exaggeration and tall tales galore

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Adoi

hi.

my wallet got stolen.

ok,ok. I say stolen, but who knows. Maybe I was dumb enough to have accidentally dropped it somewhere without realizing it. But anyway. My wallet's gone.

Don't worry. I didn't freak out and have a meltdown. It went pretty ok, actually. Even while I tried looking around for it in the store, I realized it was already gone and that I'd have to start calling up the bank, get my student id replaced, call up the OSHC people. Oh, and figure out how to get my malaysian ic replaced.

I went home in a sort of disoriented daze, trying to remember what else was in my wallet, and contemplate the irony of how I managed to lose my it just after withdrawing cash from the ATM.

Ok, despite me being all zen-like and accepting, I think this incident deserves at least one whole-hearted profanity.

MANGKUK AYUN.

So I got home, called up the bank, cooked dinner, and proceeded to systematically stuff myself. I'd eat more, but I'm pretty full. Give me comfort food, people.

Kelly was a real sweetheart though, offering full support and an invitation to treat me to dinner. Thanks Kelly, if you're reading this! I might have to take up your offer for help on wednesday, I think I need to borrow some cash to buy the tram ticket to get to Malaysian Hall for raya.

Oh, woe. I sound pathetic.

Kelly was indignant on my behalf, cursing the person who may have pick-pocketed my wallet to "selalu sakit perut". And I had to chuckle at that, but at the same time I was contemplating her words. She fully blamed the perpetrator of the incident, and while I had conjured up anger for whoever it was that may have taken my purse, it was more a passing thought. To be honest, I kind of took the whole thing as an incident inflicted by God Himself onto me. I was not so much a victim of someone's crime as the recipient of a direct prodding from Allah.While I was walking around the store for the umpteenth time to look for the thing, I think at some point I was murmuring to Him, "I can't believe this. Don't do this to me".

Here's what I think He was trying to teach or test me: it's so much more easier to love someone when everything goes right, someone here being God and Islam in general. I am happily excited to say my thanks and accept my faith when everything's going smoothly and I have nothing to pit against my belief that everything will be a-okay if I do my prayers and fast properly and remember to ask for protection for me and my family. But when something happens to screw things up, it's so much harder to swallow your anger and have faith that things happen for a reason.

If I'm going to repent and be a properly decent being, I'm going to have to learn to love beyond expecting good things in return.

sorry. Open pondering on an open blog. I waste cyberspace, I know. Anyway. It's all okay. It's not as if I got cancer or anything. In the grand scheme of things, a wallet is nothing.

In better news, I got this beautiful leather satchel bag from Camberwell market today! I love it, it's like a small briefcase I can sling around. I was so excited about it I wore it immediately, and therefore unfortunately, this is the same bag that my wallet was in when it was stolen. So, like I told kakak melodramatically over the phone just now, this beautiful bag will forever be tinged with the bittersweet memory of my loss wallet. But I'm going to wear this bag until it's all battered and falling apart, so if anything, this whole shebang only adds to its rustic charm and history.

And in even happier news, I'm going to be the very first person to wish D. I. R. S. a very merry happy awesomely amazing 20th birthdaaaaaaaay!
The ever glamourous Diyana

Have an amazing birthday, saudari. First one abroad, make it spectacular. You're smart, kind, brilliantly funny, and are everything someone could look for in a friend. I heart you lots.

Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin semua.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Penanda Buku Kayu Yang Ada Kepala Kucing

hello, my lovelies.

Bright and sunny this morning.25th day of Ramadan. I am perusing through a number of homemade craft ideas sites, in search of something easy and cheap to make do as souvenirs for this small event I'm helping out with. The thing is, what on earth can you give as an event favor that's cheap but at the same time won't be discarded thoughtlessly by the recipients? I've seen my parents and also myself receive a fair share of useless, space-wasting party souvenirs that were promptly binned, sometimes(but rarely) with a slight tinge of guilt-sorry to the people that took the time to buy and give me said souvenir, but really. Rather than some paper weight/ ugly vase/clock whose hands have flopped over, couldn't you have just given me a decent chocolate bar instead? or something practical, like a mechanical pencil. yeah).

So we're meeting up today to discuss the event, and I plan to courageously champion the idea of giving everyone these wooden bookmarks I found at Vic Market the other day. Wait!wait! bookmark ni lawa, betul! and think about it, it's useful, it's cheap(a dollar each), and it's something that's in a sense not flimsy. would you rather receive some floppy handmade card/ornament or a very pretty wooden bookmark? But I'm looking up craft ideas anyway, just in case they reject the idea and I'm left to slunk to a corner cradling my beautiful wooden bookmark in my trembling hands. haih.

sorry, had to let out that trivial worry out here.

Anyway, guess what! On the 23rd of September, I loped down to Borders and guess what? GUESS WHAT?
Seorang human racoon hodoh memegang cakera padat Only By The Night oleh Kings of Leon.

Yeah,man! It was out and beautifully displayed on the new cds rack. but wait, it gets more beatific. All the copies of the album on the new releases rack were retail priced at $26.95, yea? So I grabbed one of those, but I had to call Aina up first, and while I was talking to her I was absent-mindedly browsing around the regular cd racks. That was when I saw the copy I'm holding up in the picture. $15.95! Bloody hell, we're talking about a new cd on the first day of release here! It was the only one on the regular racks, and it was certainly the only one with a Great Price sticker on it. I couldn't believe it. Even after I bought it and was walking home, I kept thinking there must have been some catch. Maybe it's rosak. Maybe it's some sort of single, not the full album. But no, it's fine, it's perfect! So the only way I can explain this is either Borders was being selectively baik hati, pricing one or a few of the new cds with this promo price, or maybe someone just mistakenly put the sticker on that copy. Either way, excuse me while I punch the air with my fists and whoop over my good fortune.

Anyway, on to the album. I religiously refrained(sungguh sesuai dengan bulan ramadan. I remember snippets of the definition of puasa from agama class back in high school, ie: menahan diri daripada makan minum dan memasukkan sesuatu ke dalam rongga terbuka daripada terbit fajar hingga matahari terbenam. something along those lines) from reading reviews of the cd (except for Al's, I think), to avoid any undue influence(I am shamefully quite easily swayed by reviews). While refraining from reading a review of a particular cd can't exactly be considered a part of fasting, it does accord nicely with the underlying theme of 'menahan diri', no? ok, maybe not.

I won't bother elaborate much, but it suffices to say, I like the album. A lot. And the interesting thing is, if you ask me to pick out which is the best out of this album, Because of The Times and Aha Shake Heartbreak (I should get Youth and Young Manhood), I think I'd be a bit stumped.
Notable songs: Use Somebody, Manhattan, Revelry(it has that lovely dreamy quality with appropriate backup vocals that reminds a lot of Trunk and The Runner from the previous album), I Want You, Cold Desert. Sex on Fire is good too, but the dreadful video sort of marred it for me. However, it's still pretty damn good.

I use too many words in a sentence.

ok. I have to go. I hope the bookmark thing works out. how can it not?!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

White

Saya sedang sprawled di atas lantai. Atau, secara lebih spesifik, saya sedang sprawled di atas sejadah di atas lantai. Rancangan saya pada asal-usulnya adalah untuk mandi, solat zohor dan kemudian melakukan aktiviti-aktiviti produktif, seperti menyiapkan kerja rumah. Nampaknya saya telah terpesong daripada rancangan asal.

Kings of Leon played Use Sombody on Jools Holland! Watch here. oh, I love this song, I do. Jared and Matthew's hair look painfully styled and Jared makes this weird face whenever he sings the backup vocals, but I keep watching the video over and over. At around the 3 minute mark of the clip, there's a glimpse of what I'm sure is Carla Bruni smiling and nodding along with the song.

Yesterday was fun. Window shopping around Chapel Street! God, I want to do it again. There was a shop selling vintage bags and clothes, rotary telephones, teacup sets with flowered patterns. Old typewriters! The end result of the excursion along the street was this very nice skirt(with pockets!) and (cheap) wayfarers. Then, later on for buka, lamb kebabs beside the carwash place(read:nikmat), ice cream afterwards, churros and coffee for a second round of dessert, the park in the middle of the night! Talking while sitting on a bench underneath a lamp post. Getting scared senseless by a guy barking out profanities. I don't have days like yesterday often enough.

Pointless post number 1933756385013857.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Bruises

Buka: nasi and ayam masak kicap, choy sum(or is it pak choy. something related to bok choy) cooked in oyster sauce. Followed by 6 cupcakes, a pear, then a (small) pack of chips and a few slugs of water.

In my defense, it's been a pretty grueling day.

Well, not exactly the whole day. it's just that it ended on a grueling note. I would wail about how my illusions on the existence of some unwritten law of decency regarding asking questions during a presentation have been shattered(shattered, I tell you), but cupcakes and chips can soften the tension. Plus, a nice(and maybe over-friendly but quite good-looking cashier) chatted amicably with me while I was paying for my groceries just now, so that was pleasant(shut up i know I'm easily giddy when it comes to these things).

Ok, here's a breakdown of the cupcakes. I made standard(read:easiest) butter cupcakes, and I got about 12 in total from the batter, excluding 3 more I forgot about and partially burnt. Amongst those twelve I'd like to dedicate 3 to specific people.

First one goes to Fatin, as a horrendously belated birthday wish(sorry, Fatin! my super bad). I know this is coming really late, but I hope you had an excellent birthday :D

The one on the right goes to Azrieal, whose birthday was a few days ago, on the exact day the lucky chap hopped on a plane to go back home. I don't think you read the blog anyway, but happy birthday again and tell nasi lemak and ayam madu I'm coming home in approximately 2 and a half months.

And the center muffin goes to diyana, who has officially gone off to the place where Camelot may be, and whom I miss. I still wish I'd been there to see you off.

Ok. So i dedicated a cupcake(muffin, whatever) to you. Not that you get to eat it. Kiranya I ate them in your honour la. Which defeats the purpose of it all, but hey! it's the thought that counts. Ni buat daripada tangan ok.(Kero I took your advice and am aiming for arm muscles, woot).

Or maybe these were all just excuses for me to finish them cupcakes off. They aren't the best, not as soft as I'd like, but I still like them. they remind me of the cupcakes mom and I would make for raya(minus the chocolate sprinkles). Hark at me growling and defending my cupcakes' honor.

Oh, try checking out this song, apparently it's the track on the new ipod nano commercial. I think it's very pretty.
Bruises - Chairlift

Pictures. for the sake of it.
Aina, during merdeka celebrations. Honestly, who else can pull off a candid pic holding an umbrella looking as (dare I say)ayu as this? And with her mouth open!
Shao Min's hands demonstrating the fine art of fitting an oversized lasagna piece in a pan. Notice how her hands are blurred, testament to the fact that she's super skilled(hands moving at lightning speed!). or I could just be a shit photographer.

Maybe I should just stay up until sahur time.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Apricot or two

I'm going to buy self-raising flour and baking powder. and maybe even cupcake cups!

On the first properly warm spring day, on a certain street in Melbourne, you wouldn't have found another person grinning more idiotically to herself as she took off her jumper and rejoiced in the sunshine. I can't remember the last time the weather gave me such a natural high.

I accept that my blog is a merapu-rapu blog. but hey, I'm a merapu-rapu person. I don't mind.

One glass cold milk + 3 heaped teaspoons of Milo(don't stir!) = glass-bottom-scrapping delight.

Rosemary Clooney's 'Come On to My House' + vacant space + urge to move = Impromptu attempt of jive/swing/orang gile dancing with imaginary partner in the kitchen.

wayfarers,man. white ones. think I could pull them off?

One week until mid-sem break!

my friend's about to fly off! come to think of it, I most likely won't be seeing her for some time. depressing. the bane of different hemispheres.


ok. mari kita tidur. dengan nyenyak sekali.

Monday, September 08, 2008

burung hantu. ghostbird.

Peristiwa berkenaan burung yang menyayat hati #1:

This morning, while I was sitting at the dining table, a pigeon flew over and perched on the railing of our balcony. It was quite fat, and as I was staring at it, I noticed it only had one leg. The other leg looked broken off, there was no claw, just a jagged stump. Haih. kesian burung tu.

Peristiwa berkenaan burung yang menyayat hati #2:

The day before yesterday, I was walking back home from the uni computer lab, when I saw another pigeon standing on the pavement on the other side of the road. It just stood there, so I looked over at it and saw that it was standing beside another pigeon sprawled on the ground. dead. Sigh.

Haiyaiyai. Kesian burung tu. I felt sorry for the dead one, but more for the other bird standing guard over it. do birds mourn?

a number of hours later:

irritation. My accounting tute is really being a bug up my ass today,and the godforsaken itunes won't let me buy a song without upgrading to itunes version 7.bazillion.

I'm going to curl into a ball with Memoirs of a Geisha(and skip straight to the part where she watches Hatsumomo get ready) and pray that the time to start cooking for buka comes quickly.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Bouncy Music

I'm in the university computer lab. I am supposed to be tweaking up my macroeconomics assignment, putting the finishing touches and generally getting it submission-ready for tomorrow.

I have just opened up my assignment file from my thumbdrive, and from what I can see, my assignment is there, but it's only half-complete. All the diagrams I drew yesterday, and the additional answer to the last two questions that I did yesterday are not there. My diagrams? all gone. My diagrams.

I could have SWORN i saved it in my thumbdrive. I could have SWORN. I made sure I saved it under my thumbdrive, and not in the the uni computer hard drive.

I'm trying very hard to remain in some state of composure.

It's not as bad as it seems. Didn't take me too long to draw the diagrams yesterday, and finishing the question took about 3hours, procrastination included. So it's all ok. it's all ok. breathe.

Maybe this is a sign. Maybe the answer I came up with yesterday is not as good as I can make it to be. This is either a punishment from God, in which case it's fully justified, or it's just a prodding to concentrate properly and make it as kick ass as possible(I admit, I was watching all the Kings of Leon home videos in between typing yesterday, therefore I suppose I wasn't as focused on the assignment as I should have been). After all, it's worth 10% (or is it 15%?) of total marks. Getting good marks here could be the few points that'll let me get H1 for macro.

This is working. The annoyance is subsiding.

I could do with some nice Brazilian bouncy music now. Ok,ok. assignment first, then I'll listen to Brazilian bouncy music.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

I'm Not Sorry There's Nothing to Save

6th day of puasa, yo.

I was managing fine(I had this very decent feast of roti john for buka followed by pancakes with ice cream and banana slices the other day) until I stumbled across someone's blog that dedicated a portion of their latest post on the beauty that is pasar puasa. haih. I now have this undeniable need for ayam madu, in all it's oily, honey-glazed glory. and air kelapa(and coconut flesh!). roti boom. tepung pelita!

One of the small things that delight me is whenever I see someone walking alone, and they have a smile on their face. The usual scenario is that they're walking with their gaze focused on the ground, immersed in their thoughts, and they're smiling. I've been fortunate to come across two different people doing it in the past week, and for some reason it gives me this delicious sense of amusement combined with curiosity. What(or who) could you possibly be thinking about?

I'm finally listening to the gorgeous song that is Your Ex-Lover Is Dead by Stars(yes, i'm very ketinggalan like that). wheeeee. I mean, seriously. There are few things in the world that can make me squeeze out genuine enthusiasm, but when you come across a song that embodies sadness in such a pretty way, you can practically see it coming out of my pores. This is one of those songs that makes you want to squeeze your toes, flail your arms around and moan "I love this song. i doooooo".

Mari dengar(if you're as ketinggalan as me).


All is good with the world today, on my part at least. There's studying, an assignment and grocery shopping to be done, but at 7 in the morning, you can't help but feel there's the possibility of making it a fully productive day.

Have a happy Saturday(imagine me grinning a la Cheshire Cat as I say this).

Monday, September 01, 2008

Sparkly

Two things:

1. This morning, after sahur, i decided to go back to sleep.

I'm volunteering at some amusement park for kids. somehow i end up on this helicopter ride designed to go around really fast and pretend to crash so that we'd get a feel of what people in helicopter crashes face. so we take off and i'm aware that my dad's in the helicopter as well. The helicopter swoops around like mad, i'm enjoying it like any roller-coaster,feeling the contents of my stomach swirl around. Then we crash, and we crash into water. the sea, or a huge lake. i panic, but then remind myself this is all part of the ride. water starts gushing in and apprehension swoops in. any minute,now, i tell myself. any minute the helicopter will jolt and shoot out of the water. I can feel the water coming into the chopper fast and realize that perhaps that isn't going to happen. The water gushes in and now i'm trapped in a small enclosed space between the helicopter roof, i suppose, and the water. I pace myself, try to take steady breaths, but even then i can feel my heartbeat quickening and my steady inhale exhale motions becoming gasps. Then something happens, maybe the water's filled up over my head. I become aware that I might die. I close my eyes, and I lose my mind or surrender to this ill-fated ride, I can't tell. But I keep my eyes closed, feel all this horribleness twist in my head and suddenly I realize I'm in bed. My eyes are closed because I'm still asleep, and this is all just a bad dream. At first I'm not quite sure, and I'm cautious about it because I don't want to give myself false hope. but then I feel my pillow under my head, and my quilt covering my shoulders, so it's all good. I'm not dying after all.

Pointless retelling. But that acute feeling of relief is something i'd like to jot down and remember.

2. Today while I was transferring my laundry from the washing machine to the drier, i zoned out for a moment, only to look down and see i was re-transferring my clothes from the drier back to the washing machine.

Bonus point: It took me long enough, but I've just noticed that I really really really like Feist's video for I Feel It All. It looks/sounds/feels so carefree.

I'd rather be baking a cake than doing my homework. but i don't have a mixer, and assignments seem to be very important.