Songbird

I just watched "One in a Million", the reality-show that aims to unearth the best singer known to Malaysia. And I'm like....awed....these folks have really, really good pipes and great talent. Hats off!

Sighh...if only I was blessed with the same gift. I swear if I can sing like Mariah Carey, I won't be writing this blog. Someone else will do it for me!

You see, I've always wanted to pursue singing. It started years ago when I was probably 6-years-old. My parents brought me to this local fair, and there on the stage, I saw this girl, about my age, singing with gusto "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"...and I was like, KaPOww!! I wanna be just like her!

So, fast forward to a few years later, when I was about 12-years-old, I saw a newspaper ad looking for talented young singers to audition. "It's now or never..." innocent Rena muttered. Since am too juvenile to drive at that time, plus I didn't know where the audition place was, I figured my mom was my only connection to stardom! But heck, she first needs to be sold on to the fact that I really had some raw talent! So I crept downstairs, took a peek at what she was doing, and figured my next move...I mean, timing was everything!

So, there she was busy marking papers. I thought what better way to relieve her stress by serenading Mom with my vivacious vocals! So slowly, I opened my mouth....the notes flowing gently at first...gradually rolling to a crescendo...

....and then....

"Rena, stop that awful CROAKING, or get outta here!"

Gulp.

So, fellow readers...you see, I grew up thinking I had IT, the vocal prowess...but in actual fact, I was a very confused girl, with a big over-active imagination...but hey, at least I had some self-confidence to boot! (heck, if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have sung for my mom!)

I guess am destined for the sleazy karaoke joints lah....

Ribbit.

Ear in the Sky

Many a-times, I've been (un)fortunate to listen in on lousy in-flight announcements. You know, the stuff the Leading Stewards/Stewardesses say to welcome passengers on board. Most often than not, they'll say it with the thickest of thickest of un-identifiable slang unknown to mankind.

"Twwann-twwann dan Pwwann-pwwann...terrrrimer kaser keraner memiley pernerrrbangan XXX."
"Ladeeesandgentermen,wekemtofright342to yada yada yada...."

By the end of the announcement, I'm already hit with a migraine. And golly, that's only the welcoming announcement we're talking about. Let's not forget the security briefing, the mid-flight info, and the arrival announcement as we land. Panadol panadol, three tablets please...no, make it three packs please.

There was one particular local flight that stuck in my mind (and not to mention my ear drums). The announcements were SOOOO bad and unintelligible, I can't really tell if he was speaking in English, Malay or Swahili! If it weren't for the seatbelt, I'd probably have jumped out of my seat, run down the aisle (probably knocking a few cabin crew on my way), and start a crash-course on ARTICULATION & PRONOUNCIATION with the poor chap.

But today -- today was good. Was on a business trip via PEN-KUL and I must say, I was treated to a very good, if not the best, in-flight announcement I have heard in a loooooong time. Sigh...all's not lost, after all.

"Twannn-twaann dan pwaaannn-pwaaan, kiter telarr mendarrat dir lapangan terrrbang antrrrebangser...."

Beauty and the Idiot Box

Grrrrr. I just saw a TV commercial that really was an insult to my intelligence (or what's left after watching that! *chuckle*). This ad showed a lady getting dissed by her hubby, just because she didn't look good or feel good, thanks to not using a particular brand of shampoo -- which, if she did, implies that hubby's gonna go ga-ga over her and will pick her over his own mom anytime. I mean...a shampoo can do that??!

Now, seriously, what's up with these beauty ads on TV and such?! Day in, and day out, we're bombarded with skewed perceptions of beauty. You know what I'm talking about. The marketing ploys of telling women that fairer skin is in; that long, shiny black hair is the only way to go; that being slim and slender is everything and more.

So, TV advert person...tell me:

Are you saying that I'm less appreciated if I'm dark-skinned....

Are you implying that I'm so OUT if my hair is short and GREEN?

Are you saying that my thoughts and actions don't matter if I'm 20 pounds off-target?

Hellooo...Reality-check.

Through the power of evolution, the world is made-up of diverse mix of people, of varied shapes and sizes, with different needs and desires. It's time we respect (and celebrate) our differences. Dontcha think?

Then again -- they won't call the TV the 'IDIOT BOX' for nothing.

The Circle of Life (as narrated by a 4-year-old)

A snippet of conversation overheard between Arissa (my 4-year old) and Aunty Jacq.


Arissa: "Aunty Jacq, my mommy got baby in her tummy"
A. Jacq: "Oooh, that's nice!"
Arissa: "You know how she put baby in tummy?"
A. Jacq: "Errr..no, how?"
Arissa: "Mommy and daddy love each other verrrry much, then suddenly they have baby, then daddy become 'pengantin' with mommy"

Egad! Damage-control!

Mommy: "Issa...wrong sequence-lah munchkin."
Arissa: "Huh what?"
Mommy: "Daddy and mommy love each other very much....then we both become 'pengantin', then only have baby".
Arissa: "Yeah ok, whatever you say... la dee da."

Would have been scandalous, wouldn't it?! =P.
(and to set the record straight, am not pregger ya ;)

Introducing the KayPeeCees

Am blessed with a bunch of great buddies, whom I love deeply and dearly. We're like sistahs!! We withstand each others' idiosyncrasies, bad hair days and PMS-es. We go waaaay back from pre-college, pre-marriage, pre-baby days. We so tight!

As I'd probably be making references of them here, allow me to introduce them (from left to right):

Fara @ Ferrafoams: this lady just got hitched! A sweetie pie with a big heart.
Edura @ Dugha: A.k.a Ketua Dorm. I blame her for teaching me how to play gin rummy. We'd spent marathon hours at it.
Op: my Gameshow buddy! We both partnered in "Lingo", you know, the pre-Jurassic hit TV game show. It was hilarious.
Esma: this girl is out-of-this world. Well, almost literally. She's based out of Aussie, and spearheads her own natural beauty product business called TheraSkin. Super products!!!
Syawa @ Casper: she's so fair, she's Casper! My roommate, loanshark, counsellor, partner-in-kryme all rolled into one.
Me with Arissa. :)
Nasreen @ Chaine: a.k.a Pengawas. Seen here with Ms. Alia (Pengawas Junior).
Anouk: great pal. Gets picked on by us for her 'extensive' Malay vocab. But she's so farneee.... :)
Nurmaya @ Nurms: responsible for the 'varied' diet we had in college. From sup kincam, to HL milk to spaghetti. Our matron of the century! May be petit, but don't play-play, Universiti Lecturer hokay!

(Not in pix: Saedah: jet-setting pal. One day in Paris, the next day in South Africa, and Keramat the day after.)

KPCers, I love you folks! Here's to 5 more decades of fantabulous friendship!

Royal Pain

It's the King's Birthday today (read: Public Holiday). Yippee!
But while everyone is happy prancing about with holiday plans and all, yours truly slipped and fell in the shower today. (read: busted back). Am now walking like Chewbacca on neck brace.

Anyways, I realized how accident-prone I've been in the past. Here's to list a few:

- twisted left knee playing Frisbee (it was on the first throw, dang it!)
- a blob of jellyfish decided to kiss my left arm at Teluk Batik, leaving a super-painful, red itchy sting as a souvenir
- cracked left toe. A big can of mosquitoe repellent decided to roll itself from 6 feet high and land on me poor toe (ultimately launching a series of 'toe' jokes and puns from wacky colleagues i.e. 'toe' sorry 'toe' hear about your pain. Must be 'toe'tally unexpected...)

I'd probably was on a first-name basis with the doctors, at the rate that I was going. :P

Then again, I should thank my lucky stars that I'm still up and about (Chewbacca or not). Think about those victims of Yogyakarta, they're definitely at a far worse condition than all my pain combined.

My prayers to them...