Overnight Stay
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Am going pampered camping (at a chalet) Thursday through Friday with the students. It's going to be games, swimming, singing and BBQ. Let's just hope the hyperactive ones do not keep me awake the whole night. |
Pleasure Pressure
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
I'm still rubbing my tag mark from K who was so kind to remind me of my duty to serve it. (Thanks!) So here's my list.
TO DO: Name ten (10) of life's simple pleasures that you like the most
Vun: Belting rock songs while driving.
Too: Trying on different pairs of shoes during off-peak days and then not buy them.
Tree: Publishing a post successfully on the first try and not after an hour of trying. (maybe I ought to move blog, but where?)
Foh: Counting blessings.
Faif: Hearing "Please", "Excuse Me" and "Thank You".
Sih: Walking and running.
Savan: Digging my feet into sand at the beach.
Ach: Sticking soft fries into McDonalds' cheap vanilla ice cream and eating them. Together.
Nain: Listening to different accents.
Tan: Hugging. Just hugging.
Okay, I've done my homework, but I hate picking people, so to make things easier, if you're reading this post, I tag you. TAG! TAG! And TAG!!
(That includes you too, the mystery person who has been reading my blog.)
So what are YOUR Top Ten Life's Simple Pleasures? |
Post Famine
I survived my first famine. Pardon the dramatics. It's not like I'd to endure years of involuntary starvation and undrinkable water while having to live in unsanitary conditions, sleep on hard ground, shiver every night, wonder if the adorable kid I made friends with today is going to die tomorrow, pray that no crazy warlord will come by my village on top of being exposed to contagious diseases. But a number of silent innocents still do.
30 hours is nothing really. I managed to last through the famine because I cheated. I drank clean water and slept in a warm cozy bed. It took me a while to recover from fasting. The next day, I had been munching slowly and in small quantities 1) just in case I get indigestion and 2) my food deprived body goes into survival mode and drops its metabolism rate. My breath also stank, which apparently is common while fasting so I was glad I did it during an anti-social week.
Even though it was a mere 30 hours compared to 40 hours or even 75 hours, I felt enlightened. I slowly learnt to separate needs from wants because one of the most fundamental survival need - food - is painfully lacking.
My resolve was greatly tested by dinner time. At the 22nd hour, I was at Olio watching my friend eat spaghetti bolognese as I chewed the end of my drink straw like a piece of liquorice and tried not to let the delectable smell of warm meat sauce drive me to....
Then again, a slice of toast was also enough to excite the same amount of enthusiasm. A dollar or two may not be enough to get a side dish at restaurants, but it sure is enough to buy a loaf of bread. Eating rich food served in munchkin size at ogre price is ludicrous. Needs versus wants indeed... I should eat simply more often.
I fast so that I can appreciate having three meals a day and the luxury to complain about getting love handles instead of seeing an entire outline of my ribs. Suddenly, the obsession to be stick thin has become meaningless. I will continue to align my goals from merely fitting into my jeans to being agile and healthy.
As I descend into starvation, I began to believe that it is possible for people, in their primal need to survive, to reveal the darkest of themselves. If you're hungry enough, will you trade love for a few scraps of food? I heard a heart-wrenching tale of a beggar mother breaking the limbs of her daughter so that she could get more sympathy credit as a cripple. I can only pray that the money "earned" went into food and not alcohol or drugs.
At least there are ways to help humanity and love to flourish. Whether it is rolling up your sleeves to help in a community, spreading the word to raise awareness or giving away your savings for that pair of to-die-for Ferragamo shoes so that someone out there can have regular meals for the entire year, you are making a difference.
I also learnt that World Vision Australia is organising their own famine campaign in August. Only that it's 40 hours *ahem* Aemii? *ahem* Will?? *cough* |
28th Hour Babblings
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Two more hours to go... thank goodness.
For the record, I'm glad I stayed true to my decision of not breaking the 30 hour famine. Food is as basic as you can get. Without it, your body ceases to function. As the hours roll by, my mind slows down (heck, it took me so long to mentally process the remaining time when a friend asked me), movements become sluggish, motor coordination all whacked. I've no idea what I'm typing too. Do I sound delirious? Seriously, how do people who fast as well as anorexics do it? I got to applaud their unwavering discipline, but let me eat proper food soon!!!
My cravings are at their all time high. To name a few, there're cookies, spaghettis, marinated chicken salad, roti john, omelette, sushi and... above all dim sum. All hail the succulent mantous and BBQ pork buns. I think I'm just making things worse for myself by typing the names of these food.
Been downing water every time I felt my stomach rumble but this tactic began to lose its effectiveness by the time I sniffed the wondrous aroma of dinner which I know that I will not be having. I'd also been keeping myself inactive in order to conserve energy. However, it was challenging not to let the mind wander Whenever there's a moment, my mind shifts to food. Other than sleeping time, I'd been trying all day to keep my mind occupied on others tings, even to the extent of watching a play down at Alliance Francaise this evening.
The feeling's very discomforting and if I keep this up any longer, the hunger pangs will begin to gnaw at my stomach lining as well as my resolve. As of now, I just want to sleep. Probably might explain why people in famine stricken countries with single ruling militias continue to accept their horrid way of life. The oppression was long, and they are simply too weak to fight. Hence all the more they help from those who want as well as can make a difference.
Anyway, am so glad that this ordeal is nearly over. *Gulps some more water* All I want to do now is to lie down. Am keeping an apple next to my bed in case I get up later. |
My 30-Hour Famine Starts
Friday, May 19, 2006
Kevin Carter
Hunger is real. The picture was taken in the 90s and a decade later, it's still happening day after day.
My brothers and I were trained to finish everything on our plates by mommy dearest who echoes a common sentiment, "People in other countries are starving, and you're wasting the food you have?" I took it very seriously and had been stuffing myself full before I learnt to ask for less. However, I'm still left with thoughts that for every grain of rice I did not consume, a child somewhere will die from starvation, because the excess food could have gone to him or her instead. So I tried to do my part by asking for less and donating money whenever I can.
I received an email somewhere in April from Worldvision Singapore regarding a Famine Youth Camp to be held in June. It felt like a valuable experience to have as you won't truly understand someone until you walk a mile in their shoes. After all the biggest advocates for any cause are those who share similar experiences. Unfortunately, maximum age was 25 and I was about to forward the email to my friends asking them to participate when my mind clicked, it went something like, "Oh, yeah. I'm not 25 anymore. . . . *blank stare* . . . . . oh for crying out loud!!!"
After getting over the annoyance of nearing 30, I decided that if I can't go for the camp, I'll just undergo the famine by myself. For a person who enters zombie mode whenever her meal is delayed, I must be crazy to do this.
If my metabolism's as active as it used to be, I would have had no qualms about gobbling all day long. Food is central and eating is probably the super glue that binds my family together. We can go from tearing at each other's throats one moment and laughing with each other the next once our stomach is full. Moderation does not apply whenever we eat out - restaurants we patronise are those with food that comes fast and furious, trips to conveyor belt style sushi places often result in (proudly) counting the number of empty plates that were neatly stacked by mom to see if we'd beaten our record, and I shall not mention the buffets in case I start to blush.
As much as I'm apprehensive about this process, I know that given how fortunate I am to have all my basic needs met, I will never understand the hardships associated with true hunger unless I give up the very thing I centre my daily activities and my emotional well-being on. When this 30 hour famine is over, I hope to learn more about myself as well as gain something to spur me on to do greater things.
As I'm typing this, it's about 5 hours into the 'famine' and I'm starting to feel my stomach rumbling. Hopefully the hunger pangs will not hit me too hard by the time lunch comes along. |
Work Hard, Play Daze Harder
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Taking a breather.
The week's been long even though there was a one-day discount thanks to Vesak Day. I look forward to seeing the kids again by the time Monday comes a-knocking, it's just the mundane happenings before and after classroom time that I dread. Summer school lesson plans, end of semester reports and school related extra-curricular activities easily filled up the rest of my day (and night). My time efficiency is spiralling downhill, as I take longer to finish each report. Something is exasperatingly wrong somewhere and dreaming about work and the boss for 3 consecutive nights in a row did not help either. Well, at least holiday's around the corner. Still have yet to arrive at a stage where I can perform the count down to summer vacation (aka Tuscany trip, *wipes off drool*) with my fingers, but if I were to include my toes, it's just about right.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need get back to
Visual Tidbit
Sunday, May 07, 2006
I roared at this one.
A twist take on a LOTR moment by Training Wheels.
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Election Rumble
Friday, May 05, 2006
Election's up in another 6 hours (Sat, 6 May 2006) and the political groups were out in full force to rally as many votes as they could. While not a voter because 1) I'm a permanent resident 2) it's a walkover in my constituency, I got caught up in the quiet amusement of being an observer to the whirlwind of gutter politics. It felt like a pillow fight with feathers flying all over . Hopefully, this will not cloud voters' vision in making the best informed choice.
I caught the latest Party Political Broadcast on Thursday over the radio. The People's Action Party (PAP) representative as well as Chairman, Mr Lim Boon Heng was up next with his speech. In the midst of all the highly charged sentiments, I can not say that I was agreeable with some of the ruling party's (PAP's) ideas. In fact, I was bordering on apathy. As Mr Lim spoke, I sat back quietly and wondered what other stuff could he possbility bring up that I'd not heard before. Then...
*rumble*
I sat up. What was that background sound I just heard? A little while after...
*growl*
I adjusted the headphone. Moments later...
*rrrrrr*
Did the poor man have his dinner? Briefly, the cold and collected front of the PAP vanished and I felt terribly sorry for Mr Lim. He was no longer a politician, just a regular person working very hard while having to run on fumes. Guess no matter which side you're on, what group you're with, what kind of political sentiments you have, we're all still human. Unfortunately, we tend to forget that. |
To My Love
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Do you know that I spotted you just the other night? You were with your friends looking so happy and carefree. Don't think you saw me and it's just as well. It has been a while, I thought I was over you, but I was so wrong. Seeing you again unlocked a flood of memories. And I spent another sleepless night trying to relive the wonderful moments we had together.
We have been friends for so long and I have shared the deepest of secrets with you, shed the bitterest tears in your presence, and gave you my warmest smile. You fill me with so much tender sweetness, it is intoxicating. I still adore you, even though I'm deeply hurt by all the things you'd done to me.
Who would have thought that we met by accident at a supermarket? But we hit it off immediately. It could have been an everlasting relationship, but harsh reality prevailed. The more we're together, the more harm I received. You assured me that you will not do anything to make me feel bad. You can stop pretending now. I get it... that is why I had to walk away. I felt so much heaviness. I forced myself to face the truth that as wonderful as you are, you can never change. While you will never admit it, but deep down, I know that you didn't mean the things you had done.
I confess that there has neither been a day I didn't think of you nor a night I didn't dream of you. Wondering how you are doing and what new addition has come into your colourful life thus far. I still miss your smell, your looks. I thought we connected beautifully and the joy you bring is eternally burned into my soul. Without you, it is nothing but pain now. Why is it that only you can make me feel this way? If you only knew how happy I was to have you and how I struggled to keep my life together when I lost you. I made a promise to myself though. That I will keep all the ardour I felt for you safe within my heart till my last breath.
Even though you will never read this, I just want you to know that you will always have a special place in my heart. There is no regret knowing you. If time can be turned back and if I had the chance to experience being with you again, I'll gladly take it. Please always remember that I'd loved and adored you since the time we met and till now.
I love you, Ben... and Jerry.
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