He Foretells!

So much has happened. So much happiness, unuttered thoughts, ups and downs, my more actions & less talk, diligently listening, diligently trying, at times misunderstood intentions – the easiest thing to happen as I am just too lazy to explain my depths; not towards the blind hearted, everything is in such speedy pace, everything.

Character analysing is the most amusing thing, at the same time can be draining to the core.

I miss my corner, I miss my bubble; rolling in bed, ponder, reading the toiletry bottles in the bathroom and don’t end up bathing at all, flip old magazines, to the wet market alone and cook one or two silly dishes, curled on the sofa and watch the family and cats dilly dally, increase the shoe collection, write.

Guess the only time I have to be able to listen to myself is when I’m in my car – one hour to and one hour back.

The one I adored so much who had passed on burnt me so many CDs. Those I never bothered to listen while he was still around, when life was even much more handful and heedful. I played other CDs and they never failed to lift me up, with the right words, on the right time.

There’s one more that I haven’t played which was kept in the CD sleeve for two years! – one more.

"That's The Way It Is"
I can read your mind and I know your story
I see what you're going through
It's an uphill climb, and I'm feeling sorry
But I know it will come to you

Don't surrender 'cause you can win
In this thing called love
When you want it the most there's no easy way out
When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

When you question me for a simple answer
I don't know what to say, no
But it's plain to see, if you stick together
You're gonna find a way, yeah
So don't surrender 'cause you can win

In this thing called love
(Chorus)
When life is empty with no tomorrow
And loneliness starts to call

Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow'
Cause love's gonna conquer it all, all

(Chorus x 2)

That's the way it is, That's the way it is, babe

Don't give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is.

How do you knowwwwww you special thing??? I am now lifted to go on with this journey I know is worthwhile. I guess I felt the way I feel because it dawns upon me that selfishness is creeping in. Thank you - you….!

HYSTERIA!

A nervous affection, occurring almost exclusively in women, in which the emotional and reflex excitability is exaggerated, and the will power correspondingly diminished, so that the patient loses control over the emotions, becomes the victim of imaginary sensations, and often falls into paroxysm or fits.
[Webster1913]

I work in a plant which employs 5000 people. All of us are cramped up in a manufacturing area bursting at its’ seams working in 3 shifts 24 hours, seven days a week. Such confined areas are a always a hotspot for abnormal human behaviour which includes hysteria.

Some plants even have an SOP on how to deal with hysteria cases, mine included.

It is kind of surreal to walk into a production area and see young women rolling around the floor screaming. Any SOP on hysteria would state that the first thing that you do is to isolate the victim as it would only takes minutes for it to become a Mexican wave and soon you get others screaming and rolling on the floor. This would then become as safety issue and there are a lot of sharp and electrical machineries on the floors and the last thing you would want to have to getting them electrocuted or injured. Once this happens, we would first evacuate the other workers out of the line and then bring the victim to the recuperating area at the First Aid Centre. Isolation is paramount.

No doubt, there will be never be a dearth of pro bono soothsayers, bomohs and the lot in trying to help out.

However, I have noticed that nearly all mass hysteria cases happen in confined areas and on young women. This is not exclusive to workplace areas such as production lines but also in hospitals, school hostels and even National Service camps. All of these areas have a common factor- there are all areas where people are confined.

So yesterday, I had a long chat with the new big Kahuna who had just surpassed his 72 hours in the plant. He told me an interesting theory on this mass hysteria phenomenom.

Many years ago, he had a similar case in his plant. The first thing he did was to ask his workers to get rid of all the pro bono soothsayer and bomohs out of the area. Then he ordered the evacuation to the non- hysterical employees out of the lines into the cafeteria.

Then he would grab the hysterical employees one by one and literally drag them into the sick bay in front of all and sundry while whispering a “jampi” (prayer) in the ears. Almost immediately after his prayer, the victim would suddenly regain consciousness and become all meek and docile.

So what did he whisper into their ears? It was this:

“OK, just cool it. If you behave I shall give you an unrecorded day off tomorrow from work”.

“Its all about understanding human behaviour, mate. They are just stressed up in confined areas and this is a form of reaction. Give, them a free day off and they will automatically become normal. Its nothing to do with the spirits or ghosts. They just want a break”

Hmmmm………..I’m impressed, new big Kahuna…..you the man!


* Words of the Ponchoman *

Piccadilly Reunion Moments.

Improvised: 9th May.

It's own dance moves, It's own Jim and Kishore taste of music, the best club lay out.

Someone said to me that some things are just best in its time.

Hasnol and committee have undoubtedly done a good job. Who doesn't want free entrance. But next time charge it people! It's not duit mak bapak kitaorang yang terbang anymore, we now earn our own money. It doesn't help the business too if there's not enough waiters.

In this case, I think it's just a matter of getting the DeeJays to do a better homework.

Kishore, Jim etc you guys couldn't find your LP's/CD's ke?

When four DeeJays are arranged to play the music, the possibilities of the songs being replayed is inevitable. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine - Four Tops dua kali, Don't Look Any Further - M People 2 kali, Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega 2 kali... aiseeyyyy boleh selit Never Gonna Give U Up - Rick Astley pulak of all things!

So what happened was, we danced a bit, we stood waiting a bit, we tried to figure out what's the next song many times....

We felt as if we were foreplayed for hours yet we couldn't climax.

Anyways, it's nice to see familiar faces. This time, my 'family' has progressed. My "family" as in my goodfriend, Shali's siblings of three (two girls, one boy). Shali came with her husband but one thing doesn't change, she still needs 1 1/2 hours to put on her make-up. Shak could drive and boy was she early - arrived 1/2 an hour after me.

Where's all your girlfriends?. I was referring to Shak's pose of porcelain skinned friends whom she goes clubbing with.

Shak: They said "Eiiiiiyaaaa so Melayuuuuu", so I said "Forget it! You all are Cantons!".

"You know what? I was just 14 when I started this!"

Dulu selalu turn up lambat and kononnya in-style macam Paris Hilton tak apa, sekarang tak boleh buat perangai tu, we're not young 'cikus' who can stand-up "circuslistically" for 4 hours. I do miss setting the mood while dressing up by playing the songs first in Shali's room or at least in Wij's (the loyal driver's) car.

The whole DV8 bunch of people, Edmund-DV8 owner now sports short hair (dah baik sejak bukak The Social @ Bangsar), Kudin with this trademark stoned face and the whole pose made me reminisce both Picad and DV8 years at the same time. After 10 years, obviously many are married with kids, but I wonder if anyone could beat AC Mizal who now has 4 kids I think. He wasn't around tho.

Anyways, we have turned into Minah skema, went back at 7pm sharp. This idea of making Tea Dance a comeback is good in many ways which I don't need to explain here. I'm so happy I get to take my time at washing my hair before I go to sleep and still get to sit down for a decent dinner before reaching home at 8:30pm.

To the DeeJays, here's a list of songs Poncho had purged out of his brains (he's still hung up lagu "I Thought You Were the One For Me" tak keluar.)

1. Informer - Snow

2. New Jack Swing

3. Every Little Step I Take - Bobby Brown

4. 3 AM Eternal - The KLF

5. Dreams - Gabrielle

6. I Wish - Gabrielle (this is my anthem)

7. Im Looking For New Love Baybe - Jody Watley

8. When Will I Be Famous - Bros

9. Jump - Kriss Kross

10. All Around the World - Lisa Stansfield

11.Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice

12.You Don't Have to Take Your Clothes Off - Jermaine Stewart

13.I Got the Power - SNAP

14.This Beat is Technotronic - Technotronic

15.Dangerous - Roxette

16.Sadeness -Enigma

17.Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - PM Dawn (mana boleh lagu ni takdee??)

18.Summertime - Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

19.O.P.P - Naughty by Nature

20.Motownphilly - Boyz II Men (Mo..town philly back aaagain!)

21.All 4 Love - Color Me Badd

22. Let's Talk About Sex - Salt N' Pepaa

23.Here We Go Let's Rock n Roll - C&C Music Factory

24. Good Vibrations - Marky Mark

25. Play that Funky Music - Vanilla Ice

26. You Can't Touch This - MC Hammer

27. Girl I've Been Hurt Now - Snow

28. Sweet for my Sweet.. Sugar from my heart.. - CJ Lewis

29. This is the right time - Lisa Standsfield

30. Rhythm is a Dancer - Snap

31. Girl You Know It's True - Milli Vanilli

Add:

32. Hello Africa, No Coke, It's My Life - Dr. Alban

33. Ain't Nobody - Chaka Khan

34. Tease Me - Chaka Demus

35. Lovely Day - Bill Withers

36. How Gee - Black Machine (teenet tet tenet tet tet tet!)

37. I've Got a Little Something For You - MN8

38. Searchin' - China Black

39. Live and Learn - Joe Public

40. For the Cool in You - Babyface

41. R to the A to the G to the G to the Aaaa - CJ Lewis

42. Tina Turner's 'I dont wanna fight' remix by them is sth amazing, it's like they made it possible for such an old non disco singer to qualify in their list of songs.

43. Breakout - Swing Out Sister

44. Oh Carolina - Shaggy

Poncho, you da man! Apasal lu tak mintak keje jadi part time DeeJay? I suggest your nickname will be 'The Nerd'. We ended up singing those songs ourselves to pacify our thoughts that we could get overwhelmed at Grand Modestos.. which didn't happen.

Maybe we were deaf, I don't know. But I didn't hear any of the above songs while I was there 3:30pm till 7pm. Anybody knows what they played after that?

Did they end with slow songs for slow dance like Sejati by Wings?

Will I go again every week? Maybe for specific occassions once or twice a year, my lungs can't take the smoke anymore, hate loud conversations too.

Legal Grass.

Know What We Eat.

The creeping fig (Ficus pumila). Without pruning, a single plant can envelop a four-story building!

In China, the syconia of creeping figs are picked ripe and placed in a porous bag to squeeze out the juice. The juice is cooked and then cooled into a gelatinous consistency called "pai-liang-fen." This jellylike material is cubed, mixed with water, syrup and flavorings and consumed as a refreshing drink. It is canned and sold in Asian markets as "grass jelly" of "ai-yu jelly."






But ,one of the most common plants used to make grass jelly is an herb in the mint family called Lamiaceae.

Now my curiosity on mana datangnya air cincau is finally answered. All this while, I was told that it is a kind of seaweed. This goes to say, we shouldn't easily believe everything we hear.






Somewhere within my blog, I have shared my answered curiosties about Truffles (mushroom) and whether it is halal to be eaten by Muslims as it is hunted down by dogs and swines, about what wasabi is made out of, how petai tree looks like, how vanilla essense is derived and how the hanger for a comb of banana looks like.

I was even given the wrong information by the chefs about how scallops are derived. They told me it is the ligamen that holds bigger species cockel meat to its shell. I discovered that the 50 cents sized seafood meat IS the integral part of the shelled seafood instead of it just being the ligamen.