This photo looks so retro, doesn't it? And so it is. The youngest little boy blowing bubbles on the left is my cousin Kenny, who is now the father of two kids, Amanda & Brandon -- who are now much older than he was in the photo above.
I spoke with Peggy earlier and she told me about the games they used to play at No 154 Jalan Ngee Heng. Back then, my dad was a naval officer who only spent brief moments at the house whenever he was on shore. Much of his life was spent onboard the ship. But when he does go home, he'd spend his time with the pet dogs, Rajan & Bonzo.
I suppose that's where my affinity for animals came from -- genetically inherited from daddy! Okay, guess not. (:
Received a mail from Peggy, from her old friend with regard to the article she wrote:
Your article in yesterday's NST was indeed a great article down memory lane. I still remember I was still young and the idea of seeing badminton being played at night with the lights on was something that you do not see. If I am not wrong even the larkin stadium was not yet built and seeing a game played under lights was something unique. You should know your aunty Sylvia was in the same school as me in Saint Joseph (Larkin) and her husband was also teaching in the same school and he was my Geography teacher. He was indeed good looking and I can remember that many a girl was eyeing him but however I believe his eyes was set only on your aunt.
I should mention that Aunty Sylvia (whom I know better as Aunty Eng) has two rather charming sons, Shaun & Ryan. There were times when I had to play big sister alongside Shaun (he's big brother, of course), in taking care of some of the younger cousins and our nephews & nieces at family gatherings and dinners, because we are the older ones amongst the younger ones. Our other older cousins were well into adulthood whilst the both of us were the... older teens/kids? LOL. Well, I don't know. My family is waaaay too big. But Shaun always had the greater responsibility because he's a year older than I am, and also because he's a boy! I remember he used to give in to me, letting me have the better seats, getting food for me, and always concerned about how I'm doing and how he could help. Even now that we're both adults and we hardly meet (he now works in Aust, with Ryan studying there as well), he still expresses the same kind of care and concern whenever we do meet.
I've been very frustrated the last couple of weeks. I never quite used to return home so early before to meet with such annoyance, but with my new job, it's far more frequent. Have you ever encountered neighbours who inconsiderately blast their rock music as though there's no one else in the neighbourhood? If you thought that was being irritating, try visiting my home. At almost every corner and turn which my mom would walk by, there would be some form of radio or audio device switched on to the maximum volume, to some chant of some sort. Mind you, every device plays different things. You know, it's nothing to do with the fact that I'm Christian and she's Buddhist. It's everything to the fact that it's extremely loud and chaotic, and excruciatingly frustrating. I don't understand how anybody could live with that amount of noise!
And needless to say, I get very upset and horribly impatient. I can't do anything in peace (literally) and it's so loud, it hurts the ears.
I wonder why none of my neighbours have called to complain yet.
So the problem is this. I know I haven't been at my very best at home. It's so difficult to be as God wants me to be, when the circumstance just throws you into a dark corner the way it's doing to me. I know I shouldn't be rude or resent my mother. How displeasing that is to God! But by my own strength, I can only anger God more.
Father, please forgive me. Teach me. Guide me. Give me your strength to carry on.
Perhaps it just gets all the more difficult, when I have to deal with a mother who was never happy with anything I ever did, who always believed that everything that went wrong in the house would have been my fault, who was always ready to yell at me, who was never with me nor realised how much I needed her when I really did.
But I know it's no excuse for me to be angry with her and to dishonour her. And yes, I'm just grumbling, whining, and being self-piteous when I know I shouldn't.
I make a dreadful daughter.
If you have a great relationship with your mother, please count it as a blessing -- because it truly is one.
Okay, apart from all that mess at home. I'm also half wondering if I'm just so weak or if I'm just about to die soon. I feel sick, yet I'm not so sick. My throat is scratchy, yet not horrid enough to warrant a day's MC. My mind's a whirl and I want to sleep. But when I do, I get bad dreams and end up more tired than before.
This must be one of those clumsy periods of life when everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. I want to sulk so badly, I think I need to be in prayers.
Sorry if I abandoned any conversations with you prematurely today. I'm just so out of sync with myself. I don't know what I'm talking about.
-- And in absolutely no relation to the above post whatsoever,
"After Dark," Murakami's latest novel, is a streamlined, hushed ensemble piece built on the notion that very late at night, after the lamps of logic have been snuffed and rationality has shut its eyes, life on earth becomes boundariless and blurred. Individuals who were separate during the day begin to lose uniqueness, to leak distinctiveness, melting into a soft psychic collective. As the hands of the clock slice deeper into the shadows, physics weakens, yielding to metaphysics, and the rigid you and I of things breaks down. During the wee hours, we're all in this together, our spirits spooned like lovers' bodies.
It's funny how I feel like it's late into the night already, when it's barely 1030pm. Anyhoooooows. The above review is an excerpt from the NY Times about a book I recently finished reading. Zong Ren gave it to me for recent my trip to Thailand -- much to my delight, I would think that I'd have been so bored without it. Yes, I had quite a bit of spare time in Mae Salit and I finished about 80% of whilst I was there.
The book is awesome -- as every Murakami is. But I recall how I was trying to explain why I like Murakami so much to Yahui, and found myself quite stumped for words. His books hardly have a story worth retelling in my own words. I mean, if I told you the plot -- you'd think the book was ridiculous. It is in fact, the way he crafts his language that makes everything worth reading. Then again, you may laugh at me for saying that because Murakami writes in Japanese so the beautiful language is the work of the translator.
So I was stumped. But I don't care. I'm really hooked on Murakami -- whether or not I can explain why. You know, love doesn't need a reason nor a justification. Love comes. Love goes. Love just is.
Tasmanian Jackson! My little 16 month old nephew looking so very adorable. He makes me wanna marry a Caucasian man just so I'd have a mixed baby as sweet as he is!
And my family continues to make the headlines for badminton as Uncle Billy got his name into the Olympic Council of Malaysia's Hall of Fame...
Shuttlers inducted into the OCM Hall of Fame KUALA LUMPUR: Yew Cheng Hoe and Billy Ng, members of the victorious 1967 Thomas Cup team, are the latest former badminton champions to be inducted into the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Hall of Fame. Read Full Story
Although I've never been a fan of the madness at CNY, I'm glad it's a time when I can once again gather with the people whose blood genes I share. Haha. I'm almost excited that I can see Uncle Roland again, since he got miraculously discharged after a painful ordeal when my family witness the healing power of God! (:
Lord, I pray for this family of mine, that one day, all of us will stand before you together, in declaration of Your glory.
I woke up today to a rude shock. My lip was bleeding and there was a blood clot. It took me forever to try to clear it. I didn't think I could step out of home with that clot on my lip and when I thought things couldn't get worse...
Oh well.
Anyway, my granny fell from her bed which isn't very high but for a lady nearing a century old (she's about 96), it's bad. Her cause of fall? I don't know. I heard she couldn't sleep. And I suspect it was another bad news that caught her. My eldest uncle - my dad's oldest brother - had a very high fever that wouldn't go down. Actually I should say, he is having... He's nearly 80 and now he looks even worse than my grandma.
Both of them are in the hospital.
Dear God, I don't even know what to say. Please help.
So, my birthday is over. It was, of course, over since 3 days ago but hey, the celebratory events didn't stop till today. At least I think that should be all.
On 30th September, I started getting in an all time happy mood - not because of my birthday, but because of Ratatouille!
I LOVE RATATOUILLE!
The next day, my mood dropped slightly when I had to endure a meeting with a client I didn't quite like. =x And then, when I was going to church for prayer meeting... I arrived at the bus stop at 730pm (already late for the prayer meeting) and up till 8pm, there was no bus! What's worse, I checked MobileIris then and it said the next bus will be arriving in 14 MINUTES.
I was utterly disappointed in our bus services. By the time I arrived in church, it was 9pm and they were already into the last 2 prayer points. *faints*
Anyway, after the prayer meeting, Zong Ren and I went to town for the late night shopping. He got really bored and sulky - obviously - but I was really happy. Haha. I bought this "SAVE THE ANIMALS" top from Forever21 and I love it to bits. Hee :) The design is quite plain but I guess the statement (and the random wildlife illustration) really did it for me. I'm a sucker. I know. :X
I also got a top and a skirt from Little Match Girl (which Zong Ren paid) at $10 each! There was this massive storewide sale - everything at $10 each. It was close to midnight but the people there were still ravaging mad! I was waiting for Zong Ren - who went to buy Redoxon from Watsons, so I thought I'll just grab something randomly and see if I'd like it. Amazingly, my first grab proved fruitful. Hur hur. And it was in my size. So I moved to the next empty corner (there were almost none actually) and found a pretty skirt in my size! Heehee.
We got home soon after because I was yawning like it was already 3am. But not before it past midnight (aka my birthday!) while we were on the bus back to his place. He sang me happy birthday at least 5 times that night. :)
On Saturday (my birthday!), we had Azabu Sabo. It was delicious! The food was good. The dessert was superb. Will definitely go there again :) Unfortunately, I was stuck in a traffic jam for too long and only arrived at Marina Square at 7pm. We had to rush through our dinner, stuffing myself crazy, because we had a 730pm concert to catch.
We were late. :( Missed the first piece - which I really wanted to listen to - but thankfully, not the second feature piece with Sergio Tiempo. Sadly, we were on the wrong side of the concert hall! I couldn't watch him play but it sure was another jaw-dropping experience. I love SSO concerts!
After the concert, Zong Ren bought me a new purse from the Esplanade Shop. From Fluff by Claudette Barjoud, it's an uber-cute doggie clasp purse that even has a little pocket on the inside! It was love at first sight. I still can't stop looking at it now. Haha. Thank you, Love! :)
Then, we took a walk around the Esplanade area... caught some random concerts (one had Daphne singing, another had a mass of people dancing to it...), had a $1 ice cream cone, and went to Mustafa. I bought a refill for my Sheaffer and was starting to feel really sleepy at this point... Haha.
Sunday. I had a crabby dinner with Zong Ren, Liwei, Eunice, Jill (& Ash), Wendy, Enoch & Shirleen. :) Yummy! It was my first time trying the crab beehoon although not my first time trying crabs at Mellben Seafood. It was shiokalicious! I also loved the fried yam rolls thingy. It's a bit like my favourite yam pie but with a different dough. Haha.
The best thing about the dinner (and almost every other crab dinner I have with Zong Ren) is the wonderful fact that Zong Ren "peels" all the crabby stuff for me. I basically just eat while he de-shells the crabby claws. Heehee. :)
Today. I went for a company lunch at cedele. I had thought it was to welcome our new account manager but I suppose it was a 2-in-1 affair. They got me a cake (which tasted organically healthy but really good!) and sang me a song. It felt kinda awkward but I was glad there was no strange stand-on-chair-with-clown-hat thing that Terry had to endure. Haha. ;)
And I went with Eunice to Marks and Spencer to spend away the $50 Robinsons voucher I got from the company as my birthday gift. Heehee. I bought a M&S bra (always wanted one!) and some other random food stuff for the others in the office, and of course, for my beloved Zong Ren - who made my birthday a really happy one.
Feen, I love you!
Yippie. And it didn't end there.
My favourite bit about my birthday still... was that I had a good dinner with my dad just now. We had the crab and pork ribs remnants from yesterday's dinner. My dad actually already had dinner but I asked him to join me and he said yes. In the end, he ate like 90% of everything. Haha. :)
I'm sick!!! Usually when I'm about to get sick, I would generally sense it coming. But this time, it was really sudden. I woke up this morning as usual - even went to shower and prepare for work. Then I sat down and felt woozy. And cold. So I took my temperature and it was 37.8 degrees Celsius. I was momentarily wondering what should be the "sick" temperature when I decided that 37.8 sounds sick enough.
I checked the doctor's card and they only open at 830am, so I sms office folks and went to bed for awhile. I only woke up at 12pm though... And my temperature had risen to 38.2
The clinic closes at 1230pm presumably for lunch, and only re-opens at 2pm, so I drank some milk and went back to bed till 130pm. I thought it was 230pm so I climbed out of bed. Then realised it's not..
Anyway, my temperature was still 38.2 until I finally got to see the doctor at about 330pm. Waited so long... and my temperature was 38.7 and the doctor said "Too high! You better rest!"
Okay, so I'm on two days MC but I already booked tickets for Pirates tonight and it's my dad's bday today. Sigh.
Prologue: This is a combined post of 4 photos. Haha. Anyway, I've decided to post this one up first because it's my granny! :) with my 2 aunts, uncle and niece (my cousin's daughter), and also the camera man from RTM. They are doing some segment on former sports personalities and no, my granny wasn't one - although my late grandpa was a fantastic badminton player in his time. As it was, his skills were passed onto his children (which includes my daddy who still plays badminton every week, without fail, at a good age of 66 this year!).
Uncle Roland, Uncle Billy (right, in grey) and Aunty Eng (right, in white) were in the Malaysian national team. I must have mentioned this before sometime back. My aunt was a Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and a Asian Games Bronze medallist - and that is amongst many other medals and trophies she's won. My uncles are no less, but I don't have all the details. My late Uncle Robert was also in the team with them, but unfortunately passed from cancer at a young age.
Onto something totally irrelevant, my mice have turned from pink to furry baby white! :D They're so very lovely I could kiss them all day! Now they are able to cling on tightly to my fingers and refuse to slide off! Do you see the baby right on top? He looks so funny like that! haha.
