Stories with peeks II

Stories with peeks II

Here is my cousin's cat, Shakir. Personally, I'll call him 'Marmalade'.

Background check:
My cousin brought Shakir back when it was just a teeny-tot of a kitten. It grew up adoring my cousin and I guess my cousin always cuddled before dozing off.

Well, that is until my cousin got married. And moved out. WITHOUT him.



Shakir missed my cousin and with my cousin's every return to his parents' abode, where Shakir remained - this feline will cozy up to something that carries a strong scent of his owner.

....That will continue to linger in his senses even after my cousin had gone home. . .





...Guess at which corner of the house did I find this fella cozying up at?

There he was, nestled comfortably at where my cousin put his SNEAKERS. He rested his head on my cousin's sneakers for goodness sake!

*inhaled deeply* "Ahhhh... the scent of his feet.... My JOY. "

So that's us at my uncle's place (where Shakir is).

They served an array of sumptous dishes, one of which is bone steak. Yeap, nice huh?

Well.... try eating that; suckling out the bone marrow and nibbling bits of meat with the amber-coloured gravy - while watching THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

Yeah and the idea of the 'dead-skin-mask'? Totally unnerving. Appetite diffusing. DEFINITELY.

After the hearty meal at my uncle's open-house, we trooped down to my other uncle's place. His wifey is a believer of 'being-a-good hostess'. Despite just knocking off from work and rushing down to her bro-in-law's open house, she actually found time to prepare Soto for us. I really appreciate the nice gesture but my tum-tum was already asking to wave the white flag...

Trooped down to my other uncle's place, next. Wahh... after all that food, my eyes were getting really droopy, liao. Seriously.

They were watching soccer. Not really my favourite teams playing, so my eyes got sooo heavy.... My mind got somewhat fuzzy, then . . . . Z z z z z z . . . .

. . . . G-O-A-L!!!!!!!!

I was jolted awake... Huh? Huh...? What? Oh, Chelsea scrored. Cheh..! My dad made me drink a a cup of black coffee. I downed another. Sheesh. I NEED ALL THAT CAFFEINE!

Gotta send my grandparents back first. Oh God, please. Wake me up. My car's gonna be filled with passengers. PLEASE...!

I did feel refreshed as the somewhat cool night air hit my skin. Phew! Yeah, we made it back safe and sound.

THE NEXT DAY. . .

My cousin came with her brood. She got 7 kids, total. She brought her step-daughter's family along. Her step-daughter is younger than me and already had 3 kids. Hmmm...

Hey, my cousin's step-daughter has kids. Won't that make the kids, my cousin's grand children? My cousin's already a grandma. Then me??? Erk?! Grandma??? Noooo....

Check this out. This is my cousin's littlest tot. The youngest. Yes. No. 7.

But that's not the deal, here. Look at the bottom left-hand corner of the pic. See that ghostly hand..?

That belongs to my mum, actually. And NO, my mum is NOT a ghost.

Just some motion-blur, lah. Cool effect, huh? I LIKE.

Stories with peeks I

Stories with peeks I

Ok.... both my physical and mental self are still showing NO signs of being sleepy... Geez.
Let me find something to blabber about... Maybe Hopefully that'll get me sleepy...

Hmmm...

I still have tons of pics-scraps from the left over days of Raya... The raya mood is already dwindling, esp. now that the time for weddings have started...

Since I had so much time, I figured I should do more that just upload the pics -
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This is Billa, taken when we visited her house. She was in her cranky mood I guess, so her mum was unable to put her down and had to carry her everywhere.
We used to wonder why this girl had difficulty putting on weight and was pretty small for her size. Now we guess it was a kinda' blessing in disguise....





This is Billa again. This time, taken at my house. She was bubbly, responsive and active, so much so that all glasses had to be placed in one side, just so that she couldn't reach them. She won't hesitate to smack her (elder) brother should he refuse to give her what she wants. Was that the same girl whom the mother had to carry around the other day? I wonder.

Yes, that's her and her brother. (Check out her doe-eyes!)



This cute little tyke is 'Yah' (that's what she call herself). I dunno what her name is. I did ask her but I can't make out her babbling. She is really cute, lah. I rarely see her around and yet, at my house, she talked and played with me like I'm her long-lost sister.

Yeah, her friendliness may come off as adorable to those around her. But I bet her parents are fearful that she becomes an easy prey to strangers with ill-intentions...

... I later discovered that her actual name is Insyirah.




This is Nurul, Tini's niece. She was supposed to come with Tini to my house for visiting (after my parents & I went to their's).

Somehow or rather, something cropped up and Tini told me she lost her patience and left without this little girl...



So Tini came alone. Aww... When she came, 'Yah' was still around. I realised that 'Yah' and Nurul are both around the same age. It'll be nice to see if the both of them could get along.

Anyway, it was while wanting to send Tini back that I tumbled down that stairs andTini had to venture home - alone.

Geez, some things are just sooo..... unexpected.

Insomniac Ramblings

Ramblings of an Insomniac

Just dropped by bro off at M.S and come back and find myself unable to sleep. GREAT. As if tomorrow is not a working day.... Well, at least it's Friday.

....Wait a minute. It is??! WOW!

Anyway, he had the cheek to ask me to join him. Haha. I know he does that just so there'll be someone to drive him (and maybe his frens) back. I know he's not the partying sort, hence his hesitation. If not for his collegues, he wouldn't even be there now, considering he's on the morning shift. Guess my mum & I gotta try harder at waking him up for work later.

Driving past M.S and looking at the nocturnal party animals living their life, I think back of my own version of nocturnal life, which seemed to have been more active since last year. But hey, night-life to me had been midnight movies, supper-either locally or at J.B, midnite shopping at Mustafa, joyrides to Changi or simply hit the beaches and the occasional pool sessions.

Clubbing? Naaaah... I'd rather sit down and chill to live music on stage (preferably some rock numbers) like in Aquadisiac. Last time I went to Planet Hollywood~KL, I just played pool. Luckily it was ladies nite, so entry was free. Besides, it was some R&B/Hip-Hop nite. Sooo NOT my thing.
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Loving my car now. My bro had sent it for its 20,000km service at C&C. An overhaul, more like it. They replaced most of the parts and balanced everything back. It felt darn new. Very smooth. Like the feel of your hair after you just stepped out of the salon. It's like a deja-vu of those days after I just brought it back from the Leng Kee showroom. Well, except that this time, it's a more experienced driver behind the wheel.. *ahem*

Aiyo

Aiyo, Aiyo!!

Boy am I glad that my boss is away!

Imagine this sight: My left left propped on another chair while I'm struggling to to figure out how to draft this image on this huge-ass A0 paper. My idea of getting orund the office would preferably be rolling around in these 2 office chairs (1 for me, 1 for my left leg)...

********
Last nite, my parents & I went to Tini's hse. We later rushed home cos' someone's coming for visiting. Tini came by later.

As always the both of us chatted till late (almost 2330hrs) and I offered to send her home. My house is on the 10th flr. The lifts stop at the 9th. On the way to the lift lobby, I received an SMS. I checked it. I went down the stairs. Tini was ahead, already at the lift lobby.

I suddenly felt like I was stepping on empty air. You know, like nothing-under-your-feet kind of feeling? Next thing I knew, I lay crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. And I was hugging my handphone all the way. Holding it close to my chest. Protecting it.

While it's the cause of me tumbling down those steps!! Sheesh!!!

Ok... Ok... shouldn't blame anyone but myself... I mean, I can't blame those steps, right? It's not like they gave way under my feet. And I can simply check the message when I reached the lift lobby. It's not like the handphone chose to have an SMS coming in while I was going down the stairs... Geez!

I got my bro to assist me back home. Applied a cold pack to minimise the swelling on that sprained ankle while watching Bram Stoker's Dracula on cable (that show's cheesy, by the way and Keanu is hot! Oh, Kiera Knightley looks a lot like Winona, huh?).

Talking bout' icing, here's what u can do when encountering a similar mishap (courtesy of orthopedics.about.com) :

1. Get the ice on quickly.
Icing is most effective in the immediate period following an injury. The effect of icing diminishes significantly after about 48 hours.
2. Perform an 'ice massage'.
Apply ice directly to the injury. Move the ice frequently, not allowing it to sit in one spot.
3. Don't forget to elevate.
Keep the injured body part elevated above the heart while icing-this will further help reduce swelling.
4. Watch the clock!
Ice for 15-20 minutes, NEVER LONGER. You can do more damage to the tissues, including frostbite, by icing for too long.
5. Allow time between treatments.
Allow area to warm for at least 45 minutes or an hour before beginning the icing routine again.
6. Repeat as desired. Ice as frequently as you wish, so long as the area is warm to touch and has normal sensation before repeating.
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...Not supposed to ice for more than 20 mins... Hmm... I iced my ankle all the way till' the movie ended! When the cold pack became limp after it lost its cold, I used REAL ice to reduce the swelling....

Frostbite?! Did they say frostbite??

Geez!

Geez!

Was raining when I left the office. So the umbrella came in handy.

Got off the bus.

The people around me were walking around umbrella-less. So I forged ahead. Pitter-patter.
Still drizzling. I opened my umbrella and crossed the road. Walked on the open path to my block....

....Walked along to the lift lobby. There's a lift on the ground floor. Pressed the button. I entered. Or so I TRIED. I somehow can't enter the lift! Looked up...

What the??! My umbrella was still ABOVE MY HEAD!

Upon reaching my block, instead of closing the umbrella, I actually walked like I WAS STILL in the rain, the umbrella remained grandly opened. All the way to the lift lobby. Almost 50metres, ok?

First thing I did (after putting the umbrella away), was to look around. NO ONE. Phew!!
Can you imagine the embarassment should one of my neighbours had been behind me and saw this girl walking under the block with her umbrella???

In the solitude of the confined space within the lift, I screamed. LOUD. But I'm wise. I dun scream all the way to my floor. You'll never know who'll be getting in when you step off.

Uuugh. Geez!

pics uploaded

Erm...

I've already uploaded the Raya fotos (finally!) into an online foto album. However, I've decided to make it for-family-only. Therefore only those who are invited to view, are able to.

Those who think that they ought to be able to view, just email me. I think the link is on the side bar. Some Yahoo! address.

Meanwhile....

Just look at what will happen to you if you dun bother to lather on the sunblock. And you work outdoors and your choice of eyewear is a pair of big-ass shades similar to that worn by Steve-O.

That's my brother by the way. He had no idea why I was giggling hard when I took this foto. But kinda adorable, lar. If a panda has a white face and black rims around the eyes, he has a dark face and white rims around his.

Tee hee hee...

Quote

"Quote"

His whole entry comes to me as a bunch of B.S. lumped together. His angst expressed as the atheist that he is. But you can read it HERE if you want.

However I found some excerpts that I consider interesting (not meaning I agree with him wholly, though).

"...In just the past few years there has been a giant tsunami that took out well over a quarter of a million people. Terrorist attacks have occurred all over the globe. There's been a sharp rise in the number of suicide bomber jobs. Rampant genocide continues in many parts of Africa. A record number of massive hurricanes have battered the United States. An imbecile is the Commander in Chief of the free world. The United States has started a pointless and endless war with another country and the world at large hates us for it. And most recently Earthquakes have claimed thousands of lives.

As for me personally... I've seen both of my promising career paths sputter into stagnant pools of dried drool and my once very happy marriage recently crumbled to dust faster than you can say selfish cunt...."

hari raya

Hari Raya pics...

Gambar raya, ler. Preview onli....

1st Day~Maternal side

1st Day~Paternal side

3rd Day~3 families getting around together.

4th Day~3 families getting around together (cont'd).

**********

Ok, those of you who have been waiting for me to upload all the raya pics (yes, I'm pointing at you, Sue) .... You can wait long long. I've decided to wait until after this weekend, when my paternal side will storm my house, before I will upload ALL the raya pics.

Rather do everything at one go, lah. Sorry, ok?

Scary....

This is freaky....

Monday 7th Nov '05
Time: 2230hrs.
Just came back from Hari Raya visiting. Was still clad in my kebaya, when my cousin called to say he wanna come over. When asked what time, he said, "Around 11."

Informed my parents. My mum hurriedly prepared to fry some mee. I prepared the cookies and spruced up the living area. My dad cut the cakes.

He came at 11.15pm. His infant son is asleep. His wifey wanna change his son out of his uncomfortable overalls and change his diapers as well. I watched as the sleeping baby eventually cried, unhappy at being rudely disturbed.

I quickly made them some tea. Baby is awoke and my daddy carried him around. I played with him. MY cousin was about to drink his tea when his handphone rang. His wifey decided not to drink hers cos it's still hot. The phone was passed to the wifey.

Her shrill voice then rang out, "What! Whose house is on fire?! Mum, where are you?"

My cousin grabbed the phone from his clearly agitated wife. "Mum? What's going on..? WHAT?! Have you called the firemen?"

Ok, something's clearly wrong here..... My cousin was clearly struggling to have a decent conversation with his mum-in-law. Either the line's bad or SHE'S in a bad shape... So he called his mum. Turned out, his mum-in-law's house was ON FIRE. Can you believe that?!

So they hurriedly packed up and apologised profusely to us. "So sorry. So sorry. My mum was crying and her house was on fire. It was just her and my aunt. I'd better get there..." Was all the wife could say, over and over.

My mum was like, "It's ok. You better go. Don't worry." Then she turned to my cousin, "You drive safely. Don't be so gan-cheong."

They got out the door, grabbed the baby from my dad and scrambled off. I dunno why, back then something told me to send the baby home....

I looked at the untouched cups of tea on the table. At the fried mee that didn't even managed to be served. Something's not right...
*****
This morning, I asked my dad about that incident. He called his sister (my cousin's mum) and all she can say was that the in-law was hopitalised. Ok, THAT sounds serious.

During lunch, my dad told me the story appeared in The New Paper. Ok... I THOUGHT it's a small fire... Maybe it's just a small report ran about it.

Still my curiousity got over me and I bought a copy of the paper. BOY, WAS I WRONG. It ain't just a small report. It's the headline of the day. The cover story. A whole 2 pages of it. And was the fire huge!!

All the while, I was thinking, Goodness, I wonder how they managed to bring their infant into that scene. All that smoke, ruckus and noise...
Now I know why I strongly felt that I SHOULD have sent the baby home, instead of letting the parents bring him along...

I wish them well. The house was above the playground (where the fire may have started from). The 3rd or 4th storey, but definitely affected. I hope the damage wasn't too serious. And during this festive season. Oh boy...

Post-Raya Monday Blues

Post-Raya Monday Blues

Too much sugar in my system. All those (sweet) carbonated/syrup drinks, cookies, CHOCOLATES....

Too much food. NOT just any food. Heavily spiced ones, mostly cooked with the ever cholesterol-laden coconut milk.

And too much meat. Esp. those that come in the form of CRISPY fried chicken (yum!). Oh, too little veggies. Except for those you see swimming in the kuah lodeh or the occasional cucumbers (wait, THAT is a fruit) that come with satay.

To many relatives seen over the weekend. Especially those seen only once-in-a-blue-moon (I admit), like during Hari Raya or weddings. Thus the shock at seeing how fast distant cousins have grown, esp. the guys. And how the elders seemed to have REALLY aged.


And definitely too much driving. One end of S'pore to the other. From this car park to that (darn those multi-storeyed ones and their season parking lots, which took 3 of the 4 storeys-making us drive all the way up to the top level!) Missing out on one house and driving all the way back to that neighbourhood we just left from. Then, losing our way. The best part is, we go there EVERY YEAR and we got lost EVERY YEAR. Tsk. Some people just never learn their lesson. And I was in the lead and my uncles (in 2 other cars) ACTUALLY followed me. Geez!

I guess the most bluesy moment comes to me right after I checked my Internet Banking account. I wonder where all the moolah goes to..... And the month JUST started. :(

Bless my bosses for still being in Bangkok today. Or else, I wouldn't know how I'll be able to cope with Today a.k.a Monday

Eid Mubarak

Selamat Hari Raya ~ Eid Mubarak

Selamat Hari Raya, y'all.

And I take this opportunity to apologise from the bottom of my heart. I dunno why this is done only once a year, but since everyone seemed to be in this 'forgiving' mood, I might as well jump on the bandwagon.

I know I can use a little more tact in my speech and writing, sometimes. And I dunno how my actions could have offended anyone cos' seriously, if I know that it will hurt, I won't even get into it. I'm not THAT heartless.

So, all in all... With utmost sincerity... I apologise...

Have a joyous Hari Raya! Happy Holidays to the Non-Muslims!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy....!!!!!!