Frankly, I’m getting a little tired of:

* playing blind to the very clean and hygienic surrounds (not!);
* playing deaf to shouting, clanging and clattering as background “music” to a very conducive (not) dining environment;
* forgetting that I have a sense of smell and not retching when the wind blows my way from the dumpsite/clogged drain/cooking area;
* ignoring the methodical and hygienic (not) processes involved in cleaning cutlery and crockery;
* suffering the lack of a non-smoking area;
* having to watch where I put my hands because the table is wet, sticky, greasy, or all of the above;
* having to watch my feet because a cockcroach, rat, or some other vermin might decide to just run across them;

if it’s not the above then:
* uncomfortable chairs and tables;
* being annoyed by bad service despite the exhorbitant prices and the service charge;
* abstaining from complaining about paying MYR60 for a meal and still having to serve myself;
* yet again playing deaf but now to the very noisy environment because the hard walls and surfaces reverberate and reflect sound instead of absorbing it;
* not having a cool (as in temperature) atmosphere because dining “al fresco” has become the “in”-thing.

Posted on August 20th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: My Malaysia | 11 Comments »

More than a few of you will recognise me in this:

Jikon Lai is an energetic Aries with an irrepressible zest for life. When you need a problem solving or a decision making, Jikon Lai is the ideal candidate for the job. If you are ever worried about how to handle something - or you need someone you can absolutely rely on - Jikon will be the first to stride forward boldly declaring “Don’t worry we’ll soon sort THIS out.”
And, what’s more, he will.

Jikon Lai is not the kind of person to issue an empty promise. What Jikon says Jikon does - regardless of the consequences! That’s part of the trouble. Jikon just doesn’t know how to play the game of ‘consequences’. He likes to live for the moment. He likes to throw himself passionately into whatever he happens to be feeling, thinking (or lusting after) right here right now. That’s why Jikon usually ends up getting whatever he wants. That’s also why, regardless of what he gets, he always ends up wanting something else!

It is not that Jikon is fickle, more that he is fast. Fast on the uptake, fast on the trigger, fast on his feet and fast with his thoughts. He may give you the impression of being calm, and measured but inside his head, there’s a state of the art computer, processing information at the speed of light. His ideas are not the only things that can come and go in a hurry. Sometimes Jikon’s moods are just as mercurial. One moment he is secretly seething, the next; perfectly poised. You can usually tell though - because Jikon rarely hides his feelings.

You can’t help loving Jikon Lai because no matter what he does or what he says you know that he has a heart as big as a mountain.

Go find out what Cainer says about you here. And report back!

Posted on August 19th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Notable: Personal | 11 Comments »

I can’t get the following out of my head:

…my brain is big,
and my life is little…
- Huzir Sulaiman, “Atomic Jaya”

Is life about fulfilling one’s potential OR having a “balanced” lifestyle and living contentedly?

And yes, there is a trade-off. There is always a trade-off…

Posted on August 18th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Notable: Personal | No Comments »

I like to believe that we are all capable of doing great things. All we need is the opportunity to do so. Opportunity, however, does not always come as a matter of course. In most cases, we have to prove our mettle before it is given. Unfortunately, our effort towards that aim is not always recognised, either in kind or in compensation. If that lack of recognition persists, not least by the continued absence of opportunity to do greater things, then all effort will dwindle. That’s when our dedication and tenacity wane and people fade into a life of obscurity.

Posted on August 18th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Notable: Personal | 2 Comments »

It’s a quiet, pleasant weekend. Or at least it has been so far. Haven’t had one in a long time. Been checking emails, doing laundry, and chilling out in front of the telly. I’m also reading The Map of Tenderness. Lovely title that. Borrowed it from the British Council. Am halfway through. It’s alright.

Andrew’s gone out for a short while. I’ve the house to myself. I’m going to chuck in a CD and have a nice hot shower before continuing with the novel. I hope he takes me out for a nice dinner tonight…

I couldn’t resist checking Cainer. He’s got lovely news for me:

You are nearly at the end of your long wait. Your patience will yet be rewarded.

And I think the cards were right. Life appears to be starting afresh on all fronts. It’s not entirely new. And it most certainly is not an about turn. But good things and turns, not matter how small, are always welcome.

Posted on August 16th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Life with a Heavy Heart | 2 Comments »