Yesterday saw me, Huda, Naz and a few others at the Home@ Hong San.

I didn't realise it was the same one that I went to in 2005, until Huda mentioned "Awin, do you see Farhan over there?"

And I'm like "Huh?" Cos I didn't think it could be the same Farhan as the one I visited in 2005. It is. Apparently, the kids from Singapore's Children Society have been moved to Hong San, somewhere at Choa Chu Kang. Eh dah besar lah Farhan! He's 7 now, and in Pri 1. So I went up to him and asked if he remembers me. Obviously he doesn't. So I reminded him by telling him of the trip to Labrador Park where he said he wanted to learn how to silat. And his face broke into a shy smile. He remembers! And when I said he's so big now, he smiled wider. I so happy! But he's a bit naughty now. He and some of the bigger boys pukul bantai each other seh! Sometimes maki-hamun pong jalan. And they were not reprimanded by the caretakers, probably because they are non-Singaporeans. So they probably wouldn't know what knn and ccb mean. Quite disturbing.

We had bbq and some games for them but the movie screening of Cars has to go cos we were running late. And while the kids played games, Huda and I stood near them and guessed what each kid would likely be when they grow up. We had some lawyers, doctors, teachers, we had an air steward and we also had a few Ah Longs pasal muka mereka ala-ala tailong. We also had a Bonny Hicks because she has Bonny Hicks's hair! So chic! Initially, I thought she was a boy cos SHE is quite handsome! Hurhur. Then I thought, maybe she's not a Bonny Hicks. I think she could be a Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry. Hurhur. But she can be pretty too. She's androgynous! So chic! Macam New York!

Thanks Huda for sending me home! I was glad I didn't have to public yesterday, with me smelling like a walking barbeque!

Hey I'm blogging from home!

Bless my brother Farhan for getting a new PC and and Internet connection. He's in Brunei, by the way. Ala-ala serving the nation. And he's a medic. Like I'm not surrounded by medics as it is already. Well actually, it's just Yan.

Frankly, I think medics are quite hot. Hurhur. Cos like for example, I don't have to worry about a cut due to cooking mishaps, like cutting the potato or a burn when I try to turn on the fire to steam chicken or something, or even the occasional broken fingernail. Hurhur. And I can always depend on Yan to tell me what medicine to buy over at the pharmacy if I need something. Medics are hot. But of course I don't tell my brother that! Are you mad~

My cousins just got back from Korea! I'm so jealous! I wanted to go too! If I were still at the old work place, I would have taken a few days leave and join them there. I heard they had some (mis)adventures and they sure sound like fun! I love the seasoned seaweed they brought back. It's so addictive. Aku rasa mungkin mereka ada bubuhkan ganja sikit ah. Macam ala-ala gian tau. Hurhur.

But if I could choose, I wanna go New Zealand again. I'm so in love with it. I want to retire there. Prefereably somewhere near Victoria Point. I don't have them with me now, but if I remember, I'd post up some pictures of my time there. Huda included in those pictures. And shop at Glassons every week. Notswithstanding the fact I'd be a wrinkly, old granny by the time I retire there. Hurhur.

I can't wait for this Friday. If it materializes lah. But I don't wanna go Newton again! What if I get diarrhoea/food poisoning again! It was the sambal sotong lahI swear! PLUS, there's so many cats there! And the cats are erm, not-so-clean. I mean, I know they're strays so I don't expect them to be super clean but the cats there look like they're infected with some kinda street disease. I'm not mean, I'm just concerned.

ALSO, we've been there before so why can't we try somewhere different... Like Lau Pa Sat or something hurhur. And LPS is near to my work place! And we all know how I finish work late sometimes, right, so if we go LPS, I won't be too late.

Am I whining? Am I demanding too much? I hope not. Hurhur. But if you girls love me, we'd go somewhere else :(

Because I really cannot have a peace of mind while eating when I know there are cats roaming around my legs.

I remember during the early days of my dating Yan, I'm sure he used to think that I'm like atas and all cos I refused to eat at hawker centres and such (read: eating places without air-cons). It's not that. I'm just terrified of 'em cats, that's all. But I've found ways to overcome the social barrier now cheyba. Like for example, I tucked my knees under my chin if I know there's a cat somewhere roaming under the table. But I must tell you, it doesn't look very pretty. Ok imagine eh... Makan mee goreng with my knees tucked under my chin. Macam perempuan sewel lah nyaarr.

And on one occassion, I almost got Yan blinded cos I saw a cat 5 metres away from our table and jumped out of my skin and onto the chair and at the same time, waving my fork around wildly in the air - where Yan's eye was only a few milimetres away from the fork. Member bingit seh. He got so worked up! Pasalkan nanti jadi Sofyan Selamat, macam mana!

So you see, I hope these warrant enough life-threatening reasons on why we shouldn't be eating at Newton this Friday. I would go berserk, lovelies.

Something must be really wrong with me.

I drank SOYA BEAN MILK.

HELLO Robert~ Robert De Niro~

Soya bean milk, hor.

If you know me, I avoid soya bean milk, bandung and chin chow as much as I can. Hell, I just DON'T drink them. But if these are the last 3 drinks on Earth, I'd drink soya bean milk, bandung then chin chow, in that order.

But this week alone, I had 2 servings of soya bean milk. DUA.

Next thing you know, I'd be guzzling down chin chow like its Evian.

On another note, I can't believe it's Friday. I've never loved Fridays as much before until now. I'm so grateful for Fridays. It's a whole new meaning to TGIF lah.

And CONGRATULATIONS LEY!!

This year's Hari Raya, you can take the wheel and drive us around k? Kalau nak tunggu Jila kan, we will have to wait for another 6 years eh please. Hurhur. Then if you're tired right Ley, Maz can take over, pasal kan Maz seasoned sikit. Then Insya Allah next year I can help. Hurhur. I'm finally breaking the "I'd rather be driven around than be driving" stubborn stance.

Alrighty people! Have a blast weekend!

These past few days, I've been feeling unsettled. And I hate it. I hate feeling unsure. But I hate making mistakes more. So I don't think ASKING would do any harm.

I hate what's happening around me now.

Sometimes, I'd stop in the middle of work and go to the ladies' to cry. Just to blow off steam. Just so I can continue the day.

Sure, I may seem alright from the outside, but I'd cry almost every day. Surely, this cannot be right. And it's not just another PMS. That's over and done with. I'd do some self-deprecating and I don't think that's healthy. I'd like to think I'm pretty durable because I emerge from most hardships unscathed but who am I lying? I really am a porcelain vase on the windowsill, one that will shake and fall when the fierce wind blows.

Let's just hope I get over this one like I get over most things.

Anyway, I've already said this to the girls BUT

Wah dah 24 tahun ni! I'm still young! Hurhur.

And Saturday at you-know-where doing you-know-what was all good! But I think the person who enjoyed it most must be Jila! Right, Eli? Bukan main eh~ Mentang-mentang 'single' and *egilible! Hurhur.

*Note: Egilible is a word that exists. It's the cousin of 'eligible'. But it's a bit different. E.g. Jila has a boyfriend but is still EGILIBLE. Hurhur.

My Vesak Day was pretty exciting.

I got a call very early in the morning from my sick grandma, asking me if I could buy her some porridge. I said sure. Hailing a cab on public hols is a bitch, I tell ya. I had to call for a cab FROM JURONG WEST TO BOON LAY JER EH SILA~

After hanging out for awhile at my gramps', I walked to Boon Lay Shopping Centre, looking for a hair salon. Boon Lay Shopping Centre tempat old school giler punya lah! They still have those marble tables where the apeks can play chinese chess.

So the first salon I spotted was this old-looking unit and dari luar aku tengok, macam it hasn't changed since 1980s. And it seems old and ugly so I walked around looking for a nicer place. I found one but it was packed so I went back down to the first salon.

"Hi! I'd like to know how much you charge for a wash and blow?"

Nyonya: (her back facing me) *silence*

Me: "Err excuse me? Auntie?"

Nyonya: (her back still facing me) "Yah yah... Yes?"

"I want to wash and blow my hair. How much har?"

"Ahhh TUWEF DOLLER!"

"Hah twelve dellers! Why so expensive!" (Pasalkan tempat tu macam old gituk, then charge $12 expensive leh...) "Ok if I don't want to wash? Just blow only how much? Because I washed at home already."

Nyonya: "Eh if STEP only not nice lah! Must wash!"

Me: "Why not nice leh? Everytime I wash myself then ask the hairdresser to blow for me... Nice what. How much?"

Nyonya: "No no I say NOT NICE! If you STEP only, never wash NOT NICE!"

Me: "AUNTIE! Wa takmo cuci, takmo gunting, takmo STEP! Wa mau BLOW ajer! Okay TAK NI?" (because in my head, 'step' is a form of cutting technique right? Siapa kata aku nak gunting STEP ni??? Step pandai lah nyonya ni.)

Nyonya: "Okay egg doller!"

Me: "Okay, egg doller. Blow only eh... Lu buat lawa tak auntie?"

Nyonya: "Tak tau, tak tau... Wa tak tau buat."

Me: (confused) "Huh? Lu tak tau buat? Abeh kenaper lu bilang wa step lah, egg doller lah..."

Nyonya: "Yalah wa tak tau buat. Lu tanya wa macam gini hor, lawa ke tak hor, wa cakap wa tak tau lorrr..."

Me: "Eh auntie, kenaper lu marah-marah ni? Wa cuma tanya takder pape leh. Wa tanya semua hairdresser, ini macam lawa ke tak, orang cakap 'lawa!', tak marah sama wa pon! Kenaper lu marah-marah?!"

Nyonya: "Abeh lu tanya wa ini macam, bikin wa HATI SAKIT! (eleh) Eh lu tengok sini wa punya buku ahh (sambil pointing to all her very old, dog-eared hairstyle books.) Ini wa punya. Lu bukan satu OLANG customer hor. Wa sini satu bulan bayar ini kedai (took calculator and press press press 4'000 and showed me) ini duit leh. Lu tanya wa buat lawa ke tak, kalau wa buat tak lawa, mana wa boleh cari makan sampai (show calculator)!"

E'EH nyonya ni. Wah wah wahhhHHhh~ Nyonya eksyen eh! Konon-konon bayar sewa $4,000 jer kira best ah tu. Apa sajerrr jer. Takder kena-mengena siak. Telinga aku dah merah panas-panas ni!

Me: "Eh okay lah nyonya. Lu tak tau buat rambut ah? (Nyonya: "Yah yah wa tak tau buat!") Oh okay lorrr! Takder gini. Besok lu tutup ini kedai eh! Lu jual! Tutup sua!"

Nyonya: "Eh wa suka, wa taknak tutup!"

Me: "Takder, takder, lu tutup bagus. Lu tengok itu atas kedai banyak orang, sini lu punya tempat kosong. Pasal semua takut sama lu! Eh besok lu tutup, okay? Bakar pun bagus!" And I turned my heels to walk out of the salon. But then, I had an image of her throwing her scissors at me so I quickly walked to the door but not before I said "Ahhhh~!" with that 'pegi bla lah lu' hand gesture. I could still hear the nyonya cursing at the background.

Hurhur. Best kan gaduh dengan nyonya. Nyonya emo seh. Sampai amik calculator nak tunjuk duit sewa semua. Per jer. Not trying to sound like a sour grape but I wouldn't want someone like her to wash my hair lor. Orang dia macam mana tau. Severely overweight. Hair hastily bunched up in a clip AND a hairband. Blue tights. Pink plain t-shirt with a stain at the right sleeve. Aku observant ah jangan main-main. I wouldn't want someone with ugly hair and even uglier mannerisms to touch my hair. My hair cost more than your salon ah...

Abeh kan, the name of the shop is Proscis. I suppose it's short for Professional Scissors. Eh neh lah Proscis. Proboscis, more like, okay?

Hello everybodies!

Amacam semua, ada baik tak? Baiiikkkk? Bagus! Hurhur. Annoying lah Awing.

It has been quite a lousy weekend for me because I've been attacked by the flu bug and some slight fever, all because of the infamous once a month female 'curse'.

I'm always tired and lethargic and sleepy. I sleep in the train, sleep while reading newspaper (yes, on the floor all), I even slept during Spongebob Squarepants!

Yes, I went to watch Spongebob and friends at the Expo with Melor, Yan's sister. I feel cheated leh, because the Spongebob has got a real human head! Hurhur. As in, we all know that Spongebob has got eyes and mouth on the sponge itself right? But this one has got a real human head! I don't like. It's a bit spastic. The show was okay-okay only. Nothing could beat Hi-5 last year though. Abang Yan sponsored so all I had to do was chaperone Melor and feed her every 5 mins. She's one very hungry girl.

Daym, I'm talking like a happy mother hor. Padahal I'm a swinging single. But not very available. Hurhur.