May Cause Drowsiness

"Do not drive or operate heavy machinery, take 1 pill 3 times a day, 2 teaspoon to be taken after, kwang... kwanngg... kwanngg...kwwaaang..."

That's the advice given by the assistant at the clinic when she dispensed the medicines. Don't know why, but I always rely more on the instructions written on the medicine than verbal words.

I'm not supposed to stay up this late especially after taking some meds issued by the doctor, but let me just enter 1 or 2 liners here, g'night.

My Cough Mixture Tastes Like Liquified Hacks

... like those mentholated black "Hacks" sweets, you know?

Anyway, a friend sms me this morning to ask if I could be a witness to her divorce proceedings. Her husband has to verbally express the divorce (talak or talaq). Though the technicality of "lafaz" or verbalising the talak is the basic requirement for the divorce to go through, I was unsure if doing so via a '3-way party tele-conference' - which was what my friend requested, would be a wise option.

My cough has not abated since last Saturday despite swigging a botol of African Sea-Coconut cough mixture. Can one get any old-school than this? Ahahaa.. I know my late grandfather was addicted to this stuff but it doesn't seem to work fast enough for me. So before I die from consumption ala poor destitutes in a Victorian novel, I had better visit the doctor tomorrow.

Bought a Laurindo Almeida CD. Go listen to some samples from the link I provide. If you like contemporary numbers done in jazz overtones and with that bossa nova feel, I'm sure you like this master improviser Almeida. Rave or techno insipid enthusiasts please stay away. Your eardrums may not be sufficiently taut for this.

I received another 2 wedding invites for this weekend. What's up with June? Have many people become that unimaginative they figure just like on Valentine's Day, June is THE month for them to tie the knot? Anyway I won't be able to attend as there is this working seminar on Saturday. Seminars are a big turn-off for me and if the speakers aren't engaging, I just might give this a slip. But first I need to establish an alibi with some folks that I did turn up for the seminar.

Hello, Friday Night... I Need This Again

I have nothing to do on this Friday night except to feel a tremendous sense of relief that the weekends are just a couple of hours away. That's how appreciative I get after a busy week.

Here I am - just stepped out of the shower, and I'd like to think all the stress has been washed away.... Kind of reminded me when I was at Lombok island-hopping and snorkelling. I need this again.



Though I've gone through some dirt-cheap travels and enjoyed them tremendously, I've yet to do any real backpacking. Sad isn't it? And though I'm the type who probably like things scheduled and in-placed especially at work, when it comes to traveling I'm a complete antithesis.

Indonesia and S.E.A is such an expanse of land and culture. It's the Nusantara for goodness sake! If I could spend some time in Sumbawa & Komodo and places in Kalimantan, Makassar, maybe or even Bugis, just to experience a tiny bit how my favourite literary sea-characters Marlow and Jim in the novels of Joseph Conrad feel when they were in this strange and exotic region called the Malay archipelago.

I know I'm asking too much, but you only have one life made good.

Guitar Study no. 17 in E by Ferdinand Sor

In my Ferdinand Sor and Desperate Housewives post I did mention I was learning a guitar piece by Ferdinand Sor, on my own.

It's guitar study no. 17 in E and at the glacial rate I'm practising I'd be lucky to get by the first 6 bars of the score!

Geez, it can be tough for working adults like myself setting aside some quality practise time. But the beauty in all this personal exploration is that I always get inspired each time I listen to such music, especially on my way to work, you know coz it calms and prepares me for the day. However, it's a totally different story once I reach home though.

Anyways, be still, listen, enjoy.

Nonplussed ... That's The Word I Was Looking For

:)

I Zombied Thru' Work All Day ...

ahaha... movie, dinner, & intimacy ... all that gave me this silly grin at the office.

3 times, I checked my blog during office hours (can you believe this? I spaced out) with the intent to enter something, SOMETHING... but each time I just couldn't bring myself to describe last night.

So ok ... I'm tongue-tied, what's that word? it escapes me ...

I didn't know that it takes real talent to be as dumb & dense as I am now.

A Friend's Wedding at My Secret Garden

Ahaha... corny title, but I'm rushing my laundry.

Got back around midnight from an ex-colleague's wedding at My Secret Garden. It was a nice affair, with a slightly above-average food but even better friends & company and music entertainment - that's all I can say. I really liked the place though when I first stepped in I was half-expecting a lush garden set-up, but, no such thing. It was basically a cemented courtyard with some trees planted and candle-lit dinner tables and chairs. There was also an adjacent in-door dining area, which was near occupied by guests. I wondered why they chose to sit there when the best seats were obviously in the courtyard.

Together with some friends I sat at the table set-up immediately facing the band. From thereon it was your typical wedding social mode.

The feeling I got from the reception was that of low-key charm and closeness and intimacy. It was a complete breakaway from the stuff you'd expect locals tend to do at weddings, yes, none of that tired exchanged of vows, the bride walk-in ceremony or 'when was the first time I met my spouse' speech - thank god! Ok, ok here we go, my cynicism starts to creep in here, the only thing that spoiled the atmosphere was the crass 'yamseng' toasts, which apparently put a lot of pressure on the couple to oblige those drunkards, lol, and to do forced bottoms-up. Can't help it but it is in my virgo nature to disapprove. Anyway some things will never change that I admit, lol, but I'm really glad that sharks fin was absent in the menu - a breakaway from the old tradition, right?

So I saw many familiar faces. But I especially caught up with some fav peeps - with Noor (bubbly and resplendent), Qi (casual and genuine nondescript as usual), Ruby (appropriately boisterous), Murali (had a good tri-chat with him & Noor), Terence (with a ciggy? lol, I really like this bro), Ann (who lended her great vocals on 2 or was it 3 numbers?), Maureen (whose genial manners was really awesome, heck she even took impromtu lessons from a drum-beats player!), Teresa (who looked like she put on weight at the right places!), Ed (with a bottle glued in his hands) Sharon (wearing that wicked dress!), Michelle (whom I profusely apologised to for not attending her wedding the other day), Clifford (this bro is talented), Jean & Jason (The Couple), SK (my ex-boss), Lina (who put up a 'Wow' impromptu singing perfomance) and Andrew (whose ebbulience really showed when we chatted on the way his life was heading.)

I left at 11.15pm with a friend. We thought of sharing a cab together as she lives in Jurong and I was meeting M for a midnight show. But as usual, cabs at that hour were non-existent and I had to call M for a raincheck.

We chatted for like half an hour and it was funny - I've known her at TT for so long, not that close, but, it is always during these chats that I find more revealing and intimate matters from peeps. The taxi came and I let her take it first, leaving me dwelling another 20 minutes of waiting at the roadside along Waterloo Street. Again, times like these made me wallow deep with instrospection and if I could only employ a stream-of-conciousness writing ala Woolf, ahaha, I'd do so - but dear readers, my laundry is waiting for me.

Vans & Adidas

I bought a pair of Vans shoes last week and now my feet are asking for leniency. Somehow they don't turn out right after you walk in them for 20 minutes. It's a pity because the shoes looked and felt great at the store but now they don't anymore. It's a pity too because I have to take some responsibility for my impulsive buying. Though I have a heuristic tendency to learn through problem-solving and using reasoning, I always tend to ignore my past experiences. Yes, that includes buying the wrong shoes, which I've done many times and don't ever seem to learn my lesson.



So now it's back to my old Adidas.

Sam's Speech Is a Part of My Blog

Was surfing aimlessly when I stumbled upon Sam's speech in LOTR - The Two Towers. Now I'm not a sentimental idiot, but this speech always gives me catharsis. I know a lot of critics out there think it trite and forced and that Peter Jackson was trying too hard to summarise his epic with a cinematic crescendo-device moment. (You got to see the Trilogy to be able to put this in context) But who cares?

So I'm going to make this permanent in my blog, because I think it defines me - to a good extent.

Newbie Generates Buzz But Cramps Up!

A newbie in a workplace generates buzz. Everyone is interested to know what your contributions are to the workplace and how you can fit in or be an asset to his or her cause. Being in the business of Organisational Excellence futher adds visibility and high expectations. I'm already up to my ass with my portfolios of work and my balls are cramping up! But I'm not complaining though, cos' busy IS good.

On top of all that, a newbie that generates buzz that I am - have been 'roped-in' our 2005 National Day Observance committee. Something new for me, this ND thingy. So I was checking out the official NDP 2005 homepage right, and here you go readers .... go crazy but curb your enthusiasm till the day draws near. G'night.

Cats in Blogs

Ok I know cats in blogs are so passe and done till overkill, but I love them so be it! Pic courtesy of my friend, Milotov. It's his cat btw. Said he found it from a 'ghetto' coffeshop. For me, ghetto or suburbia, this fat tabby is simply exercising one its catty existence - nap on its owner's chair. What a fabulous life. Enjoy.

What I Need Right Now

Got back from work and guitar practise. Went straight to my room and banged the notebook to finish off some homework. At the same time I left my Messenger on. As you can guess it, my work was intermittent because of that. But then again, it was just a minor thing this work - and I managed to finish them rather fast.

My feet are screaming for a massage. Times like these I'd recall the foot massage parlour I went to in KL at Jalan Bukit Bintang. I was sceptical at first, but decided to go for it because 2 of my colleagues from TT loved those places. So I joined in as well.

Ferdinand Sor and Desperate Housewife

Desperate Housewife is the only thing I look forward to on Monday nights . After that I'm back in my room to play a few scales or studies on the guitar for tomorrow's lesson. I've been attending classes since Oct 2003 at Yamaha and I think I've made good progress. It is not my intention to take up ABRSM, Trinity or anything like that you know, my main impetus & motivation is to play decently some of the wonderful guitar pieces I have heard from Sor, Tarrega, Bach, Carulli or Aguado.

I just might stop the lessons altogether since I am now able to read notations and also, guitar scores are pretty much accessible nowadays. The other reason for taking up the instrument was that I have always been inclined to the guitar, especially classical sounds. And I think my lessons thus far has so much given me a headstart and a solid foundation of appreciation - good enough for me to begin my own journey.

I don't know, maybe I go look for another instructor or what, I don't know. Right now I'm looking out for an option of 'structureless' or customised approach in my music lessons. I just want to enjoy learning without the parameters of a classroom you know - as and when, but of course I will still adhere to alloted practice time religiously because there's no short cut to better playing, furthermore I'm not 12 or 14 years old. Is that possible, am I asking for too much? Any guitarists out there?

This month besides the Yamaha course syllabus, I'm exploring on my own Ferdinand Sor's Studies for the guitar no.17 in E. It's a beautiful piece and it's one of my favourites by Sor.

Let me try if I could post the mp3 here.

My Friend's Wedding... The One I Didn't Turn Up

Ok so I'm a wicked man. I missed my ex-colleague's wedding last Friday and it was all because of work. I know this is a lame-ass excuse but that was what happened. I knocked off late last Friday and as a result was too tired to go anywhere. The wedding simply vanished amidst my other priorities. I just don't know why that happened. Sometimes I feel that I'm taking these things for granted and I hate it when I get lackadaisical. This non-interest and commitment-less approach in me has got to stop. I feel so guilty when one colleague sms me how come I wasn't there and another 'scolded' me on Messenger. On that note Miche, if you're reading this, please accept my sincerest apology for not turning up.

Hey sis, you're so Beautiful! Congratulations to Fei & Miche.

This Thing Protects Me Without My Knowing It

My editor called yesterday but I wasn't able to attend to her immediately as my mind was on something. I saw her number illuminated my O2 mini and let the silent-mode vibration continue whirring on my table.

A few seconds after the whirring stopped, it came to me that I've yet to submit my story idea to her and this whole paralysis of not answering the call was actually THE subsconscious way of protecting and telling me that it wouldn't be such a good idea to speak to her then. You know, just like gut-feeling, but this happened without you even knowing it.

Lol ~ the excuse!

But anyway, dear readers I did return her call and guess what, she wanted me to attend a media workshop she'd planned for all her writers. That's nice so I said yes, I would like to come.

Ok ok so before she calls up next time around for the story status I better get started.

Morning Blog

Lol ~ I want to know how it feels like blogging at 6:20 in the morning - all nasty and hair dishevelled and wearing nothing but my funky boxers.

So there you go.

Check Out This Link on Ubin

If you noticed I've recently linked to this Pulau Ubin stories site. Why? It's because I always have a close affinity with the island, it's that simple. My late grandparents used to live there and as a kid I spent many school holidays roaming the place. People say Ubin still has its rustic charms, but had they seen and experienced the Ubin I knew in late 1970's - they'd be in for a surprise. Things are different now and much has been changed to make Ubin accessible to the public.

Oh shut the fcuk-up ... yes I'm that old, ahaha.

I pray to God it won't become too 'sanitised'. It is a sanctuary for everybody and therefore the basic amenities - I agree, but not to the extent where it ends up like another East Coast, insipid and with too many sign boards and shelters and tar-roads.

Heavens forbid - I don't ever want to see in-line skaters on Ubin! Shoo! shoo! You stupid, trend-victim urbanites sporting yellow livestrong bands! Half of you don't even know who Lance Armstrong is!

More on this, but goodnight for now.