About Me

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Chicago, Illinois, United States
just picking up where i left off years ago. read along, and you'll find out :D

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

missing you...

me went, me saw, me likey!
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Was in Mid Valley Megamall 2 days ago, on a Tuesday with my family. Had a great time with my family tho cause it has been long since we’ve got together. Well, not so long la, just since early Jan when I left. But too bad both my sisters are stuck in UK. Means no holidays for them, pity!

With Mid Valley being a MEGAmall, we walked and walked and walked and ate at Carl’s Junior! Yay! But I have to say that I’ll NEVER eat there again! It was SO HARD trying to finish a Combo Charbroiled Beef Burger! Lucky I didn’t dare order a double from the start.

And going thru the agony of trying to finish my food reminded of a time when Ben-ji mentioned that Joel Loi came Carl’s Junior, ordered a COMBO set with a LARGE drink, finished everything and went, “WHAT LA THIS! Carl’s Junior is a ripoff! I’m not full AT ALL!” (don’t get me wrong, he’s not obese-big, he’s tall-muscular-big!)

Damn you Carl’s Junior! What for la call urself Junior! If even Junior can finish up what I had, what say more me la! Petite??

Halfway the time I spent in Mid Valley, I got sooooooo tired I feel I could demonstrate the powers of Z-man’s “standing upright while sleeping” technique!
*note: I was nicknamed “Z-man” by Abel, Eunice’s bro when I was in KK for sleeping almost… everytime we went out ahahahah!*

Anyways, while I was waiting for my ride back from Mid Valley, mom and dad suddenly said they wanted to go back down to the shops to buy some stuff to bring back to my aunt’s place. After they left, an old-lady came up beside me (I was sitting/waiting on a bench near the entrance) and attempted to sit beside me. She stopped, looked and me skeptically and said,

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Old Lady, “can I sit here?”

momo, “*a bit taken aback by her question and look* Oh yes! Sure sure! U can!”

Old Lady, “ohh, okok thank you. I thought u were one of those who didn’t like old aunties sitting beside them”

momo, “oh, no. I’m not one of those and yes, u may sit here” *says with a smile*

Old Lady, “oh, are u from Singapore?”

momo, “um, no. I’m Malaysian. Why?”

Old Lady, “no, its nothing. Its just that u realized that u speak quite well-versed English (I DID????). so I assumed ur from Singapore, see. Cause I’m from Singapore”

momo, “ahh. Well, I guess I would say that I was very much exposed to English ever since I was young.”

Old Lady, “that’s good! Better than how the workers here speak! They can’t speak proper English at all! Anyway, are you here alone? Where are ur parents?”

momo, “they just went downstairs a while ago to do some shopping”

Old Lady, “ohh, and I thought u were all alone. hey, you know what? Can u help me? *momo gets skeptical* I need to make a phone call”
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right abt here, I was thinking abt the stories and cases I’ve read over time abt ppl, asking help to borrow your phones and call their friends and a second later u see the fella’s sprinting off with ur phone in hand
but heck, unless this old momma’s gonna suddenly sprint away like a mid-thirties lady looking like a mid-sixties, with her numerous bags as well as my phone in hand, I guess its ok to borrow her my phone lah

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momo, “okay, so who’d u need to call?”

Old Lady, “I need to call my son. I’m just worried if he’ll reach here from Singapore or not. Cause its his 1st time taking the bus here, see”

momo, “alright, can I have his number, please?”
*dials number, dials wrong number, gives correct number, realizes that i didn’t dial the area code, FINALLY dials correct number, ladies speaks in Hokkien*

Old Lady, “thank you so much, ya. For helping a stranger like me. I really appreciate it.

momo, “sure! no problem. Happy to help! So you’re celebrating CNY here in Malaysia?”

Old Lady, “ah, yes. I’m also here to visit my mother, see. Cause I’m actually Malaysian, from Penang. Unlike my nephews and nieces, and my sons and daughters too, they never come back to visit their mother or grandmother.”

momo, “(ahh, one of those talks again) really? How come?”

Old Lady, “ah, u know la. The usual going abroad to study, finding a foreigner there and getting married. Have kids already also and still dun wanna come back to visit their grandmother. I even seldom see my grandchildren!”

momo, “hmm, but its good that ur son’s coming back isn’t it?”

Old Lady, “yes, but he only comes by to visit during occasions! But then I don’t blame them for going abroad to study la. Its good for them. but still, coming back is still their choice”

momo, “this reminds me of what a friend of mine told me once. He’s a lawyer and he said that nowadays Malaysian students are just smart enough NOT to come back to Malaysia”

Old Lady, “*laughs at the remark* quite true, young man.”

*mom and dad comes back from shopping*

Old Lady, "oh, sorry! i was just talking to ur intelligent son! (I AM? O_O since when?) and he was very nice to help me with my problem"

Dad, "ah, its alright. u both can go on talking *says with a friendly smile*"
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And so, we went on to talk more abt life, family, the importance of love, the 5 languages of love as well as the strong ties we Chinese people have in us, bloodties. It was a very unusual chat because she was the 1st ever “modern old-woman” I’ve ever talked to lol. Most of the old ppl that I talk to, either CAN’T speak proper English or can’t speak English at all.
All in all, although i don’t even know who she is, talking to her kinda reminded me all over again of how important our elders are. Because whether we like it or not, they have more experience than we do, and they KNOW what they’re talking abt, MOST of the time lol. and the best part is, that they're ALWAYS there, ready to hear our problems and give advice if needed. Explains the immense trust I have in my parents upon my education plans. Talking to her also reminded me of her…

I still remember when she held me in her arms with loving grace, more than I could ask for! even more so when I never asked her to hold me, ever. She gave me that unconditional love, even when I never realized it then. And now I miss her, I miss her more than ever. I even miss her cooking!
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i remembered when tears streamed my face,
when i tried to follow father's pace.
along the street everyone moaned,
the departure of your soul, in our hearts we mould.
miss you we will,
us decendants with zeal.
till i see you again,
through my Father whom i will gain.
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i love you and miss you, nyema
(pronounced NI-E-MAH. its foochow for maternal grandmother)
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this is my maternal grandmother and myself (when i was around a year old, according to my mom)
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mom said i was really cute then (flattered), esp when i was in Primary/Elementary school. (that means i wasn't cute when i was a baby?)
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mom, "no, you're even cute when u grew a little older! but then when u reached high school, not cute anymore"
momo, "why? because the pimples started sprouting?"
*berjawab dengan selambanya* mom, "yealo"
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*DUSHHHHHHH! KNIFE STABS HEART!*
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and so, i bought 2 books that day... those of u who know me well, know that i LOVE reading and those who've gone to my house before, yeah, they have marvelled at my personal library. and thats just my own! check out the family's!
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something i was trying REAL hard NOT to buy.
but hey, my interest got the best of me!
the latest installment to the "Magic the Gathering" cycle,
Lorwyn Cycle, Book I
(i am soooo dead)
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was staring at this section for a long time when i was in my 3rd home, MPH bookstore :]
and i suddenly felt that i needed to know something abt knowledge itself so i got this book lol
Mrs Singh (my sociology lecturer), "Philosophy, is the mother of ALL knowledge and subjects. that is because back then, there weren't any boundaries separating various subjects from each other. that is why people then, studied EVERYTHING!"
*how cool is that!*
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