The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Hi! No I’m not dead. I’m just not online. Many of you (sweethearts) have called or sent me emails asking if I’m alright, how I’m doing or if everything is okay.

Yes, my dears, I’m fine.
I just haven’t been living in my online sphere that’s all.

I’m still kicking and very much alive – in a place called the real world.

There’s such a thing, you know? 😛

Two weeks ago, I sent in my iPhone 5S to Maxis for some troubleshooting due to some battery issues. It all started a month ago.

When my iPhone’s usual 6-7 hour battery life took a nosedive into a miserable 3 hour lifespan, I began to think something was amiss.

But I only knew for certain that something was dreadfully wrong was when one night’s sleep – without touching my iPhone, could deplete its juice from 100% down to 17%.

Before any of you techies jump to conclusion, yes – all my apps are turned off, battery-draining features/settings are disabled and nothing is running in the background.

Chop sign confirm la.
Okay, back to the story.
So I sent it in and I was told that within 14 working days, Apple’s standard practice usually has customers getting back a new iPhone of the same model to replace their faulty current one! Hurrah! New iPhone.

Looks like I won’t be needing to get my iPhone 6 after all hehe.

Anyway, it has been almost 2 weeks and I’ve been having pretty mixed feelings about being deprived of a smartphone in today’s fast-paced bubble, home to my own kind, Generation X & Y. Here’s what I have to say.

THE GOOD 

1.     I actually READ THE NEWSPAPER now.

No, it isn’t an ‘old-man thing to do’.  I am sitting in San Francisco Coffee as we speak and I’ve just finished reading the New Straits Times, The Star and the New York Times.

It has been a long time since I’ve touched a hard copy of a periodical.

And hey look – my fingers are darkened with carbon-stained ink. This reminds me of my high school days where my fingers will all be blackened after reading the newspaper!

I’ve begun to continue where I left off in my daily reading habits.
Truth be told, there’s nothing like the tactile pleasure of flipping pages. Not e-pages or Kindles, mind you, I’m referring to actual paperback novels.

My bookmarks and bookshelves at home now play more than just decoration feigning intelligence. I used to be such an avid reader when I was younger and now… I’m back to reading bedtime stories! (Gee, I hope this lasts)

Oh and you know when I see well-dressed guys in geeky glasses reading a novel while waiting at a café, a bus stop or whatever?  That is so sexy. Just saying.

 
2.    I pay attention to my surroundings!
Ergo, I realize I don’t bump into objects/people while walking.

OR walk into the wrong bathroom as often anymore. Damn. Been one too many times…

I tend to look around more around the suburbs, towns and cities I’m in and the places I go, instead of keeping my eyes fixated on my phone running my blog, replying emails, replying texts and keeping updated with social media feeds & digital marketing pointers on all platforms.

Hey, don’t blame me. Social media is my profession.

That’s the industry that puts the food on my plate.

Sometimes, I take multitasking too seriously when I’m with my iPhone.

 
3.    I am closer to the people around me.
Chatting with my loved ones and friends face-to-face beats typing on a touch screen, hands down! Social media…? More like anti-social media, because most smartphone savvy & social media junkies neglect their nearest and dearest way too often.

It is not only disrespectful to be glued to your phones whilst out with anyone, but it also implies that whatever it is on your screen is more interesting that the person/company you’re with.

Guilty?

Talking to other people when you’re supposed to be talking to the ones in close proximity?

Not a very nice thing to do.
Being apart from my iPhone has brought me even closer to my bestest buddies during outings and I’m thankful for those real moments spent side by side.

Thankfully, I never ever have this problem with moo, as we naturally put away our phones when we’re spending quality time together or out on dates. Yay!

4.    Living in the moment instead of always trying to capture the moment.
This is where photographic memory kicked in. During those two weeks, I got to live in the moment and depended on my memory to smile back on, instead of trying relentlessly to capture everything on my camera roll and video stream.

Just like the old times – wasn’t life much easier to take in all you see with your OWN RETINA instead of that retina display?

 I know how good memories ought to be recorded for keepsake and good things ought to be shared; but to a certain extent. Having the liberty and the growing dependency on my iPhone has exceeded this ‘certain extent’ to every hour and every day.

5.    Admittedly, I now pay rock solid attention on the road.
Don’t chide me for this. I know how dangerous it is, but I’ve been doing this throughout all my years of driving. Maybe I’m just good at it – LOL I shouldn’t speak too soon.

But I’ve got a clean track record of driving to prove it. Nothing to be proud of but yes, just putting it out there 😛 #JustSaying

This only becomes a bane when you’re stuck in a merciless traffic jam alone and there’s absolutely nothing to do and no one to chat with or nothing to entertain yourself with.

I used to smoke while driving on the road but ever since I quit smoking, I now have even lesser things to do. 

6.    Safety reasons.
My phone is now always snugly in my bag instead of exposed to snatch thieves.

As mentioned in previous blog posts, my iPhone never leaves the palm of my hand. I like being extremely contactable and almost all my replies are instant – sue me.

But for the past 2 weeks, I’m hardly ever contactable so I didn’t see the point of holding my phone 24/7 anymore.

Sometimes, I even forget that I have my phone in my bag at all! Which is a good thing… I think. Since this exhibits a significant detachment to my phone.

Yay! Progress.

Crap. I sound like I need rehab for mobile phone & internet addiction.

 
THE BAD 

1.    I get lost on the road!

I am a hopeless nut on the road without my GPS, Waze or even Google Maps, resulting in unnecessary time wasted in traffic gridlocks due to all the wrong turns and detours.

Time & fuel wasted – now that’s frustrating.

2.    Moo & I can’t get in touch
We talk and chat on a daily (more like hourly! Haha) basis and without my phone, we weren’t able to text via Whatsapp! That really sucks.

Sure, there’s always SMS but seriously…? This isn’t the year 2002 anymore.

Nobody CHATS via SMS, unless you’re willing to pay for each time a text is sent. Yikes. That’s not chatting to me.

So we resorted to things like Gtalk, emails and Skype when I’m on the computer.

For the record, I use SMS too but the only SMS I receive is from Maxis.

3.    Similar to the above, I am unreachable instantly.
None of my clients are able to quickly get in touch with me or invite me to their events.

It will leave them wondering why I’m not keen all of a sudden. I also don’t get to chat with my family in our chatroom anymore.

Random (silly) Whatsapp chats with mom.

My friends also wonder why I’ve stopped replying them on Whatsapp…

4.    No access to details and information.
You know how sometimes when you just want a quick check of information, names, prices, dates, spelling, location and so on? Google is always your best friend.

Yeah, being able to access details like that in under 5 seconds now leaves me hanging in the dark and struggling to retrieve information I need, especially when I really need to know something on the spot.  

It absolutely sucks when you’re just so used to finding out the answers to your questions almost immediately!

Looks like we’ve weighed both the bad and the good… so which one triumphs?

Being away from your phone for so long makes you realize u can actually live without it and maximize LIFE as it is, nature, surroundings, people and everything around you instead of occupying yourself with only your phone.

First world problems, indeed.

That said, of course you can easily say ‘why not just put it down or turn it off?’ Easier said than done, darling. People have become so attached to their gadgets that it’s as though their lives depended on it.

There’s more to life than the windows in your gadget.

Using the mobile phone is inevitable, but I guess being apart from my iPhone for what feels like eternity was a very interesting life lesson. A kind of lesson that reminds you of what really matters most.

Now… moving on, dear Maxis, would you give me back my phone already?

I think you’ve done me a good favour by teaching me this wonderful lesson. Also, I think I’ve had enough isolation. 😛 I promise I won’t abuse this freedom again. Teehee.

September has come around again, which means, it’s mom & dad’s birthday!

It’s the month where I annually surprise them with a trip back home – but wait a sec – If I return home every year for their birthday without fail, guess that’s not so much of a surprise anymore, eh?

Anyway. I booked a trip back a few days ago but guess what? I missed my flight.

Yep. Don’t ask why or how. Meh.

I began racking my brains on how to go back on such a short notice. I didn’t want to miss being home for mom & dad’s birthday for the world!

Being the Malaysia Day long weekend + school holidays, I can bet my bottom dollar that the highways will be full if I decide to get on a bus. Thankfully, buddyEdwin & his brother was scheduled to visit Penang the next day at 2am (to avoid the traffic I suppose?).

I immediately hopped on for a ride. Phew. At least I didn’t need to waste the flight back to KL. Thanks Ed!

Throughout the long journey, I was prepping this blog post for the birthday celebration – only to realize I haven’t shared the pictures FROM THEIR BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR!

Drats. Yes yes, just so you know, I have at least 2 years of backlog for this blog. Forgive me, time isn’t a luxury for me at all  🙁

Anyway, speaking of which, here’s what went down during their birthday in 2013!

 I took them to Flamingo Hotel in Batu Fehringgi for a Seafood Buffet.

Flanked by mom & dad. From this picture. I can safely guess what’s going on in your mind.

Yes, I am tall. I know.

But… believe me, being a tall Asian girl in an Asian country really sucks.

One day, if time permits a lengthy rant of a blog article, I will tell you why.

But that’s another story…

Back to the birthday last year. It’s us – and dearest kakak in tow!

The hospitality of the waiting staff was commendable, while the restaurant was large, brightly-lit and spacious.

Just one of our favorite meals at the seafood buffet spread!

Cheese-baked mussels and scallops.

 Daddy was a very happy boy that night.

Judging by the amount of prawns, crabs, and shrimps he took, I think I’m pretty sure he was. He also went back for seconds and thirds! Hurrah! Mission accomplished 😛

My beautiful parents – say hi to mom & dad!

 And of course, yours truly.

 The buffet spread was so extensive that they even had more choices at the patio by the swimming pool, which mostly consisted of barbequed choices and roasts.

 So glad kakak enjoyed herself too – she stuffed herself silly! Hahaha.

 Momsie and I always have room for dessert…

 Then again, don’t we all?

 Birthday cakes do count as dessert too! 😀 Happy birthday dearest mom & dad!

Big hugs! Love you to the moon and back mom!

After dinner, we decided to unbuckle our belts and unwind with a short stroll around the vicinity of the hotel.

The al-fresco and poolside area was looking pretty magnificent at night, so why not?

 All lit-up at night.

 The trio by the poolside bench.

Too fantastic a night-light scene not to take a selfie!

Can’t deny how serene and breathtaking the ambiance was.

Seeing that typical ‘official’ and rigid family photoshoots taken in studios with a wallpaper of meadows and bookshelves as the portrait background with results so overly contrasted and flawlessly airbrushed, isn’t my thing at all, I came up with a random idea.

It’s time for some fun, unofficial and an impromptu family photoshoot!

 Which reminds me, I actually want to get these printed,

blown up into an 8R and framed in my room.

 Take two!

One last shot for Instagram and for the road! That’s a wrap for le folk’s 2013 birthday celebration.

Thanks for sticking around with me during the long car ride. It’s fast-forward to the year 2014 now.

We’ve just arrived Penang. Did you forget that I was still on the North-South Highway heading back home? 😛

Dolled up for brunch for mom & dad’s birthday!

Needless to say, I didn’t have even a wink of sleep, but I didn’t want to fall into slumber upon arrival because the time taken for my snoozes could very well be used to spend time with le folks on this shortened trip.

And I know it’s gonna be worth it.

This year, mom, dad and I  went to our all-time favorite buffet place, Coffee Garden in Hotel Equatorial, Penang.

I don’t remember how many millions of photos we took here in our lifetime.

My family has  been regularly patronizing this place ever since I was a toddler, to a kid, to a teenager, and finally, to the young adult I am now.

Almost two decades have passed and we still love this place to bits.

  I’m genuinely amazed how the food standards are impressively maintained (if not better!) and even more so, how this place can remain this evergreen after all these years. Thumbs up!

Greeted to this upon entering the restaurant!

Here are some of the choices from the continental and local spread.

Didn’t manage to snap all of them as hey, tummies were a priority here.

See Kor Theng – a Chinese delicacy that I’m not to familiar with

The Hungarian Beef Goulash was fabulous!

Nasi Lemak table with lots and lots of condiments!

Yum yum!

Appease the oriental side in you.

More mouthwatering delights!

The sashimi & cold cut table – one of my favorite platters of the buffet!

Equatorial Hotel certainly has a breathtaking view of the residential bungalows, the condominiums in the near distance and of course, Bukit Jambul Country Club’s golf course.

Aerial shot of mom & dad’s selection.

More random choices!

Just HAD to snap this picture of mom & dad with the superb view behind them.

Hi! Mom & dad aren’t the only people enjoying the food. Hehe!

Satay tops my list!

Fruits! Fruits! Oh, glorious fruits!

You’re probably wondering… where’s the meat?

Well here it is! Tasty and succulent no doubt!

Happy tummy today! #cheatday

Here’s some more of my fave picks!

Can’t be more blessed to have parents like them. Also, I was really glad I made it back despite the circumstances.

We had a very intimate family lunch and shared lots of banter as well as deep-diving into serious discussions of life, love, politics and other general knowledge. Such a gathering between the three of us is indeed priceless!

Okay, dessert time. How can anyone not have space for desserts?

Ice Kacang!

Happy mama at the dessert table!

Oh my goodness, they serve New Zealand Natural ice cream. Love it!

Our favorite dessert of all – Bread & Butter Pudding!

No idea how they made it THIS IRRESISTIBLE!

*mental note to self: gotta attempt making this one day*

Family selfie to end the celebration!

Happy birthday again, mom & dad. May you both stay young at heart and brilliant in more ways than ever!

ANNOUNCEMENT

I now have a new Facebook page for this blog! Do show some love and support at – 

www.Facebook.com/thejessicat.com 

After running this blog for 9 years, you must be wondering why there never was a Facebook page for my blog all this while!

Haha. Well, there is actually a little background story to it. 

When this blog started to gain traction back in 2007, that was coincidentally when Facebook began to roll out their latest product, Facebook Fan Pages. The blogger community was then quick to jump onto the bandwagon and started creating ‘fan pages’ for themselves. 

For some reason, I didn’t quite agree to this. 

And I still don’t. 

Fan pages? Really? I have never fancied the idea of self-proclamation of one’s non-existent celebrity status and I especially despise the word ‘famous blogger’ and ‘celebrity blogger’.

Do you really reckon you’re that ‘famous’ and worthy of creating a ‘fan page’ for yourself? 

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYU1a0lTTTw” width=”600″ height=”300″ full=”no” ]

This video might interest you. No, really. You’ve GOTTA watch it! It’s funny

Admittedly, maybe I might have taken this ‘fan page’ word a tad too literally and seriously.  But still, I believe I am entitled to my own opinion, especially if I have never voiced my thoughts out nor offend anyone. 

Anyway, despite disagreeing with ‘fan pages’, I have always given my support and LIKEs to fellow blogger friends’ pages. So don’t chide me! 😛

As time passed, Facebook somehow rebranded their ‘Fan Pages’ to ‘Facebook Pages’.

Only then I began to embrace and accept this. But still never created one because I still felt it was such a ‘perasan’ thing to do!  (For my non-Malaysian readers, it basically translates to being self-absorbed or being too full of yourself)

Anyway, fast-forward to 2012, I saw myself landing in the social media industry after being in the journalism & publication industry for a good number of years.

Being in this field and handling many major social media accounts for various brands made me see the importance of having a Facebook Page especially if you are your own brand/personality.

Another couple of years passed, with many clients and blog readers genuinely wondering and casually questioning me why there isn’t a public page to represent this blog.  

Good question.

I don’t know the answer either. Because I just never created one? 

And then it gradually dawned upon me that it was a necessity.

Facebook pages allowed me to tailor my content better on social media. I also wasn’t able to approve all friend requests, especially people I haven’t met or didn’t know personally/too well.

Facebook pages also provided me the audience demographics, analytics and insights which I needed to further improve to continue becoming a better blogger!

So there you go, after so much convincing from my fellow blogger mates around the world, my sponsors & clients, my blog managers, and even you dearest readers, I decided to give myself a very different birthday present this year.

Thus TheJessicat’s official Facebook page was born three days ago! 

Do show some love on my new page, pretty please? Hehe. 

Will no longer be posting on my personal account anymore. Blog features, latest updates & pictures will all be moved from now onwards, so your likes on my new page would make me a very happy girl!

Also thinking of throwing a big birthday bash on this blog’s 10th Anniversary next year! I’m excited to make this happen. 

It’s been a long ride. Thank you for your all your support all this while, beautiful people!

Lots of love.

Let’s face it. Accidents and mishaps happen almost every minute in different parts of the world every single day.

BUT what really bothers me the most is how regular average Joes flock at the chance to turn into conspiracy theorists, keyboard warriors, overnight reporters and aviation experts who spew and share nonsensical bollocks regarding the already pressing issue at hand.

Please. Just stop.

Pointless escalation of untruths and uncertainties. Really? Nobody needs more drama.

I’ve gotta say though, I refrained myself from posting anything on social media (except condolences) or on this blog about said tragedies simply because I just did not want to contribute to the already congested, air-tight sphere of drama when I had nothing to claim, assert or say that people didn’t already know through the grapevine. 

The question is, how true are the things you share online? 

The kind of journalism I was trained and taught stems from credibility, amongst other key ethics. Social media, however, despite being an integral and instant alternative to traditional media, is unfortunately a realm of open-sourced poppycock.

A domain where every Tom, Dick and Harry possesses equal power in their hands to be a (loud) mouthpiece to say anything their mind conjures. 

Some even go to the extent of uploading digitally manipulated images and YET, pools of scoop-thirsty morons turn to believing and worse, circulating such fabrication.

It’s like walking into a morning market where gossip and small talk fill the air and where people chat for the sake of empty conversation. 

I don’t blame them. But what about you? 

Pretty sure your productivity at work or school pulled either an MH370 or an MH17 on you, yes? Not funny at all, but either way, not pleasant as well. Get back to work.

The convenience of being spoonfed online subconsciously leads to the refreshing of your newsfeed every five minutes and voila! You find yourself reposting anything you find bizarre and ‘newsworthy’, namely graphic images of dead bodies, horrifying video footages and speculating unverified news.

Surely you have more important things to focus on? 

I’m not going to get onto a moral high horse here but honestly, with disasters permeating our lives barely months after the MH370 disappearance, I begin to somewhat question the entire spectacle of online behaviour and ethics.

With the Israel-Palestine wars in Gaza, the raging steering lock-wielding Kiki woman of Peugeot CDM25, the suicide case in Bangsar Shopping Center, and now the MH17 attack all happening co-currently, I just couldn’t help but to notice how people let petty jibber-jabber, dramatization and rumours surrounding such tragic mishaps consume their lives as if every conversation they have depended on it.

Heck, even some broadcast media (the four radio stations, you know who you are) turned to sensationalizing and creating undeserving headlines out of this debacle. All for a jump in ratings? /facepalm

Such a fiasco, methinks 

Don’t be too quick to believe everything you see and read on social media.

Be a better gatekeeper, I implore you. The next time you want to share news, think again. How true is it? Is it from a credible news source? Is it substantial with enough evidence?

Don’t be too caught up in the wave of such idiosyncrasies and end up making a mountain out of a molehill. You’re really not helping the situation and instead, making it worse by propagating more speculation.

This can be very disturbing and confusing to the public, and even more so to the friends and families of those involved. 

Putting rants aside and on another note:

To my 3 friends whom I lost on 3 plane crashes in late 2013 and 2014 alone, may your souls rest in peace in a place just as beautiful as you have ever been. Heaven’s got a plan for you.

In light of the MH17 incident, 298 lives from different nations have perished in this tragedy, and to the loved ones of the casualties who are deeply affected by the loss, my heart goes out to you.

May the memories which come from the good times shared, comfort you now and in the days ahead.  I also hope and pray for international and diplomatic help in joining hands for justice to be served. 

But for now, Malaysia, let us stand together in solidarity and strength in this darkest hour.

As publicly declared in January, I embarked onto a new journey and took a deep, fresh breath – being officially single for the very first time. (Had been in 3 back-to-back committed, long-term serious relationships)

Anyway, on one of those random sleepless nights 2 months ago, I penned this poem filled with confusion and doubts as to what I actually want in terms of interpersonal relationships.

So what’s the answer?

I actually do have an answer; a clear stand on what I’m looking for and what I’m not. 

I wanted to take this period of time to dedicate the focus and commitment to myself, my career and social relationships with the family & friends around me. 

Single life for the first time, has been an exciting ride. An exhilarating adventure of infatuation, lessons, love, suspense and hurt attached to it – with no extra baggage.

Life is good so far!

From the bottom of my heart, I strictly did not want to be in any kind of serious relationships with anyone at the moment. Maybe it’s just not the right time and I’m neither ready nor prepared to be in yet another long-term commitment. 

Hearts aflutter.

But the heart may sometimes falter and feelings tend to stray off the beaten track. 

After all, we’re only human. And it’s only natural to develop feelings 

But I’m trying not to. My hardest!

I do date. A lot, in fact. But I’ve built my walls sky-high and my heart has since been armoured with titanium and solid steel. My guards are up and there’s no way I would let anyone in because I know once I fall in love, I’m vulnerable again and hurt will follow if things don’t work out.

Guess I’m not up for that sorta heartbreak or drama yet. 

Whatever it is, my sentiments can hardly ever be put in writing and mere words can never do justice to the mind’s eye. 

But when thoughts cloud my mind, I write. So here’s another one of my poems. I realize my tendency of expressing better with literary metaphors. 

This bird yearned to be free
To fly solo, she’s eager to see
The gush, the drive, of the unfamiliar
Gee whiz, what a fortifiying adventure!

To soar with freedom in exploring uncertainties
To fly away and vanish plausible peculiarities
She fleets through depths after depths to the faraway horizon
And scours the ocean glistening like shards of a diamond

But alas, with a classic ray of magic,
Her wings freeze into a gridlock galactic
Walls crumble and shoots to the mighty stars
A burst of warmth takes over, exceeding radars

Unable to scale the skies and beyond,
She is vulnerable and a tad withdrawn

Hush now, little heart
Don’t beat a whisper
Don’t ravel a twister
Turn to brain, your counterpart

Heart of steel, do your thing
Be still, like the mountains
Be cold, like a winter frost
Raise your weapon, and take your wing

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bltr_Dsk5EY&feature=kp” width=”600″ height=”300″ full=”no” ]

Song of the moment. Our song.

But somewhere at the back of my mind, I think… this could finally be it. 

I don’t know. Afraid, I am. Perhaps a little too soon to say but… we’ll see. Only time will tell if this fairytale would blossom into a radiance of petals or disintegrate into a withering, shrivelled life.