Driving with no money

Yesterday we were invited to a birthday party. I used the tollway and as I unzipped my wallet, I realised that I have left my stash of million dollars at home. Shoot! Paid the RM1.50 with two notes and muttered to myself not to use any tollway on the way home.

We were one of the last few guests to leave. When we did leave, I took a wrong turn which lead me to desserted roads.. Double Shoooot!

...I followed the Road Signs to Sri Kembangan.. Bukit Kommonweatlh..while muttering, "Oh God Oh God..." and of course, "Quiet, Gooly.. I need to drive us home without using any toll ways..."

Finally, we came to Puchong, and I do know fairly well that I would reach home using the LDP. Only one toll to pay- RM1.60. Dare I rummage through my wallet for some more loose coins?

Of course I had to, manuevering with one hand, digging with the other while praying with a brain numbed from fear.. and I found -

One Rm1 note, 2 twenty cents, 1 ten cent, and 2 five cents - a total of RM1.60. No more, no less.

What d'ya say to that? :)

Thank you GOD, of course!

Beautiful a.m

In an over-crowded kopitiam, I was having a hard time deciding what to eat.

Ipoh hor fun - curry mein - ipohorfun- kaleimein- eppohhorfen - kalimein.. my mind was exploding, resulting a constipated look on my usually ceria face.

Suddenly I heard, "Do you want to sit with us?"

Huh? Huh? Why? Why? I blinked and realised, an old lady with another three equally old ladies had offered a seat. I think I had stood there a while, looking as though I was without a place to sit, with an agitated face.

I declined politely, explaining that my son has reserved a seat for me next to the handsome man who happens to be my husband.

And I proceeded to decide on Assam Laksa in a much happier mood.

Just awhile ago, as I stepped out from the toilet cubicle, another lady looked at my reflection on the mirror and complimented on my dress.

"This old rag?! Oooh...it's soooo last season!" I waved off the comment.

Hahah! Of course I didn't say that!......

I think I was so pleasantly surprised that I blushed a lil.

Ahhh.. random 'niceties' from two total strangers. That's too much! Makes me wanna donate a kidney or something..

*grinz

Tadaaaa! Gavin's cards

Last week, I dropped a comment at Johwey's:

Hi hi! I made ten cards! :) It was soooo therapeutic making them. Have been exchanging tips and ideas with some (good) girl friends. There were endless chats on MSN about what materials to use, and how to ‘borrow’ some equipments from offices (the paper cutter thingy). Tee hee! That brought lots of giggles and excitement. We are like a bunch of school girls pouring our energy on this project!

Thank you for the opportunity to feel good. :)

I’m mailing my package this weekend. The cards may not be the best collection that you will have, but really, they were made with love. So so much love for the boy whom I have not even met.

I hope he feels it.

A while ago, after looking at the amazing cards she made, I wrote another comment:

one word..WOW! I want to burn my cards now!!!!!!!!!! (That’s more than one word..haha)

Maybe I could spray perfume on my cards to enhance the quality..hmm.. BUT TOO LATE! THEY ARE ON THE WAY……….huhuhuhuhu..

Ok.. you want to know how amateurish my cards were made?? (After you view them at the bottom, you better say NO! You don't see any amateurish-ism at all! Here, take this 5 cents and say it. :P)

I suck at craft (& maths!), I admit. But that doesn't stop me from participating in this meaningful drive. C'mon! You should do it too. (Ya.. I really just want your cards to be uglier than mine. Teehee!)

So here they are... Presenting my hard work of cutting and pasting and designing. A total of 10 cards in 2 weeks.

I feel good, man!

P/s: I made one of Rudolph but it looks kinda like Krusty the Clown.. do you want it? For Halloween? Hahahahhahahahahahaha!


To Gavin.. I cut the papers with sympathy, I pasted them with care, I sealed them with kisses and hugs. I really did make the cards with love. Can you feel it? I have lotsa love cells..but very little artistic ones. Sorwey..

:)

Please go here for more details on the Christmas card drive (privately known as CCD (-; )

Special thanks to See Yoon, Winnie, Eunice, Joleyn, Mickey and Claire for making the cards and spreading the word. *group hug. warning - no groping!*

Do Yourself a Favour

Yesterday morning, as usual, I was staring at my computer screen. Staring back at me was my FB update page. I was probably hoping for some new pictures from whoever/whatever for me to snoop around. And then I saw it..

Pauline posted a brief note, and attached a link. There was a small squarish picture of a little boy with an impish smile. I clicked on the link and this is what I found out :

Gavin has Tay-Sachs disease. It literally broke my heart into pieces that a little boy, any child for that matter, needs to suffer in life. I shook my head in disbelief when I read words like damaging nervous and brain systems; was never able to speak; is not able to eat solid food; no cure; etc.

What would you do when you have a child described as above?

You fight for a chance. Yep, that's what you'd do. And that is what the parents are doing. And we need to help.

Here's how - Hope for Gavin (please click for more details).

Trust me, to help Gavin, you don't have to fork out lots of money. It's gonna be fun. It won't take a lot of your time.

I'm actually very exited about exploring my hidden artistic skills for this project. Tee hee.

C'mon, do yourself a flavour this Christmas. It's good for the soul when you give a gift of love.

I went to the school, and approached a couple of teachers about this project. They are all very keen to participate. And so are my few 'slightly' creative and artistic friends. (I just have to insert 'slightly' here cos I'm green with envy that they have those genes/cells which I don't.) I'm so happy..and it's not even Christmas yet!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

How to become human..

Received this email this morning. As I do always delete forwarded mails unintentionally, I have decided to post this up here, as a reminder to myself. Maybe some of you may have received the same mail. Otherwise, listen to what Mr. Carlin has to say, ok?

Anyways, who is George Carlin? I will google him up later. He seems to have the same intellectual mind as Benjamin Franklin. Very sensible people of the past. Rare species of the current pack.

***

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ' I love you ' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.



George Carlin

Leaves from Heaven

Do you look at leaves? Like really study their different colours and hues and structures and shapes?

I used not to have time for that. *chuckles*

Ok, fine.. I just didn't notice them.

But with a child, you tend to look at world's finer things i.e fluffy clouds and fallen leaves.

Yesterday, while strolling with his friend, Gooly picked up a leave, and with his head looking UP, he said," A leaf. It's from Heaven."

Look..heaven and sky, hell and die, aren't exactly famous topics between us. When he said it, he sounded tenderly sweet. I was curious why he said that.

The best time to discuss it was of course before bedtime. I fluffed up his pillow, and he plopped down comfortably. And I began..."Why did you say the leaf is from Heaven?"

"Because God made trees and God made leaves for everyone so we can breathe oxygen. God made them in Heaven."

So there is a little Science and a little religion thrown in together. It's good that he combines them both. Something like 'matter, anti-matter' theory (from Angels and Demons fiction).

I don't know.. amidst the craziness in the world, it's comforting to know my child believes and knows there is Heaven and God, and knows how to find logic in his own way.

Kids are innocent, non-skeptic, pro-believer. What happened to us? You...YOU ESPECIALLY!! :P

I'm ready to cut.. no.. I am not.

The apron strings.

When do we snip them off? When do we know it's the right time? Is it a conscious effort? Or will we realize that the string has been tugged loose ONLY when the offspring leaves the nest?

It seems to me (and many others) that I am one dictator who holds the golden scissors, ready to snip snip snip, while the poor child clings on to my legs. All in the name of INDEPENDENCE (for him). Thank you for the apt title.

Look, I don't want him to be a wuss. I don't want him to cry and whine. I don't want to be wiping his arse at 40.

I want him to take care of himself. I want him to be independent. I want him to be confident.

I want.. I don't want.. Sigh.. What about what he wants or what he doesn't what? What if he is just not ready? What if I am pushing him, forcing him, dictator-ing him.. making the emotional distance between us unnecessarily wider?

Once, I met a funny lady who tells subtle, classy jokes. But she throws killer stares at her son. She silences his silly antics with one finger. (She didn't kill him lah) I thought she is a nicer person when she is not mom.

Whadyda know.. I . am . just . like . her . now. Ptoooi~

Ya ya.. 20 years later, he will know how much I had loved him to discipline him. Yada yada yada.

But what about now?

I want to be fun. I AM A FUN PERSON. You all know that....

I don't want to be saying, "Pick up your toys" every 1 hour.

I want to let him eat whatever he wants, wherever he goes.

Hell, I want to laugh when he farts at people's face!

But instead, I am a dictator!

*pout* An unhappy and unwilling one.

Anyhoo, whenever I am in doubt about my dictatorship, I read one of my favourite poems by Khalil Gibran.

It teaches me to be 'steady'

Here it is. Words in parenthesis are my thoughts:

Your children are not your children
They are the sons and daughters of Life longing for itself
They come through you but are not from you
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you

You may give them your love but not your thoughts (THIS ONE SUSAH LEH!)
For they have their own thoughts
You may house their bodies but not their souls
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strike to be like them but seek them not to be like you (GASP!)
For life goes not backwards nor tarries with yesterday

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth
The archer sees the mark of the path of infinite and
He bends you with His might that his arrows may go swift and far
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness
For even as He loves the arrow that flies
So He loves also the bow that is stable.

I am the bow. I am stable. I need to be stable. (kenot be saujanjan as a parent, ok?)

Steady..... steady.... ('Jajabing' talking. Remember that Starwars scene? Quick! Click 'comment' or X again! I am terkeluar tajuk again!)