Holding hands

I was reminded of this topic since my friend came back home for a visit after few years. During the last visit, she asked me how did my bf started to hold my hands.

I related my story.

My bf just tried to hold my hands. Obviously, I was aware of his intentions and I evaded. Whenever he tried, I quickly moved my hands and innocently asked him what he was doing. He acted nonchalant and said nothing. We were always playing a cat-and-mouse game since the beginning and even now.

Guess I was a little naughty and didn’t want to make it easy for him. In the end, when he wasn’t trying, I pretended to be cold in the cinema and finally let him hold my hands to warm them up. He was surprised but I would presume, pleased. Ironically, his hands were colder than mine!! :p

Anyway, my friend shared her story. Her bf was more formal. He just asked her permission to hold her hands. She was quite surprised when he asked. I find it quite sweet, sincere and very gentleman.

But then, my cheeky and sneaky bf actions of secretly trying to hold my hands also worked for me. ;) Go figure...

A little rest...

I knew I was going to catch a cold on Thursday. I have sneezed a few times in a day (I rarely sneeze). Besides, my colleague was sneezing and blowing his nose beside of me (must have caught it from him!) Then Friday came with a blocked and slightly runny nose.

Hence, my whole weekend became my days of rest and recovery. It felt good being able to sleep in without rushing off to somewhere. My appetite was not that good; so simple food was sufficient.

After a good long nap and rest, I'm happy to say; I'm back on my feet and healthy again.

Hmmm.. pity it was not on a weekday - I could have got some medical leave!! haha

:P

Old folks...

I just watched Money No Enough 2. Gosh... it was not the comedy I expected. It touched on the phenomenon plaguing our society.

I will not elaborate much on the storyline in case you haven't watch it; but I will highlight the sad part of the story.

Money No Enough 2
The poignant part of the story is when the elderly mother (Lai Ming) started becoming senile and troublesome to her three children. The eldest son couldn't cope with looking after his mother and the three decide to split the caring to three. Each son will look after his mother for 2 days in turn with the extra day a week taken by each one in turn.

When they showed the scene of the upper class son(Bao Qiang) deciding where to place his mother. She couldn't share room with the daughter or even be placed in the living room (because she makes a mess and it's not nice to be seen by guest) In the end, it really broke my heart to see Bao Qiang and his family finally deciding to place his mother on some mat in the wet kitchen area just next to the toilet.

The son had the audacity to ask the mother if it is all right, and being a mother, she said yes. The son and his family left her to watch the movie in the cinema. The next scene of the sad look in the mother's eyes with a tear trickling down her cheek is so heart-wrenching.

Fast forward a little, then the sons decided to put the mother into the old folks home where she collapsed and had to be hospitalised.

In the hospital, she was unconscious for a few days and the sons were worried about the exorbitant hospital bills (private hospital) to the extend they secretly wished their mother died earlier...

The plot was further stretched with the Bao Qiang's daughter being involve in a car accident. She needed a blood transfusion of O- which was limited and coincidentally scheduled to go to the grandmother who was also O-. The parents who are also O- cannot donate their blood to their own daughter due to some health problems.

The scene of them fighting for the blood for their daughter was a little extreme. Then suddenly, the elderly mother, Lai Ming woke up and saw them fighting; she decided to end her life just like that.

Siggghh.... isn't that sad?

Petronas Raya Advertisement 2006

Anyway, Petronas Advertisement has also touched this aspect of filial piety and the current generation's treatment to their parents. Take a look at this advertisement. I saw a similar story line of this in a Singaporean Chinese drama too.


The way we treat our elderly parents now will be observed and learned by our children. They will treat you exactly the same as you grow older.

Alas, it is easier said than done. Not everyone has the time to care for their elderly parents with packed schedule of work to pay their bills and loans. Look at this next advertisement by Petronas; showing the mothers bragging about their high-pay children in the old folks home, but... nothing beats a visit and time spent with the son instead.



In fact, some children decided to hire a maid or help to look after their own parents. This is no longer a wise or safe decision anymore with the hired help abusing your elderly parents under your very own nose. I saw this incident in Oprah whereby if it were not for a nanny-cam, the daughter would not have found out that her help was hitting her elderly father who couldn't even remember.


What can we do? "Ship" our parents to old folks home? Struggle to care for them in your own home? Hire a maid specifically to look after your own parents?

I don't know, but it sure makes me wonder, when it is my turn, how would I treat my own parents? And then, when I am old and helpless, how would I be treated?

Win, Lose or Swear

Remember watching the game show “Win, Lose or Draw”?

As a child, I love watching the contestants figure what to draw on the white paper with marker to explain the meaning of the words. Then their team members have to figure out in time what the person is drawing. It is hilarious to watch how “kan cheong” or feeling a sense of suspense from the contestants to find out the answer given.

In fact, I also like the game charades which uses your body language to convey the meaning of the word. These both games show how one uses his/her creativity within the short time frame to convey a message to another person without words.

I noticed Facebook has a game which is similar to “Win, lose or draw”. The application is called "Guest The Sketch Challenge" whereby about 10 online players can guess what is being drawn with one of them drawing it (take turns to draw randomly). There is a time limit too and when a person has guessed correctly, the time is shortened.
What annoys me and spoil the game for me is the fact that sore losers who don’t use their creativity. They just literally write the words out. The most we could do is “kick” the person out (3 kicks from 3 different players). However, I noticed some group don’t because their main purpose is to get a high score.

Some, out of anger, will swear or draw indecent images. Hence, I name that application as “Win, Lose or Swear”. Just try out the application for some time and sooner or later, you’ll meet with these sore losers who spoil the game.

In the meantime, what is this I draw below? Ha ha... (I got it from a greeting card in Memory Lane sometime ago)
Answer: A man wearing a Mexican hat who is standing on the diving board of a swimming pool. (Aerial view)

Decorations

Why is there a need to fill a blank canvas? Why must there be a dot of paint in it? Can’t it be left pure, white, serene…. And some might say “boooorrriiing!!!” :p

Well, the same goes for us humans. We have learned to decorate ourselves wonderfully since our caveman years. (Assuming our ancestors we once caveman) :P

Clothing

Most pictures depict Adam and Eve with leaves placed at the right location. Then they showed caveman with animal skins for clothing. Whatever really happened back then, it is a fact that we, humans now need clothing.
One, for protection from the weather i.e. in the dessert, people have to wear long robe to cover oneself from head to toe to protect from the harsh scorching heat and sand.

Second, clothing is to cover oneself from the looks of other people. It is because we are embarrassed to be naked and in today’s culture, it is indecent and against the law to go around naked (unless you’re in a private home, naked colony, etc).
Third, it is for decoration. Look at how the business of apparel is thriving. There can be a pair of jeans for RM10 (I found one in DFO Clothing store) to RM300 jeans found in Guess outlet. What is the difference? Branding? Quality? Functional; it serves well but it is the image and “decoration” it serves that gives the extra value.

Therefore it boils down to my real topic: Decoration on human skin.

1. Make-up

Most women cannot live without make-up. I haven’t reach that stage yet but I guess as age catches up (with scarring, pores /”pot-holes in my case”… haha on my face), one will need to rely on this magic wonders to look young, pretty and attractive.

Men are no exception from this “decoration” especially in the entertainment industry.

Most of us have seen magazines or e-mail showing the difference of an actor/actress with make-up and without. Those pictures are enough to explain my point.

This form of decoration is mainly for the face although it is used to cover temporarily certain scarring on visible body parts at time.

2. Tattoo

Somehow, this painful skin scarring process is seen as a decoration by some people. The best example of this celebrity is Angelina Jolie with her tiger tattooed on her whole back. (Just to name one of her many tattoos)
Many girls in the US have little tattoo somewhere on their body. With a cute little heart shaped at the butt to the name of a loved one on her arm. Whatever style or pattern it is used, they find it beautiful.

I remember a colleague sending an e-mail to all of us which shows body painting. The interesting thing to note was it the body part which was involved. It was a “body painting” of the man’s genital body part. Would you find it beautiful? Anyway, to side track, my boss found out about the e-mail and reprimanded everyone on sending such emails internally.. ha ha..

3. Piercing

Earrings and nose rings are the most common piercing done world wide. I myself is guilty of piercing my ears. My mum just brought me to the shop one day and got my ears pierce. Yes, I am guilty of decorating my ears with earrings.

Then there is the piercing of other locations like: tongue, navel or even private body parts. The decoration for all these piercing varies according to one’s taste. This link I put here has very interesting pictures of all the piercing.

4. Body paint

This form of decoration is always seen during sports matches. The fans will paint their favourite team’s jersey colour on their forehead, arm or even for some extreme fans, on their chest!

However, for the modeling and entertainment industry, body paint is more extensively used. The best example I can think of is Rebecca Romijin as the blue mutant named "Mystique" in X-Men. She is naked literally, save for the blue paint on her body.


I once received an e-mail showing a naked woman walking along the street. (not in Malaysia of course). From afar, she looks fully clothed with a sleeveless top and hot pants. On nearer observation, the “clothing” is actually body paint. Have to look for that e-mail.

Final note

My point is why do we need to decorate ourselves? Why can’t we be the original pure white canvas? Why must we always think we are a blank canvas that requires decoration?

I can only think of one apparent reason: to look BEAUTIFUL in the eyes of our peers.

Sigh. We are stuck with our self-perception through the eyes of other people when in reality; God already sees the real beauty within us without all these decorations.

Here! Here! (Raising my arms) I am guilty of that too.

Loan shark

Why are the loan sharks named after sharks? What have the sharks done wrong except be portrayed on the movie Jaws as a man-eating ferocious shark with large sharp teeth to make a bloody scene.

On the other hand, you might wonder, what did those loan officers or banker or money-lender do to justify a violent ferocious role?

IMHO, I find the process of getting a loan very icky, yucky, sticky and nauseating. All right, maybe I exaggerate a little; but that's how I feel at times.

While accompanying bf to apply for a home loan, we have met with a few different characters in the process. We have seen the outcome of meeting with them for the loan application. Then we have seen the final results. These are a few things I notice.

If I were to apply for a loan, I would consider this (mind you, these are just my off-hand comments):

1. The bank itself

Is it a foreign or local bank? What kind of policies it has? For example, one bank (SC bank) gave good lending rates but insist, it is their bank policy to give 85% loan only to middle-income group. It will give you nearly 90% loan (89% loan to be exact) if you get another person to co-borrow the loan with you.
Sighh.. I'm told foreign banks are better... Can't comment much on that yet.

2. The lending rates

Obviously, I would go for the best rates with the lowest interest but, I have to take into consideration of other aspects. Eg. if the bank has hidden charges or troublesome procedure. Oh yeah, I'm looking around for a flexi-loan.
Therefore, some banks make it a hassle for you to increase your repayment even though they claim they are offering flexi-loan. Be on a look out for this! It is a nightmare... according to Ms Choo.. The particular bank (HL bank) she encountered needed her to give one month written notice to the bank before being allowed to decrease the principle of the loan by paying more.

3. The loan officers

I know you will be thinking, who cares about them? They will "service" you to fulfill their quota. Not all!! We met with a few loan officers who diligently collected the relevant documents to process the application.

For one person in particular, even after 3 months later, we received no follow-up or even a copy of the letter of offer. We even found out, that particular officer didn't even process the loan application.

How we found out? This makes another interesting story.

Since the officer didn't follow up or came back to us, we went to find another officer from another branch of the same bank (Lets call it HS bank). Recommended from a friend, this guy proves to be a hardworking person. He tried to process the application but was met with 2 stumbling block.

1. The loan was already applied by the earlier officer. So he had to cancel the earlier application before he can process the new one.

2. The records in Bank Negara showed that my friend had a large commitment (another home loan) already when this is his first property. This would affect his loan application with the higher commitment.

From the records in Bank Negara, we realised there was no application for loan from HS bank.

But the funny thing was, having a commitment (loan with SC bank) when my friend never signed any agreement yet!! We found out the loan is from one of the applications we submitted earlier.

Having a Loan without signing any agreement

Well, I confronted the officer (SC bank) to ask him how could this happen. He claimed he never process the loan since bf never signed. Anyway, he also wanted to take a look at the report from Bank Negara (making me feel like he didn't believe me).

After checking with his superior, he claimed it was the IT department fault. At the moment, there is no final outcome to his checking and I am still not pleased with his reasons.

Even though SC bank gave the best rates, but to be so bold to approve and accept your loan (either intentionally or unintentionally) without you knowing it for few months back, and now denying any fault to it, I find a bank like that VERY irresponsible. How can the officer in charge of the loan be so ignorant?

If it was not for the other officer from (HS bank) who found out this stumbling block, *touch wood* or if the loan was a forgery for someone else's loan, my friend would be in trouble!!

Banker's Response

In fact, before I made any complaint to the bank, I called an acquaintance who worked in another bank in a superior HR post. Her response to my queries were very unsettling and defensive. These are her words...

"You have to check if your bf signed an agreement already and forgot it. The bank will never approved a loan without a signature. Your bf must have done so without remembering it. Better check properly, if not you will lose face if it is your bf's fault." (She was using doubt and pride to disarm me. It worked a little because I went to check with my bf if he signed anything).

"Your bf is lucky. The loan is confirmed and ready for draw-down but no money is withdrawn." (She was making you see the little silver lining in a dark situation when the situation was not supposed to be dark in the first place!!)

"When you give your documents to the bank, you are already making a relationship and giving them permission to use your information to apply a loan." (Her response to the bank's absolute authority to use your particulars... to the extend of approving and accepting your loan? I think the latter is not true..)

I called another banking friend, her response was:

"Sometimes, these things happen, we are not sure if really there was a forgery or anything but what we can do for you is prepare a letter from the bank which states that you didn't sign any loan with us." (She was accommodating and understanding. She tried to ease the application for our other loan by stating that the bank could prepare such a letter)

Final note

Perhaps, it isn't just the loan sharks who are sharks but anyone working in the loan department who has the vicious killing drive.

If not, how can they provide "good service" to us when at the beginning of a mistake, they repeatedly deny and defend when it is obviously their fault? I thought "customers were always right". But in borrowing money, I guess, customers are the prey to the shark (bank loans or money lender)... help!

Love Story by Erich Segal

I was around KLPac yesterday. While waiting for an appointment, I got the chance to grab a book at their reading corner for a short read. It is interesting that they placed the tables and chairs we used to use in primary school there!!

The thinnest book I found which caught my attention was "Love Story" by Erich Segal. (Hmmm... familiar author. Where have I seen it before?)
I read the first two chapters and chuckled away. I must admit. It is entertaining. I loved the verbal banter between the hero (Oliver) with the heroine (Jenny). Here are some of their lines, reinterpreted by me by my vague memory...

"Jenny, if you're so convinced I'm a loser, why did you bulldoze me into buying you coffee?”
She looked me straight in the eyes and smiled.
“I like your body,” she said.

There was this scene where Oliver kissed Jenny and she said she didn't like it. Oliver kissed her again and she replied the same.
"Why don't you like it?" Oliver asked.
Jenny replied, "I don't like that I like it." (I like the way she twist her words around!)

Oliver even retaliated. When he walked Jenny to her dorm, he didn't kiss her good-bye but said, "Jenny, I think I won't be calling you these few days."
Jenny was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Why not?"
"Because I'll call you immediately after I get back" answered Oliver without looking back.
"Bastard" she replied. And he chuckled as he walked away.

I got an A minus on the exam, coincidentally the same grade I assigned to Jenny’s legs when she first walked from behind that desk. (Oliver's thoughts)

There's another scene where Oliver and Jenny are studying together. Jenny reprimands Oliver by saying, "I think you are going to fail. You are not studying. Are my legs really that great?"
Oliver answers, "I only look after a chapter."
"That book must really have a lot of chapters"
"Your legs aren't really that great"
(I loved how she sarcastically remarks that the book has a lot of chapters!! haha)

However, I only read the first two chapters, therefore this is not a book review. It is more an account on my amusement and enjoyment of reading the conversation of the two characters at the beginning of their love story. :)

Some of the reviews of the book can be found here.

An overview of the Love Story is found in Book Rags.

The sequel to Love Story is called "Oliver's Story".
His books have been made into movies in the 1970's as seen in the poster for Love Story above. Hmm... wonder if I can get a hand of the movie to see how it is like, or should I just get the book?

They were showing Paul Loosley's Tennessee Williams on Film in KLPac. Since I was in KLPac, I got hold of two free tickets to watch Richard Brook's Cat on A Hot Tin Roof for the screening end of this month. I might have watched it but I can't recall. I remember TV2 screening a number of Elizabeth Taylor's movies as a child. Hope I get to watch it! :)

I just love the style of those days... the writing of novels... the script and story line... the actors and actresses! Not like these days, where the "art" of award-winning movies are special effects, sex, explosion and foul language!!

Charms

Remember seeing somewhere an elegant simple chain with little charms hanging on it?
Or those little silver charms for handphone strap or key chains?

Well, I am one of those people who fall for that small cutesy stuff.
I will buy a small shoe charm for the handphone chain. (bought one in Korea but it came off… where did I put that charm).
I even bought one cute elephant handphone chain but the charm fall off into the lift shaft. So coincident that it fell in between gap of the lift car and the door!!
I will also buy small cute butterfly dangling earrings.

Not really a weakness or an addiction but if I happen to like it, I’ll just buy it. (take note my mind perceives small = small items and less than RM20)
Snowlights

Therefore, by some coincident, I manage to surf till I found this Snowlights blog. She is a Singaporean who hand makes necklaces, bracelets, key chains and earrings. She twirls the wire to create the framing for the pendant and add a few charms, crystals and beads to spice it up. Lovely creations.

I am in the midst of ordering a few myself especially I want to have the locket which I can put pictures in it. (Like in the movies!) Sigh.. I am, after all, a girl and romantic at heart.
Dainty Dreams

Then, I was browsing my friend's Female magazine for this month. They featured Dainty Dreams as an affordable site to get custom designed charm bracelets in Malaysia. I was not disappointed.
The charm bracelets were exactly what I was looking for. I am currently waiting for the charms I have ordered to arrive. In fact, I found a cute naughty little handcuff bracelet featured there. It was the perfect gift I was looking for as an engagement gift!

I've decided on a hand-cuff charm-bracelet for the gal and a hand-cuff keychain/handphone strap with a little plaque saying "Cuff for life" for the guy. ;) I will upload the pictures of these items once I get them.
In the meantime, I am satisfied to find one of the items in my wishlist! :)

Online Friendships

Talking about net friends, I’m glad to say I have manage to keep in touch with some of them after 13 years! This makes me realise how life passes by quickly.

When I first chatted with some of them, they were still studying in their colleges. Then, off they went to universities overseas and after a few years, they somehow came back home here too. Now, they are married and have kids of their own. Wow…

Obviously, some of them are still the same. Some was working when I first knew them and they still are. (I mean you, Uncle. :P).

I remember those chatting years when sometimes, people organise gatherings for members who chat in their same channel. I never attended those. Don’t like the idea. I prefer to leave it anonymous and in the internet.

Well, somehow in between those years (about a decade later), I finally gave in to meeting up with net friends. Thankfully, we can still be friends and more than that for some. :P

In the meantime, in between my strut around the merry-go-round of my life now, I give them a call and ask, “Married yet? Babies yet?”; just to check with their progress in life. ;)

(I do call and check up on my coursemates too because if I don’t, suddenly I’ll be like “Congrats on your new baby!! But err, when did you get married?” ;)

LOL

I remember when I first encountered this abbreviation "LOL" in Form 3 while chatting in mIRC. I remember chatting with net friends in “channels” and frantically changing “windows” to chats with friends. Sometimes, when I chat with too many people, I accidentally type in the wrong window. Then I have to say “Oops, typo” or “Wrong window”.


Occasionally, some inconsiderate person will come in and “flood” the “channel” with spam and repeated advertising/vulgar messages. The admin of the channel will then kick the person out of the channel or black list him/her. LOL (Laughing out loud).

Then if you encounter lagging through your slow connection, other people would "ping" you to check how long you lag. Those were the days...

That was about 13 years ago. Since, then I’ve followed the transition of the trend. I have changed my chatting from mIRC to ICQ. Remember the green flower? Remember when someone messages you, ICQ will play a sound that goes “Oh oh!” I still keep my account but I don’t use it anymore. My net friends have migrated to the next latest software.

Next off, came Windows Messenger/ MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. You could chat through you microphone and webcam. There were more added features too like Yahoo Launch Cast which could play unlimited music while you chat. Not long after that, other companies follow suite with Skype, G-talk and many more. Skype even allowed you to call to land line for free at the beginning!

I remember testing it out by calling my friends overseas through land line. Now they charge you for a reasonable fee for the same privileges. With time, technology changes in a blink of an eye. We, as the users try to keep up. Or so I thought I did…

After not chatting online for sometime, I realized I’m outdated. I tried this online game recently and the “terms” they used are different! In fact, the smiley face of :) has turn into ^_^.

No one uses the word “newbie” anymore. Everyone refers to the new “guy” as a “noob”. Argghhh The horror!! I am such a dinosaur.

I look back at those days when I first learn words like BTW, FYI and ROTFLOL. I wonder who creates all these terms. Some of them are very descriptive. Have you noticed the different effect of laughing when you type “lol”, “rotflol”, “hehe”, “haha”, “muahaha”, etc? Oh yeah, I found some interesting blogs on LOL too.

I find “lol” more of a polite laugh. Although, I still like the term “ROTFLOL” the best. (Rolling on the floor laughing out loud). I find it best described a person who is very tickled at a joke or comment (very graphic).
In the meantime, I salute and let the new generation continue swimming by with the flow of change in technology and internet. While I slowly trail behind (finally started to blog after years it was out and trying out those online games), I realized I’m ancient in the internet age. Help! :P