Moi croissant is getting berried

I was talking to a colleague - just to divert her away from the topic of company restructuring I blurted out something I'm currently not feeling peachy about.

I must have said what I said too quickly, cause when her attention snapped she quickly inquired:

"What? Did you say your croissant is getting berried?"

Wha..?

"No lah! I said, my cousin is getting married. Aiyo.."

"Ooh, sorry, I know you're a fan of Peter Mayle* and all, but to talk about croissants getting berried is a bit too much, I should think."

For your information, Peter Mayle is an English author whose first work I got to read was an entertaining autobiography/travel and restaurant guide/cultural study of the south of France, titled A Year In Provence.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light reading, but let me warn ye this: anyone on diet, stay away from his books (which also include Chasing Cezanne, Hotel Pastis, and Anything Considered). The way he describes the French cuisine, without fail, will generate your appetite.

To get an idea of his writing style, imagine stuff like murder, theft, romance, adventure, even the French postman being linked to a specific French food item - some literally, at other parts figuratively.

But in case you're looking for new materials to read, do try any of Peter Mayle's novels and have fun reading a reserved Brit man's take on the spontaneous French lifestyle.

Talking in whispers

I'm back at the office so soon! Did I mentioned I was in office on Saturday to work? No? Well I did, and it was a real waste cause not too much got done.

That Saturday after that futile attempt at work, I went for a movie with my sis cause by that time she's up. Then we checked on our cousin who got knocked down by a Kancil a fortnight ago (we've been checking on her regularly since at Damansara Specialist Hosp cause she needed us to make sure none of her three BFs come to visit her at the same time - hey, that's what cousins are for!).

Back at work today - people are still talking in whispers, and I (wasn't eavesdropping, mind you) heard several names being mentioned more than once. Whoa, has anyone been selected for the deployment yet?

Man, I wish the management will just do it! The silence is destructive - it's demotivating a lot of people from doing their job, and some had to suffer more at other people's expense.

For example, throughout last week I've been assigned to a number late eve/night assignments - seems like I've been getting more assignments than usual cause some people have reduced to saying no in order to manifest protest to the upper level. With the special project my team had to do, my schedule's gone awful - like bad cholesterol filling up the arteries - I suffered backlog in terms of the usual workload, and tension rise.

Outside work I don't get to see anyone else much except my sis, cause by now our schedule seems to run parallel - we're nightowls, and we only get see other nightowls. When you only get to relax and unwind during ungodly hours, you can't see the usual crowd like your friends - and you began to realize that they've got a life - and you don't.

On the other hand, I'm beginning to have more sense of belonging with my colleagues (hell, being on the same boat). Many invited me to share the "news" they caught from the current grapevine - realiable or otherwise is besides the point - the point is knowledge sharing is done here, mate.

And I sing, que Sara, Sara...

Till the 17 names be revealed

The buzz word in my office right now is "redeployment". Everyone I talked to (mostly the staff under the sector I'm attached to) is thinking the silver bullet is coming their way.

Some think so because they're new, ala LIFO gitu you know? Some are hoping for VSS to be issued. Some are already thinking about which desk they'd prefer to be moved to.

I was thinking if I get to be one of the 17 people targeted for redeployment, I'd probably ask for sports desk or travel desk or something along that line. I don't think I'd mind being redeployed, despite the recent happenings.

When I said recent happenings, I'm actually referring to the past assignments that came my way these past few weeks. Most of my assignments now are events that has to do with mobile phones or telcos.

In fact there is that one assignment which required "a writer who knows mobile phones" and the Ed said I must go cause I'm the one who fits the bill - so this is what it feels like to be recognized - a specialist writer I'm on my way to be... Wow..

I was walking on cloud nine after receiving the assignment.

For a couple of weeks, at least. But now I feel like a balloon all deflated, like a boat ride that came to an end, macam buaian putus tali err.. izzit buaian or wazzit a kite yang putus tali? Anyway like dat lah.

And I'm not the only one. The rest of the gang in the team and sector can't seem to go about their daily duties properly too. After all, the latest rumour has it that the bulk of the redeployed staff will come from my sector - reputedly the most non-performing sector in the subsidiary.

The thing is, had the management be a bit clearer on how the selection process would be or what the redeployment process will be like once the 17 names-list is released, we would not have wasted our time gossipping about this.

The 17 names-list should have been released yesterday, yet today the notice board is still empty, save for that faxed ad from some Singapore tour agency and the Domino Pizza leaflet...

And I can't finish all these articles...

And my deadline was yesterday...

And the Ed is walking towards this direction...

And the future is... uncertain

So we're going through another restructuring process and gasp! some of us may be transferred to other desks within the group, as in bye-bye to this subsidiary!

Looks like I'll just have to wait and see...

And the future is... bleak?

Today I got into the office and straightaway asked my colleagues about yesterday's staff briefing.

Everybody sort of shyed away from the question and all they say was "Let's talk about it during lunch.."

I hate this!

Rumours...

The recent buzz in the office centres around the recent promotion of several prominent journalists in the main section. Right now the gals in my office are hoping some changes will also be brought in nearer to us - in fact we're hoping something can be done to change the current hierarchy in our editorial team.

Right now we're kinda top heavy - meaning we have more people telling people what to do than the people who are at the position where they only do what they're told to do. There's also a rumour going on about salary increment - but I'm not putting too much hope in that, after all the company did not do as well as we hoped to achieve last year.

In any case it is always a good reminder to myself that if I ever get to the position where I'll have the responsibility to tell others what to do, never forget that without them you're not going anywhere. Most of the time, if you're on the pinnacle position, it'll likely be you who'll need them more than they need you.

There'll be a staff briefing today at 3PM here, but sucks! - I can't be there! I have an assignment starting at 3PM as well, which means I'll be off half an our earlier than that.. Wonder what's up...?

Aw man, I better not think too much about this - it's quite sickening when you hear stuff from different ends of the office, one predictingthis, one predicting that. I better get back to that feature article on Bluejacking and Bluesnarfing...

Lina Teoh isn't so bad...

Lina Teoh and her crew came filming at our lab again this morning. The CT Lab team guys are all out for assignment and she needed to go through some IT products with someone.

I must have been smiling too happily when I got to the office at 10.30am (well, I'm early so that's why I'm smiling, see?) cause the sales manager saw me and immediately roped me in to be the one to tell Ms Teoh how things work.

So I was dragged to her make-up room (our small library actually) and three things were handed to me. It was a Canon digital SLR camera, the PEG-TJ27 Clie and Motorola V600 - I had not had the chance to play with any of these gadgets before, but as IT stuff can be quite standard stuff, I said I'll help wherever I can.

It was easy peasy when it comes to cameraphone (V600) - I was able to tell her what she can do with it and answer her techie FAQs just by tinkering with the gadget's menu and setting. The Clie wasn't so bad either, cause I had a some experience reviewing PDAs.

Surprisingly Ms Teoh is very pleasant to work with - she had good questions which actually made me see how a real consumer's mind works. I began to suspect the marketing guy who said she was eksyen the other day probably blew his story out of proportion.

The digital SLR stumped me - hey, it's a powerful 8 megapixel model okay, and I only had about 5 minutes with the thing. And it turns out that Ms Teoh here knows her cameras well.

When she started asking about wide angle and normal SLR equivalent and stuff, of course I could not answer without referring to the manual. Besides, I have never worked with a traditional SLR (yes, I went straight into digitalhood and totally skipped the whole before-CCD era, whaddaya expect from a person who's not even familiar with VHS?) so I could not give her definate anwers.

But as it turns out I had to help out a colleague do his David Blame Office Magic goof project, I simply ask the Lab Donk who just came back from an assignment to handle the explaining bit to her. He didn't comply easily but by then Ms Teoh already have her make-up on and she looked gorgeous, so I managed to rope him in.

It was a good thing that Ms Teoh did not mind me leaving her with the Lab Donk, and she nicely said thanks as I was about to leave. When I got back into the editorial room, the marketing guy who earlier on called Ms Teoh names asked me how did it go - and I said she's not bad at all...

My favourite X-men is Storm

Before I start let me just make clear that my previous post is dedicated to my favourite flirt-buddy H, who initiated (pressured me, rather!) the write-up on the subject, as if he didn't know I have lots of other write up to submit to the Ed already! But he did say he was feeling in need for some kind of attention so..

Anyway, today's post is about rain and my personal experience with rain.

If you ask my sis, she'll tell you that my name should be Shaman, Rain-Shaman to be exact, cause everytime I sing it'll rain (this line is funny if you happen to know my real name and you also know that some tribes address their bomoh as "shaman"). Well, maybe not everytime, but in too many occasions, that's what happens la.

Ask the residents of Aishah Hall of MCC Kuantan (year 1996 - 1998) and they'll probably agree with my sis. In fact they can tell you about this lil incident.. Ah, whaddaheck, I'll tell you miself, thank you very much!

We were lepaking around the TV room, watching football or something. When the commercials came I got bored so I did a little singing of Zaiton Sameon's song - no, not Menaruh Harapan, that other one that goes kupu-kupu.. hiasan.. dindingmuu.. you know? Dat one lah.

Anyway, I haven't even finished the first verse when suddenly we heard a growl outside followed by a blinding flash, and then "tthuddum!", a thunder broke, spearing into a spot on the earth that seemed very near outside the TV room, judging from the high decibel that registered on our ears.

Then, like a bucket full of water being toppled on floor on the seventh cloud, rain came pouring down.

All the Aishahans present at the TV room looked at me. I stared back at them, bravely.

I am after all a mere normal mortal who don't have the power to bring rain - so what if the rain started right after my singing, it was just a matter of coincidence. Why should I be afraid? I continued to stare back at them.

Yet all it take is one person to point her nasty perfectly-filed finger towards my direction. It was my roomate, Y. She's been associating my singing to the constant thunderstorm and that night, in front of everybody, she finally got something to back her theory.

And the accusation came: "You did it! You were singing the few seconds right before the rain came!"

I wasn't about to cave in. But before I could come up with a logical/reasonable/clever defense...

"Wahh, terrernya kau!" suddenly a voice broke, sounding truly appreciative of my supernatural talent. It was Kak Andak, at that time a sophomore whom we all respect cause she never give us freshmen any hard time.

"Aku memang harapkan hujan pon, best skit tidur malam ni!" she said, and with that the rest of the girls in the room began to murmur in agreement.

And that's how the story goes. It's true, kisah benar stuff I tell you.. Believable right? Wait till I tell you about my friend's experience with a real bomoh, now that might be a little harder to believe.

In case you're wondering, no, it wasn't me singing these last few weeks - I'm not auditioning for Malaysian Idol nor Akademi Fantasia nor Bintang RTM - so go find another scapegoat alright...

p/s: BTW this post is for my sis who's been calling me Shaman instead of my real name lately.

The Flirt-Buddy category

I recently discovered that I have several straight male friends that fits into the Flirt-Buddy category.

My flirt buddies are mostly good-looking, charming, intelligent, most of the time civil, romantic as hell(boy) and they fall in love very easily. Usually for the wrong type of girl - and I won't be the one to tell them so (cause flirt buddies are essentially still your buddies, so you gotta be supportive, not authoritative, no?).

But here's what's cool about flirt buddies: no matter who they date, they'll always seek you out.

My flirt buddies call me from time to time, and we'll meet up, and we'll update each other about life, work and such. We can beat the heck out of each other and throw insults as we see fit, but at the same time he'll give me piggy back rides and I'll let him eat out of my spoon.

He'll tell me about his current date/GF, and we'll try to generate the suitability rate - you know, analyse the relationship a bit. He'll get feedbacks from me: apparently he thinks I can give him the typical girl perspective.. but nevermind that.

I'll tell him about the guys I met and dated as well, and how unsuitable they are for me. He'll try to explain the weird behaviours from his point of view, so I'll get the what-was-he-thinking-when-he-did-that kind of feedback.

He'll ask me questions he didn't dare ask any other girl, and I'll ask him straight out why some guys can have so much potential yet they act so looser-y?

In the end we'll just tell each other that no pair can be more suited than the two of us, that we'll hook up when the time comes - and ultimately how we'll screw up each other's life when that happens.

Star attitude

I got to the office late today (as usual, man, I dunno why I keep telling you guys something you all already know). The CT Ed was walking around apprehensively - judging from my experience this could only mean one thing: there's a CT assignment that needs to be done, and the CT Ed can't find any journalist to do it.

I don't want to be the one doing it either, simply cause I already have tonnes to do for CSM. So I slipped behind my com and pretended to be very very interested in the booting process.

Suddenly my nose twitched. Uh oh, I know this smell - it's the CT Ed's BO plus some kind of aftershave/cologne/perfume. Since it's still morning it isn't so bad, yet having my desk located so close to his cube with him walking in and out of it daily for the past three years had made my sense of smell evolved in an AI-like manner to recognize the scent.

And he stood right next to me and asked, "Can you please interview that Lina Teoh person for me? It'd be just about how she handles that IT segment in the show that she's hosting." He has an I-bet-this-is-going-to-be-fun-for-you look on his face.

Huh uh. I'm not buying it. I hate to say this, but I sincerely detest people who host IT segments without truly understanding what he/she's really telling viewers. It is almost as intolerable as an IT writer who doesn't truly understand about the IT stuff she's writing about (hmm.. sounds like a person I used to know..).

I told the CT Ed I've never done People in IT features before. He told me he'll help me out so that I'll be handing in a good story at the end of the day.

Ah ha! Journalism training!

I could not resist! So I told the CT Ed, make it two weeks of training in writing features, I'll take the assignment. He said no problem.

So I got my notebook and pen ready, in my head I was already forming sensible questions like "So, what kind of preparations do you do before hosting the IT segment?" and unsensible ones like "Do you need people to tell you the difference between Gigabyte and Gigahertz?", as well as challenging ones like "Do you think IT is a field dominated by men?"

But I was more excited about having the CT Ed train me on how to properly write features articles. If he asks what kind of features I'd like to do, I'll tell him its wireless and mobile technologies, music: digitizing and streaming it, or something mind-boggling like knowledge management within oneself. Wow, sometimes I impress myself - I didn't know I actually have genuine interest in such topics.

In the meantime, the TV crew is still doing shooting of Lina Teoh doing her thing in our office lab. Actually there has been several shooting sessions done there for the past month, and frankly the lab donkey and the receptionist must be the ones who are most pissed for having to move from their spot.

The rest of us are simply annoyed that the front door gets sealed everytime hence we can't enter the office using the good lift and our visitors had to be shown our messy back route (via a lift as slow as the one in Liza's SIC office on top of that - incorrigible!).

I was ready to receive the enlightenment. The training-session I've been waiting for is finally coming to me...

... but Lina Teoh isn't?! What?

The marketing guy who was pitching the interview came to us and said "Apparently Ms Teoh refused to be interviewed today, as she wasn't told earlier about it."

As the guy rant about how eksyen Lina Teoh was when she was dealing with him and that our company has done a wrong move by letting her crew use our office facilities and lab bla bla bla [please insert the usual what-an-ungrateful-celebrity talk here] all I could think was..

... there goes my training!

Ah well, I heard the CEO's coming to visit this subsidiary today, so maybe I'll pitch in the idea to him if he ever looks my way...

Happy 28th Birthday to the most popular Siti in the family

Today's my sister's 28th birthday! Selamat... Ulang tahun..

Heard rumours about her AD19 gang coming to rock Planet Hollywood and give her the traditional birthday bash (or should I say splash) tonight, so this I gotta see!

(Ten things about) My sister:
1) is a classical-trained contemporary musician (plays keyboard, organ, piano, trombone, angklung etc)
2) is a 1976 Dragon - she's always prosperous despite being classic shopaholic)
3) has a productive hobby, which is entering all the contests she comes across
4) prefers to be known as the cool rock-chick, not 8-aggregate, 3.49CGPA high-achiever
5) is very penyabar especially when dealing with tantrum-freak younger sister
6) is a marvellous cook that leaves tasmanian devil-like mess after each cooking session
7) can charm the socks off any kid/toddler on the street - except our 2nd nephew Zakwan who doesn't impress easily.
8) loves food and massages, but she'll never have both at the same time
9) is waiting for someone to buy her a Playstation-2
10) bloody hates singing "I will survive", the song some clubgoers think they should listen to everyday

Recent office drama

A writer attached to one of the teams in my co is resigning. He had enough of his lady boss, and he wants out. And he's sharing his side of the story with the rest of the Editorial team too.

He said his boss is treating him like a kid, having to report his progress every minute and demanding that he write a formal show-cause letter when he refused to attend a casual media luncheon.

Prior to that, he once asked his boss why certain things are such when it involves him but not quite so if it's involving another writer. The boss was bloody pissed when he did this in their team meeting, obviously cause he had just revealed that she practices favouritism within their small unit.

She accused him of trying to insult her by asking her that in front of the whole team, and accused him of "plotting" against her. (Yeah, plotting is the word she actually used, suggesting her wild imagination, which must have been triggered by inner guilt, humph!!)

Anyway, we all took him out to lunch yesterday and let him pour it all. He also told us that he was appraised very poorly during the company's recent appraisal practice, which kinda sealed the deal for him - he's been saving money in case he has to resort to quitting with a 24 hours notice, but he decided to keep the money and go back to Taiwan where he once stayed as a student for four years, and try his luck there.

Good luck, J!

Zuma

When writer's block hits, all you can do is play Zuma. Check it out at AliveGames, but let me warn ye its addictive!

A post about beauty

Today I had problems with logging in - so an ISD guy was hailed from the next building. The cute one showed up - he's my favourite among the many and I have been calling him "my bright spark" since the day I first saw him a couple of years back.

Judging by the way he dresses, he' probably not married. But the way his eye does not stray around suggests that he might be attached in some other ways. OK.

No problem at all - cause I'm just interested to see him, not really interested to get to know him. Besides if I get to know him, it might spoil his reputation of being the brightest spark in the ISD department - he might be someone who is actually awfully boring, or arrogant, or silly, or temperamental (these qualities are turn-offs for me).

If you are wondering how shallow I am for releasing such statements, well go ahead and guess. Many people say beauty is skin deep, and beauty is superficial, and beauty does not last long... and some other thing such as your personality or your dignity is more important, more long-lasting, more valueable.

True, I shall not dispute that. But let's not totally overlook beauty. After all there must be a reason why God award some of us with beauty. After all there must be a reason why beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

Personally I have always been a fan of pretty things (minus bric-a-bracs and those lovely dolls). I always find motivation in good-looking guys. If good-looking guys work in my office, I would not be mourning over Monday to Friday mornings and be at the office by 10AM (currently I'm consistently showing up around 11AM).

A good-looking face is indeed a thing that should be appreciated. As Oscar Wilde puts it *"And Beauty is a form of Genius-is higher indeed, than Genius, as it needs no explanation."

And suddenly I have an urge to buy cosmetics...

Bled

The insides of my cheeks were actually bleeding yesterday. I did it to myself. I had to, it was a matter of racial stability, which in order for the country to stay stable in that sense, I was willling to sacrifice that much..

... besides, I did it in Form One science class before.

(Didn't you all had to do that experiment..? Remember you were supposed to tear a bit of skin from the insides of your mouth so that you can see how human cells looks like under the microscope? Well my whole classroom went overboard that day, some bled - those who did it intentionally went on to place a blood sample (plus other mixed stuff, eyyeww..) and have it checked under the scope as well... Well... anyway..)

It was all because of a song - a rock song, no less thank you very much!

A rock song sang by a local independent group, the lyrics done in two languages - an integration that should be appreciated by all of us Malaysians, not just those stuck in National Service right now!

T'was a good song. Pregnant with message, I think. In any case it should not have fallen under my list of "Things that tickle" but I could not help it!

All I could think of was that wacky smiley Sue had put on the tagboard quite some time ago when she asked if any of us had heard of that Goyang song before...

Let me assure you that prior to the biting of my lips and the insides of my cheeks incident, I had tried everything to stop myself from laughing out loud everytime the song went goyang, goyang... goyang kepala goyang, goyang, goyang... (repeat 3x):

1) pretended to read NST, spreading the pages so that I can giggle behind it - didn't work cause the person next to me seems to indicate that I'm trespassing her "space". Damn! Why won't NST go tabloid size???

2) used a book to cover my face - didn't work cause the book wasn't big enough pulak! I was still fighting a losing battle with my urge to LOL!

3) buried my face in my cardigan to release a few shots of guffaws - naah, didn't work either cause though the song was blasting very loudly via the speakers, I don't think it could drawn my muffled giggles..

4) stuff the sleeve of my cardigan into my mouth so that it will stop me from laughing - yes, this is a stupid thing to do and I hereby declare it - hey desperate situation.. desperate measures.. yadda yadda yadda. Of course this one didn't work cause I almost end up gorging instead!

By the time I took out the sleeve of my cardigan out of my mouth the song came to another round of its infectious, catchy, harmony chorus rendition... goyang, goyang... it went and I immediately resorted to coughing.

Cough, cough, cough... I went. But the chorus was longer this time around (repeat 6x instead of 3x)! Goyang, goyang... and so it went for another round. Man, is this all you've got for a song pal?!

The lady next to me are beginning to look worried... I had no choice but to stop coughing. It came down to "Ekhem, ekhemm... ekhemmmm!".

Goyang, goyang... it went again! What? Another round of this? I can't take it anymore! God knows I tried!

A grin began to form on my face, and suddenly I feel my own shoulders and stomach betraying me, shaking and shivering... I detected a familiar noise - I'm laughing?

The lady next to me was giving me a look that echoed a question once posted by my MIS Dept lecturer Mr Azman*, "What's - so - funny, ya?" He didn't sound at all humoured then, nor did the lady next to me.

There was also another guy, who was earlier tapping his foot to the rock beat giving me a questioning stare.

I immediately buckled up, bit my lip and tried to chant ABC backwards in my head. The urge to continue laughing seeped deeper and deeper into my belly, surpressed but hardly receeding.

The taste of something metallic began to register in my head, but I managed to stay put through a couple more rounds of goyang, goyangs.

The moment I stepped out of the music-ambassador bus, I immediately dialled Sue (not soon enough, stupid blasted MPx200!). Sue, still at work was immediately awarded with my howlings.

I tried to her that I heard her song (she seemed to resent me referring the Goyang song as hers) and almost got hit by a pick-up while crossing in front of Kotaraya. But had I got hit, I think witnesses will say I died happy.



* During my U days Mr Azman who taught the outcasted PM28ers was a high-profile notorious too fast too furious kapchai rider, leather-jacket wearing Masters graduate who addresses all of his students as "bradders and sisters". Anim is still his groupie I think..

Have you paid back your scholarship/loan?

I wonder how much Petronas spent to get that half-page notice published on today's NST...

... but I know surely it must have been a mere figure compared to the total scholarship/loan payment that they are expecting from the 22 people, whose names ungracefully graced that particular half-page notice.

Yup, Petronas had learnt it from MARA - if you want those graduates to pay you back, their names has got to be published in the newspaper, that'll get their attention. Hence that half-page Notis Tuntutan Biasiswa/Pinjaman Pelajaran Petronas on page 7 of Wednesday, 31 March 2004's edition of New Straits Times.

By default I don't have any reason to be interested in this, but I could not help but scanned through the list anyway. I bet quite a number of NST readers succumbed to this activity as well.

Not that we're nosy, not that we're interested, we could not be bothered by it anyway... but hey, our eyes can see and that's what things in print do to you - they make your eyes sweep through it whether you like it or not cause it's there and it's legible.

Because it was legible and the font was big enough to capture my attention and bring comprehension, I noticed several anak Dato's and anak Doktors also made the list.

Since I was going through the copy of NST with several of my colleagues, discussion was inevitable. "It's usually the anak Dato's and anak orang kayas that tend to abscond," says one of them.

"Well they should have expected the strings they pulled earlier to get the scholarship to tug back!" joked another.

"Ooh... isn't this so ala kerajaan baru, since Petronas is doing a high-profile debt-clearing measure.." said another colleague, referring to another article - featured in NST not too long after the Kasitah Gaddam case - on a bunch of Datuks clearing up their taxes which amounted to millions of RM.

Me, I was thinking more along the lines of, did the Petronas department which handled the students loan had problems only with these 22 individuals?

And were these 22 people liat sangat in settling their debts that the local oil giant had to resort to publishing their names in bold 12 Arial font, along with their guarantors, in order to get payment out of them?

Or was it that these 22 dudes and dudettes never actually received a letter from Petronas saying that they were required to settle their debts already?

Health, lately

First it was my PC. Yep, I had to reformat it. It's a good thing I had been doing back ups quite frequently so Ijust needed to transfer all the zipped folders as second back up to a thumb drive and copy my contacts list. The photos, loads of them, were loaded into my Yahoo! Photo Album accounts, thank you very much.

But now I've contracted flu from one of the interns that was following me to the two assignments I had to cover yesterday. She's MC-ing today, smart girl! I wish I had gotten one myself.

On another note, I did yoga with Jenny B last night, we were spurred by Sue's persistence of attending her yoga classes. If last time I was shocked by the cellulite attack, this time I got smarter and wore a pair of long pants. Unfortunately there's more lessons to learnt.

First, never overestimate your fitness level - I thought I can do the yoga routine good enough if not well, but apparently I am faaarrrrr from fit. I was huffing and puffing right after the third "plank" routine.

Second, expect the unexpected - when you do yoga, you tend to move muscles you never know existed in your body. When these sleeping muscles move, there's a big chance other things in your body will move too ("every action has a reaction", no?), so what I didn't expect was... gas release! Yep, me and Jenny B were burping louder than the Cheras MP on his loudspeaker last night, all the way throughout the 45-minutes routine!

Well, anyway, today I woke up much earlier than usual and got to work on time! Isn't that something?

Virus attacks

Poster war! Honk war!

The Election time is here. Posters - loads of them - are swaying on tree barks and branches, walls and fences, cars and tractors!

On top of that several markas has been erected near the stretch of eatery spot near my hole. Talks were held there, in various languages, with invited speakers lobbying for their party via a very effective loudspeaker.

I really don't mind the posters. And I can understand their need to blab into that mic to highlight their issues. But what's up with that motorbike posse, several of them in fact, carrying their party flags and banners going around the housing area and honking like mad at 11PM - 2AM everytime they pass their rival's port?

Happy blogging to Cik Li and Rule..

More of my friends are blogging now - cool! I just found out Liza and Rule also have their own blog, which they had started quite a while back.

I shall not highlight their URLs here just yet, in case they wanna do a lot more before they go public. A couple of weeks back I thought of making mine public as well, but after a second consideration I think I'm happy enough as it is. Maybe when my writing and webbing skills are much better, I'll change the blog's status.

What's really cool about blogging is that you have the freedom to write and post whatever you want! Though some people say a good blog is one that's very well written and loaded with important message or useful information, I can only agree to a certain extent.

On top of everything else, a good blog is one that makes you feel good about yourself - it is supposed to be a channel for you to release some tension and chill out after all, isn't it? There's no real need to be creative or perfect, you're your own editor. As long as you're happy with how the page looks and what's written on it, the power to publish is yours!

While there's lots of reasons why people blog, I blog because I want to be brave. Brave enough to be myself in expressing my thoughts and write it down and deliver it with my own style (which, according to my Ed., is still something I have to work on!). I wanna be original.

I wish all my blogmates happy blogging - keep 'em coming!

Thanks Sue!

I got to this office late this morning and got an email asking me to check out my favourite URL http://singsingsong.blogspot.com and voila!

The Singled Out blog has once again been awarded with a facelift, courtesy of da very da creative Sue! Thanks for sparing some ideas and spending time to make this blog look cool.

Freakin mad!

The title's not good enough to describe how absolutely freakin mad I am. I'm so mad I can't even think of the next sentence to type!! I mean the sentence before this one took me almost a minute to come out of my fried brains.

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo MAD.!!!

Alright, sure our office were attacked with virus that eats up all the jpg files in our server last week. But it was cleared up quickly. Plus I did all the screen captures after all that were done.

For the past three days those jpg files that I captured went missing a day after I did the recapture. If it is the virus then it should not be random files that are missing - the virus would have eaten all of it.

Plus, when I used the IrfanView software, I immediately "save as" it in the current folder - I happened to forgot to change the storage destination so it all went to our previous issue's folder instead of the current on we were working on. When I found out I copied the jpg files and saved them into the current folder.

So when they all went missing for the first time, I went back to the previous folder and cut those jpgs that I copied the other day (which I did not delete) and repaste them into the current folder.

Then they went missing for the second time - this time not all but one jpg file was left for each slug (article). You see I usually name the graphic files that I captured to accompany a certain article with the same name so that the sub-editor and creative dudes can find them easily, for example if the slug was named "rat.doc" then the jpg files would be named "rat1.jpg", "rat2.jpg" and so on.

Systematic, no? Well, systematic enough for other people to take advantage by deleting what they thought was oversupplying of graphics! It's not that I really want to have lots of graphics per article - but the nature of the article that calls for it. So if it is needed, it is supplied - I know I'm using the space in our servers appropriately!

Anyway, I had to re-do the screen capturing again, and boy did it took me a long time to finish cause by noon our connection is a bit slow.

Then they went missing for the third time. Again, not all files were missing, but one was left for each corresponding slug. So again I re-do the screen capturing, but this time since I did it in the morning it was quite tolerable.

Today they went missing yet again!!! And the pattern stays - one jpg was left for each slug!!! And when I checked back the one that gets to stay are graphics of products from our advertisers or leading brand or simply the coolest looking gadget among the bunch of products that I earlier captured.

It was clear that it was not the virus that's eating them jpgs. It was someone who knows what our publishing style is about.

I suspect it is one of them dirtybag/kissass sub-editors - they are the ones who does the layout of articles on each page we print, and they modify the edited articles to fit the page (but they say that process is actually about modifying our language usage, as if the writers and editors aren't good enough in English!)

These dirtybag/kissass sub-eds know that it is our publication's style to have one photo/graphic to accompany article (in order not to make it too boring, and in order to prove that our publication did send a representative to cover certain event - it's a we-were-there kind of thing).

These dirtybag/kissass sub-eds also know that if we have the opportunity, we should give priority to products sold by our advertisers (it's a publication's way to butter up those companies so that they will continue to advertise with us, since we've shown our support and given them the extra exposure). Hence that's why all the jpgs that were left to accompany my articles were associated with our advertisers.

I feel like shouting at someone!

After I discovered "the missing again" this morning, I quickly stood up from my chair and grunted loud enough for someone to ask what's up? (It was one of the Assistant Editorial Managers who asked me what's with the grunt?)

I told her what happened. She referred to the virus situation, but I told her about the pattern on the missing-all-but-one-jpg-for-one-slug thing and she too agreed that it is a person who's doing it.

So I paced around the office, walked barefoot in fact, to cool myself down. In my moment of temporary insanity I thought should my feet touch the coolness of the cement it would seep into my body and dissipate the heat of my boiling blood.

So maybe at that time I forgot the office is fully carpeted.

Anyway I talked to our dedicated sub-editor, whom I know would be freakin mad as well cause she needs those jpgs as well, and asked loudly (hoping that the other dirtybag/kissass sub-editors would hear) who could be deleting my files? She told me she'll check with the iSD people and see if those jpgs can be retrieved.

I'm waiting right now - if the files were retrieved, it will confirmed my suspicion that it is actually a person who's deleting my jpgs, not a virus. If the person who deleted them is already using our new system, I can even request to find out who it is.

Once I found out who, I'll be sure to confront the person and tell him or her not to mess around with the current files. I'll tell the person that my time has been wasted these past few days and the person will have to pay for it somehow.

Dated June 11, 2003

Remember that pile of old newspaper I blogged about not too long ago? Well today I finally sent that leaning tower of newspapers to rest in peace.

Or maybe I sent it to hell, considering its final destination will be the recycle centre.

I didn't sent it away because it was getting too tall, too leaning, too obstructing.

I didn't sent it away because it wasn't working with my office feng-shui either (then again I wouldn't know for sure since my former deskmate who's into all these fengshui stuff never got around to giving me a read since the pile started).

And I didn't sent it away because a number of people had started to notice (some impressed, some thought I was just too lazy to clear em up, some thought it might got something to do with battling against RSI).

I sent it away because I needed more space to roll my chair away from my current deskmate.

Last month we went into cold war mode when she sabotaged my working schedule by piling up her assignments to my care. I ignored her successfully, giving single-word replies when it was truly necessary.

Then last Friday I wanted to escape early from work and since no one else was around I had to talk to her. I bet that must have been the turning point - she must have thought everything was all alright again but no way Popo!

(FYI I call her "Popo" since the day I found out that this BackStreet Boys/Sugar Ray fan is actually several years away from her retirement yet working very hard to keep her age a secret.)

This week on Monday she was all sugary again and even tried to gossip with me. I actually flinched backwards (twas reflex! honest!) when she dragged her chair closer to mine.

That was the moment I found out that with the wall behind me plus the table and the hoard of review gadgets piled in front of me, doing away with my beloved pile of old newspaper is the sacrifice I have to make in order to enable a quick escape.

Today she was in only for half of the day - I seize the chance to say farewell to my sturdy protector against the office's Ah Beng and literally loudmouthed colleague Loudspeaker, the one that lets me sit on it and sway while I find that elusive first line for that article I was working on, my dilapidated side table, my pile of old newspaper.

Then in five trips to the cleaner's area, I sent the pile away. Lying on the bottom of the pile was a supplement dated on June 11, 2003. Now the area on my left seems so barren.

Man, I'm going to miss it.

Discrimination dicks

First, I was singled out for night assignments simply cause I'm the only one in my team who is not married. Plus I think the Ed thinks I the kind of person who simply lurrrve clubbing. Clubbing my ass.

Night assignments is actually glamourous, but that does not mean they are pleasant all the way. Just wait till you arrive and find out that all they're serving are alcoholic beverages and the organizing company's PR gals are already tipsy they can't even get us press who don't drink plain water. Besides, three night assignments in a row can make some writers very very cranky.

It's worse when they drag the likes of Siti Nurhaliza, Sarimah, Raihan and such to be their spokesperson and give you that look that says "Hey you're the reporter right, why aren't you asking our product ambassador here questions and is that digital camera of yours rosak ah?"

Some of them are just there to demonstrate a couple of things you can do with the gadget, then pose with it, and that's it. Beyond that, the PR gals whispers "Why don't you shoot me an email later?" Please, if we have to do that, what's the point of have a press conference in the first place?

It's worst when they have some newcomer like Nic Teo (who?) or some artist with pet names like Rabbit (oh?) onboard - most of them just let their PR talk on their behalf, mostly pushing their maiden album or EP than talking about the product they endorse anyway.

Now they've singled me out again. The thing is, some companies who invites the press for an event at a location outside KL wants to save money by squeezing two writers in one hotel room - this is really stupid and rarely done, but whaddaya know, some people can stoop that low. Simply cause the other team from my Co is sending a female writer, I had to be the one representing my team cause I'm the only girl who is single.

"You singles have more freedom right. Besides you're from out of town, I bet you've not been to Genting Highlands yet right? So this assigment should be fun." says the Ed.

Fun my ass. Genting Highland my ass. But well, who said life's fair?

Does anyone know the recipe for rajinness?

Gosh, I am sooo lazy. I know it is my relax week, but all I did was back up my stories for last month and that's it. As for the press conferences (PCs) that I have been attending, I let the intern do all the writing - isn't that cruel?

Well, she is here to learn, and I'm just gonna let her. In the meantime I got two smartphones waiting to be reviewed, but I don't think I'm in the mood for gadgets either (besides, since there are two of them, I'm afraid I'll be too comparative in my comments - ooh, what a good excuse!)

The past haunts

The past that haunted me was a guy I used to like... Chap Chung
Chap Chung is a guy I once almost dated - well we went out about three times, and all the times we did, I dragged my friends along for company. Man, he must be quite pissed each time.

But he was a gentleman so he said he didn't mind. So much so he went on to date other girls, and on one fine day I bumped into him on a date with a girl, an older girl, so bright and funny you wished you could hate her but you couldn't.

Yet we kept in touch once in a while.

Recently, right on Valentine's Day I got an SMS from him. Not that he was wishing me anything, he was just wondering how am I doing and all that shit.

The sucker in me somehow managed to propel me into replying with Happy V wish, all bright and happy and very platonic-friendly mannered "Howru" followed, plus a smug note saying that I am having fun in Pangkor island with some friends.

He didn't reply me SMS quickly (later I found out that he was occupied) and that deflated my euphoria effectively. Hours later he replied, but by then I had lost interest already and replied his replies very coolly.

After all things are not the same now - he has someone (I think he still does) but I don't. I have to move on.


The past that haunted me was a guy I still despise... Lintut
Lintut is the fella I used to date before ChapChung, and he is such a pain in the neck. Forget about him being quite cute and tall enough to suit my standards, he can be such a dick sometimes, and other times he's just boring.

I find him most annoying when he insisted that I should meet him every day after work (totally ignoring prayer times on top of that!), and that he always point out that he has called me 4x times that week while I have called him 4x - 1 times, in other words he is the berkira sort.

Since he seems to mengungkit a lot, I dropped him slowly by telling him that we should be friends. After that he only called/SMSed me a few times a year, not even bothering to ask how am I doing but went straight into "Can you do me a favour?" Yup, he contacts me only when he needed something. I retaliated by not replying any of his SMS and rejecting his calls.

So when he SMSed me yesterday saying that he saw me in front of my office and that I looked totally "sombong", busy talking on the phone and totally "buat derk" ignoring his honk.

I was sooo tempted to immediately delete that SMS. But I was in a good mood (after all this is my "relax week"), told myself I shan't be too rude this time and told him that a honk barely resemble the sound of someone calling my name, so catch me next time.

His reply: "Next time I catch you pakai pukat tunda." Hahaha. Hihihi. Huhuhu. Puh-lease! That'll teach me not to reply his SMSes/calls ever again!


The past that haunted me was a guy I still have a crush on... D
D is a photographer/videographer whom I met about a year ago. But then he had his eyes on my pretty colleague, so I didn't get to talk to him much.

But what intrigues me most was the way he wisely handled my pretty friend's rude comment to him. At that time he was only being civil when he excused himself from our table, saying he had to rush to another event. And my pretty friend went "Go lah, who's stoppin ye?"

To that he just smiled and said, "There are other people sitting at this table you know..." And right after he left his namecard to me, and shook hands with the other two guys who were at the table. I told him I'll look out for him in other events, and he signalled me to just call him instead.

Today when I saw him for the second time, he was still that cute, youthful looking guy, tall and darker (bet her went for a beach holiday recently too!). He smiled at me, but not cause he recognised me, rather cause he wants to shoot a footage of us press attending the PC.

For a split second I wished I was prettier, or had worn make-up, or had dressed to kill this morning, anything, as long as I can attract his attention.

I quickly repented, returned his smile and concentrated on tho going ons in front of me. After all, I do have an intern tagging along that I need to impress here!

And before I knew it, the PC was over, everyone packed up and headed for the refreshment table, and my colleagues were ready to leave! Bye bye gorgeous!


Sigh, sigh, sigh.

Something to chew on

Here's something someone forwarded to me last week, I thought I should share it with you all. It's something to think about...

Palo Alto High School Baccalaureate Speech 6/11/95 "Hindsight" by Guy Kawasaki

"Speaking to you today marks a milestone in my life. I am 40 years old.

22 years ago, when I was in your seat, I never, ever thought I would be 40
years old.

The implications of being your speaker frightens me. For one thing, when a 40 year old geeser spoke at my baccalaureate ceremony, he was about the last person I'd believe. I have no intention of giving you the boring speech that you are reading. This speech will be short, sweet, and not boring.

I am going to talk about hindsights today. Hindsights that I've accumulated in the 20 years from where you are to where I am. Don't blindly believe me. Don't take what I say as "truth." Just listen. Perhaps my experience can help you out a tiny bit.

I will present them ala David Letterman. Yes, 40-year old people can still stay up past 11.

#10: Live off your parents as long as possible.
When I spoke at this ceremony two years ago, this was the most popular hindsight-except from the point of view of the parents. Thus, I knew I was on the right track. I was a diligent Oriental in high school and college.

I took college-level classes and earned college-level credits. I rushed through college in 3 1/2 years. I never traveled or took time off because I thought it wouldn't prepare me for work and it would delay my graduation.

Frankly, I blew it. You are going to work the rest of your lives, so don't
be in a rush to start. Stretch out your college education. Now is the time to suck life into your lungs-before you have a mortgage, kids, and car payments.

Take whole semester off to travel overseas. Take jobs and internships that pay less money or no money. Investigate your passions on your parent's nickel. Or dime. Or quarter. Or dollar.

Your goal should be to extend college to at least six years. Delay, as long as possible, the inevitable entry into the workplace and a lifetime of servitude to bozos who know less than you do, but who make more money. Also, you shouldn't deprive your parents of the pleasure of supporting you.

#9: Pursue joy, not happiness.
This is probably the hardest lesson of all to learn. It probably seems to you that the goal in life is to be "happy." Oh, you maybe have to sacrifice and study and work hard, but, by and large, happiness should be predictable. Nice house. Nice car. Nice material things. Take my word for it, happiness is temporary and fleeting.

Joy, by contrast, is unpredictable. It comes from pursuing interests and passions that do not obviously result in happiness. Pursuing joy, not happiness will translate into one thing over the next few years for you: Study what you love. This may also not be popular with parents.

When I went to college, I was "marketing driven." It's also an Oriental thing. I looked at what fields had the greatest job opportunities and prepared myself for them. This was brain dead. There are so many ways to make a living in the world, it doesn't matter that you've taken all the "right" courses. I don't think one person on the original Macintosh team had a classic "computer science" degree.

You parents have a responsibility in this area. Don't force your kids to follow in your footsteps or to live your dreams. My father was a senator in Hawaii. His dream was to be a lawyer, but he only had a high school education. He wanted me to be a lawyer.

For him, I went to law school. For me, I quit after two weeks. I view this a terrific validation of my inherent intelligence.

#8: Challenge the known and embrace the unknown.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is to accept the known and
resist the unknown. You should, in fact, do exactly the opposite: challenge the known and embrace the unknown.

Let me tell you a short story about ice. In the late 1800s there was a thriving ice industry in the Northeast. Companies would cut blocks of ice from frozen lakes and ponds and sell them around the world. The largest single shipment was 200 tons that was shipped to India. 100 tons got there unmelted, but this was enough to make a profit.

These ice harvesters, however, were put out of business by companies that
invented mechanical ice makers. It was no longer necessary to cut and ship
ice because companies could make it in any city during any season.

These ice makers, however, were put out of business by refrigerator companies. If it was convenient to make ice at a manufacturing plant, imagine how much better it was to make ice and create cold storage in everyone's home.

You would think that the ice harvesters would see the advantages of ice making and adopt this technology. However, all they could think about was
the known: better saws, better storage, better transportation.

Then you would think that the ice makers would see the advantages of refrigerators and adopt this technology. The truth is that the ice harvesters couldn't embrace the unknown and jump their curve to the next curve.

Challenge the known and embrace the unknown, or you'll be like the ice harvester and ice makers.

#7: Learn to speak a foreign language, play a musical instrument, and play non-contact sports.
Learn a foreign language. I studied Latin in high school because I thought
it would help me increase my vocabulary. It did, but trust me when I tell
you it's very difficult to have a conversation in Latin today other than at
the Vatican. And despite all my efforts, the Pope has yet to call for my advice.

Learn to play a musical instrument. My only connection to music today is that I was named after Guy Lombardo. Trust me: it's better than being named after Guy's brother, Carmen. Playing a musical instrument could be with me now and stay with me forever. Instead, I have to buy CDs at Tower.
I played football. I loved football. Football is macho. I was a middle
linebacker--arguably, one of the most macho positions in a macho game.

But you should also learn to play a non-contact sport like basketball or
tennis. That is, a sport you can play when you're over the hill.

It will be as difficult when you're 40 to get twenty two guys together in a stadium to play football as it is to have a conversation in Latin, but all the people who wore cute, white tennis outfits can still play tennis. And
all the macho football players are sitting around watching television and drinking beer.

#6: Continue to learn.
Learning is a process not an event. I thought learning would be over when I
got my degree. It's not true. You should never stop learning. Indeed, it
gets easier to learn once you're out of school because it's easier to see
the relevance of why you need to learn.

You're learning in a structured, dedicated environment right now. On your
parent's nickel. But don't confuse school and learning. You can go to school and not learn a thing. You can also learn a tremendous amount without school.

#5: Learn to like yourself or change yourself until you can like yourself.
I know a forty year old woman who was a drug addict. She is a mother of
three. She traced the start of her drug addiction to smoking dope in high
school.

I'm not going to lecture you about not taking drugs. Hey, I smoked dope in
high school. Unlike Bill Clinton, I inhaled. Also unlike Bill Clinton, I exhaled.

This woman told me that she started taking drugs because she hated herself
when she was sober. She did not like drugs so much as much as she hated
herself. Drugs were not the cause though she thought they were the solution.

She turned her life around only after she realized that she was in a downward spiral. Fix your problem. Fix your life. Then you won't need to take drugs. Drugs are neither the solution nor the problem.

Frankly, smoking, drugs, alcohol--and using an IBM PC--are signs of stupidity. End of discussion.

#4: Don't get married too soon.
I got married when I was 32. That's about the right age. Until you're about that age, you may not know who you are. You also may not know who you're marrying.

I don't know one person who got married too late. I know many people who
got married too young. If you do decide to get married, just keep in mind
that you need to accept the person for what he or she is right now.

#3: Play to win and win to play.
Playing to win is one of the finest things you can do. It enables you to fulfill your potential. It enables you to improve the world and, conveniently, develop high expectations for everyone else too.

And what if you lose? Just make sure you lose while trying something grand. Avinash Dixit, an economics professor at Princeton, and Barry Nalebuff, an economics and management professor at the Yale School of Organization and Management, say it this way: "If you are going to fail, you might as well fail at a difficult task. Failure causes others to downgrade their expectations of you in the future. The seriousness of this problem depends on what you attempt."

In its purest form, winning becomes a means, not an end, to improve yourself and your competition.

Winning is also a means to play again. The unexamined life may not be worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining. The rewards of winning--money, power, satisfaction, and self-confidence--should not be squandered.

Thus, in addition to playing to win, you have a second, more important obligation: To compete again to the depth and breadth and height that your
soul can reach. Ultimately, your greatest competition is yourself.

#2: Obey the absolutes.
Playing to win, however, does not mean playing dirty. As you grow older and older, you will find that things change from absolute to relative. When you were very young, it was absolutely wrong to lie, cheat, or steal.

As you get older, and particularly when you enter the workforce, you will be tempted by the "system" to think in relative terms. "I made more money."
"I have a nicer car." "I went on a better vacation."

Worse, "I didn't cheat as much on my taxes as my partner." "I just have a few drinks. I don't take cocaine." "I don't pad my expense reports as much
as others."

This is completely wrong. Preserve and obey the absolutes as much as you
can. If you never lie, cheat, or steal, you will never have to remember who you lied to, how you cheated, and what you stole.

There absolutely are absolute rights and wrongs.

#1: Enjoy your family and friends before they are gone.
This is the most important hindsight. It doesn't need much explanation. I'll just repeat it: Enjoy your family and friends before they are gone.

Nothing-not money, power, or fame-can replace your family and friends or
bring them back once they are gone. Our greatest joy has been our baby, and I predict that children will bring you the greatest joy in your lives--especially if they graduate from college in four years.

And now, I'm going to give you one extra hindsight because I've probably cost your parents thousands of dollars today. It's something that I hate to admit to.

By and large, the older you get, the more you're going to realize that your
parents were right. More and more-until finally, you become your parents. I
know you're all saying, "Yeah, right." Mark my words.


Remember these ten things: if just one of them helps you helps just one of
you, this speech will have been a success:

#10: Live off your parents as long as possible.
#9: Pursue joy, not happiness.
#8: Challenge the known and embrace the unknown.
#7: Learn to speak a foreign language, play a musical instrument, and play non-contact sports.
#6: Continue to learn.
#5: Learn to like yourself or change yourself until you can like yourself.
#4: Don't get married too soon.
#3: Play to win and win to play.
#2: Obey the absolutes.
#1: Enjoy your family and friends before they are gone."

*Guy Kawasaki is former chief evangelist of Apple Computer.

Show me the money, not breasts!

A lot of people are still talking about that Janet Jackson - Justin Timberlake "nipple-gate" booboo. Ugh!

A couple of guys in the Coop were saying they would not mind paying if they knew they'l get to watch sport and breast with one ticket! Whadda..!

If I have money I wouldn't waste it on Janet's boobs nor Justin's whatever. I'd catch:

1] Search's Konsert Evolusi Lagenda Rock, Feb 7 (tix: RM27, 37, 57)
2] Faridah Merican's Life... Sdn Bhd, Feb 5 - 8 (tix: RM42/32, student RM21/16)
3] VE Sunday Night Live at Planet Hollywood on Feb 8 / 15 (entry: RM35)
2] Sunetra Fernando's Rythm in Bronze on Feb 15 - 16 (cheapest tix: RM50)
3] Mariah Carey's concert on Feb 22 (cheapest tix: RM68.. and what can we see?)

Man, I wish I do have the dough to catch all these shows. These organiser dudes obviously overlooked the fact that the mass public (that's me! me! and me!) need some time to recover from the overspending that occured during last Xmas, Aidilfitri, CNY and Aidiladha hols!

And why can't they make things a bit more affordable? I mean the last play I saw, Dejavu with stars like Ogy and Juhara Ayob playing main characters still had tickets priced very very reasonably: RM10. The house was packed, I tell you!

Hi Hi Bye Bye

There is this lady who works with me in this company, but I don't know which department or desk she is attached to. In fact, I don't even know her name.

But she smiles a lot. And she is a character one can easily recall simply because of her smile - it's sincere, it's given first, and it's always given back should you be the one to smile at her first.

I remember when I first started to work with the company, she was among the first to greet me with her smile. No "Hello, I'm [insert a Malay woman's name here], nice to meet you.", but just that smile made me feel all welcomed, and that this old company - though famous as the feeding area for makan-budak senior staff - isn't so bad at all.

After that, each time I bumped into her, she'll flash me that same smile. Sometimes I get to beat her at it - I get to smile at her first! And of course, get a return smile from her.

And today, almost three years after that first smile, we bumped into each other again. This time around, she came to me and held both hands towards me. I caught her salam and she began telling me - in a manner as if we have been on talking terms instead of just-smiling terms - that she's retiring this Friday.

I was caught off-guard. I asked her if there is such thing as an optional retirement in the company (ala government), but she said she's turning 55 soon, and she's glad that it's time to go.

I told her she didn't look nearing 55 at all! She replied that I was not the first one to say that to her.

Me: It must be cause you smile a lot!

She: (LOL) Probably..?

Me: Sure it is, I remember you were among the first to smile at me during my early days here.

She: Really?

Me: So thanks for that.

She: Well, you are most welcomed. It's not that hard to smile, but it's not that easy to become memorable simply cause you do.

And I finally found out her name: Hamsiah.

I wanna! I wanna! I wanna watch a play!

Gian is a Malay word that means "crave". Right now I have a craving for a sit-down-watch-a-play session.

It's been a long time since I last caught a play. And I remember that last year I went to sit for several plays, but most of it happened during the first quarter of 2003.

So it's no surprise that my craving has reached its peak. But everyone's going back to their respective hometowns, or have a function to attend, or broke (unlike me, I am broke but refused to act like it! Oh when will I grow up and stop thinking that money grows on trees?).

So I have no one to go with (well most of them had replied my email and no one says a confirmed "Yes, let's!" yet. A maybe came from Fiza, but she said it was Juan who wanted to go and if they do go I don't want to be a third wheel.

I killed time by reading up reviews written by arts-oriented bloggers like NZ and SultanMuzaffar. Not that positive, generally, but they say Liza Othman's performance was superb - ooh... my soft spot's talking me into begging people to catch it with me!

At the last minute, I got a reply from Intan - it seems like she got a free ticket for that play, and agreed to meet me tomorrow! Phew! I just hope I will get to sit next to her (hopefully her free ticket isn't the most expensive - yeah, yeah, I remember, I'm broke and I'm supposed to save & invest mo money - but as Sue would say, whaddahey!)

The pile of old newspaper

Before you think of me a sloppy idiot, let me just clarify this: things happen.

You never plan for it to happen, you never see them coming, you never thought that those stuff will ever happen to you. Things happen.

I, have a pile of old newspaper, slightly untidily, steadily making it's presence felt, not just to me, but now, as it is reaching a height closer to a metre, to others in the office as well.

This pile of old newspaper is not something I ever planned to built, nor did I ever expected it to grew up to this height, and it wasn't even a hobby of mine to collect them. It just happened.

I was trying to pull the issue that was lying at the bottomost (ugh, pardon my bad English) of the heap - just so I know when did this thing started (yeah, I was supposed to write that review on a Samsung handphone but...).

But a metre-in-height's worth of newspaper ain't that easy to lift. If I insist on pulling that particular issue at the pile's feet, the whole thing might just topple over.

And I didn't want that to happen - and this surprises me! Reservations over seeing the thing crumble, deconstructed, seems as if I have feelings for the pile! Why should I? It's just a pile of old newspaper produced by the co I work for!

Is it cause I have respect for the product? Naah... I remember how I used to enjoy sitting the thing when it was just three-quarters of a metre in height.

Come to think of it, I am beginning to remember why the pile became a pile in the first place: At one time I could not stand anymore hovering by the Ed, the Loudspeaker who sits opposite me and the Ah Beng who sits across the Loudspeaker - yup - they all simply love to hover around my desk when I blog and work.

It would still be tolerable if the reason they hover around like vultures over carcass is to talk to me, but most of the time they wanted to talk to my desk-neighbour! When I could no longer stand them talking to my neighbour and use my head as a mic from the 1940's, I began to lay a pile of old newspaper right between the partition behind my back and my desk.

And hey! My plan worked! The pile of old newspaper next to my chair protected me. And as it grew, it become more than just a protector.

It then became a spot where I get to put my drinks and food stuff on when my table's too messy. It became a spot to put on the gadgets I reviewed just so that I can see what they look like in "real situation" (I don't really know if you get what I mean, but suffice to say the pile did assume another role besides being a coffee table).

Aimie my office mate even thought it was cool that I'm cultivating a stool for her to sit on while we have our daily little chats (and when we were dissing about the Co it feels much better when one of us has our butt squashing on it too!).

And when it reached the height that was almost a metre in height, I love to sit on the thing more than Aimie. I began to sit on it more often - probably it was too tall for Aimie to climb on by then, but the fact that it now sways was more a reason than anything else.

Now, as this pile of old newspaper reached its one-metre height, looking just like the Petronas Twin Towers (cause there is a stack of old press kits about the same height right next to it), I'm beginning to enjoy the heap as an elaborate hand rest (except on the days I wear white though).

And here's the main dish - when I put my left arm on the pile, it gives me a warm feeling thinking that I had read the thing (ok, ok, I read only the nice parts) and it had been there to accompany while I work and blog and it had endured my 48kg weight and let me sway on the thing when I have nothing else to do...

Yep, I have grown fond of the thing - this pile of old newspaper I call friend. Looks like I'm going to let it stay there for quite some time before someone (most likely the big boss of the co) says it's time to part and make me do it.

Oops! If you read this entry up to this point, sorry for wastin' your precious time, precious! I'm just too lazy to write that review on that Samsung handphone and that Jin Xin (now call me branded but with this name can you really blame me for not being all excited to review the..) MP3 player!

Prosperity Burger is back again!

It is that time again - that time when your office receives boxes and boxes of mandarin oranges, and Petaling Street is filled with cherry blossom and money plant, and bookstores stock up on red packets for sale. For me Chinese New Year is an event to look forward to.

Not just cause I'd be able to visit my Ah Lek who used to bring grocery for us, "Uncle Hollywood" my kuay teow chef extraordinaire, Tang Kau the old taxi driver and Su Yin our ex-dressmaker. Though it's a sure thing that I can get at least RM5 from each one of them - I know Tang Kau would give more if his mind wasn't stuck in the '80s.

Not just for all the cool Cantonese movies they'd be showing on TV. Though now that Channel 9 and 8TV are operating regular hours I have five channels to flick across in case ASTRO's down.

Not just for all the lovely Chinese gal friends I'd be bumping into at Jaya Jusco Ipoh soon. Though many of them are here it's still more fun to come across each other in our own hometown.

To me Chinese New Year also means the comeback for McDonald's Prosperity Burger! I know by right I should not be associating a simple fastfood item to something as auspicious as a festival celebrated by more than a billion people in the world, but I can't help it!

If you know me well enough, you know how much an item as ordinary yet versatile as food means to me. Even if you don't know me, my email address includes the word food - doesn't that tell you something?

I love food but I love good food even more. I find new delicacies very exciting. I find destinations that offer lovely gastronomical selection worth the trip. I find authors who use food as simile brilliant (check out Rosie Haslina Nasir, Roald Dahl and Peter Mayle). I even find my job, which entails a lot of discussions and info grovelling over hors d'oeuvre, worth waking up in the morning for.

Tender piece of meat, dipped with spicey gravy, laced with onions, clapped by halved buns, hot from the griller. Count in the twisty fries and the peach-orange sundae. Down it with Vanilla Coke. And that, is the beauty of the Prosperity Burger meal... don't miss it!

Will there be a repeat performance?

Today the PM28ers (that's my U mates, same batch, same course, and we all went through the same shit at MCC and PPP/ITM) received two more wedding invitations through our e-group. First from Aru, second invitation from Giant.

My initial reaction: The economy must be really picking up! I mean getting married nowadays is not cheap: one friend of mine, Wan Saba who did all the decorations and paraphernalia (e.g. bunga telur, bunga pahar, hantaran etc) still spent about twenty grand for her wedding!

My secondary thoughts: Aru and Giant! Of all people! Granted I don't know these guys that well - I mean, I'm not their best friend or part of their clique last time - but somehow I always associate these guys to be ones who will party all night till they're 30.

At least that's the impression I have upon them, based on the times I had spent with them in college and U, which include that fun BBQ trip to Port Dickson right after our last day at U. Man, that was one cool trip - though we all were stuck in the same college and U for like 4 years and a half, it was only on that day that I saw the other facets of their personality, more than what they tend to show during group discussions, presentations and bump-into-heys.

Now: I'm kinda worried that this year might be a repeat of last year - I mean 15 weddings attended (21 invitations altogether, in fact), whaddaheck?

New Year Resolutions, in black and white (see if this works)

Wish me luck, cause this year I'm hoping I'll be happier than last year (though last year I got a lot to be grateful for, but I'm only human - and one is rarely truly satisfied), and I'm actually penning my resolutions in black and white like this:

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:

1. Eat more carrots to control deterioration of eyesight. I fear the end of my comfy contact lenses days are over as they are now that Bousch & Lomb's phasing out SeeQuence! Am considering laser correction surgery... but need a lot of dough for that... Carrots! Carrots! Carrots!

2. Invest more! ASB's dividend is record low this year - 9% plus only if I'm not mistaken, this is not good! I gotta figure out how a tiny bilis in a big expensive pond called KL can survive and still have fun! Am considering Maybank's Bumiputra loan for ASB, as well as Unit Trust under SBB... Gotta check out deals at Bank Rakyat as well for I heard "katc-ching!" [sound accompanied by RM signs in bold clouding my eyes] stories about the bank. Hmm... suggestions/two-sen's worth, anyone?

3. Travel to new destinations - yeah I know I just said I wanted to save more dough, but how could I, when I only earn so little yet still aspire to see Sabah, Thailand and Indonesia? Cut back on B-grade movie flicks (gotta control my obsession for 6-bucks day), cut back on yakking on the kannikku, I guess! Anyway, the I-must-get-there-this-year destination: Sabah!

4. Learn a new language. Am considering everything - Javanese, Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, German, Gaelic, Greek.. anything man! Must also go through the Speak Easy: Thai book I bought on my last birthday...

5. Curse less, please, (in Malay and English, that is, for curses in other languages will be considered as OK due to learning licence) thank you very much!


RECAP ON 2003

1. Event of the year: Family trip to Penang (Sept 29 - 30), have to thank Shamsul Ghau Ghau's Destinasi Budget for this..

2. Most incredible personal feat: Attended 15 weddings! Whaddaheck! What am I tryin to prove anyway? That I'm a sucker for ayam masak merah? Please!

3. Most worth-my-money theatre: Hikayat Sikit-sikit Banyak-banyak (June 2), not cause Ruv's in it, but it was really, really funny!

4. Most happenin' gig: sorry Linkin' Boys, it's Konsert Eksklusif Bersama Gigi (Sept 26) - us right in front of Thomas, backstage - I'm still recovering...

5. Most cool gang-activity: Lord of the Rings Marathon (Dec 19) - 'nuff said!

6. Most fun whaddaheck-it's-Saturday-night: Night Safari at Zoo Negara (Dec 6)

7. Most surprising outcome: Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Nov 25) - cause I enjoyed it more than Puasa (it's usually the other way round)

8. Most number-of-times-watched movie: Pirates of the Caribbean - I saw it 3 times on big screen (once on a free seat on a pre-premiere show, in fact), and I still want another swig at it!)

9. Most oh-suddenly-I-know-politics event: Tun Dr Mahathir's resignation (Oct 31)

10. Most kelakar/pleasant surprise news: My cousin Kamal (he's my age, dressed all seventies, religious bloke) said to his parents, "Oh, Mama, saya mau kahwin..."


p/s: MATTA fair is happening at PWTC this weekend. Maybe I should go and check out if anyone's got a nice package deal for a trip to Sabah...

Needed: Magic chants to make you forget painful memories

Here's the story. A girl goes out with another girl - you know, just chillin' out. The other girl met up with her boyfriend. The boyfriend brought a friend.

They all had teh tarik and chatted. Then one of the guys said he wanted to change clothes at the hotel room he's staying in, and invited the whole bunch to lepak there while he change.

Doesn't seem anything's amiss right up to this point, right? But whaddaya know, it turned out that the boyfriend and the girlfriend was in a plot to supply a girl to a customer - the so called friend of the boyfriend.

And so the girl, who thought she's on an innocent, simple outing with another girl and her set of friends, was raped. Whacked until she passed out, and woke up with blood coming out of her you know what and cuts and bruises all over.

The girl got scared and overwhelmed with shame. Didn't dare to see the Doc, didn't wanna go to the police, couldn't bear to tell her parents, too paranoid to confide with friends.

So she went through it alone. Mended herself with meagre supply of medicine, pretended in front of the people she knew that everything was OK. At night or when alone in the bathroom, she cried. When she can't weep, she ate, and ate, and ate.

Later she realized that there were risks - internal injuries, pregnancy, and worst, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). So she went to see a doctor and had gotten herself checked regularly eversince.

Now two years had passed, she's got a good career going, shed off some of the weight she gained from stuffing herself during those times of depression. Seems like she'd pulled herself together and moved on, but not fully so.

More than a couple of guys vying for her attention and TLC. But she could not accept their offer of love and commitment. She said cause she's no longer a virgin, she's not good enough for anyone.

No hymen, no self-respect, no-self-esteem, no self-confidence, no love for oneself.

The evil creature who did this to her should be apprehended and punished. Cut his dick inch by inch, day by day, smother it with honey and leave him for ants to feed on. As for her mamasan friend and the boyfriend who served as accomplice, I think they deserved to be skinned alive... slowly.

This girl asked me which guy would want her now. She's convinced the guys who are trying to mengorat her will run away if she tells the truth.

But it wasn't her fault, I said. I wanted to say more, maybe some magical chant that would make her feel better. Painfulous memorious disappearious!

I wanted to tell her - surely there's a guy out there who'd accept her for who she is, despite her past - but I am not sure if this is true.

Tell me, what can I say to her?

Lord of the Rings Marathon Screening... Encore! Encore!

And finally the day came - it was December 19, 2003. Friday. The day. The day of the Lord of the Rings Marathon Screening. I had high expectations on this particular event and guess what - it went better!

And there's me. And Tini, and Jen, and Sue. Us. Us plus three cinema hall's worth of other people. People armed with the marathon screening tickets. Tickets and pajamas. Pajama-wearing people who queued and hung out right on the floor of Sunway Pyramid's TGV lobby from 7.45PM till the screening starts at 11PM.

We wanted the goodie bag badly. We thought we were the crazy ones for arriving at SP's TGV right before 8PM, but a threesome - a couple of guys and a gal already in their pajamas - beat us to it. They were crazier than us, but we were more prepared. We got pillows. And Tini brought her comforter, and Sue got her midnight kimono. Huh!

We decided to forgo the comfort of a restaurant seats and tables and tapaued our dinner instead. We made a pit stop at Giant to buy some more ammo (i.e. food). But I could not find caffein! I know I gotta have Nescafe if I were to survive the 11-hour gawk at the crisis in Middle Earth.

Thank God there was a gal promoting the new Nescafe variation - I downed two cups and hoped for the best. By the time we got back to TGV, there were already more than 10 people in the queue - many in their pajamas, some even brought board game to play while waiting - admirable, really.

We berthed near a bunch of Chinese boys and gals, who turned out to be very very sporting LOTRiens. No hunks so far.

Tini and Sue talked me into changing into Tet's green pajamas - both pieces, I mean. I thought I'd settle with just wearing the top. It's really hideous. But since the guy with the mic - the so-called MC - was blaring about showing up in your night attire crap again and again, I decided, what the heck - it is SP, so I don't think I'd meet anyone I know.

So there I was in the ugly borrowed pajama when Bob my rockstar friend tap me on the shoulder and asked, "Ergh, is there a pajama party going on here?"

I screamed! Quite loud. I could not believe someone I know caught me - me in my ugliest greeniest persona. But there he was and I was saved from further embarassment when the goodie bags were finally being given away.

I got mine, Sue got hers. Jen was late so we couldn't take it for her. But Tini - man oh man, they said her attire didn't fit their bill - so I gave her the nice big poster I got, and Sue gave her a bunch more from her lot. I would have given both Tini and Jen more had I not promised my sis I'd give her the whole bunch.

Minor setback, but we toss the incident away and charged into the hall. We were in Hall 2, and so was Bob. Jen's seat was right next to this 3R personality - at first I didn't recognize who this celebrity-person was (I mean I know she's a face from TV but didn't really know who).

So when this person was giving her token I'm-a-friendly-celebrity-you-know smile to all around her, I was wondering why was she so perasan one? Rilek aa akak..

But then we got talking. It turned out that she was quite nice, and she even gave us some tips about the Chevenning Scholarship Program (apparently she's been summoned for an interview, hence probably there goes our chance at it). Still, she became the girl next door when Tini asked about Nicholas Saputra, the Indonesian hunk whom this celebrity had had the chance to work with via a Siti Nurhaliza video clip.

While we talked I got myself ready:
pee: check!
food: check!
drink: alamak not enough, but then Sue offered some of her supplies. So check!
socks: check!
pillow: check!
the gang: check!
neck-craning skills: check! (yup, a tall guy had to sit right in front of me.)

Five minutes after 11PM, the first chapter commenced and the crowd inside flipped on their seats. Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended version) ran on for about 3 hours and 30 minutes, and I marked one particular scene (in the mines of Moria) which Gollum was exposed to the audience as well as Frodo which I consider should have been in the initial version. I managed to keep my eyes open and enjoyed the films plus the additions with only 5% attention deficit.

When it ended, the hall was filled with hoots and applause. Quite a sporting lot we were with. And have to say the rest of the additional scenes were definately instrumental. Cool!

Tini, Jen and I rushed to the Starbucks cafe downstairs to redeem some of the vouchers given by Starbucks. I tried to get as much caffeine as possible. Told Tini to nudge me if she sees me crumble in my seat. Just a couple of hunks spotted at the Starbucks cafe. Well, better than nothing.

The next installation commenced at about 3AM. Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers Extended Version was even longer than Fellowship of the Ring, running for about 3 hours and 44 minutes. I almost dozed off a couple of times, but managed to stay awake - and I didn't miss that cool stunt from Legolas - you know that trick with the horse en route to Helm's Deep as well as that slade ride down the stairs while killing the Uruk Hais during the battle at the end of the chapter.

Major cool, major long, yet I'm still hoping there's more. Probably because I only read the first and the third book which I bought at the second hand store, hence it was tougher to piece together.

During the second break I stole 40 winks - obviously not enough, duh.. but it was all I can afford. And my bladder wasn't in its best behaviour either.

The second break was a bit longer than the rest. Grapevine within Hall 2 said the TGV fella on duty fell asleep, hence we didn't get to see the final chapter till it was about 7.35AM.

During Lord of the Rings - Return of the King, I had to take a couple of pee breaks - shoot! Well, I am planning to watch the film again so I succumbed to my bladder's demand and missed the death scene of Gondor's Keeper's second man.

When the third film ended, many clapped their hands and celebrate for completing the marathon screening. I was dead tired, very sleepy but if TGV had scheduled for an encore, I'd stay rooted to my seat. But the TGV fellas were already handing out T-shirts and congratulatory certificates. And Bob was telling us to tell others who had not watched the movie that Frodo died in the end.

So we had to go. It was over. I could not believe it - though I was complaining about being very very sleepy and all, when it finally ended I just could not get enough of it.

The Lord of the Rings Marathon Screening is definately one of the most memorable cinema experience for me. And I wanna do it again!

When the singles got into a car...

... they sing to New Kids on the Block!

Can you believe it? Anim still keeps her New Kids on the Block cassettes. We also found the Vanilla Ice and some other stuff released in the 1990s - all kept in a clean shoe box, looking like they were just a couple of years old instead of more than ten!

Somehow the 1990s was quite vague for me, save for a few memorable occasions like when my Tingkatan 3 Bunga Raya class got crazy playing the game Murderer (1993) or that time right after SPM when that cute pan-asian kid who was a year younger than me thought I'm the coolest sales assistant to date (t'was end of 1995, right after my first paycheck and I invested it on my first ever pair of contact lenses - the transformation must have been quite ekhem, significant) and oh yeah, my eldest bro got married in the same year and we had a good experience handling the kenduri.

But I remember NKOTB. Danny, Donnie, Joey, Jordan, Jonathan. Hangin' Tough. Tonight. Be My Valentine Girl. Blow Your Mind (Didn't I).

And see the girls with the curls in their hair-ee-air. They simply went crazy over these guys. The media said they were the biggest thing since Beetles and Michael Jackson - guess the benchmark is if a girl faints or get trampled and squeeze during the concert, the artiste is definately big - and NKOTB had that.

I wasn't much of an NKOTB fan - but I did buy one of their albums - Step By Step - I had to part with a big chunk of my saved pocket money. It was my first time buying a cassette - yeah, twelve years old me finally started her own collection.

I bought it not only cause I too thought they were cool and cute and sing nice songs, it also so that I wouldn't look odd. I mean, all my friends have NKOTB stuff - their album, their poster, their VHS music video, their stickers, their badges (man, oh man, why was I born during the badge era) a little diary with their photos splattered across each page, file folder, pen, mug, frame, whatever.

Shallow me never thought that my friends didn't mind that I don't have these stuff, they'd still be my friend. Shallow me never thought that I could have saved the money I spent on that cassette, invest it in my ASB and enjoy the dividends which would have multiplied my total savings by now (alright, maybe not that much, but that's not the point - kan sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit?.

But seeing Anim's NKOTB cassette nicely kept in her shoe box along with the rest of the 1990s collection does makes me feel that perhaps it was worth it. After all, it was an icon we all could relate to. We (my mates and I), were the teens of the 90s in the first place and that cassette - my Step By Step or Anim's Best Hits - is a symbol that we were there during the 1990s, when NKOTB was big and we enjoyed it.

I had lots of fun during that trip (we were actually on our way to our collegemate Brader aka Dzulkaedah's wedding in Rembau). The NKOTB song definately set the mood - we became young, once again, and we were still hangin' tough.

P/S: When I say we were hangin tough, I meant it figuratively and literally - not that Anim's a bad driver but she was very, very fast. I thought I was simply phobic cause of that stupid incident right before Raya, but as when we got onto the Rambau roads which was all skewy and curvy Anim's high speed pace sent Jenny B to scramble around for her seat belts as well. But we all finished the ride to Rembau and back to KL safely, and Anim was nice enough to let us come Raya at her home in Kajang. Hidup Anim!

"This is my card.."

So how did your Raya go? Mine was OK, despite a couple of hiccups.

The first was having a stupid encounter with a student (whose attitude was of high anal proportions). She, in her new Kancil ran over a stop sign as if the road belongs to her policeman father (yep, she bragged over the fact that her Pa's a police). Having to deal with that bodoh sombong I'm-a-university-student girl was quite tiring, especially when her stupidity, plus of her mother's too, were simply beyond comprehension. Utterly stupid and rude they were, despite her being on the wrong side.

The second hiccup happened in quite a subtle manner - you know, the kind of thing that happens to you slowly, little by little, leaving you all spent and in horrific mood by the end of the day and you never knew what hit you.

It was the fourth day of Raya when my friend Azlina decided to call a reunion for the RPS (my alma m) gang. I arrived quite early with Ely - only Yati Maarof (Yati M), Umi and a few more had arrived before us.

Soon the house started to crowd - more RPSian came and hollars of "Oh gosh, you're so different now!" stung our ears. Different they say I am, well, I never looked good in school - big spectacles, nonexistent-haircut, school shoes I never properly scrub and all. So I take it that now I to them am pretty, polished and cool - things are looking up I say, or so I thought.

Not long after everyone's gotten their share of nasi himpit and meehoon goreng, Yati M started to clear her throat and said, "Hey y'all, I'm getting married on Dec 21st, so here's my card, you all better come ya!"

Then Yati B (B for Badri) began to clear her throat and said, "Well actually girls, I'm getting married soon too, and here's my card. Datang jangan tak datang, datang jangan tak datang.." What? This skinny gal is getting married too?

Just when everyone's still going "Goodness! our two Yatis are getting married!", Zura started that clear-my-throat-then announce-I'm-getting-married-soon routine too! Zura - what, this shy girl too!

Too much, I tell you! Too much! But just as I thought that three invitation cards in my hand is already heavy enough, a phone call came - it was Zarina, who could not make it, but told Azlina to invite girls to her wedding that is happening right before Yati M's.

She even insisted that it is OK to call her on that day itself to ask for directions to her house, since she may have missed a few names on her invitation list. "Atas pelamin pun aku akan jawab call korang OK!" she gushed out, sincerely apologetic for not being able to send a card to every single one of us.

Four invitations and a threat note from Yati M was simply too much to bear! (The threat note was whispered in our ears as she salam us before she went back, saying "Kalau kau tak datang majlis aku, sepuluh hari sepuluh malam aku mengumpat kau ye..." And so sweetly it was said, but after all cyanide is always laced in confectionary.)

I felt that I had to make an escape too! Thank God Ely was feeling the same, but before we got into her car, a bunch more RPSian arrived. As we salam more announced that they are (one of the stated below):
1) going to get engaged soon
2) engaged and getting married next year
3) orang dah hantar tanda, gonna get engaged next year
4) just a couple of days ago his mother came to merisik

Isn't that great? Sure it is! For them! For me it's worst than nightmare! Ely and I dashed away from the scene, chugging the invitation cards onto the back seat, puffing for air.

We both could not get over the fact that one small reunion like that could end so horrendously! And I haven't even told you guys about Emilia, Siti F and Noni who just gave birth, Iliyati and Sunarti who are both pregnant and some others who are already onto their second, third and fourth pregnancies!

That night Ely and I lepak for a bit and could not help but muse over the whole thing. When we got to the part about us still being single, boyfriendless and simply not interested just yet to get ourselves hooked, we bravely talked about holiday plans and new hobbies and investment opportunities and career directions and furthering studies.

The question is, after all that talk, how come we don't feel better?