The return of the super frog....

Imhotep, my bollywood adventure

2009-12-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

Beep beep the text message in my mobile went in

I took the mobile phone, and I just can’t believe what I read…

Really? This guy was actually from Kajang High School! Gosh – I had lived in Kajang and Bangi for all my childhood, and I thought boys from there were either naughty or stupid...and yet this is one of the most serious and intelligent of them, considerate and polite and he doesn’t even realize that makes him so downright attractive…

And to think that I will meet a guy at this age now, who was living actually just around the corner where I had lived…

And I had gone hopping around the world in a jet really hoping somewhere around that little corner in that nice café in paris, or in that book shop in London or in that cloth shop in the souk, or in that office over there, or under that aircraft wing I could finally dump those frogs into the pond and bump into my prince…or make one into a prince

…sigh!

And to think that all I had to do was to hang out in front of the most famous shopping mall in Kajang 20 years ago – the ‘Billion supermarket’ in Kajang, it could just shorten all this process…huh! what an…anti climax!!

And the message was:

‘so I’m out of your list because I was from Kajang high?’

Oh, I just love his…so serious and undercurrent tones of doubt – this guy must be the epitome of ‘politess’ as the French would put it, he is so polite, I know he wants to ask me, and yet he would make it so subtle and polite that I just cannot ‘tahan’ and resist giving him that little ‘kick’…

Deciding to be carefree and laughing at what I imagined his expression would be at my sms, I texted:
‘no darling…you’re on my list because you’re a teacher. You know my first real crush was with my uni teacher and my ex hubby was also a teacher! ;-))) ’

No beep.

Ha ha ha - Gotcha!! I left the phone and went off for a swim with my son at the resort where we were staying in Ipoh.

Oh but Mr. Imhotep can’t be described as a frog – I’m totally lost for words…

We’d only just met 2 weeks ago.

And in fact we had met before – perhaps 2 years ago – he was selling books at my childcare centre. Imhotep came and talked about the books, childcare and related that to his children and family with a twinkle in his eye.

It was the first time I saw a man so happy in his family life – thinking that there should be more men like that in this world – the world would be safe, they loved their wives and their children and if that happens to me, I suddenly thought with a stab of pain in my heart (remembering my ex-hubby)…oh forget it! Life goes on!!

I bought, paid the books and forgot about it all.

But before he left Imhotep suddenly gave me a disc –

‘you know this is very good for you – it’ll make the mind sharpened and focus’

‘what’s that? Is that music?’

‘no – it’s a CD on Alpha brainwaves – if you use it frequently it helps to focus your mind – you can even use it on your child’

‘Thanks a lot Mr. Imhotep – I really appreciate it, I will use it’

Well, I put it on once in my car, oh it sharpened my mind alright, I nearly felt asleep listening to that so I never used that again…not until 1 month ago…

My son has gone out playing golf and my dad is taking him so I had some time on my own to spring cleaning –

Gosh - both my drawers have been filing up to the brim with all sorts:
Mobile phone bill
more mobile phone bills
Letters from the lawyers on my house
Mortgage bills
Insurance bills
And er…what’s this?
Picked up a CD covering with very peculiar looking covers – there’s a CD inside
Now let’s see
It appeared to be a CD…the Alpha brainwave CD, ‘what is it?’ and stood thinking how did this come about??

‘oh yes! this was the CD given to me by Imhotep – the guy with the twinkle in his eye’ ha ha!! the one that looks so much like the character Imhotep inside the hilarious movie The Mummy…that I was half expecting Branden Fraser to appear together chasing him.

So Good! Its just the best time – its so happened that events in my life had been going somewhat spiraling downhill especially in regards to my work so I have been doing a lot of ‘self development’ and 'self study' learning to discover my own potential and limitations since the early part of the year. And into that I have been buying alpha CD’s, subliminals positive affirmations mind CD, theta brainwave CD’s, so good now I have another to add to my collection…

Ah…that’s a very cool and relaxing CD…why did I nearly throw that one out before??

>>>>> 2 weeks later

Its 4.30pm and I was feeling rather drowsy. Suddenly my phone extension beeped.

‘Hi, hello – I was just here around the corner having coffee at the jungle café down here and when I suddenly looked up I saw the signboard of something familiar…so I went into my car and checked the name cards, and yes, there is someone here I know!’

‘Yes, hi! Haven’t heard from you for long time, what happened to you!?’

Even though the caller is not someone I was expecting, nor someone that has been closely working or connected to me, I instantly caught the voice that it was Imhotep, even though we were never friends or more than business acquaintances, - I was surprised how I could recognize him immediately.

‘Hey listen I’m just down here, let me come up for a minute and we can chat’

‘Yes, why not! See you in a bit’

‘So what’s up – what have you been up to?’

‘I’ve been traveling around for the last 2 years’

‘oh yes? what did you do, where’

‘eina, my marriage broke up. And then I went around the world and did a lot of learning and self development’

'oh..'

‘so what are you doing now?’

‘Oh I’m back now in KL, back to my Public Mutual stuff….’

Blaa blaa blaaa and so on and so on, what a great afternoon – it was like being in touch with a really old friend.

‘you know I just remembered to use your Alpha CD’

‘really you mean you only heard it now? Imhotep looked at me in surprised

‘Er…well yes, I just recently went into all this brainwave stuff, a lot of strange things have been happening to me during the year, and I thought that I better figure out myself – so I’ve been doing a lot of self development work…’

‘come lets see – tell me what’s your birth date’

And he started to do an inverted triangle and started spilling out things about my financial life, all based on that birthdate…

This is really interesting…

And started to explain the concept on how to develop one’s self based on ‘concept therapy’…

All very intelligent and interesting stuff…

Just the stuff that I was learning and wanted to learn…

Looks like the law of attraction (for my self study programme) is working my way!...I thought.

So we finished and said goodbye.

We continued to keep in touch after that, and I had also became his client for his investment plans.

And continued to update ourselves over coffee and capati about brain stories, financial markets, traveling around the world, religions and all sorts of jokes, fun and learned stuff that I feel very intellectually stimulated and happy after each meeting with Imhotep.

And Imhotep had continued to call me daily just to chat and sms me.

>>>morning in office

Beep – my phone extension beeped

I was in the midst of signing the necessary papers brought in by my secretary and we were chatting lightly when that phone call came…

‘hello’

‘hey hi, how are you this morning’

‘I’m fine imhotep – how are you’

‘just up and going to have my breakfast soon – so what you’re doing today’

‘I’m going to send my son to a school after this, he has to take his placement test before he can enroll there’

‘ah yes? what time is his test?’

‘it’ll be at 10am – so I’ll be off after this’

‘yes, alright, so I’ll best be get going, talk to you later’

‘yes, ok, bye!’

And when I put down the phone I saw big inquisitive eyes staring at me and casually asking…

‘who’s that, boss? Boyfriend?’

'ZZZZING!!' the word ‘boyfriend’ could have stung me and I can feel the whole blood rushing dead to my face, and though I may be the GM and the boss in this office, the way my secretary casually asked me, suddenly make me feel like a dumb 14 year old, with my miserable sinking and trembling knees.

‘…uh? Er…no, just a friend..’

‘what a strange conversation there?’ my secretary remarked

Oh yes, Remembering that yes, well we didn’t talk about the airport project, we didn’t talk about the prices being too high for the CCTV system..

‘er…yes, just a friend’ with that I signed all the papers quickly and dashed out from my office…

My heartbeat was racing and I could feel my face feeling hot, oh its been a long time but I’m behaving like a teenage fool…what a word!

and suddenly the lift opened its doors – outside was my chairman the top gun of the company

‘well, hello eina!, how are you – you are certainly looking very good today’

My blood must have been in the ‘up’ mode this morning, that session by my secretary and this now I should go now and have a blood test, too much on my head …

‘oh? Er….good morning tan sri, how are you!’

And raced out from my office to pick up my son…

>>>>>

We had finished our lunch together and I was walking towards my car when I thought that I’d tell him what I remembered last time…

‘Imhotep’

‘yes..’

‘Remember last time when we meet?’

‘yes’

‘I saw this twinkle in your eyes, which is now…no longer there’ and stop there - did not finish my sentence 'why?'

In that instant I saw the truth behind the eyes, and I had to look away because I remembered at one time, I had carried the same burden – it was during the separation and divorce with my ex-husband…

The eyes are the mirror to the soul.

Souls can never lie.

Especially not to his soulmate.

‘yes....I guess there is sadness there’

‘Eina, tomorrow is D-day...'

‘for what?’

‘it is my divorce pronouncement tomorrow’

‘oh...’

I remembered how at one time when I was seeing Mr. Hercules, who spoke to me about his own divorce, he had no emotion, or he seemed relieved, I just felt so empty at that moment, as if my own heart became heartless as well.

And this is a total opposite, in all my dealings with the frogs – one thing that I do not really realize is that the frogs are actually human – in that they have the same feelings as I do…and this moment was a defining revelation to me.

I could not stand looking at his eyes, because I felt my own tears prickling for this gentleman and it does not seem so appropriate so. We have been talking and seeing each other but it has been that, talking and seeing and once in a while I tried putting some ‘kick’ into it but it has been all been a gentle and friendly relationship.

So I quickly said before I looked away
‘if you need to talk just give me a call’ in fact what I felt that I wanted to say was that ‘if you needed a hug, I’m here and it will be ok’

‘Thank you, for your kindness’

‘Bye’

>>>>

‘eina’

‘yes’

‘I must be truthful to you’

‘I’m a broken man’

‘and I can’t give you anything, not in the near future’

‘I’ve got to get my act together…’

‘I’ve got to rebuild my life again’

'I would need some time...'

‘yes’

‘I’m not looking for a boyfriend Imhotep’

‘I’m not looking for someone to pay my bills’

‘I’m just waiting for my ‘husband’ to appear…’

‘you’ve got your goals and I’m so sure you’ll meet them’

‘but eina, I'm being honest to you, what happens if you meet someone better than me, more handsome, richer’

Oh this fellow! – I am just so exasperated.

I have met rich ones but they are….frogs

I have met handsome ones but they are…frogs.

I have met intelligent ones but they are …frogs.

‘I’m not asking Imhotep and I didn't ask!’

‘And I’m not the type to control – you do whatever you have got to do, I’m not the kind who is going to call you 10 times a day checking where you are – I know you’ve got your goals!’

‘it’ll be alright, it just doesn’t seem so now but it’ll be, Imhotep’

‘just want to share the life together – maybe as companions – don’t you believe in soulmates?’

‘yes, maybe we can be companions’

And my heart feels like stabbed on the coldness of that expression ‘companions’…

Maybe I was too arrogant, I thought I could be bringing back the ‘twinkle’…well – who do I really think I am??? Just because I have been through it do I really think I can be a superwoman to ‘save’ someone??

And here I am with all the frogs screaming around and just when I thought I met my prince – he just can’t see it, I’m in front of him and he can’t see me!

Well – that’s life – the adventure of the frog prince continues…

we saw each other for a couple of months and decided to quit as we had run out of hindi songs and trees in the park to play and sing to...!! ;-)

Sheikh Frog – the Expensive cabbie driver of Dubai

2009-12-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

I looked up and to my horror of horrors behind those long white veil, and those long robe, was a face. Along with it came bright eyes and a rather handsome 50 plus – ish looking face, and the eyes were looking right at me, no, not in total annoyance and amazement but in er….to my own shock when I realized his look was of: total amusement.

SNAP! the sound of reality suddenly bites in…

How I wish I could shrink me….that beetle crawling on that carpet will do much better than me now…

Damn it!! Me and my big mouth…

Me and my colleague Misha have been waiting for close to an hour for that elusive taxi and we’re just so exhausted. We’ve landed in Dubai that morning from KL, and we had gone straight to the corporate exhibition centre where we had a booth readied for us and we decided that we will get our company’s booth up first before we do anything else.

The luggage were heavy to lug around and absolutely to the brim, with exhibition LCD’s, brochures, corporate profiles – well, in fact it was over the limit and despite all the explanations we gave to Emirates (airline) we still had to pay for the extra kilos.

And here it is – a bee line queue from all the desperate looking exhibitors mostly foreigners just like us, and with the misery of only 1 or 2 taxi coming after an interval of 5 to 10 minutes. I glanced at my watch – 7pm, we arrived in Dubai this morning at 6.30am. I haven’t even had lunch, had downed tones of coffee and oh I would give anything to have that warm shower and slid behind the covers!

But it’ll be ok, look, its our turn now for the taxi in the queue…

I looked around but hey?? where is Misha now, Gosh! She couldn’t have gone to the loo at the worst time – oh damn, let me see if I can ask the cabbie to wait…

‘Please Mr. Cabbie, can you wait for a second, my colleague is…..’

Before I could even finish my sentence, an all-important looking guy appeared just pushed the cab door wider, and cut in behind me, went straight into the seat and spoke authoritatively to the cabbie, totally ignoring me who was still hanging outside at the taxi door with my requests at the cab driver.

Oh??? how RUDE!!

And the cab driver himself – shrugged – ‘cannot wait if your friend is late’, and drove off.

REALLY???

Instantly I turned back and suddenly had such an urge to EXPLODE to anybody alive, when I saw a victim - this ‘thing’ who was busying around – the thing that was dressed in the full white robe from top to bottom, in the typical Emirati style of dressing and looking at his manner and demeanor, reflects a man in authority, he may just be the guy I’m looking for…

The ground could have thundered when I marched forward straight ahead into that ‘thing’ in the white robe…well, it is MY TURN!

‘LOOK, YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO NOW??! IT WAS MY TURN IN THAT QUEUE, AND I GOT CUT OFF RUDELY. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS BLOODY EXHIBITION CENTRE???, WE CAME HERE ALL THE WAY FROM OUR COUNTRY, WE SPEND MONEY HERE, AND THE PEOPLE AND CABBIES ARE SO RUDE, AND WE CAN’T EVEN GET A DECENT CABBIE BACK TO OUR HOTEL…AND HERE I AM - I AM SO TIRED AND I HAVEN’T HAD LUNCH SINCE AND ALL I WANT IS TO GO BACK TO MY HOTEL AND HAVE A SHOWER!!!

I was completely breathless by the time I finished and thought I caught a glimpse of Misha’s face which somehow appeared and disappeared somewhere? – where is she anyway?!

The robe had repeatedly held out his hands to his face and made a gesture of ‘shhhh!’ ‘shhhh’ ‘shhhh’ putting his fingers to his mouth to signal me to lower down when all a sudden I heard the thunder and ‘woke up’ from the anger stupor in total shock of my own outburst

And ….I looked up into the robe that was standing in front of me, in fact it wasn’t a robe anymore – it actually transformed into a handsome face and cheeky - amused eyes…and still had his fingers on his lips signaling ‘shhh, not so loud, please!’ even when I had stopped…uhuh??

Hello?? Oh NO!!

And what’s that look on his face? AMUSED!?? Oh, give me indignant, anger, frustration, but not this – oh how I feel so…sooo stupid!! that!!!

With a signal of the hand by the sheikh frog, all of a sudden there was a commotion in front of me, the security guards were soon scurrying around…

The first thing that happened was a seat suddenly appeared behind me, and the Sheikh Frog started giving instructions into his walkie talkie urgently…all in perfect Arabic sounding English

‘get me 10! no no make that 20 taxis! call the taxis, call the buses whatever…get something here, NOW!’

And pausing between the commotion, he looked at me ‘I am very-very sorry madam, please, rest for a while here, let us find the taxis for you ’ the Sheikh Frog said in the commotion

I was in a total daze…and looked around weakly

Thanks-lah Misha why weren’t you here to stop me and where the goodness, are you?? … oh I can still see that hand peeking from behind the column, is she still pretending - that she doesn’t know me…?

So we waited

And Waited

Waited….

Suddenly the Sheikh Frog came back again – ‘I’m very sorry ma’am, we have difficulties, its so happens that there are 5 exhibitions running at same time in Dubai and taxi’s are very busy – we have problems to ask them to come here’

Before I could open my mouth for a remark…

‘Come ma’am, and where is your friend, please may I have the pleasure to personally send both of you back to your accommodation, tell me – where do you stay?’

Suddenly I was acutely aware of what I did and where I was – it was just like getting up in the morning and vision is sharp and all that pain on my shoulders and neck had suddenly disappeared….

Oops hello! I’m back in-charge…

‘Oh but mr. sheikh, we do not intend to trouble anybody, please, I am very sorry, I really do not normally go around shouting at people for taxi cabs…’ trying to sound normal and regaining my shattered image

The eyes still remained amused but the head nodded understandingly…

‘Ah, but that is ok, we understand – it is the pressure of the situation – we hope you will like and will always come to visit Dubai, where are you from?’ looking at me and Misha who had suddenly reappeared with the luggage from behind the column

‘we are from malaysia’ she replied

Instantly I saw headlines appearing in the star ‘malaysian woman broke loose in Dubai after jet lag, jilted by cabbie’

How I have degraded my countrywomen with this display of emotion – how I have put humiliation to my countrywomen, oh so sorry…

‘mashallah – that is the beautiful asian country and with two lovely tired ladies, we are very sorry this happens to you, come let us send you to your hotel, tell me, where do you stay again’

Somehow warming up to the cool, amused and un-angry sheikh and his team of assistants who was everywhere where he is – both me and misha suddenly felt oh, just let it be - he seems the boss and we don’t have a reason to decline this kind gesture

‘we have made reservations at Sheraton deira’…

‘sheraton deira, Sheraton deira…let’s see’ start talking Arabic into the walkie talkie…

The security personnel took our luggage to a large car that was parked beside the road and I took a seat at the front of the large car and Misha at the back, in between there were also 2 security personnel escorting us and of course the driver, was the handsome sheikh frog…

‘is this your first visit to dubai?’

‘I have been here before on a day transit stay but this is the first real stay in the city for both of us, we just arrived this morning’

‘what do you think of it?’

‘well, we haven’t had a chance to look around much but its certainly very busy, full of tall buildings that’s not so much different from our city of Kuala Lumpur and very metropolitan’

‘ah yes, we are always building something’

The sheikh frog went quiet and suddenly glanced at me and said with a lower voice ‘ it seems we have lost a lot of our originality and cultural ways for development unlike your country and your people…’

I glanced at Misha who was sitting behind and too tired to bother on any pleasantries…

I kept on the pleasantries for a moment until we arrived to our hotel almost an hour later – the traffic jam in Dubai was really at its peak…

‘You must also visit Dubai – you know it’s a very beautiful place especially the area of Palm Jumeirah - have you been there?’

‘No I haven’t’

‘Yes, good why don’t I bring you both tomorrow to visit this area – after the exhibition, Palm Jumeirah is a very nice place - will be very good for you’

Sheikh Frog is really one friendly ‘taxi cab’ – seems very2 keen to show off his town to us…

Misha heard that remark and in the quick instant that I looked to the back seat, understood both of us sending flashes of warning ‘danger’ signals to each other…

And the sheikh frog aka cabbie driver turned out to be the highest ranking officer in charge of security for the exhibition centre…

‘So thank you very much sir, we are certainly indebted ‘

‘No problem, I will pick you up again tomorrow, and we hope you will not be turned off by the visit to Dubai’

‘No sir, we are not turned off and I apologise again for my outburst just now, very bad of me and I assure you I do not do this often’

Looking at me with somewhat cheeky and amused eyes ‘It is ok, I understand, so see you tomorrow!’

‘But sir, we wouldn’t want to trouble you, in fact we will be too tired for sightseeing visits’ dragging the bags out from the car, with the porter waiting to take it..

‘oh but you will lose so much not visiting the city’ insisted Sheikh Frog

‘really we will be tired, thus we prefer to stay at the hotel, but thank you once again, bye!’

>>>>next day

The morning went very well, we had a good reception with quality visitors visiting our booth and both of us were sitting and chatting to each other to pass the afternoon when to our major surprise sheikh frog appeared and stop at our booth…

‘hello, hello how are our guests from Malaysia??’

‘we are fine, thank you very much sir!’

‘There will be no problem on taxi and buses today, I have seen to this’.

‘Oh thank you sir, we appreciate this, so today we need not worry about getting back to our hotel’.

‘no you need not worry because remember I will come here at 6pm we can go visit Dubai city and maybe do something else later like having dinner together…’

The thought of ‘doing something together’ made my blood turned cold and Misha and I shot quick warning looks to each other
Gulp!…
‘ oh it is REALLY ok sir, we plan to just go back to our hotel and take a rest for the night as we still have another long day tomorrow’

‘do not worry, you will see the beautiful Dubai at this hour’

Oh beautiful Dubai – yes, it is beautiful Dubai but we are wondering whether the taxi driver is also seeking the ‘payment’ that the expensive taxi ??

Danger!!!!

NO!!!

We are no ‘taxi pickup girls’!!!

NO!!!

>>>> 5.30pm

Misha and me looked at each other and without any other word, we both quickly and quietly packed up our equipment and cleared our booth.

We almost ran out of our booth before 6pm and when the bus came, we climbed and took long deep breaths…oh no more taxis and expensive cab drivers, we’re taking the bus instead!!

Middle eastern virile frog

2009-07-09T09:25:00.001-07:00

I looked up at the giant...instantly I felt giddy, my feet went cold, everything about him was big, he is a foreigner, from Iran rather ok, and yes maybe it was God’s way of answering my prayers that I had asked for a bigger man that can match my own physique (height) – but this is er...H.U.G.E!!
I had visions of, of...absolute disaster, of ...maybe crushed thumbs and fingers and maybe too later...broken ribs?? Well apart from that, anything is possible with THAT size...uh?
‘Hello! Why? What happened to you?’ Mr. Giant thundered at me..
Cough!! I didn’t even realized that I had swiped the cold sweat off my forehead and that I was staring at Mr. Giant with a gaping mouth, the sort of like a big gaping hole in your face, of...of shock!
This date is starting off on the wrongest foot ever, in fact my feet felt like it wants to just to fly off on its own...oh wait foot, let’s try to be a bit humane and polite here!
‘yes, hello’ i stuttered...remembering that he had left more than 20 phone calls earlier on my phone so I better see and get this over with...
‘come let’s go somewhere, we’ll go in my car’
I must have heard the loudest sirens and bells of warning in my head ..’NO NO!! that’s er...well, we’ll stay here, I like the shopping complex’
‘why don’t we go somewhere where we can have more privacy?’
‘NO! i really prefer it here, in fact there are many coffee shops here in this shopping complex, why don't we choose one and talk here instead?’
The desperation to take off was so great that I took a step back and this prompted Mr. Giant to come closer and grasp my arm in his huge grasp ‘Come, ok then, let me just get something and we’ll find a place...’
‘NO! no oh, why don’t you get your thing first whilst I go and wait at the coffee shop at the first floor’ I was adamant
‘no but its going to be only 2 mins why don't you come with me...’
The thougth of walking with the giant was just unbearable that I instantly took another step back, freed my arm from his grasp and firmly ‘NO, I’m tired, its a long day, if you want I'll see you on the coffee shop up there ok?’ and instantly went off almost half running, leaving the bewildered giant behind , I went to the coffee shop and bought a cup, sat down...
My heart was pounding in terror, my feet was cold – what is wrong with me??? Gosh! This must be the worst cold feet I’ve ever faced!! I sipped my coffee gingerly,
I had earlier met the Giant at my workplace - international arrival hall of the airport. In fact I didn’t ‘meet’ him, I had just wanted to go and get some lunch and was walking and was suddenly stopped by a foreigner, being at the airport, I hardly register how he looks as foreigners are foreigners and I was in my ‘service’ mode. As I go through the airport frequently and although I am not a member of the ‘service’ industry being in technology instead, but I have always made it a point to stop whenever travellers ask me to, sometimes they ask for directions, sometimes they want to know where to buy tickets, sometimes they ask us where is the check in area...so being stopped by strangers is a normal occurance.
‘Miss’
I turned and faced yet another foreign stranger, hardly taking in anything.
‘Yes’
‘which floor is for the arrival area, to pick up passenger?’
‘oh you can go to the 3rd floor which you can take by getting on to this escalator’ – I was walking to the escalator myself hardly registering ‘who’ or even ‘what’ I was talking to...
‘you are muslim miss?’
‘yes I am’
‘oh I thought you were chinese’
‘no’
‘can i have you card please?’
Without thinking, i fished out my wallet and passed a card, which is also another normal thing I do – giving my business cards, as it is, there are some travellers who may need assistance’
‘here you are, which country you are from?’
‘i am from iran, doing PhD here’

'ok'
‘thank you miss’
‘welcome’ – shook hands and forgot the incident.

>>>
i glanced at my hp, it has been buzzing throughout the movie and as it is in movies, my phone is always on buzz and I never answer any calls not when I’m enjoying a movie with my son.
‘uh???? 20 miss calls!!! Who the hell is this’ i had a shock looking at my hp and was wondering who can it be, but i couldn’t recognize the number...it this some sort of emergency?
And there were also messages left, so i read the first, ‘this is giant, the guy you met at the airport’
???who??? who did I meet at which airport??
This is so strange...there was another message.
‘why don’t you pick up your hp?’
And – another message...
‘do you believe in...love?’
‘uh????’
‘what’s all this – whoever it is this must be totally crazy!!’
Scary!!
I thought that I won’t bother calling back it all looked so crazy – so I just text back: ‘hi whoever this is, i was watching a movie with my son, what is this all about!!!??
>>>
The calls won't stop...so ok – I have to do something, the safest way is to go online via email.
‘Hi please stop all this – if you really want to speak – this is my email address’
Instantly a message came:
‘chat with me now’
Wow, this guy won’t stop harassing me. Oklah – i need some peace herelah...
‘hi this is eina, who is that?’
‘i am giant you know me’
‘no i don’t know you! When did i meet you..’
‘i am the Iranian guy you met at the airport’
‘oh...ok – so what is it – why you call me and leave strange messages to scare me?’
‘no, i love you!’
‘are you crazy, i hardly know you!!’
‘you know me, tell me don;t you feel the same?’
Uh???...feel??? gosh this is really the madness of mad!!
‘look here, i hardly know you – and i don’t have time for games, i’m here to tell you to stop calling me and bothering me, besides you scare me!!’
‘no i do not want to scare you, i have a good feeling about you and i am serious, tell me, you are not going with anybody and i want to be your boyfriend’
‘look – i’ve had enough of all this, and I’m NOT looking for boyfriend! I have to go soon’
‘tell me please, you love me too and you will not ever go out with other man, tell me!’
Gosh!! This is getting too seriously stupid...!!
‘don’t you understand? This is madness, and i will not say anything’
‘stop calling and disturbing me, why the Iranian men are so crazy!’
‘you are wrong, Iranian men, are not crazy and respect women, but I’m crazy about you!’
Oh! Madness – i logged out and resolve not to answer the nuisance calls and messages...
>>>>
Oh this guy is always online everytime i come into the internet to check my email...
‘eina my sexy love...’
‘you are so sexy...’
‘i want to ................................’
‘can you stop sending messages like that!! It makes me feel like you want to rape me!! – I’m SCARED!!’
Absolute harassment...but the messages kept coming
>>>>>
‘eina listen to me, i want to make you my girlfriend...’
‘why are you wasting your life?....’
I was in the midst of being online and discussing with my staff’s through the yahoo chat on a technical paper when that message popped up in yahoo messenger
I was in the midst of...
....Wasting my life?
Really?
Am I?
Another message came in...
‘why you are not with anybody who can love you?...’
Why?
‘boss, are you there?’
‘oh, sorry, let’s continue to discuss this tomorrowlah’
‘oklah boss’
.....wasting my life...and another message came in
‘be my girlfriend, why you don’t answer?’
‘hello giant’
‘yes my sexy love, why you make me wait so long?’
‘can we have a normal conversation without all this ‘sexy’ connotations, it makes me very uncomfortable’
‘why, you are a very seexxxxxxxxyyyyyyy woman! You know this?’
‘i mean can you speak to me like a gentleman instead of always referring to me in that sense, I deplore this’
‘ok, so my love’
‘tell me first who you are?’
‘i have already, you know me already, i’m the one you met at the airport, you gave me your card’
‘no! i don’t know you! i work at the airport, i meet people all the time, can you imagine if the people i give my card to start talking to me this way, and if i respond, what kind of woman you think i’ll be??!! Cheap!!?? I WILL NEVER EVER BE CHEAP!!’
‘no’
‘ you are not cheap’
‘you are my sweetheart’
Gosh! Is this guy for real??
‘tell me about you? – you are married?’
‘yes, but we are not anymore in relationship...’
‘so you are hurting your wife this way!!’
‘no i don’t hurt my wife’
Oh!! Men are just so @#$%^&*!!! Sometimes....
‘i tell the truth because i want you to know and accept me, i am a responsible man’
‘when i can see you?’
Oh...NO
‘eina?’
but...I’m wasting my life...
‘ok – meet me at the XYZ at 6pm’
‘i will be there’
‘and eina..’
‘yes ok so see you there’
‘tell me you love me, i love you, mine, mine’
Ayayayai!!
‘bye see you there!’
>>>>>>
And now this....
Gulp...oh!
The starbucks coffee really tasted mild today...
‘wasting my life’...
Really?
The last 6 years since I divorced has been a waste??
What do i have to show for that...
Oh my feet, its telling me to...
Run,
Run,
Run
Mr giant is a very LARGE and seems utterly er...uh...virile Iranian
Seems to be desperate or ‘fast’
Oh, the caffeine doesn’t seem to be doing its job on my nerves, my adrenaline is pumping my heart..
DANGER!
DANGER!! Gosh! Do I need a stronger caffeine?
He is NOT Interested in conversation...
Imagine being undressed mentally even when watching CNN...
Or even silly Bloomberg...or Oprah Winfrey
Woaa!! Is that ever possible??
I want no trouble.
I have had enough for my share!!
I’m not looking for trouble.
No trouble. My son!!
I have always relied on my instinct and feet.
My feet is so cold, its signal has been ignored...
Now its about to be cramped unless I
Stood up and....
RUN!!!
RUN!!
YES RUN!!!
THAT’S RIGHT!!!
PHEW!!

>>>

beep, beep my hp went...a text came in: 'where are you?'

gosh I need the biggest excuse in the world to cool down this guy otherwise he's going to wreck my peace and phone...

ah..I know!!

'sorry I'm not able to-lah Mr. Giant, I'm er.. still very much IN LOVE with my er...ex-hubby'

beeep, beeep...

and another text.

'so? we're not on?'

gosh!! oii!! since when were we 'on'-lah???

beep, beeep...i picked up the hp...

'so you won't see me?'

'no, i can't, er...i'm still haunted by my ex'

'eina, you realise you waste your life!'

'but its ok - i accept that and can't do anything about that, so please don't disturb me anymore - bye!'

note: apart from the silly encounters that splattered around me to colour my life...the search and wait (rather) for the return of the real and true super frog shall continue on...!

The munch, munch, yum, yum, hungry er..cowboy(cowfrog)...

2009-06-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ring, ring my handphone beeped...
‘hello?’
‘hello – yes, I’m jim, you may not remember me’
‘er...yes? Jim? Jim Who?’
‘do you remember the tae kwon do teacher who came to see you last year to ask if you need any teacher to teach the children tae kwon do classes’
Out of a sheer madness and worry for my son’s education – last couple of years ago, i decided that i got really fed up with the quality of childcare centres available near where i stay for tender ages, so i went on to the extreme for a solution: opened my own childcare centre and appointed myself as the principal for a year before i decided to appoint my trusted teacher to replace me as the principal. Being a full time working mom as well, that was really hard to juggle but i had a good team in my teachers so it was a really satisfying job...and our children turned out marvellously.
Pausing, i cracked my head, - tae kwon do? Er...tae kwon do...jim...who??
Oh yes, is that the rather tough built quite handsome Chinese guy who came for interview as school teacher? now i do remember,
‘oh...but I’m sorry, i still do not need a PE and tae kwon do teacher, Jim ’
‘i know, but that’s not why i called...’
‘uh why?’
‘can i speak plainly and directly’
I was feeling rather nervous, afraid that there might be some complaint by any parents to outsiders – something that i may not know about my child care centre??
Did my teachers hide something from me?? Oh i hope not, because most of the parents are close to me, we have more than client teacher relationship – we’re all like friends and i care about their children as much as i care about my own son.
‘uh, yes please, do...’ nervously wondering...
‘miss eina, are you in a relationship?’
‘uh? What relationship?..’
‘as i said i wanted to speak plainly and directly, if you are not in a relationship...’
‘may i ask you to go out on a date with me...?’
‘uh???’
‘excuse me, you are jim that teacher, isn’t it?’
‘yes i am’
‘and you’re asking me out?? ‘ really trying to hold all this together...what nerve this guy?...
‘yes i am’
‘uh and can i ask you something instead?’
‘yes?’
‘may i know why suddenly now? Why not last time when you met me..’
‘well i saw you last time and thought of you but i was still in a relationship at that time...now i’m not...’
‘oh...’
‘so will you go out on a date with me...’
Well...ah, he is a teacher, should be harmless-lah. It might be interesting...
‘when?’
‘this Saturday’
‘weekends are time for my son – unless you’re alright to join us...?’
‘no problem..’
‘i’m taking him out for lunch on Saturday at pizza at X place, you can join us if you like...’
‘hmm... what about tomorrow evening?’
Uh...nope – if its going to be meeting strangers the best is daylight or daytime dates so that i can ‘extricate’ me quickly and safely, just in case-lah....
‘nope, too busy, Saturday if you want, you can join us – we’ll be at pizza location X at 12pm’
‘ok then...see you there’
>>>>>
‘So darling did you enjoy the game?’, i spoke to my son, when we were all seated at pizza restaurant, my son and i came earlier as there was a little shopping carnival with games and my son had played and enjoyed himself.
Now seated with my son and jim....
I remembered him not so clearly but didn’t care anyway – and he turned out, to my surprise and dismay – in an almost cowboyish outfit: black vest, black jeans, black boots – am i a cowgirl or is this the wild west setting or something?? Oh...it seems always to be the strangest of the kind...?
‘mom, i can’t finish this’
We’re having pizza my son’s favourite food (remember its always my son first in EVERYTHING) and my son had only eaten a slice...
‘mama, i’m full’
‘no darling you said you wanted pizza and you haven’t even finished one! Come on, please have another one...i don’t want to have a small and thin boy...’
‘ but i’m full mama’
‘oh daniel you’re going to be so thin like a log, ok i’ll order something else, ice cream?....’
‘its oklah – i can help you two to finish – no use throwing away food...’ – i looked up to the cowboy, quite annoyed for the interruption between me and my son – which is a private issue to me, after all!
And the cowboy lost no time, reached onto the table and became very very busy....
Munch...munch, crunch, crunch...yum, yum...pushing the crumbs in, chewing loudly...
Daniel and me, stared at the display of chewing acts...
When was the last time he had his food?
‘mama’ my son leaned forward to whisper to me,’ uncle is very hungry?’
I shot a glance to my son with a warning look saying ‘BE QUIET!’
But the starving cowboy never realised that anyway, he went on....gobbling...everything on the table
In couple of minutes, he finished all the pizza slices left on the plate..in fact he finished...everything.

‘oh good, so we can go now?’ i hurriedly went to the counter instead of calling for the bill and paid for the bill myself.

Next time, next time - I'm surely going to make it - strictly no food but only...’coffee session!’

With the plate cleaned, and leftover crumbs falling from his lips...the tough wild wild west cowboy smacked and seemed suddenly awakened and realized we were sort of gaping at him, looked at me, ‘so what about meeting me tonight at the kopitiam, i still haven’t got a chance to know you??’

aiiii!!!!!!

Hercules, the exotic frog from slavic country

2009-06-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

The phone extension beeped...
Oh darn! who’s that now? – the phone just won’t stop the whole morning and, I really need to get these figures right..
‘Ma’am, this is Sheila’ said the office reception – ‘there is a man from a country I do not know how to pronounce wants to see you’ she said over the intercom
‘Uhum’ my mind calculating the figures...oh the Gross Profits (GP) of my company this year looks much better, no?
‘yes, ma’am?’
Finishing one of my equations in excel...
‘Yes Sheila, I do not remember that I have an appointment this hour, did you check?’
‘yes I have, you do not have an appointment at this hour’
...sigh...
‘Sheila....’ my mind still on my GP...and my calculations with the calculator
‘Yes ma’am’
‘Ok-lah, just send him down to my office then’ feeling resigned by the interruption, let’s just get it over and done with..
‘yes ma’am, I will inform him’
‘and ma’am?’
‘Yes, is there anything else, Sheila?’ – getting a little frustrated
‘veeeery handsome-lah’
‘what is that again?’ my mind was complete on the figures and my calculations
‘ my apologies, nothing ma’am, thank you’
I slammed down the phone – oh darn, couldn’t I just be left undisturbed to complete this paperwork, just when I need all the time to finish all this and stupid visitors from stupid unpronounceable countries must come – whatever for???! Another sheer time wasting....!

Knock! Knock! Knock!, I raised my head reluctantly to the source of the noise at my door...
...to be greeted by a Hercules with super smiling face – one with a smiling eyes, smiling mouth, clean cut, fresh cheeks and a wonderfully refreshingly tall physique. In fact his smile – even though covers end to end, does not seem to be so hard to do, it felt natural and beamed so much that I felt temporarily blinded – I instantly felt like drawing the covers with my blinds or better still ‘where is my shades?’...I really need my shades to cover me as I realise that I was becoming red, and I could also hear the sound of my heartbeat. Oh not now....

Mr. Hercules could have been God send – with that kind of an exceptional exotic Slavic/Russian beauty and worse of all with that sort of hair colour that dazzles me.
The electric shock took 5 seconds to recover.
Remember I’m in my office, I'm in charge, not out of charge.
Quickly stood up to shake his hands in the firm business like fashion.
All of a sudden what seems like a dwarf appeared - Mr. Bob whom I have know earlier appeared behind him, looking miniature by comparison to the Hercules, introduced us both.

‘Hi eina, how's things?, I'm bringing you Hercules, he’s a jetsetter – you can discuss with him on the niche high tech solutions you’re working in, and in the mean time I’ve got to run off for a couple of hours, so please discuss with him’

Bob left.

And Hercules looked at me with eyes still smiling now, I wonder why his eyes muscle doesn’t strain and I looked at him suddenly.
I can't help to smile remembering the office receptionist’s earlier warning....'veeeery handsome'.

‘Yes, now mr. jetsetter, it is a pleasure to meet you, so how can I help you’ in the most business like...
oh, but it was indeed a pleasure....
And he broke suddenly into an exotic English accentuated with his mother tongue making it difficult for me to understand him, not because of his pronunciation of English but because the distraction of how he pronounces it.....the roling of the 'rrrrrr'

‘Madam, may I introduce myself, I’m Hercules and I sell this product and that product’
‘I see’
‘well, we offer this and that, this and that, this and that ’ with all the technical terms and jargon all pouring all over the room....
I began to be very excited when the jargon begin to spill around my office...
‘oh really?!! You do!! Yes, we do that too!!, you know we do this and that, this and that, this and that ’
I couldn’t believe it, I just can’t believe how a company from so far away could be so similar to us in nature of business and offering – its almost like meeting our company’s ‘company mate’ or company ‘soulmate’ rather
And Mr. Hercules - all worked up too...
‘really you do???!! Oh wow this is the first time we met a client who understood us as we understand ourselves....blaa blaaa blaa...’ Mr. Hercules all excited
‘yes!! This is also the first time we find a supplier who understand our needs as we understand our needs ourselves....bllaa blaaa blaaa’...me all excited too...
We just cannot believe it, we can’t stop chatting, we were so surprised, – oh, how good our companies seem to be with each other’s company....
How good....feel sooooo goood
>>>>
The traffic jam was really bad at the federal highway.
We’ve finished our presentation to the client. The major guy wasn't there and the people who were there were juniors and not the decision makers so effectively, we wasted our time.
I was totally fed up of the traffic jam, tired out on the day’s events....and the heat in the car was really on...
‘that’s why you see, every man needs 2’
‘why? Why! That’s not fair - why every man needs 2!!?’
‘one is for looking and one is for talking’
‘ah!!
‘No if I’m your wife, i wouldn’t bother!!
‘no if you were my wife, all the things will be flying all over now, pots and pans and everything!!’
‘NO!’
‘Yes it’ll be!!’
‘NO!! if i’m your wife, i wouldn’t bother, why i should make a big fuss about you going around with them (the women), I’ll just keep quiet and keep my children because one day you’re going to be old, bald, or have a long beard and no longer beautiful. That time you will remember you have children. You’ll be back! In the meantime i’m not going to bother about you at all and and I’m going to enjoy my life!!’
‘Really??’
‘Really’
‘and worse Hercules, do you know you even have the physical looks of my ex!!’
‘oh no!!’
>>>>
‘Hi eina, I’ve just arrived in KL. My room number is 6017 at the KL Hilton’
It was sms from Mr. Hercules.
‘aya ya ya yai.....’ I groaned....
Mr. Hercules my handsome principal supplier supposedly getting a divorce (as most of them all say they are...), is still a married man with a wife and baby in exotic slavic country.
Spends 90% of time in asia.
And he visits all the countries in asia.
And he has his port of call in all big cities in the asian region, with a headoffice in Jakarta.
Tell me, in the right mind, in the right heart, will a man like this, with his stature, his money, his looks, his brains – do you think he will be true and be one and monogamous...??
‘Hi Hercules, hey welcome back to KL. I’m sorry if I offend you here if I understood you wrongly with the room number, but I am not this kind of woman, you can find many like this in KL. But no problem on good friends for visiting, eating & culture learning’
I read the sms I wrote a few times.
I remembered the coffee sessions, the plain long arguments, the meetings, the presentations, the quick soup he made when I came to his small office home office (SOHO) studio to discuss the paperwork.
I remembered the smiling eyes.
And I remembered my son and own previous divorce.
I pressed the ok button to send on my mobile phone
Long deep breath....Haiya!!.....

You’ve got mail from the Frog² (French Frog)

2009-06-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Oh I’m so damn bored!!
I just don’t know what to do, I have gone for outdoor and jungle treks every weekend, I’ve gone out with my close friends Honey and Mariane over the weekend and I’m still so damn bored.
I have to do something else, something crazy, out of the ordinary and most of all fun!!..
...oh I know! I’m going to follow suit like the new girl-friends from Ireland and UK that I met in New Zealand on that trip last year, I'll be like them, travel the world and learn something new!
Yes, I’ll resign from my job and go to France to learn French! Oh and I’ll meet my friends Vincent and Catherine again! That’ll be fun.
Let’s see, firing up my pc – maybe I can try to go into the internet chat rooms or some friendship linking websites ...hmmm, can I find some friends in France to help me on this idea..?.
‘looking for a friend who would accept me the way I am – as I am going to france soon’ – putting an ad message out on a french internet friendship website ...
next day - yippee! i actually received an email response!
‘hello – my name is phillippe, how are you?, i find your message very surprising, why would someone not accept you as you are?’
So i replied
‘well, firstly I am a girl but I don’t like to cook, cannot sew, and I hate skirts’
And received a reply the next day...
‘ah? But that does not matter? I don’t like to cook either...’
‘and I don’t wear a skirt!’
‘come let’s be online at 12 am your time, we can have a chat’
Oh he is kidding me alright, this fellow – let’s see what he has to say later when we go online..
‘hello, so you are phillipe?’
‘yes, and you are eina the girl who hates the skirts?’
‘yes!’
‘so you are not a sexy woman then because you don’t wear a skirt?’
‘no I’m NOT, and I don’t want to be a sexy woman!’
‘ahah?! So what do you wear then?’
‘Well, I where a pants, you fool!!’
‘I’m sorry hee hee, but many women in France where pants too, and they can be sexy and I do not understand why someone would not accept this?’
‘well I don’t know – maybe it is more to reflect me, because they say I am ‘aggressive’ in my office? – when I only just speak my mind’
‘really? Aggressive? So speak what is on your mind now? I will check and tell whether you are agressive...’
‘I’m bored, I want to travel and learn something new. In fact I plan to go to France – to learn French, that’s why I’m looking for friends now, I do have a friend Vincent but he is in Nice and I don’t want to bother him so far there’
‘so GOOD, come, and I can help you if you want to learn french’
‘yes I am planning to go to a language school in Bordeaux’
‘oh but I live and work here in Paris – why don’t you come to Paris instead, it will be my pleasure to help you and show you around Paris’
‘if you can help me find a school in Paris instead – maybe I could – at the moment I’m talking to the French embassy looking for a languge school there.’
‘sure no problem, you just tell me what you want and, I will help you...so aggressive woman?’
>>>>
‘Phillipe?’ I blurted out at the Charles de Gaulle airport – it must have been him – as the guy I saw on the photo sent through the internet
‘Bonjour eina, bienvenue – ah! welcome to paris, welcome to france’ kissing me on the cheeks in the French fashion.
‘how are you, eina?..’ and Phillipe looked at me intently
‘I’m fine..just a bit tired phillipe, it was a long journey from KL, and I’m suppose to register to my language school tomorrow, aren’t I?’ taking in the physique and face of the new found friend I met two months earlier on the internet, and have been conversing daily through the internet ever since.
‘yes, eina, come let me take your luggage and you to your new foster parents place, they are waiting for you there...’
‘thank you very much phillipe’
‘and if you are not so tired, after having some dinner with them, i’ll take you around a bit...’
‘ok thanks, phillipe, i do know i have a lot of time here to study and visit, but i am really excited to go around and see the places even for a bit today.’
>>>
‘You know its just like a dream, the nights in Paris is really really beautiful, Phillipe...’ the night felt warm yet cooling, the street lights were lining the river seine giving the hue of soft lights, Phillipe and me were walking together side by side, Phillipe was showing me his city.
Oh so marvellous, so beautiful...stuff of dreams, I don’t want to wake up...
I was aware of my ever pounding heartbeat since I arrived at Charles de Gaulle this morning. In fact i should have tested my blood pressure as my heartbeat has been irregular for the last 2 months or so...
‘yes eina, come let me show you what is more beautiful...’
‘yes?...’
‘les bateaux parisien (the Parisian ferry on the river seine for touristic rides), come...’
My heart skipped a beat, it was all just too good to be true, you know romantic, just the kind of stuff of movies and dreams: all this walking on the streets of Paris, taking the boat on a night trip on the river seine – all in the same day of arriving in Paris??
‘is it open at night??’ i was gleeful at the sight of taking the boat on the river seine at this hour...
‘yes, it is, please come...’ and phillipe took my hand and gently led me there
He bought the tickets and we boarded the boat...the tourist guide was using a microphone on giving her narrative, went on about what’s on the right bank, what’s on the left bank and suddenly stopped and continued with a so typically french smile in her voice...speaking with that heavy French accent:
‘We will now be passing the bridge, I want to tell you that it is our tradition here that when the boat passes through the bridge, couples will give each other a loving kiss in the French way’...
Well – that’s just so typical of the French to create check-mate situations like that!
...suddenly my palms felt damp...
My heart was riding like I ran for 100kms per hour
The boat came nearer and nearer to the bridge...
My frog looked at me – no, not looking but staring deep right into me....
I looked away, feeling the heat of the staring beam, taking a really deep breath to cool me
glanced back at him...
he took a step towards me, ‘cherie...mon amour..’ he whispered..
No wonder - as they say the French froggies are indeed and is still probably the best lovers in the world... ;-)
note: he eventually became my husband and we divorced later, I have a 6 year old son

heart ranger of the forest

2009-06-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

But really...i think i couldn’t wait until end of the year as promised...
She would be so mad at me...
I picked up the phone...
‘hello...mariane?’
‘yes hi eina! How have you been..?’
‘fine mariane – you remember we spoke about going to Nepal end of this year?’
‘yes, why? Don’t you tell me you’re flying off next week!!’
‘er...well yes mariane...’
‘EINA!!! Why can’t you wait for me – oh you! – and who are you going with then?’
‘er...well no one, just me’
I couldn’t stay in the office since the airport has completed for 6 months now, my restless feet calls for action...
‘but what the hell are you going to do – all alone?’
‘well er, lots of things: walking, visiting, trekking’
oh...but it never crossed my mind that i would be alone...certainly there would be fellow travellers whom i can befriend and meet, as well as people of the country origins that i can mingle with...
>>>
And the silence in the national park forest somewhere not too far from Pokhara town in Nepal was really defeaning...
Knock! Knock! I jumped inside my sleeping bag, i couldn’t sleep anyway..
Soft knocks were heard on the wood of my cabin door.
glanced at my glow watch - 12am – he is right on time this handsome nepali ranger, i had made an appointment earlier with him to go into the woods to do the night watch – he had asked me whether i wanted to accompany him do that – he will guard the watch tower and watch the animals in their actual habitat – i couldn’t resist the ‘danger’ requirement of walking at night in a forest with wild animals scrounging around – tigers, bears, elephants the wildest and you name it. And I can’t sleep anyway – it is too cold at nights here in the cabin of the forest of the national park – being part of the park, of course one can’t expect luxuries like heating but the worse of all is actually the toilet session...too cold!!
‘miss!’, ‘miss!’ whispered the ranger urgently at my door
‘yes mr. Ranger, i am coming’..
I gingerly slipped out of my sleeping bag – in 5 pieces of clothing and yet still cold to my bones, I opened the door, and the handsome nepali ranger quickly stepped into my room...
he went immediately to the coat hanger, picked my breaker and put it out for me – oh how these nepali men are really second to none on serving and gallantry, so no questions asked i slipped in my arms into my breaker...
and he zipped my breaker up for me...uh? I guess he didn’t think my cold fingers could do a good job as well as he does...
While rummaging my breaker pockets for my gloves, he took a warm shawl out of nowhere (certainly not mine) and started to wrap it around my neck and shoulders slowly...
Oh? – but THAT’s a bit too much ain’t it?, the familiarity of wrapping me up – all this shawling, but i suppose he is right anyway, it is colder out there than even here...
He had two torch lights and gave one to me,
‘come with me miss, stay close to me...’ with one hand getting hold of my free hand...the other with the torchlight
Yes of course, i wouldn’t want to be getting lost in the dark in a wood full of wild animals...!
Though all of a sudden I realised that I wasn;t wee bit too worried about wild animals...
And so i reluctantly let him lead me into the woods...
i shivered in the dark, took my hand out of his grasp and rubbed it firmly together in an effort to show that i was colder than i am really cold....
‘miss, you still remember what i said during the day, ok...’
‘yes mr. Ranger’
during the day we walked in the park with 2 other visitors and he had given us a warning that we won’t ever forget while we’re still here in the park...
‘sometimes there are bears or there are tigers, normally he will just watch you, but sometimes, if we trespass their area, they can become defensive and that’s when they might attack us, normally we can sense their scent and do not come close to their area, but sometimes, tigers may not be able to find food for a while and become really hungry, that’s where they start attacking – to any easy victim..’
‘so what do we do if some wild animal comes our way?’ i asked, trying to calm the jumpy nerves now...i wish i’d listen to mariana now...not i am really all alone here...i wouldn’t want to return as a piece of tiger torn meat...
‘if a bear for example comes to my way, all of you just stop and stay where you are and do not run away, because if you do he may be distracted and pursue you instead and i won’t be able to help you, being still at your position helps me, as i know where you are and i can focus on defending us’, talking while waving his stick around...
‘does someone ever get hurt here?’
‘yes, someone was attacked last year’...
It was a sobering thought, there are still places where the wild is still for the wild – why did we ever trespass them anyway? The wild remains for the wild unless we’re the wild ones too?
‘shhhh...now. Quiet, walk straight on, he is watching us....’
my heart skipped a beat, and i feel like stopping in my tracks, turning back and running away...
Exactly what is the ‘he’ that is watching us?’
My mind was playing all sorts of scenes, the gory scenes of being ripped by a tiger, being stamped by an elephant, bitten by a wild bear...well this is it, this is the price to pay for adventure right??!!!
Yeah right!!
‘miss, it is not too far now, the watch tower is just another 400m from here, please follow me very closely...’
I took a step closer to him, the cold be darn, as I remembered that the ‘he’ this morning was actually a Himalayan tiger watching us...on...
We got to the watch tower, i climbed up the ladder before him, it was a steep climb and i was relieved when we were finally on the top..
‘miss, here i have some chai for you..’
Oh tea, just when i needed it, how come i never knew that tea tasted so lovely about 15 feet of the ground...?
‘so what are we expecting to see tonight mr ranger?’...
‘oh sometimes we will see the small animals – like the night owls, sometimes there is even nothing...’
night owls – oh i get that at the backyard of my mom’s house.
‘ And nothing? You mean there’s possibly we may be watching nothing but just looking into the darkness’....
‘yes...?’
‘oh, but you can see the soft shine of the lovely moonlight’...
Tell me, i came all the way 5000kms away to enjoy the shine of the moonlight, night owls and total darkness...
Enjoying all that with a total stranger....
‘miss’
‘yes,’
‘ you have a boyfriend?’....
My tea spilt on my pants and I quickly stood up...
‘mr ranger, oh ouch, maybe i have ate something wrong, the tea has stirred something in my stomach..and it suddenly is aching now, do you think you could take me back now, please, i need to go!??’

the empty and handsome aviator

2009-06-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

The bmw screeched to a halt...me and an extraordinarily handsome frog stepped out, took of his sun glasses and we walked in to find the seat at the restaurant
He glanced quickly at me...
i nodded, and he pulled his chair, took off his leather jacket and threw his car keys on the table, slap on his mobile phone while i took the seat, quietly..
‘been busy?’ he asked without looking at me, all attention to the latest Motorola available in the market..
‘oh hello hey – no pool tonight ok, i’m on a date now’ slapped the phone back in again
‘- as usual’
‘so when’s the airport going to finish? ’
‘soon, would you fly there?’
‘don’t think so...’
‘why?’
‘oh we skip the main airport for the smaller ones’
‘what exactly do you fly’
‘that 48 seater’
yes, in fact he’d look really cool in that pilot suit, or really he will look cool in any suit...
‘so you won’t upgrade?’
‘no can’t be bothered’
‘why..?’
‘would you like to order something’ – the waitress broke the monotony of this aviation talk...
i'm certain - its going to be an aviation theme night tonight – out on a date with this handsome pilot...
‘upgrading means i have to start again, i’m the captain now, that's alright’
‘i see’...
‘how far’s the progress of the new airport coming on?’
‘The new airport is still on track – the systems are in its testing stage now...MAS will be making its inaugural landing in 3 months time..’
‘Yes..’
‘All the runways and taxiways are almost there...’
‘Yes i had a flypass the other day - i had a choice to land there or in Melaka ...’
‘oh you did, why?’
‘Yes, but i manage to keep it on to Melaka instead – we suffered some crosswinds and turbulence, but nothing much...’
‘Gosh! But you could just as easily land there wouldn’t you?’
‘yes i could, i can see the surface all done up from up there you know’...
‘yes...’
The food came...we munched in silence...
The drinks came...we drank in silence
‘So which 48 seater do you fly?’
‘the DHC 700 type’
‘which systems do you do?’
‘the flight information display system....’
...silence...
‘Do you do the ticketing systems as well?’
‘no i don’t’...
....silence...
I cracked my head on other topics of aviation...?
Imagine a life...of beautiful silence
....silence
And burst of chat on aviation repairs
...imagine sitting for breakfast together ...in silence
Or talking about the aircraft wingspan
...imagine a life watching tv together in silence
Or...talking about the aircraft types...
or....silence....
Oh i just cannot imagine!!!

the long bearded ceo

2009-06-21T00:29:00.000-07:00

‘well done!!’
He slapped the paper on the board room table and looked at me in amazement...
‘what a fantastic business plan eina!’
‘thank you, sir’
‘ i simply know it. You are a great value to this company, i’m so pleased with Mr. X for sending you here for this - he is a real gem in doing that, you have captured my mind in a way that no one else could, i’m sure the client and the venture capitalist will be running to offer us the contract now...’
it has been several weeks now...i have been cracking my head on that proposal and my eyes were beginning to turn blue..no black..for not having enough sleep working on the project proposal...
how could i? I was loaned by my boss to another company in a mission to set up another new JV company and the ceo i am working with now has been literally sitting in my booth and breathing down my neck – pausing only to have food, his prayers and toilet. in fact, i was up until 4 am yesterday, with him narrating his intentions to me...
er...intentions on the project that is...
i was the chief writer of his whole business plan...
there was another guy in the opposite cubicle – who is the writer of the technical section, who i used him to complain about my shoulder and back aches as he would listen to my complaints patiently, but that happens rarely, only when the bearded ceo turns his back and goes for a drink or relieves himself...
well that was then, all i need is to sleep now...
‘so tomorrow i want you to come with me – as i will be presenting this and i want you to be with me to see the client, i’m sure they’d all be very pleased to meet my new extremely intelligent and good looking assistant...’
‘Yes sir.’
I need the pillow now, please...
>>>tomorrow
‘oh eina, i am so pleased, they were so happy with our presentation!’ – my bearded ceo gushed as we came out of the boardroom and proceeded to take the lift down...
‘well done sir, i hope we can get the project, we have certainly been working so hard on it’
‘yes, and they said i should know the outcome by next two weeks, and they have indicated positive feedback. You know, i could never do it so well without having you with us here, i have a mind to speak and ask mr. X to let you stay on with us, you know we can afford to have someone like you – with your brains and beauty, or may i offer you directly instead?’
‘thank you sir, i am very pleased but with due respect to my own respective boss, please talk to him, it is only fair, sir’
‘Come, shall we go and find a way to celebrate this...?’

'ok'
We came earlier together as i didn’t want to be lost and taking so much time looking for the right route to the client’s office, so I boarded in his Mercedes, thinking my mission is accomplished and that i have done my job...
‘you know eina, last night i had a dream...’
‘yes sir, did you dream of getting this job?’
‘you were in my dreams’
‘oh was that good news then, so did you dream we have won the contract?’
‘no, i dreamt that you were my partner...’
Uh-huh? ehem...gulp – i hope i was the successful business partner...to him and my own boss
‘i know i’m a married man, eina, but i really think i could fall in love with you if you allow me’....
i thought i heard bells of the fire department?? or was it in my head?! Oh oh!!!!
‘eina...’
What about the wife and kids???!
‘eina...’
‘you don’t have to say anything, dear...’
Calm down now, i’m in his car...how come the beard suddenly looks longer than it did earlier??
The car air conditioned must have got messed up as i did as i didn’t ever feel the cool air...
‘eina?’...
How i wished i brought my car and got totally lost in the traffic instead of beng in the electric atmosphere of this Mercedes, what useless airconditioning for a car so expensive!...
e-hem well...
'boss?'
'yes eina, you know you shouldn't call me that, you are my partner you know, not my staff?'

'can i ask you a question?'

'sure, dear...'

'how long did you have to keep to make the beard grow to be that long?...'

The slurping accountant

2009-06-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

‘slurp’,
‘slurp’,
‘slurp...’
It was lunch time and the soup was being scooped up in generous amounts and brought straight to the bending head in vigorous manner....
I lost my appetite...
‘Yes eina, and i could help to teach you how to calculate the IRR as well as those other formulas for your business plan – that’s very easy – I do it all the time’.
'Oh thank you Mr. Accountant, i really appreciate, but i’m sure you could just give me a sample or template today and i could just figure it out on my own how to do that you know, i really do not need to waste your time you know...'
and also not another moment on that ‘slurp’...
‘But that’s ok eina, look why don’t we meet and do all that formulas and calculations tomorrow evening?’
and enjoy another round of the slurping? and i feel like burping myself....
But i really do need to submit my business plan up and i only have a couple more days to meet my deadline and to finish that...
I suppose the slurp will have to stay then...
‘Yes, ok Mr. Accountant..i must thank you for your time and assistance’
‘Oh just part of my job here and you could just let me know, whenever you need just call me, i’ll help you anytime’
To my relief the head came out of the bowl and the slurping suddenly stopped, and he began to 'talk'...
Figures, figures and figures....how life is really interesting, its all about figures, equations and maths...
but my problem is that i never quite understood maths in class and never got my equations right...
>>>fast forward tomorrow...
‘come eina, let me send you back home – since its rather late now and would be unsafe for you to take the LRT...’
I glanced at my watch – 11pm, the last train to catch will be 12.15am, I’ve never been out on public transport so late but today is an exception since my car is on repairs, but my parents know i’m working late tonight so that’s okay...
Take this chance? Anyway its too late, not much choice...
‘Thank you mr. Accountant, i’m really sorry to trouble you – but it is true it is very late and though safe, i do think taking the public transport will be rather dodgy at this hour..’
We stood up and walked out side by side together and i caught our reflection in the escalator’s mirror – short and tall – somehow the equation in that accounts didn’t go quite too well there...!
‘you know eina, my last girlfriend was also a malay girl...she was indeed very sweet’
Oh no...is this a tape recorder? did i hear something that before, when i was much younger
'what about your current partner?'
'i'm single, i'm hoping to meet another sweet malay girl you know...'
rrrrrring, did i hear the sound of emergency bells somewhere??
‘i think i really do like malay girls – they are sweet, kind, obedient and have very beautiful eyes...’

obedient...
uh huh...
‘What happened?’ i just had to asked out of curiosity...the car is air conditioned, but the atmosphere feels electric and the car clock shows 11.30pm, we’re still a long way from way my parents are....i've got to think of something quick
‘we had to break off, her parents wasn’t happy for her marrying a different race, they married her off to a malay man’...
‘oh...’
Think of something – quick, just anything!! ...
‘eina? ‘
Close my eyes....keep still, remember that story? when you meet a bear, pretend to be dead and all will be ok!
‘eina...’
Still
‘are you asleep?’
Zzzzzzzzz!!

the uncle and the wrong author

2009-06-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

‘yes he is certainly my favourite that one, you know - Rudyard Kipling’ said Mr. Project Manager talking with mouth full of fried fish, staring opposite me intensely while tucking away into his fish and chips at the Harry Ramsdens Fish and Chips restaurant at London Heathrow – we’ve barely just arrived there from KL on a business trip and I insisted that I wasn’t even going to go anywhere not even to the hotel, until after a plate of fish and chips...
We were having an intelligent conversation, something i do truly enjoy talking about - books and writers and favourites...
I choked, almost had to spit the kipper in my mouth at that word – kipling??
The fish was tasty, but he quoted the wrong writer of the book! – the writer of that story isn’t Rudyard Kipling, it can’t be! it is David H. Lawrence, incidentally my favourite author ...of son’s and lovers and lady chatterly’s lover’s fame, and a story like lady chatterly certainly couldn’t be written by Kipling!! Kipling simply didn’t have that tone and sensitivity in him to write that...
....sigh!
‘Yes eina – you know i really love reading like you do, we share a lot of common interests you know...’
Mr. Project manager is a married man with an 8 year old boy...
...gulp, i should have ordered a cold drink not this hot tea! Its too hot to swallow the gulp...
‘Mr. Project manager, please can you pass to me the tomato sauce, my fish somehow tasted too sour...’
‘Well, here you are, dear’
‘dear’ – and the tone as well as the way he said that – i can’t take it anymore!! - he was always wierd but he has behaved in the weirdest way since this trip..
It was on that plane. I should have brought a parachute, i should have learnt how to sky dive. But I wasn’t aware I was in for adventure, i thought it was just a purely boring business /working trip with my working team mate – the project manager. But my dessert on the airplane just won’t tear open... though I really tried so hard, pull it here and there – and all of a sudden – a hand beside me, reached in, took it from my fumbling and frustrated hands - fumbled a bit and slipped it open, and gently put it back to my startled hands...
Oh gross familiarity!!!
The yogurt didn’t look that appetizing at all then...
I feel choked at the body boundary interference – the familiarity in those hand movements – body language saying more than words ever would – ...oh but that loo is still ‘occupied’...
Why does the fish even look soggy now?
‘eina...’
Oh – the danger bells are loudly ringing ... an exit clause quick!!
‘oh Mr. Project manager, i just remembered something, my dad said he remembers you in his university – so effectively that makes you and my dad friends?...you know normally i have to call all my dad’s friend’s ‘uncle’, i suppose i have to call you that as well? ’
Silence...
The fish really is too soggy...too much vinegar, sour...
‘um...yes – er...uncle??...’

the mind reader and..heart renching professor

2009-06-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

Tip tap tip tap the keyboard went on...
Dr. Stevens my uni professor was facing his computer checking bugs in my computer programmes from his workstation for the submission of my masters dissertation ...
I waited patiently while checking my programmes in hard copy while squaring out his profile and physique sitting so handsomely in front of me...
What a creature – the most intelligent and mysterious of all frogs...how attractive that is...
Cough!! Cough! A bug got caught in my throat too, ehem..!
back to here now..
but really I just don’t get it...how does the computer programme calculate that...there must be the list or something in the formula for the programme...should i ask him or do i risk looking stupid to this professor?...
He stopped all of a sudden, turned around, and looked at me with a ghost of a smile on his lips...
‘yes eina, there is a formula in that listing’
Oh man, why on earth does he do that???! this man is a bloody mind reader....and he does that ALL the time!!
He really spoils all the mystery...
Does that means he hears my heartbeat everytime I come and knock on his door, which is why sometimes he left his door open before I come even though I did not inform him but acts as if he knows I am coming...? ‘hi, i thought you were coming to see me today’...was his response , well yes, i thought i was coming to see you too..
No-lah – just cannot be, its all in my mind...
And he sat there quietly, looking at me sharply.....
My stack of loose papers fell straight to the floor and I fumble to pick them up...
‘Come here...eina’
Oh sir – really, do YOU of all people, have to do that? call me, that is?...
‘it is here’ gesturing in a 1 hand distance away from me
Can’t get any closer and better than that...
‘you can see that it is calculated in this list here – the formula is contained in this part, here’...
’oh i see...’
Well I can’t really see too well, my sight is blinded by the short 1 hand distance in front of me...
‘good, so you understand now?’
No but...its not that i did not understand ‘Yes, sir’
er...but No I don’t understand you, those deep blue eyes, I can’t stand and understand that!
Instantly those blue eyes were off the screen and back on me...
Oh! I suppose he got that again, as usual!
Gulp... it is too close for comfort...Uh-oh....I better get out of here, its getting too hot even though its the winter...
Quit imploring you damn blue eyes...
What do you think - I just want to pass my dissertation!!
‘eina?...’
What a way to mention my name, better go before I melt with that tone
‘yes, sir’
‘did you really get all that?’
Oh how i hate that, that tone and the soft concern in the quiet voice...i wish i could turn into a small bug...or i wish i could just ...cry onto his shoulder for speaking like that to me...
Gulp and a short breath in...
‘yes dr. Stevens I er...I well, I do, uh.. sorry, yes I do understand and got it all’...picking up my papers still on the floor...
‘ok’ – he said quietly, eyes discerning me..
‘so I’ll be checking on your computer programmes again tonight?’.
‘Yes, Dr. Stevens, thank you very much’ – you checked-in into my dreams every night...oh you and your bloody mind reading...
Phew! But all I want to do is just to pass my dissertation and get my masters degree...

1992 - ex-malay girlfriend sufferings

2009-06-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

‘You know she was my first malay girlfriend and all I had, I do not know how she could do that to me...’.
‘Yes’ i answered getting restless and bored on all this talk about his malay ex-girlfriend, he was my senior from my uni in UK – a Chinese from Singapore. To be in the loop and finding friends of my country , I joined the Malaysian and Singaporean students club. That’s where I knew he was on the same course, but my senior. He was very helpful, has been a great help on my degree computer course and I regularly see him or he comes to see me to check on my work...
First malay girlfriend...uh? (as far as i know he doesn’t have a 2nd one now - is he looking for the...? )
Well he still haven’t finished repairing my pc ? My room door in the university house of residence is always left open when I have male visitors so that my housemates doesn’t think I do something with this guy who is pining for his malay ex...
the cold draft comes in everytime my housemates open the main door (there are 12 rooms and 12 of us in the residence) and I was cold, my heating is on, but still the cold draft breeze bites me, as my room is at the ground floor nearest to the main door and I can’t wait for all this to finish, to close the door and start doing my class assignment work.
And looking at my blue computer screen, the ms-dos still won’t get fixed – the sounds of the furtive keyboard keys being typed in to solve the problem, the bug in wordperfect or somewhere still unresolved – sigh!...oh its still a long way to go..
‘so what did you do?’ I ask him out of curiosity...I was standing behind him looking at my computer screen
’i sleep on the floor to remember the suffering she gave me, everyday and still until today...’
My blood ran cold...
Oh this frog will sleep on the floor every night for the last 3 years to remember his girlfriend...
Imagine what else he could do-lah!...
‘so you are going to sleep on the floor forever?’
‘well not when i have someone else...’
‘eina...‘
‘er..Look you stay here fixing the pc ok, i’m getting cold, i’ll get us some hot drinks’ somehow the cold draft doesn’t chill me anymore, something else does...
‘why don’t you close the door then?’
‘Oh the fresh draft is really good –I really need that to have a fresh head to start on my assignment... I’ll make us hot drinks!’
And when i get stuck sometimes or most of the times...the stupidest answer with the dumbdest look is THE only way out...
To be continued....Frog 2

The return of the super frog – a blog of my life mismatches and adventures on finding my match....its still on!

2009-06-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

(disclaimer: the term ‘frog’ and anything related to that is not meant to be a derogatory term to anyone – it is only used here in humorous nature of narration and my apologies upfront to anyone)

Suffice to say I am a real living person.

And in my 37 years of living – I’ve met and sometimes...kissed frogs with a real hope they become princes – in fact I married a real one (you know the British refers to the French as ‘froggie’) and was literally disappointed when my frog didn’t turn into a prince despite the fact that I kissed him over and over again, and so, I finally left....
And being of mixed parentage – both my parents have blood of the northern Indian mixed with some Malay and whatever other blood origins in them and my ancestors which gives me: the dark hair in which to cover my ever increasing straining pieces of grey hair – I have dyed brown ‘burgundy’ lately... large intense dark eyes, a ‘standing nose’ as they say here in my country which is not so normal, and most of all the strangeness in my physique: height – in which the height has given me more problems than anything else in my life, because the general make up in my country is mostly 5.5” and I am just a wee bit over disqualified: when I went for that interview as a candidate pilot for Singapore Airlines – (mind you – not cabin crew) and yes, it was normal and actually expected that all the male heads there turned when I stepped into the interviewing room only to be out and disqualified 2 minutes later due to that half an inch: one has to be 5.6” to qualify as pilot first before proceeding for actual interview and I was: 5.5 and a half”....but that’s normal – that has been the pattern of my life – living somewhat a bit on that edge – either falling down the edge or flying...and again as boringly expected, all the male heads turned again when I stepped out gingerly with dissapointment out of the room – she was a lost ‘cabin crew’ applicant, I heard one comment... But then, that’s another pattern of my life – I somehow find me to be the only one carrying the oestrogens in a full blown testosterone majority – and as one middle eastern high ranking officer who came to visit my company said to me – ‘oh here she comes now and destroys our peace!’
And so my height disqualified me: a) for that piloting job and b) my own same age frogs in my country – one wouldn’t want to look up, you know and i certainly wouldn’t want to ever look down...that same eye to eye level has been anything but...elusive.
Oh but of course – in my glance - their heartbeat increases or forced him away – its whenever I want to, so in cases where in my meetings when all I want is for them to shut up – you see I am highly a left brainer – with an IT background and an outstanding ‘performance’ to boot – i was promoted only after 6 months of joining back my old company as an engineer...as the GM of their subsidiary (though it was really a case that no one really wanted to drive a company in the red, but that was life on my edge kicking in) and as a result of my oestrogens and being too junior, i had to wait for several years before i was given that company car and a business class seat on the plane, you know stuff they call the ‘perks’ in which really the company does to run from the tax man....but that’s ok, that’s not what i am in here for - that’s stuff of ...boardrooms with sleepy and bored rich and satisfied old men sitting in aka. ‘top management council’... (oh no troubles now, please!...)
And back to my meetings – i could either glance to shut them up or glance to make them talk when at times i get sleepy. Its either to pump the blood or to cool it down, it is really all in that...glance. oh i have long knew that’s the easiest part...

Welcome to my frog prince searches... :-)