Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Celebrating Family Togetherness

Hi blog. I'm not having my best of days. It started off with me having a hard time trying to pull myself outta bed. When my alarm rang the first time, I got up, hit the snooze button and went to turn on the lights. Then crawled back into bed. When it rang again, I got up, went to the bathroom to get my toothbrush, went back into the room and crawled back into bed. When it rang again, I got up, and eventually went into the bathroom to wash up.

Why do I find it so hard to immediately go to the bathroom to wash up the moment my alarm goes off? I enjoy the few stolen moments of sleep I think. To crawl back into bed and curl up for a few more minutes... The more forbidden it is, the more we do it. Isn't that always the case? The temptation of it all.

Caught the preview screening of "Do You Hear the People Sing" last night. I actually went without knowing much about what is it, or who's in it, hence did not bring with me any form of expectation(s). The vocals were impressive (though the odd one or two still lack a certain "thing"), but I reckon that the choreography of movements could have been better. The did a number from Phantom of the Opera.. and I thought that that particular Act didn't come off the way it was intended.

The stage presense of all the cast wasn't strong enough I felt. I found it to be rather hollow despite the elaborate tuxedos and black gowns and that oh-so-pretty chandelier. It felt slightly mystical and spooky.. But I would expect it to be a hair-raising scene. Hmm...

Anyways, just like the time when I admired the view of the Twin Towers from a room at the Grand Maya hotel, I was so proud of being Malaysian. The fact that "Do You Hear the People Sing" is a local production, I felt it deserved kudos. I mean, I think maybe a decade ago, English musicals and theatrical plays would not have been so rampant and so aggresively advertised.. So it's good to see the various avenues of entertainment today that are being staged and enjoyed by good ol' Malaysians! And, the fact that all proceeds go to charity makes it all the more noble don't you think?



I wrote Daddy a long email yesterday after having spoken to Mom on the phone. Just as the curtains came down and the lights came up, my phone beeped and I received an sms from Daddy who was then in Bangkok, "Thanks 4 the mail. Your observations are good abt the family. Tell u guys more when 4 of us are together".

Caught in the midst of my emotions yesterday afternoon, I messaged a friend and typed out a whole chunk of god knows what.. I should have blogged yesterday afternoon huh! Now I don't quite remember what I said to him in that message. Hmm..

I hate my extended family. I say hate because I didn't grow to hate them. It was there since the day I was born and has been instilled in my head from a very young age. Back then when I was a kid, I never quite understood why was it that us four sisters were so different from our other cousins. Back then, I thought that it's because we spoke a different language, us being English educated, and my cousins being Chinese educated. From young, us four stuck out like a sore thumb for differences I didn't quite grasp then. As I grow older, the reasons became more apparent.

Do all families have politics? Are they all as bad as the one within my extended family? As years pass by, I discover ugly things about the family I'd rather not know - who did what to whom, who took money from where, the divorces and affairs, the scandals.. the whole works.

It just irks me.

My uncles and aunts, along with their children, have decided that they wanna celebrate Christmas this year at my parents' house - a total of close to 30 people. When I spoke to Mom yesterday, she was so bitter about it. She doesn't like them, and now she's gotta cook Christmas dinner for them - and the best part is - they don't even have the courtesy to call and inform or ask mom if she'd mind having them as guests. They merely assumed that we are OK with it, zap the flight schedule of their arrival times to us. Needless to say, mom is pissed off. I guess I am too.

So then Mom said she'll do the dinner, but unwillingly. She then proceeded to ask me if I'll be coming home for Christmas. In the midst of my frustration, I brushed her off by saying, "If you're doing it in this manner - unwillingly - you can count me out for dinner". Needless to say she got upset.

I'm tired.

Anyways, someone sent me this.. The day in a life of a man it looks like...

Posted by Doreen at 9:36 am