On the bus

On my way home, with three bags full of school and personal supplies plus the stuff that I had to bring for my private lesson, I was ready to get off the bus. Couldn't wait to get off the cool, air-conditioned bus and walk that short distance home from the bus stop in the disgustingly hot and sticky weather. As I stood up getting ready to get off, an elderly man stood up also and reached out to hold on to one of the poles on the bus. With a slow movement typical of older people, he reached out his hands and put his hands on the hands of an elderly lady who was also holding on to the pole, although she was sitting down. She raised her head and looked at him. I thought she was ready to yell: " YOU PERVERT!!!"(You should've seen my face. It was a really tense split second.)

Instead though, they just looked at each other. For the few minutes we had to stop at the traffic light, they just looked at each other. Not a single word from either one of them. Not a nod. Nothing.

I let them get off first and I watched them walk away from the bus stop.

Suddenly, the thought of my late grandfather just crossed my mind. Not sure why. He wasn't really a touchy feely person. He was a mechanic cum electrician. He wouldn't have passed any quiz you could give him to measure his sensitivity. When he found out that he had cancer, he didn't tell anyone in the family although later on we did anyway. But what he decided to do after he found out is what I find really touching. He tried to make sure my grandma has plenty of supply of this particular type of traditional Chinese show in Teochew, the type that she really liked. It took him a while, but one by one, he managed to score what he needed from his favorite place: the flea market. He decided he needed to make sure my grandma wouldn't have to fight with the grandkids to watch the show, so he went to scour the market for a decent TV, a VCD player and of course the VCDs. It took him a while as he wanted a good bargain, but he managed to get everything together.

Now my grandma lives on those VCDs. Whenever she can get her hands on them, watching the show is the only thing she will be doing all day long. I used to be her favourite, but now she doesn't even want to talk to me anymore.

I miss my grandpa. I wish I had the chance to say good bye to him. But what makes it worse is that I didn't realize I was losing both of them at the same time.

Caught in the act

Don't you just hate it when you get caught red-handed? Doesn't matter what you were doing, it sucks when you get caught when browsing your horoscope online during office hours, or when checking out your own reflection on a window, or when wearing socks with holes in them, or wearing the same outfit two days in a row or one of the worst yet most-probable one: when you get caught with something in your teeth that desribes your last meal.

One of the things I end up getting caught with ( a lot) recently is : looking at other people. I'm sorry but I had nothing to do,ok? I mean, why do you think people stand at the bus stop or stand in line at the interchange? Think they're actually waiting for the bus? NOOOOOO..... they're there because they have nothing to do at 11 pm and decided some people watching would be fun, ok? Actually getting on the bus and getting home is only a bonus. Trust me.

Special stage performances

Sunday was supposed to be a peaceful, restful day for me here in the little tropical island. At least I thought so.

Last Sunday did not really work out that way though. After spending a full hour of queueing in front of a noodles stall in a hawker's center, I came home from lunch with my uncle and aunt thinking that it was going to be the highlight of the day. We were greeted though with some heavy-duty karaoke singing. We were busy commenting on the vocal quality at first: This lady sucks... now this guy is not bad. Stuff like that. We then completely ignored these idol wannabes. An hour passed. Two. Three. Wait a minute. It was getting ridiculous. I can understand some weekend stress-reliefing hobbies. But 4 hours of karaoke singing? Even Celine Dion won't be able to make it, I think.

The answer then came after my curious aunt took a quick peek out her kitchen windows. It turned out there was a stage performance set up in the parking lot across the street from our block.

I then learned yet another interesting thing about my people. Apparently, some of us believe in offering more than just food and other necessities to the hungry ghosts during this time of the year: Entertainment. What thoughtful people we are.
So apparently, this type of performance has always been held around this time of the year to entertain these spirits. What makes it even more interesting is what I learned later on. Little things like they used to have peking-opera like performances back in the days. But they are more modernized now, hence the karaoke and mando or hokkien pop songs. More interestingly, the first row of the audience seating will always be left empty for these spirits. And..... the performers have to continue performing whether or not they have any audience within sight. For obvious reason, of course.

Well, I like the culture of my people. We are such respectful and thoughtful people.

So, I didn't feel the need to complain when the singing didn't stop after 5 hours. By the sixth hours, I was beginning to hum along with the singers. By the end of the seventh hour, when they stopped, I found myself wishing they had kept the show going on longer. It was getting too quiet for a night in the month of the hungry ghosts.

Sweating onions

Ever heard of this cooking technique? If you haven't, those of you with cable tv should really watch the food channel more. What interesting and informative programs they have there :)
(My favourite, of course, Iron Chef, what else? --- NOT the American Iron Chef show though. I find the lack of originality so not appealing.)

Anyway, sweating the onions, as far as I know, is supposed to bring out the sweetness in the onions.

Well, that only works for onions.At least I think so.

When you get creative with your ingredient and try sweating a person, most of the time that's really not that an attractive idea. There's definitely nothing sweet about it, ok?

This is precisely why I can't help but curse this evil weather, here in the heartlands (Still can't figure out how they came up with the word heartlanders). As much as I would like to think that there is something sweet about me sweating, I really don't have any evidence to prove it.

Alternative solutions so far:
- Not have any fluid in my body (Kinda' tough to do)
- Design and produce a cooling thermal bodysuit (Slightly easier but still tough)
- Not leave my air-conditioned room for the rest of my stay here (Tempting idea)
- Hypnotize myself into believing that I'm an onion: Nothing but sweetness will come out of all this (Yeah, right!).

I seriously am impressed with all the gorgeous ladies here who walk around like they are only 2 seconds behind the leader within less than 50 meters to the finish line in a triathlon right under the wonderful equatorial sun, but still manage to keep all their make-up intact. I am just so greatful that I am not required to put on any on a day-to-day basis. But seriously, how do you do it, ladies? Super sweat-proof make-up? Anti-perspirant body lotion and face moisturizer? Tatoo all the make up on your faces? A special medical procedure to remove all sweat glands from your body?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

The seventh month

It officially started a few days ago. Yup, the month of the hungry ghosts is what they call it here.

I respect the tradition and I do believe in spirits as in I believe that there is some form of life or world other than what we can see, hear, feel and touch in this world. Personally I'm perfectly fine with that as long as we respect each other's boundary. Let's just keep to ourselves, basically....I mean isn't it how we can achieve harmony in this world?

My problem is, why the heck do people have to make movies exploiting this idea and furthermore, why do they have to be released during this particular month? Isn't it kind of like mocking them?

(Note: OK, now I realize, 1:38 am in the morning is really not the best time to be writing about this. Scenes from horror movies I've (accidentally) seen keep popping up in my mind and now whatever hair I have at the back of my neck is standing up. But with all due respect, I am not the one mocking the whole idea,ok?)

I guess what bugs me the most is because the most convenient way for me to get home from my classes, which don't end until at least 10 p.m., involves a second bus ride with a route around an industrial park. Not that I'm complaining or anything, I mean I think it's a wonderful place. At least it provides income for numerous people in the labor force. But you have to agree with me, a late night bus ride in that type of area with only you as the passenger at times is not really an attractive idea. Especially that late at night and especially during this particular time of the year. And to make things even lovelier, through the wonderful technology of satellite tv on public transportation, they broadcast the commercials for the latest locally-produced movie of a particularly relevant theme (i.e. horror films), exploiting the festivity celebrated this particular time of the year.

Great. Just great.

All I can say is... harmony and peace for all.
I guess I'll just keep on chanting it to myself while concentrating not to respond to any voices from behind me during my bus rides home.

My missing baby :(

I miss my camera!!!!!!!!

just rattling here...

I'm on the 6th floor and my window faces a man-made lake. There's a pretty decent-size reservoir just right across the street from the building. You can actually go and feed the turtles and fish there if you want. People usually bring their kids there late in the afternoons. I heard my niece and nephew loved it when they came and stayed here.

I can see a lot from my window. The water. The trees along the street. The path around the lake lined by street lights every 20 meters or so. The buildings across the reservoir. They're mostly industrial buildings, unfortunately. There are some blinking lights from some towers there that always seem to catch my eyes. One time I even saw lighthouse-like structure in my first midnight stroll. Other than that, it's pretty typical like any other place in the island.

I like it when I see people enjoying the fake lake,though. Sometimes they're parents trying to catch up with their kids who just decided to take off, while trying to control the stroller with the baby in it. Sometimes they're couples enjoying the wonderfully polluted night air. Sometimes it's just somebody trying to follow doctors' instruction to stay active and exercise. Sometimes it's just a whole bunch of factory workers looking for a free activity.

Aside from the individual joggers, it seems people only go either as a couple or in groups though. Sometimes I'm just curious what they think of me when they see me there in my running shoes (Note: not suggesting any particular activities is being conducted here :P). Perhaps one giant suicidal ham in running shoes? ^_^

For the first time, I am not the youngest in the class anymore. It's actually kind of sad considering the youngsters seem to have achieved much more than I have.

Borgeois bum

July was an interesting month. Never had been so mobile before in my life. I basically dragged myself and half of my junk half way around the world and moved from 2 countries in less than 3 weeks. Only God knows why 'cause I am definitely, totally, clueless why I even considered doing it. I guess perhaps that's what you do when you're a bourgeois bum :P

" Just because people want to eat burgers, doesn't mean they wanna meet the cow." - Mc. Cord, the Island