just add water

More ACME smiles and inbox giggles from 2006…

`Hello siu mai, r u burnt 2 a crisp yet fr pangkor?? Dis pau is still nice and white here… hee hee…’

`Foo yoh major blunder budak ni. Like cat that lost its whiskers…’

`Eh babi su… My jeans also quite tight. Damn. My parents will surely notice the diff. Sigh.’

` Thank you… you really ARE an angel.’

`ya allah Karenah! the girl i fancy read my blog la! my blog’s on my friendster. she added me before i had time to remove my breasts post. now i’m a pervert.’

`keong hee, keong hee! keong hee lu lau chi ni liao! hee bang lu tah tah jit hua hee, ku kah swee, kah khin chua ang! kiah! kiah!’

`Hahaha! Okay, bee boo bee boo me later’

`Haloo momo meowww… sudah sampai rumah?’

`kam siah! lu kong wa lau?!! lu tan ma chai!’

`Decoding: add the last 3 digits and you get the month. Last 2 digits denote the day. Can’t find 1012 or 0712.’

`Choi! Dun get funny ideas! Seriously, i was never dis busy when nobody was asking me out!’

`WOI! since when u start cursing in chinese one. then buy a new washing machine la.’

`Hahahaha, itu dingobutt sure tido the whole day one.. *polar bear shaking butt* hahaha’

`Can you believe I can send this? Miracle.’

`Karenah, I was reading papers on congestion and thought of the time we were stuck in that expensive cab ride. the moment view on the bridge was awesome!’

`Haha… Korean beaver! You’re most welcome. I hope it’ll bring you joy when you’re feeling down and a smile when you’re feeling blue. Have a safe trip home.’

`Karenah aku sudah sampai! thanks alot for puttin up with me yo! me goin for drink with angie- tired gila cos someone kept me up with horror love stories!’

`Pohf,Su,Evie - i’ve booked saujana for my wedding next year. it’s on 07-07-07. its a saturday. make sure all of u block tt date ya. hehe’

`you’ve changed into somebody whom i don’t mind putting the kettle on… still i don’t know what i can save you from..-heh- i tot of u when kings played on my ipod’

we shall not forget

The walking trail winds along the fringe of the Kwae Noi Valley, dipping and climbing with the topography of the terrain. Punctuated by embankments and cuttings, the gravel path is serenely surrounded by lush groves of bamboo on both sides, rustling like huge windchimes each time a gust of wind swirls across the forest. Walking along the gravel path, remnants of the railway track can still be seen- weatherworn wooden planks and rusty steel frames or tools. The air is cool and the breeze plays peek-a-boo with the graceful bamboo branches, affording breathtaking views of the valley framed by majestic trees with backlit leaves in the morning sun.

A view so calm and beautiful, it must have really hurt in the mornings.

The forest is breezy and sun-drenched but the air feels somewhat heavy. Often I couldn’t help but gaze into the bamboo forest on my right and wonder how many unmarked graves are still out there belonging to unnamed Asian labourers, Japanese soldiers and Allied POWs. Many of those who perished in the construction and maintenance of the Burma-Thailand Death Railway, built to facilitate the Japanese Imperial Army’s march towards India during World War II, died at an age younger than me.

Beyond the Konyu Cutting which is known as the Hellfire Pass,

dan yuan ren chang jiu

Heard Jacky Cheung’s rendition of this lovely song by Teresa Teng in Alvin’s car en route to Irene’s wedding dinner in Seremban. So wistful was the song that it left Alvin, Evie, Mee Shien and me in total silence of appreciation…

邓丽君: 但愿人长久
Teng Lijun: Dan yuan ren chang jiu

明月幾時有
Ming yue ji shi you
把酒問青天
Ba jiu wen qing tian
不知天上宮闕
Bu zhi tian shang gong que
今夕是何年
Jin xi shi he nian

我欲乘風歸去
Wo yu cheng feng gui qu
唯恐瓊樓玉宇
Wei kong qiong lou yu yu
高處不勝寒
Gao chu bu sheng han
起舞弄清影
Qi wu nong qing ying
何似在人間
He si zai ren jian

轉朱閣
△Zhuan zhu ge
低綺戶
Di yi hu
照無眠
Zhao wu mian
不應有恨
Bu ying you hen
何事長向別時圓 （月時圓）
He shi chang xiang bie shi yuan (yue shi yuan)

人有悲歡離合
Ren you bei huan li he
月有陰晴圓缺
Yue you yin qing yuan que
此事古難全
Ci shi gu nan quan
但願人長久
Dan yuan ren chang jiu
千里共嬋娟 Qian li gong chan juan

重唱 (Repeat) △

a practical ideal

A cold night in Kanchanaburi, Thailand…
Ah Tan: I feel like puking but I can’t sleep yet. OK I ask questions, you guys answer. Tell me about your ideal partner. What should that person be like or what characteristics to have?
Me: My ideal partner must have two eyes, two legs, two hands, two nose, eh, no! One nose, two ears, one…
Ah Tan: Can you please be serious?
Me: Don’t you have any other questions?
Ah Tan: Meng Teck, how about your ideal partner?
Meng Teck: There is no such thing as an ideal partner.
Me: Muahahaha…
Ah Tan: Sheeshh…

Somewhere in the night sky above Malaysia/Singapore…
Ah Tan: I feel like puking. Hey, tell me about you guys punya ideal partner. You guys still owe me the answers.
Me: My ideal partner must have two eyes, two…
Ah Tan: AH SUUU!!!
Meng Teck: What is your ideal partner’s characteristics?
Ah Tan: Okie, Ah Chan makes me laugh. He takes good care of his family and takes good care of my family. See, like that lah. Now you two punya turns.
Me: Yeah same lah. Good sense of humour and loves his family and my family very much. Oh, it goes without saying, he must love me lots too. Hee…
Meng Teck: Huh? Is that all? You girls must be joking. Come on…
Me: Yeah lah, complex sangat for what?
Ah Tan: Simple is good. OK, Ah Su, tell us more…
Me: Okie, I’ll tell you what is not acceptable. He must not be a conceited person. You know, self-centred or selfish. I cannot tahan and we cannot jadi one like that. Remember Aaron and his condescending attitude towards the waiter? Major turn-off.
Meng Teck: Who’s Aaron?

to the talaat naam

waiting

passing through

canal traffic jam

going home

klong lunch

delicious noodles by the canal

moo dishes rule!

the travelling engineer

We didn’t have a critter cam to attach onto Meng Teck (that would have been fun haha) as suggested by The Soothsayer, so here is a photo essay series on the travelling engineer’s antics in Thailand instead.

With his trusty camera which might be replaced with a new dSLR in the future. Not exactly a trigger-happy shutterbug, thinks before he shoots. *Middle left photo in collage above courtesy of Poh Wan

One of his favourite photography subject is kids. He’s a natural in getting them to smile and pose for his camera. The adorable kid above was so pleased with his photo he squealed and stomped his feet in excitement as his grandmother watched in amusement. Made me wish I carried a portable photo printer.

He’s also a big kid at times. *Middle photo in collage above courtesy of Poh Wan

terang malam bulan beradu

wahai pujangga cinta
biar membelai indah
telaga di kalbuku
jujurlah pada hatimu
ada apa dengan cinta
dendangan Melly Goeslow
memenuhi kamar
di malam dingin
hujan berenyaian
di bingkai jendela
angin jiwang melayan senyum
riwayat cinta agung
seumur hidup
entah kelentong atau gurauan
pada yang percaya
antara ragu dan sinis
antara harap dan pasrah
antara manis dan pahit
baik terdahulu dari kemudian
khusyuk mencari makna
meneka rencana
pengukir takdir
mengheningkan cipta
bicara cinta