Have been tagged by Domestic Rat of amuse-bouche.  Sorry I took so long to respond.  I found this too musically challenging for me. 

Instructions: Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.

How does the world see me?
Zhouma of Zhoumas by Dadawa: Enigmatic?  Wahahaha… 

Will I have a happy life?
Wait and See by Utada Hikaru: Er, this one self-explanatory huh.

What do my friends really think of me?
Sister-Drum by Dadawa: Someone they can share and confide I think.

Do people secretly lust after me?
Hung Up by Madonna: Someone said I was mesmerising.  But that’s eons ago and now, I’m just passe.  Definitely not hung up about that.

How can I make myself happy?
Dalai Lama by Eskilo: A chance to meet the holy man would definitely make me happy.

What should I do with my life?
At The Beach by Minus 8: A life of idle?  A woman of leisure?  I like, I like!

Will I ever have children?
Crossing The Ridge by Dadawa: I’ve already crossed that one. 

What is some good advice for me?
Forbidden Love by Madonna: Huh?  Have an affair?  Oooh la la!

How will I be remembered?
La La La by Misia:  A happy person?  But I think a fighter is more suitable.

What is my signature dancing song?
Can You Keep A Secret by Utada: Hey, that’s the theme song of Hero!  Sugoii! 

What do I think my current theme song is?
See The Light by Minty’s Style: If it’s good for Milano Fashion, then it’s good for me.

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Everything by Misia: Really nice song.

What song will play at my funeral?
Sky-Burial by Dadawa: Oh, how apt.  To be released eternally.

What type of men/women do I like?
Sorry by Madonna: Polite people?  But I prefer funny people anytime.

What is my day going to be like?
Home Without Shadow by Dadawa: I would really like to have this because Gavin is just so paranoid about shadows in the house these days and it’s driving me NUTS!!!

I’m not going to tag anyone in particular but whoever reads this and like to have fun can have a go. 

Gavin is absolutely OBSESSED with ships.  So much so that he will look at his daddy’s collection of model ships a few times a day.  And last Friday, he even skipped his nap for them.

Usually, he sleeps in the afternoon without too much trouble as he’s tired from having to wake up before 7am for school each day.  But not that Friday.  

I had gone for a hair therapy in the afternoon and instructed the maid to call me once he’s asleep.  When she didn’t call me by 3pm, I knew he was probably awake.  True enough she called to confirm that and I had a little conversation with him over the phone.

Me: Why are you not sleeping?
Boy: Don’t want to sleep ah. Want to see ships.
Me: Aren’t you tired?
Boy: See ships.  Daddy give boy boy ship.
Me: How the ship laugh? (a private joke between us.)
Boy: HA HA HA!

I find it a joy to speak to him over the phone these days as he’s more responsive and can establish quite a decent conversation.  Sometimes he would send a kiss over the phone if I ask for it.  Plus, it also helps that he doesn’t whine or throw tantrums over the phone.

Anyway, it is not just looking at the ships.  No, that’s definitely not enough for him.  He’s also very enthusiastic about the books on ships.  Remember the encyclopedia?

I’m currently reading him this book of ships and boats.  Which is definitely more readable than the encyclopedia.  He enjoys it very much and would insist having it read to him EVERY NIGHT without fail.  Not the whole book of course, just sections that he points out to me.  I’m very pleased that he will also try to identify some of the letters and describe some of the pictures on his own.

Strange as it may sound, it seems to me that he enjoys non-fictions at his age.  Hence, I’m going to hunt down more of such books.  In fact, he has requested that I buy him the book of cars which is also under this series.  

Ha! Looks like I can also take this opportunity to increase my scanty knowledge in automotives. 

This is my feminist take for Illustration Friday’s topic on ROBOT.  Enjoy!

Look what I found yesterday at the Kinokuniya bookstore.  A little Hayao Miyazaki stationery corner!  A collection of notepads, pens, pencils, folders and postcards from some of his popular anime.  Specifically Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service and my favourite - My Neighbour Totoro.

I was gushing over the collection like a little schoolgirl.  So excited that I found so many pretty things on Totoro.  I gingerly picked up every item to examine while deciding if I should take any of them home.  After hovering at the corner for a long while, I finally decided to buy the notebooks and some folders although I wasn’t quite sure what I would use them for.  I imagine I will probably keep them safely somewhere instead of actually using them at all. 

Haha, I guess at the end of the day, no matter how old I really am, I still have the little girl layer stuck somewhere inside me.

I am listening to the radio now and hearing this hooha about the youth being disrespectful to the older generation.  Oh come on, relax…there’s really no need to kick a fuss out of this.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise.  I’ve said it before.  Many of the young people today are insolent brats with a huge attitude. 

They haven’t seen the struggles of the older generation, let alone experienced a crisis.  They don’t really know who is Minister Mentor and what he has done for us.  These are not relevant for them.  To them, they only care about “What’s in it for me?”  

Perhaps they were rude.  Perhaps they were ignorant.  Perhaps they didn’t know their place.  Perhaps they should have been more respectful to our Minister Mentor.  Exercised a better sense of propriety.  Be more prepared.  But for good or for bad, this is our new generation.  So don’t affix the same set of criteria to judge them.  

I come across these sort of brassy young people all the time.  And what do I do?  I laugh at them.  I brush them off.  I ignore them.  I tell them off.  I put them back in their place.  Anything except getting agitated because I don’t want to waste my energies and kill my cells. 

Take for example this 10-year old boy who was extremely rude in my workshop two days ago.  From patiently telling him to behave himself, I sternly told him off, and then subsequently ignored him totally as he continued being funny.  When I was distributing some goodies, he came forth.  I asked him for an apology before I would give him anything but he just shrugged off and walked away.  And I did the same.  Just shrugged off and continuing distributing to the others.

Granted, this isn’t a youth I’m talking about.  But some of them are no different. 

My point is: if we really really want to deal with the younger generation and share a thing or two with them, be prepared for their indifference and directness.  Don’t expect too much from them.  Especially not on the basis that we’re older and need respect.  Don’t even preach to them.  WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE AND BECOME MORE RELEVANT TO THEM AS WELL.  That means we need to build rapport, understand their world and speak their lingo.  It could mean treating them as equals and sparring with them.  And when they know you have much more to offer them, the respect will come naturally.

Actually I thought MM was very cool in the way he dealt with them.  He certainly didn’t seem at all agitated.  So I don’t know why the rest are kicking up such a furor.