Mondays Sunny Side Up

I'm feeling good today. I jumped in my car, turned the volume up and start speeding down the road to office as the song of my choice, Mika - Grace Kelly starts blasting over my stereo. I'm in the mood today.

I usually hate Mondays. And it's usually because I feel like the weekend wasn't satisfying enough, and I wake up Monday morning wishing that I had more time during the weekend to do the things I wanted to do over the weekend.

But I just had a great weekend.

Met up with someone for lunch on Saturday, and sat for a whopping 5 hours over endless cups of green tea, over sweetened watermelon juice and a weird but surprisingly tasty honey-lime-papaya juice... doing nothing but chatting and getting to know one another. Just the kind of one to one interaction I enjoyed most. Made an oath that if I ever reach the age of 35, never to try hitting on pretty and intelligent 19 year old girls. I also discovered that to compensate for the lack of an attractive physique and a receding hairline, older men eventually learn how to become extremely charming sweet mouthed. Capable of killer lines such as "I've never felt like this with any other women before, but somehow with you I feel like there is a connection."...... GOOOOWD.. I felt like poking the eyes of of the next fat balding 35 year old man I see. Mainly because by right lines like that should be reserved for use only when it really is true, and not like after a few dinners and chats on the phone!! Those precious kind of lines should be nothing less than SACRED to a man, and not some standard 'charm line' that follicle-ly challenged lonely geezers use on girls they fancy. And the prettier the girl, the more likely she's heard it a thousand times before from other birds nest headed dudes, thus destroying EVERYONE's chances. Stop it old man, stop it!! Imagine if a, less suave, but entirely genuine younger guy, who knows nothing else than speaking what's in his heart, eventually plucks up the courage to tell the girl of his dreams the same line..... only he MEANS it. What will said pretty girl do? What will she think? She's blow him off too! The poor chap will be scarred for life! He'd probably give up on women and *gasp* become a celibate MONK!!.. Oh the tragedy!! *sob sob*

Anyway, the hours flew by and before you know it was dinner time. My dad did always say time flies when you are sitting with a beautiful girl. I thought he was just being metaphoric. Turns out he was literally right.

I rushed home, and brought my family out for dinner. Choice of food? Indian. Banana Leaf Rice. Mode of eating? Bare hands baby! It's always fun eating with your hands (once in a while)... people say the food taste extra good. (I suspect these people would tell you not to wash your hands too) I duno.. I just like ripping the chicken apart with my hands like some medieval barbarian. Didn't really like the fact that your hands tend to smell like curry for a good few hours after no matter how many times you wash your hands. Got back to my brothers place, and lied down in bed next to my mother, holding her hand. She insisted that I tell her all the itsy bitsy nitty gritty little details about my life. She wanted to hear everything. And so I told her... not quite everything, but enough to let her know about her sons life. I could tell she wanted to hear it because every time I told her something new, she would smile, and share in my excitement. In my heart I was glad... glad that I was blessed to see such a moment such as this. A peaceful, quiet, time where we just sat there being mother and son. It has been a rough and tough last 10 years for her, and for us. And at that moment, looking at my mother, holding her and and hearing her laughter... I realized just how fiercely protective I was over her. Not many people know this side of me, or seen me in this kind of mode........but I'm actually a mommy's boy... shhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The next morning, I picked her up again, and for the second Sunday in a row, I actually brought her to church. And for once, I didn't feel like God was about to strike me with lightning at any moment. Mainly because I was holding my mothers hand, and I'm pretty sure God wasn't about to strike me as long I was holding on to her. So it may seem like she was clinging on to me, avoiding the cars and all, But it was really ME clinging on to her, avoiding divine punishment from God. LOL. I enjoy listening to sermons.. and believe it or not, I actually pay attention. I do listen and try to absorb what the pastor says. Whether or not I actually practice what is preached is entirely different of course.. but the thing is, there are not many places you can turn to for spiritual guidance. Many people don't realize that human beings are not only emotional beings, we are also spiritual beings. We crave for spiritual and emotional growth and guidance....not logic and reason. those are secondary. That's why every corner of the earth, where there is people, there is SOME form of religion or belief. We look beyond ourselves, to the people around us, to leaders, and ultimately to the Divine for some spiritual food. That's why I pay attention during service. After service, we scurried off (mom and I not one to mingle around much with people) and went for lunch. Returned to my brothers place after that and just hanged around the living room doing nothing.

I discovered that my brother thought that I was a very serious person, that I take myself and life a bit too seriously sometimes. Isn't it weird to hear that coming from your older brother? I agree that I DO take life seriously. I DO take the people around me seriously. Aren't we supposed to? But if there is one thing I have tried to do all these years, is not take MYSELF too seriously. I try to laugh at myself. And since no one seems to dare making fun of me, I make fun of myself. My squinty eyes, my pseudo beer belly (that's a typical beer belly that you get even though you hardly drink beer.. bizarre eh?), my absolute lack of dressing sense beyond T-shirts and jeans... and of course, my ultra lame Visit Kuala Lumpur T-shirts I wear almost all the time. I mean, better people laugh with you than at you right?

And in his attempt to 'lighten me up' so to speak, he often invited me to play computer games with him which I often rejected. I know how to play computer games, but I sort of outgrew them in secondary school see. But I was in a particularly good mood this weekend...  being in a sort of 'bonding mood' ever since Friday night. And so, for a change, I invited him to play computer games with me. And we played for a couple of hours, battling evil wizards and demonic creatures and saving the world from certain doom. You see, I learnt that you bond with ladies by having heart to heart talks and talking about your feelings. You bond with guys, by beating the crap out of highly detailed, computer rendered demon characters in a fantasy world. Nothing says we are brothers for life better than saving the world from certain doom together. That or exchanging dirty jokes.... but that's not something I'd do with my dear brother.

And on the side, I got praise from my mother for taking pictures of pretty flowers in Cameron Highlands. She's a big fan of flowers, so I think she was praising the flowers more than my photo actually. But still, I felt like a little school boy all over again, receiving praise from mommy. LOL. Here's the picture.

Evening, I sent my mother back to the nursing home, and headed straight to the swimming pool... which to my delight.. was near empty. That means no annoying kids that pee in the pool, no frighteningly muscular swimmers that make you feel like a blop of unattractive fat and no eager beaver show off boys trying to impress scantily clad girls swimming around. No pretty girls around too.. sigh... but heck, I can't see anything without my specs anyway, so wasn't missing much even if there was any around.

After an hour of swimming, I showered and came home, with dinner and my beautiful fiancee already waiting! Had dinner, retired into the room, wrestled on the bed and tickling each other, lazed around and talked for another good few hours before finally dozed into my sleep. Work schedules tend to get int he way. She said she missed talking to me like this. Casual conversations about whatever really. Didn't really matter what we talked about... it always seems interesting she said. Said I was a nice person to talk to, and it made me smile ear to ear....

I don't always have something to give people, I don't always have wise words or insightful thoughts to share... but I do always have my company to give people, for those who want it. Nothing made me happier than knowing the people around me enjoy my company.

Good conversations, enjoyable company, bits and pieces of bonding with family, paying your Maker long overdue respects and worship, not get strike by lightning, saving the world from certain doom, receiving praise, alone time, exercise, and a home cooked dinner on Sunday night..... Aaaaahhhhh...... Now THAT's a weekend.

So much so, it seems to have spilled over to Monday morning. And as I parked downstairs of my office, I swore to myself I'd not check my mail OR write a single post till I got my job done. But I guess, when you've got something to share, there's no better time to do it than the present. Fresh off the oven. Have a good Monday folks.

Cheers!