Anedra and Her Blog Friend's Italian Lunch

On my drive over to pick her up, I was almost convinced it was a big mistake. There were all the signs. First, I could not leave the office as planned. As I was just about to lift my b*m and dash out silently, the phone rang and I had to answer a very unpleasant complaint from a contractor complaining this and that and threatening to this and that..(hello?? isn’t the Client aka Me supposed to be always right?? arrrggghhh!). Told him that I could not talk as was about to meet a very important Client. I finally successfully sneaked out of the door and went into the carpark..THEN, I had the urge to pee, and I was already 15 minutes late at that time. Of course, I had to pee first..I mean, you really don’t wanna risk leaking on a blind-date do you?

After a quick visit to the loo, I finally finally drove out from the office, 20 minutes late and followed her directions to her office which was just a stone’s throw away. Somehow or rather, what was supposed to be a quick simple drive became spooky and scary as I approached an abandoned looking railtrack not to far from a pathetic looking deserted palm-oil estate. Perfect place for an attack by a serial rapist!! Maybe she was giving hints in her entry about blind-dates…Maybe, all her worries were subtle hints to me? Subtle warnings that dungus like me just don’t get. The fine hairs on my back rose, and my heart pumped a million beats per minute. I turned back and sped down the road....planning to escape it all! Too late! There she was by the side of the road in green and black as she said she’d be dressed. Haiyoh....she spotted me and was waving already! Oh no, what's that? She was carrying a suspicious looking white plastic bag! “Shoot! I should’ve brought my whip” I thought, and also thought of Ayu who's just learned to shoot. She'd be handy back-up!

Anyways, after baca ayat Qursi and all, I unlocked my car and let her in, and we hugged. I decided I shall leave my fate with God…(actually, after a quick scan, I felt better, if she acts funny I can push her out of car. She’s so tiny!). So, she is small, very petite in fact but she has a big smile, which is quite infectious! She passed me the white plastic bag. It was a present - Gardenia bread. Huh? Was she serious about eating standing up at the bus station?? Should I take her to one? Or was she trying to get rid of her breakfast left-overs?? Or have I protrayed myself in my blogs as a glutton-tong-sampah? Or do I really look like a tong sampah? I said thanks (it's only polite) and drove towards my kampung, Bangi. I figured that I’d be safe there with all my kaum kerabat just a shout away.

She decided to have an Italian lunch after I offered options of either nasi or pasta. She's very decisive one, not the "alah...anywhere, you chooselah" type. Good. I like that kinda person. No need to go "hmmm, what to eat aaaah??" and all that. We ordered and we talked and talked and talked and talked, only pausing to gobble down our pasta and pizza, and let me get this straight.. to those who read her comments on her blog about this Blind Date. I ordered the PASTA and SHE ordered the PIZZA and we agreed to swap and share. But I have to mengaku bersalah wallaping all the prawns in the pasta. Was that what she was on about??

I told her before, when we talked over the phone briefly, that she sounds sisterly..and that’s exactly what she turned out to be! Very sisterly and very happening. She has so many stories to tell..and man, has she lived life! And when she says she’s a drama queen, she ain’t exaggerating!! Really. No wonder her blogs are so clever! I don’t know, but I felt like time flew a wee bit faster than normal during lunch. We were just getting into full throttle, when we noticed it was already two pm! Time to pay the bill already?? I really didn’t want to leave, but sighs…duty calls!

I practically dragged my feet out of the restaurant and drove her back. As I waved her goodbye, I silently prayed that she had a great time, just as I had and that we’ll meet again sometime and that I didn’t turn her off (or memalukan keluarge KakTeh in anyway!! Eeeks...)

So, to those who know about us and our little not so blind date, I’ve gotta say..

SHE is one of a kind and I am so very glad we met, thanks to Blogspot, eh..and Ely, eh...and Kak Teh!

Ps. KakTeh – If you tersedak-sedak in Londra, sorry, it was us, we ngumpat you a bit.
OOD- am I supposed to eat the bread, or frame it??

Cerita Baju Tidur Malam Pertama

MOM, DAD YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS

This is not an 18sx posting errr..depending on what 18sx is to you, that is..

Before I got married, during my early twenties, my girlfriends and I used to flip girlie magazines and catalogues, looking at lingerie…and decide what we would like to wear, what we would not be caught dead in and what we would wear if we had Cindy Crawford-like bodies etc..etc... As a consensus, most of us were not into stuff which had suspicious looking holes at the oddest but most practical and convenient err, ehem..place, nor were we into fluff balls, bulu-bulu, feathers, leather, whips-attached stuff etc.. We liked the Victoria Station eh..Victoria Secret look, the satin-lacey kinds for the sexy, “come and get me” look or the simple cotton stuff for comfy lets-just- snuggle-up occasions.

When I finally decided to get married, nearing the wedding day, a friend and I went out for lingerie shopping. My then future husband and I had planned a three in one day wedding to fit my ever so busy husband’s schedule (nikah+my reception+his reception all in one day) ending with our first night with a stay over at the place where his reception was held at. So, taking my wise ol friend’s advise, I had to (as in must buy or else die) buy some lingerie, so as to not disappoint my future hubby. Apparently, every man likes it and apparently, it is only the right thing to do and apparently, the first time and first impression really counts, so I had to have my strategies in place, in so far as lingerie is concerned!

We ended up buying 2 sets of pretty stuff. One, a two-piece baby blue all-lace number and the other a white one-piece baby doll-like cotton thing with tiny pink roses which I loved. My wedding day came and after the end of my reception we somehow found time to open a few of the more important presents from my pals.. My darling ever so thoughtful girlfriends and some guy friends had ever so graciously wrapped up some pretty lingerie in the packages that they left for me, with..saucy notes and first-timer tips to add! In the end, on top of the two sets that I had bought, I received two sets of Sporty Spice like sexy stuff and one very nice *I like* skimpy lacy black ensemble which was unfortunately one size too small…haiyaa!

I then packed myself for the next reception and the first night. I decided I would wear the white baby doll thing cos it was soooo me and kind of symbolic since it was white and thus looked “pure?”. I searched high and low for it, only to find that someone had thrown it on the roof of the house! Thanks to my Kak Nisa who was directly responsible for throwing it on the roof from what I was told! Apparently, throwing nice white lingerie with tiny pink roses stops rain from falling! It must’ve worked though, cos it didn’t rain that day! At that point, I was already such a beaming deliriously happy bride that it didn’t matter ! So, instead, I packed my baby blue lacy thing, and the Sporty Spice stuff (for back-up) and off I went.

What was supposed to happen, well, did not happen as it should have. Our three-in-one day wedding left us so exhausted, that at the end of the day, all I saw was the bed, couldn't wait to crash and all I can remember was waking up some time in the middle of the night for a glass of water. I was not, at that time, wearing my sexy baby blue lace thingy as planned (but I was wearing something not sexy at all but can't remember what), and neither was I feeling the least bit of a sexy siren! And from the snores coming from beside me (terkejut kejap, like "who's that?") my husband wasn't up for anything "exciting" either!

So much for strategies and plans huh?

I did discover though, eventually, sometime between that glass of water and dawn, that lace and fancy stuff do not work on ALL men unlike what these girlie magazines and my girlfriends say. Some men, like it and some, as I have discovered…don’t even notice you’re wearing em.. but will love you anyway.

Now, 5++ years after that fateful day, I still entertain ideas of dressing up some nights, and hope it will somehow, some day be noticed and appreciated. Maybe next time I should add a lil jig before it all, maybe then, he might notice.

Hmmm..maybe?

Job Thoughts

It was a very busy week in the office indeed. At one point it became too stressful that I had to let off some steam, relax, step back and think of where this “career” of mine is heading. My FAQs on this are normally these:

1. What do I see myself as, in 10 years from now?
2. What do I hope to have achieved in 10 years from now?
3. Would I regret having stayed at my current job for so long, 10 years from now?
4. If I do stay at this job for another, say 10 years, how would I turn out financially?
5. At the end of my life, what would I have wanted to achieve? And would that be achieved if I stay in the “corporate world”, like what I am doing now?



I question myself these, normally at about 5.30pm, when the office is almost empty, when almost everyone has left, and yet..yours truly has to stay and complete unfinished tasks or attend meetings, still. Gazing out of my window, looking out at the beautiful lake beyond and the golf course not too far out, I feel a pang of jealousy when care-free jet-skiers whiz by in sexy swimwear (and loook so goood), that I pray that they “fall!fall! yes! fall!” * evil witch Anedra-me* (and when they do, I jump up and clap!clap!). It gets worse when I see through the binoculars that I have stashed in my drawers, golfers lazily walking on the smooth green beyond the lake, laughing and chatting as though they have nothing else in the world to think about, no deadlines to meet, no company targets to achieve, blah blah *boring stuff * blah blah, like poor old me!

So, I’ve asked myself many a times, what would I do if I were to quit my job? Me, being me, I still would have to work or else I’m sure I’ll end up a Desperate Housewife Malaysian version…but not a job that takes me 12 hours a day away from home..and yet a job which I find equally satisfying (my demented brain thinks that current job is still a “one in a million” kinda job! Gotta go rehab! Perhaps it’s something they put in then coffee they make me everyday!)

At my daily half hour sessions at Ely's Kedai Kopi with my lovely gal pals Ely and OODy, we have discussed these issues. We asked ourselves, what would we do as “alternative jobs”..jobs that require no brains (maybe a wee bit of brains) and not so stressful. After a few minutes of discussion, now I know, I can rely on these girls to turn my life around. Really. This is what we came up with:

Waitress
Kindergarten Teacher but only for singing and play-time classes
McDonald’s Crew
Starbucks Barista (we’re so perasan we think Starbucks will take Old Dames like us)
Security Guard
Dog/Cat Walker

See, these women are geniuses, which is why I love em so much! …and you can see that we are not so ambitious that we don't wanna become millionaires or anything like that although we wanna go shopping every other week and go listen to music and go karaoke and have tea parties. Maybe we really think that money will fall on our laps from nowhere..just enough for us to achieve what we want without distressing our beloved hubbies!! Oh well! Next time I will remember to add the word “sane” to the “no brains” job that we’re looking out for! Plus, it would be good if the job is related to something we are passionate about; and to quote my COO, "work with passion" and I’ll add “for passion” to that!

But seriously, as I do not intend to see myself climbing the corporate ladder like some think I will (Dad, if you’re reading this... Sorry! I’m not going for a CEO/COO position in 10 years despite what you think but thanks for "believing in me" anyway!), I do need to seriously think of what I want to achieve from this life of mine. I do not want to be spending 80% of my waking hours in an office, working for people and in traffic jams for a purpose that is not all too clear with me except for the not-so-fat paycheque I take home every end of each month. I do want fulfill my duty to the human race and society, somehow, because I think I am capable and sane enough to do so…and I would like to die having left something more than money, if any, behind for the people I care for. And like my kedai kopi host says, probably do something that I never thought I’d ever do in my life like, errr…cat/dog walking? Except in my case it’ll probably be walking around with old people instead of animals as I am a natural “penggeli haiwan”!

So, it is weekend already, and I am still entertaining thoughts of a job different from what I am doing now. My management must have read my mind from the frowns persistently on my face and have cushioned the distress with some rasuah in the form of my bonus! Yippppeeee! But still, like I said, seriously, I’ve got to figure life out and what I want to have achieved from it.

So tell me o wise blog friends. Any ideas on a sane job that doesn’t require so much brains?? Ok lah.. I don’t mind using my brains once in a while! Something that pays enough for a twice monthly shopping spree (and we’re not even talking boutique shopping but if can, better lah!), teh tarik sessions, once in a while live music sessions with my pals OODy and Ely and anybody else that wants to come!

Tell me lah, ok?

Ps. Ian Wright – if you’re reading this, please resign from your job at Globe Trekker on Discovery Travel and Adventure. Actually, it’s YOUR job I want!…and, errrr…call me!

Ops Tukar Garden 2005

As usual, I'm out of ideas on what to write. So let me update you on our latest project at home - Ops Tukar Garden 2005.

The background of this is this. We woke up one weekend morning to find that our garden, out of neglect, was already half dead, if not dead. The grass was brown, flowers all lifeless and shrivelled up, and our palm trees left with just, almost stumps and no leaves blowing with the wind. Ugly..it was ugly.

Whilst I can normally close one eye to this eye-sore since I'm at home only nights most of the time and especially since I'm no Mrs Greenfingers and neither am I, Ms Gardening Enthusiast, my N or what I call (affectionately?) my "Mr Tak Puas Hati", just couldn't take it. Just like how he can't take defects in anything in the house and therefore we have people bertukang-ing in house perpetually every other day changing this and that...

So, N launched his Ops Tukar Garden a month back, which was completed two weeks ago. He replaced almost everything, the grass, the palms and reshuffled those plants which were still alive to different parts of the garden. Ok lah, ok lah..to put the records straight, my hero did not do this with his bare hands of course. We had lots of help on this project.. Me? My role was tukang buat air saja..

After two weeks, this is the results.










Tengku Armin our resident rabbit


Well, I think he did a good job..and we have a greener garden, for now. N is happy, the children are happy, I am happy, my bibiks are happy and even our resident rabbit, Tg Armin, is happier as he has a greener playground and live, healthy plants to nibble on now. I'm just praying hard that it'll stay green for at least the next three years or so, or else, N will go on another change-out frenzy. At the rate he's going, only God knows what he'll want to change out next. Oh well..as long as he's happy!

Jangan dia pikir nak "change-out" bini sudah lah ya? ;p

Toilet oh Toilet

I was sitting in the loo at the office this morning minding my own business when suddenly, my feet were splashed by some water by the person at the next stall! It very well pissed me off, especially since I had to walk back to my office with the bottom part of my pants all wet with god-knows-what-water.

This was not the first time. I often find our toilet stalls wet from wall to wall with water. Hey, I know, accidents happen..but not everyday!! While I understand and practise cleansing myself with water after my daily business in the loo, I just cannot fathom why we can't keep our toilets clean, dry and smelling fresh like others. If I had my way, I'd be standing there with my arms crossed and a big frown on my face, telling people to wipe the toilets dry after use and flush and pick up scattered toilet paper and ....ohhh..the list is endless!!! But I don't want to appear to be so busybody lah, so not cool, isn't it? Plus, I have a job to go to!

While I note that generally there is a large improvement in the cleanliness of our public toilets, we Malaysians still have a long way to go. In some places, you know you are near a toilet just by breathing in the stench-ridden air in the area. In many others, toilets do not flush properly or do not have water supply and do not have toilet paper, resulting in too-disgusting-to-even-step-in-although-desperate toilets. When faced with these toilets, I just tahan, hold it in and pray I don't sneeze, or else......

I also note that many of us do not have the habit of washing our hands after using the toilet. According to Oprah Winfrey, a good way to know whether your hands have been properly cleansed after using the loo is to sing Happy Birthday while washing your hands. So friends, sing away! Apparently, the time taken to sing Happy Birthday is just about the right amount of time you need to spend washing your hands to make sure it is really clean. Oh, and did you know that wiping the toilet seats (especially wet ones) will only spread the bacteria all over the seat? Its just as bad as taking the toilet water and splashing it all over the seats? The solution - disinfectant wipes. And why I make a fuss over wet toilet floors? Wet toilet floors breed bacteria and are a major source of infections and spread common viruses like flu and colds etc. Geddit?

What we need to do is to start instilling these values from a young age at school and make it a culture within our children. I haven't been to a Malaysian school for a long time but I do remember when I was about 7 years old and having visited my school toilet for the first time. I held my breath, stepped in for about 2 seconds and ran out!! It was too teruk to even attempt. In the end, I couldn't hold it in any longer, so I leaked in class instead! (ok, I don't encourage THAT either)

I do hope though, that school toilets have changed. We definitely need to teach our children how to use toilets properly. Just like how the dental nurses used to come and teach us how to brush our teeth the right way. Its a daily thing we do, and equally important as brushing our teeth, so why not?

Lets teach them to be able to wash themselves properly without having to wet everybody else in the toilets with them. Lets make sure that our toilets are properly equipped with the right necesseties like handtowels, hand soap, functioning hoses etc..etc..and yes, lets sing Happy Birthday while washing our hands!

I'm not saying that my toilet habits are perfect, nor am I implying that the toilets in my house are so clean that you could sleep on the floors. Its just that, this is basic hygiene and it is important to maintain a certain standard of cleanliness if we want to be healthy people. In addition, many of us, including myself have travelled to different countries abroad and have seen that to have clean toilets is not all that hard. Even if we look in our own country, there are pretty "okay" toilets, like the ones in KLCC and Jusco in Megamall. We know that this can be done. So why not??

Tell me then.. How do we move forward?? Which Minister or Ministry do I write to to fight my cause?? (eh-chewah) How do we get our fellow Malaysians to be more conscious and cautious of their toilet habits?

I really want to have this done, especially before I turn 50-60ish. Cos at that age, I won't have the muscle strength to tahan for so long and I can't go leaking away all over KL! Or shall I just?


*****
Diet Update
After a miserable two weeks of dieting, the results - an equally miserable 0.5kg of weight loss which I am convinced is a result of the visit to the loo, before I weighed myself. I sometimes dream that I will wake up one morning to a fine, slim and fit new ME. Sigh..the blobs are still there. Miracles don't happen do they?
Nevertheless, I shall FOCUS and I shall PERSEVERE! :(

Excuse Me, Can I Go To Marie France Puh-Lease??

The week has been absolutely monotonous.. the usual 5 day week at work, bantering and negotiating of contracts with Clients that used to be the highlight of my job to me, no longer seems mind stimulating as it used to. It's all so predictable, we propose something, they say its expensive lah, mind-boggling lah etc, etc.. then we play tarik tali, one day they pull to their side and we pull back..until its sorted as expected. It's a love-hate relationship..they need us, we need them. No matter what! So, finally wrapped up next years's contract with a Client. Now have to cross fingers and pray (HARD) that we make money out of it; which seems so hard to do these days. Oh well..can't control everything can I?

Anyways, for lack of better things to write, lemme update the rest of the G.Is on how my diet has been this week. Oh yes, I have been serious about it..especially after looking at the void in Atenah's jeans in one of her postings recently. I thought.."I gotta go get me some of that!"..referring to her lovely slim thighs! How lah?? Plus..I have been getting hints from my dearest and nearest N, that something has to be done about my legs, bums and tums...or are those pinches that he's been giving me in those areas a sign of approval, and that they're hey-OK? Errr.. don't think so!

So, after some help from the BMI link in Nazrah's blog, I found out that I need to lose some 3-4 kilos. Make it 5 kilos for safe measure; and I want some tone in my legs and upper arms, ya know what I mean?

A trip to Carrefoure on Monday sorted out my diet for the week. It was grilled fish, chicken and vegetables for me this week accompanied by air asam and Lingams' Chilli Sauce or kicap with cili padi and lime. Strictly no rice for dinner. For lunch, rice only twice this week, yong tau foo and a steamboat lunch on Saturday (that's ok isn't it?). Fruits as snack, maybe some keropok in between, and I made sure that I only go to bed at least three hours after my last meal. Man! This is hard!

Exercise?? This is the hard one! Only managed to come about exercising this morning. Jogged (and huffed and puffed) two rounds around the KLCC park at 8.00 a.m while the kids played away on the swings and slides! Lacking on that one, I know. Have resolved to pay a visit to the office gym at least three times this week! Insya-Allah!

The results for the week? Ooooh, I still dare not look! My weighing scale is still stored somewhere, hidden from my last frustration from weighing myself months ago!! I will have to muster up some courage and weigh myself next Sunday. We'll see, and I shall update. Anyhow, for this week, not much progress..it's ONLY been one week right?? Or am I supposed to expect a miracle or some sort of divine intervention?? I guess not! Tummy and bum are still wobbling away, thighs still look anak gajah-like and legs are sore like hell now. All that said, I do feel healthier. Discipline. That's what it takes..and patience. That's what I don't have!

Is a quick-fix allowed in this regime? Wanna go Marie France lah!

Sigh..where's my bonus when I need one?

ps. To the rest of my G.I Jane sisters - Go! go! GO!!! You can do it!!