The "Frog" Flu

Just drabbling here a bit.

Over the weekend I was introduced to the world of Sergeant Keroro through the Animax channel. Fascinating indeed. The anime is about Keroro, who is a frog-like alien sergeant whose initial plan was to invade planet earth with his friends. However, this is one Sergeant who I doubt will ever make it alive should there be a' real' war (touchwood!!) between two worlds. Despite being an alien, he is just like any other ordinary person. He can be emotional, sometimes disoriented, often contradicts himself and his sanity is questionable at times. His antics are very entertaining, and I sometimes find myself either laughing out loud or just staring dumbfounded at the television with my mouth hanging open (hmmm, that doesn't sound too 'appealing' on a woman now, come to think of it). And as a hobby, he likes making models of robots from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series. Quite unusual for a war like alien I should say. But then again, what isn't with this story?

I am for one, not that much of an anime fan. However, ever since I have started studying again, and that with the great turbulence in the local political scene plus the demoralizing cost of living nowadays, I find that I do need some sort of a temporary diversion so that I would not succumb to my depression and ended up being a 1st class, psychopath b***h. I need to find a way to ensure that at the end of the day, I am able to retain that sense of humour that I have always had with me and not to let it be overpowered by my newly sarcastic and sceptical personality that is so...not attractive.

The series currently shown on Astro Animax is dubbed in English with Malay subtitles as an option. Talk about multi language. The opening theme song is another thing that tickles my fancy. Very catchy tune indeed. With ridiculous lyrics such as ..." Saya lupa menanak nasi untuk makan dengan nasi kari" and " Apabila saya menutup pintu tangan saya tersempit", how can I not enjoy myself of this experience of watching a tiny frog trying to achieve the impossible while looking absolutely cute about it.

Kero! Kero! Kero!

*p/s: "kero" is the sound the frogs made in japanese as opposed to "rebit" in english.



Opening Theme Lyrics - Kero! To March (English Translation)
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 2 1 Fire!

Kero kero kero
C'mon march foward, the invasion has just begun
Kekero kero
When I take an umbrella, it always some how stays sunny.

Soldier! grit your eyes
I forgot to make the rice for the curry!

When I closed the door I got my finger stuck!
And when I got on a plane, it went off the wrong way!
My Platoon took a vacation at Planet Kero
Ah, I guess it is cheaper just to buy dinner

Gero Gero Gero
Shout loudly the signal of victory
Gegero gero
When I dashed to the phone, it was only just a fax

Today is the end of the Hensei era and is only the beginning of the Kero era DE ARIMASU
Sweep in a space circular
Fidgeting, sweating, crying

For tooth paste strawberry is the one to use
Planet Kero is the best in the universe probably
Ah 5 minutes from the station turned out to be 15
Ah well oh well I guess a job well done!

The New Dictionary

Received one of those 'forwarded' emails from a friend today. I am quite sure this has been circulating over the web for quite a while, but just for the sake of my sanity and the fact I am in great need of some 'cheering' up, I shall post the contents of the email here :

DICTIONARY FOR WOMEN'S PERSONAL ADS

40-ish................................49
Adventurous.....................Slept with all your friends
Athletic.............................No boobs
Average looking................Ugly
Beautiful............................Pathological liar
Contagious Smile................Does a lot of pills
Emotionally secure..............On medication
Feminist............................Fat
Free spirit..........................Junkie
Friendship first...................Former slut
Fun..................................Annoying
Gentle..............................Dull
New Age...........................Body hair in the wrong places
Open-minded.....................Desperate
Outgoing...........................Loud and Embarrassing
Passionate........................Sloppy drunk
Poet.................................Depressive
Professional.......................Bitch
Romantic...........................Frigid
Voluptuous........................Very Fat
Large frame.......................Hugely Fat
Wants Soul mate................Stalker
Widow..............................Murderer

WOMEN'S ENGLISH

1. Yes = No
2. No = Yes
3. Maybe = No
4. We need = I want
5. I am sorry = you'll be sorry
6. We need to talk = you're in trouble
7. Sure, go ahead = you better not
8. Do what you want = you will pay for this later
9. I am not upset = of course I am upset, you moron!
10. You're very attentive tonight = is sex all you ever think about?

MEN'S ENGLISH

1. I am hungry = I am hungry
2. I am sleepy = I am sleepy
3. I am tired = I am tired
4. Nice dress = Nice cleavage!
5. I love you = let's have sex now
6. I am bored = Do you want to have sex?
7. May I have this dance? = I'd like to have sex with you
8. Can I call you sometime? = I'd like to have sex with you
9. Do you want to go to a movie? = I'd like to have sex with you
10. Can I take you out to dinner? = I'd like to have sex with you
11. Those shoes don't go with that outfit = I'm gay

And finally.....

A recent scientific study found that women find different male faces attractive depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle.

For example, when a woman is ovulating she will prefer a man with rugged, masculine features.

However when she is menstruating, she prefers a man doused in petrol and set on fire, with scissors stuck in his eye and a cricket stump shoved up his backside.

*LOL* Absolutely love the last bit. Somehow (not surprisingly), I can actually relate to that very much - including all the 'gory' details.

Hmmmm, does that mean 'Aunt Flo' is coming to pay me a visit soon??

Ayam Kari Kapitan

This post is dedicated to my buddies, Ina & Mir. God know's why you guys are 'addicted' to it....
Recipe (for 1/2 a chicken) :
------------------------------
Chicken (obviously...) , cut into pieces

Grind/Blend
---------------
3 garlics (bawang putih)
5 small onions (bawang merah)
7 stalks of dried chillies, previously soaked in hot water
1 cm ginger (halia)
3 cm fresh tumeric (kunyit hidup)
2 stalks lemon grass (serai)
1 inch galangal (lengkuas)
3 candlenuts (buah keras)
1 cube chicken stock

Combine with:
----------------
1.5 ( one and a half) boxes of 200ml coconut milk
Juice of 2 limes (limau nipis)
4 kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut), torn

Seasoning:
------------
Salt, sugar & pepper, to taste


Method :
-----------
1. Heat about 3 tbspn of oil in wok. Once hot, add in the blended ingredients until fragrant. Add in some of the torn kaffir lime leaves at this point.

2. Add in chicken. Let it cook for a while. Add a little bit of water if it is too dry.

3. Add in coconut milk. Let it simmer.

4. Add lime juice, salt, sugar and pepper.

5. Throw in the rest of the kaffir lime leaves for decoration.


Note to all : It looks somewhat similar to 'Ayam Masak Lemak' but the tastes differ as the lime juice adds some sourness into the dish and helps to breakup the 'lemak-ness' from the coconut milk. Not recommended if you're on a diet, though. The meal is quite 'rich', if you know what I mean ;)


*p/s: Recently, father got me a personal trainer to help me with my exercise routine at home.

Oohhh gawwwdd, I feel like a dog!!! :(

The Interview

Last night my nieces, Icha and Anna, who are both five and seven years old respectively, came over to visit us at home. It has been a while since I last saw them and we (my aunts and I) took this opportunity to ask them (more like 'interrogate' them really) about their school - Icha currently in kindergarden while Anna is in primary one, on exams, friends and basically anything and everything that has been going on in their life so far.

The following is a snippet of my conversation with them on school and friends :

Me : Soooooo, how's school?

Ica : Ok Aunty Jene. I am not schooling today.

Anna : Cuti sekolah, laaaaa.....

Me : I know, I know. Saja tanye tak boleh ke? (girls giggling) How are your friends? Any cute guys in school?

Ica & Anna : AAADDDAAAAAAA!!!!! (answering with such gusto)

Me : Wow, what are their names?

Ica & Anna: A@#$%^*?!!!! ( at this point I could not hear them well because the television was blasting away in the background. For ease of identification, let's call Icha's - Mr. X and Anna's - Mr. Y)

Me : So Icha, Mr.X handsome boy ahh? How does he look like?

Icah : Like a boy la, Aunty Jene. Tapi cute laaaa....

Anna : Mr. Y also cute. Tapi die hitam (dark)!!!

Me : Okla tu. Women should be fair and men should be dark. You know the saying, ' tall, dark and handsome men '?

Icha & Anna : Huh???!!!!

Me : Nevermind, you girls are underaged anyway. Sssooo, are they rich?

Icha : I dunnooooo.....

Anna : How to know dia 'kaya' (rich) ke tak Aunty Jene?

Me : Well, ahemm ahemmm, you're talking to an 'expert' here(me sounding smug). Ok, let me teach you girls. Dia datang sekolah naik apa??

Icha : Van sekolah.

Anna : School bus.

Me : Aiseyman....ok, nevermind. There's still hope. They are still young anyway. We must give them room to grow and develop. Now school bus, later proton, last sekali bmw!!

Icha at this point looked very much like a confused child. She scratched her head and gave Anna a look that says, you sure she's related to us, aaaahh??

Me : So, parents die kerja apa?

Icha : Tak tau. Tapi Mr. X ada water bottle yang besar!! Ada gambar Thomas lagi. Siap boleh letak makanan kat bawah tau!!

Me: Haaaa??Water bottle aje??!! Hmm, Thomas?? Thomas mana ni? Thomas cup ke?

Anna : *Sigh .... No laaa Aunty Jene. Thomas & Friends laaaa. Cartoon train yang dalam Astro tuh, Channel 611.

Me : OOhhhh, yelah kan. Budak-budak. Mestila kartun. Takkan pulak die letak gambar bola badminton(shuttle cox) kat watter bottle dia kan? Hehehehehe ......

At this point Anna smacked her hand over her forehead and just shook her head.

Come to think of it, I think I am worrying for no reason really. Apparently these kids are growing up just fine. I use to have this fear that these girls would not be able to adapt themselves to this new world of modern technology. That they would not be mature enough to handle the pressures, the harshness and the ugly reality of life. That I would need to be with them at all times to ensure that they are properly guided while taking baby steps, venturing further into the world that is mysterious and full of adventure.

Perhaps I have been worrying about the wrong person all this while. It very much looks like the one who may in need of great guidance and with questionable maturity would not be them, but in actual fact - is me after all..... ;)

The Maniac

This morning, a friend read to me an article from one of the local newspapers concerning the shocking revelation of child mathematic genius, Sufiah Yusuf and her involvement with prostitution. The paper  interviewed a consultant psychiatrist with Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), Prof Madya Dr Osman Che Bakar who said that Sufiah could be
suffering from a psychiatric illness - " psikiatri mania ". 

According to the article, the doctor said, and I quote, 

“.... kemungkinan Sufiah berhadapan dengan masalah mania yang antara simptom penyakit itu adalah keinginan seks meluap-luap, hiperaktif, terlalu ceria, berkeyakinan tinggi, berfikir dengan pantas, bertenaga, hilang keinginan tidur dan terlalu peramah...."

Sufiah probably suffers from a psychological problem -  a 'maniac' , with symptoms amongst others, a great need for sex, hyperactive, too cheerful, great self- confidence, speed thinker, energetic, lost the need to sleep and too social.


My friend then turned to me and asked " Well, aren't you worried Noreane?"

Confused, I replied " Why? Should I be?"

"Well, I know I would. You're already showing some of the symptoms
 highlighted by the doctor. Especially the cheerful bit. Excessive happiness, you know
 - just like the movie Patch Adams. I don't have many friends. And I sure don't want my friend to turn into a maniac after this, touch wood!! "


Hmmmmm, now this is a tough choice.

Should I hug and thank her for her concern over my state of health - body, mind and soul? Or should I just spank this woman for her ridiculous but somehow, worrying thoughts????!!!


*Sigh* Thank you god - for giving me such 'supporting' friends.....

Hakuna Matata

I first heard the phrase "Hakuna Matata" while watching Disney's The Lion King, back when I was in high school. Did not know what the song really meant at the time, except Simba was a handsome lion and that the song had a very catchy tune. The phrase is actually Swahili's which literary translates as "There are no worries here". Indeed, if I was asked to create a tag line for daddy's Orchard, I would say just that.

Noooooooo, not Hakuna Matata, silly. I shall coin it as "Orchard, there are no worries here". (*Hint* Daddy darling, I believe this is the part where you should say, "Baby, that's a wonderful idea. Why don't I reward you for your efforts". I know, I know - just pushing my luck here :)).

Frankly speaking, I am a city girl who is used to the hustle and bustle of the hectic city life. So when I first came to the Orchard, I found it to be a little bit intimidating for me. There was a vast of land overlooking the lake. Lots of trees, plants and live stocks. All the sounds and smells that were emanating from the orchard is anything but, citylike. I remember thinking to myself, bloody hell,how in the world am I going to sleep tonight since there isn't any aircond??

However, over a period of time, I find myself looking forward to our weekly/monthly visits to the Orchard. The thought of the green, green grass and the clear blue sky with the orchestra of chickens, geese and ducks playing in the background actually comforts me. I can't begin to describe the feeling that I have when I am over there, surrounded by nature. But all I can say is that, when I am there, it's as if I have finally found peace. For that short moment in time, I am without any worries. Nothing to weigh me down. Nothing to hold me back. I am able to just relax, sit down and enjoy life while bonding with my family.

We went to the Orchard again during the Chinese New Year break. Arrived at 10:30 on a Wednesday night, we were welcomed by the fresh air and the cool breezy wind. At midnight, there was a display of fireworks presumely from the town centre, which was visible from where we were.

We spent our days chatting, eating, chatting, taking walks, cleaning up the old garage, chatting again, target practice (daddy calls me "trigger happy people" ;) ), gardening and more chatting. Yes, we love to talk, especially the ladies in my family. We could talk for hours!! Long after all the men have gone to sleep, we will still be gossiping away, giggling and laughing - sometimes sitting close together in the darkened room, talking about the good 'ol times, the present and of the future. Father once asked me how could we talk and talk for hours and not get tired of each other - talking endlessly, sometimes repeating the same story over and over again. To the question, I replied, " Ayah, us ladies - if we don't talk, we will certainly die!!". Not everyone, particularly the men in my family, would be able to understand this. Well, all I can say is that, you wouldn't know now unless you try, right? ;)

I took the opportunity to take some pictures - using my humble camera phone, so that when I am back in the city, I will still be able to remember the beautiful orchard.







Before we went back to the city, father asked me, if I would consider staying here at the Orchard - permanently. He plans to retire there, amidst the serenity and tranquility that is just divine. To finally enjoy the fruits of his labour - his reward for all the hard work he has done for most of his adult life. His blood, sweat and tears.

What is that?? Moi?? Stay here at the Orchard??

But of course!!!

..... errr, provided KLCC is just around the corner, preferably just outside the entrance to the Orchard..hehehehe ;)

Sorry daddy, but alas, I am afterall, a city girl at heart. I don't think I could live there knowing there isn't any McDonalds within the vicinity should I need to indulge on my McMuffin cravings at 4:00 am in the morning!!

But then again, having said that, who knows? Perhaps the calling of 'Hakuna Matata' in the future might just be the 'it' factor to propel me to ...have a change of heart ?? ;)

What's In A Name?

I was recently asked by an acquaintance of mine, who asked me the origins of my name.

" Your name is quite peculiar for a Malay. Are you of mixed parentage? " he asked.

Peculiar? Never gave much thought about it, really. The name was associated with me since my birth and to this day, I have never question the meaning of my name. Of course, I have previously asked my family, in particular my parents, on the reason why they named me so. According to my mother, it was my father who chose the name. Perhaps he acquired it during one of his overseas trip, back when he was younger and was always on the road, she said. My father's response was somewhat more along the lines of practicality, really. His exact reply, and if I were to remember accurately was,

" Entah, tak ingat la. Tak salah ayah masa tu belum decide nak bubuh nama ape, pulak tu nurse tu ugut ayah kalau ayah tak bagi nama, dia akan bagi nama die sendiri." ( Can't really remember why. If I am not mistaken, I have yet to choose a name for you at that time and the nurse had threatened to name you herself if I fail to do so).

Frankly, I was hoping for a more 'romantic' version. Being a romantic that I am(I totally blame it on Mills & Boons for this), I thought perhaps, just like the movie 'Becoming Jane', the name was picked by father because it reminded him of the girl he met but wasn't able to pursue a relationship with, due to the many obstacles that he faced. A lost love - which was doomed from the beginning by a cruel twist of fate. My late grandmother had offered a more 'interesting' version to it. She claimed that back then, in the roaring 60's, my father was a huge fan of both the movie, Lawrence of Arabia and that of the Italian actress, Sofia Loren and that is how he came up with my name. Seriously and truly, till this day I still cannot find the connection between those two given facts and of course the rationality which links them together, but what the heck, this 'version' DEFINITELY sounds a whooolllleeeee lot nicer then the explanation that was given to me by my father :).

So I decided to conduct my own research, through the limited resources that I have. After 'googling' it over the net, this is a basic summary of my findings -facts on the origins and meaning of my name :


1. A female's name;

2. Definitely not associated with the Malays;

3. Origins of name most probably is from Ireland. Used mostly by the English and Irish;

4. Closest meaning I could fine is "Norene" and according to babynamer.com, means :

Meaning: Its source is Eleonora, an Italian name meaning "Compassion"

Narrative: It developed as a short form of the names Eleonora, Honora and Leonora.

Though Nora is not Gaelic in origin, it has come to be especially associated with Ireland, and in Scotland is often used as a feminine form of Norman.

(Wicked, eh?!!) ;)

5. Name was most popular during the early 1900's;

6. ...which means most of the people with the same name are either old or already dead !!! (found a lot of obituaries for the same name....huhuhuhuhu).


So, I ask ye again, what's in a name? ;)