Bed of Roses was tagged

About a week or so ago, Quesera sera has tagged this blog of mine. I'm not really sure of the rules of tagging and how it works but I'm going to give it a go anyway. So, here's my long reply to being tagged:-

8 random facts about me
(1) I enjoy reading especially well-written novels. Lately, I fall for novels written by English novelists. Honestly, I think their books are brilliantly composed with vast vocabulary and beautiful prose.
(2) I love to day-dream. I could be day-dreaming while I'm in the shower, in the kitchen while preparing dinner, and mostly in bed before I finally fall asleep.
(3) I never like children before I finally have my own offspring. But I still find it hard to like children of others except my sister's and sister-in-law's. I just adore my nephew and nieces. I could spend a whole lot buying clothes for the little girls since I don't have one of my own.
(4) I used to love window-shopping. I still do. But nowadays I'd be doing it online. Window-shopping keeps me update with the new trends in the fashion industry. It also helps me to day-dream of my next perfect dress to be added into my wardrobe.
(5) I'm camera shy eventhough many people keep telling me that the camera loves me. Truth to tell, I'm never good at posing for the camera.
(6) At times, I'd be talking or babbling or nagging to myself about the many things going on in mylife. I could be rambling about my colleagues, my partner or even the people that I passed by as I walked to the office.
(7) I'm a chocolate lover. I find it hard to resist anything that's heavenly indulged in chocolate. It may be in the form of ice-cream, cake, biscuit, waffle, or even chocolate bars. If anyone offers me chocolate, I could never refuse it.
(8) My weight is always on my alert radar. Being a chocolate lover, I constantly watch over food and the amount of food that I consume daily. If I found myself gaining extra pounds, I’d quickly imposed a strict diet regime on myself just to ensure that I lose those additional pounds within the next couple of weeks.

FAVORITE BREAKFAST IS: nasi lemak (but there’s no instant nasi lemak here. Tunggu mak datang England baru dapat makan kot)
THE MOVIE I’VE WATCHED MOST NUMBER OF: P.Ramlee movies, but I’ve new craze; Mukhsin
LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Bahasa Melayu
SPEND MY LEISURE TIME: watching telly, reading novels
WORST SMELL? My housemate cooking khinzir. Bau hanyir gile
IF I COULD HAVE ANY CAR IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Mercedes M-class
FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE? Lipat kain
WHEN I WAS A KID I DREAMT OF BECOMING A: Doctor
FAVORITE COLOR(s): Black, White, Grey
FAVORITE PERFORMER(S): None
IF I COULD REPEAT COLLEGE, I’D TAKE: Mass communication
THREE THINGS I CAN’T FORGET BEFORE GOING TO OFFICE? Handphone, kunci umah
FIRST THING I’LL BUY WITH MY FIRST SALARY: I-pod nano
I’D LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED AS: A contributing community member
IF A BOOK WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE, WOULD YOU STILL BOTHER TO READ THE BOOK? Depends on the type of book. I’d never go for horror/thriller flicks
SPECIALTY IN COOKING? Laksa kedah, mee goreng basah, sambal tumis ikan bilis
PRESENT CRUSH(ES)? Jake Gyllenhaal, the late Heath Ledger (love his deep voice)
FAVORITE HANG-OUT? Bury Millgate, Mid-valley Megamall, KLCC.
BEST PLACE TO SHOP? Bury Millgate
DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH PLAYS? I love theater. Last seen was Ali Baba the Musical
FAVORITE PLACE IN YOUR HOUSE? On the sofabed which is next to the telly
BEST GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED? Lancome Miracle with a bouquet of roses given 2 years ago during mother’s day
WEIRDEST GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED? Can’t think of any
GIFT THAT YOU WANT TO RECEIVE AS OF THIS MOMENT? I-pod nano
YAHOO OR HOTMAIL: Yahoo
LEFT OR RIGHT: Right
BLACK OR WHITE: Both
BLACK OR BLUE PEN: Black pen
SANDALS OR SHOES: Shoes
CHOPSTICKS OR SPOON AND FORK? Depends on the meal
ROBOCOP OR RAMBO: Neither
JOLLIBEE OR McD: Depends on my crave and appetite
COKE OR PEPSI: Neither. I like fruit-flavoured if I feel like drinking carbonated drinks
LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO: Fadz
LAST PERSON WHO TEXTED YOU: Fadz
LAST PERSON WHO MADE YOU LAUGH: Fadz
LAST TIME I CRIED: Early this month before I tendered my resignation notice which I then withdrew
YOU SEE ME ALWAYS DRINKING: Plain water

People whom I'd tag:-
1. Fadz
2. Yoe
3. Quesera sera
4. Besout
5. Scabbers
6. Lord Voldermont
7. Lindaz

To Quesera sera, thank you for tagging me. Even before this blog was tagged, I've long categorised the above lists as my favourite blog-hopping spots. I truly enjoy reading you guys' posts on your respective blogs. Keep up your frequent posts!

Beauty and Acceptance

"Some people are universally beautiful and some people are beautiful only to those that love them. Love changes beauty. When you love a truly beautiful person, they cease to be perfect and you love them more because you, and only you know their flaws. That's what makes them yours, the secret of the flaws. And when you love an ugly person, they become beautiful to you. That's part of the love, the fact that you know they are beautiful. People's features change when you love them. They become precious. And once you really know them, have held that face close and kissed every bit of it, you'll never recapture how it looked to you for the first time you saw it. But sometimes you see a face for the first time and know that is the face for you. And sometimes a face just grows on you, and there it is in your life, and your days would be empty without it" - Secrets of a Family Album, Isla Dewar

I was intrigued by this beautifully crafted philosophies on beauty and acceptance which was brilliantly debated between a mother and a daughter in another novel of Isla Dewar, Secrets of a Family Album. I couldn't agree more. When I first met Fadz, I was despised by his physical appearance. But somehow when I gave myself the opportunity to be close to him, I saw an inner beauty that no one else has seen in him before. The more time I spend my life time with him, listening to all his thoughts, the more I become accustomed to his unique face, hence the more I learn to accept and love him just the way he is.

The Consequences of Marriage

Last week, I have just finished reading a book by an English novelist entitled, The Consequences of Marriage. The novel was about an elderly lady who had mistakenly thought that she was on the verge of facing the angle of death. With the thought of joining her late husband at the back of her mind, she decided to pay her last visit to the places that once held her life-time memories and say adieu to all her children. I just admire the way Isla Dewar unfolded the historical and memorable events of her life which had long been veiled from the knowledge of her offspring.

For this special trip (which she thought would be her last one), she decided to use the less-travelled road instead of the motorway. I thought she had made a wise decision on the path that she’d take as these roads offer more picturesque view compared to the motorway. I totally agree with her. Most motorway users only have one thing in their mind; step on the accelerator, speed up and reach their destinations in the least time. She was right about the route for her final voyage. Her trip to her destinations was accompanied by beautiful scenery where she halted to picnic and enjoy the magnificent view laid upon her aging eyes. It was at these brief stops (which she’d planned ahead) that her untold stories were unraveled and shared with her accompanying chauffeur whom reminded her so much of her lost child.

As she reached each of her destinations, all her fond memories kept within the place begun to unwind and play back in the corners of her mind. At times, she was so indulged in the flashes of her past that she spoke to her late husband’s soul. She even talked very affectionately about the place and the beautiful reminiscence that she once lived in when the reality of her previous past there wasn’t always as striking as her vivid recalls. As I followed her secret being unraveled, I begun to understand why she selectively recalled only the good old memories. I guess when one has to spend one’s golden age without the presence of one’s soul mate; one would prefer to unwind only the wonderful moments spent together than the hardship that they once lived.

When I finally read the last sentence of the novel, two things triggered in my mind. Firstly, I started to realize that I have never really had the time to appreciate the picturesque places back home. In fact, I was like the many typical motorway users who only wanted to quickly arrive at the destination. I shared this old lady’s wonderful journey with my hubby and thought that we should do the same during our next home visit in summer 2009. Secondly, the selective flashback that the elderly woman had made me wondered what would I be like when I’m older and having to spend my golden years in loneliness. I know now that I could never live my life without my soul partner…

I was stupified

I think I will fall ill very soon. My throat is starting to sore, my nose is blocked. I have been telling people around me that I am fortunate that I hadn’t caught the infamous influenza in this horrendous weather. I did the most foolish thing to do in a freezing cold weather; eat a bowl of chocolate ice-cream. I just couldn’t resist the combination of my two favourite yet forbidden food (for weight watchers like me); chocolate and ice cream. I remember putting on nearly 10 pounds after last year’s Christmas. Who wouldn’t put on weight after indulging into the heavenly meal and definitely the many chocolaty sweets beautifully wrapped? I told myself then that I must commence my strict diet regime; no more in between meals and chocolate. Within less than four weeks, those extra pounds gained started to lose off and I can easily fit into all my size 6 clothes. My point is, I shouldn't have let the evil lured me into consuming those chocolate ice-cream in the first place. I felt so stupified. I should have know better the consequences of falling for the evil and now, I am on the verge of facing that consequence of my own foolishness; down with flu!



p/s: We finally had some snow last Saturday after having wait for it since Christmas.