Thirty Three Degrees!

We had friends over to ours today- lunch, dinner and movie…

The menu? It was what we call ‘Paya Soup’ in our part of the world- it was something we used to have may be once a year- a cholesterol filled soup made with leg bones and cooked on stove with lots of herbs and spices for 12+ hours. Because it is so bad for you- it is also delicious- as you know that’s how things work in this world… It is one of those things you nag to mommy about, after all mommies get blackmailed easily. Well…. usually.

swinging my feet…, originally uploaded by Princess Cy.

This friend lost her mommy some years back and hasn’t had that soup since then. She asked me to call her when I make it next. I did. In fact, it was cooked because she asked- I don’t cook it that often otherwise. It meant some that she had asked.

So yea- we ended up having a good time- lazy chats about alien landings and conspiracy theories, the 33 degrees heat outside, the air conditioner, the cone ice creams, a fluffy cat roaming around- it was lazy good; and now that everyone has gone back to their homes- I’m slowly calling it a day… a day I made myself happy by opening up to the world just a little bit.

G’day to you, too!

Halloween and Murphy

The first year we came to Australia- I bought for candies for the kids who may knock my door for trick or treating. No one came and we thought ‘May be Halloween is not as big in Aussieland’.

It really wasn’t. I always thought it should, though. It is such a cute festival… carved pumpkins, dressed up little devils, candies… its crazy cute; yes it is! I got candies the following years, too. Still no kid knocked my door, and Crazy and I ate them later. None of us are big candy fans- but oh well…

It’s Halloween Time!, originally uploaded by LostMyHeadache.

This year- I did not buy candies and had friends over for dinner on the Halloween night; and three (yes, THREE!) kids dressed as ‘Joker’, ‘Devil’ and some other Spooky character from those books that I did not recognise- came over.

Told ya, dude…. Murphy loves me! Believe it, will you?

Anyway- after a two-minute frantic search in my IKEA goodie basket on the kitchen counter- I found a bar of Twist, a bar of Turkish Delight (which was like my staple food during the flu) and a Kinder Surprise. It was a happy thing that I found them! I’d have thrown a fit if I did not! Sometimes, for a non-chocolate person like me, being an impulse buyer of chocolates does come handy, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile I think the evolving Aussie culture is picking up Halloween. I’m happy for that … and Mr. Murphy, here is something for you:

‘Ha! Howzzat?! I beat ya!’

The Happy Gambler

This week just flew…. maybe because this was an insanely busy week. That’s mostly a good thing.

I’m at work now- sipping my morning coffee waiting for the weekend to start. I’m relaxed today- in my new short hair, hints of summer in the air, my grandmother’s watch, comfortable Friday shoes- Fridays can never be too bad anyway.

it started out with a kiss…, originally uploaded by jpghouse.

We have a Halloween party invitation this weekend and have plans for meeting up an ex-colleague- but so far I’m not sure which one to choose… or if I’m choosing either. The party would be full of strangers from Crazy’s work and everywhere else… and the ex-colleague is new in town and lonely….

Oh well, next week will be a short one with the Melbourne Cup holiday on Tuesday. That reminds me that I must do some serious betting… or, at least, get one of those fancy headwears- a small black and white one, may be? Yes, I must!

Sadly, I have no clue about horses- which one should I bet for? Suggestions, anyone?

Grampzie!

Guess who is back from the Grampians! ME ME ME!

流水, originally uploaded by liesl1020.

It was a nice getaway. Very nice, in fact. Grampians is beautiful in itself and it was a crazy beautiful weather, too! It was all ‘win’- the amazing part of Greater Victoria in all her glory.

This time, unlike all other times, we went with a big group- a group of EIGHT! I was nervous at first- being my anti-social self and all, you know? But- I ended up enjoying a LOT! I realize- if you are the kind that likes to keep to yourself and participate only when YOU feel like it (translation: no pushing me around to make me participate; that does not work with me), big groups are better. No one notices you especially out of their ways, and I find that very ‘liberating’.

Strangely, even with all my weird issues and my inability to ‘mix’ with people- I ended up making friends. That does not happen to me too often!

Fair enough. Since I lost some friends, I might as well- make some new ones!

Life is going on. And it’s going great! Yaaay!

Saving words

A lot has happened this year, a lot. Not all good. In the past one year, I am minus some friends… and family.

Now it’s time to move on.

I was looking back at last year’s emails-and let’s just say I had more friends last year. I don’t miss those I lost, not all of them anyway. I sometimes miss those emails though. The emails that said that I am a good friend for them through their thick and thin, and that I am a matured enough person to not judge them just because some things had gone much differently than I’d have expected them to….

Nice stuff to write… not very sincere though . Lots have happened, yes- and I’ve been locked out- out of the door, in the dark… suddenly I’m not that friend anymore, suddenly I am a part of the whole outer world- no one special… just a face in the crowd that no one looks out for.

I am the same person though- the same friend, I am still not judging and I won’t either. But it’s not up to me anymore, I guess. It takes two.

Moving on now. I wish them well. I guess even they did not know what they meant when those words were uttered. I think I did though, and I was here to tell them that… only that, no one looked my way.

No, not really.

I saved some words. That’s not too bad!

Bubble Wrap

You know you are sort-of doomed when you start to like Thursdays… because it leans towards the end of the week- even when it requires you wear those uncomfortable women’s shoes… even when you know you will still have one more day of the week to get through….

I have started to like Thursdays…. it is full of promises of a Friday. I’m waiting for tomorrow- its Thursday tomorrow.

Simpol, originally uploaded by Ronald Suello™.

I am waiting for December, too. Even when I know that the Christmas break does not start till the end of that month, even when life is not going as I had expected it to… because if it did- I would have been in a land where it is not summer in December- a place that was my home once, a place that I miss sometimes. Yea, it’s still alright- not perfect, no- but nothing really ever is.

I’m also waiting for my trip this weekend- but I’m sad to leave the kitten behind.

It’s his birthday today; I wonder what can I do for him today that would tell him how happy I am that he is part of my world? Don’t say birthday parties, those would be more for me than him…. I wonder what can I do that would make him happy? Get back home earlier than usual, perhaps? Yea, may be.

I’m glad I have things to wait for. Today is not going too well; but I am happy I have things to look forward to- a kitten waiting for me at home, a Thursday, a trip to the hills, a Christmas break…. I’m glad that even when things are not perfect- I have not ‘lost’ it.

Life is silly- because even though it’s not perfect, it’s enchanting…. even when it does not go as you’d have liked it to, it is full of fresh surprises wrapped in a bubble wrap… and if not anything else- hey- let’s play with those bubble wraps until there is not a single bubble to ‘plop’!

THAT is when you give up- when the bubble wrap is flat- and NOT a second before that.

Shiuli

Life was simpler then.

When ‘hartals’ meant ‘no school’; and heavy rain meant ‘rainy day holidays’. Rain was ‘fun’ by default- walking barefoot on the grass under that ‘Shiuli’ tree during school ‘tiffin time’, picking up the fallen white and orange from the grass, making beautiful garlands, pretending we were fairies in an enchanted garden.

God’s own…, originally uploaded by Devdatta Bhattacharya.

I always thought Shiuli was a beautiful flower. It’s been a while since I last saw one. I miss it sometimes. I miss the freshness, the newness. It’s amazing how fresh a handful of Shiuli always looks.

Life is not as simple now. Now, fun trips mean planning for them- packing bags, calling the cat boarding, filling out leave forms, making lists….

Life is still good- with shared laughters, cute purring kittens, pulling your leg, new hairstyles and rude jokes at your expense- or mine… but sometimes, on a sunny day like this one- I wish I had some time for the beach- for the deep blue water with white foams and the light blue sky with white fluffy clouds, or for the white and orange flowers I used to love and still do, and that life was as simple as it was before…

… a long long time ago.

Tripper

We are going on a trip next weekend- a trip to the hills again, but a different set of those than the last time. Hills are good, not as good as the ocean though- but it’s warmer there on the hills around this time of the year. Oceans can be nasty chilly. Beautiful, yes- but nasty chilly.

I like the planning and preparations of trips- or lack of it- I should rather say that I like the ‘anticipation’- the dream of hills, greens, planning on what clothes to take and how many is not too less (I hate heavy bags!), making a list of bare necessities, contemplating if the mobile phone can be left behind (Oh.. how I hate mobile phones!)…

Coca-Cola, originally uploaded by Leonrw.

You can say I am much ‘antsy’ these days; and if I could take the kitten with me, it would have been perfect. I’m not. You see, cats are not fond of ‘travelling’- they are nervous and stressed at the thought of leaving the house- car trips, cat carriages, new smells and environment… hence, he goes to a cat boarding on Friday- two days after his first birthday.

That’s right! The littlest cutest kitten turns 1 on the 21st! Time flies, doesn’t it?!

In some other news- I’m at work, this is Monday morning and I need a break.

Who’s this girl?

The Terra Darkly, originally uploaded by Ehtesham.

Mornings…

I am not a morning person- waking up to an alarm clock would be in my top-5 hate list; but I love to be greeted by the kitten when I get out of the bedroom. I love the way he would do those ‘love meows’, purrs, kneads and nibbles on my chin and ears. He’ll smell me- again and again…. and in the process he’ll tell me that he loves me, that I am his ‘human’.

I don’t like waking up in the mornings, but the kitten makes up for it on many mornings. It counts for more than I can explain.

Cherry blossom time, originally uploaded by Xerones.

My mornings are usually blurred, that is when I have music in my ears and sleep in my eyes; and chances are that I did not notice you when you walked past me in the station. It takes me months to notice a billboard that’s been there in the tram stop and I cannot get myself to be excited about anything at all- not even a promise of free coffee at Krispy Cremes. .

I am happy to see those pigeons though- one of the things I love in the mornings is wading through those pigeons all over the streets near my work. I love the way they don’t notice me, the way they are unafraid of me.

Mornings are peaceful- even when my head is so devoid of thoughts, even when I had to tear myself from my much-loved morning sleep. Because it’s the time the kitten pours his love on me and the symbol of peace shares my pavement.

It’s also the time of the day when the cherry blossoms look its best.