Pollyana Cowgirl

More floods

I must do justice to the Great Jakarta Flood.

Frantic calls from the Tan Family, emails from friends and worried SMSes from all and sundry. I must qualify that the situation though plain catastrophic in some areas, did not really affect me to a too large degree. I finally got hold of the Straits Times today and saw the photos that instilled wide spread fear in family and friends back home in Singapore; that I might just be drowning in muddy murky waters looking for my displaced shoes while swimming to safety to rescue my dresses, skirts and the Botkier bag. Sorry to break your hearts, but my carefully honed survival swimming skills were never put to use and I stayed high and dry.

Well, dry first. Stuck in my little apartment with nothing much to do since I left my marking in school, I was left to my own devices. Between lazing in bed, working out at the gym and going for a swim in the pool (greatest irony while it is flooding), I was glued to my Book of the Week, Zadie Smith's On Beauty.

Fantastic prose and vivid descriptions of characters and places have been keeping me glued to. I almost am hoping the book does not come to an end. Dear Zadie, it has been a while since I was smitten, by a book no less. I am in love! Of susbtance indeed. Book review alert is coming up on this blog once the end is near. In contrast, I read this horrid book, Nicholas Spark's The Notebook in less than 2 hours. Plain nondescript book that does nothing for my hardened soul and cold cold heart. But, really, the story of love that lasts a lifetime has been done to death. I know, people grow old, through sickness and in health coupled with a love that is supposed to last forever. Save the tress!

With school cancelled for a grand total of 3 days, it is finally back to work today. Classes are half filled and everyone (yours truly included) was excitedly talking about the flood.

"Miss, Miss! We miss you! Were you scared by the flood?"
"Oh! I miss all of you too!"
"So Miss, what did you do during the 'holiday'?
"Erm... well, I stayed at home, swam, jogged and read... nothing much really. I was kinda dry..."
"Wow! You are so lucky Miss! Our homes were flooded! Water level was waist-high! We are now living in hotels! Blackouts! No water!"
"Oh really? I even went to EX yesterday......"
*Chorus of SCREAMS*
"MISS! YOU WENT TO EX YESTERDAY?!! Enak banget! Miss we are so jealous!!!!"
*Chorus of SCREAMS*
"Miss you are very naughty! Enjoying and going out when there is a flood?!"
"Erm..."

**EX is an entertainment complex that is linked to a snazzy dapper mall that is located in Central Jakarta. I ventured out of the apartment to have lunch and to walk around EX with the member of the royal family, the Prince *ahem* *cough* *tries hard not to gag* dare I say it C-H-A-R....

posted by Poot @ 1:47 PM