NEW YEAR'S EVE 2012

It's currently 10.27 p.m. on New Year's Eve and as I type this entry, I am :

i. listening to Sheila Majid's Malam Ku Bermimpi.
ii. drinking my tea and smoking my cigarette.
ii. hearing the sound of tiny raindrops on the rooftop .
iv. replying text messages from those who still remember me.
v. checking my facebook for new notifications (seems like there is none).
vi. reading my friends' blogs.
vii. talking to my Mum who is watching Chef Bruce Lim cooking up a storm on 'The Boss'.
viii. stroking my cats and watching them groom themselves.
ix. thinking about my loved ones.
x. getting ready for bed.

Goodnight, everyone. Sleep tight and here's hoping that tomorrow is going to be a better day for all of us.

2011 ROUND-UP (2009 AND 2010 RECYCLED)

Any great achievements for me? NO. Any extraordinary happenings? NO. Any exciting changes in my lifestyle? Definitely NO. Everything came and went like the previous years. Am I happy? YES. To some, it can be quite strange how a person can be happy and content when not much has happened to him or her. Yeah but that's me. I'm comfortably cocooned in my life at the moment that I don't think I want anything changed (unless it's for the better). At least, not yet. I'm sure that something is bound to happen sooner and later and I'll be shocked out of my pants when that happens. Till then, I'm going to enjoy the routine that I've created for the past couple of years and if there are going to be any changes, I hope they will be gradual. Some of my friends have commented on my laid-back attitude and I can only agree with them. After all, what is there to argue when everything that they say is true? Still, it doesn't mean that I don't work hard or put in any effort at all. I do but I don't think I'll be increasing the quota for my effort any time soon. Even then, I would say that what I've done is definitely much more than that done by some of my colleagues and friends. So how about that?

p/s This entry is recycled for the second time just like I predicted.

ADELE - TALENT VERSUS BODY IMAGE

It seems like everyone is into Adele nowadays. Gifted with a soulful voice, she reminds me so much of Alison Moyet (of Yazoo before she went solo), Helen Terry (backing vocalist for Culture Club in the 80s) and a few other big-boned female singers. All of them are/were, coincidentally, big girls with big voices. Adele has it much easier than the other singers though. Critiques and fans alike are much more interested in her talent and artistry rather than her size (that's the way it should be anyway). Alison Moyet and the rest are not as lucky. Despite their huge talent, they never got as big as Adele (no pun intended on both accounts). I am not sure whether the recording industry, media and fans nowadays are less concerned about how a singer should look like since Adele's newest album '21' is very well-received globally. It has also managed to garner several prestigious awards. A few full-figured female singers had to shed their weight in order to look sexier and more appealing to the public. Just look at Jennifer Hudson and Toni Braxton. They started as singers who depended on their voices and not their images. It was not long after their first albums that both of them began to flaunt their new sexier and slender bodies. Toni Braxton totally took it to the other extreme when she started to dress in very revealing clothes that left almost nothing to the imagination. Ann Wilson (of Heart) once had to have mostly facial shots and wear dark clothing for the group's music videos due to her constantly ballooning figure. Debora Iyall (of Romeo Void) is a brilliant songwriter and yet during the group's heyday, she was discriminated and asked to lose weight. Most swimsuit models need to be physically toned and trim in order to sell the products but real singers whose asset lies within their vocal cords should not be too obsessed to look picture perfect. Kudos to all female singers who fight for their art without looking like tarts.

Adele

Ann Wilson

Debora Iyall

Alison Moyet

Helen Terry

p/s Beauty passes but wisdom remains.

CUSTOMER DISSERVICE

I used to love window shopping very much and up until now, I still enjoy going from shop to shop during my free time. There is something about being in a shop and browsing through the shelves or racks displaying the goods that excites me (it's like having a sugar rush!). Unfortunately and sadly, that feeling is slowly diminishing due to certain incidents that I have recently experienced. FYI, I usually don't like to make rushed decisions and when I decide to buy something I really like, I will usually ask a lot of questions and scrutinise the goods until I am totally satisfied. After all, I am going to spend a certain amount of money on something that I will probably keep forever. The problem is quite a number of shopkeepers and salespeople (especially the younger ones) whom I've met lately are not what I expect them to be. Some of them are downright rude and arrogant. Others act as if providing services to customers and giving explanations to them is a big favour they bestow on whomever they fancy and definitely not part of their responsibilities. Situations like these definitely make me want to pull a 'Julia Roberts' in that unforgettable 'Pretty Woman' shopping scene. After she was snubbed by two snotty saleswomen working in a posh boutique, she went back there later to tell them how much commission they had lost simply because they did not want to wait on her. That will teach anyone that all customers should be treated equally and respectfully. I have seen a few businesses in my hometown crumble due to lack of courtesy and proper service. When I walk into a shop, I don't expect to be treated like royalty (it wouldn't hurt me one bit if I were given such treatment though). I don't demand red carpet service and I don't require 24-hour assistance. I want to be treated like a potential customer who will be parting with his hard-earned cash to feed the proprietor, his family, his staff and his pets. More importantly, I want to be treated like a human being. Not like a doormat. Is that too much to ask? A good friend of mine will undoubtedly make a scene if he is given such a shoddy service. There have been a few times when he raised his voice so other customers and passers-by would hear him. He would start asking for the manager or the owner of the business before giving him an earful on good business management and employee training. There have also been a few occasions when he asked the salesperson to ring up his bill and decided not to buy anything at all at the last minute. I don't always believe in fighting fire with fire (sometimes I will). It's risky and in one way, childish. It doesn't bring a lot of good to anyone except temporary satisfaction and superficial victory. Besides, being nasty to snobbish people will only drag me to to their level and I certainly do not want to stoop that low. I sincerely hope that one day they will realise that they have done a great disservice not only to others but also themselves.

p/s It can be very tempting at times to give this type of people a dose of their own medicine since I know I can outbitch almost anyone and be more obnoxious than the most obnoxious. Just don't let me get started, okay?