Wednesday, December 27, 2006
COMING SOON!
I'm back! Bigger & better! Watch out for this space. First, I want to wish all my readers "Merry Christmas". Next, let me get the hang of the new features in the New Blogger Version. Have just upgraded to the new version today. New post coming soon!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Urban Exercise
Many urban dwellers don't get much chance to walk or jog in a real park these days. A park surrounded by lush greeneries with watering holes for our fine feathered friends is a rare find. The KLites are constantly suffocating from the rapidly dwindling number of green lungs within KL making way for development. The most convenient place for a decent exercise would be either your home or the gym. The former...well, though highly convenient but it seems to be a rather boring place to do our sit-ups and push-ups, not to mention the lack of motivation to wear proper attire when we exercise. When we exercise at home, naturally, we tend to be in our most comfortable apparel, namely the XL size t-shirt and an old pair of shorts while watching Cindy Crawford doing her sit-ups on tv. Not forgetting the need to keep ourselves motivated while being confined to the four corners of the concrete walls. Many of us who exercise at home tend to show our lazy bones after a few sessions, opting for the seat as a couch potato.
On the other hand, if you opt for the gym, well...it may burn quite a hole in your pocket depending on the kind of membership those gyms offer. A one-year membership fees could cost around RM1,400. With that amount of money, you had better be consistent in getting yourself to the gym religiously a few days every week for the next twelve months or you are as good as dumping your hard earned money into the sea. The rewards, other a well toned body, if you do turn up at the gym may be the chance to ogle at beautiful bodies (of the trainers there) or the hugh relieve realising that you are not the only one that urgently needs some immediate body sculpting repair work.
However, do you know that there is an alternative to your exercise venues other than the park, your home and the gym?
Once a month or so, I would have a 3 hour walk at a large spacious venue, ogle all I want at beautiful boys and girls and the best of all, no membership fee is required. =) I call it the 'Urban Exercise'. Last Sunday, I had one of my Urban Exercise sessions. A good 3 hours of walking. This time, I had picked a newly opened hyper-supermarket, Carrefour, for my walk. I went as soon as it was opened in the morning after a round of hearty breakfast. I walked at a consistent pace from aisle to aisle, at the same time exercising my arms by pushing a 15kg cart filled with 2 sacs of rice (10kg & 5kg each), can food, 2 dozens of toilet papers, among many other household products.
At the end of my urban exercise *ahem* (grocery shopping), I've walked 3 full hours, stopping just to put stuff into my shopping cart, carried more than 10 kgs and also completed my grocery shopping. I felt completely energised (obviously from the walk), refreshed (being away from the blistering mid-afternoon heat outside), entertained (by looking at the people around me) and happy (being surrounded by so much food!). Hahaha! BTW, the parking is free.
The other good places for the urban exercise would be the Mid Valley Megamall and Berjaya Times Square. Just covering on foot all the floor spaces in those huge shopping centres will help to tone your legs. Remember to take the stairs when possible while holding on to your shopping bags. It helps the motor coordination of your arms and legs.
Don't you agree that the Urban Exercise is so much more interesting than the usual trip to the gym? Try Urban Exercise today. Who knows, you may like it more than the gym. And, girls... “Happy (Window) Shopping!”
Thursday, November 23, 2006
YOGA
Last year I developed a strong interest in yoga. I read books to understand everything one needed to know about this ancient exercise. Then, I bought those DIY yoga cds to practise at home. I started off with basic yoga for beginners. Each session lasts 20 minutes. Then, I advanced to yoga for intermediate. Each session expanded to 40 minutes. I was in great shape. I stopped short of learning the headstand. I believe this pose should be learnt from an experienced guru in person. It’s too complicated and dangerous to learn it on my own.
Then, with all the actions, I wanted to add in some meditation. Finally, some substance to all my actions! So, off I went to Speedy’s to buy a cd in Yoga meditation. I was very excited anticipating being able to take my mind up to another level by just repeating the word ‘Oooooooooooooooommmmmm’ for 20 minutes. I was expecting the guru in the cd to reveal the secrets of meditation but all I have gotten from watching the cd was one yoga buff sitting crossed leg in lotus pose, both palms turned up with the index fingers & thumbs touched on her thighs. She remained in that pose for the whole 20 minutes!!! I had paid RM29.90 to watch a woman sitting crossed legs for 20 minutes!!! I don’t think I had left my home base at all.
From that day onwards, I stick safely to the actions and left the substance to the experts.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Tour de France
Europe is one of my holiday destinations. I even took up language classes so that I could enjoy chatting with the locals, immersing myself in their cultures. I dream of sipping coffee from the café on the sidewalk. Yesterday I had a glimpse of how my trip to Europe may turn out.
I went on a holiday in France with my family. We walked around beautiful architectures, lovely parks and checked out shops on the cobble stoned street. We came about a shop selling food stuff. Mum took a tomato, broccoli and cauliflower to the counter for me to pay.
“Mum, why are we buying vegetables? What do you want to do with them?” I asked.
“Daughter, Euro dollar is very expensive. We could save a lot cooking our own meal. I’m cooking porridge,” mum explaining her economic theory.
“But mum, we are on holiday. I can’t be eating home cooked food,” I protested.
“Plus, we can’t cook in the hotel, remember?” I reminded mum that we are not staying in an apartment with cooking facility.
‘Don’t worry, darling. We can eat them with oat meals,” mum smiled at her own brilliance.
I paid for the vegetables at the counter. I can’t believe I’m going to eat oat with tomato in my hotel room.
“Combien?” I showed off my newly acquired French skill, asking how much I must pay.
“Huh?” the cashier wasn’t sure what I was saying.
“C’est combien, sil vous plait? I repeated. This time I remembered to add ‘please’ after asking for the price. French are very particular on manners. I thought she didn’t want to answer me because I didn’t say ‘please’ initially.
“Excusez-moi?’ she asked me to repeat.
Oh, dear. Did I pronounced my French sentence wrongly? Shit.
“How much, please?” I asked in English this time. My face was blushing in embarrassment.
“Ah, c'est de sept quinze euros, sil vous plait,” the cashier replied.
“Huh?” my turn to ask. I can hardly understand a word she had said. All I heard was “Gee lee gu lu, gee lee gu lu”. Geez, this can’t be happening to me after slogging myself to learn basic French conversation for a year.
“Cezz, seven fifteen euros, please”, the cashier translated to English to ease my pain. Either that or she was trying to get me out of her face as fast as possible. I know I must be a pain in the rear end for her.
I quickly paid the cashier and took my red lobster face out of the shop. We continued our sight seeing on foot. Before turning into another street, I noticed that my sis was missing. We back tracked our way to the vegetable shop and I found sis at the counter arguing with the cashier. Yes, the same cashier that I wanted to hide my face from.
“Sis, what are you doing? Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting,” I asked trying to get sis out of the shop before the cashier remembers me.
“I want to buy this packet of chocolate. I don’t have any Euros with me. So, I’m paying her Malaysian Ringgit and she refused to accept it,” sis explained.
“Can’t you just pay by credit card? They won’t accept Malaysian Ringgit la. Do you think you are going to accept Tonga’s currency in Malaysia? Duh….?” I tried to talk some sense into my bird brain sister. How embarrassing can this get….?
“Look, this packet of chocolate costs 2 Euros which is about 8 Malaysian Ringgit and I’m paying you 10 Malaysian Ringgit. You won’t lose, do you know that?” sis tried to get back into the bargain with the cashier, forcing her Malaysian currency into the hands of the cashier.
“No, no, no….” the cashier shaked her head and pushed the note back to my sister.
“Please! Can we just forget about the chocolate and leave?! All other customers are looking at us. This is sooooo embarrassing!!!” I pleaded to sis.
I was lucky that I managed to wake up at this point. Any later than that, I think my boiling blood veins will burst.
Lesson learnt? Definitely. Firstly, I have to brush up on my French. Exam’s next week. Secondly, if I do go to France for my holiday, I’m going to bring lot’s of Euro currency with me. I don’t plan to eat porridge in the hotel nor force the cashier to accept my home country’s currency. If I don’t have enough Euros, then I guess the best plan would be to leave mum and sis behind. Hehehe!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Romantic Things Married CoupleS Do
Hmm… The list of romantic things in the previous post was more for couples who are still dating each other. Couples who are in a relationship that has no strings attached….. yet.
When you are married, life is different with additional commitments mentally, physically, financially, etc.
Here are some romantic things that married couples do (compiled from my happily married friends).
1. Make sure your other half gets a decent meal when he/she comes home from work. late at night & accompany them for the meal just to find out how was his/her day.
2. Learn to cook his/her favourite dish even though you can’t fry an egg.
3. Take care of your other half when they are sick or invalid.
4. Make sure they are well covered with the blanket in the middle of the night so that they won’t catch cold.
5. Wear their clothes to feel them & smell them when you miss them.
6. You know you will not be afraid to fall because he/she is always there to catch you. You trust them with your life.
7. Snuggle under their arms to keep warm.
8. Do housework together. Wash the car together.
9. Spend your hard earned money on them to make them happy when you have to think twice to buy that pair of shoes to replace your worn out one because it makes you happier to see them smile than wearing a new pair of shoes.
10. You would rather risk your life than seeing them suffer in sickness. Donate your internal organs like one of your kidneys or corneas to save his/her's life.
11. Make up after being angry with each other. No matter how the other half made you angry, you always forgive them and love them just the same. Stick together through thick and thin, for better or worse.
12. Still think that your other half is the greatest person even though they dig their nose, fart, have bad breathe, rings of spare tyres on their waist, have orange peel skin thigh, etc.
13. Groom each other, like cut/comb their hair, shave their beard, dig their ear wax, etc.
14. Work your guts out paying for mortgages to put a roof on your family.
15. Take good care of yourself so that he/she wouldn’t need to worry about your well being in additional to the pressure they face everyday.
The list is endless but the bottom line is saying, “I love you” is not enough nor the romantic gesture of dedicating a song over the radio for your loved ones. When it comes to spending the rest of your life with someone you love, commitment, sacrifice, understanding, communication and actions speak louder than saying “I love you’.
When the both of you are really old and wrinkled like 80 years old and still hold each other hands when you walk, now that is really romantic.
When you are married, life is different with additional commitments mentally, physically, financially, etc.
Here are some romantic things that married couples do (compiled from my happily married friends).
1. Make sure your other half gets a decent meal when he/she comes home from work. late at night & accompany them for the meal just to find out how was his/her day.
2. Learn to cook his/her favourite dish even though you can’t fry an egg.
3. Take care of your other half when they are sick or invalid.
4. Make sure they are well covered with the blanket in the middle of the night so that they won’t catch cold.
5. Wear their clothes to feel them & smell them when you miss them.
6. You know you will not be afraid to fall because he/she is always there to catch you. You trust them with your life.
7. Snuggle under their arms to keep warm.
8. Do housework together. Wash the car together.
9. Spend your hard earned money on them to make them happy when you have to think twice to buy that pair of shoes to replace your worn out one because it makes you happier to see them smile than wearing a new pair of shoes.
10. You would rather risk your life than seeing them suffer in sickness. Donate your internal organs like one of your kidneys or corneas to save his/her's life.
11. Make up after being angry with each other. No matter how the other half made you angry, you always forgive them and love them just the same. Stick together through thick and thin, for better or worse.
12. Still think that your other half is the greatest person even though they dig their nose, fart, have bad breathe, rings of spare tyres on their waist, have orange peel skin thigh, etc.
13. Groom each other, like cut/comb their hair, shave their beard, dig their ear wax, etc.
14. Work your guts out paying for mortgages to put a roof on your family.
15. Take good care of yourself so that he/she wouldn’t need to worry about your well being in additional to the pressure they face everyday.
The list is endless but the bottom line is saying, “I love you” is not enough nor the romantic gesture of dedicating a song over the radio for your loved ones. When it comes to spending the rest of your life with someone you love, commitment, sacrifice, understanding, communication and actions speak louder than saying “I love you’.
When the both of you are really old and wrinkled like 80 years old and still hold each other hands when you walk, now that is really romantic.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
50 Romantic Things to do with Your Loved One
Interesting replies to an email sent by a single girlfriend who dreams to fall in love with her knight in the shining amour.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Yours truly
Sent: November 14, 2006
To: Single girl; Married man
Subject: RE: 50 Romantic Things to do with your loved one
Another example is the 3G phone.
Romantic thing to do for your bf/gf
- Buy them a 3G phone as birthday present. Then, call each other, video call & look at each other day in day out telling them I love you...
After married...
- You crazy ah waste so much $ buy the 3G phone?!!! Who wants to pay to look at your face wor? Everyday look not enough ah? Take me holiday with the $ lagi bagus (better still).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Married man
Sent: November 14, 2006
To: Single girl; Yours truly
Subject: RE: 50 Romantic Things to do with your loved one
Dear ... dear.. after married.. here is the answer..
50 Romantic things to do 4 your B/GFriend
1. Watch the sunset together - no time
2. Whisper to each other - What? Can't hear you
3. Cook for each other - you cook cause I am lazy
4. Walk in the rain - stupid idea
5. Hold hands - after the kid's hand there are no more hands to offer
6. Buy gifts for each other - no budget
7. Roses - waste money
8. Find out their favorite cologne/perfume and wear it every time you're together - bath more often and forget about cologne
9. Go for a long walk down the beach at midnight - mosquitoes
10. Write poetry for each other - Now we don't say love.. we just make love..
11. Hugs are the universal medicine - comforter offers better insulation
12. Say only when you mean it and make sure they know you mean it - do I have to repeat and repeat..
13. Give random gifts of flowers/candy/poetry etc. - told you no budget lor...
14. Tell her that she's the only girl you ever want. Don't lie! - cannot cause still have mother, mother in law, daughter and *whisper* girlfriends..
15. Spend every second possible together - why, have you not hear before one mountain cannot have 2 tigers...
16. Look into each other's eyes - to check who is lying...
17. Very lightly push up her chin, look into her eyes, tell her you love her and kiss her lightly - she'll think that you have done something wrong..
18. When in public, only flirt with each other - peoples say you crazy or what..
19. Put love notes in their pockets when they aren't looking - we prefer cash or money
20. Buy her a ring - You think Lord of the ring ah?
21. Sing to each other - To all the girls I loved before...
22. Always hold her around her hips/sides - Don't be horny.. wait till get home..
23. Take her to dinner and do the dinner for two deal - McDonalds can or not...?
24. Spaghetti? (Ever see Lady and the Tramp?) - more for kids....
25. Hold her hand, stare into her eyes, kiss her hand and then put it over your heart - you've done some very serious damages..
26. Dance together - cannot dance anymore... backache
27. I love the way a girl looks right after she's fallen asleep with her head in my lap - You just numbed my leg..
28. Do cute things like write I love you in a note so that they have to look in a mirror to read it. - She will be more in love if the note say :- Honey, there is RM 5,000 in the envelope for you to enjoy yourself at spa...
29. Make excuses to call them every 5 minutes - for what..???
30. Even if you are really busy doing something, go out of your way to call and say I love you. - prepaid no money..
31. Call from your vacation spot to tell them you were thinking about them - yeah.. go on your own.. never take me along.. are you looking to be skinned alive?!!!
32. Remember your dreams and tell her about them - How come I am not in the picture..?
33. Calling each other cute names...like honey bunny, sweetheart, etc. - (behind her back) porkchop
34. Tell each other your most sacred secrets/fears. - She will blackmail you from now on.. dead meat..
35. Be Prince Charming to her parents. - Must be asking for financial assistance..
36. Brush her hair out of her face for her - You hand dirty or not.. don't touch me again..
37. Hang out with his/her friends. - don't disturb .. go find your own friends..
38. Go to church/pray/worship together. - One worship God the other worship devil.. how.. 39. Take her to see a romantic movie and remember the parts she liked - "Rose, You jump, I jump..." then you better jump yourself.. remember to leave the will to me..
40. Learn from each other and don't make the same mistake twice - Leopard never lost their spots..
41. Describe the joy you feel just to be with him/her - How?
42. Make sacrifices for each other - compulsory
43. Really love each other, or don't stay together - can tell before that.. now? too late la...
44. Let there never be a second during any given day that you aren't thinking about them, and make sure they know it - how about mortgage..?
45. Love yourself before you love anyone else - how about my mother in law?
46. Learn to say sweet things in foreign languages - wife not Einstein la...
47. Dedicate songs to them on the radio - might end up to the wrong girls.. dangerous..
48. Fall asleep on the phone with each other - why waste money.. just chit-chat rubbish..
49. Stand up for them when someone talks trash - better take her back home quickly
50. Never forget the kiss goodnight and always remember to say, "Sweet dreams" - zzzzzzzzzzz
THEREFORE the bottom line is "expect the un-expected" ... It is easy to fall in love but not easy to have lasting relationship and that is why I always admire couples who made it to their golden years...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Yours truly
Sent: November 14, 2006
To: Single girl; Married man
Subject: RE: 50 Romantic Things to do with your loved one
Another example is the 3G phone.
Romantic thing to do for your bf/gf
- Buy them a 3G phone as birthday present. Then, call each other, video call & look at each other day in day out telling them I love you...
After married...
- You crazy ah waste so much $ buy the 3G phone?!!! Who wants to pay to look at your face wor? Everyday look not enough ah? Take me holiday with the $ lagi bagus (better still).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Married man
Sent: November 14, 2006
To: Single girl; Yours truly
Subject: RE: 50 Romantic Things to do with your loved one
Dear ... dear.. after married.. here is the answer..
50 Romantic things to do 4 your B/GFriend
1. Watch the sunset together - no time
2. Whisper to each other - What? Can't hear you
3. Cook for each other - you cook cause I am lazy
4. Walk in the rain - stupid idea
5. Hold hands - after the kid's hand there are no more hands to offer
6. Buy gifts for each other - no budget
7. Roses - waste money
8. Find out their favorite cologne/perfume and wear it every time you're together - bath more often and forget about cologne
9. Go for a long walk down the beach at midnight - mosquitoes
10. Write poetry for each other - Now we don't say love.. we just make love..
11. Hugs are the universal medicine - comforter offers better insulation
12. Say only when you mean it and make sure they know you mean it - do I have to repeat and repeat..
13. Give random gifts of flowers/candy/poetry etc. - told you no budget lor...
14. Tell her that she's the only girl you ever want. Don't lie! - cannot cause still have mother, mother in law, daughter and *whisper* girlfriends..
15. Spend every second possible together - why, have you not hear before one mountain cannot have 2 tigers...
16. Look into each other's eyes - to check who is lying...
17. Very lightly push up her chin, look into her eyes, tell her you love her and kiss her lightly - she'll think that you have done something wrong..
18. When in public, only flirt with each other - peoples say you crazy or what..
19. Put love notes in their pockets when they aren't looking - we prefer cash or money
20. Buy her a ring - You think Lord of the ring ah?
21. Sing to each other - To all the girls I loved before...
22. Always hold her around her hips/sides - Don't be horny.. wait till get home..
23. Take her to dinner and do the dinner for two deal - McDonalds can or not...?
24. Spaghetti? (Ever see Lady and the Tramp?) - more for kids....
25. Hold her hand, stare into her eyes, kiss her hand and then put it over your heart - you've done some very serious damages..
26. Dance together - cannot dance anymore... backache
27. I love the way a girl looks right after she's fallen asleep with her head in my lap - You just numbed my leg..
28. Do cute things like write I love you in a note so that they have to look in a mirror to read it. - She will be more in love if the note say :- Honey, there is RM 5,000 in the envelope for you to enjoy yourself at spa...
29. Make excuses to call them every 5 minutes - for what..???
30. Even if you are really busy doing something, go out of your way to call and say I love you. - prepaid no money..
31. Call from your vacation spot to tell them you were thinking about them - yeah.. go on your own.. never take me along.. are you looking to be skinned alive?!!!
32. Remember your dreams and tell her about them - How come I am not in the picture..?
33. Calling each other cute names...like honey bunny, sweetheart, etc. - (behind her back) porkchop
34. Tell each other your most sacred secrets/fears. - She will blackmail you from now on.. dead meat..
35. Be Prince Charming to her parents. - Must be asking for financial assistance..
36. Brush her hair out of her face for her - You hand dirty or not.. don't touch me again..
37. Hang out with his/her friends. - don't disturb .. go find your own friends..
38. Go to church/pray/worship together. - One worship God the other worship devil.. how.. 39. Take her to see a romantic movie and remember the parts she liked - "Rose, You jump, I jump..." then you better jump yourself.. remember to leave the will to me..
40. Learn from each other and don't make the same mistake twice - Leopard never lost their spots..
41. Describe the joy you feel just to be with him/her - How?
42. Make sacrifices for each other - compulsory
43. Really love each other, or don't stay together - can tell before that.. now? too late la...
44. Let there never be a second during any given day that you aren't thinking about them, and make sure they know it - how about mortgage..?
45. Love yourself before you love anyone else - how about my mother in law?
46. Learn to say sweet things in foreign languages - wife not Einstein la...
47. Dedicate songs to them on the radio - might end up to the wrong girls.. dangerous..
48. Fall asleep on the phone with each other - why waste money.. just chit-chat rubbish..
49. Stand up for them when someone talks trash - better take her back home quickly
50. Never forget the kiss goodnight and always remember to say, "Sweet dreams" - zzzzzzzzzzz
THEREFORE the bottom line is "expect the un-expected" ... It is easy to fall in love but not easy to have lasting relationship and that is why I always admire couples who made it to their golden years...
Still Searching…
A diary or personal journal used to be just that…personal. We used to keep our diary in a locked drawer or hide it in between our clothes in the cupboard. Determined to keep it away from the prying eyes.
Since Bridget Jones and then the creation of blogs, suddenly everyone wants to share their most personal thoughts with the whole world but at the same time wish to remain anonymous to the people who know them personally. Why? Two ends of the extreme.
*sigh* So many questions….no answers…
Since Bridget Jones and then the creation of blogs, suddenly everyone wants to share their most personal thoughts with the whole world but at the same time wish to remain anonymous to the people who know them personally. Why? Two ends of the extreme.
*sigh* So many questions….no answers…
Monday, November 13, 2006
Why Blog?
Both my blogs (tortoise-tales and bellesbubbles) have just crossed my personal milestone at the 200th hit. 3 months ago, I was clueless as to what a blog is. After googling on the internet, I found out that a blog is actually the 'fancy word' for a personal journal (Doogie Howser's style) except that it is kept or posted on the internet. Bloggers can write about anything from the mood swings of model wanna-be to up to the world news, politics and commentary for the whole world to see.
Not wanting to miss the fun, I jumped onto the bandwagon. Having a blog will provide me with ample practices to write a book on my pet tortoises. Like any proud parents telling endless stories of their cute babies, pet owners do exactly the same. Thus, tortoise-tales was conceived. There, I write about my tortoises (mis)adventures which hopefully one day it would be published into a book.
On the side, I also have some frustrations which was bottled up, especially when you have been breathing in smog for 60 days continuously every time some jungle in the neighbouring country goes on fire and being caught in a massive traffic jam for at least an hour every time it rains cats and dogs when you are on the verge of peeing in your pants. I do not want to let my frustration and negative feelings kill the lovely thoughts that I have for my tortoises. Therefore, trishasbubble was conceived.
Eventually, bellesbubbles has managed to vent out progressively my negative thoughts and feelings. Soon, I began writing on a happier note, moving away from the stressed environment that we lived in. Writing can be as addictive as it can be therapeutic. It only takes a couple of posts before I started obsessing over how many hits I got. Therefore, for a blog of 1 month old, having 200 hits is a big thing to me.
Now, the euphoria of setting up a blog and writing has gradually sizzled out. I took a back seat and searched for some sort of enlightenment over the weekend.
At the moment, I don't feel enlightened yet. My train of thoughts is making a pit-stop at the moment, waiting for something to make my adrenalin rush again. I hope to discover new reasons to blog again.
Have you experienced the same feelings that I have in my blogging adventure above?
ps: I guess bellesbubbles is experiencing some kind of depression, huh? Hopefully, it is not contagious.
Not wanting to miss the fun, I jumped onto the bandwagon. Having a blog will provide me with ample practices to write a book on my pet tortoises. Like any proud parents telling endless stories of their cute babies, pet owners do exactly the same. Thus, tortoise-tales was conceived. There, I write about my tortoises (mis)adventures which hopefully one day it would be published into a book.
On the side, I also have some frustrations which was bottled up, especially when you have been breathing in smog for 60 days continuously every time some jungle in the neighbouring country goes on fire and being caught in a massive traffic jam for at least an hour every time it rains cats and dogs when you are on the verge of peeing in your pants. I do not want to let my frustration and negative feelings kill the lovely thoughts that I have for my tortoises. Therefore, trishasbubble was conceived.
Eventually, bellesbubbles has managed to vent out progressively my negative thoughts and feelings. Soon, I began writing on a happier note, moving away from the stressed environment that we lived in. Writing can be as addictive as it can be therapeutic. It only takes a couple of posts before I started obsessing over how many hits I got. Therefore, for a blog of 1 month old, having 200 hits is a big thing to me.
Now, the euphoria of setting up a blog and writing has gradually sizzled out. I took a back seat and searched for some sort of enlightenment over the weekend.
At the moment, I don't feel enlightened yet. My train of thoughts is making a pit-stop at the moment, waiting for something to make my adrenalin rush again. I hope to discover new reasons to blog again.
Have you experienced the same feelings that I have in my blogging adventure above?
ps: I guess bellesbubbles is experiencing some kind of depression, huh? Hopefully, it is not contagious.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
The Plot - Operation Itchy Hands
Since the acknowledgement of my itch for bowling yesterday, 10 team mates have plotted against me behind my back.
This morning like any other morning, sleepy head dragged herself out of bed. I must admit that my early morning routine is so well choreographed that I don't even need to open my eyes to see where I am going. My senses will guide my way to the toilet in the dark. This choreography is designed to help prolong my sleep as long as possible even if by a few more minutes. Hey, every second counts when you are darn sleepy! So, technically I wake up sitting on the throne. =)
This morning a hitch occurred in the routine. I managed to touch base at the toilet in my sleep walking mode. When I closed the door behind me, I had no idea how it happened but it was fast. My eyes flipped open by the silent scream inside me. One of my fingers was caught between the door and the door frame. Ouch! Luckily, I didn't bang the door hard. Nonetheless, it was painful and a spot of blood clot developed under my finger nail. I have to keep pressing and massaging my injured finger to disperse the blood clot before my finger nail turns black because then it would mean bad news! A blackened finger nail is a sign that blood has stopped flowing into the nail. In other words, the nail is dead.
I only know of 2 ways to deal with a dead finger nail.
Option #1: Wait months for the new finger nail to grow and push the dead nail out of its nail bed. However, you will risk the nail growing unattached to its nail bed. No more pretty nails. Pain meter: Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Option #2: Get the doctor to be the bad guy and pull out the dead nail with a pair of pliers. The new nail will grow out sitting perfectly on its nail bed as if nothing has happened. Pain meter: Out of reading range.
Right now my finger nail is injured but still very much alive because the blood clot is still red in colour. I'm sure that it will heal soon as long as I keep pressing on it, encouraging the blood to un-clot itself.
Point to ponder: Of all 10 fingers, why only the ring finger on my right hand was injured?
The plotters were good because they made sure that even with an injured finger, it will not disrupt my daily life, such as typing on the computer keyboard. The only thing that I can't possibly do right now is bowl as bowling requires the participation of my thumb, index finger and ring finger. I guess my fingers are not as eager as I am to play bowling. They don't even want to go through the sport and tire themselves. So, they all plotted to have one of their members injured. Muahaaha!!!
Operation Itchy Hands Post Mortem:
Itchy hands: Unruly scratched.
Bowling plan: Scrapped.
Casualty: 1 team member injured. Now recuperating under massage therapy.
Operation: Successful.
This morning like any other morning, sleepy head dragged herself out of bed. I must admit that my early morning routine is so well choreographed that I don't even need to open my eyes to see where I am going. My senses will guide my way to the toilet in the dark. This choreography is designed to help prolong my sleep as long as possible even if by a few more minutes. Hey, every second counts when you are darn sleepy! So, technically I wake up sitting on the throne. =)
This morning a hitch occurred in the routine. I managed to touch base at the toilet in my sleep walking mode. When I closed the door behind me, I had no idea how it happened but it was fast. My eyes flipped open by the silent scream inside me. One of my fingers was caught between the door and the door frame. Ouch! Luckily, I didn't bang the door hard. Nonetheless, it was painful and a spot of blood clot developed under my finger nail. I have to keep pressing and massaging my injured finger to disperse the blood clot before my finger nail turns black because then it would mean bad news! A blackened finger nail is a sign that blood has stopped flowing into the nail. In other words, the nail is dead.
I only know of 2 ways to deal with a dead finger nail.
Option #1: Wait months for the new finger nail to grow and push the dead nail out of its nail bed. However, you will risk the nail growing unattached to its nail bed. No more pretty nails. Pain meter: Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Option #2: Get the doctor to be the bad guy and pull out the dead nail with a pair of pliers. The new nail will grow out sitting perfectly on its nail bed as if nothing has happened. Pain meter: Out of reading range.
Right now my finger nail is injured but still very much alive because the blood clot is still red in colour. I'm sure that it will heal soon as long as I keep pressing on it, encouraging the blood to un-clot itself.
Point to ponder: Of all 10 fingers, why only the ring finger on my right hand was injured?
The plotters were good because they made sure that even with an injured finger, it will not disrupt my daily life, such as typing on the computer keyboard. The only thing that I can't possibly do right now is bowl as bowling requires the participation of my thumb, index finger and ring finger. I guess my fingers are not as eager as I am to play bowling. They don't even want to go through the sport and tire themselves. So, they all plotted to have one of their members injured. Muahaaha!!!
Operation Itchy Hands Post Mortem:
Itchy hands: Unruly scratched.
Bowling plan: Scrapped.
Casualty: 1 team member injured. Now recuperating under massage therapy.
Operation: Successful.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Itchy Hands
A conversation with a new friend over lunch brought out my craving for the day.
“You know how much I wanted to check out IMAX in Times Square. So, yesterday I went to buy a ticket at 5:30pm for the 8:30pm show. Aiyo, then I had to walk aimlessly for 3 hours. Worse still… When I went back to the IMAX entrance when it’s show time, the ticket counter announced that the show was cancelled,” my friend relating her disappointment to me.
“Times Square? Er… Since you have been wandering in that building for 3 hours, do you know if there is any bowling centre?” I asked oblivious to her disappointed tone.
After reading a fellow blogger sharing about her bowling outing, I can’t help craving for bowling myself. Can I use the word craving for something that does not involve food?
Right now… I don’t know and don’t care because I kept having vision of myself rolling the bowling ball down the lane since reading that post 2 days ago. It felt like those pregnant women craving for certain food. It’s a pretty strong feeling of urgency to just be at a bowling alley and rolling that ball. Never mind if it goes down the drain. Accomplishing the act itself is satisfying enough.
Do I sound like someone with an unbalance mind (hormone)? Hey, who knows? I might be writing this post from my humble abode in Tanjung Rambutan (a home for mentally challenged patients).
Ps: Actually, I have another post to write in this blog but my absent mindedness strikes again. I forgot what I wanted to write about. =P
“You know how much I wanted to check out IMAX in Times Square. So, yesterday I went to buy a ticket at 5:30pm for the 8:30pm show. Aiyo, then I had to walk aimlessly for 3 hours. Worse still… When I went back to the IMAX entrance when it’s show time, the ticket counter announced that the show was cancelled,” my friend relating her disappointment to me.
“Times Square? Er… Since you have been wandering in that building for 3 hours, do you know if there is any bowling centre?” I asked oblivious to her disappointed tone.
After reading a fellow blogger sharing about her bowling outing, I can’t help craving for bowling myself. Can I use the word craving for something that does not involve food?
Right now… I don’t know and don’t care because I kept having vision of myself rolling the bowling ball down the lane since reading that post 2 days ago. It felt like those pregnant women craving for certain food. It’s a pretty strong feeling of urgency to just be at a bowling alley and rolling that ball. Never mind if it goes down the drain. Accomplishing the act itself is satisfying enough.
Do I sound like someone with an unbalance mind (hormone)? Hey, who knows? I might be writing this post from my humble abode in Tanjung Rambutan (a home for mentally challenged patients).
Ps: Actually, I have another post to write in this blog but my absent mindedness strikes again. I forgot what I wanted to write about. =P
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Holy Water
The zombie antidote started to wear off when I came back from work. Nap time!!!
I dreamt again. Yeah, even when I nap… I guess it’s something I do quite well. Haha!
This time I couldn’t remember much except that I was in my house but having trouble finding the bearings of my surrounding. The layout of the house started rotating like those 3D computer graphics. When I finally gathered my bearings, I saw that I was standing in my room. It was raining outside and the wind was blowing the rain water into the house. I quickly rushed to close all the windows in the house. The rain water was splashing on my face. I felt wet…
Guess what happened next?
My face felt so wet, it jolted me up from my nap. Holy, macaroni! It’s raining cats and dogs outside, I had left the windows in my room open (I enjoy the cool breeze in the evenings when I nap) and the wind was actually blowing rain water onto my face!!! Like in my dream, I rushed to close all windows but in addition to that I had to wipe the rain water off my books on the small table near the window.
Sometimes, I really amaze myself. Imagine getting a preview of the weather forecast in my dreams (special effects included). =P
I dreamt again. Yeah, even when I nap… I guess it’s something I do quite well. Haha!
This time I couldn’t remember much except that I was in my house but having trouble finding the bearings of my surrounding. The layout of the house started rotating like those 3D computer graphics. When I finally gathered my bearings, I saw that I was standing in my room. It was raining outside and the wind was blowing the rain water into the house. I quickly rushed to close all the windows in the house. The rain water was splashing on my face. I felt wet…
Guess what happened next?
My face felt so wet, it jolted me up from my nap. Holy, macaroni! It’s raining cats and dogs outside, I had left the windows in my room open (I enjoy the cool breeze in the evenings when I nap) and the wind was actually blowing rain water onto my face!!! Like in my dream, I rushed to close all windows but in addition to that I had to wipe the rain water off my books on the small table near the window.
Sometimes, I really amaze myself. Imagine getting a preview of the weather forecast in my dreams (special effects included). =P
Zombie Antidote
Nap time taken yesterday: 1/2 hour.
ZZZ time yesterday: 4 hours.
Battery level today: Super Low.
Had a late night yesterday catching up on our leisure time on a week day. Mr. Dragon, my other half, is a late bloomer entrepreneur. He's sprinting in the rat race trying to make up for the lost time. Thus, every second we spend together without falling asleep is priceless.
Watched "Dawn of the Dead" midnight movie on our very own mini Cineplex at home yesterday. Got a set of home theatre as our wedding gift. =) Long live my little brother in-law!
The movie was about the government experimenting with a kind of drug or virus for warfare purpose. Somehow it got out of hand & turned the residents of a small town into flesh eating zombies. The show was ok-la. Not too scary but it kept the suspense running. I think it's better than "The Grudge 2" because it managed to keep me awake (watching the show from the gap of my fingers covering my eyes) till the end of the show, which was way past my bed time. My favourite part of the show was how the still-human residents spent their time hiding (more like indulging) in a shopping mall from the zombies while trying to figure out a plan to escape. Ok, before this post turns into a movie review, I had better move on. Sorry, got side tracked.
This morning, I woke up a zombie myself. Had difficulty going through the usual morning routine of brushing teeth, washing face, dressing etc. Well, I got through brushing my teeth, alright but I think I had washed my face twice and I only realised that I was holding a bottle of talcum powder instead of my food container only on my way to the car. This was in addition to my mum's consistent reminder to take my food container with me to work. Geez.....
I realised that this zombie needed a quick kick on the butt before she embarrasses herself in front of her colleagues later. So, I quickly downed my last bottle of good’ol zombie antidote, a.k.a. Brand's chicken essence, for an immediate energy booster. Maybe it's really all in the mind but I did feel energetic the whole day today. Not a single yawn was sighted.
Note to self: To stock up on zombie antidotes.
ZZZ time yesterday: 4 hours.
Battery level today: Super Low.
Had a late night yesterday catching up on our leisure time on a week day. Mr. Dragon, my other half, is a late bloomer entrepreneur. He's sprinting in the rat race trying to make up for the lost time. Thus, every second we spend together without falling asleep is priceless.
Watched "Dawn of the Dead" midnight movie on our very own mini Cineplex at home yesterday. Got a set of home theatre as our wedding gift. =) Long live my little brother in-law!
The movie was about the government experimenting with a kind of drug or virus for warfare purpose. Somehow it got out of hand & turned the residents of a small town into flesh eating zombies. The show was ok-la. Not too scary but it kept the suspense running. I think it's better than "The Grudge 2" because it managed to keep me awake (watching the show from the gap of my fingers covering my eyes) till the end of the show, which was way past my bed time. My favourite part of the show was how the still-human residents spent their time hiding (more like indulging) in a shopping mall from the zombies while trying to figure out a plan to escape. Ok, before this post turns into a movie review, I had better move on. Sorry, got side tracked.
This morning, I woke up a zombie myself. Had difficulty going through the usual morning routine of brushing teeth, washing face, dressing etc. Well, I got through brushing my teeth, alright but I think I had washed my face twice and I only realised that I was holding a bottle of talcum powder instead of my food container only on my way to the car. This was in addition to my mum's consistent reminder to take my food container with me to work. Geez.....
I realised that this zombie needed a quick kick on the butt before she embarrasses herself in front of her colleagues later. So, I quickly downed my last bottle of good’ol zombie antidote, a.k.a. Brand's chicken essence, for an immediate energy booster. Maybe it's really all in the mind but I did feel energetic the whole day today. Not a single yawn was sighted.
Note to self: To stock up on zombie antidotes.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Dreams and Déjà Vu (Part 2)
This afternoon cousin May called. We updated each other on our lives since we last talked on the phone 7 months ago. We only get to meet each other during family gatherings which take place twice a year; during Chinese New Year and Cheng Ming (sweep tomb’s day); as we live on different sides of the peninsular. Other times, we keep in touch via phone.
“By any chance you are expecting?” I asked, recalling my dream about the baby yesterday.
“Oh, yes! 3 months already,” May answered proudly.
Guess the stork is coming for a visit but to the other side of the peninsular.
Oh well, “Que sera, sera”. What will be, will be.
“By any chance you are expecting?” I asked, recalling my dream about the baby yesterday.
“Oh, yes! 3 months already,” May answered proudly.
Guess the stork is coming for a visit but to the other side of the peninsular.
Oh well, “Que sera, sera”. What will be, will be.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Dreams and Déjà Vu
I dream a lot when I sleep. Sometimes I dream of adventures Indiana Jones’ style. Exciting dreams which I tried to slip back into immediately after making the trip to the toilet in the middle of the night with my eyes closed; opening them slightly just to make sure my water fountain doesn’t miss the spot. I was eager to know where King Solomon’s treasure was hidden or whether I would get to kick some butts, Charlie Angel’s style.
My favourite dream when I was a little girl was being able to fly. Well, not really fly like superman but a little like hopping from building to building and wadding my hands and kicking my legs breast stroke swimming style. Yeah, more like swimming in the air.
I had also dreamt of meeting foreign life forms; i.e. aliens and traveling to space. I remember admiring the magnificent sight of twinkling stars in the darkness of the space. It was really an out of this world experience even if it was just a dream. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe I was kidnapped by the alien and my memory wasn’t erased completely. Who knows?
“Dreams are rudiments of the great state to come. We dream what is about to happen” ~ Bailey
I have so many dreams every night. At times when I experienced déjà vu, I wonder if I could have seen it in my dreams before. Just like when I dreamt of two of my girlfriends, Ms. Month and Ms. Visa, giving birth to a baby boy each 3 years ago. I was excited because Ms. Month was expecting and she told me that she was going for a scan that week to determine her baby’s gender. I called her the next morning and true enough, she was expecting a baby boy!
Three days after my dream, I met Ms. Visa by chance at the cafeteria in the building where I’m working. She was coincidently working in the same building. I haven’t kept in touch with her since we had graduated from high school 10 years ago. Imagine my surprise to find her tummy bulging under her maternity dress. She was 6 months pregnant then and was expecting a baby boy! Déjà vu or a coincident? You decide.
Yesterday, I dreamt of visiting an old friend, Ms. Porridge and her baby. We used to hang on the phone for hours, hogging the phone lines talking nonsense day and night for the first 3 years of secondary school. This was in addition to seeing each other everyday in the same class for those 3 years. There is a Chinese saying to describe this act. It’s called, ‘cooking porridge’, where the amount of time spent on the phone is enough to cook a pot of porridge. Bear in mind that the amount of time to cook a pot of porridge is way longer than rice. The porridge cooking stopped when we moved on to different classes in our senior years of secondary school.
Told Ms. Porridge about my dream today. She reminded me that I had my 2 previous dreams months before the babies were born but this time my dream happened after the fact. She had came back from her maternity leave a month already. She said it must be a good sign that the stork would be paying me a visit soon. I keep my fingers cross and hope this is a déjà vu in the making.
My favourite dream when I was a little girl was being able to fly. Well, not really fly like superman but a little like hopping from building to building and wadding my hands and kicking my legs breast stroke swimming style. Yeah, more like swimming in the air.
I had also dreamt of meeting foreign life forms; i.e. aliens and traveling to space. I remember admiring the magnificent sight of twinkling stars in the darkness of the space. It was really an out of this world experience even if it was just a dream. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe I was kidnapped by the alien and my memory wasn’t erased completely. Who knows?
“Dreams are rudiments of the great state to come. We dream what is about to happen” ~ Bailey
I have so many dreams every night. At times when I experienced déjà vu, I wonder if I could have seen it in my dreams before. Just like when I dreamt of two of my girlfriends, Ms. Month and Ms. Visa, giving birth to a baby boy each 3 years ago. I was excited because Ms. Month was expecting and she told me that she was going for a scan that week to determine her baby’s gender. I called her the next morning and true enough, she was expecting a baby boy!
Three days after my dream, I met Ms. Visa by chance at the cafeteria in the building where I’m working. She was coincidently working in the same building. I haven’t kept in touch with her since we had graduated from high school 10 years ago. Imagine my surprise to find her tummy bulging under her maternity dress. She was 6 months pregnant then and was expecting a baby boy! Déjà vu or a coincident? You decide.
Yesterday, I dreamt of visiting an old friend, Ms. Porridge and her baby. We used to hang on the phone for hours, hogging the phone lines talking nonsense day and night for the first 3 years of secondary school. This was in addition to seeing each other everyday in the same class for those 3 years. There is a Chinese saying to describe this act. It’s called, ‘cooking porridge’, where the amount of time spent on the phone is enough to cook a pot of porridge. Bear in mind that the amount of time to cook a pot of porridge is way longer than rice. The porridge cooking stopped when we moved on to different classes in our senior years of secondary school.
Told Ms. Porridge about my dream today. She reminded me that I had my 2 previous dreams months before the babies were born but this time my dream happened after the fact. She had came back from her maternity leave a month already. She said it must be a good sign that the stork would be paying me a visit soon. I keep my fingers cross and hope this is a déjà vu in the making.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Song Bird
When I was a little girl, mum asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up.
“I want to be a doctor by day but I want to be a singer at night”, the little girl answered with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Why do you want to be a doctor and a singer? Won’t you be tired working day and night?” mum asked with a curios glance.
“I can make a lot of money being a doctor and I can also enjoy singing at night”, said the little girl.
At a tender age of 5 years old, I already knew that money makes the world go round and discovered my passion for singing. I remember pretending the holder of the skipping rope to be the microphone in which I had sang my hearts out to my Barbie dolls over tea.
25 years later, I grew up being neither a doctor nor a singer. I discovered pure science wasn’t really my forte but I still believe money makes the world a merry go round. The dollar sign $ has been my loyal working companion.
I still enjoy singing now though not on the stage in front of hundreds of audience. I had a shot to stardom when I was 12 years old. I was part of the school’s choir team, singing the alto section. We were the winner in the inter-school choir competition in the Klang Valley. It was fun singing in a harmonious group of alto, melody and soprano although it always raised the goose bumps on my skin whenever everyone sang at the same time in different octaves. After the competition, we went on the national TV to perform patriotic songs for national day celebration. So, in a way I did perform in front of audience.
I stopped performing professionally (ahem…publicly) as I entered high school when the invention of karaoke gave new meaning to singing. My friends and I began exchanging lyrics of our favourite songs. Many songs were in Mandarin and Cantonese dialects; which being non-Chinese educated; we had to translate painstakingly every syllable into familiar English sounds over repeated replaying, rewinding and pausing of the cassette in the good old radio. Then, we would memorized the translated phonetic lyrics until we know them like the back of our hands and perfected the Mandarin or Cantonese pronunciation just so that we could sing our favourite Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop songs at Song Bird Karaoke. Back then, Mandarin and Cantonese songs do not have ‘han yu pin yin’ (Chinese phonetic alphabet).
Many moons later and working, the karaoke craze has worn off on me. But I still enjoy singing. Today I caught myself singing Sonia’s ‘End of the World’ in the shower. The echoes of my voice in the shower cubicle sound great. It gives the same effect as singing on the microphone. I guess I could live with being a bathroom singer. =)
“I want to be a doctor by day but I want to be a singer at night”, the little girl answered with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Why do you want to be a doctor and a singer? Won’t you be tired working day and night?” mum asked with a curios glance.
“I can make a lot of money being a doctor and I can also enjoy singing at night”, said the little girl.
At a tender age of 5 years old, I already knew that money makes the world go round and discovered my passion for singing. I remember pretending the holder of the skipping rope to be the microphone in which I had sang my hearts out to my Barbie dolls over tea.
25 years later, I grew up being neither a doctor nor a singer. I discovered pure science wasn’t really my forte but I still believe money makes the world a merry go round. The dollar sign $ has been my loyal working companion.
I still enjoy singing now though not on the stage in front of hundreds of audience. I had a shot to stardom when I was 12 years old. I was part of the school’s choir team, singing the alto section. We were the winner in the inter-school choir competition in the Klang Valley. It was fun singing in a harmonious group of alto, melody and soprano although it always raised the goose bumps on my skin whenever everyone sang at the same time in different octaves. After the competition, we went on the national TV to perform patriotic songs for national day celebration. So, in a way I did perform in front of audience.
I stopped performing professionally (ahem…publicly) as I entered high school when the invention of karaoke gave new meaning to singing. My friends and I began exchanging lyrics of our favourite songs. Many songs were in Mandarin and Cantonese dialects; which being non-Chinese educated; we had to translate painstakingly every syllable into familiar English sounds over repeated replaying, rewinding and pausing of the cassette in the good old radio. Then, we would memorized the translated phonetic lyrics until we know them like the back of our hands and perfected the Mandarin or Cantonese pronunciation just so that we could sing our favourite Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop songs at Song Bird Karaoke. Back then, Mandarin and Cantonese songs do not have ‘han yu pin yin’ (Chinese phonetic alphabet).
Many moons later and working, the karaoke craze has worn off on me. But I still enjoy singing. Today I caught myself singing Sonia’s ‘End of the World’ in the shower. The echoes of my voice in the shower cubicle sound great. It gives the same effect as singing on the microphone. I guess I could live with being a bathroom singer. =)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Tongue-Twister
Remember how much fun we had mastering tongue-twister in school so that we can out twist our friend's tongue?
Here are some good ones:
My favourite one:
She sells sea shells on a sea shore, so the shells she sells are sure sea shore shells
A longer one (try saying it in one breath!):
Here are some good ones:
My favourite one:
She sells sea shells on a sea shore, so the shells she sells are sure sea shore shells
A longer one (try saying it in one breath!):
Betty Botter bought some butter, "But", she said "this butter's bitter, If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter! But a bit of better butter will make my batter better!". So she bought some better butter, better than the bitter butter, and she put it in her batter and her batter was not bitter! So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
And a well-known short English one:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
The hardest tongue-twister in the English language is supposedly:
'The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.' ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tongue-twisters are available in various language. Yesterday, I learnt my first French tongue-twister. It involved a lot of saliva spitting and phlegm gargling.
Sacha le chat sortant de chez ce cher Serge (Sasha the cat exits from dear Serge's place)
I thought that was fairly easy. So, I ask the teacher to give me some more challenging ones. 'Come on, bring it on!'
Trois foies gras d'oie frais, trois foies gras d'oie tres frais (I guess it has something to do with three very expensive goose livers)
Sache que ça se cache et cache que ça ne se sache (I'm getting blur...)
C'est si cher chez serge que ça se sait chez tout le monde (??? Lost in translation) =P
I find the one below the hardest. I am absolutely clueless as to what this whole sentence means. I can only guess that it has something to do with mowing tunas and tons of horseflies with an uncle.
Avec tonton, tondons ton thon et tondant ton thon, tondons donc ta tonne de taons
I have tried to say it but the only sound that came out was, "Avec ton ton, ton ton ton ton et ton ton ton ton, ton ton donc ta ton de ton". =(
Imagine the agony of sitting through a french dictation test with these tongue-twisters. C'est impossible!
The hardest tongue-twister in the English language is supposedly:
'The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.' ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tongue-twisters are available in various language. Yesterday, I learnt my first French tongue-twister. It involved a lot of saliva spitting and phlegm gargling.
Sacha le chat sortant de chez ce cher Serge (Sasha the cat exits from dear Serge's place)
I thought that was fairly easy. So, I ask the teacher to give me some more challenging ones. 'Come on, bring it on!'
Trois foies gras d'oie frais, trois foies gras d'oie tres frais (I guess it has something to do with three very expensive goose livers)
Sache que ça se cache et cache que ça ne se sache (I'm getting blur...)
C'est si cher chez serge que ça se sait chez tout le monde (??? Lost in translation) =P
I find the one below the hardest. I am absolutely clueless as to what this whole sentence means. I can only guess that it has something to do with mowing tunas and tons of horseflies with an uncle.
Avec tonton, tondons ton thon et tondant ton thon, tondons donc ta tonne de taons
I have tried to say it but the only sound that came out was, "Avec ton ton, ton ton ton ton et ton ton ton ton, ton ton donc ta ton de ton". =(
Imagine the agony of sitting through a french dictation test with these tongue-twisters. C'est impossible!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Slumber marathon ZZZzzzZZZZzz
It takes more energy to have fun during the holidays than to go about our daily boring routines on working days. After a series of continuous gastronomic & booze sessions for 5 days in a row from Deepavali to the second day of Hari Raya, my energy level is at its all time low.
Yesterday and today I took the opportunity to binge on sleep to really recharge my body to its former glory. I had a very long 4 hours afternoon nap before dinner. After dinner, I fell asleep at 9:30p.m. and woke up at midnight for supper. Then, I went to bed again at 2a.m. and slept for 12 hours, waking up only for breakfast before drifting back to dreamland until 1:45p.m. today. If I add up the number of hours I’ve been sleeping since yesterday afternoon, it comes up to about 18+ hours of slumber marathon!
The more I sleep, the more I want to continue sleeping. It’s so addictive! The bonus of all these sleeps is the dreams that accompanied them. Each time I doze off, I drift to a land of fantasy. It is like watching multiple movies in my dreams. So many stories. Some were funny while others were strange. Some still lingers in my mind as I wake up, like a good book.
Yesterday and today I took the opportunity to binge on sleep to really recharge my body to its former glory. I had a very long 4 hours afternoon nap before dinner. After dinner, I fell asleep at 9:30p.m. and woke up at midnight for supper. Then, I went to bed again at 2a.m. and slept for 12 hours, waking up only for breakfast before drifting back to dreamland until 1:45p.m. today. If I add up the number of hours I’ve been sleeping since yesterday afternoon, it comes up to about 18+ hours of slumber marathon!
The more I sleep, the more I want to continue sleeping. It’s so addictive! The bonus of all these sleeps is the dreams that accompanied them. Each time I doze off, I drift to a land of fantasy. It is like watching multiple movies in my dreams. So many stories. Some were funny while others were strange. Some still lingers in my mind as I wake up, like a good book.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Festival of Nine Emperor God
“Nine Emperor God or Festival of Nine Emperor God (Chinese: 九皇爺, Hokkien: Kow Ong Yah, Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is held over the first 9 days of the 9th lunar month to celebrate the return from heaven to earth of the Nine Emperor spirits, who are worshipped as one deity and who represent health, wealth and prosperity. It is believed that everyday will rain during these 9 days of celebration.” ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Last Sunday I saw a girl wearing a thin piece of yellow cloth around her wrist which reminded me of my paternal grandma. When I was a little girl, my grandma used to go to a well known Chinese temple called Nan Thien Kwang in Ampang village every year on the eve of the Festival of the Nine Emperor God for prayers and asked for blessings on behalf of her children, their spouses and her grandchildren. The receiver of the yellow cloth will be blessed with health, wealth and prosperity. It will be worn around the wrist for nine days.
Every year during the Festival of Nine Emperor God, it always rain for nine days. This year, the first day of the festival started on last Sunday (22/10/06) and will end on 30th of October. I have been counting and it really has been raining everyday since last Sunday. It is amazing how the ancient people knew how to forecast the weather so many centuries in advance.
I haven’t been wearing the yellow piece of cloth around my wrist for many years since my grandma had passed away in year 1999. The rain this evening brought back many memories of my grandma. The yellow cloth was one of her ways of showing her love to us.
I have always believed that children who grew up with their grandparents around are the luckiest grandchildren. I’m grateful that I had the chance to experience being pampered, fussed and loved by my grandparents. I hope my future children will be blessed with healthy grandparents to enjoy each other’s company and love.
Last Sunday I saw a girl wearing a thin piece of yellow cloth around her wrist which reminded me of my paternal grandma. When I was a little girl, my grandma used to go to a well known Chinese temple called Nan Thien Kwang in Ampang village every year on the eve of the Festival of the Nine Emperor God for prayers and asked for blessings on behalf of her children, their spouses and her grandchildren. The receiver of the yellow cloth will be blessed with health, wealth and prosperity. It will be worn around the wrist for nine days.
Every year during the Festival of Nine Emperor God, it always rain for nine days. This year, the first day of the festival started on last Sunday (22/10/06) and will end on 30th of October. I have been counting and it really has been raining everyday since last Sunday. It is amazing how the ancient people knew how to forecast the weather so many centuries in advance.
I haven’t been wearing the yellow piece of cloth around my wrist for many years since my grandma had passed away in year 1999. The rain this evening brought back many memories of my grandma. The yellow cloth was one of her ways of showing her love to us.
I have always believed that children who grew up with their grandparents around are the luckiest grandchildren. I’m grateful that I had the chance to experience being pampered, fussed and loved by my grandparents. I hope my future children will be blessed with healthy grandparents to enjoy each other’s company and love.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Golden Shower
Have you ever experience the burning sensation and pressure in your lower abdomen from holding back the urge to relief yourself? How long can you hold back your golden shower during demanding situations? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? 1 hour?
For those with weak bladder, it can be the most torturous moment. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infection which may result from frequently holding back your trips to the water closet (WC). Symptoms of a UTI usually begin suddenly and include:
a) Frequent, irritating or burning urination
b) Persistent urge to urinate even after the bladder has been emptied
c) Cramping or pressure in the lower abdomen
d) Cloudy urine (or urine accompanied with blood) with a strong or unusual smell
Nature calls may be ignored unconsciously or on purpose. Some hold back from relieving themselves to wait for the TV interval during their favourite shows or while traveling long distance or just too engrossed in their work for WC time. It is really your call whether you want to answer Mother Nature immediately or not. However, what happens when the ball is not on your side of the court? What happens when Mother Nature is knocking very hard on your bladder but you can’t answer her call?
This evening, most city dwellers in Klang Valley found themselves caught in a massive traffic jam. The traffic is literally crawling at snail pace after a round of rain. A journey home from work which usually takes no more than 20 minutes stretches out to 2 hours. I believe many travelers in cars or public transport found themselves in this torturous predicament. If you are one of them, it would be a good idea to find the nearest public toilet for your golden shower. Who knows how long the journey home will take tonight?
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Bob Marley
I had a funny dream this morning. I dreamt that my girlfriend and I were going to Bob Marley’s concert. His name was written on the big board at the entrance to the concert hall & I saw him in my dream. He was a performer of reggae music and the photographers were busy taking his photos outside the hall. We never did made it for the concert because I was waiting for my girlfriend outside the concert hall and she was late. When she finally showed up, the concert has ended.
Do you know who Bob Marley is? I couldn’t recall who he is until I did a search on the internet just a moment ago confirming that he was indeed a very well known reggae performer.
'Robert Nesta Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981), better known as Bob Marley, was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is the most widely known performer of reggae music and is famous for having popularized the genre outside Jamaica.
His best known songs are a mixture of reggae, rock and rhythm and blues (R&B) and include “I shot the Sheriff”, “No Woman No Cry”, “Exodus”, “Could You Be Loved”, “Jamming”, “Redemption Song” and one of his most famous songs, “One love”.' ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
He died of cancer.
I wonder what my dream was trying to tell me…
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Hairstyle for 2007
2 more months to the new year. I’m brainstorming for a new hairstyle to welcome 2007. Hmm, should I have long hair or short, straight or permed, layered or same length? Choices, choices, choices.
In Hong Kong, the straight shoulder-length China doll look is the latest craze at the moment. The celebrities in the U.S. usually go for long hair-dos when they are on a hot night but spot short hair-dos when the sun is up. Best of both worlds! All made possible by the magic of hair extensions! Hair extension can be a pricey affair not to mention the hassle of numerous trips to the hairdresser every time you need a one. Otherwise, a cheaper version would be the good old wig if you don't mind looking like a mannequin.
The China doll hairstyle seems quite convenient to me. Airy, no combing necessary, safe on time needed to get the hair ready for work, less shampoo, no more split-ends, etc. The advantages seemed to be endless. I’m quite tempted to go for the China doll look but…there is always a ‘but’. What happens when we have a hot date & want to look hot? Well, a China doll hair style doesn’t really qualify to be called sexy, does it?
So, does anyone know where I can get a hair extension?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Termite Invasion!
Have you ever encounter a termite attack before? It’s something to be taken seriously.
Termites or commonly known as white ants are no ordinary ants. You’ll be surprise if I tell you that termites are more closely related to cockroaches and grasshoppers. Though these little white insects are only the size of watermelon seeds, their bites are painful and lasting. Their destruction: ENORMOUS!
Not only I’d been attacked by them before, I’d lost a few boxes of books to their endless appetite. Once you see their presence in your house, your nightmare begins. Never endless counter attacks of destroying their nests along the wooden panels, tapping along door frames to check for hollow sounds to find out their campsites and straining your ears to listen to crackling sounds made by them from chewing onto your doors. Nothing is safe from these pests. You would be wondering if they are chewing on your roof while you are sleeping at night.
Just keep praying that your favourite furniture, books and important documents will be spared until:
a) your pest control agent arrives, or
b) you find a new place to stay
Either way is going to burn a hole in your pocket. It’s either you go or the termites. I'm glad option (b) is available to me.
I sympathize with those who own such houses that have become the food source of these pests, right at the bottom of the termite’s food cycle. You will never get rid off them unless you can find & neutralize their queen. Otherwise, she will keep on creating thousands of new little drones everyday to ensure her survival and continue building her kingdom. You will never be free from the termites’ invasion.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Mother Nature Healing
A few hours after my last post about the haze, a miracle happened. When I went out of the house for lunch, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear blue. No wind blew nor rain fell. Just Mother Nature healing herself.
Late at night, I gazed upon the big round moon. For the first time of my life, I saw how big the ring of light was around the beautiful moon. What a magnificent sight!
Late at night, I gazed upon the big round moon. For the first time of my life, I saw how big the ring of light was around the beautiful moon. What a magnificent sight!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
I remember the first thing that I had learnt in the economic class. It was the three basic needs for human to survive. They are air to breathe, fire for heat and light and land for vegetation & dwelling. Without any one of these, human race will not survive. God has created & given all of these to us human for free. Natural resources such as trees, river, rain and hills are in abundance and never lacking.
Unfortunately, majority of the human kind is destructive to nature. Trees were felled, rivers were polluted, hills were flattened for development and last but not least air was polluted. Personal greed under the disguise of social development. Gradually, our basic necessities are becoming scarce and expensive.
We have to pay rental to put a roof over our heads and water bills to have clean filtered water to drink. There goes our free land and water, leaving air the only ‘free’ natural resources available to us or is it?
With the increasing air pollution from forest fire set by loggers, emission from factories and vehicles, major cities especially in the developing countries are constantly covered in smog & haze.
I’m sad to say that I live in one too. For the past one week, I wanted to wake up to the cool morning breeze and fresh air, only to be greeted by a blanket of haze. Day in day out I saw only smoke in front of my eyes and breathed air with faint burning smell. Ironically, this is a very good time to sing, ‘Smokes get in your eyes’. I long for the days when I can see the mountain views from my office, clouds in the blue sky and mask-free days when I walk on the street. A week without a clear blue sky and limited visibility outdoors is enough to drive a city dweller like me up the walls.
Now, we are paying for clean air to breathe. For those who are affordable, air filters are installed indoors. Others will just have to be contented with a mask on their face. Soon, air will be just like a bottle of filtered water that one can find in the convenient stores.
What does the future hold for us and our children? I dare not imagine but can only hang on to what little hope is left in the human race.
Unfortunately, majority of the human kind is destructive to nature. Trees were felled, rivers were polluted, hills were flattened for development and last but not least air was polluted. Personal greed under the disguise of social development. Gradually, our basic necessities are becoming scarce and expensive.
We have to pay rental to put a roof over our heads and water bills to have clean filtered water to drink. There goes our free land and water, leaving air the only ‘free’ natural resources available to us or is it?
With the increasing air pollution from forest fire set by loggers, emission from factories and vehicles, major cities especially in the developing countries are constantly covered in smog & haze.
I’m sad to say that I live in one too. For the past one week, I wanted to wake up to the cool morning breeze and fresh air, only to be greeted by a blanket of haze. Day in day out I saw only smoke in front of my eyes and breathed air with faint burning smell. Ironically, this is a very good time to sing, ‘Smokes get in your eyes’. I long for the days when I can see the mountain views from my office, clouds in the blue sky and mask-free days when I walk on the street. A week without a clear blue sky and limited visibility outdoors is enough to drive a city dweller like me up the walls.
Now, we are paying for clean air to breathe. For those who are affordable, air filters are installed indoors. Others will just have to be contented with a mask on their face. Soon, air will be just like a bottle of filtered water that one can find in the convenient stores.
What does the future hold for us and our children? I dare not imagine but can only hang on to what little hope is left in the human race.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Spring Tide
When I was a kid, my family used to go to Port Dickson for short vacation during the school holidays. Port Dickson is a town situated next to the Strait of Malacca in Peninsular Malaysia. It has a long stretch of beach.
We usually stay at a holiday resort in Kemang Bay; Kemang Bay also has a public beach known as Blue Lagoon by the locals. It is a favourite spot for many picnickers & fish anglers. The sea here is calm with small waves because it is surrounded by rocky hills on both sides.
I used to play in the sea either in the mornings or late afternoons because the tide in Blue Lagoon usually rises to its maximum water level (high tide) at midnight & retreats to its minimum water level (low tide) at mid-noon. So, one would need to walk quite far out to reach the sea in the afternoon. Anyway, it was much more interesting looking for tiny crabs along the sand ridges on the beach. They usually come out from underneath the sand ridges dug by them when the tide retreats to look for food & play in the sun. I used to think of these ridges as the freeways in the crabs’ kingdom. They resembled many wavy horizontal lines along the beach.
We usually have our meals at a restaurant next to the beach. I used to hear many stories about the beach from the restaurant’s owner. I remember one of them particularly well because on that particular evening, the owner reminded us not to swim too far out to the sea. This is because the seabed is not flat. During the low tide, you will be able to see many puddles of water all over the beach. During high tide, these ‘holes’ on the seabed can be dangerous traps. It is an illusion that the water level is lower than actual because you are actually standing on a higher seabed. Many people had tripped & fell into them when they try to waddle back to the shore.
According to the restaurant owner, on the afternoon the day before, a father took 3 children to the seaside for fishing. 2 of them were his own children while the other one was his niece. All of them were below 12 years old. They sat on a big rock furthest from the beach as it was during the low tide. They were too absorbed in fishing without realising that the tide has risen quicker than usual because there was a spring tide that day.
“Tide is caused by the gravity forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the Earth. Around new and full Moon when the Sun, Moon and Earth form a line (a condition known as syzygy), the tidal forces due to the Sun reinforce those of the Moon. The tides' range is then at its maximum: this is called the "spring tide," or just "springs" and is derived not from the season of spring but rather from the verb "to jump" or "to leap up." The effect is enhanced even further if the line-up of the Sun, Earth and Moon is so exact that a solar or lunar eclipse.”~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia~
What happened to the man & the children? Well, the man clutched two of the younger children, one on his right hand and the second one on his left. He managed to walk back to the shore which was about 800 meter away. The water level was already chest high. When he went back for the last child, he had to swim out because the water had already risen above his chest. He panicked when he could not find the last child. Many scenarios went through his mind. The child could have panicked, slipped from the rock & fell into the sea or he could have attempted to swim back on his own. The sun had set by then . The search was fruitless. The child was never found.
Today is the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival, where the moon is at its fullest & brightest tonight because it is at its closest distance to earth. Who knows, there could be a spring tide today.
We usually stay at a holiday resort in Kemang Bay; Kemang Bay also has a public beach known as Blue Lagoon by the locals. It is a favourite spot for many picnickers & fish anglers. The sea here is calm with small waves because it is surrounded by rocky hills on both sides.
I used to play in the sea either in the mornings or late afternoons because the tide in Blue Lagoon usually rises to its maximum water level (high tide) at midnight & retreats to its minimum water level (low tide) at mid-noon. So, one would need to walk quite far out to reach the sea in the afternoon. Anyway, it was much more interesting looking for tiny crabs along the sand ridges on the beach. They usually come out from underneath the sand ridges dug by them when the tide retreats to look for food & play in the sun. I used to think of these ridges as the freeways in the crabs’ kingdom. They resembled many wavy horizontal lines along the beach.
We usually have our meals at a restaurant next to the beach. I used to hear many stories about the beach from the restaurant’s owner. I remember one of them particularly well because on that particular evening, the owner reminded us not to swim too far out to the sea. This is because the seabed is not flat. During the low tide, you will be able to see many puddles of water all over the beach. During high tide, these ‘holes’ on the seabed can be dangerous traps. It is an illusion that the water level is lower than actual because you are actually standing on a higher seabed. Many people had tripped & fell into them when they try to waddle back to the shore.
According to the restaurant owner, on the afternoon the day before, a father took 3 children to the seaside for fishing. 2 of them were his own children while the other one was his niece. All of them were below 12 years old. They sat on a big rock furthest from the beach as it was during the low tide. They were too absorbed in fishing without realising that the tide has risen quicker than usual because there was a spring tide that day.
“Tide is caused by the gravity forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the Earth. Around new and full Moon when the Sun, Moon and Earth form a line (a condition known as syzygy), the tidal forces due to the Sun reinforce those of the Moon. The tides' range is then at its maximum: this is called the "spring tide," or just "springs" and is derived not from the season of spring but rather from the verb "to jump" or "to leap up." The effect is enhanced even further if the line-up of the Sun, Earth and Moon is so exact that a solar or lunar eclipse.”~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia~
What happened to the man & the children? Well, the man clutched two of the younger children, one on his right hand and the second one on his left. He managed to walk back to the shore which was about 800 meter away. The water level was already chest high. When he went back for the last child, he had to swim out because the water had already risen above his chest. He panicked when he could not find the last child. Many scenarios went through his mind. The child could have panicked, slipped from the rock & fell into the sea or he could have attempted to swim back on his own. The sun had set by then . The search was fruitless. The child was never found.
Today is the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival, where the moon is at its fullest & brightest tonight because it is at its closest distance to earth. Who knows, there could be a spring tide today.
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