Service With A (Forced) Smile

Very few friends know that I've once considered going for flight attendant tryouts when I was in college...just another one of those moments of madness.

Being petite I knew I wouldn't make the height requirement. Back then I used to wonder what the fuss was all about just because I'm 1cm shorter than the min height reqt. It was only when I started flying frequently on my job that I realised height is needed...to reach the overhead compartment.

It was also during my flights that I realised it wasn't such a glamorous job after all - firstly its a chore having to slap on all those thick makeup & create a typhoon-safe hairdo...and I'm a hopeless slob.

It is also unavoidable for any rookie attendant to be assigned economy class duties but that has its extra downsides -
- Standing for long hours, doing balancing acts with that hot cuppa in your hand & having to smile thru the whole act. There are times when you wonder whether you're hired to serve or be a circus act...
- Having to brush past the shoulders of those "bigger" male passengers....I can bet you that some of them enjoy it
- Having to eat leftover airline meals - not that they are good to begin with. You can't afford to starve or even worse, faint due to low sugar levels during long haul flights
- Having to serve meals - and then collect the cutlery & crockery - in record time
- Having to unbuckle yourself from the seat to run to a jakun passenger who has conveniently got up from his seat to talk to a neighbouring friend whilst the plane is queueing for take-off
- Having to remain patient when a passenger keeps making silly demands - happened in my recent flight back from Tokyo. It was bad enough that I was coughing my lungs out, I had to travel on economy beside this Msian guy. As with my other economy flights, I'll usually board early as kiasu Me wanna hog compartment space ~

Moi : (Buckled up, settled down with magazine. Took aisle seat as usual on economy flights)
Guy : (Came in fashionably late) Oh excuse me....
Moi : (a bit annoyed....but remained calm...unbuckled myself, stood up & let the guy thru)
Guy : (Fidget, fidget, fidget....)
Moi : (What da????!)
Plane took off....
Attendant : (Bringing the 1st drink) Would you like some juice?
Moi : (Took a drink) Thanks
Guy : Do you haf champagne?
Moi : (Hah?)
Attendant : (Sweet voice) No sir, we don't serve champagne...
Guy : You don't haf champagne?
Attendant : (Still sounding sweet) No sir we don't ...
Guy : What about sparkling wine?
Moi : (Siau...)
Attendant : (Trying very hard to sound sweet) No sir we don't have that either...
Guy : Has it always been like that?
Moi : (I gotta save the poor girl). Muttering to my magazine I went ~ Wellifyouareinbusinessclassyoucanhaveanythingyouwantbutthisiseconomy....
Attendant : (Heard my muttering...regained composure) Yes, if you are in business class then you can get champagne
Guy : (Obviously thirsty from all his talking) Get me a beer then
Attendant : Yes sir, in a moment

Later on during the flight, when meals are served...
Guy : I'd like coffee....with fresh milk
Moi : (Wha...??! Ok if it wasn't for the earlier has-it-always-been-like-that champagne thingy I wouldn't have reacted to this one)
Attendant : I will get it for you sir after I've served dinner
A few minutes later, attendant returned with cup of fresh milk ...
Attendant : Here you go sir, I'll serve the coffee in a minute
Captain : (Over PA system) L&G we are currently experiencing some turbulence. For your safety there will be no hot drinks served....
Moi : (HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA.....)
Guy : (Stares at cup of milk)
Attendant : I'm sorry sir I can't serve you coffee at the moment
Guy : Errr....get me a 7-up then

To all you flight attendants out there....for all that you go thru in the skies, I salute you.

Post-Injury Therapy Blues

It looks like I'm not thru with the barks & roots yet...I still feel a massive pull around the joints whenever I do stretching exercises on the ankle. Sigh.

The only bright news is that the limbs are indeed a lot more relaxed with swimming, and Doc has taught me more stuff to get those wretched muscles & ligaments back in shape -

Doc : ok...after you're done swimming...stand at the balls of your feet....and count to 50. that way, you'll strengthen both ur calf & hamstring...
Moi : ooohh....like wearing hi heels...
Doc : NONONONO HI HEELS....
Moi : aiyah...i mean stand like wearing hi heels...
Doc : ohhh....ah yeah lah (writing prescription) remember ur diet ah....
Moi : (*!#%&!!)

And I tend to get tired very fast lately. Could it be a reaction to the sudden halt in activities, or am I coming down with something again....

Whip Up The Speedos

Today's session has gotta be the shortest one so far. All Doc did was take a look at my ankle, press his thumb at the flattened bulge & went ~

Doc : aha...it is way less stiff than 3 days ago
Moi : yes ah?? (sure or not?)
Doc : (writing prescription) remember....no tea...chinese tea, teh tarik, whatever tea....
Moi : (suddenly wide awake) oh....that means i can take everything else? (i'm seeing ice-creams running towards me)
Doc : oh no no....still cannot take spicy, chilli, tea, cold stuff (ice-creams suddenly make U-turn *@!*#!!)

However I have a feeling that my bittersweet affair with the medication might be ending soon & the ice-creams, teh-o ais limau will all come running back to me. Doc told me it's time that I start rebuilding strength on my leg...told me to go swimming. By stopping salsa & gym visits, I thot that my fitness levels will hit rock bottom...so this is good news.

So it's time to whip up the swimsuit & make full use of the condo pool...after all I'm paying $$ for its maintenance.

A Moment Of Marked Madness

Months before my birthday I told myself that I'll get a tattoo on my lower back...just to leave a mark for turning 40.

Since my bday had come & gone and all I now have is a twisted mess of ligaments, I'm now thinking...what kind of mark should I then make? Spotted a model on a magazine cover with a pierced bellybutton. Well well well....

Realign My Sanity Please

Just now, Doc asked me how I'm feeling. I told him that I'm not doing that bad but not doing that well either - there was still pain on the ankle joint everytime I apply direct pressure on it or when I try moving my foot in an awkward angle. My foot's mobility is still somewhat limited even though I don't hobble around anymore. He checked my pulse & told me that I'm exhausted...which is true as I had a horrendous time in office last week & I hadn't fully recover from it over the weekend. Told you before...you can't hide anything from him.

He twirled my foot around & asked me to tell him in which position the ankle hurt. As expected, it was when the foot was bent towards the left as that was how I sprained it (duhhhh). Then begun a massage session which I can't even describe how painful it was. In a desperate attempt to prevent myself from screaming cold-blooded murder, I broke out in cold sweat...mind you, I was in an air-con room. Even Doc's Snoopy slippers couldn't put a smile on my face.

Surprisingly after a short massage (it felt like eternity though) he twirled my foot again & I found that it could be bent to a much wider angle before I felt any pain. Hey, the torture session worked. Motivated by the answer, he started massaging again to get more results. @*&#!%!!.....

I'm bracing myself for another painful session this coming Friday. After my ankle has healed, I wonder if I need additional sessions to realign my sanity. Well, at least the good Doc is merciful - he has taken off the earthworms from his latest prescription.

Suddenly Everything Looks Taller

Following Doc's advice of no high heels, I went to get myself a pair of flats. I figured that they look better than sandals in office.

Due to my bunion problem, I've steered clear of killer stilletos n pointy toed footwear but my shoes have always got some amount of heel in them. Probably the last time I've ever worn flatties to work on a weekday was like 10 yrs ago.

I sure walk funny in them...

Deliberate Stupidity??

It's always great going to Bangsar once in a long while despite its congested roads, SPGs & the occasional pretentious club hoppers. After all it had been my home for 25 yrs & it's interesting to see how it has changed since the last visit.

Took some ppl from the regional office for dinner at Telawi Street Bistro...known for its great food n relaxing ambience. Enjoying the entrees of mozarella tomato salad & lamb rolls (thank gawd they still serve something that don't break my diet) when we heard a guy shout "DON'T F**K WITH ME!!!" again & again for 5 long minutes.

Even though my guests are from HK & have undoubtedly encountered such scenes before, I secretly wished that someone will just walk up to that guy with a beer bottle (an empty one of course - no point wasting good beer on such a buffoon) & knock him out cold to spare me from further embarassment.

Turned out that one of the guys in the bar area was hitting on a girl who was with her bf...hence the outburst by the bf. I hope his actions have been alcohol-driven & not arising from plain stupidity...thinking he can get away with it. Isn't there supposed to be an unwritten social rule that a guy shouldn't hit on a girl who's with another guy...even though the girl herself is looking for a "sideline activity" & he's getting the come-hither signals from her?

As much as I love you guys & acknowledge the fact that most of you will defend me in my hour of need, you gotta admit there are a few of your kind out there who probably need some serious Pentium upgrade in their heads. If you haf a hot-looking gf & you wanna show her off, you're in for a busy time if you chose to hang out in an area that is basically a large pick-up joint. If you're busy ogling other girls, don't blame other guys for taking advantage of your moment of diversion. If you do not wish other guys to hit on ur girl, keep an eye on her or at least pay her enough attention so that she doesn't in turn get distracted by others.

Have your hands all over her as much as you want...for I'd rather witness gross PDAs than watching u embarass ur girl, cause distress to the others n worst of all, humiliate urself by public outbursts n profanity.

Lemang...Please Don't Foresake Me...

I just realised that this is the 1st Raya that I'll have to live thru without lemang n serunding *SNIFF*

It Takes A Posse To Bring Out The Best In You

When I first took up salsa 3 yrs ago, it was for the mere intention of picking up a new skill...a welcome diversion from my drab, mundane job & an outlet for stress. The first one-and-a-half years went on uneventfully. I dutifully turned up for classes but hardly went to the clubs...most of the ppl in my class weren't the clubbing type anyway. It didn't really bother me as I got what I wanted...or so I thought.

After the initial quiet period, more & more ppl signed up for classes...a group started forming & that was when things really took off. Despite coming from different backgrounds with different interests, we just simply clicked.

Any newcomer to the group will be amazed at how different we all are - with ages ranging from the mid 20's to late 40's, there are architects, businessmen, insurance agents, IT ppl, accountants (a few of them actually), bankers, marketeers, diving instructors, lawyers, kindy teachers, engineers, even a therapist for special needs children...the list goes on.

Apart from a love for the dance, we discovered that we also have other common interests - from shopping (I'm definitely not in this group LOL), travelling, photography, good food, japanese anime, fantasy stories, scuba diving to stuff like treasure hunting, car racing & theatre plays. There's always someone to do something or go somewhere with.

The Posse (as I call them) never fail to welcome a newcomer to the group, so the group's always growing. In fact the staff at Devi's Tmn Tun (the studio's right above it) recognise us & we in turn know a lot of them by name. One sight of us heading in & they'll start rearranging tables coz they know we are a big bunch of ppl...not to mention big eaters as well. Heck, we even taught them how to make perfect half-boiled eggs. We'd like to think that we have glamorised the place for them...but sorry lah, we still have to pay for our food haha.

The Posse's teh-tarik sessions are legendary. We can spend hours in conversation - swinging from mere nonsense (or talking cock as the gang calls it) & bitching abt ppl with attitude problems (ie those notorious ones who do badly in class & yet don't accept constructive feedback) to deep, profound discussions of life & problems.

Our salsa outings are now restricted to Little Havana on Fridays & for some of them, the Attic on Sundays.
On Saturdays some may plan for movies or what I call the crazy man's nite out - dinner at PJ followed by clubbing (they are Heritage Row kakis), then karaoke (read : atrocious renditions of 60's & 70's songs), ending with dim sum breakfast at Cheras. As mucn as I get taunted there's no way I'll be sucked into an all-nite outing like that.

But it has not always been an easy ride for us. There were times when we had heated arguments or took sides in a disagreement but we've always managed to talk things thru & never bore grudges for long. However when anyone needed encouragement, support or help, the Posse was always there for one another. We lived thru bad dance days, our instructor's comments on our dancing, shitty days in office, boy-girl problems...the list goes on. They are not afraid to tell someone off or give a reality check to ppl when they get out of line, but it's done out of honest, genuine concern. Somehow I can never seem to ask of the same from most of my non-salsa friends.

Some ppl outside the Posse find us intriguing...they seem to be amazed by the energy that the group has. I guess it's the way we were "brought up" in class...to always believe in ourselves & in one another, to value discipline & hard work, to give & accept criticism in a positive way, to encourage others & help one another to improve. It's the carpe diem attitude that has driven us to accept challenges & try new things. In fact, some of us have also seen changes in the way we interact with our families, colleagues & friends.

But if I was asked how a group of ppl who are so different stick together, I guess it's because of that...we're so different to start with. It'll always be an interesting journey of discovering one another...and a constant challenge to bring out the best in one another as we grow as individuals & friends.

To the Posse - I thank you for being in my life & for making me a part of yours. I will never be the person that I am if not for all of you.

When "Loose" Is A Nice Word

When you're a lady at 40 you'll probably turn murderous at the mere mention of words like "droop" "sag" or "loose". However it was music to my ears when Doc gave me good news - the injured ligaments have been healing well & have loosened up, which meant no more needle sessions!! The bulge will take some time to subside but everything is healing up nicely. He has even lifted the ban on seafood.

My 4th course looks dodgy...i saw them putting in stuff that looks like dried flattened earthworms.
*GULP* what to do...just close 1 eye lah...

However Doc warned that this is the riskiest phase of the recovery process - as the ligaments are now loose but still weak, it'll be easy to injure them again. His orders - no high heels, walk less & wear an ankle guard. Sigh. Grounded again.

They Really Look Good

After 10 days of grounding myself at home, I just couldn't take it anymore & dropped by the studio to see how the Intermediate 2 class is doing. If not for my injury, I'll be in that class.

Having been assessed before being accepted into that class (the most advanced level at the moment), it's an entire different ballgame for those of us who cleared the nerve-wrecking assessments. A higher expectation on strong dance discipline & focus on technique. Learning how to stand out in a crowd despite any physical disadvantages we may have (eg petite ppl like myself).

Sure enough, I witnessed the gang learning a superb, albeit technical routine & it's great to see attention paid to little details. Then comes Showtime...where everyone gets paired up & the routine will be performed one couple at a time whilst the others watch. Cikgu Sam usually videos all the routines. When you felt that you're oh-so-cool when dancing, try watching yourself on video. Part of the fun is laughing at how cacat everybody looked.

The gang told me that they're 1 girl down & asked when I'll be returning. I held my leg up to show them my ankle & they nodded. I really gotta get well quick.

The after-class teh tarik session at Devi's was great as usual...all the gossip & cock talk made up for the fact that I was surrounded by food that I can't touch (incl the teh tarik). The tandoori chicken never looked more tasty, curse....

It's Up There With Birth Contractions

I discovered to my delight today that I can walk almost as fast as I could before the accident. However the bulge below my ankle joint indicates that things are not quite back to normal yet.

More good news when Doc announced that the swelling & bruises are gone, however the ligaments are still weak. Then began another sadist session which was probably the most painful I've gone thru so far. I think Doc finally unleashed his full strength as the bruises are no longer there. In fact it was so painful that I yelled. So it was a case of -AARGH....*whew*....AAARGH....*relief*....OOWWWW....*calm*....OH SHIIITTTT....kinda like childbirth contractions. And it went on until Doc was satisfied he's done enough work with his hands & proceed to stick needles into my ankles again (they're 3 inches long btw).
I would've loved to bash him up...perhaps after I've recovered.

Begun my 3rd course...a slight switch in herbs which resulted in a grass-smelling concoction. Sigh.

Gr...Gro...Whatizit??!

One of my friends recently became the proud dad of a baby boy. When it came to the time for us to decide what to give the munchkin, there was a lot of thought invested on getting the baby something practical - something that the kid can use for many yrs, can use anywhere he goes, preferably something durable that can even be passed on to his future siblings...after all, we are Chinese & will want our money's worth, thank you.

One of the guys found something unusual on the Mothercare website. It's marketed as Grobag...it is supposed to be some kinda sleeping bag for the baby. So instead of bringing along a small mattress, pillows, blankets etc everytime they leave the house, parents can now just carry a Grobag & stuff the kid into it everytime he needs a nap and presto...baby will be kept warm & comfy.

cute-as-buttons Shen Jay, now 5 wks old, modelling the latest & hippest in nursery accessories.

lurve the i-hear-no-evil pose...

Kids have it so good these days. If a Grobag ever existed during my baby days, I bet you that it'll probably be something homemade - perhaps a quilt blanket made of leftover pieces of cloth (most likely left over from homemade pyjamas or curtains) which is then sewn together to form a bag. I still keep a quilt blanket which my late grandma made for me, which I wouldn't trade for any amount of $$ in the world - heck, it's one of the warmest blankets I've ever owned. Also in my drawers - my baby blanket - a light blue flannel blankie with a bumblebee stitched on it. Call me a sentimental fool but I'll never throw away anything handmade or bought with a lot of love...especially from those days when money was barely enough to go by.

Do Things Happen For A Reason?

This is probably the only time that I'll ever post so many blog entries within a week. My life for the past week has slowed down significantly as I temporarily throw out all of the robust activities that has become such a big part of me. Heck, I've even been walking a lot slower than I usually do. Perhaps it's a sign from the powers-that-be that I should give myself a break from routine. Or is it a warning sign that I've turned four-O & shd probably take better care of myself than I already am? So do things really happen for a reason?

Looking back at the past 5-7 yrs, I've gained a lot of friends, new skills, developed a more gung-ho attitude (sometimes with embarrasing results) & probably seen a lot more than I did in the first 30 yrs of my life. All these reqd very conscious effort that I shd come out of my shell or risk being left behind. At the same time I've lost touch with old friends or we've just simply grown apart due to the different paths we've chosen to take in our lives.

Some time ago I read an article in Cleo (probably the only local ladies' magazine that has some substance IMHO) on how we shouldn't cling on to friends despite knowing that they have grown apart from us. It's a big lesson on letting go & giving one another opportunities to make new friends & learn new experiences. Having realised this, I don't feel so guilty abt missing some old girls' get-togethers as there's really no common ground to bind me with them anymore except for the past.

I find that it also applies to my past relationships - it has become easier to accept the fact that sometimes things don't work out the way they were intended to. So I have the choice of deciding if I want to dwell in the past or to release the burden of bearing a grudge, learn my lessons & move on.

People change with every breathing moment. They gain new experiences, make mistakes & learn lessons as they go along. This is the inherent duty of any human being as they walk the face of this earth. Something is seriously wrong with anyone who does not change with time, or deny that they have changed.

Living in the 21st century meant better education opportunities for all, more knowledge to grasp & more challenges to face. People always wonder why married couples grow apart. To me, a marriage is a union between 2 people...2 human beings who are still very much individuals in their own right, evolving & improving all the time. Sometimes the paths they ultimately choose may differ - it has nothing to do with love lost, it's just a natural progression of their lives. Changes may occur during the marriage - it could be something as simple as a job or career change which will trigger off the entire chain of events.

That was exactly what happened to one of my aunts - she filed for divorce from her husband after 20 yrs of marriage. Her past romantic life was taken out from the script of a soppy 70s Taiwanese love story - her then-boyfriend (a terrific guy) had to work overseas for long periods of time, asked his friend to keep an eye out for her, and being the sentimental person she is (she did watch a lot of those Bridgette Lin-Chin Han films), she ended up falling for & marrying this friend (now her ex-husband). Relatives questioned my aunt's wisdom in choosing a husband, so it wasn't any surprise to them that the marriage bombed; but everyone was astonished that it took so many yrs to happen.

Now don't get me wrong...I'm all for marriage; however I will go into it with a sense of realism, to always cherish & appreciate my other half, to encourage him to grow as a person as long as we are capable of walking together in this wonderful journey called Life.

Of course a lot of ppl out there will disagree with my views - you have every right to. After all we are charting & walking our own paths. Live & let live.

Swell...no more!!

The smelly herbs & strict diet seem to be working. No more swelling...I can now see the metatarsals on my right foot. Never before have I loved my skinny feet so much!!

A bulge remains at the ankle joint, which meant that the ligaments haven't healed yet. It's still painful when I overexert so I'd better be a bit more patient. Looks like Doc's still gonna have a field day with his sadistic ways. But who's complaining.

Freak Show!!!

Just came home from a follow-up visit to Doc. He said my ankle's getting better, there's less swelling n all.

So the "realignment" session begun. He just seems to know which spots hurt the most & have this sadistic tendency to apply pressure on the worst spot, bending my foot back & forth, and asking "this is the spot that hurts most right?". Can someone remind me to bring along a pickaxe on my next visit.

The above was followed by a 20-min acupuncture session...4 needles below my ankle joint. I managed to whip out my hp & snapped a pic when Doc left the room for awhile -

my foot isn't THAT swollen ok...it's the camera angle

Doc changed the composition of herbs for my 2nd course - the boiled stuff tastes worse than the previous course, but I'll do anything to be able to return to the dance floor. An artist must suffer for her art, non?

Interesting fact : Do you notice that most ppl tend to sprain their right ankle instead of left? That's because we exert more body weight on the right foot. Sounds logical...Doc couldn't be pulling my leg...or shall I say foot (just punning).

This Is REALLY Not My Year :-(

I finally fulfilled my wish of going to Siem Reap, took 700+ shots, feeling really good abt it. It was so far a good outing till my 2nd last day when I went to Kbal Spean which is abt an hr's drive fr Siem Reap. The 2nd half of the journey was on potholed, red soiled roads. It didn't help that it rained the night before, so the roads were turned into puddles of red mud. I told myself the place had better be worth the trip...

Kbal Spean is famed for its 11th-13th century stone carvings on river banks & the river bed located near a small waterfall. What I wasn't told was that everyone had to do a 30-45 min hike up a hilly area. Sure, I'm in perfect physical condition to do so, but hiking is not exactly my cup of tea. Going uphill was as usual a breeze, but coming down was a different story, as I've got a bit of a vertigo problem n have this feeling that i may fall easily...

Got to the waterfall, sweaty n all, hoping to get some really good shots but the some of the carvings were heavily eroded n it took my frens quite some time to identify them. The noon sun was shining thru the jungle foliage n created specks of light on some of the carvings, so the pics didn't turn out as well as I hoped.

Well...you win some, you lose some, I thought. So we were making our way back to our van when I stepped on a wet tree root, slipped n landed my right ankle in an awkward position, lost my balance n fell on my tush.

The first few seconds was excruciatingly painful but being the trooper that I am, I made the rest of the downhill climb with little help from my friends.

My ankle now looks like a swollen blue-black glob. I could've attached a pic of it here but wouldn't wanna be sued for causing distress haha.

Seeking traditional Chinese treatment...not that I don't respect Western medicine, but in the case of sprains n strains trad treatment is better as it focuses on the source n not the symptom of the problem. Western docs would probably give you a jab n pills to ease the pain, but those things do practically nothing for misaligned muscles/ligaments which need to moved back to their original positions. Sounds like moments in hell (and feels like it too) but if that's not done it'll be easy for the same problem to recur the future. This girl has had enough sprains to know.

Doc said treat ankle first, then back. Okie dokes. Commented that the ligaments n muscles have stiffened up, so he happily stuck 5 acupuncture needles on my foot, left them there for 15 mins n then declared that the muscles have relaxed somewhat. Sent me home with 3 courses of herbs n a strict diet (no cold food, nothing sour or spicy, no crabs, prawns, squid...bananas?).

Strange things these Chinese medicine...break the diet n it's back to square one...you'll have to start the entire course all over again. Good ol' doc can't be cheated...one check of your pulse n he'll know if you've sneaked in the odd bowl of assam laksa or ice cream.

It's pretty fascinating to watch the workers at the clinic assemble the herbs. Using a small handheld dacing they'll measure x taels of root, bark n what not. I watched them closely in case they put in some dried bees or bugs. Hey...I need to know what I'll be drinking.

bark, bark n more wood. confirmed bee/bug free...

..everything goes into the pot...

...5 ricebowls of water, simmer till there's only 1 bowl left. how to know when it's already down to 1 bowl? experience la...

...boil n bubble, no more toil n trouble???...

...ok...at least it doesn't smell as bad as it looks...

...trust me. this is the only thing on earth that will get rid of the aftertaste...

...*ack* *gag* 1 down 2 to go....from Course #1

With the injury, that'll mean that I'll be missing salsa n gym for at least a month *SNIFF*

With the strict diet, that'll mean no ice-cream, jellies, watermelon, teas, roti tisu, lamb varuval, ikan bakar, marmite crabs, sambal...so much for my coming birthday celebration *SNIFF*

BUT...I'll escape the ragging by my salsa posse as I'll miss my bday dance wahoooo.....