Bus Encounter

         

         It was a scorching hot Friday noon. I barely managed to catch the bus for a relaxing escape at home to unwind. Breathing heavily after running out of the gate of the campus with two heavy luggages, I was almost dying from exhaustion when I saw a seat near to the door. I heaved a sigh of relief. I immediately sat down, put on my headphones and drifted away in my own world.

            The commuters literally flooded in ten minutes later, when the bus arrived at another bus stop. I was choking for the sudden scent of “eau de parfum” lingering in the bus, from all those commuters: men and women, young and old, white-collar workers, blue-collar workers, locals, foreign holidaymakers... There was a young lady who was heavy with a child, with a bag of groceries in her left hand and a young boy, probably her son, holding her other hand tight. Her hands were shaking while she tried to grab the nearest support in the bus.

            “Ah Moi! Can’t you see that your seat is reserved for people with special needs? Give your seat to her!” A woman in her 50’s barked at me, while pointing at the signboard near my seat. I could not care less about her. No! I was dropping dead myself and my load is no less than hers! I kept snoozing away in spite of the boisterous and stifling crowd.

            Amidst my blurry vision, I noticed a little boy standing up in the bus. I rubbed my eyes. That little boy from elementary school had actually stood and gave his seat to the pregnant lady! I could not believe my eyes. My eyes were wide open. Instantaneously my face blushed as red as a beetroot and my head drooped low.

How could I, being a college student and a builder of the national future in the making, be that selfish and full of myself? Why did only my two luggages and my exhaustion enter my mind? Even students from the elementary school understand and practised the moral values learned in school. Why? What was the use of being a straight-A student in SPM but failing to internalize all those noble values and the definitions which I had memorized for thus long into part of my being?

            The bus screeched into a halt as it arrived at the jetty. I lugged my luggage, with a heavy heart added to that load. As the bus faded from my view, I could not hold my feeling of shame. Every step I took to the ferry got heavier with remorse, but lighter at the same time, knowing that I have just had a good class on being kind to the others.

题外话：自拍

今天反常，不来食物帖或素材帖，来个比较私人的东西，嘿嘿。

上次我看一看这个部落的浏览率，结果很奇怪，明明整天更新，每天浏览率却不超过50，唉。 算了吧。我也不知道要写什么（心灰意冷-ing）

所以，我衷心希望各位亲们能给些意见，让我能和你们分享好料。毕竟我以后也要当老师，当然要读多多东西，增广见闻，学习怎样了解学生嘛。

我觉得为了部落读research paper，是一个很轻松的增加知识的方式。 :D

话不多说，今天来自拍咯！

我本人其实很少自拍，一来对自己的样子毫无信心（据说我看起来20尾了？）；二来我很懒惰，懒得拿相机这样拼命抓角度拍自己，要我这样做我干脆读书更好！不过，我倒是很喜欢拍风景、拍食物、拍人物。。。。。。只要不是自己就好。

不过，现在，我对自拍完全改观（虽然自拍技术算是不及格），因为我觉得自拍能让我回忆从前，让我能沉思，改善自己。此外，我觉得自拍需要一定的耐心和心思，要懂得抓角度。还要注意场景。我认为处事一定要有心思，有兴趣，才能办好事儿（比如功课、烘蛋糕等等）。

我能通过自拍照自我反思，激励自己进步，不管是在自拍还是外表、内涵方面。此外，我也要通过自拍，自我提升，对人要客气一点，要多微笑，少记仇，才能让世界更美丽。

P/S:今年的圣诞节，你们许下什么愿呢？ :D

Kapsiao: 绿油油咖啡馆背后的故事

大家好！今天我享尽了味蕾上的享受，肚子医得很饱，所以就很有力气去kapsiao了，哈哈！（你在讲什么废话？）

咖啡馆是个让人们放松心情，谈天说地甚至是拍拖（？）的场所。其设计简洁时尚，浓浓的咖啡香弥漫着咖啡馆的空间，让人觉得心情舒畅，也是个社交的好去处。轻松的环境加上一杯热腾腾的咖啡，最适合让朋友畅谈。

还有还有，对像我这个功课永远也做不完，睡觉是个奢侈的学院生来说，咖啡馆是个能提供安宁的读书天堂。考试将即时，咖啡有助提神，精致可爱又甜入心扉的蛋糕、小点等，配上轻音乐，原本像一千斤重的担子，顿时松了下来。我更能专注读书。哦，我忘了，咖啡点的网速，是学院的乌龟网速远远比不到的！哇咔咔！

我本人就超级喜欢咖啡，尤其是纯咖啡，即没有加料的那种，越浓越好。对我来说，咖啡就要仔细品尝，让咖啡的苦甜味儿轻轻挑逗味蕾；轻轻地嗅下咖啡的香味，让头脑放松。照这样来说，我应该会喜欢espresso吧？很遗憾的，espresso太小杯了，一下子喝完后就没了，而且其价格不菲，普通的学院生哪里能负担得起啊？！

我一生中好像只喝过一次espresso，就是小学时候。那时，我们全家到一家新开的咖啡馆用餐。妈妈点espresso；我点拿铁。服务生同时端上拿铁和一杯小杯咖啡。那杯咖啡真的很小，大约只有两寸高。我们还以为那杯咖啡是拿来淋拿铁的，所以我们就把那杯少到不行的咖啡淋拿铁。好香哦！

等了半小时，espresso还不见踪影，而其他菜肴都已经上桌了。妈妈就叫来侍应生，问他espresso在哪里。侍应生一脸讶异地指着小杯子说：“This is the espresso!”原来，那个小不点就是所谓的espresso！一口就能喝下的东西价格如此高昂，算了。我告诉自己：我以后都不会叫espresso了！

我就是那么三八，呵呵。

其实我对咖啡的要求不会很高，即使是街边的Kopi O，也足够让我心满意足、心旷神怡了。不过，不管外面的咖啡多香多美丽，妈妈自己泡的姜味咖啡，最淳朴，也最能提神暖胃。

至于我的“咖啡馆”，为什么它那么绿油油呢？

很简单，因为我喜欢绿色！

绿色是植物中的主要颜色，象征万物生气蓬勃，也代表生命中充满希望。比如野草，不畏风吹雨打，不畏践踏，从石缝里茁壮成长，迎接阳光。

多看绿色东西，比如大树，养神又养眼。

绿色象征和平。绿色并不会太抢眼，也不会太暗淡。她尽好本分，衬托万物中其他绚丽的色彩。正所谓“红花还要绿叶扶”。绿色是个会平衡风风雨雨的颜色。

绿色代表安全。比如：过马路时，红色代表停；绿色代表走。动物们的家也是绿色的，因为它们的安乐窝，就在繁盛的丛林里。家，是一个人生活中最安全的避风港。

绿色也能平复心情，让人心神安定，能从各方面思考、解决问题，并能沉稳地走过挑战重重的人生路。

绿色是大自然的主要颜色，它为自然带来生机、健康。假如绿色不健康，哪来的"Go Green"、多吃蔬菜等等的运动呢？哈哈！

既然我无法常常上咖啡馆，而又酷爱绿色，秉持着对咖啡浓浓的爱和绿色带来的安定效果，我就把它们融入我的部落。

希望读到这一篇和以后的帖文的你们，能一样觉得轻松，感受大自然的美。

晚安！

Starved!

   "Tick! Tick! Tock! Tock!” the tickling sound seemed to become louder and louder. Wait, it was only half past eleven in the morning! However, my stomach kept growling and pleading to be filled. My stomach was so empty that I could eat a horse. It was an unpleasant cacophony and my mouth began to water, too. It baffled me. Since when had I such haute gastronomy that my tummy became a bottomless pit? I just had two pieces of "roti canai" that morning!

     I did not care. I just wanted to eat.

     I gingerly tiptoed to the kitchen when my mother had just finished cooking. The wonderful, appetizing aroma of fish curry with hints of spices diffused in the air. Yummy! Yummy! Fish curry was my favourite. At that instance, my tummy growled louder and raved like a wild animal. I was about to reach for the spoon when my mother stopped me.

     “No, Mae. Rice is not ready yet.  Just wait for another ten minutes. It won’t take you long.

     What? TEN minutes? Gosh, ten minutes was like ten years at that time. I would really go berserk if I was supposed to wait any longer! I was about to reach for some snacks but wait, mom will KILL me if I got caught snacking between meals! I shuddered at the thought of not being allowed to eat out as a punishment. Yet, I could think no further to calm the wild animal in my tummy. I saw mom leaving the kitchen to get the table ready. That was it!

     I crept stealthily to the pantry. I opened the cupboard and in no time, I returned with a large packet of Loacker’s waffle biscuits and Bournville’s dark chocolate. The refrigerator was  another “food heaven” in my house. In a jiffy, I got a large box og yoghurt and a tub of strawberry ice-cream. I would not wait for my slow mom. I was going to snap open the chocolate and indulge those treats in gusto. What about the utensils? Of course, I had my crystal ice-cream bowl and teaspoon ready, too!

     By the time I was ready, my hands were very full and I was about to walk out of the kitchen. However, I was carried away by the thought of having such a large tub of creamy ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce and overflowing milk, munching waffle biscuits straight out of the package and having chocolate melting in my mouth. What a heavenly treat! The saliva began to flow straight out like a waterfall when…

     “CRASH!  WHAM!”

     I was stunned. What? There came another bang. My head, oh my goodness! It hurts! My forehead was bleeding profusely. The Loacker’s, Bournville and all… My dreams were gone. The gravy of the curry was overflowing all over the table. This time, I would be having  “curry chocolate with ants”.  Yucks!

     Mom stormed into the kitchen upon hearing the commotion and noise. She was red with anger and her veins had almost protruded her skin. That was the moment that all hell broke loose.

   “Mae, what on Earth are you doing? Now, my RM200 crystal bowl is broken! The curry feast is over! I will have to start from scratch! Enough is enough! Don’t ever touch my food until lunch is ready. Now, clean up this place! I don’t want flies or ants to visit this house.

     Not only I had not satisfied my intense hunger, I had to clean the kitchen again and had lunch late. Friends, if you do not see me in any restaurant for two months, you should know what the cause were. As the saying went, “More haste, less speed”!