Forbidden Indulgences

A couple of years ago i found out that I had developed an adverse reaction to crabs.  The allergy onslaught was so bad that I had to be rushed to the ER of Suburban Hospital, Bethesda.  My stomach swelled and I was doubled over in pain. A definite dinner party show stopper :D

No way.  Impossible.  Ridiculous.  Na-aah!

Crabs is one of my indulgences.  Like After Eight chocolates, single malt whisky and 4in leather boots :) So how could I be allergic to the 6-legged crustacean? Bigger question was could I give it up?  Ok here's where most of you would think, "well considering her stomach swells, and she's most likely to end up in the ER again, so, err, yes, she'd better give it up"...I JUST CAN'T!!!

Temptation is too great. My will power too weak. It's become my forbidden indulgence. ...crabs in one hand and benadryl in the other :D (or as the case was tonight, crabs & whisky!)

5 Things...

1.  Always remember that the word for chilli in malay is 'cabai'. Do NOT under any circumstance try a variation (ex. cibai...for my non-malaysian friends ur task will be to go look up the meaning of the word...hehehe)...scathing dirty looks will be given.  Trust me, i know first hand ;0)


2.  No matter how old you are and how ever long you have been living abroad, the minute you return  to your parents house, you travel back to the days of ..."when you're living under my roof, u will do as I say" or you'd have to go thru the Spanish Inquisiton each time you go out...hmmm.  Hotels are a great option.


3.  Dinner is at 9pm and supper at 2am.  Forget about your 6pm dinners. And for those who love coffee, don't bother with Nescafe and that kinda shite, go for the local brew. It's da bomb! But do remember to say "kurang manis" (less sugar) if not u'd most likely end up sporting diabetes.


4.  If you're a size M (6-8) in the USA, do not be surprised that you'll most likely be trying on clothes in L or god forbid XL.  Do not despair folks, someone recently told me, "fashion here is mainly catered for non meat eating skinny, flat chested, no-ass girls. Not women with curves like us."  I love her already :)


5. Always, and i cannot emphasize this more, ALWAYS carry tissues and hand sanitizer.  On the occasions that I've gone into public restrooms, I find that they have neither on hand! Needless to say, I've learned to hone in on my bladder control ability but for those of you who need to go, when you need to go, keep 'em tissues handy! 


And errm, while we are on the topic of public restrooms, be prepared for the squat toilets. Great muscle workout but please check on your balance :0)

)

Rape: An extreme force of violence & violation.

Thought I'd write a short note on my views on the issue of rape while i'm waiting on a friend.

RAPE IS RAPE IS RAPE! An extreme force of violence & violation.

When is sex considered rape? Is it only at the point when the first 'No" is uttered? Or when no consent is given at all, like in date rapes where girls are drugged? Or when there is resistance? Who determines the vile nature of this act? And who has the right to judge the act?

This is a topic close to my heart. I've volunteered in half way houses and have gotten to see girls whose lives have been totally screwed up and babies abandoned because they were conceived out of this heinous act. Let's not even get into the topic of abortion. And yes for anybody who wants to know I am pro-abortion. 

What drives people to commit rape? And I say 'people' because there is a rise in the number of males being raped in this day and age. If you read up on any literature, the #1 reason is power play. The need to dominate and control. But all this is textbook. Lemme give u 2 scenarios:

Scenario 1: Girl is 19, studying abroad for the first time. Comes from a very protective family.  She's finished her classes and has returned to the room she was renting.  She has a set pattern whereby each evening she walks about 150m to a nearby stall to buy fresh mango juice. One evening as she is walking back, she hears footsteps and graciously steps aside to let whomever pass on by. The only thing is that the footsteps don't pass her.  She feels one hand close her eyes and another close her mouth. She is less than 75m away from her front gate. She is raped by not 1 but 3 men in broad daylight. She never saw her perpetrators. Bloodied and bruised she walks back only to fall into a dead faint at the doorstep. The caretaker of the house she resided in took her to the hospital where they did a rape test on her. The doctor was male and he too took advantage of her.  She felt violated all over again. Sobbing quietly and wishing she could die. Police questioned her extensively. As well as neighbors who had witnessed the act and guess what it all came down to..."she kinda asked for it!"  All because she was wearing a skirt and t-shirt. Good golly does the sight of a woman's leg turn men to monsters? The men were never identified nor picked up. The girl quit her studies and went back home in shame.

Scenario 2: A 38yr old woman was taken against her will, blindfolded and drugged.  While she was out for the count, she was raped. She can't say for sure but her body tells her so. She can't give details and for this she is ashame. 

So is it still a play for power or someone just having his laughs? How can justice be served? If u ask me, give these individuals a shot gun and let them get their own. 

My Rising Thought

Ever feel like you're up against something which is large and rock solid and no matter how much u try to combat it, it just doesn't give? That's how I feel upon waking up this morning. I'm almost tempted to curl back up and go to sleep...hide from all and the world but that would be going against the nature of who I am. So you know what? I'm going to toss the covers aside (in just a min), brush my teeth and head on out.  Throw the punches if you must. This is not my fight but I'll take the knocks for and from. Because only I know WHO and WHAT i am.

Have a good day y'all!

Doctor Fish Spa

It was one of those mad days where i thought i'd head out to Sunway Pyramid Mall for some look-see considering that the great sale is going on.  Holy Mackerel but i did not expect it to be this crowded.  So I duck into one of the many arteries within the Mall and find myself mossying along Marakkesh Ave.  Boy, did it bring back memories of my trip to Morocco a couple of years back :)

Getting back to my story...I'm walking along window browsing and people watching when i come to a store called Foot Master. Here's me thinking "hey, a good foot massage wouldn't hurt right about now". I pop in only to find lots of small tanks with people sitting around dangling their feet in and lots of fishes surrounding their feet.

Hmm interesting. This must be the much talked about fish spa. I have my reservations about this therapy but since I always live by the motto of doing everything at least once before making a committed judgement, I decided to give it a go.  I thought of my previous two encounters with fish nibbling at me and i have to say i was not super excited.  What were the 2 occasions u ask?

First was when I went for a holiday to the Bahamas.  The waters were crystal clear and i was swimming, just relaxing and enjoying myself when i had the bejezuz shocked outta me.  Little yellow and black striped fishes were nibbling at my toes.  It wasn't painful but it was the scare that i remember. (yea, yea, yea laugh all u want!).  Occasion number two was when I went sea-walking in Borneo.  Now this time it was damn painful.  These creatures had teeth and when I got out I had bite marks all over my legs!

I gingerly make my way over to one of the tanks, picking the one with the tiniest of fishes and sit down.  I'm trying not to make a scene coz i see kids doing this at other tanks too. I stick my feet in and immediately i had about 2 dozen black fishes 'attack' my feet.  My basic and instant reaction was to yank my feet out.  One of the guys who worked there was watching me and with a smile (or more like grin) he said that the fishes did not have teeth and it was more like them sucking on my feet. (Hahaha reminds me of a guy i knew who had a foot fettish).  I stick my feet back in and this time nearly died of laughter, it was so ticklish.  Ever watched that disney animated movie where the whale goes to have himself cleaned by other fishes, like in a carwash?  Hmmm this was my thought.

After about 20mins, I felt braver and decided to venture to one of the other tanks with the bigger fish.  I was expecting about the same thing but boy did i create a small scene.  I let out a yelp and had all heads turn to me....these buggers sucked harder and more ferociously.  My only saving grace was that I knew they were indeed toothless.
So what was the end result. Well it is supposed to promote better blood circulation, cleans and cleanses the pressure points and generate a feeling of wellbeing and freshness. Let's see...i'm still trying to get over the novelty of it :0)

INSANITY

Insane I tell u, so fucking insane! No "how are u? we've missed u. Are u doing ok?"...nothing, nada, zip, ziltch, zero...instead its we need to get this and we need to get that. And oh by the way that's going to be an extra X.....un-fucking-believable!  

Earth to the Dark Angel, here's a reality check for you, sweetheart!

I AM Malaysian but...

I'm sitting at  friend's place watching about 10 koi's swimming in circle. What bliss if life was to be that simple...to swim around in a cared environment without any stress :)  Its amazing what people do these days to turn their homes into living pieces of art.  Who'd have thought to have a Balinese garden within the space of an apartment unit? Unfortunately I don't have my camera with me.  I wonder if he put this together or had an interior designer do it up for him, hmm! Kudos all the same....just have to make sure that i don't get too comfy snuggled in all these pillows and fall asleep listening to Andre Bocelli and the sound of water flowing...blissfully divine! 

Its Aug 3rd today. Exactly a year ago I boarded the flight back to Washington, DC after having lived in Malaysia for a year.  So much has transpired in this year.  And today, I find myself once again back in Kuala Lumpur (capital city of Malaysia) but on summer vacation.  Over the past couple of weeks, a number of people have asked me why do I still continue living abroad. Isn't 10yrs long enough and should I not be thinking of returning home.  It's an interesting question and has brought about many hours of reflection but the answer is NO.

I love Malaysia and always will consider it home.  I realize though that I feel a little of a disconnect with life and the going ons here. Small things bother me like the traffic, haze, littering and haphazard spitting.  Going into public restrooms and not finding either toilet paper or soap . People rushing into an elevator before an elderly man could get out (he was using a walker mind u!!!) And let's not get into the country's politics, education system or even how the HR profession is viewed here...arrgghhh! 

BUT wait up a sec, for all the cons to living here, there are pros:  the beautiful and gorgeous family and friends whom i miss dearly when I'm in DC. The night life which is fantastic. The ability to get food at 3am in the morning which doesn't taste like a pound of nothingness but grease. Kopi Tarik (local coffee *2 thumbs up*). One of the world's most  gorgeous dive spots, Sipadan. And of course not forgetting the freedom to use phases such as "bodohlah hang-ni", "ya meh?" or just plain ole "lah" at the end of a sentence :0)

Seriously though, it's not about USA vs Malaysia.  It's more so the sense of freedom and independence. Of not being judged (I'm an asian woman after all!). I'm 38 and if i was to count the numbers of years i've lived away from the nest it's more than 50%.  I do dabble every now and then with the idea of coming home but the pull isn't strong enough as yet.  Who knows, maybe it'll be my retirement destination...the final leg of my gypsy life...

Oh hell, i think i'm coming across as being anti-social...oops!  (I so love this mobile blogging function).

Toodles for now.