Say ‘Good night!’ and Go

The video above is United 300. The winner of the recent MTV Movie Awards. I couldn’t think of anything else to share off the top of my head.

Speaking of my head, I do vividly recall the time I was goofing about with an old pair of skates that didn’t quite fit. We didn’t have a helmet, so I was unprotected. I think I was around 11 or 12 at the time. I held on to the bars in front of the windows and let my feet scramble uncontrollably (just like in those cartoons). Somehow, I let go of the bars when the skates came loose and I remember falling, hitting the side of my head on to the concrete floor. A second later, when the white fog lifted from my eyes, this was the first thing that came to mind: “Cool! My head BOUNCED!”

Because I had done something silly and was liable to get a scolding, I didn’t mention this incident to my parents. There was no swelling, no cuts, no apparent damage and surprisingly, no pain.

Today, while surfing the health pages (I was looking up astigmatism because the optometrist said my astigmatism was really bad), I came across ‘Concussion‘. While I did see stars (one of the symptoms of a concussion), what’s more alarming is this:

Occasionally, a person who has a more serious concussion develops new symptoms over time and feels worse than he or she did before the injury. This is called post-concussive syndrome. If you have symptoms of post-concussive syndrome, call your doctor. Symptoms of post-concussive syndrome include:

* Changes in your ability to think, concentrate, or remember.
* Headaches or blurry vision.
* Changes in your sleep patterns, such as not being able to sleep or sleeping all the time.
* Changes in your personality such as becoming angry or anxious for no clear reason.
* Lack of interest in your usual activities.
* Changes in your sex drive.
* Loss of your sense of taste or smell.
* Feeling that you are spinning, whirling, falling, or tilting. These describe vertigo, or a sensation that you or your surroundings are moving when there is no movement. Vertigo may make you lightheaded or nauseated, and you may throw up. You may also have trouble standing or walking and lose your balance.

What alarms me is that I think I finally know why I can never remember what Mum told me. She blames it on my not paying attention to her. But I do listen! It’s just that it feels as if my memory has been wiped out and I have no recollection of our conversation. So that first symptom is what I have. I only seem to remember trivial things, such as birthdays of people who don’t remember my own birthday or even me! Considering I have very few close friends, I have loads of irrelevant birthdates stored in memory. March 25th - LPK, May 4th - YSF, May 10th - AC, May 23rd - a crush, June 1st - an a**hole who called me an aborigine in class when I was in Form 4 (or 5), among others. All these people don’t remember who I am, I’m sure.

Hamburg Song
- Keane

I don’t wanna be adored
Don’t wanna be first in line
Or make myself heard
I’d like to bring a little light
To shine a light on your life
To make you feel loved

No, don’t wanna be the only one you know
I wanna be the place you call home

I lay myself down
To make it so, but you don’t want to know
I give much more
Than I’d ever ask for

Will you see me in the end
Or is it just a waste of time
Trying to be your friend
Just shine, shine, shine
Shine a little light
Shine a light on my life
Warm me up again

Fool, I wonder if you know yourself at all
You know that it could be so simple

I lay myself down
To make it so, but you don’t want to know
You take much more
Than I’d ever ask for

Say a word or two to brighten my day
Do you think that you could see your way

To lay yourself down
And make it so, but you don’t want to know
You take much more
Than I’d ever ask for

=============================================

** This song always makes me cry because it’s so true! I’ve always given more than I ever asked for. *tears up*

…so let’s celebrate! I gained 2kg in two months (maybe less than two months), there are no weighing scales at Tesdec for me to regularly weigh myself. I decided to see if I had lost weight when I came home last week and surprise! 52kg. My weight range is usually between 48kg and 50kg. I always try to stick to the 50kg weight.

As you know, skinny people have a problem gaining weight. I do think it was a combination of these factors:

1. Eating keropok lekor after class (not regularly, of course)
2. All that walking and climbing the stairs (exercise) got me hungry.
3. Adequate sleep (though it was often distrupted by other people’s alarm clocks/noises) - Slept before 12am and got up around 6:30am (set my alarm for 7am - rarely wake up to that).

Ugh, I guess this means that since I’m out of that place, I’ll actually have to exercise and sweat! Nooo… XD

I just got back from tesdec this afternoon. Logged on to check my e-mail and noted the comment left on my last post. Welcome, Feisal! =)

Went to this site to moderate the comment and noticed the beta2 in the today.com logo. So far, I like! More user-friendly with all those links, instead of that frustrating page I got to where I had to log in and click on one of those buttons (if memory serves). See, it was so boring that I can hardly remember it!

I am going to see (well, if I get the book) my name in print for the second time. The first was in the Super Arang Man book (thank you, Irwan) and soon, it will be seen in this:

For good measure, I’ve added it to my wish list. Since it would probably be more economical to be sent locally (this is based in the UK), here’s a tip. Order it for yourself and then order some other item to get the Free Shipping (on orders worth over £15). And then hope that sending it over to me won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

If all else fails, I’ll just ask my aunt to get it for me. *grin* It won’t be out until August 17th. Just right after my birthday *nudge nudge hint hint*

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wishlist/3DBFBGE7I4ZS/203-6003914-4421524

More posts later.

For finally winning the Oscar for Best Director. It just goes to show if you keep doing it and live well into your 70s, you’ll eventually win something. I don’t know about Peter O’Toole though. But I just saw that he’s only 74. He’s got at least 15 years in him.

At 8:26am, I was awakened by my ringing cellphone. It was that shady character again. I let it ring and it died after the second ring because my battery was empty. Yaay! I’m sure he’ll get the hint eventually. Anyway, to get him a little confused, I’ve changed my caller ringtone. It’s no longer that classic Chinese New Year song, Cai Shen Dao. I’ve replaced it with an instrumental James Horner composition for the Soundtrack of Apocalypto, The Storyteller’s Dream. I get to at least maintain some form of respectability if some company is trying to contact me. =)

There I was, thinking I only had three days at the hellhole training center and then on the first day back, the SiGt3ch guy tells us that we will still have our 5-day stretch of classes as usual, which mean staying back on Friday and Saturday. I have another week of that before the schedule returns to normal.

Thank goodness I still managed to catch Heroes that Saturday, since my class ended at 5:15pm. The two instructors hatched this idea of a group photo. My camera battery was dying and I hoped it wouldn’t conk on me in the midst of all the ‘chaos’ (people keeping the equipment, arranging themselves in the best possible position). The first photo was passable, but I tried to zoom in a little more and got the SiGt3ch guy to snap it for us once again, but he either shook or the dying battery was making the focusing difficult.

Note to self: bring camera cables to recharge camera.

Parents know I brought the camera, and so far no objections.

I’ve always heard that orange juice tastes crappy just after you’ve brushed your teeth. I’ve never tried this before because I don’t want to drink crappy orange juice.

This morning, Mum told me I could drink the milk in the fridge. I gulped about half down when I noticed the bowl of jackfruit (nangka). I decided to eat some. And then I drank the milk.

Yuck BLEAUUURGHH! XÞ was my reaction.

It’s a taste I can’t describe, just that it tasted heavy on my tongue and I was hesistant to finish my milk, but me being me and not wanting to waste anything, I just drank it.

Just the other day, I had bought two squid balls (sotong balls) from the cafeteria. Before paying, I saw my friend replace all the sotong balls that she had taken earlier with keropok lekor (fish crackers that almost look like a gray hotdog, but sliced diagonally). She told me they were ‘Masam’ (sour), which didn’t compute in my brain as ‘gone bad’. I took one bite and that’s when I realised what she meant. XD I was just thankful I only bought two. I ate both, and my friend was surprised I still ate them after what she told me.

Yup, crazy is me. But hey…I’m STILL alive! Now hush when I keep reminding my parents about expiry dates.

One of the proprietors at the cafeteria brings her children along to work and the youngest is a girl aged 4. Her name’s Aqilah or something to that affect. Sure, she looks angelic and sweet here. BUT DON’T LET APPEARANCES FOOL YOU! She bites, she kicks, she takes things, she lifts shirts at the back while people are trying to eat…

The roomies on my side of the room have taken a liking to her and we do give her the attention that she’s not getting from her busy parents. But it sure wears my patience thin. Many a time, I have shot down the urge to just shake some sense into her. I know, I know, she’s only four and she’s only doing this to get some attention.

Two days (Sunday and Monday) off for Chinese New Year for the first time in Terengganu. Prior to this, it was only a day compared to the rest of the states. This means that I’ll only have to endure three days at TESDEC! Next week will see the start of my hands-on training. The class is supposed to be divided into four groups (five members each, except for one with just four) and I’m not going to pick members like what my friend is doing. I’ll join any group. As long as work is done, I’m fine. I’m not going to go all obssessed and choose the most hardworking members, and then see that everybody’s already found their team members and I’m not included. Yes, I’ve had experience in the past with this. I’m fine, I tell you. =)