Spices of Life

Oops! I Did It Again...

It was just like what I saw in TV, a young lady was walking with handbag by her side, suddenly came a motorist from behind, and snatch her handbag. In a blink, she lost everything. But today, I am the unlucky young lady.

Friday, 28 April - It was 1.03pm, I was walking to tomyam stall for lunch. Yvonne was walking just 2 steps behind me. Suddenly a motorist snatched my handbag. I hold onto the handbag as tight as I can, try to fight the grab. Then he went away, slowly. Phew! I still have my handbag, holding it tight. No.. not this time. I remember the technics learnt from 'Worst Case Scenario', how to remember details in case like this. I get the plate number, jacket color, helmet color and motobike color. Yvonne, still shocked with the real-life snatch drama she just witness, came near me. She just can't believe on what had happened to me. I calm her down and continue walking to tomyam stall for lunch. During lunch, we discuss on what have happened just now and what to do next - police report.

The drama didn't end there. After had lunch, while walking at the snatch spot to find my missing little keychain bag, we heard the same motorbike sound. We bumped into him again! This time face to face coz we were walking opposite the traffic. He was and Indian guy, wearing dark blue t-shirt, covered with brown jacket. He's riding Yamaha RXZ, white with red stripe. Plate number, PCM541_. I confirmed it was him, and remember his face clearly. Like 'Lobo' - the Indian guy selling bread at my hometown. Yvonne saw his face too. Then we ran to police booth nearby. On the way to the police booth, we bumped again with him. This time he covered his face with jacket while wrong way. 3 times! We saw him 3 times! Then we quickly ran into police booth and make a report.

This is the third time in my life, being a snatch victim. The first time, I'm totally panic and not so much details I can remember of the snatchers. The second time, I remember to get a few details, including motobike model and color, but still cannot identify the snatchers. And now third time, I didn't panic. I wrote down the plate number (but I suspect it was not the real number), the shirt color, motorbike model and color, description of the snatcher as detail as I can remember. The difference is, this time I didn't lost anything, compared to the last 2 times. Just one of my handbag handle was torn and missing a keychain.

For all girls and ladies out there, be extra careful. If something like this happen to you, don't panic. Instead, focus and try to speak loudly everything you see about the snatcher(s) to describe him. This way, you won't forget any details. Say it again and again, or write it down. Find anybody that witness the incident. And go to the nearest police station to make a report. All the details you remember are useful to the police.

The best way, is avoid being a snatch victim. Don't sling your handbag carelessly while walking. Don't walk alone. Don't show where you put your money. Don't put valuable things where they can simply being seen. You are a big girl now, you know what to do, right?

My Boys

September 2004 - One boring day, nothing much to do. Suddenly Dash came home, with a plastic bag in his hand. "Apa benda nih?! La... kura-kura! Nak wat pe ngan kura-kura nih? Nak masak apa?" I asked. I used to have a pair of Figure 8 puffer fish before, but they died in April 2004. Since that day, I don't want to have any pet coz I think I can't take care of them full time till they suffered and died. It was a sad sad day, and I don't want it to happen again. "Kata tadi boring, bela la kura-kura ni, tak boring sgt..." Dash explained.

I put them (Dash bought 2 turtles) in the 1ft aquarium, which was left empty  since my puffers gone. I add a little water, as what I usually see in pet shop. And some marbles as their basking place. They seemed like shocked, maybe caused by the journey (when Dash is the driver, I can imagine the horror they've gone through). They were so small, just the size of 50 cents coin. One of them was darker than the other one, it love to be in the water, I called it Ren. While the brighter one love to bask on the surface, which I named Stimpy. After a few research and thanks to Turtle Forum.net, I found out that they are Red Eared Slider (RES) turtle.

Today, almost a year and half, they both are still alive. But no longer live in that little tiny 1ft tank. Now they swim freely in 3ft tank which Dash bought it for rm10 from the Uncle Choong's shop, proudly basking on a basking log, sleep like a baby on DIY-acrylic-plastic bed. This is the 3rd aquarium this year. The second one, 2ft tank, cannot support both of them anymore. They grow fast. From 2 inc, now they are almost 7 inc. They eat turtle pellet and crazy 'bout dried shrimp. They love most: cooked chicken (usually KFC or nasi ayam will do). As for their daily excercise, I put a few live small feeding fish and ghost shrimps. So that their hunting skill will improve and they won't be feel so bored, and something they can hunt and chase around the tank. I bought a pair of Chinese Golden Thread (CGT) turtle, but only 1 survive, and I named it "Adek". I put Adek together with much bigger size Ren & Stimpy, and they seemed like can adapt to each other. Adek now, get used to it, being bullied by monsterous Ren & Stimpy everyday. But some how, Adek survive. Now Adek is much tougher than the first time he met Ren & Stimpy. But yes, I do spoil them sometimes. They love to hand feed during meal. I feed them with plastic yogurt spoon, so that they can't bite my fingers which they think chicken tenders. Yes, it's hurt if they bite, though you can't see any sharp teeth (they  don't have any).

This is a story of my boys. yes.. all of 'em are male turtles. How I know? Coz they 'show' it to me. It's called fanning. First I thought it was something that comin' out from their rear, but after refered to turtle forum, Phew!! It was their 'thing'. And in the middle of the night, I watch them do the mating dance, which is quite funny. I don't plan to find any female turtle for them, don't worry.

SOKSEK Re-Visit

It has been almost 10 years since our (yep, me and Dash, both are made in soksek) last visit to our beloved old school, Soksek. Last Saturday, 8 April 2006, we decided to go there, with 1 mission, to take a photo at the same spot where we took the first photo together, 10 years ago.

First thing to handle is the 'Pak Guard'. Well, I explained to him that we both are  ex-student and just come to visit out school and take some photos. As usual, write my name in visitor log book including car plate number and the password is, principal during my time, Ayahanda Ngazizan. Then we were in.

Then we circled around academic blocks.. it was Saturday, no students were wondering around. Nobody was on the field either. Block A didn't change much, assembly place, flag poles, the 'falsafah ilmu' and the paint remained the same. We noticed the state flag murals on Block B has been replaced, no more flag murals. The 'mempelam' tree beside Block A wasn't there anymore. How sad, I love that 'mempelam', specially the one that can be reached from the class... 5 Merah. 'Dewan Besar' (exam hall) remain the same. 

Then we went around other blocks and stopped at 'padang belakang', Dash's favourite lepak place. My favourite lepak place; round table under the tree beside school canteen, wasn't there anymore. A small building standing there, Ko-op, maybe. The pond at the back (used to call it 'kolam belakang') was strictly fenced, for good. Canteen? Still the same. But we didn't check on the food. Yumm.. I can still remember my fav laksa (50 cents) and 'teh ais' (50 cents) every evening at the canteen, during game hour, with Ina, Sha, Sue and old buddies. Lab block looks the same, but I wonder whether the pond between the block still there or not. Pond in front of the lab, with big cat fish inside. And the 'bengkel' block, they have new labs.. computer lab for Visual Studio. Wow.. why during my time I can't have all these?

We went around until behind of Aspura. They have new grey double storey building, for Engineering Techology, right behind the teacher's house, on the way to the mosque. The road heading to the mosque and teachers' houses was blocked with a locked gate. We have to turn back. We stopped beside the dewan besar, the bamboo trees were not there anymore. But the school coaster still the same, the one used to bring me to Hospital BM and netball match.

How I miss the dining hall... a lot of memories there. Aspuri looked very quiet, Aspura as normal, a few 'suara sumbang' and peewitts from the dorm. Some things never change. Dining hall looked different with a little extension for warden's car park. The vending machine still there, the place they put they film reel during cinema night. The basketball court still attached, public phone booths has increased (nobody was using it, I wonder are they functional or not) compared to my time.

Now, to complete our mission, to take a photo in front of the dining hall and basketball goal post. 1... 2... 3! On the way back, we thanked the Pak Guard and saw a few boys in red pants (who else wearing red pants and tucked in?) near the guard house. That one make the visit complete, to see how weird we were in red pants last time. Sweet memories, right?