Today 10 years ago, I asked this question

During the last year of school one question we liked to ask ourselves was, "Where would you be 10 years from now?" There was something just so exhilarating about that question to a 17-year-old whose future was wide opened bursting with endless possibilities. I used to stare out of my bedroom window while doing my homework, daydreaming of what the future would be.

Well, as of today, exactly 10 years have passed since the the very last time I wore a secondary school uniform. The day was 11 December 1999, the last paper of SPM. One of the happiest days of my life. :)

10 years later, 11 December 2009, all of us were supposed to meet in McDonalds at Midlands. Needless to say, that won't be happening today. Being young at the time, we were naive enough to think that our friendship would be able to withstand the time of 10 years.

I can say that the 10 years have changed all of us in different ways. Some chose to grow apart and have nothing to do with the rest. But some of us decided to make that extra effort to keep each other in our lives no matter how busy or how far from each other we were.

To those few who are still in my life, I appreciate each and everyone of you. You have been there from the very start, my pre-Yin How years... the years where all us would argue who would be the first to have a boyfriend and get married. (we all know the answer by now... it wasn't me...).

I appreciate the fact that we grew up and faced every stage of life so far together... oh like how we had to keep up with somebody's latest boyfriends... or somebody's ever changing hairstyles or somebody's never-ending shocking announcements (you think you know a person from inside out after 15 years of friendship and yet she still has something to tell you which will shock you completely into silence). And there's something so nostalgic about seeing the girl you used to play with when you're young, grow up into a fine woman and witnessing the day she decides to tie the knot with her life long partner.

10 years can do a lot to a person. And it has done a lot to me (I hope not so much physically though). Looking back, I realized I always had a plan and stuck to that plan almost obsessively. First get a degree, then the first job, then the first car, then the first home, then the first husband (better add "and only"), then the wedding reception, then the very much delayed honeymoon. I planned exactly what I wanted by what age I wanted it (except for the honeymoon which I kept conveniently delaying).

But I realized that nothing always go according to plan. I went through good times and bad times.. my own as well as the girls who grew up with me. I learned to walk away then it hurts too much because not everything has a solution. I learned to let go of a lot of my naive thoughts that everything would be perfect as long as I had a perfect plan. And I've learned that sometimes it's not necessary to always have a plan. That now and then it's okay to just go with the flow and fill it with little surprises on the way.

After 10 years, would I have made the 17-year-old Mindy proud? I believe so. I hope so.

Today I get to answer the question the 17-year-old-me asked 10 years ago. I guess that now that I'm here, the next question would be, "Where would I be 10 years from now?" (Hopefully still alive... seriously).

***
In a way, a few of us did meet up for lunch today at Dragon-i. It's not McDonald's but hey, after 10 years, I think we can upgrade our taste buds for something better ;)
How was the pau?

You know you’re a Penangnite (or in Penang)...

When you absolutely know for a fact that there’s no where else in the world that serves better food than Penang (I know Ipoh folks will strongly disagree)

When you’re addicted to Penang Road Laksa and Chendol and Gurney Drive’s Char Keow Teow

Where the dirtier the place, the better the food tastes

When you can eat at table by the drain of a main road, be horrified when you see the bowls and chopsticks thrown near the drain and yet continue happily eating your bowl of curry mee in denial of what you just saw.

When you have a tummy made out of steel to survive the fact mention above. If not, the tummyache is still worth that bowl of curry mee. Eat first, think later. Why? Because it's oh so worth it.

When your main activity during the weekend is eating… and eating…

When you don’t need beautiful girls posing in the PC Fair to attract your attention. Show us your cheapest price and we’ll come rushing in. Money first, looks second.

When finding a legal car parking space by the road along Gurney Drive on a weekend night makes you so happy you’ll want to cry

Whenever there’s a new shopping mall opened, you’ll see half of Penang’s population there. 1 month later, it will be empty.

When in a shopping mall during the weekends, you’ll have to bump into at least one colleague, friend or relative.

When in a shopping mall during the weekends, you’ll have to fight your way through an army of people chasing you trying to sell you credit cards, investment schemes, slimming products, telco promos, balding hair solutions, etc. (does this happen in KL malls as well? I don’t seem to remember such experiences when I’m at KLCC, Midvalley, etc…)

When you wear shorts and slippers anywhere and everywhere (I had to throw a tantrum to convince the hubby to wear jeans instead of shorts to a fine dining restaurant)

When you can be driving in your car surrounded front, back, left, right by a crowd of motorcyclists and not feel intimidated

When you have the ability to turn a 2 lane road into a 4 lane road

When you are able to weave in and out of traffic like one of those old gameboy racing games.

When you know at least one person working in Intel or Dell

When any place can be considered a parking space, including roundabouts and road junctions. Parking summons don’t matter compared to that bowl of laksa or rojak or char keow teow you’re desperately craving for.

When you enter a shop, a lethargic skinny looking teenage salesgirl will follow you round and round. You take one step forward, she’ll take one step forward. You take one step backwards, she’ll take one step backwards like you’re both in a dance routine or something. Front two, cha cha cha. Back two, cha cha cha.

Where prices of landed properties within prime locations on the island are ridiculously high and you think the people who are willing to pay that price are all insane (though you wish you had that kind of money to be just as insane)

When you insist you're not kiamsiap. You just want everything Cheap and Good. What's so wrong about that? :)

What else?


****Updating with more facts left in the comments***

From Anonymous

When you bump into your friend, instead of saying "hello", you say: "Jiak Pah Ah Boi?" or "Un Chuah? Hoh Bo?"

When you had a lousy food, you say: "walau, cannot go (beh khi)!!"

When you always ask for discount, regardless it's promotion item or fixed price item

When you are traped in traffic jam during weekends and/or school holiday, you ask: "why tourist like Penang so much?"

My latest favourite thing

I have a new favourite word. When Yin How says, "Liverpool?", my eyes light up.

Recently found this place, Nasi Lemak Liverpool Cafe. They serve

Nasi Lemak Liverpool
Tom Yam Liverpool
Laksa Liverpool
Burger Liverpool
dan lain lain

I'm just a nasi lemak addict who's happy to find a nasi lemak cafe and is now a Liverpool supporter. :)

bleeding love

Love this. :)

Remember that feeling?

Remember that feeling when you were a young student and after studying for months, you have just finished your very last paper knowing that all the hard work has finally paid off. The feeling of a thousand tonne weight lifted from you as the examination invigilator starts collecting your answer sheet for the last time and you can't help but grin like a maniac to all your friends around you. The feeling that you can go home burn all your study books because you don't to look at them again. The feeling of absolute freedom knowing that as of that one moment, there's nothing in the world you can be worried about.

As you emerge from the examination hall, you feel so light you could fly off into the blue sky.

I miss that feeling of freedom.

FYI

If you are a Sakae Sushi addict like me, you would have notice that the Spicy Salmon has been "temporary" out of stock since a few months back...

TIPU wan.... The menu says it's out of stock, but I asked the waiter and he brought me some.

Next time, don't trust the menu.

(Hubby watching District 9 right now. Another one of those Fuck Fuck Fuck Cluck Cluck Cluck Hollywood movies. How did they manage to sensor it all out in every other sentence when the movie was shown in the cinemas here?)

It's gonna be a beautiful day

The sky is bluer than blue.

The grass is greener than green.

The birds are chirping and the sun is shining.

Why?

There can only be one reason why...

Because tomorrow is a holiday!~~

Yay yay!

*doing the happy holiday dance*

Have a good weekend!

:)

P.S - thank you Soo Huey for the wonderful wonderful smoked salmon sandwich. I should lend you more books to get more free sandwiches.

P.P.S - I cannot understand what's with all the hoo-haa over Robert Pattinson. Maybe I should try watching Twilight and see whether the inner idol worshiping love-struck teenager is still within me.

P.P.P.S - I need to find a way to get of my shoe shopping phase. 6 new pairs and I still find myself still obsessively thinking about the black pair of heels I saw in Vincci.

It's my birthday today... Woo Hoo?

Normally birthdays are a big thing to me. Since I was a kid, birthdays meant a lot of me. Maybe it's because it's a day I receive presents and a birthday cake. Or maybe it's because it's the day I feel like the most special person in the world. Or maybe it was because it was the day I felt my parents loved me a little more.

And all this while, I always looked forward to my birthday. One or two months before my birthday, I'll start bugging Yin How, "Watcha gonna buy for me?", giving him my best puppy look eyes.

It's different this year. I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of time to do the things that I want to do. It's an reminder that I've been stuck in one place for too long. It's an indication that I'm restless to move on to the next stage of my life.

I didn't even remember that my birthday was coming until somebody wished me Happy Birthday on Facebook two days in advance. And for the first time, I chose to come to work instead of taking a day off.

So anyway... when I woke up thinking that if I almost forgot about my own birthday, the whole world, except my bank and insurance company, would forget as well.. Heard my handphone ringing with messages early in the morning and was happy to find it was a friend instead.

Came to work there was a pretty handmade birthday card waiting for me. And it was made in brown knowing that brown is my favourite color. Received birthday calls/messages from friends (one all the way from China) and my sister. Even more on Facebook. And a slice of yummy cake from colleagues.

Feeling a bit more happier.... but WAIT.....

Has the hubby wished me happy birthday yet???? *dramatic background music*



I woke up in the morning looking for a birthday card (no matter whether it's rainy or sunny or whether the whole earth is coming to an end, it's compulsory for the hubby to get me a birthday card). Not only was there no birthday card, but there was no hubby sleeping next to me. *Gasp*. He was sleeping on the sofa outside and didn't wake up when I left for work

Somewhere in the background I heard someone yelling.... STRIKE ONE!

At work, I called him to ask him whether he was feeling well (also secretly hoping he'll remember my birthday), since he looked a little sick on the sofa. He said he was feeling a little unwell in the morning but was okay now. I waited a while giving him a chance to wish me happy birthday.... but he didn't.


STRIKE TWO!

He called back again. I was thinking... he finally remembered. He went on talking about his colleague's birthday this Friday. His tenant at his other house. And some other stuff at work. Still no happy birthday.

STRIKE THREE!

Even an optical shop where I purchased a pair of glass 4 years ago and never went back remembered to send me an birthday sms... Geez, what is wrong with the HUBBY??


Rule number 1. Never forget a woman's birthday. She may forget about it herself, but it's no excuse for the man.
Rule number 2. A woman has an excellent memory when it comes to tracking of how strikes a man made.


The time is 2:15pm. Let's see how many strikes he is gonna get by the end of the day. 

(BTW, I secretly thinks that he remembers my birthday but is purposely acting like he forgot to annoy me. But if he really has forgotten, it's not a big deal... I think... however with the excellent memory a woman has been blessed with, it's certain that this will be brought up again and again for many years to come)

;)


*****Update*****

After 5pm with no Happy Birthday wishes from the hubby, I received a call from him, "Black or White shoe?"

"Huh?"

"Black or White shoe??" sounding more embarrassed now...

Apparently the hubby confidently went into Vincci wanting to buy me the pair of shoes which I mentioned I liked last weekend. But of course, nothing in life can be that simple. So of course the shoe which I said I liked had sold out. And suddenly the hubby was standing in Vincci surrounded by hundreds of shoes of different types and colors to choose from.

He ended up calling me numerous times, and sending me photos of different shoes before he chose one to buy for me. So much for a surprise huh.

But picturing him helpless and alone in a woman's shoe shop trying to buy me a pair of shoes is already the present itself. I was touched. :)

Capturing moments like these...

Makes buying a DSLR worth the money. :)

Also because it makes you want to capture every moment to fully utilize it just to make you feel less guilty about spending so much on a camera.

At least that's what I try to do whenever I suddenly remember that it's starting to collect a little dust.

Which is good because otherwise, precious moments like these may just slip away and be forgotten in time.

And yes, I'm a sentimental squishy squashy person.
:)

Yin How's pride and joy

Some time earlier this year, there was a flower festival thingy at Botanical Gardens. At that time, I had just bought my DSLR and owning a DSLR for the first time makes you to crazy things like standing in the ridiculously hot sun crowding with a bunch of other people just to take a photo of a flower.

Yin How was excited. Especially when he spotted plants for sale. He was particularly interested in getting an ambra tree which caught his eye.

And then he started his bargaining process of squeezing every cent he could from the young Malay boy.

 Of course, with he managed to win the bargain and posed for a victorious smile to the camera.

He took around 15 more minutes to choose the perfect ambra plant among many while I was cursing how hot the weather was.

I was just glad to get out the heat. I happily walked back to the car and dumped the plant at the back passenger seat. Yin How insisted that the plant sit in front, so fine..... I got out and moved the plant to the front seat with me.

At home, a very excited Yin How began digging a dead plant from our huge pot so that his precious new plant could move in.

 

He carried the pot outside to make sure that his plant would get enough loving tender care from the sun.

 

And there it stood... Yin How's pride and joy. His bonsai ambra plant (if you just call it the ambra plant, he'll correct you and say it's a bonsai ambra plant). He was soon talking about how he would make ambra juice after the plant starts producing fruits.

Any guest who comes over would be introduced to the plant.

After more than half a year of watering, fertilizing and caring for his precious plant.....

Ta-da!!~~~

 

;)