How to Decipher Bullshit...

Source: Bricklives

MKST - Bentong

Joke of the Century: Merdeka

Two weeks to Merdeka and the whole country's abuzz, putting up flags like their lives depended upon it. If being patriotic means putting up a flag, then why do we only do it once a year?

I've always thought that I would always remain in my 'Tanahair', even when my friends had migrated or sought employment overseas, never wishing to return. I always thought I thought different.

But lately I find myself doubting. Lately I've begun to give up hope. Because...

I've heard of traffic policemen asking for bribe money.

I've been in meetings with government officials, during which 10% was serious discussion, 40% was repeating the 10% over and over again unnessecarily, and 50% was not related to work. Also, during which, we HAD to eat 'karipap' and drink 'teh'. Also, during which, their other fellow colleagues were at the staff canteen to have THEIR 'karipap' and 'teh'. All of that DURING working hours.

I've seen discounts given for unpaid summons, indirectly rewarding those who paid late and punishing those who paid on time.

I've seen 'gifts' being given to goverment officials, and later they asked for more.

I've blown up at an official who said to me that a man having an affair is 'ok what!' because the law condones him marrying four wives.

I've calculated the Bumi discount I won't be getting when I buy property.

I'm angry that the newspapers report Teoh Beng Hock's death 'pointed towards suicide' when we all know that that's a big lie.

I'm irritated that Bank Negara spends time and money coming up with new designs for our Ringgit, and then changing their minds again soon after (Why the heavy RM1 coin in the first place? What's wrong with the old RM50 note?)

I'm worried when I see the Education Ministry keep changing their policies. First, use English is good; Now, use English is bad. I think back about my own education and I'm surprised I turned out half decent. But will my children?

I feel sad that we all know that roadblocks are more frequent during the festive season, because the policemen want more money to have either a decent celebration or just a more elaborate one.

I feel irritated that I have to state my Race and Religion in any official forms.

I feel angry that the goverment is using taxpayers money to train unemployed graduates in expensive settings, invite companies to meetings at expensive venues, serve expensive food, give expensive gifts, provide expensive accomodation so that they will take in the unemployed fools. If you have half a brain and is willing to work hard, then it's impossible to not get a job.

I've heard of a situation which I know to be true, whereby a municipal council official said "boleh bincang" when he meant, "if you bribe me, I'll help you."

Malaysia is being ran by fools and racists.

Now when my friends talk about migrating, I don't say "Nevah!". Instead I ask, "Where is a nice place to migrate to?"

Is there any hope left?

I was in Hannah Yeoh's office a month ago. Her husband was greeting people who entered and directed them accordingly. Talk about transparency, her office walls are wholly glass! She's there many nights a week just to meet with the people in her constituency to answer their questions and listen to their woes. I was glad to see that she actually did the work she was suppose to (as oppose to the rest of you-know-whos).

So, with the tiny ray of hope I have left, I asked my family this morning whether we'd get a 'new' goverment after the next election. They were skeptical. Even if it happened, how do we know whether the new goverment is just a devil in sheep's clothing? When we've been betrayed for so long, you can't blame us for being pessimistic.

As I end this entry, I'm feeling detached from my 'Tanahair', a word I type with much cynism. I don't feel much proud to be Girl Malaysia now, just disappointment. I look at my country with a sad pain in my heart and think, 'What a waste.'

Dear God

Dear God,

Thank you for giving me a peaceful night's sleep, even though I am troubled in the day.

Thank you for the little soul growing bigger and stronger everyday. I can't wait to meet her.

Thank you for him.

Thank you for my friends.

Thank you for my full head of hair, albeit unruly and have strands of grey.

Thank you for not letting me want, yet not giving me too much.

Thank you for inventing coffee.

Thank you for inventing shopping.

Thank you for giving me a waist, to make up for not having height.

Thank you for the dimples, to make up for the pimples.

Thank you dropping the camera into my lap, to make up for the phones that went KO.

Thank you for introducing me to Zee Avi, because if I have to play the radio and listen to 'Battlefield' another time, I will scratch my face and dig my eyeballs out.

Thank you for sending witty people along with the intolerable ones, so that I do not commit murder.

Thank you for frequent bowel movements. Some people may go "eew", but they have never knew constipation.

Thank you for budget airlines and hotels. Please send me to Turkey or Holland or Egypt next.

God, I am sleepy now thanks to you chasing my insomnia away. Good night.

Amen.

PS: Could you maybe rethink the pimples part?

Deep Down, I'm a Bimbo

Took me some time to admit it to myself.

But now I'm proud to say it "I'm a bimbo through and through!"

But bimbo entries just doesn't fit into a 'search for myself' blog.

So I hearby announce the launch of Girl Malaysia's Bimbo Blog - a blog about shopping, fashion, food and everything meaningless and vain. Wheee!

Broga Hill - the adventurer's choice when H1N1 is abound

Big Mistake ala Pretty Woman

I was just snubbed by a boutique salesgirl!

Remember that scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts' character gets snubbed by a high-end boutique salesgirl? Something similar happened to me at Hers Boutique, Klang.

I thought I'd drop by this boutique that I've passed by before. When I entered, I greeted the salesgirl, a dolled up, skinny girl in her twenties (she could be the owner) sitting at the counter. She did not reply, but reverted her attention to the computer screen.

As I was browsing, I realised that some of the items were branded...CK, BCBG, etc. It wasn't too expensive though, ranging from RM200 - 500 before discount. They must be past season pieces. For branded labels, I thought it was rather affordable.

Two other customers entered and the salesgirl promptly jumped up and greeted them. I thought they must be regulars, hence the warm greeting.

I came to a rack of dresses and picked out a gorgeous layered BCBG dress (RM500) and a MOSSIMO dress made up of patches of cloth twisted into a floral pattern (no price tag). Both was at 30% off. I did a quick calculation, and decided that for the brand and the amazing designs, it was worth the price.

I approached the salesgirl, held out the MOSSIMO dress and asked "How much is this?"

She replied, in Cantonese, "This is branded."

Slightly irked, I still persisted "I know. But how much is this?"

She turns to her colleague/co-owner and asked him whether he knew how much it was. He mumbles an approximation.

She turns back to me and says, "After discount, it's still about RM300 something". I know for sure, and I'm not imagining this, that the way she said it and her expression implied that 'it's too expensive for you'.

By now, I am sure my irritation showed on my face. "You mean, you cannot give me an exact price?"

"I can, but I have to check," pointing at the POS system. But she stayed put, as if it wasn't worth the effort to check for me. After all I 'looked' like I couldn't afford it.

Okay, so I was dressed in t-shirt and shorts, but I can definitely afford the items in her store. Although I did try the dresses on, I was no longer in the mood to buy. Even if I liked the pieces, I wouldn't want to give my money to her.

In the past year I worked in a B2C (business to consumer) company. Of course, we can recognise that some customers are merely there to test out the products with no intention of buying, or some is obviously from the middle income category, but if they ask about our most expensive product, we still answer courteously. At the end of the day, they are still our potential customers.

In fact, sometimes rich people dress very humbly - they wouldn't want to advertise to kidnappers and robbers after all.

Even after typing this entry, I'm still a bit miffed. You know what happened in Pretty Woman, right? Roberts returns to the store dressed to the nines and snubs the salesgirl. I can't wait to do that. I am after all just a woman and you know what they say about that species being scorned.