Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Bending the Truth

Good lord! I wonder what these guys are like in a social setting. How does one bring up the topic without coming across as being weird? "Hey, you know what would be really fun?".



Speaking of fun, it's funny how some people can affect me. I've had many occasions where I've had to deal with people where each meeting prior, I tell myself I am going to be very very patient and not get riled. But when push comes to shove, I lose control and get visibly irritated.
So if spending time with such a bunch of people, who communicate using endless barbs, where every interaction has some underlying tension even if the topic of conversation may only be the latest episode of Sesame Street, where just purely from the tone used is enough to raise ones anxiety and stress levels no end, affects me so badly, why do I do it? Why indeed?
To those people who have asked me this, I say to them, "Mum, Dad, you are family".
But Kim loved being the centre of attention, getting everything she wanted.

Trip back to M'sia was OK. Wasnt a holiday so much as a trip to visit the olds. Coming back to a house with a temperature of 4C after 16 days of 32C/99% humidity is a little confronting though. Still, I think I prefer the cold.

Each trip home does dredge up lots of almost forgotten memories.
Kid : Who was that guy you were talking to, Dad?
Me : Do you remember me telling you when I was 7, and this bigger kid 6 doors down from where I lived told me that there are some birds which will swoop down on you and pluck out this special hair on top of your head which acts like stopper to keep your soul in? And when this specific hair is pulled out, you suffer great indescribable pain and you die very soon after? And that I didnt dare leave his house for hours until I had to and I sprinted home like I've never done before with my hands on my head, screaming for my mum?
Kid : Yes.
Me : Well, that was him.

And driving past the place where I used to sometimes play table tennis as a kid made me wonder what happened to the guy who used to bully my friend and I? I dont remember his name now, but everyone called him Fei Chee, which when translated means fat pig. I wonder if I can get any compensation for that. I could handle some free money right now.

Anyway, some pics from the trip, in case you had nothing better to do.

Soundtrack to viewing the pics? PSB's Being Boring. Though in reality, listening to this song often makes me feel a little melancholic. Maybe that's why it's the only Pet Shop Boys song I listen to regularly.

25 comments:

Pink said...

yay! new post!

Lovely pics - I'm going to be in Sinapore in December - any chance I could see Kuala Lumpur in a couple of days or is it better left to another trip?

family - you gotta die to get out of it...so I guess they're better than the alternative ;)
xx
pinks

Pink said...

ps thanks a lot! except for the dead birds....now I'm hungry!

Helene said...

loling... really! ..."Hey, you know what would be really fun?".... too funny!!!


BTW, I love the name of your blog...'tired but generally willing" I think we may be kindered spirits! lol

ChickyBabe said...

That's a lot of food pics! Me hungry.

Being Boring always gives me the shivers... especially the line "some are here and some are missing..." even writing it is stirring.

Chai said...

pink : I can barely squeeze out one post a month. If you want quality AND quantity, check out chicky babe and steph, tuktuk and others (on my blogroll).

KL, yeah, you can do in a few days. It's only a 45 min flight from S'pore or if you take a bus, around 3-4 hours.
My suggestion, take a bus to Malacca, spend a day there and then to KL, for 2-3 days and then Penang if you have time. The buses are very comfortable. Get the VIP ones (has less seats per bus).
Some pics of KL tour.

kate : you stroke my ego. I like.

cb : I miss the food. The kid would only eat sweet and sour heartily so I had to forego my daily satays.
BB is a great song, I think. They lyrics are so personal.

Jay said...

The trip was worth it for the reminiscences alone!

M said...

I loooove that song :D

ps: how did you get the little flash playing thingy to work on your blog? I have file den but need the ...erm thingy (yes, okay I'm hopeless).

Chai said...

jay : you think so? I guess. I met up with a few of the guys from PRIMARY school. And mannnn, some of the anecdotes.... but it's possible that it is only funny if you were there, but then ... eg. Who was it that in pre-school shat in their pants ... and so on it went, one embarrassing anecdote in revenge for the next etc...

m : It's the best PSB song, I reckon. BTW, regd playing the mp3, someone asked and I answered here.

Let me know if you have trouble with this.

Kristine said...

Awwwwww, food sweet food. Whenever I come back from KL I do not miss the humidity, the taxi drivers, relative telling me I'm "fat, you must live a happy life!", but gosh do I miss the food. Your pics made me salivate just a little.

Steph said...

Haaaaahah! That kid of the bird story was cool. I would have been friends with him ;)

Pink said...

speaking of weird things to do for fun...i saw a lot of dads with their kids taking camel rides on the beach. Kids love riding animals and I think dads love seeing their kids have fun.

Mystery, perhaps, solved?
xx
pinks

But - the poo is another story. Camel poo is rank!

Pink said...

speaking of weird things to do for fun...i saw a lot of dads with their kids taking camel rides on the beach. Kids love riding animals and I think dads love seeing their kids have fun.

Mystery, perhaps, solved?
xx
pinks

But - the poo is another story. Camel poo is rank!

Chai said...

steph : For years after, I use to run my hands through my hair and wonder which hair it was.

Was scared I might accidentally pull it out.

It still might be true, you know.

pink : oh yeah. Seeing the kid happy is quite a nice feeling. Camel poo, aye? Will try to incorporate this random factoid into my general knowledge. Am sure I will be able to use it my general interactions at work.

Ann ODyne said...

"camel poo is rank" ?
you mean there are non-rank kinds?

Happy Landing Chai -
when it's 4 degrees you can put on mittens and scarves,
but when it's 34, after 'naked' then what? (and still you're hot)... now I have to go put another log on the fire.
cheers.

Melba said...

hi chai. thought i'd come over here for some solidarity.

and say hi.

Chai said...

ann: Ha ha... and completely agree regd hot vs cold.

mg : Right on sister. BTW, not that it matters, but what was the context of our solidarity? Teachers? Difficult family? Actors?

Melba said...

third. you are now a friend on facebook.

Autumn Storm said...

Heya Chai, just went to see all your pictures, durians and satay included, two of my very favourites, and now I have extreme cravings. Great to hear you had a good trip, with the littl'un no less. :) Hope all's well otherwise. Take care, xo

meva said...

Yikes! That necrophilia item is just horrible! And you're right. How did that particular topic come up (as it were)?

I love the bird story. I was told when I was little that birds could tell if you lied. I still sort of worry about that.

Chai said...

Hi there AS. Sorry for the hiatus in visiting. Havent been doing the blogland rounds much. The novelty has definitely worn off. :-(
And things are well.

meva : Glad you liked the bird story. I may have a few more that I can dredge up :-)
Like if you pee up against a tree, you have to pray to the tree first, in case it drops a branch on you. *sighs* to be young again.

Pink said...

Hey Chai - thats a good idea - I think I will do that. I have a few days to pass on my own :)
xx
pinks

gigglewick said...

I do a lot of those "remember how once I remarked in a casual conversation that there was a boy who I liked when I was in Grade Six but he never liked me because I wasn't sporty enough and then I came third in the cross-country and he was totally confused and then seven years later he told my boyfriend how utterly awesome i was even though we'd never spoken more than 15 words? That was him" stories too.

It's wearying on the vocal chords.

Nai said...

Getting used to the cold can be rather tricky after so long in the humid heat, I feel your pain. Although I think I have been converted from a heat hating, snowbunny to the type that moans about the slightest chill in the air and has a nanna rug permanently on hand for my knees.

Ann ODyne said...

oh 'nai',
he's not "feeling the cold" -
he's FACEDOWN in his Facebook
playing online Scrabble,

and back on 13/8 he had the nerve to tell his devoted Readers -

"Sorry for the hiatus in visiting. Havent been doing the blogland rounds much. The novelty has definitely worn off"

Camera Obtusa is lying low too, Chai.

Chai said...

Chai is feeling inactive/seditentary.

Eeek.. I forgot to respond to comments. My humblest apologies *deep bow*

ggw : Nice memory. I wish I could remember more of mine.

nai : Was quite warm today in Melb. Spring is coming early. Sadly, I suffer from hay fever.

anode : *sticks tongue out*