Those school girl days...
Last weekend I was home in Ipoh with a couple of friends for a gluttony, food-sampling tour of the delicious food my hometown has to offer.It's not the first time I've been designated the role of Ipoh food/tourist guide, but I've come to realize something quite funny: everytime I show friends around town, I serendipitously discover more and more about the place itself. More interesting sights and sounds, more unexpectedly delectable places to eat that have been there for about for as long as I can remember (That's 20 years give and take, no joke!), and more appreciation for the town, now city, where I grew up in. Familiar places and tastes that have been taken for granted are re-infused with wonder and the memory of the simple, if very sheltered serenity of growing up in a small town is vividly recalled with a tinge of nostalgia.I look around Ipoh and see not only what is in front of my eyes but instead, I find myself juxtaposing the place as I knew it growing up, with the city it is now, automatically noting stark changes as well as the subtle naunces that make the city different from the town it was when I was just another schoolgirl dreaming of leaving Ipoh, much like the characters in Bernard Chauly's Goodbye Boys. I really identified with this movie, so I recommend watching it especially to all Ipoh-ians! Seems just like yesterday I was still in secondary school. All this reminiscing! Is it part of growing up and getting older? I remember being tagged with Janvier's school meme and for old times sake, here's my two cents worth:Favourite lessons:English in F4 because we had this cool English teacher who allowed us to watch Disney cartoons during her lessons and write about our idols. I remember I wrote about Martina Hingis, at that time my tennis idol who almost won all 4 grand slams in 1997 (she won 3 out of 4 grand slams that year I was in F4) and I remember my teacher making me stammeringly read out my essay to my class which was torturing because I was an extremely shy student who abhorred public speaking in any form. Also, I liked Pendidikan Jasmani or Physical Education because we got to play Captain's Ball and rounders. I remember some broken windows from stray tennis balls! Favourite teachers:Said English teacher. Sadly, none other outstanding school teachers. Worst subjects:
I think I disliked Accounts the most because I could never balance my ledger and because taking Accounts meant that I only got off school at 2 pm everyday, an hour later than other classes.Seating in school:
I sat beside LL, a smarty pants, scholarship winning girl and because she did Add Maths homework in History class, I also did Add Maths homework in History class. Sat behind LR, another smarty pants scholarship winning girl with an ever ready giggle and PF yet another scholarship winning smarty pants who is today, a qualified doctor. OMG, that combination was enough to give me an inferiority complex when I was in school. Stress-nya to try and keep up!! Represented the school in:
Ping pong and choral speaking. We came in 3rd at the national level for Choral Speaking. Ping pong never really made it anywhere. Hehe. All boys or all girls:All girls. So boring, no scandals! :)Transport to school:
I've taken a school bus, a neighbour's car but most of the time, my dad or mum dropped me off on their way to work, because back then, it only took 10 minutes to travel the 12 km from my house to school.Hehe, I think that's about enough information about me. I also think I need to go to bed now. Another long day tomorrow for me. I'm so sleepy now...Good night & Happy Halloween!Labels: Me, Meme, myself and I
Tingly anticipation and ironing newspapers
I flop on the uber comfy sofa in the cosy hall of my apartment and prop myself up with two colourful cushions -one red and one green- on each side of me, my head rests comfortably on the sofa's plushly padded back and the throbbing headache that has been hounding me most of the day has ebbed to a tiny dull receeding ache.
The ceiling fan's quiet whirl of blades produces a refreshing cool breeze that gently caresses my skin, a welcome change from the newly-serviced and hence, arid air-conditioning of the office. I stretch langurously and enjoy the luxury of the peacefulness of the moment alone at home that is befitting a day spent rushing from this place to that place, attending long-distance teleconferences, updating Excel files and relentless emails and telephone calls.
Travel and Living is on TV, with the volume turned way down low. From time to time, my eyes flick from my laptop's screen to the colourful but almost mute images moving about on the screen. Ian Wright is on and he's saying something. He's just arriving at a medieval castle in some country that I think is England or it could be Scotland.
My fingers flick across the keyboard with a practised, nimble dexterity that has been innately mine for years now as I type this blog entry of mine, learnt from the countless hours spent chatting online, typing school and Uni assignments, articles and reports.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see this tall guy ironing something on TV. Curious, I look up and see a smartly suited gentleman garbed in a Butler-like outfit ironing the creases out of a broadsheet newspaper! I gaped and my amazement is mirrored on Ian Wright's face. I grab the remote and turn up the volume. Ironing gives the newspaper pages a crispness that is befitting the lifestyle of the aristocracy, he is saying. He hands the broadsheet to Wright to feel it's "crispness" who reaches for it and promptly, with intentional clumsiness drops it on the floor with a goofy grin. I wonder for an inane moment if Mr. Butler guy can come and help me iron my work clothes, which would be a much nobler cause IMHO, befitting the lifestyle of the lowly Rat Racers. I sit up and decide to switch the channel to the Jazz music channel. 111, I automatically think and jab the numbers on the remote and instead of rich, soothing tunes, I get an Indian channel. Crap! Astro changed their channel numbers I remember and after more jabbing I finally locate the Jazz channel on 865 and settle comfortably back on the sofa.
As I type this and idly surf for random stuff, enjoying the newly installed Wi-Fi in my apartment, I feel the tenseness of the work day seep out of me and I am grateful for this quiet Me-time. And for the moment, the To-Do lists are forgotten, the many unfinished, unresolved issues are thrown capriciously to the wind, the worries and the cares of the day are pushed to the most remote fringes of the brain and all I remember is that I'm suppose to do research for things to do and see during the upcoming December trip to Paris and London. Ooooh, I can't wait!! And I feel the familiar tingle of excitement and anticipation run through the core of my very being that I always get when I'm looking forward to something that promises to be terrific. Much like the goosebumply feeling you get when you receive a text message from a person you really like asking you out for a drink with the promise of more dates to come, reading the first few pages of a book whose author has the most amazing writing style and the knowledge that you have many more chapters left to savour, a meet up for dinner with close friends whom you love and love you that you haven't seen for eons with the promise of coffee and cake after, the first bite of the most sinfully scrumptious, expensive chocolate dessert and also, Thursday nights with the promise of the weekend looming with all its fun-filled plans! And I think to myself that, at this moment, life isn't too bad after all. Labels: Me, myself and I, Random Stuff
Pink for October (and throughout the year)
Check out the two new buttons on my sidebar! Nice aren't they? Being a total html idiot, I'm so happy that I figured out how to put them onto my blog with some nifty html tips from my good buddy, Valen! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it's a cause that I support so I thought I'd do my bit and help promote knowledge about this disease.If you thought that:* Men do not get breast cancer* If you are cancer-free five years after a diagnosis, you are cured* Mammograms prevent breast cancer* You are too young to worry about breast cancerYou need to read this where the myths of breast cancer are debunked. Also, do click on the pretty buttons on my sidebar to go to the official Pink for October website for more information about the cause. Even better, if you have a blog, why not go Pink for October and help spread awareness about this disease? :)Labels: Causes
Virtual paperdolls
Some of you should remember playing with paperdolls or remember seeing your sisters or girl cousins playing with them way back when 5 Hacks sweets only cost RM 0.20.You know, those dolls that came in sheets of stiff cardboard with perforations where the doll and clothes could be pushed out and "dressed" in the cardboard clothes which had these little extra bits of cardboard tabs on the top of the clothes to "hang" them onto the doll?Oooooooh, I had loads of fun with those paper dolls. Even smuggled them illegally to primary school to show them off to my friends. Haha. Too bad they didn't really last because the cardboard gave way very easily, especially at the doll's neck and clothes's hanging tabs. I decapitated many a doll before I grew out of that phase. At one point, I remember even attempting to make my own paper dresses for my dolls! So imagine my sheer delight and excitement, upon discovering this amazing Facebook application, polyvore.com where designer clothes, jewellery (Tiffanys!), bags, luxury makeup (Benefit! Stila! Laura Mercier!) abound for you to conjour up the outfit of your dreams right along with matching accessories and makeup.It's playtime with virtual paperdolls for the grown-up girl who's in a holiday mood! =DFor those of you in Malaysia, enjoy your long Raya weekend to the fullest!! For those of you everywhere else, have a great weekend as well! xoxoLabels: Girl stuff
My "Hairscapades"
When a girl wants to revamp her current look the easiest thing to change about her appearance is her hairstyle. Because cutting hair doesn’t hurt physically and comes with insurance (it grows back eventually!) it's easier to take the calculated risk compared so say, getting a nose or boob job.
But me, ever the late bloomer had a saloon-virgin head of crowning glory (virgin= undyed, unbleached, unpermed, unstraightened, untreated in a hair saloon) till I was 24. Then the urge for a different look rather than just long hair with short fringe, long hair with long fringe, long layered hair with either short or long fringe *yawn* became just too hard to ignore anymore.
So on a sudden brave rather out-of-character whim, I got highlights in a daring shade of red much to my mother’s displeasure and recrimination as some of you will remember. And just like that, hair virginity lost, I embarked on a hairy adventure and have never looked back since. (Chewah!! =D)
Next, I jumped onto the bandwagon (a little later than everyone else as usual) of the super straight, super sleek curtain look that had been oh-so in the rage for the past year. And stuck with it for a while.
And then one day I got bored of the flat, limp look and decided that short was the new long.
To be honest, having short hair is kinda cool. Short hair air dries faster, is easier to comb, your shampoo and conditioner lasts longer, you shed less hair all over your bed and all over your house, it's low-maintenance (except for the constant need for trimming) and your head feels lighter and "airier." But that being said, short hair equals to no flipping of hair across the shoulder, no twirly action with the finger thing that they tell you is so flirty and attractive in fashion magazines and no hair gently blowing in the breeze...:(
But who needs all that? Right? And even if one day I decide I do, hair grows back! *phew*
Haha, anyway, this is my latest Victoria Beckham-inspired bob hairstyle. I got bored of my previous crop. Was thinking of going back to having long hair but many people told me that short hair suits me.
So what’s next? Perm maybe cause it's something I've never tried yet because I worry I will look too aunty.
Maybe in 5 years time...Labels: Girl stuff, Me, myself and I
View of my desktop
I was tagged by Valen to 'pimp' my desktop. So here it is: the view of the desktop on my laptop. I thought that today was a fitting day to do this tag because the very cool wallpaper I am using was given to me by my Filipino colleague, who I just found out today, resigned from my company
I'm not shocked, not like how I used to be when I first started working. Colleagues come and go at work, it's just a fact of working life. But I can't help feeling a bit sad that's all. Because it was fun working with this person, and I know that we won't be seeing each other at the upcoming meeting in Nov.
So if you're reading this, know that you'll be missed! Who knows, in this tiny industry of ours, we might meet again? ^_^
I tag the following peeps to do this simple tag:
Jacz Labels: Meme
Last weekend I was home in Ipoh with a couple of friends for a gluttony, food-sampling tour of the delicious food my hometown has to offer.
