Melancholy

It is one thing to be depressed but to be melancholic, it is another ballgame all together.

Melancholia is a witch's stew of grief, helplessness and despondency. While to cure depression one only needs to take prozac, melancholy can be banished with chocolate, Ben and Jerry's or a friend who is hell bent on making you feel better regardless of the snarls. Hence while it does not induce suicidal tendencies, it still can wreck havoc with ones daily routine.

Sesame street dreams

This song has been riding on the coattails of my mind for the longest time.

To the point that all I remember is the word celery and I have been calling it "se-lerry" for over 15 years. THIS is the reason why. Three cheers for Captain Vegetable.

Merry Christmas

I wish you peace in your household and in your heart. I wish you joy. I wish you good tidings. May you revel in beauty, love and magic today and everyday. Realise that you are loved more than you will ever know. XOXO

Congratulations!

Cheers to the happy couple! Sorry we went to the wrong wedding. Jalan HS Lee is home to many many buildings. Lucky thing we checked to see if we were at the right temple. We nearly died because when we steped into the temple, the maplai was not as handsome. Heck it was not even the correct maplai. Lucky we didn't just help ourself to the mutton yet. We went out back, through the alleyway, past through some back doors, in and out, roundabout and just when we thought we found the correct location, we almost died the second time when we saw the same maplai! His guests must be wondering why he invited a bunch of hysterical idiots.

We made it eventually to the right wedding and here is proof! You both look gorgeous!

dead terrorist

If you are sensitive, go away. Sense of humour compulsory.

Moirai

It's December again. The seasons have come and gone.

Time for reminiscing about the year that was. I think I did rather well this year. Far fewer personal tragedies to bury in the backyard and certainly more laugh lines. God, I have such deep laugh lines spearing my eyes I looked like my granny. Not a bad thing. A testimony that the world has been kind to me, kan?

Have been quite ill for a couple of weeks and even now the wheezing still does make frequent cameo appearances. Especially after the occasional cigarette. If you are thinking of emailing me a lecture, don't. Silent rolling of eye, can. All calls to repent have been met with asinine obstinacy.

In any case, I have absolutely nothing to report because office grievances have come to be so convoluted that it is easier to discuss Dante with a clotheshorse than to explain the ecosystem that is workplace politics. Sigh.

Of course, if you have been reading the news, you would know that we have been having some exciting going-ons in the city with people demonstrating in the streets. This is overdue if you ask me. Rejection of status quo is bound to happen sooner or later and civil disobedience has always been the catalyst of change. I just hope there is no escalation of violence. Regardless of which side initiates or instigates. Wishful thinking I know.

I'd love to be traveling again.
London.
Definitely. Whole heartedly. To go collect my heart back. Its been so long. Damn you, poverty!

Facebook has also been seeing quite a bit of me lately. Amongst my other addictions this year. And I have been hooked to plenty. Some tacky, some downright dumb and some that will take a long time to get over. I think we as humans have a propensity for seeking out trouble and in the process, the journeys bestow us that depth that defines us as individuals. I think I am heading for heartbreak.

And Civilization Commeth

So guess what the big buzz in Taiping is now.
Hypermarts!
No, I am not kidding.

For all you non-Taiping people, this tiny town has resisted change for the most part of my growing up.

Like when McDonalds opened, it was soft serve salvation from heaven. Finally somewhere decent to date.

Fast forward 10 years and you can just imagine the frenzy Tesco caused when it opened its doors. Located at Jalan Kamunting, apparently it caused a traffic jam (!) on the first day.

So when Giant opened on Deepavali day, we stayed far far away. Yet the allure of fresh plastic bags and long aisles of fast moving consumer goods was too strong. Resistance was futile. Especially if you have a mom like mine.

Ok we kids were homesick for KL. The shameless consumerism soothed the soul.

In any case, it was a good break. In between the hypermart hopping, we did complete our pilgrimage to the usual places of gastronomic worship i.e. the goreng pisang stall, Kuala Sepetang seafood, Green House, Prima et cetera, et cetera.

And it was all good!

I got her eyes

I started this blog a lifetime ago, writing about a grandfather I hardly knew.

This Deepavali, having gone home to visit my grandmother and of course get cozy with her infamous mutton curry, in between mouthfuls, I was a little touched and struck by the independence (perhaps loneliness),kindness and even tenderness of this matriarch.

We don't talk you know. Mainly because I don't speak Tamil and she speaks hardly any English. But year by year, I get by with saying Yes, No and Enough Already. She makes fun of my Tamil and I hang my head in shame. Repeat 20 years.

My earliest recollection of my Grandmother was her sitting in the kitchen with my dad, talking deep into the night, the yellow flicker of the single oil lamp etching shadows on the wall. It was during Deepavali past I think. I was five. We were visiting and we all bunked in my Grandfather's squatter house then. Within its papan walls and zinc roofing, there was so much laughter which due to circumstance and adult foolishness finally ebbed away into nothing. For us anyway.

My Grandmother is ageless and yet, as I grow older, I see her descent into old age and my heart breaks a little.

Hehehehe
My Maiden Medical Joke

Happy Deepavali

Please note that the blogger will be stuffing her face with homemade puri, mutton curry and assorted cookies this festive season as she makes her yearly pilgrimage to her Grandmother's to try to deplete her food supplies.

Happy festival of lights.