My First Piano Examination

Flashing back to the time when I sat for my very first piano examination 2 years ago, I can’t help chuckling. I am chuckling at my own foolishness.

My piano teacher had advised me not to take the first grade piano examination just yet, but I still wanted to go with it no matter what. Degil punya pasal, I signed up for the examination. Feeling confident that I would be able to answer all the questions correctly, I drove to a primary school situated somewhere in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. It was school-break so the school was empty. As soon as I reached the school, I parked the car and slowly walked to the waiting area.

While walking, I observed a couple of small kids at the parking lot. At the canteen, there were kids playing ‘catch-me-if-you-can’ and one of them tripped his leg and fell to the ground. Some were just running about crying hysterically. More kids at the playground, on the swings and at the staircase playing with dolls. Where were all the adults? Was I the only adult there taking piano examination? Wait, wait, let me rephrase that… Was I the only adult there taking FIRST GRADE piano examination? After asking around, I gathered, these kids aged 8-12 years and most of them were in the 2nd to 4th grade of their piano lessons. Their parents sent them and left them there this morning and they would come back to collect their kids later after the examination was over. There was no other adult students besides the teachers and myself. Owh, in case you’re wondering, I was 30 years old at that time.

We were ushered upstairs to the classrooms where we would all sit for the papers. But before entering the class, we would all have to line up. Imagine lining up with these kids whose heights barely reached my belly. My face turned red all over. I felt so out of place but at the same time feeling quite entertained with the kids’ innocent behaviours especially the girls, who had ribbons all over them, on their heads, on their skirts, on their pink shoes and even on their pencil cases. I looked like a devil surrounded by fairies and elves.

In the classrooms, the teachers were busy distributing the examination papers on the tiny desks and soon, I would be sitting in one of those classrooms and on one of those tiny chairs which I was sure, very sure, would not be ‘friendly’ to my big butt! A few moments later, the examination started. I took only 15 minutes to answer all questions. Hastily, I submitted the papers to the teacher and dashed out of the classroom, down the stairs and straight to the parking lot.

I never sat any piano examination since then. I finally progressed to the 5th grade and my teacher said it’s about time for me to sit for an examination in order to qualify myself for the 6th grade onwards. I guess I’d better start looking for gold ribbons, a pair of pink shoes, Barbie-doll like dress and Hello Kitty pencil case now.

I Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me

Usually, cranked messages are offensive and can be terrifying but mine are just plain stupid, funny and weird. Every once in a blue moon, I will receive stupid text messages on my phone from someone I know.

It started in 1999, when I kept receiving expensive gifts from him - a couple of gold rings, gold pendants, crystal ornaments and cash worth of RM1500. Not even a time I received these stuff on my birthday. So why were these things sent to my door? And for what reason? How did he get my office address? Thinking this was just some agressive admirer doing his things, I chose to ignore. Not long after that, things got weirder and alarming when people at site discovered a book full of his writings on Islam, snakes, Jesus, Prophet Muhammad, Imam Mahdi, his bad dreams, snakes again and a whole lot of snakes. Some words were written in red marker to represent blood. My name could be seen written at every page. He even drew my face in one of the pages and at the bottom of the sketch it said, “The Greatest Woman Of All - Heaven and Earth”. I was supposed to feel delighted upon hearing the words but this was way too scary for me to appreciate. Yes, no doubt, I am the greatest woman on Earth (cocky! cocky!) but for the Heaven part, I have my fingers crossed! hee… hee… hee…

I have moved out from the old house and I no longer work for that company. No more gifts. No more weird stories. So the only way he can show his adoration to this so-called Greatest Woman on Earth, is by sending text messages. He speaks things such as snakes, baby Alif, Prophet Muhammad and his bad dreams. I have tried many times to ask him to stop doing that but to no avail. It’s sooooooo annoying. Very annoying! He even catches me at the wrong time - while I was in a meeting, in the middle of the night while I was asleep, while I was having a romantic dinner with my soulmate and so on.

I keep updating the Police Department his frequently changing phone numbers. One funny thing about him is that everytime he changes his phone number he does not make any effort to hide his true identity at all! Why eh? On purpose? What purpose? Nowadays, whenever I receive his text messages, I just ignore and delete them right away.

Dealing with stalkers like this one is not easy. You just don’t know how to react when you are in a situation like this. If you are facing a problem like the one I am facing now, try these few useful tips:

1) The first thing to do is to say “no.” You need to tell your harasser in firm and unambiguous terms to stop the malicious behavior. However, do this only once because the harasser is trying to get a reaction from you and repeated contact. Don’t shout at him because by doing so you will encourage him or her.

2) The second most valuable lesson I learned is that the victim should never feel shame or embarrassed. Share your fear with someone you trust. Don’t go through this trauma alone by yourself. You must know that you are not to be blamed. People are not stalked because they have done anything wrong. They are victimized because someone in their lives for example, an ex-lover, a co-worker or a total stranger becomes romantically or otherwise obsessed with them.

3) Instead of changing your phone number, get a second unlisted one for friends or family and hook the old one up to an answering machine that can preserve a record of the harassing calls (I’d better start doing this soon). Have someone at your workplace to screen your calls and never accept any anonymous package.

4) If the harassment becomes worse, contact the Police Department and get a restraining order against your harasser.

5) Always ensure you carry your cellphone everywhere you go, even to bed.

6) Take a course on self-defense (like GTF Tae Kwon Do). This tip is only useful when your stalker does not carry a gun. If he does, you’ll die-lah!

If you have tried the tips and they’re still not working, my last advice to you is to PRAY A LOT and BE EXTRA-PATIENT. Soon the stalker will get tired and fed up.

T.G.I.F

Yeaaaaaahooooooooooooooo! It’s Friday!

I should go golfing tomorrow.

Or kareoke-ing maybe.

My Fair Lady : The Musical

  

This story is about a misogynistic and snobbish professor, Higgins, who agrees to a wager that he can take a poor peasant girl, Eliza Doolittle and turn her to a presentable lady in high society. Eliza finally does blossom into a fine lady and Professor Higgins realises that he will loose her when his job is done. Will Eliza leave him? Will Professor Higgins ask her to stay?

The musical show was brought to Malaysian’s shore from America by Yvents Sdn. Bhd. and had been staged at the Planery Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center from 15th to 20th May 2007. My other-half managed to obtain two RM350 tickets for the show on 17th May 2007.

If you asked me to comment, I would say the show was a very relaxed one to watch with a little bit of hypes here and there. The classical tunes such as Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, With A Little Bit Of Luck, Get Me To The Church On Time, The Rain In Spain and Just You Wait, plus the enrichment of the orchestral arrangements, had made my body move to the beat and my fingers tap softly on the arm-rest. It was quite a good show. Well, boleh la...

Company's Audit Committee Luncheon 2007

In five minutes, I will be out of this office and this building to attend a lunch at the Imperial Chakri Palace: Royal Thai Cuisine, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur set for the company’s Audit Committee members. This is my second time and my second chance having to dine with the VVIPs such as YM Prof. Diraja Ungku Aziz Ungku Hamid, Mr. Geh Cheng Hooi, Dato’ Mohamed Azman Yahya and Dato’ K. Ravindran, Puan Noorizah Hj. Abd. Hamid as the company’s Managing Director, Encik Annuar Marzuki Abdul Aziz as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Puan Nik Airina Nik Jaffar as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Puan Mezyu Sherina Mohamed Yusof as the Company Secretary for the company. 

Soon, I will be sitting before these ultra-excellent business moguls and getting impressed by their high quality manners and high quality talks at the lunch table. I presume, my time with them later on would be worth the while.

A few minutes before, I heard the secretary inform my boss that Prof. Ungku Aziz had canceled his attendance to the luncheon. Well, I just hope that the rest will make it.

Well, my five-minutes is up and I’d better get going.

United We Stand

On 12th May 2007, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park was cramped with fun-loving staff of UEM Group’s. From far above, they looked like green and yellow ants roaming around, filling every corner of the area. That day, the amusement park was closed for public to give way to UEM Family Day Carnival event. “Celebrate Our Unity” was the motto for the family day this year.

The event was launched at around 9.15am by Dato’ Ahmad Pardas Senin, the CEO of the UEM Group. Few minutes later, the Managing Directors from all the companies of the UEM Group were brought around the cheering crowd on All Terrain Vehicles (or affectionately referred to as ATV) while on the stage, Naz (TV3 host - My Australian Adventure) quickly announced their names and positions. Woooppsss, there came Basariah Abd Latif, the Director of Group Corporate Relations and Communications, waving excitedly to the left and to the right. Then came the Managing Director of PLUS Expressways Bhd (my MD actually), Noorizah Abd Hamid looking steady and calm on the fast moving ATV. The launching did not stop there just yet. The balloons were released into the air and there were some fireworks too. I marvelled at how things were meticulously organized.

The carnival continued with dance performance, aerobic, telematches, singing competition and stage performance by a local hip-hop band. Leaving the wet park, I made a bee-line for the dry park with seven others. Having made our minds to board on the Pirate’s Revenge, we joined the long queue. The ship went swinging back and forth and all around, and we went screaming “No more, no more!” all the way. So terrifying!

Next ride was the “Lost City of Gold” rollercoaster, to which I found not scary enough. But I screamed along with the rest of the riders. Well, it might sound like a fake scream, but who could possibly detect it when everybody was busy, errrr… screaming their hearts out.

Two rides down, many more to go. I was about to call it quit when suddenly I saw this one ‘thing’ resting still on a high platform. It was HOT! No, not the weather. The ‘thing’, which looked like another scream machine was a hottie. Riding on it would be super-exciting! Checking out my heartbeats (oh yes, I did and please don’t laugh), I thought it was ok to try. This machine was called G-Force X (Anti-Gravity Machine). It looked like a steel capsule on a slingshot. Once I got inside, I was belted and harnessed to my seat. I felt like I was in a big round cage except that I didn’t do any dirty dancing in it hee… hee… hee… The machine operator checked my safety harness, and I checked my nerve. The machine operator checked my partner’s safety harness, and I checked my nerve again. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe … aaarrrghhhhhhh!!! There I went, catapulted 60 meters upwards into the air at 120 km/hr that I thought I left my soul behind at the platform. Then the capsule rapidly descended to earth. It bounced up and down for several times before the ride was complete. Pheww, so glad it was over.

It’s getting really hot by then (yes, now I am talking about the weather) and it’s time for me to say goodbye to fellow friends.

But it would never be the end of the extreme games for me.

Sebarau - Dinner And Cruise

The dinner on Sebarau Cruise at Putrajaya was absolutely a moment to remember to me and my other half. The boat cruised along the Putrajaya Lake for 2 hours, passing several landmarks. Here is what had happened on the night of 11th May 2007:

7.45pm - Waited at the lounge. Welcome drinks were served. 7.55pm - Ushered to the dock. Took photos of the boat. Boarded Sebarau boat, feeling rather excited. 8.00pm - Boat departed and the Captain briefly explained on the landmarks around Putrajaya to all the diners. 8.10pm - Walked up to the upper deck to take photos. 8.15pm - Walked back down to the dining area. The Captain was still there, trying very hard to get the diners’ attention. 8.30pm - Dinner was served. First came the appetiser - shrimp cocktail. 8.40pm - Then came the bread and chowder. Snapped a few shots of the bread and chowder. 8.45pm - Walked out to the front deck and took photos. 8.50pm - Came back to the table and looked out through the glass pane. Lost in thought. 9.00pm - Later came the main course - seabass stew. 9.15pm - When nature called, you’d got to do what you’d got to do. 9.30pm - Dessert time - apple crumbs topped with strawberry jam. 9.45pm - Looked out through the glass pane again and the ‘lost in thought’ continued. 9.50pm - Coffee to wrap up the night. 10.00pm - Boat safely docked. Got off and took photos.

The Phantom Of The Opera

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

The Song

…

Christine:
In sleep he sang to me, In dreams he came,
That voice which calls to me, And speaks my name,
And do I dream again? For now I find,
The Phantom of the Opera is there - inside my mind.Phantom:
Sing once again with me, our strange duet,
My power over you, grows stronger yet,
And though you turn from me, to glance behind
The Phantom of the Opera is there - inside your mind.

Christine:
Those who have seen your face,
Draw back in fear,
I am the mask you wear,

Phantom:
It’s me they hear.

Both:
Your/my spirit and my/your voice in one combined,
The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my/your mind.

(in the background)
He’s there, the Phantom of the Opera . . .
Beware, the Phantom of the Opera . . .

Phantom:
In all your fantasies, you always knew that man and mystery . . .

Christine:
…were both in you.

Both:
And in this labyrinth, where night is blind,
the Phantom of the Opera is there/here inside your/my mind . . .

Phantom:
Sing, my Angel of Music!

Christine:
He’s there,
the Phantom of the Opera…

***

Andrew Llyod-Webber’s phenomenal hit that had burst onto the London stage 20 years ago, had returned to Singapore again. The musical theatre took place at Esplanade, Singapore for a strictly limited season from March til May 2007. I spent SD$405 (equivalent to RM907.20) in doing the online booking for three tickets for show at 8.00pm on 5th May 2007. Just like what I had seen from the movie and read from the book, the live show was extremely enthralling - the story details, the main characters played by Brad Little as The Phantom and Rebecca Pitcher as Christine, the other cast members, the floating chandelier, the flying Phantom, the lightings, the curtains, the small boat moving in between candles, the misty effect, the monkey music box, the dancing and the whole stage setting.

Excellent! It was worth paying for.

This Is How We Do It

These photos were taken when I visited the mill-and-pave work areas along one of the country's expressways two weeks ago. I almost melted under the burning hot sun. Bravo to these site workers for being so hardworking.