Caught up with an old acquaitance who ventured into his own business instead of the run-of-the-mill nine-to-five desk job. Thought I would ask him how he was getting along, careerwise & perhaps if I needed an IT solution, perhaps he could provide.
He was quite offended when I asked him how was business. He asked "Why? You think I'd be out of business now ah?". Geez...I was only asking what with the current economic situation & his being a 2 person outfit (him the boss & one employee, last I checked). So I said that it was good to know that he had not gone under yet.
Then I proceeded to ask him about some software that I thought would make life for me at work a tad breezier. He said something about if I wanted to know about that I would have to spend a couple of days in Penang. What? Where? Who? How? So, I asked him what he meant.
He went on to explain that his business had been bought over by some tycoon in Penang. So I went like "???" as in "Where did this come from? One minute, you are a twosome running an office, the next some tycoon owns you." but of course I didn't shoot it out in so many words.
His reply?? This - "a businessman with lots of money". So yeah, dear Balls (my pet name for him) thanks so much for the English lesson. Always wondered what the word tycoon meant. Must have got it mixed up with the violent cyclone or hurricane.
My vocab is certainly getting better, no? Consive baby, elobrate, lam, start report duty, tycoon.. My, my so much to learn...
IDIOTS!!!
20090428
the grass is always greener...
The daughter has decided to go off meat (red & white) in her diet again. Yes, she tried it once before but gave in when the dad decided to play the devil's advocate and tempt her with fajitas and steak burgers at Hard Rock Cafe. But since she watched Supersize Me, she swore off meat and decided to get her proteins from beans, tofu and such...
So, this time around the hubby is not too concerned as she is still taking her fish & other seafood. And this time around, she made me stop when I started listing all the foods that she will be able to eat anymore namely her faves like lasagna, beef stroganoff, the fajitas, steak (yeah you guessed it, at HRC), chicken rice...and the list goes on. Such evil parents she has, you say. Yeah, yeah wait till you are in my shoes.
Anyways, we discovered some new vegetarian restaurants minus the hubby of course. He's not too big on the idea of eating veg, vegetarian meat & tofu. He needs his share of carnivorous intake, thank you very much. So now I am at wits end on what to feed that daughter of mine. Is it a phase she is going through? I really have no idea but we just take it as it comes (and goes) along like we do so many others.
Ventured into a stall selling vegetarian stuff this morning at the market and packed home pandan chicken, chicken wings & prawns all in inverted commas of course. The lady who sells it swears it taste like the real thing and says it's yummy (duh!! she would say that of course).
Anyone got any ideas on what vegetarian dishes I can prepare? Must not be too complicated of course. Now excuse me while I go and mow the grass....
So, this time around the hubby is not too concerned as she is still taking her fish & other seafood. And this time around, she made me stop when I started listing all the foods that she will be able to eat anymore namely her faves like lasagna, beef stroganoff, the fajitas, steak (yeah you guessed it, at HRC), chicken rice...and the list goes on. Such evil parents she has, you say. Yeah, yeah wait till you are in my shoes.
Anyways, we discovered some new vegetarian restaurants minus the hubby of course. He's not too big on the idea of eating veg, vegetarian meat & tofu. He needs his share of carnivorous intake, thank you very much. So now I am at wits end on what to feed that daughter of mine. Is it a phase she is going through? I really have no idea but we just take it as it comes (and goes) along like we do so many others.
Ventured into a stall selling vegetarian stuff this morning at the market and packed home pandan chicken, chicken wings & prawns all in inverted commas of course. The lady who sells it swears it taste like the real thing and says it's yummy (duh!! she would say that of course).
Anyone got any ideas on what vegetarian dishes I can prepare? Must not be too complicated of course. Now excuse me while I go and mow the grass....
20090427
looking after people's hemlines....
I don't care very much for family gatherings especially if a big part or perhaps a substantial part of the attendees are gonna be someone's dua-pupu or tiga-pupu or kupu-kupu. You don't know who is who & who is married to whom & which kid is whose?
But sometimes, duty calls & yes, we put up a brave front for a couple of hours or so till we leave for the safety of our own home. Of late, they have been a couple of weddings we had to attend on the hubby's side of the family. Earlier this month, one happened in the south of the country & just yesterday, another one up north. And another one coming up in the eastern part of the country.
There is no way we can weasel our way out of not attending as they are the hubby's uncles & aunts from the mother's side. And being a true blue southerner that the hubby is, mom's word is law. What better way to spend the weekend than to drive for 2 hours up north, stay eat & chat for another 2 hours & drive all the way back again for the next 2 hours, right? Ah well....
Okay, the salam-salam cium tangan, hug-hug, air-kisses part I can tolerate. "Anak mana?" *points* "Oh dah besar lah, muka mak/bapak (depending on the left or the right profile I suppose)" "Lama tak jumpa" "Bila nak datang rumah" - I have already perfected the smile, the answer...
But when it comes to "Eh, mana bini / laki dia?" (refering to the other half who is MIA) & when the berita terkini, hiburan tak se-sensasi mana comes about; I feel a bit uneasy. Speculations about who is on the verge of a break-up, whose marriage is on the rocks...I have the choice to either walk away from the conversation or change the subject depending again who is the broadcaster for the news.
I did HR for a living once upon a time & partially now but I have never subscribed to the 'jaga tepi kain orang' business. Okay, maybe HR is being empathic to the staffs, lending an ear or a shoulder to cry on but does that give us the right to be downright kepoh. Yes, I can be kepoh sometimes but I do not believe in prying in other people's business. Let's just say kepoh for the right reasons. Erk???
If they choose to tell me or need someone to listen, I am all ears. But if they don't tell me, I don't ask. Back in the old company I worked for, gossips were aplenty. Who's having an affair with whom, who's doing who... some tried to get an information out of me. My answer? Simple... is it a HR issue? Any grievances? Are you lodging a complaint formally? If the answer is YES to all three questions, then you can talk to me.. If it's just plain gossip, my mantra is See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Do No Evil.
After one company trip, I was summoned to my boss' office and they queried me on why a certain head of department chose to take a cab with another staff. Where did they go? How the hell should I know?? They don't want to take the transport provided - not my problem. They want to take a cab on their own - I reminded them they cannot claim to which they agree, problem solved. So should I make it my business to ask them anything else??? Needless to say, my bosses were quite disappointed I could not fill them in on the juicier details (if there were any to start with).
Another tried to ask if someone & someone else were a couple (or simply put doing each other)? I asked her what her concern was... She said "Not right mah..." I told her to lodge a complaint to the head if she's not happy. When it becomes a HR issue, only then I can address it. Otherwise for all I care, someone & someone else & some other person can do whomever, wherever, whatever, whichever, however they want...
Ahhh, I see it now!! No wonder lah I wasn't Miss Popular..... thus my boss decided on this HR with a Heart program where I, the heartless biatch was supposed to be friendly, approachable, empathetic & all the other things I rarely am. Did it work you ask? No, not really I quit half way into the year.
Being nice wasn't & isn't really easy after all.....
But sometimes, duty calls & yes, we put up a brave front for a couple of hours or so till we leave for the safety of our own home. Of late, they have been a couple of weddings we had to attend on the hubby's side of the family. Earlier this month, one happened in the south of the country & just yesterday, another one up north. And another one coming up in the eastern part of the country.
There is no way we can weasel our way out of not attending as they are the hubby's uncles & aunts from the mother's side. And being a true blue southerner that the hubby is, mom's word is law. What better way to spend the weekend than to drive for 2 hours up north, stay eat & chat for another 2 hours & drive all the way back again for the next 2 hours, right? Ah well....
Okay, the salam-salam cium tangan, hug-hug, air-kisses part I can tolerate. "Anak mana?" *points* "Oh dah besar lah, muka mak/bapak (depending on the left or the right profile I suppose)" "Lama tak jumpa" "Bila nak datang rumah" - I have already perfected the smile, the answer...
But when it comes to "Eh, mana bini / laki dia?" (refering to the other half who is MIA) & when the berita terkini, hiburan tak se-sensasi mana comes about; I feel a bit uneasy. Speculations about who is on the verge of a break-up, whose marriage is on the rocks...I have the choice to either walk away from the conversation or change the subject depending again who is the broadcaster for the news.
I did HR for a living once upon a time & partially now but I have never subscribed to the 'jaga tepi kain orang' business. Okay, maybe HR is being empathic to the staffs, lending an ear or a shoulder to cry on but does that give us the right to be downright kepoh. Yes, I can be kepoh sometimes but I do not believe in prying in other people's business. Let's just say kepoh for the right reasons. Erk???
If they choose to tell me or need someone to listen, I am all ears. But if they don't tell me, I don't ask. Back in the old company I worked for, gossips were aplenty. Who's having an affair with whom, who's doing who... some tried to get an information out of me. My answer? Simple... is it a HR issue? Any grievances? Are you lodging a complaint formally? If the answer is YES to all three questions, then you can talk to me.. If it's just plain gossip, my mantra is See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Do No Evil.
After one company trip, I was summoned to my boss' office and they queried me on why a certain head of department chose to take a cab with another staff. Where did they go? How the hell should I know?? They don't want to take the transport provided - not my problem. They want to take a cab on their own - I reminded them they cannot claim to which they agree, problem solved. So should I make it my business to ask them anything else??? Needless to say, my bosses were quite disappointed I could not fill them in on the juicier details (if there were any to start with).
Another tried to ask if someone & someone else were a couple (or simply put doing each other)? I asked her what her concern was... She said "Not right mah..." I told her to lodge a complaint to the head if she's not happy. When it becomes a HR issue, only then I can address it. Otherwise for all I care, someone & someone else & some other person can do whomever, wherever, whatever, whichever, however they want...
Ahhh, I see it now!! No wonder lah I wasn't Miss Popular..... thus my boss decided on this HR with a Heart program where I, the heartless biatch was supposed to be friendly, approachable, empathetic & all the other things I rarely am. Did it work you ask? No, not really I quit half way into the year.
Being nice wasn't & isn't really easy after all.....
20090423
eating to live or living to eat??
Ange posted an interesting post on her blog on Blood Type Diet & apparently one of the many food she isn't supposed to eat is crab. And our dear friend is die-die must eat Fatty Crab fan. Speaking of which, the family was supposed to have dinner there last night for the hubby's birthday dinner (his choice, not ours) but since takde kaki...maybe tomorrow night lah. Oh, just so you know their chicken wings pun sedapppppp!!!!
Anyways being the kepoh that I am, checked out the site lah. Details, details - I am type O. So what can or can't I eat??? Kalau rajin, silalah baca (since type O is generally the common one among us)..kalau malas, nak buat camana kan?? But since I sayang you guys so much and if you still so lazy to read go here lah to see a detailed chart of the long & short of it.
Type Os thrive on intense physical exercise & animal protein. Unlike the other blood types, Type Os muscle tissue should be slightly on the acid side. They can efficiently digest & metabolize meat because they tend to have high stomach-acid content. The success of the Type O Diet depends on the use of lean, chemical-free meats, poultry, and fish. Type Os don't find dairy products and grains quite as user friendly as do most of the other blood types.
The initial weight loss on the Type O Diet is by restricting consumption of grains, breads, legumes, and beans. The leading factor in weight gain for Type Os is the gluten found in wheat germ and whole wheat products, which interferes with insulin efficiency and slow down metabolic rate.
Another factor that contribute to weight gain is certain beans and legumes (lentils and kidney beans) contain lectins that deposit in the muscle tissues making them less "charged" for physical activity. The third factor in Type O weight gain is that Type Os have a tendency to have low levels of thyroid hormone or unstable thyroid functions, which also cause metabolic problems. Therefore it is good to avoid food that inhibits thyroid hormone (cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard green) but increase hormone production (kelp, seafood, iodized salt).
Several classes of vegetables can cause big problems for Type Os, such as the Brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) can inhibit the thyroid function. Eat more vegetables that are high in Vitamin K, which helps the clotting factor which is weak in Type Os. The nightshade vegetables can cause lectin deposit in the tissue surrounding the joints.
Because of the high acidity stomach, Type Os should eat fruits of alkaline nature such as berries and plums. Type Os should severely restrict the use of dairy products. Their system is not designed for the proper metabolism. If you are a Type O of African ancestry, you should eliminate dairy foods and eggs altogether.
So what I can stuff myself silly with are beef, lam (??? don't believe me? go to the link lah), mutton, veal venison, any type of seafood but got certain restrictions... Err, generally can eat anything everything edible under the sun. Wait. Wait. No pork (not a problem here!!), bacon (beef bacon tak leh ah??), smoked salmon (they didn't say raw tak leh what), all dairy products & yogurt (how to have strong bones like that, no calcium??)...
Ah, okaylah. I'll live lah with what I am allowed to eat and otherwise. Meanwhile, I'll go pig out at Fatty Crab tomorrow & do the intense physical activity part on Saturday. Sewer brains, stop right there!! Tengah cuti ah...I'm talking about the gym!!
Anyways being the kepoh that I am, checked out the site lah. Details, details - I am type O. So what can or can't I eat??? Kalau rajin, silalah baca (since type O is generally the common one among us)..kalau malas, nak buat camana kan?? But since I sayang you guys so much and if you still so lazy to read go here lah to see a detailed chart of the long & short of it.
Type Os thrive on intense physical exercise & animal protein. Unlike the other blood types, Type Os muscle tissue should be slightly on the acid side. They can efficiently digest & metabolize meat because they tend to have high stomach-acid content. The success of the Type O Diet depends on the use of lean, chemical-free meats, poultry, and fish. Type Os don't find dairy products and grains quite as user friendly as do most of the other blood types.
The initial weight loss on the Type O Diet is by restricting consumption of grains, breads, legumes, and beans. The leading factor in weight gain for Type Os is the gluten found in wheat germ and whole wheat products, which interferes with insulin efficiency and slow down metabolic rate.
Another factor that contribute to weight gain is certain beans and legumes (lentils and kidney beans) contain lectins that deposit in the muscle tissues making them less "charged" for physical activity. The third factor in Type O weight gain is that Type Os have a tendency to have low levels of thyroid hormone or unstable thyroid functions, which also cause metabolic problems. Therefore it is good to avoid food that inhibits thyroid hormone (cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard green) but increase hormone production (kelp, seafood, iodized salt).
Several classes of vegetables can cause big problems for Type Os, such as the Brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) can inhibit the thyroid function. Eat more vegetables that are high in Vitamin K, which helps the clotting factor which is weak in Type Os. The nightshade vegetables can cause lectin deposit in the tissue surrounding the joints.
Because of the high acidity stomach, Type Os should eat fruits of alkaline nature such as berries and plums. Type Os should severely restrict the use of dairy products. Their system is not designed for the proper metabolism. If you are a Type O of African ancestry, you should eliminate dairy foods and eggs altogether.
So what I can stuff myself silly with are beef, lam (??? don't believe me? go to the link lah), mutton, veal venison, any type of seafood but got certain restrictions... Err, generally can eat anything everything edible under the sun. Wait. Wait. No pork (not a problem here!!), bacon (beef bacon tak leh ah??), smoked salmon (they didn't say raw tak leh what), all dairy products & yogurt (how to have strong bones like that, no calcium??)...
Ah, okaylah. I'll live lah with what I am allowed to eat and otherwise. Meanwhile, I'll go pig out at Fatty Crab tomorrow & do the intense physical activity part on Saturday. Sewer brains, stop right there!! Tengah cuti ah...I'm talking about the gym!!
20090422
too soon to arrive at a crossroad?
It's already into the second week of my 'job' & I am beginning to ask myself if it is too soon to be at a crossroad. Is it too soon for me to question if this was meant for me? Do I give her the benefit of the doubt that this is just the beginning & things are gonna go the way she explained it to me? Do I throw in the towel now & say "thanks but I think I'll pass..."
See, when my ex-boss (RK) contacted me some time back to entice me into joining her in this company, I was supposed to be assisting her in setting up the ground-work to get a HR department proper. So I go in last week - first day, we sit down have a discussion on what needs to be done & okay, all is clear. So we need to get the employee handbook, the relevant processes & documents in place.
What she fails to tell me is there is no program or anything (which so baffles me really) in existense and I have to come up with the layout, the actual design & the actual idiotic, monotonous data entry. Now, if a handbook is like two pages long I won't really think very much about it. Or... if there is already a soft-copy and all I need to do is to proof-read it, tweak it up a little, add a couple of zeroes to the staff benefits; that doesn't seem so bad, really isn't. But heaven forbid, there is NO soft-copy. Nil. Zilch. Nada. So how?? Well, RK very brilliantly got a whole binder of another organization's handbook & I have to re-type the effing thing word for word for like a five inches binder thick. WTF???
So, I am asking myself - is this what I am going to end up doing...some clerical, secretarial job. Sit, sit, sit, type, type, type, print, print, print, amend for the eleventh millionth time & life goes on.
I am very quickly losing my patience (yes, I am like that so deal with it) as I am designing & doing the multitude of forms that god-only-knows if they will comprehend must less be able to fill out in proper without making me pull my already fine hair off my head.
There... I don't know. Am I jumping the gun here? Do I stick it out for the next two months of my 'trial' period? Do I give RK the benefit of the doubt & wait till she sits with the supremos and discuss if they need me, why they need me; then lay out the terms & conditions of me being tied down & shackled with them for my next two eternities? Or do I give them notice that 'I-am-leaving-you-can-find-someone-else-to-type-out-this-shitload-of-stuff-for-you-&-I'll-be-having-lunch-at-Chinoz-thank-you-very-much' speech?
Sigh!! Why did it have to get to this? All this while when all I had to worry my less wise little self (that's a different story for another day) was "Should I go for for yoga today?" and / or "What to eat ah?".....
See, when my ex-boss (RK) contacted me some time back to entice me into joining her in this company, I was supposed to be assisting her in setting up the ground-work to get a HR department proper. So I go in last week - first day, we sit down have a discussion on what needs to be done & okay, all is clear. So we need to get the employee handbook, the relevant processes & documents in place.
What she fails to tell me is there is no program or anything (which so baffles me really) in existense and I have to come up with the layout, the actual design & the actual idiotic, monotonous data entry. Now, if a handbook is like two pages long I won't really think very much about it. Or... if there is already a soft-copy and all I need to do is to proof-read it, tweak it up a little, add a couple of zeroes to the staff benefits; that doesn't seem so bad, really isn't. But heaven forbid, there is NO soft-copy. Nil. Zilch. Nada. So how?? Well, RK very brilliantly got a whole binder of another organization's handbook & I have to re-type the effing thing word for word for like a five inches binder thick. WTF???
So, I am asking myself - is this what I am going to end up doing...some clerical, secretarial job. Sit, sit, sit, type, type, type, print, print, print, amend for the eleventh millionth time & life goes on.
I am very quickly losing my patience (yes, I am like that so deal with it) as I am designing & doing the multitude of forms that god-only-knows if they will comprehend must less be able to fill out in proper without making me pull my already fine hair off my head.
There... I don't know. Am I jumping the gun here? Do I stick it out for the next two months of my 'trial' period? Do I give RK the benefit of the doubt & wait till she sits with the supremos and discuss if they need me, why they need me; then lay out the terms & conditions of me being tied down & shackled with them for my next two eternities? Or do I give them notice that 'I-am-leaving-you-can-find-someone-else-to-type-out-this-shitload-of-stuff-for-you-&-I'll-be-having-lunch-at-Chinoz-thank-you-very-much' speech?
Sigh!! Why did it have to get to this? All this while when all I had to worry my less wise little self (that's a different story for another day) was "Should I go for for yoga today?" and / or "What to eat ah?".....
20090417
and they thought they got rid of me...
Apparently not!! Seems that my recent post (to consive & to report duty) re the almost unintelligible clauses found in a company's job application form caused some embarrassments. Well, not directly that the person who thinks the world of herself & goes by the title VP of the department knows of the existense of my blog and reads it. But I put up a message on my gtalk status which I think went something like 'Learn a word a day - consive baby. Don't ask me what that means!!'
But I took it off a couple of hours later. Seems our sheila was quick to spot it. I'll give her an A for effort on that part I suppose (for being alert for once!!) & A++++++++ for still having me on her contact list. I would have thought she blocked me or at the very least remove me. Oh well, the feeling is not mutual then.
I guess she would have been a tad embarrassed (more so, since it came from me whom she's not too fond of & neither I of her) & word was she marched in to ask the manager who came up with the clause & the word 'consive'. The meekly manager told her it was the director of the department & was told to remove the clause immediately as it discriminates against the fairer sex.
So today I put up another message for her, let's see if she picks this one up....
But I took it off a couple of hours later. Seems our sheila was quick to spot it. I'll give her an A for effort on that part I suppose (for being alert for once!!) & A++++++++ for still having me on her contact list. I would have thought she blocked me or at the very least remove me. Oh well, the feeling is not mutual then.
I guess she would have been a tad embarrassed (more so, since it came from me whom she's not too fond of & neither I of her) & word was she marched in to ask the manager who came up with the clause & the word 'consive'. The meekly manager told her it was the director of the department & was told to remove the clause immediately as it discriminates against the fairer sex.
So today I put up another message for her, let's see if she picks this one up....
20090416
to consive & to report duty
Sorry friend (you know who you are) but I just had to do this. Like they say, share the joy & the laughter with all or is it laugh & the world laughs with you.
I got a friend to send me a copy of her company's job application form cos I need to come up with one for the company I am presently engaged with. Firstly, I found out the format is totally different & then as I was looking at it, I couldn't help but to laugh. Mean? I think not!! You be the judge..... (and I am reproducing it word for word)
2. All sections must be completed and where applicable, circle/mark off opposite or state NIL.
1. Have you been convicted of any criminal offences (if yes, pls elobrate)
2. (For woman only) You will not be entitled to the manternity leave if you have consive baby / pregnant during your probation or before employment
7. What is your minimum expected salary? When you can start to report duty?
I got a friend to send me a copy of her company's job application form cos I need to come up with one for the company I am presently engaged with. Firstly, I found out the format is totally different & then as I was looking at it, I couldn't help but to laugh. Mean? I think not!! You be the judge..... (and I am reproducing it word for word)
2. All sections must be completed and where applicable, circle/mark off opposite or state NIL.
1. Have you been convicted of any criminal offences (if yes, pls elobrate)
2. (For woman only) You will not be entitled to the manternity leave if you have consive baby / pregnant during your probation or before employment
7. What is your minimum expected salary? When you can start to report duty?
duh!! what??
I was watching 'Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?' & there was this second contestant (after the first one dropped out) who was the grand-daughter of some guy who invented the mood ring.
Get this - her first question was I think First Grade spelling & it went something like 'How many consonants are the in the word vowel?'. See, the host read out the question instead of it appearing on the board like it usually does. And this smart brunette said 2 'cos she spelt it v o u l.
I mean, seriously??? Then when they told her the correct spelling, she went like "Oh, like bowel?" Err duh!!! Needlessly to say she went home two questions later with nothing to show for it. Then her mood ring turned to green meaning she's relaxed & happy (during the quiz time it was purple indicating she was nervous); to which the host said "Yeah, because we don't have to think now, do we?"
Tried getting the clip from youtube but couldn't find it so I'll leave you with Kellie Pickler (the AI finalist who didn't know what a calamari was) in one of her many bimbo moments during the show... go to www.youtube.com for more of her bimbo moments.
Get this - her first question was I think First Grade spelling & it went something like 'How many consonants are the in the word vowel?'. See, the host read out the question instead of it appearing on the board like it usually does. And this smart brunette said 2 'cos she spelt it v o u l.
I mean, seriously??? Then when they told her the correct spelling, she went like "Oh, like bowel?" Err duh!!! Needlessly to say she went home two questions later with nothing to show for it. Then her mood ring turned to green meaning she's relaxed & happy (during the quiz time it was purple indicating she was nervous); to which the host said "Yeah, because we don't have to think now, do we?"
Tried getting the clip from youtube but couldn't find it so I'll leave you with Kellie Pickler (the AI finalist who didn't know what a calamari was) in one of her many bimbo moments during the show... go to www.youtube.com for more of her bimbo moments.
Europe is a country? They speak French there? Is France a country?
second lap round the track
Day 2 started out early. Sleep came as soon as head & pillow made contact the previous night. All the Pilates & pretzels twisting didn't make me as worn out as that. Just a little before 6am, was awaken by bolts of lighting & a rumble of thunder in the distance. Oh boy...here goes.
Got out of bed, spent an hour or so (okaylah, not really an hour maybe less) to doll up for work. Had a quick breakfast with the daughter before sending her off to school. Might as well head for work as it's pouring, so my crystal ball tells me there's gonna be a crawl somewhere or maybe even an accident or two. Took a slow drive & my prophecy came true... hmm, maybe i should just be a psychic or psycho.
Reached the office early, went to a nearby kopitiam to have a cuppa. Cool morning. Nice... Took the stairs instead of the lift to the office on the 5th.. Part two of work continues. Gotta make a couple of calls to the offices in other parts of the country to get some stuff I need. Had to introduce myself, tell them what I need. The one girl who decided to test my patience was on the receiving end of my 'niceties'. Hey, before you judge me - all I needed was the bloody logo of the company. It' not like I was asking for her bank account details or something like that.
So being employed for a second day sort of sailed through till it was time to pack up & cabut home. Lesson to be learnt... Must. Give. Boss. Briefs. At. 5pm. Not. 515pm (cos that will only mean I get to leave close to 6pm). Maybe I'll give it a try next week and see if I can get out on time.
Nice weather so anticipating traffic to be smooth. Ahhhh...forgot what it was like to zoom at 100kph. Less than 45mins, I was home free. Managed to fix a quick meal for the daughter & me, I had a pear and later, some milk. Yes, yes must refrain from pigging out. Seems when I am gainfully (pun intended) employed, I eat like a porker. Does working (all I do is sitting my butt, type away at the laptop, surfing for information mind you) make one hungry like endlessly?? Okay, okay I chat in between. I didn't plead to be such a goody-goody kan?
Yeah, day two wasn't so bad after all... Next week, I get to meet the big kahunas. And maybe sit in a meeting with them or make a presentation to them...Oh joy!!
Bee, I tried to hang myself on the taugeh tree but the thing patah lah... I'll try something sturdier in my 'garden'
Got out of bed, spent an hour or so (okaylah, not really an hour maybe less) to doll up for work. Had a quick breakfast with the daughter before sending her off to school. Might as well head for work as it's pouring, so my crystal ball tells me there's gonna be a crawl somewhere or maybe even an accident or two. Took a slow drive & my prophecy came true... hmm, maybe i should just be a psychic or psycho.
Reached the office early, went to a nearby kopitiam to have a cuppa. Cool morning. Nice... Took the stairs instead of the lift to the office on the 5th.. Part two of work continues. Gotta make a couple of calls to the offices in other parts of the country to get some stuff I need. Had to introduce myself, tell them what I need. The one girl who decided to test my patience was on the receiving end of my 'niceties'. Hey, before you judge me - all I needed was the bloody logo of the company. It' not like I was asking for her bank account details or something like that.
So being employed for a second day sort of sailed through till it was time to pack up & cabut home. Lesson to be learnt... Must. Give. Boss. Briefs. At. 5pm. Not. 515pm (cos that will only mean I get to leave close to 6pm). Maybe I'll give it a try next week and see if I can get out on time.
Nice weather so anticipating traffic to be smooth. Ahhhh...forgot what it was like to zoom at 100kph. Less than 45mins, I was home free. Managed to fix a quick meal for the daughter & me, I had a pear and later, some milk. Yes, yes must refrain from pigging out. Seems when I am gainfully (pun intended) employed, I eat like a porker. Does working (all I do is sitting my butt, type away at the laptop, surfing for information mind you) make one hungry like endlessly?? Okay, okay I chat in between. I didn't plead to be such a goody-goody kan?
Yeah, day two wasn't so bad after all... Next week, I get to meet the big kahunas. And maybe sit in a meeting with them or make a presentation to them...Oh joy!!
Bee, I tried to hang myself on the taugeh tree but the thing patah lah... I'll try something sturdier in my 'garden'
20090414
meant to be watching from the side-lines
Okay, I officially started my first day at work today if you can call it that. And yes, it floods back memories why I quit in the first place.
Well to be fair, my ex-boss isn't the bitch she was back then. Either she has mellowed with age or... so yeah, I'll go with mellow with age. I wouldn't say that she is trying to be nice to be cos it's my first day and all. I mean, I have worked for her for two years yonks ago.
Small office with a manageable number of employees (plenty more scattered almost everywhere). Big kahuna ain't half bad looking seeing that he remains 39 and never ages a day more or less.
Go in. Meet the boss. Shown to desk. Settle in. Quick meeting on what I need to do while I am being chained and shackled down. Tch!! Easy peasy...all I need to do it park my ass in front of my laptop for my next two lifetimes. Kacanglah!!
Lunch time...grabs lunch with some of the girls. Boss wanted to chiak me but I say 'must make friends with the girls mah' (cos I might end up needing their help more often than I need hers, kan??). Lunch wasn't so bad either. Food quite delish. They belanja me lagi... then petang got tea & kuih. Nice leh??
Get back into the office. Type, type, type, type for what seems endless. Suddenly it's bloody freezing in there. Oh!! Raining. Better now than later when it's time to head home. And the typing continues... And yeah, the brain freeze thawed by this time.
Time to go home. Must save files on the thumbdrive & pass to boss. Where is the effing thumbdrive?? "Oh, dia beli tadi but he pergi sebelah hantar printer." Getting impatient. Walks to the other end of the world to check. Bloody thumbdrive was there all along. (Notice how I am getting impatient as the time to call it a day draws near). Saves file, passes to boss. "How to open the file ah?". Sigh..... okay, like this....
Packs stuff. Bye. Bye. See you tomorrow. Jalan Setiawangsa, traffic smooth... in less than fifteen minutes, I am hitting the MRR2. Wheeee. May be able to make it home in the next fifteen. HOLY SHIT!!! Spoke? Thought? Too soon. The bloody crawl starts. No other alternative routes to get out of the shithole. So what to do? Inch lah, wee wee wee all the way home for what seemed like from here to Timbaktu. All the while cursing swearing sumpah keramat at anyone who dares drive like an arsehole.
Picks daughter up from her friend's place. Comes home. Takes a quick shower. Goes out to dinner (thank heavens food was good).
If I go through this again tomorrow and they don't open the effing DUKE highway in May as scheduled, my race would have only lasted two months. The rest can go screw themselves for all I give a shit about. And yeah, and can the earth open up & swallow Sg Buloh whole ah. The stupid place is the 'axis of all jam'. Heavy rain, flash floods in Sg Buloh and practically the whole of Malaysia has a traffic standstill.
Now I am at peace & ready to hit the sack. Good night & sweet dreams.....
Well to be fair, my ex-boss isn't the bitch she was back then. Either she has mellowed with age or... so yeah, I'll go with mellow with age. I wouldn't say that she is trying to be nice to be cos it's my first day and all. I mean, I have worked for her for two years yonks ago.
Small office with a manageable number of employees (plenty more scattered almost everywhere). Big kahuna ain't half bad looking seeing that he remains 39 and never ages a day more or less.
Go in. Meet the boss. Shown to desk. Settle in. Quick meeting on what I need to do while I am being chained and shackled down. Tch!! Easy peasy...all I need to do it park my ass in front of my laptop for my next two lifetimes. Kacanglah!!
Lunch time...grabs lunch with some of the girls. Boss wanted to chiak me but I say 'must make friends with the girls mah' (cos I might end up needing their help more often than I need hers, kan??). Lunch wasn't so bad either. Food quite delish. They belanja me lagi... then petang got tea & kuih. Nice leh??
Get back into the office. Type, type, type, type for what seems endless. Suddenly it's bloody freezing in there. Oh!! Raining. Better now than later when it's time to head home. And the typing continues... And yeah, the brain freeze thawed by this time.
Time to go home. Must save files on the thumbdrive & pass to boss. Where is the effing thumbdrive?? "Oh, dia beli tadi but he pergi sebelah hantar printer." Getting impatient. Walks to the other end of the world to check. Bloody thumbdrive was there all along. (Notice how I am getting impatient as the time to call it a day draws near). Saves file, passes to boss. "How to open the file ah?". Sigh..... okay, like this....
Packs stuff. Bye. Bye. See you tomorrow. Jalan Setiawangsa, traffic smooth... in less than fifteen minutes, I am hitting the MRR2. Wheeee. May be able to make it home in the next fifteen. HOLY SHIT!!! Spoke? Thought? Too soon. The bloody crawl starts. No other alternative routes to get out of the shithole. So what to do? Inch lah, wee wee wee all the way home for what seemed like from here to Timbaktu. All the while cursing swearing sumpah keramat at anyone who dares drive like an arsehole.
Picks daughter up from her friend's place. Comes home. Takes a quick shower. Goes out to dinner (thank heavens food was good).
If I go through this again tomorrow and they don't open the effing DUKE highway in May as scheduled, my race would have only lasted two months. The rest can go screw themselves for all I give a shit about. And yeah, and can the earth open up & swallow Sg Buloh whole ah. The stupid place is the 'axis of all jam'. Heavy rain, flash floods in Sg Buloh and practically the whole of Malaysia has a traffic standstill.
Now I am at peace & ready to hit the sack. Good night & sweet dreams.....
the gay of the nite
Friday nite. Venue - Hard Rock. Why? To meet up with Bee & Ange (who fong fei kei last minute cos she wanted to go karaoke-ing with her family) for Bee's birthday drinks. Bee informs that her friend, nasi lemak will be joining us later on. Okay, no problems there.
So there we were chatting, having a sip or two on HRC balcony when nasi lemak decides to join us. We are talking. We are laughing. We are bitching. We are checking people out... Nasi lemak is good company.
Watch check..a bit to go before the coach turns into a pumpkin. Bee needs a toilet break & scoots off to the ladies. While she is there, nasi lemak saw a guy & says "Dia mesti nak gi La Queen" and explains when the expression on my face said 'you might as well be speaking French'. Okayyyyyyyy....
After he & Bee downed their frozen magharitas bottoms up & starts seeing things in double, nasi lemak suddenly says "Jom, gi La Queen" & a couple of round table negotiations later (Bee said 15 mins, he said okay okay sampai satu suku); we get off our butts and walk down or is it up Jalan Sultan Ismail heading to La Queen.
Cover charge RM15 comes with 2 cokes, Paid. We walk into a club that's gonna be overflowing with guys. The thought of walking into a club filled so many men would send any girls mind into a state of excitement. But not really when all of them are gay, no? Bee & I could only laugh, mouth agape in astonishment. Who knew that out of 5 men in KL, 3.5 are gay...Yeah, the place was packed to the brim. In the dark, we could see guys cozying up on the sofa (god only knows what they are groping in the dark), holding hands, hugging, kissing, gyrating & dirty-dancing.
Now, walk into any club & if you see girls doing the dirty dancing thing or hip grinding it looks kinda hot & perhaps a bit of a turn on for the guys. But when you see guys (or even one half of a guy) doing it with each other, it just shakes you sober. Then dengan tiba-tibanya tanpa amaran you see one gay uncle in tight singlet & all, all traces of alcohol disappear from your system.
So banyak creatures in the sea but semuanya sotong...sigh, sad really. Bee & I gave up dancing after a few attempts. Instead, just sat back and enjoyed the show. Half aren't bad looking, with v-shaped bods. One unbuttoned his shirt & he ada six-pack lah, I tell you. Whatever muscles, you name it lah - bicep, tricep, forcep, semua ada. Cute tush, broad shoulders but we could only sigh in frustration.... But what is a view without some eyesore kan? There were also some badly made up trannys - complete package lah..42D (Bee's opinion), thunder thighs (kalah Beyonce), short skirt, scary face. But never mind, we just concentrated on the ones pleasing to the eye though still sighing in frustration.
Well, I suppose you must try everything once. Stole this pix from Bee's site (the one time I decided not to bring a camera!!)...
So there we were chatting, having a sip or two on HRC balcony when nasi lemak decides to join us. We are talking. We are laughing. We are bitching. We are checking people out... Nasi lemak is good company.
Watch check..a bit to go before the coach turns into a pumpkin. Bee needs a toilet break & scoots off to the ladies. While she is there, nasi lemak saw a guy & says "Dia mesti nak gi La Queen" and explains when the expression on my face said 'you might as well be speaking French'. Okayyyyyyyy....
After he & Bee downed their frozen magharitas bottoms up & starts seeing things in double, nasi lemak suddenly says "Jom, gi La Queen" & a couple of round table negotiations later (Bee said 15 mins, he said okay okay sampai satu suku); we get off our butts and walk down or is it up Jalan Sultan Ismail heading to La Queen.
Cover charge RM15 comes with 2 cokes, Paid. We walk into a club that's gonna be overflowing with guys. The thought of walking into a club filled so many men would send any girls mind into a state of excitement. But not really when all of them are gay, no? Bee & I could only laugh, mouth agape in astonishment. Who knew that out of 5 men in KL, 3.5 are gay...Yeah, the place was packed to the brim. In the dark, we could see guys cozying up on the sofa (god only knows what they are groping in the dark), holding hands, hugging, kissing, gyrating & dirty-dancing.
Now, walk into any club & if you see girls doing the dirty dancing thing or hip grinding it looks kinda hot & perhaps a bit of a turn on for the guys. But when you see guys (or even one half of a guy) doing it with each other, it just shakes you sober. Then dengan tiba-tibanya tanpa amaran you see one gay uncle in tight singlet & all, all traces of alcohol disappear from your system.
So banyak creatures in the sea but semuanya sotong...sigh, sad really. Bee & I gave up dancing after a few attempts. Instead, just sat back and enjoyed the show. Half aren't bad looking, with v-shaped bods. One unbuttoned his shirt & he ada six-pack lah, I tell you. Whatever muscles, you name it lah - bicep, tricep, forcep, semua ada. Cute tush, broad shoulders but we could only sigh in frustration.... But what is a view without some eyesore kan? There were also some badly made up trannys - complete package lah..42D (Bee's opinion), thunder thighs (kalah Beyonce), short skirt, scary face. But never mind, we just concentrated on the ones pleasing to the eye though still sighing in frustration.
Well, I suppose you must try everything once. Stole this pix from Bee's site (the one time I decided not to bring a camera!!)...
And yeah, Bee - happy 18th, bet you will not forget this one ever!!!!!! We'll celebrate your next 18th birthday in a lesbo club pulak....I'm sure nasi lemak will only oblige us again.
PS. Lonely Planet's write up on La Queen here
20090413
getting back in the race
So I finally decided to take on the job my ex-boss (RK) was offering me. Starting out on a twice a week basis, will give me time to sort out the daughter's transportation arrangements after school. And for now I will still be able to go my weekly Pilates & yoga classes.
Sadly though the temp period is for two months after which I will decide if I want to work for good or continue being a bum. I start tomorrow & really do not know what to expect. RK has already sort of gave me a heads up on what I need to do for the next two months & to be honest, I am feeling a tad lazy. But then again, who knows. Once I start working on it, I may get into the swing of things & it will be as though I never left.
Wish me luck then....
Sadly though the temp period is for two months after which I will decide if I want to work for good or continue being a bum. I start tomorrow & really do not know what to expect. RK has already sort of gave me a heads up on what I need to do for the next two months & to be honest, I am feeling a tad lazy. But then again, who knows. Once I start working on it, I may get into the swing of things & it will be as though I never left.
Wish me luck then....
20090408
sexy-teri week
Caught these two in a Secretaries Luncheon show yesterday with a friend & her mom. Last I caught Anita's show was like 15 years ago when I was heavily preggers with the daughter.
Fast forward 15 years laters, I tag along with kunti & her mom to watch Anita in action. Not bad for a 57 year old diva albeit that she's not as 'active' as before. Not so much prancing around but her signature moves are still there. Voice? Still the same. Curves still at the right places but a tad too skinny (maybe it was the black outfit she wore) although kunti's mom swears she sudah bikin before the show. Same old songs. Not bad really but would have preferred her to sing more than the six or seven songs she did. What is an Anita show without her teasing her audiences & getting them to participate in a dance or two.
Opening act was Faizal Tahir. The only one or two things I know about this lad is he won the One In a Million show when it first started & got 'gam' by the local tv/radio media cos he stripped to his pants during one of his performances (kunti tells me that he unbuckled his belt). Oh, and he is also the spokesperson for DC apparel & he is fond of wearing t-shirts with the Superman 'S' logo. Maybe he strip cos he wanted to show off his Superman spander ke or boxer shorts. Cari makan la wei....But seriously I was pretty impressed with this guy. He can sing & play the guitar very well. Despite the fact that I know nothing about the songs he sang, just that it sounded nice.
Didn't win anything in the lucky draw either. Should I consider it lucky that neither kunti, nor her mom nor I won; seeing that some of the prizes were some juices from some jamu company & with names like Rapat Malam, Montok something, Jus Biol?? Thanks but I think I'll pass on that. Oh, oh...Bee, Ange - this is the same company that sells Kemut Ajaib!! I think I have the pamphlet or something somewhere..Mau kah??
Fast forward 15 years laters, I tag along with kunti & her mom to watch Anita in action. Not bad for a 57 year old diva albeit that she's not as 'active' as before. Not so much prancing around but her signature moves are still there. Voice? Still the same. Curves still at the right places but a tad too skinny (maybe it was the black outfit she wore) although kunti's mom swears she sudah bikin before the show. Same old songs. Not bad really but would have preferred her to sing more than the six or seven songs she did. What is an Anita show without her teasing her audiences & getting them to participate in a dance or two.
Opening act was Faizal Tahir. The only one or two things I know about this lad is he won the One In a Million show when it first started & got 'gam' by the local tv/radio media cos he stripped to his pants during one of his performances (kunti tells me that he unbuckled his belt). Oh, and he is also the spokesperson for DC apparel & he is fond of wearing t-shirts with the Superman 'S' logo. Maybe he strip cos he wanted to show off his Superman spander ke or boxer shorts. Cari makan la wei....But seriously I was pretty impressed with this guy. He can sing & play the guitar very well. Despite the fact that I know nothing about the songs he sang, just that it sounded nice.
Didn't win anything in the lucky draw either. Should I consider it lucky that neither kunti, nor her mom nor I won; seeing that some of the prizes were some juices from some jamu company & with names like Rapat Malam, Montok something, Jus Biol?? Thanks but I think I'll pass on that. Oh, oh...Bee, Ange - this is the same company that sells Kemut Ajaib!! I think I have the pamphlet or something somewhere..Mau kah??
birthday shout out..to the bee
Yesterday was the bee's birthday & she turned thirty...... something. A day late yeah but better late than never I suppose...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEE!!
Now, what was I supposed to get for her again? Cupcakes? Pisang? Kek Pisang? Tsk!!
20090403
this is me..
Found this on the Net.. ahhh...my song!! No? Eleh... jeles lah tu... Well just so you know 'jane' is somewhat like my pet name before I changed it to what it is now when I converted (not exactly jane lah but sounded something like that) & some of my friends still call me that. So there!! Now, excuse while I listen to this & swoon over the Mraz.
wipeout!!
Wanna laugh yourselves silly till you can almost cry?? Catch this every Thursday night on AXN (no, no I'm not employed by Astro or AXN), me thinks at 9pm. We caught a couple of episodes & we got a tummy cramp, aching jaw from laughing.. Reminds us of the silly Japanese game shows with the equally hilarious narration.
In a nutshell, about this show (extracted from http://abc.go.com) - Human cannonballs! Human pinballs! Crashes, smashes and mud splashes! Twenty-four thrill-seekers will compete in the world's largest extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most spills, face plants and wipeouts ever seen on television, in Wipeout, a painfully funny new reality series. Each week 24 daring new contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes will go head to head through four rounds of grueling and physically demanding but wildly hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of Wipeout Champion and the grand prize of $50,000. The contestants and the courses change every week, with over-the-top obstacles including "Dizzy Dummy" the "Dirty Balls" and "The Dreadmill" - which will have contestants jumping hurdles on a 40-foot long treadmill at warp speed. In the end, only one contestant will win, while everyone else will Wipeout!
jom ber'party'
Self confessed hantu buah (Ange) wants to have a fruit party, no lah more like we want to mencekik this...
But takkan nak makan dua orang jer?? No fun lah.. Maybe we'll drag Bee along. If she doesn't eat pun it's alright. We'll just make her sit there holding her breath while we stuff ourselves silly..
Ange, when where who???
20090402
to win you must lose
I have never been so much an ardent fan or follower of reality programs. Yes, I know I know my earlier post had something about American Idol but truth be told, I am not following it religiously. If I happen to catch on the idiot box, I will watch until the hubby comes home & asks "Why are you watching this?" then proceeds to switch to the Golf Channel.
But I do like watching make-over programs like While You Were Out, Cover Shot, Restaurant Makeover, Style by Jury & most recently The Biggest Loser and even Downsize Me. The hubby thinks I am sick to watch obscenely obese people torturing themselves to lose a few pounds (okay make that many many not a few).
But I do like watching make-over programs like While You Were Out, Cover Shot, Restaurant Makeover, Style by Jury & most recently The Biggest Loser and even Downsize Me. The hubby thinks I am sick to watch obscenely obese people torturing themselves to lose a few pounds (okay make that many many not a few).
I am not mental up there but what gets me is their sheer determination & will-power to undergo a daily training regime with trainers from hell. It is indeed easier if you are on the other end shouting "You can do this" rather than the person who is huffing & puffing away on the treadmill or the stairmaster.
Most of these participants are jolted into reality either with the death of a close one, or simply the ability to be mobile. Many of us sometimes fail to realise that we need to love ourselves, take care of ourselves before we can do others.
In the end the winner is not the person who brings home the grand prize. It is all of them, who realised that they needed to do something, took the first step to make that change & all for no one but themselves.
our season in the sun
This morning on my daily ritual while listening to the radio, I couldn't help smiling & simply laughing out loud (yes all by myself & people who caught a glimpse may have thought they saw a woo-hoo).
OF MOMOKS, BABUJI, TRAINS & PLANES
One of the deejays (PH) was talking about how yesterday he saw a parent trying to feed a kid with threatening remarks like "You better open your mouth now, wait the policeman will catch you". Then when the kid wised up & the adult realised that the threat didn't hold any water, she used PH and said insted "See, see the uncle will catch you if you don't eat" & the kid was crying while eating, out of fear more than anything else, I suppose.
Remember those ridiculous threats parents used to make just to get the kid to eat. I remember my mom telling my nephews "If you don't eat the babuji will catch you" & I swear the kids will tremble with fear. See, we had this tall big Punjabi neighbour, whom we wouldn't know if he was smiling or snarling under that thick curly moustache & beard of his (why are they called babuji anyway??). Besides the babuji, she had the whole arsenal of the sampah man, policeman & momok to terrify the poor kids into finishing their meals.
I remember getting my daughter to open the mouth with the 'here comes the train, where is the tunnel?' to eat her food. No, couldn't use the babuji, momok, sampah man or whatever man trick. And meals were always a sit down affair, no chasing her around the house like a mad woman with the bowl in hand (err, wait I might stand corrected on the 'mad woman' part).
OF BATU SEREMBAN, TENG-TENG & WHAT-HAVE-YOU
The topic then moved from the above to games they played while they were kids. And in a heartbeat, all those memories came flooding back. Then, we didn't have the vices of PSP, PlayStation, Astro & the Internet.
So we kept ourselves amused by playing using whatever we could find. Some games we played didn't have proper names so we'd just say "Jom main tiang" (get your mind out of the gutters - yes, tiang is pole but nowhere similiar or close to pole dancing). Let's see if I can recall the games I played when I was a kid (ahhh...seems like a lifetime ago)....
Batu seremban or 'five stones' (although in some cases, there were seven) - we started out using peebles or stones we found on the street. Of course the stones had to go through quality control lah, no sharp edges, must be able to fit the palm of our hand otherwise how to 'tangkap'. The more 'pompuan' ones among us would cut scraps of material, fill with mung beans or rice & make proper ones. We tried to but suffice to say our sewing skills leaves much to be desired so by the end of the game, chances are the rice or mung beans would have leaked out due to the huge gaps between the stitches. So we stuck to stones (and the mom screaming at us for stealing the rice / beans didn't help too).
Teng-teng or hopscoth - school started at 130 (afternoon session lah) but we would be in school at 1230. So early you say? Apa lagi, main teng-teng lah... Those were the days when you can jump from box one to box five as graceful as Nadia Comaneci & did the downward dog even before you knew what yoga was. Rain didn't stop us either, we'd draw on the floors using chalks (stolen from the classrooms of course, which also doubled up as shoe whitener when there was improptu spot-check) or if we wanted to practise at home, mom's boxed compact powder (with the picture of the porcelain skin chinese woman) worked. And yet again, she will scream... hmm, just realised mom used to scream at me to leave her things alone, a lot!!
Police & Thief or in certain parts of the country Police Sentry (the more atas ones would call it Cops & Robbers lah) - two groups, one police the other thief. Police catch thief, masuk dalam lokap but why ah, the thief always kena rescue one? I think it was just a reason for us to run around and scream our lungs out. Patutlah polis sekarang tak betul, thief asyik lepas lari jer.... To make it more interesting, we would have tembak-tembak sequence using pistol kayu. The boys would get the dads to make guns out of wood with a trigger mechanism using rubber-bands. Ammo? The berries we used to pluck from the trees. At that age, we would just call them cherries... the green unripe ones will be ammo for the pistols, the red ones we would pop into our mouth.
There were so many other games we used to play or if we got bored of the usual ones, we would make up new ones and called it whatever we liked. Duku lah (how on earth it got that name no one knows), tai chi (not like the exercise at all!!), marbles (I cried & begged my mom to buy them for me), cards (not the blackjack, poker or baccarat games but we would stack it high high & baling either with slipper or shoot with getah & the winner takes home the most cards. Bets would be how many card you were willing to put on the stack), chopping lah or poison ball (painful & dare not complain to mom if it hurt or got bruised. Silap haribulan, kena pelempang pulak), masak-masak, hide & seek, a-e-i-o-u...
Those were the days eh....we had joy, we had fun, those were our seasons in the sun. Excuse me while I reminisce & in between smile at those thoughts....
OF MOMOKS, BABUJI, TRAINS & PLANES
One of the deejays (PH) was talking about how yesterday he saw a parent trying to feed a kid with threatening remarks like "You better open your mouth now, wait the policeman will catch you". Then when the kid wised up & the adult realised that the threat didn't hold any water, she used PH and said insted "See, see the uncle will catch you if you don't eat" & the kid was crying while eating, out of fear more than anything else, I suppose.
Remember those ridiculous threats parents used to make just to get the kid to eat. I remember my mom telling my nephews "If you don't eat the babuji will catch you" & I swear the kids will tremble with fear. See, we had this tall big Punjabi neighbour, whom we wouldn't know if he was smiling or snarling under that thick curly moustache & beard of his (why are they called babuji anyway??). Besides the babuji, she had the whole arsenal of the sampah man, policeman & momok to terrify the poor kids into finishing their meals.
I remember getting my daughter to open the mouth with the 'here comes the train, where is the tunnel?' to eat her food. No, couldn't use the babuji, momok, sampah man or whatever man trick. And meals were always a sit down affair, no chasing her around the house like a mad woman with the bowl in hand (err, wait I might stand corrected on the 'mad woman' part).
OF BATU SEREMBAN, TENG-TENG & WHAT-HAVE-YOU
The topic then moved from the above to games they played while they were kids. And in a heartbeat, all those memories came flooding back. Then, we didn't have the vices of PSP, PlayStation, Astro & the Internet.
So we kept ourselves amused by playing using whatever we could find. Some games we played didn't have proper names so we'd just say "Jom main tiang" (get your mind out of the gutters - yes, tiang is pole but nowhere similiar or close to pole dancing). Let's see if I can recall the games I played when I was a kid (ahhh...seems like a lifetime ago)....
Batu seremban or 'five stones' (although in some cases, there were seven) - we started out using peebles or stones we found on the street. Of course the stones had to go through quality control lah, no sharp edges, must be able to fit the palm of our hand otherwise how to 'tangkap'. The more 'pompuan' ones among us would cut scraps of material, fill with mung beans or rice & make proper ones. We tried to but suffice to say our sewing skills leaves much to be desired so by the end of the game, chances are the rice or mung beans would have leaked out due to the huge gaps between the stitches. So we stuck to stones (and the mom screaming at us for stealing the rice / beans didn't help too).
Teng-teng or hopscoth - school started at 130 (afternoon session lah) but we would be in school at 1230. So early you say? Apa lagi, main teng-teng lah... Those were the days when you can jump from box one to box five as graceful as Nadia Comaneci & did the downward dog even before you knew what yoga was. Rain didn't stop us either, we'd draw on the floors using chalks (stolen from the classrooms of course, which also doubled up as shoe whitener when there was improptu spot-check) or if we wanted to practise at home, mom's boxed compact powder (with the picture of the porcelain skin chinese woman) worked. And yet again, she will scream... hmm, just realised mom used to scream at me to leave her things alone, a lot!!
Police & Thief or in certain parts of the country Police Sentry (the more atas ones would call it Cops & Robbers lah) - two groups, one police the other thief. Police catch thief, masuk dalam lokap but why ah, the thief always kena rescue one? I think it was just a reason for us to run around and scream our lungs out. Patutlah polis sekarang tak betul, thief asyik lepas lari jer.... To make it more interesting, we would have tembak-tembak sequence using pistol kayu. The boys would get the dads to make guns out of wood with a trigger mechanism using rubber-bands. Ammo? The berries we used to pluck from the trees. At that age, we would just call them cherries... the green unripe ones will be ammo for the pistols, the red ones we would pop into our mouth.
There were so many other games we used to play or if we got bored of the usual ones, we would make up new ones and called it whatever we liked. Duku lah (how on earth it got that name no one knows), tai chi (not like the exercise at all!!), marbles (I cried & begged my mom to buy them for me), cards (not the blackjack, poker or baccarat games but we would stack it high high & baling either with slipper or shoot with getah & the winner takes home the most cards. Bets would be how many card you were willing to put on the stack), chopping lah or poison ball (painful & dare not complain to mom if it hurt or got bruised. Silap haribulan, kena pelempang pulak), masak-masak, hide & seek, a-e-i-o-u...
Those were the days eh....we had joy, we had fun, those were our seasons in the sun. Excuse me while I reminisce & in between smile at those thoughts....
20090401
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