Reflecting on 2008

Another year has come to an end. 366 days passed in a blink of an eye. What have I accomplished this year? I made a list of things to achieve in 2008 and while not everything was crossed off, I am still proud to say that at least some were accomplished. Not bad for someone who rarely sticks to resolutions (not that anyone does, anyway!). Things that were on my list included getting a job (checked); write more articles for the newspapers (checked. I didn't say it had to be published!); pay for my sister's driving (I've started saving…hehe); start paying for my own hp bill (checked) and start paying back my study loan (checked!).

2008 was a year in which I really grew up. After being cushioned with the safety and certainty of 11 years of schooling and then another 5 years of college, bursting into the working world was indeed an eye-opener; especially since my first full time job was (and still is) with an NGO. An acquaintance once said, "Join the NGOs and see the world", and see the world I did. Not in the literal sense where I travel the world like Angelina Jolie or Oprah. Travel I did. Around the world I did not.

Within the first three months of work, I was sent to India to organise, facilitate and manage a conference that was to be held on March 8 in conjunction with International Women's Day. The 3-day event in March was back-boned by my month long stay in India, together with my supervisor and another colleague. Together we survived the long nights, early mornings, sweltering heat and lack of amenities to successfully pull off the conference, which nearly 1000 women attended.


My month long stay in India exposed me to the harsh lives of the Indians there, especially since I was working closely with the community who were of the lowest caste. Not that it made any difference. Caste is after all only a word. To me, anyway. Being the youngest there and what more a girl, naturally I was pampered and taken care of. Though homesickness was like a man dying of thirst, once things were in motion, the ache subsided. Towards the end of my stay, I was glad that I was going home. At the same time, I knew that I would miss India. And indeed I do. I actually miss eating Indian food three times a day; miss travelling around in an Auto; miss being in a different land. But most of all, I miss the people there. Rosalin, Vimala, Shanti, Thenmozhi.

Working back in the office after being so used to working on laptops while sitting on my bed back in India, it took awhile before I adjusted to sitting in front of the computer for 7.5 hours a day, having lunch at regular hours and going home on time. Nevertheless, working conditions in India soon became a memory as things started to be a routine. There were the occasional meetings in hotels and the yearly staff planning meeting on Penang Hill, but other than that, it was staying in the office 7.5 hours a day.

October was an eventful month as I went to Bintulu. My first time traveling to East Malaysia. The lifestyle there was slightly different from West Malaysia, despite both east and west being one country (read more in my Bintulu entries).

Then came Deepavali, which was a time I really enjoyed as this year sort of marked the end of Deepavali being spent in Penang. Families are all moving to better grounds for better opportunities, so the venue for Deepavali 2009 is still undecided.

From July to December, I experienced certain moments in my life that made me grow up. Not that I didn't learn anything in the first half of the year. It's just that in the second part of 2008, I learned what working life is all about; how to deal with people; and how to sometimes just listen and not retaliate, as silence is sometimes the better choice.

December was the month where I fell in love. Or was it November? Hmm…anyway, yes I fell in love. Yes it was with a guy (*grin*). But no, we're not in a relationship. For those who know me, they'll say that I've gone crazy. Falling in love with a fictitious character from a book that was soon turned into a tall, walking heartbreaker on screen. :-) Yes yes…I fell in love with a vampire.

2008 was also the year of marriages and pregnancies. It's hard for me to accept that I am now 24 years old and that next year, I'll be turning 25. 1/4 of a century. Half of 50. The age my mum got married. Some of my schoolmates are already married and have kids. Some have just gotten engaged and some are still in the throes of courtship. Do I see myself going down that path anytime soon? Or perhaps in 2009? No. I'm leaving all that in God's hands.

2008 also gave me two new friends. First colleagues but now friends who keep each other sane. One in particular is my travel partner for work. We survived India and we survived Bintulu. It's nice to have friends at work, so you're not bogged down with work and stress. Lunchtime is fun too as there's always laughter.

And so…as the last few hours of 2008 comes to an end, all I can say is this: The year was not a bed of roses as there were a few thorns hidden. I pricked myself and I bled. But I healed and now I am stronger than I was before. Emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. As I embark on my journey into a whole New Year, I can only hope for, pray for, ask for, believe in and receive good things for me and my family. I refuse to let anything hold me down in my pursue of happiness, success, wealth and good health.

To my family and friends, I wish you HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!

Last Moments of Fun

It's the 30th of December today. I've just returned from a 5-day holiday, to work for another 2 days; and then it'll be 2009!!

So what did I do during my break? Well, since the break was due to Xmas, naturally (and obviously!) presents and fights were involved. Though Xmas was celebrated on a small scale this year, the presents were nevertheless much appreciated! I value them so much that I don't have the heart to start using them as I'm afraid it'll finish!! Hahaha....

As for the fights...well...it happens not only during Xmas. But also on New Year, birthdays, Deepavali and other occasions worth having a fight over. Now it may seem that these "fights" are violent and frequent and in a way, they are. But I'm not talking about physical blows or verbal abuse (although to some extent, there are some words used). What is this "fight" I'm talking about? Like my dear sister said, it's the Spray Foam Fight.

Now...I'm pretty sure that when the Spray Foam was created, the inventor merely had fun times in his mind; hoping that his creation would bring a little joy and fun to people during the festive season. However, certain people have taken "fun" to a different level. The spray cans are no longer a fun thing; it's now a weapon!! And that is why, at every occasion be it festive or not, the "weapons" are always in sight!!

This year, those certain people were armed with 10 cans, as opposed to the victims (mum, sis and me) who had none! So imagine three 6-footers (all guys, mine you!) armed with at least 3 spray cans each, chasing us girls!! As usual, we girls got FOAMED, from head to toe!! But...I have to admit, it was fun!

After that attack, mum and I both bought ourselves spray cans - 3 each. For revenge. On New Year's eve. Only to find out that the guys have bought 20 cans, in anticipation of New Year!! *rolling eyes* oh my....

That was Xmas day....my aunt and uncle came up to Penang on Saturday and I was the designated driver for the day! We had a good time; visiting my other aunt, having lunch, visiting an art exhibition, meeting new people. They left that night itself, as it was a spur of the moment decision to come to Penang. Nevertheless, it's not so much about how long they were here, it's more of how much it meant, them being here. :-)

Sunday was another day altogether. I attended a wedding reception of one of my dad's friend's son. Since my dad's friend is in the music industry as well, the reception was one of a kind. First of all, it was held in Fort Cornwallis. Great idea. Then, it was full of musicians! You know how it is when you go to a wedding and you don't really know people? Well...this was different. Here, everyone knew everyone!! It was like a reunion! I can only wonder what my wedding would be like!!

Anyway...Monday was rest day. After the event-filled week, I needed to wind down and start agonising over the fact that I had to return to work the next day. hehe...

Well....it's New Year's Eve tomorrow...then it's the beginning of a whole new year. I think I'll end this entry here, while I reflect on what I have achieved this past year...

MERRY XMAS!!

MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MALIGAYANG PASKO AT MANIGONG BAGONG TAON!

SELAMAT HARI NATAL DAN SELAMAT TAHUN BARU!

HERE'S WISHING EVERYONE A VERY VERY VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY ALL THAT YOU PRAY FOR COME TRUE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!!

Fictional characters are leading me into spinsterhood!!

If only I could marry a vampire. Or if vampires existed, I'd marry one!! In continuation to my entry titled 'Twilight Craze', I've just watched the movie version of the story and...OMG...I'm even more deeply in love with Edward Cullen!!

WIth all the hype going on about the movie, I had high expectations. The reviews going around were stuck to two extremes; at one end, girls and mums just looovveeee the movie (though I think it's Edward they're crazy about), and the other end, are the macho guys who just hate the movie. In fact, there were two Indian guys who sat in front of me and my sis in the cinema. I could hear them laughing and sniggering while my sis and I sighed and giggled everytime Edward appeared on screen. Half way through the movie, the two guys left. I'm sure they hated the movie. But in my opinion, they were just jealous! Jealous because they couldn't get girls to sigh and giggle about them. Jealous because they were not as good looking as the vampire. Jealous because girls are more interested in the fictional character than them.

Come on....anyone...and I stress anyone who sees Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) will just swoon!! I had fallen head over heels in love with him by just READING about him. But Robert Pattinson just immortalised my love!! I know I sound like some crazed 14-year old but what the heck??! Robert Pattinson already had a place in my list when I first saw him in Harry Potter. Unfortunately, his character died there. But now...with TWILIGHT (and 3 more sequels I hope) he has been immortalised!! Yay!!

I'm definitely watching Twilight again though the DVD that I have now just doesn't do justice to the sound and cinematography of the movie. I'll have to geta better version. Plus, I can't see Edward's eye colour in the DVD. But I melted into my seat everytime he gazed at "me" in the cinema....sighs....

As it is, I already have high standards when choosing a guy. But with characters like Edward Cullen, Jack Harper from Can You Keep A Secret? and loads of other guys....my standards just went through the roof!! Though I know I am being unrealistic but who can help it?

*smiling like a love struck idiot*

I would also like to give a special mention to some other characters in the movie which I thought were cute (character wise): the entire Cullen family (Esme, Jasper, Emmet, Alice and Carlisle, except Rosalie)

Catching Up

Today I did something that I only do once in awhile...I met up with an ex-college mate of mine; someone whom I've grown close to over the years as we battled our ways to earning our Law degrees.

I met up with her for lunch today. It's been over two months since we last saw each other (the last time was before I left for Bintulu), so we had a lot of catching up to do. I met her at her law firm and from there, we went to Gurney. Lunch was at Pasta Mania, where we had a feast of baked pasta, pizza, coke, mushroom soup and garlic bread! Yum!! We spent nearly 2 hours there before we went browsing around the new wing of Gurney plaza.

We left Gurney at about 5.30pm and since we both had free time on our hands, we decided (well, actually I decided since we wouldn't make up our minds) to go to New World Park where we had coffee and kaya toast at Old Town while continuing our gossip session. We talked so much that we only left New World Park at nearly 9pm!!

It's always fun catching up with her as we always had tonnes to talk about; from office gossip to what our ex-college mates are doing. Though our busy schedules doesn't permit us to meet as often as we would like, this once-in-awhile catch up is nice. At least, the longer we don't meet, the more we have to talk about!! Hahaha!!

Change...

As I sit at my computer desk, thinking of my next short story, I have made up my mind to stop writing about "Amah" and her journeys to the Thrift Shop. She will always be loyal to her shopping centre and if I were to continue writing about her, I would have to write until the day she has grandchildren and probably great-grand-children.

Therefore, I will no longer continue writing about Amah and her adventures. However, this is not the end of Amah because I have a new topic to write about. This time round, Amah will be portrayed as an Indian wife obsessed about the Chinese Art of Feng Shui. The title of the "book" is "MUMMY".

:-)

Correction

There was error in my story of "Amah -Part 3". I wrote that Amah had stolen a blouse from the shop, not knowing that she was only kidding when she told me that she didn't know the price. In fact, she had already paid for the blouse and was simply joking with me.

I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding that occurred and I promise it won't happen again.

And it continues...

Oh no!! That was my first re-action when I looked out the car window. Amah's favourite vehicle was parked there again. This time however, Amah's best friends were not in sight. Instead, there was a family sitting at the entrance to the Thrift shop, looking through, what I would call, a sea of brand-new clothes!!! Of course, I didn't know they were brand-new, so as usual, I took my place behind Amah as she marched into the shop. "VINCCI" was full but none was interesting enough to Amah. The jeans rack was also full but as I said before, they were only fit for construction workers.

On to the rows of clothes and Amah once again did not find anything that suited her. At the books section, Amah found two books. As for me, I found a whole box of Mills & Boon books much to my delight!! So I squatted and proceeded to look through the titles. As I was busy choosing my books, Amah felt deserted as her "handy lady" was not by the side. So she kept calling me to go and have a look at her discoveries, practically forbidding me to look through the books. Nevertheless, THAT did not stop me from choosing 12 books.

While I was putting the books on the counter, Amah had already gone through the bags section. She found a Louis Vuitton (LV) Bag and another sling-type of bag. Unfortunately for her, the LV bag was torn on the inside. Then, she was torn between buying the sling-type bag using the reason that she had too many bags already. I managed to convince her to buy the bag but at the last minute, just before paying, she decided not to buy it.

And then, the event of the day occurred. After paying, we proceeded to look through a pile of clothes that were on the floor. As I sat and dug out pieces and pieces of clothes, Amah just stood there directing me. Then, she saw a blouse that she liked and decided to buy it. So she went to the counter, PRETENDED to ask the price and promptly turned away after that. As I continued rummaging through the clothes, I asked her how much was it and she said, "Don’t' know". Then she grinned and put it in the bag that had the paid goods. She STOLE!!!!!!

Just then, she decided to wait for my father outside the shop. However, upon stepping out of the shop and standing where the family was, she noticed two Andrea (actress from Secreto De Amor)-type jeans. Sadly, it couldn't fit me. But Amah was delighted because it fitted HER!!! So, she bought the two jeans along with a red t-shirt to match them.

When we reached home, I was prepared to roll my eyes and calm Amah down, but surprisingly, she did not utter a word of dissatisfaction. So, here I am after another day of shopping with Amah, waiting not very anxiously for the next shopping spree.

Day 3

This is the second edition of "Day three of shopping with Amah". The first edition got lost in the mail.

Day three of shopping with Amah:

Waves and waves of conflicting emotions filled Amah as she stepped out of the car. There, right outside the shop was Amah's favourite vehicle: the Thrift Shop's pick-up lorry. And behind the lorry, were Amah's best friends: the workers hard at work, unloading sacks and sacks of newly donated goods. A smile as big as Batman's Joker was pasted on her face. This sight obviously excited Amah because the more sacks there were, meant the more things she could buy.

As we entered the shop, I noticed that Amah's "VINCCI Department" was once again filled with a variety of shoes, from knee-high boots to worn-out sandals. Surprisingly though, none caught Amah's attention. Then I noticed the jeans rack which was also full. Unfortunately, the jeans' on show were only fit for construction workers!! As I stood by the jeans rack, Amah immediately started browsing through the clothes rack. At the speed in which she was going, one would think that she had been given a time limit!! But once again, she surprised me. After browsing through only two rows, she proceeded to the books section. Usually, Amah leaves it up to me to look for books for her but today she wanted to do the books selection.

Once she had gotten the book of her choice, she went on to her favourite section of the shop: the BAGS. Unfortunately, the place was in a mess because the workers had pushed the rack to an odd angle. This in turn made reaching the bags hard. But this did not deter Amah for she had me there. SO, with my long, thin hands and flexible body, I maneuvered myself into weird positions just to reach the bags that Amah wanted to see. But I must say, that my hard work and fantastic gymnastics were not wasted as Amah eventually bought two bags.

Then, as I was straightening myself from a 165-degree position, I noticed a huge pile of clothes next to the bags rack. It was so huge that I felt like jumping in!! It was then that I knew how Amah felt every time she came to the shop. I looked through the top of the pile but that was not satisfying enough. And at one point, I even asked my father to carry and throw me in the pile!! *sigh*

After "we" had satisfied ourselves, we left the shop. Amah did not say much on the way home but as soon as we reached home, she spoke her mind. She complained about not being able to look through EVERYTHING and that it frustrated her. I nearly rolled my eyes until I remembered the huge pile of clothes that also left me unsatisfied. SO, all I did was console her and told her to be proud of her achievements for the day. After all, she was the only person there with a daughter who was willing to do Olympics-style gymnastics despite not having learnt the sport. With me at hand, Amah got most of what SHE wanted to see and that alone is a loss to the other shoppers there!!

So, once again, shopping with Amah turned out to be quite an event. I learnt the sport of gymnastics in 15 minutes and Amah, well; she was left unsatisfied once again.

*To be continued.....*

Continued....

Note: Minus the exaggeration, whatever else said is true.

A few days passed before Amah made her way back to the Thrift Shop. However, the joy that once welcomed her was replaced by sheer shock. If a stethoscope was at hand, I'm sure we could have heard her heart stop. The sight that greeted her was simply depressing. The jeans rack where Amah bought all of her children's fashionable jeans was EMPTY!! The shoe rack where Amah prided herself in calling it her own "VINCCI" shop was also EMPTY!! And to think that these racks were filled with things just a few days back.

Amah courageously worked her way into the shop, glancing sadly at the empty racks that once filled fashion life with joy and happiness. As she browsed through what was left on the clothes rack, she couldn't help but think of all the shoes and jeans that she could have had. But then, luck was once again on her side when she found the store room. With its door open and no one at guard, she peeked into the room.

And to her great JOY........there, in the store room, from the floor to the ceiling, was heaps and heaps of clothes and bags. I'd bet that given the chance, she would have locked herself in the room so that she could have the first look at all the new things. However, thinking once again of her pride and respect as a loyal customer (she would rather be thought of as a charity-giver), she left the shop, not empty handed mind you, with the hope that, the next time she went there, the things she found in the store room would be on show.

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In regard to last entry regarding the "HELP FULFILL AMAH'S WISH - TO BUY THE THRIFT SHOP FOUNDATION", I would hereby like to notify that the foundation has been closed. It is a great pleasure to announce that the funds once needed are no more a necessity. This e-mail and other future e-mails are written purely for humour and comedy.

Those were the days...

"Long Live the Thrift Shop!! Long Live the Thrift Shop!!" - This chant was heard all the way from Jalan Perak to Jalan Sungai Pinang as Mrs.Shun @ Amah was on her way home.

The Thrift Shop has been Amah's "shopping centre" ever since it was established a few years back. However, on this particular day, when she went there to do her normal browsing, she was overcome by emotion!! There, right outside the entrance of the Thrift Shop was heaps of newly donated clothes, bags and shoes. She was as excited as a little kid in Toys 'R Us. However, her joy was short-lived as there was simply no place for the workers to unpack and display these new items. No matter how deep and hard Amah dug, she simply couldn't satisfy her growing greed!!

Beaten, she left the shop. Not empty handed of course!! Back home, she was so frustrated that she couldn't look through everything that she mentally promised herself that she'd do anything to achieve her dream.

Therefore, as her eldest daughter, always willing to fulfill her mother's wish, asks for your help in contributing to the "HELP FULFILL AMAH'S WISH-TO BUY THE THRIFT SHOP FOUNDATION". Any amount is appreciated.

Writing...

I've always had a "thing" for writing. I didn't dream of being a famous writer or anything. But I loved writing. Writing essays used to be my favourite thing in school and I suppose that is the reason why I loved English. I would take my time thinking of the content, structure and what would go into my essays. I'm proud to say that my essays were always given good grades.

My life is high school was not interesting. I wasn't in the popular group nor was I the nerd. I was just the average student. However, life at home was completely different. I had so many things going on at home (thanks to my mum!) that I started writing about them. The subject was always "Mum" but the things she did....was eccentric!! And so, the next few entries will be of my writings done at least 5-6 years ago...

Being the bigger sister

"We're always learning from others; be it from someone older or someone younger."

We're as different as chalk and cheese. Not only in personality, but also in looks (though some say we look alike). I love to eat only the creamy part of a cake, while she only likes the cake bit. I only eat the egg-white of a hardboiled egg, while she eats the yolk. Mum always says that with the two of us, she saves a lot because nothing goes to waste!!

My sister and I have a six-year age difference. Being the elder half, people may assume that I bully my kid sister and that we constantly fight. But contrary to what people may think, my relationship with my sister is as close as sisters can get. I can tell her about this guy that I like or that girl that I hate, and she'll understand. And vice versa, she can tell me about which gang in college she despises and which college has the cutest guys!! We share the same taste in guys, movies, songs and nowadays, clothes!! She teaches me what is hip and fun, while I teach her what is proper and casual. I teach her patience and she teaches me to be brave to act. She lends me her clothes but rarely borrows mine, as mine are "old". But as much as we find joy in shopping for clothes and modelling them around the house, we have our moments of "this is mine and that is yours", "Who is prettier"...etc. It's not selfishness or vanity. It's just plain sisterhood. And of course, there's also our favourite past time: combining our "forces" of wit and humour, and pitting them against mum and dad!! Ahh....the joy and laughter (and sometimes, scolding) we experience, is simply wonderful.

Needless to say, just like all siblings, we do have our differences. There are times when we just can't see eye-to-eye and I suppose that's normal. After all, I don't expect a 18 year-old to agree to everything that her older sister says or thinks. She calls me old-fashion, while I call it elegance. She calls me boring, while I say she's just restless. While the age-gap does confer problems and causes us to fight over petty things, the joy and fun that we have together overcomes all the "adversities" that we face. We may fight, quarrel and refuse to speak to each other for hours, but when the time comes, and one is in need of help or simply a shoulder to cry on, we both know that we are there for each other. We're always on the look out for each other, secretly protective of each other's well-being and welfare. And of course, without each other, who else do we get to point a finger at and blame the other for a mistake or accident that has occurred, if not for "sister"?? :-)

Twilight Craze!!

After the craze of Harry Potter, I have a new craze: TWILIGHT!! Actually, my craze for Harry Potter is only on hold till the next movie comes out. After all, since there are no more HP books, I have to look for a diversion.

Anyway, my supervisor introduced me to Edward Cullen, the ultimate superdashing-supercool-superheartmelter(I made this up!) hero of TWILIGHT!! There are 4 books in this series and because I was soooooo engrossed with Edward, I read 3 of the books in 2 days!! Talk about speed reading!! All I did after coming back from work was lose myself in the book!! There was another hero in the book, Jacob and for awhile, he was my favourite. But towards the end of the series, my heart was back with Edward!! sighs......*eyes twinkling**grinning*

To think that this book was aimed at tweens/teens, and here I am (I'm not alone though; my supervisor is just as crazy) swooning over a vampire!! Hahahaha!!

Anyway, now that I've read the 4 books (I also had to buy the 4th book as I had to return the books to my supervisor and my sis was pissed at not being able to finish reading; hence the purchase), it's time to watch the movie!! The trailer seems to be dark and the stunts look corny. Nevertheless, I love TWILIGHT and I don't think bad stunts or dark sets are going to sway my judgment!!

sighs.....*grin*

It's DECEMBER!!

IT'S FINALLY DECEMBER!! And that means....XMAS and NEW YEAR's EVE!!! Woohoo....one year ago, I think I said the same thing. Hahahaha!!

It's always nice to know that it's December and that means, a whole year is finally ending. And the beginning of a New Year is about to come about. For me, December is a month of reflections. I like to spend the month looking forward to Xmas and New Year's eve; at the same time, analysing or rather reflecting on the things I've done and achieved the past year. Did I fulfill all the resolutions I made at the beginning of the year? Did I achieve anything worthy? Or was the whole year just a flop?

It's only the 3rd day in December; and I reserve the right to take more time to ponder on the things that I've done, achieved and lived through, this 11 months. Once I've sorted that out, that'll be the material for another post. So...to whoever who reads my blog (and I bet that less than 5 ppl do), wait till I organise my thoughts and put them down here. :-)