The Superhero in you

It’s been a slow week. We’ve been busy finalizing the presentation materials for next week’s big event. I can’t wait till Friday. I just want to get this all over with. I wish had the power to move forward or backward to a time that I enjoy. I get to skip the boring or stressful moments and jump to the more tolerable times. It's something like Hiro Nakamura’s (from Heroes) powers, being able to travel through time.

Most people, when they were kids, had a favourite Superhero. I can’t say I had one of my own. I remember growing up watching cartoons/movies/tv shows like Wonder Woman, Incredible Hulk, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, etc and didn't get much obsessed with the characters. I didn’t have a favourite Superhero but maybe wished I had bits and pieces of their powers. It would be cool to choose whatever power and suit it according to my needs.

We also have our very own local Superhero: Cicakman. It was aired on Astro Ria last month and I managed to watch a few scenes (just wanted to see what the big deal was all about). I don’t mean to sound harsh here but I must say I was bored to death. The jokes weren’t funny at all and I definitely didn’t feel Cicakman was much of a Superhero.

Anyway, while we’re at this topic, let’s just have some fun. This is something I got from the net and thought I’d share it with you.

Which superhero ability would you choose?
1. The ability to fly.
2. Time-travel ability.
3. Invisibility.
4. X-ray vision.
5. The power to change forms.
6. The ability to read minds.
7. The ability to see into the future.
8. Super hearing.

Results
1. Flying - You like to see the "big picture" of life and how things fit together. Little details annoy you. You enjoy being free and taking risks.
Career clue: You'd make a good pilot or astronaut. Consider a job that will let you affect policies, maybe in government or a public research group.

2. Time travel - You are interested in the causes of things and how past mistakes can be used to shape the future. You're very curious about how different people live.
Career clue: A career in scientific research, history, or human behavior might be the place for you. You might enjoy a job where you can affect the future.

3. Invisibility - You tend to be shy, or a very keen observer. Or both. You like to know everything that is going on around you.
Career clue: Some good careers for observers, a writer, artist, or private investigator.

4. X-ray vision - You like to "see through" problems and go to the heart of an issue. You enjoy finding problems that other people can't even see. You also enjoy solving problems.
Career clue: Physics, politics, math, and medicine are fields that need skilled problem-solvers.

5. The power to change forms - You are a sociable person who likes to fit in. Perhaps you want to be admired by the group. Either way, you're a real crowd pleaser!
Career clue: Entertainment might be the field for you. Actors can "change forms" and be other people.

6. Mind reading - You're good at guessing what other people think. You can "see behind" what they're saying by reading between the lines.
Career clue: You might be a good counselor or psychologist. It's important for professionals in those careers to understand how other people think and feel.

7. Seeing into the future - You're very creative and love adventure. You would move right into the future if you could! You're always looking at what might be possible, and wondering how to make it happen sooner.
Career clue: A career on the cutting edge of things might be right for you. Think about becoming an explorer, research scientist, inventor, or science fiction writer.

8. Super hearing - You pay close attention to sounds and patterns. You like to be fully informed about the latest news. Some might even say you're nosy!
Career clue: You might make an excellent reporter or gossip columnist. Or you might decide to become a musician

It’s hard to choose a particular power. I may want to choose either number 2 or 6. I think Peter Petrelli (from Heroes) has the best power of all because he’s able to absorb powers from the other Heroes characters. But having said all that, I’d rather be a normal human being. It’s much easier and there’s less pressure.

“With great power comes great responsibility”.

That’s the famous dialogue from the movie Spiderman. So I guess I’d rather be saved than do the saving. Not that I don't want the responsibility but once in a while, I wouldn’t mind being the damsel in distress :). Wonder if there are any hot Superheroes out there to save me…….. Note that I'm stressing the word hot here. Superheroes must be hot, right?. Except of course, Incredible Hulk! *yikes*

Childhood poems

I have a pen
My pen is blue
I have a friend
My friend is you

I found this poem while rummaging through old books last weekend. Very classic indeed :). If memory serves me right, I think I was in Standard 3. A friend must have scribbled it in my book during one of our boring classes. Memories of my childhood days were flashing in my mind and most certainly brought smiles to my face.

My early years of primary school were full of innocence. I don’t know about the kids nowadays but back then (primary school in the 80s), poems like these were used during occasions like when sending out greeting cards or when signing autograph/biodata book/school yearbook.

On top of my head, these are some that I can recall:

Pen merah
Pen biru
You marah
I love you

Pecah kaca
Pecah gelas
Sudah baca
Harap balas

Pecah kaca
Pecah tong
Sudah baca
Harap gantung

The king sails in a goldenship
The queen sails in a silvership
But we sail on a friendship

Don’t marry a pilot
I’ll tell you why
He’ll take you to the airport
And say bye-bye

I can’t help but laugh when reading this back again. It sounds funny now and so childish. Those were the good old days. It’s definitely a childhood memory thats worth treasuring.

I can’t remember the other poems but if you grew up within the same era, do let me know of the others. It’s nice going down memory lane.

Bedtime + Blanket = Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I can’t sleep without a blanket. Seriously, I can’t. Some people can’t sleep with the lights on or some people must have total silence but for me, I must have a blanket. If it doesn’t cover my whole body, it should at least cover my feet.

Why? Well, let me tell you a story.

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It all started when I was a little girl, probably about 9 or 10 years old.

Back during the days when my grandfather was still around, my family and other relatives would all meet up and spend the weekend with him. It was like a weekend ‘balik kampung’ thing. One of the activities we used to do on Saturday night was watch a video together and for some reason, my uncles loved to rent out Indonesian horror movies. It wasn’t actually meant for the young kids (we were supposed to be in bed by then) but my cousins and I still wanted to join in the fun. So there we were, all 20 plus of us in the dark, (my uncles wanted the lights off, just like in the cinemas) huddled together in front of the tv.

Have you guys ever watched horror movies from Indonesia? It’s damn scary, man….I know you guys might say of course kids would be afraid of horror movies but this was like reaaaalllllyyyyy creepy. If we were to compare it to Malaysian horror movies back then, this was like 10 times much scarier. I remembered being so terrified and my hands were covering my face most of the time. I specifically remembered one particular movie. I can't remember the title but it was about ‘Toyol’. I’m not sure what it’s called in English but they’re these little bald man-like creatures who are treated as servants (or ‘orang suruhan’) by their owners. Apart from the normal task of scaring people, they are also used to steal things. These ‘toyols’ would come late at night to the victim’s room and steal their money. A scene that horrifies me till today was when after getting the money, they would suck the blood from the victim’s toes. I can still picture the toyol enjoying its ‘meal’, with its sharp teeth biting and sucking the toes. Blood was dribbling down its mouth. There were other things too but I shall spare you the gory details. What I found eerie also was the fact that the victim seemed clueless to what was going on. It was like they were in a trance.

I couldn’t sleep that night. I was too scared. Images of the toyol kept flashing in my mind. It also didn’t help when my uncle said “Make sure you use your blanket when you sleep and cover your feet. Who knows, the toyol might come tonight”. My cousins and I were so petrified; we nearly pissed in our pants!

Times have past but till today I cannot forget what my uncle said. I may not be as scared as before but I do get paranoid when I don’t have a blanket to sleep with. If for some reason there’s no blanket around, I would search frantically for any cloth to cover my feet. I’ve been so used to having something covering my feet when I sleep at night that when I don’t, I feel naked. It’s either that or I’ll start having visions that a toyol would come suck my toes!

I know this all sounds so ridiculous but I can’t help it. It has become a part of my life. Maybe I need to go see a shrink. I can claim I had a traumatic childhood experience. :)

*****************************************
So that’s my story, folks. If you want to invite me for a sleepover, make sure you have enough supply of blankets!! *grin*

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

"I’m sorry". Sounds like a simple word. You think? What about "Please forgive me". How hard really is it to say you’re sorry? Do you take forever to do it or you don't even think twice about saying it? Maybe how soon you apologise depends on a situation.

So, which type are you?
1. If you know you did something wrong, you’ll quickly apologise. There’s no question about it.

2. You know its not your fault but you can’t stand the silence or you can’t stand that person being angry/hurt, so you apologise anyway. You apologise because you feel "takpelah, I mengalah". You apologise because you feel whats the point of arguing for so long.

3. You had an argument. It may or may not be you’re mistake but you’re too embarrased to say you’re sorry anyway. So you just let it pass..don’t talk about it and act as if nothing happened. You wait until the other person talks to you. If that person brings up the subject, then maybe you’ll apologise.

4. Me? Apologise? Never!! I’m too proud. Nothing is ever my fault.

"Sorry’ is a powerful word. None of us really enjoy finding ourselves in a situation of saying sorry to anyone, but every one of us has had to say it periodically. It is a natural reaction for many and yet a huge obstacle for only a few. An honest apology can mend relationships , dissolve anger, soothe shattered pride or heal a broken heart. Avoiding an apology makes relationships more strained and it can reveal something negative about you. Being incapable of apologising can be a real character flaw.

I always remind myself to apologise immediately if I did something wrong. But I also have a tendency to apologise too soon. Sometimes in mid argument, I would just apologise because I can’t be bothered to prolong the fight. I hate silent treatments. I absolutely detest that situation. So I tend to give in, make the first move and apologise. Even when I know that I didn’t do anything wrong. I think its true when people say that women have a tendency to over-aplogise.This is something that I need to learn to avoid.

If you’re in the wrong and you want to make sure you’re apology is ‘successful’, you need to be regretting your actions, take responsibility for them and be willing to remedy the situation. If two parties are equally at fault, it's still up to one person to initiate an apology. After all, you need to take responsibility for your part. However, there is a chance that, despite your apology, the other person is simply too upset over what's happened and isn't ready to let it go. If our apology isn't accepted, we need to take solace in the fact that we've done all we can, and hope that in time the other person will come around. If not, we should still feel better for admitting our fault and for having had enough empathy to see how our actions have affected someone else. I really need to learn how to do this well. I have a problem with people accepting my apology if their facial expression or body language doesn’t actually show it. Its like saying "I’m sorry" and they reply back with a straight face "Hmm...yelah". I guess different people handle these situations differently. Some people just need to take more time.

I make sure my daughter says sorry everytime she does something wrong. Children need to learn from a very young age. Just because my daughter is just 4 years old doesn't mean she can do whatever she wants and gets away with it easily. Of course sometimes she doesnt realise when she’s being naughty but I do scold her and explain her mistake. So when she does these things and I ask "What do you say, D*?".....She’ll reply "I’m sorry mama.....". She’ll give me a hug and all is well...until of course, when she’s naughty again...... :)

Sorry isn’t really that hard to say. You just need to have a ‘bigger’ heart.

Laughter is the best medicine

People who know me well know that I absolutely love laughing. Its so easy to get me to laugh. Just tell me something funny and I’ll crack up. For some people, it may not be that funny but for me, it could be the funniest joke in the world and it’ll take me some time to stop laughing. There are times when I’m sitting alone and I remember a funny joke/moment/situation, I can just burst out laughing. And people nearby will think "eh..why la this girl gelak sorang-sorang?".

Because of the fact that I love laughing, I am easily attracted to guys with great sense of humor...guys who can make me laugh. Its certainly one of the qualities I look at. And when I say attracted, it doesn’t mean I can easily fall for any funny guy. Its more of the fact that I definitely know I can easily get along with that kind of guy.

I read somewhere that if we want to find Mr Right, we need to pay close attention to his laugh. Some people may find that weird but in a way, I kind of agree and based on my personal experience, I can relate to what the writer said. We can tell a lot about a man by his laugh. Real laughter is uncontrollable. For just a moment something strikes us as funny and the sound of laughter comes out spontaneously and without any real control on our part. Laughter can also be faked and thats the part we can analyse when we’re listening to his laughter. Lets look at a few things on a guy's laughter....

1. Is his laughter real or fake?
You can always tell when someone has one of those completely goofy laughs that nobody in their right mind would choose to have -- those silly sounding laughs that cause everyone else to laugh too. This reminds me of my colleague. He’s such a funny guy and when he laughs, he makes this funny kind of wail that makes me want to laugh even more. Hehehe.. There’s also those completely fake laughs that makes you want to cringe. Most people have fairly normal sounding laughs and they are spontaneous. If the guy you’re interested in fakes his laugh occasionally to laugh at someone’s attempt to tell a joke, that’s okay. But, if he fakes his laugh on a regular basis, then we should question his ability to portray his true and genuine self to the world. You may or may not feel like analyzing why he’s faking it, but it’s important to note if he’s presenting a false personality to the world on a regular basis.

2. Does he laugh easily?
There are men who have serious anger and violence issues. They don’t laugh easily. Also, guys who have serious depression problems obviously aren’t going to laugh as easily as someone who’s naturally happy and at peace with his life. The silent type may seem sexy for a while, but in the long run, you’re going to want to have some fun in your life too. It gets to be a real bore to hang out with someone who’s always incredibly serious and entertaining darker thoughts.

3. Does he laugh at people or with people?
Nobody likes to be made fun of, but this has more to do with what your man finds as funny. Does he find humour in ridiculing others? Does he laugh at others because everyone is incredibly foolish or stupid in his eyes? Is he constantly critiquing people looking for a reason to laugh at them? It doesn’t matter how witty or funny his presentation, it’s not a good sign if your man takes his personal pleasure in laughing at others. Some people can't take jokes easily. What seems funny to him may not be funny to other people. We need to be sensitive to other people’s feelings. Jokes about weight, appearance and looks should be avoided. Some people say its ok if the joke is coming from your close friends but for me, if you say the same joke and tease the person about the same thing every other day, it can be a pain and will definitely hurt the person’s feelings. You also don’t want someone who constantly makes himself the butt of all jokes either. Its an underlying self esteem issue when people spend a lot of time making fun of themselves. Its not the same as being able to laugh at one’s own mistakes. This is about constantly putting yourself at a low level. Also, is he able to find joy in someone else’s jokes? You don’t want someone who only laughs at his own jokes and nobody else’s.

4. Does the sound of his laughter fill you with joy?
Listen to the actual sound of his laughter. Does the sound make your heart jump with joy? It doesn’t matter if his laughter is like a roaring thunder or if he giggles like a little girl! What matters is that his laughter is infectious and makes your heart lighten. Imagine coming home from a really bad day at work. Upon entering the house, you hear his laughter coming from the kitchen. Does that sound lift your spirits? Or infuriate you even more? You want to be with someone who’s laughter makes your heart sing. So, choose someone who’s laughter heals your weary mind.

5. Do you laugh at the same things?
Yes, you want to be your own person with your own interests and your own unique sense of self, but you also want to share good times with your partner. You need to pick someone who has a similar sense of humour to your own. There’s nothing worse then having your partner roll their eyes like you’re so uncool every time you burst out laughing. What determines a person’s sense of humor is wide and varied, including upbringing and level of education. If you share the same overall sense of humor, chances are that you are fairly compatible in those areas. You’re somewhat on the same wave length.

6. Do you laugh at the same time?
This is also something that needs close attention. You want to pretty much agree on when is the proper time and place for goofing around and making each other laugh. If he likes to crack jokes and laugh a lot during foreplay and you find it to be a total turn off, then you’re going to have problems. If he keeps laughing at something when you’re trying to have a serious conversation, then you’re not going to get along so well. This also works in the other direction. If you’re the one who is constantly laughing and joking and he’s the one getting upset that your timing is inappropriate, then you’re not going to like hanging out with him. Compatibility shows itself in little things like timing.

Looking at the list above, of course whatever mentioned is also true when finding Mrs Right. There are other qualities that we need to look at but there’s no harm either to take note of how he/she laughs. For those who are still looking for your Mr/Mrs Right, look for someone who’s laughter heals you rather than grates on your nerves. And make sure you both laugh together and often. It’ll get you both through the tough times.

At least thats what I think.... :)

Updates for the week

For those who were concerned (like maybe just the 5 of you *wink*), alhamdulillah, I am in the road to recovery now. I can finally walk normally without feeling that I’m going to immediately fall down. I guess its one of those sicknesses that comes and goes as it please.

The office environment has been quite hectic. We’ve got two major events coming in July and mostly all of us are busy preparing for that. Big boss as usual has been breathing down our necks, wanting to know every single detail and keeps having these ‘brainstorming sessions’ which drives us all mad. Changes to the presentation materials happen quite frequently too. It makes us wonder whether he’s actually a forgetful person or has the ability of generating new ideas every hour or so. To be honest, I don’t always get much of this nonsense directly from him as I still have a boss who acts as a buffer but seeing what he does to my colleagues who are closely involved is enough to make me all stressed.

I can’t remember whether I told you before that I have transferred to a new section in my department since 1st May. I now have a female boss which I haven’t had since year 2000. I know the style is gonna be a bit different (female bosses are known to be a bit more fussy) but I guess that’s something I have to get used to again. For the past one month, things have been tolerable and I hope it remains that way. My boss is on MC today which means I can spend time to blog. Yeah!

Anyway, since the transfer was some sort of promotion, I had to move to a new workstation and this was the saddest part of all. I loved my old workstation and I think of all the workstations on this floor, mine is the best one of all. It’s secluded at one corner and most importantly far away from the Big Boss’s room. It’s close to the ladies toilet, to the pantry and even the photocopy/printer room. I also have a good view of KL since my workstation is just by the window. Anytime I feel tired looking at the pc screen, I just look out the window. It's a great therapy! It’s also definitely a good hangout place. Since it’s a strategic location, one colleague even sneaks in to take a quick nap under my table. I don’t know whether it’s me or the place but my colleagues love to stop by and have a quick chat. We update each other on the latest happenings, share jokes and pretty much have a good time laughing our heads off (especially after office hours).

I really, really didn’t want to move but I had no choice. I tried to delay it and waited for another colleague to move first plus waited till 2 new workstations were built. And now after a month, I have finally moved. Yesterday afternoon and half of the morning today was spent packing my stuffs. Hard to believe how much junk I had. It was a sad feeling while I was packing but I shouldn’t complain because its all part of a change process, right?

I have officially moved today and I’m currently typing away at my new workstation. Its just opposite my boss’s room and worst of all, 4 workstations away from the Big Boss’s room. Ack! But that’s ok. I guess I just have to look at the bright side. At least the workstation is bigger and I still somewhat have a view of KL.

Thank God it’s Friday. I’m looking forward to the weekend. I really want to enjoy it after having that terrible episode last week. I want to just chill-out and spend quality time with my family. Too bad the school holidays will be ending soon. Traffic has been great since the kids were off from school, don’t you think?

Well, have a great weekend my friends…Take care and be good.

Ola my friends..

Hello folks!

Gosh...it feels like I've been away for ages. Sorry guys...I haven't had time to update (not that you guys have been waiting pun kan? :P). Been too busy doing many things and not to forget I've been sick for the past 4 days. Once again, my head has been going on a roller coaster. It went spinning and spinning like a gasing. I was even too afraid to move for fear that any sudden movement would make the headache even worse.

*sigh*

I can't even begin to describe the pain I went through but I guess thats a story for another day. I haven't fully recovered and still don't feel comfortable. I went to see the doctor just now (asked for 2nd opinion) and she told me to wait another week to see if the pain would subside.

Normal posting will resume once I've got things all settled. I hope to be back on track soon.

Take care everyone..