Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

No, this is not a post about Beyonce’s number 1 hit. This is about BEING a single lady.

Back when I was younger (chey step aku dah tue giler), I found it difficult to get used to the idea of being single. I mean, all my friends were somehow attached – somehow because some had their relationship under wraps, while others went public with it. It was quite a fear to be in a relationship that teachers knew about, especially when you had an aku-abang-abang kind of male teacher in secondary school. Come on, coming from a guy who got married to a childhood sweetheart, I think you’re not in a right position to tell your students off for being in a Boy-Girl Relationship.

Oh yes, the feared topic of BGR. It was hot, I tell you – as hot as fire! The moment an adult mentions the term BGR, we would all groan in dismay. But hey, we were young, carefree and pretty much ignorant.

So back to the topic of being single. I have always been single, that is, no flings, no official “let’s go steady” kind of thing and whatnot. I never liked the idea of being single, though. I dreamed of sitting down in the school canteen and talking the afternoon away with a boyfriend. But I never could find a perfect boy.

Come on! Cut me some slack! I was fourteen! If I believed a Harry Potter enrollment letter from an owl awaits me, what more a ‘perfect boy’?

Anyways, I am still the most single yet unavailable sister/girlfriend around – I think. Perhaps I was a guy’s girl then, that’s why all the guys were freaked out by me. Okay fine, not were, but are still freaked out by me. But somehow, I morphed into a girl’s girl. Not that I hate it, but at times I find it difficult in coping with girl politics, or break ups. I would love a lepak session at Simpang Bedok drinking teh tarik with some guys once in a while. Its my way of winding down, I guess.

Recently, more and more of my girlfriends are becoming single. I mean, I’m not ‘happy’ for them, but I am happy for them. Us girls use more instincts than rationale when it comes to relationships, and most of the time, our instincts come true. It’s not the best way for ending a relationship, or trying to cover up a bad break up, but instincts help.

My advice to girls who are trying to get over a failed relationship – embrace singlehood. Yes it might get lonely, but being single would mean making more friends, and keeping in touch with old ones. It would also mean spending time with family, and fulfilling your own wants and needs. And of course, Allah will always be there to listen and answer your prayers. The good thing about a break up is that you’re making a step further from Haramville and a step closer to Jannah.

So yeah, its 1.30 am and I’m still awake trying to finish this piece. Single ladies, love your status.

Sang Pemimpi: A Sequel to Laskar Pelangi

I used to hate Indonesian films. Yes, hate is a strong word, but I really did. That was until I watched Laskar Pelangi and fell in love.

I fell in love with Gunnar Nimpuno’s cinematography, Riri Riza’s direction and the cute little boys from Laskar Pelangi. Now, they’re shooting the sequel to Laskar Pelangi – Sang Pemimpi.

One of my students, Dhimas, recommended me to read the books instead of watching the films. My first love is books, so I shall hunt Andrea Hirata’s series tomorrow at Johor and read them before the release of Sang Mimpi. I know it might cause harm to my review of the film, but essentially, a filmmaker – even an amateur – must read to widen her knowledge.

Here are some of the shots I got off Sang Mimpi’s Facebook fan page. Oh and they just started shooting two days ago!

I love this shot.

Guru yang kelihatan amat garang. I cannot be that kind of teacher.

A good way to punish students.

Priceless.

Scenes like these makes me wanna go back to school.

He kinda looks like Dato’ Rahim Razali. Fierce.

The release date is 17 December 2009, well, in Indonesia that is. To the crew of Sang Mimpi, please tell Riri Riza that I am a big fan and I wanna catch the premeire of the film although I am far away in Singapore.

I might as well fly off to the premeire for a short getaway, eh? Hmmm….

It’s the time of the month…

That I begin to emo myself up. I recently caught up with an old friend and I have been wondering if things can ever happen between us. It’s just something I do – thinking long term. Like buying the Topshop dress on sale will benefit me in the long run because the rate of savings is relatively high as compared to the usual price. Okay for a moment I talked Econs after 9 months of refusing to read any articles about the economy.

Back to my point.

I’ve been hanging out with too many girls for a tad too long. I need some guy friends to freshen my life and bring back the rocker chic in me. Seriously, I miss moshing and Baybeats (although it got too minah for me) back then. I have not been socialising except for a few interviews and film screenings. Then again, that life was nice while it lasted.

On a serious note, though, I really miss one things – butterflies flutterring everywhere in my body when I hear a name.

Now everybody go ‘awwwwww…’

It would be nice to get that feeling when you’re over someone, not when you’re trying to get over someone. Now that I’m over whatever or whoever that I must get over, it’ll be great to find a new muse because I realised relationships are not for me. I’m a commitment-phoebe. I don’t like to report stat (or whatever the term my girlfriends like to use when their boys call or message asking their whereabouts) and I certainly don’t like to the idea of making out (because guys who want to befriend me seem to think I like that).

So basically, I’m into open relationships. Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I don’t even know what it means, seriously. I don’t even know what is a relationship. Facebook has this relationship status ‘in a relationship with’ and ‘open relationship’ – what do they mean, really?

An open relationship is a relationship (often between two people) in which the participants are free to have sexual intercourse with other partners. If the couple making this agreement are married, it is an open marriage.

- Wikipedia

How screwed up can the definition get? “Often between two people”?

An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship. It is a relationship in which the participants know or trust one another very well or are confidants of one another, or a relationship in which there is physical or emotional intimacy.

- Wikipedia

Oh I didn’t know there has to be a physical intimacy.

If you’re thinking of getting into a relationship, think twice. Especially if you’re religion spells W-I-K-I-P-E-D-I-A.

NB: A muse is someone of the opposite gender who makes you smile, happy and think properly; go for events or activities with you. He or she is not your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Hijabi goes Punk!

It’s Friday night and I thought of something I would love to wear. I do not own anything featured above but lust is indeed beautiful.

Black skinny jeans from anywhere – the cheapest would be from Peninsula Plaza for about $20 if you’re great at bargaining; Turqoise jersey dress from Bugis Street – thought those are not from Bugis Street, I know they have a lot of that kind of dresses there; Black leather jacket – I’M STILL LOOKING FOR THIS! Blue printed scarf from Gap/Old Navy.com and lasat but not least, Black Doc Martens boots. I just found out you can get them at Le Meridian Hotel at Orchard. Thou shalt be mine soon, oh Dr Martens!

I would recommend wearing this to a night out in town. I know Singaporeans are not the savviest dresses as a lot of us fear dressing up too much. But I reckon this outfit will suit our lifestyle just fine.

PS: I’ll be searching for the leather jacket when I head North to KL next month! Hee hee!

The Past Keeps Haunting

Yesterday, I had to relief another cikgu who was on a one-day medical leave. So I was happily going into the class with a smile, thinking of what to do during the weekend, and at the same time who I should be dating.

Okay let me re-phrase that – because dating is so unIslamic – who I should be hanging out with.

I’ve been talking a few people on a regular basis and I think they’ve earned a lunch with me, or at least coffee. So naturally, I’ve been keeping my mind off something that would certainly disturb me considering that Temasek was probably where it all started. I cannot deny, though, that being far from him does not mean that I would forget. April 20 is nearing and I admit that this date will forever be etched in my mind.

Just as I was beginning to start things anew, one of the students raised her hand and asked “Cikgu, you look familliar.”

“I was an ex-Temasekian,” I replied.

“Which batch were you in?” another question.

“I graduated three years ago,” three’s a jackpot.

“Oh do you know my cousin?” she asked again.

“Does your cousin have a name?” and she did hit jackpot.

And her answer was the last thing I wanted to hear. The funny thing is, she was not even in the school when I was in my graduating year. How does she know that I know him? Or was it coincidence, or perhaps fate? I don’t just know him, I was in love with him, crazily, truly, madly, deeply.

And maybe I still am….

An Infinite Playlist

I’ve been wanting to watch Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist ever since it came out in early December. It somehow slipped my mind that I  lost my movie buddies a long time ago, so I’ve yet to catch the film. Michael Cera may be the reason I want to watch it, but my true motive is to relive the days I once had an infinite playlist with another person.

I told myself that I’d watch the film with someone who perhaps shared the same playlist with me, but I over estimated the time lag in finding that someone. Here I am, looking for someone who is willing to spend a day with me around town and then catch the movie at one of the 7 cinemas that it is being played at. The distributors decided that it’s too indie of a movie to be screened at heartland cinemas like Tampines Mall. Ugh.

Well, here’s my infinite playlist:

1. Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

2. Anyone Else but You – The Moldy Peaches

3. Kau Ilhamku – Manbai

4. No One – Alicia Keys

5. Teenage Love Affair – Alicia Keys

6. Best I Ever Had – Vertical Horizon

There’s more, but I’ll never end this post if I carry on. Good night, people.

A Very Pink Day

Johoring with mumsy never felt so good.

We entered an accessories shop in Larkin, mumsy looking for a pair of sarung tangan (arm gloves) and myself for random things. I saw a collection of authentic M.A.C make up and immediately head straight to it. I’ve been contemplating buying a new blush since mine was already running low and I’m having another photo shoot tomorrow. So anyway, I was fiddling around with the cover and trying out the different shades when I saw the storekeeper approaching me.

“Khaifakhaluki?” he asked.

“Maaf, ana tak faham Bahasa Arab,” I replied, without looking up at all.

It took him a while before he replied, “Bagaimana awak tahu itu Bahasa Arab?”

I was still looking down at the floor, pretending to choose which swatch of blush to purchase, “Ramai kawan yang sedang menuntut di Al-Azhar.”

“Masya Allah! Bahasa Arab itu penting untuk semua Muslim,” his reaction to my answer was honest, really. I couldn’t think of anything else to do but continue staring down at the floor and nodding my head in agreement.

“Awak dari Singapura, ya?” I was still bobbing my head up and down, not daring to look up to him at all.

“Saya dari Yemen. Bahasa Arab itu bahasa saya. Kalau awak boleh bertutur dalam bahasa Arab saya bagi harga murah untuk barangan yang awak nak beli tu,”

At this point of time, I was convinced he was using that as an excuse to continue flirting with me.

“Itu mak awak? Dari Singapura juga ya?”

YES! WE ARE ALL FROM SINGAPORE! I wanted to scream at him but I figured he was too nice to be screamed at.

Mumsy came into the shop with her choice of arm gloves. She shoved them into my arms and whispered into my ear, “Nah, kau gi tawar. Mesti dia bagi harga murah!”

Wow. My mum wants me to flirt to get a good deal. Very nice, ibu. Very nice. I had to make eye contact with him while making the transaction (I was going through the Fiqh of making business transactions in my head) and he was grinning. Yes. Grinning, I tell you. I wanted to receive the bag of purchases from him when I got all jittery and clumsily knocked over some things on the counter.

“Innallaha Ma’as Sobirin, ya ukhti,”

Did he just quote the Quran? Apparently, yes. Verily Allah loves the patient ones. Wow.

I plucked up the courage to actually reply something in Arab while receiving my change and at the same time, avoiding skin contact on our hands.

“Syukran,” I said.

“Afwan, ya ukhti,” he smiled and watched me go out of his shop.

By the time I got out of his shop, I saw no reason for me to use my new M.A.C blush on myself.

I was already pink.