the attack of the rodent

eversince Fluffy died, my kitchen has been besieged with nightly raids by a dirty, big rodent. before the techie comes to install the alarm i thought it best to get rid of the scurrying long tailed skank. my patience ended when one morning, my container of spaghetti was opened, and my bottle of sesame oil spattered across the floor. obviously i was cursing that morning while cleaning up. one thought did cross my mind, that this is like the rat in ratatouille, except that i doubt this one has any culinary skills at all.

so i brought the container to the sink, and left it there, still not wanting to throw the contents away. the next morning, the lid of the container was missing. another thought came to mind....is this an italian rat??

and so i bought the sticky gum, hoping that it 'd trap the rat. i put some pasta and then a breadcrust. the next morning the crust was missing. but there was no sign of a squeaking rodent trapped in the sticky gum.

yesterday i bought a steel trap. the problem was, the opening was a bit small, and i doubt that the rat would be able to get in to take the KFC chicken skin that i left. yep, i was correct. it was untouched. but the rodent made a mess on the floor, because it tried to take the pasta that i left on the gum....and i guess it struggled with it. still it got free. damn....how do you get rid of the rodent?

take it slow

on last night's show, oprah interviewed the writer of "eat, pray, love", melissa gilbert. this lady wasnt happy in her marriage, so she walked out of it, went to stay in naples for 4 months (where she ate lots of pasta and gained 24 lbs) and then went to india and then to bali.

her story is about changing your life, and following your heart in doing it. she gave 3 tips to happiness which are:

1. ask yourself what do you really,really, really want (daily, if you must)
2. change your mantra (to something positive)
3. write about what makes you happy for the day.

this morning as i woke up, i did ask myself the 1st question. and i answered that i want to let go of my problems and to take it easy.

i'm good at taking things easy. so despite my bundles of 'joy' (exam papers), i went to the market, a visit that i look forward to every week; cooked a healthy lunch of veggies and organic brown rice and in the afternoon i made apple jam and baked scones for tea. i did not think of my problems for once.

and though i'm not exceedingly happy, at least i felt calm and tranquil.

the itch of the wanderlust

a young teacher at school told me her husband is in germany for a 3 month course. i felt the itch then. i told her if i were her, i would have followed the husband.





i was just watching globe trekker today, and they showed all the markets in the world that one should visit. they featured portobello road market, where i visited and bought my griddle (yes, a griddle).

immediately i was transported to the day when i visited the place with such eagerness and excitement. how i had a nice chat with the bloke (haha so British) who sold the griddle, who told me he's been to Johore. i'm reminded of the colourful market, which reminded me so much of petaling street.

i love the wild red poppies in the meadows that make them look so cheerful and vibrant

i remember the laidback atmosphere of melbourne, and how i love buying fruits at victoria market. i remember the good times i had there with my nieces, and how a fat sheep followed me around because i had food. at warrook cattle farm, where we saw kangaroos, sheep and more sheep, and ate scones






i remember when i reached dover before crossing the english channel, i recited matthew arnold's poem The Dover Beach.


i remember squealing in delight when i caught sight of Stonehenge for the first time.

i remember feeling mesmerised when looking at Eiffel Tower at night, or as i walked the halls of the Grande Appartment in Chateau de Versailles.




i dont have a lot of money, but once i travelled, i'm addicted to it. it's like a madness that one cannot cure. the sense of excitement of encountering something new and sampling their culture is what drives me to go to all these places.

the itch to travel is tugging at me again.

with all the things that have been happening to me, i hope to go to one special place this year, if God permits.

still the little girl

i'm a grown woman living in her own house. i'm the mistress of my own. and yet, last week, when i wanted to do something for the safety of the house, (and obviously for my safety too), i was criticised badly by my siblings.

that's when you get when you're the youngest of 9. whatever age you are, they never see you as an adult, but as a girl who can never learn to live in the harsh world. it really upsets me, because they never seem to respect my decision and keep on patronising me. of course, one even said "i know that's your house, so that's your decision..." but then went on to lecture me. god, will you all please stop that? one even said "i dont want you to one day say you regret doing this".

and this came from my educated, high flying siblings (said in the dryest tone possible).

all i want to do right now is to escape to some meadows filled with wild red poppies.

A Review of 2007 and Resolutions for 2008

my 2007 started not badly, but it picked up the pace in the middle of the year. that's when i had the most incredible experience of travelling, but despite my excitement over Stonehenge or La Tour Eiffel, i thought of home and missed it more.

come ramadhan, my world fell apart when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. i wanted a perfect picture, wanted my mother to be strong, as she's always been. her sickness devastated me, because my idea of stability just shattered. it's like a giant snowball that increases its size with every roll down the hill - it gets worse and worse.... juggling with my exam marking, coping with family problems and to be there for my mother. and as if it wasnt enough that my life turned outside down, some men broke into my house, and they're not drug addicts - but professionals using ilmu. again, i'm exposed to more vulnerability, and there are times when i feel like giving up, because i dont think i can face a worse situation than this.

i want to be happy. that's my wish. i have so many worries and tears in my life, that just for once, i want happiness.