My Early Xmas Wishlist

It is still too early to be making Christmas wish list. I am no child. Far from that. And I do not expect my presents to be left for me under an enormous Christmas tree, but then again, I found that I desperately needed to make one.  All these while, I don’t know what I should wish for for Christmas, but I’m going almost insane right now. I’m having an emotional breakdown I need to hold on to something… some hope, some magic… a miracle or else… I don’t think I can go on. Not anymore. I can’t believe what I have become. A timid person who is scared to voice up her opinion just because she’s so sick of fighting issues that she consider not worth an argument in the first place.

I am utterly disgusted by it- by what kind of person I have become. Since when I became the ‘yes woman’ or ‘let it be woman’? What happened to the carefree and the fighter in me? Well… someone trampled it, stepped on it, shred it to pieces, slow and bloody… mercilessly.

Anyway, here’s my fondest wish. Let’s just spare Santa from all the gory details, shall we?

All I want for Christmas is:

1. My life back. I feel lifeless now.

2. My voice… I want my opinion heard and RESPECTED.

3. PRIVACY. I want PRIVACY and freedom to be able to do what I want.

4. A rest with no bloody shit disturbing me. No unwanted phone calls, no people to entertain, no screaming…

5. Less work to do. No more chores… no more cleaning up to please people or to find that my hard work have been messed up again over and over again without failed.

6. Some quality time with my loved ones. Please note… loved ones… not people whom I’m forced to tolerate for whatever fucking reason. I don’t care, I need to unwind… please, give me a break! Please, give me a break, I need to breathe.

7. Just for one day…just for one day… I want to go back to the day I was in form 5. I want to feel the joy of being innocent, naive, and silly once again. I want to be able to be myself- the young girl who’s spirited.

8. I want to turn back time. I want to make things right for everyone. If not everyone, at least for myself, so that I won’t be guilt ridden for the rest of my life.

9. I want to start my life all over… year 2004 was by far the best year after college. I want to start over at that point of my life.

10. I want to be able to do what I loved and does best. I want to learn. I want to be able to make my own mistakes.

11. I want to play chess for at least 2 hours, I want to go horseback riding and spend my whole day reading comics, novels, and books that I fancy.

12. I want to be able to complete a 500 or 1000 puzzles without the fear of having called to do something… or having it put away by people without my permission.

13. I want to be able to be honest to my family, without having the fear of them not able to accept what I want to be honest about. I’m so tired of lying…

14. I want no more worries…especially about money.

15. I don’t expect romance, but I want to feel appreciated for the things that I have done.

16. I want more passion in my life…more joy, more excitement, more thrills.

17. I want to feel how it is like to be in love again, head over heels kind of feelings.

18. I want to be able to understand people better, and in return, I want people to be more sensitive about my feelings.

19. I want to have time to write again. I want to be able to create  masterpieces effortlessly again… the way I did back in 1998… a complete masterpiece each month.

20. I want to be inspired and to be able to have dreams again. And I also want to have a baby daughter who is a result of love…

21. I want to have friends again… friends, in the context where I can hang out and chill out with them.

22. I want to be able play Maplestory for the whole day again with my fellow gamers and to be able to stay awake til at least 3am in to enjoy the much coveted solitude.

23. I want to go to the beach, just to breathe in the scent of the salted sea, and listen to the gentle waves hitting the soft sands…to remember that the sea was where I used to belonged.

24. I want to have a career of my choosing…I want to go back to what I think is my true calling- the journalism line…reporting. Journalism is the first step to creating the history of mankind. I want to be apart of that.

and most importantly

25. I want to be able to go home without any fear. Without the feelings that my space have been invaded, my privacy is not respected and my eyes and ears are assaulted by unpleasant things.

I do hope at least one of my wishes could come true… but seeing my wishes are not in the form of material things, I don’t think it is possible for anyone to grant me any of it, and it doesn’t matter if I’ve been a good girl whole year through. But then again… desperate woman do desperate things, including making wishes like this, hoping that her wishes could at least be heard if it cannot be realized.

The list is what I wished for from the bottom of my greedy heart. What is your wish, dear readers?

Cleffairy: If I can’t have at least my privacy, freedom and voice back… well then perhaps, my life is no longer worth living. I used to think that when one fall in love, it would be forever…but one can only be in love til their last breath if they are a masochist.

Whether I am a masochist or not, that is for me to know, and for you to find out. Are you a masochist?

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I'm not so sweet anymore…

I changed so much over the years since I finished high school. I dare to bet that my high school friends can tell me to my face that they do not know me anymore. From a sweet, forgiving, naive girl who can easily tolerate anyone around her, I become a witch who is ill tempered and have distrust on everyone who crossed my path. It takes so little to anger me. It takes so less to displease and to hold grudges against others. Resentments bottles up, and I doubt anyone can do anything about it to make it go away.

Those changes are not good, I know, but I can’t help it. My environment shaped me into what I am today. And I can’t honestly say that my environment after I left home is all good and positive. My parents sheltered me. I used to have a perfect happy family. I was a daughter. An apple to my parents’ eyes.

But I learn that not everyone have good parents like mine who protects me from the dangers outside, and eventually, I discovered that I’m stuck with people whose background is not as good as mine, and if I want to stick around with them, I’ll have to change to adapt. I did not want to change. But then again, I have to. To survive.

Fiend and friends alike analyzed me. Both parties said the same thing. Both agrees that I became a bitter person because I have been hurt. A year ago, if one told me that, I would adamantly deny their allegations. But today, as much as I refuse to admit that I have been somehow hurt in some ways, I have too, because I am not that happy with myself, with what I am today. This is not what I envisioned myself to be 10 years ago.

10 years ago, I was full of dreams and hope, but today, nothing seems to go right. I am not what I had hoped myself to be when I was younger. It never crossed my mind that I will be a failure in many ways. Yes, that is what I am. A failure. A big one at that. I have disappoint my younger self. And nothing can change that, unless I start to put myself first before others. And start to love myself first before I love others. The fire made me see that. Somehow, I am glad it happened as it seems to burn away things so that I could see clearer.

I know I’m fooling around with my own doom when I give up my own hopes and dreams in order to help others achieve theirs. But then again, why am I still doing it? Because I have to? Because I have no choice? Because I am forced to do so? No. It’s because somehow, a part of that innocent, selfless girl who used to be me still haven’t completely die. She’s still there, somewhere, waiting to emerge once again, but have been successfully suppressed by her environment.

This will be a weird entry, but I need to do this in order to understand myself again, because sometimes, when I woke up in the morning or looked into the mirror, I don’t feel like I know who I am anymore. I changed too much.

What can I do to be that sweet girl again? I don’t have any answer for that. I feel that I’ve changed too much and it is too late for me to turn back. But perhaps, being happy is a good start. And loving myself first before loving others would make me feel more at ease with myself and stop myself from holding grudges with other people. I don’t know what I should do to make me feel more confident and comfortable with myself, cuz it’s been destroyed for so long.

I can only say one thing to all of you though, before you become like me, turning into someone you cannot even recognize in the mirror; Love yourself first before you love others. Do something to make yourself happy, because unhappiness can destroy so many things. And instead of following what other people tell you to do because they thought it is right for you, follow your heart and your instinct. That, my blogger friends, could at least preserve the good part of you and prevent yourself from turning into such an ill-tempered witch like me.

Cleffairy: If I love myself a little bit more, it does not mean I love you less.

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I’m not so sweet anymore…

I changed so much over the years since I finished high school. I dare to bet that my high school friends can tell me to my face that they do not know me anymore. From a sweet, forgiving, naive girl who can easily tolerate anyone around her, I become a witch who is ill tempered and have distrust on everyone who crossed my path. It takes so little to anger me. It takes so less to displease and to hold grudges against others. Resentments bottles up, and I doubt anyone can do anything about it to make it go away.

Those changes are not good, I know, but I can’t help it. My environment shaped me into what I am today. And I can’t honestly say that my environment after I left home is all good and positive. My parents sheltered me. I used to have a perfect happy family. I was a daughter. An apple to my parents’ eyes.

But I learn that not everyone have good parents like mine who protects me from the dangers outside, and eventually, I discovered that I’m stuck with people whose background is not as good as mine, and if I want to stick around with them, I’ll have to change to adapt. I did not want to change. But then again, I have to. To survive.

Fiend and friends alike analyzed me. Both parties said the same thing. Both agrees that I became a bitter person because I have been hurt. A year ago, if one told me that, I would adamantly deny their allegations. But today, as much as I refuse to admit that I have been somehow hurt in some ways, I have too, because I am not that happy with myself, with what I am today. This is not what I envisioned myself to be 10 years ago.

10 years ago, I was full of dreams and hope, but today, nothing seems to go right. I am not what I had hoped myself to be when I was younger. It never crossed my mind that I will be a failure in many ways. Yes, that is what I am. A failure. A big one at that. I have disappoint my younger self. And nothing can change that, unless I start to put myself first before others. And start to love myself first before I love others. The fire made me see that. Somehow, I am glad it happened as it seems to burn away things so that I could see clearer.

I know I’m fooling around with my own doom when I give up my own hopes and dreams in order to help others achieve theirs. But then again, why am I still doing it? Because I have to? Because I have no choice? Because I am forced to do so? No. It’s because somehow, a part of that innocent, selfless girl who used to be me still haven’t completely die. She’s still there, somewhere, waiting to emerge once again, but have been successfully suppressed by her environment.

This will be a weird entry, but I need to do this in order to understand myself again, because sometimes, when I woke up in the morning or looked into the mirror, I don’t feel like I know who I am anymore. I changed too much.

What can I do to be that sweet girl again? I don’t have any answer for that. I feel that I’ve changed too much and it is too late for me to turn back. But perhaps, being happy is a good start. And loving myself first before loving others would make me feel more at ease with myself and stop myself from holding grudges with other people. I don’t know what I should do to make me feel more confident and comfortable with myself, cuz it’s been destroyed for so long.

I can only say one thing to all of you though, before you become like me, turning into someone you cannot even recognize in the mirror; Love yourself first before you love others. Do something to make yourself happy, because unhappiness can destroy so many things. And instead of following what other people tell you to do because they thought it is right for you, follow your heart and your instinct. That, my blogger friends, could at least preserve the good part of you and prevent yourself from turning into such an ill-tempered witch like me.

Cleffairy: If I love myself a little bit more, it does not mean I love you less.

Continue Reading

I’m not so sweet anymore…

I changed so much over the years since I finished high school. I dare to bet that my high school friends can tell me to my face that they do not know me anymore. From a sweet, forgiving, naive girl who can easily tolerate anyone around her, I become a witch who is ill tempered and have distrust on everyone who crossed my path. It takes so little to anger me. It takes so less to displease and to hold grudges against others. Resentments bottles up, and I doubt anyone can do anything about it to make it go away.

Those changes are not good, I know, but I can’t help it. My environment shaped me into what I am today. And I can’t honestly say that my environment after I left home is all good and positive. My parents sheltered me. I used to have a perfect happy family. I was a daughter. An apple to my parents’ eyes.

But I learn that not everyone have good parents like mine who protects me from the dangers outside, and eventually, I discovered that I’m stuck with people whose background is not as good as mine, and if I want to stick around with them, I’ll have to change to adapt. I did not want to change. But then again, I have to. To survive.

Fiend and friends alike analyzed me. Both parties said the same thing. Both agrees that I became a bitter person because I have been hurt. A year ago, if one told me that, I would adamantly deny their allegations. But today, as much as I refuse to admit that I have been somehow hurt in some ways, I have too, because I am not that happy with myself, with what I am today. This is not what I envisioned myself to be 10 years ago.

10 years ago, I was full of dreams and hope, but today, nothing seems to go right. I am not what I had hoped myself to be when I was younger. It never crossed my mind that I will be a failure in many ways. Yes, that is what I am. A failure. A big one at that. I have disappoint my younger self. And nothing can change that, unless I start to put myself first before others. And start to love myself first before I love others. The fire made me see that. Somehow, I am glad it happened as it seems to burn away things so that I could see clearer.

I know I’m fooling around with my own doom when I give up my own hopes and dreams in order to help others achieve theirs. But then again, why am I still doing it? Because I have to? Because I have no choice? Because I am forced to do so? No. It’s because somehow, a part of that innocent, selfless girl who used to be me still haven’t completely die. She’s still there, somewhere, waiting to emerge once again, but have been successfully suppressed by her environment.

This will be a weird entry, but I need to do this in order to understand myself again, because sometimes, when I woke up in the morning or looked into the mirror, I don’t feel like I know who I am anymore. I changed too much.

What can I do to be that sweet girl again? I don’t have any answer for that. I feel that I’ve changed too much and it is too late for me to turn back. But perhaps, being happy is a good start. And loving myself first before loving others would make me feel more at ease with myself and stop myself from holding grudges with other people. I don’t know what I should do to make me feel more confident and comfortable with myself, cuz it’s been destroyed for so long.

I can only say one thing to all of you though, before you become like me, turning into someone you cannot even recognize in the mirror; Love yourself first before you love others. Do something to make yourself happy, because unhappiness can destroy so many things. And instead of following what other people tell you to do because they thought it is right for you, follow your heart and your instinct. That, my blogger friends, could at least preserve the good part of you and prevent yourself from turning into such an ill-tempered witch like me.

Cleffairy: If I love myself a little bit more, it does not mean I love you less.

Continue Reading

I’m not so sweet anymore…

I changed so much over the years since I finished high school. I dare to bet that my high school friends can tell me to my face that they do not know me anymore. From a sweet, forgiving, naive girl who can easily tolerate anyone around her, I become a witch who is ill tempered and have distrust on everyone who crossed my path. It takes so little to anger me. It takes so less to displease and to hold grudges against others. Resentments bottles up, and I doubt anyone can do anything about it to make it go away.

Those changes are not good, I know, but I can’t help it. My environment shaped me into what I am today. And I can’t honestly say that my environment after I left home is all good and positive. My parents sheltered me. I used to have a perfect happy family. I was a daughter. An apple to my parents’ eyes.

But I learn that not everyone have good parents like mine who protects me from the dangers outside, and eventually, I discovered that I’m stuck with people whose background is not as good as mine, and if I want to stick around with them, I’ll have to change to adapt. I did not want to change. But then again, I have to. To survive.

Fiend and friends alike analyzed me. Both parties said the same thing. Both agrees that I became a bitter person because I have been hurt. A year ago, if one told me that, I would adamantly deny their allegations. But today, as much as I refuse to admit that I have been somehow hurt in some ways, I have too, because I am not that happy with myself, with what I am today. This is not what I envisioned myself to be 10 years ago.

10 years ago, I was full of dreams and hope, but today, nothing seems to go right. I am not what I had hoped myself to be when I was younger. It never crossed my mind that I will be a failure in many ways. Yes, that is what I am. A failure. A big one at that. I have disappoint my younger self. And nothing can change that, unless I start to put myself first before others. And start to love myself first before I love others. The fire made me see that. Somehow, I am glad it happened as it seems to burn away things so that I could see clearer.

I know I’m fooling around with my own doom when I give up my own hopes and dreams in order to help others achieve theirs. But then again, why am I still doing it? Because I have to? Because I have no choice? Because I am forced to do so? No. It’s because somehow, a part of that innocent, selfless girl who used to be me still haven’t completely die. She’s still there, somewhere, waiting to emerge once again, but have been successfully suppressed by her environment.

This will be a weird entry, but I need to do this in order to understand myself again, because sometimes, when I woke up in the morning or looked into the mirror, I don’t feel like I know who I am anymore. I changed too much.

What can I do to be that sweet girl again? I don’t have any answer for that. I feel that I’ve changed too much and it is too late for me to turn back. But perhaps, being happy is a good start. And loving myself first before loving others would make me feel more at ease with myself and stop myself from holding grudges with other people. I don’t know what I should do to make me feel more confident and comfortable with myself, cuz it’s been destroyed for so long.

I can only say one thing to all of you though, before you become like me, turning into someone you cannot even recognize in the mirror; Love yourself first before you love others. Do something to make yourself happy, because unhappiness can destroy so many things. And instead of following what other people tell you to do because they thought it is right for you, follow your heart and your instinct. That, my blogger friends, could at least preserve the good part of you and prevent yourself from turning into such an ill-tempered witch like me.

Cleffairy: If I love myself a little bit more, it does not mean I love you less.

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Contemporary wedding vows

An old friend of mine contacted me and requested me to write a contemporary wedding vows for her. I am not so good at writing contemporary wedding vows, as I view such vows as something sacred and extremely intimate to those who will be uttering it. When it comes to making vows, I am a complete loser, but I found this particular vow while I was searching for material for the vow, and I thought that it’s so beautiful and perhaps I should share it with all of you here… Please feel free to take and use it as the contemporary vows are supposed to be shared in the first place.

Minister to Guests: Dear friends, we gather here at this hour to witness and to celebrate the drawing together of two separate lives. We have come so that this man,____________, and this woman,___________, may be joined in marriage. Two people in love do not live in isolation from the wider embraces of humanity. To achieve love is not to be absolved of social responsibility. So it is that the institution of marriage is ordained as a public recognition of the private experience of love, and as a sanctifying of both parties to its great purposes. At the same time it represents the desire of ____________ and ___________ to share their joy in each other with you, their family and their friends.

Minister to Bride and Groom:

Love is the most profound experience that can come to humankind. At its best it reduces our selfishness, deepens our personalities, and makes life far more meaningful. Its very nature is to want to give to another, and to feel joy in the joy of the other. Such love can call forth the best qualities in each of you.

Marriage is an estate that is to embody, nurture and protect all the warm and precious values that grow in human companionship and love. Marriage symbolizes the ultimate intimacy between two people. Therefore, it is not to be entered into lightly, but with certainty, with mutual respect, and with a sense of reverence which can include beauty, humor and joy.

A marriage that is to last will be continually growing. Yet the closeness which it assumes should not diminish but strengthen the individuality of each partner. The poet Rilke has written that, “Marriage is not a matter of creating a quick community of spirit by tearing down and destroying all boundaries, but rather a good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude . . . once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side by side can grow up, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as whole and before an immense sky.”

Khalil Gibran echoed these sentiments in The Prophet, when he wrote:

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

And stand together yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”

Thus it is out of the resonance between individuality and union, that love, whose incredible strength is equal only to its incredible fragility, is born and reborn.

(An alternative reading to Gibran: Brandock Lovely has written that “Love is a respect for the preciousness and worth of a person. Love gives and love receives. Love can not live in itself, it must be nurtured with a mutual and ultimate sharing, a giving and taking. Love is the noblest passion a man or a woman can feel, for it surpasses all lesser desires. Love is precious because it is an ethical commitment to another, which honors the duties of the promises here made, not only from a sense of obligation, but from the depths of the most divine sentiment we can enjoy.”)

Today’s celebration of human affection is the outward sign of a sacred and inward commitment, which religious societies may consecrate and states may legalize, but which neither can create or annul. Such union can only be created by loving purpose, be maintained by abiding will, and be renewed by human feelings and intentions. It is in this spirit that these two come now to be wed.

Declaration of Intention

Minister to Groom: ______________, do you take ____________as your wife, promising to tenderly care for her, to respect her individuality, to cherish her as she is, to love her with fidelity? (I do.)

Minister to Bride: _______________, do you take_____________ to be your -husband, promising to tenderly care for him, to respect his individuality, to cherish him as he is, to love him with fidelity? (I do.)

The Presentation (optional)

Who presents _______________ to be married to ______________? Who presents _______________ to be married to ______________?)

Congregational Support (optional)

Will each one of you here today do all that is in your power to support and encourage ______________ and ______________ in fulfilling the promises they make here today – if so, please respond by saying, ‘We will.’

Introduction and Exchange of Vows

The vows through which you accept each other as husband and wife contain no hidden power within themselves. It is to the extent that they express in words your intention and commitment that they have meaning. In a world where pressures pushing people apart sometimes seem stronger than those drawing people together, your commitment to each other will need to be creatively re-expressed in the coming days and years. The expression in today’s vows is an important and visible milestone in your journey together.

Groom shall repeat after the minister:

I, ______________, take you, ______________, to be my wife from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, and in all our life together to be loyal to you with all my being.

Bride shall repeat after the minister:

I, _______________, take you, ______________, to be my husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; and in all our life together to be loyal to you with all my being.

Exchange of Rings

Rings are an ancient symbol, blessed and simple. Round they are, like the sun, like the eye, like the arms that embrace. Circles they are, for love that is given comes back round again. ______________ and ____________, may these rings remind you that your love, like the sun, illuminates; that your love, like the eye, must see clearly; and that your love, like the arms which embrace, is a grace upon this world.

Bride & Groom alternately repeating:

As I give you this ring, I give you my love.

Lighting of the Unity Candle (optional)

(The Unity Candle can be lit with or without the following introduction.)

__________________ and _______________, the two single candles now lit on the altar symbolize each of you in your individual uniqueness. The center candle -still unlit – is to symbolize your coming together to share a new life with one another. Each of you has brought to this moment a wealth of personality, of background, of experience, and of strengths and weaknesses, now you are joining in a new life together. Come now, and light a new light, using the fire each of you brings to this union. But do not extinguish the former lights, lest there be less light and warmth. May all three lights burn brightly and the warmth of your love for each other and for others be greater.

“For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the hardest of all our tasks,” says Rilke again , “the ultimate test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation . . . Love . . . is a high inducement to the individual to ripen, to become something in themself, to become a world to themself for another’s sake . . . and human love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other.”

Wedding Prayer

O God, give your blessings now to what we have done here. Make this moment fruitful to ___________ and _____________ through an added devotion to one another, through new inner strength, and through a new sense of the sacredness of all life. We do not ask that they be kept from sorrow and trial, but that they may learn from these and be stronger because of them. We do not ask that all life be easy and profitable to them, but that they find life good and worth celebrating. May all their tasks in life, including the task of being human, be easier because they approach those tasks together. Make them each quick to forgive, quick to laugh, quick to enjoy. Let each so value the personality of the other that he may not wish to alter it into some other course. And let them, in the measure of time that is theirs together, find much joy in small things. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (optional)

(Repeating together:) Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Pronouncement

Forasmuch as you ________________and you_______________have consented together in wedlock, and have pledged yourselves each to the other in the presence of God and the presence of this company, I do now pronounce you husband and wife. Let all others honor their decision and the threshold of their house.

Benediction

May all blessings attend you,

May joy pervade your lives together,

May your home be forever a place of peace and true fulfillment.

Cleffairy: For as long as we both shall live is a a very long time. Do make sure that the ‘very long time’ is well used and you cherish your spouse with every heart beat.

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They are just unbearable…

EDIT: This is a bit too late. But please visit Cheeyee’s blog for related stories about EVIL MIL. It’s a very touching story, and almost made yours truly cry and wonder about a lot of things.

I’m quite wary and tired these days. It’s been quite a long and hot weekend, and I cannot deny that when I’m all hot and bothered (not sexually) I can be quite a bitch. Though I have a lot of time to spare, but I could not write any entries at all last weekend because I was not in town, and I was completely cut off from the world wide web as there’s no Internet connection at the place where I spent my weekend. I thank whatever force up there that allows me to be safely home, where I am more comfortable and less problems to deal with. Sometimes, routine activities can be very comforting and though mundane, it can keep me sane.

Anyway, if a blogger friend of mine, Jen (she’s a pretty, nice and single lady, do check out her blog…her blog is a mix of everything, from venting, musing, etc) thinks that parents are so hard to please, then in laws are actually aliens from outer space that do not speak our language and completely not from our world, and no matter how hard we try to communicate with them, it simply does not work!

Most mother in law could not accept their daughter in law. Only some lucky few women have cool mother in law who treats them like their own daughter and genuinely care for them. Most mother in laws merely TOLERATE their daughter in law(s) just because their son(s) are married to those women and they would not want to be labeled as a home wrecker by their peers if they were to come out with a scheme to get rid of their daughter in law by making their sons divorce their useless wife. So basically, mother in laws will antagonize their daughter in laws, and make everyone’s life a living hell.

Typical Asian mother in laws usually only see flaws in their daughter in laws, and no matter what the daughter in laws do to please them would be wrong. From my firsthand experience and observation on my family and some other people’s family, below are the common scenario between daughter in law (DIL) and mother in law (MIL):

Asian MIL will ALWAYS complain that their daughter in law is incapable of doing housework or doesn’t know how to cook. Below is the common conversation MIL/DIL will usually have.

The kitchen scenario

MIL(complaining to relatives and whatnot bitches on the streets): You know, my daughter in law is very useless. She’s lazy, doesn’t know how to cook, never help me with the chores in the kitchen, and bla bla bla. Dunno how her parents teach her… and bla bla bla! Bla bla bla and more bla bla bla!

And so, when the daughter in law made some effort to help her cook some dishes, this is what the MIL will say:

MIL ( scolds DIL): Get out of my kitchen! You dunno how to cook, only knows how to ‘kacau’ only, and makes mess in the kitchen. You cannot use too much oil to fry things, not healthy, bla bla bla…. you see, the water not yet boiled,you cannot put in the food yet later the food cannot be cooked properly, will get soggy….this veggies, you cannot cut liddat, (grumbles) just go out and accompany your brats or hubby, bla bla bla let me do all the work, bla bla bla, becoz I am more smart and experienced than you and BLA BLA BLA!

And then, the MIL will continue to complain and sell their fucking stories to the relatives, her friends, neighbour and any Tom Dick or Harry they meet on the street about their useless daughter in law who ‘do not even know how to turn on the fire on the stove’. So, tell me, what else can daughter in laws do when they try to be helpful in the kitchen and yet the mother in laws constantly kick the poor things out of the kitchen?

The Hygiene Scenario

MIL complaints that the daughter in law does not bathe often and therefore is not hygienic.

MIL: Why didn’t you take a bath yet? It’s late, and now it’s so hot, go and take a bath… it’s not hygenic, and you smell like poo…. bla bla bla…

And so, the daughter in law obediently goes and take a bath and when the daughter in law comes out from her bath, this is what the MIL will say:

MIL: Why you bathe so long wan??? I waited to take a bath very long oredi….water is not cheap, and you’ll get a flu if you bathe too long…summore now so late! Bla bla bla!

The Visiting Scenario

MIL complain that their son did not visit them often.

MIL: Why you all never come back to visit me ah?

And so, the kids bring their wife and their children to visit. But this is what will happen when they visit:

MIL: Eh, when you guys are going back home? You got no work to do in the city meh? You take how many days leave? What time you go back? Go back earlier! Don’t go back so late, later very hard to drive, can easily accident!!! And bla bla bla!

Feeding the brats scenario

MIL: You all never feed my grandchildren ah? Never eat rice ah? Why your kids so skinny? You see la, you never feed these kids rice, how they grow up. So skinny like plywood ( goddammit, if a child is genetically thin like his parents, hyperactive and have high metabolism, how do you expect the brats to grow round and fat like some wobbly jelly?)

And so, the MIL will try to force down some rice and tasteless soup or veggies down the kids’ throats, and when the kids make a fuss and throw tantrums on eating greens, this is what the MIL will say:

MIL: Why you never teach your kids to eat properly ah? Why so fussy! This want to choose, that also want to choose. Why don’t eat rice, don’t eat veggies, bla bla bla… faster go feed you kids, later hungry! You should not allow your kids to choose food, you know, later what oso dunno how to eat! (Dammit, if kids are not fussy, then they are not kids anymore, and which kids loves to eat greens like some goat?)

And then the DIL who knows her fussy kids better than anyone else would feed the kids their favourite food that she knows the kids will eat, because it is general knowledge that it’s better to let the kids eat something than wait for them eat some extremely healthy food and let them starve, this is what the MIL will say:

MIL: Why you feed the kids oily food? Don’t let the kids eat these things too much! Why these stuff so much MSG? Why you feed them sweets and ice cream for dessert? It’s not healthy for children to eat sweets you know?

After that, as usual, the MIL will broadcast to the world that their DIL never feed their grandchildren.

Disciplining the brats scenario

The MIL reprimands the kids and her daughter in laws for not being stern and strict with their children.

MIL: Hey! Don’t let your brats cry and throw tantrums like this! Scream so loud, I cannot rest, and later neighbours will complain you know? Faster settle your brats! Don’t let them behave like this! Headache you know???

And so, when the son or daughter in laws takes out a cane and whack or scold the brats that’s being spoiled by the grandparent(s) in the first place, this is what they will say:

MIL: Hey, don’t beat the kids! They dunno anything wan, must slowly teach….bla bla bla…you never talk peoperly to your kids, that is why your kids so stubborn and never listens, you know, bla bla bla.

And then the MIL will proceed with their routine activities in gossiping on how their useless daughter in law does not know how to teach the children and spoil the brats rotten.

The Communication Scenario

The MIL complaints that the DIL doesn’t know how to respect her, and refused to talk to her. But when the DIL tries to make conversation with her, she’ll either pretends to watch TV or pretends that she doesn’t hear a word and only respond when their sons are around.

The Dinner Scenario

MIL complains that the family hardly have time to have dinner together.

MIL: You all ah, always no time to sit down and eat together with me. Your life ah, so damn busy meh?

And then when the children goes back to visit and wants to have meals together, this is what typical Asian MIL will do:

MIL: You all eat first, I don’t eat so early wan…. bla bla bla…I want to watch tv first, bla bla bla…

And then after all of the nonsense, the MIL of course will whine, sniff and sobs with sexually unsatisfied bitches on the road on how ungrateful their children and in laws are as they refuse to even spend time to sit and have dinner with her.


The family planning scenario

The MIL complain that the kids have been married for quite some time and yet still have no news of any pregnancy.

MIL: You’re married for some time already, why your wife still not yet pregnant? She got problem issit?

And so, the couple in question spend some lovey dovey time together to make some babies, this is what she’ll say to her son:

MIL: Hey, why you spoil your wife so much? Keep on spend time with her, you’re not bored? Married already and yet still so sticky to you? You got nothing better to do than entertain her only ah?

And then when the children had too many babies in short period of time frame, this is what MIL will say:

MIL: You got too many children, you don’t plan your family ah? You not scared next time you have not enough money for their education ah?

There are many more scenarios that I have in mind, but my mood stinks at the moment and I am quite pissed off about certain matter to compose anymore coherent words. And so, ladies and gentlemen, bottom line is, if a MIL do not like a certain DIL, no matter what the DIL do to please her, it will not work, period.

Some old women are just persistent, stubborn and thinks they are always right and the DIL is always in the wrong, and so, I only ask you this: The next time you hear any MIL complain about their DIL on certain matters, do not jump into conclusion and condemn the DIL and labeled her a bad an unfilial DIL. Some DIL are victim of MIL’s mouth, and you will never know what the DIL is experiencing unless you have been put in the same shoes as her.

DIL around may not say it as they have to give face to their MIL and try not to give their husband headache, but most of the time, it’s just the MIL bitching and exaggerating and putting stinky poop on the DIL’s face in front of strangers and relatives alike. Strangers should not judge or comment on other people’s family matters, because outsiders do not have a clear picture on certain family’s relationship and what is the MIL’s intention when she spoke ill of her DIL.


Cleffairy: Sometimes, MIL stands for MONSTER IN LAW too. And do keep in mind that MIL are not professional hairdresser. When you leave your brats alone with your MIL, make sure she doesn’t cut your brats’ hair just because she thought the hair is unreasonably long…unless of course, you want to see your kids walking around looking like a ridiculous Beetles member.

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When you are not ready to say goodbye…

Last night, when I was having a quiet dinner with my family, my father in law sent me a text message saying that he almost got involved in a car accident that could have taken his life away. He was on his way to Genting Highlands and the car he ride almost fell off the slope or something-or so I heard. I was shocked and could have sworn that my heart skipped a beat. I felt sick to my stomach. I thought to myself that if the car that my father in law was in really did fell off the slope and he did die, what was I to do? If he really did die in a car accident or something, I would really be at loss. I called him immediately after receiving the message, and was completely relieved that he managed to cheat death and unharmed.

My father in law may be not my biological father, but I am quite fond of him. My feelings for him is no less than my own father. A kind of feeling that I don’t even have for my mother in law or anyone else in the family. Among all of my in laws, he’s probably the only one I could talk to and relate to with ease. I learn a lot through him, and though he made many mistakes that many people would condemn him to hell in the past, he showed me the real meaning of unconditional love and taught me to cherish family members. I learn a lot of valuable lessons from him.

I was definitely not a good candidate as one of his daughter in laws, but he accepted me as who I am, and even treated me like his own daughter, and for that, I am forever indebted to him. He may have not liked me before and even gave a huge protest when I just started to date my other half, but once he come to accept me into the HUGE family, he did his part as a father and protected me from the others who are hypocrite, big mouthed and have their own agenda. The family (in laws) is just like a huge clan. In fact, historically, THEY ARE A CLAN.

The story of the family’s ancestors are actually inside the history books, and students in China still learn about the family’s ancestors to this very day. It’s a huge, huge family. There are many extended family members, and when you are in this sort of family, there bound to be politics, badmouthing, backstabbing and whatnot. Unconditional love is hard to come by, and family members gossip about each other and sabotage one another without even feeling guilty.

They had no genuine feelings for one another as they have nothing in common besides same bloodline and ancestors. My father in law did his best to protect me from all these people, and if I were to loose him to death, I’ll probably be one of those people who cry her head off for days, mourning for him. I probably be crying far worst than his sons or daughter. Loosing him would be a great loss to me, as I would be loosing not just a father in law, but a father. Each time I heard about death in the family, I would secretly thank heavens for not taking him away yet, because I am definitely not ready to say goodbye to him. Just like I am not ready to say goodbye to my father, my grandfather and my husband. I think I would never be able to say goodbye to them. All of these men have a special place in my heart. Saying goodbye would be the hardest thing to do.

Death has always been quite a trauma for the old man, considering that he had a major surgery where he removed his kidney and just lost his younger brother last year. After his brother’s sudden demise, he kept thinking about death, much to my chagrin. It displease me that he have a rather negative outlook on life.I truly hoped that he could live long and make the rest of his life the best of his life instead of planning for his funeral and stuff. I chastise him quite often when he talked about leaving the world. Many people would have want him dead, for he’s quite a rich man with many properties to pass down, but I would give up anything so that he could stay alive til at least all his grandchildren are married and have family of their own. Even then, accepting his death would be hard.

And speaking of his younger brother…or should I say, my late uncle in law. His death was quite sudden, and his family members were definitely not ready to say goodbye to him. His widow is still in grief until this very day, and I assume that they shared a very strong bond as husband and wife.

People assumed that she managed to move on, but each time I look at her, her eyes seems void of something. Something is not right. She seems to be still missing her late husband, even after her children seems to move on in their life. I could not imagine what hell she have been through. She had to pretend to be strong in front of the family and for her children’s sake. I caught her reading motivational books on how to deal with loss and death of family members and spouse. If I am not mistaken, one of her books were entitled ‘Saying goodbye when you are not ready’. I am not sure what is the content of her books, but it seems that she is not dealing with her husband’s death properly or as the book dictate, as no books would advice people to make abrupt changes in life just after their spouse’s death.

I was extremely shocked to find out that within months of her husband’s death, she moved into a new place that is completely foreign to her after being persuaded by nosy family members whom I assumed have their own agenda in asking her to move into a new place that she’s not even familiar with. If one is sincere enough to help her deal with the demise of her husband, they would not encourage her to make abrupt changes in her life just after her spouse’s death. Psychologically, it would be a big blow! A double blow, in fact.

I think it is not good to make abrupt changes in life after your spouse death-like moving into a new house, quit your job, sell off your properties etc. You would really feel the loss if you truly love your spouse if you force yourself to start a new life when you’re still not ready to accept that your spouse is already gone. Frankly speaking, I think one could accept and deal with death better if they resume their life as usual and try to slowly get used to not having that person around. Would that not be more natural and less painful?

If I am one of the elders, I would have chastise the person who persuade her to move into a new place just so that she could leave the memories of her husband behind and forget him. It is impossible to forget your spouse just after you loose him or her to Death if you truly love them, because they would forever be in your memory. People do not say ‘ In loving memories’ for nothing. People who passed on are alive as long as you remember them.

I just don’t understand why people wants to interfere with other people’s memory of their spouse? It is a cruel and unfair thing to do, because there are ways to continue loving someone, even after death. To deal with death does not necessarily put the past behind and forget everything about the person who left you behind, isn’t it?

Maybe it’s not my place to give advice to people on how to deal with death, but if one is not ready to say goodbye yet, then don’t say goodbye, and don’t start a completely new life until you are truly ready to do so. Just continue your life as usual so that the pain and anguish will not be as great.

What I have jotted down are just my thoughts…feel free to share with me your experience if you have lost someone dear to you and how you dealt with it. I am sure I have much to learn from your experience, and many will benefit from your words.

Cleffairy: I will never ever be ready to say goodbye…

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It started when I stole my uncle’s specs…

May is by far my most hectic month. Workload wise, and family wise. There’s mother’s day, parents& teacher’s day, countless family occasion and dinners, my husband’s birthday as well as my anniversary with my husband. 24 hours a day is not enough for me to use. And I feel almost dead from all of these, but it’s a comfort to know that if my husband is rich, he will goddamn spend money on me and spoil me from the root of my hair to toe willingly and let me have my whims and fancy.

😀

This morning was an amazing morning. I finally had some quiet time for myself though work is piling and bitches and bastards alike are stepping on my tail. I had a quiet time to reflect over my usual cuppa coffee in the usual kopitiam that is usually my source of inspiration. For those who have been hanging around Over A Cuppa Tea long enough would know by now that I’m usually inspired when I had my cuppa tea. It’s been a habit of mine since ages ago that I write over either a glass of ice tea or peach tea. It’s been my personal stimulant since I’ve been in writing industry, and this morning’s tea session triggered a flashback from my past.

I did many things in my life that can be considered foolish and rash and the consequences are really dire. I made countless mistakes in the past. There’s many kind of mistakes in my life. I’m glad I made some of the mistake as some of it makes me a better person. And there are some of the mistake that I truly comes to regret making them. Today, I reflected on a mistake that I made as a child.

When I was 8 years old, I did something terrible that caused me to be the black sheep of the family and my family still converse about it now. I have no single doubt that they have forgotten about it. You guys must be wondering what I did to make people still converse about it after 16 years.

Well, here goes… I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacles during my family’s weekly visit to my grandparents house, brought it home and if I remembered correctly, I hid it somewhere in the rack of the toilet. My father discovered about it after two weeks and as the result I get an earful, and of course, it was returned to my uncle as soon as he made the discovery.

Some of them shunned me secretly til this very day just because I did it. Some of my uncle and auntie would tell their children not to be like me and steal people’s things. And they would also tell their brats not to be like me, because I am bad, and they don’t want their children to be like me. Yes, they still talk about it, no doubt.

My extended family sucks to boot. My grandparents loves to compare each of their grandchildren with each other. Even in the family there’s politics and rivalry. My sister and I hate our cousins because honestly, we don’t think that our extended family loves us unconditionally. It is highly doubtful. Because there’s strong sense of favouritism in the family. It’s clear who is our grandparents pets, and who gets more attention and so on. In that family, if we want to be loved, then we will have to excel, there’s no question about it.

My uncle and aunties loves to compare our achievements and loves to boasts about their brats to the very core. And they will do the best that they can to hide the dirt about their children while I doubt my parents did the same thing with me and my little sister. My father have the tendency to report to his parents and siblings about the dirty little secrets me and my sister had. Things does not change til this very day. Same goes to my mother whose mouth is as big as those sexually unsatisfied housewives in regards of the dirty little things and me and my sister did. She too will let her family know about it, much to my chagrin.

And so, til this very day, each time I make other mistakes, or I don’t live up to the family’s expectation, the suckers would mention that I am not trustworthy since I was 8 years old. My late grandmother used to tell the entire family that I cannot be trusted because I did horrible things even when I was 8 years old.

I remembered what she said. She told my father not to trust me because I stole my uncle’s spectacle when I was 8 years old, and soon I will do many more shameful things in the future. Yes, a grandmother talks that way to her son about her granddaughter. She also told my father not to trust my mother, because my mother will always be in cahoot with me regardless of what I did. And because of her damn fucking bitchy mouth, I think that is why my father never did trust my mother about anything-because he listened to his mother on whether he should trust his own wife or not.

My grandmother is long dead and rotting underground, and yet, til this very day, when me, my sister or even my mother did something that displease my father, he will keep repeating “No wonder my mother told me not to trust you… and bla bla bla”. I hated it when I hear that, because my mother was never in cahoot with me or my sister when we make our bloody mistakes. I hate to hear it to the point that I would be grateful if I could dig her dead body out from the grave and tell it to her skull that she should not have told my father not to trust my mother, because in a marriage, mother in laws should butt out in regards of husband and wife matters.

What’s up with mother in laws? I think typical mother in laws in general hated to see their son have a good relationship with their wife. Nobody is good enough for their precious son, I suppose, but to me, there should not be a second woman in a marriage, and that include the man or the wife’s mother or sisters. If there is a bit of mistrust in one’s marriage, there will always be dissatisfaction between the spouse. I have come to learn about this when I grow older.

As far as I’m concern, at least I know that the mistakes that I did, has nothing to do with with my mother, or other people. It’s completely my own doing. I stole my uncle’s specs when I was 8 years old, that was completely my own doing. I did not inform my parents about report card day and told them to pick it up from school when I was 12 was also my own doing, and it got nothing to do with my mother as well. And yeah, I skipped school for 3 days consecutively and hid in the state library until schooling hour is over when I was 13 too, had nothing to do with my mother. Not to mention when I was caught chatting with a guy in my hostel room when I was in college (that guy is my hubby now). She knows nothing about it as I had my own issues back then.

And, it is not my mother’s fault too that I am not a religious person and definitely not her doing that I was a rebellious and outspoken teenager. It was my nature. I am stubborn. I have nasty temper, and I did not take after my mother though my disposition says otherwise. I have my mother’s beauty. Those traits comes from my father. He’s the one with strong will and short temper. And I’m proud to say that I’m thankful that I took after my father in this aspect. Because of it, I am who I am today. If I were to take after my mother, I would be a timid and introverted person, and definitely would not share all of these with you today.

If my grandmother is still alive today, I would have told her, that this is life. If one is not allowed to make mistake, how do they grow up and learn that things that they did was wrong? People grow up through experience, and if people do not make mistakes, they would never know what is right and what is wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes. I would also tell her off, that even if my mother was not the daughter in law of her choice, who gives her the right to condemn my mother and talk bad things about her all the time to influence my father to find someone better when my mother is a dutiful wife? She should have respect my father’s decision regarding to his choice not try to ruin his marriage.

I love my grandmother, but I do have resentment towards her. My mother was not her daughter in law of choice. She doesn’t like my mother though she tried to be civil and polite with my mother. I can tell, because when she was alive, she constantly said and hint that she doesn’t like my father’s wife to be a housewife. She wanted my father to have a wife who is a career woman and of my father’s academic station. And she did mention in front of me before that she would like my father’s ex-girlfriend to be my father’s wife when she was chit-chatting with my aunt. She did not even considered my feelings back then and gossiped about my mother in my presence. But unfortunately for her, my father chose my mother instead. So my grandmother probably resent my mother until her last breath.

My mother takes care of us very well. She cooks every damn day, and we’re all spoil for choice in regards of food. None of us in my little family loves to eat out, because my mother is an execellent cook. She cleans up the house every day, and yet my late grandmother still call my mother useless and doesn’t know how to do housework. No matter what my mother did, was wrong in her eyes, and I used to catch her badmouthing my mother in the kitchen in front of other family members when I was younger. But life is ironic. My mother was the only one who took care of my late grandmother when she was on her deathbed.

Thank heaven my grandmother is dead now, or else, she would be eating my two pence, as I am now much bolder person. Frankly speaking, if my husband did not appreciate what I did for him and listen to his mother on how to run his marriage, I would divorce him without any second thoughts. Men and women may not realize it, but sometimes, their parents CAN undermine their marriage. And it’s not a marriage if there’s three people in it. It doesn’t matter how others view it, but as long as there’s another person in a marriage, then to me, it’s an orgy, because nasty, disgusting and incomprehensible things will happen.

My father once asked me while I was having lunch on why I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacle and hid it. Obviously, my father knows nothing about children’s psychology and I don’t blame him for that. Most parents are psychologically illiterate. Back then I was 12, and in need of my own pair of spectacle. He brought the matter up. I had no answer for him back then, because I too did not understand why I did it. If he was to ask me now why I did it, my answer would have been different. Thinking back, as an adult, I knew exactly why I stole my uncle’s specs and consequently, ‘shame my entire family’.

I was 8. Hardly know how to differentiate between right and wrong. I just came back from oversea one year before. I had hard time in school as nobody could understand my language. I was friendly, but I had no real friends. Then, after 7 years being an only child whose parents dote on her, my mother gave birth to my baby sister.

My sister was 1 year old when I stole my uncle’s specs. My parents were paying more attention to her, and hardly gives me the same attention before she was born. What’s worst, I had no one to go to. I had no one to complain to because my uncles and my aunties thought that since I’m a friendly child, I would have no trouble fitting in. I cannot complain to my grandparents, because I am the first grandchild, in both paternal and maternal side. I was the eldest grandchild.

I am expected to excel and lives up to their expectation, and they too, always compare me with my cousins in terms of academic achievements. I was expected to be a good role model to my cousins who are younger than me. And so, I stole my uncle’s spectacles. I wanted attention. Foolish thing to do, but what can a child do to get someone to pay attention to her again when everyone around her seems to be oblivious to her feelings and needs?

Children do not usually express themselves well. They won’t go around telling their parents that they want and need attention, because they do not even realize that they need it. Their minds are not mature enough yet to have such wisdom. Children do things to get notice, and I am sure, whoever took psychology study, would understand the predicament that I was put into when I was a child.

Not to say this to justify my act. Stealing is wrong, but I am writing this so that my readers who are parents themselves would understand and forgive their children if they ever did something  that similar to mine and love them unconditionally regardless of the little mistakes that they did. Parents should protect their children, and protecting too, means protect their children’s reputation in the eyes of the family.

What good does it do to you when you gives all your children’s dirt to your other family members? Tell me, what good it does to you and your children? The family would continue to talk about it, because people loves to gossip about bad stuff that befalls other people’s family. And your kids will have low self-esteem if the talking goes on continuously to shun their mistakes.

I meant to share my childhood stories with my readers. For those who do not get me…there’s moral in the story of my childhood. They are:

1. Reminder to all parents to not neglect their elder children when they had another child and play the favouritism card. Children are usually very sensitive in regards of parents love and attention. Especially young children. Toddlers too. If they do not get enough attention or they think their sibling(s) is replacing them, they will do anything that they think would make their parents pay more attention to them. Same goes vice versa. Don’t compare one child with another. Each of them is special and unique in their own way.

2. Talk to your children and be their friends instead of judging them and condemning them on the things that they did to displease you.

3. Protect your children’s reputation from being tarnish by extended family members. People can gossip non-stop about your children’s mistakes and wrongdoings. As a result, children grow up being pushed into a small corner and not notice, even though they achieve well in life afterwards. People have no absolute respect for your children, and once a black sheep of the family, will always be the black sheep of the family. People usually remember the bad, and not the good, even when you grow up and have children of your own.

4. Never ever listen to your mother if your mother tries to get you have her ways in regards of your marriage with your spouse. Same things goes with your fathers and whatnot. Marriage is meant for two people, and not three. There should only be a husband and a wife in marriage, not outsiders. Some marriage are destroyed not because of infidelities, but because of the ‘talks’ that certain family members do to cause tension in a marriage. Being a dutiful and filial child does not mean you have to listen to their ‘venting of dissatisfaction’ on your spouse. If you are happy with your own choice, kindly disregard ” I don’t like your wife because she…. ” or ” You know, I don’t like your husband because….” conversation.

5. Trust is a crucial element. If you don’t have the heart to trust your spouse 100%, you should at least trust him or her 90%. Trust is a must.

6. And between families, love must be unconditional. Unconditional love is hard to come by, but you could at least try to love unconditionally.

Cleffairy: Not making mistakes is the biggest crime a human can do, because without mistakes, human learn nothing to improve themselves.

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It started when I stole my uncle’s specs…

May is by far my most hectic month. Workload wise, and family wise. There’s mother’s day, parents& teacher’s day, countless family occasion and dinners, my husband’s birthday as well as my anniversary with my husband. 24 hours a day is not enough for me to use. And I feel almost dead from all of these, but it’s a comfort to know that if my husband is rich, he will goddamn spend money on me and spoil me from the root of my hair to toe willingly and let me have my whims and fancy.

😀

This morning was an amazing morning. I finally had some quiet time for myself though work is piling and bitches and bastards alike are stepping on my tail. I had a quiet time to reflect over my usual cuppa coffee in the usual kopitiam that is usually my source of inspiration. For those who have been hanging around Over A Cuppa Tea long enough would know by now that I’m usually inspired when I had my cuppa tea. It’s been a habit of mine since ages ago that I write over either a glass of ice tea or peach tea. It’s been my personal stimulant since I’ve been in writing industry, and this morning’s tea session triggered a flashback from my past.

I did many things in my life that can be considered foolish and rash and the consequences are really dire. I made countless mistakes in the past. There’s many kind of mistakes in my life. I’m glad I made some of the mistake as some of it makes me a better person. And there are some of the mistake that I truly comes to regret making them. Today, I reflected on a mistake that I made as a child.

When I was 8 years old, I did something terrible that caused me to be the black sheep of the family and my family still converse about it now. I have no single doubt that they have forgotten about it. You guys must be wondering what I did to make people still converse about it after 16 years.

Well, here goes… I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacles during my family’s weekly visit to my grandparents house, brought it home and if I remembered correctly, I hid it somewhere in the rack of the toilet. My father discovered about it after two weeks and as the result I get an earful, and of course, it was returned to my uncle as soon as he made the discovery.

Some of them shunned me secretly til this very day just because I did it. Some of my uncle and auntie would tell their children not to be like me and steal people’s things. And they would also tell their brats not to be like me, because I am bad, and they don’t want their children to be like me. Yes, they still talk about it, no doubt.

My extended family sucks to boot. My grandparents loves to compare each of their grandchildren with each other. Even in the family there’s politics and rivalry. My sister and I hate our cousins because honestly, we don’t think that our extended family loves us unconditionally. It is highly doubtful. Because there’s strong sense of favouritism in the family. It’s clear who is our grandparents pets, and who gets more attention and so on. In that family, if we want to be loved, then we will have to excel, there’s no question about it.

My uncle and aunties loves to compare our achievements and loves to boasts about their brats to the very core. And they will do the best that they can to hide the dirt about their children while I doubt my parents did the same thing with me and my little sister. My father have the tendency to report to his parents and siblings about the dirty little secrets me and my sister had. Things does not change til this very day. Same goes to my mother whose mouth is as big as those sexually unsatisfied housewives in regards of the dirty little things and me and my sister did. She too will let her family know about it, much to my chagrin.

And so, til this very day, each time I make other mistakes, or I don’t live up to the family’s expectation, the suckers would mention that I am not trustworthy since I was 8 years old. My late grandmother used to tell the entire family that I cannot be trusted because I did horrible things even when I was 8 years old.

I remembered what she said. She told my father not to trust me because I stole my uncle’s spectacle when I was 8 years old, and soon I will do many more shameful things in the future. Yes, a grandmother talks that way to her son about her granddaughter. She also told my father not to trust my mother, because my mother will always be in cahoot with me regardless of what I did. And because of her damn fucking bitchy mouth, I think that is why my father never did trust my mother about anything-because he listened to his mother on whether he should trust his own wife or not.

My grandmother is long dead and rotting underground, and yet, til this very day, when me, my sister or even my mother did something that displease my father, he will keep repeating “No wonder my mother told me not to trust you… and bla bla bla”. I hated it when I hear that, because my mother was never in cahoot with me or my sister when we make our bloody mistakes. I hate to hear it to the point that I would be grateful if I could dig her dead body out from the grave and tell it to her skull that she should not have told my father not to trust my mother, because in a marriage, mother in laws should butt out in regards of husband and wife matters.

What’s up with mother in laws? I think typical mother in laws in general hated to see their son have a good relationship with their wife. Nobody is good enough for their precious son, I suppose, but to me, there should not be a second woman in a marriage, and that include the man or the wife’s mother or sisters. If there is a bit of mistrust in one’s marriage, there will always be dissatisfaction between the spouse. I have come to learn about this when I grow older.

As far as I’m concern, at least I know that the mistakes that I did, has nothing to do with with my mother, or other people. It’s completely my own doing. I stole my uncle’s specs when I was 8 years old, that was completely my own doing. I did not inform my parents about report card day and told them to pick it up from school when I was 12 was also my own doing, and it got nothing to do with my mother as well. And yeah, I skipped school for 3 days consecutively and hid in the state library until schooling hour is over when I was 13 too, had nothing to do with my mother. Not to mention when I was caught chatting with a guy in my hostel room when I was in college (that guy is my hubby now). She knows nothing about it as I had my own issues back then.

And, it is not my mother’s fault too that I am not a religious person and definitely not her doing that I was a rebellious and outspoken teenager. It was my nature. I am stubborn. I have nasty temper, and I did not take after my mother though my disposition says otherwise. I have my mother’s beauty. Those traits comes from my father. He’s the one with strong will and short temper. And I’m proud to say that I’m thankful that I took after my father in this aspect. Because of it, I am who I am today. If I were to take after my mother, I would be a timid and introverted person, and definitely would not share all of these with you today.

If my grandmother is still alive today, I would have told her, that this is life. If one is not allowed to make mistake, how do they grow up and learn that things that they did was wrong? People grow up through experience, and if people do not make mistakes, they would never know what is right and what is wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes. I would also tell her off, that even if my mother was not the daughter in law of her choice, who gives her the right to condemn my mother and talk bad things about her all the time to influence my father to find someone better when my mother is a dutiful wife? She should have respect my father’s decision regarding to his choice not try to ruin his marriage.

I love my grandmother, but I do have resentment towards her. My mother was not her daughter in law of choice. She doesn’t like my mother though she tried to be civil and polite with my mother. I can tell, because when she was alive, she constantly said and hint that she doesn’t like my father’s wife to be a housewife. She wanted my father to have a wife who is a career woman and of my father’s academic station. And she did mention in front of me before that she would like my father’s ex-girlfriend to be my father’s wife when she was chit-chatting with my aunt. She did not even considered my feelings back then and gossiped about my mother in my presence. But unfortunately for her, my father chose my mother instead. So my grandmother probably resent my mother until her last breath.

My mother takes care of us very well. She cooks every damn day, and we’re all spoil for choice in regards of food. None of us in my little family loves to eat out, because my mother is an execellent cook. She cleans up the house every day, and yet my late grandmother still call my mother useless and doesn’t know how to do housework. No matter what my mother did, was wrong in her eyes, and I used to catch her badmouthing my mother in the kitchen in front of other family members when I was younger. But life is ironic. My mother was the only one who took care of my late grandmother when she was on her deathbed.

Thank heaven my grandmother is dead now, or else, she would be eating my two pence, as I am now much bolder person. Frankly speaking, if my husband did not appreciate what I did for him and listen to his mother on how to run his marriage, I would divorce him without any second thoughts. Men and women may not realize it, but sometimes, their parents CAN undermine their marriage. And it’s not a marriage if there’s three people in it. It doesn’t matter how others view it, but as long as there’s another person in a marriage, then to me, it’s an orgy, because nasty, disgusting and incomprehensible things will happen.

My father once asked me while I was having lunch on why I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacle and hid it. Obviously, my father knows nothing about children’s psychology and I don’t blame him for that. Most parents are psychologically illiterate. Back then I was 12, and in need of my own pair of spectacle. He brought the matter up. I had no answer for him back then, because I too did not understand why I did it. If he was to ask me now why I did it, my answer would have been different. Thinking back, as an adult, I knew exactly why I stole my uncle’s specs and consequently, ‘shame my entire family’.

I was 8. Hardly know how to differentiate between right and wrong. I just came back from oversea one year before. I had hard time in school as nobody could understand my language. I was friendly, but I had no real friends. Then, after 7 years being an only child whose parents dote on her, my mother gave birth to my baby sister.

My sister was 1 year old when I stole my uncle’s specs. My parents were paying more attention to her, and hardly gives me the same attention before she was born. What’s worst, I had no one to go to. I had no one to complain to because my uncles and my aunties thought that since I’m a friendly child, I would have no trouble fitting in. I cannot complain to my grandparents, because I am the first grandchild, in both paternal and maternal side. I was the eldest grandchild.

I am expected to excel and lives up to their expectation, and they too, always compare me with my cousins in terms of academic achievements. I was expected to be a good role model to my cousins who are younger than me. And so, I stole my uncle’s spectacles. I wanted attention. Foolish thing to do, but what can a child do to get someone to pay attention to her again when everyone around her seems to be oblivious to her feelings and needs?

Children do not usually express themselves well. They won’t go around telling their parents that they want and need attention, because they do not even realize that they need it. Their minds are not mature enough yet to have such wisdom. Children do things to get notice, and I am sure, whoever took psychology study, would understand the predicament that I was put into when I was a child.

Not to say this to justify my act. Stealing is wrong, but I am writing this so that my readers who are parents themselves would understand and forgive their children if they ever did something  that similar to mine and love them unconditionally regardless of the little mistakes that they did. Parents should protect their children, and protecting too, means protect their children’s reputation in the eyes of the family.

What good does it do to you when you gives all your children’s dirt to your other family members? Tell me, what good it does to you and your children? The family would continue to talk about it, because people loves to gossip about bad stuff that befalls other people’s family. And your kids will have low self-esteem if the talking goes on continuously to shun their mistakes.

I meant to share my childhood stories with my readers. For those who do not get me…there’s moral in the story of my childhood. They are:

1. Reminder to all parents to not neglect their elder children when they had another child and play the favouritism card. Children are usually very sensitive in regards of parents love and attention. Especially young children. Toddlers too. If they do not get enough attention or they think their sibling(s) is replacing them, they will do anything that they think would make their parents pay more attention to them. Same goes vice versa. Don’t compare one child with another. Each of them is special and unique in their own way.

2. Talk to your children and be their friends instead of judging them and condemning them on the things that they did to displease you.

3. Protect your children’s reputation from being tarnish by extended family members. People can gossip non-stop about your children’s mistakes and wrongdoings. As a result, children grow up being pushed into a small corner and not notice, even though they achieve well in life afterwards. People have no absolute respect for your children, and once a black sheep of the family, will always be the black sheep of the family. People usually remember the bad, and not the good, even when you grow up and have children of your own.

4. Never ever listen to your mother if your mother tries to get you have her ways in regards of your marriage with your spouse. Same things goes with your fathers and whatnot. Marriage is meant for two people, and not three. There should only be a husband and a wife in marriage, not outsiders. Some marriage are destroyed not because of infidelities, but because of the ‘talks’ that certain family members do to cause tension in a marriage. Being a dutiful and filial child does not mean you have to listen to their ‘venting of dissatisfaction’ on your spouse. If you are happy with your own choice, kindly disregard ” I don’t like your wife because she…. ” or ” You know, I don’t like your husband because….” conversation.

5. Trust is a crucial element. If you don’t have the heart to trust your spouse 100%, you should at least trust him or her 90%. Trust is a must.

6. And between families, love must be unconditional. Unconditional love is hard to come by, but you could at least try to love unconditionally.

Cleffairy: Not making mistakes is the biggest crime a human can do, because without mistakes, human learn nothing to improve themselves.

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