life's like an hourglass glued to the table

Know how things seem fun for a while, then you forget all about them? Or get caught up in too many other things?

Yeah.

December was...eventful. I was quite pleasantly surprised one Sunday morning, which was just the beginning of two weeks of the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, all at the same time. Christmas without Charlie, and slightly different from our usual, as dad's family were all over the place. Good, all the same. Laughs, presents, food. New Year's was memorable, to say the least. Again, different - a park (and in high heels, too...) to watch fireworks. And now, we're already a month into the new year. Today, someone else left. But on the bright side, I now have two dresses and a top, yaay!

It's all about time, though, isn't it. You're in that moment and it feels like you have so many more, that this isn't at all going to come to an end anytime soon. Until it does and you're left yearning, wondering how come it feels like forever when it's only been a few weeks, and how those moments seem now to have gone by so damn quickly.

A watch, one that stops time. A teleporter. A desert island (or maybe a log cabin in the mountains...).

These are the things I want right now. In other words, to be left alone, just us, without having to worry about the rest of the world.

To stop the sand in that hourglass. Just for a little while.

*Anna Nalick - Breathe (2 A.M.)

you.

Almost a month later, and I don't even know where to start.

The booklets looked gorgeous, as did everything else. I did eventually find shoes and clothes and accessories...and I kinda sorta rocked my Bachelorette Party badge ;)

The wedding was quite the experience, in more ways than one. Clubbing till dawn with a view of the ocean from the dance floor. Too little sleep. Cousins I haven't seen in the longest time. Performing after two months of secret dance practices. Dressing up every night. Meeting all sorts of lovely people...and the wedding itself!

Okay - confession. The only reason I'm doing this is cuz I found out that when you Google me, you get this website. Obviously, I didn't Google myself. But hello, the person (people?) who did :)

oh. my. god.

I was telling P about all the things I have to do in the next couple of days, and I freaked.

Here it is, so you can freak with me.

1. I'm printing the program booklets for my cousin's wedding (which will be in Bali in under two weeks!!). That's 400 pages.
   
2. The official opening of the place I work at is this weekend. There's SO much to do for that! We've got some deputy minister dude coming, a bunch of other VIPs...
3. Then, there's the opening itself.
   
4. Relatives are arriving one by one. Dinner tomorrow. Another on Friday.
   
5. A birthday on Thursday.
   
6. Engagement dinner on Saturday
7. I have to get my hair cut this week.
   
8. I have no shoes for the wedding.
   
9. I have to decide on accessories, bag/no bag...
10. I have to start thinking about the things I'm going to wear and packing!
11. I have to remember to bring the Bachelorette Party badges. I can sooo see myself forgetting them, and they're way too hot to not use.
    
12. Sunday is our final secret meeting before the wedding.
    
13. I'm receiving an award on Friday morning. No idea what I'm going to wear for that either.
    
14. Monday I've got my final fitting for the dress and we're hosting a bridal shower/dessert party thing. For which I need to sort out chocolate fondue stuff and bake cupcakes.

I think that about covers it for now. Gahhh.

buying things without paying for them

It was my day off from work and I had a bunch of errands to do. I need shoes for the wedding, I needed to pick up my necklace and my cousin needed a margarita. We later ended up in MPH cuz I have RM300 book vouchers to spend. It felt like a task at first - I kept thinking about how much easier it would have been if I had just had that in cash. But we walked around anyway, and I came home with a Sophie Kinsella book I wanted a while back, and a cupcake set type thing. It comes with a recipe book, a silicone tray, but more importantly, a piping bag and five different nozzles...FUN! If I like you enough, you should expect cupcakes. Walking around and picking up random things is no longer a task.

of bats and buddhas

I kinda freaked when I was filling in the date on a feedback form the other day. It was the first of November. NOVEMBER!!

In other news, the Oasis CD has moved from my desk to my CD player, where it lies pretty much un-listened to. Blasphemous, I know. I need to sort that out.

The Diwali/Grad party was...a lot of things. It was the first time ever I wore a sari, so moving around was very much a controlled process (as opposed to an automatic one, as it should be). There were quite a few surprises - I had no idea what would be going on, and also in the form of people I didn't quite completely expect to be there. But it was nice, tho.

I received a letter today. Apparently, the lovely people at the University of H in England have decided to give me an award for Year 3 performance...yaay! Although it means another awards ceremony...

We had a gorgeous Thai dinner the other night. It was mum's birthday and we ended up in The Curve, deciding between Fridays (which had been decorated for Halloween) and Sutra (which has the coolest walls full of Buddhas). I miss Bangkok. I miss Bali (which will be taken care of very soon). I miss everything, really. I could go on :)

And I miss Charlie. It's awful to think it's been almost a year.

hmmm...

It's been a while (I really should stop saying that) since my Feature Writing class (which I aced, btw...). Same story, different day. But who doesn't get distracted and forget all about their non-blog blogs?

Okay, a lot of people, but I'm not a lot of people.

Things are hectic. There's work, there's the wedding and wedding-related things (the surprise, the dress...), the grad/Diwali party my parents are throwing...and there's also the shiny new Oasis CD that's sitting on my desk which I haven't even begun to listen to. That, however, is at the TOP of my list of things to do - even before Kirby Atwood ;)

Here's to starting again! *clinks glass* for me. I just realized that October is pretty much over. Where are the weeks going?!

untitled

This is the first assignment I wrote for my Feature Writing class. Writing fiction was a lot more difficult than I had expected, and I had actually written almost one whole piece before deciding on a complete re-write. We were told that titles are unnecessary, and I have to agree cuz I really don't have one and I don't quite see the need. It'll probably just influence your perception about the story, so here it is, in all its titleless glory. I still feel kinda insecure about it, but the (more than) decent grade helped :) Much thanks to my editors, P and V.

***

The tall, glass windows and steel fixtures that surrounded her made her feel as though she was on board a futuristic space shuttle, headed for a destination unknown. The cool blast of air-conditioning hit her as the automatic doors slid open. It was a welcomed relief from the stifling heat of the car park. Walking into the hall, she was immediately surrounded by throngs of people, each of them seemingly set on a personal mission. How many of them were here for the same reason she was, she wondered. The butterflies that had been flitting around in her stomach for the last couple of hours had somehow learnt to salsa. She felt her heartbeat quicken as her eyes searched the hall for a wall of displays. Spotting them, she struggled to make her way through the crowd. The place was unusually packed, she thought to herself, recalling the last time she was here. It had been a breeze then, unlike today. She finally arrived at the displays only to find that his flight had been delayed. She sighed heavily, realizing that she would be spending the next hour in this massively congested arrival hall. Yet another hour that she would not be spending with him.

Her stomach rumbled, interrupting her thoughts. She had skipped breakfast, having not slept well the night before. Thoughts and plans for the weekend had consumed her and made a good night’s rest an elusive desire. By the time she finally fell asleep, it was almost time to leave for the airport. She had decided to trade breakfast for a few more minutes in bed. Now, she thought to herself, I really need some food.

Her eyes searched the hall again, this time for a different reason. There was a fast food restaurant filled with families and queues that stretched its length. Harried parents were trying to feed their children and themselves, and the noise emanating from that corner of the hall was enough to send her scurrying in the opposite direction. Glimpsing a café a little farther away from the madness, she headed towards it. It was crowded as well, but decidedly less noisy as its patrons were mostly people her own age. Stepping into its cozy warmth, she breathed in the aroma of coffee that permeated the air and glanced around. There was a woman in a long, printed skirt, sitting by herself and flipping through a tattered copy of a travel guide. There was a man with dreadlocks, looking at his laptop screen with a male friend. Then, she caught sight of an empty armchair tucked away in the corner of the shop. She hurried to the counter to place her order, hoping that no one else would get to it before she did.

The queue had only three people in front of her, and by the time she scanned the rather extensive menu, it was her turn.

“Good morning, how can I help you?” asked the floppy-haired teenager behind the counter.

Momentarily distracted by large, metallic ball beneath his lower lip, she paused, trying to remember what she had decided on having.

“I’ll have a…chocolate croissant and a caramel hot chocolate, please,” she told him while rummaging through her bag for her purse. He tapped her order onto the computer screen in front of him. After paying him, she hurried to the armchair only to find that it was now occupied. The man had his back towards her, but she could see that the armchair opposite his was empty. Deciding to find out if that was taken as well, she walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and she felt her breath catch in her throat. Behind his wire-rimmed glasses, he had deep, green eyes. His dark hair was swept off his forehead with a casualness that suggested just the opposite. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at her.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” she asked, pointing to the empty armchair, hoping that the words she had uttered were audible and more importantly, in coherent English.

He glanced briefly at the chair before shaking his head and motioning for her to join him. She placed her bag on the table between them, next to his mug of steaming black coffee. Sinking into the purple velvet of the chair, she took a deep breath and snuck a peek at the young man in front of her. He was wearing a white, pin-striped shirt and reading a thick novel with yellowed pages. As she was trying to read its title, a waiter arrived at their table with her order, causing the man to look up. Once the waiter had left, he flashed a dazzling smile at her and introduced himself.

“Hi, I’m Damien," he said, extending his hand.

“Mia,” she replied, shaking his hand. She hoped that he didn’t notice her slightly sweaty palms.

The butterflies in her stomach had begun their salsa dance again. She smiled at Damien, trying to figure out the attraction she felt to this stranger.

“What brings you here?” he asked, slipping a colorful bookmark between the pages of his novel.

She hesitated, trying to resist the urge to tell him the entire story. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt a connection to this person who mere minutes ago, knew nothing of her existence. She felt like she could tell him anything.


“I’m picking my fiancé up,” she began.

His intent gaze didn’t waver. He nodded slightly, not saying a word but somehow compelling her to say more. She suddenly found herself describing the long-distance relationship she had been in for the last four years. The toll it had taken on her, but also how she lived for whatever time they were able to spend together. She told him about the vacations they had taken. The weekend trips to Bangkok and Bali. Skiing in the Swiss Alps. Shopping in Milan. She also expressed the emotional anguish she felt every time they said goodbye. Damien just sat there, occasionally sipping his coffee, listening to every word she said. It was an intense experience for her – she was animated, gesturing and talking ever so quickly. He, on the other hand, was the complete opposite – sitting absolutely still except for the occasional nod.

Before she knew it, she found herself telling him the doubts she had about her impending nuptials. How she wasn’t sure if she was willing to uproot herself from her familiar surroundings, her friends and family – to live in a foreign country, jet-setting around the world whenever necessary. She talked about how intense their relationship was and how much they cared about each other, but how she didn’t know if that was enough. Her eyes welled up as she told him of her fears. He picked up a serviette from the table and offered it to her, her croissant and hot chocolate long forgotten. She took it from him and their fingertips grazed. All of a sudden, the butterflies were now moving to a faster, more intense rhythm. Warning bells sounded in her mind. She took a deep breath and excused herself to go to the washroom.

Standing at the sink, she splashed cold water onto her face. As she picked up a paper napkin, she thought about what had just happened. I can’t believe I told him all that, she thought to herself.

“What was I thinking?” she asked her reflection, drawing curious glances from the other women.

By the time she had brushed her hair and reapplied her make-up, she had devised a plan. She was going to tell him that she had to leave immediately, not wanting to spend another minute under the scrutiny of his attentive gaze.
She arrived back at their table at the exact moment a waiter did. Damien had thoughtfully asked for her croissant and hot chocolate to be reheated. Realizing that she was still hungry, she sank once more into the soft, velvet-covered chair. I’m just going to get this over with, she told herself. She reluctantly looked up to thank him. He flashed her that smile again as she took a bite of the warm, buttery croissant. His eyes never left her, and this was now beginning to unnerve her. She quickly finished the croissant and set the plate down.

“Look,” she began, sitting up. “I haven’t the slightest clue why I told you all those things. I love him. I really do. And we’re getting married in two weeks,” she continued.

He regarded her for a moment before leaning forward, closing the physical distance between them.

“Are you trying to convince me, or are you trying to convince yourself?” he asked.

She cursed silently at how her body welcomed his intrusion of her personal space. I’m going to murder those pesky butterflies, she thought to herself as she felt them start to flutter again. Sighing, she looked away, torn between wanting to defend herself and getting up and leaving. Why should I have to explain myself to this stranger, she asked herself, knowing full well that it was because she actually cared what he thought of her. The attraction she felt towards him unsettled her. She decided to leave before she did anything else that she might later regret. She looked back at him, finding that he hadn’t moved. Shaking her head, she picked up her mug, downing its lukewarm contents.

“Thank you for listening, but I have to go now,” she said as she got up and turned around to leave, not really meeting his eyes.

Suddenly, she felt his fingers around her wrist. She stopped and turned to face him. He was standing up now, towering above her.

“I know you felt everything I felt,” he said softly, his deep voice competing with the surrounding sounds of cutlery and conversation. He stroked the inside of her wrist with his thumb.

She stood there, not quite sure what she should do. Her heart was racing. She was drawn towards him – to his intensity and the way he made her feel she could say anything. At the same time, thoughts of her fiancé fought for her attention. His flight would be arriving at any minute, she reminded herself, desperate for a solution to the dilemma she found herself in.

“Excuse me, is this table taken?” A young woman was standing in front of them, gesturing to their table. She had shattered the connection Damien and Mia had shared only moments before.

Damien looked at Mia, expectantly. She glanced back at him, shook her head and said to the woman, “It’s all yours,” before walking away.

“Wait!” she heard him call out. Ignoring him, she walked faster and disappeared into the crowd.

Back in the arrival hall, she wandered through the hordes of people, looking for a place to sit and wait. She walked past a group of drivers holding up placards with names on them, waiting for their guests. Past banks of seats until she finally spotted an empty one. She settled down in between an old man clutching his walking stick and a young boy clutching a PSP. She glanced at the dials of the diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist, a gift from her fiancé whom she would be seeing very soon. That realization suddenly filled her with a sense of guilt.

Wait.

Why should I feel guilty, she asked herself, staring at the shiny, marble floor. It’s not like anything happened. We just talked! Her attempts at rationalizing her uncharacteristic behavior failed to relieve the sinking feeling she had in her stomach. She looked around, trying to distract herself. It seemed like a group of people had just entered the hall. Wheeling trolleys laden with bags, they searched for familiar faces among the masses. There were tearful reunions, so unlike the tearful farewells taking place in the departure hall. She smiled as she watched a woman about her age jump into the arms of a young man, wrapping her arms around him tightly. The sight warmed her, and she got up, walking towards the entrance of the hall.

She stood on her tiptoes, trying to see past the people gathered there. Another group of weary travelers were making their way into the hall. Her eyes parted the crowd, searching for that familiar tumble of unruly curls. The butterflies started to dance again. This, she thought to herself, is real. She tried to push images of those piercing, green eyes out of her mind. Everything that had happened with Damien was nothing but cold feet and perfectly understandable, she told herself. She glanced down at her watch again, wondering what was taking him so long. All of a sudden, there he was, standing in front of her with the largest bouquet of purple orchids she had ever seen.

His charcoal suit, unbuttoned to reveal a light blue shirt, looked immaculate even after a long-haul flight. With a heart-warming smile, he enveloped her in a hug that literally took her breath away.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, holding her close.

Before she could reply, she saw Damien over her fiancé’s shoulder, watching them from across the hall. That intense, unwavering gaze sent a chill down her spine. Hurriedly pulling away from her fiancé, she explained that she had been waiting in the crowded hall for a long time and just wanted to get out of there. His puzzled expression softened. He took her hand in his, leading her towards the elevators. She cast a glance over her shoulder to where she had seen Damien, looking again for those green eyes. He wasn’t there, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The wretched butterflies finally settled down.

The next evening, she accompanied her fiancé to a dinner he had organized to welcome his new colleague to the city. The past day had been utter bliss, spent relishing the pleasure of each other’s company and sorting out a few last minute wedding details. They walked up to the bar, where a tall man was standing with a drink in one hand. He had his back towards them, and turned around when he was tapped on the shoulder.

“Mia, I’d like you to meet Damien,” said her fiancé.

Her mouth went dry, her heart started to pound. The butterflies had begun to dance again, this time to an unbridled, almost ferocious beat.

domesticated...NOT

Exactly a week ago was the first day of my self-imposed hiatus from all things academic. Last Wednesday, I had my last final. It was around then that I decided to go vegetarian three times a week for a month. I had momentarily entertained the idea of doing it for a whole month, but that would be unrealistic (I'd run out of things to eat before you can say 'vegetarian'). Now that I have pretty much, absolutely nothing to do until I decide otherwise, I have been spending some time in the kitchen. I made a vegetable curry the other day, and today was asparagus with vegetarian sambal belacan and a stir-fry (broccoli, tofu, corn and cauliflower with vegetarian oyster sauce).

On Tuesday, I went over to H's to make konnyaku jelly for a dinner she was going to. Somehow, we didn't feel satisfied so we came back to my house and made cupcakes. Since I had a pot of Swiss chocolate leftover from an impromptu chocolate fondue/Taboo party I decided to throw, we stuffed bits of chocolate into the cupcake batter just before they went into the oven. The result? Pure deliciousness. Pictures courtesy of H.

And as I have said before, I'm not domestic :)

for granted

Early yesterday morning, a pipe decided to burst somewhere in SS2. THe result? We had no water all day. At first they said the water will be back by noon. Noon became 3, which became 6, which became 7, which became 9...and then, they stopped answering the phone.

I was washing up before bed after coming home from a place called KTZ with the friends (they have some pretty strange things). I had left the water running for a bit, and then I had a moment. When was the last time I turned on a tap and not expected clean water to come gushing out? We're such fools.

tunnel vision

**Edited Version**

this time, the assignment was to look out a window for ten minutes, then write about what you remember seeing for the next ten. critique.

***

In stillness, movement captivates.

The leaves on a neighbor’s tree wave gently in the soft breeze. An ant makes its way across the porch tiles. Another ant, a little further away, heads in the opposite direction. The wind picks up – branches sway, a dead leaf glides gently to the ground. Outside, a red and white taxi passes by. The curtain waves, and the scene is momentarily viewed from behind a haze of gold. A butterfly with black and yellow wings flits from a plant to another, its wings fluttering steadily. Outside now, a blue car. Sunlight is dimmed by a passing cloud and everything turns a shade darker. There is another butterfly. A woman with large, black sunglasses and a fuchsia-colored headscarf walks by. The palm tree casts a shadow on the grass beneath it. The passing cloud is gone, and everything is bright again.

In movement, stillness captivates. Vibrant colors are everywhere. The light green of the blades of grass. The pink of a hibiscus. The deep purple of large leaves. The white of small flowers. The grey of stepping stones.

Sounds are everywhere. The drone of football news that almost drowns out the trickling water from an indoor fountain. The chirping of a bird. A phone rings. One-sided conversation.

inked

It's done. Three weeks passed by so quickly. I walked into the shop, told them how I wanted things, came back 15 minutes later, made some changes and I was good to go. Half an hour later, I walked out with a butterfly on my left ankle. When the needle first touched my skin, I asked myself - is that it? And seriously, it didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected it to. Don't get me wrong, there were bad moments. But cuz the whole thing was over pretty quickly, it wasn't so bad. Now comes the fun part - healing.

of self-imposed silence

In yesterday's Feature Writing class, we were given a little assignment. Here's the piece I wrote on it. Comment away, s'il vous plaît.

***

I glanced at what was written in the notebook in front of me: “No verbal communication from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.”. There was no way that this was going to happen, I thought to myself. I put my things away and left the lecture hall.

It had been a long day – back-to-back classes, defending a thesis I had been working on for almost a year, and then, attempting to tutor a preadolescent in the nuances of the Malay language – a feat far more challenging than it appeared. But I was finally back home and looking forward to a long, hot shower when I remembered this little assignment. Before I could talk myself out of doing it, I decided to give it a shot. With much reluctance, I informed my mother that I would not be communicating verbally for the next five hours. Her reaction? “How ridiculous!” It was 7 p.m.

While in the shower, it appeared that my mind was attempting to make up for the silence I would be subjecting myself to. Thoughts raced through my mind. How would I say the things I needed to say? Paper and pencil? Charades? Can I actually do this for five whole hours? Would my other senses be heightened now? I paused momentarily – did my papaya-scented shower gel smell any stronger? Did the water on my skin feel any hotter? It was only then that I realized that talking wasn’t even one of our five senses, although I know many people who would argue otherwise. I must have been a lot more tired than I thought.

7.25 p.m.
I was making copies of some legal documents when a name on the page caught my eye. Wanting to know why the man I call ‘Uncle Mike’ had Maria listed as his first name, I had to resort to gesticulating wildly to get my mother’s attention from across the room, and then try to explain what I wanted to know. This whole self-imposed silence was beginning to annoy me. I had questions and comments that I didn’t want to have to write down to get across. Her one line explanation didn’t really explain anything, and ‘Uncle Maria’ didn’t sound nearly as amusing in my head as it might have out loud.

7.32 p.m.
Into the room sauntered my brother, who reacted to my mother’s explanation of my strange behavior with puzzled glances that soon turned into sarcastic sniggers perfected by many an adolescent. I then had to fend off his attempts to do everything he possibly could to make me give up. I persevered, but my patience was wearing thin.

7.48 p.m.
I was in my room, contemplating throwing in the proverbial towel. Although I had no plans on being extremely verbose for the next couple of hours, I liked that it was an option. The gestures and the miming were fun for a little while, but I could see my frustration levels increasing steadily as the night wore on. It was taking more energy to not say something than to actually say it. This was the last thing I wanted at the end of a strenuous day. My mind made up, I left my room and announced loudly – I. Give. Up. It was 8 p.m.

happy birthday to me (again)

Yesterday, we took my dad to the fish spa in Bangsar for a little (belated) birthday pampering. He had his feet immersed in a pool and let little fishes nibble at him for half an hour. Apparently, it feels like electricity. The place is pretty, once you get past the squeamishness of the whole thing. After lunch in Selangor Club, my mum, brother and I went on a hunt for chocolate cake supplies. My cousin had decided to have a spur-of-the-moment family dinner that night (thereby resulting in the postponement of the Sushi & Sorbet Extravaganza I had planned), and my brother decided to make his famous chocolate cake – which is actually my famous chocolate cake. Jamie Oliver’s recipe.

Mmmm.

Anyway, he made the cake and I smothered it in chocolate. I was looking for those little silver round things like I used for a white chocolate mud cake one Christmas but the shops didn't have them, so we ended up with M&M’s, cuz we were told that the cake was actually a surprise for my aunty. No, she’s not two…but that’s the fun part. We thought about spelling out her name gave up after the first letter. So I just randomly plonked them all over the cake, and it ended up reminding me of inkblots (I don’t think I’ll ever remember how to spell the dude’s name…Rorschach?). My dad and my brother see a chicken. I see a chicken but the other way around from them. Someone else saw a map of Australia.

What do YOU see?

And the cake ended up being for both my aunty and me. Meaning that I iced my own cake, haha. I also got yummy Body Shop stuff from my cousin. I've never really been a fan of their fruit range, but oh my god. The tropicalness of the papaya body gel made me walk out of the bathroom with the hugest smile and an intense craving for the beach.

happy birthday to me

Turning a year older is always buckets of fun, isn't it :)

Last year, I was whisked away on a surprise (I only found out at the airport) holiday to a 5-star resort and was given an orang utan for a year. Rode a horse on the beach. Jumped up and down (and up and down again) on a trampoline. A little hard to top that, but I manage.

Because the ADP electives timetable wasn't out, I kinda had to attend a class from 8 to 10 in the morning. The night before, I was up late watching football with my brother, and then when I went to bed, two friends called so I ended up sleeping late - which I made up for when I came home. That afternoon, I went to this spa that my mum's been to a few times. She gave me a gift voucher for a full body massage, which is something I've never had and she figured I needed (My dad bought me a t-shirt I'd seen the last time we were in Switzerland but didn't get and unfortunately, too big for me cuz my aunty told him it would shrink in the wash - it didn't - and a Venetian glass pendant from Venice). I'm prone to tension in my shoulders, so I was seriously looking forward to the experience.

It began with a floral foot bath. You sit with your feet immersed in a wooden tub of flowers in warm water. The masseuse then scrubs your feet (which felt a little strange and ticklish) and dries them off before leading you to your massage room. After getting undressed, you hop onto the mattress thing, face down. Below you is a bowl of flowers, and the lilting sounds of traditional music fill the air. Her fingers start working, and the scent of lemongrass oil fills the air. (Almost) Every square inch of me, from my toes to the top of my head. Then, she had me turn around and she worked her way up. All. Over. Again.

Bliss.

It ended with me attempting to sip some ginger tea. Bliss? Not so much :)

Later that evening, the family (or two of them, anyway) came over for what I call "feedy-feedy" after a family friend used this term to describe cutting the birthday cake and feeding a little of it to family members. We had chocolate cake =D

Dinner was with friends from uni and school in Antonio's (otherwise known as the family restaurant), which my friends have never been too. The starter was a mozarella thing, then we had pizza, fettucine carbonara, spaghetti bolognese, cannelloni and for dessert, apple pie and crème brûlée. After all that, we wandered over to TTDI Plaza and walked around (as usual) trying to decide where to go. We walked through two places - one was ridiculously loud (and not in a good way) and both were full of people waaaay older than us. We ended up back in Waikiki Too, where much of the music was waaaay older than us. The same live band was performing, and my friends got them to play Wonderwall and Happy Birthday.

At the end of the day, it didn't matter what I did. It was who I had around me (and of course, those who were there even though they weren't) that was most important. You know I love you guys. Xoxo.

a chocolate palooza

When we were in Langkawi not too long ago, we bought quite a bit of (duty-free) chocolate. Yesterday, my dad came back from Switzerland where he had gone to celebrate his brother's birthday with enough chocolate to feed a small army. There's oodles of chocolate in our fridge. It's nothing compared to the 50+ bars we brought back the last time we were there (which sounds insanely excessive, I know, but they were for friends and family!), but we're definitely spoilt for choice. I'm not a chocoholic, but there's something about Swiss chocolate - a fineness you don't really get otherwise. And sometimes, it really does make you happy :)

bola sepak

My brother talks about football a lot. He tries to explain the differences between the Barclays Premier League, and the...other thing. Lol. I pay attention - some times. He talks about the games, the players, and who's doing what. It all started when I started playing FIFA during a semester break. Anyway, there's a big game going on now, Manchester United (I typed that as 'Untied' <--- hahaha) vs. Wigan.

I'm not a fan of Manchester United. Mostly because my brother is, but also cuz a certain player (let's call him C) is a complete drama queen and he annoys me. And also cuz rooting for the other team is so much fun than rooting for the same one.

Okay. Giggs just scored and my brother ran a victory lap around the living room.

oh. my. god.

I did it. I finally did it. I have an appointment with Lina from Borneo Ink. If you didn't already know, getting a tattoo is something I've been talking about for the last...I don't know, ten years maybe? In that period of time, I've changed my mind so many times that it made me realize that getting something permanently etched onto my skin was not the best idea at the moment. But I did it today. I walked into the shop and made an appointment. How's that for indecisiveness.

domestic undomesticness.

I made chocolate chip cookies today. The last time I made these was a little over a year ago, which is a really long time considering how good chocolate chip cookies are. The reason for that being, despite how satisfying the process is, it's so much easier to pay a little visit to your neighborhood Famous Amos. Or if you're lucky like me, sometimes dropping the odd hint works pretty well (I recently complained about a gummy bear craving and my mum, who happened to be grocery shopping the next day, came home with a bag full of them).

I'm not domestic. I just like making things. Later, I'm going to lock myself in my room and put together a collage my brother and I are making for Mother's Day. Cookies or collages, I'm so there.

tag - you're it.

List out 5 things you wish for:
Right now?
1. another beach holiday
2. perfectly painted nails
3. a phone call
4. more than a phone call
5. gummy bears

The person who tagged you:
H. I’ve decided to use initials for people I refer to. I hope I don’t mix them up...

Your first 5 impressions of her/him:
Okay, wow. That was a really, really long time ago.
1. Little =p
2. Friendly
3. Smart!!

The most memorable thing s/he has done/given to you:
Being there for me when I needed her.

If s/he becomes your lover, you two will:
Not surprise a lot of people, considering how much time we spend together.

If s/he becomes your enemy, the reason will be because:
Won’t happen. You never forget the person who bought you your first egg tart.

5 people you tag:
Seeing as how I have absolutely no idea who knows about this – no one. Or you.

5 people I want to erm kacau?
Kacau? Seriously? Ooookayyy...
1. H - cuz she made me do this.
2. J – cuz we just met up for Starbucks and the exchange of duty-free smokes for an external hard drive full of things to watch, yaay!
3. D
4. L – cuz I associate “kacau” with her.
5. K

Who is 3 having a relationship with?
Haha. With school.

Who is 5 having a relationship with?
His bed. Or the gym.

If 2 & 3 got together, would it be a good thing?
LOL. Won’t happen. But then again, they’re both kinda geeks...J just said – “I playED wow n I’m good at computers...I’m a certified geek =D”

What about 4 & 5?
They've met...I think twice. Both are kinda sporty, so maybe?

What is 3 studying?
Something clever. Disclosing it would make it kinda obvious.

When was the last time you chatted with 5?
We’re chatting right now.

Does 4 work?
Nope.

Would you be with 1?
I’m with her a LOT of the time *blows kisses* hahahhah.

How about 5?
He’s a friend. No.

Does 2 have any siblings?
Yup. An older sister.

How did you get to know 2 & 4?
2 = We were in the same secondary school and in the same class for two years. Now, we’re bad influences on each other :)
4 = Same course then same project groups. Now, the person I ‘kacau’ during lectures.

Where does 1 live?
In Kuantan/down the road.

Is 3 the sexiest person in the world?
Is anyone the sexiest person in the world? But – okay, I won’t go there ;)

off the beaten track

We just spent three days in Langkawi. My dad's in Switzerland (and France and Italy, grrrr...) for his brother's birthday and he's been to Langkawi more recently than we have, so we decided to go. Our last trip there was 12 years ago, and almost nothing looked familiar.

From the airport, we took a cab to our hotel on Pantai Tengah, which supposedly has the best beach on the island (more later...), and a little further from the touristy area of Pantai Cenang. The hotel itself is pretty - grounds were gorgeous but it lacked the famed "Malaysian hospitality", especially when we compared the people with those we met in Thailand and Bali. A little unfair, maybe...but anyway, the view from our balcony helped make up for it.

We left to go check out the cable car thing. Standing at the base of the island's second tallest mountain and looking up at where I would be in less than five minutes kinda freaked me out a little. What was freakier was the ride from the middle to the last station, which although doesn't go much higher, goes across from one peak to the next. That's also where this crazy suspension bridge is and if you stand completely still, you can feel it swaying slightly. Once you get over the initial WTF AM I DOING?! phase, the view is quite spectacular. On a clear day, you are supposed to be able to see Thailand (more later...).

Getting around the island is fairly simple. They have an extremely organized taxi fare system so you know you won't get cheated (unless your taxi driver tells you he'll wait for you and later charges you an additional 10 ringgit...), but the fares add up to quite a bit unless you're staying in your hotel and not moving at all for the duration of your holiday. A better idea is to hire a car - you pay 50 ringgit for a day and drive yourself around. There are signs everywhere so you can't get lost even if you tried, and the roads are really good. Watch out if you're driving at night - some places don't have streetlights and out of nowhere, a herd of black buffalos decided to cross the road. We found a gorgeous Malay/Thai place for dinner in Kuah.

For the next day, we had hired a guide to take us on a mangrove tour. What most tourists do is hire anyone who will do the usual, including a visit to the Bat Caves and feeding eagles. We found someone who doesn't believe in feeding the eagles and agreed to let us tailor our itinerary to what we wanted to see. If you're ever in Langkawi, don't go with anyone who feeds the eagles. This is unnatural and the poor things are conditioned to associate boats with an easy meal. Our guide was the man - he knew the scientific names of everything he showed us - the different species of mangrove trees, random plants, wildlife...

We took a route that bypassed the tourist traps, seeing otters, two types of monkeys, a HUGE monitor lizard, mudskippers and eagles. We went into Crocodile Cave (in our boat) - other tour operators just show you the cave and tell you that the boat won't be able to fit in. We also went to this Langsuyir place (can't remember if it's called a lake) and to Pulau Anak Tikus to check out some fossils. I loved being on the boat. After a while, I hopped onto the front and didn't move for the rest of the trip. Going out to the open sea, our guide pointed out Thailand in the distance. Phones started beeping - "Welcome to Thailand! Call home to Malaysia..." - hilarious. We had an excellent lunch in Barn Thai, literally in the middle of the jungle. I'm sure there's a road, but we got there and left by boat. Later that day, we headed back into town to visit the Eagle Square which I wanted to skip in favor of the beach, but my mum and brother insisted. That was followed by more duty free shopping which was kinda depressing cuz Cadbury chocolates here are twice the price of what they are there, and let's not even talk about the alcohol.

Back to the hotel for sunset on the beach. The waves were massive, bigger than the ones in Bali where we went body-boarding. The sand shifted to quickly that one minute it was shallow, the next, deep. Right before the next wave, when there's this whooosh and all the water and sand gets sucked away, standing at the edge of the ocean, the waves were taller than me. Dinner was in this amazing little place across the street. The ceiling is made up of boards that have messages written in chalk on them, from all the people who have visited over the years. While waiting for your dinner, you get entertained by magic tricks and sated with plates of peanuts. Dessert was complimentary watermelon slices.

The next morning we spent chilling by the beach and in the pool. There were these strange sluggy things with thorns all over the beach and in the water, and they didn't look too friendly so we stayed away. Our flight back was later that afternoon and we went for an excellent lunch a few minutes walk away.

Everywhere you go in Langkawi, you're surrounded by mountains. I'm guessing that explains the lack of a breeze - it was intensely hot. Not that it's much better in KL - bloody global warming. But the island takes laid-back to a whole new level. The roads we travelled on had just two lanes and no traffic whatsoever. Opening my eyes on the way back home from the airport, civilization kinda freaked me out. All the buildings and the cars and the lights. There, it was totally unnecessary to even know what day of the week it was. I miss it already.


Pictures are on Facebook and more will be on Shutterfly. If you're important enough, you'll get a link.