Catch(up)

Ismail (our resident hyper bunny) had been nagging us to meet up outside the confines of the ward for a big ol’ makan session for the longest time. Finally, after a grueling reshuffling off request rosters and planning, we managed to meet up.

Su, Von, Mokie, Kris and I met up earlier in the day for a movie. We ended up watching Hellboy2, despite no one catching the previous installment in the series. Nonetheless, the amazing cinematography and fast paced storyline proved a sure winner for me.

I loved the fact that all the characters were not your run-of-the-mill hunks or babes with cleavage spilling out of all-too-tight rubber suits. Still, they managed to kiss ass and get down to business. And the tinge of love sprinkled in between added a touching reminder that love can make us do extraordinary acts of courage.

Does it matter if the world loves you? Or am I enough?

At 5pm, we met up with Ismail and Yan Chew. And were joined by Asyik and his friend Ruby a while later. His friend is really super duper quiet. It took quite a feat to pry monosyllabic answers from her, though I think Ismail managed to do quite a good job breaking the ice.

We had to hang around until the buffet was scheduled to start. My gastric acid wrecked havoc in my stomach, angrily splashing around, tormenting me to feed it.

Where the hell is my food?!

At 6pm, we ran to Sakura. Snoopy joined us there.

It was wonderful to have a complete F4. That little one is on night duty again! Yet she still took the effort to come down for our gathering.

I love that woman!

And so began our love affair with everything edible on the service table. We piled our plates with food and dashed from station to station. Plopping our butts down only when our arms ached from the weight of the dishes and proved too much to bear.

Hungry ghosts!

Zul came a while later. He was his usual self, anorexic and all smiles. And he ate like a rabbit, nibbling on a little bit of this and a little bit of that.


There was a fair bit of variety at that outlet, and the place filled up quite quickly. If you want to try the buffet ($27.80 inclusive of surcharges), I would advise you to go once it opens at 6pm. It’s a cozy place to eat with plenty of hardworking wait staff to get your orders to you. I’ve had better food for that price though. Overall, it scores a 6+1/10.

I added a bonus mark because I had a really good time with my friends there. It was good to catch up with old friends and strengthen new bonds.

By the way, here's a look at the cake Leni bought for us for our promotion celebration the other day..!!

Of Whispering Walls

We passed the audit..!!

And I’m pestering Lao Lao to feed us as promised. She apologized for her bad temper due to the stress and I guess she felt bad that she was the one whom gave the wrong answer to the auditor (which looked uncannily like Kenny Rogers, I swear!)

I’m rubbing my hands in anticipation to an expected bonus!

Happy as I am I can’t help but feel bogged down by something someone shared with me. People have this tendency to share intimate details with their lives with me. Abortions, matrimonial woes, financial crises, interpersonal relationships etc.

All the drama that will shame any self respecting Korean-Hindi-HK movie.

Pondering over, I can’t help but deduce it’s God’s little message for me to learn from the examples of others.

A gentle reminder that my actions does affect someone else. So does yours.

On Your Mark, Get Set... Go!

F4 threw a ward party some time ago. A little gesture to show our colleagues we were thankful for all their support. Together, we pulled off quite a feat. Stuffing the tearoom with pasta, potato salad, fried rice, 2 different types of pizza, jelly, assorted tidbits and 2 cakes! 1 cake we bought, the other was sponsored by our wonderful Leni! She bought us this really cute Nemo-themed ice cream cake, complete with Dory, Marlin and Nemo!

Love you woman! Thanks a bunch!

That’s not all. We also decorated the place with balloons and banners. What a sight it was!

I set up the room famished. And being near lunchtime, the rest of the people that had streamed in were also starting their overproduction of gastric juice. So when we got the green light to start eating, everyone ploughed through the feast like savages. By the time I remembered to take pictures, most of the food had either been packed or eaten!

Ah well, at least I have it stored in my mind.

Many people came us to shake our hands to congratulate us on our promotion. The only downside was an incomplete F4 as Snoopy was slated for her round of night duty so the 3 of us had to make do.

Next party must be complete ok?!

Now, the ward’s busy preparing for the upcoming audit next week. We've got so many fickle minded supervisors to entertain, super last minute case studies, changes in guidelines, new additions to uniforms and a shit load of other rubbish.

Those old birds should have started their spring cleaning a long time ago so the changes could be internalized rather then ruffling feathers and making everyone on the ground all dazed and confused.

Makes me feel like slapping them! Ngiao hiang, you think I'm so free meh?

And lo’ and behold, Lao Lao has decided to appoint me as this stupid "Audit Liaison Officer". It sounds so, er.. Liaison. Haha.. just seriously cracks me up every time.

Anyway...

What the hell do I know about the audit?!

What the hell does SHE THINK I know?

*shakes fist*

My blardy (only a-year-old I must add) neck is on the line here. If anything goes wrong, the first head to roll will be mine. I'm responsible for any lapse in policy and protocol in my station. I swear she just needs a scapegoat here. But I guess since I'm such a 'spring chicken', no one should expect me to be perfect.

I’ll be on a dreadful 8-4pm shift everyday! Which means no more late nights or sleeping in for the whole week.

Goodbye late night TV... *sobs*

I'll just avoid anyone remotely angmoh looking next week.

I’ll probably just act like I don’t understand English and speak with a super thick cheena accent to throw the auditors off tangent. If they’re males, I’ll send Kristabel in prostitute wear for distraction. If they have fetishes, then I’ll send Lao Lao! No lah!

If all else fails, I’ll just fake a grand mal.

Hur Hur Hur.

I’m crossing whatever I can keep crossed. Fingers, legs, tongues, hair whatever.

I just want the week to fly by without a hitch.

Read

It is remarkable how a person is capable of both undeniable acts of evil, and yet, at the same time, capable of acts beyond the extraordinary. Sometimes, a simple act, lost in the turmoil of youth, cowardice or entrenched culture, can be transformed into courage, resilience and kinship.

Such is the story of Amir and Hassan.

For what begins as an unforgiving hierarchy of castes and deception, unravels to reveal humanity, forgiveness and ultimately, salvation.

Not all things appear as they seem.

How often do we find ourselves at crossroads of our lives? Who’d think that a simple act of merely walking away would possess the power to twist fate? Or presumptuously assume fate is decided and already set in stone?

“Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. Or maybe, it was meant not to be.”

Irony comes masked in infinite forms. Sometimes to a child with every worldly possession imaginable, except for the affection of his parent. Or to a child often ridiculed, left to endure the humiliation for a promise he made.

My vision sweeps across the pages, mesmerized as the words begin to dance off the pages. Slowly at first, then gaining momentum, till it reaches a dizzying velocity. Spinning around and around, peeking hazy pictures until clarity overtakes.

Then sounds. Then smells.

I find my breath synchronize with every character. Their emotions amplified in mine. And I can see the kites soaring in the clear blue sky. In every detail, complete with the unmistakable signature of the old maker near the kite’s spine. I hear the faint swooshing sound as the kite slices through the wind. I hear the children’s laughter.

I recognize Hassan in a distance, running for Amir’s ‘trophy’. Briefly, he turns towards me, honoring me with his harelip smile. I see blood oozing out of Amir’s fingers, as the tar bites through the skin.

Joy. Sorrow. Despair. Hope.

And in an instant, we are one.

The only image I wish to erase is the same blood that flow through both boys, staining the pristine white snow that fateful day.

While courage doesn’t always roar, fate has a knack to end up on rewind. Perhaps giving opportunities to right the wrongs that have come to past; and to wash away the burden we make such a concerted effort to shoulder.

I spent the night absorbed in this alternate universe. Flipping page after page, unable to detach myself from this book as my appendages fused with the soft beige paper. My vision transfixed on the flurry of words that weave such magic. Only feeling the desire to finish what I started for fear that each breath would have been my last.

Intent on not letting this story escape me. If there's one book anyone should read. It should be this.

I almost died at work after the reading marathon. I finished the book in a night. I don’t think I would recommend the same feat to anyone simply because my eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets and you know, lethargy drives the mind in all the wrong directions.

But if you ask if all this was worth it, let’s just say, “for you, a thousand times over.”

Life's Good

It's official.

We've been served notice.

We're finally promoted!! We're SN I..!!

Woohoo...!!

Cheers to the last year of gruelling butt cleaning, strategic wound cleansing, new faces and loads of humble pie.

And here's to an adventure this upcoming september!

With all this excitement, I feel like santa came early!

And congrats to Sharon Lee who's bonus is ready and waiting for me.. heehehehe