Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Friends are Da Bomb!

Guess what people! This is a story of gross negligence! I am trying to get to KLIA this Thursday, trying to either reserve a taxi/limo. So of course, I turn to the Internet the best way to speedily dig out information. Not accurate information, mind you but at least information!

So I went to How To Get To Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) which sounds so simple and accurate. I get very happy when I find out that I can take a bus from Hentian Duta to KLIA and back (return journey) for only RM34!!!! I am ecstatic seeing as I will be paying NTD1000 for 1 airport transfer in Taiwan.

But smart Errolyn thought, hmmm, I wonder if they still do this – so smart Errolyn decides to call the numbers that are so efficiently displayed in the page. I call Hentian Duta Head Office TWICE and the nice woman on the other end told me “Nombor ini tidak dalam perkhidmatan. The number you have called is not in service.” Well duh!!!!! Of course it’s not in service, it’s only the listed number for the Hentian Duta Head Office! What could I have been expecting??

So, one down, another one to go – Errolyn calls the KLIA Bus Branch and this time a genuine woman answered and told me they have stopped the Hentian Duta bus service and the only way I could get to KLIA was to take the KLIA Express from KL Sentral.

The website above seems to be a non-governmental website which offers travel packages and information about Malaysia as a premier tourist destination for 2007. It’s endorsed by Tourism Malaysia.

I love my country, and I want my country and fellow countrymen in the service industry to improve. If you have a website that proclaims to offer information and services, please ensure that updated information and services are available! The next step is for Tourism Malaysia to add to their To Do List to check the sites that they do indeed endorse, because there is nothing as embarrassing as having old or worse! wrong information being touted by irresponsible service providers who then emblazon a giant sign that says ‘Endorsed by Tourism Malaysia’.

Lessons learnt : (you know you’ve been a ‘Corporate’ too long when you use phrases like ‘Lessons Learnt’ without falling over and laughing)

*Never trust everything you read until you check it out
*You can get to KLIA via KLIA Express (37 mins), KLIA Transit (much longer cos the train’s like the metro/subway/underground/LRT/MRT that stops everywhere), family/friend, normal taxi (which probably costs a bomb), KLIA Limo (very reliable, seems to be honest unscary men)
*You need to spend a lot of money to get to KLIA
*When you have friends like Liz - who'll give you a lift to the airport, it's great!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Just Once in a Lifetime.....Just Once!

Hmmm, 2 months now is it – the lapse between blogs. Well, with handling some migration work, getting frustrated with Thai Airways and planning for my China - Tibet trip, I AM guilty of neglecting me blog.

It’s ironic that in my daily life, I plan almost every detail down to the T (now, that’s an exaggeration, the important details are planned down to the T) but it’s a wonder I cannot plan great holiday trip. And I mean great as in long time, covering wide expanses and many logistical nightmares kinda trip.

If not for Lisa, I wouldn’t have gone and driven around New Zealand and wouldn’t have gone on this China and Tibet trip too. Ok, I know Tibet is China but I say China-Tibet trip cos I went to ChengDu, China and Tibet, China so I have to remember it as such!

I was in charge of booking my own air ticket to China and already was getting all frustrated and stressed out when I realized that my CHEAP Thai Airways booking had 2 wait-listed legs of the 4 leg journey!!!! Nobody told me that! – I blame the girl entirely! Where is Customer Service when you expect it? And where you expect it!

Anyway, got on MAS and I wonder about their winning all sorts of awards – hmmmmmm…..something dodgy going on there. I have no compliments for them at all! From their hotline to their actual service on the plane – the pilots were good though! ;) But their postcard designs have not changed in 10 years!

So, anyway, I went to ChengDu (Sichuan Province – right smack in the middle of China) and met my friend who is working there, stayed for 3 days, visited:

1. Giant Buddha at Leshan (If you don’t know what I am talking about, watch the Cantonese movie starring Aaron Kwok and Cheng E-Kin Storm and Wind….or *(&^$*^&)
This was a couple of hours out of ChengDu and I went with 2 other friends, a wonderful funny girl and a cute arrogant guy. The Buddha was fantastic (you’ll be hearing a lot about Buddhism!!!!) and we just walked and walked and walked. There were Cave Tombs there as well. It’s like a park you have to pay an entrance fee for with temples and tombs and traditional fishing village and of course the Buddha.

2. Mt Emei which was an hour away from Leshan. We got there too late to go up the mountain which, if there are clouds and all that, looks like a slice of heaven. We got there by 5 or 6pm and the cable car up was closed already. I never went back cos am thinking if I take my parents to China in the future, the tours always include Mt Emei anyway so……

3. Dujianyan Irrigation System is an ancient system built by the Emperor of China, showing great understanding, skill and manipulation of nature. In summer, when water levels are different and flow differently, the are certain checks and balances to irrigate farming fields and in winter, to prevent flooding!!!!!!! Expensive though – 90yuan (RM45) to get in but it is huge.

4. Panda Breeding Base – very nice! This is the one near to ChengDu, not the far away one. But you don’t get to touch or take pics WITH the pandas.

Lesson Learnt: In China, bring your student card – gets you in to places at half price!

Then after 3 days in ChengDu, it was off to Tibet. Together with my friend’s friends from the Philippines, all 8 of us flew off to Lhasa. Loved meeting everyone – Ron, Alex, Chrisma, Sharon and Mary Anne!

Tibet is a lot of green, brown, mountains, winding roads, high holy lakes, low holy lakes (although in actual fact there are only 3 Holy Lakes in Tibet), monasteries with monks (from the Red and Yellow Sect), small and large prayer wheels, accessories, tangkas (holy paintings) and ummmmm….., smelly, doorless toilets.

The toilets are slits in the ground which you squat over with no flush system and the complimentary maggots. I, of course, was not looking down for maggots otherwise I would not have gone to the bathroom at all in Tibet, except for the hotels, but my friend was ‘kind’ enough to tell me about them.

I was shocked the first time I saw the doorless toilets. I thought vandals had been in but apparently, you just get down to business, so to speak! Hahahahaha, after some time, it was a breeze. But always remember to bring SCENTED TISSUES with you to China!

Why? Cos in China, people do not flush tissue away and do not throw used ‘anything’s away out of sight. They have an open waste paper basket next to the squatee toilet, and EVERYTHING goes into it. Used, unused, yellow, white, red, brown, EVERYTHING! Use your imagination.

Highlights of Tibet:

1. Sky burials
2. Food (I didn’t like the yak butter milk though)
3. Giant gold stupas
4. Tangka
5. Lakes
6. Weather (16-18 degrees)
7. Natural toilets (just throw caution to the wind, squat behind a rock or a
bush and DO IT!!!!!, careful of the prickly bushes on your behind though!!!!)
8. Private praying session to the Sakyamuni Buddha in a chained up no access area
9. Lake Yamdrok
10. Lake Namcho

Lowlights of Tibet

1. LONG bus rides
2. Giant Cypress Tree in Lingzhi – the ONLY thing in Lingzhi
3. Altitude sickness (which some people, BESIDES me, had – needed oxygen!)
4. Spitting
5. People who have no sense of personal space or manners when roughly pushing you aside
6. Too much of the same thing/scene
7. Lack of coffee. But there is this really cute Summit Café in Lhasa near
where Dunya is that is very Starbucks like. Good to go for some java and mat
salleh friends, and books to exchange (bring 2 for 1)
8. Dunya Restaurant – TERRIBLE management and RUDE Owner. My friend was VERY upset but yes, the servers
speak English. I don't know how much of a Tibetan experience it was - having red wine with your yak burger.....hmmmmm.....

So, after Tibet, I went back to ChengDu for 1 week and had a great time at the ChengDu Wildlife World (safari), EATING (baby lobsters are great – I had to go back for a repeat), Xinjian Mutton Kebabs!

I went too, to Tesco, to buy milk and some ham and bread and snacks for breakfast.

Then there is the great experience of Rang Fang Jie and He Hua Je!!!!!!!!! Ah! Shopping paradise! Clothes, shoes, accessories, household stuff, decorative stuff, baskets, paintings – anything you want, you can find it there for less than RM20! I bought 5 rings, some bracelets and earrings and necklaces. I bought 2 beaded beautiful lamps for RM70 each. The 2 are a must visit – unless you only have time (and by that I mean a minimum of 1 day), then go to He Hua Je. They open at 5am until 4pm.

I had my friend’s driver so it was very easy – just tell him where to go and when to come back and get you.

By the way, if you don’t speak Mandarin, it’s going to be a TAD difficult. I can’t speak it but I can bargain in it so I was pretty ok.

By the way, bargaining in China and Tibet – like Petaling Street but up it a notch or two. And walk away if they don’t give you the price you want – but walk slowly and keep your ears open for them to call you back. If several shops don’t call you back to give you the price you want, you know you’ve got to up it a little!

Have FUN!

P.S. Caught LiT performers in an Accapella show the other night – ‘FANG’TASTIC! Everybody should go – they are very good singers with a bucketload of showmanship!

Sunday, August 27, 2006

So many things, so little time....

I had so many ideas of thoughts and opinions (even anecdotes) I wanted to share with everybody in the past few weeks but then I never get the time to log in and write.

I wanted to write about The Power of Love.....of Religion. I've seen a couple of friends fall by the wayside and even had one tell me (from the horse's mouth) that why she faltered when hard times came along is because she didn't have religion while I did (She had asked me how I got over my personal 'tragedy'). Now you know I am the last one to preach but I think it's true. I know that whatever decisions I have made and all actions I have taken have mostly at some point or another come from my faith in my religion. When I faltered, when I regretted, when I cried, when I was broken, I just went back to my religion and draw strength from that. I do not know if it is 200 percent right or true but everyone needs something to hold on to. And god knows, I have been broken lots this past year. Why? Because I have a naive, idealistic view of people I love - that they can do no wrong, or that they would never hurt others knowingly, that they would put others first before themselves but it's not (always) true.

However, I WILL NOT let that change my beliefs or my principles. I will still continue to be strong, to put others I love first before myself simply because I cannot hope to do otherwise. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I guess that's the difference - I couldn't even if I wanted to - naivete to the highest extreme but what the heck, it's me!

I have a simplistic view of people in my life - those that are important to me and those who aren't. Those who are, I cannot turn my back on them no matter the expense to myself, those who aren't, ....I don't really think about. Maybe it's because I do not expend much time and effort on those who aren't important to me that I have the luxury of always thinking of those who do.

So, it's actually a nice chemistry and combination of religion and personal ideals (do no evil, be good, have a good heart, do unto others what you would have others do unto you - can I say the same thing in more different ways???), that brings me to myself. A self I have discovered at 30! I have been told I have a soft heart and a tough exterior. Is that true? For you to find out.

(For those of you who are thinking, I am not writing very well or cohesively tonight - yes, it's because I'm tired, apologies)

Another thing I wanted to talk about is Local TV. Number one - the variety and multitude of bland reality shows available. Somebody ought to stop all these singing competitions. I had a terrible time with Malaysian Idol 2 and now with One in A Million (of which I think either Dayang should win or one of the boys - only happened to catch one episode) and Protege and Mentor and Akademi Fantasia and Digiteen and Celcomteen and all that crap. Come on man, although I must say the talent levels of Protege and AF are better than Malaysian Idol or OIAMillion. But nobody does anything differently. They're all the same, there is no ooomph, no style, no wow factor - though at least Protege and Mentor and AF teach the kids, the whole works so they understand what it is to be a performer instead of just walking out on stage and singing.

Heck, if Amazing Race can get boring, then you better believe it that these singing thingies have a much earlier expiry date!!!!

Gol and Gincu is quite cool though - the other day I watched this episode where Putri said 'I can trust Eddy, he will never hurt me' and actually blurted out laughing! Of course I had the omnipresence of a tv watcher but girls say these inane things all the time, I've been guilty of it, but now I know better! And then at the end of the episode......she goes 'How could I have been so stupid??!!!' Join the club girl! I've been there too!

This reminds me of an old Chinese saying, 'You can never say a man is good or bad until the four nails in his coffin have been nailed down'. Lord, is that true or what??!! See, there is wisdom in old wives' tales.

At lunch the other day too, a friend told me, never trust a man completely, never have expectations that are too high of him. Is that true? I'm sure it is, but how can I love a man and not trust him? How can I build a life with somebody and not expect him to be good/great? Because I can only expect him to reach and aim for higher than where he is now right - which should be pretty good in itself already if I chose to be with him......I cannot love at 90 percent! I must love at 130 percent but ''that will only get you hurt!!!'' friends lament!

Bleah - men, relationships - if you're looking for lovey dovey mushy stuff here on this website, you gotta wait a while. Because where I am now, no man can be trusted to put someone else first before them when the going gets tough - like a friend said, it's prioritisation (I believe it's true so I'm sharing it), he'd rather hurt you than himself.

Hopefully, one day I will stop being distrustful (just a teeny bit, mind you) of men out there and meet someone who can put these fears to rest. And I will read back on my blogs and think, I wrote with a tinge of disappointment, unhappiness, sore-ity (hahahaah) but I am glad to have been proven wrong.

By the way, about TV still - I love Lee Hom. Never noticed him before but a Chinese guy who is good looking, stylish and speaks wonderfully.....it's not just 'Celcom, the power is in your hands', but 'I am in your hands!'. Hahahahahhaahahaaa, don't be shocked! If you work with you, you will know I talk like this everyday at lunch!

Props out to Szu Ping whom I did not mention in my last blog for wishing me happy birthday - sorry darling! I saved the best for last!

I want a puppy! My friend gave me these 'out of this world' earrings for birthday, they are too precious! When I get my own notebook, I will start putting more pics up and then everyone can envy my gorgeous earrings and hair and self.....ahahahahahhaa..

By the way, travelling soon, can't wait! TIBET!!!!!!!!!!! It's going to be good!

Desperately Seeking Murli!!!!

Hey man, call me - number is still the same (maybe)....but anyway, I have no way of getting in touch with you - no email address. But yes let's meet first weekend of Sept right? Mmmmm....write to my yahoo.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Lessons in Life

Well, I have now officially joined the 30 Club! (Just type 'turning 30' in google and be entertained!) It's something that I am the first to do among my close circle of school friends. Not the first time I am celebrating a birthday without them by my side, not the first time I am spending a birthday without my family by my side but the first time I am celebrating a birthday without a man by my side. (To feminists out there who are already yelling ‘You don’t need a man to be happy’ or tuning in to the PussyCat Dolls song ‘I Don't Need A Man', yes I know I don’t need a man to be happy but for better and not worse ((hehe)) I would prefer to have the one I love by my side). And for something that’s not happened in the last 17 years, it took a little getting used to.

But anyhoo, it was a very nice birthday. I had a great confirmation of love and respect from my team members at work – now for those of you who remember last year, the atrocities I used to grumble about regarding work, they’ve all taken a turn for the better this year and I am so grateful for it. I couldn’t bear to take on personal and professional problems together this year of the Dog 2006! And I had like a million friends who all took the time and effort to remember my birthday and wish me – props to Lisa, Melinda, Thing May, Janice, Mum (but not DAD!!!!), Shanthi, Liz, Sookie, Anizah, Adzam, Kong Wai, Fungky, Cynthia, David A, Anita Abdul Rahim (whom I have not heard from in AGES!!!!), Mark B, Elene, Mei, Chitra, Sri, Ayn, Trish, Sherine, Shamini, Ashifa, Amutah, Logs, PY, Audrey, Jim, Shanthi N, Amy, Wendy……………..

It’s like I told Anizah, I may have lost 1 person but its opened up a whole new world of friends to me. I am blessed to have the friends that I have and for them to come out in full force to show me the impact I have made on their lives is greatly fulfilling.

I also see a difference in my appreciation of my friends these days – I used to be completely wrapped up in 1 person, my life revolved around him, my schedule revolved around him, my habits and hobbies revolved around him but now, I do charity work, I go clubbing (sometimes), I go to the gym, I read more, I do my laundry more regularly (hehehehe). I get to make the time to do what I need to do basically, instead of trying to steal time from my time with him to do normal stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret it, I loved spending time with him but being without him now, gives me much more opportunity to do what I want to do and what I need to do. I’m sure my employer prefers it more this way too – since I don’t rush off from work the moment I can, to go home to him.

Sure it gets lonely or boring sometimes but you win some and you lose some eh?

So I had some birthday songs, a cake, some gifts, some cards, it was fantastic. I was rushing around work a lot too – everybody needed something done……, so it felt like an extremely fruitful day which makes me feel GLAD TO BE ALIVE AND 30!!!!!!!

Yesterday too, the Corporate Social Responsibility Club organized an AIDS Awareness Week at the office and I helped sell quite a bit of merchandise of which the proceeds go to the Malaysian Aids Foundation – MAF. Our Club also wants to print up our own AIDS Support t-shirts for sale and some of the slogans we came up with/found, I felt were so fantastic I would have bought every t-shirt design. For example:

Don’t Be A Fool, Cover Your Tool
Stigmatisation = Discrimination
Support Malaysian Agriculture, Use a Rubber

These are just some.

I must confess a Boo Boo I committed when helping out at a Charity Sale for the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory. I was looking for a plastic bag to pack all the merchandise this woman had bought from us. I found one ratty looking one under the table and I wondered aloud if she would mind it being a little ‘cacat’. She took offense (albeit very gracefully and politely) at the word ‘cacat’ because apparently her daughter was afflicted with a “Big Head”. She called her daughter ‘Special’ and I guess that is the politically correct term.

I felt terrible having used the C word but looking at the other side of the coin, I don’t think it actually matters that much what people call it (the condition). What matters most is what your loved ones and yourself think. For argument’s sake, (and I know I may get a lot of hate mail for this but bear with me and reserve comment for now) if people deem it a cacat condition, then yes, fine, cacat. What is so wrong or bad about this word? Poor word I think, because it was coined for everyday usage, never intending for itself to be a pariah among other words but its maker (people) has made it so.

(Killing myself here but) Some definitions from online BM dictionaries:

Cacat =
defective; handicapped; deformed
disabled, defect, flaw, blemish

I think the more people accept a certain condition and accept that ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’, we would live easier lives. A word is a word is a word. There is nothing good or bad about it except the connotation and definition that people give to it. Everybody has flaws and defects – however, of course, there is the severity of the defect that is important here and how much it impacts the quality of life of the inflicted person. But still, a flaw and a defect is a fact of life. You cannot pretend it isn’t there – just like AIDS and TB and Leprosy…..- the best thing you can do for people who have ‘special’ conditions is to accept them as they are, treat them as you would everybody else and help each other when help is asked for.

Laziness is a flaw, lying is a flaw, inconsideration is a defect, having a ‘heart of stone’ is a defect……see my point?

FYI: Did you know that in some parts of the US, ‘special’ means dumb or mentally slow, but used as a slang word?

(A word to all those who are now itching to comment on my blog and give me a piece of their mind – I will not be responding to your comments because I have said what I have to say and I believe in it. As is my motto always, there are only a handful of people in the world whose opinions I really care about.

I did not intend to disrespect anybody with my thoughts and comments above and I am appreciative of and sensitive to the conditions some people are in – however, I think physically challenged people do get on with their lives very well and they have come to accept themselves, perhaps you ought to too!

I am never sure when to offer help and when not to though, because sometimes you can get your head bitten off – “Why would you think I need your help???”)

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Amour

I'm in Love!

The past two times this has happened, it's come more slowly but this time I just saw and then the first thought that came to my mind was "I'm In Love!"

I love this book called Bet Me by Jenny (Jennifer) Crusie. The way it is written is fantastic - I love the way the two leads spar with each other and the wittee repartee keeps you turning page after page after page. I tried to get my then-boyfriend to read it (as part of a "let's try to read a book the other found fascinating to further build our bond of understanding and closeness") so that I could in one fell swoop, do the above paranthesized as well as get him to talk to me the way Calvin talks to Minerva (funny name I know).

Anyhoo - he didn't get around to it. And I had my own 'Off Limits' books because he had tried to get me to read this 'love letters from a man in harvard/oxford or something' which started off really boring.

Anyhoo (2) in 'Bet Me', both Calvin (male protagonist) and Min/Stats (female protagonist) has Fate telling them, drumming into their heads "THIS ONE!" whenever they see each other. You see, they keep trying to ignore and deny the delicious pull the universe has placed on both of them. Cutting the long story short - when I saw this one, Fate didn't say "This One" but "I'm In Love".

Up to you to decide which one is better!

[Big Smile now]

Friday, July 21, 2006

All The Men In My Life…..

It’s only been recently when I’ve had the full force of charming men visited upon me. Not the first time in my life a man has turned it on for me but the first time I’ve realised the effects of personality + charm + confidence at the same time!

Two men are involved here – both different but both confident in their own right and charmed the pants off of me (not literally though!!!) One is sweet and quiet (when it comes to sweet-talking me) and the other is outspoken, aggressive and rough! (My God! Now everyone will be wondering what the heck I’m talking about)

So anyways, the soft sweet one (whom I shall refer to as W henceforth) usually sits quietly beside me, which should be an indication in itself because he can be quite raucous and flirty. He quietly privately asks me how I am, if I am cold, if I need anything, if I need something to eat (I think it’s a Malaysian thing – if you care about someone, feed them). Which is all well and fine, but man oh man, when he starts the sweet talking – LOOK OUT! And he ‘whispers’ these sweet somethings with such quiet confidence and stability. The other day, when he was sitting beside me again, he asked, “What perfume are you wearing?”

“Miracle”
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you are one”

I was completely bowled over!!! It wasn’t exactly WHAT he was saying (because people can say all kinds of tacky things) but the way he said it. I got the impression he was so sure of what he was saying – like he absolutely believed it and therefore, so should I!!!!

BIG DISCLAIMER:
I am not saying this guy has got the hots for me or anything like that at all – but just needed to demonstrate the effects of someone’s charm/flirting/personality/confidence..


Now the other one – god! Was a train that knocked me over and made me blush!!!! Now, if you’ve seen me before, you’ll know I’m quite tanned – so it took some heck of an effort to make me blush!

Anyways, I met him (P) at an important gathering – this is a guy I’ve met before whom I thought, and shared with my family, was good looking. It’s been a few years since and we both actually didn’t recognize each other. But then we were introduced……….

He started to take pictures of me – made a point of asking me if he could (which is cool) and didn’t over do it at all (which is cooler). Then during the wedding, he came over and wanted to share a toast with me. It didn’t help that his dad was sitting with us (if you know what I mean). Anyways, I saw him headed in my direction and being the shy one that I am, I looked away. He strode purposefully towards me, leaned over and raised his glass. Dad said something embarrassing of course, as parents often do when their child gets together with someone of the opposite sex!

He said (something like), “Errolyn, will you drink with me?” looking straight at me like nothing else in the room mattered.

“I don’t drink …..” while raising my glass of ice water.
“Come, let’s share” while he tried to pour some wine into my glass (granted this was gauche but maybe he wanted to dilute the wine since I don’t drink eh?)

Drops of wine fall onto my brand new dress –

“Oh, I’m so sorry” and used his hand to wipe away at the errant 3 drops of wine on my thigh.
“Let’s drink”

And so we did.

And then the night went on. At goodbye, he clasped my hand and the first thing I thought was “Damn, his hand is rough”. I like it when a man is a man and the rough hand and confident, almost cocky attitude, made me think terrible thoughts! HAHAHAHAHAHAH.

So there you go, W and P, such different styles but applied with just the right amount of nerve and sincerity that it comes across as perfectly enticing and heart-warming. I don’t advocate that men go out on the town and do this to every girl they come across, of course – unless they want to get the girl!!!!

Another thing that is wonderful, is when P held my hand at goodbye and would not let go even though I was trying to get my phone to put his number in!! He did the ‘no one else in the room’ look again and I giggleddddddddd!

Sorry though, it won’t work for every guy – because sometimes the girl is just going to go: get your bloody hand off me!!! But these guys had it perfect and I just had to share the knowledge around because so many men these days do not know how to get it right!

Some men just don’t inspire you at all but are comfortable so you continue to hang out with them sometimes, some make you feel all sexy and it seems like all you do is flirt outrageously and some just make you understand why they are still single!!!!

Oh by the way, of course, the disclaimer goes for P too.

And if W or P is reading this - thank you guys for a wonderful experience!

And oh yes, P definitely invaded my space but for some strange reason - I enjoyed it!

P.S. For the men who are still blur - the italicised phrases are the actions that got to me!

Friday, June 16, 2006

A Red Bomb....as the Chinese say....

On Wed I attended a friend’s wedding. You know how people always say weddings are joyous occasions and how it’s fantastic that two people are now joined in their love for eternity in the eyes of God and Country? Well, this was truly a wedding epitomizing the sentiment – and I’m not being a mushy cry baby (the way I usually am… at weddings….)

This was a simple beautiful ceremony with lots of white roses and the bride swathed in a luxurious cream and maroon brocade sari which sparkled with the lights. Although none of them sparkled more brightly than the bride. Her relief when sitting down on the stage was apparent – it came out as a deep breath and a look of : “Aaah, I’m finally here”. And then the Shania Twain song, “You’re Still The One” starts playing and I immediately find my throat constricting and the tears pooling.

It helps when you know the history of the couple – especially this one who have been together for 10 years and finally getting to the altar was a big momentous giant step for them, the family, the friends and even the Bahai’ community. As the father of the groom said, “So many delegations have come to us to ask for this union to happen”. It is always joyously heartening to finally have a union happen.

Marriage isn’t always good. I have seen so many marriages fall apart and I firmly believe it is because the parties involved did not put in as much as they wanted out of it. Many a time, naĂŻvete fools individuals in love into thinking that love is enough to make a marriage work – it isn’t!

Marriage is WORK and you better believe it. Marriage is also RISK and no one can guarantee that it will be good. What can be promised is that you will work at it. It’s too easy to give up nowadays – divorce lawyers abound, ‘friends’ who are looking to ‘help’ you out, impatient parents. It could all very well be well-meaning but sometimes married people just need a good kick in the ass!!!!!!!! Wake up and look at what you’ve made your marriage into – oftentimes a JOKE, that’s what it is!

You promise to love and honour and (ahem) share mutual decisions with another human being; if you haven’t been doing that 120%, then the marriage falling apart is YOUR fault! Do not blame others!

But when a love (and all the other parts of a successful marriage like respect, admiration, humour, chemistry, passion etc) is good, then Marriage is wonderful! Granted, I have not really come across a rarity such as this but I’m sure it is good. Even though I have not experienced a good marriage, but I have experienced good loves.

So, coming back to my initial story – This was one wedding where the love of the couple and their family and friends was so apparent, it would have been a shame not to have shed a few tears of joy for them. It was also touching that there could have been a hall of at least 80 people who were overjoyed that this couple could finally be together to build a life and a family. So many people can’t be wrong if they believe that your love is true and you are (nothing as tacky as being meant to be together) the best possible match for each other.

Mmmmmm……I feel it again now.

Congratulations Jothee and Taraz! My bestest wishes with you.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Manila - Land of the ????

I’ve just returned from Manila, the Philippines and I shall not return again. (Only smart people can make sense of the preceeding sentence!)

Yes, I spent 5 days, 4 nights in Manila, first in Simpaloc, then in the Ermita. Simpaloc is rather out of the happening radius so after spending our first night there in a prebooked room, the 4 adventurous girls moved to Stone House Ermita. It cost us RM17.00 each. I shan’t bore you with the details of the rooms but needless to say the 4 girls decided, “Heck! We’re managers – we can afford to pay more than RM17 for a nice room and so off we trudged…..yet again….in search of a RM50 room.

We found this in the CityState Hotel which seems to be a hub for ‘strangers in the night passing each other blowing horns and letting off steam’. Hahaahahhaaaa. Seems like lots of mat sallehs like having 2 Filipinas with them to eat breakfast.

Things I have done in the Philippines:

1. Visited world’s smallest active volcano – Taal Volcano located in Taal Lake.
2. Drove around Tagaytay (where Taal is located) approximately 2 hours looking for Leyla Restaurant where our packaged lunch is.
3. Shopped in Divisoria Market where 168 Shopping Mall is.
4. Changed accommodation 3 times in Manila itself.
5. Rode in a taxi, bus, jeepney (think long tut-tut) and tricycle
6. Got cheated by vehicle (taxi and jeepney) operators in our routes to hotels and airport.
7. Shopped in a souvenir shop called Tesoro near the CityState Hotel.
8. Had somebody tell me I was beautiful in Tagalog.
9. Had a bell boy look at me like I was in one of those perfume ads (where the guy tries hard to continue to stay and look and smile while a friend tries to pull him away)
10. Had almost everyone in Manila start speaking to me in Tagalog (my standard answer is: “No Tagalog”).
11. Changed USD to more pesos.
12. Ridden horseback up a mountain in a cut in sleeveless tank.
13. Get tan lines
14. Ruined my hair in the Hard Water.


Things I have not done in the Philippines:

1. Eaten Balut.
2. Visited Intramuros, Rizal Park, Cathedrals, Churches….
3. Lived the good life.
4. Experienced the night life.
5. Visit Boracay Beach.
6. Visit Casino Filipina.

Guess it looks like a pretty worthwhile trip huh? But still I wouldn’t go back. I don’t mean to sound arrogant or elitist or anything like that but it was poor, dirty and even scary at times.

Poor:
· Woman and 2 children sleeping in a tricycle by the wayside reeking of urine. The children are clothed but have no shoes and are asleep in that half closed eye manner that a lot of lost children have.
· Men, women and children living/sleeping at railroad tracks near Divisoria Market.
· Men huddled around a couple of fried fishes in the dark eating rice with their hands.
· Teenage boy coming up to you and following you aways to beg for the food you ‘ta-pau-ed’, ‘bungkus-ed’, packed from dinner.

Dirty:
· Woman and 2 children sleeping in a tricycle by the wayside reeking of urine.
· The unrelenting heat and sun making you sweat gallons. I FELT DIRTY AND STICKY so much of the time that I will always associate that with Manila.
· Open jeepneys and low-slung tricycles expose you and your skin to the air, smoke, dust, grime and god knows what else (trying very hard to not sound like a skincare ad but……)

Scary:
· Teenage boy coming up to you and following you aways to beg for the food you ‘ta-pau-ed’, ‘bungkus-ed’, packed from dinner.
· Men on the street calling you their girlfriend and/or sister.
· Getting lost among the market stalls in Divisoria and not knowing where is North, South, East and West, the Main Road, Taxi Land…….and having a million tricycle men telling you they can get you to wherever you need to go.
· Hand carrying 2 huge plastic bags of shopping and not knowing where your hotel is.
· Running out of money for shopping.
· Phillipine Idols auditioning everywhere – I MEAN everywhere – the market corner, the road side, eating places…….people just singing at the top of their baddish voices – I mean there aren’t too many Lea Salongas there from what I heard!

Manila reminded me of Old Delhi, electric cables abound, all tangled and exposed. Some parts of Metro Manila look war-torn, pillars half-broken off and jeeneys fighting for space on the roads. However, the good thing is that in spite of the jams and spewing black smoke, nobody curses or yells or shouts at another driver. It’s either that they’re so used to the situation already or they really are the HAPPY people they are claimed to be. It seems (from a native Filipino’s mouth) that they’ve gone through so much, poverty, political instability and etc. that nothing seems as bad as it may look.

By they way, Filipino definition of:
Butterfly – GROs who flit from man to man.
C*ck – no definition here but they have keychains shaped like the male appendage, ashtrays with it sticking right up in various sizes and god only knows what else. I never did find out the fascination with C*cks though.

…… :)

So....what is Manila the land of?

Friday, April 14, 2006

I KiLLED SomeONE

Just to let you all know that one week ago today, I committed Involuntary Manslaughter of a Biawak's Tail.

I confess to the crime but I plead temporary insanity.

At 10.23am last Friday 7 Aoril, I was driving my car at a steady pace below the Allowed Speed Limit on my way to work. I was happily humming a tune (the name escapes me at the moment) and had never before nor then entertained thoughts of murder.

Then, I suddenly saw this medium sized biawak (read: giant/monitor lizard) in the middle of the road. He was sunbathing on one of the dotted white lines down the middle of the winding road. And this is when Insanity set in!

Of course, being an animal loved, I turned the steering wheel to avoid the biawak. However, as if in a dream, I saw myself turning the wheel TOWARDS the poor guy! I gasped in horror but the deed was done, I felt the da-bump, and that was it.

My hand was at my mouth, there was a short scream of guilt.....and I continued driving towards work.

I put him out of my mind until later that night, when I confessed to a colleague, that I had committed Involuntary Manslaugther of a Biawak's Tail.

~head hangs down in shame~

Sunday, April 02, 2006

PPS Pinging???

Alright, just registered to ping Project Petaling Street - to no avail. Can't ping it - think maybe it's me browser who's screwing up and not knowing how to apply the credentials the way they should be.......if you can tell that I just copied that verbatim off the error message, you know me too well!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, nothing much to update - except me ab muscles are building up, me gluteus muscles too - OOH LA LA! Today is Sunday, tomorrow is Monday and DAMN IT!!! I need to get to work again! Shite - by the way, if anybody is willing to pay for an extra pair of hands to help them out with business, proofreading, etc, let me know.....saw several pairs of LOVERLY (meaning Lovely and Sexy!) shoes at Nose yesterday but didn't buy any! Aggrrrrhghghghgh! The last time I bought shoes, it was January.....I think!

Nose shoes are fantastic - the designs have gotten better and better and their prices keep rising of course. They are officially now my favourite brand of shoes as compared to Vincci! (Hey John! Are you reading this??)

I can still remember the time I bought this pair of leopard spotted stilletos and asked my boyfriend, "But don't they look sexy??? Doesn't it just make you want to......???!" (By the way, a word of caution, not everyone can carry off a pair of leopard spots!)

So Errolyn now has 40 over pairs of shoes in KL - cool but you know, when is it ever enough? There are so many shoe stores to conquer out there and so little .........money! Aldo is another fave - what's not to like???? Stilletos, pointed toes, sex appeal written all over!!!!

On to another topic, contrary to what a friend said, M The Opera (I heard) was lousy beyond redemption! (What do you call a girl who uses too many exclamation marks?) A work colleague went and walked out and I find it funny when my friend said "it was a full house every night (until the interval, at least)." Glad I didn't get to buy a ticket - yes, I was told it was all SOLD OUT!

Anyway, very much looking forward to Grease in May, I'll be chilling and rocking away!

Sing along with me now:

I got chills, they're multiplying,
And I'm lo-o-sing control,
There's a fire, you're supplying,
It's ELECTRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!


P.S. I think some silly man in Damansara, tried to rob me just now as I was stepping into the Internet Cafe. Asked me where the nearest barbershop was - the freak! If he thought I was going to come walking over to him, he's got another kick in the B@@LLS coming!

P.S.S. Very upset with all the people who have got Ipods and Creatives and Zens and whatever little tiny mobile music players! Gotta get me a computer and internet conncetion man, if I'm going to stay at the forefront (LAUGH!) of the music scene.

P.S.S.S GOOD LUCK TO JANICE IN AMAZING RACE ASIA!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

When is it worth it to KILL?

(This happened 28 March 06)

Last night I had a cappuccino. Then I couldn’t sleep until some wee hour of the morning, then I had a bad dream where a fortune teller was telling me my life would be full of sadness and he was so taken in that HE started crying.

So, I couldn’t sleep again and decided heck I’d come to work early. And guess what – on my way in Puchong I got stuck in a long long jam.

Apparently there had been an accident early in the morning and 4 people had died – a colleague saw the bodies on the road (I think she’s got to mandi bunga or something cos this is the umpteenth time she’s seen dead bodies on the road!!!!!!!). Anyway, I came across a poor little kancil all beaten up and smashed and crumpled and folded and cut about. It made me think that which ever poor soul was in there, would have kicked the b*cket for sure!

Of course I don’t know if the kancil was in the wrong, doing something reckless or plain fell asleep OR if it was the innocent party in a road journey gone awry. But it definitely gets me all riled up and I howl ‘UNFAIR’ when I think about the many innocent parties who don’t reach home due to somebody’s selfish, inconsiderate, irresponsible act of mayhem. Why do we not call road terrors terrorists? Because they sure as heck act on purpose and they spread terror and pain and fear like the plague.

Ever since growing older, I’ve had this great fury in me for people who have been wronged – people who have died because someone else couldn’t care less. I wonder if these terrorists feel shame or responsibility or pain? I wonder how the rest of a victim’s life carries on – his family, his friends, his pets, his hobbies, his loves.

I’m still thinking about this and on the way to Cyberjaya when I see a black car zoooooooooooooooooooooming at high speed along the road cutting in and out between cars trying to get to work as soon as he can. He’s just seen the same accident I have but that hasn’t taught him anything or made him realize arriving late to work is nothing compared to never seeing your family again and nothing compared to making somebody else not see their family again.

When will people stop and stare and learn the lesson life is trying to teach them?

Errolyn's Big News!!!

Haiya! It wasn’t frightening at all! Everybody exaggerated about it the fear and the pain and the agony and the indecision (albeit they did also talk about the joy of it) …….and in the end, I just went and said “Yes” and it wasn’t fearful at all!

Wheeeeeee! It was so exciting and I am a bit surprised and not surprised at myself and the swift decision I made. I mean after all, it is a life long commitment! I have always thought about it on and off for some time now and then recently of course, the desire was very strong and I kept telling myself I will just go out and do it. I will just make the decision and commit. Then the desire would ebb but come again, people would talk to me and I would think, ‘hmmmmmm’. But then, one day I woke up and I thought, that’s it! The new Errolyn is going to do things differently from now on, live life more and experience more and my first step towards that – is making this commitment.

Strange and a little ironic – the first step to my ‘freedom’ and experiencing life free as a bird is to make an emphatic decision to be tied down to something for the rest of my life. And it isn’t even a small something!

But I am happy and am now in the throes of wonderment – my first few days of walking on air and checking and looking at it and checking and looking and going ‘mmmmmmm, FINALLY’!!!!!!!!!

I know people are shocked, friends and family – they never thought I’d just jump straight in and do it but I have now and there’s nothing I can do to change it anymore so:

LIVE LIFE AND BE HAPPY!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ERROLYN and her new……….!

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

When Life is Funny When It Shouldn't Be!

Ok, it is not funny when I see women twice my age ‘jogging’, ‘running’ ‘climbing the hill’ furiously and (it would seem) effortlessly on a stationery bike in a Spinning Class, when I am struggling to continue to keep my legs pumping!

It would look like the only floor space that’s not been rained on by sweat is the radius around my bike! Gosh, 1 hour of spinning is enough to make you lose 3 dinners I’m sure. And moi has to endure it because moi hates the treadmill with a passion. I try and I try, but I can’t sustain the interest in the staid old treadmill when I could be dancing away in Line Dancing, stretching away in Pilates, huffing away in BodyPump or even just plain old working out on the machines……..

I know, I’m running like an old record already with my misadventures in the gym, time to write about something new huh?! Well, before I leave the gym topic, I’ve got two more things to say:

1. Seen a few GOOD LOOKING guys in the gym; but of course way too shy to even really look them in the face!

2. Joke: Conversation trying to introduce a colleague named Jim to my gym,
“So, is Jim with a gym?”
“No, Jim is not with a gym.”
“Oh, is Jim with a Hank then?”
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alrighty then, let’s see what else has happened – petrol price has gone up by a dastardly 30 sen, making me have to sacrifice at least 2 pairs of beautiful shoes a month (I’m sure!).

Discovering and lamenting that grocery shopping for one is painful and self-sacrificing. I can’t buy anything that’s too big or comes in too much quantity – waste not, want not! Once, I couldn’t buy bananas because they came in a full comb and I knew for sure I wouldn’t be able to finish the whole thing before the maggoty enemies came along!

Also, I’m buying loaves of bread that I can’t really finish and I’ve not bought eggs in a carton because I’m trying to buy individual ones from the nearby kedai runcit. It’s so sad!

Anyway, can’t really believe but it’s been 7 months since the fateful day when I became single again – it sounds like such a long time but oddly, it doesn’t feel as long. However, thinking back on some episodes that have occurred since then, it makes me wonder how the heck I lasted so long doing what I did.

Adios for now – stay tuned for the next exciting adventure of (Ta! Ta!!! Ta!!!!!!!) Gym Girl!!!

Btw, planning a really exciting event in my life – rather frightening but definitely exciting! Can’t wait!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Working Way Too Hard

Saturday 18 February was a NEW DAY in the life of Errolyn Tan. It was the beginning of the end of the FAT Errolyn on the road to being a slimmer, more toned, more sexy Errolyn!!!

(I think that is the first time I have mentioned my name so many times in one paragraph! – Errolyn ‘Narcissist’ Tan)

I have just joined True Fitness on 11 Feb and was feeling quite guilty for not having endured any exercise classes or experimented with any machines.

So, Saturday, I woke up EARLY and went to Pilates and Line Dancing! Pilates was a bit harder but I cha-chaed my way and swung my bum through Line Dancing with great aplomb! Had a bit of a muscle ache that day and Sunday…..went to another class on Monday. BODYSTEP is described as ‘The ultimate step workout and the wor’ds fastest way to tone butts and thighs. Simple yet effective choreography gives you a high energy athletic cardio blast; simple enough for men and women of all ages and fitness levels”.

What a crock of bullsh*t! 45 minutes into the class I felt like I was going to spin out of control and puke onto my neighbour who was happily bunny bouncing on her step – keeping time and rhythm and finesse!

I thought, “Ok, I think I’m going to need to go to the doctor and get an MC!!!!” However, I warmed down and came to work – feeling a little bit better. That stayed consistent until approximately 9am the next morning when I awoke to reach for my phone (sms came!). Arms burned, chest burned, calves burned, ribs burned – actually scrunched up my nose to sniff out the fire!

So, of course, the day at work was shot – doc gave me muscle relaxants, painkillers and the DAY OFF! Let me tell you something – it’s mighty embarrassing when you have to call your boss and tell them you overdid it at the gym you just joined and even more humiliating when your whole department finds out about it and asks you, concernedly (but tongue in cheek) how you are the next day when you return to work!

But it isn’t all in vain. I am ecstatic that for once, I am feeling so gung-ho about exercise and am still going strong (for now) about classes and exercising.

Saw my personal trainer today for the first time – Daniel, Korean, 5’10”, 180lbs, eyes: good, mouth: good, hair: good, fingers (my personal favourite!): gooood!

Mmmmmmm…..if you need me, I’ll be at the gym!

Friday, February 17, 2006

Errolyn's Song of the Year 2005

The Grammys have come and gone. And they did award Kelly Clarkson's BreakAway for Best Pop Vocal Album but for my very own Song Of The Year......'Because Of You' gets my vote all the way.

From the first time I heard that song, it has captured me - its lyrics so full of meaning and heartache made me relate so much - its chorus is the one that gets to me the most.

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you I am afraid


Of course Kelly is singing about a different experience and I am reliving a different experience....but the fact is that many songs recently have caught my attention - all for one reason. (A little divert - there's another song too by a black female singer who is chastising her lover about a 'friend' who calls him at 3am - but that doesn't quite get my insides twisted up for the same reason) However, Kelly's song coupled with the video just stuck with me and to me is almost parallel with another favourite song of mine recently - 'Written In The Stars' by Elton John, from the musical Aida.

Kelly's song makes me relate to some parts of it but Elton John's music and Tim Rice's lyrics just break my heart. I thought that's me, that's who they are writing about. In both songs, you hear the yearning, the loss, the dream and the pain and the worst thing is you cannot do anything about it.

I can't go into what these songs make me feel (that's just way too personal and difficult to describe) but needless to say they make me cry.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Another thing that makes Errolyn HAPPY!!!!!

I love this phone - I don't know much about it - haven't researched it but I just love the look of it!!!!!!!!!

Introducing the Nokia 7370!!!!!!!!!!!

Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

Hello All,

If you will note, I am writing this 1 day after Chap Goh Mei! Shows you my sense of timing huh? Or maybe shows you my availability for dates with the computer....heheheheeee....finally get a chance today to come home early from work and check email!

Anyways, I get a feeling that Chinese New Year is getting so quiet these days - not much Lion Dance, not much food, not much Angpow......aiya, shouldn't be saying so many 'not much's. But heck, it's true isn't it. The euphoria and excitement that used to accompany this much-anticipated period of celebration of the new year has waned beyond belief. It is even worse considering that my new year celebrations were never very 'lau juak' (read: happening, crazy, noisy) to begin with. The fact that they have gotten more and more quiet is really sad!

But then, maybe as you get older, what's important is the quality of people you do actually get to meet up with and hang out with instead of the running around 35 different houses collecting ang pows - anyway, at my age, it's a bit embarrassing to still be getting ang pows!

Instead I spent Chinese New Year meeting up with my friends who came back from around the world - one friend wasn't around (we seem to always be missing one) but we had fun nonetheless (we missed you though Szups!) We laughed about old times and of course there is the usual lament re men and work. What else is new huh?

I guess we had quite different ideas when we were younger about how our lives and situations would be by the time we hit the big 3-0!!!! Instead 1 friend flew off to New York City, New York and the other 3 sat around a hand-packed pint of Baskin Robbins and finished it in 1 hour! Hehehehehehe, the simple pleasures of life - IS CHOCOLATE BETTER THAN SEX?????

I came back to work so early as well and now it's past Chap Goh Meh and tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I had decided 2 weeks ago, not to accept any invitations to Valentine's Outings since there isn't anybody I really like well enough to go out on a special date with (- so full of weight and meaning and possible misunderstandings). There is one invitation I would accept though - couldn't resist if I tried, if wild horses tried to drag me away.......but that will never come .

I know I still owe a list about what makes Errolyn happy - a short note:

1. Roller coasters
2. Really scary movies
3. Beautiful scenery
4. Cute animals (dogs, roly poly animals)
5. A good joke
6. Good wit
7. Pampering
8. Love
9. A passionate kiss
10. A gentle loving kiss (on the forehead)
11. A ruffle of the hair
12. Massages
13. Great, true friends
14. Coffee
15. Diamonds
16. A fantastic pair of shoes

See, it ain't difficult to make myself happy! :)))))))

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

It isn't the year 2005 anymore......

It’s the new year and there are so many things that are already awaiting my magic touch! 2006 is the Year of the Dog – not so good for my sign (my friends and I are definitely in need of some good time damn it!) but I guess whenever we try really hard to make the best of things, somehow or other things work out better right?

Since the PPSReview is still on hiatus, I thought I’d take a fan’s advice and do my own Recap of 2005! I know it’s late in the coming with it already being February huh, but then better late than never and I did start this post way back on Jan 3!!!! Anyways, just thought it would be a waste to just dump this.

The past year has been very very crazy, my most trying year to date. I had good things happen and bad things happen which sound quite mundane right – heck that happens every year – but the good things were fantastic and the bad things were hellish so I reckon, they deserve a mention!

When your life has pretty much been smooth sailing and you’ve never really had tough times or life problems to deal with (think poverty, starvation, death, critical illness….), then I guess one can get to being 29 without being equipped with the skills to weather crazy events. Thank god for family and friends is all I can say!

This year started off with a bang – I was promoted to a managerial position, one I had to apply for and write a paper for and get interviewed for….my bad point is that I keep obsessing about my areas of development instead of seeing the good things about myself and my efforts, but this time around, somewhere in the first quarter of the year, I thought that hey! I actually did this on my own; I worked hard, proved myself and people out there actually thought I was good enough to be promoted! So, that was one good thing……then of course, I discovered I wasn’t very happy, sometimes it feels like I can do more productive things with my life than worry about people being on MC or playing truant……and that was quite a big problem which dogged me throughout the year. No joke man!

I had mood swings worse than a menopausal woman and probably irritated the heck out of my best colleague and close friends with my whining and groaning and crying!

Professionally I wasn’t happy, but personally I was …. then I wasn’t. And that was a double/triple/quadruple whammy. But I guess in the end, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Errolyn’s Resolution this New Year is : To be happy and to do anything in my power to ensure that state perpetuates.

Update as of 8 Feb to Errolyn’s Resolution – 80% kept but sometimes there is an attack of the hormones where Errolyn breaks down. Seems to be a contagious thing within Errolyn’s Circle of Friends. Hahahahahahaha, good to know somebody understands and can relate.


To be Continued: What Makes Errolyn Happy

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Changes!!!

Dear All,

I've managed to get everything together. From now on, Errolyn's Ten Cents for Your Thoughts on www.errolyn.com will instead be published on http://errolyn.blogspot.com.

Thanks for your patronage and please spread the word around.

Death Doesn't Become Him....

Something awful happened at the office yesterday. A colleague paid for going to work with his life.

I didn't know him very well but after his death, everybody has a snippet of information or story about him. He was on the way to work and got hit by a lorry which then ran over his head. Busloads of fellow colleagues came by the cursed stretch of road but nobody had any idea that it was someone they worked with everyday. They said his head was covered with newspapers but his body was there for all to see and the unlucky driver of the lorry was actually trying to hide his body and motorbike so he could escape! The driver of the lorry is now in hospital.....or so they say.

Everybody's days are numbered. It is only us foolish humans who do not realise this and continue to argue, insult, cheat, lie and hate with reckless abandon. I have pretty much made it a habit now to tell the people important to me that they are......sometimes though, not enough with my family.....weird how we can tell boyfriends and girlfriends that "I Love You" 15 times a day but we can't do the same for family. Only when tragedy befalls, do people go home and 'cerita' about it and lament "Aiyo, life is short....We should savour and cherish each other...." but then promptly forget it later that night when hubby forgets to take the trash out.....

I have done this many times myself, but I feel that as I have gotten older and experienced more of life, I do see things differently. I tell people all the time that LIFE IS SHORT - don't make yourself suffer too much now for tomorrow - there may not be a tomorrow and you would have wasted so much time that could have been spent happy with the people who are important to you!

Nobody listens to me though.

I can't be the only one who feels this way or realises how short life is right? In which case, we should see/feel/hear a scurry of people coming to us to ask for our friendship and forgiveness and love and time - just to spend a lazy afternoon appreciating each other. And vice versa.

It's not a difficult thing to do, you just have to want to do it enough to change your mindset and lifestyle! Do it now because you know, there may not that next hour, or tomorrow.....

Take care, don't speed and love yourself and those important to you.

My thoughts and love to Mum, Dad, Janice, Lisa, Thing May, Melinda, Szu Ping, Liz, D.
Hi!!!!!!!!!

It's the beginning of newer, better and bigger things! This is a test run of a blog I set up for myself, sorry if I've got the jargon wrong but....what the heck, life isn't about getting everything right eh? Sometimes mistakes in life lead you down the most wondrous of roads!

So, anyway, I've still got the previous archives from my Ten Cents for Your Thoughts which used to be on www.errolyn.com (which as some of you know is going to be defunct at the end of Jan 06)....but maybe someday I'll have the time to transfer archives over to this new blog so everyone can have a read.......need to learn how to do that first.

Anyhoo, I hope you guys continue to enjoy this new blog - I like to think of it as my personal avenue to rant and rave, I will not apologise for my thoughts or opinions because they are mine and I can do whatever I want with them. What good is having an outlet but having to censor and police it eh? I won't go thoroughly overboard though because in the first place I do not support prejudice, racism, sexism, and whatever other -isms there are out there but sometimes I kinda lapse into my alter-ego who does sometimes practise these biases......But IT'S NOT ME!!!! :)

Seriously though, as I was saying, I find myself getting more honest and unafraid to voice my thoughts as I get older, so you may at times find some personal and potentially insulting/controversial remarks which I will publish because.....!

Thanks for reading and for those of you who will comment me in positive and not so positive ways, I will try to learn and see the good in all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this year be better than the last - which shouldn't be difficult and is NOT a lot to ask!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Well, all good things must come to an end - www.errolyn.com is no more.

I shall not be renewing my domain name, it hurts me to let it go but sometimes things need to be done ya. And anyway, I will be publishing my blog still via http://errolyn.blogspot.com.

At least, that's what I am trying to do. But I think I have a couple of things more to learn about it, so til then.......

www.errolyn.com will be no more as of 24 Jan 06 so please spread the word around.

Thanks and it's been great writing this website for the past 2 years. I do sincerely hope that you will still read about me and my misadventures at 10 Cents for Your Thoughts - Chap 2. (http://errolyn.blogspot.com.)

Adios Muchacos and Mucho Amour!
(am I just screwing up every language on Earth?!!)

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

MARRIAGE ANYONE?

My dad thought I was crazy but I am certain I saw Elton John and his husband David Furnish (p.s. my mum called him David Furniture!!! hehehehahahahhaa) on 29 December 2005!!!

Ok, how do I know it was them right? Well, Elton looked exactly like he is – his talented fingers looked short and his face and mouth looks exactly like in his photos. He wasn’t wearing earrings and I looked, but didn’t find, a wedding ring. David Furnish had the balding head, they both had the same height and physique….. I should have just called out ‘Elton’ or something to see if he turned around.

There was also an older couple with them but I haven’t been able to identify if perhaps they were his or David’s parents – from the build though, looks like they are more probably Elton’s parents.

I just thought they must have been traveling incognito because why on earth would Sir Elton John travel on Konsortium for his honeymoon????? But it must be that Mat Salleh sense of adventure where they like to experience the local ways and see the local scenery – which would be quite hard to do if you were flying 30000 km above sea level!

He was not very friendly, didn’t smile when I let him go in front of me, perhaps didn’t really want to show me his face or whatever, but I have just been going crazy telling everybody I saw Elton John and his husband!!!!