Quick Update

Busy. Really.

Next weekend. Maybe.

Oh man.

One door closes

Yesterdays goodbye's were unexpected and rather sweet.

The colleagues full force impromtu troop dowstairs and out the office entrance to wave me off took me by surprise. Driving away in my car I finally felt a twinge of sadness and loss matching their own and wished I had displayed less calm and collectedness and more emotion at leaving. Oh well.

And so now, I will be enjoying my unemployment (I prefer the term slacking off) for all of 4 days, heh.

I love you too.

The end of the road

It has just dawned on me that in 3 days, to be precise, on Wednesday, 15^th February 2006, I will be PC-less.

Excuse me while I …ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Heh.

I was idly wondering what I would do for the 4 days before I start my new job and was pleasantly thinking that I could surf the Net, write some stuff, blog or whatever, when I realized that I’d have to surrender my notebook when I leave.

Excuse me again while I…ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

******

So yeah, I’ve finally gotten round to leaving after almost half a decade and will be starting fresh someplace new.

The past month has been a mixed bag of emotions: the relief at finally moving on was dampened by the nostalgia and sentimentality of leaving the comforts of all the familiar. The excitement of trying out something new in a different environment is also tempered by the fear of the unknown and the niggling voice of self-doubt. So this has left me feeling somewhat neutral and ambivalent. I am the definition of paradox.

But it’s ok. I know it’s the right decision.

******

But that still leaves me with no PC until next week…..

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Weekends like these

…..are one in a million, so complete, I could live in them forever.

I feel loved in a gleeful ‘wiggle-my-toes’ and silly grin kind of way.

And dear, the sneaky little cabaret-ish send off? Really, whatever will the neighbours think?! heh, heh!

So with that image burnt in mind, I’ll drift away tonight with a smile on my lips and laughter in my heart ;)

Not Myself

Suppose I said

I am on my best behaviour

And there are times

I lose my worried mind

Would you want me when

I’m not myself

Wait it out while I am someone else?

Suppose I said

Colours change for no good reason

And words will go

From poetry to prose

Would you want me when

I’m not myself

Wait it out while I am someone else?

And I, in time, will come around

I always do for you

Suppose I said

You’re my saving grace

John Mayer, Album: Room for Squares

As some are aware, I can’t write poetry to save my life, so sometimes it’s a relief to let someone else do the expressing for you. I stumbled on this and it is so apt, it’s uncanny: every single word dear.

It’s February: run for cover if you know what’s good for you!

It’s that time of the year again, when the romantics make dinner reservations and pre-book roses for their beloved, and the cynical (God forbid you should call them cheap to their faces) get into heated discussions as to why it’s all commercialized and just a socially accepted excuse for daylight robbery.

Personally I find both camps equally tiresome: the ones that buy in to the hoopla and the ones that sneer at their gullibility. But if I had to choose, the self righteous cynics irritate me more, at the very least the love struck sods are thinking only of the happiness of their loved ones however expensive that might prove to be.

It is also that time of the year when people start sneaking looks at their single and unattached friends/colleagues/random strangers in the mall, while shaking their heads and clucking their tongues in condescending pity. I have always wondered why people tend to think singles are all the same and the whole lot should be pitied. Do they really think that on the ‘dreaded’ day, we hide ourselves in our burrows to mope, beat our chests and cry that no one loves us, and no one ever will?

Personally the day has always been ordinary for me, occasionally punctuated with the odd card here and there from people either known or anonymous, and would pass unnoticed if not for the annoying personal questions from nosy parkers who prefer to mind your business rather than their own.

{I think I have spent too much time on my own, that I will forever feel the need to champion the rights of all misunderstood and much maligned singles out there. Heh, I know no one asked me to and probably no one cares but I’ll damn well stand on my soapbox if I want to!}

It’s not hard to tell what’s different for me this year. I feel the same way though about the day: that it has to at least be acknowledged if you have an other half. The trick is to know just how to express it in a way only the other person would understand and appreciate, which means of course that I’m in big trouble because I happen to be clueless!

My fallback plan? If all else fails, I’ll start ranting and raving, daily mind you, at the ridiculously exorbitant prices of all the accompanying celebratory paraphernalia and piously proclaim that love should be declared everyday and not just relegated to one day a year.

Yeah right. Oh shucks, who am I kidding??!

Create or Die

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: a human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.

To him...

a touch is a blow,

a sound is a noise,

a misfortune is a tragedy,

a joy is an ecstasy,

a friend is a lover,

a lover is a god,

and failure is death.

Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - - - so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."

-Pearl S. Buck-

.

.

.

Now I must crawl back into the cave from whence I came and wailingly (I think I might have just made up a new word ;) mourn my abysmal lack of creativity.

Post Celebration Joy

First day back to work after CNY and feeling good even though I’ve had less days off than most people this time round. There’s something about a pleasant drive thru empty streets the morning after a good night’s sleep following a good talk with the darling-est person, that puts a smile on my face, a sparkle in my eye and an unusual cheeriness in temperament.

Back to CNY, it is with great disappointment that I find the haul getting less and less each year. It’s either the relatives go into hiding from you when the time comes around or they grumpily hold a grudge against you illustrated by the less than generous angpows, because they still have to follow the dictates of tradition by doling out cash to you even though you’re as big (and possibly older) than most hippopotamuses now. Bah!

.

.

Now back to work, and the office is so nice and quiet too. I like. ;)

That's what friends are for

I’ve never been more grateful for my friends: the friends who’ve stuck around for ages, who’ve known me since I was that high and haven’t gotten tired of me yet. The kind of friends who when you tell them your sad or unhappy immediately say “I’ll be there in 10 minutes” even though they have work to do (of course it helps when she’s just a 2 minutes drive away, heh.)

I feel so relieved to be able to share, to have an understanding, empathic ear to listen. To have someone nod in compassion and total comprehension, not just because they’re my friends and therefore under some code of conduct they must agree with me no matter what, but because they really do get me and have been there before. The load on my chest has been lifted somewhat, I finally feel I can breathe again.

I am silly. I don’t why I’ve always felt the need to hide things from people, why I’ve always felt the need to be so private. It’s taken me too long to realize that telling people I trust the turmoil I feel inside is a way to relieve the burden, to prevent myself from a self-induced meltdown. Why have I’ve always needed to protect myself from supposed embarrassment and from behaving contrary to the strong unflappable front I put up?

Whatever made me think they would not understand?

After I spilt my heart out, she grasps my shoulders and says as gently as she can with a suspicious twinkle in her eye “It’s nice to know you’re human too and more of a girl than you had ever believed possible”.

It is a shock to behave in a way I used to find contemptuous. I am so emotional attached now that I’m having a stupendously hard time dealing with it. I hardly know how to react since I’ve always conditioned myself to be the direct opposite.

“When I’m with him, control goes out the window. Don’t you laugh now”, she warns.
“I’m not laughing my dear. Don’t you see? I understand how you feel.”

Of course the problems don’t go away just by sharing things with others, but at least my head is clearer and I am encouraged that it doesn’t have to be doom and gloom all the time.

“Perhaps you struggle so much and are so anxious all the time about how the relationship is going because you really care and want to make it work. When things settle down and get sorted out, you won’t feel so needy anymore.”

She’s right.

But saying that I really care though, is an understatement.

Cold, cold water

cold cold water surrounds me now
and all i've got is your hand
lord can you hear me now?
or am i lost?
no one's daughter allow me that
and I can't let go of your hand
lord, can you hear me now?
or am i lost?
don’t you know i love you
and I always have
hallelujah
will you come with me?
cold cold water surrounds me now
and all i've got is your hand
lord.. can you hear me?
or am i lost?

Cold water - Damien Rice, Album: O

Yes I know, Damien Rice again: the poster boy for your average garden-variety depressive suicidal out there. Like I once described him to a friend as the writer of “songs to kill yourself to”. Funnily this song is precisely about that and is staged as a lament between a father, his daughter and God.

It’s all very sad and the haunting voices, including the goose bumps inducing Gregorian chants, linger with you for a very long time. I’ve listened to it so much that the song is permanently playing in my head. This is not good.

Listen with caution (and only if you are of sound mind).

On Volatility

I feel much better today, mellow even and dare I say happy, content?

I hesitate though to say this as much as I hesitated with the last post because I know whatever I write is only true at the moment when I write it and not an indication of any lasting state of mind. I hesitate because I don’t want to (depending on the situation) either scare people too much or put their minds at ease. Saying I’m ok, doesn’t mean the darkness is gone, it just means I’m ok, for now.
.
.
I’m such a killjoy. If I’ve put a damper on anyone’s spirits, please read the first line again.

Truth is I don't feel better. I don't know why I make like I'm ok and cheerful even when I'm not. And doing that just makes me angrier and even more frustrated. I feel like I need to, have to, must, vent my anger and frustration, to find an outlet, and pounding the keyboard doesn't help. Writing doesn't help, much. Crying doesn't help. Smashing something to smithereens or ripping something apart into tiny pieces or screaming my head off till I'm hoarse or pounding something with my fists until they bleed would probably work better.

It's a struggle to appear calm and in control when I'm like this. Right now between typing, I'm clenching my fists, feeling my fingernails dig deep in my palm, holding it all in.

I don't know.

I don't have an answer to this question:

What's wrong with me?

Words are inadequate, they fail miserably and eloquence is a lie.

Melancholia

I'm feeling more than a little 'off' today. I can't quite put my finger on any one reason, it seems to be a combination of things: the anticipation and anxiety about the new job, the uncertainties of the relationship, the feeling of being out of touch with the family and of course the ever present underlying existential angst.

It manifests itself in a pervasive mild panicky choking feeling and a general light headedness resulting in the inability to concentrate or focus on tasks at hand. It's can't be attributed to the convenient excuse of Monday blues. Instead it's the feeling that things are coming to a head, of hurtling towards some inevitable combustion point. And no, it's not that I worry too much, it is however more likely the result of the paralysis that grips when it comes to trying to communicate my fears and therefore resorting to bottling it all inside.

In an uncanny coincidence, a close friend confided in me last week that she was in the throes of some deep personal conflict. That isn't the uncanny part, the part that took me aback was when she described how she's used to keeping it all to herself and it festers for so long that when she's in one of her moody spells, sometimes she can no longer point out the cause for her dissatisfaction. The reasons get buried with time and the inability to express herself and only the 'down' feeling remains, that intuition that something is wrong but no way of connecting the dots. My jaw dropped to the floor, it was like hearing my twin speak.

Have you ever wondered how many of the things we do serve merely as tools of distraction from the clamouring voices, from the burning questions that go on in our heads? We try our damnest to suppress, shut out, smoother, that we might actually get so good at it that we succeed in forgetting. But the victory is a shallow one, for these things never go away; they might lay dormant but only as dormant as an unexploded bomb can be.

Seven.

(I’m not sure what to write.)

The big news is too big to jinx by premature disclosure. I’m not superstitious, but ‘surer’ things have gone wrong before and so I’m more than a little paranoid. It’ll have to wait, but very soon all should be confirmed. Fingers crossed, touch wood and the like.

(So then, what now?)

I know! Resolutions!

I haven’t given it as much thought as I did last year. Fact is, the New Year still hasn’t sunk in. I spent so much time reminiscing that I’m reluctant to start (or promise to start) anything new. But for the sake of something, anything to write, here goes (in no particular order):

1. Indulge in (at least) one extreme activity
i.e sky-diving, flying (lessons. No, I have no aspirations to sprout wings or be Superman), bungee-jumping, whitewater rafting etc.

2. Join a dance class and/or pick up a musical instrument.
(This has been on my list every year, but no results so far, maybe this will be THE year ;)

3. Room (for) improvement.
It is a barren testament to my non-committal attitude to any one interior decorating style. If I must call it something, it’d be: Accidental Minimalism. This too I envision will be rather tough, seeing how I spend less and less time here these days.

4. Get published.
(Sigh, pipe dreams I know. I guess this is here to remind me that irrespective of when it actually happens, this year or the next century, it is something I want for myself and to keep trying.)

5. Cultivate a more professional image.
Seriously, don’t fall off your seats laughing. This is me aspiring to be that sharp suit walking down the business district that gets admiring glances.

6. Travel.
My world map will soon be entirely covered by cobwebs if I don’t dust it off soon and chart my next course. Somewhere, anywhere, it doesn’t matter as long as it is someplace new and foreign.

7. Blog regularly.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ....*chokes and wonders if it is a scientific possibility to die of laughter*


End on that ridiculous note, will I.

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink

I’m currently conducting some research on the water industry. First thing I learnt? The subject matter is very dry…heh.

Before and After: What a difference a day makes.

The ‘Before’ post: 2005 in Retrospect

Not to be confused with special issues and centrespreads that newspapers and other media come up with at year end. This one is entirely self-centered and of very little interest to the general public except to myself and a select few who’d better be interested (under threat of bodily harm) if they knew what was good for them.

Disclaimer: A long post, brace yourself. Go make Milo to fortify yourself or something. Otherwise if you think your constitution is too weak to take it, give up now and come back next year when I will make a resolution, especially for you, to be less verbose. After which I still make no promises to keep my word, understood? Good.

First things first, how do you write a retrospective if you don’t intend to give away details? Sometimes I think I wax too philosophical (which I rarely do in real life because I’m too shallow and too lazy) in posts because I can’t spell out the nitty-gritty.

Anyway, here goes.

It has been a year of the lowest low and the highest high I’ve ever experienced and these are the things that will live on in my (increasingly unreliable) memory:

The year began with the acquirement of The Car and a deepened understanding of the words freedom and scared shitless (I hadn’t driven in approximately 10 years, what do you expect??). Am happy to report that only freedom has remained and it’s the other drivers on the road that I constantly endeavor to instill in a greater understanding of the term ‘scared shitless’.

Then came The Nightmare, an episode that knocked the wind out of me and froze my heart with a mixture of disbelief, grief and guilt. It made me realize what a naïve fool I’d been for thinking I knew who to trust, how to take care of myself and those around me and the control I had in any given situation. It became clear after the fact, the amount of risks I had taken and the danger I’d put all of us into, a danger in the end that did come to pass because I realized too late. The effects though lessened with time have had far reaching consequences.

The Accident happened shortly after The Nightmare, further compounding my already depressed state and involved The Car. It was relatively minor but unfortunately was This Drivers fault hence resulting in a sizable amount of The Money going down the drain.

The Diving Adventure was a much welcome diversion after the string of bad incidents. Funnily, at the start, it seemed doomed to actually add to the list of bad incidents, but it all worked out in the end for this newly certified diver who’s immensely proud to have bogey-ed with Spongebob Squarepants at the bottom of the sea. Heh. Strangely, people keep telling me that my meeting with the personable yellow sponge was the result of nitrogen narcosis, a state characterized by foolish behavior not unlike being drunk. And to this I say: Bah humbug! They’re obviously jealous.

The Blog, one miniscule, insignificant blimp in cyberspace but one huge leap for myself. I have much to thank this blog for: The chance (though sometimes also a torture) to write and be read regardless of the volume of both the writing and the readership. Something I’d always wanted to do but never quite did anything about.


The Man……

************

Sadly, this is as far as I got before the ‘real’ world interrupted - the ‘real’ world in which I’m a totally lazy ass and a damned efficient procrastinator. I had the sincerest intention of posting the above (completed of course) last year. I mean like really. Sigh. And now…


The After(math) continuation post: What the hell? I missed my stupid deadline!

The tally? Hoegaarden, Jim Beam, wine, Carlsberg, Midori (don’t ask).
The result? Only the slightest hangover. Nothing to do with tolerance unfortunately, more like variety vs. volume.

So then, it feels like any other day, any other year. In fact the New Year feels too much like a letdown. I preferred the nostalgia, sentimentality, pensiveness and contemplation of the end of last year to this. Anti-climatic I suppose.

Here’s where I should start soliluquising about my hopes and dreams for the rest of the year ahead. But, nah, I’ll keep my resolution on brevity and just say I hope the way I started out the year will set the trend for what is to come.

And no, I’m not referring to the alcohol ;)

*************

PS: The Man deserves a post (or more) of his own. (That’s not an excuse darling. Or maybe it is, just a tiny bit. Heh.)

Fashion observations while taking a break from last minute Christmas shopping as viewed from a bench in a small town mall

Fashion disaster No. 1:
Victim wears tight lurid apple-green pants held up by sparkling diamante belt matched with pink spaghetti strap and toting a pink (what else?) handbag. She nicely rounds up the sugary sweet cavity-inducing ensemble with pink lipstick and green eye shadow. Winner in the colourblind category of taking matching wa-a-ay too seriously.

Fashion disaster No 2:
Victim appears like an unassuming middle-aged mum in t-shirt and jeans. Closer observation however reveals that her jeans seem to be missing several sizeable pieces of fabric. Diamond-shaped, playing card-sized cut outs on front upper thighs leaves lasting disturbing image and invokes pity for teenaged daughter (who also appears ordinary, but with such a role model, who knows?). I am still thanking my lucky stars that as she turned to go, her rearview was amply covered.

There was one saving grace though..

Most Fashionable Award:
Pint-sized and impossibly cute 5 or 6 year old boy in knee-length cargo shorts, rugby shirt with turned up collar and an over-sized cap turned sideways on a jaunty angle. Pair the clothes with an attitude to match: both hands in pockets, nose turned up and a swagger to die for. This one’s going to be a lady killer when he grows up. There’s hope for Ipoh girls yet!

PS: And finally, Christmas shopping is done. Hallelujah!

The one where I suck at wishing others

This year, it’s taken quite a bit of effort to muster up the spirit to say the “Merry” before the “Christmas”.
(Insert a contemplative “Hm” here)

Maybe things will change when I go home to the Christmas tree and the mountainous presents under it, the turkey and its trimmings, and the alcohol infused fruitcake with the accompanying wine. But for now it’s a matter of going through the motions with the heart and mind somewhere else (and no, I don’t know where they've gone, they do tend to wander off on their own accord).

I know this absence of feeling is real because I’m not even looking forward to presents, which in my opinion is the best part of Christmas no matter how much the presents have consistently sucked year after year. This year I really think I couldn’t care less.

However, I do want everyone else to be happy and merry and whatnot even if I’m feeling less than joyous. So folks, here I am making a superhuman effort to be cheerful while I wish you a very…..

Merry Christmas!

(….and may your presents not suck like mine. But for the record, they will. You know that right?)

For Smiles: What to do in KL when your boyfriend forces you to drive down with him.

Disclaimer: I'm not an original KL-ite leh, so don’t take my word as the gospel truth.

But I'll try anyway.

Shopping:
For a conventional mall I usually go to 1Utama which is pretty huge after the extension. For a less conventional mall with a laidback airy (read: less crowded since it's small and therefore not worth the time to most hardcore shoppers) feel and lots of food choices, I like The Curve in Mutiara Damansara (opp IKEA, further down past 1U). If you go there, check out this little clothes shop 'Tribeca' that I absolutely love.
For casual 'happening' clothes (they get their merchandise from Bangkok, Hong Kong etc) I've been patronising boutiques like Cat's Whiskers, Blook and others in the vicinity of Sri Hartamas, where there's passable food and pubs as well for you to check out.
If you’ve noticed, all these places are in PJ as I rarely go down to KL for shopping. The Golden Triangle: Bukit Bintang/Sg. Wang area, gives me a major headache as I find the crowds too stifling and disorientating.

Nightlife:
Heh. I've stopped clubbing for quite a while now. Let's just say I lost my stomach for it (and no, it has nothing to do with alcohol which come to think of it, I probably love more than ever!) I do sort of miss the dancing though *big sigh*. Anyway this means I'm pretty outdated knowing the high turnover in the clubbing scene here in KL (and in Spore too?). Hm.
I'd advise you to give Bangsar's Telawi a miss if you want a more happening night out and head into KL instead. I used to go to Passion and Poppy Garden on Jln Sultan Ismail. There's also the Asian Heritage Row, next to Sheraton Imperial KL, with a few clubs. I've heard Luna Bar in Menara Pan Global is pretty cool too with a fantastic view as it's on a high floor.

I can't seem to think of anything else tourist-y to do in KL...sad isn't it?

PS: I love the Christmas decorations at the Centre Court in MidValley ;)
Suria KLCC on the other hand has some sorry excuse for decorations this year. It looks like the artist department couldn't decide on a theme and therefore combined Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas elements into some cost saving ugly contraptions. Well that was last week anyway, hopefully they've done something better by now.

Here’s hoping you have a fun trip down here ;)