E.T.

In case you're picturing extra-terrestrial beings from Steven Spielberg's movie, forget it! This "E.T" stands for "Encounter Tribute". And here's the story behind it...

It was last Friday after work when I had to catch a bus to KL Sentral to ride home on KTM. As I made my way to the bus-stop, a mild swear word slipped off the corners of my mouth when I saw the bus whisked past me. Drat, I'll have to wait another half an hour then. Suddenly, I saw Joan and her classmate and like an excited 5 year old kid, I literally bounced towards them. Apparently, the bus that whisked past me was so full that no passengers could board it. At least, that's consolation for my ears as it would now seem unfair to say that I've missed the bus. It seemed that both the girls were heading for KL Sentral as well and we agreed to try to catch a taxi instead.

Some of the taxi drivers didn't bother to stop because (we guessed) they were rushing home to 'buka puasa' (break fast). Still, that violates the law that says that taxi drivers have to accept passengers without refusal. So much for the law... Anyway, we saw another one coming and it stopped for a lady before us. I took the chance and approached her, asking if she, by any chance, was heading for KL Sentral. And yes! The 4 of us finally agreed to an equal split.

Now, there were some papers lying on the backseat, displaying tributes to the late PM's wife. And this lady stranger started talking to us, telling us how hard Pak Lah was going in to take in the news of his beloved wife passing away. She spoke of the moral support Datin Seri Endon had provided to Pak Lah and the bonding she had with her family i.e. children, not forgetting her contributions to the nation like the batik and kebaya which she popularized.

When we finally reached KL Sentral, we're pleasantly surprised that each person only had to pay RM1.30, which is 20 sen cheaper than the bus ride, and more comfortable and faster too! And from there, we went our own way, once more strangers.

And that was the end of my brief "Encounter Tribute" a.k.a. "E.T."...

Results from my online tests...

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Your Power Color Is Magenta

At Your Highest: You energize yourself and push others to suceed. At Your Lowest: You feel frustrated and totally overwhelmed. In Love: You are suprised by who you attract. You're a love magnet. How You're Attractive: Open and free spirited, people want to explore the world with you. Your Eternal Question: "What is my next source of inspiration?"

What's Your Power Color?

You Should Get a MD (Doctor of Medicine)

You're both compassionate and brilliant - a rare combination. You were born to be a doctor.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Brave Philosopher. Where You Lived: Quebec. How You Died: Dysentery.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it. That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realize your power! The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism. You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world. Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in. You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you? You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways. Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you. As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart. In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved. You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Maroon 5 Shares Your Taste in Music

See their whole playlist here (iTunes required)

Which Musician (or Group) Shares Your Taste in Music?

Of dessert and stationery...

Last Saturday, I headed for KLCC instead of the planned MVM. It was raining cows and buffalos and my rumbling tummy was too impatient to wait for the tortoise-like KTM to MVM from KL Sentral. Also, my weak immune system warned me against catching a cold in the attempt to catch a bus from the unsheltered staircase of Bangsar station. In the end, I took the fast track of LRT with its usual sardine-can capacity to KLCC.

I had originally planned to purchase some cheap stationery from the Carrefour in MVM but now that I'm stuck in KLCC, I suppose Kinokuniya would do... And so, I browsed through their store, viewing their 'impressive' price tags like those that read RM13.90 for a flat paper file, which any kid can easily make out of manila card... Finally, I came across one of the items on my mental list: laminated index tabs i.e. file dividers. The price? A whooping RM10 per pack of 10 nicely packaged tabs of rainbow colours...

I did some mental arithmetic and concluded that I'll need at least 2 packs, knowing how my lecture notes have always seem to overflow like water rushing out of a ruined dam... But RM20! Was it worth my 2 red-coloured notes, so neatly folded in my wallet?

And then, something struck me. Thanks to Sue Anne's constant praises, I knew I couldn't leave KLCC that day without at least settling in for that oh-so-scrumptious Hi & Mighty Pie at Chili's. Drat, Anne! Your free ads got me hooked to those RM13.95 Oreo+vanilla ice-cream+choc sauce+caramel dessert... And suddenly, I thought to myself: Why do I hesitate to buy some stationery that I'll be using for 6 whole years yet not give a moment's thought about settling for an almost equally expensive dessert? After all, dessert or no dessert, I'll still not starve like a malnourished African kid (Jeremy always says, "Think of all the children in Africa!" whenever any of us can't finish our food.)... And any science student will tell you the end-product of that diabetic-inducing dessert is called egesta, to put it more politely, lest you choke while you're eating as you're reading this...

In the end, I bought those 2 packs of tabs anyway... Come to think of it, RM3.33333333333(infinity) per year (for 6 years) is not that high a price to pay for the tabs...

A few hours later, I had the pie anyway...

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates

Last week or so, I was sitting on my comfy couch watching a rerun of Forrest Gump. Who can ever forget those magical two lines: "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."?

I remember that I once had a friend who loved incorporating this into his speeches. OJ to be more precise, you can guess the initials... When a few friends asked me to elaborate further, I'd reply something like this: Well, if you have a box of variety unlabelled chocolates, you wouldn't know if you're getting a strawberry one, which is your favourite, or the marmalade, which isn't really your taste. Just like in life, some things work in your favour and others don't. And at times, you may get a crunchy peanut type which symbolizes the rocky paths in our lives or a smooth milk chocolate that translates into the flowing untroubled life. And before you know it, they'll all be nodding off their heads in agreement.

But the question is: "Is life really like a box of chocolates?"

Well, I, for one, do not really agree with the part about "you never know what you're gonna get"... Men create their own destinies. If you've put in all the effort and can answer the questions confidently, you know you've aced the exam. If you've signed that guarantor letter for someone who's now not paying his debts, you know you'll be called to court soon. So, how can you say "you never know what you're gonna get"? There is a cause and effect for everything and so, you will know beforehand of the consequences of your actions.

But then again: What about fate? Does it not play a significant role in our lives? It could be that you just happened to read the sample answer the night before and in the morning? Voila, essay number 1 is a piece of cake! Or maybe, you're signing the guarantor letter simply because the person happens to be your best friend and you don't want to betray that sense of friendship? If fate puts it that way, then, the part of "you never know what you're gonna get" rings true...

So, is life controlled by man or governed by fate? You decide.