About me being ignorant!

My 88th blog posting! You know I don't usually blog about myself being ignorant or foolish, although sometimes I do! Today I had some guests over at work from the UK. They were actually university staff of the university that our college had a collaborative partnership with who were down here in KL for a meeting with us.

There were 3 of them, a Dr Michael and 2 ladies. We had our meeting throughout the day and then adjourned to lunch. After lunch, my boss asked me to go get the dessert, which was Tapioca with some coconut shredding on top of it. It was served on a rectangle flat serving plate and cling wrapped so when I brought it to the dining table, both me and one of my female guests from the UK (I think she's Irish from her surname) were both staring the dish down equally baffled and trying to figure out what on earth that thing was! It was chunky,yellow in color and had a texture which was somewhat similar to a pineapple. The moment I set eyes on it, I concluded straight away that it was slices of pineapple!!! Big chunky slices of pineapple but again, I was kinda baffled as to who would serve pineapple for dessert after a main course of pineapple fried rice?

Well, a few seconds later my boss and our British guests caught me staring the odd looking dish down and asked me what's wrong. Humbly, I said, I've got no idea what that thing is... seriously. What followed was the typical what-an-idiot-you-are unfolding before my eyes. A short moment of deafening silence before a roar of laughter from everyone, even the lady who wasn't even sure what was being served on that serving dish! It was the moment of truth that made me wish that at that very moment, I was sleeping nice and quietly at home. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A TAPIOCA WAS OR HOW IT LOOKED LIKE!!! o.O"" Forgive my blatant ignorance cos even with a business degree from a reputable business school in Australia and a Masters degree from the UK, I didn't know what a tapioca was! ZZZZZzzzzz

And so, as our 3 British guests were savoring the dish for the first time in their lives, topped with coconut shredding and syrup and all, so was I... So was I!

This kinda reminded me about the argument I had with my girlfriend and sister a few years ago about the difference between a peach and a plum, again my ignorance proved me to be less than smart individual by mistaking a plum for a PEACH! zzzz...!

Take Yr Time

The sound of low buzzing air condition compressors fill the night air. Besides that, the night is generally quiet in this small little village. Who would guess that a village right in the centre of a bustling metropolitan city would be so quiet in the wee hours of the morning like this. I inch my window open a little wider and grabbed a stool  and sat there for the next 20 minutes enjoying the fresh air and quiet night. Living in the moment was never my thing. I was always on fast forward mode, always planning for and anticipating event of the future.

My moments were not small moments, they had to be big moments like, getting the keys to my new apartment, or the keys to my new car or the graduation ceremony for my bachelor's and master's degree. I was on fast forward mode so long that, I can't even remember the last time I actually slowed down and tried to live for the moment before. 

Our loved ones and family members are the only ones who will be around us when all the dust clouds of glamor, stardom and popularity amongst peers has settled but yet some of us rarely acknowledge that fact. I for one am guilty of that crime. I seldom take the time to appreciate small gestures or the little things in life. They were always too insignificant for me to fully appreciate or respond to.

Now, as I grow older, I realize that speeding through life on the fast lane all the time is really taking a toll on my health and well being. Throughout my 20s, the dominant thought that I had was the fast pace of the city (KL) was the only way to live and the city was the only place on earth I'd want to be in for me to realize my dreams of becoming rich and famous. Today, at 34, although I have achieved many things in life, I am neither rich nor famous yet. However, I have came to take a different view of how my life is going to be like moving forward. Now I have even considered the idea of living in my hometown, Penang or even places like Sarawak!

I don't want to be Adam Sandler in the movie 'Click' with a remote control in his hand and he's fast forwarding through life until the point where his wife leaves him and he leads a meaningless life. I want to slow down my pace and try my best to enjoy the little things in life cos if we keep planning and anticipating for the future so much, we may wake up one day and realize too late that, the future probably won't come for you and as you look back at your life, you'd probably see a war zone pretty similar to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Pakistan after the Al-Qaeda bombed the heck out of them in retaliation for killing their boss. 

How did Old Town sell so many cups of White Coffee to city folk? It was probably because they were asking people to 'take your time' and many of us kinda bought the idea.