Worming through books!! July 31, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags, Thoughts & Scribblings , 13comments 
I personally do not think of myself as a bookworm. For one, I have a bookworm tagged to an image of someone with thick horn-rimmed glasses buried behind a stack of thick books, slouched behind an even thicker one with the title “How to read more books in 24 hours”. Okay, well I exaggerated a bit there.
But anyway, I was kinda surprised that KittyCat tagged me with a very interesting meme, one that had me thinking, “How much of a bookworm do I think I am?”
Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
I don’t deny that I love reading books, but my problem now is finding time to indulge in this hobby. True, reading books denies the reader from visual gratification to a certain extent, but it allows the imagination to stretch to endless horizons.
I guess I developed a love for reading way back in my school days. Maybe it was peer pressure, maybe it was the sheer fun of completing a book, or maybe it was one of those “Kempen Membaca” that did the trick. … Nah. 
What are some books you read as a child?
Like many other little children, I loved Enid Blyton books. I was a huge fan of The Faraway Tree series, and I remember my parents took my brother and me to the library every Sunday after church. That’s where I would scour the library for “treasures”. I endeavored to complete reading the entire Faraway Tree series, and would willingly immerse myself in these books every minute I found. For some reason though, I never did like the Secret Seven or the Famous Five, preferring instead to read Nancy Drew and Dana Girls mysteries, and eventually the more intriguing Alfred Hitchcock ones.
Mills & Boon novels were never up my alley as well, I preferred Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steele. Read one of Jackie Collins’ , but I didn’t like it.
What is your favourite genre?
Fiction, probably. With a hint of mystery or twist to the tale. John Grisham novels do this job really well, I’d say.
Do you have a favourite novel?
Not really. Most of the novels I have read, I just chuck them aside. I’m currently into light-hearted reads like Sophie Kinsella’s books, which I totally can relate to.
Where do you usually read?
When I was a little girl, I read almost anywhere. In the car, while in the restaurant, during ad breaks on TV…but now, even if I read, it’s mostly on the bed, right before I call it a night.
When do you usually read?
When I find the time to.
Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
I try not to, because I tend not to finish one before moving on to another, but I can’t help it sometimes. Like now, I have about four books I am reading and referring to, some fiction and some non-fiction, and one in the pipeline ready for me to dive into when I find the time.
Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
Yup. For nonfiction, especially books for reference, I will flip to the parts that interest me first and read it through. Then I may or may not come back to it in future. For fiction, I just read through from start to end. The place I read fiction and non-fiction is irrelevant.
Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
Now I buy most of my books. Used to borrow books as a kid though.
I hardly think twice when I am buying books and magazines nowadays, because I know I have a certain amount that is available to be used for income tax relief.
Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?
Yes. And I desperately need a nice classy-looking bookshelf like the Billy to keep them all in.
If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
My son is currently into books with the theme of alphabets and numbers, but when he gets a little bit older, I would love to share the Enid Blyton series with him. They are so fascinating….. although I suspect his Daddy cannot wait to share with him the wonders of the world of comic books
What are you reading now?
Fiction:
Evening is The Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan (simply absorbing and oh-so-excellent!) and Mercy by Jodi Picoult.
Non-Fiction:
Feeding your Baby & Toddler and Lunch Boxes & Snacks, both by Annabel Karmel
Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
I used to, for the Nancy Drew series. I don’t have any such list anymore.
What’s next?
Errrr….finish reading my current books first? And oh, I am curious to find out if audio books deliver the same effect as reading them do.
What books would you like to reread?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Who are your favourite authors?
Enid Blyton, Sophie Kinsella and now of course, Preeta Samarasan 
Now, would you guys be willing to share your reading habits with me (and the rest of the world)?
Downs & ups of a Monday July 28, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , 21commentsIt was one of those rare Mondays that I felt slightly more upbeat, slightly more excited. Very unusual of me, since I detest Mondays immensely. Well, I detest workdays in general, but Mondays are the worst.
So why the difference today?
Well today, I had planned on FINALLY going to the post office to claim my RM625 fuel subsidy rebate. I had met all the prerequisites (car insurance renewed, road tax renewed and wallet low in cash), so I was all geared up to get what I had been waiting for. I also referred to a good step-by-step guide on a hassle-free claims process
So this morning, I downloaded the claim form and filled it out, to save me some time when I reach the post office. Then at about 11:30a.m., I left the office, slightly earlier than normal, in the hope of beating the lunch crowd.
Hubby and I headed towards Queensbay Mall, and we walked towards the post office situated on the ground floor of the mall. I prayed that there would not be a long queue and that the entire process would take only a short while. As we stepped closer and closer to where the post office was, it looked like there really wasn’t a queue, but alas, we were faced with the one thing we had not prepared ourselves for. Here’s what greeted us at the door of the post office:
Shucks.
What a letdown.
So anyway, I tried calling the post office at 2:30p.m. to find out if the computer system is working, but I could not get through with the number provided on the Pos Malaysia site. Tried again and again and again and FINALLY I got through at about 2:45p.m. and the lady told me the system will be back up and running at 3p.m.
Of course, for someone who has been waiting so long for this, I wasn’t about to let this chance pass me by. So later that evening, hubbs and I swung by Queensbay Mall again, and since I figured the wait won’t be that long, I hopped down while my hubby waited in the car. There were about 10 people in queue in front of me and bummer of bummers…..NO NUMBERING SYSTEM. So I had to stand in line and wait.
Thankfully the queue was moving quite fast, and after standing in line for about 15 minutes, it was finally my turn. The checking, signing and taking my thumbprint took approximately ONE MINUTE, and then off I left with a receipt and RM625 in hand.
It’s a hard-rockin’… cap! July 25, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 7commentsSometimes we don’t need an expensive toy to make a toddler happy.
Sometimes we don’t need a full-fledged activity list to satisfy a toddler.
Sometimes we don’t even need to leave the house.
Sometimes, all it takes is love, patience and loads of undivided attention…
… and the novelty of a brand-new cap!
… oh, and sometimes all we need is to ace the guessing game!
Thank you so much Sue, for the mystery prize of a very pretty white and pink Hard Rock Cafe cap (I received it about a week ago, but I have been totally SWAMPED!). I was wondering what the mystery prize could be, ya know. I absolutely love the three metal buttons on the side, that say “Live”, “Love”, “Rock” … So very rocker chick, I’d say!
Ethan goes “hat” (in that lovely adorable ascending intonation of his) before he puts it on his head … and on our heads too!
More guessing games to come? *rubs hands with glee*
When space is all we need July 25, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers , 3commentsWhen my hubby and I first moved into our condo, everyone remarked that it was very spacious. Well, that was way before we started populating the rooms with stuff. Hubbs likes to call my stuff “clutter”, but whatever
See, in our condo, we have three rooms. One obviously is the master bedroom, which has an attached bathroom. And because my hubby and I take pride in entertaining our visitors, we have a guest room completely furnished with a queen-sized bed, an air-conditioner and built-in wardrobes. Not that we have guests all the time, but we like to know that our guests are comfortable while they stay with us. Most folks don’t have a guest room, I know, but we just don’t like the idea of guests having to “rough out”, unless they absolutely have to.
Of course, this now leaves us with one more room, which we initially planned to be our study. But when baby arrived, we decided to convert half of that study into a playpen and baby-changing area. But now I look into my virtual crystal ball, and realize that very soon we may need to make some changes again. Ultimately, Ethan will want his own room, complete with all his favorite cartoon characters decorating it. We’ll probably need durable Kids Bedroom furniture, strong enough to endure the daily wear and tear.
As it is, I am rather attracted to Wooden Childrens Furniture. For one thing, they are sturdy, they look good, and they transcend time. Undoubtedly, if you are talking about getting a Kids Desk, a wooden one is your best bet. I know I had one when I was a little girl.
So the problem now is, how do we find that extra space?
The inevitable call or not? July 22, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 17comments
I recently made a call to the bank affiliated with my credit card, to request for a waiver in annual fee. I am not specifically mentioning the name of the bank here, because I have had similar experiences with Citibank, HSBC and also Alliance Bank, so this really applies to all banks who charge an annual fee.
Anyway, formalities aside, after I was asked to verify my identity with the typical passcode and obligatory questions, I asked if they could waive my annual fee. My backup plan, of course, was that if they said no, I would then threaten to cancel my card.
Turns out I didn’t need to do that, because the customer officer told me, after checking my account, that she would waive the annual fee for me since I had already made a minimum of 12 transactions in a year.
So then I asked her, “If I had not called up, would the annual fee be automatically waived?”
She said yes, but EVEN if it wasn’t, I could still call in and request for an annual fee reversal. She didn’t sound exactly confident it would be waived, by the way. (Actually in my past experience, the annual fee has NEVER been automatically waived before).
But anyway, I’ve been thinking… why do these “supposedly” consumer-friendly banks need to WAIT for customers to call in to trigger the waiver of annual fee? Since it is already their practice to waive the fee when a customer has made a minimum of 12 transactions, why can’t they program this rule into the program’s algorithm? I definitely know that is possible. Is it because they want to earn some annual moolah from those customers who fail or forget to call up, either out of ignorance or just because they simply don’t care?
If the banks automatically waive the annual fee for customers that deserve it, they would certainly spare the customers the hassle of having to remember to call up to waive the annual fee, and at the same time, the bank would earn brownie points for this proactive service. After all, it’s the relationship between the bank and the customer that counts.
For someone like me who uses the credit card as an instrument to facilitate payment of purchases, and not as a tool to overspend, all I need is a card, without the need to pay the annual fee. Of course, for those of you who don’t mind paying the fee every year, you can just disregard my rant above. Or perhaps I’d be better off just using the free-for-life credit cards, like the one I have from CIMB bank…
Holiday & snappity-snaps July 17, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 21commentsI have been a bad blogger.
Good bloggers would religiously download their photos and blog about a trip they just came back from almost immediately after coming home. Also, good bloggers would be snapping pictures here and there and everywhere. Pictures of just about every interesting and not-so-interesting thing that they see. Well, maybe I’ve just lost it. But I like to think that I was having way too much fun to remember snapping pics. Excuses?
I’ve been dead tired since we got back from our Damansara getaway over the weekend, so much so that my hubby even pestered me as to why I have not blogged about the trip. Well, anyway, here are some bits and pieces of it.
We made a routine stop in Bidor for the famous and overpriced duck drumstick mee. This time, I ordered the dry version, which actually tasted better because the duck drumstick soup remained concentrated and in addition, I could still savor the taste of the wan ton mee, sans wan ton. Here’s another view of the duck drumstick showcasing the skin and how big the piece was. Yummy! For the record, I drank up every bit of the soup
We stayed at Royale Bintang Damansara yet again. Well actually it’s a funny thing I mentioned Damansara specifically… I made an appointment with someone on Monday and she was waiting for me in Royale Bintang KL! Anyways, dinner on the first night was at Italiannies, The Curve with my brother, my SIL and my little nephew Collin.
This here was the strawberry colada I ordered. Initially I wanted to order the strawberry shake and I inquired why it was more expensive than the rest of the shakes. The server disappeared for a mo, and came back to tell me it was because the strawberries used were imported ones. Well anyhoo, I decided on the colada instead. Another funny thing happened. I asked the server what was in the strawberry colada and he told me to wait just a moment while he referred to his notes! And it was done all right in front of me! It was a good drink, by the way.
It certainly seems to me that every time I make a trip to KL, I’d be stuffing myself silly with food. We had Japanese buffet lunch the next day at Shogun 1-Utama. It must be affiliated with Saisaki because the plates had the Saisaki logo on it too. The spread was huge, although funnily enough it wasn’t the sashimi that got top marks, but the soups they had. Sharks’ fin, black chicken with chinese wine, clam soup…well, let’s just say it was truly filling.
This is the jazz quartet that serenaded the passers-by who visited the flea market at The Curve. Not sure who hired them, but man, they were good. I had a good mind to start dancing then and there. And I really loved the way they blended into the environment too. Al fresco dining with jazz in the background…who could ask for more? Of course, when I had that mini blogger meeting with Rinnah, Paris, Pinkelle and Beetrice in Marché, we couldn’t hear the music la.
Anyway, this is the last of my pictures, but it’s really one of the best tomyam soups I have ever tasted. We decided to have Thai food for dinner at Absolute Thai in Ikano Power Center and I have no regrets whatsoever. Succulent prawns and seafood, with just the right hint of spiciness, I totally dug that!
So that’s the lowdown on my holiday last weekend…and I am already looking forward to what this coming weekend holds!
The raindrops on my head July 11, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 10comments
It was raining cats and dogs and elephants and hippos yesterday, around lunch time. I stopped by my favorite dim sum restaurant to buy some century egg porridge and other tidbits for lunch. Unfortunately they had already ran out of the porridge, so I ended up with just one char siew pau and one egg tart. And since I had gotten drenched with my jeans wet through to my shin level, I might as well make the trip worth it by buying some organic tau foo fa (soya bean curd) from the shop next door too.
As I was approaching my car after making my purchase, I noticed the parking ticket man standing nearby, with an umbrella in his hand. So I motioned for him that I was headed for my car and asked him how much. On hindsight, I could have just walked to my car and drove off, because I was only parked for not more than 10 minutes, but my conscience would have pricked me so hard it would have bled.
Anyway, he told me “Empat puluh sen”. (40 cents was the rate charged every half hour)
I paid him and waited for my receipt.
But that fella walked away!
I called after him, and asked, “Mana resit?” (“Where is my receipt?”)
He said, “Oh, tak payah resit laaa..” (“Oh, no need to issue a receipt…”)
Eh???
Immediately, I retorted, “Tak payah resit, tah payah bayar la!” (“If you don’t give me a receipt, I don’t need to pay!”), and extended my hand to him, as if asking for my precious 40 sen back.
Hey, I was all alone, cold and wet, incredibly hungry, holding my lunch in packets AND I was rushing for a meeting. I probably sounded a LEETLE bit angry, but I had every reason to feel that way. Yes, it was only 40 sen, but it’s still money, right? It would have been conveniently squandered by him, had I not put my foot down at that very instant and demanded for my receipt.
Of course he issued me one after that, but I wonder how many incidents of “40 sen tak payah bayar” he had actually escaped with. I wonder how many people would actually insist on a ticket. Times are certainly bad, and every single bit counts.
I’m sure that parking ticket man is well aware of that. But nobody should ever use dishonest means to make that quick buck. Or that quick 40 sen.
Fishy spooky conundrums July 8, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 14comments
Something spooky is happening to my blog. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like it at all. Last night, I noticed that at least three comments had mysteriously vanished from my previous post. I am always very careful when moderating my comments, so there is no reason how they could have been accidentally deleted.
I am 100% sure they were there before because I saw those comments during lunchtime yesterday and I even responded to them. There was a comment from Michelle saying that my shopping behaviour was clearly shown in the meaning of my name in that post. And then I remember also reading a comment from Andie who said she might want to give this quiz a try herself, and I think there was also a comment from cc that it was quite an interesting quiz (I think) - did I miss out anyone?
Oh yeah, and I definitely know there was a trackback from Paris too, cuz I commented on her post when I saw it.
So, see? I ain’t imagining things!
I blame the bizarre behaviour on the latest Wordpress 2.5.1. Don’t like it all that much yet. It has a rather cluttered interface, and the color scheme has also changed to something less cooler than before, if you ask me.
Well, I hope this is the first and last of mysterious happenings on my blog, but just to be on the safe side, I’m gonna run another backup right now.
Behind the “Je m’appelle” July 4, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags , 4commentsWhen I saw an incoming link from Angeleyes last night, I clicked on it almost immediately…more so out of curiosity, really. Lo and behold she had bestowed upon me a meme which required me to display the meaning of my name. And here goes nothing… the words in red are what I think reflects me rather accurately:
What Giddy Tigress Means |
 You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don’t appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It’s easy to get you excited… which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don’t stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you’re too busy having fun to care.You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You’re most comfortable when you’re far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You’re always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can’t handle you. You’re very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you’re likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don’t always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don’t have as much going for them as you do. |
What? How come so many of you are rolling your eyes skyward? Hehe…did you think I was gonna reveal my real identity here?
But then no point beating around the bush also la, if you already know my REAL Name, just use the link above and find out the meaning for yourself.
And, as is customary with a tag, this tag goes out to anyone who would like to do it. Such an easy-peasy one!
Have a great spankin’ weekend, y’all!
I gave the gift of life today July 2, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 20commentsI donated blood for the 8th time in my entire life today. The last time was sometime in the year 2004, a few months before my wedding. I normally make an annual blood donation whenever my workplace organizes a blood donation drive. After that 2004 donation, I missed the following 3 years because I was pregnant in 2005, and was breastfeeding in 2006 and 2007. In fact, I tried to donate in 2007 but when they found out I was still breastfeeding, I was unceremoniously shooed away. Ah well.
So today, after I passed the “drop-a-droplet-of-blood-into-the-blue-liquid-and-wait-for-it-to-sink” test, and had taken my weight, the doctor took my blood pressure and inquired why there was a 3 year lapse from the last time I donated, at which I gave her the reasons as stated above.
Well, basically nothing much has changed since the last time I donated, except for the fact that the medical officers do not need to write the blood tag series and the name of the hospital in my blood donation booklet anymore. It’s all sticker-based, which I totally dig.
Anyway, after that, I lied down on one of the beds and requested that they take the blood from my right arm. I know the vein in the crook of my right elbow is more visible, and I didn’t fancy the idea of them poking around looking for it if I had offered my left arm. Just in case.
About five minutes after the blood transfer began, I was done. Just enough time for me to take a quick shot of my arm with my N73 too. Clip here, clip there, and I saw a full pouch of my precious O +ve blood being carted away for good use. I like to make the blood transfer faster by squeezing that sponge-like thingy they provide for us to hold real fast, just to let the blood flow faster. Just cuz I am rather paranoid about having a metal object in me for a long time. There was this guy who was lying there like forever, and complaining he was too tired to squeeze the sponge-like thing, so I think he was there for more than 20 minutes and the bag was still not full yet. I couldn’t help laughing a bit when his colleagues teased him that his blood was so thick it was only good to make curry me.
So after the process was completed, I was given a cotton gauze to put over the punctured skin and asked to bend my elbow and close the area up. Knowing me, after about 5 minutes lying there and not doing anything, I was ready to get up. I gingerly opened up my elbow but just before I touched the cotton gauze, the medical officer said, “Jangan buka!”
Aiya…so lie down sammo lor….
Maybe they were concerned that someone who was able to produce a pint of blood in such a short time probably needed more time for the wound to close properly. I’m sure it wasn’t because of “high blood pressure” as my friend jokingly commented. I’d much rather like to refer to it as “high-pressured blood”. Hah. Not the same thing, okay?
Had some very diluted chocolate drink after the blood donation and a curry puff. I remember the food used to taste much better, but anyway, that’s not the reason WHY we donate blood, yes?
So if you are being wishy-washy about donating blood, ask yourself why not? Some pointers for first timers though:
- Go with someone, preferably someone who has donated before so you can ask him/her what to expect.
- Have a light meal before you go donate.
- Relax. I find it helps loads if you don’t look at them puncturing your skin. Hey, just look the other way la.
- For ladies, it is advisable to wear pants. Some of the beds tend to be positioned a little too high and it is not very “ladylike” to climb on top of it with a micro mini skirt on.
…and no, if you’re wondering, donating blood does not make someone put on weight. Not if you eat normally after that.
Ethan Boy
Our Journey of Love
