.: First Time :.

I've had many first times this week....

First time reading a manga

So I've been over timing in office recently (mostly due to some ongoing restructuring in the Group that I've to prepare reports on). And I have this two workaholic colleagues who stays back equally late. So we kinda chat, and one of them, being a big, huge anime fan insist on introducing me to a few good animes. After much persuasion (and I could never refuse to try out new things), he pass to me two mangas - Bleach & One Piece (The Rubber Boy) the very next day.

I went home that night, and started reading Bleach. Well, the thing about manga is that you have to read it from the "back to front" unlike the conventional English books where you would read from "front to back". That I already knew, but what I didn't know is whether to read from right to left or left to right. It's kinda confusing really, and to add to that, in one frame there could be two or three conversation bubbles, so I don't really know in which sequence it should be read.

The next day, I asked that same colleague this;

"I've got a stupid question to ask... but how do you actually read a manga?" "I've been trying to figure out all night, and even flipped through the pages if there was a manual on how to read manga...."

He looked at me, eyes wide open, as if I've asked the most stupiest question (ok fine, perhaps I did - especially the manual part), laughed and said "It's actually common sense really."

Ok, so I've very lil common sense when it comes to this matter (he shouldn't have rubbed it in nonetheless *wink*)

So he explained to me very patiently and if I find the time, I will read it tonight.

Who knows, I might actually get hooked and become an anime fan too? *wink*

First time getting a Henna tattoo
Met up with Ah Ser at Ah Fei's house this week, for the last time before she flew back to Aussie. And she brought this henna dye and started practising her artistic skills, using our hands as canvas. Since Ah Fei is still in Uni, the back of her palm was decorated with flowers and other unidentified funny patterns (UFP). I wanted a simple one (coz I can't go to work with my whole hand decorated in henna dye. So I asked Ser to draw a lil snowflake on my wrist.

I kinda like it very much actually. Tempting me to get a real tattoo soon, but will see how it goes!

First time going to a Chap Goh Mei festival celebration

I was having dinner with my kor & his bubbly ex-schoolmate Jeremy in Amcorp Mall, at this Japanese Restaurant on 15th day of Chinese New Year (my mom didn't cook that day). The food was good, plus the have bottomless garlic rice, so it's good for someone who is a big eater as my kor is.

From what I understand, in Hokkien, Chap Goh Mei means 15th night of the Chinese New Year (Chap Goh means 15 in Hokkien). It's also known as Chinese Valentine's Day and represents the last day of the Lunar New Year celebration.

And just across of Amcorp Mall, they were having this big Chap Goh Mei celebration in Taman Jaya park. People young and old alike gathered there to celebrate this night. What happens is, the single maidens will throw mandrine oranges (with their details like name and contact number written in water proof ink) into the lake. And young single men with fishing nets (some were even hand made) would fish out these oranges from the lake.

Well, I would say for this case, there were some not-so-single women throwing oranges into the lake, and of course not-so-single men fishing out for these oranges. I mean, I actually saw a guy holding a fishing net in one hand, and his beautiful gf's hand in another.

But I guess it's more of getting into the festive of things, and having loads of fun!

First time helping a blind man to get to work

I was on my way to work when a saw a blind man with his walking stick somewhere nearby the Raja Chulan Monorail station. I approached him and asked him where was he heading. Apparently he was working in Hong Leong (for a good ol 10 years). So we walked there and had a good chat about work, the weather, the Chinese New Year holidays.

He thanked me as we he walked out of the lift at the 3rd floor.

I do not know if there was any pun intended, but he said "Thanks! See you around!"

First time changing my car tyre

My car type punctured a few weeks ago. And my dad insisted that I learn for myself how to change my own car tyre. So I took out the whole manual hand jack, and there I was working out my biceps/triceps muscle under the hot sun (my dad INSISTED that I MUST do it there and then) while he just stood there and look.

Was complaining that I didn't even had to learn all this during the compulsary BENGKEL session before I got my driving licence.

But somehow, I managed to complete the task. Kinda proud of myself actually! :)

But to be honest, if I ever had a flat tyre again, I will just do what I did the last time - call Lonpac!

.......Ah.... Indeed a week of many firsts!