Break wind

Break wind.  Break wind - doesn't it sound more refine than flatulate or farting!?! Nevertheless the same!

Today I had the unfortunate 'pleasure' of inhaling the toxic gas released by an earthling whilst lining up to pay for my groceries.  This earthling pretended like nothing happened.   The earthling could have just mumbled "sorry" right?  But no! - just pretended like nothing happened!

This brings me to recall my involuntary experiences in inhaling toxic gas.

Many moons ago, my driving instructor break wind whilst we were both in the car.  Thank goodness at that time the cars used for teaching were not airconditioned.  He went "parp! parp! parp-parp-parp!"  I would have laughed had it not been so pungent!  I had to put my head out of the window as far as I could for some fresh air!  Had it been an airconditioned car, I would have been trapped like an astronaut in a space-suit!!!!

Then there was the time when I was jogging behind a male species with a great lean looking body.  Good view or so I thought ..... then without warning the toxic gas hit my face! Gagged! Gagged! GAGGED!

Break wind in the swimming pool - yes you read right!  People actually do that!  It's hilarious if you get the chance to witness it.  I once saw this gorgeous sexy "Eve" strutting her stuff just before she jumped into the pool.  Then minutes later what did I see but bubbles and bubbles coming out from her!!!!

There's this belief that if you lean on one side of your buttocks, you can break wind without making a sound.  The only clue is maybe the smell.  In such an occasion, one can quickly deflect it from oneself by saying "Phew!  Where did that stench come from!?"  I have actually seen this being done but you can usually tell where's the source of the smell......

If you really cannot help it but break wind, I think the common courtesy is simply to say "sorry".  Or make light of the matter like the video below, just don't pretend nothing happened!

Thank you, friends

Friends are like warm security blankets to me.  They come in all shapes and sizes.    My friends allow me to be who I am without the fear of being judged.  They allow me to think out loud no matter how ludicrous my ideas / thoughts are.   Tell me off when I am in the wrong and point me to the narrow path.

Of course my best friend is my pillar of strength who took (and is still taking!) my nonsense for more than 20 years and counting!  Mood swings, tantrums, stubborness, hard-headedness and stupidity - all in. 

There are girlfriends (sister & SIL included) whom I can rely on to hear me out.  Without fail, they'll boost my morale.  Been through the rebellious youthful years with me, always very diplomatic in their opinions no matter how crazy I am.  Then there are the courageous souls who tell me off and spar words with me,  always unfazed whilst I always go on a rampage.

Then there are my fantastic cook friends whom I can just call to say "Hey I need to talk - be there in 5, and oh please cook me something - hungry-lah!"  If friends are at home, the answer is always a 'yes' without doubt.  I will just popped up at the doorstep, get into their respective houses and settled myself at their dining tables.  Venting, ranting, rambling - depending on my mood whilst that dear friend is cooking away for me.  Filled my stomach and then off I go with a peck of "thank you" on friend's cheek. 

There was this fantastic guy-friend whom I could just call and off we go for drinks.  Crazy clean fun.    May his soul rest in peace. The other guy-friends including brother, we can go for months not communicating or meeting.  But when we do meet up, it's like it was just yesterday we met and we talk non stop. With these Adam species I can be ME!

I'd lost contact with two friends for many many years.  We met up again recently and these dear friends encouraged me to start my fitness regime again - thank you, dears.  Because of you I am exercising again regularly.

Yeah, being my friend is not easy cos I can be crazy, demanding and sometimes (yes, I can sense some eyes rolling reading this 'sometimes'?) overbearing.  I hope I have been and will continue to be a friend to you just as you have been to me.

I am dedicating this post to my friends who understand my past, believe in my future, and accept me today just the way I am - I "thank you"

Pride & Passion

It is mind boggling to note that a recent notice put by a local council had not one but TWO of the listed telephone numbers wrong.  The telephone numbers were listed so that the residents in the vicinity could call in and/or fax through their objections to a proposed development.  I can't help but wonder is there something more sinister to it or simply lack of pride and passion in their job on the part of whoever is responsible in proof reading the notice before it was put up.

A ballet teacher whom I know,  always tells her students if they do not care to learn ballet the correct way, they can go elsewhere as she is only interested to teach those who want to learn of the highest and proper standard.  She is a perfectionist.  She takes pride and passion in imparting her knowledge, and in return the joy of seeing her ballerinas excel.

I had the pleasure to meet two other perfectionists.  They are non-white collar professionals who are not only happy with what they are doing - these gentlemen are proud of their respective profession, take pride in their production with a great passion.  Here they are :

Putting the finishing touch

Gorgeous clogs all in a row

Chef outfit for this photo shoot

Ensuring it's just right

50 minutes wait for this
perfect wantan noodles!

A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.  -  William Hazlitt

Rescue Operation

Driving home from dinner tonight was a nightmare!   Throughout the ride home,  I was sooooo so stressed because I was reprimanded constantly for driving too fast, taking the bends too quickly and going over the humps too fast thereby causing an injured pigeon undue stress.  Yes, I received these constant admonishments all over a pigeon!  I was so stressed I could have had a heart attack.  A mundane dinner on a Saturday evening that turned into a rescue operation.......

We were walking out of the diner towards our car when the aspiring veterinarian spotted an injured pigeon.  As expected she wanted to rescue it.  This is not the first time nor will it be the last she rescues injured animals.  The aspiring veterinarian rushed back into the diner and asked the supervisor for a box.  "For what" asked the perplexed supervisor.  "To transport an injured bird" promptly came the answer.

The supervisor at the diner gamely provided us with the box needed to transport the pigeon home.  He even helped to corner the pigeon so that the aspiring veterinarian could capture and put the bird tenderly into the box.  There's no other words to describe how she handled the pigeon except tenderly.......



Now the pigeon is settled comfortably in its make-shift cage, fed with the bird seeds that we kept stock of..... and the aspiring veterinarian is very happy and contented.  As for me, peace for the night   :)

"Compassion for animals is intimately connected with the goodness of character and it can be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animal cannot be a good man." -Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher (1788-1860)

What's going on!?!!!!!

What's going on?!?!!!!!!     Two devastating news in a week?!?!

On Tuesday, it was news of a dear friend being diagnosed with advance lung cancer.  Today, daughter of another dear friend been diagnosed, not with cancer, but with the incurable motor neurone disease (MND).  

My friend's daughter is in her early twenties and she does a lot of voluntary charity works with various NGOs.  She just got married in September 2010 and had been diagnosed with MND in December 2010.

It is at times like this that I ask 
"Why?!"  "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  
"Why don't the bad people get these?"
WHY!??!!!!

Love & Peace, Hate & Intolerance

When one has to resort to intimidation and threats against another individual just because they are of different political parties, different idealism, different religion - you don't need to ask, you just know the person(s) carrying out these vile acts are bad.  The individuals who received intimidation and threats are someone's son/daughter, a father/mother, a sister/brother.  To the person carrying out these vile acts, what if you are at the receiving end?   Can't we just agree to disagree without having to resort to such lowly measures?  

Politics can be dirty and politicians are well aware of it.  Read in today's daily Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/20/nation/7830185&sec=nation)  received a death threat.  Those who carried out the act did it in the dead of the night.  Tony Pua  in  his facebook reported he "got a live M16 bullet and Serdang MP Teo Nie  Ching got a dead chicken.  What will these disgraceful idiots think of next?"

Aren't messages of love and peace  better than messages of hate and actions of intolerance?  Spreading these messages, be it messages of love or hate, it is in our hands. 

Mariam Mokhtar wrote an excellent and thought provoking article today.  In writing this piece, I am joining her in standing up against violent attacks committed against courageous good people, and anyone for the matter.  "It is our silence against the violence and cowardly acts of these sick people that gives them the stimuli to continue their evil acts." 

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter – Martin Luther King

Acceptance

If a person is not a heterosexual, it takes a lot out of that person to come out clean about his/her sexuality.  In the eyes of religion, yes religion NOT faith, homosexuality is condemned.  As long as you are a homosexual, in the eyes of religion you've got yourself a confirmed seat in hell - no question about that.

For those who frown upon gays, what happens if one day you discovered that your loved one or your dearest friend is a gay?  Would you immediately disown him/her, disassociate yourself or condemn him/her to hell unless he/she goes straight?  I don't know about you but as for me NO!  Absolutely not!  I will accept my loved one and/or my dearest friend for who he/she is.  After all who are we to condemn God's creations to hell?  I love what Arizona of Grey Anatomy had to say to her partner's religious father - of how her father accepted her.  In case the link does not work here is the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Uyc0OUqzY&hd=1 

I consider myself a Christian - though an unorthodox one in many ways, and yes, am also cynical of clergymen having been involved in the inner circles of church management.  I can't stand self-proclaimed "righteous men of God".  They wear their religion on their sleeves, proclaim to all and sundry the stand of their religion, what one should and should not do.  I say to these self-proclaimed 'righteous men of God' - look yourself in the mirror.  Can you honestly say yes, I love my neighbour as myself regardless of their sexual orientation.  If you can't love thy neighbour as thyself, then just shut up. 

I am glad that my children go to a school where they have classmates who are homosexuals.  At this tender age, they get to mingle around and see for themselves that these friends may be different in their sexual orientation/preference but they are still teenagers - excited about the same pop groups and movies, happy to hang out at shopping malls etc.  They simply accept these classmates for who they are - yes accept them as human with feelings too, just as the heterosexuals are.

Can you imagine, a teenager still struggling to come into adulthood to have it drilled into him that's he's condemned in the eyes of God, worthless and an outcast in society.  Can you imagine what that can do to a person, let alone a teenager.  Joel Burns, Texas Councilman went through this and understood.  Rev Ouyang had established a place where these creations of God can go and expect understanding, be themselves and not be judged.

Those who frown upon homosexuals, consider this - What if one day you find yourself in a very critical accident and the only person available to help you is this guy who is a homosexual.  Would you have refused his help?  Or would you have asked him "Are you straight or a homosexual?" before you decide if you want to accept his help?  You simply don't ask at that point of time - you are just grateful there is someone there to help you.  So does one's sexuality preference counts?  No!  It only counts at times when it serve our purpose. 

Someone recently said this- "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."

Life's cycle

On Sunday, I penned ".... time blinks its eye and life passes by in a glance and all become a memory........ life is fleeting."

This morning I've received news that a dear friend has been diagnosed with advance stage lung cancer and is in very critical condition.  This dear friend does not smoke, is very disciplined with his diet and exercises regularly.  Before this, no symptom whatever - just a nagging cough that would not go away for the past two months.  I last met him in December 2010 before his return to Singapore.  His physique would put men half his age to shame.  Now he is lying in Singapore general hospital bed breathing with the aid of oxygen mask.   He is as strong-willed and clear with his wants as ever.  He has advised his family that if to get well means he will have to go through all the treatments and the sufferings that go with it, he does not wish to do so.  To him the sufferings would not just affect him, it would also mean emotional and psychological sufferings for his family.  He said he has lived a long and fruitful life, and accepts life's cycle.

The life's cycle according to a Chinese saying ......

We are born 

We grow old.......

We get ill......... 

  ....... and we die

I shall pray for my friend's speedy recovery and at the same time I would also honour his wishes.  After all time blinks its eye and life passes by in a glance adn all become a memory....... life is fleeting. 

Your Gain My Loss?

I simply can't believe it!!!!  

Just today, in ONE DAY, I've received 5 same text messages from one sender and 8 'intentional' missed calls. 

Every one of those 5 text messages contained the same message from the same person "Call me now.  I need to discuss something urgent with you."

You know what 'intentional' missed calls are, right?  These are calls that come in and ring for just a second and then they are terminated by the callers themselves. On receiving a missed call alert, I'd always automatically return the missed calls.  However after returning calls to two of the 'intentional' missed calls, the other six with numbers that I could identified  I simply decided if they have something to say they will just have to call back.

All these unnecessary text messages and intentional missed calls for what!?  Just to save a few cents! I don't know and don't bother to keep track of how much a phone call or text message cost.  But seriously people get a life!  Just so you may gain  or save yourself a few cents, you'd thought it's better that I loose some cents (or ringgits if the conversation gets too long) you resort to these tactics?  Pathetic! Irritating! Frustrating!  I wish I could put these text messages into a SPAM box

I don't have a SPAM box for these text messages, so my next best alternative for these messages now is

Giving thanks

I've handed in my two assignments on time on Friday, 14 January 2011.  Now I can do nothing but just sit back and wait for the results.  I know the assignments were well done but then again I never know, would I?  I had been so stressed that I have been telling myself it's ok to stuff myself with yummy cookies and after seeing this cartoon image, my reaction was "Hey! There's someone out there who thinks like me!"

Saturday was a crazy day from the moment I opened up my eyes.  I was practically the driver to my masters from morning till sun set - from sending and picking up to/from school, audition for an advertisement, internship at hospital then to their dinner dates and dance performance.  Of course in between destinations, I was raging in what I seen as one having no intiative.   Being a driver did not mean I have to know the location and the least I had expected is some initiative for one to know where's your own destination.  Hey, there's such a thing as google map and the very least you could do is check out your destination and, at least be of assistance to the driver out with some landmarks!  Well after the rage, came the calm.  Thankfully my pillar of strength returned from his trip and took over the driver seat.  That set me up in a good mood for dinner.  At the end of the day, though tired, I thank God for these jewels.

My four precious jewels

Tonight, having returned from a fabulous dinner hosted by a very capable cook in her breezy home - an evening spent with family and friends, what can I say but give thanks for these blessings.  

I could have choosen to rant about the negative things in my life but where/what would that get me. Nothing!  After all, time blinks its eye and life passes by in a glance and all become a memory........ life is fleeting.  Hence tonight before I call it a day, I've chosen to give thanks for my blessings.

A picture is worth ten thousand words

 

Deadline 17.00 hours Friday, 14th January 2011

"Racial harmony are just that - talk"

I missed the days where we were not conscious of our colour or race, and just freely mix around.  Last Sunday, I caught a glimpse of those bygone days.  A young boy  of six or seven years old did exactly that - he mixed around freely, unconscious of his colour or race.  He had just finished his swimming lesson and rushed off to the adjacent children wading pool.  Already in the pool were other youngsters - boys and girls.  This young boy jumped straight in, and started to splash water at the other youngsters.  Just like that, these youngsters started to play with one another. That simple scene touched me - such innocence and pure joy.

We are not even two weeks into 2011 and we already have quite a number of articles written on racial harmony.  I have selected three of them and you would ask what do these articles have in common? These individuals articulated their thoughts on the same subject in different ways

Rantings by MM "hopes we never have the misfortune to one day look back and regret our lack of foresight. That it is only with tragedy that we finally take a hard look at ourselves and realise that we have allowed extremist elements to have their way for too long."

The wise man is of the view that "All those that think that we are now matured enough to handle any racial confrontation are deluding themselves. No we are not. The “we” who are matured enough to handle any adverse racial situations will easily be swept aside once the masses are moved to act against another race........"

 

We've had those "muhibbah" days without the need of slogans. 

And...... J.D. aptly put it - "It's a truly crying shame" we are in the racial mess we are today.  It has to be Malaysia for Malaysians, nothing less, nothing more, and that is not unconstitutional. What is unconstitutional is when able Malaysians remain unwilling to lend a hand to their less able Malaysians.

Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their colour Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their colour is unthinkable

Dogs for Pet

Yesterday, a true-and-true dog lover asked me if I'd like to adopt a beautiful Golden Retriever as a family pet dog.  She has been to see this dog and can vouch that this beautiful dog has a very nice disposition.  

Coco

If she says so, I believe her for this very same true-and-true dog lover got us our family pet dog,Coco who has since passed.  Coco was a dream dog - kind and gentle to family members, ferocious and vicious to anything and anyone that could cause us harm.  She has killed numerous monitor lizards and two cobras in our garden.

Coco the proud mummy

Coco attacking the cobra in our garden

This afternoon I received a call for help from another friend asking if I'd like to adopt her dog or know of anyone who would like to adopt her dog - a pretty good natured Golden Retriever.  To both the requests, my answer was negative.

An aspiring veterinarian in the family simply loves animals and would feed stray dogs in our street despite being scolded by neighbours.   The aspiring veterinarian would rescue smelly smelly cats from drains, take birds  with damaged wings found in markets to the vet hospital, and house chickens.  A hamster was to be her Christmas present only to be vetoed by me.

So why am I being so unreasonable?  Call me a bitch, heartless, uncompromising - whatever, I don't care.  I won't allow a pet in the family, for now.  Don't get me wrong - I love animals.  When my first pet dog died, I cried for days.   I believe a pet, be it a dog or any other creature, is a being that needs care and attention.  If I get a pet, I must see to it that I am able to provide a home for it till it expires.  Have the time to spend with the pet - not just adopt it and then leave it to entertain itself in a corner of the house.  Now without a maid, and one who just could NOT stand having pee or poo in my garden, it would simply drive me crazy having to pick up poo, keeping dog's fur off the terraces ...... aaaaaaarrrrrrghhhhh!!!  Yeah, right tell me the others in the family will do it.... NO!!! they will not and this, I am speaking from experience!!!!!!!


Thus for sake of not hearing me screaming like a mad mad woman, getting my blood pressure up unnecessarily and for the sake of keeping peace, there shall be no pet, for now.

However there are two lovely Golden Retrievers up for adoption - anyone?  

Have & have nots - cupboards clearings

Cupboard clearings or as the westerners would say "Spring cleaning" but I am Asian so it can't be spring in Malaysia at this time of the year.  But this is the time I usually do it - a beginning of a new year, time to sort out my cupboards, my working papers, clothes, kitchen etc etc.......

Bags of soft toys were "authorized" to be given away - all in very good condition though some more than 10 years in age!  What have we been doing with them?  Nothing but merely put on display.

Discovered brand new clothes given to children as presents - never worn before.  What have we been doing with them?  Nothing but have them tucked away in the cupboard!

Bags - handbags, school bags (in good conditions), travelling bags - all been stored away in cupboards.  What have we been doing with them?  Nothing.

Today a teenager went for her manicure and pedicure - at a mere 15 years of age - and she has not even started to earn her own living!  The cost of this luxury unbeknown to her could have fed a whole family - not for a day but in some countries for a week?  I can't help but think should she be entitled to this or shall it be withheld from her?  But then her friends are having much more of this "simple luxury" - she would moan..... which I must concur with her.......    Yes, my children are taught to be careful with their allowances but is this deem as unnecessary luxury?

Is it age or is it the time of the year?  I don't know........ but when I start to clear things out for donation to charities, I can't help but think of the less fortunate......  and count my blessings.  I, with my family are so blessed with roof over our head, food on our plates, clothes on our back and most of all, our family members are healthy and with us! For all the blessings bestowed upon me, in my own way I must forward them.


If you are reading this post, you can consider yourself blessed.