A Chic Lit for Everyone

DCM came back from the UK with a box of Krispy Creme and a chic-lit entitled P.S I Love You. I grinned from ear to ear. What could be better than lying on your bed with a good book and a dozen of donuts? ;D

Packed in a suitcase look-alike, straight from the vending machine in Gatwick. How cute!

Been searching for this book for ages around the city. Obviously you can find it rather easily in any major bookstores here, only that you have to read them in Spanish hehe. I guess the best part about being the 2nd most spoken language in the world is that all good resources are within your fingertip. Think of any good book in the market, I can pretty much assure you that they'll have one in their language. (Wonder whether our people would take up the opportunity if we have the same privilege. Reminded of how my brother used to joke about finding Malays in Kinokuniya - just go to the mag section, you'll find plenty of them muehehe)

Funny that I tried so many means of getting the book, only to end up with tons of unread chic lit piling up my desk. You see I am not a big fan of this type of genre, but I was dying to get my hand on this one due to the many good reviews I heard from friends. So after the huge disappointment with the local bookstores, I started hitting the online stores. eBay and Amazon do have plenty, only that it comes with a shipping fee that I was not too happy about (once a cheapskate, always a cheapskate hehe). While browsing I came across a collection of chic lit - 6 books for 10 quid inclusive of shipping... wallaaaaaa!! Being the ultimate skinflint, I purchased them straight away (Note: none of them has been read up till now. A lesson learnt - never buy something simply coz it’s cheap haha). Then there was also the trip to Oslo where I actually did found an original copy but decided not to buy it since everything was so expensive there. At the airport though, I suddenly felt a strong urge for some reading material to accompany the 3 ½ hr journey back to Madrid. Went looking for the book again, found none in sight, so I got myself a Marian Keyes instead.

People, people what can I say! Marian Keyes changed my perception of chic lit like you wouldn’t believe! It was both heartbreaking and comical – never had I shed so much tears and laughed so hard in a single book. To all those people who think chic lits are too shallow (errrr including myself), try this one and I guarantee you will change your mind!

As for P.S I Love You, I would say I was a little bit disappointed with Ahern's flair of writing after reading past a couple of pages. But I’ll do justice by sparing my full review till I am done with it.

Nevertheless, muchos gracias DCM for this lovely pressie. You're an absolute darl!

Turning Over a New Leaf

D said I should blog more about positive stuff.

Looking back at past entries, I've come to realize that most of the stuff that I blogged about were total downers. Thing is, I consider this blog as my personal space in the cyber world where I am able to express myself and vent out all my angers and frustrations.

But maybe he's right. Maybe years from now I would be happier reading all the happy stories instead of all the yakking 'bout stuff that has not gone right. But for every long entry, there is a always a point that I wanted to get across. It is my personal perception of the environment and the people around me, and a reminder to myself about the kind of person that I should or shouldn't be. I guess it's easier to write about the stuff that bothers you instead of the things that make you happy as you tend to take those happy moments for granted yet dwell and sweat about your worries too much. Not so wise huh.

So here we go...from today onwards I am turning over a new leaf.

Grrrrrr....

I hate Linux, I hate Asterisk, I hate all that has got to do with open source.
Period.

Drama Queen

I spent the whole day yesterday helping a so-called-friend in her quest to the Centro de Salud a.k.a the local health center. She claimed she was weak, had diarrhea the whole night, and asked me to lend a hand in walking her to the center. I had no objection.

Called up several centers but none were picking up, went down to the nearest pharmacy to ask for information, gather the info, went up the flat, looked up Google map and decided it was too far for her to walk in that condition. Called a taxi and waited, only to be told an hour later that it was off the route. Grrr!

Okay, so we started walking towards the center, stopping here and there as she claimed she was in pain. I prevented myself from comforting her, didn’t want to take any of her bull shit, stood by the roadside looking for a cab. Wasn’t my luck. Walked some more, got there, registered and waited for only 10 minutes before she was called in. I waited outside, only to be called later to accompany her in the room. Saw her lying on the bed with an IV drip on her arm and started feeling really bad.

Shoot, she really is sick. How could I ever think she was bluffing it?

Several nurses came by every 5 minutes to check on her and every single one of them looked astonished as she kept on saying she was not getting any better. After probably the 5^th checked, one of them decided to send her off to the emergency room at the local hospital, stating further check up was needed as she was not getting better. She was stunned, asked the nurse to call a cab, but the nurse was insisting on sending her via the ambulance. She hesitated big time; said she was embarrassed. I convinced her to take up the offer; that it was ridiculous to feel embarrassed while you are in so much pain and how it would give her better priority over other patients.

She was freaking out and started shivering all over. All of a sudden she said that she was actually already feeling better on the way to the center, and how she was hoping to STILL BE SICK by the time she arrives at the hospital so the doctor wouldn’t think she was making it all up. I knew it! Somehow i kept myself calm, and told her it was silly of her to be wishing for that.

We were relieved to get there in one piece after a nasty 15 minutes ride on the ambulance, she was pushed on a wheelchair inside the room and both of us waited for 5 minutes as someone completed her registration. While waiting, some of the nurses and the people who brought us on the ambulance were talking cheerfully behind us and were even gossiping about both of us (that she was not local, didn’t understand much of Spanish and how I didn’t understand a word of it muehehe). She got really pissed off, thought they were treating us like animals. I thought it was hilarious, and errr obviously embarrassing. Ok so after 5 minutes, I was asked to wait outside and she was ushered inside a room. Waited for another 2 hours – slept, read, gobbled up sandwiches, drank hot choc, just any means to keep myself occupied. She came out, we took a bus back home while listening to her complaining about all the wrong description they put on her paper, got off, went around to look for an available pharmacy (the hospital only writes prescription, they don’t distribute medicine). Arrived home, prepared some lemonade for her, cooked dinner, and slumped myself to bed – I was dead tired.

Only then I started feeling sick to my tummy.

It was not her first time.

Yesterday was definitely not the first time that she deliberately allow herself to get sick in the hope of receiving attention and sympathy from people around her. It was her 3^rd attempt already. I remember the 2^nd time she was in the position; she refused to take any medication. The reason – she didn’t want to intoxicate her body with drugs anymore. Wow, so much concern for a person who practically lives on processed food everyday.

Of course nobody believes her; everybody knew she did it just to get herself off work. And of course everybody knew she was faking it; probably she was sick, but not as bad as she claimed she was. Yet every time she would drag herself to the health center, and complains about how long she had to wait and how bad they were treating her. She would lock herself in her room the whole day, only coming out when people were outside preparing a meal, and would go on and on about how she was too weak to prepare food on her own. She would leave all her dishes in the kitchen, expecting others to clear up her mess. She has had low blood pressure for years, yet never took better care of herself or even attempt to change her daily diet.

I asked her how she was doing early in the afternoon today.

"Ohh same old, not any better. Still hurt as bad as yesterday"

An hour later her friend came for a visit, and off they went. I was speechless.

She said she had had a bad childhood. She claimed she was raised in a messed up family. I believe this has lead her to become the kind of person that she is today. But you know what? I have known many friends who came from similar background, yet were able to take full control of their lives without having the need to mess up with other people.

Mad at myself for falling for her trap, yet another time.

KEGILAAN

Masuk nie dah 4 kali buat correction. Nasib baik deadline hari nie. Agak2 kalu deadline lambat lg baper kali yek kene buat??
Org lain cuti Xmas berjalan. Ade pegi Greece, ade pegi Switzerland. Aku? Dok umah dediam siapkan keje.
Tp submission kali nie pon ade major correction jugak.
Teruk sgt ke paper aku? Aku yg bodoh ke dia yg cerewet? Cuba jawab.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

What I Dread Most

I dread for the moment when I have to pack my bags and leave this wonderful continent that has been home for the last 15 months.
AND I dread the moment when I have to say good bye to all these wonderful friends that have added so much colors to my life.

No matter how much u promise each other to stay in touch, u know things will never be the same again. :(

My Wish

I hope that days come easy and moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

More then anything, more then anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more then you take.

Oh More then anything, Yeah, and more then anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

p/s: TQ darling ijah for this wonderful, wonderful song. and TQ for always being there for me!


p/p/s: Know what's the good part of feeling low? That u have good friends to cheer u up tho they're thousands of miles away!