One cloudy Wednesday morning in a coffee shop. A big man and a little man walked in and sat across from me in the coffee shop's terrace. Big man looked thirty-ish, slim build, wore jeans and a t-shirt. Little man was probably around five or six years old, small frame, wore a cool t-shirt. "You keep an eye on our stuff while I get us some drinks, okay buddy?" said Big man. Little man nodded and sat down on his chair, turned around and stared at a box and a bag. Little man stayed like this for the entire fifteen minutes it took Big man to get their drinks. Little man literally kept his eyes on their stuff. A man who can be trusted. A man of his word. My kind of man!
I usually run into former students either in a mall or a Sunday service of a church. This was the first time I bumped into one of them in a volunteer event in KDM. She gave me the biggest hug ever. She was almost as tall as me. Last time I saw her, she was in grade four. She was very attentive to the little ones in art & craft activity. She used origami paper to create clothing items. I was mesmerised by a girl with a we-attitude instead of Me-attiude. I was in awe of her creativity. A very heartwarming rainy day.
Stick and stone may break my bones, but words never hurt me. So not true. Try spending an hour driving in a bumper to bumper traffic with a person sitting next to you who shoot ear-splitting ugly words about this and that like there is no tomorrow. Pessimistic, cynical, detrimental words that just keep going and going and going like a de-energizer bunny. At the end of the ride I felt very exhausted like an over heated computer with Internal Error message on its screen. I need to master a selective hearing technique.
Eight long-sleeves shirts, two pairs of capri pants, and one khaki short in forty one minutes. Not bad. Not bad at all. Too bad my Garmin doesn't record any ironing activity. This could be a new PB.
A crowded pharmacy of a hospital. Finally. I got the nerve to say to these two elderly ladies who cut the queue. I said nicely "Excuse me, Mam. You have to wait in line." One of them said,"But I just want to get a copy of a prescription". And that gives you the right to cut the line? Of course I didn't say that to her, I just smiled politely and said, "Yup! Me too." She answered,"Oh! I'm sorry." I don't think you understand. First come first served. It's as simple as that. I didn't say that either. Some things are better left unsaid.
I was quietly observing a bunch of small children in KDM playing something when this little girl gave me a bunny ear head band that she wore. "Buat kakak aja," she said. I've never met a five year old who is so generous. She didn't have much but she gave me her bunny ears. A little reminder about giving. I'm keeping it forever.
One cloudy and gloomy Tuesday morning. Having a friendly dispute about stuff through instant messages with Dena who is 8289 miles away from home. Rapidly texting all kinds of logic and common sense. Feeling a bit exhausted for reasoning back and forth. Then she sent me a photo. I laughed so hard I forgot to continue sharing my wisdom. I would be dead if I pulled a stunt like this to my parents way back then.
The key to a fail-proof resolution is two. One. Make resolution in February instead of January (Procrastinator unite!) Two. Make just one realistic resolution (something you absolutely love to do.) I love reading book. One book one week. That's my resolution. Seventh week of the year. I'm on book #9. I'm ahead of my schedule. Life is good!
"She just did her first marathon last December!" That was my friend's introduction of me to another runner friend. She asked, "Oh! What was your time?" When I told her five and a half hour she said, "Not bad! But no offence, it's an average time for a first timer." Never quite know how to deal with a put down compliment. Defensively? Tactfully? Either way I would be at a loss for words. So I just smiled politely said, "None taken!" and continued running. Good thing I watched Bambi when I was small.
I love S.M Ardan short stories. Uncomplicated plot. No drama. Straightforward. Humble. Unassuming. Just a day's routine of an average day. His stories make me appreciate little things I take for granted. Little things that goes unnoticed and unappreciated if I let myself drowned in endless activities and to do list of a day. Like those whimsical lines of Sarnadi Adam in Ardan's book. Total bliss. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. -Ferris Bueller
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I’m a 40 something sleep-deprived workaholic single parent who procrastinates & day dreams full time. I reside in Jakarta, the capital of traffic jam & pollution. Unless under influence of a blogger’s block, I blog mostly about 4D, not the kind one experience in a theme-park theater, but these kind: Dena {my only daughter} Drawings, Design {art & craft} and Devotion {running}. Not necessarily in that order. My Profile | My Facebook
One grey afternoon. Two little girls in KDM. Both couldn't be more than four or five years old. They always stick around together. I assume they are sisters. Or bound to be sisters by circumstances. Big Sister was sweeping dried leaves with a broom which was taller than her and Little Sister was playing with dirt when another girl came and made Little Sister cried. Little Sister ran to Big Sister and hugged her feet. Big Sister lost her balance and fell down, but instead of getting mad she said,"Hey, let's make a face with those leaves!" Almost immediately Little Sister stopped crying.
Hey, I put some new shoes on. And suddenly everything is right. I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling. It's so inviting. Oh, short on money but long on time. Slowly Strolling in the sweet sunshine. And I'm running late. And I don't need an excuse. Cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.
Jaime C. Moore, a cool photographer-mom who wants her daughter to grow up with positive role models. For a birthday portrait mom transformed her daughter into inspiring real women who were not afraid of being different and who didn't let circumstances limit their dreams. Barbie dolls, Disney princesses, eat your heart out! Life is not all about being pretty and perfect love stories.
Stretching exercises after a cross training session. Sitting down with my legs straight on a wooden floor of a gym. Trying my best to touch my toes. Feeling rather stiff and helpless. In came four school age Japanese girls, invaded the rest of the floor area, stretched their flexible bodies effortlessly like member of Cirque du Soleil. Chatting and laughing relentlessly. After three minutes they stood up and went out of the gym like a hurricane. Still chatting and laughing. It's nature's cruel way of reminding me that I'm not young anymore therefore don't do foolish things. Oh, fine!
The best part about babysitting my sister's kids is I get to do fun stuff with them most of the time. I can spoil them rotten and not face the consequences because at the end of the day I get to send them home and let my sister deal with tantrums, discipline and rules and other boring parenting stuff. I'm their favorite auntie in the whole wide world! ;-D
Cooking with little children. Nine out of ten, they are interested in the making only. Don't get your high hopes that they are going to like what they make. Don't even insist that they have to eat it. It doesn't matter if they cut mushrooms and sausages in odd shapes, grate cheese sideways, and annoyingly keep repeatedly remind you, "No cheese on my pizza, please!". You just have to give extra room for mistakes and accidents. A smaller pizza dough for them to experiment and for you to toss away secretly. Your own off-limit dough. A messy house is expected. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Mistakes are part of learning. Many great inventions start as accident. Process is more important than end result. Zombies Pizza Flipbook.
