Sleepy

Life embraces us in many various ways.
Sometimes it comes with hope and happiness.
Sometimes it comes with pain and sorrow. We wake up every day to sometimes experience new beginnings, and sometimes new ends. We fall asleep every night with hopes to dream of beautiful dreams and to escape from the daytime stress.

And there were days like today,where you just feel too lazy to wake up. The alarm clock kept on ringing, getting louder and louder. Slept late last night, finishing a contract. And this morning,  every bit of you is not responding to the wake up call. Another half an hour, please..

Opening one eye..then another. Tugging slightly at the curtain. Ah.. it's raining outside. The weather does suits your mood.. Raining and cloudy. Closing one eye. Then another. Let me dream some more.. Hoping that when I open my eyes, it will be Sunday (ha! that will only happens when the moon turns purple). Hugging a pillow. Mmm..sleepy.. no, wake up.. sleepy lah..wake up, . Wake up!

Do you know the difference between 'hoping' and 'dreaming'? (smiling).
Hoping is wishing it's a Sunday even if you do know that today is Wednesday.
Dreaming is imagining how it feels to wake up with a kiss on the cheek :p
Ok, enough of that. Time to wake up. Stretching like a real cat.. and opening the eyes widely.

Who Is Luckier?

'Some women choose to follow men. Some women choose to follow their dreams. If one day, you are wondering which way to go, remember this: Your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore'.

The above is a quote from Lady Gaga that urges a woman to work, be independent and free.

Life is like playing with a dice actually. You never know which number will turn up when the dice stops rolling. Who can say if being single and successful is good enough for you? Or is it more satisfying to have the love of a man even if you would have to share him with someone else?

You can wake up one day and find that the company doesn't need you anymore. You are being transferred to another job which you know that it's not your forte and being told that you could either take it or leave.

It is certainly the same as you are being told that he doesn't love you anymore and wants ton leave you. Same sickening feeling as if the air has been punched out from your body.

A woman can succeed in her career. Another may succeed as a mother. But can a woman really excel in doing both things at the same time? Juggling job and love? You may be able to do it with lots of patience. Maybe.

Luxury,nowadays, is no longer being seen as able to buy an expensive jewelery or a the latest pair of designer clothes. Some would say that luxury is spending the time at home, baking cookies, reading magazines and hanging out with the kids. Sundays have indeed become precious.

So, girl, you would better believe it that you are luckier than cat to have time to be back at home and able to cook dinner from scratch. You are one of the privileged.

Do not envy Cat who seems to be wearing chic clothes, staying late at the office and seems to be traveling here and there. You know, it could be lonely and tiring at times. No special someone waiting or coming to meet you at the end of the day.

When it comes to the subject of living a truly successful life, there are no clear answers. As good old teacher always say: The grass always look greener on the other side of the fence. Cat is grateful..even if life is not a bed of roses at the moment, it's still something to write about and something to be grateful of..

Still, wouldn't it be nice to take off the high heels and just spend an hour or two lazying around on the sofa, and then baking one of those tasty cakes from the various collection of recipe books on the shelves?

Baloons In Tube

When people say balloons, you would automatically think of those that were made of rubber type that you used for parties and games. However, there's also 1 more type f balloon : Balloons in a tube.

How does it works? The balloons have a solvent mixture in the tube. Each tube is sold with a plastic straw for blowing. To form a balloon, you just need to dip the short straw into the solvent and blow through the straw.



In the old days, it costs only RM0.20 per tube. We would buy it from the bread man who always came riding his motor cum stall every evening. Nowadays (2010), they do not sell it in individual unit. They sell them by packages: 1 big tube + 2 small tubes at the price of RM 1.00



I prefer the normal rubbery balloon. The tube ones just do not last long. It gets deflated easily as the material is thin transparent plastic. If you blow too hard, it get holes here and there. Me, as you know, is not a person who can sit still for a long time.



Still, kids seems to like the tube balloons. And anything that makes others happy, is fine with me. At least it builds up their imagination on what more they can do with the balloons: join a big balloon to 6 smaller ones to make a flower, the head of mickey mouse.



Memories and lots of memories from yesterday. A sign of getting much older, perhaps.

Someone Who Cares

Love the song lyrics :

Someone to care
someone to share all your troubles
like no other can do
He'll come down from the skies
and brush the tears from your eyes
You're his and he cares for you

When the world seems cold
and your friends seem few
There is someone who cares for you
When you've tears in your eyes
your heart bleeds inside
There is someone who cares for you
Someone to care...

When your disappointments come
and you feel so blue
There is someone who cares for you
When you need a friend
a friend till the end
There is someone who's a friend to you
Someone to care...

********
Wouldn't it just makes the heart glad when you know that someone is thinking of you.
All the woes and worries just seems not so important .. when at the end of the day there's someone who wishes you the sweetest goodnight,,
And again wishes you a very good morning before you go to work..

Time Capsule

I was surfing the net, when I saw this site titled 'MyHeartWill'. The concept is exactly like leaving a will..but instead of money, you'd be leaving a legacy of memories or letters to loved ones to be opened in the future. Just like a time capsule. But instead of burying the time capsule deep down in the soil, you leave the time capsule with them to care and send it to someone at exactly the date 10, 15 years later.

Below is an extract from the site :

'Many of us keep our most precious memories on a shelf, in a shoebox or in the pages of a diary. We cannot be sure that these items will stand the test of time or that our memories will live on after we are gone.

Creating a Heartwill removes this uncertainty. A Heartwill is a secure, online safe box, where you can store letters, photographs, recordings and copies of memorabilia.

MyHeartwill is a place where you can create dedicated messages for friends and family which can be scheduled for delivery well into the future, enabling you to speak to the people you love even when your voice is still. It is a way to pass on elements of your emotional life - the beliefs, values and experiences that shaped you as a person - in a place where they can always be found.

Food for thoughts..

Men vs Women

As oppose to what we think, it's easy to maintain a good and stable relationship.. provided that it's not with a man. :p With a man, well, it's a exactly the opposite as a man has different way of thinking when it comes to 'love' and 'relationship'. Different channels and different wavelength... which causes lots of heartache and miscommunication. Well, it cannot be help. Women are from the earth.. while men are..aliens :p lol.. Women love to analyze everything..while men just love to take things as simple as they are.

It takes some getting use to and maybe.. a common dictionary before you are able to communicate easily with each other. Below is an amusing story about relationships, which I would like to share with you. lol..enjoy it.


*********************************
Let's take an example. We will look at the case of subject A (which we will call 'Jack') and subject B (let's call her 'Jill'). Jack asked Jill out to watch a movie. Jill accepted and all went well. They had a good time.

A few days later, Jack asked Jill out again for a twosome dinner. It turns out to be a fine evening, each enjoying the other's company. Then they fixed another night out, and another, and another until they were seen as an 'item' or a 'couple'.

Then one night, Jill says to Jack: 'Did you notice that it has been 6 months that we went out together?'. And there was a long silence in the car.

Jill's thinking in her head:
'Sxxt. Maybe I should have not said that. Jack will feel trapped and thinks that I am trying to get him to commit himself to me.'

Jack thinks:
'Wow! 6 months already!'

Jill thinks:
'By the way, I have also not thought of turning this relationship into something serious yet. Will we marry? Have kids? Live together? I don't even know him that well!'

Jack thinks:
'This means that.. we have been going out..since..let's see.. February. Just after I sent my car to be serviced. Hmm.. let me see the mileage counter.. yes.. it's almost time to service it again.'

Jill thinks:
Jack has that worried look on his face. What if I am mistaken about the whole thing? Maybe he wants more from all this. To become more intimate and..an engagement! Maybe he saw a kind of reserve in me. Maybe he's afraid to be rejected. Yes. That must be it.

Jack thinks:
This time I will make sure they check the transmission. I don't care what those mechanics say. Fancy saying that there's nothing wrong. It's all because of the weather, they say. To think that I paid $ 300 to them the last time and it still feels like driving with a heavy load! Cheaters!'

Jill thinks:
He's angry. I understand. I would feel the same if I were in his shoes. It's my fault that he's all upset. But I can't do anything about it. I am not sure yet of my feelings.

Jack thinks:
Well, I am sure that those mechanics will say that I was driving in unsuitable weather! Those thieves!

Jill thinks:
Hmm.. Perhaps i am too strict with myself. Waiting for a knight in a shining armor.. even though I have now next to me a good man who is suffering just because of my childhood dream.

Jack thinks;
Well, I'll show them this time! I'll make sure that they fix everything the way I want!

Jill says aloud: Jack..
Jack : What?
Jill : I am so silly. I realized now that knights in shining armors do not exist. So does their horses.
Jack : Horses?
Jill : You must think that I am stupid, right?
Jack : Not at all. (Jack was happy that he's able to give a correct answer).
Jill : I just need some time..

There was a silence as Jack tries hard to think of a right answer.
Jack : Yes. (Hoping that this is what Jill wants to hear).
Jill : Oh Jack. You do understand. (Moved by Jack's reply, Jill holds Jack's hand)
Jack : Understand what?
Jill : About needing time..(Jill then looks directly into his eyes)
Jack : Of course..Of course I do. (Jack stuttered, getting nervous)
Jill : Thank you, Jack
Jack : You are welcome... (still unsure of what it's all about).

Jill went home, with millions of thoughts running in her head and cried herself to sleep. Jack went home, opened a packet of chips, sits in front of the tv, watching a tennis match. A voice was warning him that something had happened in the car.. but better not think about that.

The male brain is definitely made to analyze numbers and solve concrete problems. :) He cannot grasp something as abstract as love and need. While a woman is convinced that a man must have thought about where a relationship is going. Well, how could a man spend day after day and night after night going out with a woman and not think about it?

Conclusion: A man is not perceptive enough to know that they are in a love relationship with a woman. :p They are slow when it comes to matter of the hearts. So, in order to get the message across to them, you need to slowly and repeatedly put the idea subtly into his head. For example: 'Jack, we are in a love, please pass me the salt'. Or 'Jack, there's a cockroach in the room and you and me are in love'.
And you will see that one day, he will suddenly wake up and thought of it by himself..'Oh..Jill and me, we are in love..'
***************************
Have not laugh this much for some time. Lovely story, indeed.

Scary Movies

I love watching scary movies. I am not picky whether it's in Malay, English, Chinese or Thailand..as long as there's subtitles. Sounds not like me at all, kan.

Well..I do love watching romantic movies, comedies and thrillers also. Alas, my favorite movie remains horror and scary movies. I just love making myself scared. When you are afraid, the rush of adrenaline clears the mind. Same effect as riding on the roller coaster. You just got to do it even though your legs are like jelly already. Must be the dark side of me..:p hehehe.. love having the heart beating as fast as it can from time to time. One rule though, I will not watch a scary movie on my own. Too scary, lho..

Among the 3 scary movies that I would give a 5 star rating:

a) Haunted Changi Hospital
This is supposed to be based on a real life footage that was taken by a film crew at Changi Hospital in January 2010. It's a documentary like movie with a background music of X-Files. Not that scary but nice to watch. :p See the trailer below.
Opening on Sept in Singapore


b) Nightmare on Elm Street
This movie sure is scary. I have watch all the series except for the latest one. The worst part is when there's flashback and when Freddy pops out. You'll never know when and even when you do expect it.. it still makes you jump out of your skin. Hates it especially when Freddy scratches his nail on a surface.. Ewww..


c) Shutter
This movie is about the mysterious ghost figure which keep disturbing the life of a photographer. Mysterious and scary...and it's only at the end that you'll find out the why .. and that the punishment does fit the crime that was committed. There's an American version also, but cat would recommend watching it in the original version : Thailand. The pace is faster and more believable.


Happy 'ghost' watching night.. :p (grin)

The Short N Long of It

Women and their hair.

Yup, the never ending story. :) I have always sported short hair during the school days (except when I finally became senior in form 5. It's not a question of choice at all but a matter of convenience. To whom? My mum of course.

For mum, short hair meant less time to get ready for school (no pig tails to be tied up, no ribbons of matching colors need to be prepared), a dab of oily hair cream and Cat is ready to go. Of course, there's the story of the hair lice too.

At first, Cat was happy also with the short hair cut. Cat used to have wavy, unruly, thick and stubborn hair. How Cat can never make it follow instructions: despite combing it regularly and thousands of times, one side would nicely curl to the inside, while the other side would refused and came out like a duck's tail.

So, it was with a glad heart, she let mum cut it in a boyish style. Short and simple. But when you go to high school, being practical doesn't make you famous. The boys would make fun and teased Cat about her short hair. Those with long hair were a favorite as it seems more feminine to the guys.

After school, Cat had tried all sorts of style: short, mid length and long. Long hair was actually demanded less fuss than short hair. If it's too warm, all Cat need to do is to just tie it all up at the back into a ponytail or a bun. Same as during a travel trip, all you need to do after a wash, is to brush your hair rapidly, give it a toss, and then tied it up loosely with a scarf or put on a nice hairband. (And you need not run to a hairdresser to get it trim each month). If it gets too cold, just let your hair down and it will keep your neck warm and cozy. :)

But as you get older, a short hair cut makes you look younger. :) How flattering it feels to be mistaken for the daughter of the house when you are actually the mistress of it.

All in all, there are times and seasons for hair length. Follows the mood also, for a woman, a drastic change either in the length or color would usually mark some sort of changes in her life.

Maybe it is easier to be a guy. But, it's certainly lots more fun being a girl. :p Hmm.. what if Cat color her hair all white? Then no more worries about white hair appearing.. hehehe..just kidding.

Friend from Abroad

"Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, and somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends." ~Author Unknown

Today, cat receive a visit from a 'friend' who came back for a vacation from Dubai. How she has changed. And how "we" have changed.

Yesterday, we were merely co-workers, each doing her own job and sometimes we do fight; spats more like it. She being on the customer point of view and cat being on the hotel's view (Trying to maximize the room revenue).

Last year, she resigned and went to try her destiny in Dubai. We had a fun time at the farewell party, with coke bottles splashing everywhere in the office and afterwards when things had died down, we sit down and talked. Bits and pieces of everydays life. And it continues with ym..and..slowly cat begin to understand her. She had thought of cat as a too strict a manager and cat had thought of her as being too playful. But under all that layers, there's a fine person underneath.

Today, seeing her in cat's office, with her previously short hair, which has grown longer and her sunny smile, cat did not have a chance to really talk to her. Well, dear ex-collegue, cat just want to say that cat is proud of what she has done, what she is today and for being a friend.

This is for her :
The aim of life is to live. And to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. -Henry Miller-
Live life to the fullest, girl.

Signing off,
Cat

************************************
Life is pain, princess. . . anyone who says differently is selling something
-Wesley The Princess Bride-

A Smiley for A Tired Cat

Actions speak louder than words. :)

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Let's talk about a very basic thing that most of us forget: the value of a smile.



A new colleague just joined the office last week and was eager to make a pleasing impression on everyone and be one of the crowd. She followed everyone for lunch and even offered to help anyone that needs a helping hand. But she hasn't done anything about her face. She looks so strict and sour most of the time that people dare not ask her for anything.



This thought came back to cat as cat was waiting for her turn for the repeat driving test today. There were 22 of us who has to do the parking test and most of us (mostly women, of course..) were nervous and jittery about it. Everyone was looking so serious and no one was talking to each other. Each was occupied with their thoughts..maybe memorizing the steps on how to park a car. Then, suddenly an attendant came in to the waiting room and switch on the tv, leaving it on the cartoon channel.



A guy started making a funny comment on the cartoon that was shown. Then another guy started laughing....and suddenly all of us started laughing too. All our fears evaporated.. and soon everyone was smiling. That certainly broke the ice. Cat smiled too and started asking the person next too her on her last test drive. And then everyone joined in to tell stories too.

Cat did mention previously in one of cat's article. It does not take much to make someone else smile. A smiley or a nice word at a friend's YM or chat box can do the job . Really.. :p

Don't feel like smiling? Dale Carnegie has a good advice on this: Force yourself to smile. If you are alone, force yourself to hum, whistle or sing. Act as if you are already happy and that will tend to make you happy. Happiness does not depend on outward conditions. It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy. It's what you think about it.

So, don't worry, be happy. :) A smile for you on this lovely night. Sweet dreams.

Oh..Those High Heels

Madonna, the Material Girl, was quoted saying 'Buying a pair of high heels give me more satisfaction than sex'. (Smile) Really?

Let's throw away all those flat shoes,then. Don't you ever dream of having that extra half an inch added to your height? High heels are a heaven sent answer : Leg lengthening, attention grabbing and raising the temperature slightly. What is there not to like about them. Just look at those 3.5 inches heels. :)

There are those who wears more than 3.5 heels: Anita Sarawak manages to sing and dance in a 4 inch heels (that's 10.16cm for your info). But that is nothing compared to the infamous 11 inch (27.94cm)heel less shoe boots designed by Olivier Theysken which were never put on sale but still sought after by super rich people. Just imagine the difficulty of trying to balance and walk without tripping yourself in those shoes!

The latest trend and wearable high heels shoes stopped at 5.5 inches (13.97cm)are the brainchild of one Steve Vurrs Yeofvine. Each of his creation is handcrafted and only about 600 pairs are produced each season. His trademark: the use of crocodile & python skins paired with cow and sheep hides in shocking colors. Of course, these high heels are not for you to catch the bus in (at the cost of US$300 - US$500 per pair!!)


Sigh..Women and high heels. What won't certain people (ehem) do just for a pair of shoes. I am still thinking clearly, of course, stopping at 3.5 inches and within the budget :) . It's not the shoes that make the person, but rather how and when you wear the shoes. Just remember that these type of shoes are best for dinners and special occasion and certainly not for running or walking in muddy areas wedding receptions. Wear at your own risks :p

A Pound of Flesh

Cat was reading the 5th Nov's Sunday newspaper (backtrack reading as Cat was so busy this week) and there was this article written by a columnist on a particular 'snatch thief' case.

In the pasts, snatch thieves' modus operandi was to work alone. They would eye the victim's handbag, snatch it and run as fast as they could. Alas, running does take a lot of work and the percentage of being caught is very high.

So, they thought up of a new scheme. Find a partner and a motorcycle. One person will drive and the thief at the back will snatch the victim's handbag. And they discovered that this method really works. The gain tripled. Then other snatch thieves began to follow the example.

In this particular news, the headlines were announcing that " Woman Kills Snatch Thief". A snatch thief had stopped the woman and demanded some money as he claimed that the woman hit his motorcyle. He grabbed the woman's handbag when she took it out from the car. The women drove her car and chased the snatch thief into a dead end road, and really hit the motorcyle this time. The snatch thief was killed in the process. The woman is now being investigated by the police for culpable homicide and not to murder as there was no intention to kill.

The columnist was asking us to imagine what it's like to be in the thief's shoes and to empathise with him. As per the columnist, nobody was interested to know what the snatch thief's story was.

Cat does agree that as bad as the snatching situation is at the moment, justice should not be taken into each individual's hand, especially when it involves killing someone (even if it was said as self defense). A life is still a life whether it's the victim's or the snatcher's. Who are we to decide on our own who should live and who should not? That is why the law is there: to give a fair trial to everyone. (This does not happen in all cases, but Cat still wants to believe in the system).

Cat does try to empathize with the snatch thief..but the only sadness that Cat felt is the way he died. That's all. It's sad to be hit and die like an dog crossing the road. He deserves to be punished but certainly not until having his life taken.

Cat's heart goes to the snatch thieves parents..what will happen to them and how will they take it on knowing the news?

This heart goes also to all the snatch thieves' victims and their family..
To the victim who ended in coma or died after being dragged a few meters from the place of incident (because the victim does not have the time to let go of the bag)? To the victim's partner and children who would be waiting unsuspiciously at home for their spouse or mother to come home..

An eye for an eye?
Food for thoughts.

Diamonds

Cat was reading a post from Marisa Demori. There are some points that Cat does agree with and there are others, of course, which Cat disagree. However, the main idea is interesting. Here's an abstract of her posting:

In today's world, beauty is a precious thing and beauty wants to be seen.
The public usually looks unkindly when they see a person who is physically beautiful wears something that shows off her assets. Of course, it takes time to find a look or an outfit that fits her. So she needs to experiment until she finds one that mosts suits her and that will give her the most beautiful look.

Even Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the famous American ex-President, who had a great mind but little beauty, when asked what was the thing about herself that she would have treasured in life, answered: 'To have been born beautiful..'

A woman should make herself beautiful for her man. And when a woman looks into the eyes of the man that she loves, she will learn to know what suits her best because his eyes would tell her when she is beautiful to him. (To be told that you are beautiful and admired..words from him..would be a great compliment. Who would not want to always be adoringly beautiful in the eyes of a beloved?)
The sad part is that too many men forgot or are stingy to tell their partners that they are beautiful even when the women have taken special efforts to dress up for an occasion. On the other hand, some women lose their men because they forget to make themselves beautiful (physically, graciously and verbally.)

If you observe carefully, you can see that diamonds, pearls and gold are not beautiful when they were dug out from the ground. They become beautiful under the expert hands of the artisan-cutter.

It is not the fact that these metals are hard to find that makes them precious and valuable.. but rather the indescribable sparkle that they achieved after they were cut and polished...which, of course makes them endearing to the heart of men.

Clothes help to give confidence to a woman. A woman sparkles beautifully when she feels loved and cherished by the man who has finally managed to capture her heart. 

Food for thoughts..

World Behind the Wall

It’s raining today

The blinds are shut

It’s always the same

I tried all the games

That they play

But they made me insane..

Life on tv

It’s random

It means nothing to me

I’m writing down

What I cannot see

Wanna wake up in a dream..

They’re telling me

Its beautiful

I believe them

But will I ever know

The world behind my wall

The sun will shine

Like never before

One day I will be

Ready to go

See the world behind my wall

Trains in the sky

Are traveling

Through fragments of time

They’re taking me to

Parts of my mind

That no one can find

I’m ready to fall

I’m ready to crawl

On my knees to know it all

I’m ready to heal

I’m ready to feel

One day I will be

Ready to go

See the world behind my wall

See the world behind my wall

See the world behind my wall

See the world behind my wall

**************************************
Sometimes a cat just cannot sit still. Some people say that the grass always look greener on the other side of the fence. Other places always sounds more pleasant and much more comfortable than where you are now. But..if we do not try, how do we know if it's true or not, kan?

Sometimes, people take refuge in dreams and refused to open their eyes..because dream world is much better than reality. But you do have to wake up one of these days, don't you? Hope that it won't be too late, and when you woke up..the world has not left you too far behind.

Come with Cat..let's look at the world behind this tall wall.

Signing off,
Cat

The Witch Hunt

Petra Witch Hunt lyrics
Words and music by Bob Hartman

Everybody look there's a new bandwagon in town
Hop on board and let the wind carry you around
Seems like there's not enough to keep us busy till the Lord comes back
Don Quixote's gotta have another windmill to attack

(Chorus)
Another witch hunt looking for evil wherever we can find it
Off on a tangent, hope the Lord won't mind it
Another witch hunt, takin' a break from all our labor
On a crusade but we forgot our saber
There's a new way to spend all our energies
We're up in arms instead of down on our knees
Walkin' over dollars trying to find another dime

Never mind the souls 'cause we really haven't got the time
So send out the dogs and tally ho
Before we sleep tonight we've got miles to go
No one is safe, no stone's left unturned
And we won't stop until somebody gets burned
Bro Bro Bro Bro Bro Bro Brothers

Hmm...the witch hunt is on at full force.
You do not have to have magic to get accused of being a witch. As long as you have made him angry at one time or another in the past, you will be the next head to be chopped off. That is what having power means: time to do a witch hunt. Who decides whether you are really guilty of being a witch? The person who has the power..

The reign of terror has begun. One down, 2 more heads to go...

Lie low..keep quiet. Pray that the black hooded people will not notice you. If your name is in the  black book, your days are numbered. I was tested today..and phew..guess it's not my time yet. A warning..don't cry or show how upset you are. Shh..walls have ears.. better have a back up plan. Dark skies ahead..

The Last of Traditions

How do you define beauty? Who decides what is beautiful and what is not?

In the 60's, a woman is defined as beautiful when she has the proper curves in her figure. Corsets were worn to get that hourglass shape.
During the 'Twiggy' period, beauty is considered being the xs size (extra slim, extra slender, boyishly look). Diets become a fad..women eating with birdlike appetite, trying to stay thin.



For the Kelabit tribe (an ethnic group in Sarawak), beauty used to consist of having elongated earlobes or having the arms and body tattooed. What remains of this practice is only seen with the grandmothers and when these old women pass on, the practice will also die with them.



In the past, Kelabit women who sported elongated ears and had their body tattooed were considered to be high class people. The tattoos were not just of any design. They were special creations that reflected the cultural aspects and status of the women. The copper earrings are called 'Abir' and is different for men and women. The men's Abir is made from bronx, while the women's are made from black steel.



The process of elongating the earlobes starts at a young age. The earlobes were pierced using a sharpened bamboo and a small copper ball were put tied to the holes as weight. These 'earrings' would be replaced with heavier ones from time to time as the girl grew up. There were even cases when 2 to 5 copper earrings were attached to each of the earlobes.



The 21st century came to the Kelabits during the Second World War when British and Australian soldiers arrived by parachute to organize resistance behind Japanese lines. Since then Christianity has replaced tribal pagan beliefs.



Well, it is rather an inconvenience to have elongated earlobes or to have tattoos all over your body while you are in school. Do you know that even some of the elders have resorted to go to Miri hospital to cut the long part of their ears? The reason is to make them move easier when they go out for hunting or farming.

My point is..that it would be interesting to know that someone has compiled all those info, photos, stories and traditional clothes for others to appreciate them.
 I also would not have known of the Kelabit's tradition if cat did not go to the Melaka's Beauty Museum. There are lots of wonderful info and facts just waiting to be discovered and made known.

Take the time, and go visit the museums..it's not there just for visitors only. Sometimes, it's exasperating to know that locals are the ones who has never even put a foot in their own museum and doesn't have a clue of what's in there.. Time for a change, don't you agree? Before museums also become extinct..and only exists in Google search..

Money Sense

Have you ever thought of being your own boss, quitting your present job and coming out on your own? It does look attractive, doesn't it? Alas, as in most things in life, there's a price for everything. There are 4 things that you need to take into consideration before you hand in your resignation letter.

She has never thought of it before. Changing her job, yes..but not going out on her own. Some of her friends had had thoughts on this issue on more than one occasion. Somehow, the idea was often put aside because of factors like: marriage, commitments, house or car loans to pay. It would seem risky to go on your own.

There's a very good site that give advices on starting on your own, creating your own business by the AKPK (an agency created by Bank Negara Malaysia. This agency provide free services for individuals on financial education and debt management).

She would just like to share these ideas with you. If you are really determine to do it on your own, then you need to think about the 4 P's : Passion, Price, Plan or Principal Sum (Capital).

1) Passion: The journey will be much much easier if you are passionate about what you do. It means simply that you just can't wait to get out of bed in the morning and do what you love to do. Passion gives you that extra boost of energy when things get tough.

2) Price: How willing are you to pay the price? Some people wants to be their own boss but are not willing to put in the hours and sacrifices. When you are o on your own, you would need to work even harder in the early years to establish yourself. You might even have less time for your family than you imagined.

3) Plan: You need to have a good business plan and strategy. You should know for sure how you are going to make money and plan your business expenses clearly. When do you expect to break even and most importantly is to have a back up plan in case things doesn't work out as expected.

4) Principal Sum/Capital: Last but not least , your capital. Most start up businesses require quite a heavy capital, and you must be sure that you have sufficient funds to cover your fixed expenses for between 6-12 months. Then, you need to estimate the initial capital to open and get the business running.
Next, your business cash flow should, at least be able to pay for all the running costs like rental, salaries, utilities and pay the creditors promptly.
There are a few ways that you may be able to obtain funding: beg, borrow or smash your piggy bank. :)

The most important thing is to really do your homework first to see where you may obtain the best financing terms. There are also a number of incentives or soft loans offered by the government for certain types of businesses. Have a look at AKPK on facebook or get their edition of 'Money Sense' in all their offices nationwide.

A serious post from her on this early Tuesday morning. Before breakfast and before bath too. Thinking of something now, cat? Maybe, maybe not. Mid life crisis? (Laughing..hehehe) Maybe, maybe not... Something in the air? Maybe, maybe not..

Swiping In and Out

It's incredible how people can think of so many ways to beat the system and to break rules. Guess, that's also the reason why there are so many inventors too.

Do you remember the old days when to make sure of your attendance, the management asks you to punch your work card when you come in and when you go out of the premises? The machine would be like this: a clock face and a slot where you insert your work card in, and it will time stamp the hour, minutes and seconds of your arrival at the workplace. This device serves as a proof that you did work on certain day and came on time or late. This also serves as a way the management decide whether to increase or deduct your salary based on your attendance. Ka-Chung!



Finally the top people discovered that a few staffs were being dishonest and were cheating on the attendance. The staffs were asking their friends to swipe the cards for them. The machine is just beside the security guard and the guard didn't even blink an eye to see a person swiping 2 cards at the machine. Sometimes, the guard even help to swipe the card for the late comers.



A brainstorming session was held. Then, a light bulb suddenly blink on top of one of them, and he said: Let's copy establishment Y's way by using an ID card. It looks more professional by the way. So began the lining up process of taking photos (some looking photogenic and some were hardly recognizable :p hehehe.. one day with a beard, and the next day, none.), putting down the details and laminating the ID card. Voila..



At first, everything was going on smoothly. You line up, you take out your own id card, swipe at the machine, and continue your work day till it's time to swipe out again. Day in, day out.. 6days/7.

Then some bored workers were fed up.. Hey, this is no fun at all. Let's think of a way to see how efficient the machine is. They studied the ID card and thought that it was a piece of cake to copy it. Copy and paste.. copy and paste: there you have it: 10 fake ID cards which look like the original copy. Swiping in and swiping out happily for friends and the rest of the gangs. The management were lucky enough to get hold of those guys.



So back to the boardroom. The top people now thought of a thumb print ID machine. Instead of swiping your card, you need to put your thumb at the machine to record your attendance. A smart guy puts up a hand : 'But what if the person does not have a thumb? Or does not have a hand or two hands for that matter?'Grr..in the first place you have 2 hands.. and at least one of the hands must have a thumb doesn't it? . The same person spoke again: And what if the thumb has no print? What shall we do?'

(I was looking around, from right to left, Everyone was so serious and was actually listening and thinking. Why is it when we talk about occupancy and rooms availability, we just cannot get this kind of attention? Another of life's mysteries.)

Conclusion? We went and bought a 'FINGER' print ID machine. A long queue again, lining up to record a finger print. No thumbs, no middle finger please. Only the forefinger accepted and you have to record both right and left finger.. in case you accidentally cut a finger and the machine doesn't recognize you.



What if someone finds a way to outsmart this machine also? Hmm.. are we going to buy a machine that detects you by the color and print of your eye? (Like the movie in which Tom Cruise undergo an eye surgery just to confuse the spider like robots so that they would take him for another person). Wonder what they will think up next?

Revenge of the Weak

Revenge is best served cold, isn't that what they all say? Maybe that's also why women are good at writing mystery books. :) They put the emotions in their writing. :p

Here's an example of a writing on revenge (with a few modifications here and there of course :p):

I am not a bad person.
But when someone throws your heart on the floor, smashes it into thousands of small pieces..after you have given them your heart, time and soul, how would you feel? What would you do?

I do wish that they would all fall off a cliff and disappear...so that I would not have to think about them anymore. Then I can move on. It;s not like I have suddenly lost my eyesight or was told that I only have 3 months to live. This is just a relationship, i keep telling myself.

Alas, my heart is telling me otherwise. It's not as simple as that. It's about hopes and dreams and self esteem. It's about a great change in life.

Of course I can go and see a shrink to get my head sorted out. But, deep inside, buried deep down, there;s a primeval part in me that just want to watch them beg, plead and suffer like what I had endured. Deep inside, there's a part of me that would quite like to have a bit of my own back.

Wicked thoughts. :) Hmm..sometimes , it's not the act of paying back that is satisfying. Just thinking of what you would do to the person, is enough. Well, you can't really hit a guy with your car, the law prohibits it. But you can imagine doing that..not once, not twice...but thousands of times if you want to.

Paper Dolls

Let's take another trip down memory lane... this one is specially for the girls :)

In those days, paper dolls were a fad. You could easily buy an A4 size (hard paper/cardboard) 'Paper Dolls' from the neighborhood grocery shop or from the local bread seller that came once daily on his motorcycle.



A small paper doll with a dress costs as much as RM 0.50 a piece while a much larger (and at a better quality) paper doll that comes with 2 dresses and handbags only costs around RM 0.70 or RM 1 per paper.

You might be wondering what is so attractive about these paper dolls? Hmm.. in those days the paper dolls can be bought easily and it doesn't cost as much as a real doll. Sometimes, you can even get a free paper doll when your mom bought a woman's magazine. The dolls were printed on glossy paper and there were unlimited number of accessories than you can imagine. You can even cut a photo of a handbag or even make it yourself and just slid it on the doll's hand. Voila! She is ready to go out to the ball. You can imagine all sorts of scenarios for the dolls, dress them up, make up a story about them and even exchange the paper clothes with your friends.



By the way, all the paper dolls have name (this is not invented by us..but it comes printed with the paper doll. The favorite ones were: Sally (with black or dark blue hair) and Betty (with blonde hair). :p

Alas, as we get older, we had other things to occupy us. And the next generation, of course, had Barbie to be excited with. Who can compete with the lovely, blonde haired and blue eyes Barbie with the long limbs and real clothes?



However, it seems that the paper dolls are making a comeback with newer model of dolls like 'Sailor Moon', 'Britney Spears' and even 'Kathy Perry' and these paper dolls can be downloaded from the internet! And then, some of them are made into games where you don't even need to have scissors! You just choose the dresses, click your mouse and there it is.. all done.

If you are searching for paper dolls to show your kids, have a look at this webpage : Coloriages gratuits : http://www.coloriages.biz/colorier/437/page/2/Poup%C3%A9es_papier_d%C3%A9coupage. These dolls are fantastic and can be used as an indoor games during birthday parties. :)

Have Fun! :)

Mind Your Language

Wish that someone would just keep his mouth shut.There is this one person here that just can't be happy unless he can provoke and get reaction from others. Yes..that's right. This guy is the most irritating person around the four walls of this building! He is unable to open his mouth without an 'F' word coming out.

Cat is irritated. Today is not a good day and this one person just need to have the public's eyes on him in order to live. But..why does he need to provoke others in this way? His every sentence would not be complete unless there's a 'Fxxk', Bxxxh, Bxxxxxd and every other rude, nasty words in all languages (yes.he knows all the equivalent in Tamil, Mandarin and Malay).
In the past, parents would wash their children' mouths with soap as a symbol of washing the dirty words from the child's lips. In Malay community, parents use the fear factor: use those words, you'll get your mouth scrub with 'chilli' (yup, those red, hot peppers). Cat's mom likes to use 'onions' instead. :) might be one of the reason that cat dislike onions!

Prude? Far from it. If someone once in a blue moon uttered one of those 'invalid' words for various reasons, it is acceptable. In extreme situations, any word can just jump out from your mouth before you could stop it. But to purposely do it, that is IRRITATING. And weirdly, he founds cat structured polite sentences as ANNOYING! Can you just imagine that?

Oo..and he had his fun when one day he heard cat said 'Shit'. "Oo..the cat does have temper..and does have one 'bad' vocabulary in her" said the evil he. Of course cat knows a lists of it, but knowing doesn't mean that you have to use it. If you are angry, just say that you are angry. Why use all those 'F' words? Would he like it if someone uses the 'B' word (the one that hinted you were born months earlier than expected before your mother gets a ring on her finger) on him? Food for thoughts, sir.. Food for thoughts.. If looks could kill, he would have thousands of daggers stuck at his back by now..

Signing off,
Cat
P/S: God, pardon cat for the above article and for hating that irritating person..
Count to 20, cat.. Count to 20.. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5....

Gallantry

Say the word gallantry and there will be raised eyebrows. Since ages ago where women have been fighting for equal rights, equal pay and equal opportunity as men, some men have come to believe that respecting a woman is manly.

Some women believed that accepting a kind gesture from a man is a sign of weakness on her part. Women have been trying to prove that they are as qualified as men to do any job. We learn how to drive, to pay bills, to work twice as hard as men. We show that we can do overtime, can take care of ourselves and fight for any cause. We travel near and far, wear pants, we carry our own bags, laptops and files on our own. We do not need men to make us feel inferior.

By saying this, women might have made a mistake. Chivalry is not an act of men to assert their superiority over women. Chivalry in it's purest form is actually an act of kindness and selflessness.

Chivalrous acts consist of little things in life. A form of formality and courtesy. For example, when a man offers you a seat in an LRT at a rush hour, just think of it as an act of kindness and thank him for it. Some women would rather stand (even though they are tired to the bone) as not to be considered as weak. And by staring at the guy as if he has committed a serious offense, you might prevent him from offering his seat to another woman who badly needed it the next time.

For me, it still touches the heart when someone does an act of gallantry such as opening a door for her, offering a seat, offering to carrying her things, all this without even being asked to .. It's a sign of courtesy, generosity and consideration. You won't hear me asking a guy to do it..but when someone does it, I really like and appreciate it. It lightens the heart and brings a smile..to know that there are still people with enough kindness and courtesy in their heart. A heavy box is a heavy box.. and I would thank anyone who would help carry it without ever being asked.


P/S: It's 1000 times better to be presented with an act of chivalry than facing an act of rudeness. Isn't there already enough violence and abusive acts nowadays that a woman needs to face (until the mind become sore and numb) daily? An act of kindness at the end of the day would be a perfect ending to a tiring day..