Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Hotchpotch Thoughts

I LOVE (MOST) FRUITS...

It was a durian-fragrant pad that greeted my return from work Yesterday. I could smell it even as I was unlocking the gate [and was nowhere near the door or inside the house!]. And even as I wondered if my neighbours also have some durian stocked in their houses, I suspected the smell came from my fridge!

While I'm still on the subject of the King of Fruits, only two weeks ago, my Treasure Hunt mate-of-few-words bought three pre-packed durian from a nearby supermarket with the intention of bringing them home [yes, aboard the train with a journey easily more than an hour away and all!]. But guess what, he forgot. He left the durian overnight in The Office. So when I stepped in on Tuesday, I was puzzled when I smelled durian from my cubicle at 9 am [and my cubicle is the nearest to the pantry]. Now, who could and would be eating durian at 9 am?! Unless some kind souls have brought over some durian desert [pengat durian]... but strange, why hadn't anyone invited me for a sample? Curiosity got the better of me so I hopped over to the pantry, only to discover it was empty of souls and devoid of any visible food. Hmmm...

When I came back from lunch, it was all bright in The Office as some windows had been opened to provide ventilation and no doubt relief from the durian smell emanating from a mysterious source. The mystery was solved that afternoon: the durian packs were hidden in a bag propped on a chair. And my mate was generous enough to let a few of us Lucky ones share in his durian. Needless to say, the windows remained opened til the end of that Tuesday...

Ahhh, and now I am longing for mangosteens and duku langsat too... and don't get me started on those foreign fruits: nectarines, apricots, plums, grapes, just to name a few. But for now, will make do with guava and durian I still have left in the fridge [because failing to finish those durian may just lead to the neighbourhood being evacuated!].

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I LOVE PLAYING ...

It's that time of the year again when Adek brushes off cobwebs of dusty Scrabble words from her memory bank. For it's time to Scrabble!!!

I have been playing since I was small, for fun then. Now, I like to think I play professionally for fun. Let's not forget that I got to Escape from The Office and went to Singapore last August [gosh, has it been a year since?!] after so long since my last visit because I play Scrabble. And I Sometimes play Scrabble during lunch-time too, either with my mate(s) or with my PC (where I have an imaginary sparring partner, i.e. Brad (Pitt). And so it's Brad the imaginary player vs Brat the confused and confusing player).

That's the only game I can play decently. I can't/don't play/enjoy other board games like chess, Monopoly, Risk etc. Traditional games are similarly alien to me. And the active games like tennis, netball, basketball are so not for me. I don't have the skills nor stamina nor interest to play those games. I don't mind cheering though, that's why I love those Win, Lose or Draw and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire games. Eh, on second thoughts, I love any of those games where I can participate noisily and scream in delight like a child.

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I FEEL OVERPROTECTED AT TIMES...

There are many occasions where I feel Overprotected by my parents. It isn't a bad thing but Sometimes it gets to me.

Like when I wanted to meet my girlfriend and before I stepped out of the house, I was subjected to a barrage of Twenty Questions [and possibly more]. Who was I going to meet; where was I going to meet this person; where were we planning to go/do; what time would I be back; how was I going there and coming back, etc etc etc. I tell you, it can get pretty exhausting before I even managed to walk out the door!


Say hello to the girl that I am!
You're gonna have to see through my perspective
I need to make mistakes just to learn who I am
And I don't wanna be so damn protected
There must be another way
Cause I believe in taking chances
But who am I to say
What a girl is to do
God, I need some answers

What am I to do with my life
(You will find it out don't worry)
How Am I supposed to know what's right?
(You just got to do it your way)
I can't help the way I feel
But my life has been so overprotected

And there was the time when I wanted to attend a wedding in another city with a senior who happened to be a guy. And Abah was asking who this person was; how fast did he drive; did he drink etc etc etc. I felt insulted because for one, my friends are strict teetotallers like me, and for two, it sounded like he had such little confidence and beliefs in myself. I don't mix with bad people or hang out with the wrong crowd, although I know some people have this misperception that I'm a very social person [read: wild, go clubbing etc].

And there was the time when Lin and I had a slumber party over at S' brother's place. We went out, had a good time, came back to her brother's place and were chatting when the phone rang. And guess who it was? It was Akak, no doubt asked by Abah to check up on me. I felt a mixture of embarassment and strangely some pride too [because they cared enough to find out if I was OK].

And every time I go anywhere, I have to tell them my whereabouts. If I go on trips, I must provide them my itinerary: flight times, cities that I visit and details of lodgings in those cities, my next destination in that trip etc etc etc. As I said, might as well fit a GPS on me. [And the thing is, my parents don't do the same when they go anywhere and leave us wondering what's happened to them! Although they do call up, yes, to check up on me!].

And my parents disapproved when I wanted to learn driving. I went ahead anyway because I'm stubborn. And they never encourage me to buy a car, be it spanking brand new or a second-hand one.

But I suppose it's all because they love me. Although I do wish they wouldn't treat me like a child at times. But what do I know, after all raising a girl is hard in this era. And I'm Just A Girl so what do I know.

'Cause I'm just a girl, little 'ol me
Don't let me out of your sight
I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite
So don't let me have any rights
Oh...I've had it up to here!

The moment that I step outside
So many reasons
For me to run and hide
I can't do the little things I hold so dear
'Cause it's all those little things
That I fear

'Cause I'm just a girl I'd rather not be
'Cause they won't let me drive
Late at night I'm just a girl,
Guess I'm some kind of freak
'Cause they all sit and stare
With their eyes

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I AM STRESSED AND UNDER PRESSURE...
Yes, I am stressed, overworked, handicapped, stretched, Under Pressure and underpaid. So, what else is new? Nothing that Poco Poco sessions, walks in the evenings [and such me-time is now a luxury *sigh*], playing Scrabble, singing, reading novels/magazines and the noble Quran, and prayers cannot cure.
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I DON'T UNDERSTAND BOYS...
Oh Boy, will I ever?