The One

When I was a kid, I used to ask my mother "How will I know if he's the one?"

My mom used to say "You won't...until he turns out to not be the one".

And so, this is how I believe blogging will be. Do I know if this is the one and only blog I'm going to be true to? Time will tell...and when it does, I may return to blogging again...or I may not.

If I don't, it has been a pleasure updating my friends with what's going on and meeting new people, who have brightened my world and made me smile.

Take care everyone and have a fantastic New Year ahead. I only wish great things for you in 2009...and an abundance of happiness, the kind which makes you smile from the heart and infects everybody else around you.

May your cup runneth over...may your pockets be heavy...may your spirit be light...and may you always keep in touch with this littl' ol' MoO on an island in the middle of nowhere! ;)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Duality

Balance...

I find it fascinating that everything has something equally opposite.

The left is a mirror image of the right. Only then can the body achieve an easy balance. For darkness, there is light. For beauty, there is ugliness. For happines, there is despair. For every up, there is a down. For every high, there is a low. Stop and go. And the list goes on and on and on.

Was the world created like this for us to appreciate both sides of the coin? If we had a world filled with all things evil, would we ever know good? Would anyone aspire to be good? Would there ever have been a Santa Claus? Would there even be an incentive to be good? Would it be that somehow, man would eradicate themselves because they were all evil?

It all comes back to balance. The scales must not be tipped, lest we unleash chaos. But where there is chaos, some order must rule. Where someone rules, someone must serve. And again, the list goes on and on and on...

But then I started thinking - is there anything that doesn't have an opposite? Is there anything that stands by itself? At first, I thought prayer. But then, isn't the absence of prayer its balance? Does that then mean that something which doesn't have a named opposite is just the absence of?

Perhaps this is the way to adopt what is coming for 2009. Accept it as it comes and see what could possibly be the opposite of it. Then maybe that might put it into perspective (like a challenge could really be an opportunity) and it truly might just be the case of looking at it differently. Then maybe, I can find some balance in my soul and some peace in my heart.

Roll the dice thrice...

Lots of things come in threes - The Holy Trinity...The Three Stooges...The Matrix Trilogy...the LOTR trilogy (although I think they may have actually been 6 books)...The Triple Gem...there's even a website that looks at threes right here.

I wonder why is that? Pairs are expected - ying and yang, man and woman, good and bad. For every reaction there's an equal and opposite reaction. It's easy to explain two. It's easy to understand the rationale behind two.

Perhaps three comes from triangles and how three is somehow stronger than two. You can never make a shape with just 2 points. You could never get a table to stand for very long on just two legs. There would never have been 'Tiga Sekawan' and a story to unite the three main races in Malaysia. And don't even get me started on 'Ménage à trois'.

And what's with three times lucky? Or three's a charm? Why is it lucky? Why is it a charm? Is there some magic in the number three that makes the third go better? Which is really strange because the probability of one in three is much less than the probability of one in two. So it might make sense to hedge your bets and cut your losses.

And why on earth am I spending time wondering about threes?

All4Books

If you don't already know (or haven't already guessed), I'm a HUGE book fan. It's probably something that I'm truly passionate about...something that I truly love.

And this has something to do with what I think should be done. Something that I think we can possibly achieve. But I don't believe that it's going to be an easy thing to do. But goals and challenges never are.

I read a book recently by Mem Fox called 'Reading Magic'. It talks about how we can encourage children to read and how we can get kids to love the act of reading. To me, I think it would be an amazing goal if we could promote literacy among Malaysian kids. At the moment, our literacy rate sits between 88-93%. Now I don't know exactly how we define literacy (as in, is it simply being able to identify the alphabet and read words at a very basic level? Or is it being able to read fluently?). But I read somewhere a scary statistic that didn't seem to reflect the high literacy rate - Malaysian children on average read 2 books a year (and this is the same with Malaysian adults). Malaysians prefer to watch the TV over hunkering down with a good book.

Now granted, the price of books these days aren't exactly cheap and I have yet to come across a decent library in KL...but surely the RM1,000 threshold set up by the government must help! But I suppose if you earn minimum wage and don't put in a tax return, then there really isn't any point to have a threshold.

I believe there must be a way with which we can help make our kids more avid readers. I am hoping that parents will spend time reading a book a day to their kids. That may be a huge commitment but how can you say spending 10 minutes daily with your child building their vocabulary and imagination a waste of time? (I'm laying on the guilt so you better feel bad!).

Or if you know of children who would love to be read to, READ TO THEM. Read aloud to youngsters as much as you can, as often as you can. I still remember the pleasurable times we had listening to '3 Little Pigs' and when the wolf tried to 'Huff and puff' and 'blow the house down!'. And the troll under the bridge, listening to the 'trip trop trip trop' of the littl' billy goat.

Somehow, there must be a way to get more kids into reading. If we can set up our future, then we're all set for the future. Malaysia can only become better with an army of highly literate children.

Dontcha think?

On one hand...

Now the countdown gets really intense.

We're closing in on New Year and I can count on one hand the number of posts I have left before this blog needs a decision. I'm veering towards moving on...and I think that decision is going to stay.

On one hand, I'm a littl' sad that I'm going to stop chronicling my life on a blog. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to trying other means of chronicling. (Sidetrack note, is chronicling an actual word?).

Its like a lot of things really. On one hand, I love the holidays because it means I get to stay at home and read my book. On the other hand, it means that we have to spend time with Jason's family and that can get old really quickly. I do admire couples who stay with in-laws and get along really well with them. I just shut down eventually because it gets on my nerves. And I'm guessing that that was part of why I got sick after the wedding. Stress...

The other thing I love is going back to KL and spending time with family and friends. On one hand, it means that I get to see the people I love. On the other hand, it means that we don't really get a holiday. We just hook up with lots of people and basically spend the whole holiday catching up. Which defeats the purpose of a holiday really.

But I guess the deal is not to focus on the down side of things and just enjoy things as they come. Take it one step at a time and enjoy the ride because tomorrow, who knows what may happen. I can handle it...heck, I always say 'Bring it on'. So what could possible go wrong?

Right?

Six is my favourite number...

I have a new favourite song. I think it's really cool...

Have a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW6F_g3upKA

Tis' The Season

You know, Christmas must be one of the seasons that impact global warming the most. First, people put up lights and decorations that soak up electricity (and think about all the shopping centres with their trappings and trimmings!). Then, they consume massive amounts of food (and still have MORE that they can't finish which sometimes ends up in the bin). And don't get me started on the cards and presents! How many people actually recycle their cards? And how many people get presents that are useful, let alone environmentally friendly?

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Christmas. I actually love this holiday and all the beautiful decorations that come along with it. I love giving hubby presents and watching him open his gifts with anticipation. And I enjoy the time that we spend with his family (and that's saying something).

But perhaps what we need to adopt is more the spirit of Christmas than the consumerism/materialism of Christmas because some things are meant to last and some things just contribute to landfill.

So on that note, let me wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. Have a safe holiday and enjoy time with your loved ones. And if you're looking forward to a well deserved break, put your feet up, enjoy some soft music and get comfy with a book...because I know I would.

*hugs*

Eight = Luck?

I had my staff review today...

And my current boss asked how I felt about my score.

What can I say? I'm not entirely thrilled...even though I did get an overall 'Exceeds Expectations' review. But is that because I'm putting pressure on myself to be more than I can be? Or is it just because I know I put in so much blood, sweat and tears that I believed I deserved a better score?

I couldn't tell him. I was tired, sleep deprived and just not in the mood. Plus, I can never win with him so why even bother?

Your boss should know how fantastic you are...you shouldn't have to tell him...isn't that the way it should be? Your boss should also be the one that sings your praises to everyone else and recognises you for the contributions you bring to the team. What happened to that breed of bosses?

*sigh*

It's no wonder so many people want to become their own boss...

The Art of Procrastination

Oh, how totally slack have I been? I only have nine more postings to go before I reach a hundred...well actually, eight minus this one...which means I'll have to do one a day from now until we hit 2009. Oh the pressure! I can't take that kind of pressure...what am I to do? What am I to write about? Oh the stress!!! *melodramatic sigh* *does the whole damsel in distress MovieWorld thing*

*Yeah right!* Now, let's put some elbow grease on and get down to the blogging.

I used to be an on the blink procrastinator. What do I mean by that? Well, I'd do it now and again, not very often but just a dabble here and there. And then, I became worse. I became a part time procrastinator. I think it could've been due to all the 'Urgent and Important' issues at work that demanded immediate attention, constantly.

And now, I think I've become a full-blown home procrastinator. It doesn't hurt that Christmas is around the corner and everyone is either on holidays or is expecting to go on holidays. *sigh* But I think I've perfected procrastination...I think I've done it so well that I can possibly leave home stuff alone until next year almost...

Now just a littl tip I've learnt along the way to complement procrastination...I highly recommend a good cuppa hot Mocha (when you get the perfect cup, there's nothing better that the first sip of froth and the hot liquid going down, warming your body...mmmm...) and a good book (lots of people are raving about Twilight for some reason...must be time to crack it open and have a read...) and perhaps some really nice chocolate...can you beat cookies and cream Lindt?

Yup, I'm pretty sure I'm all set to procrastinate...now all I need to look for is that reading pillow of mine...now where did I leave it...hmmmm...maybe I should leave this aside for now and go look for that pillow...which could be on the bed...which could mean a nap...mmmm...nap...

Are you part of the cause or part of the solution?

I was going to talk about my half-moo'd plans but hubby and I saw something over the weekend that moved me so greatly I decided to blog about it instead.

We went to an open air exhibition that showcased pictures from 'Earth from Above' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The focus of the exhibition was to promote sustainable living and highlight how beautiful our earth is. There were 120 different photographs of the earth, its people and various animals.

There were all these facts that accompanied the pictures that made me feel such disappointment towards the human race. I couldn't help but wonder...if God made us, and if we were 'intelligently designed', why were we intelligently designed to destroy the planet? How is it that a loving God would allow for us to destroy His loving creations? How could that possibly be called intelligent design?

It was very heart wrenching to find out how destructive we human beings are. There were points where I was so moved by the pictures that I could feel tears prickling my eyes. It's amazing how we can be so cruel and selfish. We pillage and plunder and take whatever Mother Earth provides and leave her bleeding and raw with big gaping wounds. We take and take and when she's barren and wasted, leave her to fend for herself, abandoned and desolate.

But the one thing that made me feel an even greater sense of despair was if we continue down this path, what will the earth be like for future generations? Will there even be an earth? Will it become a wasteland that sci-fi movies seem to depict? Will our children's children end up living underground, never able to feel the sun warming up their skin? Will they never be able to experience the smell of freshly cut grass, feel the sand beneath their toes, see a magnificent sunset, hear the sounds of a rushing waterfall, or taste vine-ripened fruit? Will everything have to be artificially manufactured or genetically modified?

And so, I asked myself. Am I going to be part of the solution? And even before I finished the question, I knew beyond a doubt that yes, count me in! Because I am so inexorably linked to this planet that any injury this earth sustains will only hurt me too. And that I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I could do something...but didn't.

So what can you do? Well for starters, pause for 2 seconds and ask yourself:

• Do I really need to spend another 2 minutes under the shower?
• Do I really need to leave the TV, radio, computer, Xbox and all the lights in the house switched on?
• Do I really need to order more food that I know I won't be able to finish just because I'm feeling greedy?
• Shouldn't I change to energy efficient light bulbs and appliances?
• Shouldn't I try to recycle as much as I can?
• Shouldn't I find out how I can reduce my carbon footprint?
  

You too can be part of the solution. All you need to do is decide that you love this earth enough to be part of the solution. And tell everyone that you can to get them on board as well.

If you want to find out more, simply Google 'Sustainable Living' and you'll find heaps of tips and hints on how you can make a difference. You may also want to check out the 'Earth From Above' exhibition that we went to or have a look at Yann's non-profit endeavour - 'Good Planet'.

I know you'll choose to do the right thing. I trust you will.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to log off and turn off my computer before I use up anymore energy. Nite!

One by One

One by one, the days are ticking down to two things...
1) My 100th post and sticking my blog on a shelf; and
2) My last twenty-something birthday.

It really is quite funny how that sign seems to reflect my life at the moment. Life is going at 11kmh but time doesn't recognise this speed limit and is racing down the highway at full speed. It feels like I'm not doing anything important with my life but all I have to do is blink and it's already tomorrow, next week, next month!

Ever since coming back from KL, it's been work work work. I think I stopped for a second to catch my breath but by this point, I've already lost it again. It feels like a losing battle, walking uphill in a mud slide. Tiring, futile and yucky. What's worse is all this uncertainty at work given the acquisition that's happening at the moment. It seems we've been so profitable that we've been seen as a 'good buy' and have been bought over by a major organisation. FUN. *sigh* (On the bright side of this, I've never been through an acquisition before so at least I can say that I've been through one in my lifetime!).

But I've been thinking...soon, I'll no longer be a twenty-something and turn into a thirty-something. What have I achieved? How have I made this world a better place? And there's something that I've always thought would be a wonderful goal to achieve...if only we could get enough people passionate about it to start this up.

What is it?

Well, wait for my next blog...I still have to think this idea through. But I'll keep ya posted.

Twelve

12 September...

Not much longer to go.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Let me know if you want to meet up guys, I can't wait!!!

List of things to do:
1) Wedding...
2) Find dress for wedding...
3) Meet up with the guys from school...FGM, we need to go mamak!!! And can you have Sakae Sushi? Maggie, are you guys up for breakfast? Is that place in Centrepoint still there? Binx, I wanna see all your wedding photos!
4) Meet up with ex-work gang...Pugly, ice-cream ice-cream ice-cream!!! And uncle! I wanna see how big Kimberley is...
5) Meet with the Gang...Izso, Johny, Naz and all...can we tee up a time to get the whole group together??? Must get in touch with Serene...
6) Check up on new additions...(babies, babies and more babies!)...Danny, you're on the list!
7) Get my hair done for the wedding...to curl or not to curl, that is the question.
8) Do research on Koh Samui to figure out what to do and where to go...
9) Get some shopping done...need to get some work clothes!
10) Spend some time relaxing...and eating...and relaxing...endless holiday cycle! Nice...
11) Visit bro's new place and check out what everyone's been raving about.
12) Not think about work and live in the moment of my holiday...*bliss*...

That sounds like a good list, no?

*GRIN*

If you're happy and you know it just MoO!!!

Stop!

Just an interlude to say

CONGRATULATIONS DANNY AND LISA ON THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR NEWBORN BABY GIRL!

Can't wait for pictures, I'm sure she's perfect.

A013

School seems like such a long time ago. And yet, I still remember my SPM examination number. I also remember pulling late nighters, skipping Additional Maths (coz' I absolutely sucked at it), getting my IRC nick at school (I had a cold and turned up in this oversized white jumper and got called 'skimo) and other such memorable times.

How I wish that I wasn't in such a hurry to grow up.

Today was one of those days that I wish I had just not turned up for work. It just sucked so badly that on a scale of 1 to 10, it was -100! Ever since the new boss came to our department on secondment, I've just been miserable. Is it me? Is it my resistence to change?

I've never cried over a job before so having done it twice in the last 2 weeks to me, is drastic. What's worse is that I did it today, in front of him. I'm still kicking myself because I have told myself that I will never, EVER be a woman at work. I'll never be weak and cry and show any sort of soft emotions. I will never let my gender stand between me and what I want.

And I failed.

I've always enjoyed what I do and I'm always really good at my job. I've never been in a position like this before. And I hate it. I hate that forever more, he's going to remember this and hold it against me. I hate that the whole office knows that I let him get to me. And I hate that I feel this way.

I've never been like this before. Everyone who knows me knows how happy and cheerful I always am. And people always count on me to be positive...and cheerful. Its been awhile since I've lived up to 'Sunshine'...

Can someone tell me when its going to stop pouring? When will I become a better person because of this? When will it stop to hurt, like the splinter under my skin that just won't come out?

Fourteen

The Chinese believe that fourteen is an unlucky number. It means 'guaranteed death'. Yet to me, it means so many other things...

Fourteen is the number of days I have to wait until I get paid. I remember when I was in uni, living on 14 days worth of pay and scrimping to make sure that on day 12, I'd have enough money for food to last me another 4 meals. Earning your own moolah makes you appreciate so much more how hard it is to actually earn enough to live a littl'.

Fourteen hours is the longest I can possibly work before my brain starts to go to mush and numbers swim before my eyes. Its funny how we used to be able to pull all nighters to study for exams or finish assignments. I wonder where all my stamina has gone...perhaps my youth has left me for someone younger (!).

Fourteen minutes is how long a good shower lasts. It takes a good 4 and a half minutes to let the hot water kneed all the tension away and drench you completely before you can get any good lather going. Another 4 and a half minutes of rubbing and scrubbing and before you know it, its another round of good, hot water to wash away the day's dirt and all that stress.

Fourteen seconds is how long it takes to change your life. A single kiss could change the course of destiny in those fourteen seconds. And a good kiss, takes about that long for you to completely melt into a puddle of good feelings of lurve and lose yourself in your partner's eyes.

So really, fourteen isn't so bad...dontcha think?

And the countdown begins...

I'm thinking it might be time for me to retire. From blogging that is...!

This post is post number 85...which means I have 15 more to go before I reach 100. And at that point, I believe I will throw the towel in and call it quits.


So, to commemorate that point, let's look at 15 reasons why it's a good idea for me to call it quits...

1) The life of MoO has reached a plateau...which means that the cow hasn't had any (mis)adventures to report back and has to live vicariously through others! So let the stories continue...and they better be good coz' I'd like to live on the edge...through others!

2) No one wants to hear about my obsessive compulsive crazy self and re-arranging toilet paper rolls! Not to mention the use of same coloured pegs...or re-arranging coloured pens according to colours...and the list goes on...

3) There's only so far that cuteness can go...so no more stories of the fur-kids considering our puppies have already outgrown that phase and have become the hounds from hell. So this is potentially what it's like to have kids...hmmmmmm...

4) I already have visual enhancements (read: glasses) - let's not 'enhance' it anymore.

5) My tiny brain can only hold so much...and given that little bits have been dribbling out of my ears, I wouldn't trust it to hold anything too intelligent.

6) Work, work, work and more work. Let's not get started on work. We might be here all night. And day. And night...

7) I need to read. It's been such a long time since I've picked up a good book and had some brain food. Recently, I've been going through manga...now don't get me wrong, looking at pictures and having a really interesting storyline is a great way to de-stress but it's like feeding my brain chips when what it really needs is some meat and veggies!

9) How do you think you get RSI?

10) The law of diminishing returns. It's like ice cream...you know you want some but when you get too much ice cream, you wonder why you wanted some in the first place. So before we reach that point, I should cut my losses and look at perhaps chocolates...I'm sure I've got a block somewhere...hmmmm...

11) I blinked and it's now already halfway through the year. Where has the time gone? Maybe I need to get out more...and start doing other stuff...like go look for flute lessons already. I've got the instrument, what am I waiting for? (Note to self...2007 goal not achieved yet!!!) Just the other day, we went roller skating...and that was so much fun! I should get out more...

12) If I did less blogging, then I would be conserving energy and contributing to a greener environment! (Stop sniggering Izso, every littl' bit helps!)

13) Maybe this will make me pick up the phone and actually ring someone...hmmm...random thought: Did you know that VOIP calls can easily be hacked into?

14) Because blogging doesn't give me the same satisfaction anymore. The whole 'Been there, done that' thing I guess.

15) Just coz' I wanted to see if you would notice that number 8's missing! Now you're going to go back and check right? And then say...but hang on, that makes it 14! Well, the last reason is simply because I can. So there.

Booked me tickets...

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

KL here I come!

(Can you tell, I'm excited?)

Mousekateer or Moo Moo?

To my dear pregnant friends, congratulations!!!! I've been so flat out crazy at work that I haven't been keeping up with blogs and when the news came that two very special people are expecting, I started jumping up and down with excitement! Now, I know at least 4 expecting friends...I'm sure I'm missing a couple more!

This is such exciting news, and naturally leads to the question - how far along is the pregnancy? Will it be a baby born in the year of the mouse or a baby born in the year of the moo? I think it would be so cute to have a baby moo moo...but that's just me. I'm a bit bias (like duh! Isn't that obvious?).

And after all the questions have been asked, and all the questions have been answered, the same question always comes up...so when is it your turn?

When the time is right and when we're both ready, then it'll be out turn.

Until then, we'll be happily celebrating the news of new life and the arrival of little ones. Congratulations again guys!

p/s - I'm a tad bit early but if you're reading this Naz, Happy Birthday old man! Hope you have a smashing birthday!

Still haven't caught my breath...

What do you do when there's so much work...
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.
.
.
.
& so littl' time...
& not enough people...
& the pile of work just continues to grow...and grow...and grow...

Work work work...

Can I stop...just for a sec?

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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

I just need to catch my breath.

An apple a day...

I've discovered the most amazing thing...my puppies like apples! Not only that, but I've tried giving them slices of other fruits as well and they happily tuck into bananas, oranges and persimmons! I thew a couple of apples in the backyard this morning for the pups to play with and chew and upon return from work, discovered a half eaten apple (with lots of teeth marks in it!). No sight of the other apple, which means they must have eaten the whole thing!

I was talking about this to my other colleagues and apparently, their dogs love fruit and veggies too! One of them is capable of peeling a banana - she bites the top off and then starts pulling it apart! And gets absolutely annoyed at lettuce coz' she can't get a grip on the lettuce leaf. Another said how her doggie loves capsicums and gets given lots of fruits and veggies by her parents.

At obedience training, our trainer was talking about how her dogs are able to crack open macadamia nuts and eat them (and those nuts are blooming hard to crack too!). It's amazing the stuff that other people feed their pets...and you learn that the animals you once thought were mainly carnivores enjoy the same stuff that you do.

Now, shall I throw out another apple tomorrow or try a carrot? Hmmm...decisions decisions decisions...

'Tis the season

Every year, around this period, when the seasons change and the cold winds blow...it happens. Free flu vaccinations, increased tissue sales and runny noses. And without fail, one of us will catch the dreaded cold, and pass it on to the other.

Hubby caught it after coming back from Sydney, and now, I have been infected. I know how they say sharing is caring but this is one thing that he can keep to himself. I hate the whole scratchy throat and Rudolph-red nose...and I especially hate the coughing, blocked nose and general tiredness.

But it's too late - I've caught it and now, I'll just have to let it run its course. *sigh*

On a lighter side, I found this poem quite hilarious. My colleague sent it to me today, after hearing that I was unwell...

Love Story

I will seek and find you.
I shall take you to bed and have my way with you.

I shall make you ache, shake & sweat
Until you moan and groan.

I will make you beg for mercy,
Beg for me to stop.

I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you.

And when I'm finished,
You will be weak for days.

All my love,
The Flu

Now get your mind out of the gutter and go get your flu shot!

Stress...

Finally, after 3 weeks of continual stress, my boss is back from her holiday. It was an absolutely stressfuly period having to deal with her direct manager (oh man, talk about micromanaging!!! Why do we have so many control freaks running this planet?!) but I can honestly say that I've grown a littl' bit from the experience.

I also noticed that different people handled stress very differently. One person became a kiss-ass (oh, I hate such people with a passion!!! Truly! I guess in one sense, it could be looked at strategically as 'playing the politics game'. I hate doing that. Maybe I'm a littl' bit naive but I believe you treat others how you want to be treated. Universal law...no point going behind someone's back - they'll just end up finding out. And they'll have the knife you stabbed them in the back with too!).

Another person, was very uncomfortable with the stress and ended up being very very quiet. YIKES! Now, I counted on this person as this person is very knowledgeable but when crunch time came, this person clammed up. It was a crucial moment as we had an important visitor come see us...and I was let down. I couldn't believe it...

Other people tried to make me a dictator...and others made fun of the extra hours I was putting in. The only thought that I had in my head was of blue skies, clear ocean water and a spot for me on a hammock under a shady tree. That, and that I really really enjoy being in the team that I'm in.

But I guess what was most important was that I learnt that I bottle up all my stress. And maybe that's due to the upbringing that I've had. But generally, I think I take stress pretty well...and I hope that when we have kids, we can stress them healthily and have them cope as well. But now, all I'm going to think of is doing my job and focusing solely on that...and my seaside hammock!

&, oh...remind me to chain my boss to her chair - she's never going on another holiday again!

Cramping my style

God made us have pain receptors for our apparent own good. It tells us if water is boiling hot to prevent us from scalding ourselves. It keeps us from burning our fingers by playing with fire. Our receptors are what make us pass out if the pain is too great to bear. Pain is God's way of saying "That's not good for you, don't do it again".

So why is there an associated pain with a woman's menstrual cycle? Isn't reproduction supposed to be a natural cycle of life and death? What is God trying to warn us - "Caution : Release of fluid out of the body"? If you follow this train of thought, then why is it that men don't experience any pain when they have wet dreams? Sort of the same concept (expulsion of fluid from the body and is part of the reproductive process) and yet, is arguably more pleasurable for the male than for the female of the species.

Why is this so? Have we gotten the raw end of the deal? Not only do we have to deal with this bloody encounter, we also have to carry additional weight around for 9 months (at the very least) and suffer through the process of bringing a child into the world through an opening that's supposed to suddenly be incredibly elastic. Then we have to go through the exercise of breast feeding (which I hear is incredibly painful when the baby starts teething).

So why is it that men don't have to suffer any of this? Where has God written that the bearer of pain be the woman? I swear if I ever find the source of this, I'll definitely bring out my liquid paper and change it to be the man.

But right now, all I can do is whine about it and bring out more chocolate to try and soothe my pain. *sigh* Thank God we have stash of Easter chocolate...now, let's start with the bunny's ears...

Wow!

I was going to do a post on "Fast Food and Its Ramifications" (see Izso, this is when you push for a post!) but thought this video was much more interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKRZv6NGjdc

I couldn't believe what I saw - have a look. It's pretty amazing what an 84-year old person can do if the will is there. Heck, anyone should be able to do it if the will is there.

Now let me go pick my jaw off the floor and re-think if I should continue with my train of thought on food...

2nd skin

Men have it easy. There are only so many types of t-shirts, shirts, shorts, pants and briefs that they have to worry about. Not to mention shoes and other accessories. Easy. I could probably dress hubby with my eyes shut - all his clothes match each other and even if they didn't, he wouldn't mind.

Women, on the other hand, have it hard. Shirts, blouses, tops, sweaters, cardigans, vests, pullovers, t-shirts...and I haven't even described any other items of clothing! But the hardest bit of clothing (I reckon anyway) is finding the perfect bra - one that doesn't dig in, loses its elasticity, has straps that can be easily adjusted, scoops up your rolls of love handles and puts it all into a cup that allows for some womenly curves to peek out seductively.

I've been looking for the perfect bra for so long...and now, I think I've found it. Just a bit of unsolicited advertising but wearing the perfect bra is like having second skin on.

I happened to be window shopping online and thought I'd try a new lingerie label. There were the cutest littl' pale pink boycut panties on sale that I fell in love with and decided to purchase. The panties came and were so comfy that soon after, I went down to Myers to look for the brand.

Low and behold, there was an entire section of Elle Macpherson Intimates underwear. So I went to try on the bras and found it to fit much more comfortably than the bras I buy back home! I was pleasantly surprised because I figured that the 'ang moh' body was different to the Asian body.

So now, I don't have to wait for my annual trek back to Malaysia to buy underwear - I can get it all here and save that littl' baggage space for work shoes...or shirts...or blouses...or skirts....or pants...or dresses...or shorts...

I am Malaysian...

Today, I went to renew my passport. Besides the wait for my number to be called, everything went smoothly. Besides the 3 month wait for my passport, everything else lacked the Malaysian inefficiency seen at government offices in KL. I was suitably impressed.

Then I asked a question about the election this Saturday.

"So how do I go about voting this Saturday?"
"You'll have to go to the place to vote."
"The place?"
"Yeah - in Malaysia."
"You mean there's no other way for me to vote here?"
"Only if your a goverment servant or a student sponsored to study here by the government."

Now, my blood begins to boil.
1) If we're going to have a fair election, why am I, a Malaysian overseas, being excluded from having the ability to vote?
2) If we have the facilities for government servants or students sponsored by the government to vote, then why are we not able to use these same facilities for all Malaysians overseas?

But then I began speaking to other Malaysians overseas...and some of the things that they said to me is so disheartening.
"What's the point of voting? You know you're not going to make an impact - you're only one person."
"My parents were government servants. They would rather 'burn' their vote than vote for who they want because they're afraid that they might trace the votes back and then 'habis' (gone)."
"The whole system is corrupt anyway so what's the point?"
"I'm not registered to vote."

I can't believe that our forefathers fought so hard for us to have the option of who we would like represent the people of Malaysia. We have the privilege to vote - whether or not the results may be skewed is another issue. But if we don't exercise our choice, then why bother having an election in the first place? Have we become so disillusioned with our government that we don't believe our vote will make a difference?

I want to vote - but I can't. I want to make a difference - but I can't. I am registered, and I have been allocated a stream for me to go and cast my vote - but I can't!

But if you're in Malaysia and you're reading this and you ARE registered to vote - make a difference. Be the voice for us who cannot have a say in this matter. Be prepared to take a small step forward, towards a better government and a better Malaysia. This is my challenge to you as a Malaysian. And I challenge you to challenge other Malaysians to do the same.

Do your bit and together, we will take the first steps towards a better Malaysia.

Sydney, here I come...

All my bags are packed, am I ready to go?
I'm sitting here, I'm on the floor,
I'd hate to ring you up to say goodbye...

But traffic's peaking, just hear those horns,
No taxi's waiting, their strike's still on,
Already I'm so tired I could cry...

So kiss me and comfort me,
Tell me that you'll fly with me,
Hold me coz' I don't want to let go...

Cause I'm boarding on a jet plane,
I don't know if checks were done again,
I'm scared the engine just might blow...

On the news today, a plane went down,
From Perth to Sydney, not safe not sound,
I heard the smoke was coming out in rings...

So before I fly, I think of you,
And I think of smoke and firetrucks too,
& engine failure, maybe in the wings...

So kiss me and comfort me,
Tell me that you'll fly with me,
Hold me coz' I don't want to let go...

Cause I'm boarding on a jet plane,
I don't know if checks were done again,
I'm scared the engine just might blow...

Now the time has come for me to leave you,
One more time, oh let me kiss you,
I'll close my eyes and I'll be on my way...

Oh my weary bones...

I am so tired. I am so tired of dealing with people. I am so tired of working my a$$ off and having other people whinge and bitch and complain that they're so busy to another colleague (if you're SO BUSY, how could you possibly have the time to do the above?) OVER A CUP OF COFFEE! I am so tired of people being negative. Why do people have to put other people down just so that they can look better? Why is it that we can't help one another and get along? Why is it that the smallest of things can be blown into World War III?

*sigh*

I am so weary of the Australian work culture. I miss the Malaysian culture and the way that we work as a collective - we view ourselves as 'we' and we celebrate our unity. We know we're all different and we may have racial discrimination etc. But we can still work together and work through our differences and NOT let our differences bring the way we work down.

So maybe it is a good thing that people of all different backgrounds are being 'dispersed' everywhere - then maybe, more people can learn to live in harmony and understand that being different is good. Being different means experiencing new things. Having diversity may bring new learnings, new ideas, new challenges. And why should we be afraid of something new? Is change so bad?

*sigh*

Let it begin...

And so tomorrow, the onslaught begins.

Flowers will be sent, chocolates will be consumed, and some a$$es wil be kicked to kingdom come for forgetting. Retailers will believe that it's okay to make a killing on this day, and significant others will believe that killing is the only option for this day.

Today, a colleague (let's call this colleague Y) received flowers in anticipation of tomorrow. Me, I think that's a good idea. Get it in before everyone else. That way, everyone else can talk to their partners about what Y got and remind their significant others (not so gently) that they better get their acts together before the chopping block happens.

But I don't really care if I get flowers anymore...it just means that I have to care for them and that, at the moment, isn't something I relish. Chocolates isn't something I'd fancy either, given that I've put on a couple more kilos recently and don't need the extra weight (who said getting dogs would make me exercise more?). And the only thing I will be thinking about tomorrow is "Damn it, so much to do, so littl' time. When will my work be done?" Just like what I've been thinking for the past month or so.

So to everyone celebrating Valentine's Day (and also to those of you who have been forward thinking enough to plan a nice Valentine's Day surprise), enjoy the day. Cherish spending time with each other, because it's another day that you have to share and that you can create memories together for.

On the other hand, to those of you who've gone "Crap, it's tomorrow?"...all I can say is good luck and may the Force be with you (so that you can do the whole Obi-Wan Kenobi mind trick). If that doesn't work...you're on your own mate!

Bucket Head (The Second)

My poor puppy...

We are only mere mortals

Today, Heath Ledger passed away. He was only 28. It came as such a shock this morning as I was preparing to leave for work. Only last night were these two radio personalities talking about death and what people would say when you die. They did a feature on one of the radio personalities because her co-host said that she would not get to hear what people had to say about her if she passed on.

I pondered over my own mortality. How many people would truly mourn, besides my family and close friends? Who would notice if I passed on? Would I be merely like the tree that falls silently in the Amazon jungle? Or would it be something that people talked about and grieved over for awhile?

How would my eulogy read if I passed on?

"Here lies The Cow, loving wife and daughter, sister and close friend. Moo lived a full life, with much love to give and share, and many wise (but sometimes sarcastic) words to spare. She lent an ear, a shoulder (some arms and legs plus the whole body if necessary), but also kindness and compassion to all.

Everyday, we will miss her quick smile, her gentle hand, her kind words and her loving gestures. We were all privileged enough to have met her and to have had her in our lives for this period of time. Though there may have been moments of pain, anger or sadness, they were short-lived and few and far between. But they only made us appreciate more the sweet moments that we shared.

We will always remember the Cow and cherish the memories of her. May she be at rest, wherever she may be. And we hope, for her sake, the grass is greener on the other side (and more tasty too)".

Will this be what people say?

Things that make me go grr!!!

Every year, I seem to have a spot of really bad customer service. This year, a New Zealand company is the subject of my frustration.

Very late last year, I purchased a container from a retail chain of supermarkets over here. We had bought some deli-bones from the Barkery for the pups for Christmas and I wanted to put it in an airtight container. Anyway, bought the container, took it home, pulled off the tags on it, and proceeded to take it apart to wash it. It was only when I was washing it that I discovered the lid to be cracked.

And so I figured that I'd better get in touch with the manufacturer to let them know that they had a faulty product and ask for a replacement. I visited the website to find contact details (you can check it out too if you want. The company's called Sistema Plastics) and was pleased to note that they "continue to meet and exceed the expectations of the customer". And so I emailed them.

A day later...and no reply...okay, so maybe they're short staffed due to the festive season.

A week later...and no reply...*shrug*...lots of people must be on leave for the new year.

So about a week and a half later, I send them an email. Not a rude one but one that basically tells them what I think about their "customer service". Low and behold, I get an email the next day apologising for the delay due to the festive season (yeah right, and I'm Pamela Anderson. Who do you think you're trying to con? I wasn't born yesterday you know. I'm pretty sure that if I had not sent the second email, I wouldn't have received a response).

So anyway, I give them the benefit of the doubt and give them more details. I get another email the next day asking for pictures and more detail. And so I oblige. And then I get an email back saying " We would normally be hesitant in replacing something like this as the photos show you have actually washed this container (see the water marks on it) and I’m not sure why you’d do this with a faulty / broken container, however I will send you a replacement lid, and trust you will have no further problems with it."

And now my blood's boiling. Are you calling me a liar lady?!? Because it sure does sound like it. I'm spending my time emailing you, letting you know about a faulty product and you can't even see beyond your own miniscule little understanding that I'm doing this based on principle???!!!!!! Think about it for 2 secs - it isn't worth me spending all this time emailing you for a $6 container.

And that the company is SO CHEAP that it can't even spend $15 (I doubt it costs that much but I'm just taking into consideration postage and handling) to keep a customer happy. "Meet and exceed expectations"? I don't think so...I don't think they even come anywhere close to meeting my expectaions.

AND the person who's been emailing me has the gall to sound all huffy about sending me a replacement lid. Can you believe the nerve?

So all I can do now is spread the word so that you too won't fall into the same trap of thinking that emailing the manufacturer might actually be the right thing to do. Or buying anything from Sistema Plastics for that matter. Because for all the "customer service" claims on their website, they sure don't live up to it at all.

The moral of the story? I'll just listen to hubby: Next time, just buy Tupperware.

RIP

Sam chewed my wedding teddy bear...it's now RIPped to pieces...*sigh*...*bigger sigh*...*even BIGGER sigh*...

What am I to do with her?!?!?!!!

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

And 2008 has strolled in, with the imminent 36 degree heat and rising temperatures.

I don't know if there really is much to celebrate in the new year, given that global warming has caused us to live with dangerously painful heat everyday. For the next few weeks, temperatures are predicted to hit the 40 degree mark more than once a week. It's going to be a scorching hot summer for me, and I'm not looking forward to it.

I doubt our littl' ones are looking forward to it too. We filled a clamshell (a plastic clamshell that's big enough for littl' kids to play in) with water and tried to get Kitt and Sam into it. Kitt is very adventurous, sporting enough to put her head underwater and blow bubbles out her nose. She needs no coaxing to go in - she follows Nike and just does it!

Sam, on the other hand, is ever so tentative and cautious about getting the slightest bit wet. She went around the clamshell, looking for a way to get to her prize without getting her paws wet. She patted the water gently and looked dubiously at me.

"Do I have to?" is what her liquid brown eyes said.

Many a time she walked away, only to come back after much persuasion. The only thing hubby and I wanted her to do was submerge one paw. ONE PAW! How hard could that be?

Well, after lots of urges and attempts, and me getting into the water, littl' Sammy put one paw in, grabbed her littl' treat and dashed into her kennel to hide away from the big bad people who were trying to get her wet.

Now how are we ever going to keep her cool?!?!!