mudslinging

What's your excuse? Idiots....

2008-01-25T17:02:00.000+08:00

I went to watch two movies recently. Well, three if you count I Am Legend. But my rants today are for the two I just watched, Cloverfield last Friday and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street yesterday. It’s time to get some things off my chest. So to all cinema goers please take note. Take note and be a good cinema goer, or don’t listen and remain the idiots that you are.

First rule to watching a movie
Know what type of movie you’re about to watch. I’m not saying you should watch all teasers, full length trailers, read reviews, blogs, memorise cast and all that. I know I don’t do this for fear of spoiling the whole movie experience. But the least you can do is find out the type of movie. You know, is it going to be a drama, action packed adventure, romance, fantasy, comedy, romantic comedy, black comedy, spoof, satire, whatever, just find out the bloody type of movie you’re gonna watch!

If it’s gonna be filmed through a hand-held camera and told through the first person or whatever you call it, like Cloverfield, you can expect it to be shaky. Of course! That’s the whole point of the story, it’s a bunch of amateurs like you and me trying to film what must have been the most terrifying experience that they were going through, using a bloody video cam. So of course it’s gonna be shaky! Bunch of idiots!

And you know it’s a monster movie. Of course there’ll be a (gasp surprise surprise!) a monster! Again, bloody idiots! You know it’s a monster movie, so suspend reality for an hour and 15 minutes and just watch the bloody thing already! Stop sighing, whining, groaning, complaining, heavy sighing and complaining some more. It’s a monster movie. Deal with it. Don’t laugh, don’t talk loudly, don’t discuss the storyline. Just don’t. Shut your gob and watch. Damn bloody idiots. If you don’t like it and can’t stomach it, leave. That’s what the exits are for. Don’t ruin the experience for other people.

When I bought tickets for Cloverfield, the guy at the ticket counter actually gave my husband and I a warning. He told us that many people complained because the picture was shaky. I just laughed out loud. Yep, right to his face. Sorry man, didn’t mean to laugh at you. But I feel sorry for you because you had to inform everyone who bought tickets about this. I’m sure this part of your job sucks. This was probably due to all the idiots who watched it and thought, Oh what a dumb sucky movie this is and oh how shaky it is. I think it’s my duty to complain to the cinema management. And maybe they’ll waste their time trying to warn others. Shaky, I hate that word. As I hate all idiots.

And guess what? The same thing happened when I watched Sweeney Todd in sunway yesterday. I was unfortunate enough to watch it with a cinema full of college kids who mostly fell in the idiots category (sad to say- hah!).

Again, know what type of movie you’re watching. If you’re watching Sweeney Todd, well obviously you’re gonna watch a musical. And of course there’ll be singing. IDIOTS! Every time the characters opened their mouths to sing, there were groaning, and moaning, and giggling, and ‘oh no’s and whatever else their sorry little minds could think of doing. If you don’t like to hear singing, DON’T WATCH A MUSICAL! Go watch some insipid brainless movie instead; there are lots of those that you can choose from which I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Second rule to watching a movie
For the eleventh hundredth time, we don’t care about what happened to you in class today nor do we want to hear you talking about your cheating girlfriend, so stop talking. Never ever talk during a movie. It’s just crass and shows how senseless and dim you are. So hush! Again, if you find the movie not to your liking, then please leave. Leave and make the world a better place.

Don’t spoil other people’s experience just because you’re too dumb to understand what’s going on in the movie. If you really don’t understand, read the bloody subtitles. If you still don’t understand, hey perhaps that’s not the movie for you. Maybe you should try watching something simpler, like I don’t know, The Little Mermaid? Easier plot to follow, fun characters, colourful movie, and oh my, the crab sings too!

So that’s it. Two simple rules to remember. Easy peasy. Nothing too taxing for that small pea-brain of yours.

Bloody idiots….

Back on square one

2008-01-03T16:24:00.000+08:00

So it’s the New Year. Happy New Year to all! New Year means new resolutions. I think I mentioned some time ago that there was one year when I resolved not to make any more new year’s resolution. It worked out just fine. Till maybe a few years later.

I think I also mentioned somewhere that I used to make dumb resolutions like ‘work harder’. If you didn’t know me, and you heard of my resolution, you’d think I was a slacker of some sort. Ignoring work or procrastinating till the last minute. In actual fact I’m neither (or at least I think I’m not.) I work as hard, maybe harder than other people.

Maybe this year I should be more concerned with being a better Muslim. Cut down on gossip. Spend more time with my family. Be thankful for what I’ve got. Celebrate the little triumphs in life. Forgive others.

Blog more? Heh heh….

That should keep me busy for a while….

Jingle all the way....hey!

2007-11-30T16:21:00.000+08:00

I’ve got a stupid song in my head. Well, it’s not stupid and it’s not really a song. More like an annoying radio jingle that’s been playing in my head like a broken record. How about I infect you with my plague….

Ryan, you’re calling Ryan….
Not John, or Paul, or Bob, or Steve, or Mike, but Ry-an
Ryan, R-R-R- Ryan
No one but Ryan will answer your call….

It’s annoying but freaking good fun to sing along to. If you listen and sing along to radio jingles, what does that say about your life? Sad, huh….

Ryan….
You’re calling Ryan….

Year-end Crazy Parade

2007-11-27T16:29:00.000+08:00

It’s that time of the year again. We’re almost at the end, but not quite. Every time I get to this year-end-but-not-quite season, I am enveloped by a sense of…. malaise, if you will. Some sort of laziness creeps in. Well maybe not laziness, maybe more of a worn out kinda phase.

I feel like working less and taking more leave. It doesn’t help the matter that I have unintentionally accumulated all my leave days into a big lump to be utilised in these last few months. So I get 25 days of leave a year (yeah, I can hear some of you scream foul), plus the 12 days that I carried from last year, that makes it 37 days of annual leave. And now I have used up about 12 days, leaving me with about 25. So now I carry forward 12 to next year and I still have a total of 13. Minus the three I took last week and I’m still left with 10. Ten days of leave to be used up between now and the 31st of December. Sigh, what a lovely mess I’m in. I’m not complaining.

The laziness creeping in is making me tired of all things work-related. I just want to say, okay, let’s just get it over and done with. Enough of this year already. Let’s just do nothing till January. When January comes we will start with such gusto and drive, and work harder. Note: working harder is the stupid resolution that I seem to make yearly, except maybe last year when I declared it to be stupid. And I’m beginning to sound like a mad woman already right?

Ah well, the good news is that I am so lazy but yet have lots of time to watch tv. Or is it because I’m lazy that I have time to watch tv? Anyway, my current favourite shows that I catch on Astro are Brothers & Sisters, and Big Love. I love them to bits…. I love Criminal Minds too but I think the season ended last week on 8TV. So I watch tv and read (labouring to read as I get so sleepy at night after tv). And I spend time on Facebook. You know that other idiotic time consuming social networking utility shit… but hey I love it too…. It’s fun catching up with school friends and what-have-yous….

Ok now I’m too lazy to wrap this up, so I guess that’s it. Time to go check Facebook.

And go home. Yeah… now we’re talking….

Of food and relatives that come once a year

2007-10-05T11:24:00.000+08:00

It’s almost Raya now. Ramadhan is well on its 23rd day. I am looking forward to Raya. Not as much as I did when I was a kid, nonetheless, still looking forward to it.

This year we’ll be celebrating it here in KL, my beloved hometown. Yeah yeah, don’t make cracks about not having a kampong to balik to. I’m a city girl and my so-called ‘kampung’ is here. My grandma is here and my parents are here. And contrary to popular belief, it is meriah to celebrate Raya here. People who say otherwise are just people who don’t belong. They need to go balik elsewhere, so just go already, and leave us to our merry-making. I don’t mean to sound rude, but if they are patriotic over their respective kampungs, why shouldn’t I be? KL is all that I’ve ever known.

Oh well….

When I was younger, my mother used to make nasi tomato for every Raya. We’d have chicken curry and sambal tumis and acar and daging dendeng and cakes and cookies. My mum loves cooking and baking. Those were great fun times. Now however my mum doesn’t cook up a storm like that anymore. She buys all her cookies. Lucky for us she buys most of the cookies from my aunt. So it’s still homemade, though not made in our home. Haha!

Both my parents and in-laws will be here this year so we need to go visit both, and then we shall go visit my grandma and aunt. Can’t wait for the wonderful food that will be waiting for us. My grandma’s house will be the meeting point for all my aunts and uncles. I’m looking forward to meeting them all. Now that I’m a working adult, I don’t get to see them as much as I used to. I haven’t seen an uncle of mine like ages ago! (Ok I exaggerate, it was probably a year plus ago.)

So I’m definitely waiting for the food and the relatives. In that order. Yeah yeah, can’t you tell I’m a glutton already. *smile*

13 is depressing

2007-09-24T12:31:00.000+08:00

13? That’s it? 13 measly books read this year? Ah what is wrong with me? How can I ever read more than 20 at the rate I’m going?

Hubby’s solution was simple. “Read thinner books.”

I look at him incredulously. The mere suggestion emitted a cry from me, “And for what?” Downgrade my reading level so I could have more books on my list? Substitute quality for quantity? Such nerve…. Giving such a suggestion to me. Well you have to applaud the guy for coming up with a fast, easy (and cheaper?) solution. But no thanks. I’d rather have read fewer books that are notable, compared to more books that are…. how do you say… mmm, fluff? Hahaha, that’s the book snob speaking again. I am honestly not a snob in real life. Honestly….

Now, come to think of it, it’s not that I consciously choose to read less books, it’s that I’ve just got no time to spare, more so now in Ramadhan. Days after work are spent with dinner, prayers and maybe 30 minutes of channel surfing or magazine flipping. That’s it. I get too tired to do anything else. My attempts to read, ahem, keyword here being ‘attempts’, are normally just that. Attempts. No action follows whatsoever. I take a book, curl up with my pillow, read one page, and doze off, while the book remains unread save a page or two. That’s why it took me so long to finish Gaiman’s book (though I started reading way way wayyy before Ramadhan). And now that I’m finally done with that book, I’m on a deliberate break from reading novels.

13 books huh…. Sad….

Status: Not connected

2007-08-29T15:59:00.000+08:00

I have no email?

I have no email!

There’s something seriously wrong with my email. Something’s screwed up somewhere. And to make matters worse, the only person who can come and look into this matter happens to be on leave today. No!

It seriously sucks. I cannot see what I have to do for work, I cannot send out any for fear they might never reach their destination.

I cannot just sit here and not get email.

Seriously!

mudslinger rummages around for online games to keep her occupied till 5.30….

Sometimes I just wanna snap my fingers....

2007-08-28T17:01:00.000+08:00

Buying a house is no joke. Both hubby and I are first-time buyers and we sure don’t know a lot. And to make matters worse, we have to be the unlucky ones with the wishy-washy developers. I am just so frustrated sometimes. I don’t know what to do. And then there are these problems of late delivery and being given vacant possession without water and electricity. I mean, what gives????

Wish I could snap my fingers and all would right itself.

Talk about wishful thinking....

My preciousssss....

2007-08-27T16:20:00.000+08:00

Life at high speed continued, that’s why no blog posts. My sister was in the hospital and I had deadlines (again!) and I had to move office.

Last week I was busy with packing and unpacking. Moving office is really no small matter, even though my office is actually just me, me, and me.

Now I’ve got computer boxes left over from my move. I intend to keep it for moving house end of this year. Yep, you read right, moving house. That’s gonna be more hard work coz I’ve been in that rented house for about 3 years, so I’ve got stuff lying about everywhere. I don’t even know where to begin! Should I start with the store room with my boxes of books? Or maybe our bedroom with errr.... more boxes of my books....

Seriously, I have 4 rectangular boxes of books in my bedroom, plus two Ikea cardboard boxes filled with more recent purchases. And loads of Penguin classics and Archie comic digests in the storeroom. I just can’t let them go. They’re my preciousssss…. Ayaya, where am I gonna put them all in our new place? All this still doesn’t take into consideration hubby’s books - his architecture books and his paperback novels. I think our home will be filled with books, books and more books. We need to invest in some real hard wearing covered book cases (hear that hubby?) to keep them all. They’ve been staying in boxes for three years, and it’s time they got some fresh air.

I love my books....

And away we go!

2007-08-15T15:35:00.000+08:00

Aaah, blogging. I’ve missed it for quite some time now. Yeah yeah, I’m a terrible blogger, blog updater, blog writer, whatever….

Life was at high speed these past few weeks. After Harry Potter, we did not watch any new movies at the cinema. No more movie outings I guess. And I have been busy at work. Yeah I know, it’s a sorry excuse. But it was quite taxing. An avalanche of work. Many things to prepare: reports, presentations, etc. etc. etc. Many distractions around: email, Friendster, other people’s blogs, Second Life, free pc games, Facebook. This leaves no time to blog (pathetic, but true).

So here I am, back to talking gibberish and rambling on and on about inconsequential stuff that probably only affects me. Hahaha, it’s good to be back!

Movie: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007-07-25T16:45:00.000+08:00

I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix during its opening weekend. I thought I’d immediately write somewhat a review of the movie, but I just got buried by an avalanche of work. So that idea was scrapped. Now, almost two weeks later, I finally have some time to breathe. Thinking of writing a review is somehow not that appealing as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is stale news already (to me anyway).

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth in the ever popular Potter series. Directed by David Yates, the movie continues with Harry trying to convince everyone that Lord Voldemort is back and that it is up to the Harry and his friends to stop him, seeing that the Ministry is not only refusing to stop Voldemort, they are in denial and are refusing to even acknowledge his reappearance.

The movie runs for about two hours (138 mins) and ironically is the shortest Potter film which comes from the longest Potter book in the series (at 800+ pages). This was one of the reasons many have complained that the movie was ‘jumpy’ and did not include many things from the book.

On the other hand, I thought Yates did an amazing job directing and putting together everything neatly into a package where we know enough to get the story and to move the plot. Sure, we just don’t get the full wham of the book. This is understandable, as in almost all cases of book-turned-movie; the book will always be far superior to the movie. It’s incomparable.

I really enjoyed this movie, and my husband (a non-Potter reader) seems to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the fireworks scene with Fred and George Weasley, and the duelling scene at the end between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. The wand duelling was almost a great big dance, with ultra cool moves and stances. I like!

Harry, well what can be said for Harry. Harry is a bit more matured (especially his voice - no more squeaky talking). I feel his pain, anguish, frustration, but I’m at times missing the scar. Perhaps the director thought it wise not to make it too obvious on his forehead. Sure it’s there, it just happens to be a bit inconspicuous.

As for Ron and Hermione, I love them both. The voice of reason, Hermione has grown into a beautiful young woman who takes control and is one of Harry’s biggest advocates. Ron is also comfortable in his role as best friend and provides comic relief.

There is one scene that is still on my mind. This was where the three were discussing Harry’s kiss with Cho which took place earlier. Harry, Hermione and Ron ended their conversation with a great hearty laugh. There’s something about that laugh that made me love them all the more. And after some snooping around, I found out that that laugh was a real laugh from Daniel, Emma and Rupert after they’d said their lines. It was a great laugh that the director kept the film rolling to capture it.

This movie also introduces some new characters, which I truly enjoyed watching. Luna Lovegood couldn’t have been more perfect. The faraway look on her face and her at-times wistful voice is exactly the way I thought she should be. Luna was among my favourites. Bellatrix Lestrange was her crazy self, but perhaps not as crazy as I had imagined. Perhaps there’s more to her in the next movie. And Umbridge, with her pink clothes, and her kittens, and her throat clearing “hmm hmm” was really so annoying and mean that I felt like asking her to write lines! A great portrayal indeed. Other characters had too little screen presence to make an impact (like Tonks).

One thing that I thought was glaring was the incident with the Thestrals. Among the six students from Dumbledore’s Army who went to the Ministry, only Harry and Luna were supposed to be able to see the Thestrals. So how did his friends ride the Thestrals if they couldn’t see them? This was explained in the book, but in the movie, no one seems to have noticed that the kids are all flying on the Thestrals. Hmmm….

The movie was great for me. I think it was dark enough to be the successor of the Goblet of Fire. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was worth the wait. I can’t wait for next year’s Half Blood Prince!

A must watch for Potter fans. And to non-Potter readers and non-fans, give it a go, you never know…. You might enjoy it yet.

Shame on you!

2007-07-23T17:20:00.000+08:00

Much has been said about the Harry Potter price wars. Many have spoken and conveyed their views. My two cents:

To the bookstores who refuse to sell (MPH, Times, Harris and Popular), good for you for making your stand. I may not agree fully with your action, but I understand where you guys are coming from. Fight!

To the hypermarkets (whom I shall not even name, coz I hate their guts - it’s my blog and I can say what I like), what’s the matter with you? Suddenly being goody-goody and offering such a ‘dignified’ service to sell cheaper books to people?

You are not practising good business conduct. Surely you’re out to make money, with cheap publicity stunts like that, it’s without a doubt that you will cover your losses through the sale of other items.

It blatantly shows that you don’t honour the unwritten rule of appropriate business etiquette, and you have no sense of fair play whatsoever. Shame on you!

Nice? Who're you calling nice?

2007-07-11T16:10:00.000+08:00

Recently I went to a seminar on Systems Thinking and how it can help solve most of our complex problems. It was a great seminar and I think it would be beneficial to everyone. During the seminar, I found out that my main problem at work was caused by a negative archetype called the Attractiveness Principle.

And what is the Attractiveness Principle you ask? Trying to please everyone, because saying no is too hard to do. The mental model here is: We must please everybody all of the time.

How do you like that? Never in a million years would I have that of myself…. Being too nice and accommodating? But after thinking about it, I realised that it was somewhat true. So now I have to work on its positive archetype, which is to Be My Best. The mental model here is: We make choices about what we can and cannot do, knowing that it may not please everybody all of the time.

Now that is surely something that I need to practise and believe in. No more being the doormat and saying yes to everyone at work. There are times when I just need to say no.

Movie: Transformers

2007-07-10T16:03:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday I watched Transformers for the second time. Yes, the first was during its opening weekend at Cineleisure. What a blast! I’m still contemplating writing a review of it, seeing that it’s old news already. Ah, what the heck….

We all know the Transformers story. Most of us kids who grew up in the eighties would be very familiar with the cartoon. I’m not a fanatic, mind you, but I did watch episodes together with my brother when we were younger. He even had a Transformers lunchbox. It was red and depicted a battle scene between the Autobots and the Decepticons (hey bro, remember this?).

So basically what we have is the Autobots who are trying to protect mankind from destruction by the Decepticons, who are in search of something called the Allspark. The Allspark (the Cube) is a vital piece which holds power to create life. It was lost in space and landed on Earth a long long time ago. A map to its whereabouts was imprinted into the glasses of Capt Archibald Witwicky, the grandfather of Sam Witwicky. Unbeknownst to Sam, he holds the map to the Allspark, and while the Decepticons are trying to find it, the Autobots come to his rescue. Okay, any more telling and I’ll spoil the movie experience.

So it being Michael Bay, you can expect to see lots of action and crashes and explosions. In this, Bay does not disappoint. However, the ending was a bit too abrupt to me. Sure, you have the prerequisite battle scenes between the Autobots and the Decepticons, and they are heart-thumping awe inducing scenes, but the end of it all….

<=== HERE BE SPOILERS ===>

I felt that it was a bit to easy the way Megatron died. I mean, Sam pushes the Allspark into his chest? That’s it? The evil devious Megatron was defeated just like that? Just doesn’t cut it….

All in all, I must say that I did enjoy the movie. It was fantastic. And I watched it twice. What does that say? It contained enough inside ‘jokes’ for fans, like the yellow Volkswagen next to Bumblebee who’s now a Camaro, and a bumblebee hanging from the rear view mirror of the Camaro.

So if you haven’t already, go watch it. It will not disappoint.

More D'Rimba photos

2007-07-02T16:34:00.000+08:00

I was at D'Rimba again on Saturday, and these are more photos of the place. They've got the nameplate thingy up already....

And they've completed the path from the clubhouse to the gazebo near the pool....

There's even this foot reflexology path thingy.... (i really need to brush up my vocab!)....

Can't wait....

Transformers transform!

2007-06-25T09:31:00.000+08:00

Can you feel it? Can you feel it yet? It's coming. It's so close you can almost smell it, grasp it, taste it.... It's breathing down your neck. You just reach out a bit more and you can feel it graze your fingertips.....

The biggest, highly anticipated, most exhilarating, electrifying experience is about to happen....

TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!!!!!!!!

See the person who didn't heed the warning. Face the wrath of Megatron!

p/s: Cool promo!

D'Rimba Pictures

2007-06-19T09:56:00.000+08:00

Ok, these are for the benefit of future owners of units in D'Rimba in Kota Damansara. We've bought a unit there, and a fortnight ago, we went to get some pictures of the place.

The first picture is of the clubhouse and the ones that follow were taken from the clubhouse. It shows the playground, the pool, the river and the little bridge.

These are of the clubhouse and the units. We don't have any pictures taken inside the units as they were locked.

And here is the last batch of pictures. Plus our unit and the outside area.

We hope to be able to move in by this year.

Helllll-loww? Anybody home?

2007-06-18T15:08:00.000+08:00

Ok, why are the months in my archive not in English? Junio? Mayo? Hell-low....????

What's up with that....????

Welcome to the real world

2007-06-13T14:42:00.000+08:00

We depend so much on the internet. I know I do. First thing I do when I get to the office is to log in online, then check my email, then check my superior’s schedule for the day, after which I reply to my email and update his schedule and alert others of meetings or appointments, also through email. Then I switch on my messenger to keep in touch with co-workers, and also husband, brother and sister in Damansara, KLCC and in PJ respectively. All of these I’ve described above depend solely on the internet connection that my office so generously provides.

So the worst thing that can happen is to see this:

Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage
Most likely causes:
You are not connected to the Internet
The website is encountering problems
There might be a typing error blah blah blah blah blah....

This is like the pits! So I have to resort to doing things that don’t need the connection, like, oh I don’t know, play downloaded games? And listen to songs, and type out my blog entry on word, and basically have a party. How’s that for a Wednesday?

Now all I have to do is the wait till the connection is back on so that I can post this.

*mudslinger hums along to Estranged’s ‘Itu Kamu’ and thinks dreamily of lunch time*

My love affair with Big Apple

2007-06-12T11:01:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday I was at the Curve, to especially look for the new donut place. My brother had recommended them to me and when he said something was good, I’d normally take him seriously, more so when it comes to food.

So hubby and I went traipsing through the flea market after our usual rounds at Borders. Ok, directions said, the place would be behind TGIF’s. And lo and behold, so it was. Follow the smell and you’ll find it, said my brother.

Big Apple Donuts & Coffee, beautiful!

They were having a special promotion where you purchase a dozen donuts and get half a dozen free. 18 delish donuts! Now who’s going to be able to wolf down 18 donuts right? That’s what we thought too. Still since it was the last day of their promotion, we bought the donuts and took home all 18 in two boxes. There should be some people at my in-laws place who would be hungry for donuts for tea.

I didn’t do a good job of taking down their names and taking decent pictures, as I was salivating over them so much more so with that smell wafting in the air. The only thoughts in my head were “eat now eat now eat now”.

I’m not a great big fan of donuts, as the ones we find here like in Dunkin are not to my liking. But believe me when I tell you, these are damn good! They’re so soft and soft and soft and yummmmm and soft and soft and …. Ok, sorry that got me salivating and I can’t think straight….

We had these donuts (from top L - R): blueberry, mango, almond, nutty chocolate, two oreos, two vanilla, icing sugar (I called it snowy hehehe), belgian chocolate, strawberry, and peanut butter. Sorry I don’t remember their actual names....

And the free ones are the original glazed donuts, yummy……

I’m still waiting for Krispy Kreme. And since KK is not in Malaysia (yet), this is a good substitute I guess…. Just so you know I think I ate four or five of them donuts…. Hahaha!

I’ve made plans with hubby to go there again this Saturday. This time we’re gonna have coffee and have our donuts there. Hmmm, and if I can think straight while I’m eating all those donuts, I might take more pictures.

Sometimes....

2007-06-12T10:07:00.000+08:00

Sometimes things just don’t work out the way you plan them. No matter how hard you plan and strategise and plan and counter-plan and plan some more, things just won’t work out the way you want them. Kinda puts you in your place, doesn’t it? That there is a bigger power at work, that there is a single entity that controls all things like the galaxies and the universe and the planets and the sun and the moon and the insignificant little speck of dirt that is you.

Aaah well, at least you tried. That makes all the difference. If you didn’t try and didn’t challenge yourself, it won’t mean anything. Time goes by, the world goes round still, and the planets move in their course. But the thing is that you tried. That means you rose to the challenge and attempted and struggled and made a great effort to change things. If they don’t work out, well, at least you tried.

Sometimes things just don’t work out the way you plan them….

Pain? What pain?

2007-06-07T17:13:00.000+08:00

My legs hurt. I know I should be blessed by the fact that I have two legs to walk, but I can’t help but to complain a little today. Oh ye, allow me to air my grouse....

The pain is some kind of dull throbbing in my knees and ankles. My joints hurt when I walk. I feel so frustrated! Here I am, trying my best to walk properly and the best that I can it seems is to resort to taking clumsy steps that prevent me from walking straight.

I am mortified and hope that nobody sees me, but too late. This morning the lady security guard asked me what was wrong with my legs. Can I walk, she asked. I forced a grin and told her I had sprained my ankle. There, a lie. It makes me feel even worse.

Strangers hold the door open for me and wait patiently while I shuffle along, trying to move fast so that they don’t have to wait on me too long. That happened twice today. Twice! And the day is not over yet.

I am walking to my office, a dozen things to do, and I just can’t move fast enough. I wish I could run, or moved faster, as fast as I used to. Sometimes, I’d wallow in self-pity; oh woe is me, why is this happening to me? Most times I would just blame myself. When that happens, I have to force myself and give myself a thorough shake-up.

Stop being such a weakling! It’s all in your head.
If you pretend it’s not there, then it isn’t.
If you want to be normal, you’d stop all these ridiculous whining.
If you want to be taken seriously, act like you’re ok.

Act it....
Act it....
Act it....
Play pretend long enough and it will be real....

Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

2007-06-06T17:17:00.000+08:00

I got a chance to catch this last week. I did not have such high expectations of this movie, what with it being the third instalment of the Pirates movie. That, plus the fact that the second Pirates was not so great and kind of forgettable. Well, to me anyway. So if you don’t have high expectations, you should not be so sorely disappointed right?

It’s a movie about pirates. Pirates have a code of conduct, the Pirate Code of the Brethren, a set of rules to live by, pirate’s oath of allegiance and all that…. and that includes double crossing everyone and anyone that you can. Savvy….?

The first 10 minutes or so into the movie I was confused. Mostly because I don’t really remember what had taken place in the second movie, and how everything ended where it did. The third movie picked up where it left off and we are thrown head first into the goings on of the rescuing of Capt Jack Sparrow from Davey Jones’ Locker at World’s End.

The movie moves fast, has lots of actions, contains many many subplots, and you’ll be taken for a real ride on choppy waters. You cheer for them, laugh with them, and hold your breath when they fight. What else can I say? It’s a pirate movie! A good swashbuckling swaggering movie!

The cast were all great (I’m being really generous here). Chow Yun-Fat was alright. Keith Richards looked ‘authentic’. And Depp was a great Jack Sparrow. Nay, Depp is Jack Sparrow, Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea.

At World’s End is a fun adventure. I’d say I enjoyed this more than I did Dead Man’s Chest. But my favourite will always be Curse of the Black Pearl.

Book: Ender’s Game

2007-05-31T16:44:00.000+08:00

This is my first sci-fi book this year. Though I don’t think I did read any sci-fi last year or the year before that. This was recommended by one of my friends, and to my delight, it was a fantastic book.

Ender’s Game follows the story of Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggins, a six year old boy who lives sometime in the future. Earth has gone through two battles with buggers, or insect-looking aliens, and is getting ready for the next invasion. We are introduced to Ender on the day when he has his monitor removed. The monitor, well…. it monitors his actions and behaviour and transmits this to the IF or the International Fleet, the organisation responsible for recruiting commanders for their starships to fight against the buggers.

Being a Third in a United States that only allows two children per family, Ender is always the object of scorn and ridicule, more so now that his monitor has been removed and no one is there to ‘protect’ him. Kids at school bully him and hate him for being the extremely intelligent child that he is. On the day his monitor is removed, Ender gets into a big fight and injures one of the kids badly.

A day after the fight at school, Ender receives a visit from the IF, who take him away to Battle School to begin training for military command. The Battle School is a space station, thus Ender has to leave his family behind. He doesn’t mind it much, as he dislikes his brother Peter, who has such contempt for Ender that he often threatens to kill Ender. However Ender will miss his sister Valentine, as she is the only one that he truly loves and cares for.

At Battle School we follow Ender through his strife and the many obstacles that stand in his way. He goes through a very tough time, even for a six-year-old genius. He is manipulated and pushed to the limit by his teachers. He is shunned and alienated by the other kids. It is here that I find the book most interesting. The tactical strategies of battle that Ender comes up with, the leadership qualities and how he commands respect, the unorthodox ways of teaching and leading his army: these are the things that make the novel great in my opinion.

I love Ender and I feel for him. I understand how harsh and challenging it can be when you’re different. Ender’s intellect, conduct, and his way of thinking and treating others are the things that make me love him so much. I just can’t explain how fantastic and creative and imaginative this novel is. I just love it to bits….

The novel won two awards for Orson Scott Card: the Nebula Award for best novel in 1985, and the Hugo Award for best novel in 1986. The Nebula and the Hugo are the two notable awards in science fiction. Hurray for Orson Scott Card!

Ender’s Game is highly recommended. And just another bit of info, the movie (based on the novel and its parallel novel, Ender’s Shadow) is currently under production. No cast list yet, but you can bet that I will wait to see it.

Oh wouldn't it be lover-ly?

2007-05-30T17:17:00.000+08:00

This entry is long overdue….

My birthday present from hubby were tickets to go watch the musical My Fair Lady, which was staged here in Kuala Lumpur form the 15th to the 20th of May. Hubby and I together with sis-in-law and her husband went to watch the 3pm show on Saturday the 19th at the Plenary Hall in KL Convention Centre. It was my first time watching a presentation in KLCC so I was really looking forward to being there.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself that day. The performance was good. I loved the singing and dancing and camaraderie between the actors. I thought it was splendid!

During the show however, kids were restless. Yup, kids. They allowed kids in there. I mean little kids. There should be some kind of regulation that says no kids below 6 or something like that. So that was a distraction.

And the difference between KLCC and Istana Budaya were the lax rules. In Istana Budaya, as is practised elsewhere where musicals and plays are concerned, once the doors are closed, they remain closed until intermission. If you were late, that’s too bad. You’d have to wait till intermission to get in. Not here though, people kept going in and out and that too was a distraction. Not good!

Maybe on their part they were trying to make theatre more ‘audience friendly’ so that it would appeal to all. But what good are first class facilities if you can’t have first class attitudes?

Much ado about 113.4 grams

2007-05-23T16:01:00.000+08:00

Today I shall show you how I eat my Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Yes, it’s a slow dull day….

First, unwrap your burger and place it in the middle of the wrapper. Put the top bun half aside. See all the chopped onions and gooey cheese? Yumm….

Next, take your fries and arrange them in a vertical fashion. Horizontal won’t work, because if done horizontally, the fries will fall apart when you bite into your burger. No chilli sauce. Sacrilegious! Ok, if you must… fine… add chilli sauce. Just so you know, ketchup’s way better…. but I don’t add anything to this burger.

Now fold the top half of the wrapper over your burger like so, and fold the bottom half also to form a little pocket.

Ta-raa! Now you can eat without messing up…. Enjoy!

When hubby and I were dating, I found that he also ate like this. Soulmates! Hahaha....

Birthday weekend

2007-05-18T17:17:00.000+08:00

I celebrated my birthday last Saturday. So it was a day for me, me and more me. Hubby and I took almost the whole day for our outing.

First we had to have our breakfast so we went to our favourite hangout. Where else but at the golden arches. Yep we went to McD’s. We both had the hotcakes, and were so stuffed we couldn’t move after that. But it was just the beginning of our outing so we dragged out butts off and went to Kota Damansara to check on the progress of our future home. It was coming along nicely. Hubby and I stopped at the clubhouse and looked at the area around surrounding the pool. What fun, can’t wait to move there!

After that we went to the Curve, and first stop was Borders. I promised myself not to buy anything, even though it was my birthday and I deserved at least that much of a treat. But no, we just spent time walking between the aisles. Well, I spent my time browsing the aisles, while hubby was seated comfortably with his book. I was satisfied with my ‘rounds’, as I had spent more time there than usual. We stayed at the bookstore for somewhat close to two hours. It was such great fun! Ok, for those of you who don’t know me, you must be thinking, “What a loser. What great fun is there is spending hours in a bookstore?” If you must know my life is filled with books. And one of my favourite hangouts is the bookstore. And one of my favourite smells is the smell of new books as soon as we enter the bookstore. Aaaaahhhhh…… relaxing……

Rumbling tummies signal the time for lunch. Off we marched across the street to Ikano to Fasta Pasta. Hubby ordered the pappardelle while I had the linguine. And we shared a Caesar’s salad. I guess it must have been for sharing as the portion was huge. But I must say that it was one of the best Caesar’s I’ve tasted thus far. It even outshone my linguine! Yumm!

Once in Ikano, we decided to stop by the Crocs store to take a look at the crocs sandals. Such ugly little things mind you. Well, they looked ugly in the beginning. And to our surprise, the store was jam packed with families, all looking for crocs for their kids. Whoa! We had earlier promised to try them on the next time we saw them on sale, because we wanted to know if they were really comfortable as claimed. Since they looked freaking ugly and yet many people own them they must be comfortable right? Right. And they’re so light. I mean when I read lightweight, I could imagine it being somewhat light. But to my surprise it was sooo light. Really really light, if you can imagine that. And the jibbitz! Wow so many and so cute…. By the way, jibbitz are the décor thingies you dress up your crocs with…. Ok I’d better stop, lest I sound like an ad. Oh one last thing, the crocs that look like thongs and ballet slippers don’t look too bad. Ok I’m done with crocs.

After this we went to Ikea. We went round the whole store, so you can imagine how tired I was after that. We went to look for a wedding gift too for a friend. After this I was just too tired to walk some more. We wanted to stop by Starbucks for a drink but it was so full, so we ditched that idea. We stopped at a McD’s drive thru on the way back to get some iced tea to quench our thirst.

What a truly exciting day it was. And I almost forgot. Hubby presented me with my birthday present while we were at Fasta Pasta with such style and gusto. Haha, he simply set it on the table after we finished our meal. It was tickets to watch My Fair Lady tomorrow at the KL Convention Centre! Oooooh, the best gift I’ve ever received! So I’m off to see the musical tomorrow. What fun!

Someone's 'ead restin' on my knee,
Warm an' tender as 'e can be.
'ho takes good care of me,
Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?
Loverly, loverly, loverly, loverly….

Book: Stardust

2007-05-18T16:29:00.000+08:00

Stardust is the second Neil Gaiman novel I’ve read this year, the first being Neverwhere.

Stardust tells the story of Tristran Thorn, who dwells in the village of Wall. The village of Wall is next to a meadow where every nine years folks from all over congregate for a fair, including folks from Faerie, a place beyond the meadows. Stardust begins with a story of Tristran’s father and follows him to the point where Tristran was born. We understand from the very start that Tristran is special, and different from the others at Wall.

The story then takes flight when Tristran, a young man now, makes a somewhat rash promise of bringing back a fallen star for the most beautiful girl in Wall, Victoria Forrester. In return Victoria must give him whatever he so desires. And thus we follow Tristran on his quest to find the fallen star, journeying through Faerie and meeting its many colourful folk, some with malicious desires of their own.

This fantasy romance (if I may call it such) is a very interesting story. It reads like a fairy tale, but it is more ‘evil’ and probably more ‘adult’ than the fairy tales that we’ve grown up with. I enjoyed it immensely and was somewhat sad to finish the book. A good read indeed.

Movie: Spiderman-3

2007-05-10T15:54:00.000+08:00

After the exciting first and second movie, we are given a third instalment of the boy-next-door superhero Spiderman. We see Peter Parker as finally being able to juggle his everyday life with girlfriend Mary Jane and his superhero life.

With three villains in this movie (new Goblin, Sandman, and Venom) I thought this was going to be really exciting. Well, suffice to say that I was a wee bit disappointed. There was so much going on, drama and sub-stories and I was a little overwhelmed. Well, the director was probably trying to tell his tale, and trying to answer questions. Ok I got that. But where’s the magic that was in the first two movies?

I felt like the movie took so much time dawdling here and there. The fight sequence should be fantastic too right, considering Spidey has three nemeses? Wrong. I felt like there was no oomph to the scenes, and the only duel I enjoyed was between Spidey and Harry, which was the first duel scene. After that it was just too busy with stuff going on everywhere.

Maybe it was sitting in the second row that made me not enjoy the movie so much, so it’s not fair for me to be so harsh. I did enjoy it. Well, not really. My exact words were, ‘It was ok’.

So if you want to watch an ok movie, go ahead. After all it is Spiderman. Perhaps you’ll get better seats and who knows? You’d find it more enjoyable than I did.

A prelude to spidey

2007-05-10T15:01:00.000+08:00

Last Wednesday I went to catch Spiderman 3 at the cinemas. It being a public holiday and Spiderman 3 a newly released movie, I couldn’t book tickets online. Well, coz I was about a week late. Well, I forgot that the cinema accepted advanced booking and had advanced ticket sales as well.

We got to GSC in Mid Valley Megamall at about 9.20 a.m. and already a queue was forming. Hubby joined the queue and told me to go get breakfast from McD’s and to wait for him there. So I bought us breakfast and chose to sit at the counter with the stools, underneath the huge double arches of McDonald’s. So I sat and I waited and I ate and I waited. The queue grew longer and longer and snaked its way through all the way to McD’s, and it wasn’t even ten yet. The cinema counters opened at ten, but by 9.45 the queue had almost reached in front of where I was sitting.

When the counters opened, they had to make special announcements stating which counters would sell only Spidey tickets, and which shows were already sold out. Even though they mentioned that the first show had been sold out, the crowd didn’t thin out. Instead it grew even longer! It went all the way past the double arches where I was sitting and grew all the way to the entrance to the Gold Class! Look at these photos….

This was taken before 10 a.m.

This was taken at about 10.15 am.

Hmmm, Malaysians really love their movies, don’t they?

So how was Spidey you ask?

Well that’s another entry altogether….

Movie: TMNT

2007-05-07T22:22:00.000+08:00

This is the third and last of my 'opinions' on the three movies I watched recently. Well, I watched Spiderman 3 too, but that will have to wait....

TMNT

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV. They were the coolest talking animal superheroes. And they coloured our vocabulary with words such as ‘cowabunga’ and ‘dude’. So I was really excited at having these turtles being made into an animated movie this year.

I watched the movie some weeks ago, and I was impressed. Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo reunite once again to fight off some evil monsters who appear every several thousand years or so. I found the story quite enjoyable to tell you the truth. At first I was quite disappointed to see the animation of the human characters. They were kinda lame, like your average cartoon. But then the turtles came and the monsters came. And they were cool. (See…. I sound like a kid now). The turtles were really awesome with their CGI and after a while, I sort of forgot they were all CGI. Yes they were that credible.

I really liked the movie and I think most of the adults at the cinema did too. The kids, well, the kids were squirming in their seats after a while, so I guess it wasn’t much fun for them as it was for us thirty somethings.

I would recommend it to all, especially to all the 80s kids.

Movie: Mukhsin

2007-04-23T17:26:00.000+08:00

The second in a series of three movies that I watched was Yasmin Ahmad’s Mukhsin. So here’s what I think….

Mukhsin
I always look forward to watching films by Yasmin Ahmad. I like her style; clean and simple. Her stories are a sheer pleasure to watch.

Mukhsin is the tale of Orked, at age 10. We already know Orked from Sepet and Gubra. Here she is the younger version of the intelligent witty girl that we’ve grown to love.

Mukhsin relates the story of Mukhsin the new boy in the village and his friendship with Orked. Mukhsin first sees Orked as a replacement player in a traditional game of galah panjang. He is then intrigued by this girl, who does not act like the other girls in the village. She doesn’t enjoy playing house or masak-masak, but enjoys reading and watching football. And before he knows it, Mukhsin is in love with Orked. This is after all, a tale of first loves.

I am sure Mukhsin brings back memories of the things we used to do when we were kids; the tree climbing, the bicycling, the galah panjang games. Mohd Syafie Naswip and Sharifah Aryana both did a fantastic job playing the parts of Mukhsin and Orked. I love their acting, I love the sceneries, and I love the music…. Especially Nina Simone’s Ne me quitte pas… so sad and haunting… so so sad…..

Watch it, as it’s one of the best movies that I am proud to call Malaysian….

Movie: 300

2007-04-17T17:04:00.000+08:00

I watched three movies recently. Well, not so recently… Sometime back…. Anyway here are just my opinions on them. I wouldn’t exactly call them reviews, just opinions, ok. We’ll start with this one.

300
Frank Miller’s 300. The first time I saw the trailer I was actually not at all intrigued to watch the movie. After being badgered repeatedly by them on tv, my husband suggested we go watch the show. I agreed albeit a bit reluctantly. After all, it is Frank Miller’s comic turned movie, and since we enjoyed Sin City, we thought we should give this movie a chance.

300 tells the story of King Leonidas of Sparta, who fought in the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans went up against the Persian King Xerxes and his army of a million. This battle of epic proportions shows the 300 Spartans choosing to fight to the last man rather than having Sparta submit to Xerxes and the Persian Empire.

Putting aside all the controversies that surround the movie, the historical inaccuracy, and the negative depiction of Persians, I must say that personally 300 was actually very enjoyable. The battle scenes though bloody and gory were intensely appealing. Surprisingly, I was looking forward to all the battle scenes and was quite bored with the story of King Leonidas’ wife, Queen Gorgo who was back in Sparta rallying for support for her husband.

The landscape (though CGI) was beautiful, the images were arresting, and the Spartans…. *sigh* well… the Spartans were just beautiful. Let’s just leave it at that.

The story was ok, but the battle scenes…. the battle scenes were what made this movie so appealing to me. I loved it.

Hotcakes? Yummmm....

2007-04-13T17:32:00.000+08:00

Ok ok, I now I haven't been updating. Blame work, blame tv, blame social life, blame Second Life....

The good news is I have been reading my books. The bad news is I haven't found the time to write the reviews....

Anyway, I want to dedicate this post to McD's hotcakes, which I had about a fortnight ago. This reminded me of the time when I was at the airport in Sydney, when I first had them. That was like eons ago. Yummy....

I really enjoyed the three hotcakes, with the butter and syrup. McD's is kind enough to give two packs of butter for three hotcakes, but I forgot to take a picture and only took these after my first bite. Couldn't resist....

And thanks to McD's also for providing a generous amount of syrup to drown my hotcakes in. See the buttery syrupy goo that my hotcakes are in? I'd definitely go back for more. Yumm....

Till next post, mudslinger says have a great weekend!

Books Read and Unread....

2007-02-22T11:43:00.000+08:00

I was reading through Josette’s blog Books Love Me, and saw this meme. So here goes….

Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a 10 foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.

1. + The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. + Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. + To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. + The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. + The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. + The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. * Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. * A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. + Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. + Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. * A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. + Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. + Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. * Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. + Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. + Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. + The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. + The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. + Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. + Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. * Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. + 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. * The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. * The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. + The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. * The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. * Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. + The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. * The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. + Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. * The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. + Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. * Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. + Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. * The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. * The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. * Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. + Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. * Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. * Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. * The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. * Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. + Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. * In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. + Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. * The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I didn’t cross out any, because there might always be the possibility of my picking it up in the future….

What's with the attitude?!?

2007-02-13T17:19:00.000+08:00

I have a grouse of sorts…. It’s been bugging me every time I’m faced with it, but I keep forgetting to write about it. So here goes….

Hubby and I - we like to go gallivanting here and there. And most of the time it will take up most of the day. So because of this we often perform our prayers at suraus or prayer rooms provided at the various shopping malls.

Every time I go to these suraus, I will feel like a hypocrite - my intention is to pray and yet I will leave the surau with bad feelings. You see, whenever I meet anyone there I’ll try to look at them and catch their eye and the very least smile. Sometimes the ladies who are there smile back. Most of the time, they don’t. And I’m like wtf?? Isn’t smiling a sedekah?

It also pisses me when some people come into the surau and proceed with their prayers oblivious to others who are there. I’m not saying that you should be a chatterbox and try to talk to everyone, but what’s wrong with smiling, nodding your head or even giving the salaam. Odd isn’t it? Aren’t all Muslims brothers and sisters? And yet here, in the place where you come to perform your solat, you look at people from the corner of your eyes. And when we all share the mirror to put on our tudungs, you jeling-jeling and tengok orang semacam. Apa masalah kau? Ini surau, tempat beribadat. Tempat merendahkan diri, bukan tempat hipokrit. Solat tonggang tonggek, dengan sesama muslimah pun tak tau nak senyum.

See, I’m so pissed that it’s got me rambling in BM.

That Boyz II Men Thing....

2007-02-06T11:56:00.000+08:00

This entry is so long overdue. But nonetheless, I’ve got to put it in as it marked a special moment in my life.

Two weekends ago, hubby and I went to Genting to catch the Boyz II Men concert. We went on Saturday, the 27th and took the bus and skyway up. We got there at about 2.30 p.m. and collected our tickets at the Arena of Stars. Then we checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Theme Park Hotel, which was merely a stone’s throw from the Arena of Stars. I’d purposely avoided the First World Hotel, coz the last time we were there (in 2004) we were not so happy with the room. It was so minute! Okay, so I digress….

We went to the First World Plaza and had a fun time taking loads of pics, which incidentally you’ll not see here (to keep my anonymity as mudslinger). We went back to the hotel at about 5.30 p.m., just enough time to rest before the concert. Doors opened at 7, so we wanted to be there by then - which meant we had to skip dinner, and have supper.

The show it self was amazing. We were so ecstatic and we had fun singing and dancing to old faves like On Bended Knee, Four Seasons of Loneliness, I’ll Make Love to You, and newer stuff from their latest album. They ended with a great performance of End of the Road, and an even greater rousing rendition of Motownphilly for the encore.

All in all, it was a great performance and we left the Arena with sore throats (and hungry tummies). We were lucky that there was a Coffee Bean at the lobby of our Hotel. So that’s where we had yummy chicken pie and lasagne. And we sat there and chit-chatted the night away, reliving the experience.

The next day, we had breakfast at the Resort Hotel. It was so cold that day in Genting! It was freezing and misty. After breakfast and a short tv watching session, we packed our bags, and checked out at noon. Then we headed to First World Plaza again for lunch, before heading back to the skyway station to take the cable car and bus down.

It was so much fun. The weekend seemed longer than two days, probably coz of the many activities that we did. Fun fun fun!

Movie: Little Miss Sunshine

2007-01-23T10:38:00.000+08:00

Olive dreams of becoming a beauty queen like Miss America. However, she is by no means the ‘pageant’ type - she’s bespectacled and slightly plump. But her dream is on its way of becoming reality when through some default or other she gets to go to California and take part in the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Her whole family then goes on a cross country trip in their family’s VW van.

Olive’s family is made up of dad, Richard who’s a motivational speaker and is down on his luck, and mum, Sheryl, who is a chain smoker and probably on the verge of a breakdown trying to cope with raising the family. Olive’s brother, Dwayne is a high school kid who has taken a vow of silence and will not speak until he is allowed to join the Air Force. They are joined by the angry and sullen Grandpa who was kicked out of retirement home for his heroine snorting. Add to this bunch Olive’s uncle, Frank (Sheryl’s brother) who has just been released from the hospital and has to be under supervision as he had earlier slit his wrists as his love goes unrequited from his student.

See how they cope being with one another throughout the trip, their resentment, their anger, their love towards one another, and the way they cope with issues like death. It’s sad at times and makes you think of your own family, as I’m sure there’s an oddball in every family.

The movie is both fun and funny, especially the end, during the pageant itself. I can’t tell you any more lest I spoil your movie experience. Watch it and you’ll be surprised.

Neverwhere, Ludmilla and the Sunday Philosophers

2007-01-22T15:08:00.000+08:00

On Saturday, hubby and I went to Borders at the Curve. It’s time for me to get more books, since I’ve finished PD James’ book. After about an hour of surveying all the titles in the aisles, I finally decided on the Buy 3 for the price of 2 promo.

My purchases were decided by these facts:
1) I’ve never read works by those authors,
2) I’ve always wanted to read their works, and
3) Never judge a book by its cover.

I guess these books on offer were older compared to those on the shelves in the aisles, as some looked like their pages were turning yellow. So you know what that meant. Yup, that meant that I spent another good 10 - 15 minutes looking for copies that were:
1) Not dog-eared,
2) Not torn or defaced
3) The most close-to-perfect copy

I could sense the security guard from the corner of my eye, probably wondering what this crazy girl was doing… Taking out all the books and putting them all back save one.

And my purchases were:

Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere
I’d always wanted to read Gaiman, and now I had the chance to choose between Neverwhere, Stardust and Anansi Boys. I chose the first, and I hope it is okay for a first -timer like me.

DBC Pierre’s Ludmilla’s Broken English
I found the premise interesting, and thought I’d buy it, even though I would have loved to read Vernon God Little. Alas, Vernon was not on offer so I had to keep that one for later.

Alexander McCall Smith's The Sunday Philosophy Club
I guess now is a good time as any to start on McCall Smith.

So there it is, my bedtime reading for the next few weeks. I plan to start on Gaiman tonight, followed by McCall Smith and Pierre. That should keep me occupied till end of February.

Our Nando's escapades

2007-01-18T17:20:00.000+08:00

My hubby and I enjoy Nando’s meals. We have great fun when we have a Nando’s outing. At least I do anyway. The outlets that we mostly go to are the ones in Sunway Pyramid (close to home), KLCC (close to parents’-in-law’s home) and at times, MidValley (close to MPH - heh heh).

Last year we had this card thingy where after a certain number of visits, (fourth, I think) we were entitled to a chocolate mud pie dessert, and after our seventh visit we could get a half-chicken free. I realised that we were five days to 2007 and we have yet to go for our target half-chicken. So I pestered my husband non-stop till we got to go there again.

My husband didn’t mind it either way. I on the other hand told him that since we spent so much on Nando’s every year, we should go after our ‘prize’. So what happened was that we ended up having our meals in Nando’s for dinner on the 29th of December and our lunch on the 30th of December. Talk about having a Nando’s affliction!

And since I promised some photos in my blog, I present to you… ta-raa! They’re amateur pics, I warn you….

This is my favourite meal at Nando’s. A quarter chicken, with rice and coleslaw. Some chips were from hubby. And make it extra hot peri-peri. (My mouth began to water as I’m typing this).

And this is hubby’s favourite. A half-chicken with chips AND peri chips. And make his mild peri-peri. I tell you, one of these days we will surely be banned from Nando’s. Look at the amount of ketchup on my husband’s plate!

Okay, so you can probably tell by now. I love Nando’s.

Hmm, they should make us VIP customers and give us our on table since we go there so often....

Book: The Children of Men

2007-01-18T08:36:00.000+08:00

Imagine a world where there are no children. Imagine a future where the youngest of all human beings are 25 year olds. Where the population are unable to breed. No more births, no more life, no more existence.

That's the premise of this story. Seen through the eyes of the protagonist Dr Theo Faron, who happens to be the cousin of the Warden of England, Xan Lyppiatt.

The book follows Theo's encounter with a bunch of 'dissidents' who seek his help in changing the country, nay the world. His is thrown into their cause and tangled in their lives, especially after finding out that one of them is pregnant.

Truly an engaging read. This is my first PD James book, and I'm intrigued to read more. Indeed a great writer, she manages to paint a plausible albeit desolate and hopeless future.

This is being made into a movie starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore. But my advice? Read the book first. There will probably be changes in the storyline or the events, as in the case of all books-turned-novel.

Of books, movie tie-ins and such....

2007-01-09T15:52:00.000+08:00

I have started on my new book, Children of Men. I’ve always wanted to read this book, but never got to it, and now I’m desperately trying to finish it. Why? Coz it’s been made into a movie. And you know how I feel about watching a movie before reading the book. It’s like never done. Except in some cases when I didn’t know the movie was based on a book (like The Prestige). Or if the movie itself is not a big blockbuster-ish touted-to-be-movie-of-the-year kind (like Grisham’s Skipping Christmas, which was made into Christmas With The Kranks).

And then now with this particular movie, I just have to finish the book first. Are you kidding? With all the hoopla that’s been going round, I’m lucky that I still haven’t crumbled under the sheer pressure of it and bring the book to work and read a few pages now and then. And I’m frantically trying my best to not look at any trailers or movie related sites. That’s quite a feat, considering my fast internet connection at work, what with us being ‘multimedia’ and all.

And to top it off, my bro-in-law has a copy of the DVD, and he’s seen the movie, and he’s saying it’s a great movie (and no, he didn’t know it’s from a book). Ask me no questions about the existence of this DVD, and I’ll tell you no lies. Suffice to know that it has some Russian written on it.

Anyway, back to my story, I’m setting aside all my nights to read this book. No late night tv watching. Have to sacrifice a bit. I really need to finish this before being bombarded with all the trailers and what-nots on tv or on the net. So far I’ve managed to keep out all images (except for Clive Owen and Julianne Moore) so that they don’t distract me in my reading. I don’t want to know what the characters look like or how the setting is or the environment of the whole movie lest it screws up with my own mental image of the story. So far (well, up to chapter 9 anyway) the story is really riveting. I just need some quiet time to read and hopefully I’ll get to finish it by this week. Hurray!

Oh I just want to mention this. I haven’t blogged in quite a bit. Been meaning to do so, since it’s the New Year and all. Wanted to do like a countdown thingy but didn’t have enough time. Will promise to do better this year. And with pictures too, courtesy of my brother. He’s being a kind lad and let me borrow (indefinitely?) his Sony Ericsson walkman phone, so I’ve snapped quite a bit. Now I just have to figure out how to transfer those pics to my blog.

So watch out for the upcoming entries in technicolour! Heh heh….

I can't think of a decent title right now

2006-12-27T18:53:00.000+08:00

I remember some time early this year, I said to myself... I'm gonna read 24 books or more this year. But alas, look at my sidebar, I only managed a mere 17, which is way way below 24, and even three books short of last year's record. Hmmm, how do I read 2 or more books per month? I just don't have the time.... Wish I could just stay at home, read books, watch tv and laze about and not go to work. Don't we all????

Well at least I managed to read some 'serious' books, i.e. prize winners and classics. Haha, looks like I'm going back to being a 'book snob'. But seriously, I should read more classics and award winning books. I mean, they have to be good right, considering the awards they've garnered?

On another note, I'll be finishing up with this book by Weisberger, and am looking forward to going to either Kino or Borders to pick up new stuff for the new year. Yippee!!!! By the way, I must add that I didn't find this book as entertaining as her first book (The Devil Wears Prada). Hmmm, guess it's tough when you've got a best seller on your hands and you're expected to come up with more good stuff which have to be lots better or at least at par with your previous works. Sort of setting a high benchmark for yourself and having to go over it higher and higher each time as you write more and more. Writers, authors, directors, producers, actors, I guess it's the same for all creative types. JK Rowling for example, do you think she'll ever come up with something better than her multimillion pound Harry Potter series? She might (never say never!) or then again, she might not.... It must be terribly difficult for her.... I must say I don't envy her one bit at this point. I guess that's why they're the ones writing books, and I'm still struggling with maintaining a blog!

King William and Queen Kate??

2006-12-13T16:39:00.000+08:00

*Sigh*

I am so ulu and possibly the last to know anything. I just read that Prince William (swoon swoon) will possibly propose to his girlfriend this Christmas (that is, if he hasn’t already). Kate Middleton, you lucky girl you! The two have been dating for three years I think…

He’s so….. *sigh*…. handsome. And rugged. And that voice. And that accent….

How cute can they be?

William and Kate.

Has a nice ring to it.

William and Kate.

I like…..

William and Kate.

Britney's Happily-Ever-After?

2006-11-08T11:55:00.000+08:00

Alas, it has happened. What many have speculated will happen one day has happened. How does this affect me? It doesn’t in any way. But it’s sad. For a woman to be divorced is really sad. My mum went through it, so I know. Being a kid who grew up without a father figure is tough, but hey, I managed and I turned out alright (even if I do say so myself).

But then again, it is now 2006. Being a divorced woman or a single parent is not such a big deal today as it was way back in the early 80s.

Besides, I don’t think K-Fed is such a great father figure….

So Brit, heads up and don’t shed a tear. You’re probably doing the right thing.

*sighs and goes back to humdrum of non-Hollywood life*

Crying over an ad

2006-10-18T09:01:00.000+08:00

I just watched the Petronas ad for Hari Raya. I was in my office early this morning and got the ad sent through email from my brother. I watched it eagerly expecting Petronas to ‘do it again’ i.e. to tug at the heartstrings and to make us cry. Well I was not disappointed.

It was really emotionally charged. After watching it, I called my brother and told him off for making me cry at 8.15 in the morning. You have to watch it yourself and get involved and engulfed in all these emotions that just…. *sigh* words just fail me at this moment….

I just want to go home and hug my mother and tell her I’m sorry and tell her I love her and ask for her forgiveness….

*sniff sniff sniff…. *

p/s: watch it at petronas hari raya ad

When mudslinger really is mudslinging....

2006-10-10T11:34:00.000+08:00

“So how come you don’t read my blog?”
“Cause you talk about work, what you did, what you will do, what you did at work, what you will do at work, and what you did over the weekend…it’s just you and what you did,” she replied.

Gee, thanks a lot sis…. So that’s why you don’t come around no more. And of course, the fact that I have left my blog to the dogs. Rarely updating. Always too busy with… she’s right. I’m always too busy with what I did and what I will do.

Well, that’s my blog. I can’t write stuff like you, all the hopes and wishes and dreams and (sometimes unrealistic) portrayal of everyday situations. Well maybe that’s cause you see the special something in mundane stuff. I call ‘em as I see ‘em.

If I were to write half the things that I felt or saw or experienced this would turn into your weekly cerekarama. I mean, with all the problems that I go through with members of the family, heck, there’d be no end to my rants.

For the sake of my piece today, let’s take what happened this morning. I can easily write that I’m fed up with my family: disappointed with my mother, sad for my youngest sister and hope that the struggling business man of a stepfather would get rich already. Then they can all move out of this house that we’ve generously provided, and we can all get on with our lives. No more lying, badmouthing, regretting, pointing fingers and hysterical crying. But why would I want to do that?

For one, this is what the malays would call ‘meludah ke langit’ or ‘cubit paha kanan’ or something to that effect. You do something that will actually disgrace yourself. ‘Spit into the sky’ and the spit will fall back on your face. ‘Pinch your right thigh’, and the left one feels the pain as well.

For another, life is too short to dwell on all these horrid moments of my life. Sure these are my feelings, sure I feel hurt. But to write it down for the world to see means having to relive the pain and anger and disappointment and who needs that? The world is full of sadness and injustices as it is. Why add to that?

But sometimes I contradict myself. After all, I am human. Let me be the walking contradiction.

I am in no means perfect, so why should my life be?

Dearly beloved tv shows....

2006-09-19T17:40:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was Criminal Minds day. I got home late from work and only managed to watch the second half. *Sigh* It was the episode with the psycho kid. Mondays are always gonna be ‘full’ for me. Look at my schedule:

9.30 - 10.30: Criminal Minds (8TV)
10.00 - 11.00: House (AXN)
10.30 - 11.30: Prison Break / now LOST (8TV)
11.00 - 12.00: Nip/Tuck (AXN)

How am I supposed to watch everything like that? Lucky me, now Lost is showing instead, as Prison Break has ended its first season run on TV. Hmmm, must watch second season quick…. And Nip/Tuck is on till midnight, so that’s a pass as I need my sleep.

Today is Desperate Housewives day. And last week, I thought I could take my own sweet time and read the papers while waiting for DH to start on 8TV. I flipped through The Star, and there it was, a full page reminder to catch Grey’s Anatomy’s Second Season on NTV7 at 8.30. Waaaah! I looked at the clock and it was already 9! Damn it! Ran upstairs and plonked myself in front of the tv for that.

Recently with Animax on Astro, I find myself pressing Channel 75 at every available moment. I love to watch Paradise Kiss and Honey and Clover, which are incidentally today also!

My going on and on about tv is really crazy. I need more hours so that I can watch more tv!

Dr Reid, I love you....

2006-09-12T17:21:00.000+08:00

So much for my operation: revival! That’s ok. I’ll just start over....

So yesterday, I watched one of my current favourite tv shows, Criminal Minds. I started watching like the third episode of the series and have missed about two in between then and yesterday’s 10th (I think) episode. The show is about a bunch of FBI profilers who work for the Behavioural Analysis Unit in Quantico. I think that’s what they originally named the series - Quantico. It was aired in September last year in the US (if I got my points right) and will now be on its second season.

Cast:
Special Agent Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin)
Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson)
Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini)
Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore)
Special Agent Dr Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler)
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, (AJ Cook)
(Source: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/criminal_minds/about.shtml)

Anyway, each of these profilers brings their own expertise to the group and they solve murders and kidnapping and such.

I love it because they’re a bunch of people who’ve got skills and solve each problem in a logical manner. They think like the criminal in order to catch the criminal. And they use cool lingo like unsub (unidentified subject).

No, I lied. I actually love the show because of Dr Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), the young genius with the three PhDs. Dr Reid is so cool in an uncool, nerdy, geeky sort of way. He’s just so 'comel' with his floppy hair parted and pushed behind his ears, and his sentences are just so adorable….

Agent Hotchner: This is Special Agent Dr. Reid.
Man: Oh, you look too young to have gone to medical school.
Dr Reid: They are Ph.D.'s, three of them.
Man: What, are you a genius or something?
Dr Reid: I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, can read 20,000 words per minute.
[pause]
Dr Reid: Yes, I'm a genius.

Long live Criminal Minds….

time to come back to blogging....

2006-08-22T18:17:00.000+08:00

aiyaa... my blog is dying already. i cannot blame anyone but me. i have been too busy with work. changes in the office and the organisational structure caused all this neglect. oh my beloved blog, no wonder i was so stressed and felt overwhelmed at times. i didn't get a chance to rant!

not to worry. time for a revival. i'll be gone in the next two days for in-house training, but i'll be back on friday, if not monday.

time for operation: revival!

Swamped!

2006-04-17T19:35:00.000+08:00

I have been so busy with work - swamped is more like it - that my blog is suffering, nay dying. My superior (is that PC for boss?) is VP and it seems like he's got more and more work saddled on his shoulders in the past couple of months. I am not burdened by this, rather I feel like I’ve neglected my duties as I’m covering for another staff who’s on maternity leave. Come to think of it, I’m answerable to him, rather than this other staff’s superior. But what can I do? Grin and bear it in ol’ mudslinger fashion (and bitch about it sometimes, some being the key word here).

Hubby and I watched V for Vendetta the other day. Must say I liked it quite a bit. People must be wondering how I can watch movies when I’m complaining that I’m so busy. Well, weekends should stay weekends and be free of work. So once Friday evening comes strolling in, I chuck my work for more pleasurable pursuits.

And I’m still tying to read at night. I’ve still got my goal of reading at least 24 books this year. Hope I can do that. On my 7th book now.

Till tomorrow… or whenever it is I get the chance to blog….

Tomorrow my blog is one!

2006-04-05T23:21:00.000+08:00

I am one year old! Errr, my blog is anyway. Hurray!
Go check out my first entry, way back in 2005.
Feels like it was ages ago....

The Magnificent Slevin

2006-04-04T09:34:00.000+08:00

I really don’t have time for this. But if there’s one movie you just have to watch this month, it should be Lucky Number Slevin. It’s really one of the best I’ve seen this year. Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, snappy dialogue, great camera work, need I say more?

Most recommended. Watch it while the cinema is still empty, and before word gets out and people come in droves.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you….

I was not here

2006-03-23T18:43:00.000+08:00

me.
too.
busy.
busy.
for.
words.
no.
time.
to.
blog.
*sigh*

Thumbing through reality

2006-02-27T16:29:00.000+08:00

What the heck happened to my weekend? There I was on Friday, full of ideas on how to spend my two lovely long days off work. I was going to finish reading my book, start a new one, play some PS2 games and watch tv.

And what did I accomplish? I managed to watch some tv, read a little and played hours of PS2. It was like ‘lepas gian’ time. It wasn’t some hotshot game I was playing. It was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. My brother doesn’t have any of these kinds of games. His are all racing and racing and more racing. Maybe racing is putting it down a bit. I think he has several Need for Speed games. And Grand Theft Auto. Or am I mistaking him for someone else?

So back to HP, it was courtesy of Kimmy, his girlfriend. I had loads of fun. On Friday night, my left thumb was pink and by Saturday afternoon it was bright pink and basically I had lost all my senses. Probably all the nerve endings were numbed from the constant jamming on the control pad.

Saturday afternoon, my mama, brother, two sisters and I spent the time just talking about stuff. We reminisced about events that happened while we were growing up and had lots of laughs. Some things some of us forgot, so it was fun to remind each other of all our follies and achievements.

That evening, hubby and I went to hubby’s parents’ house and we had dinner there. Then we watched tv and saw Vanity Fair on Astro. Sunday passed by so quickly that before I knew it, it was time to go to sleep. *sigh* Another weekend goes by….

And the other one is so far in sight….

I'm the kinda girl who likes to bla bla....

2006-02-22T12:25:00.000+08:00

Helloooooo…. It’s good to be able to write something today. So much has happened since I was away from this blogging desk. Well, so much in my non-eventful life anyway.

My last post was like last Monday. I had been so caught up in work that I seriously didn’t even have time to go to the washroom. It’s like everything was stuck in my head until it became like an overcrowded notice board and things kept being added to my mind and yet nothing was taken out and everything just wanted to spill out and so I had to regurgitate everything down to paper. That gave my mind some peace as well as put things into perspective, as when every little detail was on paper, work seemed at lot more manageable.

Open Day came and went. All the arrangements, all the decisions made, all the misunderstanding, all the crazy emails going back and forth, all of it came together on that one day last Saturday. The culmination of it all was actually a very enjoyable event. Yes, even though I had to work on a Saturday. I would be lying through my teeth if I said I didn’t enjoy it. What’s not to enjoy? We get to sit in a booth and meet parents and prospective students. We didn’t have that many tasks at hand and we were able to mingle with the other staff of the University. It was more like a fun social event for me. I talked to many people whom I only saw once in a blue moon. We exchanged news and stories. We compared notes from the different faculty staff. We had fun.

On Sunday, my parents-in-law treated hubby and I, as well as sis-in-law to Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical. It was playing to a full house at Istana Budaya. I saw that the tickets for all the shows were all sold out. I enjoyed the whole performance. I thought they all did a good job, and it’s definitely a boost for Malaysian theatre.

I took Monday off from work. I had to go to the hospital to get my supply of medicines. I thought I had had enough to last me till next Wednesday, which is when I’ll be seeing my doctor, but my last antibiotic tablet was only till Sunday night.

Oh, I’m also happy to say that I bought two books from Borders, the Curve last Saturday – Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld and I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. So right now I’m reading Prep. I’m enjoying it a lot. Can’t wait to go home and continue reading it tonight. For the past two nights I’ve been sleeping at midnight just so I could get at least two chapters done. Wanted to buy more books, but the financial situation didn’t allow it. Heh…

Alrighty then, it’s time to go do some more work, seeing that I’ve taken quite some time to write this. It’s good to be click-clacking on the keyboard again…. Aaaaaaahhhhh………..

Great gasping....

2006-02-13T11:34:00.000+08:00

I have been so busy that I had no time to update my blog. At work, I barely have time to go to the washroom. When I get home, I’m too pooped out to do anything. That and the fact that the PC would be taken by hubby.

Right now, I’m just stealing ten minutes to type this and to ‘update’ my blog. Nothing much has happened. I finished reading The Great Gatsby. I’m looking for something new to read this week. I have a company dinner to attend this Thursday. I might be working this Saturday as we’re having our Open Day. And if we’re lucky, hubby and I might get to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical courtesy of the parents-in-law.

That’s it for mudslinger news….
Adios, and have a productive week ahead!

Sure, I'd love to do it!

2006-02-07T16:45:00.000+08:00

You know how it is at work. Sometimes you are asked to do something extra. Something that was not listed in your job specifications. So what do you do? Do you just shirk the responsibility and give some plausible excuse from the top of your head as to why you don’t want the to do the job? Do you decline politely and say that you really have a lot on your plate right now? Or do you grin and accept it, as it is a ‘great opportunity for you to contribute to your university’?

When one of the influential members of the powers-that-be call you personally to ask for this favour, you are left with no choice really. It's either do it and everybody’s happy, or don’t do it and face the wrath that you may cause for saying no. It might not be that bad. Probably you will be ‘blacklisted’ from company events, your name said only in hushed tones. If by any chance your name comes up in conversation, you will be spoken off in contempt. You will be the example used in telling moral tales of what not to do in cases of ‘voluntary work for the good of the company’. You will be remembered as the rank insubordinate, destined to go nowhere but down into some hellhole department that nobody in the company knew existed. Worst case scenario, your existence will not be acknowledged by anyone in that company.

It is with these thoughts in mind that yours truly became a yellow spineless jellyfish who has now been entrusted to write something for a company event.

*mudslinger belly-swims under a rock to hide*

A cut above nostalgia

2006-02-06T16:52:00.000+08:00

I got my hair cut on Saturday. I went to the neighbourhood hair salon in Taman Melawati, since we were at my in-laws’ house. When I was getting my hair cut, I realised that it was probably gonna cost me like RM15 or so. Cheap right? Well, yes if you compare it to the hair salons that you can find nowadays. The ones with English or exotic names and have male and female stylists who speak with an accent. No, sir. I went to the ordinary kedai kerinting rambut that has been in operation for many years.

Aaah, the kedai kerinting rambut. You know, the one where you can get Chinese tea served to you in those cups with covers and all? Now they don’t serve Chinese tea though, but they have signs in the shop saying that drinks are being sold at reasonable prices. This is the kind of salon where they sell all kinds of supplements like the mengkudu juice from Polynesia. This is the shop where mothers bring reluctant kids to cut off their locks. This is the place where the owner and her daughter wok together, with the owner sporting a short permed hairstyle and her daughter streaks of blonde in her auburn long locks. This is the shop where the radio plays Chinese music endlessly. In the small tables underneath the mirror in front of you, you can see stacks of magazines illustrating the ‘latest’ hairstyles from the 80s (with models complete with shoulder pads).

I have always had my hair cut in these small neighbourhood salons. One time, I tried going to a fancier place but I was appalled to find that it would cost me about RM 40 for a cut. So I thought, forget about it. I have been going to these salons since I was a little kid, tagging along with my mother. I remember looking at the ladies eating kuaci in between customers. That was where I tasted my first kuaci. I recall the smells of the various lotions and chemicals used in the salons. I can still hear the loud whooshing sounds of the hairdryers and the snip-snip of the sharp scissors. I remember them all as vividly as if it were yesterday. I liked watching the ladies cutting and styling customers’ hair while having conversations at the same time with one another in Cantonese. I guess it’s more ‘lively’ than those fancy salons. And anyway, I’m wearing a tudung now, so it doesn’t really matter what my hair looks like.

The lady finished cutting my hair. I thanked her and proceeded to put on my tudung before leaving the shop. I didn’t realise at the moment that several pairs of eyes were on me, looking intently at how this tudung-tying business goes about. I felt as if I was giving a presentation. After I finished, I turned and all the hairdressers smiled at me.

The haircut cost me RM 13. A whole lot cheaper than your upmarket salons. But a whole lot more nostalgic.

That ad-splains it!

2006-02-03T12:20:00.000+08:00

You know that ad on TV? The Chinese New Year ad where the auntie is making kuih kapit and she chides her son for reckless driving? Yeah, the one about road safety. Well, I thought it was an ok effort to get people concerned about road safety with all the balik kampung exodus happening. And then the day after that, I heard an ad on the radio. It was a bunch of guys who were talking about the ad on TV. What bothered me first was that they didn’t really speak like Malaysians. Sure, they tried to sound like Malaysians, with the Malay guy speaking English with a Malay intonation, and the Chinese guy speaking English with ‘lah’ everywhere. But this is so far from the truth. I mean, I know lah how Malaysians speak. This ad was too exaggerated and too unreal.

The next thing that got me thinking was how this was a radio ad that was explaining the TV ad. What? Some creative genius work going on, was it? Was it meant to reinforce the message for people who didn’t have TV or for those who didn’t manage to catch the ad on TV? Or was it to explain some idea that was somehow lost in the TV ad? Come on, takkan lah Malaysians such a dumb bunch right?

As if we needed to be reminded many times to be careful on the roads this festive season. As if we needed to know that during the festive seasons the number of accidents are high. As if we didn’t know that the public transportation is the safest way to travel. Heck, putting your life and your family’s life into the hands of the express bus driver could be the most responsible act ever. As if we didn’t know that…. Sheesh….

NOTE: Since eyes rolled too many times, mudslinger is now cross-eyed.

Welcome to Thursday's ramblings!

2006-02-02T12:15:00.000+08:00

It’s Thursday, and it’s been a while. Everyone has been in a holiday mood since last Thursday, and I too forgot to update my blog, and instead spent my time engaged in other businesses. I spent time in the stationery room looking for a new stapler. And I read the newspaper and wanted to try out sudoku but forgot. This doesn’t mean that I did not do work. Hell, no. I spent most of Thursday and Friday tying up all loose ends so that when I came back to the office today, I will not be welcomed by a mountain of work. But you know how it is, half the office had already gone on leave, so I still couldn’t complete my monthly reports.

I drove to work today in such a leisurely mood. There were very few cars and it was smooth all the way. Well, on normal working days, the LDP will be smooth flowing from my home to Cyberjaya, so can’t complain there. You know those traffic updates on the radio? Sometimes, just through wishful thinking, I want to hear a report for traffic on Cyberjaya. Even though it will probably sound like, “the traffic on the LDP heading towards Cyberjaya is smooth flowing….” I would surely get a kick out of that.

I actually woke up late this morning. I set my alarm on my handphone for 6.20. Usually, my alarm would go off at 6.20, at which I will press the snooze button a few times and wake up at 6.50. Well, 6.50 would actually mean I wake up at 6.40 since my clock is always ten minutes fast. Again I digress…. I woke up at 7 this morning. Seven! Frantically I had my shower and got ready and lucky me, after going through my morning routine in warp mode, I still managed to leave the house at 7.45. Phew.

I must have switched off my alarm when it went off this morning. I didn’t sleep late last night, well, not that late anyway. It was about midnight. I know I’ve promised myself to start sleeping earlier but I just couldn’t put down my book. I just had to finish it yesterday. And I did. It was Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. It’s a great book. I found myself saying ‘one more chapter, just one more’ every time I came to the end of a chapter. I just had to keep on reading to unravel the mystery and to put together the puzzle in my head. It’s really an engaging read. I recommend that book to all.

I will probably start on my new book tonight. Ever since I left my student days at the Uni, I felt that I haven’t read enough ‘literary’ works. It’s always the current fiction, so I made an impulse promise when I was at the bookstore the other day. It was to read at least one classic work a year. At least one. If possible three. So tonight, I will be starting on The Great Gatsby. Let’s see how many days that’s gonna take me.

Bits and bytes that bug me

2006-01-25T12:23:00.000+08:00

I have been busy today, doing some housekeeping. Well, I’m not really keeping house because I’m not at home and I’m not doing housework. Not cleaning or dusting or sweeping or mopping. Just ‘housekeeping’ as in tidying up my PC.

The whole housekeeping shenanigans started when I got this message on my PC monitor stating something like ‘not enough memory’. I tried getting the technician to help me, but he says there’s nothing he can do. He looked at my PC and shook his head. He explained that if I continued to run several windows simultaneously (like I usually do) I might see that message more often.

Now you must understand that technology, especially of the PC kind, might just as well be Greek or Latin as I really now nothing about them. Yep, I am still one of the toads under the coconut shell. I know how to switch my PC on, know well enough how to use it to surf and send email and such, but ask me about the goings-on behind the whole process, and I go blank. Start talking about bytes and memory and gigs and what-have-yous and I’ll go cross-eyed.

In simple terms, he said that I couldn’t have an Explorer window open, my Netscape Messenger open, my Yahoo Messenger active and my Real Player going on at the same time, while trying to use MS Word to do my work.

And why the hell not? That’s how I used to do work at my last department? How come I never had any memory problem thingamajig plaguing me then?

He pointed out that my PC was an Intel Pentium II with 128.0 MB RAM.

Uh-huh, go on…

And it was running Windows 98.

Uh-huh… And??

And so, it’s not powerful enough to do what I want to do. So maybe what I should do is try to delete some unwanted files, and free up some space and don’t open too many windows.

Hmmm, I doubt this will work.

So, I have cleaned up my hard-drive from all useless clutter. Yup, including deleting photos and some pieces of music which I hardly listen to. And still, STILL I get the same message sporadically. I think the only solution is to get me a new PC. Which of course would only happen when giraffes can talk.

So until then, I’m just gonna have to ‘play nice’ with this PC of mine.
Unless anyone has any other suggestions….

Roti bakar and teh tarik

2006-01-24T17:33:00.000+08:00

I have just finished a meeting with the other assistant managers. And now, since we have a very generous associate dean, we will be having a late tea break of roti bakar and teh tarik. I am so looking forward to sinking my teeth into the slices of toasted bread and sweet butter and kaya. Mmmm, yummy….

Excuse me while I have my tea. Ta-taa….

Wish I were a cat

2006-01-23T17:18:00.000+08:00

It’s raining now in Cyberjaya. And it’s so cold here in the office. Plus I have a tummy-ache, no-thanks to the monthly visit from my ‘friend’. I just want to have a hot drink and cuddle up in bed. So what’s the next best thing? Getting hot Milo and just tuning my brain off work for the last half-hour of today.

Yesterday I was in TGV KLCC, and hubby and I watched Memoirs of a Geisha. It was beautiful. The costumes were so dreamy. The beautiful kimonos were just so luxurious. I wish I had a pair. Not that I’d know how to wear one, or if I could even walk in one. But just the thought of those beautifully embroidered and artistically designed clothing makes me salivate…. However I felt that the movie was a bit incomplete. Probably because I’d just read the book and was imagining certain scenes in my head. I don’t know, I just wished that there were more to it. Nevertheless, it’s a charming movie and is highly recommended.

My tummy is aching again. I should concentrate on doing nothing now….

My love-hate relationship

2006-01-18T17:18:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow I have an appointment at the hospital.
I hate going to the hospital.
I hate waking up and realising it’s a day for me to miss work so I can see the doctor.
I hate driving in the morning through the congested road to get to the hospital.
I hate waiting for the clinic to open.
I hate getting my appointment number from the nurse.
I hate waiting and waiting and waiting until it’s finally my turn to go in to see the specialist.
I hate lying down on the examination table.
I hate the horrible gooey stuff that is smeared on my abdomen.
I hate the echo thingamajig prodding me.
I hate seeing my heart go thump-thump on the screen.
I hate the silence and the way the doctor registers no emotions in his face.
I hate waiting quietly while the doctor writes his reports.
I hate asking for an MC slip from the doctor, eventhough he knows I need one.
I hate waiting for my medicines and my bills.
I love going home.

The R3 that nearly wasn't

2006-01-17T09:51:00.000+08:00

When I arrived home from work yesterday, I saw my brother inspecting his car with a washcloth. I thought he had just finished washing his car, as he often did. That boy sure had lots of energy washing his car after a heavy shower. Plus he’d just returned from work, so wasn’t he the least bit tired? I thought.

As I approached him, I saw my mom outside too. Then my mom told me. My brother was very nearly involved in an accident. He was on the Kesas Highway on his way back to our house in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, when a car driving on the opposite direction slammed into the divider. He saw parts from the car flying in all directions and debris hitting his windscreen. He didn’t even manage to see what car it was, as he had to swerve and try his best to not ram into the lorry that was smack right in front of him.

So that was what he was doing. He was inspecting his car for damages. I understand how much he loved his car. I drive a little Kelisa, and a small scratch on my car makes me tearful. My brother on the other hand owns an R3, which he has been wanting ever since god knows when. He painstakingly takes care of that black baby of his. He washes and polishes and shines and takes pride in his car. Now his Satria has scratches on the driver’s side and in the front. I feel sad for him. It’s gonna cost some moolah if he wants to fix the car up.

On the other hand, I say a silent prayer to the Almighty. I am so thankful he did not get hurt in any way. He could have been injured or worse had he gone headlong into the lorry. A car you can get anytime. Your life? It’s more precious than any possession in this world.

Nothing like milo ais on a rainy afternoon

2006-01-16T17:09:00.000+08:00

My weekend was nothing to shout about, but I enjoyed it all the same. Just wished there were more to go on, like maybe a five-day weekend. Hah, I wish! Hubby and I went to KLCC on Saturday afternoon. The last time we went to KLCC was like heaven knows when.

We had lunch at Nando’s. I had ordered the Extra Hot Peri-Peri Flavour, but somehow, when I ate it, I felt that the chicken wasn’t that hot. Don’t know if anyone notices this, but the level of spiciness is different from outlet to outlet. The spiciest that I’ve ever had was in Sunway Pyramid. And that was only like once. The few other times, it was just hot. Hmm, thinking about Nando’s now makes my mouth water. Wish I could go for another Nando’s meal soon.

We went to hubby’s parents house after that and spent the night there. It was then that I found out that they were already playing Memoirs of a Geisha at the cinemas. And I thought it was only showing this week. Ahh… so sad. I will probably try to catch it this weekend or something. Can’t wait.

It just rained here in Cyberjaya. I hope it stops soon. I’m looking forward to going home and continuing on my current read.

Time for some milo ais!

If wishes came true

2006-01-13T17:34:00.000+08:00

Friday. It never fails to happen. Every Friday afternoon I’d be filled with illusions of grandeur. I’d have fantastic plans in my head of what to do during the weekend. For two whole days I could do anything I wanted. Two wondrous long days filled with every kind of possibility. Two fantastic promising days offering a myriad of potential happenings.

Alas, my routine would be to spend three quarters of my day watching the idiot box and the other quarter trying to read whatever I could get my hands on. Right now I’m reading my mom-in-law’s book. I hope to finish it this weekend. All in my quest to read 24 or more books this year. Yeah!

It’s ciao time! Ta-taa….

Of Pride and Prejudice

2006-01-12T12:44:00.000+08:00

I went to GSC MidValley to watch the movie Pride and Prejudice yesterday. I had taken the day off after Hari Raya Qurban, and went to watch the movie with mama, my sisters, Ad and Aq. It was the first show of the day, at 11.45 a.m. and the theatre was only about a quarter full. And it was freezing in there. I had my sweater with me but still had cold hands and feet.

Being an English major, with a minor in English Lit, I could not run away from Jane Austen. I first read P&P in Form 1. That was probably the abridged version. But all of us First Formers were hooked as we watched the movie version. Mind you, it was the black and white version of P&P. Then I watched the BBC version, which was pretty serious. Complete with dresses and empire waistlines. How unflattering!

Pride and Prejudice – I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was absolutely fabulous. The spirited Elizabeth takes us through her days with such wit and joie de vivre. When she is woeful, we feel her anguish. When she is elated, we can see her radiating with joy. All the characters were ‘alive’. The panoramic scenes of the country were breathtaking, and so were the sprawling estates. It was such a pleasurable to watch the movie. My sister plans on watching it at least another two times. Can’t blame her.

The movie is remarkable. So my advice is go watch the movie. You’d be pleasantly surprised.

Tagged and willing

2006-01-09T16:23:00.000+08:00

I just got tagged by Metria. My first tag. Can you imagine? So, I guess I’ll just do this.

The Rules: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom spot.
1. My All
2. All About Zara / Mom2Ashley
3. Allyfeel
4. Potpourri of Insanity
5. Mudslinging

Then you select five people to pass the love on to:
1. The Grumbles of a Grumbler
2. Kekure’s Be Bored Stiff
3. Fashionasia
4. Fading_Sanity
5. Footsteps in the Mirror

1. What were you doing ten years ago?
I was in my second-year of matriculation studies at Uni Malaya. Was really enjoying my student days, as it was the year before we headed into First Year of Bachelor’s Degree or ‘serious study’.

2. What were you doing 1 year ago?
Recuperating from an operation. So I was at home, watching tv and reading books all the time.

3. Five super fatty and high cholesterol snacks you enjoy:
French-fries
Keropok ‘lekor’
Potato chips
Chilli cheese fries
Fast food

4. Five songs to which you know all the lyrics off your head right now:
End of the Road – Boyz II Men
The Reason – Hoobastank
With Arms Wide Open – Creed
Last Kiss – Pearl Jam
Negaraku

5. Five things you would do if you were a multi-millionaire:
Bring all our family members to Mecca to perform the Haj
Start an education fund for the poor
Buy property everywhere
Travel around the world
Have a string of McDonalds in Malaysia – one in Cyberjaya

6. Five bad habits:
Too critical of others
Stubborn
Can be a nag at times
Don’t exercise
Tendency to gossip

7. Five things you like doing:
Reading
Watching movies at the cinema
Going to the bookstore
People watching
Eating out

8. Five things you would never wear, buy, or get new again:
Platforms
Short shorts
Mary Janes
Gold jewellery
Tube top

9. Five favourite toys:
(I only have two that I can think of)
Care Bears
PS2

Cilok-ing my year end

2006-01-06T17:04:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday was the last day of the year 2005. How did we wrap things up, hubby and I? We went to watch a movie at GSC One Utama. We watched Afdlin Shauki’s Baik Punya Cilok (BPC). It had to be the only Malay movie that we watched at the cinema. After watching Afdlin’s Buli on Astro during the Raya holidays, I thought we should give BPC a chance. Plus the poster was intriguing.

Well, to put it simply, it was different. It was indeed a welcome change, like a breath of fresh air compared to the run-of-the-mill Malay movies that are smothering the cinemas today. Reminiscent of Guy Ritchie’s Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Baik Punya Cilok tells the tale of four friends planning to steal a brooch from a pawnshop as an act of revenge against the owner, who happens to be an ah long.

The thing that stood out the most and that caught our immediate attention was the way the characters were portrayed. They were not your typical cliched characters, as they were all different in some way. Having characters that are diverse and uncanny remind us of Ritchie’s treatment of the many characters in Snatch. Well, maybe Afdlin is a Ritchie fan. Of course this doesn’t mean that Afdlin just “cilok-ed” the story line. He has a plausible plot and it’s an enjoyable ride. It’s typically Malaysian, and it’s funny. It wasn’t rolling-on-the-floor funny, but it was funny.

Maybe it wasn’t even tagged as a comedy, but because Afdlin directed it, everyone assumed it was a comedy. Was it? Films don’t have to be put into neat little pigeon hole categories, do they? But I digress…

Really, you have to watch Baik Punya Cilok, as I’m afraid I might give out too much information in trying to tell you the story, thus spoiling the whole experience. Go watch it.

Note: mudslinger supports the local scene.... sometimes....

Service charge? Sucks.

2006-01-05T10:25:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was my sister’s 18th birthday. We decided to go out for dinner to have a mini celebration for her. Hubby could not join us, as he had to go for a business dinner thingy. So it was my brother, mother, sister and I who went to Domino’s in Subang. We had a great pizza dinner there.

When it came time to pay the bill, I got up to walk to the cashier counter. My brother then stopped me and said, “You’re paying the service charge, why don’t you call the waitress and get her to bring the bill to you?” I considered this for a fleeting moment and decided to ask for the bill instead. Crazy ain’t it? For that 8% service charge, I get to ask the waitress to do my biding.

Which brings me to another story. It was the last day of fasting or Ramadhan. My mother decided to treat us all to dinner at Pizza Hut. They were really packed that day, and could not handle the crowd. It’s crazy. They mixed up our orders, and were quite rude that day. At the end of our meal, my mother, being the hotheaded person that she was, went to pay at the cashier counter. She demanded to see the manager, and proceeded to give him a piece of her mind. She expressed her displeasure and stated that she will not be paying the service charge as the service basically sucked. They had no choice but to print out another bill. The manager apologised but didn’t look too sincere doing it. I reckon we won’t be going to that particular Pizza Hut in the future.

Mudslinger, you stupid or what?

2006-01-04T11:00:00.000+08:00

It’s the New Year already, and it’s the second day of coming back to work. I’ve been on a long holiday from work and from blogging. My blog like nak mati already.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me these past few days. I thought with the coming of the New Year, I would be refreshed, renewed and revitalised with great ambitions and resolutions. Alas, all I feel is pooped and disillusioned. It’s depressing. I didn’t even feel like coming to work yesterday. Well, I have been on holiday since the 22nd of December, and that seemed like so long ago. Eons, ages, centuries ago! Okay, one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that I have a tendency to exaggerate.

Where did I go during my long holiday? This is the question that’s fired at me. Well, I went to the UK and then to Japan and then to Ireland. Hahaha, I wish! The answer is not that fantastic. I only went to those places through the books I’d read during my break. All in all, last year, I only managed to read 20 books. Hmm, should have gone to 24, and that would at least mean 2 books per month. But twenty? I’m kinda disappointed with myself. Fourth Day of New Year’s resolution: Read 24 books or more this year!

Speaking of resolutions let me tell you that for the past six or seven years my main resolution was to work harder. What kind of a dumb resolution is that? It started when I was in Uni, and continued all the way till last year. I still aimed to work harder. Tsk tsk, how naïve and stupid of me! My resolutions should be fun stuff to do, not stuff that will kill me! So this year, I’m gonna read more books, watch more movies, try to write more, go holidaying more (even if it’s just PD or Melaka), and generally have more fun.

I’m gonna be thirty this year. That’s right, the big three-oh. So I should definitely live it up.

Oh, better get back to work. Getting fired is definitely not my resolution. Till later….

Hollywood-ised? Cheap!

2005-12-15T16:41:00.000+08:00

I was looking for the book Memoirs of a Geisha some time ago, when I realised that all the bookstores no longer carried that book. I was told that they were either sold out or out of stock. Don’t worry, they assured me. The new stock would come out soon, just in time with the movie. But like I had expressed before, I was looking for the book with the old cover and not the one with the movie Zhang Ziyi cover. I have nothing against her; I just don’t like movie tie-in covers. It’s just one of the rules that I live by. Probably makes my life ten times more dramatic to have such insane rules.

So yesterday, I was at the MidValley MPH. I saw that the book had arrived. No longer able to withstand the pressure of reading the book before watching the movie (which is, by the way, another one of my crazy rules in life), I grabbed the book. So that’s what my whole rambling is about. I got the book. Now I’ve got a week to read it. Or more. As long as I finish reading it before watching the movie.

By the way, going back to not wanting books with movie tie-in covers, I just feel that they kind of cheapen the book. I know, I’m crazy. It’s like the literary weight of the book is lost when it is Hollywood-ised. Get what I mean?

My Apprentice lineup

2005-12-06T15:44:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, I watched the first episode of Season 4 of The Apprentice. After watching three seasons and the first episode on Sunday, I noticed a pattern - some similarities among the participants. Among all the participants in each group, you are bound to find the following:

The “I have a lot in common with Mr. Trump” type
Normally a male, he will start the competition or 13-week interview by telling the audience that he has a lot of similarities with Mr. Trump. He works as hard as Trump and thinks he should win on that criterion alone. Unfortunately, Trump will think he talks too much, or is a time bomb waiting to go off, or is too difficult to manage.

The “I look like a beauty queen but don’t mess with me” type
This one is strictly for the females. She undoubtedly has long blond hair, looks poised and has a pageant type-smile most of the time. Some of the things that she might say are, “Just because I’m beautiful, doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” or “I have beauty and brains, so don’t think I can’t do a good job”, or “I, like, so can be project manager!” She sometimes uses her looks to her own advantage.

The “I just got out of business school” type
He would most probably be the youngest participant. Recently graduated, he is here to prove that he can do the job as well as the others. He has book smarts and can be a bit too idealistic. As he is the youngest, sometimes he tries too hard to please everyone, thus ending up being not the great leader that Trump is looking for.

The “I am not crazy no matter what you think” type
Most recently seen as female. She would pull stunts like making deals on the phone under the table without the knowledge of her teammates, or disappear in the middle of a task. All her teammates think she’s crazy, but she defends herself and says that she’s just ‘different’.

The “I’ve got seven degrees, an MBA and a Ph.D.” type
This one would typically be male and in the first introduction we would hear his list of 5 or 6 or 7 degrees from such renowned universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT and whatever hallowed-hall institution in the top ten list.

The “I’m Asian / Black / Latina so I know what I’m talking about” type
Typically a feisty one, she asserts her actions based on ethnicity. She is brash and straightforward. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. Usually, she is at the centre or the cause of heated ‘discussions’. She resents those who raise the question of ethnicity or race, but inadvertently she’s the one who’s always doing it.

The “I’m my own person” type
This one always stands out in the crowd. Be it by wearing a bow tie, carrying a walking stick, strumming a guitar, or sporting a ponytail. Add to that, openly expressing his own sexuality and admitting to being gay.

The “I’m a bitch” type
Well, this type speaks for itself. Typically a female, she will strut around like she owns everything. Gets into everyone’s faces. Provokes everyone. Hates everyone openly. Wants things done her way most of the time. Is sweet to Mr. Trump only.

The “I’m a self made entrepreneur” type
This type achieved success mostly by starting taking risks and venturing on his own. Probably does not have college education, but is successful through hard work and perseverance. He believes he has had sufficient training through his hands-on experience. Can have animosity towards college grads.

The “I’m a small town guy / mum” type
This small town guy is amiable, well liked and generally considered a good guy. Always with a big grin, he is probably the CEO or Director of his own successful business. The small town mum thinks she can handle the corporate world after raising two / three kids and running a business ‘empire’ in her hometown at the same time. Both small town guy and mum are instantly noticeable through their ‘delightful’ drawl.

Nothing to see here

2005-11-30T12:32:00.000+08:00

9.28a.m.
Man do I feel sleepy. That’s crazy! How can I feel sleepy when it’s only 9.30 in the morning on a working Wednesday morning? It’s not that I slept late or anything. But my eyelids…. They have a mind of their own. They just want to shut down and switch right off. It doesn’t help that my work requires me to sit at the desk the whole time. Better put on some music.

10.43a.m.
Colleague has just asked for some help in editing documents. Well, ho-hum. What? Zip file? Alamak, my zip knowledge is almost nil. Sure I can open them, but I don’t know how to zip them up. D’oh. Spend about 10 minutes editing and about another twenty minutes an hour figuring how to ‘zip up’.

11.25a.m.
Okay, now that the required work is done, I will clean up my C drive and get rid of all the nonsense stored in there. Then again, it doesn’t seem like a good idea, as most of the nonsense is none other than my library of songs. Sheesh….

12.08p.m.
Hmm, it’s cold in here. Time for a bathroom break. Look at the time. Hurray! One hour till lunch. What should I eat? Maybe there will be some ikan bakar. I love ikan bakar. Yumm…

12.25p.m.
One of the associate deans is treating us lunch. Kebabs for all! Yeah, looking forward to it….

12.30p.m.
Hmm, let’s see what’s on PPS….

Scrapbooking my time

2005-11-24T15:03:00.000+08:00

Okay, I’ve done all my work. What else is there for me to do? It gets really boring when I have totally nothing to do. I feel bad sometimes. It’s like they’re paying me to do a job that really doesn’t require that much time to do. I mean, I think I can do more, but guess what, there is nothing more. I know, I’ve asked. Well, it was just this morning that I asked my boss, “Is there anything else that you’d like me to do? Anything at all?” He replied with a “Not at the moment, no. When I have something for you, I’ll let you know.” It’s been quiet so far. And now he’s in a meeting. Bosan lah pulak....

Oh, I know, maybe after this I’ll go search some articles on scrapbooking. I’ve been meaning to do this for so long. I really am interested and would love to start out a small project. But I still need some basic equipment, so that’ll have to wait till payday (three more days to go) on Sunday. Yes, I think I’ll start that....

Oh my nanowrimo novel is really stuck at 6000+ words. I know I have a few more days, but I just cannot continue. There is no way I can write at the office, and then when I get home I am just too tired to write. 6000+ words, and it ain’t going nowhere. Sad, but there’s always next year. Yup, put me down for next year!

So I’m off now, to go look up scrapbooking. Wonder where I can get the supplies? I know there’s a shop in the Curve.... Laadeedaadeedaa....

Fly me to the moon, and while you're at it, gimme an acre

2005-11-22T10:06:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I read in the papers that some performers or artistes at the American Music Awards will be awarded with a piece of the moon. An acre of the moon. The first thought that came to mind was, ‘Whoa!” Then it struck me; you can only give it away if it belonged to you. You mean the moon actually belonged to someone? Some person or some private body? Can this be true?

Excuse my ignorance, but does it really make sense to have people owning stuff like the moon? How did the person get to own it in the first place? Did he buy it? If he did, from whom? Or did he just stake his claim and then proclaimed it to the rest of the world?

What else would be given away next? Jupiter? Saturn’s rings? The sun?

I thought planets and the galaxy and other celestial bodies should belong to all, and yet belong to no one in particular.

I guess I thought wrong.

Nanonanonano.... yep, I'm a goner....

2005-11-18T08:30:00.000+08:00

My nanowrimo novel is going nowhere. I'm still at 4,500 words. Pathetic right? And there are like only twelve days to go. Oh well, I did try....

And miracles do happen... sometimes anyway....

(crawls under rock with overwhelming feeling of self pity)

When granny-times come a calling

2005-11-17T08:46:00.000+08:00

Spent some time with my sister yesterday after dinner. She is sitting for her SPM, and yesterday she sat for her maths papers. I took a look at her paper and was surprised to find maths formulae printed on the first two pages of the papers. When I asked her about it, she told me matter-of-factly that the formulae given were just the basic simple stuff. It didn’t matter if they were simple or complex, what was a shock to me was that it was given! Man, times have surely changed. I don’t remember ever having that privilege. We used to have to memorise the facts and formulae and nothing was given to us in the paper except the exam questions. I asked my brother (who is 3 years younger than I am) and he too didn’t remember such a thing. His remark was, “Woi, senang giller korang sekarang!”

Actually my sister was looking through her physics notebook at the time because today is the physics paper. Fat lot of good that did her. She wasn’t really concentrating anymore, as it was too late to actually do any more studying. So she showed me her invitation card to the graduation dinner at the end of the year, a.k.a. “the Prom”. I took a look at the card. My my…. Times surely have changed. It seems that at the end of the year, there will be a Prom hosted by two schools, my sister’s Sri Bintang Utara, together with Victoria Institution. And where will this Hollywood Glamour theme night be held? The JW Marriott. Yes, a five star hotel, right smack in the middle of the Golden Triangle.

Tsk tsk… either both my sisters are growing up fast, or I’m growing old. I must be growing old because whenever I talk to my sisters now, there must be “When I was your age….”, or “In my time….” sentences. *sigh*

My Memoirs is gone

2005-11-15T08:41:00.000+08:00

It’s the second day of work for me today, and it’s still early in the office. Using this time to catch up on my blog.

Yesterday was the first day back at the office. I was really excited to come back. Well, after missing about a month plus of office work, it’s great to be back. I arrived before anyone else did, looked at my desk and saw that it was a mess. Hurray! More stuff for me to clean up and organise. Yeah, yeah, I know…. I’m a nut. Everybody also says that about me. Back to my first day, I opened all my mail, though some were no longer valid or relevant. I sampled some kuih raya. I did all my claims, and all of my filing, and then I was done. Yup, a whole month’s work, done by 4p.m. So then I busied myself doing other things. Scrolling down all the 267 email messages that were left unread that morning. And before you know it, 5.30 came by. So I packed my bags and left. Very productive first day.

Last night hubby and I went to Nando’s for dinner at Sunway Pyramid. As usual we both ordered the extra hot peri-peri flavoured chicken. But yesterday, it was extra extra hot! Maybe it was just the one in Pyramid, because everywhere else, the extra hot was okay. Bout, on the other hand, we have had extra hot in Pyramid, and it wasn’t that bad. Yesterday’s extra hot was really, according to hubby “the bomb!”

I went to MPH to get a book. I was looking for Memoirs of a Geisha. See, when I last saw that book in Kino a long long time ago, I wanted to buy it. However, I was swayed by another book. And every time after that, I would pick up Memoirs and again be hypnotised to buy another book. And sometimes, when I didn’t have other books persuading me, I would be faced with another problem: moolah. I wouldn’t have enough money to buy the book. *sigh*

So last week when I finally was able to buy Memoirs at Borders it was sold out. Sold out!?! How can a huge bookstore like that have no copy of Memoirs? “We could order it for you,” said the ever-helpful salesperson. Yeah, right. I’ll get it somewhere else.

And yesterday at MPH, the book was sold out too! Man, I couldn’t believe this! The salesperson told me that they were waiting for the new stock to arrive. All the old stock had been sold. Why the delay? She then informed me that the new stock was a bit delayed, as the book would feature a new cover – one that had pictures from the movie. D’oh! I hated books with movie tie-in covers. And I’d really wanted to read the book before watching the movie. You know if you watch the movie first, the images that you get after reading the book will get overshadowed or replaced entirely by the images from the movie.

I’m still going to try my best to get a book with the ‘original-not-tainted-by-the-movie’ cover. Wish me luck!

Me and my big 50k ideas

2005-11-09T19:52:00.000+08:00

I feel that it’s time to get back to blogging. I’ve been enjoying my holiday at home. First with Raya holidays. And then this week, I just took the whole week off. Well, I still have 24 days of annual leave to clear. Take out 12 for me to carry forward to next year, and I still have a balance of 12 days. So that’s going to be 5 days for this week, 4 days after Christmas, and a balance of 3 days for me to take anytime between next week and 25th December. Hurray!

Also, I’m probably not going to be blogging a lot. See, yesterday I signed up for NaNoWriMo. Hahaha, that’s a crazy step for me. I have about 21 days left, since I started late. And guess what, I haven’t even got down to getting one word of my great novel.

So, I might give updates on my writing progress, or not. And I may be absent for a while.

This is mudslinger, saying au revoir….
(for the meantime anyway)

22nd Day - 26/10/2005 (Wednesday)

2005-10-31T12:13:00.000+08:00

I wake up feeling excited today. I get to go home. Finally! Hubby leaves for work and promises to come get me in a few hours time.

I watch tv and at about 10a.m., my Prof enters the room. She tells me that I can go home in while. The clerk is preparing all the necessary paperwork. Prof tells me that I can go back to work after Raya. I ask her again to confirm. She says InsyaAllah, I’ll be fine. I call hubby to inform him. Then I call my mama. I tell her that I can go back to work. She insists that I take leave. I agree, just so she wouldn’t be upset.

Hubby has helped me with the packing this morning. Only a few things are left. I am so excited that I finally get to go home today. It’s been 3 weeks! Hubby arrives at about 11.30, and we wait for all the paperwork and medication to be given. We leave the room and proceed to the clinic to finalise the bill and to get my medicine. Then hubby and I ride the buggy to the Ground Floor.

I leave the hospital with a great big sigh of relief. I am thankful to Allah that I am given another chance at living my life to the fullest. I understand that this has been my greatest Ramadhan challenge from Allah. I ask for His forgiveness and pray that I never have to go through such an ordeal again.

Author’s note:
I was diagnosed with septicemia, or blood poisoning. The symptoms included high fever, low blood pressure, palpitations and decreased urine. I was lucky to have gone to the hospital when I did. My liver was already bleeding internally and the virus had not only affected my liver, but also my heart and kidney. Had I gone to the hospital later, my kidneys might have suffered permanent damage.

21st Day - 25/10/2005 (Tuesday)

2005-10-31T12:11:00.000+08:00

Same old, same old. I wake up at 6a.m. when the nurses go on their rounds. I sleep again and wake at 7.45 when they come to make my bed.

Hubby leaves for work at 8.30a.m. I watch tv till my Prof comes. She tells me that my fever is gone. My blood and lungs are all okay. She tells me the most wonderful news ever – I can go home tomorrow! I am ecstatic. I call hubby to tell him the good news. He has to go to the university to get the original GL from the HR Division. He calls me later to inform me that he has already taken the letter. I am relieved. I cannot wait to go home. I’ve been away for 3 whole weeks already!

I watch more tv. While watching The Bruce Lee Story, the rain disrupts the signal on Astro and the service is temporarily unavailable. I take a nap to pass the time. Anyway, I get drowsy everytime I take the cough syrup and the cold tablet.

Hubby arrives, bringing Cheezels with him. I love Cheezels. We spend the time watching two movies – Ark and Ever After. We finally sleep at about 1.30a.m.

20th Day - 24/10/2005 (Monday)

2005-10-31T12:09:00.000+08:00

Today I will be alone. Hubby goes off to work from here. He leaves at about 8.30a.m. Mama says she will come see me with my sister Adora today. I wait for their arrival.

My Prof comes to check on me and informs me that my kidney is okay. All my blood levels are back on track. Basically, I should be able to leave in a few days. I am happy to hear this. However, she wants me to do repeat tests for my blood and urine. She also wants me to get a chest x-ray, since I’m coughing and all.

Mama and Adora arrive. We chat non-stop about many things. My sis tells me about her attachment next April. She will be going to the Magistrate Court at Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad. Then I ask her about the Legal System in Malaysia and she explains to me the various courts and their jurisdiction. And she’s only in her first year. I hope she’ll be the best that she can be. We’ve never had any lawyers in our family yet.

My sister Aqilah comes to the hospital from school. We talk, the four of us, and it’s good times for me. At about 2.30p.m., an attendant comes with a wheelchair to take me for my x-ray. I tell mama not to leave yet. I return 20 minutes later and we talk some more. Then mama says they have to leave soon, so again I am left alone. After my tea break, I take a nap.

Hubby arrives, carrying his packet of rice for berbuka. After he eats and showers, he performs the Maghrib prayers. I tell him that I can hear thunder. He goes out to check and sure enough, the thunderous clouds promise heavy rain. He decides to perform the tarawikh here instead.

At about 10p.m., we watch Urban Legend for the I-don’t-know-how-many-eth-number of times. After the movie ends, I get another ‘Kool Fever’ patch plastered on my forehead, and I fall asleep immediately.

19th Day - 23/10/2005 (Sunday)

2005-10-31T12:08:00.000+08:00

Today being Sunday, hubby gets to spend the whole day with me. After the morning routine is over and done with, we talk a little while watching tv. Sometimes hubby would recite the Quran or read the Surrah Yassin on the sofa next to me.

I nap now and then, watching more tv with hubby. Nobody comes to visit today. It’s okay. Before you know it, it’s 5p.m. and hubby leaves for his parents’ house.

I eat dinner alone at 6p.m. I sit on my bed and watch more tv. I see that they’re showing Armageddon and I settle down in bed to watch it. Hubby comes in at about 9.30p.m. and sees me in tears. He looks quizzically at me, looks at the tv, and remarks, “It’s only a movie lah….” And I reply with “I know, but it’s so sad….”

After the movie, I drink a cup of Milo. Hubby applies the ‘Kool Fever’ patch on my forehead and I sleep while listening to him recite some verses from the Quran.

18th Day - 22/10/2005 (Saturday)

2005-10-31T12:07:00.000+08:00

The routine of every morning is carried out. I really want to go home, but I know it is not time yet. I hope I get to go home before Friday. My in-laws will be getting back to Kelantan on Saturday and I would really like to meet them before they leave.

Today my mama and brother Saufi come to visit me. It’s nice to hear about home. After they leave, both of us watch more tv.

After Asar, at about 5p.m. hubby leaves for his parents’ house. This will be their last weekend before going back to Kota Bahru next week. I assure hubby that I’ll be fine alone.

Since I’ve been moved here, I have had a terrible cough and cold. So, every time after I take my medicine, I get drowsy. I will normally fall in and out of sleep, taking several short naps during the day. My coughing gets worse at night. Hubby promises to buy ‘Kool Fever’ for me to put on my forehead to reduce my temperature.

Hubby returns close to 10p.m. and we both watch The Day After Tomorrow, which is like our 2nd or 3rd time. I get drowsy after my 10p.m. medication. At midnight, hubby applies the ‘Kool Fever’ patch on my forehead. I fall asleep while he performs some prayers next to my bed.

17th Day - 21/10/2005 (Friday)

2005-10-31T12:06:00.000+08:00

The nurses come to take my BP and temperature. I seem to still have a low-grade fever. Today hubby will spend the whole day with me. He helps me with my breakfast and makes sure that I eat. It’s cold in this room, so hubby always adjusts the temperature for me.

Up here, I don’t do much except take short naps, watch tv and eat. They serve us 4 times here – breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. And we get Milo here instead of Nescafe. Since today is Friday, hubby goes to a nearby mosque for Friday prayers.

Sometime after 2p.m., the nurse informs me that I have to go for an echo Doppler test, where they check my heart. I call hubby and tell him to just wait for my return in the room later.

The nurse brings me to the place where a doctor uses a machine, just like getting an ultrasound alone. At one point I look at the screen and actually see my heart pumping. I could even see the valves and the chambers clearly. MasyaAllah! Only Allah can create such a ‘machine’.

I come back to my room and see hubby reading a magazine. We spend the time just talking and watching tv together. Sometimes both of us will take naps – me on the bed and he on the sofa. Poor hubby. Sometimes I hesitate to call out to him for help because he looks like he really needs the sleep.

I eat dinner at 6 p.m. and at 7.02, hubby breaks his fast. Again he goes for tarawikh prayers at a nearby mosque. He comes back a bit after 10p.m. while I am watching Love Actually. We spend the night watching the movie, while I try to explain to him who’s who since he missed the first few minutes. I sleep at about 12.30.

16th Day - 20/10/2005 (Thursday)

2005-10-31T12:03:00.000+08:00

I awaken at about 6a.m. to take my antibiotics and the nurse comes to check my blood sugar level. I fall back to sleep and get up at 7a.m. when breakfast is served. I am glad it is morning already, so I don’t have to lie in bed all the time. As per routine, I plait my hair and today is my best effort so far.

A nurse comes in to tell me that there is a room available at Sutera Ward upstairs, and asks if it would be okay. It’s bigger than the other rooms and cost RM160 per night. I say it would be okay. However, they need a new GL from the university, so I tell her that I will inform the HR Office. I call my friend Layla to ask for HR’s number. She calls me back as I’m low on credit. We talk for a while. She asks me if I have heard the news about our PM’s wife. Datin Seri Endon has passed away at 7.55 a.m. this morning. May Allah let her rest in peace.

Layla tells me that she will inform HR for me, and for that I am grateful. Layla also informs me that my faculty office colleagues are having a majlis berbuka puasa and doa selamat for Kak Lin’s baby and I. They have invited Layla and other Corporate Comms people, but Layla doesn’t know who will be going. When I hear this, I feel so deeply touched. They are all too kind. May Allah bless them all. I call Roni from the faculty and tell her to call me back from my extension. We talk for a while I am happy to have been able to speak to 2 friends today. Makes me happy.

I am told that I will be moved to the Special Wards at Level 7. However before I am allowed to go, I have to settle the bills. I ask about my GL from the university. It seems that the GL was only used for the first night’s stay and it has already been processed. Therefore I needed to settle the bills first. I am so glad I have my credit card with me. The student nurses bring me to the Finance Counter to make the payments. Whoa! For the 16 days, and all those tests, I have to pay more than RM1,600. I will need to explain this to my HR Division.

As soon as I get back to my room, I am told to pack so that I can be sent upstairs. I am happy to go. I thank my doctors and the nurses as I pass them on my way out. I am sent to Room 11, in Sutera Ward.

Lying down in bed, I watch a Harrison Ford movie on Astro’s Star Movies. I’ve seen the movie before, but decide to watch it again, as I’d enjoyed it the first time around. It’s called Random Hearts. The movie ends at about 3p.m. I switch channels and watch TV3. I realise that they are showing a ‘live’ telecast of the funeral proceedings of Allahyarhamah Datin Seri Endon. I watch the goings-on and before you know it, tears stream down my face. I am saddened by her demise. May Allah let her soul rests in peace. I watch tv right till the end of the telecast, which is at about 6.40p.m.

Hubby arrives at this time and brings KFC with him. Hurray! I get a Zinger burger and cheesy wedges. We eat together. Tonight, hubby will sleep over and I am happy.

That night we watch tv together. Then hubby leaves for tarawikh prayers. I watch Hope Floats, starring Sandra Bullock, and when hubby returns, we watch a musical made-for-tv movie starring Kelly Clarkson and that Justin guy from American Idol. I sleep at about midnight, while hubby prepares himself for some prayers and recitation of the Quran.

15th Day - 19/10/2005 (Wednesday)

2005-10-31T12:00:00.000+08:00

I sleep all the way to 7a.m., only waking up earlier at 1a.m and 4.30a.m. for trips to the bathroom, and at 6a.m. for my antibiotics. I have breakfast which is tasteless, and then plait my hair. All this has become my morning ritual. Those who know me at work will definitely agree if I say I like to see order in things. Don’t believe me, just visit my workstation and my cubicle. There’s a place for everything. I like to see things neatly put away. That’s why I have a huge portion of my desk to write on. Even my pencil holder has different compartments and contains different categories of items. So it’s no wonder that even when I’m sick in thishospital, in this room especially, I still try to keep things tidy.

I could believe that after I have slept for some time, I can still take a nap. But a yawn escapes my mouth and a nap I take.

A while later, a doctor comes to take my blood for a blood culture test, I don’t know what it’s called. She brings along 3 third-year students with her as they have never seen one being done before. The drawing of this blood is different from the usual ones you see. This one requires everything to be completely sterile. Extra effort and care have to be put in to make sure the doctor only touches the necessary items.

I sit up in bed and do some breathing exercises. At about 1.45p.m., one of the doctors comes and tells me that they would like to move me to the Special Wards on Level 7. Since there’s nothing wrong with me, my Prof wants me upstairs to rest. And they will start me on two new drugs – one to bring down my platelet count and one for iron chelation. I need to get rid of all the excess iron in my body, so that there is a lower risk of liver dysfunction or in the worst-case-scenario, heart failure. I tell the doctor that I will talk to my hubby and let him know a bit later in the afternoon.

Immediately I call my hubby, who says that it would be good to go to Level 7. Over there, he can sleepover with me in the room, albeit on a padded mat on the floor. I cheer up at the prospect. Plus, there’s a tv in each room, and we get some Astro channels like Astro Ria and Star Movies. Then I wouldn’t be so bored.

My mama and sister Aqilah come to see me. I tell them the news. During mama’s visit, the doctor tells me that the Special Wards upstairs are all full and a bed may be available tomorrow. So tomorrow it is then. Mama and Aqilah leave at about 3.45 p.m. the sky outside looks grey, promising a downpour soon.

Hubby arrives very late today. After Asar prayers and buying rice for the both of us, he finally walks through my door at 6.30p.m. I have missed him terribly. He promises to see me tomorrow evening at Level 7. InsyaAllah…. He informs me that Friday is a holiday as it is Nuzul Quran. This means that he can spend the whole day plus the weekend with me. I am excited at the thought. He leaves and again I am left alone. I might sleep early tonight too.

I really hope there’s a room for me up there tomorrow. I would very much prefer to rest upstairs. I fall asleep close to 9.45p.m., waking up at 10.30p.m. and midnight for bathroom breaks.

14th Day - 18/10/2005 (Tuesday)

2005-10-31T11:59:00.000+08:00

I awake to eat the medicine left by the nurse. It is about 6.20 a.m. okay, that’s not so bad. I only get up once at 3 a.m. to go to the bathroom. Well, looks like there’s no going back to sleep.

I actually look forward to this morning’s cup of hot Nescafe. Breakfast is served at 7a.m. daily without fail. That’s when the nurses also go rounds changing bed linen and giving patients a clean pair of outfit. It’s not like you can make some sort of fashion statement. Everyone gets the same pair of purple button down top and either sarong or pants.

Breakfast is a bit of a disappointment. It’s tasteless Chinese style fried rice and very bitter Nescafe. Even after stirring in two sachets of sugar, the drink leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

I flip through the magazine again. Halfway through, my team of doctors come for their rounds. They say that all my vital levels are stable and improving. However, the low grade fever of 37 to 38 degrees makes them want to repeat some tests. If all is well, after another 24 hour observation period, I may be discharged. Hurray! This means that I may go home tomorrow. One of the doctors suggests that perhaps my fever is nothing more than a result of being homesick. The other doctors laugh and say that it is possible.

As soon as they leave, I call hubby to tell him the news. Then I call mama and spend some minutes talking to her. I stop when lunch arrives. After lunch, I decide to call my grandma. I talk to her for 27 minutes! Checking my credit, I see that I have 41 sen left. My my…. I sms hubby to tell him that I have little credit left and he is to call me if there were anything urgent.

The nurse comes in and gives me the urine sample bottle. She tells me that they need to send it in before 5p.m., or else they can only send it in tomorrow. It’s only 1p.m. now. As if I won’t pee. I am going to now. There’s no way I am going to delay my own going-home.

I flip through the magazine again to see if I’ve missed anything. My goodness! I’ve read everything, except the ads for beauty products, which I have no interest in. then, one doctor comes to take my blood for the tests one last time (I hope). Urine sample has been taken. So has my blood. I remain positive that I would be discharged tomorrow.

I lie down and take a nap, only to awaken half an hour later for a trip to the bathroom. Now what? I feel a bit bored out of my wits. I decide to do some of the breathing exercises that the physiotherapist has taught me. Then I look out the window – the one above my head – and see the blue sky with two huge white clouds slowly floating by. These oversized marshmallows look a little grey on the undersides. Whatever final destination they are headed for will surely be blessed with lots of rain.

I try not to nap so much, for fear of being unable to sleep tonight. I sit on my bed and think about the prospects of going home tomorrow. I still remain positive.

I think about my friends at work. If my mama hears me talk about work at this point, she’ll probably slaughter me. Hahaha! How can I not think of work? I’ve been gone for two weeks! I enjoy what I do, I have wonderful and amiable colleagues, and I enjoy spending time with all of them. I feel bad sometimes, knowing that when I am not there, someone else has to assist and take over. May Allah bless all of them for their patience when dealing with my work.

I lie down and look out the window on my left. Huge clouds loom in the distance. Their graceful fluid movements make me realise how small and insignificant we all are on this planet. And that doesn’t take into account the many planets and distant galaxies in the universe. MasyaAllah!

After the huge clouds disappear from my view, I watch little wisps trailing behind. These wisps puff into cotton balls in a matter of seconds. Watching clouds go by is therapeutic. They provide entertainment for me this afternoon. See, it is times like these that you appreciate the things that are always taken for granted. Sometimes we are all too caught up in trying to find a balance at home and at work that we forget simple things like watching clouds go by. My advice is to take some time to stop and stare. It stimulates you mentally and spiritually.

Hubby comes and immediately my spirits soar. We talk about what the doctors tell me in great detail. Then he goes downstairs to buy chicken rice for the both of us. We talk some more till it is time to break fast, and gain I eat with him. Soon after, it is time for me to leave. He tells me that he will call me tonight, and that he will see me at home tomorrow evening. InsyaAllah….

I sit for a while as I want to sleep when I’m really really sleepy. I fell a little though. Maybe I’ll wait for hubby to call and then go to sleep. A while later he calls. I tell him that I’m sleepy, so I request for him not to call me after tarawikh prayers, which normally ends around 10.30p.m. I promise him if I’m not asleep at 11p.m., I will call him.

Alas, I fall asleep sometime after 9.30p.m.

13th Day - 17/10/2005 (Monday)

2005-10-31T11:57:00.000+08:00

Today, I get up a bit before 6a.m., when the nurse is making her rounds. Seeing that I’m already awake, I might as well wait for my mama. I’m going for the exam today. The doctors tell me that there will be one, at most two, students who will try to diagnose what I have. I hope I only have to go through one.

Mama arrives at about 6.30a.m. She brings the sweater with her, together with a nail clipper, cotton buds and baby oil, which I have requested yesterday from hubby. I get ready and talk to hubby at the same time. I tell her not to leave yet and to wait till 7.30a.m. So she stays.

After getting ready, I use the baby oil to get rid of the remains of the stubborn plaster on my thigh. Sitting in an air-conditioned room has also made my hands and feet dry and scaly. Before I could finish cleaning up the plaster, breakfast arrives. I eat first as I need to go soon. Sure enough, at 7.30 sharp, a nurse comes with a wheelchair and says it is time to go. I hug mama and tell her to drive home carefully. She walks out to the lifts with us and then we go our separate ways.

I arrive at Level 10 and see that some patients have already arrived. I have to wait for my doctor to come first. He walks through the door at about 7.40a.m. and instructs them to put me in Room ‘F’. So, the nurse pushes me there. There is a female attendant at each room door. They are there to assist the patient in case the patient needs to go for a bathroom break. They also act as timekeepers for the medical students.

The examination is actually for final-year students. However, this is a repeat exam for those who did not make it through the first time. They are supposed to get information from the patient, then go to another room and present the case to four examiners. Later the med student comes back to the patient’s room and answers the questions from the four examiners. When they have no more questions, it is then over. I hope the med student who is presenting me will pass this exam.

I am brought back to my room after the exam. I finally get a chance to clean all the remains of the plaster on my thigh. Then I put baby oil on my hands and feet. I clip all my nails and feel a lot better immediately.

Lunch is brought and I eat quite a lot. There’s some chicken soup, and a serving of ladies fingers, which I like. I have some honeydew after that, and then proceed with eating the oranges mama brought yesterday.

I feel a little sleepy, so I take a nap, during which my sis-in-law Ilyana and her colleague Kak Linda come. Kak Linda brings some sandwiches for me and hubby. Aww, how thoughtful of her. Ilyana brings me a new magazine, the Malaysian Women’s Weekly this time. I tell her that she can take back her Elle as I’ve already gone through it. After staying about 20 minutes, they say goodbye and go to visit their friend.

I try to take a nap but could not do so. I then decide to just lie down and wait for hubby. He comes sometime close to 6p.m. Says he has too many things to do at work today. He goes for Asar and I request some orange juice. When he returns, he massages my sore shoulder and we talk while waiting for the breaking of fast.

We eat together for the second time and by 7.30p.m. he has to leave. He brings me my handphone today, so that he can communicate with me, in case I can go home or something like that. And finally I can actually tell what time it is. Ever since moving into this ward, I have had no access to a clock, so time is always estimated. Not anymore. Now I will know the actual time. No more guessing from the delivery of food and the nurses’ rounds. He leaves and I am alone again.

I really hope that the Prof comes to see me tomorrow. I want to know when I can go home. I really miss home and my family. There’s nothing like the banter and teasing from my brother, which is normally targeted at my youngest sister Aqilah. And all the stories we all tell when we sit around together in the living room.

I go through the Women’s Weekly. At a couple of intervals, hubby calls. First to give me the numbers from the credit top up card that he has bought for me, and then later just to check up on me to see if everything’s okay.

I read most of the articles in the magazine, and finally go to sleep close to midnight.

12th Day - 16/10/2005 (Sunday)

2005-10-31T11:55:00.000+08:00

Miraculously, I have a good sound sleep. I awake around 6.30a.m. and scramble to eat my two antibiotic tables, which needed to be taken at 6a.m. Well, I do not really know if it’s 6.30 because I don’t have a watch but I guess that it must be after six as the nurse normally comes around at 5.50 to deliver the medicine. For the first time, I do not wake up when the nurse entered my room. That is some deep sleep!

Today I take off the plaster and gauze at my right thigh and neck. The one on my thigh leaves behind a sticky white residue. Hmm, I’m going to need baby oil to get this out. The one at my neck is clean though. I look at myself in the mirror and see that I’ve been demoted from Vampire Slayer to just plain vampire victim. Haha!

I am happy it is Sunday. Hubby comes at about 11 a.m. and tells me later his mama, papa, and sister Ilyana will come to visit me. Ooh, many visitors today.

Before my in-laws arrive, my mama and brother Saufi come to see me. Mama brings oranges with her, all cut and ready for me to eat. Mmm, juicy! We talk about the latest goings-on, and I hear about my sister Adora. She’s having her exams now. She’s in her first year of Law at UIA.

My in-laws arrive and it’s great fun for me to have so many people around. The two mamas talk about their health and their children. My sis-in-law then goes to visit her friend who’s also admitted into this hospital.

After my mama and brother leave, ma in-laws start telling stories about our little niece, Tengku Khadeeja. She is now 2 months old and growing so fast. I miss singing to her, as she’s such a beautiful baby. My papa-in-law tells more funny stories and we all laugh hysterically, me especially. It feels good to laugh out like that. Makes me feel so much healthier.

After they leave, hubby and I talk about all the music that we used to listen to during our years in UM. We talk about artistes and soundtracks, and make fun and laugh at the other’s choice of music.

Two doctors come to check up on me to see if I were still okay with going to a final-year medical students’ practical examination. I have earlier promised that I would be free to assist. Heck, it’s not like I’m going any place anyway. They tell me that I will be sent upstairs at 7.30a.m. tomorrow and advise me to bring a sweater as it is extra cold up there. It is then decided that my mama would come after Subuh tomorrow morning to bring me my sweater. I call her and she says she will be at the hospital by 6.45a.m.

Hubby breaks his fast at the hospital. We eat together for the first time in almost two weeks. My mama-in-law has given us a Dunkin Donuts sandwich each, and some honey-roasted chicken with French fries and coleslaw.

Hubby leaves after finishing his dinner. We say our lengthy goodbyes, peppered with ‘take care’ and ‘drive carefully’. After being left alone, I start flipping through a magazine that Ilyana has kindly let me borrow. It’s a Singapore edition of Elle. I flip through the whole magazine and read some of the articles.

Since I did not nap the whole day, falling asleep is much easier. Finding, finally, a comfortable position, I doze right off.

11th Day - 15/10/2005 (Saturday)

2005-10-31T11:54:00.000+08:00

Again I am awake before Subuh. I lie awake on the bed and listen to the sounds of the morning; the nurses changing shifts give briefings to one another, the auntie next to me crying in her sleep, the ah poh in front of my bed calling for her mug of Milo.

After breakfast, the nurses move me into a room. Yeah, finally! It’s a small room with big windows above my bed and on the left side. Now I do not have to walk far to go to the washroom. It’s very quiet in here compared to the outside. But the rooms are near the nurses’ station. If I look out the windows on my left while lying in bed, I can see the remaining top floors of the hospital, the great blue sky. It is raining now. And the room is air-conditioned. Brrr! It’s cold in here.

My mother and brother Saufi come to see me. I am so happy to have people to talk to! In this room, we do not have to worry about talking too much or too loudly, which is good. They fill me in on all that’s been happening at home and how my grandmother calls everyday to ask how I’m doing. After staying for almost 2 hours, they leave to see my sister Adora in UIA.

After a while, the doctor comes to take out the line at my neck. He takes off the transparent filmy plaster, cleans the area, and tells me, “Now hold still while I cut the stitches.” Stitches? Whoa, wait a minute! You mean you stitched my neck? I hold very very still and the doctor cuts and removes the sutures. Now comes the part we have all been waiting for, the pulling of the line. I do the same as before. Take a deep breath. The doctor pulls it out and plugs the hole with lots of gauze. While he stands there, we talk about how the line was put in. Some doctors would avoid going through the neck, as it might be traumatic for certain patients. Instead they would start at the arm and take a longer route to the heart.

The doctor checks the wound again and tells me that they might start another IV line on my hand, but it will not be connected to any drips or medication. It is to be used in case of any emergency. I understand. He plasters clean gauze over the hole now that the bleeding has stopped. He tells me that I can take it off tomorrow.

About half an hour later, hubby comes in through the door. I am ecstatic, as today he can stay from now till six. He tells me there’s a horrendous traffic jam on his way to the hospital and that has caused the delay. He brings me a Dunkin Donuts sandwich and 2 doughnuts. I will eat the sandwich for dinner since I’ve already had my lunch. Yum! We fill in each other with what has happened since his visit yesterday. Then we talk about so many other things: work, friends, and my student years in UM. And of course before you know it, it is 6 p.m. already. Hubby leaves with the promise of returning a little earlier tomorrow.

They serve dinner, which I decline. I have my chicken mayo sandwich and read the newspaper. After so many days of not seeing one, I open first the cinema listings to see what new movies are playing. Haha! Don’t think I will be going to any movie theatre anytime soon, though.

I hear the call for prayer. It’s much clearer and louder heard from here compared to when I was outside. Sometime after, I doze off. I awake from a bad dream and realise that the call prayer I heard earlier was for Maghrib, not Isya’. So it’s still pretty early.

In this room, falling asleep is easier, even though I still feel sore on my left shoulder and neck. After rubbing in some medicated oil I go back to sleep.

10th Day - 14/10/2005 (Friday)

2005-10-31T11:52:00.000+08:00

I wake this morning feeling sore over my shoulders and left side of my neck. I hope that it were already morning and not 2a.m. or something. After all, I did sleep at 1a.m. I find out from the nurse that it is around 5 in the morning. I am thankful as I really could not go back to sleep. Once awaken, it is a chore to go back to sleep. One that is usually futile. I’ll just stay awake and wait for the muezzin’s call for Subuh prayers.

I am so excited at the notion that in about eight hours, I will get to see my mother. She needs to see that I am okay, so that she doesn’t worry about me. I have to be strong for her. Mostly I have to be strong for myself. To be resilient and courageous at whatever challenge I am thrown into, at whatever adversity I might face.

I hope my catheter comes out today. It’s a pain to have it in my thigh all the time. Hope that it’s not infected or anything.

A new batch of doctors come and take my history for the exam on Monday. And then the other doctors come and confirmed that the catheter in my thigh will finally come out today. I really hope there are no future stitches involved. Ahh, we’ll see….

Oooh, it’s now 12p.m. Cannot wait for mama to arrive. Lunch is terrible. I have barely touched the food when I decide that I have had enough. There is a sweet consolation though – a nice succulent cool watermelon slice. Mmmm… crunchy, sweet and cool in my mouth.

Mama comes and we hug. She is all teary-eyed and emotional. We have a great deal of catching up to do, so we immediately start chattering nineteen-to-the-dozen. My sister Aqilah and my dad arrive about an hour later. It’s nice to see them again, even though they have to leave soon after.

Now I await the visit from hubby. At about 4.30p.m., one of the doctors comes to take out my catheter. I am anxious as I do not know what to expect. The first question I ask is whether I would need stitches (or what is known as sutures), and he replies in the negative. I am so thankful and relieved. He then retorts with, “You breathe in, I pull it out.” Some doctor’s joke, huh? So I sit still while he and a nurse prepare to take it out. First, they clean it with all kinds of funny coloured alcoholic concoctions. One is actually the colour of blood. Then he snips the previous sutures and then asks me if I were ready. My heart feels like bursting at the anticipation. I nod and he pulls it out. It’s out! I’m free! Oh hurray! He asks me if it were painful and I replied with a shake of the head. He plugs the wound with more gauze and says that we will now wait for the bleeding to stop.

The doctor tries to check on the wound but blood gushes out, forcing the doctor to press it further. So the three of us sit and stare at one another. Haha! This is so funny. Then I ask if I could see the tube and the nurse shows it to me. I shudder, thinking how that thing has been a nuisance for a whole week. Well, the ‘nuisance’ saved my life, so to speak. The doctor puts clean gauze onto the wound and plasters it. I am ordered to remain still for a while. Now I excitedly wait for hubby’s arrival.

I hear that they will put me in one of the rooms here. Well, no such luck yet. Hubby arrives and again, like always, we chat about all that has happened since his visit yesterday. He actually has a “buka puasa” do with his office colleagues, but he’d turn them down. He tells me that tomorrow he might come a little earlier than usual, it being a Saturday and all, but he has to leave early too, to break fast with his family. I am a bit disheartened, but I must remember to be reasonable. The world doesn’t revolve around me alone. And, he should spend his time with them, as it has become sort of our ritual to sleepover the weekend at mama’s and papa’s home. I enjoy my visits there all the time.

It is night time and I’m still here. Maybe they’ll move me tomorrow morning. Who knows? Guess it’s lights out. G’nite….

9th Day - 13/10/2005 (Thursday)

2005-10-31T11:50:00.000+08:00

I wake up feeling sore all over. My neck still feels like there’s a brick tied to it. Much to my amazement, they don’t wake you at an ungodly hour over here. I see that breakfast is already on my table – a sup of Nescafe and some sandwiches. That is if you can call them sandwiches. More like dry bread with pasty tuna-like spread with a sliver of bitter cucumber. Gee whiz! The fun has just begun….

I forgo my washroom visit and wash my face with “air zamzam” instead, and proceed with breakfast. The usual watching of goings-on takes my mind elsewhere, a time when I was free from pain, so to speak. There are so many thoughts in my head that I feel that my head will burst open and all the words will come tumbling out, littering my white bedsheet.

The nurses have gathered all files, ready for the doctors’ visit this morning. I hope the doctors have something positive to say – like when I can move up to the Special Wards on Level 7. No such luck. The doctors tell me that me creatine level is still high, and I still have to be under their observation here. ‘Creatine’, whatever that means…. I only know it’s something to do with my kidneys. I hear that I may get a transfusion, but when I ask them the number of pints they’re giving, the doctor says she is not sure.

The old makcik is up to her antics again. She has been screaming and calling out names – of her children maybe. It’s always Ani, or Napsiah, or Sani or just Adik. The nurses have their hands full as it is, and she is really testing their patience. Earlier at about 1a.m., she threw her bowl and smashed it to the floor. I pity her. I say a small prayer and hope that Allah may bless her with some peace of mind.

Nothing spectacular happens other than an unexpected but extremely lovely surprise. I receive a bouquet of flowers from the President’s Office. The delivery man places the bouquet on my table and shows me the card. I am amazed at how beautiful and perfect Allah’s creations are. The bouquet contains my favourite flowers – the gerberas – or African daisies. They are the most resplendent peach petals with bright yellow centres. The bouquet also has fuchsia carnations, pale pink roses, yellow chrysanthemums, and two birds-of-paradise with a generous spray of fillers – small white asters, purple statices, ferns and artificial berries. Haha! You know you have a lot of time on your hands when you can use many words to describe a bouquet. My hubby will most probably have to take them home tonight. What a pity, they’re such a delight to look at. We’ll see if they’re strict about flowers like they were in the HDW.

I anxiously wait for hubby since he did not show up during lunch. Perhaps he is busy at work and can only come after. I pity him sometimes…. Rushing from here to there, trying to get things done. Maybe we should take a trip together when I’m well enough. Just the two of us to recuperate. I feel the need to anyway. Funny isn’t it? You come to the hospital to get well, but you come out feeling drained. Well, I feel that way all the time. I need some time to rejuvenate my senses. And where else can you do that but The Avillion, PD! Haha, now I sound like their ad.

Hubby comes and we get busy taking. Then as usual he goes for Asar prayers and buys some food for “berbuka”. I always feel out of breath when I talk to him, as there is just too much information that I want to relay to him and time is always eyeing us with jealous envy. I hear that mama was mad upon hearing of my transfer from the HDW to this ward. I know my mother, she is one fine lady, but sometimes she’s too emotional about things. I used to be just like her, but I think I have simmered down a little after getting acquainted with my hubby. He has always taught me to be patient. All things have a reason for happening a certain way. Who are we to question the plans of Allah? He has made things such for a reason. We may never understand His ways, but He knows best. We must have faith.

I call mama to wish her a selamat berbuka and she sounds happy and alright. She says that she will visit me tomorrow. Hurray!

Author’s note:
It is at this point in time that actual words were penned onto paper. The earlier entries were recollections from memory.

By the way, I learn something tonight. The nurse tells me that the makcik has been discharged for a while already, but the ward is still waiting for her children to come pick her up. It’s kind of sad, don’t you think? Maybe she will go home tonight. I pray that she does….

I try my best to sleep but I just could not do so. My neck hurts and I find no position comfortable for me to doze off. After many restless tossing and turning, I sit up. The fan above my head, without a doubt, makes the most beautiful ‘art’ in the ward. Its breeze moves the curtains in between the beds and makes, in turn, majestic wave-like shadows on the floor. The left side of my bed has rippling waves, incessantly rushing up and down. The shadows on the right side look like profiles of magnificently plumed birds, from a parakeet to an ostrich to a hornbill. Absolutely exquisite….

I see the daughter and granddaughter of the makcik have come to take her home. She looks so happy, her face plastered with powder and what looks like a little lipstick. She laughs happily as they push her on the wheelchair. I pray that she will always be contented.

8th Day - 12/10/2005 (Wednesday)

2005-10-31T11:48:00.000+08:00

True to her words, the Chinese nurse comes to shampoo my hair this morning. I do not know how she will carry this out when I’m lying there on the bed. First she folds the top part of the mattress a little bit under, and then she tells me to lie still. She puts a container underneath to catch all the water she uses. As soon as she starts shampooing, I fell relaxed. It is just like washing your hair in the hair salon. I am really grateful to her for taking the trouble to wash my hair.

More of my colleagues come visit me. First Ustaz Nazri and Zambri come to see me. We talk for quite some time. Then they excuse themselves because there were 3 more people waiting outside. Mieza comes again, this time with Tengku Norishah and Kak Sharifah Junaidah. Kak Norai brings a bottle of “air zamzam”. For this, I am very grateful. I feel so blessed when I think of all my friends who have come to visit me. I am a lucky girl indeed.

One of the nurses tells me that I will be moved to one of the medical wards. I am a bit disheartened, but have no choice really. She says they will try to put me in a room when one becomes available. At the moment I will be put in the open ward.

They move me at about 3p.m. the first thing that hits me is the heat. I forget the fact that there are only fans, no air-conditioning. The second thing that is like a slap in the face is the noise. I am welcomed by a cacophony of sounds, the loudest being a makcik screaming at the top of her voice. For a while there, I thought there might have been some mistake. This must be some mental ward! But the nurse tells me that the makcik is depressed, as nobody ever comes to visit her. Suddenly I pity her. Not even her own children would visit? What a shame….

There is nothing I could do but bear the conditions. I have to walk to the washroom on my own now, oh-so-slowly. Before I leave the HDW, the nurses take out the tube so now I need to go to the toilet. Over at the HDW, they bring the bedpan if I needed to do ‘number 2’, and I clean myself before they take away the bedpan. Even so, I am asked to wear adult diapers since my first day at the HDW.

Over at this ward (Medical Ward 4) I still wear the diapers just in case, but then I still go to the bathroom. I just cannot make myself pee into the diapers. So imagine what it’s like to put diapers on yourself. It is a great lesson in humility. At the HDW, the nurses would do it for me while I lie down. How do I do it on my own now? After a few times of putting it on myself, I have mastered the art, so to speak.

The surroundings are just too much for me. I shut my eyes and try to sleep. When hubby arrives that afternoon, the first I do is to sob silently while relating my ‘tragic’ tale of being moved to this ward. After seeing his worried face, I immediately control myself and stop sobbing. Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I apologise. He tells me that maybe this is for the better. The doctors are always around, unlike in the Special Wards at Level 7. I try to look at things in perspective. I agree with him.

At least I’m put in Bed 2, somewhere out front. Hubby tells me to be strong. I’ve come this far already. I tell him that I’ll try my best. I do not want him to worry about me. He worries enough already. I dread the time when he has to leave me. But of course that time comes and he promises to come tomorrow afternoon. He is no sure if he is able to come during lunch, but I assure him that it’s alright.

After he leaves, I decide to plait my hair. At least now when I lie down, my hair will be flat and not hurt my head like a normal ponytail would. I sit on my bed and see my shadow on the pillowcase. It looks like it belongs to some forlorn anime character, with wisps of hair blown by the wind. Haha, anime indeed!

It is difficult for me to sleep here. The noise is unbearable as the old makcik screams all the time. She calls out “Hello…. Hello….” If she sees anyone walk past her bed. She screams for the nurses and says that she’s hungry, or she wants to eat, or she needs a diaper change. She threatens to jump down from the bed. When nobody heeds her call, she starts kicking and says that she’s going to fall now. The nurses run to her, but of course she’s not really going anywhere as she doesn’t even have the energy to sit up on her own. Poor makcik…. I try to sleep and after sitting up and lying down many times, I finally sleep at about 1a.m.

7th Day - 11/10/2005 (Tuesday)

2005-10-31T11:46:00.000+08:00

Again I wake feeling sore. I’ve tried sleeping in various positions, with and without a pillow and still I feel pain.

Like yesterday, I receive visitors from my previous department and this time Mazwan comes with Mieza and Dr Beik. We chat and Dr Beik tells a joke. After that hubby arrives. I am so excited at seeing him. While he’s with me, some lecturers from the Faculty come. Kak Liza, Kak Intan, Kak Shima and En Kamarul are here. They bring a huge basket of fruits from the 4 of them and Ms Mariati, who could not make it to the hospital. I thank them for coming. They say that they heard about me from my faculty colleagues, so they too decide to come visit. Thank you so much you guys….

After Kak Intan and Kak Liza leave, the nurses give me the antibiotic again. The one that gives me cramps. This time, something worse happens. My legs get cramps, my heart beats too fast, and my head immediately throbs. It feels like bursting! I scream for my husband. At first he does nothing but massages my legs. Why does he look at me like that? Do something! I can’t breathe properly. At that time I feel like I am going to pass out at any moment. I scream again and again, afraid that he doesn’t hear me. He gets up and finds the nurse. He tells her of my reaction to the antibiotics. The nurse promises to inform the doctor to change it. The nurse puts me back on the oxygen tube and I breathe easier. At this time, Kak Shima and En Kamarul pop in just to say goodbye and they leave.

A while later, Nawi and Juliana, together with Rashidah and Alia from the Faculty come visit me. They say that they heard the office people came to the hospital to visit me, and it was then they knew I had been admitted into the hospital. I want to thank all of you for being here. It means a lot to me. Thanks guys!

Hubby stays by my side till he absolutely has to go. I am thankful for such a loving husband, who cares for me a lot, at times, even more than I do myself.

After he leaves, the Chinese nurse asks me if I would like to read a comic. Seeing that I am bored out of my wits, I agree. So I spend the rest of the day reading a Malay comic, which under normal circumstances I will not even consider reading. The Chinese nurse also tells me that she will shampoo my hair tomorrow morning. She has informed me yesterday to remind me to get shampoo from hubby. The shampoo bottle is now in my drawer.

I read the comic with difficulty at first. All the words merge into one another and seem to swim around the page. It has been a week since I last read anything. My eyes need time to focus. This seems like eternity. When my eyes can focus, I only manage to read a little bit at one time though.

Nothing else happens that day. I fall asleep late again. Now I seem to be coughing a lot at night. I ask for some cough medicine. Since the HDW doesn’t have any, I have to wait for the medicine to be sent from another ward. After the medicine takes its effect, my eyelids feel heavy and I doze off.

6th Day - 10/10/2005 (Monday)

2005-10-31T11:42:00.000+08:00

I am awakened and immediately feel throbbing in my neck and left shoulder. Oh, when will this ever go away? Soon I hope.

During the first visiting hours, I receive some visitors. My colleagues from my last department, Corporate Comms., come to see me. Pn Shahidah, my then superior, comes with Kak Liza, Layla, Mazwan and Om Karini. I am so happy to see them, albeit 2 at a time. They pass me the original Guarantee Letter (GL) from the University. I am so thankful that the University will be paying for all the expenses. Hubby comes too, and stays until it is time to go.

My colleagues from the faculty also come to see me – Razlina, Cynthia, Roni, Rena, Zam, Kak Adz, and Din. I am delighted to see them. They tell me that Izzaty sends her regards. They are quite surprised to see the condition that I am in. I am glad they come. Thank you guys!

In this ward, I try not to think too much. I sleep and concentrate on getting better. Sometimes, certain song lyrics would pop into my head and stay, playing the same parts over and over like a broken record. I tell this to hubby and he tells me to stop thinking about songs. It is Ramadhan, so perhaps I should “berzikir” and give praises to Allah. I agree that what he says is right, but sometimes it takes effort to shut out the songs. The two songs I always hear in my head are Allahyarham Sudirman’s Merisik Khabar and Jamal Abdillah’s Kekasih Awal dan Akhir. So now anytime my mind wanders, I will start some zikirs instead.

Sometimes I get terrible cramps in my legs afer they give me one of the antibiotics. I yell for the nurse when I get these cramps and one of them will help me flex my feet. I am drained by now and I lie awake. Around me patients are sleeping. I fall asleep sometime after midnight.

5th Day - 9/10/2005 (Sunday)

2005-10-30T17:14:00.000+08:00

The routine goes on today. Same old, same old. My sore shoulder feels like its being pulled down by a tonne of bricks. I find that trying to get in a comfortable position is impossible.

I’m glad that hubby is here. Being in a place with all the sick people is very depressing. My parents-in-law come visit me. We talk for a while. Then my brother Saufi and sister Aqilah come. Mama could not come along because she has sprained her back. I feel sad to hear this.

Nothing much happens. Nothing much can happen anyway, since there can only be 6 patients in this ward at any one time. I talk to hubby and he massages my shoulder. He coaxes me to eat, but the most that I can eat is about 5 tablespoons of porridge.

Then, hubby’s sister Nurin and her husband Fahmy come to visit. They bring along a basket of fruits and flowers. I ask her about her baby and she tells me of Khadeeja’s antics. She’s still a little baby.

After they leave, the nurses tell my hubby that flowers are not allowed in the ward, so he has to bring them home. However, I eat some grapes first, which are crunchy and yummy!

Then hubby leaves and I sleep. Or tried to anyway…. I finally doze off late at night.