No one can be that shallow! Can they?

on the way to work

As part of my daily voyage to work, I walk with some trepidation as I pass the newsagent hoping to see something that will attract my attention: a headline, a tabloid scandal or perhaps the next issue of a magazine. I look for anything that will erode the monotony and disappointment that is Cityrail and provide some sensory pleasure. On this particular occasion, a leggy blonde with pouty lips in a barely-there pink bikini grasping a very big stick on the cover of a glossy magazine instantly captivated my depressed attention. It was Paris Hilton on the November issue of Esquire and along with the headline “Queer eye for the serial killer guy” – I was sold.

And like on any other particular day, the delay in my scheduled transportation enabled me valuable minutes to gaze at the cover and endure the seduction that is glossy magazines. Besides the usual fanfare of chicks in bikinis, ok, Paris in bikinis, I was somewhat intrigued in the interview that landed her the coveted front page spread. It is during these rare interviews where the interviewer can disseminate the well known veneer that you start to really understand and appreciate a person. And again, not surprisingly, something Paris said stole my attention for the rest of the day. I started to question it, but the statement holds impenetrable truth and along with the others, I really need to share it with you. It is one of those statements that will soon become idioms and one that I have always believed in and followed yet have not been able to articulate it. The statement: “I don’t really pay attention to other people. Well, except for what they’re wearing.”

This week also happened to be Christmas. And like other years, it was a disappointment until the very last moments. Taking advantage of a free afternoon off work on Christmas eve, I did what every other sane person would do – I went shopping at the only decent department store in the city – David Jones. And unlike other years, the store was quite well stocked and busy in the haste reorganisation and preparation for the post-Christmas sales. Taking my time to browse the merchandise, I saw across the room on an empty shelf a lone pair of jeans neatly folded and unaccompanied. Glancing upwards, I almost broke into a sprint to retrieve the only pair of Helmut Lang jeans there. Naturally I bought it. The price? Let’s just say I could have taken everyone to dinner again at Longrain….

Without trying to put myself back into severe melancholy after Christmas, I have to say that 2004 has been a very special year for me. So many things have happened that have left a profound influence over me. I started to become accustomed to this emotion that people call happiness and I have so many people to thank for helping me to achieve it. It may not be believable, but everyone has been there to help me. Whether it’d be long conversations, quick calls to say hello, witty emails, obvious rolling-of-the-eye emails, quick lunches or long dinners; it has been a pleasure to experience them all. So before we venture into the start of 2005, I just want to wish everyone a happy new year because for the absolute first time, my words have meaning. The past year has been good for some and not so good for others, but I sincerely hope that everyone will have an enjoyable 2005 and that they are a step closer to achieving their dreams. Because I am.

posted by tykang @ 12/27/2004 10:13:00 PM