Guess what? I have chicken pox!

I thought you’d be interested to know that I am currently down with chicken pox. Yup, sick with chicken pox (CP) at 31 years old. But I guess it could be worse. I could be 45 or older and be ill with it.

Well, actually, I’m not “sick” sick. I had fever (at night) during the first two days. And as of yesterday, I was fine. But what was weird was that I had these scarily humongous pustular acnes on my face. Or at least I think they’re acne.

Well, they don’t look like the “liquid” in the CP blisters on my hands. Those are yellowish but clear. The ones on my face were/are yellow and thick – like your typical pustular acne. But what was different was the fact that they were bigger than usual. One was 0.5 cm wide. That’s pretty big for a zit, even by my standard, and I should know because I’ve had zits since puberty.

Well, whether or not they are acne, I don’t dare to pick them. Even my husband who loves to pop my pimples is discouraging me from picking on my skin. He said that they could be CP and if I pick them, they could leave permanent scars.

I have to admit that it’s hard to keep my hands off of my face or body. Malaysians believe that when you have CP, you’re not suppose to shower or have a bath. At the most, you can wet a towel and pat yourself with it.

I read on the Internet that Westerners recommend an oatmeal bath to calm the itching. No such luck if you live in Malaysia! I have a feeling that people around the Southeast Asian region, at least, subscribe to the “no bathing” rule.

For an acne-prone person like me, not bathing and washing my face are certainly a recipe for getting zits and what-have-yous. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to have all those zits, which, I have to add, are drying up and shrinking. That’s good news of course!

But I don’t think the blackheads on my nose are going anywhere unless I give my face a good scrub. But of course I’m not going to do that, lest I scrub a chicken pox or two and cause more damage. No thanks!

I have no issues about being quarantined in my room. I’m rather enjoying the chance to watch movies which I have downloaded and read books which I have been meaning to read.

What I can’t wait to do is take a bath and wash my hair!

I’m even thinking of going for a spa post-CP! Wouldn’t that be the best time? Enjoying a good body scrub, massage and having a delicious ginger tea drink after? Aaaaah…. that’s my idea of bliss!

Until then, I can dream.. or maybe I can plan from now on. I saw an advert for a local spa in H a r i a n M e t r o recently which offers affordable packages under RM150 for Syawal.

Well, I’m off to research now. Bye!

P/S: Because of my CP, I didn’t have much of a Raya celebration to speak of. But it’s okay. I’ll have plenty of open houses to go to soon, I’m sure.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Growing up, my sisters always talk about this movie. They say that it’s among the scariest films they ever saw.  And I have always been intrigued by it. But I guess I haven’t thought about it in a while, that I have never googled it before.

But I read an article about Katy Holmes wrapping up her latest film, the remake of the said movie, in Australia and I’m even more curious to see it.

I told one of my sisters just now about the film and she maintains that it’s the scariest film she had ever seen. You can barely see the creatures and that adds to the suspense.

With the benefit of technology and CGI, I don’t know how much better the remake will be but apparently they changed the characters and probably added new ones. The original plot involved a childless couple who moved into an old house and the wife had opened a locked room and redid the room and unleashed unknown creatures which inhabit it.

In the end, they dragged the wife and the husband never saw her again. Or so my sister said.

Well, I’ll just have to wait until 2011 to see the new version.

Malaysia-France University Centre

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Bask in the warmth of the sun

I thought sitting by the beach even shaded from the hot sun at Club Med Cherating was only good for a tan that I don’t even need.

What I didn’t realise that the fresh air, sun, sea and surf were good for my health until I got back home and to the office today since Monday.

I woke up this morning with a slightly blocked nose. At the office, the cold A/C was making me sleepy especially towards the afternoon. Mind you — I didn’t even eat anything that was heavy for lunch.

To wake me up, I actually went to the 6th floor (sports centre) to get some sun on my skin without looking like a fool. I sat in the shade with my hands out in the sun to warm me up. I closed my eyes just like I did during the two-minute meditation during the 9am and 6pm yoga at CMC.

I used to think that people were exaggerating when they said that the air in the office can make the sensitive-nosed prone to the sniffles. But after three days and nights of solid fresh air, I’m beginning to think that they are right.

My boss asked me if there were any H1N1 cases at CMC. Come to think of it, I could count with one hand (actually just two fingers) the time that I heard someone sneeze or cough. Since everyone was enjoying the sun, they got enough of Vitamin D to boost their immunity. And the ample supply of fruits and water at the club made it less likely for anyone to have digestive problems or be dehydrated even though they spend ridiculous number of hours out in the sun.

You would think that the kids would come down with something having spent that many hours out in the sun. But I didn’t see any sign of sickly children. Even the one boy who had Down’s Syndrome looked fit and healthy.

So what does this tell me? That getting out of the office to get some sun is good for me. Normally, during the fasting month, everyone avoids going out in the sun for fear of feeling thirsty/being dehydrated.

But now I realise that a little bit of sun is good for the body and soul. Next time I feel a little sleepy or even agitated, I’ll know to step outside and bask in the warmth of the sun.

When’s the next holiday?

I’m sitting at the bar area — what I call the free-flow-bar — at Club Med Cherating and I can’t help but feel sad that my 4-day, 3-night holiday-cum-honeymoon (with my husband, of course) is ending.

We’ve checked out of our room but are still allowed to hang around for lunch and anything else in between. Just in case you’re curious, guests check in at Club Med at 3pm (after 2pm is alright too), so the lunch you have on the morning you check out is to make up for the lunch that you didn’t have on the day you checked in. I think that’s fair enough.

While you wait for lunch at around 12:15pm or so, you can still have drinks — alcoholic or not/cocktails and mocktails) — to your hearts’ content.

As I write this, my husband is snoozing — and snoring — on the sofa, his half-drank juice is still on the table and there’s music blaring on my right side from the water aerobics that takes place at the pool here for any guests already spalshing in the pool every 11.30am guided by our friendly Gentle Officers (GOs).

The wifi I’m using is free but you must get the password from the reception. Each room gets one password only and you can log in only one computer at a time. Fair enough. But the wifi’s pretty good — fast Internet connection — enjoyable either at the reception, the free-flow-bar or the comfort of your own rooms.

But even an Internet-addict like me can be weened off the WWW while I’m at Club Med. I honestly do not have the urge to surf the Internet here. I’m just contented reclining on one of those beach benches by the pool — or by the beach, which is better because it’s quiter and there’s more breeze — with a good book. My book of choice this holiday is Anita Shreve’s Testimonial.

Wait, I think a Japanese lady just took my picture with her flipped mobile phone. Was it me or the Bumble Bee sticker my husband stuck on his netbook that attracted her? Never mind…

This month is peak season for CMC because it’s the summer holidays (although it’s nearly over for those from temperate countries). Apparently there are about 500 people in the Village, as they call this place, right now. We’ve got lots of people from France, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and US. I’m sure there are many more tourists from other European countries and Malaysians too.

But I don’t see Arabs or Indians around, except for the GOs who come from Mauritius Island.

The GOs — hats off to them for having the energy to do what they do on a daily basis. But you can tell that they are fun loving people with loads of stamina, so they probably won’t be able to sit still for more than a day.

What I’m going to miss from this place most is the atmosphere. I was told that there are other Club Meds mostly for couples because they do not have clubs for children and teens. But I think those clubs will be kind of boring because it’s the kids and teens that add to the merriment. The pool area always looks busy because there are parents with their babies and toddlers. And you’ll have small kids running with the water guns. I’m not good with kids and noisy ones annoy me but these kids are kept busy with their club activities that you hardly see them around, so it’s cool LOL.

I’ll also miss the bar where you can order just about any drink you like. I’ve tried all the mocktails but one. Coz that one has milk and I try to cut down on milk because it gives me stomach ache.

I also loved the beach area, which is about 10-minute tram ride away from the main Village. You can learn to sail, kayak or just swim in the sea there. Or if you’re like me and you don’t swim and hate swimming in the salty sea water, you can just rest on the beach benches and read or nap. I highly recommend napping there — best if you can get one of those hammocks to yourself — because it’s breezy and not noisy at all, unlike the pool (sometimes).

The food is great too. Yesterday, they had International Rice day, so they had rice from all over the world, cooked in the country’s style. The spread is quite big, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Last night, we had a Trapeze show performed both by the instructors and the guests — mostly children. I really enjoyed the performance by the children. I have to say that CMC has some really good costume. The performance put together by the kids made me feel like I was watching a school recital in some posh international school.

I think this place would be great for local college students who are looking to intern. It’s hard work but the experience will be truly invaluable. Imagine writing in your resume, “experience working for three-months with colleagues from 17 different coutries and handling different tasks every week”.

I’m also going to miss my yoga class. My teacher is Danielle from South Korea, who has been teaching for 3 years and has been working at CMC for three months. I didn’t ask how old she was but she looks not over 25. I bet she is that young.

Notice how I haven’t mentioned my room. My room’s cool. It’s not too big and not too small. It’s pretty basic. But that’s the whole point about being at CM. Your room is just where you sleep at night. The rest of the day, you should — although there is not compulsion to — spend the day at the beach or the pool or doing some activity like going to the gym, playing pool, learning how to paint batik, learn how to ride the trapeze, sail etc.

If you wanted to go to the local pasar malam, by all means, join the excursion. No one is stopping you!

You can be as lazy or as busy as you choose without having to leave the Village – and that’s what I love about this place.

I think 4 days is just nice to spend here without getting bored. If I had it my way, I’d stay here longer LOL.

One strange things that I noticed here is that you don’t feel like staying in your room. When I stayed at other hotels, I’d rather sleep in than go down and have breakfast. Here, the moment you wake up, you’re thinking, “I can’t miss breakfast because after that I can go swimming or take yoga class or something”.

I haven’t gone on a holiday somewhere and not want to leave in a loooooooooong time. Coming from me, that says a lot about my stay in Club Med Cherating.

I can’t wait to come back :)

Early riser

I’ve been up since 4.30am so I apologise in advance if I don’t “sound” coherent.

Today’s Day 3 of my “early to bed, early to rise” regimen. I was inspired by two of my colleagues who voluntarily joined a Boot Camp-style exercise programme which entails getting up by 4:45am to get ready for a 5:30-6:30am class three times a week (Tues, Thurs and Sats).

I was attracted to the idea because after a really good workout session, they are back at home by 7am and have a few hours to kill before coming to work, since we start at 10am. They can do so much with that free time in the morning.

So I figured I would also try waking up early. Surprisingly, I have managed to wake up at 5am (two days in a row) and 4.30am this morning. However, haven’t been exercising in the morning – just that first day when I did 10 minutes of skipping. I have been catching up on work so that I’m not so behind.

It’s not so bad. I mean, no one’s forcing me to do it. But it makes me less nervous about meeting deadlines, you know? I figured that if I just spend a few hours first thing in the morning to do small bits of work, sooner or later I’ll be able to finish whatever is on my plate.

Of course work never ends and it’s a chore to wake up that early. But if my regimen keeps my stress level down, I’m all for it. The only thing left is to pencil in some exercise in my schedule. Just 30 minutes a day. I guess I need to get used to my schedule first.

I think I have chosen the right time to wake up early. Ramadhan is approaching and I’ll need to wake up early for sahur anyway. So I might as well get my body used to it.

I think sleeping at 10pm and waking up at 4:30am is pretty decent. I get 6.5 hours of sleep, which is not bad. It’s not 8 hours but it will do.

Well, I had my dinner. Now’s time for sleep. Nighty-night!

Bananas ’bout pyjamas

If most people are like me, they won’t put a lot of thought into what they wear to bed.

Some would sleep in a proper pyjama set, some just any ratty old t-shirt and shorts, or in their birthday suite. I used to belong in the second category.

But these days, I prefer to look presentable even to bed. By presentable, I mean dressed in a proper, matching top and bottom ensemble.

I have taken to La Senza pyjamas because they’re cute.

I admit they are ridiculously overpriced. I mean, RM180 for pyjamas? Hello! Crazy or what?

But I managed to get my first pair of matching pyjamas – baby blue sheer t-shirt and dark blue pants with horse prints – from the Sunway Pyramid outlet for RM50. I had a choice between that and a striking green penguin print pyjamas. But the latter looked too warm for Malaysian weather, so I choose the former.

Before stepping out of the store that day, the sales girl managed to talk me into signing up as a member for RM30. This entitled me to a 10% discount card (which I could use in combination with other discounts) and some coupons as a thank you gift for becoming a member.

The next time I was in the mall, I popped by the store and got myself three cute pyjama bottoms – one blue kain pelikat-like with blue satin drawstrings, and two cartoon printed ones – for RM150.

In my most recent visit, I bought a pair of powder pink Betty Boop PJ set (sleeveless baby doll top and Betty Boop printed pants with pink satin drawstrings).

I actually had my heart set on another pair of pink t-shirt and black boxers PJs but I talked myself out of getting it and settling for the Betty Boop one. I live with my in-laws and I am not comfortable prancing around in shorts at home.

The main reason why I go for La Senza PJs is because I want sleepwear that I won’t be embarrassed to be seen outside of the bedroom. Getting a sheer nighty/babydoll defeats that purpose.

But I think I’ll get the t-shirt and boxers set next time because I really, really like it. I’m still pining over it so that has to mean something. I have this rule that if I’m still thinking about a product days after I saw it, then I should get it the next time I can afford it. :) So I just mind get it next time.

Writing this makes me think that I might be overspending on something that I might not really need. It is after all just clothes that I wear to bed.

But I kinda like the idea of looking nice going to bed. Besides, I know I will wear them forever and ever. Pyjamas won’t ever go out of fashion, they way kaftans will be a preferred choice by many Malaysian women. I suppose kaftans are cheaper but I hate how they ride up and expose your legs and panties when you sleep.

My pyjamas are not only modest and timeless, they’re very comfortable and loose enough for me to wear even if I put on another 10 kgs.

Well, maybe I’m just making excuses for spending too much on pyjamas. But as long as I’m happy, eh?

Allah loves her more

At 11:25pm, Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad passed away. Some five hours before she was pronounced dead, Ahmad Izham’s tweeted that her family had informed that her condition had deteriorated (after she underwent an operation for brain hemorrhage) and that she was on life support.

It was said that she was giving a presentation at Sri Pentas when she complained of a headache and collapsed moments later.

When someone dies, especially tragically, and their death is covered by the newspaper, the reporter would always ask the surviving family members if the deceased had shown any noticeable behaviourial changes days before his/her passing. So you will read heart-wrenching stories such as the son who called his mom out of the blue, crying because he missed her. Or the friend who called to say that he’s arriving (at the destination) soon but never did because het met with an accident minutes after you put down the phone.

Yasmin’s family members and friends may or may not have similar stories to share. But judging from one of her replies to the comments left for her last blog entry A song of longing I’m hoping to use for the ending in Wasurenagusa, Yasmin didn’t expect her life to end so soon (see screen shot below). In fact, she probably did not suspect that there was anything wrong with her health.

ZARA had asked her an innocent question, How are you?, to which Yasmin replied zara, i’m fine, alhamdulillah. how are you?

And this “conversation” took place on July 22, 2009, just a day before she collapsed and four days before her passing.

Yasmin Ahmad, you will be missed. Thank you for sharing with us your God given talent. We love you dearly but Allah loves you even more. I trust that you are in a better place.

This is it!

I’m in my bed, alone with the room darkened safe for a few dimmed lights.

I’m waiting to fall asleep so that I, along with a gazillion people, can watch Michael’s last big show. Michael’s last concert was never meant to be “it”. His memorial service was.

I know some of the people who will be there. But I wonder who will be speaking at the service?

Will his children be there? Will they be wearing masks to protect their identity?

I know I will be deeply saddened. In fact, I expect myself to cry a little. But I’ll take comfort in the knowledge that this is the closure that all of us — hisb great admirers — are waiting for. I take comfort in the knowledge that although Michael Jackson was scorned and ridiculed in his life, in his death he is very much loved and appreciated.

Goodbye Michael, I’ll miss you!

Michael Jackson Private Home Movies Part 2