In fact, I had to talk off my shoes and walk back to the car. This morning, I found two blisters!! But then, as the motto goes, with pain comes gain. Everyone complimented me on my "gypsy" pants and gold shoes!! They were especially impressed that I had shoes to match the gold belt!! haha!!

Anyway, enough about my dressing. The reception went beautifully!! The setting was beautiful, the food was yummy and everyone was happy!! Like in any of my family functions, music was not absent. They was a band, my cousins sang and some danced and towards the end of the evening, the karaoke session begun.

Music is so important in my family, so much so that in order for "outsiders" (read: future husbands, wives, in-laws) to fit in, they would have to be very very supporting; for they will surely be "asked" (read: dragged, forced..etc) to sing or perform. This elicited a comment from my sis that, in order for us to know whether our future bfs/husbands would fit in, all we have to do is bring him to ONE of our parties and see his reaction. If he survives the night, he'll survive the family!! haha!!

[The bride and groom]

The night was indeed beautiful. Everyone had fun. Everyone was happy. Everyone was satisfied. And finally, everyone could heave that big sigh that has been held since news of a wedding was in the works.

Of course...the night ended with a 'thank-you' speech from the couple and the "passing of the marriage baton" to the next in-line: my eldest cousin (pic above), who promptly replied that he has the baton now and he knows he most probably is next!! haha!!

:-)

Wedding of the year

June 6th - it came and it went. The day that the whole family has been waiting for, for the past 6 months has finally ended. All the preparations, excitement, anxiety and fatigue. Everything has now ended but the deep breath that everyone has been holding cannot be released just yet. Though the traditional ceremony has ended, there is still the wedding reception to come; in about 5 days' time. That alone is another spectacle!!

But I digress. For now...let me talk about the wedding that had everyone on their toes. It all started 6 months ago when we were told that my cousin has finally found THE ONE and that they have decided to commit to each other. Fast forward to March and they were legally married in the eyes of the law but not religiously. Once the excitement of the registration wore off, the excitement of the impending wedding took over.

Reservations were made; invitations were printed and sent out; shopping for sarees, shoes, jewellery etc were on 'high speed'; appointments with tailors for our fittings were made; running around buying door gifts, and the necessities for the ceremony was a normal routine. This went on for 3 months and as the date of the wedding approached, the intensity and force of everything above went one notch higher!!!

I arrived in KL one day before the wedding and even then, the family had two ceremonies to perform before the actual wedding. Plus had balance things to purchase. It seemed like that purchasing never stopped. The two ceremonies were compulsory as it was supposed to get rid of any bad luck or aura around the bride before she got married. She was bathed in saffron water with flowers; in addition to that, she had saffron paste rubbed all over her body (supposedly to "prepare" her for her hubby!!). This ceremony was done by her paternal aunts. I'm not sure what the second ceremony was for but it was held in accordance to the Ceylonese tradition (my cousin-in-law's mum is Ceylonese).

On the day of the wedding (after having a good night's sleep), my aunt took my sis and I to the salon to get our hair washed and blowed. Since our aim that day was to look the best we could especially in a saree, we had to have the works!!! Once our hair was done, we returned home to just laze around. At around 3.30pm, we were dropped off at another aunt's house to start the "transformation" process: from regular 'cincai' girls to saree-clad Indian girls!!

The result? TA-DA:

It was my sister's first time wearing a saree and despite her being worried about how she'll look, I think she looked amazing!! The colour of the saree suited her so well; she looked fair and the make-up did not make her look old!!

As for me, it was my 3rd time wearing a saree. Although I was apprehensive about how I'll look (I suppose it's because I'm so conscious of my thin-ness) I think I looked okay. But I couldn't help complaining that my saree looked the plainest next to all the shiny, elaborate ones that my aunts and cousins wore.

This wedding, the first one in the family since my youngest uncle got married some 16-17 years ago, was the first wedding that I was fully involved in. I had "duties" from serving 'sweets' to the guests to escorting the bride as she entered the hall. It was fun!! And...it was the first time that I didn't sit down through the whole wedding!!! Of course, my legs were dying as I was wearing heels but what the heck?? It's not everyday that we have a wedding in our family.

The ceremony went on smoothly without any glitches and it was actually on time!! Haha. I guess this was one time where even the time could not ruin the perfect day. Dinner after the ceremony was vegetarian. There was a variety of 15 vegetarian dishes and I suppose it must have been really tasty because by the time my sis and I went to eat, everything had finished!!

After "eating", we had the "mandatory" photo-taking session. Since there are so many of us cousins, having a group shot is like asking the presidents of the world is take a photo together. You can never get everyone at one place at the same time. Even on this day, 5 cousins were missing: the bride and her brother, the eldest cousin and my two cousins who are in Denmark. Nevertheless, we managed to get everyone to stand in place and *click*:

Basically, that is what happened thsi past weekend. Now that the wedding ceremony is over, the next thing to look forward to is the reception this Saturday. It's supposed to be a modern reception, where we're not required to wear traditional outfits. This is good news. Everyone seems to have an idea of what they are going to wear except ME!! I have absolutely no clue as to what I should wear!!!

sighs....well..I've got 4 more days. I suppose I'll come up with something eventually. That's a whole new entry here!!