New Song Leak - John Mayer

John Mayer can be so funny. Check out his new song Born Without Bones. I'm not sure how serious he is though... Haha. Just for laughs.

Swim

From this time of August till sometime in September: the best time for a swim in the public pool. With the Muslim fasting month on, and the Chinese Hungry Ghost festival in full swing, there is almost no one at the pool. No need to criss cross my way through the water, or contort my body into C-shapes to avoid the hard-whacking leg of some oblivious water torpedo.

Double yay.

Wonderful public pool.

Slice of life - Day 1 & Day 2

Day 1:

Before 18, the world was a rigid place.

Now, the world is a flexible place, with space for differentness - my differentness.

++++++

Day 2:

When three becomes two, and there's just her and me, I know I can feel whole and free.

The weight that was from before has lightened.

I can be close, and I can enjoy that.

And we can be two.

When three becomes two, and there's just him and me, I don't know how to feel.

The distance is there, and I am afraid to be far.

It would essentially mean that...I would just be one.

And so would he, right?

Wonderful women

Ever since I've gotten to know three wonderful women in the counselling field, all into their 50s, I will never take "experience" lightly again. Their life and work experiences, coupled with their high level of self-awareness and candour, have given me so much insight into myself and how I relate to the important people in my life.

Today's therapeutic discussion as we huddled in the cubicle, touched on grief. Grieving over the estrangement and loss, something I had never been aware of before. When old birds provide clarity, their words can hit the cry button and the tears never stop flowing. Burdened love indeed. If you love, you get hurt. If you don't love, he gets hurt. It's a situation of tension - you move in, and then you move out when it gets too close for comfort.

Yet, she gave me hope when she said that as the years pass, and the tension continues, the relationship only gets stronger. She is the old bird, she should know right? Hope is good, hope fits for me.

I just hope I don't wake up with swollen eyes tomorrow.

Fluffy: Its (Singaporean) origins

Of late, the name "Fluffy" has been hanging off the lips of Mich's friends. May I henceforth put forth that it was I, ahem, yes I, who used the term "Fluffy" to refer to "beings that cause our hearts to melt like...caramel". Fluffy is Joel Houston to Mich, and Fluffy is...well, what Fluffy is to me is secret to you. So anyways, I cannot claim credit to inventing Fluffy because Fluffy came from the movie "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist", which Mich and I watched (not together, but we did know that we would somehow watch it, cos it was That Type of music movie.) In the movie, Nick and Norah - indie music freaks - fall in love with each other while chasing an elusive rock band that goes by the name of "Where's Fluffy?". You had to follow hints all around town to find the venue where they were playing. So, unless you were a die-hard fan, you would have just fallen by the roadside, wilted and died. One clue was found in the toilet of a pub, written and drawn in liquid paper (a rabbit and some words) on the door of the toilet. Which also means that, unless you were facing the door while doing your business, you would have totally missed it.

Although I didn't create Fluffy, I do have my evolving theories (and grammar) about All Things Fluffy. And these theories (and grammar) pop up only during msn conversations in the wee hours of the morning with Mich, my friend. Fluffy used to be a noun, but we've made it a verb. So if you Fluffy me, means you really dig me lah. And just a few minutes ago, I've realised that Fluffy needs to be elusive in order for it to qualify as a real Fluffy. Like I had a Fluffy who, sadly or not I'm not sure, doesn't quite qualify anymore. Because I chose to do something else over Fluffy. And like I told Mich, Fluffy has lost its fluffiness because Fluffy and I are friends now. But of course, Mich thinks that even if Joel Houston becomes her friend, he will still be Fluffy. Well, I'm sceptical. I still think my Fluffy theory stands.

And seriously, if you read my post until here, you really don't think that my words are fluff. Right or not? Go fluffify, whatever that means :)

Happiness [You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown]

"Happiness is being alone every now and then."

Dedicated to all who love life, especially Neo for her intersubjective response :)

Bliss

After a really hot and tiring morning kite-flying at Marina Barrage, Neo and I set out on our way for a thirst quencher. It had to have bubbles and all that pizazz, provide enough sugary sweetness and give the kick that parched throats were begging for.

She said, coke.

I said, no, root beer!!!

She said, yes! Or vanilla iced earl grey.

To which, I replied huh? Then realised it was my beverage of choice from Coffee Club - iced earl grey tea topped with vanilla ice-cream. Ooo...yum. I felt like I was soaking in a huge cool lake in Autumny Scotland just thinking of it.

So, we reached KFC, and we decided to share one regular root beer. I paid half - just 90 cents - and asked for an empty cup. She split the drink into two cups, popped the straws in and we took our first precious sip at a table in the fast-food restaurant.

AAAHHHHHHHHHH...

I had to stroke my chest while saying it.

We both looked at each other and laughed.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted a middle-aged mother looking at us bemusedly.

That moment was pure bliss. Unimagined, and random. Life would be more liveable if it had more such moments, wouldn't it?

+++++++++++++

Bliss-ful moments are different for everyone. But they sure make living worth living. Here is good friend dsd's moment of bliss.

In memory of...

And so, it was a he. Long legs like his older brother, said his mother. Same frame. And very handsome. Tomorrow, he will be laid to rest at sea. And while the people who love him say their final goodbyes, heaven would have already held him. In his Father's arms, at peace and in comfort.

R.I.P ~ N.C.

******

And so, he went even before I could register the news. The father of counselling, they called him. To him, there was the Sabbath rest, mandatory rest and eternal rest, he told his brother. He has gone to eternal rest.

R.I.P ~ Anthony Yeo