A peek into the drama

And I asked him, is it because he's never had one before. and he said, 'yes' and I went to the bathroom and cried.

Day off again?

Having a day off in KK isn't exactly an exciting idea for me.

I moved back here permanently (for now) in 2007 after being away for 10 years in different parts of the state and country. At first, being back was exciting. Needless to say there was a lot things in KK that weren't here 12 years ago. I am, however, running short of ideas of where to go on a day off these days.


The Waterfront is unavoidable. To me it may be losing its charm in my craving for something different. Yet, despite this discontent, you will see me there often enough. It might be the 'Free beer tomorrow' claim, or the various bars you can pick from, or the more than likely prospect into bumping into someone familiar (whether or not you want to bump into them). Its initial novelty has perhaps morphed into something cosy and familiar.

But where else is there to go on your day off in little KK?

The malls. Oh, the malls! I hate to admit it, it is uncreative and is as dull as grey, but on my day off I am sure to visit a mall. The day before my day off I picture myself going to the mall. What can I do there? What do I need from a mall? Am I sure I don't need anything? Is it the weekend and if so do I want to be stuck in a crowd of smelly people? I try to dissuade myself from this unimaginative activity. But I cannot deny that at the very least, it satisfies my sense of sight. And if I had to pick a mall to haunt, it would have to be one with a cinema and a sushi joint.

When I run out of malls to satisfy my longing to 'experience' new things, guess what? I can't believe I'm telling you this. I am ready to drive up to an hour to check out a departmental store I've never/rarely been to.

Today is the last of my 5 days off in a row. I've visited two malls. I've bought useless things. I've watched at least 5 films, one at the cinema.  I've gone around the house picking up long strands of hair from any room in the house that I've walked into. I've mopped the floor twice. I've fought other mafia. I've looked through old friends' profiles. I've read blogs. I've youtubed. I've emailed people. I've developed online lethargy. (Oh God, I hope the internet here is unlimited!) I've gone to the Waterfront countless times. I've sipped Bacardi like it's my birthday. Heck, I've sipped Bacardi like it was everybody's birthday.

All that I've done these 5 days, I could've done on a school night! (Maybe except the guzzling. Maybe.)

I suppose it's a good thing that my job offers more excitement than the 'reward' of a day off. *Gloat*

*photo from sabahtourism.com

PMS and in the mood to complain

I've got PMS and I'm in the mood to kill people complain. (Sometimes I have PMS and am in the mood to cry for no reason.)

This is where my head and my hormones have a big argument about what to do with the urge to complain. My brain is like the angel on my right shoulder, and tries to dissuade me. My PMS doesn't give two ships about future implications. I'd say neither are stronger than the other when it comes to making the decision. In the end, however, my brain has the last laugh because if my rants are on my blog or Twitter or Facebook, I'll have to sheepishly log in to delete whatever I wrote in my hormonal rage.

My brain is going to save us all embarrassment this time around and write angry words in my diary.

I have just run around the office screaming after reading this

'Private sector should use Bahasa not English'

2009/11/18

By Ili Liyana Mokhtar

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians in the private sector should use Bahasa Malaysia and not English to show pride of the national language, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said yesterday.

He said they used English 99 per cent of the time and hardly communicated in Bahasa Malaysia.

"This also occurs in government-linked companies where we have this weird culture of people speaking to each other in English instead of the national language," he said at the launch of the Bahasa Melayu International linguistics seminar here.

Puad said the private sector, by not using Bahasa Malaysia, had tarnished the image of the national language.

He said Malaysians should emulate the French, Japanese and Koreans who were loyal to their language.

He said the younger generation was also guilty of conversing only in English or bahasa rojak (a mixture of English and Bahasa Malaysia) as could be seen in local programmes, text messages and the Internet.

"It would be difficult to strengthen the position of Bahasa Malaysia if this culture continued," he said, adding that the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry should promote the proper use of Bahasa Malaysia.

He said by condoning the improper use of Bahasa Malaysia "we are polluting our own culture and identity as a nation".

"I think the younger generation is confused about the status of the national language.

"They think it is all right to mix both languages as English is the second language."

Later, he told a press conference that leaders should use Bahasa Malaysia at all official meetings and events.

"Even when I receive official letters written in English, I return them and ask that they be written in Bahasa Malaysia." 

Puad said all ministries, government agencies and GLCs should conduct their meetings in Bahasa Malaysia, adding that this would encourage the use of the language.

"The government has come out with a circular to all government agencies and GLCs to use Bahasa Malaysia in official events in conjunction with the National Language Month last month, but I believe this was not adhered to."

Asked if action would be taken against agencies that did not adhere to the circular, Puad said no action would be taken.

On another matter, he said the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) was looking for authors to write primary school textbooks for science, mathematics and Bahasa Malaysia.

Know Thyself

γνῶθι σεαυτόν gnōthi seauton

 

Know thyself? If I knew myself I would run away. 

I don't remember being thin

Holy shit, when was I this thin? I'm not going to eat for the next six months!

(also in the pic is my mum and the other two - I'm really sorry but I just can't remember who they are or when this was!)

The moon is following us

We were on the coastal highway, driving slowly despite the lack of traffic on the road and I was sitting in the back, behind the driver. The cool night air was blowing through the open windows so that it messed up everyone's hair. The conversation between everyone else got drowned out by nothing, but I was no longer paying attention to what was being said.

The moon was full and bright that night, and soon enough I couldn't even tell if the people in the car were still talking or not. I was just looking at the moon, steady and still in the sky, while everything else on the ground whizzed past us.

In an instant I was brought back to my dad's beige Toyota station wagon and my family on our many car rides after dinner. I was sat behind daddy, our family's sole driver. The moon is following us. That's what I'd told my father when we were on the same road a long time ago. I was 6, then 8 then 10 and 12, and we, my dad and my mum and my sisters and I would take turns telling each other that the moon was following us. And we'd look at it for almost the entire trip, wherever we were going, making sure that it really was. It was only when we went round the bend or through the hills that we couldn't see it, but mummy said it was just hiding for a while. And sure enough the moon would reappear, reassuringly following us.

Casual as this memory may be, I had to blink and tune in to the conversation in the car before the tears could come.

I miss my dad.