But it's just coming to me again, now. 

One question. 

What defines you? 

We have so many ways of classifying a person, can you, in all seriousness, just pick a single one adjective that describes who you are, well, not your character but rather, the essence of who you are ? One adjective.

I'm inclined to go with human. Because, generally, I am a human. Scientifically, a homo sapien; an animal that thinks and knows it thinks. 

But there are still many, many words to describe what you are. And the question is, how do you classify the classifications that classify you? 

And yes. The question is intentionally confusing. 

I am, I guess, first of all, a musulman, haha, a Muslim. 

Then a girl

Then a human

Then an Asian

I guess, then, a Malay.

And also, a Singaporean 

Then, a daughter

Then, a sister

I am also, maybe, a friend

Ahh. and then, a student

and then, recently, an aunt

and to a certain extent, an artist

to a larger extent, a designer

And sometimes, when the mood strikes, a musician

And then, I am also a youth

And then a blogger. 

Gosh.. and then, so much  more!

There are so many ways to define who you are that .. (you see my point don't you?) ... by selling only one point on the list, you are seriously shortchanging yourself. So why would you want to do that to others? 

If someone just simply knows me as "that Malay girl in tudung". They only know 3 points of who I am. No way at all of knowing how I think. This is merely, a first impression. Because I cannot help wearing my ethnicity on my face and skin, and can't help wearing my religion on my head, and also, I cannot help portraying that I'm a girl. 

But the true essence of what I am, is lost. While it is not quite important to confirm that I am singaporean, certain things are necessary to allow for better communication. Once you understand the kind of situation a person is in, and how he/she thinks, you're more likely to empathize with the person and tailor the method of communication so as to accommodate the person. And also, more likely to not accidentally approach a taboo topic that's sensitive to a person's ethnicity, religion or whatsoever.  

Just now, my brain that stores all the dirty stereotypes about nations and ethnicities were given a rude jolt. (and it bloody well deserves it too, for even harbouring stereotypes) It was chance, perhaps, that I got to talking with this girl, who, in all honesty, looked North Indian, or maybe, at most, Iranian. Never did I expect her to say that she was indeed, from S. Arabia. 

My eyes widened to the size of circus tokens as I took in her words and re-assessed her visually. Because she was from S. Arabia! Portrayed to be one of the most oppressive, depressing countries in the world for women! And here she was, in full glory, conversing in French with me about how Iran should stop its nonsense revolts!  

Utterly curious, I even asked her, "Isn't it an obligation to wear the abaya in S. Arabia?" 

To which she replied instantly, without hesitation, "Of course! It's the culture there! We have to don the abaya and the veil!"  

(and no, she did not wear either an abaya nor a veil, nor a scarf of any sort to lessons)

 

I had about a thousand more questions to ask her but since we were indeed supposed to be talking about Iran, I left it at that. 

I am ashamed that I have stereotyped Saudi women and abaya-clad women to be one and the same. It did not leave much room in my mind to imagine that these women could be very much like you and I. 

Ah! and that not all blond hair blue eyed women are models. Haha! I could have sworn that I thought a Dutch lady in my class to be a model! But she happens to hold down a very serious sounding post with a petrol company. And that suddenly explains the fervour with which she delivered her argument about Iran's instability that would cause a surge in petrol prices. 

I guess, in a way, the many factors that define who or what you are makes up the different dimensions to your personality. Different sides of a cube, or a diamond. 

Haha, I am no sociologist, or psychologist, and these are merely my thoughts on how the world works, and how I try to make it easier for myself to understand how it works. Try as I might to change things, I am still a kopitiam debater. ahaha!  

Anyway, another question to think about; 

Can you conjure up, with your imagination, an idyllic or catastrophic scenario that could happen in the next 12 months?

I'll post my paranoid thoughts next time. 

Belle, since I can't post comments using Safari, and I don't have firefox, I shall have to make do with commenting here. 

You're right, for the most part. Actually, there is really nothing wrong with being born with a silver spoon. If I had been born with a silver spoon, I doubt I'd even realise it. I'd probably be among those who don't understand why some people have to take up part-time jobs to pay money for their college expenses. I probably would think it was their parents' fault for not being rich enough. But then again, they're rich, and everyone knows money owns the world. I just hate them because I'm jealous. Hahah!

But then, on a serious note, there is a rising trend, according to some random and outdated ST forum I chanced upon, of the have-nots who want to act like the haves. A rising number of brand-counscious youth who has no concept of the value of money.

What does $2000 mean to them? 

Its equivalent to an LV bag, maybe, yes, that's all they know and can we really not fault them for not knowing any better? 

$2000 is, on average, the monthly household income of most Singaporeans, including their parents! To demand certain luxury products like that when you're not even working, to me, is extremely selfish. 

There was a news feature on these people once and they see nothing wrong with what they do! 

One girl, a student, even said, "I asked my mum to buy me a $3000+ LV bag for my birthday and she bought it for me." She went on to say something like it being her mother's choice and she cannot be faulted for asking. Better still, her mother earned less than 2k a month. 

I felt like going over to knock on her head. 

Like hello? Life is not permanent! What if your mother DIES one day?! Would you be able to understand that 2000 = one month of WORK? How long will you last on insurance money?!

On a totally different note;

There was once I wanted to apply for financial assistance, I was rejected. The lady (who happened to be a relative who knew my situation ) said harshly, "You don't deserve financial aid. Your dad's insurance money still got a lot what! "

Wow. My 8 year old mind couldn't fathom the venom behind those words at that time, and my mother's explosive fury when I told her, but now I do. 

See how shallow people are. How money-talks give them tunnel vision... tsktsk.

Is it really my fault for refusing to change a diaper when you scream that I might break his bones every time  I touch him? 

I refuse to comb his hair anymore because as you said, he might grow bald with all that combing. 

I'm not allowed to touch him when he sleeps but it's okay for you to. 

I am considering ignoring him totally since I'm not allowed to call his name anyway. 

Just because I'm adhering to the rules you set for me, does not mean I love him any less, thank you. 

And I do not owe you monetary compensation for refusing to change YOUR baby's diapers. 

We're digging up our animalistic past now, are we?

I'm counting down the time till they announce that we shall conjure up the mambang tanah, mambang angin and mambang angin to protect him. 

Ah. The women's bane: PMS is here again.

One more tick in the list of things not to do. 

People are getting paranoid, here! Superstitious, archaic thinking. 

Call it what you want. 

My sister says its guy-talk but I really believe that babies should come with an instruction manual.  All that cow and bull about natural maternal instinct.. I don't buy it, at all. 

They should have a "What to do if your baby makes this face" Or "What to do when he pukes his gut out" . 

All the same, it's not affecting my decision not to have babies. I dunno, maybe I'll change my mind in twenty years. But I highly doubt it. 

Too much responsibility. It's scary. 

I'm thinking of escaping to a colder climate but we all know how lousy my nose gets in the cold. 

On my way home from french just now, I spied, with my little eyes, 3 blue kekecohan! 

Hahha! I caught Dina's eyes and waved at her. 

Which then spurred the rest to run after the bus I was in, waving like the madmen they were! 

Popeye's seem to have dropped their standards cos the chicken just tasted damned different yesterday! And the biscuit was like, 2 times smaller! And I think I killed Shirin's nose with all that shopping for perfume. 

And they now have VS at t3 perfumes and cosmetics!

And I guess, seeing people strapped to a machine for life prompted the Boss to re-think life.

But I got asked this question, 

"What's your take on life? " 

And I literally laughed and asked him back, "What kinda question is that! " 

But I refer back to 2 entries ago, talking about wealth and faith and happiness and whatnot. 

And yeah. That was what he was asking. 

"What use is all the money you have? You may have a lot of money, but little time to spend it because of the extra effort you need to put in to get the money". 

Yes, some people live simply, but they're happy. They make do with what they have and not ask for more. I guess it all comes down to a kind of lust for material goods. 

If I stopped buying shoes I'd probably be that much richer but I can't say the same for happiness. 

Eh, no, that's not a good example. 

But anyway. I think I've broken the code on why rich people spend money on "luxury goods".

Because they need to work their ass off to get rich, they have too much money to spend, and buying $10 tops from cotton on is a poor way to get rid of the millions they earn. 

It's like, a $10 top would scarcely cause a fingerprint, much less a dent in their bank accounts. 

So they spend big. Because the satisfaction that comes with emptying your bank account of your hard earned money is as such. You don't feel it unless you see the difference in the digits of the account balance. 

Valid theory no? 

Andd. Although I understand the idea behind the Louis Ghost,  I can't say that I think it's worth the 500 usd price tag. It is, after all, still a plastic chair and even my sisters have difficulty believing that they were sitting on Starck designs. But to give credit to him, it was an innovative way to use plastic. The plastic felt like it had some glass in it. If that's even possible. And hence people don't really think of it as plastic... but can't really tell what material it's made of. 

Hmm. Maybe I'm wrong and the chairs were not Louis Ghosts at all. But an imitated version. But if I'm right.. then, the next time you place your ass on a black glossy plastic chair in carousel, think of Starck, the eccentric frenchman. 

Anyway. I read this somewhere. Just something to think about. 

Yes, well, the verse wasn't exactly like that, I forget certain words and arrangements but the general idea is there, no?

It says much about gratitude and how there's a divine purpose in the creation of each and every single human being. You may regret the fact that you're blind, but by gaining sight, you may in turn, lose your hearing. 

That's an extreme way to put it but it's true, isn't it! How many tales have you heard about people who became rich-ass and yet lost a part of themselves in the process. The thought is frightening. I almost understand why some people would decide to go into seclusion and escape from worldly affairs.

And yet, we are encouraged still to pursue success. To be the best that we can be. Intellectually, financially, spiritually.. physically. And from there comes balance. 

I'm guilty of envy. Many times, I look at someone and on the surface a sea of green washes over me and a part of me wishes and craves for that very thing that differentiates me from the other person. Like, a random example... I wish I had Einstein's IQ.. but at the same time, if you scratch a little deeper, you realise... 

For all of his gigantic brain, Einstein of course, had many many problems of his own that came with the brain. And then, the brain is no longer so appealing after all. 

There's always a plus behind every minus. Never think that the Jones's have it better just because they drive a Merc. For all you know, they might have a disadvantage. Perhaps, for all the money they have, they lack harmony in the family. So it really depends on what is at the other side of the weighing scale.

Maybe there was an agreement signed way before we existed.. for every drop of kindness you have in your heart, you shall get the same amount in .. uh. miserliness. 

It's an interesting topic to debate about..... another night. 

Gaaah. Work tomorrow. 

And I finally realised why the J. Monty vocalist sounded so familiar! He sounds like a raw-er version of Joh.n Legen.d ! hahah