...Shaks Thoughts...

New Craze

2012-01-23T15:24:00.004+08:00

So every year...well almost every year I have a new craze. One year it's Korean dramas. The next year it's Hindi movies. The next year it's Twilight. And now...in 2012 it's dance! When I say dance, I don't actually mean me dancing my shoes off! I wish I COULD dance! But sadly...I have two left feet. And being tall and skinny isn't exactly an ideal combination for grace. In fact, I look like a gangly kid, full of arms and legs. Imagine Goofy dancing.

I started watching Dancing with the Stars recently, the first season ever to be shown on Astro.

Although I did not watch it from the beginning, I got hooked on the last few episodes! One is of course because of the dancing. I can never imagine myself all dressed up in teeny-weeny dresses, dancing ballroom in heels!! The professionals who accompany the stars are of course the added bonus! I love Max's tall, toned body! :p and I don't know why but I think Derek Hough (pic below) is a cutie! He too has a hot body!! Lol...I sound like some awestruck teen!

My mum and sis are good dancers. Sadly...I take after my dad who really can't dance! So I live vicariously through these kind of shows. So You Think You Can Dance is another dance show that I love watching. One reason is that I feel comforted knowing and seeing that I am not the only one who can't dance well. There are some that are just soooooo awful, I wonder how they can even think of auditioning!

Of course...American Idol has started and that's another show that I watch if not to laugh at the horrible singers, but to also know that while I may not be the best singer, I am also not the worst! Just yesterday mum said that she thinks if I sang, I'd be the Norah Jones type. LOL!!! I don't even have 1/4 of her talent! Mum must really think highly of me!

Anyway....it look's like I shall be living vicarously through these shows. I may carry a tune but I definitely can't dance. If they had a Dancing with Non-celebrities show, I'd be the hardest contestant to teach and the first to be voted out! LOL!

Tong Tong Tong Chiang!

2012-01-23T15:20:00.002+08:00

HERE'S WISHING EVERYONE..

A VERY VERY VERY

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T12:43:00.003+08:00

MY FIRST ENTRY OF THE YEAR:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

HERE'S WISHING

EVERYONE THE VERY VERY BEST

AND GOD BLESS

ALWAYS!

The year that was...2011

2011-12-31T12:39:00.003+08:00

Another year has come to an end, and what a year it has been.

The year started with me changing positions at work and getting a raise. From being a programme assistant, I became and still am a research and personal assistant to the Executive Director. In addition, I continued being part of the PPT team, which would later achieve judicial success in India. I'm proud to say that my background in law really helped! I've questioned my qualification and the path that I've taken since graduation. Am I wrong in not wanting to practice law? Should I have gone on the expected path instead of taking the road less taken? My work and achievement so far have somewhat quelled my doubts.

April was a really tough month. Bad news plagued my family and I was in a quandary. I questioned my decision in continuing to work in an NGO. While I am quite happy with my job (of course there's the occasional unhappiness), there are times when I wished for a better paying job. Do I give in to being materialistic or do I settle for what some people would say is my "safe" world? Finding something new is not easy. Working in an NGO apparently doesn't count as experience but rather it's just character building. Nevertheless, I thought it through, made adjustments to my budgets, stuck with my job and in the end, managed to survive and still save $$.

Back to my quandary, a family talk was held. Emotions were high; there were tears, shouts, silence...sighs. After much discussion, a solution was reached. But still, I could not breathe a sigh of relief. There was still much to be solved.

June came and I turned 27. I had a new hairstyle and the day was spent with family and close friends.

August saw Vay turning 21. There was no big celebration but a small gathering was held at the shop. "Small" soon turned into quite a crowd. Vay had her first HIGH moment from drinking wine, and Kiran experienced the camaderie at the shop for the first time.

September saw Kiran, Vay and me registering to be voters. Up til now, we have yet to check the status of our registration. Hmmm....

October was Deepavali month. This year, Vay and I decided to make murukus on our own, without any help from our mum and grandmas. We bought all the ingredients, borrowed the "machinery" and enlisted help in the form of Kiran and Trish. It was a great success! We all had fun and the murukus turned out better than we expected. My grandmas even said it was better than theirs and bosated this to my uncles!

November was busy busy busy! I was to go to India for two weeks and I had just three weeks to prepare. So much preparation and I don't mean packing my clothes etc. It was work! It would be my first time in Bangalore.

The first 12 days of December saw me galavanting around Bangalore and Kerala. I had decided to take a short trip after my event in India. I returned to Malaysia on the 12th, got sick for about a week, went back to work for a few days and then went on leave. The office shut down on Dec 24th and will only re-open on January 3rd 2012.

Looking back, I feel like I've been through a lot. Stuff that made me grow up, mature and made me look at things from a different perspective. I've had to take charge even when I didn't want to; I've had to be firm and be "the parent" at certain times. I've had to make difficult decisions and be the "cruel" one for some people's best interest. I've also resumed/begun concentrating on the positive.

This way of thinking, which I attribute to The Secret, had in ways impacted my life. I find it easier to think rationally in times of hardship and somehow...in the end, things always turn out right. Coincidence or not, I don't know but I am not going to spend time analyzing.

Two really wonderful things that I simply must highlight for this year:

1. Mum's health
Got a shock when we found out that her pacemaker battery had died and that she needed to replace it, an operation that would cost at least 20K. The happy news: went for a 2nd opinion and was told that she did not even need the 1st operation. Mum can live without a pacemaker, at least for the next 10-15 years. She's healthy and she's fine!

2. Dad's book
After writing his book for about a year, and after much quarrels and delays, things are finally in motion! The first edited draft is ready, meeting with sponsors are on-going (one has already agreed)...I see light at the end of the tunnel.

So...as the New Year begins in less than 12 hours, I look forward to greater things happening. A raise in my salary, maybe. A new job, who knows? A boyfriend...HAHA! Well...to great things in 2012....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last day in Bangalore

2011-12-30T21:31:00.002+08:00

So on our last day in Bangalore, Rosmah and I wanted to make the most of it. We had yet to get our fill of shopping. Plus...we had a bit more work to do.

Having reached Banaglore at about 7am that day, we headed back to our hostel, washed up, had breakfast and then we were out.

We first headed to the money changer, then off to Commercial Street we went! There were lanes and lanes of shops, so much so that we got confused! I think we walked around the whole area at least 3 times. We managed to do some shopping but of course, we were not satisfied but we had to settle with what we had as time was running out. I shopped till I had almost no Rupess left! We walked so much, I felt as though I spent so much and yet...when I look at my purchases, it didn't seem like much! :-(

Anyway...we returned back to our hostel at around 4-ish and settled whatever work we had left. After that, it was time to wash up, check our packing and off to the airport, where we had dinner. It was a bitter sweet time for me as I felt that, just as I got used to living in Bangalore, it was time to return home.

I can truly say that I enjoyed myself there eventhough the first week was stressful and hectic. Though I was really dreading the trip, I now admit that it was worth it. :-)

Visiting Family Friends

2011-12-30T21:18:00.005+08:00

Like on all trips, I had to make the customary visit to family friends. This time, it was KAru sitepa's ex-colleague, Narasimhan Uncle, who is originally from Chennai but happened to be living in Bangalore at this time. He was working with my uncle for the past few years and had only returned to Bangalore on Oct 2nd. He had resigned from the company as he apparently couldn't stand the work ethics of the Chinese people here.

My uncle had given me his contact information, asking me to call Nara Uncle should I face any problems. But prior to my trip, my uncle had already emailed him, informking him of my arrival. So how could I NOT at least call him and say hello?

So I called him either on December 4th or 5th which was like 10 days after I first arrived. I apologised for not calling earlier etc and he said that if I couldn't meet them, he and his wife would come to the hostel to meet me. No way!!! So I compromised and said that, I'd call him once all my events are over and I'm free.

That day happened to be December 7th. I called him and we made arrangements to have dinner that night. He came in an Auto with his wife at around 6.30pm. We went to his house straight, where we had tea and chitchatted for a bit. We then met up with his daughter at a restaurant for dinner. After that, he saw off his wife and daughter, and then together we took an Auto back to the hostel. Customary visit all over and done with! *phew*

They even wanted to accompany me on my trip to Mysore and Kerala, but I managed to talk them out of it, using the excuse that I was travelling with colleagues and we had plans of our own. This was not true as we had yet to make any plans but still....! :-)

Still in Kerala...then back to Bangalore

2011-12-22T15:43:00.005+08:00

It was already almost 2pm so the next stop was lunch. Since we were in Kerala, we wanted to eat Seafood. After all, Kerala is famous for it's seafood and having had only chicken and sometimes mutton for so long....seafood was a welcomed change.

Fasulu/Fasula took us to an eatery by the roadside, which was fine as many tourists and locals were also there. It was better than having to go to an air-conditioned restaurant or hotel. It just wouldn't feel local.

There were plenty of choices but we had to stick to our budget. In the end, Rosmah and I ordered prawn fried rice and spicy grilled fish. We had imagined finding big, succulent prawns in the fried rice but alas....much to our dismay and disappointment, the prawns were not small but TINY!! And then the grilled fish came. Hmmm.....I expected ikan panggang. Well....ikan panggang it was but let's just say it left much to be desired.

After lunch, we were back on the road again. Fasulu/Fasula took us to see the Kochi Synagogue. It is also known by the names of Cochin Jewish Synagogue or Mattancherry Synagogue. It is the oldest working synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. But alas....as it was a Saturday, the synagogue was closed. :-(

[Jewish Synagogue]

Next was The Mattancherry Palace, also known as the Dutch Palace. It features Kerala murals depicting Hindu temple art, portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi.

[Dutch Palace]

By this time, Rosmah and I were dying from the heat. If Bangalore was cool and windy, Kerala was so hot! And I was wearing a long-sleeved, slightly thick top with jeans, thinking the weather would imitate Bangalore!

We had to get back to the jetty by 4-ish, so after the Dutch Palace, we headed back to the jetty. Although it was still early (our bus back to Bangalore was only at 9pm), we decided to head back so that we could wash-up and get ready for the loooong ride home.

We missed seeing a few other places but the few that we visited was worth it. We also made a short stop at the Fish Market after the Chinese Fishing Nets and a short stop at Fort Cochin Beach. Many people told us to visit the famed Kerala Boathouse but as we only had a day, there was simply not enough time. One would need at least 2-3 days to enjoy the boathouse experience. It's like staying on a floating hotel. That's one experience I'm hoping to experience with my family.

Anyway...so we reached the hotel, rested a bit, washed-up and then headed to the bus station. Getting to the CORRECT bus station was another problem!

The Auto took us to the wrong bus station!! Thank God we left early, and thank God the correct bus station was only about say...1km away. So Rosmah and I walked all the way to the correct bus "station" which was actually a sidewalk on the main road!! I should have guessed that there was no bus station coz it was written on my bus ticket, "Platform 0"!! To make matters worse, the bus was nearly 45 minutes late, scaring both of us into thinking we'd miss the bus!

The bus this time was nicer and we did not have the last row. The almost 11 hour bus ride was smooth as the bus took the highway instead of the hilly road we came on the last time. We reached Bangalore slightly after 7am the next day.

Part 2

2011-12-22T10:19:00.004+08:00

After breakfast, we headed down to the reception for some information; where to go, how to get there etc. Armed with what we hoped was enough information, we took an Auto to the local market, Broadway. The place was sort of like Campbell-Kimberley Street here in Penang. Rosmah bought two saree cloths that she planned to use to sew baju kurungs; I was still searching for things to buy.

After that, we took an Auto to the Main Boat Jetty, where we paid Rs.5 each to board the jetty that would take us to Fort Cochin. I was expecting to be seasick but alas…I didn’t. The boat ride took about 15-20 minutes, and upon reaching the Fort, we were immediately mobbed by Auto riders who wanted to be our guide. Armed with our experiences from haggling in Bangalore, I must say that we managed to get a good deal. Our Auto-cum-tour-guide, Fasula/Fasulu and us agreed on Rs.150 for a trip to all the tourist attractions.

[Main Boat Jetty]

First stop was the famed Chinese Fishing nets. Truth to be told, it was nothing spectacular. Rosmah and I stood around looking at these net things and there weren’t any fishes!! Apparently, it was not the fish season! *roll eyes*

[Chinese Fishing Nets]

After that, we were taken on a ride through what I would call the “landed-roller-coaster”. We went through small alleys and narrow streets, up and in potholes, bouncing our way as we passed the Jewish and Dutch Cemetery (I don’t know why this is a tourist attraction). Fasula/Fasulu even expected us to take pictures!! Of what...I don’t know! Then we stopped at St. Francis Church, the oldest European church in India. It was under renovation or refurbishment, so nothing grand to see.

[St. Francis Church]

Of course, on the way, Fasulu/Fasula made stops at expensive Kashmiri shops, “just for see”. Apparently, he gets one ‘point’ every time he brings customers to their shops. On our trip alone, he managed to get 4 points. He had wanted to collect 6 but Rosmah and I managed to stop him. We refused to get out after the 4th shop. It was just tiring and time consuming, having to pretend that we were interested. Also, every time we stepped into a shop and said we were from Malaysia, the reply was always “oh...Malaysia…truly Asia!!” Grrr!!

Fasulu/Fasula then stopped at a small local shop, where I managed to buy two tops. Yay! My first purchase, or rather second, after the holy strings I bought atop Chamundi Hills. After that, we were taken to the Spice “Market”, which turned out to be a small spice shop. There happens to be numerous Spice Markets, which are actually small spice shops. Market!!

To be continued...

Traveling in India - Part 1

2011-12-16T16:38:00.004+08:00

So I am going to skip the remaining days of my stay in India and just jump to when Rosmah and I decided to extend our stay. After much thought and persuasion from the local partners, Rosmah and I decided to extend our stay for another two days.

With that decision made, plans to re-book our tickets were done in a hurry and cost us RM250. *cringe* But what the heck I thought. It’s not every year I’m in Bangalore.

Once we got our new tickets, we had to plan our itinerary for the next two days. We didn’t want to waste any time. Therefore, after asking around…a lot…we decided on this route: Bangalore-Mysore-Kochi, Kerala-Bangalore. Looks like a hurried trip and hurried it was.

So on Friday morning at 6am, Rosmah, Chela and I set off to Mysore, in our rented taxi. Initially, we thought we’d forgo Mysore as we were getting mixed reviews about the place. In the end, Mysore fitted our itinerary and I was ecstatic as I got to see the famed Mysore and Summer Palaces, temples within the palace grounds and a temple atop Chamundi Hills. We reached Mysore at almost 9am, had breakfast and then toured the city.

[Mysore Palace]

[Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace]

[Chamundeswari Temple, Chamundi Hill]

Rosmah and I then headed to the bus stop to catch our 5.30pm bus to Ernakulam (Kochi’s twin city). Since it was a last minute booking, we got the last two seats on the last row. And since the journey was through a hilly terrain, it was like sitting on a roller coaster for 11 hours!! Yes…we only reached our destination at 4.30am!!

In addition to reaching the place so early in the morning…we didn’t have a prior booking at a hotel. Thank God there was a decent hotel just 100 meters away. So we checked-in, had a bath and fell asleep. Waking up the next day at around 8-ish, we changed, had breakfast and our day in Kerala began.

Day 12 in Bangalore

2011-12-08T12:11:00.002+08:00

So like I predicted, the moment my colleagues arrived, it was work work work. As you can see, I stopped at Day 5 and am now continuing from Day 15.

Once we moved from the apartment to UTC, everything was in full swing. The momentum just grew, and before we knew it, it was already December 3^rd morning – THE DAY!

Day one was chaotic! There was no proper organization, everything and everyone was everywhere….it was unbelievable. Not everything was bad though. Things went as smoothly as it could under the circumstances. Many people were helpful, although sometimes, too many cooks spoiled the soup.

Day two was better. Things were more organized, people knew what they were supposed to do; we managed to find a rhythm. Of course, the photocopying and printing was constant. In fact, I was still printing up till the last day of the Tribunal!!

Day three was more relaxed. It was the ending of the testimonies and presentations and it was only a half-day event. My duties were not over though. As I was in-charged of taking care of the jurors, my problems started as soon as they started deliberating! The printer we provided to them was not working and it took Rosmah and me three trips to 9 Marks Inn to fix the printer. And still….it did not work!!

Day four was supposed to be a fairly free day for us but no….Rosmah and I were up super early to get the damn printer fixed!! Thank God for the spare printer that we had with us. If you’re wondering why we didn’t replace the spoiled one with the spare one….don’t bother asking…it’s another story altogether.

Day four was also judgment day. After years of blood, sweat and tears, it all came down to this. Was the tribunal going to decide in our favour? Were we convincing enough in our evidence and calls for justice? Did our messages get through to them?

Judgment: The tribunal found in our favour!! YES!!! Almost all my colleagues were emotional. Even the lawyers had tears in their eyes. It was a momentous occasion. We all know how hard we’ve worked towards achieving this, and to have our work validated and recognized….what a feeling it is!!

The renowned law professor Upendra Baxi mentioned that the indictment was really good. The jurors had initially thought that the indictment was written by the lawyers. Upon finding out that it was not them, but rather us at PAN AP who came up with 274 pages of solid facts and evidence, they were highly impressed. Upendra even said that it was worthy of 3 PHDs!!! Now that’s a compliment I’ll take to my grave!!

Post-tribunal: we had a de-briefing session. Boss gathered all 5 of us to thank and congratulate us for a job very well done. I was especially singled out, quote “Shakun…you were the best! Everyone was jumping on you to get this and that printed and all, and you just kept cool. It was good that you managed to keep cool!”

The four days just flew by. Up until now, I still can’t believe that the tribunal is actually over!! I was supposed to leave on December 9^th, but having talked to some people here, Rosmah and I decided to extend our stay till the 12^th. This would give us ample time to go sightseeing and shopping. This was such a last minute decision and I haven’t even given thought to the added expense this would cost me. But I know that, should I not extend my stay, I would regret having miss sightseeing and shopping.

I suppose I can say that I deserve this short holiday and that the extra expense is a bonus for me.

BUUUSSYYYY!!

2011-12-05T00:11:00.002+08:00

iSo my last entry was about Erwin and me waiting for my other colleagues to arrive. And since they arrived, it's been work work work non-stop! We sleep about 4-5 hours a day and are either out, running errands around Bangalore or stuck in the apartment sorting materials. Usual bedtime at the apartment was around 2am and we're all up by 7.30am.

After staying in the apartment for a week, we moved to the united Theological College. The place is so serene and green. It's just such a beautiful place. :-) Pics will be up once I am back in Malaysia. I wanted to take lots of pics but alas....there's just no time.

So the tribunal started yday and God was it hectic!! I hardly sat, walking up and down the hall, running here and there, doing this and that. But just imagine, I was in the same room with such distinguished people like Upendra Baxi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upendra_Baxi), Gianni Tognoni and Ricarda Steinbrecher!

Day two (today) was much smoother and a bit more relaxed. I managed to sit down for most of the session. Lol!

Tomorrow should be equally, if not more relaxing as it's already the closing arguments and then the jury will deliberate.

There's supposed to be livestreaming of the event, so check it out: www.agricorporateaccountability.net, although the internet is just crazy!j

So...till I come online again!!! Namaskar!

Day 5 - early update

2011-11-30T02:38:00.003+08:00

As Erwin and I waited for our colleagues to arrive, we got news that one of our colleagues was denied entry!! And that too the coordinator of this whole event!!

All because of a fact-finding mission that he was part of last year. It was in Singur, the police stopped them (I'm not sure if they got arrested) and apparently, that did the damage. It's on record and now, Gilbert is being deported!!

The danger of my job just got to me. We're all here on a tourist visa but are actually working!! I don't think anything bad will happen...but one can never be too sure!!

Geez....if this doesn't prompt me to make a move...I don't know what will. Gosh...I'm still reeling!!

Day 4 continued

2011-11-29T21:08:00.002+08:00

So Jacob finally arrived at 2.30pm and we headed straight to get the folders. It was quite a long way, so thankfully he drive his car. He sort of gave me a tour. We passed beautiful buildings like the High Court and Parliament (if I'm not mistaken). Took pics but uploading will have to wait!

After getting the folders, we have to detour to the event venue to meet some people (all guys and old) but they were very fatherly. They were even impressed with my name and was telling me about the story linked to my name. :-) Then they commented saying how they old people were advising the YOUNG like me! And proceeded to rub my head! Lol!

Then on the way to the printing shop, Erwin called me from his local SIM!! Seems our SIMs were not activated coz we gave the wrong address!! We should have given our Malaysia/Philippines address instead of our Indian address here! Hmph! Anyway...YAY that it's working now!!

I reached the apartment at about 5.30pm, switched on the TV and came straight online. My days of solitude are about to end with the arrival of the other staffs late tonight. I'll try to update my blog as much as I can before I get separated from the internet.

I'm anticipating not stress...but rushed hours and days ahead....

Day 4

2011-11-29T15:31:00.002+08:00

So I'm all alone in the apartment. Erwin has a meeting with some people and since I'm not needed, I opted to stay back. I was initially supposed to meet up with Jacob at 10am but he got delayed and only arrived at noon, where upon he only stayed for less than 10mins before rushing off.

I'm meeting him again at 2pm, hopefully this time he'll be on time. We're supposed to go check out the "bigger" printing house, check to see if the references are done and also get the folders. Hopefully this will all be accomplished today before everyone else arrives.

Since I'm alone, I went to buy some snacks and water. Jacob had shown us a small supermarket yday and so I went there. It's only one straight road from the apartment and then one right turn. Easy enough to find and not get lost.

I've been here four days already and still, I'm not familiar with the ways. Erwin on the other hand is like a native of this place. I suppose it's coz it's his 2nd time here.

I'm dying to take pictures but so far...there's no opportunity or I forget to take the camera. Plus...what's the point of carrying the camera when I'm alone? Who's going to take pictures of me? I sure as hell can't trust strangers on the road. Maybe when the team arrives and we move to a more scenic place, then I can take pictures. Sighs...

This is my update for now. I don't know if I'll update again later. I've been so bored with work that I've been youtubing bloopers and series'. Lol!

Day 3

2011-11-29T00:55:00.001+08:00

So I got out of the apartment today. Jacob and Vasu (local organisers) came after lunch. We had a short meeting then we split into two groups, heading to different directions to do different things. But before that, I broke a mug; accidentally pushing it off the table when closing the laptop. Jacob commented that there’s an Indian saying that when someone breaks a glass/mug, there is good luck/something good is about to happen.

Well…I’m assuming the “good” thing that happened to me is that I finally got down to sending the over 700 files to be printed. I managed to get a good deal (with Jacob’s help) of Rs.1 per print on one side, so that comes up to Rs.2 per sheet. That’s half the price of the usual print. Also managed to look for some folders.

However, my joy and relief were short-lived as when I told Erwin (later on) that even though the printing rate is cheap, it’ll still cost a lot coz it’s over 700 files, with an average of 20 pages per file, he said Rs. 1 is expensive! Multiply that by roughly 3 copies each file…what do you expect? He said I should have gone to a big printing house as I’m bound to get it cheaper there. He said I am not assertive, and that he notices that I usually just accept things as it comes along. I take that as attacking my personality. I argued saying I did look around but he just refused to listen. In the end, my mood was spoiled. I told Jacob and Vasu about this and they both told me that the rate I got was as cheap as it would be. No other place would go lower even if it was a big printing house.

To ease my mind, Jacob agreed to take me to a “bigger” printing house tomorrow just to check the prices. He doubts that they would go lower than Rs. 1. Also, he and Vasu both said that Rs. 1 was indeed really cheap and yet, Erwin compared it to the rate in the Philippines!! Grrr!! Anyhow, I’m going to check the other place tomorrow just so that if anyone else asks….I can tell them I’d done my homework!

Dinner was good and I had my first mug of alcohol with Jacob. Kingfisher beer. I think I drank it the last time I was in Chennai. It’s not as strong or gassy as Tiger.

Sighs….chatted with Vay and Trish for a bit. Am still moody so I guess I’ll have to sleep it off. Other colleagues are arriving tomorrow night…so I guess my quiet time is over. Well…at least I’ll have some female support.

Boring Day 2

2011-11-27T21:12:00.002+08:00

So it's Day Two of being in Bangalore. And well....BORING!! Spent the whole day sitting on the couch, in front of the TV and laptop, working. Going through more than 700 e-files has taken on toll on my back and eyes! I'm done with the files and no way am I looking at it again!! I'm just sending it out for printing. I don't God-damn care what people say or comment after this coz they weren't the ones coursing through 700 over e-files!!!

Lunch today was butter chicken masala and it was YUMs!!! There's still balance, so I'm having it for dinner.

Plus of the day was this morning when I Skyped with my family. There's no webcam at home but they could see me thanks to my laptop camera! First time Skyping with them and how wonderful it is considering my local SIM is still not working!! I don't know if I got cheated or I have to 'recharge' i.e. top-up my card.

I'll probably be going out tomorrow. There's an update meeting and that would probably be the last meeting before everyone else arrives and the market starts!! Sighs...I'm going to miss these quiet days of just sitting in front of the TV and working. No small talk. No pressure. No stress. Lucky Erwin is not a workaholic.

Time seems to be dragging. Every time I look at the time, it's still early. Hmmm...

Familiar sights and sounds

2011-11-27T00:54:00.002+08:00

It's only been a day since I arrived in Bangalore and already, things are coming back to me. The non-stop honking of every vehicle on the road; the passing of the train, whether I am in the city or in the village; the imbalance in the number of men and women; the time difference; the food.

I was dreading coming to Bangalore but, I will admit that it is a change from the norm. Of course, there's no specific work hours or meal time. We just go with the flow. "Lunch" was around 4pm today and dinner for me was at 9.30pm. Also, I kinda like the 'tourist-sy" feeling. In Malaysia, I'm 'Indian' but here, I'm Malaysian. I look like anyone on the road especially here in Bangalore where the girls are fairer than the girls in Chennai. Not that I am THAT fair! But my dressing gives me away; and also the moment I open my mouth.

But then again, when I went to the money changer today, he didn't even ask for my passport or ID. Erwin had to produce his! Lol! I did notice some old ladies looking at me, probably commenting on my 3/4 pants and top. Well....I wasn't the only one dressed in modern clothes. Everyone, male and female were all in western outfits!!

One thing that I am proud of is the fact that I went out the whole day in 3/4 pants and 3/4 sleeved top with a jacket tied around my waist, and I didn't feel cold. I only felt cold in the Auto coz of the breeze. My mum was soooo insistent that I was going to suffer! Lol! But thank God for the heated shower coz the water is simply icy and I probably wouldn't have showered without the heater!! Well....I can't very well NOT bathe for 2 weeks! yuck!

So...day one is almost over. Day two is going to be work day; with the rest of the days being spent on more work. Sighs.

Let's hope that once the Tribunal is over on the 6th, I'll get a chance to go around and shop on the 7th and 8th. I REALLY want to see the big Shiva statue but I heard that it might be far away. Oh well..

Greetings from Bangalore!

2011-11-26T12:41:00.003+08:00

Hello hello from Bangalore, India! So after much dread, I finally boarded the plane to India. Dear Trish took half a day off work yesterday to send me off. We had lunch together with my mum, then we went to fetch my sis from college and then headed home for a final pack and change of clothes. Dad also rushed back from KL just to see me off!! So sweet!

We checked in fairly early and I had nearly two hours to kill. But once I said goodbye to everyone, my flight to KL was delayed for nearly 40mins!! Aiyoh!! And of course...though I had a window seat, next to me was an Indian guy who thankfully didn't smell but was coughing and clearing his phlegmy throat the entire flight!! Ew!

Then when I reached KLIA, I had only a short time before I had to board the flight to Bangalore. That also...I was told the wrong gate and had to rush from gate 4 to 8!! Grrr!!

Thankfully, though my row was a three seater, it was only me and Erwin (my colleague) and he had the aisle, me the window. :-) I also had my own TV compared to the last time when it was a general TV right in front.

I had so many things to watch, read or listen. I could have chosen to watch HP7(2), Spy Kids, Toy Story etc. In the end, I chose a teen flick for easy watching. The flight was 3 hrs and 40mins, which could have allowed me to watch two full movies. But alas, I feel asleep.

Many people told me that Bangalore would be very cold. Sure enough, when we touched down, the temperature was 20 celcius. It was also raining but surprisingly, I didn't feel THAT cold. I could stand it.

Upon reaching the apartment where Erwin and I were to put up, I found that the place had no fan. Only air-conditioners!! Thank God there's a heater as the water is like ice!

I cooled my room for a short while before sleeping the whole night with the air-cond switched off. Not that it matter, coz apparently, the electricity kept going on and off.

This morning, after a short meeting with the local organisers, we went to walked to the event venue. After that...Erwin and I took an Auto to Brigade Road I think, to get our local SIM and buy water. Just looking for those two things alone took us nearly 4 hrs!!! There's no 7-11 or mini-mart where SIM cards and water can easily be purchased.

Plus...being a foreigner, getting a local SIM card is a hassle and it apparently takes 24hrs to activate the card. :s Also, we went to a few places to check out the exchange rate coz we needed to change our money.

Having skipped lunch, we ate at...McD's!! Lol...we figured that it's safe and that the next few days would see us eating solely Indian cuisine.

We walked so much today and also under the rain!! I'm hoping my legs won't punish me tomorrow and that I won't get sick. Touch wood!!!

Till my next entry when I find the time and when the electricity and WIFI permits me to do so.

Flying off again

2011-11-17T22:27:00.002+08:00

Wow....how time flies. My last entry was about my preparations for Diwali and in a blink of an eye, Diwali came and went, my one week leave that I had waited for, for so long ended too. Now, I'm exactly a week away from returning to India.

3 years and 10 months ago, I boarded a MAS flight and went on my first single, overseas work trip to Tamil Nadu, India. In a week's time, I'll be boarding another MAS flight, this time to Bangalore, India. I spent a month in Tamil Nadu. This time, it's just two weeks.

Already I can feel the difference between the two trips. Back then, I had just started working and was a subordinate. An assistant. This time, I feel important (not that I didn't feel important back then). It's just that this time, I'm considered experienced. Having handled a conference where there were more than 1000 women, this time should be a breeze. After all, we're expecting only 300 people. Lol!

Also, back then, I stayed in a hostel-type accommodation, 2 hours away from the city. This time, I'll be staying in a service apartment, located in the heart of the city. Later, when I move into the college hostel which is nearer to the event venue, I'll still be within the city grounds. Not bad! Plus...Bangalore is supposed to be THE IT hub of India. Let's see how well my Internet connection will be.

Of course....since I'm soooooooo family oriented, I'm having a hard time digesting that I'll be away for 2 whole weeks. In a whole other country. In a different time zone. I suppose I got this from my father who always had this hard-to-leave-family moments whenever he travelled with the band.

But then...I'm sure I'm going to enjoy myself. After all, even though I'm there for work, everything is paid for! Food, accommodation, communication, transport. All I have to worry about is shopping money of my own!! Haha...not that I intend to splurge like I did last time. I'm not even sure if I'll have the time to shop. But I'll definitely get little souvenirs, as memories of my trip. Not forgetting lots of pictures!!

Well...I'm not sure when's the next time I'll write another entry. Perhaps when I am in Bangalore. Who knows?

:-)

Diwali preparations

2011-10-24T09:48:00.003+08:00

Diwali, or Deepavali as it is known in Malaysia, is just two days away. I'm on one week leave and I feel as though the days are just flying by.

So two Saturdays ago, Vay and I decided to make muruku. For years, we used to go to my grandma's house to help make the muruku. Last year, we decided to make our own and well...it didn't turn out that well as it turned out too hard. Though we got all the ingredients right, we fumbled with the one "ingredient" that would hold all the other ingredients together: WATER. Our muruku lacked water. Lesson learned!

This year was Round Two. We were determined to nail it this time. We got all the ingredients (remembering that water was crucial) and this year...we had helpers!! Trish and Kiran volunteered to help shape the muruku i.e. using "serious-looking contraptions" to press the muruku into shape.

After scalding my hand while trying to mix the dough with my bare hands (the coconut milk and water had to be boiling), the dough was ready to be pressed. And this was when the fun began! As Vay and I demonstrated the right way to use the muruku device, both Kiran and Trish had the O-M-G look on their faces. Kiran kept "shrieking" as she tried her hand at pressing the muruku dough out of the device. Her device apparently had a "mind of its own" as the dough just kept coming out without her having to press anything. She got used to it after awhile.

Trish was the total opposite. Not only did she get used to the device quickly, she also managed to press out quick neat and nicely shaped murukus. Kiran too had her "moments of good coordination" and by that I mean, she managed to produce some nicely shaped murukus. Vay was in-charged of quality control and transferring the pressed murukus to me. I was solely in charged of frying them.

After 3.5 hrs of laughing, sweating and getting our hands dirty, we managed to make more than 250 murukus!! Now that's quite an achievement! But...I think the most important achievement was getting validation from my mentor a.k.a. grandma.

So after clearing the house and packing the murukus into tins and bathing, off to my granny's house I went. All my aunts were there and of course, everyone tasted. And the verdict?

Drum roll please.........

All gave me the thumbs up!! One aunt even said that mine was better than theirs, and they too had done theirs that very day. But the mother of all comments came from my grandma, who said: "Very nice. So next year, you can do for us also lah!!!". Woohoo!!! :-)

That was two Saturdays ago. Last Saturday, Vay and I did our clothes shopping. This was indeed last minute as we just didn't have the time and it has been raining every evening for the past two weeks. Anyhow....after inspecting every shop there was in Little India, we finally bought our clothes at Kamdar!! And that too with added discount!!

So we're sort of done with our Diwali preparations. We decided not to buy any cookies or cakes etc as we decided to save $$ this year. As it is, starting from yesterday, our days are packed!

Yday = birthday dinner

Today = Diwali BBQ

Tomorrow = Diwali eve and dinner

Wed = Diwali

Thurs = Diwali dinner

Phew....as you can see, it's all eat eat eat! Lol!

Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali!

Me the hypochondriac 2

2011-09-30T11:41:00.003+08:00

So I went to the Doc this morning, to check out my bump and also subdue my paranoia. The first thing the Doc said to me was, "It's not cancer". Lol! Ok...so I sort of knew that. I had been thinking more along the lines of swollen lymph node or blood vessels.

So he checked my pressure, felt my bump (which at first, he said it wasn't a bump) then proceeded to tell me that the whole area was swollen. It felt like a protruding bone. He said it could be an injury but I have not fallen or hit my head in recent times.

He couldn't help me much, saying that for things like this, I would need to go to the hospital to get a CAT scan or MRI. But he's pretty sure it's nothing serious and that the headaches are caused by my fiddling and pressing the bump.

He prescribed some painkillers and anti-swelling meds and told me not to worry.

Well...for now...I'll gladly listen to him. I think it's a mind over matter thing. If I can just ignore the bump and not dwell on it every minute of the day, I'm sure I'll be fine.

Me the hypochondriac

2011-09-28T17:14:00.000+08:00

I have a grand-aunt who's a hypochondriac. She reads magazines, books, articles and has, somehow or rather, almost all the ailments that she reads about. From having agoraphobia to having heart palpitations. Sometimes it's just tiring listening to her complain or moan about her "ailments".

But then.....recently...and I stress...VERY recently...I feel like I'm turning into a hypochondriac. Last week, I found a bump on the right backside of my head. I panicked although it was not painful. I asked my mum and sis to feel the bump and they both said they could feel it. They said it was nothing and that it'll go away. But that didn't subdue me. I continued worrying coz I was also getting occasional bashes of short, sharp, throbbing pain on one side.

A week later and the bump has reduced in size but I continued worrying. The bashes of pain comes and go and the bump, although small , is still there! And it's nagging me!

Vay is close to smacking me as I'm constantly asking her to feel my head. My colleague and Trish told me it's nothing to worry about and it's probably an inflammation. But worry-wart me turned to Google; and of course, that's never a good idea. Results varying from brain cancer to migraine to tension headaches popped up, confusing me even further. Stress could be one contributing factor especially since I'm not the type to vent. Hmmm....

I'm pretty sure the pain is migraine, no thanks to PMS. But I can't neglect the bump! And....being the psycho that I am, every time I touch the bump, I feel nauseous. Geez!! So I've decided to see the Doc this Friday to check it out. I hope I don't have to have a CAT scan or MRI. There I go again!! He most probably will just tell me I'm insane.

But until I get it checked out, I know I won't rest well. And I'll most probably get beaten up by Vay.

WTH!

2011-09-24T12:13:00.002+08:00

And I thought it was off my back. But noooo...........!!! What's with all the matchmaking??? Geez!!

There I was, sitting in a meeting that was supposed to last only 3 hours but was already way past the 3 hour benchmark and I get a call on my HP. It's from one of my aunts. I ignore the call. 10 seconds later, my HP vibrates again. It's one of my aunts again. I answer the call, thinking it must be something important.

Me: Hello
Aunt: Shakun, aunt so-and-so here. Are you busy?
Me: Yes I am. I am in a meeting. Anything?
Aunt: Oh...nvm. Call me back after your meeting.
Me: Ok.

So it's nothing really important. Or so I thought. Then...I get an SMS from my mum. Apparently, my aunt has found a groom for me. She called my parents to have a SERIOUS talk. The guy is apparently tall, fair, good-looking and is a cop who's about to be promoted. Uh-huh....I know my aunt's taste and I can just imagine how the guy looks. Just think, when I told her last time that I prefer guys with no moustache, she told me that guys with no moustache look like monkeys!! :s

Knowing how I feel and what I think about arranged marriages, my mum and dad called my aunt and said no. My dad told them that I'm not ready, now's not the time etc. My aunt had the audacity to tell my father that "there won't be another chance next time."

WTH???!! First of all, who cares if there's no "next time"? How/why is it their problem? My dad said that they're just being nice and CONCERN about me. PLEEAAASEEE-lah! I know them. When it comes to things like this, it's all about competition between the cousins and aunts. Oh...this cousin is married, this cousin is getting married next year, now it's your turn etc.

Seriously-lah, don't they have other more important things to do than meddle in my life? What is it about me wanting to be single that they don't understand? When they asked me during Raya when I intended to settle down, I told them point blank that I am not interested. Big mistake! I got a lecture on how/why I should have a life partner to take care of me; how I am at the "right" age and that I shouldn't wait too long etc. Geez!!!

I'm a very patient person and there are people who can attest to that. But I know that the one thing that will push me to my breaking point is all this matchmaking business. I told my father yesterday that if I hear one more time this issue of marriage and matchmaking, I'm going to tell them off. Dad told me not to upset THEM!! All this while, my sis and I have been the goody-two shoes; the polite ones. Wait till they see me angry. Their whole perspective and impression of me will change. And honestly, I don't care what they think of me after that. There's only so much dabbling and harassing I can take and sooner or later, I'm going to have to tell them to shut up! In addition to this, I'm also being harassed about being able to cook so that I can please my future husband and family. OMG!!!

Trish is so excited about this however. She wants to see the guy's picture; know who he is etc. Baliw!! You're welcome to him Trish but just don't get me involved!!

GEEZ!!! Leave me alone already!

Geezz

2011-09-04T15:52:00.002+08:00

God! I can't believe how lazy I am to update my blog! Not that I have much to update anyway, but still.........

So the other day, last Wednesday to be exact, mum, sis, Trish, Sumayah (cousin) and I went for ladies night at SS (Slippery Senorita). As it turned out, since it was Merdeka night, there was NO ladies night but we still got in free. Of course....being the earliest there, we had the whole club to ourselves for about a half hour before the crowd started trickling in. As Prem was working that night, we of course had great service. Plus....dad's friends are the managers, bouncers, waiters etc, so we were constantly taken care of!

The Filipino band was horrible sadly but since I had good company and with non-stop alcohol, I had a great time. Believe it or not, it was my first time clubbing!! And that too with my mum present (and later on, my dad!!!). Being at the ripe "old" age of 27, and that was my first time clubbing! How ULU!! And....with parents around....who will approach us??!

Well....I guess it's because I've grown up around the club scene when dad was with the band. Plus, having parents that are so liberal, who'll allow me to drink and go out without questioning, I guess that's why I've never had the urge to go clubbing. I remember back in college, when my friends used to go out every night and I wondered what the great pull was?

In fact, that one night in SS was proof that I have not lost out on anything by not clubbing. I certainly don't mind losing out on being in a room filled with smoke; and then coming out of a club after that, all reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke!! Ewww........my hair still had the smoke smell the next day even AFTER I had washed my hair!!

I don't think I'll make this clubbing thing a regular affair but I certainly wouldn't object to a once in a while clubbing. The next round is probably during Deepavali; plans are being made, but that's all just talk for now.

Sighs...I'm so not looking forward to waking up early tomorrow for work. My boss is not here, so that's a plus point but still....

Of piercings and tattoos

2011-08-28T14:28:00.003+08:00

It's been almost a month since I last updated my blog and that too was to say that I have been so busy.

In truth, I am sometimes just plain lazy to think and come up with an entry. I don't lead a very exciting life, so talking about my everyday life is just so boring!

Over the past few weeks, I've celebrated my sister's 21st birthday (it's all on her blog), have been busy with meetings, workshops and trainings at work, and ... hmm...I can't really remember what else.

So I went out with Trish and my sis yesterday, and after much nagging and persuasion, I managed to get my sis to pierce her second ear hole. I got my second ear hole right after Form 5 and that's been like 9 years!! My sis has left school for 4 years and only NOW she's getting one. Lol! She says she feels like a rebel having two earrings on one ear! *roll eyes*

I wanted to get a 3rd one yday but the MILD OCD in me is giving me doubts. For those who know me, I must have everything in even numbers, else I'd feel weird. So having 3 earholes on my ear is making me think twice. But then again, if I get a 3rd piercing, I'd have SIX holes, and that's even! Gosh.....I sound mad! As of now...I'm still debating on whether I should get another piercing or not.

On another hand, I feel like getting a tattoo. Mum has no objections provided I tattoo HER name! Though I think she's just joking. However, getting a tattoo is serious business. One, there's the risk of getting HIV. Two, it cannot be removed (which I'm not worried about). Three, there's the cost; getting a tattoo is not cheap! So for now....I might just have to settle with permanent marker ink on my skin (and the risk of skin cancer) or the traditional henna. Hmmm...

I'd better stop here before I start rambling on and on and on....

In case I don't have another entry for the next one month...here's wishing everyone out there,

A HAPPY MERDEKA AND EID MUBARAK!!!

August

2011-08-02T10:07:00.002+08:00

It's already August!! Puasa has started. My sis's 21st birthday is in two weeks; then it'll be Raya, then Merdeka. Before I know it, it'll be Deepavali and then Xmas!! Whoa.......time is indeed just zooming.......!!!!

Been busy at work. Rushing this and that. Plus there's this big Tribunal thing that is happening in India in December, so we're all gearing up for it. I've said that I don't want to have any work stuff here in my blog, but I can't seem to help it as work takes up half my time. Just the other day, my colleagues and I were rushing to finish a proposal. The call for the proposal came out about 2 1/2 months ago but due to delays and procrastination by a certain someone....we are had to bear the brunt of her actions!! We managed to submit the proposal on time so we can only hope that we get the funding.

On another note...my grandparents and aunt and uncle came for a visit!! It's been years since we all last saw each other, so it was great fun meeting up!!

Am at work now...curi-curi writing this...hehe....

Sighs....

2011-07-05T12:19:00.003+08:00

I’m writing about this because I feel that I’ve endured it for far too long and no matter how many times I tell myself that I should not let it bother me, I always get affected anyway. I get irritated; I get annoyed; I become bitter. And I hate it when that happens.

I’m the type of person who likes to stay home. I read, watch TV, listen to music or sleep. I go out occasionally, when I feel like it and when the time is right. I like having a routine. I don’t have that incessant need or feeling of always wanting or having to go out. I’m not a social bee or butterfly or whatever. Being a homebody doesn’t bother me. I’m comfortable staying at home and having what some people would call, “a boring” life. Yes…there are times when I myself feel that my life is mundane and that everyone around me has a much more fun life, especially since I’m still young. But that feeling comes and then subsides like the waves in the ocean. If I want a change, then it’s up to me to do something about it.

This ‘complain’ entry has been long coming. I’m not sure if I have a similar entry written years ago coz I can’t remember (though I won’t be surprised if there is one). So…like I said above, I’m the kind of person who likes to stay home; and anyone who knows me, knows that. And because of this, I’ve gotten so much of ~~crap~~ comments about me being old, not fun, uncool etc. Some even say that I won’t meet anyone i.e. bf, husband etc if I continue this way.

I’m apparently older than my parents; so much so that people say I behave like I’m the parent and my parents are the children. Now…I’m blessed with having superb parents, who are not only open about everything, they are also fun, young (for their age), hip and they get along with anyone of any age. If anything, they are the best parents anyone could ask for. They are welcoming and people just flock to them like how bees flock to honey. Can I help it if I am different from them?

I don’t know if it is insecurity or jealousy or that I just have a warped mind, but there are times when I actually think twice about introducing my friends (the few of them that I have) to my parents. I know…sounds sick right? While I love the fact that my parents are so accepting and accommodating, and that my friends click with them so well, I tend to feel that after awhile, my friends tend to prefer my parents. After all, I’m the “old” one, no? The one who always says no and is as controlling and uncool as an 80-year old spinster. Even my own mum says I'm old and boring and have no life. Sighs. I’m always told that my parents are cool and that people are jealous coz I’m so lucky my parents are not like parents. Yes…my parents are great. Thank God!

What I don’t understand, is why people just can’t seem to understand and/or accept that I (and my sis to an extent) am a homebody. We are different from our parents. Just because they made us, doesn’t mean we are their clones. So I don’t go out so often. So what if (back in high school), the few times that I actually went out with my friends, we went to the State museum? It’s not coz we’re boring or nerds, but one friend in the group had not been to the museum and had wanted to go. I didn’t know we had to go clubbing or do the “normal-typical” stuff that teens do.

I know I turn down many invitations to go out and that me accepting one is rare. I don’t mind the many invitations (at least I know I am remembered and that people actually want me around) but what I really hate are the remarks. My parents always encourage me to go out; in fact, I don’t think they’ve ever said no to me whenever I wanted to go out. So, permission is definitely not a problem. Finance is an issue coz how can you go out and NOT spend? Yes…I admit that I rarely go out as I prefer to save whatever little $$ that I can. After all, emergencies have cropped up and these little savings are the saviours. And...I'm not complaining about this mind you.

All I am saying, or at least trying to say is this: do not compare me to my parents. They are from a whole different generation. Yes…they are the more fun, upbeat, cool type. I am not. We don't even have that much in common when it comes to having fun. Maybe that's why my friends like them more. Hmm...I sometimes wish that I was (and try to be) like them. Easy to talk to, friendly, approachable. But alas, I have my own personality.

Sighs…reading back what I have written above, it sounds as though I need to be lying down on a sofa, next to a shrink. :s I sound like an imaginative, childish, lunatic who has been cooped up in the house for too long. Maybe I do have a problem and I’m not seeing it!

Geez…do I still post this up now? I guess so.

[Disclaimer: This entry does not point to one person but to the public as a whole.]

Forgot

2011-06-27T09:32:00.001+08:00

For awhile there, I had actually forgotten that I have a blog!! :s Crazy I know!! It wasn't until I saw my sis reading her blog, that I remembered about mine!! Lol!!

Must be "old" age!

Mistakes

2011-06-03T12:10:00.002+08:00

I love English. In fact, English was my favourite subject in school, simply because it was one of those subjects that didn't need studying. As long as I paid attention in class and spoke proper (i.e. not broken) English, I THOUGHT I would be fine. I always scored As in English for every exam, so I thought that my English was fine.

That is until I started my blog. Ever since I started writing, there are almost always a few mistakes that would be found. From spelling to grammar to sentence structure. Even if I re-read my entry and double checked it for any errors, people would still find mistakes!!! Geez!!

Has my standard of English started to dwindle? Okay...now I'm getting paranoid. Is it "has my" or is it "have my"???? The MILD OCD in me is starting to run on overdrive. HELP!!!

Of course...I am grateful that these mistakes are pointed out to me. I continously do the same for my sis and she hates it! I guess it's good that we each have our own 'spell and grammar checker'.

Well...I hope I've written this entry with NO mistakes. If one is found...then I'll just have to shrug my shoulders and go "Oh well..". Plus...I consulted mum on a few "has my or have my".

Compliments

2011-05-28T11:29:00.003+08:00

Today marks one week since I changed to my new hairstyle; and I must say that I'm still glowing/enjoying/beaming from all the compliments that I've gotten so far. I have received tonnes (hehe....that's just an exaggeration) of compliments and I can't stop smiling. Once again, I owe it to Trish. :-)

So two days after getting my new hairstyle...I washed my hair. And what do you know...my curls went missing!! Lol....instead of curls I now have waves. I got a fright when I saw the amount of hair that dropped while washing my hair. Must be all the dye-ing, straightening and curling cream. So I decided against using the foam thing that Trish kindly loaned me. Of course...she's been asking me ever since if I have tried the foam thing yet. I haven't Trish!

Some people prefer the "new" hair without the curls. Personally..both suits me fine. But I'm leaning towards the wavy hairstyle as it's so much easier to maintain. Just wash, dry and run fingers through hair. Hehe! How lazy!

Vay says I've become vainer. I have to agree. This is the first time I've had a side fringe and it's kind of irritating having the hair cover your eyes. I keep pushing it away from my hair. I don't want to push it up for fear of spoiling my straightening. I know....terrible isn't it!! Plus...I keep checking to see if my parting is straight and that my hair is ok! Gosh...what have I turned into!! Vay can't stand the "new" vain me.

I like my new hair and the new length. Mum says it makes my hair looks healthy, full and it's nice. So I've decided to maintain this hairstyle for awhile.

Now that I've changed my hair, Trish wants me to have another make-over i.e. make-up and nails. I'm still resisting coz I'm so not the make-up and nail type of girl. I don't even know how to put on eyeliner let alone a full set of make-up!!

I suppose I could start wearing skirts...hell...no way!! HAHA... Extremely skinny, hairy legs are a definite NO-NO!! Hmmm...let's see what there is to change next......

Finally...

2011-05-22T16:18:00.003+08:00

Finally...after much thought and going back and forth on my decision, I've done it. I've cut my hair! As I said in my previous entry, I have this phase every year, where I want to cut my hair. So yesterday, after having lunch with Trish, I got dragged to a friend's hair salon. I say 'dragged' coz up until we paid our lunch bill, I was still having second thoughts!

Anyway, so we went to the salon and after looking through a few books, we finally decided on a hairdo which we thought would suit me best. Shoulder length, with a side fringe. And since my hair is wavy, there would be curls at the ends. I straightened my fridge though so that it would slide down the side of my face and not curl up and give me a "curtain". This was the first time I was applying any chemicals to my hair (besides dye-ing my hair, that is). We reached the salon at about 2.45 and I was there until at least 6.30pm!!

Trish was soooooo excited and even took pictures of me in my various stages of my transformation! I don't think I'll put the pics up though coz I don't think they're very flaterring.

So, three hours and 45 minutes later...my hair was done. I had a new look. My reaction: I LOVE IT! I've always either had short, boy cut hair or long hair. I've never had shoulder length hair like this before. I actually feel girlier. Lol! And....Trish paid for me!! She said it was my birthday present! How sweet! We have this tanding arrangement that we would not get eacho ther gifts since our birthdays are just one day apart but then...she broke the agreement this time. Not that I'm complaining. THANKS TRISH!!!!!

When I went to the shop with my new do, everyone said it was a nice change!! :-) They said it made me look younger, much to my sister's horror! Now she's got even more reason to be angry at me! Well....dear sis....you can cut your hair too and then you'll look younger!!! :P

The result:

Change

2011-05-19T13:42:00.003+08:00

So every year around the same time (well...more or less) I get this intense desire to go through a change. Change in hairstyle that is. I had short hair all through my high school life and then I decided to keep my hair long through college. At the end of my final year, my hair had grown to almost my waist! The last time I had hair so long was probably back in Std. 5!!

Anyway.....every year I visit the same hairstylist, almost always just trimming my hair to shape it. I don't want to go back to having short hair though some people say I look nice in short hair. To me, short hair will only emphasise my long, small, thin face and long neck! I'd end up looking like a match stick.

So I'm back in this phase again! This time it's before my birthday. After having gone through the dilemma of "should-I or shouldn't-I?" I've finally decided that I want a change!! Hahaha...mum and sis says that my hair is nice enough; dad always says no to going to the hairstylist, so no point asking him; Trish thinks that I should get a change coz she's seen me with the same hairstyle for the past 5 years it seems. But I disagree!

I think I want a slightly shorter (probably shoulder length) do this time; and since I have wavy hair, my waves/curls would cover my long neck. I also have to change my parting. I've been advised numerous times to maintain a side parting but the moment I leave the hair salon, I'm back to center parting. This time, I vow to maintain the side parting. I want to have that sexy, side falling hair! Lol!

Anyhow...now that my mind's made up...I can't seem to find a proper hair salon. Mum advised me not to return to the same hairstylist for he just repeats the same hair style for me every time. The one I want to go to is only free in early June!! Plus...I have to look at my budget. I don't intend going for haircuts costing above RM50.

Sighs....let's see how my search goes. Ironically, every time I go through this change phase, there is always a delay. Either I can't find the time or the hair salon is not available etc.

Hmmm...

Of being lazy

2011-05-02T15:29:00.003+08:00

Hey Hey....so I know I've not updated my blog with interesting entries lately. Not that there's been much to write about. I've just been lazy. After spending 8 hours a day, 5 days a week on the computer, I don't feel the need to log on to a computer during the weekend. I think my eyes need the rest too.

Therefore, I've decided that I'll only update my blog WHEN I feel like doing so. I doubt I have many readers anyway, so no one is losing out. And from the chat messages I get on my chatbox, I'm sure my blog is viewed as a passing glance by people who have too much free time on their hands.

Hmmm...

Too much things on my mind

2011-04-22T16:18:00.003+08:00

I know I said I'd have a proper write up about the Marathon Tribute, but I've decided that I'm just too worn and lazy to do it. The pictures on my FB should tell you how it went. Plus my sis did a pretty good entry on her blog already. So no need for repetition.

I've had too much things on my mind lately...I'm about to explode. I think maybe this is one of the reasons why I can't put on weight. Worry, stress and good genes!

I found a pendant of Lord Ganesha today in my office garden. Probably dropped off someone's keychain. I saw it while walking out for lunch. It was still there after I came back, so I picked it up. I don't know if it's ok or not to pick it up...but Lord Ganesha just happens to be widely revered as the Remover of Obstaclesand more generally as the Lord of Beginnings.

He also happens to be my Family God. And at this point in my life...He's just what I need - remover of my and my family's obstacles and beginning of good times ahead!

Music Marathon Extravaganza

2011-03-28T14:28:00.003+08:00

Had a fantastic 12-hour music marathon yesterday,mingling with the who's who from the Malaysian music industry. Old friends of my dad's, all musicians, came up to Penang for the event and it was blast. Great music, great company, great time!

The highlight of the event for me personally, was when my dad took to the stage in the wee hours of the morning, during the jam session. Joined by oldtimers, dad was back in his element, solo-ing on the guitar to the cheers and applause of the crowd.

I didn't realise how much I missed seeing and hearing him perform, until I saw him play last night. Zul from the Headwind band first took to the stage and after a masterclass performance from him, he introduced dad, who showed that he was just as good if not better! :-) I couldn't stop smiling and cheering! And I could see that dad was very much enjoying himself.

Vay recorded his playing and though it's a bit noisy, you can still hear him play. I'm having a tough time uploading it to FB though. I'll have to find another way to share the video.

Books...glorious books

2011-03-26T17:10:00.002+08:00

My favourite event of the year is back: the Popular Book fair!! Every year, for the past 3 years, my sis and I have been regular visitors of the fair. And every year, we return home with an armful of books! No regrets as it's money well spent!

This year, we came back with 7 books. Most of the books were cheap, from RM5 onwards.

The books we got:

1) Wish Upon a Star - Romance

2) Uptown Girl - Romance

3) Love Bug - Romance

4) Going the Distance and Running the Risk - it's a bumper omnibus edition

5) The Last Gospel - another "Dan Brown" type of book

6) The Last Secret of the Temple - Thriller

7) INXS: the official autobiography

As you can see, my sis and I pretty much stuck to the same romance-dan brown genre. The last book is more for my father since he has a similiar project in the works.

Sis and I found another two books that we REALLY wanted to buy and though they were on discount (20%) it was still too expensive. They were new books. We even called my mum to ask her if she could buy us just ONE book but she said it was too expensive. :-( I guess we'll have to go to Leo books or Book Xcess to find if they have the cheaper version.

Anyhow....7 books will probably keep me occupied till my birthday in June, depending on how fast I read the books. But I am content with my purchases for now. :-)

Brother(s)

2011-02-25T19:18:00.003+08:00

It's on my Facebook; I've also written about "it" in a couple of entries here. My friends know; his friends also know. All in all, it's Facebook official.

What am I rambling about? Am I finally in a relationship? *grin* No! Lol...rather the question should be, WHO am I talking about?

Jared Cheow. Jared John. Jared Soliano Cheow. Whatever he chooses to call himself, my sis and I simply call him BROTHER.

Yes, he's Chinese. Yes, he's from different parents. Yes, he looks different from us. But that's where the differences end, for as much as we are different, we are in fact much more alike.

To the world,, he's my cousin; to us, our brother. We grew up together; played together; laughed together; MADE FUN of our parents together! Fights? None that I can remember of. Though two years younger than me and four years older than my sis, Jared is very much the bigger brother (and I don't mean his size!).

We keep in touch through Facebook and SMSes; and though we rarely call each other due to our schedules, we never fail to meet up whenever one of us are in each other's hometowns. He is the son my parents never had; and my sis and I are the daughters his parents never had. Jared is also one guy I know who will always be there for me.

But...

Unknown to many, I have another brother. And come March 1st, he would have been 21. No...he's not my sister's twin.

Eric Joseph Cheow. Son of Douglas and Lita. Brother to Jared, Vayshna and me.

A fair boy akin to a mat salleh boy, with brown hair and a cheeky grin. I barely remember interacting with him, though I vividly remember being told that he always had to have a small pillow behind his head whenever he slept in the "buaian". I also remember him having his pacifier always pinned to his t-shirt.

Eric left us too early; choosing instead to go up and accompany his father and maternal grandfather. I simply believe that he got his 'key to freedom' much earlier than us. Later, he would be joined by paternal grandfather, great-grandfather, granduncle and great-grandmother. A congregation of great people above, watching us. And amidst them, a young, fair-skinned boy, running around, laughing, playing.

I remember him every March 1st, always wondering how it would be if he were still here. Would he and I be close? Or, would he and my sis gang up and attack us, the elder siblings? Or, would he and Jared gang up on my sis and I? What would most probably happen is the four of us joining forces against our parents!! Now that seems more likely!! :-)

And so...while my sis and I grow closer to Jared, our brother on Earth, I believe that the three of us can be assured that, not only do we have our great Father and relatives above us, protecting us and showering us with blessings, we also have our brother in Heaven, looking down on us, smiling, laughing, watching...loving us.

And as much as we love and miss him, I'm sure that Eric knows. And with that knowledge, I'm comforted.

Happy Birthday

2011-02-23T14:12:00.002+08:00

To the most wonderful person I know:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMAH!!

Here's wishing you many many more years of good health, happiness, success, love and wealth!

Muax!!!!

Xin Nian Kuai Ler!

2011-02-02T14:13:00.002+08:00

Tong Tong Tong Cheang!

Here's wishing all my Chinese family and friends,
GONG XI FA CAI!!

May the year of the rabbit bring you much joy, happiness, success, wealth and good health!

:-)

2011

2011-01-06T11:09:00.002+08:00

It's the 4th day of the first week, of the first month of 2011! This is my first entry of the year and I hope that there will be more to come.

I decided last year that I will not be making any resolutions this year. It's not because I've failed or broken any of the resolutions I made for last year; I managed to tick off a few and there were one or two that was not achieved. Nothing major but still...

So it's been kind of a hectic first week. There's a 3-day meeting going on now and thankfully...I'm not involved! This gives me the time to ease back into working life (after a 10 day break) and get back to routine. I was fine on Monday, managing to get up early without any hassle. But Tuesday and Wednesday proved slightly difficult as I was tired upon waking up in the morning, despite sleeping early the previous night!!

It's Thursday today, which means tomorrow is Friday!! For those of you who reads my blog and is my friend on FB, you'll know that Friday is my favourite day of the week. Lol!

Well...I don't have much to say except that I had a blast during Xmas and New Year! I hope to have a blast all year through!!

I have one major matter that I hope to achieve by mid-year or at least end of the year; it's been on hold for quite awhile now and I think it's time to jump on it again. I'm not saying what it is for fear of jinxing it...but WHEN I do achieve it, there will definitely be an entry about it!!

So wish me luck!!

2010 sum up

2010-12-30T19:01:00.002+08:00

So I always write a recap of what has happened in the year that is ending. Although it's like an unspoken rule that almost everyone with a blog has to do this, I actually got this idea of a recap waaayyy before blogging started. You see, my aunt (you know who you are *wink*) used to write, or should I say type, about her year; the ups and downs; the experiences etc. I was on the receiving end of this "recaps" and back then, I received printed copies in the mail. I remember reading them and thinking..."Wow! What a great idea!". Of course, I was still in school back then and I had nothing much/interesting to write about.

But as I grew older, gained a wee bit more experience and then started blogging, it was high time I started a "recap". So here's my 2010 sum-up:

1st quarter:

I can't really remember much about what happened in January, but in February, my car got broken into and my spoilt radio got stolen! I had to drive home from the office with the passenger side window broken and glass all over the inside.

And then in March...I made the much and long awaited trip back to Singapore!! After more than 10 years, my trip back to Singapore was fruitful! I met Uncle Stephen's mum, I met Uncle Rufi and his family for the first time and I met Uncle Maurice. Sightseeing and visiting the Night Safari made up the trip! What a time I had and I can't wait to return!

Grandma also had her knee operation and now...I reckon she can run faster than my mum!! Lol!!

2nd quarter:

So this year, I had more trips to KL than I ever did over the past years. I also celebrated my 26th birthday in June and got a nice present from my family: a HP!

This quarter also marked MJ's 1st death anniversary. Sighs.

3rd quarter:

I was supposed to spend a month in Philippines from July - August; but due to safety concerns, the trip was cancelled.

My sister turned 20 in August, marking the end of her teenage years. :-)

4th quarter:

The last 3 months of the year proved to be the most exciting. First, we got a new sofa!! And then it was Deepavali which is always nice! Family, friends, food, laughter, pictures. You get the picture!

After Deepavali, both my sister and I got the dreaded chicken pox!! I don't know how I contracted it but I was out of action for 3 weeks!! Thankfully....my spots were not the itchy type but rather it was painful! My sister was luckier as hers only lasted for about a week!

Then Xmas came along and it was time for decorations and presents! And also wine!! hehe...

Xmas passed really quickly and now...as I sit here writing this, tomorrow is New Year's eve!! I decided I wanted a change for the new year and so instead of cutting my hair, I had it dyed. The colour: Medium Auburn, which turned out to look more coppery. There hasn't been much sun lately and so I don't really know the full "force" of the colour. I hope I don't faint when I finally see it in full blast!!

So that's it....my 2010 sum-up! I hope I have another fruitful year next year, with more to experience and more to write!

Signing off for the year 2010!!

See you next year!! HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS!

Xmas is over...

2010-12-26T16:37:00.002+08:00

Xmas is finally over. After spending so much time just THINKING about what I should get for my sister, I finally finished my Xmas shopping on Friday!! If I wasn't on leave on Friday, my shopping would have been left unfinished!

So Friday night was spent at the shop as there was sort of a gathering. We feasted on roasted chicken, prawns, KFC mash potato and coleslaw, beer and wine. It wasn't exactly a party but rather...just a way to usher in Xmas and spend time with family friends. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken as we were all hungry and by the time we remembered that we had our cameras with us...almost everyone had gone home.

Xmas morning was spent at home. We opened our presents, watched TV and had a very light afternoon meal as we had a dinner to attend to. Mum got me a perfume and bath gel (although the gel was a mistake as she had wanted to buy me a moisturiser. This is the second year she's made that mistake). Sis got me a bag and the book, THE LOST SYMBOL!! Yay!! :-)

Dinner that night was at my dad's friend's house. There we had crabs, prawns (yay!), chicken, mutton, beer, stout and wine! We had planned to only stay for a couple of hours and leave before midnight. But as usual...once the drinking begun and conversation started to flow....we ended up leaving at nearly 3am!

Thank God I still have the next week off. I've got a few things to do before the new year; like fixing my "new" pc, getting my hair done (I'd wanted to cut it but then mum disapproves. So I compromised and said I'd get it dyed), doing nothing...lol.

I can't believe it'll be a new year in a few days' time!

Xmas preparation

2010-12-21T13:36:00.003+08:00

I returned to work after a 3-week "break" and boy was I looking forward to it.......NOT!! But thankfully, I only had another 3 weeks to work then the office was closed for the year! Yippee! I also found out that Dec 24th was declared a holiday!

To me, December is the month for presents and Xmas trees. It also marks the end of the current year! Usually, my Xmas tree would be up by the second week of December [I'd wanted to go down to KL or S'pore this year since I have a long break but then my sis has no holiday so it's Xmas in Penang this year]. This year...laziness took over. Considering that I was still on "break" in the first week of December, I could very well have set up the tree. But alas....that did not happen. My sis and mum started asking when the tree would be up and I suddenly realised that almost every year, I'M the one who sets up the tree!! But then again...I can't or rather shouldn't complain as I'm the fussy one when it comes to decorating the tree. The OCD in me comes out like a charging bull; the lights are not evenly put, the shiny balls and boxes are not evenly placed etc! And so...I guess after years of complaining...I guess my mum and sis has decided to leave it to me. Nevertheless, my sis helped me this year; AFTER I had assembled the tree and placed the lights. It took us about an hour to get it done.

After the tree...comes presents and this is ALWAYS a problem! What presents can I get for mum, sis and dad, while sticking to a limited budget? For the past few years, I've gotten the same gifts for my mum and dad. Thankfully, the presents are useful and will always be used. But then again....there goes the surprise element. So far, I've already bought presents for my mum and dad. Deciding to choose what to buy for my sis is proving to be a real problem. She gave me a list of things she wants (from books to clothes) to make it easier for me, but still...I find myself looking at the list over and over again not knowing what to get her.

Xmas is only 3 days away, so I'd better hurry up and finish my shopping. Sighs!

Out for 3 weeks

2010-12-03T14:23:00.003+08:00

I've been on leave, or rather Medical Leave for the past 3 weeks. The cause: CHICKEN POX!! It's really weird that I got it just suddenly, out of the blue. One day I was working at a hotel with my team; the next day, I felt sick and had 2-3 blisters on my neck. A trip to the doctor confirmed my mum's suspicion. Of course...the moment it was confirmed, mum and sis alienated me as they both had yet to contract chicken pox. Only dad was brave enough to come near me. But then, he too was cautious despite already having chicken pox when he was young.

I had to carry down my matress and pillows to sleep in the hall. My clothes were kept isolated from the rest of the laundry; I was confined to my "side of the house". All in all, I was "cordoned" off to one side of the house.

Surprisingly, I did not feel itchy. My body temperature was haywire, I had no appetite (which is sooo not good as I am already thin!!), and all I did for the first week and a half was sleep almost the whole day long!! I only got up to eat (or rather nibble on some food and keep myself hydrated) and have neem soap baths. I also had my body painted with blended neem leaves with a bit of kunyit added into the blend. This practice may sound weird as usually, we just use the neem leaves to rub over ourselves to easy the itch and also sleep on the leaves to help cool our body. But when my brother got chicken pox and according to my aunt, his spots were like 'mutant pox'...she decided to blend the leaves and paint him with it. The result? The blisters dried quickly and there were no scars!! He now has beautiful skin.

Naturally, with me being vain and worried about having scars especially since my face seemed to bear the brunt of the disease, I followed and am still following the neem bath practice. I'm happy to say, the spots on my face dried rather quickly, fell off and now...although I can see faint scars, I'm fairly certain it'll all disappear as besides the neem baths, I'm also applying pure, concentrated vitamin E. As for the spots on the rest of my body, I'm hoping that the combination of neem soap baths and application of Franch Oil will help reduce the marks.

Contracting chicken pox when in adulthood only doubles the symptoms. Meaning, more spots, longer recovery period etc. My spots took about two weeks to appear fully and only in the 3rd week did it start drying and dropping off. I return to work on Monday and after being on leave for so long...I'm kinda dreading it.

But then...once I go back to work, it's only 3 weeks to the last week of December when once again I'll be off as the office is close for Xmas and New Year. So I can't really complain!!

And so...as I move on from my chicken pox experience, I'm looking forward to shopping for Xmas! Yippee!

Deepavali

2010-11-13T11:16:00.002+08:00

One week ago was Deepavali. As usual, on the eve, the entire family (sans a few cousins) gathered at Ceylon Lane (previously it was at Argyll Road) for prayers and dinner. I think we (read: dad, sis and I) were the last to arrive – mum was at the shop – but thankfully, the food that was ordered still hadn’t arrived.

In the meantime, one of the lights in the living room was not working and so some of the men of the house wanted to be macho and tried to fix the light. In the end, there was a new light bulb, the light was not fixed, the starter was broken to pieces and it was concluded that there was something wrong with the “balas” (or something that sounds like that).

The food finally arrived and so the prayers started. As usual, the men went first, women were next, and then the grandchildren last. No argument there. Since the grandkids were the last to perform the prayers, we were also the first to eat!! There was a spread of ghee rice, chicken curry, mutton, dalcha, cabbage, mango chutney and the famous chilli sambal! YUMS!

After tucking in, some relatives left, some watched TV, while some sat outside chatting. One of my aunts bought some fireworks/crackers (though it’s illegal) and some of us cousins had a blast! We ushered in Deepavali a bit earlier this year as we couldn’t wait for midnight to approach. Dad and an uncle lit up two long strands of firecrackers simultaneously and I think I was deaf for awhile afterward.

Once I got over my deafness, sis and I headed to the shop to see mum and give her some food. Midnight struck and as is the norm, fireworks/crackers from all sides of the shop went off! It was fun!

Coz we slept late the night before, we got up late the next day. After praying at home, we headed to granny’s house for brunch. There was hot tosai, home-cooked chicken curry, dalcha etc. In the meantime, lunch was being prepared.

The mandatory photo-taking session was next, so it was all poses, smiles and *cheeses*!! Photos are up on FB.

A small dinner part to be held the next day was cancelled so we had a quiet family dinner at home. The menu: CHINESE food! Lol…I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the reason for the choice of food.

I was on leave for the next two days so it was spent at home and at the shop.

BTW…our washing machine died on us just a few days before Deepavali and that was a bummer. Thankfully it could be repaired! Handwashing one load of clothes was tiring!

Brief update but not about Deepavali

2010-11-09T10:59:00.002+08:00

So I had a nice long weekend last week; time spent with family and friends. But I'll not be writing abt that today as I have something else to complain about.

As I was relishing my last day of leave yday, I got an SMS from a colleague telling me that the PPT team at work will be based at B-suite from Nov 11 to Nov 22, working almost non-stop (read: 12 hours a day),everyday including weekends. We're given this Sunday off (thank God) but have to work on Haji and the weekend that follows.

Why? Because the big bosses are in a rush and they are worried. When we voiced our concerns and requested for help...everyone turned a deaf ear! Now...when the deadline is sooooo near and we're actually late on some things...we are made victims due to their "deafness"!

SIGHS!

Round 3: Success!

2010-10-24T17:44:00.002+08:00

Since Round 2 didn't happen last weekend, I was determined that Round 3 be a success. After the disappointment of Round 2, I got sick! As I said in my previous entry, I'd already started to have a scratchy throat and sniffles. Well...all that graduated into a full blown fever and cold attack. I went to work on Monday despite feeling sluggish and by Tuesday, I was bedridden. My head was heavy, my body was hot and my nose was leaking. I was on MC on Tuesday and Wednesday. All I did was stay home, lie in bed, drank lots of water and slept.

I had to drag myself back to work on Thursday as I had some important stuff to finish and send off to the printers. My poor colleague who shares my office room had to deal with my coughing, sneezing and sniffling for two days.

Saturday came fast enough, thanks to my two-day bed rest. As this was the last weekend I had before all my crazy meetings begin, Round 3 HAD to be a success. So the whole of yesterday morning and afternoon was spent in Little India. We managed to find our outfits and also a top for dad (although when he tried it on later, it was a tad too tight!!). We also got all the cookies and other tidbits (read: Indian sweets/candies, black donuts etc).

We also bought muruku flour and the whole of today morning was spent on that. There was a slight problem at the beginning as we couldn't get the right consistency for the dough to be pressed and shaped. It was too dry and it kept breaking. It just wouldn't hold its circular shape. After numerous attempts of salvaging the dough, a quick call to my grand-ma fixed the problem! Oh well...that's where experience comes in.

And so...after about 2.5 hours of kneading, pressing and frying, we managed to make 173 murukus (minus the broken bits and pieces). Not bad!! Right after all the washing up was done, mum, sis and I fell asleep!! Lol!

The house smells of ghee and right now...I'm in no mood to eat the muruku...just yet. A bit jelak for the moment. But I guess as the days pass and Deepavali approaches, I'll find myself reaching into the tin for a muruku or two.

It's back to work and meetings for the next two weeks. THANK GOD the last meeting ends just before Deepavali!

:-)

Round 2

2010-10-18T15:40:00.003+08:00

Round 2 of Deepavali shopping did not happen last weekend. Sis was sick, mum didn't want to go...

So that leaves me with this weekend to shop for our clothes, make muruku (if we are doing it!!) and buy the rest of the give-aways (read: cookies, cake etc). At the rate things are going, I doubt that shopping this weekend will push through.

My sis was/is sick; runny nose, cough and fever. I used to be able to withstand any sickness thanks to my high antibody. However now, I find myself getting sick after one family member gets sick. Could be that we are all under one roof and there's no where else for the germs to attack; could be that I'm getting older and my body's resistance is weakening. Whatever it is, I think I'm about to fall ill.

I've already got the signs: scratchy throat, dry cough, headache. It's just a matter of time, although I'm going to do my very best to avoid getting a full-blown cough and cold. That means, lots of vitamin C and water.

My new, red, L-shaped sofa has arrived by the way!! I'm so happy!! Although my sis and I are trying ur best not to sit on it so much for fear that it'll start to sink or wear out! Haha!

Deepavali shopping: Round 1

2010-10-12T15:10:00.000+08:00

So my sis, mum and I went on our 1st round of Deepavali shopping last night and it was such a disappointment. After having our dinner at Ananda Bahwan, we went from shop to shop looking for our (read: my sis and I) Deepavali outfits. Not only were the prices of the outfits outrageous, there were simply none that caught our eye. The trend this year seems to be the crumpled-looking Punjabi suits. There were 2 or 3 that were nice but the price was also “nice”. RM477 was printed on one of the price tags. But don’t worry…everything was on “discount”, 50%, which means the outfit still cost more than RM200 which is more than what I’d set aside for one person!!

After a few disappointing rounds in about 5 shops, mum started to insist that we get “normal” clothes this year instead of traditional clothes. But of course, my sis and I disagreed. After all, this is the one time in the year that we get to buy Punjabi suits. Granted, that besides Deepavali, we only wear Punjabi suits either to temples, during Thaipusam or weddings, but nonetheless, it’s DEEPAVALI!!

I felt so disappointed as I walked back to the car. I had really hoped to spot one outfit that I like and buy it, or at least get excited. Mum said that it’s still early and that as time passes, the better ones will emerge. But I beg to differ. After all, it’s only less than a month to Deepavali….plus…I’ve got only two weeks to get everything ready before I drown in my sea of meetings at the end of the month.

Hmmm………..round 2 should be this Saturday. We’ll probably go to Kamdar in Bukit Jambul. Let’s wait and see…..

Less than a month to go

2010-10-07T12:01:00.003+08:00

So Deepavali is less than a month away and usually by this time, I’d be all excited. The month before the festival is when all the hype begins. Shopping for new clothes and accessories, making muruku and kulcha, cleaning the house (not that I look forward to it), keeping aside all the 'angpow' packets we get from banks and malls…the list goes on.

This year however, I haven’t begun to feel the excitement. I blame this all on work as from Oct 27 to Nov 3, I’ll be stuck in meetings after meetings after meetings. So there goes my yearly grand-daughter duty of helping my grandma make muruku and kulcha. We usually make them about a week before Deepavali; any earlier and there won’t be any left for the day!! I suppose my sister will have to shoulder the responsibility alone this year.

I have about 2 ½ weeks to do all the shopping I want and knowing what a picky person I am….that’s hardly enough time. I bought my Deepavali outfit at the very last minute last year…if I’m not mistaken just a few days before Deepavali!! I vow not to do the same this year. I don’t have the time anyway.

I’m also looking forward to the “party” or gathering that is supposed to happen the day after Deepavali. A friend is “planning” it i.e. talking about it but so far that’s all I’ve heard of it: TALK. I hope it happens. My brother said he’ll try and make it and I’m sure it’ll be a blast!! :-) That’s the first time we’ll all be drinking together. Hehe…

I also have to get my new sofa for the house. We went scouting for one last weekend and I hope to finally book one this weekend. Hmm…let’s see lah…

Of being greedy

2010-10-01T16:18:00.002+08:00

So lately I’ve begun to realize that I am becoming greedy. I find myself wanting things, and the only thing that is keeping me back from getting that stuff is the knowledge that I will suffer in the end if I indulge myself!

I don’t have the usual wants or desires to have the latest shoes, clothes or accessories. I rarely shop which is good for my pocket and bank balance; plus, I’m really picky especially when it comes to shoes. I can go shoe-hunting and still come back empty handed!!

Anyway, back to being greedy, recently, I took a look around my house and decided that my family (read: I) need a new sofa set. Our old sofa set was tearing and breaking, and when my grand-aunt was selling her house stuff away, we bought her two single bed frames and mattresses and used that as “sofas” for our house!! “Brilliant” idea as now…neither my parents nor my sis and I sit. We all lie down!! Pathetic I tell you, considering the fact that my mum had a “rule” to NEVER have a bed in the hall!!! People who came to our house compliment us on our creative idea but I’d bet they would never do the same.

So…having a new sofa set was one thing. Then as I flicked through the various channels on Astro, I decided that I it would be nice to have channels such as BIO, Discovery Health and Living etc. There seems to be more interesting things to watch on those channels. That’s added $$. So for now…I’m still counting to see if I can afford the addition.

Then there’s my sister and me always wanting to eat fast food like McD’s and Pizza Hut which would just burn a hole in our pockets! And it doesn’t help when Burger King is now opening a branch near your house!! Arghhh…

Of course…I always set aside some money whenever I receive my salary. That money either goes for house groceries, car repairs (this year alone there were so many unfortunate incidents with Wednesday being the most recent. My exhaust pipe actually broke into two!!), end of the year car road tax and insurance renewal, Deepavali etc.

Now I’m not complaining about not being able to get what I want. I can easily take money from my “emergency” savings to indulge my greediness but is it worth it?

I can do without the extra Astro channels. As for the sofa set…well…I’m pretty determined to get a set coz I’m beginning to get sick and tired of having a bed and mattress in the living room. It’s just bad feng shui. I’ve got some saved up money…so let’s see if I can find an affordable one.

Hmmm.....

4-day weekend

2010-09-20T13:43:00.002+08:00

So last Thursday was a public holiday; and taking advantage of my 5-day work week, I took Friday off so that I'd get a 4-day weekend! So what did I do?

I had planned to go down to KL. Initially, mum, sis and I were supposed to go to KL during Raya. But somehow things just didn't work out and so the trip was cancelled. It was the perfect timing for mum to take a break. The shop was closed for 3 days and it was also the weekend, which meant that I was on break and sis was also free. Alas....things just didn't work out.

Back to last weekend, since both my sis and I couldn't decide if we wanted to go to KL or not, the decision was somehow already made up. All the procrastinating and "Want to go or not?" sort of decided it for us.

So I basically spent the 4-days at home. I followed mum to the market every morning, to the shop every afternoon, back home for a few hours, then back to the shop again later in the night. Kind of mundane, yes, but it was in a way relaxing. I watched a movie or two as well. Of course, working in my organisation has sort of made me be obssess about emails, so I took an hour on Friday, to check my emails just to see if there was anything important to attend to. Thankfully, there was none. (Although if there was something to attend to, I'd probably just leave it for Monday for when I start work and then worry about it the whole weekend).

Of course when it was Sunday night, I started dreading Monday. Lol! But I can't complain. I had 4 days to do nothing. I can't very well spend my life being on a perpetual holiday can I? Though I would love to do that!! Hehe...

Anyhow....my brother is in town! So...even though I didn't get to see him in KL...I'll still be seeing him. :-)

Selamat Hari Raya

2010-09-09T16:18:00.003+08:00

To my family and friends,

Here's wishing you,

Selamat Hari Raya! Maaf Zahir Batin!

At work

2010-09-02T11:33:00.002+08:00

As I write this, I am sitting on the carpeted floor of the Horizon meeting room in Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang. We have just finished our first meeting of the week (surprisingly early!!) . While we wait for lunch and then the beginning of the second meeting at 2pm, most of us are either back in our rooms resting or catching up on work that was left undone due to the first meeting.

For me, I'm multi-tasking: I'm checking my emails, I'm on FB, I'm chatting with Trish and two colleagues from work, I'm also researching for some data on farmer suicides. Oh ya...not to forget...I'm blogging too!! Haha...

I had a really late night on Tuesday. A 3-hour meeting that was supposed to be from 4pm-7pm, lasted till 10pm!! Then, coz the laptop that I brought from the office died on me (despite it working the previous day)...I had to go back to the office and get another one. To my horror, the two laptops that was available in the office, chose that very day to die!! Thankfully....my admin and finance officer had another laptop with her but...it was with her at HOME!! So off to her house we went and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was past midnight!! All this on a public holiday!! Thank God Marvin was so nice and kind to drive me to and fro everywhere!! Now we're both going to demand that we get replacement leave!! I only hope we get it!!

Alright then...a short update as I need to continue on my other "tasks". Hehe...

Haircuts

2010-08-23T16:57:00.003+08:00

I’m not sure when this so-called obsession begun, but I’ve had this “thing” about getting hair cuts. I can’t really remember if I had short hair when I was a kid but looking at all the pics in the album…well..yeah…I had short hair.

In Primary school, I maintained my short hair till I was about 10. Then I started growing out my hair till it was nearly to my waist!! Not to blow my own trumpet, but I had the typical, long, thick, jet-black hair with waves. It was heavy! Then suddenly when I was in Standard 6, I had the sudden desire to chop it all off and *woosh* I had super short hair!! Not a crew cut but REALLY short.

I started high school with short hair (DUH – since my hair was super short just the year before). I switched from long hair to short hair to long hair to short hair all through the years. It was as though my hair was having a mind of its own!! I suppose I can attribute it to vanity (for wanting to have long hair) and also practicality since there were activities and sports (it was just easier to have short hair).

During college, I somehow managed to maintain my long hair. I suppose it’s becoz almost every girl had long hair; PLUS…I had to have something to cover my long thin neck. PLUS…I had braces on back then! I’d have look like a match-stick with iron teeth!! *shudder*
Right now, I’ve got reasonably long hair. I still find excuses to cut my hair, be it split ends, or my hair has no shape etc. I suppose I like the feeling of being pampered – where I walk into the salon, the hairstylist greets me, washes my hair while indulging in idle talk etc. After my hair is cut/trimmed and blown dry…I feel like someone new every time I step out of the salon.

Hmm…you guys must be wondering what kind of freak I am! Lol…I wonder too.

My sister on the other hand just abhors the idea of even getting her hair trimmed. Chopping off one inch of her hair is like chopping off her 10 toes. She cringes at the thought of it!! Mum says her 'crowning glory' is literally her crown i.e. her hair! I can't remember her having short hair! Plus...her hair's a nice shade of brown/copper so much so that my uncle once told her "I like the colour you dyed your hair with"!!

Anyhow...after numerous attempts of getting my sis to cut her hair...she finally succumbed to Kiran's pleas! So last Saturday, my sis bravely had her hair cut and styled and what do you know....she looks amazing!! She looks younger, fresher and her new layered crop really suits her!!

Well...now that she's had HER haircut...I'm thinking...should I follow suit? Or should I wait out for my hair to reach my waist?? Hmmm....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

2010-08-14T18:48:00.002+08:00

Here's a shout out to my lil sis who's turning 20 in a few more hours!! She'll no longer be a teen - I keep reminding her of that!! Haha...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAYSHNAVEE!!

MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS, HOPES AND WISHES COME TRUE!

MAY YOU BE ALWAYS BLESSED!

Love you lots!! Muax!!

Hmmm...

2010-08-06T16:04:00.001+08:00

So my father didn’t go for the medical check-up last Saturday. Turns out that it was one of those schemes that private companies use to try and get to you buy their products. We found out about this when my dad called the hospital to ask if he was to fast the night before and was told that it was not the hospital conducting the tests etc. Instead, a private company had rented their space/hall and they were the ones doing the “tests”, if indeed that was what they were going to do; because, prior to the testing, participants have to sit through a seminar for an hour. I doubt that it would have been a “Live healthy” kind of talk, but rather a “do you have a life insurance/policy” kind of talk.

And once again…my father escaped being told off. Apparently my daily nagging doesn’t seem to affect him coz just last Wednesday he blatantly lied to me saying he shared a plate of fried mee with a friend for dinner. Sis and I went to pasar malam that night and came back with lots of finger-foods. We refused to allow my dad to indulge in any coz we know him so well. Besides, he had asked us to buy a packet of keropok for him, of which we knew will be finished by the end of the night.

Anyhow, we found out from the very same friend he had “shared” his dinner with that my dad had in fact ate his own plate of fried mee; the sharing was…him tasting his friend’s fried MAGGI!! And so…dad got caught! When we confronted him, he denied!! *rolls eyes*

I’ve reached my limit. So I told him yesterday that since he’s not listening to us, I’ve decided not to listen to him too. Fair is fair. Yes he’s my father but at this point, I don’t really care. After all, he’s stopped telling me what to do for quite awhile now and he knows that I can make the right decisions and choices. Our roles have reversed.

Being stubborn

2010-07-30T11:38:00.002+08:00

Of late, I have been getting increasingly annoyed, irritated, and pissed at my father and his habits. I’ve already accepted, though reluctantly, that I will not be able to change his smoking and drinking habits. The fact that his brother who had stopped smoking for 10 years died of lung/throat cancer has not sunk in his head. He was upset, he “tried” to cut down but in the end, he’s back at it again. As that is a lost cause, I am adamant about changing his eating habit! He has one of the unhealthiest eating habits.

Being a musician for the most part of his life, his entire schedule has been disrupted. The late nights, the late suppers, the smoking, the drinking. Although I’ve given up on the first and latter two habits, the late suppers are something I want, no, NEED to change.

Just yesterday, he had a whole full meal at dinner. Later that night, I saw him eating biscuits. When I told him that he had a whole meal earlier, he said it was not enough! And when I woke up this morning, I found that he had eaten my entire Tupperware (it doesn’t matter if it was a small Tupperware or not) of assam!! The other morning, the first thing he did when he woke up was eat a burger!! Not go to the toilet!!! Imagine that!!

To further add to this, is the fact that he rarely drinks water, although he says he drinks a lot! At home, I don’t see him drinking water at all; he’s always buying ‘teh-o ais’ or ‘kopi-o ais’ or soya bean. When I confront him, he reasons his buying of these drinks by saying that it’s all “less sugar”. To me, it’s not a matter of “less sugar” or anything; water is essential for our body and health. Imagine drinking alcohol the night before, waking up the next day dehydrated and heading straight to the fridge for a ‘teh-o ais’!?! That’s what my dad does.

I’m not complaining just for the heck of it. I want him to be healthy and to live long. As it is, he already has high cholesterol and is under medication for that. But at the rate he’s going, he looks like he’s heading towards getting diabetes as well (my grand-father had it and a few of my uncles too).

He told me yesterday that he’s going for a medical check-up on Saturday and I told him straight that I hope they find that his cholesterol and sugar levels are up. I told him that should they find anything not right, I wouldn’t be surprised and that I’ll tell him “I told you so”!! I know it’s mean of me to say that but I figured that that’s the only way he’s going to be scared and take some action. His words of assurances for the past 5-6 years are mere empty vessels.

He doesn’t listen, or rather refuses to listen to any of us (read: mum, sis, me, his mother) but he rather listen to strangers and friends. I do hope the doctor scolds him this Saturday and gives him the fright of his life. Sighs…

Boring me?

2010-07-27T10:37:00.001+08:00

“I am such a homebody. I almost never socialise. Therefore, I am quite picky about going out.”

This is one sentence that I found on my aunt’s blog the other day. I re-read the lines at least twice coz I could relate to it so well!! I AM a homebody. I RARELY socialize. And I AM picky about going out. Ask anyone, especially Trish and she’ll tell you how difficult it is to get me to go out even if it’s just for drinks.

I prefer to stay home, watch TV, read a book, irritate my sister or just lie on the couch and listen to music. I’m THAT boring. I’m so boring that ALL my friends say that my mum is more ‘hip’, more ‘exciting’, more ‘lively’ than me. Instead, I’m like a typical 60-year old grandma (sorry to all the grannies out there), who stays at home all day watching Telenovelas. But…I’m happy being a homebody.

I’m not the type to go for drinks or have dinner with friends or workmates after a long day at work. Instead, I prefer to drive home straight, kick off my shoes, change into something more comfortable than my already comfortable casual clothes that I wear to work and relax.

I’m 26, in my prime 20s. I should be going out partying, socializing, meeting new people, enjoying my life, searching for my soul mate/life partner. THAT is what I am supposed to be doing with my life or so say some people. But is it really necessary that I conform to the social norms of society? “How will I meet my “dream guy” or my life partner when I don’t go out and socialize?” people always ask me. Right now, I’m not interested in all that. I don’t see the need to get married. I’m not looking for or wanting a boyfriend. So what if I have less than 10 friends? I’m happy as I am. I go out when I feel like it. I spend when I feel like it. So how is it anyone’s concern or business how I live my life?

Yes….my life may seem boring – super-boring- to most people but this is how I choose to live my life. If I complain, I can only blame myself. If I am bored, then only I myself can change that.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate everyone who advises me and tries to “bring me out of my shell”.

Have you watched them sleep?

2010-06-28T11:16:00.000+08:00

- I wrote this awhile back and it came out in The Star. Thanks Aunty Lita for reminding me about it!-

I RECEIVED a message on my Friendster account the other day. It was one of those forwarded messages, the type I would usually scan briefly before hitting “delete”.

But this message, written in Bahasa Malaysia, started with a simple question that caught my attention. A rough translation of it goes like this:

“Have you ever watched your parents while they were asleep? Your father’s body, once big and strong but now, the big is withered and the strong is weaker. Wisps of grey peek out from his hair, wrinkles now “scar” his forehead and face.

This man works hard every day and would sacrifice anything to make sure his family is provided for and his children get the best education possible.

Or how about your mother, whose soft hands once cuddled and held you close when you were a baby? Now, those hands are dry and rough, bearing evidence of the challenges she faced just for us.

This woman takes care of our daily needs, constantly nagging and scolding us because of her love for us. But sadly, we often misconstrue her love as control and unfairness.”

I have never thought of watching my parents while they slept. I’ve watched my cousins sleep when they were babies, all round and cuddly and sweet smelling. But watch my parents? No way!

But after reading this message, I realised that there was indeed much truth in it. In fact, my parents do not have to be asleep for me to realise that they have aged.

Just looking at my mother walk tells me that her legs are not as strong as they were before. Or hearing her ask me for help with that flowerpot in the garden, the one she used to be able to push and drag around the garden without my help.

Or watching my dad lift a 10kg bag of rice. I can easily carry that bag now. I am young. But to him, it is a struggle.

What do all these observations tell me? Yes, my parents have aged. They are ageing, just as I am ageing. But as I age towards my best years and become stronger, they in turn are becoming weaker. They were once the caregivers and I the receiver. In time, I know our roles will reverse. Like it or not, want it to or not, this is life.

I suppose I have always subconsciously thought that my parents would always be with me, never growing old. It took that message to make me realise that my parents are not immortal. That they, too, will one day leave the world and me. Until then, I will make good use of our time together.

English

2010-06-13T16:41:00.003+08:00

My family and I pride ourselves in having a good grasp of the English language. We speak, read, write, think, quarrel and joke in English. Though by right, I should be speaking Tamil and Tagalog, those are the very two languages that have been pushed or rather side-lined as English has been used in our home from the very beginning. Attempts at learning Tamil has just made me not want to learn the language although I can understand the basic. As for Tagalog, I've more interest in this language as I think it's easier and there are more interesting ways to learn it - from watching telenovelas where there are cute guys, to listening to songs. Even my colleagues are Filipinos and though I have spent two years working with them, I've NOT improved much on my Tagalog. My understanding has improved but not my speaking.

Now...I've written countless essays, articles, emails and now blog entries, and though I am one of those who correct other people's mistakes (i.e. when they speak or write), I have made glaring and embarassing mistakes myself! Simple mistakes that are overlooked even when I take the time to check and read through whatever I have written. 'Living' is spelled as 'leaving'; the use of 'had' and 'have' have been confused at times; 'swapped' has been used instead of 'swiped'; even 'he' and 'she' mistakes have been made.

When I read my sister's blog, I always (though it's sub-consciously) look for mistakes in spelling, grammar and sentence structure. Sometimes I find it funny, sometimes I get irritated that such a minor, simple mistake was done. And yet....it's not as though I am perfect either! I have made those mistakes! Granted that sometimes the mistake is due to a typing error but sometimes, what you think and what you actually put down comes out so differently.

I'm not a perfectionist but I am slightly OCD. And yet...it's not OCD enough to realise the mistakes I've made. Sighs...I'm pretty sure that when I read this entry again, I'll not find any mistakes. A few days later...and I WILL find a mistake!

Those were the days

2010-06-12T22:36:00.003+08:00

My sis and I were in the shop as we usually are on a Saturday afternoon. She had just returned from class and was telling mum and I about how she and her friends were talking about their childhood and the things they used to do. This brought back memories to me - some happy, some funny, some just weird.

One incident that I clearly remember was the time when I was attacked by a crow. A neighbour had left their rubbish bin uncovered and there was a crow picking at the plastic bag that was in the bin, trying to break through the plastic to get to the food. Mum saw and anticipated the mess that would happen and asked me to shoo the crow away and cover the bin. Being naive, I did just that - I shooed the crow away, covered the bin and ignited the crow's rage. As I walked back to where my mum was sitting (she was chit-chatting with a few other ladies), a crow (I'm pretty sure it was the crow I chased away) came directly at me and scratched my forehead!! I was attacked by a crow!! I had 3 red lines on my forehead; 3 lines that I showed to my mum to which she just laughed!! Ever since that incident, I've been wary of crows. Not to mention that they can fly and just conveniently unload poo on you or your car.

Another incident that came to mind involved my sister. She was about 3 or 4 years old and during this time, we used to follow my mum to the market. We had to walk through a kampung area where there were geese, dogs and my sister's favourite animal, CHICKENS. My sister is afraid of these birds although she just LOVES to eat them!! Anyway, back to my story...one morning when we were on the way home back from the market, mum saw a few chickens running loose and shouted at my sister, saying "Look! The chickens are running after you!". Being terrifed of the birds, my sister started running blindly and promptly ran into a pole! Haha!! This story has stuck in not only her memory but also my mum's and mine!

And then there were the times when the electricity would go off for a few hours and when it was dark outside, the neighbourhood adults (i.e. my dad) would put on bedak sejuk and "become" the ghost, scaring us kids. Or the time, when we had water-gun fights. My mum actually bought the super-power shooting water-gun to fight off us kids who had the cheap, sundry-shop type. When things got out of hand, out came the garden hose!! Boy were we soaked!

Leaving in a neighbourhood where most of the neighbours are friendly and respectful made all the difference. I can't imagine all these happening if we were living in an apartment of condo.

To watch my younger cousins now, as they grow, I actually feel for them as they will not have these kind of memories - of playing out in the garden with the neighbour's kids or having a parent actually join in the fun!

Sighs....what wonderful memories! Ones to treasure till the end..

Another year....WISER!

2010-06-04T11:45:00.002+08:00

It's June the 4th...my favourite day of the year simply because I made my parents the happiest people on Earth, 26 years ago when I was born. Lol! How perasan!!

Sighs...another year has passed since I celebrated turning 1/4 of a century. Today, two people who called to wish me commented on how "old" I was getting!! Oh PLEASE!!! Haven't they heard?? 26 is the new 20!! :D Somehow, I don't find myself fretting over being "a year older". Yes...when people comment that I am nearing 30, I do brush it off and all; but honestly, I don't see the fuss. I feel young, I look young (hopefully!!), so why should I THINK OLD?? If anything, I'd rather say I've turned a year WISER, SMARTER, STRONGER...anything positive!!

My mum and a friend of mine from work can't seem to understand why I like celebrating my birthday. To them, if it's possible that no one knows it's their birthday, that'll make their day. As for me, the more people know, the better it is!! I probably take this trait after my dad. He's the type that would call people to "hint" to them that it's his birthday or our birthday, much to our chagrin!

I started getting SMSes and calls at the stroke of midnight. By morning, my hp had an attack from a barrage of SMSes. It continuously beeped. Then I came online to check my emails. I took leave from work as I don't want to spend my birthday working!! Anyway, as the page to my email downloaded, the list of notification emails from Facebook greeted me. I went through everyone of them, despite knowing that I could just log-in to Facebook and read it at one go. As I read one notification after another, my heart warmed at the greetings and wishes from family and friends.

Then I logged into Facebook and re-read the same greetings!! I know - WEIRDO!! Sighs...recently...I've read a few comments from people about how impersonal Facebook is although it does help us maintain contact with people we've not met/seen for ages. Reading my greetings/messages, I had to disagree with those comments. Because, without Facebook, I'd probably get less wishes/greetings/love. Less family and friends from afar would take the time and spend the money to call or SMS. And I wouldn't even expect them to. But with Facebook, things have changed. LOL...I'm beginning to sound like a Facebook advocate!!

Anyway, I'll stop here for now. I need to go get ready as I'm having lunch with a good friend. It's our birthday lunch - it was her birthday yesterday!! :-)

Fever

2010-05-16T15:36:00.002+08:00

I was so excited that the Thomas Cup finals were about to start. As mentioned in the mass media, it's been 18 long years since we last won the Cup. And that too on homeground. Since the finals this year is once again on homeground, expectations were high. After all, there has been so much talk that we've the best preparations, the best team, the best everything.

And so the finals begun. We got off to a great start having been given a walkover by Nigeria; not that we'd have lost. Hearts all over Malaysia nearly suffered a heart attack when we lost to Japan. So close was the fight and yet, we lost. Hearts that nearly stopped beating, starting racing again when we gallantly fought and won against Denmark. What a match it was against the Danes. I was literally on my feet, pacing and there was a point when Choong Hann was playing that I actually had to leave the room, for fear that I would throw up my dinner due to the excitement!!

But alas...our joy over the hard fought victory over the Danes to enter the semi-finals was short-lived. We lost tamely to the Chinese. No excuses there. Was China the better team? Well...in my opinion, Malaysia too had a good team. But apparently, the Malaysians looked and proved that no matter how good we were against the other teams, we were intimidated by the Chinese. Chong Wei is one good example. He was superb against Hato and Gade but against Lin Dan, he was a mouse! I doubt that he would have won the All-England had Lin Dan been his opponent in that final.

And so...our wait for the Thomas Cup continues. Having watched Chong Wei lose to Lin Dan, the only "fever" I experienced is from the incredibly hot sun that has been bearing down on us these past few days.

Work related emails/SMSes etc

2010-05-02T17:48:00.003+08:00

Ever since high school, I look forward to Saturdays and Sundays. It's the time when I get to relax, sleep in, do nothing and just enjoy being at home (or going out, which is rare). During my school days, Saturdays were when I spent my time finishing all my homework as fast as I could so that I could spend the rest of the day and Sunday, doing what I want: watching TV, reading story books etc. It was the same for me during college. And now that I am working, the weekends are now much more valuable.

Being stuck in the office for 8 hours a day in front of the computer with limited people whom I can talk to, the weekend is when I get to just free myself from any thoughts and stress of work. As it is, the moment I leave my office when work is over, I try to forget or rather, I leave all thoughts and traces of work behind. I don't believe in carrying home work. Heck...I'm no longer in school where I have "homework"!! Apparently SOME people don't think so. To them, if it's possible, you should eat, sleep and dream of work!! They call that "passion". I call that INSANITY!!

I mean, there's a limit to doing work. Especially one that is as boring, mundane and monotonous as mine!! Yes...I know that boring and mundane means the same thing...that just emphasises the fact!! And so...to receive emails, SMSes or even calls during the weekend which concerns WORK, I abhor it!! Why can't people just let other people enjoy their weekend?? Even if I were to be in a job that I love, I don't think I'd want to read emails/SMSes that concerns work. I have a life besides work! God...if only this people would learn!

Sighs...oh well...as the days pass by, I'm getting really sick of my work. I've been searching for a new job for nearly a year and a half now but with no luck. I've been to some interviews and that's as far as I got. :-( It's especially more difficult finding work in Penang though there are hundreds of vacancies (since the majority of them are for IT, accounts, engineers).

Well...as my search continues, I'll just have to tahan getting work related emails/SMS during weekends. If only I could block those emails....hmmm....

Addicted to books

2010-04-10T19:57:00.002+08:00

Last year, I had written about my love for books. How I love the smell and feel of a new book. This year, after my short trip to S'pore, I went to a bookstore in KL and came back with two new books - Angels and Demons and a 3-in-1 Mills & Boon romance novel. I reached the end of boths books within days.

Just last week, I attended the Popular bookfair and came back with 5 books. Usually, there are not many good selections at this annual bookfairs. But this year, there were quite a few interesting books on sale. And they were cheap!! I came home, grinning and excited with my new purchases!! I got:

1) A Different Kind of Man - a Silhouette romance novel
2) Feels Like Home - also a Silhouette romance novel
3) The Expected One: Book One of the Magdalene Line
4) The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud
5) Secrets of the Widow's Son: The Mysteries Surrounding The Sequel to The Da Vinci Code

The last 3 books were bought coz I was influenced by the mystery, excitement and complexity of symbolism, religion, cults etc after reading Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. And the fact that the books were so cheap (some up to 70% off), I just couldn't resist getting the books.

I've finished reading the two Silhouette novels and I just started reading Secrets of the Widow's Son, to which I am totally absorbed in. It's not a novel nor does it have a story line. Rather, it is "a spellbinding, speculative journey into the world of Dan Brown's next bestseller" written by investigative journalist David A. Shugarts. It is a book of facts. Not my usual reading but I am pleasantly surprised that I am actually enjoying the book.

Sighs....as if spending money on 5 books in one go is not enough, there's another bookfair going on as I write this. I'm so torn, as to whether I should go and risk spending more money, or forgo the fair and regret missing all the books that I may buy should I have gone. Hmmm.....I'll most probably cave in and go for the fair. But heck...it's good to buy books as they are investments. Besides that, I'm not the only one reading the books. There's my mum, sis, grandmother and even aunt who will all share the joy in reading the books.

Oh well...as I fight with myself on whether I should go for the fair or not, I think I'll go back to reading my book and see what else I can learn from the book. More knowledge on the Illuminati, Freemasons, the Holy Grail....

Horrendous drivers who don't deserve to be on the road

2010-03-14T14:31:00.003+08:00

This year, I prayed to have good luck for me and my family. But ever since the year started, we've been having a phase of bad luck!! Accidents after accidents have happened. First, mum's car was hit by a motorcycle, completely denting the door and smashing the window. Then...just about 2-3 weeks ago, my car got broken into, ending up with a stolen CD player and also a smashed window!! If that is not enough, mum lost her purse just a few days ago.

To add salt to all that...having returned to the parking lot after getting our hair trimmed, my sister and I found that my front car bumper was on the ground!! There were people surrounding my car as we approached and the moment I saw the car bumper on the ground, my heart fell. WHY??? NOT AGAIN!!

The culprit was an Indian lady named Indra. She was supposedly reversing her car out of her lot, and instead of pressing the break, she pressed the accelerator, "bumping" straight into my car!! I can't even call it a bump coz the side of the bumper is actually broken, so is the small signal light. She was apologetic and said that she would bear the entire repair cost. Fine...I had no problem with that. The problem (with her) occured when we had to drive to her mechanic's workshop (he was already there by the time I reached my car).

The workshop is located at Jalan Perak and INDRA...made a whole fuss about not knowing where the place was, she's not familiar with Penang etc. In the end, I told her to follow my car, which she did at the speed of a snail!!!!!!! I had to constantly keep her in my review mirror for fear that she would be lost!!

And then....having reached the workshop and straightened out the matter, she had another "blonde moment". She apparently didn't know how to go home to Tanjung Tokong. By now, I was pissed! I mean..it's so obvious that she's just acting. So I asked her if she was from Penang. Her reply? Yes, she's from Penang but she "hasn't been back for a long time". I so don't believe her!! I also found out that before she hit my car, earlier in the day, she had already hit someone else and dented her car. She said she managed "to avoid that" but I guess by "avoiding" that, she increased her bad karma. She even told me that once, she had driven all the way to a place without putting her handbrake down!! God....she soooo does not deserve to drive!!!

After complaining and complaining about not knowing how to go home, the mechanic who I think had heard enough told her that he'd lead her back to Komtar (coz she said she only knows how to go home fomr Komtar)!! What bullshit!! She could not even do a simple 3-point turn to get out of the workshop. The mechanic had to do it for her!!

People like her should not be allowed on the road. I know that accidents happen. But if you were to talk to Indra woman..you'd understand my frustration.

***

Anyway...I was relating all this to my uncle and he said that currently, the Indian astronomical signs/planets are changing its course. Therefore, everyone is being affected. I hope he's right. I don't think I can stand another ordeal!!

Day 2 in Singapore

2010-03-04T16:02:00.011+08:00

My second day in S'pore started with us having breakfast at the foodcourt behind the apartment. Since I tried the Chicken Congee the day before, this time, I tried the Fried BeeHoon. Unlike in Malaysia where the Beehoon is the only thing that you order and eat, here in Singapore, you have a choice of adding veggies, crabstick meat, luncheon meat etc. Being used to eating just plain beehoon fried with a bit of beansprouts, I didn't know what to add to my order. In the end, I took some veggies and a meat-roll thingy.

After breakfast, we walked around the apartment block to take some pictures and just exercise our legs. There was a kid's park, an exercise area for the old folks and a stony path where one can walk barefoot to improve the blood circulation. Still being child-minded, I headed straight for the monkey bars and managed to prove that I am still as flexible as ever!!

[Me showing off on the monkey bars]

Once I had my fill of picture taking, we headed home, had a bath and then our day REALLY started.

We first headed to Mohamed Mustaffa. It's not unlike our Mydin here. It's opened 24 hours and it's HUGE!! I got some souvenirs for my mum, sis and Trish and by the time we finished browsing the place, it was time for lunch.

Lunch was at a very interesting place nearby. I say "interesting" coz the restaurant is named....

Haha!! Uncle Stephen and Aunty Lita soooo wanted to take me to this restaurant ever since they found it!! Of course, the restaurant is an Indian restaurant and so we feasted on capatis and pooris.

Once lunch was over, we took a cab to Orchard Road. Now...the last time I was at Orchard Road was more than 10 years ago and my oh my...has it changed!! Well...I can't say that it has changed much coz I can't remember how it was the last time!!! Anyway, we walked through Orchard Central, took some pictures, then headed to the "never-ending" escalator ride up to the roof!! It was one escalator after another, just going higher and higher, so much so that the cars on the road looked like ants!! Despite being nervous standing above so many other buildings, the view was great!

We then took the MRT to the Ang Mo Kio Hub. It was where we were supposed to take the bus to the Night Safari. We walked around a bit and then ended up at the food court for tea. At around 5pm, we took the bus to the Night Safari.

The Night Safari was a nice experience. The entrance to the place itself was impressive. Everything was animalistic, from the decorations to the food eateries to the dressing of the people there. Unfortunately, we were only allowed to take pictures of the animals without using the flash on our cameras and so whatever pictures that I took came out dark. I did get some nice shots of the area though. :-)

By the time the Night Safari ended, we were all tired. We took a nice bus ride back to Ang Mo Kio Hub before getting on the MRT and heading home. It was a really tiring day but one that I would repeat at any time!!

I had a wonderful wonderful time in Singapore. It would have been nicer if my sister was with me and if the stay was longer. Now that I've had a taste of Singapore, I'm definitely going back for more!!

Thanks to Aunty Lita and Uncle Stephen for the wonderful time!! Love you guys!!

Back to Singapore after more than 10 years

2010-02-27T23:19:00.004+08:00

The last time I was in S'pore...well...I can't remember anything from the last time I visited S'pore. Other than the fact that my dad was still in the band, my sis hadn't even started kindergarden, my mum had long hair and I was in primary school. The last time I was here, I visited Sentosa Island and the zoo. I sat on the cable car, walked on Orchard Road during Xmas and had my first taste of a hash brown.

More than 10 years later, armed with my OWN passport (my sis and I used to share one with my mum), I am back in the country where everything is FINE!! hehehe....

Taking the morning 7.30am bus from Penang yesterday, I arrived in KL at 11.40am, was picked up by Aunty Lita and headed straight to grandma's house for lunch. There was Rendang Prawns, Spinach soup and Black Pepper Chicken waiting for us when we arrived. As usual, everyone commented on how I look (i.e. no weight gain from the last visit), asked about how apah, amah and Vay were etc. After lunch, we went to look for a money changer but none were open as it was Maulidur Rasul and 99% of the money changers here in Malaysia are Muslims.

Aunty Lita and I headed back home to have a short rest and also pack our clothing into one bag for easy travelling. Jared managed to come home for a very very short while, then he headed off to work.

Since our bus to S'pore was at 6.30pm, we had a light tea/dinner of Roti Telur and Roti Bawang before we boarded the bus. We also bought nuggets just in case. The KL-S'pore bus was something. I had my own AV set, complete with headphones. Unfortunately, I fell asleep while watching a movie and decided instead to listen to music the rest of the way. Upon arriving at the S'pore immigration, we were "detained" there for nearly an hour as one Dubai passenger had problems with his passport. Finally, he was detained and our bus was allowed to leave. We arrived at the S'pore bus station at around 1am, took a cab straight home and just got into bed.

I got up at around 8.20am today. Just as I finished brushing my teeth and washing my face, Uncle Stephen came home from work. :-) The three of us then walked to a nearby foodcourt for breakfast. I had coffee and chicken congee. As the portions of food here is big, Uncle Stephen had to finish my congee.

After breakfast, we headed back home where Uncle Stephen went to sleep, while Aunty Lita and I got ready for our outing. We first visited Uncle Stephen's mum, who lives in a nursing home. She was surprised to see us as she was not expecting any visitors. It's my first time meeting her and I must say...Uncle Stephen is the spitting image of his mother. Not only do they look so alike, their characters/personality also match. They both love to talk; they both love to laugh; and they are both loud! :-)

After spending about 45minutes with her, our next stop was Uncle Maurice's apartment. He lives on the upper most floor of the building and his apartment was instantly recognisable, what with all the plants outside his gate. Entering his apartment was like entering an ornament shop. It was filled with pictures, statues, plants etc. If entering his apartment was an experience, entering his room was like entering a mini Catholic gift shop. He had small figures of Jesus in places, Catholic scriptures/booklets everywhere, frames and frames of pictures of family members...I refrained from touching a single thing for fear that if I did touch just one small thing, there would be a whole domino effect!!

We had a Chinese lunch with Uncle Maurice, after which we headed to buy numbers. After walking back to his apartment and taking some pictures, Aunty Lita and I took the bus and headed to Toa Payoh for some sightseeing and shopping.

From the numerous taxi and bus rides I've had since I arrived on the island, the cleanliness of the entire city is spectacular. The roads are so clean, you can't even see a single dried leaf!! That's how clean the roads are!! Besides that, every building is so neatly and cleverly painted that ALL the buildings look new and clean. It's really pleasing to the eyes. Of course, being new to S'pore, I had a small problem when using the travel card. Nothing major or anything but funny enough to be told. You see, the travel card is for convenience. When you board the bus or take the MRT, you just have to tap the card. Unfortunately for me, I "tapped" the card at the wrong part of the machine and I thought it was not working. I was so worried that the bus would just close its doors and continue driving on before I could get down. I kept saying "the card's not working, it's not working" and I must have had a funny look on face coz Aunty Lita was laughing!!

That evening, the three of us headed to Changi hospital to visit Uncle Rufino (my grandfather's eldest bro). He had been admitted the day before. There, I met his wife Aunty Shirley, his daughter Jacinta and her husband Tyrone, and their two kids Naomi and Clarissa. This was the first time I've met all of them. I'm really glad that I managed to meet Uncle Rufino (or uncle Nonoy as he is known) this time. He's already 78 and with his weak heart and declining health, this may be the last time I get to see him. Now...there's only one other Soliano brother that I've yet to meet and that's Uncle Frisco.

After the hospital visit, we headed to Downtown East for dinner. We went to a place called the E! Hub. It was like a mini-Genting, with all the games and food courts.

As the day was long, we headed straight back home after dinner. Tomorrow is another long day. I'm not really sure what the plans are yet but there's the Night Safari that we'll be going to tomorrow night. Then it's back to KL on Monday morning. Sighs...

Happy Birthday Amah!!

2010-02-20T20:30:00.005+08:00

I'm writing this 3 days earlier and posting this on the day when one of the most important person in my life celebrates the day she was brought into the world. [I'm not sure why the date says 20th when it should be 23rd]Though the number that tells you just how long she's been in this world may seem old, in reality, she's as young as some 20-year olds. In fact, my friends say that she's younger and more hip than ME!!

Here's wishing my mum, amah, a VERY VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

E - elegant

S - sensitive

M - motherly

E - entertaining

R - rockin'

A - adorable

L - loving

D - daring

A - always around

Red packets, Mandarin Oranges, Hearts

2010-02-14T17:54:00.002+08:00

It's February 14th and this year, the day is extra special. Not only is it Valentine's Day, it is also the first day of Chinese New Year. So it's double celebration everywhere. For some friends of mine, it's triple celebration as their birthdays also fall on the same day!!

It's a long weekend, so naturally everyone's on holiday and travelling. Relatives of mine are no exception. 3 of my father's 11 siblings are back in town. So we kind of had a mini-reunion yesterday. Before that, my family and I were invited to our neighbour's reunion as it has been their practice to invite us every year. This year however, the food served was slightly different. Instead of the aunty usually cooking the whole meal, they catered. What did they cater?? Indian food!! Prawns, chicken curry, mutton kurma and Briyani. But then again, it's not something surprising as 90% of my neighbour's friends are Indians!! It was like there was a Deepavali celebration last night!! :-) Oh...and I got an angpow!!

Today, one of my colleagues was getting married. So for the first half of the day, I was in Bukit Tengah celebrating her wedding. It was unfortunate that my camera decided to go crazy today. I was so looking forward to taking pictures!! I'm not sure if it's the battery (coz I loaded new ones in) or the camera itself.

Being single, I've no plans tonight. I'm not even sure what I'm going to have for dinner since almost every Chinese shop is closed!! Tomorrow, I'll be driving across the sea to visit Trish. It'll be my first time driving to her house and surprisingly...my dad did not object!! I also have Yean Ling's house to visit but am not sure when I am going to do that.

Sighs...so far, I've been eating so many oranges!! It's as though oranges are going to be extinct!! I'm always like this during CNY. I just eat and eat and eat oranges. And then for the rest of the year, oranges are out of my diet!! :-)

I'm still waiting to eat Kuah Kapek and the sticky "Tikoi". Usually my neighbours will give us a plate of goodies but as I am writing this, I've yet to receive it. :-(

Oh well...as I wait to receive the goodies, I'll just go and eat more oranges........

Here's wishing everyone a HAPPY VALENTINE'S AND HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

Usual catch-up

2010-02-06T12:58:00.002+08:00

So I met up with one of the few friends that I have in my life - Trish- for dinner yesterday. The meet up was long overdue. Though we SMS each other and chat online everyday (during work, hehe), it's not the same as meeting up and talking face to face.

She picked me up at around 7-ish and since we had decided (earlier in the day, online, while I was at work) that we would have Tandoori for dinner, we headed to the Tanjung Bungah Ananda Bahwan. Yes...it's a long way from where we both live but then, we can't get the same environment anywhere in town. We of course do have to pay slightly more for the food, but heck...it's only once in awhile. Plus, the food is good.

Our meetings/catch-ups usually lasts for hours. If sitting in her car and chatting alone takes 1 hours (everytime), whatmore should we expect when we have dinner? :-)

We had a lot of food: Cheese Tosai, 2 Tandoori Chicken and nan, Briyani rice, ice-cream and drinks. Of course, by the end of the meal and night...I was stuffed!!

We chatted as we waited for our food to arrive; chatted as we ate our food; and chatted as we left the place. I think we sat through at least 2 groups of people, who came, ate and left the table beside us. HEHE!! It's no wonder we got "chased" out of the place once, a long time ago!!

Our meeting this time round lated about 4 hours. I suppose it would have been longer, if she did not have to drive all the way back to BM.

When I reached home, after changing into my pajamas and cleaning my teeth, I immediately fell asleep!! This, despite me having drunk coffee the entire dinner!! I woke up this morning feeling so AWAKE and fresh!! My body must have needed the rest. I can't even remember if I dreamt or not!!

Well...that's another entry in my blog. I'm not sure how I'm going to keep updating my blog when nothing exciting happens in my life. Sighs...

Valentine's and CNY is approaching. So let's see what happens.

55 years and still going strong

2010-02-04T10:59:00.003+08:00

[Dad's the one on the right - with the guitar]

It's my dad's 55th birthday today and I'd like to wish him a VERY VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Muax!!

100th entry - Not a good week

2010-02-04T10:41:00.002+08:00

This is my 100th entry in my blog. I would say that it is indeed an achievement as I never thought I'd have so much to write about!! Haha!

Anyway, this is not a happy entry.. Since last Friday, things have not been going well. As I said in my previous entry, I got sick last Friday and that ruined all my Thaipusam plans. Then there was the accident on Sunday which sort of crippled my family as we then had to survive and juggle our life with one car. Ok...I just re-read that sentence and it makes my family sound so ungrateful. I mean, the fact that we have two cars doesn't mean we live in luxury. The two cars are a necessity. But I digress.

I went back to work yesterday after being on MC for the first two days of the week. It was nice to go back and catch up on the gossip. After all, what's work without gossip? It was back to usual. Work in the morning till 5.30pm, then home to watch AI and Glee. [Just to side-track: I actually bathed with cold water last night coz it was so damn hot and I couldn't stand it. For those who don't know me, cold showers and me don't get along. It can be hot outside and I'll still bathe with hot water. But to actually break my "normalcy" and bathe with cold water...that's something!! Climate Change!!]

I woke up as usual this morning. Got ready for work, read the newspapers, had my cup of Milo, waited for mum to get ready coz she was sending me to work. Then....the car wouldn't start. Thinking it was out of petrol, dad went to get some but that did not solve the problem. After many futile attempts at trying to start the car, I had to call the office to inform them that I was on emergency leave. And all this is happening on my dad's 55th birthday!!

I'm not sure whether the Gods are testing us; whether it is fate that we all are to be together on my dad's birthday; or whether we're just having a bad start to the month. What I know is, this has been a bad first week of February.

I hope that as the weekend arrives, things will get settled; and by the time Chinese New Year comes, we'll be doing much better.

Damn! I got it!

2010-02-02T16:58:00.002+08:00

Damn it!! I caught the sick bug that was going round my office!! I've been sick since Thaipusam eve which was bad coz I had to stay home and couldn't follow my relatives as they made their way up to the hilltop temple. I was feeling slightly better on Thaipusam day itself, so I managed to go see the kavadis and to the temple t pray.

Sunday was bad as I could hardly stand straight. My head felt so heavy, my nose was blocked and I was constantly having a coughing fit!! I practically slept the whole day. To make matters worse, mum got into an accident. A motorcycle hit our car on the driver's side and the window completely shattered. Mum was ok, thank God!! But the window and door are wrecked! To add to that, eventhough we were not at fault, the fact that we got hit by a MOTORCYCLE doesn't seem to matter as MOTORCYCLES are NOT LIABLE!! What kind of law do we have??!! In additonal addition, we've got to spend money due to some 3rd party mumbo-jumbo!! Gosh!!! And then the car insurance and road tax is about to expire nest week!! And due to the accident, we'll lose the NCB which actually saves us some money. But now we have to pay the full insurance fee!! Sigghhssss...........

I've been on medical leave since Monday; mum has not been to the shop for the past two days; and dad has been running around trying to settle the insurance claim etc. What a hassle!! I'm not sure how it's going to be tomorrow when I return to work: coz I'll be taking the other car. Unless of course dad wants to send and pick me up.

The weather has been soooooooooo damn hot!! I'm pretty sure the weather has contributed to my illness and also the tense feelings among everyone at home.

Dad's birthday is this Thursday and he's turning 55. What a week to go through before he reaches that milestone!! I'd thought that he would be retired and living comfortably. But alas, that is just a dream. Sighs.

I hope things settle before Thursday and my dad will at least be able to breathe easier.

Oh well...

Sick

2010-01-28T14:08:00.003+08:00

I haven't had the inspiration to update my blog ever since 2010 started. Nothing exciting has happened so far although I told myself that this year, I should be doing exciting things.

I've had added work given to me at work; work that is urgent, which means I've to juggle my time completing everything. Then, there's my impending one-month exposure trip to the Philippines in April, for which I am half-excited and half-dreading. I definitely want to visit my "mother" land after having spent a month in India in 2008. This will give me the opportunity to improve my Tagalog, eat Balut and learn about the other half of my race. My sister is sooooooo jealous so much so that she has said that she'll hate me if I actually made the trip there!! hahaha!! Well...that's still two months away and anything can happen in that time.

Thaipusam is on Saturday. I'll not be vegetarian or be carrying any milkpots this year. Although I have the urge to go bald every Thaipusam, I never do it. I have a fear of my hair not growing back EVER..and then what?? No way am I going to risk it!!

Dad's birthday is in a week's time. He's going to be 55. Mum's birthday is also in February and she'll just kill me if I mentioned how old she is. Hehe!! She's one year younger than my dad!!

My sis just finished her exams and so she'll be on leave for the next few weeks. She has said that she would be spending her time polishing up her driving skills but just how much she improves, remains to be seen....

Well...that's all for now. I think I'm coming down with a cough as my throat is soooooo irritated. There's a bug going around in the office. I hope I haven't caught it.

2010

2010-01-03T18:23:00.002+08:00

OK...so here's my first entry in 2010. As I said in my last 2009 entry, I have made no resolutions this year and already...I feel free!! Haha....actually...I feel a bit apprehensive. I don't know what is in store for me; I do not know what to expect. I like routine to a certain extend. However, to me, the unknown is always scary. It could be a good surprise (like me winning a million ringgit!!) or it could be bad. Either way, not knowing what the future holds for me is rather frightening instead of exciting.

As I look back at 2009, I realised that I need to do more exciting things. I feel as though I've led a rather boring existence. But at the same time, I'm afraid to step out of the comfort zone that I've build around myself - either at work or socially. That has to change.

Maybe this year I'll go speed dating. Or para-sailing. Or go on a holiday. Learn a new language, maybe Spanish or improve my Tagalog. Anything. It's not a resolution I'm making. But rather, it's something that I feel I want to do so that I won't regret not doing it.

I'm 26 this year. That's 4 years to 30. I want to do something/or a few things before I turn 30. Since dating 100 guys before turning 30 seems to be out of the question, I'll have to look for other things to do. Hehe... :-)

Oh well...that's entry No.1 for 2010. Let's see how many interesting entries I'll post up this year!

2009

2009-12-31T14:36:00.002+08:00

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

2009-12-27T17:34:00.004+08:00

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!!

2009-12-25T18:30:00.002+08:00

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

2009-12-19T10:27:00.003+08:00

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

2009-12-13T17:53:00.002+08:00

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....

2009-11-28T19:23:00.002+08:00

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??

2009-11-14T18:43:00.002+08:00

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

2009-11-01T19:04:00.002+08:00

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"

2009-10-24T20:39:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-19T12:34:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-11T15:49:00.002+08:00

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

2009-10-02T15:00:00.002+08:00

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!

2009-09-20T19:42:00.003+08:00

TO ALL MY FRIENDS OUT THERE

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

EID MUBARAK!!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI!!

Closure

2009-09-12T17:46:00.003+08:00

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

2009-09-07T11:15:00.002+08:00

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!

2009-08-31T17:06:00.002+08:00

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!

2009-08-23T20:24:00.008+08:00

(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

2009-08-15T10:11:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-14T13:53:00.003+08:00

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

2009-08-10T19:30:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-08T12:57:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-01T16:52:00.002+08:00

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

2009-07-19T18:18:00.002+08:00

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...