The Things I Hear

When people around me talk to other people, i sometimes listen. Some people call it eavesdropping, i say it's just a part of the many soundwaves that naturally find its way into my eardrums. It's not like i, on purpose, move nearer to the person to hear better. I was just there. So if they didn't want their conversations to be heard, they should shut the fuck up or talk insanely soft.

But that's not the story i want to tell.

I was on the train home from work and heard a conversation two young women were having with each other:

Girl 1: Do you know what foie gras is?

Girl 2: What's that?

Girl 1: Oh, it's duck's liver.

Girl 2: Liver? Ewww.

Girl 1: Yeah. They stick a tube into the ducks and force-feed them until the expand.

At that moment, i thought, "Wow, it's amazing that this girl is helping to create awareness of the ugly process that goes into making foie gras." Until suddenly...

Girl 1: So the other day, my mother and i had it.

Girl 2: *smiles*

Girl 1: It's very expensive. It's sooo nice!

WHAT THE FUCK? Based on the earlier part of her conversation, i didn't see that coming at all. So much for thinking that she was anti-foie-gras-cruelty.

Ah Neh, Nandre Banana Leaf!

Look who had an awesome Saturday!

Three of my fellow gorgeous Spykermans and I got together to try something different apart from the usual movie-dinner-shopping outing. Accepting Crime & Investigation channel's invitation for a fitness class (a promo for Steven Seagal's new series on the channel), the four of us headed to Celebrity Fitness for an hour of Body Combat, followed by steam baths and sauna.

Initially, i thought i wasn't going to survive it because my previous Body Combat class was a nightmare. I don't know how Karen does it! But on the second try, it was slightly better (or maybe it was because the trainer saw how unfit we were and went easy on us!) though my poor unfit body paid the price the next couple of days. Sore like gila!

Anyhoo, after gym, we did something that if our Body Combat instructor saw us do, he would have flipped.

We ate. A lot.

The banana leaf rice picture is only a teeny weeny portion of our mega lunder (lunch & dinner). We had fried chickens, fried squid, chicken varuval, rassam and four drinks. In the midst of eating, a waiter came by and asked if we wanted more food. Before we could answer, he looked at our table and said, "Oh, there's no more space to fit anything. Your table's full!"

Definitely one of the fun-est weekends i've had. And an accomplished one too because Mabel and I managed to rope in another person to our side - the sour side. Everyone, say hello to new Lea's-style-Boost-Lemon-Crush addict, Esaline! Edaline, when's your turn?

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

I had a somewhat beautiful dream last night that i never want to forget...

There were people all around me. The man-made 'sea' was filled with party-goers and everyone was having a blast. I walked on the sand, feeling the soft grain between my toes while talking to Karen. We moved towards a nearby tent to get food and to sit and chat.

When i walked in, there were PlayStations and televisions lined up at the side and men were transfixed with their games. That was when i noticed a familiar face. I knew it was him but i wasn't entirely sure because i hadn't seen him in a while and he looked slightly different. I continued staring at him and when he caught my eyes, he stared too. But he didn't smile.

I turned away and saw Louanne and Joyce sitting on a round table. They gestured for me to come over. Karen was already there. She went over when i stood frozen staring at him earlier. In the middle of a story that Karen was telling, i got a call. It was from him. Turned out, it was him at the PlayStation area. Although we were near each other, he decided to call me instead of walking over to chat.

On the phone, we did the usual 'Hi, how have you been?' and then, he said something about him wanting to be with someone. I knew it was a hint. I knew his 'someone' was me. I smiled and told him that i wasn't going to say anything unless he told me straightfowardly that he wanted to be with me. I didn't want to say 'yes' only to find out that i had misread his hint. I didn't want to risk being humiliated.

After a while, he still refused to come clean. I was very eager to say 'yes' but still, i held back. I wanted confirmation. It was then that he came and stood in front of me. I smiled and i knew he knew that i wanted what he wanted as well. But both of us were shy.

Then out of the blue, he gave me a kiss. It was just a simple peck on the lips. I closed my eyes and cherished each nanosecond of it while it lasted. He pulled back and i simply stared at him with my lips slightly apart. I didn't smile. I didn't say anything. I was so caught in the moment, i just blanked out. Then he leaned in for another kiss and i wanted to grab his hair and kiss him back but i was still in shock. After the second peck, he stopped and said, "You can kiss me back, you know." I laughed.

Unable to believe that it was really happening, that 'we' could finally happen, i asked him if he was sure he wanted to be with me. After all, i am not the prettiest girl on the block. He just smiled. Then i took the leap of faith and said, "Okay, i'm going to commit to this. Let's make this work."

...and the rest of my dream remained a blur. But it was good enough that i woke up and immediately sat in front of my computer to type this while listening to Katy Perry's 'Thinking of You' - a song that i once listened to in your presence. A song that after so many months, still reminds me of you.

Just My Luck

God has been pretty kind to me a few days ago. In a flight to Brissy with many old folks, families and kids, He placed me next to a macho Aussie who reminded me a wee bit of Tobey Maguire. When i got to my seat, i wanted to smile at him but he looked unfriendly so i didn't.

With a few hours left to arrival, he asked if i could make way for him to get out of his window seat to go to the toilet. When he returned, he gave a friendly 'thank you' and that was when i thought, 'Hey, he ain't that scary after all.' So i started the conversation and found out that he was on his way home from South Africa. Like any other bloke, he was there to catch the World Cup and also found time to go cage-diving with the sharks. How amazingly awesome! After marvelling at his holiday, i didn't know what else to say and that was it. The end.

On my rather empty flight back to KL, i was hoping to get a seat in an unoccupied row so that i could stretch my legs. Approaching my window seat, i looked up and saw the person who was to sit next to me for the next eight hours: a tall, broad shoulder, slightly unshaven, brown-haired hottie! Immediately, i gave up my desire to sit in an empty row and prayed that he wouldn't move too. Hot flying companion trumps leg space any day!

Once i got seated, i noticed from the corner of my eye that he turned to look at me. Taking it as an invitation to strike a conversation, i smiled, and he introduced himself as Jack.

Turned out, he was on his way to what would probably be one of the best experiences of his life. Not wanting to work in bars like his friends, he decided to take the plunge and signed up for a job as an English teacher in a primary school in China...and he doesn't even speak Chinese! Then we talked about my job, Langkawi being a place where KL-ites go to get drunk, his sky-diving trip, and our wrecked necks - sleeping comfortably on airplanes is impossible!

The conversations (and his cute face) certainly made the flight less torturous. And then this happened:

Me: So, what were you doing before taking on this teaching job?

Jack: I just got out of school...

Me: *looks at him*

Jack: ...high school

Great. The one time i meet an amazing person on my flight and he turns out to be younger than me. Hai yah.