Sentimental Value

One of the reason of my coming back to KK last weekend was to attend my godchild, Joanna's wedding. Our picture below was taken in 1999...

 

Fast forward eleven years later...

:-) 

I became her godmother/ sponsor for her confirmation in 1999. I was only Form Five at that time. I remembered when her eldest brother, Steve asked me to become her godmother. Look at her now. I pray that as she embark on her new life, that God would bless her and her new family with more love, more blessings and peace in their hearts. Besar suda "anak" sia...

 

 

With her eldest brother, Steve (gambar paling atas), her actual parents (middle) and her elder brother, Charlie (above).

I think the Universe was trying to tell me something last Saturday. I found my old "memory" box...

 

What's inside? Memories from zaman-zaman sekolah dulu-dulu...nah, teringat stories about former classmates at SMSM, LaSallian friends and of course, the first love. When I looked at it, banyak pula benda-benda yang sia masi simpan rupa-rupanya....

These papers were supposed to be my classmates' final messages before we left school. When I read it, some made me laughed so hard and some made me smile. I also found a collection of 4-up sized pictures given by friends...

Ada si Devon Sawa punya lukisan lagi...haha..

 

This picture is of my former boyband crush...911...dorang la yang kasi famous lagu "This isn't the last time, it's only the..lalalala"..sia lupa tajuk dan lirik...

 

I also found my second letter to MTV most Wanted...I don't know why I didn't send it...embarrassed maybe..hahahah

Then, I continued rummaging inside the big box and found....

MY AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA!!

This one is from Gempak Astro or something...I remembered meeting Sazzy, Alam...there were more artists but I just can't recall who's who....

I also found my Instant Cafe Theater programme book...I remembered meeting Rashid Salleh, Patrick Teoh, Paula Malai Ali, Jo Kukathas, Junji Delfino, Nell Ng, Harith Iskander...aisehmen..why I remembered everyone from this one? Because they were so kind to chat with us (Me and Mel) after the show (which was held at STAR,Tg Aru.if I'm not mistaken). 

This one was my collection of ticket stubs from Istana Budaya and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. I can still recall my first theater...Chang and Eng, the Musical!! I also watched Fame and remembered how Lydia and I used to talk about the show for weeks. I can't recall the concert I went at MPO, maybe it was a chamber concert...

This one is my 23rd birthday memory. I kept all the cards and even some of the decors in that Cheers bag. Why? My 23rd birthday was the most memorable birthday I had ever had. My TESL Cohort 1 friends surprised me with a birthday party (which was meticulously planned by Dyna and executed by the rest of the gang. They were so good because I really didn't know about that party AT ALL!). They (especially the girls) also gave me a video recording of everyone's greeting. The VCD also recorded a rare footage of the boys rendering a bootleg's version of Happy Birthday. Good times...good times...

 

Last but not least, is this handmade thingy my ex gave to me. I guess I kept it for the sentimental value. We're still friends and I think we had the closure we both wanted. Well. who would forget their first love? It's both warm and heartbreaking.

I'm keeping all these memories in a new "memory" box soon. I can't find the heart to throw them away, especially my 23rd birthday package. 

(^___^)

Have a great week ahead everyone!!

October.

I think October should be the month dedicated to women.

We know that October is also Pink October in dedication for Breast Cancer Awareness. 

October 15th is the day to remember Pregnancy and Infant Loss. 

It is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

For Catholics, it is also a month dedicated to Mother Mary through the Rosary. 

The beautiful prayer of the Rosary. 

I admit, I am not a Rosary advocate but I do wish to share the 3 miracles I have received just by saying the Rosary.

#1. It gives me peace in my heart and my mind.

#2. Its mysteries reminds me of the values like kindness and forgiveness that sometimes I forgot.

#3. It answers my prayers most of the time (well, not literally but at least, it gave me a sense of peace and closure)

So, my dear Catholic friends...in our comfort of experiencing God's blessing, let us remember saying Ave Maria to our heavenly Mother.

Amen!!

RM3.90 punya.

I was at BK Putatan to satisfy my cravings for its BBQ Beefacon Cheese Burger. I was waiting for my takeaway when this spunky lil'guy approached the counter and asked for the Snack's Favourite meal.


 "Yang tiga ringgit sembilan puluh sen punya". "Mana satu,boy?" asked the cashier,"Atas kah...Bawah?" she added, referring to the menu.


"Yang bawah",he replied,then trying to pronounce fries and coke in the best pronunciation he could muster. "Frenfrais en kok" I heard him say as he handed the crumpled one ringgit notes and several coins.


 The cashier promptly registered his order and told the boy the price, "Harga dia empat ringgit sepuluh sen ah..." The boy's face abruptly changed. I was still standing nearby him, waiting for his response. My initial reaction was to pull the remaining balance and pay for him, but I restrained myself. "Bukan tiga ringgit sembilan puluh sen kah? Dia tulis sana tiga ringgit sembilan puluh sen..." he told the cashier. His facial reaction showed as if he was riffed off. Cheated. The cashier told him that he must pay RM4.10. "Tapi, dia tulis sana 3.90..." The cashier gave him a certain look. Eventually, he paid the remaining 30sen. I withdrew slowly to a cubicle and quietly snapped his picture and promised myself to blog it.


As I sat there, my mind was still fixated at the boy. He must have felt cheated. He must have been saving that RM3.90 to eat a meal from BK. He was clearly confused why things aren't the way they seem to be. As he picked up his small fries and Coke, he immediately devoured his meal and stride out of the restaurant.


What made me blog about this? I guess, I was reminded that our world now is sometimes like that. Not everything is how it seemed to be. In this materialistic, "instant" world everything has hidden charges. Sometimes we were aware, and sometimes we were caught by surprise. Just like the boy and his "RM3.90" BK meal.

So, when reality is like that, what does a young boy have to do? Just grin and bear it? Throw a diva tantrum? Or just shrugged it off and move on and savour the "meal"? Apparently, he is too young to understand this part of reality.

As I enjoy my own BK meal and had my cravings satisfied, I guess this material world or world of service taxes will go on. Perhaps in a distant future, things might change for the better.  

Post from L18TKB counter.

Boring pula menunggu ni budak2 sampai. This year, we have 2 merentas desa..my post is of cos,boys under 18. Lambat oh dorang sampai.

Monokuro Boo

I used to love these two cute piggies...now I think the passion is coming back! 

adidih....kiut!!!!

Pup Torture...

Now, pet lovers especially dog lovers...

Would you hang your puppy or pet on a rope and take a picture plus pose with it just to get immediate worldwide attention?

I doubt you would. Who would want to hurt a little puppy like this one?

Believe it or  not, two idiots did. And they did it shamelessly without any sign of guilt. And they have the audacity to post that pic on Twitter. Read the link below for the story:

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_591834.html

Shame on you, guys! Animals are to be treated with love and care, not by dangling it on a rope!! This is an OUTRAGE!! C'mon lah...I think those guys better go and play their Wii rather than torturing that innocent dog. 

Some people just have a lot of time in their hands...or maybe too much air in their heads!!

Early birthday pressie...

Mum got me this book after I shamelessly hinted about my birthday (which is a month away). I lebiu mum ;-) ! Adala orang yang tidak tidur dis weekend hehehe

Vinnie and the Big, Bad Lorry

Being hit by a pebble is something I experience everyday in my commute to and back from school. It has been like a routine; being beat up with dirt from gargantuan lorries carrying timbers to rocks. Not just lorries, filthy and muddy pick-ups also played an encouraging role in deteriorating my ride to an (God-forbid!) premature defacing. Since being "thrown" a pebble or two on my front windshield by these trucks is a daily thing, I took it for granted.

I wished I had taken extra careful measures.

2 days ago, I was driving back from school, when lo and behold there was a big lorry in front of me. It was carrying a full load of rocks and despite its maximum load, it was travelling at a precarious speed. I myself was driving at 90mp/h, when what seemed a daily occurance turned into an expensive nightmare.

A tiny peeble, around 2-3 cm in diameters hit my windshield at bullet speed. I ignored the incident because I thought everything would be okay. Nothing happened anyway, so I thought. The next day, I noticed a 8cm line forming in front of my windshield. I thought it was a stray stem/stick.

The annoying crack. It gets longer the next day!!

Throughout my drive, I couldn't focus. I blamed it on the damn crack and damn lorry. So, I decided to call my car's agent to ask about my insurance coverage. She was kind enough to ask the insurance company for me. She informed me that although my insurance was a comprehensive one, it doesn't cover windshield. This means I can't claim my repairs through the insurance company. I could claim through NCD but I would lose my NCD (No-Claim-Discount) prematurely. Plus, it's quite a hassle to file a police report as well. But at least, I learned something about dealing with minor repairs concerning insurance and cars! 

So, I decided to call up the service centre and ask whether they do windscreen repairs. They didn't but they were happy to introduce me to a mechanic who does. Cost? A whopping RM723 including labour charges. There goes my savings! 

So, what did I learn throughout this minor ordeal? 

#1. Never take seemingly innocent incidents for granted. For all we know, they might be deadly or costly. (not that I'm a cheapskate or what, but I could use those extra savings for other stuffs).

#2. Keep calm whenever the goings get tough...it's good to have a clear head to think with, which leads to...

#3. Have a plan B or C or D...and last but not least...

#4. Have a good support system (by which you'll forget about the incident and couldn't help but feel lucky to have friends that care. The status comments are hilarious :-))

All in all, I should have been more careful on the roads. But, it's so much fun to say:

DAMN YOU, BIG, BAD LORRY!!!!!!

On unconventional advice.

I admit that sometimes while trying to be my best self (or rather my better portrayal of an educator's image) I find the real me is in conflict with my "teacherish" image. Someone (actually several someones) once said that when giving advice to students, we must choose our words wisely and convey the lesson in a good, motivating way. Well, there are truths behind this advice, nonetheless there are times when my "unteachery" side emerged, often with effective result.

Case study #1 : The "What happens if we do not do your homework?" case.

Scenario A

Student : Teacher, kalau kami tidak buat kerja yang teacher bagi (pause for dramatic effect)...apa la jadi?

Teacher : Cikgu akan denda demerit / berdiri di luar sampai rehat/ jalan itik/ pungut RM1.

Student : Oh.

Now, I've tried Scenario A so many times during my first year. Well, 50% of the time students will do the task given but still, the remaining 50% remained oblivious to all the dendas given.

Scenario B

Student : Teacher, kalau kami tidak buat kerja yang teacher bagi...apa la jadi?

Teacher : Siapa tidak buat...(pause for dramatic effect)...dia gagal SPM.

Student : Alalala...menyumpah oh kan, cikgu!!

Teacher : Adeh? Siapa bilang menyumpah? Kalau kamu nda buat homework atau worksheet yang teacher bagi gagal SPM la..sebab (1) kamu tambah nda pandai BI, (2) bila kamu nda pandai BI, kamu nda dapat jawab exam BI, (3) bila nda pandai jawab paper BI, kamu fail, (4) kamu fikir la sendiri....

Student : .......(I assume they are thinking).....yakan.....

Result : A successful rating of getting 90% exercise books handed at the end of the period, with all exercise given completed. The remaining 10% will submit at least before the last period bell rang.

Case study #2: The Notorious Exam Cheater.

Scenario A

Before the paper starts, after briefing the students, teacher said, "Semua pelajar tidak boleh meniru." 

All heads bowed down, as if worshiping the examination paper when suddenly you (the teacher) saw at least a couple of students attempting to turn back at their friend hoping for a glimpse of the answers. Sometimes, you'll intercept crumpled notes, masquerading as innocent rubbish, coming from Student A (at the back row) to Student B (three rows adjacent/ in front/ left/right).

Teacher : What are you doing? (with a seemingly threatening tone)

Student A: Si B bah teacher...dia yang mo (insert various excuses here)...

Student B : Yuiii...manada!!! (insert counter-excuses here) Dia bah yang...

The scene ends with teacher taking both students' paper or reporting to the discipline teacher.

Results : You'll see the same scenario happening the next day, in a different class. Over and over again.

Scenario B

All heads bowed down, as if worshiping the examination paper when suddenly you saw at least a couple of students attempting to turn back at their friend hoping for a glimpse of the answers.

Teacher : Siapa pusing belakang..................MUNYIT! / Tunggiyutung/ Gobuk/ Kera/ other animals deemed suitable at the context.

Students : (giggle...giggle....giggle)

Teacher repeats sentence each time a student looked back without saying it aloud as it could distract other students. Lip reading/signing would suffice.

Teacher repeats the same words, or if happened to invigilate the same class, teacher may say, "Bah, macam kemarin...siapa meniru/pusing belakang munyit ah."

Result : Less crumpled paper intercepted, if there was one or two, it was safe to say it was rubbish. There are still students turning to the back but only to borrow rulers/eraser. Upon observation, no hidden notes attached to aforesaid items. There was only one time when a daring student questioned me, saying "Teacher ni...hari-hari munyit...hari-hari munyit..." But guess what, he said that with eyes focused on the paper beneath his chin.

When I reflect on these "scenarios", I realised that by telling the student blunt truths or consequences, they tend to behave better or at least strive to do better. Time after time, I told them things like, "Siapa meniru...berdosa!!" or "Siapa bawa kamus hari-hari, hidup dia diberkati selalu!" I noticed that my students reacted more positively and I ended up getting out of the class with a smile. If I say things like "Kamu belajar la bah bagus-bagus supaya kamu pandai.." often it enters the left ear and leaves the right. Ironic, isn't it?

But I'm not saying that ALL students would react the same. Some may think the words I say were harsh and "uncensored", but I guess the real lesson here is it's better to be real and tell the students the truth of consequences brought by their actions.

But hey, this is just my opinion based on my observation. Take this with a pinch of salt.

Happy Tuesday!

A bout of blogger's block

My life has been quite mundane lately. Get up, catch the early morning rerun of Criminal Minds season 5, go to work, get back from work, catch How I Met Your Mother, log-in to Facebook, logout of Facebook, login to Twitter, read the headlines at Twitter, logout of Twitter, go to my blog, staring at the "new post" trying to think of things to write about, logout of my blog, then end the day with Sims 3. 

Kids, please come back to school. I could use some torturous lawaks from all of you.

Ten Ramblings at Ten O'clock at Tenth of the Tenth month of 2010.

1. Today is a Sunday. I don't feel like going out of the house. I just feel like reading, which brings to...

2. My ten literary crushes...<3 ,<3, <3 their writings...Paolo Coelho, Frank McCourt, Mark Victor Hansen, Dina Zaman, Michael Ende, Terry Pratchett, Tunku Abidin Muhriz, Leo Buscaglia, Julia Quinn and Toni Morrison. I could read their books and articles all day if I wanted to.

3. It has come to my realisation that I will never win the lottery (but in case I did, I bet I must have done something so right). Lottery includes any cabutan bonanza, cabutan bertuah, etc, etc...

4. If I could choose who I wanted to be, I just wanted to be me.

5. 2010 is a good year for me.

6. If I could do one or two things for the rest of my life, it would be writing.

7. Eccentric is my favourite word in the English language.

8. Driving or walking...I love both.

9. Dong-wook and Brad Pitt....I think Dong-wook is hotter than the latter.

10. Today is my bestie Lydia's birthday. Happy Birthday, Lyd!!!

A Moving Eulogy

I was hanging out at The Malaysian Insider website when I stumbled upon Singapore's founding father, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's eulogy for his wife, the late Madam Lee Kuan Yew or Madam Kwa Geok Choo. I find myself misty eyed reading what seem to be an honest, romantic and heart-wrenching eulogy. I find it quite difficult to shed a perception that politicians would always "state" their stories instead of "sharing" a personal part of themselves to the public. I was proven wrong by Mr.Lee's eulogy.

Here is a founding father, an astounding politician whose presence, even only on the newspaper or a website, are often seen as stoic and intellectual, sharing a genuine remembrance of his beloved wife. His eulogy moved me so much because he is not writing this eulogy as what I see him as, the former Prime Minister of Singapore. He writes as a real person, a husband grieving over his dead wife, his "common" self. 

Condolences to you, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. May her soul rests in peace.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/the-last-farewell-to-my-wife-lee-kuan-yew/

What an enjoyable flight this would be..hehehe

 

I watched this video at my friend, Mark's facebook profile. I think it's pure creative genius! Usually, I would ignore the safety briefings because of its monotony. But this one is a breath of fresh air. I'm sure the passengers in that Cebu Pacific flight paid attention all right!

San Damiano Kiulu Outreach - Giving Back time!!

Today, one quarter of my old clothes and several old books has been donated to the San Damiano Kiulu youths.  While decluttering my stuffs, I noticed I had too much clothes (more than half doesn't fit me) and I have books that I don't even read anymore. 

So, if you have things like old, good-condition clothes, reference books (primary and secondary, latest curriculum if possible), pillow cases, blankets, bedsheets, etc you can drop it at Stella Maris Parish Office by 17 Oct 2010. From what my friends at SMCYC told me, they needed a lot of bedsheets and pillows for the hostel. Donation in cash is also welcomed. :-)

Apart from doing good to people, with a heavy but joyful heart, I gave away 10 of my old CLEO editions (2001-2003) to the SMCYC recycling programme. I still have 25 more editions to decide whether I should keep them or recycle them. But that would be next programme lah...last minute bapa sia kestau dorang ada recycling programme this month.

By the way, is anyone interested to "relieve" me from my CLEO collections? I still have editions from 2002-2009...if you want, I could give it to you for free (just pay the delivering fee lah...if you are in KK or Keningau, you can self collect from me ;-) )

Bah, till then...HAPPY SUNDAY everyone!!

Drama Queen.

Phew... this year's English Week is finally done!! Thank God everything went on well although there were some glitches and bumpy rides here and there. Well, just like a line from Gaga "...if it ain't rough, it isn't fun..", being the unofficial "head of project" has given me a lot of headaches :-P But, it's a bittersweet memory, who knows, maybe our English Unit could have a better Week next year.

Like I've mentioned in my earlier post, the English Week also showcased my Form One students' talent in acting and producing a drama. I could say that this is the first time that a form One class presenting a play in my school. I was inspired to do this production from them, I see some raw talent there. I was hoping to unleash their potentials and I was not disappointed. :-) I think, they are the most valiant students in this school. Here are some of the pictures of their drama "Journey to the Centre of the Earth"...

 The "buying supplies" scene (left to right) : Denbryn (the seller), Maizan (Hans Bjelke), Sharoll (Professor Otto Lidenbrock) and Howie (Axel Lidenbrock)

 At the "storm" scene. At rehearsals, they called this pose "kogutan" because "mabuk laut" kunun.

 The fighting monsters scene : Kesian tu costume monster...main pakai sticker paper ja :-P

 by the way, tu kepala dinasaur sia yang buat..hehehe

 The most applauded scene : Part where Gretchen (played by Eaggy) tells Axel to go with his uncle. Aww..

Nah, kamu tingu la one part of the play...(disclaimer : bukan sia yang ambil ni video ah)

Okay, now I want to cerita about raya. It's a bit bangas but sayang bah tu pictures nda kena share for the whole world to see (and for the online narcissist side of me to gloat at..hihihi..). So, Raya this year is very exciting for me because for the first time since five years ago, I'm spending Raya with my friends. So, here are some piccies taken during our impromptu photoshoot :-)

 Alicia at her cutest pose.

 Our so-called photoshoot hehe

 Hmm...apa yang kami buat tu?

 My fave piccies: Top, Middle and Bottom.

 Went to Carol's house to finish her stocks of kuih raya.

 My 2nd day of Raya fave piccies: Top and Bottom...cantik kan?

Three days after Raya, I got sick. Siapa suruh makan banyak2...

So, that's all for now. I haven't transferred several pictures from my handphone yet...exams is coming up soon. So, adieu for now. :-)