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The Ride, Part 2

20 Apr

The lady motorbike rider I wrote about recently reminded me of my encounter with this mode of transportation dinosaur years ago. It was during an interim period and I was working while waiting to go off to college. I was an artist for a publishing house that produced educational books for children.

In the mornings, Dad would send me to work as my office was close by his office. Days when I finished early I would go home with Dad. But there were nights that I had to work late and I didn’t want Dad to wait nor did I want to take the bus home. Luckily, I had a co-worker who lived in the same town and I would go home with him. On his motorbike.

So there I was on a couple of occasions, sitting at the back of his motorbike, clinging on to my dear life as he hurtled along the highway in the night to send me home.

It was downright scary whether it was the first time or second time because being hit by the wind on the face constantly was foreign and rather terrifying. Then there was that firm death grip on the bar behind my seat throughout the ride to ensure I remain on the bike. And the awkwardness to stay balanced, tilting along and not against when he tilted the bike to turn…

Quite an experience. After those couple of rides, never again I rode on a motorbike.

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The Perils of Long Hair

7 Apr

Having long hair is hard to maintain. I for one, have had and still have short hair all these years. But my girls have long hair. The maintenance is a constant thing not just for themselves but the surrounding as well.

One weekend many moons ago, we had to fix the sink problem in M2’s bathroom. Hubby suspected it had something to do with hair going down the sink. Sure enough, the bottom trap had eight years’ worth of hair stuck down there! Ewww… put it this way, if we can weave a pet out of it, it’d be a little kitten.

But the problem was not resolved. Water was still going down slowly. Surely it can’t be something stuck along the way. We checked again and this time, the problematic area was from the top. The passage from the sink before it hit the S-trap below had another furball, the size of a hamster this time, lining the pipe! Double eww… no wonder water was going down so slow. There was hardly any room for the water to flow down.

The perils of having long hair I say.

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After the School Break

27 Mar

Last week it was the first school break of the year for M2. Daughter dearest was in a bind. Although the thought of going away with us sounded very tempting, she was fretting she needed to prepare for the upcoming exams, scheduled on the Monday (today) when she goes back to school. A sign of the young one having grown up and being responsible? It used to be given a break over the books, the break was chosen.

We were also in a bind. While we were tempted to go away, bringing her along, this would result in her not having any time to study. How does one enjoy whilst on holiday? It doesn’t work this way.

So in the end we stayed put. And I must say we were impressed with her dedication to prepare for the upcoming exams throughout the whole week. Let’s hope the results would yield with the efforts put in.

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Been There Done That

24 Mar

When one is in their teens, their dream is to grow up. Fast. Like M2 now who gets periodic updates from M1 about her life in university, I suspect M2 can’t wait to grow up.

When one is in their 20s, their dream is to see the world. “Wanna be there, gonna do that!” That’s the motto. That was how I was then. During my 20s whenever an opportunity came around, I’d jump at it. Like M1 now who turned 20 in January. When the opportunities are presented, she’d jump at them. Just like mommy.

When one is in their 30s, their dream from the 20s is happening as in “being there, doing that”. That was my life, living every moment and enjoying life to the fullest. Not only we took the opportunity, we made the opportunities happened and are fortunate enough to be living the “being there, doing that” motto.

The next decade, I suppose life takes a turn to tone down. I find the motto in the 40s now (ok, I confess, I am not Forever 38) to be “been there, done that”. Many a time, the enthusiasm and eagerness has simmered down and no longer jumping at opportunities whenever they present themselves. Hmm…

This makes me wonder what the next decade holds. But until then, I am taking one day at a time while M1 goes off on an adventurous road trip for her Spring Break this week.

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You Gotta Look Up!

14 Mar

Two weekends ago, I had to go to the office to get something. As I was walking towards the elevator, this guy almost walked into me because he was not looking ahead but at his smartphone. Hrmph.

Nowadays I see a lot of people walking on the streets do not look at where they are going. Instead, they are constantly looking down at their smartphones, busy replying messages, reading status updates or even playing games. What these people don’t realize is how dangerous this is.

Firstly they don’t see where they are going and just walking blindly. Secondly they become oblivious to the surrounding and are not alert as to who or what are in their path. If something were to happen, chances are they would be caught off guard. I could have bumped the guy and have that smartphone knocked off his hands!

There was once I was caught off guard with my surrounding. And this was dinosaur years ago, an era without smartphones and it’s enough to leave a permanent scar.

I had just gotten off the PATH train from Jersey City at the World Trade Center in New York City. Remember this was dinosaur years ago and the World Trade Center still existed. On that fateful day, after I got off the train, I withdrew some cash from the ATM machine and was heading to the office on Broadway.

Somehow on that particular mid-morning, I was a bit dreamy and had my earphones plugged in, oblivious to my surrounding. I was heading down the stairs to get onto the subway when a foul smelling homeless guy bumped into me along the stairs!

I did not panic or whatsoever because I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My music was blasting so loud, I wasn’t paying attention and was totally caught off guard.

He grabbed me by my collar, gave me a shake and came close to my face; I could not avoid his reeking alcohol breath. Ugh, puke… With his other hand near my cheek, hiding a blade, he repeated himself.

One earphone dislodged from my ear when he shook me again and this time, I heard him, “Give me all your money or I’ll cut up you f@*king face.” Some things you remember for life, like this instance.

And still, I did not panicked. It took awhile before I registered what was happening. And when I realized what was going on, the first thought that came to my mind was ‘Oh crap! I just withdrew some cash!” Not a thought of my safety but the money! Geez.

I was being mugged in broad daylight at the World Trade Center! All because I wasn’t paying attention to my surrounding. Amazingly, there wasn’t anybody coming up or going down the stairs because the trains had left and the crowd dispersed so quickly.

“What…?” I said.

By now, I think a good few seconds passed but it felt like forever. Before I could react, thank goodness, someone did come up the stairs and disrupted the scene. Foul smelling guy released my collar and incredulously said, “Thank you for your time!” and hurried off up the stairs.

It was only at that exact moment that I panicked. I flew down the stairs (thankfully, I did not trip and tumbled down) and in haste, crossed the turnstile and prayed for the train to hurry up. The train came and I jumped in.

By then, both my legs were trembling when I sat down. Gosh! What a close call. The two years that I had lived in New York City and Jersey City, I never once had any trouble because I was always alert and aware of my surroundings. But this one time on an off chance of not being aware, I almost became a mugging statistic. Shudder, it could have ended badly. Thank goodness it didn’t.

From then on, I always, always pay attention to my surrounding and never fiddle with my iPhone5S whenever I am walking on the streets. One must always look up for you may never know what you will bump into or who may bump into you.

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Sports Day

3 Mar

Tomorrow M2 will be having her Sports Day and for the past several weeks, she has been staying back after classes to prepare for it. My M2 is in the cheer team besides participating in the compulsory track and field events.

Being involved in these activities, she felt she needed to put in some extra practice so that she will do well on the actual day. Even on weekends, she and her friends would go to school to practice their cheer routine. Such dedication.

During my time when I was in high school, I don’t recall ever wanting to stay back after school. Even when Sports Day was around the corner, I didn’t have such dedication and determination like M2.

I guess back then, school was not the nicest place to hang out after classes. I remember there was one time, there were rumors that the main bathroom was haunted! Who would want to stay back after school with such news circulating? How to go to the bathroom?

Oh man… now that I think about it, it’s hilarious. There were stories of a blood-sucking white bedsheet-clothed vampire lurking in the bathroom. And if one goes in there, the poor soul would be possessed, attacked or worst, left for dead! My goodness (chortle), such wild imagination we had back then as teenagers.

Whether it was true or not, I certainly avoided the main bathroom during school hours. And if I really had to, I would use the teachers’ bathroom at a different block away from the main bathroom building. As for my Sports Day, sadly nothing worthy to be remembered.

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Dispensing Marbles

13 Feb

Last week, an idea mooted to fill the gum ball machine up with marbles instead of M&M chocolate. Seems like a good idea if I want to be disciplined about dieting. I tried looking for the marbles at home that I know we have stashed away somewhere. Where? I need to recall.

When the girls were young and took weekly swimming lessons, the coach always rewarded them with marbles at the end of each lesson. Back then, these things were precious commodities and all the swimmers, my two girls included were very proud of their collection.

But as time passed and the girls grew up, the precious marbles were forgotten and more so when the swimming lessons stopped. In their place came the gaming and wifi-enabled devices – the Sony PSPs, the smart phones, iPods, iPod Shuffle and iPad Mini. This is a stark indicator of how times have changed, simple toys sidelined for technology-related toys.

Now maybe if I have the marbles in my gum ball machine to give them a new lease in life, I can have some fun during boring days at my desk. Let’s see how this will pan out. But first I have to recall where I last saw them. I am pretty sure they are somewhere in the closet because I kept them away just last year.

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The Gum Ball Machine, Part 2

10 Feb

After much thought about the M&Ms for my gum ball machine, I have decided not to fill it up. Sigh… A friend suggested to mix the plain ones and the peanut ones if I was undecided. What a brilliant idea! Tempting, very tempting but I have to go on diet and having a chocolate dispensing machine within my reach may thwart my plans.

The Chinese New Year celebration is almost over with one last Chap Goh Meh dinner with Mom and my sibling’s family tomorrow night, so I have to stay disciplined and go ahead with the diet intention.

I need to lose all that weight gained from the constant eating since December last year when M1 came home for Christmas. Also because I feel a psychological expansion of my waistline when I put on my only pair of Levi’s and it feels tight. Not good especially when the Levi’s is those stretchy ones. Thank goodness, I was back at the gym earlier in the week to get things going.

So for now, the gum ball machine remains a decorative item and not a chocolate dispensing machine. But… me being me, I couldn’t resist the chocolate temptation and gave in to getting a small packet of M&Ms. I reasoned that the diet starts only next week, a little now wouldn’t hurt. Weakling.

  

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The Gum Ball Machine

9 Feb

I love my gum ball machine. It’s quite an authentic piece, made of metal and glass instead of plastic. I bought it in New York City during a blind date set up by my room mate dinosaur years ago. I agreed to the date only to oblige her. 

The date and I went to SoHo and ended up at the Cupping Room Cafe for lunch. Thereafter we browsed some shops nearby and I stumbled upon the gum ball machine. An unusual buy on a first date but what the heck? It’s a gum ball machine(!) just like the one in WBMG., Inc. albeit smaller. So the purchase was made.

Now, about the date… He was nice, polite and gentlemanly but too hairy for me. Gosh! Funny I can still recall the places we went and details like the hair at the back of his neck sticking out of his round-neck t-shirt but not his name. Ugh to the hair! There was no further second date. Thank goodness, otherwise I wouldn’t have tales of my M1, M2, hubby and Rooney to tell! 

Over the years, the gum ball machine has been in a discreet corner in the old office just collecting dust. Somehow I never considered displaying it at home, and it’s not like it’s a bad reminder of the date with Hairy Guy in SoHo. But I think it’s more of not wanting it filled with candy and enticing the girls (and myself) to have a sweet tooth.

Today, it sits proudly in a visible position in my office room! I will have to fill it up with M&M chocolate soon. The debate now is whether to have normal ones or with peanuts? Hmm… tough decision here.

  

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I Have a Room

7 Feb

Throughout my professional career as a Graphic Designer/Assistant Art Director/Art Director/Design Director, I have never had a room of my own in the office. Maybe because when one works in a design studio or art department, these places are open concept environments.

At least it was like this for me in all the places that I have worked in. In New York City where I interned and then worked at, WBMG., Inc. was an open concept design and I had a drafting table in the organized design studio. And I must admit I modelled my own studio like their setup when we first started our company.

Then in Adweek, the old office on 23rd Street was also open concept and I had a drafting table amidst other drafting tables of the rather chaotic setup of the art department. Only the Editor had a room if I recall. When the company moved to their new place on Broadway and it was more organized, I had a cubicle workstation.

Although the cubicles were quite high, I could still yak with my colleagues. Now come to think of it, even though I may not see them because the cubicle system obstructed my view, I could still talk to everyone in the whole art department!

The next work place, a publishing house in KL was also the same with an open concept setup. No room, just a table and sufficient to work.

Then my own design studio. Open concept too. But after all these years of being in an open concept work environment, I now find myself having a room at our new office! A definite first for me.

And I think I kinda like it simply because I get to display all my toys in a more organized manner than anything else! They now have a wall to lean against without crowding my workspace. In an open office, it wasn’t easy to surround my space with plushies, my array of display-worthy collectibles and gum ball machine but now, I can do it! Nice.

Plus I can play my choice of music (Michael Buble! yay) without disagreement from the team. So having a room for a change is nice, very nice.

Together

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