i saw the fireworks

Second week to a new year, 2011. And as cliche as it is, people asked about your new resolution.

I must looked back on what happened last year to have a new resolution. So, here it goes.

Best damn things last year?

1. Finally finish (err ... almost) the so-called study.
2. Went home 4 times. (wow .. airasia gotten rich, but aku puas hati)
3. I must say this no matter what. The Car! I got a car and in Brilliant red some more. I finally have something to drive around. Haha.

Best of all last year, I've got a 'heart'. to mend, to take care of, to hold on to, to put all my dreams, to create as many memories as I want.

And I can say, I've finally gotten over someone. I can finally go on a day without asking why. I realized there are no reasons why. Its just happened the way it is.

So this year? I will let the year go with the flow. Thats my resolution.

I saw the fireworks.

Coz baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Firework by Katy Perry.

Happy New Year.

we're not a reading society

I'm sick of seeing TV advert about ‘Budaya Membaca'. Only in Malaysia you have to promote excessively to get people to read. For some unexplained reason, every time the advert was aired, numbness hitting me hard. The most irritating part is watching the 'actors and actresses' of the advert who seems trying harder to act like they're really into 'reading'.

Scene 1: Mom and dad in a car with 3 kids. Dad was curious because he hadn't heard any noise from the back seat and thought the kids were sleeping. Since he cannot turn away from the road ahead, mom twists her head to look at the back seat. *camera followed her * voila! Mom amazed like she had witness something extraordinary and announce the finding to dad. 'No... They’re not sleeping, they're reading!' she exclaimed, like 'reading' is an act of holiness. And when the camera focus to the kid, the one in the middle was reading ‘Ben 10’ coloring book (or was it?).

Scene 2: Teenagers in their huge motorbike which immediately will make you think about the infamous ‘Mat Rempit’ so to assume what they were up to …urmm… Racing in daylight? And they reached their destination, park their fit-for-race motorbike, and headed to the stairway. (at first, I have this thought that maybe they were up to learn some skill like ‘membuat kraftangan’) And oh! Here they are, get some book from the shelf and read it... in the library. Lots of teenagers around sedang membaca. Stupid TV Advert I ever seen. 1st the library looks as dull as ever. Wasn’t the environment that you usually see lots of people sit and were deep in their reading. Nak tunjuk remaja sekarang suka membaca? You think we’re bunch of idiots or what? 2nd, lots of people were reading in what’s clearly looks like a Pusat Sumber Sekolah and for god sake, they were trying so hard to read! Ha~ha~. Kill me.

Hey, whoever made that advert, go take a candid photos of people who takes reading as something naturally as smiling to strangers. Membaca tak semestinya kat library. Kat bustop nak tunggu bus ke, dalam LRT or Komuter or Bus rapidKL. Orang jaga kedai runcit or butik pun membaca… If Yasmin Ahmad still alive, wonder what her idea for ‘kempen mari membaca’ TV advert. Membaca tak semestinya baca buku. Baca majalah, baca newspaper, baca horoscope, baca komik, baca jampi… Ok, that’s really not the case. But seriously, I wouldn’t read my favorite books in library, unless the library provide expensive imported sofa or bed with Getha as mattress.



In this days of the-age-of-internet, you don’t see lots of people reading in library anymore (exception for Public Library with lots of leisure reading material) I mean, with the invention of e-book, you can even read e-novel with your hand phone. And people that are really into reading will bought their own book. Or go to some bookstores where you can read like crazy for free. No need for membership registration.

By 'read' here I mean, teenagers and kids. By 'reading material' I mean, leisure reading material that you usually read for pastime, just like the advert try to convey. By 'library' I mean, Public Library, heaven for leisure reading materials. An exception for researchers or the rest of us who read for life.

Reading is just not in our blood let alone society. Take it or leave it.

uncertainty

I hate this word. But not as much as I hate the meaning.
I hate to get prepare for something unconfirmed.

Scene 1:

Daddy: Hi buddy, daddy’s gonna get the 3 days off this weekend so you better get prepared for some tools, pack a few things and don’t forget the binoculars your mommy bought for you last 2 weeks. We’re going on hiking. Yeah!
Little boy: Really Dad? Oh my god, finally! Wait… are you sure you’ll get the day off?
Daddy: It’s likely I will get it.
Little boy: What do you mean by likely? And you ask me to pack now? What if you didn’t get it?

Scene 2:

Boyfriend: Sweetheart, I’m coming down tomorrow to see you. (Living on the other side of the world)
Girlfriend: Wow…really? I miss you so much. Oh my God. When will you arrive?
Boyfriend: Urmm… not sure about that. I’m still planning.
Girlfriend: Planning? I thought you said you’re coming.
Boyfriend: Yes, but I’m still planning on when to start driving or whether I should just come on Friday considering you’re still working tomorrow.
Girlfriend: Okay. Are you really coming tomorrow or Friday?
Boyfriend: It’s likely tomorrow.
Girlfriend: Ugh.

Don’t tell me if it’s not confirmed.
Tell me only if it’s confirm. Validate. Verify. Whatever the synonym is.
I hate it because my left brain cannot process what possibly the outcome is.
Certain or not certain. And you think I’m an idiot. I don’t give a damn. I don’t care.

Just let me know if you’re sure about it. Teehee.

the day you were born

Sigh. They say, it's just another number. The fact is, it's another year added to your age. Again, sigh.

I hate cakes on birthday, except the one in my Uni years.
I even hate surprise and birthday party. Silly and ridiculous. (well, except the one my friend gave me in my Uni years)

When you were born in my culture as a girl, another number to your age will mean people around you will start whispering. The odd damned thing is, they'll whispering when your parents or any of your family members are around too.

I couldn't care less about this 'moving numbers'. Jeezz.. Haha.
Honestly, I'm angry. I'm sad. Not because of the number start adding his friends but because the day he's expected to come is the day I expected my usually Belligerence and Moodiness self to be at least happy and smile for urmm.. maybe 10 seconds. And most of all able to say Thank you and Smile to the wishers instead of stuck-out my tounge.

I'm sad because the 'happy-ness' did came but didn't last long enough for me to smile the next day. Sigh.

utada is the one

I’ve been a fan of Utada Hikaru (affectionately known as Hikki) since ‘First Love’ back in 1999. ‘Utada: This is The One’ is her 3rd English album. It features 10 R&B flavoured tunes, short but sweet, sweet and addictive. The more mature and confident Utada singing songs that point up a different side of her in this album. While some have criticized her overtly-sexy lyrics, Utada is still maintaining her girl-next-door image.

She portrays a cheating lover begging for forgiveness and second chance in Come back to me, which reminds me of Vanessa Hudgens’ of the same title. This is the first single release from this album. She is also a girl falling out of love in Apple and Cinnamon (the opening tunes remind me of Jojo’s ‘get out’). The lyric goes like this… Started out so simple in innocent, chemistry like apple and cinnamon… can someone out there, please tell me is there really chemistry between an apple and cinnamon? In ‘Taking back my money’ she’s a woman breaking up with her player boyfriend after realized he’s just using her.



The biggest downside of this album is the cheap-looking album cover. I thought the Japanese was the most creative people on earth. What happened? Her album cover has always been simple but this one looks too cheap to be simple. Anyway, this one is an apple and cinnamon for my ear, compare to her 1st one ‘Exodus’. Don't judge the book by it's cover. Gambatte Utada-sama!

what's in a name?

We love to call and be called by our loved ones a distinctive name to indicate our ‘blooming love’ to each other. Once, a friend told me he used to call his wife ‘babe’ and mostly ‘honey’. When their daughter was about 2 years old, she started calling her ‘honey’ too. They had to tell her No... That’s Mommy. Haha. So, what do you call your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend or partner? Let’s take a look at this name-calling.

1. Abang - When I was a kid, we call our brother ‘abang’ which means ‘brother’. But then, every time the TV was switch-on I saw a woman called someone who supposed to be her husband ‘abang’. It makes me wonder why our ‘abang’ is really our brother and not ‘husband’. Then I went study abroad where almost every girl called their boyfriend ‘abang’. So when my friend say ‘My abang are taking me to candle light dinner’, I was like 'wow… your abang is so generous, but isn’t that something a couple usually did? Not a sibling'. And I got slapped in the face. Oh! She means abang… abang special. So what’s the purpose of the ‘Abang’ referring to your male siblings in the first place? What if you got brother and husband which you call abang both at the same time? Say, these 2 men went fishing together with you and his mother call you asking to speak to him (consider he left his phone at home la). You say ‘Abang, Mom’s calling’. Which one you think will respond to you immediately? Does no one else see anything wrong with calling the one you’re supposedly in love with by that name? It never fails to crack me every time I saw someone calling their better half by that name in some silly local dramas. Ewww… TOTAL ROMANCE KILLER!Okay... you don't have to agree with me. Hehe.


2. Papa/Daddy & Mama/Mommy – This one sounds cute. But it supposed to be the name called by your children. Imagine a wife call her husband ‘papa’. It’s somewhat creepy. I’m not married to my father. Haha. Yuck!


3. Woman – I got friend calling his wife ‘woman’ when he’s angry with her. It goes like this ‘hey woman, where’s my coffee?’ I think its okay to call woman rather than you call them animal’s name when you angry. Like ‘monkey’ or the usual one ‘pig’. Ouch!


4. Hubby – OK, what about this one? It’s rather obvious calling your significant someone ‘hubby’. I mean, it’s okay if you’re married. NO problem with that. But if you’re not even engaged, oh my, what a reeks of wishful thinking. There’s hinting and for God sake that’s a blatant desperation.


5. Sayang – This one is the usual one. Honey, Sweetheart, Darling. It’s sweet, romantic, affectionate and loving. But imagine if the guy has two-timing and calling both of them ‘sayang’. Wow. He never has to worry about calling the wrong girl by the wrong name. Hehe.


6. Baby – The funniest I ever heard. I mean because the one calling is the girl to her boyfriend. Wow… what a big ‘baby’ is that. But then I came to my senses, men can be a ‘baby’ sometimes. NO. Most of the time actually.






7. Boo – Oh my, it sounds like a puppy’s name. The song by Alicia Keys and Usher’s ‘My Boo’ came to mind when I heard this one. But it sounds a bit ridiculous in this part of the world.


8. Lambchop – Haha. Obviously it’s the name of a food. Hmmm… why would anyone wanted to be named after a piece of mouth-watering dead animal? I can accept ‘sugar’ or ‘sweetie’. Oh… and what about Puffin for guy and Muffin for Girl? Your spouse is as delicious as a muffin. Apu (The Simpson) called his wife ‘My Little curry face’. Now, that’s as romantic as ‘lambchop’.






9. Dear – I can say this one is rather common. I mean in a sense that nowadays it is widely used (and I can imagine) by grandmothers. If you’re going to call your boyfriend ‘dear’, make sure you put that wig of tight curls to add some ‘sexy-ness’.


10. Pet name – this is common in western so be careful and remember not to use it if you and your foreigner boyfriend decided to meet your family here in Malaysia. Imagine he calls you ‘Pookie’. Oh my, you’ll become the joke among friends and family.
    

What a warm and fuzzy feeling when your loved one calls you by a different name from everyone else, it seems to fortify the fact that you’re both deeply in love and totally into each other. Anyway, be careful because once a name sticks, it’s difficult to change it. Now, where’s my hubby? Teehee.