come together...

Browsing through FB, I noticed of late people posting pictures (yellowed nevertheless) of those good ole years when they were back in school, looking all cute and innocent in pigtails & pinafore or baju kurung.

Just last Friday, a friend & I attended a 'reunion' with some ex-classmates; Six Formers of the most notorious school in KL (well it once was, don't know if it still is). Got the message from another fellow FBian. Read the mail, went through the list of confirmed attendees. Some names sounded familiar but couldn't place a face to the name. Didn't know if I could confirm my attendance as the family was supposed to go away.

Went to Bangkok, came back. Reunion's just a couple of days away. Called my friend & we decided to go & check it out. If we recognize at least half, we'll stay. Otherwise, we'll just sneak away without anyone missing us. So we went without knowing what to expect.

Venue was Cochine at Asian Heritage Row. Arrived. Went up to the dining area, some faces looked familiar. Being the blunt me, I go "I know your face, I don't know your name". Then they give us tags to write our names. Ahhh, much better. Then it all falls into place. Ya, ya, we were classmates. Seems they remember me more than I do them. And obviously for the wrong reasons. Don't ask me!! I am Mother Theresa incarnate remember??

Someone whisks out the yearbook. Oh dear God!! We go through the pictures & laugh our asses off!! It was a night of reminiscing those good old days when there wasn't a care in the world except for passing our exams (not necessarily with flying colors, mind you) & trying not to end up on the podium on Monday morning assemblies (well at least for the guys).

It was hilarious & amazing, looking at them 40 year olds trying to relive prom night to the blare of Tarzan Boy, One Night in Bangkok, YMCA & the unforgettable 80s tunes. For products of the most gangster school in KL, most of them are doing well in their chosen field. A few legal eagles (some say loyar buruk), one Prime Minister to be (just make sure no one catches you at Klang Bak Kut Teh), one renowned artist (who looked more like a Japo tourist that nite with his DSLR round his neck, minus the shorts & long socks), one drunken goat & then the rest...it was an amazing night.






Now, I am indeed proud to say "Yes, I have been to Setapak High School & I made some juniors stick their arms into the ponds where the boys used to pee!!!" SMT rules!! And them Johannians can kiss our @$$$3$ anytime!!

she did it!!

Woke up this morning bright & early. It was quiet & still as I got ready to shower & get dressed for work. Three more hours & we'll know the results.

As I was getting ready, the hubby stirred as he slowly slithers out of bed to get ready for our daily ritual of having breakfast before I go off to work. Then we hear the daughter waking up and getting ready for shower. Hmmm, she's up early. Did I wake her up, he asks. No, I reply. Maybe she's anxious about her results.

No matter, the dad is bringing her to school to take the results. I have been excused. She didn't think it necessary for me to be there, to add on to the anxiety I suppose. 10am comes, okay... results are out.

10.30am, my phone rings with a familiar tune. It's the hubby's number. Oh dear, I can hear my heart thumping out loud. I say hello in a slow voice (which is so unlike me). I hear the daughter on the other end. "Ma, I got 8As!!"

I scream, cry & laugh all at once!! Oh dear God, this was soooooo unexpected. Not that I doubted her ability but she said the BM & Science were tough. This is indeed a pleasant surprise. The dad & I are sooooo proud of her & for the rest of the day, cannot stop smiling. I thank her for this wonderful gift & tell her that I love her.

Okay time for rewards - father gets a new set of irons, mother gets a new handbag & daughter gets a holiday next year (& probably the good ole moolah).

I'm still smiling. Two more years & I'll go through this again. Ahhh, the joy of being parents!!!

wrapped around your finger

I got this from a friend via email, and found it too good to not share...

A Boy’s FIRST Condom
I recall my first time with a condom, I was 16 or so. I went in to buy a packet of condoms at the pharmacy.

There was this beautiful woman assistant behind the counter, and she could see that I was new at it. She handed me the package,and asked if I knew how to wear one. I honestly answered, ‘No, this is my first time.’

So she unwrapped the package, took one out and slipped it over her thumb.. She cautioned me to make sure it was on tight and secure. I apparently still looked confused. So, she looked all around the store to see if it was empty.... It was empty.

‘Just a minute,’ she said, and walked to the door, and locked it. Taking my hand, she led me into the back room, unbuttoned her blouse, and removed it. She unhooked her bra, and laid it aside. ‘Do these excite you?’ she asked. Well, I was so dumb-struck, that all I could do was nod my head.

She then said itwas time to slip the condom on. As I was slipping it on, she dropped her skirt, removed her panties and lay down on a desk. ‘Well, come on’, she said, ‘We don’t have much time.’ So I climbed on her....It was so wonderful, that unfortunately, I could no longer hold back, and KAPOW, I was done within a few moments.

She looked at me with a bit of a frown. ‘Did you put that condom on?’ she asked. I said, ‘I sure did,’ and with a smile, held up my thumb, to show her.

SHE FAINTED . . .

about you now

You know how time flies & you feel like as if life has whizzed by you and it seems like what happened yonks ago, you feel like it was only yesterday...2009 is slowly coming to an end & we herald the year 2010. Some of us will be doing the same 'ole new year's resolutions, which we will soon forget come January 31. Or for the more diligent amongst us, the wear off period would probably be longer.

The daughter is turning 16 soon, one and half months to go. Her exam results are coming out tomorrow. Are we nervous? A tad probably (I cannot tell a lie). The hubby is trying to maintain his cool but I suppose he won't be able to sleep tonight. The daughter? She is keeping her calm but I guess as much she is as excited (or not) & nervous. Who wouldn't be? We've been there, we know how it feels...

Will it be what we expect? We honestly do not know what to expect. Of course we hope & pray for the best. She has done her best, we have supported her in any way we can. And now we leave it to the great scheme of life. Whatever the outcome is tomorrow, we accept. What's done is done, right? She is supposed to decide on her course of studies as it will determine what she wants to do in life. She's fifteen going on sixteen for heaven's sake. But then again, its a dog eat dog world out there. If we don't join in the rat race, we'd be left behind. If we get too caught up in it, what is there left?

I've always been of the opinion that raising kids in this day & age is definitely a challenge. We've tried to impart to her what we did not get from our parents, to teach her things they don't teach in schools. Independence, loving yourself, principles in life, lessons in life, etc. She is at this stage where it can be sunshine one minute & thunderstorms the next. She can be happy one second, blink and she's grumpy as hell. Been there, done that... so we try.

We give her the responsibility of choosing & deciding for herself, to be accountable and bear the outcome of her actions whatever it may be, we listen to what she has to say... we try not to say "I told you so" or "Because I said so" (well the father did try the "because I am your father and because I said so" only to be asked "ya, but why" so we know that doesn't work).

I've only got a couple of years to go while she is still with us, so I am making the best of it. Come college years, she may be away from us no one really knows although the father is trying to make sure she attends college or university near to home. She may be in a foreign land pursuing her dreams. As the saying goes, 'When you really love someone, set it free.' I am setting her free to learn, to do, to dress, to be friends with whomever as she pleases. She knows her limits, her friends are decent & a good influence on her, she knows we are there for her if she needs us.

As parents, do we listen to our kids? 'Do we have that attitude of 'I'm the adult, you're the kid. What do you know? You should listen to me'? Do we doubt their abilities, deprive them of speaking their mind, voicing their opinions & concerns, their knowledge? Do we have such huge egos that just deters us from admitting we are wrong, to apologize? Do we pressure them so much to have a life we dream of instead of what they dream of? Do we want what's best for us or them? Do we allow them to experience life, fall, feel the pain & disappointment and pick themselves and tell them 'Hey, that's life.' Or do we protect them so much that that they are disillusioned?

Yes, they may have their heads in the clouds at times and it is our responsibility to bring them down to earth & explain things to them. Don't just dismiss their childish fantasies. It's always a phase they go through & one fine day, they will stop to realise that there are more important perspectives in life than running away to join the circus.

How they turn out to be is a result of what we have taught them. The kind of person they will grow up to be is the kind of person we are now. And vice versa.

i is you am

One hour to go & I am doing the unenviable job of doing up the Employee Handbook. Who really reads it anyway, I wonder?? So anyways, she gives me the amended draft that she toiled over for half a day or one day or the two whole days I was away (who knows) and came up with this (well one part of it anyway)...

Subsection 1 - For outstation employee who travels by car to attend an early morning meeting, he may be allowed to claim one night hotel accommodation under his category.

Subsection 2 - For outstation employee who travels by car to attend an early morning meeting, no overnight hotel is necessary, unless otherwise being prior informed.

Subsection 3 - After meetings, all are to return on same day/night. Additional night accommodation needed will be subject to prior approval by HOD.

Subsection something - Any amount exceeding the above (a table of contents outlining the entertainment entitlement is given), prior approval from Exco or HOD must be obtained before entertaining. Failure to adhere, no reimbursement will be granted.

thank god its thursday

And tomorrow's a holiday!!! But not before we leave with wise words & saying from our much missed bc-cw woman...

...our office in Telekong (it took me a while to decipher this to be Telok Kalong)

...a separator must be separated so that can see.

Two more hours and I'm out of here!! Then it's bliss till year end as super bc-cw flies to the land of dim-sum & weird buns...

blurry blurry day...

Memo received. Starts off with "Great News & Good News!!!". A haze is forming. First para, second para, third para...on & on & on. Then comes this "Last but least, we wish like to bring forth that we...."

Visibility is non-existent now. Haze too thick. Index very high. Please stay indoors.

four nites in bangkok & the world's not my kerang

Just got back from a 4 nites holiday in Bangkok yesterday. It was a family getaway & and for the first time, all three (plus one) went out of the country. I may have mentioned this before that the hubby hates flying & cannot stand being confined in a plane more than 2.5hours. And it may probably be the last!!

Altitude sickness, sinus giving problems - check. But that was within control. Scheduled tours - check. Disadvantage? Hubby didn't like waking up at god-forsaken hours, bathe quickly, chow down breakfast & wait for tour guide to arrive. Sigh....

But we survived the trip there. Nobody killed anyone. We went & came back in one piece. Tempers flared here & there but he soon came to his senses. Some things aren't supposed to be regimented. We are supposed to be on holiday. Chill lah...

All in all, it turned out alright. We each had our fun in our own way. We saw what we wanted to see, did what we wanted to do (and then some but of course..) & ate what we wanted to eat (or probably not, I don't know).

Of course he had to say "Next time, you must arrange one day to the palace, one day to the musuem, one day to the art center (or something like that) bla bla bla..."

My reply? "No next time. This is the first & the last we are all going together on a trip. Next time, it'll just be me & the daughter."

On the plane back home, he asks "So next year are we going to London to see (my nephew who is studying there & will be graduating)?" I simply told him "No, no with you our destinations are only restricted to (his hometown - this was meant to be sarky), Langkawi, Penang & Singapore".

He replied "Wah belum sampai rumah dah kena slap on the face"

Me said "Saper suruh tanya soalan bodoh..."

who's enjoying life when they are alive

Someone I know recently got featured in her company's 'Who's Who' section in their newsletter or something. And I managed to get the scoop on the 'exclusive' interview (unedited & uncensored)....

What are your favorite pastime/hobbies? How did you get involved in it?
I just love to enjoy, have fun, travel meeting family & friends to spend time with all of them. And I have passion in fashion/apparel thus am spending extra time in my biz (gives site)

What is/are your favorite sports? Do you play it and are you still actively involved? Who is your favourite sports star?
I like simple sports like Yoga and would like to try few more.

What is your favorite color, food, places to visit?
Various color and white is my top preference. I love food thus I tried everything when I travel and will sometimes search for my favorites places.

What is your secret to keep yourself healthy/slim/young? How do you do it?
I love eat thus don’t think could get slim enough and I will love to look slim if I can.

What advice do you give to your colleagues on the above or any other advice?
Do & eat whatever we like and most important smile more.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
My parents have 6 of us i.e. 4 girls & 2 boys and am younger daughter. My mum pampered me as am youngest daughter and make sure I got enough as I eat pretty slow =). My Dad loves his favorite so will spend more time having his favorites food over the weekend. Ya I have a pair of twin sister which one in Canada & another Singapore. And remaining are all in Malaysia. My treasures are Annabelle & Shannon, my two gals. The gals daddy always be nice one and I’ll be the bad one.

What is your present job scope?
I am the (designation & a very senior one at that) - my job scopes covered all related to accounts, Financial, planning, analysis….etc. And my interest is in management accounting.

What is your most memorable working experience in (Company's name)?
Company Name: (Name of big kahuna) love to throw ladies into the pool so do watch out.

What is your most memorable experience (before company name/personal)?
Personal : Unbelievable that I have give birth to two gals and they are really my treasures.

What is the one single thing that drives you?
Passion in them.

What do you enjoy most about working in (company name)?
The fun culture and is really different from all my EX company.

What do you like to see more in (company name)?
Growth together to become bigger firm and gets more incentives & bonuses.

What is your life’s motto/philosophy?
Enjoy life while am still alive.

If there’s one thing you can change now, what would it be?
Would like to be a fashion designer instead.


And all that is running in my mind right now is "What?". "Who?" Really now..."Who??"

reading behind the lines

I'm just a little into four months in my new job and there's already a complaint that I am a biatch and out of line. See, recently the company underwent a rebranding exercise and came up with new logos and such. So they decided to centralize the printing of stationeries at HQ to ensure uniformity, bla bla bla.

I sent out a mail that read 'We will only be centralizing the printing of office stationeries for letterheads, envelopes, complimentary slips & calling cards. For other eg computer forms, payment vouchers, invoices, etc that you require for your respective companies, it is not feasible or cost effective to print in KL only to spend extra in freight. As such, I have attached the revised logo for you to do the necessary with getting quotes for the items you need additionally. Do let us know the pricing though.' to the respective PIC in the subsidiaries.

Fast forward... I get summoned by the woman simply to be asked if I sent out a mail to say that I'm very busy and I can't be looking into the printing of stationeries so please bugger off and go play far-far.. She wanted to be copied on all email I send out re administrative issues, etc etc etc. Then she tells me that someone someone said my so called mail was rude (the tone of it. Hmm, maybe they read it loud and angry??) and that I have gone out of line and I am a biatch (well she didn't exactly say the word biatch but I know what it meant lah)...

So, tell me? Read between, behind, under, above and where-have-you and pray tell me, your interpretation of my mail...

I am not to bothered about how people want to interpret or misinterpret what they read but I am simply annoyed at how duh they can be. Conpuse aku!!??

And my evil twin is updating my 'board of bitch' on my latest accomplished. I'll put a pic of the BOB when I get it from her...