Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Deliver Us From Dubai

Dubai is an evil place, I say. Eeevil! Eeeev-vil!! Not only has it turned me into a chubby, couch-surfer-potato, but I seem to have become a real bumbling idiot since coming to Dubai. First I killed my iPod. And just last week, I almost murdered my baby, Bob...

Bob is my Powerbook G4. Actually, I call all the Macs I've had before "Bob" for some unknown reason. So anyway, back to current Bob, who almost died in my clumsy hands... urm, feet actually. Being the typical short Asian, and wearing pyjamas that were bought from "angmoh-land", I tripped on my super-long pyjama pants, which then led me to trip over the power cord of my Powerbook, which then led to Bob FALLING!

Luckily, the power cord cushioned the fall a little, so Bob is unharmed and in good health, but in a temporary coma till I get a new power adaptor 'cos the needle part of it is a gonner.

So I headed out to the Mac Store at Ibn Battuta Mall, the ONLY Mac Store in the WHOLE of Dubai. As expected, based on Dubai standards, they were out of stock. Guy at the Mac shop says, there'll be new stock coming in on Thursday, so maybe the power adaptor will be here by Thursday.

I ask, maybe? What do you mean maybe?

--- Oh, we receive stock every Thursday, and this adaptor has been out of stock for more than two weeks already, so maybe it will arrive with this week's stock.
--- You mean you don't know what stock you're expecting?
--- No.
--- Are there other Mac stores in Dubai?
--- No.
--- Could you please call me on Thursday to let me know if the power adaptor is in?
--- Yes.

And of course, as expected, based on Dubai standards, he didn't call.

So I called the shop on Thursday and was informed that the adaptor did not arrive with the new stock. So how can I order it in? The guy quickly washes his hands of this "problem" by giving me the numbers of two Apple resellers in Dubai. These two did not have the Powerbook power adaptor either. One said new stock would be arriving next week, and another said maybe in two weeks.

I wasn't very upset about all this 'cos I already expected not to get a positive reply from any of these dumbasses. I mean, even Customer Service managers here can promise to call you back in 15 minutes or the next day, and then you don't hear from him or her ever again. This is the incompetent service standards that we're forced to bear with here, so I really wasn't expecting much. People here have no sense of urgency and no initiative whatsoever. The answer for everything is "Insya Allah" (God-willing). Like, Oh, I'm just gonna chat on the phone while speeding and running red lights. Insya-Allah, I won't get caught. Or, Hmm... 38 people have asked for the Powerbook Adaptor but it's out of stock and I'm just an employee. Insya-Allah someone from HQ will order it in with the coming new stock.

So if I actually ask the guy at the store, Is the adaptor arriving with this week's stock?, it's very normal to get a reply like, Insya-Allah, it will. Must be amazing to have so much faith huh. Apple Middle East does not have an online store, so if I was impatient, I could order it from Singapore n fork out a shitload of money to have it shipped over to this region. So I've decided to have a little "faith" and wait. Ben refuses to assimilate into the lepak-bo-chap culture here, so he was pissed.

So what did he do? He got a new baby! Here she is, a HP Pavillion dv6000 series.


I don't know if he actually has a name for her, but he definitely has a name for this other uber babe he drooled over at the computer shop. He wanted to get the latest iMac G5! Dubai has changed Ben too. From technological luddite, he's transformed overnight into this Mac-crazy, web-savvy techie! So Ben's like, for just a little more we could get this baby!

The one that got away...

Unfortunately I had to peel Ben away from the line-up of iMacs and he had to settle for the HP. Poor thing... His eyes still light up each time he goes on and on about how "sexy" this babe is.

After more than two weeks, waiting for a bloody Powerbook power adaptor to find its way to Dubai is like waiting for a miracle to happen. There are three shops that confirm that they've ordered it in, saying, call again on Monday, so when I do, they say, It didn't arrive this week, call again next Tuesday, and so I wait some more...... Ben and I are still waiting for Dubai to deliver. Or at least we pray, deliver us from Dubai.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Serendipity, Destiny n Soulmates

Ben had not seen the movie Serendipity before, so I borrowed the DVD for him last week. After watching it, he says it's a really nice movie but I think it's just 'cos Kate Beckinsale's in it. Anyway, I'd like to share my two cents' worth about destiny, and how it shouldn't be confused with serendipity.

I'm sure we all have believed in fate, destiny, that kinda stuff, in a hopeless-romantic-kinda-way, at a certain point in our lives. I mean, the fact that every step you take leads you somewhere is pretty idiotically obvious. But where it leads you or where you end up is what makes you believe it's serendipity, destiny, or just plain bad luck.

Like say, your neighbours decide to karaoke at 6 in the morning one day, so you wake up earlier than usual and decide to take the bus to work instead of a cab or the MRT, and on the bus, you meet X, who is, say, a long lost friend. So after this encounter, you keep in touch with X, and later get to know Z through X. Now Z turns out to be this really great girl or guy and you fall in love. So then you say, it's serendipity! We were destined to be together! If my damn neighbours didn't feel the need to kill every Celine Dion song in their karaoke directory that fateful morning, I may never have met Z!

But let's say, Z turns out to be pond scum, spends all your money, tells you you're a fat loser, and cheats on you. Destiny? Uh, I don't think so. You wouldn't even dare say something like, Oh, I was destined to meet Z anyway 'cos my experience with him/her taught me a lesson or two. No! At that point, you're heart-broken and ask yourself, why me?!! Your friends try to comfort you, saying all things happen for a reason, and you think that's the worst piece of crap you've ever heard.

Or let's say, you have all the qualifications necessary but just can't clinch that dream job 'cos that potential employer feels you're just not "white" enough, or you're too young or too old, or they just wanna hire anyone else but you. So you think, that's not destiny, it's just plain bull-crap. Or you have a fight with your boss and quit your job. Then you're left jobless and broke for many months. Now, you wouldn't call that fate 'cos it was you who decided to resign, right?

So then, some of us believe that we decide our own fate. It's in our hands. Or is it, really?

If you actually sketch out a chart of all the people you know... Draw the connections, y'know, like a Friendster or Multiply kinda structure or a family tree, but chronologically. People connected/related to you from as far back as you can remember till now. Not enough space, use mahjong paper or something lah.

Looking at this huge chart, think of every eventful moment in your life and note it down, chronologically too. Like, if that event did not take place, you wouldn't be where you are or who you are right now. If the event links to someone who's on the chart, draw the connection. If the event was of your own doing, circle it in red. If it was an act beyond your control, circle it green.

Now you may realise, that the red circles - what you may not consider "fate" - is connected by or connected to some people or "green" events on your chart. So what the heck does all this waste of time, marker ink and mahjong paper tell you? We can't really decide our fate. We have the power to make important decisions, the will to make significant changes, but it all still leads to someone or something, and that someone or something also had a path of its own, till his/her/its path met yours.

We are all destined to be somewhere, sometime, at some point or phase in our lives. We confuse "destiny" with "serendipity", reserving this term only for romantic stuff, but the good, and the bad, happen whether we like it or not. We may avoid disaster at one point, but encounter it at another. We sometimes come across a fork in the road, and years later, think about the "what ifs" if only we had chosen a different path. Whether you're in the shit right now, or in a very happy place, it's always good to remember that it's destiny that brought you to this very point.

So you made a big mistake which caused you to lose a lot of money, or lose a friend, or a "soulmate", or even a life. Believing in destiny doesn't mean you're not responsible for your mistakes, 'cos you definitely are. You COULD have done things differently. You COULD have said things differently. You COULD have thought twice before taking the plunge. But you DIDN'T. That's destiny.

Now that we're on this subject, here's what I think about "soulmates" too. Some of us don't believe in the "phenomenon" of finding one's soulmate. That soulmates don't exist. So the non-romantic version is that people just settle for someone who has the most "checks" on one's Mr or Ms Right list, and couples just live semi-happily ever after. Or you do meet someone who fits the bill, you're blissfully happy together, but you still don't believe in that fate-destiny-soulmate- all-the-pieces-fit kinda stuff.

Then there are the "soulmate-believers" who desperately search for The One. Now the trouble with this belief is that once you're in your 30s (or 28 for women) and still very, very single and alone, you begin to panic. You dread every Chinese New Year or big family gathering and weddings. You know... Nosey relatives or unknowingly insensitive friends turning to you and going, "So........" You know what question comes next. I remember when I attended my Montessori practical training and the lecturer asked me in front of the whole class, "You're 28, not married, and no boyfriend? Ayo! Poor thing! How come?" And everyone in class gasped and looked at me with pity.

So then you think, shit... Where the hell is my soulmate? Knight in shining armour too busy building a career while studying part-time to attain a bloody degree or Masters just to keep up with the brat-race? Damsels no longer in distress, knights waiting for their knights... What happened to the classic fairytale romance? So you either give up completely, thinking there's no such thing as a soulmate. Or you realise, "Sheila who gave me herpes or Darren who insisted that polygamy rocks was my soulmate and I let him/her slip away! I met my soulmate, The One for me, and I screwed up and now I'll have to settle for second best or just grow old alone."

It's pretty scary to believe in this kinda shit 'cos it messes with you big time. Then, there's the version of destiny-soulmate-romance that I'm most comfortable with. Firstly, we have to define "soulmate". A soulmate, not to be confused with a kindred spirit, refers to someone of the opposite sex, unless you are bisexual or homosexual of course (yes, gays can find gay soulmates too - It's a fair world out there for some). But like a kindred spirit, he/she relates to you in such a way that no one else can. You both share the same level of understanding, tolerance, passion... the list goes on. Everything fits, everything falls into place. It's like you were meant to be together, like two peas in a pod, almost like twins separated at birth except that that sounds a little too incestuous.

So I believe there are people out there who turn out to be one's soulmate. But a soulmate does not necessarily have to be The One you live happily ever after with. You could go through life never meeting one, or you could actually find more than one soulmate. Yes, more than One, so no such thing as The One and only. A soulmate does not have to end up becoming your spouse, or being "the one that got away". You could meet one when you're 20, another when you're 30, another when you're 50...

In the end, it's all about meeting the right one, at the right time. If you look back at past relationships you've had (just the good ones, and if you have a few to look back upon), you may realise that this person was so right for you but it just didn't work out. That doesn't mean that all hope is lost. It just means that you met a right one, but at the wrong time. Perhaps he/she was not ready, or vice versa. Or you get to know someone and the both of you get along so well, like soulmates, but he/she is already taken, or vice versa.

I guess that's why hopeless romantics like me believe that marriage isn't just a Sacrament or official solemnisation. It's not about finding The One and falling head over heels. It's all about destiny. Every step you took, and every step he took, every person you met, and every person he met, every significant moment and decision in each of your lives that spun that messy web all over your mahjong paper till, at that very precise and perfect moment, your paths crossed.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Benjamin, pronounced ben-yah-meen in Arabic, has picked up a penchant for guns and weapons ever since coming to the United Arab Emirates, causing fear and terror among colleagues, and even creating our once peaceful household into a Special Weapons And Tactics training zone. His two years of training in the army has proven useful, as he is able to apply a bit of what he was trained to do in combat here. Skills like target accuracy and war strategy, as well as a no fear, no holds barred type of aggression.

Some of his victims are wiped out mercilessly ever since he acquired this powerful and deadly weapon from Malaysia.

Purchased from his mother-in-law’s favourite household supplies shop in PJ Old Town. 'Em mozzies and flies stand no chance against the mighty Benyahmeen, the one-man "SWAT" force, if they dare venture into our humble abode.


Here he is, decked out in full gear, with a gun he purchased recently, through a counterpart’s contact.


It’s a Piranha R6 E-Force - .68 caliber full-auto paintball marker, equipped with threaded aluminium barrel (aerospace grade), raised sight rail, velocity adjust and electro mechanical multi-mode trigger frame. Powered by CO2 or N2, it delivers 12+ shots per second!


Ben picked up the Paintballing hobby recently with a bunch of colleagues. He actually only went once on 1st May, and a whole group of 60 colleagues have another session planned on 31st May. Bad news for me, since Aerosmith is performing in Dubai for one night only on that day. Good news for the mozzies and flies since there'll be at least one day of ceasefire.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Seeing Stars

The 8th and 9th of May is our wedding anniversary. 8th and 9th, 'cos Benjamin and I were officially married at the Registrar of Marriages in Singapore on 8th May 2006, and then married in Assumption Church, PJ the following day.

Ben won a free night's stay at the Burj Al Arab from a lucky draw held at a senior chefs' party last year, so we celebrated our first anniversary a few days ago at the Hotel.


Inside view of the hotel floors from mezzanine, night, and day.

Burj Al Arab boasts that it's the only SEVEN-star all-suite hotel in the world, but the 6th and 7th stars are self-appropriated. So Ben and I thought, 7-star? Let's put their name to the test...

Check-in time is 3pm, and we are greeted at the entrance by Hanna, a personal guest services executive, whom we know.

The "white" part of the Hotel (the "billowing sail" part). Pictured on the right is the view of the lobby and mezzanine from above.

While waiting for Hanna to process our check-in, I look around the lobby, flanked on each side by floor-to-ceiling marine aquariums. There are two divers in the "tanks", feeding the fish. Ben says they are not contracted divers, but regular staff of the Hotel.

The walls on each floor is painted a different colour tone to create that rainbow-gradient effect.

Hanna escorts us to our suite on the 9th floor, and introduces us to the concierge. Every floor has a personal concierge, who is at the guests' beck and call 24 hours a day. Apart from the usual housekeeping personnel, there are also personal butlers should you wish to have things "done" for you.

The view of each floor from above, and the concierge desk on each floor.

We are upgraded from a "normal" suite to a panoramic suite, which is supposed to be about two and a half times the size of a "normal" one. Panoramic suites are located at the "corners" of the Hotel, two per level.

We have mentioned before that all suites are made up of two floors, and so the first thing that greets us as we enter the suite is the grand staircase from the first floor, up to the bedroom.


Ben n I spend the next few minutes taking pictures all over the suite. I skip and sashay from one end of the suite to the other, as Ben performs cartwheels and stunts.


The view to our left is Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and Madinat Jumeirah to the right. On the other side of the suite, the whole length of the Palm Jumeirah is visible on the horizon.


We are given fresh fruits (served on a silver platter, literally), dates, Arabic sweet and savoury tidbits, orange juice and a complimentary bottle of red wine.


Ben and I also enjoy the last piece of our wedding cake, saved from last year, frozen and brought over all the way from PJ. (From the lovely cake from Aunty Rita, not the ghastly, gaudy blue one).


A remote control works the TV, as well as the curtains. If someone rings the doorbell, a camera connected to the TV shows you who's at the door. Movie and Playstation DVDs are available from the concierge should a guest wish to have some "clean" in-suite fun.


Another TV is located on the second level, facing the infamous bed with the large mirror above it. This one's not the kinky revolving one though... That bed is only available in the Royal Suite.


The pillows are SUPER soft! I mean, really, seriously, super-duper soft. You feel as though you're lying on cotton candy as your head softly settles into a pillow of clouds...

The bathroom on the second floor is probably the most extravagant of all. One look at it and you go, Whoa...


All the toiletries are super-sized, free to use as you wish or to take home. We're talking full-sized bottles of Hermès perfumes, lotions, shampoos, shower gels, plus bath salts and bath effervescents... Even the men's razor isn't one of those cheapo disposable ones that one would have to pay for at a hotel in Taiwan. It's a Gillette Mach-whatever one!

So, many hotels have jacuzzi-equipped bathrooms... But here, we also have "power in the shower"! An additional 3 jets for the ultimate shower experience!


Ben and I head down to the beach before sunset. A buggy takes us to Majlis al Bahar, the cafe/bar by the beach. We walk towards Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and then back the other way towards Mina a'Salam (at Madinat Jumeirah).


We order some snacks and drinks which cost AED220.


Our dinner reservation at Al Mahara is at 10pm, and we are escorted to the waiting area for the "submarine" ride to the restaurant. After sitting in the "submarine" for about 10 minutes, we are informed to take the elevator instead 'cos the sub is out of order. We're told this happens quite often and just last week, a few guests were trapped in the sub when it broke down halfway.

The "submarine" seats about 8 people. It's supposed to be a "simulated submarine ride" but is actually just a tram of some sort.

We are seated next to the giant aquarium, and the restaurant seats about 70-80 guests.

Our table is the only one in the restaurant with two wine buckets, as we are served rosé champagne the minute we're seated, and have a bottle of Riesling too. I probably had only half a glass of each.

Darrell, the Chef de Cuisine, comes up to our table a few times to present a particular dish or just to chat, as the menu is specialised for us. Ben turns pale and looks at me wearily as Darrell describes one of the dishes... "Shark's fin broth, shark's fin springroll..."


The caviar dish is superb! And the amount of Beluga caviar we're served (30gms each) can pay for 2 return tickets back to Singapore!

Throughout dinner, Ben insists that the huge humphead wrasse is terrorising him, as it swims past slowly and stares at him with its big, bulging eyes.


The soup course, lobster bisque with cognac, kinda gets us hammered. The ratio of cognac to bisque is like 3:1. I still finish half of it 'cos you know how I love soup, but Ben is a gonner after a few spoonfuls. So that spoils the rest of our dinner 'cos our heads are pounding and we can no longer enjoy any more wine or champagne.


The palate cleanser before the main course is also laced with hard liquor, so after a few sips, Ben n I are both cross-eyed and seeing stars.

It really is a pity that we're both so full and mabuk by the time the main course is served 'cos it's really yummy. Turbot and foie gras... a REALLY huge piece of FG. I have to say though, I can't be a fine dining gourmand leh... I don't really like foie gras! I find it kinda yucky and "jelak". But paired with the turbot and sauce, it's really good. If only I could have "ta-pau"ed my leftovers, 'cos I must have wasted at least 80gms of super expensive FG there.

Ben brings me to the kitchen to meet a few of the guys and see where he works. After dinner, we're presented with a lovely chocolate mousse gateau, which we have to "ta-pau" as we're too full to even look at it. Boris, the manager, sits with us for a while after most of the guests have left, enjoying a glass of wine while talking about fine wines, terroirs, etc.

Not your ordinary carpark

After leaving the restaurant, we walk around the Hotel to take photos.


We get back to the suite at about 2am. The turndown service presents us with red roses, heart-shaped chocolates and a pair of souvenir face towels on the bed.


Ben K.O.s right after a shower. I find out that the super-soft pillows aren't that super after all 'cos Ben's drunken snores seem to vibrate through the clouds of Egyptian cotton and add to the pounding in my head. I manage to get just about an hour of sleep, and Ben n I are both up by about 6.00am, feeling really lousy.


We have our complimentary breakfast alfresco at Bab al Yam, and take more photos of the hotel.

Lobby and tiered-fountain

Check-out time is at 12noon, but we're both so sleepy and hungover that we leave the Hotel at about 10.30am.

Mezzanine level

Apart from the excess alcohol that killed our night and morning after, we still had a marvelous time, and were truly blown away by the Hotel.

Complimentary cake and bouquet of roses

Pampered with flowers, and goodies, and gifts, amidst luxurious and extravagant interiors... treated like royalty... Ben says it's gonna be hard to top this anniversary. And we both agree, they deserve their 6th and 7th stars.

More pics at Flickr or Multiply.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Music For Life - Part One

It's amazing how different songs conjure memories and evoke all sorts of feelings, bringing us back to a particular time and place in the past. Here are some examples of what comes to mind when I listen to certain songs.

God Is So God & Jesus Loves Me - our primary school Headmistress Sister Assunta used to conduct Catechism for us in Standard 1 n these were the first 2 songs she taught us.

I Can't Smile Without You (Barry Manilow) - my brother Andrew used to sing this all the time when he was very young.

Yellow Submarine (The Beatles) - this was one of the only few songs we'd enjoy when my Dad played it in the car, because there used to be this A&W ad on TV that used this song.


Just A Closer Walk With You & I Believe - we used to sing church hymns after family prayers at night... Just A Closer Walk is my Dad's all time favourite, and we always struggled with the high notes on I Believe. We even have the hymnal from Church, and now here in Dubai, Ben n I have one from OLPS too. I tried to get us to sing some hymns here too, but we ended up laughing at each other too much.

Karma Chameleon & Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me (Culture Club) - For some twisted reason (that I still haven't figured out) I had a crush on Boy George when I was young. Maybe the wayang make-up and long hair was to prepare me for the likes of Poison, Motley Crue and SQ stewardesses.


I Just Called To Say I Love You (Stevie Wonder) - there was a time when my Mom was CRAZEEE about this song.

Billy Jean & Bad (Michael Jackson) - my brother Jeremy would hop about and chase the reflection of lights on the square tiles in Uncle James' clinic (our family dentist). He n Andrew would moonwalk all over the living room too.

Right Here Waiting (Richard Marx) - my primary school friend Ajantha in Standard 6... we sang this song and cried 'cos our primary school days were over (I know! So corny!!).


A Shoulder To Cry On (Tommy Page) - Tommy Page would continue "touring" Malaysia every year for many years 'cos the adolescent Bee Dees Club girls seemed to be the only people on the planet who didn't think he was a has-been.

Amour (Julio Iglesias) - Jeremy made a home-made cassette once, playing the part of deejay n all. He would intro a song or singer, then play it. He dedicated this song to my Dee Ku, 'cos his name is Ah Moh.

We Didn't Start The Fire (Billy Joel) - there was a time when Andrew was lagi CRAZEEE about this song, he had a cassette that played this song over n over n over... Remember how we used to sit by the radio waiting for a favourite song to play just to record it on cassette?

3AM Eternal (KLF) - Jo-Ann Fonseka, Zainurazrein n Juleeza performing this dance in Secondary School for some concert. Shenn Wye, Ajantha, Jayshree n I practised this routine with them too, but we couldn't make the "body wave" n "running man" look cool enough so we were dropped from the "posse" n put in charge of the Play, Stop, Pause, Rewind n Forward buttons. And I'm pretty sure Jayshree dreamed of being Mrs Michael Jackson at one point in time. This was about the same time we listened to some really weird shit, like Vanilla Ice, NKOTB, C+C Music Factory, 2 Live Crew, Color Me Badd, Milli Vanilli... and we'd do that dumbass 2 Legit 2 Quit sign with our hands...


Manis & Hijau (Zainal Abidin), Legenda (Sheila Majid), Tragedi Oktober (Awie, Wings), Sembilu (Ella) - so I listened to Malay songs n used to be a minah rock... I still am. There was a time when I listened to KRU a lot too and thought I was gonna marry Yusry. Around that same time, groups like 4U2C n phrases like "gua caya sama lu" were very "chun". And Shankey Jennifer Tee Pooi Ling joined an all-girl Malay group that never made it.

Watermark (Enya) - there was a time when I pulak was CRAZEEE about this song n would listen to it repeatedly 'cos I was depressed for quite a while after watching Edward Scissorhands. This was about the same time I fell in love with Johnny...

I Hate Myself For Loving You (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts) & Another One Bites The Dust (Queen) - the band at Chilli's (PJ Hilton) used to play this all the time. The crowd would substitute "for loving you" with a rather vulgar version.

I'd Do Anything For Love (Meatloaf) - when I was 17, young Remy Hilary Hendroff (yes, his middle name is Hilary), sang me this song over the phone. That very same night, Steven Suresh, the full-of-himself, full-of-crap, good-for-nothing 'kudikaran' called me, told me he loved me n sang me the same song. A few days later, while lepaking at "The Park" with Nat, Godwin Gomez told me he loved me n sang it too, then went on to date a friend of mine instead (he probably sang it to her too). Makes you wonder if all altar servers read from the same "Idiots Guide to 'Kow' Girls, featuring Meatloaf".

Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum) & Cliffs of Dover (Eric Johnson) - a college-mate of Jeremy's named SuLin made him a cassette with these songs.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Poison) - Jeremy tried to teach me how to strum this on the guitar 'cos he said it's the first n easiest song to learn to play. I still have my kapuk guitar tucked away somewhere in Singapore, gathering dust n mould.

Nevermind (Nirvana) - Jamie loved Nirvana so much, she was depressed when Kurt Cobain died.


Lemon Tree (some dumbass group) - I remember how everyone absolutely LOVED this song when I thought it was the worst piece of crap I ever heard. The grossest part would be when everyone would happily chant together... I wonder how, I wonder why... AAARRGHH!!

Zombie (Fay Wong's cover of The Cranberries' hit) - our first term in Saito Academy, n how Danial Lim would play this Fay Wong album on the player throughout the day. Then Ah Loong, Ah Kok, David n I would piss everyone off by popping in a Metallica CD.

Mooi Tin Ngoi Lei Doh Yat Se (Jacky Cheung) - there was a Cantonese serial on TV that everyone was hooked on (around 1995-96) n the nerdy male lead sang this song to the girl over the phone in a phonebooth. It was a defining moment for Hong Kong TV, almost as instrumental as a Rachel-Ross-With-or-Without-You moment. There was another song in that show that David Soon taught me how to sing. It's supposed to be a Cantonese scouts or girl guides friendship song.

Lovefool (The Cardigans) - at my first job at Loukis Design, this song was played on the radio a lot, as well as that Hindi-English "Oh Jana" one. I remember the coloured walls, Vincent, Daniel, Hana, Yasmin, Chomel, Zul... and of course the "jana-jana" from the mamak shop below who used to bring up our roti canai n teh tarik. Daniel, Chomel n I used to check out the girls/guys at the Stamford College opposite, and I had a silly crush on some fella who worked at the Ampang Point McDonald's so I had Happy Meals almost everyday.

Pergilah Sayang (Korie n Ella) - once, on a bus back home from work in Ampang, this song played on the radio... A few mats n minahs (me included) were nodding their heads n tapping their feet during the guitar intro, and then we all sang quietly together, like semua sekali! "Indah terasa......"

Fire (Babyface & Des'ree) & Uptown Girl (Billy Joel) - the only songs that used to be able to get me on the dance floor. Now the only way you can get me to step on a dance floor is if there were cockroaches everywhere except there... Or if Johnny Depp was standing there (sans Vanessa Paradis of course).

Living on a Prayer (Bon Jovi) & Open Arms (Journey) - Energy, back when they used to play at HRC Singapore. Shouting n screaming... Whoa, we're halfway there... WO-OH...

Mandy (Barry Manilow) - the Grand Piano at SRC had this auto-play function, so everytime this song played, Shorbani n I would be like, "Oh, Mandy..."

Dying Inside To Hold You (Timmy Thomas) - skiving at the stairwell at Far East Plaza during work one day, chatting on the phone to Raena as she sang this song, teasing me about a certain 'jungle' fellow.

I'll Make Love To You (Boyz II Men) - one of those door-to-door salesmen came by Gymboree one afternoon, n Sue bought some scented candles from him. So Nadia n I would sing this song n tease her about it, like, "Oooh... throw your clothes, on the floor..."

Falls Apart (Sugar Ray), Higher (Creed), Pour Some Sugar On Me (Def Leppard) - songs to wake me up.

Breathe (Midge Ure), Un Ange Qui Passe (Annie Villeneuve), Faithfully (Journey), Kite (U2), Who Wants To Live Forever (Queen), Fade To Black (Metallica), One Last Breath (Creed) - songs that have gotten me through some pretty rough patches.

Angel's Lullaby (Richard Marx), Inside Your Heaven (Carrie Underwood), Fallen Angel (Poison), Heaven (Warrant)... some of the songs on an angels-n-heaven-themed Double-CD that I compiled for Ben... back when we just started "courting" (Courting sounds so old-fashioned, but "paktor" sounds too "chor lor") He was going through a pretty rough time at work so I left him tricks n treats all over the restaurant n office on Halloween (the day of our first date), including this "Chicken Wings" CD.


Angels Brought Me Here (Guy Sebastian) - Ben n Bernie's song :o
)

To be continued in Part Two...