Well Done, My Friend!
SEMANGAT KELAS PERTAMA
Oleh Linilidia Abdul HamidBELIAU mengambil peperiksaan GCE peringkat ‘O’ sebanyak dua kali. Malahan dua percubaannya di peringkat GCE ‘A’ gagal mendapatkan sijil penuh. Tetapi kini, Cik Fauzia Jailani, 25 tahun, dapat tersenyum bangga kerana beliau merupakan satu-satunya pelajar kohortnya mendapat kelulusan Sarjana Muda Sastera (Pendidikan) dengan kepujian kelas pertama. Beliau menerima ijazahnya dalam majlis penyampaian ijazah di Auditorium Nanyang, Universiti Teknologi Nanyang, semalam, yang turut dihadiri Menteri Pendidikan, Dr Ng Eng Hen. Cik Fauzia merupakan salah seorang daripada 313 graduan baru NIE. Kejayaannya yang membanggakan itu didorong minatnya untuk mengajar yang dipupuk sejak kecil lagi. ‘Semasa kecil, bila bermain, saya selalu berangan jadi seorang guru yang sedang mengajar murid-murid,’ cerita Cik Fauzia. Disebabkan minatnya yang mendalam, beliau telah memohon memasuki NIE. Malangnya, tujuh percubaan pertamanya gagal. Namun ini tidak mematahkan semangatnya. Sebaliknya, semasa bertugas di sebuah pusat jagaan sebelum dan selepas sekolah, beliau mengirimkan permohonan buat kali kelapan untuk memasuki program diploma pendidikan NIE. Sejak diterima, Cik Fauzia, yang kini mengajar bahasa Melayu di Sekolah Rendah Balestier Hill, tidak lagi memandang ke belakang. Setelah tamat kursus diplomanya, beliau melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat sarjana muda. Cik Fauzia, yang mengambil pengkhususan dalam Bahasa Melayu dan Sastera Melayu untuk ijazahnya, berkata: ‘Sebenarnya, saya rasa untuk berjaya bukan usaha seorang individu saja. Sebaliknya, sokongan yang diterima daripada keluarga, teman-teman kuliah dan pensyarah juga memainkan peranan penting. Saya tidak mungkin dapat melakukannya sendiri.’ Cik Fauzia, yang baru berumah tangga, ketika bercakap tentang aspirasinya sebagai seorang guru berkata: ‘Saya ingin menjadi contoh kepada murid-murid saya. Jika saya yang pernah gagal boleh berjaya hari ini, saya mahu mereka berfikir bahawa mereka juga boleh melakukannya. ‘Sebagai guru, apa yang lebih penting bagi saya ialah murid-murid saya dapat menyumbang secara bermakna kepada masyarakat suatu hari nanti.’ Semasa berucap di majlis tersebut, Dr Ng menekankan, walaupun Kementerian Pendidikan (MOE) sedang giat menjalankan proses pengambilan guru baru dalam masa sukar ini, mereka masih mengekalkan proses pemilihan yang ketat untuk memastikan hanya calon-calon yang mempunyai sikap yang betul, minat mendalam dan kebolehan akan dipilih.
Congrats, Fauzia, to have done so so so so well against all odds (and I know there were many!) You totally deserve it, dear, perhaps more than anyone else, for ALL your hard work, slogging, patience, tears etc etc etc… wahhhh you totally deserve it lah babe. Your parents and husband must be so proud of you, and I pun tumpang semangkuk jugak ler ye! 
So proud of you!
I’m proud to tell you that I used and will be using this article this whole week for my lessons and tell my students, “This is my friend!”
Let’s meet up soon and I will belanja you makan ok?
(ada occasion, makan; takde occasion pun- makan TETAP makannn!!!!)
Lamenting Thirty
As Ooyah will always exclaim these days: “OH ME, OH MY!!!”/ “OH MANGODDDD!!!!” (oh my god)
….has it been FOURTEEN days already since 2009?
Looks like I’m done with resolutions- didn’t make any- and don’t plan to ever again. Let’s just go with life on an ad hoc basis, yeah?
And I have been missing in action for so long because the evil work bug has hit me again, and it has hit me hard. I have been going home at 6 or 7pm everyday only to finish admin work (form teacher duties, departmental programmes, coordinating the school’s conversational Chinese/Malay programme, overseas trips et cetera, et cetera…). Which means lesson planning and marking are diverted to=> home sweet home, and then reverted back to school the next day.
I think I should change my job title to ‘admin executive’, and not so much ‘teacher’. It is a misnomer, and may I please have a 9 to 5 job? Please?
With all the work piled up (already???), I’m not even in the mood to celebrate my own birthday. I don’t feel like spending on myself, or being spent on, or going for feasts… it doesn’t help either that I move from ‘the late twenties’ to ‘the early thirties’.
Yes, I turn three-o today. How depressing.
Forseeing that I would feel this way, my best friend Geet suggested that we should go out and celebrate the last ever night I’d be in my twenties. I was actually hyped up about celebrating last night. I ended up finishing my work at 6.00pm, energy zapped out, nursing a reccuring cold and megawatt migraine, plonked myself into bed and slept until 10pm. But- by God- that was the most satisfying sleep I’ve had in days! How dandy is that?
And I actually feel different. Like I’m behaving the way thirty year-olds behave. Pshaw- I don’t know how to explain it, it just feels different. Being in the twenties certainly means and feels differently from thirties, right? Now the word ‘youth’ is totally out of my league- it is not applicable in any context at all now (other than my vocation of course). I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing, it could be good… it’s just a different feel. I’m sure those of you who have ‘crossed the bridge’ know what I mean. Sigh. See? I’m blabbering nonsense and repeating myself already. Is that substantial proof of old age setting in or what?
I remember feeling this way last year, one degree less depressed because then, I was feeling sad about it being the last year in my twenties. Now the inevitable has happened.
A glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a letter from ICA today. Yes. The passport people. I told my husband- this would be the best gift EVER- maybe they decided to be lenient (it’s my birthday whaaaatttt….) and lift the ban. I excitedly read the letter and whaddya know?
It’s a notification for me to make a new IC since they figured- 16 certainly looks different from THIRTY, correct?
Bummer. Thanks ICA, for playing YET ANOTHER nasty prank on me. 
………………………………….
I was asked by the husband what I want for a present this year, and like the last, I REALLY don’t know. Sure, I did take a look at fab bags and dazzling diamonds, but I just didn’t know what I want. Just- give me a little bit more time, okay, and I’ll decide eventually. 
Thank you to my dear friend Kakkin for the wonderful surprise at school today- the balloon certainly did attract some attention, and the cactus: they’ll be a reminder to me, to be resilient and formidable (so NO ONE can make me do anything against my will!) Thanks to Fauzia for the jewellery box- I will strive to fill it up and reward myself with jewels regularly! And thank you to my dearest Ibu for the beautiful natural pearl necklace,bracelet and earring set which I will never permit myself to buy- I truly treasure it and it will be an heirloom to be passed down to my daughter and her daughter and her daughter……… thank you all for the wonderful gifts. My thanks also go out to friends who actually remembered my birthday and bothered to wish me a happy birthday; I am truly touched!
So maybe I will feel a lot better about being thirty tomorrow. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Oh yes. More admin work I’m sure.
Back in SIN
Yeah, back in SIN. Literally and metaphorically, since being in the heavenly isle of Phuket makes going back to mundane SINgapore seem like a sinful thing to do.
Oh well. Life has to go on and bonds can’t be broken.
We had a helluva time in Phuket- perhaps it gets better everytime. We spent a day longer there this time, and I’m quite sure the next time I’m there, there’ll be no more sightseeing (I think I’ve seen all their worthy attractions, minus Phuket Fantasea).
Having stayed in an exclusive villa this time round makes it even memorable. We lapped up the luxury of having a private pool to ourselves, a whole 4-bedroom villa (and all rooms were detached from the main living room, accentuating the resort-feel), had breakfast served by our pool by butlers every morning, enjoyed full spa services (masseuses, manicurists and beauticians came and provided poolside therapies at the sala )- basically, we lived like kings. Even if it only lasted a few days…
Atok and Ooyah dudok rilek-keplekk kat rumput tepi pool. Buatlah macam rumah sendiri ye...
Berfeeling kerabat diraja Thailand dengan dayang-dayang di sisi, menantikan perintah.
It was my special demand request, actually, that no expense is spared for this holiday since it HAS been a VERY LONG TIME since I went overseas, and perhaps it will be quite some time before I have another getaway. So splurging was the only way to go, baybehh- just grit your teeth and think of it as three vacations rolled into one. Because I’m worth it. Or more like, let’s make the $75 temporary passport worth it’s cost, wokay?
We basically stayed in the villa, spending our days, and nights, soaking up the sun (and also chlorinated water in the pool!), basking happily like seals without a care in the world. We blasted our music, pretended to be a team of synchronized swimmers, dared one another to go to the deepest end of the pool- well, we could even skinny dip (would it still be called skinny dip if I were to do it?) if we wanted to! But OF COURSE we didn’t lah, since our dad and my husband are around too- crazy or what?
The opening act. And my arm IS NOT that flabby- it's actually an optical illusion as a result of refraction from the water. Really.
The complete team. The star swimmer in this troupe had to put on her specs as she lost her contact lenses after going underwater without goggles... and THAT mistake cost her team the gold medal. Tsk.
It’s definitely sad as hell, our last night there… entertaining thoughts of just leaving everything behind here in Singapore (err… what is here ah, by the way?), selling our flat off to buy a nice piece of land and a villa like that in Phuket… perhaps we could open a nasi padang restaurant there- heck- a stall will do as well. We could cure the hunger pangs of weary Malay travellers from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, craving for authentic Malay food…. I could teach there, couldn’t I? My sister could open up a preschool empire there, Ramli can… er… do what he does best there too… Ooyah could look like one of the Thai kids and polish her ‘khop khun kaa’ greeting…
Sigh. If only it is as easy as it sounds…
So as we boarded the plane we left those dreams behind, like the bottles of mineral water that we couldn’t bring onto the plane… tossed in the dustbin labelled ‘wet items’. Yeah. If you think about it, it does get quite close to becoming a wet dream, those thoughts.
Oh Phuket, and all you beautiful Thai people, not to forget, the delicious food you cook- we will be back. And perhaps next time round, without luggage bags but with a container full of our worldly possessions……
Last Minute Getaway
I made YET ANOTHER trip to the ICA on Tuesday to collect my TEMPORARY travel document. I came well-prepared this time: two books, a fully charged PSP, a book of sudoku puzzles, full stomach, empty bladder (well, not for long after having a full stomach). I was mentally prepared for a very long wait, but was also hoping that it would not exceed the previous waiting time of FOUR hours.
One thing I learnt from this particular visit: it doesn’t pay to come early. My mom advises me (not that I heed that advice) that I should come at opening time to get a good number, but apparently EVERYBODY ELSE has the same idea, you know? The last time I came here, I arrived at 10am. I left the building at 2pm.
This time round, I decided to come nearer to the closing time. Heh. I came at about 3pm. Well they can’t make me wait till 7pm, can they? The officers have GOT to go home and fix dinner for their kids, correct? So who’s the smartypants now, huh?
And whaddya know? I got my temporary passport in just over and hour lah! How wonderful was that? And the officer who served me was real nice and was at least emphatic about my plight. How sweet. No ‘tsk tsk’s or disapproving frowns from this one.
So it’s set- I AM going away to this holiday. Having less than a week to book return flights and hotel rooms, we weren’t left with much of a choice. The initial plan of going to Bali, Sabah, or Langkawi was foiled due to unavailable flight tickets or hotel…. ah well. There’s always Chinese New Year and the June hols (by which time I HOPE to be granted a passport since the ban is technically over in April.
Oh me, oh my! (Ooyah’s favourite phrase these days) Is that only FOUR months away?
4 Good Hours of My Life on a No-Good Thing.
As some of you may have heard, I went to ICA on Tuesday after receiving a letter from ‘em. Apparently, in that letter, I would be interviewed by one of their officers who would then decide if I could be granted possession of a passport. That certainly raised my hopes up. To tell you the truth, I was pretty sure I would get it. Real confident. The interview was just a formality, I thought.
So I went to school first to start off band practice at 8, and at 9 plus, I sneaked off to Lavender. Now, I’ve been to ICA A LOT OF TIMES, and I have NEVER seen so many people there before. There were no seats in the collection area… darn holidays! Everybody seems to be there to renew/ extend/ create passports all of a sudden.
I went to the info counter to get a queue no. and after seeing my letter, the officer gave me 2 numbers. “One for the interview, and the other one for application”. Now you tell me- wasn’t that a sure sign that I am DEFINITELY getting the passport? Huh? Huh?
No. of people in the queue: Whoa. 66. Somehow the number being called was nearly 200 away from mine. How’d they do the math?
The time printed on that slip: 10.01am. Sure. I could queue all day if you want honey- I came well-armed with a WHOLE BOOK of sudoku puzzles and my PSP- just as long as I get the passport…
——–
3 hours passed.
I was cursing and spewing vulgarities under my breath. My PSP battery had gone flat, I finished half of my sudoku puzzles, which resulted in a splitting headache; I was starving, not having eaten anything since morning and I needed to pee – but didn’t dare to leave my seat for fear of my number being called. (They DID say the number may not be called in order, right?) One by one the counters started to close for lunch. More vulgarities (e.g ‘Mak dia punya dot dot dot!!!!’) as the word “COUNTER CLOSED” flashed. The newborn babies (and there were MANY) were pissing me off. Too much noise. I wish I could express my irritation just like them. UWEKKKKKK!! UWEKKKKKK!!!!!
FINALLY… my number appeared. I wiped my sweat and tears and sprinted to the counter.
Okay not really. Gotcha there, didn’t I?
I quickly changed my ‘PISSED’ face to the ‘PLEASE…’ face. I don’t want to be pissing off that officer at the counter.
She definitely wasn’t the officer I was supposed to meet, but it could be a good thing, I thought. Well in retrospect now, perhaps it is a bad thing afterall. I showed her my letter from THE MP which, funnily enough, gave me a false sense of power and confidence. Heh. Action like real only. She checked my details, I briefed her about the situation (minus the part about how I lost the damn thing three times, not that she asked) and she said she had to consult her superior first.
Dalam hati- alamak ni yang tak sedap ni…. Toksah tanya ler kak… iyerkan aje, kata omputeh ‘take initiative’ lah gitu. Kalau nak kena tanya-tanya dulu, camne Melayu nak maju, kak?
Sigh. Looks like the ESP technique tak menjadi.
I waited at the seat for about 10 minutes, wondering where the hell she’d gone too, and praying, wishing and hoping that the boss gave her a big nod.
She came back again. Then she said I can apply for the one-time travel document which will cost me $75…
and I said, “Sorry- WHAT?”
I guess it was her way of breaking it to me gently and subtly that her damn superior (ASS!) said NO. I have to complete my 1 year ban, no matter what.
Okayyyy… so it’s not three years, that’s the good news. Well it could be BETTER news, couldn’t it? I returned one of the reported lost passports to the ICA, hoping that that they could shorten the ban duration. Fine- so, from three years, I’m down to one. So should I be thankful?
But doesn’t the letter from the MP do ANYTHING? Like- discount a few more MONTHS at least?
No, the helpless officer said. Perhaps she muttered under her breath, You think I SCARED ijjit, with your MP’s letter and all? You could get a letter from LKY for all I care, but we are so punishing you still with a ban, missy, just so you know how powerful we ICA officers are. Muahahahhaha. You may be powerful in school because you get to whoop my son’s ass (metaphorically speaking of course), but WHO’S the ass-whooper now (literally speaking, of course)? Huh?!! HUH??!!!!
I felt like bursting into tears there and then. Really. I had to hold back my tears, and not bloody go hysterical at the counter. I got desperate and pleaded with her. Please, kak, I really NEED this passport- I’m a teacher (“SO????”) and I need to bring my students to overseas trips next year… (“SOOOO????? Is that information useful to me?”)
No, said the smiling officer. Probably getting a kick out of this, eh, kak?
Then I got angry. Should I get violent here? Because if I could, I would have said (and banged the counter):
I queued for NEARLY FOUR HOURS, doesn’t that count for something???!!! Actually SIX hours, if you count in the wait I painfully endured trying to speak to the MP! I had to sneak out of school, damn it, and this is all you have for me? Telling me, oh, you can travel, but it will cost you an exorbitant price of SEVENTY-FIVE dollars for ONE trip and we can only issue you the document in a week’s time? DAMN YOUUUUUU!
*all this I would have said in my ‘exorcist’ growl*
With my head down, I walked away from the freaking counter, then proceeded to another one (*bangs head on wall*) to apply for the ‘temporary travel document’. Screw you all. You ain’t stopping me from going on holiday, no siree…. 75 bucks it is, just so your blardy boss can dry clean his only suit for his next ‘escaped high-profile convict’ press release!
I left the cursed building at 2pm. Four good hours of my life, wasted in this hellhole. And looks like I will going there again on Saturday, and at least 5 times more until next April, braving the crowd (who are also there with their WHOLE FAMILY for WHATTT????? For petty things like ‘change picture’ or ‘renew passport’ yadaa yadaa yadaa…)
It’s times like these that I wish our government officers are a teeny-weeeeeeeeny corrupt.
DAMN IT, SG, for being squeaky clean!!!!
Arrr! Shiver me Timbers!
It’s really been quite a hectic weekend, and it all started since my school’s staff retreat on Wed last week. It sure hasn’t been all fun and games, in fact, the name ‘retreat’ is a misnomer- it was anything but that. Plans for the coming year (wtf, let’s just let this one end nicely, can?) and buzz word for the 2 days was basically ‘NEXT YEAR’. Groan.
The retreat ended with the annual D&D though, and I realized that quite a lot of people did not attend it, considering there were only 2 out of 7 from the ML Dept who were there. Hmm… I didn’t know there was a choice. But it was fun anyway, actually dressing up, seeing so many pirates and bandits around.
And whaddya know- I actually emerged victor for the Best Dressed Female Pirate award. I KNOW- it’s crazy since I didn’t even dress as well as so many others (who rented outfits and all!) so I don’t think it was the dress part that made me win, because trust me, the other ‘contenders’ were dressed much better and more elaborate than what I had on. They made us do a catwalk and dance to the song ‘It’s getting hot in here’. I was the last one to go (out of 6 ‘nominees’) and my heart was pounding so hard it almost burst. In a mad frenzy of events, I practically lost all my senses (and perhaps sense of shame) and reacted on impulse, like a landlubber in drunken stupor. The result? Hilarious, I guess, since I got the audience roaring in laughter (and some gasping). I can only recall putting my hand on my forehead in the beginning, doing the most stylish strut I can manage, stopping in the middle to do a cat’s paw scratch with a growl (???), striking a pose (ala VOGUE) and putting a finger at my lips, putting it to my side and doing a sizzle. (??!!!)
My god, I sure hope there was no video there because it must be quite… damning. I was voted the winner based on the applause by the audience, and I must have looked so hilarious I won.
Anyway, I bagged a trophy for the event, not that it is something I would proudly showcase in my living room.
Ya scurvy dog whut deserves the black spot!
Meet the People (and the Pirate)
So I went to the Meet-the-People session (MPS) in my vicinity today, as in meet the MP. I decided I should be doing something to try end this 3-year ban on possessing my passport considering it’s only been freaking SEVEN months out of THIRTY SIX. I can’t take it anymore, this sudden impulse of wanting to go out of the country and realizing, DAMN, I don’t have a passport. And now that I’m planning the Yogyakarta trip for March next year, the threat of not being able to GO there is actually quite real.
The MPS is held every monday at 7.30pm at a block across the street, so at 6.45pm I strutted my way there. Boy… was there a queue or WHAT? My elder sis did warn me about it, and how I should come as early as I can just to get my name on the list.
In the room, which is obviously a kindergarten classroom in the daytime, was filled with about 30-odd people. As I looked around, I suddenly felt like I shouldn’t be there. There were so many elderly folks, some with equally old friends, probably appealing for waiver of bills or financial help. There were a few disabled folks, in wheelchairs, one visually impaired, There were also many couples with 3,4 kids in tow, probably also applying for financial help or subsidies. Babies? Aplenty. There was one, about 3 months old, with a severely cleft lip. His parents were holding on tight to envelopes upon envelopes marked with the KK hospital logo.
I actually brought a book knowing that I’d have to wait for a while, but I thought, maybe I shouldn’t take it out. Then I’d REALLY look like my ‘problem’ is a real joke.
What the hell am I doing here? I asked myself. There are people here with actual REAL problems, and here I am trying to get a passport ban lifted just so I could go on holiday? Sheeeeshhh.
I started having second thoughts about seeing the MP. The seats were filled up and everyone started chatting one another up, like ’so what are you here for?’ That’s when I heard all the problems… the old lady whose only source of income is her grandson in NS, the man whose flat’s monthly instalments are way over his head, the two old women who are appealing to HDB to allow them to rent a flat together… damn… they’re all gonna scowl (and maybe pummel me) if they know what I’m here for.
So I was about to back out… maybe I’ll try this again some other day. That was when my name was called up. I walked up to a booth. This old man was peering through his glasses at the computer screen. I curtly said ‘Good evening’ to him and he said ‘Ha? Your name what?’
Grrreat. Just great.
I didn’t even say much, just told him about my 3 lost passports, need to apply new one, and he nicely tried to squeeze in a snide remark, how the old folks he saw before me were so thankful to him: their wheelchair-bound daughter needs a letter to back her up in getting a job to support the elderly parents. ‘How can I not help them, kor-rect? This type of people need help, gahmen must help, kor-rect?’
Ya lah ya lah uncle…. I get it lah…. my bad.
‘So in this letter, I write, you promise not to lose your passport anymore, ok? I say you promise to be very careful with your new passport.’
‘Okay, I promise (un-kerrrr),’ I replied like the good girl I am.
He wished me good luck, nonetheless. And shouted out “The new passport must take care properly hokay!!!”
Thanks for blowing my cover man.
After that, I was called into the room where the MP’s No.2 man was in. Apparently my MP is ‘overseas’ so his No.2 will sign for him. This old chap was much better. Shook my hand, sure, he pronounced my name wrong (don’t they all?) but he bothered to listen to me. And he was somehow quite impressed (amazed?) that I actually am a teacher (‘wah, in Secondary school ah?’) probably wondering how a klutz like me could get by teaching without losing real human beings.
He signed the letter that the previous uncle wrote, smiled and said, good luck. Just wait for the letter from ICA.
I’m just keeping my fingers crossed, not getting my hopes up too high… still aware that I may eventually have to wait THREE YEARS. :S
On a lighter note, I’ve actually got my outfit for my school’s D&D which is this Thursday night. It’s a horrible theme, I think: Pirates. How much variety and creativity can there be? Everyone will be having an eye patch, a sword, a ruffled shirt, a hook, well maybe somebody will have a parrot on the shoulder (that’s me!). As much as I protest, I (grudgingly) bought an outfit- a red and white striped long sleeve t-shirt, big hoop earrings, a skull print scarve as a bandana, a pirate hat and parrot (thank god for Ooyah’s toy collection), but no eyepatch. Maybe I’ll make do without it. I might even buy a long silver chain with a skull pendant although I will never ever find a reason to wear it again.
So that’s my story about the meet-the-people session. And now, it’s time for YOU to meet the pirate.
Ye... sayalah lanun yang kejam!
Pirate wench: Kooooochi koochi kooo! Geletek perut dia! Burung parrot: *hheeheehaaahaa* stop! Tolong stop! Ampunkan saya!
Pirate short-sighted terlupa nak bukak specs.
Head-Banging-Ache
This weekend was actually really spent at home, more specifically, in my room. I’m feeling rather sick, or perhaps I’m feeling this way because I’ve had too much sleep. It’s a vicious cycle, you know- too much sleep, you wake up, get a headache from too much sleep, so you try to sleep it off, then wake up, and hey- it’s still there… so that’s how it went. Yeah, the whole weekend.
I had to miss out on a friend’s wedding, which was quite sad because I was quite looking forward to it. He was from my secondary school, we were in the same band, and his sister was a trainee at my old school. What a pity. And it was only like… a few busstops away but that headache was just too much. I actually got as far as putting on my baju kurung and eye-makeup, and then I felt like I couldn’t stay vertical anymore. So I kaplunked back into bed, with glittery silver eyeshadow and mascara. It was no surprise that I looked like Courtney Love when I woke up again hours later (prolly that’s what caused Ooyah to shriek her way out of the room, seeing a monster that had swallowed her Mama up).
Finally I felt better (at NINE PM). Ooyah had gone too bed, extra early today at 8PM. The poor baby did not have her regular nap today, probably thinking that we were going out (she’s very aware of what day of the week it is, the clever girl). I was feeling peckish, not having eaten ANYTHING the whole day (AND I SURVIVED!) and pleaded with the husband to go to 7-11 to get me some… cake. I don’t know- just felt like having a Sara Lee. I thought it was too late at night to be having his mom’s nasi minyak (??!!!!) He convinced me to drag my ass out of bed and go for some coffee. Hell yeah.
Of all places, we just HAD to go to delifrance. We figured that it’s the best place to chill out (!!!!), in Jurong Point, mind you, on a Sunday night. It was the most ‘private’ kinda place there. Coffee bean is just too noisy and crowded, and McCafe? Forget about it. I just brushed my hair a bit, put on lipstick, and actually went out in what I was sleeping in (and no, I wasn’t wearing a baju butterfly, if that’s what you’re thinking.) That’s how bad the ’I-couldn’t-care-less’ state I was in. We ended up having a very bready meal- sandwich, garlic bread, croissant, and a crepe suzzette which set us back 42 bucks. What’s up with that? We didn’t even have a proper meal. It was such a rip off. We could have actually DINED for real at… I don’t know… Siam Kitchen or something.
When we were at the cashier at Delifrance, I was looking at the supervisor of the place. Real nice guy. But then I saw his name tag and before I ran out to stop myself from exploding, I quickly told the husband to look at the guy’s name tag.
The poor poor guy. I think he might be nepalase or something- perhaps his name, in his native language, has a real good meaning. I really hope so. But it just doesn’t work here. And he’s actually better off working here, compared to Malaysia.
His name?
Macam Babu. With a ‘h’ in between C and A. Kesian, kan???? How could his parents (if they’re local) name him THAT?
In retrospect, I sure hope it’s a nickname or something that they put on their name tags. Maybe it’s a prank, huh? Poor guy- and he’s SO hardworking and all. Tskkk.
So now I am wide awake, highly inventive and talkative, and nowhere to channel all the energy to. And I’ve got a meeting to attend in school at 9am. Bummer. AND now I’m feeling like nasi minyak plus ayam masak merah. Shit. Now it’s WAYYYYYYYY to late. (Or too early, if I think positive).
Now I feel like watching A Night at the Roxbury again after watching SNL’s Best of Will Ferrell. Love that movie. Am considering putting Haddaway’s ‘What is Love’ as my ringtone at the expense of being gossipped about as having ‘bad taste in music’. Well not everybody has watched that amazing movie, and those who have are in the know.
Get ready to do the head side-banging thang, people.
The Importance of Being Idle.
I know I sound like I’m actually bragging about having a lot of time on my hands. Well when there’s no time, we complain, too much time, also must complain. Sigh. Such are the perils of being mortal, eh?
I’m gonna do it anyway, that is, complain. Just let me.
I have so much time on my hands that I did another comic for Ooyah over at her site. I think I should be churning out more comics for her, since there are so many pics of her that are just lying around dormant in some memory stick/hard drive/ website somewhere.
And perhaps I should get them printed out and framed? And put up in her room? No?
I have so much time on my hands that I COMPLETED THE WHOLE DINER DASH GAME (all levels okay, some levels with expert score, don’t pray pray) on my PSP. Nimble fingers, you say? Yeah perhaps, but TOO MUCH TIME, that’s for sure.
And I’m actually picking up books again (other than Ooyah’s Ladybird Readers and other flimsy baby books), finishing The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh and Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino. Now that’s an achievement for me. This book will be next, not that I need any help in being idle.
I spent another night in Teban yesterday, an unplanned stay since somebody decided to put up a big fight about going home and insists on going out, or as she puts it: “NAK JALAN! NAK JALAN! TANAK BALIKKKK!” (amplify this by a million decibels, punctuate with a scream at the end) after our usual Friday night outing. She enjoys staying over in Teban because she has an insomniac grandmother there who’d rather watch the Disney playhouse channel with her till really late than toss and turn sleepless in bed. No insomniacs in our Jurong home, unluckily for her.
But come to think of it, perhaps I do not actually have so much time. I’m quite sure I have as much time as anybody else does (oh, but children aged 2- they DEFINITELY are given literally more time than us normal people, say, their day has SIXTY hours or something). So I don’t actually have so much time- I’m just- slacking. My life is just moving at a much slower pace (some days- negligible pace) like in Antartica or Bhutan or something. Well even Bhutan is seeing some action these days, new king and all…
So please, don’t envy or hate me. It’s November, you know. It has been quite a while since I was last this idle. And I know for a fact that next year will be hell for me (my 2009 work calendar is nicely filled up already, okay, gimme a break mannnn.)
So this shall be my guiding mantra this last two months of the year.
“All day long no plans. And I remain at leisure. “
- Wang Wei
And if you ask me who Wang Wei is, I am actually so free that I know he is a 7th century Tang dynasty poet. Impressive huh? All thanks to Wikipedia and the abundant interesting useless knowledge that I am actually READING excitedly. How about that?
And I’m so idle, I’m gonna start writing haikus on this blog. Or I could do pantun too, except it would be totally predictable (malay cikgu writing pantun what). Heck. Just for the fun of it. Here’s one:
the monsoon season
has started, albeit late.
i’ve nothing to do!
So, what are you guys doing on Monday? Wanna join me and compose some haikus on your blog?
Which is goooooood, of course…. :)
It has been so long since I last updated… it must be that… hmm… I have a life these days to enjoy.
That’s how the pattern is- I write a lot and often when I’m 1) real busy, (2) stressed and actually (3) have NO time to spare. Funny huh? Which means these few weeks I have experienced none of those 3 situations above (which is gooooood, of course…)
So here are the major happenings in my currently stress-free life, not in chronological order.
School’s OUT and Invigilation ‘Duties’
School’s out; not totally out, but the kids do not have to come to school anymore (which is goooooooood, of course…). On top of that, I am officially down for O-level invigilation duty, which means I don’t have to report to school everyday from 8.30-12.30. Yeah I know- that sounds like a good deal as it is, but as an invigilator, I report to another school say… 10.30-11.45… and NOT EVERYDAY. Again- which is gooooooood, of course.
And invigilation is a no-brainer job; you basically just give out papers, take attendance, look like you are scrutinizing EVERY candidate (so that they are deterred from peeking at someone’s answer, for example), when in fact you are fantasizing about what to eat for lunch/ that new loewe bag/ your husband etc. , walk about, hum tunes in your head, look at your watch from time to time, and, oh- it’s suddenly the end of the paper and you collect them. That’s it! (AND I get paid extra for doing these no-brainer things. Snort.)
The Return of The Bav Friend
I had a good time about 2 weeks ago when my Bav Friend came down to Singapore with her babygirl Divya. The gang (namely Angel, Bav, myself and Lalitha) spent a few nights out together, namely to Binge, Blab, and Boogie (and Boobie too, perhaps?). It was fun, although it did feel quite weird to be coming home at 3am in the morning a few nights. The Bav has gone back to Idaho at the end of October (and I suspect she had to go back so soon to give her hero all the support he can get heheheheh. She has, afterall, become an Obamania. Well it was all worth it, I say, eh Bav? )
Sharing Sessions and Seminars at MOE HQ
I also had to attend a few seminars at the HQ recently and it was nice to see so many of my buddies there: those from my previous school/ cluster/ diploma buddies and the list goes on. That’s what happens when you have one of those big seminars involving Malay language teachers from the pri and sec school. Oh and of course I saw the tong kosongs (empty vessels) – particularly one who looked so pathetic and friendless, trying frantically to mingle with the crowd only to realize no one wanted to talk to her. Oh how sad. So much for her efforts to name drop all the time, that she knows so-and-so at hq, or from this school, or from that. Sad sad sad. So you’re all not so great after all, huh? Now what did our mothers say about ‘empty vessels make the most noise’ or the Malay equivalent ‘tong kosong nyaring bunyinya’? Well, looks like that’s what you two have become. Having spent so many years alive, you should really know (at least BY NOW) that talking a lot of bull doesn’t get you anywhere, really. The pen, afterall, is mightier than the sword. Nor all your bullshitting and drama in class, for that matter.
The sharing session I attended last gave me some insight and ideas about what I could do for my Jakarta/Yogyakarta trip in March next year. It’s a helluva lot of work, I can tell you that, and my boss has entrusted me with this whole project all on my own. Yikes. I have called in for a few quotations, and if all goes well, we’d be going for a recce trip in January. So that’s one more thing to look forward to in 2009- certainly going to be a very busy year for me. Can I say, which is gooooooood, of course? (At least for the appraisal, no?)
3D2N Virus-Getaway at Teban Resort
I also decided to stay over at my mom’s place in Teban from Sunday till Wednesday since our household has been infected by the flu bug (courtesy of Ooyah- her bugs are the most vicious ones). We thought we’d give his parents a break (from her, heheheheh) so they can rest and recuperate. Unfortunately, the bug had infected Ooyah’s papa too, and HE then spread it to the Teban household. So it was like a family vacation over in Teban Resort, except the vacation was spent mostly in bed.
Russell Peters the Letdown-Standup Comic
And then just 2 days ago, even though we had the sniffles, we went to see Russell Peters at the Rock auditorium. As the husband has mentioned, I feel that he has been quite a letdown, considering he was actually at a loss for words several times. We spent $100 each for the tickets; I can imagine how much more disappointed I would feel if we had gone ahead and bought the more expensive tickets. If I had been in the front row that night and seen him that disappointing, I would have begged him to pick on me, just to get a kick out of it! Perhaps it was because it was his second show in sg, and his last show in the asian tour… but c’mon…. do some research will ya?
So now we’re back at home- the flu bug is clearing up, and I’m still slacking. I’m actually so bored that I’m secretly looking forward to going back to school tomorrow for band practice. Yikes. And the husband has just called to ask if Kota Kinabalu near the end of this month is alright. Which is gooooooood of course since I have become so bloody sick of Singapore lately. Now it’s just a matter of going to the next Meet The People session in our neighbourhood so I can beg Cedric The Entertainer MP for a letter to lift the 3-year ban.
Time to write a dramatic, tear-jerker script….
