Flying off again

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!!!