just minishorts.

There's a reason why I'm so reluctant to add strangers on Facebook.The first is because, I am active on facebook – meaning I log on at least once a day, and I do read the status updates, and strangers' updates mean nothing to me because I can't connect.

The other part is largely due to my desire to find people I can *sync* with. Adding strangers usually come with that 'ice-breaking' stage, and it includes effort and work before a proper friendship can be formed. What this means, to me, is that if you wanna be my friend, you have got to be a good conversationalist. It means that you have got to have the ability to tune in to my radar. In the same way, I must be able to do the same too.

Now of course this doesn't in anyway mean that I talk to all the hundred of friends listed on my FB. But the thing about people who write in to request, 'Hi, can I be friend?' is this: they're very keen on communicating. The bigger problem is this: they don't know how to communicate. So therein lies the problem – there is no chemistry. There is, this whole desire on the other person's part to pull me (or anyone who's experienced this before) into a pointless exchange.

EG. I hate facebook polls. New friends – omg, can you please not run polls on me? And even if you do, isn't it possible for the polls to have more *intelligent* questions. Stuff like, 'Do you think Claire Khoo will get married?' or 'Do you think Claire Khoo likes dating?' is totally -DUH-. Conversation starters in my inbox like, 'Hi wanna be friend',  is completely devoid of sincerity and presumes a very shallow burst off and I – the atas elitist, don't like wasting time. That's  why I delete, I block, I ignore.

And I don't like talking to people who only talk about politics and whose onlyinterest is to bash up the government and talk about how stupid UMNO / MCA is. See it isn't that I love Barisan Nasional to death – but I see the situation as a 'what is right now'. Coming from the perspective of a Christian, I believe that we're called to love whateverwe have, and its our responsible to work within the boundaries of our given situations – for the best. Complaining all the time about our stupid government (even though, yes I totally agree that they are stupid), is a waste of precious time. I just don't like being kopitiam naysayers because it takes away the intellect of living in this world.

And I happen to like my intellect a little too much to waste time on strangers. Thats why.

*ps. Adding this video cos it's too good not to share!!*

We watched this in church today. Sivin is fond of things like these, also Battlestar Galactica, which today he tells us that people tend to like because story-telling genres generally allow characters to grow and expand, offering an opportunity to the masses to build pseudo relationships.

I don't always talk about sermons and my faith journey – I honour my privacy and keep it as close as I can, but today I just wanted to remember how significant the sermon about change was to me, how it reminded me that miracles comes in little packets of reality – not the rah rah fireworks-y type delivered by baby angels in Pampers diapers.

Today I feel especially blessed.

I'm glad for people like the good pastor Sivin, and friends I've met and grown close to in recent years. People who are sharp and alert enough to recognize the times when I'm down and plunging towards abysses – they care enough to take the risk and inform me (yes, inform me) and ask me, 'What happened?'

I'm lucky in that sense, that there are people like you who care enough to spend the midnight hours talking on the phone with me about strange concepts like subconscious minds and magnet-like attraction factors, who remind me that when you're stuck you attract the people who like the stuck you into your life – its not that they don't care, its just that they're not aware enough to understand what's possible. I'm glad for the conversation last night that reminded me that how in life, whatever you resist will always persist, and why its important to enjoy as much as you can, whatever you have at that moment in time. This is the true essence of living in the now.

So its true, life is really like an RPG – you cross one level, and there will be a more challenging level for you to overcome. If its so challenging that you give up – then you'll be stuck, not moving forward, not going anywhere at all because you're just reluctant to try and try again – until you get it. The point is this, at the end of the game, when you complete the whole thing, you'll get out in one piece, victorious and joyous. And the cool part is, WALKTHROUGHs are available if you're hardworking and diligent enough to search for them. God allows Google moments, so if you're stuck on say, Level 6's dungeon stages and think of giving up – hey, check Google for FAQs, Cheats or walkthroughs. But of course, if you persevere and do it your own way, even if the journey takes longer and feels so much more tiring, you experience so much more, and learn so much more.

*Deep thought moment.*

I am a cynic. Not in many things, but well, this Earth Hour thingy – lemme admit it, I am totally, absolutely, cynical about the whole premise. Well, maybe because I think WWF has a lousy PR plan (these people send me 4-page newsletters every month asking me to donate money to help save jungles, just because I donated once… I can't stand the sight of wasted paper you see…), but more so because the more I see the word Earth Hour and that stupid logo popping out the more I wanna go, 'OMG WTF so stupid…'

Its stupid, I think, because the whole frenzy and excitement of holding torchlights and lighting candles, in pretense of the whole 'love our planet' crap is an absolute attempt by people who otherwise don't give a shit about efficient power usage and the environment. I think the whole 'let's do this to raise awareness' concept is good, but I also feel strongly that its GONE WAY WAY overboard.

The more I think about it, the more I think how hilarious it is that these very same, articulate people who will complain till the cows come home when the power trips for just fifteen minutes, are all going rah rah for Earth Hour. The same people who call up your local utility complaining about 'maintenance' cut offs in the middle of the night causing them to lose the precious light (and fan, and TV, and router, and whatever…) they need to carry out their daily work are now going 'HEY COME AND JOIN ME SAVE POWER…'

I think its funny how these people are now pointing fingers at cynics like us (I know there are many like me), saying that we're just wet blankets.

So I say, yes I'm a wet blanket, cannot izzit? But I also say, good for you, otherwise I have no idea what will move you to actually appreciate the piece and serenity of being in the dark. BTW, I don't sleep in air-conditioned rooms cos Air Conditioners are power guzzlers. Are your lights switched off and your air-cond turned on? Think you're still saving power?

Think again.

When Earth Hour was conceptualized several years ago, I thought – wow, how come we didn't have something as significant as this.

Then along the years, along this journey of becoming more and more 'climatic conscious' we finally caught up with the wave, and now, Earth Hour is finally here.

Of course, trust Malaysians (like any other money hungry, material- crazy human being) to dumb down the whole premise. Welcome the dawn of big free concerts, where celebrities gather in specially printed T-shirts (which went through the sinful power-guzzling print machines, powered by a lot of electricity, lol), and stages with bright lights and blasting speakers (more power, lol lol!!), all to usher in the magic hour where everything will be coated in sugar-sweet darkness.

After which, we will sing hurrah hurrah and pat ourselves on the back for having contributed to the wonderful, God-loving act of saving electricity for a good cause.

Now there's this stupid news about Jabatan trafik negara turning off all the streetlights and traffic lights for that one hour also. As I'm typing this, it remains a here-say, I dunno whether its true or not, but if the rumour turns out to be true, its official. Earth Hour has just been dumbed down.

Hey lo, you know what? BLOND HOUR! Let's all go blond, 28th March 2009, 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm. Should be quite fun!

I've added whipped cream (of all the sinful things, yes) to my daily cuppa milo+ nescafe, and I say, it tastes incredible.

Except you know… the thought of calories.

ahahha.

Drink first, fear later.