25 Random Things.....

As published on FB's notes last night.

I have been tagged. Without further ado, here are mine.

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)



(1) Believe it or not, I am one of the three siblings born in the same year. No, we are not triplets. My eldest sis was born in January whereas my twin and I were born in December. So, three in a year. However, so as to avoid having to explain at length, my mom at times said we're triplets.

(2) Yes, I am one half of a twin. We are supposedly identical twins, but our friends can vouch otherwise. Our personalities are as distinct as the moon and the sun. Probably, we should do a DNA test to check if we're in fact fraternal twins.

(3) I like to eat chicken. I can have it every day. All parts of the chicken are fine, except for liver and gizzard. Given the choice between white and red meat, I'd select the former. Though lately I've been craving a lot of red meat...

(4) I love cats and anything that, according to my warped mind, remotely resembles cats, such as otters, meerkats and ferrets. But never catfish.

(5) I'm not really feminine even though I prefer skirts to pants. Nor am I that masculine in spite of my tough talk and 'sitting' manners.

(6) Sometimes people would remark that I am athletic, which is furthest from the truth. I haven't done any sports for the longest time since the end of high/secondary school. Of course, there were the occasional badminton and other outdoor games, but I am never into sports. I attribute this misconception to my broad shoulders and tall stature.

(7) Due to the lack of interest in sports, I don't find the need to watch any sporting events. The last time I had religiously followed a sporting event was in 2002 and it's the World Cup co-sponsored by Japan and South Korea (I had to look this one up :P ). Marriage life further reinforced this blase attitude towards sports as my spouse also shares the same sentiment.

(8) Speaking of spouse, I'm proudly and happily married to a Sarawakian who is pretty much a metrosexual (Please feel free to google this term). I could have married a typical male chauvinist, but that would insult my intelligence and destroy any shred of self-respect I might have left. Then again, I believe all men are male chauvinists in one form or another, whether they are straight or not. :)

(9) If you don't already know or notice, I am a fairly blunt person. I don't mince my words. Some people find it hard to swallow my tendency of putting a foot in the mouth. I have since learned to brush up on my diplomatic skills.

(10) My favourite colour is anything in the shade of purple. A colour analyst says people who love purple have a lot of pent-up desire. Hmmm.....

(11) I love anything of the floral print. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a leopard print or anything of its ilk. It's still better off on the animals, methinks.

(12) When I was a little girl, I drew a variety of cartoon-like figures in many interesting outfits. Secretly, I wanted to become a fashion designer. However, my lack of control of brushstrokes and poor school marks in drawing worked against me. So, I live vicariously through my love of everything clothes. No handbags or shoes to make me go gaga. Just clothes in all their glory.

(13) After an awkward adolescent period, I only warmed up to the idea of wearing a skirt toward the second half of college years. Sure, I had to don baju kurung during schooltime, but I never felt comfortable in them. Now, I can't see myself without skirts.

(14) When I was in Form 2 (that would be 9th Grade), my parents hatched a plan to get us out of school early so we would be able to catch the David Copperfield Magic show held in KL. They told the Penyelia Petang (The Afternoon session supervisor) that there's a family emergency in Kampung Bahru. It was exhilarating to see David Copperfield in the flesh.

(15) In Form 3, two friends and I trickled a few drops of 'Minyak Atar' ( or pungent Arabic scented oil) onto the seats of our classmates during the recess. The classroom was percolated with strong, cloying perfume. It's part of our April's Fool prank. To my former unsuspecting peers, please forgive our transgression.

(16) My forehead bears two scars from my childhood - a playground incident and a car accident.

(17) Although my drawing and painting skills are not up to par, I love arts and art history. Among my favourite painters are Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Seurat.

(18) I can't stand anyone who's immoderately vain - the type who cannot be in contact with any shiny or mirror surface lest she or he would check herself or himself for what seems like hours.

(19) Thanks to my mom's side, I am endowed with wavy locks. Once, while waiting for the lift at an old workplace, a middle-aged lady working in HR asked if I recently had a perm job. When I replied matter-of-factly it's all natural, she gave me a blank stare as if I was pulling her leg.

(20) My ancestral line can be traced to Bugis and Jawa on the maternal side and Siam on the paternal side.

(21) I tend to be a 'crankitch' (cranky b***h) if I don't get enough shuteye. Other than that, I'm a pretty pleasant human-being.

(22) I am a coffee junkie. After last year's knee problems though, I am trying to cut down my daily intake. I'm getting old. Crackling bones and all.....

(23) I'd love to travel all over the world if I have the wherewithal. The places I visit must however have potable water and edible food.

(24) While professing an avid interest in writing, I have not done much reading in my adult life. I put it down to my short attention span and sheer procrastination. I have to buck up in order to be half as good as my favourite writers.

(25) I've been described many things by different people. Some say I'm snobby, others say I'm weird, a few funny ones say I'm 'happening'. There are some 'I'm timid', 'I'm brash' and even, 'I'm trying too hard'. What I know is I can be quiet and shy among the extroverts and loquacious, and I can be talkative when I'm nervous or trying to defuse an awkward silence. Most of all, I can be myself among friends and kindred spirits.

Interlude: Wait a While

They say the higher progesterone level running through the system wreaks emotional havoc on some hapless pregnant women. Some become easily antsy, annoyingly needier or discover that their tear ducts have a life of their own. In my case, I'm presently relegated to the third group (although there were prolonged relapses into the other two categories).

Recently, I found my eyes leaking after watching Petronas' latest Festive commercial for Chinese New Year. While reading Cecilia Ahern's book, PS. I Love You, I got all choked up. Any reading materials - blogs included - were not spared from my weepy bouts.

Lately, songs begin to get to me too. A heart-wrenching movie soundtrack, even a slow number called "It's Time to Wake up' from Johnny & The Sprites fell victim to this new lachrymose habit.

A fortnight ago, a particular song entered the recesses of my mind and refused to leave. Whenever I croon parts of the song that I know, I would cry. It reminds me of the times whenever the other half leaves for an overseas assignment. Sappy me.

One of my favourite P. Ramlee's songs, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember the movie from which I heard it. Yesterday, I managed to find out it was from one of my least favourite P. Ramlee's movie, Sarjan Hassan, a patriotic vehicle starring P.Ramlee, Saadiah and Jins Samsudin. Without further ado, here's the lyric* and video for your viewing and listening pleasure.



Tunggu Sekejap
-----------

Tunggu sekejap wahai kasih
Kerana hujan masih renyai

Tunggu sekejap
Dalam pelukan asmaraku

Jangan bimbang
Walaupun siang akan menjelma

Malam ini
Belum puas ku
Bercumbu dengan dinda/kanda

Tunggu sekejap wahai kasih
Tunggulah sampai hujan teduh

Mariku dendang
Jangan mengenang orang jauh

Jangan pula
Jangan tinggalkan daku seorang

Tunggu sekejap
Tunggu






Let's hope I will be a little less lachrymose in the next trimester.


*the lyric differs from Rafeah Buang's rendition. Some lines are rather provocative for that time, I must say.

A Labour of Love

What are your criteria for marrying a person? Or does it boil down to one overriding criterion?

Is it something material like wealth, money and connection? The more Datuks and Dato' Seris in that family, the better.

Is it something spiritual like a religious outlook, Islamic values and an emphasis on the Hereafter? The more time spent in the masjeed or musolla, the better.

Or is it something fleeting like beauty and other coveted physical attributes?

Or is the other person's cerebral enough for one's cultured taste and able to sate one's natural curiousity?

Or is it the generosity of his heart, the tender loving care and the promise of a lifetime of unconditional affection?

So what does make one a strong prospective partner? The permutations are endless, as is the complexity of a person's mind.

I have come upon a case where a besotted lass faced the biggest humiliation of her life when the entourage of her fiancé-to-be failed to show up on the appointed date of engagement. The reason given, at least implicitly, was due to her brothers' excessive gambling reputation. In a small Kampung setting, connection that would defile the lineage of a proud family is more important than the feelings of two people involved.

How about the story of a Malay lad who has to marry the girl of his family's choice back in the village? Sounds very Bollywood-like, but in this day and age - or ten years back when it took place - arranged marriages still endure. This was despite him having fallen for another girl whom he had met while working in KL. Family obligation and being the firstborn come first. The poor girl's heart, needless to say, was crushed.

Speaking of Bollywood, some Mamak (Indian Muslim of Tamil descent) clans continue to practice arranged marriages among close families, where childhood betrothal is the norm. As expected, this helps in preserving the Mamak bloodline from being diluted from interracial marriages. A Mamak guy of my peer, married his betrothed, even after seriously entertaining the thoughts of having a Malay girlfriend.

The silly, idealistic girl in me has always thought love would conquer all. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Family objection, preservation of lineage, reputation and old money, and numerous other narrow perceptions eschew all possibility for love to rise to the occasion.

Now I understand the meaning of my mom's words when she imparted the following : Not everyone gets to marry their first love.

And yet, in the greater scheme of things, one finds the faith and courage to accept that some things are not meant to be. Naturally, you feel rejected, even angry at this callous treatment. Later, as reality sets in, you bawl your eyes out until you are reduced to painful convulsions.

In spite of all the heartaches, you somehow manage to crawl out of the abyss and stumble upon someone who is worthy of your affection and love. You hold the faith to carry on.

It matters not if you marry your first love. It matters when the person has the will and strength to hold on during the peaks and troughs of your life together. That should be the litmus test of your love. Your prospective partner.

On that note, I want to wish my only brother the best of luck following his engagement to the girl of his dream, Awin, last January 17th. After some unsuccessful hitches, he has finally found someone who accepts his medical condition - renal dialysis - and a supportive family to boot. I only got to meet her that day and already I'm getting good vibes.

Please take care of one another. Be steadfast in your commitment and always nurture an open and honest relationship in your union. InsyaAllah, everything will fall into place as God has intended.

My Springy Sprog

It's only fitting to start the new year on a positive note. Hence, this post on a loved one. And what is more apt than showcasing the little girl who has been the center of our universe for close to three years now.

With Sadia's birthday around the corner in about a month's time, I am more inclined to share some milestones, developments and her other idiosyncrasies.

She is full of vocabulary. Apart from uttering polysyllabic words like 'migration', 'decoration' and 'invitation', there have been a series of unexpected phrases such as "Let's build it together", "You want to have tea party with me?", "I don't like this kind", "Everyone, buckle up" and our favourite, "What's the big idea?". We chalk this affinity for English words up to her 24/7 exposure to the PlayhouseDisney channel. She does speak Malay, albeit mixed up with English. For instance, she still doesn't know how to count in Malay, but she can easily count in English up to Number 15.

She's more clingy than ever, for obvious reasons. Ever since she experienced recurring episodes of toothache late last year, she had technically been weaned off. Her two front teeth, which have disappeared from sight many moons ago, developed an infection and had caused us several sleepless nights with her incessant crying out of excruciating pain. She had even implored, in between sobs, for us to buy her new teeth. Poor little Sadia. With the absence of usual physical comfort, she has become easily weepy and wanted me to be as close to her as possible. It makes cooking next to impossible! I know she is in a hard place now, having to abruptly come to terms that my mammaries are off limits. Somehow, I too miss our 'bonding' sessions. While I'm grateful the weaning came about, it's the manner in which it transpired that left me wanting. In time, we both will adjust.

She is inherently bossy. It's probably hard for a mother to admit this about her kid, but I have no qualms whatsoever. Sadia is indeed one bossy kid. We have countlessly humoured her commands and orders to play Ring-Around-The-Rosy, London Bridge, Hide-and-Seek, and so forth. She couldn't care less if we are doggone tired. And every single time the Little Einsteins' theme song is on, we have to stand, sing and clap along with her. The same goes for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse anthem and closing song. Time to get her into playschool, methinks!

She has the knack of getting her legs in a twist. I don't know if it has anything to do with her tendency to stand on her tippytoe, but Sadia would always get her legs tangled up, be it standing up or sitting down. The wires that connect the television to the CD player and the sliding mechanism underneath the passenger seat of our car are the usual suspects. We would put away items or get them out of the way lest they might attract the jerking movement of her legs. I do wonder if she's following the footsteps of her klutzy Mama.

She has a keen interest in arts and music. With respect to the former, I am not sure if it is a fleeting interest. Knowing how artistically-inclined her father is (and was in school), I am nonetheless more than eager to encourage this hobby. She even asked for a water colour paint box and a paintbrush in order to mimic Noddy's painting attempt in one episode. On Monday, she picked out magic markers from IKEA for another colouring project. I believe she's more interested in experimenting with the various drawing materials and their ensuing results. As for music, she can differentiate among many musical instruments thanks to Little Einsteins. I mean, she didn't hesitate to correct me if I had mixed trombone up from trumpet!




On the domestic front, we bought her a toddler bed back in mid-December in preparation for both the new baby and planned weaning. However, she has yet to sleep on the bed, uninterrupted. Whenever I put her on it at night, she would roll back into our bed which conveniently adjoins hers. With the weaning off, I am hopeful she would get used to it soon. She has a few months to practice anyway.


As for my expecting, Sadia still refers to the growing fetus as 'Mama's baby'. She has yet to grasp the concept of her being a sister. A big sister. Kakak. It's a slow process, but we will get there together. In the meantime, I am busy entertaining the whims and fancies of one demanding and clingy tot. My precious flower*.



*Sadia means Flower.