Have a good weekend blah blah

As a citizen of the modern world, I am now aware that travelling on planes is not necessarily a treat. Air pockets and bad landings are common enough occurence. Nobody so much as blinks an eye when the plane skids to a stop after bumming around the landing stripe a good 2-3 minutes. There might be an embarassed smile if you happen to catch somebody's eye, or maybe a shared moment of disbelief ...but most times, nobody bloody cares about the landing.

My worst to date would be across a sea on a blustery morning in winter...on a 737 with just that bit too many air pockets to be comfortable with. I spent the flight with my left hand on my left chest wall in a sorry attempt to calm the pitter patter. The air stewardess braved the rocky aisle to inquire........

I fly to Langkawi tomorrow.

The well travelled prawns

The prawns in the picture are NOT the prawns of this story.

Years ago, someone I forget whom once told me that practically every other grocery item in East Malaysia would cost marginally more than where we are at, which is Peninsular Malaysia. Another black mark against working there. A can of coca cola, we were told, would cost you 50 sen more. The roads would be shoddy and there was a high chance you would have to rely on a boat as your sole mode of transportation.

While I cannot deny there are some truths to these statements, it's grossly exaggerated. Let's then start with what is cheaper. SEAFOOD!! The West Malaysian visitors haul back boxes of prawns and fish during their brief visits. This evening, we were graced with a visit from an old friend who brought with her prawns.The prawns ( from East Malaysia ) had already made a trip from KLIA to Keramat ( where some of the prawns were presumably shared.) During the visit at work, we stashed the prawns in the communal fridge. ( Venue A )

They remained there for a few hours until which time we decided to eat. The prawns were then brought of the freezer and into the car...and into the freezer of another friend's condominium. (Venue B). At which point, all of us ( excluding the prawns ) were confused as to the exact nature of the visit and why the various stopovers and where was the final destination of these prawns. why were the prawns being stashed at venue B when presumably the friend living in venue B would be at Venue A the following morning for work and would take the prawns then.

How presumptuous of us, to assume the prawns were for friend living in venue B. The prawns were in fact for another sister ( who strangely enough was out of town and would be back much later in the night). So venue B was merely a stopover before landing up at venue C. ( Sister's place). If you're confused reading this...we were confused digesting the information. these prawns!!! They cost us a whole lot of headache. We were late for dinner!

Monday....second day of the week

Amazing how a little break puts you in a different place altogether. It's ten past eleven at night and I'm can safely say I had no crabby thoughts this Monday. Which to elaborate further passed smoothly. It's raining so there's a cool breeze outside.

Have you seen women post-delivery waddling along in socks? It's not a fab look. They look ill, at best they look like they left the house in a hurry. I'm wearing socks this evening....in a feeble attempt to keep some cream on the heels firmly ON the heel rather than ON the floor. I'm bringing this bit up because I've only just realised, wearing socks isn't half as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. I quite like it. Go on, have a go at it...and we'll compare notes.

How the weekend went on...

Folks who can write should be grateful for this gift. It isn't at all common, despite many claiming to have it.The weekend has been spent trimming and writing non-fiction. You may think it is possibly a less arduous task than writing a draft of a first novel. It is not. It is more painful ( not that I have experienced the novel-writing angst). The paus in the picture are pretty suggestive but I'll leave it to your own intepretation. Comic relief for the end of a good weekend in Port Dickson.

The sea

I feel 20% rejuvenated already,despite dozing off on the rattan chair this afternoon with the evening sun on my face. This is Port Dickson, and for the next 48 hours the sea will be less than 500 metres away from me. Do you then wonder why city-folks die younger? How can we live in this mini-jet-setter lifestyle ( we're talking pace here not actually the act of jet-setting like the rich and famous, or rich and not famous) and not realise it? I believe the human body can ( and does ) adjust to the presto tempo. Maybe a little too well.

Facebook

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

I can't decide whether I like ...I mean really like facebook. It's certainly more interactive than blogging. Over here, you wait in anticipation for some comments. And this may take a while. In FB world, you get quick replies to just about anything you post.

Status update ( FB style ) Edina is .....( taking a break from facebook )

Kim chi for everyone

From Korean drama serials..I've moved onto Dolsot Bibimbap. The BEST bibimbap, (and believe you me I've tried a lot of them across the Klang valley ) can be found on the 6th floor Sungai Wang Plaza. Tucked in a secluded lane of clothes is Restoran Shin. The girls who waitress there know me well although we haven't actually had a conversation before. Before I sat down yesterday evening, the waitress Smiley face spoke out the order " Bibimbap Chicken, Corn tea"? And we smiled.

"Meeting Mr Kim" is a travelogue by Jennifer Barclay. Can't give a review cos I only got the book this afternoon.

Oh dearie me

LAUNDRY SERIES: an existential question., originally uploaded by theshanghaieye.

Today's laundry day.The concept of clean clothes maketh a happy person is true. It's appeals to my sense of correctness. It's the getting to the clean clothes stage that I might have a slight problem with....especially on a lazy Saturday morning.

Past imperfect

Please get a copy of Snobs. From the moment you read the first sentence, it would seem impossible not to go on reading it....right through to the end.It is THAT good. And when you've read it, if you don't suddenly develop an urge to read more books by fellowes you're abnormal. And what's even better, Fellowes has written a second book Past imperfect. And I have a copy of that. I'm apprently not the ONLY person who thinks this a good read. So does Brilliant Asylum.

And I would want this in my wish list.

A funereal day in the week

I can't help but think that common courtesy is a gift, which should be extended regardless to just about any living individual we come in contact with. It requires not more effort , but perhaps less mocking words strung together in whole lines.

Time Time Time

Boundless energy

Tigger in the grass #2, originally uploaded by Lord V.

I have given more attention to this blog in this 3 weeks than in the last 3 years. There has been more than an intermittent absence periodically. And as Anna has pointed out I do tend to blog in spurts. Clearly this approach has not concerned faithful-Anna. This year you will be treated to regular posts. Since the flowers made their way here. It shall now be one of my more enjoyable tasks for 2009. Wish me luck!

I'm not going to blog in spurts which means I'll add something unrelated here. This counts for one post:) Thru "Kernel of truth" blog, I found this link to a very very funny complaint letter to Richard Branson. Go read it please.

Do Not Remove This Tag Under Penalty Of Law

Do Not Remove This Tag Under Penalty Of Law, originally uploaded by Finiky.

1. Where is your cell phone? - table 2. Your significant other? - Paesold 3. Your hair? - Fringe-ed 4. Your mother? - unpacking 5. Your father? - working 6. Your favorite place? - bed 7. Your dream last night? - blank 8. Your favorite drink? - Cafe21 9. Your dream/goal? - professor 10. What room you are in? - Den 11. Your hobby? - chicklit 12. Your fear? - stoopidity 13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? - Ahead 14. Where were you last night? - condo 15. Something that you aren't? - mathematician 16. Muffins? - Please 17 Wish list- MAC 18. Where you grew up? - Raub 19. Last thing you did? - teeth 20. What are you wearing? - jammies 21. Your TV? - Walled 22. Your pet(s)? - Dead 23. Friends? - Sound 24. Your life? - Goooooood 25. Your mood? - complacent 26. Missing someone? - no 27. Car? - Jazz 28. Something you're not wearing? - scarbo 29. Your favorite store? - Chowrastra 30. Your favorite color? - green 33. When is the last time you laughed? - Sunday 34. Last time you cried? - sunday 35. Who will resend this? - Nobody 36. One place that I go to over and over? - Loo 37. One person who emails me regularly? - Nana

I have been tagged by a facebook friend. It's a one-answer tag so I haven't had an attack of expressive dysphasia. Shame on you for thinking so. The tag didn't say I couldn't write more after....so here goes.

Paesold is the made of my violin. Scarbo is scabies meds ( Dun ask!!!) The crying and laughing were not on the SAME sunday. I'm not hypomanic. Chowrastra is an Old market in Penang where there's a huge huge huge collection of second-hand books. Nana is the secretary at work.

Short fingers at work

“I was much distressed by next door people who had twin babies and played the violin; but one of the twins died, and the other has eaten the fiddle, so all is peace.”
Edward Lear

At about 7:40am on most Saturdays, I would peel the eyes open and just about that time, give or take a couple of minutes, the urge to practise grips me right in the right wrist. From then on, the stool is pulled and the notes turned to the right page, and the blasted "scales and Arpeggios" book is on on the music stand. The neighbours deserve an award for their patience with my playing. But I should like to gently point out that they are in a posession of a baby who cries ( according to my tuner in C sharp and E flat....some nights). So we're pretty even for now.

Pisang Kaki

I had these after dinner. They've been in the fridge for a good three weeks. Hibernating on the second shelf behind the half eaten pizza and the 3/4 loaf of bread. ( also 3 weeks old.) The nimble fingers deftly sliced these slippery buggers and no finger nails or indeed fingers were lost in this process. The smugness didn't last long. Slowly, a nagging feeling of nausea crept up. Were the greenish bits part of the fruit of mould?

Wikipedia ( yes yes..in desperate times we resort to this mode of data-collection from net ) tells me some interesting facts. China is the main exporter. ( Oh please please let it not have been soaked in some weird chemicals in some backlane in mainland China ). You get diarrhoea when you eat too much. ( Wikipedia did not elaborate on the exact definition of "too much". I guess that's pretty subjective. Big burly guys could woffle 10 and that'll be just about right. A toothpick supermodel might take a nibble and exclaim that she's had TOO MUCH. And you CANNOT eat persimmon with crab meat. The first thing I thought was, who on EARTH would eat this combination? Would you??

How many pins do I need?

Coco's hair is down...how to fix the fringe?, originally uploaded by rockymountainroz.

While never claiming to be vain, I do like to look passable. And so with all the fuss about the fringe, I should like to report a certain ( although weak ) affinity I seem to be developing to it. It's early days yet but we can hope:)

I meet old friends

Ladies who lunch, originally uploaded by doesn't time fly.

Nimble-toes and Smiles are old friends. How do you become an old friend? Well first you need to have met back in the dark ages where you have bad hair and you don't realise it, and your glasses are geeky but yet you are strut about thinking you're hip , you took the public transport willingly ( and not because your car broke down )and didn't think that was odd. Other pre-requisites for qualifying to be " OLD FRIENDS": You must have a shared history, enough stuff for you to rake up during get-togethers and start saying " Do you remember...blah blah blah?"

Old Friends have enough sense not to bring up messy pasts, embarassing memories are deftly kicked into a corner, they choose to dwell only in good memories. Sometimes, when they feel brave, they might just touch on sensitive topics gingerly to see whether that opens old wounds. Testing the waters! We forgive old friends more easily that recent friends. Or at least that is what it should be.

I had plans to meet up with old friends this weekend...but...my fringe and I will be home this weekend. We're still a tad shy

Bangs or fringe

We've all done this before, do things we regret. Haven't had this experience in a while, so I've forgotten the feeling. And now that I'm experiencing it, I don't fancy it very much. Got myself a fringe this evening at the local shop. It wasn't planned. ( Subconsciously maybe...perhaps ) Immediately after it was cut, and I saw the ends standing UP rather than falling across the forehead gently, there was a moment of disbelief. The lady responsible for it failed to see the dismay. She seemed in fact, pleased with the result. All this talk about a wide forehead and the bangs softening the effect and bringing out the shape of the face...pah...it only works if the bangs actually fall across the forehead. Mine's pretty much like an up-turned broom. I forsee having to spend an extra 10 minutes each morning pining the bangs back to return to some form of normality. I return to work tomorrow...with gravity-defying-bangs.

Travel Light

WAAAAAaaaaaAAAAH! It's time to pack and drive back to the city. The things to bring back are scattered all over the parents' house. There's the violin, music stand, my haversack, music notes, my two plastic files, the 4G Kingston thumbdrive with work-related stuff in it, the camera, the camera's charger, the laptop + charger, the handphone + charger, food and some old books to be re-read.

First day of work...last day of holidays

Chinese New Year Card 2009 Year of the Ox,
originally uploaded by crayolamom.

"But I neeeeed streamyx" I wailed to nobody in particular. As a surprise we got broadband installed at the parent's place. And since then..I've been a busy little bee.

1) Got a flickr account going and learnt (only this morning mind ) how to blog pictures from flickr
2)Installed Webcam on two laptops and a desktop. *smug look*
3)Joined bookblogs last night. So regular book reviews from now. 4)FACE-lifted blog and truthfully this seems to have kick started points 1-3

This is the year of the Raging Bull. Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!