UnDerEstiMated-OverEstiMating

Flash back to memory lane. It was my final semester break, and I got my primary school friends hooked onto squash. We had our fun rocking the old run-down squash courts in the evenings. It took us about a month for us to blow our cover, in the darnest way J. Made me smile whenever I think of that episode, how the sports executive (I’m assuming the PakCik to be one, since he carries a huge jumble of keys around and spoke to us with the sneer of people used to having power in their hands) interrogated us and asked us to leave the place, never to come without the proper permissions.

That was about six months ago. Plenty had happened since then. I graduated, most of the people I hang out with are busy with their final year, we all become a year wiser, Nicol Ann David was crowned world’s #1 women player… And the INSPEN run-down squash court was transformed into a brand new squash ground. With addition of locks on the doors. Haha. Had enough of our intrusions ke?? Hmm… pretty intriguing… I haven’t actually been to the courts, but I sure as hell would love to test the new façade  

Can I speculate a bit on how the court suddenly turned from an ugly duckling who only a bunch of late teens could see its beauty to the gregarious swan that it is today? I dare say it had something to do with our innocent intrusion into its dreary looking exterior. I guess the management suddenly saw the pool of money that the court can generate, since squash is a game which you can’t play it simply anywhere. Or maybe they realize squash is not that boring after all. Haha. Which ever way, that’s simply ironic =P

"They misunderestimated me!" -George W. Bush. Or for this instance, “They misunderestimated squash!”    

Face the fact: we NEED other people to be there for us. Not always, but once in awhile, we’d sure to face dilemmas and obstacles that overwhelm us. Granted. I guess that part of human psyche is well known by each and everyone of us. The point I’m trying to make here is; there are also time where we NEED to be ‘with’ ourselves. Kind of like alone time and space to evaluate and appreciate our existence as an individual. Or maybe alone time with people whom we are able to connect or simply make us feel comfortable (which is entirely up to our discretion).

Throughout life, I’ve socialize with a huge pool of diverse people and each individual gave me a chance to get to know different parts of me, which I might not even know existed before knowing them. There are those I keep in mind to evade, there are also those I keep for future hangout purposes. Some are my essential… catalysts, those that I turn to when I feel like all hope’s lost and I’m going insane. I’ve never considered myself as in a clique or part of a particular group of people. And I never can figure what’s the rage about being in cliques or being like the people that you hang out with. I’d rather be singled out as the black sheep within a flock than to be associated to a group. Not to say I’m not proud to be part of the batches I’ve been with throughout my growing up years. No. But the fact remains that that is only ‘a part of’ me, not the whole fundamental me. Oh, you guys rock my world too ;).

From time to time I would change the group of people I interact with. I noticed that pattern since my years in boarding school. Sure, I always seem to run around with the same group of people. But these are a select few, those that give me a sense of grounding. Kind of like homing devices, where I’d always know I’m welcomed into, no matter how far or how long I’ve been away from them. The distance between us, the different life paths that each of us chose to tread on, it helped in fusing our friendship into a tight resilient bond. [It's not how I planned it] The beauty of it all; we don’t impose on each other our ways of life. Each respects the others’ boundaries and if ever intervention is needed, it is always asked and offered tactfully [That life happens for a reason].

Then the time came for me to move on to bigger things, namely my tertiary education. At the start of it, I consider myself as a social catastrophe, in the sense that I’d freak out in the midst of my mind whenever I know I need to approach people for whatever. Lucky me for having Khuzai around, gently persuading me to get out of my shell and experience life [And who doesn't ignore That my soul is weeping]. Lucky me to have an eccentric nature, never viewing life as simply as what’s presented upon me. It was a slow start, but the events got better and manifested into memories that I’ll cache for the rest of my life. Wild and free. All the while socializing and still having room for time off to pamper and redefine myself as I see fit. I love being close to people, but I also keep a few paces away from them, just so to evade stagnation of the relationship. Don’t you people ever felt trapped or suffocated being with just one person? That’s another human nature that I can’t understand. Why limit yourself to one ‘special’ person when there’s just plenty of tantalizing personalities around you, who can fulfill your unique needs? [I know I know I know part of me says let it go everything must have its season] 

Individualism is one sacred entity that I live by day in day out, and I know I can NEVER sacrifice it for anyone, even if it meant I’d lose them. Hehe. Bak kata pepatah, melentur buluh biar dari rebungnya. Yeah… yeah… People change all the time, but deep inside, their essential core, the part of them that distinguish that one individual from another, it stays the same. If the person is someone who’s driven, that person will stay on that way until he/she dies. If the person is generous, in whatever situation the least he/she could do is be empathetic. If music is their way of life, that person will never be at ease without it. I see myself as a headstrong person, one who’s firm and not easy to persuade. Just leave me be. [God I need a change] If I like something I will with my whole being but if not, just back off. I value myself too much as an individual and at times I NEED my SPACE.

Quoting from George W. Bush "They misunderestimated me!" I NEED MY SPACE!! [And I do anything that just feel better Any little thing that just feel better]

[quoting from Just Feel Better - Santana ft. Steven Tyler]

Dear Editor,

It is sad to say despite all the hype and general interest expressed for Streamyx, it DOES NOT DELIVER its’ promises. Just walk around every expos or fairs or shopping malls, you’d at least get a mild intrusion from the  dealers, tempting you into thinking it is the latest ‘in-thing’ to have in your homes. Not to mention its’ conveniences; surfing the net at a higher bps with such a low monthly payment. In fact, it makes being online 24/7 possible.   

Oh the hype. I saw a promotion that seemed too good to let go. I signed up for a student’s account. The promoter incredulously enquired about the Streamyx connection status of my home in Bangi. "Kalo awak sign up skrg, kitorg xleh nk trus install Streamyx coz tmpt awak x memenuhi quota pengguna area awak tu. Tapi sign up je laa, kalo keadaan kat tmpt awak memuaskn ati pihak kami, kami aku trus contact utk installation process". How alluring that few sentences sounded to me (Oh yeah net at home 24/7!!). I filled up the form. I handed it over. I dreamt it would be in my home a.s.a.p!!

After awhile, with my life getting evermore hectic and down right crazy, I forgot about the sweet dream and went on life just peachy. Tumultuous was the theme for 2005; with one of my bosom buddy naming it ‘emotional year’ (Another tale best kept hidden in the folds of memory). FYDP settled. Finals gone through on high. Presentation which was skimmed through with only thoughts of freedom. Then comes the delirious and almost psychedelic time of my life. Before I knew it, I was back on home ground. One of the forgotten missions that I set to accomplish was to get the Streamyx into my home. So I went on and badger the Telekom people.

I called the service centre in Kajang. They checked on my application status. The reason cited for not giving a green light for Streamyx was that the coverage in my area was low and it would annoy users if it is difficult in logging in and maintaining the connection. I started to prod on the real problem, the operator conveniently asked me to enquire through the Streamyx people. I took down the number given and started dialing it up. Ouchhhh!! Damn!! Why use the dial up tone instead of the normal caller ringtone?? Simply pierced the sanctity of my mind, sinking me deeper into a fine rage. After a dozen tries, I rang back Telekom, demanding to know WHY the FUCK Streamyx CANNOT BE INSTALLED.

The operator smoothly told he was not in the position to divulge such information and that I should try calling up this number and enquire there (damn gile byk kali dial no nih smpi HAPAL!! the only 2 numbers that are in my mind is my home’s & my hp’s no =P). Perseverance finally led me to a Streamyx technician. I pounced her with the why, how, what, where & when of my predicament. This was what she had to report:

• My application was still in the investigation state.

• What kind & why did it took so long?? It was a coverage problem, inciting the problem lies in the server. She won’t answer the 2nd question (1 yr & 4 months counting!!)

• Only my area is affected by this problem (discrimination in its purest form!! Ingat ape?? Aku dok sblh Jln Reko aku xmampu nk gune net?? Aku buta komputer?? Aku tak reti nk report dalam paper pe jadah org Streamyx nye keje?? Fuck the dim-wits).

• Just sit back and wait, either they’ll inform me of the installation or I can call back (Duhhhhhh…).

• Even though we are incompetent, we are still above all our beloved customers since the service that we offer are a must have for the customers (read as if it’s the technician’s mind).

My, my, my. At this rate, someone is bound to get hurt. It looks like I’m up for a daily call routine, innocently checking on the progress of my application. And always hinting that I’m so hungry for confrontation. Haha. Tu laa. Pick a fight with someone who has NOTHING to DEDICATE her BRAINS on. Serious shit I’ll be writing to the papers.

Khuzai, jadi tukang translate ke BM leh??

Regards,

Pissed off know-it-all

bgeh bgeh bgeh~~

Raya. Raya. We visited my other grandma, whom we fondly call Wan Juasseh. I loved the way she would always spoil us with her delectable array of Raya goodies. It was also one of the rare times I got to catch up with her, and I proudly declared to her of my graduation. Poor her, being chased out of her home by a wry snake. Don’t worry, the snake is already dead, but the thought of her accidentally invoking the wrath of an angry one worries her and her children. At nights she would settle at my cousin’s home, which is not too far away. We stayed until almost six. The drive into Pilah was next to impossible since the road leading there was full with cars; there wasn’t any room for vehicles from other roads joining it to squeeze in. We traced our way back to Emak’s side (which was about 10 minutes drive from the junction into Wan Juasseh’s village). And still no room for our car to get in. From Pelangai, we detoured back to Batu Kikir and used an old road to get to Pilah.

       (nyam nyam kuih2 Wan the best in the whole wide world~~)

Hehe.. Kuala Pilah, a sleepy hollow kind of town but still excitement will broil within it. If you happen to stray onto its streets at the wrong time. Which for instance is now; my family is still stuck on its usually lonely streets. It’s the first day of Aidiladha but also the last day of a long weekend for many.

Aidiladha, a smaller scaled celebration for muslims in

Malaysia

, but still it is celebrated with vigour by the town folk and their surrounding neighbours. Out-of-town folk arrived in droves. Other than people who intend to spend quality time with loved ones, those with children studying in Kolej Matrikulasi Negeri Sembilan (KMNS) dramatically increased the traffic volume on this day. Every road leading into Pilah is lined with vehicles carrying families. It’s a blessing that Abah is an expert in navigating through the roads, making a few detours now and then to escape traffic.

After all this while, I got the chance of going through such kampungs and townships that I’ve never heard of. Kampung Sikai, Kampung Gunung Pasir and Kampung Buyau Kiri… Through narrow and desolate winding roads, chancing upon lambs that wouldn’t budge even though a huge Mercedes is on collision path with it. Every once in awhile Abah needed to brake to avoid the languid cows on the road. Serene but peaceful, it felt like time stood still. Surprising what we can find in these parts of Pilah. I spotted a house which hauntingly looked like Wan Kampung’s before heavy duty renovation took place. Passed through Istana Besar Sri Menanti, pity it was too dark for us to see anything.

I cannot believe my eyes seeing a signboard reading “golfer’s crossing” right in the middle of a sleepy hollow such as Sri Menanti. One of the road stretches would have interested cycling enthusiasts; hilly, winding and narrow. After having about 30 minutes of the road to ourselves, we joined the throng of motorists heading back to KL at Terachi. Though traffic was jam-packed, travel went on smoothly, much to the gladness of Abah.

The second leg of the journey would be through the Bukit Putus mountainous path. At most of the hairpins of the road you’ll need to pay special attention on its road surface. Parts of it are heavily eroded, those on bikes or Kancils will feel its rough and worn surface. When I was young I hated going through this road, I would always get nauseous and once in awhile Abah had to stop by the road side for me to vomit out my stomach contents. But since I can drive, I find it to be a most exhilarating yet relaxing drive. Sharp curves enclosed by large trees, the never ending horde of lorries and the lonely stalls completes the stretch’s façade.

Once in awhile Abah would contact Makcik who’s ahead of us to check on the traffic conditions and asking for advise on the best path to beat it. As I’m writing, we are navigating through Seremban town, heading to the old Nilai road.

Nope, Abah took the highway. It’s not as packed with cars as we were led to believe. It was almost 10pm by the time we reached Bangi. A journey that normally took one and a half hours turned into four hours. It doesn’t matter, it’s part and parcel of the Malaysian ‘Balik Kampung’ experience. It was good to be back again

Lynn started it. And it is a good idea… (especially if

you are the perfectionist type and always insist that you

get the greatest gift for your good buddy). Hehe… here

goes my WISH LIST:

1) (in the sense dh dpt) New Purse.. not too skema, not too tacky, not too

flashy, not too childish, preferably in bluish/brownish

hues, small enough to fit my pant’s pocket and has a place

to tuck in securely coins. (even I can’t seem to find the

perfect purse for myself =P.. well.. at least tell me where

I can get one that fits my criteria)

2) The Dark Towers series by Stephen King entitled Song for

Susannah, The Wolves of the Calla and The Dark Tower. Been

searching long & hard for these. It would be nice to have a

read of Tony Parson’s or

maybe any of Robert Ludlum’s books (except for The Road to

Gandolfo and The Bourne series, have these already). Oh,

this might come as a surprise but I’m collecting books by

Ahmad Patria Abdullah with DBP as the publisher.. it’s

about Artakus and his adventures in I-can’t-remember-the-

world’s-name) 

3) mp3 Player =) 128-256mb (enough storage for the songs

I’d ALWAYS play).. as small as possible.. FM tuner.. crazy

colours are welcomed (no pink!!)

4) spa treatment.. hehe.. need I say more?? (preferably

with massage services.. urghhhh skema gaban laa language

beta)

5) mini_c00per.. well.. I know it’s hopeless to wish for a

mini but heck.. Love is in the air~~ One peek at this baby

and forever I’m its’ ok laa.. Get my the ‘Love is in the

Air’ mini cooper car sticker & forever I’ll be grateful~~

6) that new orangy walkman handphone, Sony Ericson’s..

Goodness.. it’s not just the colour that caught my

attention.. it’s its added feature –> walkman that drives

me crazy for it!! Forget about those that can take pictures

and whatever thingamajigga~~

7) #1 of the Rave manga.. hardcopy please!! I’m collecting

the whole manga~~

anything to do with squash. especially if it concerns

getting a free court to use whenever however~~

9) 1 more latest addition: I WANT ED & GILMORE GIRLS series!! ALL OF ‘EM!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

10) my gift list is kinda demanding.. think its just a

challenge you cannot meet? Well then, just show me the

money & I’ll figure how I’m gonna reap the benefits from it

;) 

Those are the things that I truly want. The No-no’s of gift

giving (in my case) is simply just one: NO PINK STUFF!! why

is it so hard to avoid this?? Giving me pink stuff doesn’t

turn me into the conventional girl~~ and to think people

think me naive =P

well then… this list is utterly for everyone’s convinience… but in truth, just to spend it with people who are worth my while would be the ultimate gift… tapi sape?? oh yeah… 28 February is an extremely important date!!

Anybody NEEDS a cuddly, beautiful, spoilt cat as a companion?? C’mon people… feel free to contact me & I’ll do all my best to accomodate you and the cat’s needs (in terms of transferring the cat laa =P)

White in colour, persian descent (bulu panjang maa), blue eyes, extremely sharp huntress (when we forget to feed her which by the way rarely happens, she’ll feed herself cicak.. get my drift??) .. oh yeah.. it’s a female cat and the guy cats just looooooooooooooovesssssss her~~ owh.. her name is Rozy.. ask my bro why he named her that =P

Please laa sumone out there, adopt this little rascal before it’s too late!!! 

Since I’m busy looking for my first ever job & in the spirit of nerve wrecking interviews, I’d like to share with simply anybody who’s a nobody (aaa merapu!!) the crazy things that some people do when their ass gets the better of their brains =P hehe~~

We’ve all been interviewed for jobs. And, we’ve all spent most of those interviews thinking about what not to do. Don’t bite your nails. Don’t fidget. Don’t interrupt. Don’t belch. If we did any of the don’ts, we knew we’d disqualify ourselves instantly. But some job applicants go light years beyond this. We surveyed top personnel executives of 100 major American corporations and asked for stories of unusual behavior by job applicants.

The lowlights:
1. "… stretched out on the floor to fill out the job application."

2. "She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time."

3. " A balding candidate abruptly excused himself. Returned to office a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece."

4. "… asked to see interviewer’s resume to see if the personnel executive was qualified to judge the candidate."

5. "… announced she hadn’t had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and French fries in the interviewer’s office - wiping the ketchup on her sleeve"

6. "Stated that, if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm."

7. "Interrupted to phone his therapist for advice on answering specific interview questions."

8. "When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood up and started tap dancing around my office."

9. "At the end of the interview, while I stood there dumbstruck, he went through my purse, took out a brush, brushed his hair, and left."

10. "… pulled out a Polaroid camera and snapped a flash picture of me. Said he collected photos of everyone who interviewed him."

11. "Said he wasn’t interested because the position paid too much."

12. "While I was on a long-distance phone call, the applicant took out a copy of Penthouse, and looked through the photos only, stopping longest at the centerfold."

13. "During the interview, an alarm clock went off from the candidate’s brief case. He took it out, shut it off, apologized and said he had to leave for
another interview."

14. "A telephone call came in for the job applicant. It was from his wife. His side of the conversation went like this: "Which company? When do I start? What’s the salary?" I said, "I assume you’re not interested in conducting the interview any further." He promptly responded, "I am as long as you’ll pay me more. "I didn’t hire him, but later found out there was no other job offer. It was a scam to get a higher offer."

15. "His attache [case] opened when he picked it up and the contents spilled, revealing ladies’ undergarments and assorted makeup and perfume."

16. "Candidate said he really didn’t want to get a job, but the unemployment office needed proof that he was looking for one."

17. "… asked who the lovely babe was, pointing to the picture on my desk. When I said it was my wife, he asked if she was home now and wanted my phone number. I called security,"

18. "Pointing to a black case he carried into my office, he said that if he was not hired, the bomb would go off. Disbelieving, I began to state why he would never be hired and that I was going to call the police. He then reached down to the case, flipped a switch and ran. No one was injured, but I did need to get a new desk."