One rainy days in KDM. Two boys from KDM just sat quietly together, silently observed a group of young boys who volunteered for art & craft activities. The volunteer boys only knew how to communicate in English while the KDM boys only speak Bahasa Indonesia. KDM boys just shook their heads every time the volunteer boys asked them questions. Then one volunteer boy broke the language barrier between them by showing an origami dragon. Things changed instantly. They started making origami things together and spoke a new kind of language that all understood: Art.
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!
