Before I Go

I know that somewhere, there are people who connected to me by blood that I do not know of, and they are unaware of my existence.

Before I go off for the long weekend break...

I know that somewhere there are people who could be my cousins, uncles, aunts and maybe nephews and nieces.

I have always wondered, and have always thought of them.

Because you see my late grandmother is Chinese, given to a Malay family.

I know that somewhere they might be busy preparing for the coming Chinese New Year celebrations. Somehow, somewhere.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Have a properous and a tiger roaring year ahead.

I'm so excited, and I just can't help it!

I'm excited about this one particular assigment. Excited to the point that I feel like bouncing all over the place. Toing, toing, toing, toing. Err, that's the sound of me bouncing, just in case you were wondering.

A collegue is in the midst of compiling a list of tourism products that needs to be updated and sent me this email;

I’m in the midst of coming up with our product update list for 2010, to do our articles, especially Media Feature. Kindly submit your list of destinations/tourism products that you wish to cover this year to me ASAP!

If possible, be specific. Think about the angle of the story that you’re going to write. Another article on how beautiful Pulau Redang is, for instance, is seriously boring. Be more creative. So, don’t merely give me a topic like ‘Pulau Redang’. Please elaborate. It can be the luxury resorts in Redang, budget hotels in Redang, life of fishermen in Redang, etc.

And most importantly, make sure it’s something that you’re really passionate about…meaning, you’ll come back and WRITE & SUBMIT your article within ONE MONTH (hopefully!).

I was thinking that maybe some of you might have any ideas? Perhaps a personal favourite place or activity that you feel should be highlighted? Personally, I was thinking of researching a luxury package for honeymooners in Malaysia catering to the foreign market. Yea, well you know how I am, sentimental romantic fool and all ;)

But the thought of writing about the everyday lives of our local people is extremely appealing. I just need to identify an angle that is different from the rest. Random thoughts that are crossing my mind right now are doing a piece of Johor's cuisine/dishes or maybe I'll try to be more specific and highlight food from suku kaum i.e Banjar, jawa etc. Or maybe a piece on Johor's arts and culture like Zapin and Kuda Kepang.

I'm scratching my head here.

So, bombard me with suggestions and ideas.

We Match You Know

Some find the matter of match-making oh-so-sweet. Well, it would be sweet if it worked out in the end.If it doesn't work out, there is always the possibility of jumping off the highest cliff and never too resurface.  Me? I have never been a fan of matchmaking, I would rather sign up with a personal dating site rather than go through match making. Matchmaking involves a third party, somebody you know, somebody you like having in your life, until everything goes wrong during the event of the said match-making process.

I have had met various types of people in this match-making industry. Yes, I think it is an industry with the amount of time, energy and resources it involves, especially all the aunties and the makciks that has been the biggest contributer. I have had a guy who wanted to ask for RM20K from me as a loan to start up his business and I have been introduced to a duda only to have found out he actually has three wives.

I have been on both ends of a match making attempt gone wrong. I have been one to reject as well as one to get rejected by.  It's awkward, it's embarassing and it puts frendships and relationships at risk. And by risk I mean between the matchmaker and the match-makee (don't quote me, I just came up with that word). I'm positively certain that we have all, at one point or another, been turned into an experiment of this match-making business.

I have recently been the subject or maybe object of another match making attempt by a friend. Her intentions are good, noble even, you know what they say, kalau jadi dapat pahala mendirikan masjid. Well, to cut a long story short, it didn't  happen. Matches were not made...or lit. Matches were soaked with water, a big tub of water. A big, cold tub of water. There was no way that the match could be lit.

I only have one question. Why in the world would you want to introduce me to him when you are well aware of the fact that he is crazy in love with you, and by you, I mean the match-maker. This most recent attempt definately takes the cake.  I have had the guy avoid me on YM, avoid me at the local mamak when he knew that I was there with our friends and avoids me like the plague. I had to actually sit him down and explain that no, I am not interested in  you either, that no, you don't take my breath away, no you don't make my heart go into cardiac arrest  and no, you are not the object of my deepest desires.

There are two ways of how I can  see the situation. One, I could laugh it off, move on and maybe have a story to tell to my grandkids when I get old or two, I could kill myself out of embarassment or if you think that is too gory, I could just wish that the earth would swallow me up whole and I would dissapear and never to be heard off ever again. Well, I vote for the former.

I did what I had to do, I became the better person (ahaaaa), laid down all the cards, talked it over and moved on. No, I am not interested in you either so you can stop hiding from me. My life was fine even before you came along.

No more match-making attempts please. I would like to go on living each and every day with a bit of dignity intact :)