Mane-yfestation July 30, 2007

I visited the hairdresser yesterday. Considering my hair was last touched by one armed with scissors in September last year, I’d say this is the most updated albeit useless fact about me. I’m always at awe with people who can change their hairstyles like changing clothes and that with utmost consistency. One of my colleagues does something with her hair every six months. And she does look great! But even though I may envy her effort, frankly my laziness supersedes my vanity. Hehe. Which can be a bad thing too.

 

Past (6 months)

 

Super Past (for years)

Present (until further notice)

Future? (actress Syarifah Armani from Sepet)

Ayam Mati July 26, 2007

It’s been one heck of a week. More of the negative kind and it’s a struggle to put on a cheery mask. Disappointment does cause a draining domino effect to a person’s attitude and overall well-being. A let-down would almost instantly wipe off my smile, my motivation even if it was for something totally unrelated and even my physical energy. Knowing me, I can’t fake emotions well – be it elation, hatred, suspicion or fear. But since I’ve learnt to be an adult and adults do fake a lot for the sake of propriety and civility, I try my best to cover up the dent. But darn…. it is difficult and I doubt it will ever be easy.

I feel like running away again.

Pwak-pwak-pwak-pa-KAK!

Solace July 21, 2007

Have some this weekend.

Knackered to the Sole July 19, 2007

Crazy Thursday – as usual. Had classes from 8:30AM till 4:00PM. And stupid me, I had forgotten that I would be standing for 6-7 hours and had put on a pair of stilletos with very little sole support. Argh! My feet are still aching and throbbing… I’m considering going to work with those rubbery selipar sansang tomorrow. Anyway, won’t write much as I need my energy replenishing sleep.

Till then, here’s a nighty-night wish from my favourite cartoonist, Gary Larson.

Hmmm… Monday July 16, 2007

Monday, Monday, Monday. It feels like an aftermath of something. And I’m too lazy to elaborate. But I’m back to the usual business of running around on forgetful errands, preparing to meet my kids and squeezing unwarranted breaks in between classes to ease my quaking heart.

Last night’s concert went pretty good considering the magnitude of the event – assembling 5,000+  guests and back-up singers for a concert must be a feat! Likas Stadium has 35,000 capacity and seen from my south wing seating, I think at at least one-third of the stadium was occupied. Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Dr. Pairin Kitingan was present to officiate the opening. And the programme started off with a slight drizzle. Fortunately, the weather changed for the better and stayed that way till the end of the concert. I’d say AUP Ambassadors successfully lifted me off the ground with their mostly a cappella numbers. They sang like what I would envision angels would sing… Ehem! I wish though that they had projected the words/lyrics on the screens so that people didn’t have to guess what they were singing about. As for the main “stars” of the show, the Golden Angels from Korea, well, they were beautiful indeed. Except that they failed to twitch my nostrils or raise goose bumps. Sorry, aga-shi and ajo-shi :)

There were other featured singers: Joanne Sue Henly Rampas who happens to be the 2007 State Unduk Ngadau – her voice is quite powerful and has a tinge of soul plus rock. Very talented lady and she’s only 18. Then we had The Ripples, Tamparuli-based choir who was being introduced as the best choir in Sabah. Welllll… I’d say they’re good but not quite a superlative – yet. It’s coming. On the way.

Anyway. I meant to say all in all it was a good evening.

The day is not over yet. There are still errands to do, appointments to meet and people to kill. Roar! May the spirit of Monday prevails till the last second of the day.

Merry Monday!

We are an Offering July 14, 2007

Watch the AUP Ambassadors’ rendition of Dwight Liles’ “We are an Offering”! They and the Golden Angels from Korea will take part in the 1000 Voices Mega Concert for Peace at Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu at 6:30pm. The concert is organised by the Adventist church to raise fund for ADF projects and give aid to Sabah Kidney Foundation, Sabah Society for the Blind and SOS Heart Fund. They can do whatever they want with my money but please give me good music. Tickets are sold at RM20. OK, enough promo.

My brother and his clan moved to their own pad after living in the family house since 2002/3. It’s been quite different without the usual sound of the children’s laughter and crying. Including the parents’ bickering and the grandparents’ stunts in wanting to get involved. In other words, you didn’t have to go far to visit the zoo. Well, thank God for the change now.

An old friend came to visit after some years of not meeting. Had an enlightening talk regarding events and people of the past that we were somehow involved in/with. She has moved on towards the silver lining whereas I tend to forget and not forgive. Ignorance is bliss they say and perhaps I’ve taken that a little too serious… Hmmm. What a dangerous creature I am.

On a lighter note, I went to watch Transformers in the darken hall. It’s the usual good vs. evil and good conquering evil and they live happily ever after with a hint of Transformers part 2.

Well, that’s the news from Lake Wobegone (as Garrison Keillor would say). For our closing song, let’s turn to www.youtube.com page 6. Aaaa-men!

A Sunday Unlike Sundae July 8, 2007

I had the 8am-6pm normal piano teaching day today. For the past few days I find it sooo embarassingly easy to doze off so long I’m sitting down idly. Well, today I reluctantly closed my eyes for at least one minute while teaching student #5. When I did open my eyes, I realized she had finished playing her piece and was waiting politely for my comments.

And I remember clearly what I said:

“OK! Sorry, ahh… Saya tutup mata sebab mau menghayati lagu kau main.  (I’m sorry, I closed my eyes because I wanted to feel your song.)

Haha. I’m so pathetic, I can’t even bluff a kid anymore. One thing for sure, I must get a regular 7-hour sleep daily starting tonight.

Heroes and Other Stories July 7, 2007

Saturday is my hero. Again I’ve been rolling too hard this week with work.

They’ve been a few incidents this past week too that made me think of heroes – the need for one, the scarcity of one, and the futility of having one. Hmmm, I think I have made myself clear how irresolute I can be with words :) But having said that, that brings me to another question: Isn’t too much of a self-independency a bad thing?

I feel that it’s easy for us to lose our sensitivity, warmth, tenderheartedness and if we don’t hit the brakes soon, ultimately we’ll lose our loved ones too. Perhaps being too self-reliant is a culprit. In our effort to suppress our weaknesses, we try much too hard to be strong until we have successfully built a fort so strong and mighty we give the impression of being socially unpenetrable, haughty, a goody-goody-two-shoes or even worse a mean, hard person.

It has been said life is X-rated and I’m glad I don’t have kids to worry about. Hmmm… If only we are more patient with others and ourselves, if only we have the courage to face our deepest fears and if only we realise we don’t have a backspace (delete) button for the mistakes that we make in life, maybe then we’ll truly, truly see the preciousness of life and the worth of every single person, no matter how stinky or ugly s/he is.

But back to heroes.

Would you be willing to be one to the very person who have hurt you?

By the way, Heroes and Other Stories is a collection of short stories written by Karim Raslan. I’ve read the first story and hmmm… I’d say it has a feel of a new car. And you’re driving. How would you feel? Sorry that wasn’t very helpful as a review. Haha!

Oh! English July 3, 2007

One very, very busy day.

The language training that sabotaged our weekend ended this morning with a quick demonstration of the listening activities learned by the participants (a.k.a. us, the language instructors and wanna-be’s) in a real classroom setting. We did three activities: message relay, storytelling with a comprehension check and then listen-to-the-song-and-fill-in-the-missing-words. Come to think of it, kids these days are so lucky to have a hyped-up, fun approach to language learning. Everything, even the hated grammar, must be candy-wrapped in bling-blings. Like a birthday cake that MUST be decorated otherwise it will not be eaten. A teacher these days needs to be talented either as an actor, an entertainer, or as a darn good liar to get students’ attention. Just depending on one’s sincerity in imparting wisdom to the ignorant (ha!) isn’t good enough anymore. Back in the 60’s, as my pa would say… Hehe. Well, during my hingusan school days the only motivation we needed to brush up our grammar was a rattan – in the hand of a fierce-looking woman, the English guru. Man, just thinking about her teeth gives me the shivers…

In a way, I guess am lucky that most of my growing up years was in a peculiar campus where most residents prefer speaking to each other, to their kids, even to their pets (maybe even their roses) in English. I don’t recall any struggling on my part in learning English. Perhaps I should have, then I would truly feel what most of my students feel. Hmmm.