I was tagged by Trinity of Rooms of My Heart. Say, this tag is gonna be a long one. Can’t just list the 10 things, you know, I have to elaborate on them. This will take a while won’t it? Let’s see:-
1. I hate teaching
When I was 18 through 20, I gave piano lessons to some kids, a 17-year old boy, and an 50-some years old lady. Those two years were the worse of my life. I know how my piano teacher, Terri, felt when students do not practice for their next lessons. I had to take a million deep breaths to control my patience.
2. Quit my piano lessons
I was working towards my teacher’s diploma back when I was 18 through 21 years old. Practice and practice every day. I’m not a musically talented kinda person. I can never play a tune when prompted. My aural sucks, but sight reading was damn good and still does. My dad had to drive me for my piano lessons and I totally didn’t like the fact that he still has to pay for my lessons. They ain’t cheap. If I remember right, each month’s fees costs RM380. After the 3rd year of prepping for my exams which I couldn’t see myself passing my practical exams, I told my mom I wanna quit and she already knew I was going. I told her I want to work in an office environment as a general clerk since I all I have is my SPM cert which didn’t take me very far.
3. Moved to MN
This was the major move of my life. Happened in January 1997 in the dead of winter. When I got here, there were snow banks all over the city, suburbs and practically everywhere I went. Didn’t like the cold, subzero temperatures at all, but after 2 years, I love it. I don’t like the hot, sticky summers. Give me the temps of fall I won’t have any problem. Any regrets moving here? Initially I thought I did, but after I got over my homesickness (6 months) I began to like my adopted home.
4. Owned my first car
Bought my first car, a Chevy Monte Carlo Z34 in red. It’s used, couldn’t afford a brand new one. I bought it because I like Jeff Gordon so much. Bought it in Rochester, MN, DB’s home town. Of course, I bought with a loan from the credit union but I paid it off after 6 years. The Monty has been my wheels where ever I went and hopefully I will have that baby for many more years.
5. Worked for one of the best boss ever
Quit my job at the travel company in 2000 and worked at my current company through Office Team. I worked as a temporary worker meaning I only work for the company for a certain time period without benefits and so forth. After working for a month, I applied for all administrative positions I could find. I felled in love with that company. The atmosphere was relaxing and casual. All of the administrative jobs I applied for (6, I think), I was called to interview for 2 positions and were rejected. Why?? Because I have no HRIS data entry and HR background. I continued to apply for other admin positions till one of the HR managers I was supporting called me in to her office and ask if I was interested to work in the company’s File Room. Told her I wouldn’t mind going for the interview. So, I interviewed with my current boss’s boss. I call him Mr. R. Mr. R was the nicest and most understanding boss I have ever had, well, besides by current boss. He trusts his staff with all his heart. He is so easy to work for; he gives encouragements; he helps with whatever problems I had at work, and if I have any personal problems that I need help with, his door is always open. He was the one who encourages me to return to school for my 2-year degree. He can be funny but his humor is always dry. I will always remember this boss.
6. Experienced college life as an adult student
It took me a while to decide if I should return to school to get an Associate’s degree. I was afraid of being laughed at because I will be the oldest student in the class. I was wrong. Morning and evening classes have adults just like me going back to college to earn their degree. It was scary at first but after I learned from the other adult students and from the instructors, my fear dwindled down a lot. I am into learning now than when I was in my teens or in my twenties. I appreciate the learning experiences I gained from my college and I hope to experience them even more.
7. Be the mother of 2 dogs
Needless to say I have 2 dogs and they are like kids. Cooper, the one we brought home as a puppy was like a baby during his puppy days. Since DB was in Thailand 7 months out or 12, I had to take care of this whiner. He will whine to go potty in the middle of the night, not once but twice. When I leave for work, he goes in his kennel and a lot of times I came home to a very stinky and dirty dog. This dog does not like to be left alone. He has separation anxiety. When he was 6 months old, I took him for his last obedience training and bird and gun training at Koas Kennel. A month after that, he came home a changed dog. He became a teenager, lost all his razor sharp puppy teeth and very protective towards me. Then after a year, DB and I thought we should get a companion for this whiner, so we adopted Ranger from Koas. Lovely dog, very mellow but a major chow hound. His first Christmas with us, we had to take him in for a exploratory stomach surgery (which costs us a bomb) coz the vet could not find what was making him so sick. His stomach was perforated and we brought him in just in time. After 4 days back and forth between the animal hospital and the vet clinic, we brought him home. Well, since this happened during DB’s hell-hole experience of losing his job, I was the one who had to take care of this dog. I had to give him is IV, pain medication and clean the stitched up area. Make sure he eats and poop. That was no fun. After being with him for so many days, this dog is now a leech. Where ever I go, he will follow me and became very protective. In a way, I’m glad I can be their provider and the person they know will spoil them.
8. Rolled down a hill all pickled up
1999 we lived in this house that sits right behind a very steep slope. DB hated mowing that part of the yard. Neighborhood kids loved that slope during winter. Back in those years in that house (that house brought a lot of bad luck for us) we, that’s DB, me, SD and her friends would come over and we have our own little drinking party. One summer night, if I remember right it was around 2 a.m. we girls were so wasted, we got bored of sitting in the house. So we brought our drinks and beers outside the half acre yard with the dogs and partied. Can’t remember what happened, one after another we started rolling down that slope and was laughing away. As far as I remembered, it took forever to come to a stop, it was just going and going. It was hilarious coz one of the girls hit the shed but not hurt. Good thing the neighbors did not call the cops on us for all the noise we made. It was something that I will do when I’m super drunk. I will never do it again, though.
9. Prayers of the rosary
I have wanted to go to the Catholic church in our area. During my school days in Ipoh, I went to this Catholic church in Ipoh Garden, The Mother Perpetual….something like that. My best friend back in those days went to the church to meet her BF. During my school years, many Main Convent girls hang around that church to meet boys. It’s like Convent girls were deprived of boys! Ever since those days, I have always wanted to learn more about Catholicism. I went for Novenas and every Christmas, I went for the midnight mass. DB is a Catholic and he came from a very staunch Catholic family. He was an alter boy till he was 13 years old. When I have questions on their religion, he knows the answer. I have never seen a rosary used by the Catholics til he showed me his. He showed me how to recite the Our Father and Hail Mary. Since then, I am learning the prayers and I although I have not learn to use the rosary yet, I am thinking about it. Would I convert? I’m not sure.
10. Involved with the authorities
My first involvement with the authorities that is the cops, I mean, was in 1998. DB and I lived in an apartment and one night we had a big argument. He was drinking and I had a few beers and a cocktail. I was so pissed at him I stormed out and got into my car which I just got. Drove around half drunk and landed in the park behind the apartments. Shut the engine off, cracked the windows down a little, crawled to the back of the car and sat there and eventually felled asleep. Next thing I knew there were loud thumps. Scared the shit outta me. Opened my eyes and saw a bright light shining in. Put my glasses on and holy smokes, it was a cop. That was the last thing I want. He asked if I was ok. I said yes. He told me to get out of my car and show him my driver’s license. I did what he told me to. Still half drunk but not as bad as when I started out, I had to answer all his questions: what was I doing in the park at 1 a.m.; did anyone hurt me; was I drinking; where was I going and can’t remember what else he had asked me. Told him the truth about what happened at home. When he asked me did I drink, I lied to him that I only had a beer. He told me to stay where I was and he went to his car and brought out the damn breath analyser. CRAP!!!! I had to blow in that damn thing and he said “Blow harder”. Sounds kinky to me!! I did anyway whatever the officer said. Alcohol level was quite high, passed the alcohol limit for the state of Minnesota. He told me he will be right back. He went back to his car and checked by license. Came back later and told me since this was my first DUI or DWI some call it, he said he is not going to write me a ticket or put in lock up. Instead he asked me if I wanted to go home, I said NO and he asked me to call a friend to pick me up. He asked me locked up my car and he walked me to the squad car, opened the back seat doors, told me to watch my head, and I was sitting in the back of the cop car just like that. It felt weird. Never thought I would be sitting at the back of the police car. There was this screen between him and I, the doors cannot be opened. He made a report. Couldn’t hear much because of the plastic screen, but I heard “female in a domestic quarrel, was drinking, found her sleeping in the back of her car,…..taking her to a PDQ gas station between Cliff Road and Diffley……couldn’t hear what else. Then he asked me what’s my friend’s number. I gave him my friend’s home number and when we reached the gas station, while still inside the squad car, he told he wants me to stand outside to wait for my friend. He will talk to the guys in the station that I’m outside waiting for my transportation. He said if I walk away from the gas station, he will arrest me for something I could not remember. Shit, you think I will run away from the authorities?? I was scared shit and since I was only in the country for a year plus, I thought I would be deported back to Malaysia!
Phew, that was a long tag. Ddin’t know I can go on and on. Alright, I will am going to tag only a few.
1. PY
2. Simple America
3. The Imperfect Mom
4. Simply888
5. Little Chumsy’s Mommy
