Thinking Cap

I read somewhere that most people need some kind of prop to set them in Work Mode. Some people use a thinking cap, some an alarm clock, maybe special writing tools, for a lot of people it's the reading glasses... that sort of thing. I'll try anything. Recently I bought a pair of glasses (no power) from Padang Besar. They're fun to wear. Now I have Nerd Mode, or so I thought. A friend of mine said I look like one of the Bookworm B**ches. So apparently it's Porn Star mode. Yay. I'm taking these off.

And Thus We Sever The Ties...

Why do we always hurt the most when it involves the ones we love the most? Regardless of whether or not they love you in return. I asked Christine and she said maybe it's because familiarity breeds contempt. Enough with the cliches already...
My sister has this rule about cutting off people who don't benefit you in any way. I used to disagree with that - how could anyone cut off their friends (or family) that easily? I believe we have something to learn from everyone. But, this is someone who has achieved a lot of what she wanted so I really wouldn't argue. Besides, I'm starting to see her point.
Why should we waste our lives on people who really couldn't give a sh*t about us? If that person can't respect you enough to be honest with you, why care? If that person can't appreciate the things you do for them, maybe we should just drop them. Forget the opportunists who only remember you in times of need. The world ain't that small and there are plenty of other people who wouldn't be a waste of your time.
And as for you (you know who you are), if you're not sincere then please stop pretending. It's an insult to other people's intelligence.

This Is What Loneliness Looks Like

Here's something we rarely see; even movies would normally show only the girls doing this... This is my friend Azizul waiting to hear from his girlfriend. Nice to know the guys think of us as often as we think about them, eh girls?

Kimi wa nani shiteru? Egao ga mitai zo
Furikabutte wagamama sora ni nageta
-Mahou No Kotoba, Spitz

When You Could Not Be More Wrong

Here I introduce a new segment: Excellent Excerpts

Conversations with friends: Faiz, Zul, Wani

Eva: Would you mind driving? I'm tired - I just got back from Baling, remember?
Faiz: Okay.

Eva: I think maybe it's because I'm old-fashioned, but I have this thing where the guy should drive; especially if he's gonna be the one taking care of the girl. (In this case, I'm just tired)

Wani: My best friend is getting married... Awak...

Zul: Eh, kenapa kita kena pergi kursus kahwin tu?
Eva: Well, you go there and they can teach you more about Islam and...
Faiz: Why would we need to...?
Eva: Ye lah, if you're gonna be a parent one day there's a lot of stuff you should be able to teach your children... And you should also know the do's and dont's of a Muslim husband or wife...

Zul: Awak, baca Doa Qunut.
Eva: Relax lah, Zul, they're not gonna test you.
Wani: Tu lah. Tapi kat Melaka kalau gagal, dapat sijil jugak so what's the point?
Faiz: Kena ambik ujian ke kat Melaka?!
Wani: Ah ah.
Eva: Haha, you should make Zul take the test - kalau lulus, mesti your mother happy...

Faiz: Growing up, I always thought a kursus kahwin would have someone telling you, "This is about sex..."
Eva: That is NOT what it's all about!
Faiz: I know, I know...
Eva: Mana ada kursus macam tu!
Faiz: Zul, mari kita buat kursus kahwin cara baru...

Wani: Tapi ada juga dia terangkan pasal...
Zul: Cara buat?
Wani: Adab lah. Adab sebelum buat...
Eva: Dia ada terangkan pasal pagar tu tak?
Zul: Hah? Panjat pagar?
Eva: No, the pagar as in... You know, when the husband says a prayer for his wife before the batalkan air sembahyang, and it protects her...
Wani: Oh ye ke?
Faiz: Protects her from what?
Eva: You know, benda halus and stuff...
Faiz: Benda halus? Virus?
Eva: *gives him the look* No. Okay, it protects her from harm in general lah...
Faiz: Okay. I'm a modern person - you say benda halus, I think viruses.
Eva: Yeah, and I'm old-fashioned.
Zul: Apa dia?
Faiz: Old-fashioned.
Zul: Eva, old-fashioned? Aku rasa Eva paling modern yang aku kenal.
Wani: Eh, takde lah... Tengok keluarga dia...
Zul: Keluarga dia, aku boleh percaya. Tapi Eva...
Faiz: Tak, Zul. Eva kalau kau betul-betul kenal dia, dia memang old-fashioned.
Zul: Ye ke?
Eva: Zul, aku baru je pial telinga seorang budak sebab dia tak tunduk jalan depan cikgu.
Faiz: Ha, tengok? Cubaan yang paling bagus; bukannya tampar ke apa, dia pial telinga. Cubaan zaman dulu-dulu, pial telinga budak. Macam nenek...
Eva: Nenek dipanggilnya aku...
Faiz: Dia boleh jadi Saloma lah, tapi zaman lain...

Pass the Panadol, please?

Our allowance is in. True to tradition, Zul has suggested Penang. Of course I would love to go. I always find myself writing better after a little break. But how could I possibly when I have to go to Baling today, discuss a presentation with Jey tomorrow, write reports of two research sessions on Friday and Saturday, teach in Baling (again) on Sunday, observe Faiz teaching in Sik on Monday, and teach in Baling one last time on Tuesday. Would be skipping two sessions of dance class as it is - thank God I can replace those. Anyway, the rest of February will be spent writing the project paper. I can't wait for March. And the end of May, when we finally leave college. Freedom...!!!

"I have my moments..." he says.

Guys like to believe they're all that. He'll do his work with this crazy-serious look on his face because he knows his girl likes that. Makes him look smart (not that he isn't). He'll pretend he's seen it all and heard it all before, and he'll pretend he's too absorbed to hear whatever you just said. He reads more than you would - faster too, and most likely with more consigned to memory. But then, when you least expect it, you might just suddenly feel a foot nudging yours under the table.

Hey, he's only human.

Mou Ichido Kudasai

Some of you may know I'm currently trying to learn Japanese. I know I've always wanted to learn a foreign language but I'm not sure why I would begin with such a tough one. Maybe because this time I actually have some help from a native speaker. I could have learned Dutch from Pieter but even he didn't want to teach me because he knew it would be very difficult. So, thank you Christopher Francis Ishizuka for being so patient and understanding ^_^ Arigato gozaimasu!

What I find funny about learning a foreign language while studying TESL is that I do catch myself applying the theories we talk about in class. I give myself drills, I immerse myself in the language through songs and anime, I play around with the words - it's hilarious. I kind of feel like I'm my own case study. Anyway, wish me luck! Or as they say, gambatte!

To any native speakers of Japanese reading this: Sumimasen, nihongo wa sukoshi dake dekimasu!

Jingle Jingle Ca-ching

Anyone who grew up forced to watch RTM might remember that little tune they play between shows: R-T-M... Te-man se-tia an-da... Notice how they've been playing it for years? Now which lucky basket do you suppose is earning ridiculous royalty for a song with only four words in it?

See, that's what I call easy money.

Baby Genius

The other day my mom told me about this one time she was scolding Sara and she thought it might be useful to call Sara's grandfather. So there she was yelling, "Papi! Papi!" and Sara just glared at her. Suddenly, this little one went "Papa! Papa!". My mom said Sara's probably figured out two can play at that game and she calls her dad for back-up. She's also figured out the possibility of getting out of trouble by acting cute. I scolded her for throwing the empty powdered-milk can down the stairs and she just smiled then started dancing in front of me...


I never took her seriously when my mom said Sara tidur lasak. Then there was that night I was in the room when Lin was trying to put her to bed. She insisted on using my stomach for a pillow. Then when my mom joined us she slept next to my mom. And two minutes later decided to be close to me again - this time with her back against my knee and her head aiming for my feet. Then she went back to my mom's shoulder. Finally, she settled for a compromise between the two of us - she slept with her head on the back of my knees (I had turned onto my stomach by then) and her feet on my mother's hip. God bless her...