It's been a year - post mortem

This is about the time that some people who got married last year announce that they're divorcing or getting a divorce.

I'm still married. Not that I'm bragging or anything. Just stating a fact. Too many friends who got married before me are already signing divorce papers with 2-3 kids in tow. Not to say that within the last year I haven't thought about it...

Truth is sometimes our quarrels get really out of hand that I think, "Ok, this is it! I've had enough!"

His stand? Divorce is not an option. He's a firm believer in the Will & Jada Pinkett-Smith relationship principles of marriage.

Btw, I'm watching En Vogue (Free your mind) on VH-1 channel on Showtime. Brings back memories....

I've learnt a lesson or two. I think so has he. He still finds it difficult to admit he's wrong when he is. Then again isn't this a universal male problem?

Sorry is a hard word to say. Especially when you know you're in the wrong.

Year 2007

This has definitely been an interesting year for me...

From January to April, I was caught up with wedding plans.

May was a whirlwind with the wedding: 1 ceremony and 3 receptions. (I'm still paying off the loan I took for my wedding...) Plus our lovely honeymoon in Bali.

June was back at work with a twist...I got subconded to another project. A huge one...One that shakes and rattles peoples nerves...

July came and went...

August saw my birthday and the momentum of the project picking up...

September was like project peak period with Ramadhan thrown in.

October was a frenzy, trying to launch our new organization structure and also first time having Raya with the in-laws...

November is here now and all I can think of is the last week of December when I'm off to Singapore to visit relatives (which is basically a cover up for shopping at Orchard Road...)

Next year? Well, as much as I would love to postpone, everyone is advising me to hurry up and have kids. What's the rush, I ask? Apparently biological clocks can be VERY unforgiving...Hey, if there are volunteers to take care of the baby, I'm in. The last thing I need is to be waking up every 2 hours for a feed...Not to mention countless diaper changing. And baby's poop, no matter how cute the baby is, can stink all the way to hell!

I'm back...

I decided to take Sports Freak's advice and revive my blog.

I don't know if anyone would still remember to check in on this blog...

In any case, the one year and 2 months hiatus has resulted in me getting married...and have been so for the past half a year.

Marriage is not easy but yet it's not that complicated either. I'll tell you what's weird though...Having to share that bed space with another body. I still wake up in the middle of the night having to push him over coz he encroached on my 'territory'. We only have a double bed and by Asian standards we're a little larger and taller than the norm.

The whole Raya thing...the in(out) laws thing....Heh! That was new.

That was like a whole new culture in itself...But I'd have to say I'm pretty lucky to not have much problems with my in-laws. They're nice people. Save for his granny who said that it was good that I 'tak lawa sangat' otherwise he'd find it difficult to look after me.

Granny, do you know that my 'hotness' level has increased AFTER i got married to your grandson???

Seriously gramps...

Hiatus

I guess when I'm contented, I don't write much as I cease to have anything to rant about. ;-)

I've been extremely, fulfillingly, busy due to work...And I have a man in my life, a good man. Not brilliantly wonderful or anything like that....He's just good - to me, for me, with me....etc.

So, while I'm keeping this blog open, I will probably write less from now on. Maybe once a month...

Take care and do drop by once in awhile to see what's going on.

Thank you.

Love,
Ms. J

World Cup 2006

This is how I want it to end:

Champs-BRAZIL
1st runner up-Argentina
2nd runner up-Germany

But I guess it won't happen as Germany's playing Argentina on Friday...

So I guess its:-
Champs-Brazil
1st-Germany
2nd-Portugal
3rd-Italy

If I have my way...

We are rude???

Are we rude? Or are we rude?
My take? We’re lacking in courtesy.

Here is the list of things I encountered over the week that brought me to that conclusion.
1) We don’t greet people unless we know them. And we don’t smile often enough. When I was young, I used o wonder why white uncles and aunties would say hi to me when they stepped into an elevator with us when neither my parents nor I know who they are. Took me awhile to figure out that it was just the way those people are.
2) We don’t give way much. ESPECIALLY when driving. Part of it could be due to the fact that if you give way to one car, another 10 cars wanna do same. And people don’t thank you for letting them cut in. Instead, they drive even slower and make you wonder what the hell they were hurrying to cut into your lane for.
3) Selective chivalry is prevalent in this country. Most guys I know who hold doors open for ladies are the ones who have been overseas or the ones who mix around with people who have been overseas. And some of them don’t hold the door open for all women. Just those whom they fancy. If the girl is pretty/young or both, they hold the door open. If it’s a babe carrying a baby, they hold the door open. However, if it’s some aunty/makcik with a fat ass, they pretend they didn’t see her.
4) Some people cut queues and feign ignorance. Even when you say “Excuse me, I believe I was here first.” They just shoot you a blank look. And most cashiers won’t stand up for you.
5) Our middle finger now plays a more active role in our daily lives. People don’t hesitate to use it. Once upon a time, we’d only use it under extreme conditions. But I guess our road conditions nowadays can be deemed as extreme.
6) MAS stewardesses. If you’re Caucasian and male: “Would you like some coffee or tea, sir?” If you’re Caucasian female: “Coffee or tea for you, ma’am?” If you’re Malaysian female: “You want coffee or tea?”
7) Many of us do not mind our P’s and Q’s. How many of us actually end our requests with ‘please’? And how many of us actually say ‘thank you’ when we receive something?

I think over the years, as we become a more economically progressive nation, we compromise our social skills. We skew towards being selfish and adopt I’m-number-one, Ah-never-mind, and Who-cares kind of attitude. We care about ourselves and ourselves only. We may be heading towards a developed nation status in terms of skyscrapers but some of us are still very much third world in terms of mentality.

What's wrong with Kongsi Raya?

What's up with sharing festivities anyway?

Let's take the example of Chinese New Year and Hari Raya. Lemme tell you what happens on Chinese New year.

On CNY eve, we have a family reunion dinner. How does this serve to 'pesongkan aqidah'?

On New Year morning, we wake up, shower, put on our new clothes, greet the elders 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' and receive our Ang Pau's. Where's the 'pesong aqidah' element in that?

Then we eat our vegetarian breakfast. It's bloody vegetarian for goodness sake! How do you 'pesong' one's 'aqidah' with that?

Then it's family photoshoot time. (Nak pesong camne lagi nie???)

Then comes my ultimate favorite: FAMILY MAHJONG TIME!!! Ok la...I suppose you could connect this with the vice of gambling but puh-leez...How do you gamble when you're playing at home with underaged cousins, granny, mommy, aunty, uncle, grand aunt, grand uncle, sisters, etc...???

Then comes Raya. I used to wake up early for Raya, now I don't. So what happens is that, once we're all in our Baju Raya and we've done the 'salam-the-whole-family' and seek forgiveness session, it's time to head to Granny's house. Followed by another 'salam-menyalam' session. Then we dig-in into the Nasi Beriyani, no limit, free-flow, for the whole day. Since gramps house is where everyone gathers, we just wait and see which granduncle or grandaunty turns up. In between it's watching all the Melayu movies and concerts on TV.

There used to be a fireworks session but since the government ban, we've all resorted to becoming couch potatoes.

Then there's the usual family drama, where you'll have an overly-emotional uncle or aunty crying his or her eyes out during the slama-menyalam session. That's one to look out for. They only repent during Raya, other days they 'tak sedar diri'. But nevertheless, I find it amusing. Sembahyang Raya is usually done by the men in the family. We girls stay at home.

SO, while I'm not exactly burning joss sticks and making offerings to the Kitchen God, the Jade Emperor and Goddess of Mercy, do tell me what the whole hoo-ha is about Kongsi Raya? I've been Kongsi-ing since I was born. My religion still hasn't changed.

The Omen review

There are a couple of questions to which the answer cannot be found in this movie. First of all, why did the Jackal give birth to a human baby?

Secondly, the priest that gave the damned baby to the normal parents, who is he? Is there an anti-Christ cult? Disguised as normal preachers? If so, they knew that they were bringing the anti-Christ into the world? And how did they hope to benefit from it?

And then there’s Father Brennan who has the 666 mark on his thigh. Does this mean that he’s also the Son of Satan? Since he shares the same kind of birthmark with the damned one? If so, why does he want to kill the anti-Christ instead, if he belongs to the same cult, or if he was the previous, Damned One?

And what’s the significance of the 7 Mediggo Daggers? Why can the child only be killed with these weapons?

And how did Mrs. Baylock know where to find the child?

Either the movie was badly chopped up by our censorship board, or the original storyline wasn't that strong. Eitherway, watch only if you have nothing else to do.

Now...if I can just get my hands on X-Men 3 tickets...