I See You

I just had easily the most awesome lunch that I've made myself lately. It's just sandwich actually, and the highlight was lots and lots of vege. =) Wholegrain bread+ Cameron lettuce+ tomato+ bell pepper+ black olives+ sweet corns+ baked beans+ cherry honey tomato+ carrot+ apple. Dressing was splash of apple cider vinegar+ drops of hot pepper sauce+ chili sauce. And some herb flakes and black pepper and margarine spread. Totally vegan and heavenly. If only I could get a big fat onion, it would be perfect. The sweet corns, baked beans, cherry tomato, carrot and apple were just side dishes of course. Couldn't fit them all in between two thin slices of bread. Wanted to make carrot sticks initially, ended up crunching the carrot just as it was. Well, to tell the truth, it is a bit of cheating to say that it's the best lunch that I've made myself lately because I haven't been preparing lunch for myself for quite a while (settled it in the cafeteria at hospital), so there wasn't any comparison to begin with, thus 'easily'. Still, I would say that it's the healthiest thus far.

Thought of writing a post every time after jogging initially, but the last related post was quite some time ago. And now I've given up totally. Guess it's my 'hangat-hangat tahi anak ayam'. Why the 'anak'? Well, in my humble opinion, the chick is much smaller, so I reckon that the stool will be smaller in size too, thus contains lesser heat and requires shorter time for the heat to radiate off it. See, it takes just this much time for my determination to flicker and then, snuffed. As much as the chick's droppings. One thing to be glad is that I still go for regular jogging. =)

Finished 'The Longest Trip Home' earlier today. It's officially one of my favourite books now. John Grogan is simply gifted at telling stories. Not that it's a story, as in fiction. It's a memoir. And I admire his courage to share with the world his embarrassing moments and dirty little secrets. I would not have the guts to do that. Plus, there isn't much to tell of my life. I've been a good kid throughout my life, so good that when I look back, it's simply boring and insignificant by comparison. Not complaining though, just wish that I'd had the courage to do things I'd only contemplated. It's a story unfolding his life from childhood to adulthood, in which his parents play a major part in. Towards the end, like his first book, Marley and Me, it got me crying. He really put his heart and soul into it. There's this particular paragraph among others shortly after his father's death that triggered my lacrimal glands:

"Tim and I had both lived independently for years, but always in the back of our minds we had known our father was there if we needed him. For a loan or career advice or handyman tips or life guidance or a place to move back to if all else failed. No longer. The paternal safety net was officially and permanently cut away. It was our turn now."

I remember few years back (when I was still in high school or freshly out I guess) when mom was hospitalized, dad took me out for dinner before we went to visit mom. It was a food court, brightly lit, noisy and crowded with people. We found a place and we sat down. Dad asked me what I would like to have before walking off to order for the both of us. He was having join pains due to high uric acid level. I remember looking at his slight limping figure, tears threatened to fall, but not quite, realising that dad was getting old, and it would come a day, irrevocably, when he can't be there for me any more. Such realisation reinforced itself again. I was out with my dog for a morning walk, few years back too. We got chased by a stray dog in the neighbourhood. I was pretty sure that the dog was not ill-intentioned, but just to be on the safe side (plus it was scary), I scooped up Ahgal and ran all the way home. Luckily where we were wasn't that far from our house, and dad was just out there. I yelled for dad, and he came to our rescue.

I was extremely grateful that dad was there to protect me, but at the same time it struck me that dad can't be my shelter forever.

I see you. It's a line from a movie.

Currently reading: Haven't decided yet

One of Those

Steamboat dinner with family. Felt like it's the eve of Chinese New Year, except that Cheng wasn't here. Dinners nowadays are even rowdier with the addition of a little devil, but in a good way. Ah, the bliss of life.

Checked my mailbox just now. I subscribe to newsletters from Time.com, and one of today's top stories was 'Nine Years After 9/11, is Al-Qaeda's Threat overrated?' Wasn't particularly interested in the article, but it struck me that nine years had gone by since the disaster. I still remember a year after the disaster, my reaction had been almost the same: 'It's been a year already?' Things seem to be just yesterday. And by the 11th of September next year, it would have been a decade. How many decades do I have to live? Time flies, and while living my monotonous everyday life, it never occurred to me so, thus time spent unwisely. It's only moments like this that it dawn on me that life is short. I was so focused on getting the daily chores done, the to do's and all the other distractions, that days and weeks and years have gone by, as if in a blink of an eye. In the end, are these all that I have to define my life? Do I need one? Definition, or the meaning of life? I do not seek to be remembered long after I'm gone, but to be in peace and content, when I shall take my last breath. Or, to be able to proudly share what I've achieved when I can no longer run the way I do now, when wisdom grows and wrinkles creep.

Finished reading The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. A truly touching story. If there's a guy like Travis Parker, I wouldn't think twice of marriage. (I'm just saying) And just to share something that I find interesting, Kinokuniya categorizes Nicholas Sparks' books under general fiction. There were a few reasons why I bought the book. 1. It was on sale (BookXcess). 2. It's hard cover. 3. The cover is nice. 4. It's Nicholas Sparks. 5. I'd got money in my wallet. 6. The synopsis didn't seem like the typical Nicholas-Sparks-sad-ending. 7. The bookaholic-me on the loose. Wow, I didn't realise that there were actually that many reasons, but I'm glad. Never really thought that I would fall for his books one day. They have been around for like forever, but the sad endings never appealed to me, and still don't. But I guess I can handle it. The Choice, though, is a happy ending story.

'Even if I spend the rest of my life visiting her in the nursing home, it's still a better life than one I could spend with anyone else. I love her too much to let her go.' -- Travis Parker

It's Elvis Presley today.

Currently Reading: The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan

Back with the Devil

It's Hari Raya. But really, what it means to me is holiday! Got back in Malacca yesterday. As cliché as it sounds, there's no place like home. Another thing that I love about my job: I get public holidays just like everyone else, unless I'm on call.

Woke up at a quarter pass seven this morning. Guess I'm used to waking up early already. What else better to do on a gorgeous morning than a little jogging? So I got out of my bed and went to the master bedroom's bathroom to freshen up myself. (brother was occupying the bathroom that both our rooms share) Woke Ahgal up for jogging too. (she sleeps with my parents) Dad chose to sleep in rather than exercise. (he was like, 'Gal you go with Ahyong la.') Ahgal's always up for anything outdoor. (nothing too vigorous though, or rather, nothing remotely vigorous) After getting everything ready, I went downstairs with her. To my surprise, the little devil a.k.a. my nephew a.k.a. Ethan, was up and awake already. Well, I had a fun time teasing him while he watched me and Ahgal getting out of the door, with him fretting in the arms of the maid. Haha! He's another one who's in for anything outdoor. Ahgal was already barking impatiently while I looked for a pair of running shoes in the cupboard. Just as we were getting out of the front gate, sis came to the door and called out to us. She's bringing that little devil along, him with his stroller of course, since he couldn't walk yet. Thus, the morning jog turned into morning walk.

A glorious morning like I had sensed. The sky was a bit greyish, suggesting an impending rain. The air was cool with soft breeze, and fresh. The neighbourhood wasn't much awake yet, just a few stray dogs patrolling the streets, and occasionally some early risers cleaning up their front porches. Met a few middle aged women who were out with a ShiTzu. The reason I mentioned them is because they commented (among themselves) that Ahgal looked like a pig. (even though that's no news, they didn't even lower their voices) I've come to find these comments funny instead of insulting. But I wonder what effects they have on Ahgal. I suppose she's convinced that she's a human instead of a dog-pig or a pig-dog. Ended our walk when we heard the grumbling thunder. Mom and bro were up by the time we got back. Chatted for a while at the dining table, then decided that we should go out for breakfast. Dad was still asleep. By untold rules, the job of waking dad up falls on the youngest, so I went upstairs with Ahgal. And that pig, instead of doing her job, went straight to her bed. Anyway, in the end everyone's awake and we had a nice breakfast together.

Now I'm back in my room, listening to The Beatles. Yeah, you're reading right. Oldies had never been my cup of tea, but I guess I got influenced by Rosanne and Rakhee. The songs remind me of that afternoon we shared in Old Town coffee shop. Sweet memories they bring.

I was reading a book after getting back from breakfast, munching on home made cookies. Then guilt crept over me, for I've abandoned my blog for quite a while again. So putting my book aside, I turned to my laptop. Nice to be alone in the room with my blanket over me. I guess it stopped drizzling already. Brought quite a few books back from Sunway. I'm determined to make this weekend a book marathon. Finished my Life of Pi. A great book it is. Seriously. Guess award-winning books aren't bad after all. And it's not just any award, it's Man Booker Prize. I've always had this habit of steering myself, subconsciously or consciously, clear of anything (be it film or book) award-winning. They seem boring to me. I don't know what bad experience that I had to make me feel this way, but probably it's really simply because they are? Anyway, million thanks to Rosanne who got me the book. I might have just missed such a great book forever. Even though I might not agree with the writer on some of the issues regarding Zoo, Life of Pi is simply captivating with the wildest imagination at work.

Time to get back to the book. =)

Currently reading: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks