A cup of happiness

I went to Lupicia at lunch time today to get some leaves for my after-dinner brew. I like their selection of Japanese green tea blend.  My favorite is a blend called “Happiness” with green tea, rooibos tea, peaches, grapefruit, marigold and rose petals. It’s popular and always out of stock. 

 I was running late so I busted in there (without stopping to browse) and declared to the shop lady: “Excuse me, miss!! Can you please give me Happiness in tea bags??”

 The shop went into complete silence for a couple of seconds until another customer said, “Oh my, how convenient. I want some of that too!”

 It took me a while before I realized what I just said……

He certainly ruined the song

It was a quiet and insightful moment in the car when The Veronica’s song, “You ruined me” was playing on the radio.

The Man and I stopped talking and listened intently because the song is so drama. That is, until I was interrupted by The Man’s inane questions.

(Song) 'Cause you play me like a symphony

The Man: Is she a violin?????

(Song) Play me till your fingers bleed

The Man: Wait, maybe she is a guitar.

(Song) I'm your greatest masterpiece. You ruin me

The Man: Wah! How original. It is sung from the standpoint of a classical musical instrument!

Frou (had enough): OMG! CAN YOU STOP BEING SO LITERAL!!!!!!??? SHE IS BEING PLAYED OUT BY HER BOYFRIEND, DUH!!!

Rojak

Whenever I work from our Malaysia office, I feel like I’m part of a large extended family ruled by a matriarch, otherwise known as the Motherhen. The family is loud, noisy and it doesn't matter what position you hold in the company – as long as you are part of the coop, you cluck and get clucked around the same way as everyone els

This is us going for group lunch.

Motherhen: Okay, everyone ready or not?

Secretary: Wait, Mr. Tan not here yet.

Manager: Sales team meeting us there. They ask us to order first but Kelvin said he is vegetarian today so must have vegetables for him.

Motherhen:  Who else vegetarian? Is Laura joining us or she went gym?

Mr. Tan: I’m here!

HR: Laura got meeting. She asks us to tapao for her.

Motherhen: Mr Tan, please go toilet first before we go otherwise you kap liu later. Who else needs to go toilet? Faster go now.

Frou: I need to go toilet also!

You would think it’s just informal gathering that we speak like that…..

(Strategy meeting with external consultant – also Malaysian)

Frou: Okay, given the situation, why don’t we go back and seek an extension?

Motherhen: Yam gong! Yao mou gao chor ar? Last month we already ask and now you want me to crawl back to them? You think I can lay golden eggs for them ar?

Consultant: Ya wor, if you ask them again, they will ask you to go fly kite to Kelantan. I think we better buat bodoh and just do it.

Motherhen: Ok, we hantam first then see how.

And when we have to report upwards….

Motherhen: The situation is such that it is unlikely we can get further third party co-operation so after much consideration, the team is proposing to assume associated risks and proceed with the original timeline.

President: Frou, is that your understanding of the conclusion too?

Frou: Erm… yah.

All the China Ladies, all the China ladies... Oh uh Oh..

I'm still trying to get the new Cheerful China lady at McCafe to remember my (daily) order. The previous Chillax Malay Dude (and before that, the Indian lady from JB) could, and when they see me approaching from far away every morning, they would already start making my drink so when I get to the counter, I just have to pick it up. Cheerful China Lady has served me for at least 2 weeks now, but she hasn't gotten into the rhythm yet. She is still asking me today whether I'm having the drink here or to go.

There must be something I can do to speed this up. Maybe I need to make a deeper impression on her. For Chillax Malay Dude, I didn’t need to do anything because he is the hip-hop “bro, whassup” type and was naturally chummy with all regulars so we bonded quickly. As for the Indian Lady from JB, she only really became chummy with me when I brought up the fact that I’m from JB too. I have NO idea why and how the topic of JB even came up.

So I guess I need to find something in common with Cheerful China Lady. Should I start ordering coffee in (my bad) Mandarin? How do you say skinny flat white in Chinese? Is it “shou bien bai”? No, that sounds wrong – but I’m sure it will be memorable.

Anyway, I’ll work on that. Speaking of China ladies, I met a cashier this morning whom I thought was quite superb. I was trying to pay for petrol at Esso station and she ABSOLUTELY REFUSES to let me pay full price. She asked me what cards I have and she went through with me the entire content of my wallet to check if I have any credit card that qualifies me for a discount. When we discovered none, she insisted I sign up for the Esso Smile card. I told her I’m rushing for time (I’m an hour late for work and my entire wallet content is on the counter), she immediately whipped up a card out of nowhere and start punching in the 5% discount, telling me I can fill up the form another time and that she hate to see me “lose out”. In that 10 seconds while she was processing my payment, she starts shooting off to me all the products by the counter that were on discount – bird’s nest, chicken essence, chocolates, gums, etc. When I say I don't eat these sorts of things, she went on to vouchers, magazines, etc. etc. By the time I left the counter, I was INFORMATION OVERLOAD – and mind you, everything was conducted in CHINESE. My poor head. That said, I work for a retail company so I do really appreciate a good service staff when I see one.

My Ungreen Thumbs

Someone finally had enough and chopped off a dying stem from my money plant on my desk

It wasn’t dying, lah. I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that it is just sleeping – despite the yellowing leaves and strange large black spots. I'm sure it will heal itself but no, some kaypohchee has to come along and snip it off without asking my permission.

Frou: (shouting to no one in particular) OI! WHO CUT MY PLANT??

Admin: (also a kaypohchee) What? What happened?

Frou: Why is my plant botak? Who cut off a stem?

Admin: The one that is dying?

Frou: Excuse me, nothing is dying here.

Admin: Probably the pantry auntie. Aiya, shuan le ba. Whoever did it was doing you a favor.

Except it’s a favor I didn’t ask for! Anyway, I’m a bit upset because I inherited this money plant from an ex-colleague.  It was a beautiful plant grown in water (not soil) and she swore to me it needs NO maintenance except daily change of water. That’s high maintenance, no? I remembered bargaining with her whether I can change it once every 2 days instead. She said probably not a good idea. Since under my care, the water is changed – erm – once a week IF I can remember. My excuse is that it’s not good to change too often because you waste all the nutrients (the sai) the plant gives out (??). Anyway, obviously, my theory is not working and someone in the office has an issue with yellowing leaves.

None of my other plants at home is doing too well either. I have already killed 2 rounds of house plants since I moved in. I said “rounds” because they seem to purposely die on me at the same time – a flora suicide if you will. It’s like they decided not to live under my care and hara-kiri themselves in protest. Actually come to think of it, there are some kaypohchees in my estate as well, who waters my plant without my permission. I see evidence of water spillage when I come home in the evenings. Also, someone left a stick next to my plants once – the kind you use to loosen the soil. What are they trying to tell me lah?

Anyway, I’m not giving up on being green thumbs. In my old age, when I live in a mansion with a huge garden with lush rolling greens, I will personally tend to my lot. And I will put up barbed fences all around to ward off all kaypohchees.

Glossary:

Kaypohchees (Hokkein) - People who cannot mind their own business

Botak (Malay) - Bald

Shuan le ba (Mandarin) – Forget it/Let it go

Sai (Hokkein)- Excrement

Said money plant in question

My new terrarium - someone gave it to me and told me it's impossible to kill this (apparently)