Adek's Pet Peeves

Tell me why I don't like Mondays
Tell me why I don't like Mondays
I don't like I don't like I don't like Mondays
Tell me why I don't like Mondays
I wanna shoot the whole day down, down, down
Shoot it all down

~~~~~~~~~~

Now with that kind of opening line, it seems fitting to break the monotony of today with a list of Adek's Pet Peeves. Mind you, it's pretty long but laced with choice quotations to, er, make it a more interesting read [to anyone interested that is]. And here it goes, in no chronological/priority order:

1. People who announce they're busy, busy, busy with work out loud all around the office. They go around moaning about how busy they are to all and sundry. As if they are the only ones with work. The rest of us work for a living too ok. And besides, it's not as if anyone cares to listen anyway. They are such an insecure breed that they have to go around justifying their pathetic, miserable existence. Socrates couldn't have put it more succinctly when he said, 'Beware the bareness of a busy life.' It's all I can do at times to stop myself from saying sarcastically, For Crying Out Loud, you still have time to moan it out loud!

2. People who always punctuate their sentences with 'You know what I mean/what I'm saying?' or anything to that effect. This never fails to irritate me. Sometimes I'll roll my eyes, put on my blank expression and asked them to repeat it or ask them to explain it. Heck, for I do not necessarily know what you mean, you idiot. We may be on the same page but we could be at different paragraphs. I'm not clairvoyant nor can I read your mind, and I'm not interested in being able to do either or both.

3. People who ask when I'm going to get married/settle down. Well, I don't know either. If I ever get a Euro for the number of times I've been asked that, I'll be able to open a wedding fund and finance my wedding reception. Really. And it's not as if they will contribute to the reception or even the dowry, right? So please. Stop asking me because your guess is as good as mine. Would marriage make my life better or less Complicated? It's not the cure-all surely. I'm happy With Or Without You for now [whoever 'you' are] and happiness is not dependent on my marital status. And besides, even Emerson said: 'Is not marriage an open question, when it is alleged, from the beginning of the world, that such as are in the institution wish to get out, and such as are out wish to get in?'

4. People who claim to be related to some VIP or who drop names of people they supposedly know. To be honest, That Don't Impress Me Much because I really don't care. I'm not impressed with the people you claim to know. Nor am I impressed with your having to resort to that pathetic act in order to get my attention. As Plutarch pointed out, 'It is certainly desirable to be well descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors, not to us.'

5. People who don't hold the door for you [including the lift]. Please, it's only basic courtesy and good social etiquette. You don't do it because I'm a lady, but because you're a gentleman. And if you happen to be another girl, why should you slam the door in my face when holding it open for me will only earn you good points? I also hate it when people, especially those of the stronger sex, don't offer to carry their lady friend's groceries. Just because women asked for more rights doesn't mean you have to stop being a (gentle)man.

6. People who brag. Of everything under the sun. Of their spouse. Their children. In-laws [yes I know one or two who do]. Career. House. Car. It's like being at primary school again and you have this insecure classmate who simply has to compare her pencil case with others. And to what end? To feel better that your daddy can afford you better stationeries? We get the same education at the end of the day and it's up to each of us how to make good of our time at school. Sadly, there are people who never grow up and still brag, despite having left school for some time. Grow up! And get a life. Please, for the sake of the rest of us still suffering in this world. We will all be placed in the same sized graves and leave all our worldly possessions when we die anyway. So really, it's pointless to brag.

7. People who have no Respect for other people. They jump the queue, push you aside for no apparent reason as they elbow past you. Also include drivers who don't give any signal when slowing down, turning, etc, and who don't extend any courtesy to fellow drivers or pedestrians. Really, don't their parents/teachers teach them etiquette? I've had the unpleasant task of having to pointing it out to these idiots a few times. Surely it's embarassing to be told off like you're still a child? If yes, please, have Respect for others even if you don't have Respect for yourself. It's not much to ask for, surely? Oh, what a miserable place the world has come to if people can't Respect each other. Surely even a life-and-death matter doesn't warrant such a rude behaviour? It's fascinating how respectful Koreans, Thai and Japanese still are to each other [and not just to the elders]. Don't get me wrong, I like how the the point Western people are but don't tell me being respectful is old-fashioned! Btw, this includes Respect for time - I especially hate being made to wait for people who can't seem to Respect time - and Respect for promises made. Yes, Respect encompasses a wide range of etiquette subjects to me.

8. People who talk loudly into their cell phones. OMG, they are like walking TV announcers or sth. No regard whatsoever to people around them. These type of people think they're too important and the others to be beneath them and so they must talk loudly to drive that point home. Try talking into your cell phone when riding any Tokyo subway and you'd be inviting frowns from your fellow passengers. That's how sensitive and considerate they are to other people's comforts. Boy, we still have a long way before we ever reach first world country and citizen status.

9. Know-it-all homo sapiens, who by extension also think they are Simply The Best. Conversations with them is normally a monologue of having to listen painfully to their repeated account of how important they are, how much they know, etc [There's nothing you can throw at me, That I haven't already heard]. All they can talk about is 'Me, me, me', i.e. their really boring selves. You'd think that these know-it-all nerds would've pondered the words of Plato's 'You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation' or even Dale Carnegie's 'You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you', but sadly, no!

10. Callers who instead of identifying who they are and who they want to speak to, demand to know who you are. That's not how it works dude: the caller identifies himself, not the other was around. Like, Hello... (is it me you're looking for?!)! Ok I do that too, ONLY if I call my parents' place and an unfamiliar voice answers. Like last Saturday. Turned out that my nieces and nephew were there and were coming over to give me a surprise!

11. Scrooges, misers, cheapskates and calculative people who are too cheap or stingy with money. We live only once sweetie and while I agree you must set aside some for the future, don't tell me you don't deserve a little luxury from time to time! I know someone whose husband bought her a good watch and, get this, she only wears it once a year during the festive season. How sad! You should enjoy your hard-earned money [and presents received] while you still live 'cause you're gonna leave it all to your squabbling family when you kick the bucket anyway. [The same person is also very calculative so much so that she can advise you the cheapest dental floss per metre on the market. And no, I'm not kidding.] And please, do yourself a favour and buy good, original stuff please. Surely you deserve that to cheap, black market fake imitations. How can you feel good and proud of youself when there are holes in your socks, you sport a fake watch and carry a fake Louis Vuitton? As I've said before, brandless items are much preferable to fake, darling. At least you're not being pretentious.

12. Snotty, insistent, overbearing [and sometimes domineering] salespeople. Some look you up and down as you enter and either proceed with their awful habit of shadowing you - I always feel like stopping mid-way so that they'd bump into me, haha! - or not budge from their seat [I don't mind this, leave me in peace. If I need help, I'll know who to ask from]. Some have the bad habit of rearranging the things you just touched [man, this really irritates me, after all that's why we go to shop anyway, right? To view, hold and feel the product. Otherwise it's better to shop online where you definitely can't touch and feel the product!] Some insist their products are superior to others [I encounter them mainly in pharmacies, trying to outdo each other in promoting their products]. Some couldn't even be bothered to smile at you but the minute a Caucasian steps in, are all over him/her - even if he/she looks dishevelled and is clad in the shabbiest outfit. Talk about prejudice!

13. People who talk about money, how much they have, make, inherit or anything to that effect. It's so not elegant and vulgar. I really don't give a toss about how much money you have.

Phew, that's a long one! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Good Friday

It's Friday again [all together now, hurrah!]. And it's Good Friday and Vasakhi too.

Went out for my usual Friday retail therapy, this time it's to Mad Valley Mega Mall [spelling error intentional. If you're not a KLite, finding parking especially during weekends here is sheer madness and close to impossible and you'll only get a remote spot after endlessly circling the basement parking]. There's a Body Shop booth set up at the Lower Ground Floor where prices of skincare set are slashed, freebies thrown in and you can get experts to analyse your skin type and the products it needs. I was there on Tuesday and had had my skin analysed so today I basically knew what I wanted already. It being Friday lunchtime, the credit card machine was jammed and it took ages for transactions to clear, especially the lady before me. That's Murphy's Law for you: when you're in a hurry, there's always sth in the way. Anyway, there was a complimentary facial thrown in for any set of skincare set and that translates into very good, irresistible bargain. So that's my second facial this month.

Rushed over to Lewre with eyes that somehow refused to focus after all that pampering session and got myself a new pair of sandals. Yes, it's amazing that I managed to do all that - imagine what damage I could do with fully focussed Eyes Wide Open!

Took the wrong turn trying to get to Metrojaya - although vision was completely restored by then - and wasted precious few minutes getting my bearings right again. I don't shop at Mad Valley often enough to get myself acquainted and familiar with the place, unlike KLCC and previously Starhill [now This Used To Be My Playground]. Anyway, desired duffle bag with wheels which I sighted at Metrojaya just three days back is no longer on display nor is it in stock. Boo hoo! Another opportunity cost for me. I initially wanted to buy this Samsonite duffle bag with trolley and during those trips to Isetan KLCC & Lot 10 in those months when I couldn't stretch my budget, it was there Tempting me to grab it and when I decided to finally buy it, it was gone. Zilch. Nada. And I've been all over the city ever since, trying to find desired Samsonite duffle bag with wheels but luck has not been on my side. And now I've set my eyes on another bag of another make. And the same thing is repeating. I'm beginning to think that there's another person out there who's just one step ahead of me, beating me to the things I want to purchase [I always feel like somebody's watching me, Who's playing tricks on me]. Anyway, I know of another place that does stock it but knowing my luck, it's probably sold by the time I get there.

The same member of the public who called previously called again, my colleague's line this time, and me being the good angel I can be at times picked the phone up. No Lost In Translation moment this time around since he spoke English but he was getting more and more annoying by the minute. Seriously, did he expect Royal Treatment every time he calls?

So has it been a Good Friday? So far, a mixture of both. It's good but I'm not lucky in my luggage shopping. Yet. Maybe I'll run over to the other outlet after work and check whether it still stocks the bag I've been eyeing.

GMT + 7 hours: i.e. 5 pm local time... It's pouring!!! That just about dashed my hopes of bagging the bag today!

Treatment Treat

On Friday, The Three Musketeers made up of yours truly and two self-professed Desperate Housewives [their words, not mine] -cum-career ladies went to Hartamas for some long overdue, well-deserved luxury pampering at a beauty spa. The two girlfriends went for the reduction programme while Adek opted for facial. Don't know why I never considered it before, maybe because life's little luxuries cost quite a bit, even if it involves paying someone to spread gooey stuff all over my face.

We were made to change into some uniform and led to different rooms. Some spa music played at the background and while I had someone kneading and massaging my face and shoulders, my two comrades had gel pads stuck to various parts of their bodies which were then hooked up to various wires. Then, from what I understand [and what I saw on a TV show once], their bits of bodies started vibrating, first softly, then [ahem] intensely. Then they had cling films wrapped all over their bodies and when they told me about it after the session, I don't know why but all I could think of were Egyptian mummies. As for pain, I can't imagine how it could compare to having my face being massaged this way and that and slowly dying and silently sreaming as my pimple and blackheads were being probed. Ouch ow ow, the latter part hurt! And yes, do go ahead and cry on my behalf.

When the girl applied mask on my face, it was pleasantly cold and cooling that made me just want to go Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm like the Crash Test Dummies. I started to Relax, what with the soothing background music, I even almost dozed off. It wasn't long though before I started panicking as I was getting worried about the time. And I couldn't peek at my watch either because you can't do that when you're in a mask of course! It didn't help when I heard loud voices outside my room that almost drowned the music - I even wanted to jump out of bed and Rush Rush out, gooey mask on face and all, thinking my comrades were already done and waiting impatiently for me. When the girl came back, she assured me that my friends were not done yet so I tried to Relax again. But I couldn't even Relax when she took off the mask and started massaging my shoulders, yes, I was tense. Plus, the massaging almost made me laugh because it was kind of ticklish and I'm a ticklish person.

Our torture, sweet or otherwise, ended at 2.30 pm and oh, that was when we had to be back in the office! We navigated the traffic like Wild Women Do and reached the office, still very late, so late that someone commented about it. But I mean, if you're late, you're late. Even 10 minutes late is late, right? And more importantly, we had fun and enjoyed our pampering. Maybe next time, I'll go for both manicure and pedicure, then after that I'll get a tiny kitten to stuff in my GUCCI tote and if some lowlife try to snatch my handbag again, I'll throw the kitten at him, bar the tote of course, and he will get clawed, bitten and scratched instead. What an excellent idea! [Now why didn't I think of that before?] Oh, and by the way, we received good news upon reaching the office that we'll be getting a new boss very soon. Yeah! The countdown begins...

Ahhh, It's A Beautiful Day and week ahead - if only stupid Gunners didn't lose to ManU(re) and I didn't waste the whole of this morning listening to crashing bores.

Berhenti Berharap

Aku tak percaya lagi
Dengan apa yang kau beri
Aku terdampar di sini
Tersudut menunggu mati

Aku tak percaya lagi
Akan guna matahari
Dengan mampu menerangi
Sudut gelap hati ini

Aku berhenti berharap
Dan menunggu datang gelap
Sampai nanti suatu saat
Tak ada cinta kudapat

Kenapa ada derita
Bila bahagia tercipta
Kenapa ada sang hitam
Bila putih menyenangkan...

Chorus:
Aku pulang...tanpa dendam
Kuterima.. kekalahanku
Aku pulang...tanpa dendam
Kusalutkan.. kemenanganmu

Kau ajarkan aku bahagia
Kau ajarkan aku derita
Kau tunjukkan aku bahagia
Kau tunjukkan aku derita
Kau berikan aku bahagia
Kau berikan aku derita

- Sheila on 7 -

I don't normally listen to Malay songs, let alone Indonesian, but I like this one. It sounds somewhat haunting, well at least to my ears. Literally translated, the title means 'Stop Hoping'. So, f*ck off!

What's The Story, Morning Glory?

What's The Story, Morning Glory indeed! And the glory [for the moment] belongs to Arsenal... for making it to their first ever Champions League semi-finals. I actually woke up this morning to watch the 2nd half but was flicking between the channels. As much as I like watching footie, watching Arsenal play sometimes make me feel like I'll get a heart attack soon. Anyway, I thought the Barca -Benfica game seemed more exciting, well, what little action I saw anyway. I only just managed to stop myself from cursing out loud at the Gunners a few times, otherwise I'd probably have risked Waking Up The Neighbours. You poor souls won't be so Lucky come June when the World Cup kicks off! Btw, Arsenal did it without a single English player in either of the two legs against both Juventus and Real Madrid. Ah, some might see it as hollow victory for English football but as someone put it, 'Arsenal are an English team and to me it does not matter what nationality it says on the passports, they are Arsenal players'. No place for xenophobia in sport.

A mate is going to Bali in July [wouldn't it be sweltering then?!]. I've never been to Bali and it's not on top of my destination list yet. I still haven't gone to many islands and beaches here! At the moment, Perhentian, Lang Tengah and Sibu Islands sound more tempting to me than Bali or Phuket, and not too touristy either. The same friend is going to Seoul tomorrow midnight on a company trip! How nice! Good thing I've been there, otherwise I'd smuggle myself in her luggage.

Initially I had a plan to go to Siem Reap this weekend 'cause this Tuesday is Maulidur Rasul hence it's a public holiday. So I can just take Monday off. But now I have to go to somewhere on Monday morning. I hate that kind of place, crawling with species of the population I'd rather not mix with and most are so pretentious and look down their noses at the hoi polloi. I suspect most of them don't earn their worth and NATO is part of their everyday drama - No Action, Talk Only!

Anyway, what a bliss the day has been so far, I've been pretty much Left To My Own Devices. It's been raining on and off so it's deliciously cold and cosy at the moment. Alas for me, It's NOT Raining Men!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Just in case you haven't noticed, this blog started off to document the trips I've gone on so far, a kind of a travelogue if you wish. It also records my past and current journey through life.

I was transported back to my earlier life on my way home yesterday - when we were all younger and I was convinced that We Have All The Time In The World. But the truth is far from simple as always. And the outcome, at least for me, is not necessarily All's Well That Ends Well.

I was introduced to my 1st Beau so many years ago. He had a girlfriend at the time, I was fancying someone else [or I was convinced I fancied the chap] so of course it was a platonic friendship.

Our friendship continued, just as I continued fancying the chap. Then in the midst of pursuing my undergraduate degree, I decided that enough was enough and that I should stop fancying someone who was not going to do anything about it. By this time I was close to someone else and mistook that as a possibility for something else, which needless to say didn't work out either.

1st Beau stayed back in Europe when I returned home to serve my contract.

One fine day, in his email, 1st Beau asked me something which I thought was sweet but strange too. I never replied. Next thing I knew, he was back in KL for hols. He called me up at work and almost as an afterthought mentioned that I hadn't replied his query. I pretended not to comprehend and he actually repeated the question on the phone. It was something akin to a marriage proposal, hence I didn't expect him to repeat it over the phone and while I was at work too. My stammered and stunned reply was that I wasn't yet ready for anyone [I was then getting over someone] and that it wouldn't be fair for me to expect him to wait for me until I was ready. He accepted my decision. He's always been a matured gentleman.

I never felt anything for 1st Beau until then. Apart from innocent casual group outings and accompanying him to college, we only went for a movie during one of the summer breaks when we both chose to return home and even then, I dragged Akak along. I certainly didn't make a big deal out of it.

Three months passed by and I got to thinking that maybe I should consider his proposal. After all, 1st Beau is a decent bloke, comes from a good family, doesn't have many siblings [hence, reduced possibility of headaches for me over potential troublesome siblings-in-law] and has an enviable qualification to boot. So I sent him an email.

He replied to say he had something to tell me. And I immediately knew, even before he told me the details. That he had found someone else. That he could have been mine but would never be mine. Ever. For we are not meant to be.

I picked up the pieces of my life again [after all, what choice did I have?]. Attended his wedding reception with 4th Beau [who I now refer to as Jerk - and not affectionately].

We are still friends - he is one who will always be my friend. And will only be my friend and no more. I hold no grudge against him. I'm not bitter. But I only wish I had emailed him sooner. And I occasionally still think of the what-ifs, especially when I'm lying in bed all alone with my thoughts and emotions. I wonder if it's wrong to still think of him? To think of how I let what possibly could be my only chance at love slip out of my grasp?

Lay a whisper on my pillow, leave the winter on the ground

I wake up lonely, there's air of silence in the bedroom and all around

Touch me now, I close my eyes and dream away.

It must have been love but it's over now

It must have been good but I lost it somehow

It must have been love but it's over now

From the moment we touched til the time had run out.

I never met my 2nd Beau. He saw my picture in his friend's wedding album, at which I was a guest, and to his credit and to my knowledge, put in considerable effort trying to find out about me and contacted me. But we never met because I was already going out with Jerk [I didn't want to Play The Field]. It didn't work out with 3rd Beau either as I was going out with Jerk [why do things happen that way? For suddenly It's Raining Men when I was going out with another?]. I refused to go out with 5th Beau because I was getting over Jerk. 2nd, 3rd and 5th Beaux are now all married [4th Beau is still not married but he's probably gay for all I know. And no, I don't know why he had such a Hold On My Heart].

I've had my chances at love but I let them all slip away... I wonder God, have I squandered my chances for good?

It must have been love but it's over now

It was all that I wanted, now I'm living without.

It must have been love but it's over now,

It's where the water flows, it's where the wind blows.

These Are The Days Of Our Lives and that is the story of my life thus far. Maybe it has somewhat shed some light as to why I am the way I am, how I am and what I am today. But read this blog and Listen Without Prejudice.

Lost in Translation

I'll be honest and admit that I have been in a few Lost In Translation circumstances, the most recent being:

Un: A member of the public called from a state up north and I had to tell him - at least twice - to slow down. For I was having difficulty understanding him. He spoke very fast and in Kedah dialect too. Finally, I had to do an SOS and asked my colleague to talk to the poor chap. Er, and mind you, he was a Chinese, speaking in Kedah dialect. And I could not, for the life of me, understand him. How embarassing! Five years at boarding school and yet Adek somehow has never managed to learn dialects of her friends from various states. But before you blame me, as I recall it, we spoke only in our unique school lingua franca - Where Everybody Knows Your Name and understands each other of course - and we still do whenever we meet up. And also back at school, we had too much Respect for each other to resort to our various state dialects; and besides it'd simply be rude to make another feel left out.

Deux: I may have been quick to (mis)judge the guy my friend wants to introduce me to. As another mate explained, I wasn't meant to read his reply. And maybe I was reading too much of something that wasn't there and that he didn't even mean. So I should give him a break. And myself too. But I can't help wondering what my friend has told him about me for him to have that much Respect for me and to think of me that highly. It's making me slightly uncomfortable because I wouldn't like to encourage people to think I'm a perfect person when I have a lot of flaws. As I told my friend: 'I'm not actually that reserved myself and I am a bit outgoing. I still go to the movies, alone at times, and I do like to sing sometimes. I'm also learning this Poco Poco dance with some ladies in my department [all-girls session]. Sure there are times when I don't feel very sociable and don't feel like meeting certain people ... so I'm a mix of both and although I have gone for Haj, I still want to enjoy life the way I want it - within limits of course. I'm not sure if he could appreciate a girl like that. But then again, it's kind of normal for me to fall short of people's expectation, especially Malay guys... and if I ever notice anything it's that Malay guys tend to shy away fr me for reasons I can't explain myself. So to be honest, actually I'm not too confident about the success rate of this venture but I have confidence in you and I know you have my interests at heart.'

Confusing and confused Adek is always Misunderstood and she also sometimes misunderstands people. But she'll be quick to admit her error.

Trois: Some chap from another department called on Friday to seek clarification on the acronyms we used in our communication to his side. Now when the acronym is GDP, I suppose most people would just assume it to mean Gross Domestic Product when hey, it could mean just about anything [after all, why should we referring about Gross Domestic Product when it is beyond our realm?!]. And the thing is, we had clearly stated what our definition for GDP is in the very first paragraph and it was a short, sweet one too. Almost asked him whether his query was an early April Fool's joke.

Quatre: Nah, this is not as recent as those three above and besides it could be potentially embarassing so I shall not mention it.