An Interesting Christmas of Year 2011

So many good things are happening during this magical Christmas of 2011.

First of all, it was the first day I felt closer to my beloved dearie. We held hand for the first time. We shared personal stories of each other. I felt that my love for him grows more and more. He even made steamed fruit cake. Not entirely for me (because he had a Christmas party the night before) but it sure tasted good! Texture was slightly different than the usual baked fruit cake. But the golden syrup he used made it fragrant. Funny to think that he was the one who made the cake. Usually it's the girl who cooks or bakes. So sorry for not doing any cooking.

Yup, this is the first time I shared it here. I am officially in a relationship. Dearie said maintain low profile and my friend asked what is meant by low profile. Previously I thought that low profile meant not telling anyone. But I had already informed most of my close friends. So I re-define the definition of low profile, that is don't just simply go around and spread that we are already hooked up, especially changing the status in FB. I don't think I will do that, because it's like announcing to the whole world. I didn't ask dearie what he meant by low profile though. Let him have his own definition lah! Still thinking when to tell my mom, hmm...

Secondly, a couple which I had been so eager to pair up, really got paired up, after a trip together. Congratulation to both of them. Although both were not so willing to share out the story yet, deep down inside we knew that my guess was right all along. Just wait and see when will this "shy shy" lady spill the secret out. I somehow was involved in it (pardon my "keh poh chi"ness) and can't wait to claim my commission of eye cream, a joke which only the shy lady can understand.

Thirdly, I felt closer bonding with my niece, up to the point where she still thought I was kidding around with her when I was actually annoyed by her hyperactivity. It was only until I asked her to hold out her hands for me to beat that she realized I was upset. Didn't beat her though. I was defeated by her so-called innocent Puss' look (big watery eyes). I spent my whole day of 26/12 at home with her. It really irked everyone when she kept on insisting to watch her favorite VCD repeatedly in the morning, afternoon, and even evening. The thing is, she requested to watch them when we also wanted to watch our TV show. But she looked extremely cute and innocent when she curled up during sleep.

It's really a love and hate situation here. But we all know that she is a sweetheart for us. Without her cuddling with us and playing sweetheart with us, things would have been very different. This morning she cried "Drop already, drop already" at 3 a.m. I thought she broke her tooth or something and got kancheong. I immediately woke up and turned on the light. The reason behind all the commotion was her slightly unbuttoned pyjamas =.=". Luckily she slept soundly after I buttoned her pyjamas and made her some milk. 7 a.m. sharp, she woke up and kissed me on the cheek even before brushing her teeth. Now you see how much she loves me. Ahem! I am her favorite auntie (not that she has many aunties anyway).

Was feeling good on the way to work, until my front bumper kissed the back bumper of a very new Honda Civic. My fault, I followed too closely and the lorry in front of the Honda suddenly braked. The Kancil following behind me almost hit me too, because I noticed his car swerved to the right to avoid my car. Very minor rubbing sign (I wouldn't even call it a scratch). Just need to wax it to settle it, don't even have to polish it. The driver was real angry because it's a very new car, I understand that.

This is the first time I actually bumped into people's car but thank God it's nothing serious. I passed my name card with hp number to him and asked him to contact me for compensation. Logically I should just settle it on the spot (probably gave him RM50) as he hinted for me to give him money to settle. But seeing that he didn't mention any amount and I don't even know if RM50 is the proper amount to give, I decided to pass him the name card. He didn't even want to give me his hp number. Weird. Really, thank God nothing bad happened. Counting my blessing. I feel like reviewing my year of 2011 some time soon...

My Wish-To-Do List

I had just remembered that I posted a page on my wish-to-do list in my previous blog. Now that it is towards year end, it is normal for me to suddenly remember about it. Too bad I forgot to transfer the page over here. I can't really remember them but I know I am very close to achieving some of them. Let me see.... King Kong, help me to refresh some of them if you manage to remember  some of it, please...

Places to visit:

• Mount Kinabalu - will be done on March 2012, can't wait and almost broke since we got to pay the deposit and everything. Still haven't train up the stamina though.
• Skytrex at Taman Pertanian Cahaya Shah Alam, visit King Kong, Batu Caves - To be fulfilled concurrently when I visit King Kong in Feb. He is practically obligated to ensure a wonderful sight-seeing tour for me since I did a great job for him when he came back Penang the other time.
• Sungai Lembing - I want to experience the heaven-like clouds and mists observed atop the hill.
• FRIM - Ms Choo had told me that I can just drop by Klang and informed them when and she will arrange, dare not disturb them this period though.
• Gua Mulu - this is my latest addition, checked the price, not cheap loh - some more Malaysia's pricing for nature retreat is never cheap, just like the Mount KK package.
•  Lost World of Tambun - haven't been there, so just want to know how it feels like to go there.
• Visit Chee Yee and Becky - both stayed in Cheras area and it had been awhile I hadn't visit them - more than a year already lo...
• Belum Rainforest - spectacular view of Temenggor Lake. I had always like a close to nature retreat and had purchased a Groupon deal for this. I can't wait to go. BH is going with me, should be more fun!
• April trip to Malacca with JY.

Apart from places of interest:

• Become a manager within 10 years - not ambitious but I think that might be it if I am hardworking enough. I need to push myself harder. I am getting more and more laid back.
• Get hooked up within 5 years or I will not bother to find my other half - this one is a bit extreme, I admit and that is why my friends always said that I am weird - guess I am putting this up just to serve as guideline when I reviewed my life from time to time.
• Finish at least one technical book - I got those technical books since my first year at work and they are still on my desk waiting for me to flip them over. If I want to be a manager within 10 years, I better try to accomplish this.
• Read at least 5 fictions per year - doesn't seem much but trust me, it's not that easy for me especially since I also subscribed to TIME, National Geographic, and some work-related magazine and already those were also piling up on my desk.
• Build up on my savings - I had been splurging on trips throughout this year, be it foreign or local place. Even my beloved colleague, Ms Too said all my money is spent on trips and tours rather than girly stuff.  Can't help it, but definitely must control the budget. As the eldest, it is time I help to ease mom's burden and yes, with full humility I admit that I hadn't started giving mom monthly allowance yet, just paying the utility bills at home. Shame shame!
• Smile more at work - I have double personality. When at work, I am very serious but out of work, I can be serious and crazy at the same time. So I felt bad when I automatically tuned into serious mode at work. Well, if you ask me, I also don't like my superior to be 'dark-faced' all the time and feel afraid to approach him or her de ma. This is one big challenge for me but nothing is impossible, I believe.

• Swimming and yoga - Don't know how to swim and felt like it's fun whenever I heard friends talking about swimming. Just need to buy swimsuit and find a sifu to teach me. Still contemplating. Yoga... I had stopped going to yoga class for almost a year now. Somehow I missed the feeling of sweat evaporating after a tiring yoga class. No time restriction to accomplish, just hope to make it in my schedule.

With that, I will end this post and will add up more if I remembered more. Most importantly, I am using this to review myself, my 2011 and how to further improve my plan so that I can achieve what I had wanted to do in first place. Life should not be wasted...

What On Earth???

Just when I decided to try to keep as little contact with RR as possible, suddenly she turned out to be very nice to talk to pulak. Perhaps because there are others around? I also don't know. Dilemma dilemma. But I think better stick to my decision.

Was being interviewed by both of my friends 'kaw kaw' after meeting them yesterday. Really horrible. Asking me things which I never really expect some more. Somehow I leaked some info without me realizing the consequence. Just hope they will fail in their missions. Haha!

And definitely next month I am not going to meet them, save up the trouble from being harassed by both of them. Both of you slowly wait lah. Wait till your neck grows 5cm longer!

A Date For Me To Remember

Date:
11.12.11.

First destination:
Cititel Kirishima Japanese Restaurant. Good food. Recommended!

Weather:
Gloomy. Walked in the park halfway only, already need to get back into the car. Potong stim betul! At least managed to get to the top, the highlight of the park.

Final destination:
Secret Recipe in Bayan Baru.

Emotion:
Shy plus happy. A letter starts everything. Element of surprise. Glad that the small surprise turned out to be a big surprise.

From there onwards, a new chapter begin in our lives. The rest is yet to be seen but hopefully worthwhile...

I Am Weird

I met 2 of my friends and brought them to try the Indian food at Sri Ananda Bahwan in Tanjung Bungah. I just love the food there and will always recommend this place to everyone. Just my nature, love to share what I think is good. I arranged to meet both of them, PS and SK because I wanted to meet them.

But somehow there is always this kind of feeling where (hmm... I know if she is reading this she won't be happy but I think she already sensed this ) I don't really like telling PS my "too personal" stuff. Perhaps it's because of our different styles and she tends to question everything. When I am silent doesn't mean that I agree or accept, I am silent and seemed accommodating because I don't want things to go from bad to worse.

But I do appreciate their comments. I asked them: "Am I weird?" Obviously, they were caught off-guard and thought something happened to me. Nothing happened, I just want to know how weird I am because I know that I think differently from others sometimes. These are the feedbacks given to me:

1. Ask too many questions.
2. Too organized - as in everything also plan ahead of time. Especially because I was the only one in the group who has to refer to my planner before confirming an appointment.

These two are the weird points? Looks like my weaknesses rather than my weird points. I admit that I ask a lot of questions. To me, if don't understand must ask, I wouldn't want to talk about apple when my friends were actually talking about orange. To me, communication is very important and I couldn't accept when some friends seem to be able to guess what others are to say but when you ask them, they don't really know. I'd rather that I know the whole story rather than guessing here and there and in the end made the wrong conclusion.

Too organized. No harm that I can see but I do admit that sometimes I plan too far ahead. It was my idea of not wanting to double book my appointments on the same date and to avoid from giving people aeroplane when the time comes near. Some of my friends always do that. To me, once I commit to an appointment, I don't give 747 unless if it's under unforeseen circumstances. But one disadvantage of planning far ahead is that I tend to make my schedule too full when the time comes near, which is why I felt tired sometimes.

It is actually a bliss to be able to rest at home, doing nothing and just sitting around. Especially when you are together with your family. I love my mom and niece a lot!!!

Friendship Not Worth Befriending Anymore

There are friends whom you will always adore while there are friends with whom you were close to in the beginning but were no longer so as time goes. There are also friends with whom you don't always keep in touch with but will always be as close as ever. I have one word to describe friendship, and that is "marvellous". It takes two hands to clap and hence I always believe that it takes both sides to maintain a friendship. And this is where "socializing" comes in.

MY and my other friends commented that I like to socialize a lot but I don't think it as socializing because I don't simply mix with everyone. Rather I will call it bonding with each other. To me, though it's tiring at times but it's satisfying at the end of the day because I get to know that my friends are in good condition and still alive. It is fun teasing each other as well, provided that you don't go over the board. Not everyone can take it too lightly. I can take some teasing but I don't like it when it's overdone.

Which brings me to this topic. There is always this friend whom I adore during my first year in Uni. Let's call her RR. But as time goes, I realize that she changed a lot and was no longer the RR I used to know. Can it be that I am changing too? I believe I do but not too drastic. Physically yes, but mentally....still like last time. Still naive and childish at times but most of the time, I know I gave the impression that I am matured thinking.

I loved to share things with her, previously. But now, no more. Friends sure have different opinions but to listen and accept other's opinion is different from listening and brushing off other's opinions. Just because you think this way, doesn't mean that I can't think that way. Which is why I no longer shared things with her. Especially knowing that she tends to share her friends' stuff with other friends. She was always among the last to know about my developments unless if she asks first.

How will you feel if RR always says: "Come Penang also doesn't come to find me." Once or twice or thrice I can still accept, but everytime? Even after you went to find her? Horrible! The only thing which stops me from saying: "Why don't you come over Kulim to find me instead?" was because I wouldn't want things to go from bad to worse. I always keep mummed when being teased by this group because to me, no harm if it doesn't hurt while at the same time, they enjoyed themselves.

But sometimes it really hurts. It was tiring to fend off some baseless allegations. If I chose not to share it out, there must be a reason. You should know from day one that I meant what I say. If I want to share it out, you don't have to persuade me to share it out. I will if I want to. And it is also tiring to always hear: "Your salary so high, what do you worry about? Just go la, think so much for what? Like me, I don't bother about discounts or offers or cheap flights."

Walaoeh, just because you are used to spending that way, doesn't mean everyone must be like you right? Just because salary high, doesn't mean no commitment right? Just because you are self-employed and we are working with organizations, doesn't mean that we are so much better off than you right? Everyone has their own planning and own set of problems to deal with. Is it even fair to compare apple with orange in the first place?

I have decided to try to keep as little contact as possible with her so as to save up my self-esteem and confidence. To me, friends matter a lot to me, but if I find that a friend is no longer worth to befriend, I won't hesitate to reduce contact. I have done that once because I felt betrayed and annoyed, being pushed into a situation I am not even aware of and I am not even the guilty ones but was treated as if I was. Until now, I only maintain as a hi-and-bye friend with this friend. 

It's true when people said that it takes years to build trust but only seconds to destroy it. I believe that friendship also has its own twists and turns of fate. Perhaps I am not good enough a friend for RR because I stand true to my own stand. I admit that sometimes I pour cold water over hot iron when I insisted on not doing something I hate. But partly also because I know that the company doesn't make me feel like doing something which I hate or never done before. If with my very good friends, I am pretty sure I would go for it.

So this alone is evident enough that I no longer adore this friend the way I used to. Birds of the same feathers flock together. But with some tolerance, understanding and respect, I believe that even birds of different feathers can flock together as well. It is these 3 aspects which I can't  find in our friendship anymore. Not to be dramatic as in to end this friendship once and for all, but if given a choice, I won't purposely go and find her anymore....

Another Learning Stage For Me

Something happened, not sure for good or bad but usually people will say it's good. I had never experienced it before, hence it's normal that I don't really feel comfortable especially when it's not totally within my control. I had been too used to taking control of my own life all this while. But now it's no longer a matter of me alone. I hope I can learn more about myself through this new experience. Another self-discovery.

Friends gave some advices and felt weird with my reaction. Let's just say that perhaps this is beginner's nervous mind playing the trick. I know my post is sounding ambiguous again but I can't risk making this too clear yet, because I am just not very sure of the outcome just yet. Even at this point of writing, there were already a few suspicious minds making a wild guess.

Those with whom I have consulted before should know what I am writing here. Let's just wish for the best for me. People say if you have good karma, you don't have to worry much. I think I have good karma, so not to worry? I think if King Kong is reading this, he would have asked: "What on earth does karma has to do with this?" Can't help thinking that way.

But the feeling of euphoria and floating on cloud nine thingy, I don't really feel it that strongly but sometimes got la. Just felt that we should do what we want to do without thinking too much if it doesn't bring harm to anyone. Perhaps the death of my Sarawak counterpart made me realize that life should not be wasted.

All this while, I had always thought of myself as being very shy, conservative and passive person. But ever since joining community service in USM and started working, I realized that there was a hidden gem within me (pardon the compliments I gave myself) which I didn't even knew I had but others had seen it. Hence, I believe that leadership can be cultivated. Not everyone are born a natural leader but with the right attitude, anyone can learn the magic of leadership.

So go back to the passive part. Once started working I found out that I have my aggressive part and had been trained to be systematic and aggressive. Of course I still forgot this and that at times but at least, I am more organized than before. Some of the habits are cultivated since uni years where I learnt from my beloved room mate, Ms Long, while some of it were picked up during work.

Hence, if it was me 7 years ago, I would never believe that I had actually taken the step to write that letter. But as for now, I think it came as no surprise to my close friends (who knew me real well) that I had actually taken the first step. Hmm... I am changing. Perhaps when it's 2012, it will be a good idea for me to reflect on myself on what kind of changes had taken place in my life.

A Peek Into Greek's Bailout Package

King Kong shared this with me and I find it quite interesting. In fact, some friends whom I shared this with felt the same, so here it goes:

It is a slow day in a little Greek village. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the village, stops at a local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the room upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.

The owner gives him some keys and as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note  and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher. The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer. The pig farmer takes the €100 note  and heads off to pay his drinks bill at the taverna.

The publican slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit. The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note . The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything.

At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note , states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town. No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how the bailout package works. Interesting huh? All this while I had only been reading about it in the news or from the TIME magazine without really knowing or bothering to Google it. Now I have a clearer picture, hope you too!