Author: bimbobum

Over dessert the other day, I realised how talkative I was, while my friend listened for most of the conversation. He made a comment or two, and then I’d continue on.
Once I realised I should allow him to do some talking as well, I made enquiries as to his family, love and social life, and everything else I thought he would be interested in. But he hardly volunteered any personal information about himself, keeping the conversation on a surface level.
It was at that juncture once again that made me realise how reserved some people can be, keeping a lot to themselves. Do they have difficulty in opening up?
Upon such realisation, I’d fumble over my conversation, wondering what to talk about next. Do I choose general topics under the sun and not get overly personal with the reserved one, or do I continue to be myself?
I think I open up too easily at times, even a stranger would be forced to hear about my period cramps for the day or something, if he or she made friendly talk! Hahaha, perhaps I never know when to shut up?
It does make me wonder, all the time, whether my friends who are so reserved, are my real friends indeed, when I don’t know much about them, no matter how hard I try.

I had to call up Mr. Bobby at work the other day to chase for some documents my boss have been waiting for.
So I called up Reindeer Sdn Bhd and asked for Mr. Bobby. The receptionist passed the call to Mr. Bobby.
Mr. Bobby: Hello?
Me : Hi, Mr. Bobby! This is Bimbobum from Xec. My boss asked me to call you regarding the inspection for Rambo company?
Mr. Bobby: Huh? Rambo company?
Me : Yes. Remember? You were supposed to revert to us with an answer.
Mr. Bobby: Can you speak to one of my inspectors, please? Because I don’t do inspections.
Me : Er. But …
The call was then passed to a Cik Suraya.
Suraya: Hello?
Me : Cik Suraya? I’m calling regarding the request for an inspection on Rambo company. Actually, my boss, Mr. Buba, told me to liaise with Mr. Bobby.
Suraya: Oh, It’s OK. Speak to me instead. Did you send us a request in writing?
Me : CIK SURAYA (I was getting annoyed). The request was faxed to your company early August! We haven’t received a report from you!

Suraya: Oh? What company is it again? Rambo? Where is it located?
Me : Er, let me check the file again, please.
Suraya: I don’t recall any requests from your company…… what, Xec?
Me : Hang on, let me check the file first …… (I looked through the file and realised something was not right.)
Me : I’ll get back to you when I go through my file, Cik Suraya?
Suraya : OK, OK.
GUESS WHAT?
I was supposed to call a Mr. Bobby at another company, Rumdeer Sdn Bhd, and NOT Reinder Sdn Bhd.
What are the odds of getting someone by the right person, but the wrong company??
I never called Cik Suraya back. ;D

Not many Chinese man have or can have bushy or “prosperous” facial hair, be it a goatee or a beard or a mustache. A friend of mine can only name George Lam as one of the few Chinese men with a thick mustache. I don’t know any other Chinese men with mustaches, besides my grandfather.

A chin beard, or a goatee can be neat on some men. I don’t think it’s an easy job to keep it trimmed neat!

It could turn out like this.
Which I find utterly disgusting. I don’t want no man with this goatee kissing me. Ugh!
(I think it looks like a nest.)

More often, I see Chinese men (or boys) sporting this, which I find equally a turn off. Ugh!
What’s that? A desperate attempt to grow a goatee or a beard? How can 10 strands of hair equal a goatee?
(Brother tried this and I just recoiled in disgust. It just makes a man look unkempt, that’s what I think!)
NB. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only. I couldn’t take pictures of my friends’ goatees, beards or mustaches for fear or offending them. ;D

I attended an ex-schoolmate’s wedding dinner last night, only to find myself walking out five minutes upon arriving. That was terribly rude of me, wasn’t it?
But I was late when I arrived, only to find that I was to have free seating, instead of being allocated a table. Sniff.
So I picked up some courage and walked into the ballroom, only to find that majority of the guests were the bride and groom’s parents’ friends. Meaning, older generation.
I didn’t know where to sit, so I stood at the back, and contemplated. Teenaged girls and their mothers glared at me, thinking, “Now who is this tarty young lady, overdressed as if she was going to a club?” I faltered as I approached a table, hence, retreated.
My dress was showing too much cleavage, and I think if I had sat down with any of the guests, my boobs could fall out as I reached for the food.
There were fathers with grey hair, in turbans, that I felt I would offend them should I have joined their table.
You see, I was there on my own. And I only knew the bride. I could have brought a friend, but I didn’t think the crowd would be conservative and family!
I’ve made up my mind to lie to my friend, should she ask whether I enjoyed myself at the dinner.
“Ooh, yes yes. Very interesting! The food was good!”
I’m such a coward.

A few weeks ago, a friend told me that his grandmother had passed away. A few weeks before that, another friend had told me that her cousin had passed away.
Usually when informed of such sad news, my standard greeting would be, “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. Are you ok?” and that’s about it.
When I told my brother about it, he said that he would say the same thing as well. Looks like we’re both clueless with condolences greetings. We both asked each other, “What more is there to say??”;D
What exactly do you say to someone who’s grieving? And seriously, what would you expect others to tell you? I know “Are you ok?” sounds so boring, but seriously, you’re concerned about your friend’s well-being and……. well, I know some people would give out hugs. And fruit baskets. Or wreaths at funerals.
“Proper” funeral etiquettes? Goodness. There’s guidance for everything!

Since last Monday, our local newspapers have been abuzz with the news of a body found in a fridge in a condominium. The body was found to be cut by a ‘semi-professional’.
I bet the news intrigued everyone, since the Allantuya case is still ongoing and is becoming a bit too boring to my liking. Yawns.
Everywhere you go, you’ll hear everyone talking about the “11 pieces in a fridge” story. Colleagues in my office are talking about it, discussing their theories as to motive, how, and the probability that the new owner who purchased the apartment will be moving in anytime soon. ;D
My friend who stays in the same condominium became so ‘hot’ the minute it was news.

“Eh, did that happen in your condo?”
“What floor are you at?”
“So, did you smell anything funny?”
“Go and take picture and blog about it!”
“You knew the couple or not?”
“Wah, be careful! The lift will be stopping on the 19th floor all the time!”
“So, have you checked out the 19th floor yet?”
“Do you think the owner will be selling the apartment? Tell him I want to buy it cheap from him lah!”
“Are the rest of the 19th floor residents still there?”

The above are some of the questions she received lately. It’s crazy!
I wonder if the rest of the residents are receiving the same treatment from their friends. ;D
I wonder how the neighbours on the 19th floor are feeling.
My friend even forwarded us a picture (which is nothing) for the fun of it.

“I SAW POLICE CARS!!!!!”
“But I didn’t go kepoh lah…..” she said in her email.
So, do you think the wife did it? ;P
NST 30/7/07 Condo owner finds body parts in fridge
NST 01/8/07 Love triangle poser in body-parts-in-fridge case
NST 02/8/07 Body parts in fridge: Family contacted
NSt 03/8/07 Top priority for body parts in fridge case
NST 05/8/07 A mother’s nightmare
NST 08/8/07 BODY IN FRIDGE CASE: Remand on Sarawakian woman extended

A continuation from ‘An old love story‘.
The girl only went out with the guy one time. But he continued to visit her at the bookstore, trying to convince her to give him a chance. That took a few months. She told me that she had other admirers, and all of them could sweet talk, so she refused to believe the sincerity of this particular guy.
What she didn’t know was that he had visited her family behind her back, and introduced himself to them.
A few days later her father asked her if the guy was her boyfriend. She was shocked and her father told her that he had visited him. (If you can’t guess it by now, she comes from a conservative family and didn’t want her parents to think she was eager to be married off.)
Once again, she felt bad and a little bit touched with his persistence. She started dating him.
But 2 months later, he was transferred to Penang for work. He had just joined the police force back then. Crazy, you’d say, since most of you disagree with long-distance relationships!
The guy put in a lot of effort. Back in those days, he wrote her almost every week. She wrote to him once in a while. Occasionally, they’d arrange to have a telephone chat – she’d have to go to a public phone to call him at his aunt’s house.
Back in those days = 12 to 13 years ago……
It continued for 2 years, until she stopped hearing from him. She tried contacting him but couldn’t. He disappeared for a while.
Then she found out from his relatives that he had just gotten married, to a distance cousin.
She told me that after she recovered from the shock, she realised that she had come to love him then. But with him being married, she backed off. When she finally got in touch with him, he was apologetic, but it was a marriage arranged by his parents.
It took her some years to recover and to fall in love again.

The Mall, situated across from Pan Pacific Hotel on Jalan Putra, used to be a popular shopping mall in the 80’s and early 90’s. Back then, there was no Midvalley Mega Mall, nor SUnway Pyramid. It was THE place to shop, with Yaohan departmental store.
I remember I loved the stationery from Japan, when I was younger. But they were so expensive! My mum would never allow me to buy too many of them. Sniff.

They now have Parkson Grand instead. With its bright lights, everyone’s complexion looks horrible – every crater, scare and pockmark can been seen ever so clearly. I walk around with my head bent low whenever I’m in Parkson – don’t want you people to see my ugly scars……. though I rarely shop at Parkson, anyway. ;D

Kenny Rogers along a corridor (?) …. which reminds me of McDonald’s at Carrefour Subang. ;D

Continue reading The Mall @ Jalan Putra, KL