The Vile Baker

I always thought people who make cakes, pastries and sweet-toothed nibbly bits are people who are generally happy, polite, contented and yearning for world peace. Otherwise, how would the pastries turn out to be all sugar-n-spice and everything nice?

But today, when I called a particular so-called well-known pastry chef to place my order for some edible image, I was treated in a very brusque manner. She didn't even bother asking me the details of my order but instead instructed.... INSTRUCTED(!!) me to place my order via e-mail. She repeatedly told me that my order will not be entertained lest I make the payment pronto. Let's see, where I came from, that's not how potential customers should be treated, unless you are really not interested to entertain small time ones. Then say it on your bloody website-lah- "SMALL-TIME ENTREPRENEURS ARE NOT WELCOMED UNLESS YOU WANT THE PHONE SLAMMED DOWN AT YOUR FACE BEFORE THE CONVERSATION ENDS" ...

or

"DO NOT CALL THESE CONTACT NUMBERS LISTED HERE COZ I'LL BE TOO BUSY BEING A B*TCH AND WON'T BE BOTHERED TO ENTERTAIN YOUR MINISCULE ORDER".

It'll make my life and yours so much easier.

Then I cooled down and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I caught her at the wrong time when she was just rushing out to send her kids to 'mengaji' or something. Or maybe, she was having some bowel movement troubles down under and suddenly needs to make that quick dash there and then. Bearing these probable reasons in mind, I went ahead and made the payment, placed the order via e-mail and texted her afterwards. I asked for her confirmation on receipt of the order, but 4 hours later, still no reply.... and the clock is ticking.

Nevermind, the collection isn't due till Thursday and if something goes wrong, she'll know the meaning of "blog off".

Are You Really Friends Outside Facebook?

When my best friend Dee lost her mom to a tragic accident few months ago, she shared her grief online via Facebook. Almost immediately after, well-meaning friends and acquaintances instantly posted condolences on her Wall. I am not surprised she had chosen to share something so personal online.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized Facebook might be the perfect venue for tragic news: it’s the fastest way to disseminate important information to the group without having to deal with painful phone calls and it eliminated the possibility that if someone were to bump into her in the supermarket, he or she might ask unknowingly about her mom and force her to replay the story over again.

I believe that a strong network of friends can be crucial in getting through a crisis and can help you be healthier in general. But could virtual friends be just as helpful as the flesh-and-blood versions? In real life, having 700 people in your circle of friends could get overwhelming, but that’s less of an issue online. When you get a promotion on your job, a celebratory lunch with your best friends will make you feel good and make for a fantastic memory. But I feel that the boost you get from the 15 Facebook friends who left encouraging comments can also make you happy and could do wonders to your self-esteem.

I have also encountered people who has explored deep into the darker crevices of social networking. What’s supposed to be a harmless online flirting between two happily married people who got connected through a friend’s friend’s friend’s friend’s friend’s friend developed into a full blown romantic affair. But the blooming relationship was not as voluntary as they seem. Fortunately, I would say, the affair ended before they could actually figure out whether they were real friends to begin with.

In conclusion? I think Facebook works best as an amplification of a "real life" social life, not a replacement—even as time and technology progress and the lines between online interactions and real-world experiences continue to blur.

If you disagree, feel free to “throw a sheep” at me.

Lost and Found

About 3 weeks ago, I was finally in the mood to have at look at my Manado trip photos. All 1700+ of them. Folders after folders, I came to the last 500 odd photos. By then, as you can guess, my eyes were tired, my focus and determination were waning. Decided to take a break, I took a nap.

Half-and-hour later (rasanyalah..hehehe), I woke up, packed my stuff and shifted from the living room to my bedroom. Back then, I remember clutching my 16Gb memory cards with my right hand, together with my laptop. And that was the last thing I could remember about the memory cards.

I didn't realize I've misplaced it until I was prepping up for my nephew's birthday party that weekend. Panic mode on, penatlah I punggah everything out from my shelves, under my bed and emptied out my drawers and handbagsssSSssss (babe, takyah roll your eyes...), tapi tak jumpa2. So, not knowing whether I should rush out and buy another card or just stay around and be a party pooper, sweetie pie offered to lend me his 2Gb card (2Gb je?! hehehe... but beggars can't be choosers).

Fast-forward to this morning, my mom greeted me with a smile at the breakfast table.

Mama : Haritu kata kad kamera hilang dah jumpa?
Me : (sulking) Belooom. Dah puas carik...
Mama: Smlm mama basuh baju Ajiq, pastu bila mama keluarkan nak sidai, ada 2 kad dlm casing terjatuh keluar.
Me: (excited) Hah?!! Ye ke?!!!! Mana Mama letak kad tu?
Mama: Ada kat atas, depan komputer Papa.
Me: Mintak2 boleh lah pakai lagi. So it means mama dah terbasuh memory card tu sekali lah ye?
Mama: Ha'ah... Tapi takpe, insya Allah boleh pakai. Mama basuh delicate cycle je, bukan heavy duty.

Mama,mama... even though you missed the point in this issue, you dispersed my horror by being so cute. True enough, the card is still OK. Thanks Ma, I love you! Mwahhh!!