That white-masked face, that evil glint in the eye, that black plait, those hairy arms and that reproaching voice - sums up my primary school dental nurse and also the only one I've had so far.
I can still hear her stern voice echoing in my ears.
"You still don't want to brush your teeth? How often do you want to see me?"
*Cringes*
A Physical Ache
Saturday, July 28, 2007 @ 12:49 AM
I was msn-ing with tuck, who was staying at VN guesthouse (where I also put up at when I was there in Feb) and I felt this intense tug at my heart. The travel bug. Again.
I think I got more animated than he was as we chatted about what he had seen and done in Kanchanaburi so far. I was reliving the entire experience - the Erawan Waterfalls, elephant trekking, water rafting, the Death Railway and sleeping on the bobbing raft rooms!
Gosh, I miss Thailand. Or perhaps I miss travelling entirely.
Drained, bone-tired and ready to conk out after OT-ing yesterday night, I was most bothered when I received a phone call from one of those persistent telemarketers. Initially meant for my pa (who was not in), the saleslady refused to take up my suggestion of calling back later and started pitching her sales talk.
I was in no mood for niceties and cut her off. So she asked,"Am I speaking to a family member?"
And solemnly I replied (suddenly with a thickened accent), "No, I'm the maid. I don't know what time Sir will be back. Probably quite late. You call back later?"
I doubled up in laughter after she hung up hastily. What a way to turn a bad day right. :p
Moments in time
Sunday, July 22, 2007 @ 3:34 AM
It was a movie marathon night with tension in the air, tinged with some dollops of guilt. We evaded the bouncers dressed in red as we sneaked into the 2nd theatre and stiffened each and every time someone passed our seats. As luck would have it, we got our way. Firstly, a dose of magic with Harry Potter, followed by distasteful killing sprees with slasher flick, Vacancy. The movies were not that great but gleeful we were indeed.
The rain started pattering a couple of miles after we left Vivo. Seated in the cab before the onset of the downpour, I was caught in that special moment - that instant in time when you were halfway on dry land and moving into the veil of falling water. I call it the in-between place. I can't help but be entranced by what seems to be so otherworldly. That in-between place where you might get to some other world or some other time in space. Harry has his pseudo phone booths and green flames in the fireplace as his travel portals, so for us muggles, that seems to be the closest thing we have.
There's something nice about sitting in a car in a heavy downpour. So heavy that the world around you is blurred in a semi-blinded fashion and you hear nothing but the hectic patter of the raindrops on the window panes. Alone with your thoughts, with no one else in sight or to make small talk with. As a kid, car-washing booths in petrol stations used to fascinate me. Those huge, blue revolving brushes sweeping up and down, left and right. I still am, but to a lesser extent of course.
I miss that heart-skip-a-beat feeling. I miss comforting bear hugs. I miss heart-to-heart talks on anything and everything. I miss being myself. Maybe coz these moments have been too few and far in between.
I wish for more magical moments.
Friends
Friday, July 20, 2007 @ 10:01 PM
It's probably funny coming from someone living in Singapore but I was counting that day... and the number of non-chinese friends I have only makes up one hand! (including the two in pic) =X
Believe it or not?
Sunday, July 15, 2007 @ 6:54 PM
She came to me at the traffic light, a plump, middle-aged figure looking anxious.
In halting speech, she asked, "Sisss-teerr, caaaan...can you give meee $10 for me to take taxi?"
Taken aback, I was speechless for a few moments. Then I asked, "What do you need it for?"
"I am going to... Changi. I need... need to buy food for my mother and father..." she beseeched, walking towards me till we were two steps apart and then knelt down.
The sweat was glinting off her face. She was simply too close for comfort. I had to retreat a few steps away from her as I wondered if she was telling the truth. Did she need the money? Or was she pulling a quick one on me?
In the midst of my indecision, I noticed an old lady gesturing to me in the background, shaking her head at me.
And so, my common sense took hold of me as I rejected her and she promptly took off in search of the next target. After which, the old lady with the kind intentions pulled me aside and advised, "Don't entertain this kind of people in future." I murmured a heartfelt thanks.
Even now, there is still the slightest doubt nagging at me. Did I deny help to someone who desperately needed it? How do we tell them apart from the scammers?
My friends know that I find it hard to say no. Which is probably why I've been scammed before, a particularly memorable one being this ah peh who asked for coins to take the bus. When I opened my wallet to retrieve my spare coins, I caught him eyeing the rest of my cash. I promptly regretted my decision to help. Strange that all these incidents have happened at traffic lights so far. Danger zone indeed.
Just the thing to lift those Mon blues
Monday, July 09, 2007 @ 10:09 PM
I love it when I open my eyes in the morning and hear the pitter-patter of raindrops. I love it even better when I can snuggle into my blanket and sleep the morning away.
But of course, reality is not made of the stuff that comes from dreams. My alarm rings, I open one eye and hit the snooze button. A few minutes later, it rings again. I snooze for a second time before I stumble out of bed blearily, a full 18 minutes after it first rang.
If only alarms sound like Connie Talbot, I think I would start my mornings with great relish.
The little angel with the toothy grin. :)
Say 'hello, a stranger beauty from Ukraine'!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007 @ 8:31 PM
I am often spammed in my yahoo account as some sneaky fellows still seep through the webs of my spam-filter. Today's spam mail beat the whole lot in terms of hilarity. One which assumed firstly that I am a (hunky) man and secondly, that I have a soft spot for Ukraine ladies.
Hello, my dear friend
I am writing to you this letter to say that I want very much to meet you in real life and to get acquinted with you.But it is impossible at present day that is why let's start from romantic letters to each other.I do this first step because i don't want to miss a chance to loose acquintance with such man like you.
Tell me, please, what is this life without love? it is dull, unbearable and useless. You live, but you don't know why; you work, but don't know the sense of it; you come at home, but you don't feel comfort and cold bed makes you feel disgust... do you have the same unpleasant feelings and need love in your life as I need?The whole life is wating for me and you in future. But it is died if you are alone and you can't share a new day with beloved person. Do you agree with me?If I don't give love, if I can't share passion and romantic feelings with beloved, I feel that I am dying every moment, every hour, every day.
Don't let me die at all, write me, please, and just say 'hello, a stranger beauty from Ukraine! yes, i want to get acquinted with you too!" and afterit, let me do the next step and you will see that I will change your lifeand wave you in the cradle of my love.I close this letter now, but i am waiting for your reply, Dear Stranger whom I liked and I hope that you will like me too http://worldmeetlove.com/waityou
Sweet goodbye Rhoan S.
What say you? I shouldn't be one of those heartless jerks and not reply to this sweet Ukraine lady rite? Especially not when I can save her life!
The Lady.
21-year-old.
Smiles too often and too much.
On a search for her path in life.
