pelf-ism is contagious

I remember I was introduced to listening to the radio when I was 16 (that was a decade ago). Yea, my antenna was THAT short back when I was still an innocent secondary-school girl *grins* A group of us girls were sitting in class one day and were chatting about music. Boy bands. Girl bands. The Top 10 charts. And because I was such a “late-boomer”, one of my best friends, Joey, recommended that I tuned in to Mix FM because according to her, Mix FM plays “contemporary but not hard rock music”.

I believed her, and so that was how I was hooked to the radio for the next 5 years or so. I took an interest on the Weekly Top 10 charts, who sang what, who released what albums and what-nots. The “obsession” kind of spread to my sister because she even bought some Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls albums!

Some of my favourite artists in the late 1990s include:

My, this is nostalgic! It feels like it was just a while ago that their songs topped the charts and I got to listen to them on the radio over and over again! Thank God for portable music players *smiles*

While many of you splurged a portion of your angpow money on new clothes and shoes and books and electronic gadgets, I had to spend ALL of mine to service my car. OK, OK, at first it was just a minor, 5000 kilometer kind of service, which I obediently adhere to every few months WHICH cost me a hundred and fifty bucks.

But the the air-cond was also not functioning, so I went to the air-cond service centre to have the whatever gas refilled. That cost an additional eighty bucks.

Then on my way back home, my 10-year-old trust-worthy Kancil broke down IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD right before the traffic lights!! Smelly white smoke was coming out of the bonet and cars were approaching at a very terrifying speed. It was after six, the workshop to which I sent my car earlier on had already closed. I retrieved my handphone from my bag and looked at it blankly. I didn’t know who to call.

Common sense had me calling the air-cond guy because, heck, he was the last person who touched my car, and if anything had gone wrong, it was very likely HIS fault. But that was what I thought. He said he’d come right away, and I asked him to bring a new car battery. He was smart enough to bring two bottles of water too.

Then, as if sent by somebody upstairs, one of the mechanics from the service workshop passed by, saw me, and made a U-turn to see what was happening. It was the mechanic and the air-cond guy who helped me force-start the car, drove it to the side of the road, then called for a tow-truck, and the air-cond guy even sent me home.

And the damage? Another eight hundred bucks.

Total damage? You do the math.

P/S: But Grace wasn’t as lucky. She was involved in an accident, and the front portion of her car was gone. Go give her some huggies, will you?

Links of Interest: Credit Card Offers With No Balance Transfer Fee to bring bang to your bucks

The good thing about your sister getting older bigger is that everytime her birthday comes around, you no longer have to crack your head to come up with surprises. And you don’t have to spend a mint on her birthday present because she’s your favourite (and also ONLY sister). You don’t have to make the tens of phone calls to gather people for a birthday party eventhough your sister specifically ASKS for one.

Why?

Because she’s found herself a very efficient Personal Assistant, who takes care of the surprise birthday party. And the guest list, sort of la. And the venue. And the birthday cake.

And coincidently, the Personal Assistant also has another name. Boyfriend, if you haven’t already guessed it *winks*

So yea, “the one” arranged for a nice little surprise dinner that wasn’t really a surprise because MY sister is very smart. She guessed it. We had dinner at Halo Cafe @ Sunway Pyramid, and the birthday girl arrived an hour later due to the heavy rain and massive traffic jam.

Anyway, those of us who arrived early ordered our dinner and helped ourselves and then spent time chatting and taking “artistic” pictures of the cozy ambient. Halo Cafe has got some very pretty lightings and a very nice stage but my little Olympus mju is really quite incapable of taking great pictures. Yes, I am thinking of getting myself a dSLR.

And did I also mention that “the efficient Personal Assistant” got the part-time singers (what do you call them?) to sing a Happy Birthday song on stage? And that the cute little birthday cake he got was a heart-shaped chocolate cake decorated with cute little heart-shaped chocolates?

OK. I am officially retired. Now where’s my pension?!