The mini is back

I’m not aware of what’s in and what’s out in the fashion scene.   I only wear clothes that are evergreen.  Was the mini out of fashion?  If it was, then it’s in again. With escalating prices, things are going the mini way.

As Davin Arul of The Star said in his column today, there are two ways for vendors to deal with increase of raw materials :

1. Increase price but maintain the quality and quantity

2. Maintain the same price but decrease the quality and quantity

Two other methods he didn’t mention :

3. Increase price but decrease quality and quantity

4. Increase price and increase quality and quantity

Davin prefers scenario (1),  I prefer (4) but I think most vendors would do (2) and (3).  He mentioned in his article that his colleague said Roti Bomb should now be called Roti Mercun.  Valid point.  Everything seems to have shrunk in size.  Yesterday no. 1 had a Mini Whopper at a popular fast food restaurant.  They should remove the Whopper from the menu, the mini notwithstanding.  My kids like to eat burgers, and I frequently whip up burgers for a quick meal. For some time now I’ve noticed that the burger buns from the sundry shop has shrunk. A boy with a hearty appetite can chomp it down in two bites.   Can you think of other items that should be renamed?

Off tangent, I wonder why thongs (as in ladies underwear) are so expensive when they use only an inch of cloth?

Syok! Stories

I’ve changed the direction of my Yellow Post column.  For five months I had been writing short pieces in the style of Honk! If You’re Malaysian.  I figure it’s time for a change.  So I called up my editor at Yellow Post to sound out the possibility of doing fiction instead.  She was keen on the idea, and so Syok! Stories was born on 27 April 2007, with the first piece titled Moon Scars.  It’s based on the superstition that if you point at the moon, it will cut your ears.  If there’s a sub-title for the column, it would be Stories of Taboo and Culture.

Any interesting taboos you’d like to share?

Talk at BookFest

The Bookfest@Malaysia 2007 will be on from 26 May to 3 June from 10 am to 10 pm at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

I’ve been invited by Popular to give a talk during the bookfest. Here are the details :

Date : Wed, 30 May 2007

Time : 2.30 – 3.45 pm

Place : Stage, Hall 2, KLCC

Topic : Roti Canai for Me – On Reading, Writing and being Malaysian

If you’re around the area, please come by. Incidentally, if you plan to be there early, you might want to take part in the Fastest Eating and Drinking Competition to be held from 11.15 am – 12.45 pm on the same day. It says in the catalogue, “Are you a chocolate favourite? Be the fastest, be the winner! Come and join our fastest eating and drinking contest, attractive prizes to be won!” I’m assuming that contestants will get to gorge on chocolate.

Go have some free chocolate in the morning, then pop by for some ‘roti canai’ in the afternoon. Mmmm… maybe I should ta pau some roti for the event.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve included a Readers’ Say page under the header. I’ve posted some emails I received from readers.

Mummy blogger

I mentioned during the January Writer’s Circle meeting on Blogging for Writers that my blog was still waiting to be ‘discovered’.  Sharon Bakar got a magazine column through her blog and Nizam Zakaria got his break in scriptwriting through his blog.

Well, it has happened.  My blog has got me a paying gig!  Starting this month, I’m the resident blogger at Mumcentre Malaysia.

MumCentre is first and only free online service dedicated to Malaysian mothers. The site is a goldmine of practical information like buying guides, product reviews and listings of local service providers, as well as a library of articles and advice on parenting issues like health, education and entertainment. Expectant Mums, new Mums and Mums with infants and young children will find MumCentre an invaluable companion. But we never forget that Mums are women too! So there’s plenty of content for those private interests, like beauty, relaxation and fashion. Everything for every mum, and it’s all only a click away!

Mumcentre is chock full of information and benefits.  Check it out, mums (and dads too).

Everyone leaks

So who says only women leak? Everyone leaks, including the two MPs who said that their female colleague bocor every month.  (See definition no.7 below). Encarta dictionary Leak noun (plural leaks)

Definition:

1. hole or crack: an unintentional hole or crack that permits something such as liquid, gas, or light to escape or enter

2. accidental escape or entry: the accidental escape or unwanted entry of something, usually by way of an unintentional hole or crack

3. escaping liquid or gas: something such as liquid or gas that escapes through an unintentional hole or crack

4. means of escape: a means of escape, or the resulting loss by means of it We need to plug the leak in our finances.

5. disclosure of secrets: an unofficial release of confidential information, usually to the media

6. accidental escape of electricity: a place through which an electric current escapes accidentally, or the resulting loss of electricity

7. urination: an act of urination ( slang )

transitive and intransitive verb (past and past participle leaked, present participle leak·ing, 3rd person present singular leaks)

Definition:

1. let something in or out: to let something escape or enter accidentally, or escape or enter in this way

2. disclose secrets, or be disclosed: to release confidential information unofficially or covertly, usually to the media, or become publicly known in such a way She leaked the details of the deal to the press. The news has leaked.

[15th century. Origin ?]

leak·er noun

Honk! is on international news

If you haven’t been checking my media gallery, please pop over for a look. I’ve updated it with a whole bunch of clippings including one from an international online publication.

Taiwanese Dramas

My mother watches Taiwanese soaps on Astro, one of her favourite being Yi Nan Wang. It’s a long running soap, stretching to hundreds of episodes. Occasionally, I’d sit with her and watch snippets of it. There is very little drama in what I’ve seen : it’s conversation, conversation and more conversation.

Male or Female

 

Someone emailed me this.  Good for a chuckle.

You might not have known this, but a lot of non-living objects are actually either male or female.