what's your vice?

mine's shoes.  i don't know why but i keep buying them even though i already have MANY pairs at home... but this pair's a different colour and this pair's too pretty to pass up and this pair's just soooo sexy and this pair's really cute and would look nice with my skinny jeans and this pair's great for work... you get the idea.  before i know it, i have bought like 10 pairs in a week!!!

do you think there's such a thing as a "shoe buying gene"???

passport mug shot

it's dat time again... my passport is due for a renewal.

i've been putting it off.  let's face it, who looks forward to take passport shots???  certainly not i!!!  the experience is traumatising.

just think of it, you're gonna be stuck with this mug shot of you for the next 5 years when you'll once again have to go thru with the dread of having to take another snap shot of yourself for your next passport.... just think of all the immigration officers in all the countries that you will travel to who will be looking (and perhaps sniggering) at your passport pic.

as if trying to get a nice pic of yourself isn't bad enough, you've got to also make sure that your ears show in the picture.  now, how dorky can that be???  ears sticking out and trying to look nice (forget drop dead gorgeous!) at the same time... how does one achieve that???

the pic's gotta look right... it's gotta look at least pleasantly presentable... is that even possible???

call of the mall: why we buy by paco underhill

i  just finished reading this book.  i bought this book in a book sale a few years ago.  don't know why i never got around to reading it until now.  okay, it appeared to be a very "factual" (= boring) sort of book.  that was until i picked it up and started reading it.

it's an eye opener with regards to how malls and retailers get you to shop.  it also explains why people go to malls.  not everything is new information for me though as i spent quite a number of years as a store designer so i am aware of some of the stuff that this book presents.  still, i enjoyed reading this book.  even though it presents facts based on years of research, it's written in an entertaining manner which makes it very easy to read.  i am thinking of look out for the other two books by paco underhill why we buy and what women want.  wonder if i might find those in bookxcess...

my splurge

i was at 1-utama today and as i was walking into the mall, i saw the sale sign in marks and sparks.  went in thinking that i was not going to find anything --- boy, was i wrong!

i ended up buying two bras, two tank tops (it was a set, RM 39, normal RM 59), a pair of per una pants (really nice for RM 69, normal RM 299!!!). one of the bras that i purchased was in nude, a colour that i almost never buy but it was on sale (dirt cheap at RM 29, normal RM 89,  in  fact both bras were going for the same price. the other bra is in blue and really pretty and it normally retails for RM 109) and it fit really well (push up), so i guess, i made a colour compromise.

Himglish & Femalese by Jean Hannah Edelstein

i forgot to blog about these two books which i finished reading BEFORE i started on the Secret Shopper's Revenge.

Beyond Words by John Humphrys (can't seem to find the book cover online --- got to take a pic of it myself when i get the chance) gives an interesting take on how we currently use language and what they REALLY mean. i purchased this book in big bad wolf warehouse sale last year (yes, it has been sitting in a pile of yet to be read books in the corner of my living room!!!).

i purchased this book (from the latest big bad wolf warehouse sale, where else???) thinking that it is a book about how men and women use language. it turned out to be a about relationship. 

The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison

just finished reading this book.  i bought this book in the most recent big bad wolf warehouse sale.

i simply love the book cover --- it's got pink glitter on the cover!!!

you fancy me :)

you saw me in centrepoint.

i was walking towards the lift, smiling to myself (hey, it was the end of my day and i was sure glad to be on my way home!). you were with a colleague and you were waiting to be beeped into the office near the elevators.  you kept looking at me as you waited for the door to be opened.  you just couldn't keep your eyes off me.

i noticed you looking at me but i was too shy to look back at you.  i did manage to steal a few peeks at you when i thought you weren't looking but you were looking back at me whenever i stole a quick peek at you.

i went downstairs to put my extra heavy bag into the car and then went back upstairs to use the ladies room as it is the cleanest in the building.

as i left the ladies room on my way to the lift again, i passed by the office that you went into and you were by the door and looking out!!!  you saw me pass by and quickly came out of the office to look at me as i once again waited for the lift.  sadly though, my lift arrived too soon and i stepped into it and like cinderella, i was lost to you... sob, sob...

why did you come out of the office to look at me again and yet not say anything to me???  did you want to say something but felt unsure of how you would be received?  you must have been interested because otherwise you wouldn't have been so bold as to have kept looking at me in a manner that you wanted me to know that you were looking at me.

you fancy me and from the little peeks that i stole of you, you were not so bad looking yourself.  thanks for making me feel attractive and for making my day!!!  :)

how we see

interesting stuff... the colours that we see may not be what they really are.  proof that what our brains interpret may not be what is real.

Changing Education Paradigms

in my quest to learn something new each day... something to think about.

Happy Birthday Ayah

it's your birthday and i just wanted to wish you happy birthday and tell you just how much i love you. i miss you so much...

you are always in my thoughts.

i wonder if you can hear me when i talk to you but i would like to believe that you do.  i think that you are close by and are always watching over me.

Why is God Laughing by Deepak Chopra & 50 Ways to Find a Lover by Lucy-Anne Holmes

deepak chopra has written many books but i never got around to reading any before this.  i borrowed this book from a colleague after seeing her reading the book at work. this is one of those "zen" books that you'd pick up if you're into finding the meaning of life.

i bought this book in the recent recent big bad wolf warehouse sale. 

character assassination

i was warned that the viper and the tarantula have teamed up together and they are joining forces against me.  me???  :O

don't know what their issue with me is really.  i may have an idea though....

the viper wants to be boss but she's really just a marketing person for the office.  she's in her mid-thirties with a wobbly behind that oozes out of her granny knickers which shows through the fabric of her pants.  the skin around her eyes are thinning and she has crows feet.  of late, she has been wearing new clothes (must be from all her 15% sales commissions) and killer heels.  i am happy to note that happening heels look totally out of place on her   :D  proof that it is not what you wear but how you wear it.

the viper has control issues and badly wants to be seen as "the boss".  problem is, i think that she is just blond on many things.  blondly clueless (and useless), throws her weigh around (and believe you me, there is A LOT of that!!!) but wants to be seen to be in control... go figure!

the tarantula and i have crossed paths in my last job.  she hasn't changed one bit --- she still back stabs people.  she has back stabbed T and E by telling the owner of the business tales about them.  she is supposed to be designing the new syllabus for the school (it would be interesting to see what she produces...or doesn't!).  the tarantula's greatest achievement to date is marrying a crazy brit man whose personal hygiene practices are suspect (in short, he smells....eeewwww).

the viper and the tarantula have become good buddies with one another because nobody else wants to be buddies with them... and so they are left to be friends with each other.

their character assassinations of the teachers are only going to backfire on the business as it will only result in more people leaving the company.

The Consequences of Love by Sulaiman Addonia, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer & Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

this is one of my recent purchases in the big bad wolf warehouse sale.  it's about love in jeddah.  kinda sad.

i found this book on the bookcrossing shelf in 1-utama recently.  this is one of  the books on my wish list.  i can see why many people love this book.  just think of it, love between a mortal and a vampire!

this book was sitting on my shelf at home and i finally thought of reading it!!!

laryngoscopy

i went to see the ENT doc today and he did a laryngoscopy on me.  it wasn't the most comfortable experience for me but i survived it.  it was done without any anesthetic.

in the beginning, i did have some concerns about pain and asked about local anesthetic but was told that the anesthetic would only cloud his view of what's going on.

it was a strange feeling having the scope inserted up through my nose and down in my throat.  while the scope was hanging in my throat, i was made to say "eeeeeee".  the procedure didn't take long and i sure was glad when it was over.

The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende

i finished reading this book on monday.  it kept me up late at night trying to finish reading it.  yup, it's another one of my bookcrossing book finds.  thanks for the contribution, mph  :)

Going Home by Harriet Evans

this is my latest completed read.  it was another one of my bookcrossing finds.

cartoon me

i stumbled across this really cool website by accident really. this is my self portrait. 

pinching business

the cube is pinching clients from the place that we both work.
  
i don't get why she is doing what she is.  she claims to be making 12K for just 3 day's work and often says, "I don't need to be doing this," so, pray tell, why is she travelling to a student's home just to teach 3 students for a mere 2K???  

worse, why is she pinching work???  ethically, i don't think what she is doing is right.  strangely enough, this person prays... an oxymoron, no?   

besides, did she not think that this piece of information would eventually make its way back to someone at the centre???

so much for her high horse talk --- seems that she's willing to stoop low to do this.  

two days ago, she dropped by the centre for a meeting with the owner at around noon and left the office around 2 in the afternoon. Stepping into the lift around 7 pm later in the day, I met her at the lift --- she was still in the building!!!  I asked her what she was doing still around and she claimed to be "counselling students about university admissions".  yeah rite!!!  she was listening in for gossip and was schmoozing the students so that she can later pinch them.

The Loner by Josephine Cox

i finished reading this book in the wee hours of this morning.  it is another one of my many bookcrossing finds.

Everything Nice by Ellen Shanman

and this, is my latest completed read.  i found this book in the bookcrossing zone in one utama unregistered and intend to register it soon. 

ken robinson on creativity in schools

i happened to stumble upon this great site while surfing and found a series of wonderful 21 minute lectures on a vast range of topics.  i particularly like this one by Ken Robinson on how schools are responsible for people unlearning creativity, that all children are born creative and that it is public education is responsible for making them unlearn creativity.

i found this lecture not only entertaining (full of English wit) but also points out the obvious --- really, what is it really this thing that we call "education"?

eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert

this is my latest just completed read.  truth be told, this is one book that i have heard a lot of hype about (oprah was raving about it), kept picking up a copy and browsing through it in bookstores but never really felt the urge to purchase it (it wasn't on my list of must reads).

so, how did i get around to reading the book?  well, i was talking about it with a colleague at work and i happened to mention that i thought that it was a lot of hype, that it was written from an american's perspective about "finding spirituality" when really it is nothing more than about the writer's mid-life crisis and realization that she wanted to get out of her present life.  it is about being able to slow down and accept things as they come rather than expecting things to happen as often is expected by western values.

so, this colleague of mine offered me the book to read as although she bought the book four months ago, she never got around to completing it (she only got as far as readubgting the first part of the three part book) as there were too many parts of the writer sobbing on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night.  that was when she offered it to me... it was kind of a challenge, sort of "see how far you can get before you give up on it".

although i never found the book as enlightenig as oprah, and perhaps half of the world, did, i did finish reading the book.  okay, it was readable but was there anything i found enlightening in it? sadly, no  :(

like i said before, it would be enlightening if you're an american indulging in way too much of me, me, me, i guess.

simply NOT nice

there is only one way to describe rusty's behavior towards plump girl today --- RUDE!!!

why do the students adore him???  the female students were dreamily telling me that he "has a nice car, it's 2.0" and that he has "his own company".  one even went on to say that "i can be with him because he is always busy doing something" = meaning that he would be a good provider.

okay, so can somebody please explain to me why the hell is he working as a part-time english teacher???  he even asked kadesh how much a full time teacher makes --- a sign that he is considering a full time position.

and oh, i'm sure he's always busy doing something --- he's busy shagging MEN!!!  oh, in case i haven't mentioned it before, we suspect that rusty's gay.

the girls are no doubt shallow but i wonder if they are aware that a teacher's salary isn't enough to pay for fancy wheels which cost 125k brand new.  when are they gonna realize that the fancy spanky wheels are courtesy of rusty's wealthy boyfriend???  yup, sorry girls... he's a taker! (how else would he be able to afford such wheels???)  :P

i don't know about you but rude is NOT hot in my books.

real men don't park cars in a shopping mall and then not know where they left them!  rusty took the girls to 1-utama one day and then got lost looking for his car.  a sure sign of not possessing a male brain, i'm afraid.

Latin American Movie Marathon

i was at the movies yesterday afternoon as well as today afternoon watching latin american movies.  out of the nine movies showing, i narrowed down my selection to three and watched one yesterday and the other two today.

of the three, i enjoyed la camara oscura, an argentinean movie, best.  i liked how the images were visually presented to evoke the emotions.  there were parts in the movie where animation was beautifully used to show the dream world of a child's imagination as she reads a book. this movie also uses still photography as art and imagination.

the story is simple.  it is about a child, gertrudis, who grew up into a woman feeling thinking that she is unattractive and ugly until one day, a photographer shows her her beauty and makes her feel beautiful.

the other two movies which i watched today was the pope's toilet (uruguay) and nonna's trip (mexico).

pluck

i went to see pluck last night and it was absolutely hilarious!!!

a spot of bother by Mark Haddon

this is what i'm currently reading at the moment. it's another one of my bookcrossing finds.  i've got another 100 pages to go.  talk about a dysfunctional family!  

ways i save $$$

1. i've been cooking at home and saving $$$ and have discovered that i really like broccolli after all!!!  :)

2. i re-use grocery bags as trash bags.

3. i get books free from bookcrossing!

4. i hardly ever pay full prices for books anymore.  instead, i shop for books at discounts at bookxcess and warehouse sales where i can buy the books at a fraction of the original retail prices.

5. i load up on essential items during sales.

6. i put my change in  a glass jar and when it is full, i have extra cash!!!  :)

7. i buy local fruits in season (my favourites are mangosteens and rambutans)!!!

8. i take my newspapers, plastics, cardboard boxes and tin cans to the recycling centre and make some cash $$$

9. i recycle A4 paper by printing on the other side

10. i make my credit card's cash back rewards programme work for me. 

11. i collect points when shopping in 1-utama.

12. i collect points with bonuslink when i shop at any of its retailers

12. i read free newspapers or i go online to read the news.

13. i use skype to talk long distance.

14. i make sure that all electrical appliances (except for the fridge) are switched off when i leave home.

15. i read books instead of watch movies (it takes longer to finish reading a book).

16. i go grocery shopping with a list.

17. i always make a point to compare prices and read the labels before i make a decision.

18. i carry my own shopping bags to avoid the extra charges for plastic bags over the weekends.

pink!

completed reads

i finished reading this book quite a while ago (somewhere last  month, i think) but forgot to update it.  it's a nice teen reading book (now, what was i doing with a teen book, you may ask??? hey, my reading repertoire is wide!!!).  this was another one of my bookcrossing finds in 1-utama.  

i also completed reading this book... and yes, it is another one of my bookcrossing finds!

the preacher

got into work this morning, said hey to the oz sheep who happened to be standing in my way in the office.

he asked me what Mc Donalds was like this morning (seeing that I was holding a Mc D's coffee cup in my hand) and when I said ok, he went on to say that the food there is isn't that great and on top of that is unhealthy and then, he walked out.

note that this comment came from someone who i hardly know and who, on top of that, has a pretty huge rear end himself. what a strange person this oz sheep is ...

This is what happened...

I was told today that Nat was told to leave yesterday morning itself. The decision took not only me but her by surprise.

It seems that Nat went to work on Monday morning prepared to teach when Post told her that she could leave yesterday morning.

What is Post trying to do? Isn't she aware that we are all judged by what we do? Does she not know how to treat people like human beings? So much for "looking out for the teachers" --- people believe more what you do rather than what you say...

Prior to this, Scotty was told to leave the company without saying goodbye or explaining his sudden departure to the kids. Perhaps Uncle was right in leaving the announcement of his departure till the very last minute...

I think people going is nothing personal --- it is just a part of life. Circumstances change, opportunities arise and people move. It is all just a fact of life. Post has to grow up and stop treating everyone else who is moving on as enemies of the state.

gone :(

went into the office this morning after a week away from the office, saw nat and she told me and another colleague of mine who had also just come back from a week's break that "oh, btw, today's my last day".

i was surprised as she handed in her notice in the middle of last month (after raya) and her last day should have been on october 13.  apparently, the dos decided to let her go earlier.  the dos, when announcing her leaving, was very clinical about it.

i hugged her goodbye before my class began for the day and i knew i was going to miss her.  she's like a kid sister to me.  why can't the centre hold onto staff???

so out with nat and shah, and in with three new faces, one of which is australian (and judging by his mannerisms today, seems to come packed with a lot of attitude).  it's his first day at work and he was already getting annoyed about minor things.  okay, the place isn't the most organized and some people seem to be fond of instructing others (or maybe it's just a lack of social interaction skills??? i don't know...) but surely he can keep his thoughts to himself on his very first day at work???

okay, so i'm guessing that the mat salleh sheep isn't gonna last that long... a month tops??? stay tuned...

completed reads

and here are two more books that i've finished reading:

this is another bookcrossing zone find.

this is another one of my many warehouse sales finds.  this book offers some pretty practical ways of getting along with people via the language that you use as well as the right body language.

back to the grind

after 9 blissful days of not having to wake up so early in the mornings, it's back to the grind tomorrow  :(  ... it's definitely something i'm not looking forward to but bills need to be paid  :(

sad

:(  :(  :(

it's too quiet
there's too much space
i'd rather have the space filled up
it's nice not having to do everything by myself
it's nice figuring things out with someone

it's nice...
... having someone to push the trolley full of mineral water
... having someone to decide if the pair of shoes is happening or not
... having someone to hold the shoe boxes in a shoe sale while i go scout for more
... having someone guard the shoes that i have selected way from other potentially crazy women shoppers while i go look at other shoe designs
... having someone to have breakfast with... and lunch... and tea... and dinner... and supper
... having someone open the door for me
... having someone to eat ice cream at night with
... having someone to walk with
... having someone to watch the world go by with
... having someone to share books with
... having someone to go shopping for happening toilet seats with
... having someone to shop for books with
... having someone to talk to about what's happening (or not happening) at work
... having someone hold my hand
... having someone to share a meal with
... having someone to have a laugh with
... having someone to bounce ideas with
... having someone to share a bottle of mineral water with
... having someone go to the mechanic with
... having someone to ride in cabs with when the car is in the workshop over the weekend
... having someone to share my thoughts with
... having someone to go to the bookcrossing zone with to select books
... having someone to help decide if a handbag is happening or not
... having someone pick a really nice and happening handbag in a colour that i would not normally select on my own

my favorite shot

this is my favorite shot of justin bieber and his gf.  it just makes me go "Awwww......"  i think there is just something so sweet and tender about this pic... maybe because it illustrates love... it shows that he loves her, the way he is holding her, protecting her....

hand dance

i simply love this video clip!!!

Why He's So Last Minute & She's Got It All Wrapped Up by Allan & Barbara Pease

i've just finished reading this book.  certain parts of this book were from their original book entitled why men don't listen and women can't read maps.

thoughts

there are times i wonder if my mother loves me as much as she loves the others.  there are times when i wonder if she loves me at all.

i am criticized for being me.  i am not perfect but i am her daughter...

i miss ayah.  perhaps that is why i relate better to ayah.  mak was always involved with my sisters while i was growing up.  i was the quiet one... the one in the shadows... the one always watching the others in the limelight.  perhaps that was how i became the me i am today, always watching the others in the limelight.

i hurt most of the time but i try not to show it.  perhaps i am doing such a fantastic job at hiding my hurt that mak doesn't realize that i am hurting inside.  i only want to be loved the way that she loves my siblings. am i asking for  too much?

i try not to let it get to me most of the time but sometimes, just sometimes, i wish that she would show me that she loves me for who i am...

i wish she would spare me all the complaints and judgments that she spares my siblings. she's all smiles with them and she speaks ever so sweetly to them.  to me, well, that a different case... i too would like to be treated with all smiles and sweetness, i don't want to hear about what's not right.  i want to hear about what's going on right, for a change. i want to be told, even for just one moment, that i matter.... am i asking for the impossible?

unloved

my mother keeps saying that i am "a terrible person" (she has said this more than once and on different occasions).  today she said something like if people saw me, they would  probably think that my brother is a terrible person too but on the contrary, he is such a sweet soul.  yeah, i know, how better to put me down.   i feel really offended.  okay, i know that she doesn't love me as much as she loves my sisters and brother but does she have to say that i am a terrible person???  i'm hurt. most people, my mother included, fail to realize that i am a sensitive soul.  i let such comments slide when i hear her say it because i don't want to have any arguments but am i really such a terrible soul???

i cannot help but think of the times when i was a child and when i was unhappy --- i would associate myself with my dad.  i never felt that dad loved me less than my other siblings but around mom, i feel it loads.

Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox

this is what i'm currently reading.  it's another one of my bookcrossing finds and i'm enjoying reading it.

is age catching up with me???

ever had one of those moments when your brain just goes blank and something you know is lost???

it happened to me today.  i totally forgot my password for the copier machine at work.  it's a five digit number, and i remembered the last three but totally was clueless as to what the first two was!!!

i told myself not to panic and to breathe... after a good 15 to 20 minutes of trial and error, the numbers finally came back to me... only for me to discover that after making 20 copies that i had maxed out on my limit!!!  rats!!!

am i a hopeless romantic???

many of my students place more importance on money than on love.  they believe that when there is money, there would be love.

i am a believer in finding love for until you have love in your life, you will forever be searching for that missing part of you. it seems as if we come from different planets... maybe we do... i'm a hopeless romantic and there are hopelessly practical.

perhaps they have yet to find love... and until they do, they will never understand how satisfying it can be just to be in the presence of your loved one even if the two of you are just reading books in the same space.

A Kiss to Dream On by Nessa Hart

this is what i'm currently reading.  it's another one of my bookcrossing finds. 

The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky

this is another one of the books that i picked up at bookcrossing in 1-utama.  its not the kind of book that i would have purchased myself.

another completed read

i finished reading this book today.  it's another one of my bookcrossing finds.

misunderstood and unloved :(

many people fail to see the real me... the me who is actually easily hurt.  many think that i'm a tough cookie --- i just don't wear my heart on my sleeve but that doesn't mean i don't have a heart!

just because i do a better job at concealing my feelings doesn't mean that i don't hurt when mean things are said to me.  

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

i finished reading this book some time back but somehow or other, i must have forgotten to mention it here.

jennifer weiner's one of my favourite chick litt authors.

i miss you

it's been three years since i lost you and it seems like just yesterday...

you have simply no idea just how many times you have appeared in my dreams.  it's probably my unconscious mind yearning for you.

i think of you every day... you are never far away from my thoughts.

i miss you dearly ayah.

maru

maru my favorite online cat never fails to bring a smile to my face.

  

the REAL devil wears prada

on a colleague's recommendation, i watched The September Issue, a movie documentary about the REAL woman who inspired the book the devil wears prada.  the documentary was created in 2009, 7 years after Lauren Weisberger wrote her bestselling book.

Anna Wintour, aka the ice queen and editor in chief of Vogue, didn't seem so icy to me.  i thought she appeared to be human, really.  let's put it this way, she is only doing her job and making sure that nothing but the best is being brought to her readers.

i bet that if a man was doing the same thing, nothing would be said. having said that though, it could be her way telling her story and they could be showing her on her good days.

i found it strange how she was often shown talking with her arms folded... almost as if she was feeling uncomfortable.

it's nice to be able to see what goes on behind the scenes in order to meet deadlines in a fashion magazine. the september issue was featured because it is the bumper issue of the entire year for the fashion magazine industry.

in a lot of ways, it is true that fashion magazines decide what is the "ïn" thing for the moment.

Watching the whole thing made me want to be more fashion conscious... maybe i should do a little shopping  :)

Message in A Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

i finished reading this book two weekends ago.  it's one of my bookcrossing finds.

it's not my normal kind of selection, in fact i found it a tad too soppy for my liking, but hey, it was a free read!

the layered cake

there is a new center manager at work.  she's clueless.  she has been placing students in the wrong levels and when the students request to go to the next level because the current levels that they have been put in seems too easy for them, she makes it the teachers' problem by calling us into a meeting and asking for our thoughts on the matter.  thing is --- we would be saving everyone a lot of time if she just got it right in the first place!!!

on top of that, she's quick to label students --- something that i'm not comfortable with.  it's only her third day at work and she has already label one student as having an attitude problem just because she greeted him and he didn't respond.  when i tried to suggest that it could just be a cultural difference thing, she said that she has seen many iranian students who are polite.  so okay, she thinks she is right... yep, she's one of THOSE...

so, i'm gonna keep my distance from her...

bags...

my sister's been sporting branded handbags (prada, marc jocobs, coach, just to name a few) of late and which she only uses a couple of times before she gives them away... strangely enough, she never gives them away to me...

in the meantime, yours truly is still thinking a million, if not a zillion times, about buying a RM 180 charles & keith handbag.  you have no idea just how many times i have visited the charles & keith store just to look at this one bag... sigh...

i keep telling myself that i need to justify this expenditure... do i  really need another handbag??? or is it all just a whim....

omg!!! another pair of shoes!!!

yup, guilty!!!  i just couldn't help it!!!

i was passing by the vincci store in 1-utama today and was unable to resist a read pair of heels that was on 50% discount!

yes, it is my fourth pair of shoes within the same week, i know!

miss popularity

some people are really into being "the popular" one.

strangely though, today, a student asked me who i thought was the most popular teacher (like such things would  matter to me!!!).

he thought that it was the cube --- how true, as she is always out there making herself available to the students and always making small talk with them.

she claims that she comes in early to work (she only teaches in the afternoon but makes it a point to come into  work before lunch hour) so that she can "give the students educational advice" --- yeah, right!

she claims to be the know all of university admissions.

i think she is a sad case --- she tries so hard at getting the students to love her.

it is interesting to note that only the nerdy students are into the cube.  the street wise ones stay a mile away from her --- hmmm......wonder why...???/

shoe sale!!!

did i happen to mention that the shoe sale is on at vincci and i bought three pairs of shoes last sunday???

in my defense though, all three pairs, i am happy to announce were on 50% discount!

i bought a pair in gold (which would look great worn with jeans) and two pairs in black (which i thought would be great for work).

it seems like such a splurge but i figured that i might as well buy all three pairs as i sometimes cannot get shoes in my size especially in sales.

Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki

i finished reading the last book and have just started reading this book last night.

Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

this is what i'm reading at the moment.

i started the book three days ago and am now at the last few pages.

truth be told, this is the first of the shopaholic series that i have ever read.  i bought this book eons ago and have only picked it up to read now.

it's been under the piles of my other books to be read and i almost forgot that i even had it until that day that i was going through my books for something to read.

true to sophie kinsella's style of writing, it is a light humourous read.

do you have a car?

i was in the basement carpark in mid valley pushing a trolley full of shopping heading for my car when a car pulled up beside me.

the driver (an iranian himbo) asked me, "excuse me, do you have a car?".

what a stupid question to ask --- did i look like i usually spent my days pushing a trolley in basement carparks just for the kick of it???

look what i found!

i visited the bookcrossing zone in 1-utama today and guess what i found on the shelf --- lovely bones!!!  a book that's on my reading wish list!!!

it pays to visit the bookcrossing zone!!  :)

in denial

i went into class today and started assigning students a partner so that they had someone to do their tasks with.  one student, abdullah, however, told me that he didn't want a partner and that he'd prefer to work alone.

abdullah, an 18-year-old saudi first year medical student in his country, is here on summer holidays.  he seems to think that he is better than the rest of the class.  he doesn't seem to get along very well with the rest of the students in his class.

the class were given analogies to work on today and abdullah was unable to solve most of what was in the handout (the material presented on the handout was designed for grade 4 students in american schools).  ah, an indication of an inability to think critically and to see relationships between things.

he told me one day that he ought to be in level 7, two levels higher than where he is currently and that the only reason why he was in level 5 is because that is the highest level offered by the centre this month.

when asked to write, he produces very minimal work. he often asks to be excused from class and leaves class early.

is he in denial that he can't produce?  is his ego getting in the way of his progress?

what makes a person so arrogant at such a young age?

a day without the arab brats

how wonderful it would be if i could just spend my days reading books and not have to worry about having to educate arrogant and pig headed arab brats.

okay, okay...there are a handful who are absolutely great students but they are too few and far between.

i get friday off --- yay!!! the kids are off on a field trip and i'm certainly not complaining.

the thought of having a long weekend without having to deal with their demands certainly feels super blissful!

hmm... think of all the things that i could do... gotta plan, gotta plan!!!   :)

Air Head

Some people are just full of BS. They are full of talk but when it comes to getting down to getting the job done, they suck.

Professionalism? Doubt if they have even heard of the word. I hear her often saying "I've done this, I'm doing that, I'm earning XXXXX for just three days' work, I don't need this job, blah, blah, blah...".

Then I discover, her grammar sucks. Sheesh!!! Some people really have the cheek to make claims when they do such a shitty job.

what i've been reading

i haven't been updating the list of books that i've been reading lately so here they are...:

the mike gayle book inspires me to start a to do list of my own but am i going to create one that is possibly as long as his 1277 item to do list? i think that would be quite unlikely.  i'll keep mine short and sweet.

The Girl in High Heels gives an interesting insight as to what happens in a high class strip club in London.

a lot of what you say says a lot about how you want to be perceived

an adult iranian student proudly informed me that she is unable to ear rice with her hand.  while this fact saddened me, she viewed this as a good thing.  it was her way of  telling me that she was from a well-off family.

unfortunately, i don't share that view.  i think you're culturally poor if you're no longer able to do the things that others in your culture are able to do.

there is nothing to be proud of if you no longer are able to eat using your hand, sit on the floor comfortably, and do other things that is performed with ease by others in your culture.

while i would like to believe that i am westernized, i would like to believe that i am being open to accepting different ideas and ways of doing things while remaining true to who i really am.  i am proud of my culture.  it is who i am.

"why should i use my dictionary when i have you?"

a few days ago, in a reading task, a student asked me for the meaning of a word that he didn't know.

in the quest of trying to make him an independent learner, i suggested that he use his dictionary.  he said to me that he didn't like using his dictionary and why should he use a dictionary when he had a teacher to ask?

it's not easy trying to make an arab student an independent learner.  their culture is as such that they prefer being told than seeking for the answers for themselves.  seeking for answers seem to not be a challenge that arab students embrace.

on learning

before one can learn, one must acknowledge that one does not know before one can proceed to the next stage of looking for the answers. It is the process of seeking for answers that constitutes learning and not the answers in themselves.

there are many people out there who are in learning institutions but who really don't know what it takes to lear

the frame of mind of "I know" hinders one from progressing with the learning process.

learning also requires one to be humble and not to be defensive. it's difficult to learn when you have your guard up.

in this day and age, it is about making technology work for you. it is not about knowing everything but about knowing where to get the information when you need it.

many are still of the frame of mind that what they need to know will be taught to them by their teacher. they understand not that by doing so, they are limiting themselves.

question is --- why limit yourself to just one teacher when you can have so many other teachers out there?

learning in the age of the information technology is liberating but it only liberates those who want to be liberated.

many people think that they want to have an education but are they prepared to make what is available to them so that they can not only acquire knowledge but also contribute towards the bigger body of knowledge? now that is the real question.

do these "students" really know what it really means to be learners?

on being "right" all the time

why do some people seem very adamant about being right when they are clearly wrong?

why do some people pride themselves in knowing everything when they clearly don't?

why do some people not know how to accommodate others?

in the end, being "right" is not really all that important is it?

i think, in the bigger picture, it's about knowing how to play in the sandbox and knowing how to accommodate others along the way that really matters.

relections

many blog for fame. strangely enough though, i blog to remain anonymous.

how is that so, i hear you wonder... it doesn't really matter to me that i don't have a following. 

this is more of my space, written for me and in my time.

it is a place for me to reflect and ponder and put things out there in writing.

to see my thoughts in writing while being aware that i also need to be politically correct at the same time... that's what this is all about...

Cleo by Helen Brown

I'm currently reading Cleo by Helen Brown. It's about a kitten who changes the lives of the family members who adopts her.Certainly a must read for cat people :)

A Friend of the Family by Lisa Jewell

I finished reading this book on Saturday.

claiming to know stuff when one clearly doesn't

why do some people not want to admit that they may not know everything and that that is not the end of the world???

why are some people not open to the fact that they may not know everything??? 

why do some people want to argue on things that are so clear cut???

fancy claiming that you "grew up in Australia" and still claim that glasses and trousers are singular nouns and thus sentences should sound like this ...."My glasses was broken" (instead of "My glasses were broken" and "That trousers" (instead of "Those glasses").

So much for "growing up in Australia", huh?

what gives???

Somebody at work was telling me that she was going to get married by the end of the year --- that's her deadline.

Well, that sounded pretty normal only that there's a small problem here --- she's not seeing anybody at the moment!!! Yes, it is a pretty strange situation.

On top of that, she says that this man she will marry (note that he is, at this very moment, still very much a concept) has to be no less than 6' 4" in height.

So, here's the next question --- how tall do you think this woman is? If you think that she's tall, you've guessed wrong --- she's vertically challenged!!!

So, the question is this --- is she being idealistic and dreamy and keeping away the real man who may be the love of her life (but who may not be a 6'-4" Greek god) or is it right for her to demand for this person and not to entertain anyone else who falls short (literally) of her wish???

Could this possibly be her escape from reality? From having to explain to the world out there why she's without a man (not that the world is interested in her private matters, really).

Personally, I think that some of us set unrealistic yardsticks for the people we would allow into our lives. Greek gods come with problems of their own. They are high maintenance not unlike beautiful women really.

Personally, I prefer the ordinary Joe but hey, that's me. Okay, so he may not be drop dead gorgeous but he's the sweetheart who would try to make me happy and really, that is what it really all about, isn't it?

my current read

i'm currently reading the journal of mortifying moments...it's hilarious and i'm enjoying it  :)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

i finished the last book over the weekend and this is now what i'm reading.  the first few pages is intriguing, i must say.

 i found myself taking that extra 5 minutes to read in bed this morning only to find the extra 5 minutes turn into an extra 30 minutes (horrors!).