Yasmin

Yasmin Ahmad, a wonderful talent, RIP. Will greatly miss all her wonderful heartfelt adverts and movies. A special tribute:

Bleach

It has been a while since I watched any Manga show. Last I saw one was back in Uni days, and I remember violence, violence and more violence. And of course, the adult nature of it all.

But the ability to fly, fight and have supernatural powers seemed all the rage then, and even more so now. A secret society, fighting for good against the all consuming evil, well, what else is new? The Asian version of comics which have won the hearts of many. I guess it is the plot, the twists, and human relationship aspects and the ability to fight certainly becomes a major factor to draw in the viewers.

And against my better judgment, am starting on Bleach! First few episodes have already been engaging, and a bit worried that I will be hooked. Looks interesting though. Just finished episode 3, and starting on the fourth. Another 195 more to go! At least those episodes which a friend lent me anyway, and I gather that the series has not finished. It's akin to watching those Chinese Soaps or the Korean Soaps... oh my!

SFX Family Day

What a contrast! From one family day to another. SFX recently had its Family Day, and boy, was it packed. Lots of stalls for games, for food, and even for books/stamps/plants etc. Plentiful indeed. Sure, there was a system to how the stalls were positioned, but it was really cramped at the Church Basement. In the end, it appeared like a huge market with endless noise. Although relatively fun, I had a headache after an hour of being there.

There were things I liked, and things I didn't. I liked the various stalls other than the food stalls. Enjoyed the stamps stall, and bought a miniature sheetlet to add to my collection. Almost bought a RM150 brochure with an unperforated
miniature sheet, but resisted! Out of my budget as I had recently gone on an online stamp shopping spree!

I think the main thing which put me off, besides the noise, was the hygiene at one or two of the stalls. The main culprit was the satay stall. When change was given, there were bits of satay sauce and chicken bits stuck to the money. Personally for me, it was very off-putting. Some of the dear ladies manning the stall were unsure what to do and were ungenerous with the satay sauce. Sigh. Still, I had to remind myself that this was for charity. Think food allocation didn't go as initially planned for some of the stalls, either running low on some ingredients, and had to be rationed. On the whole, prices were generally steep, but hey! its for a good cause! :)

I like the vegetable stall though, as it was decently priced. Certainly much cheaper than Cold Storage at the mall near my office. There was even a theme to save the environment. Plastic bag usage was minimised, and people were encouraged to bring their own tiffin carriers as well as containers.

Towards the later part of day, things quietened down, and it became more peaceful. SFX has undergone Phase 1 of the renovation works, and my, a wonder it certainly is. Threat of the roof collapsing has seen it undergoing a huge facelift. Coupled with the wonderful stained glass windows, a more inspired feel is achieved for a sacred space. Each of the stained glass window has a story to tell. Fr. Simon elaborated once when it was first installed, totally captivating, but I have forgotten some bits. Shhh! But if anyone remembers, do share! :)

And to cap the day, Fr. Gerald celebrated the 530pm Mass, chanting the preface to such a degree that I had goosebumps! The second time I have ever felt it (first time was Fr. Aloysius, also when he sang the preface), and with the tolling of the bells three times, it gave it such a profound effect.

Grumpy

Grumpy, that's how I generally felt today. Easily irritable, but still need to keep a "game face" on when dealing with some people. Doesn't pay to be too nice to people, one can get taken advantage of.

Better recite my calming mantra... "don't frown, smile, don't frown, smile, don't frown, smile"... and if all else fails, I should just say, "WAT!" with my meanest look.