My Unscripted Life

Been busy recently. (What else is new?) And I have neglected my blog for awhile. I wish I could update it as frequently as I could have, but with added portfolios to my job, I find my time at work to be increasingly occupied. It’s all good, because I enjoy what I do.

Until I could post something better, here’s a short update in photos.

My certificate etched in acrylic

I left behind University life for good after finally graduating in late November, and have started working full time for the past six months. It’s a whole new world for me, and despite the great recognition I receive at work, I still can’t get used to life outside of the education world. As me and Sarita mused one day,  graduation have been rather anti-climatic, leaving us newbies in the working world with a semi-permeanant “So, now what?” kinda feeling.

Me and Baby was in Midvalley recently, and although we have been there many times before, we have never really stepped into RockCorner, a music store next to Pet Wonderland on the third floor. We were pleasantly surprised to find every imaginable record or album at the shop. I found some of my favrourite, and rather hard to find jazz favourites, such as Etta James and Sergio Mendes’ older albums.

Shelves and shelves of beautiful music

Seeing all these CDs makes me resolve to start collecting them before they die out a natural death like 8 track cassettes did. With the advent of the internet and file sharing, everyone downloads their music now. And although it does satisfy my music cravings, I find them to be a cheap imitation of the original. Nothing beats having the actual album, to be able to sift through the album sleeve, and read the lyrics, and find out the true genuises behind each song by reading names of writers. With MP3s, people are nowadays finding it hard to even name the title of the song. Sad ain’t it?

Sitting pretty?

After vaccinating Kacik aka Sayang aka Mol (what is her name anyway Baby?) she is growing nice and round. (According to hearsay anyway :p) We vaccinated her a few months ago, and switched her food to IAMS, which she took to very well. All she needed was premium RM66 per bag cat food. Typical diva. Hehe… Hopefully she’ll be nice and healthy and grow big until I get to see her again. (Wonder when, huh?)

When your cat takes after you, she needs to diet too

Although, we hope she won’t need to take after her owner, and go on a diet as well! Hehe…

RM 2.70 per litre meant RM50 filled hardly half of my MYVI's tank

Most Malaysians’ wish came true, and petrol prices have continued to drop, and currently sits at RM1.90.  Funny thing is, although our petrol price is now lower than the staggering RM2.80 we were paying a few months back, we are actually subsidising the government. Petroleum per barrel as of today is $44, and is expected to go lower with decreased demand in the commodity, since the economy is in such a shitty state now. Its bad enough that vegetables and other groceries are hitting sky high prices, (cabbage is now RM3.60 per kilo vs RM0.80 only a few months ago) but as Shahrir (that moron) holds on even tighter to keep petrol prices high, things has become even more dire for the average Malaysian.

Peace, Love, Happy

I was at a pre-school today. (Don’t ask why) And came across these bottles on the reception desk. The liquid inside seemed to shimmer and light up as you shake it.  The idea is that, everytime you need peace, love or happiness, you pick up the bottle and shake it, and make believe that the magic potion will give you that emotion. Simple but rather therapeutic effect I say. Amid the craziness that is going on in our benighted country now, we all deserve some Peace, Love and Happy potion of ourselves. In whatever form it may come to you.

I never blog about anything controversial. Mainly because I am horrible when it comes to confrontation. But there has been something that has been bugging me for a long time. And I just need to get it off my chest.

Malaysians are obsessed when it comes to titles. Have you noticed that? There are 9 kings giving out titles every year to less than deserving people, I might add, and that doesn’t include all the other people who are “born” with titles.

It is so very extensive, and complicated, that it borders maniacal and ridiculous. Scratch that, it’s over the border, over the fence, and is downright nonsense.

When I was in school, and was forced to attend this majlis, and that majlis, usually attended by someone or other who was entitled. And the titles that preceded her or his name was usually 5 times longer than the actual name. This is what we have come to call protocol. Here’s an example of how the sequence goes.

Honorary Style, Professional Rank, Royal Hereditary Title, Federal Title, State Title, Non-royal Hereditary Title, Doctor (of medicine or philosophy), Haji/Hajjah (for Muslim men and women who have performed the Hajj), Name. Read more nonsense here.

I found it all frustrating and nonsensical, especially when the event has got nothing to do with him/her dignified one. Charities, sporting events, concerts, intellectual discourse, it all begins with them. That of course, doesn’t include the seating order.

And then there are the hereditary titles. All the Tengkus, and Rajas and Syeds, and Sharifahs and blah blahs.

I’ve met my share of proud proud people who not only reinforce this ancient and backward hierarcal system, but look down on us commoners. It’s disgusting. I am PROUD to be a commoner ok?

I used to know someone who truly coveted the titled people, and hoped to one day marry a Datuk in order to be a Datin. Pathetic, no?

And then there are the tragic lot who forces people around them to call them by their titles, and not their given names. My dad told of this vain and stupid female lecturer who insisted her students and colleagues call her Datin.

Good luck having any friends, yeah Datin?

If I was Mr. December, I’d probably be cursing and calling people using animal metaphors, but I’m not going to waste my breath on a bunch of people who not only are silly, vain and have only God to answer to one day, but also will never learn that the measure of a man is not in their titles and possessions, but their soul and their mind.

I never blog about anything controversial. Mainly because I am horrible when it comes to confrontation. But there has been something that has been bugging me for a long time. And I just need to get it off my chest.

Malaysians are obsessed when it comes to titles. Have you noticed that? There are 9 kings giving out titles every year to less than deserving people, I might add, and that doesn’t include all the other people who are “born” with titles.

It is so very extensive, and complicated, that it borders maniacal and ridiculous. Scratch that, it’s over the border, over the fence, and is downright nonsense.

When I was in school, and was forced to attend this majlis, and that majlis, usually attended by someone or other who was entitled. And the titles that preceded her or his name was usually 5 times longer than the actual name. This is what we have come to call protocol. Here’s an example of how the sequence goes.

Honorary Style, Professional Rank, Royal Hereditary Title, Federal Title, State Title, Non-royal Hereditary Title, Doctor (of medicine or philosophy), Haji/Hajjah (for Muslim men and women who have performed the Hajj), Name. Read more nonsense here.

I found it all frustrating and nonsensical, especially when the event has got nothing to do with him/her dignified one. Charities, sporting events, concerts, intellectual discourse, it all begins with them. That of course, doesn’t include the seating order.

And then there are the hereditary titles. All the Tengkus, and Rajas and Syeds, and Sharifahs and blah blahs.

I’ve met my share of proud proud people who not only reinforce this ancient and backward hierarcal system, but look down on us commoners. It’s disgusting. I am PROUD to be a commoner ok?

I used to know someone who truly coveted the titled people, and hoped to one day marry a Datuk in order to be a Datin. Pathetic, no?

And then there are the tragic lot who forces people around them to call them by their titles, and not their given names. My dad told of this vain and stupid female lecturer who insisted her students and colleagues call her Datin.

Good luck having any friends, yeah Datin?

If I was Mr. December, I’d probably be cursing and calling people using animal metaphors, but I’m not going to waste my breath on a bunch of people who not only are silly, vain and have only God to answer to one day, but also will never learn that the measure of a man is not in their titles and possessions, but their soul and their mind.

It’s voting day tomorrow. Where will you be?

I will be voting of course, and for the life of me, I still am undecided. I tried to make a decision over the past few days. Surf some blogs, and read what they have to say. The opposition and the government. And I still find both of them to talk a whole lot of crap.

I’m no fan of PAS. No matter what you say about BN, or what propaganda they have blown about the opposition, fact still remains that they are too ultra conservative for Malaysia. Having seperate checkout counters for women and men in Tesco? Are you freaking kidding me? What, if I came in with my husband, he wouldn’t be able to accompany me, and I him? Or what if a woman were to have his teenage son push the trolly for him? They can’t queue together. That is just freaking stupid. And imposing segregation of sexes to everyone else who is not muslim? That is simply unconstitutional and unfair. PAS of course is already talking about the segregation of sexes in other places.

Tour groups.

Yup, no longer can families have their holidays together. Sons and father in another tour bus. Wife and daughters in another tour bus with a female tour operator. Yeah, good luck finding those.

Keadilan, on the other hand is all about justice for the people, and the issues they talk about have a valid point. And then Chandra Muzaffar becomes a whistle blower. And that all falls apart. Suddenly everyone is seeing Anuar in a different light. Including myself. Yup, I can be a real lalang when it comes to Malaysian politics.

BN’s advertising campaign has the expected angle. Peace, and racial harmony and what not. I find it rather hypocritical coming from a party which divides their parties according to race. We may have peace and harmony and all that. But ignoring what’s in front of you, sweeping it under the rug is not going to make things better. Acknowledgment of it, and continuously working at it is needed to really have a peaceful nation. And you can back it up with whatever factoids and statistics you have, but reality remains that prices are going up, and there are people here, who are suffocating from the financial noose that is slowly tightening. 1.1 trillion worth of projects have been approved, but chances are, the bulk of that pie is going to end up in the already deep pockets of corrupted officers and politicians. And then the roof is going to leak within a week anyway.

Maybe I’ll just vote for the Independent ticket.

It’s voting day tomorrow. Where will you be?

I will be voting of course, and for the life of me, I still am undecided. I tried to make a decision over the past few days. Surf some blogs, and read what they have to say. The opposition and the government. And I still find both of them to talk a whole lot of crap.

I’m no fan of PAS. No matter what you say about BN, or what propaganda they have blown about the opposition, fact still remains that they are too ultra conservative for Malaysia. Having seperate checkout counters for women and men in Tesco? Are you freaking kidding me? What, if I came in with my husband, he wouldn’t be able to accompany me, and I him? Or what if a woman were to have his teenage son push the trolly for him? They can’t queue together. That is just freaking stupid. And imposing segregation of sexes to everyone else who is not muslim? That is simply unconstitutional and unfair. PAS of course is already talking about the segregation of sexes in other places.

Tour groups.

Yup, no longer can families have their holidays together. Sons and father in another tour bus. Wife and daughters in another tour bus with a female tour operator. Yeah, good luck finding those.

Keadilan, on the other hand is all about justice for the people, and the issues they talk about have a valid point. And then Chandra Muzaffar becomes a whistle blower. And that all falls apart. Suddenly everyone is seeing Anuar in a different light. Including myself. Yup, I can be a real lalang when it comes to Malaysian politics.

BN’s advertising campaign has the expected angle. Peace, and racial harmony and what not. I find it rather hypocritical coming from a party which divides their parties according to race. We may have peace and harmony and all that. But ignoring what’s in front of you, sweeping it under the rug is not going to make things better. Acknowledgment of it, and continuously working at it is needed to really have a peaceful nation. And you can back it up with whatever factoids and statistics you have, but reality remains that prices are going up, and there are people here, who are suffocating from the financial noose that is slowly tightening. 1.1 trillion worth of projects have been approved, but chances are, the bulk of that pie is going to end up in the already deep pockets of corrupted officers and politicians. And then the roof is going to leak within a week anyway.

Maybe I’ll just vote for the Independent ticket.

I had a friend once, who thought that the biggest sin one could commit was to plagiarize another person’s work and write it off as your own. Maybe so. But her rules were so rigid that she would refuse to even be inspired by someone in order to write her work. And how she’d write….plays, scripts, short stories, poetry and sometimes even her doodles were a work of art. Her writing was brilliant, and I was at awe with this great writer that I felt lived ahead of her time.

But that’s the problem when you surround yourself with someone who is simply so great, that you’re not simply overshadowed, but suddenly whatever you wrote seemed to look like chicken scratch compared to hers.

It’s a volatile relationship, and the stuff of storybooks and tragic plays. A love hate relationship that only threatens to destroy another.

And destroy it did. But like the primal animals that prowl our forests the stronger one will generally endure.

For a long time, I took whatever she said to heart. I felt that any work that I’ve done by being inspired by a movie, a picture or another person’s animated conversation as something that isn’t truly mine. It was “plagiarized” and isn’t worthy.

My muse was confused for a long time.

I have only kept this blog since then. My journals and notebook remains untouched save for the insignificant going ons of my life. Exclamations of “Oooo Kamy, English you terrerr!!” does nothing compared to winning the approval of that one person. As childish as it may seem.

I’m stepping into the working world soon, where the creative brain juices of mine is going to be put to the test. I should get over her and move on.

I should.

I had a friend once, who thought that the biggest sin one could commit was to plagiarize another person’s work and write it off as your own. Maybe so. But her rules were so rigid that she would refuse to even be inspired by someone in order to write her work. And how she’d write….plays, scripts, short stories, poetry and sometimes even her doodles were a work of art. Her writing was brilliant, and I was at awe with this great writer that I felt lived ahead of her time.

But that’s the problem when you surround yourself with someone who is simply so great, that you’re not simply overshadowed, but suddenly whatever you wrote seemed to look like chicken scratch compared to hers.

It’s a volatile relationship, and the stuff of storybooks and tragic plays. A love hate relationship that only threatens to destroy another.

And destroy it did. But like the primal animals that prowl our forests the stronger one will generally endure.

For a long time, I took whatever she said to heart. I felt that any work that I’ve done by being inspired by a movie, a picture or another person’s animated conversation as something that isn’t truly mine. It was “plagiarized” and isn’t worthy.

My muse was confused for a long time.

I have only kept this blog since then. My journals and notebook remains untouched save for the insignificant going ons of my life. Exclamations of “Oooo Kamy, English you terrerr!!” does nothing compared to winning the approval of that one person. As childish as it may seem.

I’m stepping into the working world soon, where the creative brain juices of mine is going to be put to the test. I should get over her and move on.

I should.

It took me one week to write this post. It’s been a gloomy week for Google and me, and as we disagreed on many counts. *refresh*refresh*

It won’t load! Oh bother, what’s wrong?

My Google homepage won’t load either. I’d wait impatiently for it, tapping my fingers on the mouse absently. *sigh*

And it climaxed today when something truly bizarre happened to my laptop. The monitor blinked! Hm, maybe I didn’t see it right. Probably my eyes acting up again. And then…*blink*blink*blink*

Oh man, what’s going on?! *panic*panic*

Call Baby quick!!

In my best imitation of Nobita whining to Doraemon yet…”My pc something wronggggggggggggg”

I had the right to whine and cry for help. It is thesis season! My pc is not allowed to quit on me during thesis season. It’s sacrilege I tell you! *no*no*no* This can’t be happening to me!

“Better reformat. Could be a software problem. Most probably hardware. But we can only be sure once we’ve reformatted.” Baby says.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

He could be wrong. Let’s ask the guru.

Hallaj: “Might be your RAM. Definitely need to reformat.”

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Don’t die on me sayang….me needs you. You won’t leave this comrade of yours behind right? I know I may have installed really stooopid things on you. I didn’t mean to. Honest! (crosses fingers)

Sigh…so that is the sad sad tale of my current state of hysteria.

Any ideas of what I should do? Short of chucking the laptop into the toilet bowl.