Nightmares of Cat Mating Season.

Padi's a grown-up kitten now. No, wait. I don't know if I should even consider her as a kitten since she had already gone into heats. Heats?! Alright, it was the cats' mating season last week and since she isn't neutralized at all, Padi was behaving like a hooker, trying to lure a male. And lure a male she did!! That tomcat has been targeting her for a long while though.

How did we know that Padi was in a hooker mode?

1. She made more noise and her meows are louder and more frequent, eventually becoming constant. Irritating 'music' to my ears!
2. She was more affectionate towards us.
3. She weaved in and out of her legs.
4. She shook her pelvis.
5. She rolls about the floor. (Beta was wondering if she had gone too playful.)
6. She grabbed at our arms when we picked her up while she was rolling on the floor. 

However, being strict and not wanting a litter of kittens, I became the evil witch in Rapunzel by locking Padi up in her cage and chasing 'Prince Charming' away. I sprayed water at him. Gasp! I even warned him once that I would skin him alive (just a threat, I will never skin animals) and that bugger had the cheek to stare back at me, mocking at my frustration. Thankfully, Padi didn't get to mate, phew.

Alright, I know some people think that I was being cruel, stopping Padi from her natural desire. But it's for Padi's own good. She's still too young to be pregnant and to give birth. Besides, I think we've got enough cats at home. If Muk Ching were to find a litter of kittens appearing in the house all of a sudden, she'd rather face Doom's Day. And my family have more than enough pets to take care of. 2 cats and a rabbit. What more do we want? Definitely not kittens which were to be thrown away and killed by stray dogs.

More pictures of the adorable kitten which turned into a one-week hooker.

Her sleeping spot in the cupboard.

The week after mating season. She's back to her playful self now.

This is not Padi, but her senior Muk Ching. FYI, she's neutralized. So seeing males disgusts her. Single but will remain as a sexy spinster till death.

p/s: I love my pets.

Eating Gives Me Headache!

My passion for eating for pleasure has come to a full stop. I'm now just eating for the sake of providing sufficient nutrients to my body cells for an effective body system. Simply put that as 'eating for survival'.

I used to love eating, especially snacks (ohh!!! Chocolate is the best!). Whenever I felt like munching, I headed down to the kitchen and started ransacking every corner of the refrigerator and cupboards, even for the tiniest bit of cracker. As long as I satisfy my hunger pang. 

Well, that was before my father was diagnosed with a few serious diseases. I'm glad that it was a turning point for my family to start eating healthy. Even the food we cook is healthy (too healthy if I'm cooking). Virgin olive oil, no salt, just use shallots and ginger as seasoning, no deep-fried stuff whatsoever. Snacks, instant noodles and fast food once in a while. What else? 

Oh, I began to be very choosy when I eat out. I can look at the menu and think over the choices for 30 minutes because I would consider 2 factors very seriously: nutrition and price. Yes, there would be a frown on my forehead as I go through the nutrition facts while calculating the risk of burning holes in my parents' wallets. Unless someone serves me a plate filled with vegetables (not salad please) cooked in a healthy manner, I would start sulking, knowing that my body gets the wrong amount of nutrients.

I hate restaurants with either little or no vegetables on their menus. And I hate those that serve oily vegetables. I mean, what's the point of eating veges when all the good stuff in them are gone thanks to the oily cooking? I remember I once ate the oily vegetables served in my college's canteen. The moment they landed on my plate, their oiliness revealed, glistening in the bright sun, and I knew I made a mistake. My stomach was cursing me while my tongue begged for mercy as I swallowed the veges, oil covering my mouth. Alright, too exaggerated but I was horrified with how oily the vegetables were. Even the green colour faded to yellow. Honestly, I felt so down just by looking at the pathetic state of the veges. 

Due to my family's fussiness in food, I find that it got more difficult for both my mum and I to decide where to eat. We both would ask each other to decide, simply by stating, "I'll just eat whatever you want to eat. So what do you want to eat?" And this question became a pain in my neck everytime we want to eat out. It bothered me so much that I now hate eating out. Home-cooked food is my favourite since I get to choose and control whatever I eat. And hey, more non-oily veges too!!!

Speaking about home-cooked food, I'm a housewife again for the weekend because my mum is having the time of her life in Penang. Ironically, eating all kinds of delicious local cuisines (unhealthy alert!). It's fine, once in a while and as long as she exercises. As usual, my grandmother cringed when she knew that I will be in charge of cooking for the next few days. Too healthy food is a no-no for her. Meh, I don't really care. But fortunately, for today's dinner, I grilled teriyaki mackerel and stir-fried *potato shoots (very little olive oil, tons of shallots and water for the gravy). At least, they've got decent taste. No, actually they tasted good. 

*The potato shoots were organic home-grown veges. My mum used Beta's poop as fertilizer. Go green!!! Go mama!!! Go poop!

Organic home-grown potato shoots!!

Grilled teriyaki mackerel.

Anyway, when it comes to eating fast food, I tend to compare between McDonalds, Burger King and Carls Junior a lot. Well, Carls Junior should be out of the topic since I find it hard to finish the huge portion of burger and fries despite the fact that the fries are 100% made of potato. McDonalds' burgers are pathetic. All you'll see are bread, meat/fillet, a little bit of sauce, a few shreds of dead lettuce and another layer of bread. There goes the nutrition pyramid. Burger King's burgers are just nice, some of them though. I love the Whopper Jr burger. Fair amount of protein, carbohydrate and veges. 

My friend introduced another fast food chain restaurant to me, it's called Wendy's. I tried the lunch value meal - chicken burger, fries (maybe 70% made of potato) and a cup of carbonated drink. Erm...I have to say that it is slightly better than McDonalds? Not that pathetic but the burgers lack vegetables. Seriously, humans are omnivores, not carnivores! Give us some greens, for our digestion's sake!

Once An MCKLian, Always An MCKLian.

For the 1107s. It's not the end but the beginning to test our faith in each other.

If I had chosen to not take a gap year or to go to Tokyo to secure the scholarship, I wouldn't have ended up here, going through bittersweet moments with friends who brought me closer to God. I wouldn't have met a mixed-up 'family' consisting of perverts, the God-driven student council, the 'sampat' (crazy in Chinese) gang, kiasu Chemistry classmates along with our beautiful NUS lecturer, the bunch of Further Maths guys who miraculously got me married to my husband, the awesome group of dancers and choreographers, lecturers and staffs who came from all walks of life and the list goes on. 

Studying in MCKL has been one of the most amazing times in my life. I'd be lying if I say that my heart isn't heavy to leave college. Prior to the last day of college, I found myself going back to the first few days of college. Funny, it just felt like a few days ago. In a blink of an eye, three semesters have passed but we've all changed for the better. Many mistakes done, many valuable lessons learnt. 

The last day of college went well. No tears shed, no regrets. Just faith in Him and the people who have coloured my life. Once an MCKLian, always an MCKLian. 

Do I regret going on a gap year? Nope, not at all.

*If you're not one who is sentimental or emotional, I suggest you don't read the following paragraphs. But you're free to do so if you're curious. I'm sorry if it's such boredom*


27th November 2012.
Train of thoughts. I sat in silence in the monorail, time-travelling secretly all the way back to 4th July 2011. My first day in a college by the name of Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL).
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Last week, I was on a roller coaster ride as I go through waves of emotions. Who's not happy that college has ended and we don't have to wake up early for boring lectures? But who's not sad that we're parting with our college mates to our own ways, unsure whether we'll be in touch with each other? It's natural for us to take last-minute pictures in college, then upload them in Facebook or Instagram. And 5 years from now, sometimes even one day from now, we would look back at those pictures, either laughing in tears or regretting our mistakes. We would relive our college life as we walk down memory lane.
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As I stepped into MCKL that proudly stands up to its motto 'veritas vincit omnia', I was nervous yet excited to start a new life after returning from a gap year. Thinking that I have an advantage over the rest in terms of life experience, I was secretly slightly arrogant although I maintained my humble self. Thankfully, on the third day, when classes officially started, my arrogance was washed away by the excellent-and-smart-student image that my college mates were trying to uphold. After all, most of us had good results for our high school finals. Surely, we felt insecure to meet others who are on par or smarter than us. I was already panicking because whatever scientific knowledge I learnt in high school went down the drain due to taking up art streamed classes in Japan. With all these insecurity and effort to uphold such smart image, I felt really small, finding younger students who could answer simple chemistry questions which I couldn't.

Speaking about Chemistry, for all three semesters, I had a super-smart, gorgeous lecturer. I tend to say this, "I feel stupid everytime I enter chemistry class." That shows how intimidated I was (still am) by her. But it's not a complain. In lieu, it's sort of an encouragement to work harder to master Chemistry. She's actually a passionate lecturer, of course a well-experienced one too, as she used to lecture in NUS. The university where you find kiasu kids, mostly Singaporeans. She even prepared 10 post-trial sets for us to squeeze our brain juice on. The last set made me screamed in frustration. Too bad, we're the last batch of MCKL students whom she taught because she'll be moving back to Singapore, I guess back to NUS? Oh well. I truly appreciate her passion and effort in teaching us chemistry. Honestly, I would have quit Chemistry if I weren't intimidated yet inspired by her. Although she sent me shivers down my spine through her difficult questions, I'm still thankful to her for helping me to be where I am now. I wish her all the best in Singapore if she sees this post.

I'm sorry, but Chemistry is part of my college life, hence the long passage on it. Even my bed and table would be conquered by my Chemistry notes whenever I study this subject.

After settling down for a few weeks, the new intakes embarked on a real journey to know each other well. Orientation Camp, Midsummer Masquerade, Inter Cohort Games, High Praise and not forgetting the small events  and outings we organised plus our first Edexcel exam. We were quite naive, unaware that Edexcel could bite us real hard. I still remember how solemn and disappointed we were when we got unexpected results. The worst was Psychology. My classmates and I were so demoralized that we were halfway to giving up. Some had even already given up.

Orientation Camp was probably the turning point for us to feel comfortable with each other besides searching for friends we could mingle with. I was placed in the camp with other cohorts. Initially, it wasn't something I look forward to because I barely knew anyone from the other cohorts. I guess things went well and soon, I found myself in a wide social circle. The best part of Orientation Camp is the stream-trotting. It was a tough journey, climbing up the hill through the stream, strong current pushing us down. Yet, you could see the satisfaction on our faces when we succeeded in reaching the top to enjoy the beauty of nature. We even had water fights, splashing each other. Little did we know that we would be the last batch to go for stream-trotting due to the Rota virus outbreak in the rivers nearby. 80% of the camp participants fell sick, but we took it as a record-breaking event in MCKL's history.

Second semester was just pure havoc. Hectic schedule for me. And it was definitely one hell of a life-changing semester. 2 words: Student Council. Even now, I still think that my term serving in Student Council is a dream. My first thought when I was elected: 'Ahhh...will it turn out bad, just like what happened in high school?' I wish to tell you more about Mushy Council (my Student Council's name), but I shall keep it to myself. All I can I say is that the 9 members I worked with were truly blessings from God. Things didn't go smoothly in the beginning, but we matured through the hardships, retiring with smiles of victory and sense of accomplishment. If I could travel back in time, I would want to be in Mushy Council again. Those late nights in college, sleepless days, arguments, tears, laughter, mistakes and endless list of events were highlights of my college life.

Being in Student Council has taught me things that I can never learn from the chalkboard. The most important thing I learnt, faith in Him. God-driven council. Whatever we did, was not for ourselves but for God. It's way different from how I managed my high school Prefectorial Board, in which racism, greed and misuse of power were among the main things. I never thought of Him when I had difficulties. All I thought were my effort and revenge towards rivals. I ran the board only for my school, but I never thought of it as being part of serving Him.

I also ended up having a bunch of friends being my 'family'. You know, the make-believe family, like how we used to play in kindergartens and primary schools. At this stage, you can't call it childish though, because we sort of treat each other like our family members. We call each other 'dad', 'ooki (big sister)' and so on. I even had a 'husband' who is actually my dance partner. We did all kinds of things together, basically nonsensical stuff that made us laugh non-stop. My only regret, being in Student Council snatched me away from them as I was too occupied with council matters and we drifted apart from each other.

Wanting to dance on stage so much, I joined a group of dancers to be in a performance competition during Midsummer Masquerade. This is one of the most awesome things in my life since I've always wanted to be in a dance group. It is through this group that I got to know my partner and 2 more amazing girls who were the main choreographers. We didn't make it to the final round of the Midsummer audition but we were asked to  give an ending performance. Man, I can still feel the heat on stage and the screams from the audience. I never knew performing on stage could give such satisfactory.

After retirement, it was time to catch up with studies. I screwed up second semester's Edexcel exam and I knew that I can't slack in third semester. This semester was mostly spent with various people, cohort mates and juniors. What happened shall remain history but memories.
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More Padi Pictures!

Right. A quick update on Padi Pet (the kitten which my dad and I brought home). She's grown fatter and she just loves to climb EVERYTHING!!! Beta the rabbit seems to enjoy her company but my other cat Muk Ching, is still irritated by her presence. They fought a few times, well, Muk Ching attacked Padi in the first place though. Enjoy!!

Her first day wearing a collar with a little bell.

Finally!!! Toilet-trained.

She ambushed my camera right after I snapped this photo.

It's pure joy to spend my evening with her in the garden.

Spending time with Beta the rabbit.

This is their favourite playground, where they would ambush each other.

In her new and spacious cage.

Yes, she was performing acrobats for me. Oh my!

She even climbs this!! Notice her bushy tail. It's like a squirrel's.

Lazing around with Beta Boy. As you can see, she's exploring the sandal hut my mum bought for Beta.

Aww....she wanted to eat Beta's CELERY!!!! Of all things.

Beta Boy, finally being the rightful owner of the sandal hut.

Here's To Taxi Drivers

Here's a question to all taxi drivers: Do you choose your passengers based on their destinations? 

I don't know about other countries but Malaysian taxi drivers are REALLY PICKY. They actually reject passengers whose destinations are not favorable for them! I mean, seriously, I thought they are supposed to send us to wherever we want!

I've experienced this countless times especially during peak hours when we've got massive traffic jam going on. Whenever I mention about my neighbourhood, they would sulk, shake their heads and say. "No, no, go away." Excuse me, where are our rights as passengers? Why are YOU choosing, not us?

So one evening from Mid Valley, when the roads were completely filled with long lines of vehicles, my mum and I were queuing for taxis. While waiting, I saw some passengers, even tourists and foreigners got turned down by the taxi drivers. What an embarrassing moment! What kind of image are we, as Malaysians, giving the foreigners? The Ministry of Tourism often boast about the friendliness of Malaysians. And here I was, disgusted and humiliated by the sight of the snobbish taxi drivers refusing to drive the passengers. Such hostility. Maybe the Ministry of Tourism should reconsider whether to highlight our 'friendliness' to other countries. It's such a lie.

Anyway, we managed to flag down a taxi. I was praying hard that the taxi driver would ACCEPT us because I needed to rush home to prepare for IELTS. Fortunately, alhamdulillah, he drove us home. My mum jokingly told the taxi driver about the refusal of his comrades in driving passengers simply because they dislike the desired destinations. He answered, "At this hour, there are many places with bad traffic jams. If we send our passengers to these places, we'd be stuck and wasting our time in the traffic jam, instead of getting more passengers. Petrol would be wasted, hence it's not worth it."

Hmmm...sounds logic. It does make sense. In a way, I agree with his opinion because they actually need to earn money to make ends meet. Half the money they earned are used to pay for petrol and taxes, leaving not much for their families and daily needs. Of course, they have to act smart to get more passengers and money.

But, what about the passengers who live far away? What about those who have emergencies to attend to? What about those who are chasing time? Do passengers not matter?

As an example, me rushing for IELTS. If it weren't for the taxi driver, I would have been unprepared for my exams. It actually matters to me so much, that I am really thankful that he was willing to send us home despite asking us to pay extra money.
*He asked, "Do you mind paying extra?" He wasn't forcing us to do so. Anyway, we intended to give him extra money because it was prior to Deepavali and we understood the burden he is carrying.*

Honestly, many passengers appreciate taxi drivers who are willing to send them although they may not like the places they are heading to. After all, as taxi drivers, don't you all know that you will be facing problems such as traffic jams? Why aren't you taking this in as part of your responsibility? Yes, I understand that you need to earn more money for your family and traffic jams stop you from doing so, but deep in your hearts, which is of more importance: money or ethics?

Alright, I'm not from a wealthy family, nor am I from a poor family. Just the average one. But I'll answer my own question. If I were to be in your shoes, I would answer 'ethics'. Because I know, I have an important responsibility. Because I know that I can create a difference in people's lives no matter how small they are. Because I know that although I don't earn much or have to return home late, my family would be proud of me for having good ethics in work. And I know, God helps those who are ethical and not money-minded, whether He blesses us with happiness, money, food, good health or anything. 

I would like to share this religious talk by a respected sheikh. He stated that people these days, Muslims and non-Muslims, are money-minded. Too busy chasing after wealth that they have forgotten their connection to God and what their responsibilities really are. We have forgotten God's desired path in worshiping Him through our daily actions. Whether you are Muslim or non-Muslim, I'm sure some of my readers believe in God. And I'm sure you would agree that people these days are inclined towards money instead of God. In the end, when one dies and faces God, he won't be bringing wealth with him. Rather, he will be accompanied  and judged by his deeds.

Isn't ethic part of deeds?

*Note: Not all taxi drivers are hostile. But the hostile ones usually won't send passengers whose destinations involve traffic jams. For an example, if you are going to KL Sentral, Taman Desa or UM from Mid Valley, they will still send you because they don't really have to face traffic jams. But if you're going to Subang, Cheras or Damansara from Mid Valley, keep your fingers crossed and pray hard for an ethical taxi driver.

*This is a warning to both local and foreign passengers. There are taxi drivers who don't use meters but in lieu, burn a hole in your pockets by giving you exorbitant taxi fees. For instant, if the taxi driver uses a meter and sends you from Kuala Lumpur Conventional Centre to Taman Maluri, it will cost you around RM6 (without traffic jam) and around RM10 (with traffic jam). But it you will have to pay RM20 for the same distance, with or without traffic jam, if your taxi driver is not fond of the meter.

*Sorry if I had offended anyone's feelings but I'm just voicing out my opinions.