Bucket List (Malaysian Version)

The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.

Things you have done during your lifetime:

(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
() Watched someone die
(X) Been to Singapore
( X) Been to Thailand
(X) Been to Kota Bahru
( )Been to Kota Kinabalu
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Putrajaya
(X ) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played 'police and thief'
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X ) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X ) Been to the top of the KL Tower
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
( ) Made prank phone calls
( X) Been down Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught in a flood
() Danced in the rain-naked
() Written a letter to Perdana Menteri
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
(X) Been deep sea fishing
(X) Driven around Peninsula Malaysia
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
(X) Gone on a water ski-doo
(X) Lived in more than one country
() Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
() Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Sipadan
(X ) Seen the KL Twin Tower
() Gone to the top of Mount Kinabalu
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
() Ridden on a bas mini
(X) Been to Sunway Lagoon
( ) Truly believe in the power of prayer
() Been in a frozen tundra
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
() Been to Taman Negara
() Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
() Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
(X) Been to the Louvre
() Swam in the Mediterranean
(X) Been to a Malaysian Cup soccer game
( ) Been to a Thomas Cup badminton match
(X) Played in the rain

My Blind Date

Recently, I posted a note on FB entitled "Bucket List". The note is about the things you have or haven't done in your lifetime; places you have seen or visited; etc... you get my drift...

On the top of the list is a question "Have you been on a blind date?" and my answer was a "YES" (or an X - which means I have done it before). I received a few queries and startled remarks over that from a few people who simply can not imagine me going on a date with someone I don't know. Hehe... maybe they're right. Thinking back, it was not something that I would normally do or even think of doing in a zillion years.

Well y'all, YES! I have been on a blind date, of some sort.


Following is the story of that date, so, you give your judgement on whether it was a blind date or not.

It was in the middle of 1992. The year of my SPM(Form 5). I was studying in a boarding school at that time and had gone home during the semester break. My best friend(who was in a different school) asked me to accompany her to visit her dentist. Since we only get to meet up during school holidays, I decided to go with her to see her dentist in PJ. It was also a good excuse to give to my parents... hehe... as usual.

My friend also had other plans. At that time, it was a little hard for both of us to get permission to go out so once we're out of the house, we will use it to the max! After the dentist appointment, she planned to see her boyfriend at another part of PJ to go watch a movie. She convinced me to go along as her boyfriend would also be bringing his friend who happens to be the driver for this escapade :P

My initial plan was to accompany her to the dentist, and then go home, since I don't like being a spare tyre. But my friend kept on persuading me and stressing that I won't be a third party coz there will be another person there also. And she went on to say that this fellow is her boyfriend's close friend and that I should at least get to know him. In the end, I relented and agreed to join them.

So, after the dentist appointment, we made our way to McDonalds Sect 14 and waited there. They came in a dark cherry-red Proton Aeroback. We climbed in at the back(me behind the driver) and before the car sped of again, I was introduced to the other fellow. All I could see(and this was by looking at the rearview mirror) was a guy, wearing a sports cap and Ray-Ban sunglasses. Basically, all I saw was his mouth and nose. He was quiet throughtout our drive to the cinema. I was starting to think that it's gonna be a llloooooonng day.

We arrived at the cinema(which was Rex KL... long gone now). This time, I manage to see his eyes as he got no choice but to open those large sunglasses in the theater. We started talking a bit. He told me that this is going to be his third time watching the movie, which btw was "Beauty & The Beast". We laughed over that, somehow, I remembered very well that he made me laugh quite a few times that day, especially at his attempt in eating a 'hot dog special' in the darken theater. We shared some snacks and watched the movie.

After the movie, we stopped by at a video arcade where we played some games and begin to know each other better. Later,they drove us home and I said my goodbye to him. I don't think we exchanged phone numbers then.

Basically, that was how the date went. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would turn out to be. I met a new friend who happens to be a nice guy.

Oh ya, I forgot, the guy's name is Muzafar Shah @ Aja @ my husband @ the father of my girls.

Frogs and Crickets

I had a very interesting conversation with my second daughter early this morning.

It was about 6:50am, we were walking down the staircase together after helping her get ready to go to school. It was still quite dark outside and since our staircase has a large window from top to bottom, we had a good view of the outside world as we both held hands to walk down together. The lighting was just perfect. Dark but with a little bit of light on the horizon. It was a classic Kodak moment.

"Mama," she said. "I like night time."
(for my five year old girl, if its dark outside it means its still night time)

"Yeah..." I replied nonchalantly.

At that time, my mind was already strategizing my plans/schedules for the day. It was also quite early and I haven't had my morning coffee yet. Yes, I admit, I'm a COFFEEHOLIC! if there is such a word. I can't function properly if I don't have my coffee.

"I like because I like to hear the sound outside at night...", she added.

I stopped. I looked outside into the morning dawn scenery, and I listened. Then I begin to understand her statement. It was indeed a nice sound, like my daughter said, a beautiful harmonic composition. It was the sound of frogs croaking and crickets creaking. It was the sound of nature. Something that I used to love myself when I was small but somehow got ignored as I grow older and got busier, like the sound of pitter-patter of the rain, of birds chirping in the trees.

We stood at the stairs landing for a moment. Both of us, still holding hands, looking outside, and enjoying the sound of frogs and crickets. It was such a touching moment for me then. A simple observation by a five-year old kid could open up a whole new world, or in this case, open up my ears. I have been so caught up in my life that I haven't taken a moment now and then to stand still and just listen.

My Achy Breaky Back

My achy back strikes again, this time around, maybe due to a prolonged lapse, it came back with vengeance.
It all started on Monday morning (Thaipusam hol). I woke up feeling kinda stiff and 'lenguh-lenguh' all over. BUT, I was still able to get up off bed and walk normally. Still didn't suspect anything.
By noon, I was starting to have difficulty getting up from a sitting position and vice-versa. I started to realize then that my slipped-disc was trying to push its way back into my 'normal' life all over again. I think it was trying to say "Hello, long time no see. Thought you have forgotten me... I'm still here, a thorn in your back!".
By evening, my worst fears are confirmed. My legs were badly aching too. It was just like before. Took some pain killers and applied the necessary medicine to the achy body parts.
Will hold off making an appointment with the doc and see how it goes.