16) RIP Sidney Poitier

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Thanks to my mom who introduced us kids to the timeless, classic films and music of the 50s, 60s and 70s.... I have fond memories of watching To Sir With Love and being in awe of this man who commanded the scene with his presence.

Watching the way he played the role of a teacher able to change his students from rowdy teenagers, to capable young adults... it made me think of my mom, a teacher who could take any class that other teachers didn't want... and turn them into students who were attentive, passed their exams, and still come looking for her, 20, 30, 4o years after she had taught them. 

The type of teacher, who can get even the most unenthusiastic student interested in studying... 

 

A neighbor, who was worried that her daughter was not concentrating in her studies, asked if my mom could help her a little by some tutoring... 

My mom said yes and now the young girl, excitedly comes every few days a week to study with my mom... Making her mom and my mom so happy to see her so keen to learn...  

It takes passion, and love and respect for the students you have pledged to teach, to be a successful teacher that will always be remembered... 

The sincerity from my mom... The passionate way she teaches and the love for her students... Her avid love for knowledge that bounces off her and gets her students interested in their studies too... 

I know that the reason I got through my schooling days and did well, was because of her guidance when young... 

Which Sidney Poitier showed in To Sir with Love... I remember there was a scene in the movie, when he taught his students how to make a salad to get them to eat healthy...

And it resonated with me because I remember when I was young... seeing my mom take loaves of bread, eggs and all kinds of food to school... 

14) The tale of irritating the IT guy in my office

When the IT guy in my office starts his "explanation" on what's wrong with my PC using words I don't understand, when all I want him to do is tell me my baby is gonna be ok... I also prattle on a little about MacGyver, the 80s series I used to enjoy as a kid... Not really sure why my computer problem made me suddenly reminisce about the 80s and think of MacGyver... I realize I'm a very strange woman. 

A Note to the IT guy in my Office

Look, I don't mean to be the type of person you wish you could erase with a click of your mouse... but could you please tell me what's wrong with my PC and what I need to do... in a language I can understand... 

and not all that ancient alien stuff you're spewing... Cause I'm listening to you talk and all I hear is "Ancient Astronaut Theorists suggest..." 

Think of me as a 4-year-old learning my ABCs... Cause I didn't get a word you were saying just now... or what I'm supposed to do to solve my PC problem.

Are you speaking Kryptonese? Cause it certainly sounded like that to me. 

I know these are just common, everyday words to you. 

They're NOT for me.

Yes. This is exactly what you look like to me right now with that fast way you were saying your words, using a jargon, only you can understand. 

Hey, you can minion talk me all you want, with your "po-ka" and "la-boda" but the only thing going through my mind is... I want a banana... which would be lovely in some milk shake... that has a dash of rum... Cause that oatmeal I had for lunch didn't really satisfy my gastronomic urges.   

You can stare at me, all you want, Michael Scott, but I'm willing to bet a lot of IT people in your "office" have also filled you with the urgent need for a spiked milkshake.

Yes, Mr. IT Guy? No... my mind isn't wandering... Still paying attention... but still not getting what you're saying...

Whoaaa... So that's how the insides of a computer looks like... And that's why you brought all your gadgets... I was wondering why you needed all those mechanic tools... 

Was kinda worried you were going to use them on me... to you know... tighten those bolts in my head...  

No... I'm not giggling at you... Just randomly giggling at my own stupid joke... I do that all the time... laugh at my own jokes... They are not funny... but they seem to amuse me...

What's that you said? No!!! I don't really have bolts in my head... It was a joke...

I know... I know... The joke wasn't very good... I didn't say I was Wanda Sykes... 

What, Mr. IT Guy? Wanda Sykes??? Oh... She??? She's a comedian... 

I was trying to be a comedian too... 

Why do you have the confused look on your face, Mr. IT Guy? 

The look that says, “Please don't quit your day job”.... which, to be honest, is a look I get often at my every attempt to be funny... 

So you don't watch comedies? You probably watch IT movies, eh?

Like what??? Maybe Swordfish??? I watched it during my university days... 

Haven't seen it? It's an IT film... It was about hacking and stuff... Hugh Jackman was in it... Yeahhh the Wolverine guy...    

He can do such diverse roles, don't you agree? Comedy... Drama... brooding... Did you know he once played a Duke... I love the Victorian era... Especially the big hoop skirts.... One of my favorite authors is Georgette Heyer and her Regency books... 

Man. Hugh Jackman is such a cool actor, isn't he? 

Wait... Hang on... I didn't catch what you were saying, Mr. IT Guy? 

No... Nothing is wrong with me... Why do you keep asking me that...

No... I'm not talking about Victoria's Secret... Why do all men only think of models? Like couldn't men just stick to thinking of sports...

Yeah I do like to talk a lot... 

You don't really consider hacking as IT? 

Well... Ok... I hear you...

What did you say, Mr. IT Guy? 

That you were probably not even born yet when I was doing my degree? 

Wait... How old do you think I am...  

No... I'm not showing you the finger... 

That's my Wolverine impersonation...

10) Christmas Memories : The best kind of surprises

#ChristmasMemories With family, you get memories that can be treasured for life. This is a tale of a Christmas long, long ago and the pleasant surprise we received cause the best kind of surprises are ones that fill you with joy and leave you with everlasting memories.

So the family is all gathered for Christmas, but your youngest brother says he can only come home on Christmas day itself. At that time, almost 10 years ago, he was studying in college and couldn't come home earlier because he had classes the day before Christmas.

The best he could do is drive home on Christmas Eve night, reaching early Christmas morning.

In Malaysia, we don't get week-long holidays for Christmas. Schools are closed because it's their year-end break, and the new school year starts in January, but not colleges and universities. As a multi-racial country, we can't get long holidays for the many festivals of the various religions in our country. So it's just a one-day holiday for Christmas. 

It sucks and you feel sad because when one family member is not there, it's like the family is not complete... Like a part of you is missing... and it doesn't feel like Christmas till everyone is there. All members of your family. 

So we get ready for Christmas, while waiting for my brother to come on Christmas day... Missing him... 

Being the youngest, he's the baby of the family, the one my sis and I babysat and changed his diapers, which as good older sisters, we remind him all the time. The guy who goofs around and makes us laugh, but as the only son in the family, he's also the one we turn to when we need things done. So the loss is felt, when he's not around.   

But then three days before Christmas, you wake up at 3am to the sound of a car at your front gate... Your phone rings... and it's your brother! 

Who, found out that his professors had cancelled classes due to the holidays... so he decided to surprise us... drove all night, on a 1o-hour journey... all the way from the place he was studying... right after class... and be home for Christmas... three days before he said he could be... Surprise at its best!!!

Everyone woke up... excited... My parents... My sister... We probably woke up a few neighbors too with the noise we were making... 

Yeahhhh. Pretty sure our neighbors hate us. We're a noisy bunch. 

Then the words, “I've been driving the whole night, anything to eat, I'm so so hungry” came out of my brother's mouth. 

And my mom was like, “hold my beer”... 

Ok my mom doesn't drink but you get the picture. 

It's like my brother said the magic words that every mom (I think they do) want to hear, “whatcha cooking momma”... 

And when it comes to Indian moms, like mine for example, her son says "hungry" and she goes into full-on kitchen goddess, warrior princess mode, ready to whip up a delicious meal within seconds.   

So it didn't matter that it was 4am. 

We all sat down to a very early breakfast and a very long chat.

5) The Tale of Wishing I was a Better Person

The best thing I did of late, is not just taking stock of my faults but coming to the realization that as humans, we're all flawed and that aiming for perfection should never be the goal. So this is the tale of me finally accepting the person I am, to realize that it's ok to be me, and although I should not change the person I am to please others, I could at least try to live a good life through the words of wisdom and example shown by the people who inspire me. 

 This post is in a more serious tone... or as serious as I could be, I guess... It was one of my pensive mood days, that made me contemplate life... and if I'm doing enough for those around me especially my loved ones, and being the best that I could be around them, and not hurt them by my words and action.

Many of us will never know what it's like to go hungry. To look at a piece of bread and hope that it will last. But there are many out there who know what it's like. And it made me ashamed for the trivial things I worry about while there are people struggling just to have a decent meal.

I know what it's like to struggle. And saying this, I'm in no means making light of the real struggle people are going through now especially those suffering from the effects of the pandemic... 

There's nothing I can do to make things better for them... Although I wish I had the means and resources to do so... All I can do is pray every day that things will get better for them... and try to help as much as I'm able to... with the little I can do... 

I didn't come from a rich family. My parents worked hard to provide for us, my siblings and I, and although it wasn't easy, my parents always made sure we had enough, even if my mother, I now realized as an adult, sacrificed, by skipping her meals... 

She wore shoes that were worn out and almost falling apart and clothes that were frayed... yet never thought of buying something new.... because money was scarce and she wanted to keep what she had for us. 

I cannot imagine the love it takes to do that. To say you're full and not hungry, so that the people you love, your children, can eat... To not buy things for yourself, to not see to your comfort and pleasure, because you're thinking of your children.

And my mom has never changed. Even now, she will still willingly give up her meal if she sees there's enough food for only one person...

My parents struggled, worked extra hours and extra jobs, to make sure we had a good education and the best life they could provide for us... They filled our home with books and good meals...  

It could be just a simple dish, nothing too elaborate, but boy were they delicious... 

I never realized, until now, how lucky we were as kids, to have a mom, who could take the little things she had left in the fridge, which sometimes wasn't much, and with her love, creativity and passion, turn them into delicious, hearty meals.   

Many childhood memories such as this...

 

So maybe we never went on trips or had expensive gadgets, which as children, we were perhaps not as understanding.  

I remember all the times as a kid, when I got a little jealous, for not having the things my friends had, without seeing my parents' sacrifice and struggle...

Most importantly, not seeing how others have it worse... To be grateful for the little we have and find joy in the simple pleasures of life... 

I wish I had been a bit more kind and understanding. 

To realize that sometimes it's not just the expensive trips to exotic places that's needed. 

That my mom could make even a trip to the Mall or a meal out, at what was famous at that time, White Castle, fun and exciting. 

She entertained us with stories, and introduced us to the Oldies... Songs, books and shows she grew up with...

I remember her tales of disguise and chivalry as she got us to watch The Scarlet Pimpernel, and introduced us to Elvis, Cliff Richard, Johnny Tillotson, the Everly Brothers, and so many others. 

She got me to love books by introducing me to Georgette Heyer, describing the scenes... as I was young and Regency English was a bit too difficult for the 12-year-old kid that I was back then.... 

But over the years, as my reading comprehension improved, I grew to love those books... appreciating Heyer's unique, witty, humorous play with words...  

So I may have stayed indoors reading all the time and missed out on being active out in the sun.... but being a shy kid due to my obesity and lack of communication skills... the life I had with my books was all I needed to give me a great childhood.  

 

This gif speaks to me on so many levels...

My siblings and I didn't need trips or items of luxury to keep us entertained...

It was sometimes something just as simple as putting our mattresses in the living room to sleep, while we watched late night movies. Our own version of camping... 

A good reminder to me to never forget that it's not the big things that matter... 

The little pleasures in life, that my mom provided for us, like good meals and her tales of adventures, are what matters. 

It may have been hard on my parents to pay the bills and put food on the table, but they gave us a happy childhood with many memories that we will always treasure... We were truly blessed. 

My parents taught us from a young age, through their example, to always do good, be a charitable person, and treat others with respect and kindness. 

From my father, who was involved in charitable work, and committing all his time and effort in improving the lives of those he had pledged to help. Who was willing to go hungry and give the last cent in his wallet just to help someone in need. 

During his funeral, we met countless people who talked about all the things my father had done for them, and my only wish is that my father could have known of all the love and respect people had for him, and the many lives he had touched and changed for the better.  

I wish I could have told him how proud I was of him... and what an inspiration he had been to me... 

 From my mother, who was a good daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt, teacher and friend to those around her. 

Who has always put others before herself, and whose students still remember and come looking for her, 20 years after she had taught them, just to say hi or to invite her to their children's wedding dinner. 

Like how many people actually think of inviting their former teachers to their wedding or their children's wedding.  

I barely remember my teachers except for those exceptional ones who cared, so for my mother's students to always remember and think of her, is a testament of the type of teacher she was.   

The only way I can repay my parents for all that they have done for us is to try to live by these values that they tried to impart to my siblings and I, and hope I never give them a reason to be disappointed in me.