i was at my bus stop on my way to town when i took out xing's neeon mp3 player, deciding when and how to return it. i fussed about so many other things at the same time -- let's just say me and my attempt at multi-tasking is the shits. the bus came. and as i stood up, the mp3 rolled off my lap and onto the road, in front of the oncoming bus.

shit, what am i going to do, i thought to myself. i can't very well fling myself in front of the bus, it's barely 20 metres away, and it's not exactly slowing down. shit shit shit. okay, pray really hard that the bus doesn't roll over it. pray really really hard now val.

i crossed my fingers, and hoped to die. just then, things started moving in slow motion, and i could see the bus roll into the bay and over the mp3 player. i thought, maybe it might survive the weight. maybe creative did a fantastic job, and then i can write to the company and commend their works. i dreamed, i really did.

i stood there, open jawed and reeling from the fact that i told xing that i was going to return the mp3 to him. i picked up the smashed mp3, looked at it and thought aloud, fuck. i could hear gasps from the others at the bus stop. i think i could hear them imagining piggy banks being broken by little hammers. i could hear my piggy bank being broken by a huge hammer, backed by the screamings of my mum, and joined by the sing song of angels in heaven waiting for me.

i picked up the mp3 player, and gawked at it for another 3 seconds before rushing to board the bus. in all 5 strides to the entrance of the bus, i thought i'm gonna buy this from xing for two hundred bucks, and i can't tell him why.

(pls. note: if you know xing, don't tell him. and xing if you're reading this, it's a story that you don't have to come talk to me about.)

the lady who boarded the bus before me saw the incident, and i could feel her heart break for me as i walked past her on the bus. her eyes bore into my back. if i had to describe my emotions at that very point in time, it would be - A. shock - B. shock - C. shock.

i wanted to strangle the bus driver. but i knew, first i had to tell xing that i'm buying the mp3 from him. still reeling from shock, i dialed his number from memory, and waited for his curt 'yes?'.
'erm. hi...' i stammered, most unsure of myself. i was going to blow 200 bucks on something that was literally crap. 'hi. sorry to bother you.'
'yeah.'
'i'm gonna buy your mp3 from you.'
'huh?' i would like to think he was shocked. 'i thought you weren't going to?'
'well, now i am.'
'why?'
'because i want to.' it was the truth, i wanted to buy it off him; how could i possibly return a smashed gadget, or smashed anything? and he knows when i'm lying.
'ok, so now i don't need to return you your $75. you pay me $125.' he owed me $75 for a shirt i bought him. ask me to buy you a shirt, and i'll personally throw you out the window of a 20-storeys up.
'right. just send me your dbs account and i'll wire the cash later.'
'i use uob.'
'right. send it anyway.' i wasn't thinking at this point in time, i just blew two hundred on a gadget that doesn't work, it's NOTHING. i cannot emphasise NOTHING more than this.
'ok.'
'ok.' he hung up.
i closed my phone, and wiped away tears that were rolling down my face. i cried in public again, and on a damn bus, and i couldn't care less. this is the most expensive ride i've ever taken in my entire life. $201.80.

xing came around in the evening, and i passed him the $125.

so, i'm $125 short, and with a piece of crap that has absolutely no purpose other than to remind me of the past 5 months.

my options are:
A. keep it and frame it.
B. throw it back in his face, and tell him to keep the money.

(here's a reminder again: if you know xing, don't tell him. and xing if you're reading this, it's a story that you don't have to come talk to me about.)

this blog was relevant to a ms. valerie anne from when she was studying mass communications in a singapore polytechnic.

she was aged 16 on her first post, and 18 on her last.

she is currently a freelance emcee-er/hostess.
contact her at
valerieanne @ cheerful.com

some might call me the ultimate sagittarian; free-spirited and whatnot, but i don't believe in horoscopes.

"everything gets complicated when you think. i don't discourage thinking, it's over thinking that i'm worried about." - val


none existent.


i've moved on.

shop alot?


. make Valerie Anne are big name
. publish a book entitled "you better quote val, or else" - recommended by derek goh
. open a clip-on earrings shop
. open a cafe
. learn/speak spanish
. skydive over mauritius waters
. bungee jump from a suspension bridge
. get back into my dancing shoes
. set a world record for the longest time on a roller coaster ride
. save an endangered species
. AND prove to my mum that i'll be married before 35. HAHA.


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