Bombarded by increasing commercialism and frivolity from the media and a progressively modern society that is more concern with the paper and $$$ chase, I have my fair share of concern over the younger/future generation. Witness blogs like Xiaxue, and reality shows like The Bachelor and The Swan. Note the popularity of Paris Hilton and her reality show, "The Simple Life". What messages are they leaving today's youths?
As if that's not enough, note the increasing number of slimming centres and plastic surgery clinics. Witness young girls who are stick thin and yet still go on diet. Listen to talks of plastic surgery for a nose or boob job as if that's an everyday occurance. It’s no wonder more and more kids grow up with a skewed view of the world.
I remember being approached by a college student in Sunway Pyramid more than a year back. She was doing a survey on what constitutes beauty and self confidence to a woman. As the survey progress, I realised that my answers to her questions were more personal than just a survey.
"Would you rather be pretty or smart?" "Is it easier to get ahead of life if you are pretty compared to being smart?" And so on and so forth.
I can't help but feel that she is trying to find her self worth. When the interview ended she commented, "Thank you. Just one last question and this has nothing to do with the survey. How do you get so confident and at ease with yourself?"
The sad thing is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. No, she is not gorgeous, but she is not ugly. She is neither stick thin, nor voluptuous. She is an average Jill who has a girl next door look. And she was struggling to find her self confidence and self worth amongst a society that is so preoccupied with external or physical beauty. It is tragic. What messages are we conveying to today's youths?
Perhaps Simple Plan sang it best in their song, "Crazy".
"Crazy"
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won't stop till they've reached their dreams
Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me
(Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong) *
I guess things are not how they used to be
There's no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it's World War III
No one cares, no one's there
I guess we're all just too damn busy
And money's our first priority
It doesn't make sense to me
(Repeat * once)
Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
While kids are starving in the streets
No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life's unfair
(Repeat * twice)
I don't envy growing up in today's world. The question is what can we do to help change that?
Showing posts with label life's like that. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life's like that. Show all posts
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Home Sweet Home
It felt like I have been away from home for a long while although I was just travelling in spurts the last two weeks. It probably felt worse because I was working over the weekend as well.
First it was down south to JB, then it was back to central in Genting. And then it was up north to Penang (oh what an "adventure"!) and straight down south to Singapore. I hope that's the last of my work travel for the year.
I miss my sofa!
First it was down south to JB, then it was back to central in Genting. And then it was up north to Penang (oh what an "adventure"!) and straight down south to Singapore. I hope that's the last of my work travel for the year.
I miss my sofa!
I miss my bed!
Ahh ... home sweet home!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Road blocks
Have you ever wondered how police make decisions on who to pull over during a road block?
I used to think that people who look suspicious or drunk ~ other than those who committed a traffic offence i.e. speeding ~ would get the short straw. (Besides, I have never been pulled over before when I am innocent of any wrongdoing.)
But after tonight’s hilarious incident … I am not so sure anymore how the police make their selection.
We had a late Friday night badminton game. It started late @ approximately 9.30pm and ended later still @ 11.30pm. By then, we were tired, dirty, smelly but darn thirsty. Therefore, we decided to adjourn to a nearby “mamak” stall for sustenance. Thus, the five of us ~ “old man Tuck”, “steel man Suresh”, “Zack the Jack Black fan”, “Steph the drop shot Queen” and me ~ piled into Tuck’s eleven year old white Proton.
On our way back, we encountered a road block and expected to continue on. Tuck even said, “We should be ok la. After all, this car is very muhibbah. We have an Indian, a Malay and three Chinese.”
However, we were all stupefied/ mystified … yet amused … when we were asked to pull over. There we were ~ five dirty, smelly persons in soiled t-shirts and shorts! Wonder what activity the police thought we were up to. Hmmm …. The police checked the road tax, Tuck’s driving licence and identity card (ID). Then, he shone the torchlight into the car and asked everyone to hand over their IDs.
Zack tried to explain. “Encik, kami baru habis main badminton.”
The police continued to check our IDs one by one, until he was finally satisfied that we are who we are.
Once we pulled away from the road block, we all collapsed into laughter. We theorised that the police thought Tuck was the pimp, Steph and me the China dolls, and Zack and Suresh were the very satisfied customers (since they were hard put to contain their amusement during the entire incident).
Zack laughed and said, “Luckily I didn’t just say ‘kami baru habis main’. He might wonder what we just ‘main’.”
What say you? Do you think we hit the nail in the coffin with our theory? : )
And the serious bit:
Do you know why road blocks are conducted?
According to this North American website,
“ … The stated purposes of roadblocks are usually legalized excuses to stop and scrutinize motorists for which there would otherwise be no reason to do so. These excuses include "sobriety checks," license and registration verification, possession of insurance, proof of citizenship, and seatbelt usage. The desired effect is to establish a sense of fear and intimidation among the population. …”
Yup. That sounds like in Malaysia too.
Additionally, these could be potential avenues for “excess funds” from road users. Otherwise, why are road blocks frequently set up during weekends? And usually at stretches of roads where party/pub goers would pass? If it is to ensure road safety from drunk drivers, then the drivers who have been summoned for drinking should pull over to sober up. How many times have these drivers been allowed to go their merry way once they have “negotiated” their summons? And of course the other telling point is, during and/or close to festive seasons, the number of road blocks set-up would increase substantially.
I used to think that people who look suspicious or drunk ~ other than those who committed a traffic offence i.e. speeding ~ would get the short straw. (Besides, I have never been pulled over before when I am innocent of any wrongdoing.)
But after tonight’s hilarious incident … I am not so sure anymore how the police make their selection.
We had a late Friday night badminton game. It started late @ approximately 9.30pm and ended later still @ 11.30pm. By then, we were tired, dirty, smelly but darn thirsty. Therefore, we decided to adjourn to a nearby “mamak” stall for sustenance. Thus, the five of us ~ “old man Tuck”, “steel man Suresh”, “Zack the Jack Black fan”, “Steph the drop shot Queen” and me ~ piled into Tuck’s eleven year old white Proton.
On our way back, we encountered a road block and expected to continue on. Tuck even said, “We should be ok la. After all, this car is very muhibbah. We have an Indian, a Malay and three Chinese.”
However, we were all stupefied/ mystified … yet amused … when we were asked to pull over. There we were ~ five dirty, smelly persons in soiled t-shirts and shorts! Wonder what activity the police thought we were up to. Hmmm …. The police checked the road tax, Tuck’s driving licence and identity card (ID). Then, he shone the torchlight into the car and asked everyone to hand over their IDs.
Zack tried to explain. “Encik, kami baru habis main badminton.”
The police continued to check our IDs one by one, until he was finally satisfied that we are who we are.
Once we pulled away from the road block, we all collapsed into laughter. We theorised that the police thought Tuck was the pimp, Steph and me the China dolls, and Zack and Suresh were the very satisfied customers (since they were hard put to contain their amusement during the entire incident).
Zack laughed and said, “Luckily I didn’t just say ‘kami baru habis main’. He might wonder what we just ‘main’.”
What say you? Do you think we hit the nail in the coffin with our theory? : )
And the serious bit:
Do you know why road blocks are conducted?
According to this North American website,
“ … The stated purposes of roadblocks are usually legalized excuses to stop and scrutinize motorists for which there would otherwise be no reason to do so. These excuses include "sobriety checks," license and registration verification, possession of insurance, proof of citizenship, and seatbelt usage. The desired effect is to establish a sense of fear and intimidation among the population. …”
Yup. That sounds like in Malaysia too.
Additionally, these could be potential avenues for “excess funds” from road users. Otherwise, why are road blocks frequently set up during weekends? And usually at stretches of roads where party/pub goers would pass? If it is to ensure road safety from drunk drivers, then the drivers who have been summoned for drinking should pull over to sober up. How many times have these drivers been allowed to go their merry way once they have “negotiated” their summons? And of course the other telling point is, during and/or close to festive seasons, the number of road blocks set-up would increase substantially.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
One day of indulgence, ??? days of reckoning
Caution: Long post ahead. Pure rambling about nothing of significance. Read at your own peril and boredom.
I guess I’ll never learn. But life is short. Thus, when I have to spend a weekend working, I tend to over compensate (read over indulge) the following weekend. And so I did last Saturday. Having spent the previous weekend on a roadshow out of town, I couldn’t wait to catch up with my regular activities.
With the Sikkim trip cancelled (a sad tale of which I have yet to lick my wounds), Val, my trekking buddy decided to go AWOL. After all, there are no more mountains to train for a climb this year. Thus, I had to rework my exercise regime. So, the plan was to meet up with Bell for Body Combat at FF Menara Manulife @ noon.
But that was not to be as I was caught in The Curve with ze parents, helping them with some banking matters. Yup! Banking on a Saturday is unheard of these days but CIMB just opened a new branch at The Curve which provides banking services 7 days a week! Smart move by CIMB ~ catering to the upper middle class clientele of Mutiara Damansara and its likes. (Incidentally, I am excluded from this reference.)
I digress. In any case, I ended up spending more time than I intended and missed the Body Combat class. By the time, I completed the task of being a filial daughter, I decided heck(!) I really needed the exercise. So, off I went to FF The Curve, got on the treadmill and pushed myself for a 15-minute run @ 9.5 level with a 5-minute warm up, warm down walk. Boy! I was so out of breath and out of shape. Bah! I was probably breathing very heavily and felt stares upon my unremarkable self. It was not until later that I discovered that just the week before, one chap in his 30s or 40s collapsed and died on one of the treadmills at The Curve. Talk about eerie.
In any case, the run was not enough. With determination burning in my heart, I went for the Body Attack class. Yup! I must be insane. After all, I haven’t been doing any high impact cardio sports for months. (Trekking doesn’t count as it involves more stamina than immediate energy.) For the uninitiated, Body Attack is an extremely high impact cardio class with non-stop jumping/ hopping tracks. It helps work out your leg and arm muscles as you are continuously moving during the entire session. Halfway through the class however, I had to call it quits. The flesh is willing but the body is weak. Truly, it was weak to the point of body aches. Bah! In any case, I had a dinner party to attend later in the eve to celebrate Bell’s 30++ coming of age. Hehehe … She’ll kill me if she reads this.
I had only an hour between to rest before I was out on the road again to pick up Bell and gang for her birthday bash. Bell, with her nose for finding cosy, expensive fine dining spots, directed me to a restaurant called Cava (which serves Spanish and Italian dishes) in a little street somewhere in Bangsar. The ambience was great, the food fine, the wine well chosen, the company a riot! And thus the inspiration for several conspiracy theories was born on that fateful evening.
The night wore on and we moved on to Souled Out for after dinner drinks to join more friends and friends of friends. Surprise! Surprise! There was a life band of old foggies playing at Souled Out. And it was in celebration of Octoberfest. Yup! Strange things do happen here. The Germans celebrate Octoberfest in Malaysia on November 11th. Hmmm … Despite the crowd, we managed to find seats for more than 10 people. Truth be told, I can’t recall how many people joined us in the end. The crowd were singing along to songs from ABBA and an older selection. Conversations were rife. The guys called for a bottle of Black Label. Alrighty, it was a long night of much liquor and loud conversations. After nursing the second glass of Black Label mixed with coke, I decided to quit while I was still ahead. I was feeling sleepy and that’s a clear sign that my alcohol tolerance level was about to be breached.
The party ended at 1+am, I think. The night was still young for some but I certainly had enough. After doing my driver duty, I got home, had a quick shower and hit the sack. I did not surface until well after noon the following day. My day of reckoning has arrived. And it was a quiet day at home to recover.
We are now into Tuesday, and I am still recovering from my single day of over indulgence. Perhaps age is catching up.
To those who actually read through the entire rambling, hallelujah! And good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
I guess I’ll never learn. But life is short. Thus, when I have to spend a weekend working, I tend to over compensate (read over indulge) the following weekend. And so I did last Saturday. Having spent the previous weekend on a roadshow out of town, I couldn’t wait to catch up with my regular activities.
With the Sikkim trip cancelled (a sad tale of which I have yet to lick my wounds), Val, my trekking buddy decided to go AWOL. After all, there are no more mountains to train for a climb this year. Thus, I had to rework my exercise regime. So, the plan was to meet up with Bell for Body Combat at FF Menara Manulife @ noon.
But that was not to be as I was caught in The Curve with ze parents, helping them with some banking matters. Yup! Banking on a Saturday is unheard of these days but CIMB just opened a new branch at The Curve which provides banking services 7 days a week! Smart move by CIMB ~ catering to the upper middle class clientele of Mutiara Damansara and its likes. (Incidentally, I am excluded from this reference.)
I digress. In any case, I ended up spending more time than I intended and missed the Body Combat class. By the time, I completed the task of being a filial daughter, I decided heck(!) I really needed the exercise. So, off I went to FF The Curve, got on the treadmill and pushed myself for a 15-minute run @ 9.5 level with a 5-minute warm up, warm down walk. Boy! I was so out of breath and out of shape. Bah! I was probably breathing very heavily and felt stares upon my unremarkable self. It was not until later that I discovered that just the week before, one chap in his 30s or 40s collapsed and died on one of the treadmills at The Curve. Talk about eerie.
In any case, the run was not enough. With determination burning in my heart, I went for the Body Attack class. Yup! I must be insane. After all, I haven’t been doing any high impact cardio sports for months. (Trekking doesn’t count as it involves more stamina than immediate energy.) For the uninitiated, Body Attack is an extremely high impact cardio class with non-stop jumping/ hopping tracks. It helps work out your leg and arm muscles as you are continuously moving during the entire session. Halfway through the class however, I had to call it quits. The flesh is willing but the body is weak. Truly, it was weak to the point of body aches. Bah! In any case, I had a dinner party to attend later in the eve to celebrate Bell’s 30++ coming of age. Hehehe … She’ll kill me if she reads this.
I had only an hour between to rest before I was out on the road again to pick up Bell and gang for her birthday bash. Bell, with her nose for finding cosy, expensive fine dining spots, directed me to a restaurant called Cava (which serves Spanish and Italian dishes) in a little street somewhere in Bangsar. The ambience was great, the food fine, the wine well chosen, the company a riot! And thus the inspiration for several conspiracy theories was born on that fateful evening.
The night wore on and we moved on to Souled Out for after dinner drinks to join more friends and friends of friends. Surprise! Surprise! There was a life band of old foggies playing at Souled Out. And it was in celebration of Octoberfest. Yup! Strange things do happen here. The Germans celebrate Octoberfest in Malaysia on November 11th. Hmmm … Despite the crowd, we managed to find seats for more than 10 people. Truth be told, I can’t recall how many people joined us in the end. The crowd were singing along to songs from ABBA and an older selection. Conversations were rife. The guys called for a bottle of Black Label. Alrighty, it was a long night of much liquor and loud conversations. After nursing the second glass of Black Label mixed with coke, I decided to quit while I was still ahead. I was feeling sleepy and that’s a clear sign that my alcohol tolerance level was about to be breached.
The party ended at 1+am, I think. The night was still young for some but I certainly had enough. After doing my driver duty, I got home, had a quick shower and hit the sack. I did not surface until well after noon the following day. My day of reckoning has arrived. And it was a quiet day at home to recover.
We are now into Tuesday, and I am still recovering from my single day of over indulgence. Perhaps age is catching up.
To those who actually read through the entire rambling, hallelujah! And good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Moon Cake Festival booboo
I received the following message from my sister and a friend today. It read:
“I look at the moon,
The moon is beautiful …
I look at you …
I …
I …
I …
I’d better look at the moon again …
Happy Moon Cake Festival!”
Ha ha ha ha … I loved it. I thought it was a riot and promptly sent that out to friends whom I thought could take it as a joke. I had a few good laughs from the replies I received. Most were amused except one who seemed insulted by the message.
Then it got me thinking that perhaps the rest who were silent and did not reply me were insulted as well. Dang! What a booboo to make on this festival.
Therefore, to friends who might have been insulted by the message, my apologies to you. It was meant to be something funny that we could laugh over together. I have a whacky sense of humour and it just never crossed my mind that THAT could be insulting to you.
Thousand apologies and a sincere Moon Cake Festival wish to all of ya!
“I look at the moon,
The moon is beautiful …
I look at you …
I …
I …
I …
I’d better look at the moon again …
Happy Moon Cake Festival!”
Ha ha ha ha … I loved it. I thought it was a riot and promptly sent that out to friends whom I thought could take it as a joke. I had a few good laughs from the replies I received. Most were amused except one who seemed insulted by the message.
Then it got me thinking that perhaps the rest who were silent and did not reply me were insulted as well. Dang! What a booboo to make on this festival.
Therefore, to friends who might have been insulted by the message, my apologies to you. It was meant to be something funny that we could laugh over together. I have a whacky sense of humour and it just never crossed my mind that THAT could be insulting to you.
Thousand apologies and a sincere Moon Cake Festival wish to all of ya!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Back in business again!
Wow! Three blogs in four days ... and still counting!! Am I back in business or what?!
I took a hiatus from blogging and other activities for awhile as I was caught up with my DVD marathon every night that I am home. Also, my muse was clearly not working and thus, it was better to be entertained than to entertain in the last few weeks! :p
And when I am not home, I'm out busting my butt for work. Been travelling a fair bit lately for work too ~ Genting, JB, Singapore, ... and counting ... although I have a mini reprieve for now.
JB was tiring. I left home at 8 am on a Friday morning, drove down to the office and picked up a few colleagues, then onward to JB. Reached there about 1.30pm, checked in, had a quick lunch, and off again with my sales guys to visit a few customers. We ended up having dinner with a customer at 8.30pm in Kota Tinggi, and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was already 11.30pm. Gosh! Talk about fatique! The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak!
The next day, we had to attend a roadshow. Thank god that only starts at 3pm but it ended way past midnight. The plan was to drive back to KL at 10.00 am the next day, BUT I only managed to wake up at 10.15 am. By the time we left JB, it was 11.00+ am. The drive back was pure torture as my eyelids were ready to close anytime. It didn't help that my passengers were all snoozing soundly at the back of the seat. By the time we reached KL and I have sent the rest home, it was 4.00+pm. Gosh! Talk about FATIQUE!!!
I'm glad that I will be grounded for a few more weeks before the madness began again.
I took a hiatus from blogging and other activities for awhile as I was caught up with my DVD marathon every night that I am home. Also, my muse was clearly not working and thus, it was better to be entertained than to entertain in the last few weeks! :p
And when I am not home, I'm out busting my butt for work. Been travelling a fair bit lately for work too ~ Genting, JB, Singapore, ... and counting ... although I have a mini reprieve for now.
JB was tiring. I left home at 8 am on a Friday morning, drove down to the office and picked up a few colleagues, then onward to JB. Reached there about 1.30pm, checked in, had a quick lunch, and off again with my sales guys to visit a few customers. We ended up having dinner with a customer at 8.30pm in Kota Tinggi, and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was already 11.30pm. Gosh! Talk about fatique! The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak!
The next day, we had to attend a roadshow. Thank god that only starts at 3pm but it ended way past midnight. The plan was to drive back to KL at 10.00 am the next day, BUT I only managed to wake up at 10.15 am. By the time we left JB, it was 11.00+ am. The drive back was pure torture as my eyelids were ready to close anytime. It didn't help that my passengers were all snoozing soundly at the back of the seat. By the time we reached KL and I have sent the rest home, it was 4.00+pm. Gosh! Talk about FATIQUE!!!
I'm glad that I will be grounded for a few more weeks before the madness began again.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
“What gives?”
“What’s with the MTVs and the movie reviews?”
“No updates on your blog?!!”
“Taking a break from the blogasphere?”
This is my first blog in more than a month. Prior to this were mere jottings on MTVs, song lyrics and movies.
“What gives?” A few friends asked me.
I’m not quite sure really. Just when I thought I had it all together, life threw me this curve ball. There’s a sense of “disconnect” with the “real” world. It’s as if I am on this roller coaster ride, rushing head long into the ups and the downs of life with no real control over it. I’m not unhappy, just disconnected.
Yes, there was madness at work! “Same shit different day.”
Yes, the politics have been worse than usual!
Yes, there was a bit of travelling, plenty of late nights and a hell of a long working weekend!
Yet,
I managed to squeeze in time for biking. We had a few great weekend-rides at Bukit Jelutong and Putrajaya. And we recruited yet another “member” into the “siau gang” biking club.
I held a marathon movie night with friends and we had a ball.
I spent the pre merdeka night with my family and we had a fine time at the street carnival, watching a life concert.
I am, once again, lured back to the annual month-long run-a-muck event; trying to contribute to the team by clocking up as much exercise hours as I can. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
I even managed to get some reading done, frivolous though some of the reading materials may be.
I would have thought that this is pretty much a balance life. True, I am often tired out. My brain is not functioning enough to think deeper than all my current commitments. And time seems to coast along much, much too fast! That’s the crux of the matter. Where has it all gone? And am I doing something worthwhile with my time?
“No updates on your blog?!!”
“Taking a break from the blogasphere?”
This is my first blog in more than a month. Prior to this were mere jottings on MTVs, song lyrics and movies.
“What gives?” A few friends asked me.
I’m not quite sure really. Just when I thought I had it all together, life threw me this curve ball. There’s a sense of “disconnect” with the “real” world. It’s as if I am on this roller coaster ride, rushing head long into the ups and the downs of life with no real control over it. I’m not unhappy, just disconnected.
Yes, there was madness at work! “Same shit different day.”
Yes, the politics have been worse than usual!
Yes, there was a bit of travelling, plenty of late nights and a hell of a long working weekend!
Yet,
I managed to squeeze in time for biking. We had a few great weekend-rides at Bukit Jelutong and Putrajaya. And we recruited yet another “member” into the “siau gang” biking club.
I held a marathon movie night with friends and we had a ball.
I spent the pre merdeka night with my family and we had a fine time at the street carnival, watching a life concert.
I am, once again, lured back to the annual month-long run-a-muck event; trying to contribute to the team by clocking up as much exercise hours as I can. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
I even managed to get some reading done, frivolous though some of the reading materials may be.
I would have thought that this is pretty much a balance life. True, I am often tired out. My brain is not functioning enough to think deeper than all my current commitments. And time seems to coast along much, much too fast! That’s the crux of the matter. Where has it all gone? And am I doing something worthwhile with my time?
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
World Cup Lessons
Yes! I did finally get into the World Cup Fever, beginning from the quarterfinal matches. Sadly, my samba boys (Brazil) did not clear their quarterfinal match and allowed the Frenchies to stride into the semis and then the finals. Neither did my German cuties made it to the finals. A very sad World Cup Finals for me indeed.
But the match that left the strongest impression on me (I didn't watch that many matches after all) was the one between Germany and Italy. Their match was tied at 0-0 right up to the 29th minute of extra time and suddenly the Italians scored two goals straight! What a waste!
Lessons Learned:
Lesson 1
No matter how vigilant we are, the moment we relax our defences, our competitors will find the crack and hit us where it hurts. Witness the Germany versus Italy match.
Lesson 2
It doesn't matter if you are a legend. You butt (headbutt), you pay (red card)! Poor Zidane. What a way to go.
Lesson 3
When in Europe, the Europeans will triumph.
Lesson 4
Everyone's an expert on football. From beauty queens to sexy teens. From mat motor to pak mamak.
Lesson 5
Football fans become nocturnal animals. Comatose by day, vampires by night.
Lesson 6
Not hitting sales targets? Reason: everybody's too busy watching World Cup to stimulate the economy!
Lesson 7
The less you know about football, the higher the chances of winning your bets!
Lesson 8
World Cup is more popular than Wimbledon!
Lesson 9
Late to work? Blame it on World Cup!
Lesson 10
It doesn't matter if everyone lies. You can be sure of one thing. Your hips don't lie! :p
Here's to my samba boys!
Hips Don't Lie
But the match that left the strongest impression on me (I didn't watch that many matches after all) was the one between Germany and Italy. Their match was tied at 0-0 right up to the 29th minute of extra time and suddenly the Italians scored two goals straight! What a waste!
Lessons Learned:
Lesson 1
No matter how vigilant we are, the moment we relax our defences, our competitors will find the crack and hit us where it hurts. Witness the Germany versus Italy match.
Lesson 2
It doesn't matter if you are a legend. You butt (headbutt), you pay (red card)! Poor Zidane. What a way to go.
Lesson 3
When in Europe, the Europeans will triumph.
Lesson 4
Everyone's an expert on football. From beauty queens to sexy teens. From mat motor to pak mamak.
Lesson 5
Football fans become nocturnal animals. Comatose by day, vampires by night.
Lesson 6
Not hitting sales targets? Reason: everybody's too busy watching World Cup to stimulate the economy!
Lesson 7
The less you know about football, the higher the chances of winning your bets!
Lesson 8
World Cup is more popular than Wimbledon!
Lesson 9
Late to work? Blame it on World Cup!
Lesson 10
It doesn't matter if everyone lies. You can be sure of one thing. Your hips don't lie! :p
Here's to my samba boys!
Hips Don't Lie
Sunday, June 25, 2006
From the mouth of babies!
Recently, a friend forwarded me an email on letters from kids to God. I found the following letter and thought that it was a gem of a letter from just a kid. Profound isn't it?
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
I can resist anything except temptation!
Bubble Shooter
Peik Lean Y.
It all started more than a week ago when I finally gained my freedom from the self imposed prison (herein known as "that episode" in my life). I met up with my sis for dinner and she showed off her brand new PDA. While messing around with this "new" toy, I discovered "the bubble game"!
Now, I know it's not new to the tech savvy and the "in" folks but as I did not aspire to be an "opinion leader", this toy is kinda new to me! Ya! Ya! I am a marketer's nightmare! I refused to be trapped into keeping up with the Joneses by buying all these costly gadgets which would become a white elephant in no time! :P
I digress. In any case, I started playing that game on the PDA throughout dinner. I was so hooked. I only returned the PDA to my sis on threats of dismemberment. Bleh! Anyway, being the smarty pants that I am, I had this great idea to google the game and download it on my computer. And so I did!
Thus began the journey of succumbing to temptation and getting drawn into total addiction. I have been playing that game every night and I played it till the wee hours of the morn. Every time, I would tell myself it's only for an hour, but I ended up playing like 4-5 hours! My god! I was soooo hooked.
However last night was the last straw. Once again, I exceeded my allocated one hour of play. The game was taking over my beauty sleep. It was taking over my time to blog and to reply emails. It was taking over my life! Goodness!
I finally took a huge step in prevention and self preservation! I uninstalled the game. Oh boy! Temptation is sooo difficult to resist! So far so good today. I have yet to download the programme. I best go off to bed now while my will power is still strong.
Good night Malaysia wherever you are.
Disclaimer:
The link for the game is at the top if you want to check it out. However, I shall not be held responsible for any addiction and temptation. You are on your own. Try it at your own peril! :P
Peik Lean Y.
It all started more than a week ago when I finally gained my freedom from the self imposed prison (herein known as "that episode" in my life). I met up with my sis for dinner and she showed off her brand new PDA. While messing around with this "new" toy, I discovered "the bubble game"!
Now, I know it's not new to the tech savvy and the "in" folks but as I did not aspire to be an "opinion leader", this toy is kinda new to me! Ya! Ya! I am a marketer's nightmare! I refused to be trapped into keeping up with the Joneses by buying all these costly gadgets which would become a white elephant in no time! :P
I digress. In any case, I started playing that game on the PDA throughout dinner. I was so hooked. I only returned the PDA to my sis on threats of dismemberment. Bleh! Anyway, being the smarty pants that I am, I had this great idea to google the game and download it on my computer. And so I did!
Thus began the journey of succumbing to temptation and getting drawn into total addiction. I have been playing that game every night and I played it till the wee hours of the morn. Every time, I would tell myself it's only for an hour, but I ended up playing like 4-5 hours! My god! I was soooo hooked.
However last night was the last straw. Once again, I exceeded my allocated one hour of play. The game was taking over my beauty sleep. It was taking over my time to blog and to reply emails. It was taking over my life! Goodness!
I finally took a huge step in prevention and self preservation! I uninstalled the game. Oh boy! Temptation is sooo difficult to resist! So far so good today. I have yet to download the programme. I best go off to bed now while my will power is still strong.
Good night Malaysia wherever you are.
Disclaimer:
The link for the game is at the top if you want to check it out. However, I shall not be held responsible for any addiction and temptation. You are on your own. Try it at your own peril! :P
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Old Man’s Club
Running out of ideas on what to do on a Friday night?
Tired of the endless rounds of hanging out at a “meat market”? That’s what one of my ang moh IT contractors called Beach Club and the likes. He claimed that folks go there to “trade their wares”. He also claimed to have been approached by quite a few SPGs (Sarong Party Girls, to the uninitiated).
Getting sick of watching American Idol on national TV? Need a dose of a little more excitement?
You can try the old man’s club at Rain Tree Club! For those who are old enough to have heard of the club during its heydays, yes! it is still around! A friend has been raving about this old man’s club he has joined in recent times. He said it’s the best place to de-stress and talk his troubles away. He claimed that his “old” friends there (literally old) have been a fountain of advice and good cheer.
In any case, you would understand my lack of enthusiasm when my trip to JB was cancelled yesterday, and another friend called me up and asked me to join them to chill out there. Chill out on a Friday night at the old man’s club?!!! I’d rather spend Friday night watching the hunks in the gym having a go at the weights or watching the gorgeous “Ace” belting away on American Idol. But, went there I did. After all, what are friends for if not to give way some times to hare brain schemes? : )
But enjoyed the night, we did ~ drinking and karaoke! We (my other girlfriend and I) caused a bit of a stir when we walked into the pub. Understand this ~ the club is a hangout joint for retirees and semi retirees and they are mostly men. So there! For certain, it was good for the ego and of course, one feels very young there. : ) But what is interesting is the regular patrons there. Beers and conversations flowed easily in an intimate setting. And everyone seems to know everyone else. And if they don’t, they warmly welcome you to the pub. It reminded me of the sitcom “Cheers”, where everyone knows your name.
Now, that’s the way to live after retirement! : ) Cheers!
Tired of the endless rounds of hanging out at a “meat market”? That’s what one of my ang moh IT contractors called Beach Club and the likes. He claimed that folks go there to “trade their wares”. He also claimed to have been approached by quite a few SPGs (Sarong Party Girls, to the uninitiated).
Getting sick of watching American Idol on national TV? Need a dose of a little more excitement?
You can try the old man’s club at Rain Tree Club! For those who are old enough to have heard of the club during its heydays, yes! it is still around! A friend has been raving about this old man’s club he has joined in recent times. He said it’s the best place to de-stress and talk his troubles away. He claimed that his “old” friends there (literally old) have been a fountain of advice and good cheer.
In any case, you would understand my lack of enthusiasm when my trip to JB was cancelled yesterday, and another friend called me up and asked me to join them to chill out there. Chill out on a Friday night at the old man’s club?!!! I’d rather spend Friday night watching the hunks in the gym having a go at the weights or watching the gorgeous “Ace” belting away on American Idol. But, went there I did. After all, what are friends for if not to give way some times to hare brain schemes? : )
But enjoyed the night, we did ~ drinking and karaoke! We (my other girlfriend and I) caused a bit of a stir when we walked into the pub. Understand this ~ the club is a hangout joint for retirees and semi retirees and they are mostly men. So there! For certain, it was good for the ego and of course, one feels very young there. : ) But what is interesting is the regular patrons there. Beers and conversations flowed easily in an intimate setting. And everyone seems to know everyone else. And if they don’t, they warmly welcome you to the pub. It reminded me of the sitcom “Cheers”, where everyone knows your name.
Now, that’s the way to live after retirement! : ) Cheers!
Friday, March 17, 2006
Liberation!
Fair Warning:
This is not a post on political affiliation or the fight for freedom and liberation. This is a post for my own self gratification after a 3-month long hiatus on a self-imposed prison!
Gosh! Finally the sword of Damocles is off my neck! I have finally completed my dissertation. Will be submitting it this Monday once I have it bound.
I am so giddy with relief and elation that some friends thought that I am high on marijuana or something. Bleh! It's just good old liberation my dears! Now I understand how imprisonment feel although mine is a small matter compared to the real McCoy.
I have been out of the "doghouse" since Wednesday. Had a small dinner celebration with the siau gang. I was off to a badminton game last night with my fellow MBA coursemates. Woo hoo! Life after dissertation is simply perfect! After months of no exercise, ze ol' bones and muscles are finally getting a real workout! Luckily they are not in as bad a shape as I thought. I only feel a wee bit of ache today. Hehehe ... We shall see about tomorrow. Seems like there's a whole line up of activities in store this weekend. Woo hoo! Look out world. Here I come!
Alrighty! Gotta leave now to catch up on some shopping and a combat class. It's a Fly day after all.
Good weekend ahead folks!
This is not a post on political affiliation or the fight for freedom and liberation. This is a post for my own self gratification after a 3-month long hiatus on a self-imposed prison!
Gosh! Finally the sword of Damocles is off my neck! I have finally completed my dissertation. Will be submitting it this Monday once I have it bound.
I am so giddy with relief and elation that some friends thought that I am high on marijuana or something. Bleh! It's just good old liberation my dears! Now I understand how imprisonment feel although mine is a small matter compared to the real McCoy.
I have been out of the "doghouse" since Wednesday. Had a small dinner celebration with the siau gang. I was off to a badminton game last night with my fellow MBA coursemates. Woo hoo! Life after dissertation is simply perfect! After months of no exercise, ze ol' bones and muscles are finally getting a real workout! Luckily they are not in as bad a shape as I thought. I only feel a wee bit of ache today. Hehehe ... We shall see about tomorrow. Seems like there's a whole line up of activities in store this weekend. Woo hoo! Look out world. Here I come!
Alrighty! Gotta leave now to catch up on some shopping and a combat class. It's a Fly day after all.
Good weekend ahead folks!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Extended D - Day
"So, the house bound policy is finally over? Can start painting the town red?" A friend called to ask the day before.
"All done? The pain is finally over?" A colleague asked early yesterday morning.
"Macam mana? Dah habis? Got it bound and handed in?" Another friend called during lunch yesterday.
"Woo hoo! Out celebrating tonight?" The text message came earlier this evening.
And a few more enquiries and well wishes came via sms, emails and phone calls. Thank you for your concern dear friends and coursemates. Guess I am dragging the pain on for another two weeks, which means I am grounding myself for yet another two weeks. Sob! Sob!
Gasing Hill will have to wait.
Nuang will have to wait.
Swimming and Body Combat will have to wait.
Pink Panther will have to wait!
Makan galore will have to wait!
Gosh! This self imposed exile is killing me! I will definitely be on a self indulgent spree when I surface from this nightmare. And why is the lyrics "who let the dogs out" keep playing in my head now? Maybe I am just going stark raving mad!
Alrighty folks! Countdown starts now for another two weeks. I hope I can survive this extension. Women are not meant to live in self imposed exile for three whole months!!! Ok la ... there were a few field trips in between but heck, it was darn few to begin with. Really! :p
Back to the grindstone. Good night Malaysia wherever you are!
"All done? The pain is finally over?" A colleague asked early yesterday morning.
"Macam mana? Dah habis? Got it bound and handed in?" Another friend called during lunch yesterday.
"Woo hoo! Out celebrating tonight?" The text message came earlier this evening.
And a few more enquiries and well wishes came via sms, emails and phone calls. Thank you for your concern dear friends and coursemates. Guess I am dragging the pain on for another two weeks, which means I am grounding myself for yet another two weeks. Sob! Sob!
Gasing Hill will have to wait.
Nuang will have to wait.
Swimming and Body Combat will have to wait.
Pink Panther will have to wait!
Makan galore will have to wait!
Gosh! This self imposed exile is killing me! I will definitely be on a self indulgent spree when I surface from this nightmare. And why is the lyrics "who let the dogs out" keep playing in my head now? Maybe I am just going stark raving mad!
Alrighty folks! Countdown starts now for another two weeks. I hope I can survive this extension. Women are not meant to live in self imposed exile for three whole months!!! Ok la ... there were a few field trips in between but heck, it was darn few to begin with. Really! :p
Back to the grindstone. Good night Malaysia wherever you are!
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Who would want to be a grown up if they could remain kids?
When we refer to runaways, the first thought that comes to mind is that they are teenagers with massive problems at home.
Why can't adults be runaways too? Sometimes, I wish I could runaway from all the responsibilities of being an adult.
I want to be a kid again. I want to be free of responsibilities. I want to runaway from my neverending dissertation. I want to runaway from the endless cycle of planning, setting targets and chasing for sales. I want to not worry if my staff is coming up to scratch. I want to speak freely without having to face repercussions or to hurt someone I love with my candid speech. I want to be able to resign at will without worrying who will pay my bills. I want to go home without worrying if the car park is going to be flooded or the walls are going to fall apart.
I want to just run in a field of daffodils without a care in the world. I want to sink my feet in fine, soft, warm sand. I want to walk along an endless stretch of sandy beach and bask in the sun. I want fly in a microlite and let the wind take me where it will. I want to set sail with no destination in mind.
Sigh! It's been a tough week with no light at the end of the tunnel. I know the sun will come up tomorrow and the world will be well again.
But tonight, ... tonight, I just want to wallow. I want to runaway from being an adult. Anyone care to join me???
Goodnight Malaysia whoever you are!
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Of car park floods and exterminating ants
"The car park is flooded!" I was told by this neighbour whose car was blocking the way to LG2, which obviously housed my parking bay.
Blinking hell! A flooded car park? At a new condo? What the heck! I should have known better! After living through so many freak incidents here in less than a year since moving in, one would have thought I would have become pretty blaze to all these shenanigans! Geee .. but I was overworked, stressed out and darn tired that day. All I wanted was a hot shower, warm coffee and some TLC. Looks like that ain't gonna happen real soon then. Finally, when all the excitement calmed, I found out that there was one hell of a storm and the car park became one heck of a huge shower stall. Water was gushing out from the cracks, I was told. Cracks? Gulp!
In the next couple of days, the car park was almost back to normal although it was pretty wet. Just the night before, there was a sudden heavy downpour. There I was rushing down to LG2 again to drive my car up to G level, just in case the place get flooded again! Grrrrr ... evicted from my own car park although it was a personal choice! I can't believe developers and contractors can get away with such shoddy work. And to think they sold this place as a 5-star resort styled condo. They got me good ~ hook, line and sinker. It's such a stinker. Grrrrr ... I must think of Plan B soon.
But that's not the end of the story! Not by a far shot. Recently, I noticed an increase in ant population at my condo. I couldn't understand why as I hardly cook here and do not really keep food around. But the little red ants are always around on my kitchen counter top ~ no matter how many times I wipe and clean that.
But today topped that once again! When I got home after another taxing day, I found a long trail of industrious little red ants crawling away from the kitchen counter top, down to the floor, across my dining hall, then onward to the sitting room and out to the balcony! Eeeks! That's it! I am on a vendetta. No more Miss Nice to these antsy. No siree! Call in the exterminators! Bring in the troops! But alas! I realised I didnt have any insect repellent.
BUT I spy with my little eye a bottle of "clean glass" spray. It's some sort of detergent to clean glass surfaces. I took that bottle and started spraying on the trail of ants. And guess what?!! Wonders of wonders! It worked!!! That's a handy household tip. They are all now quite dead. I usually am not so violent and gleeful over these sort of things. But dang! It felt good. Got rid of the ant problem for now. Will have to check again tomorrow. Dang! Alrighty then. Enough of whining.
Good night Malaysia, wherever you are.
Blinking hell! A flooded car park? At a new condo? What the heck! I should have known better! After living through so many freak incidents here in less than a year since moving in, one would have thought I would have become pretty blaze to all these shenanigans! Geee .. but I was overworked, stressed out and darn tired that day. All I wanted was a hot shower, warm coffee and some TLC. Looks like that ain't gonna happen real soon then. Finally, when all the excitement calmed, I found out that there was one hell of a storm and the car park became one heck of a huge shower stall. Water was gushing out from the cracks, I was told. Cracks? Gulp!
In the next couple of days, the car park was almost back to normal although it was pretty wet. Just the night before, there was a sudden heavy downpour. There I was rushing down to LG2 again to drive my car up to G level, just in case the place get flooded again! Grrrrr ... evicted from my own car park although it was a personal choice! I can't believe developers and contractors can get away with such shoddy work. And to think they sold this place as a 5-star resort styled condo. They got me good ~ hook, line and sinker. It's such a stinker. Grrrrr ... I must think of Plan B soon.
But that's not the end of the story! Not by a far shot. Recently, I noticed an increase in ant population at my condo. I couldn't understand why as I hardly cook here and do not really keep food around. But the little red ants are always around on my kitchen counter top ~ no matter how many times I wipe and clean that.
But today topped that once again! When I got home after another taxing day, I found a long trail of industrious little red ants crawling away from the kitchen counter top, down to the floor, across my dining hall, then onward to the sitting room and out to the balcony! Eeeks! That's it! I am on a vendetta. No more Miss Nice to these antsy. No siree! Call in the exterminators! Bring in the troops! But alas! I realised I didnt have any insect repellent.
BUT I spy with my little eye a bottle of "clean glass" spray. It's some sort of detergent to clean glass surfaces. I took that bottle and started spraying on the trail of ants. And guess what?!! Wonders of wonders! It worked!!! That's a handy household tip. They are all now quite dead. I usually am not so violent and gleeful over these sort of things. But dang! It felt good. Got rid of the ant problem for now. Will have to check again tomorrow. Dang! Alrighty then. Enough of whining.
Good night Malaysia, wherever you are.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Love is in the Air
Ahhh …. Did you notice that the air is extra thick with romance these days? Especially with the passing of Chap Goh Mei (or what we refer to as Chinese Valentine’s Day) yesterday, and the coming of Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Did you not feel the extra pollen of love floating in the warm February air? Are you not touched by Cupid’s arrow? Did you not feel like howling at a full February moon? (Oops! Wrong script.)
The TV channels are full of love, the radio deejays talk about love, the newspapers are littered with love, and the malls are dressed in love … can it get any more cheesy than that? Makes one feel like hibernating for the entire month of February and living the life of a recluse with no outside communication. Have a heart for those who are single and not in love. I am beginning to think that February is a month that is conceptualised solely to torment us poor sots who are not hit by Cupid’s arrow. Just fresh from licking the wounds of Chinese New Year with refrains like “this is your last ang pow” and “when are you getting married?” February decides to sic Valentine’s Day on us too. It’s probably some divine intervention to give the “single and fancy free” an almighty push. “What are you waiting for? Choose, choose, choose! Stop procrastinating.” Yadda, yadda, yadda … Ahh! The injustice of it all! Why can’t February be as perfect as the other months of the year?
This is the one time in the year you wish you are in love just to get people off your back. It’s not even required that the supposed object of your affection do not return your so-called love. So long as there is an object, at least you get to talk about your “love”. That nerd in school is beginning to look mighty good looking these days. OMG! Did I say that? I think we need to take Cupid to task for his/ her lack of fair play; or else we have to negotiate with those folks who created the calendar and request the month of February to be taken out of the line-up entirely. What do you think? Would that work? … Nah! Oh well, at least I gave it a good thought. If we can’t beat them, let’s join them.
Maybe we can start by whipping out that little black book.
Simon?
I think he got married last year.
Cheah?
Err … did he not just come out of the closet about being gay?
Charlie?
THAT’s Charlene!
Daniel?
Wouldn’t that be cradle snatching?
Joe?
Ugh! That old thang?
Picky! Picky! Picky! Oh well … better luck next year.
Meanwhile, here’s a collection of quotes as a tribute to love, sweet love!
“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” -- Anonymous
“The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.” -- Pascal
“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” -- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam, 1850
“He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.” -- Benjamin Franklin
“Where there is love there is life.” -- Gandhi
“We look forward to the time when the power to love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.” -- William Gladstone
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.” -- Rabbi Julius Gordon
“Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.” -- H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
The TV channels are full of love, the radio deejays talk about love, the newspapers are littered with love, and the malls are dressed in love … can it get any more cheesy than that? Makes one feel like hibernating for the entire month of February and living the life of a recluse with no outside communication. Have a heart for those who are single and not in love. I am beginning to think that February is a month that is conceptualised solely to torment us poor sots who are not hit by Cupid’s arrow. Just fresh from licking the wounds of Chinese New Year with refrains like “this is your last ang pow” and “when are you getting married?” February decides to sic Valentine’s Day on us too. It’s probably some divine intervention to give the “single and fancy free” an almighty push. “What are you waiting for? Choose, choose, choose! Stop procrastinating.” Yadda, yadda, yadda … Ahh! The injustice of it all! Why can’t February be as perfect as the other months of the year?
This is the one time in the year you wish you are in love just to get people off your back. It’s not even required that the supposed object of your affection do not return your so-called love. So long as there is an object, at least you get to talk about your “love”. That nerd in school is beginning to look mighty good looking these days. OMG! Did I say that? I think we need to take Cupid to task for his/ her lack of fair play; or else we have to negotiate with those folks who created the calendar and request the month of February to be taken out of the line-up entirely. What do you think? Would that work? … Nah! Oh well, at least I gave it a good thought. If we can’t beat them, let’s join them.
Maybe we can start by whipping out that little black book.
Simon?
I think he got married last year.
Cheah?
Err … did he not just come out of the closet about being gay?
Charlie?
THAT’s Charlene!
Daniel?
Wouldn’t that be cradle snatching?
Joe?
Ugh! That old thang?
Picky! Picky! Picky! Oh well … better luck next year.
Meanwhile, here’s a collection of quotes as a tribute to love, sweet love!
“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” -- Anonymous
“The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.” -- Pascal
“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” -- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam, 1850
“He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.” -- Benjamin Franklin
“Where there is love there is life.” -- Gandhi
“We look forward to the time when the power to love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.” -- William Gladstone
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.” -- Rabbi Julius Gordon
“Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.” -- H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Wifely trials
Working in a male dominated industry can be very frustrating especially when you are faced with men who think that they know better just because.
BUT ...
Sometimes, it is sheer joy working in such an environment, especially when you are privy to interesting conversations such as the one below.
Colleague 1: Jialat! My wife just had her hair done for RM200. That's worth almost 2 years of haircut for me! (Note: I found out that he cuts his hair once a month at the price of RM9 per cut. Hmmm ...)
Moi: That's quite a normal rate these days la especially if you perm, colour or rebond.
Colleague 1: (Glared at me.) You women spend so unnecessarily. Spend so much, look the same. Waste money only!
(Did I forget to mention that he is quite tight fisted? Kiam siap! That's the word.)
Colleague 1: (Continued.) And I can't say a word about it. If I say she looks good, that's like saying it's ok to spend RM200 to do her hair. If I say she looks bad, god knows what she will do. Probably go out and get her hair fixed again for another RM200. Or worse!
(By now, all the other guys were laughing and nodding their heads in agreement. Oh, did I forget to mention I was the only lady around?)
Colleague 2: Aiyah! Save it la. Not worth saying anything. Just like me. A few weeks ago, I open the pantry door and there were packs and packs of expired instant noodles in there. All I did was ask why she (meaning his wife) keeps expired products and not use them . Why so wasteful?
(He looked around at a sea of nodding heads. It's like the guys were expecting an explosion.)
Colleague 2: I just ask a few simple questions and then she blew up. And we got into an argument over nothing. Then, for one week ~ ONE WEEK ~ she didn't speak to me!
(I suspect that she didn't do something else as well. Otherwise, why was he so upset? :P)
Colleague 3: It's not worth saying a word la. When you get married for so long, you sometimes learn to just shut up.
Colleague 2: (Nodded his head.) Yeah. I learned that lesson well. These days, I don't even want go near the pantry.
Colleague 1: (Said to me.) Listen and learn. Next time when you get married, you know what to do.
Moi: Do what ah? Don't get my hair done for RM200? Or don't keep expired instant noodles?
(The guys laughed then.)
Hmmm ... you learn something new every day, don't you. What I learnt is, if I get my hair done for RM200, I shall certainly not tell my hypothetical husband about it. And I will definitely lock my pantry. Hahahaha
Life can be so farnie sometimes!
BUT ...
Sometimes, it is sheer joy working in such an environment, especially when you are privy to interesting conversations such as the one below.
Colleague 1: Jialat! My wife just had her hair done for RM200. That's worth almost 2 years of haircut for me! (Note: I found out that he cuts his hair once a month at the price of RM9 per cut. Hmmm ...)
Moi: That's quite a normal rate these days la especially if you perm, colour or rebond.
Colleague 1: (Glared at me.) You women spend so unnecessarily. Spend so much, look the same. Waste money only!
(Did I forget to mention that he is quite tight fisted? Kiam siap! That's the word.)
Colleague 1: (Continued.) And I can't say a word about it. If I say she looks good, that's like saying it's ok to spend RM200 to do her hair. If I say she looks bad, god knows what she will do. Probably go out and get her hair fixed again for another RM200. Or worse!
(By now, all the other guys were laughing and nodding their heads in agreement. Oh, did I forget to mention I was the only lady around?)
Colleague 2: Aiyah! Save it la. Not worth saying anything. Just like me. A few weeks ago, I open the pantry door and there were packs and packs of expired instant noodles in there. All I did was ask why she (meaning his wife) keeps expired products and not use them . Why so wasteful?
(He looked around at a sea of nodding heads. It's like the guys were expecting an explosion.)
Colleague 2: I just ask a few simple questions and then she blew up. And we got into an argument over nothing. Then, for one week ~ ONE WEEK ~ she didn't speak to me!
(I suspect that she didn't do something else as well. Otherwise, why was he so upset? :P)
Colleague 3: It's not worth saying a word la. When you get married for so long, you sometimes learn to just shut up.
Colleague 2: (Nodded his head.) Yeah. I learned that lesson well. These days, I don't even want go near the pantry.
Colleague 1: (Said to me.) Listen and learn. Next time when you get married, you know what to do.
Moi: Do what ah? Don't get my hair done for RM200? Or don't keep expired instant noodles?
(The guys laughed then.)
Hmmm ... you learn something new every day, don't you. What I learnt is, if I get my hair done for RM200, I shall certainly not tell my hypothetical husband about it. And I will definitely lock my pantry. Hahahaha
Life can be so farnie sometimes!
Friday, December 30, 2005
The Night that Was and the Morning After …
This is not a kiss-and-tell session in case you are wondering. Hahaha
This story is about the night that was my first ... Neighbourhood Watch (NW) … and the morning after. My brain is definitely not functioning normally the morning after. Staying up late watching DVD or reading or partying is definitely different from staying up haunting the hallowed corridors of our beloved condo home.
The Night that Was … 28th December
Personally, I didn’t really know what to expect. When Dad used to go for Rukun Tetangga, I thought it was such a grand adventure. But when you are faced with the thought of keeping your eyes wide open and your mind sharp after a long day at work, the adventure seems to have lost its lustre. But if others could do it, there should not be a reason why I couldn’t.
So there I was, about an hour late (I overslept), dressed in track bottoms, a t-shirt and a pair of running shoes, and wielding my trusty mobile. I was all ready to cause mayhem to anyone who dared disturb the peace of this neighbourhood. Yeah right! The choice of footwear was important as I wanted to be prepared for all eventualities i.e. in case I needed to run after or run from someone. I reckon the most likely scenario would probably be the latter. :p
The Watch wasn’t so bad after all; after I got past the initial “yawning” moments. As we had full attendance that night, we split up and worked on alternate floors ~ ensuring that the fire exits were all locked save for one, and be on the look out for anything strange or out of the ordinary. Luckily, all was quiet on the “western front”.
I had other interesting findings though. Did you know …
* All the 22nd floors had great views and fantastic breeze at night! You get what you paid for eh! : )
* We could run a grill competition. The various types, patterns and colours of grills on display are most fascinating. Puts mine to shame though.
* The number and types of padlocks varies in types and usage. Some locked themselves to the nines. Others not. A few others use bicycle locks. Hmmm …. And yet others have padlocks but did not use them. Either they have forgotten or they have grown tired of locking and unlocking so many locks every day.
* There is no end to the creativity of the residents. We found a feng shui door and several fascinating prints/paintings and lamps at the entrances.
And if that is not enough to pique your interest, I have funny, zany neighbours during my Watch. They kept me on my toes with their antics.
We finished the Watch by 2+ am and returned to our respective units. By then I was truly wide awake. It took me another hour plus to drop off to sleep.
The Morning After …
I was late for work … like really, really late for work. My eyes felt grainy and puffy and I probably needed toothpicks to prop my eyelids open. A colleague offered to draw eyes on my eyelids if I close them for forty winks. How helpful eh. :p I am not sure how some neighbours could still function normally at work the next day. I salute them their energy. Thank God my next two shifts are on Friday nights. Sleeping in sounds great the morning after!
And THAT was what transpired … Pretty easy eh. All in a Night's work. You can do it too.
Neighbourhood Watch anyone? : )
This story is about the night that was my first ... Neighbourhood Watch (NW) … and the morning after. My brain is definitely not functioning normally the morning after. Staying up late watching DVD or reading or partying is definitely different from staying up haunting the hallowed corridors of our beloved condo home.
The Night that Was … 28th December
Personally, I didn’t really know what to expect. When Dad used to go for Rukun Tetangga, I thought it was such a grand adventure. But when you are faced with the thought of keeping your eyes wide open and your mind sharp after a long day at work, the adventure seems to have lost its lustre. But if others could do it, there should not be a reason why I couldn’t.
So there I was, about an hour late (I overslept), dressed in track bottoms, a t-shirt and a pair of running shoes, and wielding my trusty mobile. I was all ready to cause mayhem to anyone who dared disturb the peace of this neighbourhood. Yeah right! The choice of footwear was important as I wanted to be prepared for all eventualities i.e. in case I needed to run after or run from someone. I reckon the most likely scenario would probably be the latter. :p
The Watch wasn’t so bad after all; after I got past the initial “yawning” moments. As we had full attendance that night, we split up and worked on alternate floors ~ ensuring that the fire exits were all locked save for one, and be on the look out for anything strange or out of the ordinary. Luckily, all was quiet on the “western front”.
I had other interesting findings though. Did you know …
* All the 22nd floors had great views and fantastic breeze at night! You get what you paid for eh! : )
* We could run a grill competition. The various types, patterns and colours of grills on display are most fascinating. Puts mine to shame though.
* The number and types of padlocks varies in types and usage. Some locked themselves to the nines. Others not. A few others use bicycle locks. Hmmm …. And yet others have padlocks but did not use them. Either they have forgotten or they have grown tired of locking and unlocking so many locks every day.
* There is no end to the creativity of the residents. We found a feng shui door and several fascinating prints/paintings and lamps at the entrances.
And if that is not enough to pique your interest, I have funny, zany neighbours during my Watch. They kept me on my toes with their antics.
We finished the Watch by 2+ am and returned to our respective units. By then I was truly wide awake. It took me another hour plus to drop off to sleep.
The Morning After …
I was late for work … like really, really late for work. My eyes felt grainy and puffy and I probably needed toothpicks to prop my eyelids open. A colleague offered to draw eyes on my eyelids if I close them for forty winks. How helpful eh. :p I am not sure how some neighbours could still function normally at work the next day. I salute them their energy. Thank God my next two shifts are on Friday nights. Sleeping in sounds great the morning after!
And THAT was what transpired … Pretty easy eh. All in a Night's work. You can do it too.
Neighbourhood Watch anyone? : )
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
It’s Just a Blardy Hairdo, Get Over It!
It’s just one of those rash moments in life.
I was back home in Batu Gajah. It was noon on Monday 26th December. I needed a haircut or something to get rid of the mess on my head. And hey, the New Year is approaching, why not a new hairdo?
The aftermath of it is not unexpected.
Remarks from various parties:
* Mom ~ “I warned you not to do it. Looks so flat.”
* Dad ~ “You look just fine. Don’t worry. Now you look like your cousin Mun.”
* Eldest sis ~ “OK. I am getting used to it. Just needed some time to adjust to your new look.”
* Youngest sis and bro-in-law ~ Grinned from ear to ear and tried very hard to keep from commenting. Bro-in-law couldn’t help himself and took a picture on his camera phone.
* Colleagues (the brasher ones) ~ “What did you do to your hair?” “Why?”
* Colleagues (the timid ones) ~ Stopped short for a moment, stared, and then continued talking. Tried to act natural but surreptitiously looked my way every now and then.
* A more vocal colleague and the bane of my office existence ~ “You tried to improve on perfection. But you failed miserably.”
* The office cleaner ~ Even she noticed and commented, “Rambut baru?” (Hmmm … I am sure she meant “stail rambut baru”! :P )
* Neighbour ~ “Hey! New hairdo! Nice!” (Listen to this man. He has taste!)
* Colleagues (who just found out from other colleagues) ~ Found excuses to walk over to my cubicle to talk to me and then stare at my new hairdo. (I feel like a blardy freak show. I should start charging per view.)
* UNIM friend ~ “What did you do to your hair?” That’s becoming a natural refrain. Hmmm …
* Little Monster ~ Eye-popped, jaw-dropped and went absolutely speechless. When he finally found his voice he asked, “Why?” Then he claimed that he is scarred for life from my hairdo and promptly announced to the Siau Club of my hair condition. One thing for sure, he couldn’t stop staring at me during lunch.
I almost had my hair redone but the thought that it will frizzle and fall off my head kept me stuck to the current hairdo. After all, this is only going to be a temporary condition. I had thoughts of going into hibernation as well but better to take the bull by the horns eh?
After all, the New Year party is coming up this Saturday and there is no way I can avoid it as it is being held at my place. The only recourse is to set a few ground/house rules for the party:
1. All cameras to be deposited with the condo owner.
2. All camera phones to be deposited with the condo owner.
3. The only person allowed to wield a camera is the condo owner.
4. The theme for the night is Bandana Night! Everyone has to come wearing a bandana and no one is allowed to take off the condo owner's bandana!
Regrets in life, I had a few, but then again, never as big as this one! Sigh! In any case, I am trying to look at this philosophically. How many people can claim to be the talk of “town” and the talk of the office? How many people actually had folks walking up to their cubicles just to look at them? How many folks could actually claim that they created an eye-popping, jaw-dropping moment? How many can claim to have stopped conversations in mid-way just by being there? Not many, for sure.
Every cloud does have a silver lining. And this is just a blardy hairdo. Get over it! In weeks to come, it would be yesterday’s news. Bah!
I was back home in Batu Gajah. It was noon on Monday 26th December. I needed a haircut or something to get rid of the mess on my head. And hey, the New Year is approaching, why not a new hairdo?
The aftermath of it is not unexpected.
Remarks from various parties:
* Mom ~ “I warned you not to do it. Looks so flat.”
* Dad ~ “You look just fine. Don’t worry. Now you look like your cousin Mun.”
* Eldest sis ~ “OK. I am getting used to it. Just needed some time to adjust to your new look.”
* Youngest sis and bro-in-law ~ Grinned from ear to ear and tried very hard to keep from commenting. Bro-in-law couldn’t help himself and took a picture on his camera phone.
* Colleagues (the brasher ones) ~ “What did you do to your hair?” “Why?”
* Colleagues (the timid ones) ~ Stopped short for a moment, stared, and then continued talking. Tried to act natural but surreptitiously looked my way every now and then.
* A more vocal colleague and the bane of my office existence ~ “You tried to improve on perfection. But you failed miserably.”
* The office cleaner ~ Even she noticed and commented, “Rambut baru?” (Hmmm … I am sure she meant “stail rambut baru”! :P )
* Neighbour ~ “Hey! New hairdo! Nice!” (Listen to this man. He has taste!)
* Colleagues (who just found out from other colleagues) ~ Found excuses to walk over to my cubicle to talk to me and then stare at my new hairdo. (I feel like a blardy freak show. I should start charging per view.)
* UNIM friend ~ “What did you do to your hair?” That’s becoming a natural refrain. Hmmm …
* Little Monster ~ Eye-popped, jaw-dropped and went absolutely speechless. When he finally found his voice he asked, “Why?” Then he claimed that he is scarred for life from my hairdo and promptly announced to the Siau Club of my hair condition. One thing for sure, he couldn’t stop staring at me during lunch.
I almost had my hair redone but the thought that it will frizzle and fall off my head kept me stuck to the current hairdo. After all, this is only going to be a temporary condition. I had thoughts of going into hibernation as well but better to take the bull by the horns eh?
After all, the New Year party is coming up this Saturday and there is no way I can avoid it as it is being held at my place. The only recourse is to set a few ground/house rules for the party:
1. All cameras to be deposited with the condo owner.
2. All camera phones to be deposited with the condo owner.
3. The only person allowed to wield a camera is the condo owner.
4. The theme for the night is Bandana Night! Everyone has to come wearing a bandana and no one is allowed to take off the condo owner's bandana!
Regrets in life, I had a few, but then again, never as big as this one! Sigh! In any case, I am trying to look at this philosophically. How many people can claim to be the talk of “town” and the talk of the office? How many people actually had folks walking up to their cubicles just to look at them? How many folks could actually claim that they created an eye-popping, jaw-dropping moment? How many can claim to have stopped conversations in mid-way just by being there? Not many, for sure.
Every cloud does have a silver lining. And this is just a blardy hairdo. Get over it! In weeks to come, it would be yesterday’s news. Bah!
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
The price of being BOLD and RASH!
Oops! I did it again!
Every once in a while I thought a change of image would be good for me. You know, keeping your friends and family on their toes so they won't take you for granted and expect you to be the same old you all the time.
Well, every once in a while, the change may also turn out to be a BIG BOO BOO!
So, here's to another freakingly bold step. But I do so miss the old me!
*Wonders if I could do anything to salvage the Look!* Hah!
Every once in a while I thought a change of image would be good for me. You know, keeping your friends and family on their toes so they won't take you for granted and expect you to be the same old you all the time.
Well, every once in a while, the change may also turn out to be a BIG BOO BOO!
So, here's to another freakingly bold step. But I do so miss the old me!
*Wonders if I could do anything to salvage the Look!* Hah!
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