Mawi won?!
Mawi won?! Most popular male artiste?!

Oh well, such is the way when you allow the masses too much power.

While typing this and taking part in an online course for my Business Studies professional development, I can hear my aunties Mimi and Shirl downstairs talking to my dad about Mawi winning and they don't sound too happy. Apparently, my aunts had been invited to dinner without my knowledge and I would have expected it if I had remembered that my aunty Shirl is in town. I'm not close to any of my aunts other than Aunty Mimi, who is like a second mother to me. Like tonight. I was making some cream cheese dip and I asked everyone to try. My mom's first reaction was "Don't know whether it tastes good or not." My aunty Mimi's response was an immediate "Of course, it'll taste good! See who made it!"

My family is not perfect but they balance each other well.

Talking about family, Shook's parents were so cute tonight. Shook's mom was spraying bug spray on a stinky bug Yodie was trying to munch on. While she sprayed and sprayed and sprayed, Shook's dad got up from the couch, got a tissue paper and scooped up the bug and threw it out. He did it quietly and so matter-of-factly that I almost laughed. It looked so much like something my own parents would do that I found it so endearing. When I told Shook, he just smiled. Then, Shook's mom tried to feed some sausages she got from upstairs to Yodie, who refused them after a little nibble. Again, I tried not to laugh when Shook's mom went off at Yodie. That's the second time in 3 days Yodie has been scolded: from Shook on Friday about not getting chicken and from the Mom tonight for not wanting sausages. Well, the good outcome is that Yodie is well-disciplined...somewhat.

Anyway, I went book shopping again. I usually do this only once a year but I wanted to get some books for my school library so I indulged. I bought a few books yesterday while shopping for Jerome's birthday present and I went again today to get more. The holidays are coming up so I know I need to stay occupied somehow.

Oh, and it's official!! Well, if teachers who work 7 timetable hours a day are actually putting in 13 hours a day, it's no wonder not many people want to be teachers or many people get the wrong idea about teachers. We do work even during our holidays, weekends and off-days. Why do I do it? Because I love it. I love the work. My complaints are few compared to the the satisfaction of a job well done. And the fact that my students are thankful.
11:39 pm | Category: | 0 comments

My DNA report
This is my DNA report.

Graphics-wise, the colourful 'pill' below is it.



You can hover over each coloured segment to see what they stand for

I got this from Daggerlynx
1:46 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Happy Birthday, Jerome!
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1:22 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Gleeful
I got paid today and first thing I did when I got home was check my bank account online. Then I called Shook and dragged him to Saberkas where I bought movies, an ink cartridge and a Flexible mini keyboard.

I've been curious about the flexible keyboard since I first saw it at the PC Fair last year. Today, I figured I'd bite the bullet and get one. So far, I think it's okay but it does need some getting used to. I keep wondering if what I'm typing actually gets through even as I see it being typed. I'm using it to type now and I've made more mistakes than ever. Like I said, it needs some getting used to.

However, to get a clearer picture, go here and read the review the website did. It's quite accurate except that mine is white :)
1:16 am | Category: | 0 comments

Words
The next time Shel comments about Azreen not being able to shut up, maybe she can use this fact on him - "Studies show that women use 8,000 to 9,000 words a day. Men use 2,000 to 4,000 words a day on average," explains communication expert Allan Pease. "By the time they come home from work, they've used up their words. And women have 5,000 left to go."

I got this from an article I was reading online here.

And if you come across a guy who can match a girl word for word, you might want to be wary of his preferences :)
5:14 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Name generator
When I first met Mac and Jerome, this was one of the few things they first got me into - name generators.

The site they sent me to was Metal Gear Solid Name Generator. Depending on which name I used, I had a choice of Ferocious Porcupine, Informer Asp, Giant Camel and Bayonet Nightingale! That's the good thing about having so many names to pick from.

I rather like the Ferocious Porcupine (kinda reminds me of Yodie who hates me right now because I didn't buy her chicken for 2 days!) and Informer Asp (because I like snakes a lot) but Giant Camel and Bayonet Nightingale?! I know I'm big-sized but Ginat Camel?! Are we back to that 2 rump thing again? And what on this good green earth is a Bayonet Nightingale? I thought they were friendly little things. Not Bayonet-ty.

But I can never beat Shook's Archer Owl and I really am glad I don't have Art's Crossbow Brine-Shrimp. Haha!

Just for fun...go try it out here. And out of curiosity, let me know what you got.
1:14 am | Category: | 0 comments

Huh?
Is it just because I had only just noticed it or has the vocabulary of all those porn spammers really become that bad?

I just got one in my gmail account that went "Are you bigger your short and thick dick?"

Say what?!
1:04 am | Category: | 0 comments

Gossip
This bit is more for me to get juicy bits of gossip off my chest as well as to share with my cousins in the blogsphere.

My cousin is getting married in a few days. Yeah, I know. I seem to have this endless stream of cousins who seem to do nothing else but get married! Well, anyway, one more is getting married.

What makes him different from the rest is that he annoys the living crap out of me. If you ever want to see a guy to personifies the words "Open mouth insert foot" and "Nothing between the ears", just go look at him. He's good-looking, I do admit. He's been in various commercials and he's even been in the MAS thing that you have to watch before take-off about putting on the seat belts. He is also an interior designer by qualification. (Then again, he is also living proof that paper qualifications do jack-shit for a person's intelligence)

Well, anyway, the story is long-winded but it boils down to this: A few years ago his parents went to Mekah. And while on the Hajj, his father prayed that his children would get married. This was when they were all happily single and actually enjoying life. Now, all Muslims know that when a wish is made during the Hajj there is a strong likely it will be granted.

Well, within a year of the wish made, my uncle's only daughter decided to get married. Then my uncle's eldest son fell. Now a few years later, the second son is getting married. The thing is this cousin of mine was sort of matchmade with this girl. His sister at this end made him call the girl's number and the girl's sisters in KL made her go out with him. Somehow, they got together and next thing I heard, they were getting married.

Do I sound dubious about it all? Well, I believe in getting to know someone for at least a year before deciding before they're worth committing to much less getting married to. So when I hear about people getting married after knowing each other for less than a year, heck yeah, I'm dubious! I mean, how much can you know about a person's quirks and eccentricities within one year anyway?

Well, the crux of the matter here is this - she's rich. He's not. She's the youngest and the spoilt child in the family. He's a brat. (Maybe this bit isn't such a bad thing, after all) Her parents wanted her to marry someone else. He was interested in someone else when she came by. He wanted to go to Rome for their honeymoon. She wants and they will go to Paris for the honeymoon. He wants to keep working in KL. Her father just bought a company just to make sure my cousin works here!

My take on the matter? He's being bought. And whoever does not believe in karma better start keeping care because karma does not always work immediately. And if any of my dearly beloved relatives know another side to this story, please tell me.

The Malays have a belief. The further away you are from Mekah, the longer it takes for comeuppance to reach you. But on this planet, how far away is far away enough anyway?
7:22 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Light reading
Hi everyone!!

No, I'm not whacked yet nor have I reached the deep end. But I was reading this blog that came recommended through the Blogger email list and I think it's totally...weird. It is so crazy that I can only call it funny! The guy just goes on and on and on and on. He reminds me of one of my hyper students at school. I'm not even going to comment on the grammar. But he's a big fan of Need For Speed Most Wanted so some people might think he's not so bad. Oh well, to each his own.

And, I have solved the problem of my wacky blog template. But I'm still too lazy to upload the new codes for it. I just had a tiring weekend, that's all.

Also, I've been reading some articles which I think some people might find rather interesting.

1) Calorie burning drinks
2) Healthy food that make you fat
3) (My favourite line so far) - "casual sex with friends is the doughnut of romance. You may think its tasty now, but youll pay for it later." Hilarious. Article's interesting too.
5:19 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Cool
Remember that I once mentioned wanting to steal some links from Shook's computer?

Well, I got one and today I saw a very interesting link on the website it led to. Go check it out. I like what I saw even if I could not understand a word that was written. I think it's Cyrillic?

On the homefront, I believe now more than ever that some people just should not even consider getting a mate or even entertain the idea of procreating because I'd really hate to see the stupid disease spread. And I mean that literally, too. And what's with the juvenile need for sympathy and pity? And jeez, grow up and smell the reality already!! I personally take a while to trust people either for the first time or after they've done me wrong. So I really can't see how mature it could possibly be to consider a guy your future husband after knowing him for only a few months!! Get your head out of the fairy tales and romance books and join the real world, dumbass!!

And on hindsight, I'd rather be fat and happy than thin and suicidal. So there! Hah!

Bugger this!
11:28 am | Category: | 0 comments

Oh, really?
I got this off rider_tekran's site. I wonder...

How You Are In Love

You take a while to fall in love with someone. Trust takes time.

You give and take equally in relationships.

You need your space and privacy. You don't like to be smothered.

You love your partner unconditionally and don't try to make them change.

You stay in love for a long time, even if you aren't loved back. When you fall, you fall hard.


If answering a few questions does lead me to my inner soul, then let's do more. Oh, by the way, he writes rather well. Do go read.
4:44 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Hallmark holiday
Tomorrow (today) marks what I have always considered a Hallmark holiday. I mean, really! Think about it! Who makes the most money if not one of the biggest card manufacturers in the world? Who stands to benefit the most on this day? Who made it such an 'in' thing to celebrate? Who makes such a big deal out of it that it pressures girls/women to pressure their boys/men?

To be fair, I would like to wish everyone:


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Personally, I prefer to celebrate Sweetest Day since Valentine's has been turned into a family thing. How wrong is that?! Besides, I learned this from Michigan. What can I say?

Anyway, for those of you who are jaded, maybe you'd like to read this article.

The interesting part of the article is this:
Top 5 things NOT to do on Valentines day!
1. Don't drink & dial -- This is not the time to over imbibe and call your ex. Actually, there's never a good time to drink and dial.
2. Don't stay home alone feeling sorry for yourself if you know you'll be lonely. Instead, meet up with a friend, go to a movie, volunteer at a homeless shelter -- do anything to get outside of yourself.
3. Don't eat the entire box of chocolates you bought yourself. Binge eating to numb the loneliness will only make you feel worse the next morning.
4. Don't press your face against restaurant windows to peer longingly at the couples inside. Instead, peruse a gourmet food store for a special meal to treat yourself -- you deserve it.
5. Don't resent your coupled friends. Jealousy is unattractive and will only cause tension. Open up your heart and then love will find you.

I personally so believe in the 5th point.
11:38 pm | Category: | 0 comments

People
Shook and I were watching the repeat of TV3's Sure Heboh concert held in Selangor.

Only tonight did I notice a few things. One was that Amy Search is short, Ella (our Queen of Rock) is still damn hot especially dressed the way she was in the show, Hans Isaac has nice hair suddenly and he sings (kinda!) and despite our doubts about Anuar Zain's preferences, he still has some nice songs. Tiara Jacquelina was there only to promote herself (again!) and her musical. But she did introduce someone impressive : Stephen Rahman-Hughes. Someone should write in to IMDB and tell them that he's in Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical. But he's cute. At least better looking than M. Nasir. And he's been on Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bombay Dreams. So heck yeah!

Then Raihan came on. And oh how I so don't like them! I used to love them. I thought they were doing something really great. And the songs are educational, spiritual and very nice. Then I met them in person and oh....the disappointment! They were snobbish, very unlike everything they preached and generally very uppity. I don't like uppity. I have never condoned uppity despite my own social standing. If I'm ever uppity, it's because I either really dislike you or I think you deserve to be taught a lesson in manners. They were uppity so I gave up.

Like I told Shook, Normadiah and Jins Shamsuddin were nicer people and goodness knows they are the real royalty in our music and movie industry. But I did have the biggest thing for Rahim Maarof only because he impressed me by signing his name in Jawi (Arabic).

See? How easy it is to impress me. I don't need money or a big house or a big car. I am impressed by people who are honest with themselves and with me. If I was after money, I'd be with someone else right now.

Although I have the funny feeling that if Shook reads this, he'll say two words: "Washing machine". Haha! Private joke. I'm not going to apologise. Lots of people are airing the fact they have a private joke. I don't ask them to explain so they shouldn't ask me to either. And they shouldn't ask unless they're prepared to tell.

Hey, I said I was easy to impress. I didn't say I'm easy to be contradictory with.
12:59 am | Category: | 0 comments

In retrospect
I just thought of something.

Biasness aside, I find Shook one of the most fascinating men ever. My father and my 'big brother' do not count because they've been in my life my entire life. They seem to have this inherent need to protect me form what they are or what they can be.

But Shook, being what he is to me, is slowly allowing me to see a wider aspect of his life. He used to be one of the most secretive people I know. Until I accused him of being unfaithful, that is. You see, generally, girls can very good at being doubting Thomases. So the moment a guy acts secretive, they think the worst. And I am the best at being a doubting Thomas. To be fair, the same would probably apply to guys as well where girls are concerned. I've seen girls be very secretive but expect the guys to be totally open with them. Most guys I know get very frustrated with this and that's why some relationships break apart.

Anyway, I digressed. Why did I bring Shook up suddenly? Well, DUH!!! You expect me to think about some other guy?! How unfaithful is that?!

Haha! I only thought of Shook because he has the most fascinating list of Favourites in his computer. If I could steal half those links, I'll be happy. So far, I've only stolen about 3 or 4. But then, if I did steal them, he won't much left to be one-up on me. Hmmm.....

Oh, on that note, I once read an article in the newspaper about being the perfect girlfriend. One of it was to help your boyfriend to save face. Personally, I find that a rather apt concept since guys always seem very concerned about how other guys see them. And I read the article to the end only to see how I stacked up against other people's concept of the perfect girlfriend, and found that I have it all covered. Most girls would get all giggly and happy about it. I just went 'oh shit! That's a lot to hang onto! Talk about pressure on myself!'

And with that, I shall now go and do what I've been promising for ages to do - clean up my room!
12:11 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Choices
Today, one of my students said, "Miss, we need to improve our social skills."

After being with them for 3 years, I knew this was a hint that they wanted some free time or they wanted to sit and chat with me about something. Actually, she meant more along the lines of communication skills.

So I asked her why she thought we should improve our social skills. This was just to see what the answer would be.

Her answer? "So that we would know what to say to who and when. If we don't have any social skills, we might offend other people with what we say while not knowing that we said it."

To be honest, this statement made me proud. I have always believed that, as far as my students as concerned, "Hope springs eternal." and today, they came through.

If a 15-year old can know this, you sometimes wonder why adults can't. Or is it that they choose not to?
6:08 pm | Category: | 0 comments

Weaknesses
The greatest weakness of all is the great fear of appearing weak - Jacques Bénigne Bossuet

For the past few months, I have been feeling a little stressed for a good number of reasons. Unfortunately, those reasons all have one thing in common.

Sometime in the middle of last year, my boss actually said to me that if my boyfriend doesn't seem to want to marry me, then I should just drop him and move on. Now, don't get me wrong. This woman is actually like a mentor to me at school. She always makes sure I'm okay and when I feel sick, I go to her and she cures me or feeds me or whatever it is that should come up.

Well then , I ignored her and laughed it off. Then, everyone around me seemed to be asking me when I will be getting married. I hate the fact that a person is not considered whole until they're married. I took this in small doses for years and only these few months have these 'arrows' actually begun to hurt me. And some 'arrows' have actually made me doubt.

Then I tried to talk it over with some friends. But they never seemed to understand what I'm trying to say. I'm not the kind to say 'Hey, fucker! Listen to me! I'm going to kill myself and I want you to stop me!'. I think so far, only Art and Jerome have ever listened. Art's married now and Jerome's...I don't know. Actually, with Art married, there truly is no one left. He's the only one who has ever stopped me from killing myself. I used to be able to talk this over with Mac since he has been in the picture since oh, so long ago. But Mac is usually busy or working. And after years of not talking to Mac about this, it has grown very difficult to do so.

So, you see, I have nobody to talk to. The ones I used to have are gone. The ones I thought I could have are not willing to listen. The ones I thought I could rely on would never take my side. Sometimes, my feelings are shattered by more than just the people. Sometimes, it's just me. Just being myself by myself, not wanting to go but forcing myself to because I know if I don't, I never will.

Want to know what true loneliness is? It's when you can't go out with your friends, you can't befriend your colleagues, you can't talk to anyone because you can't trust them to be a friend and you won't let go because the love is too strong.

Now I understand why most people associate abandonment and isolation with loneliness.

So does this need to connect make me weak? I hope not. Because I believe it will end up being what I am: Caught in the middle between the need and the reality.

And if I appear bitter to some of you, or even jealous or even just plain bitchy, it's because I've tried and I've failed. And failure is not something I like experiencing.
5:12 pm | Category: | 0 comments