I can't think of a decent title right now

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??

*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?

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

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....

“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....

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....

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....

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!

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!

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

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

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

Thumbing through reality

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....

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....

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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?

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….