The transcendent wisdom of Goodbyes...

Hello!

I know I've been missing out on writing for quite some time, but that's what happens when one of your brothers gets married.*yippeee* So what I'm posting now is a piece I had written in the first week of January when my real-brother left town. It's just something I observed and deduced, funnily. Here it comes... Happy reading!

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I'm not a  frequent traveler, but I've had my share of travelling as well as of picking and dropping people up from airports and railway stations (no, that does NOT include local railway stations). Thus, over a period of time, I've chanced upon observing people and their very peculiar goodbyes (including my own, but hey, you're never gonna know which category I fall in *smirk*).

So after a dropping my brother off at the airport last week, I have constructed the following different TYPES of  goodbyes and qualities which they are typical to, owing to my abysmally superior observation skills (I make myself sound so cool). Here comes my findings, folks!
NOTE: The subject would be referred to as the Goodbyeee. (read: goodbye-ee. Like, trustee, franchisee; geddit, geddit?)

1. The "Mummy" Goodbyeee: 
Attributes:
a) Impressions of near anxiety attacks
b) Gives the goodbyeee140+ mmHg pulse rate feeling
c) Results in you looking for places to hide your face (which might just be in the hold of unbreakable hugs and loud sobs. Tough.)

The Mummy Goodbye happens to be the most dreadful type of goodbye. Of course, like the name suggests, mummy-jis are the most common sufferers of such goodbyes; which probably makes this the most commonly experienced type of goodbye.

Going for a long trip? Boo-hooooo.... Going for a trek? Boo-hooooo... Going to study? Boo-hooooo.... Going for a holiday? Boo-hoooo.... Going for a party? Boo-hooooo.... Going to buy vegetables? Boo-hooooo....
Been there, done that? *ahem* Happens.

This type of goodbye can most commonly be found at airports and railway stations. I have observed Aunty-jis who could give you a sense of survival after the goodbye, but some could also be making you wish for the apocalypse in the Goodbye-MCQ's.

Thus, beware, my dear friend, for if you have experienced the Mummy Goodbye before, be prepared. Some water, a handkerchief and a flight ticket that departs or arrives before their favorite TV serial show begins, are some advised forms of medication. Like Professor Moody would say, Constant Vigilance!

2. The "Daddy" goodbyeee: 
Attributes: 
a) Quick hug
b) Pat on shoulder/back
c) No tears shed by Goodbyeee *phew*

This is by far the most cheerful type of goodbye in my opinion. Thanks to the centuries of build-up of the male traits (read: ego), the Goodbyee (mostly male), will shed no tear. Furthermore, the goodbye would be so quick that it would take you 24 hours more to realize the person is away.

The name again makes it very clear. A quick hug, a pat on the back would also occasionally be followed by the Goodbyeee adding a word of command such as, "Take care of the family," "Be back home on time every night," "Be responsible,"(as if) "Help your mother do grocery shopping" (ha-ha.) But, in addition to that word of responsibility, this goodbye also involves the Goodbyeee opening his wallet and giving you some extra cash for "emergency situations." Didn't I say this was the most cheerful type? Betcha. :D

3. The "Bro" Goodbyeee:
Attributes:
1. No fuss
2. No tears
3. No extra pocket money either. *bah!*

Another very, very pleasant good-bye. It's almost so pleasant that you might think to yourself, "Why the hell did I ditch that movie and come?" But then again, it's pleasant, so no big deal.    
The Goodbyeee might just be really excited to go and you could be the one with wet eyes.
Like the attributes say, you won't be making any goodbye cash profit on this one; but life's like that most time of the year, ain't it?
So if it's this Goodbyeee you are dropping at the airport, fret not, just go on for some time pass.
You might even be treated to some coffee and a pack of Lays wafers. (Junk rules!)
Plus, you might just end up writing something probably as irrelevant as this. Just saying.

4. The "Sister" Goodbyeee:
Attributes:
1. Confusing.
2. Possibly embarrassing.
3. Red eyes and a thin voice.

This is a usually tricky type of goodbye. Like the name suggests, it is atypical to girls and young women. Elaborating on the attributes, it can be confusing because these type of Goodbyee's want to cry but don't want to show it. Worst part is attribute number 3. Their eyes are red and maybe even watery. Their voice gets thin because they're trying so hard to not sob over the departure.
What's tricky about that? The fact that you know it!
If it were me, I wouldn't know how to react to such a situation.
Should I hug? Should I say something sentimental or nice? Should I buy a pack of tissues? Should I shut up and leave? Should I...?

And, my friend, that's what makes it embarrassing, because bloody hell, the Goodbyeee knows you know what she/he knows. Know what I mean? So now you have the added pressure on your head to make it as cheerful as you can.
TIP: If you're someone with a sense of humor like that of Chandler Bing's, please SHUT UP AND LEAVE.


So my few, precious readers, THAT was the final result of deep, thought-provoking, research. (I'm exaggerating again.)

I'm sure y'all learnt a lot, but I think I should add a word or two on how to really tackle some long distance goodbyes in public interest.

How do you REALLY prepare for/tackle goodbyes?

• Instead of making yourself and the other person sob at the station, have a good, informal chat and say your goodbye before you all leave; so you'll be done with all the crying and everyone would have had a chance to say what they wanted to say.
• Have light and breezy conversations on your way and at the airport. Talk about future plans such as what you will do after the guests have left or what the Goodbyeee intends to do after they leave your place. If  you both have just attended a wedding/party/event together, gossiping seems a good thing to do. :P
• Think you or someone else is big weeper or too weak at goodbyes? Then send the emotionally-strong one amongst you to drop the Goodbyeee. 

Hope you enjoyed reading. Feel free to add or subtract to this one!

Au revoir,
Miss Bee.

P.S.- What type of Goodbyeee could I have been just now? Guess, guess.

P.P.S- Here's a goodbye song for you!

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Tax is easier than make-up...

Salut!

My new found freedom, after months of third degree academic torture, has given me a flood of time to pursue anything and everything I'd like to learn. Of the many things I am now in the process of learning, one such activity happened to be that including cosmetics.

My bestie, a financial planner (cool, eh? *swells with pride*), and I decided that a 'box of vanity' was needed in life and it was about time we figured how to apply cosmetics beyond a kohl stick. All the cosmetic gifts we had were going to waste, and no woman (even a tomboyish one) would take that upon her credit.

I'm no fan of make-up. I don't even bother applying kohl most days. It's just some more chemical around my eyes, right? But ladies, we all know there are some occasions in life that just demand for a little bit of extra colour on our faces. So finally realizing the fact that we needed to kick the no-make-up habit like cigarette addiction, we decided to go out there and just get the basics right...

And that's when we landed as aliens on planet Fat Mu, a place offering makeup services along with a  makeup academy. Sounds like we went for months of makeup training? Hell to the no!
They have a variety of 2 hour long, themed workshops almost every other week and thus, we knew one of these would be good for us to know how to hold AND use makeup. If you too have no knowledge about the vanity box like us, these workshops seem to be a good place to start learning.

We attended the 'Sex and the city' workshop. Like the name says, we were introduced to the makeup styles used in the sitcom and the movies. Do you sense girl-power, oodles of style and fun? You're right, my friend.

"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy."

           -Yves Saint-Laurent

How did it go?
The Mu-ettes(that's what they call themselves. Quirky, right?) first demonstrated all the looks on a model, answering all sorts of questions we had (and we had loads because the two of us were the only ones who didn't even know a lot of the products that needed to be used). Then, we were all given our individual makeup stations and kits to go ahead and try all the looks ourselves. That's when my experience was most fun.

We had a good time asking and giggling to  about products that needed to be used, what we had to do, when, etc., etc.... It made for such a good girls day out! Luckily, for us, all the Mu-ettes were patient and kind enough to guide us through every step.

Two of the best things are that they only hae a limited number of students attending the workshops, so that explains why they could give us so much time and patience. Also, you don't need to bring your own make-up or anything. So after the workshop, we could easily decide on buying things that we would actually use according to our taste and usage.

We were right when we thought this theme workshop would be a good introduction for us to the world of makeup. But none the less, my dearest financial planner rightly stated at the the end of the session (while we still looked all sparkly and nice), "Tax is easier than make-up."

Damn right, it is... But only until you try. O:)

Au revoir,
Miss Bee.


I tweet on: https://twitter.com/#!/shoe_stopper
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P.S.- Want to attend a makeup workshop with your girlfriends too? You can find Fat Mu here: http://www.facebook.com/fatmuworld Have fun! :D

A new year and some old points....

Ni hao!

I wish all of you a very happy new year!

I pretty much wrote everything I could remember about the places I saw in Hong Kong, but I forgot to add some of the most important points that would make or break your trip. So here they come:

1.) FOOD: Oh yes! Dear vegetarians (and non-vegetarians alike), carry along lots of khakras, matthris, chivdas, and all that jazz because vegetarian food, and the kind you like is hard to come by. Non-vegetarians I was travelling with couldn't stomach the kind of food they have there. The meat is mostly just boiled, bland and... let's just say not to our taste. So, make sure you take all the farsans and snack items you can along to avoid hunger pangs and headaches.

2.) CHARGING ELECTRONIC ITEMS: This one can be a serious trip dampener; and it's going to be hard for me to explain. Yet, I'll try.
The plug points there, aren't the same as we use here. So unless, you have chargers that can be inserted in the thin plug points, using your appliances beyond one day will be tough. Luckily, I had a camera that needed batteries. In such a case, I advise you too to carry batteries from here, because a pair of batteries would cost you 10HKD more or less. Cut down your cost by carrying extra batteries.

As far as using your chargers are considered, buy cheap extensions from here and go; like I  said, Hong Kong is expensive.
I only needed my camera and thus the problem of charging my phone and Ipod didn't arise. However, I suggest you figure out a solution for that before leaving. Sorry, I can't be of much help here thanks to my seriously limited knowledge on batteries and chargers.

3.) WATER: Yes, my friend, water too is very expensive there. We were charged extra by the hotel for bottles of water. (yeah, they don't even give free bottles of water! Who does that?!) However, it's even more expensive in places like Ocean Park and Disneyland; 25 HKD to be precise. So tour travelers, guides, hotel staff, give water bottles at a cheaper cost. (5-15 HKD; depending on the source)
Furthermore, each person is allowed to carry only 500 ml of water inside these places. So make sure you have one fore each one.

*SLY TIP: Inside Disneyland,you will find drinking water booths. So you have free access to water in Disneyland and I suggest you fill your bottles before the end of the day too. ;)

4.) COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR: Dear women, unless you are a pro, don't venture out in heels and fancy, delicate sandals. Wear comfy sandals, flip-flops or shoes to walk through the day without swollen, aching feet!

5.) LANGUAGE: I've mentioned this in my previous post, yet I'm going to repeat it. Language is an issue in Hong Kong!!!!! I'm not asking you to learn Cantonese and go; however, if there are specific, local places you need to visit in the town especially using local transport, ask the hotel staff to write the name of the places and the bus number, etc so that you can show it locals and get around easily.
In areas like Kowloon, we didn't have too much of an issue with the language; but that's that. People there, including hotel staff, receptionists, and everyone else you'd think would speak in English, do know the language but their verbal abilities are quite limited.

PLACES:
Apart from the ones that I've covered in previous posts, there are a few places I saw as quickly as I forgot about Shahrukh's Ra.one (horrendous movie). Hong Kong is a very modern city; a true concrete jungle in my opinion. So if you want to see the city, you pretty much have shopping malls and shopping streets to go too. I suggest you check out Tsim tsa sui (pronounced: sim sha sui). There are lots of branded as well as local shopping places around there and you'll have a good number of options to choose from.

So that sums up EVERYthing I had to share about my visit to Hong Kong. Hope you enjoyed reading all of it and it proves to be helpful if you plan to go there soon.

With hopes of knowledge-endowed travels and experiences worth sharing....

Au revoir,
Miss Bee.

Now I tweet only on: https://twitter.com/#!/shoe_stopper