Chronicles of Chaos

Chronicles of an existence... Perfect Order within the Chaos.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Weekend of Excesses

Gosh... I just realised that at the rate this weekend seems to be going, I might just turn out to be an alkie (Translation: Alcoholic).

It started out without pre-planning. I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner and light drinks after. However, after being stuck in a conference room all day with 11 others, with the exception of tonnes of 5 minute breaks in between, a colleague ran to me the minute I stepped out from the conference room. She asked if I had plans that night. I said I had dinner plans but it would not stretch very late. In the end, 2 of my colleagues and I ended up going to meet my dinner date. I was unsure of how I could mesh the dinner date and colleagues together but things turned out well and I had dinner with colleagues instead. I felt kinda bad coz I had sorta double booked in a way but then again, friend and I never agreed to anything more than dinner and a drink in the same restaurant.

We had dinner at Crystal Jade and after exchanging two kilograms of grouses, we proceeded to Holland V for drinks. Turns out it was crowded so we sorta ended in Emerald Hill Acid Bar. Hmmm... I was surprised that one of the party animals doesnt really drink and the other woman who is married with 2 kids, drinks like a fish.

Saturday was another day of shopping and drinks. I literally crawled away at 1am pleading that I was comatose (yeah right!)

Today (Sunday), a colleague mentioned that she would be in my area for a class and we made plans to meet for shopping and dinner thereafter. She invited another colleague along and the other invited JW from my dept and that is how the 4 of us ended at Wine Connection for wine and champagne. I had my favourite White Wine from Sauternes, France. Might I add that this is one of my favourite white wine that tastes like freshly er... brewed? minted? honey. Utterly sublime. Following this was the harsh brut of a champagne for they did not have any Rose Champagne. I take this opportunity to inform all interested that Wine Connection at Robertson Quay (Mohd Sultan area) has port wines by the glass and is relatively inexpensive. =)

We crawled away, sated with shopping, dinner, wine and champagne. All in all, not a bad weekend.

It seems that lately, my colleagues and I are hanging out together quite often. We seem to be doing a lot of things together lately. Just the other day, the new PR guy asked me out for a movie and in the end, after I started calling others, it was us 3 from my dept and the PR Guy. We had dinner thereafter. Mere days before that, CC and I were out together for a side shopping excursion.

With the GSS happening, I am rather certain that there are gonna be more shop, dinner and drink trips. We already have MOS (Ministry of Sound) planned for 2nd June. I will then be leaving with Janice and her entire ancestry line on 16th June. Soon after that, colleagues and I have the chalet booked for 30th June.

With this much comaraderie, there is also bound to be tonnes of goss (gossip) flying back and forth. Who is being ill-treated by whom, who is trying to get into the good books of whom, etc. There is also a great big SCANDAL going on and like some, I am gonna sit in the sidelines to watch it unfold. Rest assured that I will have on protective gear with the words 'Spectator' emblazoned on my chest armour and head gear. No way in hell will I be drawn into this.

*sigh* In 4 years, this has been the first time I have seen staff from the company that close knit. I wonder if this is a good or bad thing.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Dark Skies

I woke up this morning and whilst groggy, took a look out the front door. The skies outside were spectacularly dark . So much so, the buildings had an ethereal brightness to it despite a visually missing Sun.

I had to snap a couple of pics to remember it by.
Have I ever mentioned how I love the weather just before it rains? Everything seems to stop and with bated breath, everyone waits for confirmation of an impending storm. The weather cools down considerably, there are gusts of cool winds blowing, everything becomes silent, the World looks tamer and less domineering.

Now, I am aware that in most countries, a storm is the least favourite weather and it is nothing like a storm in the tropics. But then again, living in constant heat and humidity, people like me do get a little reprieve every once in awhile.

I dislike when the skies finally split open and rain spills. The magic of the impending storm is no longer an uncertainty. The finality has been revealed. Everyone breathes easier when the rain is here. Most times, people sigh. Knowing that with the rain, a portion of their freedom has been cut and they have to wait the rain out.

I have to put in the disclaimer that whilst I deplore the Thunders that come with most storms, it is true that I am a Lightning Streak Fan. I am mesmerised by the flashes of lightning that are so random and obscure. I am thoroughly in love with the freestyling patterns of Lightning Streaks. I have tonnes of pictures taken by photographers, of the many different colours, streaks and scenarios of lightning streaks. Given a chance though, I would not want to be standing beside the photographers risking life and limb to take such award winning pictures. (Might be due to some saying the Chinese have about how Lightning will strike the Evil? Thus villians like me, should always stay indoors during a thunderstorm for fear of being struck down dead. Ha!)

Anyways, here are a couple of other pics I took today, along with some pics I think should win awards:


And these are pics I love, deserving of Awards (Pics are from Webshots Gallery):

Copyright of Superstock, Inc

Copyright of Superstock, Inc

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Johnson's Baby 'No Tears' Shower Foam & Another MLM Scam

I decided to take a shower to wash off the 'ick' from the dinner I just had with an ex-colleague. I accidentally flicked my loofah a little and whaddaya know? A glob of shower foam went splat into my right eye. I decided now would be a good time to blind myself so I told self to be brave "Self... Be Brave!" and opened my right eye to see if it would burn my retinas into oblivion. Amazingly enough, there was only a smidgeon of discomfort whilst eye could remain open without rinsing and no, I did not end up blind.
Johnson's Baby's claim of No Tears lives to its name.

Earlier, I met an ex-colleague of mine for dinner. She started drinking some stuff lately and was losing weight. I was being half polite when I asked the obligatory "Oh? Pray tell!". She suggested we go to this semi vegan little eatery in Suntec City, called Indinine. Being the sort to go to war if there isn't at least one meat dish on the table, I grudgingly agreed... very very grudgingly.

To be frank, the food was excellent. This is not your typical vegetarian foodfare, trying hard to imitate meat dishes with bountiful of gluten. The food within the menu was relatively inexpensive yet tasty and it basically was food without meat.

Examples of dishes were what we ordered to share:
Penne Al Fredo Cream without the ham,
Stir Fried Udon noodles with peppers and mushrooms,
Gyoza without the pork but with something that tastes like pork and it sure as heck didn't taste like gluten.
Salad with tonnes of stuff that tastes and smells like bacon bits

I am impressed! First ever pseudo vegan meal I had that I wanna go back to.

After dinner, friend started talking about my health and mentioned that there was more to just one product in order to lose a couple of inches. I then had the sinking feeling that she was onto some MLM scam and I have just been made a victim.

I had to oblige and enter MLM Hell in Suntec Tower 2 to be talked to, as is characteristic of MLM Scammers. I listened, nodded and smiled politely, whilst keeping all daggers sheathed and away. I managed to depart with my cash and sanity intact.

In the cab, I explained to her yet again that the one industry I truly deplore would be the MLM Scammers. I detest the Big-Fish-Eat-Little-Fish theory. I detest the MLM multi-millionaires lounging by their posh swimming pools, swathed by a garden area of 65hectares, leading into a Playboy mansion measuring approximately 130hectares, give or take a couple of hundred hectares. All this whilst the little fish, dart left and right, endangering their entire phonebook of friends and family, trying to sell them products they swear work. Then showing you two thousand pieces of testimonials from people who have tried the product. I absolutely hate that they are waxing lyrical to you of how life was ten levels worse than hell before they tried this product.

This friend of mine told me to ignore the fact that it is a MLM selling this product. Said if the product works, why not just buy it for consumption to lose weight and not worry about having to sell 10,000 packs before being able to earn commission.

I told her that even if this product were guaranteed by Lee Kwan Yew, I would forego and suffer the opportunity cost, simply because it is a MLM scheme. I reasoned that if an MLM has a 100 million turnover in 5 years, with testimonials from Stage 3B Cancer patients, who turned around one day after consuming said product, and discovered no more cancerous lumps or tumors, then why are the MLM Scammers not toasted as medical geniuses and the whole world worshipping the ground they walk on?

To me, MLM has so many monumental flaws in its business guise (Remember: Big Fish Sloths, Little Fish Slogs) that I am surprised there are still people willing to be sucked in.

Ok well, they say there is one born every minute. *sigh*

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Quiet Solstice

As mentioned to a select few, I have started shying away from social commitments. I can't put my finger on when and why this started, but it has.

I was asked out for a movie, shopping spree, drinks at Gotham Penthouse and drinks at Guest Haus... none of which I turned up for. Dang!

I gave myself the excuse that I had to work on Sunday (today) and had to get up earlier to get ready and bring my bag of clothes, make-up and various paraphernalia. But in truth, there is really nothing much I need to get ready. Just bring my clothes and a little make up and I am good to go.

Hmmm... I should really start to push self out the door. If not for anything else but to stop self from being such a loner these days. Actually I did that during the Taipei trip. Forced myself to get out and be with people. Hoping that at least with a different view and climate, I might be able to enjoy myself around people more. I think it turned out waaaay way wrong. I didn't really enjoy the general company although I did enjoy most of the time with my colleague. She can be really enjoyable company if she sets her mind to it and just relaxes. It's when she starts getting antsy, overly bf protective (even when walking down the street) and dependant that she starts to grate on my one last remaining nerve. But in general, I must say she is quite a sweetie despite all that I've said. It's just me and what I feel.

So anyways, it is now Sunday and I have to leave for the damned awards in 3.5 hours. *yawn* I don't wanna goooooo! For the sake of the extra off day, I am going back to work with 3 other girls tomorrow however late tonight's event might end. The off day is going to be used to spend one last 'alone' time with my best bud. It will be a celebration of our friendship before she goes off to join her hubs in Kazakhstan, a celebration of her birthday. *sigh*

We were supposed to hit Genting and generally just walk around. In the end, when she mentioned this to her family, everyone got on board so now her ENTIRE family together with husbands, in-laws and kids are joining us. She assures me that we will generally be alone barring meal times. I guess it is ok since I've grown up with her family and 3 other sisters most of my teenage life. It doesn't matter much to me either ways... if I feel it is getting too much, I will do what I do best, walk away and enjoy alone time.

Well... that's as 'exciting' as this blog will get... have a good one everyone else!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Casual Fridays

As has always been the practice in my company, my department does not have the luxury of dressing down on any given day of the week. Not even if you are on half day's leave. This is because my department has direct contact with the world 'outside' and quite often, have meetings with both locals and international counterparts.

Imagine my surprise today, when the CEO sent out an email to all of us. He mentioned that someone asked why we didn't have casual Fridays and he has only now, remembered the issue.

He explained that he was the one who ruled out the wearing of jeans on Fridays in 1994, stating what I mentioned in Para 1. However, upon 'grave' consideration, he has decided it is time we started following the trends into a more people friendly environment and has allowed jeans on casual Fridays. Of course, being Mr Decorum himself, he stressed that overly explicit clothing is still frowned upon, along with slippers, sandals etc..

I look forward to casual Fridays now, not so much because I wish to flash my bling around the office or potter around as though I were home. I look forward to the tiny baby steps we will move onto next. Be it another 12 years or so...

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Hell Hath No Fury

I am still in semi shock from the call I received slightly after lunch today. My thoughts may not be very coherent so bear with me. I gotta set a couple of background scenarios so you can fully comprehend the story I am about to relate.

Background One
I was coerced by a couple of ex-school mates to join some site connecting people all over the world. The minute you do that, all the contacts of friends are then cross-referenced to your own contact list to see what degree of friends you have in common and so on. Anyways, I realised later on that this also led to tonnes of people surfing thru my site and sending msgs to be friends. It couldav been some sorta 'Pick A Girl' past time for some of the more pathetic ones. *sigh*

One such msg came from a friend of a friend, X. X started off innocent enough. Having things to say rather than a silly pick up line. He got interested in what I did for a living and started asking work related issues then. I got the impression that he wanted to be a friend so he could get free professional advice from me, which was just fine with me. We even exchanged HP numbers on an occassion whilst he was working on some project that required my professional expertise.

When he later started hinting at wanting something more physical than just a friendship, I stopped taking him seriously. He became someone I never gave two thoughts to more than the usual Hi and Bye. The faux salutations carried on for over a year. To be frank, because I didn't do more than say hello in reply to his, I don't know much about him as a person. I did know however, that he was hiding more than he was eluding to. I just wasn't bothered to find out what it was.

Background Two
During my trip to Taipei, I received several calls from a number I did not recognize, followed by several from a private number. I never once picked up those calls just because I didn't feel like it.

The Shock
Well the other shoe dropped today. I received a call from my office line soon after lunch. When I picked up the call, I heard a guy's rather loud pleas "Nade! Don't do this Nade! PLEASE NADE... I beg of you Nade!" This went on for quite awhile and I didn't want to hang up the phone as it was rude to do so to a business call. Soon after, I heard a female voice. She said hello a couple of times before loud male pleas drowned out her voice. I was wondering if she was calling me at a bad time and if she wouldn't rather call me later, after she had resolved whatever it was happening at the time.

Anyways, it soon unfolded. She asked if I have corresponded with a person by the handle name X. She proceeded to apologize for disturbing me and putting me on the spot. She said she has already warned him once before that he really shouldn't go online and say such things. She said it was disrespectful. He was still hollering at her side, telling her not to say so much to me and to stop explaining.

I on the other hand, was having difficulty comprehending what she was really saying. Did she really think he went online solely for virtual flirting and it was this that she wasn't too happy with? Or was she trying to say in not so many words, that she knew he was being unfaithful to her. Anyways, she asked if I took him seriously. I told her of course I didn't, which was why we never met. He was screaming at her side, saying that he lied about everything and that we never met. I was like "Oh my gosh! That mustav been quite some lunch, this isn't really happening. I CANNOT be taken to be a third party when I haven't done or intended to do anything."

Anyways, she said that she has a couple of the messages he sent me on record. I told her then she could infer from those messages that I didn't respond to him in kind. She then asked if he has ever once told me he had a wife and kids. That was when time stood still. Gosh! WIFE and kids? I was silent for moments before whispering:"OMG! You are his WIFE?" She replied that she was... I told her I was sorry for her. This seemed to have been a slap across her face for she drew a sharp intake of breath before repeating "Sorry for me?".

I said "It must be tough on you to have to verify on what he is doing online and going through a list now can't be easy. This is what I am sorry about". She proceeded to say that there is no list and he says that I am the only one. I knew then that it must be the heat from lunch that fried my brains, causing this illusionary nightmare now. How could I be the only one targetted when he has always bragged about his regular fuck buddies? I haven't even met the sod nor have I ever once entertained anything about being a fuck buddy. Good Lord! A wife and kids and he hunts online? Geez! The poor wife! What must she be feeling?!!

Anyways, I told her that I have no romantic notions toward her husband and that I never intended to meet him despite whatever messages he may have sent me. I told her that I never knew about him having a wife and kids but didn't mention that he has maintained that he was single and has not met the right one to date. I told her that we could meet in person if she wanted to and that I was really sorry that she was going through this right now. All through our entire conversation, he was pathetically begging for her to stop doing this. I don't think I have seen a man more pathetic than what I have heard during our entire tele-conversation.

She said she believes me for I sound sincere (how else would I sound when this is the truth?) and that she doesn't need to bother me further by meeting up. I told her to take care of herself and not to keep apologizing. I understand her need to verify this and that I will be around if she requires more answers.

I hung up absolutely bewildered. This happens only to people who have been guilty. I have never heard of the innocent being ensnared in such a treacherous pseudo-adulterous situation. Gosh... I wouldn't mind such a call if I had really been an innocent but naughty participant. Then I got a little miffed at having been put into the role of an adulterer. Geez... the nerve of that sod! As if!

Anyways, I then concluded that those calls I received whilst in Taipei must have been from her then. I don't even know her name and number. It was one of those rare situations where I had nothing to say then but a trillion to say and ask later. I wanted to ask her what she was asking me in the afternoon and what she really wanted to know.

Did she want to know:
1) If I believed all that he said online and was in love with her husband?
2) Or was she really asking if we had been intimate for real?

Does that mean that she doesn't really approve of him flirting online but didn't think it was that big a deal? If that were the case, could a woman really be that naive and think online flirting always ended there?

Anyways, I don't think I helped her much either ways. I pray for her sanity and her life together with her kids thereafter. There isn't much else I can tell her that would give her any real comfort and security. I just pray that she really considers again giving her life to such a man and that she decides to leave him sooner rather than later. From what I am hearing, I do not think she is going to leave him at all. *Sigh*

Are woman usually the ones on the receiving end of infidelity?
I thank the stars above in my firm belief that no one fully understands what it means to say "I Do" and "Forever" at the altar. Goodness... and people keep hounding me to get married.

Nay I say! I respectfully pass this option if this is a peek glance at what is to come.

Monday, May 15, 2006

A Brief Fling with Taipei

My colleague who was leaving for Taiwan tempted me last week, with the prediction that Taipei's temperature over the weekend was in the region of a cool 20 degree celsius and below. Forces within my world were in a turmoil between visiting an Asian country *eeps!* and relaxing in a cool if not wintery weather *oooh!*. In the end, cool climate achieved a hairline win.

Since I joined colleague, her beau and two other guys at the last minute, my trip was dependant on the waiting list for a return flight on the 15th and was confirmed 2 days before I was due to fly. I went via EVA Air because all other airlines demanded my firstborn as payment for having the audacity to attempt a flight out during the public holiday, long weekend season.

Our departure times were the same, although it was sheer insanity that they wanted to meet at 10 in the morning when our flight was at 1.10pm. The only reason I met them this early was because I wanted to be the first one at the check-in queue, precisely 2 hours before flight time. I was determined to lay claim to the window seat by the emergency exit.

For those who mock me for demanding this 'luxury' on such a short flight, lemme pre-empt by saying I have always had passengers from hell sitting in front of me and by the time I landed, I would almost always, fight the strongest of urges to leave carcass trails from my homebase to the designated destination. Always. Every single time. Bad seat = Passengers from Hell In Front of Me.

We stayed at the Y which was smack in the centre of everything. There were 5 of us sharing the suite with an almost non-existent miniscule balcony so we could inhale our little cancer sticks, 5 in a straight row, with hardly any space to turn around. Taipei was everything I expected, smoggy, tonnes of main street with connecting alleyways, good food albeit laced with a localised flavour that takes some getting used to. Plenty of petite little women wearing either an asortment of layered tops, or lace in their apparrel including Tees and generally style genres that practically hollers "Kawai!! with a Victory sign close to lips".

We spent our paltry days doing the usual touristy route, sightsee, eat and shop. I think AT and I went into overdrive with the 铁蛋 (Literally translated: steel eggs. These are basically flavourful hard-boiled quail or chicken eggs infused with tea and sometimes flavoured with herbs and spices) and an assortment of 土产 (local delicacies). I went with a miniscule trolley luggage and came back with a 1mtr x 1mtr straw bag and a duffle. Most of the baggage I brought back contained edible foodstuff and stuff I generally can't get back home. Things like 2 tins of Instant Matcha with Milk, Green Bean flavoured Milk (don't mock it till you try it), Matcha Mochi Cake (Sakura too), half of Taipei's 铁蛋 production, 15 bowls of Beef Instant Noodles (w/ real beef in it!), some black sesame, 小米, and assorted crisy rice cracker, Candy shaped like a box of feminine product and a pack of cigarettes, 5 cutesy little danglies to hang on handphones (these tiny danglies are shaped like a segment of the bamboo with carved wishes on them, such as 和睦, 吉星高照, 避邪, 如意, 四季平安), 3 pairs of shoes, couple of cotton boxer shorts and 4 tops.

I had expected my experience with the Taiwanese to be pretty brusque but was pleasantly surprised that most were pretty affable, polite, had no bad breath nor body odours, generally helpful. The thing I did not expect was to be taken as a local and hence, I was not allowed the usual excuse that I was a tourist and didn't know better if I acted outtav the social Taiwanese norms.

I met quite a lot of locals who started rattling to me in slang Mandarin and Hokkien and since I understood most of it, I tried my best to reply in as succinct a Mandarin as I could muster. They seemed to understand me ok although I must admit I couldn't speak with the same fluency and speed as the locals. I didn't speak to them in English simply because I didn't want them to feel bad or get flustered and worse, feel inadequate when I fail to comprehend what they are saying in English (I found that to be the case on the rare occassions I resorted to English). Most of the locals will turn to stare whenever I spoke to my mates in English. They do the second glance and try to suss where we are from. Oft times, after they realise that they have been speaking to a non-taiwanese after half an hour, they compliment us on being able to speak Mandarin and Hokkien. Phew!

Generally, I did enjoy the food and shopping there but I must admit that to date, I have not had a chance to savour the 臭豆腐 simply because the smell seems to drive AT nuts.

I must say that I rather enjoyed the food street shopping in 乌来. Everything there was so aboriginal and ethnic. We trekked the mountain to see the waterfalls but what impressed me most was the clouds covering the mountain tops. The temperature and windchill required more than a Tee but I guess trekking helped to keep the body warm. AT and I were waiting for the guys to get back and we started to people watch. She couldn't get over how the ladies there wore heels and what must be their best dress to climb up a mountain. We even saw one that donned a mini skirt & heels but had a top with a sweater to boot. I was wondering if one wanted to protect their body, wouldn't they automatically keep legs and toes warm first tho? Their heels and skirts on a mountain don't really bug me much though. Difference in lifestyle / cultural experiences I guess?

I had to get up early today to catch my flight at 7.40am. Thank goodness too for I wasn't looking forward to the aspect of being stared at, trudging along with my embarrassingly enormous 1mtr x 1mtr straw bag, emblazoned with Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore (Trust me, this was the best I could do from the shops in XiMenDing).

The flight back was a harrowing one nonetheless. Sometime during takeoff, the overhead cabins in the section in front of mine started oozing a brown liquid that flowed along the length of the cabins, ultimately dripping onto a few unsuspecting passengers. I was a little alarmed and pointed to the leaks just behind the aircrew sitting in front of me. As this was during takeoff, the air crew advised the passengers to remain in their seats till we were safely in the air. There was a frenzy as passengers started using what was available to them to contain the drips from the overhead cabins. This invariably turned out to be the little pillows and blankets some of them had requested earlier. The stench from the brown liquid was also getting a little nauseating. I wondered if this was where my final travel sojourn would end as thoughts of the last crash during a similar takeoff in Taiwan came to mind.

Strangely enough, the air crew seemed to think it was liquid from someone's luggage stored overhead. This seemed to be highly improbable for if it was a leak in someone's bag, it wouldn't have dripped only during takeoff. I started wondering if the air crew in EVA airlines were really equipped with adequate training. Anyways, the temporary measure then was for them to tape large absorbant paper towels over the spots where the leaks started.

They searched the overhead cabins and not surprisingly, didn't find any bag that was leaking nor a stench there. The same thing happened again upon landing and the drips again occurred in the same section, only this time from new spots. In the end, I think one of the senior staff offered passengers in the affected section, seats in the business class. Most of them shot off to these seats in a hurry even though they probably wouldn't get a chance to warm the seats from the time the plane touched down and taxied to the alloted space.

Hmmm... note to self, although EVA airlines didn't demand for my firstborn on this fully packed flight, staying alive to land in destination of choice might be an issue.

P.S. Pics to follow in later entries. Wanna catch a snooze after all that unpacking and laundry.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

The Christmas Past

Well, guess it is official, the nightmares are back.

Slept from 7am and when I awoke at 10ish, I still remember what the dreams were about. These aren't nightmares where one wakes up in cold sweat. It is just something I do not wish to think about.

Hmmm... ah well.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Helloo Cabbie (Part Deux)

If you have read my Helloo Cabbie blog, you will then understand the dread when I had to flag the same cab again. Truth be told, I have been waiting for 15 minutes in the hot sun and was about to give up hopes of flagging a cab off the side of the road.

Along came this shiny silver cab and I thought he wouldn't stop coz he was in the centre lane. I just raised my arm and flagged for him when I saw he had no passenger in his cab. When he switched lanes to stop for me, I looked in and had to force a smile for my driver for today was none other than terror cabbie.

Anyways, when I stepped into the cab, his first words to me were: 我以为你在搞失踪 (Roughly translated to mean that he hasn't seen me around for awhile now). Resigned, I had to give him a smile for he was afterall, my shining scrap metal for this evening.

He started talking in dialect to me today. Sigh. Which part of me indicates that I can speak dialect well? I was forced to intersperse my broken dialect with mandarin and English.

He then asked if I imbibed alcohol, to which I promptly said no. I had a sinking feeling where this conversation was leading to. He then said in an off-the-cuff manner that he was thinking of asking me out for drinks. (Incidentally, my colleagues are planning a drink session tomorrow)

I firmly added that I didn't drink which to some extent is true. I don't enjoy alcohol for a variety of reasons these days.

When I finally arrived at my destination, he said: 跟你很好 keng leh (it is always pleasant to talk to you!) afterwhich he gave me meaningful stares from his rearview mirror. I think he was waiting for me to respond or even give him my telephone number. This is the same cabbie that is probably nearing his 50s?I gave a faint forced smile, paid him and ran for my life.

No, cabbie is not a menace or a stalker. But I dislike his advances. I dislike it even more that someone as old as him think Im fodder for his age group. Ok truth be told, perhaps I even dislike him thinking that he and I could be friends. We have absolutely nothing in common and c'mon, I seriously cannot forsee myself having a friend of his age group. I feel insulted somehow. Yes, I agree I am being extremely superficial but then again, I have never been one to join the picket line for equal rights and the no-caste system.

I was sighing in exasperation when I suddenly thought of my earlier blog Meeting The One . Good Lord... if this is what is in store for me, then let's END IT HERE AND NOW.

I can only pray now that he doesn't take it upon himself to actually ask for my number. Please no Mr Cabbie. Don't even go there.