My hopes for all of you in 2010

In Brazil, most people wear white clothes on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and peace for the year that will follow. Many people in Venezuela wear yellow underwear to have good luck in the new year. In Mexico, some women especially wear red underwear in hopes of finding love in the next year.

Me, I just prefer spending some good quality time with close friends around a table spread with abundant food (so if possible, make sure to have friends with more than average culinary skills. They come in very handy at times like these). Eat, talk, laugh, have fun, reconnect. And then maybe watch DVD. Or maybe play with some sparklers after that. If I ever get to roll myself out of the couch, of course.

But I'm not taking any chances people. Tonight when I meet my friends for dinner, you can expect me to wear a white shirt, a white skirt with yellow panties and a red bra underneath. I'm going to need all the luck I can get to find l-u-r-v-e in 2010!

So let us all hope for a better year ahead. Peace, Love and Understanding. Sounds so cliche but seriously, guys, the world needs so much more of it. Along with some really kick-ass Salt n Vinegar chips.

Aina the anchovy

Aina is a little girl who thinks she's an anchovy. Every day when she comes home from kindergarten, she quickly goes up to her room and puts her bag on the bed. Then she sits by the window and looks out into the backyard, imagining that the tiny plot of land is the big big ocean. Her eyebrows crinkle as she looks closer. She can see all the lovely fishes swimming past her. Big ones. Little ones. In all shapes and pastel hues that she so adores. Her favourite one is a pink angel fish that she calls Wriggly. Each time she draws the curtain open to look out the window, Wriggly will be the first to swim towards her, until he is within arm's length, and waggle his long flowing tail at her. Maybe to say hello? She doesn't really know. Aina, you see, doesn't understand Wriggly speak.

Whenever Wriggly beckons her to join them, she will first close her eyes to find that quiet place in her mind where she can be with all the fishes. Then she opens them back et voilà! she is surrounded by all her Lovelies. Deep in the middle of the sky blue waters, floating dreamily, enjoying the rhythm of the ocean.

But she is always the only anchovy amongst her sea friends. And sometimes she wonders , " Why is that so?"

But then again, she can't really ask any one of them, can she? Because after all, she doesn't understand Wriggly speak.

Why am I the only anchovy here? Where are the rest? The questions play in her mind. Round and round, like a colourful carousel, playing in her mind.

The gentle nudge that I need

Hello.

This whole blogging thing started after I was approached by a few students last week (virtually that is, through Facebook). They expressed their desire to learn more English and yes, they realized the need to read more but have little attention span to finish a whole book. So they suggested that I do a blog in English. So that they can read some English, learn some basic structures and hopefully find the courage to have one of their own as well (written in English of course).

Well I think that this is a fantastic idea. I mean using blogs as a means of learning English. Blog postings are usually short. So you won't have to read so much and get lost in them. On top of that there is a huge variety of topics you can choose from, according to your likes and needs. The choice, I would say, is virtually endless.

I guess the main task for me now is to scour the Internet in search of blogs to suggest as good reading material. I don't know what your main interests are, guys, so I'll just select some that I think are interesting in terms of topic, language structure and content. And the rest is up to you. As for me, I will try to write in English most of the time but you know some things are just better expressed in our mother tongue (especially during those emo moments lol). Or I might also write in French whenever I'm in my cikgu Bahasa Perancis mode (habislah korang :)).

Before I end this posting, I would like to thank you for giving me the push in the right direction. I've always wanted to have a blog but I just didn't know what to write about. Well now I do. I can write about almost anything!

And thank you again for giving me the chance to do something that has meaning to you.

Kerana apalah erti hidup ini jika tidak memberi makna? Ibarat tudung botol air bergas yang bergolek-golek di tepi jalan raya, ditendang ke sana ke mari. Hanya menunggu masa untuk dilenyek tayar kereta.

Ada jurang sms di antara kita bro

"pkaba?"

"OK je."

"sy x chat rini. jp td g spital''

"Kesiannya. Dia sakit apa?"

"dia 2 saper?"

"Syarifah?"

"sy 2 saya."

"Oh. Habis tu berapa lama kat hospital sampai tak boleh chat?"

"saper kt x on9?"

"Tadi kata tak chat."

"x sihat."

"Ohhh."

"Tp skunk dh chat."

"Cepatnya sihat bro. Sakit apa ni?''

"X r. Skunk dh on9 blk."

PULAK.

Tersilap hantar

Salam and Bonsoir everyone.

I received this flyer in my email this evening. I am guessing that I was mistaken for another younger, more hip and more punk lady who bears the same name as I do. I know absolutely nothing about punk music. I thought The Cure were punk. They were not apparently. I confused them with The Clash. The first time I saw a boy wearing a Ramones t-shirt to class, I asked him if it was a new cigarette brand (dulu cikgu tuisyen saya hisap rokok Rothmans). My students have since given up trying to explain to me the difference between garage rock, punk rock and pop punk. For me it's just very fast music which involves a lot of jumping and kicking onstage. Dan pemakaian seluar ketat.

Nevertheless I find this material interesting because of the band names. If you translate them into Bahasa Melayu, they would make very nice book titles that would suit a variety of genre.

Book title: Neraka Kejam
Genre: Romance

Book title: Daging Yang Dimuntahkan
Genre: Comics and Graphic Novels

Book title: Kelewatan Tak Terhingga
Genre: Medical and Health Sciences

Book title: Osman Tikus
Genre: Children's Books

Book Title: Darah Di Baju Pengantin
Genre: Mystery and Thriller


And please don't make me translate the title of the flyer.

Aiskrim

Last week I was at an ice-cream parlor for some cold dessert. But after a while I had second thoughts, looking at the long queue. Any line longer than the length equivalent to my height is considered long for me. Tetapi memandangkan keinginan untuk merasakan sesuatu yang sejuk dan berperisa Butter Pecan itu agak menebal di sanubari, ku gagahkan jua walaupun terpaksa berhadapan dengan dugaan Tuhan yang paling besar: menangkis serangan B.O yang sungguh massive dari jejaka yang sedang beratur di hadapanku. Balik mandi la brader!

But that's not the story. Setibanya aku di hadapan kaunter aku dikejutkan dengan "Bonjour madame!". Oh hey bekas anak murid rupanya. Tersengih-sengih sambil cuba membetulkan rambut yang dipotong stail rambut orang mainan Lego. Macam helmet. Comel tetapi serabut.

"You OK madame?"
"So far so good. Thanks for asking. How are you?"
"I OK je madame. I work here dah nak dekat 6 months. I is very enjoy."
"Owhh...so are you doing this job part time?"
"Yes. Bapak suruh belajar Inggeris. Ambik kelas malam. Tapi tak cool la madame. Better I work here dapat duit lebih. Week-end boleh ronda-ronda. I is enjoy like that."

Now there is one thing everybody should know. Every language teacher is equipped with a special invisible mask that can hide his or her true facial expression whenever a student makes a grammar mistake or says something that will cause the teacher to cringe inwardly. I call it the "Make Donno" invisible mask.

Make Donno invisible mask ON.

Just smile.
And reply politely.
"Kalau macam tu bagilah madame satu doubleheader cone. Satu scoop Rocky Road. Satu lagi Pralines 'n Cream."

Tak jadilah nak makan aiskrim perasa Butter Pecan tu. Takut nanti I is tak enjoy.

Tina the female warrior

Early this morning I was awakened by four paws doing the Jane Fonda cycling-in-the-air movement at my back. I had been sleeping on my side and didn't realize that one of my cats was napping behind me. And was trying to do a hostile take-over of the bed by kicking me out of my sleeping place.

Kurang asam punya kucing. Bukan main lagi perangai diva nya tu. Nampaknya ada yang nak kena gomol extra ni.

Gambar di atas adalah gambar Tina di dalam pose bajet cute nya.

Maksud kata

papillon [papijɔ̃]

1.	entomologie butterfly papillon de nuit moth

2.	(familier) [contravention] (parking) ticket

3.	(familier) [esprit volage] c'est un (vrai) papillon he's fickle

4.	technologie [écrou] butterfly or wing nut [obturateur, clapet] butterfly valve

5.	sport butterfly (stroke)

http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires-prononciation/francais/papillon/10187

A double celebration

I have two friends who celebrate their birthday on Christmas Day. One is from France and the other is from Melaka. So December 25 holds two special meanings for them.

This morning when I sms-ed them my birthday wishes, I wondered: When Santa Claus came to deliver them to their parents' door step when they were born, did he drive a Citroën 2CV or a Proton Saga Iswara? Was he in a red Santa suit with all the white fur trimmings? Or just super relaxed santai-santai pakai t-shirt Pagoda putih dengan kain pelikat for better air circulation?

And while he's in Malaysia, I'm pretty sure Monsieur SC will really whack the roti canai and even bring back home a year's supply. Cos I don't think you can find any Nirvana Maju or Devi's Corner up there in the North Pole. The extreme sub-zero temperature will just kill the taste of any deserving Ayam Masala.

Well anyway, Happy Birthday guys!

Salade aux fruits

When I told a friend about my intention to have a blog, the first thing he asked me was:
"What is your theme?"

Eh...nak buat blog mesti ada tema ke?
"Of course my dear! Is it going to be satirical? Funny? Political? Dark? All about sharing recipes? Bikin cerita mistik ala Tamar Jalis?"

Errr....
Rojak boleh?

As my niece would sometimes say to me as we hang around doing nothing,
"Mak Long, there are so many songs playing in my head right now...I just don't know which one to sing..."

Saya budak baru belajar

Hello there....

*nervous laugh*

pandang ke kiri dan ke kanan...