Cue Wedding Bells

The royal wedding is a done deal! All four TVs at the office were tuned to it the entire day. Super excited since this is my first royal-wedding experience. Wonder what Kate (pardon me, i mean the Duchess of Cambridge) feels right now? Oh, to be a real-life princess!

Me: You're invited to my wedding with Harry. I'll send you a royal invitation soon. Make sure you come!

Ee Laine: You'll be the 'special' princess.

Me: Yes, i definitely won't be as innocent or girly as the other princesses. England will hate me!

Ee Laine: But lots of people will be talking about you!

Me: I'll make gossip headlines. Berita sensasi!

Ee Laine: Because you're so controversial, they'll give you a reality TV series like the Kardashians.

Me: Yes yes yes! And you can subtitle my show.

Ee Laine: There won't be anything to subtitle because so much of it will be censored! It'll be like, 'The *bleep* is a *bleep* and *bleep*'. Nothing will make sense!

What the? Oh well, guess i can kiss my tiara goodbye.

Everyone Is A Book Waiting To Be Read

On my daily commute to work, there are a few familiar faces that i see, but do not know personally. Sometimes, i wonder what their lives are like. Why they are who they are, be it weird or ordinary.

There is a skinny, kind-looking, middle-aged man who hums all the time. I wonder if it's a favourite song or a religious chant/hymn?

There is a rather peculiar man who does not give a hoot about the people around him, not in a rude way but in a i-live-in-my-own-world-and-you-don't-exist way. More often than not, he looked like he has walked the whole day, with the back of his work shirt covered in sweat patches. In the evenings, i've seen him cycle around the neighbourhood collecting recyclable materials. Which is he? A hardworker looking to earn an extra buck to survive? An environmentally-conscious soul? Or a plain weirdo?

There is a pleasant, friendly woman who is ever ready to strike a conversation with anyone who is up for a chat. I'm guessing she has befriended at least 5 strangers so far. At times, i see her standing alone in the corner, perhaps waiting for a familiar face to say hi. Could she be a lonely woman at heart, with a share of downs in her love life?

There is a late-20s or early-30s bespectacled Chinese man who makes a stop at KL Sentral. His small lips and nose make him look younger than what i guess he is. He is always in collared work shirts and a great-fitted pants (heaven knows how many men wear unflattering, loose slacks to work) that show off his tush. And every time i see him, i tell myself, "I bet Joyce will like him"...until i look down at his feet. A pair of Crocs. Why would anyone wear good work clothes then spoil it with Crocs? Maybe he changes into his work shoes that he keep underneath his work desk at the office?

There is a grandma-ish lady whose face reminds me of my Mah Mah. While i don't know her personally, i always say a short prayer for her each time i see her simply because she comes off as a very kind-hearted soul. Plus, it is obvious that she is suffering from a leg problem because she has difficulties in walking. Makes me wonder why she is travelling on the train in the first place. Where is her child? Why aren't they taking care of her? What worries is she hiding behind her smile?

Everybody has a story to tell if you take five to watch and listen.

Do The Yan Can

Long before i knew how to boil Maggi noodles and fry sausages and egg, one man believed in my skills in the kitchen, reminding me week after week that i can cook. A month ago, i finally met the man... and he cooked for me too!

As much as Martin Yan is a chef, he is also a great showman, keeping his guests entertained with witty jokes and a chicken-deboning demo that only took 18 seconds. Plus, out of the few chefs i've had the privilege to meet, he is the only one who thanked me for coming and made me believe that he sincerely meant it because heaven knows how many celebrities say thank you merely out of courtesy.

As i was leaving, i stumbled upon him and after a funny chat about Malaysia and girls who dress sexily, he turned back and said, "Oh yes, honestly, thank you so much for coming to today's event. I really appreciate it." To which my friend replied, "We should be thanking you for coming all the way from San Francisco. You're the one making the long journey here!" I couldn't have agreed better. What a humble man.

Chicken Of The Sea

Maybe it's the estrogen running in me or the hours i've unconsciously spent watching AFC and TLC when Mom has control of the remote. But i have now developed a liking for cooking *gasp* though it is still limited to salads, spaghetti and food that do not require me to touch raw meat. But what happens if a recipe i really want to try calls for grilled chicken meat, you ask? I buy them from the chicken rice auntie lah!

So the other night, Mom didn't know what to eat for dinner and i told her to pick something off my recipe book. Yes, i am now in the housewives' league where i keep a book filled with recipes. This is item #4 to be ticked off the book.

It has everything that i love: tuna, chilli and capers! Them capers so awesome and salty, i secretly eat them on their own. And just because, i decided to tweak the recipe by topping my healthy dinner with furikake: the second yummiest food after raw octopus with lemon juice and wasabi that Yumiko introduced to my tastebuds. It's basically dried condiments varying from seaweed and sesame seeds to fish roe and salmon that you mix with white rice. Or in my case, with pasta, soups and straight from the packet.