Went for VJC's 25th Anniversary celebration dinner last night. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that there were extra tickets, I wouldn't have gone. I can't say I really share a strong affinity with VJ haha. Probably cuz the 2 years I spent there were really fleeting, plus half of those 2 years was spent mugging my guts out because I spent the first half of my time there slacking away.

Sure, I had good times too. All those mass dances, random half-days, hysterical screaming at school competitions, and even remedials haha. But in my mind, those were really a shallow kind of happiness? Like even though I was having fun, I remembered feeling quite empty inside. I guess VJ gave me the impression that everything and everyone was really a facade, as compared to what I experienced in Dunman High. Haha oh man I sound really bitter.

I think I really grew up quite a bit in VJ. And, if not for my time in VJ, there wouldn't be a WWF today. So really, the friends I made were the best thing that happened during those 2 years :)

Oh, the Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad just passed away last night. What an immense loss to the creative world. She was the director behind the family ads in Singapore (eg. the one about the girl being raised by a single father), and a few movies about inter-racial relationships including my favourite "Sepet", about this Malay girl who falls in love with a Chinese boy.

Sigh, I doubt anyone else can pull the audience's heartstrings as well as her.

If the children don't grow up
Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up
We're just a million little gods causing rainstorms
Turning every good thing to rust

Kids are good at diversionary tactics, especially when they know they're going to get scolded.

Me: (with every intention of scolding her) Tara, come here!!
Tara, 6 years old: I love you Adelyne! *gives me a big hug*
Me: Awww, I love you too :D

And all scolding goes out the window. Then I realize I've been tricked.

I didn't know that when parents ask whether their kids were naughty, I'm not supposed to tell them the truth. According to my boss, no parent wants to hear people say their kid was naughty. Instead, I'm supposed to say the child was "active". Ah, welcome to the real world. But if I were a parent, I'd want to know that my child was a brat so I can do something about it. Oh well.

I think in the service industry, when it comes to dealing with people, you can't have set rules on what to do, instead you have to learn from your mistakes. There isn't a script that you can apply to every situation, cuz different people react differently to the same situation. With more time and experience, you learn to read body language and to predict how a person will respond, and from there you learn to say the right things. Till now, I still make stupid mistakes and sometimes say the wrong things to guests, which is quite embarrassing and frustrating especially when you disappoint or, even worse, annoy them. But then again, it's quite rewarding when guests smile and thank you, or when they recognise and greet you even when you're off-duty :)

School's starting soon! And it's my second-last chance to bid for modules, not that I'm gonna miss it haha.

To end off, here's another one of those kid moments:

(We were having a painting contest to see who can draw the nicest lion.)
Me: My lion is yellow!
Tara: (her lion is brown colour) Mine is an Indian lion!

I saw tail lights last night in a dream about my old life.
Everybody leaves, so why, why wouldn't you?

"So much suffering, and we keep getting out of bed in the morning."
"Don't we."
"For some reason."
"We get hungry. We have to pee."

- Andre Dubus, "Dancing After Hours"

Dancing in the dark 'til the tune ends
We're dancing in the dark and it soon ends
We're waltzing in the wonder of why we're here
Time hurries by, we're here and we're gone

Taboo - kids style.

(the word is "bull")

Me: It's an animal, something like a cow. A male cow.

Honey, age 6: Cowboy?

Me: (don't know whether to laugh or cry) Errr no.

Always remember the pact that we made

Too young to die but old isn't great