I'm going crazy!
Alcohol on display for effect only. =DI doubt the sanity of my mental state of late. Why, you ask?
Hmmm, besides the fact that I'm wide awake at 2.01 am on a Monday night, technically early Tuesday morning, writing this blog post in a Singapore hotel room, on my equally crazed colleague's laptop (because I shut mine down 5 minutes ago and suddenly an itch to write struck).
Maybe because me and my partner in crime spent the last half hour "working" (while singing off-key, vastly altered renditions of Akon's Lonely , the oiginal is by Bobby Vinton, I just found out tonight) and we have to be up and perky early tomorrow to attend a meeting!!!
Check out the lyrics BeeStungLips came up with (zombie was my idea..haha)
Hokay, enough rubbish for one night. I should go to bed now. Gnite!
Labels: Random Stuff
To Malaysia, my country
My dear country,From time to time, and more often than usual of late, I have come across people or blogs by "Malaysians" who are so ashamed of you that I cannot help but wonder why they still allow vesitges of you to cling on to them. Why they still declare that they hail from this tiny nation in the South China Sea or they proclaim in their oh-so-fake British/Aussie/American accent that they grew up in the small, rural town of Ipoh/Alor Setar/Kota Bahru but have now moved on from their humble beginnings to modern, liberated and "better" lifestyles in London, Melbourne or *insert name of US city* in the US of A.
They rant on endlessly or make clever, sarcarstic comments (usually supported by a link on their blog to a news article from The Star/Malaysiakini or verbal reference so such an article or incident) about the innanity of your politicians, how f%&*ed up your government is, the injustice of the higher education system, the examination-oriented schooling system, the atrocious crime rate, how there is racial disparity amongst your citizens and citizens who are 2nd class yada, yada, yada...and generally to put it bluntly but succinctly, what a stinking cesspool you are to live and bring up their kids in.I don't deny that your government's policies, the way you are presented to the world, the way your "sensitive" (everything nowadays is sensitive, is it not?) matters are handled is more often than not, viewed by the average Malaysian as lacking in sense and justice. Yes, you have your weaknesses. Yes we, your citizens are crippled and disadvantaged in many areas. Yes, we might be better off living as citizens and bringing up our children in a foreign country. But, what is often forgetten, is that there is a chance that we might not be better off in a foreign land. A case of not realizing and appreciating what we've got until it's gone?I think that the moderate view is often lost amidst the frevor and exciting pursuit of extremism. I believe, nothing and no one is ever totally bad. Perhaps what your Government should do is find a way to make your citizens love your more. For when there is love, there should be acceptance and loyalty?Despite everything, what I cannot overlook is what I've often found ironic- why your ex-citizens who have chosen to be citizens of other countries still often like to identify in their own small ways, with you, the country they have forsaken.Perhaps deep down, there is something that you have offered them in your own humble, 3rd world, rustic way that they cannot find in another (better) country? Or maybe, they are just greedy, they want to have the cake and eat it too.Hmm, if that is the case, perhaps there is still some hope for us who have chosen to stay with you, even if might only be due to the fact that you posses the recipe to the most delicious nasi lemak in the World.Happy 50th Birthday, Malaysia!Love,A simple-minded and easily-contented citizenLabels: Opinion
'Pat' meme
I've been tagged by this Meme of 8 by Janvier and 3smem. Figured I'd better get down to it before I get tagged the 3rd time! =D So here we go, 8 random facts about me. (Though I got tagged twice, first by Janiver and then by 3smem, dosen’t mean I need to double this meme…Heehee)
ONE
I’ve kept a diary since I was 13 years old. In those early days without laptops and before I discovered the wonderful world of the Internet and blogs, I wrote in cheap spiral bound notebooks and old recycled school exercise books. Back in Ipoh in the early 90s- I’d never heard of Moleskines and leather bound journals only existed in story books for me. I kept at handwriting my journals in college and my first two years in uni in KL. Then, in Glasgow, I upgraded to writing in Word documents on my faithful laptop. Today, I blog.
TWO
I am a pretty good swimmer and my best stroke is breastroke. In fact, when I was 11 or so, my swim coach told my mum I should train to be a professional swimmer. My mother was non-commital and asked me what I thought- I was at a self-concious age and I gave up swimming lessons soon after that due to some persistent ear infections. But I still swim pretty well. In fact, it’s a sport I do better than my brother.
THREE
I like to brush my teeth after every meal, if possible and sometimes, just because I feel like it. It’s a habit I picked up somewhere along the road while growing up. I think it’s because I like the minty, squeaky clean feeling of freshly brushed teeth.
FOUR
I dislike and try to stay away from foods with pungent smells and tastes that linger in your pallete like garlic, onions, spring onions, coriander, leeks, petai and durians.
FIVE
I am disgusted by insincerity and touched by kindness.
SIX
I have a thing for tallness and creativity in the opposite sex. By tall, I mean at least 5 ft seven and above, (because I’m 5 ft 3 and I like to wear 3 inch heels) and by creativity I mean, he can write, do graphic design, webpage programming, is musically inclined, draw or paint.
SEVEN
If I wasn’t a corporate rat helplessly running in a hamster’s exercise wheel, I would be a make up artist or personal assistant of a mega star in Hollywood. Imagine the crazy freebies the celebrities will just discard carelessly and the money you can make from selling their secrets/photographs! (OK, this is definitely a side effect of watching too much E! on Astro!)
EIGHT
I once removed an extra bit of mole-like flesh from my body by tying a string tightly around it (that I tightened every day for good measure) so that the blood supply was cut off and it fell off, as a bit of darkened and shrivelled skin, after about a week. I never told my parents and I think I got the idea from TV.
I tag BeeStungLips, Valen, Renzze, and anyone else who reads this and ‘eat already got nothing to do.’Labels: Me, Meme, myself and I
I've got the travel blues!
Bangkok's swanky new Suvarnabhumi Airport which has fantastic duty free shops, which will knock the socks off any shopaholic!
I have always loved flying and airports for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was enchanted with the sleek steel structures of airports, all spiffed up to give travelers a good first impression of a country. As I grew older, I loved observing travellers in airports- people of different nationalities going off on exciting holidays, high-powered business meetings,to visit loved ones. I dreamed of staying in posh hotels and revelled in exploring new places, trying local cuisine, listening to local languages and observing how people live and go about their lives in foreign countries.
Increasingly though, the downside of traveling (for work) is getting to me. The crappy taxi drivers (who knows you’re not local but yet, asks you to direct them to your hotel!), the hours spent waiting for flights and more time whiled away waiting for your delayed flight! And yet, even more time spent WAITING for taxis. Often, traveling results in irregular hours and evokes the despairing feeling that you don’t know what you should eat for dinner, because you just don’t know what and where to go to get the grub that will just hit the spot of your finicky appetite. At home, you’ll know exactly where to go, and what to order (after you’ve changed your mind a dozen times).
But in a foreign place? Food that looks good is often deceiving and disappoints the palette and contains wayyyyyy too much garlic for your liking.
And when you decide to go out and try to immerse yourself in the crowd of the city, you are soon engulfed in a sea of strangers on a family outing, a romantic date, rushing home from the office. And you truly understand what it means and how it feels to be “lonely in a crowd.” So many people, but not even one is a familiar face, and not one will care what becomes of you or will miss you if you happen to be mugged and not make it home that night.
Perhaps, it’s the traveling alone that makes me feel isolated. An island, people have forgotten. An old toy that has been left to gather dust.
And you suddenly gain omnipotent insight as to why the guy in the seat in the far right corner of the airport waiting lounge, with the weary face, (probably been holed up in stressful meetings the whole day) his fingers dancing nimbly over his mobile phone’s keypad in the fashion of a seasoned SMS-er, visibly brightens up after his mobile blips in the typical Nokia ringtone. Ah! A reply to the SMS he sent. And he smiles a genuine smile that reaches the depths of his warm, brown eyes…
Because he exists after all.
But in your cynical mood you ponder, is going through your life merely existing, enough?
I wrote this in sheer boredom, while waiting for my delayed SG-KL flight at Changi last month.
Labels: Me, myself and I, Travel
A point of no return
Danga Bay, Johor Bahru
I reached one of life’s points of no return today.
Though I can’t say it’s a nice feeling being at this juncture, but I think I am relieved that the unhappy zombie-fied state of sleepless indecisiveness of the last month is behind me.
I’m thankful that I’ve been jostled awake to the fact that there’s so much more to life than just settling for something and that I deserve better. And also, I ought to have the chance to strive for what I believe is the best for me. I know many of you have been telling me this, but I think I needed some time to realize and see for myself.
At this point, I feel free and liberated. Given a clean slate to write on, as if I have been reborn, with a renewed zest to start over and make up for lost opportunities. And the best thing is, I know I am strong enough to do it. It’s funny how you sometimes rediscover secret reservoirs of determination you have forgotten you ever possessed!
The human spirit is a resilient one indeed. And corny as it sounds, what cannot kill you can only make you stronger. I find it a somewhat comforting, if flippant, thought.
I don’t regret one scrap of the past, but since there’s no way back, I can only look forward to the uncertain future. Wish me luck?
A door closes shut firmly, its lock clicking with a note of finality.
The key? It’s been lost, for all eternity.
Labels: Me, myself and I
Some random updates
Just a little note to let everyone know I'm still alive and kicking. Just haven't had much time to sit down and blog lately.Some updates:I sent my brother off at KLIA yesterday. He's going to US for his Masters. I felt a bit sad to see him go but I really look forward to going to visit him! Heehee...must start saving for a US trip now!I finally finished Harry Potter over the weekend. Thought that Rowling wrapped it up nicely. However, while reading the latest HP book, I realized I hardly remembered what the 6th book was about. Tsk tsk to myself. Where is my memory going, seriously?I watched Simpsons and thought the Spiderpig scene was simply hilarious. The Spiderpig clip in the trailer was what actually attracted me to watch Simpsons The Movie in the first place. Haha.I slept at 3 am yesterday because of caffein OD. *reminds oneself not to drink tea after 5pm in the afternoon* But knowing me, I can never say "No" to a good cuppa. Labels: Me, myself and I
Alcohol on display for effect only. =D
