Hazards of the Home: Chapter 9

Tip: Don't make sudden moves when reaching for the newspaper or you might be mistaken as an unwilling scratching post.

Flashback.

I met up with an old, old friend the other night. I lost touch with him for a while but I've met up with him twice this year so that's a start (Hi Francis!). Anyway, he's been in New Zealand for quite a while and now he's off to the UK indefinitely. Together with Yo, we had dinner and spent the night chatting about our schooling days and who's who and who's where.

It brought back so many memories. All the way to the time I was 8 years old when my biggest worry was whether or not I was getting the Peaches N Cream Barbie for Christmas (I did, phew). It's amazing how some of us have changed so much while others still have the same haircut from Form 1. It was flashback after flashback. But most of all...

I remembered how much I hated secondary school.

Although it may have been the best time for some people, it's one chapter in my life that I just want to shred into pieces and incinerate into oblivion. I'll spare the details but I look back at my teenage years with such disdain and wish I knew then what I knew now.

But before I damn it all to hell, I guess there are some bright spots in my teenage years. The highlight would be the friends I made along the way who to this day remain the best friends any girl could ask for. And also...

Hmm, actually that's about it. So yeah, secondary school will forever be a sucky memory. How was yours?

Blogger's block

I dunno what's wrong with me these days but I just can't seem to blog. Everytime a topic pops in my head, it slips right out before I can reach the computer.

I'm having blogger's block. Have I outblogged myself? I think i've been writing for work too much that at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is write some more. I apologise. Bear with my poor ol' blog till I find my blogging muse again.

I'll leave you with a random photo:

My cats, Blanket, Happy and Sabrina - Living life to the fullest on a Saturday afternoon.

Shut down.

She lives! It's been hectic and I have to admit the last thing I want to do when I get home at night is turn on the PC and blog. Mentally, I just shut down the minute I reach home. Work has been so demanding lately and even when I pull extra hours at the office, I still can't finish my load. And I KNOW this isn't a smart thing to do, but I still have freelance commitments, so there goes most of my weekends. What can I say...I need the money more than I need the time to myself.

I went clubbing on Saturday. Something I haven't done for what feels like a gazillion years. So I drank, bopped on the dance floor, drank some more, checked out people who were checking out other people. I watched my guy friends nudge each other at the sight of a cute chick, I observed people getting frisky as they consumed more alcohol. I saw a girl light a cigarette and stare into space the whole night. Another guy in his 40s looked out of his element as he stood in the corner and tried his best to tap his feet to the music (unfortunately feet tapping to music went out in the mid 1920s). Some girl in the washroom was throwing up her dinner (noodles and green leafy vegetables) while her friends tried to keep her tube top in place. I went back to my table, had another drink and danced some more. At 2a.m, I scurried back home to the comfort of my bed, glad I wasn't drunk as a skunk and realising this scene was getting a bit boring. Or maybe I was getting a bit boring. Either way, I heart my bed very much.

Anyway, I'm coming down with the flu and my body is slowing going into 'log off' mode. Hope you peeps are alive and kicking.

"I've always been in love with you
Guess you've always known its true..
You took my love for granted, why oh why,
The show is over, say goodbye."
-Say Goodbye (having a Madonna moment on my MP3 player)

Back. Breathe.

Am back. But off to Sandakan for a day trip. I haven't fallen off the planet. Just tired. Be right back.

Rojak.

I have a bone to pick.

Today, we received the directive that those celebrating Ka'amatan -the Harvest Festival- (basically those of Kadazandusun descent) could leave after a half day of work. My boss made a big show of announcing, "This applies to the PURE Kadazandusun only. Sino-Kadazans and others should stay on." Now, I couldn't quite tell if she was joking because she had this retarded half-smile on her face. Of course, everyone looked at me because, hello, I was one of those 'half-breeds' she was referring to.

And I immediately felt annoyed.

I told her, in front of the whole office, that I was just as much Kadazandusun despite my Chinese surname. And it didn't help that my colleagues were teasing how I didn't even speak the language. Fine. So i don't speak the language. Before I continue, perhaps I should explain my dad is 75 percent Kadazandusun and our Chinese surname is part of our Chinese heritage passed on from generation to generation which we are also fiercely proud of. In Sabah, you get plenty of mixed blood - inter-racial marriage is common-place here.

Anyway, so there I was, being told in my face that I shouldn't claim to be Kadazandusun as I had a Chinese surname after all. Now, here's what REALLY ticks me off: Every Chinese New Year, my family practices the whole ang-pow-family-reunion-dinner thing as well. And even WITH my Chinese surname, I don't quite qualify to leave the office early on CNY eve like my other 'pure' Chinese colleagues. Why? Because people claim I'm not pure Chinese because I have Kadazandusun blood.

Can you see what I'm getting at?

It's like a Catch-22. I'm not Kadazandusun enough to celebrate the Harvest Festival, yet I'm also not Chinese enough to celebrate the Chinese New Year. So where does that leave a rojak like me? I think it's really unfair to bounce me around just because I cannot be pigeon-holed into one race. Maybe it hasn't occurred to them that it might actually be possible to belong to more than one ethnic group. Wowee what a brand new concept!

If anything, I feel priviledged having grown up in a home of mixed cultures and traditions. But there are frustrations. Whenever I hang out with Kadazandusun friends, I feel left out because I can't get their lingo and I'm considered the 'mixed Chinese' girl. But with Chinese friends, I'm the Kadazan girl with the Chinese surname but "pity she dunno how to speak Chinese, hor?" For the icing on the cake, my mum is Filipino and yes, whenever I go back to visit my cousins in the Philippines, I'm the cousin who can't speak Tagalog and is "half-Malaysian".

That's why I cherish my true-blue friends who treat Mel as the Mel who loves cats, pasta and can't stop buying shoes. Long live the rojak.

Kotobian do tadau tagazo Ka'amatan to all. May your harvest be bountiful all year round!

p.s: Fridaycat is off to the islands of Mabul, Mataking and Sipadan till the weekend (yes, for 'work') so pardon the silence. Be right back!

Behind the blog.

Do you define your blog or does your blog define you? Like many people I know, I'm a self-confessed blog hopper. I like reading random thoughts on random topics, even if I don't agree on some of the viewpoints given. The voyeurism of peeking into people's daily lives, their innermost thoughts, their hopes, dreams, tragedies and triumphs.

Or so perhaps they'd like us to think.

I've been wondering lately, how many bloggers are really what they seem, via their web logs? Since I started my blog, I've actually made 'blog friends' - literally people I've met via blogging activity. And many of them have turned out to be interesting people. It's amazing the things you discover about people via their blogs. I haven't personally met most of my blog-friends but if they are anything like their blogs, I'm sure we'd get along fine.

On the other side of the coin, I personally know people FIRST and then visit their blogs. And sometimes, THAT'S interesting too. Because you discover that sometimes - and this is gonna sound mean - the blogs have more personality than the owner. I know bloggers who have fascinating blogs, a laugh-a-minute website that keeps you coming back for more and has you going, "Oh wow, wait till I meet this person!" But if you really know the person, they can be the complete opposite of their blogs. Vice versa of course: One amazing person but a completely mundane blog.

But I digress. Back to the question: Who defines who? Do we really make entries to pour our innermost thoughts? As an outlet for our emotions and a journal of our existence? Or do we write to entertain readers, to impress fellow bloggers with our wit or make people believe we lead far more fascinating lives than we really do? Maybe I'm a hypocrite, seeing I have a blog and here I am questioning 'to blog or not to blog'. Humans by nature, are after all, narcissists. We love ourselves. We may not necessarily write about our personal selves but things that surround us. Still, in the bigger picture, it's still all about what's around ME. Me me me me. And hell, I don't think there's anything wrong about that. As much as we are narcissists, we're also voyeurs. Why else would you be blog hopping? heh heh.

Not trying to touch any raw nerves nor am i doing the whole pot calling kettle black drama. Just an interesting thought that's been on my mind. Do blogs reveal who we are or are blogs nifty devices to hide behind?

I'll let you sit on that.

Whacked.

You know your day is whacked when:

1. You drive to the office halfway only to realise you still have your handbrake up.

2. You make a cup of milo, walk back to your desk and realise you didn't put any water in it.

3. You deliver some documents to the third floor when you were supposed to pass it to someone on the second floor (and you were already on the second floor to begin with)

4. You try to photocopy your documents on the printer (which doesn't do copying work, mind you)

5. You see an incoming e-mail and you pick up the phone.

Thank God it's lunch time. Let's hope I don't walk into a hardware shop and order a burger and fries.

Not ready.

I couldn't do it. I was on the verge of taking a bold step to move to KL but I retracted my application last night. I even got the phone interview in the bag and if that went well, I was to fly to KL in the next couple of weeks for the real thing.

But I couldn't do it. There were many reasons why. My friends were telling me I would be crazy to give this opportunity up. Maybe they're right. The money is good and it might just catapult my career into something bigger. Imagine the big city life! The parties! Meeting up with old college friends.

If this was so great, how come I didn't - couldn't - feel the excitement? Where was the anticipation? The stars in my eyes and all that jazz? Nada. My gut was telling me this wasn't right. No matter how I tried, I couldn't grasp the notion of moving to KL now and being happy with the decision.

Eventually, I do plan to leave KK for a bit, just to ensure my career doesn't get stuck in a rut. And other reasons which will be revealed at a later time. But right now, it's a matter of the right place, wrong time.

I'm not ready to leave home.

Mel's new hair.

So, whatcha think? I wasn't ready to go short, so I got myself a side-swept fringe...



I asked my cats for their opinion. Happy was too busy to comment:

And Blanket didn't seem to care much. All I got was: Which pretty much translated to: "I'm trying to nap. Go away."

But this Fridaycat is happy. Meow.

Thursday pick-me-up: Shopping.

I told you guys about my shoe addiction. And from the looks of it, it ain't going away anytime soon. Look what I picked up today:

Hey, I don't have shoes in blue (green?) ok. And they were 20 percent off! Just when I thought it was safe to keep walking around Centrepoint, I walked into Speedy and saw this:

My ALL-TIME favourite movie. A true fan cannot resist a 2-Disc Rockin' Edition. I've seen this movie 23 times to date and I have yet to get tired of it. John Travolta in tight leather pants and Olivia Newton-John struttin' her stuff (at the end anyway, after she threw away her whole Sandra-Dee persona). When I was younger, I could sing every song from the movie. My memory fails me these daysn hence the DVD. Time to reignite my obsession with this 70s classic, set in the 50s. The music, the moves, the Pink Ladies, the T-Birds...I love 'em all. It's so over the top, it's fantastic! If I had to name my favourite part...It would probably be the big finale at the funfair. And the dance off where Olivia and John get groovy - Classic! I would SO love to catch Grease the Musical, live on stage. Maybe on Broadway or something. I missed them when they were in KL couple of years back.

Ok I'm itching to watch my new DVD so adios peeps.

Cubby imortalised!

Look what my Haw drew!

Me so likey. Thanks sweetie. I'm not done showing off: Visit his blog here to see his other works.

Thank you.

Nothing like a birthday to realise people still care. I am so touched that so many people took the time to wish me - Especially friends who I thought dropped off the planet. From Beijing to KL, each sms, e-mail and phonecall made me smile. Thanks you guys.

My birthday was a simple affair and this year, it co-incided with Mother's Day. Double the celebration! We had a high-tea at Hyatt (the food ain't great, just to keep you guys posted) and the rest of the day was 'quality time' with the family. Which I always enjoy. And I think it meant more to my mum than any super-expensive gift.

Speaking of gifts...

Nice eh? Compliments of my brother. And yes, it's PINK. It came with a free leather case in -you guessed it- pink. This baby is the Sony Cybershot DSC T20/P, 8.1 megapix, 2.5" LCD screen, 3X optical zoom with face detection and double anti-blur solution.

And did i mention it comes in pink? heh heh.

From this day henceforth, the bloggeth haveth more pictureth! Hooray!

Older.

Another year gone.

Older. Hopefully wiser. But definitely happier.

Parties with balloons, Barbie-shaped birthday cakes and lots of pressies have been replaced with a quiet night out, sipping wine and being with people who matter.

This year, instead of going, "I wish I had/could/did...", I counted my blessings. And I have so many.

There's a complete myth about getting older. It's not about the wrinkles, the extra weight we pile on over the years, the pressure to settle down with 2.5 kids or making more money. It's about finally feeling comfortable in your own skin.

I'm older. And i'm lovin' it.

Kapalai so fly!

Ok, this post is a wee bit delayed (Don't even get me started on my China trip, I know I still have 2 more cities to go...). But in April, I was off to the Regatta Lepa in Semporna but the REAL highlight for yours truly would be the little detour we made to Kapalai, just 40 minutes from Semporna by speedboat.

The Melissas suffering the effects of Lifejacketitis. Patient will often display signs of awkward hand movements and strange facial spasms.

I love islands. But if you've been following my blog, you know that already. Again, I tried to tan but the most I got was a sunburn on my chest (my chest, not my you-know-whats. Please ah). However, the unique thing about this island is that it's not exactly an island. Kapalai is a 'floating' resort, where everything is built on stilts in the middle of the ocean. Cool eh?

The water is so clear. They've got starfish everywhere and while I was relaxing on the balcony of my water bungalow (ehem, yes I like to tambirang) I even saw turtles! My roomate Melissa and I weren't sure at first.

Me: What's that?
Other Mel: I dunno, it keeps bobbing up and down.
Me: Eeeee maybe it's like a sea monster...
Other Mel: I think its someone swimming
Me: Ha? So many bobbing up and down? And so far out into the sea?
Other Mel: Maybe its a diver.
Me: I still think it's a sea monster.

Long story short, it was a bunch of turtles. So exciting, I tell you. No matter how many times I come face to face with sea turtles, I always get super-excited.

I went snorkelling in the evening and was so exhausted from swimming against the current that I had no energy to join my friends kayaking the next morning:

See? Told you the water's clear.

So i decided to do what I do best:

And then look who I found!





Milo is the resident superstar of Kapalai and he's been around since my trip back in 2004. Packed a few pounds though (The dog. Ok, and me.)

Me and my colleagues. Another successful island trip, hooray! Personally, I prefer islands actually BEING islands, with the soft sand beneath my feet and all that. But the beauty of Kapalai is that you don't get sand in your shorts, bed and other nether-regions.

Lai lai, come to Kapalai!

My name is Melissa. I am a shoe-aholic.

The symptoms never change: My heart starts to palpitate. Cold sweat blankets my palms. The lights get brighter and brighter. I get giddy from the colours. The smell of leather permeates the air. I am excited and anxious all at the same time. A wave of excited nausea rises and falls. The urge is tremendous and if I don't get my fix, it feels like certain death.




Yes, I am shoe shopping.





As of late, my shoe addiction is getting worse. I need a new pair every other week. It could be a pair of sandals or a sparkling pair of gold heels that I'll probably wear once. I can still practice self-restrain in a bookstore or look away during a sale at Levi's but shoes....Oh the horror! I'm like a moth drawn to a flame. Burned by the evil of two-inch heels I never really need but oh-so-painfully want. My brother says it's the Filipino in me: A simple case of Imelda Marcos-itis.

Here's my latest pair, barely three hours old. Everything's so pretty in pink, sigh. I tried on FOUR pairs and with the last remaining bits of willpower, I managed to tell the sales assistant, "It's ok...I'll....just....take...one...pair" *choke*

Just few of my ever-growing collection. The white Charles & Keith wedges make me at least four inches tall but the blisters are hell to pay...

A woman can never have enough shoes. And woe to the man who dares question this.

Everything.

It's been a rough week. But this song made me smile in an instant. Michael Buble, you're a genius. Oh, and of course it helps that it makes me think of Haw *big goofy smile*

Everything
by Michael Buble

You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And You're the perfect thing to see.

And you play your card, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
Cause you're my everything.

**********************

And I get to kiss you baby, just because I can. - I miss you Cubby.

Roar.

It was a Friday of many firsts. But long story short, my morning started slow and steady until someone in the office stepped on my toes. Now here's something some of you might know about me. I've always been Mr. Nice Guy. I hate arguments. I cringe at confrontation. I try to be politically correct whenever possible. I'm the doormat extraordinaire...As long as everyone's happy.

But Friday, I cracked. Maybe it was my lack of sleep. Maybe it was the heavy workload. But when one of my subordinates went rude on me, I cracked. In some ways, it was a relief to show my temper. To reveal a part of me that's human after all. In the office, I always try to keep things light-hearted. I joke with the security guards, I tease my fellow workmates to make them laugh, I hum happy songs to keep my spirits up while I'm doing mindless photocopying. But i realised perhaps my sunny disposition has been misread as "I'm a schmuck so please step all over me." I worry too much about being liked by my colleagues - but I never thought how that might affect their respect for me.

So what's a girl to do? Learn, I suppose. On the other hand, my colleagues need to learn that just because I'm always ready to share a joke, it doesn't mean I'm willing to take their bad attitude. I DESERVE respect because I respect others. I'm not selling myself short anymore.

I'm nice. Not naive. I'm polite. Not a doormat.

My Friday just went downhill from there. In a nutshell, we had some problems with our printed publicity materials for an upcoming event. It was a careless mistake by a colleague and just as I felt one of my veins pop in my forehead, I walked away. I had no more energy to lose my temper and instead of getting upset, it was more important I had the problem fixed. I wanted to scream and shout and spew obscenities but instead, I made up my mind that this was a sign that things had to change in the office. My immediate boss-whom nobody messes with- is on maternity leave which makes me in charge till she gets back. I have a feeling that the staff are slacking because they're probably thinking, "Missy's in charge? That's like declaring a holiday!"

Let the games begin.

Update.

Ok, let's see.

1.Went to to Semporna for the Regatta Lepa.

2.Visited some islands.

3.Came back with a sorta-tan and a semi-burn.

4.Work has been full swing, especially with Sabah Fest around the corner.

5.Went out with some people I haven't seen in a while.

6.Witnessed one of them profess his undying love to another, alas, his desire unrequited.

7. Contemplated on how poetically karma works.

8.Caught up with my cousin over happy (not-so-happy?) hours.

9.Karaoke session with my karaoke chicas.

10.Conducted a photo shoot at the museum on lovely -albeit- hot day.

11. Spent quality time with my brothers, sister and nieces.

12.Finally hauled my ass to the gym

13. ...And treated myself to KFC after.

14. Watched Hannibal Rising.

15. Looking forward to the long weekend.

I'm taking Monday off and with Labour Day and Wesak Day following thereafter, I got myself a nice five-day weekend. Jangan jeles.

Off to Semporna

Bags packed. Two nights, three days. Will be in Semporna for the Regatta Lepa (google it!) followed by an island hopping trip. Busy busy. I'll blog when the tornado dies down.

Thanks for dropping by! You have a fantabulous weekend now. I'm gonna work on my tan.

Scary-oke!

If God one day decreed that I had to sing in order to save the world, mankind as we know it will face extinction.

Now here's the thing: I LOVE to sing. But just because you love eating chocolate cake don't mean you can bake one, you know what i mean? So yes, I love to sing but my skills are questionable. There is only one place for a person like me:

KARAOKE!

It's a guilty pleasure, I'll admit. But I have Ten GOLDEN commandments:

1. Thou shalt not sing in a public lounge or an area filled with strangers
2. Thou shalt ONLY sing in a private room, preferably soundproof
3. Thou shalt only sing with people who have known you for a reasonable amount of time and promise not sever any ties with you upon hearing your lack of vocal prowess
4. Thou shalt not mike hog: Choose two songs and politely pass the remote control to the next person
5. Thou shalt not interrupt someone during a song and attempt to sing louder
6. Thou shalt not interrupt someone during a song and attempt to (hideously) do a 'second voice'
7. Thou shalt not annoy others by endlessly claiming, "Ooh ooh, this is MY song!" at every other song
8. Thou shalt NEVER go American Idol on a fellow Karaoke-er after a performance by making comments such as, "That was pitchy" or "Absolutely horrendous"
9. Thou shalt not choose a ridiculously difficult song just because you like it and tell your friend, "Ok you sing it."
10. Thou shalt pack a generous dose of humour during every Karaoke session.

I have a select group of people I would hit the Karaoke with (you know who you are). And each session never fails to cheer me up or destress me. Perhaps its knowing you can ridiculously sing your heart out (tunelessly too) and your friends will still love you. Or the fact that you know the lyrics to Britney's 'Sometimes' doesn't necessarily mean you're a loser (hey I absorb lyrics fast,ok. Sue me). For the next two or three hours, you can literally sing your blues away and not really care how bad you sound. It's therapeutic, really.

Don't you just love some of the song selections they have? And you NEVER dream you'd sing along but when you do, it's so hilarious that you just have to! Here are some guaranteed pick-me-up songs I recommend in the Karaoke:

1. Disney's Under The Sea -Sebastian the lobster (was he a lobster?) sang this and I love putting on a Jamaican accent whenever I have a go at this.

2. Copacabana - Seriously. I don't even have to explain this one. How can you go wrong with lyrics like, "With yellow feathers in her hair, and a dress cut down to there" ?

3. YMCA - SO oversung but still so fun.

4. Yellow Submarine - I underestimated this song until my cousins belted it out last week...OMG it's hilarious. Esp if you start marching around the room.

5. Downtown - an oldie by Petula Clark. Such a feel good song. Downnnnntownnnnn!

6. These Boots Are Made For Walking - You must watch the original Nancy Sinatra video of this song. You might get a little distracted but after enough practice, you'll pull through.

7.My Favourite Things - Ah yes, Julie Andrews. For extra fun-ness, sing this with a clipped English accent.

8. Staying Alive - Admit it, even YOU don't know the actual lyrics to this song.

9. I Hate Myself For Loving You - Unleash the Joan Jett in you! For added effect, sing it like you mean it. Roar.

10.I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Because NOBODY can really sing this song except for Steve Tyler. If you feel like slaughtering a song beyond recognition, this is the one for you.

Have you karaoke-d today?

The Great Chinese Adventure, Pt. 2: Haikou

After Xi'an, we hopped on a plane and headed to the sunny island of Hainan, namely to the city of Haikou. (ehem, just a note, my Haw's roots are embedded somewhere in Hainan so looks like I managed to visit his 'hometown' before him. Don't worry, baby, you'll get there soon).

Unlike the cool breeze of Xi'an, Haikou is a tropical city and very reminiscent of KK (except it's a bit bigger lah).

In the heart of Haikou. Please don't ask me about the plane.

Sheraton Haikou. Five-star bliss. You can see some bungalows in the background.

My bedroom. I love how the partition slides so you can look into the bathroom. These were the BEST beds ever...I could sleep all day in them.

When in Hainan...Must eat Hainanese chicken rice! But honestly? I think the one in KK lagi sedap. (Interesting note: Chicken meat in Hainan is tough. Seriously. In every restaurant we ate, I was constantly 'wrestling' with the meat)

And then we ate some more. Note to self: No lamb for the next 20 years.

I loved the fruits though .Especially the tiny 'kams'. I ate a whole bag by myself sampai batuk batuk.

At night, we made ourselves at home at the bar and lounge and even made friends with the Filipino band. Mabuhay!

A moment to relax on the beach. I was told that many mainland Chinese flock to Hainan island for their beaches (some of them have never seen the sea, having spent most of their lives braving the cold in the mainland. brr). However, I must say that the beaches were pretty average and even Tanjung Aru fared better. Maybe we Sabahans are just spoiled by damn nice beaches. See? The grass ain't always greener, people.

Coming up: Fridaycat does Sanya!

One at a time...

So here I am, trying to get a grip of all the chaos surrounding me. I like my Mondays slow but today was not fated to be one of them. So much to do, so little time. So much to remember! I have to make lists of lists to remind me of the lists I might forget about. And my boss is going on maternity leave soon. Gulp. Extra work load anyone?

I'm sure I'll handle the workload fine but I can't help but feel a bit anxious. And just to relieve my sweaty palm condition right now, I'm blogging. It's almost 5:30pm but I hate the rush hour jam. I STILL have shitloads to do and I've decided to bring some work home. I have done absolutely NO writing from 8am to 5pm today, thanks to the endles phonecalls, appointments, sudden requests, follow-up calls, printing, organising and list-making. What I REALLY need to do is finish my articles for the next issue. Instead, here I am, wilting at the end of the day, hoping my brain will vomit a story sometime after dinner. By hook or by crook, that story will be written before the day is done.

I have to do a spa review this week and i never thought I'd say this about a free massage: I feel so lazy oh. It's times like these I wish I had a minion of reporters under me for me to give writing assignments ("Ok, story on the use of cow-dung as fertiliser...mmm...John. Story on sushi delights in Sabah...mmmokae, I'll do this one."). Anyway, I think i'll go to the spa tomorrow after work. Sigh. I'm such an ingrate kan?

****************

How was your Easter? I went to church with five million other people (ok la not five million but it felt like it). And then spent it with the family. On Saturday, I had dinner with Haw's parents and told them all about my trip to China. Haw's dad was so excited he even showed me a map of China and pointed out all the places I visited! So nice...You know la me, so ignorant until someone actually whips out a map. And my sense of direction isn't going to win any awards you know...

In other updates, life is good. Just waiting for Haw to come back (what else is new) and smiling at the laptop like an idiot every night when I see 'Hawding is online'. But you know what I love? How he can still make me laugh so hard without actually saying a word. Funny bah his face. But funny in a way that I still sayang la, heh.

Ok I want to go home now. May the force be with you. And me. So i can write that story.

Fat days, lazy gene.

Warning: Self-absorbed entry ahead.

I'm having a fat day. Ever have those? When you feel like whale or, worse, a whale with a weight problem.

Blame the onslaught of PMS. Plus I feel like staying in bed all day. No, I'm not sick. It's what I call the Lazy Gene. You know, like it's not bad enough my weight is a pain in the ass - I'm also lazy. It's like you perpetually smell really bad but you're allergic to baths.

I keep saying I'll hit the gym but the only thing I tend to hit is the sack (oink oink). Tired bah. But Sel has a good point: Exercise is best when it doesn't feel like your exercising. In other words, go play a sport you enjoy or walk the dog. Do housework vigourously. Wax you car like your life depended on it. Reach for the fridge door till your hear your back crick (heh). As long as it's physically fun, I say go for it. There's one physical activity I consider pretty 'fun' but I wanna keep my blog PG-13, heh heh.

Ugh, i still feel fat. Doesn't help meeting up with long lost cousins and discovering that after 10 years, they still have their 18-year-old bodies. Damn. But i can't help it if i love food AND i'm naturally...er...padded. Chubby? Fleshy? Well-rounded? For the life of me, I just can't get THIN. I can lose weight and look 'different' but never thin. I could get 'slim' if I went on a diet of cotton wool and water but i haven't reached that level of desperation yet. You know what's weird? Some days, I'm totally lovin' being the way I am and kinda proud I'm not one of those rail-thin toothpick chicks. But some days, it frustrates me I can't wear midriff-baring tops. Ya ya i know you can't have everything but I don't see anyone saying that to Gisele Bundchen. Haiya, this losing weight business is so tiring.

I'm so depressed. I think I'll cheer myself up with a cheesecake.

The Great Chinese Adventure Part 1: Xi'an

Ten days. Six cities. One girl.

Our first stop was the historical city of Xi'an - most famous for being the home of the Terracotta Warriors. Some 16,000 carved warriors, all different faces. If that doesn't fascinate you in the least, maybe you should lay off the pot.

Xi'an is a lovely city and contrary to the popular belief that all cities in China are dirty(-ish), Xi'an is anything but. It's a walled city, surrounded by a fantastic fort. It's the start of spring so the air is still cool and crisp, with a hint of sun in the afternoon. Lovely for a walk. I'll let the photos to the talking:

Hyatt Regency, Xi'an, my home for two days.
A mausoleum of one of the many Emperor's of China (his name escapes me right now) Sprawling gardens, beautiful landscapes. So the very pretty...

Batu Caves of Xi'an, heh heh. You have to climb a gazillion steps to get to the top. This is me, still want to 'posing glamour' in case I die of a heart of attack on the way up.

I survived the gazillion steps and the huffing and puffing was worth the view!

Rule no. 1 in China: Bargain like your life depended on it. But Rule no.2: Be prepared for verbal abuse if you fail to actually PURCHASE anything after haggling.

Eating is a FREAKIN' BIG DEAL in China. A very painful lesson. A minimum of 13 dishes every meal. Die la. I had vegetarian noodles and stewed lamb oozing out of my nose and ears by the end of my trip...

...But having some beer to wash it down made the torture less painful. Heh.

We visited Moslem Street. Great place for shopping. Fascinating to hear Chinese women in headscarves greet you with 'Assalamualaikum'.

So much to see, so little time! China has excellent bargains. Too bad MAS has a baggage limit.

Believe it or not, this is not a temple but a mosque.


And finally, nothing like a bit of retail therapy to make me forget I don't like cold weather. Hooray!


In the next episode: Join Fridaycat as she makes her way to sunny Hainan island!

Sob.

I'm back from China and Hong Kong.

And instead of four lovely cats greeting me, only three stood at my door.

I'm not in the mood to blog for now. Hope you all understand.

Pack. Unpack. Pack. Unpack.

I am so bad at packing. Because of this, I started packing on Sunday evening, eventhough I leave on Thursday. My packing-smart deficiency stems from a) my indecisiveness and b)planning my trip to a fault.

But it's almost ten pm on Wednesday and I think i've pretty much finalised my suitcase. For now. Ok, for sure. I leave tomorrow morning so I SHOULD be done. The real challenge in packing for this trip is that I have to consider the cold (in Xi'an) and the tropical (Haikou and Sanya). I hear Hong Kong is somewhere in between. It's really weird to pack your heavy coat and bikini in the same suitcase though...

Anyway, this will be a brief one. Just saying 'tata for now' till I get hold of an internet connection. Yes I will take care, yes I will have fun and yes I will take loads of pictures. Don't miss me too much now...

About time.

I have been bitching about my handphone for the longest time. Granted, I had my heart set on it 3 years ago but with time (and a single emotional massacre), I've had enough of my old Nokia. Annoying and it reminded me too much of my ex-boyfriend seeing that it was a Christmas gift from him. Ugh. Can you say, "move on"?

Yes, I know it looks like a sanitary pad.

It started with small problems: the screen blanking out. The rubber keypad peeling off. The keys jamming up while I'm sms-ing. And last Friday, it finally kicked the bucket: The aerial went kaput and everytime I flip the damn thing open, my service bar goes down to zero and I can't make/receive any calls or send out/receive any text messages. At first I started cursing my service provider, DiGi (kesian DiGi, kena maki for no reason) but when I switched to my Celcom sim card, I still had the same problem. Simple conclusion: Phone dead.

I secretly rejoiced. Now I officially had a reason to buy a new phone! Sunday I went phone hunting with Sel. Conversation as follows:

Sel: Ok, so what do you want in a phone?
Me: Absoulutely no more flip phones. And I want it in pink. And it has to be a Nokia.

(one hour later)

Me: (paying for my Nokia 6085: a flip phone and NOT pink) Well, at least it's a Nokia.
Sel: Riiiight.

Ladies and gents, I present to you my new lifeline.

I am so damn sakai. This is officially the first phone I've ever owned that has a camera, MMS, Bluetooth and plays real tunes (not those generic polyphonic ring ring ones....Hey, this is exciting stuff for me, ok?). It might not be pink but to make up for that, I bought a pink bag thingy to keep the phone in, heh. Oh and it even comes with a 1 gig memory card. I dunno what I need a 1 gig memory card for but I'm pretty sure I'll figure it out.

When I told Haw about my new phone, he was impressed but remained loyal to his no fuss no muss handphone. "I don't need all those extras," he said and, knowing him, I believe him. If he had his way, I bet you Mr. Simplicity would even settle for a blanket and a bonfire to get his message across. But I know what he means: All you really need a phone for is a) to make phonecalls and b)send text messages. Everything else is icing on the cake.

But I still think my real music ringing tone is SO cool.

I'm gonna go ooh and aah at my phone some more...

On the go.

My working week may be officially over but come weekend, I still have the rest of my life to organise.

For those not in the know, I'll be flying to China and Hong Kong (which is technically still China but we won't go into that) on March 22nd right up till the 1st of April. No, my imaginary millionaire sugar daddy isn't whisking me away, rather it's a trip with the bosses. Whatever it is, we're probably thinking the same thing : FREE TRIP! And yes, I am excited about it. We'll be going to Xian (home of the Terracotta warriors - if you don't know who they are, go Google already) which I heard is c-c-c-cold this time of the year.

The warriors of Xian

Let's play Spot The City...

Next we'll fly to the city if Haikou on Hainan island, which is south of the mainland, followed by Sanya (if i'm not mistaken, i think the Miss World pageant was held here few years back). Our final stop is:

Hong Kong!

Oh yes, it'll be a whole lot of plane and hotel-hopping, but honestly, I ain't complaining. So anyway, this is the last weekend I have to get some shopping done for my trip - travel size toiletries, comfy shoes and a sweater for the chilly nights. Also been stocking up on meds - better safe than sorry. In the evening, I had dinner with my Cubby's parents - Thai food, absolutely satisfying to the last bite. I haven't seen his parents for a while so it's always nice to catch up with them.

I promise more entries before I leave this Thursday!

Why bah.

Quick gripe: I don't if there's a sea monster gnawing the cables under the ocean or a damn earthquake inTimbuktu - Streamyx needs to pull their socks up!

What is dis oh? It's like every little world event affects the internet line. "Our CEO is scratching his armpit so Streamyx will be down for the next few hours." Bullcrap.

Last night, I couldn't get online at ALL and after three hours of trying, I finally did. Only to be rudely disconnected after 25 minutes. Good thing I finished chatting with my Cubby or there would be hell to pay. I lost my blog entry but i was feeling generous and let it go. Bah.

I've been busy. I have LOADS of photos to show you but until Streamyx behaves, I'll have to put that on hold. In a nutshell, I've been travelling land, sea and air, mostly for work. But it's all good. We recently got our official Events shirt made. And this is what they came up with:

Presenting, tukang mop lantai hospital! What were they thinking? And the sleeves! I can't even begin to describe the horror. The only saving grace is the back:

I like the Sabah logo thingy. And the cut makes my shoulders look broader, haha. It's decent lah from the back. Maybe I have to start walking with my back facing people whenever I wear this shirt. Oh and another gripe? You can't wear a coloured bra with this - the shirt is kinda see through. Can you imagine if it rains?
Except I doubt i'll look that happy (or model-esque) when it happens.

More updates, stay tuned.

"Take a look at my girlfriend, cuz she's the only one i got..."

- Cupid's Chokehold, Gym Class Heroes, song I can't get enough of lately. Check it out.

Streamyx, we have a problem...

Aiya, so many things to blog about but so little time! And streamyx being a pain in the ass isn't helping. I haven't been able to log on at home for the last two days. Is anyone else having this problem? (yes I paid my bills, I'm not an idiot). So here I am at the office, making a quick one to let my loyal blog readers know I'm alive and kicking.

And will be back once I kick some streamyx ass.

Friday night bla blas.

So no, I'm not spending Friday night doing anything remotely exciting. It's just a little past 11pm and I'm getting ready to hit the sack. It's been a VERY long three days, work-wise and I am looking forward to sleeping without worrying about the alarm clock waking me up in the morning. Simple pleasures.

Ok, my life in random order:

1. My relatives from Manila are visiting this weekend. I took Monday and Tuesday off so I could spend more time with them, seeing this is their first time to KK. Gonna hit the islands, have loads of seafood and just forget about work for a couple of days (ok, i lied. I brought some work home...)

2. I saw a car accident happen right before my very eyes this evening as I was driving home from dinner. This red car was zipping through the lanes, overtaking everyone and then after it passed me, it just flipped over the divider and crashed into the bus stop on the other side of the road! My heart was beating so fast and I hope to God the guy was wearing a seatbelt because the car was smashed up pretty bad. If I'm shaken up watching that, imagine what the guy inside must be going though...

3. I came home from work at 10pm last night to have my mum tell me my cat Sabrina has been missing 24 hours. It never came home for meals or nap time. So off i went hunting with my torchlight, calling for Sabrina around my neighbourhood. I had so many awful thoughts in my head. After some time, I gave up and realised how physically exhausted I was. Unfortunately, my mind couldn't switch off all night, worrying about my sayang.

4. .....Sabrina shows up in the morning, unscathed.

5. Two meetings today. Nuff said.

6. I have to get my passport done on Monday. You'll have to stay tuned to see where Fridaycat is headed!

7. I'm kinda addicted to Katherine McPhee's 'Over It', her single from her debut album. I've never been a fan of hers and this song isn't gonna blow you away. But maybe it's just because I relate to the song more than I realise. Have a listen.

8. My cubby's experiencing some bad weather in Toronto now. In fact classes have been cancelled due to the snow storms and they even had their power supply interrupted (I think it still is). No chat tonight then. I hope he bundles up.

I think i'll watch a dvd now. Yep, another exciting night for this sleepy cat.

"Moving on, it's my time. You never were a friend of mine."
-Katharine McPhee (of American Idol fame), 'Over It'